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The secret origin of Sluggo Thing.

§ July 24th, 2013 § Filed under sluggo, swamp thing § 3 Comments

 
 

courtesy Sleestak

Saturday Morning Sluggo.

§ June 22nd, 2013 § Filed under nancy, sluggo § 13 Comments

Not to be confused with “Sluggo Saturday” — warning: this is terrible.


Totally not Sluggo’s correct voice.

Happy Sluggentine’s Day.

§ February 14th, 2013 § Filed under nancy, sluggo, valentine § 5 Comments

I figured Sluggo just sprang fully formed from the forehead of Zeus.

§ February 8th, 2013 § Filed under retailing, sir-links-a-lot, sluggo, swamp thing § 7 Comments

So Paul wrote in and asked if I had any comment on this week’s delayed arrival of Scarlet #6 from Marvel’s Icon imprint. And I said, “oh, was it late?” and I checked our cycle sheets at the store, and BEHOLD:

#1 – 7/8/10
#2 – 9/1/10
#3 – 11/4/10
#4 – 1/19/10
#5 – 3/28/11
#6 – 2/6/13

Wow, nearly two years between the last two issues. Not quite Ultimate Hulk Vs. Wolverine level, but pretty close. I probably just didn’t notice it because, unlike that Hulk/Wolverine thing, I didn’t have people asking me every day when it was coming out. Or any day, for that matter. Is anything really late if nobody’s waiting for it? …Ooh, okay, that’s a bit harsh. I’m sorry. But not too sorry, because I have to sell these things, and a two-year gap between issues is kind of bullshit, and certainly no way to keep a readership.

And of course there’s the other end of the spectrum, in which we got three issues of The Avengers over the last three weeks, which is also ridiculous. Or two issues of Superior Spider-Man over the last two weeks. Or seven issues of All-New X-Men since mid-November. I’d like to see comics released on a rational, responsible schedule, one where retailers and customers can plan out their spending, and one where the market isn’t flooded so quickly with consecutive issues of a series to the point of discouraging readership, but I suspect I’ll see “Steve Ditko Sings The Hits – Live On-Stage Revue” before that ever happens.

Mmm. Okay, now I’m angry. WHY MUST YOU POKE THE BULL, PAUL?

Let us go on to happier things:

  • I am getting comments and multiple emails from folks telling me that the current Nancy comic strips are retelling the origin of Sluggo. Read ’em yourself, starting here. …To think I’d ever see the word “reboot” in a Nancy strip, that wasn’t about, say, Sluggo putting on two pairs of boots.
  • Big Rich Handley, creator of the Roots of the Swamp Thing website, recently interviewed former Swampy artist Steve Bissette and former Thingy writer Nancy Collins. Good readin’ all around…go check those out.
  • This is interesting…John MacLeod, one of the contributors to this issue of Ultra Klutz I discussed a while back, popped up in the comments to that post with a couple of details about his contribution to the comic. And it turns out you can read his Dishman comics online (along with his commentary)…and be sure to take a look at his more recent project, Space Kid.

SAVE VS. SLUGGO.

§ January 18th, 2013 § Filed under gaming, nancy, sluggo § 5 Comments

So pal Andres points out this eBay auction to me on the Twitters, and I think “I really shouldn’t try to bid on that, I need to save money,” and “I really shouldn’t try to bid on that, I’ve got enough junk in the house for the creditors to haul out after I’m dead,” and “what’s my eBay password again, I need to go bid on that.”

As it turned out, the auction got too rich for my blood…well, actually, I put in one bid and I was busy working when the auction ended and thus couldn’t enter that last second bidding war which is always so much fun on the eBay. Ah, well, at least I have these images liberated from said eBay auction to remind me of that ship which passed me in the night:


Yes, that’s right, only the Nancy and Sluggo Game dares to bring you an “infinity cover” on its lid. (Not to mention the omnipresent “three rocks.”) This game is produced by Milton Bradley, and has a 1944 copyright notice. The cover appears to be genuine Ernie Bushmiller (there’s his signature, though that doesn’t always mean anything), while the images on the board inside:


…appear to be just slightly off-model, as if traced from original panels, or simply done from scratch by artists at the game company. It’s hard to say without having the actual board right in front of me. As for the game proper, it’s all pretty basic, rolling the die and moving the pieces around the board, gaining advantages or penalties based on what’s in the square you land on, in case you were wondering what a “board game” was like. It’s just that there’s nothing specifically Nancy or Sluggo-ish about the game itself, beyond the imagery. It’s not like you’re moving a Sluggo piece around the board, and lose a turn every time you land on a square containing a hammock or a harmonica…though that‘s within spitting distance of a Nancy and Sluggo role playing game, and I’m not sure the world is quite that ready for such a wonderful thing to exist. (If you’re wondering…yes, the Nancy and Sluggo role playing game would have Gelatinous Cubes in it.)

Speaking of the game pieces, here’s a shot of them from that auction, along with what I’m presuming to be the original die:


Man, they’re just round wood thingies. They don’t even have pictures of the Nancy cast or anything: “HA HA you have to be Pee Wee!” “Dash it all!” Okay, I know it was wartime, and Nancy and Sluggo face decals had to be conserved for the war effort, but still, it’s a bit of a disappointment.

A brief Googling didn’t bring me much more information about this, though to be honest I’m not sure what more there is to know. Board Game Geek didn’t have a listing for it, though it did have a listing for the unofficial Scott McCloud creation 5 Card Nancy. And here’s a site with an archived description of the board game from an older eBay auction.

So sadly, I guess my ownership of this game simply wasn’t meant to be. …At least, not yet.

“It’s learning, the way you always hoped it would be, with Sluggo.”

§ December 17th, 2012 § Filed under nancy, sluggo § 7 Comments

Just a short post to share with you a gift, sent to me by reader Eric – the Listen, Laugh & Learn record from 1982:

“It’s learning, the way you always hoped it would be, filled with songs and laughter.”

“It’s Nancy and Sluggo in their very first record album. They’re here to help your child explore new horizons in learning … with a few giggles along the way. Each story and song is designed to open up young minds to their endless possibilities as they Listen, Laugh & Learn with Nancy and Sluggo.”

“SONGS INCLUDE
Listen, Laugh & Learn • Video Brain • Figure It Out • Anything You Want • Perspecive • Listen, Laugh & Learn (reprise) • When the Levee Breaks”

Okay, maybe not that last one.

I have had a busy weekend, so I haven’t yet had time to give this “vinyl record album” a “spin” on my “record playing turntable” (kids, ask your grandparents what these things mean), so I have no idea if Sluggo was given the deep and rich baritone that he obviously should have. I’ll report when I can.

Also, I shudder to think at what lessons Sluggo has to impart, unleashing his terrible knowledge upon impressionable minds.

Three things.

§ October 29th, 2012 § Filed under firestorm, sluggo § 6 Comments

1. So reader David was at a convention recently where he encountered Guy Gilchrist, one of the current creators of the Nancy comic strip. Well, he explained to Mr. Gilchrist my little Sluggo Saturday project — I can only imagine how that went! — and apparently it went okay, as Mr. Gilchrist presented David with the following sketch:


I am downright flabbergasted. In times of darkness and despair, I shall simply focus on this image and let its beauty shine over me.

Also, it’s been a while since I’ve done a Sluggo Saturday. I’ll try to cook one up soon.

2. Here’s a thought that crossed my mind when I read the recently-released Fury of Firestorm #13: the general status quo for the character, recently reestablished in the new title, is that two people would merge together to form Firestorm, with one person controlling the body, and the other person existing as a disembodied voice who can mentally communicate with the first person. Or, you know, something like that. You get the idea.

In the old Firestorm comics, sometimes Ronnie (the fella running the body) would be talking out loud to Professor Stein (the poor bastard stuck in the “disembodied voice” position) and someone would walk in on the conversation and would be all “hey, you talkin’ to yourself?” and Firestorm would be all “D’OH!” and embarrassed and stuff, since the Firestorm-is-actually-two-people thing wasn’t general knowledge.

Well, we got a scene like that again in the aforementioned #13 of the new series:


…and what I thought was “wouldn’t people nowadays just assume anyone talking to himself was actually using one of those Bluetooth ear-clip thingies?” That actually happened to me at the shop once, where a sole gentleman was in the middle of a very spirited conversation and I just assumed he simply had a Bluetooth headset on…until I got a good look at him and realized, oh, there’s no cell phone involved here.

Okay, in the panel up there, the dude isn’t explicitly saying that he thinks Firestorm is talking to himself…I mean, I think it’s sort of implied, but I suppose he could be thinking that Firestorm is just yappin’ on his cell. But anyway, I think modern technology may have taken away one of Firestorm’s running gags, and surely the world is poorer for it. (NOTE: Not actually sure of that.)

3. There is no third thing. I’m a big lying poopiehead.

Nancy, Sluggo, Popeye, and John.

§ August 17th, 2012 § Filed under nancy, pal plugging, popeye, sluggo § 4 Comments

 

  • Reader Garrett points me in the direction of this tableau of horror, featuring Nancy and Sluggo by Jon Vermilyea. Possibly not safe for work, certainly not safe for restful sleep.
  • In response to Mr. Spurgeon’s comment about the Classic Popeye book I wrote about on Wednesday…yes, that is really the actual cover of this reprint, the exact cover the original #1 had back in 1948, plus the “Classic Comics” banner, of course. I hope this series achieves its stated goal of reprinting all the Bud Sagendorf comics, but it’s, what, a hundred comics? That seems like quite the challenge, but even if they don’t get all the way to the end, I’ll certainly enjoy what I get.

    By the way, I had a person in the comments lament the fact that his retailer doesn’t carry this sort of book. Well, I checked on Diamond’s website Thursday evening, and Classic Popeye #1 is still available for reorder, so march on in to your shop, tell ’em “I want one copy of Classic Popeye #1, Diamond order number JUN120397, please” and all it takes is a phone call, email, or visit to the reorders section on the Diamond retailer site, and they should be able to get it for you. While supplies last, of course.

    And if your retailer can’t or won’t get it for you, I will. …Again, while supplies last, so act fast!

  • Bully the Little Stuffed Bull’s pal John has been doing movie reviews for the past week over at Unseen Films, and this little linkie-thing here should take you right to them. It should also bring up older reviews of his on that site, which you should probably read also. You’d better…I’ll be quizzing you later.

No joke…

§ April 1st, 2012 § Filed under blogging about blogging is a sin, here comes the april fool, pal plugging, sluggo, swamp thing § 4 Comments

…this is one fabulous image:


So Daniel Butler, artist of Copernicus Jones, has been drawing personalized Twitter icons for folks, and, well, you can see what I asked for…and baby, I sure got it. If you want Mr. Butler to create an icon just for you, then hie yourself hither to this site for details and samples!

In other news…I don’t really have an April Fool’s Day post this year, which is only the second AFD I’ve missed, so hey, you know, my record’s still pretty good. Besides, will I ever top this? No sir, I will not.

However, I did add a new category for my previous April Fool’s posts, so you can go enjoy my past glories, back when this website was good. And the 2005 posts may not make sense out of context without seeing this, a screenshot of when pal Dorian and I switched our website templates for the day. …Of course, neither of our sites now look like they did then, so consider the word “context” at its lowest value, if you would.

Also, the joke here is that I included two fake items. …I wonder if anyone out there is still going store to store looking for them?

Someday I will have to answer for the things I have inspired.

§ March 25th, 2012 § Filed under cranius, sluggo § 11 Comments

It came to him in unquiet dreams borne of reading both the recent Nancy Is Happy collection and this site, said reader John L., and thus did he create this most terrifying image. What is seen cannot be unseen:
 
 
 

BEHOLD

SLUGGIUS

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