tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58662029616203584412024-03-05T03:50:52.389-08:00Nerds With KidsDoug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-47899287759549804352010-02-01T10:26:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:38:10.231-08:00Brand Spanking New BILL WATTERSON INTERVIEW!<a href="http://media.cleveland.com/living_impact/photo/bill-watersonjpg-9ea972478de10d17_medium.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 159px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://media.cleveland.com/living_impact/photo/bill-watersonjpg-9ea972478de10d17_medium.jpg" border="0" /></a> There's some kind of poetic irony to this interview- Watterson's first in 15 years- appearing just days after the death of Salinger. <div>It's a short one and there's no info about what the <strong>Calvin & Hobbes</strong> creator is doing these days, but beggars can't be choosers. Click the quote for the entire interview as it appears in the Cleveland Plain Dealer-</div><div><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/bill_watterson_creator_of_belo.html"><em><strong>Because your work touched so many people, fans feel a connection to you, like they know you. They want more of your work, more Calvin, another strip, anything. It really is a sort of rock star/fan relationship. Because of your aversion to attention, how do you deal with that even today? And how do you deal with knowing that it's going to follow you for the rest of your days?</strong><br />Ah, the life of a newspaper cartoonist -- how I miss the groupies, drugs and trashed hotel rooms!<br />But since my "rock star" days, the public attention has faded a lot. In Pop Culture Time, the 1990s were eons ago. There are occasional flare-ups of weirdness, but mostly I just go about my quiet life and do my best to ignore the rest. I'm proud of the strip, enormously grateful for its success, and truly flattered that people still read it, but I wrote "Calvin and Hobbes" in my 30s, and I'm many miles from there.<br />An artwork can stay frozen in time, but I stumble through the years like everyone else. I think the deeper fans understand that, and are willing to give me some room to go on with my life.</em></a> </div>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-74194260386166342242010-01-22T05:49:00.000-08:002010-01-22T19:27:31.623-08:00HUGO & WIMPY HIT THE BIG SCREENWhat do you call those books with too many pictures to be straight-up chapter books, but too many words to be comic books? Comics Lit maybe?<br /><br />Well now you can call two of them movies!<br /><br /><strong>The Beat</strong> has a trailer for the <a href="http://www.wimpykid.com/">DIARY OF A WIMPY KID</a> adaptation hitting theaters April 2.<br />Click it <a href="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2010/01/22/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid-trailer/"><strong>HERE</strong></a> to see it courtesy of Yahoo.<br /><br />And my buddy George Merchan (he who built this glorious blog you see now) has some fantastic news. Martin Scorsese is ready to adapt Brian Selznick's <a href="http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm">THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET.</a> George provides all the details <a href="http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=30504"><strong>HERE at JoBlo.com</strong></a>. Let's hope this will bolster the trend of talented directors taking on kid's literature. Or should I say <em>comics lit?</em><br /><br />You know what? Maybe not. When I say "comics lit" over and over it starts to sound very dirty.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-7481067897487722172010-01-14T11:36:00.000-08:002010-01-22T19:27:58.135-08:00MARVEL ADVENTURES Also Gets The Reboot<a href="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/201001141146.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 526px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 800px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/201001141146.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Is Spidey getting rebranded?!<br /><br />Last week internerds all across the web were gobsmacked by the news of Spider-Man's cinematic reboot. Plans are underway to send Peter Parker back to high school and focus on the web-slinger's teenage years.<br /><br />Today Marvel has announced a rebooting of their Marvel Adventures line. First act of business? Send Parker back to high school! From Marvel.com:<br /><blockquote><p align="justify"><em>Marvel is proud to announce a bold new beginning for the critically acclaimed Marvel Adventures line with SPIDER-MAN #1 and SUPER HEROES #1! Perfect for readers of all ages, these two all-new series are the perfect jumping on point for readers new and old with oversized debut issues, packed with a full length all-new stories and bonus back up stories, just like the comics from when you were a kid! Subsequent issues will be regular sized and priced at $2.99, perfect for everyone’s summer reading!</em> </p></blockquote>Doesn't that cover art look like a fine design for a new Spider-Man animated series? You know, something that could pull in the male viewers that have long eluded Disney? That's what I thought. But then I have a lot of crazy ideas.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-47018218569847216892009-06-25T08:35:00.000-07:002009-06-25T20:14:31.516-07:00Toon Books: LITTLE MOUSE GETS READY<a href="http://toon-books.com/images/littlemouse_book_big.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" alt="" src="http://toon-books.com/images/littlemouse_book_big.gif" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://toon-books.com/index.php">Toon Books Official Site</a></span></em><br /><br />Jeff Smith + Toon Books = Inevitable<br /><br />Here we have the first instructional book from Toon Books. The lesson: how to dress yourself if you're a mouse. Little Mouse is eager to visit the barn. His mother tells him to "get ready" and he can go play, thusly the rich plot unfolds. It's to Smith's credit that he makes buttoning a shirt an engaging action. This is hard work for a little mouse, but our hero is up to the task. He carefully recites aloud what he needs to do as he pulls on his pants and buttons that troublesome shirt (Sign O the times - this is the first children's book I've seen that shows kids how to <em>fasten</em> their sneakers, not <em>tie</em> them). As he dresses, his monologue is punctuated by excited speculation over what fun awaits in the barn. Fully clothed with a shirt, pants and sneakers he proudly tells his momma he's ready to go. But wait - Shyamalan plot twist! Momma delivers the punchline, <em>"Mice don't wear clothes!"</em> Little Mouse flies into the air, throwing off every shred of clothing at once and runs nekkid to the barn. This little bit of slapstick gets the biggest laugh out of my four year old.<br /><br />The story is sweet and expertly drawn by Smith, which comes as no surprise. There is one sneaky plot hole I missed, but my little girl noticed it immediately. Her first question was, "But what did his momma mean when she told him to get ready?"<br /><br />What indeed?<br /><br />LITTLE MOUSE GETS READY releases September 7, but you can see a preview <a href="http://toon-books.com/book_littlemouse_sample_01.php">HERE</a>.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-72004794762089708412009-06-24T17:20:00.000-07:002009-06-25T00:23:36.143-07:00Random Floppy Reviews: Captain America and This Month's Boom! Kids Titles<a href="http://www.mypulllist.com/uploads/covers/0002/4936/marvel_adventures_super_heroes.22740.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://www.mypulllist.com/uploads/covers/0002/4936/marvel_adventures_super_heroes.22740.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPERHEROES: CAPTAIN AMERICA</strong><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.marvel.com/comics/Marvel_Adventures">Marvel</a></span></em><br /><br />This cover is misleading. That is to say, it's a little static and unexciting. It certainly doesn't hint at the wonderful absurdity found within this issue. It's another tongue in cheek superhero tale as Captain America and Rick Jones are literally pulled into teh internets by the evil forces of Hydra. The criminal organization traps our two heroes in their devious new website, pitting them against actual message board trolls and other avatars representing the internet's slimy underbelly (thankfully the 4chan guys aren't called in). My favorite part of this story is the look of Cap himself. He's constantly clenching his teeth and leaping into battle like a spastic maniac. But wait that's not all! There's also a short back-up story scripted by whack-job Roger (MUPPET SHOW) Landrige. It's the WW2 era cap battling a German MODOK prototype who comes equipped with clunky stovepipe arms.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/120x180/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_4_80.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/120x180/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_4_80.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>THE MUPPET SHOW #4</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://boom-kids.com/">Boom! Kids</a></em></span><br /><br />Miss Piggy finally gets her close-up! It's hard to write a good Miss Piggy story. Let's face it, it's a man's world in Jim Hensen's imagination and the only leading lady is a vain, obnoxious shrew obsessed with landing her (frog)man. A close look at Jim Henson's treatment of Miss Piggy hints at some repressed issues. His son has gone on record as saying Jim's favorite character was Pigs In Space star Link Heartthrob, who once performed the Village People's hit <em>Macho Man.</em> I'm just sayin'...<br /><br />Anyway, Landridge manages to deliver yet another terrific MUPPETS comic. Each issue explores the defining mission of a character. Unfortunately, Piggy's mission in life is to land her husband, that confirmed bachelor Kermit. That aside, the show vignettes are as clever as usual. And the art even manages to do justice to Miss Piggy, truly the hardest Muppet to draw appealingly.<br /><br /><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/120x180/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/C/a/Cars_03_cvr_B.jpg" border="0" /><strong>THE WORLD OF CARS #3</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://boom-kids.com/">Boom! Kids</a></em></span><br /><br />Do I have to go over how much I dislike THE WORLD OF CARS for a third time? It's like reliving the same trauma over and over again (and I mean trauma like a Mickey Rourke date rape). Just go read some previous reviews and sporadically add the phrases <em>"issue three", </em><em>"remains flaccid and redundant", </em>and <em>"oh alcohol, please end my pain."</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/120x180/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/I/n/Incredibles_03_cvr_B.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/120x180/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/I/n/Incredibles_03_cvr_B.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>THE INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #3</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://boom-kids.com/">Boom! Kids</a></em></span><br /><br />The Incredibles continues Mr. Incredible's tragic sexual impotency storyline. Any kind of psychosexual metaphors you attach to the movie's superhero cliches are pulled into clearer focus here. The poor guy is left to wander the house powerless as his wife goes off and has exciting, explosive adventures. Even his own daughter continues her journey to being a fully realized woman when she experiences her first kiss. For all their powers, even The Incredibles cannot escape the threat of suburban ennui.<br />And there are these cool looking muscle-men monsters with giant blocks for hands that can smash concrete and stuff.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-53696311487241531122009-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:002009-06-18T11:49:24.674-07:00Bill Wray Channels Mike MignolaDC's <strong><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=11928">CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY</a> </strong>isn't particularly bad so much as just bland. It's uninspired title pretty much tells you all you need to know. So I don't expect this month's issue to be anything special, but dang that's a spiffy cover from Bill Wray.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/11928_180x270.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/11928_180x270.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A thought:<br /><br />With Nick Magazine out of business, wouldn't it be great if DC could lure those cartoonists to this book? They could turn it into something really creative and special.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-24881064357590006562009-06-16T09:05:00.000-07:002009-06-16T06:07:58.393-07:00Incredible Kirby-esque CoverAs a rule I loathe the idea of variant covers. But I just couldn't resist sharing this killer <strong>INCREDIBLES #3</strong> limited edition Boom Studios sent me. Dig them Kirby boots! I'll play the pimp and let you know this is available only at <a href="http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon.html">HeroesCon</a> this weekend!<br /><br /><center><strong>INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #3</strong><br />TOM SCIOLI HEROES CON VARIANT<br />LIMITED TO 500 COPIES<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3631578640_8518eb2701.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3631578640_8518eb2701.jpg" border="0" /></a></center>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-84752054966976197802009-06-15T08:15:00.000-07:002009-06-16T10:32:46.966-07:00Captain America-Palooza<a href="http://www.mypulllist.com/uploads/covers/0002/4936/marvel_adventures_super_heroes.22740.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://www.mypulllist.com/uploads/covers/0002/4936/marvel_adventures_super_heroes.22740.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Fact</strong> - I was just about to write about how much I enjoyed last week's issue of <strong>MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPERHEROES: CAPTAIN AMERICA</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Fact</strong> - I've been working on an editorial piece wherein I compare Marvel's successful movie-making machine to DC's clunky contraption and how that relates to DC's superior efforts to attract young comic book readers.<br /><br /><strong>Fact</strong> - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2009/06/15/2009-06-15_some_comic_relief_captain_america_is_coming_back_to_life_in_a_new_fivepart_serie.html">The New York Daily News</a> just "broke" the comics "story" about Steve Rogers returning as Captain America next year.<br /><br />What do all of these facts have to do with one another? Synergy, that's what!<br /><br />Little did I know that even that charming little 28 page comic book I enjoyed last week was all part of Marvel's three year marketing push for the Captain America movie (coming soon, Summer 2011!). But I'm getting ahead of myself.<br /><br />I've been of the opinion for awhile now that Marvel considers its comic book division obsolete. That they are content to do no more than print comics for an ever dwindling market of thirtysomething males. Without courting any new readers, monthly Marvel comic books will eventually become extinct. Now with the recent price hike to four bucks an issue, that's sure to happen sooner rather than later. The majority of their profits, and the future of their superhero properties, is found in video games, DTV animation and film. That last one is their biggest cash source. Thanks to a decade of smart film making they've been able to merchandise the shit out of their characters. This makes their comics function as little more than promotional tools- a way to keep the brand out there between films and maybe stir up a little mainstream media attention over publicity gimmicks such as Obama appearances or Captain America assassinations.<br /><br />Marvel has enough clout now to produce their own movies, as opposed to leasing their characters out to different studios. The geek-o-sphere is already buzzing about their upcoming <strong>Captain America</strong> and <strong>Avengers</strong> movies scheduled for 2011. Marvel laid out some teaser marketing for them at the end of <strong>Hulk</strong> and <strong>Iron Man</strong> last Summer. Since 20th Century Fox produced the only Marvel movie this summer - the unfortunate <strong>Wolverine</strong> - there was no cinematic platform available to promote Cap and The Avengers. So they enlisted the publishing division to pull out the old dog and pony show. This month sees a focus on Captain America through the aforementioned <strong>MARVEL ADVENTURES</strong> title, plus an anniversary issue of the "regular old universe" CA title, bolstered by that Daily News article. This kind of promotional push makes the Captain America brand vital. Basically they're trying to create a mainstream demand for these films by reintroducing Cap into the pop culture consciousness. It's crazy, complicated shit and Marvel has become very adept at it.<br /><br />So what about that issue of MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPERHEROES: CAPTAIN AMERICA? That little stand-alone issue that's a small piece of an awesome and terrible marketing juggernaut? Well, it's pretty good. I'll post my favorable review of it tomorrow. And if that just makes me another media pawn in Marvel's promotional machine - so be it. I have no problem with helping Galactus as long as I can turn some folks on to a legitimately good comic book in the process.<br /><br /><em><strong>UPDATE:</strong></em><br />Retailer Brian Hibbs has a more cynical view over at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ltwfwh">The Savage Critic.</a>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-32861982750401873732009-06-10T08:25:00.000-07:002009-06-10T16:17:16.454-07:00Summer Reading AssignmentAlice Cooper says school's out forever and it's time to kick back and read some comic books.<br /><br />How big of a misanthropic nerd am I? Such a nerd that some of my best childhood memories are of reading comic books in the Summer. And I don't just mean the general idea of it, I mean specific vivid memories such as enjoying <strong>WEST COAST AVENGERS #2</strong> one warm June day with a glass of Lipton's instant iced tea. Or sitting on the back porch with an oversized hardbound volume of Gladstone's <strong>THE COMPLETE TALES FROM THE CRYPT.</strong><br /><br />So let's round up a few choice selections for these crazy kids today. What follows is a little bit of the old and some new releases, just to mix things up. I tried to find some fairly dense material that can withstand rereadings. These are also all available in soft cover or disposable floppy issues. No unwieldy hardcover collectors editions here. These books are meant to travel in a beach bag or sit poolside or get dragged into the woods. These are Summer books and will therefore receive some abuse. By September you'll know if your kids enjoyed them by the beaten spines and creased covers.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3613754938_bea6b99d6f.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3613754938_bea6b99d6f.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>JELLABY: MONSTER IN THE CITY</u></strong><br /><em><a href="http://secretfriendsociety.com/jellaby2preview/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Official Site</span></a></em><br /><br />Kean Soo's whimsical tale of a girl and her dragony friend concludes in the second volume of the graphic novel series. From the official site:<br /><br />This second book picks up immediately where the first book ended, and will bring the story of Portia, Jason and Jellaby to a satisfying conclusion. I had always intended for Jellaby to be read as a single 300-page story, so I would suggest you dust off your copy of the first book and give it a re-read before reading Monster in the City!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3613756826_4f1569caa5.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 172px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3613756826_4f1569caa5.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>TINTIN</u></strong><br /><em><a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/search_results.aspx?title=tintin&openbook=false&publisher=LITTLE+BROWN+BKS+YOUNG+READERS&type=Books&publisherid=LITTLE+BROWN+BKS+YOUNG+READERS&returnUrl=http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/publishing_little-brown-books-for-young-readers.aspx"><span style="font-size:85%;">Little Brown Young Readers Publishing</span></a></em><br /><br />If adventure has a name, it must be Tintin. Grab a few of these oversized editions for rip roarin' good time. Not only are they long engrossing tales, but you can spend just as long rereading each page just to take in Herge's delicately detailed renderings. A kid can spend an entire day getting lost in his masterful compositions. Be sure to include a few of the <a href="http://www.cmdr-fire.co.uk/haddock.html">Captain Haddock</a> stories for the full blistering-barnacles experience.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3612937225_63655f62b6.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3612937225_63655f62b6.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>LITTLE LULU:THE ALAMO & OTHER STORIES</u></strong><br /><a href="http://www.darkhorse.com/Search/little+lulu"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Dark Horse Comics</span></em></a><br /><br />Dark Horse has been doing the world a wonderful service by reprinting these classic comics from the fabled land of 1950's suburbia. Did such a world really once exist? A land where kids wander the town unsupervised all day, getting into shenanigans and kerfuffles? The <strong>LITTLE LULU</strong> titles still endure because they pepper this Americana setting with plenty of sardonic wit. Not to mention the fact that solid, professional comics storytelling never goes out of style. This latest reprint trade of John Stanley/Irving Tripp era stories is in <a href="http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/16-042/Little-Lulu-The-Alamo-and-Other-Stories-TPB">glorious color</a>, the perfect outdoor read on a sunny day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3613754966_3c213d6253.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3613754966_3c213d6253.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>SPIRALBOUND</u></strong><br /><a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=3&title=295"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Top Shelf Productions</span></em></a><br /><br />This is probably the closest thing to a dramatic selection (even if it does star talking animals). It's a funny and poignant story of juveniles exploring art and relationships and ambiguous lake monsters. The story pulls you in immediately as it casually follows it's characters along their days. It's thoroughly quirky and just as thoroughly engrossing. If I have one kvetch it's only that the art could do with a splash of color. I love black and white and clean line work is full of personality, but even a monochromatic color scheme could take this book from looking nice to looking exceptional. Regardless, older kids will enjoy getting to know Turnip the elephant and all of her friends.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3612937235_c60d788001.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3612937235_c60d788001.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS</u></strong><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=11758">Marvel Comics</a></span></em><br /><br />A good limited series is always a fun way to mark the beginning and end of summer. Unfortunately, the Big Two have taken the notion of fun out of this equation. The self contained miniseries is now a decidedly unfun cataclysmic crossover event full of sturm und drang that doesn't actually end so much as fizzle out, leaving a lingering sense of dissatisfaction and self loathing. Luckily this year Lockjaw and the Thunder Frog have slipped in under the radar with the <em>true</em> must-read Summer event of the year. The first issue is already out and it's a fun story that avoids being overly silly. It's surely tempting to make a self consciously camp story about superpowered animals (and a dragon), but<strong> PET AVENGERS</strong> takes itself half seriously. Really, that's the only way to make such a concept work.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3613754886_674c5109cc.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3613754886_674c5109cc.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>BATMAN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD</u></strong><br /><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/dckids/?action=comics&i=12130"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">DC Comics</span></em></a><br /><br />As far as self-contained story comics go, the latest Batman spin-off is your best bet. Thanks to it's assured consistent monthly quality, this is the ideal series when you need to grab a random comic book or two on a rainy day. Each issue offers a fun guest appearance by another DC hero and the stories are dense enough to offer more than a mere three-minute trifle of a book (<strong>TINY TITANS</strong>, I'm looking in your direction).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3613754974_3721e1e529.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3613754974_3721e1e529.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3612937185_e0ac9e5202.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3612937185_e0ac9e5202.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>STINKY & JOHNNY BOO</u></strong><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.toon-books.com/book_stinky_about.php">Eleanor Davis</a></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=20">James Kochalka</a></span></em><br /><br />I know, I know - I said no hard covered books. But I can't resist. When you need something to read to the little ones, your best bet is <strong>STINKY</strong> and the <strong>JOHNNY BOO</strong> books. One is about playing in the woods with a monster, the others are about watching the stars and eating ice cream. You can't get more Summery than that. How much more summery can that be? The answer is none. None more Summery. You can read my reviews <a href="http://www.nerdswithkids.com/2009/05/toon-books-review-stinky.html"><strong>HERE</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.nerdswithkids.com/2009/05/top-shelf-productions-johnny-boo.html"><strong>HERE</strong></a> to get the full picture.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-1503604843585273832009-06-08T06:50:00.000-07:002009-06-08T14:50:59.357-07:00Random Floppy review: TOY STORY #1<a href="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/290x449/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_15_236.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/290x449/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_15_236.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://boom-kids.com/"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Boom-Kids! Official Site</span></em></a><br /><br />The latest Boom-Studios/Pixar joint hits the comic shop shelves this week. It's a pleasant enough story, but not exactly worth the investment. Reminiscent of <strong>2001: A Space Odyssey</strong>, a strange looking plastic orb is left among the toys. Nobody knows what kind of mysterious new toy this thing is, so panicked hijinx ensue. This is basically a riff on Buzz's introduction to the fold in the original film. Problem is, it's not a story that can adequately fill an entire issue.<br /><br />It used to be standard operating procedure for humor comics to have three or four stories per issue. You write a premise, fill it with a few gags and wrap it up in 8-10 pages. The old pros at <strong>ARCHIE</strong> still follow this formula and perhaps that's part of the reason why you still see those books on the stands today.<br /><br /><strong>TOY STORY #1</strong> takes an eight page story and stretches it to fill an entire issue. There are large, sparse panels with very little dialogue. It's the equivalent of listening to a bad comedian drag out a joke. This title would do well to follow the old formula. After all, there's an entire toy chest full of characters to play with. A collection of three stories plus a few one-page gag comics thrown in would work perfectly. You can even change the title to <strong>TOY STORIES.</strong> Somebody get me Mark Waid's number. We need to talk!<br /><br />Preview TOY STORY #1 <a href="http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=2778&disp=table">HERE</a>.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-74047834710111045962009-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:002009-06-04T19:30:58.545-07:00Nerds With Bad News<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3597038966_da308594ff.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 368px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3597038966_da308594ff.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/06/my-entry.html">From the LA Times</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Viacom is shutting down NICK MAGAZINE this week and will lay off about 30 staffers.<br /><br />...like other magazines, Nickelodeon has suffered from the double whammy of more of its audience going to the Internet (darn those early adapters) and a prolonged advertising slump. Although the cable network remains dominant, the value the magazine provided as a marketing tool for it had faded over the last few years.</span></blockquote><br />This one really sucks. It's a shame to see the supermarket stands lose more comics material. <strong>NICK MAGAZINE</strong> has long been an excellent showcase for talented new and established cartoonists. The comic stories and strips weren't just promotional items, they were their own quality products.<br /><br />Even the licensed characters' stories - the ones incorporating a house style - retained the personal signature of their respective artists. Nick also published quarterly all-comic specials, many focusing on a specific characters such as SpongeBob or The Fairly Odd Parents. No official word on those issues, but since they mostly compiled strips from past issues of NICK MAGAZINE, it's doubtful they survived the scouring of the shire. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though. The world absolutely needs more humor comics magazines. MAD can't carry the burden alone!<br /><br />More info and some bittersweet comments from past contributors can be found at <a href="http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2009/06/04/nickelodeon-magazine-folds/">THE BEAT</a>.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-72648632676465411212009-06-04T18:33:00.000-07:002009-06-05T10:19:49.227-07:00Random Floppy Reviews<center><img src="http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2889/tinytitans.jpg"/><img src="http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/6014/supergirl.jpg"/></center><br />- <strong>TINY TITANS #16</strong><br />- <strong>SUPERGIRL: COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE 8TH GRADE #6</strong><br /><br />Here are a couple of great little books for the youngest readers. The Eisner nominated <strong>TINY TITANS</strong> is cute without being cutesy. This issue casts Lobo as your average obnoxious gym teacher, which is a pretty funny way to introduce his character to a new generation of readers. The only complaint is that the story is so simple you can blow through an issue inside of five minutes. Kids will surely get more out of a trade compilation. I also recommend waiting for the SUPERGIRL trade if you haven't been following the series already. It's a quirky, girly take on the character <em>(I mean just look at that cover. It doesn't get any girlier than that. Well, maybe if they made Streaky The Superhorse a unicorn... that would be girlier)</em> with just the right dash of drama. But issue #6 wraps up a story arc better enjoyed in one volume.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3590733027_61525ab2f7.jpg"/></center><br /><strong>BATMAN: BRAVE & THE BOLD #4</strong><br /><br />Now here is a good stand alone issue. It's got plenty of story to make it worth a kid's time. Plus it's got a wonderfully arrogant Aquaman. If DC runs with this incarnation Aquaman may actually get the respect he deserves. The entire Brave & Bold animated series has been delivering a silver age Batman with more charm than camp. The comic does the same.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/3590851519_a52cda605d.jpg"/></center><br /><strong>THE MUPPET SHOW #3</strong><br /><br />Oh hey, look. Another great issue of THE MUPPET SHOW. This one focuses on Gonzo The Great as Scooter attempts to find out just what exactly Gonzo is. I guess he never saw Muppets From Space, the movie which answered that question. Personally I like this issue's answer better. It's much more poignant.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3590730057_acf3273704.jpg"/></center><br /><strong>THOR: TALES OF ASGARD #1</strong><br /><br />Can kids today appreciate reprints of silver age comics? If they're by Stan The Man and Jack The King, I say hells yeah. I started reading this stuff nearly twenty years after it was originally published and now my ten year old daughter totally digs the <strong>ORIGINS</strong> and <strong>SON OF ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS </strong>collections (not to mention <strong>BRING ON THE BAD GUYS</strong>). The bold, crazy Kirby art and Lee stories of Asgard are... dare I say it?... timeless. And it's educational too. Did you know the Earth's core is hot because Surtur the Fire Demon is trapped there by the gravity of our spinning planet? Science and Norse lore- Lee was a friggin alchemist! I have two complaints: 1) The glossy paper is all shiny and junk. Kirby's bold art and the richness of the new digital colors need the matte finish of standard newsprint. 2) The cover. Sure it's nice and all, but trust the original material to sell the book, guys! You could sell twice as many issues if you put this on the cover:<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3591530228_cf00422353_o.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 596px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 862px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3591530228_cf00422353_o.jpg" border="0" /></a>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-27844670710783541592009-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:002009-06-04T19:26:55.722-07:00Gateway Drug: IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3590805283_6a7b0f2125.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 305px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3590805283_6a7b0f2125.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm just going to come right out and say it:<br /><br /><strong>IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN</strong> is better than <strong>WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.</strong> Oh sure, that's like saying <strong>Casino</strong> is better than <strong>GoodFellas</strong>, right? After all, both books share the same plot - a little boy has an adventurous dream filled with images tapped from his subconscious. But I'm here to tell you that <strong>NIGHT KITCHEN</strong> works the same material better. I guess <strong>WILD THINGS</strong> wins the popular vote because it's story and themes are clearer. For kids there's the thrill of being powerful and important, for adults there's the subtext of oncoming puberty. NIGHT KITCHEN isn't quite as straightforward - there's a lot of strange shit about bread dough and giant kitchen utensils going on. I'm not going to pretend I know all of what Sendak is trying to say, but I love the way he says it. And that's because he says it through the magic of comics, yay!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3590800513_f7ed5060e0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 305px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3590800513_f7ed5060e0.jpg" border="0" /></a>As with all good comics, the typography is a seamless part of the artwork. The story is told through narrative panels, the dialogue spoken in big loud word balloons. Aside from all that, this is Sendak's best illustrated book. He uses a thick black line to render each character to perfection. Not a drop of ink is wasted. The color scheme is warm and earthy with occasional spots of red that leap out and hug your brain. The panel progressions accelerate the action in a way traditional storybook formats cannot. It speeds the reader along with naked little Mikey as he falls, leaps and flies through his kitschy kitchen. And while it may not have the wonderful monsters of <strong>WILD THINGS</strong>, it has instead three wacky cannibal bakers who put Mickey into a cake. These guy's are probably Sendak's most bizarre creations, which is certainly saying something.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3591608008_b1f15d5af3.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 305px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3591608008_b1f15d5af3.jpg" border="0" /></a>Funny story - I always thought the bakers were supposed to look like Oliver Hardy. I just figured that since Mikey's dream was full of things stored in his subconscious he must have watched <strong>Way Out West</strong> or something right before bedtime. But get this, it turns out they're actually a trio of HITLERS! In an NPR interview, Sendak says imagery such as the bakers' moustaches and Mickey in the oven came from his preoccupation with the holocaust. Sendak is some kind of dark, fascinating guy. I wish I could sit and talk with this cat but I'd probably be too intimidated and screw it up. Listen to <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94556660">THIS</a> interview and you can hear him explain how he doesn't do book signings anymore because it's too traumatic for children to meet him.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0060266686&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0060254920&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0064432521&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-21242782728056324702009-05-29T11:25:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:00:41.389-07:00Random Floppy Review: MUPPET ROBIN HOOD<em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.boom-kids.com/muppet-robin-hood-1-cover-a.html?SID=919dad376ddac997bcbc346e2a3b06ba">Preview at Boom Kids!</a></span></em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/2/image/290x449/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/M/u/MupRobinHood_01_cvr_A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 290px; height: 449px;" alt="" src="http://www.boom-studios.net/media/catalog/product/cache/2/image/290x449/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/M/u/MupRobinHood_01_cvr_A.jpg" border="0" /></a>This was a nice surprise. I've never been much for the Muppet spin-off movies. They range from pleasant (<strong>Treasure Island</strong>), to the abominable (<strong>Wizard of Oz</strong>). So a comic book spin-off of Robin Hood sounded to me like weak sauce after Langridge's MUPPET SHOW series. I was wrong.<br /><br />It's a light and funny version of the classic story that makes clever use of the Muppets ensemble. It digs deep to find just the right characters to play each part. They even drop a couple jokes to dismiss the idea that Kermit's nephew, Robin, should play the lead. In fine Muppet tradition, they are jokes that break the fourth wall. The art has a gentle cartoony feel that conveys action and comedy well. For the most part the likenesses are successful; Kermit and Sweetums (cleverly cast as Little John) look the best. Unfortunately nobody has been able to crack the Miss Piggy dilemma yet. She looks artificial and out of place, sometimes even downright scary. The only other minor gripe I might have is that the story borrows a page from SHREK. In a parody of consumer culture, Robin returns to Nottingham to find it converted into a theme park. But that's probably the kind of thing only an old bitter nerd would notice. Kids don't carry the same pop culture baggage.<br /><br />There are two variant covers. I dig the David Petersen one pictured above.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-76795857403741581092009-05-27T01:11:00.000-07:002009-05-28T16:57:02.983-07:00Emily The Strangely Familiar<center><img src="http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7585/51kqqlcmgqlss500.jpg"><img src="http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9853/106366.jpg"></center><br />As if I didn't already have enough reason to hate Emily The Strange; the quintessential example of corporate synergy, the insipid icon of consumer culture, the sad mascot for sadder Hot Topic shoppers. For those blissfully unaware, Emily The Strange is a cartoon character designed to appeal to the tween and teenage goth crowd. She adorns merchandise with such witty bon mots as <em>"I WANT YOU to go away."</em> It's incredibly safe prepackaged rebellion that looks custom made for girls who are ready to let go of Hello Kitty, but may still find Wednesday Addams too provocative. She even has her own lame, boring comic from Dark Horse Comics. But it seems banality isn't Emily's worst crime. Apparently she's a shameless identity thief. Check out this comparison between an Emily bumper sticker and the classic kid's book series NATE THE GREAT courtesy of <a href="http://coffeeghost.net/2006/12/30/emily-the-rip-off/">CoffeeGhost.net</a>:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6041/3552505057335465538e.jpg"><img src="http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7421/3553313762d67d817eec.jpg"></center><br />You can see other comparisons <a href="http://coffeeghost.net/2006/12/30/emily-the-rip-off/">HERE</a>.<br /><br />It seems this and <a href="http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/?p=1701">other blog posts</a> stirred NATE's writer, Marjorie Sharmat, and artist, Marc Simont, to action. Cosmic Debris ETC., who own EMILY, have just responded to this attention in a most dickheadedly fashion by launching a preemptive lawsuit threatening to sue if attempt to sue <em>them</em>. Excerpt from <a href="http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/05/20/Fight_Over_Comic_Character_Emily_Strange_Lands_in_Court.htm">Courthouse News Service</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><blockquote>Cosmic Debris Etc. has sued two children's book authors, claiming its "Emily the Strange" character does not infringe on Marjorie Sharmat's and Marc Simont's "Nate the Great" copyrights... Cosmic Debris asks that the defendants be restrained from recovering damages regarding Emily, and that they be prohibited from claiming that Emily infringes on their work.</blockquote></span><br />This kind of thing really rubs my rhubarb. Hard. Let's hope justice eventually prevails.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Official Site: </span></em><a href="http://www.emilystrange.com/"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.emilystrange.com/</span></em></a>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-56326575054011698012009-05-26T12:45:00.000-07:002009-05-27T12:40:48.586-07:00Hey Librarians, Comics!<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3254284139_76ba26285f.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 375px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3254284139_76ba26285f.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br />Are libraries the best place to get comics in front of kids faces? Comics without Iron Man on the cover, that is?<br /><br />All anecdotal evidence says YES!<br /><br />From <a href="http://icv2.com/articles/talk_back/14947.html">ICv2.com:</a><br /><br /><blockquote><em>Nick Smith of the Pasadena Public Library writes in to offer some advice to his fellow librarians regarding building graphic novel areas in their libraries: For those of you who need ammunition in getting your administration to let you create separate graphic novel areas, I have recently received some startling circulation statistics.After a long struggle, our library got separate graphic novel labels and shelving areas for adult, YA, JRHI and Juvenile graphic novels. I have started gathering circulation statistics covering what happens, now that these areas are separate and visible.<br /><br />Among other things, the increase in the circulation of the Juvenile graphic novels is astounding. From July 1 of 2008 through March 31 of 2009, the average copy of our juvenile graphic novels circulated 16 times! By comparison, the average juvenile novel circulated 3 times. That's more than a fivefold increase, which is a LOT more than I expected. For the Junior High collection, the average graphic novel circulated 6 times, compared to 3 for the comparable text novels. For the YA collection, the circulation of graphic novels is also about double that of the comparable novels. What made this interesting is that until recently, our YA novels included a lot of graphic novels that hadn't been re-cataloged. THOSE started flying off the shelves once they were moved to the Graphic Novel shelves.</em></blockquote><br />It takes longer to read a novel than it does to read a comic. This may contribute to the large turnover rate* on graphic novels. But that's a plus since it means the comic is getting that many more readers. Small press outfits like First Second and Toon Books recognize the public library as a valuable resource. Where else is your average kid- one without a nerd for a parent- going to see STINKY or TINY TYRANT? Titles like that might sit on a comic store shelf for a week tops. If that shop wants to survive in today's industry it needs to give all the prime real estate to the latest CIVIL SKRULL CRISIS RAPE-APOCALYPSE crossover from the Big Two.<br /><br />Let's also consider the way the industry is heading. Which, by most accounts, is straight down the crapper. But that's the traditional business model circling the bowl, the one built on weekly periodical sales. The future is in the trades and stand-alone graphic novels. Getting more of those into libraries is integral to building that new industry model.<br /><br />I'm gonna be talking with a few librarians and other expert types to see if the actual data backs up my thesis. Stay tuned.<br /><br /><br /><em>*"Turnover rate", can I say that? I just used that phrase to refer to the number of times a book is borrowed from the library. Any real librarians out there, please set me straight on this.</em>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-39192793437784718182009-05-21T18:20:00.000-07:002009-05-22T14:27:08.433-07:00Nerds With News & Links - 5/22/09So now we're on that <a href="http://twitter.com/nerdswithkids">Twitter thingy</a>. When you click the nerd bird link up in the corner you can get a buncha news and links to cool stuff on the internets. Every Friday we'll compile all the tweets for a big old weekly round-up of comic book fun and shenanigans.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/3553298176_9854aa0ed8.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/3553298176_9854aa0ed8.jpg" border="0" /></a>Proving that they still love promoting bullshit comic book gimmicks, the mainstream media has picked up the story about Archie Andrews getting married. The Archie news blog reported that they will celebrate <a href="http://archie-blogs.archiecomics.com/archie_news/2009/05/archie-andrews-is-getting-married.html">ARCHIE #600</a> by running an imaginary story that takes place five years after high school graduation. The story hit the <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/050918-Archie600.html">bigger comic sites</a> before making it to <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30846812/">the national news</a>. When I tweeted about it earlier this week I thought the most interesting aspect was that it's being written by Dark Knight producer Michael Uslan. But for all the normals and squares at MSNBC the big question is- who will Archie finally choose? The obvious choice is Jughead, but my money's on Reggie. That intense rivalry they shared was nothing more than misdirected sexual tension.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3552489301_1980564e41.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3552489301_1980564e41.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14971.html">Bluewater Productions</a> proved our national nightmare was still ongoing when it announced their next wretched Political Power comic book- PUPPY POWER: BO OBAMA. Yes, the story of the White House dog. This one is geared toward kids. Unlike previous issues focusing on Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama which were geared toward morons who eat up worthless "collectible" garbage.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3552489375_02feeae69f_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3552489375_02feeae69f_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>And the biggest WTF item of the week was the announcement that Fantagraphics will publish <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6659204.html">a brand new kids comic called RIP, M.D.</a> Now, even though they specialize in artsy, cutting edge adult fare, Fantagraphics is no stranger to kids material. Granted all of their kid friendly stuff is by cartoonists who have been dead for 50 years, but still. You see, the mind boggling part of this news is that RIP, M.D. is actually a tie-in for an animated series. This is your basic commercial franchise start-up. Crazy shit for a publishing company built on a counter culture ethos. Next you'll be telling me that MAD MAGAZINE accepts advertising.<br /><br />What?<br /><br /><br /><br />In less surprising franchise news, Disney's successful Fairies characters are getting their own graphic novel series next year with Papercutz. My daughter's read a few of the prose books and their not half bad. Maybe editor Jim Salicrup can swing some quality artists for this gig and make it more than just a piece of a corporate brand. Article <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6659204.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Also according to that article, Papercutz is working on their own zombie parody- DIARY OF A STINKY DEAD KID. What the article doesn't explain is why they think it's a good idea to join the zombie trend so long after it has completely played itself out. Apparently it's part of their crappy TALES FROM THE CRYPT revival series. I guess it makes sense to shoehorn a tired parody of a modern kids book into a lousy series that's 50 years past it's time.<br /><br />Moving on.<br /><br />There's a couple of good graphic novels out this month:<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3552489355_37dbd897f6_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3552489355_37dbd897f6_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://secretfriendsociety.com/jellaby2preview/">JELLABY: MONSTER IN THE CITY</a> is the second book in Kean Soo's fun series about a girl and her monster-dragon-thingy friend. This is a fun and funny book that hasn't gotten enough play as far as I'm concerned. Check out a preview and other Jellaby stories <a href="http://www.secretfriendsociety.com/?p=266">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3553298222_92268e1f84_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3553298222_92268e1f84_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>The one you probably have heard of is <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=28095">G-MAN: LEARNING TO FLY #1</a> by Chris Giarrusso. It's a compilation of his superhero comedy shorts that's worth checking out. And it's digest sized, which is the best format for this kind of light material.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Full disclosure: I know very very very little about manga. This is kind of a big deal since manga is immensely popular with those crazy kids today. But I'm eager to learn! To that end, I'm following this brand spanking new blog from Viz Media- <a href="http://www.sigikki.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sigikki.com/</a><br /><br />From Viz's press release:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><blockquote>In partnership with VIZ Media and its “VIZ Signature” line of graphic novels, IKKI is bringing the works of some of its top creators to the English-language audience via a groundbreaking online monthly manga magazine.The first series featured in this launch is CHILDREN OF THE SEA by Daisuke Igarashi. Each month, new chapters will be offered online in their entirety, for free. After the completion of the online serialization of the first volume, CHILDREN OF THE SEA volume one will become available as a VIZ Signature graphic novel.</blockquote></span><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3553346190_5628e706d0_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 174px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3553346190_5628e706d0_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>I checked out the CHILDREN OF THE SEA preview and it looks like an impressive young adult comic. See for yourself <a href="http://www.sigikki.com/series/childrenofthesea.shtml#breadCrumb">HERE</a>.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-56087438732567879922009-05-20T19:30:00.000-07:002009-05-21T13:02:37.980-07:00First Second Books Review: THE ETERNAL SMILE<span style="font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/catalog.html">First Second Books Official Site</a></em></span><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3550785562_572888be59.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 287px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/3550785562_572888be59.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ah, youth.<br /><br />There's a lot of crap from my pre-teen years that I never want to revisit ever again- puberty, sexual terror, shame. But if there's one thing I miss it's the sublime thrill of discovering remedial philosophy.<br /><br />THE ETERNAL SMILE is a hopelessly, charmingly sophomoric look at the nature of fantasy and reality. It's most profound thought is simply that life is a state of mind and reality is what we make of it. Whoa.<br /><br />These are three short stories, each better than the last, about a character's journey out of their own narrow realm of experience. A teenage boy, a cartoon frog and a timid young woman are all forced to face reality. Will they recede deeper into their own denial or face the world and find a happiness they never expected?<br /><br />The first story is a beautifully illustrated tale of a young knight who battles these really cool looking frog people and courts a pretty princess. His life hits an all time high, but he's got this nagging feeling that something just ain't right. Here's a spoiler for those not older than twelve- It turns out he's really a teenager in a coma living the RPG life of his dreams rather than wake up and face his own shitty life. The story spends too much time building a mystery (and not enough time with those really cool looking frog men) before clumsily connecting every dot in the perfunctory exposition loaded climax. But hey, Derek Kirk Kim's art - dynamic anatomy, feather light ink lines, full attention to detail - is pretty great.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3549967293_1ea6927c23.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3549967293_1ea6927c23.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />But the next one is better. In some kind of bizarre salute to Carl Barks we find Gran'pa Greenbax, a filthy rich frog in love with making money. As rich as he is, he still isn't quite rich enough to amass enough gold coins to swim through. So with the help of his wacky frog relatives he comes up with a religious scam designed to exploit a mysterious smile that has appeared in the sky. Then things get really crazy. There's frog murder and existential angst and a climax of Truman Showesque proportions. In a nutshell, froggy also discovers his life has been a lie. But where will he find true happiness?<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3550771722_d8193037ca.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 368px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2425/3550771722_d8193037ca.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The final and best tale speculates about what would lead a person to respond to the Nigerian Prince email scam. Aside from stupidity, that is. For a while it takes itself a little too seriously as it follows the life of lonely, meek office drone Janet. Things eventually loosen up and some comedy is introduced as she emerges from her shell. I wish the comedy had been worked into the entire story because it cuts the melodrama and makes it all a lot more charming and subversive.<br /><br />I'm 37 years old and quite frankly well beyond this stuff. But there's a truth to these stories. It's a truth that any mature adult would take for granted. But the 12-year-old me would have been blown away by the deep ideas introduced. I had a similar reaction to writer Gene Luen Yang's popular graphic novel AMERICAN BORN CHINESE. He's writing a comics intro to philosophy for tweens and doing it well. This is inspiring material for a kid just beginning to realize that there's an entire terrifying, wonderful world out there.<br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1596431563&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0312384483&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1401213812&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-73193547048176455042009-05-18T03:43:00.000-07:002009-05-18T18:11:55.728-07:00Random Floppy Reviews: INCREDIBLES & CARS<a href="http://boom-kids.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Boom! Kids Official Site</span></a><br /><br /><strong>THE INCREDIBLES #2: FAMILY MATTERS</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3541517007_d0a98cf785_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 157px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3541517007_d0a98cf785_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>The premiere issue of THE INCREDIBLES opened with a big old superhero battle against robots and dinosaurs. Issue 2 opens with Mr. Incredible trying to open a jar of pickles. This is just as challenging for the big guy because he's mysteriously losing his super strength. As the action slows down a bit,the humor picks up. Mark Waid is capturing the cadence of the film's characters without simply retreading material from the film. You can actually hear FroZone's voice in your head as he and Incredible nosh on pickles in the family kitchen, trying to figure out the source of the problem. There's a visit to a cool sc-fi laboratory where the attending eccentric scientist type runs various bizarre tests on Mr. Incredible, then another job for the entire family complete with a school bus in peril. It's another fun issue with a clever lighthearted cliffhanger ending. This story arc should make for a good trade edition.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>THE WORLD OF CARS #2</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3542324768_d2ae7ce6a7_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3542324768_d2ae7ce6a7_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last month I had the unfortunate duty to inform you that THE WORLD OF CARS was thoroughly lame. Issue 2 performs an amazing feat. It's actually lamer. Just look at that cover. I mean really, that's all the review you need. As with the THE INCREDIBLES, there's less action to be found in the second issue. Unfortunately there's absolutely no engaging storytelling to fill the void. It's just more boring panels of boring cars talking to each other. About boring stuff, by the way. The story further details the exciting account of how Lightning McQueen must swallow his pride in order to get corporate sponsorship. Kids love that kind of stuff. The whole corporate sponsorship plot is what made Speed Racer such a box office smash last year.<br /><br /><br /><br />THE INCREDIBLES #2 and THE WORLD OF CARS #2 both hit the stands this Wednesday, May 20.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-34142767788909226052009-05-18T00:05:00.000-07:002009-05-18T18:08:53.858-07:00First Second Books Review: ADVENTURES IN CARTOONING<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2102/3542318756_3aca7a6015.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 386px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2102/3542318756_3aca7a6015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/catalog.html">First Second Books Official Site</a></span></em><br /><br />The cartooning how-to book hasn't changed much over the years. From those classic treasury-sized Walter Foster books to modern manga instructionals, they all teach the same basic methods- <em>"Sketch geometric shapes, add detail, ink!"</em> Regardless of advancements in tools, such as with Photoshop ( DC has some <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=gavDoj2eaUYC&hl=en">cool volumes</a> on that), basic drawing rules still apply forever.<br /><br />I guess that's why ADVENTURES IN CARTOONING takes a different approach. It doesn't try to teach rendering skills. Why bother when <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=m8XDBQzgEz4C">HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE MARVEL WAY</a> is still available? And who can compete with John Buscema anyway? ADVENTURES is all about how to tell a story through the language of comics. Authors James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost have created a beginners guide for the younger kids who are still drawing stick figures. Or maybe they're drawing more detailed figures. It doesn't really matter since this book is about storytelling.<br /><br />The entire tale is told in a minimalist style that doesn't intimidate the beginner. And it is a self-contained comic book, by the way, not just a collection of dry instructional chapters. The story follows the adventure of a knight racing to save the princess from the lair of the dragon. Throughout the book a floating elf appears to instruct the knight on how to navigate the parameters of comic book panels, word balloons and gutters. He shows the knight how expanding a panel will improve his view, how a dotted line panel indicates that he's stuck inside of something and how the proper arrangement of word balloons will make it easier to understand what a group of characters are trying to tell him. It's a clever and maybe just kinda revolutionary way of teaching kids the language of comics. The simple drawings make it easy to spot all the mechanics that go into making comics. And it's a fun, fun read besides.<br /><br />The authors know what they're talking about. Eisner-nominated James Sturm is the director of <a href="http://cartoonstudies.org/index.html">The Center for Cartoon Studies</a> in Vermont. Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost are both graduates of the center. They gear the story to the young reader. The art is designed to look easily imitated. The lessons are reinforced by repetition throughout the story. This is the best kind of how-to book. It not only teaches, but it can inspire kids to practice and learn more.<br /><br />Preview it <a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/adventures/adventuresGift005.html">HERE</a>.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-38330949252963878922009-05-15T06:15:00.000-07:002009-05-16T16:17:52.381-07:00Random Floppy ReviewsA quick look at a few issues out this month:<br /><br /><strong>DC SUPER FRIENDS #15</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/11678_180x270.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/11678_180x270.jpg" border="0" /></a>To me, the best part about SUPER FRIENDS is that the script could have been written in the Silver Age. Batman has to solve a mystery presented by some new villain as one by one all the other Super Friends disappear around him. The only difference between this story and something from 1966 is the cartoony art style. It's a stylized look, but not at all stiff. Added fun for adults is to spot all the old school Batman references in the panels. Although I'm not sure I would ever visit a store called <strong>Finger's Toys</strong> (On Kane street!).<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #51</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0509/MARADVSM051_COV_sm.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0509/MARADVSM051_COV_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>By now everyone is in on the joke about how goofy a villain like Paste Pot Pete is. Even in the unjaded world of Marvel Adventures Spidey has a good laugh at Pete's expense. The villain is basically just an annoyance to the web-slinger, until he finally manages to beat Spidey and steal his web shooters. It's a fun story with a healthy load of Spidey quips and a good old fashioned ham-fisted moral tacked on the end.<br /><br />Spider-Man has always been the strongest title in the MA line, but there's a change on the horizon. It looks the title is about to bring on the adolescent angst. I'm nervous because we've already seen every other Marvel title get bogged down in cheap melodrama. Let's hope the MA line doesn't lose it's charm.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #11: THOR</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0509/MARADVSH0011_cov_sm.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="http://www.marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0509/MARADVSH0011_cov_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>Louise Simonson delivers a standard life lesson framed with Norse gods and ice trolls and ass whuppings (And Tom Grummett delivers a fantastic cover. Mr. Grummett just doesn't get the credit he deserves. He consistantly delivers classic, dynamic work). Loki's latest scheme is to pit a couple of Asgardian monsters against his reviled half brother Thor. But Thor triumphs by reasoning with the troll and ultimately learns a little something about his own prejudices. The art is a touch unconventional for a superhero book. There's some bizarre foreshortening and cartoonish faces and hands, which is basically awesome.Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-65837031954792689032009-05-15T05:35:00.000-07:002009-05-16T16:27:05.695-07:00Nerds With News & Links - 5/15/09So now we're on that <a href="http://twitter.com/nerdswithkids">Twitter thingy</a>. When you click the nerd bird link up in the corner you can get a buncha news and links to cool stuff on the internets. Every Friday we'll compile all the tweets for a big old weekly round-up of comic book fun and shenanigans.<br /><br />Behold, the week that was:<br /><br /><strong>Drawn & Quarterly</strong> will be reprinting the works of Doug Wright. Who's that? Beats me. But <a href="http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/artBio.php?artist=a3dff7dd55a576">Seth</a> says he's one of the greatest cartoonists to ever live.<br /><br /><blockquote><em>Remember Doug Wright? His cartoons ran in Canadian newspaper magazines for 35 years and a generation or two of Canadians grew up with his main character, a rambunctious little Canadian boy-cousin of Charlie Brown.<br /><br />Nipper, as he was called, was born in print a year and a half before Charlie Brown and two years before Dennis the Menace. Charles Schulz and Hank Ketcham, Charlie Brown and Dennis’s respective creators, are enshrined in the pantheon of great cartoonists. Wright, on the other hand, though heralded as “Canada’s best known cartoonist” during his lifetime, has been all but forgotten.<br /><br />More’s the pity because the creator of Nipper and Doug Wright’s Family was a great cartoonist, says Seth, the author of Palooka-Ville, Clyde Fans and the forthcoming George Sprott. As if it takes one to know one, Seth is a great cartoonist himself. The two facts, that the work of Wright, who died in 1983 at age 65, is great and nearly forgotten, are what spurred Seth on to bring him back into the foreground and set our cultural memory straight.</em></blockquote><br />Read all about the Canadian Charles Schulz <a href="http://tinyurl.com/onhdor">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.icv2.com/images/14932SpySpy_Danger-md.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 146px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px" alt="" src="http://www.icv2.com/images/14932SpySpy_Danger-md.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><strong>Danger! Intrigue! Stupidity!</strong> Classic Antonio Prohias SPY VS. SPY collections on the way!<br /><br />From </em><a href="http://icv2.com/articles/news/14932.html"><em>ICv2.com</em></a>:<br /><br /><em>Watson Guptill will release three Spy vs. Spy volumes, showcasing the crazed work of Antonio Prohias for Mad magazine, in August. The three Spy vs. Spy volumes, Danger, Intrigue, Stupidity; Masters of Mayhem; and Missions of Madness, are all 192-page 5”x7-1/2” trade paperbacks. Some of this work, which displays Prohias’ genius as artist, storyteller, and graphic designer, has been out of print for over 40 years. Each volume will include an introduction by Mad editor John Ficarra</em><br /><br /><br /><br />So, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/o45swj">LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS</a> debuted this week. That's what I hear anyway. I didn't actually see it because for some reason Diamond Distributing stiffed my local comic shop. Good one, Diamond. Keep it up and he may just have to find a different distributor. Oh wait.<br /><br />Speaking of monopolies, Sean Kleefeld speculates on what might happen if Marvel and DC eventually get out of the comic book biz. Basically the end of Diamond as we know it, but creating a new opportunity for scrappy little distributors like Haven. Seeing as the actual comic books earn only a small percentage of their properties' profits, I think this is almost inevitable. But where would that leave every other publisher? From <a href="http://kleefeldoncomics.blogspot.com/2009/05/future-of-distribution.html">Kleefield On Comics</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><em>So, what happens to Diamond if Marvel and DC go away? If Diamond lost that much business within, say, a twelve month timeframe, they'd either have to close shop entirely or dramatically alter their operations with tons of layoffs and warehouse closures and whatnot. You can't lose over 90% of your business and continue operating as normal. There'd be lots of chaos and confusion within and around Diamond, in which case Haven (distributors) would be ideally situated to step up to the plate and help all the worried comic retailers who don't know whether or not Diamond even got the order they placed, much less will be able to fulfill it.</em></blockquote><br /><em><strong>"Someday all of our library will be available in electronic delivery systems."</strong> -</em>Mike Richardson, Dark Horse<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/puw4yk">Dark Horse</a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/qq6zu6">Archie Publications</a> are both jumping into the deep end of the electronic publishing pool. You can download Jughead and the Terminator on your iPhone now. I'm not surprised to see Dark Horse doing this. They're always on the look out for new platforms (what with print being dead and all). But it's something of a surprising move for Archie. How many SONIC THE HEDGEHOG fans are on the cutting edge of technology?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.icv2.com/images/14942DH_Term-lg.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 420px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.icv2.com/images/14942DH_Term-lg.JPG" border="0" /></a>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-68369280940388391822009-05-14T14:10:00.000-07:002009-05-14T14:11:56.209-07:00Top Shelf Productions: JOHNNY BOO<center><img src="http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2783/johnnyboo1.jpg"><img src="http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5629/johnnyboo2.jpg"></center><br />A James Kochalka comic is not a story. It is five random minutes inside Kochalka's brain.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3499210813_42af63af25_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3499210813_42af63af25_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>In JOHNNY BOO: THE BEST LITTLE GHOST IN THE WORLD we find Johnny Boo, a decidely happy little ghost, playing tag with his little ghost buddy Squiggle and now they're fighting over whether or not Johnny cheated by using his Boo Power to win and then they make each other laugh and then- AIEEE- it's a one eyed Ice Cream Monster and when they run away the monster thinks they're playing tag and then Johnny scares the Ice Cream Monster but they get along after that and they dig up some melted ice cream from the ground and the monster accidentally eats Boo and Johnny tells his friend to use Squiggle Power and Boo makes the monster burp him up and some green stuff comes out too and he can't stop burping until Johnny yells "Boo" to make it stop and they all become best friends.<br /><br />The End.<br /><br />This is a great book to read aloud with toddlers. It's nothing but a happy romp with three fun characters.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3500027974_027de4de26_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3500027974_027de4de26_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>The second book in the series is called JOHNNY BOO: TWINKLE POWER. This one is about Johnny, Squiggle and The Ice Cream Monster running around and playing <em>at night</em>. This is quite a departure.<br /><br />But all snark aside, TWINKLE POWER does have just a little bit more of a plot. This time Squiggle, a bit jealous of Johnny's cool Boo Power, flies off to find his own inner Squiggle Power (which is weird, right?, because he used his Squiggle Power to escape Ice Cream Monster's belly the last time, but whatever). Johnny finds himself scared to be alone at night. When the Ice Cream Monster suddenly jumps out from the bushes Johnny lets out a frightened "Eek." This kind of embarrasses the little dude and he tries to cover by claiming that "eek" is his new way of saying "boo." The Ice Cream Monster, being a dullwitted buffoon, actually believes him and asks Johnny to teach him how to say "eek." Squiggle hears Johnny yelling "eek" over and over again and rushes to save his friend. This wacky misunderstanding leads to Squiggle stumbling upon his own unique Squiggle Power. Then for the next few pages The Ice Cream Monster wiggles his butt around and gets dizzy and everyone laughs, even the stars in the sky. <br /><br />The End.<br /><br />There's a third JOHNNY BOO book out in August. It's called JOHNNY BOO: HAPPY APPLES. It is about apples.<br /><br />Preview <a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/preview.php?preview=johnnyboo&page=1">JOHNNY BOO: THE BEST LITTLE GHOST IN THE WORLD</a>!<br /><br />Preview <a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/preview.php?preview=johnnyboo2&page=1">JOHNNY BOO: TWINKLE POWER</a>!Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-36112648424595076392009-05-12T21:00:00.000-07:002009-05-13T13:04:26.278-07:00First Second Books Review: THE TINY TYRANT<em><a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/catalog.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">First Second Books Official Site</span></a></em><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/3527118481_c6cdb5c43c_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 280px; height: 260px;" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/3527118481_c6cdb5c43c_o.jpg" border="0" /></a>Richie Rich pretty much sucked. For a kid who could have anything, his comics sure were dull.<br /><br />THE TINY TYRANT takes the Richie Rich formula and makes it work by turning the little rich kid into a wonderful asshole. See, that was the problem with Richie. The kid was just too nice to be funny (or remotely interesting for that matter). But King Ethelbert, child ruler of Portocrisco, knows how to have fun with his money. He's not content to play the same old games the simple kid folk do. He'd much rather use his vast resources to bend his world to his every whim. He has his royal scientists make him his own dinosaur. He ships away all the children in his kingdom and replaces them with robot clones of himself. He indulges any crazy whim, heedless of the consequences. Basically he does all the stupid awesome stuff every kid wishes they could do themselves.<br /><br />And yet he never crosses the line from puckish to straight up unlikable. TINY TYRANT is still witty and endearing fun. The kid hovers this close to being annoying before winning us over with a funny line. Or suffering a well earned humiliation after one of his capers backfires. He's Calvin with money. He's Dennis The Menace, but funny.<br /><br />Lewis Trondheim's sharp writing moves at a fast clip. It must in order to keep up with the Tyrant's darting attention span. The art by animator Fabrice Parme has a terrific retro feel. Every line looks ready to dance off the page. Reading this collection of stories is like revisiting some classic cartoon from the early 60's that never actually existed.<br /><br />TINY TYRANT is an excellent funny book for kids. It's a good mix of visual slapstick and clever humor writing (of the traditional set-up/punchline variety). Like an old MAD paperback by Al Jaffe or Don Martin. But in color. And with a regular cast of characters. You're just just going to have to check it out yourself to see what I mean. It's a blast.<br /><br />But see for yourself. Check out a full story right <a href="http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/tinyTyrant/tinyTyrantGift01.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px; display: none;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=159643094X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><iframe style="width: 120px; height: 240px; display: none;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nerwitkid-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1596435232&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5866202961620358441.post-246790651616432142009-05-08T05:55:00.000-07:002009-05-12T16:16:15.898-07:00Nerds With News & Links - 5/8/09So this week we fired up the <a href="http://twitter.com/nerdswithkids">Twitter thingy</a>. When you click the nerd bird link up in the corner you can get a buncha news and links to cool stuff on the internets. Every Friday we'll compile all the tweets for a big old weekly round-up of comic book fun and shenanigans.<br /><br />Behold, the week that was:<br /><br /><a href="http://trekweb.com/images/stories/49d6a45c5d462-2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://trekweb.com/images/stories/49d6a45c5d462-2.jpg" border="0" /></a>- The new Star Trek is getting good reviews from the geeks and the normals. That's quite a feat. <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/">IDW</a> has it's own tie-in prequel comic. But more importantly, they're also releasing a brand new Star Trek 2 adaptation. What? Star Trek 1&3 had comic adaptations, but Wrath of Khan didn't? 27 years later IDW brings Kirk's perm to comics!<br /><br />Read all about it <a href="http://trekweb.com/articles/2009/04/03/Covers-for-Star-Trek-II-The-Wrath-of-Khan-Comic-Book-Adaptation.shtml">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br />- The King of Comics meets Sir Paul:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiMxG-QVwlf-6b0LM_ZqJ5-sKwDhc1u9BFWx4BYdvdwUKBvUkiKY30mvlL9DvB-_UBfNbHqojMDeeEeEQSZ5JVmCwTb-AsNcOdDPkMOUKc6OwwwBcWJEizzveRuiMCEIKNQ0CRE1VE60/s320/4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 249px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiMxG-QVwlf-6b0LM_ZqJ5-sKwDhc1u9BFWx4BYdvdwUKBvUkiKY30mvlL9DvB-_UBfNbHqojMDeeEeEQSZ5JVmCwTb-AsNcOdDPkMOUKc6OwwwBcWJEizzveRuiMCEIKNQ0CRE1VE60/s320/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Read all about this historic meeting and see a Kirby sketch of Magneto blasting Paul McCartney & Wings out of the palm of his hand at the <a href="http://beatlephoto.blogspot.com/2009/04/magneto.html">Beatle Photo Blog</a>.<br /><br />- Not a comic, but it's probably going to be the best movie of the summer. Hulu.com has a clip from Pixar's <strong>Up</strong> right <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d84y4h">HERE</a>.<br /><br />- There's a <strong>National Cartoonists Day</strong>? And it was this past Monday? Really?! Richard Thompson, creator of <strong>CUL DE SAC</strong> (<a href="http://www.odessasteps.com/culdesac.gif">one of the few funny syndicated strips out there</a>) on what we should have done to honor the holiday:<br /><br /><em><blockquote>You may be wondering, "How can I best celebrate this festive day?" You might consider:<br /><br />Finding a cartoonist near you and mowing his lawn, at least the front lawn (especially the hard part with the hill).<br /><br />While you're at it trim his shrubs, so the mailman can find his front door again.<br /><br />Does his house need vacuuming? Well, what are you waiting for?<br /><br />Who left all these dishes in the sink?<br /><br />The cats; somebody feed the cats.<br /><br />You could take him to lunch at <a href="http://www.taqueriapoblano.com/">the Mexican place</a> down the street, where they're having some no doubt cartoonist-related celebration.<br /><br />For God's sake laugh at his cartoons. If they appear in a newspaper, buy extra copies (or multiple subscriptions, even) and laugh at them too.</blockquote></em><br />Visit his blog, <a href="http://richardspooralmanac.blogspot.com/">Richard's Poor Almanac</a>, for more fun and larfs.<br /><br />- Dark Horse released it's latest <strong>LITTLE LULU</strong> collection, <a href="http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/16-042/Little-Lulu-The-Alamo-and-Other-Stories-TPB"><strong>THE ALAMO AND OTHER STORIES,</strong></a> last week. It's from the Irving/Tripp period and is reprinted in full color. It really doesn't get better than that. Get a load of this page if you don't believe me:<br /><br /><a href="http://images.darkhorse.com/common/salestools/previews/llalamo/llalamop2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 600px; HEIGHT: 849px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images.darkhorse.com/common/salestools/previews/llalamo/llalamop2.jpg" border="0" /></a>- What can DC do to make me look forward to its upcoming <a href="http://dcublog.dccomics.com/2009/04/16/get-your-first-look-at-wednesday-comics/">WEDNESDAY COMICS</a> anymore than I already am? How about a preview of some beautiful <strong>METAL MEN</strong> pencils by the legendary Jose Luiz Garcia-Lopez?<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7700/metalmenpencilsblog.jpg" /></center><br />- It's kind of hard to believe there was once a time when Prince Valiant was fun and exciting. Preview Fantagraphics' exclusive limited edition <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d53lky">PRINCE VALIANT archive</a>. Gorgeous Hal Foster artwork, circa 1937-38, never before reprinted in this country.<br /><br />- I'm baffled by the enormous success of the <strong>FEMALE FORCE</strong> line of biographical comics. I can see the Obama/Spider-Man comic turn into a popular "collectors item." I can even understand the novelty of a Sarah Palin comic attracting a lot of curiosity seekers. But Bluewater Productions has continued to sell out their <a href="http://comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=2497">awful political biographies</a>. Who's buying these things? Clueless teachers? Misguided parents, perhaps? Anyway, Graphic Novel Reporter has an interview with the editor <a href="http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/content/force-be-reckoned-interview">HERE</a>.<br /><br />And regardless of what I just said, I hope <strong>Rob Liefeld</strong> never ever stops drawing <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090505-liefeld-talks-obama.html">Obama comics</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://i.livescience.com/images/yb09p18.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 582px; HEIGHT: 900px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i.livescience.com/images/yb09p18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Remember, you can read all this stuff in real time throughout the week on our <a href="http://twitter.com/nerdswithkids">Twitter feed</a>. So go click that bird and follow us already!Doug Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15779326569480888918noreply@blogger.com2