Bye-bye Spidey, Bye-Bye!

While we still haven’t received official confirmation it does appear that the NY Post is no longer including a Spider-Man reprint comic in its Sunday edition. There was no comic in this past Sunday’s edition (March 11, 2007), for the second, non-hooliday week in a row, so I think that it is safe that we can assume the worse, and Spidey is gone.

What a terrible week this has been, First Spidey is dropped from the post, then Cap dies, and Aunt May is shot. I’d ask what else can go wrong, but right about now, I’m afraid to find out.

Could this be the Day that Spidey is gone?

Perhaps, because, after some 24 weeks on having reprint Spider-Man comics in the NY Post, it looks as if my ol’ pal and May Parker’s favorite superhero, Spidey is standing down from his (NY) post. Why do I say this? Well, a buddy of mine stumbled across this ad (to the right) and, well, it speaks for itself.

If I’m reading this correctly, and the worst is to believed, then I’m quite sad over these events. Mostly because I was really enjoying reading all of those old issues. (Plus, I was collecting them for my nephew Tony-o to read.) Needless to say, I honestly think that the Post could have kept the series going for a while longer — through the opening weekend of Spider-Man 3 actually. Still, I did enjoy it while it lasted, and I suppose that I should be grateful for that.

Oh, if you haven’t been reading the reprint comic, or if you missed any issues, I highly recommend that you invest in the series (click the image for the link to the order form). You’ll be happy that you did!

The Perfessor

It’s Another Day in Spider-Land!

Or rather it was a week ago when I landed this issue of the Spider-Man Newspaper Collectible series. As it is a week later and there didn’t seem to be a comic in the NY Post this week, I’m bummed about it (again) and I’m wondering what the cause it this weekend!

Well, I called the Post’s Customer Service line, and got shunted into their voice mailbox to ask the question. If you want to call and ask for yourself (I’ll post the info here when I learn what happened), you can call them at 800.940.7678.

On a totally separate matter, Marvel’s Civil War Event is over (finally) only not so much, as it not only ended with a lame, status quo non-ending, but it just spills over into the next phase of the event, Civil War, the Initiative, where we will spend the next year on the “new, permanent changes” to the Marvel Universe. Yeah, a likely story, I’m currently giving odds that a year from now there will either be a third phase, or the thing will simply die under its own weight, with everything going back to the way it was before the “war.”

Any takers?

Thought not.

This is not to say that some of the stories around the Civil War Event weren’t good, it is just that it was all for naught, as the ending was a major let down. Still, I do feel it necessary to point out the striking similarities between Amazing Spider-Man #538 and ASM issue #106. (or am I the only one that caught that, eh?)

Anyway, As I told you all last week, I spent last weekend at the NY Comicon, well, this Sunday at another (way smaller) con in East Hartford, CT. There (at the E. Hartford show, I (along with my good buddy Ed Traquino) met up with our fellow CAGers. In addition to the show, we had a short meeting that was videotaped by Sean Therrien.

Next weekend I get to attend the NY CAG meeting (which is held every second Saturday at 5:00 P.M. at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art . Is this the (funnybook) life or what?

It is beginning to look a lot like a Spider Easter!

That’s right boys and girls. Valentine’s Day is hardly old, and the Easter candy is already out in full force. (Truth to tell, much of it was out even before Valentine’s Day was even here.) Yeah, yeah, I realize that it is necessary to promo events prior to the event itself, but it is really getting ridiculous. Anyway, all of this is just a lead in to talking about how even our heroes are getting into the act. That’s right kids, You can now get Spider-Man Valentine and Easter Candy, just check out what I got for Valentine’s day.

Personally, I’m waiting for whatever candy holiday event is coming up next, as I think that there is probably a way to work Spidey and the rest of the Marvel Heroes into virtually any (every) holiday (hey, Why not a line of Storm, Black Panther, and Luke Cage chocolates for Black History Month?) Anyway, here is what you can expect for Easter this year:



Oh yeah, if you were looking for Spidey in the Newspaper today, his special reprint appearance was (once again) suspended, as Monday is President’s Day. I know, I know, what boneheads! Personally, I’d rather have the comic myself.



Ah well, I guess all we can really do is wait.

The Spider is Coming! The Spider is Coming!

I just wanted to remind everyone that Spidey 3 is coming soon (well, in three months), but soon enough. Anyway, today is Spider-Man Day in the New York Post day, and in today’s little episode, we are reintroduced to Spidey’s arch nemesis, Dr. Octopus. That’s right boys and girls, today we were treated to the first half of Amazing Spider-Man #11, wherein Peter Travels to Philadelphia, PA to track down the missing Betty Brant (secretary to grouchy old J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of The Daily Bugle.

Needless to say, this brought up an interesting point that I had never really considered until I began to reread these early Spidey episodes. According to official Marvel Cannon, Spidey began his career around the age of 15, which is about how old he is during most of these stories. Now, if Betty was working as a secretary for JJJ, then she was old enough to be employed (at lease 16), but I'm thinking that she was probably older than just 16 (why would the publisher of a great metropolitan newspaper have a 16-year-old as his secretary?) So I'm guessing that she was at least 18. Which kind of makes the relationship between these two somewhat creepy, if you get what I mean. (Plus, in this story Pete goes to Philly from NY by himself, what the hell was Aunt May thinking?)

Ah well, who knows, I guess that under the scrutiny of the modern era, the internal logic of these stories doesn’t hold up so well. Still, this doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of them in the slightest. So sit back, put your feet up, and enjoy the story of the Spider and the Octopus. I know that I did.

The Spidey Reprints are in! The Spidey Reprints are in!

That’s right boys and girls, the NY Post has resumed issuing the Spider-Man reprints. The current issue is Vol. #19 (reprinting the first half of Amazing Spider-Man #9, staring Electro).

As always, the read was refreshing, entertaining, and brought me back to my youth. Just so you all know, I’ve been collecting a second set of the comics and at Christmas, I gave the first 18 issues to my 12-year-old nephew Tony-o, who has gotten into reading comics over the past few years. Well, I hope that Tony-o is enjoying these comics as much as am I.

If anyone out there is reading this and wants to introduce their kids (nephews, nieces, grandkids, whomever) to comics, and want to be assured that the comics are going to be a) enjoyable, and b) “wholesome” then I would suggest the following Marvel titles:

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: This book is told from MJ’s point of view, and really doesn’t so much follow the established Marvel Cannon but is more of an off-shoot of the two Mary Jane prose novels that Marvel issued a few years back. Think Betty and Veronica with superheroes, and you’ll get an idea of what this series is all about. Writer Sean McKeever does a most excellent job in capturing teen girl angst in a superhero world.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man (also available in Avengers and Fantastic Four): Here again with the Marvel Adventures titles is a re-interpretation of classic Marvel re-told in an up-beat, modernized way All fun, all-in-one issue stories, where there is no need to worry about continuity or what has gone on before (or even after) these three series are modern-day classic stuff.

In all three series, whatever you generally remember from Silver Age Marvel is essentially true, only the stories place the characters squarely in the modern era (cell phones, computers, etc.) only these items don’t so much detract from the story or enjoyment of the books, but add to their accessibility. As far as the Avengers go, the writers freely pull from virtually all variations of the group, assembling a team that never really served together (including Cap, Spidey, Wolverine, Hulk, and Iron Man, thrown in for good measure are X-Man Storm (who was never an avenger) and Giant Girl (who is actually a Young Avenger).). Still, the stories work, and are quite fun.

I have to say that I’m really happy that Marvel is remembering (finally) that if they don’t do something to engage younger kids in comics, that eventually the only ones in this field will be adults, and there will be no one to carry on this great tradition.

Hopefully some new (younger) readers will discover Marvel and then go not only back and collect the older stuff (either in its original formats, or in the reprint graphic albums), as well as move forward, collecting the newer stuff.

As fans and parents, we can only hope.

It is a Spider-Man Day in the Neighborhood!

And yes, it is once again brought to us by Mr. Steve Ditko, courtesy of the NY Post whic is continuning to include 16-page reprints of The Amazing Spider-Man in their Sunday papers.

So, even as Spidey switches sides in the current on-going Civil War over in the current Marvel Universe (going from siding with Iron Man’s “Government” team to Captain America’s “Underground” team. While the switch didn’t come as any real surprise, it does mark the turning point in the Civil War.

I used this event to craft a webisode for SpiderFan which our nefarious leader, Jon Couper is choosing not to use (he hinted that he might use a version of this strip as re-scripted by him). Still, I enjoyed this version so much, that I’ve chosen to post it here. The art was clipped from the original web-strip (and then re-jiggered through Photoshop by me). The “South Park” images are from Chris Buchner.



Chris is also a member of CAG. and is something of a Scarlet Spider fan. (That’s him off to the right.) He’s actually an OK guy (for a Spider-Geek), but Hell, it takes one to know one, and I know ‘em all!

Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I still have to put up the tree, so I’m going to wrap this episode up. Catch you all in a couple of days!

It’s Sunday again (Naturally)

Yeah, here it is Sunday again, and I get to read the latest installment of The Amazing Spider-Man via the most generous contributions of The New York Post . Yeah, yeah, I actually have to purchase the paper (for a whopping .75¢ each, no less!) but yeah, I get to read the latest Spidey-Installment in their collectible reprint.

Interestingly enough, while this issue is continued from last week, it is also continued into next week, making it the very first three-parter. I’m not entirely sure how this happened, as the original comic is the same length as the other comics in the series. Near as I can figure, it is because there is a back-up tale with Spidey, and the Human Torch (as rendered by Stan, Jack, and Steve), so I’m figuring that The Post simply chose to split the story up in such a way as to spotlight the back-up story all on its own.

In other news, I was appearing yesterday at A Timeless Journey , in downtown Stamford, CT to sign copies of Psychosis! #1 I think that I did OK, I sold all four copies of the mag that the store had stocked (and added one more for Paul’s rack so he could still have a copy), and a set of three of Agent Unknown, the Renegade Press comic I created and wrote back in the late ’80s. Not a bad day, eh?

Here’s what I love about Sundays

Every Sunday, The NY Post includes another “Collectible Reprint” of an early issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. Each week, the paper issues half an issue reprint of thee classic issues. The story is by Stan “The Man” Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko (interestingly enough both Stan and Jack “King” Kirby have nicknames that have stuck with them until this day, but poor ol’ Steve never did, I wonder why). Ah well, no matter, each and every Sunday I get to read one of these old stories and recall with delight why I began my life-long love-affair with comics back in 1962 or there-abouts.

On Sundays, I run out to grab two copies of The Post (one is for me and one is for my 12-year-old nephew Tony-o, who is also a fan of both comics and Spidey), and then I sit and read the comic. Like I said, I already have the stories (in a couple or three different formats), but it still doesn't stop me form acquiring them in this way-cool new format. That’s it for now, except to say check out this link, it is a wicked-cool co-mingling of Our guy Spidey and the other Marvel heroes and villains, and Charlie Brown (to whom Peter Parker has often been compared) and the rest of the Peanuts gang.

Enjoy!

Spidey is Still Running Strong!

That’s right Boys and Girls, the Spider still rules the roost. (Has anyone checked out the new trailer running on Itunes? It is totally wicked-cool-awesome!) Yep. This film is going to top the other two as the comicbook-to-film to beat.

Yeah, yeah, I know that we were a bit disappointed with X-3, and Supes Returns, but I’m sayin it here and now that simply won’t be the case with Spidey 3. And, no, I’m not just saying that because I’m certifiable a card-carrying Spider-Geek, but because (director) Sam Raimi absolutely knows what he is doing, (and has proven it over and over again with films like Darkman, and the first two Spidey films).

Plus, of course, we are being treated to classic Lee-Ditko Spidey stories in the NY Post each and every week. In this week's edition, we have the second half of the introduction of The Lizard. I’m telling you that I grew up on this stuff, and I’m still not over it. Plus, I get chills every time I go back and read the material.

Yes, yes, I know that I have the original issues (bag and boarded) in my collection, plus I probably have a couple of three reprints of the material, but I seriously never get tired of reading them. Plus in this new format, I’m betting that Spidey is getting read by more folks than read his episodes the first time around. Yeah, I hope that this stuff continues for some time to come, as I just can’t get enough of it.

In other comic news, on Friday, I handed off the first new Agent Unknown script in nearly two decades to Mark Mazz for him to consider for inclusion in CAG #5. It features a pair of newly-introduced agents (not seen in the original, Renegade Press series, but who had been conceived at the time). To be sure, the script was probably written about 10 years back, but never typed up. Plus, I had originally written it as a 10-page story, only Mark wants only 8-page stories. Hence I had to trim two pages out of it, and still have it deliver the kind of punch I wanted. I believe that I succeeded.

Next up, (and even thought I’m half-way through a brand-spanking-new AU script) I’m working on a new story that I’m hoping will be included in Psychosis! #2. (Oh yeah, here is as good a place as any to announce that while I had originally intended the two young girls from my first Psychosis! story, Never Judge a Book..., to be a stand-alone story, I’ve discovered that they will return, in, not just one more tale, but a series of stories. Seems these gals have taken on a life of their own. As of this moment, Matt Ryan (who drew the first story) and Melvin Ylagan (who panted the cover) are interested in continuing along with me as we explore who these young gals really are.

Oh, but the new Psychosis! story isn’t about them. I have to get this one done first, but don’t worry, the girls are coming along soon, and I’ll let you know when they are on their way!

Is that cool or what?