My first impressions of Ms. Marvel, streaming now. At least the first episode… I adore the young actor who portrays Kamala, she is fresh and adorably fun. Her sense of humor matches my own and she has a struggle as one of the uncool, nerdy kids… which I can relate to. The way her powers are inherited and played out on screen is really cool as well. It seems that Marvel is a tad bit Inhumans shy about the whole Terrigen Mist thing. The whole “elastic” superhero type wears thin on me, and I am not much of a fan. There should only be two of that sort of hero types, Mr. Fantastic and Plastic Man… sorry Elongated man, you should stick to being a detective. I didn’t like Ms. Marvel’s power set when she was introduced, but this version really is a nice new take on that elastic ability.
There’s been a new comic book imprint in town, and I’ve been greedy by not sharing it more. Atomic Comics has a wonderful Bronze-Age feel to the stories it tells. The writer, Christopher Mills, has the ability to tell a great story at a nice pace. I’ve been a fan since his Perils on Planet X comics from a few years ago. The public domain characters he’s taken on have really been a treat to read and I cannot wait until the next drop this Summer. Check out all of Atomic Pulp’s comics onIndyPlanet indyplanet.com/atomic-pulp-media.
Sleuth Comics
A macabre menace stalks disco crime boss Marco Caine, and only the caped and cowled crime buster known as the Black Owl can save him from “The Scream of the Silent Skull!”
In the time known as the Age Primeval, a mighty axe-wielding warrior wanders his savage world, trying to live down his legend. But he is Crom, the Unthroned King, and he cannot escape his destiny!
Today I hit 1500 designs on my TeePublic account. Not all are winners, but there are a few that some folks have really enjoyed. I still have yet to see one of my shirts out in the wild, but I have a few friends who have sent me photos of them sporting my work. This weekend TeePublic is having a sitewide sale so if you ever wanted any of my designs as a coffee mug, a sticker or some sort of wearable, please check the sale out. Right now, it’s one of my main hustles and I love doing it. That’s all for now… I am going to get back to designing now. Cheers!
Back in 1978-79 my Mum surprised me with two subscriptions to Marvel comics. One was for the Amazing Spider-Man and the other was for the Incredible Hulk.
My first issues were Spider-Man #212, the first appearance of Hydro-Man , and Hulk #254, the first appearance of the U-Foes. I remember these issues vividly. Now years before this epic moment in my life, well it seemed epic at the time, my Dad worked at a paper recycling place and would bring tones of comics home for me all of the time. They only made one move with us then my Mom tossed them all out. No big deal and she more than made up for it since then, I assure you. Did my new subscriptions make me a collector? Not yet.
I met a kid, Tony, in 1979 who introduced me to the X-Men. I was captivated by these young heroes. Sure I was always a fan of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and anybody else from the comics who you could view on TV once a week but not one of them had ever really captured my imagination like the X-Men. These were the original X-Men that I was reading in reprints. Then I got into the “All-New, All-Different, Uncanny” X-Men. My first issue that started this new team was actually Uncanny X-Men Annual #4, focusing on retrieving Kurt Wagner from Hell and co-starring Dr. Strange. Just after I got this issue I discovered a shop in my area called Comics & Comix. This place was a nerd mecca and I would have my parents drive me there on a weekly pilgrimage for the new books and even Japanese toys (which I’ll leave for another post). So, was I collecting? Nope.
My collecting days didn’t really begin until I was in Junior High and I picked up my first issue of The New Teen Titans #4. I then went all out to get the three issues before that and then every one after. This is when I considered myself a collector. When I 12 years old, I was taken to my first Comic Book Convention at a Red Lion in Sacramento, CA, given my first Overstreet Price Guide, received a copy of the original X-Men #1 as a birthday present, and I was a die-hard collector for many, many years after. DC and Marvel, then Mirage. It was all in my collection. Long box after long box. Big name books to the less popular titles like the Micronauts and Blue Devil.
In 2006, I dropped the collecting because I felt like the industry was selling me more expensive books with more ads. Now I picked up a book or three every now and then but not regularly. I even sold off a few hundred of my later Uncanny X-Men and that was a HUGE step for me.
So this brings us to today. I collect comics again. Not in a traditional matter but in digital format I’ve replaced every book that I ever had, lost, sold, or given away. Now I have them on several of my devices and can read them when and where I want. Having to NOT lug around thousands of books over the years is a sweet deal and I will never look back.
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way is a book by Stan Lee and John Buscema. This book walks you, the aspiring comic book artist, through the process of how to draw and create comic books. John Buscema illustrated the artwork, with plenty of Jack Kirby examples included as well. The first edition was published in 1978 by Marvel Fireside Books. The book has been reprinted many times and can easily be found for a very reasonable price both on the primary and secondary markets.
I can remember my original copy that I got in 1980 for my 10th birthday. It was my bible and I went everywhere with it. I’ve had several copies, and have given a few away to young aspiring artists that I have encountered in my life. If you haven’t read this book, I cannot recomend it enough. You can purchase a copy here: https://amzn.to/3fNITxi.
