My apologies for not posting last Friday…been a week or two of not enough rest, leaving me with no energy to whip up Some Content™ at night.
So what am I doing today? Asking you to help me create even more content! Yes, Question Time has once again rolled around on here, the Progressive Ruin Hour of Power, where I ask you kind folks for your questions or even topic suggestions for future posts!
Just a couple of rules to follow, because who doesn’t love to follow rules?
1. JUST ONE QUESTION/TOPIC PER PERSON, PLEASE. I know some folks try to get around this with “I have. one question, in four parts. Chapter One…” but let’s try to avoid that if we can. Thank you!
2. LET’S KEEP THE QUESTIONS COMICS-RELATED. No pictures of rashes and asking me how best to treat them, please. I only play a doctor on TV.
And there we go. I reserve the right to reject questions/topics that are too silly or trolling, but usually I even answer those as well if past Question Times have shown us anything. Nothing too personal though…I mean, I’ve already told all you guys about my eye injections, what more do you want? (And by the way, I still haven’t had that surgery.)
So yes, this means I’ll be answering questions or responding to your. topic ideas while still doing the Final ’90s Countdown (on which I’ll be picking up the pace, I apologize for taking so long). I’ve no plans to shutter the site and move on to my true love, deep sea fishing, any time soon, and as such you’ll be putting up with my writing here for a good, long time. Well, for certain values of “good,” anyway.
Thanks for reading, pals.
Hi Mike,
My suggestion is that you do a post on the characters which appear in the mural in the Hall of Justice in the Superman and the likelihood of James Gunn using them in future DCU films or streaming series–especially since the text prologue at the beginning of the film mentions powered heroes first appearing three hundred years ago.
Do you think you will see a spike in people coming into your store and wanting the first appearances of The Demon Knights, El Diablo, Amazing Man, Vibe, Freedom Beast, Gunfire, or Maxwell Lord, etc.? Should we expect more facsimile editions from DC reprinting the first appearances of these mural characters (I know I would be down for Bulletman and Bulletgirl Fawcett Comics facsimile editions)? And what are the odds that James Gunn’s upcoming projects will drive up the value of more Silver and Bronze Age DC back issues which seem to have been undervalued for the past forty to sixty years?
Hi Mike –
If one were intrigued by the banner on this very website and wanted to check out Herbie, where/how would you recommend they start?
Hi, Mike,
We know of your esteem for Bushmiller’sNancy as well as the current (I think, still?) Olivia Jaimes strips, and you’ve also discussed your fondness for not just Segar’s but also Sagendorf’s (and I think the much later London’s) work on Thimble Theatre/Popeye.
What other classic newspaper (or current news”paper”) strips do you especially enjoy, and in what editions?
Also, a related suggestion once your 90’s comics survey coverage ends: would you consider doing a similar survey for comics strips (classic, modern, free weekly, and/or web) including comments on available collections of them?
P.S. I started consistently reading this blog at the tail end of the Sluggo Saturdays feature. I really miss that!
Mikester – do you think the new Rogue Trooper film and presumably some sort of comics push from 2000ad could see the character break into the USA?
Hi Mike,
Does your interest in collecting Swamp Thing appearances extend to overseas (reprint) editions?
What are the odds that the next SUPERMAN movie by James Gunn will feature the scenario from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #29 (June 1958), wherein Krypto becomes Jimmy Olsen’s pet?
http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2016/02/krypto-8-hes-jimmys-dog.html
Some comic book writers promoting themselves as brands, and having sub-lines dedicated to their work. Notably, the ads in comics by James Tynion IV, Jeff Lemiere, and Kieran Gillen are for their other work. In sales and/or buzz, how effective do you think the “writer-as-brand” strategy has been working? Thanks!
From your experience what is the percentage of comics readers who are “agnostic” about writers and or artists and just read comics to follow a character vs. those who are much more dedicated to following a creator regardless of the title.
As someone in the latter category I often envy those in the former. I know I have struggled to read certain highly praised stories/runs, such as Englehart’s early 70’s run on The Avengers and Captain America because the art often doesn’t appeal to me*
On the other hand, I’ll read absolutely anything Kirby or Toth produced.
*I wish I could turn that part of my brain off and just enjoy the comics without hyper focusing on the inking, compositions, storytelling, etc.
Hey Mike –
I’m a big fan of the DC comics charecter Deadman.
I first read a story of his in one of those DC Best Of The Year digests and have been facinated ever since – cause he’s DEAD!
My question is what are your thoughts on good old Boston Brand?
And yes, I’m cheating because I wonder if in your years of funny book retailing do you run into Deadman collecting dudes at all?
Or am I just the weirdo?
Thanks fer all you do
@ LouReedRichards
I can relate to what you are saying re: some issue of the Englehart Captain America and Avengers runs. While I have grown to appreciate Don Heck and Bob Brown’s work on ’70s Avengers over time, I think that Vince Coletta’s inking over Sal Buscema’s art on Cap is not very appealing to the eye. If Dan Adkins or Sam Grainger or Frank Giacoia had inked some of those Cap issues it might have flowed more. I do think Coletta was great on Romance comics from the ’50s and ’60s, however. Also, at least Englehart is a very talented writer, so if you can look past art you don’t like, his stories are generally a fun read.
There’s now about eleventy million versions of the Legion. My list of them in order of appearance below, yours may vary. How would you rank them and why?
OG
Five years later/no Superboy
Archie legion
Threeboot
Retro boot
Bendis boot
Hello Mike.
In your experience as a retailer, do you think the success of licensed comics which aren’t aimed at very young kids tends to depend on how closely they connect to their source material? For example, did the Dark Horse Buffy comics become more popular when they started doing an official continuation from the show with contributions by Whedon and the other television writers, versus the ones that came out while the show was ongoing which Whedon had kept at arms length?
I wonder if that’s why one hears so much more about, say, Star Wars comics versus Star Trek comics: it’s always been the case that the former are an “official” part of Star Wars, part of the “official” what-happened-next stories (along with all the games, novels etc.) whereas with Star Trek comics it’s a lot more nebulous.
If that’s not really a straightforward question to answer, I will instead ask in the alternative: do you have any favourite licensed comics?
Many thanks.
I’ll stick with that though experimen from last Saturday. If Elemen Woman and Ultra the Multi-Alien had a child, well, what’s it going to look like, past an electric leg. That was a silly question, I know.
I’ve really enjoyed many of the Black Label books by Tom King. I doubt we’ll see Ultra (though we should, Ace Arn back on Earth) or Captain Comets (same reason), outcasts on Earth.
As long as it isn’t the maion heroes, this could be for anyone. some WildStorm books like The Authority or Gen13.Dial H, Heroes in Love? Better or worse, King can do something with obscurity, for anyone who liked Danger Street. And one of my favorite books ever is THE HUMAN TARGET?
Anyhow. My two cents on what Ton King pulls out of the bag next.
What are your Top 5 “desert island” books/storylines? (or alternatively “dessert island”)
Thanks Sean.
I agree with your overall sentiments about each of those artists. Funnily enough (after I posted) I went back and looked back over a few issues of each of those titles. Perhaps I should have picked different books to use as examples. The artwork wasn’t as distracting as I recalled, but the overall feeling was of a bland mediocrity. Even that may be too harsh, I certainly wouldn’t be able to match the work they did.
There’s just something inherently interesting to me about early 70’s Marvel art. There’s really phenomenal stuff like pretty much any work John Buscema or Gene Colan did, the Gil Kane covers and the slightly rough around the edges but swinging for the fences stuff by Starlin and BWS. On the other hand there’s the totally competent but workmanlike stuff by Sal Buscema, Tuska and all the guys you mentioned.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d take Don Heck inked by Coletta ANY DAY over most any of the Images guys and the bunch of Image clones that Marvel and DC hired in the early 90’s. The early 70’s guys at least put telling the story ahead of the “how badass can I make this page look” that makes those books so hard to read.
Heck is an interesting one, his non superhero stuff looks so much better; his superhero stuff just seems inconsistent to me. I do like it when he inks the clothing with those big juicy inks that would even give Giacoia pause.
And now I’ve gone on waaay to long about artists again…
I saw Dessert Island open for Electric Leg, good show!
@LouReedRichards
I’ve probably already said this before, but I agree with you that early ’70s Marvel is great because there was a Renaissance-like influx on enthusiastic young talent–Steve Gerber, Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Chris Claremont, Don McGregor, Barry Windsor-Smith,Jim Starlin, Paul Gulacy, Dave Cockrum, Rich Buckler, Ralph Reese, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Brunner, Mike Ploog, Val Mayerik, P. Craig Russell, etc.–as well as established professionals, including Neal Adams, Gil Kane, Wally Wood, Gene Colan, Russ Heath,John Romita Senior, John Buscema, Jim Steranko, John Severin, Marie Severin, Jim Mooney, Tom Palmer, Roy Thomas, etc.
It was also a poignant era at Marvel in that it saw some of the final work of Golden Age Timely-era artists, including Bill Everett–creator of the Sub-Mariner–and Syd Shores (who drew a lot of 1940s Captain America stories).
There were also a lot of artists at that point who had been around since the Golden Age –or at least post-WW II Atomic Age– who might have seemed like they were churning it out–and maybe they were–but by and large comics were still considered cheap entertainment in the early ’70s, and if you could get the job done quickly, you were in like Flynn.
I do think that Steranko, Neal Adams, and Barry Windsor-Smith basically changed the game and by the late ’70s/early ’80s the bar was set a lot higher for comic book art standards, which lead to all kinds of great art from John Byrne, Terry Austin, George Perez, Michael Golden, Pat Broderick, Butch Guice, Paul Smith, Art Adams, etc.
I do agree that Don Heck was probably more comfortable in the Atomic and early Silver Ages drawing non-superhero stuff, as he seems to come from the Milton Caniff school of adventure comic strip cartooning, so the Marvel House Style was probably an adjustment for him (and I think Jack Kirby did some pencil breakdowns for Heck on early Marvel books, including Iron Man. But, Heck always drew attractive female characters, and there is that one X-Men issue where Sunfire appears where Tom Palmer inked Don Heck’s pencils and it looks outstanding.
Also, Don Heck’s early ’80s run on JLA over at DC ain’t half bad.
Hi Mike,
I’m really interested and intrigued by Usagi Yojimbo, but I’m overwhelmed by the number and variety of books that collect these stories. Given that money is not an issue, where should I start?
“because who doesn’t love to follow rules?”
Me!
“I only play a doctor on TV.”
Dr. Comic Book?
“Deadman.
I first read a story of his in one of those DC Best Of The Year digests”
I believe I read that same digest!
“where Tom Palmer inked Don Heck’s pencils and it looks outstanding.”
No offence to Don Heck (who ranges from good to serviceable), but Tom Palmer could ink a ten year old’s pencils and it would look amazing!
He might have been the best inker in the business!
The only reason I don’t call him the BEST inker in the business, is because I don’t think his inks would have worked well for, say, John Bryne.
@ Snark Shark
You would almost think the image in the link below was by Neal Adams –that’s how well Tom Palmer embellished Don Heck’s pencils.
Also, for my money, Terry Austin, Frank Giacoia, and Joe Sinnott are the top three inkers.
https://images.app.goo.gl/8N5wM9HGvpVAqQJP8
How do kids factor in as a demographic at your shop? Is it bigger/smaller than in the past? What are they buying? Do they stay invested in the medium, or is it a passing interest?
For argument’s sake, lets define kids as 16 and under for this question.
I’m fascinated by the “every publisher launches a superhero universe” era of the 90’s that brought us the Ultraverse, Comics Greatest World, & the like. Is there one of these that you, as a reader, wish had been a success? Alternatively, are there any particular memories of this era that stick out to you from the sales side of things?
You know who we don’t talk about enough? Colorists and letterers. Do you have favorites? If so, who and why?
“You would almost think the image in the link below was by Neal Adams”
Or possibly a VERY young John Bryne.
“every publisher launches a superhero universe”
May I recommend Crossgen, before it went KAPUT?
@ Thom H.
I think some of the top Bronze Age colorists would include Tatjana Wood, Marie Severin, George Roussos, Steranko, Frank Brunner, Tom Palmer, Glynis Wein, Anthony Tollin, Barry Grossman, and Janice Cohen.
For late Bronze/early Copper Ages, definitely Adrienne Roy, Lynn Varley, John Higgins, Klaus Janson, Steve Oliff, and Richmond Lewis.
And Elizabeth Breitweiser and June Chung are two contemporary colorist who are really good.
What are the worst “preserved” comics you’ve ever seen in collections? Duct tape? Hot glue? Cereal boxes cut into backing boards?
“Cereal boxes cut into backing boards?”
I actually used to DO that, but it wasn’t cereal boxes, just some other cheap cardboard.
Mike,
As always, a privilege to engage.
Out of the titles published by the late, (maybe) lamented CrossGen, are there any that you think with the right push might have been a success for Marvel?
I say Ruse, and I know that it had a failed 4-issue Marvel mini, but it was basically shoved out there to die.
Hey, did we ever come to a consensus on Ben Grimm’s eyebrows? If The Thing should be drawn with no brow, or a unibrow ridge, or something else. Mike started the debate by n 2023.