What did YOU get on Free Comic Book Day?
Thanks, Chuck’s Comics, Amazing Spiral and Collector’s Corner.
Categories
Yesterday Was Free Comic Book Day
Tag: reviews
All three of my blog readers are already hip to this, but if you stumbled upon this website by happenstance, let me catch y’ up. I love Batman. I mean, like, how could I not? I was 12 in 1989. It was illegal to not love Batman back then. I guess that doesn’t exactly explain why I love him today, a million years later, but still, I never got over this goofball crap. Goodness knows I didn’t love Batman the whole time. Goodness no! How could I? Most Batman movies and comics if we are honest are pretty much awful. I guess what I am getting at, is I love THIS Batman.
Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns is the definitive Batman story. It should have been the last. I’m a huge Frank Miller fan, so this felt like the first place to take the plunge on one of these giant oversized IDW artist editions. The price point, no jiving, is scary, sure, but I’ve looked at this book 420 times since the 3rd of July (RIP America)
It is with a heavy heart and an irritable bowel that I put down cartoonist Josh Latta’s new collection, THAT’S A HORRIBLE THING TO SAY, JOSH LATTA! It is bad enough that he name-checks himself in the very title of his book, but that he then goes forth to fill it with pages of his fecal smears and life-denying humor is the height of hilarity. He is the master of the gag in gag cartoon, a figure of such universal hatred that he must be doing something right. I laughed out loud throughout and that made me think: do I have a mental disorder? My conditional is terminal and yours can be, too, if you’re unfortunate enough to read this small, disturbing volume.
http://peterlandau.tumblr.com/
Josh Latta
@joshlatta | https://lattaland.com/
Best Movies: Killing Them Softly: What a crying shame this movie went over with a thud. From the jarring opening sequence to the hilarious last line. This movie was like heroin to me; totally awesome. Marley: Look, I’m not really a Bob Marley fan, but one cannot deny he lived quite an interesting life. Just think of how good he woulda been if it weren’t for the Jah bullshit.
Best TV Shows: Boardwalk Empire: Proof that TV is better than movies. Comedy Bang Bang: Proof that TV is better than podcasts.
Best Books (non-fiction): The Dark Side Of Disney by Leonard Kinsey. Kinsey gives us all of the tips, tricks, scams, and stories that’d have Walt rolling in his cryogenic grave. I love a good scam, especially at a beloved theme park. Life After Deathby Damien Echols SPOILER ALERT Damien talks about how he killed those kids and got away with it too, dude. Just kidding.
Remember that part in ‘Dark Knight Rises’ when Batman turns into a giant robot to save Gotham from a Kaijin monster’s rampage? No? Well, that’s because it didn’t happen, silly-billy. It should have, though. At least I can pretend it did with this incredible Batman Robot Vinyl Invader figure/sexual totem.
Disney UDF Series 02 – Mickey Mouse – Plane Crazy
Y’know, after seeing the mouse head representing a big, evil corporation all of our lives, it’s easy to lose sight of Mickey Mouse’s appeal. I have been reading those Fantagraphics Floyd Gotterson reprints and seeing that stuff makes you totally get why Mickey took depression era America by a 4-finger storm.
“It is a very rich comic. It really does everything I want a comic book to do and I read them over and over. “- Shannon Smith of File Under Other.
Categories
The Smurfette: The Review
The Smurfette by Peyo Yvan Delporte
Women, psssh. Women.
Hey fellas, women are tempestuous, fickle, and nothing but trouble. You know this, I know this, and now our little blue buddies know this.
This delightfully sexist tome was written in 1966, and I don’t believe it made its way to The States -well, until now. Like ‘The Black Smurf’ I believe this book might have been considered a little too hot for America’s delicate sensibilities. That the big blue man in the sky that Papercutz is pumpin’ out the reprints like no one’s business.
Okay, so, like, where was I? Oh yes.
That nefarious (and possibly Jewish) Gargmel decided it was time to subvert The Smurfs the only way that would make sense, with a female Smurf. Of course he didn’t have a female Smurf handy, but thankfully, he had a hunk of magical clay available. So he made Smurfette, and brought her to life with a kooky spell of some sort. Hmm, this could be the reason we didn’t see this on the shelves too often.
After creating this little monster (a woman) Gargamel unleashed her in the forest to be found by some blue chump. The blue chump that found her was Hefty. Needless to say she was doing what women do best: crying. Hefty took pity on this creature and took her to the Smurf Village. It takes no time at all before Smurfette, as she calls herself starts in on the SECOND thing women do best, and that’s nagging. The Smurfs put up with this as well as they can, save Grouchy, and even throw a party in her honor. Now, she thinks everything is about her and becomes even a bigger pain in the blue ass.
The next morning The Smurfs sober up enough to realize they got a problem on their hands. Even though The Smurfs hadn’t really been around women much, they devised a brilliant plan. The plan was to make her feel fat so she’d go away and possibly puke herself to death.
Papa Smurf caught wind of this devious act and was deeply, deeply ashamed of his children. Papa Smurf has been around the block a few times, so he knew the only way for his commune to fully except this outsider was to make her better looking. That he did. With some magic and better threads, Papa Smurf made Smurfette gorgeous.
Well, what do you know? Now all the Smurfs are laughing at her inane anecdotes and bending over backwards to do her trivial tasks for her. Naturally, this still isn’t enough for her, so she begs Vanity to literally open the floodgate and flood the smurf village. This time Smurfette knows she went too far. Smurfette explains her artificial nature in a Dear John letter and high tails it. The Smurfs are a bit bummed, sure, but they quickly shift gears to rage and decide it’s time to settle Gargamel’s hash for this one with their most devious concoction ever: an ugly, clingy and codependent woman for Gargamel.
Haha! Wee!
This book gets my highest recommendation.
In 1996, Marvel took all their most popular heroes and made them look metallic. Yes, metallic. Look at the highlights and low-lights in hulks pants. They are metal. Look at the reflection in Spiderman’s bulge. It’s metallic too. Iron Man? Well, he’s always been metallic, but he’s even more metallic now. I guess Marvel went bankrupt in taste and as well as bankrupt in money.
Speaking of taste, let me tell you about Marvel Heroes Popping Candy W/Lollipop. Hmmm, how do I put this: Oh yeah, it sucks! First off the complementary lollipop is in shape of a ‘thumbs-up’ hand. That’s lazy theming, dudes. Is a Spiderman shaped sucker too much to expect to come out of a Spiderman shaped bag? Apparently so, according to the schlock-misters at The Royal Candy Company.
Also, what is up with Iron Man being ‘Blue Raspberry’ flavored? I know Iron Man is hot right now, but that spot and flavor should have been reserved for Captain America. I am so angry I am going to intentionally splash the first person I see walking along the side of the road in the rain. I want you to hurt like I hurt. PS the candy tastes like soap.
I am but a bitter curmudgeon. I pretty much hate everything I am supposed to hate as well as plenty of things that I shouldn’t. I rant and rail against most modern institutions and pine for the days of yore that I didn’t even experience first hand. I mean, come on, if you don’t see how much worse pretty much everything is today, then you aren’t paying much attention. In fact, you are probably texting somebody right now, you @#$!
Of course, every now and again, particularly when I have been drinking, I let my guard down and give in to Pixar. Sure, they have never created anything as good as ‘Dumbo’, but I will give credit where credit is due, and I more or less, enjoyed every one of the films they’ve produced. Sure, some more than other (Cars being others) but, like it or not, they are the only animation studio that matters anymore.
I really liked Toy Story, despite the crude animation and, let’s face it, somewhat bland designs. I mean, like, they work fine in motion, but when you see your 57th pair of Buzz Lightyear jammie jam jams, the appeal is certainly gone. Kudos to the fine folks at Golden Books for being the patron of the modern masterpiece known as ‘Toy Story 3 : A Little Golden Book. ‘
Masterfully hand illustrated (delightfully off-model) by Adrian Molina, this book leaped off the end cap at Wal-Mart (Yes, I do indeed, suck) and into my shopping cart (with one wobbly wheel.) The colors are a lot more vivid than my scanner gives them credit for.
Oh my! Look at those squat proportions. Look at those large eyes with large pupils! If I had to define cartoon appeal, this would be it. Could you imagine if the whole movie looked like this?
I am pretty sure this scene won’t be as funny in the film. Look at that Buzz Lightyear. I want him tattooed on my face.
This is my favorite illustration in the book. Great lighting on this scene. I love Woody’s eyes. He sorta looks Dave Cooperesque here. (Meant as no slight to Adrian Molina. He is truly a rare jem of a talent, and only 24 years old too, ugh!)
I love this composition. Your eyes register the toys instantly, but the viewer still ‘reads’ the grime and trash, without looking cluttered and ugly. Why, even the garbage truck oozes with appeal!
How adorable! I want to crawl inside this book and live there forever.
In our conservative age of design, I think Disney and Pixar deserve extra credit for allowing what’s essentially the biggest property in the world to appear this far off-model. I think it’s good for kids, as it gives them the notion that there is more than one way to draw a slinky dog.
This book gets my highest possible recommendation. Available at all Wal Marts and wherever fine pieces of art are sold.