tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22521299385519386312024-03-25T22:28:30.459-04:00Tony Isabella's Bloggy ThingTony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.comBlogger2770125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-29154436234063259682024-03-24T16:02:00.001-04:002024-03-24T16:02:13.970-04:00TONY IN WONDERCON LAND (MARCH 29-31)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpasqcjezomojoZRKD96_1-Phk7_v03cMecCYSPr5QHGApJOADrJLNtIQdk1c_MHHZ7oDBI_Vd9-E8WZOSc-wgOEUNmaT1kNFmclWgYSuh_Sw4C6VTLXabxqK5kH7B_krE9KQ37vnqpvU4TbDcexXswZyoMU9-n3_wb8DFYhDJMJf4pJ8G4JkrfEprcr9/s810/WonderCon%20cover%20art.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpasqcjezomojoZRKD96_1-Phk7_v03cMecCYSPr5QHGApJOADrJLNtIQdk1c_MHHZ7oDBI_Vd9-E8WZOSc-wgOEUNmaT1kNFmclWgYSuh_Sw4C6VTLXabxqK5kH7B_krE9KQ37vnqpvU4TbDcexXswZyoMU9-n3_wb8DFYhDJMJf4pJ8G4JkrfEprcr9/s320/WonderCon%20cover%20art.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’m a guest at this year’s WonderCon and I couldn’t be more excited about that. It’s been over a decade since I’ve attending a comics convention on the West Coast. Here’s the skinny...<br /><br />WonderCon will be at the Anaheim Convention Center, Friday, March 29 through Sunday, March 31. The Center is adjacent to the Hilton Anaheim Hotel at 800 West Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802. The show hours are: <br /><br />Friday: 11:30 AM–7:00 PM<br /><br />Saturday: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM<br /><br />Sunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM<br /><br />For the most part, you’ll able to find me at Table E-02 in Artists Alley. My plan is to be at the table two hours on and one hour off, except for my spotlight panel or when I’m attending other panels. Saintly Wife Barb and our kids Eddie and Kelly will also be there, giving you the opportunity to meet some of the most patient people you’ll ever meet.<br /><br />The Comics Arts Conference Session #2–Focus on Tony Isabella panel is scheduled for Friday 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. I will not be signing before/during/after the panel. I’ll be happy to sign your Isabella items at my table for a minimal fee.<br /><br />That minimal fee is $10 per signature. I don’t charge for photos of or with me. I also don’t charge extra for signatures witnessed by representatives of CGC or other grading companies. Besides signing at my table, I’ll also have copies for sale of July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic-Book Life of Tony Isabella Volume One ($20) and the exclusive-to-me reprint of Misty Knight’s first appearance. The latter is one of the best bargains at WonderCon, just ten bucks for a signed and numbered limited edition issue. A mere 1500 of these were printed and the cover does not appear on any other version of this reprint. <br /><br />NOTE: All sales are cash only.<br /><br />While I catch my breath, I’ll share this next bit from the event website:<br /><br />WonderCon features 900+ exhibitors in a 412,000–square-foot Exhibit Hall filled with comics, original art, toys, and merchandise from many popular artists, publishers, and retailers. You can expect exclusive movie and television programming, panels featuring the top comics professionals, autographs, games, portfolio reviews, the Masquerade, and so much more. <br /><br />The guest list includes dear old friends of mine as well as comics creators I want to meet. I’m not naming names because I don’t want to give them a chance to make a run for it.<br /><br />I especially want to meet YOU at WonderCon. If you’d like to talk about working with me, I'm available for paying gigs: comic books, comic strips, acting and more. If you just want to say "hi," that's also very cool. If you want to book me for an event, we can discuss what that would take. If you want to give me review copies of your comics, I'll read them asap. <br /><br />With thanks to the nice and extremely patient WonderCon staff, I’m looking forward to the event and will do my best to make your own visit there a happy and even memorable one. <br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella</p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-71049144362627195832024-03-05T08:08:00.003-05:002024-03-05T08:08:20.456-05:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN FEBRUARY<p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvMxK-mKHXgk5VENvLaPkYgHFUAPh0Uo1NhYw-7LDBjC2rVzXi9zCJe0sqbMj29_Bbb0EW5ldkP0BirozPofggHQIRKb2B_aOREbPAYd3C0jh9K5nmAgVHL44vYCs8lptkqD098xQdugvHfuQqg7pFvqXmpKlmXGaGAYDghb7qaUimybEQpRWczFEo9jZ/s500/SurrealEstate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvMxK-mKHXgk5VENvLaPkYgHFUAPh0Uo1NhYw-7LDBjC2rVzXi9zCJe0sqbMj29_Bbb0EW5ldkP0BirozPofggHQIRKb2B_aOREbPAYd3C0jh9K5nmAgVHL44vYCs8lptkqD098xQdugvHfuQqg7pFvqXmpKlmXGaGAYDghb7qaUimybEQpRWczFEo9jZ/s320/SurrealEstate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />If you not able to come to a convention where I am appearing, you can mail your items to me at:<br /><br /><b>Tony Isabella, 840 Damon Drive, Medina OH 44256</b><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">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. <br /><br />If you mail me a certificate of authenticity with your items, I’ll sign that certificate for another $10. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />And now...<br /><br />Here are the things that brought me joy in February:<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">February 1: <b>SurrealEstate</b> 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.<br /><br /><i>[ADDENDUM: It has been renewed for a third season.] </i><br /><br />February 2: <b>GCPD: The Blue Wall</b> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_FKX28p77XJQnokum08XPwj1l5agWHBsL2Avz29NifUAKbX0tIZfFNUAEgvQcwFLLKqXTRv0jn6V8KaaWy0N6WY9tv3nWsyR0jepWbPcLYB5HsQ5ZxEc-QUZGABxWWq9qF4NkOFWRr1Yn55VIvHF9O93J1-xNy55bpou2fo-pDF61J94JGTvD9yRMuE1/s701/Leonora%20and%20Nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_FKX28p77XJQnokum08XPwj1l5agWHBsL2Avz29NifUAKbX0tIZfFNUAEgvQcwFLLKqXTRv0jn6V8KaaWy0N6WY9tv3nWsyR0jepWbPcLYB5HsQ5ZxEc-QUZGABxWWq9qF4NkOFWRr1Yn55VIvHF9O93J1-xNy55bpou2fo-pDF61J94JGTvD9yRMuE1/s320/Leonora%20and%20Nancy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">February 4: MonsterFest Mania: Leonora Scelfo and Nancy Anne Ridder (the mean bathroom girls from <i>Scream</i>) were my next-door neighbors. I have an idea for a Scream comic or movie with their characters. I love them madly.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />February 7: MonsterFest Mania: I met Gary Jones, director of such favorites as<b> Ax Giant </b>and <b>Mosquito</b>. 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.<br /><br />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!<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4-EhF6Ya-CgyuwJrkUK0s0o0ylqV07XhE-beGwrPJYkeywcxI9GyvL9CqHP_sl-wW6BhlpBzMkCWq1cHyLMBEZ8mphdq31mCKLvDL3hMu0VTmB2OD0zpNjMQId-w1MnABm4BYnWZSrjYtmZ30ly1im6djsMSYQgrVYtg1E6_vnLLMtDiHIcmH4h6M3-7/s500/Commando%205448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4-EhF6Ya-CgyuwJrkUK0s0o0ylqV07XhE-beGwrPJYkeywcxI9GyvL9CqHP_sl-wW6BhlpBzMkCWq1cHyLMBEZ8mphdq31mCKLvDL3hMu0VTmB2OD0zpNjMQId-w1MnABm4BYnWZSrjYtmZ30ly1im6djsMSYQgrVYtg1E6_vnLLMtDiHIcmH4h6M3-7/s320/Commando%205448.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">February 9: <b>Commando’s 60th Anniversary</b> 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.<br /><br />February 10: <b>The Winchester Mystery House</b> 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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />February 12: <b>Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show.</b> 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. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9IE7jPdGqywls0G8plLLnJv19E4wdZvGYhYEtuzHza5HDVUEglrESVY-no80HDFi1Hn7Ut0T8jdc48t5p619H4hkHMOd6K8jSttuuGNmUrgetba-l4GiQM6BuCBpMGNYAF2Knt_PywwYZPDnYvduO567RzgaWZ_JrMPXEAGNh1oZ0mW5bh9gsynEv_C0/s640/Jesse%20L.%20Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9IE7jPdGqywls0G8plLLnJv19E4wdZvGYhYEtuzHza5HDVUEglrESVY-no80HDFi1Hn7Ut0T8jdc48t5p619H4hkHMOd6K8jSttuuGNmUrgetba-l4GiQM6BuCBpMGNYAF2Knt_PywwYZPDnYvduO567RzgaWZ_JrMPXEAGNh1oZ0mW5bh9gsynEv_C0/s320/Jesse%20L.%20Martin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br />February 13:<b> The Irrational</b> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />February 15: <b>BRZRKR Volume Three</b> 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. <br /><br />February 16: Edited by Trina Robbins and Peter Maresca, <b>Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comic Strips</b> 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.<br /><br />February 17: <b>The Beekeeper</b>. 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. <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhI3XFOc1klUGaIB2oyy1SB4hgOWTfnwCxLCUIByrYXaUB1Qvv_HE6j9htDtDION42WmkLkSMbOS7xaHQ-3sU6YRazikdLlAynlq5NrhCDd59Od_n6hr8Yf_T-LpKIj9VRLbs4xWqyf5RicSsI3bLggKwWs3uvVyyxZlPE75L8pWd-VikD-5vWzGwnjK6/s1436/Rom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhI3XFOc1klUGaIB2oyy1SB4hgOWTfnwCxLCUIByrYXaUB1Qvv_HE6j9htDtDION42WmkLkSMbOS7xaHQ-3sU6YRazikdLlAynlq5NrhCDd59Od_n6hr8Yf_T-LpKIj9VRLbs4xWqyf5RicSsI3bLggKwWs3uvVyyxZlPE75L8pWd-VikD-5vWzGwnjK6/s320/Rom.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />February 18: <b>Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 1</b> 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.<br /><br />February 19: Marvel’s <b>February 1964 Omnibus</b> featuring <i>Daredevil</i> #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. <br /><br />February 20: <b>Meg 2: The Trench</b>. 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.<br /><br />February 21: <b>Iron Fist: Danny Rand - The Early Years Omnibus</b>. 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwYmmM0GqSjfLuK8ZS6QL0gSTQWtcmKgybhafFGW9u7iBFoGT93vjkf_9UR4cmLlj4RhJSLKss-CX6sYDIacNPR5ALSnx2WQGMX2Q65imS6QsvDucmyXnTs5EJRZesXsZ7aOtZvuOARJbKxNnDn_B9ZpBp-pl4EQ4Bb_wCBMeq1D_J8cIOxmywParoHZV/s584/Gorgo%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwYmmM0GqSjfLuK8ZS6QL0gSTQWtcmKgybhafFGW9u7iBFoGT93vjkf_9UR4cmLlj4RhJSLKss-CX6sYDIacNPR5ALSnx2WQGMX2Q65imS6QsvDucmyXnTs5EJRZesXsZ7aOtZvuOARJbKxNnDn_B9ZpBp-pl4EQ4Bb_wCBMeq1D_J8cIOxmywParoHZV/s320/Gorgo%204.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />February 24: <b>Gorgo Volume Four</b>. 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.<br /><br />February 25: <b>The Cherry Omnibus</b> by Larry Welz. This limited edition hardcover is big and thick and beautiful. Damn. That sounds dirty.<br />Cherry is one of my all-time favorites. I look forward to getting into it. Damn. That also sounds dirty.<br /><br />February 26: <b>Wild Cards</b>. 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.<br /><br />February 27: <b>Tracker</b>. 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.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRcox9QJe-7Yg1ttctnZNcjwJbOhYmp-plArabXkZnSdnI5C_B5EnuFxJzCU7_FjbnJ5tJhnLg4uKNefpY9vjw1MMMQBjcMpJOGGoQ6G8ixL1PIitXt1AvRr2JpGE5I9HvaDq32dvVgEaBVTG1Ohz0qGh8nizEzJNzgxAfiteUIr5E_Dt__F4aB9o8k3v/s1500/Superman%20Meshi%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRcox9QJe-7Yg1ttctnZNcjwJbOhYmp-plArabXkZnSdnI5C_B5EnuFxJzCU7_FjbnJ5tJhnLg4uKNefpY9vjw1MMMQBjcMpJOGGoQ6G8ixL1PIitXt1AvRr2JpGE5I9HvaDq32dvVgEaBVTG1Ohz0qGh8nizEzJNzgxAfiteUIr5E_Dt__F4aB9o8k3v/s320/Superman%20Meshi%202.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />February 28: <b>Superman Vs. Meshi Vol. 2 </b>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.<br /><br />February 29: <b>Wendie Malick</b> appearing on <i>Not Dead Yet </i>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.<br /><br />And now...a new monthly feature: Tony Isabella’s Best of the Bloggy Thing Month. Three categories. Three winners.<br /><br /><b>BEST COMIC OF THE MONTH: Superman Vs. Meshi<br /><br />BEST MOVIE OR TV OF THE MONTH: The Irrational<br /><br />BEST PERSON OF THE MONTH: Wendie Malick<br /></b><br />Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back as soon as possible with more cool stuff for you. Hugs.<br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella<br /><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-77320161696067629872024-02-10T15:13:00.000-05:002024-02-10T15:13:20.268-05:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN JANUARY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvLrhm7gmrM1rX7CBz8vJkK-rT7WeAcxv40omHesm3XeRf5ORbjvON-EMsrB5GGOq6pp8FS2okc0qbIEVr72Cf12LewGYF-qGjGiZYDMfAJyTMncnox1jIN5xwy3tMQlWpZxaiaIJb2FC6shgwZ4Ob6TkocJYLmHVSUu7inqKQOLJQIGxtV-9BC33UeoP/s500/Adventures%20into%20Terror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvLrhm7gmrM1rX7CBz8vJkK-rT7WeAcxv40omHesm3XeRf5ORbjvON-EMsrB5GGOq6pp8FS2okc0qbIEVr72Cf12LewGYF-qGjGiZYDMfAJyTMncnox1jIN5xwy3tMQlWpZxaiaIJb2FC6shgwZ4Ob6TkocJYLmHVSUu7inqKQOLJQIGxtV-9BC33UeoP/s320/Adventures%20into%20Terror.jpg" width="220" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My new year did not get off to the greatest start. I seemed to have been aged out of the comic-book industry, at least that part of it where companies that pay decently want to hire the likes of me or even seriously consider anything I pitch to them. The few nibbles I’ve gotten from any comics publishers involving my producing and paying for an entire comic book or graphic novel without financial assistance from the publishers. Then, after receiving the finished work, they’ll publish it and graciously give me 50% of the profits. By the way, they also want 50% of any ancillary rights to whatever I’ve created and, in some cases, control of those rights. You can imagine my six-letter, two-word response.<br /><br />This doesn’t mean I have given up on the notion of writing comics that will entertain you as much as my previous comics have. Maybe even more than my previous comic books have. I intend to explore a number of options to achieve that goal. I also intend to find some new revenue streams, including running eBay auctions and opening an eBay store. Those will launch later this month.<br /><br />I making some personal changes as well. The one I’ll tell you about now is...my iconic mustache is no more. I shaved it off and it will not be returning.<br /><br />I’ve spent just over half a century playing comic-book writer Tony Isabella and, in more recent years, comics legend Tony Isabella. I did not give myself the latter sobriquet. It was bestowed on me by various individuals and organizations. I accept it, even though my bar for legendary status is much higher. If it sells my convention and other appearances, I’ll use it.<br /><br />The real Tony Isabella was trained in playing that role from Stan Lee originally and then by my associations with Harlan Ellison and other actual legends. The real Tony Isabella is actually anxious, awkward and painfully shy. If I were the clubbing type, I’d wear a button reading “Painfully Shy. Please Help.”<br /><br />I will play comics legend Tony Isabella when the occasion calls for it. I know that’s who the fans and promoters want to see. But I’m exploring other roles in my private and professional lives. Which you’ll see when I’m ready to show them to you.<br /><br />One thing that remains constant no matter what role I’m playing is my love of comic books and other entertainment. Other things that remain constant are my commitment to support the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community and my unwavering opposition to the bigoted, dishonest and treasonous Republican Party that is working overtime to destroy our democracy and turn our nation fascist. I don’t know where these vile people got their sense of what’s right and wrong. It’s not from the Bible, flawed as that work is, or from the Constitution of the United States. It’s just shit they made up.<br /><br />Me? I learned everything I know about right and wrong from Batman (before he went psycho), Black Lightning, Captain America, Spider-Man and Superman. I have more faith in the lessons I learned from those characters than I would in a stack of bibles.<br /><br />I’m also cool with Jesus. You know, the guy whose amazing Sermon on the Mount is too “woke” for some “Christian” churches and who those churches consider weak. I wish I had a ruler long enough and tough enough to smack their wrists until their hands fall off.<br /><br />New year. New and yet also same old Tony Isabella. Still finding something to bring me joy every single day of the year. <br /><br />Here are the things that made me happy in January... <br /><br />January 1: <b>Adventures Into Terror </b>is the first volume in the Atlas Comics Library by Fantagraphics. Edited by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo, it reprints and restores issues #1-8 of that 1950s horror anthology from future Marvel. Great fun and must-reading. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8fDNTvCbnqWO_QMUZG15DF7i06OFfsvgCXQiwfapu2WzWbQT_NJUXA0bRlZZEqOsCBr-xxkvDd5JSnOEvLTXzSWWPuP6CknDQdiPlHNebJNg99PZue_96GLLLBvxYl_-7ed9PmoeZ_QaZSuUP6uj5f2aW0OFxseYjhCs-UdERn9RAd2afJt5LlAofYIX/s1500/What%20Would%20Velma%20Do.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1071" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8fDNTvCbnqWO_QMUZG15DF7i06OFfsvgCXQiwfapu2WzWbQT_NJUXA0bRlZZEqOsCBr-xxkvDd5JSnOEvLTXzSWWPuP6CknDQdiPlHNebJNg99PZue_96GLLLBvxYl_-7ed9PmoeZ_QaZSuUP6uj5f2aW0OFxseYjhCs-UdERn9RAd2afJt5LlAofYIX/s320/What%20Would%20Velma%20Do.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">January 2: <b>What Would Velma Do? Life Lessons from the Brains (and Heart) of Mystery, Inc.</b> by Shaenon H. Garrity. Obsessed with Velma? Then this fun insightful book is for you. Scooby-Doo is the gift that keeps on giving.<br /><br />January 3:<b> The Wrong Earth: We Could Be Heroes</b> #1 by Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle. The two-issue series takes place between the previous series and the next. It’s good fun with very unlikely heroes trying to substitute for the real deals.<br /><br />January 4: <b>Billionaire Island</b> by Mark Russell, Steve Pugh and Chris Chuckry. I revisited the place where the ultra-rich can do whatever they want. It was even more hilarious the second time around. It’s chicken soup for your have-not soul. <br /><br />January 5: <b>The Variants</b> by Gail Simone and Phil Noto is a wonderful Jessica Jones story embracing Marvel at its best. Terrific lead and supporting players, top-notch writing and art, a easy continuity. One of the best super-hero tales of the year.<br /><br />January 6: <b>Papaya Salad</b> by Elisa Macellari. The first graphic novel from the Thai-Italian illustrator tells of her great-uncle Sompong in Europe during WWII. A riveting journey that explores fascinating cultures and histories. Highly recommended. <br /><br />January 7: <b>Ghosts UK</b>. The Brit spooks were initially too mean for my tastes, but, in episodes “Bump in the Night” and “Perfect Day,” they won me over by working together to help Allison and Mike. Well done, good spirits.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHDn4yZYmISFJ_iq_mUur3ut7IDbwDmR70awnbhyC5ioiC9gGMa1VtUOuHH1ZBvoi08RPqEv6aahQwbU3WKT0ZzLLS28RWBBiQSaC-RKSWVE5jRHLfHc5tX9MC1DvuGb8flHG8EW1lCffCdFmmfg37q5S-Q06flOfcp59hlaQraepRA9hVLv-bP3vDc1s/s1500/Maniac%20of%20New%20York%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHDn4yZYmISFJ_iq_mUur3ut7IDbwDmR70awnbhyC5ioiC9gGMa1VtUOuHH1ZBvoi08RPqEv6aahQwbU3WKT0ZzLLS28RWBBiQSaC-RKSWVE5jRHLfHc5tX9MC1DvuGb8flHG8EW1lCffCdFmmfg37q5S-Q06flOfcp59hlaQraepRA9hVLv-bP3vDc1s/s320/Maniac%20of%20New%20York%202.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">January 8: <b>Maniac of New York 2: The Bronx Is Burning </b>by Elliott Kalan and Andrea Mutti finds Detective Zelda Pettibone and mayoral aide Gina Greene trying to end the murderous menace of Harry. It’s a good sequel to the original slasher thriller.<br /><br />January 9: A generous friend sent me the new Black Lightning action figure from McFarlane Toys. I hadn’t been able to find it in local stores. It proudly watches over me as I create new and hopefully exciting comics and more.<br /><br />January 10: <b>On The Way</b> by Paco Hernández and José Ángel Ares is a quiet tale of a newly single cartoonist taking a pilgrimage. Along the way she meets interesting people, several surprises and a new knowledge of who she is. <br /><br />January 11:<b> JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice</b> by David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns with Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino and Guy Major. Just a fun super-hero team-up from several years back that I somehow missed on its first publication. Most entertaining.<br /><br />January 12: <b>HGTV</b>. House Hunters and House Hunters International are my happy place. Not only do I enjoy these shows, but they are free of the disgusting political ads run by Ohio Republicans. I’m open to suggestions for other fun HGTV shows.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXVGc8uMOk4I-LU-Fby2F7W7K9Ce4QrvSutnb0J6iqsFI4hV31zXLfmuN5Xu8S_NE1EB8rZ6cNhhZU_5PySsL3f1okxaMo5iXMx09Hsow06U9WnD58ff9q4BAPmauSijULXYqXfvNn-q2Js22PFx0zs3qLLC-D1iJY-y7TLKifEBai6iJlPtcaEs4q_FC/s500/Commando%205444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXVGc8uMOk4I-LU-Fby2F7W7K9Ce4QrvSutnb0J6iqsFI4hV31zXLfmuN5Xu8S_NE1EB8rZ6cNhhZU_5PySsL3f1okxaMo5iXMx09Hsow06U9WnD58ff9q4BAPmauSijULXYqXfvNn-q2Js22PFx0zs3qLLC-D1iJY-y7TLKifEBai6iJlPtcaEs4q_FC/s320/Commando%205444.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">January 13: <b>Commando #5444</b>. This issue from 2021 reprints the first issue of the long-running British comics digest. I’m a subscriber, several years behind in my reading, but I get a kick out of these war stories from across the centuries.<br /><br />January 14: Saintly Wife Barb makes the best brownies. If you come to my house, eat as many of them as you can and then hide the rest where I will not find them.<br /><br />January 15:<b> 1/6</b> by Alan Jenkins, Gan Golan and Will Rosado. What if the attack on the US Capitol succeeded? I’ve read the first issues of this brilliant, scary and scarily accurate series. It’s from One Six Comics and is must-reading for everyone.<br /><br />January 16: The 75th Annual Emmy Awards. I was under the weather. This was nice comfort television. Some funny bits. Some wonderful reunions. Anthony Anderson was a fine host. His mom was hilarious. GLAAD honored. Two very enjoyable hours. <br /><br />January 17: <b>Black Panther: Reign at Dusk</b> by Eve L. Ewing with Chris Allen and Mack Chatter. T’Challa is banished from the throne. He’s living in crime-ridden Birnin T’Chaka. My grasp on the back story is shaky, but, overall, I found this engaging. <br /><br />January 18: Rescue cats Bear and Cheri will be joining our family on January 27. Cats Off the Square held a birthday celebration to honor Betty White and we made plans to bring them home as soon as we get the house ready for them.<br /><br />January 19: Rescue cats Bear and Cheri made the front page of The Gazette in an article noting they were the two longest residents of Cats Off the Square. I hope their stay with us will be much longer.<br />I’ve missed having furry friends around me.<br /><br />January 20: Saintly Wife Barb, dynamic daughter Kelly and old man Tony spent the morning shopping for Bear and Cheri. The next step is figuring out where everything goes.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqySP_Oa8lujI71WVNRNd-fiZL1hT2D6vz0Ijrv9NSM28Lltu7OU0hMj4bxGEk1W0B8VVQo49tCSZUiq-z3w5oWR_kHXIxN4PnX2cDPAv74lXBfJ5ILjxdZpJShShDvRLjzp1liiMopEiVnSoiGNmrcO1zsnTn3k2upSc2MGfr-hzt-e66k6W36b4hvDm9/s1200/Jimmy's%20Bastards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqySP_Oa8lujI71WVNRNd-fiZL1hT2D6vz0Ijrv9NSM28Lltu7OU0hMj4bxGEk1W0B8VVQo49tCSZUiq-z3w5oWR_kHXIxN4PnX2cDPAv74lXBfJ5ILjxdZpJShShDvRLjzp1liiMopEiVnSoiGNmrcO1zsnTn3k2upSc2MGfr-hzt-e66k6W36b4hvDm9/s320/Jimmy's%20Bastards.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">January 21:<b> Jimmy’s Bastards</b> by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun. Via my local library system, I read the first volume in this insane take on James Bond and such. It’s brilliant and hilarious and I cannot wait for the second volume.<br /><br />January 22:<b> American Nightmare</b>. This Netflex true crime documentary in three parts is chilling and riveting. A kidnapped woman. Awful cops victimizing the victims. Courageous people and one absolutely awesome policewoman. Must-watch TV.<br /><br />January 23: <b>Superman vs. Meshi</b> by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago. How odd does manga get? The plot of every self-contained chapter of this is “Superman goes to Japan to eat at chain restaurants.” Also, Aquaman can talk to sushi. Strange but fun.<br /><br />January 24: <b>All Eight Eyes</b> by Steve Foxe and Piotr Kowalski. From Dark Horse, this is a pretty good giant spiders hiding in the city graphic novel that would translate well to the big or small screen.<br />I’d watch it.<br /> <br />January 25: <b>Jon Stewart </b>returning to The Daily Show. I wish it was for more than Mondays and beyond the election cycle, but I’ll take it. Bonus: he’s producing the show, which should make for a better and stronger take on what’s going on in the world.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> <br />January 26: Hello Fresh Steamed Hoisin BBQ Pork Buns with Cucumber Slaw and Ponzu-Soy Dipping Sauce. Oh my Godzilla! These pork buns were delicious! I could eat them every week. <br /><br />January 27: Bear and Cheri are now in their forever home with us. They are being slow to adapt to Casa Isabella with Bear hiding most of the time. Cheri is a bit more social. But they are being loved and cared for. That’s the most important thing.<br /><br />January 28: <b>What's the Deal with Dead Man's Curve?: And Other Really Good Questions About Cleveland </b>by Jim Sweeney. Since most of my original comics series will be set in the Land, this has become an invaluable source of information and inspiration.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52khnicRdx9Cd7MdliCvmnzz53XfrJCidRTcCIXpxKOos99dpx3mXyQJpC9p891si45pp3Cu3tOZ5aCy8kVVH1XOkyL8v3EsMikEZEDn4k2mFFTpxhEjC9cKcCRpQ_IlW2wPGOD-Udw7gFRWL87AqiYcB3WU3jeKA5ps4dCbjJdd83so2FoPF3hGyhmht/s1000/night%20court%20comic-con.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52khnicRdx9Cd7MdliCvmnzz53XfrJCidRTcCIXpxKOos99dpx3mXyQJpC9p891si45pp3Cu3tOZ5aCy8kVVH1XOkyL8v3EsMikEZEDn4k2mFFTpxhEjC9cKcCRpQ_IlW2wPGOD-Udw7gFRWL87AqiYcB3WU3jeKA5ps4dCbjJdd83so2FoPF3hGyhmht/s320/night%20court%20comic-con.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />January 29: <b>Night Court</b>. The episode “Wrath of Comic-Con” gave us John Larroquette cosplaying as a Klingon and the delectable Wendie Malick as Catwoman. Stand aside, Taylor and Travis. This couple is even hotter than you two cuties.<br /><br />January 30: <b>When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories and Questionable Parenting Advice From a Professional Clown </b>is by Kenan Thompson. A very entertaining insightful autobiography by a comedy legend. He’s the real deal and I love him for that.<br /><br />January 31: After completing my first month of therapy - never you mind for what - I believe I’m finally getting a grip on surviving and hopefully thriving in 2024. I’m opening up new chapters in my life. They could be page turners.<br /><br />That’s it for now. If you have business to discuss with me, be it convention appearances or writing gigs, the best way to contact me is through my e-mail. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back as soon as possible with more stuff.<br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella<br /><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-13026650050631084072024-01-19T12:36:00.002-05:002024-01-19T12:36:37.716-05:00THE STRANGE WORLDS OF MY COMIC BOOK DREAMS<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dJhOcnvwJ4yB8c7t-oW9rtT0WyNax3N7mT5eglyNuVNqfWSBg41qHwzEu5M0_x-643zccF3-wNREwzRs9dyvipKNhyphenhyphenH3_pJVu54GtM51jSwbgNmh33ofMx3t17EIAd7pI5YwWNQLzQMKgYEkSP4Djg8055O8qFPRoE4HCI3NwkMqNmbKgJT9i7BPOtzS/s557/Strange%20Worlds%20of%20Your%20Dreams%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dJhOcnvwJ4yB8c7t-oW9rtT0WyNax3N7mT5eglyNuVNqfWSBg41qHwzEu5M0_x-643zccF3-wNREwzRs9dyvipKNhyphenhyphenH3_pJVu54GtM51jSwbgNmh33ofMx3t17EIAd7pI5YwWNQLzQMKgYEkSP4Djg8055O8qFPRoE4HCI3NwkMqNmbKgJT9i7BPOtzS/s320/Strange%20Worlds%20of%20Your%20Dreams%201.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I sometimes have what I call “comic book dreams.” These are dreams that feature comics industry people I know or have known. Some are down to earth. Some are fantastic. The further I’m removed from the comics industry, the less I have these dreams. This one is from a couple months back.<br /><br />The setting is Florida. I’m at a convention, but it doesn’t seem to be a convention I have ever attended. I’m sitting on a park bench outside the convention center with Stan Lee. Just chatting with my former boss and mentor. My forever inspiration. Fans from the con notice us, but, remarkably, they don’t interrupt our conversation.<br /><br />Stan asks about my memories and relationship with Jack Kirby. His respect for Kirby is evident. We also talk about Larry Lieber, his brother and one of my dearest comics industry friends. He’s happy to hear I take Larry to dinner whenever I’m in New York City. His love for his brother is also evident.<br /><br />The conversation gets a bit dark when he asks me about a former DC Comics executive. This is a guy who screwed me over worse than any other comics person. This guy was far from the only one. I don’t have the energy to make a list and rate them. Stan doesn’t want to bad-mouth the guy, but says he even made Stan more than a little uncomfortable.<br /><br />Our conversation ends when Stan notices an elderly Jewish couple in some distress. He points them out and goes to help them. I chuckle because, though Stan describes them as “elderly,” they are younger than he is. They seem to be lost.<br /><br />As I head back to the con, I hear Stan talking to them in Hebrew. I’m guessing it’s Hebrew because I don’t understand a word of their conversation. <br /><br />My dreams often feature people who are no longer with us but who were and remain important to me. My father Louis turns up often. So does Stan, my comics father. <br /><br />Expect to read more of my comic book dreams as I have them and when I remember them well enough to write about them. I’ll be back soon with more stuff. <br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella</p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-3340983842789114012024-01-16T17:14:00.002-05:002024-01-16T17:14:49.380-05:00AUTOGRAPHS AND SKETCHES BY MAIL<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp0_9p1e2y4Osiw8O0gqQ70k0TdvmWlUoTZLw76PRbyy2RoOfF_1uaKpeT1gDxgdlEJAtfaKtNB88SCNw_oHty-UjnxiBiRCmCRIvMn1Y9I8EXj_CaP9NdFK7SNwC05VKY0lxBR13ys0qQ_oqhMVYXfhSdJC8Qx89zOY2iFS7KaHeO4iB-Pp9-FmQIlBf/s1404/Godzilla%20sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1404" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp0_9p1e2y4Osiw8O0gqQ70k0TdvmWlUoTZLw76PRbyy2RoOfF_1uaKpeT1gDxgdlEJAtfaKtNB88SCNw_oHty-UjnxiBiRCmCRIvMn1Y9I8EXj_CaP9NdFK7SNwC05VKY0lxBR13ys0qQ_oqhMVYXfhSdJC8Qx89zOY2iFS7KaHeO4iB-Pp9-FmQIlBf/s320/Godzilla%20sketch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have always tried to give back to my fans, but I have to realize things are changing for me. I seem to have aged out of the comics industry. Outside of writing for John Lustig’s LAST KISS, I have no paying gigs in the field. Unfairly, my bills do not recognize this sad fact of my life. The bills keep coming.<br /><br />When I started in the industry, none of the creators were charging for their signatures. That didn’t change for me until sometime in past several years. <br /><br />The trigger came for me at a Wizard World convention. Some comics creators had started charging a minimal fee for their signatures. A few bucks at most. Most of them would sign any one item for free.<br />I wasn’t charging. I overheard a fan clutching his autographed photo of some “C” TV actor - and I am being kind - telling his friend, as the fan snorted derisively, that he would NEVER pay for a comic creator’s signature. He was quite delighted paying $40 for a background zombie’s autograph/photo, but not for the signatures of comics creators. I began charging for my signature on the spot.<br /><br />I was charging $5 per signed item with the first item signed free. I was not charging for photos of or with me. After a year, I raised the charge to $10 per item with the first one still free. I stopped offering one free signature when, three days after a convention, I saw a comic book I had signed for free at the convention on eBay with a much inflated price.<br /><br />I have toyed with raising my signature price to $15, but have held off doing that. Often the money I make from signing is what keeps me breaking even on the events I attend. <br /><br />Some fans would also ask me for sketches. I combined funny writing with very bad drawings of “Godzilla.” I can’t draw arms or, really, much of anything. I have given these sketches out for free. Which is a practice I’ve now ended. I’m changing the name of the monster I draw. As soon as I get a logo designed and figure out what paper and stock to use for my sketches, I will be selling them online and at conventions. I’m thinking $50 for originals and $20 for prints. That’s likely too high, but, hey, no one is putting a maser cannon to your head. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes I get requests for signatures and sketches by mail. Most of the time the people requesting these recognize I’ll be charging for these. Sometimes they assume if they send me a self-addressed stamped envelope with a piece of paper in it that I’ll comply with their requests. Please look above to remind us how I’ve seemingly aged out of the comics industry and how my bills keep arriving at my house on a regular basis. I can only dream of a time when I also receive monthly royalty checks for my past work. These days, when I receive these “give me something for free” letters, I throw them in the trash.<br /><br />I do recognize not everyone can come to a convention to get their Isabella stuff signed by me. So I will sign items and do sketches by mail. Keep in mind that I’m not yet offering sketches and prints by mail or elsewhere. But here’s how the other part works...<br /><br />Send the items you want signed to:<br /><br />Tony Isabella<br />840 Damon Drive<br />Medina, OH 44256<br /><br />Include $10 per item and return packaging with the postage already affixed. That way, I can sign your items and place them in the next day’s outgoing mail. <br /><br />If you have a certain spot for my signature, tell me where it is in your cover letter. If you have a certain pen or pens you want me to use for my signature, send them with the items. Let me know if you want the pens back or not.<br /><br />If you’re a high-end collector, keep an eye out for CGC’s special signings with me. I get together with them, sign the comics as you request and they verify my signature and grade the items prior to slabbing them. This is more expensive than sending items directly to me, but I know many collectors prefer this way.<br /><br />I’m working on other things to help my financial situation. I hope to have my Ebay store up and running before the end of the month. It will offer cool things from my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. Watch for the launch date.<br /><br />If I can figure out how to do it, I might even launch an Only Fans page. Get your minds out of the gutter. It won’t have sexy photos and videos of me. I’m thinking new and unseen columns, remembrances of my comics career, videos on comics, my life and the world around us. If that doesn’t bring in enough cash, well, I have been told I have a cute ass and good legs.<br /><br />I’ll be back soon with more stuff. <br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-24433392385657306152024-01-02T09:24:00.002-05:002024-01-02T09:24:11.928-05:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN DECEMBER<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWTR8tJkaLcen5GIx0GRg_i8KnXgVZAa5PbUkN8maD93mphLX9XAAX20KKVDbBl7xPln3i43o6Z3nHl1Rac2RKtN8eB8FQhtYZTGwe2NYebyrurnr22PaszQU8A2Fphfn9gc3Sv8PYbmIQzxMJxMllxYTxs4rChabbSMMRj-Q3aPc-Q6vFMwP7oARpiJp/s900/Galaxy%20Con%20logo.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="900" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWTR8tJkaLcen5GIx0GRg_i8KnXgVZAa5PbUkN8maD93mphLX9XAAX20KKVDbBl7xPln3i43o6Z3nHl1Rac2RKtN8eB8FQhtYZTGwe2NYebyrurnr22PaszQU8A2Fphfn9gc3Sv8PYbmIQzxMJxMllxYTxs4rChabbSMMRj-Q3aPc-Q6vFMwP7oARpiJp/s320/Galaxy%20Con%20logo.webp" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Scary and stressful is how I can best describe 2023. As seems to be the case in recent years, the comic-book industry showed virtually no interest in hiring me...and that has a debilitating effect on my actually writing comics. However, I am quite happy with the gags I wrote for John Lustig’s fun and slightly naughty Last Kiss feature and will continue contributing to it in the new year. <br /><br />Physically, I’m in good health, save for a bad right knee that has me in almost chronic pain. It’s arthritis and not yet to the point where replacement is necessary. Most of the time, I’m rocking the sleek Prince tribute I call “Purple Cane.” In pain or not, I remain hilarious.<br /><br />Mentally? How can anyone be mentally and morally comfortable in a world where Donald Trump, the most criminal, racist and traitorous president in U.S. history is the Republican Party frontrunner for this year’s election? Despite his over ninety indictments on very serious charges. The kind of charges that should put him in prison for the rest of his disgusting life. Meanwhile, the Republicans are continuing their cruel and unconstitutional assaults on the LGBTQ+ community, especially trans people. <br /><br />Yet I remain hopeful for the new year. I’m working on various new projects with the hope of getting them to the marketplace. I have taken steps to improve my mental and physical well-being. I hope to be invited to many conventions in this country and abroad because I love meeting all kinds of readers. <br /><br />As always, even in my darkest moments, I find happiness in a great many things. I love sharing them with you. Here are the things that brought me joy in December...<br /><br />December 1: GalaxyCon Columbus. From the moment I arrived, I was in pop culture heaven. The convention and volunteers made me feel most welcome, as did the fans and my fellow professionals. It was one of the most amazing conventions of my career.<br /><br />December 2: GalaxyCon Columbus. Reuniting with old pals like Mike DeCarlo and Steve Englehart. Meeting new ones like Dan Chichester, Tana Ford and Tim Seeley. Chatting with fans of my writing. That’s what makes a great convention.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBOHfgF9LHxxRntRzbyxXcgoba7cZwHUL4kSXyTySNSxNC9IYk2OpD3rKTvciWbLDw8hN_JQ2cwIvMPT05PQ1dPBFIU7Sv3Wo_OYsE9DVTFMqew97OU6a_arxNRZpGH1enIvC7EPw_GkaJijZ6R1LCzygHrF12w8wz-mp-NYJeCUfNnj_9vEIu93TXTIi/s720/Mid-Ohio-Con%20panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBOHfgF9LHxxRntRzbyxXcgoba7cZwHUL4kSXyTySNSxNC9IYk2OpD3rKTvciWbLDw8hN_JQ2cwIvMPT05PQ1dPBFIU7Sv3Wo_OYsE9DVTFMqew97OU6a_arxNRZpGH1enIvC7EPw_GkaJijZ6R1LCzygHrF12w8wz-mp-NYJeCUfNnj_9vEIu93TXTIi/s320/Mid-Ohio-Con%20panel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 3: GalaxyCon Columbus. The special “Do You Remember Mid-Ohio-Con?” tribute panel was nothing short of amazing with so many former guests celebrating Roger Price and the stellar convention he created. Much joy was shared by all.<br /><br />December 4: GalaxyCon Columbus. I’m a sucker for convention-themed specialty drinks and the Hyatt Regency’s Big Bar on 2 had a doozy. The “Space Cadet” was Malibu rum, strawberry puree, pineapple juice and a blue Curacao glitter swirl. Delicious.<br /><br />December 5: GalaxyCon Columbus. I was honored to be on the amazing “Horror in Comics” panel and be recognized for my 1970s work as an editor and writer on Monsters Unleashed and such. I would love to edit a magazine like that today. Publishers?<br /><br />December 6: GalaxyCon Columbus: I enjoyed being on the Ghost Rider panel with Cory Smith and Scott Hepburn. I’m intrigued by all the Rider has gone through since I wrote Johnny Blaze. Catching up will be interesting.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQchOg4ne5Q8AvWvTaqX8y549aC1uDaPK48fR-lQ1ArWNfuEI_BibLWjz5huFK-DcwCNCW1x_6Kd8nXhrdSVfe5nvpJR19tubuTWVzTQUasgju0DIZF_Dzf_Am86O4nLZwXty958vBUUfKgimju1iFs-_TmKU3976-_Q3aWAYb1qUzyQydBHVITFvij1t/s792/Dial%20N%20for%20Naked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQchOg4ne5Q8AvWvTaqX8y549aC1uDaPK48fR-lQ1ArWNfuEI_BibLWjz5huFK-DcwCNCW1x_6Kd8nXhrdSVfe5nvpJR19tubuTWVzTQUasgju0DIZF_Dzf_Am86O4nLZwXty958vBUUfKgimju1iFs-_TmKU3976-_Q3aWAYb1qUzyQydBHVITFvij1t/s320/Dial%20N%20for%20Naked.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 7:<i> </i><b>Dial N For Naked!</b> My wacky pal Will Meugniot presents “The Untold and Totally Untrue History of the Nudie Age of Comics!” Published in 2018 and available on Amazon, this book is hilarious and actually suitable for most ages. <br /><br />December 8: The<b> iZombie Omnibus</b> by Chris Roberson, Michael Allred and Laura Allred. I wanted to reread this legendary thriller before I embark on watching the TV series, which I only watched for most of its first season.<br /><br />December 9: <b>Strange and Unsung All-Stars of the DC Multiverse</b> by Stephanie Williams looks like big fun. I haven’t started reading it yet, but I bet a bunch of writers are using it to created pitches for new comic books and movies.<br /><br />December 10: <b>Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism </b>by Rachel Maddow is a fascinating frightening history of when vile Americans sided with Hitler. It does give me hope we will crush the fascists of today as we did in the 1940s. <br /><br />December 11:<b> Godzilla Minus One</b>. I’m loving the box-office success and critical acclaim this spectacular movie is receiving. Made on a relatively modest budget, the movie goes beyond Godzilla fandom and into deserved favorable mainstream attention. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuNrhvLxlg44TY_oZDQysr8We5fX0id-VGNWjlOU73evAvA7eMONg_tL5biUjNY49YvijW0DHRlHStLUL_1AziZ_DUZSh1SD8-hXQmqNQb2edBcH9I7XDYSjgLO_zh5nmuWjtSp07AxaxusA7UUtAd_ra9l4ECBdnCVubSKKNersFShOZn9thmhv_bTa0/s1200/Funko%20Reese's.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuNrhvLxlg44TY_oZDQysr8We5fX0id-VGNWjlOU73evAvA7eMONg_tL5biUjNY49YvijW0DHRlHStLUL_1AziZ_DUZSh1SD8-hXQmqNQb2edBcH9I7XDYSjgLO_zh5nmuWjtSp07AxaxusA7UUtAd_ra9l4ECBdnCVubSKKNersFShOZn9thmhv_bTa0/s320/Funko%20Reese's.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 12: Funko Pop! Even as I prepare to thin my own collection for next year’s garage sales, I continue to be amazed, amused and pleased by Funko’s ingenuity and variety, Their new “tasty treats” figures are proof of both.<br /><br />December 13: Delivery drivers. United States Postal Service. UPS. FedEx. Amazon. They bring us cool stuff. Their jobs are not easy, even more so at this time of the year. So, when you get the chance, thank them for their hard work.<br /><br />December 14: My home town of Medina installed two electric vehicle charging ports in the parking deck next to City Hall. It’s a smart thing to do and, so far, no one is screaming “woke” at this common sense addition. <br /><br />December 15: <b>Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands</b>. My supply of my most recent work was dwindling, but I was able to purchase over a dozen mint copies at an affordable price. I’ll have them at my convention appearances as long as they last.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyveSUNfpNwt9S7czuPvqvlZhwUREDZG_U8yubTo6Ukm76ufMY1q7F9s7xKlh3BFt4xqk7XULvCmxY5iR6vPpZVUraIwumK74w4yiHFKfdvpvIYzhY7h6cDZ-Oc3QlPhxSy3kRY1DuwJm2qj8ioFTM8Ru00e82Y3D1hcmpxFTgLTEPK9qT3urF266PQrvu/s445/Taylor%20Swift%20Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyveSUNfpNwt9S7czuPvqvlZhwUREDZG_U8yubTo6Ukm76ufMY1q7F9s7xKlh3BFt4xqk7XULvCmxY5iR6vPpZVUraIwumK74w4yiHFKfdvpvIYzhY7h6cDZ-Oc3QlPhxSy3kRY1DuwJm2qj8ioFTM8Ru00e82Y3D1hcmpxFTgLTEPK9qT3urF266PQrvu/s320/Taylor%20Swift%20Time.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 16: Taylor Swift. Time magazine chose well in naming her 2023's Person of the Year. Not only is she a talented performer, she inspires fans to be considerate, kind and inclusive. She’s her generation’s Dolly Parton.<br /><br />December 17: <b>Transitions: A Mother's Journey</b> by writer and artist Élodie Durand is the sometimes heartbreaking but ultimately happy real-life story of a woman working to accept her transgender son. Essential reading because the need is so great.<br /><br />December 18: <b>The Parker Girls Omnibus</b> by Terry Moore. This spin-off from Strangers in Paradise finds the efficient and gorgeous ladies investigating the murder of one of their own. Why don’t they make women-led action/suspense movies this good? <br /><br />December 19:<b> Hallows’ Eve</b> by Erica Schultz and Michael Dowling was a easy-to-follow solid story with a satisfying conclusion. I really like title super-heroine Janine Goodbe and hope to see more of her.<br />She’d be great in a Disney+ Halloween special. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRyLWEfNjZPJQ8ylOZjHqLZJFtTFp74wXLUO4VZegdI-tSciWSQ80DH-Dlp_gJzwJUzsayfDE1wacYqwNWhREqFYeWuPM0KW9gxYOeROCUFTJql_V4SJp7fJ3KkqCRJ7lGR9ys8OW8q9J8iZR7ZMx5avWayALScTamHAPNBmsiSJGPEkz8kLnM_Y3wFEj/s596/Lobo%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRyLWEfNjZPJQ8ylOZjHqLZJFtTFp74wXLUO4VZegdI-tSciWSQ80DH-Dlp_gJzwJUzsayfDE1wacYqwNWhREqFYeWuPM0KW9gxYOeROCUFTJql_V4SJp7fJ3KkqCRJ7lGR9ys8OW8q9J8iZR7ZMx5avWayALScTamHAPNBmsiSJGPEkz8kLnM_Y3wFEj/s320/Lobo%201.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 20:<b> Lobo #1</b> [Dell; 1965]. I just re-read this outstanding comic by D. J. Arneson with art by Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico. Racist distributors killed Lobo after two issues, but it deserves to be reprinted and continued. <br /><br />December 21: My 2023 Christmas sweater is a tribute to Die Hard, a great Christmas movie and, as I now realize, also a great Hanukkah movie. It’s a heartwarming movie that brings people of all faiths together. Ho ho ho Hans.<br /><br />December 22: Santa Suossos. For my birthday, Barb and our kids took me to this great Italian restaurant in Medina. The pasta and pizza were delicious. We’re going to order pizza from there for our New Year’s Eve celebration.<br /><br /><i>[Santa Suossos crushed my dream by not being open on Sunday. But I will have a fix of their pizza soon.]</i><br /><br />December 23: If birthdays were measured in dear friends, I would be 5,000 years old. Thanks to all of you who sent warm greetings on my birthday. They were appreciated more than I can express.<br /><br />December 24: <b>Downfall </b>by Inio Asano. A sometimes soul-crushing tale of a manga artist who doesn’t much like manga, who only cares about selling books and who doesn’t care about anyone’s pain but his own. I know comics creators like him.<br /><br />December 25: With few bumps in the holiday road, Christmas Eve and Christmas 2023 were happy times for me. None of the bumps were all that unexpected and both were minor annoyances. Next year, I plan to dress as a sexy elf.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaM9_Ss3vTsZvxJdJuCYOaC1ONkkE9_cNNiY0rMSHynGoa8zaG0eE_WrnYppdure-CF7W7-6kqWjvbRhFX-S_2qJAE4WENWwCFvZIIjfgUKg2ehQu47CGdlQGGIgV4AaefbJg_Pk9UanqeEbxv8fxyBBW-hXb63Nu87GdJDmKG9uDMgz6pfb2oFyiGldh/s6075/It's%20a%20Wonderful%20Knife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6075" data-original-width="4125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaM9_Ss3vTsZvxJdJuCYOaC1ONkkE9_cNNiY0rMSHynGoa8zaG0eE_WrnYppdure-CF7W7-6kqWjvbRhFX-S_2qJAE4WENWwCFvZIIjfgUKg2ehQu47CGdlQGGIgV4AaefbJg_Pk9UanqeEbxv8fxyBBW-hXb63Nu87GdJDmKG9uDMgz6pfb2oFyiGldh/s320/It's%20a%20Wonderful%20Knife.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 26:<b> It’s a Wonderful Knife.</b> Billed as a horror comedy, the movie is a legitimate thriller that respects <i>It’s a Wonderful Life. </i>Low on gore, high on emotional stakes with a terrific performance by Justin Long. Highly recommended.<br /><br />December 27: Bill Foster finally gets into action as Giant-Man in the second episode of What If...? Season Two. I’m sure that pleased Lawrence Fishburne, who was disappointed he never got to go big in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Thanks, Marvel Studios!<br /><br />December 28: Rite Aid in Medina. I got my flu shot this morning and it was a quick and painless experience. I arrived a little early, but was given a shot within five minutes. No fuss, no muss, no side effects. Science rules!<br /><br />December 29: <b>Maniac of New York Vol. 1: The Death Train </b>by Elliott Kalan and Andrea Mutti doesn’t break any new ground in the slasher genre, but it’s artistry, characterization and intensity make it a must-read for fans of that genre.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzczKpeL3Vy3D9QDsh39B9pLIQkMG39fPb9dmV1NrlM16-qtAvUkxQXLnZaA7AC22rRTcDwgpzyMabMBY8dvTzD93Zlh3ePlNjrO-atwhcn3Y2aExvEd6WdQaHVDCrRcBCEhyphenhyphenvehiKTV6BltqqsvIkV9vftE3iNKBG2YVkbMp5YlGaO57F6bUVvXuntRJ/s450/Love%20from%20Godzilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzczKpeL3Vy3D9QDsh39B9pLIQkMG39fPb9dmV1NrlM16-qtAvUkxQXLnZaA7AC22rRTcDwgpzyMabMBY8dvTzD93Zlh3ePlNjrO-atwhcn3Y2aExvEd6WdQaHVDCrRcBCEhyphenhyphenvehiKTV6BltqqsvIkV9vftE3iNKBG2YVkbMp5YlGaO57F6bUVvXuntRJ/s320/Love%20from%20Godzilla.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">December 30: <b>Love from Godzilla</b> by Olivia Luchina with artwork by Jordan Bradley and Milo Moore. This small book is the most charming young readers book I can imagine. Every single page will make even older readers go “Awww!” Highly recommended.<br /><br />December 31: <b>The Hunters</b> by Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin wraps up 2023 in style. It’s a hard-hitting western with cool characters and a can’t-turn-the-page-fast-enough story. It’s another triumph for the crowd-funded Paperfilms.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by today. I wish you the happiest of new years and great success in achieving your personal goals. I will be back soon with more stuff.<br /><br />© 2024 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-39286784444011587642023-12-26T19:59:00.004-05:002023-12-26T19:59:34.444-05:00BATMAN THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS 3<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtvgvj5ZC4LnkRJYRpBGSg5-eRsjExXpB4X3nvR5vL_28erZzVEnVX6HyenrcbklIB4Dt2Qm_uDsdZIj_wIVBLA6EMs2bOgIRCqphymSnQhCE3JZ14TSIk6tRoCWZKbxmjqQAoAuLBTihE9L59VBa2a79PcJv46OGsvRi2_g-vDCrZyUtTCzlPHJcf7ci/s585/Detective%20Comics%20237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtvgvj5ZC4LnkRJYRpBGSg5-eRsjExXpB4X3nvR5vL_28erZzVEnVX6HyenrcbklIB4Dt2Qm_uDsdZIj_wIVBLA6EMs2bOgIRCqphymSnQhCE3JZ14TSIk6tRoCWZKbxmjqQAoAuLBTihE9L59VBa2a79PcJv46OGsvRi2_g-vDCrZyUtTCzlPHJcf7ci/s320/Detective%20Comics%20237.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It’s 1956 or thereabouts. Born in December 1951, the young Tony is an avid watcher of <i>The Adventures of Superman </i>and that love brings him to the neighborhood bookie-adjacent newsstand on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. The newsstand sells more racing forms than Tony had ever seen, not that Tony knows what those are. The actual bookie is next door. <br /><br />The newsstand also has more magazine and newspapers than Tony has ever seen before. Most glorious, it also has more comic books than he’s ever seen before. Tony learned to read from comic books when he was four years old, but he was only now becoming the avid fan we know today.<br /><br /><i>Superman</i> and <i>Action Comics</i> were his favorites, but he was getting interested in this Batman guy as well. Soon, Batman would eclipse Superman to become Tony’s favorite super-hero. Because Batman, with no super-powers per se, seemed an attainable role model for a young would-be hero. He could train himself just as Bruce Wayne had. If Dick Grayson could do it, so could young Tony. Alas, he lacked the essential element of dead rich parents. Still, Batman remained his favorite until Spider-Man swung around.<br /><br />We’re continuing our reading of<i> Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus</i>. The book collects <i>Batman</i> #101-116 and <i>Detective Comics</i> #233-257. Let’s get back into it... <br /><br /><b>Detective Comics #237</b> [November 1956] presented “Search for a New Robin” by a currently unknown writer and with art by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. This rather lightweight ten-pager consists mostly of a disguised Bruce Wayne imaging what his life would be if his new Robin was one of the two rather unpleasant youngsters he meets in his temporary new identity.<br /><br />The weak premise is that, while appearing with Batman at a bridge dedication ceremony, a dummy of Bruce Wayne is shot by a gangster. The dummy tumbles into the river and everyone thinks Bruce is dead. Taking on a new identity, he knows Batman must work solo for fear of exposing Robin’s identity. It’s faulty logic, but, after Bruce’s daydream of a new Robin or two, the police find the bullet-riddled<br />dummy. A half-ass explanation of why Wayne had taken on a different identity mercifully brings this story to an end. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjGsvf14SkaOfGXMlEY7lrtTL6JCWSLG3sGthfrbfGYnDI8dNANvEFBJez7gTk9Wnb5bAga8UILDl3JF-2zsmYb9LOPDo6xEiPjj6uN2myUbBuvhIbVQzdiGqPQQlYL_DUCTz1PkShciFDvpMJiuHQAHoy_9ktb1gxpHOkEtnDH26lQT7QJExXRbSfxoh/s580/Batman%20104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjGsvf14SkaOfGXMlEY7lrtTL6JCWSLG3sGthfrbfGYnDI8dNANvEFBJez7gTk9Wnb5bAga8UILDl3JF-2zsmYb9LOPDo6xEiPjj6uN2myUbBuvhIbVQzdiGqPQQlYL_DUCTz1PkShciFDvpMJiuHQAHoy_9ktb1gxpHOkEtnDH26lQT7QJExXRbSfxoh/s320/Batman%20104.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Batman #104</b> [December 1956) has one of my favorite covers of this era. Drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, it evokes the giant dinosaur movies that were captivating me. Beyond that, the issue has three terrific stories, starting with “The Man Who Knew Batman’s Secret” by writer Edmond Hamilton with art by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. In just eight pages, we see a Gotham City imperiled by master criminal John Varden. Complicating Batman and Robin’s hunt for Varden, quirky amateur detective Thaddeus Crane accidentally discovers Batman’s secret identity. Varden is determined to kidnap Crane and get him to reveal Batman’s identity. Even as a kid, I saw the ending coming a mile away but was still excited to learn Crane was actually loyal butler Alfred, the key element of Batman’s plan to capture Varden and his men. I was around five years old and my detective skills were pretty darn sharp.<br /><br />Bill Finger’s clever “Robin’s 50 Batman Partners” was also a hit. Again drawn by Sprang and Paris, the tale has Batman injured with Robin having to do solo hosting duties at a gala honoring some of Batman’s greatest cases with appropriately gigantic displays. The bad guys figure they can easily take down Robin, but the Boy Wonder uses the exhibits to take them down instead.<br /><br />“The Creature from 20,000 Fathoms” is by Finger, Moldoff and Paris. No hoax here. The fire-breathing monster is the real deal. Batman and Robin must battle the dinosaur as a member of their exhibition tries to kill them to protect a treasure he discovered. This would have been a standout story in most Batman issues of the time, but it came in a close third to the other two.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYoiDKXa8ldG9j1t08WeawADyF2mjCtiQihX-5-uXkIu9aJokp2sdhaLMNkbINdCahaKf5HL7Tja8GEgi1wYBOiZfTukmJyNCPaBvQMoTD7b63PRLKh4IfTchQhEMcvzH9Uvz0h-rjnGrNba55C1RFip51h7ZMYFRpioDO_stClLZ6u4NvPq89Zg_I2V0/s582/Detective%20Comics%20238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYoiDKXa8ldG9j1t08WeawADyF2mjCtiQihX-5-uXkIu9aJokp2sdhaLMNkbINdCahaKf5HL7Tja8GEgi1wYBOiZfTukmJyNCPaBvQMoTD7b63PRLKh4IfTchQhEMcvzH9Uvz0h-rjnGrNba55C1RFip51h7ZMYFRpioDO_stClLZ6u4NvPq89Zg_I2V0/s320/Detective%20Comics%20238.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Detective Comics #238</b> [December 1956] featured writer Dave Wood’s highly entertaining “The Doors That Hid Disaster!” The cover is by Sheldon Moldoff with the interior art by Moldoff and inker Charles Paris. <br /><br />Super-criminal Checkmate thinks he has escaped Batman and Robin but has instead doomed himself by hiding in a chamber holding deadly radioactive material. He plans his ultimate revenge against the duo by having his gang carry out his plans after his death. They lure Batman and Robin into a building filled with deadly traps that the crime fighters have faced before. But repeating those escapes would kill them. It’s a great “battle of wits” adventure. <br /><br />What makes the story even more fun are the mentions of Batman foes that never appeared previously and are not seen, even in flashback, in this tale. It’s only a matter of time before some modern Batman writer introduces us to such evil luminaries as the Bowler, Harbor Pirate and Wheelo. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxM-YLXg7ximYkdgaGVElz_Bwg3WuuzeTY6jj0ygyLwY01AQD4LDK52FfgfMiMftYbuk-XZAgiNiT-TLI0-coCVd_2DoDS-7B_3Y2TF-qgoFMoEjByhHER-TxeVVDYIE5YNkAAI73dqZsEAHkTaACdEcPErY-AFP0PaMPvWYbwslf4sLlaLJDfShv8zCyb/s578/Detective%20Comics%20239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxM-YLXg7ximYkdgaGVElz_Bwg3WuuzeTY6jj0ygyLwY01AQD4LDK52FfgfMiMftYbuk-XZAgiNiT-TLI0-coCVd_2DoDS-7B_3Y2TF-qgoFMoEjByhHER-TxeVVDYIE5YNkAAI73dqZsEAHkTaACdEcPErY-AFP0PaMPvWYbwslf4sLlaLJDfShv8zCyb/s320/Detective%20Comics%20239.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Detective Comics #239</b> [January 1957] has a wash cover by Sheldon Moldoff and Jack Adler. The writer of “Batman’s Robot Twin” has not yet been identified, but the art is by Moldoff and Charles Paris. The brilliant but naive Professor Carden happily shows his latest invention to the clearly shady Dr. Dall. It’s a robot that can be programmed with the knowledge and personality of anyone. Dall tells the professor the robot is too dangerous to be given the thoughts and personality of anyone other than Batman. Realizing the robot won’t be used for evil with this thoughts and could even be a boon to crime-fighting, Batman agrees.<br /><br />Dall cuts the brakes on a crane, forcing Batman to leave the robot before he can give it any commands. Dall then clobbers Carden and takes control of the robot. He takes control of the robot, but is stymied because the robot won’t reveal Batman’s secret identity. That’s Batman’s personality coming through.<br /><br />Dall sends the robot to capture Batman. On his own, the robot goes to the Batcave. A high voltage shock will erase the robot’s memory, but the robot knows that’s what Batman will attempt and foils him. Batman escapes. Dall uses the robot’s knowledge to help him break into a diamond-cutting factory. Another clash of Batman vs. Robot Batman commences. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>SPOILERS AHEAD<br />SPOILERS AHEAD<br />SPOILERS AHEAD<br />SPOILERS AHEAD<br />SPOILERS AHEAD<br />SPOILERS AHEAD</b><br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This time, Batman tricks the robot into high-voltage wires using a tactic our hero just thought of and which the robot could not know about. Batman disguises himself as the robot, tricking Dall and his gang into a locked truck. <br /><br />Even with its memory erased, Batman and Carden agree the invention is to dangerous to be used. It ends up yet another souvenir in the Batcave.<br /><br />I’ll have more from Batman’s Silver Age adventures in the hopefully near future. Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-81867152766301884572023-12-24T14:43:00.000-05:002023-12-24T14:43:11.882-05:00THE TONY ISABELLA AVENGERS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0_oMnLLUm8XowSQjYR8MlVzKWLVbQUGWxRXDEnKMZ5ZvBSsZYAaXx7UMTBsz-9rHTFMTSoBj517pIkkX28V_CRfO4RfxXYBFVa7qnP2SmHIE9gRnJefFWwwpCEa_avWM1iVqDf5b1bujFXKkaz3anu1C9d_SHIPmfLVr05IIUup8I46Zl718NK750RiG/s3840/Avengers%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0_oMnLLUm8XowSQjYR8MlVzKWLVbQUGWxRXDEnKMZ5ZvBSsZYAaXx7UMTBsz-9rHTFMTSoBj517pIkkX28V_CRfO4RfxXYBFVa7qnP2SmHIE9gRnJefFWwwpCEa_avWM1iVqDf5b1bujFXKkaz3anu1C9d_SHIPmfLVr05IIUup8I46Zl718NK750RiG/s320/Avengers%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Today’s bloggy is a fun exercise in building a team, specifically, the Avengers team I’d like to write. The notion first hit me when, after watching the second season of Loki, I said Sylvie would make a good addition to the Avengers. <br /><br />My next idea was to create a team of Avengers that kind of sort of copied the original team with different characters. That idea came and went and came back. <br /><br />I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends how many members should my new incarnation have. The responses ranged from three to infinity. The most frequent number was seven. I thought that was a perfectly workable number of members. Then I started putting together a team I’d love to write and seven didn’t seem as definitive as I thought.<br /><br />No Avengers team would be complete without<b> CAPTAIN AMERICA</b>. Steve Rogers was my first choice for that role. However, it also struck me that a position as important as Avengers leader needed back-ups. So, on my Avengers team, Steve’s role would occasionally be taken over by Captain America Sam Wilson or Captain Carter.<br /><br />My next choices were <b>GIANT-MAN </b>and <b>THE WASP.</b> The former would be a back-from-the-dead Bill Foster because killing him off in Civil War was as monumentally stupid as Civil War itself. The latter would be Janet van Dyne because I always liked her and think she’d be great fun to write. Super-capable, feisty, smart, fashionable. What’s not to love there? <br /><br /><b>SYLVIE</b>. She’s Loki, but not as self-assured as the original god of mischief. Her coming into her considerable power could bring some interesting situations into the series.<br /><br /><b>SHE-HULK</b>. Okay, yes, she’s an obvious choice, but she’s a favorite character of mine I’ve never gotten to write. Look at that. I just re-created the original Avengers line-up. That’s five.<br /><br />The next two members are <b>MISTY KNIGHT</b> and <b>TIGRA</b>. Because I created them and have long wanted to write them again. That’s seven.<br /><br />But I’m not done yet.<br /><br /><b>JESUS RIDER</b> or maybe just <b>THE RIDER</b>. Long-suffering Johnny Blaze has his soul redeemed by accepting Jesus as his lord and savior. He no longer has his Hell-spawned powers. What he has are supernatural powers given him by Jesus. He accepts there are many other god-like beings in the Marvel Universe. He doesn’t disrespect them at all. He has chosen to follow Jesus, who, of course, preached loving all people. Including gay people. Like Johnny himself.<br /><br />People do come out late in life. Having his authentic self seen and accepted and loved by the One who rescued him from Hell’s agonies means everything to Johnny. If you object to my having a gay hero on this team, there are dozens of Avengers teams who don’t have any members of the LGBTQ+ community on them. That’s eight.<br /><br />The final member of my Avengers team is <b>HALLOWS EVE</b>. I really like Janine Godby. Her masks are a super-power we don’t see too often. The only changes I would make: only she can use the masks and they always return to her. That’s nine.<br /><br />If you like this Avengers line-up, feel free to tell Marvel you’d like to see me write such a title. Just expect to be disappointed. I doubt many of the current Marvel Comics editors know who I am or anything about my work. If they do know who I am, they likely think of me as an old guy who couldn’t possibly still write great comics.Such is life.<br /><br />One more thing. If you count Captain Carter and Sam Wilson, my team actually has eleven members. Which is way too many.<br /><br />I’ll be back soon with more stuff. <br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-38122771788064585852023-12-06T13:07:00.007-05:002023-12-06T13:07:54.560-05:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN NOVEMBER<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-26xKl7iIe9JIANV8ERTc0l3AppXl4NTh7RWPtbmP3XGegsxb96f-4XGEXQDlh4a9EGrsMiLhNzfMqe1Zmo2460G5fZqiDnvoTHrEgth80dydHhau2D8i6sLNkPRJFW0W1Ewkxl6VYOkBSMGpumEeC_B9eDP09Du-miFyvpOFwyYnaOElmjWBt-jLgx0/s1296/Godzilla%20Minus%20One.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1296" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-26xKl7iIe9JIANV8ERTc0l3AppXl4NTh7RWPtbmP3XGegsxb96f-4XGEXQDlh4a9EGrsMiLhNzfMqe1Zmo2460G5fZqiDnvoTHrEgth80dydHhau2D8i6sLNkPRJFW0W1Ewkxl6VYOkBSMGpumEeC_B9eDP09Du-miFyvpOFwyYnaOElmjWBt-jLgx0/s320/Godzilla%20Minus%20One.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November was another wild ride in The Adventures of Tony Isabella. It started with the wonderful Akron Comicon. It continued with all manner of household projects, including emptying the final storage unit of the Fortress of Storage. At one point, we had three units. Now we have none. This will save us just under a hundred bucks per month. Three cheers and a tiger for us.<br /><br />November ended with the American release of <i>Godzilla Minus One</i>, now my second favorite Godzilla movie of them all. The Japanese <i>Gojira</i> is still first, but that’s a combination of recognizing the movie that started it all and my sentimental love for it.<br /><br />Here are the things that made me happy in November...<br /><br />November 1: <b>My mom</b> is 97 years old as of Halloween. She enjoys life at Emerald Village in North Olmsted, hanging with her many friends and roaming the halls with her walker. She is often given mail to deliver to other residents. Happy birthday, Mom! <br /><br />November 2: <b>Go Find Daddy</b>. The latest Ed Runyon mystery by Steve Goble finds the investigator trying to find a cop-hater believed to be a cop-killer to tell him his daughter is dying. Very emotional and intense, it’s the best in the series to date.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR5-ar2yzZVscTMDF7hEUNTFLJhR7TqMPxLJBV6DLoAIwIMXHoV_RlkgbqBFOKsgcyFrcnyFStj7eTuhKdQ_8tCbHQrNzR7ZYeVnt7IPbOwv_3reC5bgmId-XUFAl7CKBPcsAefJKyQMXfmn_lhWS9dHi73bXP6okaDDtA0sJwef-pzz5t_PJCOtZvfa_/s1200/Quiz%20Lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR5-ar2yzZVscTMDF7hEUNTFLJhR7TqMPxLJBV6DLoAIwIMXHoV_RlkgbqBFOKsgcyFrcnyFStj7eTuhKdQ_8tCbHQrNzR7ZYeVnt7IPbOwv_3reC5bgmId-XUFAl7CKBPcsAefJKyQMXfmn_lhWS9dHi73bXP6okaDDtA0sJwef-pzz5t_PJCOtZvfa_/s320/Quiz%20Lady.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 3: <b>Quiz Lady</b>. Streaming on Hulu and starring Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, this woman-driven comedy is hilarious and heartwarming. Terrific supporting performances from Will Farrell, Holland Taylor and Tony Hale. It’s a good time and recommended.<br /><br />November 4: <b>Akron Comicon 2023</b>. It was another great weekend with terrific fans, guests and vendors. The highlight was dinner with my dear friends Laurie Jacobson and Jon Provost, who I haven’t seen in way too many years. Love you guys!<br /><br />November 5: <b>Akron Comicon 2023</b>. I wore my “Trans Rights are Human Rights” shirt Saturday, receiving literally dozens of compliments and thanks. It’s important to stand up for and with a community so cruelly and unfairly targeted by the GOP.<br /><br />November 6: <b>Akron Comicon</b>. From Scream, actresses Nancy Anne Kidder and Leonora Scelfo were my delightful next-door neighbors. The fans loved them and so did I. I’d like to see their mean girl characters return in <i>Scream 7</i>!<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDgdX4Y2AExR1hyjQbrD4Qnz5rPsZoewsDgK3NtNnpbaYLsT1BSqBbs-7rVvx6SpKgHUBAlukmBom4lqswDXJGtdCJsbG94v-q1VgcYCGNY7qSx0wDpnzPt1MbxlpjlNKM11qzP-O4l_Ke6Uhsgzc-3fSsz_lthDP4r856I1BRorTt7SP4O2PYsnifUtr/s720/Funko%20Spider-Man%2080th.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDgdX4Y2AExR1hyjQbrD4Qnz5rPsZoewsDgK3NtNnpbaYLsT1BSqBbs-7rVvx6SpKgHUBAlukmBom4lqswDXJGtdCJsbG94v-q1VgcYCGNY7qSx0wDpnzPt1MbxlpjlNKM11qzP-O4l_Ke6Uhsgzc-3fSsz_lthDP4r856I1BRorTt7SP4O2PYsnifUtr/s320/Funko%20Spider-Man%2080th.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 7: <b>Funko’s 80th anniversary Spider-Man Pop!</b> I love getting figures of the original looks of my favorite comic-book characters. Though I plan to reduce my Funko collection, I’m still buying such figures when I see them.<br /><br />November 8: <b>Trans lives matter.</b> The shirts for my next convention appearance have arrived. I urge my fellow comics professionals to stand with and support people so cruelly and unfairly targeted by the GOP. Do not say nothing.<br /><br />November 9: <b>My “No Hunting” sign</b> is ready to go when Medina’s law allowing bow hunters to come into neighborhoods and slaughter deer takes effect. I wonder how many holiday reindeer displays they will skewer in their zeal. <br /><br />November 10: <b>All-American Comics #16</b>. I love facsimile editions of old comics. They’re a window to our past. But I’d gladly pay $9.99 if they were the same dimensions as the originals. Much better for a true feel for the material.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA4Q4g7sJF-1uM8VFecQzIKgLzJpGMVG5ED5b29SQKp4DIVTBjOpxEc53p3n4uUO_RSDIRmUTU2COX7P1T2swGUI35pU9G5Gb37_392tEbdFaALqpNYSgBMBi0iFs2ufYlP92Kw-nXHbSG6Hm3znzx7nsU5cy85brvr3vVe6l-jPg3IleOLTiiWnfsR6q/s1200/Loki-Season-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1200" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA4Q4g7sJF-1uM8VFecQzIKgLzJpGMVG5ED5b29SQKp4DIVTBjOpxEc53p3n4uUO_RSDIRmUTU2COX7P1T2swGUI35pU9G5Gb37_392tEbdFaALqpNYSgBMBi0iFs2ufYlP92Kw-nXHbSG6Hm3znzx7nsU5cy85brvr3vVe6l-jPg3IleOLTiiWnfsR6q/s320/Loki-Season-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 11: <b>Loki Season Two</b> was terrific throughout and ended in a most satisfying manner. But now I want a third season showcasing Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) coming into her own as a Loki. I can see a place for her in The Avengers. <br /><br />November 12: <b>Punchline and the Vaude-Villains</b>. Ted Sikora and the rest of the Apama-Verse are clearly having a blast focusing on the wondrous foes our hero and the city of Cleveland are facing. As a reader, I’m having a great time reading these comics.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1V93owUEHeNcFmcPfafCmPWd7L6ye-8v-BUxSY8TkNqUg5a71P7_WlrA85dP9lrvn8iCb6bhVNPwRdXOTSANWtGoZlwv8pAOPl7jdQ39-5GMKx1LbywscAvspg69EHRpN9JAl-3d3nFhRNLpiWuj0qPi51aiHWDFVf5AY60pBTKC0B2eyqsW1mxxmsS4/s1500/Funny%20Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1500" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1V93owUEHeNcFmcPfafCmPWd7L6ye-8v-BUxSY8TkNqUg5a71P7_WlrA85dP9lrvn8iCb6bhVNPwRdXOTSANWtGoZlwv8pAOPl7jdQ39-5GMKx1LbywscAvspg69EHRpN9JAl-3d3nFhRNLpiWuj0qPi51aiHWDFVf5AY60pBTKC0B2eyqsW1mxxmsS4/s320/Funny%20Things.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 13: <b>Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz </b>by Luca Debus and Francesco Matteuzzi. We are living in an age of great cartoonist biographies, as witness this one, told in comic strips with a Schulz-ian vibe.<br /><br />November 14: <b>Wheel of Fortune</b>. On the November 14 episode, the 92-year-old Liz amazed Pat Sajak and everyone else with her incredible puzzle-solving abilities. Her and her son won over $65,000. It was an inspiring competition.<br /><br />November 15: <b>Saintly Wife Barb</b>, our neighbor Sue and our jack-of-all-trades handyman Brad got all of my boxes out of the garage and into our basement. Part one of our massive basement/garage/living room project. More to come.<br /><br />November 16: T<b>ony’s Vast Accumulation of Stuff Basement Project</b> is pretty much finished. With help from my friend Rob, all the boxes are out of the garage and living room. Watch for a VAOS update in the near future.<br /><br />November 17:<b> Public-domain heroes</b>. Dozens of comics creators have been putting their own spin on Golden Age characters. Their results are decided mixed, but fun. I might want to do something like this in the future if I knew the artist would be paid.<br /><br />November 18: <b>Hoverboy the Republican Super-Hero</b> by Ty Templeton and Steve Molnar. This odd comic from 2008 has a funny premise and an amusing faux-history. It’s not great, but it does have its moments. Perfect for fans who like weird comics.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZGbS78MMPNrEYTEMGcmWq4MLlF0BvRbc4sAM8MzKBhQXOHuMIbdE1a14mO-KXLfXRpGsHDGqvgFUJt4PGl1Tcmjx55pyWlJSdBG79jFZzEn1jAXVTw7e2X1qdKMur0DogXfj8aq1ZpS4VeGZJWaIZB_-LL9iRWkShJwsM8QXTpUlQ4-3cWM1l5bG4gYm/s2500/Marvels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZGbS78MMPNrEYTEMGcmWq4MLlF0BvRbc4sAM8MzKBhQXOHuMIbdE1a14mO-KXLfXRpGsHDGqvgFUJt4PGl1Tcmjx55pyWlJSdBG79jFZzEn1jAXVTw7e2X1qdKMur0DogXfj8aq1ZpS4VeGZJWaIZB_-LL9iRWkShJwsM8QXTpUlQ4-3cWM1l5bG4gYm/s320/Marvels.jpg" width="216" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 19: <b>The Marvels</b>. I loved this movie. A trio of incredible women in the leads. Unexpected humor. Sincere feelings. Nick Fury being Nick Fury. All tied up with one of the best credits scenes. I’m still on board. Make mine Marvel!<br /><br />November 20: <b>Zatanna and the Ripper Volume One</b> by Sarah Dealy and Syre. From Webtoon, we get this intriguing story of a time-tossed Zatanna, just turned 21, trying to catch the infamous murderer and find her way back home. Recommended.<br /><br />November 21: Published in 2017, <b>Classic Monsters as Sharks</b> by Todd Loren and others is incredibly silly and all the more fun for that.Sharkula, the Frankenshark Monster, Sharkzilla and more! Look for this insane masterpiece at Indy Planet.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AzcItT3flmThLfaaIIlz6c3zQuFE6GSE_NjEj65md0I2sk5ktkFS5gJjFWE72CNe1vzXJp-L-C227XWQ7HJaMHHjESgyEOJM_VQ7ZHuODP5g_2iEksp1l-E6fvoP66gs8_CyBOctkiIUYeZczHN95BbYuGuXNaQi36KKveNSJllarHDlOAe-fQ3VF6Xf/s1280/Strong%20Girl%20Nam-Soon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AzcItT3flmThLfaaIIlz6c3zQuFE6GSE_NjEj65md0I2sk5ktkFS5gJjFWE72CNe1vzXJp-L-C227XWQ7HJaMHHjESgyEOJM_VQ7ZHuODP5g_2iEksp1l-E6fvoP66gs8_CyBOctkiIUYeZczHN95BbYuGuXNaQi36KKveNSJllarHDlOAe-fQ3VF6Xf/s320/Strong%20Girl%20Nam-Soon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 22: <b>Strong Girl Nam-soon</b>. I’ve watched the first episode of this Korean series about a supernaturally strong young woman on Netflix and loved it. It’s a great mix of comedy, crime-fighting, drama and super-heroics. Recommended.<br /><br />November 23: <b>The Daily Show.</b> John Leguizamo’s brilliant takedown of Univision for airing a shameful softball interview with Donald J. Trump aka Public Enemy Number One. The actor also wrote a terrific op-ed piece on this for the Los Angeles Times.<br /><br />November 24: <b>Dolly Parton </b>(and not for the first time). She is an amazing force for good in the world and one of our greatest singers and songwriters. At 77, she was breathtaking in her Dallas Cowboys cheerleader uniform. Good golly, Miss Dolly!<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2OqOe_IXHTYphqJnmxCxc31IeteBZNNHREfe3G1MFqubgXm3QPQIGJfqBKozK3mfJ31xU4rYdXL9yt0XhrmISxyCFJBuxJLOUKZJcVDIXqAdD-rqB6bqhRDMECXLLsj6Pss4vGUe1RVq32oxvZX9aGSU7Wxz_aPloY8BM545trqNU3S6fh-WZGFrAzz6/s1280/Ghosts%20UK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2OqOe_IXHTYphqJnmxCxc31IeteBZNNHREfe3G1MFqubgXm3QPQIGJfqBKozK3mfJ31xU4rYdXL9yt0XhrmISxyCFJBuxJLOUKZJcVDIXqAdD-rqB6bqhRDMECXLLsj6Pss4vGUe1RVq32oxvZX9aGSU7Wxz_aPloY8BM545trqNU3S6fh-WZGFrAzz6/s320/Ghosts%20UK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">November 25:<b> Ghosts UK</b>. I binge-watched the first four episodes and enjoyed them. I think the US version is better, but there were some brilliant things in the original. Especially the caveman. But some of the ghosts are really nasty.<br /><br />November 26: <b>Spy Superb</b> by Matt Kindt and Sharlene Kindt. The world’s greatest spy is actually just a useful idiot. This graphic novel has action, espionage, humor and a high body count. It needs to be a movie. Highly recommended.<br /><br />November 27: <b>Monarch: Legacy of Monsters</b>. I watched the first two episodes of the Apple TV+ series and was mightily impressed. It has an intriguing story, excellent acting and movie-quality production values. This will be a keeper on home video.<br /><br />November 28: <b>Marvel Super Stories</b>. Fifteen short stories by an all-star line of cartoonists, the anthology is edited by John Jennings, who also contributes a Daredevil story. Aimed at younger readers, the book is suitable for all ages. More please.<br /><br />November 29:<b> Floor Peijnenburg.</b> Absolutely rocking her real estate business and more, the Netherlands-based beauty is my favorite of the HGTV real estate agents. She’s fun and sassy, often addressing the audience directly.<br /><br />November 30:<b> Godzilla Minus One</b> is my second favorite Godzilla film of all time. It has the best human stories of any Godzilla movie, the Cold War political content makes it that much more real and the Godzilla scenes are amazing and intense.<br /><br />December looks to be as busy as November. Maybe more so. I had the best time at GalaxyCon Columbus on December 1-3. I have some cool tasks on my “to do” list, among them getting the bloggy back up to speed. I can’t promise daily columns, but I think I can do better than I’ve done in recent months. <br /><br />Here’s wishing the happiest of holidays to all my bloggy friends.Thanks for visiting and thanks for your patience as I worked my way through various situations. <br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella <br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-65683254190877228862023-11-24T14:52:00.007-05:002023-11-24T14:52:47.546-05:00GALAXYCON COLUMBUS: DECEMBER 1-3, 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChhccHMM4NHO0VDN6Uab8N5gXszaq97yzt5OhgbmyIYW8GKC5J8KxG-ud8MvohNqxW0g2C1sZF-UedEJxL9V_IkuB1HqkzSRM1Bt6O-IQ0xAp2c-QKpGYggl78x_pcHVd6nZztTHnBLebIPwX3dnTWLKKZireQ2jd0xmbYgnjsXs0naaujY6grcE-tJQM/s900/Galaxy%20Con%20logo.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="900" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChhccHMM4NHO0VDN6Uab8N5gXszaq97yzt5OhgbmyIYW8GKC5J8KxG-ud8MvohNqxW0g2C1sZF-UedEJxL9V_IkuB1HqkzSRM1Bt6O-IQ0xAp2c-QKpGYggl78x_pcHVd6nZztTHnBLebIPwX3dnTWLKKZireQ2jd0xmbYgnjsXs0naaujY6grcE-tJQM/s320/Galaxy%20Con%20logo.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My last convention appearance of the year will be the impressive <a href="https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-columbus">GalaxyCon Columbus</a> at the Greater Columbus Convention Center from December 1 through 3. Event hours: Friday 2 pm to 2 am, Saturday 10 am to 2 am and Sunday 10 am to 8 pm. Exhibition hall hours: Friday 2 pm to 8 pm, Saturday 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. Wow, there’s a lot going on that weekend. <br /><br />There are hundreds of guests: celebrities, voice actors, featured comics creators, literary & industry guests, entertainment guests, pro wrestlers, cosplay guests and fan groups. I’ll mention a dozen or so of them and then let you seek out others on the convention’s website.<br /><br />Here we go: Grant Gustin, Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, William Shatner, Paula Abdul, Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, Sean Gunn, Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, Brent Spiner, Barry Bostwick, Pete Rose, Tara Strong, Steve Englehart, Ron Marz, Ann Nocenti, Steve Orlando, Bob McLeod, Bob Hall, John Jackson Miller, Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Kami Garcia, Joe Wos, Hazel Honeysuckle, Mick Foley, Sgt, Slaughter, Rubber City Cosplay and many more. This isn’t even my complete list of guests I hope to at least say hello to during this amazing event.<br /><br />I’m going to be doing something different at this convention. I am not going to be behind my guest table all of the time. I will post the times I will be there. My goal here is to be able to visit with some of the other guests and shop some of the many fine vendors at the convention.<br /><br />When I am at my table, I will be signing Isabella items for a mere ten bucks per signature. That price will almost certainly go up in 2024. I need to buy a ton of comics and magazines bags and boards for my Vast Accumulation of Stuff.<br /><br />I will be bringing three exclusive items to sell. I will have that limited edition reprint of the first Misty Knight appearance, only available from me or on the secondary market. I will some copies of July 1963: A Pivotal Month in the Comic-Book Life of Tony Isabella Volume One. Finally, I’ll have my special Marvel Monsters poster. Drawn by Dan Gorman, it features all of the main Marvel monsters I worked on in the 1970s. Cash only.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’ll be appearing on three panels during GalaxyCon. On Friday, at 7:15 pm, I’ll be on a Retrospective on the Mid-Ohio-Con panel. On Saturday at 7 pm, I’ll be on the Horror in Comics panel. Finally, on Sunday at 3:45 pm, I’ll be on a panel titled The Penance Stare: Ghost Rider in the Comics. <br /><br />During the convention, I can make myself available for interviews, podcasts and other media. I am also interested in talking to folks who might want to hire or partner with me on various endeavors from comic books to magazines to movies and more. Honestly, I feel the strong desire and need to become an official member of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild.<br /><br />I’d also be interested in invitations to appear at comics and other conventions, or to speak at libraries and schools. Those bags and boards aren’t going to buy themselves.<br /><br />If you want to set up a specific time to meet with me, <a href="mailto:tonyisa@ohio.net">e-mail</a> me. I’ll do my best to accommodate you.<br /><br />COSPLAYERS: If you are cosplaying characters I’ve created or have written, I’d love to get photos of you and with you. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For those of you with more flexible budgets than me, GalaxyCon is hosting a variety of after dark events. Although a “comics legend” like me needs his beauty sleep, I’ll try to make an appearance at the Hyatt’s terrific bar and at any parties to which I am invited. I’ll go where the fun is.<br /><br />I think the above covers as much as I can cover about a convention as enormous as GalaxyCon. I hope I get to see you there. <br /> <br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-75747581961713571982023-11-15T08:00:00.002-05:002023-11-15T08:00:08.552-05:00LAST KISS FOR 11/15/23<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDcilEq2xvOw9q0LevvJWR0g_64dn4OcMBayslvGm86UX-PN_GCOCaZ7fW7lPkInuGneUJlPLWUnhrhX5Z27sqedyeK3KdIJMN0hIC90HkS8BKwIaMfy47G7IV96WMWzs6hmpt6-XJ3wM2O-EVAAT8kXjuhEV9QDybVlf3-QL1TSWB2p5iHXoN3L32CiD/s899/last%20kiss%2020231115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDcilEq2xvOw9q0LevvJWR0g_64dn4OcMBayslvGm86UX-PN_GCOCaZ7fW7lPkInuGneUJlPLWUnhrhX5Z27sqedyeK3KdIJMN0hIC90HkS8BKwIaMfy47G7IV96WMWzs6hmpt6-XJ3wM2O-EVAAT8kXjuhEV9QDybVlf3-QL1TSWB2p5iHXoN3L32CiD/s320/last%20kiss%2020231115.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today's LAST KISS with a gag by me.</span><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-16400807002702612852023-11-14T13:00:00.005-05:002023-11-14T13:00:53.062-05:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN OCTOBER<p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYlTUwu7d0eatz-52U-eWykootAG0auhmawQcdZ98QwOkcgKxnQ_hkkF9GPvjlueH_GERygpz-P1zEZbxfaZrpPJUQy9i2MzTBnod35uVcksfdFVyNJKy6z6mNMAOL-LCsNPGf26p_ZqSGa_wZWwvb2fz8C2byw_iAiFonP3WytrvBS3FbpXzWWaUO6rn/s1024/Elvira%202024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYlTUwu7d0eatz-52U-eWykootAG0auhmawQcdZ98QwOkcgKxnQ_hkkF9GPvjlueH_GERygpz-P1zEZbxfaZrpPJUQy9i2MzTBnod35uVcksfdFVyNJKy6z6mNMAOL-LCsNPGf26p_ZqSGa_wZWwvb2fz8C2byw_iAiFonP3WytrvBS3FbpXzWWaUO6rn/s320/Elvira%202024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October was far more stressful than I anticipated. There were things going on in my life and various health issues that resulted in my being far less productive than I needed to be. We won’t even talk about the absolute vileness of the Republican Party. At least not in <i>this</i> bloggy thing.<br /><br />I did manage to attend Monster Bash, which was a wonderful event I hope to return to, and also to give a talk on Superman’s core values as part of Superman’s Cleveland. The talk was held at the Rising Star Coffee Roastery, an intimate and very cool venue.<br /><br />My biggest regret of September and October was not attending of the other 26 events put on by Superman’s Cleveland. A series of talks, book discussions, presentations, signings and more with incredible creators and historians. The organization did Superman proud in his 85th anniversary year.<br /><br />Regret isn’t productive, so I’ll not dwell on it as I push forward to November and beyond. But I will take a moment to share with you the things that made me happy in October...<br /><br />October 1: New calendars are always sort of exciting for me. It’s the promise of a new and better year. <b>The 2024 Elvira Mistress of the Dark Wall Calendar</b> will hang in my office and hopefully inspire me to write some creepy sexy stories.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6O-ySWNCZsXVDnn5_47Q03pM20qkhKd3SQODrGR_uE2zH7fKTDuMMV_wCzOQzIHoE82A2ccZ8yAi4gI0d0LBjWBp6Vl-9OgSwCUMCmMr0qTdbnnF5yirS92zoT2ouHZzfHyfWCz5vQHLefgRqSsMnuxR-uFY_xcDXlVaa4ZdCxFPvkEBG6p2sWkY2Vhm/s2048/Hedoran.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6O-ySWNCZsXVDnn5_47Q03pM20qkhKd3SQODrGR_uE2zH7fKTDuMMV_wCzOQzIHoE82A2ccZ8yAi4gI0d0LBjWBp6Vl-9OgSwCUMCmMr0qTdbnnF5yirS92zoT2ouHZzfHyfWCz5vQHLefgRqSsMnuxR-uFY_xcDXlVaa4ZdCxFPvkEBG6p2sWkY2Vhm/s320/Hedoran.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 2: <b>Hedorah</b>. Godzilla has always been “woke” but never more so than when he fought the Smog Monster. Super 7 is selling a swell action figure of one of my favorite kaiju and it has made its way to a place of honor in my office.<br /><br />October 3: <b>Celebrity Wheel of Fortune</b>. Brendan Hunt was a monster on the new season’s opening episode. He won $328,200 for the Steps of Faith charity which helps uninsured & under-insured amputees get prosthetic limbs. <br /><br />October 4: <b>Batman vs. Robin</b> by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar and Scott Goldewski. I’m not much interested in DC Comics super-heroes these days, but Waid does such a great job with them I’ll read anything he writes. <br /><br />October 5: Just received from Super 7, <b>Toho’s 1000-piece Godzilla King of the Monsters puzzle. </b>Civilization might be crumbling from the Big G’s fury, but my family and I will put it back together on our next puzzle night.<br /><br />October 6: <b>The Godzilla 16-Month Wall Calendar.</b> This will hang in my bedroom because Saintly Wife Barb would rather look at the Great Scaly One than Elvira.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjt40I6hENJodl9TpkuRRUHSuA2tC0R82a-KePAm9NO6fwh7GDB4jNQQ19C_xp09iArd723-pHFRMHus1eR0PWaZVl-Cekg7OHFmk0KXDPbmCoBsO6tHgIlj4Y52cdbJo8IE0h19WTzKVD2WIpeadblqhmqqGkDyuvJEfG9LwViS_Mna6ZRLX796z6Apm/s1198/comics%20for%20ukraine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjt40I6hENJodl9TpkuRRUHSuA2tC0R82a-KePAm9NO6fwh7GDB4jNQQ19C_xp09iArd723-pHFRMHus1eR0PWaZVl-Cekg7OHFmk0KXDPbmCoBsO6tHgIlj4Y52cdbJo8IE0h19WTzKVD2WIpeadblqhmqqGkDyuvJEfG9LwViS_Mna6ZRLX796z6Apm/s320/comics%20for%20ukraine.png" width="208" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 7: <b>Comics for Ukraine </b>brings together dozens of incredible comics creators for one of the most moving graphic anthologies of all time. There are tales that will lift your spirits and make you weep. A magnificent gathering.<br /><br />October 8: <b>Misfortune Cookie</b>. In Vivien Chien’s latest Noodle Shop Mystery, restaurant manager Lana Lee is well out of her element in California, investigating a murder with her judgmental sister Anna and their aunt. Another highly entertaining novel. <br /><br />October 9: I got my Moderna booster shot. Same day appointment. No fuss whatsoever. This makes me smarter than that slug Rand Paul and all the other anti-vaccine imbeciles. Science is real, you morons.<br /><br />October 10: My “Vote Yes on Issue 1" sign on my front lawn confirms my support for reproductive rights in Ohio. The vile Republicans in our government don’t speak for the people and no church is a branch of the government. Vote yes on issue 1.<br /><br /><i>[Issue 1 passed by a large margin and, naturally, Republicans are already trying to figure out how to ignore the will of the people in this matter.]</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy9849hHr5DnIS8Y-QLhe8Xxa_zbtAfx0xmmq4aqfZPaMiunwHIvTDy4iddQgD5KD1ZdgSmdTfvd0QkTU0FGs8YyDDtHIwfwBYZmPIsJRihL2aQuDKuNtZ9QH7g_9QnxgDNhtmI7U8NsypK79xacLWrgzC2HrzAEvIV9Xe0nXkbMGfjyGV3L8_l03aOqX/s1500/In%20the%20Form%20of%20a%20Question.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy9849hHr5DnIS8Y-QLhe8Xxa_zbtAfx0xmmq4aqfZPaMiunwHIvTDy4iddQgD5KD1ZdgSmdTfvd0QkTU0FGs8YyDDtHIwfwBYZmPIsJRihL2aQuDKuNtZ9QH7g_9QnxgDNhtmI7U8NsypK79xacLWrgzC2HrzAEvIV9Xe0nXkbMGfjyGV3L8_l03aOqX/s320/In%20the%20Form%20of%20a%20Question.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 11: <b>In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life </b>by Amy Schneider. The Jeopardy champion writes about her life and other things. This is a breezy, entertaining and very informative book. Recommended.<br /><br />October 12: Having been dis-invited from at least one convention for being mean to Republicans, I’ve decided to let my progressive liberal voice be heard at events when appropriate. So, if you’re a Trump-ian snowflake, be warned.<br /><br />October 13: I did the Bash. I did the Monster Bash. I was a guest of honor at the October convention. Everything a monster kid could ask for plus I got to hang out with Carl Craig (<i>Gamera vs. Viras</i>) and Linda Miller (<i>King Kong Escapes</i>).<br /><br />October 14: <b>Monster Bash.</b> My Saturday afternoon Q&A went amazingly well. Very popular. I was given a box of locally-made chocolates. Delicious. While leaving, I fell down on the stage. Full contact. I guess two out of three ain’t bad.<br /><br />October 15: <b>Monster Bash</b>. I was a last-minute draft choice for the Monster Match Game. Playing with the wondrous Linda Miller and two convention volunteers. I cracked jokes and had fun..<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdevU6K9NoFhpxLTPj7NYrEdALiSqZOQeUyzpYhSSaxfxp-uzL_eVUOmQtk1Lsu-Pb9tnlKlMZO528WPALc644tFBGxlbHemq2UZRyOz9s9wnfHmAFO1mikZ7h2YhXjB2KoN8hRf64r77AOXeMn8slCmVHyOvwKoG_dPhzFm_eW6HHLh1fyWGbfnMrAJHx/s1800/Mom%20Breaks%20the%20Internet%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdevU6K9NoFhpxLTPj7NYrEdALiSqZOQeUyzpYhSSaxfxp-uzL_eVUOmQtk1Lsu-Pb9tnlKlMZO528WPALc644tFBGxlbHemq2UZRyOz9s9wnfHmAFO1mikZ7h2YhXjB2KoN8hRf64r77AOXeMn8slCmVHyOvwKoG_dPhzFm_eW6HHLh1fyWGbfnMrAJHx/s320/Mom%20Breaks%20the%20Internet%201.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 16: <b>Mom Breaks the Internet #1 </b>by Jay Sandlin and Patrick Mulholland. Bought the first issue on a whim because of the title. Found a cool tale of tech-tyranny and tech-rebellion. I’m on board for the rest of the run. <br /><br />October 17: Pete Davidson’s <i>Saturday Night Live</i> cold opening on the Israel-Hamas War. Obviously, there’s no humor in this conflict, but Davidson addressed it brilliantly with a common man’s compassion. He showed a depth I hope he explores further. <br /><br />October 18: Michael Kosta showed he has the chops to be permanent host of <i>The Daily Show.</i> He added gravitas to his comedy, discussing the Israel-Hamas War sensitively and also offering smart thoughts on protecting the environment. He’s got my vote.<br /><br />October 19: <b>Bronze Star</b> by Mike Baron and Pat Broderick is a weird western thriller with a compelling story that mixes the grimness of the era with simply stunning artwork. There is humanity mixed with the horror. Highly recommended.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFh8WoYVPYJTnoJBsX192TXeEv0gMUPzTHCGVxVXDNxgMD1VAOoufOOh2PGXmWReYidHaCHKWzxgllqdZNQomVgF8CrkKwZrc1jfh_pso2i_hDFwk71Dpepgylv8NrVCH_dedZTvYdwaorZOPjqWA388MG4qie0Ll_kS7l4BOpG32uHbX2b3-yAjys54B/s3150/The%20Irrational.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFh8WoYVPYJTnoJBsX192TXeEv0gMUPzTHCGVxVXDNxgMD1VAOoufOOh2PGXmWReYidHaCHKWzxgllqdZNQomVgF8CrkKwZrc1jfh_pso2i_hDFwk71Dpepgylv8NrVCH_dedZTvYdwaorZOPjqWA388MG4qie0Ll_kS7l4BOpG32uHbX2b3-yAjys54B/s320/The%20Irrational.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 20: <b>The Irrational</b>. Jesse L. Martin is his usual brilliant as Professor Alec Baker, a behavioral scientist and psychologist who uses his insights to assist in difficult cases. Great writing and superb supporting characters. <br /><br />October 21: <b>SurrealEstate</b>. The Roman Agency sells properties with supernatural concerns. In the third season of this SyFy show, owner Luke struggles with the loss of his ability to connect with spirits while alienating his team. It’s a great series. <br /><br />October 22: Marvel’s 2023 <b>Crypt of Shadows </b>anthology. I love this series. This year’s issue has a cool new take on the Living Mummy, Scarlet Witch versus new villain The Bricklayer and a serious evil upgrade for Doctor Strange’s brother. <br /><br />October 23: <b>Avengers Inc.</b> by Al Ewing and Leonard Kirk. Two issues in, I’m loving this series with Janet Van Dyne, a favorite of mine, acting as an “agent” of NYC Mayor Luke Cage. There’s a lot of back story to unpack, but I’m on board.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NQH1i3l4btNSh_Ysna0U1pgXqGMPYxtKD9O_p73fIdMal1t2LV8FQpLz5n6CCNMJjwbmHSFQr1ZdVwhLLAMD38Il_XdqvxaQ6OU7GomrWcnYQ5mTppbbPdoVRI1rihxUBdplp7u6PWux7by-tpJJWVsN0b4FB2iNa1CngrlDkddR4Aqbl1eHxW3jjKLS/s720/Vincent%20Price%20box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NQH1i3l4btNSh_Ysna0U1pgXqGMPYxtKD9O_p73fIdMal1t2LV8FQpLz5n6CCNMJjwbmHSFQr1ZdVwhLLAMD38Il_XdqvxaQ6OU7GomrWcnYQ5mTppbbPdoVRI1rihxUBdplp7u6PWux7by-tpJJWVsN0b4FB2iNa1CngrlDkddR4Aqbl1eHxW3jjKLS/s320/Vincent%20Price%20box.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">October 24: My eerie Vincent Price blood sugar box. Purchased from the very talented Casey Knoll at Monster Bash, it holds everything I require to monitor my glucose level. The inside lid has Price’s dialogue from “Thriller.” <br /><br />October 25: <b>Look Out for the Little Guy! </b>by Scott Lang (really Rob Kutner) is surprisingly charming, funny and even helpful with its advice about getting along in life. I requested it from my library on a whim, but now I’m recommending it to you. <br /><br />October 26: Stephen Colbert emotionally and forcefully called out Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for “walking away from the mass shooting problem” and told him to “face [his] responsibilities.” An entertainer brilliantly speaking truth to power. <br /><br />October 27: <b>Sharktopus 2023</b>. Available on YouTube and sans English subtitles, this Chinese “remake” bears very little resemblance to the original. The monster is cool and there are decent characters, even if I don’t know exactly who they are.<br /><br />October 28: As part of Superman’s Cleveland, my talk and discussion of Superman’s core values at the Rising Star Coffee Roastery went very well. Amazing venue. Engaged group. Free coffee. Look for my talk in an upcoming bloggy thing.<br /><br />October 29:<b> Batman/Superman World’s Finest Vol. 2</b> by Mark Waid, Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain. Pardon the reference to the Flintstones, but this B/S is the modern silver age super-hero series. Authentic characterizations and exciting stories.<br /><br />October 30:<b> Scream</b>. I’d never watched the original or its sequels. As a Halloween treat for myself, I binged all six movies over three days. I found them fun and just inventive enough to fool me a few times. I’m ready for Scream 7.<br /><br />October 31: <b>Halloween 2023</b> at Casa Isabella saw a noticeable rise in trick-or-treaters for the first time in recent years. As well as an even bigger rise in amazing Halloween decorations. We’re going to have to up our game in 2024.<br /><br />I’m struggling with too many household and other projects that need to be finished before Thanksgiving. These are seriously impacted by my stupid knee negatively affecting my comic-box-lifting abilities. However, I will endure and I will also do my best to bring you more bloggy things and Last Kiss gags in what’s left of November. Stay vigilant and stay well, my friends.<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-22149197661611615582023-11-08T10:20:00.003-05:002023-11-08T10:20:44.070-05:00LAST KISS for November 8, 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqJCP7u3lyro3FCm4uJRSdwdO4LmwnI74uRK0WL3dUinGP3IM_CSCF0L42cNESRC7cb47iu4k85NygbExM7A4hZcBF3bkhzz-jYqth4xIlaE8O4Dsbipt1pcefU_zqyBnahrPgysI7FCygvQO-7aeoynUkApX0EA8oonFbAyj3GIMxCqBvvhuz0TcnARS/s978/LAST%20KISS%2020231108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqJCP7u3lyro3FCm4uJRSdwdO4LmwnI74uRK0WL3dUinGP3IM_CSCF0L42cNESRC7cb47iu4k85NygbExM7A4hZcBF3bkhzz-jYqth4xIlaE8O4Dsbipt1pcefU_zqyBnahrPgysI7FCygvQO-7aeoynUkApX0EA8oonFbAyj3GIMxCqBvvhuz0TcnARS/s320/LAST%20KISS%2020231108.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>Today's LAST KISS with a gag by me.<br /><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-69934306962376939712023-11-01T18:11:00.003-04:002023-11-01T18:11:47.471-04:00AKRON COMICON NOVEMBER 4-5, 2023<p style="text-align: justify;">Come see me and other amazing guests, cosplayers and vendors this
weekend at Akron Comicon, one of the best conventions around and a
personal favorite of mine:<a href="Come see me and other amazing guests, cosplayers and vendors this weekend at Akron Comicon, one of the best conventions around and a personal favorite of mine: https://www.akroncomicon.com/"> <span class="autolink">https://www.akroncomicon.com/</span></a></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-9660219865423600102023-11-01T03:21:00.006-04:002023-11-01T03:21:59.205-04:00LAST KISS FOR 11/1/23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhbh-D55bOwiFWvvr3Mh1tgRCEni-zmDVaEVDQynBsLZUznc1zO29N4KdcBRo9vMnF8pFGjg1DvEIWu_ZwpEH2b3HfB_BIkJLmSTbu6gbgtv6qlsNEh-1Y8sVjB-WF2QbGYZ7yGn6t1q8AyxwW7pQV5Bl1-9wLRHhy0mGMjG1AHIHTXJ5wTZc8jKziHao/s853/last%20kiss%2020231101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhbh-D55bOwiFWvvr3Mh1tgRCEni-zmDVaEVDQynBsLZUznc1zO29N4KdcBRo9vMnF8pFGjg1DvEIWu_ZwpEH2b3HfB_BIkJLmSTbu6gbgtv6qlsNEh-1Y8sVjB-WF2QbGYZ7yGn6t1q8AyxwW7pQV5Bl1-9wLRHhy0mGMjG1AHIHTXJ5wTZc8jKziHao/s320/last%20kiss%2020231101.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Today's LAST KISS with a gag by me.</span></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-83113673612639323582023-10-27T06:40:00.004-04:002023-10-27T06:40:26.699-04:00COME HANG WITH SUPERMAN AND TONY ISABELLA<p style="text-align: justify;">Superman’s Cleveland: Lineage and Legacy is a city-wide celebration of the heritage of Superman, the world’s first comic book superhero invented in 1938 in Glenville by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish high school students. In this month-long series of programs, scholars and comic book lovers will join interested Clevelanders in book discussions, comics-making workshops, live interviews with creators, and a rich lineup of programs exploring the lineage and legacy of Superman, Cleveland, and the comics medium.<br /><br />Hosted by the Rust Belt Humanities Lab at Ursuline College in partnership with the Ohio Center for the Book at the Cleveland Public Library, Superman’s Cleveland gathers institutional partners from across Northeast Ohio.<br /><br />This Saturday, October 28, I'll be giving a talk and workshop on the core values of Superman. It’ll be a discussion of who Superman has been and is. It's from 10:00am to noon at Rising Star Coffee Roastery, 3617 Walton Avenue in Cleveland.<br /><br />I hope to engage with my students on how Superman has become more inclusive, starting way back in late 1940s with the launch of the Superboy series. We’ll discuss Supergirl, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, the Legion of Super-Heroes and even his bisexual son. <br /><br />If you’re in the Cleveland area, please join us.</p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-32324573188640421192023-10-16T21:22:00.001-04:002023-10-16T21:22:19.622-04:00LAST KISS for October 16, 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-wy2uH-UCDhp18n0FMGLvRxsDn5kGFtu_UxouWqCEzEUX3YeF09mJyjyjVUUjJvYADhxksUl1knKv4x6_M8ok8W7jWz-zmDrkOWTz8oyshmS4r12FhyR-rw1k87UXsVw6C_Tp5NFOPVhgxqlNRkvwGh_g6NQm11ZolNvaeotPyksqjhNCefrZqgTiYJc/s1050/last%20kiss%2020231916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1050" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-wy2uH-UCDhp18n0FMGLvRxsDn5kGFtu_UxouWqCEzEUX3YeF09mJyjyjVUUjJvYADhxksUl1knKv4x6_M8ok8W7jWz-zmDrkOWTz8oyshmS4r12FhyR-rw1k87UXsVw6C_Tp5NFOPVhgxqlNRkvwGh_g6NQm11ZolNvaeotPyksqjhNCefrZqgTiYJc/s320/last%20kiss%2020231916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-79659350027977194422023-10-11T13:43:00.001-04:002023-10-11T13:43:06.226-04:00MONSTER BASH<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb54ZIhZZogcrT3nv-MkQV_HdjHEVcxemJaq-X81JyznUzYjqgZkSyVBR8n8gBHeIbg0WJmtVww9nQJkNeY20stTMblJBQBvyLHrJOYowBBNwMgIaZ5e6chVSbYYVk2CnGUFQJECrzQrawEPNMkeLi5akCeXDML_K7YaGNZDtFKIAJayoLA0Fj__iEp7fw/s906/Monster%20Bash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb54ZIhZZogcrT3nv-MkQV_HdjHEVcxemJaq-X81JyznUzYjqgZkSyVBR8n8gBHeIbg0WJmtVww9nQJkNeY20stTMblJBQBvyLHrJOYowBBNwMgIaZ5e6chVSbYYVk2CnGUFQJECrzQrawEPNMkeLi5akCeXDML_K7YaGNZDtFKIAJayoLA0Fj__iEp7fw/s320/Monster%20Bash.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is where I'll be this weekend. Please come and see me.<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-23936145349366984802023-10-06T14:19:00.002-04:002023-10-06T14:19:51.339-04:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN SEPTEMBER<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4SCmFTkEM_TOF_BYhO0Xabs-z5dhPcycNt03aG8LpBT_Ue_DjUBSQRUxDOkgL37PiOaS8GVBFKxz6svO_VN_VmM-R1XbBCiq8KqDz8ZuVBEiJ680zZN2CA0uG3zSyxPMyT2gzvs5DghJFb3Xre5P_BUgj3gDi7d8ogVmth-lvWbXPWDOGEfZyH69EHt0/s4032/20231004_135348%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4SCmFTkEM_TOF_BYhO0Xabs-z5dhPcycNt03aG8LpBT_Ue_DjUBSQRUxDOkgL37PiOaS8GVBFKxz6svO_VN_VmM-R1XbBCiq8KqDz8ZuVBEiJ680zZN2CA0uG3zSyxPMyT2gzvs5DghJFb3Xre5P_BUgj3gDi7d8ogVmth-lvWbXPWDOGEfZyH69EHt0/s320/20231004_135348%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September saw the end of my 2023 Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales. They were very successful and I’m already making plans for next year’s garage sales to start earlier and be even better than this year’s. <br /><br />Part of the reason for that is my family and I started clearing out our last storage unit. At one time, we had three storage units in what I called the Fortress of Storage. Now we are down to just one unit and it is now half-empty.<br /><br />We brought somewhere in the neighbor of 75 boxes of comics, books and other VAOS items to our basement and garage. To make room for the ones in the garage, I’m in the process of making more space for them in our basement. It’s a time-consuming job, but it has needed to be done for years.<br /><br />I can tell you there are some incredible things in the boxes to be processed for next year’s garage sales. A enormous run of <i>Amazing Heroes</i>. An equally impressive run of <i>Uncle Scrooge</i> and other Disney comics. Hundreds of Mack Bolan paperbacks. Many boxes of hardcovers and trade paperbacks, including what appears to be a complete run of Captain Easy hardcovers. <br /><br />On a personal note, I found my file copies of <i>Comics Buyer’s Guide</i>. I won’t be selling those, but having them together means I can put together annotated collections of the Everett True cartoons I did with Gary Dumm and others. I likewise found my file copies of <i>Movie Collectors World</i>, which also featured Everett True cartoons. I did some Everett True cartoons for <i>Amazing Heroes</i> and <i>Comics Journal</i>, but I figure I have time to find those.<br /><br />Some time later this year, after I’m done with conventions for the year, I want to hire somewhere local to run an online story for me. Probably on eBay. I’m exploring ways to keep this separate from my normal business. I’d love for my VAOS to generate income all year long and for several years to come.<br /><br />But, hey, let’s get down to the reason you probably started reading today’s blog. Here’s the list of all the things that make me happy in the month of September... <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 1: Saintly Wife Barb and a neighborhood made a visit to the Fortress of Storage. They took a bunch of stuff and donated it to charities and brought me six cool collectible phones which I am adding to tomorrow’s garage sale.<br /><br /><i>[Sadly, none of the phones were sold, though I’m pretty confident they will sell next year. The R2D2 one is sweet.] </i><br /><br />September 2: <b>DC Power: A Celebration 2023.</b> Specifically, the Black Lightning story by Lamont Magee and Crisscross. Though ignored by DC’s solicitations for the special, it’s a terrific and authentic tale of DC’s most iconic Black hero.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yt_W8D1bhNr3QPFq45Q6lMtZGLW1Je6tptxBji9BS-3heLhAMZv0sYC1lj1XegmjrBQaIQccb9ETIqawio9_mY_FuItA5wodXaBbi9-UmTblv9qXZmVER0s39gOSyXX-t5SEvD5_hkk68lNVBVJLWePTGF3pz7OYFpYzgS5EuC8vElmdskMBGNfaQauE/s1024/Marvel%20Bicenteenial.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Yt_W8D1bhNr3QPFq45Q6lMtZGLW1Je6tptxBji9BS-3heLhAMZv0sYC1lj1XegmjrBQaIQccb9ETIqawio9_mY_FuItA5wodXaBbi9-UmTblv9qXZmVER0s39gOSyXX-t5SEvD5_hkk68lNVBVJLWePTGF3pz7OYFpYzgS5EuC8vElmdskMBGNfaQauE/s320/Marvel%20Bicenteenial.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 3: I’m excited my <b>Marvel Bicentennial Calendar </b>from 1976 will be reprinted as part of a collection later this year. I wrote and semi-designed the calendar and it got a favorable albeit brief review in <i>Penthouse.</i><br /><br />September 4: <b>Black Demon Tales</b> is a intriguing three-issue series. The tales are based on Mexican fishermen lore and Aztec mythology. More than scary shark stuff, the stories deal with family, class, and the environment. Worth checking out.<br /><br />September 5: <b>Apama</b> by Ted Sikora, Milo Miller and Benito Gallego. I’ve been reading/rereading all the Apamaverse comics from start to finish. It’s a great ride with one of the most original and still nostalgic super-hero titles of modern times.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlD0VOlzqjLFxf0yvKTtOH9IMchoplsOaKeRnhnDIekjH7Z80UjpXwD0kpE0hEsK7dxM_Ve8d2nJqqEWe44tXTvgsYNMzLygYkqfeqs26oT7ijVCnCTbQ-NXSA_lTt90e-TWc0zmsItZuFYoFmCoI1Bkv2DbXJt5YyYL5318IwdFMVXo_V8dx_rYiVR9Y/s678/Three%20Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlD0VOlzqjLFxf0yvKTtOH9IMchoplsOaKeRnhnDIekjH7Z80UjpXwD0kpE0hEsK7dxM_Ve8d2nJqqEWe44tXTvgsYNMzLygYkqfeqs26oT7ijVCnCTbQ-NXSA_lTt90e-TWc0zmsItZuFYoFmCoI1Bkv2DbXJt5YyYL5318IwdFMVXo_V8dx_rYiVR9Y/s320/Three%20Rocks.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 6: <b>Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, The Man Who Created Nancy </b>by Bill Griffith is much more than a biography. It’s a mind-blowing examination of comic art and history that will astonish you frequently. You must read this book.<br /><br />September 7: <b>Pixies of the Sixties: You Really Got Me</b> Now presents a world in which fairies live side-by-side with humans who hate and fear them. It’s an anthology series which deals with contemporary issues and it’s brilliant.<br /><br />September 8: <b>5 Forgotten TV Shows</b>. It’s a series of YouTube videos from GoodBadFlicks showcasing short-run series. Some of them I had never heard of, some I knew about, some I wish I could see. These videos make for a quick fun break. <br /><br />September 9: <b>Star Trek Strange New Worlds</b>. The first episode of the series was so-so. “Children of the Comet,” the second episode won me over. It felt like the original series with needed renovations. I’ll keep watching.<br /><br />September 10: <b>The Madness</b> by J. Michael Straczynski and artist ACO. A super-thief goes for one last job with disastrous results. This kicks off a tale of vengeance, political powers and super-powers. Highly recommended, but not for the squeamish.<br /><br />September 11: <b>Minor Threats</b> by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum and Scott Hepburn. A sidekick is murdered, breaking all the rules for heroes and villains alike. I’m a huge fan of compact super-hero universes. Great comics without ponderous continuity. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjLu1ZvKTnQh_caBnIu1RCzB1lX_dW5-Wx4LIly8vM-vJlAMvSlJp_FOTCT3svA6isMstdGp8LmVXTasXUBDhnms-TrukiYbpJsHrXmSptBR9V7fTGRVmzGLr_g0I0CoA1nXufol0tqKISqREYKXNt03jdl_abkh8yn1YZwuwc_pX9PjEBfsouJFKQFxF/s640/jurassic%20shark%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjLu1ZvKTnQh_caBnIu1RCzB1lX_dW5-Wx4LIly8vM-vJlAMvSlJp_FOTCT3svA6isMstdGp8LmVXTasXUBDhnms-TrukiYbpJsHrXmSptBR9V7fTGRVmzGLr_g0I0CoA1nXufol0tqKISqREYKXNt03jdl_abkh8yn1YZwuwc_pX9PjEBfsouJFKQFxF/s320/jurassic%20shark%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 12: <b>Jurassic Shark 3: Seavenge</b> is a typically awful but kinda fun film from Mark Polonia. What earns it a place on my happy list is its ridiculously unexpected plot twist near the end of the movie. I literally laughed out loud.<br /><br />September 13: <b>The Bodyguard Unit:</b> Edith Garrud, Women's Suffrage, and Jujitsu by Clément Xavier and Lisa Lugrin is a stunning reveal of history not taught. The parallels to modern right-wing brutality will leave you gasping with rage.<br /><br />September 14: <b>Gamera Rebirth</b>. The first episode of the new animated series was entertaining. Spunky Japanese nerd heroes. Lots of cool action scenes with our giant turtle pal fighting Gyaos. Excellent animation. I’m in for the long haul. <br /><br />September 15: <b>Harley Quinn:</b> “Killer’s Block”. Fun doesn’t get much bigger than the over-the-moon chaos and catastrophe of the season four finale. This series never fails to delight me and I can’t wait for season five. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOassCWftQA5b1LPQQLAE5jKqhKkNIgutmhi-d01-Ny_YiAIdIhQNV0tvkP4FUNztA56ziwEJhgjcGM5GN0lvZy6Xx9mDdvcK6SPcMvflEEDkt3BcFjUGbYM-bDpIXbLtSFFscmgYcnwLBFL3ah09UYgp89LE12Rer7OtvJN-Q4ITxuUa8F_e6rE3LUb7t/s1767/flaming%20river%20vendors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1767" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOassCWftQA5b1LPQQLAE5jKqhKkNIgutmhi-d01-Ny_YiAIdIhQNV0tvkP4FUNztA56ziwEJhgjcGM5GN0lvZy6Xx9mDdvcK6SPcMvflEEDkt3BcFjUGbYM-bDpIXbLtSFFscmgYcnwLBFL3ah09UYgp89LE12Rer7OtvJN-Q4ITxuUa8F_e6rE3LUb7t/s320/flaming%20river%20vendors.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 16: <b>Flaming River Con 2023</b>. Bouncing back from pandemic absence, the LGBTQ+ gathering of comics, fantasy and sci-fi was big fun. Panels, vendors, non=profits, fans, a burlesque show after party. It was a blast! Count me in for 2024. <br /><br />September 17: <b>Flaming River Con 2023</b>. The love and respect shown to me at this event damn near had me in tears. I was even introduced at the after party burlesque show as a “dignitary among us.” I love and respect this convention right back.<br /><br />September 18: <b>The Good Asian Deluxe Edition</b> by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi. Set in 1936, this Eisner-winning mystery includes great historical information about the era and its bigotry towards Chinese immigrants. Recommended.<br /><br />September 19: <b>The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 1:</b> Scary Tales & Scarier Tentacles features just over 400 pages of freakishly fearsome fun. I can’t think of a better present for the Simpsons lover in your life.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6pY2u0-SPWw4Pt8MRZEqJYsuNxoUVKzso-ilbBO-mif5-HGRj9Iy-mDLoMc1dUDfnditWNg3GMB6G2iQOxlYhAl4I3wvzoLnMHfyH8nMmn_a0LTK3NWuMWRM3y9d31b8SdX1nd50nz9SG69biet0cbr5EqiN4SGFEOFtQZLHsr5I3m9js7dYGt-2s4Zz/s2919/Mr.%20Sardonicus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="1941" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6pY2u0-SPWw4Pt8MRZEqJYsuNxoUVKzso-ilbBO-mif5-HGRj9Iy-mDLoMc1dUDfnditWNg3GMB6G2iQOxlYhAl4I3wvzoLnMHfyH8nMmn_a0LTK3NWuMWRM3y9d31b8SdX1nd50nz9SG69biet0cbr5EqiN4SGFEOFtQZLHsr5I3m9js7dYGt-2s4Zz/s320/Mr.%20Sardonicus.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 20: <b>Mr. Sardonicus.</b> I saw this 1961 horror movie for the first time on <i>Svengoolie</i>. It’s an amazingly creepy and entertaining film, enhanced by the silly shenanigans of director and producer William Castle. Thanks, Sven!<br /><br />September 21: <b>Barbie</b>. Margot Robie is perfect as the title heroine. This enjoyable and thought-proving film is more edgy and satiric than I expected. No wonder the broke right-wing assholes hate it. Highly recommended. <br /><br />September 22: <b>Bylines in Blood</b> by Erica Schultz, Van Jensen, Aneka and Cardinal Rae. Gripping future noir as Satya, journalist turned private detective, investigates the murder of a friend in a city ruled by corrupt politicians. More please. <br /><br />September 23:<b> Iron Man</b> is going to be part of Casa Isabella’s 2023 Christmas celebration. I picked up this Funko figure on sale at my local Target. Given how rich Tony Stark is, I’m hoping his holiday bag is filled with Omnibus editions. <br /><br />September 24: <b>Jennifer Walters </b>will also be joining my family this Christmas, thanks to this very cute Funko figure. When she’s done right, she’s one of my three favorite Marvel heroines. I’m guessing you know who the other two are.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkRGiluVbzdAoMMyRQ3brVcbdlCqlzPWQQ-b3Blt9e2qQMmnO0hjbhRw6BCUNcvfJKZN9MC0WkIedcwnMSbNcqZORGP6mkfPqbtrM9Xexcl9Z3ISAjnRKgmGq0-4tCl0lyTXP48AUivAR49-0a7IawTh2dmt11V-g-mIW2mja_8Za2wNvBihKfnn3-Oz1/s720/halloween%20display%2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkRGiluVbzdAoMMyRQ3brVcbdlCqlzPWQQ-b3Blt9e2qQMmnO0hjbhRw6BCUNcvfJKZN9MC0WkIedcwnMSbNcqZORGP6mkfPqbtrM9Xexcl9Z3ISAjnRKgmGq0-4tCl0lyTXP48AUivAR49-0a7IawTh2dmt11V-g-mIW2mja_8Za2wNvBihKfnn3-Oz1/s320/halloween%20display%2001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 25: Having neighbors who go all out for Halloween, one of our most beloved and sacred holidays. Their decked-out lawn reminds me I have yet to come up with my costume. I’m leaning towards Drag Queen Batman from the classic story of the same name. <br /><br />September 26: <b>Why I Adopted my Husband</b> by Yuta Yagi. Because Japan doesn’t have same-sex marriage, Kyota adopts Yuta to legalize their relationship. It’s an informative heartwarming look at their lives in a culture still evolving.<br /><br />September 27: Omnibus editions. I like how packed with classic and nostalgic stories they are. I like the heft and the look of them. Especially the Golden and Silver Age ones. I’m willing to take them in barter for my convention appearance fees<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPFK_SV21cPg9AVlFwvvs4mmTWVTOaIylR3_FXD8e9i6QayOIDpcGBHIDu846rvV8sJMLG7pjlUL1N6KlneYegVJiBGitg686zxCLCkfczNwQr7UpdmOLLzdKZr99_ueIn48BcKij2MO3ZWSUjvk3yZaYs4mSgbJwTJboE1WSHx5OkizUfsbnsraWTDu_/s600/Godzilla%20and%20Raids%20Again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPFK_SV21cPg9AVlFwvvs4mmTWVTOaIylR3_FXD8e9i6QayOIDpcGBHIDu846rvV8sJMLG7pjlUL1N6KlneYegVJiBGitg686zxCLCkfczNwQr7UpdmOLLzdKZr99_ueIn48BcKij2MO3ZWSUjvk3yZaYs4mSgbJwTJboE1WSHx5OkizUfsbnsraWTDu_/s320/Godzilla%20and%20Raids%20Again.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">September 28: <b>Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again </b>by Shigeru Kayama. The original “novels” for two of my all-time favorite movies have been collected by The University of Minnesota Press. That’s what I call higher education.<br /><br />September 29: <b>Meth Gator</b> by Ethan Richards. It’s not an adaptation of the upcoming Asylum movie, but, come on, can we really ever have too many pharmaceutical-charged monsters? With the strike over, I’m already working on Viagra Velociraptors.<br /><br />September 30: <b>King of Spies</b> by Mark Millar and Matteo Scalera. As a John Wick-style fantasy of a dying agent trying to make good for his past crimes, it’s entertaining. But a dynamite final act makes it much more than that.<br /><br /><i>[One of my local fans is a huge Millar fan and has convinced me to make reading and rereading Millar’s work a project for the coming year. If my library system has them, I’ll read them.]</i><br /><br />My next convention appearance will be <a href="https://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash-October.html">MONSTER BASH</a>, October 13-15 at the Mariotte Pittsburgh North. Click on the link for everything you’ll need to about this wonderfully weird weekend.<br /><br />I’ll be back soon with more stuff!<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-74684721517448466182023-10-02T17:05:00.003-04:002023-10-02T17:05:47.074-04:00LAST KISS FOR 10/2/23<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCQY15hOoz8WLNAof_Utw_0r4HPeknaRffoUOBXm_sqISoAK_tqF4gx12xd1g4MCCB9DJBsEqmiOULcMRs6yPFHLFItqKFNkZmoKG1skPfqizVXrW-16IOWpyc8Pkx33pRllHRSwBrzmkkTIluOQz_fIckekh4LShBHZcqNdYnkbRzKahCDC0Qx2AUTJt/s1158/1b6ca754-4131-433c-b038-8486975d0e3e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCQY15hOoz8WLNAof_Utw_0r4HPeknaRffoUOBXm_sqISoAK_tqF4gx12xd1g4MCCB9DJBsEqmiOULcMRs6yPFHLFItqKFNkZmoKG1skPfqizVXrW-16IOWpyc8Pkx33pRllHRSwBrzmkkTIluOQz_fIckekh4LShBHZcqNdYnkbRzKahCDC0Qx2AUTJt/s320/1b6ca754-4131-433c-b038-8486975d0e3e.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-268823287061247112023-09-22T15:34:00.000-04:002023-09-22T15:34:06.326-04:00LAST KISS FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0adotDr5olJUU4yRP_zshGafX8lUcPfecWkqm0t5uhMMFUMvB6d8tdkMbp-5e28m5Do_6rWZUVUJjmeS8qqSBMujaQZQLS2UZAapTjsZplSIAwZ1BQnb0HxGviw0Dk7QrWbrSAcq4_gDKebWqinKEYIyCwgKBcBzKeHm96mGsCluuvmYszJpjhp1TqD/s900/last%20kiss%2020230922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="900" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi0adotDr5olJUU4yRP_zshGafX8lUcPfecWkqm0t5uhMMFUMvB6d8tdkMbp-5e28m5Do_6rWZUVUJjmeS8qqSBMujaQZQLS2UZAapTjsZplSIAwZ1BQnb0HxGviw0Dk7QrWbrSAcq4_gDKebWqinKEYIyCwgKBcBzKeHm96mGsCluuvmYszJpjhp1TqD/s320/last%20kiss%2020230922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-58831941313260723162023-09-07T16:42:00.007-04:002023-09-07T16:42:59.274-04:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN AUGUST<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwEcv_OS1NWFMgeEwv5aaOsrLkFvR52NlIlqwm4RWTAFOMB7XiK0O7D3WWZXCpSJEuqwmNPgVx6fp1kZbyOcNGbGASD7hkwChPrdTX7qgHc__LFxbedLaYKZqFOn87sfDVaNdhWpAKrdanxqBWfG4QtWeQCEJW5kVABiGExJzITa7c5ueKHrixtY-3Vn7/s500/Apama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwEcv_OS1NWFMgeEwv5aaOsrLkFvR52NlIlqwm4RWTAFOMB7XiK0O7D3WWZXCpSJEuqwmNPgVx6fp1kZbyOcNGbGASD7hkwChPrdTX7qgHc__LFxbedLaYKZqFOn87sfDVaNdhWpAKrdanxqBWfG4QtWeQCEJW5kVABiGExJzITa7c5ueKHrixtY-3Vn7/s320/Apama.jpg" width="218" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August seems like it was an insane blur of garage sales and getting ready for garage sales and watching a lot of landscaping happening courtesy of Saintly Wife Barb and the terrific handyman we hired a while back. We think so highly of him that we also had him working on our son Eddie and our daughter Kelly’s houses. Amidst the chaos, I also found time to do some serious thinking about what projects I’ll be commencing after my final garage sales on Friday, September 8, and Saturday, September 9. I’m feeling energized.<br /><br />In case the title of today’s bloggy thing has you wondering, here are the things that brought me joy in August...<br /><br />August 1:<b> Hero Tomorrow</b> was offering a great deal on all Apama and Apama-related comics to date. I have them all, scattered through my Vast Accumulation of Stuff, but now I can read them in their proper chronological order. Score!<br /><br />August 2: We love our new landscaping. The front of our house and other parts of the lawn and yard look amazing. It’s a cleaner look that has been complimented by our neighbors, our mailman and even Amazon delivery drivers. Saintly Wife Barb is thrilled.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG56EqdyhtKmlDekhJREV4tsA4QE14Salqeu2b2x0x2kRwrw7Neo-wznJc0-tdcaR9lZ6fTGePqae0i6KzUGWLYrm9yVBe2wPJxyEWYkzA7YkrBv-nKYn_IfG7JVoioOkb9Qd8BKoMifB9gB-SWHmL9_dLogexEQvcCFdKVX0FexeqZ3nRoIkIWxEkG0Z/s365/Cocaine_Crabs_from_Outer_Space_poster.webp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG56EqdyhtKmlDekhJREV4tsA4QE14Salqeu2b2x0x2kRwrw7Neo-wznJc0-tdcaR9lZ6fTGePqae0i6KzUGWLYrm9yVBe2wPJxyEWYkzA7YkrBv-nKYn_IfG7JVoioOkb9Qd8BKoMifB9gB-SWHmL9_dLogexEQvcCFdKVX0FexeqZ3nRoIkIWxEkG0Z/s320/Cocaine_Crabs_from_Outer_Space_poster.webp.png" width="239" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August 3: <b>Cocaine Crabs from Outer Space</b>. Just because.<br /><br />August 4: <b>The Uncanny Contrast</b>. Recommend by a friend, this Korean series is a supernatural super-hero soap opera crime drama. The heroes have been given power to banish demons, but not for personal advantage. The lines get a little shaky.<br /><br />August 5: <b>Batman Superman World’s Finest Vol. 1</b> by Mark Waid, Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain. I neither know nor care what current DC continuity is, but I love what Waid laid down here, especially his treatment of the Doom Patrol.<br /><br />August 6: <b>The Shadow of the Cat</b>. I watched this British thriller on Svengoolie. Solid writing and good acting as a cat seeks vengeance on those who murdered her beloved human. That the cat looked like my late Simba was oddly comforting.<br /><br />August 7: <b>I Am Wonder Woman</b> by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos. A particularly delightful entry to their “Stories Change the World” series. My only quibble is a timeline omitting the Kanigher, Andru and Esposito comics from the 1950s and 1960s.<br /><br />August 8: InStock Trades. My go to dealer for graphic novels and my beloved omnibus editions. Their discounts are the best online and their packaging, which they recently upgraded even more, is second to none. Check them out. Tell them Tony sent you.<br /><br />August 9:<b> Bloom</b> by Ted Sikora and Butch Mapa. I like origin stories concise, but reading the four-issue origin of this villainess was like watching a emotional, visually scary movie. I got chills. I want to see that movie.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsKtxkUOur3vhlPnJuYGNQj8tm9KYGJ-GZ_JEoBLwDr6Yq5y7ozVPe5vB2u5inGwzka0Zo2NyYilCjUUeE97fhujCthX_p9CaZ-jD1UhFH9J9H0oNvSx-GYObkxztOsBLh_TpRjTaPuy6xGrzLdJeWf5IJR_r33ML9D7UXfr6GkQZK_YfU7ZOQug01n2o/s1538/Us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsKtxkUOur3vhlPnJuYGNQj8tm9KYGJ-GZ_JEoBLwDr6Yq5y7ozVPe5vB2u5inGwzka0Zo2NyYilCjUUeE97fhujCthX_p9CaZ-jD1UhFH9J9H0oNvSx-GYObkxztOsBLh_TpRjTaPuy6xGrzLdJeWf5IJR_r33ML9D7UXfr6GkQZK_YfU7ZOQug01n2o/s320/Us.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August 10: <b>Us</b> by Sara Soler. This is a warm and welcoming graphic memoir love story of cartoonist Sara and her partner Diana with an emphasis on Diana’s gender transition. It’s an amazing book which I recommend without reservation to all. <br /><br />August 11: Black Lightning appears in <b>My First Book of Superpowers </b>from 2021. Thanks to Mike Maloy for alerting me to this children’s book so I could get a copy for my archives.<br /><br />August 12: My pal <b>Svengoolie</b> sent me an autographed copy of his new hilarious Svengoolie: Lost in Time comic book. I have an invite to visit him in the dungeon when next I get to Chicago. Which ain’t as scary as driving the Dan Ryan Expressway. <br /><br />August 13: <b>Sins of the Black Flamingo </b>kicks off with a flamboyant thief pulling a caper and morphs into a mystic thriller. Kudos to Andrew Wheeler, Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain and Aditya Bidikar for a fine story with great characters. More please. <br /><br />August 14: In the new season of <b>Harley Quinn</b>, Harley and Ivy strive to find a life-work balance. This is made all the more hilariously with Harley having joined the Bat-Family and Ivy running the Legion of Doom. Not for kids. <br /><br />August 15: Saintly Wife Barb and I went to Medina’s Regal Cinemas to see the 10th anniversary edition of <b>Sharknado</b>. This new edition is all spruced up and the bonus content is terrific. A fun night at the movies with a classic goofy thriller. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wbX9TVM30k0fqZTENBCrDnPc3BCo9ptxsQmSwoHBfDyF_ESvfdS_KM81t7Su5INZBD26svom2XtOFCT3RU8uqGIl4_Mcud7n51C9tqMY_x1A1KDI8jlJZw24ZiVkW7ZYAMikpR7g4Ns2B7Mw4PsWZ2c9vZOngj0OYTRrWaP5ChqKWFfXdj0XVHHa3we_/s1650/Mainline%20Comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wbX9TVM30k0fqZTENBCrDnPc3BCo9ptxsQmSwoHBfDyF_ESvfdS_KM81t7Su5INZBD26svom2XtOFCT3RU8uqGIl4_Mcud7n51C9tqMY_x1A1KDI8jlJZw24ZiVkW7ZYAMikpR7g4Ns2B7Mw4PsWZ2c9vZOngj0OYTRrWaP5ChqKWFfXdj0XVHHa3we_/s320/Mainline%20Comics.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August 16: <b>The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Mainline Comics</b>. Published by TwoMorrows, this amazing volume collects the entire run of the western hero title and choice stories from Foxhole, Police Trap and In Love. A must-have for any Simon/Kirby fan.<br /><br />August 17: <b>My Adventures with Superman </b>is too multi-versal for my tastes because I love smaller stories, but it won me over with its portrayal of Monsieur Mallah and the Brain. I would love to write comics with this version of those characters. <br /><br />August 18: <b>Apple Crush</b> by Lucy Knisley. The second in the creator’s Peapod Farm series has Jen navigating moving on to middle school. Suitable for all ages, it’s further proof Knisley’s work belongs in all libraries. She’s a literary treasure.<br /><br />August 19: I made a trip to the Fortress of Storage with son Eddie. We excavated two dozen books of amazing items, including memorable Superman merchandise. The challenge will be pricing all this stuff and getting into the rest of 2023's garage sales.<br /><br />August 20: <b>Blue Beetle</b>. What a wonderful departure from the usual DCU doom and gloom. It’s the Reyes family that makes this movie so down-to-earth special. I would love to write a Nana limited series. I love a feisty grandmother with guns! <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtGGHasZe9lwTFl_3f_vsXdG6aticNZbLM8ObhF2J3yHCsxk47c9FGIaWzJ7H1S3m_5WeJY6kqOLX6OLu1K2tXh3EGZpmKvttEB0uaB9JjXRyMwIN264fqqVuj60tn4ck0odxAgW3Mpb6G5g2oGKQ6Jnt6jGe58WsbCZ6bUV5_yNpT7dhyhErBnY3uMLI/s700/Uncaped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="700" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtGGHasZe9lwTFl_3f_vsXdG6aticNZbLM8ObhF2J3yHCsxk47c9FGIaWzJ7H1S3m_5WeJY6kqOLX6OLu1K2tXh3EGZpmKvttEB0uaB9JjXRyMwIN264fqqVuj60tn4ck0odxAgW3Mpb6G5g2oGKQ6Jnt6jGe58WsbCZ6bUV5_yNpT7dhyhErBnY3uMLI/s320/Uncaped.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August 21: In <b>Uncaped </b>by Mike Spring and Dennis Tirona, super-hero Lady Olympus sees a vision of her life with comics store worker and musician Lucas, who she’d never previously met. It delivers on the romance and the comedy. I enjoyed it.<br /><br />August 22: My neighbor put up a beautiful shed in his back yard. It took one day. I’d look out my window every now and then and it’d be further along. At one point, I asked if he were Amish. Got a laugh. I love this kind of stuff. <br /> <br />August 23: <b>Frank Frazetta’s Mothman #1</b> by Tim Hetrick and various artists. Intrigued by the notion of new comics stories inspired by Frazetta’s paintings, I gave this a try and enjoyed it. I’ll keep reading and try some other Opus titles.<br /><br />August 24: Funko’s new Mary Jane Watson figure. I don’t know what the heck Marvel has done with this icon in their comic books, but MJ’s Romita-drawn surprise revelation back in the 1960s is one of the great moments in comic books. <br /><br />August 25: Wow! In the first day of this weekend’s garage sales, I made 112% of my two-day goal and met some Facebook friends who came from Michigan and Texas and stopped by to chat while scoring cool stuff and free signatures. A very fun day.<br /><br />August 26:<b> Super Suspenstories #1</b> by William Satterwhite. A recent order brought me the origin of Columbia, the spirit of America. It is not the most polished comic book, but it’s got heart and purpose and I hope to see more of this character. 8-26-23.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOE7a--M1XjSGu_ywhIneq5Wr4M2_Q3L20lUvVHnvpUdQbfCErr12M_3u_bi_l89EoVQabsBiiX5V-iVuqqNpEjV3CqdCX_m9JMUUP4KB4m7NJu7N7LP8Iy5s3Xm79NH67XMb1afo6zYLRNe-7JJdeOV3vTExKAn63L984zHzxixivarbLmszpHV0Bs9k/s1060/The%20Talk.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1060" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOE7a--M1XjSGu_ywhIneq5Wr4M2_Q3L20lUvVHnvpUdQbfCErr12M_3u_bi_l89EoVQabsBiiX5V-iVuqqNpEjV3CqdCX_m9JMUUP4KB4m7NJu7N7LP8Iy5s3Xm79NH67XMb1afo6zYLRNe-7JJdeOV3vTExKAn63L984zHzxixivarbLmszpHV0Bs9k/s320/The%20Talk.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">August 27: <b>The Talk </b>by Darrin Bell. This brilliant autobiographical work is intense and fraught with lessons necessary for the survival of young Black men and for the education of others who still just don’t get it. Required reading.<br /><br />August 28: The unsung hero of my VAOS garage sales. One of my best customers has been helping me with pricing. He puts boards in bags. He lifts heavy boxes when my knee hurts. He organizes stuff. The sales wouldn’t be so great without him. <br /><br />August 29: <b>Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium One</b> by Matt Wagner, Steve T. Seagle and Guy Davis. If you haven’t read these unsettling stories, you should. If you haven’t reread them in a while, they’re just as engaging the second time around.<br /><br />August 30: My Vast Accumulation of Stuff excavations are resulting in my finding a great many random issues of terrific 1960s/1970s Marvel, DC and Dell comics. You’ll see them in my garage sale this weekend.<br /><br />August 31: <b>Punisher War Journal </b>by Torunn Grønbekk and a trio of artists was interesting. Frank’s commanding the Hand in two tales. The third is a poignant look at his return home from overseas wars. Not a Punisher fan, but I enjoyed this volume.<br /><br />With my garage sales coming to a close for the summer, I’m hoping to post more bloggy things. Thanks for stopping by today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-50915124618377990722023-08-21T11:22:00.005-04:002023-08-21T11:22:51.166-04:00MY GAME SHOW CRISIS OF FAITH<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekHiSEbLlCyliBVdarrKIzOX-2_JfdVTOSaiO35aXlCK_LtN55fRiGp8MSgcJ8qbk4RBpTq-2OsqvE1bJGu6D6M_69-CiObn9JPCmB4NxpDLbuliIlKUa0_-tbW2iPx9ofZwp3nsk006LjAtVvDq6RnlQmxfcfjuXAvpRjzcHlxB9qNw1112ea5QOyS4x/s1100/jeopardy%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="1100" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekHiSEbLlCyliBVdarrKIzOX-2_JfdVTOSaiO35aXlCK_LtN55fRiGp8MSgcJ8qbk4RBpTq-2OsqvE1bJGu6D6M_69-CiObn9JPCmB4NxpDLbuliIlKUa0_-tbW2iPx9ofZwp3nsk006LjAtVvDq6RnlQmxfcfjuXAvpRjzcHlxB9qNw1112ea5QOyS4x/s320/jeopardy%20logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jeopardy</b> and <b>Wheel of Fortune</b> are my favorite game shows. I rarely miss an episode of either. I love <i>Jeopardy</i> because it’s all about facts. Hard facts. There are no absurd alternate right-wing facts on the show. Just real facts. <br /><br /><i>Wheel of Fortune </i>is a party show. You can sit down with your family and friends and try to shout out the answers to the puzzles before them. It can get silly - as can Jeopardy - but it’s one of the most good-natured shows on television.<br /><br />Sadly, corporate greed is pushing them away from me. I’m very sad that I don’t know when I’ll be able to watch them again.<br /><br />For the present, <i>Jeopardy</i> is on the wrong side of the picket line. Its writers are on strike. Co-host Mayim Bialik, a member of SAG-AFTRA and maybe even the Writers Guild, has refused to cross that picket line. Several of the finest Jeopardy champions also refuse to cross the picket line. Much to my disappointment, Ken Jennings has chosen to disrespect the picket line. It’s not a good look for you, Ken.<br /><br />Just as bad as Jennings failure to support the unions is what the<i> Jeopardy</i> producers are planning for the upcoming season. They are going to use recycled material. They are going to use questions from past seasons. Besides being an insult to the striking writers, it’s one of the dumbest ideas I can manage.<br /><br />There are common characteristics among <i>Jeopardy </i>champions. They are huge fans of the show, having watched it with their parents since their childhood and continuing to today. They also have remarkable memories. They wouldn’t be champions if they didn’t. <br /><br />So the plan is to ask contestants, who have watched damn near every episode of <i>Jeopardy </i>and who almost certainly have amazing memories, to answer questions they would’ve seen on the show before. Forget about how smart the contestants are. Now the key factor on Jeopardy will be how fast they can buzz in. <br /><br />That’s not my<i> Jeopardy.</i><br /><br />Closing question. Will the striking <i>Jeopardy</i> writers be paid when their material is recycled?<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh8HNE1SZGEXYi_PEwIl26exwOA3MldqK4WCRh5r1EAEy68J13BFgiEmqTU2XYkLmAMT_JHMoHvtMx_30UMmLy3O5rPAJoALc7u6matmoUTMAVGlrx5V4E2Kli47p3Hgt0iatDpGlI_MSH64c2i3k9gGGzvR9s-U2rVskBDKb_ShwY4LJaZeuYRZKSWxb/s960/Wheel%20of%20Fortune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh8HNE1SZGEXYi_PEwIl26exwOA3MldqK4WCRh5r1EAEy68J13BFgiEmqTU2XYkLmAMT_JHMoHvtMx_30UMmLy3O5rPAJoALc7u6matmoUTMAVGlrx5V4E2Kli47p3Hgt0iatDpGlI_MSH64c2i3k9gGGzvR9s-U2rVskBDKb_ShwY4LJaZeuYRZKSWxb/s320/Wheel%20of%20Fortune.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Wheel of Fortune</i>? The show isn’t as fact-intensive as <i>Jeopardy</i>, but it appears it will be using recycled puzzles as well. Once again, memory will overshadow deduction in determining who will win each game. But that’s not my only problem with <i>Wheel.</i><br /><br />Pat Sajak is leaving the show after one more season. Sajak doesn’t always remain appropriate in his back-and-forth with contestants, but he is one of the most quick-witted hosts in television. He is unfailingly friendly and even kind with the contestants. Much more often than not, his quips land well.<br /><br />His announced replacement? Ryan Seacrest.<br /><br />If there is a more over-exposed and under-talented personality on television, ignoring the right-wing clowns on the fake news shows, I don’t know who it would be. He’s a dullard who couldn’t even hold his own with Kelly Ripa who, frankly, carried Seacrest when he was her co-host. His New Year’s Eve celebration hosting is even worse than perpetual man-children Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. He is an aging pretty face with no substance.<br /><br />Pat Sajak is not irreplaceable, but his large presence needs to be filled by someone much more qualified than Seacrest. I’d recommend Wanda Sykes, but she’s already my go=to recommendation for almost everything. If they make a movie about my life, I want her to play me. She’d be better in the role than me.<br /><br />Then there’s the disgusting mistreatment of the lovely Vanna White, whose beauty, charm and congeniality is a crucial element of <i>Wheel of Fortune</i>. By Hollywood standards, White is insanely underpaid for what she brings to the show. She hasn’t had a raise in decades and the powers-that-be don’t seem inclined to give her one. The lawyers are now involved and it could get ugly. Another reason not to watch <i>Wheel of Fortune</i>. I stand with Vanna!<br /><br />Here I sit. I’m crushed two of my favorite programs will no longer be on my weekday watch list. I blame the greedy CEOs. The cost of agreeing to the modest demands of these unions would cost maybe 2% of their inflated earnings. Such greed is not good. <br /><br />I’ll be back soon with more stuff. <br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-50241264749058879322023-08-18T14:37:00.001-04:002023-08-18T14:37:10.009-04:00THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN JULY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH79aOs73_FgXUmBwfMPZSdR7TMpoKajMuXaLgMe0m8DuWoHO2SCqSNFTD89-oHD0JDAv8Y9QPh5F01uaO8g4P9AEKHy2wl1ZstEc4seftD6SSeS0SQOJiPs1-AqO9-jY5MshfJmJaRPHZgVbHMUcQuW32aq-MA7xzAKr43Vbn94KvDVMnEQqX9zpHlmE/s720/simba%20urn%20and%20print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH79aOs73_FgXUmBwfMPZSdR7TMpoKajMuXaLgMe0m8DuWoHO2SCqSNFTD89-oHD0JDAv8Y9QPh5F01uaO8g4P9AEKHy2wl1ZstEc4seftD6SSeS0SQOJiPs1-AqO9-jY5MshfJmJaRPHZgVbHMUcQuW32aq-MA7xzAKr43Vbn94KvDVMnEQqX9zpHlmE/s320/simba%20urn%20and%20print.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Don’t get me started. I mean that literally. Generally, I commence these “made me happy” pieces by detailing all the excrement I went through the previous month as a contrast to the things that brought me joy. Not this time. I’ll sum up the past three months by letting you know it was too much for me. Way too much. I don’t even want to think about it, much less write about it. So...<br /><br />Without further adieu, here are the things that brought much-needed joy to me in July...<br /><br />July 1: <b>Simba</b> is home again. She never really left. I feel her presence throughout our home. I often catch glimpses of her in her favorite spots. We will love her forever and we know she loves us too. My little buddy. <br /><br />July 2: <b>Black’s Myth</b> by Eric Palicki and Wendell Cavalcanti. So a private detective werewolf, a half-djinn and The Minotaur walk into a mystery. That’s not exactly what happens, but what does happen is<br />an entertaining bit of spooky noir. Recommended.<br /><br />July 3: <b>The 24-hour Godzilla channel</b> on Pluto TV. Okay, yes, I have seen these movies at least a dozen times over. But I never dreamed I’d be able to turn on the TV and always see Godzilla, anytime, day or night, for free! All praise the great scaly one!<br /><br />July 4: <b>Pluto TV</b> also has a 24-hour channel devoted to the cinema classes from by The Asylum. Between this and the Godzilla channel, I’m almost wishing I could afford to retire. I think I need we need a bigger TV.<br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZkj4viRJTmgn2J-r3biGtujFO0n7HA-gJ63qVUqbivK-w_1yk0xeOKRgIR2FM6A-V0eGAjuxwL6Xbemzcm32Q4GGE01qI_R3vmC5Oohqpx-N98DMYXDltcA6WLD3y0hSGbhn2UEOsSc2E1CvYAz2fTd76d0AMsBUg8EnRF5IQxOHqQTZh39mDtinMQ0c/s1359/blood%20pressure%20machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="1359" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZkj4viRJTmgn2J-r3biGtujFO0n7HA-gJ63qVUqbivK-w_1yk0xeOKRgIR2FM6A-V0eGAjuxwL6Xbemzcm32Q4GGE01qI_R3vmC5Oohqpx-N98DMYXDltcA6WLD3y0hSGbhn2UEOsSc2E1CvYAz2fTd76d0AMsBUg8EnRF5IQxOHqQTZh39mDtinMQ0c/s320/blood%20pressure%20machine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />July 5: My new <b>Weony blood pressure monitor</b>. More consistent than my previous one. The downside is no longer ignoring I really need to adhere to a meal plan for my Type 2 diabetes. I’ll let you know how that goes. <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">July 6: Published around this time last year, <b>Amazing Fantasy #1000</b> celebrates Spider-Man’s 60th anniversary with a terrific anthology of short stories by a variety of top comics creators. The issue is an absolute delight. Kudos all around.<br /><br />July 7: <b>Dead Man’s Party #1</b> by Jeff Marsick and Scott Barnett. One of my random Indy Planet buys, I liked it so much I ordered issues #2-5. The protagonist is an assassin given a diagnosis of incurable cancer. There are delicious twists.<br /><br /><i>[I finished the five-issue series and am thrilled to report it was great to the last page. Recommended.]</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i> </i> <br />July 8: <i><b>Days of Sand </b></i>by Aimee De Jongh. When it comes to the next round of comics awards, I’ll be shocked if this powerful story of a government photographer in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of 1937 isn’t among them. It’s an instant classic.<br /><br /><i>[Days of Sand was eligible for some of this year’s awards. It got nominated, but did not win. It should have.]</i><br /><br />July 9: <b>Sweetness & Lightning</b> by Gido Amagakure. A widowed school teacher with his young daughter share meals and the cooking of the meals with a neglected student. A bit heavy on the recipes, but so charming and heartwarming. <br /><br />July 10: <b>I Am Batman 2: Welcome to New York</b> by John Ridley follows Jace Fox (who’s *a* batman not *The* Batman) to the Big Apple. Good intentions are soon complicated by politics and a terrifying serial killer. Looking forward to the third book.<br /><br />[<i>I Am Batman</i> has been cancelled. DC’s vision of what makes for good comics is so far removed from mine that it could be company policy to cancel anything I like.] </p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAkbcCOy6qpUt1FZ2WKqfZfFPg7GldB0ygbe2RZjbvp5hpolMIISOmgWJNAwS4VwWEqcFKHhQDgJHFs6MfTEdypD2ZnUIDjFwdY4oU7AbWHxxLIkOyOt-t9lvN0T4LbrNH0mNDsQvv8n8wY9u8ahiQaBdfWeK1ys8NCYmJg2jZyXpjzIVGrMjTy2UIfsC/s700/Cat-Passmore-logo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="700" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAkbcCOy6qpUt1FZ2WKqfZfFPg7GldB0ygbe2RZjbvp5hpolMIISOmgWJNAwS4VwWEqcFKHhQDgJHFs6MfTEdypD2ZnUIDjFwdY4oU7AbWHxxLIkOyOt-t9lvN0T4LbrNH0mNDsQvv8n8wY9u8ahiQaBdfWeK1ys8NCYmJg2jZyXpjzIVGrMjTy2UIfsC/s320/Cat-Passmore-logo-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />July 11: Will Meugniot’s <b>Adventures of Cat Passmore, Sub: Human</b> is so deliciously fresh and fun it could’ve been picked from the fruit tree of the comics gods. It delighted me from start to finish. You can get it from Indy Planet...and you should! <br /><br />July 12: A <b>Jeopardy</b> player revealed that, in his younger days, he used to create fake library cards so he could take out more books.Host Ken Jennies quipped, “Best Jeopardy crime ever!” <br /><br />July 13: <b>Bokksu Snack Box</b>. Barb and I deserved a treat for what we went through in June. We’re getting a box of delicious stuff from Japan every month. Biggest likes so far: the white strawberry candy and the 20th Century Pear Biscuit.<br /><br />July 14: <b>The Out-Laws</b>. This just released action comedy stars Adam Devine as a bank manager whose future in-laws are bank robbers on the run from their murderous partner. It’s 95 minutes of goofy fun, crazy action and a terrific supporting cast.<br /><br />July 15: We have a new refrigerator in our kitchen. We had to buy it because our just-five-years-old fridge kicked the bucket. We’re hoping to get at least seven years out of this one. Now comes the restocking of the food.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTV6hzo8QRoBneQ_sJxKLZ9CJW4A-0EnoZ1yiIw3ReksWK7fPT7Beazbgy3uwZnj_zImwHc89Y4NPLt73sWMqJmulABPL-IsU-Ur_hh85qKnDSH1i5anP0QovDxQZM8XnBvG4tCl_zKRNeF1Om5X37OoLMsKAui7ubgjQzDgsYiAfwTHfe4Jv5LGm7vYr/s616/Babrie%20Dreamhouse%20Challenge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="616" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTV6hzo8QRoBneQ_sJxKLZ9CJW4A-0EnoZ1yiIw3ReksWK7fPT7Beazbgy3uwZnj_zImwHc89Y4NPLt73sWMqJmulABPL-IsU-Ur_hh85qKnDSH1i5anP0QovDxQZM8XnBvG4tCl_zKRNeF1Om5X37OoLMsKAui7ubgjQzDgsYiAfwTHfe4Jv5LGm7vYr/s320/Babrie%20Dreamhouse%20Challenge.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />July 16: <b>Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge</b>. I haven’t enjoyed a HGTV show this much since they rebuilt the Brady house. Crazy designs. Lots of Barbie history. Now I want them to build Avengers Mansion or the Hall of Justice.<br /><br /><i>[I am not kidding about either of those. Come on, HGTV. Time to get your share of the super-hero market.]</i><br /><br />July 17: <b>A Very British Affair: The Best of Classic Romance Comics</b>. Curated by David Roach, this anthology of love comics features some amazing art, writing with a distinct British accent and a sense of the history of these magazines. Well worth reading.<br /><br />July 18: My pal Mike Buckley is making his first comics convention appearance in far too long as a guest of the Gem City Comic Con at the Dayton Convention Center, July 22-23 in Dayton, Ohio. Mention my name and he’ll sing to you.<br /><br /><i>[Nobody asked Mike to sing to them. The fools!]</i><br /><br />July 19: Casa Isabella has a spanking new driveway, which glistens in the sun. Seriously, in direct sunlight, it’s darn near blinding. Yes, the future is so bright we’ve got to wear shades. We will be able to park on it in a few more days.<br /><br />July 20: From IDW, <b>Bermuda</b> by John Layman, Nick Bradshaw and Len O’Grady is a four-issue sci-fi thriller. Fast paced action, solid characters and a satisfying ending. If there’s a trade paperback, get it for your home, public or school library.<br /><br />July 21: <b>Lonesome Days, Savage Nights #1</b> by Steve Niles, Salvatore Simone & Syzmon Kudranski. From 2020, a werewolf on the side of the angels fighting the criminals who killed his beloved. I loved this first book. Where’s the second already?<br /><br /><i>[The second book is in the works, but clearly not progressing fast enough to suit me.] <br /></i><br />July 22: <b>Dark Blood</b> by Latoya Morgan. A decorated soldier is home, living his life while dealing with Deep South racism. Experimented on without his knowledge, he now has powers he doesn’t understand. A dangerously engaging series. Highly recommended. <br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7mT_0OKuZdqSo1r7BHujyY5ZJ6J6jWtR29586e2cH_TxdU9hOXY7qb7JzDB3-2M15jwR0qGvUAifIlMafp5ER3Q1JgsOwOxFJGVpDkICYGUhqnmN4BAOuK3FJJVdyY7vbw3hkBiPN2EqzdQpYRZHYC9LFi3fc_7Ag5qZ8vW14hgopxfvyATj5aPsHTfv/s750/Finding%20Dee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7mT_0OKuZdqSo1r7BHujyY5ZJ6J6jWtR29586e2cH_TxdU9hOXY7qb7JzDB3-2M15jwR0qGvUAifIlMafp5ER3Q1JgsOwOxFJGVpDkICYGUhqnmN4BAOuK3FJJVdyY7vbw3hkBiPN2EqzdQpYRZHYC9LFi3fc_7Ag5qZ8vW14hgopxfvyATj5aPsHTfv/s320/Finding%20Dee.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><br />July 23: <b>Finding Dee #1</b> by Dee Fish. “Sometimes Finding Yourself is a Transition.” A charming, funny and down-to-earth comic book about the cartoonist’s transition. It was published in 2017 and there’s a collection due this fall. Take my money.<br /><br /><i>[I bought and am enjoying all the issues published to date. I’ll be writing about them when I do my next “queer comics” blog.] </i><br /><br />July 24: <b>Executive Assistant Iris </b>by David Wohl, Eduardo Francisco and John Starr. Back in 2011, I read some issues of this secretary, bodyguard and assassin. I liked them and meant to read more. Now I have and I like them even more.<br /><br />July 25: <b>Chu Volume 2: (She) Drunk History</b> by John Laymen and Dan Boultwood. Saffron Chu, the master criminal sister of “my asshole cop brother Tony” returns with hilarious time-spanning capers that had me chuckling throughout. Highly recommended. <br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVId6on_Fse9JJvwoElsIcbl_PmqbUG5GI4612Y1P-jfA292uspxFphKIxjrredylaRYWWh6Qu1j5Z0m99V3XrUrVIUnTtCOgLn4LXIKwGGQO4IyedV8nZDa-76L-R4ZME2XDaNoXc3uidXHN37zl2EOODHK52-U0XDaTzpWwRL7RGL8AKcdrOUZkAcl0/s720/DRIVEWAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVId6on_Fse9JJvwoElsIcbl_PmqbUG5GI4612Y1P-jfA292uspxFphKIxjrredylaRYWWh6Qu1j5Z0m99V3XrUrVIUnTtCOgLn4LXIKwGGQO4IyedV8nZDa-76L-R4ZME2XDaNoXc3uidXHN37zl2EOODHK52-U0XDaTzpWwRL7RGL8AKcdrOUZkAcl0/s320/DRIVEWAY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />July 26: Our shiny new driveway was installed a week earlier, but we couldn’t park our vehicles on it until this date. Not only does it look fantastic, but it’s a lot safer for an old guy who walks with a cane a significant part of the time.<br /><br />July 27: By most accounts, <b>Comic-Con International</b> in San Diego was a big success despite the impact of the writers and actors strikes.Related media fans found their way to the comics creators, panels and vendors and enjoyed themselves. Thumbs up.<br /><br />July 28: <b>Todd McFarlane Toys</b> is producing a Black Lightning figure that’s due out in the fall of this year. I can’t wait to buy two of them, one for me and one for the lucky college that will eventually get my Black Lightning archives.<br /><br /><i>[This will be a WalMart exclusive and could be in their stores as early as mid-October.]<br /></i><br />July 29: <b>Netflix </b>has added a bunch of intriguing looking movies and TV shows from South Korea. I liked the first episode of <i>Mr. Queen</i> and will be sampling others. I just wish Netflix wasn’t being such a dick when it comes to the writers strike.<br /><br />July 30: <b>NEO Comicon 2023.</b> The one-day event was the largest in the show’s history. Thousands of attendees. Tens of thousands of comic books, Funko figures and more. Great comics creators and craftsman. Pure joy for the fan’s heart. <br /><br />July 31: <b>NEO Comicon 2023</b>. One of the really cool things about the event was hanging out with my pal Mike Buckley, who I haven’t seen in several years. Also on hand was Tom Orzechowski, who was one of the best hires I ever made as a Marvel Comics editor.<br /><br />I feel better now. I hope you do, too. I’ll be back soon with more bloggy thing fun.<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<p></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2252129938551938631.post-48976444028433781132023-08-13T02:01:00.004-04:002023-08-13T02:01:38.939-04:00BATMAN THE SILVER AGE OMNIBUS 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mp4R-1bJFALk5gPkZZhvO6SI6W8QmD4kqOgmxL0CuSjgIUfHnwB1vkmAazf3ewumNS93sfOdk7TUn1ou_Fk_htGFVcLJa-NWd-0zDfEaRxTWieYFan0vBpYGG9wLe-CSUblWyx8S-K6gtR-u6SiCIvQu061wHFFlWwcRjpWdZLIqXYkkGhpqSnYo4ABR/s591/Detective%20Comics%20234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Mp4R-1bJFALk5gPkZZhvO6SI6W8QmD4kqOgmxL0CuSjgIUfHnwB1vkmAazf3ewumNS93sfOdk7TUn1ou_Fk_htGFVcLJa-NWd-0zDfEaRxTWieYFan0vBpYGG9wLe-CSUblWyx8S-K6gtR-u6SiCIvQu061wHFFlWwcRjpWdZLIqXYkkGhpqSnYo4ABR/s320/Detective%20Comics%20234.jpg" width="217" /></a></div> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Continuing our reading of <b>Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus</b>. The book collects <i>Batman</i> #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257. <br /><br />Just one issue after Batman uncovered Kathy Kane’s secret life as Batwoman and bullied her to hang up her cape, the world’s greatest detective has to figure out another hero’s civilian identity. His own!<br /><br />Written by Edmond Hamilton, “Batman and Robin’s Greatest Mystery” [<i>Detective Comics</i> #234; August, 1956] finds the dynamic duo losing their memories to a machine used on them by a criminal scientist. Our heroes must recover the memories to stop the scientist’s next and biggest crime. What I found most appealing was how Batman’s deductive logic mirrored what he had done in the Batman. I like a certain consistency in a character’s modus operandi. Of course, now that someone had uncovered Batman’s identity, he had no choice but to give up his career as a caped crusader. <br /><br />What? That only applies to female crime-fighters? Goddess spare us from the patriarchy. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBED81iqR_3oG21DaFzlHTQWrQlt7OvlfBbUnvLGOFQXb5MwqkWi96aqL1r9oY4fnUk6hVDkI3v_XaG1PjPqvn5XZeZDEB2SgypnAWNGXUArs5wMP9Cijp58tn7grCuOl-MhVjOE0oYPlOwTRpVMnW-LeZaLWn2NPlT0dnlSErCEYpHATMu33m0hrtSWd/s592/Batman%20102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBED81iqR_3oG21DaFzlHTQWrQlt7OvlfBbUnvLGOFQXb5MwqkWi96aqL1r9oY4fnUk6hVDkI3v_XaG1PjPqvn5XZeZDEB2SgypnAWNGXUArs5wMP9Cijp58tn7grCuOl-MhVjOE0oYPlOwTRpVMnW-LeZaLWn2NPlT0dnlSErCEYpHATMu33m0hrtSWd/s320/Batman%20102.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Batman</i> #102 [September, 1956] has three stories. Written by a not-yet-identified writer, “The House of Batman” is drawn by the team of Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. It’s a weak effort in which a deceased millionaire leaves money for Gotham to build a downtown headquarters for Batman. Actually, the “deceased millionaire” is a criminal secretly using the house as his headquarters. What a dump plan. He was just begging to be caught.<br /><br />Bill Finger’s “The Batman from Babylon” is drawn by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. The synopsis: <br /><br /><i>When Brand Bartor is arrested for dressing in a Batman costume, the crook turns the tables on the Caped Crusader by implying Batman should be arrested for impersonating a Babylonian Batman!</i><br /><br />We get some hypnotic time travel that never made sense to me even as a kid. It turns out Batman was that Babylonian Batman. A little bending of the truth and Batman is off the hook. It’s silly, but the art is sweet.<br /><br />Finally, Bill Finger’s “The Caveman at Large” justifies the cover based on it when an amnesic actor finds is way into the Bat-Cave. Drawn by Moldoff and Paris, it’s another weak tale in a generally less than classic issue.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPNVebO1iWbTMEW1DbHEOPhAeqoTrK-xc6-xUWGZc4twv0pdIx62l-PiOBX6aheTdA8xXVFUS4R4YGNndHysg-J0wPFSZIyaebsa7xVNl4iwaPaaPWl9x1FAc7zWz4qmo3SwgEQQ-4sjpQ1q5FlVKI4hNEvmA6NMd6EuXjY_y6YmuDdYA9Aa3pXjStYuv/s581/Detective%20Comics%20235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPNVebO1iWbTMEW1DbHEOPhAeqoTrK-xc6-xUWGZc4twv0pdIx62l-PiOBX6aheTdA8xXVFUS4R4YGNndHysg-J0wPFSZIyaebsa7xVNl4iwaPaaPWl9x1FAc7zWz4qmo3SwgEQQ-4sjpQ1q5FlVKI4hNEvmA6NMd6EuXjY_y6YmuDdYA9Aa3pXjStYuv/s320/Detective%20Comics%20235.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">From <i>Detective Comics</i> #235 [September 1956], “The First Batman” by Bill Finger with artists Sheldon Moldoff and Stan Kaye was an early retconning of Bruce Wayne’s family history and, indeed, the origins of his Batman persona. It was based on a costume Thomas Wayne wore to a society masquerade ball. When, on that pivotal night as Bruce Wayne contemplated his own masquerade, the bat flew into his window and unknowingly triggered the future Batman’s memories of his dad wearing the costume.<br /><br />Wayne also learns Joe Chill wasn’t a trigger-happy stick-up robber. Chill’s murders of his parents were ordered by gangster Lew Moxon, seeking revenge for Thomas Wayne putting him in jail years earlier.<br />In a tight ten pages, Finger brought readers a recap of the birth of Batman, new details about past events and a satisfying ending.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What kind of man Thomas Wayne was has been retconned several other times in recent decades and sometimes in unsavory ways, but I think this first one got it right. <br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG_hVJuFD7OjE1L_WrWDiLxiQsYo_f1WwRvDpoHHYT6WJ78py6voJtpfpe05V2r5vNR6DLmyHbamD9kAEWiyG0hmCXCY59R4gH4slh6Kc4hue0Km4m3Ugu89b0WbDEtXxr9DqAZHLt5bKIvUDkLRIZvrXUIAJywgcw9h8l-OO1nRqbVC-GMjMZVlPQZgk/s582/Batman%20103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG_hVJuFD7OjE1L_WrWDiLxiQsYo_f1WwRvDpoHHYT6WJ78py6voJtpfpe05V2r5vNR6DLmyHbamD9kAEWiyG0hmCXCY59R4gH4slh6Kc4hue0Km4m3Ugu89b0WbDEtXxr9DqAZHLt5bKIvUDkLRIZvrXUIAJywgcw9h8l-OO1nRqbVC-GMjMZVlPQZgk/s320/Batman%20103.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Batman</i> #103 [October 1956] had the usual three stories, two of them written by Batman co-creator Bill Finger. Drawn by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris, “The Broken Batman Trophies” is a weak six-page tale that telegraphs everything about itself by the middle of its second page. On a live TV show, Bruce Wayne gets a cut on his chin from a falling boom. Batman comes on to receive trophies from people he’s help but “accidentally” destroys them all. It’s mentioned on that second page that the camera will do a close-up on Batman when he’s handed the prizes. A child could figure out what Bats is up to and I’m certain of that because I was around four-and-a-half years old when I first read this story. <br /><br />Arnold Drake wrote “The League of Ex-Convicts” with art by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. A reformed ex-con starts an employment agency for other reformed ex-cons. Three ex-cos get jobs, but each is framed for crimes on their jobs. I saw the conclusion coming a mile away. One of the people who hired them was doing the crimes, knowing the ex-cons would get the blame. Not a bad concept, but the eight-page length didn’t give us enough time with the accused men or to see how they suffered. I would love to give this premise the “book-length” story treatment.<br /><br />Finger returns for the cover tale, also drawn by Moldoff and Paris. In “Bat-Hound, Movie Star,” Ace helps the Dynamic Duo track down a criminal and gets cast in a movie with the salaries of the crime-fighters going to charity. The earlier criminal escapes from jail, disguises himself and gets hired as the stunt coordinator with no background check in evidence. He rigs the stunts to kill the good guys. They don’t die and bring him to justice. Another story which didn’t set well with my younger self because, for there to be any suspense, Batman had to do really dumb things..like not checking the contents of his utility belt. I hate it when smart characters do stupid stuff to advance the plot. You can see that goes back to my childhood. I was a clever lad.<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoT3rQQImUotU2fhoKPll4PynqHJqsqpT3cto1gC6KdFHwjsTkwZNoLfC7GArV0dv_1uXJFA1JviQmLKLicTSxQVpRAzpKZ8NWNXW39EqPcJCLO2aWli7-46LCYl851q9jnwu9VFsHfuERz7ej2j80cwQNKt4wBDmbW-fh3fyZh1dc7_IdKEtxoS9ofZG/s583/Detective%20Comics%20236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoT3rQQImUotU2fhoKPll4PynqHJqsqpT3cto1gC6KdFHwjsTkwZNoLfC7GArV0dv_1uXJFA1JviQmLKLicTSxQVpRAzpKZ8NWNXW39EqPcJCLO2aWli7-46LCYl851q9jnwu9VFsHfuERz7ej2j80cwQNKt4wBDmbW-fh3fyZh1dc7_IdKEtxoS9ofZG/s320/Detective%20Comics%20236.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Detective Comics</i> #236 [October, 1956] has “The New Model Batman” by an unknown writer and drawn by Sheldon Moldoff. Moldoff also drew this cover. Which made me laugh here in 2023. I thought Batman got some of that crazy “War on Drugs” money and, much as all the police forces that got it, used it for weapons of war that were way more than needed.<br /><br />Released from prison, scientist Wallace Waley vows vengeance on the man who put him there. I don’t think I have to say who that man is. He devises anti-Batman weapons and sells them to other criminals, reserving a super anti-Batman weapon for himself. These anti=Batman weapons include defenses against the bat-ropes, the Batmobile and presumably more than can be shown in a ten-page story. Batman comes up with ways to thwart them all. But our unknown writer disappoints us in a major way. The super-weapon, so often mentioned during the course of this story, becomes a super-stunt on page seven...and it ain’t all that super. Thumbs down on this one.<br /><br />That’s all for this installment of our deep dive into Batman: The Silver Age Omnibus. Look for another installment soon.<br /><br />© 2023 Tony Isabella<br /></p>Tony Isabellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356415470545816484noreply@blogger.com4