Artist Joe Shuster created Superman with writer Joe Siegel.
Comic art: Original Superman sketches by Joe Shuster
Artist Joe Shuster created Superman with writer Joe Siegel.
Pop culture roundup: Van Morrison's revenge; Disney's Golden Books; Tiki fever; Kamandi; Asterix
Check out Van Morrison's "revenge tapes."
A new tome pays tribute to the art of Disney Golden Books.
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Remembering America's mid-century Tiki craze.
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See a nice selection of Kamandi splash pages by the great Jack Kirby.
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The new creative team for Asterix is holding a contest to select two fans who will be caricatured in an upcoming story. Unfortunately, the competition isn't open to U.S. fans. And I really wanted to be in an Asterix album, too....
[Morrison] would later parody what he viewed as Berns’s tendency to over-produce in one of the ‘revenge’ songs recorded to get out of the Bang contract … mockingly chanting, ‘Yeah, we’ll get a guitar … we’ll get three guitars / No!, No!!, we’ll get four guitars / and we’ll get Herbie Lovelle to play drums / and we’ll do the sha-, sha-la-la bit.’-----
A new tome pays tribute to the art of Disney Golden Books.
Remembering America's mid-century Tiki craze.
See a nice selection of Kamandi splash pages by the great Jack Kirby.
The new creative team for Asterix is holding a contest to select two fans who will be caricatured in an upcoming story. Unfortunately, the competition isn't open to U.S. fans. And I really wanted to be in an Asterix album, too....
More Toth! Dark Horse announces collection of artist's Creepy and Eerie magazine work
We just posted info about IDW's collection of Alex Toth's "Bravo for Adventure" comic strip, now Dark Horse has announced a collection of Toth's work for the black and white Creepy and Eerie horror mags.
Any Toth is good Toth in my book. Nice to see more of his work back in print.
Out in July, 168 pages.
Any Toth is good Toth in my book. Nice to see more of his work back in print.
Out in July, 168 pages.
A brilliant storyteller who wielded a dynamic, minimalist style, Alex Toth is considered a master in the fields of comic book storytelling, animation, and design. With Creepy Presents Alex Toth, all of his vibrant and thrilling stories from Creepy and Eerie are collected in a deluxe, magazine-sized hardcover for the first time ever! With an introduction by Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier, Richard Stark's Parker), this collection of timeless tales will thrill, educate, and excite fans of horror, comics, and stellar illustration work. Major collaborations with Archie Goodwin, Doug Moench, Carmine Infantino, and others are included!
IDW collects Alex Toth's Bravo for Adventure
This one goes straight onto my to-buy list:
Alex Toth’s magnum opus Bravo for Adventure is being collected in book form for the first time ever! This deluxe hardcover from IDW’s Library of American Comics contains all three of The Genius’s stories starring Jesse Bravo, knock-about pilot and reluctant swashbuckler, including the original graphic novel that’s been out of print for 30 years.
“Toth fans worldwide have been clamoring for years to see Bravo back in print,” says Dean Mullaney, editor of the new edition. “Now, by special arrangement with the Toth family, it becomes a reality. This is another one of those ‘dream’ projects that only come along once in a long while.”
Fans delight in studying even idle doodles by Alex Toth and the collected Bravo for Adventure offers new treasures. In addition to the complete published stories, also included are never-before-seen pencil roughs, preliminary drawings, and story fragments, as well as Toth’s own coloring samples for an edition that never saw print, and—freed from storage after 40 years—some of the coloring for what was intended to be Bravo’s original 1975 first printing in France!
“What might have been” is the common thread in Bravo’s history. Toth created the original 48-page story in 1975 for a French publisher, but the planned graphic novel never saw print when that publisher closed its comics division. The artist wanted to see the graphic novel published in America, but it sat dormant for half a decade until the story was serialized in the Warren magazine, The Rook. Six years after that, a version was published in magazine format by Dragon Lady Press in Canada, including two additional Bravo short stories. Toth then colored the first twelve pages for a Texas publisher that went out of business, and started several more swashbuckling tales, only to abandon them in frustration after a handful of pages.
The up-and-down history of Bravo for Adventure now ends on a high note, with the complete stories in a single volume that matches the format of the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Alex Toth: Genius trilogy. It’s not just a comics collection, it’s a capital “E” Event. Alex Toth, and his greatest creation, are flying higher than ever before!
Pop stuff: The Imitation Game; Amelia and the Snowman; Lost
What I'm watching, reading, hearing, etc.
The Imitation Game. This film very well could've been another entry in the overwrought brilliant-but-tortured-man genre. You know the type: Lots of melodrama, emotional speeches and clobbering the audience over the head with its message: "This guy is really smart, but messed up and deserves our sympathy and understanding."
Yet, "Imitation Game" tells the story of World War II codebreaker Alan Turing with gentle humor and understatement.
Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Turing is not another "Sherlock." Yes, he's socially awkward and sometimes abrasive. But he's also self-effacing and gentle, with halted speech and an occasional stutter. He'd love to fit in, but knows he ever will.
So he follows his true nature, working doggedly and obsessively on his Nazi code-breaking machine, not caring that anyone else thinks. And thank goodness he did. Not only did Turing's work bring about a quicker end to the war, saving thousands of lives, but also laid the groundwork for the modern computer.
Cumberbatch is nicely balanced by the always compelling Keira Knightley, who is on hand to make Turing seem more human. Her character, a quirky, slightly nerdy mathematician who keeps pace with the lead character is refreshingly different, too.
Like "Lincoln," this film zeroes in on one crucial episode of its subject's life rather than telling his story cradle to grave. That helps keep the story focused and makes it less of a conventional bio-pic.
The film also tastefully refrains from amping up the drama related to Turing's sexuality (he was gay at a time when homosexual acts were illegal in Britain) but makes it just one aspect of his wholly interesting character. The result is a very human story about a very extraordinary man.
Abigail and the Snowman is a delightful new mini-series from KaBoom Comics that just released its second issue last week. My daughter is a fan, and so are her parents.
This is excellent stuff: whimsical, heartwarming, funny. It reminded me a bit of "Calvin and Hobbes," but less zany, more gentle.
Written, illustrated and even lettered by the talented New Zealander Roger Langridge with lovely colors from Fred Stresing, the comic tells the story of 9-year-old Abigail, who's just moved to a new school and has recently lost her mother.
She has trouble making friends and her only ally -- apart from her funny, loving, but somewhat clueless dad -- is an imaginary dog named Clyde.
Shunned by the other kids, things look bleak for Abigail until she encounters another creature nobody -- at least no grownups -- can see: an on-the-lam yeti from a government research center.
Abigail is the first kid to spot the snowman, who is being pursued by Men in Black wearing special yeti-detecting goggles. Forgetting all about her made-up dog, she renames the creature Clyde and vows to keep him safe.
When it turns out other kids can see Clyde, too, Abigail's popularity zooms. Especially when she brings her new friend to school. As you might imagine, all manner of hi-jinks ensue.
Langridge's artwork is warm and engaging, cartoony but with lots of nice detail. The story and action flow smoothly and the dialogue between Abigail and her father, who's struggling to make ends meet without adding to his daughter's stress, is funny and real.
I look forward to the remainder of the four-issue run and hope it won't be the last we see/don't see of Clyde and Abigail.
Lost. Longtime Pop Culture Safari readers know I developed a perhaps unhealthy obsession with this show during its original run. And if you read all those posts, you probably know I hated the ending. It made me wish I'd never invested so much time into the show in the first place.
So, I've somewhat surprised myself by giving the whole thing another look. The main reason is my son, who missed it the first time around and was curious. He's been warned about the end, without receiving any spoilers. My wife if re-watching again, too.
Anyway, watching the show on Netflix, with no ads and no long waits between episodes or seasons, has been fun. Less focused on the mystery, I'm enjoying the performances by the ensemble, especially Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer and Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, and the crafty storytelling.
Even if they botched the ending, Lindelof, Cuse and crew, knew how to keep people coming back week after week. The cool touches of 1970s sci-fi, comics and cultdom are still lots of fun.
I also find I'm less annoyed by Kate, more annoyed by Locke and just as annoyed by Jack as compared to the first time around. And watching the WTF reactions from my kid as it all unfolds is the most entertaining part of all.
The Imitation Game. This film very well could've been another entry in the overwrought brilliant-but-tortured-man genre. You know the type: Lots of melodrama, emotional speeches and clobbering the audience over the head with its message: "This guy is really smart, but messed up and deserves our sympathy and understanding."
Yet, "Imitation Game" tells the story of World War II codebreaker Alan Turing with gentle humor and understatement.
Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Turing is not another "Sherlock." Yes, he's socially awkward and sometimes abrasive. But he's also self-effacing and gentle, with halted speech and an occasional stutter. He'd love to fit in, but knows he ever will.
So he follows his true nature, working doggedly and obsessively on his Nazi code-breaking machine, not caring that anyone else thinks. And thank goodness he did. Not only did Turing's work bring about a quicker end to the war, saving thousands of lives, but also laid the groundwork for the modern computer.
Cumberbatch is nicely balanced by the always compelling Keira Knightley, who is on hand to make Turing seem more human. Her character, a quirky, slightly nerdy mathematician who keeps pace with the lead character is refreshingly different, too.
Like "Lincoln," this film zeroes in on one crucial episode of its subject's life rather than telling his story cradle to grave. That helps keep the story focused and makes it less of a conventional bio-pic.
The film also tastefully refrains from amping up the drama related to Turing's sexuality (he was gay at a time when homosexual acts were illegal in Britain) but makes it just one aspect of his wholly interesting character. The result is a very human story about a very extraordinary man.
Abigail and the Snowman is a delightful new mini-series from KaBoom Comics that just released its second issue last week. My daughter is a fan, and so are her parents.
This is excellent stuff: whimsical, heartwarming, funny. It reminded me a bit of "Calvin and Hobbes," but less zany, more gentle.
Written, illustrated and even lettered by the talented New Zealander Roger Langridge with lovely colors from Fred Stresing, the comic tells the story of 9-year-old Abigail, who's just moved to a new school and has recently lost her mother.
She has trouble making friends and her only ally -- apart from her funny, loving, but somewhat clueless dad -- is an imaginary dog named Clyde.
Shunned by the other kids, things look bleak for Abigail until she encounters another creature nobody -- at least no grownups -- can see: an on-the-lam yeti from a government research center.
Abigail is the first kid to spot the snowman, who is being pursued by Men in Black wearing special yeti-detecting goggles. Forgetting all about her made-up dog, she renames the creature Clyde and vows to keep him safe.
When it turns out other kids can see Clyde, too, Abigail's popularity zooms. Especially when she brings her new friend to school. As you might imagine, all manner of hi-jinks ensue.
Langridge's artwork is warm and engaging, cartoony but with lots of nice detail. The story and action flow smoothly and the dialogue between Abigail and her father, who's struggling to make ends meet without adding to his daughter's stress, is funny and real.
I look forward to the remainder of the four-issue run and hope it won't be the last we see/don't see of Clyde and Abigail.
Lost. Longtime Pop Culture Safari readers know I developed a perhaps unhealthy obsession with this show during its original run. And if you read all those posts, you probably know I hated the ending. It made me wish I'd never invested so much time into the show in the first place.
So, I've somewhat surprised myself by giving the whole thing another look. The main reason is my son, who missed it the first time around and was curious. He's been warned about the end, without receiving any spoilers. My wife if re-watching again, too.
Anyway, watching the show on Netflix, with no ads and no long waits between episodes or seasons, has been fun. Less focused on the mystery, I'm enjoying the performances by the ensemble, especially Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer and Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, and the crafty storytelling.
Even if they botched the ending, Lindelof, Cuse and crew, knew how to keep people coming back week after week. The cool touches of 1970s sci-fi, comics and cultdom are still lots of fun.
I also find I'm less annoyed by Kate, more annoyed by Locke and just as annoyed by Jack as compared to the first time around. And watching the WTF reactions from my kid as it all unfolds is the most entertaining part of all.
New comics Feb. 11, 2015: Sub-Mariner Masterworks; Creepy Archives; Thor Masterworks; Emerald City of Oz; Prince Valiant
Highlight collected editions out this week. Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.
Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner Volume 6
The Lady Dorma is dead, and the Sub-Mariner is on a rampage that will leave a swath of destruction across the surface world! But in his pursuit of vengeance, Namor learns that his father - the long thought dead Capt. Leonard MacKenzie - is still alive! In the quest to find his father, Namor will cross paths with Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Human Torch before he faces a gathering of his greatest enemies - Llyra, Tiger Shark and Sting-Ray - while his father's life hangs in the balance! If that's not enough, next three of the Marvel Universe's fiercest personalities - Namor, Dr. Doom and M.O.D.O.K. - battle each other for the Cosmic Cube! With art by the great Gene Colan, need we say more? Reserve your copy today!
COLLECTING: Sub-Mariner (1968) 39-49; Daredevil (1964) 77
Creepy Archives Volume 21
Creepy Archives, the quintessential horror anthology, continues to deliver a multitude of monstrous plights and terrifying twist endings! This deluxe hardcover collects issues #99 to #103 of the influential Warren Publishing series and includes all original letters columns, color sections, and text pieces--along with a new foreword by José Villarrubia! Within these pages you'll shriek in fright as you witness the destruction of our planet, terrors arising from the ocean's depths, and hideous creatures and criminals lurking after every page turn! Contributors include timeless titans Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, Russ Heath, John Severin, Len Wein, and many others!
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 1 (New Printing)
The Marvel Masterworks proudly present the beginning of the greatest saga of myth and adventure to ever grace the comic book page - the saga of the Mighty Thor! Vacationing in Norway, Dr. Donald Blake discovered a strange, gnarled cane. Upon striking it, a shower of lightning rained down and the hobbled doctor found himself transformed into Thor, God of Thunder! In these pages you'll journey across the Rainbow Bridge to Asgard and meet Odin, Heimdall, Balder, and Thor's half-brother Loki for the first time! In addition to Thor's epic battles, the ancient origins of Asgard are revealed in "Tales of Asgard" as only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could present them. They're Marvel Masterworks of the highest order!
COLLECTING: Journey Into Mystery 83-100
Oz: The Emerald City of Oz
The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young bring you the best Oz series yet! Uncle Henry can't pay the mortgage, so he, Aunt Em and Dorothy must leave their Kansas home. Where can they go? To the Land of Oz, of course! Dorothy and the Wizard take Em and Henry on a grand tour, discovering knowledge pills and living paper dolls, solving living puzzles, suffering abuse from living kitchen utensils and drooling over living baked goods - but will anyone in Oz be left living after the Nomes attack, allied with the highly disagreeable Growleywogs? And when General Guph persuades the most evil race alive - the shape-shift ing Phanfasms of Mt. Phantastico-to join the Nome Army, have the Nomes bitt en off more than they can chew?
Prince Valiant Vol. 10: 1955-1956 (Vol. 10)
Aleta is kidnapped and Val fights famine in the latest collection of the King Arthur-inspired newspaper strip.
Our tenth volume finds our band of heroes making their way back to the Kingdom of Thule by way of Constantinople and Eastern Russia. Soon they are attacked by a tribe of barbarians who kidnap Aleta for the great Dragada Khan who wants to make her one of his wives. After nearly being killed in battle, Valiant returns to his homeland only to find the threat of hunger hovers over Thule. As Val explores new ways of feeding the kingdom’s growing populace, raiders threaten the lives of his family and friends. The volume ends with Val’s return to Camelot, a tournament of champions, and the threat of new treachery in Cornwall. This volume also includes an introduction by legendary comics artist Timothy Truman, and a special gallery containing more of Hal Foster’s incredible Mountie paintings annotated by comics historian Brian M. Kane. Full color.
The Lady Dorma is dead, and the Sub-Mariner is on a rampage that will leave a swath of destruction across the surface world! But in his pursuit of vengeance, Namor learns that his father - the long thought dead Capt. Leonard MacKenzie - is still alive! In the quest to find his father, Namor will cross paths with Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Human Torch before he faces a gathering of his greatest enemies - Llyra, Tiger Shark and Sting-Ray - while his father's life hangs in the balance! If that's not enough, next three of the Marvel Universe's fiercest personalities - Namor, Dr. Doom and M.O.D.O.K. - battle each other for the Cosmic Cube! With art by the great Gene Colan, need we say more? Reserve your copy today!
COLLECTING: Sub-Mariner (1968) 39-49; Daredevil (1964) 77
Creepy Archives Volume 21
Creepy Archives, the quintessential horror anthology, continues to deliver a multitude of monstrous plights and terrifying twist endings! This deluxe hardcover collects issues #99 to #103 of the influential Warren Publishing series and includes all original letters columns, color sections, and text pieces--along with a new foreword by José Villarrubia! Within these pages you'll shriek in fright as you witness the destruction of our planet, terrors arising from the ocean's depths, and hideous creatures and criminals lurking after every page turn! Contributors include timeless titans Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, Russ Heath, John Severin, Len Wein, and many others!
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 1 (New Printing)
The Marvel Masterworks proudly present the beginning of the greatest saga of myth and adventure to ever grace the comic book page - the saga of the Mighty Thor! Vacationing in Norway, Dr. Donald Blake discovered a strange, gnarled cane. Upon striking it, a shower of lightning rained down and the hobbled doctor found himself transformed into Thor, God of Thunder! In these pages you'll journey across the Rainbow Bridge to Asgard and meet Odin, Heimdall, Balder, and Thor's half-brother Loki for the first time! In addition to Thor's epic battles, the ancient origins of Asgard are revealed in "Tales of Asgard" as only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could present them. They're Marvel Masterworks of the highest order!
COLLECTING: Journey Into Mystery 83-100
Oz: The Emerald City of Oz
The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Eric Shanower and Skottie Young bring you the best Oz series yet! Uncle Henry can't pay the mortgage, so he, Aunt Em and Dorothy must leave their Kansas home. Where can they go? To the Land of Oz, of course! Dorothy and the Wizard take Em and Henry on a grand tour, discovering knowledge pills and living paper dolls, solving living puzzles, suffering abuse from living kitchen utensils and drooling over living baked goods - but will anyone in Oz be left living after the Nomes attack, allied with the highly disagreeable Growleywogs? And when General Guph persuades the most evil race alive - the shape-shift ing Phanfasms of Mt. Phantastico-to join the Nome Army, have the Nomes bitt en off more than they can chew?
Prince Valiant Vol. 10: 1955-1956 (Vol. 10)
Aleta is kidnapped and Val fights famine in the latest collection of the King Arthur-inspired newspaper strip.
Our tenth volume finds our band of heroes making their way back to the Kingdom of Thule by way of Constantinople and Eastern Russia. Soon they are attacked by a tribe of barbarians who kidnap Aleta for the great Dragada Khan who wants to make her one of his wives. After nearly being killed in battle, Valiant returns to his homeland only to find the threat of hunger hovers over Thule. As Val explores new ways of feeding the kingdom’s growing populace, raiders threaten the lives of his family and friends. The volume ends with Val’s return to Camelot, a tournament of champions, and the threat of new treachery in Cornwall. This volume also includes an introduction by legendary comics artist Timothy Truman, and a special gallery containing more of Hal Foster’s incredible Mountie paintings annotated by comics historian Brian M. Kane. Full color.
Music new releases Feb. 10, 2015: Pinocchio Legacy Collection; Outlander OST; Father John Misty; Paul Revere and the Raiders; Punk 45, more
Click the links to order discounted CDs, vinyl and downloads from Amazon:
Walt Disney Records Legacy Collection: Pinocchio
Outlander - O.S.T.
Walt Disney Records Legacy Collection: Pinocchio
Outlander - O.S.T.
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