Mikester

Starro in my eyes.

filed under Categories sir-links-a-lot 10 Comments


So Employee Aaron brought me one of these swell Starro masks from the San Diego Comic Con, and now I wear it as often as possible. Particularly when I’m working the cash register.

In other news:

  • Every time Chris Sims decides to say something about a Kevin Smith comic, hilarity ensues in the comments. (Widening Gyre #6 certainly is…something else, I’ll give it that. I like the general idea of it, which is “What Happens The Day Batman Lets Down His Guard,” but the execution is a bit curious, to say the least.)

  • Internet pal Dave celebrates the eighth anniversary of his weblog this week. Them’s a lot of Legos, my friend. Congrats, and here’s to many more years!

  • “The Apocalypse came and went, and no one attending San Diego Comic-Con really noticed. When they emerged from the convention center on Sunday night to find the world in ruins around them, they realized that they had been spared for a purpose. They realized that the wasteland around them held nothing for them, least of all a return to their old lives.

    “They realized the Con could go on forever.”

    BEHOLD: THE LONG CON.

  • Pal Dorian brings you…Previews for Gays! (By the way, Dorian gave me the joke for the Warlord of Mars entry in yesterday’s End of Civilization post.)

  • So they’re trying to find a new superhero show for their network after Smallville finally leaves the airwaves. I’m hoping for Blue Devil.

  • So the leaked trailer for the Thor movie popped up on the Internet in the last day or so, and it’s appearing and disappearing as lawyers send out copyright nastygrams as quickly as possible. Now, I’m not saying I saw the trailer online anywhere, but if I did see it, I’d say it was surprisingly Disney trailer-esque in its ability to apparently reveal the entire content of the film. It does look like it’ll be pretty good…or, at least, I’d imagine it’ll be pretty good, if I’d seen anything I could have passed judgment on. Which I didn’t.

  • Speaking of trailers: STARE INTO THE FACE OF HELL

  • REMINDER: I’m still asking for your single favorite currently-running comic book series, so drop your answer into the comments on that post. Just one title, please, with an explanation or without. No idea what I’m going to do with this information, but I’ll come up with something. Hopefully.

Progressive Ruin presents…the End of Civilization.

filed under Categories End of Civilization 27 Comments

Hey, look, it’s another one of these…another brisk gallop through the latest Diamond Previews catalog, pointing out items of interest for your edification. Whip out your copy of the August 2010 edition and follow along! (Also, an EoC fan asked if he could put together a page of some of his favorite entries, I said yes, and here’s what resulted. Also, in response to some of his comments there, I am slowly going through and adding “End of Civilization” tags to those posts…about halfway done, but I’ll get the rest soon!)

p. 130 – Green Lantern Vs. Sinestro Statue Set:


“Great Guardians! Some unknown force has replaced my right arm with a giant green sea urchin! How can I possibly defeat Sinestro now?”

p. 220 – Steampunk Palin one-shot:


It’s another visit from the Pop Culture Mixmaster, slapping together two faddish tastes into a great new flavor explosion! …Sorry, that’s the best metaphor I’ve got. Whaddaya want for free?

p. 242 – Alice in Wonderland San Diego Comic-Con Johnny Depp Photo Edition HC:


The solicitation notes that this Tim Burton film took in over a billion dollars in its worldwide box office take, and I thought “c’mon, no way, I’m calling these guys on this.”

But then I looked it up, and I’ll be damned, it did take in over a billion dollars.

Of course, that still doesn’t answer the question “Why? Why did this film take in over a billion dollars?” or take away the knowledge that any film with this scene managed to do so, but at least I don’t have to bust the chops of my pals at Boom! about the claim.

p. 253 – Warlord of Mars #1:


Well, at least they put some clothes on her for the comic book adaptation.

p. 365 – Plastic Man Close-Up T-Shirt:


This is strangely upsetting. Do you think Plastic Man has the same body heat as a normal person? Also, it seems unlikely that his actual mass would change. So if you were wearing Plastic Man in the form of a shirt, would it feel like being heavily squeezed or pressed down around your upper body by other people, their body heat emanating into you?

…You’re welcome.

p. 379 – Bat Boy 8-Inch Retro Style Action Figure:


I certainly hope Bat Boy is getting his fair share of the royalties from all this tie-in merchandise.

p. 380 – Mr. Corn Plush:

This comes in two varieties…the Happy Fresh Version, with a little smiley face, and the impossibly depressing SAD TENDER VERSION:


He is sad because he knows some of his kernels will inevitably not be digested and will…ahem…pass through, intact. THE SUFFERING OF MR. CORN WILL NEVER END.

p. 384 – Living Dead Dolls Nohell Doll:


It took me a moment to figure out the gag in the name. I’m really terrible about catching stuff like this sometimes.

p. 384 – Lego Brickmaster Atlantis HC:


Now you can build Atlantis from scratch, just like Plato did!

p. 390 – Mr. Potato Head KISS:


I was going to make a joke about “Potatoes in Satan’s Service,” but, um, that abbreviates in an unfortunate fashion.

p. 395 – Battlestar Galactica Kara “Starbuck” Thrace Mini-Bust:


ATTENTION: JOKE SPECIFICALLY FOR BATTLESTAR GALACTICA NERDS COMING IN 3…2….

“Note: Statue may suddenly disappear from display without warning.”

p. 403 – Star Wars Death Trooper Mini-Bust with Novel:


That’s a Zombie Stormtrooper, speaking of the Pop Culture Mixmaster. Just thought that was worth noting. Plus, it’ll look nice sitting on the mantelpiece next to the picture of Grandma.

p. 410 – Evangelion 2.0 Entry Plug Chopsticks:


…AND NOT AT ALL LIGHTSABER CHOPSTICKS.

p. 414 – Doctor Who 11th Doctor Diecast Sonic Screwdriver:

“It comes with three tips – large, medium, and small – and each tip is reversable [sic] with Phillips and Flathead ends.”

So it’s a replica…of the Sonic Screwdriver…that’s actually a screwdriver. Whoaaaa…far out, man.

p. 425 – Disney Traditions Light-Up Tinker Bell Lantern:


“Ah ha ha ha! At last, Tinker Bell, I have you trapped in my Lantern Prison! As soon as I turn the light on, you’ll be fried to a crisp, my little fairy!”

“Captain Hook, you fiend!”

Marvel Previews p. 102 – X-Force A Force to Be Reckoned With Premiere HC:


Reprinting those last few issues of New Mutants and the initial issues of X-Force, in a high quality hardcover.

Somewhere, a tree is crying.

Marvel Previews p. 188 – Carnage Poster:


“Art is currently being constructed from only the highest quality materials, handmade in Belgium by our most talented artisans, and flown in to our master craftsmen and electricians, who will spend countless hours assembling and wiring this item to very exacting specifications. We know you expect a high standard of quality on anything with the proud name of ‘Carnage Poster’ attached, and we aim to please.”

I have a question for you.

filed under Categories question time 169 Comments

Sorry, gang…was tied up working on some other projects, and suddenly, whoops, no time left to generate anything hilarious or thought-provoking or, ahem, copyright-stretching for the site. So, I’m going to ask you a question, and I’ll do a follow-up post on your responses within the next few days.

And that question is:

What’s your favorite currently-running comic book series right now?

You don’t have to tell me why if you don’t want to, but I’d like it if you did. But the only things I do request regarding your responses:

1. Just pick one series…no “well, I can’t decide between these two, so I’ll list ’em both. Or the top three. Or maybe a dozen.” PICK JUST ONE SERIES, PLEASE. Pretend your life depends on it. In fact, maybe it does.

2. Don’t make fun of other people’s choices. Now, I feel terrible even saying that, because most of you folks who populate my comments sections are usually pretty civil, but, you know, there’s always someone who wants to stir up trouble. So don’t be that guy!

3. I’ll allow some leeway for lame-duck series like Atlas, or comics that are effectively the same series, like the ongoing chain of Marvel’s Hercules comics. But I’m going to force you to pick which among Avengers, New Avengers, and Secret Avengers is your favorite, if this is the case, because I’m a jerk.

EDIT: 4. And one of the early responders reminded me…it doesn’t have to be a traditional comic book series, as in the monthly magazine format…if it’s a manga or other graphic novel series, that’s fine, too.

So with that in mind, tell me your favorite comic book series, please. Your credit card will not be charged, and no salesman will call.

The big news from the San Diego Comic Con.

filed under Categories employee aaron 9 Comments

So while attending the San Diego Comic Con, Employee Aaron, as seen here:


…asked for the hand in marriage of his girlfriend Kempo, as seen here:


…and she must not have heard the question, because she actually said “yes” and now she’s pretty much stuck having to marry the guy.

Seriously, though, congratulations to both of them…I’ve known Kempo since she was just a kid, and now here she is, marrying this Aaron fella. Tempus sure does fugit when you ain’t lookin’.

Here’s a nice photo of the both of them, taken during one of those rare occasions Aaron remembered which side of the razor goes against his face:


Okay, I pick on Aaron a lot, but he really is a nice guy — don’t tell him I said that! — and I do wish these two the best.

• • •

In other news:

  • Yes, that really is Kempo in the Plastic Man get-up…that photo was taken a couple of San Diegos ago. She has quite the affinity for costume-making, and this year she went to the con dressed as Dex-Starr. Yes, the Red Lantern cat. Soon as I get a photo, I’ll run it here. If Kempo doesn’t kill me for running the Plastic Man pic first.

  • Isn’t this like the third time Smallville character Chloe Sullivan has been announced as entering the DC Universe proper? No idea what the hold-up was the previous times (probably no more than “didn’t have the right time and place to squeeze her in,” or maybe the show’s producers put the kibosh on it…really no clue), but it should be interesting to see how they alter/merge her Smallville backstory to fit into Superman’s comic book continuity (such as it is).

  • Holy cow, Fantagraphics will be publishing the complete Floyd Gottfredson Mickey Mouse comic strips. I don’t do a whole lot of Disney stuff on this site, I realize, because, oh, hello Disney lawyers, but I am a fan of the Gottfredson Mickey strips and can’t wait to see this book.

    Hopefully someday we’ll get a collection of those early Donald Duck strips, too, which Gladstone used to reprint in their early Donald Duck comics.

  • So the Infinity Gauntlet will be in the Thor movie. I’m still fanboy enough to think that’s neat. And as Augie De Blieck said on this Twitter thingie, that explains the recent hardcover release of the original Infinity Gauntlet mini-series.

  • I knew attending the Injury-to-Eye panel was a bad idea. Okay, it may turn out no one was actually “stabbed” as such, so there goes my jokes about how after all this time, a fan finally decided to literally “go stabby,” but according to the article someone was scratched near the eye with “a pen or an inflatable toy” or perhaps a puppy or maybe a Ford Fiesta, no one’s quite sure, it seems.

  • David Wolkin has been posting his “Internal Monologue Reviews” of the con, and they’re weirdly amusing and disturbing. Also, he dropped by our store to say hello on his way down to San Diego, and he is one handsome bastard.

  • Huh, new Rocketeer stories, by a bunch of name creators. This mini-series would come very close to doubling the amount of Rocketeer comics in existence, wouldn’t it? Anyway, it won’t be Dave Stevens, alas, but it sounds like it could be interesting.

  • Here’s an announcement I didn’t expect: John Byrne’s Next Men is coming back. As I recall, when Byrne ended the series in the mid 1990s, the plan was to revive it when the comic industry’s health improved to the point that it’d be economically feasible to return to the title. Well, I guess he got tired of waiting, because here we go. I am looking forward to this, as Next Men was an enjoyable comic, allowing Byrne’s Byrne-ness to be unfettered by corporate hoohar and goings-on.

  • Here’s a trio of Dark Horse Comics related news items: a movie trailer for The Goon (video autoplays, have to watch an ad), a new Witchfinder mini-series drawn by John freakin’ Severin, and Dark Horse Presents is coming back, with a new Concrete story in the first issue. These are all good things.

  • Scanning some of the online photo galleries of this year’s costumes…now, it’s kinda weird that someone dressed up their six or seven year old daughter as Hit-Girl from Kick Ass, right? It’s not just me thinkin’ that? Another thought I had seeing some of these costumes…they realize they’re going to have to be walking through huge crowds on hot days, right? Maybe a giant costume made of thick fabric and/or with pointy, stick-outy bits is not the best of ideas?

    Also, apparently the Slave Leias are multiplying. At this rate, by the year 2040 approximately 88% of Earth’s population will be Slave Leias. …I hope George Lucas is happy.

So anyway, there I was, looking up bald caps for sale on the Internet…

filed under Categories employee aaron, sir-links-a-lot 7 Comments

…when I came across this item:


First, it never occurred to me that there was a tie-in item of this particular type for the Superman Returns movie, though if you can dress up as Supes, I guess Lex is fair game.

Second, “Luthor” is totally misspelled on the package. I’m reasonably sure this is an official item, which makes the error fairly surprising…and I’ve also found pictures of this product with the correct spelling, so it was caught eventually, in case you were as worried about this as I was.

In other news:

  • Giving the Westboro Baptists any attention is a bad idea, I think, as it plays right into their hands…I don’t like even writing about them here, in fact. So I wasn’t really thrilled with the idea of the counter-protest we all knew was coming when the Westboro clan showed up at the San Diego Comic Con. But on the other hand…it’s kind of hard not to admire the guy with the “DARKSEID IS” sign. The fella(?) dressed as Futurama‘s Bender is amusing too. Pictures at the link if you want to see the hideous carnage.

  • “Say, Mike, what’s the last thing you were expecting to read on the Internet today?” “Well, I’m going to have to say it’s this interview with composer Harry Manfredini about his work on the 1982 Swamp Thing film!” “Wow, that was my guess, too!”

  • Speaking of Swamp Thing, as I so rarely do, Kevin Smith apparently revealed at a San Diego panel that Batman: The Widening Gyre began its life as a proposed Batman/Swamp Thing team-up series. Smith said about Swamp Thing, jokingly:

    “He just talks like a stoner, so it’d be a lot of fun to write.”

    Before any of you say anything…yes, I’d still buy and read it.

  • REMINDER: Employee Aaron is at the San Diego Comic Con, as is his lady friend Kempo (identifying photo of the two here), working the Arsenic Lullaby booth (#2200). Aaron is giving away free hugs, so just walk right up to him and grab him in a big ol’ bearhug. Don’t even warn him…he likes being surprised. Be sure to tell him Mike sent you!