This week in Tony's Tips at Tales of Wonder...Flaming River Con plus my reviews of Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus Volume 1; Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s Grass and Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran!
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY IN SEPTEMBER
September went by fast. Household repairs ate up a lot of money and time in September. I told Barb we should have the government send my social security check directly to our contractor.
We celebrated my daughter Kelly’s birthday. Her being such a great kid and all, it took us more than one day.
The new television season has started. My favorite new show so far is CBG’s Evil which stars Mike Colter of Luke Cage fame. I’ll try to do some TV-centric bloggy things soon.
On the not fun side of things, we lost one of our best historians in September. Bill Schelly wrote great books on comics fandom and amazing biographies of Otto Binder, Joe Kubert, Harvey Kurtzman, John Stanley and Bill Warren. He was a great human being. I wish I had known him better. I’m glad I knew him as well as I did. He’ll me sorely missed.
As we’ve come to expect, the Dumpster President was committing nigh-daily crimes against our country and against basic human decency. Impeachment proceedings are starting. I’m not sure if they’ll lead to his removal from office and relocation to prison, but that would be a nice outcome of all this. It’s a long shot. The Republicans in Congress have betrayed their oaths of office when it comes to the orange monster. But one can hope.
No matter how good or bad the world seems to be, I can still find something each and every day that fills me with joy. Here are the things that made me happy in September...
September 1: The Bronze Gazette #84. A great Doc Savage magazine! This latest issue has a Bob Larkin retrospective, a comics guide, an amazing article on Doc Savage’s gold and much more. Recommended!
September 2: Saintly Wife Barb and I watched my new BluRay of the not at all saintly un-rated version of A Million Ways to Die in the West. We love this movie. It was fun to see the cameos and scenes that didn’t make it into the theatrical version.
September 3: Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1. I’m loving the bejabbers out of this collection of Ditko-drawn and mostly Lee-written short stories.
September 4: Taste-testing snack items from my first Universal Yums box with Saintly Wife Barb. The snacks in this box are from Turkey and there’s around twenty different ones. Fun for the whole family. I’ll be blogging about it soon.
September 5: Savoring Eric Lewald’s Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series. I’m reading this informative book slowly so that, when I get to the episodes discussions, I’ll have the time to watch them.
September 6: I shot a cameo for my friend Alex P. Michaels’ Out of Darkness: Cleveland. If you’ve always wanted to see me in a muscle shirt being pushed around by a beautiful woman, this is likely the only place you’ll see it. After all, I don’t want to be typecast.
September 7: My final Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale was a tremendous success. I had great conversations with very interesting people and achieved 106% of my ambitious sales goal.
September 8: Breakfast at Waffle O Waffle with my Saintly Wife Barb and our daughter Kelly. It’s an out-of-the-way place, but the food is outstanding!
September 9: The Long Shot (2019) starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. It’s an edgy, funny and satisfying romcom set in a mad world where a moronic TV star became president with the backing of a vile right-wing media mogul.
September 10: HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation. It’s akin to a comics crossover event. Eight HGTV stars. Six grown-up Brady kids. Great fun with a sweet nostalgia coating.
September 11: Marvel Horror Omnibus. At long last, my entire run of It! The Living Colossus has been reprinted. This book weighs in at 7.4 pounds and also features my Living Mummy stories and much more. It’s hefty horror as you like it!
September 12: For the first time in over a week, I’m feeling 100%. I’m hopeful I’ll make great progress on my “Things to Do” list.
September 13: Saintly Wife Barb and our wonderful neighbor Sue did an amazing job consolidating our two storage units. We’ll be down to one by the end of the month.
[UPDATE. That didn’t happen. But I’m still hopeful we’ll get down to one unit before my next rental payment.]
September 14: Tyrannosaurus Rex stamps! I’m a huge fan of the USPS and use them for all my shipping. 9-14-19.
September 15: The absolutely brilliant Ron Smith cover of 2000 AD #128 [September 1, 1979]. Somehow, someway, I want to have a cover like this on an Isabella-written comic book.
September 16: Back Issue #115. Specifically, Ian Millsted’s Judge Dredd article and Robert Menzies’ interview with Walt Simonson on the latter’s Justice Peace, a homage to Dredd.
September 17: Our Universal Yums box for September has arrived with snacks from Greece. My family and I are looking forward to sampling the treats within.
[UPDATE. This also has not happened yet. I’ll be going solo on the goodies this week so I can start writing my report on the box before the next one arrives.]
September 18: I love our sectional sofa, but I finally realize my Saintly Wife Barb is correct. It looks like heck and it needs to be replaced. I’m looking forward to picking out some new furniture as soon as Barb assures me that the “looks like heck” argument doesn’t apply to her husband.
September 19: My first gag for John Lustig’s syndicated feature “Last Kiss” appeared on Wednesday, September 18 at GoComics.com. I’m enjoying this gig and am very pleased with John and the fans’ reactions to my initial panel. More to come.
[UPDATE: It appears my gags will run every Wednesday.]
September 20: “Moonvasion!” The second season finale of DuckTales was clearly sharper, smarter and tougher than any other animated series on TV. It’s my second favorite comics-based TV series of 2019.
September 21: The Flaming River Con 2019. A wonderful celebration of geek culture tailored to the LBGTQA+ community, but absolutely welcome to all. I had a great time there.
We celebrated my daughter Kelly’s birthday. Her being such a great kid and all, it took us more than one day.
The new television season has started. My favorite new show so far is CBG’s Evil which stars Mike Colter of Luke Cage fame. I’ll try to do some TV-centric bloggy things soon.
On the not fun side of things, we lost one of our best historians in September. Bill Schelly wrote great books on comics fandom and amazing biographies of Otto Binder, Joe Kubert, Harvey Kurtzman, John Stanley and Bill Warren. He was a great human being. I wish I had known him better. I’m glad I knew him as well as I did. He’ll me sorely missed.
As we’ve come to expect, the Dumpster President was committing nigh-daily crimes against our country and against basic human decency. Impeachment proceedings are starting. I’m not sure if they’ll lead to his removal from office and relocation to prison, but that would be a nice outcome of all this. It’s a long shot. The Republicans in Congress have betrayed their oaths of office when it comes to the orange monster. But one can hope.
No matter how good or bad the world seems to be, I can still find something each and every day that fills me with joy. Here are the things that made me happy in September...
September 1: The Bronze Gazette #84. A great Doc Savage magazine! This latest issue has a Bob Larkin retrospective, a comics guide, an amazing article on Doc Savage’s gold and much more. Recommended!
September 2: Saintly Wife Barb and I watched my new BluRay of the not at all saintly un-rated version of A Million Ways to Die in the West. We love this movie. It was fun to see the cameos and scenes that didn’t make it into the theatrical version.
September 3: Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1. I’m loving the bejabbers out of this collection of Ditko-drawn and mostly Lee-written short stories.
September 4: Taste-testing snack items from my first Universal Yums box with Saintly Wife Barb. The snacks in this box are from Turkey and there’s around twenty different ones. Fun for the whole family. I’ll be blogging about it soon.
September 5: Savoring Eric Lewald’s Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series. I’m reading this informative book slowly so that, when I get to the episodes discussions, I’ll have the time to watch them.
September 6: I shot a cameo for my friend Alex P. Michaels’ Out of Darkness: Cleveland. If you’ve always wanted to see me in a muscle shirt being pushed around by a beautiful woman, this is likely the only place you’ll see it. After all, I don’t want to be typecast.
September 7: My final Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale was a tremendous success. I had great conversations with very interesting people and achieved 106% of my ambitious sales goal.
September 8: Breakfast at Waffle O Waffle with my Saintly Wife Barb and our daughter Kelly. It’s an out-of-the-way place, but the food is outstanding!
September 9: The Long Shot (2019) starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. It’s an edgy, funny and satisfying romcom set in a mad world where a moronic TV star became president with the backing of a vile right-wing media mogul.
September 10: HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation. It’s akin to a comics crossover event. Eight HGTV stars. Six grown-up Brady kids. Great fun with a sweet nostalgia coating.
September 11: Marvel Horror Omnibus. At long last, my entire run of It! The Living Colossus has been reprinted. This book weighs in at 7.4 pounds and also features my Living Mummy stories and much more. It’s hefty horror as you like it!
September 12: For the first time in over a week, I’m feeling 100%. I’m hopeful I’ll make great progress on my “Things to Do” list.
September 13: Saintly Wife Barb and our wonderful neighbor Sue did an amazing job consolidating our two storage units. We’ll be down to one by the end of the month.
[UPDATE. That didn’t happen. But I’m still hopeful we’ll get down to one unit before my next rental payment.]
September 14: Tyrannosaurus Rex stamps! I’m a huge fan of the USPS and use them for all my shipping. 9-14-19.
September 15: The absolutely brilliant Ron Smith cover of 2000 AD #128 [September 1, 1979]. Somehow, someway, I want to have a cover like this on an Isabella-written comic book.
September 16: Back Issue #115. Specifically, Ian Millsted’s Judge Dredd article and Robert Menzies’ interview with Walt Simonson on the latter’s Justice Peace, a homage to Dredd.
September 17: Our Universal Yums box for September has arrived with snacks from Greece. My family and I are looking forward to sampling the treats within.
[UPDATE. This also has not happened yet. I’ll be going solo on the goodies this week so I can start writing my report on the box before the next one arrives.]
September 18: I love our sectional sofa, but I finally realize my Saintly Wife Barb is correct. It looks like heck and it needs to be replaced. I’m looking forward to picking out some new furniture as soon as Barb assures me that the “looks like heck” argument doesn’t apply to her husband.
September 19: My first gag for John Lustig’s syndicated feature “Last Kiss” appeared on Wednesday, September 18 at GoComics.com. I’m enjoying this gig and am very pleased with John and the fans’ reactions to my initial panel. More to come.
[UPDATE: It appears my gags will run every Wednesday.]
September 20: “Moonvasion!” The second season finale of DuckTales was clearly sharper, smarter and tougher than any other animated series on TV. It’s my second favorite comics-based TV series of 2019.
September 21: The Flaming River Con 2019. A wonderful celebration of geek culture tailored to the LBGTQA+ community, but absolutely welcome to all. I had a great time there.
[ADDENDUM: I was a guest panelist and cosplay judge at the Flaming River Con. Held in the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library, this was the second year for the Midwest’s only LGBTQA+ comics con. My panel was on “Toxic Masculinity in Comics,” during which I made the well-received claim that the Batman is toxic as hell. Maybe DC will take the hint someday.
September 22: The Side Quest. The Flaming River Con after-party was held at Lakewood’s geek bar. A cozy, inclusive place with games, closed-captioned genre movies like Tremors and Iron Man, drinks and food with appropriately geeky names like “Sonic Screwdriver.” They even made a special Black Lightning drink for the party. I’ll be back there soon.
September 23: Tony Isabella’s Authentic Black Lightning Group page launched on Facebook today. The focus is on Black Lightning works that adhere to the core values of my creation. We’re just getting started but expect content that’s fun and informative.
September 24: Greta Thunberg. Her clear voice, courage and passion for doing what’s right and speaking undeniable truth to power makes her a true hero for our times.
September 25: Stumptown. The premiere episode of the TV show based on the Greg Rucka/Matthew Southworth comics. Amazing performances by Cobie Smulders and the supporting cast. The comics are better, but Saintly Wife Barb and I are loving this series.
September 26: Stephen King’s The Institute. King is no stranger to takes of gifted children and malevolent government projects, but he keeps it fresh with great characters, attention to detail and just plain riveting storytelling.
September 27: Sham Comics from Source Point Press. Old stories, new words. Sometimes a little too “blue” in its gags, but this ongoing title makes me laugh. I like laughing.
September 28: CBS’s Evil hit the right balance of human evil versus the possibly supernatural. So creepy good with great performances by Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Kurt Fuller and the amazing Michael Emerson. I’m all in on this new series.
September 29: Harryhausen The Lost Movies by John Walsh. Incredible movies that never got made mixed with some films Harryhausen turned down for good reason. A bittersweet “what if” collection that every Harryhausen fan should read.
September 30: My friend Thom Zahler’s Love and Capes is returning. The super-hero situation comedy is one of my favorites. I’m so glad it’s coming back I’m not even waiting for the trade.
That’s all for today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
September 23: Tony Isabella’s Authentic Black Lightning Group page launched on Facebook today. The focus is on Black Lightning works that adhere to the core values of my creation. We’re just getting started but expect content that’s fun and informative.
September 24: Greta Thunberg. Her clear voice, courage and passion for doing what’s right and speaking undeniable truth to power makes her a true hero for our times.
September 25: Stumptown. The premiere episode of the TV show based on the Greg Rucka/Matthew Southworth comics. Amazing performances by Cobie Smulders and the supporting cast. The comics are better, but Saintly Wife Barb and I are loving this series.
September 26: Stephen King’s The Institute. King is no stranger to takes of gifted children and malevolent government projects, but he keeps it fresh with great characters, attention to detail and just plain riveting storytelling.
September 27: Sham Comics from Source Point Press. Old stories, new words. Sometimes a little too “blue” in its gags, but this ongoing title makes me laugh. I like laughing.
September 28: CBS’s Evil hit the right balance of human evil versus the possibly supernatural. So creepy good with great performances by Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Kurt Fuller and the amazing Michael Emerson. I’m all in on this new series.
September 29: Harryhausen The Lost Movies by John Walsh. Incredible movies that never got made mixed with some films Harryhausen turned down for good reason. A bittersweet “what if” collection that every Harryhausen fan should read.
September 30: My friend Thom Zahler’s Love and Capes is returning. The super-hero situation comedy is one of my favorites. I’m so glad it’s coming back I’m not even waiting for the trade.
That’s all for today. I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
Monday, September 23, 2019
TONY ISABELLA'S AUTHENTIC BLACK LIGHTNING GROUP
Black Lightning fans. I've just launched TONY ISABELLA'S AUTHENTIC BLACK LIGHTNING GROUP on Facebook.
This group is dedicated to authentic portrayals of Black Lightning,
the iconic super-hero created by Tony Isabella. At present, you can only
find authentic portrayals of Black Lightning in Tony’s comics stories
and the TV series airing on the CW. This doesn’t mean the group won’t
discuss other aspects of the character, but the focus will always be on
the portrayals noted above.
While we develop our membership rules, no one will be booted from the list except in extreme circumstances. However, posts that are deemed inappropriate will be deleted by our administrators.
Keep watching for posts from Tony and the administrators. We hope to add material daily. Thanks for joining.
To join the group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/389785221733976/
Friday, September 20, 2019
SO MANY TOPICS, SO LITTLE TIME
I can’t believe how crazy busy I have been this week. We celebrated my wondrous daughter Kelly’s birthday Monday evening. Tuesday, I drove to downtown Cleveland’s Idea Center to be interviewed for a forthcoming documentary/podcast. On Wednesday, my first Last Kiss gag was posted. Thursday was all about writing columns and getting ready for Flaming River Con. Today will be more of the same.
REMINDER: Flaming River Con 2019 is Saturday, September 21, from 10 am to 6 pm in the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Library’s main branch, 525 Superior Avenue. This is the second annual edition of the Midwest’s first LGBTQIA+ queer geek convention. At noon, I will be on a panel about “Masculinity in Comic Book Media. That evening, I’m doing a meet-and-greet at the Side Quest, 17900 Detroit Ave in nearby Lakewood Ohio. I’ll be at this on-its-way-to-being-legendary geek bar from 8-10 pm or thereabouts.
There are a whole bunch of topics I want to write about, with none of my thoughts being extensive enough for an entire bloggy thing on their own. Thus, for the next few days, I’ll be writing multi-topic bloggy things. We begin...
My last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale was a huge success. I set myself a more ambitious sales goal than usual and, when all the sales were added up, I had achieved 106% of that goal.
I sold thirty $10 mystery boxes and had people emailing me after my sales asking if I had any left over. I sold all but one collectible phone. The one that didn’t sell was a spiffy Enterprise phone and I’m amazed it didn’t sell.
The hardcovers and trade paperbacks were priced to sell; only six remained at the end of the sale. I had eight short boxes of quarter comic books and more than half of those books sold. I sold several Isabella-written books and related posters.
I had great conversations with many friends new and old, including a fan from Australia. Finally, someone to geek out with over Frew Phantom comics and British comics weeklies. I even did a cameo for a local filmmaker. My Oscar, please.
Breaking down the garage sale went faster than ever before. By the next day, Saintly Wife Barb could again park her car in the garage. Half the garage is set up with tables so I can start preparing for my 2020 garage sales throughout the fall, winter and early spring. Tina Fe (my Hyundai Santa Fe SUV) will remain in the driveway, but she’s a feisty lady who has proven she can take it.
One big lesson I learned was...don’t waste any more money running ads in the Medina Gazette. I spent nearly a hundred bucks on my ad for this sale and didn’t get a single customer for my dough. I’ll do fine sticking to Craig’s List, Facebook, Twitter and the local Next Door message board. I might also see if I can put notices on community billboards at some of the local supermarkets.
In related news, we may be down to one Fortress of Storage unit by the end of the month. Barb and our neighbor Sue were the Amazons of consolidation. Only a few items remain in the second of our units. I hope to empty the remaining unit in early 2020.
To all my garage sale customers, thank you for coming to my sales. I hope to thrill you anew next year.
Marvel Comics has reprinted some of my horror-oriented stories in the massive 1328-page Marvel Horror Omnibus [$150, but you can get it much cheaper at InStock Trades]. This collection thrills me on account of, for the first time, it reprints all four of my It! The Living Colossus tales. It collects my Living Mummy run as well as what was supposed to be the Simon Garth Zombir finale by Chris Claremont and myself. I haven’t gone through this tremendous tome from start to finish yet, but there are probably other stories I worked on during my time as editor of various Marvel black-and-white magazines.
A few days after I received the above book, I received another comp copy from Marvel: X-Men Epic Collection: It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn [$39.99]. I have one story in this one, an Incredible Hulk battle with the Juggernaut I scripted pretty much overnight from a plot by Steve Englehart when the usually prolific Steve was running behind on his deadlines. My reaction to seeing the issue again was a mix of amazement and nostalgia that there was a time in my life when I could write a comic book overnight and show up at the office the next morning.
Even beyond the paychecks, I’m thrilled whenever Marvel reprints my old stories or asks me to write introductions or even invites me to premieres. While it’s true that Marvel hasn’t asked me to write any new comic books of late, I feel happy whenever I have dealings with them. I feel respected by the Marvel folks. I never have to chase them for money. Indeed, often the first I know Marvel is reprinting my old comics is when I receive a check for it and a complimentary copy. Marvel makes me feel like part of its legacy. Yes, it’s good business practice for them, but, in my experience, it’s a sincere reflection of how they honor creators past and present.
Variant covers. That’s a topic that comes up occasionally when I’m talking to fans and friends. Older fans tend to hate them a whole lot. Younger fans seem to take them as a given.
I’m on the fence. When variant covers are clever or truly special, I get a kick out of them. Examples that leap to mind are when Neal Adams redrew several of his classic DC Comics covers with different characters, or when Marvel published covers with great cosplayers on them. I loved all of those covers.
On a personal professional level, I was sorely disappointed when I learned Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands would only be granted one variant cover during its six-issue run. Since variant covers would have helped us sell more copies of each issue, I was surprised by this DC Comics decision. Most of their titles have variant covers every issue. It was only when I learned DC had already planned to its own out-of-character thing with Black Lightning that I saw the why of that solitary variant cover.
That still bugs me. I had wanted to do at least one variant cover each issue. I wanted to see former Black Lightning artists Trevor von Eeden and Eddy Newell each do covers. I wanted to see variant covers by artists who’d never or rarely drawn Black Lightning, top artists like the afore-mentioned Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz. I wanted to see some of today’s multi-media artists do covers and, yes, I would have been thrilled to see a Black Lightning cosplayer on a cover. Alas, these weren’t my decisions to make.
From a personal fan level, I’m puzzled by how many variant covers are being done and how decidedly not special so many of them are. I’m astonished by how many variant covers Marvel and other outfits do for “important” issues. For every delightful variant Bettie Page or Elvira cover I see from Dynamite, I see scores of lesser covers. As an industry outsider, this makes me curious.
So I’m reaching out to those who make the variant covers decisions to shine a light on how they make those decisions. Why does this issue get a variant or multiple variant covers and not that other one? How do you decide which artists will do these variant covers? Do they have a positive effect on sales? If you wish to answer my questions but don’t want to do so publicly, you can respond to me via e-mail and your identity will remain confidential.
Fans? I suspect you’ll want to weigh in on these questions as well. You’re welcome to do so. I’ll include the best responses when I revisit this topic.
One last thought. I would love to see some collections of variant covers in comic-book format. I would have bought collections of the Marvel cosplay covers, those Neal Adams covers, the covers teaming super-heroes with cartoon characters, the Bettie Page and Elvira covers and so many others. Consider that a request from a old fan who buys an alarming number of comic books every month. Why do you think I have a vast accumulation of stuff?
I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
REMINDER: Flaming River Con 2019 is Saturday, September 21, from 10 am to 6 pm in the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Library’s main branch, 525 Superior Avenue. This is the second annual edition of the Midwest’s first LGBTQIA+ queer geek convention. At noon, I will be on a panel about “Masculinity in Comic Book Media. That evening, I’m doing a meet-and-greet at the Side Quest, 17900 Detroit Ave in nearby Lakewood Ohio. I’ll be at this on-its-way-to-being-legendary geek bar from 8-10 pm or thereabouts.
There are a whole bunch of topics I want to write about, with none of my thoughts being extensive enough for an entire bloggy thing on their own. Thus, for the next few days, I’ll be writing multi-topic bloggy things. We begin...
My last Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale was a huge success. I set myself a more ambitious sales goal than usual and, when all the sales were added up, I had achieved 106% of that goal.
I sold thirty $10 mystery boxes and had people emailing me after my sales asking if I had any left over. I sold all but one collectible phone. The one that didn’t sell was a spiffy Enterprise phone and I’m amazed it didn’t sell.
The hardcovers and trade paperbacks were priced to sell; only six remained at the end of the sale. I had eight short boxes of quarter comic books and more than half of those books sold. I sold several Isabella-written books and related posters.
I had great conversations with many friends new and old, including a fan from Australia. Finally, someone to geek out with over Frew Phantom comics and British comics weeklies. I even did a cameo for a local filmmaker. My Oscar, please.
Breaking down the garage sale went faster than ever before. By the next day, Saintly Wife Barb could again park her car in the garage. Half the garage is set up with tables so I can start preparing for my 2020 garage sales throughout the fall, winter and early spring. Tina Fe (my Hyundai Santa Fe SUV) will remain in the driveway, but she’s a feisty lady who has proven she can take it.
One big lesson I learned was...don’t waste any more money running ads in the Medina Gazette. I spent nearly a hundred bucks on my ad for this sale and didn’t get a single customer for my dough. I’ll do fine sticking to Craig’s List, Facebook, Twitter and the local Next Door message board. I might also see if I can put notices on community billboards at some of the local supermarkets.
In related news, we may be down to one Fortress of Storage unit by the end of the month. Barb and our neighbor Sue were the Amazons of consolidation. Only a few items remain in the second of our units. I hope to empty the remaining unit in early 2020.
To all my garage sale customers, thank you for coming to my sales. I hope to thrill you anew next year.
Marvel Comics has reprinted some of my horror-oriented stories in the massive 1328-page Marvel Horror Omnibus [$150, but you can get it much cheaper at InStock Trades]. This collection thrills me on account of, for the first time, it reprints all four of my It! The Living Colossus tales. It collects my Living Mummy run as well as what was supposed to be the Simon Garth Zombir finale by Chris Claremont and myself. I haven’t gone through this tremendous tome from start to finish yet, but there are probably other stories I worked on during my time as editor of various Marvel black-and-white magazines.
A few days after I received the above book, I received another comp copy from Marvel: X-Men Epic Collection: It's Always Darkest Before the Dawn [$39.99]. I have one story in this one, an Incredible Hulk battle with the Juggernaut I scripted pretty much overnight from a plot by Steve Englehart when the usually prolific Steve was running behind on his deadlines. My reaction to seeing the issue again was a mix of amazement and nostalgia that there was a time in my life when I could write a comic book overnight and show up at the office the next morning.
Even beyond the paychecks, I’m thrilled whenever Marvel reprints my old stories or asks me to write introductions or even invites me to premieres. While it’s true that Marvel hasn’t asked me to write any new comic books of late, I feel happy whenever I have dealings with them. I feel respected by the Marvel folks. I never have to chase them for money. Indeed, often the first I know Marvel is reprinting my old comics is when I receive a check for it and a complimentary copy. Marvel makes me feel like part of its legacy. Yes, it’s good business practice for them, but, in my experience, it’s a sincere reflection of how they honor creators past and present.
Variant covers. That’s a topic that comes up occasionally when I’m talking to fans and friends. Older fans tend to hate them a whole lot. Younger fans seem to take them as a given.
I’m on the fence. When variant covers are clever or truly special, I get a kick out of them. Examples that leap to mind are when Neal Adams redrew several of his classic DC Comics covers with different characters, or when Marvel published covers with great cosplayers on them. I loved all of those covers.
On a personal professional level, I was sorely disappointed when I learned Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands would only be granted one variant cover during its six-issue run. Since variant covers would have helped us sell more copies of each issue, I was surprised by this DC Comics decision. Most of their titles have variant covers every issue. It was only when I learned DC had already planned to its own out-of-character thing with Black Lightning that I saw the why of that solitary variant cover.
That still bugs me. I had wanted to do at least one variant cover each issue. I wanted to see former Black Lightning artists Trevor von Eeden and Eddy Newell each do covers. I wanted to see variant covers by artists who’d never or rarely drawn Black Lightning, top artists like the afore-mentioned Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz. I wanted to see some of today’s multi-media artists do covers and, yes, I would have been thrilled to see a Black Lightning cosplayer on a cover. Alas, these weren’t my decisions to make.
From a personal fan level, I’m puzzled by how many variant covers are being done and how decidedly not special so many of them are. I’m astonished by how many variant covers Marvel and other outfits do for “important” issues. For every delightful variant Bettie Page or Elvira cover I see from Dynamite, I see scores of lesser covers. As an industry outsider, this makes me curious.
So I’m reaching out to those who make the variant covers decisions to shine a light on how they make those decisions. Why does this issue get a variant or multiple variant covers and not that other one? How do you decide which artists will do these variant covers? Do they have a positive effect on sales? If you wish to answer my questions but don’t want to do so publicly, you can respond to me via e-mail and your identity will remain confidential.
Fans? I suspect you’ll want to weigh in on these questions as well. You’re welcome to do so. I’ll include the best responses when I revisit this topic.
One last thought. I would love to see some collections of variant covers in comic-book format. I would have bought collections of the Marvel cosplay covers, those Neal Adams covers, the covers teaming super-heroes with cartoon characters, the Bettie Page and Elvira covers and so many others. Consider that a request from a old fan who buys an alarming number of comic books every month. Why do you think I have a vast accumulation of stuff?
I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
Monday, September 16, 2019
TONY'S TIPS #315
This week in TONY'S TIPS at Tales of Wonder...I write about how I read DC and Marvel super-hero comics and review Superman Year One #1 by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.; MAD magazine #9; and the Tammy & Jinty Special 2019, a modern take on the classic British girls weeklies.
FLAMING RIVER CON 2019 (9/21/19)
Flaming River Con 2019 takes place on Saturday, September 21, from 10 am to 6 pm in the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Library’s main branch, 525 Superior Avenue. This is the second annual edition of the Midwest’s first LGBTQIA+ queer geek convention. Founded by Brittney Orcutt, this event focuses on “queer vendors, art, comics books, zines, podcasts, panels, and workshops.”
I attended, albeit briefly, last year’s inaugural event because I wanted to show my support for the LGBTQIA+ comics community. I was warmly received by everyone I spoke to, including a touching shout-out from one of the panels. This year, I wanted to contribute to the convention in a somewhat larger role. We’ll get to that a bit down the line.
Flaming River Con is a family-friendly event. It’s free to attend, though the convention suggests a $7 donation to help finance this and other related events during the year. The library is completely accessible for all.
A recent article on the convention quoted Orcutt: “This year’s con is going to be bigger and queerer than ever. We feel very honored to spotlight our more marginalized persons within geek and LGBTQIA+ communities.”
The convention will be spread out over three floors. Not to worry. There are three elevators and stairs. I’m not sure if levitation is permitted in the library.
The lower level auditorium will host eight presentations. I’ll be appearing on a “Masculinity in Comic Book Media” panel from noon to 12.45 pm. The panel will feature Flaming River Arts Vice President Logan Dorado and be moderated by Cyrano Patton. Here’s some stuff I borrowed from the convention’s Facebook page.
Through the lenses of creator and consumer, respectively, the two will discuss the negative repercussions of toxic masculinity in the comic book world, how representations of different types of masculinity can reframe the popular narrative and what both artists and readers can do to reshape the culture they have immersed themselves in.
Logan Dorado (he/him pronouns) is a queer Filipino-American currently residing in Lakewood, Ohio. Dorado holds a Bachelor of Special Studies in Gender & Sexuality and Creative Writing from Cornell College. In his spare time, he draws comics, is vice president of Flaming River Arts and enjoys debating the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Cyrano Patton is a Queer n.b. licensed clinical psychologist in NY and CA and a founding member and director of Flaming River Arts. They currently reside in California, where they are a professor of psychology and private practitioner.
Not for the first time, I’ll be the dumbest, most clueless person on a panel. Such is my lot.
Other auditorium panels/presentations will include Drag Queen Story Time; Comics and the Clinic: History of the Comic Book and Mental Health; Afrofuturism 2.0; Children of the Night and Other Bloodsuckers: Coded Queer Representation of LGBTQ+ Folx in Vampire Cinema; LGBTQ+ Graphic Memoir: Book Recommendations and Interactive Writing and Drawing Exercises; Cosplaying While Black; and the Cosplay Contest. I’ll be one of the judges for the cosplay contest. During the day, there will also be photo ops with the cosplayers of Heroes Unites in the auditorium area.
The street entrance first floor will have non-profit tables and the games room. Presentations in the latter: Basic Figure Drawing; D&D 101; Jeopardy! Spongebob Squarepants Edition; and Versus in 30: Speed Drawing Game. There will also be demos by the Null Space Burritos.
The second floor will hold the vendor hall, panel rooms 1 and 2, and a quiet room. I assume the quiet room is where they’ll send me if I get too rambunctious.
The vendor hall features 53 different vendors from My Baby Hippo to Northcoast Softball. While I recognize the names of some artists, most of these vendors are new to me...which means I’ll have great fun checking out what they’re all about.
The panel rooms have a dozen presentations scheduled. In the first room: Voice and Body Acting for Table Top RPGs; Towards a Typology of Queerbaiting; The Science of Pokemon Presents: Real World Pokemon; Name Change Clinic with TransOhio; Asian Representation in Geek Culture; and Games: Gender Diversity, Troubleshooting, and Difficult Players, Oh My! In the second room: OhioSMART presents: The Flaming River CONsent Panel; Screenwriting 101; Working with Crystals: The Basics and Techniques; Coping at the Con: Managing Mental Illness; Shameless Self-Promotion Superpowers with Ken Schneck; and Crash Course: Competative Battling in Pokemon.
Most of the above information comes from my liberally borrowing the information from the Facebook page and website. This convention is not my typical venue. While I can’t describe it as well as I would like, I am excited to be part of it. I hope you’ll check out this event for yourself.
One more thing. As my regular readers know, I usually charge for my signature at conventions. That won’t be the case here. If you have something for me to sign and can find somewhere for me to sit and sign it, said signature is free. Sure, I would love for you to make a donation to the convention or some related charity/organization, but that’s not required.
Saturday evening, the convention will have a meet-and-greet at the Side Quest, located at 17900 Detroit Ave in nearby Lakewood Ohio. I’ll be there from 8-10 pm or thereabouts.
From the Side Quest’s Facebook page:
The Side Quest is Lakewood's Geek Bar, we are the bar that celebrates pop and geek culture best. The Side Quest is place for everyone, no matter how nerdy, to enjoy the things they love while having a few great craft beers with friends. With an extensive selection of ciders, meads and geeky cocktails, there is something for everyone.
The Side Quest focuses on all things geek & beer. Theme Nights, Geeks Who Drink Trivia, Lectures, Dungeons & Dragons, Board Games and Live Television Programing are common events.
The Side Quest is a 21+ Venue.
As you’ve probably figured out, I’m truly excited to be part of the Flaming River Con. I hope to see many of my local fans and friends there. We’ll have a blast.
That’s all I have for today, but, as always, I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
I attended, albeit briefly, last year’s inaugural event because I wanted to show my support for the LGBTQIA+ comics community. I was warmly received by everyone I spoke to, including a touching shout-out from one of the panels. This year, I wanted to contribute to the convention in a somewhat larger role. We’ll get to that a bit down the line.
Flaming River Con is a family-friendly event. It’s free to attend, though the convention suggests a $7 donation to help finance this and other related events during the year. The library is completely accessible for all.
A recent article on the convention quoted Orcutt: “This year’s con is going to be bigger and queerer than ever. We feel very honored to spotlight our more marginalized persons within geek and LGBTQIA+ communities.”
The convention will be spread out over three floors. Not to worry. There are three elevators and stairs. I’m not sure if levitation is permitted in the library.
The lower level auditorium will host eight presentations. I’ll be appearing on a “Masculinity in Comic Book Media” panel from noon to 12.45 pm. The panel will feature Flaming River Arts Vice President Logan Dorado and be moderated by Cyrano Patton. Here’s some stuff I borrowed from the convention’s Facebook page.
Through the lenses of creator and consumer, respectively, the two will discuss the negative repercussions of toxic masculinity in the comic book world, how representations of different types of masculinity can reframe the popular narrative and what both artists and readers can do to reshape the culture they have immersed themselves in.
Logan Dorado (he/him pronouns) is a queer Filipino-American currently residing in Lakewood, Ohio. Dorado holds a Bachelor of Special Studies in Gender & Sexuality and Creative Writing from Cornell College. In his spare time, he draws comics, is vice president of Flaming River Arts and enjoys debating the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Cyrano Patton is a Queer n.b. licensed clinical psychologist in NY and CA and a founding member and director of Flaming River Arts. They currently reside in California, where they are a professor of psychology and private practitioner.
Not for the first time, I’ll be the dumbest, most clueless person on a panel. Such is my lot.
Other auditorium panels/presentations will include Drag Queen Story Time; Comics and the Clinic: History of the Comic Book and Mental Health; Afrofuturism 2.0; Children of the Night and Other Bloodsuckers: Coded Queer Representation of LGBTQ+ Folx in Vampire Cinema; LGBTQ+ Graphic Memoir: Book Recommendations and Interactive Writing and Drawing Exercises; Cosplaying While Black; and the Cosplay Contest. I’ll be one of the judges for the cosplay contest. During the day, there will also be photo ops with the cosplayers of Heroes Unites in the auditorium area.
The street entrance first floor will have non-profit tables and the games room. Presentations in the latter: Basic Figure Drawing; D&D 101; Jeopardy! Spongebob Squarepants Edition; and Versus in 30: Speed Drawing Game. There will also be demos by the Null Space Burritos.
The second floor will hold the vendor hall, panel rooms 1 and 2, and a quiet room. I assume the quiet room is where they’ll send me if I get too rambunctious.
The vendor hall features 53 different vendors from My Baby Hippo to Northcoast Softball. While I recognize the names of some artists, most of these vendors are new to me...which means I’ll have great fun checking out what they’re all about.
The panel rooms have a dozen presentations scheduled. In the first room: Voice and Body Acting for Table Top RPGs; Towards a Typology of Queerbaiting; The Science of Pokemon Presents: Real World Pokemon; Name Change Clinic with TransOhio; Asian Representation in Geek Culture; and Games: Gender Diversity, Troubleshooting, and Difficult Players, Oh My! In the second room: OhioSMART presents: The Flaming River CONsent Panel; Screenwriting 101; Working with Crystals: The Basics and Techniques; Coping at the Con: Managing Mental Illness; Shameless Self-Promotion Superpowers with Ken Schneck; and Crash Course: Competative Battling in Pokemon.
Most of the above information comes from my liberally borrowing the information from the Facebook page and website. This convention is not my typical venue. While I can’t describe it as well as I would like, I am excited to be part of it. I hope you’ll check out this event for yourself.
One more thing. As my regular readers know, I usually charge for my signature at conventions. That won’t be the case here. If you have something for me to sign and can find somewhere for me to sit and sign it, said signature is free. Sure, I would love for you to make a donation to the convention or some related charity/organization, but that’s not required.
Saturday evening, the convention will have a meet-and-greet at the Side Quest, located at 17900 Detroit Ave in nearby Lakewood Ohio. I’ll be there from 8-10 pm or thereabouts.
From the Side Quest’s Facebook page:
The Side Quest is Lakewood's Geek Bar, we are the bar that celebrates pop and geek culture best. The Side Quest is place for everyone, no matter how nerdy, to enjoy the things they love while having a few great craft beers with friends. With an extensive selection of ciders, meads and geeky cocktails, there is something for everyone.
The Side Quest focuses on all things geek & beer. Theme Nights, Geeks Who Drink Trivia, Lectures, Dungeons & Dragons, Board Games and Live Television Programing are common events.
The Side Quest is a 21+ Venue.
As you’ve probably figured out, I’m truly excited to be part of the Flaming River Con. I hope to see many of my local fans and friends there. We’ll have a blast.
That’s all I have for today, but, as always, I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
Sunday, September 15, 2019
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2019 REVIEWS #10
What Has Gone Before:
I’m reading and reviewing the Free Comic Book Day comic books sent to me by my pals at Stormwatch Comics in West Berlin, New Jersey. When I read and review FCBD comics, I look at three areas.
QUALITY: Is the material worthwhile?
ACCESSIBILITY: Is the material presented in such a way that someone coming to it for the first time can follow it?
SALESMANSHIP: After reading the FCBD offering, would someone want and be able to buy more of the same?
I score FCBD offerings on a scale of zero to ten. Each category is worth three points with the tenth point coming from my interest in seeing more of what’s ever in the book.
Street Fighter: Sakura Vs. Karin #1 [Udon Entertainment/Capcom] presents a 20-page story of two young women battling each other via a video game and then physical combat. It’s tied into some video game, but it has lively characters and “fight” scenes. There is a sub-plot involving one of the young ladies trying to prove herself to her father and an ending which was doubtless hilarious to those who know the game and such.
QUALITY: Good. This isn’t a comic book I would seek out again, but I think those who enjoy the combination of comics and video games will find it entertaining.
ACCESSIBILITY: Okay. I could follow the story, but I never felt I had a firm grasp on its world.
SALESMANSHIP: Decent. While there’s no information on where to find more Sakura/Karin adventures, there are several pages of house ads for other Street Fighter and Udon comic books.
SCORE: Seven points out of a possible ten points.
My Hero Academia [Viz Media] features two stories. The first story is an excerpt from My Hero Academia Volume 14 by Kohei Horikoshi. It is set in a world where 80% of the human population has super-powers and those who would be heroes go to a special school where they can learn to use their powers. The second story presents the opening of The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai (story) and Posuka Demizu. That one involves a mysterious orphanage that seemingly treats its young charges well, but which also seems to have a dark side.
QUALITY: The My Hero Academia excerpt is little more than a yawn-inducing fight scene with a tiny dollop of characterization. The Promised Neverland excerpt is better written and drawn with a nice build to its mystery. I’d be far more likely to follow this manga series over the other one.
ACCESSIBILITY: Okay. There’s a house ad between the two stories in which some vital information is provided.
SALESMANSHIP: Good. Readers are directed to where they can follow the two series showcase in this issue. There is also a back cover house ad that includes four other series.
SCORE: Seven points out of a possible ten points.
Vampirella Vol. 5 Issue #0 [Dynamite] opens with several pages of a new Vampirella series written by Christopher Priest with art by Ergun Gunduz. The second story is a Vampirella reprint from 1993, written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Arthur Adams.
QUALITY: As I’ve tried to explain in the past, sometimes, though I recognize the quality of writing and art, the story itself doesn’t do anything for me. That’s the case with the first Vampirella tale in the issue. As for the reprint, well, Busiek wasn’t at his best here and the art made the characters look like they were all five feet tall tops. It just didn’t work for me.
ACCESSIBILITY: I felt lost while reading the first story. I needed more information to get into that world. I could follow the second story much better.
SALESMANSHIP: Excellent. Lots of house ads for Vampirella and Red Sonja projects. I’m trying to catch up on Red Sonja, but, much as I like the character, there are so many books. From time to time,
I feel the same way about Vampirella, but I’ve yet to read a modern Vampirella story that hooks me.
SCORE: Four points out of a possible ten points.
Zagor the Alien Saga [Epicenter Comics] features a 30-page excerpt from the full graphic novel of that name. Zagor is a character I’ve only recently discovered; he is an adventure hero in the mold of Tarzan whose adventures - crime, horror, science fiction are set in the western world in the first half of the 19th century. Written by Guida Nolitta and drawn by Gallieno Ferri, this particular graphic album involves invaders from outer space who have allied themselves with Zagor’s deadliest and most persistent enemy.
QUALITY: First-rate. The writing, the characters, the situations, the art are all terrific.
ACCESSIBILITY: Also first-rate. Between the inside front cover and the story itself, a new reader will learn everything they need to enjoy this excerpt.
SALESMANSHIP: Readers are directed to the full graphic novel at the end of the excerpt. A back cover ad shows the covers and titles of all available Zagor graphic albums.
SCORE: Ten points out of a possible ten points.
Blastosaurus Annual #1 [Golden Apple Books] has a trio of connected stories about an evil-fighting dinosaur who wears a suit and tie. His origins are unknown. These crazy, incredibly entertaining tales are written by Richard Fairgray and Paul Eiding with lively art by Fairgray. I loved them.
QUALITY: I probably gave it away in the above paragraph, but these 22 pages of stories have top-notch writing and art.
ACCESSIBILITY: I was able to get into these stories and their world with no difficulty whatsoever.
SALESMANSHIP: There’s a front cover editorial that defines Golden Apple Books’ mission statements. There are house ads directing the reader to more Blastosaurus and to Adventure Van, a second series from Fairgray and this publisher.
SCORE: Ten points out of a possible ten points.
******************************
I’m moving right along on my quest to read and review all of this year’s Free Comic Book Day comic books before the 2019 Halloween ComicFest issues arrive. With just nine more comics to go, I think I’m in good shape.
I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
I’m reading and reviewing the Free Comic Book Day comic books sent to me by my pals at Stormwatch Comics in West Berlin, New Jersey. When I read and review FCBD comics, I look at three areas.
QUALITY: Is the material worthwhile?
ACCESSIBILITY: Is the material presented in such a way that someone coming to it for the first time can follow it?
SALESMANSHIP: After reading the FCBD offering, would someone want and be able to buy more of the same?
I score FCBD offerings on a scale of zero to ten. Each category is worth three points with the tenth point coming from my interest in seeing more of what’s ever in the book.
Street Fighter: Sakura Vs. Karin #1 [Udon Entertainment/Capcom] presents a 20-page story of two young women battling each other via a video game and then physical combat. It’s tied into some video game, but it has lively characters and “fight” scenes. There is a sub-plot involving one of the young ladies trying to prove herself to her father and an ending which was doubtless hilarious to those who know the game and such.
QUALITY: Good. This isn’t a comic book I would seek out again, but I think those who enjoy the combination of comics and video games will find it entertaining.
ACCESSIBILITY: Okay. I could follow the story, but I never felt I had a firm grasp on its world.
SALESMANSHIP: Decent. While there’s no information on where to find more Sakura/Karin adventures, there are several pages of house ads for other Street Fighter and Udon comic books.
SCORE: Seven points out of a possible ten points.
My Hero Academia [Viz Media] features two stories. The first story is an excerpt from My Hero Academia Volume 14 by Kohei Horikoshi. It is set in a world where 80% of the human population has super-powers and those who would be heroes go to a special school where they can learn to use their powers. The second story presents the opening of The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai (story) and Posuka Demizu. That one involves a mysterious orphanage that seemingly treats its young charges well, but which also seems to have a dark side.
QUALITY: The My Hero Academia excerpt is little more than a yawn-inducing fight scene with a tiny dollop of characterization. The Promised Neverland excerpt is better written and drawn with a nice build to its mystery. I’d be far more likely to follow this manga series over the other one.
ACCESSIBILITY: Okay. There’s a house ad between the two stories in which some vital information is provided.
SALESMANSHIP: Good. Readers are directed to where they can follow the two series showcase in this issue. There is also a back cover house ad that includes four other series.
SCORE: Seven points out of a possible ten points.
Vampirella Vol. 5 Issue #0 [Dynamite] opens with several pages of a new Vampirella series written by Christopher Priest with art by Ergun Gunduz. The second story is a Vampirella reprint from 1993, written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Arthur Adams.
QUALITY: As I’ve tried to explain in the past, sometimes, though I recognize the quality of writing and art, the story itself doesn’t do anything for me. That’s the case with the first Vampirella tale in the issue. As for the reprint, well, Busiek wasn’t at his best here and the art made the characters look like they were all five feet tall tops. It just didn’t work for me.
ACCESSIBILITY: I felt lost while reading the first story. I needed more information to get into that world. I could follow the second story much better.
SALESMANSHIP: Excellent. Lots of house ads for Vampirella and Red Sonja projects. I’m trying to catch up on Red Sonja, but, much as I like the character, there are so many books. From time to time,
I feel the same way about Vampirella, but I’ve yet to read a modern Vampirella story that hooks me.
SCORE: Four points out of a possible ten points.
Zagor the Alien Saga [Epicenter Comics] features a 30-page excerpt from the full graphic novel of that name. Zagor is a character I’ve only recently discovered; he is an adventure hero in the mold of Tarzan whose adventures - crime, horror, science fiction are set in the western world in the first half of the 19th century. Written by Guida Nolitta and drawn by Gallieno Ferri, this particular graphic album involves invaders from outer space who have allied themselves with Zagor’s deadliest and most persistent enemy.
QUALITY: First-rate. The writing, the characters, the situations, the art are all terrific.
ACCESSIBILITY: Also first-rate. Between the inside front cover and the story itself, a new reader will learn everything they need to enjoy this excerpt.
SALESMANSHIP: Readers are directed to the full graphic novel at the end of the excerpt. A back cover ad shows the covers and titles of all available Zagor graphic albums.
SCORE: Ten points out of a possible ten points.
Blastosaurus Annual #1 [Golden Apple Books] has a trio of connected stories about an evil-fighting dinosaur who wears a suit and tie. His origins are unknown. These crazy, incredibly entertaining tales are written by Richard Fairgray and Paul Eiding with lively art by Fairgray. I loved them.
QUALITY: I probably gave it away in the above paragraph, but these 22 pages of stories have top-notch writing and art.
ACCESSIBILITY: I was able to get into these stories and their world with no difficulty whatsoever.
SALESMANSHIP: There’s a front cover editorial that defines Golden Apple Books’ mission statements. There are house ads directing the reader to more Blastosaurus and to Adventure Van, a second series from Fairgray and this publisher.
SCORE: Ten points out of a possible ten points.
******************************
I’m moving right along on my quest to read and review all of this year’s Free Comic Book Day comic books before the 2019 Halloween ComicFest issues arrive. With just nine more comics to go, I think I’m in good shape.
I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2019 Tony Isabella
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