Bronze Age Babies: Suggestion Box!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Suggestion Box!

For all of your Questions, Kudos, Criticisms, and Conundrums!!

218 comments:

1 – 200 of 218 Newer› Newest»

Anonymous said...: I view the site on a MacBook Pro with 1280x800 resolution. I often have to scroll to see all of the site header/image. I can only imagine what it looks like for lower resolution monitors.

Otherwise, this is one of my favorite blogs, out of many that I read everyday.; January 4, 2011 at 9:41 AM
Doug said...: Eric --

Consider yourself No-Prized as the first commenter in our attempt to open up the opportunity for general comments. Karen and I briefly discussed setting up a dedicated e-mail account, but felt that this might be a better way to go, at least on a trial basis.

I hear you on the need/no need for scrolling. Karen and I have discussed that in the past. I view this site on as many as five different computers/platforms, and it's a different look/experience depending on what sort of technology I'm using (iTouch, tablet, widescreen laptop, 19" monitor, etc.).

I am not the tech-ier of the two -- that's Karen. So I'll leave any sort of solution or suggestion to her recommendations.

But at any rate, thanks for the feedback!

Best,

Doug; January 4, 2011 at 10:19 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: Hmmm, I just noticed this post now. I guess it sort of pertains to the comment I made a few days ago in the Avengers Serpent Crown affair comments. So here's a few suggestions for future multi-part reviews (provided, of course, that you have the issues/trades, whatever): some of those annual JLA/JSA crossovers; Avengers - Nights of Wundagore; MTU 82-85; & maybe that sprawling Skrull/Sphinx/Galactus saga from FF 204-214.
No other suggestions in terms of the content and appearance of the blog. It's outstanding in that regard. Keep up the great work.; January 5, 2011 at 4:38 AM
Doug said...: Edo --

You didn't miss this post -- I just posted it yesterday and made it retroactive to Sunday (that was a no-post day previously, so it's where we had room); mainly I wanted to have an anchor for the link I put on the sidebar. And yes, your request, as well as previous similar suggestions, spurred this momentous event!

As to some of the books/stories you suggested -- most of those could be easily done. Karen and I each have the dvd-roms for the FF, Avengers, Spider-Man, and Iron Man (she also has the X-Men and Cap -- not sure about Hulk). I really wish Marvel had finished out some of their other important series like Thor and DD before they switched to digitizing and selling those stories themselves. Our loss!

Concerning Marvel Team-Up, for me at least that's somewhat of a sad story. Around 15-20 years ago I really pared down my collection, selling off tons of 1970's-'80's books to raise funds to complete my Avengers run. While I ended up successful in that endeavor, I'm looking at some of the great things I used to have and somewhat wishing I still had them! But, with tpbs and the Essentials, it's not a huge re-investment to get those stories back.

Have a great day,

Doug; January 5, 2011 at 8:24 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: Doug, don't feel too bad about selling off a part of your original comics stash. I think my story's even sadder: I pretty much gave away my entire original collection, amassed from about 1977/78 (when I really began reading/buying comics in earnest) to about 1985/85, when my family made a big out-of-state move in 1986. Believe me, when you say you think about "some of the great things I used to have and somewhat wishing I still had them" I can really relate!; January 5, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Karen said...: Regarding the look of the blog and how it appears on different monitors:I wish I was the techie Doug thinks I am! I've fiddled with this in the past, and compared it on my big monitor (27") at 1920 X 1080, on my 17" laptop, my iPad and iPhone, my work computer with 15" monitor...I just don't see a way to make it work best for all of those. But I do understand what you're saying, Eric, and I'll try to make some time to look at this again.

Edo, I have two TPBs with JLA/JSA cross-overs and would love to review them. I don't think Doug has any of these, so it might wind up as Two In Ones. I think everything else might be possible except the Marvel Team-Ups; not sure I have those either.

As far as missing comics, on my move out to Phoenix, an entire long box was lost by the movers. By trial and error I've figured out that it had all of my Invaders, Marvel Premiere (including almost a full run of Iron Fist), Luke Cage, Marvel Presents, some Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Spotlight...well, it's painful to even think about it!

I also have very few Spider-Man comics (although i do have the DVD and a number of masterworks) because when I was in college I gave all my Spidey comics to my nephew, who was a huge Spidey fan. A few years later, he sold them all! I've repurchased some of the books I had but stopped when I got the DVD. Still miss them though.

Karen; January 8, 2011 at 1:48 PM
TrevScan said...: Just discovered your blog and totally enjoying it, especially since I have recently been buying old issues of comics I remember from my youth (I am 44).

I would love for you to look at one of my favorite annuals from my childhood, Incredible Hulk Vol 1Annual #7, with The Angel and Iceman. I think it has been reprinted recently so it should be easy for both of you to get your hands on if you don't have it.
Thanks!; January 11, 2011 at 3:39 PM
Rick J. said...: Doug and Karen,
It's been a real pleasure discovering your blog. It is a daily stop for me and has brought back a lot of memories since I really do not get a chance to peruse my collection much these days. Began collecting in 1980 and worked backwards until I had filled in a lot of the silver age runs.
I see that there has not been a lot of coverage of the New Teen Titans under the Wolfman/Perez run.
Any chance we could revisit some of their fantastic stories they collaborated on?
Keep up the great work.; February 1, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Karen said...: Hi Rick,
welcome and thanks for the kind words. Yes, New Teen Titans by Wolfman and Perez is on our "to-do" list. It was a great series and both of us enjoyed it, so we will definitely get around to it at some point, possibly in the next few months.

Karen; February 1, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Doug said...: Yes, welcome, Rick!

Karen and I have discussed the possibilities of doing The Judas Contract. The main problem is that while we both have some Teen Titans, we tend to not have the same issues. Hence, the lack of a review of a long arc.

But as Karen said, it's down the line a bit but certainly a goal.

Doug; February 1, 2011 at 11:59 AM
HannibalCat said...: Love your blog; it covers all those prized memories from my childhood comics reading and reminds me how many of the actual comics left my posession when I first left home, so bittersweet reading. Keep up the good work!; February 11, 2011 at 9:59 AM
Doug said...: Ain't that a kick in the pants?? I, too, have many a book, toy, etc. that I wish I had a time machine to see where the heck it disappeared to!!

Thanks for the compliments, 'Cat!

Doug; February 11, 2011 at 10:03 AM
david_b said...: Aww, man..: A Suggestion Box. Too cool, y'all. I'll be spending lots of time here..!!!

I was always wondering about the best venue to provide general comments and suggestions.

Karen, I FINALLY read your article in Back Issue 44..; for a most cherished time in my comic reading, it provided such wonderful clarity as to the thought process on Gwen's demise and the cloning. The entire concept of cloning just didn't seem to fit into my view of Peter's world and atmosphere at the Bugle, villains, street life, spidermobiles, etc.

But.., in light of adventures of a high school kid acquiring super-powers from a radio-active spider (and an old, frail aunt who never seemed to die...), the argument becomes comparatively trivial.

The Titans Judas Contract would be a great story to do.. To me, personally, it was the pinnacle/watershed of the New Titans for me. Soon after, Perez left and so did I.

Thank you for the hour each morning (and weeknights and weekends...) I pull up to my work computer, pour a hot cup of java, and reminisce old cherished reading among friends.; February 26, 2011 at 6:01 PM
david_b said...: Oh.., and in case anyone's curious, my early postings at BAB's exposes my.. 'fair' amount of time of surfing each morning at my desk, with freshly brewed coffee. Always a joy..!

PS: Looking forward to the 'Solo Beatles' subject soon. By the way, any Rutles fans out there..?; March 2, 2011 at 11:56 AM
Doug said...: David --

Until you mentioned the Rutles, I had never heard of them before! But, a little research and now I know!

Thanks,

Doug; March 2, 2011 at 4:47 PM
Karen said...: Being a big Monty Python fan in my youth, I saw the Rutles special when it first aired. I think I saw it once after that but it has been many many years. Pretty clever as I recall - I do recall they had an Indian actor playing the George character!

Kare; March 2, 2011 at 5:07 PM
david_b said...: Karen..:

YES, I watched the original Rutles showing as well, proudly earning the WORST ratings of the week, as my memory recalls. Even tape recorded it, listen to it for months afterwards.

Doug, you HAVE to get the Rutles "All You Need is Cash" on DVD.., it's so cheap on Amazon. Eric Idle's commentary adds so much content. He even recounts going to see George and Ringo one time and they sang 'Ouch!' to him.. Very surreal.

Just went to my FIRST Beatlefest here in the midwest and got the great Neil Innes to autograph my album in a few spots.

You can't listen to 'Doubleback Alley', 'Cheese and Onions', or 'I Must Be in Love' without smiling..

To paraphrase George Harrison, it was the most scathing ridicule, yet done with the most love.

Blessings..!!; March 2, 2011 at 9:47 PM
david_b said...: Doug, Karen: Thanks much for the Beatles column, the hardest part being the poll as to favorite solo Beatle..

Now HOW can one decide that, it's like choosing your favorite kid..?!? Personality-wise, Paul always seems a bit polished, knowing he's always 'under-the-microscope'. In contrast, George's interviews are always the best, seeming the most candid, yet the most funny of all.

At one late-'80s interview (yes, on my iPod of course..), George mentions being annoyed over all the resurging Beatle interest, then he dryly admits he's got stuff he could easily sell, "like Paul's underpants from Shea Stadium, VERY cheap, only $60,000".

Sometimes I can't stop laughing at his quips, he was easily the funniest of the four.; March 7, 2011 at 10:29 AM
david_b said...: Doug, Karen:

If we're still opening Saturday mornings with the first poster's topic, I got a doozer..

Have a grand day..!; April 8, 2011 at 7:38 AM
Doug said...: You might want to get up at 6:00 am on the 17th then, my friend!!

Doug; April 8, 2011 at 7:51 AM
david_b said...: 17th..? I will set my alarm. Thanks Doug!; April 9, 2011 at 7:29 AM
david_b said...: Very sadden by the sudden passing of Elisabet Sladen ("Sarah Jane" to all you Doctor Who fans..).

By far, she was 'the Gold Standard' for all past and future DW companions..

Column anyone...?; April 21, 2011 at 6:28 AM
Doug said...: David --

I don't know about Karen, but I am not a fan of Doctor Who. I tried to watch it a time or two when I was a teen and it just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance. I did see that BBC America is launching a new series shortly. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'll pass on that as well.

Regrets,

Doug; April 21, 2011 at 7:39 AM
Karen said...: Yeah, I'm afraid that I never got into Dr. Who either. But David maybe you can keep your eyes peeled for another guest open forum!

Karen; April 21, 2011 at 9:27 AM
david_b said...: No worries.. The arrival of DW in America just after Star Wars hit made a big impact on a multitude of scifi lovers here.

I'm sadden, yet enjoying all the attention over in the UK.

Lots of forums elsewhere talking it up. Blessing..!; April 21, 2011 at 10:08 AM
Anonymous said...: George's comments about Paul' underpants were in an interview on the Today Show with Rona Elliot on 20 October 1987...just fyi.... :); May 29, 2011 at 12:18 AM
Sean Strange said...: I don’t know if this is the best place to post this, but here’s an idea for a blog topic: what is your favorite comic book world of the future?

I’m a huge fan of techno-dystopian and post-apocalypse settings -- here are some of my favorites:

OMAC: one of the weirdest comic book worlds ever conceived -- totally over the top and disturbing, yet strangely prophetic. Brother Eye is one of my favorite Kirby creations ever!

Deathlok: I’m a sucker for cyberpunk and cyborgs, so of course I love this. This one holds up well today, and was years ahead of its time.

Hex: I think this was an underrated comic, and the Mad Max/terminator setting was right up my alley.

Honorable mention: Kamandi, Killraven, Judge Dredd, Hercules Unbound; May 29, 2011 at 4:08 PM
david_b said...: Anonymous:

WOW, thanks for the date/show for that Harrison interview.. It's PURE joy.

Doug/Karen: For artists spotlighted.., have you done Steranko..? I'd LOVE to see the comments on his then-controversial, Dali-like innovative style.

To me, his work was a broad, artistic step forward for Marvel, and his creative departure from Marvel marked the end of the 'creative zenith' of Silver/Bronze Ages, from Strange Tales to FOOM.; May 31, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Karen said...: Sean, David, thank you for the post suggestions. We'll see if we can't work them in!

Karen; May 31, 2011 at 5:56 PM
Inkstained Wretch said...: Here's an interesting essay comparing the comic industry collapse of the early 1990s to the housing market today.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/crash-1993_573252.html; June 13, 2011 at 4:14 PM
Anonymous said...: I ran across your blog a couple of weeks ago and I'm slowly making my through it. What a fun read! Such good memories, and you both make some excellent points.

I did a brief write-up on it in my own blog, so I hope others will get as much of a kick out of reading about this period of comics as I have. Thanks again.

David; June 14, 2011 at 7:22 AM
david_b said...: Doug, Karen..:

Just buying up some Steranko vintage issues from the 60s here, and MAN, I just saw the cover of Strange Tales 173..!! I know it's not a 'Bronze Age' contender being from 1968, but JEEZ, didn't Strange Tales have some of the most weirdest, most awesome covers.. LOVE 'EM.; June 18, 2011 at 8:10 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey folks --

I'm a publisher who would like to send you some review copies for your consideration, but I can't seem to find your email info! Drop me a line at Service@RadioArchives.com and we can chat!; June 25, 2011 at 3:47 PM
PeterDarker said...: Dear Karen and Doug,

I LOVE THIS SITE!!! I'm a 40 year old life long fan of comic books who discovered their true wonder during the bronze age. Your comments, dialogue and analysis on what I consider to be the best comics era EVER are a dream come true for a fan like me. I check you guys out daily...even before I check out my Facebook account (and thats sayin somethin for me).

I have a LOT of suggestions, comments, etc. to come, but today, I'd like to suggest that you guys take a look at MARVEL PREMIERE #31, the first appearance of Woodgod. It was the first comic I remember reading, and definitely one of the most offbeat.

But in the meantime, I'll be reading thru your awesome archives of all things Bronze! Keep up the great work!!; July 21, 2011 at 12:14 PM
Doug said...: Welcome, Erik!

We're glad you're here -- don't be a stranger in the comments sections of the various posts you like.

As to the Woodgod story you mention, I'll have to rely on my partner -- I don't have that particular book. Maybe Karen does.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to drop us a line, and be well.

Doug; July 21, 2011 at 3:02 PM
Karen said...: Welcome Erik, and we're glad you found us! It's great to know that we are able to bring a little comic book fun into your life.

At one time I did have that issue of Marvel Premiere, but I believe it was in the long box that got "lost" during my move. I'll check but I don't think I have it any more.

But who knows -Doug and I are always picking up "new" old books!

Karen; July 21, 2011 at 3:44 PM
david_b said...: Doug, Karen..:

Besides my Steranko kick, I've been collecting up the Bronze Age 'Treasury Editions'.

I remember drooling.., 'seriously drooling' when I laid eyes on the first Spiderman Treasure Edition, with the gorgeous red Romita cover art back in 1974. For a whole whoppin' $1.50, no less. DC's 1st Shazam edition was also exquisite.

I've started collecting some of the FF and Avengers editions of late. Not sure how many years this series kept going with both Marvel and DC, but I'm sure many a folk had fond memories of these 'large format' special editions.

If you already covered this topic, please disregard.; July 22, 2011 at 9:26 AM
Marc Tyler Nobleman said...: Hi Doug and Karen,

I, too, need your email address! I want to share with you a series on another blog that ties in EXACTLY with your interests here! Please email me at mtn@mtncartoons.com.

Thanks,
Marc Tyler Nobleman; July 31, 2011 at 12:02 AM
david_b said...: Doug, Karen: I'd love to see a future column on their 'lost Bronze stories' done here.

I'm sure there's more, but the ones I'm aware of are Amazing Adventures #11 and 12 (3/72 and 5/72), MTU #4 (9/72), Incredible Hulk #172 (2/74), Captain America #172 – 175 (4/74 to 7/74) and Avengers #110-111 (4/73 to 5/73).

Might seem interesting how the House of Ideas kept our rascally mutants in the reader's radar until sufficient interest was built back up.; August 18, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Anonymous said...: How about a thread or two about Star Trek and/or Star Wars comics? The Marvel Star Wars, DC Star Trek and Dark Horse Star Wars had some good stories, and the Gold Key Treks are a lot of fun.; August 24, 2011 at 3:49 PM
david_b said...: Can't recall, but have we ever done a comparison/rating of best Ben Grimm artists..?

Obviously, Kirby, John Buscema and Jim Starlin top the list. Just curious whether anyone wanted to compare drawing styles, facial emotions, you name it.

Have a super day..!!; November 21, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Doug said...: Hi, David --

Yes, we did do a feature on artists who drew the Thing in the Bronze Age -- you can check it out here:

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-fine-line-thing-in-bronze-age.html

By the way, for the Thing/Hulk graphic novel you've mentioned a couple of times... If it's "The Big Change", I believe the writer was Starlin but the artist was Bernie Wrightson. Check this out and let me know if we're talking about the same book:

http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=48651

Thanks for the comments!

Doug; November 21, 2011 at 10:27 AM
david_b said...: Yep, that's #29 alright. I agree that it lists Bernie for the art, but when you compare this to Starlin's work in MF #11 and #12, it sure looks like Starlin was 'in the room' when it was drawn.

Thanks for the link for the earlier Ben Grimm artistry page. Looks like it was done just before I returned from my Kuwait deployment.. I'll have to review the comments and add some.

To coin a tv slogan.., "Missed it by that much, Chief".; November 28, 2011 at 7:35 AM
Scott Edelman said...: I know you don't cover this sort of thing, but I thought you might want to hear of it.

http://www.scottedelman.com/2011/12/17/a-few-words-in-defense-of-jack-kirby-sal-buscema-irv-novick-and-other-anonymized-artists/

Are you as outraged as I am?

--

Scott Edelman
http://www.scottedelman.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/scottedelman
http://scottedelman.livejournal.com/
https://www.facebook.com/scott.edelman; December 18, 2011 at 9:39 AM
david_b said...: Any thoughts about a day for 'Big Bang Theory'..? ALWAYS late to the party, I just picked up on it a month ago when I flew down to Birmingham for a week of LINUX training.

Dug the New Years Eve episode when they dressed up as the Justice Leaque, and Sheldon's occasional burst as the Flash.. The show seems to lean towards DC than Marvel, but it's a hoot to see the Trek cameos, or the one with Leonard Nimoy's DNA..:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K02O02NqndE

Fairly Bronze-friendly here.; December 28, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Chris said...: Hey there

I run Comicly.com and would like to include your site in my daily comic news feed.

Please check out the site and let me know or email: chris@comicly.com; February 3, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Karen said...: Hi folks, I removed the previous comment because it was clearly an advertisement.

Karen; February 21, 2012 at 9:01 AM
david_b said...: Curious, perhaps we've discussed this topic, but any love for all the audio adventures of the Bronze Age..? Not just my fav 'Beyond the Grave' Spidey album and those that followed (the 45's with stories..), but how about the mid-70s FF radio series, staring none other than SNL's Bill Murray as the Human Torch..? I have 'em on my iPod and love listening to them, great Marvel 'True Believers' opening music..; March 2, 2012 at 9:40 AM
Garett said...: How about a review of Master of Kung Fu? I just read through issues 80-89, great run.; March 6, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Redartz said...: Have you ever covered Amazing Spiderman Annuals 14 and 15? Those remain two of my personal favorites , and showcased some nice Miller artwork.; March 17, 2012 at 6:57 AM
Anonymous said...: Still only 25 cents!? Bronze age prices rule!

James Chatterton; April 3, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Frank C. said...: Two discussion topics for your consideration . . .

1)Doug, your comments on Batman Odyssey reminded me of a topic: comic books that are so poorly written that they're not worth reading, BUT . . . the art is so incredible that you still recommend owning them.

2)The most re-readable bronze-age comics; the ones that stand the test of time and still hold up today.; April 5, 2012 at 12:16 PM
Redartz said...: Here's a suggestion: what is your favorite year in popular culture, and why? Some years really stand out for their offerings ( say, 1966 for Batman, Beatles Revolver album, etc.),while others may have more personal appeal (1978- Quark, Grease and Avengers Micheal/Korvac saga).; April 6, 2012 at 9:36 PM
david_b said...: Doug, not a column idea, but just wanted to let you know I FINALLY picked up a whole Legends Giant-Man BAF.

Interesting thing, each of the fingers have their own articulation. My Hank Pym ALWAYS makes me laugh when I look at him now with 'just one' of his fingers extended..

"...He's such a jester."

SO worth the money I invested in grabbing him. Suffice to say, with him, both Goliath Universe variants and all the other Pyms, both my wallet and I are calling my collection **COMPLETE**.; April 20, 2012 at 3:10 PM
Doug said...: David --

Ya figure ol' Hank's telling Jim Shooter that he's "number one"??

Congratulations on the completion of your collection. I still eyeball the MU blue/yellow Goliath from time to time. Not yet...

Doug; April 20, 2012 at 6:01 PM
david_b said...: So, it turns out to be the Lantern, eh..?

http://news.yahoo.com/green-lantern-relaunched-brave-mighty-gay-070052544.html

At least it isn't Hal Jordan.

Oy, as if that's supposed to increase sales..

Motto: If you don't kill 'em, put 'em on the 'opposing team', as they said on Seinfeld.; June 1, 2012 at 6:23 AM
Roygbiv666 said...: 1.Any thought to a column on the recently deceased Ernie Chan, who did so many DC covers in the 1970s and "Savage Sword of Conan" for Marvel?

2.Move the suggestion box to the top of the page, I totally missed it.; June 5, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Doug said...: Yeah, RGB666, we really do need to move that. The other 57 folks who commented before you had a booger of a time finding it as well.

Doug; June 5, 2012 at 7:16 PM
Roygbiv666 said...: @Doug
O--kay, just pointing out it's not extremely well placed. Obviously I'm not as bright as the other 57 people who found it, thanks for pointing that out.; June 6, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Doug said...: RGB666 --

Here's the dish on the location of the suggestion box, and I run a risk in speaking for my partner as well --

You might notice that it is 7th on the list of items on our sidebar. Other than the Avengers cartoon section, I'd say that we've listed those items in 1-2-3 order by priority. The blog archive also needs to be near the top. So this one just naturally sits where it does, near the top.

Additionally, while we want to hear from our readers, and if you can find it we recently ran a post where we responded to our "effectiveness" in meeting these suggestions, we don't necessarily want to be inundated with requests. Karen and I will from time to time make purchases specifically with the blog in mind, but our readers need to know that what we do around here is a) volunteer, and b) all costs are our own for materials we don't already have. Karen and I live half a continent apart, so sharing print resources isn't an option. So to have this thread front and center, I'm just saying that a lot of folks might make a purely justifiable comment (as you did with the Ernie Chan suggestion -- which is a fine suggestion, by the way), but Karen and I cannot absorb and take to heart (timewise or financially) all of the suggestions. So having this down the line a bit sort of serves as a buffer for us.

One last thing, and if you scroll up through the comments here, you'll see that some of our readers have solicited us to read their material, or feature certain things on behalf of creators, other bloggers, etc. In a perfect world we'd probably take some of those folks up on that. However, we both have full-time jobs (outside of the comics and/or writing industries), families, etc. and simply do not have the time for such ventures. Keeping this thing running regularly for our 550 daily readers is a fun chore as is.

So, my apologies for being snarky yesterday -- that was uncalled for and doesn't make me a very gracious host. Instead, I should have thanked you for your interest in what we do around here, and told you that while Ernie Chan is perhaps not on the radar at present (Karen and I generally try to plan this thing out several weeks in advance -- we're heading toward discussing August this very week), you may see a post dedicated to him at some point. In the meantime, I'd encourage you to run a search for him on this blog, or head to the bottom of the sidebar where our labels are and see how many posts he's already shown up in. I know we did our very first Open Forum on inkers, and he certainly should have been mentioned in there.

Thanks,

Doug; June 6, 2012 at 9:17 AM
J.A. Morris said...: Today's Conan posting gave me an idea:

Who's the definitive Conan penciler?

Barry Windsor-Smith or John Buscema?; June 8, 2012 at 3:28 PM
david_b said...: Karen may have hit on it today, but classic 'Spock's Brain' stinkers of favorite sci-fi shows..:

- The ones you pray no one is in the room when it comes on,

- The one you audibly groan when it's announced, OR

- The one which is so BAD, is too good to pass up.

Every show has one, well, ok some have a couple, or perhaps in the case of 'Dallas', a whole year (with Bobby ending up in the shower)...

"Oh..., how the mighty hath fallen.."; June 15, 2012 at 4:01 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Not sure if this was already covered, but I think a nice retrospective of the Muppet Show would be pretty cool. That was a genuinely funny show (still is, in fact - the humor holds up well) and I'm sure a lot of the regulars here got a kick out of it.; June 16, 2012 at 10:01 AM
Karen said...: Hey Edo, we covered the Muppet Show way back when. Here's the address: http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2009/09/tv-party-tonight-muppet-show.html; June 16, 2012 at 3:50 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Thanks, Karen. I see it was posted about a month or so before I discovered your blog (although I can't believe I overlooked it all those times I went "spelunking" through your archives) - otherwise I would have commented at length...; June 17, 2012 at 12:47 AM
tetrahedron said...: Hi, I've been an avid comics reader (mainly Marvel) for the past nearly 40 years. Like most people, the art is one of the big reasons why I love comics.

One thing I notice is that both of you (Karen and Doug) are fairly finicky with regards to the inking. I have to admit that although I am aware of the inking, I can't say that I ever viewed the inking with a critical eye. Either I like the style of the pencil artist or I don't, and that is usually as deep as it gets.

I also notice when reading old comics (e.g. 1969, 1970) that on the Stan's Soapbox page they also go into detail about which inker is supporting which artist.

Maybe you could do a feature about the inking, and try to impart to the rest of us exactly what it is that you see. Show contrasting examples. Show examples of what you like, and what you don't like.

Even when you two mention it within an article (which is fairly often), I look at the artwork you are referring to, and it all generally looks like the same competent ink job to me. With the pencils, sure, there are big differences. But the inking? For the most part, it's all the same to me, and I suspect it might be the same for many readers.

Maybe you can refine our thoughts on the matter?; July 10, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Doug said...: Tetrahedron --

Thanks for your detailed comment. Karen and I will consider giving some more specifics from now on as to our likes and dislikes of particular inkers. In the meantime, I've included a link to a search within our blog for posts that generally relate to inkers. Check it out -- it may satisfy your query.

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/search?q=inkers

Thanks,

Doug; July 10, 2012 at 9:13 AM
Anonymous said...: How about a post on the SHAZAM! DVD release? I know I'm excited!!

http://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000331393.do?AID=10811526&PID=3821628&ref=CJP; July 12, 2012 at 11:17 AM
david_b said...: Hey, fine folks of BAB, how about some more reviews on CA&F and DD..?

Two marvelous ideas..:

- CA&F 164-167, the first being an oddly marvelous Alan Weiss special, then on to the great Yellow Claw fight. Just wanted folks to remember Cap had more great Bronze stories than the Secret Empire and 'the other Cap'..

Also, DD&BW 104-107 introducing MoonDragon and a memorable appearance by Captain Mar-Vell. Supposidly, Kerwin Broderick was secretly taking over the city by creating super-villains like Ramrod, Angar the Screamer, the Dark Messiah, and finally Terrex. Reportedly, Steve Gerber's cosmic story concept in the pages of DD wasn't popular. I thought it was YET another classic Marvel Universe cross-over story.

Just some favorites I cherish.; July 18, 2012 at 7:43 AM
Garett said...: Hi Doug and Karen
FANBOY comic by Sergio Aragones is a fun read that may be worthy of a review.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanboy_(comics)

It's 6 issues, came out in TPB, and features art by Neal Adams, Frank Miller, Gil Kane, etc. throughout the story.
It's not from the bronze age but many bronze age fans will like it.
Ciao,
Garett; July 24, 2012 at 5:26 PM
david_b said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; August 3, 2012 at 10:44 AM
david_b said...: This is probably old news, but I just checked the wire and haven't seen any other write-up for it..

I stopped by a B&N the other day, and as paging through a new FF issue, I saw some reader had written in to Marvel requesting a no-prize be bestowed for a 50yr old goof..

On FF#3, if you look at the Torch's right hand, it was drawn as a left hand..

Like other FF goofs discovered in later issues, there's been a 2nd left or right hand especially on Mr. Fantastic.. But to have this on an iconic cover's indeed pretty amazing.

Had to share..; August 3, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Garett said...: Drawing videos as a topic?

Buscema, Hogarth and Druillet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xTe7212GQc
Adams, Kubert and Moebius:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY3Rf0i9hgU; August 8, 2012 at 5:54 PM
Anonymous said...: I really like the site...brings back a lot of great memories...but I have kind of a stupid question. Is there some trick to leaving comments on the various daily threads? I tried last week to leave a comment on "Bracketology:Final Thoughts" three separate times and nothing happened. I signed into my Google account and I filled out the captcha, so what am I missing?; August 19, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Doug said...: Anonymous the Last,

I don't know what to say about the commenting, other than that has to be frustrating for you! As you can see, your comment on the Suggestion Box published. Blogger does provide a Spam folder for the blog owners, but we check it regularly and if a comment has mistakenly been placed there we publish it right away.

So unfortunately, I have no assistance to give you.

Sorry!! And thanks for the kind words.

Doug; August 19, 2012 at 6:28 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks anyway...as you noticed, I CAN publish comments under "Anonymous", but I kinda wanted to have my name on them...so people know which asinine comments are mine and which aren't :)

I'll just have to add my name to my anonymous posts. Thanks for checking things out for me.

Mike W.; August 20, 2012 at 1:25 PM
Doug said...: As I get ready to post this comment, Mike, I see the options to "Choose an identity". Since I'm logged into my Blogger account, the first option is to post as my user profile, with picture, name, etc. Maybe you don't have your profile set up correctly in Blogger? I'm at a loss...

But don't let this stop you from commenting! Bring it on!

Doug; August 20, 2012 at 1:42 PM
david_b said...: How about a regular 'Ask the Reader' column about best/favorite recent Bronze purchases..?

I just sold my minty boxed Mego Thor for some classic VF comics like TOA 60 (introduces concept of Hulk/Banner transformations..) and Avengers 12 and 16.. Granted, they're Silver Age, but they're STUNNING.

Trying to humbly beef up my pre-'66 Marvel collecting, ever so slowly.; September 27, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Doug said...: David --

I like that suggestion! There are days every so often when Karen and I are almost at a loss what to run -- this is a nice idea. It should generate audience participation, which is what we're all about around here!

I am on the flipside from you in terms of picking up comics -- just two weeks ago I took a longbox jammed to the gills to the Resident Director in my sons' dorm. I found out he's a big Marvel movies fan and dabbles in comics. I asked if his wife would mind if I sent him some books... So I dismissed some good stuff, but you know I also included the New Avengers run, the run of Ultimate FF, most of the Heroes Reborn debacle, etc. Hey, he's only 26 -- he'll "get" that stuff.

Red Sonja post tomorrow, my friend...

Doug; September 27, 2012 at 3:52 PM
david_b said...: Doug, my humble thanks much for the nod today.

I just noticed on your profile your appreciation of one of my all-time favs, 'Logans Run'.

Must do a column someday on that movie, it's sequel 'Logan's World', the TV series (as weak as it was..), and the Marvel comic tie-in...

Bronze Age Sci-Fi at it's pre-George Lucas finest.; October 10, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: I second the Logan's Run suggestion - either the movie, the TV series, or the comic-book tie-in, or all of the above...; October 12, 2012 at 3:18 PM
Doug said...: Or Jenny Agutter...

Coming very soon, lads -- I crafted it after David's suggestion.

Doug; October 12, 2012 at 3:21 PM
Karen said...: Until then, you may want to look at a couple of previous posts that mention Logan:

http://www.bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2009/07/5-films-to-love.html

http://www.bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2011/04/battle-of-sci-fi-flicks-70s.html; October 12, 2012 at 3:33 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Karen, I remember those posts (heck, I even commented on one of them!), so I guess I'd prefer more emphasis/discussion of the (admittedly not so great) TV series and the Marvel tie-in (which I absolutely love.; October 13, 2012 at 3:46 AM
david_b said...: Oh, yes.. Ms. Agutter was QUITE a treat for the eyes, sir. Her brief flash of skin in the bearskins was eye-opening for a 12yr old. I always enjoyed Michael York in so many different projects, whether it be this or the entertaining Musketeer films. In fact all four leads (York, Agutter, Ustinov and Jordan) brought so much life to an otherwise dismal movie adaptation.

I didn't phrase my original suggestion right; didn't mean to imply that 'World' was a 'movie sequel', as we all know it was just a follow-on Nolan book written a decade after his original novel.; October 13, 2012 at 12:32 PM
tarbandu said...: Dear Doug and Karen:

Would you be willing to provide a new entry to your 'bloggers of a similar brain' roll:

http://theporporbooksblog.blogspot.com/

(I'll reciprocate)

Thanks,

tarbandu

'The PorPor Books Blog'; October 14, 2012 at 4:07 PM
david_b said...: I'm sure you folks have seen this but 'Marvel Comics: The Untold Story' looks like pretty, well, indepth and interesting.

I breezed through 30pages last night covering the early '70s and was quite (um.., quite) taken back by the deals, egos and detailed pharmaceutical intake used as creative juices by the Bullpen.

http://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Comics-The-Untold-Story/dp/0061992100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350740560&sr=8-1&keywords=marvel+comics+inside

Downloaded a sample on my Nook and will remind my Mrs it would make a nice Xmas gift this year.; October 20, 2012 at 8:57 AM
Karen said...: Funny you should mention that David; Doug and I were discussing that book just the other day. I do plan to get it. I looked through a copy at the bookstore and it seemed interesting. I just hope it doesn't shatter too many illusions! Then again, after all the interviews and articles I've read, I don't think there's much left to shatter.; October 20, 2012 at 12:33 PM
david_b said...: Can anyone provide me a good URL for a comic site that has all the Bronze Calendar art (DC/Marvel), month by month..?

I had a couple back in the day (like the '76 DC one) and love matting/framing some of the awesome art. Just tryin' to find eBay auctions that show the monthly art (not just the calendar covers) to determine which calendars to buy.

Also, any thoughts on best/worst Hostess ads..? I'm reading early Howard the Ducks now.., and still cringe on the likes of Mar-Vell and Hulk using sweet and delicious cakey snack treats to stop villains.

Have a super day, everyone..!; October 24, 2012 at 6:50 AM
david_b said...: Karen, per your mention of old interviews, I was quite pleased at reading the April '73 Creem Marvel issue, such as the frank discussion concerning Barry Smith art on Conan #24 and other early Bronze overtures.

Sure you all have read it, but here it is online just in case..:

http://booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/02/creem-does-marvel-1973.html; October 24, 2012 at 6:59 AM
Doug said...: Hi, David --

Here's a link to a couple of images from the calendars I own:

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2009/09/doug-says-check-out-some-of-my-stuff.html

So what are you looking for exactly? High-quality scans? I'd be happy to oblige, but my scanner is standard sized and the calendar pages are too large to get the whole thing on the glass. I have 5 or 6 of these calendars (Marvel 1976-77, plus Hulk and Dr. Strange and a DC one, too (1978?).

Let me know what you're thinking, and we'll see what we can come up with.

Doug; October 24, 2012 at 7:32 AM
david_b said...: Oh, no sir. Not so much hi-res scans.., just wishing to find a page with pics of all the monthly art, so I know which to hunt for on eBay.

Yes, a site with the pics like you shown here, just from all the DC/Marvel calendars released. I know the 1978 Spidey calendar was quite good inside with nice Romita art.

I see the listings on mycomicshop.com under 'comic calendars', but wondering if there's a site with pics of the month-by-month art. The Adams art in DC's 1976 calendar was pretty spectacular.

Don't mean to incur any work on anyone's part, just wondering if anyone knew of a good site which showcased all the calendar art. I'll just keep scoping around.; October 24, 2012 at 8:11 AM
Doug said...: David --

It would be pretty simple for me to take some jpgs of the pages and either run a post or work out something where I could email them to you.

Hey, why don't I run a series of posts? That might be cool, and time-wise for Karen and I that's a pretty simple way to fill up some days with more Bronze Age coolness for discussion.

Hopefully I can work it out so there's not too much glare on the calendar pages. I shall commence tonight!

Doug

PS: You're awfully inspiring, you know.; October 24, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Doug said...: David --

Sunday, dude -- be on the lookout for three calendars, 27 images. I'll forewarn you, however, that our camera is on the way out so the images are not so good. But if an idea of what's in the calendars is what you were after, I think you'll be satisfied for the most part.

Doug; October 24, 2012 at 8:09 PM
david_b said...: No problem, sir, just wanted to see whether anyone had some good sites to recommend.

I actually just saw a couple dozen calendar pages selling separately on eBay last night ('marvel pin-up' typically for $17.99 or something..), hence why it's cheaper to just buy the calendar, then get 12 images for one price.

You're way too kind, sir.; October 25, 2012 at 10:13 AM
david_b said...: I mentioned CA&F 164 once already here, but wondering whether a 'Substitute Teacher' column might be considered, where a new artist or writer walks in for an issue and throws everything on it's side, like Alan Weiss did here. Englehart wrote some pretty uncharacteristic 'craving danger' narrative here as well, more befitting of Conan or Thor's title.

Love the hip Fury clothes, but I don't think Kirby or Steranko originally had this look in mind..:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k8X28WVQWAQ/TEHyNyuF3PI/AAAAAAAAATI/TciyNAYRl4o/s1600/photo-763211.JPG

Perhaps keep in mind for the next 'monster mash'.; October 31, 2012 at 7:49 AM
Ryan said...: Hi there!

I'm sure you get a lot of emails, probably quite a lot like this too, but I'd really appreciate you taking time out of your insane schedule to hear me out :)

My name is Ryan Brain, I'm a game designer and avid comics fan, but that's not what I'm writing about. I'm writing to ask for help. I'm trying to get my own web comic/graphic novel off the ground, and thought you might be sympathetic to my cause. If you could just take 5 minutes to watch my Kickstarter video at www.unlikelyjedi.com and if it's an idea you're into, if you could tell people about it it would mean the absolute world to me! As I'm sure you can imagine, this project will live or die on word of mouth, so to have someone established and successful like yourself saying positive things about it could make all the difference.

Either way, thanks for reading to the end of this message :)

Take care.

Ryan; November 2, 2012 at 8:43 AM
david_b said...: Kind of a slacker idea, but how about this...:

A limited series of columns on a selected DC or Marvel hero (picked from who was most popular in the bracket columns or some other selection process..), then readers can chime in on their top 5 stories that are either monumental to the Marvel (or DC) Universe, changed the hero the most, or were just plain fun.

For instance one column can be on DD or Flash, and folks can chime in on favorite or stories that either defined them for long afterwards, or were instrumental in changing their universe.

Not really a stretch, but it would be fun AND gather ideas for future comic or storyline discussions yet unreviewed.; November 20, 2012 at 7:57 AM
Mike said...: Perusing some news sites this morning and ran into this article. It brought back some sweet (literally) Bronze Age memories, so I thought I'd share:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/batman-iron-man-captain-america-used-twinkies-to-fight-crime-in-these-amazing-retro-hostess-ads/; November 21, 2012 at 9:15 AM
david_b said...: I've been meaning to suggest these a few weeks ago as well.., just to perhaps decipher who did the art/inking on the Batman ones, as well as others.

I would be a super idea, now that the future of Hostess is in jeopardy.

Without Hostess's tasty snack treats, what will stop this world from invaders, bank robbers and giant frogs..??

"..Heavens..!?!.."; November 26, 2012 at 2:58 PM
tetrahedron said...: hello,

I'd like to make a couple of comments, please take these merely as food for thought and not mean-spirited criticism. I enjoy the blog, in general.

Occasionally when reading the blog postings, either of you will make a comment on a visual in the book you are talking about which is not explicitly shown in the scanned samples. This causes to me scroll up and down looking for it and is a little frustrating.

Also, I think that readers may (or may not) agree that the blog postings are most interesting when we get (with regards to the particular topic or issue at hand) your impressions, points of view, feelings, perhaps trivia in relation to the book or any of the components or people involved, tangents which are related to the book or the creators, memories, etc...

What is less interesting is when the posting is essentially nothing more than a panel by panel literal description from beginning to end of the book you've read which we are not privy to reading and of which we only get to see a few samples.

I'm not sure what purpose this serves. If we've just read your detailed blow by blow of the entire story, my further interest and curiosity has been exhausted.

I would prefer these to read more like movie or music reviews. That is, it shouldn't replace seeing the film or hearing the album, just as the blog posting celebrating or revisiting a Kirby issue shouldn't replace me going out and reading it.

The blog entertains more when it becomes a broader discussion on various levels while at the same time focusing on the topic of the day.

I hope you can understand a little of what I mean.; November 27, 2012 at 1:58 AM
Karen said...: Tetra, you do make some good points. There are times where I wonder if we are telling too much of the story in a review. But part of the reason we do this is because, unlike most films or music, which are readily available in a variety of formats, a lot of the books we review are not easily accessible to readers. So our thought is to provide information on the story, particularly to help folks decide if they'd like to read it or not. True, we tend to reveal everything, but so far, we've heard more positives than negatives. But I do see your point, and if we heard from more people requesting that we give away less in the reviews, than we'd definitely consider that.

We do appreciate you taking the time to comment and hope you'll continue to contribute to other discussions.; November 28, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Hmmm, before I get to my suggestion, I think I'll add my own comments on Tetrahedron's post, which I've just noticed. First, with regard to the suggestion of including "your impressions, points of view, feelings..." - it seems to me you already do so, unless I'm mistaken. However, there's no harm in expanding review posts with more of this and other types of tangential points or digressions. I agree that this would probably foster even more lively discusions.
As for revealing too much - cripes, you're mainly dealing with comics from 30-40 years ago and most everyone here was then and is now a comics fan who's either read the issues in question or at least has some idea how the story turned out regardless.
Anyway, back to my suggestion, which was prompted by a few comments in the Tripods post. Basically, since you guys often deal with other pop culture aspects of our shared childhood and adolescence, like TV shows, movies, music/bands, the candy we liked, I think it might be good to occasionally discuss books and authors in genres that most young comic fans back then also enjoyed: SF, sword & sorcery, fantasy, pulp thrillers (both the reprinted stuff from the 1930s and the 'modern' takes), Westerns...
It just seems to me like books (without pictures) get discussed a lot less here than other peripheral aspects of Bronze Age comic fandom, although (for me, at least) reading SF/fantasy, etc. went hand-in-glove with all the comics reading. That's why I really liked Karen starting a discussion about the Tripods Trilogy - even though I'd never read any of those.; November 30, 2012 at 4:44 AM
david_b said...: Since you are both awesome hosts, I'm sure you thought of this for this month, but I'm hoping for a column on 'Best TV Christmas Moments/Episodes'.

My nominees are the Draftdodger episode for 'All In The Family' and the Frasier episode where Frasier's dad finds his grandson Frederick the sought-after robotoy action figure. Letting a kid be a kid..? Chokes me up every time.; December 2, 2012 at 7:27 AM
Steve Does Comics said...: Sadly, it's been announced in the last few hours that Gerry Anderson's passed away. It'd be great to see a post devoted to his works.; December 26, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Doug said...: Steve --

Gerry Anderson was actually paid his due by Karen in a couple of posts that ran back in the spring. If you didn't see them way back then, here is a link --

http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/search?q=Gerry+Anderson

Thanks for the suggestion, though! Be well!

Doug; December 27, 2012 at 3:52 PM
david_b said...: Fellow BABsters.. Here's an idea.

Reading the 'Untold Story' book now, I see great potential to cover a lot of topics discussed within, such as the late-70s change from newstands to direct sales distribution (and profit changes), Bullpen conflicts, changes in directions with editors and freelance workers at both DC and Marvel, inspirations for stories (pharmaceutical or otherwise, and I didn't know Claremont's wife was an active Wiccan, greatly influencing the M'Kraan Crystal in X-Men..), how the industry changed in general, you name it.

How about either a week-long look at a few big topics discussed in the book (with excerpts included for those who didn't get the book yet..), or perhaps a series of columns over the span of a few weeks..?

It can be later in the year for those who really intend to grab the book, so not to ruin it for folks who haven't picked it up yet.; January 11, 2013 at 11:42 AM
Bruce said...: I personally like the in-depth nature of the issue reviews Doug & Karen do here. I find them satisfying in a way that I wouldn't with a capsule review. Just my opinion - but I enjoy the format as is.

For future reviews, here are some suggestions: Spectacular Spider-Man from the Bill Mantlo/Sal Buscema era, the Trial of the Flash, the House of Mystery "I...Vampire" stories, Steve Ditko's work on Charlton's ghost story titles and Captain Carrot & the Amazing Zoo Crew. (How's that for a grab-bag of ideas?)

I'll also second Edo's suggestions of Avengers - Nights of Wundagore and Marvel Team-Up #82-85. Both excellent storylines.

As far as non-comics reading, a recent post here prompted me to pick up an Andre Norton novel. Thanks for the recommendation!; January 11, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Karen said...: Howdy guys, I want to address both David and Bruce's comments today.

Beginning the first week of February, when Doug and I start posting again, we'll be doing a two-part review of the Howe book, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. At this stage, I don't see this as being a detailed,point-by-point analysis of Howe's work but rather more a discussion of what we thought of the book in a general sense. Now if you BABsters want to discuss some specific things brought up in the book, knock yourselves out. Just keep in mind, in a few weeks, we'll be looking at the book and Marvel history in a more general sense.

Bruce, sadly other than a few Spectacular Spider-Mans, I don't have those books you mention, and I would venture to guess my partner doesn't either! But we'll try to get some more variety going this year.

We did however review the Nights of Wundagore some time back -check the sidebar for Avengers 185-187. And glad to hear our Andre Norton post inspired you! Look for some more science fiction posts this year too. Any favorite authors you'd like to have covered?; January 11, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Bruce said...: Thanks - I'm just throwing out a few suggestions of personal favorites. The Charlton ghost stories are an acquired taste, but I've always liked them. In general, I'd love to see you review any of Steve Ditko's Bronze Age work, as I'm a big Ditko fan.

I'm always coming across reviews here of issues that I haven't read. You & Doug have a much wider collection than I do.

As for sci-fi/fantasy, I've always enjoyed Terry Brooks a great deal.; January 11, 2013 at 3:48 PM
david_b said...: "Gerber, Gerber, Gerber.."

I'm finally going through my Howard the Duck collection.., having bought the near-entire run of comics (all VF condition) for under $20. I just stumbled upon ish 16.

It was simply pages of Gerber's rambling text (no panels or story..), of a) his self-deprecating travelogue about moving to Vegas, b) conversation with Howard, c) complaining about deadlines (the issue's entitled 'Zen and the Art of Comic Book Writing' (or 'Deadline Doom')).

Utterly amazing this self-absorbed, pretentious issue saw the light of day, yet so in keeping with the Howe book to be reviewed this week about Gerber during this period.

What easily should have been solved by throwing in a reprint, Gerber instead pontificates about the points listed above in type-written font with lovely art contributions from Big John, Dave Cockrum, and Terry Austin.

Head-scratchin', yet utterly amazing to ponder this was on newstands next to Thor and Avengers back in '77.

Should be required reading for all Gerber (and 'Untold Stores') fans.

Excelsior indeed..!!; January 28, 2013 at 7:20 AM
Doug said...: Hi, David --

We got another request for Howard the Duck back in December. I have one Howard issue, and I don't think Karen has many more. We could maybe do some Gerber Defenders, but I just have one volume of the Essentials and I think it's mostly Englehart at the helm. We did the 4-part Defenders/Guardians arc earlier.

As to Gerber and the Howe book, the two posts we are planning are going to (hopefully) explode like a bazillion Open Forum/Spotlight On posts! We really hope everyone gets on board the comment bandwagon Friday and again next Tuesday!

Doug; January 28, 2013 at 12:26 PM
david_b said...: Absolutely no worries at all, sir. I was just aghast with the totally 'non-comic' format of this particular issue, which feeds in to Gerber's wanton creative control, especially on ol' Howard.

It would be a super-expensive $3 investment for any Bronze Gerber fans out there for a readers copy of ish 16.

Just hilarious to read. I'll provide some examples/comments on the Howe columns for everyone.; January 28, 2013 at 1:34 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: I'm always up for more discussion of Gerber in any form or context - he's one of my favorite comics writers.
Otherwise though, I'm hoping the posts on Howe's book don't specifically require actually reading the book, because except for a few excerpts posted online, I haven't. And I don't think I'll be getting it any time soon.
By the way, Karen, if your question to Bruce about suggestions for SF writers to discuss is open to all of us, here's a few of my own suggestions: Michael Moorcock (esp. since a lot of his fantasy stuff had comic adaptations), Philip Dick, Ursula Le Guin...; January 28, 2013 at 2:05 PM
Humanbelly said...: Say, yesterday's Favorite Album topic put me in mind of a possible topic (to store away in the garage attic w/ the decorations) for when the Holidays roll around again: What's Your Favorite. . . Christmas Album of All Time? (Sort of with the same caveats as yesterday's post-- basically that it be the album-entire, as opposed to a couple of particular songs.)

Just a thought, eh?

HB; February 17, 2013 at 6:20 AM
david_b said...: Comedy Albums anyone..?

Cheech/Chong..?
Bob Newhart..?
Steve Martin..?
George Carlin..?
Monty Python..?
Richard Pryor..?
Smothers..?

Perhaps all-time best bits..?; February 19, 2013 at 7:23 PM
Humanbelly said...: Saaaaaaaay--- March is just around the corner, isn't it?

That wouldn't mean there's another big ol' Bracketology in the works, would it? Ha! That would be GREAT!

HB; February 24, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Doug said...: HB --

Unless my partner has something up her sleeve, another Bracketology is not on my radar at this point in time. As of now, we're still pretty far ahead on the blog; a brackets series would require some reshuffling as well as a regular commitment of time. And to be honest, I'm still a little bent out of shape at the way the last one turned out with the voting sabotage. The polls we've been running of late seem to be a source of fun for people, but we all know how that one bad apple can creep in.

Thanks for the passion for those series, however !

Doug; February 24, 2013 at 4:12 PM
david_b said...: Doug/Karen, here's a fun graphic for you LOSH fans out there. Courtesy of Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness..:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9JJ9Rsc5EbA/US4Q78qDc0I/AAAAAAABtH8/CPysHiS89c4/s1600/tumblr_michhreNjh1s4ot6ao1_1280.jpg; February 27, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Doug said...: Very cool, David! Thanks for sharing that.

I liked every one of those renderings except Mon-el.

Doug; February 27, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Karen said...: Wow, David, those are the whitest kids I have ever seen -and that includes Brainy, Reep, and Shady!

Ultra Boy looks a bit like a young Ronald Reagan.

Got a good chuckle out of that. Thanks for passing it along.; February 27, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Ha! No kidding, Karen. And Timber Wolf looks a bit like Eddie Haskell. I don't have the skills or patience to do so, but I think it would be perfect if someone drew Mouseketeer caps on all of them...; February 27, 2013 at 12:52 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey, Doug and Karen, just a quick question for you. What's your policy on self-promotion by commenters? The reason I ask is because there's a new book out that would probably be of interest to you guys (and a lot of your readers), but I happen to have made a (minimal) contribution to the book, so I wasn't sure if I should mention it on the blog. Obviously you don't want to turn your blog into an advertising space for anyone, so I figured I'd ask before I posted anything. Other than that, I have nothing else to say except...keep up the great work guys! I love this blog :)

Mike W.; February 27, 2013 at 6:43 PM
Doug said...: I don't have a problem with it, Mike. I have a link to my sons' blog on our list, and we always give you guys a head's up when Karen is going to be published in Back Issue. Also, we've had other commenters who have their own blogs and reference their work at times.

As long as it is on the upside of decency I don't see why you couldn't mention it.

Doug; February 27, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Anonymous said...: Cool, thanks. I just thought I should ask first. The book I was referring to is called "The Devil is in the Details"; it's a book of essays from Sequart Publishing about Daredevil. There are 16 essays in total and the editor Ryan Lindsay did a great job putting it all together.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I DID contribute a couple of essays, but I know there are quite a few DD fans here, so I figured I should mention it.) You can check out sequart.org for info on the book. You can get it from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Details-Examining-Murdock-Daredevil/dp/0578073730/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362017151&sr=1-3&keywords=ryan+k+lindsay

and also from CreateSpace and it is available for the Kindle. Thanks for letting me mention it guys!

Mike W.; February 27, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Doug said...: It sounds like Van Plexico's Assembled and Assembled 2. Karen was published in A2, and if A3 ever sees the light of day we're both supposed to be in that one.

Congratulations!

Doug; February 27, 2013 at 8:14 PM
david_b said...: Ah, sounds like more DD appreciation coming on strong.

Hmmm, more DD reviews please.

- David "Let's Hear it for Hornhead" from Milwaukee; February 27, 2013 at 10:36 PM
Humanbelly said...: Heya Doug-
Re: Bracketology
Ha! Yes, I do understand-- no problem. Really, in my mind it was more akin to me asking, "Hey, Doug, would you mind scaling Mt Everest for us all again? We think it's really cool when you do that-!"

Ahhhhhh, you give and you give, and they just demand more and more. . .

HB; March 5, 2013 at 6:35 AM
david_b said...: Greetings Everyone in BAB-land..

From the DS9 post this last week, Karen had suggested if enough folks were interested in discussing Trek's 'Animated Series', a column may be added. I guess here's the best venue for consideration.

For sci-fi and Trek fans, you may have fav episodes or observations to discuss.., my initial thoughts from the DS9 column are repeated below..:

1) Freed from some of the TOS plot devices (Kirk gettin' the alien girl, the 'Kirk-Spock-McCoy' banter, styrofoam rocks, etc..), TAS touted arguably the purest science fiction offerings of any Trek series with writers like Larry Niven, David Gerrold, DC Fontana and other established writers contributing some pretty far-out, mature stories.., visiting the center of the Universe, etc.

2) Aside from the Next Gen's 4th year 'Devils Due', it was the only Trek series to actually feature 'the Devil' with horns and evil grin in a episode; suffice to say, not your typical Saturday morning kiddie fare.

3) The original cast was all involved (sans Koenig..), along with Roger C. Caramel (Mudd) and Stanley Adams (Cyrano Jones) returning to voice their characters (lean years for some character actors, indeed..)

4) Canon..? Per the sources I've read, Gene never said it wasn't; apparently one of his staffers made some comment it wasn't and it stuck (obviously until the '90s when Paramount wanted another Trek cash cow, started promoting it for the long-awaited DVD release..). As David Gerrold mentioned,

"Arguments about "canon" are silly. I always felt that Star Trek Animated was part of Star Trek because Gene Roddenberry accepted the paycheck for it and put his name on the credits."

5) First use of the holodeck and first mention of Tiberius as Kirk's middle name.

And it was Trek's first series to win an Emmy.

I just watched 'Eye of the Beholder' and 'Yesteryear' two of the episodes closest to the Original Series. All the episodes are on Youtube as well.

On the DVD, 'Eye of the Beholder' included some excellent commentary by Michael Okuda regarding how TAS was able to create far more imaginative landscapes than TOS ever could, budget-wise. Obviously, there was a budget trade-off, which primarily worked for TAS's favor. Like other '70s Filmation shows, the animators created a huge library of stock character images which were used, so they just had to animate the mouths, eyebrows and other minor details. This allowed the artists to focus more on cooler details like vast landscapes I mentioned and still be cost-conscious.

Not sure about anyone else, but for a young kid just collecting the Blish books, building the AMT models, and dreaming about Mego figs, hearing the cast voices in new episodes was pretty cool for 1973.; March 8, 2013 at 10:47 AM
david_b said...: Doug, I've been eyeing the Chicago ComicCon at Rosemont in August, would love to see you there. I believe I need both Stan Lee AND Neal Adams autographs..

Will probably be taking my young nephew.; March 22, 2013 at 9:35 AM
Doug said...: David, as that weekend gets closer I'll check into it. That's going to fall close to when we have to move our sons back to college. Additionally, I'm already going to be in Chicago on the 7th and 8th of August giving a teacher workshop that will tie in with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's propaganda exhibit ("State of Deception") which will be at the Field Museum beginning in November. Not sure if I want to make the trek twice in a week, although it is only about an hour's drive.

But it's on my radar now -- thanks for suggesting it!

Doug; March 22, 2013 at 10:30 AM
david_b said...: Great.. I typically would be doing my Army 'annual training' during July-August, but will try to swing it.

It will only be my 2nd comic-com ever.. and 2nd 'Chicago-con' (took my niece to a Beatlefest a few yrs back..).; March 22, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm not sure where the most appropriate place is to mention this, so I'm putting it here...hopefully everyone will see it. I can't remember if you guys ever discussed the old SF mag "Starlog" or not, but in case anyone's interested, almost all the back issues are available to read (free) at the Internet Archive: http://archive.org/details/starlogmagazine

I figured that might be of interest to a few people around here :)

Mike W.; June 12, 2013 at 8:27 PM
DFG said...: We just started a new blog that may be of interest to you and your readers... DC Digests and Tabloids: http://dcdigestsandtabloids.blogspot.ca/

We enjoy BAB very much and hope that you might include us on your blogroll... we have done likewise.

Dan Graves & Darryl Andrews; July 18, 2013 at 10:07 PM
Steve Does Comics said...: I've had a query on Twitter as to whether you're on Twitter. You appear not to be. Any plans to change that? It can be a good way to promote posts to an ever-wider audience.; July 21, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Doug said...: Steve, believe it or not I've only personally gotten a twitter handle in the past three weeks. I'm not a big social media guy -- a lot of what goes on with Facebook, etc. is just cyber-pollution for my money. However, our youngest son is preparing for a 2-week European tour with his college soccer team (football to you, sir!) and I know he's on Twitter all the time -- I also figured it's free, whereas there are inflated cost issues with international texting, etc.

Let Karen and I discuss it -- I'm not opposed to it, and am even not opposed to throwing open my personal handle to our readers. As they say, more information to come...

Thanks for the suggestion!

Doug; July 21, 2013 at 1:03 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Not a suggestion, just a request: where is that banner image from? I love it - this set of kid's encyclopedias my family had back in the '70s had it in the entry on comics.; July 31, 2013 at 2:35 AM
Doug said...: Hi, Edo -

That image was an Internet grab from the Brittanica website. Your eyes are good, and so is your memory! It looks to have been drawn by Marie Severin, circa 1969? I'm guessing...

Doug; July 31, 2013 at 7:36 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: Doug, thanks for the tip - found it by doing an image search with Britannica and Marvel Comics as keywords.
By the way, the encyclopedia it appeared in back in my childhood was Compton's, also published by Britannica, but more geared toward children (with bigger print, lots more pictures and less technical texts).
As for the artist, it's hard to tell since the image is kind of small, and goes out of focus when enlarged. You might be right about Marie Severin, but I'm wondering if Romita had a hand in it as well, i.e., maybe he inked it, or maybe he did the pencil sketch and then Marie finished it?; July 31, 2013 at 8:13 AM
david_b said...: I was going to ask it's origins as well.., good thing I checked here.

It could have been originally done for a Marvelmania intent, but used for Britannica when they came looking for representative drawings.

I love it, wish the original could be found for further clarity.; August 2, 2013 at 12:39 PM
david_b said...: Interestingly enough, besides the sad passing of the troubled Lisa Robin Kelly, has anyone considered doing a 'That 70s Show' column..?

I've keenly noticed a few Marvel comics being read by the cast, once a Nick Fury one, another time was a Marvel Two-In-One..

With the KISS music, the inviting basement fumes, Steve's funny brownies and Eric's GI Joes (and later Star Wars figures).., it's up for grabs.; August 15, 2013 at 3:30 PM
david_b said...: Ok, hate to be a bother, but just read a SUPER-COOL vintage reunion article on Big Glee's site on the SHAZAM cast...:

http://bigglee.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-stars-of-shazam-saturday-morning.html

Just a fun and EXTREMELY interesting behind-scene's article/interview with some of the cast members.

Enjoy..!!; August 16, 2013 at 8:27 AM
david_b said...: Hey True Believers, check out Big Glee again for another pop-up of the recent masthead by Marie..:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XBSbYT2Yndg/UiiQQMBh-zI/AAAAAAAAPU4/dtfr1dGhmQ8/s1600/marie+severin+marvel+comics+pyramid+spider-man+silver+age+hulk+fantastic+four+iron+man+avengers+original+comic+art+bad+1976+bronze+.jpg

Note on the bag they remove the old Mar-Vell at top and replace with Conan. Interesting.

Also, another column idea..? Thoughts/complaints on how folks grade comics. I just bought a vintage Tales to Astonish off eBay advertised as 'F++'.

First off, 'What the heck does that mean'..? Is that a VF with feeling of inadequacy..? Or a Fine condition comic that's struttin' an attitude..? The picture looked alright, so I figured it was at least a strong Fine.

I got it this weekend, it had moderate chipping on it's binding, not one but two creases that break color (one long vertical one..) and edgewear on the top/bottom. Oh, and a number written in marker on the back cover.

(I'm rolling over with laughter by this point..)

It was a VG at best, so I'm getting my money back on that one.

I know it happens a lot to folks, but sometimes accurate comic grading is perhaps a bridge too far..; September 9, 2013 at 9:14 AM
david_b said...: From the files of 'Oh No Not Him Again..'..:

How about a column on Rock's intellectuals..? Those who have publically waxed uber-intellectual ponderings in the industry and society..?

My fav has always been Frank Zappa..:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Vi1zusI3s

LOVE his comments about the radical girl (a former 'disk jocky groupie'..) at the end, saying she'd be FAR more effective changing the world by being in bed with a corporate executive to effect change in policy than burning down buildings.; September 13, 2013 at 8:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey Karen/Doug/All. Sorry been away for a while. I was a furloughed Fed for the first part of this month and simply wasn't online that much. But I took care of a few projects I've been meaning to get to and one of them resulted in a story that I think is appropriate to the BAB. So if it's OK, I'll tell it here.

My dad passed away last year and mom moved out of the family house to live with my sister. So we are preparing the house for sale and one big chore was to clean out the attic. Now I had long since claimed all of my old comics from said attic - or so I thought! Buried in a huge box of old Sports Illustrated mags I found my seemingly lost run of Master of Kung Fu comics, running from the first issue (Special Marvel edition #15) all the way through issue #51. It was one of those "Why/how in the hell did those end up here but I am THRILLED to have found them" moments.

I have already re-read the first few issues and intend to read them all soon in order. So far, they are living up to my memories of them.

Tom; October 23, 2013 at 9:03 AM
Karen said...: Tom, what a great story! Sorry to hear about your furlough time -I have friends and family who have been through this too and it is just terrible -but I'm happy for you that you found your MOKF books. I never bought the title as a kid; I think it felt too grown up back then. But I've been slowly picking up issues the last year or so, and I hope to do some reviews at some point on the BAB.; October 23, 2013 at 12:06 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Yeah, Tom, sorry about being furloughed, that must really suck. But man, what an awesomely cool find - I only started reading MoKF when the title was in its 60s or 70s, but I did manage to get a hold of two or three of the Gulacy-drawn issues. I'd love to read that whole run.; October 23, 2013 at 12:51 PM
Doug said...: Let me add my "Congrats!" to Tom's re-discovery. I keep waiting for that to happen. Except it won't, because none of those circumstances that happened to you are going to happen to me. But man, I'd love to have that feeling you must have had!

Doug; October 23, 2013 at 8:41 PM
david_b said...: Tom, let me add my congrats. Sorry about your furlough, I was lucky enough to be on 'exempt' status due to the nature of my hospital work, so I stayed working.

Luckily with the shutdown so brief for us folk, no paychecks will be missed. Hopefully all the furloughed ones'll also be covered for your days-off time.; October 24, 2013 at 7:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Thanks all for the kind words. Work life has pretty much returned to normal - until the next time this happens, like probably in January. Aaaugh! (don't get started Tom). David, I remembered you mentioning that you were fed too and was wondering how you made out. Glad to hear that you were exempt.

And yes I knew you guys could relate to my "find". My family just looked at me like I was nuts. I tried to explain how cool this was and as their collective eyes glazed over I just kept thinking "my buddies at the BAB will appreciate this." :-)

Tom; October 24, 2013 at 10:23 AM
david_b said...: Not a suggestion per se, just news..:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/notyetamovie/news/?a=89682

New Daredevil developments, and has anyone seen the new Ironman Captain Action set..?? It's pretty awesome.

I've moved away from 1:6 collecting, keeping a few of my primo C/A sets, but I'll HAVE to get Iron Man for Xmas..

Here's a long, hands-on review of both Wolvie and Shellhead..:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO50_zk74TE

(Personally, I just skipped to the closeup shots myself..); November 8, 2013 at 8:52 AM
Define999 said...: Hey guys, I just found this blog the other day! Great work! Also, just wanted to share something that might interest you? My friends and I created a online magazine dedicated to foreign comic variants... its called foreign Comic Collector! Check it out here...

http://foreigncomiccollector.webs.com/

Plenty of Bronze age goodness in there.... and if you would like to see more bronze aged foreign goodness check out my online gallery here....

Im sick with the foreign bug for sure....

http://comicbookcollection.webs.com/foreigns

Thanks for checking it out Bronze aged Babies!; November 15, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: You guys can pretty much ignore this, I'm just trying to figure out of this works in blogger comments...

Ka-plow!; November 17, 2013 at 4:38 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: Holy cow! It works!! Glad I finally figured that out.
Uh, anyway, go on about your business folks...; November 17, 2013 at 4:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Who's the best... Marvel homage to Batman? Known candidates: Nighthawk (two versions), Shroud, Moon Knight, Blackwing.; November 23, 2013 at 9:55 PM
david_b said...: Edo, young man...? You can NOW tell the rest of the class how you put that link in.

Great work.; November 27, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: David, best I can do, as I explained to Doug near the bottom of this thread, is to provide a link to a page that explains it:
Embedded comments
It's actually quite easy...; November 27, 2013 at 11:21 AM
david_b said...: 'Whaaat, even for a former Microsoft Certified Engineer like myself..?'

Thanks so much sir, you're awesome..!!; November 27, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...: 1. Discuss: X-Men vs. Doom Patrol. 2. Parodies and intentionally funny superheroes (Plastic Man, Inferior Five, E-Man, Megaton Man, normalman).; November 27, 2013 at 8:36 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: David, no problem.

By the way, who is that masked suggester of discussion topics?; November 28, 2013 at 4:35 AM
Garett said...: How about some Michael Golden? I just read through Doctor Strange #55, a single issue story with nice art by Golden and Terry Austin, writing by Roger Stern.; November 28, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Anonymous said...: True or False: Doom Patrol and Metamorpho were Marvel characters published by DC, and Captain America and Iron Man were DC characters published by Marvel.; November 28, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Anonymous said...: Discuss: jumping on the bandwagon. That is, comics that try to exploit the latest fad. For example, in the mid-sixties, there were a lot of attempts to emulate James Bond. Nick Fury became an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tower Comics published T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Blackhawk and his team became agents for G.E.O.R.G.E., and even Archie became the Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. Then, in the 1970's, during the martial arts movie fad: Master of Kung Fu, Iron Fist, Richard Dragon Kung Fu Fighter. And wasn't Dazzler a tie-in with the disco fad? And the "relevance" trend circa 1970 influenced Green Arrow, Teen Titans, and even the Metal men.; November 28, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Can either of you possibly name a comic for me from the Bronze Age? I bought it as a teen, at the same time as Monsters Unleashed #10 while on vacation with my parents (so I'm assuming this as yet unnamed comic was from the same time period). I remember one of the stories was about a man who signs a pact with the devil and has to sign this lengthy contract with his own blood. And, naturally, he's tricked by the devil and bleeds to death (there's a line that goes, "it took a long time and lot's of blood.") I've racked my brain for years and have not had any luck finding the issue. EC, Warren, Harris? Any ideas? I remember it was an over-sized edition comic, possibly an annual? Any help would be greatly appreciated.; November 28, 2013 at 8:52 PM
Doug said...: Wow! This thing has blown up in the past couple of days. You all are making our jobs easy!

Hom Per, go to www.comicbookdb.com and look up Monsters Unleashed. When your choices load, click on the appropriate magazine and then click on the 10th issue. When you get in there, you'll find a hyperlink with the month and date of publication. Click on that and you'll be taken to a page with every comic published at that time. If you can't figure out what you're looking for, maybe choose a month earlier or later.

Please let us know if you figure out what book it was!

Doug; November 28, 2013 at 10:43 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Excellent, the masked suggester strikes again! Although we sort of covered those last two suggestions, I think - don't remember exactly when, but I recall a discussion about something like "separated at birth" titles, i.e. DC titles that seemed Marvel and vice versa, and also one about Big 2 characters that would have worked well in the competitor's universe (or maybe that was the same thread? Can't remember exactly).
And as to fads, we did specifically discuss the martial arts fad at least.

And just not to be a buzzkill, here's a suggestion of my own: how about a discussion of "bad" movies or tv shows, or even comics series, that you secretly liked - you know, something that was universally reviled by critics and most of the public, but you still liked for whatever reason.; November 29, 2013 at 11:47 AM
Doug said...: Edo, your memory is better than mine or Karen's (although I will admit that those two suggestions seemed familiar). Sunday will be post #1350 -- seriously, I cannot tell you how often Karen or I get ready to do something, or actually set it to run, and the other says "hey, you might want to check -- we did that already!"

But what I like is that we do have some new folks coming by a little more frequently, so sometimes it's not bad to dredge up an older topic. Shoot, we've gotten mileage out of some of our "BAB Classic"-type posts.

But we do like the suggestions, so feel free! And I liked your TV/movie one today.

Doug; November 29, 2013 at 11:56 AM
david_b said...: Edo, great idea, 'guilty pleasures day'.. I suggested something along those lines on June 15th 2012 (see above) which no one picked up on..:

Mainly the worst episodes of classic shows that you wince when they're shown, but you still cannot help but watch.; November 29, 2013 at 12:08 PM
Doug said...: David, I know you've been frustrated at us not running some of your suggestions in the past -- please know that it's not personal. However, if the suggestion falls when we've already got a few weeks' of posts slotted, we may just forget. It's not that we think it's a bad idea. And to be honest, I hadn't recalled that you'd made a suggestion similar to Edo's until you just now brought it up.

I'll say, too, that sometimes we do get suggestions and aren't quite sure how to run them -- you know how it is when you have an idea but it doesn't always translate well when given to a colleague? There's a little of that here at times.

But in our defense, I will say that there were around 20 opportunities to run such a topic in January 2013 when Karen and I took some time off from original posting. So it's not like some of these ideas that seemingly fell by the wayside could not have been run by our own readers/commenters.

Doug; November 29, 2013 at 12:32 PM
david_b said...: Ohhh, heavens Doug, NOTHING could be farther from the truth, sir.

My main concern is **everyone** having a chance to shine, especially on your 'days off'. I just throw ideas out there in case someone else says, 'Hey, that's a super idea.., go with it.' I just commented because it sounded vaguely familiar.

Never one to hog 'air-time' since most of our regulars have far better ideas than I, I just pitch 'em and if someone else comes up with a similar idea, super. Having said that, I may indeed raise the point that I (or someone else) had a similar unused thought last year or something, no big whoop at all.

I'm never sure just how many of us sportsfans out there read previous comments prior to making suggestions, so I just dropped a comment.

Frustrated..? Oh, never ~ This place is Nirvana thanks to you both and especially all our contributors..; November 29, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: I'm home from work now, and had a little time to do some poking around in the archives; - here's the post I was thinking of (it was from 2011):
Switched at Birth

Otherwise, a sort of similar, more (last summer) topic was about writers who went back and forth from Marvel to DC:
Crossing Over

Anyway, I'm hope I'm not coming across as some kind of pedant, wagging my finger and saying, "can't discuss that again, already did it!" I actually have no problem with revisiting old topics, especially if you guys just repost previous posts, and let us continue the discussion with a fresh perspective.; November 29, 2013 at 2:14 PM
david_b said...: Just droppin' a line. I read ish's 2,3, and 5 thus far of the 1972 5-ish Shanna series, lovin' the Andru/Colletta art immensely. As a kid I didn't care much for Andru when he replaced Romita on ASM, but with Vinnie as inker, Shanna's features come across very nicely, both facial softness with determined eyes, and elegant action sequences.

Regarding the writing, I especially impressed with first Carole Seuling's initial attitude towards the character, painting her as a feminine beauty, yet displaying her advanced education and nice displays of warmth and humor. I enjoyed the delving into environmental issues, woman's lib, poachers, humane treatment of animals, etc.. Definitely covering all the bases back in that day and age. As usual I'm sucked in to the Letters Pages where there were quite a few college types (even doctoral students) commenting on the species of animals portrayed in Africa, once again keeping the New York-based Bullpen on their toes, I love it.

Highly recommend.; December 14, 2013 at 2:52 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: David, your comment again makes me wish Marvel would at least publish an Essentials book that collects some of the short-lived series from the 1970s. My ideal line-up for a first volume: Red Wolf (1 issues of Marvel Spotlight + 9 issues of his own series), Shanna (5 issues), the Cat (4 issues) and Black Goliath (5 issues of his own series, plus appearances in Luke Cage and Marvel 2-in-1).; December 15, 2013 at 4:06 PM
david_b said...: Just a comment after watching the celebrated 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer' yuletide favorite last night.

All, if you REALLY want an interesting behind-scenes story to look up, look up the wiki entry on this 1964 special..:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer_(TV_special)

The story has actually changed a few times since originally broadcasted. Scenes were added/removed to cater to viewers complaining about the misfit toys subplot, etc.

Pretty interesting. As one of the four specials that have been airing for the last nearly 50yrs, this one by far has had the most changes.; December 18, 2013 at 7:09 AM
david_b said...: Hmmm, confirms on casting for new Antman film...:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2526284/Marvel-confirm-Paul-Rudd-play-superhero-Ant-Man.html

Apparently Scott Lang will have a role as well as Janet Pym (no secret there..).; December 20, 2013 at 1:41 PM
david_b said...: Good Morning, Doug. Just noticed this article and was curious of your reaction.

Hitchcock's Holocaust Film; January 8, 2014 at 8:11 AM
Doug said...: Thanks for the article, David. I've heard of this film, and I'm pretty sure I've seen parts of the Memory of the Camps version. The footage from the days after the liberation of Bergen-Belsen is jarring, as the article states.

Doug; January 8, 2014 at 10:47 AM
david_b said...: Odd, the link no longer works.. For anyone else curious, here's another link..:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/01/07/alfred-hitchcock-holocaust-documentary/4366877/; January 8, 2014 at 11:47 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: David, here's a
link to that Independent article that should work.
Otherwise, thanks for the tip. I never knew that about Hitchcock (the fact that he filmed that documentary, and that the experience shook him up so much).; January 8, 2014 at 12:26 PM
Edo Bosnar said...: Not sure where else to post this, but you need to update your "Bloggers of a Similar Brain" roll, since our friend Joe Bloke closed down Grantbridge Street. His new blog is called BIFF!; February 16, 2014 at 2:29 AM
Doug said...: Thank you, Edo! I'd noticed that Joe's Grantbridge Street had reverted to some post from about a year ago, but hadn't clicked on it to see what the deal was.

Grantbridge Street has been deleted from our sidebar, and BIFF! has been added.

Doug; February 16, 2014 at 1:36 PM
ImOmacYoureOmac said...: In the recent Vision/Human Torch post, Paul commented, "It seems that the notion that kids cannot identify with married characters strikes me as short-sighted and lazy. I can only think of one marriage in superhero comics that has endured, and that's Reed and Sue Richards." Interesting point!

Is Crystal still married to Quicksilver? Is Medusa still married to Black Bolt? Is Betty Ross still married to Hulk? Is Ka-Zar still married to Shanna the She-Devil? For that matter, is even Reed still married to Sue? And why is it so tempting for comic writers to break up superhero marriages?

Also, at least during the Silver and Bronze ages, we didn't often see these couples have any children, other than Sue and Reed. It also seems Sue and Reed are the exception. Why is that?

So, suggestion for a post: "Discuss: superhero couples and families."; March 2, 2014 at 2:40 AM
ImOmacYoureOmac said...: Speaking of children, whatever happened to the Mantis/cotati relationship? Given the whole madonna/messiah build-up, the child should have become a character as powerful and important as the Silver Surfer, but instead the storyline died for the rest of the Bronze Age at least. Another example of the downplaying of families and children?; March 2, 2014 at 3:01 AM
Anonymous said...: Love this site. I am wondering if it would be possible for you to post a larger scan of a single random frame from a 70's comic (or earlier), so that we can see what the dot pattern looks like up close. I can almost make out the dot pattern on some of the pages up now, which is pretty cool.

Thanks,
Steve S.; March 7, 2014 at 4:25 PM
david_b said...: Not sure this merits any accolades in light of our recent doctoral awarding to Dr. Oyola, but I just came out on the 2014 DOD promotion list as making 'full-bird' Colonel.

I guess the Army's gotta be scraping the bottom of the barrel to promote folks by this juncture.

Feels kinda cool after 27yrs of proud service.

I know, 'back to work'...; April 15, 2014 at 11:30 AM
Doug said...: Col. David --

That is awesome! Many congratulations to you! We have quite a well-decorated community here at the BAB!

All the best to you -- bask in your own glory, sir!!

Doug; April 15, 2014 at 11:33 AM
david_b said...: http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2014/04/monkeys-can-do-math?rss=1

Does Dr Zaius ring a bell for anyone..….? This WILL NOT END WELL.

I suppose if they figure out how much I should tip in a restaurant, it might have its uses..; April 22, 2014 at 7:32 AM
Anonymous said...: I really enjoy the BAB's takes on that era's Marvel Comics. Do you consider Alan Moore's hilarious and entertaining six-issue epic "1963" to be out of bounds for your reviews? I know 1963 itself was still Silver Age but many of the jokes Moore made about Marvel characters and about Stan the Man himself applied to the Bronze Age just a much as the Silver Age.

Plus the "1963" series came out in 1993. I'm not sure if that still counts as Bronze Age or not.

P.S. If you're not familiar with "1963" Moore and the artists did a great sendup of Marvel Comics tropes by way of pastiches of their biggest characters - Miracles, Inc were like the Fantastic Four, USA (Ultimate Secret Agent) was like Captain America, Fury was like Spider-Man, Horus was like Thor, Hyper-Naut was Iron Man, Infra-Man and Infra-Girl were like Ant-Man and the Wasp. There were even pastiches of Dr Strange and the Hulk plus a female equivalent of Nicky Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.; May 11, 2014 at 2:49 PM
Doug said...: balladeer --

I believe I had one issue of the 1963 series long ago, but never read it. I don't generally appreciate parodies, so perhaps didn't give this a chance. I don't have any of this material, so unless my partner does, there won't be any reviewing from me.

However, maybe some of our other readers who also blog (there are several) may see this and pick up on your request. Hoping so!

Doug; May 11, 2014 at 3:57 PM
ImOmacYoureOmac said...: You may be posting too frequently. I don't necessarily have time to read this blog every single day. By the time I'm ready to post my comment on some topic, half a dozen new posts may have gone by and the discussion has died.

Certainly if you feel the need to do a lot of "readers do-it-themselves" posts or rerun posts, you could just take the day off instead. Or does having a new post every day bring you some economic benefit like more traffic on the site?; May 17, 2014 at 11:26 PM
Doug said...: Hey, OMAC --

Unfortunately, we get no economic reward for writing this blog. But don't think we haven't wished we did! This would be a nice full-time job -- how about that? Reviewing comics for a living...

Anyway, I'll take your suggestion as a back-handed compliment to our blog's content, rather than as a complaint. My assumption is that you generally enjoy what you see here, but can't squeeze it in to your daily schedule. I have that problem with Back Issue! magazine. I love to read that cover-to-cover, but may not get to any articles at all for weeks at a time.

Recently Karen and I have talked about schedules, both personal and on the blog. Above I mentioned doing this as a full-time job; as is, it is certainly a part-time job and at times wears on us. But we feel a responsibility to our readers who do make this a daily stop. So even if we do decide to scale it back a bit (our 5-year anniversary is just weeks away -- long time doing this!), we would be up front with our readers about our plans.

Thanks for the comment!

Doug; May 18, 2014 at 4:51 PM
ImOmacYoureOmac said...: Doug,

"we get no economic reward" I do see one link to an ad for Bluehost, but I'll take your word that it has a non-economic motivation. Some people do put ads on their blogs, and traffic on your site is indeed an asset that is worth money.

"My assumption is... you can't squeeze it in" The problem is that I can't participate in many discussions, because each discussion is usually long over by the time I manage to get round to it.

As for your explanation, do you think your readers really need a new discussion topic every single day? So much so that even a re-run post adds value for them? Personally, I think there is room for doubt.

But if it is true, you should also know that you are probably losing some participation, from people like me who sometimes need a few days before they are able to post a comment on a topic.; May 19, 2014 at 12:14 AM
Doug said...: OMAC --

Well, now I think we're in an argument.

I'm not certain why you're coming at me (us) about our blog. It's a form of personal recreation for Karen and I that has served to create a community of conversation. That was the original intent of the blog when it was set up back in June 2009, and given the life of this thing I'd say it's been successful.

So it sounds like you'd rather us not publish? I'm uncertain as to how that makes sense. You're stopping by, so I have to assume you like what you see, but then I am getting a strong impression that you'd like us to not do what you apparently like. On that point, I don't get it.

Over the weekend we received comments on several posts that had run during the previous several days. Why can't that happen for you? One of our regular commenters dropped us two lines this morning. It can be done, and with the "Recent Comments" function on the sidebar, folks can always view a snippet of the last 10 comments on the blog.

Along the lines of your argument, I have never criticized a grocery store because I couldn't consume all of the stock under their roof. Instead, I take what I need or like and go home to enjoy it. Simple as that.

Lastly, and I hope it is lastly, I do not at all appreciate the insinuation that I lied to you about getting some sort of financial reward from traffic on our blog. I don't even know what "Bluehost" is. I do, however, recall seeing some sort of ad linked at the bottom of one of our posts, where we have five related topics that readers may find interesting. I didn't put that there, and have only to assume that it's some sort of adware or malware that attached itself to Blogger. Let me reiterate -- we are not paid for doing this. And why I feel the need to justify that to anyone...

Have a pleasant day.

Doug; May 19, 2014 at 7:34 AM
david_b said...: Everyone see the pre-order announcement for Batman '66..?

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Batman-The-Complete-TV-Series/20070

Hard to say whether I'd go Blu-Ray or standard DVD, leaning towards the latter so I can take a disk or two traveling.

From liquidating some credit card points, I've racked up $160 of Amazon credit. So I'll either pre-order next week or wait another year after it's released for prices to meander down. I've still got my 6 disks of TVLand episodes to bide my time with.

Doug sir, you pluckin' down cash for the pre-order..?; July 18, 2014 at 11:17 AM
Martinex1 said...: Karen and Doug,

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. I am newer to it - but find it very entertaining and very much in the wheelhouse of my interests. As I work through the older blogs, I was wondering if different styles of mastheads, logos, and corner boxes were ever discussed. I was surprised recently when a friend of mine indicated that he disliked Marvel's corner boxes whereas I feel very differently and like various types - particularly the Vision phasing through the A in Avengers. Just curious what others thought. But again - your work is much appreciated - my favorite site right now.; August 29, 2014 at 5:30 PM
Martinex1 said...: Edo -
Thank you very much for the links. Just what I was looking for. I always liked the Marvel Comics Group banner across the top of their books - as I started collecting in that era. I also liked the changing heads in the corner box when teams rotated - like the Avengers circa 185 -200. Enjoy.

M; August 31, 2014 at 8:35 PM
Karen said...: Doug and I want to thank Edo for stepping up and providing Martinex1 with all that info on the past posts on corner boxes and logos. He sure as heck did a better job than either of us probably could have! Thanks buddy!

And Martinex1 -welcome aboard! We hope you have fun perusing these older posts, and please don't be a stranger -we'd like to hear from you.; September 1, 2014 at 2:11 AM
Anonymous said...: Karen&Doug/Doug&Karen,

I have a few topic suggestions:

1) Best.Sax.EVER. My three nominees: Baker Street, Urgent and Who Can It Be Now.

B) Movies that just don't stand the test of time. I recently caught Streets Of Fire during a free preview weekend and it just was not the experience I remember. Diane Lane was, to put it mildly, horrible during the lip syncing portions at the end. There were a few portions where it looked like they tried improve. (Quick aside, Swamp Thing was on IFC last month, the head of security rips off his rubber mask to reveal HE'S REALLY THE BAD GUY IN DISGUISE!!!!)

Thirdly, I've been reading my Ghost issues lately. I've found I can read about 5 an hour. FIVE COMICS IN ONE HOUR. There's just not a lot of story there. For the guys who are reading modern comics, what do you do with all that extra time freed up?

The Prowler (I know, is there no place this guy won't go?????); October 14, 2014 at 5:04 PM
david_b said...: Tribute to Mr. Glen Larson anyone..

Starting with 'Alias Smith and Jones'.., he was an industry juggernaut with all his shows..., too numerous to mention.

I did a memorial on my Facebook page (David Bolter).

I trust most will remember him, like Irwin Allen and Gene Rodenberry before him, as a 'master storyteller'...; November 16, 2014 at 1:00 PM
Karen said...: Larson was certainly prolific. When I heard of his passing, the first show I thought of was Battlestar Galactica, but he also created Knight Rider, Magnum PI, the Fall Guy, and of course, the Six Million Dollar Man. What an amazing creative individual.; November 16, 2014 at 10:29 PM