NEO COMICON 2022 IS COMING!

 

 

Last weekend’s Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales were fairly successful. I achieved around 87% of my two-day goal. That will pay some bills and allow me to invest in some upcoming projects that I want to do. Good news on multiple fronts. With those sales in the rear view mirror, I can look forward to my next public appearance.

NEO Comicon will return to the North Olmsted Soccer Sportsplex at 31515 Lorain Road on Sunday, July 31, from 10 am to 4 pm. This is one of my favorite events, held in a spacious turf floor facility that’s really easy on my feet.

This year’s event will feature over 100 dealer and creator tables, covering 26,000 sq ft. For just $5 admission, you can enjoy comics,  cosplay, action figures, Funko Pops and gaming. The family-friendly
convention supports Elyria's Friendship APL.

                                                                                       

Also supporting that charity will be a special commemorative poster celebrity my fifty years in the comics industry. I was knocked out when the convention surprised me with the news. I’ll let them tell you about it:

 

This year at NEO ComicCon, we're proud to present a new poster which both celebrates the career of one of our favorite guests AND benefits one of our favorite charities!

We asked eight artists to create images from the FIVE DECADE career of Tony Isabella; we picked the characters for which Tony is most well-known, including the iconic Black Lightning.

We assembled their art into a poster, printed the posters and hand- numbered 750 copies. The limited edition posters will be available for a $2 donation and proceeds will go to Friendship APL in Elyria. You'll be able to take your poster to the convention floor and have it signed by the artists themselves, most of whom will be there.  

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! All eight pieces of art will be auctioned individually at the show during our first ever silent auction. This is a great chance to start or add to your art collection, and all proceeds from the auction will also benefit the Friendship APL.

I am honored and humbled by such a wonderful surprise from one of my favorite conventions. If you purchase one of these posters, I’ll sign it for free.

Normally, with the exception of Isabella items purchased from me at NEO Comicon, I charge $10 per item for my signature. That pricing will be in effect for this event, but, as in past years, whatever money I make signing will be donated to the charity.

This year’s NEO guest list is, as usual, amazing:

Jay Fife (pin-up and poster artist)
Matt Horak (cartoonist, designer, comic-book artist whose credits include The Punisher)
Sean Wilson (comic-book writer)
Ted Sikora (comic-book creator and filmmaker, whose Apama is one of my favorites)
Rick Lozano (comic-book art and commissions)
Aaron Archer (illustrator and toy designer)
Dave Nestler (pin-up artist whose covers for Dynamite Comics stand out from others)
Jesse Marks (artist and illustrator)
Emily aka My Asylum (incredible artist)
Gary Dumm (a legendary artist who worked with me on CBG’s “Everett True” cartoons and with Harvey Pekar on American Splendor)
Dan Gorman (artist and illustrator)
Jason Moore (comic-book artist)
Jason Christner (artist for Cryptozoic Entertainment and Upper Deck
and my next-door neighbor at NEO Comicon)
Plus others whose work I don’t know but I’m hoping to learn about during the convention

My tables will be set up at the back of Field 2. If you longed to know what my Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales are like, you can get a glimmer of that wonderment at NEO Comicon. I am bringing as many boxes of dollar comics, magazines, Isabella-written items, older comics, hardcovers and trade paperbacks as I can fit on the two tables I have. The more of this stuff I sell, the more stuff I can add to my next garage sale, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, August 5-6, 9 am to noon at 840 Damon Drive in Medina, Ohio.

That’s the scoop on NEO Comicon, but you’ll find even more details at the convention website. I’m looking forward to the event and to seeing my friends and the fans there.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2022 Tony Isabella

THIS WEEKEND'S GARAGE SALES (July 22-23)

 

I’m working on my next Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales and feeling pretty good about them. They take place at 840 Damon Drive, Medina, Ohio, Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, from 9am to noon. From today through Thursday night, I will be adding books, comics, magazines and collectibles to the sale. I’ll likely continue to add items after the sale on Friday.

I never know exactly what will be available at any of these garage sales, but I’m currently bagging and pricing Batman #178-242. The goal is to have all of these available on Friday, though I may hold back a few key issues for my Facebook page auctions.

My magazine boxes (plural for the first time in ages) will feature issues of G-Fan and other fantasy and science fiction magazines. As I read them this week, I’ll also be adding issues of MAD, Shudder and Vampiress Carmilla. I think these pumped-up magazine boxes are going to please my customers.

I’m hoping to put together at least a half-dozen of my popular $10 mystery boxes. I’ll also be adding new dollar comics, hardcovers, manga volumes, paperbacks and softcovers to my boxes and (for items too large for the boxes) tables.

I have a couple of cool additions to my clothing rack: Sailor Moon bedding and SuperFriends curtains. There are a lot of t-shirts and such on the rack right now and I hope to get a chance to excavate additional articles from my closets. Most of this stuff will have some relation to comic books and such, but I may include some more mundane shirts as well.

I have a tote filled with Godzilla toys, which I may or may not be able to get into this weekend’s garage sales. I’m researching them with the help of friends. I’m going to work hard to get these and other unusual items into the sales as soon as possible.

Time is my enemy because I’m doing all the garage sale preparation on my own. But I am hoping to add more Isabella-written comics and books, and, besides the Batman comics, more older comics. And, if you’ve come to my garage sales, you already know these items have been priced to sell. You will find amazing bargains.

I’ll definitely have the exclusive-to-me reprint of the very first appearance of Misty Knight. When my creation appeared on the Luke Cage TV series, Marvel reprinted that issue as part of the Marvel’s Greatest Creators series. The company also offered me the chance to have a special edition that only I would be selling. It’s limited to 1500 copies and features a cover exclusive to this edition. I’ve been selling these signed and numbered comics for $10 each and was planning to raise that price. However, after seeing how happy fans were to buy this item at Pensacon 2022, Saintly Wife Barb has asked me to keep that ridiculously low price a while longer. I’ll have at least twenty issues available for this weekend’s sales. At shows, I change $10 for my signature. With this special edition, you get an exclusive comic book and my signature.

I’ll try to post updates on the sales during the week. As always, whether you buy Isabella items from me at the sales or bring them from your collection, I’ll sign them for free at my garage sales.

Parking for the garage sales is on Bradley Court and across from my house on Damon Drive. Please take care not to block driveways and mailboxes. There will be signs on my front lawn and a huge banner from a convention on my back porch.

I’m looking forward to see my friends and customers this weekend. Besides making money that helps me cover unexpected expenses and finance future plans, I enjoy chatting with these fine folks and answering their questions about both the comics industry and my half-century working in that industry.

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back soon to tell you more. Thanks for stopping by today.
 
© 2022 Tony Isabella

GODZILLA AND GARAGE SALES

 

 

My son Eddie and I will be hitting the road for Chicago/Rosemont to attend G-FEST XXVII. Due to the pandemic, it’s been two years since there has been a G-Fest. We and the fans (and organizers) of this best of all American Godzilla conventions are thrilled to be able return for another kaiju-size weekend of fun.

G-Fest takes place Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17. There is a new venue for the event this year: the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago, 9300 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018. This will be the first time I’ve been back at the hotel since I used to attend the late great Chicago Comicon. Some fine memories there.

To quote a recent e-mail from G-Fan publisher and G-Fest promoter J.D. Lees:

The special guests this year are Tomoko Ai, Hiroyuki Kawase, and Don Frye. Ms Ai (who played Katsura in Terror of Mechagodzilla) will be paying a return visit to G-FEST. She last attended in 2014, and subsequently joined G-TOUR for an evening dinner cruise in 2015! A great lady! The popular star of Godzilla Final Wars and a multi-winning UFC Champion, Don Frye needs no introduction. Hiroyuki Kawase played Roku-chan in Godzilla vs Megalon and Ken Yano in Godzilla vs Hedorah and then grew up to be a pilot for Japan Airlines, so he should be a very interesting guest.

The movie schedule: Friday night will be Godzilla vs Kong and Saturday night is Terror of Mechagodzilla. The Thursday afternoon double bill will be Godzilla vs the Smog Monster, followed by Godzilla vs Megalon. The Thursday night double bill is a tribute to Akira Takarada with Godzilla (1954) and Godzilla vs the Sea Monster. Tickets for the movies will be available at the box office of the Pickwick Theater prior to each show. Seeing kaiju films in the grand Pickwick Theater on their huge screen is a real treat, even if you've seen them many times before on TV.

With regard to the situation with Covid, in Illinois neither mask nor vaccine mandates are in effect. Therefore, we will be able to stage G-FEST as normal, with the sole exception of the Autograph Room. Currently, our Japanese guests have requested that the room be restricted to masked individuals. No proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test is required. Also, the mask may be removed for photographs if the person wishes. As for Don Frye, he will be situated in the Dealer Room, so that everyone may visit with him all weekend, no mask required.

Back to the convention... there will be opportunities to learn filmmaking, spfx techniques, costume making, model making, sculpting, fiction writing, and Minya's Place geared to young fans. There's also the G-FEST FILM-FEST, an Artist Alley, as well as games, contests, entertainment, camaraderie, and (oh yes) the biggest ever Dealers Room, plus lots of displays and activities. No wonder so many fans and families return to G-FEST year after year.

I’m not doing a presentation at this year’s event, but I do hope to create one for G-Fest XXVIII. In the meantime, I’ve love to meet my Facebook friends who will be attending the convention. Don’t be shy about introducing yourself. If you bring Isabella items which you would like me to sign, there will be no charge for my signature at the convention.

As soon as I return home from G-Fest, I’ll be getting to work on my next Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sale, which will talk place at 840 Damon Drive, Medina, Ohio, Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, from 9am to noon. From sometime Monday through Thursday, I will be adding hundreds of books, comics, magazines and collectibles to the sale. I’ll likely continue to add items after the sale on Friday. I’ll have to say about this sale next Tuesday, but you already know the basic deal on my garage sales. Lots of cool stuff at incredible low prices. And, as always, whether you buy Isabella items from me at the sales or bring them from your collection, I’ll sign them for free. I charge $10 per signature at conventions, so you can safe a bundle by coming to my garage sales.

That’s all for right now, but I’ll be back on Tuesday to tell you more. Thanks for stopping by.
 
© 2022 Tony Isabella

QUEER COMICS

 

This is a perilous time for the LGBTQIA community. Abandoning any pretense of being decent human beings, Republicans are attacking the community, especially trans kids and those who support them. It’s a typical GOP tactic, much in the manner of Ronald Reagan creating the non-existent “welfare queens” and using his creations to heap further abuse on those most in need.

The Supreme Court, having quite improperly taken away the right of a woman to control her own body, has already signaled its intent to abolish same-sex marriage and other human rights. The right-wing SCOTUS judges, who should be impeached and removed from office for lying under oath, are criminals and largely illegitimate. Not that I expect Republicans to be honorable human beings.

The LGBTQIA community needs all the allies it can get. This can be a difficult journey even for those allies, but it’s a noble effort nonetheless. Allies should not beat themselves up because of what they don’t know. Allies should endeavor to educate themselves about the community. The community should cut allies some slack during this process. We’re trying.

Recently, I’ve been reading several graphic novels and manga series with queer themes. As I write about them, please be helpful if I’m getting terms or anything else wrong. Use the comments section to correct me. Here we go...

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe [Oni Press; $17.99] is one of the most challenged books in the United States. This is mostly due to the anti-LGBTQAI rhetoric of the Republican Party and other hate groups. Yes, there are a very few arguably explicit illustrations in this graphic novel. I would agree it’s not for pre-teen readers. I strongly disagree these few scenes should keep it from being available for appropriately-aged readers in either public or school libraries. These handful of scenes don’t negate the educational and psychological value of this memoir.

Kobabe uses e/em/eir pronouns. From the back cover copy:

Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fan fiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

Gender Queer has received an Alex Award from the American Library Association, for "books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18". In was also a finalist for the Stonewall Book Award for non-fiction. Because of these awards, and despite the challenges, the  book has become more widely available in libraries. More than ever, with the LGBTQAI community attacked by bigoted politicians and pseudo-Christians, it’s vital that young people have access to books like this.

ISBN 978-1-5493-0400-2

                                                                             

Call Me Nathan by Catherine Castro and illustrator Quentin Zuttion [SelfMadeHero; $19.99] is a “based on a true story” coming of age graphic novel about a young man assigned female at birth fighting to make his parents accept who he truly is during his transition. Because it’s a fictionalized account, I think it’s more dramatic in its storytelling than Gender Queer.

Gender Queer is the better of the two graphic novels, but Call Me Nathan is less sexual and maybe more suitable for younger readers. Don’t get me wrong. It will still be challenged by those who think any book that tells these stories and offers information that can help younger readers navigate these challenging roads are terrible simply because of their subject. But you can’t worry overmuch when it comes to the willfully bigoted and ignorant.

One of the elements I like here is the interactions between Nathan, his family and his friends as he transitions. It’s his journey, but it accurately shows that it does affect others. Their acceptance of who he is and who e must be is welcoming.

Originally published in French, Call Me Nathan has wonderful art by Zuttion. The storytelling is excellent, the images direct and more than occasionally beautifully ethereal.

Call Me Nathan is entertaining and informative. As the back cover copy states, it “issues a moving call for understanding, a powerful denunciation of prejudice, and a celebration of everything it means to love.” I recommend it to all, especially those buying books for public and school libraries.

ISBN 978-1914224010

                                                                                

                                                                               

Though based on real life, Gender Queer and Call Me Nathan are both excellent stories. But let’s switch to a non-fiction graphic novel meant to be an introduction to the LGBTQAI world.

A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by author/artists Mady G. and Jules Zuckerberg [Limerence Press; $9.99] was published in 2019. Available on Kindle and Comixology, it’s otherwise out of print. Paperback editions can be found on the secondary market for $9 and up and, possibly, from your local library system. That’s how I got the copy I read. From the Amazon come-on:

A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys! In this quick and easy guide to queer and trans identities, cartoonists Mady G and Jules Zuckerberg guide you through the basics of the LGBT+ world! Covering essential topics like sexuality, gender identity, coming out, and navigating relationships, this guide explains the spectrum of human experience through informative comics, interviews, worksheets, and imaginative examples. A great starting point for anyone curious about queer and trans life, and helpful for those already on their own journeys!      

I was looking forward to this book, but my interest withered as I saw how the authors decided to present this information. A cartoon snail and some magical forest creatures. This approach obscured the
quick and easy guide I was hoping for. This isn’t the guide I was looking for.

ISBN 978-1-62010-586-3

I’ll be returning to the “queer comics” subject soon with thoughts on a trio of some fictional stories. In the meantime, keep watching the bloggy thing for more news, views and reviews.

© 2022 Tony Isabella

NO GARAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND

 NO GARAGE SALES THIS WEEKEND! Chalk it up to illness and other issues.

INDEPENDENCE DAY?

 

 

I am not celebrating Independence Day. Does this look like America to you? Or does it look more like a white supremacist country where the criminal treasonous Republican Party subverts the will of the majority of its citizens with its big lies and incessant attacks on our most at-risk brothers and sisters.

When Trump dies in prison, when his fellow traitors are sitting in prison waiting to die, that’s when I’ll start celebrating the birth of our country again.

Until then, the fourth of July is just another day.

© 2022 Tony Isabella

TONY TAKES THE COLBERT QUESTIONERT

 

 

Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and my future dear friend, does a regular segment on his show wherein he strives to know his famous guests better by asking them questions scientifically prepared by his research team towards that purpose. Since it’s a sure thing Colbert would want to be my friend if only he knew me, I figured I’d move things closer to that friendship by answering those questions.

BEST SANDWICH?  

Scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese on a sesame-seed bagel.

WHAT'S ONE THING YOU OWN THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD THROW OUT?

The collection of classical music albums I subscribed to when I was making really good money owning and running a comics store. If I could name two things, it would be the set of encyclopedia I bought at the same time.

WHAT IS THE SCARIEST ANIMAL?

Republican judges and politicians.

APPLES OR ORANGES?

Oranges.

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED SOMEONE FOR THEIR AUTOGRAPH?

Yes.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

In my case, I’ll become a vengeful spirit who will make the Spectre look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. My divine mission will be to deal with those scariest animals I mentioned above. Enjoy your new life as a turtle, Mitch McConnell.

FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE?

Sharknado.

FAVORITE SMELL?

Mountain breezes.

LEAST FAVORITE SMELL?

Corrupt politicians.

EXERCISE: WORTH IT?

Yes. I wish I had the drive to do it.

FLAT OR SPARKLING?

Sparkling.

MOST USED APP ON YOUR PHONE?

Clock.

YOU GET ONE SONG TO LISTEN TO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE: WHAT IS IT?

Don’t Stop Believing.

WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF?

1963.

DESCRIBE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN 5 WORDS?

I inspire future generations positively.

There you have it, Stephen Colbert. Now that you know me better, I await your invitation to come to New York to hang out with you and the band. I’ll even reread the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or maybe just the Cliff’s Notes editions.

I’ll be back soon with more stuff.

© 2022 Tony Isabella