Ed Catto

Columns | Ed Catto

Ed Catto’s Black Friday Gift Guide!
ByEd Catto November 29, 2019July 5, 2026

Beyond the toys, eggnog and family time, a nostalgic part the Yuletide season for me are books about comics.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ When I was growing up, there were just a few : Batman from the 30s to the 70s, Les DanielsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Comix, Stan LeeÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Origins of Marvel Comics. ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ But boy, did they make an impression on me.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ …

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Columns

Ed Catto: Black Panther, back in the day…
ByEd Catto February 26, 2018

I’m thrilled for the Black Panther’s cinematic success. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s just another a Marvel superhero movie that happens to be about an African superhero. This phenomenon is a great adventure and so much more. It includes the success of a positive message and of a black director and of a mostly…

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Columns

Ed Catto: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture
ByEd Catto December 4, 2017July 5, 2026

Iâve loved comic shops ever since I rode my bike past Kimâs Collectible Comics and Records in the mid-70s. Kim Draheim, the owner, was one day away from opening the store.Â He told me to come back the next day. I did and I am proud to say I was his very first customer. I…

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Columns

Ed Catto: Fighting the Trend, a Retailer Expands
ByEd Catto November 20, 2017

Last Thursday in this space, Glenn Hauman wrote about comic shop owners who can’t seem to adapt to the ever-changing retailing reality. On the flip side of the coin are the many industrious and innovative retailers who have indeed figured it out. These are the folks who have learned how to survive through the industry’s…

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Ed Catto: Sky Masters!
ByEd Catto November 6, 2017

Today it’s easy to understand fans and creatives admire and envy the career of a guy like Robert Kirkman, who published his comic, The Walking Dead and then achieved great success as it became a top TV show. Or fans might think about how Thor was a 60s Marvel comic and now it just dominated…

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Ed Catto: It’s a Groovement!
ByEd Catto October 23, 2017July 5, 2026

Last week I reviewed several of the brave souls â you might call them entrepreneurs or creators â from the recent New York Comic Con. Thereâs something inspiring about creators who work so hard on a project and then work just as hard, or even harder, getting the word out at comic cons. I love…

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Ed Catto: Comic Con or Entrepreneur Con?
ByEd Catto October 16, 2017July 5, 2026

Whew!ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Another New York Comic Con is in the books. As usual, there was a lot of conversations about how these big conventions ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂarenÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt about comics anymoreÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ and instead focus on other fan-centric efforts. IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm maintain thereÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs still a lot of comics at big conventions. And IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂd take it step further – one of the…

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Ed Catto: Returning to Riverdale
ByEd Catto October 9, 2017

Riverdale returns to the CW Wednesday night. The second season promises more of the guilty pleasures served up in this surprisingly fun take of the Archie gang. It’s been wicked fun and I’m encouraged that it’s such a big hit. Archie has had success in media beyond comics before Riverdale. There was an Archie radio…

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Columns

Ed Catto: One Man’s Treasure
ByEd Catto September 25, 2017

You know the old saying: One’s man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That applies to me and my pals so often. Now, I realize I’m very blessed: I have a great bunch of friends. I share interests and/or a long history with each them. I guess that’s part of the definition of a friend. But…

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Columns

Ed Catto: On Target with Green Arrow and Richard Gray
ByEd Catto September 18, 2017

Moving Target: The History and Evolution of Green Arrow by Richard Gray. Sequart, $17.99 paperback; $6.99 Kindle edition Way back when, Green Arrow was sort of the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” of the superhero set. For a long time, fans could enjoy a new Green Arrow adventure just about every month, but he didn’t…

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Columns

Ed Catto: Robert Loren Fleming’s Thrill Ride, Part 1
ByEd Catto September 4, 2017

In the 80s, DC comics woke up the comics industry with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons. Fans and retailers were anxiously awaiting the next big thing. Thriller, the comic that you couldn’t read fast enough, was supposed to be that next big thing. Management was…

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Columns

Ed Catto: Happy Birthday, Jack!
ByEd Catto August 28, 2017

Jack Kirby would’a been 100 today! The best part about it all is that the world can take a break to smile and to be astonished at this man’s incredible imagination and talent. As you probably know, Jack Kirby was a tough, scrappy kid from the tough, scrappy part of New York City that grew…

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