Articles by mike-gold
Thu Nov 1, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Mystery Science Theater Returns
On Guy Fawkes Day!
Unusual is in the mind of the beholder. My favorite teevee shows of all time include such fare as The Prisoner, Fawlty Towers, and Boston Legal – unusual to some, but probably not to most ComicMix readers. If pressed, though, I'd have to say my all-time favorite show was Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Well, in television, as in comics, the word "was" is rarely what it once was. After 11 seasons and nearly 200 two-hour episodes (including one theatrical movie that remains a cable perennial), the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are back.
According to Satellite News, this Monday, November 5th (Guy Fawkes Day, no less), November 5th, MST3K's parent company Best Brains Inc. will begin webcasting brand-new animated adventures of Crow, Tom Servo and Gypsy – the bots from the Satellite of Love and the only characters to survive all 11 seasons of the original show.
Wed Oct 31, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Wheatley & Hempel Work at Norman Rockwell Museum
According to a press release issued by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA, next week will see the beginning of their latest exhibition, LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel." Among the graphic novels on display will be Breathtaker, by Mark Wheatley (EZ Street) and Marc Hempel (Naked Brains).
The release:
Lions released from a zoo in war-torn Baghdad; a mother's battle with lung cancer; an American expatriate searching for her identity in Mexico- serious subject matter for any medium, but particularly so for a new wave of critically acclaimed and commercially successful long form comic books. In these illustrated stories, called graphic novels (a mostly grown-up version of the comic book), themes explored include culture, society, and current events, and topics range from heart-wrenching to thought-provoking to risqué. A fascinating new exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, "LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel," examines the history, diversity, and tremendous popularity of this phenomenon considered by many to be a comics renaissance. On view from November 10, 2007 throughMay 26, 2008, the exhibition features over 146 artworks by 24 contemporary graphic novelists and historic practitioners of this ever-evolving art form.
"Comics are a language- and it's a visual language," observes graphic novelist Mark Wheatley. "It cuts across cultural barriers and national barriers. The language of comics is something that a man in Dubai can understand as easily as a man in Chicago."
Continue reading Wheatley & Hempel Work at Norman Rockwell Museum ›
Tue Oct 30, 2007 — by Mike Gold
The Big Little Book Time Machine
Journey With Us Now...
I'll admit: I've got a thing for self-published fan projects. Nothing shows fannish commitment better than these books, and over the years a wealth of encyclopedic information about our culture has been gathered in such efforts.
Once upon a time, there was a whole category of comic books that measured just a couple inches wide but were about a full inch thick. Actually, they weren't really comic books – they were illustrated fiction. But many, if not most, featured comics characters such as Popeye, Dick Tracy, and Flash Gordon – complete with illustrations often by the creators and their studios. They were called Big Little Books – BLBs – and were highly collectible. And so they remain.
A fan named Larry Lowery has self-published a fantastic reference book on BLBs, with great cover repros and every detail you can imagine. The 400 page compendium lists all the Whitman BLBs and peripherals related to Big Little Books from 1932 through 1980, as well as similar publications by Dell, Saalfield, Lynn, 5-Star, and such. It's a great reference book for serious collectors with photos of every BLB. Check it out here.
Thanks to our pal Dean Mullaney for the lead.
Mon Oct 29, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Of course A Is A, by Mike Gold
Whizzy's Wazoo #38
I finally got around to watching Jonathan Ross’s excellent BBC-TV documentary In Search of Steve Ditko and I’ve gotta tell you, this week’s Wazoo is going to be about one-third disclosures.
Disclosure #1 – I know Jonathan Ross. I gave him his first tour of DC Comics. At the same time, Karen Berger was giving Neil Gaiman a tour. Jonathan is a major teevee star out in Britain but was largely unknown in the States at the time. A long, long time comics fan (he owned a London comics store with Rolling Stone correspondent and seminal letterhack Paul Gambaccini), I think Jonathan was really into the anonymity of the tour… until we turned the corner and smacked into Gaiman. Being British and familiar with Ross’s work, Neil turned into a babbling fanboy. Being a comics fan, Jonathan was already a babbling fanboy. The two got along famously, while Karen and I were having a nice chat on the side. This connection actually becomes relevant anon.
Disclosure #2 – I know Steve Ditko. I love his stuff; all of it. We worked together on several comics projects, one of my personal fanboy highlights was standing in his studio in the then-lower rent portion of Times Square, and we’ve had lunch and dinner together on several occasions, usually with my pal and his frequent collaborator Jack C. Harris. We talked politics (go figure) and philosophy. In private, Steve was always free about his experiences at Marvel. This, too, actually becomes relevant anon.
One of the more interesting experiences I enjoyed was introducing Steve to Ross Andru. Both came into the business at roughly the same time and, coincidentally, both had drawn Spider-Man… although, of course, only one had co-created the character. Ross was as quiet as he was fascinating. He was well-versed on the Illuminati conspiracy, which was a favored topic of ours. I digress.
Tue Oct 23, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Jim Lee Can Be Heroes
If you haven't ordered your copy of the Heroes trade paperback collecting the first 34 chapters of NBC.com's online comics and you happen to be a Jim Lee fan, you're in luck. Jim's got his own special version; yep, that's the cover above.
Heroes –The Graphic Novel
Isn't that Saturn Girl up there on the right?
Mon Oct 22, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Gore, Mayhem and Violence, by Mike Gold
Whizzy's Wazoo #37
Unless you’re new to or you’ve been avoiding our online comics (hey, c’mon, they’re FREE!) or our comments sections (where the real action is), you’ve probably figured out that I am among a number of cultural recidivists who hang out in this corner of the ether. Mark Wheatley, Andrew Pepoy, John Ostrander… well, damn, most of us, now that I think of it.
So it will come as no surprise that I’ve been reading Girasol Collectibles’ Pulp Doubles series (orderable at your friendly neighborhood comics shop and dozens of other online sources), featuring the original Master of Men, The Spider. The real one. The original. The man who best typifies pulp virtues, where the extreme is commonplace and New York City is destroyed every month.
It’s Jim Steranko’s fault. In the first volume of his History of Comics (and, yes, I, too, have been waiting patiently for volume three for over 35 years), he started off writing about the various costumed pulp heroes who influenced (or, in some cases, were blatantly ripped off by) sundry comic book creations. I had never heard of The Spider before, but Jim praised it as being so purple it would make a French king wince in pain.
Instead of filling space telling you what that means, I will instead tell you some of the plot points in The Spider #49, “The City That Dared Not Eat.” It’s one of my favorites, and it’s in Girasol's Pulp Doubles #1. I don’t know how you can better that title, but, damn, author Wayne Rogers (no relation to Trapper John) certainly beats it to a pulp. Here’s just a few of the story’s highpoints:
Sun Oct 21, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Dr Who Meets Dr Who Again For The 1st Time
Who Knew?
The London Sun reports the fifth man to play the Doctor, Peter Davison, will team-up with the tenth man to play the Doctor, David Tennant, this November 19th on a special BBC-TV "charity bonanza" for Children In Need.
This is hardly the first time the sitting (wandering?) Doctor has met up with his past, but it's the first time since the series was brought back to life almost four years ago. There's a 20 year age difference between the two; the elder doctor told the Sun “It’s an honour for me to make the connection.”
This should not be confused with the rumored season four Doctor Who final episode, wherein at least four of the doctor's companions team up with the Doctor and Captain Jack.
Tue Oct 16, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Jules Feiffer, Bill Mauldin on exhibit in Chicago
Two Grand Masters return to the windy city
The work of two of America's most significant cartoonists, Bill Mauldin and Jules Feiffer, will be the subject of a major exhibit at Chicago's Jean Albano Gallery.
Feiffer is the former weekly editorial cartoonist for the Village Voice and Universal Press Syndicate. One-time writer of Will Eisner's Spirit
The late Bill Mauldin was the long-time nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist headquartered at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Chicago Sun-Times. Perhaps best known for his World War II panels featuring Willie and Joe (to be reprinted in their entirety by Fantagraphics early next year), Mauldin also had a career as an actor, appearing in the movie The Red Badge of Courage, among others.
The exhibit, History Revealed: Jules Feiffer and Bill Mauldin, will run at the Jean Albano Gallery, 215 W. Superior in Chicago from October 26, 2007 to January 6, 2007.
Tue Oct 16, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Comics Great Marie Severin Suffers Stroke
Hulk, EC artist
Long-time comics giant Marie Severin suffered a stroke last Thursday. She is recouperating at Huntington Hospital in Long Island, New York.
Marie is perhaps best-known for her work as the primary EC Comics colorist during the 1950s, doing much to set the tone and style of comics' most highly-respected line. She is also well-known for her work as an artist, working on a wide variety of characters primarily for Marvel Comics: from Doctor Strange and The Sub-Mariner to Alf and Kull The Barbarian. She is particularly well-known for satiric work in titles such as Crazy and Not Brand Ecch!, drawing one of the finest comics parodies, "Kaspar The Dead Baby," written by Marv Wolfman.
Born in 1929, Marie's brother, John Severin, is also one of the all-time comics greats.
Marie's family suggests sending get well cards to:
Marie Severin, patient
c/o Huntington Hospital
270 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
(Thanks to Larry Shell for sharing the news.)
Tue Oct 16, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Cap In The Saddle Again
Mike's mandatory Captain America analysis
O.K. By now you're heard that "Captain America" will be returning to Captain America, in issue #34. Place your orders today, folks!
I have no problem with Cap's return. It was inevitable. That's fine. I don't know if it'll be Steve Rogers resurrected; I certainly hope not. That sort of shoddy storytelling got tiresome about 20 years ago. Like the flag and the nation for which he was named, Captain America endures and that's fine by me.
I'm not going to join the loud chorus of nay-sayers who have been pooping all over Alex Ross's brand-new costume design. Cap's got a gun and a knife? Bg deal. He's a soldier, remember? If a gun was good enough for Alex Schaumberg, it's good enough for Ross and for me.
However, there is a storytelling problem here. If the costume is so vital that it must survive as the skin of another, as it had before in the 1950s, then why change the costume? I guess we'll find out. I hope we'll find out.
Mon Oct 15, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Teaching Behind The Eightball, by Mike Gold
Whizzy's Wazoo #36
I’ve lived in Connecticut for the past 22 years, and I’ll admit I’m hardly the most loyal of Nutmeggers. It’s very pretty up here, once you get out of its typically American cities, but some of the people tend to be a bit self-absorbed and snooty. But before this past week, I could not say I was actually embarrassed to live here. Here’s the story.
29 year-old teacher Nathan Fisher used to run an English class at Guilford High. As we all recall, part of an English teacher’s job is to assign various types of reading assignments. He assigned one of his students – a girl, which I think is significant to the story – a comic book, Daniel Clowes’ Eightball #22. Another student freaked, the parents started a crusade, the board of education got involved, the police were called, the state Department of Children and Families was called in, and the comic book was labeled pornographic. In short order, Mr. Fisher was forced to resign.
He was, according to the Hartford Courant, a well-respected teacher who previously had received praise from his superiors. Loren Sterman, a Guilford parent who coincidentially works as a school counselor in New London, told the Courant’s Rick Green "He is someone who cares deeply about children's literacy and who looks for ways to hook them into reading. That's what he did for my daughter."
The police found no cause for hysteria. The Department of Children and Families found no cause for action. This is significant; I’ve worked with the Connecticut DCF on Head Start and related issues, and to my experience it would be difficult to find a prissier or more bureaucratic bunch of ass-coverers. They’ll fine you for hiccupping in a swimming pool, and they found nothing.
Continue reading Teaching Behind The Eightball, by Mike Gold ›
Fri Oct 12, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Is Snappy Sammy Smoot The Real Fishhead?
Fishhead at Munden's Bar...
Our pal and ComicMix columnist and Fishhead co-writer Michael H. Price sent me one of those "seperated at birth" things... sort of a crossover between his Fishhead and our first Munden's Bar story, as produced by John Ostrander and Skip Williamson. The beauty on the left is called "Snappy Sammy Smoot," he's a long-time hero of the underground comix, and is copyright 2007 Skip Williamson.
Check out both features – for free – right here at ComicMix. Just click the comics tab on the home page!
Wed Oct 10, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Supreme Court Justice Lex Luthor?
Or is Scalia just a fanboy?
According to the Los Angeles Times, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia referenced Lex Luthor during a recent oral argument at the nation's "highest" court.
While considering the case of Gall v. U.S., a judge sentenced a drug dealer to probation rather than the prison term. According to the Times: "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested to the defendant’s lawyer that jail time might have been appropriate because, while his client had left the drug conspiracy, he hadn’t blown the whistle on his co-conspirators.
"The lawyer replied: “Justice Ginsburg, when someone leaves the conspiracy and blows the whistle, typically that individual is not charged...
"'I’m sure that’s not always true,' Chief Justice John Roberts interjected. 'I mean, if the leader of some vast conspiracy is the one who blows the whistle, I suspect he may well be charged anyway.'
“'Lex Luthor might,' added Justice Antonin Scalia."
It is not known if Scalia, a noted right-wing advocate, referenced Luthor out of nostalgia or respect. It is known, however, that Scalia is indeed known for his sense of humor.
Tip o' the hat to our pal Mike Catron for the lead.
Mon Oct 8, 2007 — by Mike Gold
Richard Goldwater, 1936 – 2007
Archie's step-brother dead at 71
Archie Comics president and co-publisher Richard H. Goldwater died from cancer, according to a press release from Archie Comics. He was 71.
Richard shared top duties at Archie with chairman and co-publisher Michael Silberkleit. He was the son of John Goldwater, Michael is the son of Louis Silberkleit. Together, John and Louis partnered with Maurice Coyne to form the pulp magazine publishing company that evolved into the golden age's MLJ Comics, birthplace to Archie Andrews 65 years ago. Together, Michael and Richard steered the company for the past several decades, keeping Archie a household name while adding Josie and the Pussycats and Sabrina The Teen-Aged Witch to the short list of American comic book icons.
While other major comics companies were sold to big conglomerates, Goldwater and Silberkleit kept Archie Comic Publications family owned, establishing values that were well reflected in their publishing output.
(Pictured left-to-right: Archie managing editor Victor Gorelick and co-publishers Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater. Copyright Vanity Fair, All Rights Reserved.)
Mon Oct 8, 2007 — by Mike Gold
MIKE GOLD: Name Dropping
Whizzy's Wazoo #35
Phase II is one week old, although I hasten to point out that tweaks and additions and improvements are being made literally every day. That sort of thing never ends, I’m told. Now that each of our weekly series are up here available for your perusal and entertainment – our second week installments begin tomorrow – there are a lot of people to thank. The “without whom” lists, each in alphabetical order, which I certainly hope are complete but know in my heart of hearts there will be people who are hiding in the recesses of my mind. To them, my embarrassed thanks and gratitude. We appreciate you all.
First and literally foremost, I want to thank my partners Brian Alvey and Glenn Hauman and our v-p Martha Thomases for service well above the call of duty: the 25 hour work days (which continue), the sacrifice of personal time (which continues), the “do-this-immediately” hysteria, and, most of all, for putting up with a psychotic E-I-C. You’re the best.
Next, our staff, columnists and contributors, including Mike Baron, Hilary Barta, Rick Burchett, Chris Burnham, Kai Connolly, Michael Davis, Joanna Estep, Ian Gibson, Mike Grell, Robert Greenberger, Bo Hampton, Marc Hempel, Lovern Kindzierski, Alan Kistler, Linda Lessman, William Messner-Loebs, Ric Meyers, Mary Mitchell, Adriane Nash, Dennis O’Neil, John Ostrander, Andrew Pepoy, Bob Pinaha, Michael H. Price, Bill Reinhold, Matt Raub, Mike Raub, Elayne Riggs, Nick Runge, Mark Ryan, Larry Shell, Joe Staton, Lisa Sullivan, Arthur Tebbel, John Tebbel, Robert Tinnell, Timothy Truman, Trevor Von Eeden, Mark Evan Walker, Shannon Weaver, Matt Webb, Mark Wheatley, Andrew Wheeler, Skip Williamson, and John Workman. We couldn’t ask for a better bunch of associates.
