---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 125 8/22/97 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 World Wide Web Page------>> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ This publication is brought to you by the members of the premiere BBS network for the discussion of comics books and the people who create them........The ComicBook Network!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to: ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the FREE subscription list. See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! TRIVIA CONTEST......................... Guesses & Answers [3] Marvel vs Awesome Round 2 ............. Press Releases [4] Network Buzz........................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Mini Comics ........................... John E. Thompson [6] Some Pages, a cover, and a few staples. Marlan Harris [7] And let me tell you why ............... David Coulter [8] Comic Abstracts ....................... John Barker [9] The Pen is Mightier ................... Brian Matus [10] My View: DRIPPAN COMIX................. David LeBlanc [11] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights [B] How to join ComicBook Network.......... BBS 101 [C] Bulletin Boards Linked into CBN........ CBN node list ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 1997 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or retransmit this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Except for personal archiving, permission must be obtained from the individual authors to reproduce, retransmit, or publish any part of this magazine. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net by David LeBlanc No CSNsider posted this week. . . This issue is #125, a "divisible by 25" number which is supposed to mean something. In the past we did the alternate cover logos and stuff like that, mainly to spoof the artificial significance (and corresponding price point for less than the added value) some companies, mainly Marvel, put on the number (and they continue, just announced that Uncanny X-Men #350 will have a foil etched cover for $4 or "regular" edition for $3.) Well that has been done to death by us, and frankly I have a much more important "divisible by 25" anniversary (next week) on my mind these days. So instead I have decided to restart the magazine numbering beginning next issue. Nothing else will change - the same great features, the same terrific contributing columnists and award winning NCRL list, and all the latest news will still be here. We just think it would be good to create a new "jumping on point" for readers to give us a try. A full fledged media blitz is planned, complete with Emailed press releases that begin with FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, [you know, real official stuff] will be sent to all companies, web page web masters, Usenet newsgroups, and every folder on AOL. If that doesn't work we can just go back to our old numbering in a few weeks while ignoring complaints from anybody along the way. Or not . . . ***** Here is something easily overlooked, until you decide that maybe you did not want it to be there. It is in every issue, always has been: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of the CBN E-Mag unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address will be withheld upon request. This does not mean you can send me a note that says NEVER use my letters in your mag. If that is the case you have two options: 1. Don't write any, or 2. Always put in a phrase that says that it is not for print. I do not keep lists of people who don't want their letters published. Memory fades with age, and in my case it is fading fast, so I need to be told in the text that it is not for use. The gray area, some may argue, is letters to the columnists. If they are copied to me, they are letters of comment. If they are not, they may be still forwarded to me by the columnist, though to be fair the complete unaltered text should be forwarded. Anything forwarded to me, discussing the mag or issues raised in it is STILL a letter of comment. If you send a letter to an author of one of our columns and DO NOT want it shared or printed in the mag, you should TELL THE RECIPIENT of the Email. Part of the vitality of this type of publication, especially since we have a variety of writers "on staff" (actually they are all free lance, I just like to use publishing terms), is feedback and discourse amongst the readers. We welcome letters of comment. Indeed some contributing columnists stopped sending in articles due to lack of any letters, something I always warn them may happen. I hesitate to bring this up in case some would think criticism is not welcome, just the opposite is true. However, if you want to communicate privately for whatever reason then be sure you advise the recipient it is private and should remain so. I have a few people who send me Email this way all the time. In each case we are comfortable in knowing up front that what is said, is in confidence. Likewise, one regular commentator does not want his Email address known, and tells me so every time, which is the correct thing to do. There are some who say that ALL Email should be considered private and not ever be made public. In the general sense I would agree. BUT, in the specific instance of corresponding to an author of an article, about that article, it is not always the case. In some publications you will see wording to the effect, "all letters received become the property of XYZ Publishing and may be used in future publications." Others require expressed permission to publish be stated or they won't use it. The publications set their own ground rules. Ours has always been "We use it unless you tell us not to." ***** Elvis is STILL dead. Get over it! ***** It's a joke! Don't send me letters asking me NOT to change the numbering! ***** We have updated the EVENT.HTM page a little to correct a couple of things and to add more info about upcoming conventions, like the Small Press Expo. The LINK page is also new with the addition of INTERLUDE magazine and Planet Earth Comics. AND NETSCAPE 4.0 is finally out for general distribution. You can use the NETSCAPE NOW button on our HOME PAGE: http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet to get to their download sight for your free copy. ***** I am now officially a Win 95 user, having had my company computer upgraded (and I use the term loosely) for me this week. At least I get to practice on their machine with their software until I am comfortable enough to take the plunge on a new system for CBEM Central (that's my desk top at home for those who don't get it). I know I am ready to take the quantum leap from the 486DX2, 6xCD, 2Gig Drive, 16 bit sound card, super VGA, running DOS and Win3.1 to a Pentium whatever and all the rest of that stuff multiplied by a 2 or 3 in speed or size, depending on how much I can afford. When it happens it will come with Win95 and I will take the plunge fully into 32 bit software for the major programs I use. For now, I gotta see how patient I can be with the company hardware, which is woefully inadequate for the programs we run, but has another year on the lease. So it goes. ***** As a consequence, this issue is running real late but there is a lot of good stuff on the racks this week, here is some of it: X-O Manowar #11 COPYBOOK TALES #5 \ >>TIED FOR PICK OF THE WEEK! RIB #2 / Sergio Aragonnes Louder Than Words #2 Starship Troopers Insect Touch #3 Challengers of the Unknown #9 Genesis #3 Hitman #19 Inferno #1 Young Heroes in Love #5 Damned #3 Strangers in Paradise #8 Incredible Hulk #457 UPS is back and the normal delivery dates will be as well next week. David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com] Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of the CBN E-Mag unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address will be withheld upon request. +++++ From: Robert Beerbohm Subject: About CBEM 124, etc David, Interesting issue. I met up with my long time friend Marshall Rogers at this year's San Diego Comicon. He looked in good health and we had an extended chat that day re a great many subjects as it had been 10 years since 1) he had been to the SD Con and 2) since we had talked. For a short while, we relived those heady times in the late 70s when a very determined cadre of comics fans -- of which he & i each numbered in there some where -- worked very hard to re-build this industry -- a time span sometimes dismissed out of hand as "unexciting" or "uneventful." To such rubbish, I was "p*ss on you." Marshall's fans may be interested to know he has been into the animation end of video games the last 6 to 7 years. He recently moved to the Silicon Valley area and is wrapped up there with a better return on his time devising what he does best. I hope Jim Steranko does some form of comics series for some company soon as I would like to read it. His Hollywood story (OUR LOVE STORY #5) still stands out as one of my all-time faves and is MUST reading for any comics enthusiast. Let's hope Image does him up right. I apologize to those of you who may be a little bit confused by some of the chrono order in this latest installment of COMICS REALITY (#4). I suppose it could have been re-edited for ever and continuously expanded upon. If any body has any questions, I would be happy to answer them so a deeper understanding of the forces of nature at work can be attained by all those who care to learn. Length of a segment is a concern to me so the CBEM readership doesn't end up getting overwhelmed and/or bored. There is plenty more to say, folks, but I do not have time for a weekly column as my research to finish my book is much more important and I am entering the final phases of what I wish to present. I say with all humbleness that comics fandom will have their collective minds blown with all the data & photos I have compiled so far, if my book gets printed up as I envision it. There are those who say in other trade journals recently that the comics biz is akin to the regular book store trade. Yes, in some ways they are correct. But in other ways, with regard to the visual nature of the medium, it is very different than the "text book" trade. The comics business is much more dependent on what the customer "sees" with his own eyes that causes him/her to make a purchase. A COMICS REALITY in the near future will relate why that is so. I also plan soon to cover in CBEM the FIRST vs MARVEL lawsuit from 1984; the rise & fall of Martin Goodman's last hurrah (1975 or so), Atlas Comics and what could have been; more on the inherent flaws of what was known as the "direct market"; I am still honing a mid-late 70s thru early 80s article on the comics distributors of the day. Any readers with thoughts and comments, please feel free to pass them along. Otherwise, who knows, I might accidentally not cover a "nerve" near and dear to your heart. Speak up soon or forever hold your words to yourself. It was too bad Barry Windsor-Smith's STORYTELLER earned itself a "Dougie" from David Coulter. I faithfully bought and read each issue -- commenting to Diana Schutz at this yearr's Chicago Comicon that it will most likely not reach its final official issue due solely to its size. Today's retailers, by & large, much less the reader/consumer, is not going to know where to file it and/or display it properly. Large size RAW mags were almost the only tabloid size comics to ever have made it out in that fickle comics market and all love & hate so much. I also think it would be one of the few times in history when a smaller size version outsold the first editions. Most likely ELFQUEST's Marvel reprints were among the first to do so. This is pure speculation on my part as I have (currently) no real idea how well the Marbel version fared on the news stands. This is a question I hope to pose to the Pinis one day soon. Regarding Brian Matus's comments: " Speaking of Bob Beerbohm's COMICS REALITY excerpts, I now know much more about four (out of 100) years of comics history than I ever wanted to know. I really used to enjoy what Mr. Beerbohm had to say until recently, and I hope that he keeps this section of his book proportionate in size to its relative importance (or at least puts it in a separate chapter so that I can skip it)." Two things: 1) Which four years specifically are you commenting upon so I may coherently respond? Aspects of the COMICS REALITY series have touched on areas from the 1940s thru the 1990s. I am truly mystified by which "four" years in question. 2) If you are referring to a section of CBEM 122 David LeBlanc chose to delete from his archives, the time span in question is a lot less than four years. I was partially responding to a post I did not initiate nor was I aware it was already beginning to unfold in CBEM for some time. The fellow in question sent his post into CBEM the day I left for a few weeks for my 28th annual trek to the San Diego Comicon and Other Points West nor was it in any way, shape, or form, part of my "regular series" of essays. He wrote some shit....I wrote some shit.....David chose to print it all -- I was more bored than any of you by the affair. I stand by all my published research -- I welcome any body to find fault with any of it, so if I am wrong, I may change my manuscript to reflect more enlightened versions. "Grand Old Man of the Comics"? Nah -- just a concerned comics fan who is doing a lot of primary (how many of you know what this "technical" term really means?) research into aspects of his hobby not covered in any history book currently on the market. Plus mine will not have factual errors that permeates such books as the recent GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES which is the tome that brought about my first essay in CBEM back in #103, then the first COMICS REALITY in #105. Newer readers of CBEM might trouble themselves to search these out on CBEM's web site. Brian's commentary on the computer-driven percentages re "TOP HUNDRED" I am asking permission from all involved to quote parts of in my book. It is right on the money. The part left out, however, is the fact that novice comic book store owners will not look beyond a TOP HUNDRED so, all things given, there isn't a level playing ground for true competition amongst the publishers any more. There used to be -- and not that long ago. This will be another topic for COMICS REALITY in the near future. David, take care. Another enjoyable, timely ish. I hope the majority of readers write in with their views of what they think is transpiring in the industry. Or better yet, what they think came down in days gone past. robert beerbohm beerbohm@teknetwork.com +++++ From: Robert Beerbohm >From: Angelo Furlan >Subject: I know! I know! > >>"WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US". > >>Now, pop-quiz time: Who penned that? He ran for President and that is >>on the cover of just one of his many fine books that should be pushed >>in ALL "full service" comic book stores. > > It was Bone ... er, I mean Pogo. Why do I keep confusing the two? BOB BEERBOHM HERE: I like this answer. First time I ever looked at BONE, I thought of POGO as well. Jeff Smith should do a story based off that Walt Kelley book, IMHO. [I just read a brief item that Jeff has been invited as the guest of honor to a meeting of the Pogo Fan Club somewhere near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp.] +++++ From: bcrog@juno.com (Brent C Rogers) Dear David, Thanks a lot for the great review, I really do appreciate it! I'm currently negotiating with an artist that has worked for both DC and Marvel about doing a full color cover for my next edition due in March of 1998. Nothing definite yet, but it does look good. [New readers see my review last issue of the GUIDE TO THE DC UNIVERSE - DL] I will also be at the first West Michi-Con at the Crowne Plaza in Grand Rapids, Mi. on Sat. October 25th. I've always dreamed of having a true comic con nearby. Both Detroit and Chicago are 4 hour drives from here. Hopefully this will be the first of many. I know I'll be there to support them as long as they last. On the subject of the current Legion of Super-Heroes, I have to say that if Beverly Hills 90210 wasn't so popular at the time of the Zero Hour reboot, it might not've been patterned on it. I'm just thankful it wasn't an even crappier show that they copied. The true LSH hasn't been seen since just after Crisis, 12 long years ago. But, as of Final Night last year, Superman still remembered them. Even though they had know idea what he was talking about. Maybe, just maybe, they will return sometime in the future. Hopefully before Aaron Spelling options the book for his next "hot" tv series. Tori as Saturn Girl would make anybody ill. Though with that immense forehead they could save a bundle on "telepathic" special effects. In the original tabloid edition of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad's wedding by Mike Grell, there was also a "dream sequence" so perhaps the current creative team does occasionally skim over the original "good stuff". On the Subject of the Marshall (no relation) Rogers' Detective's, how many people have picked up the pewter Joker statue that's an homage of the cover to # 475? It's an amazing piece of work. There's also one of the Golden age Superman and one of Batman from Batman # 0. I've seen them at Toys "R" Us for $25.00. If there's enough demand, hopefully they'll make more characters/ covers into statues. A Golden age Wonder Woman, or a Golden age Flash would be excellent. Well, everybody have fun & take care of yourselves. Drop me a line! Brent Clark Rogers, BCROG@juno.com +++++ From: spreston@icserve.net (Sean Preston) Dear David, I hope to one day be a presence in the Comic Book Industry and I have only today discovered your e-mag and am slapping myself on the forehead. (Aarrgghh! How did I miss this?) I've scanned a half dozen issues and believe this will be an invaluable resource for me. Just one question, as a writer, I have found it nearly impossible to locate sample scripts for comics. Is there some kind of closed door on this? It is much easier to locate movie scripts and the like. The only scripts that I have found are at the Dark Horse link (which cites how they want it) and Steve Gerber has an excellent template (but again, no sample scripts to speak of), and I've already gotten the Dream Country sequence by Neil Gaiman (duh!) which has an annotated script that I found a useful tool. In interviews with Gaiman (at www.holycow.com/dreaming/...), I found that he learned the art of script-writing by Alan Moore- I'm not so fortunate to have that honor. Sorry to go on so long, but your mag seems insightful and I thought you might address this in the future (if not already). If you have though, please direct me to particular issues, time permitting. Sincerely, Sean [Nothing I can recall in any of our issues about this Sean, but perhaps a reader or two can send you Email to point you in the right direction] +++++ From: DneColt@aol.com Subject: Batman Comments Last issue, Nick Morton wrote: <> My pleasure! <> Point taken. But part of what endeared Rogers' art to me wasn't the "traditional-ness" of it -- but the attention to detail, and determination not to take anything for granted. Take a look at the street scenes in those issues again. Those cars look like *real* cars. Now take a look at a recent issue of Detective (although this criticism is by no means limited to Batman books -- ANY comic will do) -- the backgrounds are as generic as possible ... I almost expect to see a black and white box labelled "car." <> I agree. But I'm extremely wary of grafting a trendy, new-age philosophy onto what is essentially a pretty simple concept. Arthur Conan Doyle never felt compelled compelled to account for Sherlock Holmes's unnaturally keen mental acuity, Holmes was simply cleverer than everyone else -- period, and of story. Same goes for Batman. Did you ever see "Amedeus" -- the movie about Mozart? If not, the basic gist is that both Mozart and his nemesis, Salieri, were dedicated to the craft of making music, except that Mozart had a gift for it -- a true genius -- while Salieri was merely competent. I ddon't think Batman's exceptional abilities NEED any "explanation." As with Mozart, he is simply gifted -- but instead of music he is gifted at detection and -- if you will -- superheroing. Batman's natural gifts -- the gifts Bob Kane designed him with -- are what stands him head and shoulder above other "plain human" heroes like, say, Green Arrow. <> I don't think so. Every comic book has a built-in internal logic -- things you're just supposed to accept -- or overlook. Does anyone really *care* that's it's physically impossible for Spiderman to stick to walls? Or for Superman to lift up a battleship? No, because that's the internal logic of the characters. Spiderman sticks to walls because he's *supposed* to, period, end of story. Equally, Batman is *supposed* to be scary to criminals. <> Again, I disagree. Every age thinks that things are as bad as they can possibly be, and that things were better "way back when." If you asked Bob Kane in 1939 why Batman had to have a scary costume, instead of a funny hat like Sherlock Homes, he would give the same answer you did -- "things aren't the same as they were. Things are scarier now." <> In reality? I doubt it. I think REAL bad guys would have laughed just as hard 50 years ago as they would today. But this is COMIC BOOK reality -- with its own internal logic -- we're talking about, so they don't laugh. And Batman was only intended to scare the bad guys -- not the readers. And I doubt he ever did that, even in the 30's. <> I agree. But one thing remains constant -- a craving for justice, a desire to see the helpless protected and wrongs set right. <> That's true. But since when did "crazy" become a definition for "tough?" When you start blurring the line between good guy and bad guy, you start to lose sight of the things I mentioned above: Justice; Right and wrong. Bad guys should be scared of Batman because he'd good and they're bad and they're supposed to be scared -- not because they're worried that Batman might kill them in a horrible way. <> This is my problem Miller's Dark Knight -- things that made sense in the context of *that* story were pulled into the mainstream Batman Mythos without ANY consideration for the effect they'd have. In "The Dark Knight Returns," it makes perfect sense for Batman to wear body armor -- for exactly the reason you state -- he's older, and slower, and needs something to maintain his edge ... but ONLY in that story. To put the mainstream Batman into body armor misses the point. The Batman in the comics now ISN'T older and slower -- he's young and at the top of his game -- and he has been for 50 years! Which brings me to Brian's broadside: <> Okay, I will. But first I have to point out that I wasn't asserting that *Frank Miller* DID "ruin" Batman ... DC's bean-counters and editorial staff -- headed by Denny O'Neill -- did. They saw what a FINANCIAL success Dark Knight was, drew all the wrong conclusions. The RIGHT conclusion to have drawn would have been, "this was a good story, and an interesting, DIFFERENT take on an established character." The WRONG conclusion -- and the one they DID draw -- was that a psychotic, violent Batman sold a lot of comic books. So, how did Miller's story "ruin" Batman? 1. They made him crazy, which he isn't. 2. They have jettisoned the "detective" part of the character in favor of the "dark knight" part, which ignores a vital part of his heritage (and the name of his flagship title). 3. They turned Catwoman into a mondo-bondo dominatrix, which is silly and insulting. 4. Finally, they turned Batman into this territorial, "Gotham-is-MY-town," bulldog, which is just stupid. Now he fights good guys who poach on his "turf." <> And those people are who? Dick Sprang? Carmine Infantino? Neal Adams? Jim Aparo? If you're saying that the "TRUE" Batman is the one we had prior to the introduction of Robin (in 1940), then one of those people is Bob Kane -- who, oddly, is his creator. And if you're saying anyone who had anything to do with the character prior to Frank Miller, then another would be his present shepherd Denny O'Neill, which seems a little silly. <> No no no, I think YOU'RE the one who needs to pull your head out of something. Frank Miller did ONE out-of-context story that, while it was very good in and of itself, doesn't work in the long run. As for returning Batman to his roots -- where exactly do you propose those roots start and stop? With the introduction of Robin a mere YEAR after Batman was created? In that case, Batman should still be packing a gun and fighting bootleggers. <> Ehhhhh, wrong again. There are maybe 10 guys in that line ahead of him. But then, it's all subjective, right? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON THE WEB PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT LAST ISSUE'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who sacrificed themselves in the old Legion of Super Heroes continuity to bring Lightning Lad back to life? Bonus: How was this event "revised" in a later retelling. Many got it right this time: Jason Sacks Jim Welch Kelly Dumont Craig Byrne KEITH OBRIEN Angelo Furlan, who also answered Bob Beerbohm's question. And these folks also got the bonus right: Jim Murdoch Michael Standish Steven Topper Only Chad Halsey missed and guessed Ayla made the sacrifice. [The best wording of the answers, came from a previous winner:] From: Jim Murdoch Proty, disguised as Saturn Girl, carrying a rod of duralim, an super-conductor of electricity. Bonus: Proty's life force, mind, and soul were projected into Lightning Lad, but no one, not even his wife, one of the most powerful telepaths in the known galaxies, could tell. Man, that was stupid. [Our winner missed the bonus, so the extra prize goes back in the hopper] From: MasterPsy (Dave Leon) It was Proty! I must have been 5 years old when I read that.... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Why did MXYZPTLK have such a hard time getting rid of SUPERMAN when the tables were turned and the Man of Steel visited HIS dimension? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Messages with more than one guess will be disqualified. LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON! Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you can stump the readers! You MUST submit the correct answer with your question. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] Marvel vs. Awesome Round 2 This is just too much! It would be comical in other times but we have become so used to litigation and spin doctors that it makes no difference which version you believe, or which side is right anymore. Mania has posted the press releases from AWESOME and MARVEL on their individual "victories" in court this week. I am sure we will see many "interpretations" by this time next week all over the nets. . . FROM MARVEL: Marvel Forces Changes to Fighting American Comic Series Publication of Awesome Entertainment's Fighting American comic book series will not be allowed without modifications to their Fighting American character, it was ordered today by a United States District Court. This order was issued in response to a motion for preliminary injunction filed by Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. against Awesome Entertainment to prevent infringement of Marvel's copyright and trademarks in its Captain America comic books. The decision was announced today by Joseph Calamari, President of Marvel Entertainment Group. Among the more significant court required modifications are that Fighting American's shield be gray with silhouette of a blue eagle, blades be "ejected or shot from the circumference of the shield itself and the shield shall never be thrown...as a weapon..." Fighting American is also required to wear a golden brown cartridge belt and glove and boot cuffs of a golden brown or similar color. The court retained jurisdiction to promptly hear and act upon motions for inductive relief should Awesome Entertainment fail to adhere to the court's order or print a version of Fighting American which is more similar to Captain America. "The court's decision gives us much of what we ultimately sought, and does so at a very early date," Calamari said. "We remain free to seek further relief when the case comes to trial. If Rob Liefeld and Awesome had negotiated in good faith instead of stonewalling when we raised theses issues months ago, it would have saved us all a lot of trouble. As it is, we can wait and see what they do with their Fighting American comic, then take any additional action that seems appropriate." Captain America, one of Marvel's oldest and most venerable heroes, has appeared in over 500 issues of his own magazine as will as hundreds more of The Avengers. He has starred in a movie serial, a feature film, television cartoons and two television movies. ****** FROM AWESOME: Awesome Beats Marvel in Court Decision: The Fighting American Fights On The United States District Court, Southern District of New York ruled today against Marvel Characters, Inc. and Marvel Entertainment' petition for a preliminary injunction against Awesome Entertainment's publication of The Fighting American. Order # 97 Civ. 5848 (HB) signed by U.S.. District Judge Harold Baer, Jr. on August 21, 1997 carries the courts decision. "We are thrilled that we were able to defeat Marvel's injunction to prevent us from publishing the Fighting American and we will be going forward with the Fighting American as we had originally envisioned," says Awesome Entertainment President & CEO Rob Liefeld. "It is important to note that we did not engage Marvel in this matter, but felt it necessary to defend ourselves when Marvel proceeded with their action. We are obviously very elated by the Judge's decision to allow us to publish." "Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, two of the comic industry's most legendary figures, The Fighting American first appeared in 1954 as a patriotic response to the Cold War and Stalin's Soviet Empire," continues Liefeld. "We are honored to be able to continue the proud legacy of The Fighting American with stories both past and present." Fighting American #1 will be in comic book retail stores in early September and ships with four different covers by Rob Liefeld, Stephen Platt, Ian Churchill and Ed McGuinness. A special "gold" premium card cover edition is being given to each retailer as a special promotion for the book. The Following is a Brief Timeline of Events: June 5, 1997: Awesome Entertainment announced the acquisition of the worldwide rights to the renowned patriotic hero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby -- The Fighting American. Originally published in 1954 by Prize Group Comics, The Fighting American will return to the present day with brand new stories from Jeph (Batman: The Long Halloween, Avengers) Loeb, Rob (Captain American) Liefeld, and Stephen (Judgment Day) Platt. August 5, 1997: Marvel Characters, Inc. and Marvel Entertainment Group filed a request for a preliminary injunction against Awesome Entertainment to prevent the publication of the Fighting American. August 12, 1997: Awesome Entertainment files its opposition to Marvel's motion for a preliminary injunction. August 18, 1997: The Court heard oral argument from Marvel and Awesome. August 19, 1997: At the Court's discretion, Awesome Entertainment submitted a revised shield design removing a star that had previously appeared on the shield. August 21, 1997: Awesome submitted sworn affidavits confirming its representations to the Court. August 21, 1997: The Court rules in favor of Awesome Entertainment. September, 1997: Awesome's Fighting American #1 ships to comic book stores worldwide. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry GLEN COVE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 1997-- Marvel's First Super Hero Group Featured In Spectacular One- to Four-Player Action Game One of the most popular Super Hero groups of all time, Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, is featured in a much-anticipated one-to four-player action game coming this fall from Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKLM). Fantastic Four, exclusively for the PlayStation, will be available in early fall at a suggested retail price of $39.95. Created by Acclaim's Probe Entertainment studio, Fantastic Four features non-stop action as Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing take on many of their greatest villains -- Mole Man, The Skrull and the nefarious Dr. Doom. "Fantastic Four has long been one of the cornerstones of the Marvel Universe," said Donald Jackson, associate product manager, Acclaim Interactive. "Comic book and action fans alike will appreciate Acclaim's bringing this supergroup to the PlayStation." Fantastic Four features multiperspective action over five levels and twenty-two separate areas. Many characters have been motion-captured for extremely realistic movement, and there are more than 35 fighting moves, including special hidden moves. One of the first action games to support the Sony Multi-Tap, up to four players can team up or practice their skills head-to-head in the training area. The Fantastic Four were also the stars of one of the top-rated animated children's TV shows on the Fox Kids Network, Marvel Action Hour, which now airs in syndication. +++++ HEAD PRESS PUBLISHING Updated information for HEAD PRESS'S October's release, NO JUSTICE NO PIECE, (The fund raising anthology for the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND). All net proceeds from this issue will be donated to the CBLDF by HEAD PRESS. Late additions to the creative CHARLES VESS, AMANDA CONNER, JAMES OWEN, RUSTY GILLIGAN, RICH BUCKLER JR., DAVE GARCIA and TONY FURTADO. Also, in addition to his solo contribution, PAUL SMITH, has agreed to ink the five page story entitled, "THE HYPOCRISY GAMBIT". The story is written by LEN STRAZEWSKI and penciled by BILLY DALLAS PATTON. In addition, due to the fact that we have had such a high level of interest from the creative community, which has resulted in many more quality submissions than we first anticipated. . . the book will now contain a whopping 48 pages, (increased from the original 32). But the best part is that the cover price will still remain at $2.95. NO JUSTICE, NO PIECE, will ship in October and be available to retailers through DIAMOND, COLD CUT and SYCO distributors or for direct ordering information, contact ROBERT LUEDKE at HEAD PRESS, (972)317-2230, FX (972)317-0050, EMAIL . +++++ From the Usenet: Subject: TCJ On-Line: You Send It, We'll Read It From: tom@tcj.com (Tom Spurgeon) Date: 16 Aug 1997 16:46:39 GMT Hi: Part of this Fall's re-launch of the Comics Journal web site will be the bi-weekly TCJ On-Line, a collection of columns from the editorial staff and contributing writers. One feature will be the review column "You Send It, We'll Read It", which will review any comic sent to the offices. Our hope is that this will serve as a checkpoint for comics fans who are also on-line, and that they will use the column to perhaps check if a comic they've heard about has been released or to hear about comics of which they weren't aware. New comics can be sent to: The Comics Journal Attn: Reviews 7563 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 We love minis, btw. Tom Spurgeon/TCJ P.S. Starting with issue #201, a good portion of the YSI/WRI articles will also be run in the magazine, under the review head "Bullets." +++++ And this bit of news: Subject: Re: Kitchen Sink Press From: jamieksp@aol.com (Jamie KSP) Date: 19 Aug 1997 03:52:52 GMT >>A while back,a post on this NG implied that KSP was at death's door. They are still listing new releases in Previews - anyone know what happened? Thanks.<< "Death's door" might have been a bit of a stretch, but things were definitely tight for a while. Denis Kitchen and his brother Jim have found new investors to help complete the management buyout of the current majority owners. This buyout should be completed this week. A formal press release will go out once that happens. Beginning with the October and November Previews, KSP will be announcing more new projects. Hope this helps answer your questions. Best, Jamie Riehle Sr. Dir., Sales & Marketing Kitchen Sink Press +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html To subscribe to this newsletter, send the message "subscribe DCComics " to listserv@lists.warnerbros.com (putting your name in for "", of course). Get the latest on TANGENT at http://www.dccomics.com! Animation Episode Schedule: Warner Bros. Animation has supplied DC Comics with the following air schedule for the Superman Adventures, airing Saturday mornings at 9 AM Eastern and Pacific time on the WB Network. (This schedule is subject to change.) 8/23/97 -- "The Last Son of Krypton: Part II" 8/30/97 -- "The Last Son of Krypton: Part III" Fox has supplied DC Comics with the following air schedule for the Adventures of Batman and Robin. 8/25/97 -- "Birds of a Feather" 8/26/97 -- "Second Chance" 8/27/97 -- "Off-Balance" 8/28/97 -- "A Bullet for Bullock" 8/29/97 -- "Paging the Crime Doctor" +++++ NEW YORK, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRV) announced that for the second quarter ended June 30, 1997 net revenues were $129.6 million compared to $182.2 million over the same period in 1996. The net loss for the second quarter was $41.9 million or $0.41 per share vs. $11.0 million or $0.11 per share last year. The second quarter losses were due primarily to continued decline in demand for trading cards, general market softness in children's entertainment stickers, lower toy sales and small decreases in publishing and licensing revenues. Concerns on the part of retailers and others since the Company filed for chapter 11 protection have also affected revenue in these areas. In addition, the Company continues to incur significant reorganization costs and general and administrative expenses associated with the bankruptcy proceedings. On June 30, 1997, the Company's DIP (debtor in possession) loan expired and to date no arrangements have been made regarding the repayment of the principal amount of the loan. The Company has been negotiating alternative replacement DIP facilities and continues to pay its trade creditors and to take actions to improve operating efficiencies, which include trimming its overhead and reducing exposure to returns. On August 11, 1997, the Company secured an additional working capital loan for up to 27 billion lire ($15 million U.S.) from a syndicate of banks, with Chase Manhattan Bank, as agent, on behalf of Panini, S.p.A., its wholly owned subsidiary. On July 10, 1997 the Company reached an agreement in principle on certain key economic terms with its principal lenders, the unsecured creditors of Marvel's holding companies, and Toy Biz, Inc. That agreement in principle contemplates, among other things, the Company's emergence from chapter 11 protection, the settlement of the Company's obligations under its prepetition and DIP loans, the actions of Panini and Fleer/SkyBox, and the merger of Toy Biz with Marvel. The agreement in principle is subject to further negotiation of several substantive issues, as well as the execution of definitive agreements, approvals of the Boards of Directors of Marvel and Toy Biz, the holders of a majority of the Company's secured debt, and the Bankruptcy Court. Negotiation between the Company and the other parties to the agreement in principle to finalize the terms of the proposed global settlement are on-going. MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. (Debtor-in-Possession) Consolidated Statements of Operations (Dollars in millions, except per share data) (Unaudited) For the For the Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 1997 1996 1997 1996 Net revenues $129.6 $182.2 $286.3 $371.8 Cost of sales 96.4 115.4 200.9 229.3 Selling, general & administrative expenses 51.5 55.6 100.0 107.9 Depreciation and amortization 7.7 4.9 12.5 9.3 Amortization of goodwill, intangibles and deterred charges 4.1 5.5 8.4 11.0 Interest expense, net (contractual interest for the three and six months ended June 30, 1997 was $16.9 and $32.5, respectively) 13.2 13.8 28.8 27.5 Foreign exchange loss/ (gain), net (0.8) 0.9 (1.5) 1.5 Equity in net (loss) income of unconsolidated subsidiaries and other, net (5.3) 0.4 (5.2) 0.5 Loss before reorganization items, benefit for income taxes, and minority interest (47.8) (13.5) (68.0) (14.2) Reorganization items 2.6 -- 6.0 -- Loss before benefit for income taxes and minority interest (50.4) (13.5) (74.0) (14.2) Benefit for income taxes (4.6) (5.4) (0.8) (3.7) Loss before minority interest (45.8) (8.1) (73.2) (10.5) Minority interest in (loss) earnings of Toy Biz (3.9) 2.9 (3.5) 4.9 Net loss ($41.9) ($11.0) ($69.7) ($15.4) Loss per share ($.41) ($.11) ($.68) ($.15) Common shares outstanding (in millions) 101.8 101.8 101.8 101.8 SOURCE Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. +++++ Diamond Waives $3/Box Pick-Up Point Charge In light of the settlement of the UPS strike, Diamond has decided not to charge customers picking up at drop points a $3.00 per box charge, as had been previously announced. In an effort to get new comic books and related merchandise into the marketplace on as timely a basis as possible, Diamond set up temporary drop points in approximately two dozen major metropolitan areas across the country. As a result, over 85% of Diamond's customers were within 150 miles of a Diamond Distribution Center or drop point. "In making our contingency plans," explained Diamond Vice President of Operations Cindy Fournier, "our goal was to control as much of our freight as possible, since we knew that alternate carriers had the potential to be overloaded as a result of trying to absorb UPS' volume during the strike. Another goal was to make it practical for as many of our customers as possible to pick up their product during the strike." "We estimated Diamond's hard costs in setting up and maintaining these drop points to be approximately $40,000 per week," Fournier continued, "and, during the first two weeks of the strike, we announced that we'd absorb those costs. However, we also kept the option open of passing along some of those costs to our customers in the event that the strike lasted beyond two weeks. When drop points became necessary for a third week, we announced the $3.00 per box charge, which would have helped us recoup approximately 50% of our costs. "Now that the strike has been settled," Fournier added, "we are pleased to announce we are foregoing the $3.00 charge, and absorbing the costs for this third week." "We know that the UPS strike has caused inconvenience for retailers, suppliers, and distributors alike," said Diamond President and CEO Steve Geppi, "not just in our industry, but for businesses everywhere. We wanted to do our part to help our retailers offset the increased costs that they incurred during the strike, and now that we know our contingency plan will not be required beyond a third week, so our exposure is finite, we've made the decision to absorb all the costs associated with setting up and maintaining the drop points." "This has been a very difficult and challenging time for all of us," Geppi continued, "but together we have found a way to persevere. Our Distribution Center and Customer Service staffs worked long and hard, and retailers cooperated, rather than competed, to get product out as quickly as possible. Times like this make me very proud to be a member of our industry, and I would like to thank everyone for their extra efforts. Special thanks to the great many of you who have expressed satisfaction with our response to the strike. My staff and I really appreciate your support." UPS Service to Resume Wednesday, Full Service by Next Week Diamond has been informed by UPS that it will begin accepting shipments from Diamond as of Wednesday, August 20, which will include those customers whose shipments have not been delivered as of that point. (We are hopeful that these customers will receive their shipments sometime this week.) Please be advised that, effective immediately, Diamond will also resume accepting Direct-Ship Reorders. However, delivery of these Reorders may be slower than usual as UPS works to recover from the strike. UPS reports that it expects to be back up to "full speed" by early next week, meaning that Diamond will tender packages with UPS for a scheduled Wednesday delivery to customers. Again, retailers should advise their customers that books should arrive Wednesday, but may be delayed for a limited time while UPS recovers. +++++ 8/22/97 PRESS RELEASE HEAD PRESS PUBLISHING ********************************************************************* Robert Luedke, creator/self publisher of the science fiction action adventure series, TEMPLATE, is proud to announce the merging of his talents with a new and bigger publisher, MYTHIC COMICS. Beginning in January of 1998, TEMPLATE and it's related characters will be published by MYTHIC, under a creator owned agreement. Luedke states, "This union will allow TEMPLATE to have much more visibility than I was able to generate under my HEAD PRESS banner. After two years and eight issues published, I've found that a large percentage of comic shops nationwide have yet to sample my comic, which has been very frustrating. Hopefully MYTHIC COMIC'S larger nationwide presence, will help solve that exposure problem". MYTHIC has published such titles as THE BRUISER and SINNAMON by ANGELO FURLAN, GRIMLOCK by JERRY BECK, LEITMOTIV and VELVET- TALES OF THE ASSASSIN by YUEL GUICHET, (who's first printing was a recent sellout). To relaunch the title, MYTHIC, will publish bookend #0 issues of TEMPLATE and MAX DAMAGE, in January and February, respectively. Template #0, (written and drawn by Luedke), will serve as a good introductory issue for new readers, as it will fill in the holes in the main character, Jason 4's, last days within Project Template, (which spawned his creation), and give needed back round into his character. MAX DAMAGE #0, (by Luedke and Michael Lagocki), while following a story thread started in TEMPLATE #0, will be an all new tale of the book's favorite "lethal girl", who is on a mission to recover stolen documentation that could spell the end of Project Template. This issue will also feature the introduction of two new characters who will play major roles in upcoming issues of the regular series. Following in April, the TEMPLATE series will get back to regular continuity with TEMPLATE #1, VOLUME 2. For more information or to obtain back issue samples, contact Robert Luedke at (972)317-2230, fx (972)317-0050 or email to . +++++ From the Comics Continuum of the Detroit Press: SPAWN MOVIE UPDATE When the Spawn live-action movie comes to home video, there will likely be a director's cut, said Todd McFarlane, the character's creator and executive producer of the film. McFarlane said several of the scenes that were trimmed to get the film down from its original R rating to PG-13 will be restored in the special home-video version. "Although there's no nudity or excessive blood in this, it took us five tries to get the PG-13 rating," McFarlane said. "Again, we just kept pushing it and pushing it. And they said, 'It's too dark, it's too intense. We don't like the concept.' "And, finally we got one last crack and we got the PG-13 rating, although we had to lose a couple of the visual things like when Spawn gets impaled on the fence. We still have that, although we had to cut it differently so a kid doesn't jump at that scene. Some of the Clown's great double-entendre lines we also had to lose." +++++ [In case you don't know, ther are *other* trade magazines out there beside Wizard and Combo. Here is info on one of the better ones you may not be familiar with yet.] From: MAINeditor@aol.com The following are new books that M.A.I.N. magazine is publishing for release in October. If you're interested in them, please e-mail us or order them through your local distributors. (info at bottom) Artwork and pages are available for print, and, signed issues can be made available for contests. Pleas e-mail or call. For example art and alternate descriptions, please look in the August Diamond catalog (Oct. shipping) on pages 292, 293, 326, and Adult Supplement page 11. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- **M.A.I.N. Magazine vol.2 #7 cover price: $4.00 with flip color covers, 52 B&W internal pages This issue of M.A.I.N. is very special, and, marks many firsts in the industry. -Description: M.A.I.N. is the comic/card industry's first and only 'trade' publication bringing the reader news, reviews, and previews. -Covers... A-side:" Lady Death/Evil Ernie" (Chaos!) by Steven Hughes, B-Side: "Witchblade" (Top Cow) by Michael Turner, Centerfold: a mystery piece from Fleer/Skybox, by a top Marvel artist ! -Contents... Chaos! Comics, "Witchblade/Darkness" month, Fleer/Skybox, Harris' "Vampirella Vs Dracula", John Byrne interview, the new "Mummy's Alive" cartoon, Oracle's "Obituary Column" comic, a golden age horror comic tribute, an exclusive One Shot Press "Commander Zero" preview, and more. -Inserts... a "Witchblade" promo, special Viz Comics posters, exclusive art print from Rick Buckler Jr., and exclusive comic ashcans from Archtype Studios and Oracle Workshop. -Starting with this issue, M.A.I.N. will be inserting M.A.I.N. MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE EDITIONS, where we re-produce a popular comic issue in B&W with new color covers, pin-ups, and special advanced previews. These Exclusive Editions will ONLY be available in polybagged M.A.I.N. issues. Included in this issue will be "ASSASSINS" #1 from High Impact with a new cover and preview. **************************************************************** **Test Drive #1 (comic book) cover pr'start' newcomers in the field of comics, and, be a constructive vehicle for current established pros to 'test drive' their creations. -Line-up... Rob Liefeld (Awesome), John Orlando (Marvel, CFD), Gil Kane (DC, Awesome), Ben Dunn (Antarctic Press), Rich Buckler Sr. (Marvel, CFD), Ethan Van Sciver (Harris), Todd Tochioka (Image), Jenni Gregory (Caliber), Mike Leonard (Caliber), Mario Cimadavilla (High Impact), Juan Alcantara (Marvel, High Impact), Rick Buckler Jr. (Topps, CFD), Larry Welch (Malibu, Marvel), Rusty Gilligan (Marvel, Heavy Metal), and incredible newcomers including JoAnne Starer (Harris), Steven Williams (M.A.I.N. columnist), Michael Waterman (Oracle), and Bill Fountain. -Included in the book are special looks at Awesome's "Judgement Day" and Antarctic Press' "Areala" characters, and, a first-ever look at "Symbol" (a character created for Marvel 12 yrs ago) that will soon get it's own series from M.A.I.N. **************************************************************** **Sex Drive #1 (ADULT comic book) cover price: $2 flip color covers, 36 B&W internal pages Flip-cover artwork: "Captain Fortune/Demi" by Ron Fontes, and "Tattoo Girlz" by Mike Watson. -Description: (same as Test Drive above, but for the mature/adult industry) -Line-up... Ron Fontes (Rip Off Press' "Capt. Fortune"), Rick Buckler Jr. (Topps, CFD), Juan Alcantara (Marvel, Death Comics), Rusty Gilligan (Marvel, Heavy Metal), E. M. Ton (the mysterious adult pin-up/ comic artist), and, an incredible crop of newcomers including Michael Waterman (Oracle), and Mike Watson (Oracle). -Included in the book are special previews of Rip Off Press' "Capt. Fortune/Demi The Demoness crossover", the first appearance of Oracle's new "Tattoo Girlz" comic, and pin-ups from Death Comics' new "The Erotic Art Of E. M. Ton" comic, and, a first-ever look at "Maid Service" that will soon get it's own one-shot from M.A.I.N. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -All books will now come with M.A.I.N.'s personal seal EMBOSSED on each cover !! Contact M.A.I.N. Magazine at: (702) 226-HERO, (702) 436-3227 fax, e-mail, or http://members.aol.com/maineditor/main.html +++++ From Michael Doran's NEWSARAMA, exclusively on MANIA's Web Page: Scott Lobdell told Mike that the Fantastic Four will not be returning to their skyscraper digs after they return to the Marvel Universe, heading instead to the waterfront. Will the THUNDERBOLTS remain in 4 Freedom Plaza? Kurt says to check out issue #10 of that mag. ++++ ED McGUINESS, penciller of DEADPOOL is leaving for the AWESOME assignment of a 4 issue mini-series, FIGHTING AMERICAN [courts willing of course-DL]. No ship date is set [fighting the urge to editorialize here ;>] ++++ Gary Frank will become the new penciller on GEN13 starting December. John Arcudi is the new writer, and Cam Smith inks. The three begin a 10 pager in #25 (a 40 page NEW HORIZONS issue) and solo as a team in #26. Frank will also do covers for STORMWATCH Volume 2. ++++ Len Kaminski and Mark McKone will redefine Marvel's 2099 Universe early in 1998 with a 48 page special called 2099: MANIFEST DESTINY. Each of the former 2099 creators were asked for input and one wish they of things to fix from the old series. ++++ both Jason Liebig, and Bob Harras have flaty denied rumors that X-FACTOR and EXCALIBUR will be cancelled ++++ Paul Smith and Adam Hughes will each contribute a variant cover to WILDC.A.T.s/X-MEN: THE MODERN AGE +++ Matt Broome is scheduled to pencil the DARK AGE volume of that mini series +++ John Byrne and Sal Buscema are doing a DARKSEID one shot for DC's Villain's Week ++ THE CRYPTIC WRITINGS OF MEGADEATH has been pushed back to August 29th +++++ DIAMOND has updated the SPLASH page on its web page with info on next weeks issue of PREVIEWS. Here is a small peak at items to look for: NiGHT Falls at Archie Archie Comics has already proven itself adept at adapting video games to the unique comic book format. Their Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles titles are unqualified successes, thrilling players of those games and novices alike with adventures that round out the characters from the cyber-realm. This month, Archie works its magic again, with NiGHTS Into Dreams, an adaptation of the latest Sega mega-hit. In the comic, two kids named Claris and Elliot learn that they have the same rare dream force, which allows them to transform into a magical character:NiGHTS. Now they are charged with defending the beautiful realm of Nightopia from the evil, nightmarish forces of Wizeman! In the course of doing so, they must face creatures such as Jackle (a giant magician who hurls cards) and Puffy (a bulbous opera-diva!). Talk about your nightmares! Archie's previous video game titles have been massive successes, with multiple spin-offs and specials. Look for NiGHTS Into Dreams to follow that same path...and look for it in the Comics section! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overstreet Price Guide Update! During the summer convention season, as comic book price guide guru Bob Overstreet travelled the country, fans and retailers and collectors and comic book people of every stripe had one question for him. "When are you going to put out an update?" The Overstreet Price Guide Update was always a part of Overstreet's FAN, the monthly magazine that was cancelled a few months back due to the changing marketplace. But those who rely on such things as their monthly dose of updates have mourned its loss ever since. So in response, Overstreet is happy to announce that Comic Book Marketplace #54 will feature a special Holiday Price Update! The latest trends, the hottest books; these are the hallmarks of the Guide, and they are in full force in this special edition. If you've been waiting for Bob Overstreet's take on the change in value over the past few months, wait no more! Snatch up your copy of CBM #54 and get the latest and greatest info direct from the source! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pulp Fiction...Japanese Style! Manga, like comics, isn't just for kids. Of course, the Japanese have always known that, but in America—where manga is usually synonymous with anime and stuff like Speed Racer or Ranma—manga tends to be labelled as "kid's stuff." Maybe its the softer, rounder art style. Or the emphasis on action and robots and the like. But no one could mistake Pulp for kid's stuff. Pulp is the latest title from Viz, the same people who bring you manga classics such as Maison Ikkoku and Battle Angel Alita. Designed to bring you sophisticated, adult entertainment, Pulp spans the gamut of genres, with gritty super-hero action in "Black and White," sexual peccadilloes in "Dance Till Tomorrow," tough crime drama in "Strain," and more. The roster of talent in Pulp is like a who's who of Japanese comic book superstars Buronson, Ryoichi Ikegami, Taiyo Matsumoto, Naoki Yamamoto, and others. Each issue of the anthology contains 5 to 6 stories, each an installment in a larger serial. And since the issues weigh in at a whopping 128 pages, you're not getting ripped off with a 6 or 8 page installment each month—you get a full-size complement of your favorite manga! Check it out under Viz in the Comics section. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Penny of the Century After a year of special projects, Jaime Hernandez is hard at work on his first post-Love and Rockets ongoing comic book series, Penny Century. Longtime L&R fans will remember Penny as the gorgeous bon vivant friend of Maggie and Hopey, and wife of the enigmatic H. R. Costigan, using her wealth to live the life of a super-heroine. Hernandez is quick to point out, however, that the series' title refers more to a mood to define the years ahead. "It's the end of the century and the beginning of a new millennium," says Jaime. "The possibilities are endless and that's the feeling I'm trying to convey: in Penny Century, anything can happen." The first issue features one main story as well as several back-ups, with a cast of familiar favorites from Jaime's L&R days. New fans, fear not, though—you don't have to be conversant with Jaime's impressive run on L&R in order to enjoy Penny Century. The series stands on its own, with new characters and ideas that make it almost like an anthology by a single cartoonist. Hernandez promises many surprises and plenty of excitement in the future. Hop on board now—you'll find Penny Century under Fantagraphics in the Comics section. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vampirella: Ascending Cool Grant Morrison has made a name for himself many times over, with avant garde interpretations of Animal Man and the Doom Patrol, as well as an intense vision of the world in The Invisibles and a powerful look at classic super-heroes in JLA. Now he prepares to take on a completely new kind of character and leave his own indelible mark on...Vampirella. Harris' Girl from Drakulon gets a new monthly series beginning this month, as Morrison and his frequent writing partner Mark Millar team up with the art team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti to tell the ongoing adventures of the raven-haired beauty. The new title, Vampirella: Ascending Evil, kicks off with a powerful and intriguing tale. It seems vampires across the country are replacing organized crime figures with their own, intent on using criminals to track down and kill their sworn enemy, Vampirella! The stakes have never been greater...or sharper, we'd imagine! Tune in to the new adventures of Vampirella under Harris in the Comics section! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Father & Son Moving Jeff Nicholson's hilarious and instructive Father and Son moves to Caliber this month. Previously published by Nicholson's own Bad Habit, the book starts over with a new #1. The tale of a father and son who struggle to deal with generational differences (with both shocks and amusement in store for the reader), Father and Son is an electrifying read that may be a little to true for comfort! Ain't No Replacing This God! Amaze Ink, the original publisher of Replacement God, is issuing a trade paperback that collects the first eight issues of the series. These are the issues for which creator Zander Cannon was nominated for a Harvey Award, and they're tough to find! With no new printings planned for the future, this is the best way to catch up on stories you may have missed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a service to you, the dedicated Previews reader, we offer this rundown of the upcoming conventions. This listing runs from September to November - look for an update next issue! (NOTE: Items that are bold are either new or have changed since last month.) SHOW DATE LOCATION 4th Annual Small Press Expo September 19-21 Bethesda, MD Big Apple Comic Con September 19-20 New York, NY Denver Comic Con September 28 Denver, CO Frankfurt Book Fair October 15-20 Frankfurt, Germany Dynamic Forces October 24-26 New York, NY Big Apple Comic Con November 22 New York, NY Mid-Ohio Con November 19-30 Columbus, OH ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Mini Comics John E. Thompson drippan@ns.kensco.net Well it has been a slow week here at "casa de Thompson" mail wise and I haven't gotten much to review for this column. Thus, since I had planned on doing a special column devoted to some of the fine selection of mini comics printed by Starhead Comix this seems like as good a time as any. So here we go! Starhead Comix is a Seattle, Washington based publisher of mini (and some stunning full sized) comics headed by Michael Dowers. Most of the books produced by Starhead are at least two color print jobs and are very professional. A number of established professionals have done comics for Starhead, including Peter Bagge, J.R. Williams, Roberta Gregory, and Jim Woodring to name a few. Starhead also produces a volume of reprinted "Tijuana Bibles" (8 page comics produced in the late 1940's that portrayed favorite comic strip and book characters in sexual situations), full sized comics, squarebound books (including the highly recommended "The Hidden World" by Jon Strongbow), T-shirts, and trading card sets. The following mini comics reviewed are all available from Starhead at the price listed next to the title. There is also a catalogue available from Starhead for a first class stamp! Testosterone City- by Peter Bagge (16 page digest $1.50) >From the creator of "Hate!" comes a swell 16 page digest that includes a "Warning to all chicks: Reading this book could make you pregnant!" Features Bagge's trademark artwork and a nice two color print job! Eat Shit Or Die!- by Peter Bagge and J.R. Williams (8 page mini, $1.00 postpaid) A collaboration between two of America's premier alternative cartoonists. A horrid tale in the grand tradition of E.C.'s "Tales..." series. Beautifully printed in two colors and a swell bargain for the price! Little Big Mouth - by Pat Moriarity and Jay Lynch (8 page mini, $1.00 postpaid) Lynch joins Moriarity's parade of artists as he illustrates a dream of Moriarity's. One of the best mini comics ever produced and two colors to boot! Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks! - by Art Penn (8 page mini, $1.00 postpaid) The work of Art Penn is just incredible to look at with it's highly detailed craftsmanship and coupled with the material of this mini makes this a wonderful piece of work. Real suicide notes illustrated by Art! Another fine two-color work! Jesus Delivers - by Jim Woodring and David Lasky (16 page, pamphlet sized mini, $1.00) A great take on the religious pamphlets of Jack T. Chick which shows a family in the far east as they deal with their son's recent conversion to Christianity by a missionary. A nicely told tale and also helps you to see things from another perspective. Die Laughing - by J.R. Williams (8 page mini, $1.00 postpaid) A modern mini comic classic featuring J.R. William's Barfo The Clown. Another swell two color job from Starhead! Unless otherwise marked postpaid, please include $2.00 for the first 1-4 books ordered or $4.00 for five or more. Canadian orders include $3.00 for the first 1-4 books, $5.00 for five or more, and foreign orders add $5.00 for 1-4 books, $7.50 for five or more. On postpaid items European orders must include $2.00 extra. Please allow 2 - 4 weeks for delivery. Please send your orders to: Starhead Comix P.O. Box 30044 Seattle, WA 98103 I strongly urge all you comic fans to give these and other mini comics a try. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised! If you publish your own mini comics feel free to send them this way for possible review in this column! And while you're surfing the web visit these mini comic related web sites: Comic Book Clearing House http://www.sonic.net/~comix Edward Coyne's Industrial Industries http://member.aol.com/jakees1/Eddiec.htm Mini Comix Review http://members.tripod.com/~MiniComix/ Remember that the "Name the Column Contest" is still going on until August the 31st so enter now and win mini comics, regular comics, and even a page of original artwork from yours truly! If you have any comics for review please mail them to: John E. Thompson 1205 E. St. Clair Vincennes, IN 47591 and visit my site at: http://www.kensco.net/~drippan Have a great weekend! [Special Note: We review JOHN's own product this issue in MY VIEW] ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] SOME PAGES, A COVER, AND A FEW STAPLES Marlan Harris MAR93@aol.com GODDESS (DC/ Vertigo) One of Garth Ennis's older projects, published last year. It's typical Garth Ennis stuff: pissed off characters (here, mostly Irish, with one very pissed off American FBI agent) and pages upon pages of violence, committed with everything from fists to guns to staplers. You can see how some of these themes and ideas wound up in PREACHER, but this is still a good read in its own right, if not only for the gorgeous Phil Winslade art. ALPHA FLIGHT (Marvel) Marvel is attempting to recover their market share by pushing out tons of new series, with corresponding tons of #1s (feels like '92 all over again). We've been given a few good but not great series, like THUNDERBOLTS, KA-ZAR, and DEADPOOL- nothing special. We've also been given some dogs, like (the long awaited and not worth the wait) HEROES FOR HIRE and ALPHA FLIGHT. I don't understand how Scott Clark gets work, with Wildstorm or Marvel. His characters' faces look all the same and his sense of anatomy and perspective is wrong wrong wrong. My one idea is that Marvel is trying to lure Image readers over with his art, which is more of the same on this title. Steve Seagle, a good writer in his own right, isn't given much to work with. A lot of the plot development revolves around two characters, Vindicator and Puck (PUCK- of all characters), and the rest of the characters, who would be more comfortable in a Maximum Press comic, blend into a very boring background. My one hope is that this title won't be dragged out as many issues as the previous ALPHA FLIGHT series. ALEX TOTH: BY DESIGN (Gold Medal Productions) A damn fine book. For those of you not in the know, Alex Toth created Space Ghost and the Herculoids, and designed the look of the Superfriends for the animated TV show, just to name a minuscule few of his creations. This thick tome of a book includes back story on his many creations, and hundreds of original design sketches. It also serves as a handbook on animation production and storyboarding. The stuff on THE SUPERFRIENDS (mar's #1 TV show of ALL TIME) is just incredible. If you've ever been even a little bit of a SUPERFRIENDS or SPACE GHOST fan, and thereby an Alex Toth fan, you MUST purchase this book. In response to David Coulter (DneColt@aol.com)’s column from a few weeks ago: My personal favorite Batman artist is John Byrne. He draws Batman as a MAN, not a shadow, or a wraith, or a goofball. His is a simple rendition of the hero, with more blue in the cape and cowl than black. Yes, Byrne has never done an extended Batman story, but every once in a while when he draws the character, it's breathtaking. And THE MAN OF STEEL #3 still ranks as one of my most favorite Batman stories of all time (Batman as the hero detective, rather than the overplayed brooding avenger that we see so much of anyway.) Marlan Harris e-mail me! but be aware that whatever you say may be reprinted in a future column. mar93@aol.com visit my web page! It's an amazing waste of time! Http://members.aol.com/mar93/BoneMachine.html ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] And let me tell you why ... David Coulter DneColt@aol.com So anyway, several issues ago I promised you The Confessions of an Aging Fanboy, and here it is! Never let it be said that the staff here at "And let me tell you why" doesn't deliver! I finally worked my way though the backlog of comics I built up over my vacation, one of which was Legionnaires #52 -- and this is MY Legion column (everyone else has done one -- now it's my turn). Now, if you aren't -- or never were -- a Legion of Superheroes fan, you can quit reading now ... I'll see you next week. But if you are, keep reading. I suspect most of you are still reading because I think it's tough not to be a comics fan and avoid, at one time or another, getting hooked on the Legion of Superheroes. It's a touchstone for all comic fan s. I think this is because the Legion has been, over the years, the most fan-oriented book around. Used to be fans would suggest new members and villains, and fans still get to vote on leader every year (I wonder, having finished Legionnaires #53 last night, if they're going to bring back the fan-designed "Dial 'H' For Hero" idea?) I've been a Legion fan since wa-a-a-a-a-ay back when -- I started around the same time Mike Grell did (sometime around Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes #200). And since that time I've been around through thick and thin (thick being the Great Darkness Saga, and thin being not long after -- Giffen's big Munoz phase during the adult Legion stories -- "a mouth, a mouth, my kingdom for a mouth!"), I've also managed, though conventions and the first two DC Legion Archive Editions, to amass a complete run of the Legion from the early days until the present -- which I consider one of the jewels of my collection. My opinion of the new Legion is, like Marlan's, pretty ambivalent. There have been far worse incarnations than the present one. And, quite honestly, if any continuity was in need of some fixing up, it was the Legion's. I mean, you've got a book set in the future whose main character (Superboy), was the youthful version of a present day character, both having concurrent adventures -- talk about a recipe for disaster! That said, I must point out that I have a soft spot for the Legion's screwed-up continuity and -- especially -- for all the goofy character like Matter-Eater Lad, Bouncing Boy, and the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and I hate to see them go. Soft spots, I think, are what being a Legion Fan is all about. Somehow -- I don't pretend to understand how -- out of this mess of screwy time-travel paradoxes, bad sci-fi, and characters with stupid powers (super-bouncing? super-karate?), and bad hair (remember Night Girls bouffant?) came this series that people love. And everyone who's a Legion fan gets enamored of one of the teams goofier members -- how else can you explain the longevity of a character like Matter-Eater Lad? He was a one-joke character who should have been beamed into a wall years ago. But someone working on the book, be they writer or artist, at some point inevitably says "hey, what about Matter-Eater Lad? He was great!" And there he is. The Legionnaires have gone through some changes over the years, mostly of the cosmetic variety. I don't get as bent out of shape when someone messes a comic character I like as I used to, oh, say, 15 years ago, and I've been pretty content to sit back and watch Waid and Moder and Peyer and Stern re-too l the Legion without losing a lot of sleep. But after Legionnaires #52, I have to add my 2c. I can't believe Colossal Boy is really dead. See, Colossal Boy (or Leviathan, or whoever) is MY favorite Legionnaire. Giant-sized characters have always appealed to me, since -- a scrawny 4th-grader who happened to bee abnormally tall -- it was very comforting to see a tallness as a superpower instead of as something freaky. I thought he was pretty cool. And now he's dead. I know the Legion has a noble tradition of dead characters -- Ferro Lad, Chemical King, Invisible Kid being the old "holy trinity" -- it's one of the things that makes the series what it is. But why'd they have to kill MY guy? I know that Colossal Boy never even showed his colossal face once during the five years of the Giffen/T&M Bierbaum adult Legion stories -- but at least he wasn't DEAD (at least, I don't think he was!). I also know that this is comic books, and no one stays REALLY dead for very long -- except Bucky, Uncle Ben, and the Waynes -- but you can get close. On an AOL message board a few weeks back, I saw someone -- Kurt Busiek, I think -- respond this way when asked if a character was "really" dead: "As long as I'm writing the book, he's dead." That's about as dead as you can get in comics. Also about as dead as you can get is when they take your powers and your name and give them to someone else (although I'm still keeping the flame for Hal Jordan and Ollie Queen) -- which is what happened in Legionnaires #52. And to add insult to injury, Gim Allon's replacement is .... Shrinking Violet? Please tell me this is a joke. Now, I know full well that, eventually, things will change. The great wheel will come full circle, and Colossal Boy will probably return. I also know the Legion will reboot again -- maybe as senior citizens -- or babies. But for right now, I have to live with the realization that, after years of dodging the bullet -- I've become a fanboy. After all those years of laughing at the guys who follow editors and writers around conventions and demand they bring back Beppo the Supermonkey and Ace the Bathound -- I'm one of THEM. Before you know it, I'll be doing a one-man letter-writing campaign demanding they bring back the Legion Of Super-Pets -- after all, Proty's still around, and -- if I don't miss my guess -- Comet the Superhorse is making a comeback in Supergirl. All we need now is to bring back Streaky the Super-Cat and Krypto and we'll have a ball team. Wanna join my Detective Chimp Fan Club? Comments? Criticisms? Flames? DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Comic Abstracts John Barker jbarker@i-traffic.com What If Part 1: The What If?' comic has always had limitless potential. Though it's become the kind of thing that's put out without much thought to making it great. How often do you see a title with huge title slowly (but surely) diminish over the course of its run. Anyway, Here's some "What If?" material that I'd like to see: What if ... Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess did a 6-six issue run of the X-Men? And subsequently, they made it really worth reading? What if ... The Spider-Man Clone Saga had gone over well, and in 1997 comic fans were celebrating the "Year of Ben Reilly"? What if ... The editors of Marvel decided NOT to have the X-Men do the annual "anti-mutie paranoia" storyline, and focus on something worth reading? Maybe that's too far fetched. What if ... Spider-Man went beyond the moral message of "with great power comes great responsibility" to tackle storylines that meant something beyond light-weight fluff? What if ... Karl Kesel continued on with Daredevil? Sigh... What if ... Galactus farted? In addition to having B.O.? What if ... The "New Universe" as introduced by Jim Shooter went on to eclipse the popularity of current Marvel Universe? What if ... Thor DIDN'T have to hide his homosexuality from his friends, peers, enemies (and readers)? What if ... Marvel left it's mitts off the decidedly Frank Miller character of Elektra? What if ... The Avengers, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and Captain America were shot into a "pocket universe" that thoroughly screwed up continuity, but allowed some former Marvel talent to reboot/cash-in on some old icons? Wait! I wasn't serious! Of course the Marvel Universe hasn't run dry of stories to tell and messages to convey. Not by a long shot. They've done their fair share of mistakes, so I'm hoping in a couple years there will be some stories worth reading. John S. Barker http://www.inch.com/~jbarker ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] The Pen Is Mightier... Brian Matus bmatus@suffolk.lib.ny.us UPS anecdotes...Someone who was recently laid off by UPS was called back three days before the strike. So instead of being able to collect unemployment (which he was entitled to), he worked for a couple of days and then was forced to go on strike with the rest of the union, thereby eliminating his eligibility for unemployment. Cute, huh? I was also told (by someone else) that none of the other carriers (RPS, FedEx, etc.) were accepting any new accounts, which basically means that anyone who was shipping through UPS exclusively was sitting at their warehouse staring at boxes of product that they couldn't move until the strike was settled. All of the companies that ship (or distribute) their books exclusively through one company should learn a lesson from this. Marvel has a lot of nerve taking anyone to court over copyright infringement. The X-Men, and all of its' subsidiaries, is just a rip off of the original Doom Patrol (the 1960's version), right down to the intelligent leader in a wheelchair that dispatches a team of misfits to defend a world which despises them. The Fantastic Four is an admitted rip off of the Justice League, although I think the Avengers is more of a rip off than the FF. Of course, the argument can be made that every super-team is a variation of the JLA/JSA archetype. Thor, Hercules, Loki, Odin, The Valkyrie, etc. are all "borrowed" from traditional mythology. Much of Dr. Strange's cosmogony is "borrowed" from H.P. Lovecraft. The Punisher was "inspired" by Don Pendleton's "The Executioner" series of novels. The Hulk is the original What If?: What if a werewolf turned into Frankenstien's Monster? Ghost Rider is an updating of the Faust legend mixed with Jack Kirby's Demon. Morbius is Dracula, only less charming. Werewolf By Night should be obvious. Ka-Zar kinda reminds me of Tarzan. (Even the names are similar) Every teen group since the New Mutants is a take on the Teen Titans. The three main silver age stories from Marvel, radiation/science altering humans, alien invasions, and the red menace, are all cribbed from 1950's sci-fi and horror movies. This accounts for most Avengers, FF, Hulk, Spider-Man, and X-Men stories, their rogues galleries, and their origins. Here are some more examples: Marvel character DC Predecessor Bucky = Robin Mr. Fantastic = Plastic Man Quicksilver = The Flash Hawkeye = Green Arrow Antman = The Atom Angel = Hawkman The Falcon = Hawkman The Vulture = Hawkman Dr. Strange = Dr. Fate Sgt. Fury = Sgt. Rock Daredevil = Batman Moon Knight = Batman The Black Cat = Catwoman Man-Thing = Swamp-Thing Black Panther = Wildcat Black Knight = Shining Knight Iron Man = Robotman (Doom Patrol) The Jester = The Joker The Mandarin = Green Lantern Iron Fist = Karate Kid (LSH) I'm sure there are many more I've missed, and I didn't even take into account Marvel's motto "if one is good, more are better", which has led to ever growing numbers x-books, spider-books, spin-offs (books and characters), and guest appearances every month. And the moral of this story: attack Image for what's wrong with their books, not because they're not as "original" as Marvel. PS: I know Plastic Man wasn't originally published by DC, but they own the character now, and the point is Marvel's lack of originality, not who they stole from, okay? Brian bmatus@suffolk.lib.ny.us ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] My View David LeBlanc My View David LeBlanc DRIPPAN COMIX http://www.kensco.net John Thompson drippan@ns.kensco.net 1205 E. St. Clair Vincennes, IN 47591 For a complete illustrated catalogue mail a S.A.S.E. Mini-comics are $1.25 each postpaid for check, money order made out to John Thompson, or well hidden cash. John sent me two mini-comics and they are quite different from each other. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT #1 24 pages $1.25 by Fyodor Dostoevsky adapted by John E. Thompson. I must admit I never read the book or any comic adaptation so I am going in blind. This is an apparently serious effort to do this work in mini-comic form and is complete with footnote references and a chronology of the life of Dostoevsky. Having said that, it took a while for it to sink in as the main character looks like Sluggo, the drunk Marmeladov is Popeye, his daughter is Nancy, and well every character is patterned after some famous comic strip character. You might think it would distract from the story, but after a while it seems just as easy as if he had drawn them as regular people - except for the pawnbroker who somehow is an animal. In the first book our hero, Raskolinkov pawns his father's watch and then ends up in a pub where he meets Popeye, er, Marmeladov, a government employee who has remarried only to ruin his life with drink. His daughter is now a prostitute and his wife has tuberculosis. He sold his clothes and took the rent money for more drink and brings Raskolinkov home with him to witness the marital discord that results. As I said, this is done with an eye on telling the actual story, at least as far as I know it is, and for the craft of scripting, sequential storytelling and art style this is an outstanding min-comic. Certainly worth the money to encourage more of the same. ACTION COP #1 "Solid Gold" By John E. Thompson He's one cool cat! He's a homicide detective who wrecks so many cars he drives a scooter now. Tooling downtown he investigates a murder at the E-Retro Playhouse where the show being staged is "Solid Gold The Musical". Suddenly our hero, and yours truly, has a flashback to those long gone days when the weekly top 10 played while dancers gyrated on the television. Anyway, Action cop remembers bugging his old friend, now his arch enemy, about wanting to be a Solid Gold dancer some day only to have him instead become the evil Doctor Beanhead. Coincidence? I don't think so. Action Cop stakes out the theatre after questioning all the cast and finds a likely suspect on stage. How it ends will cost you the price of the comic. Again the art work is above par for a mini. I got a big kick out of the little bits of humor and the memory of those days when top 40 was king of the airwaves and mainstream america tuned in to see what the new #1 song might be. I just wanted to watch the babes dance. Drippan has two solid products with these. If you are so inclined, at least send for the catalogue and check it out. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] New Comic Book Releases List by Charles LePage ncrl@mediaone.net +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl NCRL: New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 8/27/97, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the >>*preliminary*<< list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Monday evening, at rec.arts.comics.info, http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl, and Compuserve's Comics Publishers Forum. Last updated Monday, August 18, 1997 5:56:18 PM "TPB" means "trade paperback". "AA" means "available again". "S/N" means "signed/numbered". PUBLISHER, TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS ACCLAIM MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER #8 (001)",2.5 NINJAK #10 (001)",2.5 TRINITY ANGELS #5 (001)",2.5 TROUBLEMAKERS #9 (001)",2.5 ARCHIE ARCHIE #465",1.5 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIG #68",2.79 SONIC SUPER SPECIAL #1 BRAVE NEW WORLD",2 VERONICA #69",1.5 AWESOME FIGHTING AMERICAN #1 (001)",2.5 COMIC SHOP NEWS COMIC SHOP NEWS #532 DC ACTION COMICS #738 (001)",1.95 BATGIRL STATUE",195 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #99 (001)",1.95 BATMAN SHADOW OF THE BAT ANNUAL #5 (001)",3.95 BATMAN SPIDER-MAN (001)",4.95 BIRDS OF PREY WOLVES (001)",2.95 BLOODY MARY LADY LIBERTY #2 (001)",2.5 CATWOMAN #50 COLL ED (001)",2.95 CATWOMAN #50 STANDARD ED (001)",2.95 CATWOMAN POSTER (001)",5.95 ESSENTIAL VERTIGO SWAMP THING #12 (MR) (001)",3.5 GENESIS #4 (Of 4) (001)",1.95 GON SWIMMIN TP (Caut 3)",6.95 GROSS POINT #3",2.5 HELLBLAZER #118 (MR) (001)",2.25 HITMAN ANNUAL #1 (001)",3.95 HOUSE OF SECRETS #13 (MR) (001)",2.5 INVISIBLES VOL 2 #9 (MR) (001)",2.5 JLA #11 (001)",1.95 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #97 (001)",2.25 PREACHER PROUD AMERICANS TP (MR) (001)",14.95 ROBIN #46 (001)",1.95 SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE #55 (MR) (001)",2.5 SPECTRE #58 (001)",2.5 SUPERBOY & THE RAVERS #14 (001)",1.95 SUPERBOY PLUS #2 (001)",2.95 TEEN TITANS #13 (001)",1.95 WONDER WOMAN #126 (001)",1.95 XERO #6 (001)",1.75 IBOX THIEVES & KINGS #18",2.35 IMAGE AMANDA AND GUNN #3",2.95 DARKNESS COLL ED #2",4.95 DEATHBLOW WOLVERINE TP",8.95 GEN 13 BOOTLEG PT #10",2.5 GRIFTER #14",2.5 HELLSHOCK #3 (001)",2.5 MAGE THE HERO DEFINED #2",2.5 MEGAHURTZ #1",2.95 WEAPON ZERO #14",2.5 WILDCATS #1 3D ED",4.95 WILDCATS X-MEN THE MODERN AGE #1 COVER A",4.5 WILDCATS X-MEN THE MODERN AGE #1 COVER B",4.5 MARVEL COLOSSUS #1",2.99 DEADPOOL #9",1.99 ELEKTRA #11",1.99 FANTASTIC FOUR #12 (Note Price)",2.99 GAMBIT #2 (Of 4)",2.5 GENERATION X 97",2.99 MARVEL VISION #23",1.99 SILVER SURFER #132",1.99 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #250",3.25 STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE #10",1.99 STAR TREK STARFLEET ACADEMY #11",1.99 STAR TREK VOYAGER #10 (RES)",1.99 THUNDERBOLTS #7",1.99 VENOM SIGN OF THE BOSS #2 (Of 2)",1.99 WOLVERINE #117",1.99 X-FORCE #70",1.99 TOPPS X-FILES SEASON ONE PILOT EPISODE (RES)",4.95 XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS #1 REG",2.95 XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS #1 PHOTO CVR",2.95 STRANGERS IN PARADISE GOLD LOGO EDITION #3 (OF 3) (MR)",2.75 BONE ENCORE ED #22",2.95 DEADBEATS #25",2.5 ANGEL FIRE #2 (RES)",2.95 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL DREAMSONG #2 (Of 7) (MR)",2.95 USAGI YOJIMBO #13 (GRASSCUTTER #1) (001)",2.95 ASH CINDER AND SMOKE #3 RAMOS COVER (Of 6)",2.95 ASH CINDER AND SMOKE #3 QUESADA COVER (Of 6)",2.95 GHOST WORLD HC (MR) (001)",19.95 LOVE & ROCKETS VOL 15 HERNANDEZ SATYRICON HC (MR)",34.95 LOVE & ROCKETS VOL 15 HERNANDEZ SATYRICON SIGNED HC (MR",39.95 LOVE & ROCKETS VOL 15 HERNANDEZ SATYRICON SC VOLUME (MR",18.95 LOVE & ROCKETS VOLUME 12 POISON RIVER 2ND PRINTING (MR)",19.95 THEATRE OF CRUELTY (MR)",9.95 FANGS OF THE WIDOW #13 (MR) (001)",3 TOP SHELF VOL 1 #5",6.95 EVERWINDS #1",2.95 SKELETON KEY #25",1.75 SPIN WORLD #2",2.95 BUCK GODOT ZAP GUN FOR HIRE #7",2.95 EAT-MAN #1 (Of 6) (001)",2.95 METAL GUARDIAN FAUST #6 (Of 8) (001)",2.95 RANMA 1/2 PT 6 #9 (Of 14) (001)",2.95 SAMURAI SHODOWN TP (001)",15.95 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our e-mag, simply E-mail it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com If you have access to the ComicBook Net, submit your articles for consideration in any ComicBook Net conference and leave me a message in the CBN: E-Mag conference giving me permission to use the article. Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and will get included when submitted from sources outside of CBN, they are not excluded off hand. We give more consideration to reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If You write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of anything it will almost always be printed so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but anything sent to us will be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the FREE subscription list. THE CBN WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as an annotated index and all back issues. You'll also find important information on how to join the conversation in the ComicBook Net, and other neat features like newly released comic book graphics, links to Jeff Mason's lists of Comic Book Company addresses and Comic Professionals Email addresses, details of upcoming conventions around the country, plus other Comic Book related Web pages! LOCATING EMAG ISSUES -------------------- The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into The ComicBook Network. You can also find the back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: COMICS, then choose the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. Most issues should also be available on Compuserve, Genie, as well as some non CBN affiliated Bulletin Board Systems. All back issues are also available on our World Wide Web page. COPYRIGHTS ---------- The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published by the many participants of The ComicBook Network. This is a compilation of articles and columns which were originally posted in the network's conferences or written specifically for this electronic magazine. Some articles are independent of any connection with CBN and are used with permission. All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The ComicBook Network. Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine (CBEM) is Copyright 1997 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or duplicate this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Please do not distribute except as the complete file as originally transmitted by The ComicBook Network. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [B] How to join the COMIC BOOK NETWORK (CBN) Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the continent and the world, many of them are free! Chances are, if you have a modem you have the accompanying communications software. Using the Terminal Emulation software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the many systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs). Most of the boards offer all the message echoes in the ComicBook Network... There are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention sections for general conversation, collecting, gaming and other forms of entertainment. If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer! Most if not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download a .QWK packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called an offline mail reader. You can read & write messages at your leisure, and then upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your local BBS. There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every type of computer system. They all give you a better explanation in their documentation than I can. These programs are available all over the Internet and are free to download from most BBS's. I recommend SLMR or OLX-TD, shareware programs for DOS, to get started. These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is LESS THAN $.75! See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial information services available! :) So what else can you find on free BBS systems? There are plenty of files for specific types of computers. Some systems also offer other types of message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes like sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc. And, let's not forget online games. Join into the many different multiplayer games, each system sports different challenges. There's nothing like becoming the most powerful being in a online adventure! And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to ALL, and introduce yourself to us! You're guaranteed to get plenty of replies and all the help you need to join in the fun! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [C] BBSes Linked into CBN Here's the most up-to-date node listing for the COMIC BOOK NETWORK CBN Node Board Name Sysop Phone ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 23:102/1 The Congressional BBS Jeff Floyd 1-912-929-3762 23:103/1 Karate & Comics &... Robert Wood 1-501-968-3910 23:103/2 The Factory Rick Brewer 1-901-885-9647 23:103/3 The Mystic Curtis Tesch 1-501-284-5503 23:104/1 TI-Raleigh Maximus Walter Tietjen 1-919-833-3412 23:104/6 The Federal Post Frank Koza 1-910-436-2055 23:108/2 Never Never Land Wayne Bell 1-407-253-8754 23:109/1 Extreme Online Eric Cohen 1-904-363-6347 23:110/1 Steel Dog Cafe' Keith Schultz 1-904-654-9385 23:111/1 Programmers Citadel Thomas McNeill 1-904-357-0355 23:111/2 Ded Dudez Mike Burgess 1-904-343-7272 23:112/1 Information Interchange Mitchel Waas 1-305-792-9622 23:202/1 The RASTER Line Jeff Watts 1-713-568-0825 23:202/2 Dream Sequence Biju Mathai 1-713-835-0965 23:203/0 Nearly Dallas Wayne LeMonds 1-214-494-3702 23:203/2 Star Streams Michael Rudolf 1-214-938-7115 23:203/5 Way Out There Justin Pasher 1-214-680-2755 23:206/1 Snart's Dreamland Jeff Bennett 1-918-371-0980 23:206/2 CompuMate Danny Pelletier 1-918-663-3454 23:206/4 The Round Table Garett Merrill 1-918-274-0775 23:207/1 Young Blood T.J. Gohl 1-817-699-2254 23:208/1 Beggar's Forum IV Lonnie Johnson 1-405-787-2540 23:208/2 Beggar's Forum IV Lonnie Johnson 1-405-787-2557 23:400/1 Starbase : RED DWARF John Dragun 1-914-247-9601 23:401/3 Archives BBS John Viera 1-508-995-0085 23:401/7 Keystone BBS John Harris 1-508-753-3767 23:401/8 Call Again Soon Joe Johnson 1-508-791-8456 23:401/9 Muskrat & Heatwave Dennis Racine 1-508-984-4632 23:401/10 HellFire BBS Brock Cordeiro 1-508-979-8930 23:403/4 Crystal Aerie Spencer Greenwald 1-703-415-0134 23:403/6 Bifrost Kevin Carlin 1-301-779-9381 23:403/7 Vampyre Bar Darryl Pierce 1-301-698-5194 23:403/8 Womens World East BBS Net Wendy Dumser 1-301-445-1612 23:403/9 DataStorm Tarek Gordan 1-301-390-5243 23:404/3 Brickyard BBS Don Foster 1-603-332-0419 23:405/1 Asgard.TW BBS Tom Pemberton 1-516-422-4225 23:406/1 Comic Book Board William Horton 1-215-365-5225 23:406/2 Dark Lands Chris Ford 1-215-487-7315 23:407/1 Generation X Eric Sears 1-716-647-9068 23:410/1 Bergen BBS Jacob Greenberg 1-201-722-1495 23:410/2 Cyberspace Arcade Rick Smorawski 1-201-440-0563 23:410/3 Unnamed BBS Edward Di Geronimo 1-201-368-1866 23:410/4 Quantum Zone Wayne Robinson 1-201-307-9225 23:410/5 Virtual Connection Dmitry Korsun 1-201-796-7202 23:411/1 Phoenix Modernz Systems Tal Meta 1-908-830-8265 23:503/1 The Trading Post ][ Gary Ranchuk 1-519-974-2976 23:503/2 The Snake Pit BBS Mark Godard 1-519-979-4251 23:506/1 Gananoque System Mike Serson 1-613-382-1788 23:507/2 The Final Destination BBS Andy St.Pierre 1-319-359-4449 23:508/1 The Oan Citadel Brian J. Stewart 1-816-554-9733 23:509/1 Dark Knight Michael Cross 1-519-850-9929 23:509/3 Mach 1 Tomasz Heiber 1-519-457-6771 23:509/5 Stargate: Above & Beyond Paul Nicolas 1-519-472-4938 23:510/1 Warp Speed Alex Gen 1-708-776-2395 23:512/1 Rob's BBS Arcade 1 Rob Swanson 1-219-325-3655 23:512/2 Rob's BBS Arcade 2 Rob Swanson 1-219-324-4713 23:600/1 Longview On-Line! Node1 Jeanne Lejon 1-360-577-7358 23:600/2 Longview On-Line! Node2 Jeanne Lejon 1-360-577-0276 23:601/1 Alpha's Attic Robert Richards 1-206-272-8083 23:601/2 Area 51 Paul Powloski 1-206-538-9435 23:700/0 Mexico DF Net Emilio Karam 52-5-264-2994 23:700/1 The Gate Emilio Karam 52-5-264-2994 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - End of another Issue .. see ya in the fuunny papers!!