Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A Charlie Brown Christmas reflections in Times
See "An enduring Christmas gift," by J.T. Young, Washington Times November 27, 2007. The family's watching it right now, of course.
Futurama bits in today's papers
Both free papers ran articles on the direct to dvd return of Futurama. Scott Rosenberg wrote one for the Express - see "Back to the Drawing Board: 'Futurama'." The one in the Examiner was an AP story. The Express also ran a little feature on A Charlie Brown Christmas which is on in seven minutes.
Bruce Guthrie on Mid-Ohio Con
Hellboy, photo by Bruce GuthrieGuest columnist Bruce Guthrie has written a report on Mid-Ohio Con:
I attended the Mid-Ohio-Con in Columbus, Ohio last weekend. I used to go to the show a decade or more ago when it was in Mansfield, Ohio and I hadn't been back since then but they still send me postcards.
If you've never done the Mid-Ohio-Con, it's a nice little show. It doesn't have that many special guests but it's low-key enough that you can actually talk to them.
This year, one of the guests of honor was to be Margot Kidder, who had played Lois Lane in the Superman movies, and that sounded pretty cool given what I had heard about her bi-polar issues. Other people I was looking forward to were Sergio Aragones (Groo, MAD Magazine), Tom Batiuk (Funky Winkerbean), Noel Neill (the original "Lois Lane"), Mark Goddard (from "Lost In Space"), Dave Dorman, Mark Evanier, and Steve Rude.
Tom Batiuk of Funky Winkerbean, photo by Bruce GuthrieThere was no appearance by local boy Jeff Smith ("Bone") but I did get lost in his neighborhood one night...
As far the convention itself was concerned, they thought their headliners were Doug Jones (who played Silver Surfer in the most recent Fantastic Four movie), Arthur Suydam, Rich Buckler, Gary Friedrich, Michael Golden, Arvell Jones, Tony Isabella, Keith Pollard, Roger Stern, Herb Trimpe, and Rob Wilson.
Well, long story short, Margot Kidder didn't make it. They said she was working that weekend up in Canada. Anyway...
The two-day ticket to the show was all of $15. Columbus is pretty quiet over Thanksgiving so I got a Motel 6 room for about $35/night. I was willing to walk a couple of blocks for parking -- parking on Saturday cost me $2 and parking on Sunday was free. And gas at the local Costco was $2.78.9. Okay, so I'm cheap. Deal with it.
All right, so back to the show. It featured two program tracks -- 10 sessions on Friday and 8 on Saturday. Being photo-obsessive, I hopped around to most of the sessions. (Pictures from the weekend are on my web site at http://www.digitalphalanx.com/bguthrie ) [editor's note - 6 pages of them!]
Sergio Aragones, photo by Bruce GuthrieOver a quarter of the sessions involved Mark Evanier. He handled a birthday interview with Noel Neill, a panel discussing reprinting all of the comic strips from Pogo (Carolyn Kelly -- Walt Kelly's daughter -- was there for that), a Groo panel (with Sergio Aragones), an interview with Steve Rude, and a roast for Maggie Thompson (editor of the Comics Buyer's Guide). He's working on a biography of Jack Kirby who Evanier had served as an assistant to. You check out his Wikipedia entry and he's written for a number of television series -- including the third Bob Newhart series "Bob" and a variety of, well, kind of crappy cartoons. He's got Emmy nominations for that but he's on strike now along with the other TV writers. This is one interesting guy! He's got a wonderful, dry sense of humor and an amazing memory.
I ended up chatting with quite a few of the people including Mark,Sergio Aragones, Steve Rude, Noel Neill, etc. If you've never met Sergio before, do so! He's got a sparkling personality. And he draws so quickly and with such detail -- truly a marvel to watch.
One conversation was with Craig Boldman who was manning a booth for the National Cartoonists Society (Great Lakes Chapter) and the OSU Cartoon Research Library. In that capacity, he had been involved with the 2007 Festival of Cartoon Arts which our own Mike Rhode had attended just last month. A friendly guy, Craig's someone who likes to know everyone's name and home city when he talks to you. I told him I was from Silver Spring and he said Kim DeMulder was from around there too (Bethesda). He also told me there was an artist at the show who was from around me. It turned out she was from Harpers Ferry. Well, no, not *that* near me...
Craig Boldman of NCS, photo by Bruce GuthrieSome of the panels were better than others. The most popular ones -- "Horror you? Fine by me!", "Superhero Trivia Challenge", and "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" -- were the least appealing to me. Most of the remaining panels were half-filled at best. I think all of Mark's fit into this category. This isn't a criticism of Mark.
Realistically, he represents the old guard in comic-dom -- Wikipedia mentions he's "the documented administrator for the official Walt Kelly Pogo site" -- and at San Diego, he often chaired sessions for golden age comic book folks. I asked him if he liked newer comics and he said, except for the ones he writes, he doesn't read them at all anymore. I asked if that was because he was stuck on the comics he grew up on. He said that might be part of it but he said most of the comic books these days have lost their emphasis on storylines. He also says they're too hard for most people to pick up anymore since they're usually confined to specialty shops. I'm a little younger than he is but I agree with him -- all of his panels were of interest to me.
There was a panel with three science fiction-related performers -- Mark Goddard (Major Don West in "Lost In Space"), Sarah Douglas ("Ursa" in Superman II), and Scott L. Schwartz ("bad guy" in a variety of shows -- even his web site http://www.ultimatebadguy.com/ promotes him as the ultimate bad guy -- including Bruiser on the three Oceans Eleven films). Mark and Sarah commented a lot about why you should pay them for their autographs because they don't make residuals for
their shows. Well, sorry folks, but you're not making buckets of money in part because you're mostly doing bit parts, often in shows that weren't that great in the first place. Personally, I used to watch "Lost In Space" as a kid but, unlike "Andy Griffith", "Gunsmoke", and "Combat", I don't think the show holds up very well and I have zero interest in watching the episodes again.
Sarah Douglas talked about working with Marlon Brando and how he never remembered lines. They'd put his scripts within eye shot using teleprompters and text stuck on fence posts, foreheads, etc. She said for "Last Tango," his lines were written on the naked body of the actress he was making love to. I know George Clooney is similar -- doesn't remember lines -- and Noel mentioned that the Perry White actor usually had the lines written on the papers he was always shuffling on his desk.
Bruce with Sergio AragonesAnyway, that's about it. I enjoyed the show. I don't know what the attendance was -- after San Diego, everything is small. There were a higher percentage of people in costume than I'm used to seeing at the Baltimore and San Diego cons. I can't say much about the dealer room since I don't shop for comic books anymore -- they looked pretty busy so I guess things were good in that department.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Comics Reporter reviews Cul de Sac
...one strip of it at least. Tom Spurgeon's got a good book of criticism in him waiting to get out.
Gobbledygook by Coulter
As part of the Secret History of Comics (SHoC), I present the book, Gobbledygook Has Got To Go, published by those wild humorists in the Bureau of Land Management, circa 1970. They credited the writer, John O'Hayre, but not the cartoonist who signed some of the following drawings as 'Coulter.' Anyone know who that is? There's a William Coulter (b. 1946) listed in one National Cartoonists Society album.
I didn't have access to a scanner today, so these are shot with a camera - the quality of the originals is much better.
I'm not quite sure why the Bureau of Land Management ends their booklet with a picture of an astronaut.
I didn't have access to a scanner today, so these are shot with a camera - the quality of the originals is much better.
I'm not quite sure why the Bureau of Land Management ends their booklet with a picture of an astronaut.
Cartoons Magazine from 1918 online
This is not the REAL SHoC (Secret History of Comics) promised yesterday, but it's a pretty good one. It's a scan on Google Books of Cartoons Magazine from 1918 - actually it's over 500 pages long so it must be most of the year's issues! Hoo-hah!
These are pretty well-known to hardcore collectors, but out of the price range of ordinary guys like me. Let's give a moment to appreciate the bequest of John Amory Lowell.
Now... to print or not to print...
Here's a 1920 Keeping Up with the Joneses from Pop Momand...
...Winsor McCay's Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend...
...Thomas Masson's 1922 Our American Humorists has a chapter on comics artists - with few kind words...
...and a microfiche version of The Good Things of Life, Sixth Series, which is early gag cartooning.
These are pretty well-known to hardcore collectors, but out of the price range of ordinary guys like me. Let's give a moment to appreciate the bequest of John Amory Lowell.
Now... to print or not to print...
Here's a 1920 Keeping Up with the Joneses from Pop Momand...
...Winsor McCay's Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend...
...Thomas Masson's 1922 Our American Humorists has a chapter on comics artists - with few kind words...
...and a microfiche version of The Good Things of Life, Sixth Series, which is early gag cartooning.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-29-07
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 11-29-07
By John Judy, WGA-Wanabee
(NOTE: This week comics are shipping one day later than usual due to that thing with the turkeys and the people who buckled their hats. Look for ‘em Thursday, not Wednesday.)
ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #8 by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. Which iconic DC heroine will be rendered as an unstable slut this issue? The latest milestone in Frank Miller’s ongoing mental collapse! Ho-ho-ho!
AVENGERS INITIATIVE: BASIC TRAINING VOL. 1 PREMIERE HC by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Collecting the first six issues of this smart, funny adventure series. Recommended.
BATMAN #671 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. Bats versus Sensei versus Ras al Ghul. Could be a short resurrection for The Ras.
BLACK PANTHER #32 by Reginald Hudlin and Francis Portela. Fun and games on the Skrull Gangsta Planet. Also featuring a nefarious frog. Oddly recommended.
CRIME BIBLE: THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #2 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Jose Saiz. Featuring “The Lesson of Lust.” This Religion of Crime is sounding better and better…
DAN DARE #1 of 7 by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine. A classic British science-hero as written by Garth Ennis. To be read with tongs and blast goggles. Thank-you, Virgin Comics.
DAREDEVIL #102 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Mister Fear is having way too much fun making DD’s life difficult. It’s good to be Mister Fear. Recommended.
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL.8 SC by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri, and Rick Leonardi. Collecting a buncha stuff from Claremont’s 100-year run on the Uncanny X-books. Issues #229-243, plus Annual #12 and some X-FACTOR to boot.
IT ATE BILLY ON CHRISTMAS HC by Roman Dirge and Steven Daily. From the creator of LENORE, a little seasonal fun in the vein of “Little Shop of Horrors meets all those Rankin-Bass Christmas specials of days gone by.” Gotta look!
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2 of 5 by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips. Forty years after the zombie plague turned Earth’s mightiest heroes into glowing-eyed ghouls with no lips, strange alliances are forming. Recommended. Absolutely not for kids.
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41 by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. “One More Day” part 3 of 4, in which Aunt May takes her shot at the Lingering World’s Record. What is it with Aunt May? She’s had more heart attacks than Cheney, been shot by a sniper and pumped full of radioactive Spidey-blood, but she still won’t die! What is she, some kind of passive-aggressive Wolverine? Does her healing power only get her well enough to be a 1000-pound guilt-anchor on her nephew? Die or get off the pot, Aunt May! And get me some wheat cakes!
SHAZAM ACTION FIGURES featuring Cap, Billy, Junior, Mary, Sivana, Mr. Mind, and Hoppy the Marvel Bunny! You want these. Don’t pretend you don’t.
SUB-MARINER #6 of 6 by Matt Cherniss, Peter Johnson, and Phil Briones. Namor makes some cold, hard decisions and renews an old business relationship. Not bad.
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13 by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. The long-awaited conclusion to “Camelot Falls” in which Supes and Arion duke it out. Recommended.
WARREN ELLIS BLACK GAS SC by Internet Jesus and Max Fiumara. If the holidays make you want to eat people until civilization falls to ruin this is the book for you.
WORLD WAR HULK FRONT LINE #6 of 6 by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs. Answering the musical question “After the Hulk and the Sentry turn New York into New Orleans what’s a drunk reporter to do?” Better than it sounds.
X-MEN #205 by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo. “Mutant Killer Jesus-Baby” Part 5 of 13. Big fights.
X-MEN FIRST CLASS #6 by Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz. A story that appears to be about the early X-Men losing their powers because of something from space. The preview copy looked like a lot of pages were printed out of order. Maybe the X-books are all mangas now?
Plus, PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel!
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy, WGA-Wanabee
(NOTE: This week comics are shipping one day later than usual due to that thing with the turkeys and the people who buckled their hats. Look for ‘em Thursday, not Wednesday.)
ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #8 by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. Which iconic DC heroine will be rendered as an unstable slut this issue? The latest milestone in Frank Miller’s ongoing mental collapse! Ho-ho-ho!
AVENGERS INITIATIVE: BASIC TRAINING VOL. 1 PREMIERE HC by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Collecting the first six issues of this smart, funny adventure series. Recommended.
BATMAN #671 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. Bats versus Sensei versus Ras al Ghul. Could be a short resurrection for The Ras.
BLACK PANTHER #32 by Reginald Hudlin and Francis Portela. Fun and games on the Skrull Gangsta Planet. Also featuring a nefarious frog. Oddly recommended.
CRIME BIBLE: THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #2 of 5 by Greg Rucka and Jose Saiz. Featuring “The Lesson of Lust.” This Religion of Crime is sounding better and better…
DAN DARE #1 of 7 by Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine. A classic British science-hero as written by Garth Ennis. To be read with tongs and blast goggles. Thank-you, Virgin Comics.
DAREDEVIL #102 by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Mister Fear is having way too much fun making DD’s life difficult. It’s good to be Mister Fear. Recommended.
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL.8 SC by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri, and Rick Leonardi. Collecting a buncha stuff from Claremont’s 100-year run on the Uncanny X-books. Issues #229-243, plus Annual #12 and some X-FACTOR to boot.
IT ATE BILLY ON CHRISTMAS HC by Roman Dirge and Steven Daily. From the creator of LENORE, a little seasonal fun in the vein of “Little Shop of Horrors meets all those Rankin-Bass Christmas specials of days gone by.” Gotta look!
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2 of 5 by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips. Forty years after the zombie plague turned Earth’s mightiest heroes into glowing-eyed ghouls with no lips, strange alliances are forming. Recommended. Absolutely not for kids.
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41 by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. “One More Day” part 3 of 4, in which Aunt May takes her shot at the Lingering World’s Record. What is it with Aunt May? She’s had more heart attacks than Cheney, been shot by a sniper and pumped full of radioactive Spidey-blood, but she still won’t die! What is she, some kind of passive-aggressive Wolverine? Does her healing power only get her well enough to be a 1000-pound guilt-anchor on her nephew? Die or get off the pot, Aunt May! And get me some wheat cakes!
SHAZAM ACTION FIGURES featuring Cap, Billy, Junior, Mary, Sivana, Mr. Mind, and Hoppy the Marvel Bunny! You want these. Don’t pretend you don’t.
SUB-MARINER #6 of 6 by Matt Cherniss, Peter Johnson, and Phil Briones. Namor makes some cold, hard decisions and renews an old business relationship. Not bad.
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13 by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. The long-awaited conclusion to “Camelot Falls” in which Supes and Arion duke it out. Recommended.
WARREN ELLIS BLACK GAS SC by Internet Jesus and Max Fiumara. If the holidays make you want to eat people until civilization falls to ruin this is the book for you.
WORLD WAR HULK FRONT LINE #6 of 6 by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs. Answering the musical question “After the Hulk and the Sentry turn New York into New Orleans what’s a drunk reporter to do?” Better than it sounds.
X-MEN #205 by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo. “Mutant Killer Jesus-Baby” Part 5 of 13. Big fights.
X-MEN FIRST CLASS #6 by Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz. A story that appears to be about the early X-Men losing their powers because of something from space. The preview copy looked like a lot of pages were printed out of order. Maybe the X-books are all mangas now?
Plus, PREVIEWS from Diamond and Marvel!
www.johnjudy.net
Metalocalypse in Express, Homer Simpson in Post
An extended version of Christopher Porter's interview with animation writer Brendon Small "Brutally Hilarious: 'Metalocalypse' is a double-devil-horns delight on Adult Swim," Express (November 26): 20, is online as "Brutally Funny: 'Metalocalypse'"
Also, in yesterday's paper, Christopher Healy reviews YouTube parodies of Homer Simpson wrestling matches in "Taekwond'oh!," Washington Post Sunday, November 25, 2007; Page N04.
Danny Helman seems to have gotten a gig illustrating The Three Wise Guys column for the Post's Source section on Sunday - he's been in there for two consecutive weeks. The Post doesn't seem to have bought online repro rights though.
Also, in yesterday's paper, Christopher Healy reviews YouTube parodies of Homer Simpson wrestling matches in "Taekwond'oh!," Washington Post Sunday, November 25, 2007; Page N04.
Danny Helman seems to have gotten a gig illustrating The Three Wise Guys column for the Post's Source section on Sunday - he's been in there for two consecutive weeks. The Post doesn't seem to have bought online repro rights though.
Comics arrive on Thursday this week
According to Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics who notes these will be what arrives:
SPECIAL NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, new comics will be delayed 24-hours, and will be on sale THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29th this week. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
New comics arriving this THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH
DC COMICS
52 AFTERMATH #4
ALL STAR BATMAN #8
AMERICAN VIRGIN #21
AUTHORITY: PRIME #2
BATMAN #671
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #2
BLUE BEETLE #21
COUNTDOWN: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #2
COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #4
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 22
CRIME BIBLE #2
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #13
DEATHBLOW #8
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #3
FAKER #5
FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH #2
GEN13 ARMAGEDDON #1
GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #2
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #18
HAWKGIRL: HAWKMAN RETURNS TP
JACK OF FABLES #17
JLA CLASSIFIED #47
JSA CLASSIFIED #32
MIDNIGHTER VOL. 1: KILLING MACHINE TP
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERGIRL VOL. 1 TP
SUPERGIRL AND THE LSH #36
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13
SUPERMAN BATMAN #43
UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #3
TEEN TITANS #53
TEEN TITANS GO #49
TESTAMENT VOL 3 BABEL TP
TRIALS OF SHAZAM #10
MARVEL COMICS
BLACK PANTHER #32
CABLE DEADPOOL #47
DAREDEVIL #102
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 8 TP
FOOLKILLER #2
MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #11
MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN #7
MARVEL ATLAS #1
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2
MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL #1
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41
SPIDER-MAN: FAIRY TALES TP
SUB-MARINER #6
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #116
WORLD WAR HULK: FRONT LINE #6
X-MEN #205
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS VOL. 2 #6
ZOMBIE: SIMON GARTH #1
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
AGE OF BRONZE VOL. 3 TP
ARCHIE #580
ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #184
CASANOVA #11
DAN DARE #1
DOC FRANKENSTEIN #6
FIRST BORN #3
FRANK FRAZETTA’S DEATH DEALER #5
FUTURAMA COMICS #34
GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS #1
IT ATE BILLY ON CHRISTMAS HC
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #5
PREVIEWS VOL XVII #12
SIMPSONS WINTER WINGDING #2
SPEAK O/T DEVIL #3
STAR WARS: KOTOR #23
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #3
USAGI YOJIMBO #107
WARREN ELLIS’ BLACK GAS TP
PLANET PICKS
AGE OF BRONZE VOL. 3 TP
ALL STAR BATMAN #8
BATMAN #671
DAN DARE #1
DAREDEVIL #102
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #3
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41
SIMPSONS WINTER WINGDING #2
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13
SPECIAL NOTE: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, new comics will be delayed 24-hours, and will be on sale THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29th this week. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
New comics arriving this THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH
DC COMICS
52 AFTERMATH #4
ALL STAR BATMAN #8
AMERICAN VIRGIN #21
AUTHORITY: PRIME #2
BATMAN #671
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #2
BLUE BEETLE #21
COUNTDOWN: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #2
COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #4
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 22
CRIME BIBLE #2
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #13
DEATHBLOW #8
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #3
FAKER #5
FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH #2
GEN13 ARMAGEDDON #1
GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #2
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #18
HAWKGIRL: HAWKMAN RETURNS TP
JACK OF FABLES #17
JLA CLASSIFIED #47
JSA CLASSIFIED #32
MIDNIGHTER VOL. 1: KILLING MACHINE TP
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERGIRL VOL. 1 TP
SUPERGIRL AND THE LSH #36
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13
SUPERMAN BATMAN #43
UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #3
TEEN TITANS #53
TEEN TITANS GO #49
TESTAMENT VOL 3 BABEL TP
TRIALS OF SHAZAM #10
MARVEL COMICS
BLACK PANTHER #32
CABLE DEADPOOL #47
DAREDEVIL #102
ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 8 TP
FOOLKILLER #2
MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #11
MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN #7
MARVEL ATLAS #1
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2
MOON KNIGHT ANNUAL #1
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41
SPIDER-MAN: FAIRY TALES TP
SUB-MARINER #6
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #116
WORLD WAR HULK: FRONT LINE #6
X-MEN #205
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS VOL. 2 #6
ZOMBIE: SIMON GARTH #1
SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
AGE OF BRONZE VOL. 3 TP
ARCHIE #580
ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #184
CASANOVA #11
DAN DARE #1
DOC FRANKENSTEIN #6
FIRST BORN #3
FRANK FRAZETTA’S DEATH DEALER #5
FUTURAMA COMICS #34
GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS #1
IT ATE BILLY ON CHRISTMAS HC
MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #5
PREVIEWS VOL XVII #12
SIMPSONS WINTER WINGDING #2
SPEAK O/T DEVIL #3
STAR WARS: KOTOR #23
TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION #3
USAGI YOJIMBO #107
WARREN ELLIS’ BLACK GAS TP
PLANET PICKS
AGE OF BRONZE VOL. 3 TP
ALL STAR BATMAN #8
BATMAN #671
DAN DARE #1
DAREDEVIL #102
DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #3
MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #2
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41
SIMPSONS WINTER WINGDING #2
SUPERMAN ANNUAL #13
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Color Cul de Sac two-fer
The Post had two magazines this week, one a special for Thanksgiving, and they both had Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac in them. The Thanksgiving one, which can be seen on Richard's blog, probably wasn't syndicated so it's a Washington special. Except that it's on the web so everyone can enjoy it. Kind of takes the fun out, doesn't it?
This barely qualifies as Secret History of Comics except when Fantagraphics tries to put together the complete CdS in 2072...
...tune in tomorrow for a REAL SHoC (hmmm, not a half-bad acronym).
This barely qualifies as Secret History of Comics except when Fantagraphics tries to put together the complete CdS in 2072...
...tune in tomorrow for a REAL SHoC (hmmm, not a half-bad acronym).
Zadzooks comic book reviews
Joseph Szadkowski reviews a few comic book titles this week in "Silly space adventures with alien odd couple," Washington Times November 24, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Matt Dembicki and Mr. Big profiled in today's Examiner
Chris Klimek has an article on northern Virginia's Matt Dembicki and his comic book, Mr. Big. It's not online, but it's "Serious Talk with Local Comics' 'Mr. Big'" Washington Examiner (November 24-25, 2007). Steal a copy off your neighbor's lawn, or look for the red boxes.
Friday, November 23, 2007
DC's homegrown real superheroes
The Post had this bit about people that dress up as superheroes to distribute food. In the end, I'm still not quite sure what the costumes add to the experience on either side, but more power to them. See "Public Service With a Side of Spandex," by Delphine Schrank, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, November 23, 2007; B03.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
OT: Posy Simmonds interview in the new Comics Journal
Posy Simmonds is one of my favorite cartoonists who should be better known in the States (along with Raymond Briggs). My friend Paul Gravett has an excellent interview with her in the new Comics Journal.
Buy it today, and then order Gemma Bovary and preorder Tamara Drewe.
Blake Gopnik on Beowulf
I can't really decide if motion capture computer animation is really animation or not, so I'm not really posting about it or tracking it for the Comics Research Bibliography (link found to the right). However, in this article 'Beowulf' Movie Magic Can't Conjure The Poem's Bare-Bones Enchantment" by Blake Gopnik, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, November 22, 2007; C01, Gopnik, one of the Post's best art critics also confesses his love for the Spider-Man movies and X-Men III. So I'll put the link up here and you can make up your own mind.
Animation leads Bomani Armah to fame and infamy
This article, "His Punch Line Smarts: Hip-Hop Parodist Bomani Armah Juggles Sense of Humor and Identity," by Kevin Merida, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, November 22, 2007; C01, is about a DC man who wrote Read a Book, a satirical hip-hop song, but when it was animated and put out in the big world via BET, he got a lot of grief. It's an interesting article - it reads here like some of the choices made by the animators compounded the mixing of his message.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Post on Enchanted
In a move not seen in quite a while - Roger Rabbit, I'd guess, and before that the currently-supressed Song of the South - Disney's mixed live-action with animation, to generally excellent reviews. For the Post's take, see "Princess Power: In Charming 'Enchanted,' Once Upon A Time Is Right Now" By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Page C01
Marc Singer on Moore's Black Dossier
Marc's one of the keener observers of superhero comics, so his post on Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil's League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier is worth reading.
A couple of sites for local creators
Randy T sent these in and will hopefully return to give more framing info:
Pop Mhan's website
Jo Chen's blog
Pop Mhan's website
Jo Chen's blog
Von Allan to be published by webcomics site Girlamatic.com
off-topic, but VA was one of our first readers - and look at those pseudonymous intials! Congratulations Von!
Von Allan to be published by webcomics site Girlamatic.com
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (November 19, 2007) – Webcomics have, over the past ten years, become a phenomenon and are read by people of all ages. This popularity has greatly increased both the diversity and sheer amount of high quality comics that might not have been able to find an audience in a traditional print format. Coinciding with this growth has been the development of a number of webcomic publishing sites that collect similarly themed webcomics under one roof. One of the most notable is GirlAMatic.com, primarily due to its focus on comics that would appeal to female readers both young and old. Canadian graphic novelist Von Allan’s original graphic novel the road to god knows… has recently been accepted into GirlAMatic.com and will launch as a webcomic on December 3rd, 2007. The story will update four times per week (Monday through Thursday).
“Comics are a wonderful and diverse medium that can showcase stories from any particular genre. This is often forgotten due to the overwhelming market presence of both Marvel and DC’s superhero comics in print format. As a result of this, comics have traditionally been considered a ‘boys club’,” says Allan. “Most comics, especially in North America, tended to exclude women and girls by creating characters and stories that few female readers would ever identify with. Which, of course, is an odd thing to say but it can still occur even in this day and age. GirlAMatic has tried very hard to change this by creating a home for stories that, while running the gamut in terms of genre, can all be considered female friendly. Webcomics have managed to become a great leveler when it comes to genre and it’s fascinating to see how many readers of webcomics are female. When one combines that with the phenomenal growth of manga, driven primarily by female readers, comics of all forms are seeing a remarkable equalization in readership that they’ve never experienced before. And I’m pleased as punch to be a part of that.”
The road to god knows... is the story of Marie, a young teenage girl coming to grips with her Mom’s schizophrenia. As a result, she’s struggling to grow up fast; wrestling with poverty, loneliness, and her Mom’s illness every step of the way. Betty, Marie’s Mom, can’t help; she’s living with an illness that’s slowly getting worse and increasingly frightening. With her Mom absorbed in her own problems,
Marie is essentially alone while she learns to deal with the chaos in her young life.
The road to god knows… is expected to be printed in 2008 and has an ISBN of 978-0-9781237-0-3.
About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. He managed Perfect Books, an independent bookstore in Ottawa, for many years while working on story ideas in his spare time; eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life, and
the road to god knows… was the result. Additional information about the graphic novel can be found at www.vonallan.com.
About GirlAMatic: Launched on March 31st 2003, GirlAMatic.com has become the home for a variety of female-friendly webcomics. Perhaps more importantly, the site has been the home for multiple award winning comics creators, including Leigh Dragoon and Raina Telgemeier (Kim Yale Award Winner for Best New Female Talent 2006 and 2003 respectively), Hope Larson (Ignatz Award Winner 2006), and Donna Barr (Xeric Winner 2002).
Contact:
Von Allan
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Email: von@vonallan.com
Phone: 613-236-9957
Girlamatic.com
Editor-in-Chief: Lisa R. Jonté
Email: gam.editor@gmail.com
Von Allan to be published by webcomics site Girlamatic.com
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (November 19, 2007) – Webcomics have, over the past ten years, become a phenomenon and are read by people of all ages. This popularity has greatly increased both the diversity and sheer amount of high quality comics that might not have been able to find an audience in a traditional print format. Coinciding with this growth has been the development of a number of webcomic publishing sites that collect similarly themed webcomics under one roof. One of the most notable is GirlAMatic.com, primarily due to its focus on comics that would appeal to female readers both young and old. Canadian graphic novelist Von Allan’s original graphic novel the road to god knows… has recently been accepted into GirlAMatic.com and will launch as a webcomic on December 3rd, 2007. The story will update four times per week (Monday through Thursday).
“Comics are a wonderful and diverse medium that can showcase stories from any particular genre. This is often forgotten due to the overwhelming market presence of both Marvel and DC’s superhero comics in print format. As a result of this, comics have traditionally been considered a ‘boys club’,” says Allan. “Most comics, especially in North America, tended to exclude women and girls by creating characters and stories that few female readers would ever identify with. Which, of course, is an odd thing to say but it can still occur even in this day and age. GirlAMatic has tried very hard to change this by creating a home for stories that, while running the gamut in terms of genre, can all be considered female friendly. Webcomics have managed to become a great leveler when it comes to genre and it’s fascinating to see how many readers of webcomics are female. When one combines that with the phenomenal growth of manga, driven primarily by female readers, comics of all forms are seeing a remarkable equalization in readership that they’ve never experienced before. And I’m pleased as punch to be a part of that.”
The road to god knows... is the story of Marie, a young teenage girl coming to grips with her Mom’s schizophrenia. As a result, she’s struggling to grow up fast; wrestling with poverty, loneliness, and her Mom’s illness every step of the way. Betty, Marie’s Mom, can’t help; she’s living with an illness that’s slowly getting worse and increasingly frightening. With her Mom absorbed in her own problems,
Marie is essentially alone while she learns to deal with the chaos in her young life.
The road to god knows… is expected to be printed in 2008 and has an ISBN of 978-0-9781237-0-3.
About Von Allan: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. He managed Perfect Books, an independent bookstore in Ottawa, for many years while working on story ideas in his spare time; eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life, and
the road to god knows… was the result. Additional information about the graphic novel can be found at www.vonallan.com.
About GirlAMatic: Launched on March 31st 2003, GirlAMatic.com has become the home for a variety of female-friendly webcomics. Perhaps more importantly, the site has been the home for multiple award winning comics creators, including Leigh Dragoon and Raina Telgemeier (Kim Yale Award Winner for Best New Female Talent 2006 and 2003 respectively), Hope Larson (Ignatz Award Winner 2006), and Donna Barr (Xeric Winner 2002).
Contact:
Von Allan
P.O. Box 20520, 390 Rideau Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. K1N 1A3
Email: von@vonallan.com
Phone: 613-236-9957
Girlamatic.com
Editor-in-Chief: Lisa R. Jonté
Email: gam.editor@gmail.com
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