The Mix : What are people talking about today?

Molly Jackson: John Scalzi Got Me Again

got-me-again-4545189Authors go out of their way to provoke emotions. I understand that. And authors do an amazing job of balancing that impact. However, they aren’t writing for automatons, so each person’s reaction is different. That reaction is where it can all go wrong.

Some authors just have a way of getting to me but John Scalzi in particular. Have you ever read his work? He has a great conversational tone that can suck a person right into the story. After reading his book Redshirts, it ruined TV for me for at least a few months. Over a year later, I yelled at him at Book Expo America. It’s true. I have witnesses. Afterwards, I realized how cathartic it was. I felt unburdened and relaxed. Which brings me to my point. He did it to me again.

While at NYCC, I had a chance to pick up a copy of his new book, The End of All Things, which is in the Old Man’s War series. (Read the first book and you will be hooked.). It is a collection of short stories following the political turmoil in this universe. While I was getting it signed, I made a point of telling him about how traumatized I was from Redshirts. At that point, I was still a little upset but mostly I was over it.

Fast forward to last week. I had finally picked it up to start reading (still struggling with my reading list) and well, I had to stop reading because way too many feels. He sacrificed an important character in a way that was too emotional for me. I really wish I could go into details but I can’t without spoilers! Safe to say, this rocked me once again. They don’t give time off for emotional scarring from books.

Now, I know this all might seem like I’m angry at the writer. I’m not, really. Scalzi is one of my favorite writers. Look at the emotion he invokes in me. The impact his writing has had on me and now all of you. I willingly go on this roller coaster. And yes, sooner rather than later I will finish reading The End of All Things.

So think about the books that have made you so emotional. The writers that still impact you long after the book is finished. Hunt them down; seek them out. Let them know that their writing affected you. I yelled at Scalzi. He was happy that his writing made a lasting impression. Let your writers know how you feel. Yell and everything.

Interview: Gary Gerani & Robert V. Conte on Star Wars Cards

Cover On November 17th (the 37th anniversary of Life Day) Abrams ComicArts released Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One, the first in a series of books reprinting all of the Topps trading cards for your perusal. We sat down and talked with the authors, Gary Gerani and Robert V. Conte, over their love of collecting, the historical value of preserving memorabilia, and where they think Star Wars will head in the future.

ComicMix: How was your experience working with Topps and Abrams ComicArts on this book?

Gary Gerani: Fine. The editors at Abrams were terrific. Most of the people connected with the project were fans, people who wanted this book as much as buyers did.

Robert V. Conte: Abrams didn’t have much of the content needed for this first volume. Surprisingly, neither did Topps. Fortunately, I have a massive STAR WARS collection including the trading cards and related promotional materials. We struck a deal and here we are!

CM: Gary, what inspired you to seek employment at Topps back in the 1970s?

GG: I was embarking on a career as a freelance writer, so I took any jobs that were available and seemed interesting. Being a Brooklyn kid, I grew up with Topps products, and knew the company was located in nearby Bush Terminal. It was Len (MARS ATTACKS) Brown of Topps that invited me into the fold. It turned out to be a lifelong professional relationship, great for both sides… I get my pension in a couple of years!

RConte face on card BCM: What inspired your love for Topps trading cards?

RVC: From childhood, I’ve collected trading cards, comic books and records. Topps was mostly known for baseball, football and other sports cards. Fortunately, the company offered a variety of non-sport subjects including KING KONG, JAWS 2, SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and others that I just loved. Hence, I couldn’t resist the chance to be involved with this project!

CM: Did you collect the cards when they were first released?

RVC: Absolutely! I had seen STAR WARS in Summer of 1977 shortly before starting second grade. Several kids at my school traded their doubles of the first (blue border) and second (yellow border) series of cards. One kid was the only girl in the bunch, so I developed an immense crush and started buying the cards to impress her. It didn’t work!

CM: What is your favorite card or sticker in each of the five series and why?

GG: Don’t know if I really have favorites, to be honest. Certainly the infamous Threepio card (Series 4, Card #207) has nostalgia value for me…

*NOTE* The first printing of this card shows an unsuitable “appendage” below C-3PO’s torso that, once discovered, was removed and the entire series was reprinted. The revised card is actually more scarce than the original!

RVC: For me, my absolute favorite image is Series 1, Sticker #7 — “Lord Darth Vader.” It was the first one when I intentionally collected multiple copies of to place them anywhere including my schoolbooks!

CM: So who made the decision to color Chewbacca’s eyes blue on the first series of stickers?

GGerani face on cardGG: That would be the late, great Topps Art Director, Ben Solomon. He loved doing stuff like that, despite our protests.

CM: Did you like the bubble gum in the packs?

GG: Sure. I grew up chomping on those frequently stale slabs of pink.

RVC: I loathed Topps gum because it was too thin and dry. Donruss offered softer, thicker and yummier gum with its trading cards. Sorry, Topps!

CM: What sales figures were considered “excellent” back in 1977?

GG: I forget how many cases constituted a hit. STAR WARS went through the roof instantly, I can tell you that.

CM: To your knowledge, did other non-sport cards outsell STAR WARS?

GG: Amusingly, the only other movie/TV property that came close during this era was CHARLIE’S ANGELS. We did five series, just as we did five series of the original STAR WARS in ’77/’78.

RVC: I am completely shocked to learn this. Never underestimate the power of beautiful women!

CM: After sales of STAR WARS trading cards skyrocketed, did Topps create other card sets in the same genre to meet or exceed those sales figures?

GG: The success of STAR WARS did ignite a number of sci-fi properties, such as STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. You can add SUPERMAN, THE BLACK HOLE, and ALIEN to that list. In many cases, we didn’t expect these films to outsell STAR WARS, which was king of the hill. E.T. did amazingly well for us, as I recall. But we had problems getting material for additional series, so there’s only the one.

RVC: Funny, I remember vividly coming home with a few packs of ALIEN cards in 1979. My mother couldn’t believe that a “bubble-gum card company” would market an “R”-rated film to children. They went into the garbage before I had a chance to eat the gum!

CM: Why do you think trading cards cross into many different fandoms (for example, geek fans and sports fans)?

RVC: Trading cards were once the ultimate platform for photo sharing. Before the digital age, they were the most inexpensive way to amass dozens of images that were not published anywhere else. For collectors, seeking a set of tangible photos with behind-the-scenes text and story remains appealing as ever.

GG: To some degree that’s true. A card set really is like owning a collection of mini- photographs.

CM: In 1977, Wonder Bread released its trading cards independently, via grocery stores and supermarkets, to millions of American homes. Did those cards impact sales of the Topps cards?

GG: Made very little difference, really. No envy factor here. One product seemed to help another back then.

RVC: From a then-child’s point of view, the Wonder Bread cards were basically a preview set for the upcoming Topps cards. Fortunately, I successfully persuaded the publisher to reprint them inside the book. Collecting those 16 images had fans hunger for more… and the five series of Topps’s STAR WARS cards fed that demand.

CM: If either of you wrote the STAR WARS cards for the first time today, what would you change?

GG: I’d get rid of the puzzle backs and add more text.

RVC: As a devout fan, I would hope for more varied images; some pics in the five series were too similar and I recall being slightly disappointed.

CM: What is the most exciting thing about this book?

RVC: For me, it’s the opportunity to share with my family and friends a book that was mostly compiled from cards, wrappers, boxes, and promotional materials that I amassed between seven and nine-years-old. I’m approaching 50 now so it’s completely surreal!

GG: There’s always a place for pocket-size Americana. Entertainment cards are still widely categorized as “non-sports cards,” since the classic baseball card is what people think of first. It’s just a fun format, something we fondly associate with our childhood.

CM: Gary, you have been involved in many STAR WARS Topps projects. What has been your favorite part of working with Topps?

GG: The ability to create wonderful products, and the opportunity to art direct some of the greatest illustrators of our time.

CM: Of the card sets you wrote for Topps, which were your favorites?

GG: I’d say the STAR WARS WIDEVISION sets and the first few STAR WARS GALAXY. I created and named the Widevision format, and Greg Goldstein (now president of IDW) was key in nailing the technical process we used to digitally select the wide frames directly from film prints. That interesting process happened at the Telecine Research Center, right near Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA.

CM: Do you still write card sets for Topps?

GG: Even as we speak I’m finishing up a set based on the new WARCRAFT movie, along with a new STAR WARS EVOLUTION series. THE FORCE AWAKENS is obviously due for a card set treatment, and I’m on standby for a trip to San Francisco for material gathering. Companies with a license for the new film have been forced to be very, very patient.

CM: Who has Augie Napoli’s original art used on the boxes and promotional material?

GG: Augie’s family. It’s hanging in their living room, on Staten Island.

CM: How do you share your geeky enthusiasm for pop culture with your kids/friends/family?GG: They see it when they just look around at my surroundings! I collect original art, movie posters, the works. Always have and always will.

RVC: My children think I am the ultimate hoarder of everything. If they ask me about anything related to Pop Culture, I usually have the answer. Impressive to some. Scary for others!

CM: As professional creators, you both have been lucky enough to be involved with multiple pop-culture franchises. Which current franchise, if any, is your dream job today?

GG: I’ll think we’ve been talking about it. Nothing beats STAR WARS. I’m a huge fan of classic horror movies, so doing sets like UNIVERSAL MONSTERS ILLUSTRATED was a genuine treat.

RVC: I’ve had opportunity to contribute to the legacies of some of the most iconic intellectual properties on the planet. GODZILLA, JAMES BOND 007, KISS, and SESAME STREET included. At this point, BATMAN, SPIDER-MAN and MICKEY MOUSE are on my shortlist. Fingers crossed!

CM: What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment in the pop culture world to date?GG: In 1977 I wrote FANTASTIC TELEVISION, the first book to deal with sci-fi, horror, and fantasy on the small screen. It was very well received. Later, in 1988, I co-wrote the screenplay to Stan Winston’s supernatural thriller PUMPKINHEAD, which has become a cult movie admired by people like Stephen King and Anne Rice… not to mention Woody Allen. And, for what it’s worth, I guess I’m still the Card King, having written, edited and art directed more trading card sets than anyone else. Hundreds of ’em!

RVC: Most of my fans come from the heavy-metal music community. During KISS’s 1996-97 reunion tour, I helped remaster and repackage over twenty albums by restoring the original elements, track listings, cover art, etc. I also consulted on two compilation albums and designed merchandise including lunch boxes, books and — you guessed it — trading cards! Most of my contributions are still in-print and, seeing my name in over a dozen languages worldwide today, is overwhelming. Sharing that with my kids is the greatest gift ever.

CM: What are your current projects?

GG: I’ve got six books coming out next year (three of them Abrams SW related), and a John Travolta racing car movie I co-wrote will be shooting in 2016 as well, right after he finishes GOTTI. I’m also doing a documentary about Steven Spielberg’s original TV composer Billy Goldenberg (DUEL, among others), not to mention various card sets for Topps. So yeah, I keep myself busy.

RVC: I’ve contributed my collection for the next three volumes of STAR WARS: THE ORIGINAL TOPPS TRADING CARD SERIES including THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI and STAR WARS GALAXY. I’m also writing a graphic novel — a memoir influenced on my life. I’m scheduled to co-author another book focused on arguably once of the most revolutionary forms of entertainment in history. I consult for companies that specialize in classic intellectual properties. Throw in an upcoming crowdfunding project and I think that’s a good start for 2016.

Mike Gold: Super-Puberty!

bud-collyer-superman

I was walking through Grand Central Terminal yesterday on my way to one of our more entertaining ComicMix senior staff meetings. Grand Central is my favorite place in all of New York City – the massive cathedral ceilings, the stunning pre-Great War architecture, the clean and open lanes for pedestrian traffic… It’s really very inspiring, and, indeed, I was inspired to write this particular column.

For absolutely no reason whatsoever, I started thinking about Superman’s adolescence. Oh, I was influenced by the first issue of Max Landis’s Superman: Alien American, a solid and worthy start to the mini-series. But that, in turn, reminded me of some of my favorite Superboy stories from my ancient and decrepit youth – those where Pa Kent patiently taught his son how to manage, deploy and exacerbate his Kryptonian powers.

SuperboyThose were sweet stories with which most members of its target audience could identify. Our parents were busy teaching us how to ride our bikes, build model planes and monsters, and make decisions based upon common sense and not on impulse. Learning how to fly was just one step beyond.

We already knew that young Clark would make it into adulthood, but discovering the hows and the whys was quite comforting. However, given the Comics Code Authority as well as the marketing sentiments of the time, there were areas undocumented in Superboy and in Adventure Comics.

I am speaking of the dreadful but necessary curse of puberty, and I am addressing this subject from the perspective of boys in the very early Sixties. Girls had their own crosses to bare, but neither Clark nor I are in any position to comment from experience. I’d say something like “but I can only imagine” but that would be really creepy.

Obviously, Clark would start growing hair in places previously barren of foliage. Being smart than the average bear, he would have understood this and probably feel he was becoming a man. But those are super-hormones kicking in. That would be particularly messy, and it could have been rather dangerous to his family, to the farm animals, and to the buildings on the Kent Farm property. We’re better off not knowing. For one thing, the cover shot would be against Code.

As puberty intrudes, Clark’s voice would start to change. To be specific, it would crack. I do not know what sort of impact such cracking sound would have on nearby windows, champagne glasses, eardrums… think of the Grateful Dead using a chalkboard as a heavily amplified musical instrument. Before long, his voice would settle down into a nice adult groove, but I think Clark might “keep” his pre-puberty voice for Clark and his post-puberty voice for the Man of Steel. Hey, it worked for Bud Collyer (pictured above), the first actor to play the role on radio and in the Fleisher cartoons.

He’s also go through rather amazing growth spurts that would wreck havoc with Clark’s civilian clothing and the Kent family budget. All parents go through this, but not on a Kryptonian scale. He’d shred his clothes and shoes, and probably confuse the hell out of Krypto.

Of course, if Clark was a typical American Earthling entering adolescence – and he was raised to be just that – that X-Ray vision would help him get though many a dark night. No need for him to smuggle in copies of Playboy and Caviler. But, being raised in Kansas by caring members of society, I would think that Clark would quickly understand that with great hormones comes great guilt.

At least I’d hope so.

A few years later, The Who would record “I Can See for Miles.” Well, Clark could do that already. Would his concern for his secret identity stop him from reacting to Lana Lang slipping out with Pete Ross? I doubt it.

Being of that age, Clark would quietly use his powers to turn that date into the road show for Carrie. He’d stop Pete and any other potential suitors cold. If Clark Kent were Reggie Mantle, Archie Andrews would be a priest.

Thankfully, Clark Kent is not Peter Pan. I’m sure he would endeavor to do the right thing. But, puberty is a bitch… and high school is worse. All this is in preparation for one single event.

Losing one’s virginity.

Losing one’s super-virginity.

Joe Corallo: Comics and Bi-erasure

angela_queen_of_hel-2341894As promised in my last column, this week is about bi-erasure in comics. It’s come up too often as of late and deserves its own column rather than being crammed into an already dense essay on critiques of Iceman’s coming out. It’s a problem that extends beyond the comics themselves, and has reached the TV adaptations as well.

Before diving in, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. Bi-erasure is varying levels of denying bisexuality truly exists, whether intentional or not. In comics, this manifests itself in rewriting bisexual characters as being straight or gay, having characters tell other characters they’re definitely just gay and not bisexual despite many decades being written as straight and refusing to even entertain the idea that maybe that character would be bi, using shapeshifters to skirt around the issue of bisexuality, and that’s just a few general examples.

Marvel has recently given us two examples: Hercules and Angela. Hercules, a historically bisexual demigod, will definitively be straight according to editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. He did address that Hercules was in a relationship with James Howlett in X-Treme X-Men at one point, but that was outside the main universe and doesn’t count.

With Angela, despite her being intimate with Sera in the first issue of Angela: Queen of Hel, Axel makes it a point that he doesn’t want to put any labels on these characters to let the readers decide. Angela’s actions with Sera make it clear to the reader that she is bisexual, pansexual, or possibly a lesbian. Sera herself is even considered a trans character at Marvel, as she was assigned male at birth. Her being an Angel of the tenth realm and not someone of earth makes me a little hesitant to consider her Marvel’s first trans superhero. Axel saying that Hercules is definitively straight, then saying with Angela he doesn’t want to put labels on these things within a couple of months of each other will make just about anyone scratch their head in wonder.

On a positive note, the director of the Deadpool movie has said that Deadpool will be depicted as openly pansexual. I’m cautiously optimistic about this. It could be great, or it could be using Deadpool’s pansexuality to make lazy homophobic jokes where the entire joke is it’s funny because he’s hitting on a guy! We’ll have to wait and see.

Over at DC, they’ve made some very positive strives towards bisexual representation. They’ll have four ongoing series with a bisexual lead: Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and Constantine: Hellblazer. Granted, all but Constantine are very recent revelations, but this is a great step forward. All the characters are fairly well known to general audiences, have had some suggestions in the past of their bisexuality, and now it’s just been confirmed. And with Constantine, since the latest reboot, his bisexuality has been more prevalent than ever.

On a negative note, one of the larger missteps in bi representation lately was NBC’s decision to make Constantine straight for their TV adaptation. From NBC’s perspective, Constantine’s bisexuality was rarely delved into in the comic, that it wasn’t important for the adaptation. This is probably one of the best/worst examples of bi-erasure as of late. Unlike Axel Alonso, the excuse of “That’s a different version of the character!” isn’t even viable here. It was NBC flat out stating they were perfectly aware of the character’s bisexuality, but it wasn’t important enough so it got nixed. That might not have been a factor in the show getting cancelled, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t something in all that happening that wasn’t at least kind of satisfying to see.

It’s easy to see how bi-erasure comes about. We live in a society where the end goal for most people is to find a partner to maintain a monogamous relationship with. When someone is coupled off in a monogamous relationship, others view you as being actively straight or gay. If you aren’t perceived as being actively with both men and women, it’s easier for people to assume you’re just one or the other, regardless of what you tell them.

Part of that also comes from the antiquated idea that gays and lesbians used the label of bisexual as a transitioning term, being unsure or afraid to commit to the labels of gay or lesbian. When I was a teenager I didn’t come out as gay at first, I came out to a few people as bi before identifying as gay. And to be entirely honest with you, bisexual, pansexual, or queer are probably more accurate labels for myself, despite being far on one end of that spectrum. Perhaps I’ve been unintentionally adding to bi-erasure. It’s something for me to think about. In the meantime, I’ve decided to update my bio here to queer rather than gay.

With more openly bi leads in comic books at the big two, we are starting to combat bi-erasure. However, it’s still rampant throughout comics because of the mentalities of some of the people working on them, even though it’s usually unintentional. If we’re going to push for an end of bi-erasure, we need to support books with openly bi leads, let them know about other bi characters we’d like to see more of, that we want more representation, and make our voices heard every single time the comic industry gets it wrong.

REVIEW: Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series

JusticeLeagueUnlimitedCompleteSeries_Blu_1000x1000_16f6f83bEvery time a four-color property moves from print to other media, changes are made, mostly a result of the different medium being employed. Sometimes the changes stagger the imagination while others are subtle and acceptable. Warner Animation has more often than not been incredibly faithful to the source material, resulting in some of the most satisfying comics-to-screen adaptations.

As a result, the anticipation for a Blu-ray release of the excellent Justice League Unlimited has been high and finally, last week, Warner Archive released the show in a three-disc collection. The series, which ran July 31, 2004 – May 13, 2006, is the follow-up to the equally wonderful Justice League.

While the original series focused on the traditional original members of the JLA, the new series expanded its roster to just about every hero from the DC Universe. For many viewers, it was the first time they were exposed to many of these colorful characters. For we fanboys, it was a sheer thrill to see the obscure (Aztek) to the fan favorite (Doctor Fate) finally make it to television.

Alive_little_problemThe episodes were entertaining and were largely standalone as we saw varying combinations of heroes go into action while the backgrounds were filled with cameos galore. The orbiting headquarters felt like a club for heroes, a chance for them to relax between fights. There was the occasional meta-arc such as the shadowy Project Cadmus (thank you Jack Kirby) and the how-could-they-not Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Thankfully, the series benefitted from a stellar array of voice actors who brought verve to the characters, anchored by Kevin Conroy’s Batman but scanning the credits its fun to see who was popular in geekdom when the shows were produced. Today we see Morena Baccarin on Gotham but back then the Firefly actress was also busy voicing Black Canary giving her deeper ties to DC Comics. And Adam Baldwin double-dipped in both well cast parts as Hal Jordan and Rick Flagg.

Justice_League_(Justice_League_Unlimited)2What we didn’t know was that this would be the final series set in the expanded, semi-interconnected animated universe and we can look back on those shows with great fondness and boy, do they hold up well. Credit for that starts with Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett, aided and abetted by an army of writers, artists, and animators. It helped tremendously that comic book veterans were recruited to pen episodes, so the adaptations were less jarring.

Some of the best loved comic stories made it to the screen, such as J.M. DeMatteis’ adaptation of Alan Moore’s “For the Man who has Everything”. And the animated series did not shy away from some mature themes, such as drumming Huntress out of the league for attempting to kill a man, regardless of her justification. Hawkgirl’s return, after betraying her teammates in the previous series, is back and has to deal with the repercussions of her actions. The stories span time and space, switching from action-packed to light-hearted to downright romantic. It also tied up loose ends from other series in the brilliant “Epilogue”, which closed out the second season, touching on Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and the JLU.

The transfer to high definition is clean and crisp with excellent sound. The special features which appeared on the previous DVD releases are back here including creator’s commentary on the episodes “This Little Piggy” and “The Return”; “And Justice for All”: a featurette on the process of revamping the series with new characters and a new creative direction; “Cadmus Exposed”: Mark Hamill and series creative personnel discuss this popular series story arc; “Justice League Chronicles”: The series’ writers, producers and directors discuss their favorite moments among final season episodes.

If you haven’t experienced these you should. If you watched them previously, you want these.

Mindy Newell: Eat, Drink, And Be Merry, For Tomorrow…

Isis ParisThis is the real world, and it will take more than Peter Capaldi’s breathtaking performance and a great, great episode of Doctor Who to change the minds of radical splinter groups bent on war to realize that the box – both of them – is empty.

That’s what I wrote in my column last week. And my words proved too Goddamned prophetic just four days later, when Paris was attacked by ISIS.

The official death toll as I write this on Sunday afternoon at 3:39 is reported as “129, with 352 injured and 99 in critical condition.”

But that doesn’t take into account the psychological and emotional injuries suffered by the parents and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and fiancées and boyfriends and girlfriends and college pals and the citizens of Paris, France, and the world.

Like clockwork, some of the Repugnantican politicians jumped in to take advantage of the carnage.

Ben Carson: “If we’re going to be bringing 200,000 people over her from that region – if I were one of the leaders of the global jihadist movement and I didn’t infiltrate that group of people with my people that would be almost malpractice.”

Rick Santorum: “ISIS is a creation of a political decision by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to abandon Iraq – against all of our generals’ recommendations, against all of the policy recommendations…Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, on her watch, decided to put politics above the security of our country…and from that was born ISIS.”

Donald Trump: “When you look at Paris  –  you know the toughest gun laws in the world, Paris  –  nobody had guns but the bad guys. Nobody had guns. Nobody,” Trump said at a rally here. “They were just shooting them one by one and then they (security forces) broke in and had a big shootout and ultimately killed the terrorists…You can say what you want, but if they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry, it would’ve been a much, much different situation.”

Chris Christie: He [sic] called ISIS the JV and just hours, just hours, yesterday before they struck in Paris he told ABC News that his strategy was containing ISIS…All of these statements were a lie…He sees the world as he likes to see it; as a fantasy…I see the world as it really is, and it’s time to have a president who sees the world as it really is, not how he wishes it would be.”

Carly Fiorina: “I am angry that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton declared victory in Iraq in 2011, abandoned all our hard-won gains for political expediency and contract to the advice of our generals, thus leaving vast swaths of territory and too much weaponry to be gobbled up by ISIS,”

And former Republican Governor of Ohio John Kaisch proved that he doesn’t have a chance in hell of becoming President, when he said, “Today is a much different day. It’s a somber day. It’s a tougher day. And for me it’s really not a day of politics or promoting a candidacy,” as was Carlos Lopez-Canteria (Lieutenant-Governor of Florida) who said it was “not the day” for criticism.

Okay, you can accuse me of being a major hypocrite here, as I am certainly full of slanted political criticism today. But I am just so sick and tired, so absolutely fed up, just so fucking pissed off about the total inability of this country’s so-called leaders to sit down together and figure out what the fuck! we are going to do? about the biggest threat to sanity and civilization since Adolf Hitler and World War II engulfed the world.

Yesterday, John Ostrander mirrored my emotional reaction to Paris in his column. And the only thing I will add to his brief history of how we got here is that none of this started with President George W. Bush and his “Project for a New American Century” administration cronies. It started after World War I, with the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the division of its territory into make-believe countries by the winners without regard to the social, political, or religious needs of the indigent peoples of those regions.

I said this same thing 14 years ago, a day or two after 9/11, to my father, essentially calling out the West.  “We’re paying now for what they did,” I said to him.

He said, “You’re right, but keep your mouth shut.”

I can’t, Dad. Never could.

I wish I didn’t think so much. I wish I didn’t have a mind that constantly plays “connect-the-dots.” But I do.

And I keep thinking about how it is said that the “final battle” will start in Syria, and end on the plains of Megiddo (from whence the word “Armageddon”), which is in modern-day Israel.

And, like John, I too keep singing “it’s the end of the world as we know it.”

Only we don’t feel fine.

Ed Catto: Murphy Anderson – The Non-Traditional Man of Tradition

ps-magazine-murphy-anderson-9978478

Last month we said goodbye to the great comics artist, Murphy Anderson. He had such a body of work, and given his impressive talents, it’s not surprising that he was working as a professional comics artist over six decades.

My gorgeous wife, Kathe, had come to love Murphy too. She was so impressed with the man, his lovely wife Helen and his son, Murphy Anderson III. (This is one case where you can’t parrot that old saw, “There will never be another Murphy Anderson” – because there is!) She and I were talking to some friends about Murphy’s passing and we were trying to put it into perspective for these folks who weren’t comic fans. I stumbled into the analogy that Murphy was the “Tony Bennett of comics.” Upon further reflection, I think that’s pretty fitting. He was the consummate professional, always delivering high quality work and was always consistent. He never changed his thinking to bend the times – neither in his art style nor his thoughts on how a professional presents himself. And like Tony Bennett, Murphy was humble, warm and charming.

But even though he never changed what he did or how he did it, Murphy leaves us with a rich scope of non-traditional work.  Oh, sure, if you’re feeling nostalgic for the great man you can pull out some old Hawkman stories or Buck Rogers strips. But this week we’re going to celebrate some of Murphy’s non-traditional work!

MS Magazine

You probably know that MS Magazine proudly debuted with a Murphy Anderson cover featuring Wonder Woman. I wouldn’t have been in their target demographic, but I know I would’ve bought this issue!

PS Magazine

valiant-anderson-3610548It’s hard to believe, but in the days before Instagram and cellphones, folks used to read print material when they were just hanging around. The Army knew this and created PS Magazine, a hybrid of information for the serviceman told in a light, engaging comics style. You probably know that Will Eisner worked on this, but did you know that Murphy Anderson managed the contract for years afterwards?

Prince Valiant

Pioneer’s Prince Valiant reprint series invited some of the industry’s best artists to contribute covers to the series. Murphy’s Prince Valiant was a winner:

Aurora Ads

Sometimes an advertised product looks nothing like the real thing. Safe to say that no kid’s finished model kits looked as good as they did in the ads in which that Murphy Anderson provided the art.

black-cat-ma-290x450-1473904Black Cat

In the 90s, Alfred Harvey rebooted a family property: the original Black Cat. Mark Evanier was the scripter and Murphy Anderson was the interior artist. Although not known for rendering vivacious women, Murphy could rev it up when needed (see my previous column on his stunning depiction of the lovely Dejah Thoris) and he sure did here. Keep an eye out for this gem (Alfred Harvey’s Black Cat: The Origins) when you’re diving into the back issue bins.

Super Queens

You might have known that Murphy provided the packaging artwork for Captain Action, but did you know he also provided stellar artwork for the companion Super Queen’s line? It included lovely images for Supergirl, Mera, Batgirl and Wonder Woman.

Record Albums

Ok, we’ll admit it – these weren’t quite Sgt. Pepper level, but Murphy created several record album covers for Batman, Robin and more!

murphy-anderson-cover-seduction-of-the-innocent-300x426-9511981Seduction of the Innocent

Do you love Craig Yoe’s IDW reprints (Haunted Horror and Weird Love) as much as I do? Back in 1985, Eclipse did a similar thing with their Seduction of the Innocent comics. Issue #2’s cover features the lovely Gloria Wheeler, Interplanetary Girl Reporter using elements from the 1950s story called “The Space Treasure.” The whole story, with robust Murphy Anderson pencils and inks, was originally printed in Standard series called Fantastic Worlds.

Now, before I wind it up, I might need to remind you that Murphy, the quintessential gentleman, was a Tarheel… and the University of North Carolina’s team color is baby blue. There’s an old saying in the south, “God so loved Carolina, that he made the sky Carolina Blue. There’s should be a corollary to that, something along the lines of: “God so loved the comics industry that he gave us Murphy Anderson.”

Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series is Now Available

justiceleagueunlimitedcompleteseries_blu_1000x1000_16f6f83b-e1447510517361-9113784Warner Archive Collection continues its commitment to fulfilling the wishes of animation fans everywhere with the first-ever Blu-ray™ release of Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series. The enthralling anthology will be distributed in full 16×9 widescreen presentation starting Tuesday, November 10, 2015 via WBshop.com and popular online retailers.

As the follow-up to the popular Justice League animated series, Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004-2006 and featured a huge canon of characters from the DC Comics library. After fighting off an alien invasion in the previous two-season Justice League series, our heroes find their ranks diminished and – with new dangers arising at an ever-increasing pace – the remaining crime fighters realize that protecting the entire world is going to take more technology and more manpower. A lot more. The original seven Justice Leaguers – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl – are now joined by an unlimited selection of allies including Green Arrow, Supergirl and Black Canary. But some think all this power is too much power and a conspiracy against them grows. After years of foiled plots and repeated beatings, the galaxy’s worse villains finally have a plan: strength in numbers! Led by Lex Luthor, the Legion of Doom prepares to dominate the universe. First order of business: destroy the Justice League!

The core cast spotlighted Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, George Newbern (Scandal) as Superman, Susan Eisenberg (Justice League) as Wonder Woman, Michael Rosenbaum (Impastor, Smallville) as Flash, Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz, Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Pulp Fiction) as Green Lantern and Maria Canals-Barrera (Wizards of Waverly Place, Cristela) as Hawkgirl.

Justice League Unlimited also featured an all-star guest cast of Oscar, Emmy and Tony award winners and pop culture icons that included (to name but a few): Malcom McDowell, Mark Hamill, Ed Asner, Dana Delany, Neil Patrick Harris, J.K. Simmons, Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Virginia Madsen, Jeremy Piven, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Powers Boothe, CCH Pounder, Juliet Landau, Clancy Brown, Phil Morris, Brad Garrett, Jerry O’Connell, Dakota Fanning, Jason Bateman, Michael York, Gina Torres, Ron Perlman, Garrett Morris, Wayne Knight, Melissa Joan Hart, Hector Elizondo, John C. McGinley, Eric Roberts, Adam Baldwin, Dennis Haysbert, Gary Cole, Ted McGinley, Michael T. Weiss, Robert Englund, William Katt, Kurtwood Smith, David Paymer, Richard Moll, Xander Berkeley, Bruce McGill, Olivia d’Abo, Kin Shriner, Fred Dryer, Robert Forster, Dennis Farina, Fred Savage, Ioan Gruffudd, Arte Johnson, Bud Cort, Alexis Denisof, Rob Zombie, Bill Duke, Tim Matheson, Lori Loughlin, Shelley Fabares, Seymour Cassel and Lukas Haas.

Special features on Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series include:

– Creator’s Commentary on the episodes “This Little Piggy” and “The Return”;

– “And Justice for All”: a featurette on the process of revamping the series with new characters and a new creative direction;

– “Cadmus Exposed”: Mark Hamill and series creative personnel discuss this popular series story arc;

– “Justice League Chronicles”: The series’ writers, producers and directors discuss their favorite moments among final season episodes.

Warner Archive Collection (WAC) and Warner Archive Instant (WAI) continue to serve as hosts to some of the most treasured films, television series and animated entertainment in history, particularly in the fanboy realm. WAC/WAI runs the gamut from live-action classics like Ladyhawke and Wolfen to beloved TV faire such as Superboy, Wonder Woman (1974) and Shazam! to animated greats like Twice Upon A Time, Atom Ant: The Complete Series, Secret Squirrel: The Complete Series, The Halloween Tree and The Flight Of Dragons. The most seasoned animation fan can also find plenty of Blu-ray releases of recent super hero favorites like Teen Titans Go! and Young Justice.

John Ostrander: Watching the World Burn

eiffel-tower-4310477

 “Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”  – Alfred to Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight

To be honest, I think that’s ISIS, especially after the violence in Paris on Friday night.

One of the things I’ve gathered about them from my reading is that they are an apocalyptic cult. They’re looking for the end of the world. Yes, they are Muslim and quote and believe a very literal version of the Koran. But they also believe and are working towards the end of the world. Christianity has had and does have its own apocalyptic cults (e.g. the Rev. Jim Jones in Jonestown) and I read an interesting and, I think, apt, analogy somewhere, suggesting that ISIS is to Islam what the KKK is to Christianity.

The purpose of terrorism is, of course, to cause fear in your enemies but I think it’s also to provoke reactions. To make the governments affected (or allied) “clamp down.” Donald Trump thinks the Paris assault proves the necessity of the wall he wants built, although he has not explained how a wall between America and Mexico would keep out ISIS terrorists.

There are and will be those (especially on the right) who will call for military action. That may be what ISIS wants; such actions could increase the number of volunteers – and money – that flows to them. And there’s that end of the world thing – provoke one last great battle. Hey, Christianity has the Book of Revelations and that has a similar scenario. Whoever’s version you listen to, it’s pretty sure that they feel that God/Allah/Jehovah/Whomever is on their side.

Part of me wants that military action against ISIS. I got very angry (again) with the violence. I wanted, I want, that violence visited upon those who planned it, who ordered it. I want it Biblical, baby, with fire and brimstone. I may be agnostic but I was raised as I was raised and that’s part of it.

Problem is, this was born out of violence. We helped launch ISIS with our adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are victims and refugees and some of them, not all but some, are a result of our adventuring. ISIS has a lot of weapons that come from the US of A, gleaned when the Iraqi troops that we trained ran away, dropping everything behind.

We need to figure out our response and it needs to be a reasoned response, not from the gut or shot from the hip, because the Paris attack is guaranteed not to be the last such atrocity. There will be more and sooner or later some attack will come to our shores. No amount of rhetoric from the right or the left will prevent it. We’d best be prepared and think about how we want to respond when that attack comes. Remember, the other side is not looking for world domination; they’re looking for apocalypse.

Or we can all sit back and sing along with R.E.M. –

“It’s the end of the world as we know it
It’s the end of the world as we know it
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine”

Batman: Bad Blood Arrives in February

1000580302BRDBEAUTYUV_5a27557BURBANK, CA (October 29, 2015) – When Batman goes missing, it will take the entire Bat “family” – including new additions Batwoman and Batwing – to keep the peace in Gotham City and unravel the mystery behind the Dark Knight’s disappearance in Batman: Bad Blood.  Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the all-new DC Universe Original Movie will be available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on February 2, 2016 on Blu-Ray™ Deluxe Edition, Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD.

Batman: Bad Blood will be available on Blu-rayTM Deluxe Edition for $29.96 SRP, Blu-rayTM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and on DVD for $19.98 SRP.  The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet. The Blu-ray™ Deluxe Edition will include the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, along with an exclusive Nightwing figurine in a numbered limited edition gift set. Fans can also own Batman: Bad Blood in Digital HD on January 19 via purchase from digital retailers.

The mysterious disappearance of Batman, coupled with the emergence of powerful and malevolent new villains in Gotham City, force Nightwing (voice of Sean Maher) and Robin (Stuart Allan) to take crime-fighting into their own hands – while simultaneously searching for their missing leader. They’re not alone for long. New super heroes Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski) and Batwing (Gaius Charles) – each armed with her/his own sensibilities, physical abilities and crime-fighting tools – arrive in Gotham to assist in the cause.  As this new “family” strives to find its own dynamic, chilling clues lead the group to suspect the Dark Knight may have gone over to the dark side. It’s up to the entire Bat team to uncover the truth before Gotham City falls prey to its greatest threat yet.

“Batman: Bad Blood is a thrill-ride that will keep every fan on the edge of their seat,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “Featuring an original story, a top-notch voice cast and dynamic new characters, Batman: Bad Blood is an essential addition to the DC Universe Original Movie collection.”

As the voice of Batman, Jason O’Mara (Complications, Terra Nova) leads a celebrity-laden cast that includes Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, 24, The Astronauts Wives Club) as Batwoman/Katherine Kane, Morena Baccarin (Homeland, Gotham) as Talia al Ghul, Sean Maher (Firefly, Serenity, Much Ado About Nothing) as Nightwing, Gaius Charles (Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, Aquarius) as Batwing, Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) as Lucius Fox, and Stuart Allan (Batman vs. Robin) as Robin/Damian Wayne. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, Batman: Bad Blood is directed by Jay Oliva (Man of Steel, Batman vs. Robin) from a script by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman vs. Robin). James Tucker (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Batman vs. Robin) is Supervising Producer. Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan are Executive Producers. Sam Register is Executive Producer.

Batman: Bad Blood – Enhanced Content

DVD

  • An exclusive sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Justice League vs. Teen Titans.

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack

  • An exclusive sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Justice League vs. Teen Titans.
  • Featurette – “Putting the Fight in the Gotham” – Batman is the world’s greatest detective, but he is also a formidable fighter.  This documentary reveals the magic and strategy behind some of the best-choreographed fights in the latest animated film offering, Batman: Bad Blood.
  • Featurette – “Expanding the Family of Batman” – From the Golden Age to today’s current super heroes, the Batman family has both increased in numbers and, occasionally and dramatically, lost some of its members.  Each family member brings about a new shade to the Batman mythos while providing an exciting new perspective to the storytelling.  This documentary is about the introduction of Batwoman and Batwing into the Batman family in this all-new animated film.
  • From the DC Comics Vault– Two 22-minute Episodes
    • Batman: The Brave and the Bold – “The Knights of Tomorrow”
    • Batman: The Animated Series – “Avatar”

Blu-ray™ Deluxe Edition

  • Exclusive Limited Edition Nightwing Figurine
  • An exclusive sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Justice League vs. Teen Titans.
  • Featurette – “Putting the Fight in the Gotham” – Batman is the world’s greatest detective, but he is also a formidable fighter.  This documentary reveals the magic and strategy behind some of the best-choreographed fights in the latest animated film offering, Batman: Bad Blood.
  • Featurette – “Expanding the Family of Batman” – From the Golden Age to today’s current super heroes, the Batman family has both increased in numbers and, occasionally and dramatically, lost some of its members.  Each family member brings about a new shade to the Batman mythos while providing an exciting new perspective to the storytelling.  This documentary is about the introduction of Batwoman and Batwing into the Batman family in this all-new animated film.
  • From the DC Comics Vault– Two 22-minute Episodes
    • Batman: The Brave and the Bold – “The Knights of Tomorrow”
    • Batman: The Animated Series – “Avatar”

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

Batman: Bad Blood will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting January 19, Batman: Bad Blood will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks