Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Dan Abnett and Richard Elson’s - Kingdom Series
Dork Note: I just finished reading the collected volumes of Dan Abnett and Richard Elson’s Kingdom - The Promise Land and The Call of The Wild and I quite enjoyed it. I hope we see a third volume in print much sooner then later.
Fan Review at Good Reads: KINGDOM is a recent addition to the 2000 AD stable that is the first new strip to really kick me in the head since the short-lived, late, lamented and hilarious BIG DAVE back in 1993. Written by Dan Abnett and beautifully illustrated by Richard Elson, KINGDOM's a simple and virtually all-action series about survival and savage fighting whose simplicity is wholly appropos since it chronicles the post-apocalyptic adventures of a hero who's the result of genetic engineering program that sought to create super-soldiers from dogs. Canine-derived soldier Gene the Hackman leads his pack through a future wilderness, following the programmed orders of the unseen "Masters," and their task is to keep the Masters' "lawn" — meaning the entire landscape — free from the marauding hordes of "Them," a ravenous and implacable horde of advanced insectoid life forms.
Fan Review at Good Reads: KINGDOM is a recent addition to the 2000 AD stable that is the first new strip to really kick me in the head since the short-lived, late, lamented and hilarious BIG DAVE back in 1993. Written by Dan Abnett and beautifully illustrated by Richard Elson, KINGDOM's a simple and virtually all-action series about survival and savage fighting whose simplicity is wholly appropos since it chronicles the post-apocalyptic adventures of a hero who's the result of genetic engineering program that sought to create super-soldiers from dogs. Canine-derived soldier Gene the Hackman leads his pack through a future wilderness, following the programmed orders of the unseen "Masters," and their task is to keep the Masters' "lawn" — meaning the entire landscape — free from the marauding hordes of "Them," a ravenous and implacable horde of advanced insectoid life forms.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Super Dictionary - On the Back Cover Who's that between Black Canary and Green Arrow?
Dork Note: It's Conjura, you know, from...wait. Who? What book was she in? I don't remember her in any DC book I've ever read. What's going on here?Clipped from Obscure DC Characters: Conjura
First (And Only) Appearance: The Super Dictionary (1978)
History: Conjura has been performing true magic since she was a child. As a front for her activities, she holds regular magic shows. She practices at night, studying various magic books and speaking her incantations in reverse. Her time tunnel enables her to travel to other times.
Weapons and Powers: Conjura wields magic by speaking her incantations backwards. She can travel to other times through her time tunnel. Her necklace shines to warn her of danger.
Fun Fact: The story (in The Super Dictionary) is a reprint of the Zatanna story from SUPERGIRL #2, with all of the Zatanna and Jeff Sloane figures redrawn to be Conjura and her friend Biff. Again, it’s kind of disconcerting to have these Kubert drawn figures set into a Don Heck drawn story. Conjura has the exact same powers as Zatanna, with the addition of her having a magic carpet (in The Super Dictionary, she also has a time tunnel).
Friday, April 27, 2012
SDCC Exclusives from Mattel
Dork Note: I am definitely getting these for my daughter!
DCU Tiny Titans ($20) 
Polly Pocket® DC Comics Villains Set ($19.99)
DCU Tiny Titans ($20) They may be miniscule, but they’re mighty! The core team of Tiny Titans is rendered in 1-1/2” scale in this 5-pack of collectible figures including Robin, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. Sidekick City Elementary is just a quick bus ride away with packaging featuring specially commissioned artwork from Tiny Titans’ series creator. The display base has both the official Tiny Titans logo and a “flight” stand just for Raven.
Polly Pocket® DC Comics Villains Set ($19.99) It’s a guaranteed adventure with this trio of comic-book character costumes for Polly® and her friends! Polly®, Lila® and Lea® arrive in a themed 3-pack dressed as their favorite DC Comics villains: Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Orc Stain by James Stokoe
Dork Note: I skipped Orc Stain as a single issue buy, but got hooked when I read the TPB. It is one vibrant funkalicious book! I highly recommend buying the TPB and the single issues; which just started up again with issue #7.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Captain Cosmic Tribute
Dork Note: I loved watching Captain Cosmic and even tried to become a card carrying member of his fan club. I still remember the day I sent away for my membership and the day I got a...rejection letter!A rejection letter from a kid's TV club...truly priceless! Apparently you could only be a member if you lived in the Bay Area and since I lived in Santa Cruz I was outside the membership area. I wish I still had the rejection letter, but sadly I don't. Maybe I will get around to getting a membership card on Ebay.
Anyway, I still loved the show and all the awesome reruns and Japaneses imports like...Star Blazers, Spectreman, Ultraman, Godzilla, Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and The Space Giants, as well as the original Flash Gordon Serial
Clipped from Captain Cosmic and Wonder Robot 2T2 :
One of my favorite shows as a Child growing up in California was that of Captain Cosmic. Captain Cosmic was one of the last (and sort of nostalgic at the time it was on too) hosted shows for kiddies. Captain Cosmic was on every weekday at 4pm on KTVU Oakland (Channel 2) and he would introduce various science fiction related television shows. Captain Scarlet, Star Trek (the animated series), Spectraman, Ultraman and others paraded before my cathode ray tube every afternoon. Along with his robotic host, Wonder Robot 2T2, Captain Cosmic kept people up to date with interviews of science fiction professional and fans. He would also announce conventions and other special events.
There was a Captain Cosmic club to join. All you had to do was send a self addressed stamped envelope and you would get a numbered membership card back. On the back of the card was the Captain Cosmic Secret Crypto Code. Every Friday the Captain, who wore this awful red lame outfit, would read a secret message that the viewers at home could decode. Usually the messages were long but conveyed a simple though like "Have a great weekend", or "Have a happy Thanksgiving".
The opening segment (which I must have viewed well over 600 times) always stuck in my mind as being a bit unusual. It sort of has a superman like feel to it. It has some narration by KTVU's announcer voice saying how powerful the captain was.. "Faster than a speeding BART train (a clip of the Captain running along side of a BART train as it departs from a station (BART trains only travel quickly when away form the stations) ,Stronger than the entire Oakland Raider Football team! (a picture of the Captain lifting a obviously chromakeyed Volkswagen over his head), Able to leap over tall buildings with a single bound (a picture of a chromakeyed Captain flying a little too close to the top of the Transamerica pyramid building and a sound effect of ripping pants).Fun Fact: Atlantis Fantasyworld, in Santa Cruz CA, celebrates it's 35th anniversary with the return of Wonder Robot 2T2. Saturday, June 4th, 2011. Watch the CommercialThe set itself (which was expanded to two rooms in the later years of the show to make room for more guests and large items on display) was that of the control room of his space ship (did it have a name?) and form there he could look out onto a blue chromakey screen which usually just displayed and animated star loop from some television show. Occasionally they would slip in a clip from Buck Rogers or some other show with space fighters flying around. There was also a table he could put things on. Often model builders or authors would stop by to show off or promote something. Occasionally there were contests. I still have (someplace) a Reading Club certificate with drawing of Captain Cosmic and Wonder Robot 2T2.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wanted TPB: Ambush Bug Year None
Writer: Robert Loren Fleming and Keith Ian Giffen Artist: Keith Ian Giffend
Publisher: DC Comics (2008)
Includes: Ambush Bug: Year None #1-5,7
Clipped from Maurice Broaddus:
Taking aim at the “dark” and “gritty” writing done in the name of relevance, Ambush Bug: Year None mines grins from it’s non-stop parade of odd cameos and its complete irreverence for any of the sacred cows in comics. It serves as a meta commentary on the DC Universe and the state of comics in general from the writing style (-contrived plot devices, omniscient narrators, 22 page limit, thought balloons) to company-wide crossovers (Final Crisis says what?).
Yes, Ambush Bug: Year None is a non-stop series of comic book in-jokes. Replete with punny named villains like Argh!Yle!! (his abandoned sock) and Don Gayle Apparel (his … I have no idea), either you’re in on the joke or this book will annoy you to no end.
Wanted Poster: Mini Marvel and Tiny Titans
by Chris Giarrusso and Art BaltazarOriginal Art Sunday: Mini Marvels + Tiny Titans Auctioned at NY Comic Con 2009
Homage to the famous cover of Marvel And DC Present: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. Donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Joss Whedon by Cliff Chiang
“Joss Whedon:The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth” for GQ Magazine, May 2012.
Dork Note: I guess I'll be buying my first GQ Maazine this May.
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