AFTER THE ELECTION

 

I began writing this piece a few days after the election. As you can imagine, it’s been a difficult piece to write. I considered abandoning it, but I need to get these feelings and thoughts out into the world while I can. If any of this material seems dated, it’s because it took me so long to write it. Thank you for your support and understanding.

We have to fight back. We’re screwed, but we have to fight back against the virtual Nazis who will be running our government for at least the next two years. Yes, I’m hoping that two more years of a Trump presidency will result in the Republicans losing both the House and the Senate.

The definition of a decent person in my land is someone who did not vote for Trump and any other Republican. If you bought into Project 2025 through fear, hatred. ignorance or some darkness in your soul that allowed you to commit such an evil act, you are not a decent or good person. You are a monster.

Like all decent people, I was surprised and appalled and crushed that the United States of America will become a fascist country. We have never been a perfect people, though the history books of the near future will try to make that claim, but I never dreamed we were this imperfect. I thought we were better.

I won’t rehash all the reasons it was evil and/or insane to vote for Trump and his vile supporters. Anyone who paid attention to their growing evil knows those reasons. I’m not going to point a blaming finger at any person or policy some benighted pundits feel allowed Trump to win. I know what I stand for and I stand on the correct and compassionate side of history. We will fight back against the fascists because, as decent people, that is our nature. We are hurting, but we will find strength.

When I woke Wednesday morning after the election it was to a USA that wants to end immigrants, legal or undocumented. I woke to a country that wants to end trans people, the smallest minority of them all. I woke to a nation where human fiends are ecstatic at the thought that women will be subject to their whims. I woke to the horror of racism encouraged. I woke to the Trumpian desire to embrace and emulate the worst dictators in our world, past and present.

Those were my immediate reactions. Then I started considering how Project 2025 can devastatingly impact my Social Security and my health care. I realized a Trump presidency with Republican control of our courts and legislature lowers my life expectancy by years if not decades. Will I even be alive in two years if my dream of a 2026 return to sanity happens?

I didn’t watch The Daily Show the night of the election. I was unable to watch any news or even comedy news shows for the rest of the week. I was in too much pain.

I jumped back on the comedy horse for Saturday Night Live. I almost stopped watching when I saw the host was the despicable, not remotely funny Bill Burr with his usual blend of racism and sexism. Naturally, his vile presence was in almost every sketch. I give credit to the regulars for doing their best to make their viewers smile and laugh. But Burr was like a big stinky dump on decency. It was painful.

Is this the future of entertainment? Will television shows start featuring the worst people available. Will a bottom-feeder punch down asshole like Dave Chappell be hosting SNL before the season is out? Will we ever see the brilliant LGBTQ+ comics, especially trans people, get their chance to shine?

The brilliant John Oliver restored my faith in the healing power of comedy with his Last Week Tonight. My faith was weakened anew by what will be my last Jon Stewart-hosted episode of The Daily Show. I have had it with that smug “both sides” asshole with his spastic mugging for the camera and his snarky attacks on the Democrats. For me, The Daily Show airs only on Tuesday through Thursday. The corespondents are killing it.

Stephen Colbert continues to be a shining beacon. He’s smart and relatable. A force for good.

I’ve even been able to crack the occasional political joke on my social media. The late Don Thompson used to tell me that I wrote my funniest stuff when I was in pain. That would at least be one wee benefit than the fascist shitshow that will be another Trump administration.

But there’s no getting around the horror that is to come. We’ve seen Trump pick the worst people to fill his Cabinet. Including several committed to destroying the very agencies they will be running. And we can’t count on Congress or the courts to prevent Trump from running the nation as his personal profit and revenge engine. We’re screwed.

Going forward, because decent people must champion goodness and keep going forward, I’m going continue to do what I’ve done my entire adult life. I’m going to entertain and inform you in the hope you will join me on the right side of history. I’m going to continue to create and write my books and stories and find a way to bring them to you. Most important, to the best of my ability, I’m going to be a safe spot for those of you in jeopardy because of the soulless creeps who support Trump and the Republicans. I see you and I care about you. This is a time when we must stick together. Let us help one another.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

CRAZY

 

I’ve answered a lot of interview questions over the 52 years of my comics career. I continue to do this, though I’m not quite as receptive as previously. I prefer print interviews so I can give my answers more thought and polish, My participation comes with conditions.

I retain ownership of my responses to questions and am free to publish them in other venues as I see fit. I need to see and have a chance to go over any interview before it sees print. I need to receive at least one copy of whatever book or magazine in which the interview appears. Going forward, there will be no exceptions to these conditions.

Earlier this year, I was asked about my involvement in Marvel’s amazing long-lived Crazy Magazine, which ran 94 issues from 1973 to 1983. It was another attempt to duplicate the success of MAD magazine, but still a very ambitious attempt. Marv Wolfman was Crazy’s first editor, followed by Steve Gerber, Paul Laiken and Larry Hama. My involvement was limited to the earliest issues and didn’t go beyond Wolfman’s tenure.

I cam to work on Crazy Magazine because Marv was recruiting from within Marvel. I was on and off staff during those first years. He thought I’d written funny copy for various things and signed me up.

My work was never heavily edited. The only thing Marv ever rejected was one “Poli-Tickles” strip in which Nixon asked Ted Kennedy to drive Bella Abzug home. This was a tasteless reference to the Chappaquiddick incident. Marv laughed out loud when he read it, as did everyone he showed it to, but ultimately decided it was in bad taste. I didn’t disagree.

Sometimes I would pitch an idea for a Crazy piece and sometimes Marv would ask me to work from an idea he had. I don’t think I could say with 100% certainty which were which. In the unlikely event Marvel ever published a Crazy Omnibus, my retentive nature would surely have me studying every piece I contributed trying to figure out which started with Marv and which with me.

I appeared in several Fumettis in the magazine. It wasn’t fun to do those. I wasn’t that comfortable performing back then. I did get a kick out of posing as a kid shooting up. I like being cast out of character like that.

Michelle Wolfman was the photogrpaher on some of those Fumettis. She was Marv’s then-wife and an office friend. In fact, when she was stuck in an office somewhat removed from the Bullpen area, I said she should move her desk into my editorial office. While I don’t have other specific memories, I know she had a pleasant personality and worked well with everyone. Also in that office was Chris Claremont, my immensely-talented assistant editor.

I don’t remember too much about The Great American Dream (my kid shooting up role) and the FOOM-ettie subscription ads. I was asked to appear in them and said yes. I’ve a vague memory of writing some subscription ads in that format. I do recall I was never asked to sign a release form when I appeared in them and was never paid for my participation.

Like most Marvel magazines of the era, some of the initial ideas were created in house and some were done from our homes. Many of us were on staff. We generally did our writing from our homes. I probably wrote the subscription ads in my office.

My favorite Crazy article was the “Watergate Grafitti” poster parody of the American Grafitti movie poster. I was also quite fond of the “Poli-Tickles” strips and a parody I did of the poster ads that were all over the comic books and magazines of the day. I don’t recall a lot of what I wrote for the magazine. Which is why I really wish Marvel would publish a collection of the first half-dozen issues or so.

For Poli-Tickles, I read the current magazines and newspapers. For the parodies, I would go see the movies and take copious notes. It’s weird watching a film and concentrating on what from it would make for funny bits. Everything I wrote for Crazy was written full-script.

I don’t believe Crazy or myself personally ever went too far. Though we weren’t under the Comics Code with the various Marvel magazines, we still largely had a Comics Code mentality.

People have judged Crazy to be a third rate rip-off of MAD. They weren’t wrong. I think we held our own with Cracked and were better than Sick. But MAD was always the gold standard for that kind of magazine. National Lampoon was a different thing and isn’t really comparable to what these magazines were doing.

By the way, MAD (all caps) is the correct spelling of the magazine. I used to argue with my editors at Comics Buyer’s Guide frequently about this. I don’t recall if I ever convinced them.

Asked why Marvel hasn't put out any trade paperbacks of Crazy Magazine reprints, I can only opine they spent all their money on Robert Downey Jr’s paychecks for the movies and have no money left to pay me royalties if they did reprint my work. Or it could be that they think the market for such books would be limited to those who had work reprinted in them. They might not be wrong there.

I wasn’t asked if I’d be interested in contributing to another magazine like Crazy. My usual answer would be a resounding yes. My answer of the moment is less sure. Looking at the country and the world around me, I’m not sure if I’d be up to the challenge of making people smile, much less laugh.

On the other hand, the late Don Thompson, co-editor of Comics Buyer’s Guide, used to say I wrote my funniest stuff when I was in pain, usually from the kidney stones that plagued me until my diseased gall bladder was removed from my body. That organ was in such bad shape that it literally fell apart as the surgeon removed it. I could’ve died at literally any moment before that. Talk about big laughs.

I believe there is honor in the trying to lighten the sadness of decent people. Especially now. I’ve always tried to do the right thing and live on the right side of history. Which will probably be the death of me.

                                                                       

                                                         

For more on Crazy Magazine, you should check out the volumnous Crazy: The Magazine That Dared To Be Dumb by Mark Arnold and Mark Slate (Bear Manor Press; paperback $40, hardcover $50]. It is available from the publisher and from Amazon.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

THE AKRON COMICON 2024

 

The Akron Comicon, one of my favorite annual events, will take place Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10 at Emidio’s Expo Center, 48 E. Bath Road in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Show hours are 10 to 6 pm on Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. I’ll be easy to find because, as always, I’ll be one of the very first booths at the front of Center, between our friends at WBNX and, making her first appearance at Akron Comicon, international cosplay star Kristin Killtastic.

The guest list is as impressive as ever. Jerry Mathews from the classic TV show Leave It to Beaver. Butch Patrick from The Munsters, actor Don Gibb from Revenge of the Nerds, comics great Ron Frenz, comics creator Thom Zahler, artist William Russell and so many more. Among those guests are some of my own favorite creators: Dan Gorman, Tom Batiuk, Craig Boldman, Ted Sikora, Don Simpson and Jay Fife...and those are just the creators whose bribe checks to me have cleared.

Assuming they’ve recovered from Halloween, some of my favorite horror hosts will also be there: Son of Ghoul, Leopold & Lenora and Mummy and the Monkey. As in previous years, you will find a scary selection of movies and memorabilia.

The Akron Comicon vendors offer a cool variety of stuff. There will be, of course, lots and lots of comic books, original art, books, craft creations, Funko figures, toys and more. It’s gonna take will power not to spend every buck I make at my own booth.

I’ll be leading off the panel programming on Saturday at 11 am with my usual mix of news, reviews, and views. I’ll also be taking questions from the audience.

The rest of the Saturday line-up…

Noon: So You Want to be A Horror Host with Drac and Carita and the lovely Lenora.

1 pm: Like as a Monster with Butch Patrick

2 pm: Idolfest

3 pm: “Spidey and Me” with Bruce Wechtenhiser

4 pm: Cosplay Contest hosted by Ginger Snaps Cosplay with three categories: Kids (12 and under), Teens (13-17) and Adults (18 to one foot in the grave). Awards will be given for best hero and best villain in each category and also for Best of Show and Best Craftsmanship.

Sunday’s program is as follows:

11 am: Making Indie Comics with Tom Hutchison, Dan Nokes and Ted Sikora (of Apama and Tap Dance Killer renown)

Noon: Behind the Cosplay Curtain with Kristin Killtastic and Knightmage.

1 pm: A Nerd’s Revenge with Don Gibb

2 pm: Meet the team behind Route 8 Studios

What will I be offering at my booth? I’ll have a dozen boxes of comic books, hardcovers and trade paperbacks. I’ll have some of my $10 mystery boxes from my garage sales, which I don’t expect to last long. I’ll have a decent selection of Christmas-themed Funkos for your holiday décor. I’ll also have some terrific Godzilla stuff.

If you’re looking to get my autographed on some treasured comic book, please be aware that I do charge for my signature. It’s a mere $10 per signature. I will sign pretty much anything, but there are a few items I will not sign. Please respect my wishes in those cases.

                                                                       

There will be a special 2024 Akron Comicon autograph poster from the convention. Limited to 100 copies, this collectible poster will be available for purchase at the con for only $10. All the guests on this one of a kind keepsake poster have agreed to sign the poster free of charge as a token of our regard for one of our favorite events.

You can learn much more about the Akron Comicon by going to its official website.

I can’t wait to see old friends and make new ones. Don’t be shy about coming to my booth. I’ll do my best to answer questions about my 52-year career in comics. And, please, whatever you do, be sure to visit the booth of my arch-enemy Rick Lorenzo and buy some of his comics. I’m trying to set a good example for him.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN OCTOBER

 

I’m writing this on the first of the month, mere days (or maybe weeks, depending on how crazy things get) from learning if my country will once again commit itself to bringing compassion, decency and fairness back to us or if, instead, we’ll be living in a fascist, faux-Christian hellscape ruled by the obscenely wealthy and their willing enablers. Will I have hope for my and our future? Or will I be waiting for my inevitable demise at the hands of those monsters?

If I think about this situation for more than minutes at a time, it hurts my mind and my soul. So I’ll clutch what joy I can by sharing the things that made me happy in October…

October 1: Exceptional X-Men #1 by Eve L. Ewing, Carmen Carnero, Nolan Woodard and VC’s Joe Sabino. An excellent done-in-one tale of post-Krakoa Kitty Pryde trying to live a normal life. I would love more comics like this issue.

                                                                             

October 2: Junkyard Joe by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Brad Anderson and Rob Leigh. One of the best comics of the year. A robot far more human than his creators protects brave and decent people from them. Everyone should read this book.

October 3: Fantastic Four #25 by Ryan North, Carlos Gomez, Jesus Aburtov and VC’s Joe Caramagna. “Star-Crossed” is an incredible tale of good choices, romance and survival. I was honestly moved by it. Time to catch up on this run.

October 4: I’m just speechless. Vengeance of the Moon Knight #2 by Jed McKay, Allessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg and VC’s Cory Petit has one of the best Tigra scenes ever written. Made me want to write my creation again.

October 5: It’s The Great British Bump-Off by John Allison, Max Sarin, Sammy Borras and Jim Campbell. It’s also a wondrous send-up of baking competition shows wrapped around a not-quite-murder mystery. This would be a great holiday gift.

                                                                      

October 6: Waking up in the early morning to find our neighbor’s Halloween game is strong indeed. There’s just something magical about fetching my morning newspapers while these creatures keep watch over me. Is this the year I wear a costume?

October 7: Black Cat Books’ Curiosities and Cryptids Festival on Medina’s town square was incredible. So many cool vendors. So many great attendees, some of them in costume. The square was packed with spooky fun. I loved it!

October 8: The Incredible Story of Cooking: From Prehistory to Today by Stephanie Douay and Benoist Simmat. Reading this tome I think I’ve earned college credit in a most entertaining way. A great gift for the chef in your life.

October 9: Dark Ride Volume 1: Hell Ticket by Joshua Williamson, Andrei Bressan, Adriano Lucas and Pat Brosseau. Devil Land is a horror-themed amusement park, the scariest place on Earth and then some. Just the ticket for Halloween reading.

October 10: The Monster That Challenged the World. I first saw this as a kid and watched it again when it aired on Svengoolie recently. Made in 1957, it’s still exciting, fun and just scary enough.

October 11: National Coming Out Day. If you’re coming out, know you are seen and loved. Andy Mangels has posted his rendition of a song that fits the occasion.

                                                                            

October 12: What We Wished For by Ilias Kyriazis. Kids. A comet. A supernatural being who offers to grand them wishes. 35 years later, the comet returns and grants their wishes. This graphic novel is a page-turner and highly recommended.

October 13: Ariana Grande on Saturday Night Live. I knew she was a great singer, but I never realized how funny she is. As per usual, not every sketch was a hit, but she made me laugh way more often than not.

October 14: Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft by David Avallone and Kewber Baal. Avallone is one of the best and funniest writers in comics and that should be more wildly known. This series was both exciting and hilarious.

October 15: Dark Spaces Dungeon by Scott Synder, Hayden Sherman, and Patricio Delpheche is one of the most flat-out terrifying horror comics I’ve ever read. Just the thing for your Halloween reading.

October 16: Joe Fixit #1-5 by Peter David and Yildiray Cinar. Published in 2023, this is the most fun I have had with the Hulk and Spider-Man in years. Action, character, humor, showgirls and mobsters in Vegas, baby! I loved it!

October 17: Spider-Boy #11 by Dan Slott and Paco Medina. I admit I rolled my eyes when I first heard about Spider-Boy. This was the first issue I read of the title. It was fun. It won’t be the last issue I read. 

                                                                             

 

October 18: Kosher Mafia by David Hazan and Sami Kivela. This riveting historical fiction about Jewish gangsters in set in my native Cleveland of 1936. Well-written and well-drawn, this is a must-read for crime comics devotees.

October 19: Nathan Lane. His guest appearance on last Thursday’s Elsbeth (Subscription to Murder) was stunning. SPOILER WARNING. I found myself hoping he would actually get away with the murder he committed. Such a wonderful actor.

October 20: The Pedestrian by Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman. I’m not sure I actually understand this off-beat comic about a costumed hero trying to do the right thing all the time, but I’m two issues in and loving it.

October 21: Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver by Steve Orlando with artist Lorenzo Tammetta. A fun four-issue series with characters that work so well together. Orlando makes the hefty back story easy to follow. Recommended.

October 22: Recognized. From Good Trouble Comics, this wonderful anthology celebrates LGBTQ+ heroes. The stories are moving and the research is impeccable. It’s a great comic book and a great learning guide. Perfect for students.

October 23: Dead Dad by Jay Jay Patton with Kiara Valdez and Markia Jenai. This graphic memoir about growing up with a parent in prison and staying connected. This is a must-have book for public and school libraries.

                                                                   

October 24: Kite Man! A good friend has gifted me with this cool Funko Pop! figure. I’m a big fan of the character from his first comics appearances back in the day to his more recent animation appearances. Hell, yeah!

October 25: Kamora Freeland. Youngest female pilot in the United States. I learned of her from a Spectrum commercial. The spot is one of the most inspirational commercials in recent memory. May she continue to fly high.

October 26: Uncanny X-Men #1 by Gail Simone and David Marquez. I think the most striking aspect of this great series is how well it portrays the pain and sense of loss from the shattering of the Krakoa dream. I had tears.

October 27: Posting daily things that make me happy. Thanks to Trump and his vile followers, these are among the most dangerous and stressful times of my lifetime. I love bringing a little joy into the lives of myself and other decent people.

October 28: Edited by Kel McDonald, Failure to Launch: A Tour of Ill-Fated Futures is a thick collection of comics stories about, well, failures. Part of me is ashamed I enjoyed it so much, but I won’t let that stop me from recommending it to you.

                                                                       

October 29: Sparky’s Pizza (Seville, Ohio) serves up some of the best pizza I have ever had, but their tomato-basil soup paired with a garlicky-grilled cheese sandwich is next-level amazement. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

October 30: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series. To this long-suffering Cleveland baseball fan, the tears of the New York Yankees fans are like unto the sweetest morning dew. 

                                                                            

October 31: Dunkin’ Donuts’ Spider Donut. Saintly wife Barb got me this cobweb confection for Halloween. The best part about it was the design, but the chocolate Munchkins donut hole head was tasty. It’s the spooky thought that counts.

Here are my “Best of the Month” picks.

BEST COMIC BOOK/GRAPHIC NOVEL: Junkyard Joe

BEST BOOK: not applicable this month

BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW: The Monster That Challenged the World

BEST PERSON: Andy Mangels

BEST OTHER THING: The tomato-basil soup with garlicky-grilled cheese sandwich special at Sparky’s Pizza

My next convention guest appearance will be the Akron Comicon, Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10 at Emido’s Expo Center, 48 E. Bath Road in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Show hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. I’ll have more to say about the event in my next bloggy thing, but you can learn just as much and more by visiting the show website.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2024 Tony Isabella