Archive for October, 2006
Still, this is a fun comic with some dark tones that should entertain (comic books sales wanted) serious DC Comics fans.
Still, this is a fun comic with some dark tones that should entertain serious DC Comics fans.
Ode To Kirihito Winners (Placeholder)
This is the place where I’ll put the names of this site’s Ode to Kirihito contest winners when those names are confirmed by Vertical Books. At least, I hope it is.
We had hundreds of entrants for the free books, and if I didn’t answer the personal note included in your e-mail, it’s because I was busy crying at the tales of poverty and woe included in other e-mails.
Flash: Born to Run TPB
 Flash: Born to Run collects some of the early adventures of the one-time sideckick who grew up to be the fastest man alive. Written by Mark Waid, with art by Greg LaRocque, Jim Aparo and Pop Mhan. Also included is the story "Kid Flash: Day Two" by Tom Peyer and Humberto Ramos. This… |
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Justice League: Mega Armor Batman Action Figure
Justice League: Mega Armor Batman Action Figure
 The Justice League was created to uphold justice through out the galaxy. These brave super heroes are always ready to take on evil. The Mega Armor Batman Figure stands approximately 5-inches-tall and comes with Mega Armor. Recommended for ages 4 and up…. |
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Retail: $ 11.99 Your Price: $11.99 Buy/More Info |
Batman/Hellboy/Starman #2 (of 2)
Batman/Hellboy/Starman #2 (of 2)
 Warehouse Find — We don’t normally offer less-than-mint-condition books for sale, but with the continued demand for back issues, we’ve decided to add our Warehouse backstock to our website. The majority of our comics are in mint condition, but there are some with minor dings. We will accept no retu… |
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Retail: $ 2.50 Your Price: $2.50 Buy/More Info |
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Collective Memories: CAPS, Stumptown
Two new Collective Memory entries can be found on the site. The first is for the awards given Jack Davis and Sergio Aragones at a CAPS event last weekend; the second is for the just-past Stumptown Comics Fest 2006. Please consider any and all additional links for these two events of which you’re aware.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Birds of Prey (comic book convention) #92
Birds of Prey #92
 It’s One Year Later - and the Birds have a new mission - with a new lineup that will shock you! Don’t miss new art team Paulo Siqueira ( Lady Death: Lost Souls ) and Robin Riggs ( JSA, Supergirl ) as they join acclaimed writer Gail Simone for a turning point in the history of the Birds of Prey!… |
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GoComics — Comics, Editorial Cartoons, Email Comics, Web Comics
Comics, Editorial Cartoons, Comic Strips, Comics by Email- Find your favorite comic strips … Comics 9 to 5 Adam@Home Agnes Andy Capp Animal Crackers Annie Ask Shagg B.C. Bad Reporter Baldo Ballard …
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Comics.com Home Page
Comics.com has all your favorite comic strips, editorial cartoons and fun extras like e-cards … Select a feature 9 Chickweed Lane Agnes Alley Oop Andy Capp Arlo & Janis B.C. Ballard Street Barkeater …
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
It is said that people generally prefer familliarity over change, but this is not the very case for this revision of a classic hero created way back in the 1930’s which pioneered the comic book superhero genre, but rather this only show that there is ind
Popularity: 8% [?]
Comics.com (book collection comic price) Home Page
Comics.com Home Page
Comics.com has all your favorite comic strips, editorial cartoons and fun extras like e-cards … Select a feature 9 Chickweed Lane Agnes Alley Oop Andy Capp Arlo & Janis B.C. Ballard Street Barkeater …
Superman/Batman Vol. 2 TPB: Supergirl
Superman/Batman Vol. 2 TPB: Supergirl
 Batman has discovered something strange on the bottom of Gotham bay, which leads him to a mysterious and powerful teenaged girl who is bent on destroying Gotham City! Soon, she’ll capture the attention of Superman, Wonder Woman and even Darkseid and his Female Furies. What is her connection to Super… |
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King Features Syndicate - Comics
It is an amazing story for a lot of good reasons, outlied by previous reviwers so well, it?s is firmly placed in a real and credible world, the character is very well developed, he is smart, the government have a very interesting role and the art is gorge
This is still the Superman we know, more or less. A good man with amazing powers trying to make the world a better place, struggling to make sense of his role in the larger scheme. It’s very good. Very, very good.
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Flash Gordon: Deadly Ray From Mars
Flash Gordon: Deadly Ray From Mars
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Retail: $ 19.99 Your Price: $15.99 Buy/More Info |
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 6% [?]
The (online comic book shop) Comic Book is one of America’s unsun….
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Batman: Faces TPB
 "What a perfectly perfect day! A day that shall witness the birth of the ‘deformity nation’… and the end of Gotham’s most notoriously hidden face." Two-face, one of Batman’s most implacable foes and a featured villain in Batman Forever, has returned to spring a devious and derang… |
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Retail: $ 9.95 Your Price: $9.95 Buy/More Info |
Michael Turner has made a name for himself in comics but I can’t stand that sketchy art style he uses. It seems he puts little effort into showing us the texture of objects and his characters have little variety in facial expression and emotion. It is on
Batman Begins: Batmobile Plastic Bank
Batman Begins: Batmobile Plastic Bank
 Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight’s emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those wh… |
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Kathy Griffin sees scarcity of female standup comics (Los Angeles Daily News)
Comedian Kathy Griffin is acutely aware of the scarcity of female standup comics these days. “When I was starting out, there were more girls out there. Now the ratio is about 20 to 1. It’s just unbelievable,” she says.
The story itself is epic in scope, following the post Crisis Superman on his adventures in deep space. But wait, why is the Man of Steel not back on Earth, protecting us from threats domestic and alien? Simple: he is wracked with grief over his recent
Popularity: 7% [?]
(Comic book guys real name) Unfortunately, as Revealed is the final part of a trilogy, it spends a great deal of time tying up loose ends and completing the story from the other two books. In addition, as it is a tie in to other stories like The OMAC Project, Day of Vengeance and Su
Unfortunately, as Revealed is the final part of a trilogy, it spends a great deal of time tying up loose ends and completing the story from the other two books. In addition, as it is a tie in to other stories like The OMAC Project, Day of Vengeance and Su
Superman: True Brit TPB
 Kim ‘Howard’ Johnson teams with Monty Python alumus John Cleese and fan-favorite artists John Byrne and Mark Farmer for a unique tale of Superman - if he crash-landed in England! As a journalist for the Daily Smear tabloid, Colin Clark may learn that the key to success may be revealing his greatest … |
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Comics.com Home Page
United Media offers online editions to many comic strips, like Alley Oop, Dilbert, Marmaduke, Nancy, and Peanuts.
Adventures of Superman #516
 Warehouse Find — We don’t normally offer less-than-mint-condition books for sale, but with the continued demand for back issues, we’ve decided to add our Warehouse backstock to our website. The majority of our comics are in mint condition, but there are some with minor dings. We will accept no retu… |
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Retail: $ 1.50 Your Price: $1.50 Buy/More Info |
King Features Syndicate - Comics
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 5% [?]
(Secret plot comic book) Comic Books portray our fears, our desir….
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
DC Direct Action Figure: Dark Knight Returns - Robin
DC Direct Action Figure: Dark Knight Returns - Robin
 Frank Miller’s seminal work on the gritty, landmark BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS changed the landscape of comics. Now, DC Direct offers a series of figures based on four of the series’ main characters There’s a new Robin at Batman’s side — Carrie Kelly, a young girl whose life was saved by the g… |
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Permanent Damage
Steven watched “Lucky Number Slevin” recently and uses it as an example of how not to tell your story (and even shares a classic Denny O’Neil story that ties the lesson together), how sicence fiction destroyed the future and much more.
Mercenary Mind
You may have found yourself asking, where’s Justin Gray and MERCENARY MIND? Where’s he been? What’s he been up to? Justin checks in to explain and, as you may have noticed, he’s been a bit busy lately.
Invisibles Vol. 5 TPB: Counting to None
Invisibles Vol. 5 TPB: Counting to None
 Controversial, subversive, fashionable, anarchistic and way cool. Grant Morrison originally told these stories in issues #5-13 of the second volume of the comic series. Now they’re collected together in this trade paperback for your pleasure. Join King Mob, Ragged Robin, Boy and others of the Invisi… |
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The art may take some comic fans a while to get used to. Everyone looks huge and bulky. But the action is intense throughout.
One Fan’s Opinion
Today, Erik talks about his love of Oz. No, not the HBO drama, the fairyland creation of L. Frank Baum. How did this fascination begin and where did it come from? Come inside to find out.
Popularity: 35% [?]
(Comic books instead) Combat Zone Vol. 1 TPB: True Tales Of GIs In Iraq
Combat Zone Vol. 1 TPB: True Tales Of GIs In Iraq
Combat Zone Vol. 1 TPB: True Tales Of GIs In Iraq
 Longtime embedded journalist Karl Zinsmeister (Boots on the Ground: A Month with the 82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq’) and penciler Dan Jurgens (THOR, Superman) chronicle three months in the lives of the 82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq in this groundbreaking series…. |
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Jessica’s book - work in progress - hour 15
Futuregirl posted a photo:
Hour 15 and Jessica’s book "Creative Life" is shaping up pretty well. She’s using stamps and ink for lettering, and her watercolor technique looks great.
The Robin Hood Gang
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Retail: $ 9.98 Your Price: $7.98 Buy/More Info |
Superman/ Popeye
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Retail: $ 17.99 Your Price: $14.39 Buy/More Info |
Oh please. The Soviet Union that Superman serves here is the sort of cookie cutter comic book autocracy one might have expected in a 1950s comic and bears no resemblance to the murderous regime that truly was an “evil empire.” At one point, Stalin under
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Enjoy the Guide.it is a MUST HAVE.
Popularity: 5% [?]
(Marvel comic books subscription) This was a shame. I think supergirl is a cool character and can be done well, but this just makes clear that DC has no idea what to do with her. There is no characterization, no back up characters and the story can only loosely be called a “story.” The
This was a shame. I think supergirl is a cool character and can be done well, but this just makes clear that DC has no idea what to do with her. There is no characterization, no back up characters and the story can only loosely be called a “story.” The
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
I would like to make a note about the previous review which said that there should be more characters in this collection, other than Jimmy Olsen. There WILL be a lot more Lois Lane in the next one because what DC is doing in the Superman Family Showcase
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
House of M boxet from Toy Biz previewed
The latest Marvel gift set features figures from the popular House of M series. Toy News International has a preview of the upcoming House of M boxset…
The 24 Hour Comic
About a year ago, meriko, James, and myself each did a 24-Hour Comic. Here’s mine, The Littlest Revolution…
Batman Justice Symbol T-Shirt (XL)
Batman Justice Symbol T-Shirt (XL)
 The Dark Knight becomes super-sized on the new Batman Justice T-Shirt. Inspired by the current Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite series from DC Comics, the shirt features a larger-version of the classic bat-symbol screen-printed in black on the front of a graphite grey 100% cotton shirt…. |
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Retail: $ 17.99 Your Price: $17.99 Buy/More Info |
Superman: Classic Silver Age Action Figure Series 1 - Lois Lane
Superman: Classic Silver Age Action Figure Series 1 - Lois Lane
 After accidentally stumbling into a magic lake Lois Lane discovers she has gained super powers that may help her to finally win the heart of the Man of Steel! This action figure features multiple points of articulation and a display base. Packaged in a four-color blister…. |
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Retail: $ 14.99 Your Price: $14.99 Buy/More Info |
Popularity: 60% [?]
(Comic books central) Superman #651 (Sketch Cover)
Superman #651 (Sketch Cover)
 Don’t miss Part 3 of the 8-part ‘Up, Up and Away,’! This issue features guest stars galore, including Supergirl, The Prankster, Lex Luthor, the all-new Flea Circus and more as the Man of Steel mulls over an incredible offer - with incredible ramifications - from Green Lantern. Meanwhile, the Flea Ci… |
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Renowned Designer Robert Tonner Releases New DC COMICS Super Hero TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES (PR Web)
Certain to be the high-flying collectible of the 2006 holiday season, new TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES (TCF) will hit retail shelves this holiday season with the DC STARS Collection based on classic DC COMICS Super Heroes. (PRWeb Oct 25, 2006) Trackback URI: http://www.prweb.com/dingpr.php/SGFsZi1TdW1tLVNpbmctRW1wdC1NYWduLVplcm8=
Most of the time I dont care for Superman books. With the exception of when he died and returned and Kingdom Come i dont really enjoy Superman. I think he is terrific in the SUPERMAN/BATMAN arcs but superman is almost too perfect. I really enjoyed this
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
COMICS SCHEDULE (Washington Post)
Page 1 CrosSynergy Crossword: Monday-Saturday Jumble Crossword: Monday-Saturday
Renowned Designer Robert Tonner Releases New DC COMICS Super Hero TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES (PR Web via Yahoo! News)
Hurley, NY (PRWEB) October 25, 2006 — Certain to be the high-flying collectible of the 2006 holiday season, new TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES (TCF) will hit retail shelves this holiday season with the DC STARS Collection based on classic DC Comics Super Heroes.
Batman #653
 Written by James Robinson Art by Don Kramer & Michael Bair Cover by Simone Bianchi The Penguin takes center stage in Part 6 of ‘Face the Face’ the 8-part story crossing over with DETECTIVE COMICS! But can the Penguin survive Harvey Dent’s new brand of justice? Only Batman and Jason Bard can unco… |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Popularity: 46% [?]
(Better comic books) Invincible Ed: Lance Lundgrin Unleashes #3 (of 4)
Invincible Ed: Lance Lundgrin Unleashes #3 (of 4)
Invincible Ed: Lance Lundgrin Unleashes #3 (of 4)
 This issue gets serious! Down in the dumps, Ed the geek, takes the blame for the accident with Robin on the football field. Will Ed give up on his training and superhero destiny? Just when Ed is about to walk away from it all, High School football star, Lance Lungrin shows up and threatens Nod, the … |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Untitled
Title: Untitled Fandom: Runaways Characters: Nico Minoru, Xavin Prompt: 2. Amused Word Count: 140 Rating: G Summary: She tried not to laugh. Author’s…
In “Superman: Secret Identity,” writer Kurt Busiek and artist Stuart Immonen provide yet another variation on the theme. Busiek took his inspiration from “DC Comics Presents” #87, written by Elliot S. Maggin and pencilled by Curt Swan, which was rele
Popularity: 3% [?]
(Neighborhood comic book store) The Comic Book is one of America’s unsun….
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Iranian Cartoon Places at Golden Smiles
I’m not sure why, but in the face of such bad news for cartooning overseas in 2006 (riots, holocaust cartoon contests, lawsuits by political figures), there’s something sort of nice about an old-fashioned international cartoon contest story, such as this story about Iranian Shahrokh Heydari taking second place in the 5th cartoon exhibition in Belgrade, this year featuring comedians, with a portrait of the cartoonist and ace lyricist Shel Silverstein. Maybe it’s the mix of places and people, maybe it’s the whole idea of a news story about someone taking second place, I don’t know, but it made me smile, which given the name of the thing, might be the point.
Superman Cartoons Vol 1
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Batman: Glow In The Dark Logo T-Shirt (M)
Batman: Glow In The Dark Logo T-Shirt (M)
 Be seen both by day and by night with the new Batman Glow-in-the-Dark Logo T-Shirt . Features the classic Bat-symbol screenprint with phosphorescent inks on the front of a black, 100% cotton shirt. Wear your own personal Bat-Signal!!… |
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Retail: $ 17.95 Your Price: $10.77 Buy/More Info |
Flash: The Return of Barry Allen TPB
Flash: The Return of Barry Allen TPB
 When he was Kid Flash, Wally West looked upon Barry Allen, The Flash, as just about perfect. Hero. Mentor. Icon. The Flash sacrificed himself to save the universe. Now, years later, Wally is The Flash, trying to live up to Barry’s example… …and then Barry Allen returns from the dead. This book c… |
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ICv2.com on Corto Maltese’s Return
The comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com takes notice of Heavy Metal’s listing of Ballad of The Salt Sea in its December line-up to say a few words about a new series launch, noting the immediate past publishing partner for the books in North America was NBM. Hugo Pratt’s comic has long been a favorite of artists for its sublimely crafted take on 1930s and 1940s newspaper adventure-strip illustration.
We meet Clark Kent celebrating another birthday in a small town in Kansas. His dad thought it would be neat to have a famous name and his mother thinks it it fun that there are all these toys about her son, but this Clark Kent has never found any of it t
Popularity: 4% [?]
(Fred ray biography superman comic books) Batman: Secrets #2
Batman: Secrets #2
 The 5-issue miniseries written and illustrated by Sam Kieth ( Scratch, The Maxx ) continues! After the Joker commits a heinous crime, he attempts to frame Batman in the court of public opinion. And while the media hover like vultures, ready to convict before all the facts are in, more secrets from l… |
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Go, Read: Jean-Jacques Sempe Profile
In a very good weekend for profiles (see Garry Trudeau, above) and short interviews (see Marjane Satrapi and Chris Ware, below), it might be easy to miss this succinct but accomplished sketch of Jean-Jacques Sempe’s life now that Phaidon is publishing a number of English-language versions of his older books.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Iranian Cartoon Places at Golden Smiles
I’m not sure why, but in the face of such bad news for cartooning overseas in 2006 (riots, holocaust cartoon contests, lawsuits by political figures), there’s something sort of nice about an old-fashioned international cartoon contest story, such as this story about Iranian Shahrokh Heydari taking second place in the 5th cartoon exhibition in Belgrade, this year featuring comedians, with a portrait of the cartoonist and ace lyricist Shel Silverstein. Maybe it’s the mix of places and people, maybe it’s the whole idea of a news story about someone taking second place, I don’t know, but it made me smile, which given the name of the thing, might be the point.
This book deals with the new Superman of post 1986, the hack reworking of the character by that hack John Byrne. I would have loved a complete guide to the man of steel that was truly complete. I don’t like most of the art in this book, which has been
What would you do if you suddenly discovered that you could fly? The answer for this Clark Kent is to spend every spare moment flying. But then he sees someone in danger and saves their life. The good deed does not go unnoticed and Clark has to decide
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Popularity: 4% [?]
(Comic book appraisal) Website for Guiding Light/Marvel Comics joint adventure (Comics2Film)
Website for Guiding Light/Marvel Comics joint adventure (Comics2Film)
STX-SUPERHERO-REPORT has set up a page on his website that will cover and keep you updated on the Guiding Light? Marvel Comics character. With the Sneak Preview of “She’s A Marvel”
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Hellboy Toon Faithful To Comic (Sci Fi Wire)
Tad Stones, director of Cartoon Network’s upcoming animated film Hellboy: Sword of Storms , told SCI FI Wire that the movie takes its story cues from Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comics universe, though it also features the voices of actors from Guillermo del Toro’s live-action 2004 Hellboy movie.
DC Direct: DC Pocket Super Heroes Series 2 - Silver Age Kid Flash and Aqualad
DC Direct: DC Pocket Super Heroes Series 2 - Silver Age Kid Flash and Aqualad
 The line of Pocket Super Heroes Series 2 continues! Young Wally West finally had his dream come true when he not only met his idol, the Flash, but also gained the same powers of super-speed to become Kid Flash. A member of an ancient underwater race, Aqualad joined Aquaman and became a founding memb… |
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BIRTHRIGHT begins with Clark on a freelance writing assignment in Africa. The violence Clark witnesses while there lead him to wonder if there’s a way he can use his powers to benefit mankind. So he returns to Smallville, where with the help of his p
Batman #572
 Warehouse Find — We don’t normally offer less-than-mint-condition books for sale, but with the continued demand for back issues, we’ve decided to add our Warehouse backstock to our website. The majority of our comics are in mint condition, but there are some with minor dings. We will accept no retu… |
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Retail: $ 1.99 Your Price: $1.99 Buy/More Info |
Popularity: 22% [?]
Comic Books portray (comic book artists) our fears, our desir….
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
This is still the Superman we know, more or less. A good man with amazing powers trying to make the world a better place, struggling to make sense of his role in the larger scheme. It’s very good. Very, very good.
Superman Motion Lamp
 Truth, Justice and the American Way. That’s what Superman fights everyday for. Plug in this lamp to see Superman continue his battle against evil, by changing from Clark Kent into Superman. The Superman Motion Lamp stands approximately 14 inches tall. Light bulb included…. |
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Retail: $ 44.95 Your Price: $44.95 Buy/More Info |
Popularity: 4% [?]
He would count as a repaint, but the Batman? NO WAY. (comic books devoted)
He would count as a repaint, but the Batman? NO WAY.
DC Comics Presents: Batman #1 (Signed by Geoff Johns)
DC Comics Presents: Batman #1 (Signed by Geoff Johns)
 Signed by writer Geoff Johns! The first of eight weekly-shipping comics that pay homage to the late Julie Schwartz and one of his fondest creations: the cover-driven story! The cover to Batman #183 inspires two different stories of a seeming ‘couch potato’ Dark Knight by Geoff Johns & Joe Staton… |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Oddball Comics: Electric Safety From A To Zap! None
This week’s selection is the shocking giveaway comic ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP!, — featuring the most complex cat-and-mouse relationship since Krazy Kat and Ignatz! Are its stars friendly enemies or suicide-prone co-dependents? You decide!
This 16-page giveaway comic features only two characters, an unnamed orange cat and an unnamed grey mouse. In the cat-vs-mouse cartoon tradition of TOM AND JERRY, HERMAN AND KATNIP, PIXIE AND DIXIE AND MR. JINKS and ITCHY AND SCRATCHY, this uncredited comic begins with a series of try/fail gags with the cat attempting to catch the mouse. First, the cat climbs a tree and tries to grab the mouse, who’s hanging from a power line. When the cat touches the wire, he gets shocked with a big “ZAP” sound effect. Next, the cat chases the mouse past an extension cord, one that’s missing part of its insulation. When the cat comes in contact with it, he gets fried with another “ZAP” sound effect. Then the cat leans around a corner, intent on pouncing on the mouse. But when his tail accidentally pokes inside an electrical wall outlet - you guessed it - he gets nothing but another fur-singeing “ZAP” for his efforts. Taking advantage of their time out, the mouse gives an impromptu lecture to his feline antagonist:
MOUSE:
If you go on like this, nine lives will hardly be enough!CAT:
Yes, it’s awful! They seem to hit me when I least expect it!MOUSE:
Those zaps are going to get you if you don’t watch out!CAT:
Oh, I know! It’s making me quite nervous!MOUSE:
They wouldn’t if you knew what to look for!
The mouse goes on to explain and demonstrate the concept of energy, first using a teeter-totter, then using a variety of devices and appliances found around the house. Puzzled, the cat points to an electrical wall outlet:
CAT:
Amazing! How can all that energy hide in such tiny little holes?MOUSE:
It doesn’t! It comes from a power plant through wires in the wall! When you plug in something, the energy flows through the wires to the fan motorfeeding it the strength to turn the fan around!CAT:
Why doesn’t the energy come out of these other holes?MOUSE:
It’s there, but it doesn’t do anything until there is someplace for it to go, likeDON’T GET TOO CLOSE!
Once again, the cat gets shocked when he pokes his paw into the outlet. As the cat recovers, the mouse explains further about how electricity is “a good traveler”:
MOUSE:
That’s why it’s such a useful and unusual form of energy! It travels easily through metal! That’s why wire are made of metal. And it travels easily through the ground, or through things that are wet, or anything with a lot of water in it!CAT:
You mean like trees and growing thingsor peopleor animals?MOUSE:
Yes, like you! And like a good traveler, it takes short cuts - follows an easier path whenever it has a chance!
When the cat asks how electricity is kept “in” the wire, the mouse continues his lecture:
MOUSE:
It’s only possible because electric energy can’t travel through some materials, like glass, or rubber, or plasticCAT:
So it can’t take a short cut through the ground or something wet?MOUSE:
Right! And that’s important. Most of the wires in our house are actually two or more wires, each protected with a rubber or plastic covering to keep the energy flowing through the separate wires! If this covering is broken or wears off, you can get a zap! If a wire is broken and the two open ends are close together, the electric energy may be strong enough to jump the space. Then some of the energy will make heat that can start a fire!CAT:
I’ll throw water on it and put it out!MOUSE:
NO! NO! First, make sure there is no electric energy flowing near the fire! Then put it out!
Then the mouse tries to explain the concepts of power plants and the substations that distribute the electrical energy they provide:
CAT:
Those are the place that have signs saying “Danger, High Voltage”. What does that mean?MOUSE:
It means STAY AWAY, or you might get zapped! All the wires and things around substations can be very dangerous!
Next, the cat learns about electrical switches in the home and how they work, flipping the lights on and off. Moving outside, the mouse attempts to teach the cat about power lines:
MOUSE:
The wires in our houses are not as big or as powerful a the branch lines outside. And the largest wires, the trunk lines that carry the energy from the power plant to the substations are so powerfulthat the wires have to be far apart and kept far enough from the pole with insulators to that the energy just can’t find a path to the pole!CAT:
What was that?MOUSE:
Some careless or selfish person shot at the insulator with a gun! Now there’s the danger that the energy can jump to the pole and find a path to the groundand zap somebody!
Next, the foolish cat climbs a tree to retrieve a kite caught on a power line. When the mouse warns him about the danger, the cat points to a bird sitting on the power line:
CAT:
How about that bird? Why doesn’t he get zapped?MOUSE:
Because electric energy follows the easiest path. Going through the bird is a “detour” that doesn’t go to the ground or anything that attracts energy, but if you’re in a tree and get too near the wire…you’re offering an easy path to the ground!CAT:
Maybe I was just born unlucky!MOUSE:
It would have been worse if you had been any closer to that wire!CAT:
I know! I know! I wish I could just forget about zaps - pretend they don’t exist!
But the mouse refuses to let the cat give up. He tells his friendly enemy to think “zap” every time he starts to climb near power lines, when he’s near a substation or a sign reading “Danger, High Voltage”, when he’s in the bathtub or standing on a wet floor and using an electrical appliance, when there’s a thunderstorm before going into the water or under a tree and when he’s around any electrical device that looks damaged.
CAT:
Oh, I will! I will!MOUSE:
But the main thing isbe alertbe careful! Don’t let curiosity “zap” the cat! And remember, electrical energy is always looking for a shorter path Be sure you don’t become the path! After allWHO WANTS TO BE A ZAP?
(So what the heck’s been going on here? The cat wants to catch the mouse –but the mouse wants to save the cat’s nine lives from getting snuffed out by repeated run-ins with electricity? If there was a second issue of this comic, would it show the cat counseling the mouse about the fatal dangers of hanging around hungry felines? Is ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP! an educational comic about electrical safety, or this actually a comic book about suicide prevention? Oddball minds need to know!)
ODDBALL Factoid - MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman wrote his own history of the American comic book titled FROM ARGH! TO ZAP! HARVEY KURTZMAN’S VISUAL HISTORY OF THE COMICS! (written with Michael Barrier and published in 1991.) Hmmm, sound familiar?
Bonus ODDBALL Factoid - Although completely unrelated to ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP!, sixteen issues (including a No. 0 and No. 7, a mini-comic) of the similarly-titled ZAP COMIX, an underground comic book, were published between 1968 and 2005!
A Special ODDBALL COMICS Announcement — After six years, this is the final installment of ODDBALL COMICS on Comic Book Resources! Starting April 1st, 2006, please visit my new website, http://www.oddballcomics.com for even more of “the craziest comic books ever published” — ODDBALL COMICS! Aloha, everybody! — Scott Shaw!
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
 A computer operator (Goldberg) at a bank is plunged into an exciting world of international intrigue, danger and romance when her terminal gets an S.O.S. from "Jumpin’ Jack Flash," a British spy stranded in Eastern Europe. She is soon matching wits with the deadliest members of the… |
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Popularity: 4% [?]
This time, however, it’s just not all that great. Sure, the art is fun to look at, and the characters retain their.character, but the time twisting storylines and over the top actions and.gaint robots just don’t suit Loeb’s writing talents. For great w (the steps to comic book creation)
This time, however, it’s just not all that great. Sure, the art is fun to look at, and the characters retain their.character, but the time twisting storylines and over the top actions and.gaint robots just don’t suit Loeb’s writing talents. For great w
In 2004, with the success of SMALLVILLE and the forthcoming release of SUPERMAN RETURNS, the good folks at DC Comics decided it was time for Superman’s origins to be re invented for the first time since John Byrne’s popular THE MAN OF STEEL series in th
Batman Versus Predator (Prestige Ed.) #2 (of 3)
Batman Versus Predator (Prestige Ed.) #2 (of 3)
 The hunter becomes the hunted as the tale of Batman, Earth’s ultimate detective, is pitted against Predator in the second installment of this blockbuster comics event…. |
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Superman vs. the Revenge Squad TPB
Superman vs. the Revenge Squad TPB
 Five of Superman’s most powerful and cunning foes have banded together to make good on their promise to end Superman’s interference in their villainous affairs… for good. This book collects: Adventures of Superman #s 539 and 542-543 Action Comics #s 726 and 730 Superman: The Man of Steel #s 61 and… |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Popularity: 3% [?]
(The comic book price gride) Batman: 1:43 Scale 2000 Batmobile #3
Batman: 1:43 Scale 2000 Batmobile #3
Batman: 1:43 Scale 2000 Batmobile #3
 Live the Batman experience with Corgi’s new line of DC Comics Batman vehicles from past decades. This series of 1:43rd die-cast collectible vehicles with unique action features will be a "must-have" for Batman fans worldwide! This 1:43rd scale 2000 Batmobile measures approximately … |
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Batman: Mask Of Phantasm
 Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
If you were to ask many long time comic book fans what they know of Supergirl’s history you might be surprised to hear them ask which Supergirl you were talking about. Just thinking about all the twists and turns this character has gone through is enough
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Batman: The Batman in Nine Lives HC
Batman: The Batman in Nine Lives HC
 Who killed Selina Kyle? All had their motives, all had the means, all had the chance! This book brings together your favorite bad guys Film Nior style as Batman tracks down a killer…. |
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Popularity: 4% [?]
(Black comic book hero) If you were to ask many long time comic book fans what they know of Supergirl’s history you might be surprised to hear them ask which Supergirl you were talking about. Just thinking about all the twists and turns this character has gone through is enough
If you were to ask many long time comic book fans what they know of Supergirl’s history you might be surprised to hear them ask which Supergirl you were talking about. Just thinking about all the twists and turns this character has gone through is enough
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Calling Manga Island
Tony’s back with a look at Oh!Great’s controversial “Air Gear” from Del Rey, then follows that up by reviewing Chan-Wook Park’s acclaimed adaptation “Old Boy” from Dark Horse.
Superman Adventures Vol. 1 TPB: Up, Up, and Away (Digest Edition)
Superman Adventures Vol. 1 TPB: Up, Up, and Away (Digest Edition)
 It’s a full time job protecting the city of Metropolis and the rest of the world. From the evil schemes of the monomaniacal Lex Luthor to the diabolical machinations of the crazed super-computer Braniac, the Last Son of Krypton battles all comers! Reprints Superman Adventures #16, 19, and 22-24…. |
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Popularity: 22% [?]
Batman: Punch T-Shirt (XL) (lewis and clark comic books)
Batman: Punch T-Shirt (XL)
 The roles are reversed on the new Batman: Punch T-Shirt! Features the art of Frank Miller screen-printed in full-color on the front of a black 100% cotton shirt. Hitting a cop has never looked so cool!… |
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I got the opportunity to read the guide, and it was a magnificent and mesmerizing quick read; with pages upon pages of beautiful photography from the film admittedly for those of you who’ve spent the last year following the film’s production via the in
I do have one minor complaints though. It is very strongly bound to Superman continuity even if an alternatre version and a lot of non fans might have trouble following the story because many characters basically have cameos. This is due to the fact t
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 4% [?]
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsun…. (comic book store)
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Superman, Red Son
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Films Of Tim Burton SC Novel
 An in-depth analysis of Tim Burton’s key films including Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and Sleepy Hollow, and their place within the filmmaking industry…. |
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A decent mystery story, Ruin Revealed is solid, but recommendable as the completion to the trilogy, and not as a stand alone graphic novel.
Popularity: 5% [?]
(Lone ranger comic books) Comic Books portray our fears, our desir….
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Batman: Hydro Suit Batman Action Figure
Batman: Hydro Suit Batman Action Figure
 The Hydro Suit Batman figure stands approximately 6 1/2-inches-tall. He comes with a dive pack, breathing mask, and missile launcher. Recommended for ages 4 and up…. |
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It’s not often you get to see Superman hitting bottom, and the creators really pulled it off nicely. The first half of this book details his slide into despair and self destruction, and really says a great deal about loss. We can’t always live up to t
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Marvel Age Spider Man Vol. 2 TPB: Everyday Hero (Digest Edition)
Marvel Age Spider Man Vol. 2 TPB: Everyday Hero (Digest Edition)
 The world-famous wall-crawler’s early adventures continue with the first appearances of classic villains such as Electro and the Lizard, and the return of one of his first foes: the Vulture! Plus: Spider-Man vs. the Living Brain, Peter Parker’s fight with Flash Thompson, and the wall-crawler tackles… |
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This is my favorite arc/TPB of the Superman/Batman series.
Batman Japanese Import Wave 2 - Batman Action Figure Gotham’s Guardian Against Crime
Batman Japanese Import Wave 2 - Batman Action Figure Gotham’s Guardian Against Crime
 Manufactured by Japanese manufacturer Yamato exclusively for the Japanese toy market, these limited-edition Batman figures are available in the U.S. for the first time under special arrangement with DC Direct! The Batman figure stands approximately 6-inches-tall and comes with a diorama base. The fi… |
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Popularity: 4% [?]
Cheaper by the Dozen (comic books and superheroes or villians) (2003) Special Edition
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) Special Edition
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) Special Edition Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) Special Edition Color, Closed Captioned, Widescreen Edition, Additional…
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Sky King Vol 1
Sky King Vol 1 Sky King Vol 1 Black & White, Closed Captioned, English Soundtrack, Unrated, Kirby Grant Check Prices on Sky King Vol 1 Filed under…
Seven Soldiers Of Victory Vol. 2 TPB
Seven Soldiers Of Victory Vol. 2 TPB
 One of the most creative minds in comics, Grant Morrison (ALL STAR SUPERMAN, THE INVISIBLES, JLA, ANIMAL MAN) delivers his most groundbreaking and ambitious project yet: SEVEN SOLDIERS ! Comprising seven different 4-issue miniseries and two bookend Specials, this colossal 30-part tale of death, betr… |
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Batman Begins
 Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Superman: Secret Identity #3 (of 4)
Superman: Secret Identity #3 (of 4)
 You’re young, arriving in the big city from Kansas, and you have aspirations of becoming a writer. Your last name is Kent, and your parents have made the mistake of naming you Clark. Now your life is filled with unwelcome references to that other Clark Kent… the one who can outrun bullets and bend… |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Girls gone Wild! (Dragon Con 2006)
Girls gone Wild! (Dragon Con 2006) Ok gang, if you know about Dragon Con then you know about the girls, so sit back and enjoy these stills rockin to…
Driven with the vital need for boosting up their matters of economy, DC Comics with its ever competitive spirit against its archnemesis/rival major comic book company MARVEL Comics pitted to kill the primary major Comic Book hero of comicdom to help them
Popularity: 5% [?]
(Their old comic books) Happy 41st Birthday, Dan Abnett!
Happy 41st Birthday, Dan Abnett!
If you would have two Superman books to buy, I would recommend “Whatever Happened to the man of tomorrow” and this one, hands down.
Batman: Animated Series Vol 1-4 4pk Se
Batman: Animated Series Vol 1-4 4pk Se
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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If you have ever daydreamed about what it would be like to become your favorite super hero, you’ll identify with Clark. You’ll also recognize all of the issues that a person with Superman’s powers would have to deal with: should he “go public”, does
52 Week #3
 Written by Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Breakdowns by Keith Giffen Art by Joe Bennett Ruy Jose and Jack Jadson Backup feature by Dan Jurgens & Art Thibert Covers by J.G. Jones After the INFINITE CRISIS and before One Year Later the DCU spent a year without Superman Batman and … |
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Amptoons, Ownership and Site Traffic
This is kind of interesting, and I hope I have it straight: the cartoonist and prominent blogger Barry Deutsch, aka Ampersand, negotiated a deal for his Amptoons.com with one of those outfits that uses links on popular web sites to generally boost traffic and related rankings in one of those internet-alchemical ways that I don’t understand (one such company buys space to put up links in an advertising box here on CR). This deal went further than some in that it actually involved the company purchasing the Amptoons site and then providing free hosting to the site’s owner/founder, with the agreement that the content on the blog and in the cartoon section would remain under the control of Ampersand and the links on those pages would be the usual, inauspicious kind common to such deals. It turns out that some traffic is being driven to pornography, which doesn’t sit well with the political and personal outlooks of many of the site’s readers. Anyway, the blog posting about the whole matter can be found here.
I know this is only tangentially related to comics, but it’s the first time I can remember anyone bringing up a potential downside to a pretty common Internet revenue technique, and it happened to include a cartoonist’s site.
Jack Kirkbride, 1923-2006
Jack Kirkbride, the longtime cartoonist of the Oldham Chronicle News whose work appeared in several newspapers at home and abroad including the Daily-Mirror as well as in magazines Punch and Private Eye, died suddenly last week at the age of 83. A veteran of World War II, Kirkbride stated his longest-running gig in the late 1950s and didn’t become a full-time cartoonist until the 1970s. This archived obituary states that it took him 40 years to meet the lifelong goal of getting into Punch.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Batman: Man Who Would Be Bat Se 1 Vo 2 (picture of the comic book batman)
Batman: Man Who Would Be Bat Se 1 Vo 2
Batman: Man Who Would Be Bat Se 1 Vo 2
Please visit the Things From Another World website for product details…. |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
It is said that people generally prefer familliarity over change, but this is not the very case for this revision of a classic hero created way back in the 1930’s which pioneered the comic book superhero genre, but rather this only show that there is ind
read…ing…
i have never before seen any pair of males more utterly slashable than connor luthor and tim drake. that’s right: superboy and robin. a typical…
Make your own Green Lantern ring
Make your own Green Lantern ring Filed under: Comics JP @ 10:12 pm How to make a Green Lantern ring Takes some specialized equipment, but theyre…
Popularity: 5% [?]
Comic Books portray our fears, our desir…. (comic book portfolio)
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Superman: Unconventional Warfare TPB
Superman: Unconventional Warfare TPB
 A new trade paperback collecting the two back-up stories from ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #625-626 plus all of issues #627-632 in addition to Secret Files Profile Pages . The Man of Steel is challenged when a more powerful Replikon arrives for a fight - the first layer of a complex scheme that may prove … |
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The Soviet Superman is never meant to be evil just overprotective and stifling. Unfortunately the author chose to absolve the alternate Superman of most of his crimes by blaming them on outside manipulations reducing the impact of the story. I also have t
Star Trek Comics Soar Again At IDW
Official Press Release
San Diego, CA It’s not a rift in the space/time continuumIDW Publishing is pleased to announce the return of Star Trek to the realm of comic books. The legendary science fiction franchise that’s spanned six television series, ten motion pictures, and hundreds of novels, celebrates its 40th anniversary by naming IDW Publishing as the source for all-new Star Trek comic book voyages.
IDW’s plans for the Star Trek franchise in comics are far-reaching, and will unfold over the next few months. The first Star Trek miniseries will debut in January 2007, in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D return with an all-new adventure that will span The Next Generation timeline. The six-issue miniseries, Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between , begins by setting the scene during the first year of the Enterprise- D’s mandated mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, boldly going where no one has gone before .
At the helm of this first venture is writer David Tischman ( Bite Club ), who is joined by artist Casey Maloney ( Children of the Grave ). Artists Dennis Calero ( X-Factor ) and Zach Howard ( Shaun of the Dead ) will provide 50/50 covers for the first issue.
But that’s just the beginning. IDW Publishing will be producing additional Star Trek titles with a new line of comic book projects in the rich tradition of 40 years of science fiction excellence.
I couldn’t be happier to be shepherding Star Trek comics in the 21 st century, said IDW’s Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall . Not only is this one of the most storied franchises in all of entertainment, but its history in comics is a long one, too. And yet, despite the abundance of different Star Trek comics that have come along in the past, we’ve hit on some unique ways to bring new vibrancy and creativity to the line. I look forward to building on the legacy that stretches back to the Gold Key comics I read as a kid and moving the franchise forward into the future. Well, further into the future, that is. Can’t wait to let the fans know more of what we have in mind.
Star Trek The Next Generation: The Space Between issue #1 (of 6) debuts in January 2007.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Comic Books portray our fears, our desir…. (comic book company)
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
Superman: Classic Silver Age Action Figure Series 1 - Superman Robot
Superman: Classic Silver Age Action Figure Series 1 - Superman Robot
 Created to help Superman protect his secret identity the classic Superman Robot is ready for any task! This action figure features multiple points of articulation and a display base. Also includes a bonus Beppo the Super-Monkey figure! Packaged in a four-color blister…. |
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Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB
Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB
 Superman’s career is chronicled in SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD , a unique collection of some of the Man of Steel’s most classic adventures! Also featured is an introduction by Michael Uslan. Reprinted are: Superman’s origin ( SUPERMAN #1); the story ‘What if Superman Ended the War?’ ( L… |
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Writers have relied on three techniques to limit Superman. First is to have Superman conveniently forget his own powers in particular his near light speed movement. The second limitation is Superman’s own Boy Scout morality and third is the annoyingly ex
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker
 The greatest villain of all comes out of the past to threaten Batman, Bruce Wayne and all of Gotham City in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the first feature-length Batman Beyond movie. The sleeker, deadlier and seemingly immortal Clown Prince of Crime is back with his own unique brand of havoc … |
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Popularity: 4% [?]
Oh please. The Soviet Union that Superman serves here is the sort of cookie (college comic book artists) cutter comic book autocracy one might have expected in a 1950s comic and bears no resemblance to the murderous regime that truly was an “evil empire.” At one point, Stalin under
Oh please. The Soviet Union that Superman serves here is the sort of cookie cutter comic book autocracy one might have expected in a 1950s comic and bears no resemblance to the murderous regime that truly was an “evil empire.” At one point, Stalin under
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Robin: Unmasked! TPB
 Batman turns up the heat on his young ward’s training just as Tim is about to encounter the most bloodthirsty killer of his career - one destined to make his life a living hell. And if that weren’t bad enough, it’s Tim’s first day at a new school, with the student body wrapped to the point of nigh-m… |
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DC Archives - The Brave And The Bold Team-Up Vol. 1 HC
DC Archives - The Brave And The Bold Team-Up Vol. 1 HC
 A classic new Archive Edition featuring the unforgettable pairings of Green Arrow & The Martian Manhunter, The Flash & The Atom, and more! Plus, an introduction by Michael Uslan. This edition collects THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #50-56 and 59 (Nov 1963-May 1965)… |
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Superman can be so much more than the boy scout as this story demonstrates.
Batman: The Movies TPB
 A collection of all the official comic adaptations of the Warner Borthers Batman movies, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin. … |
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Oddball Comics: Electric Safety From A To Zap! None
This week’s selection is the shocking giveaway comic ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP!, — featuring the most complex cat-and-mouse relationship since Krazy Kat and Ignatz! Are its stars friendly enemies or suicide-prone co-dependents? You decide!
This 16-page giveaway comic features only two characters, an unnamed orange cat and an unnamed grey mouse. In the cat-vs-mouse cartoon tradition of TOM AND JERRY, HERMAN AND KATNIP, PIXIE AND DIXIE AND MR. JINKS and ITCHY AND SCRATCHY, this uncredited comic begins with a series of try/fail gags with the cat attempting to catch the mouse. First, the cat climbs a tree and tries to grab the mouse, who’s hanging from a power line. When the cat touches the wire, he gets shocked with a big “ZAP” sound effect. Next, the cat chases the mouse past an extension cord, one that’s missing part of its insulation. When the cat comes in contact with it, he gets fried with another “ZAP” sound effect. Then the cat leans around a corner, intent on pouncing on the mouse. But when his tail accidentally pokes inside an electrical wall outlet - you guessed it - he gets nothing but another fur-singeing “ZAP” for his efforts. Taking advantage of their time out, the mouse gives an impromptu lecture to his feline antagonist:
MOUSE:
If you go on like this, nine lives will hardly be enough!CAT:
Yes, it’s awful! They seem to hit me when I least expect it!MOUSE:
Those zaps are going to get you if you don’t watch out!CAT:
Oh, I know! It’s making me quite nervous!MOUSE:
They wouldn’t if you knew what to look for!
The mouse goes on to explain and demonstrate the concept of energy, first using a teeter-totter, then using a variety of devices and appliances found around the house. Puzzled, the cat points to an electrical wall outlet:
CAT:
Amazing! How can all that energy hide in such tiny little holes?MOUSE:
It doesn’t! It comes from a power plant through wires in the wall! When you plug in something, the energy flows through the wires to the fan motorfeeding it the strength to turn the fan around!CAT:
Why doesn’t the energy come out of these other holes?MOUSE:
It’s there, but it doesn’t do anything until there is someplace for it to go, likeDON’T GET TOO CLOSE!
Once again, the cat gets shocked when he pokes his paw into the outlet. As the cat recovers, the mouse explains further about how electricity is “a good traveler”:
MOUSE:
That’s why it’s such a useful and unusual form of energy! It travels easily through metal! That’s why wire are made of metal. And it travels easily through the ground, or through things that are wet, or anything with a lot of water in it!CAT:
You mean like trees and growing thingsor peopleor animals?MOUSE:
Yes, like you! And like a good traveler, it takes short cuts - follows an easier path whenever it has a chance!
When the cat asks how electricity is kept “in” the wire, the mouse continues his lecture:
MOUSE:
It’s only possible because electric energy can’t travel through some materials, like glass, or rubber, or plasticCAT:
So it can’t take a short cut through the ground or something wet?MOUSE:
Right! And that’s important. Most of the wires in our house are actually two or more wires, each protected with a rubber or plastic covering to keep the energy flowing through the separate wires! If this covering is broken or wears off, you can get a zap! If a wire is broken and the two open ends are close together, the electric energy may be strong enough to jump the space. Then some of the energy will make heat that can start a fire!CAT:
I’ll throw water on it and put it out!MOUSE:
NO! NO! First, make sure there is no electric energy flowing near the fire! Then put it out!
Then the mouse tries to explain the concepts of power plants and the substations that distribute the electrical energy they provide:
CAT:
Those are the place that have signs saying “Danger, High Voltage”. What does that mean?MOUSE:
It means STAY AWAY, or you might get zapped! All the wires and things around substations can be very dangerous!
Next, the cat learns about electrical switches in the home and how they work, flipping the lights on and off. Moving outside, the mouse attempts to teach the cat about power lines:
MOUSE:
The wires in our houses are not as big or as powerful a the branch lines outside. And the largest wires, the trunk lines that carry the energy from the power plant to the substations are so powerfulthat the wires have to be far apart and kept far enough from the pole with insulators to that the energy just can’t find a path to the pole!CAT:
What was that?MOUSE:
Some careless or selfish person shot at the insulator with a gun! Now there’s the danger that the energy can jump to the pole and find a path to the groundand zap somebody!
Next, the foolish cat climbs a tree to retrieve a kite caught on a power line. When the mouse warns him about the danger, the cat points to a bird sitting on the power line:
CAT:
How about that bird? Why doesn’t he get zapped?MOUSE:
Because electric energy follows the easiest path. Going through the bird is a “detour” that doesn’t go to the ground or anything that attracts energy, but if you’re in a tree and get too near the wire…you’re offering an easy path to the ground!CAT:
Maybe I was just born unlucky!MOUSE:
It would have been worse if you had been any closer to that wire!CAT:
I know! I know! I wish I could just forget about zaps - pretend they don’t exist!
But the mouse refuses to let the cat give up. He tells his friendly enemy to think “zap” every time he starts to climb near power lines, when he’s near a substation or a sign reading “Danger, High Voltage”, when he’s in the bathtub or standing on a wet floor and using an electrical appliance, when there’s a thunderstorm before going into the water or under a tree and when he’s around any electrical device that looks damaged.
CAT:
Oh, I will! I will!MOUSE:
But the main thing isbe alertbe careful! Don’t let curiosity “zap” the cat! And remember, electrical energy is always looking for a shorter path Be sure you don’t become the path! After allWHO WANTS TO BE A ZAP?
(So what the heck’s been going on here? The cat wants to catch the mouse –but the mouse wants to save the cat’s nine lives from getting snuffed out by repeated run-ins with electricity? If there was a second issue of this comic, would it show the cat counseling the mouse about the fatal dangers of hanging around hungry felines? Is ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP! an educational comic about electrical safety, or this actually a comic book about suicide prevention? Oddball minds need to know!)
ODDBALL Factoid - MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman wrote his own history of the American comic book titled FROM ARGH! TO ZAP! HARVEY KURTZMAN’S VISUAL HISTORY OF THE COMICS! (written with Michael Barrier and published in 1991.) Hmmm, sound familiar?
Bonus ODDBALL Factoid - Although completely unrelated to ELECTRIC SAFETY FROM A TO ZAP!, sixteen issues (including a No. 0 and No. 7, a mini-comic) of the similarly-titled ZAP COMIX, an underground comic book, were published between 1968 and 2005!
A Special ODDBALL COMICS Announcement — After six years, this is the final installment of ODDBALL COMICS on Comic Book Resources! Starting April 1st, 2006, please visit my new website, http://www.oddballcomics.com for even more of “the craziest comic books ever published” — ODDBALL COMICS! Aloha, everybody! — Scott Shaw!
Ghost Rider, Dr. Grave, Legion of Super-Heroes, Transformers: October 9th Comic Reel Wrap
Mark Steven Johnson is already battling critics, an indie gets a shot at the big times, the future looks bright and Megatron might sound familiar, plus news about “FF2,” “Smallville,” “300″ and more.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Comics: “Rex Mundi” No. 1 (comic book movie for 2005) (The Star-Ledger)
Comics: “Rex Mundi” No. 1 (The Star-Ledger)
Hey, I know what you’re thinking: “Wouldn’t it be great if somebody wrote a comic book about the search for the true nature of the Holy Grail, set in a 1930s France where magic is real and the Roman Catholic Church never lost its grip on power?” Well, you’re in luck because such a book exists.
Ha-ha-happy return (icNewcastle - Sunday Sun)
More than 50 comics from around the world are set to tickle our funny bones next week.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Batman: Holy Batmania
 Learn everything you wanted to know about the Caped Crusader’s legendary TV show and 1966 theatrical feature with this special two-disc set containing four main programs: "Batman: Holy Batmania," "Adam West: Behind the Cowl," "Julie Newmar: The Cat’s Meow… |
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Retail: $ 24.99 Your Price: $19.99 Buy/More Info |
One main concern I have is that readers really need to have a strong background in DC history to fully “get” what is going on with the story.
Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star Vol. 2 TPB
Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star Vol. 2 TPB
 The Bebop clan runs into a modern day Robin Hood who has designs on thwarting the taxation practices of a corrupt government. The crew wiggles out of that debacle right into the crossfire of a Dragon Head Syndicate rivalry in which their old friend the Scorpion re-surfaces for a little blackmail and… |
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Retail: $ 9.99 Your Price: $5.99 Buy/More Info |
Year One: Batman Ras Al Ghul #2
Year One: Batman Ras Al Ghul #2
 Writer Devin Grayson ( Nightwing ) and artists Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti ( Catwoman ) conclude the 2-part Prestige Format miniseries delving into the legacy of one of Batman’s greatest foes! Ra’s al Ghul may be dead, but he has set something in motion that from people from dying, and what star… |
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MOMENTS (Pioneer Press)
Nationally known comics Rich Vos and Bonnie McFarlane met during filming of the second season of “Last Comic Standing” and got married. They have been performing this week at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis. Here is Vos
Popularity: 4% [?]
Superman: True (g mart comic book store) Brit HC
Superman: True Brit HC
 Get ready for SUPERMAN: TRUE BRIT, an original hardcover graphic novel with a new take on the Superman legend, courtesy of writer Kim ‘Howard’ Johnson ( Monty Python: The First 280 Years ) and with some help from, in his comics debut, Monty Python’s John Cleese ( Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda )… |
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This book deals with the new Superman of post 1986, the hack reworking of the character by that hack John Byrne. I would have loved a complete guide to the man of steel that was truly complete. I don’t like most of the art in this book, which has been
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
I think the biggest problem with the Supergirl character was that she was never anything more than a pale imitation of her famous cousin. Whatever depth the character might have had was never strong enough to let her step out of Superman’s shadow. Wheth
Oddball Comics: Caspers Ghostland Vol. 1, No. 33
Casper The Friendly Ghost first appeared in “The Friendly Ghost”, which was directed by Isadore Sparber. A Famous Studios theatrical cartoon short released by Paramount in 1945, it was based upon an unpublished children’s book written by Seymour Reit and illustrated by Joe Oriolo. The second cartoon to star Casper (whose actual name wasn’t established until he starred in h is own comic book) wasn’t released until 1948, but soon, an entire series of Casper cartoons were produced, making the leap from theaters (the last theatrical short was released in 1959) to television (the first made-for-television CASPER cartoon was made in 1963). St. John published the first CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST comic book in September, 1949; in 1952, Harvey Comics took over the publication of the series, and in 1959, bought the rights to the character. Soon, Harvey expanded Casper’s world, with new stories featuring the Ghostly Trio, Wendy The Good Little Witch, Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost and his long-suffering girlfriend Pearl, Hot Stuff The Devil Kid, Nightmare the ghost-horse and many others. In fact, Casper was so successful for Harvey that it wasn’t long before other publishers came up with their own “friendly ghosts”, including SUPER SPOOK, SPENCER SPOOK, TIMMY THE TIMID GHOST, HOMER THE HAPPY GHOST, SPUNKY THE SMILING SPOOK, LI’L GHOST and many others.
In 1941, three brothers - Leon, Robert and Alfred Harvey - co-founded Harvey Comics. Originally publishing a line of unremarkable anthology titles, their first big hit was THE BLACK CAT, a strip set in Hollywood starring a sexy costumed heroine. Harvey also achieved a degree of success when they took over publication of THE GREEN HORNET. But what put them on the funnybook map was their licensing of various comic strip characters, including JOE PALOOKA, BLONDIE, DICK TRACY, MUTT AND JEFF and SAD SACK, among others. By this time, Harvey had also been publishing horror, war and romance comics, but when they acquired the rights to print CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, the company’s focus began to change, and by 1957, when Harvey bought the rights to Paramount’s stable of cartoon characters, their output shifted to mostly so-called “kiddie comics”, with the exception of Joe Simon’s outlandish line of “Harvey Thrillers” during the superhero boom of the mid-1960s and BUNNY, “Queen Of The In-Crowd”, an attempt to carve off some of the teen marked dominated by Archie Comics.
All comic book muck-monsters are in one way or another derived from the title-character of Theodore Sturgeon’s 1940 short story, “It!” These include Hillman’s “The Heap” (created by Harry Stein and Mort Leav in the pages of AIR FIGHTERS COMICS No. 3, December, 1942), DC’s “Solomon Grundy” (created by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman in ALL-AMERICAN COMICS No. 61, cover-dated October, 1944), Marvel’s “pre-hero” monsters (including “The Glob” from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, “Taboo! The Thing From Murky Swamp!” and “The Thing CalledIt!” from STRANGE TALES and “The Creature From The Black Bog!” from TALES OF SUSPENSE) by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, DC’s “Swamp Thing” (created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson in HOUSE OF SECRETS No. 92, cover-dated June-July, 1971), Marvel’s “Man-Thing” (created by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and Gray Morrow in SAVAGE TALES No. 1, May, 1971) and even the underground comix characters “the Turd” (created by Scott Shaw! in Ken Krueger’s GORY STORIES QUARTERLY No. 2 1/2 and “Dorrgsheett” (from Dave Gibson’s all-star DORGSHEETT DIGEST, which was entirely devoted to disgustingly gooey poo-creatures!) Just as DC Comics seemed to have an infatuation with gorillas and dinosaurs, Marvel displayed a similar attraction to muck-monsters, apparently to exploit mankind’s fear of its own fecal waste-matter. But who ever expected to find Harvey Comics - purveyors of otherwise squeaky-clean kiddie comics - to contribute to this somewhat nauseating tradition?
Harvey Comics’ “Voo Doo Doo” was designed and drawn by cartoonist Warren Kremer (6/26/1921 - 7/24/2003), whose distinctive drawing and storytelling has come to represent the house-style of Harvey Comics. The Bronx-born cartoonist was the son of a commercial sign painter, and graduated from New York’s High School Of Music and Art and the School Of Industrial Arts. Influenced by Alex (FLASH GORDON) Raymond and Hal (PRINCE VALIANT) Foster, Warren’s early work included illustrations for pulp magazines, particularly those with a theme of aviation. His first comic book gig was HAP HAZARD for Ace Comics; Warren also married the feature’s letterer, Grace. In 1948, he began a 35-year-long relationship with Harvey Comics, first illustrating horror comics, but eventually specializing in appealing “kiddie” comics such as CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, HOT STUFF THE DEVIL KID, PLAYFUL LITTLE AUDREY, RICHIE RICH THE POOR LITTLE RICH KID and STUMBO THE GIANT, among others, as well as serving as the publisher’s Art Editor. When Harvey Comics stopped producing original material in 1983, Kremer followed editor Sid Jacobson over to Marvel, where he worked on TOP DOG, PLANET TERRY, ROYAL ROY, EWOKS, FLINTSTONE KIDS and COUNT DUCKULA, among others. One day, when Warren dropped off some artwork at Marvel, staffer (and extraordinary cartoonist) Marie Severin was heard to remark, “They don’t know it, but this is the best artist who ever walked through these doors.”
There’s really only one actual Oddball aspect of this issue of CASPER’S GHOSTLAND - part of Harvey Comics’ line of 64-page “Giant Size” funnybooks — but it’s an absolute doozy! I’m referring to the three-part, 15-page “Casper The Friendly Ghost” story penciled by Warren Kremer, the first chapter of which is titled “Powfinger”. It begins as the Casper scolds the Ghostly Trio - Fatso, Fusso and Lazo*) - about making their bed. Fed up with him, the trio take a big breath and blow their immaterial housemate right through the wall! Flung outside, the friendly ghost shows a rarely-seen side of his personality, until he’s interrupted by a fancily-dressed stranger wearing a top hat:
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
TrioSometimes I wish I were BIG enough toSTRANGER:
SIGN RIGHT HERE!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
HUH?STRANGER:
Sign right here and your WISHES will come TRUECASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
But I really DIDN’T wishSTRANGER:
Of COURSE you did! EVERYBODY wants something. Sign this simple contract and HAPPINESS is yours
But when Casper reads down to some indecipherable fine print, he hands the “standard wish application” back to the devilish stranger. Suddenly, the stranger’s demeanor becomes instantly irritated, annoyed that Casper’s wasting his time, as he strides off into the Enchanted Forest. Casper’s attention is drawn elsewhere, when he hears poor Gnomey the gnome yelling at a huge, hairy troll who’s sitting on top of his toadstool home. The big bully taunts Gnomey:
TROLL:
I’ve got more strength in my LITTLE FINGER than you have in your WHOLE BODY!
Fortunately for Gnomey, when Casper shows up on the scene, the frightened troll takes off, insisting that he’s not scared of ghosts. But Gnomey remains angry and frustrated, so much so that when the well-dressed stranger appears, he anxiously signs his mysterious contract. The stranger presents him with a special ring - and name:
STRANGER:
Hold out your little finger! You are now “POWFINGER”! Have fun!
Wondering what his new moniker signifies, Gnomey soon finds out, when he topples a mighty oak with one touch of his little finger! And when Casper refers to him as “Gnomey”, the little gnome uses his pinkie to “pow” the friendly ghost off of his feet, too! Now more of a bully than the troll ever was, “Powfinger” stalks away, leaving Casper to worry about the fine print in his “standard wish application”. This story’s second chapter, “Today The Swamp”, continues as Casper catches up to “Powfinger” in a particularly creepy area of the Enchanted Forest - the Scary Swamp! While “Powfinger” belligerently calls out a challenge for his troll tormentor, Casper makes nice with a .local crocodile:
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
I’m Casper the friendly ghostandCROCODILE:
GHOST! Hey, WAIT A MINUTE! Who’s AFRAID of ghosts?CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
You’re NOT? I’m so GLAD!CROCODILE:
In this swamp here are things so SCARY, ghosts look like FRIENDS!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
I AM a friend!CROCODILE:
Don’t CONFUSE me! There are WEEJUMS and WOOJUMS and the DREADED VOO DOO DOO!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
BRRR! The NAMES give me the chills!
Casper asks his new friend to help him read the fine print on “Powfinger’s” contract, but even with excellent eyesight, the crocodile has the same difficulty that Casper has every time he tries to read it:
CROCODILE:
HmmmThat’s FUNNY! The HARDER you look, the SMALLER it gets!
Then a passing vulture drops in and volunteers to give it a try, claiming that vultures have the best eyesight in the world - but he’s equally frustrated by the “standard wish agreement” contract that Casper shows him:
VULTURE:
The print keeps getting SMALLER and SMALLER! What are you, some kind of a MAGICIAN?
Suddenly, Casper hears a call for help - it’s Gnomey, er, “Powfinger”, sinking in a pit of quicksand! Casper flies to his rescue, but once he’s pulled the little gnome out of the goo, he’s attacked by a gnome-hungry Weejum! But without raising a sweat, “Powfinger” knocks out the attacking Weejum with one touch of his little finger. Casper tries to get him to read the fine print on his contract, but power-hungry “Powfinger” doesn’t express the slightest interest. All he cares about is facing down the troll who bullied him earlier:
GNOMEY/”POWFINGER”:
Now, listen, Casper, and listen GOODALL MY LIFE I’ve been LITTLE and AFRAID of everybody! Now everybody’s going to be afraid of ME, POWFINGER! And I don’t CARE what the fine print saysOR YOU EITHER! TROLL!
In response to “Powfinger’s” call, the monstrous troll shows upand once again, he uses his pinkie to spectacular effect:
GNOMEY/”POWFINGER”:
TODAY the SWAMPTOMORROW the WORLD!
“Powfinger” even gets so carried away that he accidentally “pows” himself in the head! But this gaffe doesn’t seem to reduce his newly-inflated ego one bit:
GNOMEY/”POWFINGER”:
WATCH yourself, Casper! I’ve been nice to you so far because we USED to be FRIENDS! NOW HEAR THIS, SWAMP CREATURES! POWFINGER IS TAKING OVER! Any OBJECTIONS, dreaded (HA HA) Woojum?
But apparently, one of the denizens of the Scary Swamp does have an objection:
WOOJUM:
It’s the SUPERDREADED VOO DOO DOO!
The third chapter, “The Fine Print”, concludes as the other creatures of the swamp run for their lives from the dreaded Voo Doo Doo, who emerges from the murky waters. “Powfinger”, however, remains unimpressed:
GNOMEY/”POWFINGER”:
JUST A MINUTE, THERE! What’s so great about HIM?VULTURE:
You don’t KNOW about the Voo Doo Doo? He’s the great MUD CREATURE from the BOTTOM of the SWMP! If he SEIZES you in his great mud arms he’ll take you to the BOTTOM of the SWAMP and you’ll NEVER be HEARD FROM again!
With that, Voo Doo Doo attacks “Powfinger“, who’s pinkie is surprisingly ineffective against the swamp monster:
CROW:
HA HA HA, bigshot! Mud will ABSORB any impact!
But before any real damage can occur, Casper intercedes, trying to smooth things over, while unintentionally (?) luring Voo Doo Doo away from the moisture-providing swamp as it tries to grab the little ghost in its gooey arms:
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
UhWait, Mr. Voo Doo Doo! Little Gnomey here didn’t MEAN any HARM!VOO DOO DOO:
ARGH!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
You see, he has this NEW POWERand I’m afraid it’s GONE to his HEAD!WOOJUM:
LOOK! The LITTLE GHOST is luring Voo Doo Doo AWAY from the POOL!WEEJUM:
He’s DRYING OUT!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
PLEASE, Mr. Voo Doo Doo! Is it GOOD for you to be so dry?VOO DOO DOO:
ARGH!
Suddenly, Voo Doo Doo accidentally trips on an exposed root and falls right on top of “Powfinger”, who shields himself with his hand. The instant that his pinkie finger comes into contact with Voo Doo Doo, it blasts the muck-monster into muddy molecules:
SFX:
POWWEEJUM:
WOW! Powfinger DESTROYED VOO DOO DOO!WOOJUM:
He is INDEED RULER of the SWAMP!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
GOLLY! Voo Doo Doo is just a MOUND of EARTH!SUNFLOWER CREATURE:
Not JUST earththat’s BEAUTIFUL TOPSOIL!
(If anyone remains unconvinced as to the fecal nature of funnybook muck-monsterswell, there’s your proof!) Suddenly, the mysterious stranger in the top hat reappears, to finally reveal the fine print of “Powfinger’s” contract — “YOU ARE MY SLAVE”! With some sort of “evil current” emanating from the tip of his cane, the mysterious stranger - no longer nearly so charming - drags away poor “Powfinger”, whose pow-ers are ineffective against his new master. Casper bravely tries to intercede on his friend’s behalf, but he’s blasted - and apparently destroyed (how do you kill a ghost?) - by the stranger’s current. “Powfinger” reacts to Casper’s death is a manner that’s probably as melodramatic as a Harvey Comic can possibly get:
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
I’ll save you, GnomeyOH!GNOMEY/”POWFINGER”:
OH, CASPER! WAIT, MASTER! IT’S CASPER! MY FRIEND! SNIFF! OH, CASPER! I’M SO SORRY! SOB!
Driven by grief, “Powfinger” suddenly manages to generate one final “pow”, knocking his master off of his feet! As Casper slowly revives (See? You can’t kill a ghost!), the stranger demands to take back his contract:
GNOMEY:
What HAPPENED?STRANGER:
That DRATTED GHOST made you THINK of SOMEONE BESIDE YOURSELF! My magic’s no good against THAT!
Gnomey assists the still-dazed Casper to get back onto his feet:
GNOMEY:
Geeit’s nice to be able to TOUCH someone without KNOCKING him DOWN! And you know what, Casper! I don’t FEEL SMALL anymore!CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST:
Why SHOULD you?
Also included in this issue of CASPER’S GHOSTLAND are the following stories, features and advertisements:
- A black-and-white, inside-front-cover house-ad for Harvey’s line of “Giant Size” comics, including CASPER’S GHOSTLAND, WENDY WITCH WORLD, SAD SACK LAUGH SPECIAL, RICHIE RICH SUCCESS, RICHIE RICH MILLIONS, CASPER AND NIGHTMARE, SAD SAD SACK WORLD and RICHIE RICH DOLLARS AND CENTS.
- An untitled, one-page “Casper’s Ghostland” gag-strip, penciled by Warren Kremer. Even though it’s a warm summer day, and there’s not a trace of ice on the pond, Casper uses his ghostly abilities to go ice-skating.
- An untitled, one-page “Wendy” gag-strip. When Wendy has to transport a ton of goodies to the “ghost kiddie party”, she borrows Pearl’s bow ribbon to strap herself to her flying broom.
- An untitled, one-page “Spooky” gag-strip, penciled by Howard Post. Spooky helps out poor old Gramps the ghost by filling his bag of tricks with sheer boo-power, allowing him to scare the bejabbers out of a bear.
- “Wendy, The Good Little Witch” in “Secret Agent Witch”, drawn by Marty Taras. - Wendy is so impressed with the gadgets of her favorite TV hero “Secret Agent 1478325 1/2″ that she seeks out Casper the friendly ghost to share a game of “secret agent” with her. She tells her ghostly friend to pretend that he’s a bad guy and to take her wand away from her. But before he can comply, a nasty ogre interrupts them and grabs Wendy’s wand. Fortunately for them, Wendy had previously put a spell on a prickly cactus to make it appear to be her wand! When the mean ogre recovers from his wounds, he grabs Wendy and shakes her upside-down to dislodge her wand. But again, Wendy has a trick in store for him; the wand multiplies itself into a huge stack of exact duplicates, with Wendy hanging onto the original. When the ogre chases and corners them, Wendy transforms herself and Casper into a pair of ferocious wild bobcats, who scratch and tear at the ogre until he runs away. (In a confusing leap of logic, Wendy and Casper then thank the two bobcats for their help!) Finally, Wendy gives one of her spare wands to Casper. When it turns into a banana, Casper peels it and tosses away the peel, claiming “Well, at least this weapon won’t hurt anyone!” But when a passing pink bunny rabbit slips on the peel, he pointedly challenges Casper’s assertion.
- “A Tale Of TV”, a 3/4-page text-story.
- A 1/4-page strip-ad house-ad for CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, penciled by Warren Kremer.
- “The Proud King”, a 34-page text story.
- A 1/4-page strip-ad house-ad for SAD SACK, penciled by Warren Kremer.
- “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in “Basic Training”, drawn by Warren Kremer. - Spooky’s startled awake when a huge boot falls on his bed, nearly crushing him. He wonders if a passing giant has somehow lost his shoe, but he soon discovers that it’s just the misguided handiwork of Ginger, a young witch whose witchy aunt is attempting to train her in the black arts. When the little witch nearly destroys the roof of Spooky’s house while practicing broom-flying, he vows to get even - but the old witch sends his own “boo” back against him! Determined, Spooky “fights fire with fire” by recruiting his own young student, a little ghost named Fireball, to learn “how to be a ghost”. When the little ghost slaps Ginger in the face, she retaliates by casting a spell to give him gigantic ears. Instead, the neophyte mini-witch’s magic adds giant ears to Spooky’s house. Then, when she tries to transform the kid ghost’s head into a chimney, all she accomplishes is to add two extra chimneys onto the roof of Spooky’s cabin. When the old witch interrupts Ginger and Fireball competitive game of magical hide-and-seek, the little witch hurls a spell at Spooky’s ghostly student - which promptly turns him into a blue witch! This - and the fact that his house is now nearly unrecognizable (somewhere along the way it acquired a pair of giant bat-wings!) — disgusts Spooky to the point that he gives up on his original plan and opts, instead, to “raise the roof” - literally! He belts out such a resounding “Boo!” that it hurls his cabin high into the air, and upon landing, it completely re-builds itself in its original form. Spooky’s boo-blast also has the desirable effect of chasing away Ginger and her witchy auntie, but he still has to contend with Fireball, who’s still a witch. But when his young student insists on more lessons in how to be a ghost, Spooky is only too glad to cooperate. The final panel of this story shows Spooky chasing Fireball, driving his young charge ahead of him with one big “boo” after another.
- An untitled, one-page “Spooky” gag-strip, penciled by Howard Post. Crossing a desert, Spooky takes refuge from the sun inside a giant’s shoe; when its owner returns, Spooky gets rid of him with a really big “Shoo!” (This is a reference to TV variety host Ed Sullivan.)
- An untitled, one-page “Spooky” gag-strip, penciled by Howard Post. Flying through Witches’ Valley, Spooky blasts a green-faced witch with a big “Boo!”, giving her hair the “electrified” look she’s been trying to achieve.
- An untitled, one-page “Casper” gag-strip, penciled by Warren Kremer. Poor Mr. Bear is suffering from insomnia, but when he realizes that Casper is a ghost, he faints — and finally gets a good night’s sleep in the process.
- “Flash Farrell Gets The Picture At Goodyear Aerospace”, a strip-ad — drawn by Neal Adams — for Goodyear bicycle tires.
- “Casper The Friendly Ghost” in “The Mysterious Statue”, penciled by Warren Kremer. - This is the first of a three-part storyline; it begins when Casper drops by the Ghostly Trio’s house, only to find them practicing for a “scare raid”. Unwilling to participate in this - or their game of “peek-a-BOO” - Casper heads over to see his friend, Wendy the good little witch. On the way, he bumps into Something, a mischievous little ghost he knows. Together, they pay a visit to Wendy, who’s been whipping up a batch of “yummy”-smelling witches’ brew. Something watches her uses her magic want to conjure up a jar of spices to mix into some cake batter. Then he grabs her wand and gestures with it, hoping to conjure up some goodies, but instead, he accidentally uses the magic wand to turn its master into a stone statue! And making matters even worse, Something accidentally drops Wendy’s magic wand into Wendy’s blazing fireplace, burning it to a cinder. If they can’t replace the wand, it looks like Wendy is doomed to being a statue for all time! Fortunately, Casper has an idea. Through a series of flashbacks (a potentially-confusing-to-young-readers storytelling device that Harvey Comics usually avoided), we’re shown how Wendy was given the wand after saving old Greta The Sorceress in gratitude for saving her from a mean bear up on Magic Mountain. Determined to change their friend back into flesh and blood, Casper and Something set out across the Burning Desert toward Magic Mountain. (To be continued.)
- An untitled, two-page “Ghostly Trio” gag-strip, penciled by Warren Kremer. The trouble-making Ghostly Trio invades a costume party, but the guests are scared a bit - they think the ghosts are merely in disguise. But when the Trio gives up and start to fade out, they accidentally scare everyone, to their great mutual delight.
- “Casper The Friendly Ghost” in “Magic Mountain”, penciled by Warren Kremer. - Continuing the storyline from “The Mysterious Statue”, Casper and Something the ghost manage to cross The Burning Desert and ascend to the top of Magic Mountain, where they discover a huge medieval castle that’s protected by a thick, invisible barrier. Unable to enter it, they take an alternate route, but run afoul of a huge and overaggressive crow. But when Something’s frightening-sounding crying triggers an avalanche, the crow decides to take off. Casper and Something cleverly take shelter from the rockslide by hiding within the boulder. The next impediment to their progress is a field full of hungry giant man-eating flowers, but Casper and Something easily avoid it by flying above the famished flora. As they approach the castle’s front gate, they find it guarded by a “great big pussy cat” — a grumpy lion. After the mischievous little ghost yanks its tail, the lion chases Something back into the field of carnivorous flowers. When Something is swallowed by a particularly aggressive breed of the perilous posies, he uses his ghostly powers to become immaterial and escape. But when the lion gets gobbled up as well, sympathetic Casper uses a sprig of goldenrod to make his flowery captor to sneeze, setting free the grateful feline — who now volunteers to take them to Greta The Sorceress. (To be continued.)
- A page featuring two ads: one for “GRIT, America’s Greatest Family Newspaper”; the other for “Power Binoculars” available through mail-order from “Hi-Power”.
- A house-ad for various Harvey Comics, including CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, LITTLE AUDREY AND MELVIN, HOT STUFF, SAD SACK, TUFF GHOSTS, DEVIL KIDS, PLAYFUL LITTLE AUDREY, LITTLE SAD SACK, HARVEY HITS featuring “G.I. Juniors”, BABY HUEY AND PAPA, LITTLE LOTTA, LITTLE DOT DOTLAND, BABY HUEY, SAD SACK AND SARGE, SPOOKY THE TUFF LITTLE GHOST, RICHIE RICH, WENDY THE GOOD LITTLE WITCH, LITTLE DOT and CASPER’S GHOSTLAND.
- A one-page “Rocky And Bullwinkle” strip-ad for General Mills’ “Cheerios” breakfast cereal.
- A house-ad for Harvey’s line of “Giant Size” comics, including TV CASPER AND COMPANY, SAD SAD SACK WORLD, LITTLE LOTTA IN FOODLAND, LITTLE AUDREY TV FUNTIME, LITTLE DOT’S AUNTS AND UNCLES, STUMBO TINYTOWN, RICHIE RICH DOLLARS AND CENTS, BABY HUEY DUCKLAND, SAD SACK LAUGH SPECIAL, HOT STUFF SIZZLERS, RICHIE RICH MILLIONS, SPOOKY SPOOKTOWN, CASPER’S GHOSTLAND and WENDY WITCH WORLD.
- “Casper The Friendly Ghost” in “Greta The Sorceress”, penciled by Warren Kremer. - Continuing the story from “Magic Mountain”, this final chapter begins as Casper introduces himself and Something to Greta The Sorceress. She mistakes them for evil spirits, and when Casper tells he that Wendy needs a replacement for the destroyed wand that Greta once gave her, the sorceress thinks they’re trying to trick her. Distracted while she looks through a book of spells to banish the “evil” ghosts, Greta doesn’t notice when Casper and Something turn themselves invisible. But when Something tries to hide inside an old vase (”to be doubly safe”), he knocks it over and reveals their presence to Greta. The green-skinned sorceress goes to her magic mirror to help locate her uninvited guests, but when Casper whispers a suggestion in her ear - one that Greta assumes is a “brainstorm” - she asks to see Wendy. Seeing that Casper was telling the truth all along, Greta takes him and Something upstairs, where she shows them an entire trunk of wands! Something eagerly grabs one of them and tries to concoct some magic, but without success. Greta explains that she hasn’t yet put the magic into the wand yet. After blasting it with her powers of sorcery, Greta uses it to materialize an elephant, then turn it into a tiny mouse, then transform Something into an elongated giant! Thanking Greta, Casper and Something return to the Enchanted Forest, where Casper uses the new magic wand to undo Something’s near-tragic error. And once Wendy is restored to normal, the first thing she does is use her new wand to place a “magic circle” around Something to keep him out of further mischief!
- “The Great Lesson”, a 3/4-page text-story.
- A 1/4-page strip-ad house-ad for RICHIE RICH, penciled by Warren Kremer.
- “Casper’s Diary”, a 3/4-page text-story.
- A 1/4-page strip-ad house-ad for HOT STUFF, penciled by Warren Kremer.
- “Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost” in “Loyal To Poil”, penciled by Howard Post. - Appalled after witnessing Spooky scare a cow into climbing a tree, his ghostly girlfriend Pearl issues an ultimatum — unless Spooky can go an entire day without scaring anyone, she refuses to date him any more! Intimidated by her dictate, Spooky manages to resist scaring a passing bear who’s carrying a big stack of packages. But when Pearl sees Spooky’s impressive feat of self-control, she lets out a squeal of delight, revealing herself to the bear - and scaring the daylights out of him! Unaware that Pearl was the cause of this, Spooky worries that she’ll blame him. Embarrassed by the effects of her outburst, Pearl makes herself invisible, but when she slips on a banana peel, her cry of alarm scares the horse of a passing dog-cowboy. As the old nag bucks and gallops into the distance, Once again, Spooky is worried that Pearl is going to blame him for this, not realizing that she’s the one responsible. Finally, as still-invisible Pearl follows Spooky into town, she accidentally knocks an open can of green paint onto herself. Covered with the verdant goop, she not only scares the painter (an ape) - but also frightens Spooky! After cleaning off herself - by flying through a drum full of turpentine - Pearl catches up with Spooky and gives him a big kiss as a reward for exhibiting such self-control. This causes him to emit such a loud “Ya-hoo!” of total triumph that he scares everyone within earshot!
- A page featuring two ads: one for ABC’s NEW CASPER CARTOON SHOW; and the other for “250 Magic Tricks Revealed”, a booklet available through mail-order from the “Magic Collection”.
- “Treasure Chest Of Fun”, an ad for a variety of practical jokes, gizmos, gimmicks and gag-gifts available through mail order from the “Honor House Prod. Corp.”
- “Boys, Girls, Men, Women - If You Need Extra Money & You Know Just 10 PeopleYou Can Make $50.00, $100.00, $200.00 And More In Your Spare Time - It Costs You Nothing To Try!”, a black-and-white, inside-back-cover ad soliciting for door-to-door greeting card salespeople to represent “Wallace Brown, Inc.”
- “Make Money - Get Prizes”, a back-cover ad looking for young door-to-door greeting card salespeople to represent the “American Specialty Company”.
ODDBALL Factoid - Cartoonist Howard Post was also the creator of DC’s teenage caveman, ANTHRO!
Bonus ODDBALL Factoid - Noted science fiction and fantasy author Theodore (”It!”) Sturgeon was a big fan of ODDBALL COMICS, attending midnight performances of Scott Shaw!’s slide show presentation at more than one of the San Diego Comic-Cons of the 1970s! In fact, he even contributed a copy of Spire Comics’ ADAM AND EVE to Shaw!’s massive Oddball Comics collection!
* These were the original names of the Ghostly Trio; due to 1995’s CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST feature film, their names have been officially changed to Fatso, Stinky and Stretch. - SS!
** Special thanks to Mark Arnold and his Harveyville Fun Times http://thft.home.att.net/ for valuable research assistance with this ODDBALL COMICS column! **
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(Comic book speciality market kids food products) Batman Begins: Christian Bale as Batman Statue
Batman Begins: Christian Bale as Batman Statue
Batman Begins: Christian Bale as Batman Statue
 A whole new start to a the legend of the Dark Knight. Based on Christian Bale as Batman in the movie Batman Begins this hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue includes a Certificate of Authenticity, is packaged in a 4-color box. This statue measures approximately 12 and 1/2 inches tall and is limi… |
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Comic guru crutchead speaks.
We meet Clark Kent celebrating another birthday in a small town in Kansas. His dad thought it would be neat to have a famous name and his mother thinks it it fun that there are all these toys about her son, but this Clark Kent has never found any of it t
Batman: Hush Vol. 2 TPB
 The 12-part "Hush" storyline–masterfully crafted by comics heavyweights Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee and Scott Williams–topped sales charts for an entire year, thrilling readers and critics alike. Now, the second half of that legendary story arc is collected in Batman: Hush Vol. 2 . This v… |
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The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Batman: Mission Masters 4 - Battle Staff Batman Action Figure
Batman: Mission Masters 4 - Battle Staff Batman Action Figure
 On his Hover Jet, Batman cruises above the night-shrouded streets to hunt down the puppet platoons. His double-edged Battle Staff gives him the power to sweep away several robotic foes in one lightning-fast swipe. Felling foes left and right, the Dark Knight leaves The Ventriloquist with no place to… |
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(Wonderful comic book drawings) Batman: Hush Vol. 1 TPB
Batman: Hush Vol. 1 TPB
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Comic guru crutchead speaks.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
stanleylieber posted a photo:
pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2006/10/03/when-they-wer…
Batman Begins: Tribal Fire Movie Logo Shirt (XL)
Batman Begins: Tribal Fire Movie Logo Shirt (XL)
 Be judged and defined by your actions and buy this great t-shirt sporting the bat-logo from the movie Batman Begins , lit up on Tribal Fire . This shirt is sure to be an instant classic, so quickly make your judgement and take action to get yours now before they’re all snatched up. The logo is print… |
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
It had potential, the mini series. It certainly had great artwork, no denying that that’s why it got the two stars . But in the end I can sum it all up by saying it left me empty. If it was given more time to develop perhaps something meaningful would h
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Comic Books portray our fears, our desir…. (comic book price guide)
Comic Books portray our fears, our desires and ethos.
The Comic Book is one of America’s unsung contribution to culture.
Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity HC
Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity HC
 For the first time ever, the tale of the Dark Knight and Man of Steel’s first meeting with the Amazon Princess is told! Billionaire eco-terrorist Ra’s al Ghul is on a mad quest to remake the world in his own image. With the juggernaut clone of Superman known as Bizarro and a deadly rogue Amazon by h… |
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Superman T-Shirt: Shadows (XL)
Superman T-Shirt: Shadows (XL)
 Celebrate the big screen return of the Man of Steel with a great t-shirt! Superman: Shadows features this classic silhoette screenprinted in color on the front of a navy blue 100% cotton shirt. The Man of Steel returns!!… |
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JoeAlterio posted a photo:
So much for all of these prattle, however in every case there’s a propagator about it all and for this instance, i do recall that the main man responsible behind all of these revisions is a second rater comic book writer/artist whom DC Comics hired to
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