Feature Details
ComicMix Six
Six of a kind — we pull together a half-dozen prime examples for your consideration and amusement.
News Articles Featured in ComicMix Six
Thu Nov 19, 2009 — by Ian Bonds
ComicMix Six: Best Geek-Themed Games for the Holidays
With the holidays fast approaching, the question becomes: what do you get for the comic-loving gamer in your household? Well, here are some of the best releases from this year to satiate their comic-gaming lust and keep you looking like the know-it-all Santa. From purely comic-related titles to one of the year's best surprises for film-fans, this is the collection to make your gamer happy.
1: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Playing the previous title in this series isn't necessary, as the events that unfold herein are actually the video game adaptation of Marvel's 'Civil War" event from a few years ago. As players traverse the games environments, you're tasked with choosing Pro- or Anti-Registration stance as you recruit new team members for your cause. Gameplay is multiplayer-centric, as 4 players can team up together to take on all foes in this combat rich title. As players pair up different members of their teams, stat bonuses reward the player for pre-existing groups (like having all the members of the Fantastic Four as a team, for example). The control is refined from the previous title, so those who ARE familiar with the series will notice tighter control of their teams, as well ease in combining powers, one of the games newer features. Here, timed special attacks can be joined with a selected partner for a larger attack, and bigger damage results. While the ending won't match the comic's storyline, players will certainly enjoy all the Marvel references and characters throughout the title, and Xbox 360 and PS3 owners actually can download MORE characters to increase their player rosters.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Best Geek-Themed Games for the Holidays ›
Tue Nov 17, 2009 — by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
ComicMix Six: Classic 'Star Trek' comics you should read
After growing up from the little science-fiction show Gene
Roddenberry created in the 1960s, the venerable Star Trek franchise in recent years had just about worn out its
welcome in the eyes of all but its most devoted followers. Enter J.J. Abrams and
his high-octane, supercharged re-imagining of the classic series, resulting in
one of 2009’s most commercially and critically successful films, released today on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Star Trek’s unprecedented popularity at the box office has also revitalized interest in past adventures of Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Many such tales have been chronicled in comics form since the 1960s—while the classic series was still on the air! After boldly going into our vast archives, we have emerged with six stories that we consider worthy representatives of the more than four decades of Star Trek comics history.
In order of publication:
1: “The Museum at the End of Time” – Star Trek #15, Gold Key Comics, August 1972
Love them or hate them, the Gold Key Star Trek comics occupy a special place in the hearts of old-school Trekkies. The 61 issues—complete with crazy character likenesses as well as the Enterprise belching fire from its warp engines—helped to fuel fans’ needs for new Star Trek stories in the early 1970s. This story features the Enterprise pulled through a cosmic vortex into a mysterious region where time has no meaning. There, the crew finds all manner of trapped spacecraft and captive beings—along with a ship full of angry Klingons! A tale typical of the Gold Key run, this issue is noteworthy as being an apparent inspiration for “The Time Trap,” an episode of the animated Star Trek series produced a year later by Filmation Associates.
(Reprinted in Star Trek: The Key Collection, Vol. 2
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Classic 'Star Trek' comics you should read ›
Mon Oct 26, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: Six word comics biographies
If you've ever visited Smith magazine, you've probably been there for the great comics (A.D.: After the Deluge, The Pekar Project, Next-Door Neighbor, Graphic Therapy,
Shooting War, and My Home Birth) and their innovative Six Word Memoirs. Inspired by the famous anecdote of Ernest Hemingway telling a complete story in only six words ("For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn") they've gotten enough contributions from readers to fill an entire series of Six Word Memoir books
Amazingly, though, they haven't really combined the two.*
It works suprisingly well, and a few of them are already made for it-- "With great power comes great responsibility"; "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"; "Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot"-- and so we've decided to jump start the process. So here are our first six:
- Reed Richards: Don't worry, the shielding will hold.
- Batman: I promised on my parents' grave.
- Wonder Woman: War's easy. Compassion's harder. Peace ... inevitable.
- Wally West: Dreams can come true so fast.
- Cyclops: "Boy Scout"? I kill by looking.
- Lois Lane: You think YOU have high standards?
We'll be adding more via Twitter, using the tag #comicmix6wordbio. Feel free to play along via Twitter, or add your own in the comments.
* Okay, they've illustrated a few of the stories as comics, such as this piece from Rick Parker.
Thu Oct 22, 2009 — by Jenifer Rosenberg
ComicMix Six: Halloween iPhone Apps
Anyone who has been grocery shopping in the past few weeks has probably noticed that Halloween decorations and goodies have already started disappearing from the shelves to be replaced by Christmas merchandise. Most of you have probably already put together your costumes (All of my House Hufflepuff gear is ready for the big day!). Halloween is a hugely popular holiday, and that means there is a large variety of iPhone applications to go along with it. Apps are like the latest accessory to the perfect outfit - you can find something to fit with just about any ensemble - and the great thing about apps is that they don't disappear when the retail world decides to focus on the next holiday. I have selected my six favorite festive Halloween Apps to review for those who might be in the market for some extra Halloween spirit.
Zombie Me! by Portegno Apps: You can't go five feet in this day and age without there being zombies! This application allows you to take a picture or use a picture from your library and zombify it. There is a selection of facial features and body parts which can be re-sized, angled and tinted to match your picture, and with a little creative editing, you can make a very "realistic" looking zombie. This application is a ton of fun at parties, because you can snap a picture of your friends and then show them their zombie-self a few minutes later. You can even upload your zombie mug to Facebook for a laugh. Witness what I did to my cat.
Whack-O-Lantern by Decode Entertainment: In this Whack-a-mole style game, Halloween-themed characters peek up from behind curtains, gravestones and other hiding places in a spooky scene. The goal is to tap your main target, Percival Pumpkinhead, as many times as possible when he appears. You can also achieve a bonus from tapping a mustachioed skeleton named Boneski, but tapping a little grinning green guy called Zombish McBrain will cause you to lose points. The game features cute, clean cartoonish graphics and an excellent Elfman-esque backtrack that will put you in the mood to watch some Tim Burton films.
Thu Sep 24, 2009 — by Matthew Weinberger
ComicMix Quick Picks (in Six) for September 24, 2009
There was a lot going on today, so let's see if we can get these Quick Picks done in ComicMix Six words or less.
- A lawyer explains the Kirby lawsuit.
- Heroes ratings nosedive, its worst ever.
- Peanuts lookalike kids can win big.
- Daredevil movie reboot coming, no Affleck.
- Whedon confirms Buffy: Season 9 comic.
- Ghost Rider 2 wheelie-ing into theatres.
- Obama cover fad jumps the shark.
What was missed? Comments are open.
Wed Aug 5, 2009 — by Marc Alan Fishman
ComicMix Six: Every Panel You've Ever Visited At A Convention!
With the Chicago Comic-Con and WorldCon both around the bend, you may be tempted to waste your days away at the panels off the main floor. But I say, gentle geeks... NAY! Why waste your precious con time in stuffy rooms with stale ice water and tons of other mouth-breeders, when you can peruse the artist alley (where local, hip and trendy comic creators like to be... ahem...), grab schwag at the big booths (or not if YOUR local con has no big booths this year... epic fail...) or spend all of your inheritance on the dealer floor!
But Marc, you plead, I'm tired! I want to make my voice heard! I need to learn hot new tips and skills on how to make my portfolio Marvel worthy! Well, I said it once, and yes... I say it again: NAY. Why, you ask? Because ALL panels at comic conventions break down into one of these top 6 over-done panels:
1. “Mondo-Nation-Neighborhood-Universal-Pow-Wow”
Yup, this is the stalwart gotta-go-to panel they hype and hype and hype. Hey! Do you want HOT, never-seen-before, uber-rare, special sneak previews of all the things to come?! Well cart your XXL self on down to Hall H for a sensational panel that's sure to knock your sock and sandals combo clear off! Drooling yet? Well, sop it up, fanboy. Thanks to the interwebs, all you're gonna get is a rehash of the solicits you read about months ago on ComicMix, IGN, Newsarama, Comic Book Resources, CSN, or a hundred other places. And those special sneak peaks you're just vibrating to see? Yup... posted on the artist's message boards about the same time you were reading those months-old solicits! And you were counting on some tantalizing rumors about all your favorite characters? Well Bucko, are you in for a treat! Turns out the big boys can't tell you anything you can't (and most likely DID) read in Wizard itself, last month. Sounds fun? Sounds to me like 2 hours of time you could have spent waiting in line to get that Red Hulk Sketch Holofoil Variant Cover 17B signed, kiddo.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Every Panel You've Ever Visited At A Convention! ›
Fri Jul 17, 2009 — by Matthew Weinberger
ComicMix Six: Comic Book Folks to #FollowFriday on Twitter
It's #followfriday on Twitter, and these are some of the comics folks you should be following if you aren't already doing so...
- Warren Ellis – If you’ve ever read anything by him, especially The Authority, Planetary, or Transmetropolitan, it probably won’t surprise you
to learn how angry he can get on his Twitter. What will surprise you—and
probably make you laugh--is how flowery his language can get when he’s on a
tirade. Oh, and he also has a lot of really interesting links to share and
interesting insights on the medium to discuss. Besides, who else do you know
that’ll greet you every morning with “Good morning, sinners?” http://www.twitter.com/WarrenEllis
- Ben Templesmith – Possibly the handsomest man in comics, Ben
Templesmith is the Australian-born artist behind Fell (with Warren Ellis) and
several Steve Niles projects, most famously 30 Days Of Night. His Twitter feed
is chock-full of goodies, including insights as to the life of a professional
artist, many interesting links, and a healthy dose of political opinion, if
that’s your thing. He’s still one of the friendliest folks around, too—almost
seven thousand followers, and he’ll often still take the time to answer a quick
question from you here and there. http://www.twitter.com/Templesmith
- Bryan Lee O’Malley – The mastermind behind the Scott Pilgrim
series hates just about everything on the Internet and doesn’t mind saying so.
That said, following him is really the best way to get news about the upcoming
Edgar Wright-helmed movie adaptation. Basically, if BLO doesn’t say it, it’s
not official—regardless of what Matt Fraction (www.twitter.com/MattFraction)
might suggest. http://www.twitter.com/Radiomaru
- Brian Michael Bendis – His Twitter feed might be the only
thing the New Avengers scribe has written in the last five years that didn’t
somehow involve Luke Cage or Spider-Woman. What it does include is Bendis’s
take on just about everything going on in the comic book world, along with
reposted links to just about everything Bendis-related going on in the world.
As an added bonus, you’ll get a new appreciation for comic book editors once
you see how bad his grammar and punctuation is. http://www.twitter.com/BRIANMBENDIS
- Gail Simone -- If Twitter gave out a prize for “crazy
mysterious,” this Wonder Woman writer would surely win it several times over.
Until recently, apart from the occasional fake flamewar with Mark Waid (http://www.twitter.com/MarkWaid),
she mostly appeared, gave an assignment—for example, “TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT: Fictional convention panels that SHOULD
exist, but never, EVER EVER EVER will” or
“Today's Assignment: Tweets as sent by participants during epic comic
stories. What did they twitter to friends as it all went down?" —and then vanish
again until the next time. Now, she tweets more regularly, if only to tease Geoff
Johns about Blackest Night. http://www.twitter.com/GailSimone
- ComicMix -- Okay, seriously, if you’re not reading our Twitter feed, what the heck are you waiting for? http://www.twitter.com/ComicMix
Fri Jun 12, 2009 — by Marc Alan Fishman
ComicMix Six: Sucktastic Super Powers!
So, you want to be a superhero? Not a problem. Oh... you're not a billionaire orphan with years to dedicate to the martial arts? Don't fret! I'm sure you can play in a lake of toxic ooze, or get bit by a genetically unstable super-wombat, right? Well... even if you don't have powers, don't feel bad. Cause there are some folks out there in comic-book-land that would have been better off as bartenders or stock-boys than crime-fighters or super-heroes. Don't believe me? Well kind citizen, scope this list of lameoids out, and see sometimes it's no so bad being normal after all*.
Night Man – Johnny Domino was just your run-of-the-mill jazz musician with those totally hip round sunglasses (Superboy anyone?) and that always fashionable accessory... the dangely cross earring in one ear! Too cool for school you say? Well, without warning, an alien bolt of lightening hit a cable car, which in turn hit Johnny's convertible, and a piece of shrapnel wound up in his head. Talk about a crappy Monday! Well, lucky for Domino, the shrapnel caused him to gain super human abilities! These powers combined with a kevlar vest and a grappling gun allowed Domino to take to the night and don a name shared by his underpaid jelly doughnut eating brothers-in-arms! Johnny Domino is the man who need not sleep... He is the man who can sorta hear your dirty thoughts... He's the man who doesn't need night vision goggles to see in the night. Johnny Domino is Night Man!
Mr. Brownstone – That's right kiddos... Not everyone gets a superpower and decides to become a hero. Sometimes they decide to become a minor villain! Garrison Klum was born one of those despicable mutants you've heard of. When puberty hit, did Klum gain eye lasers capable of destroying mountains? No. Did he gain a flexible metallic shell allowing him to become invulnerable and superhumanly strong? Nuh-uh. Did he gain the power to teleport? Yes! But... not himself mind you. Garrison only gained the mutant ability to teleport small amounts of liquid! Now, give the guy some credit... he renamed himself after a slang term for heroin, and teleported a few ounces of the good stuff right into Spider-man's heart! Sure he ended dying from his own teleporting brother literally teleporting inside him and exploding out of him (ew.)... But give him credit. The world gave him a lemon of a power, and hey, he made lemonade.
Thu Jun 4, 2009 — by Alan Kistler
ComicMix Six: Batman Replacements
This week Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely have brought us the new Batman and Robin #1, featuring the brand new partnership of Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin.
But did you know this isn't the first time someone has stepped in as the Dark Knight or attempted to replace Bruce Wayne? Here is a list of six other blokes who have donned the famous cape and cowl.
SUPERMAN - Ever since the 1950s, there have been times where Superman and Batman have had to impersonate each other in order to protect their secret identities or to fool criminals. This also happened in the Batman/Superman animated series from the 90s in the episode "Knight Time". With Batman missing, Superman donned the cowl and surprised several Gotham criminals who concluded that the Dark Knight must have somehow gained supernatural powers.
Sat May 9, 2009 — by Alan Kistler
ComicMix Six: Original Star Trek Backstory
Six episodes that revealed the pasts of the Enterprise crew.
The new Star Trek movie is in theaters, introducing the characters to new fans and surprising old fans. As anyone who's read a single review, interview or promotional piece is aware of, this movie features some alterations to Trek's past thanks to a little time travel manipulation.
But what about the original past and backstory? What did the original series establish when it went on the air?
Here then are a list of six stories from the television series that filled us in on just who these folks were before they joined the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Original Star Trek Backstory ›
Mon Feb 16, 2009 — by Jenifer Rosenberg
ComicMix Six: Television for the next generation of fandom
What the fans of tomorrow are watching today
We were all kids once and, let’s face it, for many of us there was a particular television show or short that caught our attention and grabbed our inner-geek by the shoulders to shout “Look at me!” Whether you had a particular fondness for Interplanet Janet (“She’s a galaxy girl!”), Underdog, or Super Grover, chances are that something you saw in early childhood helped shape you into the fan you are today.
My sister and I always loved Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (new action figures are coming out this year!), and my niece is a huge Power Puff Girls fan. This got me wondering what shows will inspire today’s budding geeks. The great thing about these days is that DVD and the Internet make it possible to view not only the latest children’s shows, but everything you feel that old nostalgia for as well. However, today’s children aren’t always as excited about the Wonder Twins or Cowboy Curtis as Mom and Dad may have been. Here, then, are some more recent selections for the latest generation of fans:
1. Backyardigans
From Pirates to Samurai to Space-Travelers and everything in-between, this colorful and musical CGI-animated show (formerly aired on Nickelodeon, and now available on DVD) is all about five anthropomorphic neighbors whose imaginations take them on adventures to faraway times and places. While teaching children about the value of friendship and imagination and introducing several styles of music and dance, this show also stirs the core of future gamers. You see, the characters, Austin (a kangaroo), Pablo (a penguin), Tasha (a hippo), Tyrone (a moose), and Uniqua (a creature vaguely reminiscent of a child-sized pink ant), are like a game group. They meet, they create characters, they play out their roles and scenarios as their game characters, and then they have a snack. If you’ve ever gamed at a con, you know this drill.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Television for the next generation of fandom ›
Sat Feb 14, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: Other BOOM! marketing slogans
You may have seen BOOM! Studios's marketing slogan a while back: MARK WAID IS EVIL. 
What you probably didn't know was that there were other slogans that were considered and rejected...
Tue Feb 10, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: Lessons from the past two years
Two years ago today, on February 10, 2007, ComicMix went live to the world. In that short time, I've seen a lot, worked some very long hours, pulled many all-nighters, and would like to think I've come to some useful observations about the industry, which I now share with you.
1. The only think more disruptive to your regular work schedule and overall concentration than long-term hourly blogging would be posting the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42 every 108 minutes to a website. But we keep at it.
2. There are more of you out there than you think. There are more of us out there than we thought. Finding them all has been the challenging part. There's always somebody who hasn't gotten the word. The number of times someone has come up to me at a convention and said "GrimJack is back? I had no idea!" is still astounding to me.
3. Research and development, in comics and in technical matters, is not predictable. If it was, it wouldn't be research and development, would it? But we continue to try and improve the website every day, and we keep pushing at the boundraries of comics. Lots of it may be invisible to you until it suddenly appears-- but that's the way the best magic works.
4. There is an almost staggering amount of creative work going on out there, so much so that it's in danger of overwhelming Sturgeon's Law. And happily, it's a mix of styles and content, appealing to every niche-- and every (you'll pardon the phrase) mix. You want a story of zombies vs. vampires, you got it. You want pretty young girls meddling with mad science? No problem. And so on.
5. You never do a massive undertaking like this alone. I started to write up a list of all the people who have helped us out over the last two years plus and easily topped two hundred people-- to all of them, who've helped us out in good times and bad, thank you all.
6. The Internet is still a big scary place to a lot of companies-- and that's really a shame, because that's where all of their readers are hanging out nowadays, and it's a lot cheaper than pushing paper around at a loss. But that's a subject for a much longer post.
Again, thanks to everyone who's contributed to ComicMix-- writing, drawing, commenting, reading, or just having fun. Here's to the future. See you in 108 minutes or so.
Tue Jan 20, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: Fictional Presidents in comics
We've had a lot of US Presidents show up in the comics, Jossip and the Chicago Tribune both hit on the major ones-- Nixon in Watchmen, Bill Clinton speaking at Superman's funeral, Reagan in The Dark Knight Returns, JFK impersonating Clark Kent. But there are many more that stick in t here are a few truly fictional US Presidents from the comics:
1. President Ken WInd -- not wind like a watch, but wind as in freedom. A dead ringer for Dan Quayle and a tool of the Beast, he was set up to become President so he could start a nucelar war. He was stopped by Elektra and a goddammed agent of SHIELD. (Elektra: Assassin)
2. President Howard Johnson Nissen. The former Secretary of Agriculture, he became president when President Rexall and the rest of his cabinet were killed in an explosion. (Give Me Liberty) Incidentally, Secretary of Agriculture Margaret Valentine also got the top spot when all the men above her in the line of succession died. (Y: The Last Man)
3. President Prez Rickard. The first teenaged president of the United States, and the only one on this list to have his own series, this creation of Joe Simon made things run on time. Later written by Ed Brubaker, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller-- he does that a lot, doesn't he?
4. President Gary Callahan, a.k.a. "The Smiler". A rictus grin in a suit, he hates everyone and only wants to be President in order to control and oppress people, and has no problems killing anyone whose death will help him gain or keep power, or even get a rise in the polls-- up to and including his own wife and children. The sworn enemy of Spider Jerusalem. (Transmetropolitan)
5. President Melanie Henderson. Okay, that was the name of the actress playing the President in the Spidey Super Stories short, "Spidey vs. the Funny Bunny", where a mischievous woman dressing in a rabbit costume and damaging Easter baskets by sitting on them. Spidey eventually foils the villain's plans to disrupt the annual White House Easter Egg roll. Some sources indicate that Melanie may have been the first African American actress to portray an American president on television.
6. President Lex Luthor. Yes, Luthor won the 2000 Presidential Election. Couldn't have been worse than what really happened, right?
Thu Jan 8, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: What you need to know about 'Lone Justice: Crash!'
LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! is the new graphic novel from the Harvey Award nominated team of Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley. It will begin right here on ComicMix on Monday, January 12th. And in the interest of making all things EZ, we present the top 6 essential things you should know before you start reading:
1) LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! is a two-fisted, pulp adventure set in the year 1930, just after the big Wall Street crash in 1929. It is a time when there is great uncertainty in life, work and politics. But it was also a time when pulp magazines were introducing vital new characters to the public that we would eventually come to call Super Heroes. So, step aside, Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Spider - and make way for Lone Justice!
2) LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! is the sideways sequel to the Harvey Award nominated EZ STREET graphic novel, also perpetrated by the Tinnell and Wheatley team. Why sideways? In EZ STREET, the central characters Scott and Danny Fletcher are attempting to create a graphic novel. And LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! is the graphic novel they create.
3) Yes, that means Tinnell and Wheatley are taking credit for the work of two fictional characters. They have no shame.
4) Maybe you don't need to know that the core ideas behind Lone Justice's tribulations in CRASH! can be found in the pages of EZ STREET - particularly in the character of the homeless man young Scott and Danny befriended. But if you are aware it just might make the reading experience a little richer. No, really - there are parallels to life events in EZ STREET all through LONE JUSTICE: CRASH!
5) You should probably be aware of just how devastating the Depression was on the United States and its residents. It was much worse than what is going on today, so far. Tent cities - known as Hoovervilles (after President Herbert Hoover) really existed. Hopefully, there will not be any Bushvilles before LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! finishes running on ComicMix.
6) There were often official efforts to keep transient homeless folks out of cities and towns and even entire states. These were people who were just trying to survive. But California, for example, would try to keep people from pouring into the state - and they were prone to use force.
You can start reading LONE JUSTICE: CRASH! right here on ComicMix on Monday, January 12th.
