Back in the 1970s, it seems like every Marvel Comic I bought was illustrated by Sal Buscema. Today he lives in Northern Virginia, and I keep hoping to meet him. The Spider-Man Crawl Space website interviewed him and put up 3 podcasts this week.
Podcast 55: Honoring Sal Buscema with Guests Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Roy Thomas and Danny Fingeroth
January 13 2009
Our first guest of 2009 is artist Sal Buscema. He just celebrated his 40th year at Marvel Comics. He also holds the record for the longest penciling stint on a Spider-Man comic. He drew 104 issues straight of the Spectacular Spider-Man title. To honor Sal for this accomplishment we invited a few of his friends along. On the podcast we have Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Roy Thomas and Danny Fingeroth.
Podcast 56: Honoring Sal Buscema with Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz
January 15 2009
We continue our interview of legendary Spider-Man artist Sal Buscema. He’s joined by writer Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as we answer questions live from people around the world. We talk about artistic tips, spider-clones and our favorite female, Spider-Girl!
Podcast 57: Honoring Sal Buscema pt 3 with Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
January 18 2009
We wrap our conversation with artist Sal Buscema. In this last half hour we answer your written message board questions. Some of the questions range from Sal’s thoughts on Amazing Spider-Girl getting canceled, funny experiences at comic book conventions, and why the Hulk is his favorite character to draw. His buddies Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz are along the ride for the show.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Zadzooks on Mahfood and The Scream (not that one - a comic book one)
Zadzooks: Reviews of Kick Drum Comix and The Scream,
Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Thursday, January 22, 2009.
Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times Thursday, January 22, 2009.
Washington Times-Post on Waltz with Bashir
"Brilliant 'Bashir' Brings A Dark Memory to Light," By John Anderson, Washington Post Friday, January 23, 2009; C01 and "The first 'Waltz': Israeli filmmaker turns to animation to unlock war memories," Sonny Bunch, Washington Times Friday, January 23, 2009.
Everybody's been liking this - I'll have to go see it.
Everybody's been liking this - I'll have to go see it.
D.C. Conspiracy's website redone
Matt Dembicki wrote in to say, "D.C. Conspiracy's Web site has a new look. Check it out at www.dcconspiracy.com."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Local ace comics photographer Bruce Guthrie on tv
Bruce Guthrie, my buddy who's shared his comics photographs on this site, has gotten almost 1/10 of his fifteen minutes on tv recently when he shot 2500 inaugural photos.
Superhuman Resources new comic by NoVa expat
I'm on a borrowed computer because mine got wormed last night (while trying to watch the Inaugural concert on HBO!) so I'm keeping this short. Here's some PR that just came in, along with two interviews with cartoonist Ken Marcus for more background - "Ken Marcus - Super Human Resources," by Christopher Moshier, Dec 3, 2008 and "MARCUS' SUPER HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM," by Jennifer M. Contino, Comicon's The Pulse November 25 2008.
I have a comic due in stores in late February from Ape Entertainment. It's called Super Human Resources. It's about the HR department of the world's greatest super team.
We've gotten a lot of good press (quotes below) But I'd love to know what you think of us. Your blog is a lot of fun. A recent discovery of mine.
What does this have to do with DC? I’m from DC. Northern VA. I’m in Richmond right now.
I would love a mention or review on the blog. I can dream, right?
Thanks so much for your time.
ken
"If you ever had a job, Super Human Resources is FUNNY. If you ever liked superheroes, Super Human Resources is VERY FUNNY."
- Joe Kelly (Spider-Man, Action Comics, JLA, Deadpool.)
"This might be the funniest comic book Man has ever produced. Highly recommended and I give it an A."
Jeff Marsick, Newsarama Best Shots.
"When being funny isn't enough in an industry chock-a-block with genre-humor yarns, what a new series needs is character. And that, sweetly, SHR has in spades. Oh, and the comic is really damn funny."
Dave Baxter, Broken Frontier
"Just when you think all possible avenues of the super-hero genre have been covered and recycled to death, a work like this sneaks on by to yank out your funny bone and hit you over the head with it."
Richard Caldwell, ComicNews.Info
"Super Human Resources is one of the best Indy books I have seen this year and by far the funniest!"
Eric, The Pullbox.com
"It's ridiculous. It's lunacy. It may just be the single most entertaining comic book you'll ever read. And no, I'm not blowing things out of proportion."
Keith, Staff Picks. Diamond Previews.
I have a comic due in stores in late February from Ape Entertainment. It's called Super Human Resources. It's about the HR department of the world's greatest super team.
We've gotten a lot of good press (quotes below) But I'd love to know what you think of us. Your blog is a lot of fun. A recent discovery of mine.
What does this have to do with DC? I’m from DC. Northern VA. I’m in Richmond right now.
I would love a mention or review on the blog. I can dream, right?
Thanks so much for your time.
ken
"If you ever had a job, Super Human Resources is FUNNY. If you ever liked superheroes, Super Human Resources is VERY FUNNY."
- Joe Kelly (Spider-Man, Action Comics, JLA, Deadpool.)
"This might be the funniest comic book Man has ever produced. Highly recommended and I give it an A."
Jeff Marsick, Newsarama Best Shots.
"When being funny isn't enough in an industry chock-a-block with genre-humor yarns, what a new series needs is character. And that, sweetly, SHR has in spades. Oh, and the comic is really damn funny."
Dave Baxter, Broken Frontier
"Just when you think all possible avenues of the super-hero genre have been covered and recycled to death, a work like this sneaks on by to yank out your funny bone and hit you over the head with it."
Richard Caldwell, ComicNews.Info
"Super Human Resources is one of the best Indy books I have seen this year and by far the funniest!"
Eric, The Pullbox.com
"It's ridiculous. It's lunacy. It may just be the single most entertaining comic book you'll ever read. And no, I'm not blowing things out of proportion."
Keith, Staff Picks. Diamond Previews.
3 local 'Waltz with Bashir' Israeli animation reviews
The City Paper has the more substantial one - "Distended Animation: Waltz With Bashir and Inkheart seek release through fantasy," By Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper January 23, 2009. The Express interviewed the director though -
"What Happened: Ari Folman's 'Waltz With Bashir'," by Christopher Correa, Express January 22, 2009. See also "Oscar-nominated 'Waltz With Bashir' shows wounds of troubled region," By Sally Kline, Wshington Examiner Movie Critic 1/23/09.
"What Happened: Ari Folman's 'Waltz With Bashir'," by Christopher Correa, Express January 22, 2009. See also "Oscar-nominated 'Waltz With Bashir' shows wounds of troubled region," By Sally Kline, Wshington Examiner Movie Critic 1/23/09.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
OT: George Pelecanos at Arlington Library
This will be good - I've seen Pelecanos multiple times and he's always interesting. With crime writers like Denise Mina and Ian Rankin doing comics, perhaps it's oly a matter of time...
Author Event: An Evening with George Pelecanos
Mon Jan 26, 2009, 7pm
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Va.
Esquire magazine calls George Pelecanos "the poet laureate of the D.C. crime world." Join him at Arlington Central Library for a discussion of his work including his latest crime noir, "The Turnaround." Pelecanos also wrote extensively for the critically hailed HBO series "The Wire." Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Author Event: An Evening with George Pelecanos
Mon Jan 26, 2009, 7pm
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Va.
Esquire magazine calls George Pelecanos "the poet laureate of the D.C. crime world." Join him at Arlington Central Library for a discussion of his work including his latest crime noir, "The Turnaround." Pelecanos also wrote extensively for the critically hailed HBO series "The Wire." Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Rob Tornoe inauguration toons
Rob and I were never able to meet up, but he's got 6 inauguration cartoons on Daryl Cagle's big site where he's got a blog.
Kal and Cavna were at the Inauguration too
KAL made two short films at the Inauguration yesterday - you can see them through his blog here and here. The second one, on the Economist website, I'll embed here as I'm not sure his link will last.
Comic Riffs writer Michael Cavna's got some very nice sketches of his experiences online too.
And there's a cool video of amateur SuperObama art on the Economist too.
Comic Riffs writer Michael Cavna's got some very nice sketches of his experiences online too.
And there's a cool video of amateur SuperObama art on the Economist too.
Dame Darcy exhibit reviewed in Examiner
Surprisingly (to me at least), Dame Darcy's exhibit is reviewed quite positively in today's Examiner - "There’s nothing like Dame Darcy," By Chris Klimek, Washington Examiner 1/21/09.
Update to Big Planet customers
The comic books are in! Please disregard the message posted previously.
Note to Big Planet customers
Joel Pollack says, "UPS delays due to Inaugural events, may result in a delay for comics appearing on our racks until mid-afternoon Wednesday, and that's a best-case scenario. Please bear with us, and join us as we welcome our new President to town."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wordless comics bibliography available now
Some years ago I helped put together a bibliography of wordless comics that was published in the International Journal of Comic Art 2:2 (Fall 2000). Today questions about those comics were raised on the comix-scholars list with some people sending in suggestions about titles. I pulled up my old list to take a look at it and decided to make an update available.
I whipped up a corrected and updated version of the 2000 version of the list I had and stuck it on Lulu.com at http://www.lulu.com/content/5790271 as Stories Without Words: A Bibliography with Annotations 2008 edition. You can download a pdf for $1 (it wouldn't let me set it any lower), or buy a print version for $10.00.
Dave Horsey reflects on Civil Rights
Dave Horsey hung around in Falls Church rather than downtown on Sunday, but reflected on Washington and the struggle for Civil Rights - "Novus ordo seclorum," by David Horsey at January 19, 2009.
If I can descend to editorializing, it's been a long time coming. I feel good about my country and what it stands for - life, liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness - for the first time in a long while.
If I can descend to editorializing, it's been a long time coming. I feel good about my country and what it stands for - life, liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness - for the first time in a long while.
Comic strip characters in DC for Inauguration
Verne from Over the Hedge probably gets the closest although Prickly City did ok too. The Rudy Park cast apparently hasn't heard that all the highways from Virginia are closed - maybe they're coming from Maryland where the roads stayed open? Secret Asian Man is watching it on tv.
And Curtis is in trouble! I never realized he lived in DC before, but he just took a bus into town so he must.
And Curtis is in trouble! I never realized he lived in DC before, but he just took a bus into town so he must.
Monday, January 19, 2009
OT: Links to friends of Mike continued
Sacha Adorno - Communicator - my buddy Brian Biggs significant other, about whom he writes "Sacha is a writer, who mainly works for non-profits. I suppose you'd call some of it public relations. When you get materials, reports, fund-raising materials, and other ephemera from your local museum, private school, hospital, etc, she is the person who writes it. She went freelance last year and is looking to expand outside of the Philadelphia area, as far as clients are concerned."
Brian's an artist and cartoonist so here's his site too - MrBiggs.com.
Brian's an artist and cartoonist so here's his site too - MrBiggs.com.
Dave Horsey at Dupont Circle Starbucks at 6 pm on Monday
Pulitzer winning cartoonist Dave Horsey will be at Dupont Circle Starbucks at 6 pm on Monday for a meeting with other Seattlites in town for the ceremonies. Caution: the native Seattlite is reported to be "cold, distant and not trusting" according to this article featuring alt cartoonist John Roberson.
There's no way in Hades that I will anywhere near the District today (except for living 5 miles from downtown) so I won't be at Starbucks although Horsey's work is great.
There's no way in Hades that I will anywhere near the District today (except for living 5 miles from downtown) so I won't be at Starbucks although Horsey's work is great.
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-21-09
QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 01-21-09
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 (Second Print Obama Appearance) by A Simple Comic Book Company That Just Wants All Your Money. Check out the comic that has poor old Erik Larsen feeling soooo upset and doesn’t cost 75 bucks on E-Bay. BTW, the lead story by Waid, Kitson and Farmer is pretty great. And the back-up does have Obama giving Spidey the “terrorist fist-jab” even if it’s written like one of those old Hostess snack cake ads. Treat yourself. At cover price, of course.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #584 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. This one has all the answers to all the questions raised in the past year’s worth of Spidey titles! Who is Menace? Who is the Spider-Tracer Killer? Why couldn’t retailers get all the Obama covers they could have sold last week? (Okay, how about MOST of the questions…)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Did Cyclops really cut off his own head? Did Armor really kill a crippled Wolverine by cooking him over an open fire? Will any of this stuff ever be acknowledged in mainstream X-book continuity? It’s a week of questions at the House of Ideas!
DARK AVENGERS #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. Who are they? What do they want? And how long will it take Bendis to tell us? More questions!
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1 by David Hine and Georges Jeanty. Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, the guy whose name can never be bad-ass enough, is making a comeback with a Face so Evil he has to hide it behind a mask, even though that mask just screams out “Punch me on the right side! That’s where I’m completely blind!” Just sayin’…
FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 of 2 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. It’s Grant Morrison and it comes with 3-D glasses. For most people that should be enough.
GARTH ENNIS’ BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #3 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. Concluding a brutal series about the dust-ups between the Nazis and the Russians back in the day. Not for kids or anyone else still wishing to find anything glorious in war. Recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #37 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. In which we ask the musical question “Why don’t the Red Lanterns die of anemia from all that blood they’re vomiting in every single panel?!?” Not a great power, Red Lanterns!
HELLBLAZER #251 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli. PioneeringVertigo author Milligan takes his turn at the plate with the life and fortunes of John Constantine. The storyarc “Scab” begins here. This one’s an absolute “Gotta-Look!”
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. Hats off to McDuffie for bringing back Starbreaker, the galactic vampire who devours solar systems for snacks! Few things compare to the pleasure of seeing a villain you haven’t seen since you were a kid reading the original JLA title back in the year 19… Ah, nevermind.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. Wow! Hank Pym is back wearing his dead wife’s clothes, dating her robot clone and it sure looks like the Scarlet Witch is back from the Phantom Zone or Trans-Bagelburg or wherever they stuck her! And Dan Slott’s at the helm! Yet another “Gotta-Look!” Recommended.
PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #66 by Duane Swiercynski and Michel Lacombe. It’s “D.O.A.” Punisher-style! Some punks dose Frank with poison and tell him he’s gotta dance if he wants the fix-it juice. Stupid punks… Note the new title distinguishing this book from the one where Frank’s shooting capes with stolen Skrull artillery.
RUINS #1 by Warren Ellis and Cliff & Terese Nielsen. A reprinting of Ellis’ 1995 thumb in the eye to MARVELS, in which every one of the Marvel Universe heroes meets a horrible, depressing fate. Both issues collected here. For some reason there’s always a new generation that wants to read this story. Enjoy.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #2 of 4 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine DiGiandomenico. It’s the story of Spidey told as if he had lived in Depression Era New York. For lovers of all things Pulp and Parker.
THUNDERBOLTS #128 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The beginning of a new arc, a new order and a new creative team on a book that shows you how fun it can be playing The Bad Guy.
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2 by Matt Fraction and Mitch Breitweiser. Focusing on the life and loves of White Queen Emma Frost. Okay, maybe love isn’t the right term here.
X-FACTOR #39 by Peter David and Valentine Delandro. Siren and Madrox enjoy a blessed event. Wait, that was nine months ago. Now they’re just having a baby.
X-MEN: LEGACY #220 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Rogue’s back.
www.johnjudy.net
By John Judy
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 (Second Print Obama Appearance) by A Simple Comic Book Company That Just Wants All Your Money. Check out the comic that has poor old Erik Larsen feeling soooo upset and doesn’t cost 75 bucks on E-Bay. BTW, the lead story by Waid, Kitson and Farmer is pretty great. And the back-up does have Obama giving Spidey the “terrorist fist-jab” even if it’s written like one of those old Hostess snack cake ads. Treat yourself. At cover price, of course.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #584 by Marc Guggenheim and John Romita Jr. This one has all the answers to all the questions raised in the past year’s worth of Spidey titles! Who is Menace? Who is the Spider-Tracer Killer? Why couldn’t retailers get all the Obama covers they could have sold last week? (Okay, how about MOST of the questions…)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28 by Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi. Did Cyclops really cut off his own head? Did Armor really kill a crippled Wolverine by cooking him over an open fire? Will any of this stuff ever be acknowledged in mainstream X-book continuity? It’s a week of questions at the House of Ideas!
DARK AVENGERS #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. Who are they? What do they want? And how long will it take Bendis to tell us? More questions!
FACES OF EVIL: DEATHSTROKE #1 by David Hine and Georges Jeanty. Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke the Terminator, the guy whose name can never be bad-ass enough, is making a comeback with a Face so Evil he has to hide it behind a mask, even though that mask just screams out “Punch me on the right side! That’s where I’m completely blind!” Just sayin’…
FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 of 2 by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. It’s Grant Morrison and it comes with 3-D glasses. For most people that should be enough.
GARTH ENNIS’ BATTLEFIELDS: NIGHT WITCHES #3 of 3 by Garth and Russ Braun. Concluding a brutal series about the dust-ups between the Nazis and the Russians back in the day. Not for kids or anyone else still wishing to find anything glorious in war. Recommended.
GREEN LANTERN #37 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. In which we ask the musical question “Why don’t the Red Lanterns die of anemia from all that blood they’re vomiting in every single panel?!?” Not a great power, Red Lanterns!
HELLBLAZER #251 by Peter Milligan and Giuseppe Camuncoli. PioneeringVertigo author Milligan takes his turn at the plate with the life and fortunes of John Constantine. The storyarc “Scab” begins here. This one’s an absolute “Gotta-Look!”
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #29 by Dwayne McDuffie and Ed Benes. Hats off to McDuffie for bringing back Starbreaker, the galactic vampire who devours solar systems for snacks! Few things compare to the pleasure of seeing a villain you haven’t seen since you were a kid reading the original JLA title back in the year 19… Ah, nevermind.
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21 by Dan Slott and Khoi Pham. Wow! Hank Pym is back wearing his dead wife’s clothes, dating her robot clone and it sure looks like the Scarlet Witch is back from the Phantom Zone or Trans-Bagelburg or wherever they stuck her! And Dan Slott’s at the helm! Yet another “Gotta-Look!” Recommended.
PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE MAX #66 by Duane Swiercynski and Michel Lacombe. It’s “D.O.A.” Punisher-style! Some punks dose Frank with poison and tell him he’s gotta dance if he wants the fix-it juice. Stupid punks… Note the new title distinguishing this book from the one where Frank’s shooting capes with stolen Skrull artillery.
RUINS #1 by Warren Ellis and Cliff & Terese Nielsen. A reprinting of Ellis’ 1995 thumb in the eye to MARVELS, in which every one of the Marvel Universe heroes meets a horrible, depressing fate. Both issues collected here. For some reason there’s always a new generation that wants to read this story. Enjoy.
SPIDER-MAN: NOIR #2 of 4 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine DiGiandomenico. It’s the story of Spidey told as if he had lived in Depression Era New York. For lovers of all things Pulp and Parker.
THUNDERBOLTS #128 by Andy Diggle and Roberto De La Torre. The beginning of a new arc, a new order and a new creative team on a book that shows you how fun it can be playing The Bad Guy.
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2 by Matt Fraction and Mitch Breitweiser. Focusing on the life and loves of White Queen Emma Frost. Okay, maybe love isn’t the right term here.
X-FACTOR #39 by Peter David and Valentine Delandro. Siren and Madrox enjoy a blessed event. Wait, that was nine months ago. Now they’re just having a baby.
X-MEN: LEGACY #220 by Mike Carey and Scot Eaton. Rogue’s back.
www.johnjudy.net
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