Of course! But did anyone experience the initial media blitz? Long before the Terror Assaulters roamed the lands... Mr. Marra attended to some NIGHT BUSINESS! Yes, the business of the night...
GIVEAWAY: I have nice crisp copies of the first two issues of Scioli's FF: Grand Design. Want 'em? Claim here, then PM me your address! GIVEAWAY: Benjamin Marra's Terror Assaulter: O.M.W.O.T. CLAIMED (Would like these to go to two separate people, so please only claim one or t'other. Thanks!)
Hey y'all- In a funny turn of events, I have a new job and one of my jobs at my job is editing Kaijumax, which I posted about a few pages back here, in 2015. Not sure if anyone reads it, but it's basically "what if Monster Island, but (HBO's) OZ" as the high concept, but it's way more than just that. Here's a "Best of the decade" list that breaks it down a bit.. Anyway, I'm currently editing the second deluxe HC and all the annotations and references are so fucking wild that my head is sorta spinning, the attention to detail that's here. Apologies for the mild shill but I really hope some of y'all are checking it out, I think you might dig it (and honestly the book could use some sales-niche market is an understatement here!). The first trade is only $9 on amazon (and $10 elsewhere).
First off, congrats on the new position! Sounds like a swell place to land, and having a hand in Cannon's gigantically fun book deserves respect of the highest order! I'll admit that I haven't helped out with the bottom line, all my Kaijumax has come from bin diving and the other corners of the aftermarket, but I may have to indulge in that first deluxe volume when funds are higher, as I am and shall remain a total slut for embiggened page sizes. Our man Zack, if you didn't know, is long in the comics game, and if you haven't checked out his his rad magazine, his rad podcast or his rad publishing house, you should catch up lickity split! There's also the matter of his comics, goooooood shit, that you can find on his site - so many of which are offered up for free there in the digital style - or, if you're feeling fancy, you could indulge in what I believe is the first hardcover collection of his stuff, a gorgeous compendium of his ongoing The Secret Voice, brought to you by the good folks at Floating World Comics. Here's the full enticement, as they said it better than I ever could: The Secret Voice Vol. 1 by Zack Soto Zack Soto 160 pages Full color hardcover The first chapter in a grand fantasy epic filled with psychic warrior monks, magic battles, monsters, and romance from the mind of Zack Soto! Doctor Galapagos, famed warrior-monk and agent of the ineffable Red College, is on a desperate mission to unite the realms of magic and man in a last-ditch effort to stop the seemingly invincible forces of the Smog Emperor. But the good Doctor carries a secret: He is one of the few to have faced the dreaded Grey Creep and survived–but at a terrible cost. An unseen and unknown psychic menace eats away at his very soul and threatens to jeopardize his mission… and the world itself. Can the Red College turn the tide? Can Doctor Galapagos stay true to himself, hold on to his love, and defeat the Smog Emperor all at once? “The scope here is not unlike Lord of the Rings: Vast battles, cities under siege, huge armies of monsters, and a desperate defense. His fusion of genre tropes and alt-comics storytelling has been the model for this kind of comic for quite some time.”―The Comics Journal “Zack Soto has wrought this series with every drop of elbow grease found in a cartoonist’s death grip. It’s a relentless enterprise, The Secret Voice, one that will fill your head brain with one man’s passion.”―Michel Fiffe, COPRA, ZEGAS “Zack Soto’s The Secret Voice Vol. 1 is a book that melds the flourish and electricity of avant-garde comics with the imagination and complex world-building of genre fantasy.”―Broken Frontier Also of note was the Kickstarter campaign. Plenty of good pr0n and information over there. Anyway, it's a great read, and can be had on the cheap via those Amazonians, or slightly more from vastly cooler spots. Hi, Zack!
This just in: Gratis floppy announced for FCBD 2020, followed by... JACK KIRBY: THE EPIC LIFE OF THE KING OF COMICS Ten Speed Press A graphic novel biography of Jack Kirby, from his days growing up during the Great Depression and discovering a love for sci-fi, to his time on the frontlines of World War II where he experienced the action he'd later imbue his comics with, and on to his collaborations at Marvel with Stan Lee, where the pair redefined comics. Eisner-nominated artist, Tom Scioli, whose work is greatly influenced by Jack Kirby, expertly captures the evolution of Kirby's artstyle throughout the years. ...come July. I'd be against it if I wasn't so for it! Scioli for the win. Chatmatter:
I finally found a 1976 Leo Baxendale book called 'Willy the Kid' after many years of looking for it (offline, in the real world) It's been selling for ridiculous amounts of money online for a long time, so I always held out hope I'd find it in a charity shop for fuck all. That hope came true today. I was hipped to Baxendale by reading The Beano when I was a kid. I love everything he did, which includes such greats as 'The Bash Street Kids', 'Minnie the Minx', 'Grimly Feendish' and 'Sweeney Toddler'. Its the kind of comics that shape your brain, he was wildly original and funny as fuck. Anyway, 'Willy the Kid' was definitely more ambitious and aimed at a wider age group, I've owned the 2nd Volume for many years but the 1st volume has always eluded me. The print numbers vary a great deal, with the 2nd Vol published in the greatest numbers, the 1st Vol considerably less and the 3rd was a teeny tiny print run as far as I can tell. I don't hold out much hope for finding the 3rd vol out in the wild, but you just never know. Recently they've started republishing reprints of Leo's work in hardback, of some of his better known stuff. I'm hoping they will republish Willy the Kid in its entirety, so I don't miss out on that really rare 3rd vol. 1976 hardback. 2nd hardback I've had for years. This person on their blog says it better than I could, and they include good scans of the book I just found for £2, at Clifton Village in an Oxfam bookshop. Score!! http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2017/04/leo-baxendales-willy-kid.html?m=1
^ Argh! There isn't a book that I want more in this world, and I'm going to have to force myself to avoid this video until after I secure my very own copy. PS: Does anyone want to buy $175 worth of other comics from me? PPS: Another great report. @The Moog!
All the pieces fall into place: Burt Ward says producers wanted him take pills to shrink his penis while filming Batman https://news.avclub.com/burt-ward-says-producers-wanted-him-take-pills-to-shrin-1840970447
Finally, a much more qualified way of stating an emphatic YES than I ever could have managed: Another satisfying page-by-page from the PA boys.
Definitly not Canadian, heh - John Ostrander and Tim Truman are both ugly Americans! I knew that the title spend a good long while in legal limbo after the collapse of First Comics in '91, and I just learned that there have been a couple of mini-series produced since then; a prequel run in '05 and a new adventure that came out in '11. Been quiet since then, but I remembered you asking when I came across an odd news piece from last year stating that the Russo brothers were developing a TV series for Amazon based on the ol' space pirate. I suppose if that tree ever bears fruit you might see some new floppies come out in its wake. Good luck to ye'! Never read much of the old run, and even that was back in the 80s. Good stuff, Other Stephve?
What i was reading on the weekend. 1972 Nostalgia Press Scholastic Book Services 1970 ... and a Halo Jones T-Shirt i just found in a charity shop. One of Alan Moore's best 2000ad creations, and it looks like its never been worn!
Another 2000ad shirt from the same shop as yesterday. Bad Company by Alan Grant & John Wagner. This one is brand new as well. Nice!
That would actually be Bad Company by Peter Milligan and Brett Ewins,although the very first unprinted episode is by Grant and Wagner. Amazing shirt!!!
Ah, good call. My mistake. Although i thought they did publish the Grant/Wagner one in an annual at some point, but im probably wrong about that too!