What made me happy in June? Well, it sure wasn’t the corrupt right-wingers on the Supreme Court or the vile Republicans ignoring the insurmountable evidence former President Petulant Traitor tried to overthrow democracy. However, lest I get consumed by my righteous rage, let’s focus on the positive.
This summer’s Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales have gotten off to a great start. In addition, I’ve done “private” auctions on my Facebook page and those have brought in some much needed funds as well.
In two weeks, my son Eddie and I will drive to Chicago for G-FEST XXVII. It’s the first G-Fest in two years and we’re looking forward to a great weekend.
Here’s the other things that made me happy in June...
June 1: Tom Swift on the CW. I watched the pilot episode of the new series and was impressed by how much story it contained while also offering interesting character introductions and development. For now, I’m giving it a thumbs up.
June 2: The Access Guide to the Black Comic Book Community 2021-2022 is here. Its updated content woll help fans and professionals explore the vibrant Black comic culture. I wish there were similar guides for other comics communities.
June 3: My LGBTQAI+ friends and readers. I thank you for the love and respect you have always shown me and for the insights you have shared with me. I will forever be one of you.
June 4: The Boys. The show has upped the dread and violence in its new season. The Homelander is scarier and more twisted than ever, as are the corporate types. This wouldn’t normally be to my taste, but the quality of the series is undeniable.
June 5: The Monolith Monster. I saw this 1957 film as a kid and was disappointed there were no actual monsters. Svengoolie showed it on Saturday and, questionable science aside, I loved it. What a neat and unique sci-fi thriller.
June 6: A National Council on Race & Ethnicity session included Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands on the syllabus for its Cultural Exploration and Social Change Through Comics and Superheroes course!
June 7: Larry Hama (Code Name: Creator) made a guest appearance on Collector’s Call and was mentioned several times during an episode featuring Allen Singleton’s incredible G.I. Joe collection. Well-deserved recognition for Hama’s work on the franchise.
June 8: Marvel’s June 1962. I squealed with delight when this was delivered to my house. This omnibus collects the first appearances of Spider-Man and Thor, as well as all the other Marvel comics from that month. More than 500 pages of goodness.
June 9: Friday is Saintly Wife’s Barb’s last day as a full-timer at MetroHealth. The nurses at the Parma campus surprised her with this gift basket and celebration. She’ll work two days a week, but this is still a big deal.
June 10: Disney+’s Ms. Marvel. When I talk about core values being the most important thing in adapting comics to other media, this is what I mean. Quite different from the source material in many ways, but still the Kamala Khan we know and love.
June 11: Dark Horse’s Lady Killer Library Edition Volume 1. One of my favorite comics series of the past decade has been reprinted in an exquisite hardcover edition. I hope we haven’t seen the last of homemaker and assassin Josie Schuller.
June 12: Rising Boas in a Girls School. From YouTube, a fun Chinese (subtitled) movie. A giant snake and its aggressive posse attack a flight attendant school. Good characters. Non-stop action. A bit of humor. I loved this one big time.
June 13: Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. An hour-and-a-half of sometimes biting but always hilarious stand-up comedy from well over a dozen outstanding performers. It was joy and love for the community and its allies.
June 14: Jurassic World Dominion. An entertaining B movie with an A movie budget and cast, which was all I expected or needed from it. I especially loved seeing characters from the oldest and newest entries in the series having a team-up.
June 15: Marry Me. I enjoyed this often heartwarming and sometimes hilarious Rom-Con starring the delightful Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. I’d not heard of the Bobby Crosby graphic novel on which it was based, but I’m looking forward to reading it.
June 16: It’s 38 years and counting. Looking forward to many more to come.
June 17: Secret Identity by Alex Segura. I loved this mystery about murder in the comics industry in the 1970s. I didn’t love how some scenes triggered me. I’ll write about it soon, but I do recommend this novel to one and all.
June 18: Saintly Wife Barb’s retirement party at the fantastic Blue Heron Brewery and Event Center in Medina. It was great to see her honored by so many of her co-workers, family members and friends.She deserved every bit of it.
June 19: This card from Kelly. “As far as dads go, you’re totally the sheet! Happy Father’s Day. Love ya!” Right back at you, my dear daughter.
June 20: Free Guy. Saintly Wife Barb and I finally viewed this 2021 action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds. We found it delightful with lots of laughs, crazy action, character development and a whole lot of heart. Highly recommended.
June 21: God’s Favorite Idiot. A mild-mannered tech support worker becomes a heavenly messenger. It’s a funny show, but what sells it is how the characters grow over the eight episodes. I’m looking forward to the second season.
June 22: The Boys Presents Diabolical. These are hilarious cartoons set in the world of The Boys. They are occasionally cute and always violent. Real violent. Body parts flying violent. I’m loving them.
I’m just a little concerned about that.
June 23: My local Huntington Bank. When my debit card went missing, they quickly canceled it, got me a temporary ATM card and start the process for a new debit card. This took less than 15 minutes and my new card is on its way to me.
June 24: Selling my oldest Batman comics was a tough call, but I’m enjoying seeing sheer delight from the fans buying them. Some revel in reacquiring beloved old issues, some are thrilled to get issues they never thought they could afford. It’s good.
June 25: Another successful Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale. Despite construction/repair work that limited parking on Friday, I achieved 91% of my weekend goal.
June 26: My first Facebook auctions went very well. I’ll be doing more of them and also striving to spread the word about them much better. These additional funds will enable me to move forward on a number of projects.
June 27: Hard Cell. Written and directed by Catherine Tate, it’s a funny, weird show about an event-planner turned warden of a women’s prison. Tate plays the lead and several other characters. You can watch it on NetFlix.
NOTE: What the fuck is wrong with Catherine Tate? I was loving this show. Great character development. Lots of laughs. What seemed to be a very heartwarming finale...and then Tate decided to turn it to shit with incredible mean-spirited twists. I won’t be coming back for a second season.
June 28: Tinseltown: Losing he Light by David Lucarelli and Henry Ponciano. Published by Alterna Comics, this series starring Utopia Studios Officer Abigail Moore is an entertainment bargain at just $1.99 per issue. I love it a lot.
June 29: My pal Will Meugniot’s Monsters of Mirth. Humor ala Stan Lee’s Monsters to Laugh With. Brought back fine nostalgia memories of working with Stan on the later Monster Madness. This is the sold out first edition but a new edition is coming. 6-29-22.
June 30: My first Facebook auctions went very well. You can expect them to continue through garage sale season and beyond.
In addition to what I mentioned at the start of this bloggy thing, July promises to be very interesting. Besides G-Fest, my only other public appearance this month is the always wonderful NEO Comicon on Sunday, July 31, in North Olmsted, Ohio.
My main goal this month is to complete (or mostly complete) a new book, the first in a series of books in which I’ll be writing about the often-cheesy horror and monster movies I love. Each book will focus on a theme. This first one? Well, let’s just say you should be asking yourself if you’ve been naughty or nice.
That’s it for now. I’ll be back as soon as possible with more news, views and reviews.
© 2022 Tony Isabella
Thanks, Tony! Appreciate you taking the time to read SECRET IDENTITY!
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