MaggieThompson.com

2012: My Year of Family and Anniversaries

2012-01-31T08:22:00.000-06:00

March 2011 (left to right): Katy Curtis, Maggie Thompson, Paul Curtis, Grace Thompson, Stephen Thompson, Valerie Thompson, Devon Jaruk, Roy Jaruk, Jonah Thompson

This is one of those years of coincidental landmark line-ups. Consider: Mom and Dad were born in 1917. I was born in 1942. My sister Mary was born in 1947. I met Don in 1957. We were married in 1962. Valerie was born in [harrumph] Stephen was born in [another harrumph]. The Cleveland Press folded - and Don and I were hired by Krause Publications - in 1982, the year we moved to Wisconsin. It seemed to me that this is a logical year to celebrate all of that - and to get into more communications with family and friends. It was a shock to learn that my last remaining aunt (Dad's sister) and uncle (Mom's brother) died in 2011, so again: It's time to make an effort to reconnect - and this is a perfect time. I was thrilled to hear this month from a cousin I'd been trying to locate.
When was the last time you reached out to your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins ...? This would be a great year to do it!

Happy Holidays - from 55 Years Ago

2011-12-06T08:42:00.001-06:00

CURTIS, CURTIS, CURTIS, CURTIS & CURTIS

(The Fountain House, originally an inn, is not only our house, but gives its name to an area about a mile square; that’s why it is really a part of our mailing address.)

Fountain House, R.D. 2, Saegertown, Pennsylvania

ANNUAL REPORT 1956+

Yesterday, I posted Mom and Dad's Christmas Letter from 1951. But I also located their annual letter from five years later. So here it is, with happy wishes to all - and a realization that one problem solved doesn't mean all complications are solved forever. (Ah, memories of having to evacuate when the coal furnace mentioned in the 1951 letter went berserk and filled the house with coal smoke and attendant fumes. Hence, the gas furnace noted in the 1956 letter.) May your coming year have more triumphs and fewer challenges ...

Dear Friends, Relations, Stockholders, and Hockholders,

1956-plus has been a year chiefly composed of beginnings. While such things as the April to October rainy season, classes, the 87 quarts of peaches and 4 bushels of tomatoes we put up, and Katy's getting bigger and more fun seemed to have neither beginning nor end, the year was packed with such New Year's Days as those few we have space to record below. Most of these days initiated such interesting chains of happiness that we shall have to let you extrapolate much of the fun we've had for yourselves. We have run this report on into 1957 because the procession of New Year's Days showed no slackening by the first of the calendar year (and occupied so much of our attention that we had no break in which to report the beginnings already behind us).

Apr. 3, Molly's New Years making her nine years old, tall, blonde, busy, Brownie Scout.

Sometime this month we got a new-to-us radio to bring more and better music.

May 26, Katy's Christening, with Kathryn Hamilton and Gay and Peter McGee as sponsors.

A family New Year's, we hadn’t seen Pete since 1943, nor previously met Gay or cousins Woody and Jamie who stayed for a wonderful two-day visit.

June 7, Katy's Second New Year's, making her one year old, fat and sassy and fun.

July 9, the family's first RBBB Circus (sitting on straw and loving every moment).

20th, began the girls' annual Week in Oberlin with Grandmother McGee.

30th, the Saegertown Marching Band began daily rehearsals for the coming year.

Aug. 11, Mother Curtis' annual visit, which wound up with our getting a trip to Ithaca to take her home and to see Pat and Frank, Bettie and Ote, and all six cousins.

27th, Public School began, as usual at least a week too early to suit us.

7th or 21st? Bill and Alice and Ann Davidson dropped in for a too brief visit.

Sept. 6, First Annual Appearance of the Saegertown Band. (Mother McGee came to see it.)

17th, Betsy's New Years makes her the same age as Jack Benny? (or so he says.)

Oct. 22, Betsy's Intellectual New Years, with mimeographing of her ponderous paper on liberal education and the proposed non-resident quarter system for Oberlin.

24th (I think), an overnight visit from Mary Helen and Pete Whaley and young.

Nov. 20, Pearl, the Pure White Stove, replaced old Una the Universal who conked out.

22nd, Thanksgiving-New Year's for the McGee family, the first time all Mother McGee's grandchildren had all been together and the first time in fifteen years that she and her children had been all together (in her Oberlin apartment). Now that Chuck and family are near Chicago, we'll hope to make this a yearly do.

28th, New Year's Day for Betsy’s teeth.

29th, Margaret's New Year's. (Judy is known as Margaret or Maggie for the purpose of deconfusing school teachers.) Fourteen years old, tenth grader, tall as her mother but purtier and thinner.

Dec. 11, Ed's New Years made him the same age as Betsy. New Year's Day also for a brown suit (to take the strain off the one he was married in 15 ¼ years ago.)

22nd, New Year's Day for The Fountain House, when title passed from Florence and Bill Reid to Ed and Bets. (The New Mortgage included the costs of Phoebus, Cyrene, Georch, white aluminum lap siding, and some needed electrical repairs.)

Jan. 23-25, New Year's Days for Phoebus the Phurnace (gas) and his pipes which heat even the second floor, and for Cyrene the Cyclic (automatic water heater, also known as Phoebus' Phancy) now faithfully responsible for the Cleaner Curtises.

Feb. 13, New Year's Day for Doorbells, Wallplugs, and the Heavy Equipment Circuit.

15th, New Year's Day for the White White Fountain House and Georch the Porch.

Mar. 5, Woodwork, walls, ceiling of the livingroom freshly painted with Mother M's help.

So … Happy New Year's and all intervening holidays from KATE, MOLLY, JUDY, BETS & ED.

Happy Holidays - from 60 Years Ago

2011-12-05T11:03:00.001-06:00

Every year, Mom and Dad sent a mimeographed Christmas Letter to their friends, and I've just located one of those vintage messages. The heading above was drawn by Dad, and the messages themselves serve to remind me of the way times have changed (though I'm still, obviously, into comics) and the way our parents managed to maintain our world as kids while going through challenging events.

Dear Friends,

This is to notify you of the change in location of headquarters of our firm and the reason for it. As you will remember from our last annual report, we were enthusiastically planning to rebuild the house at Lark Meadows. However, because of the country-wide expected shrinkage in enrollments in colleges for the fall of 1951, St. Lawrence, like many other schools, was forced to reduce the number of its faculty and the head of our firm was so reduced (actually he didn’t lose a pound, which he could ill have spared). Inquiries of a number of colleges brought to light several good possibilities, the most attractive of which was at Allegheny College in Meadville, Penna., and here the Head of the firm accepted an appointment in May. The secretary wrote the treasurer of Allegheny College hoping for assistance in finding just the quarters which the firm required … a bathtub on the premises, three or four bedrooms, doorknobs on the doors, a study for the head of the firm, a kitchen large enough to contain the breakfast table and washer as well as the usual stove and sink. The treasurer was none too hopeful, especially when the request included wishes that the house should be in the country, have a garage and lawn, and be on a paved road. At least there was nothing yet available when the firm sent its effects into storage and moved for the summer to Mother Curtis' house in Ithaca on the first of July. About the middle of August, all members of the firm drove to Oberlin, Ohio, where Mother McGee supervised the activities of the junior members and the senior members went to Meadville to find housing. There they fell in love with a house which, unfortunately, was so tied up financially that the bank decided to try for a quick sale and not rent it. There seemed to be nothing else; so the members returned to Ithaca. A house in Meadville suddenly became available, and Pres. Ed dashed to Meadville to rent it; but someone else had beat him to it. He discussed courses with Bob Bugbee (head of the biology department) and returned to Ithaca. On Sept. 14, he returned to Meadville for the opening of school … to find that the bank had reversed its decision not to rent the house … and on the 21st of September the new headquarters were formally opened.

FOUNTAIN HOUSE is supposed to be part of the original tremendous inn of that name at which Lafayette is reputed to have slept. The name comes not from the waterfall which yesterday poured into the cellar when it rained, but from a huge watering trough which stood in what is now our front yard. The spring which fed the trough supplies the water for the house. It (the house) is rectangular, white, tree-surrounded. A central stair leads to the four upstairs bedrooms; downstairs are living room, play room, study, kitchen, and bath. Not only is there a bathtub, garage, guest room, ample kitchen, and isolatable study; but there are doorknobs on the doors, a tremendous attic, and four acres of apple trees, grapes, raspberries, and tangle. It is four miles from the college but in the center of a small faculty settlement: the other new man in the biology department lives across one road and the college treasurer across the other.

The secretary-treasurer of the firm at once dashed to town and bought a second-hand stove and refrigerator and bed for the maaaster bedroom (the Canton bed having been sold there in retribution for its infernal uncomfortability). The house with its miles of white woodwork begs for fluffy white curtains and lush carpeting and other goodies … which makes living in it fun because every month it may have a little of the fluff it asks for, and it's so grateful. The pres has already constructed a beautiful floor lamp from copper piping and wire cloth, and another is in the process of construction. The general manager has reupholstered a chair; a rug is in the process of being sewed together and tinted for the living room; the guest room is slowly being repainted, a piece of linoleum has been cut and placed under the laundry rack to provide a dripping-place for snowsuits; and Christmas will be good to the house too, though we haven’t decided just how.

Major achievements and work in progress of the member of the firm for the last ten months are listed below.

WILLIAM EDGAR CURTIS, president and chief investor: has completed the dissertation for the Ph.D. degree, "Quantitative studies of echolocation in bats (Myotis l. lucifugus); Studies of vision of bats (Myotis l. lucifugus and Eptesicus f. fuscus); and Quantitative studies of vision of owls (Tyto alba pratincola)." He expects to take the final exam for the degree sometime this month or next. He has prepared a new course in comparative anatomy and is preparing one in general physiology. He has drive at least 2600 miles. He has trained a bat to come to a certain place for food and to fly around between feedings. He has constructed a copper floor lamp and a new bat cage for his new bat, Tssitt. And he has mastered the art of firing the soft coal furnace.

ELIZABETH M. CURTIS, secretary, treasurer, general manager, and janitress: She has been cleaning house (she feels) steadily since May 1. She has nursed the junior members through a case of measles and flu each. She has packed the firm’s effects for a major and a minor move and has unpacked and settled twice. She has upholstered a chair and painted boards for a bookcase. Her chief work in progress is a play (sci-fic of course) which is coming along smoothly if slowly. She costumed her children with such ingenuity that they both won first prizes at the Saegertown Hallowe'en parade.

MARGARET JUDSON CURTIS, vice president in charge of literary and dramatic research, evaluation of propaganda and educational procedures, and cowhand extraordinary: Has recovered promptly from all measles and other such annoyances, has started school in two different places, has examined a tremendous quantity of comic books and western movies and reported on their quality. Her school at Saegertown (to which she rides on the bus which stops at the door) runs a double shift and she goes to the morning session, leaving her afternoon free for learning to cook, doing homework, playing with the three boys her age who live near, and for the researches listed above. She is finding fifth grade well attuned to her present abilities.

MARY NASH CURTIS, vice president in charge of dolls and stuffed animals, janitress' assistant, and general overseer and underseer: completed the second term of nursery school, learned to swim effectively with a tube and somewhat without it, succeeded in dressing herself completely (except for some hard snaps and tying her shoes). She is not going to nursery school this fall because of transportation difficulties and is spending the time thus freed in assisting with watching the washing machine and in working up complicated "let’s tend I'm the mother and you're the baby" dramas with Marilyn Rogers from across the street. She has also become adept at climbing apple trees in preparation for next year's crop.

Our new headquarters is now prepared for your inspection and patronage; and we hope that we may count on your continued interest, approval, and willingness to inform us of your doings and happenings. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Jubilant Easter!

Molly, Judy, Bets + Ed

[And this appended note appeared upside down:]

Dear Would-be Reader of that outstanding fanzine, THE CRICKET,

This letter is in partial explanation of the year-long delay in production of a new edition of the CRICKET and the similar delay in reprinting old issues. And it may be months yet before we get around to doing anything about it. I am still trying valiantly to work the writing of science-fiction into a housekeeping schedule more exacting than any I have previously known. Your name is on a mailing list for the next issue, which will carry a statement of how to continue to be on the mailing list. I hope you will forgive our not having acknowledged your letters and cards during the last six months. We were busy.

Betsy Curtis

FOTR Organizer Jay Hickerson Is Injured

2011-11-08T08:14:00.001-06:00

Jay Hickerson with one of the many
tributes he received at the October FOTR show

Word spread throughout the world of Friends of Old Time Radio Nov. 7 of the hospitalization of Jay Hickerson, the man who annually brought together in Newark an international mix of Old Time Radio buffs - and who kept those fans informed throughout the year with his Hello Again newsletter. The news of Jay's injury came from his wife, Karen, who wrote to Martin Grams: "Jay suffered an accident yesterday. We were at a performance at our local college, and, when he was coming back to his seat after the intermission, took a flying (literally) leap into the air and fell down the stairs landing on his head/face. Ambulance took him to the hospital. At first he was lucid. They took a CT scan and saw bleeding on his brain. A short while later, he began acting 'funny,' so they took another and saw more bleeding. He had a seizure when the doctors told me it would be best to stablize him by sedating him and putting him on a ventilator, which he is now still on. Jay is in the ICU unit. This morning, he did respond to some commands, so we know there is still some brain/body connection. More CT scans will be done in intervals to check the progress of the bleeding. People have been known to fully recover from such type head injuries, and I only pray that Jay is one of them. In the meantime, I have no way of letting his newsletter subscribers know that I have no way of knowing when one will go out, or if one will go out. It will have to be a wait and see. Please let me know how I can circulate Jay's condition to anyone who would care to know."

My thoughts go back to the many wonderful years of pleasure Jay and Karen have given to so many of us - and to the sing-along with which he ended the convention this year. Thanks for the memories, Jay! I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places. We'll meet again ...

Update Nov. 8 from Charlie Summers of The Old-Time Radio Digest, part of The OldRadio.Network: "The latest news on Jay's condition is good; his ventilator has been disconnected, although he is still in the ICU. Karen requests, "Keep those prayers coming for a full and complete recovery." You bet!

Goodbye, Friends of Old Time Radio - But Hello, Friends I've Made

2011-10-23T00:19:00.000-05:00

Jay Hickerson, Valerie Thompson, Arthur Anderson

Sigh. As I Tweeted earlier this evening, the Friends of Old Time Radio event has come to an end. Well, there's a sort of post-convention panel Sunday morning - but the official end comes Saturday night, and that's when this is. Everyone is trying to be upbeat, savoring the fun and treasuring the friends we've seen only once a year - but there were many of us who were too teary to join in when Organizer Jay Hickerson began the finale by playing and singing his own version of "Thanks for the Memories" and then invited us all to join him in "I'll Be Seeing You in All the Old Familiar Places" and "We'll Meet Again." The evening was filled, not only with food at the dinner and two re-creations, but also tribute after tribute to Jay and Karen Hickerson, who have brought us all so much pleasure. Among the tributes was a scrapbook of FOTR memories presented by radio personality Arthur Anderson (the voice of the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, among countless roles) and daughter Valerie Thompson. There was a cake. There were tears. There was laughter. When shall we meet again?

Serendipitous FOTR Dinner

2011-10-20T22:03:00.002-05:00

"The Widow" cast prepares for the "broadcast"

Elaine Hyman
Corinne Orr

Corinne Orr

You just don't know when you're at a convention what's going to happen when. And tonight's Friends of Old Time Radio convention dinner - followed by "Old Time Radio" performances - provided special enjoyment. Sitting at our table was actress Corinne Orr, who not only appeared on such shows as Theater Five and CBS Radio Mystery Theater, but also was a voice artist on Speed Racer and voiced Snuggle the Bear. She was incredibly delightful to chat with - and she was so fantastically nice that she put up with my floundering about by my inability to locate a pen so she could give me an autograph. (I know, I know - my manners should have improved by now, but I have come to terms with the knowledge that I will occasionally disrupt the lives of people I admire. Sigh.) In any case, the wonderful evening was capped by a reperformance of a Theater Five story, "The Widow," with Orr and Elaine Hyman recreating their roles from that long-ago show.

Friends of Old Time Radio Day One

2011-10-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

Charlie Summers' musical shirt

Jay Hickerson

Here I am in the Garden City: Newark, New Jersey! Why would I be hanging out here on a delightful October day? It's the Friends of Old Time Radio annual convention, bringing together experts, hobbyists, on-air celebrities, behind-the-scenes production people, and generations of folks who simply know and love and appreciate Old Time Radio. And the kicker is that this is the last installment of this decades-long tradition. Jay Hickerson has been coordinating what would otherwise have been chaos for 36 years, and there have been countless hugs between long-time friends in a huge celebration of the triumphant conclusion to this event. There will be many re-creations of delights of the past and laughs and unforgettable moments. (For example: Wish you had your own theme song to accompany you wherever you go? Old-Time Radio Digest moderator Charlie Summers has such a theme song - and a shirt that plays it.) Wish you were here!

Time to Get Back To Work!

2011-09-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

P'Gell said it 61 years ago - and she's still an inspiration.

Doctor Who and Networking: Who's There!

2011-08-28T18:36:00.003-05:00

Designer Tara Reich as Idris from "The Doctor's Wife"

I, of course, had had nothing to do with Brian's accomplishment. In one of my triumphs of networking, I had hit Westfield Comics' branch on the west side of Madison (check out Manager Bob Moreau's blog) on Free Comic Book Day in May - which turned out to be where Brian had set up his TARDIS. (Many were the fans who took photos that day, often posing next to or coming out of the Doctor's time machine.) Conversation ensued, I took my own photos, and we stayed in touch. Which is what networking is all about, come to think of it. Brian kindly invited me to join in the fun of the premiere event, and it was a delightful mix of longtime fans and, yes, people who were seeing the show for the first time. (I can't quite imagine what the latter group must have made of it; from time to time throughout the party that followed, I'd find myself encountering one or another fan trying to summarize briefly the history of a series that began in 1963. Best advice I could come up with: Start with the first season of the show's restart in 2005. Thank you, BBC America and DVDs!) And the networking went on, including meeting a designer whose eye-catching re-creation of a costume in one of the season's best episodes is only one of her accomplishments. (She showed me photos of some of her other Doctor Who-based outfits, many inspired by the show but not copied from it: wonderful!)

Where's the TARDIS Brings WHO Premiere to Madison

2011-08-28T18:13:00.003-05:00

Happy Doctor Who premiere atteendees

Who'd have thought it? Thanks to BBC America - and the incredible efforts of a Doctor Who enthusiast - Madison, Wisconsin, was the site of yesterday's world premiere of the restart of the BBC series with the eighth episode of the sixth season: "Let's Kill Hitler" by Steven Moffat. (Our showing was simultaneous with the showing in the United Kingdom itself; ordinarily, U.S. showings are delayed a few hours in order to put them in prime time.)

Months and months and months ago, Brian Bull decided he'd join the BBC's "Where's the TARDIS" competition, in which fans produced their own versions of the vehicle in which the time-and-space-traveling Doctor voyages. Brian's edition was an ice-fishing shanty, and his entry included images of the construction of the wintry project. Long story short: Brian's entry won - and part of the prize was the premiere, shown in the Madison Sundance Cinemas 608 theater at the Hilldale Mall.

It's Bargain-Hunting Time at Wizard World Chicago

2011-08-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

Eric Bradley, Patrick Bradley

I had a great time yesterday, especially gathering gossip and chit-chatting with folks throughout the day - culminating in a marvelous dinner with CGC-associated collectors and dealers. (I think tablemate Roy was a bit taken aback when I said I thought the most I'd spent for a back-issue comic book was around $75 - for a damaged Showcase #1 a few years ago. I, on the other hand, was a bit taken aback - though not surprised - by conversations about how many thousands of dollars were involved in an assortment of sales over the years.) Anyway, posting about all of this sort of thing will have to wait - because today is check-out day at the hotel and bargain day at the show. Wizard World Chicago is an event to which I arrive in a car, and that means that I can take back stuff without so many concerns about getting it from the convention to my home. And it's the day on which some of the dealers will lower their prices. And there were pretty good prices earlier, let me tell you. Here, for example, you'll see fellow Krause Publications Editor Eric Bradley and his son Patrick exulting in the joy of comics pursuit yesterday. What's the best convention moment for you so far this year?

OK, It's Time to Hit the Convention Floor

2011-08-13T11:10:00.001-05:00

Jim Engel

Gary Friedrich

So I'll haul this laptop from the hotel lobby's free Wi-Fi back to the room (where, for no reason I can fathom, there's a charge for the service) and head back to Wizard World Chicago. Hoping to see Michael Uslan and Jill Thompson, both of whom were scheduled to appear today, and who knows who else? (I just realized that I seem to have left my cell phone in the room: not good planning.) And so it goes. I've run out of time to comment on the fun of seeing again such folks as writer Gary Friedrich and cartoonist Jim Engel. Sigh ... Now where did I put that doggoned phone?

Wizard World Chicago Provides Unexpected Moments

2011-08-13T11:01:00.001-05:00

Dean Weber, Billy Tucci

I was wandering through Artist's Alley, grabbing photos here and there (wishing again today that this website were more friendly to photo displays), and I stopped by Billy Tucci's table. In one of those great convention moments we all cherish when they happen, it was then that Dean Weber came up to Billy to hand him two special canes, inspired by his work. If you check out Weber's Rebel Canes site, you'll see that much of what he produces is upbeat: designed to convey a message while providing the support so needed by many of us. Very neat.

Celebrities Appear at Wizard World Chicago

2011-08-13T10:46:00.002-05:00

Mike Grell

Lou Ferrigno

Well, of course they do! Depending on when you hit that portion of the exhibit hall, you'll be able to catch at least a glimpse - and perhaps even have a conversation with - a number of pop-culture icons. As I entered the room yesterday, for example, I noted the wonderful Felicia Day (of The Guild and, naturally, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) in the midst of a line-up of fans. And such comics celebrities as Mike Grell were there along with such other icons as Lou Ferrigno in the "celebrity" set-up. (The organization makes a lot of sense: Special guests are set up so as to provide instant, easy access upon entry. Other guests appear either at their own booths or Artist's Alley or [Here's a tip!] just walking the floor.)

See Felicia Day peeking out through the throng?

Chatting with Glass House Graphics Guys at Wizard World Chicago

2011-08-13T10:28:00.002-05:00

Will Conrad, David Campiti, Mike Deodato

It was fun to be able to grab some time to talk with David Campiti at the Glass House Graphics booth. I've known David Campiti for - what, now? - decades, I guess, and I've watched from a distance as the former head of Innovation (who, in ages past, assigned me a four-part Dark Shadows story arc) has grown his own production group. At Comics Buyer's Guide, we've worked with David as one of the go-to folks who have provided covers for our issues - but, of course, he's done much, much more. At the booth, he told me he's produced a full animated feature film: Niko: The Journey to Magika, distributed by Red Giant Media. In the midst of such other activity as moving to Orlando, he's also contributing writer to Dynamite's Stan Lee's How to Draw Comics, which he has available at the Glass House booth.

And, of Course, There's News at Wizard World Chicago

2011-08-12T11:20:00.001-05:00

Steve Horton

Gary Colabuono

Hungry for news at Wizard World Chicago? Just saunter through the nicely set-up Artist's Alley and chat with the many, many folks with projects released and in the works. For example, I came across Steve Horton, who had worked years ago as an intern at Comics Buyer's Guide and who is becoming increasingly active as a freelance writer. He said he's scripting the first installment now of "Amala's Blade" for use in Dark Horse Presents by Editor Chris Warner. It's planned as what Horton called "steampunk with swords," with an initial outing in February.

And some news is scheduled for release later in the show. Retailer (and longtime collector) Gary Colabuono says he has a terrific story to share about some unique (and I use the term correctly) comics collectibles. (Well, he didn't actually specify what the story involves - but I've heard rumors. And isn't that what convention conversations are all about?)

But enough posting. Time to head for the exhibit floor again.

Smell the Goodness AND Support Hero Initiative

2011-08-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

Jim McLauchlin shows off comics-oriented Grendel scent

Jim McLaughlin was at the Hero Iniative booth at Wizard World Chicago, and among the items on display at that booth were bottles produced by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab: comics- and fantasy-associated scents whose sales benefit the charity. It seems Black Phoenix works with creators to come up with a combination that everyone feels somehow "works" to convey elements of the pop-culture material in question. And sales pay off for charities. Over a three-year period, for example, the Grendel and Witchblade sales have grossed $10,000 to help the comics community. Check it out!

Who Knows WHAT You'll Find at Wizard World Chicago?

2011-08-12T10:48:00.001-05:00

$100 of fun from a cool booth at Wizard World Chicago

Only one of the delights of Wizard World Chicago is its ongoing tradition as a great place to pick up an incredible variety of pop-culture items at bargain prices. Following preview night, I pause to evaluate a stack of miscellany at can't-pass-em-up rates and a small pile of cool paperbacks. And the point is that I didn't attend the show in order to buy these specific books and comics; I came with the attitude of "hey, let's see what I find." And, as a result, found Stuff! For example, that Essential Hulk was in a 3 for $10 box - and will be passed on to someone deserving (perhaps to a child of my acquaintance; it could end up as an incredibly cool coloring book). I think the three pulps were at that same price. I probably don't need those specific pulps, but at that price, what the heck? And I'll hit that booth several times more before the end of the show - because I'm sure I missed things. (At these prices, for example, I may invoke my role as a grandmother to provide reading choices for young 'uns.)

$40 in neat paperbacks

As to the cool paperbacks, I'd had no idea that Roy Huggins was a novelist - and the one I bought is turning out to be fun. (Huggins, of course, went on to a career in Hollywood, writing and producing some of my favorite entertainment, from Maverick to Rockford Files.) And another is a book by another pop-culture creator, Marion Hargrove; a check of my files [once I got back to the hotel room] revealed that I do have a hardcover of the paperback I bought last night - but with no dj, and the pb cover is charming. Hey, a Mark Gatiss Doctor Who novel I don't have! And the pb of a minor Thorne Smith novel looked to be in great shape, yadda, yadda. I can hardly wait to get back to the show this morning.

You'd Know Who Won Eisner Awards if You'd Followed ThompsonMaggie on Twitter

2011-07-23T04:15:00.000-05:00

23rd Annual Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards winners

A long day of fun at Comic-Con International: San Diego wrapped up with the Eisner Awards ceremony - and, hey! I won an Eisner Award! Well, not exactly, but sort of. We'll get to that in a minute. In the meantime, here's the list of winners (in more detail than I Tweeted): Best Publication for Kids: Tiny Titans by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC). Best Publication for Teens: Smile by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix). Best Humor Publication: I Thought You Would Be Funnier by Shannon Wheeler (Boom!). Best Lettering: Todd Klein Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel); Driver for the Dead (Radical). Best Coloring: Dave Stewart Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young's Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian (Vertigo/DC). Best Digital Comic: Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl. Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel). Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Juanjo Guarnido Blacksad (Dark Horse). Best Cover Artist: Mike Mignola Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse). Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: ComicBookResources produced by Jonah Weiland. Best Comics-Related Book: 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking by Paul Levitz (Taschen). Best Publication Design: Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer Artist's Edition designed by Randall Dahlk (IDW). Best Anthology: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen (Archaia). Best Archival Collection/Project - Strips: Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946-1948 by Bob Montana edited by Greg Goldstein (IDW). Best Archival Collection/Project - Comic Books: Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer Artist's Edition edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW). Best U.S. Edition of International Material: It Was the War of the Trenches by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics). Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia: Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa (Viz Media). Hall of Fame Judges' Choices: Ernie Bushmiller, Jack Jackson, Martin Nodell, Lynd Ward. Hall of Fame Vote Winners: Mort Drucker, Harvey Pekar, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman. Spirit of Retailing Award: Comics & Vegetables, Tel Aviv, Israel. Best Writer: Joe Hill Lock & Key (IDW). Best Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit (IDW). Best Short Story: "Post Mortem" by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark in I Am an Avenger #2 (Marvel). Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse). Best Reality-Based Work: It Was the War of the Trenches by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics). Best New Series: American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC). Best Limited Series or Story Arc: Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba (Vertigo/DC). Best Continuing Series: Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image). Best Adaptation from Another Work: The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel). Best Graphic Album - Reprint: Wednesday Comics edited by Mark Chiarello (DC). Best Graphic Album - New: TIE of Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia) and Wilson by Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly).

And Maggie Thompson winning an Eisner? Well, if you check information for the Archie book, you'll discover she wrote the introduction. Woo (as we say) hoo!

More SDCC Thursday

2011-07-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

Steve Borock

OK, time to hit the road, with so many memories still not set down online. Which, of course, means they'll merge into a mass of amorphous thoughts, some of which will remain buried until they emerge days later - but forever unposted. And, of course, there are plans for Things To Do later in the show. For example, tomorrow breakfast will be with Heritage's Steve Borock, whose vast files of facts regarding tips on buying and selling collectibles Valerie and I plan to explore. Steve is one of the experts on the field whose knowledge I depend on - and whose honesty has contined to make him a trusted source. And he loves, loves, loves the field above and beyond any monetary aspects. Oh, and did I mention he's just fun to have breakfast with? (One of the traumas of the show this year: The Marriott no longer serves its banana blueberry oatmeal creme brulee during the days of the convention. Another tradition gone - though it will live on in fond memory.)

More SDCC Thursday

2011-07-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

Jeff Mariotte

Michael Uslan

Every year, it's the same situation: Sit in the room and post or speed to the con and take more photos and chat with more folks. I'm sure the Internet is packed with reports with crowd-sourcing aplenty, so my views ... Well, I just have more pictures, right? Jeff Mariotte, for example, was on hand to talk with folks who are eager to read his latest. And Michael Uslan was carrying with him a copy of his project due for release this autumn. And, in fact, that's what so much of Comic-Con is about: what's coming - or out there - that I'm going to want to enjoy between now and next Comic-Con.

Looking Back at Comic-Con's Thursday

2011-07-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

Valerie at the blood drive

Prying open my eyes following the first full day of Comic-Con, I realize that Valerie and I basically lolled about, taking things as they came, checking out Angry Birds items for Valerie's son, desperately pursuing a giveaway Tintin bag (unsuccessfully; on the agenda for this afternoon again), and hugging old friends as we came across them. If my goals had been to get as many photos as possible and troll for the latest news, well ... Didn't happen. But Comic-Con is what you make it - and we made it fun. We started the day with a Blood Drive appointment, and Valerie overcame her concerns about whether her iron level would let her be accepted. Woo hoo! We actually ended up facing each other in a donation race. (She won.) True Blood T-shirts in hand, we returned to the con.

Sergio Aragones and Stan Sakai
(with Gordon Kent hidden but laughing)

And it was really a "whatever happens, happens" day, complete with attending our own "Spotlight" panel (with a surprising attendance, considering just how many events were counter-programmed). As Valerie and I chatted about being raised as second- and third-generation fans, the room slowly began to fill even more - and we asked what the next panel was scheduled to be. Why would the room be so packed? Oh, of course! It was to be Mark Evanier with a Groo team. So, of course, we stayed for the fun. In the course of much hilarity were hidden a number of to-be-noted factual treats, such as that Tom Yeates will draw Conan and Tarzan for upcoming Dark Horse crossovers for Groo. Yes, Conan will have to deal with Groo - as will Tarzan - with, of course, the basic Groo material provided by Evanier and Aragones. Also noted: Sergio Aragones Funnies (available at the show). And a Bongo Maggie (no relation) comic book done by Sergio. Stan Sakai said that Dark Horse's Usagi Yojimbo #141 will actually be his series #200, and there will be treats.

And They're Off! Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night

2011-07-21T01:30:00.000-05:00

Jeff Smith

It was a long day packed with chance meetings and, of course, countless delights. I'm a bit dismayed to discover that I took only a few photos during Preview Night - but there are days and days to come. (Note to self: Take more photos!) The goodie bag attendees received had a Comic-Con image on one side and a variety of Warner Bros. images on the other. Attendees took what they were given, but many followed up the action by trading for the most desired images. Daughter Valerie and I began with a bag featuring "Geoff Johns * Jim Lee Justice League Fall 2011" and a bag featuring a Warner Bros. vampire series. Another fan asked to trade the vampire bag for another "Justice League" bag, and I agreed. Eventually, still another fan asked if I'd be willing to trade one for a "Big Bang Theory" bag - and so it went for many collectors devoted to one pop-culture treat over another.

The Cartoon Books booth quickly developed a lengthy line as Jeff Smith chatted with fans whose purchases (anniversary hefty Bone collections, Bone T-shirts, other Bone items, and the three trade paperbacks of Rasl) he was signing. And, of course, that was only one of an overwhelming assembly of displays. There were toys, comics, movies, TV shows, and other collectibles (Valerie bought a delicious Little King figure, for example - and there was more, more, more.) We checked out the Lego booth for possible treats for her son, Devon, and that booth was a delight to younger attendees.

Valerie Thompson, William Stout, Maggie Thompson

It's something of a blur, but the exhibit-room evening wrapped up with a delightful conversation with William Stout and Samantha Holmes (of Leapin' Lizard Entertainment) - and she was nice enough to provide photography services for a shot. (Thanks, Samantha!) It should be noted that she had just produced a film in which Stout had served as a serial killer (and she had played one of his victims). Looking forward to seeing it someday, I must confess. And, for that matter, to tomorrow - when I hope to post much, much more.

"It is a proud and lonely thing" To Help the Internet

2011-07-18T08:17:00.001-05:00

In the course of editing a bunch of stuff, a question arose regarding the origin of a saying that has typified the lives of some devoted to a variety of obsessions: "It is a proud and lonely thing to be a fan." The writer had hunted here and there on the Internet and found only what amounted to shoulder-shrugging, with attempts at the origin even winding up with a guess at a reference to A.E. van Vogt's novel Slan. "But, hey," I said, "I know the references involved. They were common knowledge in the world of science-fiction fandom in the 1950s!" Weird thing: Apparently, common knowledge to a generation of people devoted to the wonders of the future has not been universally transferred from survivors of that generation to the future that is our present. Or, at least, not transferred so that it pops up handily in a Google search. So here's the thing:

First was a story by Walter Macfarlane, "To Watch the Watchers." It appeared in the June 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, the most influential of the science-fiction magazines of that time. The story is told with a breezy confidence that leads me to suspect that Macfarlane may have been a penname; it only appeared in one other issue of Astounding and no other SF magazine of the day. But maybe I'm being unfair to a writer whose story I so enjoyed. At any rate, its presentation was a bit dodgy: Its punchline is published on the second page of the eight-page story of spaceman Tully Kloote, in the illustration by Orban. Or, as it appears at the end of the tale, "On the base, in exquisite, mathematically exact letters are these words: Tully Kloote It is a proud and lonely thing to be a man."

If you were a science-fiction reader in those days, you were almost certain to read Astounding, and the story was effective and affecting. So most readers would get the closing gag in a Robert Bloch short story in the October 1956 Fantastic Universe, even seven years later. While Bloch's most famous work today is probably the novel Psycho, he wrote terrific stories over many years - and is noted for such remarks as "I have the heart of a small boy. I keep it on my desk." So it was no surprise that his 16-page "A Way of Life" involved a post-Apocalyptic future in which all of society evolved out of the world of science-fiction fandom - and the 1956 reader was expected to moan over such concepts as "religious Kyrie Ellison" music and "peering up at the planets from the Mount Richard Wilson observatory, creating new developments like the Bradbury Ray." And the story's capper was its last line: "It is a proud and lonely thing to be a fan."

So Can You Tell ...

2011-06-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

Ed Curtis and friends in the early 1950s

... what Dad is holding in this photo? And what's hanging from his pocket? Just read the previous post. I bet you can figure it out.

Ed Curtis, aka Dad

2011-06-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

William Edgar Curtis in office, Roberts Hall, Spring 1941

His doctorate involved a study of food location by bats and owls; a Google check turns up citation after citation for "Curtis, 1952." That'd be him. He also wrote a book I was startled to find recently in Amazon listings: The Learning Game. It was published in October 1974 - but by "published" I mean mimeographed by Mom. Print run was 100. But there it was on Amazon (though not actually available). Here's his preface to that volume, designed as a guide to college students:

Most books have prefaces. I do not know why.

Few persons read them. When they do, they rarely get better set for the reading of the book that is being prefaced. Sometimes I read a preface pretending that I am a scholar and should proceed through the book in an orderly manner. When I do this, I usually lose interest in the book before I get started with the main reading.

Ed Curtis in the 1930s

The usual preface (at least my impression of them) seems to assume that the reader has already read the book! "In chapter four, I take the concept of depriphasiality seriously to task." But I do not know what that is because I have not read chapter four yet.

There is no preface in this book.

In the process of going through a number of family photos recently, I came across a lovely batch of photos of dad - photos I don't think I'd seen before. He was born December 11, 1917, and died June 15, 1975. He was a pioneering researcher in echolocation in bats, a hobby painter, and an associate professor of biology at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. And I miss him. Love you, Dad!

Captain Marvel Was in Rare Good Humor

2011-06-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

I try to keep an eye out for Turner Classic Movies' broadcasts of The Good Humor Man so I can remind comic-book fans that this is a farce that, oddly, involves comic books. Though many of the brief summaries you'll find online and in reference books fail to note it, the existence of Fawcett's Captain Marvel comic books is a sort of subplot. For example, Leonard Maltin gives the 1950 film (79 minutes) two and a half stars, but he only has room enough to note it's a "Broad slapstick comedy about ice-cream vendor Carson, who stumbles into a crime ring. Written by Frank Tashlin." And he's correct, of course. But. Whereas Jack Carson's Biff is the amiable and well-meaning (if not quite bright) Good Humor Man of the title, he's also the adult overseeing the neighborhood's "Captain Marvel Club." And it's the kids of the club who unite to lend a hand at the stunt-packed climax.

There are many points of interest for the trivia-minded. First, of course, is that Fawcett actually produced a comic book that consists of a tale by Otto Binder in which Captain Marvel flies to Columbia Pictures so as to act as technical advisor for the Captain Marvel Club sequences. Second, though the word "Shazam!" is unspoken in the film itself, the club's code words are "niatpac levram," and the kids use them as a call to arms. Third, though the serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel was a Republic film in 1941, it is Columbia Pictures that produced this film - but stuntman Dave Sharpe was on hand for both, stunting as Captain Marvel in 1941 and as one of the bad guys in this film. Fourth, though Tashlin wrote the script for Columbia, the original story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post - and it was by Roy Huggins. Perhaps, indeed, Columbia made this film because it had already brought Huggins to Hollywood to adapt his The Double Take to movies as I Love Trouble. (Of course, he later went on to create and oversee such comedy-tinged successes as Maverick, The Rockford Files, and Alias Smith and Jones.)

While The Good Humor Man is neither subtle nor a comedic masterpiece, then, you might want to catch it the next time TCM offers it. Which will be, come to think of it, tonight at 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time. (Oh, and why do I say Captain Marvel is in rare Good Humor? Because the movie is not available on DVD - which means your best way to catch it is when TCM offers it.)

Steven Moffat sets an example for pop-culture heroes, no spoilers

2011-06-12T07:54:00.000-05:00

At least, I hope I won't give away anything, in case readers haven't yet had a chance to see Doctor Who 6:7, "A Good Man Goes to War." And, note, I have yet to go back to rewatch the Moffat DW oeuvre: 1:9-10 ("The Empty Child," "The Doctor Dances"), 2:4 ("The Girl in the Fireplace"), 3:10 ("Blink"), 4:8-9 ("Silence in the Library," "Forest of the Dead"), all 5, and all 6. Topping it all off, of course, is that none of us has seen what Moffat will do in the second half of the sixth season.

But here is The Thing: A tedious trend in serialized pop culture is that somehow people who are married can't be heroic. Or interesting enough to care about. A character, once introduced as single, must stay single - or, if married, be returned to a single state, as is "normal" for that character. I'll accept that Reed and Sue Richards may be an exception - but even there, I think it's because Sue began as invisible and has pretty much remained that way. A married couple as equal partners, equally heroic, equally interesting, equally loving ... The "mainstream" serial pop-culture world not only does not have this as its norm, it rarely has it at all. Heck, the primary super-heroic family success story that springs to mind is The Incredibles, but that was conceived as a post-heroic-turns-heroic adventure - and, additionally, it was also pretty much a one-off.

But Moffat? He seems to specialize in giving viewers a world in which mothers and fathers - even some of the bad guys - act heroically and lovingly on behalf of their children. And a world in which the children are important, and abandonment is catastrophic. And in which marriage is not a boring end to adventure and heroics and edge-of-the-seat cliffhangers. Admittedly, Moffat must have had at least some of the story arc of Amy and Rory planned long in advance - but what a change it has been for the series, which has not had such Companions in any other arc since its inception in 1963!

And why haven't more creators realized that the story possibilities are increased, not lessened, when there is a family at its center? Why must they kill the baby, break up the couple, drive one of the couple insane, make one of the characters a cipher or villain, or otherwise confine their stories to a "normal" state of focus on One Single Hero, bravely facing adventures alone? Swiss Family Robinson showed readers in 1812 that a story could have a strong family as a major element and still be popular. (But, then, Johann Wyss was not setting up a series designed to spin off stories for decades.) There are a few comic-book writers who have avoided the routine of couple destruction; we should treasure them. But their stories aren't the norm.

Kudos to Steven Moffat - and to Doctor Who. I can hardly wait until "late summer," when BBC America promises Season Six will continue. (Keeping hope alive that, as at the start of Season Six, America will get to see episodes on the same day they air in England.)

54 Years Ago ...

2011-06-08T16:01:00.000-05:00

Don Thompson

I pretty much summed up the day a while ago but I recently uncovered this photo and thought it'd be appropriate to post it today. I took it just before Don left to continue his hitchhiking toward the oxymoronically named Grand Valley, where he was spending the summer after his sophomore year at Penn State. I've always liked the fact that I was such a poor photographer that I (in the form of my shadow) shared the picture with him.

Grabbing Friends for Adventure Time (with Finn & Jake)

2011-05-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

There are so many animated TV series these days that it's easy to miss some outstanding oddballs. It's also easy (for me, at least) to prejudge series - because, well, 24 hours in a day, culling, deadlines, appointments ... All that sort of thing. So I had never seen Cartoon Network's Adventure Time and my instincts (when brother Paul Curtis first broached the subject) were not in its favor. I tend to dislike cartoons in which it seems the artist has no grasp of anatomy - and characters as a result have elbows any old whichway, bodies that vary from action to action, etc. Moreover, with those 24 hours in a day, a series that benefits from my watching multiple episodes is less likely to attract me.

However, whenever I'd get together with Paul (which is less frequently than I'd like, given that I live in Wisconsin and he in New York), we'd end up watching an episode or two, and I've found the series fascinating. For one thing, I am unable to predict where any story will go after the first scene. Think about that: How often can you, given the opening scene, pretty well work out what happens next? And, even if you can do that, how often can you predict the story's flow after the next scene has played out? I have to tell you, an 11-minute Adventure Time tale is - for me, at least - a wonder of twists and turns and concepts for which I Am Not Ready.

For another thing, I'm charmed by the ongoing theme of Finn's always seeking to do what is morally right - and Jake's usual willingness to abet him in reaching his goals. The theme (as best I can decipher it) urges the viewer, "Come on, grab your friends! We'll go to very distant lands. With Jake the Dog and Finn the Human, the fun'll never end!" But the adventures are ... Well ... In what epguides gives as its apparent first episode, "Business Time," for example, Finn and Jake thaw what turn out to be zombie businessmen - who turn out to be masters of efficiency and problem-solving. But then ... Now, I wouldn't have even imagined a situation in which an iceberg would contain zombie businessmen, much less been able to construct a complex episode involving the ensuing complications.

Speaking of complexity, the Wikipedia entry provides many plot details you may find informative - but let me suggest you seek out the show's own link above to get something of a feel. At the moment, there's a snippet, for example, of an episode that begins when, visiting Marceline the Vampire Queen, Finn and Jake decide her couch is too uncomfortable. She points out that, since she floats, the couch doesn't bother her - so Finn and Jake ask to be made vampires, too. Of course.

But today's post is inspired by my darling brother, whose birthday is any minute now. I had called his attention to an incredibly expensive gadget to which my attention had been called by Tweets from Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward (@buenothebear on Twitter). I pointed it out to him and apologized that I wasn't going to buy it for him because it was too expensive - albeit incredibly cool. That very week, I received a package from him - containing said incredibly expensive gadget (obviously, shown above). When I blithered to him about what a crummy sister I am and how wonderful he is, he said that, whereas he would wear it to work so that a limited number would see it, I was likely to wear it in a wide variety of venues and would, moreover, blab about it to anyone who would hold still. And one of his (and my) goals is to make Adventure Time popular enough that Cartoon Network would release DVDs of the show. Perhaps, Paul guessed, if the gadget sells out, it'll demonstrate to Cartoon Network that there are people out there who would buy such DVDs. So please do check it out. (And, hey, consider buying the gadget - which I love. It's a limited edition and may not remain available for long.)

Here's what's been aired so far (according to epguides):
1:1 Business Time 2010 Mar 11
1:2 Evicted! 2010 Mar 18
1:3 Slumber Party Panic 2010 Apr 5
1:4 Trouble in Lumpy Space 2010 Apr 5
1:5 Prisoners of Love 2010 Apr 12
1:6 Tree Trunks 2010 Apr 12
1:7 Enchiridion 2010 Apr 19
1:8 The Jiggler 2010 Apr 19
1:9 Ricardio the Heart Guy 2010 Apr 26
1:10 My Two Favorite People 2010 May 3
1:11 Memories of Boom Boom Mountain 2010 May 3
1:12 Finn the Wizard 2010 May 10
1:13 City of Thieves 2010 May 24
1:14 The Witch's Garden 2010 Jun 7
1:15 What Is Life? 2010 Jun 14
1:16 Ocean of Fear 2010 Jun 21
1:17 Wedding Bells Thaw 2010 Jun 28
1:18 Dungeon 2010 Jul 12
1:19 The Duke 2010 Jul 19
1:20 Freaky City 2010 Jul 26
1:21 Donny 2010 Aug 9
1:22 Henchman 2010 Aug 23
1:23 Rainy Day Daydream 2010 Sep 6
1:24 What Have You Done? 2010 Sep 13
1:25 Finn Meets His Hero 2010 Sep 20
1:26 The Gut Grinder 2010 Sep 27

2:1 It Came from the Nightosphere 2010 Oct 11
2:2 The Eyes 2010 Oct 18
2:3 Loyalty to the King 2010 Oct 25
2:4 Blood under the Skin 2010 Nov 1
2:5 Story Tellin' 2010 Nov 8
2:6 Slow Love 2010 Nov 15
2:7 Power Animal 2010 Nov 22
2:8 Crystals Have Power 2010 Nov 29
2:9 Other Tarts 2011 Jan 3
2:10 To Cut a Woman's Hair 2011 Jan 10
2:11 The Chamber of Frozen Blades 2011 Jan 17
2:12 Her Parents 2011 Jan 24
2:13 The Pods 2011 Jan 31
2:14 The Silent King 2011 Feb 7
2:15 The Real You 2011 Feb 14
2:16 Guardians of Sunshine 2011 Feb 21
2:17 Death in Bloom 2011 Feb 28
2:18 Susan Strong 2011 Mar 7
2:19 Mystery Train 2011 Mar 14
2:20 Go with Me 2011 Mar 28
2:21 Belly of the Beast 2011 Apr 4
2:22 The Limit 2011 Apr 11
2:23 Video Makers 2011 Apr 18
2:24 This Mortal Folly 2011 May 2
2:25 Mortal Recoil 2011 May 2
2:26 Heat Signature 2011 May 9

And just this morning, Ward Tweeted, "Watched the animation for the first episode of season 3.. it's so good y'all.. it might be my favorite episode.. so much cute stuff in it."

I can hardly wait.

Did I Ever Write a Marvel Thor story? Come to Think of It ...

2011-05-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

So I was chatting with son Stephen on Mother's Day, and I'd just come from seeing the Thor movie. Stephen asked if Don and I hadn't written a story for Marvel Comics' Thor series, and I realized I'd forgotten all about it. Why, yes, we had - and I went into a discussion about Editor Roy Thomas' talking with us about wanting to do a Marvel take on the fact that there was a Superman movie and involving long-time Superman artist Wayne Boring with the project. Etc. The next morning, I looked it up - and discovered Don and I had plotted, not one, but two Marvel stories about the thunder god. (How do you forget this sort of thing? I didn't even have duplicate copies on the shelf - though I may have them somewhere else ...) [Note: While I'm tending to use the words "written" and "plotted" as synonyms, of course, they're not. Except that, in writing comics "Marvel method," what happens is that the artist is handed the plot and then creates the story - which is then scripted. We didn't script the stories - and Roy replotted what we'd plotted. Just so's we're clear on this.]

Here's what appeared in the letters column of the issue about the movie (Thor #280, February 1979): Wayne [Boring] himself has returned to his real-estate chores for the nonce – but we think the story he drew, as plotted by Roy [Thomas]'s old friends Don and Maggie Thompson, is just what we called it on our splash page: "Perhaps the most awesomely offbeat Thor epic of all" 'Nuff said?

What I had forgotten in my conversation with Stephen was that our first Thor plot had probably been for Thor Annual #8 (1979). As Roy wrote in his editorial on the issue: So, I decided that even putting a northern deity like Thor into the story of the Trojan War wouldn't do any more violence to Homer than had already been done – and besides, it'd be fun. Thus, I began to mull over in my mind how best to do it, but the pressure of comics and other work kept me from getting to it.

Enter Don and Maggie Thompson, longtime friends and comics fans now turned more or less pro with articles and comics stories in various Marvel mags. They were looking for assignments, and I mentioned to Maggie that I was bogged down and could use some research help on bringing Thor into the Trojan War without changing the details of the actual story in any major way. … Why couldn't it just as easily have been Thor, on a jaunt down from the north, who was merely MISTAKEN for this or that Olympian.

Answer: It could have been! Maggie and Don took the idea, and ran with it. A few weeks later, I received two or three pages of notes which placed the action of the proposed Thor story in a very particular part of THE ILIAD, starting with the Third Book (we’d call it the Third CHAPTER) in which Paris and King Menelaus fight a duel to decide the fate of Troy and beauteous Helen. I rewrote their notes into an eight-page plot which I then sent to John Buscema, who rendered it beautifully amid complaints that there were "too many characters."

As I recall, we even had notes on a third adventure (which Roy teased about in that annual): one that would involve Thor with events in either The Aeneid or The Odyssey or maybe both. But, as it turned out, Roy didn't write another Thor annual, so that tale remains to be told. In any case: Why, yes, Stephen, we did write for Marvel's Thor, now that you mention it.

Even the TARDIS Came to Free Comic Book Day!

2011-05-09T16:07:00.001-05:00

TARDIS, Brian Bull

As always seems to happen in the fun that fills Free Comic Book Day, I came away with notes and photos and comics and books too numerous to deal with quickly. In fact, my current goal is to limit myself to one or two comments per day over the next few days, if only to get myself back to some sort of schedule on this blog! But the most time-sensitive note would seem to be that concerning "Wisconsin's ice-fishing TARDIS entry" in the "Where's the TARDIS?" contest. Though a conversation with the TARDIS' host, Brian Bull, elicited the information that he works for Wisconsin Public Radio, I confess that the name hadn't clicked as one I should recognize until just now - "Oh, wait! That Brian Bull? The one whose reports I hear on WPR?" Well, yes. That's just how full my brain was by that point May 7. (You know how it is: You connect a person with their surroundings, and this guy was most clearly identified with a blue Police Box and ... Never mind.) This TARDIS had landed in front of the East Side branch of Westfield Comics just in time for Free Comic Book Day - and many people were taking the opportunity of being photographed emerging from it.

The point is that Brian was in the midst of a campaign that ends soon! So do not delay: Go here and click "Like." I gather that's all it takes. (I don't understand the ins and outs of all this, I confess. But time is of the essence; I do know that.) After that, you can follow his links to see photos of the work it took for him to put together his special entry. And, hey, can you go ice-fishing out of the bottom of The Doctor's TARDIS? That's something we haven't seen - but the season isn't over yet.

And I Quote: Matthew Murphy Discusses the Dell-Gold Key Split in 1962

2011-03-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

Now and then, comics buffs have questioned the split that turned what they had thought of as "Dell Comics" into "Dell Comics" and "Gold Key Comics." (For example, the licensed Tarzan title ran through #131 [Jul-Aug 62] under the Dell imprint and then picked up with #132 [Nov 62] with a Gold Key logo.) So Don and I asked what was going on - and printed the following response from Western Printing & Lithographing's Matthew H. Murphy in our fanzine Comic Art #4. Oh, and we asked him about the weird coding that appeared in place of earlier years' simple cover numbering. And, for that matter, about the company's lack of Comics Code oversight:

"With regard to a Western-Dell separation, this was by mutual agreement so that each company would be free to explore the potential business in the comics market without the self-imposed restrictions which formerly required Western and Dell to work exclusively with one another. In our previous relationship, Western Publishing Co. secured the rights, created the comics, printed them and shipped them out for Dell. Dell acted as the publisher and distributor and did the billing and paid Western for its creatively manufactured products. As far as the code number on the cover is concerned, this is an IBM system used to identify the comic and guide the dealer with respect to the off-sale date. The number in the indicia refers to the issue of the comic.

"We are not members of the Comics Code Authority nor was Dell. Our censorship is one which includes the approval of the licensors involved, and a series of inter-company readings guided by our policy of creating only wholesome entertainment. We are the largest producer of children's publications in the world and as such feel qualified to make competent judgment with respect to what is suitable for children and what is not."

And I Quote: Stephan Pastis Says Dante Couldn't Have Imagined Comic-Con

2011-03-16T12:04:00.001-05:00

Newspaper cartoonist Stephan Pastis produces an oddball strip "peopled" by zebra-hungry (but dim) crocodiles, a passive-aggressive rat, a sort-of-pig-on-the-street pig … and Pearls before Swine is laugh-out-loud funny an impressive percentage of the time. The most recent collection from Andrews McMeel is Pearls Blows Up reprinting Feb. 17, 2008-Aug. 22, 2009, and it's well worth your investment. Among its other charms are Pastis' annotations of many installments. ("That's supposed to be Osama bin Laden in the last panel. Sadly, he's about as recognizable as Saddam Hussein was a few days earlier. That brings up an important rule of cartooning: If the joke is dependent on the reader recognizing someone in the last panel, it's a good idea to make that person recognizable.")

But I was struck by his commentary in the introduction to the volume: a discussion of his appearance at Comic-Con International: San Diego in 2009. As in:

"I was in a land not even Dante could have envisioned.
"People dressed like animals. People dressed like superheroes. People dressed like Star Wars characters.
"And they don't just dress like them, they act like them.
"Take my word on this. There is nothing more disturbing in all of human existence than watching a forty-five-year-old man dressed like a Stormtrooper battle a fifty-two-year-old man dressed like Luke Skywalker.
"It is the kind of debauchery that made God flood the earth in the time of Noah and surely must tempt him to do it again."

But Pastis also says he had a great time - and it was not so much the convention, as it was the wonders of the convention combined with those of San Diego itself. Which is something to consider, while we agonize over finding a San Diego hotel and begin to schedule what we're going to be doing each day of our annual adventure. Pastis wasn't quite ready for it when he first arrived; are you? And have you figured out yet what you will be doing there this year?

And I Quote: Leslie Charteris Defends Comics

2011-03-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I'm going to dig through my files in order to see to it that quotations that appeal to me are not absent from the Internet. Others may have already posted such things; in that case, this will simply add my endorsement of those quotations' appeal. So here's the first, courtesy of Leslie Charteris (May 12, 1907-April 15, 1993), creator of The Saint, who provided this in The Saint Mystery Magazine for December 1961:

"To any busybody who is looking for a suit of tinplate crusader's armor to strut in, crime fiction seems to offer an irresistible target. Whether he takes his valiant whack at it in the form of comic strips, television, books, or magazines, he has the comforting assurance that he runs little risk of being hit back. These are entertainment media which cannot interrupt their performance to argue with hecklers. I have read with indignation an article in which the comics were called 'blueprints for delinquency'; but even if I wanted to devote a panel in my own comic strip to give my opinion of the author of that statement, no newspaper editor would print it. He would take the attitude that it is not my place to argue, and anyhow we are on shaky enough ground already, and must be careful not to offend any more pressure groups than are gunning for us right now, lest we end up behind a full official censorship.

"It is therefore a rare privilege to have this page of my own on which to be able to state my own dogma, which is that all these charges are nothing but abysmal tripe. … When I was a boy, the accepted classics and common fare for youthful reading were much gorier and exquisitely nightmare-breeding than anything I find around these days. And in those days there was no problem of juvenile delinquency."

Pop Culture Kids Should Have #PCHH

2011-03-08T11:34:00.003-06:00

Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Glen Weldon, Mike Katzif

Last week's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from National Public Radio was primarily devoted to paying tribute to new mom Barrie Hardymon and to suggesting pop-culture entertainments for children. After the show's recommendations were elaborated on by posts both on that site and its Facebook page, I had lost track of the plethora of great suggestions (and hit myself on the head for failing, for example, to recommend the children's books of Marjorie Flack (1897-1958) and others). So what would be handier and quicker than to organize all those suggestions? Oh. Not so quick. But here's what I came up with by combining what was posted. To find out why folks came up with those specifics? Well, check out the show, its comments, and its Facebook page.

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994)

Adventure Time (2010- )

Animaniacs (1993-1998)

Blue's Clues (with Steve) (1996-2002)

Dexter's Laboratory (1996-2003)

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966)

Electric Company (1971-1977)

George of the Jungle (1967)

Jack's Big Music Show (2005-2007)

Kids' science shows, such as Beakman's World (1992-1997), Bill Nye The Science Guy (1993-1997) and, of course, Mr. Wizard [Watch Mr. Wizard (1951-1972) and Mr. Wizard's World (1983-1990)]

The Magic Garden (1972-1984)

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968-2001)

Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974)

The Muppet Show (1976-1980)

Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986-1990)

Peter Pan starring Mary Martin (1960)

Phineas and Ferb (2007- )

Pinky and the Brain (1995-1998)

Rocky and Bullwinkle

Schoolhouse Rock (1973-1985, 1993-1999)

Sesame Street (1969- )

The Simpsons (1989- )

SpongeBob SquarePants (1999- )

Tiny Toon Adventures (1990-1992)

The Upside Down Show (2006-2007)

The Weird Al Show (1997)

Movies

Babe (1995, 89 min.)

Babe, Pig in the City (1998, 97 min.)

Fantasia (1940, 124 min.)

Fantasia/2000 (1999, 74 min.)

Hansel and Gretel (1954, 72 min., with Anna Russell as the witch)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977, 74 min.)

The Muppet Movie (1979, 95 min.)

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985, 90 min.)

The Point (1971, 74 min.)

Films with the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, and Danny Kaye

Looney Tunes cartoons ["What's Opera, Doc?" (1957, 7 min.) especially]

Books

Art Baltazar (1968- ) Tiny Titans series

Doris Burn (1923- ) Andrew Henry's Meadow

Patricia Coombs (1926- ) Dorrie the Little Witch series

Susan Cooper (1935- ) [The Dark Is Rising series]

Bruce Coville (1950- ) Magic Shop series

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) [Note: While such of his children's books as Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and The Gremlins are well known, some of Dahl's output is for older readers]

Eleanor Davis (1983- ) The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook

Ul de Rico (1944- ) The Rainbow Goblins

Kate DiCamillo (1964- ) and Alison McGhee (1960- ) Bink and Gollie illustrated by Tony Fucile

"Franklin W. Dixon" the Hardy Boys series

Edward Eager (1911-1964) [the Magic series]

John D. Fitzgerald (1906-1988) Great Brain series

Louise Fitzhugh (1928-1974) Harriet the Spy

Wanda Gág (1893-1946) Nothing at All and Millions of Cats

René Goscinny (1926-1977) Asterix series illustrated by Albert Uderzo (1927- )

Theodore Gray (1964- ) The Elements

Ben Hatke Zita the Spacegirl series

Kevin Henkes (1960- ) including Chester's Way; Julius, Baby of the World; Lily's Big Day; and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

Hergé (1907-1983) Tintin series

Norton Juster (1929- ) The Phantom Tollbooth illustrated by Jules Feiffer (1929- )

"Carolyn Keene" the Nancy Drew series

Judith Kerr (1923- ) Mog the Forgetful Cat

James Kochalka (1967- ) Peanutbutter & Jeremy; Pinky & Stinky; Monkey vs. Robot; and Johnny Boo

Gordon Korman (1963- ) [the Bruno and Boots series]

Roger Langridge (1967- ) The Muppet Show comic book

Joaquin Salvador Lavado ("Quino," 1932- ) Mafalda comic strip (1964-1973 in Argentina)

Munro Leaf (1905-1976) The Story of Ferdinand illustrated by Robert Lawson (1892-1957)

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) A Wrinkle in Time

Elizabeth Levy (1942- ) Something Queer Is Going On books

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) The Chronicles of Narnia

Mercer Mayer (1943- ) Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo and One Monster after Another

Jean Merrill (1923- ) The Pushcart Wars and The Toothpaste Millionaire

A.A. Milne (1882-1956) Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner

Barbara Park (1947- ) Junie B. Jones series illustrated by Denise Brunkus

Dav Pilkey (1966- ) Captain Underpants series

Peggy Rathmann (1953- ) Good Night Gorilla

Andy Runton Owly series

Lore Segal (1928- ) Tell Me a Mitzi

Ellen Raskin (1928-1984) The Westing Game

Anne K. Rose The Triumphs of Fuzzy Fogtop

Louis Sachar (1954- ) Sideways Stories from Wayside School series

John Scieszka (1954- ) Math Curse and any of his other collaborations with artist Lane Smith (1959- )

Maurice Sendak (1928- ) Nutshell Library and the TV musical Really Rosie (with Carole King) based on it

Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) The Lorax

Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) The Growing Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up [Note: As with Roald Dahl, be aware that not everything by Silverstein was aimed at a young audience.]

Christian Slade Korgi

Esphyr Slobodkina (1908-2002) Caps for Sale

Donald J. Sobol (1924- ) Encyclopedia Brown series

Kean Soo Jellaby

Art Spiegelman (1948- ) and Françoise Mouly (1955- ) editors of the Little Lit series

Raina Telgemeier (1977- ) Smile and comics adaptations of The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin (1955- )

Jill Thompson (1966- ) Magic Trixie

Judith Viorst (1931- ) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Landry Q. Walker (1971- ) Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade illustrated by Eric Jones

Bill Watterson (1958- ) Calvin and Hobbes collections

E.B. White (1899-1985) Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web

Audrey and Don Wood Quick as a Cricket

Jane Yolen (1939- ) Sleeping Ugly

"Records"

Free to Be … You and Me (record and book) (1972)

P.D.Q. Bach

Edvard Grieg "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt

Michael Flanders and Donald Swann

Arlo Guthrie Woody's 20 Grow Big Songs

Tom Lehrer "New Math," "The Elements," and his songs for The Electric Company

Peter, Paul and Mommy

Sergei Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf (Columbia recording directed by Stokowksi and narrated by Basil Rathbone or — on Disneyland backed with Dukas' The Sorceror's Apprentice — Sterling Holloway)

Leos Janacek, Rudolf Tesnohlidek, and Stanislav Lolek The Cunning Little Vixen (Spoiler note: The Vixen dies in the end: not the case in the original comic book.)

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine Into the Woods (Act I)

Camille Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals (Trey recommends the version in Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts; my favorite is the version with comedy narration by Ogden Nash)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Ella Jenkins

Allan Sherman

Bob Newhart

Smothers Brothers

Bill Cosby

Shelley Berman

"Darktown Strutters Ball" and "Jelly Roll Blues" performed by The Boston Pops

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

Spike Jones

Sufjan Stevens

Pete Seeger

They Might Be Giants kids' music

Simon and Garfunkel Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Engelbert Humperdinck Hansel und Gretel

Motown: The Big Chill soundtrack

Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk"

Johann Strauss II "Blue Danube Waltz"

Stevie Wonder

The Supremes

Iron & Wine's Kiss Each Other Clean

Raffi Baby Beluga

The Flirtations singing Fred Small's "Everything Possible"

Gian-Carlo Menotti's "The Telephone" 1949 (Columbia) version (Marilyn Cotlow and Frank Rogier), now maybe available on the Pearl label

Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume One: The Early Years

Other

Wonderground Radio (online/HD station run by The Current, a Twin Cities station)

The Goon Show radio series (1951-1960)

Wii games, especially with a group

hooded animal towels

Jearl Walker The Flying Circus of Physics and website, books, etc.

Gyroscope

Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky ballets Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker (Pacific Northwest Ballet version of the latter recommended)

Have a crazy uncle who provides such pop culture as episodes of Mel Blanc's Story Lady radio show and Jack Benny's radio show.

"Expose them when they're too young."

Stay up on new technology: Develop animation skills via iPad and DSi, record yourself reading to your children.

Topper, Turnabout, TCM, and ... Thorne Smith

2011-01-25T13:45:00.004-06:00

"Mom," I said when I was 10 or thereabouts, "what's 'ribald' mean?" Because I had just pulled from the bookcase a Pocket Book edition of Topper - and the cover told me it was "a ribald adventure" by Thorne Smith. However she explained it (and I don't recall: ah, the challenges of parenthood), I read the book and was delighted - and went in pursuit of other novels by Smith. We had a few: Topper Takes a Trip, Turnabout, The Stray Lamb, and Rain in the Doorway, as I recall. Eventually, thanks to perseverance and used book stores, I added to the collection: The Glorious Pool, The Bishop's Jaegers, Did She Fall?, The Passionate Witch, Skin and Bones, and The Night Life of the Gods. They were deliciously "naughty" (and I didn't understand all the implications of all the "naughtiness," I think it only fair to point out here), and at some point I even made a list of how many times I'd read each one so's not to favor one over another in the course of many re-readings. Two of the novels (The Bishop's Jaegers and Did She Fall?) were not fantasies. Each of the rest had a supernatural gimmick. Topper involved ghosts. The Stray Lamb involved being turned into animals. The Night Life of the Gods featured an invention that turned people to stone and brought statues to life. And so on.

So when Glen Weldon on National Public Radio's Pop Culture Happy Hour discussed the upcoming film The Change-Up, he went on to suggest that "body-swapping comedies" were a genre and rattled off references to a number of films in that genre without even going back to Disney's two versions of Freaky Friday. And that discussion suddenly reminded me of Turnabout - and made me wonder whether Smith had, indeed, created a genre in 1931 (with a sort of subgenre in The Stray Lamb in 1929 - with who knows how many resultant Disney projects in that grouping). I think Smith did - and that, in turn, led me to grab a copy of Topper again to revisit his fiction to see whether I liked his writing as much now as I had decades ago. I did. At random from the set-up of Topper:

Mr. Topper and his neighbors were quietly proud of his street, and had born their assessments as a tolerant father bears the extras of an extravagant son at college. One could bring one's friends from the city to this street and let it speak for itself, which one seldom did. Sewerage, real estate and the cost of building were subjects far too fascinating to be left to the imagination, so the visitors from the city heard all about these things, and were not amused.

At any rate, my guess is that few today have read many of Smith's works - and the film adaptations some of them achieved hardly conveyed all that could have been translated from his novels. But, on the trail of the Turnabout genre, I discovered that January is apparently Turner Classic Movies' month to celebrate Thorne Smith movies (or, as Peter Sanderson commented, maybe it's just that TCM is paying tribute to Hal Roach). In any case, I've had that channel tuned so as to watch (January 23) I Married a Witch (based, albeit with changed ending, on The Passionate Witch), (January 25) Topper, and (January 26) Turnabout, Topper Takes a Trip, and Topper Returns. And, with Turnabout, I may be watching the beginning of a genre.

Comics Fans before Comics Fandom

2011-01-18T09:49:00.001-06:00

In the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of what we call "comics fandom," a few folks now and then will announce (as if it were uncharted territory) that some people collected comics (and even published fanzines with comics commentaries) prior to 1961. (Most often cited are the E.C. fanzines of the 1950s.) The reason we're celebrating 50 years is that 1961 marked the start of a fandom that didn't go away; earlier endeavors did not grow and build into a long-term, ongoing community of hobbyists. But, especially among science-fiction fans (with a tradition of amateur self-publication), there were certainly people who shared their fondness for comics. A case in point was The Cricket, and I turned up a copy of the first issue (June 1949) recently.

The Cricket, self-described as "A periodical of culture and reefinement" with the epigraph "You plays cricket, drinks tea, and lifs the pinky when you holds the cup" (a Walt Kelly quote from Animal Comics), was a fanzine published by my mom and dad and edited by Betsy Curtis (aka Mom) "at their editorial offices, mimeograph salon, studio, dishwashing and ironing parlors, nursery and residence." Circulation of the mimeographed newsletter (judging from the published list of recipients) was 36, only 4 copies of which went to relatives. In the midst of book, magazine, and music recommendations is the following essay by Mom. (I shall not italicize it or put it in quotes; suffice to say the rest of this post is by her.):

Best Sellers

So many friends have asked me in grim or pathetic tones, "Do you approve of comic books?" that I feel I must make some public statement which I can hand out to such gals and run for cover while they are reading it. The question, of course, makes about as much sense as "Do you approve of books?" but it is hard to say this without being thought impertinent or irrelevant by the questioners.

Comic books are naturally appealing. Pictures, like stage drama, are more interesting than mere print. The rapid action of most of the plots and the excitement of adventure hold a child's attention in comics as they do in western movies. Passages of slow moving description are not necessary when the action is presented in pictures.

Many objections to comic books have to do with their subject matter. It is certainly not surprising that the children of avid whodunit readers should like detective comics and that children who are offered few fairy tales should satisfy their craving for fantasy with Superman and the Green Lantern (whose doings are in their way more moral than "Big Claus and Little Claus" and most of the contents of the Red, Violet, and Blue Fairy Books. And comics are cheaper than "good" fantasy - the Oz books are still retailing at $2. I wish I could afford to supply Judy [my nickname in 1949] with books which she would enjoy more (and there are plenty) than comics.

Some mothers object that their children bury themselves in comics and no longer spend time in active "fantasy play" with their friends. Cops and robbers are supposed to have given way to afternoons in the corners of the sofa with piles of comics. Comics are also supposed to have replaced "real literature" in the lives of our young. I can see no reason why there should not be a "real literature" in comic form. It is slow in taking shape, but the work of such artists as [Morris] Gollub, [Dan] Noonan, and Kelly give promise that comics can be good reading for children. Certainly these stories have been acted out by children - I've seen and heard it.

Comic art is a young art. When better comics are printed, kids will read them. I have considerable faith in the taste of children - they like good fiction better than bad; but as long as they are offered only mediocre, bad, and worse, in a form that is more appealing and cheaper than good stories, they will continue to read mediocre, etc.

I don't know how to get good comics on the market any more than I know how to encourage the writing and publishing of other good books for children - but I am hopeful that artists and publishers will come across in time for our grandchildren to have lots of fun at a very moderate cost.

...

The largest number of periodicals in our household seems, in spite of culture and reefinement, to be made up of comic books. Most of our collection are really intended to be comic - that is, funny. Most of them are published by the Dell Publishing Company and portray the doings of urban children (Little Lulu, Henry) or urban animal child-substitutes (Walter Lantz, Merrie Melodies, Walt Disney, Tom and Jerry, etc.) The cream of the crop were, in the recent past, Our Gang, Raggedy Ann, and Fairy Tale Parade (still Dell) with the excellent drawing, interesting stories and amusing dialogue of Walt Kelly, Dan Noonan, and Morris Gollub; but these three gentlemen seem to be deserting the comic book business and two of the publications are no longer in existence. The least painful comics still on the market other than the ones I have just mentioned seem to be the Disney ones. I should recommend a recent special, still on the stands in Canton - "Donald Duck in the Treasure of the Andes" [Dell Four Color #223, actually "Lost in the Andes" by Carl Barks] - as the best of the recent dime publications for the four-to-eight year old. We do seem to have accumulated a number of Superboy, Wonder Woman, and Bat Man opera, but these do not hold the attention of our six-year-old for more than five or six readings. Even Raggedy Ann can beat that.

Ode to an iPad

2011-01-11T15:58:00.000-06:00

I love my pad.
No, not my home.
And my dear dad
Had no such tome.
My pad's an "i."
It goes with me
Where'er I go.
The apps I buy
All let me see
What's there to know.

Hot diggity! Let's trot out the reference material to see whether I followed the form correctly. Or - no - let's skip it. In any case, I've found my iPad (purchased in late October) a constant boon and problem-solver - rather than the "toy" many have called it. Those who already have iPads will find the following natter redundant - though I hope that some among them may have suggestions to resolve the few annoyances I've accumulated. In any case, among the uses: Given that I often end up in a variety of unfamiliar locations, a ready (readable) variety of maps have let me travel with increased confidence. (Also, given the fun of travel, it's been downright necessary at times to determine potential weather problems - so the forecasts and radar from the free Weather Channel app have been a boon.) Given that I enjoy having an entertaining book with me at all times, I do. Given that I often need a calendar, I have it. Given that I seem to need to refer to iMDb virtually daily, I can. Given that there's ongoing discussion of comic books available for download, I've downloaded a few so that I can know what the heck people are talking about. Given that I like to keep tabs on my email, I can do that - and follow Twitter, too.

I've paid for almost no apps. The books I've loaded so far (and they're far more readable on the iPad than on the Kindle, which I used to use) have been free. (I'm now reading James Branch Cabell's Jurgen, though to do so I have to saddle up a lot more vocabulary than I've been used to using recently. And that was fun, too. In any case, that novel was free, as were several books by Saki, Mark Twain, Jerome K. Jerome, and P.G. Wodehouse.) Note: I have paid for Office2 HD and Star Walk - the first, for work; the second, for fun.

And so far, at least, the iPad holds a charge long enough to last between my opportunities to charge it.

Annoyances: It's not easy to use for professional writing or editing. It lacks direction arrows on the three on-screen keyboards. It lacks a cents sign on the ditto. It lacks a USB port (which, I suspect, is deliberate). It lacks a quick copy-paste function (maybe the "copy" function will pop up, as my finger lingers over a word; maybe it won't; in any case, it takes far longer to copy-paste than the simple clicks on even my tiny, cheap notebook computer). That's about it for gripes. [Looking for a solution, by the way, I've studied the Brookstone iPad holder with its built-in keyboard (complete with direction arrows) but am not about to plunk down $100 for what looks as if it would let me touch-type except that it seems not to have been designed by anyone who actually touch-types. (Hint: Touch-typists need a shift key on both sides of the keyboard. Check it out, Brookstone. And watch out, keyboard-lovers, if you've only been able to judge from small online images of the holder.)]

What are your favorite apps? I'm still experimenting with "Flipboard," following the recommendation of #PCHH's Glen Weldon. How about you?

Pop Culture Happy Hour #PCHH Follow-Up: Gifts

2011-01-10T17:46:00.000-06:00

In the first of National Public Radio's "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcasts of 2011, there was something of a catch-up on gifts from the end of 2010. Listeners may have yearned for (to pretend to coin a phrase) outward and visible signs of inward and emotional delights. There was, for example, a question regarding the success of Stephen's gift of an arcade-size game of Frogger, ostensibly for his kids. Here for all to see is a photo of that success (and, fear not, all three had a chance to play). (You may also be canny enough to see that, while Frogger was A Main Attraction, other games were included in the device.)

I also had the opportunity to capture an image of the reaction of "Monkey See" blogger Linda Holmes to another gift. Let me put on the record here and now The Tale of the Sampler: Several months ago, an annoyed comment was posted regarding something or other on "Monkey See": "This is beneath NPR's dignity." I wrote to Linda that that was the sort of remark that cried out to be immortalized via a cross-stitched sampler. She responded that, if such a thing were to be created, she would be pleased to hang it. So I asked a craft-skilled friend - Kim Frankenhoff, wife of Comics Buyer's Guide Editor Brent Frankenhoff - whether she could provide such a sampler. She tackled the project with a will, coming up with a variety of fabrics, sizes, threads, font choices, and the like. We plotted it out together, she did all the work (including her own design of the fleur-de-lis ornaments), and I took the completed project to a wonderful local shop where the folks know how to frame such things. I must say that, judging from Linda's reaction, the project was unexpected. I love it when things work out!

Viewing Audio: Pop Culture Happy Hour #PCHH

2011-01-09T17:36:00.002-06:00

Trey Graham, Mike Katzif, Glen Weldon, Linda Holmes

Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham

Have you followed National Public Radio's Pop Culture Happy Hour weekly podcast? It began in midsummer and continues weekly with (so far) only a one-week break (on December 31). All the shows so far are available for download, and my view is that it's fun to start with the first and savor your way through to the most recent episode, not only because there are occasional references to earlier podcasts in the course of things but also because there's something not to be missed in every show. The event is usually recorded on Monday or Tuesday and then polished to a fare-the-well for the Friday posting. Usual featured folks are "Monkey See" Editor Linda Holmes, Digital Media Editor and Producer Trey Graham, freelance commentator on comics and books Glen Weldon, and NPR Music Editor Stephen Thompson. (The podcast is produced by Mike Katzif.) It should astonish no one that I would listen compulsively due to son Stephen's presence in any case, but even on the one episode without him the show rewarded listening (and by "rewarded," I mean it was packed with insights and laughs enough to lead me to listen to it repeatedly).

In any case, it was a treat to sit in on (and actually provide a brief interlude for) the podcast that was made available for Christmas Eve listening. And I thought it might entertain some to see what I saw in what was, of course, an audio-only event. I have more photos, should folks want to view them - especially considering the fact that the Fancy NPR Microphones block some of the view in one of these photos. (It was only as I prepared to post this that I discovered I hadn't managed to get all the commentators in one shot. So it goes.)

What you hear in the podcast is pretty much what was said, with only occasional pauses to restart a comment that needed restarting. They could do this in front of a live audience. Hey, wait. Come to think of it, they did!

How Santa Got His Red Suit

2010-12-08T18:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I wrote of the wonders of Christmases past - especially the delight of reading classic comic-book stories to our kids on Christmas day. Today ended up especially busy (and I suspect things will not become less busy as December 25 approaches), so there's no time for an extended essay. However, I have a suspicion that this week's "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcast from National Public Radio (Tweet #PCHH) is going to have a mention (Dec. 10) of one of the stories I referred to yesterday. It's "How Santa Got His Red Suit," written and drawn by Walt Kelly, the lead story in the Dell Four Color comic book #61: Santa Claus Funnies copyright 1944 by Oskar Lebeck. If the PCHH gang chats about it, this is what they're talking about. Just saying.

Christmas Memories of The Three-Flavored Blizzard and More

2010-12-07T18:32:00.001-06:00

When our kids were young, our annual Christmas morning tradition was well-established. While Don, downstairs, turned on tree lights, prepared beverages and cold cuts and other such treats, set up the background music, and so on ... As I say, while he did all that, I'd sit with the kids upstairs, reading any of a number of classic Christmas comic-book stories. These included Walt Kelly's "The Great Three-Flavored Blizzard" from Dell's Four Color: Santa Claus Funnies #175 (copyright 1947 Oskar Lebeck), in which the Easter Bunny is confused by a lack of snow, and he and Fuzzychin (who always helps Santa at Christmas) visit Santa to find out the problem. That problem turns out to be that the machine that regulates the weather is stuck on "Summer." Of course.

It's only one of many delightful Christmas comics stories. Among my favorites are: Kelly's "How Santa Got His Red Suit," "A Mouse in the House," "The Three Blind Mice and a Christmas Deed," and "Hickory and Dickory Help Santa Claus"; Carl Barks' "Christmas on Bear Mountain," "The Golden Christmas Tree," and "Letter to Santa"; and Oskar Lebeck and Morris Gollub's "Santa and the Angel" and "A Letter to Santa."

Mind you, none of these is in print at the moment. Sometimes, people ask me, "Why do you collect comics?" And this is a reason: The only people who can read these stories are the people who (a) bought them and (b) kept them.

If You Could Only Pick One ...

2010-12-06T18:08:00.000-06:00

A friend recently asked me what I'd recommend as the one comic-book that people should be advised to read. (OK, he didn't put it exactly that way, but let's move along.) I opted to consider something that would simultaneously reflect standard comic-book-character storytelling with an outstanding script and, if possible, something that would also let a new-to-the-field reader see a variety of art approaches. After more mulling, I decided that a good introduction for an adult who grasps the storytelling challenges of fantasy (which is, after all, what a huge percentage of today's comics consists of) would be The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman and illustrators Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Colleen Doran, and Malcolm Jones III. It reprints issues #17-20 of the comic-book series, so it's a sample of what can be found in an ongoing series. It's an anthology, so it's a sample of a variety of artistic approaches. It features an assortment of "what if" approaches for a fantasy character. At least one story ("Facade") ties into DC Comics continuity, analyzing what might seem to be a wonderful super-power, revealing the tragedy of what its reality would be. Another story is a World Fantasy Award-winning tale ("A Midsummer Night's Dream"). None of the tales is predictable; all are excellent. And there's the bonus of a behind-the-scenes look at how Gaiman approached a story, including the script he provided to the artist.

That was my choice and my reasoning. What would you have recommended? What has worked for you when you've tried to introduce comics to people who are interested - but new to comic books?

iPad .... because

2010-12-05T18:32:00.000-06:00

That's a header that will bewilder anyone who has no familiarity with the strange vagueness of a series of ads in 1950s magazines with sizeable female readerships. And, yes, I'm revisiting the general snickering that accompanied Apple's announcement of the name for its all-purpose lug-around computer thingy. (I'm a little surprised there didn't seem to be an immediate flood of fake iPad ads featuring gorgeous women in over-the-top formalwear with iPads discreetly Photoshopped into the images.)

The thing is, "iPad .... because" pretty much sums up the reason for my addiction to the thing (though I don't pretend to know why those '50s ads seemed to insist on four dots instead of the usual three in ellipses - trademark, maybe?). Today, again, I'd hauled my iPad with me to an event, and, when I began to use it (in this case, to note some upcoming dates in its Calendar app), folks stopped to ask what it was and how it worked and why I found it useful.

So. When I first heard about it, I thought, "Well, I'll get it in 2011, when they release the second version, because what do I need it for right now?" Then, I thought, "Well, maybe I'll treat myself with one for Christmas, because I hear good things about it." Then, I thought, "How about my birthday? I could get it for that." Then, I visited daughter Valerie, whose son has one, and I borrowed it for an evening, at the conclusion of which I asked, "Could we go to the Apple store tomorrow so I can buy one right away?" Because it's not just what so many have called it when I've showed it to them. It's not just "Maggie's toy."

I travel quite a bit. Not on the level of Neil Gaiman, who jets around the globe because so many people rightly want to see and hear him in person. Not on the level of businessfolks whose jobs take them hither and (especially) yon. But I'm often in locations I don't know well, away from entertainments of home, and I've found my carry-ons growing more and more heavy with an assortment of electronic thises and thats - and, even so, missing things I enjoy. So currently on my iPad (top of the line, with AT&T's 3G service, so I can connect lots of places without WiFi), I have (free, once I bought the thing) Calendar, Notes, Maps, iTunes, and iBooks apps. (Maps is of particular importance in my travels, showing me clearly how to get here or there by car, bus, or walking - and even showing me where I am at the moment: a help in some cities, let me tell you.) I've loaded a number of free apps (iMDb app for quick movie info, many books [especially Saki and Wodehouse at the moment], Marvel and DC apps, and a National Public Radio app. I also connect with the Internet via Safari and (and this was when I decided I had to have it) that lets me connect to Wisconsin Public Radio's two networks (Ideas and the News and Classical Music service) and its 24-hour classical music service so that I can listen to my favorite NPR programs, no matter where I am. I have not begun to explore the iPad's possibilities, though my daughter showed me one app I paid for: "Star Walk," which lets me identify the current constellations wherever I turn. (That's one that evokes an "Ooooooooo!" when I show it off - and, yes, that is a toy aspect, but hey ...)

Got an iPad? What's your favorite application?

Obsessing on Harry Potter

2010-12-04T19:54:00.001-06:00

At an American Association of University Women brunch this morning, I found myself once again discussing the wrap-up of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series with someone. And once again I found it intriguing that those who have read the novels divide into two camps: those who grasp the full meaning of what happens on page 658, the end of Chapter 32 - and those who don't. I missed it on first reading, I have no idea of how on earth filmmakers will be able to convey it (assuming they even make the attempt), and it's my favorite moment in the entire series. Oh - and I can't even discuss it at any length (or why my favorite character in the series is my favorite character in the series) because it's part of one of the Big Reveals of the entirety of the epic. But it really does divide the People Who Get It from the People Who Don't Get It about what happens to a major character.

All of which comes to mind because, having seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 twice now, I've been revisiting the entirety of that final book, listening (for the third time? the fourth?) to the marvelous unabridged (Grammy Award-winning) audiobook performed by Jim Dale. He holds the Guinness World Records record for most voices in an audiobook, and his career has included a number of pop-culture achievements, of all of which that I have seen or heard, I am an admirer. His performance in the Rowling series is the reason I tried to "read" each of the novels first via his audiobook readings: That's how good they are. [And I note to my dismay that, at least from Amazon, the audiobook of Deathly Hallows is out of "print" as a stand-alone release. Dang!]

In any case, my point is that I know many people who have been following the Potter tale only through the movies - and, as the wrap-up of that format nears, I'd just like to encourage anyone who has enjoyed the epic in that form to check out the books before the final installment hits theaters. Most fun, as I say, are the audiobooks. But, whatever the format, you're missing wonderful, rich storytelling if you've skipped the books.

Have You Ever Heard of Chicago Cartoonist R. Guerrieri?

2010-12-03T15:12:00.001-06:00

Every now and then, we get involved with what we around here have taken to calling "Whatzit Day." Since Krause Publications in Iola, Wis., has a decades-long focus on collectibles, some of us occasionally sit at tables to which people with Weird Stuff can bring said Weird Stuff. And we try to identify it and (when we can) try to come up with some sort of valuation for it. It's not Antiques Roadshow. But we do our best. However, this year, we were challenged by something we thought we'd be able to identify right away. And we failed miserably. So here's a challenge - and my guess is that it will remain a challenge for months to come. What you see here is a portion of a cartoon pretty obviously done as a gift to the pictured gentleman. There are all sorts of inside jokes and identifying hints: A note reading, "Dear Harry Who [old?] is my son Geo. A. [?] Peck." Socks labeled "white socks." A drawing of him diving off a board and wearing a swimsuit label "IAC." [The Illinois Athletic Club was active in the teens of the 1900s and actually dominated competitive U.S. swimming then.] He's a Shriner. He's shown driving a new car "cheaper than having the old one fixed up" - of a model looking like vehicles from around 1915.

The signature seems to read "R Guerrieri" - and we can't find anything about him, though the drawing is excellent. And that's pretty much all we could tell.

Could he be U.S. Attorney George R. Peck from Chicago? We haven't been able to find a photo of him. And, when I say, "we," I include here "Mrs. D," who is the person who brought the art to us in the first place. It's large, it's framed, and among the details of the framing are a number of actual dollar bills, fanned in to cover the corner mountings. She is refurbishing a Victorian house, furnishing it appropriately, and she encountered the art in the course of her project. You'll find another shot of the art in her blog entry for Oct. 15, 2010 - with more background on its origin (though our car experts, as I've already noted, place the probable date as closer to 1915 than 1925).

Are there any detectives out there? Who's the artist? Who's the subject? What was the reason for the drawing? Any ideas?

The Importance of - HUH?

2010-12-02T19:40:00.001-06:00

I've always loved Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. I have no idea of when I first read it; by now, I've memorized portions of the play to such an extent that I can say the lines just before the characters do in my favorite version of it. And my favorite version is the 1952 film by Anthony Asquith, starring such performers as Michael Redgrave and Dame Edith Evans ("A handbag?"), not to mention Dorothy Tutin in her screen debut and the husky-voiced Joan Greenwood. I saw that film on TV long before we had a color set; in fact, I find I tend to think of it in retrospect as being in black and white - which it isn't. And, recently, I wondered whether it had made its way to DVD. That resulted in one of those "oh, boy!" moments followed by one of those "oh, heck!" moments. Because it was (oh, boy!) available on DVD but it was (oh, heck!) only available as part of "The Criterion Collection" (aka "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films," aka "it'll cost $10 or so more than if it came from some other source").

Now, among the reasons for higher prices for Criterion releases is the excellence of its supposedly meticulous transfers. On the insert sheet, there's a credit for audio restoration. "This digital transfer," moreover, "was created from a new 35mm composite print. The soundtrack was mastered from the 35mm optical soundtrack. Audio restoration tools were used to reduce pops, clicks, hiss, and crackle." And, yes, it sounds fine. But. But. But. A mere 3 minutes 53 seconds into the feature, I'm startled to see, twitching into top-of-screen center, a hair. A hair? In a flippin' Criterion edition? And it wasn't for a few frames; the hair twitched and wiggled impertinently from 3:53 to 5:44, nearly two minutes during which I lost track of the polished performances of Redgrave and Michael Denison in my increasingly disbelieving fascination with something I'd never expected to see from Criterion.

Oh, well, maybe Criterion will reissue the film someday in which it'll boast it's repaired the picture (which, yes, does still have other, more easily overlooked, imperfections) as well as the audio. And I am glad to have even a hairy copy of a delicious play. In fact, my purchase of this version reminded me that I'd also enjoyed the BBC version (starring, among others, Gemma Jones, Paul McGann, and Joan Plowright), so I grabbed that, too, via the BBC's The Oscar Wilde Collection. Hot dog! Four Wilde plays for a lot less than Criterion. But, then, I already commented on the price point, didn't I?

(Oh, and in case anyone wondered: Both the 1952 motion picture and the 1988 BBC TV release outdo the sadly pedestrian 2002 film with Colin Firth. Leonard Maltin commented, "This time, unfortunately, the tone is all wrong: the actors are terribly, terribly coy, the comedy much too self-aware." Yep. And it's just plain tiresome. So, even if you saw that version, do try one of the earlier releases; I'm sure your library will be able to get you a copy.)

Every Time I Think I'm Well Informed about Comics ...

2010-12-01T17:48:00.001-06:00

I've just come from one of my favorite shops: Half Price Books - in this case, the outlet in Appleton, Wis. After a quick ramble through the store, I'd found nothing and was preparing to leave, when I decided to glance through the "books of comics" section. (That is to say, there's an accumulation of everything from Spirit pop-ups to random fifth volumes of reprint collections.) And I came across Rick Random Space Detective, a thick softcover subtitled 10 Classic Interplanetary Comic Book Adventures. It's from Prion in England, but it's "published under license from DC Comics." The book is edited by Steve Holland, and a quick online check (thank you, iPad) while waiting for friends in a nearby restaurant provides more details about a 2008 book I hadn't known about before.

Its contents consist of reprints of stories from British digest comics from Super Detective Library, and I guess I know what I shall read until my friends show up. (I will update this post tomorrow, you can bet.) I love used bookstores.

Update #1: At least two of the stories are by Harry Harrison. Details here. I've also linked to that online check my iPad provided in which details (dates, some creators) that would have (should have, I think) been provided in the volume itself are available. (In fact, I think I'll copy and print the information and tuck it into the book. But my goodness.) I also note the online community provides a bit of information as to why DC Comics holds the license. The more you learn about comics, the more there is to learn.

Paying Full Price on Black Friday for Judith Viorst's Latest

2010-11-30T16:25:00.001-06:00

Don and I first came across the work of Judith Viorst when we bought her It's Hard to Be Hip over Thirty and Other Tragedies of Married Life. Clearly, that was a long time ago, considering that (in the midst of Black Friday sales) I just stumbled over Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations. Mind you, in the intervening years, we probably treasured her work more for such children's classics as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and The Tenth Good Thing about Barney (even though I could never manage to read Barney aloud). The point is: Judith Viorst always seems to have something to say that's either simply funny or simply enlightening. Translation: Her books are always worth buying - and some passages are worth memorizing.

So I didn't wait for a sale - or even to buy the book on Amazon (though, obviously, I've got the link right here). I grabbed it up, paid $17 at Barnes & Noble, and then doled out the material to myself, a two-page spread at a time. This time around, my favorite is probably "Exceedingly Eighty," written as a comment on the current saying, "Eighty is the new sixty." Each verse ends: "Eighty is not the new sixty./ Eighty is eighty." She's always seen things clearly - and helped the rest of us see them clearly, too. In the meantime, though, her most motivating poem for me was published a decade ago in I'm Too Young to be Seventy and Other Delusions. A portion thereof:

You want to slow down time?
Try root canal.
Try an MRI.
Try waiting for the report on the biopsy.
Or try being a child on a rainy morning
With nothing to do,
Wishing away the hours, the days, the years,
As if there will
Always
Always
Always
Be more.

I hope that sobering sample does not exceed fair use. If it does, I'll take it down. What I'm saying is that, if you've somehow managed to get this far through life without reading what she has to say, you owe it to yourself to check out some of her books, at least at the library.

In the meantime, I'll begin rereading Unexpectedly Eighty.

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour Brings Comics to "Normals" - and Comics Can Learn from It

2010-11-29T15:56:00.000-06:00

As an enthusiastic fan of National Public Radio and its "Monkey See" blog, I am, of course, devoted to its "Pop Culture Happy Hour" (for references to which, you can filter Twitter for #PCHH). Begun during the summer, the weekly podcast has become a treat to end the work week for many - and I should say before I go further that (full disclosure) two of the four participants are well known to me. Linda Holmes is a friend, and Stephen Thompson is a son. My son. So. In any case, it was of particular interest when I finally had a chance (following the delights of Black Friday) to settle down to listen to the November 26 event. While, as ever, there were a variety of pop-culture topics under discussion, a longer than usual chunk of the podcast was devoted to comic books. Comics commentator Glen Weldon, addressing the "non-comics folks" in the group, announced his plan to "dunk you into the turbid waters ... of the comics mainstream." (He also called them "three normals," which took them aback - with reason.) His initial plan had been to present each with a copy of Marvel's Spider-Girl #1 and Osborne #1, but both had been sold out at his local comics shop. (Collectors, take note.) Still in search of current iconic characters for the experiment, he purchased DC's one-shot Batman: The Return #1 and Batgirl #15 (each dated January 2011).

The discussion was revealing. The three "normals" are intelligent folks, deeply into popular culture and eager to find things to like in these issues. (In fact, there were gripes amid the ensuing posted comments from listeners that the participants had been too polite and eager to find things to like.) But the remarks included comments that it'd be handy for pros, as well as fans, to consider. The "normals" found, for example, that Batgirl was "easier to follow" than the "Done in One" one-shot. Stephen remarked that it would have been helpful to have had, say, a "60-second introduction" to what was going on. Among the barriers to entry was confusion over who was talking. (Weldon commented that thought balloons were a thing of the past - which, for some reason, I'd not internalized.) "These comics need to do more work," was another remark. Commenting on the difference from Silver Age comics, it was noted that these were "not as welcoming." "You need things to be clear."

Linda noted the distraction of ads for the newcomer, pointing out how confusing it would be, if - when reading a novel - a page of text advertising were occasionally inserted between story pages.

There's more - and it'd be great, if people (including pros) who are trying to increase the audience for mainstream comics would listen to what these adult "normals" have to say. "These comics need to do more work."

35th Friends of Old Time Radio Con: Day Two

2010-10-23T07:23:00.002-05:00

Irwin Hasen

Leonard Starr

Little did I think when Day Two began that I'd end up hanging around in the hotel bar with Irwin Hasen (creator of DC's Golden Age Wildcat and co-creator with Gus Edson of the Dondi comic strip). It was a delightful day, in short, focusing for me on the afternoon "Funnies Friday: Old Time Radio and the Comics" panel. Panel members comprised Jim Gauthier, Anthony Tollin, Leonard Starr, Irwin Hasen - and me. Hot diggity! (If you can imagine covering the entirety of the topic in an hour and a half, of course, you don't have enough information. But the scope of the discussion meant we hit several high points, and I, at least, had a great time.) Biggest theory I came away with was one posited by Anthony, and I'd never considered it before: He suggested that the idea of long-time serialized dramas [read: radio and TV soap operas and, oh, yes, vast chunks of today's entertainments] came out of comic strips, perhaps beginning with The Gumps. This needs further mulling. Which I shall do.

By the way, if you haven't been picking up the wonderful strip compilations of Starr's On Stage and Dondi, you should start now. With Volume One of each. (And thanks to Jim for helping to bring those projects to existence.)
The afternoon was topped off for me by the fact that, as Leonard and Barbara Starr prepared to leave the hotel following the panel, Irwin Hasen reluctantly decided he wasn't up to his original plan to stay until 10 or 11 p.m. So there was an early need to contact the driver who was to take him home - but the driver was at that point at JFK, so it would take a couple of hours for the driver to get to Newark. So (oh, I'm so thoughtful!) I said Irwin and I could sit in the hotel bar until the car could get to the hotel. What a delightful couple of hours! As anyone who's been lucky enough to attend any of his convention appearances knows, his conversation is packed with wit and information. It was grand. Oh, and do let me recommend another of his projects that I only had a chance to glance through before an eager fan bought it: Loverboy - recently out from J. David Spurlock's Vanguard Productions. Note, though: It's not the suitable-for-kids project that was Dondi. I don't think you'll have seen anything quite like it.

And now I've got to get ready to head to the morning rehearsals for the Blondie performance. I'm to play Cora Dithers. Guess who's going to play Dagwood. (Yes, Will Hutchins, who played the part on the TV series broadcast in 1968-1969. Hee!)

35th Friends of Old Time Radio Con: Day One

2010-10-21T21:17:00.002-05:00

Show organizer Jay Hickerson, performer Chuck McCann

Satellite Media's Fred Berney

I've spent a bucket o' cash, had countless fascinating conversations, and enjoyed three performances of radio material, and it's only the first day of the Friends of Old Time Radio convention in Newark, N.J. On my schedule are the upcoming panel on comics and their associations with Old Time Radio (Friday), a re-performance of a Blondie radio show (Saturday: I'll play Cora Dithers), and a re-performance of a Superman episode (Saturday: I'll do a voice and a tiny part as Lois Lane). In the meantime, I'm hanging out with brother Paul Curtis and daughter Valerie Thompson and seeing a vast number of friends I haven't seen for a year. As with every convention, I can't begin to predict what all the fun will be. Fun "purchase" of the day is an auctioned old (pre-ZIP-Code) NBC envelope and pencil that came from the desk of Gregg Oppenheimer's dad, Jess (who, among other things, was producer and head writer of I Love Lucy). Now, come on! How could I have predicted I'd end up buying that at auction? Recording many of the events is Fred Berney of Satellite Media Production, so many of the adventures can be shared even with those who can't attend. What will tomorrow bring?

AAUW Book Sale Is Coming Oct 21-24 to Appleton, Wisconsin

2010-10-19T13:36:00.000-05:00

Off and on over the past several weeks I've been helping to prepare books for the annual American Association of University Women book sale in Appleton, and it's time to spread the word. (My attention was drawn to the AAUW years ago, when its book sale in Lake County, Ohio, turned out to be one of the best book sales I'd ever attended.) Basically, we get donations through the year and sort them into categories. Then, there's a last-minute push in October to move the boxes and boxes and boxes from the storage site to the sale site. Above left is a view of that sale site following preliminary table set-up. Above right is one of several photos I took last week, as the sorting reached its final stages. To give you an idea: I worked Saturday from about 11 a.m. till 5 p.m., hoping to wrap up sorting the "Mystery" tables in alphabetical order. (There had already been a lot of pre-sorting done, with - for example - three large boxes of Agatha Christie mysteries pulled into their own section.) I did not complete the job; in fact, I think I managed about half the alphabet and then time ran out. I'm sure they - and more - are sorted by now.

So. Don't miss it if you (a) buy books and (b) are near the Northland Mall in Appleton. (Enter in the Mall entrance near Shopko. Walk down the hall and up a short flight of stairs. The sale is on the left. You'll see. The schedule is as follows:
Thursday 3-8 p.m. (hardcover fiction will be $2 @, most other books will be $1 @)
Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. (almost everything will be $1 @)
Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (half-price day)
Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ($5 per "armload")
A few items will be priced higher, but there will be bargains galore. Just saying.

Hey, THIS Is the Harlan Ellison Photo Source!

2010-09-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

I've just received a phonecall that says that the photo that appears at the beginning of one of my Harlan Ellison posts is appearing on the Good Old Internet as some sort of "Harlan Ellison doing pushups before MadCon" shot. Harlan was not doing pushups, the photo is mine, and if you give three hoots in Hell about accurate reporting, you'll do me a favor if you spread the word. It is precisely and exactly as I reported it on this website. He fell to the floor as a joke to amuse Peter and Kathleen David's daughter Caroline - and, believe me, there was panic amid the several folks who were standing there but not paying attention until he fell. Just as I reported. People who are using the photo (without, by the way, asking me) and saying anything else are, well, not to be commended for their truthiness. I'd appreciate your telling them so.

MadCon 2010: Where'd the Weekend Go?

2010-09-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Harlan Ellison, Susan Ellison, Josh Wimmer

You see, there's a conundrum for people who have websites like this. We can either be websiting or we can be out there in the wide, wide world - gathering material for websiting. Or we can be breathing heavily after being in the wide, wide world and trying desperately to remember all the things we told ourselves we'd remember to post "as soon as possible." And, yes, I have stacks of notes and photos and such regarding what I plan to post about Comic-Con International: San Diego. Which was weeks and weeks (and weeks) ago. So I'm in the hotel room munching on a McDonald's bagel with (um, let's see) egg and cheese and bacon and sucking down a Frappe - mostly because the hotel coffee bar had indicated yesterday it wouldn't be open today and (as I came back into the hotel) it is - but after I'd gone out to East Towne Mall and ended up settling for McDonald's because East Towne Mall turns out to be not even functioning until 10 a.m. on Sundays (which I didn't discover until I went there. Whiiiiiiiiine).

So. Here's a photo I'd planned to post yesterday. As he sat to sign books (with a huge line stretching down the hall), Harlan was handed print-outs of an e-mail exchange between Josh Wimmer and Buck Howdy. Who, you may ask, is Buck Howdy? Well, for the 52nd Grammy Awards, there were six nominees for Best Children's Spoken Word Album. Put on the ballot in alphabetical order, Howdy's performance came first, thanks to alphabetical order: Aaaaah! Spooky, Scary Stories & Songs. The other nominees were by Dean Pitchford; the group of Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Hillen Mirren, Forest Whitaker and others; David Hyde Pierce; Ed Asner; and Harlan. (Harlan, by the way, was reading Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There - and it's a wonderful performance, unlike any other I've heard. I would link to its spot on Amazon for you, but the one thing Amazon apparently wants to discourage people from buying is audiobooks. It has separate link departments for "Grocery" and "VHS" but not for "Audiobook." It has 1,759 options for "Through the Looking-Glass," though fewer than 300 for the full title - but I still don't have time to find it, given that such items as Alice mousepads were apparently a better match for the title than Harlan's wonderful performance. I digress.)

Buck Howdy won the Emmy is the point here. And he'd e-mailed Wimmer a note that came across as something of a "say hi to loser Harlan" message. And here's Harlan with his first look at the printout. And, in his banquet speech, Harlan waxed eloquent on the matter. And I didn't have time to post it last night. And I've got to get back to the con. So ...

Harlan Ellison's Not the Only Person at MadCon 2010

2010-09-25T18:42:00.000-05:00

Sophie Aldred and Peter David

John Krewson

Just saying... It suddenly occurs to me to acknowledge that there are lots of fun guests here. (In fact, an hour or so went quickly by in a bar discussion that included John Krewson of The Onion and Pat Rothfuss of The Name of the Wind and such topics as the subjunctive mood and the lacks of translation of such works as Cyrano de Bergerac and The Iliad.) Anyway, cool people are here and chatting: Gene Wolfe, Mark and Kathryn Sullivan, Sophie Aldred, Peter and Kathleen David ... and wait a minute. I've got to dress for dinner. Yikes! Outa here!

Harlan Ellison at MadCon: Friday Night

2010-09-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

It was a late night last night. Thing is: Last major event on the schedule was a talk by Harlan - a talk that, it was thought, might be followed with a book signing. And Harlan talked. And talked. And talked. When would he move from the podium to the table outside? I didn't know. Tom Galloway didn't know. Susan didn't know. And Harlan talked. And there were roars of laughter erupting from room, and Harlan was in full-speed mode, and everyone was having a good time. And slowly, slowly, slowly the line outside the room grew, as people figured they'd better get in line for that autograph.

And we finally figured out a solution, as Harlan would clearly not be up to autographs. We handed out numbers, so that the folks in the line didn't lose their place. And all of us (including Harlan, who had to be virtually dragged offstage) staggered off to bed. And what am I doing posting this from my hotel room the following morning? Hey, good question. Signing off for the moment; banquet tonight. Cheers!

Harlan Ellison Prior to MadCon 2010

2010-09-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

What the heck? Oh, no! I knew Harlan was ill, but is this it? Harlan, having traveled halfway across the country with Susan, had arrived at the convention hotel for MadCon 2010 (there are still a few memberships available: Madison, Wisconsin - my favorite city - come join us). And now he's on the floor?

Well, see, Harlan (Who has lost an incredible amount of weight since I saw him last: Hello, bright side of illness! I'm looking on you!) was not alone at this moment. He was, in fact, surrounded by admirers, one of whom was a child whom Harlan clearly felt needed to be amused. Suddenly, he fell to the floor. People who hadn't been watching as closely as I had been (as I viewed the world through my camera) and had not been noticing the fact that he had been striving to entertain Caroline David rallied round following what they feared was a catastrophe. (Let's start the convention by watching EMTs toting Harlan to a waiting ambulance.)

But, ta daaaa! Caroline was, indeed, amused. And we all went out to dinner at Red Lobster.

More Anecdotes about Harlan Ellison. Just Saying.

2010-09-21T08:29:00.001-05:00

Wups! I forgot I'd promised to tell you about the door to Harlan's study. It's actually not much of a story, but for the record ... I come back to the results of Harlan's caring so much about ... just ... everything. His incendiary remarks sometimes set others ablaze - and one of the results is a huge target that he has, in effect, painted on himself. And one of the longest-standing, easiest ammunition sources seems to be: Hey, didja know? Harlan Ellison is not tall! Admittedly, it's not one of the most intellectual comebacks to his arguments. But, surely, the point must add weight to any other response his critics may have ...

Clearly, the snark has wounded him to the quick. Except ...

He's made a joke of it. The door to his study is a work of art, a sculpture in itself. And one of its aspects is that the lintel is something like four feet above the floor. Which means that everyone including Harlan has to stoop to enter his work area. Hee!

Oh, didn't I also promise to tell you about his early experience as a television interview subject? OK, this was fun. He'd have handled it with aplomb later in his career, but these were relatively early days. (The version of the book he was promoting shown here is a later edition; the first release was a Regency paperback in 1961.) Background: Dorothy Fuldheim was a major TV personality. She has a lengthy entry on Wikipedia, which notes that she may have been the first woman in America to be anchor of a TV news broadcast. In any case, in 1961 she had an ongoing feature on Cleveland TV in which she interviewed guests, and it was a coup to be the subject of such an interview. She had an incredible style that merged occasionally insightful questions with being out of touch on a strange variety of topics. (I think I recall her answer to rats in the slums as being that slum homes should all have garbage disposals in their sinks. I know I recall her asking Gaylord Perry about Me and the Spitter precisely what it was that a pitcher did in baseball. "I mean is it like a tennis player serving the ball?" was roughly her elaboration - as people in the studio tried unsuccessfully to stifle their laughter.) Anyway, there was Harlan, trying to promote his book of essays - about running with a teen gang to get information for his writing career and about incarceration in the Manhattan "Tombs." Gang violence and jail: Memos from Purgatory was and is strong stuff. So here he was in the studio, facing Dorothy Fuldheim, and he began by saying that, as he'd embarked on a writing career, he'd worked a number of jobs and then decided that the topic of his first novel would be kid gangs. Fuldheim asked what jobs he'd worked. Thrown a bit off-stride, he listed a few, including driving an ice-cream truck. "Oh, did you always want to do that?" "What?" "Drive an ice-cream truck. You know, when I was a child, I always thought that driving an ice-cream truck would be such a wonderful job ..." I've seldom seen Harlan more taken aback. As I say, today, he'd easily regain control of the message to make his points. But that was a classic in the field of derailed interviews, as she continued to discuss how much fun it would be to drive an ice-cream truck and what career goals children have and so on ... And I was lucky enough to be watching the broadcast - a broadcast that never did give him time to share his messages on either kid gangs or jail.

There: an anecdote not likely to come up at this week's MadCon 2010. It doesn't look as if Harlan will be well enough to attend in person, but I bet other anedotes will be flying. I hope I'll see you there!

Harlan Ellison: Is He Truly a Luddite?

2010-09-20T16:43:00.001-05:00

Well, no. Ah, that was easy. Oh. What? Why would anyone suggest such a thing in the first place? Well, consider: Harlan does not write his thousands and thousands and thousands of words on a computer, though he has written oodles of science fiction, speculative fiction, whatever it's called this week. (Do me a favor, though: Don't identify him simply as "a science-fiction writer," because he writes lots and lots and lots of words that are not science fiction. Just saying.) Anyway, his writing tool of choice is a portable typewriter (an Olivetti, as I recall). He can use it anywhere. He can use it even if the power goes off. He is, in fact, a major advocate of the wonders of the portable typewriter.

Consider: Harlan griped to me at one point that a hotel in which he was staying not only didn't have blotting paper in the desk in his room, but (when he called the main desk) the staff didn't even know what he was asking for. He verged on outrage at the very fact.

Consider: Harlan has expressed himself as being of the opinion that television is A Bad Thing. (I challenged him on this a few years ago, and we ended the discussion when he became virtually incandescent in rage over the failings of the medium.) I think that opinion may have something to do with his closely analyzing TV via writing so many columns about TV that he has filled two books with his illuminating commentaries. [Sample: Regarding CBS censorship of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969, he wrote in part, "No, what that banned segment shows us, shows all of the country, was that not only are the network potentates a gaggle of cringing, petrified, spineless twerps, they are ripe patsys for extortion and blackmail. ... Look, CBS, I'm talking to you like a Dutch Uncle. You see, what's happening is that we're building a psychopathic society. Everybody lies, everybody sells out, everybody stinks of hate. We're all being driven mad as mudflys, CBS. The hatreds are running deep, core-deep. How much longer do you think we can tolerate our guardians of the public trust, dudes like you, who corrupt and bastardize that trust?"] Anyway, by the time John and Bjo Trimble took us to visit Harlan and Susan in 1976, I think most of his readers were convinced that Harlan had long since destroyed his television machine.

But, at the end of that delightful evening at Ellison Wonderland, Harlan stood politely to say that, while we were all welcome to stay to share it with him, he was not going to miss the evening's broadcast of Hill Street Blues. And we understood perfectly (though we had not yet been captivated by the show) and took our departure, cheered by the information that he had not truly abandoned the medium. (And, it should be noted, I've enjoyed other televisual entertainment with the Ellisons since.) So. No Luddite there.

But he uses a typewriter. And blotting paper. And loves at least some old radio shows - to the point at which he even helped put together a performance of a Robert A. Arthur radio script at a SPERDVAC convention because any recording of the original broadcast has long since been lost.

The thing is: Harlan doesn't forget to treasure what's best of the past while we travel in that 60-seconds-per-minute time machine that we all inhabit. So do consider joining a flock of us this coming weekend to treasure Harlan. And share anecdotes. Just saying ...

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Celebrating Harlan Ellison

2010-09-19T17:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a photo that not even Harlan has seen of himself. I took it at a World Science Fiction Convention, either in Detroit (September 4-7, 1959) or in Pittsburgh (September 3-5, 1960); I'd thought for years that it was the former, but my current guess is the latter. In any case, I was sitting a couple of rows back at a panel in which the entertainment consisted simply of (left to right) Isaac Asimov, Randy Garrett, and Harlan exchanging banter until the panel was over. You can probably tell that the movie screen behind the panelists did not enhance the shot, and Harlan's response to my flashbulb came down to the fact that it was (especially with the screen) blinding and knock it off, already. Which I did, but, hey, otherwise there'd have been no photo of what was a delightful entertainment. Just saying.

My point? Wups, sorry. I was wallowing in memories of the days when WorldCons were small enough that folks like me (age 16 or 17, depending on which con it was) could just pull up a chair and enjoy listening to the casual wit of such folks as these three. And it was the first photo I ever took of Harlan.

Mind you, I'd met Harlan at the 1955 WorldCon in Cleveland, when I was 12. Mom (Betsy Curtis) was a science-fiction writer and had contributed to Harlan's Dimensions fanzine, and, at that convention, I hung around and eavesdropped on all the conversations - at least one of which was between Harlan and her. The last time I visited Harlan and Susan, we simultaneously realized that that meant that our friendship had been one of the longest either Harlan or I had had.

And now MadCon 2010 is gearing up for an Ellison celebration September 24-26 - and, again, people will be able to hang out and savor the wit and share anecdotes and such. Now, mind you, convention organizers are warning as follows on the home page, "due to ill health it is very likely that he will not be able to travel to Madison for MadCon. However, Harlan is determined that ... he will still be appearing at MadCon telephonically for his talks on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday." There's more on the site; do check it out. But that won't keep the rest of us from sharing enough anecdotes to keep him blushing, even at long distance.

So I hope you'll join me (and such other folks as Sophie Aldred (from Doctor Who), writers Gene Wolfe, Peter David, Pat Rothfuss ... Heck with it. Check the website. (See? I didn't even mention John Krewson of The Onion.) Where was I?

Oh, yes. Celebrating Harlan. Well, the thing about Harlan that many people just don't quite get is that Harlan cares. Sounds like a book title or a charity drive - Sorry about that. But the point is that you and I may (for example) like Keebler's oyster crackers as they used to be served as accompaniment to some airline meals. But Harlan loved Keebler's oyster crackers as they used (etc.) - and he followed it up by trying the variety in stores and didn't love them as much - and he followed that up by contacting Keebler's elves. Long story short: He obtained a case of individual airline packets of Keebler's oyster crackers and slowly doled them out over the ensuing months - to his friends, as well as himself. Because he cared.

Which is more adrenaline than some folks can handle. (Pause to thank Heaven that he found another unique human being in Susan, because she's the only person on Earth who could handle living with a person who just cares so much about everything.)

But Harlan not only cares about everything, he acts on those cares. He spreads the word,just as he distributed those oyster crackers. In 1962, for example, he sent Don and Maggie Thompson an essay for their fledgling fanzine just because he cared. Sample: "But today the gross desire to capture everyone by broadening the [comics-reading customer] base so shamefully that no one gets full measure for his money has allowed such patently ludicrous creatures as Batwoman, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lori Lemaris, Aqualad, Mon-el, Bizarro, Streaky, Supergirl, Krypto (which is phonetically the Russian word for a 'fellow traveler' and thus, by the let's-not-offend-anybody policy of plotting today, highly suspect), Super-monkey and (so help me God) Super-horse." See? He even cares about comic books.

Next time (if the creek doesn't rise and flood the carrot patch) I'll tell you about the time Harlan revealed his devotion to a certain prime-time show. And about the door to his study. And ... but maybe you know all that already. Hey, folks, this coming weekend is going to be full of Harlan anecdotes. Come join us. And in the meantime, take a look at any of his stories. (Did I tell you about his singing in Kismet? Or the time he appeared on Cleveland's interview show with Dorothy Fuldheim when she derailed the discussion following his mentioning he'd once driven an ice-cream truck? Surely, you've heard about his sending a dead animal ...) Stay tuned.

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The Fantastic Mister Beagle

2010-09-06T10:39:00.001-05:00

Peter S. Beagle

Freff

Among the treats I experienced at this year's Wizard World Chicago was the unexpected meeting with one of my favorite authors, who was accompanied by someone with whom I'd lost touch years and years ago. The author was Peter S. Beagle. The lost-touch guy was Freff. I'd admired the work of both in years gone by - and the treat was discovering that both are not only still around, but also active today. Let's see ... Background ... When I was 17 or so, Don loaned me a copy of the fantasy novel A Fine and Private Place by Beagle, and it was a stunner. At Wizard World, I heard Freff introduce people to the book by reading the first two paragraphs, so:

"The baloney weighed the raven down, and the shopkeeper almost caught him as he whisked out the delicatessen door. Frantically he beat his wings to gain altitude, looking like a small black electric fan. An updraft caught him and threw him into the sky. He circled twice, to get his bearings, and began to fly north.
"Below, the shopkeeper stood with his hands on his hips, looking up at the diminishing cinder in the sky. Presently he shrugged and went back into his delicatessen. He was not without philosophy, this shopkeeper, and he knew that if a raven comes into your delicatessen and steals a whole baloney it is either an act of God or it isn't, and in either case there isn't very much you can do about it."

The raven is bringing the baloney to feed a man who has spent years hiding in the Bronx's Yorkchester Cemetery - and talking with the spirits of the recently dead. And it's a delight to reread this gem 50 years later. And, of course, meeting Beagle meant that I sort of blithered about how much I'd enjoyed it in the past and was looking forward to savoring it again - end of conversation. (I often pontificate about how to best speak with people whose work one admires. Surely, I say, you have a question if you're a fan of that work. Ask the question, I say. Except when I meet such a person in unexpected circumstances, at which point I gabble about being a fan and loving the work - to which the only response is usually, "Thank you," end of dialogue. So it has gone with Joss Whedon, Jim Dale, and so many others. And now Peter S. Beagle. Sigh.)

On the other hand, also at the table was Freff, and it was all "Let the chit-chat commence!" First, for those who have come along later, let me say that Freff may be best known in comics circles for his work with Phil Foglio on the delicious but sadly short-lived D'Arc Tangent in 1982. Given that several years have gone by, what's with Freff now? And, for that matter, what's with the name "Freff"? What sort of weird acronym is that? Well, it's not an acronym; it's actually his middle name. He's Connor Freff Cochran, and one of the things he's doing is helping people today get more of the work of Peter S. Beagle. While A Fine and Private Place is the first novel of Beagle's that I'd read, the author is probably best known for The Last Unicorn (1968) - so do note the image on Freff's T-shirt.

Among other projects (and I bought, not only the 2007 edition of A Fine and Private Place to savor it anew, but also The Unicorn Sonata [1996], The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche [1997], The Line Between [2006], and We Never Talk about My Brother [2009], not to mention the Beagle-edited The Secret History of Fantasy [2010]), Freff told me about "the 52-50 project." And I'll tell you more about that another day, if the creek don't rise and the bunny rabbits don't eat all the celery.

Stephen Reads a Book

2010-09-05T15:11:00.002-05:00

This is my son, Stephen. He says he will read a book. He does not say he will read a big book. But he says he will read a book. His mother is happy. "See? Stephen reads!" she will say. "Stephen reads a book!" (She knows Stephen can read. Stephen can even write. Stephen can, in fact, even edit. But now, now, now he will read a real book.) "Hot dog!" says his mother. "At last!"

I was listening, as I do every week, to the delightful National Public Radio Pop Culture Happy Hour. I think everyone who enjoys popular culture would enjoy this experience - but I confess there's extra fun for me because one of the participants is my very own son. And it's sort of like attending a party at his house without my having to travel many hours to get there. In any case, this time, he was waxing philosophical (as much as he does) over the fact that (without referring to notes) he had commented in passing on Slap Maxwell and Hooperman - and had had a discussion with friends over the most obscure details of Insane Clown Posse - but he (he said) hadn't read a book. (This could be substantiated, by the way, in an earlier NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour [that I won't link to] in which a mention of Death of a Salesman was followed by Stephen's quickly commenting, "I don't read books.")

(Let me say that he has occasionally read books in the past - just in case you wondered. But he has certainly not made a habit of it recently.) In any case, the lad now declares himself motivated to participate in "a project in which I read a book." [Show host Linda Holmes quickly suggested How to Win Friends and Influence People and added a possible vote for something by Miss Manners.] The point is that Stephen has actually taken the step of reserving for himself an e-mail address for the project: stephenreadsabook@gmail.com. And he has, moreover, expressed hopes that the book suggested might have some relevance to popular culture so that he could discuss it on the podcast.

I should point out that his 9-year-old son has read many books, recently completing the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series by Rick Riordan. In fact, that might be a place to start, Stephen: with a book that Jonah is reading. Wouldn't a father-son read-off be nifty? And, if Jonah still hasn't begun the "Harry Potter" series ... Well, what'd be more pop culture than that? With the forthcoming film about to whip Daniel Radcliffe fans into a frenzy? Think of Happy Hours filled with references to Muggles and Snape and Quidditch and He Who Must Be Obeyed ... Wups! Nope! Sorry! I blended my pop cultures there. But think about it, Stephen. Just saying ...

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day Three Comics Folks

2010-08-21T18:34:00.002-05:00

Michael Golden

Geof Darrow

I'm getting grumpy about this website's inability to give me the power of providing lotsa photos in one big mass titled "Here Are Lots of Photos." Because I'm loving my new camera (Canon Rebel T2i) which, even with its customary 18-55mm lens, is letting me take almost all photos with available light. I'm guessing its "Image Stabilizer" software hasn't hurt my photos, either. (Translation: If there's blurring, it's not because I'm not holding the camera steady - which is not to say that I'm actually holding the camera steady.) Anyway, here are three more photos.

Bill Sienkiewicz

Wizard World Chicago: Day Three Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award

2010-08-21T18:18:00.000-05:00

Jim McLauchlin

Talking with Jim McLauchlin at The Hero Initiative booth (apologies for the picture; memo to self: take a better photo of Jim), I learned that the organization devoted to helping comics professionals in difficulty has instituted an award in the name of Dick Giordano.
The Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award will make its debut at the Harvey Awards Banquet at the Baltimore Comicon Aug. 28-29. Giordano worked in the industry for decades not only as a famed editor and artist but also in support of his fellow professionals. He served on the board of directors of The Hero Initiative until his death earlier this year. "In honor of Dick," the organization has announced, "The Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award will recognize one person in comics each year who has demonstrated the generosity and integrity Dick brought to the charity, and comic-book community at large." The award has been crafted by Tommy Allison of Mad Robot Studios. Giordano's longtime friend, co-worker, and executor of his estate Pat Bastienne said, "So many people have referred to Dick as 'The Great Gentleman of Comics,' and I'm sure he'd love to see his name and legacy carried on, especially in such a wonderful way that honors others who have shown kindness and generosity. If Dick were here, he'd raise a Rob Roy and toast the idea."

Wizard World Chicago: Day Three Oh, My Gosh, the Crowds

2010-08-21T17:48:00.001-05:00

The morning started with a chat with Wizard's Gareb Shamus, as we both surveyed the line of Saturday-only attendees waiting to get in to buy their ticket to join the fun. The line (which had already begun to filter in through the convention center doors) was moving fast but still stretched further than I think I'd ever seen it at a Chicago comic-con. (The view above doesn't begin to capture it; this is a chunk of the portion that hadn't yet reached the covered entry area, which probably had a hundred or more closer to the door and a couple hundred more stretched along the building behind these folks - and there were still people approaching the building who hadn't yet joined the line.) Gareb mentioned the outreach into the community and commented that I'd be surprised how many in the crowd were first-time attendees.

So I approached a chunk of the line at random and asked each of about 50 people in turn, "Is this your first Chicago Comic-Con?" Slightly more than half said it was. There were many families coming as groups, often with toddlers in strollers, looking forward to the adventure. When I entered the hall, I was stunned to find the first booths in the hall jammed with people - and, as noted, most of the Saturday crowd hadn't yet entered the lobby to purchase their tickets. Here's a shot taken much later in the day from a vantage point overseeing a portion of the hall floor. Whuf!

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day Two You Can Get Sketches

2010-08-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

Mont Blanc

Mike and the buyer

And "sketches" may not be the right word. Mike Grell, for example, was working on an elaborate "sketch" at the Hero Initiative booth - and even someone (like me) who wasn't paying for the art could watch a pro at work. This was a lovely pencil drawing, and we got into such discussions as pencil-art technique (including using graphite shavings to tone the art and kneaded erasers to highlight it) - and he even showed off his fanciest pencil: a Mont Blanc $300 automatic he'd bought at O'Hare. The primary pencil he was using was a Eberhard Faber "shaker": "I don't have to moderate my grip." When I told him I'd quote him on that, he responded quickly, "OK, Eberhard Faber: Send me a case!" Just saying.

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day Two: OK, More Photos

2010-08-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

Sandra Taylor

Walter Koenig

Wrapping up the display of media celebrities, I should note that these were all just taken in passing as I walked through the aisles. I didn't wait in line, talk to the performers, or otherwise interact. You can do that. Just bring a camera and wait for opportunities. (And when, Maggie, will you get around to the comic book coverage? Well, not soon. I just realized I should be heading for the convention floor - in the conflict so intrinsic to convention coverage. I can be there taking photos and getting information to post - or I could be posting to this site. Gee.)

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day Two Argh Only Three Photos Per Post?

2010-08-21T11:07:00.001-05:00

Richard Roundtree

Richard Anderson

Michael Hogan

Well, I knew this website doesn't like me to use a lot of photos, but I didn't know that more than three small photos would overwhelm the post to the point at which it'd overrun text, insert symbols, etc. Man. (I guess I can't blame it for misspelling "Celebrities" in the first posting. Dang.) Let's see if I can post three this time. Oh, and you'll notice that some of the nice folks will even let you have your photograph taken with them. Just saying. Doesn't your Facebook page mean you should head for the nearest performer you've always admired?

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day Two Where Are Media Celebrities?

2010-08-21T10:53:00.003-05:00

Brent Spiner

Lindsay Wagner

Well, they're here. And you can see them and talk to them and get their autographs and - wow, isn't this great? A problem with this website is my general inability to post the number of photos the way I want to organize them, but let's see what happens if I just put a bunch of photos here. Note: If all you want to do is breathe the same air or be in the same room with such folks, there's no problem. And, if you've always enjoyed their work, you can say thanks by helping fund their visit: Pay for an autographed photo. Oh, and my ongoing tip for meeting a celebrity whose work you like: If you're a fan, you probably have a question you've always wondered about that work. This is your chance to ask that question. Worst-case scenario: The celebrity won't answer. Best-case scenario: You'll get information.

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Malachi Throne

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day One More on the Floor

2010-08-20T10:43:00.001-05:00

In full "whatever happens, happens" mode, there were other observations ...

Ron Massengill told me he'd just found a variant of a Superman giveaway - after he thought he'd pretty much located all there were. I'm hoping to photograph it before show's end.

A dealer told me his booth price had gone up over last year's show and dealers are hoping the buyers turn out. (Yes, yes, that's a "my goodness, what a surprise" statement. Sorry. But they are expressing concerns.) One price I was quoted: a no-corner 10x20 booth was $2,150, up about $300 from 2009, as far as the dealer could recall.

Yes, Jim Johnson (who asked on Facebook), the "Press" credential is a wristband again this year.

One booth at the show was a Michael Fox-connected fund drive to fight Parkinson's Disease.

One publisher who is exhibiting is Avatar Press, and Brian Pulido handed me a promotional comic, Lady Death Premiere, that will be available widely in November. It marks the December launch of an ongoing Lady Death series from Avatar division Boundless Comics.

Wizard World Chicago 2010: On the Floor

2010-08-20T10:13:00.002-05:00

The exhibit hall opened at 5 p.m. Thursday, and I ambled into the hall in the mode of "whatever happens, happens" - which is an excellent way to attend shows. It's true that you'll ordinarily want to check in advance for program items you care about and people you want to see - but you can sometimes choose the alternative: Wander the floor and see what happens.

Larry Snodie

Victor Layne

So I bumped into Larry Snodie and Victor Layne (with whom I'd actually chatted before entering the exhibit hall), and we laughed again about my "Press" credentials. Seems they, too, had been coming to the show for some time (18 years, if my memory serves) and had also been covering it. I'm not quite sure what you'll find when you explore their website, but they do cable shows and films, and we exchanged cards. (Just to give you an idea: There was another participant in the conversation, and I didn't catch his name. And so it goes when you're in "whatever happens, happens" mode. Should I begin to abbreviate it as WHH? I'm kinda liking it: You can even exclaim it at appropriate moments: "Whh?" Yes. Acronyms Are Us.)

People at the show were speculating at the size, and I must say that occasional unoccupied views of the hall floor were a bit aback-taking. There seemed to be fewer publisher booths - but there were fewer retailer booths, too. On the other hand, I must figure that, for the comics-collecting devotee, this is going to be a wonderful, wonderful show. Cases in point: I'd figured I wouldn't need much cash at the show - and ended up having to go back to the hotel room to replenish funds pretty quickly. (And I'll be buying more during Day Two, let me tell you.) I found (Thanks, Steve Thompson, no relation, for providing the completion to my collection.) the Jonas/Winter Pogo hardcover Deck Us All with Boston Charlie, the hardest-to-find of a 10-book set. I filled (Thanks, George Hagenauer.) some holes in my E.C. collection with the probably never-to-be-reprinted Dandy Comics #4, Animated Comics # - well, who knows? but it's a non-E.C. E.C., Animal Fables #1, and Crime Patrol #8. Now, these were all far cheaper than price guides would have them, but they weren't my usual outlay - which is to say: what I'd spend for a new comic book today.

That delight came at yet another booth - to which Michelle Nolan had steered me last year. This is my favorite type of convention purchase - but I swear this dealer had lowered his prices from last year. For $2 @, I bought the following Dell Four-Color issues: #216 (Andy Panda "Police Pup"), #218 (3 Little Pigs "and the wonderful MAGIC LAMP"), #264 (Woody Woodpecker "The Magic Lantern"), #284 (Porky Pig "The Kingdom of Nowhere"), #451 (Rusty Riley - ooo, Frank Godwin art!), #507 (Oswald), #621 (Francis), #972 (Tom Thumb - "The great BIG story about a daring LITTLE MAN!" what the heck? Jesse Marsh art with someone else occasionally pitching in on faces?), #1074 (Chilly Willy), and #1144 (The Story of Ruth - "She defied the pagan idol that demanded human sacrifice!"). The #216-#284 are issues I'm sure I bought off the newsstand Back in the Day. I'm in for some nostalgic reading sessions.

Nor could I let things go that easily. For more $2@: The Night of the Grizzly, Dark Shadows #11, Around the World under the Sea, Ensign Pulver, Big Red, Run, Buddy, Run!, The Castilian, T.H.E. Cat #1, and The Lion. Those were movie and TV Dell and Gold Key issues. And then there was the much misc. category (which, admittedly, had movie components): Looney Tunes #82, Mr. Magoo #6, Wacky Races #2, Love Experiences #6, Marmaduke Mouse #26, True 3-D #1 (no glasses), Tex Granger #20, Warfront #8, and New Funnies #164. And of things I actually look for actively? Well, Tubby #29 and #36, Thirteen #26 and #29, and Pink Panther #18 and The Inspector #18 (and I must remember to ask John Jackson Miller what it is I'm looking for in those last two, because I'll bet these aren't the issues he recommended).

But then, hey! There were two boxes under the table of really beat-up $1@, 6 for $5 comics. Now, how could I ignore those? Talk about much misc.! Dunc and Loo #8, Joe Palooka #56 (title off), Dennis the Menace #132, Atomic Mouse #22, Fun with Basky and Robin, Walt Disney Showcase #39 and #47, Tubby #38, New Funnies #180, Tom and Jerry #87, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #456, and Pink Panther #1.

Wonder what I'll be reading tonight ... In any case, the point is I dropped more than $250 - and I hadn't planned to spend anything. This is a great show for attendees is what I'm saying.

Next

Wizard World Chicago 2010: Day One Sign In

2010-08-20T09:00:00.002-05:00

Yikes. After vowing to post something - anything - on this site every day, I ended up with a 12-day hiatus and almost all of my Comic-Con International: San Diego coverage yet to go. (Not that I won't post it; there are piles of Stuff To Be Discussed on the couch at home.) But Wizard World Chicago (or, as it has begun to refer to itself, Chicago Comic-Con) is set up so as to permit me to (a) take photos, (b) take notes, and (c) have enough down time to allow for computer time in the room.

My first hint that the event might be smaller this year came when I was able to reserve a room at the wonderful Embassy Suites a week before the show. My guess (judging from experiences in years past) is that this is one of the first hotels near the event to fill to capacity. It's right across the street from the Rosemont Convention Center. It offers a free breakfast. The room has its own microwave and refrigerator, not to mention a "living room" appended to the bedroom. It's no more expensive than the other nearby hotels; in fact, I think it may be a little cheaper than some. And, in my case, it's my first choice for the Chicago show hotel. And there was a room available.

Gareb Shamus before the show

I don't drive in Chicago. Period. So my ability to get to the show is limited to my opportunity to find someone to ride with. This year, Comics Buyer's Guide columnist George Hagenauer was kind enough to let me tag along - and that meant we got to Rosemont in time for him to set up as an exhibitor and for me to be leisurely about registering as "Press." I waited in line for the Wizard World Press Booth person to be available; he was instructing official WW publicity photographers as to what he needed them to provide - which was, largely, photos of the show's celebrities in action. That taken care of, it was my turn. "Have you covered this show before?" "Every year since 1983." "I don't have a record of you." (Come to think of it, I covered it in 1982, as well: It was in downtown Chicago then, dubbed "Sweatcon," joined by a Doctor Who convention, and Marvel told organizers that, if it were to be held at that hotel again, Marvel would not support it. Previous convention owners, of course.) Anyway, the guy was nice enough, and I'd brought a copy of CBG and my business card [belt and suspenders, belt and suspenders], and there was no problem. And now they have a record of me. (Sidebar: As I was leaving the area, Wizard's Gareb Shamus waved at me and called out, "Hi, Maggie!")

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Grim Natwick, Betty Boop, and Wisconsin Rapids

2010-08-08T18:01:00.000-05:00

Following the delights of the Nina Paley panel in Wisconsin Rapids August 6, Lesleigh Luttrell asked me whether I'd like to take a look at the Grim Natwick Hollywood Archives Exhibit at the South Wood County Historical Museum, 540 Third Street South. Well, heck, yes!

The exhibits on Natwick (1890-1990) were fascinating, displaying Natwick's art on song sheets and on a paper manufacturer's magazine as well as a terrific exhibit of his animation art. Natwick's animation years included work for Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Walter Lantz, UPA, and Richard Williams. He was a lead animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and drew the prince and princess for Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels.

A highlight of the event was the dedication of a Wisconsin Historical Marker honoring Natwick: an event attended by Natwick relatives still living in Wisconsin Rapids. The photo above includes John Natwick (second from left, nephew of the animator) and Jim Natwick (right, a great-nephew).

Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues, and the Free Culture Movement

2010-08-07T18:53:00.006-05:00

Imagine my surprise when long-time buddy Lesleigh Luttrell told me that Nina Paley was scheduled to appear in nearby Wisconsin Rapids and Lesleigh wondered whether I was planning to attend one of the days of that community's "Betty Boop Festival." Imagine my renewed surprise when, having forgotten all about it, I received another e-mail from Lesleigh reminding me, saying that Friday would be the only day she could attend, and asking whether we could get together to see Paley.

I've admired Paley's work for years and years but hadn't seen it for ages. What a terrific opportunity! And the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center (240 Johnson Street) is a surprising facility in the midst of relatively rural Wisconsin. Lesleigh and I wandered through the facility, admiring the art from Paley's cartoons and stills from her Sita Sings the Blues (which Lesleigh had seen and I hadn't - but the stills were gorgeous). Then, the panel was about to begin, and I grabbed front-row seats. The panel members were David Farbrough (above, a freelance writer and photographer, who has been a lawyer and also written (taught?) on the history of film; Paley; University of Wisconsin Baraboo Literature and Film Professor Frances Auld; and Festival Director Cathy Meils.

Much of the focus was on Sita Sings the Blues, and, asked how she'd done it (all the animation on the feature film), Paley responded, "I was a hermit for three years." She said it was possible for one person to animate a film today because of the technology: She said of her Mac, "You direct the computer to do in-betweens," and, "I played tricks to hide how many corners I cut." Thanks to a Guggenheim Fellowship, she didn't have to move in with her parents to afford to complete the film in the roughly 8,000-10,000 hours it took to put the project together. She waved her right hand to show the ring she wore on the middle finger: "I married the film."

The film is a version of the story of Sita as told in the Hindu Ramayana - as told in part through animation of songs performed by Annette Hanshaw, each song appropriate to a plot development in Sita's story, sung by Sita. While the performances are public domain today, the songs themselves are not, and Paley entered into the challenge of structuring her work so as to enable it to incorporate the performances that are ordinarily restricted. (More on that in a bit.) Given that the Jewish Paley was adapting a work of religious significance, not all the response has been positive. She laughed that, while her name could be taken as Indian, someone had responded, "No, Nina Paley is a white Christian woman who hates Hindus."

Why an animated film? "I made an animated film, because that's my skill. I'm a control freak, so animation is good for me." And, "A lot of the film is the result of happy accidents."

The discussion moved on to Paley's espousal of the "free culture movement." The home page of Sita Sings the Blues (linked above) goes into more detail. In short, anyone is welcome to use the film, copy it, send it to their friends, and otherwise spread it - as long as the new usage doesn't restrict it in some way. Details are on the website - which is where I saw the feature for the first time (today, in fact). "A work is lucky if it has fans," she said. "All elements are Flash files and available for use. They can be changed - though, if that happens, the source should be attributed to me and the changes to them." She referred to Question Copyright (where, I note today, she's the winner of the 2010 "IP3 Award" from Public Knowledge) and said she'd "made way more money by releasing [her film] for free." Replacing the costs for advertising, for example, are word of mouth and the ability of those who like it to share the work.

So how to make money for devoting three years of her life to the film?
(1) Voluntary payments from arts organizations and the like, which invite her to attend events and to lecture
(2) Direct donations "My main income comes from that. I'm happy to be a charity."
(3) Merchandise "The visuals are open-sourced, and you may not sue someone else for producing it, but no one else has done it." (I bought a cool cloisonne pin she had made: the "peacock phonograph.")
(4) Conventional distributors, which can still be used, but only 5-10% of her income comes from such use.

Will that bring success? "There is no recipe for success."

Gaiman v. McFarlane 2010: 2002 for the Record

2010-08-07T13:23:00.001-05:00

[This is a footnote to my running report on the 2010 hearing on the Neil Gaiman v. Todd McFarlane case. To see coverage from the beginning, click here.]

Some questions have been raised as to the 2002 jury decision regarding ownership and copyright of Spawn #9 and Angela #1-3. I covered the trial and reported the outcome in Comics Buyer's Guide #1511 (November 1, 2002). (I took this photo October 3, following the trial. It was the first time since the promotional events for Spawn #9 that writer and artist had appeared together to sign a copy. Andy Carter, age 12, asked the co-creators to sign a copy of the issue, which they did.) During the trial, Judge Shabaz had given the seven-woman jury a list of 18 questions to decide. Since some were to be skipped, if certain others were answered in a specific way, the total questions decided October 3 came to 15. (The verdict on each question had to be unanimous.) Results were as follows:

1. Does plaintiff Neil Gaiman have a copyright interest in the following?
Medieval Spawn: Yes
Cogliostro: Yes
Spawn #26: Yes

2. Would a reasonable person in plaintiff Gaiman's position have discovered prior to January 24, 1999, that the McFarlane defendants were claiming to be sole owners of copyright interests in the following?
Medieval Spawn: No
Cogliostro: No
Angela: No
Angela #1, #2, and #3: No

3. Did the plaintiff and the McFarlane defendants enter into a contract in 1992?
Yes

4. Did the McFarlane defendants breach the 1992 contract?
Yes

5. Did the plaintiff and the McFarlane defendants enter into a contract in 1997?
Yes

6. Did the McFarlane defendants breach the 1997 contract?
Yes

12. Was defendants' failure to identify plaintiff Gaiman as a co-author of Spawn #26, Spawn Volume 6, or Pathway to Judgement a false description or representation of the origin of the work?
Yes

13. Does plaintiff Gaiman believe that defendants' failure to identify him as a co-author of Spawn #26, Spawn Volume 6, or Pathway to Judgement is likely to damage him?
Yes

14. Did plaintiff Gaiman consent in writing to the use of his name and biographical information on Angela's Hunt?
No

15. Did plaintiff Gaiman make misrepresentations or omissioins of material fact to defendant concerning his DC Comics contract during the negotiations of the 1997 contract?
No

Gaiman v. McFarlane 2010: It Is Ordered ...

2010-07-31T09:13:00.009-05:00

[This is part of my running report on the 2010 hearing on the Neil Gaiman v. Todd McFarlane case. To see coverage from the beginning, click here. For additional historical perspective, check out The Comics Chronicles' look back on Spawn #9 and the sales impact the "guest-author" issues had on the series.]

Part Twenty-Five Senior U.S. District Judge for the 7th Circuit Court for the Western District of Wisconsin Barbara B. Crabb announced her decision on July 29: "IT IS ORDERED that plaintiff Neil Gaiman's motion for an order to compel discovery relating to the money earned from derivative characters Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn, Domina and Tiffany is GRANTED. Defendants Todd McFarlane, Todd McFarlane Productions, Inc. and TMP International, Inc. are to produce the requested information promptly and in no event later than September 1, 2010."

The decision came in Case #02-CV-48-BBC, Neil Gaiman, Marvels & Miracles LLC vs. Todd McFarlane, Todd McFarlane Productions, TMP International and Image Comics. It had been determined that Neil Gaiman had been co-creator with Todd McFarlane of Spawn #9 and, with that issue, the characters of Count Cogliostro, Medieval Spawn, and warrior angel Angela. The current suit involved the ownership of characters that had appeared over the years in McFarlane's "Spawn" titles, specifically "Dark Ages Spawn" and warrior angels "Tiffany" and "Domina."

In her opinion, Crabb wrote, "The parties agree that they are co-owners of Angela and Medieval Spawn. Defendants do not contest plaintiff's right to an accounting and division of profits for the posters, trading cards, clothing, statuettes, animated series on HBO, video games, etc. that feature those characters. The dispute is limited to information about the profits earned from Dark Ages Spawn, Tiffany and Domina, which defendant has refused to provide to plaintiff. Defendants contend that these characters are not subject to plaintiff's copyright because they were based solely on plaintiff's ideas and not on any physical expression of those ideas. I conclude that the newer characters are derivative and that plaintiff is entitled to his share of the profits realized by these characters and to the immediate production of all documents and other information material to the calculation of the profits."

Her opinion noted some of the details of the storylines. For example, "The Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn is [like Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn] a twelfth century knight, referred to as The Black Knight, killed in a holy crusade far from his homeland and returned to Earth as Hellspawn. (In the first issue in which he is introduced, he is described as having been born in 901, tr. exh. 26, inside front cover; in future issues and in advertising for the comics and his action figure, he is described as having been born in the twelfth century.)"

She summarized the appearance of the angel characters: "Tiffany and Domina are visually similar to Angela and share her same basic traits. All three are warrior angels with voluptuous physiques, long hair and mask-like eye makeup. all three wear battle uniforms consisting of thong bikinis, garters, wide weapon belts, elbow-length gloves and ill-fitting armor bras." She compared the two Spawns of the middle ages: "Defendant argues that when the court disregards the elements of Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn that are derived from the original Spawn and the stock elements that accompany a person of aristocratic lineage in the middle ages, such as traveling on horseback, wearing armor and carrying a weapon, every other aspect of Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn is new and different from Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn. It is true that Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn and Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn differ slightly in their backgrounds, but these are elements of their characters that make them individually copyrightable, not ones that prevent Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn from being found derivative. It is more significant that Dark Ages Spawn has the distinctive look of Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn that would cause any reader, casual or constant, to see a substantial similarity between them." She went on to discuss the basic concept of the series, then wrote, "Much as defendant tries to distinguish the two knight Hellspawn, he never explains why, of all the universe of possible Hellspawn incarnations, he introduced two knights from the same century. Not only does this break the Hellspawn 'rule' that Malebolgia never returns a Hellspawns [sic] to Earth more than once every 400 years (or possibly every 100 years, as suggested in Spawn, No. 9, exh. #1, at 4), it suggests that what defendant really wanted to do was exploit the possibilities of the knight introduced in issue no. 9. (This possibility is supported by the odd timing of defendant's letter to plaintiff on February 14, 1999, just before publication of the first issue of Spawn: The Dark Ages, to the effect that defendant was rescinding their previous agreements and retaining all rights to Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn.)"

She then elaborated with concepts of her own, not expressed during the June 14 testimony: "If defendant really wanted to differentiate the new Hellspawn, why not make him a Portugese explorer in the 16th century; an officer of the royal Navy in the 18th century, an idealistic recruit of Simon Bolivar in the 19th century, a companion of Odysseus on his voyages, a Roman gladiator, a younger brother of Emperor Nakamikado in the early 18th century, a Spanish conquistador, an aristocrat in the Qing dynasty, an American Indian warrior or a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I? It seems far more than coincidence that Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn is a knight from the same century as Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn."

She wrote that it was irrelevant whether Spawn: The Dark Ages writer Brian Holguin had tried to base his Dark Ages (McFarlane) Spawn on Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn. "... what is relevant is that he had access to Medieval (Gaiman) Spawn before he created his version of the middle ages knight." She cited earlier court decisions including the 1977 case decision "holding that George Harrison had access to tune he used for 'He's So Fine'; therefore, even if copying was subconscious, it amounted to infringement." "The small differences in the two knights do not undermine a finding of derivation ... It is not, as defendent claims, a simple borrowing of an idea but a borrowing of the expression of ideas of the copyright owners. It would be considered infringing if it had been developed by anyone not working for defendent." She said the same applied to the other angels. "Certainly they are similar enough to be infringing if they had been produced and sold by someone other than the copyright owners. The totality of their attributes and traits, that is, their visual appearance, their costumes, their manner of speaking, their activities and their common origin (Heaven's angelic phalanx), mark them as derivative of Angela."

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Comic-Con 2010: Must ... Post ... before ... Sleep

2010-07-23T01:51:00.001-05:00

The first full day of Comic-Con was probably pretty much the way the entire event will be for the duration. Getting around the hall means baby steps in the midst of people, people, people - and I must say that cosplay folks wearing hoop skirts may be less adored by fellow attendees than, well, some other cosplay folks. I have so many photos to post that I'm barely going to get a good start tonight. In fact, I'm not going to post much tonight, and much information will shortly begin to lose itself in my cranium. Onward.

Russ Maheras, whom I've known for years and years, turned up. The longtime Chicago resident is now living pretty much full-time in the Los Angeles area - but the reason is kinda neat. He works for the U.S. Air Force's Entertainment Liaison Office handling Documentary and Special Projects. Are you making a movie in which you want to shoot a scene on an Air Force base? Russ is the proverbial go-to guy. And this not only goes for fictional features but also documentaries and, yes, videogames, if you actually want to involve the Air Force in preparing a realistic game level that adds Air Force technical stuff. (Do I sound vague? You think I understand Air Force technical stuff? No, I'm not talking about secrets - just is this the way a plane looks and flies and ... Oh, heck, what do I know? Point is, the Air Force can cooperate in some areas, and Russ is the guy you talk to about it.)

As I say, I've known Russ for years, but Comic-Con is also the spot for new contacts. (Not that they're necessarily new to comics, but I must face the facts that there are people doing cool projects that I haven't yet stumbled over.) I picked up the first two issues of the Archaia Comics' hardcover series Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell because it looked so promising. [Full disclosure: I was planning to pay for them, but the kindly Archaia people handed them to me as a reviewer. I think I have to say that somewhere on this website these days. Rules are rules. But I haven't read them yet, so I can't review them yet so ... Yes, I think it's time to go to bed. But the Siddell project appears to be most cool.]

Comic-Con 2010: Waking up to the First Full Day

2010-07-22T09:28:00.002-05:00

National Public Radio here says the traffic is jamming the roads heading to Comic-Con - and it isn't yet 7 a.m. I made the choice so many are making this morning: opting for getting up and about over getting eight hours of sleep. By day's end (when I have two events scheduled opposite each other, meaning I'll start with dinner at one, wrap that up, and head for the reception at the second) - well, who knows? Who thought I'd find out yesterday that the screwball BBC series Look around You would be coming out on DVD, much less that I'd be wearing a Look around You lab coat. (The coat evokes either mild bewilderment from friends - or expressions of envy - depending on whether or not they know the show.) It's difficult to describe, but here's a sample.

Marv Wolfman and I have had a history of never getting together during Comic-Con; that's how crazy the event has been - so this year we sensibly scheduled getting together after Preview Night wrapped up. Not so sensibly, the gang (with several folks I'd never met before but some - Barbara Kesel, Craig Miller - I had) opted to go to the Fox Bar restaurant at the Hilton next to the Convention Center. The food was yummy, the company terrific, yadda, yadda. But the dozen in our group ended the evening by pretty much shouting to each other to try to be heard over the increasing volume surrounding us. It reminded me of my first highschool reunion, which included a band playing so loudly that those of us who hadn't seen each other for a decade couldn't talk to each other to catch up. Nevertheless, I did learn that Marv and wife Noel are considering selling their Los Angeles area home so's to move closer to Noel's job, so, if you know someone who's looking ...

Speaking of if you know someone ... Scott B. Smith stopped by the CBG booth to wonder whether I knew anyone who has access to an antique player for Sony's Helical Scan half-inch videotapes - and a time base corrector. He has batches of tapes from the early, early years of Comic-Con but no way to play them so's to save them digitally. He figures the tapes may have one play left in them before they disintegrate. And the longer the delay, the more likely the tapes will be unplayable.

Oh, let's toss in one more photo from yesterday: Dan Parent. Best-known for his Archie Comics work (especially Love Showdown), it's neat that he's here, as the Archie folks celebrate their anniversary, new magazine, etc.

Must ... get ready ... for show ...