For those who think this is just a list of the comics I bought this week… it isn’t. It does have a list, but I try to add some dialogue to it about other things, instead of a bunch of posts.
I do follow a number of artists and comic creators and groups on SubStack and through newsletters they send out. Recently one posed a question that left me trying to come up with an answer- “What comic changed you?”
The idea behind it is that art changes us, be it a book, a painting or sculpture, a film… experiences change us. So having done the whole Social Media thing with posting favorite movies, books, etc. and then calling out a friend to do the same (a subtle form of bullying IMHO), I’ve gone through it. Then again a comic? As members of the educational community (and a few members of my family) would point out comics aren’t reading, comics aren’t anything but fluff. I still roll my eyes at my niece saying that comics ruin your imagination.🙄 So what comic has changed me? I could list off all of my favorite comics, and how they have impacted my life, but that’s a lot of comics. So instead let’s just say comics kept me from major depression during trying times in my life.
When I was in third grade my parent’s sent me off to a sleep away soccer camp held at a nearby college. Yes, I went to a sports camp and as you can guess, had a horrible time. What saved me was Hägar the Horrible. When I was in third grade I was (and still am) socially awkward and I brought along two brand new Hägar the Horrible comic collections. In those days you could get collection of daily strips in the handy paperback book size at your local drug store (Comics are the gateway drug to literacy). I had two that would hopefully last me through the week of camp. Being socially inept during camp I tried to stand up for my room mate and got picked up and dropped on my head for my efforts. My room mate thought it was funny and moved to another room afterwards. I guess he thought I was weird or immature or something. The only thing that kept me to together was escaping into the land of the vikings and Hägar. I can’t say if there was any one strip that made a big impression on me, but the ability to shut out the real world and only deal with a whimsical world of three panels and a punchline made the experience survivable. Note: I never went to a “sports camp” again.
I have found that I repeat this anytime I’m in a situation in which I am alone and just need to escape the anxiety. When my grandmother dropped me off to my college dorm room. (Don’t ask where my parents were, I think it had something to do with a soccer game 🙄) I sat alone listening to the other kids families excitedly talk about the future, I sat on my bed realizing that I had no idea what to do or where to go. Being from out of state, I knew absolutely no one. Where an extrovert/sportsing kind of person would go out and throw a ball around and talk to people, I instead went down to the campus bookstore and picked up Bloom County. I had never heard of it, but it looked amusing. <spoilers> Bloom County is amusing.
Those are just two instances that I comics helped save my sanity. Now as I draw comics I find the creating a comic allows me to express the feelings I have from various situations and share them in an away I normally wouldn’t. I do a lot of self censoring and no matter how much I’d like to do a comic about some events and topics, I know better. Fortunately for the most part (and looking at the site’s views) not many people read my stuff, so I don’t have to worry too much about offending anyone.
This Week’s Comics:
Amazing Spider-Man #59 – Tombstone and Spider-Man have it out in a fight that takes up an entire issue. In the end- well… define “winning”
Batman and Robin # 14 – Bruce and Damian get to head out for a night on the town! Much to Damian’s chagrin it’s a gala fundraiser that (fortunately for Damian) doesn’t go as expected. It seems that there is a growing dislike for all things Wayne in Gotham, no matter how much good they do.
The Ultimates #5 – so mistakes were made, The tech that was supposed to go to the new “Hawkeye” ends up in the hands of the wrong person and it’s Cap’s job to retrieve it… Again lots of fighting and, since it is Captain America, lots of talking. The sad part is , while they are fighting the illumination no one is asking the import questions like “What about the stockholders?”
Absolute Batman #1 – We have a general idea of what DC is doing- they’ve created another universe and will now inhabit it with altered versions of the heroes we have grown to know. The first one is Batman. No longer is Bruce Wayne a wealthy philanthropist. No longer were his parents killed in “Crime Alley” after taking in a showing of “The Mask of Zorro” at the Monarch Theatre. And yet, he still becomes Batman. I’m interested in seeing how this all plays out. I think this may be another attempt at a “New 52” but without rebooting every title. I know there are plans to do this treatment to most of the major heroes in the DC pantheon. So far using Alfred as our lens into the new version of Gotham has made it definitely different.
Action Comics #1070 – Darn that Phantom Zone! it seems that things are going amuck and after three Kryptonian criminals escape in a rather strange way it is up to Superman to find out what is going on and hopefully stop it and maybe help those imprisoned. Secondary Story- Supergirl goes off on a top secret mission to… Heck if I know.
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight The Kryptonian Age # 5 – Five issues in and we finally see the guy who lives in Smallville. Since this is a Victorian era tale (Elseworlds) there are a number of storylines going on. Batman has left Gotham to find out what happened to the train (it was blown up). Alan Scott, Carnival Trickster and Balloonist is visiting Smallville where Lois and Jimmy are reporting on the happenings which include the sheriff and bespectacled gentleman who seems to have no issues with bullets. Outside of that Lex Luthor seems to be creating other heroes including one Jay Garrick frozen in mid lightning strike, and Cliff Stone who may or may not have been blown up by Luthor after refusing to work with him.
Public Domain #9 – So our merry band of comic creators take their show to the big Comic Expo in San Diego in hopes to get their version of the Domain comic the press it needs. Of course the evil corporate folks have other plans.
Rocketeer Breaks Free #3 – Cliff and the crew survived a Nazi U-Boat attack in San Francisco rescuing people. and now our intrepid band need to figure out what the Nazi were up to with Alcatraz in the middle of it. Of course it ties back to the last series so I need to go back and reread.
Next Week is New York Comic Con so I’ll be on hiatus for a week. I’ll still be drawing, but posting to this website is a bit of a challenge. If I can figure it out I will post something- if not check out Cecil’s hijinks, I’m sure he’ll post something.
So after CXC I decided starting October 1 I would follow some advice from Brian Canini and begin keeping a daily cartoon journal. Understand that when I first proposed My Geek Odyssey to the Lilly Endowment as a Teacher Creativity Fellowship Project I was going to chronicle my journey in England during the 50th anniversary of the MINI Cooper as a webcomic. I realized at the time that my concept of a comic was stuck in the traditional three panels and a punchline strip. I couldn’t get beyond that (and still for the most part can’t). I added Cecil to the strip because my actual life wasn’t entertaining enough and I assumed adding an evil geocaching monkey and you get laughs galore.
So I decided to use the daily journal comic as a way to try out new drawing techniques and reflect on the day’s events. I went out a purchased a regular old cheap sketchbook at Meijer and cut an already used piece of Bristol into a square to make panels. So I draw out 4 panels which leaves me room at the bottom of the page to do the daily prompt. This does confine my prompt to a long narrow drawing, but that’s an added challenge. I’m one week in and have come up with a rhythm kind of on how to do this, my first trip away from home will see how it works out. I started by trying to do the comic before going to bed… not a good idea for me. I tend to want to go to sleep and it takes me a while to get into that zone, so delaying rest to finish a comic isn’t going to work. This was an issue when I did the comic for MINI Takes the States 2010. I then moved to doing it in the morning. Retirement has changed me from a person who had to get up and be ready for school by 7:30 AM to someone who might roll out of bed at 8:00 or once the cats decide that I am no longer a place to sleep. I then head to my studio and do two things. First I look at what today’s drawing prompt is from the Draw or Die Club. Since I started in “Promptober” I’ve stuck with those prompts and not the usual prompts emailed to me. Then I think about what happened the day before and how I want to express that as a series of drawings.
So on day one, Sue left for a conference and I had to work at the LEGO Store. It was a release day and the new Fortnite Sets had been released. I had the “job” of finishing the display of “Peely Bone” while greeting and chatting with guests. At home I sat down to watch politics in action and Sue called to catch up on her day. I watched about 10 more minutes and decided to just go to bed.I had one job. One job. Go to ALDI and pick up the Halloween Cat Scratching houses for the boys. It seems that this is a thing and Aldi puts out new stuff on Wednesdays.This is pretty typical when Sue goes on a trip. I do a quick clean up once she’s gone, and then let everything go to heck until the day she comes home. Then a flurry of activity and she usually doesn’t notice.Sue came back with a cracked tooth, the dentist isn’t open normally on Fridays, she was able to get it taken care of, but spent the majority of the day recuperating until her boss called and then we had to run some errands. I wasn’t about to let her drive (although she was more than capable). Here I tried to just put journaling in with the comic- not having speech bubbles or narration boxes.What does the future hold? We have a lot of things in flux right now. Unlike many people who like to overshare online, I try not to, so let’s just say the future is “fuzzy.” I decided that a Magic 8 Ball would give us clearer answers. So far… Outlook still is unclear.For this comic I actually drew myself once and then used my lightbox to trace myself multiple times. I was at the LEGO Store working and spent the day greeting people (aka Zone 1). We had a mix of people in but two stood out for me. One was a lady who had to tell me all about how her kid had over 700 LEGO sets (there’s an app for that) and she didn’t understand why the store hadn’t moved to a more upscale mall. I read this as wanting us to be in a place with a less diverse clientele. The other was the person asking if we price matched and showed me an Amazon listing of a set. 🙄 For the record… no. Every other Monday Sue and I head to a somewhat local tap room and play trivia with some friends. Some other friends actually run the event so its a great opportunity to get together with people and being an introvert it is nice to actually see other people even if it isn’t stepping outside of my comfort zone too much.
So after a week I have had a few thoughts. mostly, how I need to work on being able to draw my characters (all of them from different angles. That said there have been a couple time this week when I’ve looked at what I drew and did a double take, trying to figure out who drew the stuff on the page. This usually happens when I actually like what I have drawn (which is rare). Being able to just draw and not worry about how pretty it is is hard for many people. You want your drawings to look good and no matter how many times I tell kids “If I can tell what you drew, then you accomplished your task and should be happy” I don’t always follow that same rule for myself.
One thing that Brian mentioned about a daily journal comic is that it gives you a chance to experiment with styles, inking techniques, character design. After doing My Geek Odyssey for over a decade now (even with the lengthy hiatuses) I know that characters evolve the more you draw them and at some point you will find that image for that character. I don’t see Cecil changing much in the future. As I have gotten older I’ve had to change my drawing of myself. This version, isn’t that bad. I am old, and it does show- but that’s OK. As I grow out my beard again I know how I will look. As my hairline recedes more I have ideas as to how to deal with that, now.
When I first started My Geek Odyssey I did my own lettering. My first time I went to New York Comic Con I attended Webcomics Boot Camp and my biggest takeaway was that my handwriting wasn’t up to par. “Lettering is an art.” So I should just use a font that looked like handwriting and have been doing so ever since, until now. I decided that since this is just my journal it doesn’t have to be perfect. After looking at other indy comics, many have decided that “lettering is personal” the art and perfection will come as they practice.
The question is- do I keep posting these only on Social Media? Do I post them on Insta? Facebook? Threads? I’m avoiding whatever Twitter has mutated into. Do I post them daily here? As I have said, I enjoy reading SubStack, but am concerned as to how it will fare in the future. What are your thoughts? Add them to the comments.
I’ve already done the pre-Convention post, and the post CXC post so I really don’t have much to say. I am working on Promptober, and only time will tell if I can keep it up. Added to this is my goal of a daily comic journal along with other stuff.
Tuesday was a massive release day for LEGO stores. I had the chance to finish one of the Fortnite sets- Peely Bones. Basically a cut away of a banana character. I’m old and don’t play Fortnite so I have no clue what the big deal is. The minute I saw him the only thing that came to mind was the 1930’s song “I like bananas because they have no bones” since this guy has a skeleton and intestines. Working at the LEGO Store you do get a chance to build sets , most times you don’t get to build the entire thing, but that’s OK. The hardest part I’ve found is when there are extra pieces left over from another builder and you try to figure out if anything was assembled incorrectly.
This Weeks Comics:
Nemesis Rogues Gallery #3- In this issue Nemesis and The Rookie show us a little bit about what goes into planning a heist. Currently they are doing a pretty good Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson imitation while building up a nest egg for a future master plan. What happens when the next step hits an unexpected snag? Things get interesting when the hunter becomes the hunted.
Justice Society of America #12- A wonderful recap of Stargirl’s adventures solo & with the JSA as we celebrate her 25th anniversary in comics, and to think it only took her 25 years to graduate from Blue Valley High School. Less adventuring and more homework might have helped her pass classes, yet she still ended up valedictorian which says something for the state of the Blue Valley Public Schools. 🙄
Batman #153- Things are calm in Gotham as we start this new arc. Fine, the mayor is in cahoots with the Court of Owls, the Riddler is now running a very successful tech company, Vandal Savage is Commissioner of Police, and Bruce Wayne is back in charge of Wayne Enterprises which seems to have redoubled its efforts to help Gotham, even though some people don’t want the help. What about this new “Hero” who wraps himself in the flag and shoots bad guys?
Creature Commandos #1- I got a ticket to see the Creature Commandos panel at New York Comic Con so I decided to pick this one up and do some research. Frankenstein’s monster, a vampire, a werewolf, a medusa and a mad scientist all walk into a secret government facility being run by a not so nice Army general… I figure the punchline will happen soon.
DC All In Special #1- I’m guessing this is the end of Absolute Power and the starting off place for DC’s new Absolute titles. It seems the Justice League has decided to let every super hero join up- maybe in hopes of retaining their trademark on the word “Super Hero.” Darkseid is involved. The comic actually has two stories one from the POV of the heroes the other from the POV of Darkseid both ending in the middle of the comic with Booster Gold in this new alternate universe facing a Darkseid themed team of superheroes.
I Hate Fairyland #16- Has Skottie Young finally gotten to the point of wanting to stop I Hate Fairyland? The arc is called “Happy End Game” so who knows? We begin with a wonderfully confused Gert trying to figure out why people’s faces look so weird as she enters the city… “That’s called smiling, Gert.” Of course things happen once it dawns on her that she is being treated like a hero and it isn’t that bad of a feeling – she actually like it. I did find it interesting the way she defeated the villain… it seemed appropriate in this day and age.
DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1- This anthology book deals with untold stories of heroes during the various ultimate crisis to end all multiverse crises crossover event to help increase sales over the summer – Heroes will die! The world as you know it will never be the same! Kind of events. DC’s It really worked in the 80’s to clean up all the stuff from the Silver Age, so let’s just hit the reset button every few years now with another event. If you don’t know about all the various events being covered it might be confusing. It was for me, and I know most of them. That said these short stories were for the most part good. For me the first one with Batgirl was probably the best. Your mileage may differ.
Wow. If you are a comics creator this is a conference you need to put on your annual list. I have said before this is not a “I’m going for photo-ops and autographs with celebrities to impress my friends” kind of Con. Your friends may not even know who the folks are you got autographs from or photos with. If they do- you have some amazingly awesomely geeky friends.
CXC is an educational conference and even has an academic symposium happening at the same time. The sessions cover the practical aspects of comics, the serious stuff dealing with “funny books.” Each year I think to myself that I really don’t need to go… and each year I go I am blown away. Most of the time it has something to do with me realizing that in my small group, I’m pretty knowledgable in the area of comics… Here I am an idiot and know nothing.
Sessions start Thursday and the entire day I learned things. I was inspired and figuring out how I could become better at my craft. I’ve been not enough Educational conferences that inspire me, and then I return to the classroom only to find out that the school won’r support the changes I just learned about. This time it’s all on me. Last year I learned about SubStack (more on that later) this year I overwhelmed.
The morning started with doctoral candidates in a panel talking about their various areas of study. Each had a unique perspective, but pulled together by the common thread of cartoons/comics. Which got me to recall those times when I thought about majoring in Art only to be told that I needed to exorcise these silly creatures if I wanted to be a serious artist… I wanted to be a cartoonist and animator not a “serious artist.” Throughout the day I kept getting reminded about how I really like to draw and need to make time to do just that.
Brian Canini’s session was probably the highlight of the entire con for me. Brian talked about how to develop more productive comic making habits and was amazing. He talked about his journey and the mistakes he made, what he learned and how everyone has their own path, but there are some things that might help. What he said was common sense, but to hear it was a game changer for me. Which is why I’m sitting here in the morning already having drawn from the Draw or Die Promptober prompt, and worked on some other drawings- normally I’d be snuggling with the cats in bed. I’m hoping to build the habits I need, not to make money or be famously successful, but to feel good about my art, and what I am making.
Jon Novak talked about the coloring process. You don’t think about coloring much and sadly the colorist is usually an unsung hero (like the letterer) in the creation of comics. Jon colored some of the favorite books in my classroom library: Giants Beware! Dragons Beware! and Monsters Beware! He went through the process, The decisions he needed to make and how much leeway the artist gives him. It was great, although I have a lot to learn about digital tools to tackle more than what I currently do.
David Rickert then spoke about hands… Yes, all about how to draw hands. Siting some amazing inspirations- he has posted his presentation along with his reflections (which are much better than mine) on his SubStack so I won’t go into detail at least about his excellent presentation. I will mention SubStack for a moment. It is a great platform for artists and writers to share their work and get support. I’m only concerned that, like many digital platforms, it can either vanish, or mutate into something horrible and while I have all my stuff I’d have to recreate everything again… For the time being I’ll stick with my silly WordPress site.
The day closed out with Jeff Smith talking about where he gets his ideas. This dovetailed into a point that Brian Canini had made about always have multiple projects in various stages going simultaneously. While Jeff was finishing “Bone” he was starting to go through the start of “RASL” The seed that would become “Tuki” started during Bone, but really came to a head as he was finishing “RASL.” When asked about researching things, Jeff talked about ox carts. In “Bone” he had drawn ox carts for a few issues and realized that he had no idea about how an ox cart actually worked. So he dove into researching how ox carts work. Basically, you can’t research everything, but be ready to jump into researching things as needed. Do you need to become an ox cart scholar? No, but it is nice to know how they are built and how people guide the oxen if you are going to have them in your comic. Will most readers know if you got it wrong? Nope, so don’t sweat it.
Day two had some other amazing presentations, just nothing that hit me as hard as the first day- I’m guessing I’m just not at that level yet. The first session dealt with breaking out other the cage we put ourselves as cartoonists- the panel. L. Pidge did a great job of show us how we can use the space on the page and not just constrain our art into panels. Something to consider if I ever get fancy enough to worry about layout more than just getting the idea on the paper.
The second session cause a bit of PTSD for me. It was an excellent session on how to become a lecturer/professor at an art school. Flashbacks to teaching at the collegiate level and just dealing with academia. I realized, once again, that I really don’t want to return to a classroom anytime soon. The one part that stuck in my head was Beth’s introductory slide which was a cool graphic about who she is. I have since done my own.
My version of Beth Hetland’s intro slide from her talk about being a professor. I have drawn two versions of myself- one clean shaven, since that’s how I look currently, the bearded Bruce is easier to draw except if I want to show any facial expression.
The afternoon brought session on the future of Editorial Cartoons (spoilers: they are still alive, just not in newspapers as much), how to store and ship artwork (spoilers: I’m doing it wrong), and a cool session on ideas for gag comics. A Gag comic is a single panel comic (like those found in some magazines). It was a nice brainstorming session with some cool ideas that if I were still teaching I might use.
My Scribbly Notes From Thursday & Friday:
I signed up that morning for Sue and I to take the behind the scenes tour of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum and Library. Since Sue’s mom was a librarian I figured she would like it. Little did I know that a couple of the big name attendees were also on this tour. I try to avoid being a “fanboy” because I usually put my foot in my mouth if I try to talk to someone I admire. SO I was quiet. Sue was trying to get me to get photos with Cecil… Do I regret not doing it? A little, but it was just great seeing how excited these big names were over the artwork they were looking at. It made me realize that we are all fanboys, just for some the bar is a bit higher.
Some photos from the Tour and a few pieces set out in the Reading Room. As far as I can tell presenters are asked to suggest artists or works to display in the Reading room. All the tables are covered with artwork, some of it known, and other pieces somewhat obscure. this is where I feel like an idiot as I overhear the “fine art” speak about various pages… “Oh, I really preferred the work he did during his blue period…”
Once we left the tour we ended up at the opening reception and then a chat with Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman & Françoise Mouly on stage. It was a nice talk with stories of underground comics, art and just life. I wanted to focus on the moment, so I took only a couple photos and no notes.
Saturday and Sunday events are held at the main branch of the Columbus Library (OSU had a football game (college priorities, I guess). That and the library offers a larger facility so there is enough space for exhibitors. There are also sessions many catering to a broader audience. This year I did a quick walk through the exhibit area and picked up some books and stickers. I could have spent more time, but I was tired, missed my boys and ready to go home and begin to act on some of the ideas that were presented.
One thing that made this CXC different was Sue. Sometimes she will attend these things with me, most of the time she won’t. This time she helped me get out of my shell and go to the opening reception, and Friday’s after party. As an Introvert, I really tend to avoid the social stuff because I’m by myself, don’t really know anyone, and after past experiences figure I’d just be a barnacle clinging to someone who says “Hi.” I don’t want to be that person, in fact I hate talking with people since I tend to say the wrong thing… all the time. I think it might be clever, and instead, it’s just stupid. Perhaps that will end up being part of my journal comic.
Projects I have been inspired to work on thanks to CXC:
A Daily Journal Comic (done at the end of the day- although may be inked in the morning)
Here’s my first day… knowing how things work out it will morph as i get a better idea as to how to do things. From format to character design. Right now I’m just looking at four panels and a space at the bottom to work on a drawing prompt (Thank you Draw or Die Club)
A science fiction story that I’ve written a few ideas about (a dream note)
A silly little story about taking the bus places (another dream note)
Redoing some of the short comics I made about past life experiences (Sophomore Crit & High School Reunion)
Continuing The My Geek Odyssey strips for FTF Geocacher maybe even seeing about putting them all together.
Daily drawing prompts (Draw or Die Club)
My Haul:
I really didn’t pick up much this time around. This makes up for buying an original piece of Will Eisner artwork last year. A lot of what I picked up I’ll actually be giving to people as gifts, so (even though they don’t read this) I wouldn’t want to ruin any surprise. I do recommend looking at the list of exhibitors and checking out some of their work. Better yet, let;s meet up next year and hit the con, and the after parties- If you are there I probably won’t hide in my hotel room!
This week was pretty heavy with some new ones, and others I had missed from previous weeks. I’ll do a big write up on Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) next week. So this post is pure comic stuff. Some of the comments are short, sorry, about that. Some stories are harder to review without giving away too much. Other stories just don’t have as many details in them. Good guy, punches, bad guy who then punches good guy back. Ultimate bad guy get’s nervous…
I Am Stephen Hawking – Ordinary People Change the World – If you have never picked up any of these books by Brad Meltzer & Chris Eliopoulos you are missing some of the best all ages biographies ever done in a graphic novel format. It’s gotten so big that PBS has the Xavier Riddle cartoon by the same team, in the same style. Basically take a famous person, pick a trait that people should embrace and use their life to exemplify that trait. In Hawkings case it’s “Defy Boundaries.” Yes, there are some of the more adult themed arts of his (and every person’s) life that get edited. but the idea is everyone can and should do things to make the world better.
Survival Street: The Radical Left #1 – Now for something completely different. I remember picking up the first comic in the Survival Street series and all I can recall was it was something like the Sesame Street Muppets in a post apocalyptic universe… That was a while ago. This comic continues the series and obviously I have forgotten a bunch. In this case we are dealing with a dystopian America run by the corporations and if you aren’t part of the ruling elite your life and that of your family isn’t great. This issue we follow our Happy and friendly PBS based characters as they go to rescue people from a corporate work camp. unfortunately after taking them to a city that can offer them a life, it isn’t great since they are refugees. Some actually want to return back to the work camp since it was simpler… Sadly, I see this as one of the possible futures awaiting America.
The Writer #3 – Still on the road to Solomon… as everyone figures out their powers Izzy get her sword (from Grandma) as they confront more demons and finally face Solomon himself!
Star Trek Defiant #19 – As the Defiant races to save their crew from the Romulans with the help of Chief O’Brien, there are other issues going on including the realization of the fate of the Romulan homeworld as seen in the Kelvin Universe and Picard.
Night Club 2 #2 – High school aged vampire superheroes… what kind of teenage drama could occur when love is involved?
Star Trek # 24 – Can the Theseus escape Pleroma after Lore has done what Lore likes to do? How will they save everyone on the ship and at what cost?
Minor Arcana # 1 – Jeff Lemire who has written some amazing stories many of whom deal with human drama no matter what the genre. This time he takes us home to Limberlost and the story of Theresa who is back to help her mother who is in failing health. Mom is the town psychic & fortuneteller and Theresa will have nothing to do with it… or will she?
Detective Comics # 1089 – I was sad when I looked at this issue and quoted a bowl of petunias “Oh no, not again.” This is fortunately the last story in arc in which Batman and his allies go up against the evil that has taken over Gotham City. I don’t know what else to say, but it has been a long road and I’m hoping things change next issue. Like Captain America venturing into the world of the occult, I’m not sure I’m into Batman taking this deep a dive into that pool either.
Magic Order 5 # 1 – The previous 4 series of “The Magic Order” have been amazing and as this one starts out I’m just trying to figure it out. Which is kind of what happened in the previous four iterations. Kids go missing, Cordelia Moonstone and members of the magic order get called in to help… then, well things get weird.
Lawful # 4 – In a land where if you break the law you get turned into a monster it’s pretty good reason to follow the rules you’d think. Like most perfect solutions there’s a catch, if you are in a position of power there’s a way to get those horns, claws and scales removed, magically.
Helen of Wyndhorn # 5 – It looks (sadly, like this may be the penultimate issue of this series, and that makes me sad. I really have liked it, and the actual story from our time period has me guessing as to how it will tie back, since it basically just follows what happens to most collectors as they get older. Their parents sell off their collection for pennies, not knowing what it may actually contain. As for Helen, she is still trying to figure out life without adventures, which is not fun. Her governess does finally intercede, and we wait to see what happens next.
Ultimate Spider-Man # 9 – Looks like Uncle Ben and J. Jonah Jameson have gotten their news site working well. “The Paper is a success and now (with a few more Spider-Man stories) can start covering other stories that are more important to the city. While Harry and Peter try to figure out how to circumvent and Stark/Stane interference with their tech only to discover that the King Pin has put a price on their heads. Has Harry gone too far in stopping one attempt… did he not read the “Great Power, Great Responsibility… oh, and don’t kill people” memo?
Amazing Spider-Man # 58 – Tombstone goes on the rampage and is going to kill his own daughter for betraying him… Can Spider-Man stop him in time and save her? And you thought there would be no ramifications from “Gang War.” I had a nice chat with the owner of my LCS on JR Jr.’s layouts and fart. While I’m not exactly a fan of his more rough and tumble style used in Spider-Man, I do have admit, this issue a great way to show people how it is done, no matter if you like the exact style, it is a beautiful thing.
The Flash #13 – Finally we are done with some of this weird stuff and now we just need to wait for the fall out. “It’s a boy? It’s a girl? It’s a non-binary universe?” I’m guessing this will tie into the “Absolute” titles like Flashpoint cause havoc in the DC Universe before that.
Action Comics #1069 – Superman faces his final opponent in this flashback story. Can he survive? Hint: He’s Superman.
Titans # 15 – So Raven’s dark side has joined with Trigon to take over the world… or has she?
While I have been attending various conventions over the past two years Gen Con marks the point where history starts to repeat itself. So which Conventions will I be returning to and what am I doing to prepare for them? While I have a bucket list of Cons I want to attend, I’m still not going to be hitting everything on that list this year. This is partially due to needing to spend some time at home and not on the road. Currently I’m looking at finishing up 2024 with Cartoon Crossroads Columbus and then New York Comic Con. Both Cons couldn’t be more different but they do require some of the same preparations.
This is a “small” convention (13,000+) focusing more on the art of comics than the pop culture aspects. Originally started by Jeff Smith of Bone fame, CXC takes place in Columbus Ohio and is held in two places, The campus of OSU specifically the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum) and the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. It covers four days of sessions including the opportunity to tour the collection of the Billy- which is a bucket list item in itself. The Con brings in up and coming creators and those who are cutting edge. CXC also has a great mission dealing with involving kids. Last year they had sessions with Raina Telgemeier.
New York Comic Con is put on by Reep Pop who manages a number of Pop Culture Conventions around the country. To me it is the east coast version of San Diego Comic Con, what seems to be missing is the proximity to the studios, so not as many announcements, but still stars galore. Like SDCC there are comic creators who attend only a few shows a year. Last year this was where I picked up an Humberto Ramos page from Strange Academy. The focus though is mostly on pop culture, so autographs, photo ops and panels with stars of stage and screen. Cosplay is also big. It is held at the Javits Center and can be a madhouse.
Being a Comic Con Prepper
I start by waiting until the dates are announced for each and get them on my calendar. Sometimes dates are available early on, sometimes you have to wait. CXC will be held in Late September (September 26-29) and New York Comic Con will be held mid October (October 17-20). Once the dates are available then you need to find out when badges will be available. CXC is free- so tickets are needed for some events. NYCC you need a badge for – if you want to go for the entire Con for 2024 it’s $240, if you can get a badge.
Then it’s time to look at lodging- For CXC it’s close enough I could go for the day without any worry. I like to go for a few days so I get a hotel near campus, and have been using the same hotel for most Cons I attend in Columbus. For NYCC it’s a little more pricey. In the past I stayed with my brother, but discovered that that was a bit of a burden for his family (something I do my best to avoid) so this year I’m staying in New Jersey and using public transit to get to NYC. We shall see how it works out. A Newark hotel room, is cheaper (as is parking) than anything I could find in NYC. Of course this week they started throwing out information for the room block on Social Media… I’m not even looking. In the past I’ve done most cons on my own. This time around, Sue will be joining me, or at least stealing my car for the majority of each con. In Columbus, she’s got work to do and the hotel has internet, but is also going to go caching in the area. In New York, she’s heading to a fiber festival (Rhinebeck- the “Comic Con of Yarn”) upstate and will fly home as I drive back to Indy. Maybe we can get Sue to write something up about her experience in the land of Yarngeeks.
Then more waiting… this time to see what artists, exhibitors and panels are going to be there. For me it’s more important to see panels and artists, but for some Cons (NYCC) it’s all about the celebrities and exclusives. I get it, but for many it’s all about resale.
As it gets closer and I have an idea of some of the major things I want to do I’ll refresh myself on the various rules for what I can and cannot bring into the convention. Fortunately, I’m not considering major cosplay, but one of these days… I’ll most likely bring a typical book bag or messenger bag to carry things, but nothing to get in the way of moving through crowds. I don’t want to be “that guy” who ends up knocking everyone around him with his ginormous bag, or cart while navigating the aisles. I will also pack snacks, or some candy in case my blood sugar drops and bring along a water bottle room (temperature water). These are mostly for emergencies. Con food is expensive, but sometimes the convenience of not having to leave and return makes it worth it. It’s also my excuse to eat really really bag stuff once or twice a year. I’ll also bring something sturdy to carry comic pages or other original artwork without worrying about it getting damaged. I have a poster tube and page protectors that I have purchased in the past. if need be there will be a booth selling this kind of stuff- or at least there usually is around artist alley.
Cash is King?!? Just like every con is different som is every booth in the exhibit hall. In the past you had to pay in cash, I recall frantically heading over to an ATM in order to pay for one of my first pieces of original art. Now, for the most part, they accept card. There might be a charge added due to bank fees. Most artists still gladly and gratefully accept cash. Internet connectivity can also be spotty, which causes problems with paying for things. Most food places in the Con- only accept card, so be prepared for both.
The biggest thing you can keep in mind is- you won’t be able to do/see everything. It’s like taking a trip to Disneyworld. Plan around one or two non-negotiable things and then if you get to do more- Woo Hoo!
The Rundown for CXC
CXC tends to be more academic with many artists who are up and coming in the comics field. All the artists present are great, just some aren’t as known as others. Many are self published. CXC is an opportunity to learn about artists, and projects that don’t always get press. Opening night showcases the Ohio Animation Showcase. With travel times, I’m not sure I’ll make it. I also have issues with some of the more social events. Even though these people are my tribe, as I said, these are the intellectuals of the comic tribe and sometimes come across in a way that makes you uncomfortable in joining in on a conversation. Sessions and events run the entire weekend Thursdays and Friday are pretty much exclusive to the Billy Ireland throughout the day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tours are in the afternoon. If you are going- I highly recommend going on a tour. It is amazing. The sessions throughout both days are “Talk & Teach” with a wide variety of topics and speakers revolving around the comics professional or (like me) wanna be professional. Like some of the sessions I attended at Heroes Con these can be a little more focused on things you don’t think about until you need to- packing and shipping artwork for example.
Saturday and Sunday things move to the Main Branch of the Columbus Public Library. Up to this point there really hasn’t been an exhibit hall/artist alley. Here you also have three tracks of panels and one of those is devoted to kids. The weekend continues with artists and signings. This year some of the big names are Jeff Smith (duh), Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Chip Zdarsky, Kate Beaton, Bryan Lee O’Malley to name a few.
As a retired teacher I have found this and the Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF) as great places to discover new comics for my classroom. While many creators are unclear on what the public considers “All Ages” for the most part these folks get it. I recall talking with an artist at a different con about his “all ages” book- that dealt with a post apocalyptic world inhabited by zombie strippers… Like Mom’s for Liberty wouldn’t make an example of me if that made it into my classroom?
Non-Negotiable: Tour the Billy Ireland, again. There are a lot of sessions, but I’m not sure about timing with things, so I’m not going to plan for anything except the tour this year.
New York Comic Con (the 800 pound gorilla that happens to be climbing up the Empire State Building in the room)
Everyone knows about San Diego Comic Con (SDCC)… it is the Comic Con that the world looks to as a “perfect example of what a “Comic Con” is… which like many things the media and Hollywood really have no idea about what a comic con is or should be. These are what I like to label as “Pop Culture Conventions” While they are nice, they don’t focus as much on comic books as they do on generic pop culture. It could be more celebrities, professional wrestlers, toys, etc. I look at it as any “comic convention” that spends more time promoting the actors that will be in attendance instead of the comic creators, isn’t a comic con. Yes, I’m a geek snob. If the first big announcement has nothing to do with a comic creator, it’s a Pop Culture Con.
Like some politicians it seems to all be about the numbers. Which one is bigger/better NYCC (250,000 attendees) or San Diego (135,000 attendees)? It is funny that just as NYCC is announcing programming, SDCC is announcing how their badges are sold out (SDCC isn’t until July). For many conventions they have moved beyond just getting badges. There must be a sense of elitism and exclusivity. At Gen Con you have the Very Important Gamer (VIG) badge which includes lots of exclusive things including access to a lounge to rest. NYCC has the same kind of thing, giving those willing to pay- reserved seats, first chance at signing up for tickets to things, and exclusive items. I’ve been following some groups who are livid about how the reservations for Funko Pops sold out before they got them. The difference between a NYCC Funko Pop and one you get somewhere else… a small sticker on the box. Next up are reservations for the big panels later this week. Unfortunately, with so many people in attendance, Who knows if I will be able to get tickets to anything I would like to attend.
As I said, after buying a ticket I then wait for other announcements. Who is actually going to be in artist Ally? Who is exhibiting? What panels/activities would I like to attend? This is what moves you up from a level one con goer. When I started going to Cons back in the 80’s (1980’s not 1880’s) I tended to go just for the Exhibit Hall. Living in Los Angels there was a regular con that I could dig through comics and pick up issues I was missing. It also had some screenings and presentations. I recall going to one for “The Last Starfighter” and another for “Buckaroo Banzai” and getting promotional swag for both films that has long since disappeared. I was pretty much a level one con goer. I’d spend hours in the exhibit hall, then head home with an empty wallet and treasures. As I grew up, I started to actually look to see what was else was going on. Sometimes it was things like a creative team on my favorite comic book talking about what the plan was for the upcoming year or an artist sharing their sketches. That was one thing I enjoyed about SDCC you could usually get into comic book related sessions fairly easily, it was Ballroom 20 and Hall H that meant you had to wait in the queue for days.
NYCC has released their panel list and I have gone through the list to see what I might be interested in. Being in New York (and no longer teaching) I’m also looking at what other activities I might want to do while in the city. I’m not going to spend four days wandering the exhibit hall. With my brother and his family attending on certain days, that makes me focus on things that might be nice for them. Last time was my brother’s first time at a con and we spent a lot of time wandering the hall. I was able to get him into two sessions- one on the Broadway adaptation of “Back to the Future” and another one on using improv techniques in your classroom. I’ve created two lists of options one for him, and one for his family, I’m doubtful either one will even be looked at, but it’s a start. I figure they will just want to gawk at everything in hall.
For me, there are two Star Trek based sessions I’m looking at- first is an interview with Paul Stashwick who played Captain Liam Shaw in the third season of Picard. The other is one that I most likely will need tickets for- dealing with the Star Trek Universe. While I try to avoid many panels dealing with TV & Movies, I have been a Trekkie for as long as I can remember, so I will try to see about getting in, if I don’t… that’s fine too. There is a really cool exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image on Jim Henson, and there is also a temporary exhibit on Frank Oz, so I will make an effort to get away from the chaos of the Con and head over there. I also have a few other places on my list since I don’t see myself getting out to NYC as often as I had originally thought.
I’m still creating my list of other panels, fortunately most of them aren’t dealing with the Main Stage or Empire Stage so while I may need to wait in line, I won’t need to get a pre-ticket for them. DC has announced their “Absolute” universe – from what I understand similar to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. So a starting point for new readers without legacy canon making the characters harder to understand. Again, a lot of the panels seem to focus on other realms of the geek universe, but I’ll keep looking and see what might be interesting.
Retirement keeps me away from those panels dealing with the importance of comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Most teachers I worked with wrote me off as a nut for even suggesting it (along with including play). The school comic cons that we tried to put together where pretty much what a comic con looks like to someone who has never attended a comic con. 🙄 Only once was one done well, and they turned it into a night event for families, even brought in artists to talk to people.
As for Artist Alley, I’ve created a list of artists I want to drop by and see, since this is a “Pop Culture Con” there are a number of artists who will not be in attendance. New York is expensive and they don’t make as much money as they could just working at home, or going to a con where attendees know and appreciate their work. Will I be purchasing anything? If something jumps- maybe. I am planning on attending another con later this year focused on Comic Art- so I am currently looking at saving money for that, but who knows?
Exhibitors? I will wander the hall, more to orient myself for when I walk the hall with my brother and his family. I need to know where all the rubber sword sellers are and stuffed animals. I bought a puppet last year, so maybe I’ll check those out again. Unfortunately, comic book wise, the prices at cons like this can suffer from hyperinflation. When the cost of living in an area is outlandish, the price reflects it. In Charlotte, at Heroes Con, while the attendees are more savvy, they also come from places where prices for everything (including comics) are more reasonable.
Fortunately, I really don’t care too much about autographs or photo-ops since those are the big things at pop culture cons. Hundreds of dollars to get a photo of yourself with… some guy who played some character in some film. If you want to do it- good for you! I know- part of it is I’m an introvert so I’m flustered when I have to talk to people, especially famous or semi-famous people. I have a hard enough time talking to artists who I admire, I don’t even want to think about talking to a “star.” Of course it’s hundreds of dollars if you can get a reservation…and another queue to wait in. I brought books to get signed at Heroes Con, I may pull a few for NYCC, but only time will tell- lugging around things at a con is exhausting.
NYCC has other activities going on concurrently- sessions for writers, gamers, anime, cosplay, etc. I’ve looked a few of these, but mostly out of curiosity. I checked these out a bit last year and will most likely stop by again.
Looking back at the numbers and having attended a number of Cons… Size doesn’t matter. NYCC is massive, as is SDCC. My current preference is still Heroes Con in Charlotte (50,000) and Gen Con (71,000) in some cases it’s hard to tell which is bigger by just looking. It’s also interesting to compare size and actual experience. Each has unique exhibitors. 2024 SDCC had LEGO, DC Comics, Marvel… 2024 NYCC- none of those. While they might have panels, nothing listed at this time. At least they have Funko, even though you can’t actually get a reservation to purchase anything. 🙄 No I don’t understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy. 😄
Non-Negotiables: I really won’t know until I can see if I can get tickets to Saturday’s Star Trek Panel… There will be some authors Thursday evening talking about their books that I’d like to hear and maybe get a book or two signed. There are a number of artists I’d like to see about getting something from them. The funny thing is there are also a few things outside of the Con I’d like to do… Fortunately I have time to figure it out. The hard part is making plans when people are involved, and when you aren’t quite sure about how transportation will work. Once I’ve traveled from the hotel to the con and back, I’ll know how the system works and can plan accordingly.
Afterwards
I have a few ideas for the trek back, but currently I’m planning on a return trip to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY to check out their D&D and Storytelling Exhibit. While Indianapolis has an amazing Children’s Museum, it tends to be all things to all people, while the Strong, just focuses on toys and the importance of play I really had a great time there last year and can easily get lost for a day there again.
It’s election time again and time to take a serious moment away from arguing over who will bring about the fall of America as we know it, because they announced today the nominees not for some silly political thingie like President- The Strong Museum of Play announced who is up for inclusion in the Toy Hall of Fame. The 12 finalists were announced and after a vote by the general public three will make it. Here’s the official announcement: https://www.museumofplay.org/exhibits/toy-hall-of-fame/2024-finalists/
For those who don’t like clicking on links, the 2024 finalists:
Apples to Apples
Balloons
Choose Your Own Adventure Gamebooks
Hess Toy Trucks
My Little Pony
Phase 10
Pokémon
R/C Cars
Sequence
Hobbyhorse
Trampoline
Transformers
Cecil and I visiting the National Toy Hall of Fame last year… I’m looking forward to returning again this year.
While some Toys seem like they should already be included, and others make you scratch your head (Is that really a toy?). This is serious business. So who will join last year’s inductees: Baseball Cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper and Nerf Toys? Some other notable inductees include: sand (2021), the ball (2009), the cardboard box (2005), Silly Putty (2001), LEGO Bricks (1998), and the stick (2008)? Yes, there are 84 toys currently in the Hall of Fame since it started in 1998. There is a long process that leads to the actual vote which goes on until September 25th. So Vote Now! You can vote once per day unlike the presidential election (no matter what one party continues to claim). Fortunately there will be no debates, rallies, or tweets filled with propaganda trying to sway your vote. The conservative and liberal media seem not to care. The current candidates have not weighed in, and probably won’t. Hopefully things will be better than in 2013 when there were all those scandalous posts about the rubber duck and its relationship with a certain muppet. 🙄 Like I said, some people take this seriously.
Please note that these reviews tend to be after a quick cursory reading of the comic and while some people think “Comics aren’t real reading” it does take more than just reading the words to get all the subtlities infused in the words and pictures (It’s called “multimodal literacy” in the Ed Biz). So I apologize ahead of time for things I might glance over. I do go back and reread most of the comics I get each week, multiple times, unless I get busy petting cats. As you can tell, while I might enjoy a character, there are times in which I can tell (after decades of practice) that for me, the story isn’t worth more than a quick once over – usually these are tie-in issues in which I really don’t care about the massive universe ending tale they are connected to.
Superman #18 ( Absolute Power Tie-In) 🙄 – Blah, blah blah, Amanda Waller is bad, heroes need to stop her… Universes will change, heroes will make sacrifices, read it or you’ll be left out.
Whatever.
In this case Superman and Zatana are in a very warm place Dante wrote about and in order to get the map to find their way through they need to make a deal with the DC version of the devil – Who usually shows up in these “multiverse changing” events. Superman makes the ultimate sacrifice (you’ll need to read it to find out). Now it’s time to pick up the next issue of a comic you usually never read or the next key issue of Absolute Power to find out what happens next. Let me know once you find out.
Spider-Boy Annual #1 (The Infinity Watch Tie-In?) 🙄- I really have no idea where this annual fits in the grand scheme of things. Spider-Boy is on the boardwalk enjoying some time off when he decides to stop a thief who happens to have a dog’s face. Could he be another escapee from Madame Monstrosity? Hijinks ensue. Maybe not hijinks, but a fight and a team up with guys who currently have control over individual Infinity Stones- you know those things Thanos wanted in the Avengers movies. “snap!” By the end Bailey is back to enjoying his time and there is some sort of cliffhanger dealing with the Infinity Stone people if I was following the saga of The Infinity Watch, I might know more. Hmm… The Infinity Watch… I wonder what apps it comes with? Is it compatible with my iPhone? Does it keep track of the exercise and sleep patterns?
Ultimate X-Men # 7 – I’m not really seeing any kind of arc as I read this. Not saying it’s bad, just in western comics it’s gotten to the point where after 6 issues you are used to some conclusion. Here we are still building things up. Making me want to find all the previous issues and go back and reread them so that maybe I can understand what is going on. I’ve got a month before the next issue comes out.
Huge Detective #2 – Giants and “dolls” aka humans inhabit the Earth, this crime drama we’re still trying to figure out the rules of the world and how everything works. What I know so far, there is a giant who serves as a detective along with his human partner. They are working on a case dealing with missing people and murder. In this issue a giant skeleton pops out of the moon and heads to Earth. Why? I guess we’ll find out next issue. With many comics I’m starting to think I’m getting too old to figure these things out… Now get off my lawn!
Flash Gordon #2 – I tend to say I started reading comics with Flash Gordon… When I would ride my bike during the age of “Be home before dark” I would stop at the drug store, which was more than a drug store, it also had books. One of them was Flash Gordon Volume 1. I was in second grade and I coveted that book. At some point I got it, my older brother got Volume 2. I read it over and over again. When other volumes of Alex Raymond’s original Sunday strips came out I bought those, unfortunately over a few moves I don’t have them anymore… I have replaced them, but different publisher, so all the nostalgia has leaked out of them. I’m currently reading Dan Schkade’s take on Flash Gordon by King Features which I have thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to every morning. (I really recommend it and wish I could find him at a Con. While it is not Alex Raymond’s style, it is awesome.
Now Mad Cave Comics has relaunched their take on Flash. I picked up the Free Comic Book Day teaser, but unfortunately missed issue 1 which I will ask about the next time I’m at Comic Carnival. It looks like after whatever happened in Issue 1, Flash is now on a prison planet with Ming the Merciless (who is also a prisoner). He is trying to get away and Ming offers to “help.” (Ming is never to be trusted… he earned the title “The Merciless” for a reason and it had nothing to do with his puppy dog soufflé.
There was some initial commentary about how Ming and the inhabitants of Mongo had been drawn in the Mad Cave FCBD teaser. It is definitely a more alien style, but that is up to the artist and by deviating from Raymond’s style defines these stories, (like Schkade’s) not as attempts to reproduce Raymond’s amazing artwork, but to honor the characters and the story of Flash Gordon. Basically, get over it.
Flash Gordon Quarterly #1 – These seem to be a conglomeration of stories either from the Flash Gordon Universe or a “Elseworlds” “What if” take on the characters by various writers and artists. The main story is about Vultan (King of the Hawkmen) and his son, a coming of age kind of story in which Vultan’s son tries to prove he’s not a little boy anymore in the face saving his father from the enemy.
The second story is a western… with Flash Gordon as the sheriff of a small derelict town going against the gang of bad guys led by Ming. Flash is, of course, saving the town and Dale from the evil clutches of the villain.
The final story is the 1930’s gumshoe detective tale. Flash is the Sam Spade like detective, the damsel in distress is Aura, Zarkov is Flash’s partner who makes gadgets for him. Dale is Flash’s informant in the Police Department. So who is after Aura, and in the process trying to kill Flash? I’ve read too much Dashiell Hammett not to be intrigued. I looks like these will be coming out quarterly so I’ve got some time to reread and figure out what clues might be hidden in the panels.
I have noticed that the interwebs and social media have done a fantastic job of making sure the if you hate something you have a ginormous soapbox to shout to the hills about it. Within seconds of something being announced there are critics telling you how horrible it is, and how it is the worst thing ever. Many “true fans” are the worst. I once heard someone say the only way to be a true fan of Star Wars is to hate it. Do fandoms have their ups and downs? Sure. Are some movies better than others? Yes. Is it all based on opinion? Yup. Does your opinion carry more weight than mine? Sure, fine, whatever 🙄.
As I think about it I just keep going back to taking things too seriously… Does it matter how one writer deals with the Star Trek Universe? Will the world change completely if another writer makes a change to Star Wars even if it was his story in the first place? (btw: Han did shoot first) Why should it matter what a movie’s box office was the first weekend, people could have had other things to do. Why take things so seriously? Can Star Trek have a musical episode? Sure, it was a hoot, and actually helped to build some of the characters. Can Star Wars make fun of itself? Probably not, unless it makes sense in the holy canon as approved by… whoever is now despised by Star Wars fans this week.
Yesterday the LEGO Group and Disney+ (the current studio hated by most Star Wars fans from what I understand) released Rebuild the Galaxy– a LEGO based cartoon set in the Star Wars Universe. The LEGO Group has been known to poke fun at Star Wars through various mediums. I’ll start off by stating of you are looking for serious Star Wars… nope. If you cannot laugh at yourself, you might not like this. I thought it was great.
I’ve been a fan of Star Trek since I was in elementary school and would watch it in reruns. I had the toys, the books, and then Star Wars came out. Most geeks of my generation look at Star Wars as a life changing event. Yesterday, Star Wars took a moment to laugh at itself while telling a somewhat compelling story. I’m not one for spoilers, but LEGO is notorious for giving things away especially when they release sets months ahead of movie release days. Which they did with Rebuild the Galaxy.
Spoilers Ahead, maybe, kinda sorta, but not really.
We are in the Star Wars Universe and Sig Greebling (our main character) loves to tell epic stories about the heroes he knows about (basically covering the entire approved canon). He’s a nerf herder -Which I thought was amusing and he might even be considered scruffy looking. His brother wants to leave their backwater planet and see the universe. Sig is fine with the way the world is, he seems to like telling stories, more than being a part of them.
As they are herding nerfs they stumble upon a lost Jedi Temple and go exploring. There we discover Sig has a connection to the Force. While exploring they find a glowing trans light blue 1×1 plate (element 3024). After some brotherly back and forth the piece gets removed, completely destroying the galaxy as they knew it. Yes, even Star Wars suffers from having a multiverse. Sig now must put things right and hopefully find his brother (Dev) in this crazy new galaxy. To help him he has Jedi Bob – a Force Builder his power droid, and the girl he kinda has a crush on. Oh my! Has the universe changed. Mon Calamari are now the base for Clone Troopers (Akbar Troopers) Yes, “It’s a trap!” and as we discover from the LEGO sets that have been released- Things are a bit backwards. Luke for example hangs out at the Mos Eisley Marina Cantina, and is a pod racer. The best was bringing Back JarJar Binks as a Sith Lord.
Current LEGO Sets:
The Dark Falcon Set 75389 Jedi Bob’s Starfighter Set 75388TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash Up Set 75393
Addendum:
A Few (not all) Character Based Inside Jokes
Sig Greebling- Greebling is the term used to describe putting small pieces usually on a spaceship to add detail to it. It comes from a term used when people would “kit bash” plastic models to make their own spaceships.
Bobarian Afol– AFOL stands for Adult Fan of LEGO. “Jedi Bob” was the original Jedi minfig put into the Republic Gunship set in 2002, he didn’t have an official name, he was called “Jedi Bob” by many.
Yesi Scala – Scala was a theme LEGO had in the early 80’s and brought back in then late 90’s to appeal to girls.
It’s better than a lot of things on TV right now
There are four episodes with (of course) a cliffhangerish ending in hopes that we will return to this version of a galaxy far, far away. All I can say, is it was clever and I hope they do more episodes and more sets… I want to have a herd of LEGO nerfs. The trailer (like most trailers) gives you more information than I did- except maybe the nerf herding part – sorry.
If you have some time, I would recommend watching this, it is amusing even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan, just come at it with an open mind. If you are a Star Wars fan you might just take your first step in a larger, and less serious world. And remember when you post things ask yourself- Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Many fans seem to forget these, then again in this season, most politicians do too.
This week’s commentary isn’t much. We had Star Trek Day on Sunday- which since little is really far enough along to have something to share they didn’t need to make it an extravaganza as they had in the past. Just posting a curated list of episodes on Paramount+.
We’ve had a presidential debate in which one side is claiming victory and the other side seems to be whining about how it was unfair. I watched it. ’nuff said. It’s hard to say that the moderators were biased when all they did was say things like “no dogs were harmed in the making of this debate” and “No state allows babies to be killed after birth.” Things you wouldn’t think needed fact checking, but in a world of “alternate facts” I guess anything is possible.
Oh, the winner in the race for the most alternate facts- was the person who helped to make role of fact checking into a serious career. Which may be why the moderators had to keep commenting after he said something, and he kept needing to ask for time to comment. I guess I just wish both candidates had time to actually discuss (like sane people) their policies and how they are different, not just soundbites, and spin. Although one candidate did seem to be doing a better job of that, than the other. Just remember the cats and dogs being eaten in Ohio, someone should really do something about that, I see a cookbook coming out soon- maybe a reality cooking show- Netflix- get on that it’s a guaranteed hit.
Today we also have the anniversary of the terrorist attack that really changed the world… and not in a good way. I just remember trying to keep people up to date with the news while they were teaching, I’d send updates via email to the staff. We couldn’t say anything about it in front of the kids, but the adults needed to know.
This Week’s Comics (oh and due to shipping issues, some of these might actually be from last week):
Justice Society of America #11 (Tony Harris Variant Cover) – Helena Wayne from Earth 2 has been through a lot. Parents dead, world destroyed… typical bad day for a superhero. Now we’ve got the Legion of Superheroes visiting from the 30th century to stop Modru from not turning evil and therefore ruining the timeline. Then there’s a secret bad guy and a guest appearance by the Legion of Substitute Heroes… confused? It might all end up well in the end…
Batman #152 (Absolute Power Tie In) – So being an absolute Power Tie in, it really has nothing to do with Batman. The story does have Batman and Catwoman off planet to get Amanda Waller’s Mother Box (It’s a Jack Kirby MacGuffin from his New Gods series). There’s a fight, Batman does what Batman does. I’m torn, because I liked the way the last arc finished, and how more empathetic Batman had become, and now we are in the middle of a multi universe altering meg event, so I’m still trying to figure out if I want to continue reading Batman.
Captain America #13 – Final battle Cap vs. Death. Death who just wants to destroy the world because he is sick and tired of escorting the dead especially since mankind has become really good at killing massive numbers of people without remorse. It looks like he’s got a plan and it may work, but will he survive and be able to celebrate with a show at the Front Door?
Batman & Robin #13 – Will Damian and Batman survive their little junket to Dinosaur Island? When last we left our caped heroes they had been fighting Bane and his daughter along with Kobra who’d developed an even better venom. It’s amusing that the interludes are Damian at school going over things with his Guidance Counsellor.
Amazing Spider-Man #57 – Tombstone in Jail?!? What are the consequences for putting him there? What about last issue’s foreshadowing and the lion cub? Can Spider-Man save everyone who needs saving and bring down the bad guy? Who is the bad guy?
Primer: Clashing Colors #3 – The final issue in the first arc after her origin. Ashley has been betrayed and now must fight Deathstroke to save the Teen Titans from certain death by slumber!
Public Domain #8 – The behind the scenes story of a comic creator who ends up getting the rights to his character and now wants to publish an updated version. Will they have an ashcan done in time for San Diego? Torn from the pages of reality when Marvel Comics stopped publishing the Fantastic Four and mutants stopped existing and became inhumans in the Cinematic Universe.
The Domain #3 – See Above for the backstory, this is issue number three of the comic that is being produced in Public Domain. Three friends find a crashed spaceship take the power bands and are trying to figure them out as the only alien who was saved rolls his eyes at how stupid they are, and the crew of the ship that shot down the ship with the power bands goes after them. Just remember the aliens won’t kill you… no really they won’t.
Prodigy Slaves of Mars #2 – Edison has been framed, he’s escaped to his brother’s place, because we need two super geniuses to take care of this mess. Only to discover the secret stuff their father had been doing- now the title is starting to make sense.
Over the weekend Sue and I had a date night months in the planning. We went to a concert held in one of the many professional sportsball facilities that dot downtown Indianapolis.
Let me start off with this confession about me and music- I’m an idiot. For the most part when it comes to popular music I like songs but couldn’t, under threat of death, tell you the artist, or even the name of the song. So many people love music so much they can rattle off everything about multiple artists- that’s not me. I rarely go to concerts, I listen to random playlists from my youth (the 80’s) but for the most part I’ve been to maybe a handful of popular music concerts from two different artists and added one to that list Saturday. I have attended Billy Joel and Jimmy Buffet concerts multiple times, but outside of those two my discography tended to focus on film scores & soundtracks.
When I was in middle school my parents for Christmas or maybe my birthday bought me an album that had a spaceship on it. I think they went into a record store and basically no asked “What would a 12-13 year old boy like?” and was handed this. “Out of the Blue” the iconic album by the Electric Light Orchestra. It had a spaceship on the album jacket! With all the synthesizers it sounded science fiction, and I liked it. (Did I mention it had a spaceship on the album cover?) From there I bought other ELO albums, then cassettes, then CDs (the trials of Gen-X 🙄). When it rained- I played “The Concerto for a Rainy Day” in its entirety. Listening to the musical raindrops and thunder during real raindrops and thunder.
A few months ago there was an ad for an ELO concert in my newsfeed. I think Sue saw it first, and pointed it out to me, knowing I liked ELO, At that point we decided to buy tickets, kind of on a whim. Now normally this is what happens- we buy tickets to something we think would be cool to see when they are first available. While whimming is fun, some things you want to make sure you can do and those tend to sell out. So you jump on the opportunity. Then the event gets put on the calendar, tickets are printed out or uploaded and we wait. The day finally arrives and something happened during that day or week that makes going out seem like a chore. We then stay home and write off the cost as a lesson learned. For the most part these aren’t expensive tickets, just a missed opportunity. Sue and I shrug and move on.
This week was a bit interesting. Nothing too bad, but we’ve skipped things for less. So since time had passed and the ticket’s cost was a distant memory we could have skipped it. however, like I said earlier, there are three bands, artists, I actually have followed in my life. Jeff Lynne and ELO was one of them. Now could I name everyone who originally was in the group? No, like I said, I’m an idiot. (I think if pressed I could name the Beatles) I know and appreciate musicians, but after a failed attempt at piano lessons in 2nd or 3rd grade, music became a mystery that I could appreciate, but I’d stick with drawing. OK there was the ukulele in 4th grade, but I just know I have nothing that anyone would consider rhythm. I’m that nerdy white guy clapping at the wrong time to whatever song is being played. I have many friends who are master musicians, graduated from schools of music, teach music, play professionally… I am in awe of their talent and knowledge. Me? I doodle.
So Saturday we actually got excited about a date night and did head downtown to hear Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra in concert on their farewell tour. Part was to escape the real world, part was because we both wanted to experience the concert and there was the part of just that original whim. But first we went to St. Joseph Brewery & Public House for dinner. I had seen it recommended by Geek Orthodox during Gen Con and Sue had figured out where it was located. The joys of needing out of towners for recommendations in your hometown. Great meal, massive fries and some very good beer started off the evening.
While in line at Banker’s Gainbridge Conseco Life Fieldhouse, I noticed the large amount of grey/white hair and sadly realized that I also fall into the “old” category. After grabbing the requisite concert shirt and finding our seats we waited for the concert to start. Rooney kicked things off. I guess I had been to too many symphony concerts because it was a bit annoying that people just kept coming in while the warm up act was playing. Like I said, I’m inexperienced when dealing with rock concerts. We stopped attending concerts like this because people around us would talk through the music. If I wanted to talk through a concert, I’d invite friends over and listen to the music in the background, not pay for tickets, parking and whatever. The Symphony has rules… and ushers make sure they are followed. 🤫
We had awesome seats and let’s just say whatever I paid for them, months ago was well worth it. It was not only an auditory experience but also a visual. The iconic spaceship (which Alex Ross used as part of Green Lantern’s orbital base in DC’s Kingdom Come comic- it’s a geek thing) was parked on stage and used as a backdrop and screen. With today’s technology, I really regret not attending an ELO concert previously just to compare.
They played most of the standards. As Sue and I agreed, so many songs we loved, and some that weren’t favorites, but still ones we liked. I actually knew all the words and while I didn’t “sing-a-long” like some, I did mouth all the words. The screen on stage added a visual aspect to each song, in some cases telling a story… multimodal literacy in Eduspeak for those who don’t know. Some tended to be almost like an animated graphic novel for some songs melting from image to image. “Evil Woman” morphing from one succubus like pen and ink illustration to another. “Living Thing” following the path of a butterfly through a rainforest… you get the idea. Oh, did I mention spaceships?
Overall, it was a fantastic evening bringing me closer to a band that I have loved their music since I was a pre-teen. With Jeff Lynne in his late 70’s I understand why this is a farewell tour, I’m glad I could say I’ve seen him once. For me, who isn’t much into seeing celebrities, that’s saying something.
