The world is a place fraught with danger, full of tribulations and travails, but there are still some good things in it, as evidenced by this NEW THING BUST BY JON HARTMAN!
Is it my birthday? Yes, it is, but the reason I got this new addition to the Thing club is instead because...I wanted it a lot, and it's tough to say no to the Thing.
What you see here is a custom order from Pittsburgh's own Jon Hartman, who created this model of Ben Grimm, perhaps staring out into the Negative Zone as the hordes of Annihilus come barreling in toward the Baxter Building. I saw some of Jon's work on other models and knew that I had to get one for myself.
Jon used Sculpey Premo to create this work, a modeling clay that is shaped and then baked to maintain its form. It's attached to the wooden base, where it will sit for generations to observe, probably in a museum or something after I kick it. The model sits just about four inches high on top of the base. The shade of orange is just right and the individual rocks are smooshed just right into place. (That is a technical term.)
I debated asking for the mutated, "pineapple" version of the Thing when ordering this. I couldn't stray from the classic Thing, though. After getting this in the mail, I think I made the right choice, and I think that I will also eventually purchase another of Pineapple Thing. These are important decisions.
The Kickstarter for Scott Morse's This Ink Runs Cold graphic novel is now live! I've talked about this book a few times, and it's now off to the printer, with 89 different one-page stories, including one written my me!
What must it be like to run a campaign that's immediately successful? Is it stress-free? Do you pay even more attention to it? I may never personally know, but this one reached its funding goal in just about two days, which is really impressive!
Scott created some graphics for the campaign, one of which lists all of the creators who worked on the book. How did I get on the first line? Bribery? No, never. But if you take a look at the list, you can see some really talented industry professionals like Stan Sakai, Brian Michael Bendis, Fabio Moon, Jim Mafood, Phil Hester and a bunch of other folks.
After last year's Comic-Con in San Diego, I posted a video that I made with Scott, talking about the book and what we might expect. The finished book should be ready by this year's convention, which is a quick turnaround and really exciting.
Scott is printing a regular version of the book, and a black and white "noir" version that'll be pretty limited. There's original art tiers, bookplates, and other physical rewards to get. I'm hoping that there'll be a group signing at Comic-Con during the summer, where I will definitely try to get a second volume going via the bully pulpit, if necessary. I'm really looking forward to this book. Check it out here, if you'd like: http://kck.st/3DvoBcS
I'm always on the lookout for original comic art. With comic books, I'm mostly interested in grabbing Fantastic Four-related pages, but in recent years, I've grabbed a number of comic strip art pages with one overlying criterion: does it look good? (Affordability is also something that sets a lot of comic strip art apart from many comic book pages.)
And thus we come across this very obscure 1950s baseball-adventure comic strip, Hook Slider. Beyond some very basic details about its theme, I can find next to nothing about this apparently short-lived strip, and so I'm here, late at night on the internet, to show off this new art purchase but to also see if anyone has more information about it.
The strip follows ballplayer Hook Slider, which is just about the best name for a baseball protagonist that I can think of, and one of the reasons I'm so interested in learning more.
You'll notice that "WEDN." is written in the top corner of the strip. A different panel tells me that this was published on January 26th, but it doesn't give me a year. If this was indeed a comic strip from the 1950s, then this particular strip was from 1955, the only year in the decade where the 26th falls on a Wednesday.
Our coach in the second panel is named "Mr. Dryver", another rock-solid baseball name, to go along with his rock-solid neck and haircut. If this isn't the epitome of a 1950s Danny Murtaugh-like head coach, I don't know what is.
Also, I wonder if Major League pitchers are still forbidden from bowling.
The reference to the Braves and Coach Dryver's Boston shirt makes me wonder if this strip used the names of actual Major League franchises. The Boston Braves had moved to Milwaukee by '55, is that is when this was published, so that might be why our coach is telling Slider that he was sent to Boston from the Braves. Of course, this might all be a coincidence.
Bob Sherry is the artist credited on this strip, and I'm having a similarly difficult time learning more about Sherry and his work. It seems he was a World War II pilot who worked for King Features for years, ghosting on strips like Red Ryder. This strip was published, as you can see in the second panel, by McNaught, a newspaper syndicate that operated from the 1920s until the '80s.
This is one of those strips that might be lost to time. There are a few strips available to purchase on eBay and the like, but none of the listings provide much more backstory. In some comic utopia, there'd be a collection of this series out there, but here and now, I'd settle for a little more info.
You know I'm talking about that newly-released Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer! AND NOW I MUST DISCUSS IT!
Years ago, Marvel surreptitiously de-emphasized their Fantastic Four and X-Men lines in a roundabout attempt to regain the film rights to their wayward franchises. They stopped publishing Fantastic Four altogether for years, even though the Thing, the Human Torch and Dr. Doom showed up in titles like Uncanny Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel 2-in-1 and Infamous Iron Man. I knew the point of this embargo, but I still thought at the time that no single movie would be worth doing without the comics for so long. So, after seeing Marvel and Disney's new teaser trailer for this July's Fantastic Four movie, have I changed my mind?
NO! NEVER!
I'll never forgive them for it. That being said...boy, am I excited for this movie. I loved the trailer and I can't wait to see the whole thing later this year. It seems that the folks behind this movie finally learned the lessons about what didn't work with each of the previous versions.
There were a few things that stood out to me, and hey, this is my blog, so let's talk about them here.
I'm starting off with the Thing. You all knew this! Let's start by saying that I like it. It's a comic-accurate Thing with a thick brow and I can't wait to see him run through a wall. I know that sometimes studios will release a trailer before the visual effects are completely finished, so I wonder if this is the absolute final version of Ben Grimm for this film. If it is, it's pretty good, even if it's slightly more cartoony than I had expected.
I want to see this guy in blue trunks. I like the uniforms and I understand that the consistency among the four main characters is visually important. But give me this guy in the trunks. At some point. Do it.
I did think that the Thing's voice would be lowered a bit, but maybe Marvel wanted to do something more to distinguish this Ebon Moss-Bachrach version from the Michael Chiklis version.
H.E.R.B.I.E. looks...good? I don't know that they had to R2D2 the little guy's voice, and it's one of those tropes where people in the film can understand what he's saying while the audience doesn't. But we all know that the FF has translators sewn into their suits, so there's an in-universe explanation for it! Please send me my No-Prize.
Did they finally get the visual for Sue's powers right? You bet your buns they did. So glad to see (or not see) it!
TRENCHCOAT THING. Trenchcoat Thing!! This is a requirement for the movie to be good. I'm glad to see that they got my letters.
How much of an effect did Alex Ross's work, and the Marvels series in general, have on the look of the movie, including Johnny's powered-up form? Ross paints in that photo-realistic style, so maybe it's a coincidence. But the Torch here made me think of Ross's art more than anything else in the trailer.
There were several things in this trailer that made my heart beat faster, and this is one of them. These are versions of the Ben Cooper Thing Halloween costume. They're pretty much exact copies. I absolutely love this, and I really, really hope that some company makes and sells new versions of these again this year. Also make them in adult sizes and I will wear one. If they make them before July 25th, I'll buy one and wear it on opening night.
The Fantasticar should be a flying bathtub, but I will also accept this four-wheeled version. Maybe it flies? Splits up into four individual components? I'm excited to see it in action.
John Malcovich's appearance was the most out-of-place part of the trailer, but I guess if John Malcovich is in your movie, you should put him in the trailer. Maybe he'll be the Mole Man, hiding away on Monster Island? He kind of looks like one of the Council of Reeds here. I know that parts of the Hickman/Eaglesham "Solve Everything" storyline were adapted in the film. Who can say?
Others have said it, but it bears repeating: I'm glad they decided to use an apparently comic-accurate Galactus in this movie.
I'm buying the soundtrack the day it comes out. I assume you all figured as much. I was very happy when the choir's "Fantastic Four!" line was part of the theme music that played in the background. Thank goodness that the powers that be decided that it was time to lean into what makes the comic and the concept so wonderful. So Galactus looks like he has a bucket on his head. Who cares? So the team wears matching blue jumpsuits. Perfect! So the Thing and H.E.R.B.I.E. make dinner. Give me more of this!
It looks like they're going to make it fun, bright, and optimistic. Sign me up.
I'm hoping that there'll be a Super Bowl commercial for the movie - maybe even something different from this teaser. I'm also hoping to start seeing toys in stores before too long. Let's get some new Thing fists! It's been a long, long time coming for this movie. I'm going to enjoy it.
As you might expect, I keep an eye out for weird promotional stuff when I visit the comic shop. A few years back, Marvel gave out handfuls of glowing, bouncing eyeballs as a promotion for their Original Sin series, and they gave out vampire teeth for the recent Blood Hunt event. Maybe one day, we'll be able to make an entire Marvel face? Anyway, I don't know how I missed Marvel's promotional punch-out cards from way back in 2002, but luckily, eBay came to the rescue, as it often does, and I was able to grab a stack that included the Thing.
The set came unpunched and in the size of credit cards. Perhaps I'll keep one in my wallet and try to pay with it, and if anyone balks at the idea, well, I can always clobber them, and then blame the Thing for the litigious results.
The set I picked up came with Dr. Doom and the Fantastic Four, minus the Human Torch. Sorry, Johnny. The cards have a color bleed that makes Sue's face look very weird, but I get it. Thankfully, the set had more than one Thing, so I didn't have to stay up at night and fret over whether I would actually build the model or not.
It also came with a number of other popular Marvel characters. A lot of the Spider-Man and X-Men character art, since this was 2002, used images of the characters' Ultimate counterparts instead of the regular folks.
To build the tiny figures, you match up the (extraordinarily tiny) numbers on the cards and insert the pieces into their corresponding notches. There are front and back illustrations, so you get the whole 3D experience with these.
These were weird promos that I missed the first time around, but they're pretty fun and the Thing stands up pretty well on his own. Now I have like four doubles of the Hulk card. Who wants 'em?
Merry Thingmas, everyone! Here to Thing in the holidays is none other than Ben Grimm, with five more lovely sketches from the Thing sketchbook. Let's take a look! Thing!
Luis Perez Banus - Rhode Island Comic Con 2021
It's fun to grab sketches from artists I know or those who've drawn the Thing in an official capacity. It can be unpredictably exciting, though, to take a chance with someone you've never heard of, because you don't know what you're going to get. Take this zombie-esque Thing from Luis Perez Banus, who I saw at the tail end of 2021's Rhode Island Comic Con. Someone tabling at the show cut out after Saturday, so Luis commandeered the spot and was selling drawings, guerrilla-style, during those last, fleeting convention hours. I thought his style was interesting enough to take a shot at a Thing commission, and Luis delivered with one of the more unique entries into the book.
Lin Guo - Comic-Con Special Edition 2021
2021 saw San Diego's Comic-Con return following the cancellation of the previous year's show, and I was so excited to have it come back that I didn't mind that it was held on Thanksgiving weekend. The show was lighter and more subdued than the years immediately prior, but it also focused a lot more on art and comics than the show sometimes does now. I only got one Thing sketch at this show, from Lin Guo, but it's great one, a real slice-of-life drawing of Ben Grimm's morning routine. Lin drew a pinup of the Bulwark for Planet Comics soon after!
Jeff McComsey - 2022
Jeff's no stranger to the Thing sketchbook in general, but this is his first entry in my second book. Not only did he draw a human Ben Grimm, but this entry is also a period piece. Jeff drew Captain Grimm in 1951 as a pilot during the Korean War. He also drew it as if it were a photograph, with the caption written underneath. The drawing is secured to the sketchbook with adhesive photo corners, making this entry extra special.
Duane Redhead (2022) and Ian Nichols (Contropolis 2023)
It's a two-page spread! By two artists! At two different times! Oh wow.
For a brief time during Marvel's Fear Itself event series, the Thing was transformed into Angrir, Breaker of Souls after picking up a hammer, similar to Thor. He had these weird squid-like creatures around his neck and his rocks looked a bit volcanic. He also beat up the Red Hulk during this period, before returning to his much more lovable Thing state at the end of the series.
Anyway, it's always fun to get different versions of the Thing in the book, and this one's about as different as they come. Our pal Duane Redhead was visiting from the UK when I so rudely handed him the sketchbook, but he came prepared and knocked out this very intense left side of the page. Fellow Tick artist Ian Nichols finished off the right side the next year at a small comic show in Philadelphia named Contropolis. Ian added the Thing/Angrir's partially gloved fist and tried to match Duane's detailed style. This one definitely stands out in the book.
Kelly Phillips - Small Press Expo 2022
I know Kelly through our mutual love for "Weird Al" Yankovic - not only are we both fans, but we've both contributed to the Illustrated Al anthology. Kelly definitely one ups me in the Weird Al comic department with her beautiful Weird Me collection, though, hey, it's not a competition (is what I keep telling myself). Kelly also contributed to the first issue of Planet Comics, and I met her for the first time outside of a Weird Al concert at 2022's SPX show in Bethesda, Maryland. I really enjoyed the show, and I got quite a few Thing sketches when I was there, starting with this sultry pinup drawing of Ma Grimm's baby boy. Flaunt it if you got it, I guess.
That's it for another Thing-tastic sketchbook session. Plenty more to come. Happy clobberin', everyone.
The last post I wrote was about me purchasing a domain name, which led me to consider, "am I writing this just for me, or will anyone else ever actually read this?" Well, I should learn to never (never) doubt myself, because
PEOPLE OR OTHER SEMI-SENTIENT OBJECTS HAVE FOR SOME REASON VIEWED THIS BLOG OVER ONE MILLION TIMES
It's been a while since I posted anything about, like, the stats on this blog. I used to do it every once in a while a number of years ago, but I haven't posted with the same kind of frequency recently, and I guess I save all of my posts for, like, pictures of the Thing or whatever. But Blogger, which still somehow exists, does give me an overview of views and comments and things whenever I log in, so I knew that I was closing in on a million views for a little while. According to the above graph, I guess a big day at the end of January this year really pushed things forward? For some reason?
Anyway, my all time stats have just jumped into nine figures. Is this because of Google Image searches? Is AI using my blog posts to churn out lifeless flash fiction? Where are these views coming from? Should I thank people for reading what I write at two in the morning?
My most popular posts have remained steady for quite a while. On top of the charts is Aunt May's classic wheat cakes recipe! My joke about Batman wearing a robe to fight Bane! Superman's obsession with boeuf bourguignon! These are truly the greatest hits. I've reached the top of the mountain. A new golden era is upon us.
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