Thursday, December 24, 2020

Christmas Time Comics

Hello everyone, hope all is well. Haven't written in a while due to an injury, but Christmas cannot wait! At this time of year, many comic companies put out silly, sentimental stories that tug at the heart strings. Call them "Cute and cuddly with capes!" So go buy a friend one of these or pull one out of your collection and enjoy the season! To make it easy for you, just look for a comic with snow on the cover, they are usually the right ones. Take care and adopt (one with Santa on the cover) a Christmas comic book today!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Marvel to the Rescue

Hello everyone, hope all is well. The NBC Nightly News todat announced that Marvel Comics has created a comic called "Vitals," featuring true stories of nurses during the pandemic. This is a case of showing the real life people being heroes and...Marvel as well. Take care and adopt a comic (anything with doctors or nurses in it) today!

Friday, November 6, 2020

Widow Owes Peel

Hello, everyone, hope all is well. I heard the new Black Widow movie should be coming out shortly and she's more popular then ever with her black leather fighting suit. But that kind of action attire debuted over half a century ago with Mrs. Peel of the TV Avengers. Maybe Marvel can send royalties from their upcoming Widow movies to the estate of the late Diana Rigg. Take care and remember to adopt (any type with leather fight suits) comic book today!

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Panther No More

Hello, everyone, hope all is well. A few days ago we learned that actor Chadwick Boseman lost his battle with cancer. I'm not sure whether Marvel will install a new actor in the part (ala James Bond) or pass the mantle to a relative. Either way it's a sad and dark day for the Black Panther. RIP Chadwick. Take care and adopt a (Black Panther) comic book today!

DC Fandrone

Hello everone, hope all is well. DC had another online fan excursion yesterday. I watched the origin of Batman documentary. What a Bob Kane love fest with only a single mention of Bill Finger and that was only that he was a writer! Other than that, boring,boring boring with only talk of television shows and movies. Hey! Where's the comics? Maybe DC should pay more attion to letting their fans know how to order their DC comics instead of hiding their ways to order their product complete with info, pics and descriptions! Oh well, maybe why with the greatest characters in the world, they are #2. Take care and adopt a DC (if you can find how to order one) comic book today!

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Dis-Connected Comics

Hello, everyone. Hope all is well. With the recent news that DC Comics had started firing people and restructuring contracts and deals I'm wondering if the DC in DC Comics might not stand for Dis-Connected Comics. More to come later. Take care and remember to adopt a (if they're still around) DC Comic today!

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Pete Hamill- Journalist, Editor, Comics Lover

      Hello everyone, hope all is well. Today it was announced that legendary New York journalist/editor, Pete Hamill passed away at the age of 85, after complications from a fall.
 
      So why would I talk about such a great writer within the confines of a "comic book" blog? Easy answer...in his autobiography, "A Drinking Life," Hamill loved comics and even admitted to wanting to write them for a living until the journalism bug hit him.
 
     I met Hamill at a lecture series a few years back and got to talk to him at some length before the show. Of course we talked about comics and he admitted that he had a copy of Bomba,the Jungle Boy by his bedside for his whole life.That's what I call a comic book lover !!! Take care and adopt a (Pete Hamill ) book or comic today!

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Batman for Bid!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Starting tomorrow, there will be a benefit that I will be helping with.  Many of my books (both Bystander Group novels as well as "My Batman" and "Superman at 50") can be had by the highest bidder.  NewDirectionsInc is the link to the site.  There will also be music and a 45 minute performance of my Orson Welles one man play.  This will take place on Saturday (this is a 4 day event, July 30-Aug. 2) at 3:30 pm and I will be followed by a talk with the famous Cavs former point guard...Mark Price.

     There will be many things to bid on, music, talks, performances and many other things...all of which will benefit a great cause, one of recovery. 

     So please support the cause and bid on a few items while having loads of fun!

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (any comic) book today!

Thursday, July 16, 2020

The Maestro (Ennio Morricone) in Comics

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Now from the title of today's blog you may well want to ask me, "What does a world class musical composer/conductor, have to do with comics?"  Maybe not much in the end, but I'll give you two answers to that question.

     First off, Morricone composed the music to the first three Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone westerns.  And it was these three "Man with No Name" westerns that were eventually translated into comic books by Dynamite Comics in the early 2000's.

     The second answer to that question is...WHO CARES! No one should EVER need a reason to talk about the brilliance of Ennio (The Maestro) Morricone, no matter what the genre or connection!

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (any comic, just listen to Morricone's music while you read it, I promise you it will heighten your experience) book today!

Friday, July 10, 2020

Joltin Joe Passes

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  On the heels of comic book scribe Denny O'Neil passing, Marvel Comics inker/artist supreme, Joe Sinnot, who gave a smooth finish to any artist's pencils, passed away last week. 

     Joe was best known for inking Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four for many of the comic's best years in the mid 60s onward.

     Sinnott once stated that his favorite ink job was finishing Kirby's pencils for the cover of FF #57, which featured a huge close-up of Dr. Doom.  Joe will be sorely missed.

     Take care and remember to adopt a (Joe Sinnott inked) comic book today!

Friday, June 12, 2020

Great Batman Scribe Passes.

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Today I learned that one of the all time great writers of Batman comics, Denny O'Neil, died today.  Many consider him (along with writer, Frank Robbins, co-creator of Manbat) to be one of the main forces that pried Batman away from the stigma of the silly television show and thrust him into the realist world of Batman that he has lived in ever since.

     I guess in that sense, he is indeed Batman's savior.

     Denny once joked that he took pride in being born the same year Batman was...1939.

     I've shared the stage with him on more than one occasion and was treated to several meals with him when he was in Cleveland some time ago and I will share more Denny stories with you in the near future.

     Take care and remember to adopt a (Denny O'Neil) comic book today!

Friday, June 5, 2020

DC/Diamond Split!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Today I heard through the grapevine that DC Comics is splitting from long time distributor Diamond Comics.  Well doesn't this smack of the 1990s Marvel/DC everyone else distribution wars.

     In the end, more work and less money for the poor comic shop owner with discounts all round probably going to being lowered.

     All of this baloney and I have not even got my MASK OFF YET!

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (if you can find one) book today!

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

A "Normal" Wednesday?

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Today is new comic book day and for only the second week in a row (since the virus) it seems like today will be a regular trip to the comic shop just like the old days.

     Only with masks!

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (any comic) book today!

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Go Ahead, Make My Birthth Day!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Today is Clint Eastwood's 90th birthday and you ask me how does that tie in with comics.  Well it does with pop culture and there was several paperbacks issued in the 60s by Award Paperbacks called the "Man with No Name" series.  Most were written by comic book scribe, Joe Millard.  Almost all of the novels has titles tied in with money as in, "Coffin Full of Dollars," "Blood for a Dirty Dollar" and "Million Dollar Blood Hunt."

     There was also a lot of fan speculation after Clint's Josey Wales film that he would be perfect for the equally scarred cowboy, Jonah Hex.  There was even a Man with No Name series from Dynamite Comics in the early 2000s.

     I wouldn't mind growing old enough to hit 90 myself, but with my occasional health problems, to achieve that goal I'd have to look at myself in the mirror and ask myself...

     ... "Do you feel lucky, well do ya?"

     Take care and remember to adopt a (Clint Eastwood) comic book today!

Monday, May 25, 2020

What Would Captain America Do?

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Today on this Memorial Day holiday, I normally (and it was an honor to be chosen) read off the names of those who have given their lives from the city of Euclid.

     But this year the parade has been canceled, so I cannot read off the names honoring the dead.  So instead I read off the names in my den just to myself...alone.  I also added the name of my father who served ion action and only recently passed away.  I thought it had to be done.

    I think Captain America would have done the same thing.

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (any comic) book today!

Friday, May 22, 2020

The Cost of New Comiics?

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  I my gosh, a hunk of new comics fina.lly came out the other day and a whole bunch of my orders caught up to me from last year and earlier this year.

     One hundred and seventy dollars ($170.00) is what I paid.  So yeah, I'll need another stimulus check just for my comic books.  (Only kidding)

     Take care and remember to adopt a comic (all the comics that have finally arrived) book today!

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Collect Comics and Masks!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Finally, comic book shops are opening again and not a moment too soon.  I was teetering between re-sorting every single one of my 40,000 comics or re-reading them...both daunting tasks. 

     But thanks to the re-openings, I'll be able to procrastinate on both of those levels and just go back to buying my new weekly comics.

     But remember to wear your masks when you enter the stores.  It should not be hard to accomplish that in a comic shop, just pretend you're a...superhero!

     Take care and remember to adopt (and purchase) a comic book today!

Friday, April 17, 2020

More Comic Book Shutdowns!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  Well, now it has finally happened.  The virus has caused the shutdown of this year's San Diego Comic Con.  It was reported on CNN today.  Check your television for more facts.

     Take care and adopt a comic (if you can find one with all the stores and cons closed) book today!

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

The Lone Ranger Rides Again!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well (under the circumstances).  Today I went to the grocery store and during my time there, stopped in the magazine section for something to read.  But because of the crowd, I could not reach the top shelf.

     Seeing I was struggling, a Giant Eagle worker, bundled up in his N95 cloth, face guard, reached up and got me my item.  I thanked him as he walked away.  On my way to the checkout line, I thought of the man's kindness and overall courtesy.  Then I smiled and spoke aloud to myself...

     "...Who was that masked man?"

     Then I realized something...he was all of us!

     Take care and remember to adopt a (Lone Ranger) comic book today!

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Strain of Virus, Strain of Comics and People

    Hello everyone, hope all is well.  As the Corona virus continues I keep hearing of the heroes that exist outside of comic books, ones that still wear masks, but in this case...surgical masks.

     Yes, the doctors, pharmacists, grocery workers, truckers and many more that are keeping the pipeline of food, medicine and hope alive.

     Yes, this is a deadly strain of virus, but there is another strain I think of, Shakespeare's strain, "The Quality of mercy is not strained..."  Yes, this is the strain I think of, the strain of mercy and the strain of kindness, of courage and of kindness.

     We will all pull through this particular "strain" together...as humans, as nations and considering the genre of this blog site...as heroes!

Monday, March 23, 2020

Virus, Comics and Kindness

     Hello everyone, hope all is well, especially in light of the current pandemic.  Now I don't know if the new comics are going to be coming out this week due to the world wide virus, but there has been a few storylines over the last several decades that have had a virus that has been contained within the pages of comics.

     The entire line of Bat books fought, the "Contagion" storyline a few decades back.  The story was overly long but did what it was supposed to do...sell books.  Back in the 60s, Superman caught, "Virus X."  It was a four part story that ran in the pages of "Action Comics."  It was a great story with a happy ending.  And what long time Spiderman fan could ever forget that the web slinger lost his powers every time he caught a simple cold virus.

     Luckily, the writers of these tales knew in advance how the story was going to turn out, not so in life and the real world.  Fate is the author of this current situation that we find ourselves in.

     But I'm not worried about how communicable this Corona virus is.  Because I've been out the last few days getting food, medicine and more, watching people doing simple things for one another when they don't have to.  So no matter how fast this Corona virus spreads, I know that bravery, smiles, concern, kindness and charity are just as...contagious.

     Take care and adopt a comic (one filled with bravery) book today!

 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

DC Top Man Gone?

     Hello Everyone, hope all is well.  According to some rumours I heard coming out of some comic book publishers meeting this past weekend, DC president/publisher Dan Didio has been fired and all DC persons at meeting were instructed to leave.

     I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THIS, SOOOOOO...

     I'll fill you in more as I find out.

     Take care and remember to adopt a (DC) comic book today!

Thursday, February 20, 2020

New Expensive Batman!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well!  Yesterday I went to pick up my new comics and was told that the new issue of Batman was already selling on E-Bay for $50.

     I asked, "Why?"

     "Because it's got Joker's new girl friend in it."

     I thought that was Harley.  Oh well.  So I announced that I would gladly bag and board this latest one and sell it, because I only think one certain issue of Batman should be that expensive.

     Batman #1 from 1940.  I rest my case.

     Take care and adopt a (reprint of Batman #1) comic book today!

Monday, February 10, 2020

The Best of the (James) West!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well!  Yesterday, I learned that rugged television actor, Robert Conrad had passed away.  What does that have to do with comics you might say?

     Well, there was one issue of the series, "Hawiian Eye" produced by the comics industry.  Of course Conrad played Tom Lopaka in that series, so although I don't have that particular issue, I'm sure Robert's likeness is found inside.

     But if you REALLY want to see some Robert Conrad comic book action, then check out the seven issue run of "The Wild Wild West" comic put out by Gold Key in the late 60s.  These follow the television show fairly closely and are a lot of fun.

     A four issue mini-series concerning James West and buddy, Artemus Gordon that came out independently in the 90s was also well done but hard to find

     I loved the show and I guess, Ross Martin's character might have said it best about Conrad, himself and "The Wild, Wild West."  "As my dear Aunt Maude used to say, 'It's hard to keep a good cast and good show down!'"

     The same goes for me.  So take care and don't forget to read a (James West) comic book today! 

Thursday, January 30, 2020

A Strange Comic Book Indeed!

     Hello everyone, hope all is well.  I wanted to let everyone know about a quiet comic that just may be under your radar, but is in my opinion...great!

     Please pick up the newest Dr. Strange run being written by Mark Waid.  Not only is the actual writing good, but the imaginative plots are just too wonderful, too mind blowing, too...Strange, Doctor that is.

     Even the newest annual that came out this week (not written by Mark) is also above the norm in quality.  Try out this book, you won't feel strange doing it, but you'll be reading strange, again, Doctor that is!

     Take care and adopt a comic book (any one that has a sorcerer named Stephen.) today!