You know, I was so proud of Zack Snyder. After doing a George Romero remake (Dawn Of The Dead) and two comic book adaptations (300 and Watchmen) I was happy to hear that he was finally doing an original film, Sucker Punch, before he got started on the next Superman film.
Of course, then I found out that he’s just remaking Disney animation…
Hat tip: Jennifer Heddle.
[[[The Comics: The Complete Collection]]]By Brian Walker
Abrams ComicsArts, 672 pages, $40
Growing up the son of cartoonist Mort Walker, Brian Walker clearly had four-color ink flowing through his veins. Learning at his father’s side, the boy absorbed folklore, myth, and legend; not just about the characters Mort wrote and drew in Hi & Lois or Beetle Bailey, but the creators who preceded his fathers and Brian’s own peers who practiced the craft.
Over the years, Brian used that knowledge to curate museum exhibits around the country and even work with his dad in the short-loved Museum of Cartoon Art. He’s also written extensively about the field, including the noteworthy collections [[[The Comics: Before 1945]]] and[[[The Comics: Since 1945]]]. In April, both volumes will be combined for the mammoth Comics: The Complete Collection.
For those who own the two books already, you won’t need this book. Not a thing has been changed or updated, which is a shame really, since the field has moved further since the second book saw print in 2004. If you don’t have these books, then this edition is for you.
Walker organizes the events by periods of time with an overview that details the evolution of the newspapers that printed the comic strips, the syndicates that grew from the successful strips, the merchandise that flowed from the most popular features and the men and women who executed these daily flights of fancy. Once the overview is done, we move into biographical sketches of the cartoonists, beginning, naturally, with the father of the American comic strip, Richard F. Outcault. After all, it was his Hogan’s Alley, taking advantage of the advent of color printing that gave the world the Yellow Kid, the first recurring newspaper character and a sensation. His success led to not only merchandise but within two years, a collection of strips, which can be argued to be the first graphic novel following the modern definition.
The greats and near greats, the well-known and the forgotten turn up here with a bountiful assortment of sample strips, many reproduced in their original colors. The book’s 9.25” x 12.5” size allows the art to be reproduced at a legible sixe, reminding us what it was like back in our parents’ or grandparents’ days when newspaper comic strip merited a sizeable section, letting the art and color breathe.
Paging through the book, you get to watch the artform mature as the gag-a-days added continuity followed by serials. You’re reminded of Blondie’s fast to protest her family refusing to let her marry Dagwood Bumstead, considered beneath her. You watch the dramatic strip arrive followed in 1929 by the dual arrival of [[[Buck Rogers]]] and [[[Tarzan]]] that in many ways set the stage for comic books.
By 1945, the comic strips had become fixtures not only in America but around the world. The Allies beat the Axis and the soldiers came home and the world seemed a brighter place. A new generation of homegrown characters took their place next to the aging greats. As a new era began, so does Walker open volume two which begins with Milt Caniff. He was the popular and influential so his move from [[[Terry and the Pirates]]] to a new strip, [[[Steve Canyon]]], was a good way to show changes in the field. We rocket through the 1950s through the 1990s before the book screeches to a halt with a profile on Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman who are the geniuses behind the delightful Zits. Our current decade gets half a page, ignoring the explosion of web strips, the shrinking of the strips and their gradual demise. Several of the longest running strips have recently closed shop, such as Brenda Starr filing her last story in January and many of the survivors are showing their age.
While I wish this were repaginated and organized into a single whole rather than two volumes slapped together, the book is a delightful celebration of the comics, their characters, and the creators.
After decades, the STARGATE franchise is winding down as SyFy runs the final episodes of STARGATE:UNIVERSE. We get reaction from the cast on how they feel about the shows remaining.Plus, it’s 1987 all over with reboots for Robocop and The Turtles!
Don’t forget – Pop Culture never sleeps (and neither do we). Catch the latest 24/7 on The Point Radio.
Round 2 is upon us! That’s right, fight fans… It’s Mix March Madness! Where 64 webcomics come in, but only 1 comes out! Let’s meet the comics that made it to the second round… ready to duke it out, as only webcomics can!
To my left… cute as a button, foul mouthed as a sailor, and fresh from an upset victory over FreakAngels…
And to my right… the feline furies who always 1-ups the competition…
Will pint-sized pugilists and their alien aggressor pummel the guileful gamers with nine lives? Only one way to find out… Vote now!
[poll id=”38″]
Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!
Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!
Round 2 is upon us! That’s right, fight fans… It’s Mix March Madness! Where 64 webcomics come in, but only 1 comes out! Let’s meet the comics that made it to the second round… ready to duke it out, as only webcomics can!
To my left… smart as he is crudely drawn, fresh from victory over Least I Could Do…
xkcd!
And to my right… the cutesy-wootsy gum drop with a heart of gold, and a sly smile…
Will the stick figure with masters degree mop the floor with the adorable anthropomorphic foodstuffs? Only one way to find out… Vote now!
[poll id=”37″]
Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!
Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!
Round 2 is upon us! That’s right, fight fans… It’s Mix March Madness! Where 64 webcomics come in, but only 1 comes out! Let’s meet the comics that made it to the second round… ready to duke it out, as only webcomics can!
To my left… the comic industry’s red-headed stepchild, with a Bone to pick (get it!?) …
And to my right… the semi-suicidal, always sarcastic stick-figures of San Fernando…
Will the Sohmer-led comic book send-up send the cyanide sycophants slithering away in defeat? Only one way to find out… Vote now!
[poll id=”36″]
Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!
Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!
Round 2 is upon us! That’s right, fight fans… It’s Mix March Madness! Where 64 webcomics come in, but only 1 comes out! Let’s meet the comics that made it to the second round… ready to duke it out, as only webcomics can!
To my left… the sinfully droll savage…
And to my right… Gabe and Tycho, ready to grab and tussle. Better known to you as…
Will Penny Arcade punch those sinful sinners into oblivion? Or will the long standing stalwart of webcomics be toppled? Only one way to find out… Vote now!
[poll id=”35″]
Polling closes at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, March 12!
Click here to see all the webcomics and their standing in the tournament!
Strong female super-heroine characters from all walks of life are included in this stellar anthology: a parking valet, an archeologist, a bike messenger, a nurse, a holocaust survivor and many more. Also new stories featuring Lady Action and Domino Lady are included in this fantastic collection!
This volume collects the first five issues of the hilarity-packed and thrill-
inducing series, Zombies vs Cheerleaders, including every hot cover
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
Stephen Colbert, we have your writer for “The Chronicles of Amber”!
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