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Weekend Reading: Star Wars, Gerry Conway, Bloodhound, & Mickey Mouse

Star Wars ScoundrelsThe internets are abuzz with all sorts of great stuff this week. Let's take a look.

Gerry Conway is one of my favorite writers. I love his Marvel work on Spider-Man and countless others, his Atari Force for DC is an unsung gem, and, more importantly, I think his work as a writer-producer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent gave that show its best episodes. This project with him looks very interesting.

Great news. An old DC book that slipped under the radar is getting collected by Dark Horse. It’s Dan Jolley’s (and Leonard Kirk’s and Robin Riggs’) Bloodhound. Here’s a solid interview with Dan at Robot 6.

Mickey Mouse tries to kill himself, in 1930.

A Star Wars novel as caper with Han, Chewy and Lando? Here’s a very favorable review from Randy Johnson of Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Star Wars, Gerry Conway, Bloodhound, & Mickey Mouse


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Give the Gift of Comics

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Action Figures, Editorials, Reviews,

SkippyLooking for something to get your comic book fan for the Holidays? It's a tricky business. Comic book fans often have the stuff you'd want to give them or may not like the thing you want them to have. So it requires a very thoughtful approach. Here are some places to help you out.

Action Figure Times has listed their Top 10 Christmas gifts for action figure fans. #1? Captain Action, simply one of the greatest action figures of all time.

Forces of Geek has unleashed their Holiday Gift Guide.

And John Scalzi’s reader-driven gift guide is essential for finding stuff that’s off the beaten path.

The grand master of all holiday gift guides is, of course, Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter. His is full of win.

Click to continue reading Give the Gift of Comics


Weekend Reading: Spacehawk, The Dandy, Kirby and Howard Cruse

SpacehawkI'm stuffed with the turkey of Thanksgiving, but there's always time to unstuff some of the internets. Let's take a look at things to read between naps.

This has gotten a lot of play, but it’s too funny to not link to: Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter has compiled his list of the 10 Least Powerful People In Comics. Number five made me laugh out loud.

And Spurgeon does it again: I think Howard Cruse is one of the great cartoonists to have emerged from the Underground Comix movement. Spurgeon’s interview with him is an excellent read.

The Dandy, the long-running British comic book for kids, is getting cancelled in December and the line-up for the last issue is spectacular - 75 stories in a 100 page issue. I want one. Oh yes I do! Lew Stringer shares some details.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Spacehawk, The Dandy, Kirby and Howard Cruse


Weekend Reading: Marvel Comics, Combat Jacks, Rob Liefeld & Star Trek

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Combat Jacks #1First off, smart thoughts on the state of various elements of the comics industry - retail, Marvel, 24 Hour Comics Day - from Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter.

Bleeding Cool has the story announcing Rob Liefeld’s latest retirement from comics. And then moments later says he’s back.

Here’s a nice review of Mark McKenna’s new indy comic, Combat Jacks. “While McKenna might be known as a great inker, he is certainly a surprisingly good writer too. The story and dialogue of Combat Jacks is quite enjoyable, making me wish there were more comics like this sadly rare done-in-one sci-fi/horror story.”

Who was the mysterious Marvel Comics creator known as Kevin Banks?

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Marvel Comics, Combat Jacks, Rob Liefeld & Star Trek


Comic Con International: 2012

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics,

San DiegoComic Con International has come and gone already. Naturally, my Comic Con experience is quite a bit different from most people. I’ve been going for quite a while, have a lot of friends and acquaintances that I see there, and have an established routine of places to be at certain times.

I got there too late on Wednesday for what some reported was a raucous Preview Night, so my convention didn’t start until Thursday morning.

Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter has a rundown of convention memories from around the internet. (And congratulations to Tom for his Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Journalism. It’s well-deserved.

Click to continue reading Comic Con International: 2012


Weekend Reading: Avengers, Alan Moore and Don McGregor

ThanosA friend of mine has a bet that The Avengers' will gross $2 billion (with a "b") by the end of the year, so I guess we're all still talking about Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

If you’re still talking about them, Longbox Graveyard looks at Thanos and The Infinity Gauntlet.

Then LG’s honcho Paul O’Connor passes along this link with everything you need to know about Thanos.

Alan Moore, critical of movies made from his comics, is writing his own movie, which I hope someone adapts into a comic.

It’s never too late to read a story or two from Don McGregor about his father.

My pal Steven Thompson has been streamlining his collection and just recently posted a bunch of great bargains at Booksteve’s Bookstore: Kirby, Captain Marvel, Robert Crumb, Superman, Batman, Wonder Wart-Hog...you can’t go wrong!

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Avengers, Alan Moore and Don McGregor


Avengers Assemble Links!

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Avengers MovieBecause we're all about The Avengers 24/7/365, here are a bunch of nice Avengers links that haven't been abused too much by the internets.

Assemble! My pal, the comics historian Peter Sanderson, takes a look at The Avengers. The money quote: “That climactic battle between the Avengers and Loki’s invading forces, in the heart of New York City, captured the fantastic spectacle and visceral excitement that the superhero genre can create more fully than I had ever imagined seeing in a live action film.”

Click to continue reading Avengers Assemble Links!


Weekend Reading: SOPA, DC, Toth and Redshirts

Stop SopaWelcome to the weekend! Let's see what the internets hold for us!

Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter speaks out against SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. It really is a terrible bill that does more harm than good and Tom makes a strong case to do everything you can to stop it from being passed.

Mark Evanier doesn’t like the proposed law either.

If you’re an aspiring fantasy/sci-fi writer, the Clarion Workshop is accepting applications, according to Boing Boing. You can find a list of Clarion alumni here.

And award-winning sf writer John Scalzi provides even more details and words of encouragement about Clarion.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: SOPA, DC, Toth and Redshirts


Weekend Reading: Frank Miller, Star Wars, Ghost Rider, Deathlok

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies,

Everyone enjoying the new year so far? So’s the internet, so let’s see how:

Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter wrapped up two weeks of holiday interviews with a pile of interesting creators. Even if you’re not specifically into their individual works, you should read them all. It’s a fascinating look at lots of creative people in the biz. I especially enjoyed the chats with Kim Thompson, Art Spiegelman, and Todd DePastino on Bill Mauldin.

Is there a worse piece of entertainment than the Star Wars Holiday Special? What about its book tie-in?

If you’ve been interested in the Gary Friedrich/Marvel/Ghost Rider lawsuit, Daniel Best at 20th Century Danny Boy has the judgment paperwork to read.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Frank Miller, Star Wars, Ghost Rider, Deathlok


Weekend Reading: Sherlock Holmes, Conan, and Spider-Man

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Sherlock Holmes & Robert Downey Jr.For starters, let’s all wish writer Tom Spurgeon a speedy recovery. He took a blogging break earlier this year for health reasons and his essay about his health, his love of comics and his work is even more essential than his already-essential blog. If you read nothing else today, make it this.

Now let’s see what else is going on across the internets:

Sherlock: Oh, that lovable curmudgeon Sherlock Holmes is causing trouble for the uneducated, easily threatened, fragile book burners of America. Apparently, A Study In Scarlet, a classic Holmes adventure, features an insensitive remark about Mormons. Imagine, a fictional character - not Holmes or Watson - from Victorian England having an unprogressive attitude. Forgive me while I clutch my pearls and head for the fainting couch. Galleycat has more on the story, including links to downloading the public domain book for free.

Don McGregor: The writer of Killraven and Black Panther (to name but two) has some thoughts about his wife Marsha on her birthday.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Sherlock Holmes, Conan, and Spider-Man


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