WHAT I'M WATCHING

 

I’m making some changes in my life, even beyond my transition to my authentic self. Among those changes are altering my movie and television viewing. Oh, I’ll still be watching way more TV than I should. I’ll just be watching a bit less of it. Let’s start with the news programs.

Rachel Maddow is far and away the best political commentator we have. She had a knack for sharing our national terror and doing an impressive job explaining it. I should watch her every night, but I don’t for the simple reason that, some days, Trump and his Nazis are just too much for me to bear. When I do watch her, I’m always that much smarter for it.

I watch three not precisely news shows. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is the best one. Oliver does brilliant commentary and delicious satire/spoofery. His performances are Herculean, a characterization which would doubtless horrify him.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is Monday through Thursday. I think his monologue is better than that of any other late-night host. His short openings as well as his “Meanwhile” and other secondary bits are wonderful and always make me smile. Being subjected to his Colbert Questionnaire by him is a bucket list dream of mine. He’s also a great interviewer, though I don’t always watch those.

I watch The Daily Show Tuesday through Thursday. I don’t watch it on Monday or any other night when Jon Stewart is hosting. I’ve no patience with that dilapidated virtue whore and his “both sides now” garbage. He is more concerned about appearing to be “bipartisan” than he is the very real pain and suffering being visited upon good decent people each and every day of the Trump presidency. I love the correspondents. They are funny and smart. But Stewart can eat a bag of dicks.

One more note on the above not precisely news shows. They can all stop with the Old Man Biden jokes. They aren’t relevant and they fuel the Trumpian rewriting of history that feeds his stupid followers. History will record Biden’s term as a good but flawed four years with him and his administration accomplishing a great deal of good for the American people.

I also kind of watch Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Mark, mostly to hang out with Saintly Wife Barb. I like most of these people, though George Stephanopoulos can share that bag of dicks with Jon Stewart. 

                                 

 

                 
Streaming surfing is something I do when I’m just too tired to do any writing or even think about it. Netflix is usually good for South Korean films, such as 2024’s Officer Black Belt. Though it pushed the violence a but much at times, this is an engaging film about a talented martial artist who can’t not get involved if someone is in trouble. He’s recruited by a probation officer to be his martial arts officer. Most of their cases involve sexual predators who have been released from prison. It’s a commentary on what the filmmakers consider South Korea’s lax punishment of such criminals.

The two leads are likable heroes who take more than their fair share of lumps. The geeky friends of the martial arts officer play a part in the crime-fighting, nerd heroes if you will. The main villain is a brutal monster who rapes children, He’s scary as Hell. Just seeing him made me uneasy.

The movie was a tad long at one hour and forty-eight minutes, but I did enjoy it. Even if the scenes of violence were hard to take for more than a few minutes. I had to take breaks to keep my head straight.

NOTE: I’m actually never too tired to think about my writing. I might not have energy to write something, but I’m still thinking about it while I watch TV or do other things. I keep a pad of paper at hand to jot down notes.

                         

                                                          

I still watch House Hunters and House Hunters International. Of the two, I prefer the international one because it’s fascinating to see how other countries and cultures live. This is sporadic viewing because they present so many new episodes every week. I record them all, but only watch the ones that catch my interest The episodes make for a nice lunch break. 

                                   

  

Game shows? Barb and I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, along with the celebrity versions of those shows. I was critical of new WOF host Ryan Seacrest at first, but he’s grown into the job and is a delight to watch. Vanna White, of course, remains a goddess. There should be temples to her.

Jeopardy is more challenging. I like host Ken Jennings, but he’s got some annoying habits. Especially his abbreviating Jeopardy Invitational Tournament to “Jit.” That said, this year’s contest was breathtaking. So many great players and so many tight games. Kudos to tournament champion Matt Amodio, who as regular bloggy readers know, is from Medina, Ohio. His father, Jim Amodio is a comics fan and, occasionally, our lawyer.

Currently, my favorite game show is Pop Culture Jeopardy, which just completed its first season. Host Colin Jost is incredible in that role, funny and personable. The Internet Movie Database says this about the show:

A new twist on the classic quiz show format that combines the academic rigor with the excitement and unpredictability of pop culture; contestants play in teams of three as experts to win the grand prize of 300,000 dollars. 

I do watch some scripted TV. I’ll talk about those shows in our next bloggy thing. See you then.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN FEBRUARY

 

I came out as Jenny Blake Isabella on Sunday, February 9, on Facebook and my other social media. The response from the comics community was overwhelmingly loving, respectful and supportive. I admit I got a little teary reading comments from surprised long-term comics friends. There were, of course, naysayers, but those were expected. Overall, the comics community proved to me that we are some of the best people we will ever know.

Saintly Wife Barb and I flew to Pensacola on Thursday, February 13, for Pensacon 2025. It’s my favorite event and I knew Jenny (and Tony) would be warmly welcomes there. I was not wrong. That first day of the convention was amazing. I ended up doing a solo panel on my comics career that was very well received. I caught up with old friends. I was looking forward to more of the same on the remaining two days of the convention and, beyond that, continuing my transition to my authentic self over the months and years to come.

As we should have learned by now, man plans and God laughs. I got sick on Saturday and was only able to come to the convention on Sunday for a couple hours. We flew back to Cleveland on Monday, February 17, my wife’s birthday. A few days later, I was admitted to Medina Hospital.

I had contracted a particularly nasty case of Influenza A. I felt miserable. There were some other issues as well, but those will be discussed at a later date. I was discharged, but I still felt really awful for many days. Except for one doctor’s appointment, I haven’t left the house in over two weeks.

I am on the mend, albeit slowly. On Sunday, March 2, I finally felt well enough to start writing again. As Jenny Blake, I wrote an eight-page script I can’t talk about yet. As Jenny and Tony, I have also written some Last Kiss gags. If it were for my minor mobility issues and the lingering effects of the flu, I would be feeling pretty good right now. Actually, I do feel pretty good, just not as good as I would like.

I’ve canceled all of my convention and other appearances through July. I had to put some other things on hold. Still, it’s great to be able to resume blogging again. I was unable to post my daily “things that make me happy” for much of February. But I want to share the shortened lists of those joys with you. Here are the things that made me happy in February before I was laid low by the flu... 

                                                                         

 

February 1: Akronomicon. I had a wonderful time at Akronomicon, hanging out with old friends, making new ones and chatting with the nicest fans anywhere. These are challenging times, but there are good people here in Ohio and beyond.

February 2: Linda Miller at Akronomicon. Best known for her role in King Kong Escapes, Linda is simply one of the most delightful guests you can meet at a convention. I love when we’re both at a convention and can spend some time together.

February 3: Victoria Price. It was a thrill to meet the daughter of Vincent Price and be her next door neighbor at Akronomicon. Her dad’s work and her work as an author and activist made the meeting memorable for me. 

                                                                         

 

February 4: Akronomicon. Burt Gummer lives! We never saw a body at the end of the last Tremors film. I assume he’s taking some private “Burt Time” with his stockpile of MREs. An award-winning cosplay from the convention.

                                                                         

February 5: Jenny’s Christmas ornament. My dear friend Jess made this. Even if I end up with a Charlie Brown tree, I’ll have a nice ornament for it. The good friends who sent cards and gifts to Jenny also make me happy.                                                        

February 6: Forbidden Worlds Vol. 20 (PS Artbooks). It reprints issues #117-121, cover-dated January-February to August 1964. Four of the issues have absolutely incredible stories by editor and writer Richard E. Hughes and artist Chic Stone.

February 7: Green Opal Salon. My first appointment with the very cool Kylie went very well. My hair isn’t quite there for all I would like to do with it, but it’s a start. If I don’t stare in the mirror too long, I think I look cute. 

                                                                           

 

February 8: Godzilla now guards the entrance to my home office in the form of this fierce wall hanging. It was a Christmas gift from a family member. I’m going to sprucing up my office in 2025 and adding some art and such to the walls.

February 9: Coming out as transgender on my social media was one of the scariest things I have ever done. The love and support I was shown lifted my spirits and gave me hope. I’ll have more to say soon. For now...thank you.

February 10: Tokyo These Days by Taiyo Matsumoto. After 30 years as a manga editor, Shiozawa quits. He finds can’t leave manga behind. Against all odds, he starts planning a magazine of his own. I can relate to this big time.

                                                                           

February 11: The WeatherTech “Golden Girls Go Wild” Super Bowl commercial was a highlight of the game. My first reaction was a gasped “WTF?” but I immediately moved to laughing out loud. One of the most honestly hilarious ads in years..

February 12: Ghosts: “The Not-So-Silent Partner.” Notable for a heartwarming scene between Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) and Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long). The actors deserve supporting role awards for their great work episode after episode.

I was able to resume posting these things that make me happy on Saturday, March 1. You’ll get a full compliment of them at the start of April.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

JENNY BLAKE ISABELLA

 

Jenny Blake Isabella introduced herself to her online friends on Sunday, February 9, via Facebook and other social media. Better known as “comics legend Tony Isabella,” she asked her privacy be respected. And it was.

It was always my intent to say more about my transitioning after working over half-a-century in the comic-book industry. I needed time to process my coming out in public and absorb the response I received from this announcement.

I was quite overwhelmed by the love and support I was shown by my online fans and friends. Some of your kind comments brought me to joyful tears. Given the challenging times we live in and the struggles so many of us face, I’ll never forget how quickly you welcomed me and reminded me that, despite the likes of Trump and Musk, my world is full of good decent people.

I hope the following answers your questions about Jenny. If they don’t, well, she’s not going anywhere. As much as time allows, she will answer your respectful questions.

My readers are intelligent people. I won’t try to explain gender dysphoria to you. The short hand version is that when you look in a mirror, you see yourself. When I look in a mirror, I don’t see myself. The person I see doesn’t match who I am and who I am working towards becoming. That said, I won’t go into the nuts and bolts of my situation. I may well write about it in a future book or graphic novel, but, this time around, I’ll discuss what I’m guessing most of you want to know.

My preferred name is Jenny Blake Isabella. I’ve always liked the name Jenny. Blake comes from Marvel’s Doctor Don. Once a Marvel maniac, always a Marvel maniac.

My pronouns are she/her, but I’m not going to get my panties in a bunch if you innocently misgender me or call me Tony. I also make that mistake more often than I’d like. At queer functions, I’ve quipped my pronouns are it/WTF and gotten laughs.

I don’t consider “Tony Isabella” to be a dead name. I’ve written a lot of good stories and other things under that name and done a lot of good for people. I plan to continue writing under that name and my preferred name.

DC Comics asked if I wanted them to change my credits on the DC website and any future reprints of my work to my new name or if they should keep the backlist credits as is and use Jenny for any new work that I do. Darn thoughtful of them.

My response: Going forward, I’ll be writing under both names as I am already doing with Last Kiss. Whether I use Tony or Jenny will depend on the project. For example, if I were to write another Black Lightning series, it would make sense on several levels, including commercial, for me to go with Tony. If I were to write a series starring his daughters, Jenny might be more appropriate. I haven't yet decided which name will go on my new trans super-hero series. It could be both.

I’m scheduled to make several convention and other appearances over the next months. At those events, I will be presenting as Tony because I feel that’s who the fans would want to see and who the promoters booked. When you bring me comics to sign, I’ll sign them as Tony Isabella unless you request otherwise. If you think you can make bank getting the first Jenny Blake Isabella autograph on your books, you should know I have already signed a number of items as Jenny for close friends.

What am I working on? I have created a new trans super-hero. I love her more every day. I think she can be a contemporary Peter Parker for queer and straight kids alike. The initial pitch is ready to go to any publisher or other partner ready to work out a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. I’m not interested in giving up creative control of this new character or selling all rights to her.

My transition will be expensive, especially if the Nazis running our nation continue their cruel assaults on trans people and our medical care. As it is, only my medications and therapy are paid for. Anything else would be considered cosmetic and not covered. Indeed, because of odd complications, I’ll be paying for therapy out of pocket until July.

As a result, in addition to continuing to work on my own projects and writing for Last Kiss, I am available for paying gigs. I can write comic books, books, articles, and movie and TV pitches and stories. I’m going to teach myself how to write screenplays, so that skill will be put on the table eventually.

You can book me for library and school talks. Be clear on what kind of audience I will be speaking to. I give a different talk to children than I would for adults.

I’m developing comics-related products to sell at conventions and elsewhere. These include greeting cards, magnets, original sketches, prints of those sketches and more.

As soon as possible within the next months, I will be launching a Patreon page. Members of this page would receive advance looks at both my new works in progress and some pitches that never got picked up.

I’m available for paying acting gigs, playing both female and male parts. I can do comedy and drama. I won’t do nudity unless it’s absolutely vital to the stories.

Sorry, I have no plans for an Only Fans page at this time. But my Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales and my eBay store will offer all manner of reasonably priced treasures. The eBay store is up and running. The garage sales will start as soon as the weather gets warmer and take place every other week through September.

The best way to contact me for any of the above and convention appearances is by e-mail. I’ll respond to the e-mails as soon as humanly possible.

Finally, to wrap us this “me, me, me” bloggy, here’s the list of my upcoming appearances:

February 14-16: Pensacon

March 1-2: Nashville Celebrity Comic-Con

March 8-9: FantastiCon Toledo

April 26-27: Super Jersey Comics Expo

May 3: Happy Day Comics (Hammond, Indiana)

May 17: East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention

June 14: Pop Culture Show 2025 (Mentor)

July 11-13: G-Fest 2025

August 3: NEO Comicon

I hope to see many of my fans and friends at these shows.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back with more bloggy thing fun after I get back from Pensacon.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

PENSACON 2025

 

Pensacon 2025 is nigh! I missed last year’s show due to illness, but I’m excited to be back this year. It’s my favorite event of the year every year. From the Pensacon website, here’s what you need to know:

Pensacon 2025 will take place from Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. The primary convention venue, the Pensacola Bay Center, is where ticketing, celebrity autographs and photo ops, and the vendor floor will be located. Our other official venue  is the First United Methodist Church of Pensacola. Most official events and activities will take place from 1-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday.

I’ll be there all three days. You can find me on he third floor of the 0Center at N21, between Roland Paris and Rhiannon Owens. As will be the case at almost all of my appearances this year, I’ll be presenting as Tony Isabella because I figure that’s who the fans want to see and to sign their Isabella-written comics. The charge for signatures remains $10 per item.

In addition to signing stuff, I will have two exclusive items for sale. The first is a limited edition Tigra poster by my good friend Jay E. Fife. The prints are $30 each.

The other item: the signed and numbered exclusive-to-me reprint of the first appearance of Misty Knight. Only 1500 of these were printed as part of the special deal between Marvel and me. For $10, you get an exclusive comic book AND my signature. That’s a pretty great deal if I say so myself and, obviously I do say so myself.

Now that the business end of today’s bloggy thing is over, let’s talk about the amazing Pensacon guest list.

Artists and Writers: Andy Price, Arthur Suydam, Bill Morrison, Bill Reinhold, Brian LeBlanc, Christpher Burdett, Dave Dorman, Derec Donovan, Guy Gilchrist, Jim Califiore, John Dell, Larry Hama, Lily Butler, Linda Lessman Reinhold, Mark Maddox, Matt Lindham, Michael Golden, Mike Baron, Mitch Byrd, Pat Broderick, Rhiannon Owens, Robert Pope, Roland Paris, Steven Butler, Timonty Zahn, Thom Zahler and me.

Media guests (and forgive me for not listing all of them): Alex Kingston, Angie Harman, Emily Swallow, Hayley Mills, Jeffrey Combes, John Wesley Shipp, Jonathan Frakes, Julie Brown, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mindy Sterling, Phil Morris, Ray Wise, Richard Kern and many others.

Pensacon will also have a great many panels, photo ops, gaming, stage performances, local partner events, a film festival and a giant vendors area. To get all the details, you should visit the Pensacon website or download the Pensacon app on your phone. I’m too much of an unfrozen comic-book writer cavewoman to do the app thing, but that’s why I have children.

Pensacola is a lovely city. If you’re flying to the show, you’ll be landing at the Pensacola Intergalactic Airport, temporarily renamed for the convention. Indeed, all the airport gates will be labeled star gates.

Many of the excellent restaurants in the city will adopt themes related to the convention or offer specialty drinks related to the convention. Maybe one of them will offer a Black Lightning, a Misty Knight or a Tigra.

The fans at the convention and the people of Pensacola are among the nicest people you will ever meet. Maybe the only people who are nicer are the Pensacon promoters, staff and volunteers. It’s a magical experience each and every year.

I hope a lot of you will visit me at my booth. Even if you don’t have anything for me to sign or anything you want to buy from me. I’m happy just to answer your questions about my career and chat with me about this and that. Pensacon gives so much to me and I love to pay that forward.

That’s all for today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN JANUARY

This January was one of the worst starts to a new year I’ve ever experienced. Because I was recovering from my December hospital stay, I had to cancel my appearance at a convention in Honolulu. I could have had a break from the frigid weather in Ohio. Saintly Wife Barb and I had planned a mini-vacation following the convention. Too depressing.

Then the United States suffered from out-of-control wildfires, deadly arctic storms and the impending inauguration of the most criminal, evil president in U.S. history. I don’t need to tell you how quickly Trump started committing illegal acts, putting crooked, unqualified and even insane people in cabinet positions, and allowing our government and our democracy to be dismantled by a racist from South Africa. If you voted for Trump and other Republicans and still support their vile actions and hate, then your souls beyond redemption.

“Stand by your trans” remains my rallying call for 2025. I hope and expect my readers will make it theirs. And now, here are the things that made me happy in January…

January 1: Godzilla the Official Cookbook by Kayce Baker. Start the new year with tasty treats like Rodan Claws, Godzilla Loaf and Anguirus Rice Balls. Wash it down with the refreshing Oxygen Destroyer. Fine dining for kaiju lovers everywhere.

January 2: Rose Bowl: Ohio State 41, Oregon 21. It wasn’t always relaxing, but watching this game with my son Eddie was huge fun. The lad loves his Buckeyes football and his exuberance here was downright infectious. .

January 3. Con and On by Paul Cornell and Mariksa Cresta follows comics pros and hopeful pros at the Vista Al Mar Comics Festival at five-year intervals. Characters and incidents are not too far removed from actual events.

                                                               

January 4: Yishow Vintage Bookshelf Book Socks. With winter upon us and my dressing warmer even indoors, I’m upping my socks game with more striking and personal designs.

January 5: Emilia Pérez. This musical crime drama about a cartel boss seeking a new life is one of the most gripping movies of the past year. Actresses Karla Sofía Gascón and Zoe Saldana are deserving of all the accolades they’ve received.

January 6: Golden Age Classics: Black Terror Volume One. I got a kick out of these early stories of the fighting pharmacist whose “formic ethers” give him powers. I plan to do something with him in the very near future.

January 7: Conclave. My aversion to the Roman Catholic Church kept me from this film until several friends insisted I see it. I’m grateful to them because it’s one of the best movies of 2024 with a compelling story and incredible acting.

January 8: Visitations by Corey Egbert. This graphic novel about (as I see it) children taken by their criminally insane mother, religious zealotry and misplaced faith is a true-to-life horror story. Highly recommended.

                                                                  

January 9: From DC’s Black Label, The Bat-Man: First Knight by Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins and Mike Spicer is a terrific take on Bruce Wayne’s early crime-fighting days. Grim and gritty without being excessive. One of the best Batman tales in years.

January 10: Ohio State vs. Texas. Jack Sawyer’s strip, scoop and score 83-yard touchdown run was one of the most exciting plays I‘ve seen. Just a perfect conclusion to the Buckeye victory over Texas.

January 11: Justyna. After my recent hospital stay, my insurance provider sent this very nice “transitional care home coach” to my house to see how I was doing and acquaint me with some of the benefits I didn’t know I had. So cool.

January 12: Mom’s Meals. A perk from my insurance that I did not know about was 24 heat-and-eat meals delivered to my home free of charge. They were healthy, low-calorie and tasty meals. I may continue to order from this company.

January 13: After blogging on my medical woes and stay at the Glick Center (12/23/24), I received a very kind letter of thanks from MetroHealth’s President and CEO, Christine Alanander-Rager, MD. What a wonderful surprise!

January 14: I started 2025 by creating and writing a pitch for a trans super-hero. I haven’t felt so close to a character and her mentor since I created Jefferson Pierce. I think this can be as impactful in 2025 as Black Lightning was in 1977.

                                                                        

January 15: Going Dutch. Dennis Leary is joined by Tailor Misiak and Danny Pudi in a father/daughter sitcom with the same insane vibes as Beetle Bailey. If Dell was still around, I’d sign up to write a comic-book version in a heartbeat.

January 16: Shifting Gears is another new father and daughter sitcom, this one starring Tim Allen and Kat Dennings. I’ve never cared for Allen, but his character isn’t hateful in this one. Demmings, of course, is a goddess..

January 17: Biology. Available on YouTube, trans comedian Alok Vaid-Menon’s stand-up special is challenging, funny, serious and even poetic. I hope we see more of Alok in the coming months. They are an exceptional talent.

January 18: Back in Action. Former CIA spies and parents Jaime Fox and Cameron Diaz are pulled back into espionage after bring exposed. Lightweight but entertaining with fun performances from Glenn Close and Jamie Demetriou.

January 19: Perfect World 11 by Ale Aruga is another reason why the title has become not just my favorite manga but my favorite current comics title. Tsugami and Itsuki want to adopt a child and I cried huge happy tears. You must read this series!

January 20: The DC Ultimate Character Guide by Melanie Scott. I have now finished reading this volume and enjoyed it a lot. I don’t know if it’s current with the ever-changing DC Universe, but it’s a fun book nonetheless.

January 21: Ohio State Buckeyes 34, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 23. Two amazing Midwestern teams made for an exciting national championship. Take that, coastal elites!

January 22: Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. It’s emotionally difficult for me to follow the news in these dark times, but Maddow brings her historical and insightful knowledge to the news. It actually gives me hope for tomorrow.

                                                                              

January 23: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. Seeing to this amazing woman preach Christian values to Donald Trump left me in awe of her courage and touched with hope other Christians might return to those values and oppose that cruel criminal.

January 24: No Mistaking Death by Shelley Costa. On a routine job for the National Landmark committee, Marian Warner returns to the Ohio town where she once lived to find bitter conflicts, challenging reunions and deadly secrets. A solid read for these winter nights.

January 25: Kaiju Unleashed: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Strange Beasts by Shawn Pryor. I give high marks to this. It’s beautifully-made, fun and informative. A monstrously cool gift for the kaiju-lover in your life.

January 26: Al Madrigal. I didn’t realize how much I missed this former Daily Show correspondent until he recently appeared on the show with Ronny Chieng. He’s a funny guy with a great delivery. I hope he makes more returns to TDS. 

                                                                     

 

January 27: Derec Donovan’s Trigger Mortis. It’s Colorado 1876, and there are zombies. I’m not a big zombie fan, but this 14” by 9” hardcover has solid writing and gorgeous art. Published in 2020, it’s worth looking for.

January 28: Watson. Morris Chestnut is great in the title role. I like the premise. I’m not wild about the ongoing Moriarty sub-plot – Randall Park? – but, overall, I’ll be watching this show when it continues its debut season. 

                                                                     

 

January 29: Sometimes it’s the simple things, like these Zomake Long Handle Shoe Horns that have been useful on those days when my ailing knees are less cooperative than usual. I even got over feeling old when I use them.

January 30: I have created a new trans super-hero and am more in love with her every day. I think she can be a Peter Parker for today’s queer and straight kids, and as ground-breaking as my Black Lightning was in the 1970s.

January 31: Harley Quinn. The fifth season of this frequently obscene cartoon series has just launched. It is not suitable for children of any age from birth to 100...and I love it so much it scares me. Not for the faint of heart.

Finally, here are the winners of my January awards...

BEST COMIC BOOK/GRAPHIC NOVEL: The Bat-Man: First Knight

BEST BOOK: Kaiju Unleashed: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Strange Beasts

BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Conclave

BEST PERSON: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

BEST OTHER THING: Zomake Long Handle Shoe Horns

My next convention appearance is the always incredible Pensacon, February 14-16 in Pensacola, Florida. I’ll give you a preview in my next bloggy thing.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

 

UNUSUAL TALES

 

PS Artbooks reprints classic and not-so-classic comic books from the 1940s through the 1970s. Regular readers of this blog as well as those of you who follow me on Facebook know I love these books. I have hundreds of volumes of them and they do, indeed, encompass some of the best and some of the worst. Although, If I am being honest. I don’t consider Unusual Tales Vol. 6 to be bad. It’s a reflection of my comics mania when I was younger and a fair representation of my comics mania today.

This volume collects Unusual Tales #26-30, cover dated February 1961 to October 1961. Originally published by Charlton, known for its modest budgets, this is not a title I would’ve purchased at any of the main places a kid could buy comics back in the day. This was a title you read while waiting for your haircut at the local barber shop or acquired as an add-on to a trade for more respected titles by DC or Dell. In my case, I also had this kind of sort of part-time “job” where I swept hair clippings and was paid in comic books.

I swept the hair clippings into holes drilled into the barber shop floor. The holes were strategically placed so the clippings would fall into basement trash cans. It was a job that required the barest accuracy. I was well suited for it.

Charlton’s comics were available at most every neighborhood drug store, grocery or newsstand. The only ones I bought off the rack were Gorgo and Konga, but someone must’ve been buying the other titles because of how often they were seen at barber shops and as trade fodder. I read issues of their war, western and fantasy/science fiction titles. I didn’t even look at their humor, nurse and romance titles until I was in my 20s.

Unusual Tales was a mediocre title, enlivened by the occasional story drawn by Steve Ditko and the much more frequent very odd stories penned by Joe Gill. I knew Ditko was something different but I wouldn’t know who he was until a few years later.

Joe Gill was an incredibly prolific writer who might well have written every single story in this volume. Charlton’s low rates demanded massive production from the writers and artists to earn decent paychecks. Gill was definitely up to the task.

This is speculation on my part, but it seems to me Gill’s method of operation was to just start writing until he got close to the final page of a story and then wrap it up as best he could. I am amazed at how often that worked. Strange people and objects appear. Weird adventures ensue. Stories end with the mysterious people and objects vanishing, leaving the protagonist wondering if it really happened. That basic plot is repeated time and time again in these issues. Of course, the Ditko stories are the real prizes in this volume, even when they follow the pattern of the tales drawn by lesser lights.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD

Issue #26’s “Speed Crazed” had an Air Force captain who, since he was a kid, had an obsessive need for speed. He breaks record after record until, on one mission, he travels so fast that he disappears. This story gave Ditko many opportunities to create images of speed that are stunning.

“A Look into the Future” (issue #27) is a time paradox tale of a successful businessman whose dreams overlap with reality. Was he really following the advice given to him by a dream version of himself? Again, we get some amazing art from Ditko.

Ditko also appears in issue #29 with “Way Out, Man,” a hilarious tale of beatniks and aliens. It reminds me of the lighthearted stuff Ditko produced before his world-view was corrupted and went dark with Ayn Rand nonsense. If I were editing a collection of Ditko’s best Charlton shorts, this would be included.

I don’t believe I ever read these issues when I was a kid. They were new to me. Some ideas contained in them are clever enough that, were I not so involved in so many original projects of my own, I’d be tempted to rewrite them and flesh out those ideas. Given these comics are in the public domain, maybe I will explore that notion in the future.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2025 Tony Isabella

MY AKRONOMICON DAY

Burt Gummer lives!

From what I was told, the gentleman above won the convention costume contest. I didn’t get his name, but we agreed that the formidable graboid-slayer wasn’t dead. We never saw his body in the most recent Tremors movie. We concluded he was taking a bit of “Burt Time” to recharge at some undisclosed location, happily living off his stockpiles of MREs.

Akronomicon 2025 was a one-day horror event hosted by the same fine folks who do the Akron Comicon. Like that convention, it was held at Emidio’s Expo Center in nearby Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The facility had had and is still undergoing some renovation. It’ll be even bigger for their next event. That should be in May. When I know more, I’ll share the info with you.

The day started with a twinge of sadness. In years past, WBNX-TV has been the first booth at Akron Comicon and other events. But the station, which had always done a terrific job promoting the con, was sold just before last year’s event. That was their last time setting up at the show. They were the best people and their absence was felt.

There were still many joys to be had at Akronomicon. I got to spend time with my friend Linda Miller (King Kong Escapes and The Green Slime). She is a charming, friendly lady with wondrous stories from her life in Japan and appearing in films there. She is one my favorite people.

I met Victoria Price, daughter of Vincent Price and author of, among other things, Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography and The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to my Truest Self. She graciously signed both books for me.

There were many other media guests at Akronomicon, but I didn’t get the chance to chat with them other than to say hello. I did get to spend time with dear friends like Ted Sikora, Jay Fife, Rick Lorenzo, Dan Gorman and Denine Copeland.

The topic of discussion included the adverse effects the current administration will have on our country, our world, and even the comics industry. Many of the comic books you love are printed in Canada. Many of the classy collections are printed in China. I’m not sure there are enough American printers to pick up the work being done in those countries and match the quality and price of those comics and collections.

Among the items I sold were duplicates of PS Artbooks volumes I owned. The customer was thrilled to get them at such reasonable prices. Just one of the reasons you should make plans to come to my cool Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales this spring and summer. I had a nice chat with the customer, directing him to the PS Artbooks website and telling him he could usually find the books discounted InStock Trade and, of course, at much lower shipping costs than ordering them from the U.K.

My next convention guest appearance is coming up soon. I’ll be returning to Pensacon. My favorite convention is taking place on February 14-16. I’ll have more details for you in a few days. In the meantime, thanks to Akronomicon for a good time and thanks to all of you for visiting me here.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2025 Tony Isabella