Monthly Archive: February 2010

Face it DC Fans, the last couple months have been nothing if not bleak.

Heck, even before the Blackest Night was animating corpses and murdering heroes left and right, several crises left beloved wives raped and murdered, martians punctured and burned to Choco-dust , and the original Batman shot by a time bullet trapped in time! But, thanks to DC’s May solicits out this month, it seems after the Blackest Night will come the Brightest Day! And leading the pack of solicits came quite the image (we decided to be nice and put it right over there for your viewing pleasure). For the cover of DC’s Brightest Day #1, its new bi-monthly book, it would seem after being all ‘deadite’ like… Arthur aka Aquaman aka King of the Seven Seas aka The Only JLA Member Able To Pull Off Wearing Orange is back in the land of the living!

But for how long? If we look at Artie’s long career, well, it may not bode so well. Not that he’s played the whole “I’m dead!” / “Now I’m alive!” card like some others (we’re looking at you, Ollie, Diana, Kal-El, Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, Jason Todd, and Donna Troy…) he has had his fair share of just-plain-ick moments. For a complete run down, we recommend you check out this great article from NPR. For those who are click-impaired, or just want to gist though, allow us to simplify: Every time Arthur takes one step forward (growing a manly beard and installing a hook for a hand, a’thank’yew…) it doesn’t take long for him to drown two steps back (water hand? octopus head?). And with our preview cover tease depicting Aquaman perhaps have to face his recent stint as a Black Lantern, and a wife who may stay a blood-burping bride of Atrocitus, just how will Aquaman rebuild his life in the post Blackest Night DCU?

In addition to that teaser cover for Brightest Day #1, DC also let loose solicits spinning out of events to come. Over in the Oan space of the DCU, we now have a trio of books. Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke stay put on Green Lantern. Green Lantern Corps will now be headed up by R.E.B.E.L.S. scribe Tony Bedard and Ardian Syaf take hold of the reigns. And Peter Tomasi fans worry not, as he and Fernando Pasarin will be moving to a new book, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, starring everyone’s favorite hot headed former bar owner, Guy Gardner. Also spinning out of the Blackest Night after party will be a new book founded on some old favorites. Judd Winick joins Keith Giffen to scribe Justice League: Generation Lost. The book catches up with Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire, and Ice, as they take on the mystery of who’s taking out their former JLA colleagues. My money in on Dan DiDio, as seen last as the villain of the chart topping Ambush Bug series.

So ComicMixers… plenty to discuss here. Will Arthur be back to stay? Will another emerald tinged book make it’s way into your pull boxes? Will Marvel make any claims that the ‘Brightest Day’ won’t shine a single ray of light on their own ‘Heroic Age’? As our Aunt Linda would say… “Discuss!”

February 15th has some fantastic birthdays. Jokers such as the late Chris Farley, Harvey Korman, and Cesar Romero. Former Fake TV Doc and current jewelry designer Jane Seymour. Cartoonist and creator of Television’s longest running cartoon (the Simpsons) Matt Groening. So Happy Birthday to all of those great people and one film that helped shape a generation. I speak of course of John Hughes’ epic teen magnum opus, The Breakfast Club.

That’s right kids. In 1985, Hughes’ released a little dramedy unto the world. Taking archetype teens (“a Jock”, “a Brain”, “a Beauty”, “a Rebel”, and “a Recluse”) and forcing them to sit in detention under the thumb of a tyrannical principal… the movie dared do what few in the ilk had ever done. It shined the light on these caricatures and gave audiences what they didn’t expect: Real teens! The Jock was buckling under the pressure of his father’s great expectations! The Brain was ready to threaten his shop teacher over a bad grade! And the Rebel? Well he was just a kid no one ever gave a chance. While Hughes’ earlier foray into teenagedom, 16 Candles, was well received, it was Breakfast Club that helped define a generation to come.

Let’s face it. No matter which kid you vibed with, The Breakfast Club represented you and your friends like no film had before it, or has since. While other teen flicks make those years out to be nothing but a mad dash to losing one’s virginity, here was a film that took time to show that sex aside, being a teen is a complicated time. I was a mere toddler when the film debuted in theaters. It’s with shame and remorse that I admit my generation cut it’s teeth on American Pie. And while Pie tried hard to capture some of Hughes’ magic, no amount of pie-boinking and Eugene Levy can match Pixie Stick and Cap N’ Crunch sandwiches and amazing dancing.

So, raise a glass and toast The Breakfast Club. It’s finally old enough to see a significant drop in it’s auto insurance rate. Kudos. Now, let’s all take a walk down memory lane…

The Glyph Comics Awards, designed to “recognize the best in comics made
by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year,”
have released the names of the comics and creators that make up their
2010 nominee slate.

We are incredibly proud that The Original Johnson
has received four nominations in the categories of Best Artist, Best Cover, Best Male Character, and Story Of The Year.

“It’s wonderful to see Trevor Von Eeden’s life-work receive such recognition,” ComicMix editor-in-chief Mike Gold said. “He’s been working on The Original Johnson for 15 years, and we’ve been working with him for the past three. It has taken an extraordinary amount of effort to produce this book, and recognition from the Glyph awards makes every drop of it worthwhile. We are proud to be associated with Trevor and this amazingly intense work. My personal thanks and gratitude to Trevor and to all of those who have been involved in the effort.”

The awards will be presented at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in Philadelphia on May 14th and 15th.

The full list of nominees:

(more…)

Of course we’re going to celebrate Presidents Day. After all, President Obama was the biggest seller in comics in 2009.

Barack Obama, the one man stimulus package for the comics industry.

We’re feeling extra ooey-gooey today. In celebration of this love-filled day, we wish you and your better half have a lovely St. Valentine’s day. May your love be like those who taught us how to love.

To Peter and Mary Jane, for those non-Mephisto years…

To Lois and Clark, for Superman I and II, the Donner cut.

To Reed and Sue, when Reed isn’t tweaking the ultimate nulifier.

To Ollie and Dinah, when Ollie isn’t firing his arrow elsewhere…

To Sue and Ralph, til death do they part. Wait. Eww…

To Scott and Jean, because face it, Wolverine didn’t stand a chance.

To Mark Grayson and Eve, for still being cute.

To Bruce and Talia, or Selina if Talia’s not paying attention.

To Steve and Sharon, time bullets be damned.

To Tony and Pepper, we know it didn’t happen in the comics, but… c’mon already!

To you Comicmix fans… for always being there to comment to us when we’re blue…

And… to my own Valentine… Kathy ‘Zatanna’ Fishman… For making me the luckiest Unshaven Comic around. Love you sweetie!