April 29, 2008
FCBD & New Kirby Findings

    First order of business: I must apologize the cancellation from my announced April 13 appearance at the Tampa Comic Book & Toy Convention. I had emailed the night show owner/promoter Tim Gordon before that I was feeling under the weather and didn't think I'd be up to attending. Sure enough, I was still suffering the effects of a mild cold Sunday morning, and didn't think it'd be wise to share my germ-y self with a crowd of convention goers (for either party involved). I'll make it up to promoter Tim at a future show, as he puts on possibly the best one-day shows for fans with lots of TV & Movie guests plus prizes galore. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime...

    On Saturday, May 3, this years FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, I'll be doing a six-hour store signing at Sci-Fi City in Orlando with ever-present Convention Compadres Sergio Cariello & Chuck Dixon as well as Atomic Robo scribe Brian Clevinger! For all the pertinent data check out these sites: http://www.sci-fi-city.com/orlando.htm & http://www.myspace.com/scificity Or for information about your local store's participation, check out: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/
    I'll also be attending this year's Wizardworld Chicago again this summer as well as a first time appearance in Toronto at the Fan Expo in Toronto! More on that next blog! Something about working on Green Lantern Corps has been stoking my enthusiasm, as I don't usually do a lot of shows. Well, I have other things to promote coming up soon, so stick around, gang!

    Just got my voting ballot for the Eisner Awards, which is generally (I think) restricted to professionals working in comics on the creative, editorial or retail level. Lots of good nominations, such as Epting, Perkins and Guice for their consistenly excellent work on Captain America! With Brubaker and Frank D'Armata, Cap is a book that you cannot simply wait for the trade. Every issue has a new twist that makes it a must-read.

    Overlooked for Best Graphic Album-Reprint, IMHO, is the Fear Agent trades by Dark Horse. Very handsome cover designs and back cover quotes by big name comics industry folk. If I wasn't convinced already, quotes by the legendary Jack Davis (EC Comics/Mad magazine/TV Guide) will make a hesitant buyer raise an eyebrow in consideration! Also grossly overlooked for Best Publication for Teens is The Plain Janes, the inaugural publication of DC's Minx imprint. It's endlessly rereadable, and Karen, who never expresses interest in comics, read it cover to cover (while Karen is NOT a teen, she's still got the girly streak in her).

    On this site's Rarites section Page 1, There's images of a Marvel product piece I had inked back in the '90s - a snowboard featuring The Thing! I had only seen one at a store a few months after I worked on it, but unless you're a snowboarding enthusiast, it can get pricey to pick one up new or used. Thankfully, a kind stranger by the name of Bill Embry emailed me a scan of the final product. Thank you, Bill!
    Before this month's over, Twomorrows Publishing promise to have it's historic 50th issue of The Jack Kirby Collector (ask for Kirby Five-Oh!) hit the streets, with a rare Kirby Superman cover inked by Darwyn Cooke, who happens to be a genius AND ultra-nice at the same time-rare! Below are my contributions to the Kirby mythos:
Whether you have greasy potato chips or heart-healthy baked chips, one things for sure: you have chip-clips! And who forsaw the need? Jack Kirby of course! Here are chip-clips holding Heimdall's fur cape held in place, as seen in the 1971 Gods Portfolio, recently reprinted by Twomorrows.
    And finally, courtesy of Marvel Masterworks Vol. 83: Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...Kirby foresaw the self-heating steak! Modern technology has allowed soldiers far from home to enjoy a decent simulacrum of a home-cooked meal. Kirby, having served under General Patton in the dead of Winter during WWII, must've dreamt of such luxuries and locked that inspiration in his fertile mind when drawing this page in 1965! Military Rations have come a long way from a candy bar and a pack of cigarettes!
    To one and all, have a great FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
 
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