COMIC BOOK JONES

Buffy - Season Nine!

2012-02-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Whenever I get the opportunity to write about Buffy The Vampire Slayer I know I’m having a good day. As is no secret around these parts I am a huge fan of all things “BTVS” . If they could just integrate her into DC Universe Online I might never be heard from again! Well I have to admit that things have been quiet on the Buffy front for some time. The “Season 8” run of comics was entertaining but, with it’s emphasis on space ships, super powers and time travel, it just wasn’t …Buffy.

What sets BTVS apart from the likes of twilight, Vampire Diaries, True Blood is that it is NOT Gossip Girls with monsters. Buffy has always been about the arc of a young woman’s life. We started out meeting Buffy as a 16 year old high school student just coming to terms with her mission as THE Slayer while trying desperately to have a normal life with friends and relationships. During the course of the TV series we watcher grow into her early 20’s and become a powerful leader. Along the way she gained and lost things that had a lasting impact on her life.

The most wrenching loss was her mother’s death. On a show, in a genre, where death is hardly a permanent state of affairs we were slapped in the face with just how final death really is. Joyce Summers did not die from a Vampire attack or being eaten by a demon. She died from a brain aneurism. Here one moment, gone the next. She left Buffy, barely out of childhood herself, to raise her sister while still having to live up to her everyday responsibilities for saving the world. Except for the saving the world part, this is an all too common state of affairs in the real world.
This is Buffy at it’s best. An allegory for real life.

I am happy to report that Buffy has returned to her roots in “Season 9”, issue #6

Buffy is pregnant.

Buffy has decided to have an abortion.

These are serious issues in the real world and, Vampires notwithstanding, this conflict drives the narrative and will throughout “Season 9”. In issue #6 Buffy faces the fact of her pregnancy and seeks out the advice of her friends on what to do. A part of her very much wants to have this child. But how will being the child of The Slayer even work? Of course she asks the son of an actual Slayer, Robin (Principal) Woods, whose mom was Nikki Woods, a Slayer killed by Spike in New York in the late 70’s. He believes that Buffy would make a great parent despite the fact of her calling. He believes that, while HIS mother ultimately failed as a parent, Buffy will succeed. So we hear that side of the argument.

However, like many young women in the same situation, Buffy just is not ready to be a parent. So she decides to have an abortion and goes to Spike for support. Being her friend and sometimes paramour, Spike agrees to be there for her. Complicated? Yup. Not very vampire oriented.

THAT is what makes this a relevant character and universe. Like Star Trek, Buffy is less about the villain of the week than it is about ideas and people. It’s about making choices when there are NO right answers. I the original Star trek episode “A Private Little War” Kirk makes the morally ambiguous decision to arm a peaceful group of “hill people” because the Klingons have armed the “towns people” who are threatening to wipe out the entire civilization. Kirk plays a balance of power game that preserves both sides. It is the same moral dilemma that the United States was facing at the time in Viet Nam.

There was no right answer for Kirk.

There is no right answer for Buffy.

That makes great drama and compelling storytelling.

Welcome back Buffy. I missed you.

That’s 30!

Mitch

Coldfire's Laws

2012-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Some Random Comic Book Observations

My last few columns have been of the more hard core collecting nature. So this week I thought I’d just jot down some observations I have as a comic book reader. Or as I like to refer to them, Coldfire’s Laws:
Coldfire’s Law #1:

Superheroes never need to use the toilet during a fight. (or any other time now that I think of it) This may be their greatest superpower as the rest of us almost always have to pull over during long drives.

Coldfire’s Law #2

If you live in close proximity (or even on the same planet) to a Superhero, you really need to take out insurance against property damage. Don’t these guys ever take it “outside”?

Coldfire’s Law #3

Spandex looks a WHOLE lot better on Superheroes than fans. Just go to any ComicCon if you don’t believe me.

Coldfire’s Law #4

In any fight between ANY two characters, Batman wins because well… he’s the G*D D***ED Batman! Sorry Wolverine fans, live with it.

Coldfire’s Law #5

Women in comics defy gravity in more ways than one.

Coldfire’s Law #6

Aquaman gets no respect. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of superheroes.

Coldfire’s Law #7

If you collect comics long enough you WILL run out of living space. Be prepared to displace your family at a moment’s notice in order to keep your collection intact. Kicking your loved ones to the street IS cruel but would you REALLY rather get rid of your entire run of Walking Dead? Nuff said.

Coldfire’s Law #8

The citizens of Metropolis are stupid on a GALACTIC scale. How else can you explain the fact that no one has ever noticed that Clark Kent and Superman are the only men in the city with blue hair? (There are a few 70+ little old ladies and high school COS players sporting blue hair but they don’t count)

Coldfire’s Law #9

Spiderman, Batman, Daredevil and any other hero or villain who SWINGS at the end of any sort of line MUST be using a helicopter service. What else could they POSSIBLY be swinging from??

Coldfire’s Law #10

The Green Lantern Corps is the coolest Superhero Group because they have an actual BAR on OA. You never see the JLA or Avengers tossing a few back at the Galactus Bar And Grill.

Coldfire’s Law #11

“It’s Clobberin Time!” and “SNIKT!”… Timeless

“Avengers Assemble” and “Imperious Rex”…MEH… I mean seriously “Imperious Rex?” what does that even mean!?!? And how intimidating is “Assemble”? Might as well be “Avengers Mill About” or “Avengers Mingle”…sigh

And…

That’s 30!

Mitch

The Prices HAVE gone up you know!

2012-02-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I decided to archive some of my 20,000 comic books so that my wife would continue to allow me to live in the house…or actually live PERIOD! This process involved identifying books that I could pack away because they are a) from discontinued series or b) crap. I segregated the books from the active population of books, put them in new comic boxes which I then shrink wrapped and stacked neatly on a pallet in the corner of my basement. Said stack reaching nearly to the ceiling. This left me with six boxes of ‘active” comics that I would need for filing purposes as new issues were released. Nice and organized.

However, as any hard core collector will tell you, when you undertake this sort of activity you also spend a lot of time “rummaging” . So I spent as much time flipping through my collection as I did actually ding any work. During my rummaging rampage I came across a copy of the Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide from 1990-1991 (#20) . I began to flip through the book and here are some of the prices of key books as they were some 20 years ago:

Superman 1 $ 26,000.00
Batman 1 $ 14,500.00
Detective 27 $ 32,500.00
Amazing Spiderman 1 $ 2,750.00
Fantastic Four 1 $ 2,650.00
Archie 1 $ 2,000.00
Action 1 $ 32,500.00
Action 252 $ 360.00
X-Men 1 $ 990.00
TOS (1st Iron Man) 39 $ 875.00

Then just for kicks I reached across and grabbed a copy of the 39th edition from roughly 20 years later (We are now on Edition #41 but #39 was closer to a flat 20 years, though not exact). Here is what I found.

Superman 1 $ 440,000.00
Batman 1 $ 215,000.00
Detective 27 $ 1,500,000.00
Amazing Spiderman 1 $ 44,000.00
Fantastic Four 1 $ 52,000.00
Archie 1 $ 38,000.00
Action 1 $ 2,160,000.00
Action 252 $ 4,500.00
X-Men 1 $ 22,000.00
TOS (1st Iron Man) 39 $ 15,000.00

Bear in mind that the more current prices on Action #1 and Detective #27 reflect recent auctions. Again not EXACT numbers but pretty close.
Now check out the percentage jumps over 20 years:

Superman 1 $ 26,000.00 $ 440,000.00 1692%
Batman 1 $ 14,500.00 $ 215,000.00 1483%
Detective 27 $ 32,500.00 $ 1,500,000.00 4615%
Amazing Spiderman 1 $ 2,750.00 $ 44,000.00 1600%
Fantastic Four 1 $ 2,650.00 $ 52,000.00 1962%
Archie 1 $ 2,000.00 $ 38,000.00 1900%
Action 1 $ 32,500.00 $ 2,160,000.00 6646%
Action 252 $ 360.00 $ 4,500.00 1250%
X-Men 1 $ 990.00 $ 22,000.00 2222%
TOS (1st Iron Man) 39 $ 875.00 $ 15,000.00 1714%

Every one of these books jumped over ONE THOUSAND PERCENT in two decades. HUGE!

Does this mean that your beloved books will jump in value a thousand fold over the next 20 years? A thousand times NOT LIKELY! These were KEY books in iconic titles. In many cases these books were UNDER priced in 1990.
So what happened?

In short, the internet happened. With the proliferation of online auction sites (not just Ebay) dedicated to our hobby, these books became more available to a wider audience of prospective buyers. These auctions naturally created competition for key books and hence the price jumps. In fact the more recent prices in the tables above have actually gone UP over the past couple of years. In the case of books like Action #1 and Detective #27, every time they come to auction the values spike up even higher. And they are not the only books to see this trend. Recent auctions of Tales Of Suspense #39, Archie Comics #1 and the rest of the list have ALL seen multiples of guide value at auction.

So what else happened?

CGC happened. With the advent of professional grading services that have created an “impartial” grading system, high grade examples of these books IN CGC SLABS have resulted in huge price increases over similar grade “raw” unslabbed books.

What does this mean to the collector who wants to engage in long term investment?

You need money to MAKE money. You have a very good shot at making money over time provided you have the large amount of cash needed to actually BUY a copy of Amazing Spiderman in decent grade. Unfortunately not many of us has 40K to pony up for an old Spidey comic.

You COULD speculate on a book or books that you believe will increase over time. This has the advantage of being cheaper. But speculation is highly…speculative and you are more likely to see your comics DROP in value over time. In fact MOST comics either stay “flat” or decrease in value.

Still want to invest. Well I warned you! BUT if you must your best chance to make money is by watching and recognizing trends. Knowledge is very definitely power. Scour the auction sites and watch which books are gaining in value but still in your range. (Bronze Age books are currently enjoying a nice bump along with continued growth in Silver Age. Golden Age is SO expensive that a lot of those books are flattening out). Keep track of your own investment in terms of dollars and the SECOND you see a flattening or downward trend it is time to sell. You probably won’t realize PEAK profits but you should at least get out breaking even or even making a little.
REMEMBER you do NOT have the inside information that hard core dealers do so you are going to be a lot more reactive than they are.

Do SELL books you want to dump when that character is being featured in an upcoming or hit motion picture. The prices peak nicely as the film gets closer to release.

Do not BUY that character currently being featured in a hit movie. The price WILL drop again. (See WATCHMAN.)

Also stay away from any long term investment in MODERN AGE books. If you must speculate in them, SELL FAST. The values WILL drop quickly after a spike. Don’t believe me/ try selling that New 52 Sketch variant of Justice League #1 that was going for $250 a few months ago and see what your return is.

Speculating CAN be fun and even a little profitable. I do it myself! But I treat it kind of like a trip to Atlantic City or buying a scratch off. I never gamble with money I can’t afford to lose. So if I DO lose on a comic investment I still had fun playing the game.

Of course I have more fun…rummaging through my comics.

That’s 30!

Mitch

MARLON BRANDO RETIREMENT CEREMONY AND NEW $5 & $10 COUPON INAUGURATION!

2012-01-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

His time was well served but there comes a time when one must step down. Marlon Brando, who once appeared on our $5 coupon and currently graces our $10 coupon will be officially retired on Friday, January 27th. We will raise his banner to the rafters and usher in a new celebrity. Who will it be!? It's one of the most guarded secrets of the store and everyone always has their say but there can only be one! So, join us on Friday, January 27th @ 9pm after regular store hours for some food, drinks and a special sale to commemorate the occasion. Be the first to see the Marlon Brando and the new $5 & $10 coupons! Everyone in attendance will be the first to receive the new $5 coupon with any purchase!

The Quest!

2012-01-26T15:22:00.000-08:00

I have been using the internet since well before the advent of web browsers, Google, Facebook or Hulu. I go back to the days when you had to drop your telephone into a special cradle in order to log on to various internet bulletin boards where you could do…not much actually. It was more the idea of being there than what you could do that drove a lot of first generation geeks to dip their toes into the antediluvian mire that was the internet. So you would think I’d be a little jaded by the experience of going online.

But no! I am still blown away by the sheer volume of …STUFF out there.
Case in point. During a slow moment today I casually entered “Stamp Day For Superman” into Google. This little known, little seen, never aired episode of “The Adventures of Superman” was made in 1954 for the US Department of Treasury to promote the sale of US Saving Stamps and was shown to grad school students during assembly (an ancient ritual where young students were herded into a large meeting place to be bored into a comatose like state. This function has since been replaced by Pokemon and Barney as well as the Twilight series).

But I digress!

Stamp Day For Superman is the perfect illustration of how so many things are easily available today. I got 170,000 hits! Including multiple links to this public domain video.
Now strap into your Legion Of Superhero Time Bubbles (US. Pat. Pending) and follow me into the mists of time as we travel back to

1977…1977…1977…1977……

(by the way, why does time have to be so…Misty? All that mist leaves a film on the Time Bubble!)

But I digress yet again!

Disco was king! Reggie Bars rotted our teeth! Hair was big! And skirts were (ugh!) long! Farrah was the female ideal and Ali was (still) The Greatest.
In other words perhaps the dullest decade….well…ever.

BUT, we didn’t have the internet as you younguns know it. Stamp Day For Superman had not been seen since the 1950’s and all that Superman fans like myself knew about it was that this was a “lost” episode of our beloved George Reeves portraying the Man of Steel! It became the “holy grail” of Superman episodes. I would track down leads in fanzines that promised grainy super 8 prints. I would go to Comic shows scouring dealers tables for a copy. I KNEW it existed. So did dealers. But no one had ever actually SEEN it! I even contacted schools to see if they had old prints in some janitor’s closet that had not been opened since the Eisenhower administration.

BUPKIS! NADA!! ZIPPO!!! I had an easier time getting DATES than finding that $%#@# superman episode.

And THAT was the fun of it! The hunt! The Quest! I was NOT easy to find and so getting it was an end in itself.

When I FINALLY tracked down a copy two years after my quest begun I was ecstatic! I held it in my hands. A single Super 8 reel of film in a yellowing envelope. It cost me maybe $50. Which was not cheap in 1979. But I didn’t care. Stamp Day for Superman! I don’t believe it!!!
And…it….was….MINE!

And…it…SUCKED!!! (well not really. It was just this 18 minute commercial for US Saving Stamps and geared to 8 year olds but George was his Super self!)

But it didn’t matter. I had seen my quest to the end and emerged victorious!
Not fast forward to…today. Google search. BOOM. Watching it on my desk top.
Convenient. I would not trade this accessibility for anything…

But sometimes I still miss the hunt.

That’s 30!

Mitch

The Almost End Of Batman

2012-01-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

Even the most loyal advocates of the Last Son Of Krypton (ie: SUPERMAN!), are forced to admit that it is Batman who is clearly DC’s most popular and visible character. (Sorry GL but that’s the way it is!). However, it may surprise you to learn that this was not always so. In fact there was a time that DC seriously considered canceling Batman and Detective altogether.

Batman’s early characterization as a creature of the night, a dark avenger had already been eroded by the introduction of Robin The Boy Wonder in Detective Comics #38 (1940).

It was thought that Batman needed something to make him more accessible to children (the core audience of comics at the time) and also give the writers someone that batman could talk to. In short order the covers depicting a grim and frightening Batman were replaced by a cheerful and swashbuckling character who more resembled Douglas Fairbanks’ Zorro than the Dark Knight. This was a radical departure from the core of the character but, despite this change, Batman remained extremely popular during the war years (1941-1945).

Batman would see his popularity erode in part as a result of the overall waning interest in Superhero characters after WWII. However he was almost destroyed by an enemy more dangerous than The Joker…Dr. Fredric Wertham.
Batman comics were among those criticized when the comic book industry came under scrutiny with the publication of psychologist Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent in 1954. Wertham suggested that Batman comics contained homosexual overtones and argued that Batman and Robin were portrayed as lovers. (it is hard to believe in these more enlightened times when Batwoman, a proud gay woman stars in her own popular book, that homosexuality was seen as a threat!)

Before

Wertham's criticisms raised a public outcry during the 1950s. DC’s response was to create a light hearted fantasy based Batman in the postwar years intensified after the introduction of the Comics Code. Batwoman (in 1956) and the Bat-Girl (in 1961) were introduced in part to refute the allegation that Batman and Robin were gay. Add Batmite, Ace the Bathound (I kid you not!), Vicky Vale and the stories were more of a copy of “The Superman Family” which had revitalized DC’s other franchise character. Batman spent more time in Sci-fi adventures than in Gotham. Obviously this break with the core character did not have the desired result and his popularity continued to decline.

By 1964 Batman had hit his low point and DC was left with a choice bring Batman up to date with the rest of the line or cancel the books entirely.
Editor Julius Schwartz was assigned to the Batman titles. He presided over drastic changes, beginning with 1964's Detective Comics #327 (May 1964), which was cover-billed as the "New Look". Schwartz introduced changes designed to make Batman more contemporary, and to return him to more detective-oriented stories. He brought in artist Carmine Infantino to help overhaul the character. The Batmobile was redesigned, and Batman's costume was modified to incorporate a yellow ellipse behind the bat-insignia. The space aliens and characters of the 1950s were set aside. Batman's butler Alfred was killed off and a new female relative for the Wayne family, Aunt Harriet, came to live with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.

and after

This new sleeker Batman, more grounded in a “real” world along with the runaway success of the Batman TV series gave Batman a short term spike in popularity which saw circulation of Batman and Detective peak at 900,000 copies a month. Once the Batcraze of the 1960’s subsided, so did the sales of the books. However Swartz and Infantino laid the groundwork that would lead to a gradual move back to the core “Dark Knight” of the 1940’s that began with the wok of Neal Adams and Denny O’Neil, through Marshal Rogers and Steve Engelhart in the 1970’s. Batman was returning to his roots...but...

Sales would continue to decline until a young Frank Miller dropped a bombshell on the comic book world. The Dark Knight Returns (1986) catapulted Batman into a popularity he has never relinquished. This portrayal of a 50 year old retired Batman in a dystopian Gotham City completed the full circle journey of the character back to his 1939 genesis. Miller would later re-imagine Batman’s origins along with David Mazzuchelli in Batman year One (Batman 404-407) and Brian Bolland along with Alan Moore would cement the slightly skewed reality of the character with 1988’s “The Killing Joke”.

These works would form the foundation of the modern Batman’s character and the world in which he moves. But those works might never have come to be if not for the efforts of Swartz and Infantino and the “New Look” Batman.

That’s 30!

Mitch

Proto-Comics and The Platinum Age

2012-01-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

When most comic collectors think about the “first” American comic books, they think about the “Golden Age” which began in June of 1938 with the publication of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman. In fact the development of the American comic book goes back much further than that. All the way back to 1833!

As the late, great Casey Stengel would have said…”You could look it up.”
Various publishers had been releasing collections of comic strips for some time, the earliest known being The Adventures Of Obadiah Oldbuck which appeared in New York in 1842.

The first modern and truly popular character in American comics seems to have been The Yellow Kid who never actually spoke but communicated via messages that appeared on his night shirt. “The Yellow Kid In McFadden’s Flats is likely the first proto-comic . It first saw publication in 1897. This was a collection of reprinted comic strips that had appeared as early as 1896. The practice of reprinting popular comic strips in hard and soft bound collections (many of which were comic book like in structure) would be the defacto method of creating comic books until the advent of all new material that, along with Superman would signal the beginning of the Golden Age of Comics.

The first known example of a full color comic book was a Hearst produced publication called “The Blackberries”. It appeared in 1901. However, comic book publishing was intermittent and a regular monthly title, “Comics Monthly”, would not appear until 1922. As with earlier books, “Comics Monthly” was a collection of reprinted newspaper or magazine strips.

In 1929, Dell Publishing, released “The Funnies”. This was formatted more like a Sunday Newspaper insert than a comic book, but was sold as a stand alone product. It is also the earliest known example of a comic book that included original material. “The Funnies” ran WEEKLY for 36 issues and was released on Saturday through October 1930.

By 1933, Maxwell Gaines, sales manager of Eastern Color Printing began publishing “Funnies On parade” Like “The Funnies”, “Funnies On parade” more closely resembled a Sunday Newspaper insert. Unlike “The Funnies”, Gaines’ book published reprinted material such as Mutt and Jeff, Joe Paloooka and Skippy Eastern Color did not actually sell this periodical. It was sent it out free as a promotional item to consumers who mailed in coupons clipped from Procter & Gamble soap and toiletries products. The company printed ten-thousand copies for this promotion. This was so successful that Eastman produces several other promotional comics and this was, for a short time, the dominant form of comic book distribution.

Also in 1933, Eastern began publishing “Funnies On Parade: A carnival Of Comics”. This is considered to be the first “true” American comic book. It was 36 pages long. There is some dispute on whether this comic was sold or given away. However it is likely that both methods of distribution were used as copies have shown up with stickers on the cover hawking it for a dime, while other copies appear with no price tags.

“Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics”, eventually gave way to Famous Funnies #1 (cover-dated July 1934), a 68-page comic that sold for a dime. It was distributed to newsstands by the American News Company. News syndicates would become the major distribution arm for comics right up until the advent of the specialty comic shop and direct sales in the 1980’s. “Famous Funnies” was a hit with readers and ran for 218 issues.
When the supply of available existing comic strips began to run dry, small amounts of new, original material in comic-strip format began to appear. A comic book of all-original material, with no comic-strip reprints, debuted. National Allied Publications (later known as DC) released “New Fun” #1 in February of 1935. “New Fun” mixed humor and dramatic stories between the covers of the book. It would also feature early work but such creators as Seigel and Shuster, who would later create Superman. One of their creations was a proto-superhero known as Dr. Occult.

But this was created under their pseudonyms, Leger and Reuths.

By 1938, publishers were finding it absolutely necessary to gather original material as the supply of reprints had pretty much dried up. This opened the door for a whole group of very young creators with names like Kane, Robinson, Kirby, Simon, Seigel and Shuster etc. This influx of talent and invention of the Superhero would bring the “Platinum Age” to a close and usher in “The Golden Age Of Comics”

That’s 30!

Mitch

Thanks For The Memories

2012-01-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! I am back (for good or ill) after a brief hiatus for the holidays. I do hope all of you had a wonderful and HEALTHY holiday season, and that Santa stuffed your stockings with all sorts of comic book goodness.

I was looking back on the last part of 2011 and two pieces of news arose that call for a moment of our time. In December lost two of the most influential comics creators in the history of the medium.
Joe Simon and Jerry Robinson.

When I say these gentlemen were two of the most influential creators in the history of comics, I am not engaging in hyperbole. These men were right there with the likes of Siegel and Shuster, Kirby and Lee, Bob Kane…any of them.

Joe Simon, passed away on 12/14 at the age of 98 from natural causes. His name is almost always spoken in conjunction with his long time partner, the King Of Comics, Jack Kirby. Together, they created one of the most iconic characters in comics history…Captain America. At a time of great uncertainty in our country and around the world Simon helped create a symbol of America that endures to this day. Most recently in a film and two monthly titles. Cap has been in print almost without exception since 1941. There was a brief hiatus but he was back in Avengers #4and has been going strong ever since.

If that was Simon’s ONLY contribution to the history of comics it would have been a great legacy. But he did so much more. As an artist, along with Kirby, Joe redefined page layout, often exploding action through panel borders creating a story telling language still being used to this day.
Joe was also the first editor of Timely Comics, which would eventually become Marvel.

A couple of years ago, I stood in line for over an hour just to meet him at NY Comic Con. I am not an autograph hunter or one given to waiting in lines, but for Joe, it was a privilege.

Joe Simon. He will be missed of course, but as long as Cap is still slinging his shield, Joe will be remembered and celebrated.

Jerry Robinson. What a sharp guy he was! I saw him speak at Comic Con in 2010 and he told some great stories. At the then age of 87, he looked in great shape and was having a ball with the fans and adulation that was so late in coming his way. For decades Jerry (along with Bill Finger) was one of the unacknowledged creators of Batman. While Bob Kane through contract and editorial policy was the credited creator of the Dark Knight, Batman was created by committee.

Jerry was instrumental in the creation of Robin The Boy Wonder and The Joker, as well as much of the Batman mythos. In recent years he received acknowledgement for his contribution and the accolades so long overdue.
Like Joe, Jerry was more than a one shot wonder. He was a prolific creator for many years. However his greatest contribution to comics was as an advocate for creator’s rights. During the mid 70’s Jerry was one of the key figures in championing the case of Siegel and Shuster in their decades long struggle with DC over their creation of Superman. Along with Neal Adams, Jerry helped win, not only financial compensation for the pair but creative credit for both Siegel and Shuster in all broadcast and published works containing the Superman character.

In 1978, he founded Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate/CartoonArts International which as of 2010 has more than 550 artists from over 75 countries.

They once asked Mickey mantle how he would want to be remembered. His answer was not to be remembered so much as a great player but as a great team mate. That is how, I think, Jerry Robinson will be remembered. That is a fine legacy for anyone.
Jerry passed away on December 7th, right here on Staten Island.

Joe…Jerry. Thanks for everything. We’ll miss you both.

That’s 30.

Mitch

Four Year Anniversary!

2011-12-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

4TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND SPECTACULAR!

This is it! Our favorite event of the entire year, the celebration of another year of our existence and this year we extended the celebration to THREE DAYS! Here's the skinny: It all kicks off on Friday, December 16th where we will be joined by the fine fellows you see on the flier above. They will be here signing, sketching and talking comics so make sure you stop by and say hello! Saturday, December 17th continues the signing tradition with even more comic creators! What's better than this? Well, EVERYTHING in the store will be 25% off on both days, including all the great books you can pick up from these fabulous creators!

Finally on Sunday, December 18th we'll be bringing the party to the Full Cup on Van Duzer St to kick back, have some drinks and provide some entertainment! There will be live music and DJ stylings of Socko & Tiger Jones! It all kicks off at 9:30! Be there!

Tis The Season…for comics!

2011-12-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas really snuck up on me this year! Maybe it is the mid 50’s weather, or maybe I am still decompressing from NYCC. Whatever the case, the holidays are just around the corner! To that end I am going to share some of my very favorite Christmas themed comic covers

Pretty sweet stuff. I don’t notice as many holiday themed covers on modern books but perhaps that is just a sign of our more politically correct times. I still say “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays”…so sue me!
SO here are MY picks for comic related items that would fit nicely in any house for ANY holiday:
1) DC Comics Archive Editions/Marvel Masterworks. These handsome hard cover collections with heavy stock, high gloss pages present the key works of the big two publishers to better advantage than the originals. It is a truly affordable way to add big runs of early issues to your library.
2) Vampirella Archive Editions – The Warren Publishing group originally owned Vampirella and along with Eerie and Creepy pretty much owned the horror genre back in the 60’s and 70’s. These editions present the early Vampi issues in their original size and format with nothing missing! Not just a collection of stories these Archive Editions present each issue in their entirety. I especially like the letters pages!
3) Walking Dead Collections –Hard cover or soft cover…GET these! The BEST comic on the stands deserves a place on your book shelf! Nuff Said.
4) DC Universe Online – The MMORPG based on the characters appearing in DC Publications is now FREE TO PLAY, and that includes the game software. The game is massive. The game is colorful. The game is Fun. PLUS the Flash runs on his cosmic treadmill. What could be better than that?
5) Movies…movies….MOVIES! This was the summer of the Superhero at your local theater and now those movies are all out on Bluray! Captain America! Green Lantern! Thor! Whether you get the DVD, Bluray or digital editions, just GET ‘em!
6) Maus by Art Spiegleman. If you have to ask you really NEED this one. Perhaps the single most important graphic novel/comic in the HISTORY of our hobby. Seems like a saw a few copies of the collected edition at Comicbook Jones! I need a new copy myself!!

7) An official Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time? Maybe not but if you don’t already own it get yourself a copy of Christmas Story. It’s a classic AND Ralphie can be seen slipping a comic book with a Red Ryder sales pitch into a copy of mom’s Look magazine.

I am sure other items will occur to me as the big day draws closer. I the meantime have to slip a copy of Previews news into my wife’s backpack!!
That’s 30!

Mitch

Alvin Hollingsworth…creator

2011-11-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have a soft spot for creators. Musicians, Actors, Writers, Artists….whatever. They don’t even have to be particularly GOOD creators. Just the act of creating has a value that cannot be calculated and adds immeasurably to our collective self exploration. Carl Sagan once postulated that we humans are one of the organisms through which the Cosmos knows itself. If in fact we are the “eyes of the Cosmos”, creators facilitate that sight by making the colors richer, the textures fuller and the music just that much sweeter.

As a comic collector I have a special fondness for the people who give us our comics. Of course we all know about the giants from the past like Jack Kirby, Curt Swan, Bob Montana, Seigel and Shuster, Joe Simon and so many more. Today we have the likes of Ed Brubaker, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and an entire generation of creators who consistently push the medium to new heights of creativity.

I am always happy when I discover a new or forgotten creator. In this case it was the latter, His name was Alvin Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth drew comics in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He had a nice clean and very realistic style that was more along the lines of what you might have seen AFTER 1970. He often inked his own work. Alvin was definitely ahead of his times.
He worked on titles such as Wings, Rulah, Jungle Goddess, Master Comics, Witchcraft, Mysterious Comics, and Romance Comics such as Youthful Romances.

In fact after he retired from the Comic Book field, Hollingsworth became a renowned fine artist and taught as a college professor at the University of new York and Hostos Communtity College. His subjects included the civil Rights for women, Jazz, and dance among others.

Alvin left us in July of 200 at the age of 72.

Hollingsworth was African American.

I mention this because the Golden Age of comics was hardly “golden” if you were an African American. Like so many areas of American life, people of color were either excluded entirely or made use of only as a stereotype. It may be hard to believe today but it was not until 1948 that a black man was allowed to play Major League Baseball and it would be nearly another thirty years before an African American was hired to MANAGE a team in the majors.
Hell, it was not until 1968 that TV saw it’s first interracial kiss. And even then Kirk was only kissing Uhura under the command of an alien influence and doing his best to resist it! Now I don’t know about anyone else but *I* would not have to be coerced to kiss Nichelle Nichols!
In the world of comic books we did not see men and women of color as leading characters or heroes in comics until the late 60’s and early 70’s with the likes of The Black Panther, Luke Cage, The Falcon and Storm. Old prejudices die hard.

So back to the 40’s and 50’s and the world of Alvin Hollingsworth. African Americans were almost completely non-existent in comic books. When they DID appear it was in the most demeaning and stereotyped manner. Bug eyes, grotesquely large lips, and huge ears. These depictions in NO WAY resembled any person of color who ever populated this planet. Worse than that, African Americans were portrayed as lazy, superstitious and cowardly. All completely untrue and unfair stereotypes.

If that was how FICTIONAL characters were treated one can only imagine how many doors were closed to African American creators at the time. The odds were not particularly good.

But every now and then someone comes along who beats those odds. Hollingsworth was simply too talented to be denied.

And he also had the opportunity to portray African Americans as beautiful, dignified people in Fawcett’s experimental title Negro Romance.

Romance comics were coming into their own around 1950 as the Superhero wave of the Golden Age was going into decline. Fawcett’s other romance titles were selling very well and editor Roy Ald, a Caucasian editor by the way, decided to take a shot at targeting an African American audience made up largely of females! Ald had worked with Hollingsworth when the latter was a very young man and the two got along very well and became close friends. Ald actually wrote the book while Hollingsworth did the pencils. It is unknown whether or not Alvin inked this book but given the fact that he was also a capable inker it is likely that he did this as well. Hollingsworth and Ald portrayed African Americans in a far more complementary, if (you will excuse the pun) romantic, light than other comics. These were attractive, educated and desirable people. If the characters were somewhat sacirine, so were the white characters in Fawcett’s other romance books. (In fact MOST Fawcett characters tended to be a bit…bland. Captain Marvel lead the pack!)

It is not known if Hollingsworth did ALL of the artwork in Negro Romance but he did pencil a great deal of the book.

Although Negro Romance only lasted three issues the mere fact of it’s existence is remarkable and reflects the talent and sensitivity of the men who created it.

Of course I did not know Alvin Hollingsworth and have only ever seen a few pages of his work. But he was a man and like many men I HAVE known, Alvin overcame great odds and I am sure he paid a personal price for that. He left the world a bit richer and more beautiful than he found it. And he made a powerful statement without blowing anything up to do it.

Alvin Hollingsworth was a creator.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

That’s 30!

Mitch

How...Human

2011-11-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find moving and poignant moments in the places you least expect it

It was the last day of NYCC. And on a whim, on my way out my I suggested to my daughter Alyx that we might take in the retrospective on gene Colan going on in one of the side rooms. I have always been a great fan of the great Gene Colan. I always thought of him as more than just an artist.

I had always seen him as a consummate story teller. He did more with shadow and light to create the full range of human emotion than perhaps any comic artist in the history of the medium. For you younger readers who may not be familiar with gene’s work, I strongly urge you to check out any reprints you can get your hands on.

He was perhaps most famous for his work on Tomb Of Dracula, Iron Man and Daredevil but he was highly prolific and those titles represent only the tip of the iceberg. Along with Jack Kirby and Curt Swan, Gene was a giant.

But…

What really drew me to the panel was the fact that Don McGregor was speaking. I had always loved his work on Killraven in Amazing Adventures. He had created truly three dimensional characters with all the beauty and warts that flesh is heir to. His run on Amazing Adventures was very much ahead of it’s time and stands up today as a thoughtful and deeply textured science fiction epic. Frankly I wanted to see if Don was as…human…as his writing.

The panel was not crowded. There may have been 50 or 60 of us there. Mostly “old timers’ like me. A few younger fans were there as well. But that intimacy only added to what was to follow from a remarkable man.
I am here to tell you that Don McGregor may be the MOST human being I have come across in decades. He spoke for some time about his close friend, Gene Colan, telling more than a few funny stories. There was nothing maudlin or self pitying in his recollections. On the contrary, Mr. McGregor allowed those of us in the room to celebrate his friend’s life and work in a very intimate way. He gave us all a gift. Don made us feel as if we are also friends of Gene. I do know this. Mr. Colan was a very fortunate man to have a friend like Don.

It was impossible not to see the deep feeling Don has for Gene and if he was able to stay clear eyed, he was about the only one. Let me just say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. In fact Alyx (jaded college student that she is) had a good cry with him after the presentation and he was genuinely moved by my daughter’s empathy.

So human.

As you start to get older you can’t get away from the fact that you are going to lose people who you love. There is no getting around this fact. It is one of the more bittersweet aspects of life I think. There is a special poignancy when it is the loss of a FRIEND. We choose our friends with great care, especially those we share a lifetime with. If you are lucky, you have one friend like that. I am doubly blessed that I have two.

Listening to Don remember his friend made me realize all over again just how dear my old friends are to me…and that one day one of us will be leaving that close knit circle.

So thank you Don.

Thank you for sharing your humanity and memories of your friend.

Thank you for moving my child to tears.

Thank you for reminding me of how precious my friends are to me.

And thank you for being so damned human.

Mitch

Some post NYCC observations.

2011-11-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

While NYCC has become a multi-media, multi-genre event ranging from live performance to movies, TV, Anime, Sci-Fi and more, for me it has always been about the COMICS. As usual I was very quickly reminded that big shows are generally not the places to shop for older comics if you are looking for a bargain.

YES there are MANY comic bargains at large shows such as NYCC. There are endless $1 boxes stuffed with GREAT reading. Modern comics tend to be heavily discounted and trade paperbacks/hard cover collections are slashed by over 50% by Sunday. You can even find decent prices on LOWER GRADED Silver and Golden Age Comics.

BUT if you are looking for higher grade or scarce Silver/Golden Age books steer clear. Even Mid Grade books tend to be over priced. The dealers are also less inclined to make deals at a big show than they are when I see THE SAME guys at smaller shows all year!

I went to NYCC with a very specific shopping list this year. I wanted high grade (VF or better) copies of Batman #227 and Detective #441, and a Fine copy of Laugh #61. I also wanted to get a copy of Vampirella #1 (1969) in VG or better condition. While I found all four books at the show, the prices on the first three were not only over Overstreet guide, but WAY over! Consequently I only purchased the Vampi at the show.

I will get into some of the reasons for the over pricing later in this column.

Now let’s talk about the Laugh, Batman and Detective comics, which I DID purchase from Ebay right after Comiccon.

Batman #227 is a highly sought after Neal Adams cover and has been going up rapidly in both demand and price. In VF the current OS Guide has it at $89 but that is a low price. I had been tracking it on ebay auctions and VF to VF+ copies were typically going for around $200. I saw an 8.5 unslabbed (not in a CGC case) copy at NYCC for $400! The dealer would not budge below $375 so I took a pass. That Sunday I put a bid down on this copy (below) on Ebay and got it for $218. When it arrived I was extremely happy with the condition (VF+) as it was every bit as nice as the NYCC copy I passed on.
Win for me!

The copy of Detective that you see below is in VF/NM condition. I got it for $20 on Ebay. It was selling for $100 at the show. FORTY PERCENT over the guide price of $60. This was even more egregious than the batman #227 because Detective comics in this issue range have been somewhat flat over the past few years. They DO go up in value but only by small increments. The dealer would not come down below $80. Ebay gave me another win!

Finally there is this Golden Age copy of Laugh #61. Not as I have mentioned in other columns Golden Age Archie comics are VERY hard to find in any condition over VG. WHEN YOU CAN FIND THEM AT ALL! So I was more than willing to pay twice guide (Guide is $30) for this book. I found two dealers with the book. One was in VG and he wanted $100. Another had a copy in about the same condition as the scan below and he wanted $225. Again, the dealers were not inclined to make what I thought was a good deal. I found THIS copy on Ebay for a Buy It Now of $30. I did not even have to bid!
WIN! WIN! WIN!!

So why are dealers at large shows such as NYCC a) over pricing the books and b) showing reluctance to “deal”?

Two reasons.

First, a guide is ONLY that…a “guide”. A dealer, any dealer has every right to ask any price they like for a book. There is no rule here. A dealer will make a decision on the desirability of any given book. Often they sell BELOW guide because a given book simply won’t sell at the overstreet price. It is up to the COLLECTOR to determine if any given book is “overpriced” for HIS/HER collection. In my case, it was my determination that these books were over priced at the show. That judgement was confirmed by the prices I ultimately paid for these books online.

Second, a large show is VERY expensive for dealers to attend. Aside from the table fees, there is transportation, their time and the inevitable theft that comes with large crowds. The dealer must factor this into his prices or he does not stay a dealer for long.

Also, large shows tend to bring out casual colletors and impulse buyers who simply don’t know that it is perfectly acceptable to haggle (within reason) over the price of a book. In short, the size of the crowd creates a selling atmosphere in which the dealer does not HAVE to come down on his prices. I have purchased from many of the very same dealers at smaller shows in New Jersey and gotten a price they refused to give me at NYCC!

The next question I know is coming is “Isn’t buying comics from Ebay risky? How do you know the book is in the advertised condition?”

Valid question. In fact you Do have to be careful buying on Ebay. I NEVER bid on a book without large, sharp images in the ad. I often send emails to the seller asking for additional internal scans. However, given the feedback model used on Ebay, most sellers actually UNDERGRADE their books. They do not want to risk bad feedback. Typically the books I get are about a half grade BETTER than advertised. Also, keep in mind that dealers at a show display their high priced books to their best advantage. Often in Mylar which enhances the look of the book. You have to be careful with a LIVE transaction every bit as much as with an online purchase.

The really interesting aspect of all this back issue collecting is the fact that Overstreet does not take online auctions into account when they come up with the values they place on comics. Those values are determined by a board of advisors, many of whom are (guess what?) DEALERS! Now why oh WHY would they not want the actual price that collectors are paying to be the value used in the guide?

I wonder…espically when MOST of these same dealers sell and auction online at prices LOWER than those they use in live transactions. Again, they are entitled to charge anything they want to either online OR live. It is up to the saavy collector to get the best price.

Which is why I am giving you guys the heads up here!

By the way…I DID get my Vampirella #1 at the show (VG+) for a very nice price ($60 or 30% BELOW guide) so there ARE deals to be made at big shows. Just make sure to do your purchasing in the LAST hours of the LAST day when the dealers are more motivated to getting those last few sales before they pack up!

Again, let me emphasize that ther ARE tons of great bragains to be had at any big show. You just need to know where to look!

That’s 30!

Mitch

Digital Comics...The New "D.C."?

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

This year at NYCC one of the hot topics for discussion was the growing popularity of digital comics and what they might mean to the future of the hobby. The question of whether or not Digital Comics would become part of the retail landscape has already been answered. They are here to stay. Look at the home page right here at CBJ and you will see a link to a digital comics vendor.

The question of digital comics breaks down into two parts, aesthetic and financial.

Let’s talk bucks first.

Digital comics make all the financial sense in the world. They are ridiculously cheap to produce and distribute when compared to their printed counterparts.

Both digital and print comics are created in the same way. Someone writes, someone draws, someone inks and someone edits. No difference.

However it changes drastically from there. Take print first:

Presses and press time needs to be secured and the comics must be physically produced at some cost per copy to the publisher. Press/printing time is NOT cheap.

Physical Comics are printed on PAPER. Again, not cheap.

Physical comics use INK.

Physical comics use staples.

They have to be broken down, packed in boxes, sealed, stored, inventoried,

shipped, and in some cases returned.

Some copies are damaged, destroyed or stolen in this process.

As someone who works in Logistics and transportation I can tell you that NONE of that is cheap. It’s why you pay so much for your copy of Fear Itself!

Another thing about physical comics…you have to leave your house to get them. For those of us who live close to a comic shop this is actually FUN, but for many collectors who do NOT have a shop readily available, collecting becomes a very arduous task. Those collectors have to travel around looking for their books, or subscribe to the comics they want. They generally won’t have the books on a Wednesday AND they pay shipping more often than not.

Physical comics take up a HUGE amount of space. Don’t believe me? Come by my house and I’ll give you a tour of the “dungeon”, IF you can actually fit down there! It’s wall to wall comic boxes with no end in sight. That ALSO costs me money as I pay for every square foot of my house just like anyone else with a mortgage.

I never ran the numbers but I would bet it costs me several hundred dollars a year to store my comics, between the above mentioned space, comic boxes, boards, bags, and shelves etc. I own upwards of 15,000 comics now and they are ALL bagged and boarded. If you want to make sure your comics STAY in good shape you need to do REPEAT this process for all of your books every few years. YOW!

Digital comics won’t deteriorate. They will look EXACTLY the same 100 years from now as they do the day they are created. The don’t get ripped. They don’t get musty. They don’t get water damaged.

Again, digital comics make all the financial sense in the world.
BUT, I’ll take print thankyouverymuch.

Why? If Digital Comics are all THAT why would I EVER want an archaic, nasty, soot ridden, (ugh!) PHYSICAL comic?

Here is why…

Physical comics are self contained. They ARE the app and I don’t need a gadget to read them.

You can HOLD a physical comic in your hands, turn the pages and lose yourself in other worlds on a lazy afternoon at the beach, or in the car, even on the POT! Anywhere.

You can fold it in half and put it in your back pocket.

You can carefully maintain it in mylar and proudly display your collection to your friends.

You can physically flip through your boxes of comics, reliving the halcyon days of yore (or mine) when you first obtained these multi colored beauties.
You can get your favorite creator to sign your physical comics….if you’re nice!

Yes the DIGITAL image may never fade while the physical one DOES, but the physical comic just looks better to me. Sort of how some people swear that vinyl sounds better than a CD or digital recording.

Physical comics are collectable. Someday you might sell them for a profit. Maybe not. But it is a lot of fun grading and pricing them!

I spent several happy hours yesterday putting my NYCC purchases into bags and boards and then nesting them in their proper boxes while taking another look at each and every one. Can’t do that with digital. I suppose you can create a new folder on your computer from time to time but it ain’t the same!

Same Day (when there ARE same day) Digital comics COST roughly the same as physical comics. Why would I spend the same money for a DC as a PC? (I suspect that, before too much longer, digital comics released the same day as their physical counterparts will cost a lot less than the hard copies.)
I do think that, for the foreseeable future that digital and physical comics will co-exist. Each format has it’s virtues.

Digital in particular means that ANYONE can publish, which is a wonderful opportunity for creators AND fans.

Physical comics have all the strengths, and flaws, of being tangible, which is actually a virtue in itself.

So fold your comic and stick it in your back pocket AND fire up digital on your iPad.

Either way…it’s COMICS!!

That’s 30!

Mitch

Requiem For The True Superman

2011-10-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

As this was “The Summer Of The Superhero Movie”, I was going to be writing about my opinion on the best ever SH movie. In my opinion that continues to be Superman-The Movie. The idea began to germinate in my mind when I went to see Captain America and found that it shared a quality with the earlier film that I think is essential in a great superhero film (or any film for that matter). The central character must be HONEST. The actor must take the subject matter absolutely seriously even when it is in the fantastical realm of science fiction or fantasy. This is especially crucial with an Iconic character such as Cap or Superman. Chris Evans was so successful as Cap because he was HONEST as an actor with the character.

Because HE believed, WE believed.

No one ever did this better than Chris Reeve as Superman. In fact he may have been the single most honest actor I have ever seen. Not necessarily the most talented, although he was certainly that, just the most honest. He respected Superman…was honest in his portrayal and never made light of the Man of Steel. And while his CLARK was over the top, he was also a very HUMAN being. Again, honesty.
As I mentioned earlier this WAS going to be a column about my take on Superman-The Movie but then I got to thinking that the anniversary of Christopher’s death was coming up. Sure enough when I looked it up the anniversary is October 10th.

So I decided that this column would be why I do believe that Superman was an absolutely REAL person.

In the final analysis you can best judge a person’s essential character when they are under duress. MOST people shine when things go well. But how does a person react when they have everything stripped away?

One can say that up until his accident, Chris reeve lead a storybook life. He was a major motion picture star, had legions of fans, a lovely wife and many causes that he supported. It must have been pretty cool to be Chris!
Then, in a blink the single most important thing he had was stripped from him. His health. He went from being a vital, athletic man to near total paralysis. Many people would have turned towards the wall, given up, or even turned bitter. Many people would have grown angry and lashed out at those around them. I am sure that Chris struggled with all of this.
But what he DID was become the real Superman.

He embraced his lifelong activism more than ever, championing the necessity for Stem Cell research. He became a spokesman for this cause, tirelessly working to get the message out.

Reeve was elected Chairman of the American Paralysis Association and Vice Chairman of the National Organization on Disability. He co-founded the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, which is now one of the leading spinal cord research centers in the world. He created Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to speed up research through funding, and to use grants to improve the quality of the lives of people with disabilities. The Foundation to date has given more than $65 million for research, and more than $8.5 million in quality-of-life grants.

The Foundation has funded a new technology called "Locomotor Training" that uses a treadmill to mimic the movements of walking to help develop neural connections, in effect re-teaching the spinal cord how to send signals to the legs to walk. This technology has helped several paralyzed patients walk again.

He never quit. He believed that, one day he would walk again. He never waivered from that belief for the rest of his life. AND he shocked his doctors by actually regaining some movement.

In 2000, he began to regain some motor function, and was able to sense hot and cold temperatures on his body. Reeve then moved his left index finger on command. "I don't think Dr. McDonald would have been more surprised if I had just walked on water", said Reeve in an interview.

Chris WAS going to win. I really believe that Superman was going to fly again.

He just ran out of time.

On October 10, 2004 Chris Reeve died from cardiac arrest after being given antibiotics for an infection.

But he never gave up.

And that was his victory.

There is a line at the beginning of the 1970’s Bio-Pic “Brian’s Song”. It goes: “All true stories end in death.”

Chris’s life was a true story so it could not end any other way. But I like to think more about how he lived than how he died. And I especially like to think about how he left…

ON HIS FEET.

STANDING UP.

I believe in Superman.

He’s my hero.

His name was Christopher Reeve.

That’s 30.

Mitch

Pre Comic-Con This N’ That

2011-09-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well NYCC is less than a month away and it looks like, once again it is going to be a blast! Attendees who purchased their tickets prior to the mailing this week should be seeing heir passes in a few days. I myself am posting my ever watchful dog Scully at the mailbox just to make sure there are no mishaps! Of course she DOES sleep most of the day so the “ever watchful” part is probably more like the “occasional glance”…and now that I think of it, the only thing Scully ever really looks at is her supper dish. Oh well, she IS furry and often wags her tail so all is not lost.
This year the Show is going to be over FOUR days, Thursday-Sunday October 13-16. For those of you who are going for the first time, prepare yourselves!

Below is my tried and true , well not actually TRUE true…more like semi true in the sense of not being exactly false…NYCC Survival guide!
1) Make use of the tools and schedule posted on the New York Comic Con Official Website. (www.newyorkcomiccon.com ). They have everything from floor maps to panel and show schedules, a list do’s and don’ts, booth locations for every dealer and show exclusives. This is all tied into an online show planner tool so you can print out your master plan! Trust me, you will NOT be able to attend every event at the Con. If you go in blind you will likely miss that ONE event you want to see most. So spending a few hours with the Show Planner is time well spent.
2) Arrive EARLY on the day of the Con. It is an absolute madhouse and it is very easy to find yourself still waiting to get in a good hour after the convention starts. Get into Manhattan early, have a BIG breakfast (you are going to need it! But more on food in a bit), and be among the first on line. One of the best times at the Con, for me, is chatting to people who are waiting to get into the show. It is a great opportunity to make new friends who share your passion for comics.
3) Bring a shopping “kit”. Believe me you don’t want to be walking around the floor with your swag dropping behind you. My kit consists of a good sized back pack with the following: two or three very sturdy shopping bags, a poster tube, bags and boards for any loose comics, Comic Book Price Guide, Folder with my show plan print outs, camera and extra batteries, and some snacks.
4) Ok, let’s talk food. You do NOT want to buy food inside the Javits Center. It is not bad by any means but it IS expensive and if you are like me, you have a limited budget. I for one would rather spend my dough on collectibles and not a $6 hot dog. Eat before you come in, slide a bag lunch or snack into your kit, and go OUT for dinner. There are several reasonably priced eating options outside the Javits Center. Believe me you ARE going to need to eat and refuel as NYCC will severely test your endurance!
5) We all know that one of the main reasons we attend the Con in the first place is to satisfy our UNBRIDLED AVARICE! When I look around at all that swag and all those dealers I feel like an Orange Lantern! Larfleeze Lives! MINEMINEMINE!!! BUT you can’t have everything so you need to maximize your bucks. Take the time to make a shopping list. What items are you aggressively hunting? Which are “nice to have” and which are low priority? Set a drop dead price for your items. Don’t over spend on a collectible. You may not get it at the Con but it WILL come your way down the road at your price if you are realistic in your expectations. Don’t go ANYWHERE without your trusty price guide. A CBG or Overstreet guide is a must in your kit. Second, shop around! Chances are that several dealers have the items you want. Don’t be afraid to bargain (just be polite and reasonable) and do your buying at the END of the day, preferably the end of the day on Sunday. Why? Dealers always give their best prices at the end of a show. Also anything you buy early, you are going to have to carry around for the rest of the day (unless you have a VIP pass and access to the VIP lounge).
6) FREE STUFF! Even if you don’t spend a DIME on a single comic or collectible you can go home with BAGS of free swag, from comics, to tee shirts, toys, posters…you name it. This should be your first hunter/gatherer activity because the best swag always goes FIRST. Hit the smaller companies first because they generally run out of give a ways before the big guys like Marvel and DC.
7) PACE YOURSELF. Especially if you are attending all four days you are going to need to take some breaks just to get away from the crowds. Breaks are the best time to find a quiet place and organize your swag/purchases to make sure they are not being damaged or lost. It is also a good idea to use breaks as a way to hook up with people you are attending the show with. Over the course of the day you WILL get separated so having a set time and place for a break will cut down on the “OMG!! I lost my little brother” syndrome.
8) Secure your personal electronics and your money. You are going to be sharing space with 100,000 people and on Saturday in particular you won’t be able to MOVE on the main floor. It is easy to lose your I-Pod, Cell phone or money if you don’t keep them secured properly. Plus, as much as we don’t like to think so, not everyone is honest. People WILL try to take your stuff if you tempt them by leaving it within easy reach. Keep your money in a front pocket and not in a wallet or purse. Think about living without your I-Pod (LEAVE IT HOME!)for the day and make sure your cell phone is secure on your person. Also, most of the transactions you will make will be in cash. While it is rare to find a dealer who will try to cheat you with change and such, they ARE handling so much money at the same time that it is EASY to make a mistake. It is ultimately YOUR responsibility to make sure you account for all of your change on purchases. COUNT it right there in front of the dealer before you leave the booth. A little vigilance will keep your weekend from being ruined by loss or theft.
9) One of my personal pet peeves is people dominating an autograph line. Nothing is more inconsiderate than bringing a BOX of items for a creator to sign. They have a limited amount of time to sign and if they burn up ten minutes of the hour on one person then other fellow collectors are going to go away disappointed. Don’t be a part of that problem. Three items or less is plenty and will help the line move along!
10) FINALLY make sure to tell everyone you meet that YOU shop at the very best comic shop in the world. Comic Book Jones! (Ok it’s a shameless plug but then I am a shameless guy !)
By now I don’t have to tell anyone that I am a die hard DC Universe Online NUT! Well if a wide open world full of DC goodness did not draw you in. If the addition of Green Lantern power sets and content wasn’t enough to get you to take the plunge. If the opportunity to join a league with ME (Coldfire!) didn’t grab you (Though that SHOULD have sent you running!), then how does FREE TO PLAY grab you??!!

(That’s ME above. ICONIC huh? :) )

Yup, coming at the end of October the good folks at SOE are making DCUO (DC Universe Online to you noobs!) free to play. Of course there are Premium and Legendary tiers that you can pay for but you can get into the world of DCU, play all the in game content and even join a League for NO bucks! I look at it as a great introduction to the game. A chance to dip your feet in and see if you like it. THEN you might decide to opt for a full access LEGENDARY plan that (among other things) allows you to have unlimited in game cash, 16 characters or more, free updates and full voice chat options. Both the PC and PS3 versions of the game will be going F2P!
NOW is the time for you to suit up and take down Brainiac!... Storming the inner Batcave to defeat brother Eye alongside SEVEN other team mates never gets old…and who would NOT want to become a member of the Justice League (you get THAT opportunity when you hit level 30!)?
And THAT’S 30!
Mitch

Remember

2011-09-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

It’s almost impossible o believe but it has been a decade since the Towers fell on 9/11. So much has changed since then. A generation has past and 9/11 has moved from “current events” to history. This week I am going to share a column I wrote a day or so after the attack. It was originally printed in The Staten Island Advance.
No pictures this week.

No videos.

Just a remembrance from those days:

I took the Staten Island Ferry to NY this morning, as I have countless days
from the time I was in High School, through my days at Hunter College and
for the past two decades working in the "city that never sleeps". In all
respects the trip was exactly the same as it has been every one of those
thousands of days...except it wasn't.

As I came through the turnstiles on the Staten Island side, I found myself
looking for faces. The familiar faces that we ignore every day, but are so
much part of the background of our lives. I didn't see many. Perhaps I will
see more tomorrow.

I stopped for my morning coffee at the Dunkin Doughnuts stand. The same
middle eastern man who always serves my coffee with a smile and a good
morning. Except he didn't smile today. He looked hurt. Maybe he'll smile
tomorrow. I hope so.

I took the very same seat on the boat as I always do. Usually I open my
coffee and bury my face in a book or read the sports pages. Today I didn't.
Today I took a minute to really taste my coffee. Funny...most days it has no
taste at all. This morning it was the best cup I ever had. I hope it tastes
this good tomorrow.

I continued to look for familiar faces. People who also take the same seats
every day. I did see one young lady that I "know". She usually travels with
her friend. She wasn't there today. Maybe tomorrow. I hope so.

I stood out on the foredeck as we passed the Statue of Liberty. Funny how I
never really noticed just how beautiful the old lady really is. Was she
standing just a bit straighter today? It must be my imagination...at least I
think so.

The cloud reaches out over the water this morning and I could smell it while
we were still five minutes from the dock. Everyone was looking at the naked
skyline, now barren of it's grandest symbol. The eyes of my fellow
passengers became very hard. Not anger...not fear...something else.
Something that told me that I wouldn't want to get into a fight with us. As
for me, I glanced over to the Empire State Building. She dominates the
skyline once more. How lonely she looks.

Walking up past Battery Park to Bowling Green Station, every eye was turned
up Lower Broadway. The Towers and the shade she cast downtown now gone. The
acrid smoke brought coughs from many people. We wore the coughs somewhat
proudly I think. It was sort of like doing penance.
Perhaps the air will clear tomorrow.

On the train a pretty girl smiled and said good morning to me. Normally
suspicion or shyness would have prevented that. Will she smile tomorrow? I
hope so.

My shoes still have the dust that collected on them last Tuesday when I
walked along South Street to the Ferry.
I noticed the shoeshine stand in Grand Central was back to normal. Several men were having their shoes shined. I'm not quite ready to part with my dust just yet.

Maybe tomorrow.

Stay Safe...and always remember

Mitch

Goodbye...Farewell and Amen Redux

2011-08-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite words in the English language is “bittersweet”. The expressions is wonderfully textured, promising sadness and happiness within the same experience. I often find this experience in music and film.

The final scene in Casablanca when Bogart sends Bergman off with her husband even though they both wish to stay with each other is bittersweet. The parting hurts but doing what they both know to be right is the sweetness that leavens the pain.

Sinatra at 50 in his seminal Reprise Album “September Of My Years” waxes bittersweet in such songs as “The Way You Look Tonight”
Some day, when I'm awfully low,
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight

Final episodes of well loved TV shows can be bittersweet. One of the most memorable images I can remember on television is the final shot of the last episode of M*A*S*H* “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”

It is never an easy thing to say “goodbye” to things that are dear to you.

Friends, lovers….chocolate chip ice cream.

Saying “goodbye” can be very…

Bittersweet.

Just so we’re clear here…I HATE SAYING GOODBYE!

So how does this all tie out to comic books?

Glad you Poozers asked!

For a DC comics fan like MOI (or even just me) this last week has been especially bittersweet. A bunch of final issues have come down the pipe to make room for the new 52 coming the first week in September. Supergirl, Powergirl, Superboy, Justice League Of America, Batman and on and are all singing their swan songs.

Considering that there are very FEW things I dislike more than saying “goodbye” , I had a very bittersweet week.

I am going to miss Stephanie Brown. She came a long way as Batgirl but she never lost her Buffyesque take on life.

Connor Kent finally finds comfort in his own skin…but that “skin” is going to go through some pretty radical changes…so will Kara’s.

Clark and Bruce are going to have to rediscover a friendship that made them “World’s Finest”…if they rediscover it at all.

Saying goodbye to Oracle is going to be especially hard because she may just be the most remarkable hero in all of the DC Universe.

But here’s the thing…

In my experience, “goodbyes” are almost always balanced by some pretty wonderful “hellos”. For every actor who leaves the stage, another enters.
So it will be with…DC!

Oracle with go or change but Barbara Gordon will be reclaiming the title “Batgirl”

Kara Zor-El is still going to be Supergirl, though word has it that, most of the time, she will be a bit…cranky.

We are going to rediscover the wonder of watching a young man from another planet become the greatest hero of all time.

There is going to be a new, and from the looks of it, dynamic Justice League Of America.

Oh and Batman will be…Batman.

Some things never change!

I suspect that Johns and company at DC will stay very close to the core elements of all these beloved characters. Myths change with the time but the essential story is eternal.

I will miss my old friends, some of whom have been around since the last real DC reboot in the mid 80’s. Others we have picked up along the way.
It has been a wonderful journey.

And I have heard many fans who feel a bit betrayed by all of this. As if DC is just casting aside their characters AND their established fan base in an effort to engage a new generation of readers.

Yeah…it took me a couple of years to warm up to Captain Picard and “The Next Generation” but once I did, THEY became old friends too.
And here’s another thing…

Old friends, like favorite books never really leave us.
We can always visit with them again.

Farewell old friends….Welcome new friends. I am betting the new journey will be every bit as much fun as the last one!

That’s 30!

Mitch

Popcorn please!

2011-08-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

In days of yore (or mine as the case may be) there was a Saturday morning entertainment known as the Movie Serial. These films were chapter plays running between 10 and 20 minutes with a new segment being released each week.

These serials were also called "chapter plays". In essence they were motion pictures broken into a number of segments called "chapters" or "episodes". Each chapter would be screened at the same theater for one week. The serial would end with a cliffhanger in which the hero and heroine would find themselves in a situation from which there apparently could be no escape. Viewers would have to return in subsequent weeks to see the cliffhangers resolved and to follow the continuing story. To my knowledge no one ever actually “died” from hanging off the cliff.

Made on an extremely limited budget, using unknown or “C” list talent. Serials were quickly cranked out and fed into the movie theater chains of the day.

Movie Serials were especially popular with children. From the silent era and “Perils Of Pauline’ (1914) through the 1950’s, the chapter play was a Saturday staple. The advent of television would eventually spell the demise of this particular art form.

During the peak of their popularity, Movie Serials were dominated by Westerns, but virtually every genre from crime drama to horror was used in these chapter plays.

During the Golden Age of movie serials (1937-1945) the subject matter turned to what we refer to as “genre” sci-fi and of course Superheroes began to show up and eventually dominate the form. Both Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers were especially successful and made a star of former Olympian Buster Crabbe.

The honor of being the very first comic book superhero, to appear in a serial was Fawcett’s Captain Marvel (although The Green Hornet who’s origins lay in radio appeared a year earlier). Made in 1941 this 12 part chapter play was produced by republic Pictures and starred Tom Tyler in the titular role. While Captain Marvel did not have the light hearted, humorous nature of the comic books, the Serial was very successful and is looked upon today as one of the very best sound era chapter plays.

With the success of The Adventures Of Captain Marvel, the flood gates opened. Batman, Captain America, Blackhawk and, of course Superman followed over the next few years. Superman and Atom Man Vs. Superman (1948 and 1950 respectively) were both quite popular and also just about the last gasp of a dying art form. The Superman serials starred former song and dance man Kirk Alyn in the titular role and an impossibly young Noel Neill as Lois Lane. (Neill would later replace Phyllis Coates on TV’s Adventures Of Superman and is the actress most connected to the role).

While Captain America and Batman bore little resemblance to their comic book counterparts. Captain America, in fact was originally a different character entirely and pretty much only the costume was changed. This made little difference, however to the millions of kids who flocked to the theaters each Saturday to follow the adventures of their favorite comic book heroes.

Yes, these comic book adaptations were crude and low budgeted. The scripts often bore little resemblance to the source matter. (Though the Superman serials WERE fairly faithful adaptations given the limitations of budget and special effects). The actors were strictly ham and eggers. BUT the super hero chapter plays did prove that comic book characters were marketable film properties and inevitably lead to the summer blockbuster films of today such as 2011’s Captain America and Thor.

That’s 30!

Mitch

Ok you Poozers, who thinks they have what it takes to join THE CORPS?!

2011-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Like thousands of gamers around the world I have been playing DC Universe Online since launch…and having one HELL of a time. The MMORPG released by Sony Online Entertainment for the PS3 and PC, drops the player into the sprawling DC universe with a plethora of powers and skill sets available. The character creation is extensive, allowing you to customize everything from the color of your hair to the type of weapons you carry. The player can choose to be a flier, a speedster or even a Spiderman style acrobat.
On top of that, DCU Online is an ACTION RPG. Unlike most MMO’s where you click an option and wait for your avatar to carry out the action, in DCU you are mashing button combos like crazy. Which works perfectly in creating the frenetic atmosphere that is the daily life’s breath of your average meta-human!

Despite some early technical issues which are common to any new MMO, DC Universe Online is a hoot and has generated a rabid player base. But there has always been one thing missing…

Green Lantern powers! While there are missions where you fight alongside the Emerald Avenger and against Sinestro’s forces, the player (YOU) could not wield hard light powers.

That is about to change with DCU’s first expansion pack, “Fight For The Light”. While you will not actually become a Green Lantern yourself you CAN become a Corps reservist and your own shiny ring. And I am not just talking power beams here. Your GL ring will allow you to create CONSTRUCTS and chain them together creatively to unleash devastating attacks and powerful protection.

Sheild yourself with a huge baseball? Yup.

Wield a hard light chain saw? You got it.

Run over a villain with a green…FREIGHT TRAIN??!! You bet!

The reservists' ring is programmed with a greatest hits of the constructs that have been used in the core.

In addition to the POWERS, new worlds from the Green Lantern cannon will open up, including a jail break on OA and encounter with Atrocitus plus all new alerts, duos and challenges!

Fight For The Light will release later this summer at ONLY $9.99! This is a great jumping on point for anyone who has been thinking about playing the game. If you are a DC fan, a comics fan or an MMO player you will NOT be disappointed!

If you DO decide to jump into the world of DCU Online for PS3, look me up on the RELENTKESS server. My toon is Coldfire and their just MIGHT be a league invite in it for you!

That’s 30!

Mitch

DC Reboot? It’s Not The First Time!

2011-07-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

As just about anyone not stationed at the North Pole knows, DC Comics is planning a company wide reboot this fall. All of it’s mainline titles (52 in all) are getting a fresh make over. From Superman losing his underpants to the return of Barbara Gordon to the mantle of the Bat, it’s an all new DC coming your way.

To say that a lot of fans are up in arms over this turn of events is something of an understatement. Just surf the comic sites and you will see tons of forum threads castigating the “destruction” of the DCU. I have even seen reports about an organized protest at the SDCC!

I’m just not sure what all the hubbub is about…bub.

It’s not exactly the first time that DC has rebooted the DCU, chucking decades of back story and cannon.

Anyone here remember “Crisis On Infinite Earths” from way back in 1985? COIE was a 12 issue mini-series that essentially wiped out all of the DC continuity that had been built up since 1958 and the introduction of The Flash in Showcase #4.

And it was not a BAD thing.

Over the years DC had built up a convoluted and intricate continuity. So much so that, in order to hold it all, they had to create a multiverse of alternate earth’s to explain all of the inconsistencies that had built up over decades of story telling and editorial changes.

For long time readers this lush and textured universe was easy to understand and navigate. It was, however very off putting to new readers. It was just not possible to jump into a mainstream DC title in 1983 and “get” all the nuances and subtleties that had been built up in the various characters. Marvel, which was much younger simply did not have that problem…yet.

The solution that DC comics came up with was to wipe the slate clean and start all over. This was done in the dimension sweeping Crisis on Infinite Earths.

All of the alternate realities were wiped clean. Extraneous characters were done away with (including my beloved Superpets! *sniff!*). Iconic characters such as Barry Allen and Kara-Zor-El were killed off. When the dust settled there was just a single earth and a single DC Universe. Superman was once again the SOLE survivor of the doomed Planet Krypton, there was no Justice Society, No Golden Age Superman or Batman…no SUPERBOY!
At the time that COIE hit the stands a lot of fans were pretty upset about this. (sound familiar) They were SURE that the DC editors had betrayed their loyal readers. Many threatened to jump ship!

But a funny thing happened. The books were suddenly fresh and new approaches were actually GOOD. It wasn’t too long before fans forgot all about the Pre-Crisis DCU. Old timers like me still remembered the stories but the NEW DCU had been embraced by the fans. Sure, we still missed Barry and Supergirl, and Barbara would wind up as Oracle, but the stories were good and the DCU continued to turn.

Over the years many of the story elements that had been done away with returned. Even Krypto came back! Supergirl returned, The Justice Society did too, and all of a sudden we are 30 years removed from the last reboot.

In short we have reached a Flashpoint.

It’s time to start again.

What fun!

Comics should always belong to the younger generation of fans coming in, just as they belonged to all us “old timers” whether we came in during the Golden Age, Silver or Bronze ages…even the “modern age”. Maybe we will come to call this new generation of comics “the Diamond Age”.

And we can ALWAYS go back and enjoy all of the great stories that came before. They are no less valid or “real” they are stories. And good stories, like old friends can be visited again and again.

So I for one plan to give DC a chance, even if they did rob Superman of his underpants.

That’s 30!

Mitch

Oh and here's a treat! The trailer from DC Animated's newest release. Coming this fall...

Batman Year 1!

Upcoming Events!

2011-07-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

CAPTAIN AMERICA TAILGATE PARTY!

Here it is, the BIG ONE! Everyone's been waiting for this movie and it's certain to be the big blockbuster superhero movie of the summer. Bigger than Thor and Green Lantern combined, I'm sure of it! It all goes down on Thursday, July 21st, starting at 9pm. Grab your ticket to the midnight showing and head down to the store for some snacks, drinks and a super special sale where you can save anywhere from 15% - 70% off everything in the store! We're expecting it to be pretty packed so get here early!

M12 CORE SET RELEASE TOURNAMENT

This will be taking place on Friday, July 15th and will be a $25 sealed tournament. It starts at 4pm and like the pre-release there will be special release promos specific for that day. This day we'll also have plenty of merchandise for the new set including booster packs, sealed boxes, intro packs and fat packs. It's like Magic Christmas!

BACK ISSUE BLOWOUT SALE!

Hit the bins! We'll be ending the month of July in style with a big bad Back Issue Sale! It will start on Monday, July 25th and run until Sunday, July 31st. Here's the deal, every day that goes by the more of a discount you'll get. We'll start with a 10% discount on Monday and increase it 10% every day until we culminate with 70% off all back issues on Sunday, July 31st! For anyone who might be confused:

Monday, July 25th - 10% off all back issues!
Tuesday, July 26th - 20% off all back issues!
Wednesday, July 27th - 30% off all back issues!
Thursday, July 28th - 40% off all back issues!
Friday, July 29th - 50% off all back issues!
Saturday, July 30th - 60% off all back issues!
Sunday, July 31st - 70% off all back issues!

Upcoming Events!

2011-07-08T10:55:00.001-07:00

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SALE!
SUNDAY, JULY 10TH!

On Sunday, July 10th we will be holding another Customer Appreciation Sale because we love you! There are a couple of different ways to save and you have an opportunity to get a bigger discount just for doing something insanely simple. So, everyone gets a 20% discount off everything in the store just for showing up! There's much more though:

Some of you may know about our other business - helping people save money on their gas and electric bills. Come in, bring your utility bills and allow us to show you how you can save money on your bills. It's real easy! If you bring in one of your utility bills (either gas or electric) you'll receive 25% off everything! But, bring in both your gas and electric utility bills and you'll receive an additional 10% off for a total of 30% off everything in the store!

BUT, there's even more! If you decide to become a customer (it's absolutely free and you're guaranteed to save money on your monthly bills, we'll tell you how), you'll get even more of a discount on Sunday. Become a customer with either your gas or electric and receive 35% off everything in the store or with both your gas and electric and get 40% off everything in the store!

There's even more added incentive for bringing in your bills. Everyone who brings them in and becomes a customer will receive a ticket which will guarantee you a prize of either a $40 gas rebate card, 3-day/2-night getaway, free Companion airfare ticket, 7-night vacation or an Apple I-Pad! Winners will be announced on the spot.

So, here it is again: Just for coming in you get 20% off everything in store. Bring in one of your utility bills (either gas or electric) and receive 25% off everything in the store. Bring in both and receive 30% off . Become a customer with either your gas or electric and receive 35% off everything in the store or sign up with both and receive 40% off everything in the store plus a ticket to win one of the prizes mentioned above!

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PT 2
CBJ TAILGATE PARTY!

Potter fans unite! The long awaited conclusion of the Harry Potter series is finally here - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows Part 2! Grab your ticket to the midnight showing (or one of the many late night showings they have) on Thursday, July 14th (technically Friday morning) and then come down to the store starting at 9pm for a special Potter-inspired tailgate party! We'll have food, drinks and a special sale where everything in the store will be between 15% - 70% off! At our last tailgate party everything in the store was 45% off!

Feel free to bring your own booze if you like, we do tend to run out. Also, many showings of this movie have already sold out so we suggest you get your tickets ASAP! See you there!

Deconstructing Captain America

2011-07-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

It is only a few weeks until Captain America will make his major motion picture debut! I know there was an earlier movie, a TV pilot, The Merry Marching Marvel Society and various animated appearances but THIS is the big time. An “A” list picture with all the fanfare that goes with it.

I’ve enjoyed Thor and Green Lantern this summer but THIS is the one I’ve been waiting for. My hope is that Cap will have the sort of debut that Superman had back when Chris Reeve first authored the part.

The early buzz is certainly encouraging, and every trailer I’ve seen sucks you right in!

As is the case with every major Superhero movie, interest in the character goes up as we get closer to the release date. With that in mind I thought I might take a swing at deconstructing captain America for those of you who may be new to the character. Bear in mind that this is only MY take on Cap.
To understand the essential core of the character it is important to have a feel for the time in which he was created. Cap first saw print as we were about to enter WWII.

It is easy today to overlook the fact that, in 1941, there was a real sense that The Third Reich would indeed last 1000 years. Hitler’s Germany had already conquered most of Europe, forged an alliance with Imperial Japan and a non-aggression pact (that they would eventually violate) with Russia. There seemed to be little that would even slow down the Nazi juggernaut. It was this threat that slowly pulled the United States from it Post WWI isolationist stance and transformed us into a player on the world stage. Part of that transformation required…symbols. Iconography for people to rally around. Patriotic songs, films, frankly racist imagery portraying the enemy as sub human and close censorship were all vital parts of that propaganda machine.

What better iconography could there be than a red, white and blue avenger decked out in the American Flag, socking the Nazi paper hanger square on the jaw? Thus was born Captain America. At his core Cap is the idolized image of America’s ultimate protector.

In all the years since his debut that essential fact has not changed.

Cap remains the protector of the American Idea.

HOW he protects it has changed many times.

During WWII he was the physical antithesis of the Nazi Ubermensch.

In the early 50’s it was Captain America “Commie Hunter”

During the Viet Nam Era it was Captain America as a man out of his time still fighting the good fight.

POST Viet Nam Cap articulates for the first time that he is not the protector of any single administration, party or political belief. He is instead the protector of the core IDEA that the Founding Fathers based this country on…liberty for all people. This revelation comes at a time when, so disillusioned by the corruption in government, Cap drops his red white and blue trappings for the personality of Nomad.

Most recently, Cap has been out of uniform filling the shoes of Nick Fury but that has not felt right either to Cap or anyone else.

In the latest issue of Fear Itself, Cap dons his uniform again and is simply, Captain America protector of THE PEOPLE.

In all of his incarnations going back some seven decades Captain America has been the idolized icon of American strength and virtue. He has at times reflected the extreme jingoism that periodically sweeps any nation. At other times he has been a counter culture champion.

His very iconography, the American Flag, labels him to friends AND enemies of America so he is by definition polarizing.

All of these facets make Cap endlessly fascinating to read and I imagine, fascinating to create.

For all of these things though, it important to remember one thing…

Cap is the hero by which all other Marvel heroes are measured. He is the example.

Captain America….HERO.

That’s 30!

Mitch

2011-06-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

By now you have all read the spate of negative reviews on Green Lantern. Over the past several days I have also heard a lot of comic fans chiming in their disappointment. As with all things reviewable one opinion is as valid as the next. So for all of those who disliked the film, I am here to present the loyal opposition!

For me Green Lantern was a classic Saturday afternoon pop-corn eater. While it certainly was not the Godfather, or even Iron Man, GL was a healthy dose of Sci-Fi Superhero fun. The action was well paced and the cast was likeable.

Most of all, the movie stayed true to the basic character of both Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps.

When DC first revived their Golden Age Superheroes (GL, Flash, Hawkman, Atom etc.) they made a decision to modernize . To revamp the character origins and motivations from a more magic based mythology to something more akin to Science Fiction. Thus The Flash got his speed from a lab accident, The Atom was a scientist who invented a shrink ray, and Hal got his powers from a highly advanced form of technology.

Jordan in particular was modeled after the Mercury Astronauts like John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom as well as the legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager, who was the first man to break the sound barrier. His adventures were hell bent for leather space operas. Along with Mystery In Space, Green Lantern was DC’s most space spanning title.
In this area the film is absolutely faithful to the GL mythology. It’s big…with aliens…and space ships…galaxy spanning fights…and lots of green construct goodness.

Right in the middle of all this is Ryan Reynolds, all thumbs up and envelope pushing in the truest 1960’s NASA tradition. He has that sort of “what the hell” quality that when leavened with the humility and post 80’s angst that we expect in our Superheroes, makes his Hal Jordan accessible to the audience.

Who can complain about any movie that has Kiliwog and Tomar Re, OA and the Guardians, a VERY creepy Hector Hammond and an equally leggy Carol Ferris?

PLUS can anyone say they DIDN’T get just a SMALL lump in their throat when Reynolds says the Oath?!

My only complaint is that we did not get nearly enough Mark strong as Sinestro. He dominated every second he was on the screen. And here is the big weakness of the film. Sinestro is Hal’s arch nemesis, not Parallax. Parallax, quite frankly always struck me as a bit “second tier” in the bad guy department. However, since this was an origin flick, Sinestro is still a Green Lantern and NOT a bad guy.

One can only hope he goes to the “Yellow Side” for any sequel.
Green Lantern may not be The Godfather, or even The Dark Knight, but is sure is a lot of fun and well worth a viewing!

Oh and by the way, make sure to check out the GL ANIMATED SERIES this fall!!

That’s 30!

Mitch