One of the truly frustrating things about my life in recent months is that I haven’t posted anywhere near as many bloggy things as I’d like. There are a lot of reasons for this, but it still frustrates me. I’m hoping to get back on track soon.
March 1: The dedicated and determined doctors, psychiatrists and therapists working to provide quality gender-affirming care despite the monstrous cruelty, hatred and misinformation directed at their patients by Republicans and “Christians.”
March 2: The Food That Built America on the History Channel fills two needs for me: fun food and fascinating trivia about food. This new season kicked off with episodes on Italian-American cuisine and ice cream. Feed my brain!
March 3: Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown’s reelection ads are all about the great things he’s accomplished. His vile opponents’ ads are all baseless attacks, disinformation, empty promises and sucking up to the worst elements in the GOP. Easy choice for me.
March 4: I’ve the strangest feeling I’ve been turned into a Funko! Courtesy of my fan and friend Mike Maloy, there is now a miniature Tony Isabella adorning my office. The series will continue with the Rainbow Tony, the Zebra Tony and more!
March 5: Barb, Kelly and our neighbor Shari were making cookies. Shari made one just for me. I’m thinking I should add communion to our First Church of Godzilla services. After I post this, there’ll be a little Godzilla in me.
March 6: Painkiller Jane: Beautiful Killers by Jimmy Palmiotti and Juan Santacruz. Two issues. Solid story and writing. Beautiful art. Beautiful violence. Satisfying ending. I wish more comic books were this good.
March 7: The Complete Funky Winkerbean Volume 13 2008-2010 by Tom Batiuk includes some of the material I wrote for him. Our writing styles were somewhat different, so I’m curious to see if the fans can figure who did what.
March 8: Ghosts: “Halloween 3: The Guest Who Wouldn't Leave” was an exceptional episode. Funny script. Hilarious acting. An intriguing possible addition to the cast. A surprising final scene that did not see coming. I love this show.
March 9: Saturday Night Live. Scarlett Johansson’s brilliant parody of crazed Sen. Katie Britt’s GOP State of the Union response made me laugh out loud. Plus: Josh “Thanos” Brolin was a terrific host. One of the best episodes this season.
March 10: Godzilla Minus One won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It’s a historic moment for the franchise made sweeter by the team carrying Godzilla figures to the stage. But I still think the Big G deserved a best actor nomination as well.
March 11: The 96th Academy Awards. For the first time in decades, I watched them from start to finish. Host Jimmy Kimmel did a great job, there were many memorable moments and they actually ended on time. Well done all around.
March 12: Batman: Harley and Ivy by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Shane Glines and more is a fun collection of stories culled from various comics. The stories are self-contained and can be enjoyed without knowing what the heck is going on in the DCU.
March 13: Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer is a brilliant tale of the creator growing up as a South Korean child adopted by American parents and using her art to fight back against racism and homophobia. Highly recommended.
March 14: Marvel-Verse: Monica Rambeau Photon collects key stories featuring the character. Marketed as suitable for readers 10-14 and approximately 6" by 9" format, it’s a great way to catch up on some classic comics. I’m going to pay more attention to these books in the future.
March 15: Godzilla The Official Coloring Book (Titan Books) would make a wonderful gift for any budding artist with a passion for The Big G. Artists include Arthur Adams and Matt Frank. For this, you will need Crayola’s biggest box.
March 16: Published in 2021, Box of Bones: Book One by Ayize Jama-Everett and John Jennings tells stories of an African artifact and the Hell it visits on oppressor and oppressed alike. Honestly scare stuff and well worth reading.
March 17: So Help Me Todd: “Dial Margaret for Murder” was a zany murder mystery that delighted me from start to finish. Especially Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins as the Lee sisters. I want to see more of them, maybe even in their own series.
March 18: Godzilla Zipper Mouth plush. I have a new office buddy. He seems nice.
March 19: Wheel of Fortune. It’s Marvel Super Heroes week and the prizes include a Disney/Marvel cruise and Marvel swag. Appearing on the show so far: Spider-Man, Captain America and the Black Panther.I’m loving this!
March 20: A Man & His Cat by Umi Sakura remains one of my favorite manga series. Volume 8 caught me by surprise as it introduced the adult children of Fuyuki Kanda. His daughter loves insects and his son hates cats. Highly recommended.
March 21: X-Men ‘97. I watched the first two episodes with my son Ed and we were both impressed. Terrific writing. Solid story flow. Surprises. Even LeBron James was excited to see it. If you’ve got the GOAT vote, you’re good. Highly recommended.
March 22: Don’t Call It Mystery Vol. 1-2 by Yumi Tamura features a fairly unemotional college student whose observation and deduction skills are uncanny. Action takes a back seat to sometimes tedious dialogue, but the protagonist is fascinating.
March 23: Anyone Comics in Brooklyn is my new comics store. Their packaging and service is first-rate and, occasionally, artist and employee Chad Hellman adds his own touch to outgoing packages. May the blessings of Lord and Savior be on him.
March 24: The Legends of the Monsterverse boxed set. It’s gorgeous. This omnibus contains every comic Legendary Comics has published on the Monsterverse and an exclusive new story only found in this hardcover treasure! All praise the great scaly one!
March 25: Superman: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1. From the 1950s and 1960s, this collects stories from Action Comics #241-265 and Superman #122-137. I enjoy all kinds of comics, but these blasts from my past hold a special place in my heart.
March 26: IDW’s Godzilla Library Collection Vol. 1. A lovely book containing Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths, Godzilla Legends and Godzilla: The Half-Century War. The individual issues will show up in my garage sales in the fullness of time.
March 27: Delta Airways did a fine job on our trip to Anaheim via Detroit. Special kudos to the young lady who wheeled me across the mammoth Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to our connecting flight. I wouldn’t have made it without her.
March 28: Castañeda's Mexican Food. Our first meal on this trip was at this amazing 24-hour restaurant at 432 S Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. Freshly-cooked and delicious food. One of the best meals of our WonderCon journey.
March 29: Greatest Hits by Harlan Ellison. Edited by J. Michael Straczynski and with a foreword by Neil Gaiman, this book collects 19 stories by one of my favorite authors (and friends). Ellison was and remains an inspiration to writers everywhere.
March 30: Joshua Tree National Park. On our way to WonderCon, the Isabella family visited this eerily beautiful park filled with the trees of its name and breathtaking rock formations. It would make the perfect setting for a monster movie.
March 31: Jennifer Blood: Battle Diary by Fred Van Lente and Robert Carey. A solid start to a new thriller wherein the daughter of the original JB goes after white supremacist. The first issue is very new-reader friendly.
And now...Tony’s Best of the Bloggy Thing Month. Three categories. Three winners.
BEST COMIC OF THE MONTH: A Man & His Cat Vol. 8 by Umi Sakura
BEST MOVIE OR TV OF THE MONTH: Godzilla Minus One
BEST PERSON OF THE MONTH: Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back as soon as possible with more cool stuff for you. Hugs.
© 2024 Tony Isabella
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