I couldn't stand Mr. Heston's politics but he was a very good actor. When I watch Chuck’s films, it's one of the few times that I can completely divorce a character from the actor and his obnoxious views. So, I gotta’ give props for his talent, plus he starred in three fantastic sci-fi films, one them being Planet of the Apes, which happens to be one of my all-time favorites.
So long Chuck, I’ll remember you because of your many great movies and the fact that there was a time when you supported civil rights.
I put no link, news of his death is all over the net.
A lot of folks have been antsy for more BSG, and now that the last season is airing they’re getting their fix, but what does one do in the mean time? Well, I’ve been fulfilling my needs with the Battlestar Galactica comics by Dynamite Entertainment. The Battlestar Galactica: Origins title, which just finished its Dr. Baltar arc, was especially wonderful for filling in a lot of nice tidbits of Gaius’ back-story. What’s really cool is that folks involved in the production of the BSG show are actually working on the BSG comic books. They have inside information about the plot and will weave it into the stories they’re writing. Newsarama just finished up a five-part Q&A on Dynamite’s BSG efforts.
Part I (SEAMUS FAHE interview about his work on the show and his 4-part BSG Origins comic that delves into Gaius and number 6) Here
Part II (ROBERT NAPTON on his BSG Origins comic on Bill Adama, his thoughts on both of BSG incarnations and a Classic BSG one-shot) Here
Part III (BRANDON JERWA on BSG Season Zero set 2 years before the star of the series) Here
Part IV (OSHUA ORTEGA & ERIC NYLUND on their title Cylon War, which covers the first war between humans and cylons and it’s aftereffects) Here
PART V (Discussion of BSG in general, of a Helo/Kara three-part mini and a mini-series that deals with the final five cylons) Here
Not getting enough BSG? The comic just might give you more of that naturalistic sci-fi you’re looking for.
The very prolific comic artist, Jim Mooney has died this week. It’s amazing when you think about how many stories he worked on from the Golden Age up through the Bronze Age. He’s probably most famous for his time on Supergirl, but because he was very productive and reliable, he penciled and inked many titles for the big two. He had a nice clean style, and as an inker, he really made fellow artist’s work shine. For me, Mooney is best remembered as thee “back issue” artist. I was always buying up copies of the various Spiderman titles he worked on. A good Spectacular SpiderMan by Mooney was not to be missed. A significant amount of his output is collected in trades and hardcovers.
I love his work. When I say, “I wish comics were drawn like they used to be,” Jim Mooney’s art is what I’m talking about. He had a great run, and he’s left us with a remarkable legacy.
…With a nod to Heidi Meeley’s post about Mooney death for cluing me in.
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.
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."
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
* 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?
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...
