---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 216 5/28/99 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ 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! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Ramblings `99 ......................... Rich Johnston [6] Tony Isabella's Journal ............... Tony Isabella [7] Interview:Larry Young ................. Paul Dale Roberts [8] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [9] And Let Me Tell You Why ............... David Coulter [10] Stranger in a Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [11] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [12] My View: TIMESPELL .................... David LeBlanc [13] Top 100 Comics: May ................... Diamond Comics [14] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [15] HYPE! Section ......................... Various [A] Submission, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights, BBS Info ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring the exclusive comic strip: HEROES RERUN by Johnny Gonzales & a week's worth of the strip: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 with the word SUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT to be placed on the FREE subscription list. To drop it use UNSUBSCRIBE as a SUBJECT. See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 1999 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 David LeBlanc Here in the U.S.A. we celebrate another Holiday on Monday May 31. This is known as Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in war so that we could enjoy the benefits of peace. Indeed, you might not be able to read these words, nor I type them, had it not been for those who fought and died for our freedom. Regardless of your view on the justness of war, what cannot be denied is the sacrifice made by so many over the years. If this just means a long weekend for you, and nothing more, then I hope that these few words get you to think about the real reason we take the day off. And while you are at it, think about those in public service who will still be working even while the rest of us pay respect to our departed veterans. Go out of your way to thank the local cop, or fireman, nurse, doctor, and others for their dedication to doing those essential tasks when they would rather take part in our ceremonies or just have a day off like so many do. If you would like to take a little trip on the information Superhighway on your day off, check out http://www.dday.com a site dedicate to the invasion of Normandy in World War II. I am told the site does a great job in educating the viewer, especially the young, on the details and importance of that great sacrifice long ago. Or you can rent Saving Private Ryan and get a pretty good look at those days. And if you got this week's comics, you may have an extra day to enjoy some of these: DARK HORSE COMICS Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace #4 (Of 4), 2.95 World Below #3, 2.50 <-- PICK of the week! DC COMICS Flash #150, 2.95 Flinch #2, 2.50 Invisibles Volume 3 #9 (Of 12), 2.95 JLA #31, 1.99 Legion Of Super Heroes #117, 2.50 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Barry Windsor Smiths Adastra In Africa HC, 15.00 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze #4, 2.95 Mage Hero Discovered Coll Bk 5, 6.95 MARVEL COMICS Avengers #18, 1.99 Earth X #4 (Of 12), 2.99 Thunderbolts #28, 1.99 SHARKBAIT PRESS Pete The Pod Postal Worker #9, 2.95 I hope you all have a good weekend as the unofficial beginning of summer kicks off. Here is the Northeast it promises to be a beauty. Next week the mag may be late on purpose and I will likely skip the week after due to business concerns. Watch your email for news. Meanwhile, enjoy the show. 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 CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj: From Jim Warren From: warrenpc@home.com (James Warren) This past weekend at a Con in New Jersey a friend named Graig Yoe showed up unannounced to say hello. We slipped off to the hotel coffeeshop for a break. While there he casually shoved across the table "a little present for me." The "present' was a beautifully bound hardcover book, only about 6 x 9 inches, entitled "CRAIG YOE"S WEIRD BUT TRUE TOON FACTOIDS!" There was only 127 pages inside. I made the mistake of trying to flip through the pages to see what they were, before giving Graig the customary and obligatory Thank You. That was my first mistake. This is one little sumbich of a book you DO NOT flip through just to be polite. Each individual page carries three or four treasures ( comicbook/cartoon illustrations and accompanying Ripley-Believe-It-Or-Not-type factoids) about every cartoon character you love). When Craig said goodbye and left I started to read each page. Twice. Some three times. Couldn't comprehend the wealth of great, funny things I was seeing! Didn't finish it until a few hours later. Then started reading it AGAIN. Couldn't get enough of it. The second mistake was in casually showing it to a movie producer friend who is not even a big comics fan. The only reason I was able to retrieve the book was because Craig had thoughtfully inscribed it to me. And even then he fought me to keep it overnight. This incredible gem is published by Gramercy Books, a division of Random House. It's being shipped to the bookstores now or very soon. It costs, I think, less than 10 bucks. Every penny of Craig's proceeds go to charity (The Milt Gross Fund, etc.). For him it was a 32-year labor of love. For us - it's a treasure. Craig Yoe doesn't know I'm writing this. But you can tell your internet readers that if they buy this book and don't like it - they can send the book to me and I'll personally refund their purchase price. That's how sure I am that nobody will let go of this once they have it in their hands. Remember, you heard it here. Jim Warren WARREN PUBLISHING COMPANY 8115 Brookside Road Elkins Park, PA 19027-2401 E-Mail Address: warrenpc@home.com [Thanks for the tip Jim!] +++++ Subj: Reply to a letter by David Groenewegen - VENTING MY SPLEEN From: Sharky96@email.msn.com (David) I have read the recent comments and thoughts by David Groenewegen in CBEM215 regarding the Legion of Superheroes I am writing to say that I fully support his views. I have been a loyal and very keen fan of the Legion for over 20 years, having collected almost "everything Legion" that there is possible (and living here in the UK, it has been both a difficult and expensive hobby at times), but I find this current incarnation of the post Zero Hour Legion most indigestible to the point that I just had to stop supporting the two titles after issue 40 of Legionnaires. The legion has gone through many changes and directions in it's history, and while I know that the Mike Grell era was to some a bad time for the supergroup, I enjoyed it very much. I did initially have a hard time digesting Giffen's work but gradually got into it, but this current series just isn't presented and respected as a long established comicbook group should be (can you see the X-men being depicted like this?....I don't think so). The art is drawn like the characters belong in an Animaniacs cartoon series and the new perspectives of classic storylines just degrades the memory of the original story......god help us if they decide to rewrite the Great darkness Saga! Rest assured that this letter will be well travelled in the next few weeks and I will do what David suggests....I am going to complain! I feel so much more better now........ David Staines - Preston, England. E-mail: sharky96@msn.com +++++ Subj: TOO OLD FOR COMIC BOOKS?!? CBEM 215 From: astro@game-master.com (Librairie Astro) Oh my, I'm becoming a letterhack in my old age..... In CBEM 215, Johnny Gonzales made a suggetion for us retailers, and asked for comment. OK, here's mine: What is this provide a place for reading crap? We sell reading. Selling reading requires that the reader be able to browse. If you're shopping in a store that doesn't allow you to browse, FIND A DIFFERENT STORE! These are periodicals left out on a rack for sale, not diamonds in a showcase. Go into your local big box CD store. They're likely to have sampling availability. Go into your local big box bookstore, they're likely to have areas where you can not only read the books and periodicals they carry, you can probably also have a coffee while you do so. Go into some video stores and you can even sample the movies. What makes comics so special that you can't "try before you buy"? Oh yeah, they're "valuable collectibles". Bullshit. Read/browse the books. Sitting in a chair, or leaning on the bins. BROWSE. If the retailer doesn't like it, find another store. If you can't enjoy the buying experience, you might as well be buying from NextPlanetOver. Tell the retailer that. He can snivel and whine about big bad Geppi and his gnomes of Timonium all he wants. NextPlanet can't compete with a friendly environment. If your retailer doesn't provide a friendly environment, he doesn't deserve your custom. Better than NextPlanet, mail order from me. Pay for some of the damage that all the readers cause, damages that I estimate run to as much as two bucks a month. Yeah, that's how little damage is caused by allowing customers to browse/read the latest "Double-Bubblechasers #5 or the most recent copy of Uncanny X-Crement". A couple of bucks. Oh yeah, we're not all sweetness and light here. Stick bubblegum on our chairs (plastic chairs- those white ones you get for a couple of bucks at Wal-Mart), and we whack you in the head with a stick. "Browse" immobile for a sufficiently long time that the sole clerk, bouncing, jiggling, and desparate to run in the back a quick whiz, but unable to do so because the store can't be left unattended with someone in it, has a little accident, and we whack you in the head with a stick. Aside from that, we're fairly tolerant. Pacific Comics? Grab bags, sometimes sold, sometimes given away. Face it, old stuff is not perceived as fine merchandise. Think of going into a grocery store where the demo guys are offering cheese that's gone slightly off. That's a bad thing. Let the customers sample the good stuff. Oh yeah, one more thing: Never, never correct a customer's grammar, irregardless of whether or not, completely unbeknownst to himself, whose using inappropriate or even nonexistant words. Catch ya later, Paul Stock [The word is REGARDLESS - sorry, couldn't resist. - D.L.] +++++ From: Comickaze Subject: Re: CBEM 215.1 Pascal Lavoie said: > Subj: Re: Venting my spleen, CBEM #214 > From: plavoie@total.net (Pascal Lavoie) > To: david.groenewegen@lib.monash.edu.au > > There's no question that a publisher (or a TV or film producer) has to > benefit from the success of one of their productions. As you said, > they're putting their money on the line. But the creators MUST also > have a share of that success. They are putting their imagination, their > talent, their time on the line, and to me there is no question that they > should be associated with the economic life of their work... > > > Did DC ripped off Siegel and Shuster? Legally, no: they sold their > rights. But it is my deep belief that this practice is ethically wrong. I'd have to disagree because the industry just did not work that way at that time and you are looking at this situation with the benefit of knowing that Superman became a highly successful franchise, which there was no way of knowing at the time. If things worked the way you are suggesting, then every time a work of art (Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Mozart...) was auctioned off for millions of dollars, then portions of that should be given to the creators estate, which is ludicrous. They were paid for what they created and that was that. It is great that DC did compensate them further and continues to give them creator credit, but I can't understand villifying them for taking a chance on an unknown concept (a super hero), and an unknown talent who they did compensate at the current going rate for such things. That is why I created AFC Studio and am self publishing my first comic series THE END, instead of trying to sell it to somebody. It may never be a commercial success but AFC Studio will always retain the rights to it. -- Thanx, Robert Scott COMICKAZE- SD's #1 source for Comics, Cards & Video - in CA call(619)278-0371, all others(800)869-5275 Our Online Connection- http://www.comickaze.com Comic Readers Forum- http://www.delphi.com/COMICKAZEonline Comic Retailers Forum- http://www.delphi.com/retailforum/ +++++ From: Ted White Subject: Re: Your content in CBEM Dear David: You wrote, "I have purposely avoided two topics in my own writings here recently - Star Wars, and the effects/blame of the sschool shootings. It seems that these, and other "hot" stories of the moment permeate more than they need to into too much of our lives. I would rather keep to the comics." Good for you! I absolutely agree with you on this. I'm overwhelmed with both Star Wars hype and the media frenzy surrounding the ongoing school shootings (which seem to inspire each other, in a chain reaction) in which entirely too much off-the-cuff opinionating is occurring from entirely too many people who otherwise have nothing worthwhile to say. Sometimes it's nice to have a hobby one can retreat to. All best, Ted White +++++ Subj: Thanks for the review! From: grizmart@juno.com Hi David! Just wanted to drop you a quick note in thanks for reviewing Invasion of the Space Amazons from the Purple Planet. It's always satisfying to find out that there are still readers who appreciate a well-told story, with art that serves to tell that story (instead of flash for its own sake). I would certainly appreciate being able to quote this in some of our future advertising efforts. (If you choose to print this letter, I'd also like to remind interested readers that they can find samples of the art from our comics - as well as from hundreds of other self-published comics at the Comic Book Clearing House web site ( http://www.sonic.net/~comix/)) And I really enjoy the CBEM every week ... even if I've never (yet) won that trivia contest! +++++ Subj: Comments on last weeks issue From: CBPROFILES David; I just wanted to comment on last week's issue. First let me say that you have excellent taste when it comes to making your pick of the week! Seriously though, you got me started thinking about comic book related TV programs and several came to mind. I know in the few episodes of Brotherly Love I watched, staring the Lawrence brothers, there were frequent comic references. I believe in one show they actually went to a convention. Then of course the Simpsons make frequent references to comic books. Who can forget Bart and his two friends purchasing Radioactive Man #1. The other show I am reminded of is BOB, starring Bob Newhart. In the first season of the show he played a comic book artist he returns to work on his silver age creation. Of course the catch is that the character has been updated and bears little resemblance to the original version. I know that there were cameos by actual artists in that Jim Lee appeared in at least one episode. Finally, I'd like to comment on the review of "Writers on Comics Scriptwriting" by Mark Salisbury. From reading the review this is a book that I would like to get a copy of. Craig Lemon wonders why certain creators were not included. I don't know why but I can tell you about my own experiences. For every issue of Comic Book Profiles that we put out, we always get the same question, "Why didn't you interview . . ." What many people don't realize is that it is not because we did not try. Often, we are unable to contact a creator or sometimes they politely decline to participate in a particular issue. The same situation may have occurred with "Writers on Comics Scriptwriting." No matter what the reason, there still seems to be enough info there to make the book worth checking out. Now if only I could find a copy. Matt Poslusny Editor Comic Book Profiles +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! radio show info From: nuffsaid@escape.com (Nuff Said) 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. And, hopefully, on the internet at www.2600.com Tuesday, June 1, 1999 - Ed and I talk comics with the callers. We might also have a guest for part of that show. Tuesday, June 8, 1999 - Guest to be confirmed. Tuesday, June 15, 1999 - Denny O'Neil. Acclaimed writer for Charlton, Marvel and DC, current editor of the Batman books, writing teacher. We'll talk about the "relevance era," and writing & editing in general among other things. Tuesday, June 22, 1999 - Bill Schelly, author of the "Golden Age of Comics Fandom" and editor/publisher of the fanzine "Sense of Wonder." We'll discuss the origins of comics fandom and its evolution. 'Nuff Said! is itself a descendant of fanzines. Listener phone calls as well. Tuesday, June 29, 1999 - No guest. Phone calls from the listeners. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) and Ed Menje (Engineer). WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Democracy Now" and Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). WBAI is now at 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, interviewer and co-host +++++ Subj: Dr.Speck WEB SITE NEWLY UPDATED. From: Poutmouse Hi all- Just a note to say that the Dr.Speck Website has both a new address and new material! Visit Dr.Speck at: http://hometown.aol.com/speck35132/DrSpeck/DrSpeckHome.html or just go to hometwon.aol.com and look up Dr.Speck! Dr.Speck's Home page has been updated just this minute and now features not only the initial web installment: "The Sleeping City:Part 1 " but now includes its conclusion : "The Sleeping City: Part 2" and--even better, for those inclined to the mind bending side of things---"The Secret Life of Atoms"-Dr.Speck's wildest and most visually striking adventure--printed originally as Dr.Speck #4, but never distributed to comics shops( for the usual reasons). And that's not all-work continues on the next chapter in the Dr.Speck saga-"Dr.Speck # 5" and pages will be uploaded this Summer! So check it out and let me know what you think, at: speck35132@aol.com (once Poutmouse) Sincerely, Geoff Grogan ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet/emag.htm QUESTION OF THE WEEK (Prizes donated by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Worcester, MA) (DC COMICS & DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC.) +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.+ LAST ISSUE'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: TWO Face might like this one: How long, in years, months and days, did the BATMAN TV show run? Paul Mounts got it first: Two years, two months, two days. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who became the 5th member of the Fantastic Four? 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! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry 'CHASSIS' CHANGES LANES TO IMAGE COMICS! "Flying racecars, Kamikaze drivers, and zoot suit riots! Chassis -- the comic book that contains all this excitement -- and more -- will be published by Image Comics starting this fall. "Chassis is the kind of comic we like to publish at Image", said Bob Matson, the Image Comics' Director of Sales. "We're aggressively expanding our line outside of traditional superhero comics, and Chassis certainly fits that description. It's a blend of science fiction and action-adventure set in a retro-40's style near-future." "They create a unique comic book, "The potential audience is everyone in America who loves stockcar racing -- or exciting action stories. The book has good guys and bad guys -- high heroism and "dirty tricks" played by villains who want to win at any cost. But most of all, it's the story of a strong female lead character, Chassis McBain, who will appeal to men and women, alike." "We're happy to bring Chassis to the Image Comics' Winner's Circle", said William O'Neill, artist and creator of the Chassis comic. We've already published seven issues of Chassis, but we've got a lot more stories to tell. This move allows us to focus on what we already know how to do -- create a visually exciting comic book. We can leave the details of the publishing process to the professionals at Image." Image Comics is the third largest Comic Book Publisher in North America. Chassis is a retro 40's-action adventure comic book about a female rocket racecar driver. This full color comic is told in a graphic art deco style. With 2 issues published at Millennium Comics and 5 at Hurricane Entertainment, Chassis has developed a solid fan following that includes comic book readers and Nascar fans alike. Hairpin curves, cliffhanger endings and Femmes Fatales, you'll find them all in Chassis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ****Check out the Variety.com coverage of Chassis' move to Image at: http://www.variety.com/vpage/article.asp?articleID=1117502380 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For additional information contact: Jan Utstein-O'Neill, Hurricane Entertainment 11054 Ventura Blvd., Suite 117 Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 980-7721 (818) 980-9593 fax Jutstein@ix.netcom.com http://www.HurricaneC.com or Bob Matson, Image Comics 1440 N. Harbor Blvd. Suite 305 Fullerton, CA 92835 (714) 871-8802 ext. 26 (714) 871-8805 fax BobImage26@aol.com +++++ Subj: Press Release for Alex Ross From: jbowers@abatement.com (Jim Bowers) I am happy to announce that Superman artist Alex Ross will be attending the Metropolis Superman Celebration auction the evening of Saturday, June 12 in Metropolis, Illinois, Home of Superman. He is donating some of his PEACE ON EARTH original art and other original pieces to the auction that will benefit children's charities and the newly formed Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. One of the featured pieces is the "origin" page from PEACE ON EARTH that the Warner Bros. Studio Stores will be offering as a lithograph on June 11. This art will not be available at the Sotheby's PEACE ON EARTH auction taking place later in June to benefit UNICEF. There will be over 250 Superman pieces up for bids at the auction, ranging in price from $20.00 to $15,000.00. Also featured will be an original Christopher Reeve Superman costume. For more information and an advance ticket flyer contact David Olsen at Dolsen223@aol.com or Jim Bowers at Flying78@bellsouth.net (the 2 auction organizers). On Friday, June 11, there will be a fantastic film festival at the Merv Griffin Theater featuring Superman II with extended scenes, a Kirk Alyn tribute presentation, and George Reeves Superman episodes on 16mm film. Admission is free. Artists Alex Ross, Kerry Gammill, and Rick Stasi will all be on hand during the 4-day Superman celebration to sign autographs for the fans. See the Super Museum (which houses the largest Superman collection on the planet), meet the stars, and meet other Superman fans from across the country! For general celebration information, contact Becky Lambert, President of the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce at (800) 949-5740 or Metrochamber@hcis.net. +++++ A Comic Book Hero Propels Calera Wines to Cult Status in Japan; He's Not Captain Marvel But a Marvelous Wine Captain HOLLISTER, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 1999--After most wine tastings, some people gather around the wine maker to ask a few obscure questions or give some words of passing praise. At the end of one unusual set of tastings, long lines of would-be connoisseurs formed in front of the wine maker. Each person was holding an empty wine bottle, waiting for the winemaker to autograph the label. That done, they went off into the night, cradling the bottles in their arms, cherished relics which would soon hold a place of honor in their homes. These tastings were held in Japan -- three in Tokyo and two in Osaka. The wine maker was Josh Jensen, founder of Calera Winery, primarily noted for fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Jensen, whose wines are highly regarded in top wine circles, still was not prepared for this degree of adulation. In fact, Calera has become the ultimate "cult" wine in Japan and much of it has to do with an adult comic book, called a manga, where the hero isn't Captain Marvel, but a famous sommelier -- a Captain Marvel wine maven. Mangas are very popular comic-book books that flourish in Japan. The topics are varied and so the books appeal to a wide coterie of adult readers. One of the mangas is about wine, starring a hero-sommelier that not only knows about premier crus and obscure appellations, but on the side, he solves crimes and always gets the girl. In one such manga, the hero announces that he was at a tasting where he was given two wines to taste blind. One was the legendary Domaine Romainee-Conti the other was the Calera "Jensen." They tried to trick him; he described the wines and then concluded that the better one was the DRC -- but at the last minute he realized that there was only one wine similar to the DRC and that was the Calera, which he deemed the winner and saved "face." Faster than one could swirl wine in a glass, there were long lines, up to 100 persons, standing outside well-known Japanese wine shops, hoping to buy at least one bottle of Calera Pinot Noir. Ray Kaufman, Calera's distributor for Japan, credits this manga for Calera-mania, but noted that many recent developments among wine drinkers in Japan helped set the stage for this particular Pinot phenomenon. Kaufman related, "Japan has developed into a very sophisticated wine market, notably among young people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Some years ago, fine wine, whether from France or California, was terribly expensive and usually given as special V.I.P. gifts, such as prized melons costing hundreds of dollars. A few years ago, discounters come into the Japanese market, lowering the price of wines and making good California wines much more accessible. "So wine began to enter the popular culture and several factors were in favor of Calera: the idea of high quality, scarcity, 'hand made,' and the concept of the California western dream. At the same time, Japanese sommeliers were becoming very knowledgeable about fine California wines. Many top sommeliers were coming to California to add to their wine knowledge first hand. "At the same time," Kaufman notes, "the 'French paradox' hit Japan in a big way. Almost overnight Japanese wine drinkers shifted colors -- from 75 percent white wine to 80 percent red wine. By 1997, all the pro-wine elements had come together, greatly advancing the popularity of premium California red wines." Even though Calera wines were already popular in Japan, the wine manga flipped the switch. Calera-mania has not subsided; Calera sells 5,000 cases of wine in Japan, but the winery could sell a lot more, according to Kaufman: "This week, one of our Japanese importer sold out his Calera allocation in two weeks. He called me up to say he would take as much as we could give him." Calera Winery is located near Mt. Harlan outside Hollister, Calif., in San Benito County. The winery's four single vineyard Pinot Noirs are: Jensen, Selleck, Reed and Mills. Two Mt. Harlan white wines are Chardonnay and Viognier. +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Mark Waid Leaves Captain America Mark Waid has announced that he is leaving Captain America effective August of this year. Newsarama received the following statement from Waid over the weekend.... "I have resigned from Captain America; my last issue will be #22 (Aug). I regret this resignation more than anyone will ever realize, as my love for this character is well-known, but over the past year and a half, it's become depressingly apparent that - as far as Marvel editorial is concerned - I'm not the man for the job, as I'm repeatedly unable to give the company whatever it is it's looking for in a CAP book. I know how frustrating it is to see creators shuffle off books after a relatively short stay and I sympathize, but I've decided it's best I leave now rather than subject the fans to yet another year of compromised stories which leave no one completely happy, including myself. We had a few nice moments in year two, but I'm sorely tempted to say I should never have returned to CAP for a second go-around had I not immensely enjoyed, month in and month out, working with the amazing crew of Andy Kubert, Jesse Delperdang, Chris Sotomayor and Todd Klein. My hat also goes off to editors Matt Idelson and Bobbie Chase, who did their best to help me through month after tough month. Let's hope Cap's and my paths cross once again someday." Asked if this development had anything to do with a creator-owned imprint Waid is rumored to be forming with Kurt Busiek and other creators, Waid responded..."All I can say is that it was a decision made independently of any other possible plans." We'll be following on up this story later today and/or this week, possibly with news on the future creative make-up of the title and a response from Marvel. New Pokemon Comic Launches Continuing to feed the Pokemon frenzy, Viz has announced that it will be releasing a second Pokemon comic book beginning in September. The new Pokemon title, Pokemon Adventures, will diverge from Viz's other Pokemon title and animated series, following instead the original Game Boy Pokemon game. The new title will center on a new hero, Ash Ketchum and an entirely new set of Pokemon, including Poliwhirl and Bulbasaur as well as all the opponents from the original game, including Team Rocket. Different too, it Pokemon Adventures' format. Instead of a regular comic-sized book, each issue of Pokemon Adventures will be a 48-page book in squarebound trade paperback format with collectible stickers inside. Pokémon Adventures is written by Hidenori Kusaka and drawn by MATO. Each issue retails for $5.95 in the U.S. and $8.95 in Canada. Dark Horse Offers Free E-Mail Dark Horse Comics joined with Internet service providers Tek 21 and Chek to offer free e-mail service. Names can be based on popular Dark Horse comics such gunsmithcats.com for Gunsmith Cats. --Comic Book Resources +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE by Michael Doran, Newsarama Marvel Comics this week announced the renewal of Jimmy Palmiotti's and Joe Quesada's Marvel Knights line through the year 2000. According to a statement by Marvel, Kevin Smith will return to write Daredevil sometime during the title's 2nd year, and fellow screenwriter Bob Gale, who made his comics debut and impressed fans with his contributions to Batman's No Man's Land for DC earlier this year, will also take on the Man Without Fear sometime in Year 2. David (Kabuki) Mack is scheduled to complete his story arc with issue #14. Quesada also answered rumors regarding the status as Black Panther, assuring us that Black Panther IS an ongoing series, and will continue into Year 2 with writer Christopher Priest at the helm... though he could not yet comment on future art teams. He also added. "There might be some resolicitations due to scheduling on the book but not enough to disturb the flow. DD will continue as normal and so will Panther," he said. Finally, asked how Green Arrow fit in all this (Kevin Smith has publicly stated that he will only do the series with Quesada and Palmiotti as the art team), Quesada replied, "no comment for now". The 3rd time may NOT be the charm for Marvel's Nova...According to a pair of posts this past week on AOL' Marvel discussion forums by the series' writer Erik Larsen, the new series - the character's 3rd - MAY not make it to issue #8. "It looks pretty damned likely that Nova will be cancelled with issue #7 (Sept.)", posted Larsen. "Now, all hope is not COMPLETELY lost but it does look bleak! Hopefully there can be a last-minute rally of support that will save this book ala what happened with the grassroots effort that saved Deadpool, but that's a bit of a longshot!" A spokesperson for Marvel declined to comment on the status of the book. Stay tuned for updates... +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com Casting of FOX's feature film based on MARVEL Comics' X-MEN is beginning to take shape, with ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY reporting wrestler Tyler Mane will play the seven-foot-two evil mutant Sabretooth, and the official STAR TREK site confirming that Patrick Stewart has signed on to play Professor Xavier. They join Sir Ian McKellen (Of Gods and Monsters), who will play Magneto in this next film from director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects). http://www.ew.com http://www.startrek.com http://www.marvel.com According to CORONA COMING ATTRACTIONS, Luke Wilson (Rushmore) is rumored to being considered to play Cyclops in FOX's X-MEN feature film, and both Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That, Dawson's Creek) and Laura Bertram (Deepwater Black) have auditioned to play Rogue. Based on the MARVEL Comics' series, Cyclops is the team's field leader who shoots an optic blast from his eyes, and Rogue is a young, Southern belle whose mutant power is the ability to absorb another's powers or thoughts through touching them. Meanwhile, DAILY VARIETY reports Dougray Scott (Ever After, Mission: Impossible 2) is who FOX are trying to lure to the lead role of Wolverine. http://www.corona.bc.ca/films http://www.variety.com Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti have renewed their MARVEL KNIGHTS contract with MARVEL Comics through the end of 2000. DAREDEVIL is set to continue on with Quesada and Palmiotti handling its artwork, and filmmakers Kevin Smith (Clerks) and Bob Gale (Back to the Future, No Man's Land, Alien Legion) alternating writing shifts in the second year. Details of what other books this second year will entail haven't been announced yet, but with the magic their eclectic talent roster has worked with lesser characters like Black Panther, The Inhumans, Black Widow, and The Punisher, things look more promising than ever. http://www.marvel.com Writer Dan Jurgens (Thor) will be the CAPTAIN AMERICA series new writer starting with the double-sized 25th issue, and penciler Andy Kubert will remain on as its artist. A spokesperson for DC Comics has confirmed that editor Kevin (Green Lantern, Aquaman) Dooley has issued his resignation to the publisher. There is no word yet on his projects will be divided, and outstanding issues surrounding his office, like what artist will join new Aquaman writer Dan Jurgens following the departure of the current creative team of Erik Larsen and Eric Battle, will not be decided until a new editor is named. For Dark Horse readers/Paul Chadwick fans wondering why his The World Below series was not solicited for July and August, a spokesperson for the publisher tells us the series will return in the fall, in an albeit slight different format. "As a full-color comic, the title is very expensive to produce," explained the spokesperson. "Sales on the title are not as high as we'd hoped they would be, it's a series we're all very proud of, so Dark Horse has explored some ideas of how to keep publishing The World Below and keep it more profitable for Paul. So we're ceasing publication of the title for a few months, and it will return to the schedule this fall as a black-and-white book." +++++ COMICS 2 FILM at Website: http://www.comics2film.com Avengers Animated ----------------- FROM THE DETROIT NEWS COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM: According to the Detroit News Comic Book Continuum, the Falcon will become an official member of The Avengers on the animated show. The show is set to debut this fall on Fox Kids. http://detnews.com/comicbooks/ The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers --------------------------------- FROM THE ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK: The Animation World Network reports that a feature film is in the works based on the underground comics classics The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat. The counter-culture comics were created by Gilbert Shelton and followed "the wacky adventures of three stoners." Film Roman, producer of The Simpsons and King of the Hill is developing the property as an animated feature. http://www.awn.com/ Mage ---- FROM AIN'T IT COOL NEWS: Ain't it Cool News reports that Kevin Smith is up for writing and directing chores on the filmed adaptation of Matt Wagner's Mage. Smith has been a vocal fan of Wagner's work for years, and has publicly stated in the past that he'd like to get both Mage and Grendel set up as movies. AICN's spy claims that Smith, along with some unnamed producers have set the project up at Miramax. Normally, we'd caution readers to take such news with a grain of salt. However, in this case, we've heard the same story from a very reliable source: Mage creator Matt Wagner. Wagner also told us that Smith is currently bogged down with the controversy over the release of his new movie Dogma. Once that situation clears up, an official announcement would be forthcoming. http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/ Monkey Bone ----------- FROM DAILY VARIETY: Daily Variety reports that Rose McGowan (Jawbreaker) is the latest actor to join the cast of Monkey Bone. The live-action and animated movie is an adaptation of the graphic novel Dark Town. McGowan will play Kitty, a half-woman, half-cat character. The movie also features Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) and Whoopi Goldberg (Hollywood Squares). Monkey Bone is directed by Henry Selick (James and the Giant Peach) from a script by Sam Hamm (Batman). http://www.variety.com Spider-Man ---------- FROM AIN'T IT COOL NEWS: According to an article on Ain't it Cool News, columnist Marilyn Beck recently spoke with director Ron Howard (EdTV). Somehow the topic of the Spider-Man movie came up. Howard commented on the fact that James Cameron (Titanic) has passed on getting involved with the movie. "The rights are up for grabs," Howard is quoted as saying, "That point definitely hasn't escaped my attention." Howard was one of eight potential Spider-Man directors listed in a recent Comics 2 Film online poll. Howard made a poor showing in the poll, ranking #5 and getting only 7% of the votes from C2F readers. http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/ FROM RIP IT UP: Our buddies Nazz (The Spoiler) and Mad Dog from Rip It Up Magazine in South Australia send in this clarification to a Spider-Man rumor that is threatening to get out of control. Nazz spoke to director Ron Howard, who recently expressed interest in directing the Spider-Man movie. Apparently Howard's remarks on the subject have mutated over the internet. Howard gave Nazz these clarifying remarks: "Well, I was just recently in Orlando for the opening of the Universal theme park -which, by the way, is sensational - and they've got this big Spider-Man attraction, and it was there that I started hearing this rumor that I'd apparently said some definite thing about doing it. I'd like to - Spider-Man's my all-time favorite superhero character -but I don't know who's writing the script and it's not finished and I haven't read anything. I'd be interested to." http://www.ripitup.com.au/ ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Ramblings 99 Rich Johnston twisting@hotmail.com [Renamed for the new year, Ramblings 99 continues to spread confirmed and unconfirmed news and rumours. It welcomes comment, especially comment that clarifies, refutes and corrects information already disseminated. Rich Johnston is an advertising copywriter, co-self publisher of Twist And Shout Comics, BBC comedy writer and comics columnist. He currently lives in South London, England. His column can be found online at: http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com All Ramblings e-mail received will be considered public domain and may be quoted.] This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value. Dateline: 23 May 1999 Group Discussion. Comics International has just started an egroup forum... basically a cross between an e-mail list and a web page discussion board. Already, editor and publisher Dez Skinn has let slip the following after I observed that Wildstorm editor Scott Dunbier is attempting to recruit all of Alan's previous work partners for ABC; "I wish him the best of luck with Alex Ross. We had dinner a couple of months ago (along with Alex's mum and dad, which was weird). After Alex expressed surprise not to see my "other half" present (turned out he was referring to my ex-PA, Kerry-Ann Hurley!!) he colourfully described the Moore/Ross Awesome fiasco and certain manipulative maneuvers which had been attempted, using Alex's name...' No more was forthcoming... but maybe you can tease something else out? You could also join in conversations that start "Just why is Rich Johnston popular. All he seems to do is offend people. I've been to his website and it is littered with bad language and blatant digs at people, companies and projects, yet he is still perceived by many as a reliable and respected net person." Make your voice heard, pop along to http://www.egroups.com/group/comics_international and sign up! Maybe you can work out why I'm popular... I know I can't. JSActually... We've been told a rumour by two people that the creative team of James Robinson and David Goyer have split. An old story by now to some of you, I'm sure. Now, Robinson plotted out the first year of JSA, from issue 1 to 12. And he's leaving the scripting with issue #4. Originally Goyer was supposed to take over scripting starting with #5 and go on from there. But... there are problems. Geoff Johns will take over with #5. But why? And what was his role on previous books in that case? IDIOT NOTE: The above rumour was not taken from or confirmed with any of the involved parties. It's a rumour. Punk Style. CSNsider have confirmed a long standing rumour at Ramblings, that Joe Kelly will be writing Chris Bachalo's Cliffhanger book as well as giving it a name, Steampunk. Naming a book after its genre... is that why it took so long to clear legally? And there was that Antarctic book of the same name that never happened too, wasn't there? Top Cow In The Dungeon. Mary! What is is Rich? I'm busy dealing with David Bishop. He's been in the dungeon for months but no matter how many tongs I use, I can't get another word from him. Well, leave him till later. More press release people to see us. And they're from Top Cow! What, Top Cow, the guys who had a wodge bought by Eidos, wouldn't confirm it for ages, dodged around the issue and when we finally got confirmation and printed the story, said that it was old news? That's them. Send the corporate whores in! First, faceless bureaucracy boy! "Top Cow Productions announced today the hiring of Matt Hawkins for the new corporate position, Vice President of Publishing. His primary responsibility will be overseeing Top Cow's day-to-day publishing operations and all other company functions directly linked with the comic book industry." Matt Hawkins... name rings a bell... one of Rob Liefeld's mates, yes? Worked at Awesome for ages... what happened there then? Oh, there was that Lady Pendragon thing too... ooh, kinky! Well that deserves a nipple tweak for a start! "We are very excited to have Matt at Top Cow," says Top Cow President Brad Foxhoven. I can tell, Brad, your excitement is showing. Put it away, you might do some damage. So what kind of excitement? Parties in the street? A huge cheer when he enters the building? Or just more press release bollocks? And what bollocks you have, David... "He brings with him a tremendous amount of experience" Oh, he certainly brings that, I can tell you. He's in these dungeons every day, wanting this manacle, that rack, I tell you some of the things he asks for would made the Marquis De Sade blush! "and we have always admired his ability to spur excitement in the comic book industry." Spurs, yes I forgot about those... can do some fair damage with them, I can tell you. "We will look to him to continue Top Cow's focus on providing high quality and entertaining comic books to our fans, while assisting in new ways for Top Cow to broaden its readership." Why not give away free nipple protectors, Brad? I mean, Matt goes through about twenty a week... it'll broaden the readership to a certain sector of the public that's for sure. And let's be honest, the way most Top Cow women are drawn, the body modification people will really get into it! "I'm excited to start working with Top Cow, it feels like I'm finally graduating to the major leagues," says Matt Hawkins. I won't tell Rob, if you won't Matt. "Top Cow has the most talented arsenal of artists and creative energy in the business" Well, apart from Fantagraphics, Wildstorm, Slab-O-Concrete, Slave Labor, Dark Horse... in fact, aren't most of your lot just Silvestri clones, Turner clones and Jim Lee clones? And can you tell the difference between them? "and I'm honored to be associated with them." Your honour is showing Matt... oh wait, no, honour doesn't work, I mean pride.. oh bugger. Okay faceless bureacracy boy, what do you have to say? "Hawkins addition to Top Cow's staff is part of a renewed company focus on its comic book operation which includes the return to guaranteed shipping and the addition of such high profile projects as J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars." In fact, that's the only one to be honest isn't it? I mean Top Cow couldn't even hold onto Garth Ennis and that Panic Nation thing with Warren Ellis just never happened, did it? "Top Cow made a statement a couple of years back by shipping an entire year's worth of books on time while maintaining the highest artistic and production quality this industry has ever seen," comments Hawkins. The highest... hey I thought I was the sadistic one here. I mean come on Hawkins, Top Cow is artistically incestuous and even in the field you operate in, Wildstorm whips your arse. Ooh, there's an idea. And then compared to Fantagraphics... I mean have you seen the production quality on Acme Novelty Library? Or all the beautiful colour hardback novels that swamp France and Belgium... that's a hell of a comment, Matt. And one that deserves a good thrashing. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! Matt? You still conscious? Oh very clever, get me so angry that I beat you into submission. Matt? Quick someone get a bucket of water. SPLASH! "The impact was obvious and made me jealous as an executive for a rival publisher at the time." I didn't think my impact was at all obvious, Matt. And you don't need to be jealous, you've got me all to yourself. "Top Cow has recommitted itself to that standard and the proof will be in our actions in the coming months." I can hardly wait, Matt! Who knows, you might even start publishing some good comics! JMS is the place to start after all... Now, dragging your bleeding, soaked bodies from the dungeon and close the door on the way out. SLAM! Well, we don't expect Brad will be back for a while (shame), but... oh look, Matt hasn't left, he wants more! And what's that Matt? Your very own press release from Top Cow! Ah, bless. So Matt, what's the news? "In compliance with Image Comics corporate policy that creator-owned projects are solely to be solicited through Image's central office, Scott Lobdell and Adam Pollina's Hellhole will be published through Image Central." Compliance, eh Matt? That's not like you. Now bend over while I stuff some variant interior Fathoms up your rectal passage. Oh by the way, who's your friend? "Scott Lobdell and Adam Pollina are two of the finest working professionals in comics and we will continue to work with them on a number of different projects," says VP Creative Affairs David Wohl. David, so good of you to join us and so complimentary! Shame the reviews often differ from that opinion so often. So, do any of these projects include bodily fluids or unnatural stretching? "This is simply a matter of Image policy." Oh, David, so powerful, so forceful. You know, that military uniform really suits you. Care to let me burn it off with a modified blowtorch? And so we leave David and Matt squirming in Dominatrix Mary's Press Release Dungeon. As ever, anyone who wishes to send such press releases to us, is more then welcome. Our Dominatrix Mary is getting moist just thinking about it. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Tony's Isabella's Journal Tony Isabella tonyisa@ohio.net Tony Isabella is a featured weekly columnist in the nation's largest comic book collector's publication, Comics Buyer's Guide. His satiric "Tony's Tips!" is a favorite among fans and industry professionals alike. A life long comic book fan, Tony began his career in 1972 as a comics professional as assistant to Stan Lee! He has worked in nearly every aspect of the business, from retailing, to distribution to writing. Among his credits is the creation of DC's first black super-hero, Black Lightning. Tony's latest project, the daily "Tony's Isabella's Journal" made its debut in June of 1997 on the world wide web exclusively through World Famous Comics, at http://www.wfcomics.com/tony The following is one of those daily columns . . . Tony Isabella's Journal #697 Justin and I were discussing the traffic patterns here at TOT and he mentioned that our hits go up whenever I write about Spider-Man. I was only slightly surprised. Among the regular visitors to TOT are several members of THE SPIDER-MAN MESSAGE BOARD. I enjoy hearing from these fans and, as a result, I occasionally post pointers on their board to let them know when they can find Spider-content on this website. Even when I don't have the time to post a pointer, they generally spread the word among their fellow Spider-philes themselves. Obviously, I can't write about Spider-Man every day. There's a whole lot of other stuff out there...both in comicdom and in the "real" world. However, if you're of a mind to increase your daily minimum intake of Spider-chat, you should definitely pay a visit to THE SPIDER-MAN MESSAGE BOARD. You can find it at: http://www.sigma.net/alvaro/smb We know you're interested in Spider-Man, but we'd like to know what other topics float your boats. I'm not going to go all faux-sappy on you and claim that this is *your* column because...well, because it's not. It's mine...every mother-loving daily deadline of it...and it's going to stay that way. Still, I'm always open to suggestions from the legion of TOT readers, so don't be shy about sending them to me. In the meantime, let's see how many odds and ends I can clean out of my files today. Onward. ****** JACK "KING" KIRBY There are several websites devoted to Jack Kirby, possibly the greatest comic-book creator of all time, but, for the first time, his own family has launched an online tribute to the man who played such a vital role in the history of the art form. This new site features pages on the King's life, an online store, related links, original Kirby artwork, a "Remembering the King" section, message boards, and a photo gallery. I so enjoyed my first trip to the new site that I've bookmarked it for return visits. You can find THE JACK KIRBY WEB EXPERIENCE at: http://www.kingkirby.com ****** THE STORY OF COLORS: AN UPDATE In TOT #664 [April 10], I ran a letter discussing the hubbub over the National Endowment for the Arts approving and then denying funding to THE STORY OF COLORS: A FOLKTALE FROM THE JUNGLES, a non-political children's book by Subcommandante Marcos, leader of the Mexican Zapatista rebels. Well, that little controversy seems to be doing the book as much--and perhaps more good--than would have the NEA's dough. The NEA had initially promised to cover half the printing cost of the book--$7,500--but withdrew the grant when they learned the identity of the book's author. Major American newspapers learned of the "take-back" and published stories about it, prompting the Lannan Foundation, a public arts organization, to send the book's publisher--the El Paso-based Cinco Puntos Press--$15,000 to cover the entire printing cost. In addition, the NEA controversy and its attendant publicity brought the book to the attention of bookstores through the United States. The Commandante's book sold out of its original press run of 5,000 copies...and is going back to press for a second printing of 8,000 copies. Though a percentage of THE BOOK OF COLORS's royalties will be going to a Guadalajara press that supports the Zapatista movement, Marcos had waived his copyright and will receive nothing from the book's sales. Except, I would venture, a certain satisfaction in the outcome of the NEA's actions. ****** MORONICA CREATORS IDENTIFIED Way back in TOT #658 [April 4], I reviewed BROADWAY BABES #1 (ACG; $2.50) and the 1950-era "Moronica" strips appearing therein. At the time, I didn't know who had written and drawn these oddly-charming stories. However, both COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE--where the review first appeared--and I received further information on the feature from STEVEN ROWE, senior editor of Jerry Bails Who's Who of American Comic Books. Here's what Rowe had to say: While a few Moronica strips were drawn by Al Hubbard, the majority of them were drawn by Owen Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had a long career working from roughly 1944 to 1964 for the Sangor Shop, DC Comics, and Hallden-Fawcett. He was also an animator. I'm not sure who wrote them, but, since they were from the Sangor Shop, the most likely suspect is Cal Howard or one of the many other Sangor writers: Hubie Karp, Cecil Beard, etc. Thanks for the information, Steven. ****** THE DON NEWTON WEBSITE: AN UPDATE BARRY KELLER checked in with this update on his online tribute to the late Don Newton. He wrote: My THE ART OF DON NEWTON site is now at: http://www.donnewton.com For the past few months, we have been presenting Don's first strip, "The Savage Earth," at the rate of about a page a week. The site currently contains 13MB of artwork and I still have at least that much to add. Thanks to Don's long-time friend and RBCC columnist Howard Siegel, we have an incredible inventory of rare and "never before seen" Newton work. Howard also sent more than 50 pages of letters he received over the years from Don and which I'm incorporating as appropriate. I hope I'm creating something special, for a man who was the most special artist comics have ever seen. ****** TONY'S MAILBOX My recent comments on searching out bargain-priced copies of the various DC ARCHIVES books [TOT #686; May 2] generated a pair of somewhat divergent responses. Reader JOE ANKENBAUER writes: Even though I can afford to purchase the DC ARCHIVES and do, I also think that the price is out-of-reach of the average collector. Recently, on the rec.arts.comics.marketplace newsgroup, Gus (don't know his last name) from Silver Age Comics in Astoria, New York, posted prices for most of the DC Archives editions. Most of the prices were 30-50% off retail; examples include Batman Archives Volume 1 (retail $39.95), World's Finest Volume 1 (retail $49.95), Plastic Man Volume 1 (retail $49.95) at $25 each. I'm ordering the Justice League of America Archive Edition Volume 5 from him at a price of $30, plus $4 for shipping. Even with shipping, I'm receiving over a 30% discount. Shipping is a smaller percentage of the cost when ordering multiple books. I thought you might want to let your readers know of another place where DC Archives editions can be purchased at a discount. If you want to contact Gus, his e-mail address is: gus@silveragecomics.com I hope this helps someone. I'm sure it will, Joe. Some legal-type disclaimer. Even though I ran Joe's letter, this should not constitute an endorsement of the store he mentions, nor should this disclaimer be taken as anything other than what it is. When dealing with businesses and individuals via the Internet, or via the mail, for that matter, you're always rolling the dice to some extent. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the seller before you send off the check. The more you know, the more informed your purchasing decisions will be. We also heard from retailer BILL TURNER: I have a comment on the suggestions about finding the DC Archives books at an "affordable" price. At my comic shop, we try to keep the great works of comics in stock. This usually means keeping in stock the DC Archives books, Marvel Masterworks, Prince Valiant, and other volumes that don't turn over very quickly. We don't aggressively reorder them--that is, when we sell one, we don't instantly reorder it--but, in balancing our stock, we try to make sure someone coming in to the store will be able to find the material. Some customers seem to think we have some sort of obligation to sell things at a discount if they've been around for a while. Indeed, conventional wisdom on retailing is that you should turn everything over; after three months, I should get rid of it for whatever I can recover. I've had some very unpleasant conversations with customers who thought they had waited long enough and now I should cut the price. Of course, the conventional wisdom is that there should only be Wal-Marts and Borders--no small specialty shops--and that it's stupid to waste time selling comics. One thing you need to remember is, that if I sell an item at a discount, I will not--positively, definitely NOT--reorder it. I would guess the same is true for other bookstores. Unless DC is offering Borders a much better discount than they offer me, Borders isn't making anything at 30% off, either, so I doubt if they would reorder. The net result of this is that almost everything goes out of print. Eventually I'll learn my lesson: people are not willing to pay for this stuff, so I should stop carrying it. So there is a real issue of publishing economics involved. I fully understand people have the right to determine what they will pay, and everyone is free to refuse to buy something. Just remember that if you are not willing to pay for someone's work, they will stop doing it. In DC's case, if not enough people will buy the Archives, they will just stop producing them. In a larger sense, you could apply this argument to everything I carry. If you just refuse to pay cover price for new comics and wait for me to move unsold inventory to the quarter bin, you can get a lot more for your money. Of course, it might be pretty hard to find a comic store that's still in business. (And, eventually, that Captain America novel of yours will be remaindered, so why buy it for full cover price?) It happens that I was looking at some of my books over the weekend and discussing with my wife the "fan publishing" industry. This is where someone saves up for a while, publishes a nice book of interest to fans, loses his shirt, and pays off the debts over several years. Some of the publishers then start saving up again to repeat the cycle. This has happened over and over in Science Fiction, and, to a lesser extent, in comics. Kind of ironic these fans are willing to subsidize the rest, just because they love the material. I appreciate your point of view, Bill, but, just as you have a right to run your business as you see fit, the customers have a right to make their purchasing decisions as they see fit. I would hope both would consider the ramifications of their decisions, such as, on your end, gaining customer good will and staying competitive with the competition, and, on their ends, keeping a good store in business and keeping their favorite creators gainfully employed, but, ultimately, you can't run your store to please everyone and your customers won't make their purchasing decisions based on what is best for the store. Hopefully, you'll be on the same page often enough that you'll all be reasonably satisfied. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff. Tony Isabella May 6, 1999 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Interview by Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Interview with Larry Young, writer/creator/letterer of ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE: LIVE FROM THE MOON Interviewed by: Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher, Jazma Universe Online! Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Like where you were born and raised, your family life, schools attended, etc. LARRY YOUNG: I was born, at a very young age, in Cleveland Ohio. My family moved to Texas, Vermont, and Georgia before I was 20 years old. I went to college at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and I worked for a time at THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. I now live in San Francisco with Mimi, a girl; Thomas, a cat; Redfoot, a tortoise, and two six-inch goldfish called Team Sushi. Question: What was the first comic book you read? LARRY YOUNG: The first one I remember was a WORLD'S FINEST with Batman, Jr. and Superman, Jr., although I have a picture of me when I was 4 holding a copy of SUPERBOY that I dimly remember getting out of a vending machine. I would love to find one of those old comic book vending machines for my house. MUCH cooler than a spinner rack... Question: Tell us something about your comic book ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE: LIVE FROM THE MOON LARRY YOUNG: Fifty years after Neil and Buzz first hit the green cheese, the world's richest man, Ishmael Hayes, gets a hankering to see the surface of the moon from the inside of a spacesuit. He puts all his resources towards the furthering of this goal, and the Channel Seven News Team is invited to record his progress. At a crucial juncture, an eco-terrorist group known as "Greensleeves" tries to scuttle the mission with a toxin bomb. Blasting off ahead of schedule, the HayesCorp moon mission, their cargo ships, AND the Channel Seven News Team launch towards the moon wherein we find that loyalties are NOT what they seem, the rich guy is hiding some pretty important secrets, the Channel Seven cameraman is fun on a first date, and what happens when cows really DO jump over the moon. Question: Tell us something about the characters in your comic book. LARRY YOUNG: Well. The world's richest man is Ishmael Hayes, and is the impetus behind the moon mission. His major domo, Elisabeth Potter, is an execu-babe with a heart of steel. His security man, Bennett, takes care of business. The Channel Seven News Team consists of the on-air anchorman, Dave Archer, the Most Trusted Man in North America, his cameraman Heck Allen, a ne'er-do-well in the proud tradition of many movie scoundrels, and Annie Franklin, their segment producer, is a no-nonsense gal who would kick my ass for calling her a gal. She's independent, headstrong, and takes no guff. There's other folks who pop in and out, like Christine, the Channel Seven station director; Sam Houston, a HayesCorp security guy; Don Kosa, the boss of a sterotypical crime mob; some senators, and some other folks. Question: Who was the brainchild of this comic book? LARRY YOUNG: When the Mars Pathfinder mission landed on Mars, my wife Mimi and I were watching the NASA feeds from the San Francisco Museum of Science. At the critical landing phase, NASA showed a detailed animation of what the touchdown must be like, because, as the voice-over guy said, "there are no cameras on Mars to record the event." Mimi, who would become the editor on the project, turned to me and said, "Wouldn't it be cool if there WERE cameras on Mars?" Well, I really fell out of my chair when the whole story of LIVE FROM THE MOON just blew into my head at once... the rich guy, the camera crew, the bad guys, everything. I knew I had to write this comic. Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? LARRY YOUNG: Yeah, baby! http://www.astronautsintrouble.com will get you cool stuff like the "movie trailer," the script for the first issue, pictures of the crew who brought you this tale, links to other folks who've helped me out, and other behind-the-scenes secrets. But here's a little tidbit that no one's picked up on, yet, and isn't on the website: anchorman Dave Archer was named after the main astronaut in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. You know, the character Kier Dullea plays? Dave Bowman? Bow-man... Archer, get it? Such are the secrets of writing comics... Question: What is your email address or snail mail address, so people can write for more information? LARRY YOUNG: You can find me at: planetlar@earthlink.net Question: Where do you want to be 5 years from now? 10 years? LARRY YOUNG: San Francisco. It's the coolest city in America. Or the moon. Really. If I could live on the moon, I'd move there in a heartbeat. You all would have to travel three days to see me at my house just south of the crater Autolycus. That's what this comic is all about. I was six when Neil and Buzz landed at Tranquility Base, and it didn't seem so far-fetched to me that in thirty years I'd be able to live on the moon. The fact that I'm not is kinda sad, so writing this comic is a way of dealing with my childhood issue of non-moon-ness. Question: What do you think of the comic book industry (pro and con)? LARRY YOUNG: I enjoy meeting pros at cons. OK, seriously? I love the artform. I'd have to, because there's no economic reason to do comics. There's so many other, more efficient ways to make money. But comics are the coolest form of entertainment, and the most visceral and populist. Yes, you could make the argument that a scrappy kid with a dream could mount a production of his own plays, or produce a cable-access show, or shoot his own movie, but those forms of entertainment all require equipment or, at the very least, co-operation from a whole lot of other folks. But a comic book? It's all just lines on paper, baby! Pull out a pen and start drawing, and you've got an entertainment artform you can do yourself! Everything else is a matter of scale. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take with you and why? LARRY YOUNG: Well, I'd take my wife, because she has so much more sense than me, it'd ensure my survival. She's the Human Swiss Army Knife. A lifetime supply of Guinness, because, really, that's a major food group in and of itself. And the first Dire Straits album on CD so I could use the song listings to remind me how they go so I could sing them to Mimi around the campfire at night and use the silver side to signal for help in the daytime. Or maybe just three supermodels. I can't decide. Question: What comic books do you read now? LARRY YOUNG: I work promotions for the comic book store Comix Experience in San Francisco, so I read almost everything that comes into the store. I like weird, idiosyncratic stuff, though. Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark's SCENE OF THE CRIME is really good. I like TRANSMETROPOLITAN and PLANETARY. PREACHER and HITMAN. CHANNEL ZERO, LETHARGIC LAD. NOBODY by Alex Amado, Sharon Cho and Charlie Adlard was great. I've liked the first two issues of TOM STRONG. I really think Jim Mahfood is an under-appreciated genius, so ya gotta throw GRRL SCOUTS in there. All the VERTIGO books. I think Stuart Moore and Axel Alonso are the best editors in comics. Never a mis-step, as far as I'm concerned. Question: What recreational activities and hobbies are you involved in? LARRY YOUNG: Who has time for fun anymore? Question: What books are your favorites? LARRY YOUNG: Anything by Harlan Ellison, although THE BEAST THAT SHOUTED LOVE AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD is a standout. I liked NEUROMANCER, by William Gibson; the short story collection MIRRORSHADES by Bruce Sterling; SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson. Hmmm. A whole lot of cyberpunk there... I liked MOBY DICK by Herman Melville; Camus' THE STRANGER because I was a big fan of existentialism, there, for a while; THE NOTHING MAN by Jim Thompson was pretty cool; for non-fiction, I like biographies of interesting people and stuff about TV. I guess I'll read just about anything. Question: What tv shows, movies and cartoons are your favorites? LARRY YOUNG: Y'know, I don't really like animation that much, but I have a big soft spot for old JONNY QUEST, SPACE GHOST, and SPEED RACERs. I don't watch a whole lot of TV anymore, but I really like THE PRACTICE. I didn't, at first, until I realized it's pretty much the X-MEN if they were lawyers. Question: How far do you want to take your comic book? LARRY YOUNG: The first mini-series has been pretty well-received, so I'll keep writing 'em as long as I can get folks to buy 'em. Charlie Adlard and I are doing a one-shot sequel for September shipping called ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE: COOL ED'S, which is a neat little punctuation mark to the series. I'm mulling over another miniseries, but we're going to wait and see what happens. If we do it, it'll be out before the end of the year. Question: Can you tell us something about the creative staff that is involved in your comic book? LARRY YOUNG: Sure. Matt Smith, the artist of the first three issues, drew STARMAN #11 and #42, and is working on DAY OF JUDGMENT now for DC. Charlie Adlard, who's drawn the last two issues of LIVE FROM THE MOON and the COOL ED'S special, has drawn THE X-FILES book for Topps, as well as SHADOWMAN for Acclaim. Then we've got back-up stories from Brian (CHANNEL ZERO) Wood, Kieron (SUPERMAN) Dwyer, Steve (YIKES!) Weissman, and Darick (TRANSMETROPOLITAN) Robertson. Question: That winds up the interview, is there anything you would like to comment on? LARRY YOUNG: Yeah; what's the deal with Pokemon? I just don't get it. Question: Thank you for the interview! LARRY YOUNG: My pleasure. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] VENTING MY SPLEEN David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au [David Groenewegen is 30, a librarian and sadly addicted to comics. He has been reading them since before he could read, and plans to keep on doing so. His first trip out of the house with his infant son was to a comic shop. Can't start 'em too young. ] The word I hear these days is that STARMAN is getting a little dull, a little boring. That the "Jack in Space" storyline has gone on too long. That the book has been in an artistic rut since Tony Harris left. That it's not as good as it used to be. What a load of garbage. It amazes me that comic fans can wait patiently (well patientlyish) for another issue of DANGER GIRL, but they can't wait for a monthly comic to develop its plot carefully and stylishly. James Robinson has always said that STARMAN was conceived as a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. For it to work properly, like any good story, there need to be moments of relative quiet so that the exciting parts seem more exciting. There also need to be parts where your attention is distracted from the one locale so that you can see the changes in it when you return. Robinson (and David Goyer, his new writing partner) seem to me to be using this trip to create the sort of space that is needed. Yes, the trip has a fairly leisurely pace. And yes, it is not dissimilar to the journey Swamp Thing took when Alan Moore was in charge of the title ten years ago. You could even say that Robinson is indulging himself by dredging up a few Silver Age characters like Space Cabby, Adam Strange and the rest. Personally I found those stories to be quite good fun. They've mostly been pretty relaxed too, with some action, but no real threat in a strange way. Even when Jack "died" a couple of months back, you knew it wasn't forever. Not because comic book characters never die. Because this is not where Jack Knight is supposed to die. I'm making the most of these more leisurely stories, because I know that when Jack gets back to Opal City, things are not going to be good. I know this because they told us in the STARMAN SECRET FILES or 80-PAGE GIANT or whatever it was that I read it in. But I also know it because Robinson has been hinting at it for years. While he is away something very bad is going to happen to Opal City. And the length of this story is designed to make you start thinking "Jack had better get home soon" or "What's happening in Opal?". Robinson and Goyer are building up to this and I think it's gonna be real good. Now for a bit of STARMAN heresy: I never much cared for Tony Harris' art. Sure it was pretty, but it was frequently wooden. He drew tableaus instead of comics. There were some great parts, and some really stiff looking parts of his book. And he seemed to struggle to keep up, especially in the latter part of his run on the book, when every second issue seemed to be a "Times Past". In comparison his replacement Snejbjerg has a lovely clear style that I really enjoy, and his figures have a real energy to them. And the book seems incredibly regular these days. In summary then: STARMAN is still good. In years to come people will look back on this part of the story of Jack Knight, Starman, and think "How lovely that he had this adventure, that he did so many exciting things, that he saw so much and grew into a hero. How sad that a couple of years later he died". Maybe I should have put a spoiler before that bit. I'm only guessing of course, but I think that, like Gaiman before him, and Dave Sim after him, Robinson will put the final full stop on the career of jack Knight when he leaves this book. There is already a successor in place (the oft mentioned, but never seen I believe, Denny Blaine), and he will be Starman in a few years time. Enjoy it while you can. David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] And let me tell you why .... David Coulter DneColt@aol.com [David - who declared himself "America's Weirdly Cool Columnist" in a misguided tribute to The Firesign Theatre -- lives with his family in Kansas City and pays the bills as Marketing Director for a computer consulting group. He's heard the old saying that the best comics ever published were the ones that came out when you were ten ... and he's not buying it. He knows there are good comics out there, he can hear them breathing.] I've got a real weakness for alternate realities. I think part of it stems spending as many years as I have reading comics: After enough time in this business, you've pretty much seen it all. The one immutable law of comics is that nothing ever changes: Superman will always be Clark Kent; Spider-Man will always stick to walls; And Lucy will never let Charlie Brown kick the football. The good guys always win, and the bad guys always lose. Oh sure there are the "everything you know is wrong!" and "things will never be the same!" stories -- Aunt May/Gwen Stacy/Robin dies, Batman breaks his back, the Hulk gets Bruce Banner's brain -- but they never last, do they? And that takes some of the fun out of it, I think. I mean, how worried can you get when they won't even kill off supporting characters? Good grief, how many times have bad guys laid siege to the Baxter Building? And not once has Willie Lumpkin been squashed like a bug? Fat chance. You can only say "come ON!" so many times before you lose interest. And I had started losing interest in comics (after about the 12th time The Thing had been "cured") in the mid seventies ... but then Marvel did something wonderful. They asked "What If?" "What If?" was one of the greatest comics ever, because things DID change: People died and stayed dead, people stayed clones, and -- on occasion -- the good guys got stomped. Granted, DC had been doing it for years with their "imaginary stories." But "What If?" was different because the conceit was that these stories actually happened, albeit in an "alternate timeline." The idea was that our host, The Watcher, kept track of all the divergent realities and occasionally showed us one. It was almost like they were saying "okay, that one time when you thought Spidey won? Well, actually he got his teeth kicked in and we just followed the version of reality where he won. Here's what really happened." "What If?' lasted about 50 issues the first time around, and then about 75 issues when it was revived in the mid-eighties. The first series was far and away the best, as it focused more on big Silver Age moments (What If Spider-Man had joined the FF? What If Uncle Ben Hadn't Died?), while the second series degenerated into speculative silliness (Spider-Girl, and the Secret Wars, 25 years later). Lately, DC's been doing the "What If?" format pretty well with their "Elseworlds" books -- though they seem to be mostly about Batman -- which gets a little stale. Right now, there are several "alternate world" stories going, in Spider-Man, Mutant X, A-Next (well, all of MC2, really), Earth X, X-Men (sorta), and a few others I probably forgot. Here are my favorite "Alternate Reality" storylines from the current crop, and a few golden oldies: Mutant X: I hate the X-men, so this is a perfect series for me. Everything I would know if I read the X-Men is wrong, but since I don't read it I don't know that. Basically all the bad guys are good and the good guys are bad and I've always had a soft spot for Havok (he always struck me as the forgotten X-Man, joining the team right before the book tanked, and then disappearing after it was revived with #94). MC2: I expected to hate these books, I really did. I don't like any of the creators involved, and I hated most of the work this universe is based on (DeFalco's run on FF and Thunderstrike). And yet, I like these books ... go figure. Maybe it has to do with having such low expectations. And the current storyline reminds me a lot of the classic Avengers annual where they fight the Crimson Cowl. Squadron Supreme: Not exactly an alternate world, but close. The recent TPB was good, though why they didn't include the follow-up graphic novel is beyond me. The TPB is a wonderful tribute to Mark Gruenwald's masterwork (as well as being what's left of Mark himself). What If? Vol. 1 I tried to pick my favorites, really. But dammit, they're all good -- you simply can't go wrong. Highlights include: What if the FF didn't have superpowers? (John Byrne doing Challengers of the Unknown) What if Hulk had been a Barbarian? What if The Avengers fought crime in the 50's? (Kurt Busiek obviously read this one) What if Shang Chi had been a villain? What if Nick Fury fought WWII in Space? (trust me) Extra special highlights: What If #11: What If the original Marvel Bullpen (Stan, Jack, Sol Brodsky and Flo Steinberg) had become the FF? This has got to be one of the absolute strangest comics ever published. But it's fun as hell, and that's really what it's all about, isn't it? What If #30: What if Spider-Man's clone hadn't died? This book does the whole clone story first, better, and in a hundredth of the space. Captain Britain / Excalibur Alan Davis seems to love alternate realities -- and not without good reason. He does them quite well. The first 25 issues of this book are basically a continuation of Captain Britain's adventures from the pages of Marvel's British Books (reprinted in X-Men Archives and Captain Britain TPB), and Davis spends most of this time bouncing Cap and the team all over the place. He seems particularly fascinated with Nazis, and that's okay, because the Nazi-ized version of Excalibur is one of the more intriguing ideas in comics (Kurt Wagner is German, and Kitty Pryde a Jew). eBay is lousy with people flogging these issues on the cheap -- go get 'em! The JLA/JSA Teamups Every year, the JLA and The JSA got together for a barbecue, and almost every year they wound up fighting some freaky menace from yet another Earth. Notable adventures featured Earth-3 (featuring the Crime Syndicate: Bad guys versions of the JLA), Earth-X (the Freedom Fighters), and Earth-S (featuring the Fawcett heroes), and an adventure featuring Cary Bates and Elliot S! Maggin from Earth-Prime (that was us, sorta, until a super hero named Ultraa landed there). All in all there were about 10 Earth's, 1-6, X, S, Prime, and Carrot (home of Cap'n Carrot, don'cha know!). Now, how can that be any more difficult to understand than this ridiculous Hypertime? It isn't. Anyway, these were -- and are -- good books. Track 'em down! What Ever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow? Alan Moore gleefully sticking his finger in John Byrne's eye just when Byrne was set to make comic history by rebooting the Man of Steel. These two books really got up Byrne's nose and it's easy to see why -- talk about the opening act stealing the show! Not only do you get Moore, you get Curt Swan's swan song on the regular monthly book, and one of the best Superman stories every. It's only an imaginary story but, as the narrator points out, aren't they all? I'm running out of time and space, so if you can think of any more, let me know. Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] Stranger in a Strange Land Jennifer M. Contino Jencomx3@aol.com [Jennifer M. Contino is 26 and a life-long lover of comics books and super heroes! While most girls were playing with Barbies and watching cute little shows, she was playing with Mego's and watching the Superfriends and any other super hero show she could find on the television! NOW almost 19 years later she owns over 26000 comics, has written some interviews for SEQUENTIAL TART--the online e-zine, is a frequently published letter of comment writer and is the official HOST of the DC COMICS chats on AOL! She is pursuing work in the comics field at DC and is trying to start her own independent comics company!] The Pro's and Con's OK...so I have been reading comic books for about 20 out of my 27 years of life, but I have really only been to ONE major comic book convention, the PITTSBURGH COMIC CON which was held this past April! Wow that was something! There were so many people, dealers, and pro's that I didn't know which way to turn! Most of the professionals were extremely friendly! I met such greats as Martin Nodell, Dick Ayers, George Perez, Don Simpson, Howard Porter, Amanda Conner, Chuck Dixon, Mark Waid, and Apollo Smile--just to name a few! I also hung out with the TOP COW bunch! There were a lot of independent comic companies represented too! Folks from Deity, LIAR Comics, TIMESPELL, and FIASCO Comics---all great companies! Everything from Anime to Vixens were represented at this con! My main reason for going to the con was to meet Mark Waid and George Perez! Both were favorites of mine and I had talked to Mark a bunch of times online! I was surprised how friendly Mr. George Perez was at the con! HE was mobbed by fans left and right and here HE was drawing pictures, taking pictures, and signing autographs; AND GIVING all the money he made to CHARITY! HE must have made well over two thousand dollars and was donating all of the fund to charity! Plus he was so much fun with his stories and his joking around with the two models who accompanied him! HIS new title CRIMSON BLOOD (I think that is the title that it is going to go by!) looks very interesting and I encourage you all to check it out when it hits the shelves sometime later this year! Mark Waid was the best "pro" at the con in my opinion! HE was on his way to lunch when I spotted him and introduced myself as "jencomx3 from aol." Mark stopped and went back to his booth and signed all of my things--then he ate lunch! I felt so honored that he took the time to sign my stuff, even though he was on a well-deserved lunch break! HE also took the time to draw a picture in my autograph book of the FLASH--heh and he isn't too bad a sketcher! There were a lot of cool people at the con! Most of the pro's were friendly and signed books without too big a fuss! Some of the artists were sketching and after seeing how long it took Howard Porter to do a head shot of a hero, I can understand why every other issue of the JLA has a fill in artist! Nothing against Mr. Porter, because I think he does excellent work, but it took him almost forty minutes to an hour to complete one little sketch and he would not sign books in between! IF two nice con goers had not let me in front of them, I would not have been able to get books signed--cause after an hour I was tired of waiting! There were not too many female pro's at the con--there was an abundance of scantily clad playboy, penthouse, and hustler models; three or four dominatrixes--each of whom invited us all to a S and M party later after the con ( I declined heh); some goth chicks; but really only like two female pro's--Colleen Doran and Amanda Conner! That is so sad that those were the only two females asked to the con! IT would have been nice if Devin Grayson, Barbara Kesel, Weezie Simonson, or any of the other cool women in comics were asked to the con! Oh well, maybe next year! Anyway, I have a whole long funny CON report that I sent to the JENANDFRIENDS@onelist.com and if any of you want to read it--even though you might not understand it all--email me privately and I'll gladly forward you a copy! I know this week's stranger is short..but hey it's been a long long week! I promise an exciting column next week, ok? Peace and be well all! hugs JEN! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.twmgrafix.com/jazma He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] MOE Sidenote: New indies on the racks at A1 Comics are the following: Tripwire #10, The Adventures of Browser & Sequoia #1 by SaberCat Comics, Dale Evans #1 by AC Comics, Vortex by Oktomica, Lenore by Slave Labor Graphics, The Lonely War of Willy Schultz by America's Comic Group, Mosaic #1 by Sirius, Rayda - The Cyberian Connection 1 of 3 by AC Comics, Hero on a Stick by Big Baby Comics, Brian Talbot's Heart of Empire, Courageous Man Adventures by Moordam Comics, Crime Wave by Caliber Comics, Alizarin's Journal by Avatar and a whole lot more! For more information, contact the owner Brian Peets, owner of A1 Comics (did you know Brian used to play with the Seattle Seahawks? Yep, he did and has his very own football card!) at: A1Comics@quiknet.com Name: David Lapham's Stray Bullets #19 Publisher: El Capitan Written and Drawn by: David Lapham Price: $2.95 Comments: This story is great! This is a story about Amelia and her pitiful life. Stray Bullets is so realistic, I have to wonder if David knows people who have been through these ordeals? Anyway, let's talk about the story. Everything seems cozy as Amelia was preparing to go out for dinner and the way she casually meets Lee. As the story progressed, I realized Amelia had a rough life and the men that she was with, had roaming eyes. Amelia in her heart, is the jealous type, but came to terms with herself to use men. I was shocked on how she placed Lee on the spot and asked him if he thought her girlfriend Toni was pretty and then asked Lee to go ahead and sleep with her. Amelia seemed to crave variety and looked for the best in all men she encountered, as she was fascinated by another man she met, named Jack and his artwork. Instead of having goals and feeling good about herself, she feels her whole life has been wasted as a waitress. She has no dreams or hopes. Pity Amelia, pity. Jack's hormones were going into overdrive as Amelia tempts him. Amelia is a very sexy siren and knows how to use her body language to get a man and Jack let little Jack do the thinking and falls into infidelity. Pity, Jack, pity. In Amelia's mental state of confusion, she glamorizes herself to be Juliet. She borders on schizophrenia and is a full fledged nymphomaniac. Next victim for Amelia is another man she meets, named Roger. Except, Roger has strong morales and is loyal to his wife. Amelia doesn't know how to take rejection and in her escapism, becomes a nude dancer! Very realistic story and how many men out there, knew someone like Amelia? Check out the Stray Bullets website at: http://www.straybullets.com For more information about this comic book, email David Lapham at: ElCapitanB@AOL.COM Name: Tales Designed to Carry an Impact #4 Publisher: EC Comics Price: $2.50 Written and Drawn by: Variety of writers and artists. Comments: With Impact, I got a whole slew of stories about people who had some hard luck. 'The Lonely One' was a shocker! Army story about Benson and Miller. Benson is proud to be an American and can't except Miller for what he is and beats the heck out of him. Benson is filled with rage and hatred and makes poor Miller into an outcast. I felt sorry for Miller as he goes into his hollow shell. I think on how many people are cruel like Benson and take their aggressions out on the meek. Benson abuses his power as a platoon sergeant and does everything in his power to undermine Miller, when he became a corporal. Benson knows how Miller is scared of hand grenades and throws a dummy hand grenade at Miller. Miller shows that he is courageous and ready to become a hero and a martyr, as he falls onto the dummy hand grenade. The platoon see the bravado of Miller. Miller becomes the hero and Benson is ostracized. Now Benson is alone. I had to definitely cheer Miller and did some booing and hissing for Benson. Benson got his just reward! Benson's extreme prejudice was his downfall. 'Fall in Winter' was another gripper of a story as the suicidal Hamilton is walking the ledge, all because he was laid off from his job and was blamed for purse snatching. He falls from the ledge and by pure luck lands onto the safety net. Fate changes and he gets his job back and the truth is discovered about the purse. Hamilton should have landed himself into a mental hospital, because even though his luck was bad in the beginning, he should have not given up hope. I don't pity Hamilton, he's still a loser. The next story called 'The Bitter End' was fascinating. There are many men like G.C. Bullard who wish to carry on the family tradition through their sons. Not knowing that they are making their children sick with the pressure. G.C. Bullard showed his stupidity by spying on his son and his domineering & strict ways were his downfall. Then after showing remorse on the way he treated his son, he tries to do the very same thing to his grandson. G.C. Bullard is another loser and he lost in a big way, with the death of his son. 'Country Doctor' was a very sad story and left a heavy impact with me, when Dr. Brown faces the very dead Alice (his daughter), because he was too late in making this important house call. Name: The Hero Defined Mage #12 Publisher: Image Written and Drawn by: Matt Wagner Price: $2.50 Comments: What a delight this story was! When the first time I read JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, I was completely swept away with this fantasy journey that took me through a trilogy of fantasy. I find myself now completely enthralled with Mage. Not since the days I played Dungeons and Dragons, have I found a story that takes you into an adventurous wonderland of strange beings. In this story Kevin Matchstick and Kirby encounter the Midnight Maze in the Mystic Mountain, as they search for a friend named Joe. I hope that the Midnight Maze, the void to the unknown, can be fully explored in future issues. Kevin and Kirby encounter a sentry at the Midnight Maze. A 3-headed gigantic dog. Kevin, Kirby and John get swept away in the Midnight Maze and John is swept away from Kevin and Kirby. John is left to fend for himself. Joe is found, but now Kevin & Kirby must find a way out of the Mystic Mountain. They are being watched and they will learn that there is only one way out. Will they find John, or will John be stranded in the Midnight Maze? Name: The Adventures of Browser and Sequoia #1 Publisher: SaberCat Comics Written by: Richard de Montebello Drawn by: Gene Gonzales/pencils & inks David Rowe/inks Price: $2.95 Comments: What a spectacular issue this is! How it makes me wonder, how we could have gone from the closeness of nature to the urban decay that is now around us. This comic book was like a slap in the face, as it showed me the simpler times. I was completely enthralled with the story of the little girl, being the Spirit of the Forest and the proud Eagle Clan. I will look forward to more stories of their leader named Red Hawk. He has proven himself as a hunter and has strong leadership qualities. His men respect him. It's interesting on the stories that the Indians told. I enjoyed hearing about Father Sky and how all life comes from the sky. Father Sky is depicted as a spiritual being that is part of the clouds. There was mention of Mother Earth and that food and water comes from her. The Spirit Guide has angelic qualities and it is nice to know that she watches over all creatures of the Earth, including the mischievous Saber. Saber is the baby sabertooth cat that hangs out with the little indian boy Sequoia. What a beautiful reality this is, with super bison and Sneer, possibly the king of the forest? I think Sneer just wants to be left alone and has no desire for any kind of trouble. I hope Red Hawk and his men, will respect Sneer for the Sabertooth that he is and do not hunt him down. I think if Disney Studios gets a hold of Sequoia and his baby cat named Saber, they won't let go. This comic book has all the potential of being a great cartoon! It's interesting on how Sequoia went on his first hunt, he is headed for manhood. Sequoia desires to be a medicine man, but the qualifications seem complex, as the medicine man must be one with the land. I love the mischievous antics of Saber and found many situations quite comical. The Indians are practical jokers and one Indian does the Great White Bear joke which was hilarious and the joke became real, as there was a real big bear in the camp! I was surprised to see that the animals talked in this story, but then the Indians were very close to the land and had ways to communicate with the animals around them. Then talking animals makes complete sense. Saber's delicacy is fish and even when eating his fish, he gets in trouble! See what he does with the fish bones! Saber is one cute cat! Did I ever love the artwork, everything is so beautifully detailed and the colors were awesome! Loved the scenery of the wooly mammoths! I had to step back and look at this scene for awhile! Wow! The cliffhanger had me biting my nails as I wondered how Sequoia's father will get out of the quicksand and are they in danger of the very big wooly mammoth that is shown on the last page? Spectacular cover drawn by Charles D. Vess! Outstanding story and also loved the info on the Blue Ridge Highlands of Virginia in the back of this comic book. The publisher is asking the readers to support the Mattaponi River which is plentiful with wildlife, birds and plant life. This area could be destroyed by the building of the King William Reservoir. This project threatens the Mattaponi Indian tribe's traditional shad fishing, cultural sites and graves that are sacred to them. If this river is destroyed, the Mattaponi Indian tribe has nowhere to go. They are asking you to write letters of support to President Clinton at: President@whitehouse.gov or to the Vice President at: Vice.President@whitehouse.gov or the First Lady at: First.Lady@whitehouse.gov or the man who makes the final decision on the project Colonel Allan Carroll, Army Corps of Engineers at: pamela.k.painter@usace.army.mil If you write this letter of support, make sure to 'cc': Sabercomic@aol.com and Chief Carl Custalow of the Mataponi Indians at: leagle@inna.net C'mon everyone show your support! The Adventures of Browser and Sequoia is a comic book that brings you back to nature. After you experience this comic book, you won't want to come back! Name: Kenichi Sonoda's Gunsmith Cats - Bean Bandit Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Written and Drawn by: Kenichi Sonoda Price: $2.95 Comments: First off, the cover was killer, a real eyecatcher! Drug dealer Jones decides to outrun Bean Bandit with an assault weapon and the underworld race between Bean, Riff Raff and Rally Vincent becomes a shocking death match! Not since Deathrace 2000, have I seen a story that had so much gun play, high speed racing and on-the-edge-of-your-seat action! This was everything I wanted and more! I don't know much about cars and can barely change the oil in my Plymouth Neon, but hearing everything from OEM 429 to super chargers to 302, all I can say is Mr. Sonoda must know plenty about vehicles. Have you ever seen the movie 'Vanishing Point'? This movie pumped up my adrenalin as I watched this 'Roadrunner' supercharged vehicle outrun a variety of state police vehicles. This comic book got my adrenalin pumped up the same way as this movie! I would have to say this story is electrifying! Bean Bandit, Riff Raff, Jones and Rally Vincent outdid 'Smokey and the Bandit'!! That was one of the most aggressive car races ever depicted in graphic form! The cliffhanger left me stunned! Jones shoots Bean point blank. Will he survive? I must say I am looking forward to the next issue! MOE Sidenote: New indies at Broadway Comics & Cards are: Artesia 5 of 6 by Sirius, Books of Love - The Kaynin Gambit, Adastra in Africa, Warhammer Monthly #15, Flinch #2 by Vertigo, Quantum Mechanics #1 by Avatar, Tellos #1 by Image, Solarlord #3 by Image, History of Comics #24 by Big Bang Comics, Jack Kirby Quarterly #12 and a whole lot more! Any questions about any of the above titles or if you just want to order, contact Wilsonlew@sprintmail.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of the comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two teenage sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David supports his comic book habit by working as the Manager of Marketing and Sales for a privately owned manufacturer of electro-mechanical components.] TIMESPELL #3 32 pages, Black & White, $2,95/$4.95 CAN - Mature Readers CLUB 408 GRAPHICS www.timespell.com 1668 Brimfield Circle Eldersburg, MD 21784 back issues $2,95 plus $1.50 P&H - #1 @ $.99 (2nd print) Story - Rich Henn & Russ Colchamiro rasmus@timespell.com Pencils - Rich Henn Inks - Gerry Coffey "THE POLITICS OF MEAT" - Tom Peters Illustrated by Steve Lieber Cover by Tony Tate, Robert Matteson, Todd Anthony Back Cover - Robb Cobb As we get further on in the story in this excellent independent effort, it gets more and more strange and intriguing. The story revolves around Michael McMurphy, a homicide cop and his "family" - wife, brother and those close to him at work and play. He has finally captured a serial killer only to find that the killer seems to know him and of his future. Worse, the killer escapes and goes after Michael's wife. She survives by going in hiding and the killer is put down by Michael at the end of issue #2. As we open he is in deep trouble with his boss for not following proper procedure - cop is dead and McMurphy emptied his gun into the killer - all six shots. It is obvious to Michael the killer knew more than he should, not to mention he somehow escaped from the police station. Meanwhile the mysterious Mr. Joshua Steele is celebrating the events with a benefit in Michael's honor. We learn who is working for him inside the police station and we get to see the supernatural power coming to the attention of Micheal through its effects on his brother. As they attempt to approach the Steele mansion Alex has more visions, this time of lost souls. Something is definitely affecting him and the murders and other strange happenings are part of a huge plot by Steele and others. This is a very enthralling story and now that it is rolling along the reader can move forward and absorb the new material and try to put together the pieces. Rich is skillful at bringing in new elements, but not too many, to peak the interest while answering a few questions along the way. He obviously has this well plotted out for many issues and is taking time while keeping us interested. The art is his own unique style, The main characters are a sharp contrast to the surreal images of lost souls toward the end of this chapter. The cover is particularly grabbing as have all the covers so far. TIMESPELL is an example of how strong story and tight plot matched with the art is by far superior to lots of the "over exposed" glamour art that succeed by titillating. Your $3 is much better spent on this one. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] TOP 100 COMICS May Diamond Comics Distributors Rankings are based on orders placed by retailers and reflect total units ordered not dollar values of total ordered. Unit prices are given for reference only. This is NOT a list of comics that sold the most copies to the consumers - it is a list of ORDERS by DEALERS. TOP 100 COMICS: MAY 1 UNCANNY X-MEN #370 $1.99 MAR 2 X-MEN #90 $1.99 MAR 3 SPAWN #86 $1.95 IMA 4 STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE #1 $2.95 DAR 5 JLA #31 $1.99 DC 6 AVENGERS #18 $1.99 MAR 7 WOLVERINE #140 $1.99 MAR 8 EARTH X #4 $2.99 MAR 9 STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE #2 (2 Cvrs.) $2.95 DAR 10 STAR WARS EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE #3 (2 Cvrs.) $2.95 DAR 11 STAR WARS EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE #2 (2 Cvrs.) $2.95 DAR 12 DAREDEVIL #9 $2.50 MAR 13 SPAWN: THE DARK AGES #3 $2.50 IMA 14 SPAWN ANNUAL #1 $4.95 IMA 15 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #7 $1.99 MAR 16 MAGNETO REX #3 $2.50 MAR 17 STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE ANAKIN SKYWALKER $2.95 DAR 18 STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE OBI WAN KENOBI (2 Cvrs.)$2.95 DAR 19 FANTASTIC FOUR #19 $1.99 MAR 20 SPIDER-WOMAN #1 $2.99 MAR 21 THOR #13 $1.99 MAR 22 PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN #7 $1.99 MAR 23 CAPTAIN AMERICA #19 $1.99 MAR 24 WOLVERINE/PUNISHER: REVELATION #2 $2.99 MAR 25 AVENGERS FOREVER #8 $2.99 MAR 26 AVENGERS 1999 $3.50 MAR 27 WILDCATS VOL 2 #3 $2.50 DC 28 IRON MAN #18 $1.99 MAR 29 MUTANT X #10 $1.99 MAR 30 WITCHBLADE #32 $2.50 IMA 31 GAMBIT #6 $1.99 MAR 32 INCREDIBLE HULK VS. SUPERMAN $5.99 MAR 33 HULK #4 $1.99 MAR 34 ARIA #5 $2.50 IMA 35 CRIMSON #11 $2.50 DC 36 DARKNESS #24 $2.50 IMA 37 BATMAN #567 $1.99 DC 38 BLACK WIDOW #2 $2.99 MAR 39 SPIDER-MAN CHAPTER 1 #9 $2.50 MAR 40 DETECTIVE COMICS #734 $1.99 DC 41 GENERATION X #53 $1.99 MAR 42 X-FORCE #92 $1.99 MAR 43 INHUMANS #9 $2.99 MAR 44 GREEN LANTERN #114 $1.99 DC 45 TITANS #5 $2.50 DC 46 THUNDERBOLTS #28 $1.99 MAR 47 CABLE #69 $1.99 MAR 48 SPIDER-GIRL #10 $1.99 MAR 49 X-MAN #53 $1.99 MAR 50 BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #87 $1.99 DC 51 NIGHTWING #33 $1.99 DC 52 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #119 $1.99 DC 53 TOM STRONG #2 $2.95 DC 54 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: ANGEL #1 $2.95 DAR 55 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #9 $2.95 DAR 56 FLASH #150 $2.95 DC 57 PREACHER #51 (MR) $2.50 DC 58 SUPERMAN #146 $1.99 DC 59 KISS: PSYCHO CIRCUS #20 $2.25 IMA 60 ACTION COMICS #755 $1.99 DC 61 BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #4 $1.99 DC 62 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #569 $1.99 DC 63 SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #90 $1.99 DC 64 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #4 $2.95 DC 65 YOUNG JUSTICE #10 $2.50 DC 66 BLACK PANTHER #9 $2.50 MAR 67 DARKCHYLDE: THE LEGACY #4 $2.50 DC 68 STAR WARS: VADER'S QUEST #4 $2.95 DAR 69 DEADPOOL #30 $1.99 MAR 70 STAR WARS #6 $2.50 DAR 71 GEN13 #41 $2.50 DC 72 HELLHOLE #1 $2.50 IMA 73 POKÉMON VOL. 2: PIKACHU SHOCKS BACK #3 $3.25 VIZ 74 TELLOS #1 $2.50 IMA 75 ROBIN #66 $1.99 DC 76 PLANETARY #4 $2.50 DC 77 CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #11 $1.99 MAR 78 DARKMINDS #1/2 $2.50 IMA 79 AUTHORITY #3 $2.50 DC 80 BATMAN CHRONICLES #17 $2.95 DC 81 YOUNG JUSTICE IN NO MAN'S LAND #1 $3.95 DC 82 ASCENSION #16 $2.50 IMA 83 CATWOMAN #70 $1.99 DC 84 A-NEXT #10 $1.99 MAR 85 STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 $2.95 DC 86 TEAM SUPERMAN #1 $2.95 DC 87 NOVA #3 $1.99 MAR 88 WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #7 $2.50 MAR 89 LADY PENDRAGON/MORE THAN MORTAL #1 $2.50 IMA 90 SUPERGIRL #34 $1.99 DC 91 LADY PENDRAGON: DRAGON BLADE #2 $2.50 IMA 92 SUPREME: THE RETURN #1 $2.99 AWE 93 TENTH: BLACK EMBRACE #4 $2.50 IMA 94 SPIRIT OF THE TAO #10 $2.50 IMA 95 SUPERBOY #64 $1.99 DC 96 LADY DEATH: RAPTURE #1 $2.95 CHA 97 J2 #10 $1.99 MAR 98 MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 $1.99 DC 99 AZRAEL: AGENT OF THE BAT #54 $2.25 DC 100 SUPERMAN: THE ODYSSEY $4.95 DC ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage ncrl@mediaone.net +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 6/02/1999, 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. "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Love In Tights Spring Fling #1, 2.95 Mister Blank #10, 2.95 Patty Cake & Friends #14, 2.95 Skeleton Key Vol 2 #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Sparks #1, 4.95 Stray Cats #3, 2.95 Sugar Buzz #6, 2.95 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie #486, 1.79 Betty & Veronica Digest #105, 1.99 Cheryl Blossom #24, 1.79 Veronica #90, 1.79 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Fighting American Dogs Of War #3, 2.50 DARK HORSE COMICS Star Wars The Last Command TPB, 17.95 DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol IX #6, 2.95 DC COMICS 100 Bullets #1, 2.50 Anarky #4, 2.50 Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #120, 1.99 Batman The Gotham Adventures #15, 1.99 Birds Of Prey #8, 1.99 Crimson TPB, 12.95 Cruel And Unusual #3 (Of 4), 2.95 Dc One Million TPB, 14.95 Dv8 #28, 2.50 Gen 13 #41, 2.50 Giant Batman Annual #1 Facsimile Ed, 4.95 Martian Manhunter #9, 1.99 Plastic Man Special #1, 3.95 Preacher #52, 2.50 Promethea #1, 3.50 Scooby-Doo #25, 1.99 Starman #56, 2.50 Superman Adventures #34, 1.99 Superman The Man Of Tomorrow #14, 1.99 Vext #6, 2.50 Young Justice #11, 2.50 DRAWN & QUARTERLY Extended Dream Of Mr D #3 (Of 3), 3.50 Louis Riel #1, 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Aria #3, 2.50 Bulletproof Monk #2, 2.95 Clockwork Angels GN, 9.95 Complete Alex Toth Zorro TPB, 18.95 Darkminds Coll #3, 5.95 Darkness #23, 2.50 Deity Collected Ed II, 9.95 Detectives Inc A Terror Of Dying Dreams TPB, 19.95 Fathom #6, 2.50 Kabuki Classics #5, 3.25 Mega Dragon & Tiger Heroes #3, 2.50 Michael Goldens Jurassic Park Portfolio #2 (Of 2), 28.95 Monster Fighter Inc #2, 2.95 Savage Dragon #61, 2.50 Spirit Of The Tao #10, 2.50 Tales Of The The Witchblade #7, 2.95 MARVEL COMICS Cable #70, 1.99 Captain America Sentinel Of Liberty #12, 2.99 Fantastic Four #20, 1.99 Spider-Man Chapter 1 #10 (Of 12), 2.50 Spider-Man Manga #30, 2.99 Spider-Woman Cover A #2, 1.99 Spider-Woman Cover B #2, 1.99 Thor #14, 1.99 Uncanny X-Men #371, 1.99 X-Force #92, 1.99 X-Men Manga #25, 2.99 ONI PRESS INC. Crash Metro And The Star Squad, 2.95 THINKTANK COMICS Hysteria #1, 2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Animerica Volume 7 #5, 4.95 Neon Genesis Evangelion Book Four #4 (Of 7), 2.95 Neon Genesis Evangelion Book Four Collectors Ed #4 (Of 7), 2.95 No Need For Tenchi Part 7 #2 (Of 6), 3.25 Silent Mobius Into The Labyrinth #1 (Of 6), 2.95 Viz In Magazine Volume 11 #6, AR TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Prev Excl A. Powers Psychedelic Shot Glass Set 06/09 06/16 DC COMICS Battle Chasers #6 04/14 06/09 Battle Chasers T-Shirt LG 03/03 TBA Battle Chasers T-Shirt XL 03/03 TBA Crimson #11 05/12 06/16 Crimson #12 06/09 07/14 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Darkchylde Summer Swimsuit Spectacular #1 06/02 TBA Divine Right #10 04/28 06/09 Divine Right Collected Edition #3 06/02 06/23 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA Understanding Comics SC New Prtg 06/02 06/09 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] HYPE! Section Various PREVIEW OF PREVIEWS Diamond has updated their web site for the new PREVIEWS out next week. Writer/Ad Coordinator Vince Brusio is the designated editorial writer for Previews' "The Splash Page" which is our source material On the Cover... More fun than a back yard barbecue, DC's The Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave & The Bold mini-series takes the front cover spotlight for this month's issue of Previews. The series brings us the combined talents of superscribe Mark Waid with Hourman writer Tom Peyer, plus the Windex clean artwork from former JLA: Year One penciler, Barry Kitson. For those of you who have an extensive memory of DC's former super-hero books, a broad smile should spread across your face over the recognition of this book's subtitle. It's been a while since we've heard the phrase "The Brave and The Bold" mentioned in fanboy circles, hasn't it? The last time we checked, it was reserved for the comic series which was most known for it's team-up of Batman and other bad guy smashers in spandex. Ah, but you can't expect such a classic idea to just fade away for all eternity, can you? The demand for a return of Silver Age greats Hal Jordan and Barry Allen becomes more prominent with each passing year. That is why the folks at DC have decided to whet our appetite with this new series that features the classic costumed do-gooders at odds with an alien race which assaults humanity with eerie living shadows! On the flip side, Top Cow floors us with the conclusion to Michael Turner's first story arc in Fathom #9. This issue promises to answer all of our questions about the mysteries of this fast-selling title. No longer will we scratch our heads in bewilderment. No longer will we praise and curse Turner all in the same breath. Everything is wrapped up, and then it's on to the next chapter. And around that corner is a very bright future for Turner's bathing suit beauty. With word that Aspen is getting the animation treatment, and may soon be a big Hollywood star, fan interest in the character has reached new heights. Back issues for this book are extremely hard to find, so hard that Top Cow will release Fathom Collected Edition #2 to reprint issues #2 and #3 of the series. A long-awaited Fathom month is finally here, and all the excitement is to be found in the Image section of Previews. Find out how you can fill in those holes in your collection, and see how Aspen's new look foreshadows the turmoil in store for her, as she prepares to tackle earth-shattering destruction that could send our planet into shell shock. Faust Fever Explodes Thermometers The names "David Quinn" and "Tim Vigil" alone are known to give fans massive coronaries. But when those names are combined with the word "Faust," the body count will double easily. Comic readers must have finally tapped into the right kind electricity that can transmit alpha waves to the ghostly duo, for Quinn and Vigil have concocted new horror chemistry to shock us even further into a macabre dark oblivion. Our wish is their command, and in response Avatar Illustrated Summer 1999 arrives in your local comics shop this month! Snatch up this sucker, because the issue spotlights the new full-color Faust: Singha's Talons mini-series that launches this November. Joanna Tan — who we last saw in Faust /777: The Wrath — is revealed to be the holder of the deadly Singha's Talons. Remember the bullet-shatters-bones carnage in that series? Prepare for a far worse maelstrom, because Tim's first note to David regarding the new series' outline said, "More blood needed." Nuff said, huh? It seems that the gore fest train has begun to steamroll now, as not only does Avatar Illustrated Summer 1999 preview Quinn and Vigil's latest screamer, but 777: The Wrath #1 Previews Exclusive Platinum Edition and Faust: Book of M #2 are also offered from Avatar Press this month in the Comics section. Continue your seance Faust fiends, because your freakish communication seems to have that magic touch! Long Live Rock The supergroups of the Seventies have not been forgotten. In fact, they've been immortalized. Re-visionary Press lets it all hang out with their new book, Rock N’ Roll: A Cartoon History Vol. 2 The Seventies. The decade's momentous eardrum sound candy is explored in depth, courtesy of cartoons and a dated Chronolog that illustrate the up, down, back, and sideways trips that spun many rock stars into multi-colored orbits. Subjects covered include glam rock, the birth of heavy metal, the influence of the drug culture, early punk revolutionaries, disco, and, of course, psychedelic music. This authoritative gem gives you the best of both worlds. Not only do you get the Billboard scoop on such monster bands like AC/DC, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith, but you'll also peek into the personal shenanigans of stars like Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and others. "Rock and Roll and comics have an undeniable synergy," says Cartoon History series writer Jay Allen Sanford. "Especially now with the success of KISS Psycho Circus and Chaos Megadeth comics. Plus, DC's Big Book series really showed everyone how comic illustrations can be used to tell interesting, offbeat historical stories. We use that same basic format, with several illustrators and encyclopedic timelines." Look for Rock N’ Roll: A Cartoon History Vol. 2 The Seventies from Re-Visionary Press in the Comics section of Previews. Explosive Gunner Raises Eyebrows Word has finally leaked out that James Bond meets The X-Files in Eric Yonge's ongoing monthly series, Gunner, which is offered from small press publisher, Gun Dog Comics. Best described as a moody action-adventure story, Gunner explores the private life of NSA special agent John Gunner —a thirty-three year old spy who has been in the business long enough not to be surprised by anything, whether it be shady back-room conspiracies or the wholesale slaughter of nations. With all the insanity he sees on a day-to-day basis, Gunner's problems increase when he tries to sever his romance with the girlfriend of his boss and evade an assassin named "The Portrait." "Gunner was a guy I created in my sixth grade math class. When all my friends were creating new super-heroes, I just drew this normal-looking guy in an Izod shirt swinging over explosions," Yonge explains, as he states that his goals with Gunner are a little different from traditional approaches to action heroes. "I'm interested in showing the side of action heroes we never see: how people that lead such extraordinary lives come to terms with the way the world works. The people I've talked to, ranging from policemen to Navy SEALS, will tell you it's not all fun and games." Fun and games will definitely be a part of Gunner, however, as Yonge is quick to add, " It's fun and challenging for me as a writer to create scenes that are funny and outrageous to compare against the ones that are designed to be chilling or explosive. It's always any writer's goal to have their readers finishing stories that have affected them on numerous levels." Return Of The Madman Jhonen Vasquez, creator of the hit series Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Squee is returning to comics after a year's absence. The new one-shot entitled I Feel Sick has the distinction of being the first full-color comic from Slave Labor Graphics in it's thirteen year history. The comic revolves around a character named Devi, a young woman who is an artist. Told in a series of short stories in the distinct Jhonen Vasquez style, most of the stories detail the disasters and heartbreaks that distract poor Devi from her true love, which is her art. Nominated for two 1998 Eisner Awards, Vasquez promises to bring the same energy to the new project that he did to his other work. In describing the new book, Vasquez put it this way: "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to kick your mother in the neck? Well then read some other book because this book has nothing to do with that. Not quite a cursing aw