Eisner 100: Kitchen Sink's Spirit Magazine

Continuing our celebration of Will Eisner's centenary.

This is how I first got into the Spirit, during the 1980s via Kitchen Sink's magazine-format reprints. The strips appeared in black and white through most of the run, and were supplemented with interviews and other text material - plus new covers by Eisner.

Coming up: Dusty Springfield - The Complete Philadelphia Sessions - A Brand New Me (Expanded Edition)

Out July 7. Order from Amazon now.

Details:
Having issued collections of her lost 1971 Jeff Barry-produced sessions (Faithful) and her entire 1970-1971 U.K. sessions (Come for a Dream), we have made chronicling the hallowed early ‘70s period of Dusty Springfield’s career something of a mission here at Real Gone Music. And we have saved what just might be the best for last—this collection brings together, for the first time ever, all of the historic recordings made by Dusty at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with Gamble-Huff Productions for Atlantic Records. The 17 selections cover the ten 1969 recordings issued on Springfield's 1970 album A Brand New Me— including the hit title song—plus 7 additional tracks from 1970 including the single "I Wanna Be a Free Girl," outtakes not issued until the 1990s on various compilations, and a previously unreleased track, “Sweet Charlie .” Additionally, because former iterations of this material have not been sonically quite up to snuff, each track is newly-remixed from the original multi-track masters by Ted Carfrae! Liner notes by Joe Marchese and rare images from Dusty’s own collection complete this invaluable look at the seductive Ms. Springfield’s foray into the Philly Soul sound. Put this together with our other Real Gone Dusty retrospectives and you have the full picture of Dusty’s recordings from 1969-1971 that immediately followed her Dusty In Memphis pinnacle! 


Pop Pick: Jack Kirby Collector #70

Each issue of the Jack Kirby Collector is a joy. What's not to like about page after page of Kirby art, much of it rarely seen up until now?

But this issue was particularly strong due a lengthy piece by the late Stan Taylor that makes a very convincing that Kirby created, or a least heavily co-created, Spider-Man. Comics fans have debated this matter for years, but Taylor's piece marshals the evidence in a very convincing and matter-of-fact way, with lots of artwork and archival interview comments that back up his thesis.

Most refreshing of all, is that the article doesn't diminish the vital input Stan Lee and Steve Ditko had into the character. Spidey wouldn't be the same without Lee's character-shaping dialogue and melodrama, or without Ditko's evocative and quirky art. Yet, I came away from this piece thinking that Spidey wouldn't have been at all without Jack's early concepts and story plotting.

If you're interested in comics history, this issue is well worth picking up, which you can do right here.


Listen: BBC radio documentary on the Fender Stratocaster

Listen here.

Details:
David Stafford celebrates the Fender Stratocaster with the help of some of its key players including Hank Marvin, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Jeff Beck and Johnny Marr.

Listen: Power pop documentary on BBC radio

Listen here.

Details:

Power Pop fanatic Katie Puckrik sizes up the genre with a bop through its history and highlights. Featuring commentary from Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle and actor Nick Offerman, plus key tunes from the likes of Shoes, Chris Bell, The Shazam and more.

Video: Frank Miller and Klaus Janson - 100 Years of Genius: The Life and Legacy of Will Eisner


New music releases May 12, 2017: Todd Rundgren; Neil Young; Mary Hopkin, more

Click the links to order items from Amazon.


Mary Hopkin / Recollections


Neil Young / Official Release Series Discs 5-8


Neil Young / Official Release Series Discs 8.5-12


Paul Weller / A Kind Revolution


Todd Rundgren / White Knight


American Epic: The Collection


Dion / Kickin' Child

Pop Culture Roundup: G.I. Joe; Groot; Peter Blake; John Cleese

The man credited with creating the G.I. Joe action figure has died.
Stanley Weston, a former soldier who got into the advertising business after his draft service in the Army, saw the opportunity to pitch a boy-oriented doll line to Hasbro in the wake of Mattel’s groundbreaking success with Barbie in the early 1960s. Drawing on his own history in national service, Weston came to the toymaker with the idea for G.I.Joe, a line of military-based dolls with more poseability than Mattel’s Barbie and Ken dolls, to better use the troves of weaponry and other tools they would come bundled with.



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The history of Groot, from Marvel monster to adorable movie character.


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John Cleese is appearing in  series for five podcasts from BBC Radio 4.


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See a series of alphabet prints by pop artist Peter Blake, creator of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper LP cover.

Pop picks: "Batman & Bill"

Batfans and, I think, maybe even non-comics fans will be intrigued by this new documentary, streaming on Hulu. It's a tale of injustice and eventual retribution, mixed with mystery.

We learn the story via Marc Tyler Nobleman, an author of children's book and a comics fan, who started researching the life of Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman.

Most of us interested in comic book history know about Bill Finger, yet the rest of the world certainly doesn't. And even those of us who know the gist of Finger's story, don't know the full details. In fact, nobody did, until Nobleman revealed them in his book, "Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman," and now in this film.

Nobleman compellingly leads us through all of his discoveries and we get background and perspective from a number of comic greats along the way: including famed writer/editor Roy Thomas and the late Batman artists Jerry Robinson and Carmine Infantino. Batman nut and movie producer Michael Uslan also chimes in. And there are interviews with other folks, too, but revealing their identities would spoil the slow reveal of this film. Nobleman truly did crack a mystery or two.

Without revealing too much, we learn much about Finger's life and his ill treatment by Bob Kane, DC Comics and history. While it could've been condensed a bit - it gets a little repetitive at point, this is an excellent film and an important document of pop culture history.



Video find: XTC performs "Love on a Farmboy's Wages"

Always on of my favorite XTC tunes.

Gallery: Vintage TWA travel posters