You are currently browsing the archives for May, 2006

"You guys ever throw anything away?" – Chalk

§ May 22nd, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on "You guys ever throw anything away?" – Chalk

No, Chalk, we don’t throw away nearly enough…things get stored away in boxes and forgotten about, until I dig them out and share them here with you, the Progressive Ruin reader.

So, here we go, more shelf-talkers:

This one for the debut of the still-running Robin solo series (from 1993) is a nice-looking item:

The “ALONE AT LAST” bit makes me smirk a little, though. “NO LONGER BEING BOTHERED BY BATMAN!” “NOW HE’S HANGING OUT, AND DOING WHATEVER!”

The promo image for the 1994 Superman/Milestone crossover series (drawn by Tony Harris) is a very attractive illustration…you can almost feel the giant stone logos smacking into each other:

Generally, 99% of the time you’re not going to see the cool image on the face of the shelf talker, assuming one exists (this one being a Mike Allred illo for Vertigo Visions: The Geek from 1993):

Here’s a good’un from the X-Men Inferno crossover (1988):

The Fall of the Mutants crossover (1987) shelf-talker is somewhat less inspiring:

DC saved some paper by using one shelf-talker for multiple titles, such as the one they did for the series inspired by various TSR gaming properties (from 1988)…you had a general TSR logo:

And one for Gammarauders, which is a title I haven’t thought about…well, probably since it came out:

Here’s a slightly more recent combined shelf-talker (1997)…having the eyes of the characters just poke over the tops of the books is a real attention-grabber:

I used to joke about DC just going on and on and on with their Batman: Year 1 series, and 2, and 3, and 14, and 55…but then Batman Year 100 came out and put an end to that:

Remember when this series (from 1997) was red hot? They even went to at least a second printing on the first issue, as I recall:

I’m trying to remember the last time I sold one of these Shadowline Saga books (from 1988) as a back issue, and aside from selling a bunch as part of our huge bulk stock sale, I can’t think of any:

I do like that static-effect, though.

This last shelf-talker is filled with advice for the retailer:

When the issues of Suspira fly off the shelves, the message “Time to increase orders on the book?” appears as a friendly reminder. And at the bottom of the card, in tiny print, is the note “Please use this header card to highlight the latest Chaos! Comics release. Thanks!” Hey, you’re welcome!

If you look at only one weblog with a sexy Woody Allen pin-up today, LET IT BE THIS ONE.

§ May 21st, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on If you look at only one weblog with a sexy Woody Allen pin-up today, LET IT BE THIS ONE.


So there’s the “full color centerfold pinup” of Amy Fisher mentioned in the He Said/She Said ad I posted yesterday. Please note 1) the ghostly images of Joey and Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the clouds, and 2) the tasteful addition of the handgun.

T-shirts were also advertised to commemorate the release of this funnybook:


That’s a two-sided shirt, featuring both covers of this flip-book comic.

Alas, I had no actual copy of this comic in either the vast Mikester Comic Archives or the store stock, but I did have a copy of #2 featuring the above images in a house ad. This second issue, by the way, was the Woody Allen/Mia Farrow issue, with, yes, a full-color Soon-Yi pin-up:


Also included is this charming Woody Allen pin-up:


We also have issue #5, with O.J. Simpson/Nicole Simpson, and I was praying, praying, that there was no “sexy” centerfold in this one. There is a color poster, but it’s Mr. Simpson’s mug shot.

And for completeness’ sake, the other two issues in the series featured Bill Clinton/Gennifer Flowers and Tonya Harding/Jeff Gillooly. Collect ’em all.

I don’t know which of these makes me the most uncomfortable…

§ May 20th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on I don’t know which of these makes me the most uncomfortable…

…this ad for He Said/She Said #1, with its promises of advice columns and a “centerfold pinup” of Amy Fisher:


…or this unsettling shot from one of the TMNT martial arts books, featuring Donatello splayed for your pleasure:


YOU MAKE THE CALL.

Leonard Nimoy meets Prisar.

§ May 19th, 2006 § Filed under promo Comments Off on Leonard Nimoy meets Prisar.

I went looking for reactions to All Star Batman & Robin #4, but I found this instead.

§ May 19th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on I went looking for reactions to All Star Batman & Robin #4, but I found this instead.

” women who read comics”

“i need one. i definately need a woman who reads comics. seriously. i’m hoping to use this thread as a platform for folks (men and women) who want to meet someone of the opposite gender (or even of the same gender, hell, who am i to judge?) if you want to reach out and connect with someone, i suggest that you post on here:
your age
what city/state area you can be found in
which comics you like to read
and any other random bullcrap about yourself that you think someone might care about”

“You know that’s not enough. You need to be more specific if you’re going to catch a ladies attention. We need to know:

-How tall are you?
-How much do you weigh?
-What’s your build?
-What’s you’re income?
-What’s your proffession?
-Do you still have a full head of hair?
-Would you describe yourself as looking okay, cute or hot?
-Do you have any pets?
-Do you live alone/own your own home or do you live with Mom?
-Can you cook?
-What’s your view on women?
-Do you believe in what’s yours is our and mine is mine?”

“man i have this comic book women at my comic store, and shes alrite lookn………shes got sum nice big round……..eyes………………lol”

“There is a really cute girl who works at [removed] in NYC. I want her…yum, yum.”

“Quite possibly the most pathetic topic ever. Do you think women are actually going to try and meet a potential boyfriend on these boards? If you do, more power to you, but damn.”

Another week, another new comics day.

§ May 18th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on Another week, another new comics day.

from Sweety #1


Well said, Sweety, well said.

Boom Studios sent along another review pack of books, including Cthulhu Tales, which actually came out last week. However, if you’ve got the interest in Lovecraft, it’s certainly worth a look…several short, creepy stories of unknowable, unearthly terrors and tentacled things, all suitably illustrated with just the right amount of ickiness. “Quality Time,” by John Rogers and Andy Kuhn, is the high point, keeping just enough of the horror off panel to let us fill in the gaps with our own imaginations…always more effective than just putting it all out there.

Another Boom Studios release is Talent #1 (by Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, and Paul Azaceta) which the publisher has been ballyhooing as being somewhat similar to the TV show Lost. Well, they both involve a plane crash and mysteries, but beyond that, a closer comparison may perhaps be Matrix…a fellow finds himself with new, unusual abilities, and pursued by various groups who want him for their own unknown reasons. It’s a quickly paced and entertaining book that wastes no time in getting us into the action and wrapped up in the mysteries presented.

Jeremiah Harm #3 was the third Boom Studios book…not much to say that I haven’t said before, aside from he art by Rael Lyra and Joe Prado being nicely detailed, as usual. It’s still a comic about space bounty hunter purusing alien criminals on Earth, as written by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant. We’re not talking high art here, but it is a fun sci-fi shoot-’em-up, told with wit and dark humor.

All-Star Batman and Robin #4 – So, it appears as if the scenes featuring Batman’s seemingly erratic behavior from the earlier issues (including his “testing” of Dick Grayson) are a plot point, as that behavior is beginning to be addressed in-story. Between this and the description of this issue (“Can the Earth’s most powerful heroes rescue the kidnapped Dick Grayson and save Gotham from the clutches of a Dark Knight who has obviously gone mad?”) it’s almost as if Frank Miller knew what he was doing from the get-go. And that multi-page fold-out featuring the Batcave is nice, but for some reason I was even more entertained by the other side of the fold-out, with the multiple DC “One Year Later” house-ads. There they all are, in one place for easy reference:


Fell #5 – Another fine installment of Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith’s series of “done in one” stories, as Detective Fell faces off with a gunman in an interrogation room. Intense and emotional, and surprisingly dynamic given the majority of the action is in one room. Don’t miss Ellis’ back-of-the-book essay about the influence Will Eisner’s Spirit had on this project.

Superman/Batman #26 – I was a fan of this comic early on, with its focus on Big Stupid Superhero Action, and not pretending to be anything but. However, this last storyline, with multiple versions of multiple characters from multiple universes running around and mayhem ensuing…hey, I’m all for craziness in my capes-‘n’-tights books, but for some reason it just seemed to get in the way of pushing the story forward this time around. Anyway, Joker and Mr. Mxyzptlk (and a surprise guest) explain everything, it all gets wrapped up in a perfunctory fashion, and the way is cleared for the new creative team. Overall, writer Jeph Loeb gave us a fun and goofy comic…well, aside from the nigh-unreadable Michael Turner-illustrated Supergirl saga, and the hard-to-follow final storyline…but for the most part, not too bad for what it was.

Shadowpact #1 – The supernatural team from Day of Vengeance gets its own ongoing series, about which I have to say 1) I guess the DC Universe has reclaimed the Phantom Stranger for good from Vertigo; 2) it sure is nice to see Bill Willingham art again; 3) any series that gives me Blue Devil is okay with me; 4) any series that features not one, but two of DC’s Silver Age era animal heroes is a series worth reading.

Castle Waiting hardcover – Linda Medley’s fantasy series is collected into a handsome (and thick) hardcover book by Fantagraphics. Beautifully done, and well worth looking at if you have any interest in fairy tales and folklore.

Innocence & Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo – A very attractive hardcover book celebrating the work of the famed Archie Comics cartoonist (though he did plenty of work besides). Features tons of material from throughout his career, everything from his girlie cartoons to his Archie work to the post-Archie work on the Simpsons comics…plenty of shots of his beautiful original pencil work are also included. (Amusingly, one of the Archie covers represented is this infamous issue.)

Edgar Allen Poe’s Haunt of Horror #1 – Well, put this on the list of “Marvel Titles I Least Expected to Ever See on A Comic Rack” (along with Steve Gerber’s Howard the Duck – The Creator-Owned Series, X-Men: This Series Is Good, Honest, and Ultimate Wolverine Versus Hulk #3). It’s a black and white horror comic, illustrated by Richard Corben, published by the modern Marvel Comics. Wow. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty good, too.


Did I mention this video of pal Ian getting smacked with a book? It’s fantastic.

Timeline of a tragedy. Or comedy.

§ May 17th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on Timeline of a tragedy. Or comedy.

1. I post a Secret Defenders shelf-talker on my site.

2. Pal Ian doesn’t recognize the window design from Dr. Strange’s pad.

3. James Simes, Isotope Comics mastermind and current primary provider of Ian’s funnybooks, can’t believe Ian’s lack of Dr. Strange knowledge, and says that he should put a copy of Essential Dr. Strange in Ian’s hold box.

4. I suggest that Mr. Simes smack Ian with said Essential Dr. Strange, to better embed the information contained within its pages into Ian’s brain.

5. Mr. Simes fulfills my request.

EDIT: And here’s a YouTube link, too, for unobscured Ian-whacking action.

"Regard each encounter as if it could be your last!"

§ May 17th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on "Regard each encounter as if it could be your last!"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Authorized Martial Arts Training Manual #5 (1986)


Even opening this comic means CERTAIN DEATH for you, the reader:


Somehow, I don’t see finding “many, many hours” to spend alone will be a problem for anyone actually using this comic as a training manual:


“Mr. Comic Retailer, do you have a comic book that will instruct Little Billy on how best to disembowel and kill his enemies?”



At last, some sensible advice:

Trying something new.

§ May 16th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on Trying something new.

Over in the sidebar there is something I’m calling “ACAPCWOVCCAOE NEWS,” for the lack of anything else to call it…I wanted some kind of title to set that section off, and that’ll do for now. Anyway, I wanted a little place on my page specifically for link-weblogging…short entries that I didn’t necessarily want or have time to devote a whole post to, kinda like what pal Andy does.

Pal Dorian will also be contributing links, and, should everything work right, the same links will appear on his site as well.

We hope.

Anyway, I’m gonna try it out for a while, since I don’t think my sidebar was quite cluttered enough yet. Let me know what you all think.


By the way, apparently my site was down for an unspecified time early this morning. I blame sunspots.

I’m titling this post "Halle Berry’s pants" just to get your attention.

§ May 16th, 2006 § Filed under Uncategorized Comments Off on I’m titling this post "Halle Berry’s pants" just to get your attention.

Hell freezes over, OFFICIAL: Halle Berry open to theoretical Catwoman 2:

“‘I think Catwoman is a great character that maybe wasn’t presented in the right way,’ she said, adding, ‘But when people see it on video they seem to like it. They’re like, ‘It wasn’t as bad as they all said!'”

In honor of this shocking revelation, here’s a picture of one of those trading cards with a piece of a movie costume (in this case, Berry’s pants) embedded within:


That’s a little something from the previously-mentioned eBay auction folder. Yes, that means I once touched something that once touched Halle Berry. I can feel your jealousy from here.


As a comics weblogger, I must note the new DC Comics solicitations, if only to say 1) the new Flash series already has a guest artist; 2) I like this Action Comics cover; 3) missing scenes included in the Infinite Crisis hardcover? You bastards; and 4) I’ll need that Golden Age Atom figure for my JSA action figure set. C’mon Golden Age Johnny Thunder ‘n’ Thunderbolt two-pack!


So what are the chances that we’ll get a 1,200 page compendium of the entire weekly run of 52 when it’s over, like the Complete Bone? (And forgive me for giggling at the headline “Jeff Smith Displays Complete Bone” – I’m 12, apparently.)

Just think – Absolute 52, only…say, $150. A STEAL.

Or maybe a couple volumes of DC Showcase, reprinting them all in black and white.

Most likely…6 or 7 trade paperbacks. Or hardcovers…DC does like the hardcover/softcover publishing plan, nowadays.


This page of Batman microheroes includes a to-scale Giant Penny (as seen in the Batcave). Just wanted to point that out.

The page also has other micro-versions of various Bat-oddities, such as that Bat-genie pictured to the right.

« Older Entries Newer Entries »