"Hello…? Is this thing on?" (Or "How can you miss me when I won’t go away?")
Flash #286 (June 1980) – art by Don Heck & Dick Giordano
Aaaaaaaand…I’m back.
I actually hadn’t planned on taking the last week off, believe it or not. I had no real reason to, as it wasn’t like I had a bunch of real life stuff getting in the way or anything. I just thought…well, maybe, just for my own sanity, after two and a half years of daily posting, I needed to take a break.
I had originally planned on entering “LOW CONTENT MODE” last summer during our move to the new house…but as it turned out, I couldn’t shake the blogging bug, even when I was just under the wire in maintaining my daily posts.
Ever since then, I’d been wanting to see what it would look like, turning the site black and white, having an old TV test pattern as a user icon, and posting several b&w scans…I thought it would look pretty neat, and, if I may say so, I think it did. I’ve set everything back to color now (except the comic scans themselves), so you may need to lift your monitor over your head and shake it vigorously to knock all the black and white out. Or you could just refresh your browser once or twice, if you’re boring.
Let me tell you, though…two days in, I was jonesing hard to make a real post. Honestly, it was driving me crazy. That’s…that’s kind of sad.
During my so-called “time off,” I did write up a new “Behind the Counter” column for Comic Book Galaxy, so feel free to check that out.
So, anyway, I’m back, I’m not quitting the weblog, I’m not burnt out, I don’t hate comics…well, okay, maybe I do hate comics, but I’m not going away anytime soon. You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.
Why, it seems like it was only yesterday that we where putting him through the hazing ritual (the one with the plastic orange Hot Wheels tracks and the margarine), and now he’s off. Yes, Employee Nathan (AKA “Pope Nathan”), has departed our fine place of employment for the sunny upstate realms of San Francisco (where he is dangerously close to the hideous menace of pal Ian, another Ventura County expatriate).
We of course bid him a fond fondue and wish him well, as we’ll miss him around here, mostly.
Ex-Employee Nathan fans ‘n’ stalkers can continue to follow his exploits at his new weblog, and the latest addition to the Associated Comics And Pop Culture Webloggers of Ventura County, CA And Outlying Environs* — Tales from Treasure Island.
New employee Josh has stepped into the Nathan-shaped void left behind in our store…now, where’d I put those Hot Wheels tracks…?
Other stuff I missed:
Heath Ledger has been cast as the Joker for the Batman Begins sequel, and lo, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth for, um, no real good reason. Pal Dorian expertly covers the reaction.
Rich Johnston reports that TwoMorrows’ Swampmen book is cancelled…a rumor supported by the lack of product at that TwoMorrows link. Well, crap. Who do I have to bribe to get that book published? AAAAARGH!
Chris Karath has videos and photos aplenty from the Wizard World Chicago convention. See Captain America and Iron Man duke it out in the boxing ring!
Bully looks at the changing faces of the Black Cat comic (the Golden Age one, not the Spider-Man character), and shows us comic covers with some “back” — including a Swamp Thing cover dedicated to yours truly. Such is my reputation on the ‘net.
Zippy really didn’t just say that in a syndicated comic strip, did he?
This was from before my break, but Jim Woodring posted The Greatest Nancy Panel Ever Drawn, and darned if I can’t disagree.
I’d been joking with pal Dorian about how it looks like the folks at DC Comics are doing comics just for him, what with all the Wildcat love that’s been showing up there lately.
But, finally, finally, every Mikester has his day, as Gail Simone throws me a Swamp Thing bone** in last week’s release of All-New Atom #2. Not only is Swampy’s alter ego Dr. Alec Holland included in the “quotenotes” (one of the book’s conceits is having footnotes with quotes from scientists, real and imaginary, that reflect upon the story’s events), but there’s a climatic full-page illustration that looks an awful lot like this page from Swamp Thing #8 (Jan/Feb 1974) – click for the larger, spoiler-ish image (spoiler-ish for the Atom book, not the 30-year-old Swampy book):
Maybe I’m jumping the gun a tad, but it sure looks like Simone is bringing back one of Swamp Thing’s old adversaries…and bringing Swamp Thing just that much closer to being back in the DC Universe proper.
Well, a boy can dream, can’t he?
YOU’RE ON NOTICE:
* ACAPCWOVCCAOE for short, natch.
** “‘Throws me a Swamp Thing bone’ is today’s PHRASE THAT PAYS!”
