Well, True Believers, the time finally came. a month before his 96th birthday, Stan Lee passed away. Down the Tubes has a couple of nice pieces: In Memorium by Alan Woollcombe and Tim Quinn’s piece “How to be a Hero.” Both of these pieces, as well as many others, recount Lee’s history, his start as a teenager working for Timely Comics (which became Marvel), and how he, as no one else ever had, came to personify the field and the artform. Buzz Dixon, in particular, speaks of the man and his problematic relationship with the industry Continue reading “Stan Lee (1922-2018)”
Category: Comic Books
How Lithuania embraced pop culture – NYLA
A few weeks back, I attended Comic-Con Baltics, a relatively new pop culture convention here in Lithuania. I was there at the behest of Nanook and their NYLA podcast to talk about How Lithuania embraced pop culture. Continue reading “How Lithuania embraced pop culture – NYLA”
MARIE SEVERIN Dead at 89 | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture
Marie Severin, who was one of the rare female artists at Marvel from the Silver Age onward, as well as an Eisner Hall of Fame member, has died at age 89. Over at 13th dimension they have a great tribute, with links to some of her past work.
Card Sharp: flashback to when Comic Creators delivered some ace playing card art for Childline – downthetubes.net
“Back in 2001, 65 of the world’s leading comic book artists illustrated a deck of playing cards to raise money for the British charity Childline, as part of the 2001 Comics Festival in Bristol.”
I had no idea about this, but as it combines my love of comics and my love of playing cards, I felt it was something I needed to let others know about. The whole story, Card Sharp: flashback to when Comic Creators delivered some ace playing card art for Childline, along with images of all the cards, is here courtesy of downthetubes.net and it’s great. It’s been 17 years since this happened and needs to happen again.
A True Titan: Six of Marv Wolfman’s Best Tales | DC
“Fifty years ago, an up-and-coming creator named Marv Wolfman turned in his first script, and though no one knew it at the time, the DC Universe was about to be changed forever.”
I first met Marv Wolfman in 1983, when he was a relative newcomer, having only been in the biz for about 15 years, and I was a 16 year old punk.
Since then, we’ve been friendly, we’ve broken bread and hung out and shared a number of laughs.
And he is defintely one of the formative writing voices of my own work.
Evidently, I’m not the only one who feels that way.
Elfquest and Comics without Superheroes
When I was a kid, and I started getting into comic books, naturally, my first inspirations were the superheroes. AAron and I would pull whatever was on the rack at the local Safeway, stopping for an hour or more on our way home from Kenny Guinn Middle School to sit and read. Continue reading “Elfquest and Comics without Superheroes”
On Superman’s Symbol
Over at Kotaku.com, they have a great piece about the changing emblem on Superman’s chest. As they point out, “the big costume changes over the decades tend to stick out—the mullet and all-black bodysuit after he died and came back—but the smaller changes that happen over time tend to be more fascinating. Now you can see them all in one place.”
Gosh, I love arrows.
This image is from issue #3 of Mark Gruenwald’s 1983 4 issue miniseries about Hawkeye.
For a long time, the phrase at the bottom of the frame, “Gosh, I love arrows,” has been a shorthand for me, for the lopsided pleasure that something small can bring.
In this story arc (and I highly recommend reading it), Clint Barton has a really bad day. The kind of day they write country songs about. And he doesn’t know how to carry on doing what he’s supposed to do. But then he gets some help and the clouds part a little bit. There’s a tiny ray of sunlight and he clings to it, fighting for every bit of space between the clouds until he’s standing in the noon sun again.
I think sometimes I just need this reminder. That no matter how bad the world is, no matter the set-backs personally or professionally, no matter the often encroaching darkness, that there are some good and happy moments. Small things that can bring a smile and let you know it’s okay to continue to fight.
Gosh, I love arrows.
Joye Murchison Kelly and Dorothy Roubicek Woolfolk are the first women to win the Bill Finger Award — The Beat
Let’s get their names out there! “Joye Murchison Kelly and Dorothy Roubicek Woolfolk are the joint winners of the 2018 Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing – the first women winners in the award’s 13-year history.”
On religion
Bloom County in Contexts « The Hooded Utilitarian
Best Books of 2017 : NPR
In honor of the great Icelandic holiday tradition, Here’s a list of some of the best books of the last year for you to peruse, think about, ponder and maybe, just maybe, if you have the time, read. It’s a list with something for everyone and easily searchable. And as an added bonus, they have their lists for the past 9 years linked as well. Enjoy! #bookconcierge
Comic Book Plus – Free And Legal Public Domain Books
When you absolutely, positively need comic books and pulp magazines from decades ago.
Seriously… how amazing is it that these things are all online and available for research or just plain fun!
Source: Comic Book Plus – Free And Legal Public Domain Books
A Virtuoso Graphic Novel, Painted While in Hiding From the Nazis | Literary Hub
Charlotte Salomon (1917-1943) was the last Jewish student at the Berlin Fine Arts Academy. The danger for her had become so great by late 1938 that her family decided to get her out of Germany.
This is an amazing, and sad and angering, story. What sucks is we’re STILL learning the extent of the damage done to the arts and sciences some 70 years after the fact.
What a different world we might have had.
Source: A Virtuoso Graphic Novel, Painted While in Hiding From the Nazis | Literary Hub
Toxic fan culture
Really interesting piece here about toxic fan culture. The writer references Rick and Morty, a show I’ve never seen (and to be honest, I’m getting mixed reports and have such limited time I don’t know if I ever will) but the idea of the Revenge of the Nerds seems so odd to me. Continue reading “Toxic fan culture”
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 