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Post by codystarbuck on Apr 29, 2020 19:31:33 GMT -5
Obviously it'd be hypocritical for me to criticize Fantagraphics for publishing porn But still, little of the Eros line interested me at the time. Birdland was from Love & Rockets Gilbert Hernandez and features a trio of women, two of whom work as strippers and another as a therapist. It has a bit of an Underground sensibility and reads like a randier version of Love & Rockets. Sex is rather explicit within it, though there are real characters, not just a body to carry sex organs. The humor that you would expect is also there; but, it is definitely not for everyone. If you are curious about Hernandez' other work, it is worth reading, providing you have no problems with explicit sex scenes. What surprised me about this comic is that honestly it wasn't any dirtier than Love & Rockets sometimes got (granted it was more focused on the sex scenes). I loved Birdland, although when Beto moved Earth-2 versions of its characters into L&R, it initiated a creative decline in his work for me. This was my introduction to Anderson and it's a fine comic, although curiously unerotic and not actually all that well-disposed to BDSM. Curiously, it's not even all that explicit, and would have fit in better as a Fantagraphics book. I already had the big b&w volumes of Cannon from Wood, and it's enjoyable enough. Sally Forth never interested me. Was the artist still alive at this point? I'd like to think he made some money from these reprints. Fantagraphics also collected Gray Morrow's Amora erotic fantasy comic, as well as reprinted Frank Thorne's Ghita and Lann... This debate confuses me as these look more like Ditko pencils, inked by Stanton, than the other way around ... unless Ditko's inking completely obliterates any other artist. This was 1990 and Wood had been dead for some time. i would assume his estate got some money out of it. Stanton described them working on each other's stuff, particularly with deadlines looming. One interview I saw, I believe he said he inked some webbing on Spider-man, but not much in the way of figures. I don't have access to the interviews any more; but, I could swear he said Ditko inked some of his (Stanton's) fetish material and Kinky Hook is the one that gets most cited as having Ditko's involvement. Some of Stanton's Stantoons comics are pretty loose; so, I could see where he might have done breakdowns and Ditko did finishes. I liked Sally Forth, up to a point. Some episodes were decidedly better than others. At least one chapter had a pretty good Flash Gordon spoof. Apple Comics, around the same time, launched their Forbidden Fruit imprint of adult titles. From what I saw of it, Eros had better material, in general. I forgot to mention the Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne that Eros published, before their Ghita and Lann albums. I picked up those, as it covered Ghita, Lann and Moonshine McJuggs. Thorne's art was great; but, I had always heard this stuff was pretty humorous; but, it was kind of mildly amusing, at times. Jack Cole's Playboy cartoons were way funnier and actually sexier, even though they were less explicit. Something said for leaving a bit for the imagination.
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Post by electricmastro on May 11, 2020 23:33:33 GMT -5
The Mighty Crusaders #1 (November 1965, Archie Comics). Despite Archie not having had as much of an experienced history working on superhero projects, I think that this was an enjoyable first issue. It even includes bickering dialogue, which Jerry Siegel apparently wrote, that arguably has more friction than the Justice League and Avengers had between their own teammates at the time.
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Post by MDG on May 12, 2020 9:08:47 GMT -5
The Mighty Crusaders #1 (November 1965, Archie Comics). Despite Archie not having had as much of an experienced history working on superhero projects, I think that this was an enjoyable first issue. It even includes bickering dialogue, which Jerry Siegel apparently wrote, that arguably has more friction than the Justice League and Avengers had between their own teammates at the time. Yeah, with this line, it seems like Archie decided that they didn't have great characters so would try to be like Marvel but double down on the bickering. You don't get the feeling that anyone's heart is really in it, though.
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Post by mikelmidnight on May 13, 2020 12:14:58 GMT -5
Yeah, with this line, it seems like Archie decided that they didn't have great characters so would try to be like Marvel but double down on the bickering. You don't get the feeling that anyone's heart is really in it, though.
I think they didn't understand how Marvel comics 'worked'. I also think they were trying to be Marvel Comics and the Batman tv series simultaneously, and it was an ill fit.
That said, "Too Many Heroes" is a camp masterpiece.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 26, 2020 18:56:19 GMT -5
Seeing as how I already covered MLJ/Archie (hint), we'll get back to Fantagraphics. With Eros Comix, Fantagraphics had an explosion of porn comics; but, it wasn't everything. we've discussed such alternative comics as Love & Rockets, Hate, Eightball, and Naughty Bits; but, Fantagraphics also got some cache from publishing the journalistic comics of Joe Sacco. Sacco was born in Malta, spent part of his life in Australia, then Los Angeles and Oregon. After some time on an alternate paper, he began working at the Comics Journal, then Centrifugal Bumble Puppy, a satirical magazine, where Sacco acted as editor. However, it was yahoo that started his own projects, with an interest in what was going on in the first Gulf War (back when I was a young pup Naval officer). This would lead him into the world of travel and journalism, which he documented in his comics. His obsession with the Gulf War and the region led him to travel to Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank), where he met and recorded stories of various Palestinians he met. The work was first issued as comic books, then ultimately collected. it forms a history of the Palestinians, through individual experiences and as a group. He quickly found that he was not a neutral observer and began joining in on demonstrations, especially after sharing homes and food with the Palestinians. He drew parallels to the treatment of the Palestinians and colonialism, presenting a POV not seen in most western media. This would lead to criticism that he did not attempt to portray the Israeli viewpoint, to which he responded he had absorbed that narrative his entire life, as had the West and he was seeing what lay underneath and illuminating it. After Palestine, he would focus on Bosnia, towards the tail end of the Bosnian War, with the books Safe Area Gorazde, The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Are Gorazde chronicles his experiences in Gorazde, a Bosnian enclave, surrounded by Serb communities. The area is subjected to Serb military offenses, with the UN unwilling to react with military force, until appeals lead to a US bombing campaign that halts the Serb offensive. Sacco talks with locals and hears stories of the days of Titos Yugoslavia, when Serbs , Bosnian and Croatian children played together and the multi-cultural life is celebrated with a unified identity, only to return to ancient hatreds after Tito's death and the break-up of the Soviet Union. Gorzade was declared a "safe area," by the UN, but they were unwilling to enforce that peace, until it had become an international crisis. Further stories were colelcted in The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Area Gorazde won the Eisner Award, in 2001, and was a NY Times Notable Book and Time Magazine's Best Comic of 2000. Dare was from Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes and reprinted from the comic magazine Revolver. It was Morrison's attempt to turn Dan dare into a dark and cynical satire of Thatcherism, with privatization of the Space Force, urban ghettos for the Treens and so on. It did not go over well in the broader audience in the UK, where Dan Dare is a beloved institution, and was barely a blip in the US. Zenith was a better attempt at a similar idea and a better vehicle, as it came without the nostalgia trappings and shock value. Fantagraphics picked up a few works when Kitchen Sink folded, such as finishing Charles Burn's Black Hole, then collecting it. Fantagraphics, like Kitchen Singkk, always had a foot in the Underground world, as well as showcasing the modern "alternative comic" children of that movement. They reprinted some Underground material, such as Spain's Trashman..... The Complete Crumb Comics and related items... They published the works of Jim Woodring... Woodring's most notable character was Frank, an anthropomorphic character that was a bit of a throwback to early animation (Woodring had worked for Ruby-Spears), an innocent who lives in a surreal world, where he goes about his day. It was never a hug commercial property, but, it had a cult following that led to animated adaptations of his stories, from Japan, as well as merchandise and inspiring other alternative cartoonists. They also published Drew Friedman's Old Jewish Comedians and some of his other work... One of Fantagraphics biggest publishing areas, at various times, has been comic strip reprint collections. They published the entirety of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, while then progressing into John Cullen Murphy.. which they have been reissuing, in new hardcovers. They have published collections of Little Orphan Annie, Popeye, Pogo, Carl Barks comics, Mickey Mouse, Little Nemo, Krazy Kat, Barnaby and more. One of their biggest reprint series was the Complete Peanuts Fantagraphics, along with Charles Schulz' estate reprinted every Peanuts strip, from 1950 to the end, in 2000, chronologically. Schulz had resisted the idea for some years, feeling the early work was inferior, but, started talking with Fantagraphics in 1997. These were hugely successful, published twice a year, between 2004 and 2016. The Sunday strips were printed in black & white, in the volumes, then Fantagraphics started releasing Peanuts Every Sunday, collecting all of the Sunday strips, in color. The series is set to publish through 2022, though that might get pushed back, given our present situation. In 2005 they launched the Hank Ketchum's Dennis the Menace reprint series, projected for 25 volumes, but only 6 were released between 2005 and 2009, with none since. I had seen the strip since childhood; but, it was a bit surprising to see some of the early stuff; the kid was a real little s#$% at times. He was softened up as things progressed, especially with the tv show and becoming a mascot for Dairy Queen. At various points, Fantagraphics has published nice collections of work of notable comic artists and historical works, such as their EC retrospectives, collections of other comics done by those artists, works by people like Bill Maudlin, comic histories and more Some really great material in those works. I'm gonna wrap this up, at this point, since we have covered their main material; but, there are numerous comics I haven't covered (not having read them) and plenty to explore from them. They continue to be a vital publisher of domestic and international comics of importance and show no signs of stopping.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2020 22:40:41 GMT -5
I'm huge fan of Sacco's stuff. I discovered it in the late 90s with Safe Area Gorazde, then onto Palestine and then on to other things he did. I used excerpts from Gorazde (and Kubert's Fax from Sarajevo) when teaching the Bosnian war in world history classes.
-M
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Post by codystarbuck on May 27, 2020 9:54:15 GMT -5
I'm huge fan of Sacco's stuff. I discovered it in the late 90s with Safe Area Gorazde, then onto Palestine and then on to other things he did. I used excerpts from Gorazde (and Kubert's Fax from Sarajevo) when teaching the Bosnian war in world history classes. -M When I was working for Barnes & Noble, I came in contact with a librarian, from a local school. They had gotten themselves a $2,000 grant to add graphic novels to their library and were looking for good titles. We talked for a bit and then I was invited to talk to her student selection committee. I brought out some samples of things beyond superheroes and manga, including Kubert's Yossel and Sacco's Palestine. The librarian loved those works, as she wanted to get some more educational material, not just adventure stuff. I had other suggestions, like Alison Bechdel and Dan Clowes; but, it was a rural school district and they were afraid of backlash from parents and the school board if they went too adult with their picks. Having grown up in that kind of school system, I understood (not that urban schools were necessarily more open to kids reading mature work).
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Post by EdoBosnar on May 27, 2020 10:27:53 GMT -5
(...) After Palestine, he would focus on Bosnia, towards the tail end of the Bosnian War, with the books Safe Area Gorazde, The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Are Gorazde chronicles his experiences in Gorazde, a Bosnian enclave, surrounded by Serb communities. The area is subjected to Serb military offenses, with the UN unwilling to react with military force, until appeals lead to a US bombing campaign that halts the Serb offensive. Sacco talks with locals and hears stories of the days of Titos Yugoslavia, when Serbs , Bosnian and Croatian children played together and the multi-cultural life is celebrated with a unified identity, only to return to ancient hatreds after Tito's death and the break-up of the Soviet Union. Gorzade was declared a "safe area," by the UN, but they were unwilling to enforce that peace, until it had become an international crisis. Further stories were colelcted in The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Area Gorazde won the Eisner Award, in 2001, and was a NY Times Notable Book and Time Magazine's Best Comic of 2000. Oh, geez. The old trope of "ancient hatreds" in the Balkans - brought to us by countless misinformed or half-informed Western news correspondents in the early 1990s. That is nails on a chalkboard for me. It's to Sacco's credit - and one of the many reasons why his books are so well worth reading - that he never used that phrase or even implied that was the case.
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Post by mikelmidnight on May 27, 2020 11:41:46 GMT -5
Dare was from Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes and reprinted from the comic magazine Revolver. It was Morrison's attempt to turn Dan dare into a dark and cynical satire of Thatcherism, with privatization of the Space Force, urban ghettos for the Treens and so on. It did not go over well in the broader audience in the UK, where Dan Dare is a beloved institution, and was barely a blip in the US. Zenith was a better attempt at a similar idea and a better vehicle, as it came without the nostalgia trappings and shock value. I was fond of Morrison's Dare strip. Was it really panned in the UK? Obviously some folks would have complained, but they're pretty used to irreverent satire over there. Black Hole is the most humane story Charles Burns have ever told and, in my opinion, head and shoulders above his other stuff. This is an amazing book. I love Robert Crumb's work but this was a bit overwhelming! Still, I hope it did well enough.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 27, 2020 13:44:01 GMT -5
(...) After Palestine, he would focus on Bosnia, towards the tail end of the Bosnian War, with the books Safe Area Gorazde, The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Are Gorazde chronicles his experiences in Gorazde, a Bosnian enclave, surrounded by Serb communities. The area is subjected to Serb military offenses, with the UN unwilling to react with military force, until appeals lead to a US bombing campaign that halts the Serb offensive. Sacco talks with locals and hears stories of the days of Titos Yugoslavia, when Serbs , Bosnian and Croatian children played together and the multi-cultural life is celebrated with a unified identity, only to return to ancient hatreds after Tito's death and the break-up of the Soviet Union. Gorzade was declared a "safe area," by the UN, but they were unwilling to enforce that peace, until it had become an international crisis. Further stories were colelcted in The Fixer and Wars End. Safe Area Gorazde won the Eisner Award, in 2001, and was a NY Times Notable Book and Time Magazine's Best Comic of 2000. Oh, geez. The old trope of "ancient hatreds" in the Balkans - brought to us by countless misinformed or half-informed Western news correspondents in the early 1990s. That is nails on a chalkboard for me. It's to Sacco's credit - and one of the many reasons why his books are so well worth reading - that he never used that phrase or even implied that was the case. Fair enough; but, that is the, generally, the portrait created by Western media, at the time. That is part of why I say Sacco's work is notable, aside from the quality of it, as he went and spent time with people in those areas and told personal stories that were being ignored by reporters who were sitting in hotels in Sarajevo (or outside the region, I'm willing to bet, in many cases). It is fair to say that Tito's death left a power vacuum that was exploited by groups with both political and ethnic agendas.
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Post by codystarbuck on May 27, 2020 13:47:33 GMT -5
Dare was from Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes and reprinted from the comic magazine Revolver. It was Morrison's attempt to turn Dan dare into a dark and cynical satire of Thatcherism, with privatization of the Space Force, urban ghettos for the Treens and so on. It did not go over well in the broader audience in the UK, where Dan Dare is a beloved institution, and was barely a blip in the US. Zenith was a better attempt at a similar idea and a better vehicle, as it came without the nostalgia trappings and shock value. I was fond of Morrison's Dare strip. Was it really panned in the UK? Obviously some folks would have complained, but they're pretty used to irreverent satire over there. Black Hole is the most humane story Charles Burns have ever told and, in my opinion, head and shoulders above his other stuff. This is an amazing book. I love Robert Crumb's work but this was a bit overwhelming! Still, I hope it did well enough. It was certainly considered controversial. I read it a long time ago and don't remember much of it, other than not being overly wowed by it. Then again, I only had a cursory relationship to Dan Dare, having only seen a few examples (mostly just single pages). I'm on record as not being overly fond of much of Morrison's writing. Of the big names, I find him the most hit and miss, for me.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Jun 1, 2020 11:41:20 GMT -5
It was certainly considered controversial. I read it a long time ago and don't remember much of it, other than not being overly wowed by it. Then again, I only had a cursory relationship to Dan Dare, having only seen a few examples (mostly just single pages). I'm on record as not being overly fond of much of Morrison's writing. Of the big names, I find him the most hit and miss, for me.
I used to like almost all of Morrison's work, pretty dependably. That changed after he left the Doom Patrol assignment and started work on the Justice League; his writing seemed to lose some human element in favor of 'big screen' concepts. Since then, there's been the occasional project of his that I like, but most of it leaves me cold.
I count Dare as being in his early period, and quite enjoyed it.
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Post by culuf on Aug 19, 2020 15:49:13 GMT -5
A separate Zero Issue was prepared, to introduce this new take on the property, with short pieces from a variety of creators. Gary Leach did a silent piece, where Len Brown is suffering PTSD-related nightmares, reliving the death of Menthor. Unfortunately, that issue never came out. Instead, we got one installment, in Omni Comix #3... I think the cover pretty much indicates the priority in which Omni Comix considered the THUNDER Agents. Inside there is a reproduction of a Mark Texeira painting (originally intended for JC Comics), as well as a feature about an undersea group that, at first, I thought was going to be UNDERSEA Agent (it was a separate property). The rest? Oh, man..................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you have any more scans of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. in Penthouse OMNI COMIX #3? My father used to have this one for years and I saw it as a child. But he sold it -_- Especially if nothing else, of that cybernetic wolf! I would love to see him again!
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 19, 2020 16:02:37 GMT -5
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Post by tonebone on Sept 14, 2020 11:02:26 GMT -5
I haven't fully explored all of the Charlton scans I have; so, I was unaware of Mercury Man. The first time I saw Blue Beetle was in a house ad for the first issue of the Charlton Bullseye fanzine, displayed in a Phantom comic, where the image of him dangling from the Bug, on the trapeze line, was totally awesome. First time I encountered an actual story was while visiting my cousin, who had the second issue, with the origin story, as I distinctly remember reading the sequence where Ted finds the dying Dan Garrett. I noticed the similarity of it to a scene in one of my cousin's Daredevil comics, where the dying Torpedo is found by an ex-athlete, who becomes the new, heroic Torpedo (later to join the cast of Rom). Unfortunately, by the time I discovered Charlton (mid-1975), they were pretty much done with superheroes. Even E-man only had one more issue, at that point. Luckily, I got one of those Modern Comics bags, with E-man number 1 (as well as Hercules #10 and Attack! #13). By that point, I had seen both that Blue Beetle comic and another E-Man at my cousin's house. I got lucky in my collecting days and found Blue Beetle #3, at least one Captain Atom and a couple of Peter Cannon issues. I did get my hands on the Charlton Bullseye pairing of BB and the Question, as well as Mysterious Suspense #1; but not much else from the Action Hero line. I almost bought a Judomaster that was a fraudulent return (masthead stripped off for return credit, which were then supposed to be destroyed; but, was sold at a discount). My first encounter with Blue Beetle was Blue Beetle #1 (the Modern Comics reprint), that was in a box of old Sad Sack and Dennis the Menace comics my aunt bought for me at a garage sale. I picked up a couple of other issues (like the Charlton Bullseye issue in the 80s), but didn't see much of him. When DC launched BB, I was so excited to see this guy again.
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