Tagged: ComicMix Six

ComicMix Six: Classic ‘Star Trek’ comics you should read

ComicMix Six: Classic ‘Star Trek’ comics you should read

  • Uncategorized
  • November 17, 2009

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
, Checker Book Publishing Group,
December 2004)

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ComicMix Six: Six word comics biographies

ComicMix Six: Six word comics biographies

  • Uncategorized
  • October 26, 2009

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:

  1. Reed Richards: Don’t worry, the shielding will hold.
  2. Batman: I promised on my parents’ grave.
  3. Wonder Woman: War’s easy. Compassion’s harder. Peace … inevitable.
  4. Wally West: Dreams can come true so fast.
  5. Cyclops: “Boy Scout”? I kill by looking.
  6. 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.

ComicMix Six: Halloween iPhone Apps

  • News
  • October 22, 2009

Zombie CatAnyone 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.

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ComicMix Quick Picks (in Six) for September 24, 2009

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.

What was missed? Comments are open.

ComicMix Six: Every Panel You’ve Ever Visited At A Convention!

ComicMix Six: Every Panel You’ve Ever Visited At A Convention!

  • Uncategorized
  • August 5, 2009

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.

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#SDCC: ComicMix Six: The must-see videos from San Diego Comic-Con

#SDCC: ComicMix Six: The must-see videos from San Diego Comic-Con

  • Uncategorized
  • July 30, 2009

If you’re like us, you couldn’t possibly have seen everything going on at the San Diego Comic-Con– but luckily, enough people with cameras did see everything (almost) and are willing to share.Here are the must-see videos from last week:

Kevin Smith on Twilight fans: You may have heard it got a bit ugly at the Convention this year with all the Twilight girls and Twilight moms. Kevin Smith puts it all in perspective as only he can… (dear god no, of course it’s not safe for work, it’s Kevin Smith on a convention stage.)

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ComicMix Six: Comic Book Folks to #FollowFriday on Twitter

ComicMix Six: Comic Book Folks to #FollowFriday on Twitter

  • Uncategorized
  • July 17, 2009

It’s #followfriday on Twitter, and these are some of the comics folks you should be following if you aren’t already doing so…

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. ComicMix — Okay, seriously, if you’re not
    reading our Twitter feed, what the heck are you waiting for? http://www.twitter.com/ComicMix
ComicMix Six: Sucktastic Super Powers!

ComicMix Six: Sucktastic Super Powers!

  • Uncategorized
  • June 12, 2009

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.
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ComicMix Six: Batman Replacements

ComicMix Six: Batman Replacements

  • Uncategorized
  • June 4, 2009

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.

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ComicMix Six: Original Star Trek Backstory

ComicMix Six: Original Star Trek Backstory

  • Uncategorized
  • May 9, 2009

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.

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