Mikester

Apologizing for weird inputs since 1969.

filed under Categories pal plugging, publishing, television 4 Comments

So in response to my ponderings about why the I Dream of Jeannie comic only ran two issues and why special attention seemed to be paid to Barbara Eden’s likeness, reader RAR unpacked the following:

“Mark Evanier has addressed this topic a few times. Basically, the publisher would send the comic to the relevant studio for approval, and sometimes the studio would send the comic to the individual actors (or their representatives) for their approval, and sometimes those actors (or, more likely, their representatives) would get very particular about how they were depicted.”

Additionally, RAR mentions a specific example, brought up by Mr. Evanier, that Forrest Tucker was being particular about his likeness in the F-Troop comic, resulting in a photostat of an approved drawing used repeatedly. Which sounds similar to something I’ve heard about the Kyle Baker-illustrated Dick Tracy comics from Disney, tying into the Warren Beatty movie, where Beatty only approved certain drawings of his face to be used in the books. (And by the way, the War Rocket Ajax boys looked at the series recently…it’s a good comic!)

I did some searching on Mr. Evanier’s site, using a variety of search terms (if Mr. Evanier reads this, I apologize for the weird inputs) and couldn’t track down any stories related to this. I even checked through his three paperback collections of columns from the Comic Buyers’ Guide and no dice. I totally admit that I may have missed it, and Mr. Evanier is a very prolific writer and only some of his writing is represented on his website and in his books. It certainly seems like something he would have written about!

EDIT: It’s been pointed out in the comments that Mr. Evanier commented on that F-Troop post with information that backs up RAR above, which I somehow missed. Sigh.

However, in doing an internet search, I did find some discussion of the likeness issues in both F Troop and I Dream of Jeannie, presented on another blog well over a decade ago. This entry here shows how they dealt with the Approved Forrest Tucker likeness in storytelling. And this entry about I Dream of Jeannie focuses on the repeated use of a specific Larry Hagman likeness, which I somehow missed in my brief glances through the copies I had. The writer also mentions some repeated usage of a Barbara Eden likeness, but notes the artist put a little more effort into actually drawing the character.

Sean asks if that was Tony Tallarico on the art chores for I Dream of Jeannie. Apparently the answer is no…the Grand Comics Database entry gives a name with a “?” after it, with an additional note that it’s unlikely this person was the artist (based on information from the previously-linked blogger) so the credit remains unknown.

At any rate, the mystery remains as to why only two issues. Again, I presume sales weren’t great, the usual reason comics don’t continue.

• • •

Hey, you may have heard a little something about Robert Downey Jr. being cast as Doctor Doom for a couple of forthcoming and presumably hastily-rewritten Avengers movies. “What’s up with that?” you may be asking. I mean, beyond the “look we got RDJ back, please start watching our movies again” flopsweat of it all. Well, my pal Kurt devoted an episode of his podcast, Welcome to Geektown, discussing the connection between Iron Man and Doctor Doom, and lays out a reasonable theory as to how they’ll be using Doom in the movies. It’s a short podcast, and worth a listen!

I dream of Jeannie with the light photo reference.

filed under Categories television 6 Comments

So a few weeks back, I had a small collection come into the shop (that shop being Sterling Silver Comics, located in beautiful midtown Camarillo, CA, near the post office, the fire station, the Chinese restaurant, and the poolhall), which contained a variety of books from various time periods and equally various contiitions. Amongst this motley crew was a copy of I Dream of Jeannie #1, published by Dell Comics in 1965:


Now, I haven’t had one of these in my possession for quite some time, so it was nice to see it again. That’s one of the more fun photo covers for Dell/Gold Key’s many TV and movie adaptations.

Well, one week later I was surprised to find, in another collection from an entirely different person, the second issue of this series:


Clearly it’s in…slightly lesser condition than the first issue, but just by pure chance, from two different collections, I have somehow acquired the full run of the original I Dream of Jeannie series!

Yes, “full run,” as there were only ever two issues produced, the first cover-dated April 1965, and he second December 1965.

Given that the TV series ran for five seasons, and lived on in reruns for decades, I was surprised there were only ever the two issues. (Another company would release a few new comics based on the property in the early 2000s.) I figure the reason was likely money…wasn’t selling enough copies to make either the licensee or the licensor happy. The length of time between issues gave them enough time to gauge sales, I’d imagine, and the second issue’s performance may have killed interest in trying a third.

Another possibility was that the final product didn’t make the rights owners happy and they pulled out. It’s happened before…the comic book based on the Sequest DSV TV show got canned after one issue when star Roy Scheider objected to its content. I have no real reason to suspect that was the case, but the oddly detailed likeness for Barbara Eden throughout the book (compared to other characters) hints to me that someone was paying very close attention to what has happening here:


So maybe there was some extra interference from the studio making sure Jeannie was up to snuff. I mean, I have no idea, I’m just recklessly speculating here…maybe just the comic’s editor was insisting on it, knowing what was going to sell the book. Or the cartoonist working harder on Eden’s likeness vs. everyone else’s. Regardless, her face doesn’t always seem to match the rest of the art.


At any rate, here it is, a full run of I Dream of Jeannie. Had it in my shop for about a week…and yes, it’s already sold. To the same person, so the series remains intact!

I suppose that could be another Uncle Dudley from an Earth where he has powers.

filed under Categories cartoons, movie reviews 12 Comments

[SPOILERS for the Crisis on Infinite Earths animated movies]

So you all know Uncle Dudley from the Marvel/Shazam Family, right? The good-natured codger who is privy to all the Marvel Family’s secret IDs, and hangs out with them, and when trouble comes a’callin’, he quickly doffs his outer clothes to reveal his homemade Captain Marvel costume beneath? Who then complains that his ol’ “Shazambago” is acting up and can’t use his powers (of which he has none) and one of the other Marvels picks him and carries him to their destination. And while they do, they usually think “We all know he doesn’t actually have any powers, but we love him anyway and play along with him!” You know, as they carry this civilian into outright danger.

Anyway, he makes a brief cameo in the new Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths where he flies under his own power through space with a glowing fist, and then shoots an energy blast out of that fist at the bad guy:


I watched all three of this Crisis on Infinite Earths direct-to-home-video animated features from DC Comics, and…well, it wasn’t great.


The premise is that the New Animated Universe that forms post the Flashpoint animated movie from 2013 is under attack, with parallel Earths being wiped out by an unknown enemy, and, well, you probably know the story.

Well, that story from the comics is not the story presented here in the film, which is an even more disjointed accumulation of nonsense than the source material, except lacking the the always-excellent George Pérez art to carry it along. There’s an awful lot of characters standing around looking at things, or staring and/or taping on displays that tell the viewer nothing. The Bad Guy isn’t defeated so much as conceded to, as the heroes run away to a safe bolthole and presumably the destruction of the parallel Earths won’t extend to this new one they just cobbled together.

Lots of your favorite characters show up, only to sit still in space and let anti-matter wash over them. Sorry, Booster Gold fans! And I’m never quite clear if the bad guy is destroying entire parallel universes or just targeting parallel Earths, because it sure looks like (and characters act like) it’s the latter.

Not to say there aren’t a few good points, the main one being Matt Ryan, the One True John Constantine in Media Adaptations, reprising the role yet again and stealing the show whenever the character shows up. In one of the twists I actually like in this reworking of Crisis, Constantine takes Pariah‘s role, as the man cursed to watch the multiverse die, and he’s the reason why it’s happening. (Okay, in the original it’s revealed Pariah wasn’t at fault, but John definitely is here).

Not so efficient a swap is Supergirl stepping in for the Harbinger role, which is primarily there to set up a version of her death, which ends up being moot anyway.

So, they throw a lot of parallel Earths at us, most of which mean nothing to us except maybe mildly duplicating Earths from print. It isn’t really until we start seeing some familiar multiversal faces that, hey, suddenly we’re intrigued. Like, here are decades-old properties that mean something to us, not Earth-221 that we see all of once, where Firestorm is left-handed instead of right-handed.

Two of the Earths we see just as they get destroyed is Super Friends Earth, featuring our heroes as they appeared in 1970s cartoons. And the Batman from the 1990s animated series, voiced for the last time by the now-deceased Kevin Conroy. And if that’s to be Batman’s last line ever spoken by Conroy, it’s a good one to go out on. …But where were these guys fighting alongside the other heroes in this film? That would have improved the proceedings. (Earth-One Wonder Woman: “Let’s go punch those guys!” Super Friends Wonder Woman: “Wait, hold on, let’s set up some traps!”)

I don’t know. This is all just clearing a path for however long the James Gunn and the other guy whose name I never can remember’s regime presides over the DC Comics media-that-ain’t-comics empire. The plan is for…everything to tie together now? With characters in live action films voicing their animated versions as well? We’ll see how long that lasts.

Probably lots more to say about this, but these are just the immediate thoughts on the matter. It’s not the worst of the animated films (that would the 2023 Legion of Super-Heroes flick) but it ain’t good.

Every comic is improved with extra Stinky.

filed under Categories this week's comics 7 Comments


This is a dirty political dealings issue showing Amanda Waller’s need for vengeance for her fallen family members leading to her paving the way to power. It’s interesting reading, and I want to see what comes next.

…Now, that said, even with this issue providing some humanizing for her, the current ongoing vilification of Amanda Waller feels, well, somewhat out of character. She’s tough and no-nonsense, certainly, but pitting her directly against superheroes (both here, in the DC movies, and in the excellent My Adventures with Superman cartoon) feels just a little weird. Yes, I realize I’m talking about a person who put bombs in villains’ necks in Suicide Squad.

But having read the whole of Suicide Squad not long ago, and the many, many pages and issues devoted to fleshing out Waller, her presence in this crossover seems more two-dimensional. This Origins issue does help counter that feeling a bit. Whether the story told here fits with the Waller story as presented in Suicide Squad, I can’t recall without checking, but I imagine someone’s already done the work.

The Absolute Power event overall has been enjoyable, and reading the earliest installments I would’ve sworn up and down this was leading to a new Justice League of America title. In actuality it’s leading to DC’s “All-In” Ultimate-esque line of books, so am I curious how they get from Here to There.


It’s…not bad, for a first effort at this newest EC revival attempt. I know I’m not going to open the cover and see Graham Ingels and Jack Davis staring back at me. But I think it’s maybe a thing where the stories…aren’t as dense? I mean, there’s lots of text, in the classic EC Leroy lettering (with more font effects than they ever used in the originals, which is fine). It just feels like there’s not as much story crammed into each of these entries, compared to the classic ECs.

Look, I know, it’s a different time, the original EC Look and Feel is hard to capture. The stories are fine, though the “shocking conclusions” to them don’t quite live up to their set-ups. Except for “Family Values,” which has a good twist along with some nigh-Eisner-ish art on the splash.

I’m not down on the book, honest. I’m glad it’s here, there’s always room for improvement, and I’m certainly looking forward to future issues (and the other EC title Cruel Universe). It’s overall a handsome looking package, certainly.

[SPOILERS for the original Hate series]

I’m enjoying Peter Bagge’s return to Buddy Bradley and his friends and family, with stories taking place Today as well as well as some set in the 1980s. In this issue we get not just the first meeting of Buddy with the legendary Stinky, but some decades-late Modern Day aftermath to his surprising death in the original Hate series. (And if you were there reading Hate at the time, I guarantee you were pretty well stunned when it happened.)

This second issue is an improvement on the first, probably given the extra Stinky content. The first issue’s focus on George was perfectly fine, but Stinky was such a large personality and a big part of the original Hate comics that he can’t help but energize the goings-on with his presence.

It was nice to see Trish again, if only briefly.

filed under Categories fantagraphics, indies, this week's comics 7 Comments


I read Peepshow #15 and it made me sad.

This is the final issue of Joe Matt’s autobiographical comic, released last week from Fantagraphics…final, due to Matt’s passing last year at a too-young age (though I’m sure he’d argue about the “young” part).

If you’re looking for a neat wrap-up to Matt’s comic book life as portrayed in Peepshow over the decades (having started publication in 1992), you’re not going to get one. In fact, one of the stories within is titled “Maggie – Part One” and there is no part two extant, though there are mentions of her in further stories and you can probably get a sense of what a Part Two might have been.

Another throughline in this issue is Matt’s move to Los Angeles, pending a potential television adaptation of his comics for HBO. While there’s a lot of grist for Matt’s unique mill here, there was obviously more to be told that we’ll not get (especially since the story dealing specifically on the topic also gets a “Part One” heading, no “Part Two” present). The ultimate conclusion is known — these stories take place years ago, and there is no Peepshow TV show now — but I’m sure Matt would’ve had more to say about the experience.

The only segment of the book that sorta feels like a final wrap-up is his brief summaries of all his sexual relationships to date. And this, as well as everything else in the book, is told with his trademark near-cringeworthy and hilarious bluntness and honesty. He never flinches from making sure his thought processes fully transparent, his mistakes completely exposed.

And I want to make sure that’s clear…it’s still funny. It’s still Joe Matt being the most Joe Matt, with all the cheapness and obsessiveness and selfishness completely on display. Even as he worries about his aging (40 in these stories, set 20 years ago) and his pursuit of some sort of financial and emotional stability, it remains told in a way that amuses in the Mighty Joe Matt Manner.

But it’s still sad, reading these strips and knowing this is the last chapter to his own story. I keep harping on “conclusions” and “wrapping up” in this little overview, even though obviously I know in my head that Matt couldn’t have realized this was going to be his last comic book. But my heart can’t help but want more.

And readers of comic books have an ingrained expectation that a final issue is going to tie everything up in a little bow, or that it ends on pithy note, gathering up your narrative experience in some clever way.

Peepshow #15 doesn’t do that. It gives you one more entertaining piece in the ongoing saga of Joe Matt, just like every previous issue did. It’s just sad that we’re not getting a #16, no matter how long we’re willing to wait.

“All life is a blur of Republicans and meat!” — Zippy.

filed under Categories obituary, original art, undergrounds 3 Comments


Welp, I suppose I’m an original art collector now, having followed up my Nancy strip purchases with this, an original pen-and-ink drawing of Zippy the Pinhead by his creator, Bill Griffith.

This is via the official Zippy the Pinhead webpage, though the actual arranging of the purchase had to be done via email (since the site’s payment processing is not working at the moment). This particular item allows you to pick either from a list of pre-selected “Zippy-isms” (like the ol’ standby “Yow! Are we having fun yet?”) to fill in the word balloon, or you can enter your own, if it’s not too long.

In my case I picked a Zippy quote from a published newspaper strip that probably baffled the squares but the real heads know:

And now here it is, an original Zippy pic in my very own home, bringing me inspiration and hope in this fallen world.

And I of course encourage you to get your own, or avail yourself of the many other goodies on the site. From the main page you can use a PayPal link to get yourself a signed copy of Griffith’s latest book, Three Rocks! Am I thinking really hard about doing so, even though I already have a copy? The answer is not “no.”

• • •

I want to note the passing of the great Bob Newhart, who escaped this world at the too-young age of 94. And I say “too young” because frankly, we could’ve used him around these parts for at least a couple more decades.

The comic book connection here is, of course, his short-lived sitcom Bob from the early ’90s, where he played a comic book artist. I watched most of these, and…well, Bob was always great even if the material wasn’t up to snuff. The one episode aimed directly at us nerds was the one where Bob’s character, “Bob McKay,” was accepting a comics award, with Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Jack Kirby, and for some reason Bob Kane, along with the always telegenic Sergio Aragones.

There was a six-issue run of Mad-Dog as a tie-in, supposedly the comic book McKay had worked on:

It was a flip book, featuring the “classic” version on one side (by Ty Templeton) and the “modern” dark, gritty version on the other (by Evan Dorkin and Gordon Purcell). The two different takes being a plot point on the show itself, you see. Haven’t read probably since it came out, couldn’t tell you a thing about it at this point, but…the creative teams give me at least some hope this is better than it should be.

So long, Bob.

I should do a mini explaining that one panel from All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder nobody gets.

filed under Categories gaming, pal plugging 3 Comments


So I picked this up from Bluesky pal Dan Membiela. It’s a short, attractive mini-comic extolling the idea that old, grizzled (yet only my age, 55) Batman goes out of his way to take no lives in the books.

A sample page from within:


It’s more “illustrated essay” than “comic” but it’s a fun companion to tuck away inside the back cover of your Dark Knight trade paperback or hardcover. Pick it up from Dan’s store (and he’s got plenty more available there too!).

And speaking of Bluesky pals, Andy passed along a link to this forthcoming game:


Lots more details here, where you can create a Hot, Extreme, Cover Gimmick-Laden Comic Book and ride the wave of the 1990s boom…but can you cash out before the bust? Friends, this is called “microtargeting your pal Mike with a product.” Looks fun…though it could very well cause some flashbacks for me.

Bringing my evil there.

filed under Categories podcast, swamp thing 1 Comment


Yes, at long last, despite public demand, I have returned to the internet airwaves by making another appearance on the Vintage Video podcast, this time discussing (what else?) the 1982 cinematic debut of Swamp Thing.

As I told Patrick, one of show’s hosts, prior to recording: “get ready for your first five-hour episode!” However, we did make it just barely under two hours. So, carve out some time during the day (or maybe even less, if you play it at Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks speed) and listen to me just go on and on and on everyone’s favorite swamp creature. Also, does Man-Thing get mentioned? Of course he does, and surprisingly, I didn’t bring him up!

Anyway, Patrick, Jesse, and Richard were all very kind to invite me once again onto their show, and hopefully I’ll be making a return visit sooner rather than later! Please give the episode a listen and let me (and them!) know what you think!

You can read a detailed account of my experience visiting the podcast the first time here, and you can listen to the recording that resulted (that time for 1981’s Heavy Metal) here.

I’ll probably write more about this latest visit, along with whatever behind-the-scenes explanations/secrets/apologies I can come up with, when I’m a little less pressed for time vis-à-vis my blogging schedule.

Again, thanks to the Vintage Video podcast crew for having me. It’s always a lot of fun.

Now if I can get a Nancy comic signed by the real Sluggo Smith, that’d be something.

filed under Categories spawn 7 Comments

So I picked these up recently, not so much for the monetary value (as they’re in pretty crummy condition) but for the curiosity value…and of course for posting on here.

These are two Spawn comics, signed by the “real” Spawn, Al Simmons:


In case it’s hard to read, the inscriptions on both read “Al Simmons AKA Spawn ’97.”

Now, the seller told me he had attempted to sell them elsewhere and when he said “these were signed by Al Simmons,” he got a negative reaction. Like, the proposed buyer thought he was pulling something, or that he was maybe out of his mind faking signatures or whatever.

You see, Al Simmons is the secret identity of the character Spawn. Al Simmons was also a real-world employee and/or friend of Todd McFarlane, from whom McFarlane borrowed the name with permission to use for Spawn’s alter ego.

For quite a while, the real Al Simmons would make appearances at stores and conventions (in costume, sometimes) to sign comics. Like the ones above, which were signed at a sore up in Santa Barbara. You can see a very short clip of Simmons talking about Todd and the costume in this Xwitter post.

Eventually, Simmons wrote a book, The Art of Being Spawn, to which Todd took objection, particularly the bits where Simmons claimed to the inspiration for the character. Todd filed a lawsuit in 2012, which was eventually settled, and that pretty much put an end to signatures from the real Al Simmons on your Spawn comics.

So it’s been about a decade, apparently long enough for folks to forget that The Real Al Simmons signing Spawn comics was once a thing, like that attempted sale I described a few paragraphs back. I’ve even found a handful of threads like this one on those message boards more concerned with sealing comics away than actually reading them, wondering just who this “Al Simmons” guy is who scribbled on their valuable collectible. (Also, there’s a lot of discussion about whether the signature can be “verified” or “certified,” due to, I guess, that rash of counterfeit Al Simmons signatures plaguing our hobby.)

Anyway, given the condition of these particular copies I have on hand, I may be looking at about two or three bucks tops, and they’re only that much because of the novelty value of the signature. An odd souvenir of a peculiar time in comics.

• • •

Just to warn you guys, due to some early medical appointments running through next Wednesday, I may not have very long or in-depth posts for the next couple of entries. In fact, Monday’s post may just be a plug for a project I worked on a couple of weeks ago and should be released over the weekend…watch my social media for that announcement if you can’t wait ’til then.

I’ll be back up and running at full speed hopefully by next Friday. Thanks for reading, pals, and I’ll see you next week.

Yes, I know Marvel characters don’t smoke anymore, but I’m sure they’re doin’ it off-panel.

filed under Categories what 14 Comments

From What If? #8 (1978) by Don Glut, Roy Thomas, Alan Kupperberg, and Jim Mooney):


That’s Marvel supervillain the Owl threatening Daredevil with a device specifically designed to overwhelm ol’ Hornhead’s extra-sensitive senses.

Now, the hooting, textually the Owl’s own hooting, has got to be annoying to everyone just on its own, whether you have super-hearing like Daredevil or not. But the odors…the odors. You generally don’t think about smells in a comic book, except when there’s a scratch-n-sniff cover (like this or this or God help us, even this).

But wondering what smells exactly the Owl is emitting from his marchine…I just picture people walking into this room, gettin’ a snootful, and crying out “oh Good Lord, it smells like an owl’s nest in here!” And by extension, one starts to think about what all these superheroes and villains smell like, runnin’ around and getting into scraps and building up the sweat in their fancy costumes. Aquaman smelling like salt water all the time. Wolverine smelling like stale cigar smoke. Man-Thing…okay, he doesn’t have a costume, but he’s a walking swamp, c’mon son. Swamp Thing at least can command flowers on him to emit pleasant scents, covering his filth with perfume like 18th century French royalty.

Anyway, superheroes — probably stinky.