GODZILLA Fan Club meets Sunday the 22nd of October!

Godzilla club update


Hi, Godzilla fans!
I wanted to let everyone know that we will be making some changes to the club over the next few months.
First of all, we will be including not only Godzilla, but now we will also welcome fans of other monsters, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, or the Wolf-Man. We’ll probably do the same thing with these monsters as we did with Godzilla, like discussions, mini figure shows, and movies.
Second, we’ll be playing a movie the entire club, so anyone that wants to take a break from the discussion can watch the movie for a while.
Finally, we hope to include more contests in the running, maybe a drawing contest, or any other ideas that the attendees have. Suggestions can me e-mailed to me at gclubmail@aol.com.


Hope to see you there!
Evan Stultz
Club President

The Weekend Comics Chat Open Thread - the Worst Waitress Uniforms Ever Edition!

Soooo... what did you read this week?

I'm still thinking about CIVIL WAR #4. Boy, Thor's gonna be ANGRY whenever he gets back! What was Tony thinking? That armor isn't gonna protect you against Mjolnir. But is that REALLY Tony Stark (and Reed Richards for that matter)? What if they're both Skrulls? Hah?

This week, I read... huh, NOTHING yet. It's been crazy busy with so many cool titles coming in lately, that this week's "read pile" just sits there... maybe tomorrow.

Aaaaaand... Linnen's Top Game Pick is?

Guest post by Brian Linnen

So what is, in this writer's humble yet expert opinion, the best board game of all time? Glad you asked, my friend!

I'm going to have to go with "The Settlers of Catan."


This shouldn't really come as a surprise as this "Spiel Des Jahres Game of the Year" winner has inspired a whole industry worth of tie-in books, board games, and PC games.


In this, the original Settlers game, each player attempts to colonize the new-found island of Catan by using the available natural resources to build roads, settlements, and cities. The more you build, the more resources you have at your disposal. Different areas of the island produce different goods - brick, wood, ore, wheat, and wool - and you will need them all to win. Those that you don't produce yourself, you must trade for - and THAT is the aspect of the game I enjoy so much! There is nothing quite as fun as watching your friends make ridiculous offers for trades simply because they need a single card! It's a great feature in an already great game!

Anyway, Settlers never gets old because it's always different. The island is made up of 19 hexagon tiles which are randomly placed, so you never start with the same area. There is a randomly-controlled robber in the game that jumps around playing havoc with your production abilities and stealing cards from everyone. It's all fantastic fun.

If you like board games, but haven't tried this one yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Check it out!!

Does anyone have any more info on this?

Front Cover

Back Cover (Note: NO price info)

I remember getting this "prototype" trade paperback which reprints the story arc "Blind Justice" that ran in DETECTIVE COMICS #598, 599 and 600 during DC Comics' presentation at one of the Diamond Retailer Seminars back in the early 1990s. Believe it or not, at one time there were hardly ANY graphic novels or trade paperbacks of comic books available - AND we used to have to guess how many of something we would need to last us for six months or a year, depending on when/if a publisher would put something back into print. Anyway, they gave us each a copy of this new format... the trade paperback, which would collect a story that ran through multiple issues of a comic into one handy book! As best I can tell, this prototype is actually the three comic book issues in question glued together with a new cardstock cover wrapped around it. Needless to say, this format has been a huge success for the last fifteen years, with hundreds of different stories all bound into their own individual books in this nice, bookshelf-friendly format. It's hard to believe there was a time when these weren't around!

I may be recalling this incorrectly, as there has been a substantial drop in the number of my surviving brain cells after years of comic book reading... if anyone out there has more info, please let me know and I will post it here!

Addendum:
This just in from Manager Ken:


See the comments section for details.

Here comes another clothing rant

OK, the other day my sweetie bought me a new Hawaiian-type shirt (see above... actually in Miami they're called Cuba Libres according to my Pop) bearing this oddly worded tag:


What exactly does that mean?

A "relaxed fit"? Does that mean it's for FAT GUYS? Inspired by the "heritage of our culture"? Does that mean we're all a bunch of fat fat fatty fats? And what's with the pineapple? Is that supposed to represent our body type?

I'm conflicted.

Anyhoo, the shirt was very cool, and it's CULTURALLY-INSPIRED RELAXED FIT covered my bloated torso like a nicely-patterned tarp over an old VW Beetle - thankyouverymuch.

Spidey visits the bucktoothed hicks of Central Pennsylvania

This comic has been in my collection since we first received it back in 1989... I present to you SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #156 (Marvel Comics). Starting off on the wrong foot right away, check out the incredibly-lamely named villain BANJO™. Banjo -and I'm quoting the cover blurb here- "HATES IT WHEN YOU PICK ON HIM!"

I'm gonna give you a couple of seconds to let that sink in. There. Now, that has to be the lamest tagline I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of doozies. But that's not the best part. The best part? Spidey's adventure with BANJO™ takes place RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA!

Spidey is

"...a long way from home: the Appalachian Mountains, in the woodlands of Central Pennsylvania... many miles south of Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary... along the winding course of the Susquehanna River",

looking for Robbie Robertson.


He comes upon this scene, which is apparently the village where that guy from DELIVERANCE hails from. Is it Shiloh? Is it Dillsburg? Is it York Haven? I dunno. But it looks creepy.

"I knew there were valleys and hollows in these backwoods where people live a pretty primitive existence, avoiding contact with the outside world... but the little shack town looks like it's hardly ever heard of the 20th Century, never mind your friendly neighborhood Spider-man."

Oh OK, it's Dover.


I'm kidding. Dover is a bustling metropolis full of all sorts of folks... like THIS:


I'm kidding again. Anyway, BANJO™ shows up, uproots the tree Spidey is hiding in (a career in stump-pulling can be yours!), tosses him around, RIPS UP HIS WEBBING(!), then throws an engine block at him, all to no avail. Just then a big-headed kid with Little Orphan Annie's eyes zaps Spidey unconcious with his Big Head powers. OK then. Spidey eventually regains conciousness just in time to listen to this woman fill in the plot holes:


Ah-HA! Now we're getting somewhere... Harrisburg, eh? And mutants, you say? All together now...

THREE MILE ISLAND!


Jackpot!

"The mornin' there was that accident at Three Mile Island, I was workin' the garden outside of my cousin's house... and I swear I felt a sparklin' in the air."

That would be the gin, lady. Anyway, TMI created the Backwoods Boys, blahblahblah, Spidey makes right (after fighting BANJO™ on top of a - you guessed it - UNDERGROUND COAL MINE FIRE) and then leaves as the "shacktown" folks bid him a fond farewell...


Ok, maybe not. At least they didn't eat him or hitch him up to Cousin Gertie via the ol' shotgun wedding. I would assume.

Spidey continues on his way

"...imagining the miles and miles of river curving through Southern Pennsylvania past hills and towns and abandoned power plants, deadly monuments to folly..."

Do what to who now? I don't recall the death toll from the accident at TMI, but I think it's somewhere around, oh I don't know... ZERO? And if TMI was abandoned, I would not be able to type this into my computer to send out on the internet. Or turn on a light. I guess the Marvel Universe IS different from ours. In the Marvel Universe, writers think we Pennsylvanians are all a bunch buck-toothed, big-headed mutant shack-dwelling hicks, which is untrue. Just some of us are.


Oh, and just in case you think the writer forgot to hit on other Central Pennsylvania Cliches, the next issue takes us to - that's right - Lancaster Amish Country!



Aren't the Amish like the opposite of ninjas? And just as interesting?

This just in from the GODZILLA desk

J-P just sent me this bulletin:

The Young America Horror Club presents GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH on the campus of Dickinson College, Saturday, October 28 at 1:30 PM in room 235 of the Weiss Center. Kids of all ages are invited to cheer on Godzilla as he battles the fearsome smog monster, Hedorah, with the fate of the world in the balance! Prizes will be awarded to attendees! A campus map is available at www.dickinson.edu. This is a first in a series of all-ages Monster Matinees at Dickinson.

Sounds like a great Halloween treat!

The ugliest comic in the entire universe

is my copy of X-MEN #9... check it out:

(click on image to embiggen)

Good Lord! *choke*

That thing's got HAIR on it! Not really, but that IS a pretty severe case of mold. I don't even want to put it NEAR any of my other comic books for fear it will spread rot like some kind of four-color Typhoid Mary! I think I'll go hang it over my cat Mehitabel's litterbox so that it freshens up a little...

NEWSFLASH: HAWTHORNE SELLS OUT!

Local artist MIKE HAWTHORNE is running a huge sale on nearly ALL of his artwork! Click HERE for more info. If you've ever wanted to own a one-of-a-kind piece of art from Mike's vast output, NOW is the time. Trust me on this... nothing looks cooler hanging on the wall than a page of original comic art... Act now, as Mike is running this special sale only for a few more days.

The Weekend Comics Chat Open Thread - the I'm Confused Again Edition!

Well, did you get to read CIVIL WAR #4 yet?

Anything else?

A brief word of advice to suppliers

If you're going to send us a sample of your product, SPELL OUR NAME RIGHT!




Sheesh.

Thanks for your attention.

Oh, and by the way

CIVIL WAR #4 IS IN!

Plus CIVIL WAR: X-MEN and WOLVERINE (Civil War crossover) and a whole bunch of other stuff!

Come and get 'em!

Win stuff from Dark Horse Comics

Check it out! Dark Horse Comics is having a "I Love My Comics Shop Contest"!

One Grand Prize winner and one Runner-up will be chosen at random to win a credit at the comics shop they nominate. In return, the comics shop nominated by the winners will also receive a credit for the SAME amount from Diamond for Dark Horse books and products. If one wins, you both win! Simply fill out the form below (make sure to have your retailer's information), and if chosen, you could be on your way to one heck of a good ol' shopping spree.

Click HERE for more info!

And no, my feelings won't be hurt if you select another store.

*sniff*

"52" action figures due in May 2007!

I just found THIS ARTICLE over at the ICV2 website... cool beans! Also check out the Wonder Woman VS. Superman statue shown there.

Bill's Fan Fascination #692

You know, I was disappointed by only ONE THING at this year's Baltimore Comic-Con... I didn't find a SINGLE comic book with an electric fan on the cover! This is the first time this has happened... I fear that fan covers are the hot new thing to collect, and I will never be able to afford them again. *sigh*

Anyway, here's one from my collection:


FUNNY STUFF #38 (DC Comics, October 1948), which features this excellent electric fan/hot dog gag... funny stuff indeed! Notice how the Frog is nonchalantly plugging in the fan to steal the hotdog from the Dodo... what a smooth operator.

Sell me your electric-fan-cover comics!

Introducing... the BLUE TICKET!

WoooHOOOO! In our never-ceasing quest to make your shopping experience at Comix Connection truly the most enjoyable, we are pleased to announce the implementation of the new BLUE TICKET:


The new BLUE TICKET is a note to let you know when a special order (non-comic book) that you wanted is in and on hold for you, or that you asked us to put a non-comic item on hold for you.

The new and improved YELLOW TICKET:


lets you know that there is a comic included in your weekly picks that you may be interested in, with no obligation to buy... it's purely a recommendation that is up to you to choose, with the comic actually dropped into your box slot so you can check it out.

The new and improved GREEN TICKET:


lets you know that something you may enjoy is either in the new issue of PREVIEWS, or shipped to the store and is in, but the actual comic is NOT placed in your box...

If you have any questions, please address them to our courteous and helpful Comix Connection Counter Monkeys™. Thanks!

Speaking of comic book conventions...

The next HARRISBURG COMIC-CON is Sunday, October 22nd, from 10AM to 4PM in the Harrisburg Holiday Inn at the intersection of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-83. John Rodemaker has been putting these conventions on for a few years now, and every time I've gone I've found some great bargains. Check this out:


That's right. In addition to running a good clean comic-con, John always has a very cool giveaway - this time it's a copy of Giant-Size X-Men #1!

Admission is $5.00... for more info, call (717) 234-2069.

The Weekend Comics Chat Open Thread - the Monkey Rodeo Edition!

Hey there! So what did you read this week? Anything good?


I read the latest issue of LOVE & ROCKETS (Vol 2 #17, Fantagraphics)... above is the back cover. It shows main character Hopey Glass through her yearly school photos... too cool. LOVE & ROCKETS is the comic that got me back into reading comics at age 20 or so... it's still the first comic on the reading stack when it arrives.

What's on your stack this week?

The Baltimore Comic-Con photos

Here's a bunch of photos that Ken took while at the Baltimore Comic-Con... ENJOY!

KFC: It's what's for breakfast!


Bill and long-time comic dealer extraordinaire Gene Carpenter


Bill and Baltimore Comic-Con organizer and all-around great guy Marc Nathan!


That's right, we will cash in on ANYTHING


George Perez and Joe Hare: The Battle of the Shirts


The Comix Connection Booth of Wonderfulness™


The Hulk in a reflexive moment. (Get it?)


Ivan Brandon is rendered powerless by Bill's Boredom Ray™


Manager Ken and Mark Waid... nice choppers, guys!


Happy statue buyers Alicia, Tom, Luis and James... see you all again next year!


Ken comes between John Romita, Jr. and John Romita, Sr.


Shannon and Bill at the DC booth, gathering buttons


Well, that's all for now. What a great show! You really should consider going next year... it's the closest, biggest, coolest comic convention in the area, and it's loads of fun!

The News is Breaking like the Wind!

Here's what Ned and I learned at the Diamond Comics Distributor's Retailer Summit on Monday and Tuesday:

• MARVEL COMICS - A Civil War comic with second-stringers, including Howard the Duck! (Take THAT, Brian Keene!); Hulk returns to Earth and boy is he -uh- stressed out!; Astonishing X-men: Unstoppable will be the final story arc (?) with Joss Whedon and Cassaday; Wolverine's son (!) will be examined as Wolvie's Origin is Explored; ULTIMATES 3 will debut in March or April; Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan will take over RUNAWAYS next year; there will be a crossover between the Marvel Universe and the soap opera GUIDING LIGHT (don't ask); there will be a MAX Sampler including Zombie, Hellstorm, Son of Satan, Wisdom, Foolkiller (why?) and Sleepwalker (again, why?); the Dabel Brothers' comics will now be published by Marvrel... look for ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER in mid-October of this year; and Stephen King's DARK TOWER: GUNSLINGER REBORN will debut in February 2007 and feature the origin of the fabled Gunslinger!

• DC COMICS - A new JLA; an Alex Ross-covered JSA; a way-cool looking JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER DVD with animation based on Darwyn Cooke's incredible artwork from the mini-series of the same name; SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL and BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL, a Mark Waid/George Perez BRAVE & the BOLD series (WOOHOO!); the return of Superboy Prime in 52 (!!!); a STARDUST movie, based on the comic by Chris Vess and Neil Gaiman; a great-looking FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS book; RED MENACE, a story that takes place in the time of "Red Baiting" and Senator Joe McCarthy; the notice that the long-anticipated Kevin O'Neil/Alan Moore LEAGUE of EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: BLACK DOSSIER hardcover book is delayed until next year (grumblegrumblegrumble); and the possiblity of a Christopher Reeves Superman statue!

This is just the stuff I noted from the Big Two... my brain is still sorting through the info and my notes deteriorate after the first day...

Baltimore Comic-Con Report +1

GEEE-YAAAH!

Sorry, still no after-action Baltimore Comic-Con report just yet... Ned and I got in around 11PM last night after a grueling (yeah, right) day of publisher and manufacturer presentations and free food, plus an open bar provided by IDW (no, we only had sodas... sheesh!)

Ken has sent me a bunch of great photos to post, which I will do soon... just lemme catch my breath...

And to answer a question from stymieresh in yesterday's post... a DZOF! shirt? Feh. That is soooo last week. The really cool guys are wearing the fabulous TZOMP!! shirt this season:



And now, back down to Charm City for the fifth day in a row...

Baltimore Comic-Con Report: GAH!

Just a few things I saw at the incredible Baltimore Comic Con:

• A HUGE crowd of comic book fans... this one had to be the most well-attended yet!
  
• Jerry Robinson, creator of the Joker!
• John Romita signing autographs right across the aisle from our booth!
• John Romita, Jr. signing autographs right across the aisle from our booth too! (Truly: Like father, like son.)
  
• Mike Oeming, Mike Hawthorne, Andy MacDonald and Ivan Brandon at the F.O.O. (Friends Of Oeming) Booth!
• AMAZING FANTASY #15! (If you have to ask, you can't afford it. I didn't ask.)
  
• A three dollar pretzel! (It was actually pretty good. Not $3.00 good, but still.)
  
• Two guys dressed up as Supergirl and Wonder Woman! Wha-HUH?
  
• A really cool girl dressed up as Storm, with the weird eyes and everything!
• A flu-recovering Chris Moreno! Get well soon.
  
• At least twelve people wearing COMIX CONNECTION T-Shirts! (You all got your dollar from me for wearing them, right? And the rest of you know we're taking orders for the next batch, right?)
  
• Jimmy Gownley (AMELIA RULES!) and Andy Runton (OWLY), proving that comics for kids (and adults) can actually sell! And sell and sell!
  
• An assortment of moustaches! Never mind.
  
• Gene Carpenter, who always has the most incredible comics!
• Manager Ken NOT bringing watermelon or spaghetti to eat over the comics... Thanks, Ken!
  
• The worst comic of the show! (My X-MEN #9 that is covered with MOLD!)
• Michael Turner and his legions of fans!
  
• A "fire drill" two hours into the show that cleared the entire convention center! Rotten leaky sprinkler-head! (*shakes fist*)
  
• George Perez and other artists signing fans' stuff on the sidewalk bcause of the fire drill!
• The unflappable Marc Nathan! (And every year it seems he has a perfectly good reason to be -uh- flappable.)
  
• David Lloyd doing head-sketches of V from V FOR VENDETTA for every fan, including this one!
  
• Erin and Becky, future booth gals!
  
• Cool 'Toon Tumblers! Keep your eyes peeled for these awesome drinking glasses!
• Chris Pitzer (AdHouse Books) and Chris Staros (Top Shelf), two publishers who seem to know what they're doing! And are doing it very well and successfully.
  
• Crabcake sandwiches from Phillip's Crab House!
• A parking space that cost $27.00 a day! (that's nearly $10,000 a year!)
• Lots and lots and lots and losts of old comic books. I kid you not. Lots.

I will post more detailed reports (and tons of great photos that Ken took) from the Baltimore Comic-Con later this week... Ned and I are attending the Diamond Comics Distributors Retailer Summit in Baltimore on Monday and Tuesday to see what the publishers are offering up this year, and I'm almost dead from two straight days of comic book madness, yet I must awaken at 6AM tomorrow... grmblefribbleblzzntzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Don't forget to order your Comix Connection T-shirts!

Reposted from last month:

Hey everybody! I'd like to let everyone know that I'll be getting another batch of the fabulous Geek Chic Wear™ COMIX CONNECTION logo T-shirts in soon, and we're taking preorders! If you are looking for a certain size or a certain shirt color, let us know. The logo will be printed in WHITE this time, and here are the different colors that we can get for the shirts:


That's right! You chose the color from the above selections, pick a size and let us know! Remember, all shirts will have a WHITE logo this tme around, so have fun with the combination. Just don't get a white shirt.

We're able to get up to size 5XL (with limited color choices for the larger sizes) and as small as MEDIUM (adult), amd YES, they are still a mere $10.00 each!

Either email me at bill(at)comixconnection(dot)com (replacing "at" with @ and "dot" with .) or call the stores and let one of the friendly and helpful Comix Connection Counter Monkeys™ know what you want! I'll be placing the order in a couple of weeks, so let us know as soon as possible!

Can't... post... today....

WE'RE TOO BUSY RUBBING ELBOWS WITH ALL THE FANS AND PROS


(AND HAVING A BLAST) AT THE BALTIMORE COMIC-CON!

WILL REPORT IN LATER!

The Weekend Comics Chat Open Thread - the Flying Monkeys Edition!

Hello everyone and welcome... have a seat anywhere. This is the Weekly Comics Chat Open Thread, where YOU get to tell us what you read, what you liked and what you disliked. Tell us!


This week, I read THE CROSS BRONX #1 (Image Comics, Sept 2006) by Michael Avon Oeming and Ivan Brandon. Right off the bat, I have to tell you that I'm already predisposed to like Oeming's and Brandon's work, as I completely dig Mike's art on POWERS and thoroughly enjoyed Ivan's work on NYC MECH (with incredible art by Andy MacDonald.) For those of you with short memories, these guys also visited both Comix Connections last year and much fun was had by all. That being said, the first issue of CROSS BRONX has me hooked from the get-go. Someone(?) wastes a roomful of dead-enders with a long-dead cop's service revolver... it may look like it at first, but it's not a turf war gang hit. On the gun are traces of wax and Palo Amargo, a Carribean herb... is Santeria involved? Needless to say, I'm hooked and will be back for seconds. Try it out if you like gritty cop dramas with a twist of supernatural(?).

So, what did you read?

(P.S.: In my search for CROSS BRONX images on the internet, I ran across this fascinating site about the Cross Bronx Expressway... veddy interesting reading.)

Baltimore Comic Convention is THIS WEEKEND!

That's right! The Baltimore Comic-Con is this Saturday (10AM-6PM) and Sunday(10AM-5PM)! Comix Connection will be there in the flesh, starring Bill as the Wizend Old Proprietor amd co-starring Manager Ken as "Gopher"... be there or be something that rhymes with "there". Wait until you see our disguises...

Check out the GUEST LIST! You simply gotta visit the FOO Booth.

Click HERE for directions, and click HERE for tickets!

Don't forget! Wear your COMIX CONNECTION T-shirt, and I will personally hand you ONE DOLLAR cash American! And we might just have a special coupon for all attendees available only at our booth, so come on by and look at the same stuff we have in the store, but in ANOTHER PLACE!

EXTRA: Michael Turner added! Woot!

Latest BACK ISSUE features Super Girls!

Lookie this! The latest issue of BACK ISSUE (#17) is completely dedicated to the Super Girls in comic books! Articles in this issue include: a Female Cartoonist Roundtable discussion, an interview with Marv Wolfman and Phil Jiminez and their thoughts on Donna Troy, Diana Prince and Wonder Woman, articles about superheroines on TV, Supergirl and Spider-Woman, an examination of Batwoman's career and much much more! Every issue of this great magazine is chock full of illustrations, never-berfore-seen art, rejected cover roughs, sketches and interviews with and photographs of comics creators... and this issue has a four-page, full-color Bruce Tim Super Girls Art Gallery, which includes this marvelous shot of the Scarlet Witch:


This fabulous magazine is always a real treat, and this issue is no exception! Check it out!

BY THE WAY

This week's new comics will NOT BE IN UNTIL THURSDAY, due to the holiday.

Sorry about that... I forgot to post this last week.

Super Heroes Sub Shop in York under new management

Super Heroes Sub Shop in the Gabriel Brothers Plaza in East York is under new management. Stop in to check out the cool super-hero-themed decor and try one of their delicious subs! They feature classic sub sandwiches, "Hot Heroes" and wraps, and have weekly specials too. And the prices are very reasonable, so check 'em out sometime when you're on that end of town!

Super Heroes Sub Shop
Gabriel Brothers Plaza
1286 Greensprings Drive
York, PA 17402
(717)757-4303
Fax: (717)757-5610

Open Daily 11AM - 8PM

Call ahead or fax in your order!

Best of luck, guys!

The Book of the Month

...goes to ALL STAR SUPERMAN #5. Even if you're not a fan of Superman, you should still be reading this book, just to see how a great writer can find gold to mine in a 70-year-old character. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Frank Quitely, ALL STAR SUPERMAN manages to gather all the best parts of comics from each decade since the 1940s and put those elements into a story, making the sum of the parts greater than the whole. Or something like that. Grant Morrison hits on every single convention of the Superman mythos with utter clarity and understanding, while Quitely's art is stunning in it's economy of line... for instance, check out this exchange between Lex Luthor granting Clark Kent an exclusive one-hour interview from Death Row:


Look at how Quitely portrays Kent's rumpled, lumpy, bumbling physique... you will believe that the man is an awkward clod! And check out Lex's insufferable arrogance... mistaking shorthand for some code? Simmer down indeed.

This comic is consistently a perfect example of how great comic books can be. Every month Morrison and Quitely deliver the goods... you really should be checking ALL STAR SUPERMAN out.

A side note: This book follows a rather erratic schedule, coming out roughly 4 times a year, even though it's touted as a bi-monthly. I wouldn't want to see a fill-in artist or writer try to come on the book and try to find the sublime thread that Morrison and Quitely are weaving through ALL STAR SUPERMAN... take your time, fellows, you're building a masterpiece.

Under The Radar

Here's a great book that just may have slipped under your radar... GUMBY #1, (Wildcard Ink, July 2006) by Rick Geary and Bob Burden (of FLAMING CARROT fame.) The story was a fun all-ages romp, that included a run-in with evil clowns. (I know, ALL clowns are evil, but still!) But the best part of the comic was this special FREE mini Gumby figure offered as a premium by the publisher:


Gotta love it. It's FREE with the purchase of issue #1! Get 'em while they last!

As a side note, GUMBY has been around for 50 years! Not bad for a lump of green clay.

From the Vault #119

Here's another blast from the past... the Steve Leach-created flier to YORK CON III!



If I remember right, this was the last York-Con without a guest artist... after that, every York-Con hosted an artist for autographs and whatnot.

It's hard to believe it's been 16 years since this show. I still remember them like they happened just yesterday... Jim and Wes with their "Comic Books at 1960s Prices!", the smell of old comics brought by long-time dealers and first-time fans, the wedding cake squished into the carpet from the night before...

The Weekend Comics Chat Open Thread - the I'm Confused Edition!

Hello again and welcome back... have a seat anywhere... cuppa coffee? Iced tea? OK, so what did you read this week? One of the books I read this week was:


CSI: DYING IN THE GUTTERS #1 (IDW). The main reason I picked this up was because the (murder) plot centers around a fictional Comic Book Convention in Las Vegas, featuring real-life comic book creators Ed Brubaker, Peter David, Joe Quesada, Greg Rucka and Marc Silvestri... as SUSPECTS in the murder of online comic industry muckraker Rich Johnston! It's interesting in that the portrayal of some of these real live people is less than flattering... in fact the Joe Quesada in this comic is a Class A Jerkhead! Having never met the man, I can't say if this is an accurate portrayal or not. Anyway, the first issue is interesting, despite fairly pedestrian art. Not being a fan of the TV show, I can't tell you if this comic captures the proper CSI flavor or not, but the comic book-related plot was a fun read.

So what's on your stack?