D D D

A poster I did for an upcoming show featuring 75orless Records bands in Providence, RI. Be there . . .

The Issue Box

I was always a big fan of the little box at the top left of Marvel Comics that had the issue title and on team books little heads of the roster or some other little drawing. DC in the 80s did a similar thing with non-Direct Market books where they had a slogan (like "Who Watches the Watchmen?" or "DCUniverse is Must Reading") in the ISBN box. In recent years, both of those things have faded away into the realm of nostalgia.

While reading this weeks New Joe Fridays Q&A over at Newsarama I came across this:

Q: “ThomHunt”- Any chance we'll ever see the return of the cover corner boxes on Marvel Comics covers?

You remember, the ones that generally depicted a team book's roster or a solo star in some action pose? They are such a rich part of Marvel's history and a truly unique identifier of the "Marvel brand"; I always thought it such a shame when they went away a few years back. What was the reason for their demise? Maybe put it to a fan vote as to whether they should return?

JQ: Of course I remember them, ThomHunt, I dug them too and during my six years we’ve tried to bring them back in several ways. Many years ago, we used a neat little circle window that had the character in the box. Eventually, artistic aesthetics changed and we stopped using them. Most recently we’re using a version of the character box on our X-Men titles.

So, I guess the short answer is that I dig them and I’m sure they’ll keep coming back from time to time but I think the reason you don’t see people artistically going bananas over them is because it’s something that resonates mostly with people in our age group who grew up with it. There is an argument that covers are busy enough and now that comic shops don’t rack their books like the newsstands, it’s not that important. That was the only reason those icons were up there in the first place, so that as the book was racked, you could see the logo but also get an action shot of the hero hopefully enticing you to pull the book out and see what the art on the cover was. Any attempts at doing that now are just warm and cuddly retro moments for we older fans.

Never knew that little marketing reasoning behind the roster box. Even an old dog like me can learn a thing or two every now and again!

The Metamorphosis has begun . . .

Stay tuned for more changes to the look of the Thunderhouse as I get more in depth with the programming.

Venomous Japan

Here is an early and probably unsanctioned look at what Venom will look like in Spider-man 3! This is the action figure from Medicom Toys of Japan that will be coming out in conjunction with the movie. These 12", 1/6 scale figures - the series of them is known as R.A.H. (Real Action Heroes) is well known to collectors as being highly accurate renditions of movie, cartoon, comic and tv characters. I own a number of them, direct from Japan and can attest to their attention to detail and dead-on likenesses. So, this is what Venom will look like in this coming summer's sure-to-be biggest blockbuster!

All About Memories

Over at their new blog, the crew from comics retailer, All About Books, in Phoenix have put up an opportunity for people to talk about their first comic bought. You get some free comics in exchange for your story, and just reading them all is a really great reflection on the industry.

Anyway, I have had this story of my first contact with the collecting addiction that I now suffer for many many years, but have never really shared it. It's not embellished at all, and it really is how I remember it.

So, let me share, children of the night, and read on:

I don't actually remember the first comic that I read, since I read quite a few as a kid - mostly in passing, just looking at the pictures and whatnot at friends and in my uncle's old room when we stayed at my grandmother's house on holidays growing up.

But the first book that made me a collector was on the racks sometime in 1986. I was around 13 or so, at the mall on a Friday night with a bunch of friends. One of our parents had dropped us off and between hanging at the arcade, sneaking into and getting kicked out of movies, and cruising the foodcourt to meet girls (Yeah, like that was going to happen!), we passed an old Waldenbooks. From out on the concourse I could see this really distinct book on a spinner rack near the magazines. We walked by pretty fast, but I couldn't turn my eyes away. I told my friends I saw something and that I would catch up with them at Orange Julius'.

I broke off from the group and made a b-line for the book. It was The Dark Knight Returns, book 4 -- The Dark Knight Falls. It was that sick, mostly black and sunset reds/oranges cover. Batman in silhouette with the big gun and spike-knuckled knife just about to get into it with Superman! It was so striking. I clearly remember thinking "Man! This is what comics are like now! I have to get this!" It was just an incredible cover and had such an immediate effect on me.

I started to reach for it, when suddenly a hand fell on my shoulder. It was one of my friends. He was trying to figure out what I was doing and I made up some excuse about seeing someone I knew. I don't know why but for some reason, I thought comics were just for little kids, but looking at that cover I knew that they weren't (plus I still was a kid!)

Anyway, I never did get the book that night, but I couldn't stop looking at it. The very next week was Thanksgiving and we were off to NY again for a visit to the grandparents. The day after, I begged my dad to bring me and my younger brother to a local 7-11 wannabe store to search out comics. We found a great place and I bought a ton of Batman and Detective comics and even the old History of the DC Universe Portfolio (I still have all of them in my collection.) But I couldn't find that Dark Knight book anywhere. That trip made me an addict, and except for some time in college when I was buying sporadically whenever/wherever I could find them, I haven't missed a Wednesday since. I am now pushing 35 years old.

My dad died 13 years ago this past Sunday. He fed my habit quite a bit those first few years I was collecting, until I got my license. And when I was away in school, he sometimes sent me a book or two, and always put one in my stocking at Christmas. They were usually titles I wasn't collecting, or issues I had, but I always liked those books more. To this day, I can't go to a new comic shop without thinking about him and that first trip he took me and my brother on.

It was about a year later that I finally found a regular comic shop near my home and had educated myself enough from letter columns and ads from places like Mile High Comics that I was able to track down the whole Dark Knight mini. It was worth the wait.
And that cover -- man -- it is still my favorite cover of all time.

First Blost of the New Year

three things:

- first week for new comics this year and it is a mama-jama of a week! Tons of stuff, so no time to write, gots to read.

- the Warren Times has an article about my brother's and 2 friends' band Six Star General - they fail to mention the countless laborious hours I put into their show flyers or album covers - thankless suckers!! (just kidding. No really.) Slick's analysis of the article is, as usual, priceless.

- my prediction for 2007 music: Times New Viking will be the shit. I'm in.

The obligatory year end list. Blah. Blah. Blah.

These are my lists, without rhyme or reason as to whether they came out this year or not.

ALBUMs:
Maestro Echoplex - Last Night I saw God on the Dance Floor reissue from Catbird Records

A Passing Feeling - Self-titled EP from 75orless Records (Yes, I know I designed the album cover - I said no reason - I can play favorites!)

Mission of Burma - The Oblitarati from ? I don't have it in front of me

Bonus non-album: The Of Montreal live cover show that my friend Slick gave me - much respect.

Most looked forward to in '07: The new Stooges LP featuring Mike Watt on thunderbroom!

BOOKs:

All three Charlie Huston books I read: Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things, and Already Dead!

Robert Polito's Biography of Author Jim Thompson, Savage Art.

Looking forward to in '07: Huston's two newest novels and finally getting around to reading Miller/Eisner.

DVDs/MOVIEs:

Superman Returns - loved it.

Serenity - solid sci-fi for the first time in what feels like ages.

Veronica Mars: Season 1 - still in the midst of it, but if it maintains or gets better I will be very impressed.

and finally, COMICs:

Infinite Crisis by Various, DC - despite having some big flaws, I still thought this was the comic I was the most excited about and satisfied with in years. Outperformed Identity Crisis and had a much better resolution, in my opinion.

ACME Novelty Library 16 by Chris Ware - Again, I just read it late this year, so that it wouldn't be too far removed from getting number 17. Love Rusty Brown; really really really love Chalky White!

Fell by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith, Image - one of two comics in the "done in one" format on the list. Although its been absent for most of the latter half of the year, the first 6 issues deserve all the praise they get. Creepy, disturbing, scary, compelling, but most of all, moving.

Casanova by Matt Faction, and Gabriel Ba, Image - the other short format book that I can't get enough of. Great art, amazing plots, kick-ass dialogue that consistantly breaks the 4th wall without being cheesy in the least.

52 - by Various, DC - simply the most daunting task in comics for the creators and publishers, this weekly series consistently delivers the goods like no other comic on the racks. Great, week in and week out. 35 weeks in and I can't wait for what's to come!

HONORABLE MENTION: Punisher War Journal, Vol. 2 by Matt Faction and Ariel Olivetti, Marvel; and Immortal Iron Fist by Matt Faction (see a trend here?), Ed Brubaker, and David Aja, Marvel; and finally, Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips, Marvel. All of these books had too few issues in '06 to count as best of the year, but all three are already on the short list for best of 2007.

Most looking forward to in comics in '07: The end of Civil War from Marvel out of morbid curiosity. The limited series has been so eractic that it is really hard to follow what is happening from issue to issue without reading the tie-ins, but the series also has a great baseline story and tons of potential. The artwork by Steve McNiven is phenomenal and cannot be beat. So . . . . we'll see what the last two issues have in store.

That's it for me - see you in the odd numbered year to come.

end transmission.

A link and an image

Here is the new FF movie teaser trailer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer! Awesome - I was really surprised by the comedy and family feel of the first one, and am definitely looking forward to this 2nd installation in what should be Marvel's biggest franchise . . .

and, an image of one of the FF's greatest covers by co-creator/madman mastermind, Jack Kirby:

Goodnight and Good Luck

This last week and a half saw the passing of:

Jack Burnley (artist of the classic Golden Age Starman)

Martin Nodell (co-creator of the original Golden Age Green Lantern)

And finally . . .

R.I.P. Joe Barbera

a giant of the industry - he'll live forever through his wonderful creations

More Ash/Marvel Synergy

This shall kick all ass! So sayeth the shepard!

The Human Spider??

Ash speaks about his roles in Spider-man and their importance

Gimme some sugar, baby!

Castle Speaks

from CBR.com:

PUNISHER 2

Actor Thomas Jane talked to IGN about what can be expected from the sequel. "It's more of a 'Taxi Driver' kind of a feel which I think we'll go for in the second movie," Jane said. "I think that's where the first one succeeded, where we were doing more realistic type stuff. And if we can, [we should] get away from the lighter aspects of the first film. Because I think that's where the movie failed."


I will be posting more later this week, with a look at the latest relaunch of

Justice Society of America, the first two parts of the origin of Jonah Hex and possible an end of the year round-up!

More Preaching

from Newsarama via IESB

Bevy of Brewings

click here for a look at the Fantisticar that will be showing up in the FF sequel, Fantistic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer . . . nice.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Garth Ennis' and Steve Dillon's Preacher has been picked up by HBO as a series to be written, directed and co-produced by Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) and Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink) - not a huge fan of Johnson's previous work, but I have confidence in the HBO track record for shows and production values. I always thought Watchmen would work best in such a format, and think this is the best avenue for Preacher - we'll see.

Finally, I have to give props out to Matt Faction this week. The writer has tipped the scales for great comics work in the last two weeks with three of the best books I have read in the last couple of months. First, Faction and Gabriel Ba's Casanova continues to play havoc with the comics medium and the Nick Fury/James Bond superspy genre. Awesome, and at a $1.99 cover price it ranks at No. 1 for value, tied with Ellis's Fell.

Then, Faction hits with the brand new ongoing from Marvel, Punisher War Journal (Vol. 2) - a book that manages to be funny, disturbing, action-packed and the best Civil War tie-in so far all at the same time. So different from the MAX title Marvel produces with Ennis writing the Punisher, but equally as chilling and dead-on in its approach to Frank Castle. Always one of my favorite characters, it was actually the original War Journal (with art by Jim Lee) series and its first few issues that turned me into a Punisher addict.

And last, but by far least, Faction, with co-writer Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Uncanny X-Men, Criminal) and artist David Aja, bring back part of the 70s best dynamic duo, Iron Fist in The Immortal Iron Fist No.1. This comic literally kicked my ass yesterday. Definitely Wednesday's best release (and that's in the same week that Loeb and Darwyn Cooke's Batman/Spirit one shot came out!)

Do yourself a favor and get to your LCS asap for some truly kick-ass comics.

Just Can't Resist It . . .

Shat-tastic!

Dark Constantine

two announcements went out over the wire today:

the sequel to Batman Begins, simply title The Dark Knight, hits theatres on July 18th, 2008. Boo-yah!!

and, Lauren Shuler Donner has confirmed that there will be a sequel to Constantine again starring Keanu Reeves. While I know there were a ton of complaints from purists, mainly that John wasn't English in the movie, overall, I thought it was well done, with an engaging story and one of the better performances of Reeves' career. I own it and look forward to the sequel.

finally, a bonus: The Punisher comes out in a special edition DVD tomorrow. Has its faults, but Tom Jane is simply deadon as Frank Castle. At least, rent it.

Holy Moly

If this doesn't get you excited, you must be built like Metallo with a Kryptonite heart.

Check it out - this ad has been running in DC comics and this version premiered on the back cover of the latest issue of Action Comics which was the first issue of Richard Donner's run as co-writer/plotter with Geoff Johns. The screen saver I made a few posts back is from the second cover of the run, and should be on stands at your LCS now.

Comics-to-film

Few quick hits:

-New Spidey 3 trailer up at ifilm.com

-Donner's cut of Superman 2 out on 11/28

-Watchman news from Zach Snyder all over the place (try Comicbookresources.com first)

-DC's 52 hit the halfway point last week and just keeps getting better. Weekly comics, man, that rocks.

-Jonah Hex #13 ranks as my comic of the month - finally, the first part of the bounty hunter's origin story - I have been waiting since I was sixteen for this!

Desktop Creator Zone

A Hulk desktop I made using the art of Brian Hitch which was used for promotion in the 2nd Ultimate Avengers direct to DVD movie.