September was crazy insane for me. On the comics and convention fronts, I was a guest at the always-wonderful Flaming River Con, a Cleveland-area LGBTQ+ comics and science fiction convention. I wrapped up my successful Vast Accumulation of Stuff comic books and pop culture garage sales for the year. My eBay store, run by my friend Rob Petersen, brought in nice results and will keep running throughout the year. On the sad side, we lost a number of great comic books and entertainment figures this month, some of them after tragically short lives.
On a personal level, my Saintly Wife Barb has finally retired. Unfortunately, instead of being able to relax, her new job seems to be trying to get our supplemental insurance sorted out. We’ve been jumping through hoops for a month. It’s getting expensive to have to pay some health care costs out of pocket, especially since we don’t know if that money will be reimbursed.
On a national level, the hate-mongering and misinformation from Trump and the Republican Party gets worse every day. As has been the case for too many years, the media is not doing its job in reporting on these monsters. I am optimistic that things can and will turn around, but it’s still scary times.
However, as you should know by now, even in the midst of these concerns, I try to find and write about things that bring me joy every single day. Here are the things that me happy in the month of September…
September
1: Sunny. In this Apple TV series, Rashida Jones is an American woman
whose Japanese husband and son are reported dead in a plane crash.
There’s also Sunny, a domestic robot built by her husband. And
nothing is what it seems.
September 2: Mr. Mercedes. I started watching this chilling TV series based on one of my favorite Stephen King novels. Brendan Gleeson is perfect as retired police detective Bill Hodges. It’s all I can do not the binge-watch all three seasons.
September 3: Kuboken’s Killer Shark in Another World may be the silliest manga of all. Shiromi is the worst summoner ever. She summons a shape-changing shark to fight demons. Hilarity reigns as it kills friend and foe alike. Goofy, gory fun.
September 4: When I Was Me: Moments of Gender Euphoria is a collection of one-page comics on the joys of being transgender, as told by creators from around the world. Published by Quindrie Press and recommended by me.
September 5: Essential Showcase Presents Stan & Jack Vol. 1 by Pete Doree. What if our favorite comics creators of the 1960s had outrageous adventures? The gags are hit or miss, but this is such a mad concept I couldn’t resist.
September 6: Captain America: Liberty’s Torch by Tony Isabella and Bob Ingersoll. A Facebook pal listened to the audio version while exercising. He loved it. I think I should finally buy the audio book and listen to it.
September 7: Batman: Wayne Family Adventures 1 by GRG Payne, Maria Li and Starbite. A humorous take on the Bats. Batman isn’t insane and all the Bat-Kids are living with Bruce Wayne. It’s the Brady Bunch with costumes. Suitable for all ages.
September 8: The Sarge Steel Collection (Classic Comics Library) has Sarge Steel #1-10 and the handful of shorts from Judomaster. The reproduction is rough, but the stories themselves are well-done and a fun look back at the 1960s.
September 9: Super 7’s Godzilla Minus One action figure. While I’m selling some of my Godzilla collectibles, I couldn’t resist adding this incredible item to my collection. It’s a definite keeper.
September 10: Wheel of Fortune’s back. New host Ryan Seacrest is adequate, but no Pat Sajak. Parts of the new set are garish. But Wheel remains an entertaining game show that’s fun to play along with.
September 11: “It’s Only Paint.” A cute curly-haired young woman paints with Dutch Boy Paint. Inspired to write a masterpiece, she becomes TV’s hottest writer and finds love. I want to see this commercial expanded into a full movie.
September 12: Soul War by Mac McClintock and Patrick McEvoy. I got this Titanic Creations graphic novel at G-Fest. It’s giant monsters battling during World War II and it’s a page-turner. I recommend it to all Kaiju comics fans.
September 13: The amazing Black Cat Books & Oddities (420 South Court, Medina) will celebrate Banned Books Week (9/22-9/28) with 15% off everything in the Banned Books Closet. First 5 customers each day will get a free banned book!
September 14: The Kite-Man Hell, Yeah first season finale (“Hero Stuff, Hell, Yeah!”) was funny and heart-warming, showcasing the supporting cast, providing a satisfying ending, introducing new threats. Season two can’t come soon enough.
September 15: Greg Berlanti receiving the Governors Award at the Emmy Awards for the ground0breaking diversity of his work. The DC super-hero shows with which he was involved were mentioned, including my own Black Lightning.
September 16: Medina’s Black Cat Books is hosting a Curiosities and Cryptids Festival at Medina Square on October 6 from noon to 5 pm. Shop spooky vendors. Take a photo with Mothman. Tarot and oracle readings. And so much more. See you there!
September 17: Medina Library will host a special Halloween event on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 pm. It’s all about Medina’s most haunted places and will feature local homeowners sharing accounts of their own ghostly experiences.
September 18: A is for Antichrist: Obama’s Conspiracy Alphabet by Rick Geary. I rediscovered this hilarious hardcover book from 2013 while going through boxes for my garage sales. I’m keeping my copy but look for it on the secondary market.
September 19: Matlock 2024. I watched the pilot. I absolutely love this new series. Kathy Bates is incredible, but I can’t say more without spoiling things. I highly recommend you watch this episode and the series.
September 20: Battle Action by Garth Ennis and various terrific artists. Ennis revisits one of the greatest, most controversial of British comics with seven thrilling stories, including a very clever one about the demise of the title.
September 21: Flaming River Con 2024 was a wonderful event. Many great vendors. Caring and supportive people. Interesting panels. Such a joyful experience. This is why I advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. They make for a better America.
September 22: The BottleHouse at 2050 Lee Rd was where we went for dinner after Flaming River Con. It’s a charming, community-centric brewery with great drinks and comfort food. I’m looking forward to my next visit there.
September 23: Fantagraphics’ Mickey Mouse: The River of Time by Italian writer/artist Corrado Mastantuono. There’s a surprising “team-up” of Mickey and Pete, as well as the new-to-me character of Boomer Buff. A great gift for any Disney Comics fan.
September 24: The House of Hunan at Medina’s Public Square is my favorite restaurant. The food is always excellent. The service is second to none. Dean, the manager, is a comics fan. So please dine there soon. Tell them Tony sent you.
September 25: The Adventures of Kobra Olympus by Bijhan Agha and Swaptrap. A Muslim trans woman and queer friends battle vampires from the future. It’s not very polished, but it is great fun. I want a movie and a part in that movie.
Superman 26: Superman by Kurt Busiek Book One is a whole lot of Superman by one of my favorite writers, including the wondrous “Secret Identity” with Stuart Immonen. It’s currently available at In Stock Trades for under $30.
September 27: The Penguin (HBO). I watched the first episode and thought it was excellent. Colin Farrell brought incredible depth to the character. Cristin Miloti was delicious as Sofia Falcone. Don’t the naysayers keep you from watching this.
September 28: Will and Harper is the best film I’ve seen this year. The actor and his transitioned friend of 30 years go on a cross-country road trip. The documentary is compelling, funny, heartrending, heartwarming, informative.
September 29: The Simpsons: “Bart’s Birthday!” The season opener was a brilliant faux series finale which packed hilarious jokes and “Happy endings” into one of the best and funniest episodes of all. The Simpsons? They still got!
September 30: I got my new Covid and flu vaccines at the Medina County Health Department. I did it for me because I want to stay healthy and continue to create. I did it to guard my loved ones. I did it for my community and country.
Here are my “Best of the Month” picks.
BEST COMIC BOOK/GRAPHIC NOVEL: Batman: Wayne Family Adventures
BEST BOOK: no winner this month
BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Will and Harper
BEST PERSON(S): Greg Berlanti
BEST OTHER THING: Flaming River Con
A new month brings with it new challenges, new determination and new remarkable books and more. Follow this bloggy thing of mine to see what October brings for me.
© 2024 Tony Isabella
I also recently discovered Mr Mercedes on Peacock...not sure why I had not heard of this before but we are into season 3 and your comments are dead on.
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