Yearly Archive: 2008

Sure, people give Garfield a lot of flack, but after Scott Kurtz of PvP received a mysterious package from Garfield creator Jim Davis, you can bet that the famous orange cat — and his creator — have a friend for life.

Over on the PvP site, Kurtz describes the gift he received from Davis in recognition of the strip’s 10th Anniversary.

I’ve been sitting on this for a week now, not sure how to properly frame or present it. Paul Southworth described it as “…like getting a Valentine from God.” Today it came in the mail and I decided the best thing to do was just photograph the unboxing. This office is now hallowed ground. I have no words beyond this: yes it’s real, yes he drew it, yes he likes PvP.

Kurtz has posted a Flickr Album of the Garfield box-opening event, with some commentary about why the gift has helped make PvP‘s ten-years-young celebration a very, very special time.

 In today’s brand-new and now brightly colored episode of The Adventures of Simone & Ajax, our heroes must find a way to protect the villagers who think Simone is their hero, Jungle Jayn.  

With a skin-tight tunic and the best of intentions, our heroine must face a plethora of invaders!

Sure, love is like a drug sometimes — but what kind of drug? Is it a quick pick-me-upper like caffeine? Is it the kind of drug that makes you taste colors? Heck, some might argue that it’s the type of drug that makes you look like Nick Nolte’s mugshot after a couple of weeks.

As a special Valentine’s Day treat, Journalista points readers to a pair of stories that deal with exactly that question, in their own ways.

In Our Love Story #5, Jim Steranko provides the trippy interior art to a Stan Lee story titled "My Heart Broke in Hollywood."

Honestly, I didn’t even have a chance to read the story. I started looking at the art and woke up two hours later covered in Sun Chips and Kool-Aid. It’s THAT good.

Next we have George Evans’ anti-drug themed "Slave of Despair" from a 1951 issue of Romantic Secrets.

This one tells the tale of Edith, a girl-next-door type with a world of opportunities and a steady beau, who makes a couple of bad decisions and ends up seduced by the "jungle beat" of hazy dance clubs and a pill-pushing, smooth-talking stranger. Soon she’s stealing from cash registers and acting like a funnybooks version of <a href=”

Winehouse.

… But seriously, folks, who hasn’t had a first date like that, right?

Anyone?

sigh

Over at ISB (otherwise known as "Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog" for you late-arrivers), love is in the air this week, as Chris Sims casts the spotlight on some of comics’ questionable romantic storylines and dialogue.

Among the highlights of ISB’s "Romance Special" series are a few scary/romantic encounters by Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen, including an experience that gives new meaning to the term "male enhancement" and a tryst involving Jimmy Olsen Jr. and none other than… his super-cousin?

Seriously, it blows my mind every time I see this thing that this cover went through at least three people–including Jerry Siegel, Kurt Schaffenberger and editor Mort Weisinger–saw this and thought it would be a fine idea to just slap up a cover with two people in the throes of passion while their mothers–who are sisters–look on with emotions that are far more mild than the situation warrants. And what’s more, not only isn’t it mentioned on the cover, but nobody even thinks to bring it up in the actual story, either. Truly, 1961 was a different time.

Ah, Valentine’s Day.