Four Color Commentary

Upgrading Four Color Commentary

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:31:47 PST

It was inevitable. And BELIEVE me, I fought it. But, I finally realized upgrading my Blogger template was a must. The old format just looks a bit "cluttered", and I have a feeling that the bells and whistles I want will be easier to add with new Blogger. Plus, interfacing with Facebook is a breeze. Blogger also keeps my old template for me to access, so the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection info and links will all eventually be added. Hang in there, and all will be settled soon.

And, thanks for reading.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Amazing Spider-Man - A Video Review

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:03:38 PST

A Suspended Animation video review. Produced by Mark Allen, of http://www.fourcolorcommentary.com . Music: Kevin MacLeod, http://www.incompetech.com . Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Artist Eric York Talks about Michael Vance's Weird Horror Tales

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:39:47 PDT

Michael Vance’s novel, Weird Horror Tales:Light’s End, is “an amazing, page turning suspense thriller”. Artist Eric York turns some ghoulish pages as well.

York is the interior illustrator of Vance’s latest novel. Vance was first attracted by York’s outré, very design oriented, and weirdly beautiful interpretations of the work of world-famous horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft.

“Eric is that rarest of gems,” said Vance, “an original. Since we share a love for Lovecraft’s prose, York’s style seemed a perfect choice for the last novel in my Weird Horror Tales trilogy that was also influenced by Lovecraft’s genius. I was overjoyed by his “deviant” art for my novel!”

York’s distinctive art has also appeared in books, fanzines, and comics including The Fantastical Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow Over Santa Susana, Malafact, Besmirched, Terminal Brain Rot and many others.

“I drew the cover for another of Michael's books a few years ago [that was published in England],” wrote the artist. “I enjoy his subdued style of horror as well as his creepy locale of Light's End. I've always been into stories using the common setting of sinister old, small towns, and thought this would be a nice change to collaborate with Michael again. Plus I wanted to draw his morbid old degenerate, Jake Horne.”

York also self-publishes under his Maggot Global Publishing imprint and has published Hungry Maggot, Vermis Rex, Tillinghasts’ Moribund Fairy-Tales, Eldritch Pulp Adventure, the Erebus Tarot, as well as the upcoming Zygote’s Fables, and his 100 plus page graphic novel adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s collection of poems, Fungi From Yuggoth. More than 500 examples of his artwork are available at tillinghast23.deviantart.com.

With the help of several additional artists, Vance unleashes his dark imagination in each of the three books of his Weird Horror Tales trilogy. Often compared to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, Vance’s work is not for the faint of heart. Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End features a cover by famed painter, Keith Birdsong.

The publisher of the Weird Horror Tales trilogy, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children's books, and poetry collections. All three Weird Horror novels are available on-line, at book stores, from Cornerstone, and as E-books. For more information about Cornerstone, go to www.cornerstonepublishers.com.

Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

In addition to Vance’s Weird Horror Tales, Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting, and Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End, Airship 27 has released Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, a series of “Captain Hazzard” pulp thrillers, more pulp fiction in The Green Lama and Secret Agent X. For more information on Airship 27, go to www.airship27.com.

ISBN: 1-613420-14-5 ISBN-13 978-1-613420-14-0

Digital copy available

Weird Horror Tales: Light's End Released By Airship 27

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:16:14 PDT

Airship 27 Productions & Cornerstone Book Publishers are thrilled to announce the release of the third and final book in Michael Vance’s Weird Horror Tales trilogy. Weird Horror Tales – Light’s End, is an amazing, page turning suspense thriller that is one of this author’s finest works to date and a fantastic culmination to this masterful terror filled series.

Welcome to Light’s End, a small, quaint little town on the rugged coast of Maine. It’s a quiet place much like many other such communities throughout New England. And yet there is a presence of evil about the streets and byways of this harmless appearing hamlet. For here, amidst the age old Yankee traditions of its citizens lurks a dark secret, a brooding, religious philosophy which infects every aspect of daily life.

Dare you enter Light’s End and uncover what lies beneath its pleasant, homey façade? Dare you challenge your sanity and confront the sublime horrors that await you here, in this cursed nexus of dementia?

Award winning author, Michael Vance unleashes his dark imagination in this tense, gripping novel of sheer terror that readers will never forget. Often compared to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Vance’s work is not for the faint of heart, featuring a cover by famed painter Keith Birdsong and ten interior illustrations by extraordinary artist Eric York. Bolt the door, lock the shutters and keep the candle lit, the end is near, Light’s End.

Vance has written for national and international magazines, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, “Forbidden Adventures”, has been called a "benchmark in comics history”. He briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, wrote his own strip and several comic books. He is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars.

The publisher of the Weird Horror Tales trilogy, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children's books, and poetry collections. All three Weird Horror novels are available on-line, at book stores, from Cornerstone, and as E-books. For more information about Cornerstone, go to www.cornerstonepublishers.com.

Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

In the past, Airship 27 has released “Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective”, a series of “Captain Hazzard” pulp thrillers, more pulp fiction in “The Green Lama” and “Secret Agent X”. For more information on Airship 27, go to www.airship27.com.

PRESS RELEASE - Damballa: Making Pulp History!

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:45:04 PDT

From the heart of Africa to the streets of Harlem, a new hero is born sworn to support and protect Americans of all races and creeds; he is Damballa and he strikes from the shadows.

When the reigning black heavy weight boxing champion of the world agrees to defend his crown against a German fighter representing Hitler’s Nazis regime, the ring becomes the stage for a greater political contest. The Nazis’ agenda is to humble the American champion and prove the superiority of their pure-blood Aryan heritage. To achieve this end, they employ an unscrupulous scientist capable of transforming their warrior into a superhuman killing machine.

Can the mysterious Damballa unravel their insidious plot before it is too late to save a brave and noble man? Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers are proud to introduce pulpdom’s first ever 1930s African-American pulp hero as created by the acclaimed author, Charles Saunders.

“Racism and sexism were a few of the ugly aspects of the pulps we’d all like to forget,” Editor Ron Fortier comments. “Minority groups based on race, sex and religion were ostracized and either ignored completely or denigrated in their outlandish portrayals. Since its creation, Airship 27 Productions has made it a goal to address these wrongs and help correct them within the context of providing top-notch action fiction to our readers. DAMBALLA is a major step in that direction and we are truly excited about its release.”

Praise for DAMBALLA and writer Charles Saunders has already begun. “Having revolutionized the genre of epic fantasy with the creation of Imaro, a black warrior easily equal to such classic characters as Tarzan and Conan, Charles Saunders has done it again. This time he has created DAMBALLA, a true hero in every sense of the word. Battling racism and evil in the 1930’s, DAMBALLA is no pale imitation of The Shadow or The Avenger. In fact, after reading this excellent book, I think that they would be proud to consider him a brother in the ceaseless war against crime and injustice.” Derrick Ferguson – “Dillon and the Voice of Odin”

DAMBALLA by Charles Saunders features a cover by Charles Fetherolf and interior illustrations by Clayton Hinkle, with book design by award-winning artist Rob Davis.

The publisher of “The Feasting” and “Weird Horror Tales”, Cornerstone Book Publishers also publishes Masonic and esoteric books, selected pulp fiction, art literature, limited children's books, and poetry collections. The braided novel, “Weird Horror Tales, is available on-line, at book stores, and from Cornerstone. For more information about Cornerstone, go to www.cornerstonepublishers.com.

Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.

ISBN: 1-613420-12-9; ISBN 13: 978-1-613420-12-6

On-Line Shop (http://www.gopulp.info/)

$3 Digital copy (http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html)

Un-Colored Kirby Is Where It's At

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:29:54 PDT

If you don't believe me, take a look at this panel from Fantastic Four number 85:

Then, lay your peepers on this:

Now, I know what some will say. "It's drab!" "It's boring!" "Where's the vibrancy? The flash? The pop??" To this I say, "Try to look past it, I beg of you!" The black and white art make Kirby's spectacular line-work stand out to such a degree that (to me) it could be said that it's the color itself which "mutes" the artist's work. Without it, one could claim to see the TRUE depth of what was the awesome team of Kirby and inker, Joe Sinnot. I call this, comics in it's purest form.

This is why I've grown to thoroughly enjoy Marvel's Essential black-and-white reprints. Not right away, mind you, but over time....

Interview With Bob McLeod, Circa 2003

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:06:06 PDT

This interview first appeared at Starland, under the Suspended Animation banner, in 2003.

Bob McLeod is probably one of the nicest guys in comics. He's also one who's work, unfortunately, is not that visible in American comics today. He hasn't left comics, but has been busy plying his trade in other venues the last few years.

Read on, to find out what he's been up to.

For those who haven't kept up, why don't you tell us what you're working at, these days?

I'm currently pencilling an inking a 31 page Phantom comic book for the Swedish publisher Egmont. I don't think it will be distributed in the United States, unfortunately. I hope to be doing a couple issues a year for them. I also just finished about 40 black and white drawings of cartoon animals in business suits for a business psychology booklet. I'm also working on a proposal for a new series I hope to sell to an American publisher. I'm working with a new writer, and all I can say at this time is that it's about a group of superheroes.

Are there any great differences in working for foreign comic publishing companies, and working for those in the U.S.?

This is my first job for a foreign publisher, and they're probably as diverse as American publishers, but so far my experience has been very pleasant, which is far from how I would describe working for American publishers. The Editor is intelligent and polite and helpful and extremely competent. The script is fun and readable by a wide age range, and I've been given plenty of time to do pencils and inks myself instead of splitting up the art. The pay is a little less than my Marvel rate, but well worth the effort and overall Im really enjoying the experience. I'm emailing the pages to Sweden, so I'm keeping the original art here.

What other art-related experience have you had, besides comics?

Well, I did some storyboards years ago, and some cartoon spiders for a traveling exhibit for the Smithsonian, as well as various other cartoon illustration jobs. You can see examples of practically everything I've done on my web site, www.bobmcleod.com . I've also done cartooning seminars at several schools, and taught some drawing and cartooning classes locally. I also worked freelance for a couple ad agencies in the 70's doing "comp" illustrations. Last year, I briefly had a full-time office job drawing designs and illustrations for t-shirts.

Give us your 'origin story;' how did you break in to comics?

For the full story, go to this link: www.bobmcleod.com/start.html . To make a long story short, I went to NYC in 1973 and met Pat Broderick at a comics convention. He was actually in my high school art class in Tampa, Florida, but we never met in class! I recognized him, tho, and introduced myself. We became roommates and he introduced me to Neal Adams, whom he met by getting into the DC apprenticeship program. With a phone call, Neal got me a job at Marvel in the production dept., doing lettering corrections and art corrections, and about a year later (after studying the original art in production and drawing several practice sample pages) I finally started getting some freelance work pencilling and inking.

Do you have a particular favorite work from your comic career?

I really enjoyed drawing Superman, and Star Wars, but my favorite comics work was drawing and inking Teen Hulk and other jobs for Marvel's Crazy Magazine. I did several movie satires and some other stuff. My original goal when I moved to NYC was to work for Mad magazine. Everyone would probably expect me to say the New Mutants was a highlight, but that was really a very frustrating experience, because we started off behind schedule and I could never really catch up. I also wasn't in sync with Chris Claremont, and didn't like the inking I got on the book. Ink-wise, I enjoyed doing Conan over John Buscema and Dracula over Gene Colan.

What positive and/or negative changes have you seen in comics in the last generation?

I haven't kept up with comics too much in the last five-seven years, but on the positive side, the coloring is so much better than I used to get. I wish all my old jobs could be reprinted with good coloring. On the negative side, comic book prices are too high, too many comics are aimed at adults, and comics aren't as much fun to read or work on because they're taken way too seriously. The possibility of huge profits from movies and television, along with the low sales on most titles, have made the publishers afraid to take risks. They just keep redoing the same things and catering to an ever shrinking fan base.

What, if anything, are you reading, today? If nothing new, do you seek out the work of any particular creators?

I don't read comics, because my reading time is so limited I'd rather devote it to reading books and magazines. I like many of the current artists, but don't have the time or money to seek out their work.

What would it take to get you back into comics on a full-time basis?

I'm basically in comics full-time now, I just don't have a regular book and often have to go outside comics to pay the bills. I'm ready and willing if anyone would like to work with me.

Is there a "dream project" in comics you would like to do, or maybe something you have yet to accomplish?

My idea of a dream project now is very different from what it might've been a few years ago. I would really like to do some more humor comics, like the work I did for Crazy. I suppose I should finally approach Mad magazine. And I'd love to do some full color dramatic comics where I could do all the art myself; pencilling, lettering, inking and color. I'm hoping to do some book illustration next year. I 'd like to do black & white interior art and painted covers for young readers, and some painted paperback covers.

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Thank you for asking.

Interview by Mark Allen

Jeffrey Catherine Jones: January 10, 1944 – May 19, 2011

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:56:03 PDT

Jeffrey Catherine Jones

January 10, 1944 – May 19, 2011

Sea Devils: Buried Treasure

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:56:39 PDT

Produced by Mark Allen. Free Royalty Free Music by www.DanoSongs.com. Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Silver Age DC series "Sea Devils" is truly buried treasure in the world of comics. Unknown by many fans today, the series boast some of the most eccentrically off-beat stories available at any time, and certainly some of the most beautiful covers ever produced, thanks in part to the gray tone/wash technique mastered by Jack Adler. Read below for cover information.

Issues 1 through 10, 14 through 16 (Covers: Russ Heath and Jack Adler)
Issues 11 through 13 (Covers: Irv Novick and Jack Adler)
Issues 17 through 35 (Howard Purcell and Jack Adler (for most))
Carmine Infantino assisted on the covers of the last two issues.

Right Out Of The Comics - Giant Monster Robots!

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 10:13:36 PDT

I give you The Amazing Spider-Man 213, circa 1981 - a comic I very much enjoyed as a young adolescent - which features the Wizard's cool robot spider, a weapon which was intended to kill everyone's favorite wall-crawler. Naturally, any comics fan worth their salt can't help but be reminded of the many versions of spider-slayers with which Spidey had to contend over the years.

Of course, in comics, there has been no end to giant destructive robots meant to dispatch various heroes, terrorize throngs of innocent city dwellers, and generally wreak really big mechanical havoc.

Such is a large chunk of four-color adventure.

And then....

there's this...

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

OK, so it can't support it's own weight, and it isn't characterized by ANY kind of natural-looking motions which resemble walking, and it's a good bet that lasers, missiles, or any other on-board weapons are out of the question. But it just LOOKS! SO! COOL! I REALLY want this thing to run amok, and cause at least a BIT of property damage. (With no casualties, of course.)

Ah, well. Let's give our Japanese friends another decade or so, shall we? The results probably won't disappoint.

A Crying Shame

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:49:55 PDT

This is a currently unused building in Clayton, NM. I don't know what it started out as, and why it would have a dragon on it, but it's a crying shame that this isn't someone's comic book shop.

Strange Art: Doctor Strange, by Some of Comics' Greatest Artists

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:10:22 PDT

Produced by Mark Allen, Music: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com . Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Bursting Forth: Tribute to a Popular Comic Book Cover Concept - PART 2

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:53:43 PST

Produced by Mark Allen, Music: Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com . Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

See part 1 here.

Weird Horror Tales Vol. 2 Nominated for Pulp Ark Awards

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:20:19 PST

PRESS RELEASE –

Cover art available on request

Interviews with author available on request at miklvance@yahoo.com

The novel “Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting” by Michael Vance has been nominated for two Pulp Ark Awards, one for Best Book of 2010, and one for Best Cover Art.

“Pulp” magazines featured genre literature and had their heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, introducing characters like “The Shadow”, “Doc Savage” and magazines like “Weird Tales” to the world.

Pulp Ark, the Convention/Creators’ Conference scheduled in Batesville, Arkansas, May 13-15, 2011 will be presenting the awards. According to Tommy Hancock, Pulp Ark Coordinator, there will be ten awards given at the event in May, 2011 recognizing excellence in various areas within the pulp field.

“A local Arkansas businessman,” Hancock said, “wanted to contribute something to pulp artists and writers. Being a fan himself, he wanted to let writers and artists know of his appreciation for what they do. So, he’s funding the design and manufacture of the ten awards.”

“Weird Horror Tales – The Feasting” is a braided novel and the second in a planned trilogy that follows the first book in the trilogy, “Weird Horror Tales”. The trilogy centers around the eldritch town of Light’s End, Maine, a remote and isolated little corner of New England where dark secrets haunt the streets and homes of this quaint, supposedly innocent setting.

The nominated book features a macabre cover by Christophe Dessaigne, nominated for Best Cover art, and was edited by Ron Fortier and designed by Rob Davis.

Vance is the author of three books, hundreds of articles and interviews, several comic book titles, and two comic strips. He founded the Oklahoma Comics Collection in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma, and helped create the “Okie Cartoonists” Exhibit at the Oklahoma Museum of History in Oklahoma City.

“Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting” is discounted at http://www.gopulp.info/

Electronic version at http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.htm

50 More of Marvel's Best Covers

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:33:53 PST

Produced by Mark Allen. Music by Dan-O, of www.danosongs.com.

50 of The Best Marvel Covers

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:55:52 PST

Produced by Mark Allen. Music by Dan-O, of www.danosongs.com.

A Message From Michael Vance

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:18:03 PST

For those of you who have been curious about my work, one of my stories recorded by the actor William Windom will soon be broadcast. This one is as close as I’ll probably ever get to a romance/”ghost” short story. Go here: http://gbsradionetwork.com/

From the site:

We will be airing author Michael Vance's audio short story Light's End: A Change of Heart.

We will be airing this on Sat 4th, Wed 8th and Fri 10th. of December. All at 7PM.

We will also be issuing 1 $25 gift certificate to Gardner’s Books (Tulsa) per airing. To the first person who emails the promo code to contest@gbsradionetwork.com

The will also be a book signing of the above author on Dec 11th from 10am - 2pm for his book Weird Horror Tales Vol. 2 - The Feasting.

An Interview With Writer Michael Vance - Thanks to Richard Vasseur

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:03:00 PST

NEWS RELEASE

Michael Vance Interview

By Richard Vasseur

Michael Vance

What attracts you to writing horror stories?

“Initially, it was the fear of death that paradoxically terrified and fascinated me that led to my love of the horror genre.

“When I was very young, possibly seven or eight years old, my great grandmother died, and my parents took me to the open coffin funeral. Her lifeless body left me with a horror of death that only increased when I understood its inevitability. It was many, many years before I overcame my terror of mortality.

“It didn’t help that most people thought there was a good chance we’d all die in a nuclear holocaust.

“At about the same time, I was allowed to watch the original King Kong movie on television, shown in Oklahoma in the ‘50s each Halloween, and several movies that influenced me to eventually write in the genre. The most powerful of these was Hitchcock’s Psycho which I saw during its original run in, I believe, 1960.

“A little later on, Ray Bradbury became a major influence on my work as well; he is a master of the short story. H. P. Lovecraft is a creative influence as well, although I only discovered his work later in life.”

Can you give us an idea of what we will find in the pages of "Weird Horror Tales - The Feasting"?

“A reader will find a small town on the coast of Maine named Light’s End that hides filth, decadence, and madness behind its respectable white picket fences. These stories are told in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror genres, and span many years. The first two novels in the trilogy are braided; that means each chapter is also a stand-alone short story. The last novel of the trilogy will be a traditional novel.”

Why do people love a good horror story?

“Through catharsis, horror fans escape the certain and very real horrors of mundane life without any real chance of injury or death to themselves.”

What scares you the most?

“What terrifies me most is the misguided belief that the world is without rhyme or reason. This life philosophy is a self-fulfilling prophecy that only leads to chaos and arbitrariness that destroy reason and order.”

What is "Holiday Out" and who would enjoy it?

"Holiday Out was a comic strip I wrote for five years that, for half its run, parodied the Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, Detective, Western genres, and more. In its second two-and-a-half years, it became a “funny animal” strip still focused on parody and satire. Some of the artists who worked with me on Holiday Out were Duane Hanson, C. T. Smith, Richard “Grass” Green, and Wayne Truman.

During its time, it was syndicated by two small companies and ran in around forty newspapers, and many more fanzines. Some of it was also republished in four or five comic books, including a three-issue run by Renegade Press. The Complete Holiday Out is now being reprinted by Main Enterprises.”

You were first published at age eleven do you remember how that felt?

“First publication was an emotional high unparalleled by almost anything else in my life.”

Why are you associated with the Tulsa Boys Home?

“For fourteen years, I have been the Communications Director of Oklahoma’s largest residential treatment facility for troubled boys. That means I am their writer and graphic designer, in charge of all publicity including radio, television, and newspaper, the production of a quarterly newsletter and website, and the writing of all of their grant requests. I am very proud of the work done for troubled boys at Tulsa Boys’ Home, and am honored to play a small part in their mission.”

Why did you decide to write "Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group"?

“I wrote the book because of my love for comics and history. I chose the American Comics Group as my subject because I read them as a boy, and it had been overlooked by most everyone else who was writing comics history at the time.”

You have worked as an editor, writer and advertising manager for newspapers and newspaper magazines. How is that different than working on a comic book?

“My first love is writing fiction; my nonfiction pays the bills.”

Why did you want William Windom to narrate your audiotapes of "Light's End"?

William Windom

“Windom and I were doing a signing together. I had been looking for an actor to record my Light’s End stories for several years, and was a big fan of his work. I grew up on his television appearances and in movies like To Kill a Mockingbird. I think he is an amazing actor. I asked, and, lo and behold, he said yes.”

What comics besides your own would you recommend?

“Some of my favorites remain Popeye by Segar, Pogo by Walt Kelly, Calvin and Hobbes, the EC horror and SF titles, Alan Moore’s and Neil Gaiman’s work, and more than can listed here. I must not leave out most anything by Will Eisner, and the early work of Harvey Kurtzman. I am ‘republishing’ more than 1,040 comics reviews I wrote over twenty years under the title of Suspended Animation on my Flickr site, adding one review a day. Just go to Flickr and type in Michael Vance. A more comprehensive answer can be found there.”

Any words for the fans of your work?

“I have finished writing the third book of the Weird Horror Tales trilogy, to be called Weird Horror Tales: Light’s End. I ask fans to anticipate its publication probably around September of 2011. I would also ask them to spread the word among their friends and acquaintances about the trilogy if they enjoy it. My publisher is a small, niche company, and the success of the series really lies in word-of-mouth recommendation.”

-------------------

Michael Vance returns with fifteen gripping, horrific and deeply moving stories of people caught in unimaginable horror in the tradition of Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft and William Faulkner. These tales center around the eldritch town of Light’s End, Maine, a remote and isolated little corner of New England where dark secrets haunt the streets and homes of this quaint, supposedly innocent setting. Douse the lights, bolt the doors and get ready to be frightened by a true master of the genre.

The book’s haunting illustrations are by fantasy artist Earl Geier, features a macabre cover by Christophe Dessaigne, is edited by Ron Fortier, and designed by Rob Davis.

Weird Horror Tales – The Feasting is pulp horror at its finest. The first novel in the trilogy, Weird Horror Tales, is still available as well.

ISBN: 1-934935-80-8

ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-80-4

Produced by Airship 27

Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers

The Best of Four Color Comics Covers

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 20:45:09 PDT

Produced by Mark Allen, with music by Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.

From 1939 to 1962, Dell's anthology series, Four Color Comics, published over 1,300 issues. To this day, it still holds the record of most issues published for a title, even over Detective Comics and Action Comics. Be it due to exceptional composition, extraordinary mood, the story told by a single picture, or all of the above, these are, in my opinion, the best covers produced for the series.

In Memory...

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:20:12 PDT

R.I.P. Mike Esposito

July 14th, 1927 - October 24th, 2010

Comic book inker extraordinaire, with work on the likes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Superman, World's Finest Comics, and more.

May God's comfort and blessings visit his loved ones.

Marvel's Avengers Micro-Episodes

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:05:09 PDT

As a warm-up, and a way of letting fans "get to know" the characters in the new Avengers t.v. series, set to debut October 20th, Marvel is releasing several "micro-episodes" on it's site, and on YouTube. As a bona fide comics geek, cartoon nut and all-'round fanboy, I have picked my favorite of the first ten presented - Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

UPDATE, 10/25/10: All episodes have been posted, and this remains my favorite. I could dig a Nick Fury t.v. series.

The Action Bible

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:55:46 PDT

Gotta get this!

On This, the 9th Anniversary, May We Never Forget!

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:43:22 PDT

And, may we not forget the sacrifices of our soldiers. Not only the obvious dangers of life and limb, but the fact that they leave their families, and miss so much, due to their sense of duty to God and country. Below is a video which illustrates such sacrifice.

Suspended Animation Review - Comic Book Literacy

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:22:56 PDT

As a 35-year comics fan, it’s always satisfying to me when I find the medium of comic books examined in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to happen enough by way of video documentary. However, for fans of comic books, there is a new light on the horizon…

The documentary, Comic Book Literacy, by Todd Kent, is an engrossing piece containing interviews with the likes of Art Spiegelman, Joe Quesada, Paul Dini, Scott McCloud, and many more professional comics producers. Using a bit of the medium’s history to kick things off, the doc is, for the most part, concerned with comics as meaningful literature. To that end, there is some concentration on various organizations which work to get comics into libraries, schools, and even into the hands of our troops overseas.

There is also contained within the documentary, a well-defined explanation of why the comic book medium can be so instrumental to the development of the ability to read in children; to wit, it’s ability to use narration in pictures, and word balloons, to pique a child’s curiosity as to what characters are saying. When compared to the more traditional storybook, or chapter book, it’s easy to see why this is true. And, of course, it’s something that many comics fans have known for quite some time. Viewers of the documentary will even discover the usefulness of comics as part of the process of learning and teaching a second language.

Comic Book Literacy is much more than a video cheerleader for those who are already fans. It is a serious look at the value of the medium, and a must-see for parents, librarians, and education professionals.

Especially satisfying to me are the appearances of Michael Vance, John Suter PhD, and R.A. Jones, all Suspended Animation alumni.

Comic Book Literacy is currently being submitted to film festivals, and enjoying public screenings at various comic book conventions. Hopefully, a distribution deal will be worked out for 2011. It is highly recommended for those mentioned above, as well as fans of pop culture itself.

Learn more about the documentary at www.comicbookliteracy.com.

News on Michael Vance's Weird Horror Tales, Volume 2

marknick4@yahoo.com (Mark Allen) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:58:56 PDT

Picture this: a man’s head explodes into leaves thrown up and away into a hoary midnight.

That is the cover of the second of a trilogy of novels from author Michael Vance, “Weird Horror Tales: The Feasting”. Like the first novel in the series, this second braided novel of fifteen interrelated horror, SF, and fantasy stories was written in the style and tradition of pulp magazines in the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, and will be released in the fall of 2010.

The cover was done by France’s Christophe Dessaigne, a journalist, scenarist for role playing games, and photographer. Mainly influenced by the science fiction, horror, and fantastic genres, his atmospheric, surreal creations combine digital photography and manipulation in a dark and post-apocalyptic future. Dessaigne’s creations are fantastic surrealist photomontages. His work is desolate, vast and dream-like featuring huge structures and visions. His work has appeared in cover art books, on music CD covers, and in magazines including Advanced Creations and PSD Photoshop.

“I was immediately drawn to his outré work which I originally found on Flickr, a shared community on-line for images,” said the author. “His dark, subtle visions capture the heart and atmosphere of my own stories which try to capture the something other in an otherwise normal world instead of a slavish use of graphic horror.”

The interior illustrations are by artist Earl Geier, best known for his horror, fantasy and science fiction artwork.

"The response to volume one in this series by the pulp-horror community has been tremendous," commented Ron Fortier, Managing Editor of the series for Airship 27 Productions. "We know there is strong anticipation for this follow up book and I'm here to say Michael's fans will not be disappointed. This is a truly marvelous collection."

“My stories are founded on the premise that there is something larger than our narrow view of reality,” said Vance. “Each interconnected story is set in Light’s End, a creepy little burg of the coast of Maine.” These stories about the fictional town have been favorably compared to the work of H. P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury.

Airship 27 packages and publishes anthologies and novels in the pulp magazine tradition.