Toy Fair photos
Yes, we can tell it’s that time of year, because photos start showing up of you with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Yam.
Special thanks to Rebecca Badurina (she’s on the right) for providing photos and information.
Tagged: Spider-Man
Webslinger
Books about comic books and comic book characters have grown in volume over the past few years. While some, such as Bob Handelman’s biography of Will Eisner, have received mainstream notice, many others fly under the radar.
Texas-based publisher BenBella Books has begun including comic book characters in their SmartPop series of essay collections. They dipped into the world of four-color heroes last year with collections pondering the X-Men and Superman.
Just out, in plenty of time for May 3’s release of Spider-Man 3, is their latest volume Webslinger: Unauthorized Essays on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Essayists include comic professionals, science fiction authors and other pop culture mavens. Guest editing is television writer and former DC and Marvel Comics editor Gerry Conway, who wrote a long, celebrated run of Amazing Spider-Man and provides some personal insights into the character in his introduction. The other writers are Darren Hudson Hick, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Robert B. Taylor, Lou Anders, Richard Hanley, Matthew Pustz, Michael A. Burstein, Joseph McCabe, Keith DeCandido, Robert Greenberger, Brett Chandler Patterson, J.R. Fettinger, Adam-Troy Castro, Paul Lytle, David Hopkins, Robert Burke Richardson, and Michael Marano.
SmartPop will also devote volumes to Wonder Woman and Batman, although neither are scheduled.
The Dark Tower: interview with Peter David
Peter David, writer of stuff, was able to take a few minutes between bowling, barfing babies, and boarding a plane to Maine to explain what’s germaine and urbane (and other words in the same vein) about the new Dark Tower series, going on sale tonight at midnight. Oddly, even though I’ve known Peter for over two decades and have been his webmaster for almost five years, this is the first time I’ve ever interviewed him…
Q. Assume I know nothing (always a fair assumption) about The Dark Tower. For those folks out there who’ve never read The Dark Tower or any other works by Stephen King, or just know his works from the movies, can you sum up what the heck’s going on here? What things do I need to know about the story that will make it accessible to me? Or will the comic be fully accessible to those who know nothing about The Dark Tower or even Stephen King?
A. You don’t really need to know anything about the series (well, aside from how to read) than anyone required when the very first Gunslinger novel was published. Basically, Dark Tower is a blend of fantasy and iconic western heroes, detailing the life’s story of Roland, the last of the Gunslingers of a long-ago city called Gilead, and the circumstances that forged him into the hero he eventually became.
Q. So this is more of a true dark fantasy than King’s usual horror?
Today’s video treat: Ode to a Spider Man
It’s making the rounds – I first saw it on Budgie’s blog – but it’s "Weird" Al Yankovic so it’s bound to. With all due respect to fellow Long Islander (after all, Spidey’s home base of Queens is just western Long Island) Billy Joel…
Not a bad way to watch movie snippets.
Carnival time!
The Tenth Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy has been posted at Reb’s blog Adventures in Lame. Lots of great comics-related links regarding bloggers’ thoughts on Batgirl, Supergirl, female characters in Spider-Man, and Mary Sue fiction. Comprehensive — and worth reading!
