Comic Book History

Karen: When I was putting together the post on soul music a little while ago, it made me think about when I first heard soul music. That would have been as a small child in my home. I started thinking about all the different music my parents used to play, and I thought it would be a pretty good idea for a post!Karen: My parents had very different tastes musically. My Dad leaned towards country music. The man in black, Johnny Cash, was a favorite. But I really remember my Dad less for playing records than for playing his guitar and singing. He had both an acoustic guitar and an electric (a Gibson, don't recall the specifics now sadly) and he would often strum and sing. Usually it was country music, but he surprised me and my brother once by getting the sheet music to the Monkees' theme song and playing that for us! One record I do recall Dad playing frequently, although it wasn't music, was a Bill Cosby comedy album. He loved that album -even today he'll talk about "chocolate cake for breakfast."Karen: My Mom listened to a variety of music. It was not unusual for her to put Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, or Otis Redding on the turntable. She had quite a collection of R&B singles too. When I was really small I recall her getting a lot of use out of the stereo. For awhile, we were members of one of those record clubs, and albums by the 5th Dimension, Santana, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Three Dog Night, Elton John, and Chicago all made their way to our house. I think my brother had some influence over those selections, but I know my Mom liked lot of those artists. Later in life, she became a fan of Billy Joel -I think she always dug piano men.Doug: "Easy listening" would have been the prescription for our big console stereo. I have vivid memories of Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray, the Mamas and the Papas, but especially of the Carpenters. I think my mom was the main influence for these artists -- did anyone notice that the singers are all women? The songs have stuck with me, and still bring a smile to my face, especially the melodies of the Carpenters. I have about 20 cuts from them on my iTouch and enjoy them often. I'd also like to add that my mom, when taking us somewhere in the car, indulged our preference for Top 40 AM radio. That was incredibly formative to my enjoyment of pop music from the 1970's.Doug: As an aside, my aunt (my mom's sister) had a nice collection of LPs, and the first time I ever heard Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was after removing it from one of her crates. On my dad's side of the family, I can recall a time when the family was together at my uncle's house to play cards. He had a very nice collection of Four Seasons 45s, and I spent part of one evening going through those. Great memories -- definitely moments frozen in time! Karen: These were our formative music experiences -what about yours?Doug: And totally off-topic, below you'll find the updated Bracketology standings.

Just unearthed! Dig these rare candid 1967 pics of the Monkees in concert! These are from early in the band's concert experience, but clearly display the fun and excitement of the Monkees live, as the group delivers electrifying live versions of their hits and LP cuts, and interact with their fans! Click below to enlarge! Above: Dig all that debris on the stage! Fans would toss home-made gifts, candy, and paper onto the stage during concerts! Above: Micky performs during the mid-show "solo spots," and an attendee gets his pic with the magnificent Monkeemobile, which often traveled with the band, making its own attention-getting appearances at many tour stops! Above: Note the rear-screen projection over the band as they perform! The Monkees were one of the first groups to not merely rush thru a half hour's worth of hits then leave the stage, but one that gave fans a multi-media hour-long show, with video, bits, costume changes, and more! Above: Frantic fans and photogs follow the four, even after the live shows! BONUS! Click below to see a rare 1993 clip from ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT! Monkee Micky Dolenz discusses his delirious days in the 60s, and so much more!

Taking a look at America's Best Comics #5. I referenced before how odd it is that Pyroman's powers don't have anything to do with fire, and it appears that the writers, on at least some level, agreed with me.See? It's like they're saying, "It's too late to turn back now, but we'll have him fight a fire guy."That was a product of the evil Dr. Fosfer, not to be confused with DC's Dr. Phosphorous, the Golden Age Starman villain (who... SPOILER ALERT!... eventually killed the Golden Age Starman). Dr. Fosfer figured out a way to animate fire things... which you kind of feel obliged to do if your name is "Fosfer." FRANZ! No more Taco Bell for you before these meetings!Check out this little known fact about the Black Terror:See? If you hit him hard enough, it will apparently knock out both the Terror and his sidekick, Tim. I don't know if they had some sort of "Corsican Brothers" relationship or what, but the evidence is clear.Hey! Let's finish with some Fun with Out of Context Dialogue! (tm!)That's what HE said!Thank you, thank you!See you tomorrow!

The Image Round Up column aims to get some words down on Image Comics book published for the week. This weeks reviews are handled by William Tournas, Ricardo Guajardo and Hansel Moreno. He'll be dropping non-spoilery reviews the day before the books are available so you can best make up your mind on what to buy tomorrow. We offer this service because Image has been putting out some amazing content lately and it will be nice to shine a light on every single title they produce. This week our intrepid team looks at Invincible #103, Mara #5, Miniature Jesus #3, and Revival #11. This week deciding to take aim and head out on an adventure the declares Mara #5 the COVER OF THE WEEK! Read William's preview for more info! The reviews are graded according to the following scale: Must Read. -- Do not miss this hot piece of comic action! Buy It. -- For memories sake. Check It. -- This is a toss up. Up to you really. Byrne It. (skim it on the rack). -- Look at it but don't leave with it. Avoid It. -- Steer clear. Invincible #103 Story by: Robert Kirkman Pencils by: Ryan Ottley Inks by: Cliff Rathburn Colors by: John Rauch Letters by: Rus Wooton Ricardo Guajardo: Some might argue that Robert Kirkman has made himself known with his other work. This comic is just as good but has fallen under the radar, in my opinion, despite it passing the 100th issue landmark. Ryan Ottley along with Cliff Rathburn and John Rauch bring out the best of the cast as the book looks as gorgeous as ever by bringing sharp and detailed designs that keep the reader enthralled as the comic reaches its cliffhanger. This issue continues to build up even further with more characters returning to the fold from the previous issues while the plots thickens, delivering an intriguing read. There is still characters that left me wondering where the story will go in the grand scheme of Robert Kirkman's plans. While The Walking Dead delivers in the horror genre by grabbing folks attention with tension, Invincible keeps the comic chugging along with superhero antics and suspense. Some folks might be tired of seeing capes in action, however those same folks might not have read a book that can let them enjoy it without insulting their intelligence. Is this a issue that new readers can jump into at this point? Probably. What makes comics interesting is the back issue diving, which is essential to the overall experience in reading this series. Personally, I say risk the $2.99 and see if Invincible can bring a fresh take in the superhero genre to your life. Verdict: Buy It! Mara #5 Story by: Brian Wood Art by: Ming Doyle & Jordie Bellaire Cover by: Ming Doyle William Tournas: Whenever Brian Wood comes to a genre, he manages to find something new to explore and blow it out of the water in his own unique way. He continues this in the latest issue of MaraWith each issue of Mara I have no idea what to expect. It started out as a look into a future corporate society where atheletes are ordered as celeberties. Since then it has moved on to how a person struggles to keep their identity when they get godlike super powers. All done at an amazing pace.When we last left Mara she has escaped Military confinement and flew into space. Her powers now fully realised, this issue continues with her internal monologing as tries to figure out where does she goes from here, and does she even belong amongst society anymore.Ming Doyle and Jordie Bellaire excute the feelings and emotions of this story so well with their gorgeous art styles. From emotive descriptions on the faces of characters, to bursts of bright colours, Doyle and Bellaire bring their brilliant art to this book which has me just seitting at a page and just staring. Verdict: Buy It! Miniature Jesus #3 Created, written, and drawn by Ted McKeever Ricardo Guajardo: Reading the previous issue made me realize how thought-provoking the series is and how unique the story o

Good morning, dear readers. It's time once again for your weekly serving of Post-Crisis Comic Book Previews! We've a bounty of brilliant books coming your way, including Baltimore: The Inquisitor, Wild Blue Yonder #1, X-Files: Season 10 #1, and more! So join me on the other side of the cut to check out these, and a multitude of other, titles. Major Releases ANIMAL MAN #21 Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Steve Pugh and Francis Portela “SPLINTER SPECIES” begins here as Buddy’s grief and increasing celebrity threaten to tear him apart. Plus, a major new antagonist is revealed! Grant: Is it still accurate to place Animal Man as a major release? While the title's Rotworld arc that crossed with Swamp Thing was pretty much exclusively lackluster, Animal Man seems to have regained its stride in the aftermath. We're back in "the real world", and all is far from well in the Baker family unit. Cliff's death has driven a rift between Buddy and Ellen, and the ensuing drama has been quite well done. It also doesn't hurt that Lemire brought back the Red Thunder "movie" from the first arc for some wonderful parallelism. I'm once again feeling excited about what's in store for these characters, which is a great feeling to have. EDISON REX TP Written by Chris Roberson Art by Dennis Culver Edison Rex is the smartest man in the world, a criminal genius, and the arch-nemesis of the world's greatest protector, Valiant. Having dedicated his life to defeating Valiant and proving once and for all that he is a menace to humanity and not a hero, what will Edison do Grant: If memory serves, this trade will mark the first ingress to the physical world by the before now all-digital Monkeybrain comics. And I must say that Edison Rex is a dandy title to start the process with. Chris Roberson and Dennis Culver have created a delightful supervillain turned superhero tale that manages to channel classic comics while also treading its own path. I'll be more than happy to add this book to my shelves. X-FILES SEASON 10 #1 Written by Joe Harris Art by Michael Walsh For years they investigated the paranormal, pursued the "monsters of the week," and sought the truth behind extraterrestrial activity, along with the grand conspiracy surrounding it rooted deep within their own government. But when AGENTS MULDER and SCULLY reunite for a new, ongoing series that ushers THE X-FILES into a new era of technological paranoia, multinational concerns and otherworldly threats, it'll take more than a desire "to believe" to make it out alive. The X-Files: Season 10 also sees creator Chris Carter return to the fold as Executive Producer! Grant: Having never really watched The X-Files, I still don't know exactly what to expect from this book. However, I'm still able to understand that new X-Files stories are a pretty big deal. All the more so when they're being penned by the talented combination of writer Joe Harris and artist Michael Walsh. I've enjoyed Harris' past work well enough, but it's Walsh's presence that brings me to this party. His art is one of my favourite discoveries of the past year, and I'm keen to see more of it. New Kids on the Block 100 BULLETS: BROTHER LONO #1 Written by Brian Azzarello Art by Eduardo Risso BROTHER LONO is a brand-new 8-issue miniseries set in the world of 100 BULLETS! The Eisner award-winning team behind 100 BULLETS—writer Brian Azzarello, artist Eduardo Risso, colorist Trish Mulvihill, letterer Clem Robbins and cover artist Dave Johnson—reunites to tell the story of the baddest Minuteman of all. When last we saw Lono in 100 BULLETS, Dizzy Cordova had shot him through the chest...but Lono always was too tough to die. Now, after the final events of 100 BULLETS, Lono finds himself in Mexico working on the side of the angels. But there’s always more to a 100 BULLETS story, so pick up

The Howling Shout! Factory has two new horror Blu-ray collector’s editions releasing today, June 18, as part of their Scream Factory line. First up is the werewolf flick The Howling (1981), starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee. Wallace plays a TV news anchor who’s sent away to recuperate after an encounter with a serial killer. Unfortunately, the vacation town is full of werewolves. It’s directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins) and written by John Sayles based on a novel by Gary Brandner. There were eventually seven (!) sequels — maybe because it’s a terrific title for a monster movie. Along with An American Werewolf in London, it revitalized the genre with groundbreaking-for-the-time special effects. Here’s the original trailer: Lifeforce Shout! Factory has added a new commentary with novel author Brandner; deleted scenes with an optional audio commentary by Dante; a featurette on the film’s location; an interview with stop-motion animator Dave Allen; and new interviews with screenwriter Terence Winkless, executive producer Steven A. Lane, and editor Mark Goldblatt. That’s in addition to the extras they’ve included from the prior DVD release: outtakes, trailers, a photo gallery, “Making of a Monster: Inside The Howling”, “Unleashing the Beast: The Making of The Howling”, and a commentary with Dante and Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone, and Robert Picardo. Also available is Lifeforce (1985). Directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), this one’s about space vampires. Plus, Mathilda May walks around naked the whole time, and Patrick Stewart’s in it! It sounds ridiculous. The trailer doesn’t do much to dispel that impression: However, in addition to the original “Making of Lifeforce” featurette, trailers, and gallery, you also get the both the original theatrical version as well as the longer international cut. There are two commentaries, one with director Hooper, and one with make-up effects designer Nick Maley, plus new interviews with Hooper, actor Steve Railsback, and Ms. May herself. Shout! does some great extras. Similar Posts: Adele Blanc-Sec Movie Announced for Blu-ray and DVD § Shout Factory Has Complete Transformers § Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann Comes to Blu-ray § Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec Movie Coming to US § Swamp Thing Movie Coming to Blu-ray

(Some minor spoilers ahead for Man of Steel, Star Trek Into Darkness, Iron Man 3...and another movie I don't want to mention yet.)So I went and saw Man of Steel on Father's Day. I was in a pretty good mood, which may have affected the results, since I pretty much enjoyed it. Oh, there are a couple of moments of Superman=Christ imagery I thought were beyond heavy-handed, and I do remember thinking this was a pretty big body count for a Superman movie, but I still came out feeling positive. Popular opinion, however, seems somewhat split. To put it mildly; and you could just as easily argue what opinion isn't split in America these days, but that's another story. Both Mark Waid and Chris Sims were somewhat less than thrilled with it. There may be something to the idea that this was a Superman movie for people who don't read comics or have a more than passing familiarity with the character; and that the more concrete your idea of Superman, the less you would enjoy this version. NPR's review of Man of Steel mentions a scene I hadn't thought about at the time: "You can save [them]," Jor-El (Russell Crowe) assures Superman (Henry Cavill) at a key juncture; "you can save them all." Um...Jor-El may have been speaking metaphorically there, since Superman emphatically doesn't save everyone. (And that scene isn't really with Jor-El, but sort of a program/ghost of him, but we won't split any more hairs on that point!)But a rising body count, much as I feel it's a little out of place in a Superman movie, is almost to be expected in a summer blockbuster today. So far this year I've seen Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, and now Man of Steel; all of which feature the bad guys killing hundreds, if not thousands, before the heroes finally stop them. We don't see all or even most of those deaths onscreen or know most of these faceless victims--it's tough for even a Red Shirt to get a death scene anymore--but the scale and spectacle of the destruction implies a huge death toll (and dramatically raised stakes.) Of course, this isn't a recent development: there were probably four-figure casualties or more in the previous Star Trek, Avengers, or the DC movies Green Lantern or the Dark Knight Rises. It used to be, the hero had to stop the villain, before people died. Now that's the part that doesn't seem realistic enough for a superhero or sci-fi movie anymore; civilian deaths are accepted as a matter of course. Sure, the heroes manage to stop whatever the armageddon du jour is from destroying everything, but not without immense losses.Which brings up another film I saw recently: the recent remake of The Evil Dead. Like a lot of movies I watch, I had to file it under "Enjoyable, not very good." Fun as all get out while you watch it, if critically you could poke so many holes in it. And that was rather an odd duck of a movie to start with. It's not a straight remake of the Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell classic, and there isn't an Ash character; but there are ever so many callbacks, references, and homages to the earlier films. There's also more horror cliches in the new version: a character dumb enough to read the big evil Necronomicon, characters left alone or unattended for seemingly ever so bad things can happen to them, the characters possessed by the Deadites don't talk as much smack as they used to and more just lurch and jerk about like common infected zombies, and somewhat unnecessary Chekhov's gun weapon placement: it's an Evil Dead film, we know there's gonna be a chainsaw sometime...There's also a gem of an idea, that's in the wrong place: the five friends are out at the secluded cabin in the woods, so one of them, Mia, can go through heroin withdrawal. At first, it's set up like maybe she's not really seeing the Deadites; they're just a junkie's hallucinations, and maybe Mia is really the killer. That's a great hook...that doesn't belong in this movie at all. We know the title, we know the Necronomicon, we know the s

Doug: Comments today should leave Man of Steel unspoiled. We're just talking actors and their portrayal of Superman/Clark Kent. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Let's once again heap copious amounts of praise upon the late (but eternally great) Gil Kane! Click below to stare at some rare art pieces by this comic art master, who enjoyed long stretches at DC and Marvel Comics, as one of their top "go-to" artists! Gil also crafted his own creator-owned strips, striking out for himself at a time when such daring solo efforts among commercial comics artist were very rare! Above: Even tho Gil was one of DC Comics' main artists (on books like THE ATOM and GREEN LANTERN) in the early 60s, he had to audition at rival Marvel Comics! That firm used the "Marvel method," a system that involved artists working from only a loose plot (not a full script) to create 20-page comics, and not every artist was up to the task! Here are some CAPTAIN AMERICA pencilled try-out pages by Gil from 1966! Gil would later go on to make his mark on CAP in the 70s! Above: Convention sketches by Gil! Batman and Superman have never looked better!

Here's a little "Man of Steel" (hi, Googlers!) fun from Adventure Comics #293, courtesy of contributor Robert Gillis!I don't know why we act like time travel is so dang unlikely. Clearly, we just have to follow the convenient calendar pages! The Time Barrier is easier to navigate than an interstate!From Adventure #301, we have confirmed that Superman blows. And that he also has a skewed perspective on what's important:Yeah, if he's moving the Earth around, I'm a bit more concerned about earthquakes and tidal waves. The last thing I'm worried about is the accuracy of my Goats in Trees calendar.You think I made that one up, don't you?Exhibit "A":Meanwhile, from Amazing Spider-Man #384: Oh, no! Please don't say the word...Blarg. Cue the Origin Montage! (tm!)We GET It! (tm!)I haven't posted every time we've seen the origin flashback, by the way. I try to limit it to once every five or six sightings.And here's something that caught my eye from Amazing #345:First, Boomerang was born in Australia but raised the United States, so I don't know why he's getting all Crocodile Dundee there.But more to the point:Okay, no one working on the docks noticed the magenta pants and the bright blue boots? I realize that New Yorkers are a pretty jaded bunch, but it seems like someone would have called him out on that. You know, like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry had to wear cowboy boots? Those are much worse.Crikey! See you tomorrow!