"Reviews and news"

The latest issue of DC's The Brave & The Bold (#8) was certainly a disapointment for this old fan of "The Doom Patrol". Not that George Perez's artwork wasn't his usual great stuff, but I really didn't care for the way he and Mark Waid portrayed the characters. They've played "Rita" like some sort of buffoon and made "The Chief" look like he's just some totally uncaring and obsessed scientist. I'd just as well they not do any future issues ever starring this team if that's the way they plan on showing them.

Well today it's been raining (again). What we lacked in Summer we have now gone over-board with as the first day of Winter approaches, and personally I'm pretty sick of all this wetness. Driving to and from work in it, plus having to do work outside at times in it at my job, and then not being able to get anything constructive done on my days off due to it if it's outside work. Such as today.

My good friend, Steve, came down to visit me from Hodgensville, bringing some comics that interested me, and he looked through many boxes of what I consider "stock" and we did a trade, and afterwards he was planning to drive on down to Bowling Green. I feel for him because it was only maybe an hour after he left here that the rain began again.

And today as well I was going to take all of this stock on down and store it at my mom's and get me a little room here in my pc room where it's all stacked, only to now put that off until my next day off from work (Tuesday) and attempt same again. I have to get these boxes out of my way so I can bring other boxes into the room and that would give me the space to look thru yet "other" boxes to see what I still wish to weed out and trim down from my collections.

At least now the weather report is saying that perhaps we'll only get an inch or less of snow tonight, which will please me like punch as I hate snow anyway and would just as well not see any this year at all.

In other news, I used the "Buy It Now" option today on eBay to purchase a cheap copy of DC's 1970's title 1st. Issue Special (#5), which was the final issue I needed to complete that set, as well as yet another bronze-age DC comic that was drawn by Jack Kirby. I'm finally getting the DC 70's Kirby collection about completed, having picked up a copy of Sandman #4 (1975) recently, completing that set as well. There's still some books I've got to get to round that one out, most notably the other issues I still need of Black Magic (the 70's reprint issues), a 1970's Boy Commandoes #2, etc., plus the two magazines Kirby did: In the Days of the Mob, and Spirit World. I'm not sure just what collection I'll work on next, but it'll more than likely be trying to finish off my Swamp Thing sets, with a cut-off at ST V2 #64 (the final Alan Moore issue).

Oh yes, the comics I got today in trade were full sets of Charlton's Go-Go (1-9) and Reptilicus/Reptisaurus (1-8 & '63 Spec.Ed., from 1961-63). Reptilicus was a movie adaptation of the B-Grade flick from the early 1960's and the title ran two issues until it changed to Reptisaurus. Reptilicus #1 came out at the same time as Charlton's Konga #1, and was the third of their "monster" title (with Gorgo being Charlton's first one).

The Go-Go's (1966-67) are just plain fun! The first two issues feature "Beatles' app.'s", but every issue had some sort of photo pin-ups of singing groups from that time, such as "The Byrds", "Sonny & Cher", "The Lovin' Spoonful", "The Monkees", etc. In fact, I discovered two new silver-age Beatles' mentions in #6 of Go-Go and have noted them over on my "Beatles & Bizarros" blog site!)

And there are parodies of the JLA (called The "Bestest League of America", as well as "Blooperman" and even one of Batman & Robin, and some of the Marvel super heroes. Topped off with some great fave fanwork by the likes of Richard "Grass" Green makes this title very memorable.

Another thing Steve brought down for me was a copy of a 2005 "White Castle" comic giveaway called: White Castle Goes MAD, which, according to this little 12 giveaway, was one of two issues, although this is the first one I'd ever seen. Pretty neat, really. It has several panels by Peter Bagge, a page by Al Jaffee, some work by Aragones, plus a "Spy VS. Spy" cover and one page gag and even a one page "Fantastic Four" parody. I'd be interested in seeing/obtaining the other one sometime. And he brought me back two pieces of my own artwork from circa 1971, one of which was approx. 8-1/2" by 11" and the other quite large (24" x 18"), both in oils and on canvas boards. I must admit to completely forgetting that I had done either piece since these are now 37 years old. It was strange looking at these and evaluating how very much my work has changed since the time I was a mere 20 year old. The larger one I had titled: "Six Against Minotaur", and shows the back of the villian with six various DC heroes about to attack him (with a dock, river, and city skyline in the background). I must say that my choices for the misc. heroes was a little odd, for they included "Hawk & The Dove", "Brother Power The Geek", "The Creeper", and "Captain Action & Action Boy". About the only connection I could get from that piece is that I really liked Gil Kane's artwork as it was the one factor (sans "Brother Power") all of these heroes had in common. It looks "okay' for that era of my life (except that I drew "Hawk" with a monkey face, LOL!).

The smaller piece I had titled: "Confronting The Demon", and this time, a barbarian's back was towards you and a lobster-clawed, green-faced, horned demon was rising into the air towards him in a lightning-lit night sky. And that's about all I can say about that. Definately not my greatest moment art-wise, and shows the influence barbarian-type paperbacks had on me which I read quite a lot of back then.
(Saturday: 12-15-07)


Well, we lucked out and didn't get even a good dusting of snow here this morning, but it sure is colder than old penquin sh*t. Fortunately this isn't supposed to last but a day or two and by Tuesday, my next day off, it's supposed to be clear and dry so maybe then I can finally get a chance to get a few things done around this place that ensues being outside. Like loading up all of those boxes of "stock" and taking them to storage, bringing parts of my real collections into the pc room again so I can have some room to get into all of the other boxes and go thru them to pull out any excess books I don't want to keep, and, just maybe, give me room to once again set up my artboard (rather than use a lap-type).

Work was busy today, but not really all that hectic as one might expect being the shopping season and all. There were three of us from noon on, and we were able to handle all of the customers quite well and even get out on time. While walking around the store I even managed to write up about five pages of stock to be pulled from the warehouse tomorrow. I wrote up so much stuff in fact that I finally just quit doing that since I'll never get it all pulled anyway.

And, I finally remembered to stop by a store on the way home and pick up some gift bags as well to put Christmas presents in and plan on doing that after while. I think maybe I've got all of the stuff I'll be buying for family finished this year.(Sunday: 12-16-07)


To All My Liberal Acquaintances:


Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.


To My Friends:


Merry Christmas (or, whatever), Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!

P.S.: (By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)Friday:12-20-07


Today at work was the most hectic I've seen for a while with those last minute Christmas shoppers. Thank goodness there's only three more shopping days left (actually, just two for me since I'm off tomorrow).

But I certainly won't get any rest. I'll need to once more get back up on the roof and search for the area that's causing a leak into my kitchen before it ruins the wood under the shingles. It's already causing some mold that I'll have to clean up now, and really, the whole ceiling will need a repaint job. I'll be glad when we can afford to have a whole new roof but on this place.

And today is the last day of Autumn, 2007, with tomorrow being the shortest day of the year.(12-21-07)