Bill the Day

You Only Live Twice

2008-05-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

You Only Live Twice is a novel by Ian Fleming featuring spy James Bond. It is also the fifth movie in the James Bond franchise, released in 1967 and starring Sean Connery. It was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and was made by EON Productions. The screenplay was written by Roald Dahl.

The film was the first Bond movie to deviate heavily from the source material. Other than the setting of Japan and several of the characters, the two stories are very different.

A mysterious spacecraft captures and steals manned spacecraft from both the United States and the Soviet Union. Thinking that each other is the cause for their loss, the world is thrown to the brink of war. However, the UK government believes the mystery craft landed in the Sea of Japan which indicates that a Japanese element may be involved instead.

James Bond, after participating in a charade to fake his death, is sent to Japan to investigate this suspicion in conjunction with the Japanese intelligence service led by "Tiger" Tanaka in an effort to stave off possible nuclear war. Together, the combined service find the real villain behind this plot is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his evil organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E. with Red China providing financing in an effort to have the super powers destroy each other so the plotters can rule supreme over what survives.

Bond manages to infiltrate the secret launch base hidden in a hollowed out volcano, while his female partner is sent back to alert Tanaka. However, Bond is caught before he could stop the final phase of the plan, and is brought before Blofeld. Meanwhile, Tanaka and his elite force of ninjas attempt to enter the base through the volcano's upper crater hatch. Unfortunately, they are spotted and Blofeld has the crater's sentry guns open up on them. All seems hopeless until Bond manages to open the crater hatch, allowing Tanaka's troops enter in force for an all out attack on the base.

In the ensuing battle, Bond manages to enter the launch control and destroy the SPECTRE craft before it could capture another US capsule and spark a war.

Although the film is not the first completely original Bond film (elements such as Bond's infiltration of a Japanese fishing village, and much of Tanaka's character come directly from the book), the film is the first Bond movie to diverge in a substantial way from the original book; the screenplay was written by Roald Dahl.

Erectile Dysfunction

2008-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Erectile dysfunction (ED or male impotence) is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis. There are various underlying causes, such as cardiovascular leakage and diabetes, many of which are medically treatable. Nerve trauma from prostatectomy surgery can cause chronic erectile dysfunction.

The causes of erectile dysfunction may be physiological or psychological. Physiologically, erection is a hydraulic mechanism based upon blood entering and being retained in the penis, and there are various ways in which this can be impeded, most of which are amenable to treatment. Psychological impotence is where erection or penetration fails due to thoughts or feelings (psychological reasons) rather than physical impossibility; this can often be helped. Notably in psychological impotence there is a very strong placebo effect.

Erectile dysfunction, tied closely as it is to cultural notions of potency, success and masculinity, can have devastating psychological consequences including feelings of shame, loss or inadequacy; often unnecessary since in most cases the matter can be helped. There is a strong culture of silence and inability to discuss the matter. In fact around 1 in 10 men will experience recurring impotence problems at some point in their lives.

Folk remedies have long been advocated, with some being advertised widely since the 1930s. The introduction of the first pharmacologically approved remedy for impotence, sildenafil (trade name Viagra), in the 1990s caused a wave of public attention, propelled in part by heavy advertising.

The Latin term impotentia coeundi describes simple inability to insert the penis into the vagina. It is now mostly replaced by more precise terms. The study of erectile dysfunction within medicine is covered by andrology, a sub-field within urology.

Adam Warlock

2008-04-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Following his debut as "Him" in Fantastic Four #66 (Sept. 1967), the character reappeared in Thor #165-166 (June-July 1969). Writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane significantly revamped Him three years later as the allegorical Messiah Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972). This launched a feature, set on the genetically engineered planet Counter-Earth on the far side of the sun, that ran in the following issue before spinning off into its own title, Warlock. With the cover logo "The Power of Warlock", the series ran through issue #8 (Aug. 1972 - Oct. 1973).

Following a guest appearance in The Incredible Hulk #177-178 (July-Aug. 1974), Adam Warlock received a new series again as a feature under writer-artist Jim Starlin. In the critically acclaimed storyline "The Magus Saga",[1] begun in Strange Tales #178-181 (Feb.-Aug. 1975) and continuing into Warlock, revived for issues #9-15 (Oct. 1975 - Nov. 1976), Starlin wrote, penciled (eventually co-penciling with Steve Leialoha, and initially self-inked an epic arc involving Warlock in war with a corrupt, religious space empire, his demagogue future self, and the cosmic supervillain Thanos. Following an unrelated adventure with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #55 (March 1977), in a story by writer Bill Mantlo and penciler John Byrne, the Magus Saga and its repercussions culminated in a two-part Starlin story in The Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 (both 1977), in which Adam Warlock, Thanos, and supporting characters Gamora and Pip the Troll died. Warlock had a very brief, quasi-resurrection as a soulless shell in the final issue of a three-part story in Marvel Two-in-One #61-63 (March-May 1980), by writer Mark Gruenwald and penciler Jerry Bingham, which introduced the character Her (later Kismet).

After Starlin resurrected Thanos in the miniseries The Thanos Quest #1-2 (both Sept. 1990), the writer, with successive pencilers George Pérez and Ron Lim, did likewise with Adam Warlock, Pip and Gamora in the six-issue miniseries The Infinity Gauntlet (July-Dec. 1991). Warlock experienced repercussions of that event in Silver Surfer, vol. 2, #60 and Doctor Strange vol. 3, #36 (both Dec. 1991).

Warlock again headline his own series with Warlock and the Infinity Watch, initially by writer Starlin and penciler Angel Medina. It ran 42 issues (Feb. 1992 - Aug. 1995), the first 31 written by Starlin and the following by Richard Ashford (one issue) and John Arcudi through the finale, with Pat Olliffe the primary penciler after Medina, and Mike Gustovich on the final two issues. During this time, Warlock was one of the primary protagonists in three miniseries: the Starlin written, six-issue The Infinity War (June-Nov. 1992), the Starlin written-and-drawn, four-issue Silver Surfer / Warlock: Resurrection (March-June 1993), and the Starlin-written, six-issue The Infinity Crusade (June-Nov. 1993).

During this time, Warlock also starred in a short-lived companion series, The Warlock Chronicles #1-8 (July 1993 - Feb. 1994), by Starlin and a variety of pencilers. He returned in two non-Starlin, four-issue miniseries: Warlock vol. 3 (Nov. 1998 - Feb. 1999), by writer-penciler Tom Lyle, followed the all-reprint Warlock vol. 2 (1992; see below). Then, Warlock vol. 5 (Nov. 2004 - Feb. 2005), by writer Greg Pak and artist Charles Adlard, following an unrelated '"Warlock vol. 4 (1999-2000) that starred an alien mutant from the X-Men-related series The New Mutants.

Warlock also appeared in four issues of intercompany crossovers between Marvel Comics and the Malibu Comics "Ultraverse": the one-shot Rune / Silver Surfer (April 1995 in indicia, June 1995 on cover); Rune vol. 2, #6-7 (1995); and Ultraverse Unlimited #1 (June 1996).

With Six You Get Eggroll

2008-03-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

With Six You Get Eggroll is a family comedy from 1968, starring Doris Day and Brian Keith. Other cast members include George Carlin, Jamie Farr, William Christopher, Barbara Hershey, Alice Ghostley and Pat Carroll.

Day plays Abby McClure, a widow working in a lumber yard who has three sons. Later, she meets widower Jake Iverson (Keith) who has a teenage daughter. They start dating and decide to get married. They're not prepared for the hostile reactions from their children, especially Jake's daughter Stacy, who wants to be the woman of the house, and Abby's oldest son Flip, who hates Jake.

The musical group Grass Roots make a cameo appearance in this film. It was also Doris Day's final acting appearance in a film.

Upon her husband's death, Day learned that he had committed her to a TV series, which became The Doris Day Show. "It was awful," Day told OK! Magazine in 1996. "I was really, really not very well when Marty passed away, and the thought of going into TV was overpowering. But he'd signed me up for a series. And then my son Terry took me walking in Beverly Hills and explained that it wasn't nearly the end of it. I had also been signed up for a bunch of TV specials, all without anyone ever asking me."

Day hated the idea of doing television, but felt obligated. "There was a contract. I didn't know about it. I never wanted to do TV, but I gave it 100 percent anyway. That's the only way I know how to do it." Melcher died on April 20, 1968, and the first episode of the TV show was aired on September 24, 1968.

From 1968 to 1973, The Doris Day Show aired with "Que Sera, Sera" as its theme song. Day grudgingly continued but only as long as she needed the work to help pay off her debts and only after CBS had ceded creative control to Day and her son. Fortunately for her, the show was successful, and functioned as a lead-in to the equally successful Carol Burnett Show. Despite its successful run, today Day's show is chiefly remembered for its dramatic changes in casting and premise from season to season. It has not been as widely syndicated as many of its contemporaries, and has been little seen in markets outside the U.S. and Britain.

In addition to her series, in 1971 and 1974 Day completed two TV specials. She also appeared in one of John Denver's TV specials (1974) parodying her (and his) sunny public image to good effect. By the end of the TV series in 1973, Day was nearing 50, and public tastes had changed to such a degree that her firmly established wholesome persona was now completely out of fashion. She essentially retired from acting when The Doris Day Show ended, but the popularity of Doris Day is still widespread to this day.

Frankenstein

2008-03-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Shelley's Frankenstein has been called the first novel of the now-popular mad scientist genre. However, popular culture has changed the naive, well-meaning Victor Frankenstein into more and more of a corrupt character. It has also changed the creature into a more sensational, dehumanized being than was originally portrayed. In the original story, the worst thing that Victor does is to neglect the creature out of fear. He does not intend to create a horror. The creature, even, begins as an innocent, loving being. Not until the world inflicts violence on him does he develop his hatred. Scientific knowledge is highlighted at the end by Victor as potentially evil and dangerously alluring.

Soon after the book was published, however, stage managers began to see the difficulty of bringing the story into a more visual form. In performances beginning in 1823, playwrights began to recognize that to visualize the play, the internal reasonings of the scientist and the creature would have to be cut. The creature became the star of the show, with his more visual and sensational violence. Victor was portrayed as a fool for delving into nature's mysteries. Despite the changes, though, the play was much closer to the original than later films would be. Comic versions also abounded, and a musical burlesque version was produced in London in 1887 called Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim.

Silent films continued the struggle to bring the story alive. Early versions such as the Edison Company's Frankenstein, managed to stick somewhat close to the plot. In 1931, however, James Whale created a film that drastically changed the story. Working under Universal Studios, Whale introduced to the plot several elements now familiar to a modern audience: the image of "Dr." Frankenstein, whereas earlier he was merely a naive, young student, an Igor-like character (called Fritz in this film) who makes the mistake of bringing his master a criminal's brain while gathering body parts, and a sensational creation scene focusing on electric power rather than chemical processes. In this film, the scientist is an arrogant, intelligent, grown man, rather than a unknowing youngster. Another scientist volunteers to destroy the creature for him, the film never forcing him to take responsibility for his acts. Whale's sequel Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and later sequels Son of Frankenstein (1939), and Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) all continued the general theme of sensationalism, horror, and exaggeration, with the newly-dubbed Dr. Frankenstein and his parallels growing more and more sinister.

Later films diverted even more from the story, portraying the doctor as a sexual pervert and using his new persona to ask contemporary questions about science. Andy Warhol's Frankenstein portrayed him as a necrophiliac, and in The Rocky Horror Picture Show Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a parody of Frankenstein) creates a creature as a muscular twink of a sexual plaything. In Frankenstein Created Woman, he transplants a man's soul into a woman's body, joining the transsexual debate. And in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed he transplants a fellow-scientist's brain into another body in order to keep him alive, introducing moral questions into how far science should go to save a life. Although these films managed to bring the audience's attention back to the scientist, rather than the monster, they continue to show him as more depraved than the original. Overall, the story of Frankenstein that most people know today is more the product of movie studios than of Mary Shelley. Still, these films have provided valuable insights into the nature of film, the evolution of the general populace's view of science, and several interesting interpretations of a classic story.

See also: Love Lessons

Mata Bond

2008-02-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

Visit Mata Bond's blog and her Myspace page.

Lost In Space

2008-02-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

Lost In Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen. The series was released by Fox Television and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965 and March 6, 1968. Lost in Space was the second of Allen's four science fiction TV series. The show's main theme was space travel adventure. The show's first season was in black and white, but the second and third seasons were in color.

Conceptually the series is a space-age adaptation of the classic adventure novel Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. During the first two seasons, the series follows the adventures of an astronaut family that is shipwrecked on an alien world after getting lost trying to reach the Alpha Centauri star system. In the third season they travel to other worlds in their never-resolved attempts to reach their destination, which was either Earth or Alpha Centauri.

Following the successful format of Allen's first TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the emphasis was on creating exciting fantasy-oriented adventure stories. Each week, the show delivered a fast-paced visual assault of special effects, explosions, monstrous aliens, spaceships, and exotic sets and costumes drenched in bright, primary colors. On the other hand, unlike the other space TV show of the day, Star Trek, character development, serious issues, dramatic depth, or even maintaining a coherent story were ignored. ("Don't get logical with me!" was Allen's frequent retort to writers who objected to changes to their scripts. Source: Starlog #219)

Allen had hit upon a winning formula which he used to create a third fantasy-adventure show, The Time Tunnel (1966-1967), followed by his last and most ambitious series, Land Of The Giants (1968-1970), all of which have become cult, if not critical, favorites.

Off the beaten path of esoteric discussion

2008-02-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

John Abraham is a Vermont author and folklorist. Occasionally referred as the "Bard of the Bizarre"[1] or "the Ghost-Master General", he has extensively researched and documented the folklore, hauntings, ghost stories, paranormal activity and occult happenings of New England.

Interested in horror since he was child, especially the works of Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, Abraham began his writing career by authoring several horror novels, including The Gore, Shadow Child, and Guardian Angels. These novels blended the gothic elements of Poe and the eldritch terror of Lovecraft with actual Vermont folklore and contemporary New England settings. Later, Abraham decided to make an attempt to catalogue all of the eccentric legends, folk tales, mysterious monsters, UFO sightings, haunted houses, and general uncanny activity of New England. His books on these subjects include Green Mountains' Ghosts, Ghouls, and Unsolved Mysteries, Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors, Green Mountains, Dark Tales, and most recently Damned Yankees: Cursed in New England. Later, he published Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations with Diane Fouytds, a travel guide to New England's peculiar and paranormal locations.

Abraham has given many seminars about writing horror and non-fiction, and given commentaries on Vermont Public Radio.

random stuff

2007-12-13T19:09:00.001-08:00

Another cool blog

Kids' Sat-Morn TV: the Backlash

2007-11-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

Parents' lobby groups like Action for Children's Television appeared in the late 1960s. They voiced concerns about the presentation of violence, anti-social attitudes and stereotypes in Saturday morning cartoons. By the 1970s, these groups exercised enough influence that the TV networks felt compelled to lay down more stringent content rules for the animation houses.

Critics have complained that this proceeded to the point where the very depiction of conflict and jeopardy and the basic elements of drama and suspense were severely restricted, and the artists were left with few avenues of expression. The prohibition against the depiction of anti-social elements often prompted conformist stories, such as in the Smurfs series, where almost any individual initiative often resulted in trouble for the group and therefore had to be avoided.

Saturday morning animation programming restricted itself to certain clearly-defined types of shows:

* non-violent superheroes (Super Friends, Spider-Man)
* touring musical groups (Josie and the Pussycats, The Jackson 5ive, Alvin and the Chipmunks; Hammerman, New Kids on the Block)
* secret fantasy folk (Smurfs, The Snorks, Gummi Bears)
* teen life (Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids);
* teen detective shows with funny sidekicks (Scooby-Doo, Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels)
* animated children's versions of prime time shows (Emergency +4, Punky Brewster, ALF, Star Trek)
* cartoons based on movies (The Real Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, The Karate Kid, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures, Star Wars: Droids, Star Wars: Ewoks, Return to the Planet of the Apes, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Fantastic Voyage, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beetlejuice, Lilo & Stitch, "Timon and Pumbaa", "MTV's Spider-Man", and "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command")
* animated adaptations of comics and video games (Batman: The Animated Series, The Archie Show, Pac-Man, Saturday Supercade, Captain N: The Game Master, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Swamp Thing, Garfield and Friends, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?)
* animated adaptations of actor in their childhood (Little Rosey); or actors given top billing in the show's title or starring in the top role (Wish Kid, Camp Candy, Mr. T)
* cartoon characters in their childhood (Muppet Babies, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Flintstone Kids, Jungle Cubs, Baby Looney Tunes, etc.)
* reruns (or sometimes, newly produced episodes) of older prime-time animated shows (The Jetsons, The Flintstones)
* classic theatrical animated shorts, for many years shown complete, but more recently censored for political correctness, and for content deemed inappropriate for young children. (Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry)

In a more constructive direction, the networks were encouraged to create educational spots that endeavored to use animation for enriching content. Far and away the most successful effort was the Schoolhouse Rock series on ABC, which became a television classic.

Tomb of Dracula #2

2007-11-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

The Fear Within

Frank Drake returns to Castle Dracula and retrieves Dracula's coffin, hoping to use it against the Count. Along the way, he discovers that Clifton Graves is alive. He rescues him and they return to London where he informs Graves that he has sold Castle Dracula. Drake has plans for Dracula but his plans take a detour when he discovers his girlfriend Jean waiting for him. Drake soon discovers that not all is not as it seems - Jean is now a vampire! Meanwhile, Dracula prowls the London night stalking for new blood. He goes to a London bar and walks off with a woman after dispatching of her boyfriend and soon she's yet another addition to Drac's blood bank.

Frank Drake has managed to subdue Jean with the aid of a cross but he is unaware of the weak link in his plan. As Drake waits for Dracula to come after them, Jean hypnotizes Clifton Graves and convinces him that she is in love with him not Drake. Graves drugs Frank's coffee and proceeds to help Jean escape as Dracula enters the apartment. Drake is forced to battle Dracula, Jean, as well as Graves. He defeats Graves but Dracula throws him around like a ragdoll. In the melee, he grabs a piece of broken wood and uses it as a stake against Jean, only moments before she kills Clifton Graves. Dracula moves in to finish off Drake but he is forced to stop-the sun is rising! Dracula promises the war is not over and flees. The sun begins to fill the room and Jean is destroyed as Frank can only watch in horror.

NOTES:
Dracula notes, it is not the coffin that is vital, but the native soil inside. Still, the coffin holds something special (as we find out in later issues) and Dracula is eager to retrieve it.

Dracula still has his chalky white skin in this issue. A possible inconsistency, Jean is destroyed by sunlight and yet Dracula flees out into the very rising sun that destroys Jean. A possible explanation is that Dracula is able to resist the sunlight since he is Lord of the Vampires. Thus it is established that Dracula cannot stand in direct sunlight, a weakness from the film version but not Stoker's novel. Of course, the early Tomb of Dracula issues are full of inconsistencies as the writers tried to figure out what vampire myths to utilize.

Tomb of Dracula #1

2007-11-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

Marvel's Tomb Of Dracula #1 opens on a dark and stormy night :) as a car journeys into a village in Transylvainia. Inside are Frank Drake who hopes to recapture the family fortune he has foolishly wasted, his business partner Clifton Graves, and Drakes's girlfriend Jean (who Drake romanced from Graves). Drake hopes to turn his last possession, a mysterious castle reportedly linked to the legend of Dracula into a tourist attraction. Drake is supposedly the descendant of Dracula and while he does not believe the diaries he has read about Dracula, he is curious about the castle and the legend behind it.

As the trio explore the castle, Clifton Graves falls through a weak floor and stumbles across a tomb. Inside is a skeleton with a stake through its chest. Graves removes the stake as he wonders how he will kill Drake. He has longed to kill Drake ever since he stole his girlfriend from him. If all goes well, Drake's death will seem accidental and not only will he gain Drake's interest in the business, but he will regain Jean's love as well.

As Graves mulls revenge, he does not notice the strange transformation occuring in the tomb. The skeleton transforms into the form of a man - Dracula. Graves turns and in a panic, shoots Dracula but to no avail. The vampire picks him up effortlessly and hurls him into a pit.

Elsewhere in the castle of frankenstein, Frank and Jean are exploring. Suddenly, Dracula appears and compels Jean to come to him. Mesmerized by the vampire lord, she walks towards him until Drake slaps her unconscious. Dracula goes to attack but is repelled by a silver compact wielded by Drake and flees.

Drake takes Jean to one of the castle's bedrooms as Dracula turns towards the village in search of blood. He finds a barmaid at a local tavern and lies in wait for her. Soon thereafter, the townspeople discover the slain girl and learn that Dracula lives again.

Dracula returns to the castle and discovers Jean sleeping. However a cross worn by Jean keeps Dracula at bay. Suddenly, Frank Drake enters the room, ready to defend his lover. Unfortunately, Drake throws the silver compact at Dracula thinking that it can harm Dracula and discovers that it has no effect. Dracula goes after Drake and soon dispatches of his descendant. He then mesmerizes Jean into removing the cross and soon she is his.

Drake awakens to find Dracula standing over Jean, even as a mob outside attempts to destroy the castle. Drake finds the compact and again uses it to repel the vampire. Dracula flees but even as he does, Drake realizes Dracula has won for Jean is now a vampire. She flies away as Drake mulls his future.

NOTES: The first issue, while pretty good, doesn't hint at the complex treatment of Dracula that is seen in later issues. This issue is pretty much a knock off of any vampire film we've seen before. You have the inadvertent discovery of Dracula's body, a village maiden attacked by Dracula, the angry townspeople, etc. Still, it's a good story that gets you acquainted with the characters and gets the series started. The art by Gene Colan is absolutely stunning and he really captures the atmosphere you'd expect for a vampire movie. The series was really lucky to have Colan on the book and it is some of his best work ever IMO.

Some oddities in this issue - Dracula's skin is chalky white even though other vampires' skin is more flesh tone. Another interesting point is Drake's use of the silver compact to repel Dracula. As will be seen in subsequent issues, the writers are still experimenting with various vampire myths in regards to Drac's weaknesses and abilities.

Marvel Comics

2007-11-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics es una editorial norteamericana de cómics. Es conocida popularmente como "La casa de las ideas" por la creación de numerosos personajes emblemáticos del género de superhéroes. Algunos de sus cómics más conocidos son Los 4 Fantásticos, Spiderman (el Hombre Araña), Capitán América, Los Vengadores, Hulk y X-Men. Desde los años 1960 la compañía constituye una de las mayores editoriales de este género. Localizada en Nueva York, fue fundada en el 387 de Park Avenue South teniendo sus oficinas en la actualidad en el 40th East 10th Avenida.

Captain Boomerang

2007-10-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Enemies of the Flash: Captain Boomerang (aka Digger Harkness)

Digger Harkness came to America from Australia as the spokesman of a toy company selling boomerangs. However, he became Captain Boomerang, a member of the Rogues Gallery who used special boomerangs, such a razor-sharp and exploding ones, in his plots to outwit the Flash.

Once, he planted special getaway boomerangs in every jail within one hundred miles of Central City, where they would remain invisible until he concentrated his brain waves to materialize them. One year later, he had the chance to use one of them. He was being transported to the state pen, but an anonymous phone call, which had actually been made by Boomerang's father, "Aussie", said that there was a bomb in the patrol wagon that he was being transported in. The police evacuated the wagon and put Captain Boomerang into temporary custody at the police station. However, he used one of his getaway boomerangs to escape. As he escaped, he hurled a boomerang at Barry Allen for rubbing him the wrong way (a little earlier, the scientist had told one of the police officers not to take off the villain's straightjacket). Barry quickly changed into the Flash, and tried to apprehend Boomerang by creating air gusts, pushing the villain in front of him. However, the Captain contorted his body into the shape of a boomerang, which caused him to hurtle back towards the Flash, knocking him down. All of this had been recorded by Boomerang's father and put into a scrapbook entitled Flash -- This is your Death! Boomerang set Flash up in a machine, that sent the hero hurtling like a boomerang into another dimension, filled with terrible monsters. However, Flash stayed in the shape of a boomerang, knowing that he would be returned to his sender. Foiled, Boomerang and his father tried to get away with a special flying boomerang, but Flash created a waterspout as they flew over a lake, bringing them back down, where Flash could take them to the police headquarters.

Digger Harkness's Appearances

* Flash (1st series) #227 (May-June, 1974)
* Flash #325 (September, 1983)
* Flash (2nd series) #19 (December, 1988)
* Flash #34 (January, 1990) as a hallucination
* Flash #121 (January, 1997) as a shadowy figure
* Flash Secret Files #1 (November, 1997)
* Flash Secret Files #2 (November, 1999)
* The Life Story of the Flash

Little Miss No Name

2007-10-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

The "Little Miss No Name" doll was launched by Hasbro in 1965 and discontinued soon after. You will notice that her native garb is a brown burlap dress with two patches. A large plastic removable tear streams from her left eye. Her right hand stretches out plaintively, begging for -- what? A coin? A sandwich? Begging for the Mom who went away after saying, “Stay right here in the candy aisle, honey, Mommy’s getting into this big black van and will be right back”?

That is the mystery of Little Miss No Name.

On eBay a “mint” Little Miss No Name, new in her box, with “original tear” and burlap dress, can fetch several Ben Franklins. Those "mint condition" dolls are the Little Miss No Name equivalent of sorority girls waiting for graduation, when they can start collecting their nice big trust fund.

I can’t feel sorry for them. But my heart melts for the Little Miss No Names who’ve Been Through It.

I can imagine shallow little girls in 1965, expecting a Barbie or other glamorous toy, opening their “downer” gift from Santa. Hasbro did not release a Dream Roadster for Little Miss No Name. They did not mold her feet en pointe to fit, Cinderella-like, a variety of high heeled shoes.

Miss No Name stands on her own two bare feet, alone, at about fifteen inches.

So what was a little girl to do back then? EBay features several Little Miss No Names who have suffered hideous disfigurement in the name of beautification, their hair whacked and tortured in an unseemly manner. Most of them are missing their tears, probably removed by little girls who imagined she’d feel better, when really she was thinking, “Gosh, now I don’t even have that.”

(Sometimes the eBay sellers will style Little Miss No Name’s hair, giving her Shirley Temple-like curls and such. But Little Miss No Name is not mollified by such shallow, surface improvements. Her problems run much deeper than that.)

Fun-loving Barbies pile into their roadsters and flee from Little Miss No Name. And I imagine that any little girl who brought Little Miss No Name to a tea party wasn’t invited back.

But you know what? I’d wager anything that if a university ran a big study, say, they’d discover that girls who got Little Miss No Name for Christmas are now much better people than the ones who got Malibu Barbie.

the Fantastic Four

2007-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Fantastic Four are a group of super heroes who have experienced some of the wildest adventures ever depicted in comic books, but perhaps the root of their appeal is the extent to which they embody the idea of a family, warts and all. Bound together by the strange powers that each acquired while manning an experimental rocket, they are also joined by legal and blood relationships. Reed Richards and Sue Storm were engaged when the series began in 1961 and married a few years later; Johnny Storm is Sue's younger brother. The odd man out is Ben Grimm, ostensibly just a friend of the family, but really the heart and soul of the team. Reed Richards developed a flexible, elastic body and became Mr. Fantastic, but remained a brilliant and aloof scientist, more at home with his work than with people. Sue Storm transformed into the Invisible Girl (later Woman), maintained the air of a middle-class matron.

These two rather restrained characters were the symbolic parents of the group, while the adolescent Johnny, an updated version of The Human Torch, functioned as their spoiled son. Ben Grimm, who turned into the hideous but powerful Thing, appeared to be the family's gruff but lovable uncle, one who came from a distinctly less privileged background.

In the original synopsis that writer-editor Stan Lee gave artist Jack Kirby, Lee proposed making The Thing into "the heavy." Deformed, underprivileged and argumentative, Ben actually became the most lovable group member: honest, direct, and free of pretension. He brought humor and pathos to the stories, while his emotional responses and frequent tantrums suggested that he might really be the baby of the household. The others sported spiffy uniforms; he wore a big blue diaper.

The perfect balance of this original family unit, with its staid parents, privileged older son and squalling, uninhibited infant, has made The Fantastic Four a uniquely appealing team. Over the years, the balance of The Fantastic Four has shifted on several occasions. More than one member has walked out in a huff, and even been apparently replaced, but with the passage of time, the status quo has always reasserted itself. The ties of blood and loyalty are as strong for misfits as they are for mortals.

Magnus

2007-10-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Whilst DC was re-presenting its Golden Age characters to a new generation and Marvel rolled out it all-new heroes, Gold Key Comics
only reluctantly got into the superhero fray, preferring instead to publish books based on popular movies
and TV shows. So when artist
Russ Manning heard that editor Craig Chase wanted him to work on a new book set in the year 4000 AD, he leapt at the chance to get
away from licensed books and to write and draw his own creation.

The concept of a future world in which robots have enslaved mankind was a particular shrewd one for the time. Pure science fiction
comics -- as opposed to superhero comics with some sci-fi elements to them -- suffered under the Comics Code Authority. They became
for the most part an endless series of stories about intrepid heroes saving young women from bug-eyed aliens, their usefulness as
commentary on our Earthling ways effectively gutted by the CCA guidelines. Buck Rogers was a relic from another era, Flash Gordon
was missing in action, and by the 1960s there were few titles giving readers any idea of what the future might bring.

But then came the first issue of Magnus, sporting a beautifully painted cover that showed a man karate-chopping one of the
"evil robots who are the masters of man!" Maybe it was the hand-painted covers, a rarity at the time. Maybe it was the pleasure in
seeing a man wrest back control from machines with nothing more than his bare hands. Or maybe it was the breathtaking views of
North Am, the sprawling urban landscape in which this Tarzan of the future called his home. Whatever the reasons, readers responded
warmly to the title, and Magnus quickly became the strongest original character that Gold Key had ever produced, outselling even
Superman at one point in his career.

The original series lasted only 46 issues, but Magnus would be revived by Valiant Comics in 1991 to enjoy a more successful run.
It was a gamble -- aside from diehard older fans, few readers had even heard of the character, and a fellow beating up robots seemed
like an odd choice in a more technologically hip decade. But the deliberately retro sci-fi look scored big with readers, and
Valiant found the springboard it needed to flourish, launching several other titles in the wake of its success.

Why single this series out for special mention? First, Manning's painted covers were a delight to the eye, and a welcome change to
much of what was published at the time. Second, the title's glimpses into the future turned many people away from watching the skies to watching the calendar; it's not too far-fetched to suggest that Magnus primed audiences for the likes of Star Trek and
other forward-looking facets of our pop culture. Finally, Valiant's successful handling of the character for a new generation of readers led to relaunches of other characters from that era -- "Solar, Man of the Atom" and "Turok, Son of Stone" come to mind -- bringing a sense of continuity between the 1960s and the 1990s.

Times and preferences may change, but a good character will find an audience no matter where -- or when -- he pops up.

A Tale of Two Flashes

2007-10-11T05:24:00.001-07:00

When DC Comics revived THE FLASH, the sales figures told the editors they had a hit on their hands. But the Flash they brought back
shared only his name and speediness with the original Flash of the 1940s, and many fans who still remembered the other guy kept
asking if he would ever show up in the new, revitalized series.

The funny thing was, the "old" Flash had already made an appearance -- sort of -- in the new Flash's book. In the new Flash's very
first story (1956's Showcase Comics #4), Barry Allen was reading a comic book about the old Flash before the accident that gave him
his own speedy powers. Thus, in one swoop, editor Julius Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox were able to explain what inspired Barry
to become a superhero and to give older fans something to chuckle over (the Jay Garrick Flash hadn't appeared in a comic since his
title's cancellation in 1949).
The new Flash was a big hit, but there were still some fans who wanted to see more of the old Flash. So, in Flash #123, Fox gave
them the team-up they were looking for. While performing a trick for an audience, the Flash of "our" world accidentally transports
himself into a separate dimension, one in which his comic-book hero was a real person. Fox explained it by creating the
other-dimensional world called "Earth-2," a place that was home to all of DC's Golden Age heroes. When the two Flashes met,
they reasoned that Gardner Fox, the writer of the original Flash comics, must have pierced the dimensional barrier in his dreams
and wrote down what his mind saw on Earth-2.

Sure, it was a stretch, but it was believable enough for comic fans, and suddenly all of DC's Golden Age heroes had a new lease
on life. Following the original Flash's re-appearance, the original versions of the Green Lantern,
the Atom, Batman,
Superman, and the rest met their updated Silver Age counterparts. From there, it was only a hop and skip to the
Justice Society of America and the Justice League of America teaming up on a regular basis to deal with menaces to both Earths.
The idea of parallel worlds also gave writers the ability to create other worlds where they could deposit new heroes and villains,
or even imagine totally different versions of the old heroes.

For more than two decades, it was an idea that held up pretty well for DC's writers. But by the 1980s, it became clear that
something had to give. The introduction of more and more heroes into the DC Universe made it difficult for writers and readers
alike to keep track of which hero was on which planet. This, plus the fact that DC wanted to start fresh with its biggest
characters, led to the mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC's attempt to clean house on a cosmic scale by streamlining its
titles into one coherent universe.

It seems fitting that the book that started DC's parallel-world development would be the Silver Age Flash's; his death during the
Crisis mini-series was a clear signal to readers that the old order of things had passed. Of course, readers in 1962 wouldn't know
any of this yet; what they saw back then was an ingenious way for DC's writers to bring the company's rich Golden Age heritage into
the Silver Age, allowing both the new and the old to co-exist with each other to the benefit of both.

By the end of the century, many of the original DC heroes from the 1940s were still a part of the DC Universe, playing pivotal roles
in several series and acting as mentors to the generations of heroes that followed in their footsteps.

History of the Super Friends

2007-10-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

History of the Superfriends Cartoon
Here we are going to try to show the progression of the show through all the seasons of air play.

Season #1
1973's Super Friends was a cartoon centered around Superman teaming up with the other popular DC Comics superheroes (Aquaman, Batman and Robin, and Wonder Woman) along with eager young hero trainees Wendy, Marvin, and Wonder Dog for adventures. Their base of operation was called the Hall of Justice, where they responded to Troublalerts and information supplied by Col. Wilcox. The main superfriends stopped the powers of evil and taught a new lesson to thier sidekicks. Wendy demonstrated the brains, Wonder Dog was similar to Hanna Barbera's Scooby Doo, and Marvin was enthusiastic but needed to learn the moral of each episode. The adventures were one hour long, and included cameos by the other heros Plastic Man and Flash(Who would later join the superfriends). Hanna Barbera artist Alex Toth did the character designs. This series was cancelled in 1975 after two seasons.

"Their mission: To fight Injustice. To right that which is wrong. And to serve all mankind!"

Season #2
1976 reruns in a half-hour format proved successful enough to cause The All-New Super Friends Hour in 1977. The hour had a half-hour episode and numerous shorts. This time besides Superman and the major DC heroes, the youthful trainees were aliens Zan (male) and Jayna (female) (a.k.a. the Wonder Twins) with their pet monkey Gleek. The Wonder Twins had the ability to telepathically communicate with each other, and shapechange. The twins wore Teen Trouble Alerts to signal them, and unlike their predecessors, Wendy and Marvin, the twins were good in a fight. More DC heroes appeared in these adventures, such as Hawkman and Hawkgirl, along with newly invented multicultural heroes like Apache Chief who could become a 50 ft giant, electric Black Vulcan and the whirlwind Samurai. Each episode also featured a special public service cartoon warning kids about the evils of cheating, smoking or drag racing (among other vices).

Season #3
In September 1978, the Super Friends changed concept again becoming Challenge of the Super Friends on ABC. Superman and his 10 Justice League of America colleagues found themselves battling the 13 member Legion of Doom composed of DC Comics supervillains like Superman foes Lex Luthor, Braniac, Toyman, and Bizarro, and Batman foes like the Riddler and Scarecrow. This series did not have the Wonder Twins. The episodes are one half-hour long, although the series was so successful that it became a 90 minute show. This show used the Justice League and genuine supervillains more than the previous Super Friends cartoons and real locales helping keep the show alive.

SEASON #4
In 1979, another change as the Super Friends became The World's Greatest Super Friends. No more Legion of Doom, and fewer heroes this time. Superman was joined with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman and Robin, and the sibling Wonder Twins. From 1980-1984 episodes ran as The Super Friends.

Season #5
Superfriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show
In 1984, as a tie-in with the Kenner Toys Super Powers line of toys and comics based on DC Comics heroes, Hanna Barbera created Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show. The comics hero Firestorm joined the team in fighting the evil Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips and other villains.

Season #6
In 1985 a new version called The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians appeared lasting until 1986. No more Wonder Twins but more DC heroes and villains were used including Flash, Green Lantern, and a strong focus on the Teen Titan, Cyborg. The Super Powers team headquarters was the Hall of Justice in Metropolis. By today's standards this series is the most faithful adaptation of the comicbooks. Each episode is a one half-hour story.

Supergirl

2007-10-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

After positive fan reaction to Super-Girl, the first recurring and most familiar version of Supergirl, Kara Zor-El, debuted in 1959. Kara Zor-El first appeared in Action Comics #252 (May 1959) written by Otto Binder who also created Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel's sister and female spin-off. Like Supergirl, Mary Marvel was a teen-age female version of an adult male super-hero, wearing a costume that was identical to the older character other than substituting a short skirt for tights. Binder also created Miss America, a super-heroine who shared little other than the name with her sometimes co-star Captain America.

Kara Zor-El is the last survivor of Argo City of the planet Krypton, which had survived the explosion of the planet and had drifted through space. When the inhabitants of the colony are slain by Kryptonite, Kara is sent to Earth by her father Zor-El to be raised by her cousin Kal-El, known as Superman. Fearing that she might not be recognized by Superman, Kara's parents provide a costume based on the Man of Steel's own.

On Earth, Kara acquires super-powers identical to Superman's and adopts the secret identity of Linda Lee, an orphan at Midvale Orphanage. She conceals her blonde hair beneath a brunette wig and functions as Supergirl only in secret, at Superman's request, until she can gain (in his opinion) sufficient control of her powers. After being adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers, Superman decides his cousin is ready to begin operating openly as Supergirl.

In her secret identity, Linda attends Midvale High School as Linda Lee Danvers. In later years, after graduating from Stanhope College, she changes careers several times, holding jobs in student counseling, news reporting, and acting in a TV soap opera. She also attends college in Chicago. Kara has many boyfriends, including Richard (Dick) Malverne, Jerro the merboy from Atlantis, and member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Brainiac 5. She does, however, shun serious commitments, putting her super-career first.

Supergirl's secret identity is a closely held secret and is known only to Superman, her foster parents, and the Legion of Super-Heroes, of which she serves as a member for a time. Like all Kryptonians, Supergirl is vulnerable to kryptonite. Streaky, Linda Danvers' orange cat, acquires temporary super-powers as a result of its exposure to "X-Kryptonite". Comet the Superhorse, a former centaur, is Supergirl's equine companion.

One way DC demonstrated the epic nature of its 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths (April 1985-March 1986) was through the deaths of important characters. In issue #7 (October 1985), Supergirl bravely sacrifices her life to save her cousin and the multiverse from destruction. When Superman continuity rebooted after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC editorial felt that Superman should be the sole survivor of Krypton, resulting in Kara being removed from continuity. Unlike a number of other characters who are shown dying in the Crisis, no one remembers Kara dying or even ever having existed.

After the events of Infinite Crisis, many historical events from the Multiverse are now being remembered. Donna Troy, after her rebirth and inheritance of Harbinger's Orb, has recalled the original Kara Zor-El and her sacrifice to save the Universe.

Showcase

2007-10-08T04:23:00.000-07:00

Showcase has been the title of several anthology series published by
DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature
new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters
in their own ongoing titles. The original series ran from March 1956 to September 1970, and then was revived for eleven issues from
August 1977 to September 1978.

The best-known issue of Showcase is #4, which introduced an updated version of the Flash. This is generally cited as the beginning of
the Silver Age of Comic Books, as it was followed by the successful updating of several other Golden Age superheroes, and an upswing
in the popularity of comics (superheroes especially).

Other successful characters to debut in Showcase were

* the Challengers of the Unknown (#6)

* Lois Lane (#9)

* Space Ranger (#15)

* Adam Strange (#17)

* Rip Hunter, Time Master (#20)

* the Silver Age Green Lantern (#22)

* the Sea Devils (#27)

* the Silver Age Atom (#34)

* the Metal Men (#37)

* the Inferior Five (#62)

* B'wana Beast (#66)

* the Creeper (#73)

* Anthro (#74)

* Hawk and Dove (#75)

* Bat Lash (#76)

* Angel and the Ape (#77)

Lois Lane (#9) and the Spectre (#60) also had their own series debut in Showcase. In 1962, DC purchased an adaptation of the James Bond novel and film Dr. No which had been published in British Classics Illustrated and published it as an issue of Showcase; it was the first American comic book appearance of the character. The series was cancelled in 1970 with #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.

Marvel stuff

2007-10-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

Battle

Beware

Black Goliath

Blonde Phantom

Daring Mystery

Devil Dinosaur

Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Eternals Publishing, Inc., a division of Marvel Entertainment, Inc.

Marvel counts among its characters such fantasy masterpieces as Spider-Man, the X-Men and their member
Hero For Hire, Wolverine, the Fantastic Four,
The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Inhumans,
Iron Man, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, the Invaders, and many others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters
Iron Fist are depicted
as inhabiting a single shared world; this continuity is known as the Journey Into Unknown Worlds Marvel Universe.

The comic book arm of the company was founded in Jungle Action 1939 as Timely Publications and was generally known as Atlas Comics in the 1950s.
Marvel's modern incarnation dates from the early 1960s, with the Ka-Zar launching of Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, etc. Marvel Kull has since become one of the largest American comics companies, along with
Logan's Run DC
Comics.

Marvel Comics was founded by pulp-magazine publisher Nick Fury Martin Goodman in 1939 as Timely Publications, based at his existing company at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City, New York. Goodman's Not Branch Ecch official titles were editor, managing editor, and business manager, with
Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher. The company's roots go Nova back further, to Goodman's first Western pulp, in 1933. A
precursor of one Marvel character, the jungle lord Ka-Zar, Omega the Unknown first appeared in a 1936 pulp; he was adapted to a comic-book story in
the first Timely Comics release, and the name became that of a different Planet of the Apes Marvel jungle lord introduced in the 1960s.

Timely's first publication was Marvel Power Man Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), contained the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero, the Human Torch, and the first generally available Tales to Astonish appearance of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, among other features. The contents of that sales blockbuster were Tomb of Darkness supplied by an outside packager, Funnies, Inc., but by the following year Timely had a staff in place. With the Tomb of Dracula second issue the series title changed to Marvel Mystery Comics.

The company's first true editor, Tower of Shadows writer-artist Joe Simon, teamed with soon-to-be industry legend Jack Kirby to create one of the first patriotically themed superheroes, Captain America, in Uncanny Tales Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It, too, proved a major sales
hit, with a USA Comics circulation of nearly one million.

While no other Timely character Vault of Evil would be as successful as these "big three", some notable heroes — many continuing to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks — include the X-Men Whizzer, Miss America, the Destroyer, the original Vision, and
Paul Gustavson's Angel. Timely also published one of humor Young Allies cartoonist Basil Wolverton's best-known features, "Powerhouse Pepper".

Marvel Comics - C titles

2007-10-05T05:58:00.001-07:00

# Captain America Volume 1 #100–454 (continues from Tales of Suspense)

# Captain Marvel Volume 1 #1–62

# Captain Savage and His Leatherneck Raiders #1–8 (January–November 1968) (continues as Captain Savage and His Battlefield Raiders)

# Casey-Crime Photographer #1–4 (August 1949–February 1950) (continues as Two-Gun Western)

# The Cat #1–4 (November 1972–June 1973)

# Chamber of Chills #1–25 (November 1972–November 1976)

# Chamber of Darkness #1–8 (October 1969–December 1970) (continues as Monsters on the Prowl)

# Champions #1–17 (October 1975–January 1978)

# Chili #1–26 (May 1969–March 1974)
# Chuck Norris and the Karate Kommandos #1–5

# Cindy Comics #27–38 (continues from Krazy Komics and as Cindy Smith Comics)

# Cindy Smith Comics #39–40 (continues from Cindy Comics and as Crime Can't Win!)

# Collectors Item Classics

# Combat #1–11

# Combat Casey #6–34 (continues from War Combat)

# Combat Kelly #1–44

# Combat Kelly and The Deadly Dozen #1–9 (June 1972–October 1973)

# Conan the Barbarian Volume 1 #1–275 (October 1970–December 1993)

# Cowboy Romances #1–3 (October 1949–March 1950) (continues as Young Men)

# Cowgirl Romances #28 (January 1950) (continues from Jeanie Comics)

# Coyote #1–16 (April 1983–January 1986)

# Craptacular B-Sides #1–3 (November 2002–January 2003)

# Crash Ryan #1–4 (October 1984–January 1985)

# Crazy Volume 1 #1–7 (December 1953–June 1954)

# Crazy Volume 2 #1–3 (February–June 1973)

# Crazy Magazine #1–94 (October 1973–April 1983)

# Crazy Summer Special #1 (October 1975)

# Creatures on the Loose #10–37 (March 1971–September 1975) (continues from Tower of Shadows)

# Creatures on the Loose King Size #1 (1975)

# The Crew #1–7 (July 2003–January 2004)

# Crime Exposed #1 (June 1948 one shot)

# Crime Exposed #1–13 (December 1950–June 1952)

# Crime Fighters Always Win #11–13 (September 1954–January 1955) (continues from Crimefighters)

# Crimefighters #1–10 (April 1948–October 1949) (continues as Crime Fighters Always Win)

# Criminal #1— (2006— )

# Crimson Dynamo #1–6 (October 2003–April 2004)

# Crypt of Shadows #1–21 (January 1973–November 1975)

Justice League

2007-10-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Having successfully re-introduced a number of their Golden Age superhero characters
(Flash,
Green Lantern, etc.) during the late 1950s,
DC Comics asked writer Gardner Fox to re-introduce the Justice Society of America. Fox, influenced by the popularity of the National
Football League and Major League Baseball, decided to change the name of the team from Justice Society to Justice League. The
Justice League of America debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 (1960), and quickly became one of the company's best-selling titles.
Fox wrote virtually all of the League's adventures during the 1960s, and artist Mike Sekowsky pencilled the first five years.

As with the Justice Society, the concept of the Justice League was simple: to include all of DC's most popular characters in one book
(hence the original lineup included Superman, Batman,
Aquaman, the Flash, Green Lantern,
and Wonder Woman). JLA's early success was
indirectly responsible for the creation of the Fantastic Four, and by extension the entire Marvel universe. In his autobiography
Stan Lee relates how, during a round of golf, DC publisher Jack Liebowitz mentioned to Marvel-Timely owner Martin Goodman how well
DC's new book (Justice League) was selling. Later that day Goodman told Lee to come up with a team of superheroes for Marvel;
Lee and Jack Kirby produced the Fantastic Four.

The Justice League operated from a secret cave outside of the small town of Happy Harbor. Teenager Snapper Carr tagged along on
missions, and was both the team's mascot and an official member. Snapper, noted for speaking in beatnik dialect and snapping his
fingers, helped the League to defeat giant space starfish Starro the Conqueror in the team's first appearance. In Justice League of
America #77 (December 1969), Snapper was tricked into betraying the cave headquarters' secret location to the Joker, resulting in his
resignation from the team.

The Incredible Hulk

2007-10-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

In the Hulk's debut appearance in The Incredible Hulk #1, by writer Stan Lee, penciler Jack Kirby and inker Paul Reinman, the Hulk was gray rather than his later longtime trademark green. Writer and Marvel editor-in-chief Lee had wanted a color that did not suggest any particular ethnic group. Colorist Stan Goldberg, however, insisted to Lee that the coloring technology at the time could not present the color gray clearly or consistently, resulting in different shades of gray, and even green, in the issue. So in issue #2
and after, Goldberg colored the Hulk's skin green.[2] Reprints and retellings of the Hulk's origin during the next two decades feature
him with green skin from the beginning, but starting with vol. 2, #302 (Dec. 1984), the Hulk was again shown as having been gray in
flashbacks to early appearances. This was confirmed in vol. 2, #318 (April 1986), which states that the Hulk was gray at the time of
his creation. All subsequent reprints of the first issue have reinstated the original gray coloring.

In early stories, Banner becomes the Hulk at sunset each day, but he later transforms whenever he becomes angry or panicked. Another
method was shown in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), featuring the Hulk's first battle with The Thing; Banner intentionally uses a
gamma ray machine of his own design to transform into the Hulk. Many early Hulk stories involve General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross
trying to capture or destroy the Hulk with his U.S. Army battalion, the Hulkbusters, at his side. Ross' daughter, Betty, loves Banner
and criticizes her father for pursuing the Hulk. General Ross' right-hand man, Major Glenn Talbot, also loves Betty and is torn
between pursuing the Hulk and trying to gain Betty's love more honorably. Rick Jones serves as the Hulk's friend and sidekick for a
time. Later, another teenager, Jim Wilson, also befriends the Hulk.

The original series was canceled after six issues, with the finale cover-dated (March 1963). Lee had written each story, with Kirby
penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The character immediately guest-starred in
Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and became a founding member of the Avengers for a brief two issues of that superhero team's
eponymous series (Sept. & Nov. 1963), and returning as an antagonist in issues #3 & #5 (Jan. & May 1964). He then guest-starred in
The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964).

Around this time, co-creator Jack Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk had been chosen as its official
mascot. Kirby and Lee realized their character had found an audience in college-age readers.

EC Comics

2007-10-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

When Max Gaines died in 1947 in a boating accident, his son William inherited the Aces High company. After four years (1942-46) in the
Army Air Corps, Gaines had returned home to finish school at New York University, planning to work as a gunfighter. He never
taught but instead took over the family business. In 1949 and 1950, Will Gaines began to introduce series focusing on horror,
suspense, modern love, military fiction,
and saddle justice. His editors, Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman, gave assignments to
such prominent and highly accomplished freelance artists as Johnny Craig, Reed Crandall, Jack Davis, Will Elder, George Evans,
Frank Frazetta, Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen, Bernard Krigstein, Joe Orlando, John Severin, Al Williamson, Basil Wolverton, and
Wally Wood. Kurtzman and Feldstein themselves also drew stories, which generally were written by them and Craig, with assistance
from Gaines. Other writers including Carl Wessler, Jack Oleck and Otto Binder were later brought on board.

EC had success with its fresh approach and pioneered in forming relationships with its readers through its letters to the editor and
its fan organization, the National EC Fan-Addict Club. While the stories were sensational, the art was highly regarded.

EC Comics promoted its stable of illustrators, allowing each to sign his art and encouraging them to develop idiosyncratic styles;
the company additionally published one-page biographies of them in the comic books. This was in contrast to the industry's common
practice, in which credits were often missing, although some artists at other companies, such as the Jack Kirby-Joe Simon team,
Jack Cole and Bob Kane had been prominently promoted.

EC published distinct lines of titles under its Entertaining Comics umbrella. Most notorious were its horror books,
Tales from the Crypt,
The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear. These titles reveled in a gruesome joie de vivre, with grimly
ironic fates meted out to many of the stories' protagonists. The company's war comics
Frontline Combat and
Two-Fisted Tales often
featured weary-eyed, unheroic stories out of step with the jingoistic times. Shock SuspenStories tackled weighty issues such as
racism, sex, drug use and the American way of life. EC always claimed to be "proudest of our science fiction titles", with
Weird Science and Weird Fantasy publishing stories unlike the space opera found in such titles as Fiction House's Planet Comics.
Crime SuspenStories had many parallels with film noir. As noted by Max Allan Collins in his story annotations for Russ Cochran's
1983 hardcover reprint of Crime SuspenStories, Johnny Craig had developed a "film noir-ish bag of effects" in his visuals, while
characters and themes found in the crime stories often showed the strong influence of writers associated with film noir, notably
James M. Cain.

Superior illustrations of stories with surprise endings became EC's trademark. Gaines would generally stay up late and read large
amounts of material while seeking "springboards" for story concepts. The next day he would present each premise until Feldstein
found one that he thought he could develop into a story. At EC's peak, Feldstein edited seven titles while Kurtzman handled
three. Artists were assigned stories specific to their styles. Davis and Ingels often drew gruesome, supernatural-themed stories,
while Kamen and Evans did tamer material.

With hundreds of stories written, common themes became apparent. Some of EC's more well-known themes:

* An ordinary situation given an ironic and gruesome twist, often as poetic justice for a character's crimes. In "Collection
Completed" a man who takes taxidermy in order to annoy his wife. When he kills and stuffs her beloved cat, the wife snaps and
kills him, stuffing and mounting his body. In "Revulsion", a spaceship pilot is bothered by insects due to a past experience
when he found one in his food. At the conclusion of the story, a giant alien insect screams in horror at finding the dead pilot
in his salad. Dissection, the broiling of lobsters, Mexican jumping beans, fur coats and fishing are just a small sample of the
kind of situations and objects used in this fashion.

* The "Grim Fairy Tale", featuring gruesome interpretations of such fairy tales as "Hansel and Gretel", "Sleeping Beauty" and
"Little Red Riding Hood".

* Adaptations of Ray Bradbury science-fiction stories, which appeared in two dozen EC comics starting in 1952. It began
inauspiciously, with an incident in which Feldstein and Gaines plagiarized two of Bradbury's stories and combined them into a
single tale. Learning of the story, Bradbury sent a note praising them, while remarking that he had "inadvertently" not yet
received his payment for their use. EC sent a check and negotiated a productive series of Bradbury adaptations.

* Stories with a political message, which became common in EC's science fiction and suspense comics. Among the many topics were
lynching, anti-Semitism and police corruption.

The three horror titles featured stories introduced by a trio of horror hosts. The Crypt Keeper introduced Tales from the Crypt,
the Vault Keeper welcomed readers to Weird Science-Fantasy and the Old Witch cackled over The Haunt of Fear. Besides gleefully
recounting the unpleasant details of the stories, the characters squabbled with one another, unleashed an arsenal of puns and even
insulted and taunted the readers: "Greetings, boils and ghouls..." This irreverent mockery of the audience also became the trademark
attitude of Mad, and such glib give-and-take was later mimicked by many, including Stan Lee at Marvel Comics.

EC's most lasting legacy came with Mad, which started as a side project for Kurtzman before buoying the company's fortunes and
becoming one of the country's most notable and enduring humor publication. When satire became an industry rage in 1954 and other
publishers created imitations of Mad, EC introduced a sister title, Panic, edited by Al Feldstein and using the regular Mad artists,
plus Joe Orlando.

Dell - Gold Key comics

2007-09-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for Jungle Twins distributed to newsstands. It was
created in 1962, when Western switched to in-house publishing rather than packaging content for branding and
distribution by its business partner, Dell Comics.

Gold Key featured a number of licensed properties and several original titles (including a number of publications that spun-off from
Dell's Four Color series). It maintained decent sales numbers throughout the 1960s, thanks to its offering many titles based upon
popular TV series of the day, as well as numerous titles based upon both Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. animated properties.
It was also the first company to publish comic books based upon Star Trek.

Over the years it did lose several properties, including the King Features Syndicate characters (Popeye, Flash Gordon, The Phantom,
etc) in 1966, the Hanna Barbera characters (to Charlton Comics) in 1970, and Star Trek (to Marvel Comics) in 1979.

The stable of writers and artists built up by Western Publishing during the Dell Comics era mostly continued into the Gold Key era.
In the mid-60s a number of artists left to work for the newly formed Disney Studio Program. Among the few new creators at Gold Key
were writers Don Glut, Len Wein and Mark Evanier and artist Mike Royer. Also in the 70s writer Bob Gregory started drawing Mod Squad,
mostly for Daisy and Donald.

A striking difference between Gold Key and other publishers (which had been done by Dell as well) was to publish most of their
mystery, jungle, Monkees, adventure and the like series with full color painted covers rather than the standard
line-artwork.

In the 1970s, when the MARS Patrol industry experienced a downswing, Gold Key was among the hardest hit. Its editorial policies had not
kept pace with changing times and suffered erosion of its base of sales among children who could now instead watch cartoons and other
entertainment on free television. By 1977, all of the company's original Man From UNCLE had been cancelled (most had been dropped circa
1973-1974), and its licensed Mighty Samson were virtually all reprint-only, although Gold Key was still able to obtain the rights to publish
a comic book series based upon Buck Rogers in the 25th Century between 1979 and 1981.

In this period Gold Key experimented with Konas, to some success, and distributing comic books simultaneously both on racks at
drug stores, super markets and such under the Gold Key label and — usually in plastic bags of three — in toy and department stores,
along with newsstands at airports and bus/train stations "as well as other outlets that weren't conducive to conventional comic
racks" under the Korak logo which it also used for such products as coloring books. Western at one point also distributed bagged
comics from its rivals DC Comics and Marvel Comics under the Whitman logo. President of DC Comics Paul Levitz has stated "The Western
program was enormous — even well into the '70s they were taking very large numbers of DC titles for distribution (I recall 50,000+
copies offhand)." Continued declining sales forced Western in 1981 to cease newsstand distribution and thereafter release all
its comics solely in bags as "Lancelot Link".
The "Lone Ranger" logo was discontinued. Eventually arrangements were made to distribute
these releases to the nascent national network of comic book stores as part of the Whitman alternate methods of distribution. All of
these efforts proved ultimately unsuccessful, and by 1984 Western was out of the comic book business.

Three of Gold Key's original characters —
Magnus Robot Fighter,
Doctor Solar, and
Turok, Son of Stone — were used in the 1990s to
launch Valiant Comics' "Valiant Universe".

Dark Horse Comics has published reprints, including several in hardcover collections, of such original Gold Key titles as
Dark Shadows,
Four Color,
Funky Phantom,
Gunsmoke, and the Russ Manning-produced
Hair Bear Bunch series. The Checker Book Publishing Group, in
conjunction with Paramount Pictures, began reprinting the Gold Key Dagar The Invincible series in 2004.

Other popular Gold Key titles included:

Dr Spektor

Outer Limits

Phantom

Tarzan

TOKA
Jungle King

Tragg and the Sky Gods

UFO Flying Saucers

Woodsy Owl

Captain America

2007-09-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

In the Human Torch story titled
"Captain America" in Marvel Comics'
Strange Tales #114 (Nov. 1963), writer-editor Stan Lee and artist
and co-plotter Jack Kirby depicted the brash young Fantastic Four
member Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in an exhibition performance
with Captain America, described as a legendary World War II and 1950s superhero who has returned after many years of apparent
retirement. The 13-page story ends with this Captain America revealed as an impostor: the villain the Acrobat, a former circus
performer the Torch had defeated in Strange Tales #106. Afterward, Storm digs out an old comic book in which Captain America is shown
to be Steve Rogers. A caption in the final panel says this story was a test to see if readers would like Captain America to return.

Captain America was then formally reintroduced in The Avengers #4 (March 1964), which explained that in the final days of WWII,
Captain America fell from an experimental drone plane into the North Atlantic Ocean and spent decades frozen in a state of suspended
animation. He quickly became leader of that superhero team. Following the success of other Marvel characters introduced during the
1960s, Captain America was recast as a hero "haunted by past memories, and trying to adapt to 1960s society."

After then guest-starring in the feature Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #58 (Oct. 1964), Captain America gained his own solo feature
in that "split book", beginning the following issue. Kirby, Captain America's co-creator during the 1940s period fans and historians
call the Golden Age of comic books was illustrating his hero's solo adventures again for the first time since 1941. Issue #63
(March 1965), which retold Captain America's origin, through #71 (Nov. 1965) was a period feature set during World War II and
co-starred Captain America's Golden Age sidekick, Bucky.

In the 1970s, the post-war versions of Captain America were retconned into separate, successive characters who briefly took up the
mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers went into suspended animation near the end of World War II. The hero found a
new generation of readers as leader of the all-star superhero team the Avengers, and in a new solo feature beginning in
Tales of Suspense #59 (Nov. 1964), a "split book" shared with the feature Iron Man. Kirby drew all but two of the stories in
Tales of Suspense, which became Captain America with #100 (April 1968); Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. each filled-in once. Several
stories were finished by penciler-inker George Tuska over Kirby layouts, with one finished by Romita Sr. and another by penciler
Dick Ayers and inker John Tartaglione. Kirby's regular inkers on the series were Frank Giacoia (as "Frank Ray") and Joe Sinnott,
though Don Heck and Golden Age Captain America artist Syd Shores inked one story each. The new title Captain America continued to
feature artwork by Kirby, as well as a short run by Jim Steranko, and work by many of the industry's top artists and writers. It
was called Captain America and the Falcon from #134-222.

Aquaman

2007-09-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Aquaman is a fictional character, superhero in DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun
Comics # 73 (November 1941). Initially a back-up feature in DC's anthology hero titles, Aquaman later featured in his own title
multiple times. Nearly two decades later, during the superhero-revival period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books, he was a
founding member of the Justice League of America. Later still, in the 1990s-present Modern Age of Comic Books, Aquaman's character
became more serious, with storylines depicting the weight of his title.

Aquaman has also appeared in animated and live-action TV shows. In pop culture, Aquaman has been the victim of satire and
mockery for his powers, which are often portrayed in such situations as useless or irrelevant.

Starting in 1959, Aquaman's backstory and character were revised, with various new supporting characters added and several adjustments
made to the character's origins, powers, and persona.

In Adventure Comics #260 (May 1959) and subsequent Silver Age comics, it was revealed that Aquaman was Arthur Curry, the son of
Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, a water-breathing outcast from the lost, underwater city of Atlantis. Due to his
heritage, Aquaman discovered as a youth that he possessed various superhuman abilities, including the powers of surviving underwater,
communication with sea life, and tremendous swimming prowess. Eventually, Arthur decided to use his talents to become the defender of
the Earth's oceans, first starting a career as "Aquaboy," and meeting Superboy (Earth's only other superpowered hero at the time) on
one occasion (Superboy #171, Jan 1971). When Arthur grew up, he called himself Aquaman.

It was later revealed (in Aquaman #29) that after Atlanna's death, Tom Curry met and married an ordinary human woman and had a son
named Orm Curry, Aquaman's half-brother. Orm grew up as a troubled youth in the shadow of his brother, who constantly bailed him out
of trouble with the law. He grew to hate Aquaman not only for the powers that he could never possess but also because he knew that
their father would always favor Aquaman. Orm disappeared after becoming an amnesiac and would resurface years later as Aquaman's
arch-nemesis, Ocean Master.

By the late 1950s, Aquaman's ability to talk with fish had been expanded to full-fledged telepathic communication with sea creatures
even from great distances, but in Adventure Comics #256 (Jan 1959) he was also retroactively given a specific weakness akin to
Superman's vulnerability to Kryptonite or Green Lantern's vulnerability to the color yellow: Aquaman had to come into contact with
water at least once per hour, or he would die (prior to this story Aquaman could exist both in and out of water indefinitely). This
problem was later explained as a characteristic of all Atlanteans .

Warren Publishing

2007-09-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Fantasy films were the focus of Famous Monsters of
Filmland and Monster World, edited by Forrest J. Ackerman. After first introducing
what he called "Monster Comics" in Monster World, Warren expanded in 1965 with horror-comics stories in what would become a highly
popular duo of magazines, Creepy and Eerie. They were created partly in response to the Comics Code Authority, established in 1954 to
help ensure comics were suitable for parents. By publishing graphic stories in a magazine format to which the Code did not apply,
Warren paved the way for such later graphic-story magazines as the American version of Heavy Metal, Marvel Comics' Epic Illustrated
and Warren's own line of magazines.

Russ Jones, the founding editor of Creepy in 1964, detailed the magazine's origins and his lengthy negotiations with Warren in the
memoir "Creepy & Eerie" at his website. In 1965, Archie Goodwin replaced Jones as the editor of Creepy, and Joe Orlando acted as a
behind-the-scenes story editor. Goodwin, who would become one of comics' foremost and most influential writers, helped to establish
the company as a major force in its field. During this period Warren also published a war-comics magazine, Blazing Combat, that
lasted four issues.

After 17 issues of Creepy and 11 of Eerie, Goodwin resigned as editor in 1967. During the next two-and-a-half years, those titles
consisted primarily of reprints from the early issues. During this period, a variety of editors ran the magazines including Bill
Parente, Nicola Cuti, and Warren himself. Things started picking up again for Warren in 1969 with the premiere of its third horror
magazine, Vampirella. Many of Warren's original artists returned during this period, as would Goodwin for a period of time in 1970
and 1971.

Warren's success eventually gave Marvel Comics, DC Comics,
and Charlton Comics the impetus to re-enter the horror field, leading to a
1970s revival of horror comics. After Goodwin's second departure, editors would J.R. Cochran. The art director was Billy Graham.

The Defenders

2007-09-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

The origin of the Defenders can be traced back to two crossover story arcs by Roy Thomas prior to the official founding of the team.
The first, in Doctor Strange #183 (November 1969),
Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970), and The
Incredible Hulk #126 (April 1970) occurred
when the Doctor Strange series was cancelled and the storyline was completed in the other series. Dr. Strange teams with Sub-Mariner,
then Hulk to protect the Earth from invasion by Lovecraftian inter-planetary beings known as the Undying Ones. Barbara Norriss, later
the host of the Valkyrie, first appears in this story. In the second arc (featured in Sub-Mariner #34 and #35, February and
March 1971), Namor enlists the aid of the Silver Surfer and the Hulk to stop a potentially devastating weather control experiment
(and to inadvertently free a small island nation from a dictator) and face the Avengers. These two story arcs were reprinted in the
first Essential Defenders volume.

The Defenders first appeared as a feature in Marvel Feature #1 (December, 1971), where the founding members gathered to battle the
alien techno-wizard Yandroth and decided to remain as a team. They soon got their own eponymous series where they first battled the
Undying Ones.

The best-known and most prominent members of the Defenders are Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Silver Surfer,
Nighthawk, Valkyrie, and Hellcat. Though the team was founded by Strange, Namor, and the Hulk, the others are generally considered to
be core members of the team. A large number of other heroes worked alongside the team in its original incarnation, with a number
becoming "official" members. Other notable members include Hawkeye, Devil-Slayer, Son of Satan, Clea, Moondragon, the Gargoyle,
the Beast, Iceman, and The Angel.

As of issue #125, Defenders was retitled to New Defenders as the "big four" (Doctor Strange, The Silver Surfer, The Hulk and Namor)
were forced to leave the team. This was the result of an alien prophecy that stated that these four, operating as a group, would be
responsible for destroying the world. The remaining group of Defenders finally disbanded in New Defenders #152, as a number of the
members had apparently died and several others left the team to join X-Factor. Several of these seemingly-deceased members later
returned in issues of Solo Avengers, in Strange Tales vol. 2 #5-7, followed by issues #3-4 of the relaunched Doctor Strange,
Sorcerer Supreme series.

80 Page Giant

2007-09-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

80-Page Giant was the name used for a series of comic books published by DC Comics beginning in 1964. The series was named for its
unusually high page count (32 pages being the norm for American monthly comics at this time). The cover price was typically 25 cents
(other comics of the day which were rarely above twelve cents). Many of these Giant issues contained reprinted material, often
including material from the Golden age era of comics. Each issue would focus upon a particular DC character or group, such as
Superman, Batman, or Jimmy Olsen. The 80-Page Giant format and numbering would later be used for special extra-large, reprint-heavy
issues of their regularly published titles.

In the late nineties, DC Comics began publishing 80-Page Giant specials which were special publications relating to a series
(including Secret Origins, which had not been an ongoing title for years) and which were usually compilations.

Not Dead

2007-09-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, the blog isn't dead, I've just been busy, so keep sending in all your great retro ideas and stuff. There's also a great new message board if you want to add more of your own commentary.

Blogs you should read

2007-08-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

James's Blog

Todd's Blog

Santa's Blog

Marvel movies

2007-08-08T07:47:00.001-07:00

List of movies based on Marvel comic characters, in chronological order:

Captain America 1944 Republic Pictures serial; Marvel was then known as Timely Comics
Dr. Strange 1978 Universal TV TV movie
Captain America 1979 Universal TV TV movie
Captain America II: Death Too Soon 1979 Universal TV TV movie
Red Sonja 1985 Dino De Laurentiis Company
Howard the Duck 1986 Universal Studios
The Punisher 1989 New World Pictures direct-to-video
Power Pack 1991 New World Entertainment TV movie; unreleased
Captain America 1991 21st Century Film direct-to-video
Fantastic Four 1994 New Horizons unreleased
Generation X 1996 New World Entertainment TV movie
Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1998 20th Century Fox Television TV movie
Blade 1998 New Line Cinema
X-Men 2000 20th Century Fox
Blade II 2002 New Line Cinema
Spider-Man 2002 Columbia Pictures
Daredevil 2003 20th Century Fox
X2: X-Men United 2003 20th Century Fox
Hulk 2003 Universal Studios
The Punisher 2004 Lions Gate Films / Artisan Entertainment
Spider-Man 2 2004 Columbia Pictures
Blade: Trinity 2004 New Line Cinema
Man-Thing 2005 Artisan Entertainment Planned as direct-to-video, but premiered on TV
Elektra 2005 20th Century Fox
Fantastic Four 2005 20th Century Fox
Ultimate Avengers 2006 Lions Gate Entertainment animated, direct-to-video
X-Men: The Last Stand 2006 20th Century Fox
Ultimate Avengers 2 2006 Lions Gate Entertainment animated, direct-to-video
The Invincible Iron Man 2007 Lions Gate Entertainment animated, direct-to-video
Ghost Rider 2007 Columbia Pictures
Spider-Man 3 2007 Columbia Pictures
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer 2007 20th Century Fox

Blah, Blog, Blah

2007-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

He was Itto Ogami, a man who held himself to the harsh code of Bushido, entrusted by the Shogun with the gravest of responsibilities, that of official executioner. His flashing blade brought swift release to those ordered to commit Seppuku, ritual suicide - be they man, woman, or even child.

He was Itto Ogami, falsly accused of treason by the evil Yagyu Clan, stripped of his position; his wife murdered by Yagyu assassins.

He was Itto Ogami, a father who gave his infant son a terrible choice between a beautiful red ball and a sword. To choose the ball meant to join his mother in the Void, to choose the sword meant to join his father, now a Ronin, a samurai without a master, in a terrible journey that must end in revenge and death.

Now Ogami and his son are no more, and through the countryside of Japan stalks

The Lone Wolf and Cub!
500 gold pieces will buy his sword, but nothing can buy his honor.

The classic "Baby Cart" films are finally available in legitimate wide-screen collectors editions (on both VHS and now DVDs!), lovingly translated and subtitled by the famous AnimEigo team.

Now for the first time you can experience the true depth of plot and subtlety of expression of this magnificent series, justly acclaimed as one of the classics of the genre!

Also available: Shogun Assassin, the legendary re-editing of the first two LW&C movies.

James's blog

Santa's blog

The Avengers

2007-08-04T10:30:00.001-07:00

Growing up, The Avengers was one of my favorite comics. Back then they still had the classic lineup of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Vision, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, the Wasp, and whoever Hank Pym was at the time. They were a powerful group, and it was always fun to see them fight other groups of strong villains, like Zodiac.

Ultron was one of my favorite villains, as was, a little later, the Taskmaster, who could perform all sorts of feats after simply watching someone else do them (i.e., he had some of Spider-Man's athletic ability after seeing him do a leap on TV). I never liked Dr. Doom that much, but he was always more of a Fantastic Four villain anyway. The year-long sequence where they fought Korvac, and all nearly died, was really good.

I don't read current comics, but I'm glad to know that kids are still digging the Avengers. And why shouldn't they? They still are, after all, the world's greatest super-team. Now, if they could just get the Hulk to come back...

Collecting stuff

2007-08-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

I just don't get people who collect absolutely nothing. I can understand it if they just want an uncluttered house; but these people are deprived of a profound source of pleasure, one which is well known to those of us who do collect and get an immense kick out of it.

Some people collect antiques; some collect comic books. Some collect trading cards or movie posters or lunch boxes. Some people build up a huge movie collection, which is a sort of collecting. Some people's collecting habits are way out there, to my mind - barbed wire, thimbles, salt shakers, dirt from celebrity property.

If I had the cash, I'd like to create an immense cabinet of curiosities (do a search on the term) filled with all sorts of esoteric weirdness. Skulls, fetuses in jars (which carnie people refer to as 'pickled punks,' by the way), stuffed-and-mounted Sasquatch carcasses, and other curious and amazing bits of this and that.

Yob Yob Where's My Yob

2007-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've never seen a UFO, nor Bigfoot nor any other such unexplainable thing (well, except for that man with no head...) But the idea of beings from other worlds fascinates me and, I'm sure, most other people as well.

Why not? It's terribly pretentious to think that Earth would be the only planet to hold life - especially given that compared to the rest of the universe our little world is like a speck of dust, and our civilization and even our atmosphere like a breath of moisture on that speck.

Do I think aliens are visiting us in their flying saucers? No, but although most civilized people scoff at the notion, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. After all, the United States has its own spaceships in the form of the space shuttles, right? And yet a lot of people still believe in Noah's Ark. Go figure.

If little green men invade or Mars attacks us, I'd be surprised and horrified, but more likely, if they came all this way across the vastness of space, surely they would have more benefical motives.

Well, I hope, anyway.

Crazy mixed-up pop culture

2007-07-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, what kind of wacky stuff can we get into today?

Summer used to be a time when a kid could get into his own little world, at least in his own imagination, and not have to return to reality until suppertime or sunset. Are kids really more indoor-centric these days, or is that a myth propagated by a jealous (of their youth) media? Goodness knows I had a great tan as a kid, because on clear summer mornings I would literally RUN out the front door to go and see what my friends and I would be getting into that day.

Awesome memories:

Reading Charlton horror comics on the front porch; staging titanic battles with my and my friends' collections of action figures; watching Dark Shadows in the afternoons (syndicated reruns by that time); catching lightning bugs (aka fireflies) after dark; writing and trading messages in secret code with buddies; and more.

Ah, youth: wasted on the young.