Happy Memorial Day!

Yeah yeah, it is a little late in the day to be doing this, but, better late than never.

I’m a Marvel...

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen these Youtube clips, but they are usually pretty funny. This one in particular is, well downright hilarious.

More cool Spidey stuff

So, Being something of a Spidey collector, people tend to get me Spidey stuff, one of those folks, is my pal Liz, who has thrilled us with her character Rasgal, and well, likes to supplement my Spidey goo-gaas collection by getting me silly Spidey stuff. Her latest addition to my collection are a pair of Spidey place mats...


...(to go with the other Spidey place mats she got me about a year ago).
Now I have a place to have dinner with all my Spidey friends, eh?

Thanks Liz (and I’ll read Rasgal #1 soon, I promise!)

Funnybook people

So, a couple of weeks ago I attended ComicCONN and, well, so did a number of superhero folks..

Talk about “Super” Girls

Wonder Woman & Friend

The Jedis strike back...

...and back again!

Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here!

The Iron Eagle has Landed

Yep, that's right, Iron Man now “lives” in my office. As stated a few weeks back when I was collecting the Iron Man toys at Burger King, I mentioned that I was going to come into possession of an IM “Standee” that the BK near my place was using during the promotion. Well, the promotion is over,and I just now collected the cardboard POP display. It fits nicely in my office.


Oh yeah, that IS a Blow-up Spidey in the background. I got that years ago from my buddy where I used to by my comics when he closed up his shop. Now Spidey doesn’t have to hang from the ceiling by himself.

Yeah, I’m a totally geek, and I completely don’t care.

More about the War

So, a few days back I ran on-and-on about the upcoming War of the Independents that my buddy Dave Ryan is magnificently orchestrating telling you all about the inclusion of the inclusion of Sean Koury's Bounty Hunter, and my very own Wülf Girlz. in this magnum opus, and, bone-head that I am, I completely forgot to mention the Mark Mazz’s King of the Realm and Shawnti Therrien’s Meth in the mix.

Both Mark’s & Shawnti’s work was on display in the first three issues of GWP’s critically acclaimed Psychosis! (soon to be reborn as Psychosis Today from Atlas Unleashed (which, I might add will not only also be publishing the further adventures of the aforementioned Wülf Girlz and my other on-going project, the resurrected Agent Unknown.

Mark’s tale postulates a world where Great Britain's royalty is secretly a race of bat-like creatures, while Shawnti’s character Meth is a tortured soul (who happens to be a vampire) who is in an eternal search for the vampire that caused him to enter into this hellish un-living nightmare into which he as fallen.

Both are powerful stories told by supremely-talented creators, and, should prove to be interesting additions to Dave’s story. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Dave plans on releasing the first issue at this year’s NY ComicCon, so if you weren’t planning on attending prior to this announcement, I would strongly suggest that you change your plans now and come on out, because it is going to be huge.

Anyway, I don’t want anyone to think that I was slighting my good friends and Atlas Unleashed collaborators, I — well — simply flaked. Sorry guys, you folk rock!

Funnybook City

Hey, I just now got the PDF from Main Enterprise for the Big Book of Small Press, which contains my short story, Too Much Coffee, Man! (with art by Jack Bertram). the book is a whopping 200+ pages of wicked-cool art spotlighting all sorts of supremely talented people (and, well me). I haven’t had a chance to read the whole thing as of yet, but just by skimming through it (to get to my contribution), I couldn't help but to be impressed by the level of talent in it.

Sure the book tips in at $18.95, but there are 214 pages and — while it isn’t yet available in a dead tree edition — I understand that Jim Main (head honcho of the aforementioned Main Enterprises) is making it available as a PDF download for substantially less (sorry, I’ve forgotten the price for the PDF, but I’ll let you know as soon as it is available. (That link above is for Jim’s ecrater site where he sells all of his other very cool books, and I’m sure that The Big Book will wind up there shortly).

In the mean time, Here is the cover off the book, and the first page of the art. To see the rest, you are just going to have to pick up a copy of the issue (either electronically or physically).

Oh yeah, not only was I was totally inspired by Shannon Wheeler of Too Much Coffee Man fame, but the most-excellent art in this story is (again) courtesy of Jack Bertram.

Girl Skout Warz #2 is live!

Yep, my online comic Girl Skout Warz is now online at Inkbot.net which is so wicked-cool, as far as I’m concerned. So you should go check it out and, well tell them how wicked-cool you think it is.

(Pretty Please?)

Let’s hear it for Freee Speach!

I’ve long been a fan of the CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund). It is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the protection of our First Amendment rights, especially as they relate to the comic art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals.

I was a member several years ago, and — for reasons that now escape me — allowed my membership to elapse. Not so any more. I’ve re-upped my membership, and I strongly urge anyone (and everyone) connected to the comics community to do the same.

Oh yeah this year the membership card is from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire.

Wicked-cool new Indy books!

So I was at ComiCONN this past weekend, and I managed to score a pair of wicked cool indie comics. One of them was from my good friend and Atlas Unleashed compatriot, Shawnti Therrien and the other is from by good friend and fellow CAGer Liz Ortiz.

I haven’t read either of the books as of yet*, but I wanted to let you folks out there know about them, and I wanted to direct you to the Immortal Gothic website where you can score copies of both of these books for yourselves.

__________

*OK, technically I have read some of Am I Immortal, but that’s only because portions of the book originally appeared in the edition of Am I Immortal, that was published by Free Lunch Comics. Shawnti has re-acquired the publishing rights to her magnum opus, and is releasing it under her own Immortal Gothic imprint. There is — however — new material including “Little Cain” which you have to read to believe.

__________

Not to slight Liz, this issue (which follows on the heals of her character appearing in an issue of Mysterious Visions. Liz is a wonderful Manga artist, who is going places and you are going to be pleased with yourself that you get your hands on this, her “early” work.

Light Dawns on Marblehead!

Well, it appears that some semblance of sanity has finally penetrated the management team of Wizard World, and they have moved the date of their NY comicbook show. Yep you read that right, This year’s Big Apple Comic Con will be held on Oct. 1-3 (instead of the same weekend as the previously booked NYComicCon). It was also announced that New England Comic Con is now Oct. 15-17 (in Boston), and the NJ Comic Con is also moving to a new date (to be announced later).

“We spoke with the publishers and their creators, and they worked with us to help facilitate new dates. They pledged their support, and we liked what they had to say,” said Shamus.

I’ll just bet he did. no one that I spoke to over the past several months could understand why Wizard chose to book a major event on the same weekend as one that was booked six months earlier for the same city. It seemed like a suicide move.

Well, I’m glad to see that sanity prevailed and they moved the date, as such a head-to-head mash-up would ultimately only hurt the industry.

I’m so happy I could carry a book!

No, really!

I just heard from my good buddy Dave Ryan — who is hard at work on his highly anticipated comicbook series, The War of the Independents — and he told me that not only is he planning on debuting the book at the New York ComicCon this year. Well, he also just told me that he is planning on issuing a trading card set as well, and, since my Wülf Girlz are a part of the series, they will also be appearing in the Trading card set.


Also, I just turned a prose Wülf Girlz story over to my new pal, Sean Koury (who’s wicked-cool character is Bounty Hunter) that teams the Girlz up with his guy.

Which is great news, as Rick Lundeen, the new artist on the Girlz adventures, has finished off the third installment, as well as done three fabulous illustrations for the prose novella I wrote. He also illustrated a single-page tale that is going in the Atlas Unleashed newsletter (all of which is slated to be out by the end of this year).

Yeah, these Girlz are going to be all over the place soon. Now all I have to do is convince Shocker Toys to produce a line of toys about the series, that will include the Girlz as well...

Dave, are you listening?

This toy has no dick

Yes, it’s really true, Mattel’s Ghost Busters, Walter Peck, action figure, has no dick (but then again, according to both Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Ackroid) and Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murry), neither does Peck (William Atherton) himself.

Dr Ray Stantz: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here.
Walter Peck: They caused an explosion!
Mayor: Is this true?
Dr. Peter Venkman: Yes it's true.
[pause]
Dr. Peter Venkman: This man has no dick.
Walter Peck: Jeez!
[Charges at Venkman]
Mayor: Break it up! Hey, break this up! Break it up!
Walter Peck: All right, all right, all right!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Well, that's what I heard!

Anyways, I truly think that this was the funniest dialogue exchange I ever heard in a film, so I just might have to acquire this figure myself.

Well, that’s just super, Man!

For months now, the heirs of the creators of Superman have wages a legal battle against DC Comics for the rights to the character, now it seems that DC’s parent, Time-Warner is looking to get a little legal smack time in of their own, and have filed a suit of their own against the attorney that initially brought the suit against them.

After months of discussions, DC Comics, a unit of Time Warner’s Warner Bros., filed a lawsuit today against Los Angeles-based attorney Marc Toberoff in an attempt to protect rights to its lucrative “Superman” property.

Warner Bros. filed the suit in federal court in Los Angeles after months of trying and failing to settle with heirs of the “Superman” creators, whom Toberoff represents. The media company recently retained O’Melveny & Myers’s Dan Petrocelli to assist on the case. Click here for a copy of the complaint.

In the suit, Warner Bros. alleges that, during their lifetimes, “Superman” co-creators Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster never attempted to terminate DC’s copyrights to the super hero and that their families agreed to lifetime compensation agreements. The suit alleges that Toberoff provoked the Siegel and Shuster families to repudiate those agreements, enter into new contracts with his companies, and seek to terminate DC’s “Superman” copyrights.

Apparently, the counter-suit notes that Toberoff sought a financial stake for himself in Superman by securing a portion of the families’ claims. This action exploits the “Superman” franchise “to the substantial detriment of DC Comics.” DC’s lawsuit calls Toberoff’s actions a “scheme” and alleges that they violate the U.S. Copyright Act and other laws “by trafficking in federal copyright interests and interfering with contractual rights and other interests.”

Personally, I’m not sure what all of this means, but it is certainly worth noting here, as whatever the results with surely ripple throughout the entire industry.

ComicConn 2010

So, yesterday I spent the day at ComicConn 2010, and while there I not only hooked up with numerous friends of mine (some I haven’t seen in nearly a quarter of a century), but I met a guy who just might want to hire me on as a writer (more on that as it happens).

Still, perhaps the biggest thing was that I manage to score two of the three missing issues of Amazing Spider-Man that I need to complete my run on this title (ASM #431 & ASM V2 #21). Now I only have to score ASM V2 #25, and I’ll have ‘em all (including Amazing Fantasy #15 I might add).

Seriously, how wicked-cool is that?

As for the rest of Spidey's (numerous) titles, I know that I have like 90% of them all, and once I’ve finished off with ASM, I’m going to hunt down every issue of every title (including all of his appearances in other character’s titles — excluding reprints and variant issues).

So, yeah, I’m pretty pumped about all of this.

Iron Man 2: The Movie

Yeah, I saw the film the other day. Went with my Brother, Brother-in-Law, and their kids (Dylan was still in school), he'll see it this weekend. Well, briefly, I really enjoyed the film (like there was a possibility that I wasn't going to like it, eh?).

Seriously though, I think that the film held up on all points, staying true to the nature of the comic, and followed from the first film, without simply repeating it. Plus (if you stay through the credits to catch the Easter egg at the end), sets up the next big Marvel film (due out in 2011).

Look for a quickie cameo of Stan Lee (in the beginning of the film). plus appearances of Nick Fury (Sam Jackson), and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), as well as the cast of the previous film (substituting Don Cheadle for Terrence Howard as Rhodey).

Me, I'm waiting for the Nick Fury film

Two more from the King

Yep, kids, here are the final pair of Iron Man 2 toys from Burger King:

a Cyclone Drone...

...and a Mark VI charm necklace.

I have to say that I’m actually a little bit disappointed that there wasn’t a figure of Whiplash. I mean the over-sized Iron Man figure that you build was kind of cool, but I thing that I personally would have preferred a Whiplash figure, but no one listens to me.

Yes, another Iron Man post (Sing it loud!)

So it is official, Iron Man 2 had like the fifth-largest opening weekend on record, so we can be assured that there is an Iron Man 3 in our future. So, while most of Mr. Stark’s fans are looking forward, we’ve decided to look back, and present Iron Man’s theme song (no not the one by Iron Maiden either).

♪ Tony Stark makes you feel ♫

♫ He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel. ♪

♪ As Iron Man, all jets ablaze, ♫

♫ He’s fighting and smiting with repulsor rays! ♪

♪ Amazing armor! That’s Iron Man! ♫

♫ A blazing power! That’s Iron Man! ♪

But then, we asked ourselves, why stop there when we can bring you The Hulk?



The Sub Mariner...



...Captain America...



...Thor...



...and of course, our man in webs, Spidey!



Finally, here is the theme song for the Merry Marvel Marching Society (of which I was a member).

Iron Man v Jonah Hex

If you’ve never seen these “I’m a Marvel, I’m a DC” (Done in the style of the Mac/PC commercials), you are missing out on some very funny stuff. Check out this latest one that pits Iron Man 2 up against Jonah Hex:



Some fun, eh?

The Official Index to the Marvel universe Vol #2

So it is now in, The Official Index to the Marvel universe Vol #2 and, well, I’m once again contributing to the series. This time we are indexing Captain America, Avengers & Thor. Personally, I am working on both Captain America and Thor entries.

Yeah, yeah, I jknow it is isn’t Spidey, but well, we do what we can. Plus, I’m sort of a funnybook historian and well, I do know morr than just Spidey, you know.

How cool is that, eh?

Oh yeah, I saw Iron Man 2, and well it totally rocks. I'll post my feelings on it sometime tomorrow.

right now, I’m going to bed.

Iron Man! IRON Man! IRON MAN!

OK kids, Iron Man opened last night and while I didn’t go yet (I was actually supposed to see it on Wed night, but that’s a whole ‘nother story), I AM going today. (First show of the day!) So, until I get there, I’m gonna lay on you the pair of Free Comic Book Day Iron Man comics that I scored on FCBD (which was last Saturday, in case you Droogs missed it).

One of them co-starred Thor and the other co-starred Nova. Both of them were fun and interesting reads, with the Nova one apparently pitched to a younger audience. The IM/Thor issue had the Norse weather god unsuccessfully battling fierce and unprecedented weather patterns that were apparently the result of a device initially created by Stark to “weaponize” weather, and (mis)appropriated by a bunch of greedy and self-centered multibillioniares who wanted to emigrate to the famed Blue Area of the moon and terraform Earth’s natural satellite for their personal enjoyment.

The Nova issue had the youngster teem with the Golden Avenger to smack down the Red Ghost and his team of super apes. The Apes themselves are being kept in protective custody, but Ivan (the Ghost), busts them out, only one of the apes (Igor, the shape-changing monkey actually) doesn’t really want to be subservient to his Russian master anymore and assists the heroes in stopping him. At one point Igor shifts into Spider-Man which merits this issue being listed in the Spider-Fan database.

As stated, both of these comics were available for FCBD, which brings up a perennial question I’ve posed, that why doesn’t Marvel (or DC, or whatever company is the bases for the new comicbook film), produce and distribute giveaway comics to be handed out at the premiere of funnybook films? Such a maneuver would (perhaps) entice patrons of the film to head back into their local comicbook shops to seek out the four-color versions of these stories, thus increasing readership?

This seems like such a simple marketing idea, and yet it is rarely ever utilized.

Talk about brain trusts.

One more (Barbie) for the road

Seriously, this collecting/completest thing is like eating a Lays potato chip, you can’t stop with just one.


However, now that I have them all, you can feel safe until next year, when Micky D’s will issue a new set.

Bwahhhaaaahaaaa!

I AM Iron Man (2)

Yep, I picked up more Iron Man 2 toys from Burger King on Wednesday and, well, here they are:


First up is a bracelet of some sort.
And then there is this really cool Iron Man that you assemble (it comes in that box next to him in the top photo).

The final two toys will be available next Wednesday. I’m still kind of wondering why there were no cereal companies that put IM in their packaging. Especially whoever did Spidey the last time out. Ah well, their loss.

For those of you who are going to see the flic tonight here is a review that appeared in today’s Wall St. Journal. My review will show up later.

Superheroes @ Taco Bell

OK, OK, I made you wait long enough. So here’s the lo-down on the DC Comics giveaways at Taco Bell. First of all, they aren’t comics (so we’re just a little bit disappointed), Still, they are are comics (though not figures or toys either), but posters; 3D posters, no less.



Yep, that’s right, there is a large 3D poster (3D glasses, and a pop-out poster where you pop-out the primary figure and re-attache it to the background, making a sort of a 3D diorama. All of which are pretty cool (and hey, they are comic-related on the cusp of Free Comic Book Day, and a trio of comicbook movies (Kick-Ass, The Losers, and Iron Man 2), so, well, at least they are trying.

Still, I recall when Taco Bell made the coolest set of toys (including a couple or three Star Wars sets).

♪ It’s a Barbie World ♫

Yeah, yeah, more Barbie toys from McDonald’s, but don’t worry all you “macho” funnybook guys, there’s also more Iron Man 2 (Burger King), and “3D” DC superhero posters (Taco Bell) waiting in the wings.

We’ve got Seahorses...

Tiaras...

And yes, more Barbie mermaids...

Also don’t forget to to buy your advance tickets to Iron Man 2! for it’s opening weekend this weekend.

Don’t get left out! (Watch out for a Thor Easter Egg after the credits.)

What you need to know before (or after) seeing Iron Man 2

OK, just like the rest of you, I'm totally psyched about seeing Iron Man 2 this weekend, and well, I just found this article, and — while I already knew much of the info in it — I strongly recommend that the rest of you folk read it so that you will become as smart as me. (Yeah, I really said that).

Oh, and in case I haven't said (over and over again), there are Iron Man toys at Burger King.

More on this later. Plus we certainly don’t want you to forget to purchase your advance tickets to Iron Man 2! for this, its opening weekend.

Don’t get left out!

Real-life Spidey foils robery attempt!

Yes, we know that that is sounds suspiciously like a comic book plot, or something out of an episode of The Big Bang, but we assure you that it is not. Spider-Man really did foil a robbery attempt and was assisted by some Jedi Knights who blocked the thief's escape attempt while The Flash stood by ready to jump into the fray


No, really, we haven’t gone off our meds (well we have, but that really isn’t at all a part of what of this story, and no, we aren’t (any more) delusion than normal.

This was the scene played out for real in an Adelaide comic book store when the owner, dressed as Spiderman, stopped a man shoplifting an X-Men book valued at $160.

Adelaide Comic Centre owner Michael Baulderstone, 45, spotted a man "behaving suspiciously" at the back of his Rundle Mall shop on Saturday and discovered the man had the book in his backpack.

"We had about 40 people dressed up as their favourite superheroes to celebrate International Free Comic Day - so he didn't have much of a choice but to hand the X-Men Omnibus back after a little bit of a scuffle," he said.

"One of the funniest things about the incident was that I called for people to stand near the door and it just so happened we had people dressed as Jedi Knights there blocking the exit. The Flash was there too.

Two things, First, I find this story wicked-cool, Spidey, Jedi Knights, and the Flash working in tandem to stop a crook, and Second It’s Spider-Man you effin morons! SpiderHyepheMan! When are you ever going to get it right?

Still, it is wicked cool, eh?

Heroes Rule!

Ion Man v Dr. Pepper

One of the tie-ins to Iron Man 2 is with Dr. Pepper (they also sponsored on or more of the Spidey movies), here is the commercial currently running. Tell me if you can spot the Special celebrity “hidden” in this spot.



Nope, not the guy getting “suited up” but the older gent in the background. If you said Stan “The Man” Lee, then you’d be right.

How cool is that?

Free Comic Book Day: Debreifing #1

Yeah, this is going to take a couple of posts, I would have posted about this on Sunday (or even yesterday, but, well, I had “Intertube issues”. Now, I’m about to run out (to pick up DC Comic stuff @ Taco Bell), and then go to lunch, so I’ve got to make this quick.

As you know, Saturday I went to the Bronx Heroes Con where I got to interview Dondie co-creator Irwin Hasen with my pal Mark Mazz, which was (needless to say) wicked cool.

While at the con I hooked up with a buncha friends and creators, scoring some very nice Indie books (which I’ll talk about later), and then came home to find a stack of some 30 FCBD comics t (and a War Machine Clix) hat my pal Paul Salerno from A Timeless Journey in Stamford, CT put aside for me, and I thanked him for his indulgence by spending a copious amount of funnybooks from him.

Then I scooted over to my (regular) comics guy and picked up my books from last week. Now — as stated — I’m about to jet to Taco Bell for their funnybooks (Thanks, Marc).

Then it’s lunch with my good friend Neil. The rest of this to follow in a new post...

Yes, more Barbie (get over it)

Because I know you love it, here is another Barbie toy from McDonald’s:

Get ready foe an Iron Man (2) Summer!

Well, this is interesting, it appears that Iron Man 2 has already made its international debut, and, courtesy of it's new corporate master, Disney, it already looks like it will be pulling in blockbuster-level box office Bucks!

"Iron Man 2" took in $100 million in its international debut this past weekend, auguring well for its U.S. opening May 7. More important, the movie will serve as a barometer of Walt Disney Co.'s ability to integrate Iron Man creator Marvel Entertainment, with its tangled legacy of licensing and distribution arrangements.

While we certainly hope that the Disney/Marvel merger-nee-acquisition it looks like that the Mouse House is certainly rolling out the red carpet.

Further down the road, Mr. Iger said he expects Iron Man and other Marvel characters to become "presences" at some Disney theme parks, initially through smaller attractions than set-piece rides. Again, though, the company is somewhat constrained by agreements previously struck by Marvel, which granted Universal Studios Florida the exclusive right, in the region, to create rides based on many of its major characters, including Iron Man.

Now we just have to have them fix that terrible, terrible mistake Joe Q. did with Spidey, eh?

Free Comic Book Day 2010

Today's the day!And here’s where I’ll be.

Enjoy yourselves!