* Greg Rucka's Stumptown is returning. Stumptown and Criminal are the two comics you should be reading if you say DC never should have canceled Gotham Central.
* Christopher Allen begins reviewing every issue of The Invisibles, beginning with #1, at Trouble With Comics. My immediate reaction to Chris's review: Morrison definitely skimmed some Robert Anton Wilson, although I don't sense a drop of Moorcock in his stuff. More importantly to me, ALL Morrison's influences seem facile and more nodded-at than absorbed or understood (by him). I don't doubt he did/does a lot of drugs and maybe even performs magickal rituals in the creation of his comics (which I hesitate to call "art"), but he strikes me as much more interested in what magick can do for him than what he can do for the world THROUGH magick, as I think Moore is interested in doing. I think that's a pretty striking (perhaps THE) difference between them. That, and 40 IQ points.
* Is Marvel NOW! a reboot? A jumping on/jumping off point? Is it meat? Is it cake? Is it meatcake? WTF is it? Tom Spurgeon has thoughts.
* Doctor Who Season 7 stuff. Looking forward to it. Doctor Who is weird in that, when it's not in the middle of new episodes I barely miss it, but when a new season starts, I am rabid for it.
* Uncomics: The 20 worst hipster bands. Roger Green points to an article on how public libraries are "weathering the storm." A storm created by short-sighted politicians who want the populace to be even more ignorant and uninformed than they already are.
* Uncomics: Mark Evanier posts some amazing video of Las Vegas in the 1960s.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 30th, 2012
* Much as I hate virtually every move DC has made in the last, oh, decade? And especially the past couple of years? I have to admit Greg Rucka is right in his assessment of the publisher's latest announced big-deal storyline. I also especially agree with his conclusion, which is, if you hate it, stop buying it. To do otherwise is genuinely pathological.
* It's official, Joss Whedon is making a SHIELD TV pilot for ABC along with members of his usual gang of writers. I'm sure ABC/Disney is completely unaware of this, but the only thing that has to happen for the pilot to go to series and be successful and entertaining is, let Joss be Joss. Probably won't happen, but it would be nice to see what develops if he and his people are given the freedom to go where their muse takes them.
* The Hooded Utilitarian evaluates the recent Marie Severin tribute book published by TwoMorrows, accurately gauging its strengths and weaknesses. It's a fun book, but it could have been better and more worthy of its subject's talent and long experience in comics.
* R. Fiore writes for The Comics Journal on superhero movies in general and The Dark Knight Rises in particular. He makes a great point about Nolan Batman Money versus Whedon Avengers Money.
* Yesterday there was a claim that Steve Ditko is attending a London comic book convention next year. If it had been true, it would have indicated a sudden change in Ditko's policy regarding public appearances that begged explanation. Turns out the story was false, and someone should get punched in the mouth, hard.
* Graeme McMillan on why creators go to Image instead of Marvel or DC, and what it means for the future, which is where we will all be spending the rest of our lives.
* Uncomics: Seven steps to improve your critical thinking. Chris Pine, the new Captain Kirk, turns 32, prompting an examination of his suitability as the new captain of the Enterprise.
* It's official, Joss Whedon is making a SHIELD TV pilot for ABC along with members of his usual gang of writers. I'm sure ABC/Disney is completely unaware of this, but the only thing that has to happen for the pilot to go to series and be successful and entertaining is, let Joss be Joss. Probably won't happen, but it would be nice to see what develops if he and his people are given the freedom to go where their muse takes them.
* The Hooded Utilitarian evaluates the recent Marie Severin tribute book published by TwoMorrows, accurately gauging its strengths and weaknesses. It's a fun book, but it could have been better and more worthy of its subject's talent and long experience in comics.
* R. Fiore writes for The Comics Journal on superhero movies in general and The Dark Knight Rises in particular. He makes a great point about Nolan Batman Money versus Whedon Avengers Money.
* Yesterday there was a claim that Steve Ditko is attending a London comic book convention next year. If it had been true, it would have indicated a sudden change in Ditko's policy regarding public appearances that begged explanation. Turns out the story was false, and someone should get punched in the mouth, hard.
* Graeme McMillan on why creators go to Image instead of Marvel or DC, and what it means for the future, which is where we will all be spending the rest of our lives.
* Uncomics: Seven steps to improve your critical thinking. Chris Pine, the new Captain Kirk, turns 32, prompting an examination of his suitability as the new captain of the Enterprise.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 29th, 2012
* Here's an alternate opening to Joss Whedon's Avengers movie. It certainly feels Whedonesque. Unlike Spinoff, I'm not sure this wouldn't have improved the movie. I would love to see a Director's Cut or expanded edition or whatever so I can make up my own mind.
* Roger Green talks about the forthcoming FantaCon, a revival of the Albany, NY comic book conventions originally started by the late, great FantaCo comic book store in the very late '70s. I think the 1981 convention was my first. The new show, organized by FantaCo's Tom Skulan and including guests like Fred Hembeck and Steve Bissette, is happening in a little over a year, in September, 2013. Much more info in the link.
* The more they talk about Marvel NOW! the less I understand it. When I thought it was three books, I was somewhat excited about a couple of them. Now it seems like it's every book, and my interest has plummeted. Ah, it's probably just as well. For my wallet, I mean.
* Uncomics: The Collapse Wager. Which side are you on?
* Roger Green talks about the forthcoming FantaCon, a revival of the Albany, NY comic book conventions originally started by the late, great FantaCo comic book store in the very late '70s. I think the 1981 convention was my first. The new show, organized by FantaCo's Tom Skulan and including guests like Fred Hembeck and Steve Bissette, is happening in a little over a year, in September, 2013. Much more info in the link.
* The more they talk about Marvel NOW! the less I understand it. When I thought it was three books, I was somewhat excited about a couple of them. Now it seems like it's every book, and my interest has plummeted. Ah, it's probably just as well. For my wallet, I mean.
* Uncomics: The Collapse Wager. Which side are you on?
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 28th, 2012
* Diversions of the Groovy Kind commemorates Jack Kirby's birthday by posting some of The King's amazing 1970s Captain America splash pages. Groovy indeed.
* Dan Nadel looks at the David Mazzucchelli Daredevil: Born Again Artist Edition, at The Comics Journal, with some great images from the book that will make you want it more than you already do, if you haven't got one yet.
* Here's a bunch of Spider-Man news, centered in the 700th issue of ASM. Related: Everybody seems to like Dean Haspiel's back-up story in the recent 50th anniversary issue.
* Uncomics: Christopher Allen looks at Grosse Point Blank, which I remember liking when I saw it in theaters. Chris's analysis of John Cusack's character type is terrific, and reminds me of a guy I knew in college who both looked a bit like Cusack and carried himself in the same manner. He had a somewhat affected way of speaking that, combined with his somewhat Sgt. Pepper-inspired wardrobe, prompted someone at a party once to ask if he was British; he responded, after a pause, "No, I'm just lazy."
* Uncomics: The Art of Manliness on how to shop for groceries. It took me years to figure out many of the strategies and tips you'll find here. If you have an Aldi in your area, use it. As the post says, the quality on most items is as good or better than more familiar brands, and you can save a huge amount of money. Just remember to bring a quarter for your cart (you get it back when you return the cart) and your own shopping bags (although they have some available cheap if you forget). One thing the post doesn't mention is that you'll sometimes find items that are very hard to find anywhere else; my son loves Jaffa Cakes, having heard them referenced on Spaced and in YouTube videos. Aldi is the only place I've ever found these delicious treats, and super-cheap, too.
* Uncomics: Seven reasons to publish a blog.
* Dan Nadel looks at the David Mazzucchelli Daredevil: Born Again Artist Edition, at The Comics Journal, with some great images from the book that will make you want it more than you already do, if you haven't got one yet.
* Here's a bunch of Spider-Man news, centered in the 700th issue of ASM. Related: Everybody seems to like Dean Haspiel's back-up story in the recent 50th anniversary issue.
* Uncomics: Christopher Allen looks at Grosse Point Blank, which I remember liking when I saw it in theaters. Chris's analysis of John Cusack's character type is terrific, and reminds me of a guy I knew in college who both looked a bit like Cusack and carried himself in the same manner. He had a somewhat affected way of speaking that, combined with his somewhat Sgt. Pepper-inspired wardrobe, prompted someone at a party once to ask if he was British; he responded, after a pause, "No, I'm just lazy."
* Uncomics: The Art of Manliness on how to shop for groceries. It took me years to figure out many of the strategies and tips you'll find here. If you have an Aldi in your area, use it. As the post says, the quality on most items is as good or better than more familiar brands, and you can save a huge amount of money. Just remember to bring a quarter for your cart (you get it back when you return the cart) and your own shopping bags (although they have some available cheap if you forget). One thing the post doesn't mention is that you'll sometimes find items that are very hard to find anywhere else; my son loves Jaffa Cakes, having heard them referenced on Spaced and in YouTube videos. Aldi is the only place I've ever found these delicious treats, and super-cheap, too.
* Uncomics: Seven reasons to publish a blog.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 27th, 2012
* At our sister blog A Criminal Blog, Bubba discusses the details of the planned Scene of the Crime Deluxe Hardcover by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark and Sean Phillips. Along with forthcoming hardcover releases of Criminal (a second deluxe HC) and Incognito, plus a rumoured Sleeper Deluxe HC, it's a good, if expensive time to be a fan of Brubaker/Phillips crime comics.
* At Trouble With Comics, Christopher Allen reviews Mike Dawson's Troop 142 graphic novel and mentions Gabagool, the grand and hilarious and much-missed comic book Dawson co-created.
* I forgot John Romita redrew one of his covers from the late-'60s Sensational Spider-Man Magazine for a comic-sized reprint in 1973. It's too bad the magazine was so short-lived; it was an interesting experiment, and might have taken the characters in a more mature direction had it continued. If nothing else, Gwen and MJ were hella sexy in this story.
* Tom Spurgeon compiles a few suggestions of what you could do with the $140.00 Before Watchmen will cost, if you'd rather read good comic books that aren't ethically tainted. Tom also points readers today to this extensive gallery of Frank Robbins-drawn pages, which makes me wonder whatever happened to the two pages of original Robbins Captain America art I bought for five dollars each from Jim Ivey's Cartoon Museum in Florida in the late 1970s. They were from the Nomad era, written by Steve Englehart and lettered by Tom Orzechowski. Honestly I was in my early teens and bought them because they were the first originals I had ever seen, and I stupidly later sold or traded them away, but now I wish I had them because every noun involved -- Captain America, Nomad, Englehart, Robbins, Orzechowski -- is awesome. Shit.
* More and more, DC reminds me of an angry guy who's gotten lost and instead of stopping and asking for directions, he drives more and more aggressively, upsetting his wife in the passenger seat and the kids in the back, and scaring off every other car on the road, all the while getting further and further from his intended destination. In related news, Geoff Johns will be writing a second Justice League title, with someone who draws kind of like Jim Lee, only worse.
* Uncomics: Star Trek's Chekov, Walter Koenig is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
* At Trouble With Comics, Christopher Allen reviews Mike Dawson's Troop 142 graphic novel and mentions Gabagool, the grand and hilarious and much-missed comic book Dawson co-created.
* I forgot John Romita redrew one of his covers from the late-'60s Sensational Spider-Man Magazine for a comic-sized reprint in 1973. It's too bad the magazine was so short-lived; it was an interesting experiment, and might have taken the characters in a more mature direction had it continued. If nothing else, Gwen and MJ were hella sexy in this story.
* Tom Spurgeon compiles a few suggestions of what you could do with the $140.00 Before Watchmen will cost, if you'd rather read good comic books that aren't ethically tainted. Tom also points readers today to this extensive gallery of Frank Robbins-drawn pages, which makes me wonder whatever happened to the two pages of original Robbins Captain America art I bought for five dollars each from Jim Ivey's Cartoon Museum in Florida in the late 1970s. They were from the Nomad era, written by Steve Englehart and lettered by Tom Orzechowski. Honestly I was in my early teens and bought them because they were the first originals I had ever seen, and I stupidly later sold or traded them away, but now I wish I had them because every noun involved -- Captain America, Nomad, Englehart, Robbins, Orzechowski -- is awesome. Shit.
* More and more, DC reminds me of an angry guy who's gotten lost and instead of stopping and asking for directions, he drives more and more aggressively, upsetting his wife in the passenger seat and the kids in the back, and scaring off every other car on the road, all the while getting further and further from his intended destination. In related news, Geoff Johns will be writing a second Justice League title, with someone who draws kind of like Jim Lee, only worse.
* Uncomics: Star Trek's Chekov, Walter Koenig is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 26th, 2012
* Artist Frank Santoro writes about drawing, for The Comics Journal. I love the way he thinks about comics, about how we see art. And I love Chimera, one of his comics that he talks about in this post.
* Since there's virtually nothing else of note to talk about at the moment, here's an edited message board post I wrote about Ed Brubaker's Marvel tenure, prompted by the news that he is leaving The Winter Soldier (and all corporate-owned comics, for the time being, anyway):
* Books of Doom was okay, just. Iron Fist I liked at the start, but it lost direction somewhere between the second and third trade collection. Uncanny X-Men was gawdawful, but it has been since Paul Smith stopped drawing it, so I assume that's how Marvel prefers it to be. You can hardly blame Brubaker for that, anymore than you can blame even the best creators on the New 52 stuff for how disappointing the entire line is. Editor-driven comics are just like that. When the backseat driver has the actual steering wheel and pedals, you can't blame the guy in the front seat for the bad driving, other than recognizing he was a fool to get into the front seat knowing he was never going to be in control anyway.
Despite being coloured largely with mud, I think story-wise Captain America was very strong most of the way through, running completely off the rails at Road to Reborn, although I didn't hate Reborn itself as much as some. It did what it was supposed to do, pay homage to the various eras of Cap and bring him back to the present day yet again. But it's hardly a must-read, either. When Marvel split Cap off into two titles I lost all interest or ability to follow what was going on. I popped in on some Alan Davis issues, was not convinced to stay.
Winter Soldier reminds me more than anything of Brubaker's work on Sleeper, and as such I'd have read it forever. While I am pleased Brubaker's at a place where he can go strictly creator-owned if he wants, I admit I am a bit sad that such a fun book has to end. But that's the never-ending frustration of corporate-owned comics: Quality is only one small factor among the many that go into how long a book continues, almost never the main concern. If it was, Ditko would still be doing Amazing Spider-Man, Barry Windsor-Smith would still be doing Storyteller, and Waid and Garney would still be doing Captain America.
* Since there's virtually nothing else of note to talk about at the moment, here's an edited message board post I wrote about Ed Brubaker's Marvel tenure, prompted by the news that he is leaving The Winter Soldier (and all corporate-owned comics, for the time being, anyway):
* Books of Doom was okay, just. Iron Fist I liked at the start, but it lost direction somewhere between the second and third trade collection. Uncanny X-Men was gawdawful, but it has been since Paul Smith stopped drawing it, so I assume that's how Marvel prefers it to be. You can hardly blame Brubaker for that, anymore than you can blame even the best creators on the New 52 stuff for how disappointing the entire line is. Editor-driven comics are just like that. When the backseat driver has the actual steering wheel and pedals, you can't blame the guy in the front seat for the bad driving, other than recognizing he was a fool to get into the front seat knowing he was never going to be in control anyway.
Despite being coloured largely with mud, I think story-wise Captain America was very strong most of the way through, running completely off the rails at Road to Reborn, although I didn't hate Reborn itself as much as some. It did what it was supposed to do, pay homage to the various eras of Cap and bring him back to the present day yet again. But it's hardly a must-read, either. When Marvel split Cap off into two titles I lost all interest or ability to follow what was going on. I popped in on some Alan Davis issues, was not convinced to stay.
Winter Soldier reminds me more than anything of Brubaker's work on Sleeper, and as such I'd have read it forever. While I am pleased Brubaker's at a place where he can go strictly creator-owned if he wants, I admit I am a bit sad that such a fun book has to end. But that's the never-ending frustration of corporate-owned comics: Quality is only one small factor among the many that go into how long a book continues, almost never the main concern. If it was, Ditko would still be doing Amazing Spider-Man, Barry Windsor-Smith would still be doing Storyteller, and Waid and Garney would still be doing Captain America.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 25th, 2012
* Ed Brubaker is ending his run on Winter Soldier. That's too bad in the sense that it was a massively fun Marvel comic you didn't need to read anything else in order to understand. But bravo for Brubaker taking full control of his career and his creations, ad for not only successfully bringing Bucky back but injecting genuine drama and interest into Marvel's universe in the process.
* I forgot about Robocop vs. Terminator, a Frank Miller/Walter Simonson joint. It's 20 years old now.
* The headline says Mark Waid is talking about grimness in comics, but he's really talking about lazy writing.
* Uncomics: 10 things you probably don't know about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bob Lefsetz says "Thank God we've got these records." Roger Ebert recalls Gene Siskel in an essay on "Lip Flap." Quotable Republicans fighting their War on Women.
* I forgot about Robocop vs. Terminator, a Frank Miller/Walter Simonson joint. It's 20 years old now.
* The headline says Mark Waid is talking about grimness in comics, but he's really talking about lazy writing.
* Uncomics: 10 things you probably don't know about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bob Lefsetz says "Thank God we've got these records." Roger Ebert recalls Gene Siskel in an essay on "Lip Flap." Quotable Republicans fighting their War on Women.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 24th, 2012
* At Comic Book Galaxy's sister blog Trouble With Comics (why do we have to be sisters? Can't we be brothers?), Christopher Allen talks about Spider-Man, and his (Chris's) experiences reading about him in the 1970s, occasioned by the 50th anniversary of the character's creation by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. In a related note, I read that 50th anniversary overpriced Amazing Spider-Man issue that came out this week. The lead story by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos was pretty good and appropriate to the occasion, but the rest of it felt like filler (Steve Rogers still in his Bucky-is-Cap-era Super Soldier outfit?!?) to pad out an unnecessarily-long comic book priced twice as high as it was worth, just because they could, True Believer. Pretty poor form, coming directly on the heels of an excellently written and drawn multi-part story featuring Spider-Man dealing with the return of The Lizard and the blood-lust of Michael Morbius. In his post, Chris mentions the Spider-Mobile, which had to be Gerry Conway's F-U to product placement, right? Full disclosure: I had the Spider-Mobile and my Mego Spider-Man drove in it regularly.
* Here's writer Dan Slott talking about current and near-future Amazing Spider-Man storylines.
* If you're anywhere near Medina, Ohio today and tomorrow, go to Tony Isabella's garage sale. I think he's talking about having his excellent Captain America rose paperback (with a Jim Steranko cover) on sale for a buck. That's crazy cheap. And I bet he'd even sign it for you. Related: Tony comments on Rob Liefeld's unceremonious exit from DC.
* Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley is creating a graphic novel that will be out next year, called Seconds. I wish I loved anything today as much as I loved the first volume of Scott Pilgrim.
* Here's writer Dan Slott talking about current and near-future Amazing Spider-Man storylines.
* If you're anywhere near Medina, Ohio today and tomorrow, go to Tony Isabella's garage sale. I think he's talking about having his excellent Captain America rose paperback (with a Jim Steranko cover) on sale for a buck. That's crazy cheap. And I bet he'd even sign it for you. Related: Tony comments on Rob Liefeld's unceremonious exit from DC.
* Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley is creating a graphic novel that will be out next year, called Seconds. I wish I loved anything today as much as I loved the first volume of Scott Pilgrim.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 23rd, 2012
* I'll take the Frank Miller art from this minor piece from 1980 over almost anything he's drawn since. I really miss the obvious passion and desire to tell a story that you see on display there. It more than makes up for the occasional awkward body language (which I enjoy as being part of his style back then) or stock pose in the piece. It seems unlikely that Miller will ever again deliver something that purely comics. Bonus: That gorgeous Tom Orzechowski lettering. Did you know they wrote the lettering right on the artwork back in those days? Crazy, I know, but it made the end product more purely -- wait for it -- comics.
* There must be someone who cares that Rob Liefeld has quit DC Comics. Brian Wood makes a cryptic comment following the post, or at least a snarky one, indicating there's more to the story than that "Rob sucks." Well, sure. There might be more to it than just that.
* This just in: Geoff Johns apparently read Buffy Season 8.
* Wally Wood inks Gil Kane. Two of my all-time favourite artists. Wood inking almost anyone was always visually interesting (see his inks in the 1970s All-Star Comics, for example, reprinted a few years back in a Justice Society TPB); I think the first time I remember being intrigued by Wood-as-inker was that Daredevil cover he inked over Frank Miller's pencils, which you can see at the bottom of this post, or a larger version here.
* Uncomics: Here's my review of B.J. Mendelson's new book Social Media is Bullshit.
* There must be someone who cares that Rob Liefeld has quit DC Comics. Brian Wood makes a cryptic comment following the post, or at least a snarky one, indicating there's more to the story than that "Rob sucks." Well, sure. There might be more to it than just that.
* This just in: Geoff Johns apparently read Buffy Season 8.
* Wally Wood inks Gil Kane. Two of my all-time favourite artists. Wood inking almost anyone was always visually interesting (see his inks in the 1970s All-Star Comics, for example, reprinted a few years back in a Justice Society TPB); I think the first time I remember being intrigued by Wood-as-inker was that Daredevil cover he inked over Frank Miller's pencils, which you can see at the bottom of this post, or a larger version here.
* Uncomics: Here's my review of B.J. Mendelson's new book Social Media is Bullshit.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 22nd, 2012
* A Brazilian music blog loves James Kochalka's Fantastic Butterflies as much as I do, and other Kochalka stuff to boot.
* Mark Waid talks to Newsarama about Indestructible Hulk.
* Is Ant-Man the worst superhero in the world? Me, I've loved him since Avengers #161. I came into comics just in time to think Yellowjacket was Hank Pym's only alter ego.
* Uncomics: Roger Green goes to the movies. It's a long post in which Roger makes 100 notes on movies. I can understand why you'd eschew Star Trek movies after the fifth one, but the most recent J.J. Abrams-directed outing, I bet you'd like that one, Roger. Speaking of Star Trek, you'll find William Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart in this gallery of actors re-imagined as historical military leaders or something. I don't know, maybe they're all Napoleon. Here's the gag reel from The Avengers. Christopher Allen reviews Compulsion, a minor-but-noteworthy film featuring the great Orson Welles.
* Uncomics: Mick Martin runs rings around Todd Akin logically. Not that that's any great feat. In other Mick news, he's resumed his reviews of my 21 great episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now that some time has passed, and having read Mick's comments, I am more ambivalent about "Sarek" being on my list. Because Mick makes some good points about the weakness of the episode, which seems great to me because I love Vulcans, and I especially love Mark Lenard as Spock's dad. So my own shadings affect my viewing of that particular episode, which is not as strong as most of the others on the list, when considered purely from a narrative standpoint.
* Mark Waid talks to Newsarama about Indestructible Hulk.
* Is Ant-Man the worst superhero in the world? Me, I've loved him since Avengers #161. I came into comics just in time to think Yellowjacket was Hank Pym's only alter ego.
* Uncomics: Roger Green goes to the movies. It's a long post in which Roger makes 100 notes on movies. I can understand why you'd eschew Star Trek movies after the fifth one, but the most recent J.J. Abrams-directed outing, I bet you'd like that one, Roger. Speaking of Star Trek, you'll find William Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart in this gallery of actors re-imagined as historical military leaders or something. I don't know, maybe they're all Napoleon. Here's the gag reel from The Avengers. Christopher Allen reviews Compulsion, a minor-but-noteworthy film featuring the great Orson Welles.
* Uncomics: Mick Martin runs rings around Todd Akin logically. Not that that's any great feat. In other Mick news, he's resumed his reviews of my 21 great episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now that some time has passed, and having read Mick's comments, I am more ambivalent about "Sarek" being on my list. Because Mick makes some good points about the weakness of the episode, which seems great to me because I love Vulcans, and I especially love Mark Lenard as Spock's dad. So my own shadings affect my viewing of that particular episode, which is not as strong as most of the others on the list, when considered purely from a narrative standpoint.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 21st, 2012
* New at Trouble With Comics, my review of Rick Geary's A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: Lovers' Lane - The Hall/Mills Mystery.
* Here's a deleted scene from Joss Whedon's Avengers movie, featuring Mark Ruffalo and Harry Dean Stanton. I thought that scene felt like there was something missing. Not that this deleted scene adds anything to it of substance.
* The Mindless Ones begins a long look at Doctor Who in comics, beginning with the era in which I first started watching the show (and reading the comics in imported Doctor Who magazines), 1979. Did anyone ever draw Tom Baker or Peter Davison better than Dave Gibbons?
* Man, I love Joe Staton's work at Charlton in the 1970s. Diversions of the Groovy Kind serves up a short story that looks just great to my eyes.
* Uncomics: I found this interview with Michael daughter and McKenzie Westmore fascinating, for the way that McKenzie sort of accidentally got involved with Star Trek and it ended up being really important to her.
* Here's a deleted scene from Joss Whedon's Avengers movie, featuring Mark Ruffalo and Harry Dean Stanton. I thought that scene felt like there was something missing. Not that this deleted scene adds anything to it of substance.
* The Mindless Ones begins a long look at Doctor Who in comics, beginning with the era in which I first started watching the show (and reading the comics in imported Doctor Who magazines), 1979. Did anyone ever draw Tom Baker or Peter Davison better than Dave Gibbons?
* Man, I love Joe Staton's work at Charlton in the 1970s. Diversions of the Groovy Kind serves up a short story that looks just great to my eyes.
* Uncomics: I found this interview with Michael daughter and McKenzie Westmore fascinating, for the way that McKenzie sort of accidentally got involved with Star Trek and it ended up being really important to her.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 20th, 2012
* Sorry for the short newsbrief today, I was in Vermont over the weekend and didn't have much time to work on the blog. It was sunny and in the mid-70s with low humidity, the perfect weather for a day in Vermont. Visited Northshire Bookstore, probably the best bookstore in 250 miles. Didn't buy anything, but I enjoyed browsing, and feel like if I had tried harder I would have found the perfect book to end the summer with. It was still a nice day, though, and if you're ever in Manchester Center, I can highly recommend Thai Basil on Main Street. Just about the best Thai food I've ever had.
* Well, I've stalled all I can. Here's my one comics-related link: Official Hulk Fan #1 Mick Martin looks at Hulk: Season One (not a DVD, as I expected, but a comic book). I haven't looked at any of these Season One projects (or DC's version, Earth One) because they seem intentionally irrelevant. They're out of continuity with the in-universe version of the characters, they are usually by creators with little or no experience with the characters, and they seem specifically designed as short-term profit generators, not deliberate attempts to make good comic books with a new angle on long-established comic book icons. But I'm glad Mick liked this Hulk one; he deserves a good Hulk comic to read now and again.
* Uncomics: The man who played Commodore Matt Decker on one of the most memorable episodes of the original Star Trek, William Windom, has died. I never here the phrase "Don't you think I know that?" that I don't think of Windom's exquisite performance as Decker. Mark Evanier remembers William Windom. Mark also analyzes last week's shakeup at The Tonight Show. At Spinoff, Graeme McMillan has five questions about the new season of Doctor Who. Christopher Allen looks at a biography of The Psychedelic Furs. My favourite album by them, Heartbreak Beat, apparently is not fondly remembered.
* Well, I've stalled all I can. Here's my one comics-related link: Official Hulk Fan #1 Mick Martin looks at Hulk: Season One (not a DVD, as I expected, but a comic book). I haven't looked at any of these Season One projects (or DC's version, Earth One) because they seem intentionally irrelevant. They're out of continuity with the in-universe version of the characters, they are usually by creators with little or no experience with the characters, and they seem specifically designed as short-term profit generators, not deliberate attempts to make good comic books with a new angle on long-established comic book icons. But I'm glad Mick liked this Hulk one; he deserves a good Hulk comic to read now and again.
* Uncomics: The man who played Commodore Matt Decker on one of the most memorable episodes of the original Star Trek, William Windom, has died. I never here the phrase "Don't you think I know that?" that I don't think of Windom's exquisite performance as Decker. Mark Evanier remembers William Windom. Mark also analyzes last week's shakeup at The Tonight Show. At Spinoff, Graeme McMillan has five questions about the new season of Doctor Who. Christopher Allen looks at a biography of The Psychedelic Furs. My favourite album by them, Heartbreak Beat, apparently is not fondly remembered.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 19th, 2012
* Designer Chip Kidd talks to NPR about whether book covers are a dying art in the age of the eBook (there's a bit of text, but you can listen to the entire 5 minute interview, too). I certainly admit I didn't know what the hell to put on the covers of my three eBooks, but what the hell, they're free, right? I hope Kidd is right that there will always be a market for hardcover books, because I love them for their durability and heft, and sometimes for their design, too.
* More Frank Santoro thoughts on Klaus Janson; Santoro is really drawing a clear mental line between Janson's artwork and Santoro's own style. After reading this post, I can see it. I hope Santoro goes ahead and interviews Janson soon. Also, Frank: The all-Daredevil 'zine you're thinking of was Back Issue #21 from TwoMorrows, which coincidentally reproduced the great Daredevil pinup Klaus donated for a Comic Book Galaxy fundraiser a decade ago.
* Uncomics: How to run a problem-solving meeting. What the future of health care for women in America looks like if conservative, anti-choice candidates like Romney and Ryan are calling the shots. And in a guest post for Bob Temuka's Tearoom of Despair, I write about why I love Donald Westlake's novel Trust Me On This.
* More Frank Santoro thoughts on Klaus Janson; Santoro is really drawing a clear mental line between Janson's artwork and Santoro's own style. After reading this post, I can see it. I hope Santoro goes ahead and interviews Janson soon. Also, Frank: The all-Daredevil 'zine you're thinking of was Back Issue #21 from TwoMorrows, which coincidentally reproduced the great Daredevil pinup Klaus donated for a Comic Book Galaxy fundraiser a decade ago.
* Uncomics: How to run a problem-solving meeting. What the future of health care for women in America looks like if conservative, anti-choice candidates like Romney and Ryan are calling the shots. And in a guest post for Bob Temuka's Tearoom of Despair, I write about why I love Donald Westlake's novel Trust Me On This.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 18th, 2012
* David Brothers on maturity in the first fifty issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Related: Tony Isabella reviews recent Spidey comics, and I agree with him about the quality of Dan Slott's recent Ends of the Earth and Lizard storylines, both really felt like modern-day classics to me. I'd be hard-pressed to explain when the current-day Spider-Man comics started feeling "like Spider-Man" again, but Dan Slott's recent issues really deliver the goods.
* Writer Ed Brubaker talks about Fatale and his career in general at CBR. If I could only buy one comic book right now, it would be Fatale.
* Current-day DC comic that looks like Stormwatch from 1998. Which would be fine, if it were half as entertaining as Stormwatch was in 1998.
* Uncomics: Wishing a very happy birthday today to Christopher Allen.
* Writer Ed Brubaker talks about Fatale and his career in general at CBR. If I could only buy one comic book right now, it would be Fatale.
* Current-day DC comic that looks like Stormwatch from 1998. Which would be fine, if it were half as entertaining as Stormwatch was in 1998.
* Uncomics: Wishing a very happy birthday today to Christopher Allen.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 17th, 2012
* I think I bought every one of the comics pictured in this gallery of George Perez Marvel Two-in-One covers. That era was pretty much the sweet spot of my appreciation for Perez's level of detail and focus on storytelling.
* A Scene of the Crime deluxe hardcover is on the way in November. Very good news for Brubaker/Lark/Phillips fans. I wouldn't mind Brubaker and Phillips's Sleeper getting the HC treatment too. 25 or so issues would make a nice omnibus.
* Tony Isabella reviews The Amazing Spider-Man movie with glowing praise for the actress playing Gwen Stacy; Tony should know from Gwen Stacy, he wrote the excellent What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived? back in the day for Marvel, illustrated by the superb Gil Kane and available in the Gil Kane TPB collection Marvel assembled a few years ago. That one also included that great Avengers What If issue with Kane and Janson art, one of the best-looking and most dramatically drawn Marvel Comics ever published.
* Booksteve delivers up a Field Guide To The Wally Wood Artist's Edition, so you can know which printing is which. This will be helpful if you're looking to score a copy on eBay. I got my orange-covered copy back in April at Earthworld Comics in Albany, NY. Owner JC Glindmyer knew me well enough to know that if I saw it with my own eyes, it would be coming home with me. Somehow he seems to have known I'd just gotten my tax refund, too. He's a smart one.
* Uncomics: Probably not work-safe, but Christopher Allen highlights a funny (and hot) faux movie trailer that is just ten percent too ridiculous to be real. David Byrne makes shrimp tacos. Jaunty Sean T. Collins runs down his list of the top 100 albums from 1996-2011. I wish I liked and knew as much about music as Sean and Chris Allen.
* A Scene of the Crime deluxe hardcover is on the way in November. Very good news for Brubaker/Lark/Phillips fans. I wouldn't mind Brubaker and Phillips's Sleeper getting the HC treatment too. 25 or so issues would make a nice omnibus.
* Tony Isabella reviews The Amazing Spider-Man movie with glowing praise for the actress playing Gwen Stacy; Tony should know from Gwen Stacy, he wrote the excellent What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived? back in the day for Marvel, illustrated by the superb Gil Kane and available in the Gil Kane TPB collection Marvel assembled a few years ago. That one also included that great Avengers What If issue with Kane and Janson art, one of the best-looking and most dramatically drawn Marvel Comics ever published.
* Booksteve delivers up a Field Guide To The Wally Wood Artist's Edition, so you can know which printing is which. This will be helpful if you're looking to score a copy on eBay. I got my orange-covered copy back in April at Earthworld Comics in Albany, NY. Owner JC Glindmyer knew me well enough to know that if I saw it with my own eyes, it would be coming home with me. Somehow he seems to have known I'd just gotten my tax refund, too. He's a smart one.
* Uncomics: Probably not work-safe, but Christopher Allen highlights a funny (and hot) faux movie trailer that is just ten percent too ridiculous to be real. David Byrne makes shrimp tacos. Jaunty Sean T. Collins runs down his list of the top 100 albums from 1996-2011. I wish I liked and knew as much about music as Sean and Chris Allen.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 14th, 2012
* Late to the table, here are my thoughts on Kickstarter, and talent, and comics.
* Comic Book Alumnus Joe Rice on why he loves the current Marvel Universe.
* Tim Callahan on two aborted Alan Moore projects, Youngblood and Glory.
* Uncomics: An extended cut of the beloved ST: TNG episode The Measure of a Man is planned for Blu-Ray release. Related: If this is the 2013 Star Trek movie's U.S.S. Enterprise, I'm in. I mean, I was in anyway, but...wow.
* Uncomics: Christopher Allen thinks out loud about one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs (and there are many), Tusk.
* Comic Book Alumnus Joe Rice on why he loves the current Marvel Universe.
* Tim Callahan on two aborted Alan Moore projects, Youngblood and Glory.
* Uncomics: An extended cut of the beloved ST: TNG episode The Measure of a Man is planned for Blu-Ray release. Related: If this is the 2013 Star Trek movie's U.S.S. Enterprise, I'm in. I mean, I was in anyway, but...wow.
* Uncomics: Christopher Allen thinks out loud about one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs (and there are many), Tusk.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 13th, 2012
* You'll find me at the bottom of yesterday's Five for Friday at The Comics Reporter, who asks who are the great underappreciated North American cartoonists? My response might not shock anyone who's been reading me any length of time, although I've never talked about exactly why I feel the way I do, as I do in the post at TCR.
* Also at TCR, Tom Spurgeon rounds up links to all his site's Spider-Man coverage from Friday.
* Tom Spurgeon also wants to know about older comic shops. Above is a photo of the rack of new releases from the long-defunct Unicorn Comics in Saratoga Springs, New York. I believe the photo is from 1981, the year the store opened. Probably too late to fit into the era that Tom is asking about, although Unicorn Comics was definitely an early comics shop that had no clear model it was working from. The only other shop in the region at the time that I was aware of was FantaCo in Albany, and Unicorn did nothing like FantaCo did it. Unicorn used an actual cigar box as a cash register, for example. (Electric City Comics in Schenectady was probably around by this time, but I was unaware of it at the time.) I worked at Unicorn Comics for $15.00 a day in trade the summer of 1982. There was an issue of Penthouse in the bathroom that featured a photo-spread of a young woman with three breasts, who did the shoot supposedly to be able to afford the plastic surgery to reduce her to the standard number of breasts. Store owner Jack Mintzer later owned a sports memorabilia shop in Lake George, and these days works in the education field. Occasionally I would walk over to The Red Barn (a hamburger stand later replaced by Borders on Broadway in Saratoga Springs) and pick up Jack's lunch. I first bought Nexus and Cerebus at Unicorn Comics, and certainly bought the all-important Daredevil #181 there. I first learned about Unicorn Comics from my mother, who spotted an article in the paper about the store opening. The first things I learned about comics retailing, I learned from Jack Mintzer, and I remain profoundly grateful for those experiences.
* One time, somewhere in-between those two dates, the store bought a collection of Silver Age DC and Marvel comics like Broome/Infantino Flash, O'Neil/Adams GL/GA, and Thomas/Adams Avengers issues, all with the logos stripped off. These were comics that had gone unsold and had supposedly been destroyed after the logos were stripped and returned to the distributor for credit. I was browsing through them and picking the ones I wanted when a slightly older customer who was at the time a wannabe comics artist, tried to elbow me out of the way, realizing what a treasure trove that box held. We ended up in an actual fight, but in the end I got the comics.
* Frank Santoro, at the Comics Journal, writes a bit more about artist Klaus Janson.
* At The Beat, Todd Allen apparently is the last man on earth that thinks there's still any difference at all between DC and Vertigo.
* Also at TCR, Tom Spurgeon rounds up links to all his site's Spider-Man coverage from Friday.
* Tom Spurgeon also wants to know about older comic shops. Above is a photo of the rack of new releases from the long-defunct Unicorn Comics in Saratoga Springs, New York. I believe the photo is from 1981, the year the store opened. Probably too late to fit into the era that Tom is asking about, although Unicorn Comics was definitely an early comics shop that had no clear model it was working from. The only other shop in the region at the time that I was aware of was FantaCo in Albany, and Unicorn did nothing like FantaCo did it. Unicorn used an actual cigar box as a cash register, for example. (Electric City Comics in Schenectady was probably around by this time, but I was unaware of it at the time.) I worked at Unicorn Comics for $15.00 a day in trade the summer of 1982. There was an issue of Penthouse in the bathroom that featured a photo-spread of a young woman with three breasts, who did the shoot supposedly to be able to afford the plastic surgery to reduce her to the standard number of breasts. Store owner Jack Mintzer later owned a sports memorabilia shop in Lake George, and these days works in the education field. Occasionally I would walk over to The Red Barn (a hamburger stand later replaced by Borders on Broadway in Saratoga Springs) and pick up Jack's lunch. I first bought Nexus and Cerebus at Unicorn Comics, and certainly bought the all-important Daredevil #181 there. I first learned about Unicorn Comics from my mother, who spotted an article in the paper about the store opening. The first things I learned about comics retailing, I learned from Jack Mintzer, and I remain profoundly grateful for those experiences.
* One time, somewhere in-between those two dates, the store bought a collection of Silver Age DC and Marvel comics like Broome/Infantino Flash, O'Neil/Adams GL/GA, and Thomas/Adams Avengers issues, all with the logos stripped off. These were comics that had gone unsold and had supposedly been destroyed after the logos were stripped and returned to the distributor for credit. I was browsing through them and picking the ones I wanted when a slightly older customer who was at the time a wannabe comics artist, tried to elbow me out of the way, realizing what a treasure trove that box held. We ended up in an actual fight, but in the end I got the comics.
* Frank Santoro, at the Comics Journal, writes a bit more about artist Klaus Janson.
* At The Beat, Todd Allen apparently is the last man on earth that thinks there's still any difference at all between DC and Vertigo.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 12th, 2012
* Booksteve picks his top 10 favourite Ditko Spider-Man splash pages. I can't argue. That's what comic splash pages are supposed to look like, all right.
* When do you give up on a creator? Mighty God King asks this in the wake of giving up on Frank Miller. I gave up on Frank Miller after reading The Dark Knight Strikes Again. I gave up on everyone involved with Before Watchmen the moment I knew they were low enough to be involved with Before Watchmen. In the first case, the work dictated my revulsion to Frank Miller's modern comics creating, and the crap he's crapped out since then justifies my decision. In the latter case, the clear, inarguable ethical failure of Before Watchmen's perpetrators make it impossible for me to continue to support their work, past, present or future.
* Tom Bondurant looks at the lack of a cohesive universe in the New 52.
* A look at the implications of Foggy Nelson's decision to dissolve the firm in the most recent (and most excellent) issue of Daredevil.
* Uncomics: The 13 most disturbing vintage ads for household products. Tim Young investigates which food are gay.
* When do you give up on a creator? Mighty God King asks this in the wake of giving up on Frank Miller. I gave up on Frank Miller after reading The Dark Knight Strikes Again. I gave up on everyone involved with Before Watchmen the moment I knew they were low enough to be involved with Before Watchmen. In the first case, the work dictated my revulsion to Frank Miller's modern comics creating, and the crap he's crapped out since then justifies my decision. In the latter case, the clear, inarguable ethical failure of Before Watchmen's perpetrators make it impossible for me to continue to support their work, past, present or future.
* Tom Bondurant looks at the lack of a cohesive universe in the New 52.
* A look at the implications of Foggy Nelson's decision to dissolve the firm in the most recent (and most excellent) issue of Daredevil.
* Uncomics: The 13 most disturbing vintage ads for household products. Tim Young investigates which food are gay.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 11th, 2012
* Tom Spurgeon has some thoughts on Spider-Man at 50. While you're there, poke around. Lots of good Spidey coverage at The Comics Reporter right now.
* Although there's something off about Hulk's head in many of the images, this gallery of Ron Wilson Hulk artwork at Diversions of the Groovy Kind is nonetheless impressive. Check out that Alcala-inked splash page.
* Fatale #7 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips arrives in comic shops this coming Wednesday. Here's a preview.
* Rick Remender talks about his upcoming Captain America run with John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson. I'll definitely give that a look, although that cover image seems to have some wonky anatomy. Need more Marvel NOW talk? Kiel Phegley talks to Marvel's Axel Alonso.
* This review of Spider-Men #3 and 4 highlights many of the problems in Brian Michael Bendis's superhero writing. The art is pretty, though.
* Uncomics: If you're wondering what was said at the San Diego Comicon earlier this year about the upcoming season of Family Guy, apparently now it can be told. You'll find a remarkable number of typos given the lead time they had for posting this piece.
* Although there's something off about Hulk's head in many of the images, this gallery of Ron Wilson Hulk artwork at Diversions of the Groovy Kind is nonetheless impressive. Check out that Alcala-inked splash page.
* Fatale #7 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips arrives in comic shops this coming Wednesday. Here's a preview.
* Rick Remender talks about his upcoming Captain America run with John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson. I'll definitely give that a look, although that cover image seems to have some wonky anatomy. Need more Marvel NOW talk? Kiel Phegley talks to Marvel's Axel Alonso.
* This review of Spider-Men #3 and 4 highlights many of the problems in Brian Michael Bendis's superhero writing. The art is pretty, though.
* Uncomics: If you're wondering what was said at the San Diego Comicon earlier this year about the upcoming season of Family Guy, apparently now it can be told. You'll find a remarkable number of typos given the lead time they had for posting this piece.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 10th, 2012
* Matt Brady reviews Harvey Pekar's Cleveland and asks "What Harvey Pekar book was ever perfect?" Bob and Harv's Comics
comes to mind, Matt. The only thing not perfect about it, at least my copy, is that it's not a hardcover.
* Studygroup looks at Damage Control Vol. 3 #1 by Dwayne McDuffie and Kyle Baker. Interesting art there.
* Someone who doesn't understand apostrophes or know how to spell "Quatermain" interviews Alan Moore.
* Uncomics: It's funny how Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy is declared "not a superhero," by critic Roger Ebert, and yet his origin is pretty much the same as Captain America's. "Aaron Cross" seems like such a great action hero name that I'm surprised no one has used it before. Anyway, here's Ebert's review of The Bourne Legacy. I like Jeremy Renner, and I kind of liked the previous Bourne movies, but I'm pretty ambivalent about seeing this one. On the other hand, summer's almost over and I like going to the movies in the summer. So it could go either way.
* Does your favourite movie (or comic, or novel, or...) pass the Bechdel Test? Fiction writers would do well to apply this to their works in progress.
* Chris Sims writes about optimism and cynicism in two of the biggest superhero movies. Sims makes some good points about The Avengers that I hadn't thought of. I'm not sure Whedon intended the moral implications, but that's a better interpretation than my suspicion that a little more thought going into the script might have made the movie a genuine classic instead of just a really entertaining summer superhero movie.
* Mark Waid demonstrates what's wrong with a lot of superhero comics these days in four panels (via The Beat.)
* Thanks to Tony Collett for his kind words about this blog.
* Uncomics: Watch the 25 greatest improvised moments in movie history.
* Uncomics: An incorrect list of the 50 greatest science fiction TV characters. Uh, Mulder is not greater than Spock. In fact, Kirk is not greater than Spock. Related: Here's a pretty great interview with Jonathan Frakes, of Star Trek The Next Generation.
* Uncomics: Which number Doctor was Peter Cushing again?
comes to mind, Matt. The only thing not perfect about it, at least my copy, is that it's not a hardcover.* Studygroup looks at Damage Control Vol. 3 #1 by Dwayne McDuffie and Kyle Baker. Interesting art there.
* Someone who doesn't understand apostrophes or know how to spell "Quatermain" interviews Alan Moore.
* Uncomics: It's funny how Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy is declared "not a superhero," by critic Roger Ebert, and yet his origin is pretty much the same as Captain America's. "Aaron Cross" seems like such a great action hero name that I'm surprised no one has used it before. Anyway, here's Ebert's review of The Bourne Legacy. I like Jeremy Renner, and I kind of liked the previous Bourne movies, but I'm pretty ambivalent about seeing this one. On the other hand, summer's almost over and I like going to the movies in the summer. So it could go either way.
* Does your favourite movie (or comic, or novel, or...) pass the Bechdel Test? Fiction writers would do well to apply this to their works in progress.
* Chris Sims writes about optimism and cynicism in two of the biggest superhero movies. Sims makes some good points about The Avengers that I hadn't thought of. I'm not sure Whedon intended the moral implications, but that's a better interpretation than my suspicion that a little more thought going into the script might have made the movie a genuine classic instead of just a really entertaining summer superhero movie.
* Mark Waid demonstrates what's wrong with a lot of superhero comics these days in four panels (via The Beat.)
* Thanks to Tony Collett for his kind words about this blog.
* Uncomics: Watch the 25 greatest improvised moments in movie history.
* Uncomics: An incorrect list of the 50 greatest science fiction TV characters. Uh, Mulder is not greater than Spock. In fact, Kirk is not greater than Spock. Related: Here's a pretty great interview with Jonathan Frakes, of Star Trek The Next Generation.
* Uncomics: Which number Doctor was Peter Cushing again?
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 9th, 2012
* A wartime letter from Jerry Siegel. A fascinating glimpse at Superman's co-creator in 1944.
* I'm loving Mark Waid's Daredevil, so it's entirely possible I'll love his Hulk comic book too.
* Check out the Jack Kirby Sale at TwoMorrows Publishing, in celebration of The King's birthday later this month. Few have done as much to keep Kirby in the forefront as TwoMorrows has, so take a look and see if there's some stuff on there you're missing from your Kirby collection.
* Christopher Allen pointed me at Alan Sepinwall's thoughts on which Marvel characters Joss Whedon should bring to TV.
* I hope Tony Moore wins his Walking Dead legal action. Count on me to take the side of the guy named Moore every time.
* Uncomics: "The verb of my life is learning." Louis C.K. interview at The Onion's A/V Club.
* I'm loving Mark Waid's Daredevil, so it's entirely possible I'll love his Hulk comic book too.
* Check out the Jack Kirby Sale at TwoMorrows Publishing, in celebration of The King's birthday later this month. Few have done as much to keep Kirby in the forefront as TwoMorrows has, so take a look and see if there's some stuff on there you're missing from your Kirby collection.
* Christopher Allen pointed me at Alan Sepinwall's thoughts on which Marvel characters Joss Whedon should bring to TV.
* I hope Tony Moore wins his Walking Dead legal action. Count on me to take the side of the guy named Moore every time.
* Uncomics: "The verb of my life is learning." Louis C.K. interview at The Onion's A/V Club.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 8th, 2012
* Daredevil writer Mark Waid (whose runs on Captain America and Fantastic Four are some of the best comics Marvel has ever published, not that his Daredevil isn't awesome, because it is) marks 25 years in the comics industry by reflecting back to his first day of work as an editor at DC Comics.
* Sean Kleefeld on how to not get reviewed. Seriously, creators and publishers, if you want to be reviewed, it's PDF or CBR/CBZ files, or hardcopies through the mail. Anything else is begging to be ignored.
* Joss Whedon writing and directing Avengers 2? Yes, please. There's a Whedon-involved Marvel TV series in the works too. Newsarama speculates about what characters might get the small-screen treatment.
* Uncomics: Here's my rundown of My Favourite TV Series, in case you were wondering.
* Uncomics: Why is food always flying through the air in advertising?
* Sean Kleefeld on how to not get reviewed. Seriously, creators and publishers, if you want to be reviewed, it's PDF or CBR/CBZ files, or hardcopies through the mail. Anything else is begging to be ignored.
* Joss Whedon writing and directing Avengers 2? Yes, please. There's a Whedon-involved Marvel TV series in the works too. Newsarama speculates about what characters might get the small-screen treatment.
* Uncomics: Here's my rundown of My Favourite TV Series, in case you were wondering.
* Uncomics: Why is food always flying through the air in advertising?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 7th, 2012
* At Trouble With Comics, Christopher Allen reads three recent Marvel comics that come up a bit wanting. Two of which I would have expected that from, the third I would have thought might not be bad, but apparently I was wrong. Chris also has some comments on the recent "Essential Batman" post at Rolling Stone by Sean T. Collins, rightly pointing out a couple of serious omissions from The Jaunty One's list.
* Nick Caputo finds some artwork in a 1960s Marvel comic book that he suspects is by an uncredited Barry Windsor-Smith. Well, he suspects it's by "Barry Smith," so he probably didn't get the memo about his name, you know, 30 years ago.
* Steven Thompson talks about his first underground comix. I think the first one I ever read was probably Cherry Poptart, which explains why I was so late immersing myself in underground comix.
* Newsarama runs down what they expect to see from the Marvel NOW! event/branding/whatever. I remain hopeful that Avengers comics won't suck for the first time in a decade.
* Tony Isabella looks at the Super-Obama issue of Grant Morrison's Action Comics. I wish Morrison's entire run on Action was as interesting.
* My Darwyn Cooke eBay auction has been REBOOTED! More stuff, cheaper. Have a look.
* Uncomics: Thanks to Graeme McMillan for his recent kind words on the return of Comic Book Galaxy. Like Graeme, I miss all the voices he talks about in that post, but none more than Dick Hyacinth. His sudden disappearance mystifies and troubles me to this day.
* Nick Caputo finds some artwork in a 1960s Marvel comic book that he suspects is by an uncredited Barry Windsor-Smith. Well, he suspects it's by "Barry Smith," so he probably didn't get the memo about his name, you know, 30 years ago.
* Steven Thompson talks about his first underground comix. I think the first one I ever read was probably Cherry Poptart, which explains why I was so late immersing myself in underground comix.
* Newsarama runs down what they expect to see from the Marvel NOW! event/branding/whatever. I remain hopeful that Avengers comics won't suck for the first time in a decade.
* Tony Isabella looks at the Super-Obama issue of Grant Morrison's Action Comics. I wish Morrison's entire run on Action was as interesting.
* My Darwyn Cooke eBay auction has been REBOOTED! More stuff, cheaper. Have a look.
* Uncomics: Thanks to Graeme McMillan for his recent kind words on the return of Comic Book Galaxy. Like Graeme, I miss all the voices he talks about in that post, but none more than Dick Hyacinth. His sudden disappearance mystifies and troubles me to this day.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 6th, 2012
* At The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon is compiling a canon of underground cartoonists. As a very young comics reader, my earliest exposure to underground comix scared the living shit out of me; so familiar, and yet so obviously blasphemous and forbidden. In a metaphorical sense, I ran like hell. It was stuff like what we once called "ground-level" comics like Star*Reach and FantaCo's Gates of Eden that served as a bridge to the undergrounds for me in my middle teens. Some of the people on Spurgeon's list I've never heard of; others, like Crumb, Gloeckner and Jaxon, I hold in the very highest regard. Interestingly, I first discovered Eisner and Kurtzman in what could be called underground comix, although obviously neither of those two greats was truly an underground cartoonist. Despite the plethora of reprints and books about the undergrounds, I feel like there's still a great deal left to be said about the underground comix movement. Certainly without it comics would be very different today, and far more creatively bankrupt as a whole.
* Joe Casey explains how easy it is to do the right thing: "If I were offered one of the Before Watchmen titles to write...I would’ve turned down the gig simply on the basis of Moore having stated unequivocally that he’d rather this specific project didn’t exist." See how easy that was, scabs?
* Courtesy of Sean Kleefeld, check out the censored Mark Waid Captain America issue as it was intended to be read. When you look back, it's kind of astonishing how much Marvel fucked with Waid's two Cap runs; someone must have really hated how good the comic was under Waid's tenure. I hope to hell Marvel leaves his Daredevil run alone; last week's issue was one of the best yet, featuring great guest appearances by Hank Pym and Tony Stark, a plot recalling a classic Marvel storyline and yet feeling as fresh as next week, and spectacular art by Chris Samnee.
* At The Comics Journal, Frank Santoro sings the praises of artist Klaus Janson, one of his current comics obsessions: "[H]e is more responsible for the look of Daredevil during Miller’s run than we all tend to remember. He was inking and coloring the book before Miller signed on and so already had a hand in the tone and feel of the book." I couldn't agree more. Whenever I refer to Miller's run, I always refer to it as the "Miller/Janson" era of Daredevil, because without Janson, you'd have had a very different book, and I'm not entirely certain it would be remembered the way it is today without his contributions.
* Martin Wisse responds to my comments on his dismissal of EC Comics. Okay, I feel a little dizzy.
* Bob Temuka on why Batman will always beat Superman. Coincidentally, you'll find some Janson inks in that post.
* Uncomics: Ever wonder what my favourite 16 movies are? Now you can find out, just make with the clicky. And it's almost uncanny how quickly my buddy Chris Allen responded to the list, with some apt psychological profiling added in as a bonus. Dude, you will love Dark City AND The Station Agent, no question. (He already loves Ed Wood, and wrote about it last night.)
* Also uncomics: My thoughts on three movies I rented from the Redbox this weekend.
* Joe Casey explains how easy it is to do the right thing: "If I were offered one of the Before Watchmen titles to write...I would’ve turned down the gig simply on the basis of Moore having stated unequivocally that he’d rather this specific project didn’t exist." See how easy that was, scabs?
* Courtesy of Sean Kleefeld, check out the censored Mark Waid Captain America issue as it was intended to be read. When you look back, it's kind of astonishing how much Marvel fucked with Waid's two Cap runs; someone must have really hated how good the comic was under Waid's tenure. I hope to hell Marvel leaves his Daredevil run alone; last week's issue was one of the best yet, featuring great guest appearances by Hank Pym and Tony Stark, a plot recalling a classic Marvel storyline and yet feeling as fresh as next week, and spectacular art by Chris Samnee.
* At The Comics Journal, Frank Santoro sings the praises of artist Klaus Janson, one of his current comics obsessions: "[H]e is more responsible for the look of Daredevil during Miller’s run than we all tend to remember. He was inking and coloring the book before Miller signed on and so already had a hand in the tone and feel of the book." I couldn't agree more. Whenever I refer to Miller's run, I always refer to it as the "Miller/Janson" era of Daredevil, because without Janson, you'd have had a very different book, and I'm not entirely certain it would be remembered the way it is today without his contributions.
* Martin Wisse responds to my comments on his dismissal of EC Comics. Okay, I feel a little dizzy.
* Bob Temuka on why Batman will always beat Superman. Coincidentally, you'll find some Janson inks in that post.
* Uncomics: Ever wonder what my favourite 16 movies are? Now you can find out, just make with the clicky. And it's almost uncanny how quickly my buddy Chris Allen responded to the list, with some apt psychological profiling added in as a bonus. Dude, you will love Dark City AND The Station Agent, no question. (He already loves Ed Wood, and wrote about it last night.)
* Also uncomics: My thoughts on three movies I rented from the Redbox this weekend.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 5th, 2012
* The Hipster Dad looks at Esperanza, a 2011 Love and Rockets paperback.
* If you're in or near Ohio, drop by Tony Isabella's comic book garage sale next weekend. I'm starting to believe his accumulation of comics stuff is as vast as he's always said.
* Galaxy Flashbacks: With James Kochalka's American Elf Vol.4 now available, here's my 2005 interview with the cartoonist/musician. The awesome new Marie Severin tribute book from TwoMorrows includes a photo of Marie and Joe Sinnott from a 2000 convention in White Plains, New York. "Hey, I was at that show," I thought to myself. Here's what I had to say about it a couple days later. With writer Sean T. Collins talking about Batman in Rolling Stone this week, here's a flashback to 2004, when he wrote for Comic Book Galaxy about some of the comics he was reading that summer.
* Pre-Galaxy Flashbacks: I think this is the first comic book review I ever wrote, from 1999: Hulk #1 by Byrne and Garney. Sorry about the font colour, not sure what's up with that.
* Uncomics: Seth Godin solves a problem Twitter will someday face in the difficult challenge of media alignment. Here are some good Star Trek novels no longer canonical because of later developments in the movies and various TV series. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens's Federation is a huge favourite of mine. They, along with Peter David, are the only Star Trek authors who seem able to capture the voices of all the characters naturally and with wit and flair, every time they write them. (Including the "Shatnerverse" novels, since Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens ghost wrote those.)
* eBay: Take my Darwyn Cooke comics, please.
* If you're in or near Ohio, drop by Tony Isabella's comic book garage sale next weekend. I'm starting to believe his accumulation of comics stuff is as vast as he's always said.
* Galaxy Flashbacks: With James Kochalka's American Elf Vol.4 now available, here's my 2005 interview with the cartoonist/musician. The awesome new Marie Severin tribute book from TwoMorrows includes a photo of Marie and Joe Sinnott from a 2000 convention in White Plains, New York. "Hey, I was at that show," I thought to myself. Here's what I had to say about it a couple days later. With writer Sean T. Collins talking about Batman in Rolling Stone this week, here's a flashback to 2004, when he wrote for Comic Book Galaxy about some of the comics he was reading that summer.
* Pre-Galaxy Flashbacks: I think this is the first comic book review I ever wrote, from 1999: Hulk #1 by Byrne and Garney. Sorry about the font colour, not sure what's up with that.
* Uncomics: Seth Godin solves a problem Twitter will someday face in the difficult challenge of media alignment. Here are some good Star Trek novels no longer canonical because of later developments in the movies and various TV series. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens's Federation is a huge favourite of mine. They, along with Peter David, are the only Star Trek authors who seem able to capture the voices of all the characters naturally and with wit and flair, every time they write them. (Including the "Shatnerverse" novels, since Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens ghost wrote those.)
* eBay: Take my Darwyn Cooke comics, please.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 4th, 2012
* Abhay Khosla excoriates the "comics press" in a way only he can -- like a supersmart, sarcastic lawyer who does the homework and presents an iron-clad case. The willingness of the "mainstream comics press" to go along to get along with the corporate superhero publishers is really blatant, and kind of gross. How about we put the truth before the hype?
* Cartoonist John Roberson is offering up some goodies if you can help him raise money for a good cause.
* Did you notice the new Family Guy dancers?
* I own four of the current Amazon top 50 graphic novels. And a couple of them I have in larger collections, like The Killing Joke and Days of Future Past, but I don't think that counts. There's a lot of mediocre DC on there. How is it quality Marvel stuff like Waid's Daredevil and Rucka's Punisher aren't in the top 50? I guess America loves Batman and zombies, whether the comics themselves are any good or not.
* Galaxy Flashbacks: If you liked my Trouble With Comics post Seven Funnybooks That Changed How I Saw Comics earlier this week, you might like My Inner Child's Favourite Comics, originally posted in 2004. With Alternative Comics making a comeback, here's a 2001 look at some of the previous iteration of the publisher's then-new releases. And with Top Shelf getting ready to release Alan Moore's mammoth new project Unearthing, set aside some time to listen to the MP3 of my 2004 interview with Moore, occasioned by the release of his extraordinary prose novel The Voice of the Fire (speaking of which, here's Marshall O'Keeffe's 2004 review).
* Uncomics: Literally the Worst Word on the Planet.
* Cartoonist John Roberson is offering up some goodies if you can help him raise money for a good cause.
* Did you notice the new Family Guy dancers?
* I own four of the current Amazon top 50 graphic novels. And a couple of them I have in larger collections, like The Killing Joke and Days of Future Past, but I don't think that counts. There's a lot of mediocre DC on there. How is it quality Marvel stuff like Waid's Daredevil and Rucka's Punisher aren't in the top 50? I guess America loves Batman and zombies, whether the comics themselves are any good or not.
* Galaxy Flashbacks: If you liked my Trouble With Comics post Seven Funnybooks That Changed How I Saw Comics earlier this week, you might like My Inner Child's Favourite Comics, originally posted in 2004. With Alternative Comics making a comeback, here's a 2001 look at some of the previous iteration of the publisher's then-new releases. And with Top Shelf getting ready to release Alan Moore's mammoth new project Unearthing, set aside some time to listen to the MP3 of my 2004 interview with Moore, occasioned by the release of his extraordinary prose novel The Voice of the Fire (speaking of which, here's Marshall O'Keeffe's 2004 review).
* Uncomics: Literally the Worst Word on the Planet.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 3rd, 2012
* Tim O'Neil on motivation in superhero comics, in which Mr. O'Neil nails down quite elegantly why Spawn comics have always been lousy. My nephew gave me the first fifty issues or so once when he was giving up comics, and it took me two days to read them. All I got out of the experience was a headache.
* The Doctor vs. The Thunder God? Okay, I'd probably watch that.
* Speaking of things I'd probably watch, a movie adaptation of X-Men: Days of Future Past? Talk about things I'd never live long enough to see happen. What a shame artist John Byrne has closed off his message board to non-sycophants. I for one would love to see his year-long excoriation of every aspect of the production, especially keeping an eye out for which actress he would deem a slut or whore because she doesn't meet his standards for portraying this or that character. The next year could have been absolutely wonderful in that regard.
* Tom Spurgeon has an alternate plan for Read Comics in Public Day, August 28th. This is one of the biggest days of the year in my house; not because it's RCIPD or Jack Kirby's birthday (it's both), but because it's my wife's birthday. She's away on vacation with her parents this year, so maybe The Boy and I will read some comics in public. If I can twist his arm into reading comics. He's more into the videogames these days.
* Also at The Comics Reporter: I like how Tom Spurgeon genuinely doesn't give a shit about Batman. I like the idea of Batman more than I like 80 percent of the comics and 95 percent of the movies he's been in, with the only real Batman thing I love being the character as he appeared in Batman Animated through Justice League Unlimited and all the iterations between those series. If it weren't for Kevin Conroy, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dwayne McDuffie and the other creators of that animated version, I probably wouldn't give a shit about Batman either. (Related: This guy sure likes Nolan's Batman movies. I wish I got that much out of them.)
* Alan Moore is attending a comics convention. I hope someone puts his presentation/panel/whatever it is online. There's one comics-related video I would make time for.
* Jaunty Sean T. Collins runs down what he says are 15 essential Batman graphic novels. First, sincere congratulations to The Jaunty One for having a gig with the same magazine that once employed writers I hold in the highest esteem, like James Howard Kunstler and of course Hunter S. Thompson. That said, I think #2 (Batman Year One) is a vastly superior and more satisfying graphic novel than his #1 choice, but I understand most comics fans would probably agree with Sean's choice for the top spot because of the kicksplode and the impact it had on comics both at the time it came out and ever since. Frankly I'd consider the entire Jim Aparo run on Brave and the Bold more essential as Batman stories than anything on the list other than Batman Year One.
* Uncomics: An interview with actor Gregory Itzin, probably best knows for playing PresidentNixon Logan on Fox's 24. The interview is mostly about his five appearances on various Star Trek spinoffs, and he notes with sadness that "The thing I want to say is how much I miss this great playground, that Star Trek is missing from television." He seems to know more about Trek than most actors, whose main interest in it seems to be the paycheck. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the enthusiasm that he demonstrates is nice to see, and I suspect why he was always so much fun to watch on Trek.
* Uncomics: Duncan Crary begins preparing for his exit from The Kunstlercast, the only podcast I've ever listened to more than one edition of. I think I've probably listened to 75 percent or so of the over 200 that Crary has recorded with author and social critic James Howard Kunstler, and Crary has always delivered a smooth and engaging show that gives my favorite living writer that's not Alan Moore a bully pulpit from which to explain how the world is going to hell. I'll miss Crary's participation in the show as he moves on over the next few weeks or months, but I'm genuinely excited to see what Kunstler will be able to do on his own with the thing. I like the idea of renaming the podcast with his Clusterfuck Nation brand.
* Also uncomics: Today marks the end of my second full week of posts here on the revived Comic Book Galaxy. The day I wrote my first post, I knew what I wanted to do but had no idea if I would have the ability to bring it to you every day. I'm quite delighted to find I've gotten back into a bit of a groove with this daily dose of, as Paul Harvey would have called it, "news and commentary." I'm grateful that quite a few people seem to be reading it every day, and I want to thank folks like Mike Sterling, Tom Spurgeon, Augie De Blieck, Brigid Alverson, John Jakala and Tim Hodler (apologies if I've forgotten anyone) for linking to my little effort here and letting people know I'm doing it. I'm literally taking it one day at a time, but so far, here at the end of Week Two, it feels very good to be back, exploring what fascinates me in comics and comics journalism, and sharing that fascination with you. Thanks for coming along.
* The Doctor vs. The Thunder God? Okay, I'd probably watch that.
* Speaking of things I'd probably watch, a movie adaptation of X-Men: Days of Future Past? Talk about things I'd never live long enough to see happen. What a shame artist John Byrne has closed off his message board to non-sycophants. I for one would love to see his year-long excoriation of every aspect of the production, especially keeping an eye out for which actress he would deem a slut or whore because she doesn't meet his standards for portraying this or that character. The next year could have been absolutely wonderful in that regard.
* Tom Spurgeon has an alternate plan for Read Comics in Public Day, August 28th. This is one of the biggest days of the year in my house; not because it's RCIPD or Jack Kirby's birthday (it's both), but because it's my wife's birthday. She's away on vacation with her parents this year, so maybe The Boy and I will read some comics in public. If I can twist his arm into reading comics. He's more into the videogames these days.
* Also at The Comics Reporter: I like how Tom Spurgeon genuinely doesn't give a shit about Batman. I like the idea of Batman more than I like 80 percent of the comics and 95 percent of the movies he's been in, with the only real Batman thing I love being the character as he appeared in Batman Animated through Justice League Unlimited and all the iterations between those series. If it weren't for Kevin Conroy, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dwayne McDuffie and the other creators of that animated version, I probably wouldn't give a shit about Batman either. (Related: This guy sure likes Nolan's Batman movies. I wish I got that much out of them.)
* Alan Moore is attending a comics convention. I hope someone puts his presentation/panel/whatever it is online. There's one comics-related video I would make time for.
* Jaunty Sean T. Collins runs down what he says are 15 essential Batman graphic novels. First, sincere congratulations to The Jaunty One for having a gig with the same magazine that once employed writers I hold in the highest esteem, like James Howard Kunstler and of course Hunter S. Thompson. That said, I think #2 (Batman Year One) is a vastly superior and more satisfying graphic novel than his #1 choice, but I understand most comics fans would probably agree with Sean's choice for the top spot because of the kicksplode and the impact it had on comics both at the time it came out and ever since. Frankly I'd consider the entire Jim Aparo run on Brave and the Bold more essential as Batman stories than anything on the list other than Batman Year One.
* Uncomics: An interview with actor Gregory Itzin, probably best knows for playing President
* Uncomics: Duncan Crary begins preparing for his exit from The Kunstlercast, the only podcast I've ever listened to more than one edition of. I think I've probably listened to 75 percent or so of the over 200 that Crary has recorded with author and social critic James Howard Kunstler, and Crary has always delivered a smooth and engaging show that gives my favorite living writer that's not Alan Moore a bully pulpit from which to explain how the world is going to hell. I'll miss Crary's participation in the show as he moves on over the next few weeks or months, but I'm genuinely excited to see what Kunstler will be able to do on his own with the thing. I like the idea of renaming the podcast with his Clusterfuck Nation brand.
* Also uncomics: Today marks the end of my second full week of posts here on the revived Comic Book Galaxy. The day I wrote my first post, I knew what I wanted to do but had no idea if I would have the ability to bring it to you every day. I'm quite delighted to find I've gotten back into a bit of a groove with this daily dose of, as Paul Harvey would have called it, "news and commentary." I'm grateful that quite a few people seem to be reading it every day, and I want to thank folks like Mike Sterling, Tom Spurgeon, Augie De Blieck, Brigid Alverson, John Jakala and Tim Hodler (apologies if I've forgotten anyone) for linking to my little effort here and letting people know I'm doing it. I'm literally taking it one day at a time, but so far, here at the end of Week Two, it feels very good to be back, exploring what fascinates me in comics and comics journalism, and sharing that fascination with you. Thanks for coming along.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 2nd, 2012
* Martin Wisse judges the entire era of EC Comics from some reprints he bought remaindered (link via Tom Spurgeon). My thought is that yes, the writing in most of the EC horror and SF stories was rote hackwork, but Kurtzman's Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, as well as Krigstein's "Master Race" are without question among the best comics ever created, words and pictures both. Not only are they not, as Wisse asserts, examples of comics where "the story doesn't matter," but rather, they represent absolute perfection in their melding of image with text, something Kurtzman and Krigstein (geniuses both) were obsessed with. I don't care if I never read a Jack Kamen cuckolded husband story again, but the thought of not being able to pull out Master Race or a Kurtzman war comic from time to time, to remind myself how good comics can be, fills me with despair. Krigstein and Kurtzman alone make EC a line worth the respect and awe it generates in informed comics readers. I'm sure a similar argument could be made by an aficionado of Mad, or even the SF or horror books, but I'm too much of an elitist snob to go there. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone else challenge Wisse's rather undercooked assertions, though.
* Last night on Trouble With Comics, I posted an essay on Seven Funnybooks That Changed How I Saw Comics. On Twitter I offered a prize to anyone who could guess what my favourite quote from a comic book was, but only one person took a guess and he was wrong. It's in the post.
* Why Bob Temuka thinks Love and Rockets #28 is the perfect comic book.
* Alan Moore's Unearthed (coming from Top Shelf Productions) is certainly something to look forward to, no matter what format you decide to buy it in.
* Uncomics: Roger Green takes ABC News to school. The diseases of Star Trek (Before Watchmen gave me #7; I hear eating Chik-Fil-A causes #3). Save yourself some money. And, uh, Vertigo is not better than Citizen Kane. No movie is better than Citizen Kane.
* Last night on Trouble With Comics, I posted an essay on Seven Funnybooks That Changed How I Saw Comics. On Twitter I offered a prize to anyone who could guess what my favourite quote from a comic book was, but only one person took a guess and he was wrong. It's in the post.
* Why Bob Temuka thinks Love and Rockets #28 is the perfect comic book.
* Alan Moore's Unearthed (coming from Top Shelf Productions) is certainly something to look forward to, no matter what format you decide to buy it in.
* Uncomics: Roger Green takes ABC News to school. The diseases of Star Trek (Before Watchmen gave me #7; I hear eating Chik-Fil-A causes #3). Save yourself some money. And, uh, Vertigo is not better than Citizen Kane. No movie is better than Citizen Kane.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Galaxy Newsbrief - August 1st, 2012
* Rich Buckler talks about ghosting Sunday newspaper strips early in his career of drawing like other people. He also demonstrates a lack of understanding of the word "cartoon."
* There's a Super-F*ckers blog. It looks like it's managed by the company doing the cartoon rather than the guy that created the comics, but still, who ever thought there'd be a Super-F*ckers blog?
* Speaking of "Holy shit, there's a blog for THAT?!?", via Tom Spurgeon comes word that David Allen Jones, AKA Johnny Bacardi, AKA the comics blogger with the name closest to mine and yet no one ever confuses us, is starting his Thriller site back up again. This is good news for a number of reasons: 1. The site is a genuine labour of love for JB, and this move represents him following his bliss. 2. Thriller was a fascinating publishing experiment of the kind that corporate superhero publishers just don't do anymore. The closest comparable title I could think of from the past decade or so would be Cold Heat. Thriller is THAT batshit crazy. Also, both represent unfinished works that held great personal meaning for both their creators and the readers. 3. The comics internet needs more blogs dedicated to one creator or one title, written by one person, as I said above, following their bliss.
* Someone on LiveJournal thinks out loud about Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's now-completed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century. I know the fact that anyone is writing anything on LiveJournal in 2012 is news in and of itself, but this is a fairly thoughtful post worth looking at.
* I was pleasantly surprised to see Augie link to this blog in his latest Pipeline column for Comic Book Resources (seriously, Augie, thank you). Not only link to it, but holy cow, half his column this week is a response to (or at least inspired by) my post (even my longtime virtual companion Chris Allen gets name-checked). Prompted by my reference last week to being amazed that some people don't re-read their comics (at least, the very best ones), Augie segues into a discussion of why he doesn't visit the comic book store every Wednesday. This particular point hit home for me: "I've reached the point where spending $4 for a single comic seems like a ludicrous notion that repels me from the local comic shop." Wise comics publishers should take note, Augie is not the first, nor will he be the last to reach that point. Marvel and DC aim their comics squarely at people in their 20s to their 50s. Those are people starting families, working low-paying jobs, paying mortgages, struggling to survive. A look at my reading list in the sidebar shows I am willing to pay four bucks for very few monthly comics. The economy is not going to get better, certainly looking at the short term, and probably not at all, ever, simply because there is no mechanism in place to make that happen. So unless publishers want to move to strictly-digital "publishing" (and no, I don't consider that real publishing, and odds are, neither do you), they might want to move heaven and earth to lower the price of monthly comics. And fast.
* I always chuckle when linking to Augie, or Tom Spurgeon, or almost anyone writing about comics these days, because almost all of them have more readers than I do, many thousands of times over. Chances are, 99 percent of my readers already read whatever I linked to by writers like that. Still, it only seems the polite thing to do.
* Newsarama takes ten click-throughs to tell us who they think the 10 best actors-as-comics-characters are. No Enid or Rebecca? No Harvey Pekar? I call total bullshit on this list, despite my love of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Paul Giamatti deserved an Oscar for what he did with Pekar in American Splendor. Also, I never really understood his popularity, but I guess we're pretty far removed from the near-universal adoration Christopher Reeve once had as Superman. Makes me feel old to not see him on the list.
* This post didn't make me nauseous, but it does make me sad, because I truly feel no joy at all looking at the art of someone who used to be very close to the top of my list of current favourite comics creators. Go ahead and click through, it's safe for work and not gross at all, unless you think about what the artist has done in terms of majorly fucking over someone in comics who, to the best of my knowledge, never did anything at all to him, and frankly, asked him quite politely not to do it.
* Uncomics: Eat better.
* There's a Super-F*ckers blog. It looks like it's managed by the company doing the cartoon rather than the guy that created the comics, but still, who ever thought there'd be a Super-F*ckers blog?
* Speaking of "Holy shit, there's a blog for THAT?!?", via Tom Spurgeon comes word that David Allen Jones, AKA Johnny Bacardi, AKA the comics blogger with the name closest to mine and yet no one ever confuses us, is starting his Thriller site back up again. This is good news for a number of reasons: 1. The site is a genuine labour of love for JB, and this move represents him following his bliss. 2. Thriller was a fascinating publishing experiment of the kind that corporate superhero publishers just don't do anymore. The closest comparable title I could think of from the past decade or so would be Cold Heat. Thriller is THAT batshit crazy. Also, both represent unfinished works that held great personal meaning for both their creators and the readers. 3. The comics internet needs more blogs dedicated to one creator or one title, written by one person, as I said above, following their bliss.
* Someone on LiveJournal thinks out loud about Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's now-completed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century. I know the fact that anyone is writing anything on LiveJournal in 2012 is news in and of itself, but this is a fairly thoughtful post worth looking at.
* I was pleasantly surprised to see Augie link to this blog in his latest Pipeline column for Comic Book Resources (seriously, Augie, thank you). Not only link to it, but holy cow, half his column this week is a response to (or at least inspired by) my post (even my longtime virtual companion Chris Allen gets name-checked). Prompted by my reference last week to being amazed that some people don't re-read their comics (at least, the very best ones), Augie segues into a discussion of why he doesn't visit the comic book store every Wednesday. This particular point hit home for me: "I've reached the point where spending $4 for a single comic seems like a ludicrous notion that repels me from the local comic shop." Wise comics publishers should take note, Augie is not the first, nor will he be the last to reach that point. Marvel and DC aim their comics squarely at people in their 20s to their 50s. Those are people starting families, working low-paying jobs, paying mortgages, struggling to survive. A look at my reading list in the sidebar shows I am willing to pay four bucks for very few monthly comics. The economy is not going to get better, certainly looking at the short term, and probably not at all, ever, simply because there is no mechanism in place to make that happen. So unless publishers want to move to strictly-digital "publishing" (and no, I don't consider that real publishing, and odds are, neither do you), they might want to move heaven and earth to lower the price of monthly comics. And fast.
* I always chuckle when linking to Augie, or Tom Spurgeon, or almost anyone writing about comics these days, because almost all of them have more readers than I do, many thousands of times over. Chances are, 99 percent of my readers already read whatever I linked to by writers like that. Still, it only seems the polite thing to do.
* Newsarama takes ten click-throughs to tell us who they think the 10 best actors-as-comics-characters are. No Enid or Rebecca? No Harvey Pekar? I call total bullshit on this list, despite my love of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Paul Giamatti deserved an Oscar for what he did with Pekar in American Splendor. Also, I never really understood his popularity, but I guess we're pretty far removed from the near-universal adoration Christopher Reeve once had as Superman. Makes me feel old to not see him on the list.
* This post didn't make me nauseous, but it does make me sad, because I truly feel no joy at all looking at the art of someone who used to be very close to the top of my list of current favourite comics creators. Go ahead and click through, it's safe for work and not gross at all, unless you think about what the artist has done in terms of majorly fucking over someone in comics who, to the best of my knowledge, never did anything at all to him, and frankly, asked him quite politely not to do it.
* Uncomics: Eat better.
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