MORE RING BLING FROM DC!

Check these out:

We can’t promise it’ll make you any faster, or that it’ll respond to your willpower, but hey — that’s what our imaginations are for.

But we can promise a way for you to get your hands on one. With BRIGHTEST DAY banner issues THE FLASH #1 and GREEN LANTERN #53 soliciting in the February issue of PREVIEWS, DC Comics is offering promotional FLASH and GREEN LANTERN rings to qualifying retailers.

Read all about it HERE at DC's blog!

And YES OF COURSE we will have lots of these!

We sell SNAKE OIL

That's right... Comix Connection sells SNAKE OIL, the acclaimed comic from local creator Chuck Forsman. Chuck recently dropped off copies of the last three issues of SNAKE OIL at Comix Connection, so the wait is over! HERE's a link to Chucks blog, and here's a great review of SNAKE OIL on the COMICS JOURNAL website. I highly recommend this eclectic title... it has a unique voice rarely found in comics.

All I want for Christmas is

a MILLENNIUM FALCON BED:


More photos HERE!

From the lady who brought us the hamburger bed of course.

Another Look at the First Wave

If you enjoyed what you saw in the pages of the Batman & Doc Savage Special which was released last month and are anxious to see more of what's coming with the series here's the first cover by JG Jones!



If you missed the one-shot, there was a sketchbook of art by Rags Morales who will be penciling the First Wave mini-series which begins in March. This book features a world where a young Bruce Wayne/Batman has only recently begun his war on crime, and his quest has him crossing paths with the likes of Doc Savage and his men, the Avenger, and the Spirit. Even some classic DC adventure characters like Rima the Jungle Girl and the Blackhawks will be making some appearances!



That's all I've got for today folks! Hope your enjoying your weekend!

PRESENTING THE SOON-TO-BE-LEGENDARY COMIX CONNECTION BLACK FRIDAY EARLY-BIRD SALE!

ANNOUNCING COMIX CONNECTION'S
SPECTACULAR BLACK FRIDAY EARLY BIRD
GET-YOUR-HOLIDAY-SHOPPING-OUT-OF-THE-WAY-BY-NOON SALE!

SIX HOURS ONLY!

On Black Friday, November 27th 2009
at both Comix Connection-York and Comix Connection-Mechanicsburg
from 6:00 AM UNTIL 12:00 NOON

EVERYTHING IN BOTH STORES WILL BE

BUY TWO OF ANYTHING IN STOCK, GET ONE ITEM
(of equal or lesser value)
ABSOLUTELY FREE!*

(*DOES NOT INCLUDE NEW COMICS/UNBAGGED COMICS or GIFT CARDS! This sale cannot be combined with any other sales offers, discounts or coupons!)

That's right, ALL books, graphic novels, collected editions, T-shirts, toys, trading cards, collector supplies, posters, statues, busts, lead figures, pub glasses, board games, back issues, nearly EVERYTHING will be

BUY TWO, GET ONE
(of equal or lesser value)
ABSOLUTELY FREE!*

(*DOES NOT INCLUDE NEW COMICS/UNBAGGED COMICS or GIFT CARDS! This sale cannot be combined with any other sales offers, discounts or coupons!)

Get your favorite fanboy or fangirl's shopping done early this year! Take advantage of Comix Connection's Spectacular Black Friday Early Bird Sale!

SEE YOU THERE!

Bring coffee.

NEW BLACKEST NIGHT RINGS!

These just came in today, the BLUE and VIOLET rings from the BLACKEST NIGHT story!

Buy this:

ADVENTURE COMICS #4

GET A BLUE RING absolutely FREE!

And buy this:

OUTSIDERS #24

GET A VIOLET RING absolutely FREE!


(Hand-modeling provided by Counter Monkey Josh, who has spectacular hands by the way!)


OH, AND THIS IS THE COOLEST THING THAT SHIPPED THIS WEEK:



The folks at Eaglemoss have really outdone themselves with this amazing hand-painted miniature figure. Only $38.99 while they last!

Have you seen these yet?

Imported from the UK and brought all the way to Comix Connection are these amazingly-detailed hand-painted statuettes of all your favorite STAR WARS STARSHIPS and VEHICLES! Behold:


"This amazing collection includes the most authentic models of starships and vehicles, cast in metal with plastic trim parts and accurate hand-painted details. Specialist model-makers have helped to craft faithful reproductions of the ships and machines from the movies, including superbly modeled details of all the parts. Each one is a work of art and a collector's item to treasure.


Each model comes with a superbly illustrated magazine that tells you the story of the vehicle and its pilot or driver, and gives full technical specifications. You'll also find out about the other fascinating craft from the expanded universe of the Star Wars novels and animations, plus the inside story of the making of the films."


The first four have arrived: X-WING FIGHTER, MILLENNIUM FALCON, NABOO ROYAL CRUISER, GENERAL GREVIOUS' WHEEL BIKE , with many more in the series to come! Each comes with its own display box with a photographic backdrop!


Come on in and check them out! A must for Star Wars fans!

It Can't Reign All The Time

For nearly a year now, Norman Osborne and his Cabal of villainous associates have lorded their position in the Marvel Universe to turn the tables on the heroes of Earth and reshape the world to serve their dark ambitions. Ambitions that now turn to Asgard. If you've been reading Thor, you're aware that Loki's alliance with Doctor Doom has maneuvered the realm of Asgard to reside above the kingdom of Latveria. But this geographic shuffle was just the beginning of what's in store for Asgard, and in January, Norman Osborne and his goons move to lay siege to the realm thus crossing the final obstacle off his List to secure his power once and for all! Can Osborne accomplish such a quest? Will the dissension in the ranks of the Cabal impede Osborne's plans? Can the return of Marvel's greatest hero fight and assemble his fellow champions to end the Cabal's dark reign and usher in a new age of heroes? If you want to know, you've got to sign up for Siege!

This is an event seven years in the making. As readers and fans, we have seen our Avengers disassembled, the X-Men decimated, the heroes divided and invaded, but will they be defeated? It all goes down here! If you don't want to miss the next exciting chapter of the Marvel Universe, these are the books you will need:

Siege: Cabal - A One-shot special arriving in stores December 2, 2209.

Siege #1 - The first of a four issue mini-series begins on January 6th, 2010.

Also available in January as part of this event:

Siege: Embedded #1 - A "Frontline" style four issue mini-series detailing the shift in how Norman Osborne's savvy use of the media finally turns against him and his Dark Avengers. Their true natures will be exposed to the world and their secrets behind this attack on the Gods of the Golden realm will be revealed!

Siege: Storming Asgard - Heroes & Villains - A handbook that takes you inside Osborne's plan of attack, the players at his disposal and the heroes in his way!

The events of Siege will also cary on through out many of your favorite monthly books:

December 2009:

Avengers: The Initiative #31

January 2010:

Avengers: The Initiative #32
Dark Avengers #13
Dark Wolverine #82
New Avengers #61

I can't speak for everyone at the shop, but I believe all of us are really anticipating this event! If you want more information, talk to us at the store or check out the info in this month's Marvel Previews which is in stock now! In the meantime this is the official trailer for SIEGE from Marvel.com! Enjoy!

BLACKEST NIGHT YELLOW RING ARRIVES!

We just received the Yellow Sinestro Corps rings and they sure are SWEET! Stop by either Comix Connection location and get yours FREE with the purchase of DOOM PATROL #4 while supplies last! Collect them all!

BUY THIS:


GET THIS:




I love it! Thanks DC Comics, for making this happen!

Photos from the Comix Connection Halloween Sale 2009!

Well, the Halloween Sale this year was quite a blast! A ton of you showed up in costume and got TEN FREE COMICS OUT OF THE BINS! It was really fun to see everyone come by and score some great deals too! HERE'S an album of the photos (so far) on the Comix Connection facebook page! I'll post more as they come in. Thanks everyone!

Ask Henson

Do you have a Muppet fascination? Then check out THIS awesome site to find the answer to such burning questions as:

36.) We were curious about the Star Wars version of the Muppets and were unable to remember who played who...Could you tell us?

The stars of Star Wars (Luke, C3PO, R2D2, and Chewbacca) appeared as guest stars on Episode 89 of The Muppet Show during the 1979/1980 season. Miss Piggy dressed as Princess Leia and was called The Princess. Gonzo dressed as Darth Vader and was called "Dearth Nadir". The cover of the Summer 1983 issue of Muppet Magazine featured Kermit (dressed as Luke) and Gonzo (dressed as Darth) having a light saber fight while Piggy (dressed -- and coifed -- as Leia) looked on. Inside is a comic book parody called "Super Stars War" starring Link Hogthrob as Ham Solo, Miss Piggy as Princess Loina, Kermit as Fluke Shywalker, Gonzo as Barff McVader and Superschnozz, Dr. Strangepork as Okiwan Fenokee, and Fozzie Bear as Chewbackwards.

Karen Falk
Archivist, The Jim Henson Company

Too cool!

(Found via Metafilter.)

RING-A-DING-DING!

(Hand modeling courtesy of DC Comics Administrator - Direct Sales Stuart Schreck!)

In conjunction with their cross-company story arc BLACKEST NIGHT, DC Comics will be releasing a set of life-size wearable Lantern Rings that are tied to various crossover titles that are FREE with purchase of select issues! Those issues are:

Adventure Comics #4 (Blue Lantern Ring)
Blackest Night #5 (Green Lantern Ring)
Booster Gold #26 (Agent Orange Ring)
Doom Patrol #4 (Sinestro Corps Ring)
Justice League #39 (Red Lantern Ring)
Outsiders #24 (Star Sapphire Ring)
R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 (Indigo Tribe Ring)

(And hopefully you already got the Black Ring with BLACKEST NIGHT #1)

DC Comics kindly sent us a set of the rings on Wednesday so that we can show everyone how amazingly cool they are... stop by the stores and check them out! They are featured right at the counter to get your fanboy drool flowing.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ONGOING TITLES, WE CAN SIGN YOU UP FOR JUST THE INDIVIDUAL ISSUES THAT COME WITH THESE COOL RINGS! Of course we CAN sign you up for the various titles if they interest you!

Just email us, call either shop or speak directly with your Friendly Neighborhood Comix Connection Counter Monkey and we will fix you right up! Don't miss the coolest promotional item to come down the pike since... well, since the ultra-cool Green Lantern ring that was given away back in the 1990s!

RESERVE YOUR BLACKEST NIGHT RINGS TODAY!

Baltimore Comic-Con 2009 First Annual Costume Contest!

The Baltimore Comic-Con (Saturday October 10th and Sunday October 11th at the Baltimore Convention Center) has just announced that it will be holding it's first ever COSTUME CONTEST! Read on:

In addition to the all-star line-up of talent scheduled at this year's gala 10th anniversary Baltimore Comic-Con, the show will host it's first-ever costume contest ... with a $1,000 grand prize!
"We wanted to take Sunday up a notch, which is normally the more laid-back day," said Marc Nathan, Baltimore Comic-Con promoter. "We've been asked for years and years to have a costume contest - so we're kicking it off with a bang!"

Read more HERE!

Too cool. The Baltimore Comic-Con just keeps getting better and better...

First amatuer HD video from the edge of space!

Check THIS out!

The balloon and camera were launched at 7:44 AM, the balloon burst at 10:51 AM at 107,145 ft. and the camera landed via parachute at 11:40 AM, 89 miles from the launch site after a 3 hr. & 56 min. flight. The camera recorded a total of 4 hrs. & 22 min. of Hi-Def Video before it stopped recording 53 secs after landing, when its 32GB of memory was full. The only thing better would have been if the camera had recorded for several minutes more to captured the sound of us approaching and video of us opening its container.

It's amazing what you can get up to with the technology we have today... 40 years ago, this would have cost tens of thousands of dollars to accomplish! We are truly living in the future.

Here's a truncated version of the video with all the high points of the voyage:



Just plain cool.

For the Star Wars Fan Who Now Has Kids

Yes, my friends... this is a Tauntaun Sleeping Bag! Your child could slumber in the warm belly of this gentle beast of Hoth! But only if this product idea is approved by LucasFilms! It seems the fine folks at ThinkGeek cooked up this sleeping bag as a trick product listing for April Fool's Day, but people were furious when they discovered it was merely a joke. Fortunately due to all the interest, ThinkGeek's been working to get an official license to produce this bag for real! So if you'd like to support the development of this as an actual product visit the ThinkGeek site and make your interest known now!

I am merely jealous that this was not a possibility when I was a kid. The youth today have it all.

Stuff left on the Moon

Stuff left on the moon via the Lunar Legacy Project.

I think that's where my remote is.

The Ballad of G.I.Joe

To all the G.I. Joe fans out there that have wondered what G.I. Joe and Cobra are up to when they're not locked in epic battle with each other. This song's for you!



If some of the faces here look familiar, it's because this thing has a bigger all star cast than the recent theatrical release! The credits are as follows:

Laz Alonso as Doc
Alexis Bledel as Lady Jaye
Billy Crudup as Zartan
Zach Galifianakis as Snow Job
Tony Hale as Dr. Mindbender
Frankie Kang as Storm Shadow
Geoff Mann as Buzzer
Andreas Owald as Snake Eyes
Daniel Strange as Torch
Kevin Umbricht as Ripper
Vinnie Jones as Destro
Joey Kern as Tomax
Joey Kern as Xamot
Chuck Liddell as Gung Ho
Julianne Moore as Scarlett
Henry Rollins as Duke
Alan Tudyk as Shipwreck
Olivia Wilde as The Baroness
Jamin Fite as Cobra Commander
Sgt. Slaughter as Himself
(all credit for this video goes to www.funnyordie.com)

Thanks to Chuck Cordivano for the heads up on this!

Coming soon from DC

A full spectrum of Green Lantern promotional rings!

(Click on the image to embiggen!)

We're not positive of the details at this early stage but it looks like these rings will be tied to the purchase of a few crossover titles. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW TO GET THEM AS SOON AS WE FIGURE IT OUT!

From DC:

DC COMICS SOLICITS BLACKEST NIGHT PROMOTIONAL RINGS

With BLACKEST NIGHT ramping up the danger across the DC Universe, DC Comics presents a full spectrum of BLACKEST NIGHT PROMOTIONAL RINGS, solicited in the September Previews!

DOOM PATROL #4 --> YELLOW PROMOTIONAL RING. The YELLOW PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on November 4.

BOOSTER GOLD #26 --> ORANGE PROMOTIONAL RING. The ORANGE PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on November 18.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39 --> RED PROMOTIONAL RING. The RED PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on December 2.

BLACKEST NIGHT #5 --> GREEN PROMOTIONAL RING. The GREEN PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on December 16.

ADVENTURE COMICS #4 --> BLUE PROMOTIONAL RING. The BLUE PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on December 30.

R.E.B.E.L.S #10 --> INDIGO PROMOTIONAL RING. The INDIGO PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on January 13.

OUTSIDERS #24 --> VIOLET PROMOTIONAL RINGS. The VIOLET PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on January 27.

We'll be starting a list of folks who want all of these (which involves purchase of the comics the rings are tied to), so let your friendly counter monkey know that you want to be added. Please don't ask us here on the blog in the comments section, as we may miss it. Call the stores or talk to a clerk when you're in!

Marvel Anime!

Marvel and Madhouse teamed up to create four all-new anime versions of classic Marvel super heroes. This is one of them they released at SDCC, the other was Wolverine, but I personally thought the Iron Man trailer way out-cooled the Wolverine.

Go read Brian's Batman Blog!

Local comic fan, part-time Comix Connection Counter Monkey, owner of two thousand drill bits, and all around swell pal Brian Linnen has started a highly entertaining weblog... BRIAN'S BATMAN BLOG! Go give it a read! Good stuff, updated twice weekly!

Milestones

Here's one of my favorite photographs in the entire universe and I was saving it for a special day:

I was just poking around backstage here at the Comix Connection weblog, when I noticed a few interesting facts. So what's special?

• 1) This marks the 1485th post.
• 2) Since October 9th, 2005, I have posted 1366 consecutive days (with help from Jared and Joe, plus I cheated here and there to either get caught up or get ahead of things, but at least one post a day, every day.)
• 3) We cracked a half a million visits recently and now stand somewhere around 500,875 unique visits.

HALF A MILLION! That's crazy! Thanks to EVERY ONE OF YOU who visit here... now if I could just get you all to comment! (Yeah, I realize that 200,000 of those hits are probably just me refreshing to see if anyone commented, but still!)

Rubik's Cubism

Check this out:

TOP 10
Uploaded by extermitent. - Discover more animation and arts videos.

There are so many creative people on the internet, aren't there?

Raptor attack!

This has nothing to do with comics, but I thought it was pretty cool:

Raptor attack! from Billwhit on Vimeo.

You're welcome.

Awesome bookcases

Tired of the same old bookcases? Well, then CLICK HERE to see some great twists on an old piece of furniture! There's some there that aren't functional, but there's some that are amazingly cool looking and useful!

Literal Interpretations of Old Games!

This a neat collection of characters from video games, where the artist drew them like they would really look. Above are the Pong paddles!

Best wedding photos EVER!

It's doesn't get any more geeky than this, folks:






Kudos, guys! Very cool! (Now if I can just get everyone's names!)

UPDATE! The people in both pictures are:
Jeremy Lopus(Captain Marvel)
Mark Rulieus(Superman)
Pat Mack(Nightwing)
Kevin Mack(Batman)
Matt Horne(GL)
Shawn Skvarna(Flash)

Simpsons stamps!

Check it out:


I saw THIS STORY on the ICV2 site... soon you will be able to get official Post Office Simpsons stamps for your letters and packages!

CLICK HERE to go to the USPS website where you can vote to pick your favorite!

Another set of pop culture icons becomes mainstreamed!

We survived Hailstorm '09!

Well, that was pretty interesting. A seething front passed through just now, and behind it came mothball-sized hail! It was pretty impressive. The creek next door to our house jumped it's banks and the field was full of muddy water with tiny ice cubes bobbing merrily along. I have videos up HERE and HERE on the Comix Connection YouTube Channel!

Just blown away!

The art of Robert Hack is beautiful. It's one more example of an artist I find through "internetting", that I just yearn for to see in the monthly superhero publications. I see he's done some work for Doctor Who comics, but the real treat for me, is to see his superheroes and creature renderings! Fantastic stuff!

Check out more here!

Cool beans

The latest in a long line of cool WATCHMEN-related products...


Found HERE! Man I could use a cup right now. How about you, Manager Joe? Can I brew you a pot or two? Jared, are you in?

(Thanks for the tip, Mike Bollinger! Don't you ever work? Never mind, I know the answer to that. Believe me, I know. HAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Completely hilarious

This is what TV news anchors do during commercial breaks:



You're welcome.

AIIIEEEEE!

That is some big hang time:
(WARNING: Annoying music)



I used to skateboard, but I never made a jump that far. Slightly shorter. Like a half a block shorter.

Did anyone read the latest issue of WOLVERINE (#70) yet?

It's part of the "Old Man Logan" story-arc that's running through WOLVERINE right now, and explains why Wolvie refuses to pop his claws and fight back. What did you think? It made the hair stand up on my arm, personally! This is the best story about Wolverine that I've read since the "Weapon X" story that ran through MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS back in the '90s. I love Wolverine as a character, but in my opinion he's rarely done right. This is great stuff.

What do you think? I'm wondering if it's more fake reality from Mysterio, or not.

Oh, and don't get too excited... the next issue has been resolicited until MARCH! Grrrr.

EARTHQUAKE!

So, did anyone else feel the earthquake that struck Central Pennsylvania last night? I was checking my email on the computer in my basement family room at a little after midnight when I heard and felt a low, somewhat loud rumbling sound for about 4-5 seconds, then felt a "pressure wave" pass through me and then another second or two of rumbling. I emailed my friend Steve and asked if he felt it, but he was on the second floor of his house and didn't hear/feel anything. (I guess it was more pronounced from where I was sitting because I was in the basement, underground.) He immediately sent me THIS LINK on the U.S. Geologic Survey website. It was a 3.4 magnitude earthquake centered just north Landisville in Lancaster County! (CLICK HERE to see the maps.) Earthquakes in this area are uncommon. HERE'S another map of Pennsylvania showing previous earthquakes in an around the state. The last one I remember feeling was in 1980 or so when I was at Millersville State College. We Earth Science nerds were ecstatic! Pretty cool.

Did you feel it?

This Book's the Best Club in Town!

Is a mix tape more than a mix tape? Is it a spell woven in sentiment and beats, pop songs well chosen for a perfect line or inference of a desire? Is a DJ a wizard? Are tracks cast to effectively catch dancers in the spell of 12" remix after remix? Writer, Kieron Gillen, and artist & letterer, Jaime McKelvie, pondered this kind of stuff and worked up a bit of magic of their own in the comic book series, Phonogram, which showed us a world where music is power, there's magic in the airwaves, pop genres are religious denominations, and bands serve as ministers of the music to the masses. Who hasn't been caught in such a spell? Being slightly music obsessed, especially with the Brit Pop of the mid 1990s, this series was easily one of my favourite books of 2007! Phonogram introduced us to David Kohl, a Brit Pop enthusiast ten years on after the scene had imploded, selfishly wielding his magicks on women, haunted by the ghost of his fallen goddess, Brittania, his life a nostalgic stand still, in opposition to the "now" spirit of the pop music he covets. However, when Britannia's place in existance is in danger, David has to fight to save her memory and harness the embodiment of her spirit! It's a little hard to explain, especially in trying to maintain an unspoiled reading experience for those whose curiosity this post might pique!

And hey! now the magic's back in the sequel, Phonogram: The Singles Club, which is a seven issue series, all telling a piece of "an evening of ecstatic pop songs, magic by proxy of dance and discovering what you do when the music stops". Brit Pop of the 1990s is mainly sitting this one out from what I see in this first issue, but there's still much love of great music and lots of lyric dropping, which always makes me a little giddy because I am fascinated with how song lyrics creep into our conversational speech or at least they do for me!

The entrance fee for this experience is $3.50 an issue, as was the first series, but the sweet treat this time is it's in full colour! The first issue, entitled "Pull Shapes" is on our fine shelves now! And if that issue's title doesn't conjure up an image of The Pipettes in your head, let me remedy that now!

CLICK HERE to watch The Pipettes - "Pull Shapes" Official Music Video!

New STAR TREK TRAILER!

This actually looks pretty cool:



What do you think?

(ADDED 11/19: A couple of readers have pointed me to THIS SITE for a much better version of the trailer... unfortunately I can't embed it on the CC website, so I have to send you away from here to view it...)

Comix Connection Cartoonist Cookout a smash success!

The day was beautiful, with rather warm, clear skies. I had arrived early to set things up and everything was running smoothly. Joe ran to get the ice and some weird form of Cheese Food Product to put on the burgers, and a few other last-minute items. We were all set and ready for the hungry throngs. Counter Monkey Tony arrived before noon, while he was walking past me the wind picked up and lifted my carefully constructed canopy (GO Gators!) up in the air and tried to dump it on the hot grill. Fine. Tony and I wrestled it to the ground and threw it back in the van. OK, no canopy. No big deal. We'll move the grill closer to the store to get it out of the wind, and rearrange everything else, including the artist's table. Speaking of which, where are the artists? The phone rings. It's Mike Hawthorne. He's just leaving York due to an unforeseen problem and he'll be here ASAP. No biggie. Except Mike has the hamburgers and the kebabs! Better get the hot dogs cooking, the hungry wolves are starting to circle the campfire...
And then, Mike Oeming and Taki Soma appear and everything's cool. Mike Hawthorne and Paul Azaceta arrive shortly thereafter, so it's all good. Burgers fry, marinated pork kebabs sizzle, and the soda pop flows! A great time is had by all. A reporter from the Harrisburg Patriot-News appears to do a story on comic books and interviews the Boyces and the Yothers and the artists and Joe and I ... CLICK HERE to read the full details!

Anyway, we all had a blast... it was cool hanging out with everyone on a fine Fall afternoon, shooting the breeze and grubbing out! Kudos to Mike Hawthorne for the brilliant idea of throwing an artist's cookout! We should do this again, don't you think?

And last but not least, we raised over $150.00 for the Hero Initiative, a charity that helps freelance artists who have no insurance, and more! Thanks everyone who came out and had a tasty grilled treat, and thanks for your generous donations!

Without further ado, here's some pics:

Olivia, Megan and Tom Hayes chat with artist Paul Azaceta, while in the foreground Mike Hawthorne works his magic!

Behold the culinary delights, the subtle flavors of which you can only get from grilling meat in a parking lot!

Counter Monkey Tony Magni, who saved my life by selflessly flinging himself between me and the runaway canopy. He's pretty super, man.

Wonder Woman fan Annelene Wahl, ready for Halloween.

Mike Oeming, Taki Soma and Mike Hawthorne chatting in the foyer of Comix Connection - Mechanicsburg, while a youth with a proper haircut looks on in awe.

Three parts of The Four Wahls!

You gotta make the next Comix Connection Cookout!

(Oh, and Counter Monkey Linnen was there too, doing whatever it is that Linnen does. You got me.)

The coolest clock ever

Behold, The Corpus Clock:

(Inventor) Taylor deliberately designed it to be "terrifying": "Basically I view time as not on your side. He'll eat up every minute of your life, and as soon as one has gone he's salivating for the next.

More info HERE!

You Can Stand Under Their Umbrella!

Dark Horse Comics has a rather unusual item due to arrive in our stores, Wednesday, October 15th, in the form of an official Umbrella Academy umbrella. It probably couldn't protect you from an Eiffel Tower gone berserk or from a crazy violinist sister, but it will certainly keep you dry!

Victorian Horror right here in Pennsylvania

Hey, have you seen the new VICTORIAN HORRORS OF OLD MAUCH CHUNK comic? It's a pretty cool Victorian Era-styled and themed horror comic from Mauch Chunk's own Michael Bann, with story and art assists by Robert Caton and Allan Gallo, straight out of Jim Thorpe, PA. Mauch Chunk? Jim Thorpe? CLICK HERE to read about this Pennsylvania town, which was home of the first roller coaster, the Mauch Chunk Switchback Gravity Railroad, located atop Mt. Pisgah. (I just love all the varied names of towns and places found in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania!) CLICK HERE to read Chris Mautner's article in the Harrisburg Patriot, and CLICK HERE to go to the VICTORIAN HORRORS OF OLD MAUCH CHUNK website... and don't forget to sign up for the "Win a Weekend for Two in Old Mauch Chunk" drawing!

A peek at new WATCHMEN movie posters

Check them out by clicking HERE!

I'm pretty sure they are identical to the original Dave-Gibbons-art WATCHMEN portfolio images, which were also the same images that appeared as ads in DC comics back in 1985 or so...

(Thanks to Mike Bollinger for the linky.)

Cap's not dead, and neither is San Diego Comic Con!

The SDCC is very much alive and HERE are some neat pictures of the event.

TOON TUMBLER news!

Mike Bollinger sent me THIS LINK to an article over on SCOOP! about a limited edition Toon Tumbler pub glass that will be released at WizardWorld Chicago...

Even better, from the article:

PopFun and Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC Comics are collaborating to make DC Comics ‘Toon Tumblers.

*snip*

DC ‘Toon Tumbler regular releases will begin during the summer, tentatively consisting of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Joker, Sgt. Rock, and Firestorm. Over the next year, numerous other sets will be released.

WOOOO HOOOOOO! I want a SGT. ROCK glass! If you haven't seen these well-made and sturdy pub glasses, we currently have several Marvel character Toon Tumblers in stock at both stores!

ALL the Batman Black & White statues in one place!

Longtime fan and collector Scott Hammer was recently in the Mechanicsburg store and the subject of the ultra-cool line of BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE statues from DC came up in conversation... when Scott told us he had ALL of them, I realized I had never seen them all in one place! I asked Scott if he could send us a picture of them, and he said SURE, and here they are:




Can you name them all?

Thanks Scott, that is awesome to see!

I got a Tiki Bar for my birthday

My kids built and painted this for my birthday:



The perfect gift! Now I can always be at the Tiki Bar!

(That custom action figure of Yours Truly was made twenty years ago by MegoSteve!)

Reader art from Manager Jared's girlfr- -er- wife!

Jamie WOLF sent me a scan of this amazing drawing that she did from a sketch by Alex Ross in JUSTICE volume 3:



She also added this note:

It's only a fleeting shadow of the incredible ability Alex Ross has...it might look like the picture he drew, but it definitely took me awhile to do, whereas he probably did his in a couple of minutes- and he's done a gazillion drawings just like it (I sadly have not).

The comic book industry definitely has an amazing volume of some of the best artists around these days. I think it's really cool that you guys are all a part of that industry, and are a part of the biggest reason it's still around today- you're keeping it coming to the public! So thanks for that!!

Have a good one.

- Jamie -

Wotta talent! Beautiful drawing, Jamie! Thanks for sending it along.

Hey, how was Jamaica? Did you and Jared have any adventures?

Does a boomerang thrown in space return to its pitcher?

Yes:



From The New Scientist:

The boomerang behaved no differently than on Earth, flying back to Doi after he threw it. "It flew just like on Earth, and I was really surprised and impressed," Doi told his wife in a chat from space, according to Japan's Mainichi Daily News.

CLICK HERE for the entire article.

Remember that this would not happen in airless space... a boomerang needs air and the aerodynamic forces to do what it does.

You're welcome.

The Resh family WARHOLIZED!

Longtime fans Jason and Shannon Resh sent me the following WARHOLIZED picture:



That's awesome! What about the rest of you? GO HERE to submit your own photos for "Warholization" and send them on to me! (You must save the image that is Warholized to your own desktop or file... they erase everything after a few minutes...)

One more reason I want to go to Japan!

Japanese man hole covers...much more fun than ours!

IT'S FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

What are you doing sitting there reading this! Get to the stores right away for your FREE COMIC BOOKS!

TOMORROW IS FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the Coolest Day of the Year - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Come celebrate this nationwide event at Comix Connection and get your hands on some ABSOLUTELY FREE comic books! All day tomorrow, Saturday, May 3rd from 10AM until 9PM, both Comix Connection stores in York and Mechanicsburg will be celebrating Free Comic Book Day 2008... and of course we are also running one of our fabulous sales:

* ALL BACK ISSUES IN THE BINS ARE $1.00 EACH!
* ALL OLDER BACK ISSUES ON THE BACK WALLS ARE 25% OFF!
* ALL GRAPHIC NOVELS AND BOOKS ARE 20% OFF!
* ALL STATUES AND TOYS ARE 20% OFF!
* ALL GAMES AND GAMING ITEMS ARE 20% OFF!

ONE DAY ONLY! TOMORROW, SATURDAY, MAY 3rd!

EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO SELECT THREE FREE COMIC BOOKS from our huge hoard of free comic books! QUANTITIES ON SOME TITLES ARE LIMITED, so come early to choose from a wider selection of books!

Also available to the first 200 people at each store will be very spiffy IRON MAN HeroClix game piece, which looks great anywhere like on top of your monitor or on your dashboard!

SPECIAL ADDITION TO THE MECHANICSBURG STORE:

Local artist Olivia Hayes has provided us with copies of her self-published comic book THE CHRONICLES OF LYDIA FOXX!

Behold:


It's a sweet, gentle and fun look at the trials and tribulations of a young girl and her new love. I give it two thumbs up! Get your free copy of the very first issue of this comic by a true talent, up-and-coming artist Olivia Hayes! If you see her there, ask her to autograph it for you!

We'll see you all tomorrow!

Look what's coming! Sleestacks and Batman!

Longtime comic fan Mark Lamotte sent me the following cool pics:


From the upcoming LAND OF THE LOST movie! Woot!


And the new advance poster for the upcoming DARK KNIGHT movie!

Thanks, Mark! Keep those cards and letters coming, kids!

Have I mentioned lately

That's right! There are just a few short days until Free Comic Book Day! Come celebrate this nationwide event at Comix Connection and get your hands on some ABSOLUTELY FREE comic books! All day Saturday, May 3rd from 10AM until 9PM, both Comix Connection stores in York and Mechanicsburg will be celebrating Free Comic Book Day... and of course we are also running one of our fabulous sales:

* ALL BACK ISSUES IN THE BINS ARE $1.00 EACH!
* ALL OLDER BACK ISSUES ON THE BACK WALLS ARE 25% OFF!
* ALL GRAPHIC NOVELS AND BOOKS ARE 20% OFF!
* ALL STATUES AND TOYS ARE 20% OFF!
* ALL GAMES AND GAMING ITEMS ARE 20% OFF!

ONE DAY ONLY! SATURDAY, MAY 3rd!

EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO SELECT THREE FREE COMIC BOOKS from the following list of titles. QUANTITIES ON SOME TITLES ARE LIMITED, so come early to see a wider selection of books!

* ARCHIE'S PAL JUGHEAD
* BONGO COMICS FREE-FOR-ALL! (Simpsons)
* HELLBOY/B.P.R.D
* ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1
* PROJECT SUPERPOWERS
* TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED
* BROKEN TRINITY PREVIEW
* X-MEN
* THE STRANDED/DAN DARE
* SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE SAMPLER
* APE ENTERTAINMENT'S CARTOON-APALOOZA #1
* ARCANA STUDIO PRESENTS
* SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1
* WORLDS OF ASPEN #3
* SALEM: QUEEN OF THORNS
* DEL REY & DABEL BROTHERS PREVIEW
* TINY TITANS #1
* DRAFTED
* GEGIKA: A DRAWN+QUARTERLY MANGA SAMPLER
* GRAPHIC CLASSICS
* I.G.N.A.T.Z.: INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC NOVELS AT THEIR ZENITH #1
* DISNEY'S GYRO GEARLOOSE
* E.C. COMICS SAMPLER
* LOVE AND CAPES #7
* MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN
* MAINTENANCE #1
* IMAGINARY #1
* ATOMIC ROBO & FRIENDS
* AMELIA RULES! COMICS AND STORIES
* THE MOTH: GREATEST HITS
* KIDS LOVE COMICS! COMIC BOOK DINER
* NASCAR HEROES: ALL-STARS SPECIAL
* OWLY AND FRIENDS
* VIPER COMICS PRESENTS: KID HOUDINI AND THE SILVER DOLLAR MISFITS
* GUMBYS COLORING COMIC BOOK SPECIAL #1
* WIZARD HOW TO DRAW SAMPLER
* MAXIMUM RIDE VOLUME 1

Also available to the first 200 people at each store will be this super-cool IRON MAN HeroClix game piece:


and also one of these cool STAR WARS Collectible Miniatures Games figures:


Make your plans TODAY!

See you THIS SATURDAY!

Submit to the WARHOLIZER!

Yes, any image you have can be "Warholized" when you go to THIS WEBSITE! Check it out! Send me your best ones and I'll post them here.

(Don't know who Andy Warhol was? Shame on you. Click HERE to read his Wikipedia entry.)

Cool video time

Jared, Jason R. and a few other people sent me this a while back, and it's finally grown on me. One of the reasons that I was not so enamored of it was that I wasn't watching a lot of TV shows during the time when most of these logos were running. Anyway, behold:



Can you name all the shows/companies these logos are spoofing?
HERE's a link to the wiki on this video to help get you started.

GASLIGHT JUSTICE LEAGUE!

Check out these cool figures:



Some talented action figure customizer made an entire "Victorian-era" Justice League! Click HERE to view Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and more!

Amazing! That has to be the best looking Aquaman EVER.

Furniture for your books

Check out this cool blog I found:

BOOKSHELF!

It's all about, well, BOOKSHELVES! Go take a look... some of these are very functional and cool, while some are more like pieces of art.


Very cool!

REPO MAN sequel!

Of sorts. As a fan of the movie REPO MAN, I'm seriously looking forward to this:


From the Amazon review:

1980s cult film Repo Man gets an official sequel - in graphic novel form... with a script by original writer/director Alex Cox. Cox explains: "After REPO MAN, I became interested in the idea of a sequel. Specifically - what had happened to Otto, during his ten-year absence from earth? And what would he make of the changes which had taken place in his absence? Otto, it would appear, has been held prisoner, in great luxury, on the planet Mars. Now he has returned to earth, and changed his name -- to Waldo." Waldo, recently returned from Mars, is forced to choose where his allegiance lies -- his boss, Duke Mantee, or the goddess, Velma; money or knowledge; the past or the future; Earth...or Mars?

Reserve your copy today, as they should be in stores soon! I know I want one.

Only FOUR MORE WEEKS!

UNTIL

Mark your calendar for

SATURDAY MAY 3rd

10AM - 9PM

at both Comix Connection locations!

featuring

FREE COMIC BOOKS!

That's right! There is just a little over four short weeks until Free Comic Book Day! Come celebrate this nationwide event at Comix Connection and get your hands on some ABSOLUTELY FREE comic books! All day Saturday, May 3rd from 10AM until 9PM, both Comix Connection stores in York and Mechanicsburg will be celebrating Free Comic Book Day... and of course we are also running one of our fabulous sales:

• ALL BACK ISSUES IN THE BINS ARE $1.00 EACH!
• ALL OLDER BACK ISSUES ON THE BACK WALLS ARE 25% OFF!
• ALL GRAPHIC NOVELS AND BOOKS ARE 20% OFF!
• ALL STATUES AND TOYS ARE 20% OFF!
• ALL GAMES AND GAMING ITEMS ARE 20% OFF!

ONE DAY ONLY! SATURDAY, MAY 3rd!

EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO SELECT THREE FREE COMIC BOOKS from the following list of titles. QUANTITIES ON SOME TITLES ARE LIMITED, so come early to see a wider selection of books!

• ARCHIE'S PAL JUGHEAD
• BONGO COMICS FREE-FOR-ALL! (Simpsons)
• HELLBOY/B.P.R.D
• ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1
• PROJECT SUPERPOWERS
• TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED
• BROKEN TRINITY PREVIEW
• X-MEN
• THE STRANDED/DAN DARE
• SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE SAMPLER
• APE ENTERTAINMENT'S CARTOON-APALOOZA #1
• ARCANA STUDIO PRESENTS
• SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1
• WORLDS OF ASPEN #3
• SALEM: QUEEN OF THORNS
• DEL REY & DABEL BROTHERS PREVIEW
• TINY TITANS #1
• DRAFTED
• GEGIKA: A DRAWN+QUARTERLY MANGA SAMPLER
• GRAPHIC CLASSICS
• I.G.N.A.T.Z.: INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC NOVELS AT THEIR ZENITH #1
• DISNEY'S GYRO GEARLOOSE
• E.C. COMICS SAMPLER
• LOVE AND CAPES #7
• MARVEL ADVENTURES: IRON MAN
• MAINTENANCE #1
• IMAGINARY #1
• ATOMIC ROBO & FRIENDS
• AMELIA RULES! COMICS AND STORIES
• THE MOTH: GREATEST HITS
• KIDS LOVE COMICS! COMIC BOOK DINER
• NASCAR HEROES: ALL-STARS SPECIAL
• OWLY AND FRIENDS
• VIPER COMICS PRESENTS: KID HOUDINI AND THE SILVER DOLLAR MISFITS
• GUMBYS COLORING COMIC BOOK SPECIAL #1
• WIZARD HOW TO DRAW SAMPLER
• MAXIMUM RIDE VOLUME 1

*WHEW* Click HERE and HERE for more info on the available comics!

Also available to the first 200 people at each store will be this super-cool IRON MAN HeroClix game piece:


and also one of these cool STAR WARS Collectible Miniatures Games figures:



Make your plans TODAY! See you there!

A leaked still from the new WATCHMEN movie!

Stolen from MegoSteve's site:


HAW HAW HAW!

Musical Interlude: BENT FABRIC - "Jukebox"

I thought this was a pretty cool animated music video:



Here's a cleaner, higher-quality version without the added sound effects!

Heads-UP: LOCKE & KEY by Joe Hill looks completely awesome

I recently received an advance copy of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's LOCKE & KEY from the folks at IDW, and lemme tell ya, IT'S GREAT! If you like excellent writing, enigmatic locations, and fear-filled suspense, LOCKE & KEY is for you!

From IDW's website:

Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder: Locke & Key. Written by Hill and featuring astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez (Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show, Beowulf), Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them.... and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all...

HERE'S an awesome video trailer for LOCKE & KEY.

HERE'S more info from IDW for LOCKE & KEY.

And HERE'S Joe Hill's very own 'blog.


Oh, and did you know that Joe Hill is Stephen King's son?

Sign up today! Tell the Counter Monkey that Bill sent ya!

Reader Photo - The 13" Justice League of America!

Long-time fan Jaime Martinez sent this cool picture of his collection of 13" Justice League figures that he assembled:


That is completely cool, Jaime! Thanks for the pic!

Swell stickers for the bumper of your automobile

I don't know if you noticed, but we recently got these in the store:


Aren't they swell? They would look mighty fine on the bumper of your jalopy! Try one today! They're only $2.99 plus tax and are made a fine quality vinyl plastic, to hold the colors even after many seasons. Don't be left out... get your bumper stickered today!

A cool art gallery exhibit

Stan Lee Tribute Artwork

Click on the above link to see cool artwork like this:


and this:


And this:


All in tribute to the great STAN LEE!

(Hat tip to reader MegoSteve)

Recent Arrivals: Silver Age Goodies!

We recently acquired a small pile of tasty Silver Age Marvel and DC goodies in the Mechanicsburg store! Included are short runs of DETECTIVE, BATMAN, IRON MAN, INCREDIBLE HULK, BRAVE & THE BOLD, DEFENDERS and TALES OF SUSPENSE (Featuring Captain America and iron Man)!

Behold:







We should have these available by the end of this week, so dust off your want lists! If anyone at Comix Connection - York would like to see these, let your friendly Comix Connection Counter Monkey know, and we will bring them down for your perusal.

Man, I get all giddy when stuff like this shows up! Great stuff!

So what cool stuff did you get for Christmas?

Reader Tom Hayes wants to know: What cool stuff did you get for Christmas?


I finally got my MOLLER SKY-CAR! Thanks to all of you who chipped in the $1.2 million! I really appreciate it! You guys are the greatest! Remind me to give you a lift sometime...

What did Santa leave under your tree? Tell us in the COMMENTS section!

Josh Middleton is just plain amazing

Check this out:



And click HERE to see more art by Josh on a project that just never came about... too bad, that.

CLICK HERE to go to Josh Middleton's webpage... it's packed with his wonderful artwork.

If you live in York

You've heard this:



The New York Wire Company has a steam-powered organ that blasts an unearthly sound that resonates for miles.

It's part of what I like about Christmas in York, PA...

Merry Christmas, everyone and thanks for making us Central Pennsylvania's Ultra-Hip Pop-Culture Mecca.

Sock Monkey visits Park Hills Elementary School in Hanover

Check this out! Tony Millionaire's SOCK MONKEY visited Elementary Librarian Shannon Resh and the students at Park Hills Elementary School in Hanover, Pennsylvania recently. The school library has an excellent graphic novel selection that is very popular with kids of all grades. Sock Monkey likes to travel around the country visiting libraries, and will come to YOUR library if invited! That is one well-traveled monkey! CLICK HERE to see all the pictures of Sock Monkey's journeys (the Park Hills Elementary photos start about 14 pictures down.)

And of course all of Tony Millionaire's books are available at Comix Connection!

AMELIA RULES the stage!

Local artist/writer Jimmy Gownley's AMELIA RULES! comic is set to take to the stage in December!

From Diamond Comics Distributor's website:

Adapted from a Christmas story that appeared in Amelia Rules! Volume 1: The Whole World’s Crazy, the musical details the adventures of super-hero wannabe Reggie Grabinsky as he recruits other would-be heroes to try to prove Santa is a fraud. Boasting a mostly child cast (featuring 11-year-old Kasey Perkins as Amelia), the production, which runs from December 6-7 in Marlborough, NH features music and lyrics by local musician/composer Michael Cohen and is produced by Small Pond Productions. Plans to make the musical available to other theater companies are in the works. For more information, please visit www.smallpondpresents.com.

“As editor of the Amelia Books I’ve been with these characters since their inception, and watched them grow and mature over the years,” said Cohen. “Knowing them so well made writing the songs for this musical so much easier, more like writing songs for old friends.”

“It’s going to be a real thrill to see all these talented people bring my comic book to life,” said Amelia Rules! creator Gownley. “Michael’s songs are great, and I can’t wait until opening night!”

The widely acclaimed series deals with the relocation of Amelia Louise McBride from Manhattan to a small town after her parents’ divorce, and her efforts to cope with the traumatic event. Like Charles Schulz’s Peanuts and Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, Gownley’s funny, poignant and heartwarming stories appeal to a wide demographic, including educators, librarians, parents, kids and the young-at-heart.

The above paragraph is absolutely true... if you've never read AMELIA RULES, stop by either store and grab a copy of the Free Comic Book Day AMELIA RULES! comic book. We like to keep that one in stock all year 'round!

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS, Jimmy! That is very very cool!

So did anybody read WORLD WAR HULK #5 yet?

My head done near asploded. What did you make of that ending? I thought it was pretty darn cool.

Leave comments about what you thought, and be aware that the Comments Section WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS if you haven't read WORLD WAR HULK #5 yet!



(On a completely different topic, I will be posting the Halloween Photos REAL SOON, as I am finally reunited with my camera!)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier

WILL BE IN THE STORES TOMORROW!



WOOOO HOOOOOOOO!

That is all.

BUCKAROO BANZAI RETURNS!

I saw this story on ICV2 today: THE RETURN OF BUCKAROO BANZAI!, or at least a new prequel comic by the original creators of the greatest movie ever made: THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE EIGHT DIMENSION!

HERE'S more info from the publisher, MOONSTONE.

And I just had to post the original trailer:



I am a proud Blue Blaze Irregular, codename "Caddy" Wahl. I'll be buying the comic. Believe it.

Meet UN-MEN artist Mike Hawthorne!

That's right, meet the artist of DC's UN-MEN, Mike Hawthorne at the stores today!

Mike is scheduled the following times today, during our Big Halloween Sale:

10AM - 1 PM in York
and from 4PM - 7PM in Mechanicsburg

If you come in costume, Mike will do a sketch for you ABSOLUTELY FREE!

And while you're in, why not pick up a copy of UN-MEN, which tells a story of the deformed creatures created by Anton Arcane to fight the legendary Swamp Thing? It the perfect Halloween treat!

GAMBIT The Origin trailer

York manager Jared's friend from Florida Adam Smith recently shot a short film about Gambit... behold:



Pretty darn cool if you ask me! Thanks for letting me put this up here, Adam!

Meet Mike Hawthorne, get a sketch!

That's right! Acclaimed comic artist Mike Hawthorne made the following offer in the "Comments" of THIS POST!

Hey, I'll do a free sketch for anyone who shows up in costume during the signing!

Best,
mike

Mike is scheduled the following times on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, during our Big Halloween Sale:

10AM - 1 PM in York
and from 4PM - 7PM in Mechanicsburg

You do know about our big Halloween Sale, right? If you're clueless, CLICK HERE!

See you all there!

Uncle Scrooge's Money Bin!

Hey all you Disney comics fans! Check this out! I recently ran across this set of photos of a neat scale-model of Uncle Scrooge's Money Bin!

Click HERE to view!

Click for more info on Uncle Scrooge and Carl Barks.

SNEAK PEEK at The BLACK DOSSIER!

Check this out! Entertainment Weekly has a sneak peek of the upcoming Alan Moore/Kevin O'Neil book The LEAGUE of EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: The BLACK DOSSIER!

Woot!

Click HERE for the full story!

I can't wait for this book to come out. Both previous League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books were top-notch, as we expect from Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil. This project has been delayed for over a year, which just increases my anticipation. Now we have the HEROES hardcover book (collecting the webcomics), plus the compilation of STEPHEN KING'S DARK TOWER and this... all expected to ship in November. Start saving those pennies.

Oh, and if you want a copy of this put on reserve for you, just email me at bill (at) comixconnection.com, or tell your friendly Comix Connection Counter Monkey that you want one... it will be in the stores on Wednesday, November 14th.

Gemstone Publishing moves to York!

According to our pal Mike Bollinger, Gemstone Publishing, the publisher of the Disney line of comic books is moving to good old York, Pennsylvania (thus saving Mike and friends a long daily commute!) Operations will commence from the York location this week. Arriving along with Gemstone Publishing will be Diamond International Galleries, specialists in vintage comic books and related artwork, and Hake's Americana and Collectibles, the world's largest and most impressive catalog auction of all things pop culture related! Gemstone Publishing is one of the arms of the mighty Diamond Comics Distribution empire, where all comic shops in the US (and most of the world) get their comic books.

Welcome to York, guys!

HERE'S an article from the York Daily Record, and HERE'S an article from SCOOP.

Diamond Comics Distributor CEO Steve Geppi had this to say about York:

“York has an exciting dynamic to it. It’s definitely a city and a region on the move, and we’re excited to be a part of that. This is a terrific entry into a rich marketplace, both in terms of the history to be found and the collectors with a vibrant interest in it. I am personally very pleased to be able to create this opportunity.”

I guess that means all the good auction/flea market stuff within 100 miles of York will be all vacuumed up...

Radd joins Comix Connection - Mechanicsburg crew, Parker transfers to York

That's right, Norrin Radd himself has taken up permanent residence at the Mechanicsburg Comix Connection!

Behold:



Thank you very much for thinking of us, Cinema Center of Camp Hill! We promise to take good care of him!

And also of note, Peter Parker has been transferred to Comix Connection in York:



Please stop in and make them feel both welcome! (NO TOUCHING. Heh.)

(Completely awesome webbing, Phantastic Phil! Thanks!)

All the cool people are wearing our shirt

The latest winner of our Comix Connection No(Yes)-Prize is none other than Joe Keatinge, IMAGE COMICS' Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator! TOO COOL! We met Joe at the recent Diamond Retailer Summit in Baltimore and head a great time yakking with him. He expressed an interest in our latest Comix Connection Geek Chic Wear™ T-shirt, the supremely awesome "Ramones-Style" one, so I sent him a black one and asked if he would forward me a picture of him wearing it... and he sent me the following:

Writing to you during the Shaky Hands soundcheck at their second show with The Shins. Attached is a picture taken in the dressing room mere moments ago.

Joe, that's completely cool. You do indeed ROCK! If there's anything we can getcha, just let us know. I figure you have about $12.00 in store credit coming to you! Enjoy!


(HERE'S an interview on Comic Book Resources with Joe!)

HE HAS ARRIVED!

Puzzling evidence:


What is this?


Could it be?


Stop in the Mechanicsburg store and see! (And check out the York store too... they've also acquired a new addition!)

George Becker's other vehicle

Regular comic reader and all-around great guy George Becker swung by to pick up his comics the other day driving this monster from his other job:

SPC George Becker and Becker's Wrecker

The vehicle is a HEMTT, a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.

Here it is in the parking lot at the Mechanicsburg store.

Those tires with wheels weigh 600 pounds a piece!

Trying to look cool, failing miserably.

A huge mistake: disaster looms as I ease off the brake and give it some gas...

Anyway, thanks for bringing her by the store, George... that sure made my day. When can I borrow it?

Jared has the coolest sneakers

Jared, the manager of our York store has the most amazing Converse Chuck Taylor High-Top sneakers. He has "reverse chucks", in that the colors are reversed from a normal pair of black Chuck Taylor All-Stars high tops, so they are white overall with a black sole. Why am I telling you all this? Well, check this out... while we were at the Diamond Retailer Summit in Baltimore last Monday and Tuesday, Jared had a brilliant idea.

Behold:

A sketch of Professor X by superstar artist John Cassaday!

A sketch of Frank the Duck by Frank Cho!

A sketch of Katchoo(?) by STRANGERS IN PARADISE's Terry Moore!

Jared, we bow to your most excellent footwear!

MIKE HAWTHORNE on Fanboy Radio!

Check THIS out... our favorite comic artist Mike Hawthorne will be the subject of an interview on Fanboy Radio! (Click on link!)

Tune in TOMORROW Sunday, September 16th at 7PM EST!


HERE'S Mike's website, and HERE'S a link to a recent interview with the man on NEWSARAMA! That Hawthorne's EVERYWHERE!


(I assume you are all reading Mike's current book from DC, THE UN-MEN, right? It's an incredible take on the UN-MEN from SWAMP THING that is currently on issue number 2. BUY IT, IT'S AWESOME! MIKE HAWTHORNE IS DOING HIS BEST WORK EVER! Ahem. Sorry about the shouting, but this book is simply great and you should be reading it. Just do it.)

SPECIAL BONUS: According to Mike, the first five callers that get on the air get a free Sweet Science print!

The IRON MAN movie is looking COMPLETELY AWESOME!

I've never been a huge fan of Iron Man from Marvel Comics and was pretty ambivalent about the upcoming film... until they showed us this trailer at the Diamond Retailer Summit in Baltimore on Monday:



Holy mackerel, that almost made me faint! Very very cool!

Release Date: May 2nd, 2008, which as you all know is right before FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2008!

(Oh, and HERE'S a link to better quality video... enjoy!)

My NEW latest favorite music video

This one tells a story (not a good one) in ultra-cool comic-booky form! If you like the Marvel comic book CRIMINAL by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, you'll love this.

Behold:

Bogdan Irkük (BULGARI) - Curare



(And for a much larger and sharper version without YouTube yuckiness, click HERE!

Of course you know what Curare is, don't you?

Baltimore Comic-Con Updates!

Just a few short days until the coolest comic book convention on the East Coast... the Baltimore Comic-Con! If you haven't already, check out the amazing Guest List ... and also make sure you take a look at the Updated Programming Schedule for all the cool panel discussions, like chats with Jim Lee and Mike Mignola! Of course we will also be set up there in our usual booth, handing out crisp new one dollar bills to all who show up wearing their Comix Connection T-shirts! Stop by and receive the Über-Secret Comix Connection Convention Coupon!


THIS JUST IN:


Local fave artist and all-around swell guy Mike Hawthorne sent me this:

Just a quick note. I'll be at this year's Baltimore Comicon.
 I'm unveiling a new series of prints I'm working on called
 "the Sweet Science", which is a series of boxing related
pin-up art. Check out the blog for some pictures of the prints.
I'll also have original art on sale, as well as taking orders
for commissions during the con. You can also see previews
of upcoming issues of Un-men.
In addition to that, UMBRA writer Steve Murphy will be at
the booth signing copies of our book UMBRA. You may remember
that UMBRA is up for a Harvey Award this year, and the
actual awards ceremony will be held at the con this weekend!
links:
Photos of the prints on my blog-
http://mikehawthorne.blogspot.com/
The convention's homepage-
http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/
The Harvey Awards-
http://harveyawards.org/

Stop by and say hi!

Best,
mike

Well there you go! Another great reason to go to the Baltimore Con! See you there!

Youse all fancy pants

Getcher FANCY PANTS! For those of you who got the super-cool GOON FANCY PANTS Volume 1, there's this from the Dark Horse Comics website:

The Goon: Fancy Pants Volume 2--The Rise and Fall of the Diabolical Dr. Alloy (limited edition hardcover)

Writer and Artist: Eric Powell

This special volume collects all the tales of one of The Goon's most nefarious villains-the diabolical mad scientist, Dr. Hieronymous Alloy-in one handsomely designed (and handsomely priced) signed hardcover. Chronicling the rise of the mysterious evil genius from his early days as a misunderstood visionary, to his status as one of the finest scientific minds in the world, and finally to his inevitable spiral into madness, this hardcover is a must-have for every serious fan of the Goon. What's more, every volume is signed by Powell himself. Buying this book should be like dodging a brick-a no-brainer!

* Copies of The Goon: Fancy Pants Vol. 2 hardcover will be printed to inital orders and is exclusive to the direct market.

* Signed by Eric Powell!

Format: FC, 136 pages, Ltd. Ed. HC, 7" x 10"
Suggested Price: $24.95

This will ship in January, but orders are due in September, so let us know if you want a copy. I'm sure all of you who got volume one two years ago will want one!

(I like saying FANCY PANTS. FANCY PANTS FANCY PANTS FANCY PANTS!)

Get your Comix Connection Geek Chic™ wear!

That's right, we just received a limited number of the new ultra-hip "Ramones-style" Comix Connection T-shirts, and boy are they swell! Available in any color as long as it's black, these newly -arrived shirts are sure to raise your "cool level" in even the eyes of the most discriminating of comic geeks. If you are interested in owning one of these great shirts for a measly ten bucks a pop, ask your friendly Comix Connection Counter Monkey™ to reserve one for you today!

(T-shirt design courtesy of Michael Moppin of Art Boy Products! You've helped me fulfill a long-held dream of mine, Mike... our very own mashing-together of the Ramones and Comix Connection! Brings a tear to this old punk's eye.)

My current favorite music video

Is this one by DANIELSON. I find this video incredibly creative. I just love the (all done-in-one-take) low-budget, high school play-feel of this video for the song "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?". Check it out:



While at Rutgers University,

(Daniel Smith) submitted the album as his final thesis (and received an 'A' grade) and performed, joined by his siblings, at the senior art show. Smith then sent the album out to several indie labels but only received a response from Tooth & Nail in California, who picked up the album and released it in 1994.

More info HERE and their MySpace page is HERE.

Oh, and here's where Daniel got the title of the song:

The song is called “Did I Step On Your Trumpet” and it is inspired by the time I got accused, by Billy, of stepping on his trumpet when he got up to go get a drink of water. It was 6th grade band practice and Billy had a special silver trumpet that was passed down through his family. When he got back the entire bell of the trumpet was completely crushed flat. He yelled at me in front of the entire band and I denied it immediately. I really do not know if I stepped on it or not. I feel like I may have.

So if you accidently offended someone, politely say, “I’m sorry, did I step on your trumpet?“

Spectacular cartoon!

Fantastic Phil sent me THIS LINK to a trailer for the upcoming WB cartoon SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN! Go check it out... it looks COOL!

Thanks, Phil!

I wish I worked in a cubicle

just so I could deploy THIS!

Look to the skies! No, really!

How many of you here have ever seen a "falling star" or meteorite? I've seen literally HUNDREDS of them because well, I LOOK. Now is your chance to see some too. READ THIS and THIS to get the inside scoop on one of the best chances to see a ton of falling stars. The meteor shower peaks Sunday night/Monday early morning, and this year there is little to NO moonlight interference, so get out there and look around. HERE'S some pointers... I especially like the last one. Seriously, get out there and LOOK. Go ahead.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde

The 90th Shuttle launch

We got to see this yesterday... pretty cool. That sucker moves FAST. Cape Canaveral really IS "Spaceport USA"!

Our Aquatic Friends

Saw some of these guys and gals today...

That is all.

Only 35 days until my favorite Comic Convention!

That's right, it's only 35 more days until the BALTIMORE COMIC-CON 2007!

WOOO HOOOOO!

I love the Baltimore Comic-Con. It's in one of my favorite cities, it's easy to get to, and show promoter Marc Nathan keeps the focus on comic books and comic artists. Check out this year's guest list:

SERGIO ARAGONES | Dick Ayers | Kyle Baker | Tom Brevoort | Jim Calafiore | Tommy Castillo | C.B. Cebulski | Bernard Chang | Howard Chaykin | Sean Chen | Mark Chiarello | FRANK CHO | Steve Conley | Amanda Conner | Todd Dezago | Dan DiDio | Tommy Lee Edwards | Rich Faber | Al Feldstein | DAVID FINCH | John Gallagher | Ron Garney | Michael Golden | Jimmy Gownley | Cully Hamner | Dean Haspiel | Tarig Hasson | Adam Hughes | Chris Ivy| James Jean | Georges Jeanty | J.G. Jones | Joe Jusko | Ken Kelly | Leonard Kirk | Barry Kitson | Rich Koslowski | Adam Kubert | JOE KUBERT | Scott Kurtz | JIM LEE | Norman Lee | John Paul Leon | John Lucas | Ron Marz | Sean McKeever | Mark McKenna | Bob McLeod | Pop Mhan | MIKE MIGNOLA | Doug Murray | Phil Noto | Mike Oeming | Jimmy Palmiotti | David Petersen | Brandon Peterson | Keith Pollard | Paul Pope | Eric Powell | Tom Raney | JOHN ROMITA JR. | JOHN ROMITA SR. | Don Rosa | Craig Rousseau | Stephane Roux | Andy Runton | Alex Saviuk | Andy Smith | Louise Simonson | Walter Simonson | Chris Sprouse | Jim Starlin | Brian Stelfreeze | Karl Story | Herb Trimpe | Tim Truman | Billy Tucci | Tim Vigil | Dexter Vines | Neil Vokes | Mark Waid | Mike Wieringo | Ron Wilson and many many more!!!

WOWIE! Sounds like a blast! See you there!

For more info, click HERE!

A very strong woman, possibly super-powered

Check out what this Amazon can do:



She's just like a super-hero!

I can barely fold paper, let alone roll up a frying pan.

Found via MetaFilter

What's your superpower?

Apparently my friend Steve's is that he can play PAC-MAN on a world-championship level.

Behold:



Steve sez:

My best run at Pac-Man CE on Xbox Live Arcade, currently #1 in the U.S. and #3 in the world on the All Time 5:00 Championship Mode leaderboard. I didn't die once, but I think it's still possible to improve... I missed a few 3200 point ghosts and made a couple of minor mistakes.

I am in awe.