I have vowed to be less doom and gloomy in this introduction to my monthly list of things that bought me joy. Though the shelf life of “comics legend Tony Isabella” may have ended, I’m determined to ace every test in the life course I call Comics Legend Economics 101. Indeed, there will be many bloggy things about how you can enrich me through my eBay auctions, my Vast Accumulation of stuff garage sales and more. The money will serve several purposes. It will help me created and release new comics and other things for my beloved readers. It will make it possible for me to resume donations to a number of worthy causes.
For today, I’ll give you the update on getting autographs from me at appearances and through the mail. After going back and forth on the issue, I decided not to raise my signing fee. You can still get your Isabella comics and other items signed for $10 per item.
If you not able to come to a convention where I am appearing, you can mail your items to me at:
Tony Isabella, 840 Damon Drive, Medina OH 44256
You must include postage-paid return packaging with your items so that I can sign them and return them quickly. You must tell me how you want them signed. If you want me to use pens other than my own Sharpies, you must include the pens. You must include $10 per item. If you don’t include the signing fee, I will assume you are giving me the items as a token of your admiration. Thank you.
My signature is my signature. If you want me to add something like “To (your name)” or the date, I will do that. However, I won’t do anything more complicated than that.
At an appearance, you are welcome to take a photo of me signing an item or with me. No charge. However, I will not take selfies of me signing books you have mailed to me.
If you mail me a certificate of authenticity with your items, I’ll sign that certificate for another $10.
The Internet being what it is, I know some “fans” and “pros” will be critical and sometimes downright insulting on reading my policy. That’s on them.
As you will learn as I post my additional lessons in Comics Legend Economics 101, I am not desperate. My Saintly Wife Barb and I live a comfortable life. Assuming that life doesn’t get upended by the vile forces who are an ongoing threat to decency and democracy, we will be just fine.
But...there’s so much we both want to do and the money I earn from signing things and the other ventures I’ll be announcing will make it easier to do them. It’s that simple.
And now...
Here are the things that brought me joy in February:
February 1: SurrealEstate isn’t likely to get a third season from the SyFy Channel, but I enjoyed the series right through the second season finale. That finale delivered a satisfying conclusion on all fronts. If that’s all we get, it was a good exit.
[ADDENDUM: It has been renewed for a third season.]
February 2: GCPD: The Blue Wall by John Ridley and Stefano Raffaele is an intense police thriller. Commissioner Renee Montoya is trying to rebuild the GCPD and restore public trust in it. Are such goals even attainable in Gotham? Highly recommended.
February 3: MonsterFest Mania in Cuyahoga Falls. It was a blast, it was a monster blast. The zombies were having fun and so was I. It was great connecting with old friends and making new friends as I rocked my “Trans Lives Matter” t-shirt.
February 4: MonsterFest Mania: Leonora Scelfo and Nancy Anne Ridder (the mean bathroom girls from Scream) were my next-door neighbors. I have an idea for a Scream comic or movie with their characters. I love them madly.
February 5: MonsterFest Mania: Ted Sikora. His mom would bring him to my Cosmic Comics when he was a kid. He’s grown up to become an amazing comics creator and filmmaker. He wants to film me talking about my career. Does Oscar glory await us?
February 6: MonsterFest Mania: Almost a dozen fans came to my table to tell me how much my Cosmic Comics shop meant to them back in the day. Though the place caused me considerable grief, it’s heartening to know how many folks it touched.
February 7: MonsterFest Mania: I met Gary Jones, director of such favorites as Ax Giant and Mosquito. A nice guy who lives in Ohio and plans to film two movies here this summer. Mr. Jones, I’m ready for my close-up.
February 8: MonsterFest Mania: Jay Fife. My long-time friend Jay is also one of my favorite artists. At this convention, we made plans to work together on not one, not two, but three different projects. The first one is already underway!
February 9: Commando’s 60th Anniversary celebration (2021) has been great fun for me. First, they reprinted the first Commando story. Then, in Commando #5448, they published an all-new sequel to that landmark issue. That’s a bit of alright.
February 10: The Winchester Mystery House by Joshua Werner, Dustin Irvin and Damien Torres. This collects the first three issues of an intriguing series about the most haunted house in the world and the fascinating woman who built it. Recommended.
February 11: My friend and great artist Emily Szalkowski has one of her amazing paintings on display at the B. Smith Gallery within the Medina Library. I voted for it in the People’s Choice competition. You do the same through March.
February 12: Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show. I appreciate his biting comedy, but his “both sides” commentary does his viewers a grave disservice when he fails to note that one of those sides is a continuing danger to our country and the world.
February 13: The Irrational season finale was so pitch perfect it could have served as a series finale, marred only by an unnecessary cliffhanger. As a huge fan of actor Jesse L. Martin, I hope we do get a second season.
February 14: Funko’s Wonder Woman with String Light Lasso. Making my Christmas display early. Entertainment Earth had it on sale, so I bought it. My plan is to create a Funko-themed display for this year’s hopefully happy holidays.
February 15: BRZRKR Volume Three by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, Ron Garney and Bill Crabtree brings the series to a satisfying finish while leaving room for a sequel. Garney’s incredible art is worthy of an Eisner and other awards.
February 16: Edited by Trina Robbins and Peter Maresca, Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comic Strips is a big, beautiful collection (13.2 x 1 x 17 inches) of plucky heroines from the 1930s and 1950s. Take your time with this breathtaking volume.
February 17: The Beekeeper. Jason Statham goes after the tech-rats who drove his friend to suicide. He punches and slaughters his way to the top of the operation. It’s a feel-good action thriller that only asks viewers to sit back and enjoy the carnage.
February 18: Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 1 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. I always thought this was my friend Bill’s finest work and now, thanks to a fan who sent me a copy, I will be able to reread these great comics.
February 19: Marvel’s February 1964 Omnibus featuring Daredevil #1 and every other Marvel title published that historic month. Another gift from an avid fan of my work. I hope Marvel has more of these monthly milestone volumes in the works.
February 20: Meg 2: The Trench. I liked the first one, but I liked the sequel more. Jason Statham being badass. Truly evil villains. Dire menace on and under the sea and also on land. I hope there’s a third movie in the series.
February 21: Iron Fist: Danny Rand - The Early Years Omnibus. This 952-page tome includes almost all of my Iron Fist plotting/writing save for an issue of Power Man and Iron Fist. It’s expensive, but I needed it for my archives.
February 22: My “Gender-Affirming Care is Life-Saving” shirt is the newest of two additions to my wardrobe. You can expect me to wear it at conventions and elsewhere. You, too, can be a voice against the anti-trans attacks of the Republicans.
February 23: Stand By Your Trans. My second new t-shirt comes from the Ethical Tee Company. If you have trans friends or other LGBTQ+ friends, vote for candidates who support their rights to exist as their authentic selves.
February 24: Gorgo Volume Four. PS Artbooks has been reprinting the classic Charlton Comics series in nice hardcover editions. While the Ditko-drawn issues are the best, all are fun. Writer Joe Gill was a mad genius.
February 25: The Cherry Omnibus by Larry Welz. This limited edition hardcover is big and thick and beautiful. Damn. That sounds dirty.
Cherry is one of my all-time favorites. I look forward to getting into it. Damn. That also sounds dirty.
February 26: Wild Cards. From the CW, a demoted detective and a con artist work together to get him promoted and keep her out of jail. The actors and writing are good. Not the stuff of awards, but still entertaining.
February 27: Tracker. From CBS, the series stars Justin Hartley as a survivalist who finds lost people and usually solves some crimes along the way. Hartley is a likeable brooding lead and the stories are compelling.
February 28: Superman Vs. Meshi Vol. 2 by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago. I can’t believe how much I am enjoying an absurd manga that is basically chapter after chapter of Supes eating at Japanese fast food restaurants. I am so hungry right now.
February 29: Wendie Malick appearing on Not Dead Yet as the late etiquette author Eda Crawthorne. She choked to death rather than disrupt a social event. If I ever meet Malick, I’ll be all fanboy telling her how much I adore her.
And now...a new monthly feature: Tony Isabella’s Best of the Bloggy Thing Month. Three categories. Three winners.
BEST COMIC OF THE MONTH: Superman Vs. Meshi
BEST MOVIE OR TV OF THE MONTH: The Irrational
BEST PERSON OF THE MONTH: Wendie Malick
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back as soon as possible with more cool stuff for you. Hugs.
© 2024 Tony Isabella
Thank you for sharing so many positive things here. I hope you have loads of fun as we march into...well, March.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, is there a world where Snoopyzilla exists?
I liked Meg 2 better than Meg 1 also.
ReplyDeleteHi Tony, just discovered your blog and enjoying working my way through it. It popped up after a quick Google search to see what you were up to these days, when you came to mind as I was reading through my collection of 70s Marvel UK weeklies. Something I understand you had a considerable role in. I'd be keen to hear your thoughts and memories of that project.
ReplyDelete