Random Comic Panel

Conan always has time for a good kiss!



From Torrents of Doom which adapts the 2nd half of Robert E. Howard’s Pool of the Black One. 1st printed in Savage Sword of Conan #23 and reprinted in Dark Horse’s SSoC collection volume #2.


-Swinebread

Pop Randomness

Caprica is a go. After languishing in development hell while turd piles like Flash Gordon get made in to unwatchable shows, Sci Fi has finally seen the light (the green light that is) as it has nothing in the pipeline. Interest in the program should be high as Battlestar Galactica will finish out it’s run this year and fans are sure to be hungry for a more BSG.

Set 50 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families--the Greystones and the Adamas --as they grow, compete and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe to toe.

“I'm thrilled with the chance to expand on the Galactica world and get deeper into the origins of the story we've been telling," Moore said in a statement. "It's also great to have a chance at doing a completely different kind of science fiction series, one that's even more character-oriented and doesn't rely on pyrotechnics to carry the story."

From here

Now we’ll get to see the first cylon war and the original toasters, Yes! (Don’t forget the new and final season starts next week)



Speaking of the dog crap that was Flash Gordon, it sounds like we got as close as we’re gonna’ to an apology from Sci Fi’s for their “interpretation” of the character:

(David) Howe says Sci Fi didn't treat the iconic character of Flash Gordon with enough care. In a few years, he says, the network may take it up again, with a fresh take and a bigger budget.

From here

“Oh, sorry we took a big giant dump all over Flash Gordon’s Legacy so we could try to squeeze a few bucks of profit out of a science fiction brand we ruined. We just didn’t want to spend any money on it… Our Bad!” Grrrr. It’s terrible shows like Flash Gordon that give sci-fi fans a bad rep in the wider culture. Plus, what also made me even angrier is that the FG actors were shocked that so many vehemently, and publicly hated the show. Hey guys? Do some research before you sign up for a program that totally sucks like reading the script.



I greatly enjoyed the last episode of The Spectacular Spiderman. They’ve really found a good balance between Peter at school and the demands of being Spiderman. Sandman was fun too. His introduction really worked well and reminded me of the comics. In the show, he’s just a thug that’s tired of Spidey bustin’ him every time he robs a bank, so he makes a deal with the super-criminal underground and “accidentally” gets powered up. Also, Aunt May mentions maybe Peter should take her friend’s daughter to the dance… some chick named Mary Jane.



A new Lone Ranger movie is on the horizon!

The writing duo, best known for their work on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, are in final negotiations to write a live-action big-screen adaptation of "The Lone Ranger" for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The project will be made by Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films in association with Entertainment Rights.

From Here

Wow, I can’t wait for the amazing CG effects, huge explosions, and Kung-fu fighting that’s sure to please western fans out there. Nothing says Lone Ranger like Jerry Bruckheimer. ….ugh…


Ever wanted to be knocked out and tied up? Of course we all do, but how many of you have also wanted to chloroform yourself as well? In a superhero outfit? I came across superbecca on youtube. She’s got a fetish site that’s all about woman, dressed up as supers, getting knocked out, tied up, and dominated. Take a look!



Here she is chloroforming herself



In what seems to be a very big precedent setting case, the Siegel Family has been awarded the rights to Superman based on Acton Comics #1. See Heidi MacDonald's take and links here. I guess there is a little truth and justice in the world after all.


-Swinebread

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #7.


Army of Darkness / Xena: Why Not? #1, Dynamite Entertainment. Hells yeah!

Battlestar Galatica: Origins #4, Dynamite Entertainment. Season 4 next Week…

Badger Saves the World #4, IDW. Man, this wasn’t supposed to be this good!

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #7, DC Comics. Insects are sexy…

She-Hulk #27, Marvel Comics. The Boobs Get Bigger!

Dark 48 #2, Digital Webbing. I knew I wasn’t gonna’ be able to get the first issue. *sniff*

Terminator 2 #7, Dynamite Entertainment. I guess they dropped the whole infinity thing in the title.

The Phantom #22, Moonstone. I like the character but I’m getting a little impatient with this title.

Marvel Atlas #2, Marvel Comics. Hey, where are the fake Australian countries?

Trade Paperbacks:
The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Master Edition Vol. #1, Marvel Comics. More fanboy OCD fun.

Way of the Rat Vol. #3. Checker Publishing. You know this is owned by Disney now right?


-Swinebread

A Modest Request

An immature goob on youtube didn’t like a throwaway joke comment I made on a random video. So this person, along with their friends, went through all my uploaded videos and gave them poor ratings (1 star) out of spite. They didn’t rate my clips based on the merits of the videos themselves but rather on simply being petty. Since my vids don’t get a lot of traffic this is a major blow to possible future viewership. If someone generally doesn’t like something I’ve posted that’s fine but to go through, systematically, and rate everything I’ve posted poor is ridiculous. They even downgraded the positive comments for goodness sake! I would ask my fellow friendly bloggers, if you have a youtube account, to please rate my videos with five stars, check the thumbs up on previous posted comments, and leave comments yourself. It would be much appreciated. Of course, if you truly don’t enjoy what I have uploaded, I wouldn’t ask you to comprise your integrity but if you feel inclined, it would be very helpful. I’ve mitigated the damage somewhat but I’m sure this person and their friends will return under other accounts to further push down my ratings so your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Link to My Account Here


On another note, here’s an outtake from my one my favorite documentaries Comic Book Confidential. This vid starts out with William Gaines of EC comics but then goes into a propaganda film about why Comic Books are an evil abomination. This was part of the big push to ban comics in the 1950s that led directly to the creation of the Comics Code Authority. Don’t let anybody ever tell you that the government and “polite society” wasn’t out to get comics.



-Swinebread

Portland Comic Show Once More?!

With the all the pop goings on I didn’t realize that another Portland Comic Show is happening … …again… soon… (April 13th from 10 to 5) I missed the last one because of my trip to Japan (Lady Bug filled in for me to give a report about it see here). This time I just have to go because Stan Sakai the creator of Usagi Yojimbo is going to be there! He’s scheduled to give a talk about the creation and history his famous Rabbit Ronin character at 2pm. I’m really excited about this because I’ve been such a fan of Stan and Usagi since I was a about twelve.



But that’s not all… Three of the greats from the "Filipino
Artists Invasion" will be there too! Ernie Chan, Alex Niño, and Tony DeZuniga (the co-creator of Jonah Hex) will all have tables to meet and greet. If you read comics in the 70s and 80s, you’ve seen these fine fellows’ artwork. These guys illustrated all kinds of titles from Conan to Batman and everything in between! It’s a real coup for small city like Portland to have them here. Check the Portland Comic show links and you’ll see all the amazing comics these guys have worked on. I’m pulling my hair out trying to decide what to have them sign.



Additionally, Kieron Dwyer, whose been pumping out a lot work the last few years, will appearing as well. Man that’s a lot of talent…



If you’re into Star Wars, the Dark Side Troopers will be present as well. They’re a local Star Wars costume enthusiasts troop. I’m not much into that personally but the kids sure seem to like it and they have a pretty cool patch. They promote several charities so that's very cool.

Note: this should not be confused with the Stumptown Comics Fest that’s on April 26th & 27th. Whew! Lots of comics coming our way!


-Swinebread

Jericho Thoughts

The Jericho adventure is now over with the series finale last night. I was sad to see it go to the point of clockwatching during the broadcast, counting down the minutes left in the program/series. The tone of Jericho was different the second time around as the plot advanced at warp speed but at least the main storylines were resolved as best as they could be for an abbreviated season. Much of the drama that made the show the first time around, which I in fact made fun of, was striped from the second season. Be careful what you wish for because I actually, *gulp* …missed it.

The final episode wasn’t a cliffhanger per se; although it left a lot of room for a continuation of Jericho should any cable channel choose to pick it up which is remotely possible I suppose. The series finale left us with the start of something very big and I was actually quite intrigued with where the creators had wanted to take the show in a 3rd season. I hope that at least a book or comic is published to explore this and I’ve got a feeling it will be.

Fans should be proud that their hard work produced a second season. So many shows get cancelled and that’s it. We got a few more episodes and a chance to say goodbye to Jake and the rest of fictional town that we enjoyed so much without the whole thing being left totally in limbo. Some hardcore fans want to bash CBS, and yes they made mistakes, but they recognized the fan base of Jericho was something special and tried to accommodate that. I’m mystified that the general public didn’t tune in when there was nothing on TV because of the writers strike, but at least Jericho has helped raise important questions about the dinosaur that is the Nielsen Ratings.




Things I liked about the second season of Jericho (spoilers):

The Goetz storyline was satisfactory resolved.

The fictional companies Jennings & Rall and Ravenwoond were the real bad guys behind everything, just like KBR, Halliburton and Blackwater are in the real world.

They spent some money on the series finale. A lot of scenes were shot outside and on location. It gave us a hint of what a full second season might have looked like.

Gray Anderson’s role in the finale worked out well.

I liked that Jake green looked haggard and dirty all the time.

The “Texas embassy” was a nice touch.

I thought Jake becoming Sheriff was a great plot point.

The New Bern plotline was thin but still present. New Bern’s the anti-Jericho.

Looks like a romance could have developed between Edward Beck and Heather Lisinski

I like the twists and turns Hawkins took to solve the mystery of the corrupt new government and trying to get the bomb to Texas.

“John Smith” made an appearance

I think that a couple of Hawkins trusted buddies showing up worked out very well.

Hawkins and Jake realized they had become friends by the end of series.

The start of a new civil war was a compelling idea, full of potential if a third season had been made


Problems with the second season of Jericho (spoilers):

I really don’t see the Liberal Pacific Northwest joining the corrupt Cheyenne government… without extreme force being taken (maybe there was but we didn’t get to see it).

In retrospect, killing off Gerald McRaney’s character, Johnston Green, at the end of season one was a mistake. That probably made older folks lose interest and caused Gail Green to become a superfluous character in an abbreviated second season.

The survival storyline had to be totally jettisoned in the second season rather than phased out over a longer season.

I know we need to suspend disbelief, but just having a few guys guarding the nuclear bomb was ridiculous.

Isn’t he Tenth Mountain Division based in upstate New York? So why are they over in Kansas working for corrupt Cheyenne government?

The budget was noticeably cut for the second season with lots of indoor scenes and not enough outdoor settings.

Although ten-o’clock on a Tuesday was a good time for me personally, I think it was a bad time slot for the second season.

CBS had a very quiet and confusing promotion campaign for Jericho Season 2. Plus, the whole 2 endings announcement made folks not want to invest in a show that was probably going to be cancelled.

It was sad losing most of the minor characters and their plotlines like Hawkins’ relationship with his kids, Dale and Skylar’s situation, Dr. Kenchy Dhuwalia and Jessica Williams at the hospital, Jonah Prowse roaming the countryside, and Maggie Mullen - did she make it?

All of the other love stories were lost except Mimi and Stanley (it was the best one though)


Missed/lost opportunities:

I had a feeling that Colonel Hoffman (from the end of the first season) was going to Jericho, Kansas where he would meet Gail Green and end up in a relationship with her. Consoling her because of the loss of her husband.

The second season was so compressed that I saw many events in the show that screamed to be explored or revealed over a longer period of time, kinda’ like Serenity.

The full second season would have shown more of what was happening around the country.

We never got to see the remains of any bombed city, which would have really made the world of Jericho seem like it was on the edge.






On a side note, I got a feeling those Allied States patches will be prized collectibles


-Swinebread

Favorite Marvel B-Listers

STEPHEN at Comic Book Weekness had a quick post on his favorite Marvel B-listers. Well here's a some of mine. Although to most folks these might be Z-listers.


Jack of Hearts



Deathlok



Doctor Spectrum



Starhawk (the guy on the top)


Adam Warlock


Dagger


Killraven



Machine Man


Gargoyle



Darkstar


Monica Rambeau (Pulsar?)



What are yours?


-Swinebread

Happy Easter

Every Easter I can't stop thinking about Bugs Bunny...! Maybe it's because of his cartoon titled Easter Yeggs where he takes over for the Easter Bunny.



He’s simply the best character from the golden age of animation IMO. Bugs is crafty, funny, and full of chutzpah, what's not to love about him? I feel I’m so lucky to have grown up watching his zany adventures. Bugs Bunny cartoons truly are national treasures and can be enjoyed on so many levels. Bugs Bunny for president! Bug Bunny forever! What’s Up Doc?!!!!!


On a serious note we shouldn't forget the REAL meaning of Easter as this comic strip so faithfully demonstrates.



-Swinebread

Jericho Cancelled a Second Time

The ratings were bad so I knew this was coming, but it’s still sad as it was one of the few shows I really enjoyed watching.

"Jericho" has been canceled, and no amount of peanuts will bring it back.

"The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale," CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said in a statement. "Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more."

The show was canceled after its first season, but was resurrected when fans joined together and sent tens of thousands of pounds of nuts to get the network to change its mind.

CBS ordered a second season of seven episodes which premiered on Feb. 12, 2008. Ratings never equaled the first season's numbers, and have taken a tumble since the premiere.

"We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try," Tassler said. "We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts."

Producers hedged their bets by shooting two alternate endings to the final show, which airs Tuesday.

One is a cliffhanger that could have led to a third season and the other ending is said to bring "closure" to fans.

But, sources tell the Hollywood Reporter, there's enough wiggle room in the final episode to make room for new life of the series on cable.

"Jericho" is a drama about what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion in the once peaceful town of Jericho, Kansas.

from here

It's an expensive show so I'm not holding my breath for a pick up by a cable channel. I'll do a post next week after I watch the final episode to sum up my thoughts. If you didn't watch Jericho you missed a good show.

-Swinebread

Women's Wickedness Month

So it’s Women’s History Month again… This time around I thought I’d list a few of my favorite Female Supervillians. OK, OK, I know I’m supposed to do something “positive” for WHM, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I realized that I just have to get it out of my system. Besides, these are all strong, proactive, and intelligent women so why the hell not?

The Viper (Madam Hydra)

This vixen, criminal mastermind figures very prominently in my early comic book reading experience. When I first got addicted to marvel comics, two of the first three issues I ever read from the house of ideas featured the Viper as the antagonist: Captain America #283, and New Mutants #5. Additionally, The Viper was also the villain in the first X-men comic I ever read issue #173. In all three issues, she was very alluring, despite the fact that she was stone cold crazy. Her whip, sleek body suit, green lips and half covered face (ala veronica lake) made her all the more exotic. Despite her obvious womanly charms, she’s clearly a psychopath and a terrorist. No one is able to work with her, not even the Red Skull, as her only desire is to sow destruction and chaos. The one exception is her teaming up with the Silver Samurai. It’s one of those horrid love stories in the mold of Bonnie and Clyde. The Viper is very scary because she’s the antithesis of everything a woman is “supposed” to be. She's evil, violent, and nihilistic… You never forget your first.


Superwoman

Superwoman hails from a parallel Earth where good and evil are reversed. So, essentially, she’s a bad Wonder Woman. Along with her buddies in the Crime Syndicate of Amerika (that are evil analogs of the main characters in the justice league), she subjugates her world through fear. I first encountered Superwoman in the pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. She died in that story, but I became very interested in her, umm… adventures and thusly bought up all of her previous comic appearances. Her and wonder woman tying each other up was awesome. The Crime Syndicate was just too great of a concept to let go of and so Superwoman, along with rest of her team, has been revived many times. I’ve always had the feeling that she was a perv/dominatrix type and Grant Morrison’s Earth 2 comic confirmed that. In Grant’s story, she lets a sexual deviant Jimmy Olson watch her change clothes, makes a pass at Martian Manhunter by saying she’ll try anything once, and even gets Bill Clinton lassoed up and on his knees. Wow, how could this evil Amazon not intrigue me?


Titania

One of the strongest females in the Marvel Universe, Titania, has always kicked ass and never taken names. She’s often seen fighting She-Hulk, another favorite of mine, which really adds to her appeal IMO. The catfights between those two can lay waste to whole city. Titania is great because she’s wish fulfillment gone wrong. She used to be a pathetic weakling until she took Dr. Doom’s offer for superpowers and became the ultimate bully. She’s always spoiling for a fight and can’t stand being beaten. She even had a phobia of Spiderman for a while after he handed Titania her ass on a platter. Ultimately, I like her because if Titania is around there’s gonna’ be a good, knockdown brawl. What also makes her interesting is her unmitigated rage towards She-Hulk. It makes me wonder if Titania has unresolved “special feelings” for the jade giantess.


The Borg Queen

Star Trek has always been mainstream, but there was only one time when it was actually super cool outside of it’s über geeky fandom (which I have been a part of to some extent) and that coolness came in the form of the Borg Queen in First Contact. She’s a controversial figure with some Trekkies because she changed the nature of the Borg, but for me she’s brought a much-needed sexy threat to the Star Trek Universe. What makes her so frightening is that she can strip away your humanity, and enslave you body and soul. Losing you identity in a powerful woman both repels and attracts at the same time. Besides all that, I had the distinct pleasure of being assimilated by the Borg Queen at Star Trek the Experience in Las Vegas, and yes, it was good for me!


The Great Tyrant

Sometimes in life you remember the exact moment you had an epiphany. A moment like that happened to me when I was watching Barbarella. The scene where Jane Fonda’s character meets the Great Tyrant the first time, warped my 7yearold mind. See, up until that point I knew that men and women did nasty adult things together but I never knew two women could do nasty adult things together too. When I watched the Great Tyrant lusting after Barbarella and saying “your very pretty, pretty” I was shocked beyond belief. The Great Tyrant’s scene is tame but after I saw it, a whole new perverted world opened up suddenly. I was very young, very intrigued and I wanted to know more… much, much more. That’s why the Great Tyrant will always hold a special place... ...in my loins….
Watch the scene!



Dark Phoenix

Before Marvel retconned Jean Grey’s death into the realm of ridiculousness, the Dark Phoenix Saga stood as a powerful story of absolute power corrupting absolutely, down into the darkest depths of the soul. Her decent into madness and cosmic evil is the greatest X-Men story ever told IMO. The rest of the franchise has been chasing this masterpiece ever since. What makes the Dark Phoenix so chilling is that she was a warm and wonderful person, Jean Grey the hero, but she was manipulated into becoming a cosmic threat that nearly destroyed everyone that Jean ever cared about. We all worry about the evil that exists inside of us but what if that evil took us over totally. This is what happened in the Dark Phoenix saga, and that’s why as a villain, she stands the test time despite the fact that Marvel has undone the consequences of this gem of story since it first appeared. If you only read one X-Men collection, read this one. Dark Phoenix is truly among the greatest of all supervillains and she reminds me of an era when comics were amazing.

Honorable Mention

Mystique:
What’s fun about Mystique is that I like both her Comic Book and Movie incarnations. In the comic she’s a strong, bisexual leader and in the movies she’s a sexy assassin/spy. But most of all she's got shape changing powers and smurfy blue skin. Now that’s awesome.

Terra:
The whole Judas Contact was another of those great comic book storylines and Terra was it’s malicious star. Her traitorous activities to bring down the Teen Titans proved her to be an especially devious villain. You gotta’ appreciate someone that’s simply been bad from the beginning but fooled everyone into thinking she was one of the good girls.

Catwoman:
I’m not all that much into Batman, but I have admit he sure met his soul mate of a sort in Catwoman. She’s, sexy, crafty and makes thieving look oh so good. Catwoman seems to have survived that horrible movie with Halle Barry, proving she’s got nine lives.

Queen Bavmorda:
When I saw Willow as a teenager, I was supposed to cheer for Madmartigan, feel empathy for Willow Ufgood, and enjoy the antics of the two brownies, Franjean and Rool, but you know what? I found evil Queen Bavmorda in her dark and dreary castle the most interesting part of the whole movie.

-Swinebread

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is War Is Hell: First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1.


Brave And The Bold #11, DC Comics.Ultraman! I love those Crime Syndicate Guys.

Red Sonja #31, Dynamite Entertainment.

War Is Hell: First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1, Marvel Comics/MAX. I’ve been enjoying DC’s Enemy Ace, so now I get to delve into Marvel’s WWI Ace (Phantom Eagle) with this new story. It features art by Howard Chaykin, who incidentally did a few Enemy Ace stories.

Shadowpact #23, DC Comics.

Jungle Girl #5, Dynamite Entertainment. A cliff hanger ending leads to a 2nd mini-series in this Lost World-like adventure.


Magazine:
Back Issue #27, Twomorrows Publishing. The Royalty Issue, great article on Dr. Doom.


-Swinebread

Game Geek Reviews

I just came across Kurt Wiegel’s roleplaying game reviews on youtube. Interesting and informative, Check ‘em out! See Here

This is his 50th video retrospective posted just last week:


-Swinebread

Beau Knows, But The Newsroom Doesn’t

There’s an interesting news story about Beau Smith, he’s a comic book writer I remember from his days at Eclipse Comics. Smith’s Beau LaDuke character was quite the redneck riot in Tim Truman’s Scout. Anyway, station WSAZ did a nice little profile on Smith and what he’s been up too with his career, but what really caught my attention were the patronizing comments the anchors use about Comic Books when they introduced the story. See Here (video on right side, has a commercial first)

Hey, comics aren’t just for the Kiddies anymore…

-Swinebread

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Have a green, sheen kinda' day! Remember everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day... even Batman!



Cover from Batman: The Long Halloween #6 (St. Paddy's issue)

The Long Halloween, along with Batman: The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One, and various comics from the 1970s, all served as inspiration for the 2005 film release Batman Begins, as well as the upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight. It is also a personal favorite of current Batman star Christian Bale. Dan DiDio has said there is a possibility for an animated adaptation during a Q and A at Wondercon.

from wikipedia


_Swinebread

Tagged by The Moody Minstrel

Moody tagged me here (scroll down).
The rules:

* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Share the seven (7) most famous or infamous people you have met. Or go with the original 7 weird things about yourself. Or with Sandra's change and list your 7 favorite writing websites. Lots of choices!
* Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.
* Include links to their blogs.
* Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I’m going with 7 famous people.

Bruce Campbell

Bruce was showing his film Bubba Ho-Tep around at various venues in 2002 to interest a distributor. Dean Wormer and Misses Dean were kind enough to invite me and the SO along. We waited for hours outside the Hollywood Theater in the cold to get in. Well, the gals waited outside as Dean and I got to go inside and wait in another line to do a meet and greet with the B-Movie legend before the film started. I had brought my DVD copy of The Evil Dead for Bruce to sign. While there, I decided to buy a hardback copy of his book If Chins Could Kill. I thought: “hey, why not get two things signed.” Well just before I got to meet him the crew told me that Mr. Campbell only signs one thing per fan. Oh well, I did want to read his book at some point.

Bruce was very nice and shook my hand and I sat and talked with him a few moments. As he signed my DVD with “Stay Groovy.” I mentioned that I really enjoyed his mini doc Fanalysis that was on the DVD and wondered if he was going to do another one. He said that they had something in the works. I never saw it but I’m sure it ended up on some DVD. I then blabbered some dumb crap about myself that he could have cared less about, but I was feeling ill so I wasn’t thinking clearly. I did have the good sense to say that I enjoyed his work and wished him well before I left.

Mr. Campbell was nice of enough to meet all the folks that had waited to get something signed, so nice in fact that the showing of Bubba Ho-Tep was delayed much to the dismay of our spouses waiting outside in the cold. Eventually, we all sat down together and, after a lively introduction by Mr. Campbell, enjoyed the film.


Erin Grey

I think it was in 1998 when Erin Grey stopped by Portland during a comic convention. I had a big crush on her when I was in grade school because of her staring role as Wilma Deering on the Buck Rodgers TV show. You know the one that was a little too disco for it’s own good right? Well, as the years went by I realized that she was the best part of that program (well, her and Doctor Theopolis that is) so; when she came to Portland I decided to meet her.

When I got to the comic show, I realized I was actually a little nervous, which was strange because it’s not like she was mega famous anymore but, maybe it was due to the fact that hardly anybody ever came to Portland. She looked great, Erin had taken care of herself over the years and she reminded me of one of those hot moms. I talked to her a little bit and asked if she had anything coming out, and she responded that she up for a role and she hoped she was going to get it. That made me a little sad because I think that Grey is good actor, but Buck Rogers typecast her. She was seriously considered for the role of Janeway on Star Trek Voyager. How awesome would that have been?

I bought a signed copy of one her Buck Rogers pictures and I also bought a copy of her book Act Right. Incidentally, it was at this convention that I realized the Portland Comic book show was held in really awful space, the basement of the Memorial Coliseum. I felt a little ashamed that guests had come from all over the place and were stuck in this dank, dark dungeon. And Sure enough, she never came back to Portland just like all the other media guests that have come for the convention.


Will Eisner

Yes, the godfather of American comics and the creator of the Spirit actually came to Portland once thanks to Dark Horse Comics. In august 2000, Things From Another World (Mike Richardson’s other company) hosted the meet and greet with the grandmaster. He was obviously in town to convene with the Dark Horse bunch and it was a simple matter for him to cross the street for the event at the comic shop.

I was having trouble deciding what to have him sign, but I ended up bringing the first two volumes of the Spirit Archives that had just been published previously that year. I arrived early with my niece and we ended up being the first in line. My niece didn’t have a clue who Eisner was but I hoped that someday she’d realize how special it was to meet him, although I’m still not holding my breath.

When Will Eisner came into the shop, he looked just like I thought he would, like a kindly grandfather. He was very affable and was very happy to sign my copies of the Sprit archives especially since he hadn’t seen them yet. When he recognized that Alan Moore wrote the forward, he examined fondly “Oh Alan!”

My niece got mildly annoyed because he kept confusing her name with the name of one his great-granddaughters, but I had great time. I would have loved to chitchat with him but the line was already very long. I had my picture taken with Will and I used one of those disposable cameras, which I promptly lost. Oh well, it was great to meet one of my comic creator heroes particularly given that he passed away a few years later in 2005.


Linda Harrison

Linda played Nova in the first two Planet of the Apes films which are part of my favorite Science Fiction film series of all time, so there was no way I was gonna’ pass up seeing her. She came to Portland in 2004 (I think?) to the Portland comic convention.

I hauled along my Niece again, she didn’t know who Linda was either but I figured she might watch the Planet of the Apes movies eventually. Linda was very nice and agreed to have a picture taken with my niece. As you can see from the shot, she looked great. I bought and had her sign one of her photographs. It was she, the cast and the crew from the first POTA film. Everybody was on the beach where they shot the scene in which Dr. Zaius gets tied up. When I later took to look at the picture, I realized that everybody in that photo was dead expect for Linda Harrison and “Chuck” Heston.


Cat Yronwode

Author, critic, hippie, and sex magic promoter, Cat Yronwode, has worn many hats throughout her life but I knew none of that when I went to see the Eclipse Comics booth back in 1985 or 86. At that time, she was the editor-in-chief of one of my favorite comic companies and that was good enough for me as a pimply-faced teen. Being a huge fan of Eclipse Comics because they published lots of different genres, I collected many of their titles and I couldn’t believe they were actually coming to Portland. Plus, I had read many of cat’s editorials so meeting her personally was something I built up in my mind.

When I first got to the Eclipse table, Cat Yronwode wasn’t there but she soon walked up with some Eclipse titles in hand. She commented to her crew how she was able to find some good back issues to add to their library. I knew what she was talking about because Eclipse had been flooded out a few years before and all their back issues were lost. Cat then sat right down and began interacting with the fans.

Now being a celebrity novice, I didn’t realize that bringing a ginormous stack of comics for her to sign was a pretty rude thing to do. But she was very cool about it and said something nice about what great fan I must be. I realized my mistake when Dean Mullaney, Eclipse’s publisher, said he was only going to autograph one title and suggested she do the same. She ignored him and went right on putting her name on all my Scout comics, Miracle Man comics and Alien Encounters comics (my three favorite titles). Then, when she was done, she handed me one of the Eclipse Comics metal buttons they were selling because I was such a big fan. I wore that button proudly for many years before I stored it away someplace.

Cat Yronwode became one of my favorite comic book people that day. She treated me so nicely when she could have totally blown me off. Cat didn’t and so created a very loyal Eclipse Comics fan. I always felt she was the major reason that Eclipse had been such a success in the 1980s. Eclipse Comics went out of business in 1994, but she had left in 1993. What does that tell you?

Paul Chadwick

I met Paul Chadwick, the creator of Concrete, in 2005. He was nice enough to do an on camera interview:



Mike Richardson

Mike Richardson is the founder of Dark Horse Comics. Back when the company was first starting out in 1986, Dark Horse always had a booth at the Portland Comic Book Show and Mike was often there. He was a soft-spoken, easygoing sort of guy that was happy to meet the fans. Nowadays, Mike’s a bigwig with 300, Sin City, and Hellboy, being huge media successes so he has no need to slum it with the little folk or modest comic book conventions that take place in dank dungeons, but this year he is gonna’ be at the Stumptown Comics Fest, so I think this newer, homegrown convention has, shall we say, arrived?


I’m just gonna tag Lady Bug… I broke the rules… sorry Moody...

-Swinebread

Tower Talk

Stephen King had a great discussion about The Dark Tower, comic books and Marvel’s Gunslinger Born/The Long Road Home series on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. Although brief, it’s very interesting. Check it out here

Copy from the NPR website:

To the delight of Stephen King fans, the latest installment in the Marvel comic book series inspired by his Dark Tower epic was released in early March.

The illustrated saga was kicked off in the graphic novel Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born, which introduced young hero Roland Deschain in the midst of his coming-of-age journey. The newly released Dark Tower: The Long Road Home, is a continuation of the narrative, with the young gunslinger on the run with his posse.

King collaborated with writer Peter David, consultant Robin Furth, and illustrators Jae Lee and Richard Isanove on the project.

"I'm just somebody who's always been interested in how things work in different medium," King says. "I have a tendency to say 'yes' to projects rather than to say 'no' just because I'm curious. I want to see how things turn out."
The best-selling novelist has written more than 40 novels, and his books appear in 33 languages in 35 different countries.

"Comic books are almost like movies on paper," King says. "They came to interest me as a medium because they exist in their own category."

It’s great because Mr. King is bringing new fans into the medium. In fact, during the discussion he plugs Y: The Last Man and gets one of his call-in fans to take a look at Vaughan's fantastic comic. The big news for me is that Marvel will adapt The Stand into comic book form.

-Swinebread

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is Serenity #1.


The Astounding Wolf-Man #5, Image.

Badger Saves the World #3, IDW.

Bat Lash #4, DC Comics.

Dead of Night #2, Marvel Comics.

The Lone Ranger & Tonto #1, Dynamite Entertainment.

The Last Defenders #1, Marvel Comics.

Evil Dead #3, Dark Horse Comics.

The Walking Dead #47, Image.

Serenity #1, Dark Horse Comics.

The Un-Men #8, DC Comics/Vertigo.

The Amazing Spider-Girl #18, Marvel Comics.


Trade Paperbacks:
Conan: Rouges in the House Vol 5, Dark Horse.

-Swinebread

The Incredible Hulk Trailer

The new trailer for the Incredible Hulk is out. The fact that whole franchise is rebooted is good news. It looks like the Hulk gets an actual supervillain instead of his dad and a giant poodle this time.

They can make the comic, the TV show or a combination of both; just don't make anything like the Ang Lee version. Lets hope Hulk has some Wrath of Khan magic for his second big screen outing. Also, there better be a "HULK SMASH" in this movie someplace!

Of course the Incredible Hulk has to be a success because if it isn't then we'll never get a She-Hulk. Shulkie would make for a fantabulous character in the next film… …and then they can do a Fantastic Four crossover... oh the possibilities.



Trailer:

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

-swinebread

Dave Stevens R.I.P.

I've been really busy but what news greats me when I get the chance to look around? Dave Stevens died two days ago (see here). Man this sucks. I love his retro style and his classy/sexy gals. At least we now know why he disappeared from the comics scene as he had been fighting leukemia.

I first encountered his work via Eclipse Comics. I’ll always remember his Airbody cover, which I picked up as a poster. It knocked my socks off but then anything he did was amazing IMO like the Rocketeer. I also have a Mr. Monster Poster by him that I love too. Dave was class act all the way and he will be missed by this fanboy. He was much too young…




-Swinebread

I had strange dream last night that went on and on. During one part of it, I was in a grade school classroom. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with kid paintings of the Avengers. They were very colorful and garish as you’d expect them to be and of course She-Hulk figured prominently in most of them (it was my dream after all). In a kind of booth in near the door was man sitting at a drawing table. Ignoring the kids running around the class, I walked over and sat down near him and watched him sketch. Suddenly, I realized that it was Jack Kirby because he was drawing pictures of Captain America! He looked like he was in his thirties but his clothes were something you might see somebody wearing in the 1960s. I mumbled a few lame questions before I realized “hey, I’ve got Jack Kirby here. It’s not everyday that you get to meet him, so you better ask him something worthwhile.” (Especially since he died in 1994). So I tried really hard to concentrate through the haziness of the dream and I finally came up with a good query. “What was it like to work with Joe Simon?” Jack seemed happy with that question and began to respond when the dream morphed into something else and thus I never got to hear his answer.

I must have been thinking about Joe Simon because I recently watched an old news story about him from last year during the whole death of Captain America thing. He’s pretty old now (but still sharp as a tack) and I guess I’m worried he’ll be gone soon. Jack Co-created Captain America with Joe, so it all connects I guess.




-Swinebread

Wired Article on D&D and Gary Gygax

Wired published an excellent article on Gary Gygax. It was to be an investigation into the man himself and the game he created, Dungeons and Dragons. Sadly now it’s a memorial of sorts.

The Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax
Editor's note: Wired contributing editor David Kushner visited Gary Gygax at the Lake Geneva Convention last July. We were preparing a package of articles about the father of Dungeons & Dragons and the upcoming revised edition of the game he created when we received the sad news of his death. We are running this story now in remembrance of Gygax and in celebration of his staggering achievements. Later this month, we will run the additional articles about D&D as well as excerpts from the extensive interviews used in reporting this story. We extend our deepest condolences to Gygax's family.

Dungeons & Dragons had a way of turning game players into game designers. The rule set was pure potentiality, and the greater the creativity of each dungeon master, the more the players could extract from it. Many young people found their calling while playing D&D.

See the full article here. Check it out.

-Swinebread

There Are Those...

I wasn't able to finish Moody Mistral's tag so here's a nice Battlestar Galatica remix I found to hold you all over.




-Swinebread

Spectacular Spiderman

Today is the big day… The premiere of the new Spidey Cartoon: Spectacular Spiderman. Two episodes were aired this morning to reel in the kiddies… *ahem*…and others. Essentially, what we have here is Spiderman done ala DC’s animated shows especially the most recent version of The Batman (which is currently running on the same network). It has that similar hybrid anime/western look with that “sort of” big eyes and exaggerated body shapes style found in Teen Titans. It’s very contemporary in tone (as it should be) as cell phones and interracial dating appear but Spectacular Spiderman also takes us back to early in Peter Parker’s career only a few months after he has received his powers and that’s a good thing because we certainly don’t want to relive Spidey’s origin again.

…the new animated series picks up the original web-slinger's mythology at the beginning of his hero's journey, as a 16-year-old entering his junior year of high school. Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity while engaging a new level of terror - the multi-leveled pressures of teenage life at home and school while combating bigger, badder super-villains in the real world like Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, and many more.

(from wikipedia)

I’m not particularly interested in the teen angst presented in the show but I have to admit for a cartoon, it’s well done and is mostly in keeping with spirit of the original comics. Not being a kid, I’m more attracted to Betty Brant and what’s happening at the Daily Bugle which only appears briefly in the first episode. The series does seem to be darker in tone than any other versions of Spiderman that have been on TV but that just might be because the animation style is the same as Batman’s. Regardless, a well-adjusted, sunny Peter Parker offsets any gloominess, and lets the zingers fly when fighting the villains. I have a few issues with some aspects of the design of Spectacular Spiderman, but folks that enjoy the half anime, half WB look will greatly enjoy it I think. It’s certainly better than the lame CG Spiderman they did in 2003. It’s a fresh start, so why not a fresh look. Marvel’s going for a franchise reboot with this show and it looks like they’ve succeeded.


What I liked in no particular order (spoilers):

Some of the scenes borrow many visual details of from the movie without directly relating to the films.

The Osborns have their red hair back.

Mary Jane Watson is nowhere to be seen in the first few episodes and is sure to be introduced later like she was in the original comic books.

The animation is very smooth… like it’s never been before in a Spiderman Cartoon.

Peter’s spider bite happened at Doc Conner’s lab. That helps speed up the plot without being hackneyed.

Aunt May looks like a hippy grandma and that seems to work well for this day and age.

Webshooters are back! Yes!

Interracial dating? This is a your modern Spiderman.

Peter wasn’t able to get a job at the Daily Bugle during the first two episodes, the plot is building.

Cell phones are used to funny affect during the show. My SO even laughed.

The show appears to have well-planned story arcs, that has certain appeal for a comic guy like me.

I like the little underarm web wings.

It's really nice having a superhero in a cartoon that doesn't look like he's on steroids.



What I didn’t like in no particular order (spoilers):

Gwen Stacy is the Beautiful-Ugly girl… …sigh

The villains have totally new costumes. I know some of the old outfits look dated but did they have to get rid of them completely?

What the heck is up with Peter’s nose?!

Peter seems a little too happy for a kid that’s indirectly responsible for his uncle’s murder… or is he? Since the origin is skipped we don’t know for sure at this point.

Spiderman’s Eyes on his mask change with his emotions, ah NO! Plus, they are a little too big for me. I like the mask’s older look.



Missed opportunities:

Now having the 16yearold Peter getting involved with Betty at the Bugle would be a real shocker… OK that’s just wrong, sorry…

Trailer:


-Swinebread

I’ve been tagged by Dean Wormer

Old Dean got me see here

List 7 random things about yourself that people may not know.

Link the person who sent this to you, and leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.

Post the rules on your blog.


1. I’ve been to Disneyland three times.

2. I hate Gambit… a lot! I dropped the X-men, and even comics for a long time after he showed up. He symbolizes everything that was wrong with ‘90s comics IMO. Plus, all the great stories from the 80’s that were adapted by the first X-Men cartoon series didn’t have Nightcrawler or Colossus; No, instead we got that stupid Gambit guy. That bugged me to no end; the Dark Phoenix saga with Gambit? Yuck! He didn’t show up in the first three X-Men movies so that was way cool although he is in the new Wolverine film.

3. Some high school chums and I buried a time capsule. I can’t remember what we put in it beyond a war comic that I didn’t want. It was a metal case about the size of small toolbox and it was wrapped in a plastic bag. I’m sure it’s long since been ruined by now.

4. My Favorite Looney Tunes character is Daffy Duck.

5. I’ve been to the site of the Dachau concentration camp while on a backpacking trip through Germany years ago, horrific but necessary in my opinion..

6. My favorite episode of Star Trek TOS is The Return of the Archons. It used to be Mirror, Mirror for a long time until after I became an adult and learned a little bit about how computers worked. I also love what it has to say about religion, and technology. “Festival Festival!” It’s totally cheesy and very deep at the same time.

7. I ate pig brains once…

I’m going to tag Heidi Meely (who never does my tags but that’s OK), and ah… anybody else that wants to do it I guess…

-Swinebread

My New Comics

This week’s best cover is Jonah Hex #29.


The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #1, Marvel Comics.

Doctor Who Classics #4, IDW.

North Wind #3, Boom Studios.

Streets of Glory #4, Avatar.

Army of Darkness: The Long Road Home #7, Dynamite Entertainment.

Jonah Hex #29, DC Comics.

Painkiller Jane #5, Dynamite Entertainment. Part three of Painkiller Jane vs. the Terminator.

Comic Book Comics #1, Evil Twin. A nice indie b/w on the history of cartoons and comics. See here.

The End League #2, Dark Horse Comics.

Savage Tales #6, Dynamite Entertainment.

Northlanders #4, DC Comics/Vertigo.

The Twelve #3, Marvel Comics.

Omega the Unknown #6, Marvel Comics.

Trade Paperbacks:
Chronicles of Conan Vol 14, Dark Horse. Roy Thomas’ last Conan work on his original ten-year run.

-Swinebread

Watchmen Characters Revealed!

Director Zach Snyder has revealed the first shots of the Watchmen for his upcoming film. The film finished principal photography a few weeks back and comes out one year from today.

Revealed in the photos are the five main characters and cast members, The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) and Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman).

The Watchmen will hit theaters March 6th, 2009

from here
The Comedian


Nite Owl


Ozymandias


Rorschach


Silk Spectre


They sure look great and are nice adaptations of the comic versions. In fact, I think I like Ozymandias' movie costume better than the original. This just keeps getting better and better. I'm more excited for this film than anything coming out this year.

I just got a strange feeling that that Watchmen will have this bizarre cultural affect and retro 80s will be very popular in 2009.

Sadly, this film and the graphic novel are more topical than ever.

-Swinebread