As of the time of this blog post Sasha is just about my favorite Comic Book Reviewer on YouTube. Her wit and insights are fun and informative and I am here for it all. Being an old man in the comics realm, who is pretty knowledgeable about pre Y2K comics, I find that I have new ways to look at old comics along with a different viewpoint that I can appreciate. Her videos have help to deepen my comics palate. While your mileage may vary with her style, I can watch her videos all day. If you are looking for a strong reviewer who comes with all the receipts… watch Casually Comics on YouTube.
Grab a cup of coffee, Sasha’s Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane series has a lot of a lot to unpack. Enjoy!
The Hostess with the Mostess Ads… Today we are going to take a look at vintage Hostess advertisements in comic books. There is something about these old advertisements, they were quaint and entertaining. That is the thing about them, the entertainment factor. That sticks with you longer than the empty calories that the content would have you consume. If more ads would take the whimsical approach, the message might just resonate with consumers like these old ads do with many of us. In a world that deals in stocks made of mindshare and dreamtime, this approach would be just as successful in an even shorter meme format.
Joan Lee: The Mother of the Marvel Age. It was a sad day for comics, on July sixth, 2017. That was the day that Stan Lee’s bride of 70 years, Joan Lee, passed away at the age of 93. “93?”, you may ask… “wasn’t that a full and long life?” Sure it was. That’s a great run. I am reflecting on the gift that she gave all geeks, and that gift was being the impetus for bringing about the “Marvel Age” of comics.
Stan was ready to leave his position at the company, then called “Atlas”, and told his wife he had had enough. She told him to do one last story, and to tell it the way he saw fit. That COSMIC nudge created a multiverse of characters, and brought a failing company back from the ashes. Not only did this ignite the creation of new heroes and titles, it also bolstered the whole industry. Even DC was feeling the pressure and some of their top characters were heading dangerously close to the chopping blocks.
There is nothing better than competition and a great rivalry to bring a faltering industry back from the brink. We can point to Stan, or Jack, or anybody else and heap praise upon them… and we wouldn’t be wrong. BUT, if we drill down deeper we can find that Marvel Universe “Big Bang” moment in the simple words of encouragement of Joan Lee.
Without Joan, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. The world of geekdom would probably look far different than it does now.
