CHRIS CLAREMONT DID THE HEAVY LIFTING

                                                                      

Outrageous stories abound when you’ve been working in the comics industry as long as I have. It was news to me that I would hide under my desk at Marvel Comics to avoid an artist waiting on a plot from me. I mean, really, under my desk was where I kept the sleeping bag I used on too many occasions because of the absurd work load I carried at Marvel.

In a related bit of comics history fake news, there’s a truly outrageous tale of how Misty Knight was created that’s also been going around. It involves a male character pitched to me when I was editing Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, a character who bears absolutely no resemblance to the Misty we know and love. The tall tale involves a trip to Queens and, my darlings, I lived in a not-as-impressive as it sounds penthouse apartment off Times Square. I only left Manhattan to get to an airport. Amusingly, when I did confront the person spreading this phony origin story, he said, “You’ve got Black Lightning. Can’t I have Misty Knight?” That’s not how credits work.

Sidebar. I’m on record as disliking the standard first writer and first artist creation credit. It doesn’t fit all scenarios. It fails to recognize editors who contributed to the process as well as other creators. My pal Bob Layton comes to mine as, while inking Iron Man, he also had a hand in the plots. I’m planning to write a blog on this subject in the near future. But I’ll swing back to it a wee bit later in this bloggy.

Back to Misty Knight. The true story of her creation is simple and one I’ve told before and never strayed from.

I had agreed to write at least three issues of Iron Fist. I had plotted the first of those issues and started scripting it. Which is when I realized how much I loathed the second-person narration of the strip.

“You are Iron Fist and you’ve just been punched in the face.” I would groan when I wrote those captions.

I went to see Black Belt Jones with some young Marvel artists, among them Arvell Jones and Ron Wilson. I went because I’d liked Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon. This wasn’t a particularly good movie, but one character impressed me. Played by Gloria Hendry, she was this kick-ass martial artist. Inspiration came to me outside the theater. I shared it with Arvell who was drawing my issues of Iron Fist.

I’d give the naive Danny Rand a partner who would be like an older sister to him. She would always have his back but she’d also make fun of him in the way special older sisters do. Best of all, he’d have someone to talk to. I could start phasing out the second-person narration.

Arvell liked the idea and asked what I would call her. I went to my list of names I always had in my head chose Misty Knight. The only question Arvell had was “Misty with a Y or an I?”

“With a Y,” I responded. “I’m not a savage.”

Arvell laughed.

I told him to base Misty on Pam Grier instead of Gloria Hendry on account of everyone loves Pam Grier. I still hope to meet the talented actress one day.

That’s it. The entire story of how I created Misty Knight. If you are told something else, it’s not even remotely connected to the truth.

I only wrote Misty for three pages. When she next appeared in the Iron Fist series, she was written by Chris Claremont. I used to joke that my friend Chris did the heavy lifting on her but I’m still keeping the money. However…

Over the years, I have been thinking about all Chris brought to Misty. Her police background. Her bionic arm. Her romance with Danny Rand. Her friendship and partnership with Colleen Wing. Those are what made her the superstar she became.

Marvel should start listing Chris Claremont as a co-creator of Misty Knight alongside original artist Arvell Jones and myself. He deserves that recognition.

I told you I’d be swinging back to the creator credits issue. I always try to keep my word.

That’s it for this bloggy thing. I’ll be back soon with more of that voodoo that I do so well. Hugs.

© 2026 Tony Isabella

GARAGE SALE UPDATES

 

GARAGE SALE UPDATES!

 

We have garage sales today and tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, from 9 am to noon at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio. There will be no mystery boxes available.

 

There will be no garage sales on August 21 and 22.

 

Then, we'll have our FINAL garage sales of 2026 on August 28 and 29.

 

I'll go into more detail in a bloggy thing next week, but it boils down to needing more time for my writing. for my transition journey, for my family, my friends, my community.

 

The good news is that, if I haven't already lowered the prices on all sales items, I'll be lowering them at the check-out table. This is your chance to get great stuff at even lower prices. 

 

Hope to see you this weekend and two weekends from now.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY IN JUNE

 

Yes, this bloggy thing is very late. I’ve had a lot going on in my life and transition. G-Fest. Comic-Con International. Neocon. Planning my first gender-affirming surgery. Planning for a legal name change. Trying to be there for other members of the trans community. Working on my garage sales. To quote too many movies, I’m getting way too old for this.

Yet I persist. I’m staying home in August and September. I’ll be writing and doing garage sales. The writing things I’m working on are, to my mind, amazing. The garage sales are to buy me time for the writing and to pay for my gender care. I’ll say more at the appropriate times.

We proceed…

June 1: Spider-Noir (Amazon Prime). Ben Reilly is a down-on-his-luck private eye with powers. Set in the 1930s with Nicholas Cage in the lead, this series is one of the best Marvel series ever. Utterly riveting. I watched all eight episodes in one day. Highly recommended.

                                                                       

 

June 2: DC Finest: Sgt. Rock: The Rock of Easy Co. by Kanigher, Haney, Kubert and others. I’ve amassed quite the stack of these volumes. They give me nostalgic feels and a greater appreciation for the craft that went into them. 

June 3: CNN’s Craig Ferguson: American on Purpose. Two episodes in and I’m enjoying the heck out of the comedian’s journeys in his adopted country. It’s funny and informative. As he has ever been. Ferguson is a treasure.

June 4: Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition by Maia Kobabe is a new edition of one of the most important LGBTQ+ comics memoirs of all time. It won’t be a fast reread, but I’ve no doubt it will be well worth the effort. 

June 5: The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. It’s the author’s second freelance courier Mercury Carter novel. I like Carter’s ability to face the unexpected and quickly execute plans to deal with it. It’s a page-turner and highly recommended. 

June 6: The Four Seasons. Barb and I watched and love this Netflix comedy-drama show. Wonderful relatable characters with great performances from the actors. Terrific plot twists. Funny and often moving writing. Highly recommended.

June 7: The Four Seasons. Even among one of the most stellar casts, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) and Ginny (Erika Henningsen) became my favorite characters. So much range. Their characters’ unexpected bond sealed the deal.

June 8: Minding the Store: A Big Story about a Small Business by Julie Gaines and Ben Lenovitz. An utterly captivating tale of life and retail. I think it would make a great limited series on a streaming platform. 

                                                                     

 

June 9: PRIDE IN THE CLE. It was another glorious celebration of and show of support for the LGBTQ+ community. I felt completely in my space and will have many cool stories to share with you in a near-future bloggy thing.

June 10: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide 2026. Fifty-five years in the making. A thousand pages of comic-book happiness and information. I have the paperback. I’m not sure I could lift the hardcover edition. An incredible achievement.

June 11: Medina’s PRIDE ON THE SQUARE. A wonderful gathering of local queer people and our allies. I got to introduce my son Ed to one of my dearest trans friends. I saw many friends, fans and even garage sale customers. So affirming. We are always stronger together.

June 12: Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House. This series is seriously scary. Brutal interlopers. Homeowners arrested by the police. Diabolical con artists. I almost never want to leave my house again. Watch it on Hulu. 

                                                                           

 

June 13: Supergirl’s Family Vacation by Brandon T. Snider and Sarah Leuver. A thriller that combines relatable family dynamics with fantastic settings and a welcome warning about giving in to totalitarian leaders. I loved it!

June 14: Liberty Girl Archives Volume 1. From Heroic Publishing, this hefty tome collects hundreds of pages of Liberty Girl tales plus a foreword by me. I’ve always loved this patriotic heroine. She’s courageous and sexy without being crude.

June 15: Phantom Fireworks is the leading retailer of consumer fireworks in the U.S. The billboards and stores are everywhere. Their most recent TV ads feature a live-action Phantom. I don’t have a good photo, but the costume is very well done.

June 16: Barb and I celebrated our 42^nd wedding anniversary with a road trip to check out some wondrous Columbus thrift shops and then enjoy a great meal at Der Dutchman. That’s 42 years in the books and heading to 43.

June 17: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. An unwed mom launches an Only Fans page to support her and her son. That’s an inadequate description of this novel. Cool characters, drama, humor and a warm heart. Maybe the best book I’ve read in 2026. 

                                                                         

 

June 18: Giant Monsters in Italian Cinema by Gilberto Neri is a film history book I didn’t know I needed. The prose is dry and repetitive, but the information presented is fascinating. I got a kick out of reading about Caltiki the Immortal Monster, a long-time favorite of mine.

June 19: Deadman. In Justice League Red, writer Saladin Ahmed has a terrific take on Boston Brand. He longs for human contact, to be able to talk with people without possessing someone. It makes the character all the more relatable.

June 20: Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie Treasure Edition by Joel Meadows and Andy Bennett. An adventure so big I needed to read it on my kitchen table. A cool new take on Holmes with distinctive visuals and a cautionary tale for our own country. 

                                                                         

 

June 21: Supergirl. I absolutely loved this movie. That I found Milly Alcock’s superb Kara so challenging and relatable does not diminish my love for the Supergirl of the 1960s. My heart is big enough for both of them.

June 22: Jeopardy and Mile High Comics. The question to a June 24 answer was the legendary Jason Street store in Denver, which is the largest such establishment in the country. Well-deserved recognition to this comics landmark.

June 23: Memorial tree. In lieu of flowers or a cash donation, I honored the deceased father of a friend by having a tree planted in his name. I hope his family likes the idea that something new is growing because of their loved one.

June 24: Will Trent. I binge-watched the final episodes of this ABC show. Incredibly riveting storytelling with a season finale that was somehow what we needed. Next season will hit the ground running.

June 25: Mickey Mouse Versus the Mouseton Society of Evil by Nicholas Pothier and Jonah Pilet has our hero’s old foes joining forces and Mickey calling together his own team to combat them. A large-size graphic novel filled with great characters and wild futuristic action.

                                                                       

 

June 26: The Flash #31 by Ryan North & Gavin Guidry. This might be the best super-hero comic I’ve read this year. Original and downright diabolical. Recommended to me by the staff at Carol & John’s Comics in Cleveland and now I recommend it to you. \

June 27: Who Killed Nessie? By Paul Cornell and Rachael Smith. It’s a fantastical murder mystery with a human trying to uncover the killer of a legendary creature. It delivers some laughs and plays fair with the readers.

June 28: Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man by James Tynion IV and Dani is a slow-building chiller that left me wanting much more. I hope there’s a sequel in the works. Recommended. 

                                                                         

 

June 29: The Human Vapor. Toho turned a 1960 horror movie into a chilling TV series. It had great acting. It was suspenseful. It was honestly scary at times. The door is open for a sequel and I am 100% on board for that.

June 30: HGTV. I know I’ve praised individual shows, but I have to give kudos to the network at large. They always come up with interesting new series. It’s also a safe place. No disturbing political content. So relaxing.

Here are the “best of show” winners.

BEST COMIC BOOK: The Flash #31

BEST BOOK: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Spider-Noir

BEST PERSON: Craig Ferguson

BEST OTHER THING: Medina’s Pride on the Square

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2026 Tony Isabella

THIS WEEKEND'S GARAGE SALE!

My next garage sales are this Friday and Saturday!

https://www.craigslist.org/view/d/medina-jenny-isabellas-vast/rpvNZs9XnnisjYoFsQ4DzM 

JENNY IS GOING TO COMIC-CON 2026!

 

After way too many years of not attending San Diego’s Comic-Con International, I’ll be there this year with Saintly Wife Barb. We’re arriving sometime Wednesday. We’ll be at the con Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We’ll be leaving on Sunday.

I’m coming to receive the prestigious Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. But my main priorities are to show my dear Barb a great time and to foster the cause of trans and LGBTQ+ representation by appearing on panels and doing daily signings at the Prism Comics Booth.

Here’s my Comic-Con Schedule:

THURSDAY, JULY 23

1:00 PM: Prism Comics Signing (Booth 2144)

4:00 PM: Trans and non-binary panel (Room 9)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

9:00 AM: Prism Comics Signing (Booth 2144)

1:30-2:30 PM: Focus on Jenny Blake (Room 10)

7:00 PM: Eisner Awards

SATURDAY, JULY 25

11:45 AM-12:45 PM: Quick Draw (Room 6BLF)

1:00-2:30 PM: Cartoon Voices (same room)

4 PM: Prism Comics Signing (Booth 2144)

6-8 PM: Out in Comics (Room 4)

I’m not appearing on either the Quick Draw or Cartoon Voices panels, but those glorious Mark Evanier-curated extravaganzas are favorites of Barb and me.

Some things you should know:

My name is Jenny. Not Jen. Not Jennifer. When I legally change my name in early 2027, it will be Jenny Blake Isabella. I’m very aware some people will slip and call me Tony. I’ll correct them, but I only take offense when someone calls me by my retired name in a malicious.

“Tony Isabella” is not a dead name. It is a retired name. Though I once thought I would use both names, I’ve decided to only use Jenny Blake for my future work.

Writing I did as Tony Isabella should still be credited to Tony Isabella. For example, if I were to write Black Lightning again, the credits would read “Created by Tony Isabella with Trevor von Eeden” and “Written by Jenny Blake.” Whether past or present, my pronouns are she/her.

I sign anything I did as Tony with that name. I sign anything I did as Jenny with that name.. I know there’s not much Jenny writing available right now, but you can print off any of the Last Kiss cartoons I’ve done as Jenny and I will happily sign those for you.

When I’m appearing on a panel or when I’m signing at the Prism Comics booth, no questions are off the table. I may choose not to answer some questions because of my business arrangements or because they’re too personal or because you’re just being a dick in asking them. But I’m not at Comic-Con just for my comic book stuff. I’m there to promote trans representation.

If you want to interview me during the convention, that might be difficult to arrange. I’ll be trying to visit as many old and new friends as possible, which could be a bit tricky given my mostly minor mobility issues. But, unless you’re one of the bad actors that infest comicdom, I’ll try to accommodate you.

The same goes for any editor or publisher who wants to discuss my bringing them some of the new properties I’ve been working on or writing on their existing properties. My August and September are already booked with pending projects, but I would likely be ready for new challenges come October.

NOTE: Outside of Neocon in nearby North Olmsted on August 2, I’m not accepting any convention or store invitations until October. I’ll be concentrating on my writing and my legendary comic books and pop culture garage sales.

If you want to contact me during the convention, you will need to text me. I know from past experience that, if I’m in any of the halls, I won’t be able to hear you. If you’re someone I know or want to know, e-mail or private message me and I will send you my cell phone number.

Looking ahead…

I hope to resume my blogging on a much more frequent basis come August 3. I’m hoping to change the name of this blog to reflect my authentic identity.

That’s all for now. I hope I get to many of you at Comic-Con. Be brave. Be kind. Be yourself. Always fight for your community and your rights and the rights of others. We are stronger when we stand together.

© 2026 Tony Isabella

THE GARAGE SALES ARE GO! June 26-27

 My first garage sales of the season!  https://cleveland.craigslist.org/gms/d/medina-comic-books-and-pop-culture/7943133746.html

A VERY SHORT LIST OF THE THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN MAY

                                                                   

 

I will be getting the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International. My late friend Martin Pasko will also be receiving the award. “As is always the case, the judges considered many nominations that were submitted to us and we picked two that stood out as the right choices,” chairman, writer and historian Mark Evanier remarked. “Both writers met our criteria of having generated a large and significant body of work that hasn’t received proper recognition and probably not proper compensation.”

I am thrilled to received this award, especially since it will be my first SDCC presenting as my authentic self. The convention has been wonderfully supportive and welcoming to me. I’ll have much more to say about that in a near-future bloggy. However, on this day, there’s something else I want to write about.

Transitioning is seldom an easy journey. There are many pitfalls along the way. Like many trans people, I’m harder on myself than I should be. Everybody fails at something along the way, but it is important to give oneself the grace to fail and put whatever that failure was in the rear-view mirror.

My master plan was to present almost exclusively as Jenny as of May 16. Barb and our kids were leaving for an Alaskan cruise and would be gone for ten days. I would take them to the airport in Tony mode and then live mostly as Jenny. I figured the ten days would allow me to adjust to this change and be confident when I picked them up at the airport.

I want to add that they knew this was my plan and also that I’d be in Tony mode when I picked them up and, at other times when it seemed prudent to do so. When I drive to Chicago for G-Fest and when Barb and I fly to San Diego for Comic-Con, I’ll present (as best I can) as Tony. It will be less complicated and safer that way. I know the outside world isn’t as supportive of me as the comics community has been.

Almost immediately, I found it difficult to present as Jenny on a full-time basis. I ended up seriously overthinking every place I planned to go. I was anxious about possible danger to my well-being. I stayed home more than I’d intended. In short, my master plan was an abject failure. I’m still presenting as Tony most of the time, something that depresses me more than I can convey in words.

I did present as Jenny when I went out with friends. I went out on the night of May 16 to celebrate what we called “J-Day” and even received a bouquet of flowers from my friends. I went to Jane’s Diner for breakfast a few days later. But, before I went inside to meet my friend Jess, I sat in my SUV and cased the street for any possible danger. This doubt and uncertainty is no way to live my life. I failed. But I will not allow it to be a permanent failure.

I’m working my way to presenting as Jenny full-time. I will do so at both G-Fest and Comic-Con. I will go to a movie theater as Jenny. I’ll shop as Jenny. I’ll go to my medical appointments as Jenny. Working my way to being myself full-time.

I already go to the incredible Carol & John’s Comics as Jenny. I go to my gender therapy as Jenny. I go to my OutSupport Medina meetings as Jenny.

The journey to being myself is not an easy one. But the joy that I feel when I am presenting as Jenny gives me strength. I’ve been told you can see it in my face. If I fail again, I’ll pick myself up and try again.

Failure happens. Permanent failure is not an option.

I have failed in other aspects of my current life. Without going into detail, I didn’t meet most of the goals I set for myself in the month of May. I didn’t post things that made my happy every day. Which is why this list is so short.

Brief as they are, here are the things that made me happy in the difficult month of May...

                               

   

May 1: Lavender Jack by Dan Schkade and Jenn Manley Lee. Queer comics are among the most interesting stories in recent years. This adventure mystery of a dashing vigilante seeking justice in a corrupt city-state is one of the best. 

May 2: My terrific artist has begun drawing the first issue of my new trans super-hero comic book. We’ll be doing a Kickstarter to publish it, but, until that campaign goes live, I’m open to talking to interested publishing partners. 

                                   

 

May 3: Fueled by a bout of nostalgic memories about how large the chain had once loomed in my life, I read Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster’s Inevitable Bust by Alan Payne. The tale of the chain’s amazing rise and even more amazing demise is riveting. Recommended. 

May 4: Pop Culture Jeopardy is back on Netflix with Colin Jost as host. It’s even more fun than previously with two-person teams instead of the unwieldy three-person teams of the initial season and I get more questions right than with the original Jeopardy.

                                                                                 

 

May 5: Fantastic Four #5 (January 2026) by Ryan North & Humberto Ramos. While the FF boys are fishing in the Negative Zone, Sue tackles a murder mystery. A fun adventure guest-starring the Black Cat. 

May 6: Serendipity and pizza. When I ordered food from Johnny Malloy’s here in Medina, the guy who took the order knew exactly where to deliver it. Because he comes to my garage sales during the summer. I hope he puts the tip to good use.

May 7: Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! Volume 2 by Kuro Itsuki. Sexy and sweet in equal measure, the tale continues with Asumi still in search of her childhood friend. The content is explicit, but so is the charm and warmth. 

                                                                                       

May 8: Batman/Superman World’s Finest #40 (August 2025) by Mark Waid and Adrian Gutierrez. Perry White. Jim Gordon. An asshole podcaster. A giant monster. A giant Batman mecha. You can always count on this title for a fun read,

I’m doing much better posting joyful things this month. My next “things” bloggy should get me back to posting some joyful thing every day. Thanks for your patience.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2026 Tony Isabella