Saturday, May 25, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 145



Two house ads for the Columbia Pictures movie serial Batman (1943); printed in (top) Batman v.1 #20 (December 1943-January 1944) and (bottom) World's Finest Comics #12 (Winter [January] 1944)

Ad artwork taken from the iconic cover of Batman #9:


Cover of Batman v.1 #9 (February-March 1942), pencils by Fred Ray, inks by Jerry Robinson


Here's the first chapter of the serial! Please do not judge it by the quality of Batman's cowl. And a note: the historical wartime racism in this film is sadly typical for this period, but is not approved of by yours little stuffed truly.


Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 25: Tony kicked him so hard he tilted the panel


Panel from Iron Man (2012 series) #7 (May 2013), script by Kieron Gillen, pencils by Greg Land, inks by Jay Leisten, colors by Guru eFX, letters by Joe Caramagna

Friday, May 24, 2013

Today in Comics History, May 24, 2278: Abe Lincoln's future Wembley show is sold out


from Orbital v.1: Scars graphic novel (Cinebook, 2009), script by Sylvain Runberg, art by Serge Pellé, 2009 translation for Cinebook by Jerome Saincantin, English lettering by Imadjinn

A special Bully salute to pal "Dangerous" Dave Lartigue for supplying me with this scan, way back in November 2012. (At last I did not forget to post something on the day it was meant for!)

After this post, folks, Crosby's gonna sing. Now's the time to go out and get the popcorn.

This morning, comedy writer Jon Hendren posted on Twitter:


To which I immediately thought: Hey, if hooligans hanging out near Bob Hope's Hollywood Walk star need some dressing down, why not just actually get Bob Hope to deal with them?:


DC public service ad, mostly printed in black-and-white on the inside front covers of comics, but this color version is from The Flash #169 (April 1967). Script by Jack Schiff, pencils and inks by Bob Oksner, letters by Ira Schnapp

Pal R. J. White then twittermented, and I turned his verbatim words into a comic (thanks R. J.!)


saw some ruffians hanging out near the bob hope star. wanted to lecture them about jobs and cash but i enjoy not having stab wounds

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 144: From giant puppets to blood-vomiting Red Lanterns in a mere fifty years


House ad for Green Lantern #1 (July-August 1960); printed in Detective Comics #281 (July 1960)
Comic cover art: pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella, colors by Jack Adler (?), letters by Ira Schnapp
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 24: Already the New 52 Looker is more effective than the first one


Panels from National Comics: Looker one-shot (October 2012), script by Ian Edginton, pencils and inks by Mike S. Miller, colors by Rex Lokus and Antonio Fabela, letters by Carlos M. Mangual

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Pauli exclusion principle doesn't work like that, Kitty Pryde

Hey, I call shenanigans on this scene from this week's A+X...

Panels from the Spider-Woman/Kitty Pryde/Lockheed story in A+X #8 (July 2013), script by Gerry Duggan, pencils by Salvador Larroca, colors by David Ocampo, letters by Clayton Coyles

...in which Kitty "Everybody forgot I do have a code name" Pryde fully phases a solid object into another solid object and leaves it there. But I don't think so, at least as we've seen her power work in the past. So, no, no, no, no, no. (No.) The Pauli exclusion principle tells us that "no two identical fermions (particles with half-integer spin) may occupy the same quantum state simultaneously." You and I can sum this up, more or less, as "two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time." Kitty (or, say, the Vision) can phase through objects, but if she solidifies partly, it causes immense stress on the objects. usually this is illustrated in comics with a boom of some sort. Boom!

Well, at least, maybe. I will attempt to win my No-Prize right here (you may send my empty No-Prize envelope to me over the internet, Mister Stan Lee): the meteor is described as being a completely unknown substance. "We don't even know where it fits on the periodic table yet." say Spider-Woman earlier in the story. So, maybe that's the explanation: this mysterious alien substance which may be able to be phased into solid matter without damage.

Or: we might argue that Kitty's control of her phasing power has advanced to the point where she can slide the atoms of this meteor between the concrete of the pillar (after all, that's fundamentally how she phases), and then re-solidify the meteor so that its atoms co-exist in such close proximity that it's actually now interweaved with the concrete pillar. But then in the next panel the Absorbing Man breaks the pillar and takes the meteor out, so that can't be the explanation.


Or maybe the reason for it all is that A+X is primarily a punch-'em team-up book that's low on intricate plot but high on action, and it really doesn't matter. Let's face it: we'll probably never see that meteor again as it's only important to get the plot rolling. In other words: it's the MacGuffin Meteor.

But y'know, all that violation of SCIENCE! and physics really doesn't matter in a comic book which also contains this sight:


Panel portion from the Hawkeye/Deadpool story in A+X #8 (July 2013), script by Christopher Hastings, pencils and inks by Reilly Brown, colors by Brent Armstrong, letters by Clayton Coyles


I for one am really glad President Obama has produced the necessary documents needed to prove he is not a zombie. We're waiting for the same from you, Mister Romney!

I'm also willing to let A+X off the hook because it contains this scene of Deadpool making a boxing glove arrow by using one of Hawkeye's arrows and a Hulk Hand. Brain: meet awesome.


On second thought, Your Honor, I would like to drop the charges of not following its own internal pseudoscience against A+X #8 science due to its plea-bargain of awesome Hulk Hand arrows. Case dismissed!



Today in Comics History, May 23, 2003: As the media surges forward, Hank McCoy looks on with trepidation


from Batman: Orphans #1 (DC, February 2011), script by Eddie Berganza, pencils by Carlo Barberi, inks by Juan Vlasco, colors by Chuck Pires, letters by John Workman, Jr.

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 143


House ad for Strange Adventures v.1 #213 [Deadman] (July-August 1968); printed in Wonder Woman v.1 #177 (July-August 1968)
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino


Since "one picture is worth a one thousand words," as the ad tells us, here's the full gorgeous cover for that ish:


Cover of Strange Adventures v.1 #213 [Deadman] (July-August 1968), pencils and inks by Neal Adams


And here, in the form of a double-page spread from that issue by Neal Adams, is a couple bajillion more!

Two-page spread from of Strange Adventures v.1 #213; script, pencils, and inks by Neal Adams
(Click picture to blow-your-mind-size)

Neal Adams: the man voted most likely to freak me out in the late seventies.

Today in Comics History, May 23, 1958: Barry's cousin Van makes an important scientific discovery


from Super 8 one-shot insert (DC, August 2011), story by J.J. Abrams and David Baronoff, script by Peter Tomaso, pencils, inks and colors by Tommy Lee Edwards; letters by John Workman

Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 23: Wakanda way of fighting you think this is?


Panel from Storm v.2 #6 (September 2006), script by Eric Jerome Dickey, pencils by David Yardin and Lan Medina, inks by Jay Leisten and Sean Parsons, colors by Matt Milla, letters by Randy Gentile

Today in Comics History, May 23: Excessive champagne consumption knocks comic book color off-register


from "The Flying City Room" in Big Town #2 (DC, February 1951), script by France Herron, pencils by Dan Barry, inks by Sy Barry

And then they all drove out and got on the first flight of the Flying City Room. On champagne!


Happy first appearance, Flying City Room!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 142


House ad for DC Special #4 (July-September 1969); printed in Batman #213 (July-August 1969)
Comic cover art: pencils and inks by Neal Adams, letters by Gaspar Saladino
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino


Today in Comics History, May 22, 1863: A somber and solemn moment in our nation's history has Superman pasted into it



from Superman: A Nation Divided one-shot (DC, February 1999), script by Roger Stern, pencils and inks by Eduardo Barreto, colors by Chris Chuckry, letters by Bill Oakley

Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 22: Captain Kangaroo, no!


Panels from All Star Western #11 (September 2012), script by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, pencils and inks by Moritat, colors by Mike Atiyeh, letters by Rob Leigh

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Stuff Bully Got for Free Comic Book Day: I was born so beautiful but now I'm ugly

Hey, what did you get on Free Comic Book Day?


Panel from Uglydoll Comics (Free Comic Book Day 2013) one-shot (May 2013), script by Travis Nichols, pencils and inks by Ian McGinty, colors by Space Goat Productions, LLC

That's weird, because I got comics! Lots and lots of lovely free comic books from my favorite comic book store in the whole universe, Bergen Street Comics here in lovely Brooklyn. (Stop in and say hi to Tom and Tucker!) They had a big assortment for me, but I missed out on (by my own fault of lateness!) a copy of one of my most eagerly awaited FCBD books, the new tie-in to David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim's lovable felt friends, Uglydoll Comics! But never fear...once he learned I missed out on it, my good pal "Marvelous" Mike Sterling promised to send me a copy.


Hooray, Mike! Mike's from my second favorite comic book store, Ralph's Comic Corner as well as being a comics blogger extraordinary for the multiple award-winning* Progressive Ruin—home for all things Swamp Thing and Sluggo-related since 1969. Mike's also a big proponent and champion of Free Comic Book Day (see his post on Ralph's very successful Free Comic Book Day 2013 here). How big a champ of FCBD is he? So big he mailed me a free comic! Thank you, Mike! I say in HTML-coded bold letters. Heck, let's make 'em in HTML color! THANK YOU MIKE! I have enjoyed this comic book, very very very much!


And so did all my pals!


Thanks again, Mike! You rock! In that totally rocking way, of course.

(And by the way, since you can never watch it enough, here's me and my Uglydoll pal Ox in a little video I like to call "Go West." Because we did.)




*I am not certain if Mike has actually won any awards for Progressive Ruin, but gosh darnit, he oughta have. Even if he hasn't, he as at least won...my little stuffed heart!

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 141


House ad for The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #1 (July-August 1952); printed in Here's Howie #4 (July-August 1952)
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

And here's that cover in glorious four-color:


Cover of The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis #1 (July-August 1952), art by Howie Post (?) or Bob Oksner (?)

The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis featured cartoon versions of Dean 'n' Jerry (not to be confused with Tom & Jerry, or Ben & Jerry) in comedy stories of 2-3 chapters per issue, based on their screen personas. It's doubtful that Martin and Lewis had anything at all to do with the comics other than okaying their agents to license their names and likenesses, but I'd like to think they would have enjoyed it—it's actually pretty clever and funny.


Thanks to Jerry's horsing around, the pair are soon fired by their boss at the pastry factory, opening a position for Lucy Ricardo.


Oh, this won't end well.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (and its later replacement, The Adventures of Jerry Lewis) are pretty sharp, well-cartooned, and genuinely funny, much like its companion DC title The Adventures of Bob Hope. It's just too bad that expired licensing restrictions keep these comics from being reprinted for today's audience. They're a hoot!


Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 21: Get your kicks on the street


Panels from Gore #3 (May 2011), script by Alex Crippa, pencils by Emilio Laiso, colors by Alessia Noceera, letters by Studio Blue

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Entire Silver Age in One Comics Panel


Panel from "The Menace of Metallo!" in Action Comics #252 (May 1959), script by Robert Bernstein, pencils and inks by Al Plastino

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 140


House ad for Sea Devils #24 (July-August 1965); printed in Metamorpho #1 (July-August 1965)
Comic cover art: pencils by Howard Purcell, inks by Jack Adler
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp


Today in Comics History, May 20, 1912: Mrs. Barlowe accidentally names her son "Shadow"


from the Boy Commandos story "The Fight of the Century!" in Detective Comics (1937 series) #147 (DC, May 1949), pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by George Klein (?)

Kick in the Crotch Month, Day 20: It's funny because it's Aquaman


Panel from Legends of the DC Universe #26 (March 2000), script by Steve Englehart, pencils by Trevor Von Eeden, inks by Joe Rubinstein, colors by Rick Taylor, color separations by Digital Chameleon, letters by Sean Konot

Today in Comics History, May 20: Commissioner Gordon begins to regret appearing on The Apprentice


from Batman #405 (DC, March 1987), script by Frank Miller, pencils and inks by David Mazzucchelli, colors by Richmond Lewis, letters by Todd Klein

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Today in Comics History, May 19: Another inconvenient time for the Crisis on Infinite Earths


from Batman #405 (March 1987), script by Frank Miller, pencils and inks by David Mazzucchelli, colors by Richmond Lewis, letters by Todd Klein

Ten of a Kind: Hail, hail, the gang's all here












(More Ten of a Kind here.)