"Post No. 715"

Been off from work both yesterday and today (and tomorrow). Sort of wish I could work tomorrow as it hurts the ol' paycheck come Friday with just 34 hours, but I occasionally get those short weeks on the schedule.

Anyway, it gave me a little time to get some things done and still get to relax a little (although I had a fitful night's sleep last night with leg cramps and soreness from just overdoing it on yard work).

Yesterday I weed-eated mom's yard and put more calking on the shingles over the area where she had a major roof leak in the hopes that'll finally stop it, plus trimmed at least four foot from the side of the neighbor's hedge row that was infringing onto mom's property so much I couldn't even mow in that area (of course, I asked her neighbor's permission first; they're elderly and have no one to do such things).

Also went by the local flea market where I found VHS copies of "Radar Men from The Moon" (the complete 12 chapter serial) and "Justice League" (the animated 1 hr. first season opener), and a Reader's Digest from 2005 with a Beatles cover and article.

Also bought a fairly large "Batmobile" for my collection of such. Has a built-in "Bat-Bike" (for Robin); think it's from the George Clooney "Batman & Robin" flick now from several years past.

My wife set up at Somersville, KY. at a craft show and did really lousey sales-wise due to the 96 degree heat I think mostly. No one wants to get out in it if they can help it and I can't say I blame them. This is one of the hotter summers we've had here in S-Central, KY. for a while and when it does rain it seems to always be thunderstorms.

I did get in a copy of Comics Monographics: The Origin of Marvelman #1 (2nd. revised printing), published by Boardman Books. I was hoping this would have more reprints of Marvelman than it did (just 6 pages), but it was excellant all the same giving a precise history of the UK character and how it was continued from L. Miller Co.'s reprints of Fawcett's "Captain Marvel", "Whiz", "Captain Marvel, Jr.", etc. from the late Golden Age and into the early 1950's and beyond.

This, of course, is the same character that Eclipse Comics later licensed and it became "Miracleman" which contained not just UK stuff but original material by both Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, and the character also appeared in at least a couple of dozen issues of Warrior magazine.

The book contained (probably) a complete listing of everything published by Len Miller, as well as a history of comic books in the UK and even touched on another UK publisher, Alan Class. I've always enjoyed these UK comics whenever I'd find one for my collection as they reprinted a variety of material (sans B&W) from DC, Atlas, Charlton and ACG (and others). In fact, I enjoy foreign comic books as a whole whenever they reprint decent material. 52 pages from Boardman Books, square-bound and it may be carried by Amazon.com (not sure), and hey! It even has a photo of Ringo Starr holding a British comic he's reading (which gives it a listing over on my "Beatles & Bizarros"> blog site (under the trade paperback section). $14.99 cover price, color cover and B&W interiors with several photos and the back cover has color repros of Marvelman covers.

"Post No. 714"

Here on my 59th. birthday I reflect on how quickly times goes by. Seems like it wasn't so long ago I had a tenth birthday party, although that was waaayyy back in 1961, but I can recall the events of the day and the people who attended it so well. Guess I'd best enjoy this last year of my 50s as much as possible. At least I can look forward to only 3 more years before collecting my SS and perhaps cutting back the number of hours at work each week.

And, over on my Facebook page, I've created a seperate Album just for my artwork done over the past 40 or so years (the link to such is HERE). So instead of just having a link on this page to show a single piece of work occasionally, now one can see a multitude "over there". I'll be adding new pieces (and old) from time-to-time.

Business has picked up considerably at the retail store. The economy is either getting better, or people are just fed up with not spending any money. "Whatever", it assures me a steady paycheck.

"Post No. 713"

A really nice snag at the local flea market today; a copy of the first issue of Life Magazine from 1936 for fifty cents. I also bought four other issues of Life from the 1940-early 50's and a small stack of comics, the best of those being Incredible Hulk 195 & 196 and Marvel Tales 57 & 61 for a total of $5.50.

This makes to second copy of Life No. 1 I've had over the years, the other found at a flea market or antique store (I forget) in Louisville, Ky. around 1968, but that one had the centerfold missing (but a better conditioned front cover).

Business has been picking up pretty good sales-wise at the retail store where I work. A lot of people traveling, and not just one shorter trips as in previous Summers. Already I've had people from Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, and Ohio (and those are just the ones I recall). Even my wife sold better at the flea market set up this weekend with her crafts. Of course, this could just be a peak inbetween recessions.

My good friend Steve gave me a copy of the book, Ticket To Ride, written by Larry Kane and I've been reading through it. It's difficult for me to find anything new about the Beatles after reading probably 50+ books on the group, but this book is about their first 1964 (and '65) tour of the U.S. where Kane was their exclusive interviewer. Those were strange times for America. We'd just lost a beloved president a few months earlier and we were looking for something to cheer back up the nation as a whole. The Beatles accomplished this in many ways, and, even for those who didn't like them, it gave them something else to talk about and get their minds off of their sorrow.

This book shows the beginnings of John Lennon's controversies due to his many statements which you either loved or hated, and a joyful time for the band before the real beginnings of the drug culture and the hippie movements, right smack on the middle of the civil rights movement and the beginnings of feminism. Well recommended reading, and it comes with a free CD of Beatle interviews.

"Post No. 712"

REVIEW OF "JONAH HEX" (Movie/2010)
Well....

"Spoiler" Alert: (Although after reading this you probably won't want to see it anyway.)

I watched the "Jonah Hex" flick today. I hated watching this movie because I knew ahead of time I'd be disapointed. And, I was, but not as much as say, last year's offering of "The Spirit".

The flick was dark and moody; a combination of the original DC comic title and the later Vertigo versions. The fliming was poor. His origin was changed, naturally. Like someone was afraid they'd offend all Native Americans if they'd done it true to it's original source material. They make 'someone" else responcible for his disfigurement.

A supernatural aspect was given to the character (like they couldn't leave well enough alone.)

Better things to say: The acting was for the better part "okay". The make-up on Jonah's face, pretty close. The link Here with Wikipedia will give you a good explanation of the plot as well as a list of actors.

I'd give it a rating, but I don't care to use that sort of language here.

It's a western. How hard is that to screw up? Obviously, really easy.

"Post No. 711"

Busy, busy day, today.

My wife and I took my mother to her pacemaker doctor some 45 miles North of here. We couldn't have asked for any prettier day, with temperatures not exceeding the mid 80's and a blue sky with not a cloud in sight, and a light, gentle breeze.

We stopped along the way up there at one multi-family yard sale where we found some goodies. My wife bought some summer shoes, about 100 bobbins of tread, etc., and I bought two large plush dolls of Batman & Superman (each about 3 foot tall!) and a Robin doll (about 1/2 the size of the others) for $5. total, and the woman threw in a Justice League Unlimited tin case (for holding action figures) and a Marvel Super-heroes paper folder, plus a cloth tote for free! I also bought a package of 50 unopened floppies and a working adding machine w/paper for $2. each, so we got a lot of nice deals!

Then on to the pacemaker doctor where we stayed maybe a hour and a half, and on the way home, we stopped at an antique mall where I hurridly looked through a few hundred comics and purchased 8 of them for $6. They included: Justice league America (DC/1989) 32 (Giffen/DeMatteis issue), The Young All-Stars Annual (DC/1988) #1, Prime (Malibu) #1 (1993/1st.app.), Captain Confederacy (Epic-Marvel) #2 (1991), HULK v2 (Marvel) #11 (2000), Archer and Armstrong (Valiant) 32 (1992/"Unity" x-over/Barry Winsor-Smith artwork/2nd. Valiant app. of "Turok"), and Ultra Klutz (Onward) #2 (1986)by small press writer/artist, Jeff Nicholson , and one of the more interesting comics, Berzerker #1 (Gauntlet/1993). Berzerker was originally supposed to have been published back in the 1980's and was even advertised in Megaton #2 (Magaton pubs./1985). This issue also has a pin-up by Erik ("Savage Dragon") Larson, and 2 different pin-ups of the character by Rob ("Youngblood") Liefeld, and has a reprint of the "Knight Watchman" from Detective Comics (DC) #38 (Aug., 1940). Angel Medina does the artwork (who most are familiar with); it's some of his earliest.

Then we stopped at Wendy's Restaurant for lunch and finally on the way back home we stopped at the cemetary up there for a while where my wife's parents are buried.Finally back at home we had to stop and get some more medicine for my mom. We all had a full day and a tiring one.