tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103143812024-03-18T23:07:53.363-04:00Four Realitiesbobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02357760578699371017noreply@blogger.comBlogger1132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-62273750991079463802024-03-18T19:59:00.000-04:002024-03-18T19:59:58.164-04:00Scooby-Doo #14 [1996] (Random Comics Theatre)<p>Random Comics Theatre<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1_pqnJ6C1YlDcNrHcEYgkNSl455HHcNf_LW5TbJK_ePHU2uXHUl6PDdcnIraghAmgianEORryYvGqUFZjGOuBp_l4gKsb7lFh8sJM02RPLijN7YzMGz7JcBAVeZ8Cf6GjGpql1COOQpKqNIt1q4rAJBqyF24iJxGYaIRs8FsJZFbHTu6Bo-k/s3005/scan%201%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3005" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1_pqnJ6C1YlDcNrHcEYgkNSl455HHcNf_LW5TbJK_ePHU2uXHUl6PDdcnIraghAmgianEORryYvGqUFZjGOuBp_l4gKsb7lFh8sJM02RPLijN7YzMGz7JcBAVeZ8Cf6GjGpql1COOQpKqNIt1q4rAJBqyF24iJxGYaIRs8FsJZFbHTu6Bo-k/w213-h400/scan%201%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><b>Scooby-Doo #14 [1996]</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBM0CAEUrIJ6BrTlzSKhLFKCBZS9FpdUoSQRU2QNdZcB426wOWd8pHKVk4jj1FeBRk5XmQowOf5N5X5la7Eg6R_HSNDQUvXqeYKMvm_c1up9gyx_oAn4JoHMfQE9sLZNCJ0ubEULhzL5Y_8aIc39a3wPG6Mj51GmJeJXvCJ7NpTiwsSfdY3PnS/s3046/scan%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="1985" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBM0CAEUrIJ6BrTlzSKhLFKCBZS9FpdUoSQRU2QNdZcB426wOWd8pHKVk4jj1FeBRk5XmQowOf5N5X5la7Eg6R_HSNDQUvXqeYKMvm_c1up9gyx_oAn4JoHMfQE9sLZNCJ0ubEULhzL5Y_8aIc39a3wPG6Mj51GmJeJXvCJ7NpTiwsSfdY3PnS/w261-h400/scan%202.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>Scooby-Doo debuted as a TV cartoon in 1969, and very quickly was adapted to comics, first from Western / Gold Key in 1970 and later from Charlton, Marvel, Harvey, Archie and then finally DC, which still publishes it to this day. During the Western run some of the issues were done by Dan Spiegle and Mark Evanier, who would later also do some Scooby-Doo stories at Marvel in the late-1970s, and then three more for this 21-issue run of the series at Archie in the mid-1990s. They even got a then-uncommon at Archie credit blurb on the cover for some of their issues. Along the way of course Spiegle and Evanier collaborated on many other comics, including BLACKHAWK, CROSSFIRE and HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp67GDF0T75eNfLu_vA3n5frVlzJ0eQFWcmb_kUltiekLhucRe3dtMtjjnrFFxwlv4dPJUgxKm8UroWnAdrnk8DWr2Hv1TBOYERQYavPDP8L2HitbWmwBtQHvwgaVr5NntN-wJoCWDt11oUmpuuypF5mVpQTeQHOVRXZgBz76_wfIkD7IiIxu/s2777/scan%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="1848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp67GDF0T75eNfLu_vA3n5frVlzJ0eQFWcmb_kUltiekLhucRe3dtMtjjnrFFxwlv4dPJUgxKm8UroWnAdrnk8DWr2Hv1TBOYERQYavPDP8L2HitbWmwBtQHvwgaVr5NntN-wJoCWDt11oUmpuuypF5mVpQTeQHOVRXZgBz76_wfIkD7IiIxu/w266-h400/scan%201.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Under the Dan Spiegle cover is the 22-page story "The Balloon Busters", also drawn by Spiegle and written by Mark Evanier. The gang take in a parade with giant balloon floats, which is attacked by a fire-breathing dragon balloon. Naturally Shaggy and Scooby run for cover, in a nicely drawn sequence, while the rest of the gang follow the balloon until it gets away, then come back to investigate at the department store which sponsors the parade, which they find is having financial problems, with a rival store owner trying to buy it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fun little story, always interesting to see Spiegle doing this style, very on-model with the characters from the cartoon while everything else is a slightly more open version of his usual adventure comics artwork.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-30571400717207901372023-12-14T23:39:00.005-05:002023-12-14T23:39:44.064-05:00Comics and print-on-demand, preliminary notes to an overview...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMw6hAlxAuBOBm8vq0dWXLvh1d2T6Tuk2NMihfuArUQ95WrMs6W2E3hLS07CCK-6TlFmJvQemUk3xnxgxPZiVvVYA6EyES57eJcpnCfbHseUHzvQDitFTSZTLgzj59pYTLyGINK7K3dNSglWGdmiKAAw3mdOcs9qvZMg8bW5OBELIXCcNkMTr/s8981/Panorama.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8981" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMw6hAlxAuBOBm8vq0dWXLvh1d2T6Tuk2NMihfuArUQ95WrMs6W2E3hLS07CCK-6TlFmJvQemUk3xnxgxPZiVvVYA6EyES57eJcpnCfbHseUHzvQDitFTSZTLgzj59pYTLyGINK7K3dNSglWGdmiKAAw3mdOcs9qvZMg8bW5OBELIXCcNkMTr/s16000/Panorama.jpg" width="40%" /></a></div>I've noticed lately that a large percentage of new books that I'm interested in are being done as print-on-demand, so I'm thinking of writing a longer piece here about that, but for now this is just some notes on the matter, as I try to find out more, since often I don't even know that these books exist until well after they're available, so I suspect there might be a significant number of other books that I'm unaware of.<div><br /></div><div>But just in what I already know there's a lot of material available, both new and reprint, comics and text (or a mix of the two), colour and black and white, featuring work by creators like Rick Veitch, Rob Walton, Steve Ditko, Stephen Bissette, Scott Shaw!, Robert Kanigher and Bernie Mireault.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those not familiar, print-on-demand is pretty much what it says on the tin. The publisher prepares the material for a book, and in the traditional method they go to a printer, order the number of copies they think they need, then sell those copies to wholesale distributors, retailers and individual customers as orders come in, warehousing the unsold copies. </div><div><br /></div><div>For print-on-demand, the publisher instead makes the files available to various retail outlets which have the ability to print single copies of the books, so when you order the book a new copy can be printed, probably at a printer close to your location (an increasing number of ones I order are printed in Bolton, ON, about a half-hour from where I sit) and sent to you. That retailer/printer pays a royalty to the publisher for every copy they print, and presumably charges you enough to make a profit after adding up the royalty, printing and shipping costs. </div><div><br /></div><div>This reduces some problems associated with publishing, shipping books around the world, storing most of the print run for an indeterminate time, returns from retailers and more. Of course there's a tradeoff, printing is almost always going to be more expensive per unit, given economies of scale, and quality control can become an issue with production spread across the globe (though I haven't had any issues with books I bought yet).</div><div><br /></div><div>(and yes, this is all simplified, there are a lot of other aspects, like the fact that the publisher or creator can probably order copies in bulk, possibly without the royalty, to sell on their own to various venues, wholesale, retail, conventions, just as they could with traditionally published books. And I believe many print-on-demand books can be ordered by retailers under similar terms as other books they buy (possibly not including returnability))</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, print-on-demand has been around for a while, but for a while it seemed mostly suited to straight text. There seem to have been considerable advancements made more recently that make it much more suitable for comics, especially black and white comics but increasingly colour comics at a retail price not completely out-of-line with other books.</div><div><br /></div><div>The tipping point for my awareness of this was, of course, SD Comics entering the field in 2019. This is the company founded by Steve Ditko and Robin Snyder, publishing Ditko's work <a href="https://ditko.blogspot.com/p/snyderditko.html">since 1988</a>. Since 2019 they've been repackaging the working in a <a href="https://ditko.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-ditko-print-on-demand-library.html">growing library</a> of print-on-demand books, including essay collections, five volumes of most of Ditko's work in the last decade of his life, collections of earlier works including Mr. A. and three volumes collecting, in colour, Ditko's work (mostly with Joe Gill) at Charlton comics from 1971 to 1973. They have 13 books so far, with more on the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Snyder has also recently expanded the line beyond Ditko to <a href="HOW TO MAKE MONEY WRITING FOR COMICS MAGAZINES">HOW TO MAKE MONEY WRITING FOR COMICS MAGAZINES</a> and enhanced reprint of Robert Kanigher's 1943 ground-breaking book, plus a look at Kanigher's first decade in comics.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://rickveitch.com/">Rick Veitch</a> has been in the print-on-demand game for a while, since about 2016, with quite a selection of books. He's had four volumes that continue his 1990s dream journal comic ROARIN' RICK'S RARE BIT FIENDS, four issues of BOY MAXIMORTAL, which serialize the long-awaited second book of his King Hell Heroica (after BRAT PACK (book 4) and MAXIMORTAL (book 1), both now available in print-on-demand editions), a collection of BOY MAXIMORTAL and several original standalone comics including TOMBSTONE HAND and THE SPOTTED STONE. More Heroica volumes are promised, so we might finally close that particular chapter of the 1990s...</div><div><br /></div><div>Stephen Bissette did several books of his non-fiction prose writing through Black Coat Press over a decade ago (movie reviews in the BLUR volumes and a massive examination of Veitch's Heroica in <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2011/07/teen-angels-new-mutants-by-stephen-r.html">TEEN ANGELS & NEW MUTANTS</a>), which I believe were all print-on-demand, but mostly text with incidental illustrations if any. More recently he published more copiously illustrated books like CRYPTID CINEMA [2017], and in 2021 two sketchbooks, BROODING CREATURES [2021] and THOUGHTFUL CREATURES [2021], both with over 100 pages of his artwork. Both the books were available in several formats, pure black and white or in colour, and softcover or hardcover. I believe he's said if he gets back to publishing comics it'll be in a similar print-on-demand format.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nat Gertler's About Comics has been publishing a variety of comics and related works for years, I'm not sure quite when they started going print-on-demand, but I recently picked up Bernie Mireault's THE JAM - SUPER COOL COLOR-INJECTED TURBO ADVENTURE FROM HELL #2 [2021] and SCOTT SHAW!S COMIX & STORIES [2023] which are right up my alley, and will probably soon get the collection of the original Mireault JAM comics (and hope for a follow-up, as there are several issues I've never found) and Mireault's TO GET HER (about a post-Jam Gordon Kirby). As noted above on distribution methods, these will also apparently soon be available to comic shops through Diamond (<a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV231072">Shaw book</a>, <a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV231073">Jam reprint</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>I just recently found out that Rob Walton completed his old 1980s series BLOODLINES in a three volume series of books, some 600 pages long. I haven't gotten any of them yet, but I'm planning to (they're also available digitally, so I may try that first).</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm sure I'm just scratching the surface of what's available (you may have noticed that all the creators of these books are people I've been following the work of for at least 30 years), so if you have any more examples, I'd be curious. In particular are there any younger artists using print-on-demand to get their work out? </div><div><br /></div><div>(by the way, I know there are a few companies that use print-on-demand to publish public domain comics, mostly using scans openly available on various web sites. That's a whole separate issue, I'm mostly interested in comics being done by the creators or people closely associated with the creators)</div><div><br /></div><div>So much longer piece, or several, maybe coming up in the future on the topic, or at least individual reviews of several of the relevant books. I might also reach out to some of the people involved to get more details about the process, benefits and pitfalls of the system.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-66167872268386127612023-11-29T16:22:00.005-05:002023-11-29T16:22:54.556-05:00Bulletproof #1 [1995] (Random Comics Theatre)<p>Random Comics Theatre<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN3IAB7IP72GkO9-Yb9yU2wps3FyvbOF9Ryb49u4GUie5Vcsstl72iJgE1q3mNFHW7iU_d-de2uV2GD6PheRVGoeuVUookd4Lb9CjrNeybk3t4DP0_IKtJGO8HjeOKi1suBRwxk_M2DUsBSxJJi0FloM9sDRruZ-sRC29nHU9RyfYNRAKwWDh/s1801/bullet3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="1801" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN3IAB7IP72GkO9-Yb9yU2wps3FyvbOF9Ryb49u4GUie5Vcsstl72iJgE1q3mNFHW7iU_d-de2uV2GD6PheRVGoeuVUookd4Lb9CjrNeybk3t4DP0_IKtJGO8HjeOKi1suBRwxk_M2DUsBSxJJi0FloM9sDRruZ-sRC29nHU9RyfYNRAKwWDh/w400-h294/bullet3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB_2K0xl1qqIBRim7L_X2Ktb4KCwdCkn92DsG6_xpasjDUAsqIdkQunSZWO0ZkvJUopl2E5j89cavvpYlYT0nPobnLFcJmQ1v6gNODhxsI4izs8rcRsEALNhKDETdlZi3bm6DONscIkugQ8yNkkAOTIaYK83JI1y7t1becr91MmsQEtNAexz0/s1594/Bulletproof%201995%20%230001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB_2K0xl1qqIBRim7L_X2Ktb4KCwdCkn92DsG6_xpasjDUAsqIdkQunSZWO0ZkvJUopl2E5j89cavvpYlYT0nPobnLFcJmQ1v6gNODhxsI4izs8rcRsEALNhKDETdlZi3bm6DONscIkugQ8yNkkAOTIaYK83JI1y7t1becr91MmsQEtNAexz0/w258-h400/Bulletproof%201995%20%230001.jpg" width="258" /></a></b></div><b>Bulletproof #1 [1995]</b><br /><br />This is an extra-long one-shot comic from 1995, the first self-published by Joe Zabel and Gary Dumm as Known Associates Press. The two were then best known as long-time collaborators with Harvey Pekar on his AMERICAN SPLENDOR series, but had also done a few earlier collaborations with Zabel writing and pencilling and Dumm inking, like MODERN PULP #1 [1991] and DANCING WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED [1992].<p></p><p>The 63-page story is an interesting low stakes crime story, featuring a hospital security guard who, after having a gun waved in his face, somehow decides that it would be a good idea to stage an on-the-job shooting in order to convince the bosses that the guards should be armed. This is apparently based on a real newspaper report that Zabel read, although he made up the characters and motivations. This plays out a lot like a 1970s episode of COLUMBO, with the background to the "crime" playing out in front of the audience, and then the rest of the story looking at the mistakes and unintended consequences that lead to everything being revealed.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFC9eM30fscg70dkAZUmAfM0EB-5RMmuzDTP0gWJ-RyJaeh19CAESYTqofYE_OtRJOkY068U_qzXUBOx75As2bsXNoFDBr0Tj-beHd7t-0euZSgTB6ylcIp4AxWFTq9jK645Accy5jLxybu6itBLZxJ2JLRid3fPiP1hBjGvsVarrMd3pb_CfC/s5629/bullet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5629" data-original-width="3801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFC9eM30fscg70dkAZUmAfM0EB-5RMmuzDTP0gWJ-RyJaeh19CAESYTqofYE_OtRJOkY068U_qzXUBOx75As2bsXNoFDBr0Tj-beHd7t-0euZSgTB6ylcIp4AxWFTq9jK645Accy5jLxybu6itBLZxJ2JLRid3fPiP1hBjGvsVarrMd3pb_CfC/s320/bullet2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Really interesting an well-told story, with a lot of unexpected twists on the way to the end. Does a lot to justify how the character who's clearly doing something monumentally stupid was able to convince himself and his accomplice that it wasn't stupid, and looking at the reactions of the people around them as events play out.<p></p><p>This issue also includes a promo for the next book from the duo, WOLF RUN, which introduces the mystery-solving duo characters Raymond Fish and Delphina Morgan who would end up starring in several more one-shots and then a series, THE TRESPASSERS.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-75038011287379679842023-11-28T20:11:00.003-05:002023-11-28T20:24:02.012-05:00Rats #1 [1992] (Random Comics Theatre)<p>Random Comics Theatre</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT-I41dhAi94hXBAmkoghm0QOHt4JXuCAHdlbtJVR3GR3TFkrOvRx-kHyw5tuhF0LOyy8xhu0qPCfmm44Hn2PYawapUx0p88jL-Cm3yxGg7JmcTDkUfY8Bx-_qdWl4syQF8WFej-VUiN1qQfIGqCSr0V5cXsPchhBDqCVsuaW5yYF_cWQ0p7e/s1085/rats2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1085" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT-I41dhAi94hXBAmkoghm0QOHt4JXuCAHdlbtJVR3GR3TFkrOvRx-kHyw5tuhF0LOyy8xhu0qPCfmm44Hn2PYawapUx0p88jL-Cm3yxGg7JmcTDkUfY8Bx-_qdWl4syQF8WFej-VUiN1qQfIGqCSr0V5cXsPchhBDqCVsuaW5yYF_cWQ0p7e/w400-h233/rats2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><b>Rats #1 [1992]</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9Z1yCHqnTAqTqh2A-vHGkYaiSmFcQatDFIkNnySpKu8TewhGZcT_YR5UylzGyS5VJaTxYX14JzHTo3yfo-sKgkhKIRNlw7O6lyonqzglXwx3sG39OuVCVN-OWK5vkt5i7cfrJKri3H11sT1PyYME7QKtaev01OcPehL-8HM-zajgm6PupuRA/s1948/Rats%201992%20%230001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1948" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9Z1yCHqnTAqTqh2A-vHGkYaiSmFcQatDFIkNnySpKu8TewhGZcT_YR5UylzGyS5VJaTxYX14JzHTo3yfo-sKgkhKIRNlw7O6lyonqzglXwx3sG39OuVCVN-OWK5vkt5i7cfrJKri3H11sT1PyYME7QKtaev01OcPehL-8HM-zajgm6PupuRA/s320/Rats%201992%20%230001.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>This is a one-shot comic by Scott Saavedra, best known for the IT'S SCIENCE WITH DR. RADIUM series, also published by Slave Labor. He also, coincidentally I'm sure, had a run writing CHIP 'N' DALE RESCUE RANGERS for Disney shortly before this.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main story in this issue features a coming together of the main characters, two regular rats named Fred and Chowder, another rat named Reba who thinks she's a dog, and her brother, a cat named George (not sure if she thinks he's a dog as well). They get involved in the machinations of a rat named Baron Molehang, who has vaguely evil plans that they foil.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following the main story there's a two page gag with Fred and Chowder.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tf0lF_2Tgmt39s_qjEqhORvqq6SKv7D3F7D0xbJJR03x0vcytSC7fC-GfqI7FuldW0cpFuUXFwgpfuV4N0hR-kt2qcy7GF1qGHIo3f-MKR3zEg6F039PNCyy27EJAojc0jb2_BnyMQ9uBTJfbHXSezHek9N9Bo3Yxl-eDh5eUUFsr-l1tWPc/s2980/rats.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2980" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tf0lF_2Tgmt39s_qjEqhORvqq6SKv7D3F7D0xbJJR03x0vcytSC7fC-GfqI7FuldW0cpFuUXFwgpfuV4N0hR-kt2qcy7GF1qGHIo3f-MKR3zEg6F039PNCyy27EJAojc0jb2_BnyMQ9uBTJfbHXSezHek9N9Bo3Yxl-eDh5eUUFsr-l1tWPc/s320/rats.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>This is an entertaining comic. I always like Saavedra's artwork, and in this one he really leans into the influence of Milt Gross, which is something we probably don't see enough in modern humour comics. <br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-88545853826055754962023-10-24T12:29:00.010-04:002023-10-27T22:36:57.787-04:00Robert Kanigher's WRITING FOR COMICS 80th Anniversary Edition<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIssT1qxUHx_OyW16NmxVcV_tf8WntsE5XCadtg7qZtiWv9ur11ypSnjiBrEwlfSQpgw8EC9OiPjG_gP367BP5KU4_J327svcCiGxl14ROZRtEZ1fsBIZm17oSzGQKm01OsDMcOH3xDMKSfNA63JTK4CiAV0z7eJ16uhHHiR3rmtoXG44YhdO/s2294/How%20To%20Make%20Money%20Writing%20For%20Comics%20Magazines%20-%2080th%20Anniversary%20Edition%202023%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2294" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIssT1qxUHx_OyW16NmxVcV_tf8WntsE5XCadtg7qZtiWv9ur11ypSnjiBrEwlfSQpgw8EC9OiPjG_gP367BP5KU4_J327svcCiGxl14ROZRtEZ1fsBIZm17oSzGQKm01OsDMcOH3xDMKSfNA63JTK4CiAV0z7eJ16uhHHiR3rmtoXG44YhdO/s320/How%20To%20Make%20Money%20Writing%20For%20Comics%20Magazines%20-%2080th%20Anniversary%20Edition%202023%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><b>HOW TO MAKE MONEY WRITING FOR COMICS MAGAZINES</b><br />80th Anniversary Edition<br />by Robert Kanigher<br />Famous Comics, 2023<br />ISBN - 978-1945307362<p></p><p>Robert Kanigher (1915-2002) was one of the most prolific writers of American mainstream comics, well known as the creator of characters like Sgt. Rock, The Metal Men, The Haunted Tank, Enemy Ace, King Faraday, The Flash (Barry Allen) and more.</p><p>In 1943, a few years into the business and having written for Fox, MLJ, Fawcett and others, he wrote a series of books on writing for Cambridge House. HOW TO MAKE MONEY WRITING FOR COMICS MAGAZINES was one of them [*] (his original title was apparently BREAKTHROUGH before the publisher changed it). The "Comics Magazine" version was recently reprinted in a print-on-demand book from the Famous Comics division of SD Publishing (branching out from their vast and growing <a href="https://ditko.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-ditko-print-on-demand-library.html">Ditko catalog</a>), with a lot of enhancements to the original and additional features.</p><p><i>[*] The others were HTMMW FOR THE MOVIES, HTMMW FOR THE STAGE, HTMMW FOR RADIO, HTMMW FOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES and HTMMW POPULAR BOOKS. Some of them were compiled into a hardcover HOW TO MAKE MONEY WRITING</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IBFN4OZ3eBzrpDwRonWQ8DBA2DaqKwWm0FfBp2vMi5VkOOe_1F1rkkgoonTasEL2uqBpbJkrqDQEmb9ogtmCtrVxyY4Iwx0u9YrZOQYv8-UR_VVA3dy7cpEEUaus8ZZyvg5GPWV3C131Y3nSDQkXT_wZMAptSgKV7oT0ZNocgjzwLAZ5re_C/s2111/IMG_2739_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="2111" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IBFN4OZ3eBzrpDwRonWQ8DBA2DaqKwWm0FfBp2vMi5VkOOe_1F1rkkgoonTasEL2uqBpbJkrqDQEmb9ogtmCtrVxyY4Iwx0u9YrZOQYv8-UR_VVA3dy7cpEEUaus8ZZyvg5GPWV3C131Y3nSDQkXT_wZMAptSgKV7oT0ZNocgjzwLAZ5re_C/s320/IMG_2739_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>As you can see, the new book is significantly bigger than the original. It's also more than twice as many pages. The first half of the book, following some new introductory material from editor Robin Snyder, is the full contents of the 1943 book. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGsP8EX0phzf9YN1Mp6EJsunYwyjS0b1VZY2iSUCaBzTqWwrXmmvHXJnsKvGhb6NpqZ2b5Z2OZx4lHVwKMki6c79Qhf8swJEVhDeB-9BviIz4AyTYMy0V2L0CqC2OkVpgHFQvtl8aGP5wdY2-DrCCBQf7oO5AfWU01mZAuju_QYwFPp44X5D8/s1533/htmm4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1533" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGsP8EX0phzf9YN1Mp6EJsunYwyjS0b1VZY2iSUCaBzTqWwrXmmvHXJnsKvGhb6NpqZ2b5Z2OZx4lHVwKMki6c79Qhf8swJEVhDeB-9BviIz4AyTYMy0V2L0CqC2OkVpgHFQvtl8aGP5wdY2-DrCCBQf7oO5AfWU01mZAuju_QYwFPp44X5D8/w400-h181/htmm4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>In addition, a Captain Marvel script from Fawcett is included as in the original, but now accompanied by the actual comics story from the Beck Studios, so you can make a script-to-page comparison. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnPCWrk0tLrMHRVuqTdoUzJtWOjGtIgNfAS49u09P3EkD5FVKwPRXZLbcbI7ogHA-oTNKMOTB60bRrNmcAkx8ySrjO-r1xZA2szR6pw571kXdTs1Y8Kj9UnDXb23uewqFuxcgzxkvfO3oBp0y5XHk_oLz9kHqyCjo94z46aQwfEfbk1YQ9qB7/s1515/htmm3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="1515" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnPCWrk0tLrMHRVuqTdoUzJtWOjGtIgNfAS49u09P3EkD5FVKwPRXZLbcbI7ogHA-oTNKMOTB60bRrNmcAkx8ySrjO-r1xZA2szR6pw571kXdTs1Y8Kj9UnDXb23uewqFuxcgzxkvfO3oBp0y5XHk_oLz9kHqyCjo94z46aQwfEfbk1YQ9qB7/w400-h164/htmm3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The original also has a Steel Sterling story drawn by Irv Novick from MLJ, along with a panel-by-panel running commentary by Kanigher. The original presents the story in black and white, the new version in full colour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_0RTn4B-uhgFhz-vQZgZt7UiBUve2U7xY2OY902rCZQElrJPwgonjNVrP9Pj-TxCgT0JPdKEK87ursEkayPAdhuImdlwUmDAsDfuHdjHWKOdTV4tFIB6Iy02BSTELbXihmqgC8TWZUq-TohsZ1v6RFZLPpkLAsecTIPTfGgIzXrK0SQJ4ARD/s2934/htmm2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2934" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_0RTn4B-uhgFhz-vQZgZt7UiBUve2U7xY2OY902rCZQElrJPwgonjNVrP9Pj-TxCgT0JPdKEK87ursEkayPAdhuImdlwUmDAsDfuHdjHWKOdTV4tFIB6Iy02BSTELbXihmqgC8TWZUq-TohsZ1v6RFZLPpkLAsecTIPTfGgIzXrK0SQJ4ARD/w400-h165/htmm2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>It's an endlessly fascinating book. Kanigher writes it in a comfortably conversational spontaneous style (apparently he wrote all six books in six weeks for $500), but imparts a lot of information on his process. You have to keep in mind that he's specifically talking about writing adventure comics featuring pre-existing characters for kids of the 1940s, so a lot of the specific advice is aimed squarely at that (and can be a bit dated 80 years on), but there's also a lot of general information that still applies on how to see the panel and page as distinct units that you need to think of in different ways from radio or film scripts, and how communicate information to the artist or sell the story to the editor.</p><p>But that's only the first half of the book, less than 100 pages of the 226 pages, even with the extra comic story included. The rest of the book is a great general overview of the first decade of Kanigher's career in comics, including three more complete stories (Samson, Blue Beetle and The Bouncer), samples from some of his DC work (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash), including some rarities like unpublished script samples from planned later day returns to those characters. Those are accompanied by introductory text by Robin Snyder and two long 1990s essays by Kanigher, "The Flushing Of Flash" (a look at his history with the Flash) and "So Long, Scribbly" (an epic obituary for Sheldon Mayer, and maybe the highlight of the book for me if I hadn't already read it).</p><p>And to top it all off, the first part of "The Mystery Of The Human Thunderbolt", an as-complete-as-possible year-by-year bibliography of Kanigher's writing and editorial work. Covering just his first decade in comics from 1941 to 1950 takes 34 pages. Of course that barely scratches the surface, with his most prolific period as the editor and main writer of DC's war comics line and much more still ahead (previewed by a Sgt. Rock script rarity in the end of the book).</p><p>Great looking book, and much cheaper and easier to get than the original. As noted, it's print-on-demand, so readily available from various retailers on-line and (I think you can still do this) in person. You shouldn't have to pay much more than US$35 and minimal postage (you can currently get one in Canada for under US$30 with all shipping and taxes. Some places mark-up print-on-demand books to a crazy degree). Use the International Standard Book Number 978-1945307362. Options include:</p><p><a href="https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/how-to-make-money-writing-for-comics-magazines/9781945307362.html?searchType=products&searchTerm=kanigher%20money">Chapters/Indigo<br /></a><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-make-money-writing-for-comics-magazines-robert-kanigher/1144036765">Barnes&Noble<br /></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Money-Writing-Comics-Magazines/dp/1945307366/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=money+comics+kanigher&qid=1698164022&s=books&sr=1-1&x=0&y=0">Amazon.com</a> (adjust to your localized Amazon outside the US)<br /><a href="https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?keywords=978-1945307362&st=sh&ac=qr&submit=">Bookfinder</a><br /><a href="https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9781945307362">AbeBooks</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-63018341689827626042023-10-15T23:55:00.007-04:002023-10-21T10:40:49.558-04:00Keith Giffen, R.I.P.Sorry to hear about the sudden passing of Keith Giffen at age 70. Loved a lot of his work over the years, and always found it interesting. Here are just a few examples in random order, as befits Giffen's style:<div><br /></div><div>HECKLER was a series he created with Mary and Tom Bierbaum, published for 6 issues from DC back in 1992. A really fun book that mixed slapstick and heroics in various unpredictable ways. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcTgmPfASci3aA_qFZkFVkYQFKHHRM_kbCSdrBFzKqry41wsNqvvx3VnyKF0dhtakH3Nec5xC70QGly_AoQRi9EwNqrzV4QP5kzLzw5CfX9uDP6FNiEwkSAxJsaGcN2NNFFa4jZJ4ObOnR5x4mLnn4QihBIC3i0WZ36ldSPTsngsBewsV0ZBl/s2818/scan%206.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2818" data-original-width="1884" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcTgmPfASci3aA_qFZkFVkYQFKHHRM_kbCSdrBFzKqry41wsNqvvx3VnyKF0dhtakH3Nec5xC70QGly_AoQRi9EwNqrzV4QP5kzLzw5CfX9uDP6FNiEwkSAxJsaGcN2NNFFa4jZJ4ObOnR5x4mLnn4QihBIC3i0WZ36ldSPTsngsBewsV0ZBl/s400/scan%206.jpg" /></a></div>Giffen had a long association with the Justice League, writing and doing breakdowns, working with J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire most prominently, plus dozens of others, for a five year run from 1987 to 1992, often with multiple spin-offs going on, and with various encore returns. This was the post-Crisis League, often playing for laughs and elevating second- and third-string heroes and villains, but also doing some great bits with the big guns and exciting dramatic stories. That page down there is from #13, one of the few that Giffen fully pencilled.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9AMi7ZE61QJ2CVwKdOHbZhfxtxIiYdL2GbFQf5H0PmYjZamYzFueoWuBS1wxvRHbsJFoAHWvS1SUxg3ePqWqdMnDZ4Qwat6VO2HIvASLiPLw8p9_lH1SgNXbH5D7CF91frbMM_zfu453FRtOrAdPFBKrOlHqtyu5sd4ksl6N_sKjtBheMTZ2/s2769/scan%2011.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="1858" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9AMi7ZE61QJ2CVwKdOHbZhfxtxIiYdL2GbFQf5H0PmYjZamYzFueoWuBS1wxvRHbsJFoAHWvS1SUxg3ePqWqdMnDZ4Qwat6VO2HIvASLiPLw8p9_lH1SgNXbH5D7CF91frbMM_zfu453FRtOrAdPFBKrOlHqtyu5sd4ksl6N_sKjtBheMTZ2/s400/scan%2011.jpg" /></a></div>
Lobo is a character Giffen co-created in 1983 with Roger Slifer on the OMEGA MEN series, developing the concepts created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton. At first a very minor character, he was developed as a more comedic foil in books like Justice League and L.E.G.I.O.N., especially the latter co-written by Alan Grant, who went on to co-write several Lobo solo stories with Giffen and various artists, including Simon Bisley and Kevin O'Neill. Below is from the LOBO - INFANTICIDE mini-series, which, in a relative rarity, Giffen did the art solo, pencils and inks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK77UPoNVpAWN39dLiEA8zw2ewyL8hs-GisAK8OfTgcGKxOl1wAy6SNND5r1pIt6nWvoM8_c6-NCY2FA-FNcgLSVAshHQ0ZPgasX3c7MFUPEsdOjXRHqFSBmerGZ8TGjJSTJ9dxDj1nF7T8H6mS2arlmMaxOB9aKCXBGtjWnXsFPmDKZUgeUh/s3030/scan%207.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3030" data-original-width="1975" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK77UPoNVpAWN39dLiEA8zw2ewyL8hs-GisAK8OfTgcGKxOl1wAy6SNND5r1pIt6nWvoM8_c6-NCY2FA-FNcgLSVAshHQ0ZPgasX3c7MFUPEsdOjXRHqFSBmerGZ8TGjJSTJ9dxDj1nF7T8H6mS2arlmMaxOB9aKCXBGtjWnXsFPmDKZUgeUh/s400/scan%207.jpg" /></a></div>THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES is arguably the series where Giffen made the most impact, returning to it often for three distinct long runs, and a few shorter bits later (I was never clear on what happened with the last short bit...). The page below is from my favourite Legion run, the 1989 "Five Years Later" series written with Mary and Tom Bierbaum, initially drawn by Giffen and with a few other artists later. Dense stories building on the previous decades of Legion history, rewarding multiple readings over the years.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Odga6G6dFPpLYhR9UtgpJWMZEiX50NGUw7aq8kH4azzePbAHlmCDXXbg21j_w-LcyVQPZgAqH9txl10lFfCJ_XaW79vGHsc5y-zCmTNo8aM3c60X2KwkLyeYK7__ug9wB2VGSstXLqjLjkQotjH2nO1HbrfyfZ5zUme4JhFiBleQWZVJc74x/s2915/scan%208.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2915" data-original-width="1858" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Odga6G6dFPpLYhR9UtgpJWMZEiX50NGUw7aq8kH4azzePbAHlmCDXXbg21j_w-LcyVQPZgAqH9txl10lFfCJ_XaW79vGHsc5y-zCmTNo8aM3c60X2KwkLyeYK7__ug9wB2VGSstXLqjLjkQotjH2nO1HbrfyfZ5zUme4JhFiBleQWZVJc74x/s400/scan%208.jpg" /></a></div>TRENCHER was an odd little project Giffen did in 1993 (four issues with a few later guest appearances, anthology stories and one-shots), one of the first times he wrote a project solo (usually working with co-plotters and/or scripters before this), and also handled the art solo, and even had a possibly fictitious editor (Bill "Bud" Shakespeare), so maybe the purest Giffen we ever got. It's... strange. Hyper-violent, profane, absurd and many other things that aren't always compliments, but in this case might be. Giffen took big swings, sometimes that results in loud fouls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gwXNrk_Arbyl-2_azkLfM9gYa57opNiJqXQKlEyBhp93nE5LmKCIE2cEgyrGffvLEo5LGIf94Ztrq90kqYpZBHV6b58RmxBr9VVhulynZCi9Ly0T-dk_upUpCiT7uwH8rJEJJvGzGGQgAeQN_gRGUwiBNzevwCiixCi7qZjegqMxQtSoRh4L/s2829/scan%209.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="1890" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gwXNrk_Arbyl-2_azkLfM9gYa57opNiJqXQKlEyBhp93nE5LmKCIE2cEgyrGffvLEo5LGIf94Ztrq90kqYpZBHV6b58RmxBr9VVhulynZCi9Ly0T-dk_upUpCiT7uwH8rJEJJvGzGGQgAeQN_gRGUwiBNzevwCiixCi7qZjegqMxQtSoRh4L/s400/scan%209.jpg" /></a></div>
DOMINION, co-written by Ross Richie, only lasted two issues from Image in 2003, the second of which lost its colour, so a rare chance to see Giffen in black and white (the other major one being the 1986 one-issue wonder THE MARCH HARE, and a story in TABOO). Some interesting concepts that weren't fully explored about an alien virus creating random super-powers. Apparently Richie later restarted the series with other creators after he launched his own company, Boom, based on the concepts he and Giffen had for the series.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j-ah4viIqyouBlfPddEIkxjURnYteMQ_JFRSuOFqsSYWDfdK5E4CA8K47GnZzX3Psd4MLgIYhyphenhyphenMKUA9dSs5U3pI8L5y79cvXtWiapscFP8hoR0T83PRrVdDIt25AC1f6dF3nI3cPfbmmnbX11NM8_tZYmCJpbebrA3lha68Daxe1hoFAXou3/s2940/scan%2013.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="1896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j-ah4viIqyouBlfPddEIkxjURnYteMQ_JFRSuOFqsSYWDfdK5E4CA8K47GnZzX3Psd4MLgIYhyphenhyphenMKUA9dSs5U3pI8L5y79cvXtWiapscFP8hoR0T83PRrVdDIt25AC1f6dF3nI3cPfbmmnbX11NM8_tZYmCJpbebrA3lha68Daxe1hoFAXou3/s400/scan%2013.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div>THE LEGION OF SUBSTITUTE HEROES SPECIAL from 1985... well, what can I tell you that the title doesn't? Matter-Eater Lad eats matter, and Stargrave's nose is made of matter, you do the math (and M-E Lad is one who made it to the Legion proper, so imagine what the Subs are like).</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KOtHyWF6rTJB2ijHDgl6HFPepUcnRsN_SOJ7XNBCqfxHJiucmy9upQ0Yo1Sh2x-v593VaKuwiAlqvtZkRtYZJVTPdI1yO_2wRZW4uHeYvdP7vleMmp2Cf9DihcUPvdo3nh13aiZHl9S2fAi4Hr3-UIX3Tba0Loi8ak0k4MqSN4vWFZ7HamrV/s2778/scan%2012.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="1888" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KOtHyWF6rTJB2ijHDgl6HFPepUcnRsN_SOJ7XNBCqfxHJiucmy9upQ0Yo1Sh2x-v593VaKuwiAlqvtZkRtYZJVTPdI1yO_2wRZW4uHeYvdP7vleMmp2Cf9DihcUPvdo3nh13aiZHl9S2fAi4Hr3-UIX3Tba0Loi8ak0k4MqSN4vWFZ7HamrV/s400/scan%2012.jpg" /></a></div>
VIDEO JACK was a six-issue series that Giffen did with Cary Bates for Archie Goodwin's Epic line in 1987-1988. A frantic mix of science fiction, comedy and TV parody. I need to revisit it, been about 30 years since I've looked at it, but it looks bizarre.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3P67mVZm8GrXR9NA-5qNuWobtaQFwyR43Erc357CF2NJ3-nMsx3hx5WTkzhh-b1PDcNvR8XjypovJxWrC08PrLeG97baoLJ20CwqKkt1cpNAHxrgcGeycv4bY711XPjb_lEx0sA-fjW4Q-t7zQm9zLsdkOin5NeJrSMKp3rV1g8Keepw4zcB/s2760/scan%2010.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="1866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3P67mVZm8GrXR9NA-5qNuWobtaQFwyR43Erc357CF2NJ3-nMsx3hx5WTkzhh-b1PDcNvR8XjypovJxWrC08PrLeG97baoLJ20CwqKkt1cpNAHxrgcGeycv4bY711XPjb_lEx0sA-fjW4Q-t7zQm9zLsdkOin5NeJrSMKp3rV1g8Keepw4zcB/s400/scan%2010.jpg" /></a></div>
This is from early in Giffen's first Legion run, drawing and co-writing (with Paul Levitz) some of the best Legion stories ever, following a particularly fallow period for good Legion stories. The Great Darkness Saga gets all the glory in this run, for obvious reasons, but I really love this story in ANNUAL #1 from 1982, which immediately precedes the first full chapter of that Saga, with Computo taking over Legion HQ. Visually inventive throughout, well paced, faithful to the classic Legion designs while taking it all to another level.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nSTAZEp1yHO0zoHAkV0FNaqRPhC6BleNX-XiMcboxl7sDJIEoCk7GYs4zyLzkxjcrT9zuG6da069KLqm3bfZu0XGkudvjuS7ybSe9mtFB0U0-yoKVAVhpvTozG3aO2lWvDiH7kE-2lQLtgMnvRHNiAR1IQCt9mTQQKGUQbiLpCYeimoG7-H2/s2832/scan%203.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="1847" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nSTAZEp1yHO0zoHAkV0FNaqRPhC6BleNX-XiMcboxl7sDJIEoCk7GYs4zyLzkxjcrT9zuG6da069KLqm3bfZu0XGkudvjuS7ybSe9mtFB0U0-yoKVAVhpvTozG3aO2lWvDiH7kE-2lQLtgMnvRHNiAR1IQCt9mTQQKGUQbiLpCYeimoG7-H2/s400/scan%203.jpg" /></a></div>
The first place I really noticed Giffen was just before (and overlapping with the first few months of) his first Legion run, with a series of back-up stories in THE FLASH featuring Doctor Fate, written by Martin Pasko and Steve Gerber. Playing around with page design in a way not too many mainstream artists were then, taking some big swings, connecting more often than not. He'd also return to Fate a few times. Also, tip of the hat to Larry Mahlstedt for his excellent inks of much of Giffen's work in this era.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KrcRHQ3NGYMQ-i-0eoOKoat20nLgJnPdTr7EGNWwI2CYfOdjyHJkQscEgMpzuJIAUHPe80iXZfiP_SmQEs-U3agCXjgVLRYa9DzMwUf2ty-4zUcAaT9711T8O55moVgvm1I8JPk_XUNsg8_bdJ7sYfiErpAocbgmXFQ6Jgv7ws3MgjH1XEBU/s2765/scan%202.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="1882" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KrcRHQ3NGYMQ-i-0eoOKoat20nLgJnPdTr7EGNWwI2CYfOdjyHJkQscEgMpzuJIAUHPe80iXZfiP_SmQEs-U3agCXjgVLRYa9DzMwUf2ty-4zUcAaT9711T8O55moVgvm1I8JPk_XUNsg8_bdJ7sYfiErpAocbgmXFQ6Jgv7ws3MgjH1XEBU/s400/scan%202.jpg" /></a></div>
I may have seen some of his work earlier, he's been around for a few years, mostly at Marvel, often with a style that, um, owed a lot to Jack Kirby, which isn't a bad thing to be at Marvel (something he'd go back to in ways both subtle and explicit throughout his career). I've only read a few things from that era, like this SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP issue and some Defenders and (at DC) JSA stories. I like what I've seen, at some point, now that more of it has been reprinted or is available digitally I should explore it.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fXLj4L2ItGdR0GIuFKYqKfF4zyXZZ9ahu4EwlkYV0HtSQGMyHLZuv0bUz63rS481QJ8xa4ZkmsULZZcP9OVwGwsmQPkbJ4i9TVXLDAoLsgWo2P4y4VRjSMTnK_MiKzLOkR4m__Mu4X4-Q1yvwBUUhsHNmhcdkBFOJWkzFNt_CxvfvavvCkXV/s2772/scan%201.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="1852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fXLj4L2ItGdR0GIuFKYqKfF4zyXZZ9ahu4EwlkYV0HtSQGMyHLZuv0bUz63rS481QJ8xa4ZkmsULZZcP9OVwGwsmQPkbJ4i9TVXLDAoLsgWo2P4y4VRjSMTnK_MiKzLOkR4m__Mu4X4-Q1yvwBUUhsHNmhcdkBFOJWkzFNt_CxvfvavvCkXV/s400/scan%201.jpg" /></a></div>More Legion, this from early in the 1984 Baxter run (if you know, you know). Experimenting with a few different styles while he was at the top of the field and it would have been easier to coast on what was working<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZNtyPYmk2MBos6w1o4CJrzClSlbJfW4KCsXE7GA1BIGzjhz2HBPyiUJE-KVOLjzDhczXv9PijEyFPjJqJay_CvAazahyphenhyphenAiG5P9TJl19Gvz6hI2is-8MqlBpVP4v1-MW8pkOI0PnxQjF6QaObtbzm3EntYbDYy9dsLewBiRwIeS1eiIsZxGVF/s3028/scan%205.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3028" data-original-width="1949" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZNtyPYmk2MBos6w1o4CJrzClSlbJfW4KCsXE7GA1BIGzjhz2HBPyiUJE-KVOLjzDhczXv9PijEyFPjJqJay_CvAazahyphenhyphenAiG5P9TJl19Gvz6hI2is-8MqlBpVP4v1-MW8pkOI0PnxQjF6QaObtbzm3EntYbDYy9dsLewBiRwIeS1eiIsZxGVF/s400/scan%205.jpg" /></a></div>Okay, I'm not going to <b>not</b> include a page from The Great Darkness Saga in a look at Keith Giffen's work...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3t-WiUPpMcfyQHb2IzDWWN_lNl6sQz9pK6tGxDBSAoj6Sg8EMDY_0uHQS-EO2VcCGPD002WrxImgDWDz13Pe2DQk6MpCeZm-_106MVI8MPnq7D6dNuHzMW9nRmTXzS4hfxPmysDeTVmO_ZFi060X2mQyy2f7Km190USRS5M0qNij9Vzq0NG4/s2769/scan%204.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2769" data-original-width="1828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3t-WiUPpMcfyQHb2IzDWWN_lNl6sQz9pK6tGxDBSAoj6Sg8EMDY_0uHQS-EO2VcCGPD002WrxImgDWDz13Pe2DQk6MpCeZm-_106MVI8MPnq7D6dNuHzMW9nRmTXzS4hfxPmysDeTVmO_ZFi060X2mQyy2f7Km190USRS5M0qNij9Vzq0NG4/s400/scan%204.jpg" /></a></div>And of course, there's Ambush Bug. Created by Giffen in 1982 as a kind of goofy throwaway villain for a Superman crossover with the Doom Patrol (well, y'know, "a" doom patrol...), somehow he kept coming back, getting steadily more absurd with every appearance, especially once co-writer Robert Loren Fleming and inker Bob Oksner joined in, leading to his own mini-series in 1985, eventually hitting absurd saturation point and then beating that in later minis and one-shots. Became an amazing mix of playful storytelling, exploring and exploding the remotest corners of the DC Universe and comics in general. Nothing quite like it before and since, right up to the 2008-2009 YEAR NONE series, which managed to lose a whole year and a full issue. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6Uhh_rGmlnVSdC4tEMYeawk91U7Xe1kIAul6eNMBlx0wGFUFIVSUW98vkGCXAxhSsrvyalEFB6Mrixn4OW94Mt7JcdtW_fBrEn6ECSXvY9-V94nIn-rbeQSCucbN9_01yehiOlHUqxUbUiIXshYoBjHiEkFJFd08SioftuQ0t9ba8CZjQbg7/s2771/scan%2014.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2771" data-original-width="1865" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6Uhh_rGmlnVSdC4tEMYeawk91U7Xe1kIAul6eNMBlx0wGFUFIVSUW98vkGCXAxhSsrvyalEFB6Mrixn4OW94Mt7JcdtW_fBrEn6ECSXvY9-V94nIn-rbeQSCucbN9_01yehiOlHUqxUbUiIXshYoBjHiEkFJFd08SioftuQ0t9ba8CZjQbg7/s400/scan%2014.jpg" /></a></div></div>
And really, hardly begun here, especially since I concentrated on stuff he drew. So many other interesting things, like REIGN OF THE ZODIAC, INVASION, AQUAMAN, VEXT. One could take forever to explore his career.<div><br /></div><div>Oh, and let's look at some covers...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGlsT4_r1wOua3fd4dZAdAoPrOMe-PPcQ7g-x1EobS590B41PVDV9Ub1DOYT-pVOaiZA0cKsP-ei5X_a7M29DnddDaoMJ9NAFgLYAN2z8F7drcf14t3aenx5DmoTu9NRObxenNJXXMucEgDXLrFuDiHL3pJsTE513t5BQr2ncOe5SRma57N1c/s2000/kiggg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1572" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGlsT4_r1wOua3fd4dZAdAoPrOMe-PPcQ7g-x1EobS590B41PVDV9Ub1DOYT-pVOaiZA0cKsP-ei5X_a7M29DnddDaoMJ9NAFgLYAN2z8F7drcf14t3aenx5DmoTu9NRObxenNJXXMucEgDXLrFuDiHL3pJsTE513t5BQr2ncOe5SRma57N1c/w504-h640/kiggg.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-59375350768273349792023-10-08T12:26:00.002-04:002023-10-08T17:26:39.198-04:00Sugar&Spike - Volunteer Repairmen<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 130%;">The Chronicles of Sheldon Mayer's Sugar & Spike</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOFYVk6zUHI2WFviNdni7oq9waQoJvPVW3y6xtPsUh6X4hVeghY5Vn2TrW73jzHLoAfu5yzkGB_xrLzuCO_TKVRbKbE2hLIgKeoOb2F8VBcNWGLdPDx8fQ0hQuO75OLjOaEqTzA-wbOiRQ-MFTf3rcdH0iSZqoxapdMDriXZAtXRrD0SBg56W/s3520/Sugar%20&%20Spike%201956%20%230018_p00013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="3520" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOFYVk6zUHI2WFviNdni7oq9waQoJvPVW3y6xtPsUh6X4hVeghY5Vn2TrW73jzHLoAfu5yzkGB_xrLzuCO_TKVRbKbE2hLIgKeoOb2F8VBcNWGLdPDx8fQ0hQuO75OLjOaEqTzA-wbOiRQ-MFTf3rcdH0iSZqoxapdMDriXZAtXRrD0SBg56W/s320/Sugar%20&%20Spike%201956%20%230018_p00013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Volunteer Repairmen</span><br />
Sugar & Spike #18 [1958]<br />
6 pages<br />
Reprints: None<br />
Dedication: Ann Charamak (age 14), Rye, NY [interestingly, Mayer settled in Rye for at least part of his retirement]<br />
<br />Spike gets put in the yard for playing with the window-box toy (TV), so Sugar invites him to her place (after the usual man-handling) to play with their window-box. For some reason her mom objects to that, so they do some exploring and find a radio, which they interpret as a broken TV, since it has music but no picture, and proceed to try and fix it in the only way they know how, with Mr. Plumm's fix-it toys (tools). Before they can act, they find Mrs. Plumm's laundry machine, and see the clothes jumping inside as another broken TV, with a picture but no music. Logic only dictates that you put the two together... And somehow for that they get put in a corner.<div><br /></div><div>I did like that in the last panel the radio is still somewhat working, playing now-wobbly musical notes, but also making "glub glub" noises. Because that's logical...</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well constructed story of the classic theme of seeing what a kid might do and figuring out what kind of baby-logic might have led them to that think their actions are perfectly justified. <br /><br />
Characters: Sugar, Spike, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Plumm, Mr. Plumm<br />
Damage: That radio might survive, but uncertain<br />
Punishment: Initially just put in the yard, eventually into the corner<br />
Sugar's treatment of Spike: The old trio, pushed over, stood on and dragged around by the feet. But at least he complains about it...<br /><br /><i>"Why is it, the the cleverer <b>we</b> get, the angrier <b>they</b> get??"<br />"They're just jealous of our brains!"</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-50653618975710844432023-09-30T22:16:00.006-04:002023-11-28T20:22:15.992-05:00DC, wait a few decades and we'll get it right...I've had occasion in the past to talk about a few lapses in DC's production department for their reprints, from the never-ending "...and meet the sun." Swamp Thing saga (see <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2009/03/open-letter-to-dc-comics-re-quality.html">here</a> and <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2019/10/and-meet-sun-reprise.html">here</a> and <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2019/11/and-meet-sun-reprise-reprise.html">here</a>. Update, latest softcover and digital versions still missing caption, while the recoloured version is its own thing), to the missing word balloon in reprints of The Question (see <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2022/01/on-upcoming-question-oneilcowan-reprint.html">here</a>, missing in the $100 hardcover as well) to the missing words of God (and some questionable redrawing) in the British reprint of an old DCCP issue (see <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2010/03/superman-and-unheard-word-of-god.html">here</a>. The story was finally reprinted a few times by DC proper since that post, with all the words as far as I know (<i>edit to add, spoke too soon, wrong in at least one panel of SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE SPECTRE #1 [2012]</i>). Those are just a few of probably at least a dozen examples, some of which they corrected via recalls or at least in subsequent reprints, others which they seem content to keep repeating.<div><br /></div><div>So I thought I'd take a look at the opposite, a few examples of errors in the original printings which they belated corrected in reprints decades later.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back in 1973, Jack Kirby was wrapping up THE DEMON, on the 15th and penultimate issue he and inker/letterer Mike Royer used what was then a not unheard of but not terribly common effect of some solid colour lettering, with no black border (like the aforementioned DCCP issue did for the Word of God). The New York offices apparently couldn't handle it any better than the Brits could in 1983. So readers were left to wait the inexplicable 36 years it took DC to finally reprint the issue in 2009 before they found out what the Klarion was exclaiming.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNx4YTQrc-DL-zWYsF2yoAd6Z_wZIDFWtuXlbVnZx3ZlSJ68QSdGE5tSqKlRY669mz-hMQRx7s9xtleZexgLQd31LdACMkklvh8Qix5vMYf-dLwGD7hZFiz6EVNR_CfI5oAyhUoUGjyufRVkCcEOK5WRjzzCI_BxZCJNFLLbrnjuY2LVv7mtV/s2053/demon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2053" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNx4YTQrc-DL-zWYsF2yoAd6Z_wZIDFWtuXlbVnZx3ZlSJ68QSdGE5tSqKlRY669mz-hMQRx7s9xtleZexgLQd31LdACMkklvh8Qix5vMYf-dLwGD7hZFiz6EVNR_CfI5oAyhUoUGjyufRVkCcEOK5WRjzzCI_BxZCJNFLLbrnjuY2LVv7mtV/w400-h296/demon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>You do have to deal with DC's odd choice to eliminate the cover price from cover reprints. Don't like that on issues where the price is so large, throws off the balance of the cover.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jumping ahead to 1983, and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #302 artist Keith Giffen decided to save a few minutes and achieve an interesting visual effect by asking the production department to copy and enlarge a panel from the previous page a few times. His note to that effect might have been a bit too subtle, so we readers got a backstage look at comic production, sort of like a boom mike coming into frame on a TV show. Only took 28 years for the first reprint of the story in 2011 to come out, allowing DC's crack production team to finish the job.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXPzwbkompWpENpPvwr3JWg6ggJ4Ysp-NfVq6IYkcOLRmv-GlLNbZZgucL5oUCVXjXxwsjvYwAPi39PusICOjETa8-xjGLIWf7VKGcxADRHTSiPnjDHrN3l6EZDpH6Ox-_ZuPNfPE41IhgK82gCOWfwc778DluzPWWD1ozsjnSgywzJ5wPgpx/s3135/legion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2376" data-original-width="3135" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXPzwbkompWpENpPvwr3JWg6ggJ4Ysp-NfVq6IYkcOLRmv-GlLNbZZgucL5oUCVXjXxwsjvYwAPi39PusICOjETa8-xjGLIWf7VKGcxADRHTSiPnjDHrN3l6EZDpH6Ox-_ZuPNfPE41IhgK82gCOWfwc778DluzPWWD1ozsjnSgywzJ5wPgpx/w400-h304/legion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>And apparently there might be a Curse of Etrigan, because in 1987 Matt Wagner and Art Nichols revived the Jack Kirby creation, and in THE DEMON #1 there was a plot point about an old book that Glenda Mark had with a drawing of a demon named Belial who resembles Etrigan. But we're shown a blank book. Never seemed quite right, but at the same time a plot point is that Jason Blood can't see the resemblance, so maybe it was meant to be blank? Well, this took only 27 years, but goof was seemingly confirmed in the reprint.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDE-3HBKGlHsW6tZn4hTvQHmNW8nhsOKM1rbVpKR-Kkhuz1cJl5MUXzOWV52FyvpOjiuSUdBSTNdDFjt5BKawOrVuvr59S1mU3BfNvrDOKupmD8ssTPr9PqF4fxqos_ROBAT4GUsYnVnWZVpI8mlpyKD0dR3NPJPqBIctyPYBfn3mKwHrOjCeO/s3198/demon2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2410" data-original-width="3198" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDE-3HBKGlHsW6tZn4hTvQHmNW8nhsOKM1rbVpKR-Kkhuz1cJl5MUXzOWV52FyvpOjiuSUdBSTNdDFjt5BKawOrVuvr59S1mU3BfNvrDOKupmD8ssTPr9PqF4fxqos_ROBAT4GUsYnVnWZVpI8mlpyKD0dR3NPJPqBIctyPYBfn3mKwHrOjCeO/w400-h301/demon2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Interestingly, they also corrected the amusing error on the cover to #2, which prematurely announced it was the last issue of the mini-series.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTzv0tqCQ-zoxl0EFv73QRJFNxuIK8er1JRqHi20SrNii1TJuUgrZc4oTPSjDGQJVacEjxIJ2y564evyzjPJZQaYptwGT5NBPmJeOyHMItOJzU1-bfLAcc7acv-5gphplMun_vu2u4vcy2L3uxdqOX835eYtDjLVEXCiv3hwCz201k0jA25A1/s3314/demon3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="3314" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTzv0tqCQ-zoxl0EFv73QRJFNxuIK8er1JRqHi20SrNii1TJuUgrZc4oTPSjDGQJVacEjxIJ2y564evyzjPJZQaYptwGT5NBPmJeOyHMItOJzU1-bfLAcc7acv-5gphplMun_vu2u4vcy2L3uxdqOX835eYtDjLVEXCiv3hwCz201k0jA25A1/w400-h308/demon3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>There are a few more examples, if I remember exactly where they were I'll update, or feel free to add any you know of in the comments. No need to limit it to DC.</div><div><br /></div><div>But this one is from DC. In 1975 DC published an ambitious tabloid sized volume of Old Testament biblical tales from Sheldon Mayer, Nestor Redondo and Joe Kubert. The big mistake is that they never published another volume, despite considerable work being done a second book of "The Story of Jesus". But in addition to that, there's something off about the cover:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYnuHAJwqdyj8gNwksZV-SSjUj9uuXF455M2qMdvU1Q0P2x4jrvzhlcRowh7ITpNsZUK45AR9p-MP8f57rcBeuBrYLhXzxRrFjZXQXMTTSf99sCOrbGPpzrr-i6GTSO7EDbkY5bS0isGa-c5UBgeWz-Xw5JlBGDW5eIgKBUkb8eMoG_RVvviU/s2768/bible.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2768" data-original-width="2164" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYnuHAJwqdyj8gNwksZV-SSjUj9uuXF455M2qMdvU1Q0P2x4jrvzhlcRowh7ITpNsZUK45AR9p-MP8f57rcBeuBrYLhXzxRrFjZXQXMTTSf99sCOrbGPpzrr-i6GTSO7EDbkY5bS0isGa-c5UBgeWz-Xw5JlBGDW5eIgKBUkb8eMoG_RVvviU/w313-h400/bible.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div>Apparently whoever coloured it was under the impression that Moses was going to auditioning for the Blue Man Group right after coming down the mountain. I'm sure Joe Kubert flipped at seeing that, exclaiming "The Blue Man Group won't even exist for another decade, so they're definitely an anachronism in a Bible story! And they would never hire someone with that hair". Took 37 years, but that fatal error was corrected in the 2012 hardcover reprint.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's one not from DC/ LARRY MARDER'S BEANWORLD - HOKA HOKA BURB'L BURB'L [2017] was doing along swimmingly when, on page 146, something happened that's strange even for a book called Beanworld, when Proffy vanishes for a panel while discovering something about Bean life.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A5YqX2kG8Bz89PcNnAqZ3g6qtbOQbNLVRnlrDjsXbBE3Bzvg9-j2CmGCbhbI-6-kZwHi1YkLO2Hui5RH_Dv_8veY2EXyhrz_Qw-K0gIYdaSvDpkVaV7tz9jUpxuykZTeNkptaKHD-mHfBwssw4shyphenhyphenIeZSFBj1_bkXeSPKIVYHNQ6Zc1kuOgH/s3200/beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="3200" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_A5YqX2kG8Bz89PcNnAqZ3g6qtbOQbNLVRnlrDjsXbBE3Bzvg9-j2CmGCbhbI-6-kZwHi1YkLO2Hui5RH_Dv_8veY2EXyhrz_Qw-K0gIYdaSvDpkVaV7tz9jUpxuykZTeNkptaKHD-mHfBwssw4shyphenhyphenIeZSFBj1_bkXeSPKIVYHNQ6Zc1kuOgH/w400-h165/beans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Creator Larry Marder discusses the reason for the mistake <a href="https://larrymarder.blogspot.com/2017/07/on-nature-of-mistakes.html">over here</a>, and it was subsequently fixed in digital versions and in LARRY MARDER'S BEANWORLD OMNIBUS #2 [2019].</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-49573758661050574362023-05-15T00:30:00.001-04:002023-05-15T00:30:00.142-04:00Good Miracle Monday<p> A quick reminder to remember to set a place at the table for Superman tonight, the classic Miracle Monday tradition, as seen in this story from SUPERMAN #400 [1984] by <a href="http://elliot.maggin.com/">Elliot S! Maggin</a> and Klaus Janson.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6MLjayULRo/T7rGVpMoCKI/AAAAAAAAAgw/njUUrJN01Tk/s1600/Miracle+Monday.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6MLjayULRo/T7rGVpMoCKI/AAAAAAAAAgw/njUUrJN01Tk/w540-h800/Miracle+Monday.JPG" width="540" /></a></div><br />Next year in Metropolis!<br /><br />And if for some reason you've never read them, pick up Maggin's two Superman novels, <a href="https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?keywords=1722244593&st=sh&ac=qr&submit=">LAST SON OF KRYPTON</a> and <a href="https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?keywords=1544943261&st=sh&ac=qr&submit=">MIRACLE MONDAY</a>, now available in new editions self-published by Maggin.<br /><br />(Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-17181763265366845272023-02-13T00:30:00.004-05:002023-02-13T00:30:00.177-05:00Terribobble News!<img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6942/446/1600/fri13.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /><br />
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From THE RETURN OF POGO by Walt KellyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-16608978883831038782022-12-05T22:30:00.004-05:002022-12-05T22:30:41.673-05:00State of the weblog address...<p>So, as another year draws to a close...</p><p>Had a pretty good run of activity here for a few weeks in the middle of the year. That was weird. Could happen again, in terms of volume of posts, but probably not in total wordcount. Those posts were way too long for what I had to say. Anyway, got distracted by a few things, but lately have gotten back into more frequent reading of comics, especially now that I have appropriate eyewear to the task (I've needed reading glasses for a few years now, but was delayed in getting them first by the pandemic, then by general procrastination). It's fifty/fifty on whether that reading will result in a desire to write about what I'm reading.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeShG8icWUvhFWiJGbj6EzV4x4wgH2bjfJzQU6jR7x3n9ka_d9DeE8Xou0pTMWUMxycO5zVV2eUoLWASWK4nJQjPvys4uempKqGn37vg_93tQz2Yj1cwDn4bPTopiafFns5teEzfLGmGGC4HrSODlnT9bzvbiVY1cOa-4vt0RnO1w0q3An8g/s3090/Panorama.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3090" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeShG8icWUvhFWiJGbj6EzV4x4wgH2bjfJzQU6jR7x3n9ka_d9DeE8Xou0pTMWUMxycO5zVV2eUoLWASWK4nJQjPvys4uempKqGn37vg_93tQz2Yj1cwDn4bPTopiafFns5teEzfLGmGGC4HrSODlnT9bzvbiVY1cOa-4vt0RnO1w0q3An8g/w259-h400/Panorama.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>I've also started to buy comics again, after two years of buying almost nothing except a few mail order things and stuff I get free, thanks to an on-going tour of the Toronto and surrounding areas comic shops I've been doing with a friend I've re-connected with after a decade when he lived abroad. Initially the comic shop visits were more of an excuse to get together for lunch and drive around, but I ended up finding a handful of places where I could get a nice selection of fairly cheap ($1-$3 or less) back issues, some of which fill long-time gaps in my collection, more often are things I was curious about from ads or previews in other books or fanzines, or from other work by the creators, and some just catching my fancy in the moment. This resulted in a crazy acquisition spree in the past year, about 1000 comics, which pretty much makes up for the two years of nothing (my ideal acquisition rate is one comic per day on average). Still have to read most of those, it's been hard enough indexing and filing them...<p></p><p>(that graphic on the right is a random sampling of they kind of stuff I've gotten)</p><p>I've also now got a list of about six comic shops that I intend to hit every six months or so, which should give them time to replenish their stock. I also have a longer list of comic shops I'll probably never go near again, but that's neither here nor there. I'm kind of hoping in the next year I can mostly wipe out my list of older comics that I want that are in my price range and unlikely to be reprinted or legally available digitally.</p><p>So there'll be no shortage of stuff I can read and write about, if the urge arises. And that's just print stuff I own. Between that, the print and digital resources of the Toronto Public Library and the DC and Marvel "streaming" digital offerings getting closer to comprehensive (whenever I get around to subscribing to them), I'm not at any loss on things to read and write about.</p><p>
</p><hr width="68%" />And of course movies and TV are more accessible than ever. But still more often than not I tend to re-watch something (lately SOPRANOS, NEWSRADIO, PARKS AND RECREATION, THE GOOD WIFE or COMMUNITY) rather than watch something I haven't seen before. A few new to me things have caught my eye recently.<div><br /></div><div>SEVERANCE was probably the most successful, with one season complete on AppleTV+, and more to come eventually. It's a science fiction show about a world where a corporation has developed a technology where employees' minds are bifurcated, so while they're at work they have no memory of the outside world and when they leave have no memory of work. That's all sinister sounding enough, but everything about the show compounds it, to the clues about the mysterious work our main cast of four (led by Adam Scott) is doing, hints about the past of the characters, various cultish activities and conspiracies both inside and outside the corporation which make the work/home divide much less firm than they'd have you believe. Nine episodes in the first season, it starts off a bit slow, but picks up, making you sorry by the end that you'll have to wait an indeterminate time for more. Definitely a show not to binge, though. Take at least a few days between episodes to let it sit in your head.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few other things I watched on AppleTV+ while I had the service. THE AFTERPARTY was a mostly successful high-concept comedic murder mystery, where every episode was filmed with the trappings of a specific TV/film genre based on the character whose perspective is the focus. Doesn't completely work, but it was a worthwhile experiment. I'm not sure how it will sustain a second season, but if it's there whenever I re-up to watch more SEVERANCE I'll give it a look.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which I probably wouldn't say about LOOT, the Maya Rudolph show about a recently divorced multi-billionaire who tries to find some meaning in her life and rehabilitate her reputation by working directly with the charitable foundation she was previously hands-off with. I don't know, I usually like Maya Rudolph, but I think I like her more in smaller doses. As a series lead she can be a bit much. This seemed to have the bones of an interesting show, and a pretty good cast, but it just didn't gel. Maybe having the lead be so ridiculously wealthy got in the way. It also seemed a bit odd how out of touch Rudolph's character was when it was clear the wealth wasn't something she was born with, but came to her in her adulthood. Anyway, not ruling out watching more, but won't seek it out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Objectively THE MORNING SHOW is even worse, but it might just dip into the rarefied of being so bad you have to watch it. I mean, an absurdly expensive cast, great production values, incredibly self-important writing (and delivery of same) about what everyone should realize is a shallow subject matter, taking all the wrong lessons from the Aaron Sorkin school of scriptwriting. How can you not love it between shaking your head at how awful it is, and how little it realizes how awful it is? Oh yeah, I'll watch more, but I'd caution you about getting sucked into it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other than that, FOUNDATION was terrible, but I'll probably torture myself and watch more, and BLACK BIRD was okay, but seems to end a bit abruptly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rotating streaming service wheel has spun to a free 6 month subscription to Disney+, so I'll probably watch a lot of Marvel, Star Wars and Muppet stuff.</div><div><p></p><hr width="68%" />Movies I've also fallen way behind on new stuff in favour of revisiting old favourites. I'm still not willing to go back to... those big rooms where they charge you too much to watch movies with rude strangers in uncomfortable seats, with over-priced unappetizing food, and they don't even let you pause or rewind or turn on subtitles. What did we call those? Of the 2022 movies I've actually seen in 2022, I thought EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022) was easily the best. Of the 2021 movies I got around to seeing this year, DUNE (2021), CODA (2021) and NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021) are the ones I'd recommend. Got some time coming up, planning to catch up on some more recent stuff, including NOPE (2022) at the top of the list (I think the last two non-children's movies I've been to in the... theatre (?was that what they were called?) were Jordan Peele's two previous movies).</div><div><p></p><hr width="68%" />Since I've been driving a bunch lately, I've been listening to more music than I normally do, both from digging the old CDs out of the basement and listening to Spotify, as opposed to listening to the same 1400 songs I put on an MP3 player a few years ago that I can no longer modify because it uses an off-brand proprietary USB connection instead of a standard. I'd been kind of interesting to hear a few things I haven't heard in years, or occasionally go into deeper cuts beyond the dozen greatest hits for a few artists. As I may have mentioned before, my taste in music largely ossified back around the time I was 25, which is now officially more than half a lifetime ago, and I'm not sure anything can reach both my head and my heart at the same time as anything I heard before that, but sometimes something gets close.</div><div><p></p><hr width="68%" />Well, that's more than long enough, and I didn't really get to the point of what I meant to write about, just some rambling about stuff that I want to write about in more detail that history shows I probably won't. Maybe I'll get back to the other stuff later.</div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-16714084678537038132022-11-27T13:36:00.003-05:002023-01-29T22:49:07.056-05:00DEMON by Jason Shiga<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5DxiyYXpDHSG_oTuoKU-Kw1yCy36bkdmn2RuCKVw13VK-hOlFRGnwLkt7lgOBh31pyXRua8oxLAqIhXZcC5IXpQpeLqo39Y7feOLJJQOrt-NACjaCOpAzegWkl4LaUxN2NHyzG0b2c8-9FlnTwq3HUy1F5fq5KKck1vFctfLc9UKolqD2g/s4486/demon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4486" data-original-width="3560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5DxiyYXpDHSG_oTuoKU-Kw1yCy36bkdmn2RuCKVw13VK-hOlFRGnwLkt7lgOBh31pyXRua8oxLAqIhXZcC5IXpQpeLqo39Y7feOLJJQOrt-NACjaCOpAzegWkl4LaUxN2NHyzG0b2c8-9FlnTwq3HUy1F5fq5KKck1vFctfLc9UKolqD2g/w318-h400/demon.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>Jason Shiga's DEMON was first self-published in 21 chapters, print and digital, from 2014 to 2016, and then collected into four books from First Second in 2016 and 2017. It's the story of a man who, upon attempting suicide, discovers that he's a demon, meaning when his body dies his consciousness survives and he "possesses" the nearest human at the time of death. Complications ensue.<div><br /></div><div>This is a really fun, if absurdly profane, comic, maybe Shiga's magnum opus to date (though I still have to pick up his new ADVENTUREGAME COMICS book, which seems promising). He creates a weird set of rules for how and why "demons" work in this world, and explores them in ways I can't even begin to understand how he got there. I have to admit, there is a twist in the final book which I'm not sure I completely understand, in terms of what we've been told of how everything works, but I trust Shiga that the logic works out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Just read it for the third time, but the first time in a short interval (one chapter a day most days for four weeks, and I have to say, a lot of those cliffhangers made sticking to the one-a-day plan difficult). I think it reads much better this way, and I'm kind of surprised that First Second split it the way they did, instead of one big book, or haven't come out with a complete one-volume version since.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-37414262959621269632022-11-09T20:06:00.003-05:002022-11-09T22:02:40.939-05:00Scribbly art update<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEjasYRCixRMHrbPKyMZZtzKFVNFebzd5ZknjYvtLGKGbIgCxSqZiNuGxepk4iMqT38lkpDU9-s1t8HRDdFRB6EmQdlW_gHg5TAZGM8MaaIjaDLo2UYn026sPUlawvumN5voprWS7azMt_lCw9MkJybPMwPhocVrCYzdVbLJ9tkTv-v6Yig/s2542/scirbby%2013.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="1822" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEjasYRCixRMHrbPKyMZZtzKFVNFebzd5ZknjYvtLGKGbIgCxSqZiNuGxepk4iMqT38lkpDU9-s1t8HRDdFRB6EmQdlW_gHg5TAZGM8MaaIjaDLo2UYn026sPUlawvumN5voprWS7azMt_lCw9MkJybPMwPhocVrCYzdVbLJ9tkTv-v6Yig/w286-h400/scirbby%2013.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>Update on the Scribbly art by Sheldon Mayer I wrote about <a href="http://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2022/10/unseen-sheldon-mayer-scribbly-cover.html">here</a>.<p></p><p>The auction was won by <a href="https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1864663">Alex Johnson</a>, and if it had to go to someone who wasn't me (or someone who would give it to me), Alex would have been my choice. He's found out a bit more about the history of the art and its prior owner. Look through his gallery, he's got some <a href="https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerydetailsearch.asp?artist=Sheldon++Mayer&GCat=10225">other Mayer work</a>, plus lots of commissions of other artists doing covers for the non-existent "<a href="https://www.comicartfans.com/galleryroom.asp?gsub=188403">SUGAR & SPIKE #100</a>". All of them are great, but pay special attention to the Sergio Aragonés and Ramona Fradon ones.</p><p>He's also provided a closer look at the editorial note on the artwork. Here's what we think it says:</p><p>1st line: Dear ... [maybe starts with a G?] Eliminate boardwalk<br />2nd line: Leave BG for sky. Also note<br />3rd line: Buzzy and Susie are okay in<br />4th line: position. Show other girls<br />5th line: All [being] seated and standing<br />6th line: in BG looking toward Buzzy.and Susie<br />7th line: Smiling flirtatiously and some just<br />8th line: Smiling (not as Sheldon<br />9th line: Interpreted them)</p><p>("BG" means "background")</p><p>That name on the first line is maddeningly unclear, but I'm pretty sure it starts with a "G". And as it happens, "<a href="http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=803">Graham Place</a>" is the name of a major artist of the DC teen humour titles of the era, including being attributed with some BUZZY stories and covers (they were almost all unsigned, except for Mayer, so credits are spotty). Anyone familiar with the styles of the time want to weigh in on whether he drew the BUZZY cover based on Mayer's unused SCRIBBLY cover?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-72156858476532854462022-11-07T11:52:00.005-05:002023-01-29T22:53:16.286-05:00Kevin O'Neill, R.I.P.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLhMUaLt8syBwzjeQxm0ZTtfFSda4j6nFzR65RpLgyyKavoFsrCrZlX_FeKLesZ_xBVmIv3IiX4AjSlDRRhot9Mz3UZCgEr4FASjxs7i4gEgljTkG4tL2Uj4hj03ISQ9MErEWPZGBrxy2ovP3q46O54abwYZPeQtkjwHW2WYbtH2EvbZBvA/s1947/mcp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1513" data-original-width="1947" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLhMUaLt8syBwzjeQxm0ZTtfFSda4j6nFzR65RpLgyyKavoFsrCrZlX_FeKLesZ_xBVmIv3IiX4AjSlDRRhot9Mz3UZCgEr4FASjxs7i4gEgljTkG4tL2Uj4hj03ISQ9MErEWPZGBrxy2ovP3q46O54abwYZPeQtkjwHW2WYbtH2EvbZBvA/w400-h311/mcp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Sad to note <a href="https://goshlondon.com/the-gosh-blog/rip-kevin-oneill-1953-2022/">the passing of Kevin O'Neill</a>, comic book artist known in these parts for Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, </p><p>First, here's a cross-section of his career in covers:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1_TfPfBKYjnkZGyOO2sVHDYgIxFw192lyLcQwGy_nEEY0c4QAnRPWVH8P9pCCFaCpXyVVVhEZQ8uipBrx8sZ6V4TC4Yps1pYgNXghwYmi12sT-m1QmKzIW5GVguDvFTSiLf9KzQ3p2lhgK3_XifrW_aOSJhvAQ2E0mkEPirOZ0iA67mFQA/s3084/kev2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3084" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1_TfPfBKYjnkZGyOO2sVHDYgIxFw192lyLcQwGy_nEEY0c4QAnRPWVH8P9pCCFaCpXyVVVhEZQ8uipBrx8sZ6V4TC4Yps1pYgNXghwYmi12sT-m1QmKzIW5GVguDvFTSiLf9KzQ3p2lhgK3_XifrW_aOSJhvAQ2E0mkEPirOZ0iA67mFQA/s16000/kev2.jpg" width="95%" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Now a random look at some interior pages:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19YEAY9-ii2d6ShpnnKzFTiMnYQ6E0o4xWge33-mkJY5BamQAse04HRK7ezBSB7jOagOFgw-Ug-n9SWiT1gOd32GEJPiveHVUEriKveQEgMAkByT7Vw2v9UYomY2mTACuHUwBAM7YLk_K0Vf3IyOmcV0puf3khrkBxpZGaQmPQvmAUKlKlA/s3831/1046.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3831" data-original-width="2561" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19YEAY9-ii2d6ShpnnKzFTiMnYQ6E0o4xWge33-mkJY5BamQAse04HRK7ezBSB7jOagOFgw-Ug-n9SWiT1gOd32GEJPiveHVUEriKveQEgMAkByT7Vw2v9UYomY2mTACuHUwBAM7YLk_K0Vf3IyOmcV0puf3khrkBxpZGaQmPQvmAUKlKlA/w268-h400/1046.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>Obviously THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN has been his major work for the last two decades, with six volumes in collaboration with Alan Moore. An interesting series, with O'Neill called upon to do some almost impossible things a few times every issue, and managing to make it look easy.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwLTxvKSuP9D6GX8P3rJBYVmuaBk08UcP2-icf6eoCovuAEGSK0Yv7g-SCPl8xZA_o-C-rX13WzNDhiTDXiCid7nzJbqD2Wki3jCpjyCtsGFplVRrr5JdjIrpB_xUizxRC1aALf6PIQu1cnb3TGwGQMmrzoAJ0Kz7jQBgNtBXvMLJ_cbp_g/s4067/1622.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4067" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwLTxvKSuP9D6GX8P3rJBYVmuaBk08UcP2-icf6eoCovuAEGSK0Yv7g-SCPl8xZA_o-C-rX13WzNDhiTDXiCid7nzJbqD2Wki3jCpjyCtsGFplVRrr5JdjIrpB_xUizxRC1aALf6PIQu1cnb3TGwGQMmrzoAJ0Kz7jQBgNtBXvMLJ_cbp_g/w255-h400/1622.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>He did a few stories featuring the character Lobo, the most notable being LOBO CONVENTION SPECIAL #1 [1993] with Keith Giffen (Lobo co-creator with Roger Slifer) and Alan Grant. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFQo2PTSLKBGOFmeiEYUeFokEBP2IP6ZHye8WrPH6x77LZcd2b1wpzQ5xwbKoAzi-KDZNs8Xk6wHrzU-rxLRKkKqJ3hnrbNhFmjrIUEIqppu2agRYSGVUrK5h_DVSn68NYZPROMjUZyLkw8-82iMVCxFnAFcoc8ZLPq3mtcdZXtJYOnaSdQ/s4073/1822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4073" data-original-width="3058" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFQo2PTSLKBGOFmeiEYUeFokEBP2IP6ZHye8WrPH6x77LZcd2b1wpzQ5xwbKoAzi-KDZNs8Xk6wHrzU-rxLRKkKqJ3hnrbNhFmjrIUEIqppu2agRYSGVUrK5h_DVSn68NYZPROMjUZyLkw8-82iMVCxFnAFcoc8ZLPq3mtcdZXtJYOnaSdQ/w300-h400/1822.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div>Here's a nice oddity, O'Neill inking a Jack Kirby page, featuring an obscure SHIELD villain of Kirby's creation.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX13phhbYFHs8zYl5VehJnIEu6iKrCL3FH7SK2KwOVkiROvWyQ2T4-__5BOKfFFaAxLxYs0UtAatWAu42pfcyCk6UkMx1dcGQaIWEdTpBWnjUlISNZ2mIDkeCjNlLQkqZM6d6502lQPtjWx1BviA_l_MTvMmO2BIis3c7C4gbQqUk8Eo7rPw/s3551/2254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3551" data-original-width="2412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX13phhbYFHs8zYl5VehJnIEu6iKrCL3FH7SK2KwOVkiROvWyQ2T4-__5BOKfFFaAxLxYs0UtAatWAu42pfcyCk6UkMx1dcGQaIWEdTpBWnjUlISNZ2mIDkeCjNlLQkqZM6d6502lQPtjWx1BviA_l_MTvMmO2BIis3c7C4gbQqUk8Eo7rPw/s320/2254.jpg" width="217" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOufGHD-2hp-b5onz-eE7XDKGtxmxBcbwXLmJHxo4an97HA7NwuFj8btudKyjQFycHCoAShX3euZu4HptzPUqlC59AzrwOPM1mFeENvesOaQj3GtJM9FMwuHn0If5j2IrTmHoA9R0YQxg3lP9v50UUdKlQ0YKJgckRkmbWDFVi6lLXMmQ_YQ/s3935/4018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3935" data-original-width="2561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOufGHD-2hp-b5onz-eE7XDKGtxmxBcbwXLmJHxo4an97HA7NwuFj8btudKyjQFycHCoAShX3euZu4HptzPUqlC59AzrwOPM1mFeENvesOaQj3GtJM9FMwuHn0If5j2IrTmHoA9R0YQxg3lP9v50UUdKlQ0YKJgckRkmbWDFVi6lLXMmQ_YQ/s320/4018.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A pair of pages for DC featuring their classic characters. The Batman splash is an interesting design, and the Bizarro page from WHO'S WHO has some funny stuff in the background. Rather famously, Alan Moore once talked about a proposal for a Bizarro series he wanted to do with O'Neill, which never came to pass (O'Neill did eventually do a short story with another writer).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUyyGQAW7FXQ_421fXmXV0hYsMjMLdHy6K3KZVBQ_JoWvZtEwgc6FHXImFgVxSS9yazerFU02ai5Fb2yjfodgXKqesWeqTwV_SkPTG6QaQuL9r5w349_jDnrbod4KxK5yprkNUEobrJhHrm8UqbwyXr2a7-khzZwYIcjndjR2sO06kMTDfQ/s3910/4020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3910" data-original-width="2645" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUyyGQAW7FXQ_421fXmXV0hYsMjMLdHy6K3KZVBQ_JoWvZtEwgc6FHXImFgVxSS9yazerFU02ai5Fb2yjfodgXKqesWeqTwV_SkPTG6QaQuL9r5w349_jDnrbod4KxK5yprkNUEobrJhHrm8UqbwyXr2a7-khzZwYIcjndjR2sO06kMTDfQ/w270-h400/4020.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's a promo piece for another of his major works, Nemesis the Warlock with writer Pat Mills. Always thought it was a shame O'Neill wasn't able to draw more of the series, though the other artists (especially Bryan Talbot) did a good job carrying on in the world he designed. Definitely my favourite series to come out of 2000 AD.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0Chh6jzfBlBZAZWopYTVf4P0LrKeyNiUe2mmlVkmJ74Mc8pjSZEMw1QRpFvdISIXWqdtzdEDq2EA2-srmfaNKuqpIox-W8iWw1Ihh6zWSkHbVmz_pPvqn0PrQ-aNwnfM5YQkYpoNriegpJkMEIq0H6mSXaXfh_BgTsazHIg_5WIh5lUXpQ/s4207/4519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4207" data-original-width="2751" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0Chh6jzfBlBZAZWopYTVf4P0LrKeyNiUe2mmlVkmJ74Mc8pjSZEMw1QRpFvdISIXWqdtzdEDq2EA2-srmfaNKuqpIox-W8iWw1Ihh6zWSkHbVmz_pPvqn0PrQ-aNwnfM5YQkYpoNriegpJkMEIq0H6mSXaXfh_BgTsazHIg_5WIh5lUXpQ/w261-h400/4519.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div>Here's a nice charity piece he did for AARGH [1988], an anthology inspired by some homophobic laws being passed in the UK in that era.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZbyULYeGjFcRs7FCJvhrUn9AcxqosPb34J7jP623kMGPnRYpUaFKbKdhkE8cOPtKuAK1CsZQfQN1iIaJwnw7Y52pg3SxI9z8wnwErWm0oWOLzjeZE-ZirepVzJb1sA2WtC5UtDHFHqQGrBah3s2I4SRcowjB62bl-IZnDq3Zrg_bbp11LA/s4027/5222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4027" data-original-width="2601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZbyULYeGjFcRs7FCJvhrUn9AcxqosPb34J7jP623kMGPnRYpUaFKbKdhkE8cOPtKuAK1CsZQfQN1iIaJwnw7Y52pg3SxI9z8wnwErWm0oWOLzjeZE-ZirepVzJb1sA2WtC5UtDHFHqQGrBah3s2I4SRcowjB62bl-IZnDq3Zrg_bbp11LA/s320/5222.jpg" width="207" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfzm5DcThE2CsLQIi4XFY8J4aK4PyaLJJMvl5N7c04GU4odm7WucPUpk9Z79eh8x909iotyycafIRz4aSgaHnoFlHHoZHJtqgVAR7FWRZ7ZSpGLl_Lk_05hAqJM6M15jNW1f0oyph02ND1TZRiBkOHRS-jhfZasvZ5sd5fTJoPF8LV-s0YQ/s3955/5534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3955" data-original-width="2539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfzm5DcThE2CsLQIi4XFY8J4aK4PyaLJJMvl5N7c04GU4odm7WucPUpk9Z79eh8x909iotyycafIRz4aSgaHnoFlHHoZHJtqgVAR7FWRZ7ZSpGLl_Lk_05hAqJM6M15jNW1f0oyph02ND1TZRiBkOHRS-jhfZasvZ5sd5fTJoPF8LV-s0YQ/s320/5534.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div><br /></div>O'Neill came in a few times on the OMEGA MEN series created by Joe Staton and Marv Wolfman. The short story "Brief Lives" is an early collaboration with Alan Moore, and a cute story, while the other page is from a Marv Wolfman story, nicely realizing a nightmare alien world.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDelR4CNMQhV360lVGTZlhgSGZYWC7VvqgI3QVBRnAGSauDub-oT5L1ekb38VCADxcnkXsGpzwZKIgzCzWQU5VNzlpXGy6EQ6W2ZB72R9jW6sJTTd2P-fMzDdc37IOLM3WJMmDK9Emj8Qs1oX_mBcnC7R-BE7WSDvvgIisf5LwWNTRGfFYw/s3774/5626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3774" data-original-width="2501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDelR4CNMQhV360lVGTZlhgSGZYWC7VvqgI3QVBRnAGSauDub-oT5L1ekb38VCADxcnkXsGpzwZKIgzCzWQU5VNzlpXGy6EQ6W2ZB72R9jW6sJTTd2P-fMzDdc37IOLM3WJMmDK9Emj8Qs1oX_mBcnC7R-BE7WSDvvgIisf5LwWNTRGfFYw/w265-h400/5626.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>MARSHAL LAW is another major work, again in collaboration with Pat Mills, starting with an Epic series in 1987 and continuing through various publishers and crossovers for years after. I think that was the first place I saw his work. A great series, always outrageous, frequently funny and a must read.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIN8m8i1PVUcmS2XsuJ1IyBdYPcBciAs6dVpNI0rkJKJ9zbCa77x0bh6n78Y9MBpSxzh5KVtE2NqZG1fJMaesGkKqqBlEMlvVRuPllvvxyBoGchZRjy1X6zAss8iaMU85TscbTKwYj1PGhc4yL1uS0mCfYn6eh2fZNjOvsTPWmHM9--R5Dg/s3708/6641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3708" data-original-width="2501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIN8m8i1PVUcmS2XsuJ1IyBdYPcBciAs6dVpNI0rkJKJ9zbCa77x0bh6n78Y9MBpSxzh5KVtE2NqZG1fJMaesGkKqqBlEMlvVRuPllvvxyBoGchZRjy1X6zAss8iaMU85TscbTKwYj1PGhc4yL1uS0mCfYn6eh2fZNjOvsTPWmHM9--R5Dg/w270-h400/6641.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Another Alan Moore collaboration was "Tygers", a Green Lantern story featuring Abin Sur (created by Gil Kane and John Broome) which had more ideas per page than a lot of creators come up with in their careers.<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-33403293387704220792022-11-05T12:17:00.001-04:002022-11-05T12:17:23.596-04:00417 years ago today...<p> <span style="text-align: center;">Remember, remember</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCBZwRAClnY/XSIuv0jG9YI/AAAAAAAAGe0/GK6oOznoOqsHQ2Xg1tTvxvPBK1P6DuT-ACLcBGAs/s1600/gfd1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCBZwRAClnY/XSIuv0jG9YI/AAAAAAAAGe0/GK6oOznoOqsHQ2Xg1tTvxvPBK1P6DuT-ACLcBGAs/s400/gfd1.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> the fifth of November</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_uuATgXypI/XSIuv35ZUiI/AAAAAAAAGe8/1x3Od0p8Vy42rOGaKzs5uEYzvPdOEluMACLcBGAs/s1600/gfd2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="935" height="279" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_uuATgXypI/XSIuv35ZUiI/AAAAAAAAGe8/1x3Od0p8Vy42rOGaKzs5uEYzvPdOEluMACLcBGAs/s400/gfd2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The gunpowder treason and plot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U8LO7xpaZIQ/XSIuv1GLwVI/AAAAAAAAGe4/MRL8RkYm_8Yo6CMozbpMhkZtScptyEf7ACLcBGAs/s1600/gfd3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="775" height="361" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U8LO7xpaZIQ/XSIuv1GLwVI/AAAAAAAAGe4/MRL8RkYm_8Yo6CMozbpMhkZtScptyEf7ACLcBGAs/s400/gfd3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I see no reason</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jbm3usQJpjk/XSIuwEApG8I/AAAAAAAAGfA/MV3T4r8Ty5A1GbolWvn2hVxSdHmW1g2EwCLcBGAs/s1600/gfd4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jbm3usQJpjk/XSIuwEApG8I/AAAAAAAAGfA/MV3T4r8Ty5A1GbolWvn2hVxSdHmW1g2EwCLcBGAs/s400/gfd4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">why the gunpowder treason</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKZYxNRA4vc/XSIuwayleuI/AAAAAAAAGfE/9qB29snweu8Q_YiU-7iWQ_ZOA8GaYORwQCLcBGAs/s1600/gfd5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKZYxNRA4vc/XSIuwayleuI/AAAAAAAAGfE/9qB29snweu8Q_YiU-7iWQ_ZOA8GaYORwQCLcBGAs/s400/gfd5.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Should ever be forgot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djLA5EKyu2o/XSIuwoS8DKI/AAAAAAAAGfI/8IC_4jpKmJshbDk1RJ5QomA1Di5LO9jqACLcBGAs/s1600/gfd6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="1600" height="109" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djLA5EKyu2o/XSIuwoS8DKI/AAAAAAAAGfI/8IC_4jpKmJshbDk1RJ5QomA1Di5LO9jqACLcBGAs/s400/gfd6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bkxymswhHE/XSIuw0Ng-zI/AAAAAAAAGfM/TWeQevCiVcw5TdBs6xnpqSwf7wh3APGgQCLcBGAs/s1600/gfd7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1212" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bkxymswhHE/XSIuw0Ng-zI/AAAAAAAAGfM/TWeQevCiVcw5TdBs6xnpqSwf7wh3APGgQCLcBGAs/s640/gfd7.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">(with thanks to David Lloyd, Alan Moore, Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon and whoever drew BUSTER)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-73462645364658709332022-10-06T19:03:00.010-04:002022-11-09T20:17:05.873-05:00Unseen Sheldon Mayer SCRIBBLY cover<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KhNgAsYyVD90cuxZ-MZgtPd9VdH2OmZX1Z0t6B88mSpo_zrczDgdQYmeCSDGlSdvqsVgomfXa6xDjN4127_ecj3vx9Q-3zy9W-HAgxoMbs8rw4XqbdM24bvOCNdMOhAy9rnbmoKKKYGyy3asmxbVcaHYA3Xz9IA6H36Fe1sb5oBQMJzsgg/s2561/scribbly%2013.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2561" data-original-width="1826" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KhNgAsYyVD90cuxZ-MZgtPd9VdH2OmZX1Z0t6B88mSpo_zrczDgdQYmeCSDGlSdvqsVgomfXa6xDjN4127_ecj3vx9Q-3zy9W-HAgxoMbs8rw4XqbdM24bvOCNdMOhAy9rnbmoKKKYGyy3asmxbVcaHYA3Xz9IA6H36Fe1sb5oBQMJzsgg/w285-h400/scribbly%2013.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>So, interesting <a href="https://comics.ha.com/itm/a/7335-88050.s">auction item</a>, already out of my price range, and probably headed to much more. This is a Sheldon Mayer cover to his SCRIBBLY series, which ran for 15 issues from 1948 to 1952 (the character himself dates back to 1936), but not one of the 15 covers that ran on the book. According to the description, it was intended for #13 in 1950, but labelled as written off in 1951.<p></p><p>That alone makes it one of the most interesting bits of original art I've seen in a while. SCRIBBLY is a great little comic, really should have been reprinted by this point, so it's great to see a "new" page from it out of the blue.</p><p>But there's more...<br /><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU12lutyBJc3FkrOleaORE8x65tNcYK82APt--2R9Cf75c4I7WZU6iy1REGvPxj4rwbH_KUKNRldQkf-3IWPp2QFub3mEqq1pdzydRSDRH9lV9oNItr9OFknpQYcIUHIzoZ_UxeUrBYQIDcbIrLGFIX2DmwPXajYz7mkcgfdaE04sj5yQUQ/s2542/scirbby%2013.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="1822" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU12lutyBJc3FkrOleaORE8x65tNcYK82APt--2R9Cf75c4I7WZU6iy1REGvPxj4rwbH_KUKNRldQkf-3IWPp2QFub3mEqq1pdzydRSDRH9lV9oNItr9OFknpQYcIUHIzoZ_UxeUrBYQIDcbIrLGFIX2DmwPXajYz7mkcgfdaE04sj5yQUQ/w286-h400/scirbby%2013.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>Also with the original art from circa 1950 is this full sized re-creation from the 1980s by Sheldon Mayer. A real delight, especially looking at some of the changes Mayer made, having Scribbly drawing the girls (which more fits in with the theme of the series), with the broken pencils in the sand.<p></p><p>Well, that's pretty cool. Now how much would you pay. But there's more...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe7SkJVyOXXak5WLwdvu0PRdLyvGqdS4ANwS79wxV_rw-3NLsnxYekycyrBgD95g1lTiUEQIbUp_Jc5TlD_K_o7_NWFQ-A9Z1-Y8aGTPHHS4UzpWefqxrisHZtRHjHgdVk9E6xfKdS2PYPtmR1aLRj_LdJtk2Jep6aNS72B4ogCTnsY3O-Q/s1826/scribbly%2013d.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1826" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe7SkJVyOXXak5WLwdvu0PRdLyvGqdS4ANwS79wxV_rw-3NLsnxYekycyrBgD95g1lTiUEQIbUp_Jc5TlD_K_o7_NWFQ-A9Z1-Y8aGTPHHS4UzpWefqxrisHZtRHjHgdVk9E6xfKdS2PYPtmR1aLRj_LdJtk2Jep6aNS72B4ogCTnsY3O-Q/w400-h190/scribbly%2013d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Very faint on the artwork is a note, unknown author, which has some notes about changing this into a cover for another DC teen book of the era, BUZZY. It's not all legible (if you happen to buy it, let me know if more of it is readable).<p></p><p>What I can make out is:</p><p>"[illegible] Leave B.G. [background] For sky Also Buzzy and Susie are okay in position. Show other girls [illegible] In B.G. looking towards Buzzy and Susie smiling flirtatiously(?) and some just smiling (not as Sheldon interpreted(?) them)"</p><p>(see <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2022/11/scribbly-art-update.html">update</a> for more)</p><p>Well, that's pretty interesting. I wonder if...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aamY6USgAcOaS5rZww7yIwZk0GNFV0E5a7TowiRQHBZukElbRJKR0dG-b9-HQGzAFnvUeRvPmL1v-4e7u-v7UyCOCuE4fBl3B4TWlnSUnqfMX3F2UwiAQ_eYaaIYhtt2j4i9wU-yEqQ4ucZFfpntLpuJKqFyGYd6dOf-geegAXncVtuw-g/s2337/buzzy%2033.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2337" data-original-width="1653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aamY6USgAcOaS5rZww7yIwZk0GNFV0E5a7TowiRQHBZukElbRJKR0dG-b9-HQGzAFnvUeRvPmL1v-4e7u-v7UyCOCuE4fBl3B4TWlnSUnqfMX3F2UwiAQ_eYaaIYhtt2j4i9wU-yEqQ4ucZFfpntLpuJKqFyGYd6dOf-geegAXncVtuw-g/w283-h400/buzzy%2033.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>Yep, BUZZY #33, artist unknown, from September-October 1950. Which happens to be the same date as SCRIBBLY #13. And which happens to be one of the issues of BUZZY to feature a Scribbly back-up story by Mayer (SCRIBBLY has a one year hiatus between #13 and #14, during which time DC's comics shrank from 52 pages to 36 pages, and a bunch of Scribbly short stories ran as back-ups in other DC teen titles). <p></p><p>Well, that's quite enough...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFzyMowR-GMLiMLxwNXhNQKPXhm8MrbXju08ulyT3enwRvnjkLOzzmE9wVXm3QbSBFm06Vvf0PcHUqyL6n6PkSHsRVfu_mubUVBphSFEsgO1CY-59rlaUinGOCUE9zomTtxpQ7IcB8sqbrfEvIn35fHEVSHwP6a2E6TAznQ0jFKTV0Q6j3A/s1580/Dark%20Horse%20Presents%201986%20%230066.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1580" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFzyMowR-GMLiMLxwNXhNQKPXhm8MrbXju08ulyT3enwRvnjkLOzzmE9wVXm3QbSBFm06Vvf0PcHUqyL6n6PkSHsRVfu_mubUVBphSFEsgO1CY-59rlaUinGOCUE9zomTtxpQ7IcB8sqbrfEvIn35fHEVSHwP6a2E6TAznQ0jFKTV0Q6j3A/w259-h400/Dark%20Horse%20Presents%201986%20%230066.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />Wait, did I mention the pages are "From the Harlan Ellison Collection"? Well, that's kind of interesting. Ellison was a prominent fantasy writer in a number of fields, with his hand in comics at several points, from as far back as a <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/5682/#58592">letter in a 1947 DC comic</a>, plotting a <a href="https://www.comics.org/issue/5682/#58592">1954 EC comic</a> by Al Williamson and many more activities as both a fan and a professional until his passing in 2018. His collection was legendary, to the point that Paul Chadwick made it the centerpiece of a Concrete story appearing in DARK HORSE PRESENTS #66 [1992], "Byrdland's Secret", where a barely-at-all disguised version of Ellison, "Dwayne Byrd" ("Cordwainer Bird" was a pen-name Ellison occasionally used for writing work he felt was compromised enough to take his name off). Might be my favourite Concrete story, certainly the one that pops into my head most often, for a very specific reason.<p></p><p>In the story, Concrete and his friend Larry are invited to the home of Byrd, who was one of the writers on a movie that Concrete had worked on in a previous story (which was itself based on the 1987 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE film), ostensibly inviting Concrete to help decide if he should remove his name from the movie (presumably using a pseudonym like "Harlequin Ellis"), but obviously just wanting to meet Concrete. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxkCgFsj8jVZqPS4uqOZwuH9buSCVtD1apJwvzTdFgPbhYjsu2JqO28kbhIt--iG1jQ83QtEEYdOrsbPgfuTjoTgeCTrVefQJ3VetU4mGSm7IpCIoxkYtbvjrFzzTTG-BtnFgoY7-5MhtfeLpoFPlUWg-z-PL8BwcdZJDP12d9wu5N8QyeQ/s1417/concrete.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="956" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxkCgFsj8jVZqPS4uqOZwuH9buSCVtD1apJwvzTdFgPbhYjsu2JqO28kbhIt--iG1jQ83QtEEYdOrsbPgfuTjoTgeCTrVefQJ3VetU4mGSm7IpCIoxkYtbvjrFzzTTG-BtnFgoY7-5MhtfeLpoFPlUWg-z-PL8BwcdZJDP12d9wu5N8QyeQ/w270-h400/concrete.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Byrd's house has an impressive collection, including a massive comic book collection which, ever since I read it, was how I imagined my dream comic collection storage system if I ever had stupid money (hasn't happened yet...). Just something about rolling banks of shelves... I don't know why, shelving on tracks with hand cranks has always appealed to me.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, Byrd's house is obviously based on a Chadwick visit to Ellison's house, so even if it didn't make the panels, the Mayer cover and recreation are probably in there somewhere. I am curious about the history of it, whether Ellison acquired the art and commissioned the recreation himself, or it it went through other hands before reaching him.<br /><p></p><p>Well, anyway, I found it all interesting And not to be a cliché, but Christmas is always coming, and I do have at least one birthday every year, plus I'm sure there has to be a Blogger's Day or something...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlYVvXp-iWcu7OhXEinM7X58mTILs1Ff4IcquZCRB61s3n5k1Kn5D65qh9pELse4mu0ZOR-m8jTL9zzXD9wQyuSlHtGKbzTXE4Y0tH2Xx7QeR1TZZzcVDX_f4EfoOA3_wH70UAoc63sFThbkHY9Rq8begaiL5rAWlKCDz1b0MEozeCzipRQ/s1500/concrete.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlYVvXp-iWcu7OhXEinM7X58mTILs1Ff4IcquZCRB61s3n5k1Kn5D65qh9pELse4mu0ZOR-m8jTL9zzXD9wQyuSlHtGKbzTXE4Y0tH2Xx7QeR1TZZzcVDX_f4EfoOA3_wH70UAoc63sFThbkHY9Rq8begaiL5rAWlKCDz1b0MEozeCzipRQ/s16000/concrete.jpg" width="95%" /></a></div><br /><p><a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2022/11/scribbly-art-update.html">Update with some new info here</a></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-28175947211972930492022-10-06T14:14:00.003-04:002022-10-07T00:38:09.344-04:00Drew Ford, R.I.P.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy6hyQnvk9W6Y1Wyx1ui96LbKFRmPcgnpL1nZkbVfLkun6Cl-Bhmt_isUSgyZTunjCYb5E8_FPDVcETX1el9F0C3mAj6tcNSR11mPatgz7XhM8rxDSTFHyMYUXzTq1ZpXgLyB0NJPcw-cAK8cptvbi84RYis-phNhWBwJ8OZwNgjn-ecokA/s9487/dover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="9487" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCy6hyQnvk9W6Y1Wyx1ui96LbKFRmPcgnpL1nZkbVfLkun6Cl-Bhmt_isUSgyZTunjCYb5E8_FPDVcETX1el9F0C3mAj6tcNSR11mPatgz7XhM8rxDSTFHyMYUXzTq1ZpXgLyB0NJPcw-cAK8cptvbi84RYis-phNhWBwJ8OZwNgjn-ecokA/w640-h134/dover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Sad to note the sudden passing of Drew Ford at age 48. There's a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/drew-ford-wife-kiki-needs-support-and-love">fundraiser right now</a> to help the family through this difficult time.</p><p>I became aware of Ford when, from 2015 to 2017, he ran a comic book division for Dover Publications. This was an imprint remarkably aligned to my tastes, as you can see from that gallery of books up top, and moreover dedicated to delivering a quality product in cooperation with the creators, unlike most re-publishers of classic comics. That PUMA BLUES book has a new 40-page coda by Zulli and Murphy. That WANDERING STAR book has Teri Wood's original mini-comic version, plus numerous colour covers and prints. ATTU has a whole third unpublished book by Sam Glanzman. PALEO has several stories never before printed by Jim Lawson, including two written by Stephen R. Bissette (who also provides detailed historical notes for several of the books). I've written before about my "paper moratorium", where I avoid getting newly published comics with some exceptions for about the last decade. Well, for those years, these were most of the exceptions. All gorgeous books, and I was tempted by many more that they published.</p><p>Never was quite sure why the line folded so quickly. Certainly wasn't the quality of the work or the production. Anyway, after that Ford founded his own It's Alive Press, continuing to bring some classic work back into print.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnuZ4zTcVzqvbDh6pKxcz0w_T6r1LGStHJXbT9ip5_T8ZNtbzM5W-GzY8zlxyuJocjl2ROsZc875KtVYldr2sKjBVO9Ot1rTY05Oz0LmbklOpkPy4_ESTf_KAxkALeWd0IXV0T-iR5twmYu14bJok4KeqXmEkQBv8kKeW--x1-BuVmNTk6w/s1799/Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1799" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnuZ4zTcVzqvbDh6pKxcz0w_T6r1LGStHJXbT9ip5_T8ZNtbzM5W-GzY8zlxyuJocjl2ROsZc875KtVYldr2sKjBVO9Ot1rTY05Oz0LmbklOpkPy4_ESTf_KAxkALeWd0IXV0T-iR5twmYu14bJok4KeqXmEkQBv8kKeW--x1-BuVmNTk6w/w400-h155/Panorama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-31600393515426324332022-09-25T17:47:00.005-04:002022-09-25T19:53:54.622-04:00Pogofest 1995 Program [1995] (Random Comics Theatre)Random Comics Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFw9GEnYTgZBp3xfJ9pVLU_nMAWME95bOVQk6mRU8_jcaSjXd_NuhTW8BjV1z5Lv16PuMrFsPZJ1UoS8RrnRf1htX7e3ZiJFkLbIfuQccNgzZ2wiTAjuJmBsGP0nqDqJ87QL8X_7xjLayUnjq9gfP2t_QJuH0ABiEh351aPti7W4qv9pRkA/s1713/Pogofest%201995%20Program%20%5B1995%5D%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1713" data-original-width="1417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFw9GEnYTgZBp3xfJ9pVLU_nMAWME95bOVQk6mRU8_jcaSjXd_NuhTW8BjV1z5Lv16PuMrFsPZJ1UoS8RrnRf1htX7e3ZiJFkLbIfuQccNgzZ2wiTAjuJmBsGP0nqDqJ87QL8X_7xjLayUnjq9gfP2t_QJuH0ABiEh351aPti7W4qv9pRkA/w331-h400/Pogofest%201995%20Program%20%5B1995%5D%20A.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES1E-43Ns1xTZsX314bsdjsMxsgD9w-x60TDqR5DRGtKbFEp2e4Sn4qpfzaHVkPQ3msHMu00U8Ue6DhrT6USIJBCTagaVL4RTMNhsd6xTcF3cWnt4aO_rEQoK3X4xCbB6gHYC7FIXLtDQbAPqLyiQsTxXmw74DuWZfeShkMnHX7lOwEgZhA/s1077/Pogofest%201995%20Program%201995%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhES1E-43Ns1xTZsX314bsdjsMxsgD9w-x60TDqR5DRGtKbFEp2e4Sn4qpfzaHVkPQ3msHMu00U8Ue6DhrT6USIJBCTagaVL4RTMNhsd6xTcF3cWnt4aO_rEQoK3X4xCbB6gHYC7FIXLtDQbAPqLyiQsTxXmw74DuWZfeShkMnHX7lOwEgZhA/w298-h400/Pogofest%201995%20Program%201995%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>Pogofest 1995 Program [1995]</b><br /><br />This is the program to the 9th annual Pogofest, honouring the work of Walt Kelly, held in Waycross Georgia on October 27-28, 1995. just up the road from scenic Okefenokee Swamp Park. Not sure if it's still held, or if not when it stopped, but my selection of programs goes to 2005, so that was probably it. And no, I've never actually attended, though I have a bunch of programs...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeBk46VvoACb5LRKnzJ98xvGhc7sj2cCHcVHT8E3kXFyStf5HWfClmTNjiXPxGaZCsAvH2QaMSZ4mtertbRzCKcRNcQZTYJpzV9uFkVq0oHug1nvQ8Rc4crZhsvuXcpoAWTX0Fw6QRZJTn7sSDR6GPRedlz-pNYuxX51ooMUYcdMapkOglg/s6100/Pogofest%201995%20Program%20%5B1995%5D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6100" data-original-width="4810" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeBk46VvoACb5LRKnzJ98xvGhc7sj2cCHcVHT8E3kXFyStf5HWfClmTNjiXPxGaZCsAvH2QaMSZ4mtertbRzCKcRNcQZTYJpzV9uFkVq0oHug1nvQ8Rc4crZhsvuXcpoAWTX0Fw6QRZJTn7sSDR6GPRedlz-pNYuxX51ooMUYcdMapkOglg/w315-h400/Pogofest%201995%20Program%20%5B1995%5D.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>This is a 16-page package put together by Steve Thompson, a name that should need no introduction to Pogo fans. In addition to the map and schedule of the festival, this includes an introduction by Thompson, an essay by Carolyn Kelly, and several Walt Kelly rarities from magazines like COLLIER'S, TRUE THE MAN'S MAGAZINE and LIFE, plus a Kelly-inspired drawing by Charles Crumb from 1958. A fun sampler of the kind of stuff you'd find in Thompson's FORT MUDGE MOST magazine which ran for at least 95 issues. The long COLLIER'S piece from 1955 is especially interesting for the drawing of Pogo meeting an actual possum.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-47734196642178586892022-09-25T13:11:00.004-04:002022-09-25T13:11:35.438-04:00Goodnight, Irene [2007] (Random Comics Theatre)Random Comics Theatre<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_GlRNbuw5In9Ip09QkR0O0wJ0PiJ4zze6byKvrxTo_RKyXI4HOBbuP9prMi-YI3f8dokSWpe-p28arwCQiuFnGnTF2K4KUIHFWwioqtvvEAxI3XUVgaYqSG8cN5KYMf-lC8D-EEWz1cXmqmLbHJajjydS1uRuKX6dJAfT74vSOtvYp1jKg/s1135/Good%20Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_GlRNbuw5In9Ip09QkR0O0wJ0PiJ4zze6byKvrxTo_RKyXI4HOBbuP9prMi-YI3f8dokSWpe-p28arwCQiuFnGnTF2K4KUIHFWwioqtvvEAxI3XUVgaYqSG8cN5KYMf-lC8D-EEWz1cXmqmLbHJajjydS1uRuKX6dJAfT74vSOtvYp1jKg/w353-h400/Good%20Girls.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNffw8yOKcKmu7Mdfm0adUbbGxeObv4_VbGhId2qJsqjYuslzo897Z2exbYkQshKadh9QaXA7ZKoJbJw9xTzgvxMbXW8dX-jsqWIycRpcX6PIxPSj-LfahzWHBtOiAY05X1OWaVetkFky7MK3jav4IhvDZNHTfGYWb8HJWjTMgba664scSg/s1902/Goodnight,%20Irene%202007%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1902" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNffw8yOKcKmu7Mdfm0adUbbGxeObv4_VbGhId2qJsqjYuslzo897Z2exbYkQshKadh9QaXA7ZKoJbJw9xTzgvxMbXW8dX-jsqWIycRpcX6PIxPSj-LfahzWHBtOiAY05X1OWaVetkFky7MK3jav4IhvDZNHTfGYWb8HJWjTMgba664scSg/w269-h400/Goodnight,%20Irene%202007%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>Goodnight, Irene [2007]</b><br /><br />
<div>This is a collection of the works of Carol Lay, featuring her character Irene Van de Kamp, published in the title GOOD GIRLS from 1987 to 1991 from Fantagraphics and then Rip Off Press. Lay also does some new stories in the end of this book, published by Last Gasp.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd seen the old comic around every now and then, and it looked intriguing, but I didn't really start paying attention to Carol Lay until I started reading her Story Minute comic strip (later titled Way Lay) around the turn of the century. Really loved those, so of course looked for her earlier work. Discovered she did some CAPTAIN CARROT comics I enjoyed back in the early 1980s (initially inking, then eventually co-writing and drawing the OZ-WONDERLAND WAR mini-series), but obviously much of her own style didn't come through on that. Read a few of the GOOD GIRLS issues, but eventually this book came out.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui26cS-hOiZr-Cof8iQ6BXQqzDi5ocPueGVFDtbKesPR5pLbkCCpWC82LlpO8Lh_tqOlC5TD1c8xeRvO3mB-RqhzGhC_Rvgf54a1WNS-oPe-EdDJlsz7QF2A__Hsr105Cn7nMxYNEqV7Uyzh4MEPJWByteA-1XysKeTLGnttwTwl1GBiDtA/s2141/Good%20Girls%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2141" data-original-width="1424" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui26cS-hOiZr-Cof8iQ6BXQqzDi5ocPueGVFDtbKesPR5pLbkCCpWC82LlpO8Lh_tqOlC5TD1c8xeRvO3mB-RqhzGhC_Rvgf54a1WNS-oPe-EdDJlsz7QF2A__Hsr105Cn7nMxYNEqV7Uyzh4MEPJWByteA-1XysKeTLGnttwTwl1GBiDtA/w266-h400/Good%20Girls%20Copy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Irene's story began as one-shot parody back-up story, making fun of standard romance comics tropes with an extreme version of the situations they're built on, in this case an American heiress lost as a baby and raised by an African tribe that practices face-shaping, including a lip-plate. Returning to America as a young wealthy woman, she struggles to find love, hoping a blind lawyer might be the one, only to have her hopes dashed. A funny little story that Lay created in 1980, but didn't publish until years later. After a few issues as a back-up, Irene's story took over the books, adding more colourful characters and complications. </div><div><br /></div><div>A very fun book, and it's interesting to see the evolution of Lay's style in the long creative process between the first story and the last. The first story is a solid classic style, as befits the parody roots. Later on she melds that style with a lot of the Love&Rockets look, especially Jaime Hernandez, which is a natural fit, as they seem to have a lot of common influences. You can gradually see her work going towards that Story Minute / Way Lay style as the book goes on, with some sudden jumps in the two new stories in the back which update Irene's story to the then-modern day.</div><div><br /></div><div>The original Irene related covers and back-covers are presented in the back, and there's a new preface by Lay and introduction by musician Mark Mothersbaugh.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-46999782840411770192022-09-21T21:36:00.004-04:002022-09-25T12:49:20.537-04:00Upcoming DeMatteis comics news<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlbdoordv8ADHXfT_uPt1Zp1Y7M9YUvkPruh7JntTUlx7is7yMiNIQ-Yq4gWlB96aWjG6YNhRdj9OG37qoeaZScf_LC8sOk28MR1vz4TXcWGATDl9l1TcZ_zzO6D7dj-of3VNX7A8A-pcBFGV_utHE6j_5xK0lfreozIjLDn_FDJ5C7L0zZwD6mJvyg/s1600/DeMultiverse.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlbdoordv8ADHXfT_uPt1Zp1Y7M9YUvkPruh7JntTUlx7is7yMiNIQ-Yq4gWlB96aWjG6YNhRdj9OG37qoeaZScf_LC8sOk28MR1vz4TXcWGATDl9l1TcZ_zzO6D7dj-of3VNX7A8A-pcBFGV_utHE6j_5xK0lfreozIjLDn_FDJ5C7L0zZwD6mJvyg/s320/DeMultiverse.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>So, <a href="http://www.jmdematteis.com/2022/09/welcome-to-demultiverse.html">interesting news </a>coming from the always-interesting J.M. DeMatteis that he's co-creating four very different books with four very different artists/co-creators (all of whom he has some history with), to be launched under the umbrella of "The DeMultiverse" from a new publisher, Spellbound Comics.<p></p><p>The four titles are:</p><p>LAYLA IN THE LANDS OF AFTER with Shawn McManus</p><p>WISDOM with Tom Mandrake</p><p>GODSEND with Matthew Dow Smith</p><p>ANYMAN with David Baldeón</p><p>Details are gradually being announced. LAYLA is set in the afterlife, WISDOM is some kind of fantasy/western hybrid, the other two look like variations on super-heroic myths.</p><p>From what I can gather, the plan of the publisher is to publish the first issue of each series, both as standalone comics and a collection of all four, through pre-sales on their own website and Kickstarter, and then let people who ordered the books decide which one will continue on to more stories first, with the plan to eventually continue them all, presumably more quickly the more successful the publisher is. Maybe a bit convoluted to my tastes, but a new publisher has to do what it must to launch, and I'm sure that DeMatteis is able to craft the four stories so that they're satisfying reads on their own, while holding the promise of even more if/when they're able to continue.</p><p>Also, good on DeMatteis for having the artists all listed as co-creators right up front, and good on Spellbound for the books being creator owned (by both writer and artist), not work for hire like many new publishers where the books read like movie pitches disguised as comics, owned by just the company or just the writer and the company. These look like comics undisguised as comics.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-19794233143923076962022-09-16T12:57:00.012-04:002022-09-17T07:12:10.600-04:00BATMAN/SPAWN 2022 vs SPAWN/BATMAN 2006<p>Well, in a desire to get more timely and clickbaity content on this weblog (the scenes of <a href="https://fourrealities.blogspot.com/2022/09/classic-herbie-somehow-fitting-biggest.html">Herbie meeting Queen Elizabeth</a> didn't seem to cut it. I thought I had a surefire viral hit there)...</p><p>I wonder how much the just solicited BATMAN/SPAWN comic from DC was originally done for the SPAWN/BATMAN comic that Image Comics was supposed to publish back in 2006? <strike>Can't find the cover, unfortunately (if anyone has a print copy of Previews from back then...)</strike> [got it], here's the description:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNS3kvjs_kMMi2o-aqD_yr2ie_C5j3Pd5801DSLohXUpoLSEudx-4ngO26CZOjMR-i-y54F_i-sS7myBxUk8KheWOBuVJK9kdwmjiSdW7C0rJo5BWfFXsx3omfnjF6mwUuLkFkH3_AE03UX7L5ZNtiPfyFQ8QTLZw_6Diy6YxzEtB7U_SOA/s792/Spawnbatm%202006.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNS3kvjs_kMMi2o-aqD_yr2ie_C5j3Pd5801DSLohXUpoLSEudx-4ngO26CZOjMR-i-y54F_i-sS7myBxUk8KheWOBuVJK9kdwmjiSdW7C0rJo5BWfFXsx3omfnjF6mwUuLkFkH3_AE03UX7L5ZNtiPfyFQ8QTLZw_6Diy6YxzEtB7U_SOA/s320/Spawnbatm%202006.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>SPAWN/BATMAN: INNER DEMONS </b></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>story TODD MCFARLANE</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>art TODD MCFARLANE & GREG CAPULLO</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>covers TODD MCFARLANE</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>56 PAGES FC DECEMBER 28, 2006</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>$5.99</div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>It’s been over a decade since their first meeting. The Dark Knight and the even darker one. But this time is perhaps the most dangerous meeting of all. A battle for our heroes’ very souls and sanity. Sure Batman knows how to fight The Joker, Spawn and The Clown, but what if Spawn had to deal with Batman’s legendary nemesis? And for that matter, is Batman really capable of fighting a TRUE DEMON from hell? Two great heroes must face each other’s greatest villains! Get ready for drama, mayhem and madness like you’ve never seen before from comics master TODD MCFARLANE!</div></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><br /></div><div>Let's compare the new one</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsr5jb-0lw8uPN4nLxBte_jGx0cyb9eA2NRZ-wKqF51jV6c16kK26-UwY9ZQFKBlIjr8LxkGa3JmTBtLgU4fce6Ct-GdlXa2w5_MEALIVEix727mGzwLBKoys_2GNst267oEDuRzXLBmO8Az_IyO5sExBcM_J5Fz34BVOJvVpA666mpHEnw/s1024/Batman-Spawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsr5jb-0lw8uPN4nLxBte_jGx0cyb9eA2NRZ-wKqF51jV6c16kK26-UwY9ZQFKBlIjr8LxkGa3JmTBtLgU4fce6Ct-GdlXa2w5_MEALIVEix727mGzwLBKoys_2GNst267oEDuRzXLBmO8Az_IyO5sExBcM_J5Fz34BVOJvVpA666mpHEnw/s320/Batman-Spawn.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>BATMAN/SPAWN #1</b></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Written by TODD McFARLANE</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Art and cover by GREG CAPULLO</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>[variant covers endless list redacted]</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>[ratio covers endless list redacted]</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>$6.99 US | 48 pages | Prestige | One-shot (all covers are card stock)</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>ON SALE 12/13/22 </div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div> </div></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Two dark heroes, cursed by tragedy, find their paths again crossing…but not by choice! What sinister foe is at work, pitting the Dark Knight against the Hellspawn? From the shadows of Gotham City to New York City, this epic event is the blockbuster you've been waiting almost two decades for!</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote><p>Well, one dollar higher, which isn't that bad, less than 1% annualized inflation. Slightly fewer pages, which might be a blessing (probably would have been filler/ad pages, and I think Image counts the covers while DC doesn't). McFarlane not explicitly involved in the art. Also not doing the main cover, but that may have been moved to one of the many variant/ratio/custom/limited/reprint covers we'll no doubt see. The first time they explicitly mention the Joker and the Clown as the villains, which is still a possibility with the new one, except that DC these days is never shy about telling you when the Joker is appearing some place.</p><p>Now what we need is for Image to publish a new <b>SPAWN/BATMAN</b>, written by the whole current Batman team, let's say Tom King, Chip Zdarsky, Ram V and James Tynion, drawn by, oh, let's give it to Mikel Janin, I like his stuff. Is Klaus Janson still inking? Anyway, the story, given Tom King's involvement, will undoubtedly involve Spawn realizing he's been suffering from PTSD all these years...</p><p>(Batman created by Bill Finger with... damn, always forget his name. Kob Brane?)<br />(Spawn created by Todd McFarlane, I guess, unless he ripped off some co-creator, although many of his supporting characters co-created by Neil Gaiman. Probably not appearing in this book, though, since Gaiman won them in a lawsuit and sold/gave them to either Marvel or the CBLDF. That's not really relevant, I just like to bring it up. Miracleman's coming back, too...)</p><p>Here's some other ridiculous art I found from the unpublished book:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxqK7IGqR7yBCVc2qy9Ep87GBHR_QsnbzPlVMzRZClxWj0geUfagcLE81ZuWUFARVVKWi2FhC6rFVIi6528dwB-h8woZUCXCcg6Eq8567T2r6sNIq4VKBq1zNoXbGdHkyrlpf6n6dLgoaVE2Mg3qn6AzkNkkusJ_QkOHI-CBjJWgonFdkUQ/s816/spawnbat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="816" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxqK7IGqR7yBCVc2qy9Ep87GBHR_QsnbzPlVMzRZClxWj0geUfagcLE81ZuWUFARVVKWi2FhC6rFVIi6528dwB-h8woZUCXCcg6Eq8567T2r6sNIq4VKBq1zNoXbGdHkyrlpf6n6dLgoaVE2Mg3qn6AzkNkkusJ_QkOHI-CBjJWgonFdkUQ/w200-h194/spawnbat2.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrfRHaRe3A7h6Cr0Bjgu1cpyf_0IymadOg7O7g2TvjhmPzvWlLjn4NZ5QfWRl7LauPAvTQF15x1IdZ2UlGEGBv5s96MfSAwBxK96YpEy45LEKzKsdyvRRCwLUC-IgwdhrIH42RI2XP37DHTBBA7DaHbPiJs2bzvzSXb6pTDWQ_WNX05U03A/s683/spawnbat3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="683" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrfRHaRe3A7h6Cr0Bjgu1cpyf_0IymadOg7O7g2TvjhmPzvWlLjn4NZ5QfWRl7LauPAvTQF15x1IdZ2UlGEGBv5s96MfSAwBxK96YpEy45LEKzKsdyvRRCwLUC-IgwdhrIH42RI2XP37DHTBBA7DaHbPiJs2bzvzSXb6pTDWQ_WNX05U03A/w200-h164/spawnbat3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-2922080080080052822022-09-08T21:00:00.001-04:002022-09-08T21:00:08.174-04:00Classic Herbie somehow fitting the biggest news of the day...<p> Somewhere in America, a Duke weeps tonight...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1MWjak9dfCTf9hgyjJ4F6AGf8uqvPevFCscKw-zgPVw0AVPBglER06MJnaZlurmYX97zxfdNypDxNEjPmev4ykjFIOfs6MymXRaxywXqcXxImH3IjAf9tAFY4DFg-M8MnuKySYmsVf9RuiXaiJ-A4e6tO8o2cIBVnm59gxbfJjzG9EUIyQ/s2000/Herbie%201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1MWjak9dfCTf9hgyjJ4F6AGf8uqvPevFCscKw-zgPVw0AVPBglER06MJnaZlurmYX97zxfdNypDxNEjPmev4ykjFIOfs6MymXRaxywXqcXxImH3IjAf9tAFY4DFg-M8MnuKySYmsVf9RuiXaiJ-A4e6tO8o2cIBVnm59gxbfJjzG9EUIyQ/w640-h306/Herbie%201.JPG" width="90%" /></a></div>But only because he can't find his rare cinnamon flavoured lollipop. <div><br /></div><div>And do you knight someone to make them a Duke? Who researched this thing?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ogden Whitney and Richard E. Hughes were fond of throwing in celebrity cameos in their 1958-1967 series from ACG, and Queen Elizabeth, Second of Her Name, was there frequently, although kind of inconsistently characterized.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjlTwg1PmtxEXgFalbR8tVs5IIUoh3hSW9G9AwSU1Ynlcoz1Wk83oFsK-ooSAgoiYnwC-RtxHDTrRohpwIYPTnbZXJ1uaSPjYzVXyErq50gfGpkgNKbXcv75tZuAUuB0iK7izzlhgJq-J2BAxkfN8skWsCrgeFSvfFLo4wYjOxcfv2Gcwzw/s1500/Herbie%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjlTwg1PmtxEXgFalbR8tVs5IIUoh3hSW9G9AwSU1Ynlcoz1Wk83oFsK-ooSAgoiYnwC-RtxHDTrRohpwIYPTnbZXJ1uaSPjYzVXyErq50gfGpkgNKbXcv75tZuAUuB0iK7izzlhgJq-J2BAxkfN8skWsCrgeFSvfFLo4wYjOxcfv2Gcwzw/w640-h460/Herbie%202.JPG" width="90%" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CYMg-tn0ZnvmPpcFnxvA5dyGWI72pvPfmbSS5slrGWgKIxVqR1D0jKVGeDLIOc9FKqfRGdPr8bXSCsVgBTVwxQuCw2qsTYPe8tW-idPuN6MNVSexOPU9DOtv7GVcOlPwZgrdFRnZIBpqiV_HOupeFoUKy6uPHLZw0SehIvcVXARezA_R2w/s2000/herbie%203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CYMg-tn0ZnvmPpcFnxvA5dyGWI72pvPfmbSS5slrGWgKIxVqR1D0jKVGeDLIOc9FKqfRGdPr8bXSCsVgBTVwxQuCw2qsTYPe8tW-idPuN6MNVSexOPU9DOtv7GVcOlPwZgrdFRnZIBpqiV_HOupeFoUKy6uPHLZw0SehIvcVXARezA_R2w/w640-h328/herbie%203.JPG" width="90%" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-80308147840525476262022-09-08T17:35:00.004-04:002022-09-10T02:39:59.656-04:00Atom Bomb Thief redux<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, this one actually popped into my head a few weeks ago, when some initial reports of the news of the day indicated nuclear secrets were involved. Now that it's all intensified, I pretty much had to cobble this together to get it out of my head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7wDhRyOZ-cyDHpJ6bj9vuswCfRC63k8h1-kVuMndxPFV9AWsbCw7ex8Cml58M7SW04kROyc_hkurETlrSnzVwn0Alzp1lLIQP1jInvFzrc6RD9AdyZpD3NHJ0tVxDhoDJGqjCxtCHE-pyyYeGOYNttHpgoRIptybtp6pegAI1gXjS6sUuw/s1627/abt2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1627" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7wDhRyOZ-cyDHpJ6bj9vuswCfRC63k8h1-kVuMndxPFV9AWsbCw7ex8Cml58M7SW04kROyc_hkurETlrSnzVwn0Alzp1lLIQP1jInvFzrc6RD9AdyZpD3NHJ0tVxDhoDJGqjCxtCHE-pyyYeGOYNttHpgoRIptybtp6pegAI1gXjS6sUuw/w472-h640/abt2.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /> All apologies to Harvey Kurtzman, creator of the 1950 source story, a remarkably tight and exciting story from early in his classic EC tenure (see <a href="https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/man-and-superman-and-other-stories">MAN AND SUPERMAN AND OTHER STORIES</a> in the EC Artists' Library series). And a general apology to all professional comic book letterers everywhere, and Jim Wroten specifically in this case, for the slipshod work on my part.<p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghX54uf-BYaazb9-hJvGrso0pIdYsi2x_mpy4H55Cb2yg9wC0QoJx_vMJjBiGYnOBnO0O_p3rdCTFdRqLqEvbzkVTAZFIQNzStBkLwNg3fZruSeRLOT6zGeIL9RnBP3zODD8zK2wuftRs-iLeMYgA-gnO84wGIEzETOYxpYW_udxf7wU3Sw/s1383/abt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1383" data-original-width="994" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghX54uf-BYaazb9-hJvGrso0pIdYsi2x_mpy4H55Cb2yg9wC0QoJx_vMJjBiGYnOBnO0O_p3rdCTFdRqLqEvbzkVTAZFIQNzStBkLwNg3fZruSeRLOT6zGeIL9RnBP3zODD8zK2wuftRs-iLeMYgA-gnO84wGIEzETOYxpYW_udxf7wU3Sw/w144-h200/abt.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>The original page</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-57073568139869371142022-08-31T19:59:00.000-04:002022-08-31T19:59:00.202-04:00The Cowboy Wally Show [1996] (Random Comics Theatre)Random Comics Theatre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgquskHT1EdVcN0DVKfu9gmQRyQyYfEWXZq8Gv4AwzO1XPHCt-r2NPS3MKHqBSzM6_kzUJGdVcqOtHiHTch7jTNn3SWz1_c8Ez9MCog6A767agmolHZ5jWcqMyZ7kb-ImG97tfOVe2DUeC4OzNdtK9TNoRdr4hHe_-4EeEy7_eeqmv2illg/s1634/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show%20%5B1996%5D%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1634" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgquskHT1EdVcN0DVKfu9gmQRyQyYfEWXZq8Gv4AwzO1XPHCt-r2NPS3MKHqBSzM6_kzUJGdVcqOtHiHTch7jTNn3SWz1_c8Ez9MCog6A767agmolHZ5jWcqMyZ7kb-ImG97tfOVe2DUeC4OzNdtK9TNoRdr4hHe_-4EeEy7_eeqmv2illg/w400-h351/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show%20%5B1996%5D%20A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ1hzGr0nPCeZDfpfKT8oYiHFNgvJE5olOkGP7h_tcGGlxERHV7GAcYX2Y9mt3yV0TXYdPePB8TJZEnNXOAArXqoTHf7I2A-PWsrrOx_ag59twreMGaN4DK-0lz-qIb9125NqUsR3QH3xGpCLGVTdIZWnbFCar8gl2CnRvYW91NaoA_p8Ew/s1334/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show,%20The%201996%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZ1hzGr0nPCeZDfpfKT8oYiHFNgvJE5olOkGP7h_tcGGlxERHV7GAcYX2Y9mt3yV0TXYdPePB8TJZEnNXOAArXqoTHf7I2A-PWsrrOx_ag59twreMGaN4DK-0lz-qIb9125NqUsR3QH3xGpCLGVTdIZWnbFCar8gl2CnRvYW91NaoA_p8Ew/w308-h400/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show,%20The%201996%20%23%5Bnn%5D.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>The Cowboy Wally Show [1996]</b><br /><br />This is a book created by Kyle Baker, first published in 1988 from Doubleday. That edition seemed to be mostly famous for being hard to find, though those that did find it seemed to really like it.<br /><br />So eight years later when another "mainstream" publisher, Marlowe & Company, decided to try out a comic book line, they picked a re-issue of this among their early releases, which ended up being just four books that I know of (though I recall they announced plans for a few more). Not sure it did much better the second time around, but it did give some of us who'd heard the praises sung of the first edition a chance to get a copy.<div><br /></div><div>I think the only real difference between the two editions is the new cover.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPa5uGfuC9IOtE_X-5zntsXUkyvmdn4jtWdnrziKOD67NJsuSlQtcMJyX4Yv6V2o5SS-EbIa-UXzGe6wLifVvTD3NDnPeqXY8h6pH-nVQCgGP8OqyptGjlE-lvQUvGu6yeHXoj-ckTpaTM0FuMJ88iH5f22sOl3SmDH_xsxH83KM8R2KKCkA/s6384/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show%20%5B1996%5D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6384" data-original-width="4581" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPa5uGfuC9IOtE_X-5zntsXUkyvmdn4jtWdnrziKOD67NJsuSlQtcMJyX4Yv6V2o5SS-EbIa-UXzGe6wLifVvTD3NDnPeqXY8h6pH-nVQCgGP8OqyptGjlE-lvQUvGu6yeHXoj-ckTpaTM0FuMJ88iH5f22sOl3SmDH_xsxH83KM8R2KKCkA/w288-h400/Cowboy%20Wally%20Show%20%5B1996%5D.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div>Overall it's a pretty funny book, presented as a documentary about the bizarre career of television personality Cowboy Wally, a man whose main talent seems to be putting his foot in his mouth. Maybe it's not laugh out loud as I was expecting from years of build-up, but consistently amusing and clever. I think this was Kyle Baker's first writing work, after a few years mostly inking, and I think contemporary with his work on THE SHADOW at DC, with Andrew Helfer.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book was subsequently published by DC's Vertigo imprint, and has been self-published in several different print and digital editions by Baker since he re-acquired the rights.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10314381.post-57478527395392637332022-08-19T23:41:00.003-04:002022-08-19T23:41:26.144-04:00Tom Palmer, R.I.P.<p> Sad to note the passing of comic book artist Tom Palmer at age 81. An artist with over 50 years active in the industry, best known as an inker, often considered one of the definitive inkers over artists like Gene Colan, John Buscema and Neal Adams.</p><p>Here are a few samples of the rare examples of Palmer doing full art jobs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34yZyKrQdtso8G1L-853ZQP-PTzZF55NSBW-vjnCrtq--PXDjDxnR1BA3vAybrMVY1C21SFtazyOC2kRFOWxcZSLkoYHoHWpuwRR612Mg1RC8UJHvrg_IOGjaZZ6D8vfkB7wMgA8OvMhsnBqONlKeezu3Lul2ZxHlLSO-ih3E4XMzcMz4yw/s1377/tp%20chamber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34yZyKrQdtso8G1L-853ZQP-PTzZF55NSBW-vjnCrtq--PXDjDxnR1BA3vAybrMVY1C21SFtazyOC2kRFOWxcZSLkoYHoHWpuwRR612Mg1RC8UJHvrg_IOGjaZZ6D8vfkB7wMgA8OvMhsnBqONlKeezu3Lul2ZxHlLSO-ih3E4XMzcMz4yw/s320/tp%20chamber.jpg" width="221" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC162EGRbxymI7e4YSWNbq_c_kO0ieJQPhdX-EO8j2bkYrDzn4dZi2THlEw16amZiBHe_0A9i630Iqn9LSYXEFe4hP9p8WP0vjK9nYt8ODqXHjEuYnWUiQYxN-LgU5PSCHLisOT9sNDDOS9-hUhRMbcaPYX0d2nwKeg1dDrkf3Nre7us-wg/s1388/tp%20hos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="930" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC162EGRbxymI7e4YSWNbq_c_kO0ieJQPhdX-EO8j2bkYrDzn4dZi2THlEw16amZiBHe_0A9i630Iqn9LSYXEFe4hP9p8WP0vjK9nYt8ODqXHjEuYnWUiQYxN-LgU5PSCHLisOT9sNDDOS9-hUhRMbcaPYX0d2nwKeg1dDrkf3Nre7us-wg/s320/tp%20hos.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5531mnffqG9fyrkbvw9QtfVa0GM68N1KiK_WqVB2Vs9JOfSVIRlIBi8XkOEnUg6KiBYerTlMOnp6PDxxdiuP-lY3k5Dn8S2fgntmFhswxWmq8NPN0NmZE-RT44o8HWJdLTBfEPTN5GInO9-RAvX6OZritSa9VFxQRLAuBed6mfLCeFl6pg/s2728/tp%20sw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="1856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5531mnffqG9fyrkbvw9QtfVa0GM68N1KiK_WqVB2Vs9JOfSVIRlIBi8XkOEnUg6KiBYerTlMOnp6PDxxdiuP-lY3k5Dn8S2fgntmFhswxWmq8NPN0NmZE-RT44o8HWJdLTBfEPTN5GInO9-RAvX6OZritSa9VFxQRLAuBed6mfLCeFl6pg/s320/tp%20sw.jpg" width="218" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVUsIa5l2ZWj11lCtZEFZ76yTkyGA9UCDZ5BHCJWwtUXzkNdQyps0vj4592liL6S-J-L99luy9aRc3_iIya3rbpeqYclFZdOUIh47gu81BGsKHrMrNgjz7lwt7sOcmZB_0nXBOFvp-DITIP6709-0xN95SZT1M2mDXnUstjcWwaBRm0wMMg/s1775/tp%20tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1775" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVUsIa5l2ZWj11lCtZEFZ76yTkyGA9UCDZ5BHCJWwtUXzkNdQyps0vj4592liL6S-J-L99luy9aRc3_iIya3rbpeqYclFZdOUIh47gu81BGsKHrMrNgjz7lwt7sOcmZB_0nXBOFvp-DITIP6709-0xN95SZT1M2mDXnUstjcWwaBRm0wMMg/s320/tp%20tower.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0