DC Comics at Walmart

After years of reading and re-reading a stack of my dad's old comics, I started reading DC and Marvel titles in earnest in 1992, when I was 10 and 11 years old. One of the first new books I picked up was Spider-Man #26 (with a sweet 30th anniversary hologram cover), and the "Death of Superman" story a few months later got me hooked, apparently for good. I'm pretty sure that my mom bought me that Spider-Man issue, but regardless of how it came home with me, I know that I got it off of a spinner rack at a grocery store, where the comics were located right by the entrance and were the first things I saw walking into the store.

It wasn't until I was about 16 when I actually stepped foot into a comic book specialty store with any regularity, and I was in college the first time I signed up for a pull list. In the years since, comics have mostly disappeared from grocery stores and similar businesses, and while online sales certainly are to blame for some of that, I'd say that the industry as a whole has suffered from this lack of an initial exposure point, primarily when it comes to kids. Comic shops are great, and I'm thankful that I don't have to run out to Foodland every week in hopes that they'll have the new Fantastic Four issue in stock, but they don't always attract a lot of first-time customers. You go to a comic shop if you like comics, not if you feel ambivalent or don't really know about them.

In general, this is why I was excited when DC announced that they would begin selling four new books exclusively at Walmart. It allows potential readers - kids, specifically - an opportunity to see the books in a place they might already be. There are more Walmart stores across North America than there are comic shops, so I guess Walmart has just become the biggest comic shop chain in the world? Maybe that's a stretch, but I think it could be the biggest step forward for visibility since, well, the slew of comic book-based movies over the last 20 years.

Even better, these four comics, Superman Giant, Batman Giant, Justice League of America Giant and Teen Titans Giant, are each 100 pages long and cost $4.99. That's a much better value than the usual 20-page story for only a dollar less.

From a collectors' standpoint, just like anything new and unusual, this new program has sent a number of established fans on scavenger hunts to Walmarts across the country in search of these books. So Walmart is getting customers from both sides - comic fans will stop in to grab the new issues (and maybe buy some toilet paper while they're there), and new readers might pick up a book for the first time (while they're already there, buying toilet paper).

I generally try to avoid shopping at Walmart for a number of reasons (all of which are probably too boring for me to write about here). But when the books were released on July 1st, I made the journey to the store and tried to find them, and without too much hassle, I managed to track them down.

The books were located near the self checkout aisles, next to trading cards and other cheaper collectibles. I've love to see these placed with the other magazines by all of the lanes, but I guess this is an okay start. The books are housed in the above display, which I really like and want to own. Do you think that Walmart has, like, five of these in the back? Should I ask them to give me, a grown man in his 30s, one of their comic book displays?

The display isn't very big, and probably holds two dozen of these 100-page Giants at most. I found all four titles, though I grabbed the very last Teen Titans issue. There were more Batman issues remaining than any of the other three titles, which leads me to believe that they had more Batman issues in stock to begin with. It's probably the most popular title, right?

The image underneath the two front spaces is, I think, from Alan Moore and Curt Swan's "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" story. The whole thing is designed very well. I believe that, starting in August, new issues will be released during the first and third weeks of every month.

At this particular store, there were also a few collected three-packs of comics in the stands, which featured the characters from the Giant titles. This is another great offering, as it gives people a smattering of other stories with the characters from the titles they might have just read and enjoyed. And these aren't just comprised of old stock - the title dress is slightly different from the titles that were released a few years prior.

Here's the back of the three-pack bundle. It's basically just...an ad for the comics inside.

Speaking of ads, at least two of the titles have the comic shop locator service listed inside. This should easily be all four, as all of the ads in these titles are in-house and for other collections, and it should be plastered on the inside front cover, but I guess this is a start for now.

Oh, and it just so happened that Planters Cheez Balls just came back to stores on the same day. So this was a heck of a trip to Walmart! Can you believe it? Cheez Balls are back, and comic books are in general stores! Things are looking up. I hope both of these are remarkably successful.

Q&A with MDMacro

If you read a lot of comics - and I read more than I'm sometimes comfortable admitting - then in any given month you might see the same advertisement a few dozen times over.  Most of these ads are pretty standard: they're pitching a video game, a toy line, other comics, a movie, et cetera.  Some, though, stand out because they don't fit into the prescribed model, and this was certainly the case in November of 2009 (cover date January 2012) when all DC Comics prominently featured the above ad, reading "Beats for Reading Comic Books To" and featuring a link to a website for someone called "MDMacro".

At first, the ad was a curiosity to me and not much else.  But like I said, when you read a lot of comics, you tend to see the same ads over and over again.  After seeing it often enough, I started to think about the content and the ambiguous nature of the ad, which featured a faceless person is a Yankees hat and a number of seemingly important aspects blurred out.

A few months later, I wrote a post on this blog about the advertisement, one which enjoyed a few hits and then sunk into the archives.  A little while ago, though, I noticed that the post was seeing more visitors, and many of them were directed right from MDMacro's own website.  Doing about 30 seconds of research led me to discover that the MDMacro website had a link to that original post.

This was, of course, a bit surprising.  I found MD's e-mail address and sent him a message, and in the few times we've spoken since then, I managed to convince him to consent to an interview, one in which we cover the topics of not just the advertisement, but his music and comic books in general.

I've posted a few Q&A sessions before, and when I do I often break them up into more than one post.  I do this for length, but also because I shamelessly want people who find this site by doing a Google search for, say, Tim Seeley, to come back more than once.  This time, though, I thought that it would be best if I kept everything contained to one post.  So if you're going to take the Internet challenge and read through all of this at once, perhaps you should get a snack or go to the bathroom first.  It's a long one (hell, my introduction is already unforgivably long), but I think that it comes across well.  So now, without too much more frivolous delay, let's start my interview with MDMacro.  As always, my questions are in bold text.

JM: First of all, tell me about your music, specifically your Beats for Reading Comic Books to album.  What are you trying to accomplish?  Who are you trying to reach?  What's your overall goal?

MD: I dropped my first album, Beats by the Ear, in 2008.  The title essentially sums up my process for beatmaking - at the time and for the most part now too.  I basically just capture what sounds nice to my ear.  Beats for Reading Comic Books to was the followup to that album, but this time I wanted to have more of a theme and kind of tailor the music toward something specific.  I got back into reading comics - this was around Jason Todd's return and Infinite Crisis - so that became the theme.  So as far as what I was trying to accomplish, Beats for Reading Comic Books to was sort of a challenge to myserlf ot create a thematically unified album.  Once I had the concept, the marketing pretty much just fell into place - if I'm trying to reach comic book readers, not much better place than an issue of Batman, right?

JM: Explain, if you can, the process that goes into putting a song together.  It seems that you're using a synthesizer for the majority of your sounds, but I do hear vocals every once in a while.

MD: I make Hip-Hop music, and to me, Hip-Hop is sample-based.  So every sound you hear existed as something else before I used it for my own purposes.  Because of that, it's kind of hard to describe a process - it's a lot of trial and error, hear was works kind of thing.  By the ear.  I listen to a lot of music - not to find samples, but for the experience of hearing music.  Eventually, it gets to a point where I'm like, "how would this sound over this or with this?"  I'm pretty much just experimenting until I have something to build a song around.

JM: My favorite track on the album is probably #7, "Passed Tense".  It seems pretty upbeat and maybe a little more fast paced than the other tracks.  Was there any particular inspiration for this track?

MD: There's definitely an inspiration for "Passed Tense" and you're on the right track to figuring out what it is from the things you've identified about it.

JM: What kind of comics to you follow?  In the stack of graphic novels/trades pictured on the interior of your album, I see lots of X-Men and Batman, but there are also some more indy titles like Elk's Run and Action Philosophers.  Are you a fan of a particular character, creator or book?  Have your tastes changed in the three years since Beats came out?

MD: I'm a DC fan from childhood, mainly from Super Friends and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, so I like to stay up on what's happening in the DCU.  That said, I dropped off around 52 - I have no idea what's been happening since then.  Batman's my all-time favorite character, but I've still got a lot of catching up there, too...the last thing I read was Ra's al Ghul getting institutionalized and the beginning of Grant Morrison's run.  I never really got into marvel beyond X-Men, but I checked out Civil War.  With DC and Marvel, it's hard to keep up.  It's not like when books were a buck and maybe you had a crossover or two per month...it seems like something's happening every week now and across every title.  It gets overwhelming.  So like everyone else, I'll wait for the trades to make it easier.

But yeah, as I've kind of lost track of the mainstream storylines, I've moved over to checking for more indy or non-"universe" related material.  Stuff with an ending.  I'm a big fan of Alan Moore's work...Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Promethea...that's standard reading.  I really like the Adrian Tomine stuff I've read.  The Action Philosophers series was hilarious.  My library stocks a lot of great books, so in the last few years I've got to read some different things like One Bad Rat, Paul Moves Out...I'll give anything from Drawn and Quarterly a try.  I go to shows when I can and try to pick up something with I do - grabbed Elk's Run after meeting Noel Tuazon and Sexy Chix after hearing Diana Schutz speak.  No regrets on either.  I'm like Frank Costanza...I like to go in fresh, whether it's comics, music, whatever.  With indy stuff, you're pretty much going in fresh every time.

Couple more favorites I want to mention: Berke Breathed and Jim Aparo.  I really could go on for days on this stuff and I'm not even that huge of a comic head.

JM: Tell me about the album cover for Beats for Reading Comic Books to.  Beats by the Ear (a vegetable pun!) has a photo cover, but your more recent album has an illustrated cover.  What were you hoping to evoke with the image you chose?

MD: It's my tribute to Gary Larson.

JM: One thing that perplexed me about Beats for Reading Comic Books to is the track list - specifically, the titles of the songs.  I was expecting "Ode to Reed Richards" or "Kryptonie Kastle" or something that invoked particular comic book themes.  Is there a reason you stayed away from those types of titles for this album?  Too obvious, maybe?

MD: The titles are definitely vital to understanding the album.  Without giving away exactly what I mean, I guess I would say, listen to the album as if you were reading a comic book.  Hopefully that makes sense.

That's an interesting idea, though - maybe I'll use that concept for a sequel.  What does the Fortress of Solitude sound like?  Probably pretty quiet.  Then again, which Fortress?  That one in Peru was probably pretty wild.

JM: Earlier this month, you released the album Beats for Posse Cuts.  What kind of connection do you want to create between this new album and the previous two?

MD: There isn't any explicit connection between the albums...although I would say that the sound of Beats for Posse Cuts is going to be more in line with Beats by the Ear than Beats for Reading Comic Books to.  I'd say the main connection between the albums would be the progression of my beatmaking techniques.

JM: Let's talk about the comic book advertisement for a little bit, now.  First off, where/when did this ad run?

MD: It ran in DC Comics issues cover dated January 2010 and in the first issue of WWE Heroes by Titan Publishing.

JM: Did you place the ad in any other print mediums, or did you just stick to comics?

MD: Strictly comics.

JM: What gave you the initiative to go straight for the top in your ad placement?  Did you consider smaller companies, or was it always DC in your mind?  Who did you contact about getting your ad placed?

MD: I looked at Dark Horse and some smaller publishers, but after I thought about it, I figured I might as well just go with DC because they've got such a huge reach - plus I'm a DCU head.  So I contacted DC's advertising department and just took it from there.  I guess I've got this "go big or go home" thing about me going on, too.

JM: To be honest, I was a little big confused when I saw the ad at first, and then as I kept seeing in book after book, that confusion turned to curiosity.  This wasn't the average comic book ad that I was used to seeing.  What were you trying to accomplish with your ad?

MD: It's funny, what you wrote about the ad in January, 2010 is pretty much the reaction I was looking for.  "Confusion to curiosity" is a good way to put it.  I think the vagueness of the ad worked for me as an unknown...if you were interested, you had to put in effort on your site to satisfy that curiosity.  That I could pique interest enough to incite action was really what I was trying to accomplish.

JM: Your ad was censored fairly heavily when it ran - your Yankees hat and the stack of books for your side - even the book you're reading is pixilated (assuming that is you in the picture).  Did you anticipate the level of censorship your ad received, and how did you think it affected others' reactions to it?

MD: The original ad I submitted was rejected due to property rights issues (I'll give you a hint - I might not have had the same issue had I run the ad with Marvel).  This was really close to the deadline date for the ad to be put in to DC, so I had to fully scrap what I had intended to use - there was no fix I could do to make it work.  So then I had to switch gears and come up with something completely different in a very short time frame.  I think I went for a drive and just thought on it, and eventually came up with the ad that ran.  I had already pixelated the logo on my hat, I knew that would be a problem, and then DC requested I block out some more logos...we went back and forth a few times with other changes they wanted me to make.  There's one change that had nothing to do with logos that's pretty major, but I doubt anyone would notice it unless you know that comic shop or have the digipack copy of the album.

I didn't really mind the pixelization because it gave me this "no logos in the shot" shot kind of aesthetic that was common in '90s rap videos.  I was already going for that with my cap anyway.  I think as far as reaction, it just added to the vagueness factor...it was another thing separating me from the other ads in the books, which were all expectedly professionally polished.  DC had commissioned an artists to do a comic-style version of the ad, I assume because they were bewildered by the whole thing.  It looked great, but if i had gone with it I think I would have lost that "shock" effect...it would have blended in with the rest of the ads and even the comic itself.

JM: What kind of reaction did you get to the ad, both in terms of feedback and in terms of followthrough?  I rad that your site received over 50,000 visits in the month following the ad's placement - is that true?

MD: Yeah, that's accurate.  There was definitely a lot of interest, a lot of curiosity.  I did no promotion for my first album to having gigabytes of my songs downloaded - for months on new comic day, there would be a spike of hits and downloads.  Feedback-wise, almost everything I got, other than sales, was from people who were doing their own creative thing with comics and wanted permission to use a track for an intro to a podcast of whatever.  So that was encouraging, having avid comic book fans engaging with the ad and then the music.  But yeah, as far as seeing people coming back week after week for new tracks, that was definitely going on.

JM: If this is completely inappropriate, just say so, but can I ask how much you paid for your ad buy?  You don't see individuals buying ad space in Action Comics very often, so it was interesting to see from that perspective.

MD: I don't want to give an exact number, but it definitely wasn't cheap.  It was an investment, though...that explanation usually justifies most expenses.  I hope.

JM: Do you think your ad was successful?  How would you define success in a situation like this one?

MD: I think so.  If yours is the typical reaction, that's great, that's exactly what I wanted.  I've sold physical CDs, which I think it pretty impressive nowadays - people don't buy the music of the people they're fans of, let alone a complete unknown.  I wanted to differentiate myself and I think on that level, it worked, too.  A lot of people probably downloaded one track or two and lost interest or whatever, but for the people who were interested in hearing the album and came back on a weekly basis to check for new tracks...there were 23 tracks on the album, so to hear the whole thing, that's like going on a 23-week journey.  That people would be willing to take that journey is a success to me.

More people will buy the first issue of a comic than the 23rd, that's usually given, but if you have people still coming back at issue #23, you have to figure something clicked with those people.  So on that level of being a complete unknown entity presenting a creation to people and getting response to that creation, I think it was successful.

JM: If a comic fan goes to your site and listens to some of your music, specifically the Beats for Reading Comic Books to album, what do you want them to take away from it?

MD: Hopefully they enjoy the music.  Beyond that, the best you could hope for is that people connect with the thought process behind it, figure out what it is, what I was thinking when I made this song, or album, or whatever.  If you can, then I've communicated my ideas effectively, even though I haven't communicated them explicitly.  In a way, that's what art is.

JM: Any additional comments or things you want to plug?

MD: Beats for Posse Cuts - first track came out August 9th - check that out.  I'm also working on a collaboration album with my man Genuine Groove from Toronto - watch for that in 2013.

I hooked up with Play De Record in Toronto to do a promotion for Beats for Reading Comic Books to, so if you're in downtown Toronto, head over to the store, say "MD" at the register, and you'll get a limited-edition promotional copy of the album.  Spend $20 and get a promo copy of Beats by the Ear, too.  Both hand signed.

The only other thing I was to plug is the Interpretations section of my site.  I was to help spark other people's work.  Anybody creatively bent, if you get inspired by a beat or whatever, create something and I'll put it up, hopefully getting your some exposure.  An artist named "'Bald' Pat" got in touch with me after seeing the ad and checking out the beats - it sparked him to put together a couple videos.  The first was mainly a sampler of some of his art, but for the second one, he took the track "Combat" and came up with a mini-comic, which he put into video form.  That's all him.  He listened to the track and it sparked his thoughts to create something new...that kind of thing blows my mind.  So yeah, if any of my stuff sparks your imagination and you feel like creating something based on it, definitely send it my way.

JM: Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview.  Best of luck!  And, you know, if you happen to create a Yeti Beats track for your next album, I promise not to take too much of the credit!

MD: Thanks for reaching out!  I'll do a Yeti track if the Yeti lays down some vocals on it.  Keep your eyes open for the new single, "What Happened to Teddy?" by MD and the Yeti.  PEACE!

Visit MDMacro's website and listen to all three of his albums on his official website: http://www.mdmacro.com.

great fake ads from Image's "1963"

I recently picked up Image's full (but sadly never quite completed) run of the Alan Moore-written 1963 series, which re-imagines the creation of the Silver Age Marvel Comics.  The first issue features a Fantastic Four-style story, which should be obvious from the above image.  The series is much more straight forward than I had imagined it would be, other than some well-placed barbs regarding the rights of individual creators and, particularly, Stan Lee.  Moore and his stable of artists create such a complete package, down to fully formed letters pages, editorials and even (mostly) fake ads that mimic some of the best comic advertisements of the time - ones that are immediately recognizable despite their altered status, which I suppose is the mark of a great parody.

Nearly all of the ads are spot on in their renditions, but two stood out to me as the best of the bunch, and I wanted to share them below:

First off is a back cover ad for "soil monkeys", which is an obvious take on the well-loved Sea Monkeys ads.  Soil Monkeys, upon further inspection, are merely beans, which is funny on two levels, the less obvious being a commentary on the fact that Sea Monkey ads don't really represent an accurate depiction of what you actually get - a mini aquarium of tiny brine shrimp.  Soil Monkeys make music, because, well...you get it.

This next ad, from an interior page, might just beat out the previous one due to the sheer number of great parodies it contains.  My favorite is at top, where we learn that readers can not only order real, live animals from a comic book, but also eat them.  This is a parody of an old ad that I have railed about regarding animals and the ability to buy them through shady circumstances from the pages of a comic book. 

1963 is a faithful recreation of early Marvel super hero comics, with all the good and bad that comes with it.  Despite the fact that Moore is by far the best comic writer of all time, this title isn't for everyone.  The ads, though...those are golden.

"The League of Obscure Historical Figures" with Jeff McComsey!

Fresh from the Baltimore Comic-Con, FUBAR head honcho Jeff McComsey and I have completed a new mini project for the third issue of DC Conspiracy's The Magic Bullet.  Jeff and I worked on a story for the second issue as well, and you can read it by clicking here.

This new story is titled "The League of Obscure Historical Figures", and in a very, very loose sense it's a parody of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in that instead of well known fictional characters, our story features real people of whom history has relegated footnotes (though honestly, we should all be so lucky) banding together for...well, for whatever reason.

This particular story came about in a roundabout fashion - as the deadline for Magic Bullet stories drew closer, Jeff suggested doing a story that told the history of an obscure figure.  I liked the idea (and still do), but for the life of me I couldn't come up with just one person to highlight, and I couldn't think of a way to write a biography of that person that would even be remotely interesting.  If the characters all came together, though...then there'd be a story...and that's how the LOOHF was born.

You'll notice that this story features an almost obscene number of panels, but there were even two more in the original draft, which would have been nearly impossible to include in this oversized page.  At the beginning of the story, Catharine Sedgwick has a difficult time getting past the doorman into the meeting room, as the doorman has never heard of her before in his life, thus setting the stage for everything else to come.  I'll admit that those two panels were the right ones to take out, though Ms. Sedgwick does seem to be a bit underrepresented in this final draft.  Oh well...I guess she's obscure for a reason.

And, of course, I had to sneak in an appearance of George McClellan - no group of obscure characters would be complete without him.  I do take some small pride in the fact that he might be the most recognizable of any in this story, a point that makes it into the end of the story.  All in all, I'm very happy with how this short tale turned out, and I think everyone will agree that Jeff McComsey brought everything together in a visually pleasing way.

If everything I've heard is correct, this issue of the Magic Bullet will be out very soon - the weekend of September 10th and 11th at the Small Press Expo in Baltimore.  I'll probably get my hands on some copies a little while after and will do my best to distribute them at shops around the Pittsburgh area.  The MB seems to really be catching on, as this issue will have more pages than previous issues.  That's great news, because it's a really fun publication!

Here's the cover to issue #3:

Find out more about the Magic Bullet here: http://www.magicbulletcomics.com/

Random thoughts on the DCU reboot

Like many comic fans, I was surprised at the recent news that the entire DC Universe will be starting over, with 52 (FIFTY TWO!!!) new #1 issues to be released in September.  And, also like many fans, my first reaction was something akin to this: "I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS!!"

But now that there's a little more information circling about and, more importantly, we've all had some time to process this announcement, my opinions have mellowed somewhat and I now have a more stoic approach.

When it comes down to it, DC Comics is a money-making enterprise (though it could be argued that their greatest monetary value comes as an R&D tool for various other entertainment purposes, not the least of which can be witnessed from the slew of DC-related movies in development), and the company certainly has the right to retool its line of books and its characters as it sees fit.  And when you look at the state of the industry, it's no surprise that one of the biggest companies would want to try something different.

I recently found out that Doom Patrol had been cancelled, and for good cause - issues were selling in the 9,000 copy range.  When one of the two biggest comic companies in the world is selling a book that has only 9,000 readers, change is bound to happen.  (I will say that Doom Patrol, month in and out, was my favorite book that I could barely understand what was going on while reading it.)

Overall, though, I'm not going to worry about, say, Superman's lack of red underwear, because I'm fairly certain that, after a while, the things I like will eventually be reinstated.

 

Sure, there are things that irk me about this new direction for DC.  I hate, for example, every single costume in the above Teen Titans image.  Sure, Robin's going for the retro-cool look (that's similar to Firehawk's costume, isn't it?  Something like that), but the others...holy moley.  Superboy's taped a piece of paper to the back of his shirt?  And he has a big Superman tattoo?  R...really?

I also hate, with a passion, the renumbering of long-running titles like Action Comics and Detective Comics.  It took 73 years for Action Comics to reach issue #900 only to have it dialed back to a new issue #1?  Bah.

But here's the thing: there is no way on Earth that Action Comics won't be renumbered by the time it would reach issue #1000.  Heck, there's even a chance that Detective Comics will roll over to #900 in the less than two years that it'll take.

Superman will eventually have his classic "S" shield back.  Flash will probably lose that weird chinstrap thing he's got going on.  The good stuff will stay, the unnecessary changes will change back.  It's that simple.

And there are some cool things being solicited for this "new" universe, in fact.  For example: A NEW SWAMP THING SERIES  BY SCOTT SNYDER!

I am so excited for this book, after reading Alan Moore's fantastic work on the character and Snyder's impressive current Detective Comics run.

Also, DC is taking real steps to reach out to digital readers: it had to happen sooner or later, and releasing digital copies of books on the same day physical copies come out is historic for the medium.

I'll admit, though, that most of what I'm hearing is rather ho-hum.  No real big name creators and such seemingly random choices as to which characters get books of their own.  It seems like DC is trying to create a lineup of varied books (featuring culturally diverse characters) that, in a perfect world, would appeal to a wide range of readers, new and old.  But there's a reason that the Demon, Hawk & Dove, Sgt. Rock, OMAC and Mr. Terrific don't currently have books on the shelves.

The litmus test for this new direction, of course, will come in the months following September.  I'm sure that the new Justice League title will sell like gangbusters and that many others will start out strong (the media push has to count for something, after all), but I'm also sure that some of these other new titles will fail - it would be foolish to think otherwise.

The only thing we fans can do is wait and see what happens.  I'm willing to let events unfold as they may - I'll buy the titles I enjoy and I won't buy the titles that don't interest me or aren't well done, as I always do with few exceptions.

But really...Superboy's new costume is horrendous.

The haul, 2010

Merry...a couple days after Christmas!  Last year, I bragged about mentioned some of the cool comic related swag I got.  This year, I figured, what the heck.  If it's cool, I'll take a picture.  And here we are.  Check out those comics!  I finally completed the Understanding Comics set and got the complete Xenozoic Tales collection I've been waiting to have made!  The Ballad of Halo Jones was a last-minute addition - and flipping through it, it's astounding how similar Ian Gibson's art is to Duane Redhead's on Teddy and the Yeti.  No, I'm not comparing myself to Alan Moore in any fashion.

I first found out about the Venture Bros. action figures at the New York Comic Con.  I now have three of the six initial releases: the mighty Monarch and the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Henchmen figures!

Please ignore the boxes in the background of this picture.  There's bound to be something of a mess at Christmas.  Marvel instead at the full size, authentic Steelers helmet!  Perhaps I will get it signed, or perhaps I will wear it every day and run in to people full force, oblivious to social conventions of politeness or even laws that dictate what does and does not constitute physical assault.

The item on top of the helmet box is a bit of a cop out, as I bought it for someone else instead of having it bought for me.  But I'm proud of myself with this one, so please indulge me.  My wife and I are big fans of the short-lived show Wonderfalls, and the purposely deformed wax lion replica is a promotional piece from that show.

I got other great stuff - Weird Al trading cards, the newest volume of Futurama on DVD, Sea Monkeys - Sea Monkeys!! - and, despite my materialistic showing, spent some good time with family and friends, which is more important in any case.  But man!  I got some awesome stuff.

You are here.

The New York Comic-Con floor plan is now online, and while I knew that Wagon Wheel Comics had been assigned booth 550, now I know exactly where that's going to be.  I'm pretty happy with our location - we're right across from artists' alley, and while it would have been nice to be on the other side of our row, I think we lucked out with where we are.  One thing about the small press section: people tend to see those booths on the way to other booths, so being next to artists' alley is a good thing.

If you go to the interactive version of the map (and don't just look at my screenshot), you can see some of the other creators we'll be stacked up next to.  We've got some talented company to be sure.  Wagon Wheel will be back-to-back with Khary Randolph (Mutant 2099) and Mike Norton (Green Arrow), and just a few blocks away are the incredibly talented David Lloyd and Michael Gaydos!  Gaydos worked on the series Alias with Brian Michael Bendis and David Lloyd is none other than the artist of the Alan Moore-penned V for Vendetta.  Let me reiterate: the artist on V for Vendetta, one of the classic comic stories of all time (it even includes sheet music!) will be just a few feet away from me at the New York Comic Con.

It'll take a little while for that to sink in.  Oh, and these gentlemen are both Brits, which should make Duane Redhead feel right at home.

anti-marketing

I'd like to think that I have a pretty good sense of humor, and I'm always looking to make a joke when the situation calls for it.  This inclination has gotten me in some trouble before, because what I mean to say isn't always what ends up coming out of my mouth; whether it's a lack on context or just the wrong thing at the wrong time, I've wound up saying inappropriate things a few times when I'd have been better off keeping my mouth shut.  I'd like to think that I learn from my mistakes and don't do it as often as I used to (read: there are times when I actually think before I speak), but there are still instances where a well-meaning joke comes out all wrong.

For the latest example of why I really shouldn't just say the first thing that comes into my head, we have to go back a few weeks to the Pittsburgh Comicon.  Overall, the show was great and I think I did a good job presenting Teddy and the Yeti to a comic reading public that was often unaware that it even existed.  I was friendly, talking to passers by and just generally putting on a happy face for the show (not that there was any reason not to do so - it was a fun show).

I really screwed up in talking to one potential fan to the point where I doubt he'll ever pick up Teddy and the Yeti, even if I announced that the new creative team was Alan Moore and Jack Kirby (it's not, by the way).  On the odd chance that he actually reads this posting, though - dude, I'm sorry.  Holy crap, I'm sorry.

You see, a gentleman walked up to the ol' Wagon Wheel Comics booth and started flipping through one of the issues, and I attempted to strike up a conversation with him as he browsed.  He was wearing a Superman shirt, which of course wasn't anything out of the ordinary, as we were at a comic book convention.  The bottom of this shirt, though, was tucked into his pants, and you could see the image of Superman's belt and red shorts printed on the shirt before it disappeared under his jeans.  This isn't something you usually see - most "classic" Superman shirts are simply solid blue with the "S" logo printed on the chest.  The shorts were something new, so I wanted to ask if he was wearing MORE than just a shirt - I wanted to know if he had on the whole Superman costume.

So, in short, what I WANTED to say was "are you wearing an entire Superman costume under your clothes?"  Which would have been a perfectly legitimate question, and if he was, he probably would have been happy that someone noticed.  In reality, though, what I ACTUALLY said was "is that a onesie you're wearing?"

Yes, I asked a grown man if he was wearing clothing for babies, perhaps complete with a snapping butt flap in the back.  You can see how this might be somewhat offensive.  The man looked at me, put his copy of Teddy and the Yeti back on the table, and walked away.

I realize that I'll never be able to apologize to this guy - I've scared him away forever, like I said.  But OH MAN, that is not what I meant, and I'm embarrassed to have insulted him in such a manner.  Sigh.  I'm sorry, man, I'M SORRY!!!

Pre Convention Random Notes

It's time for another EXTREMELY POPULAR random post from me, an extremely popular poster.  And by that I mean the "placard intended for posting in a public place" definition...I'm feeling rather existential today.  Anyway, it's almost time for me to pack up and head to the Pittsburgh Comicon this weekend, so I'll go over a few things that are on my mind.  And by "on my mind" I mean...okay, never mind.  That joke is dead.

- The copyright-infringing poster you see above is from Wilmington area Fanboy Comics.  The comic store is doing a great thing by holding a food drive that supports the Foodbank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.  Not that giving to the needy ever needs a tangible reward (just try not to come off as...gasp...a socialist!), but Fanboy is giving away some swag if you bring in some canned food.  Check it out!

- Teddy and the Yeti issue #3 is on its way from the terrifying storehouses of New Jersey to the terrifying front porch of my parents' house via a terrifying UPS truck, where I will meet up with it soon.  I should be getting both the regular edition and the extra terrifying convention edition at the same time, if all goes according to plan (I'll post pictures of things like the shipping box as always, don't worry).  You can follow along here, because you're curious about shipping schedules, right?  Perhaps it'll already be delivered by the time to check.

- My new friend Henry has once again done me a great favor by posting a preview of Teddy and the Yeti #3 on his always amusing "I love the Yeti" blog.  It mentions the Pittsburgh convention as well, which is great.  Check it out if you already haven't - not just for the preview, but hey, that too.

- I've briefly updated this blog by adding some resources and links.  To see them, just look to your right.  Really, it's there, just look...oh, okay, I'll post a picture of the VERY BLOG you're reading.  Specifically, I've added some "reference"-style material such as the Wikipedia page, online stores where you can buy Teddy and the Yeti, and links to fellow T&Y contributors, friends, and...Weird Al.  Because I can.  I'm planning on also creating a list containing the physical "brick and mortar" stores that carry the book...but I ran out of time.  Soon.

- I'm showing the movie "V for Vendetta" as an out-of-class assignment tonight where I work.  I'm almost ashamed to say that I might just like the movie, as sensationalist as it tends to be, more than the Alan Moore-penned graphic novel of the same title.  Hugo Weaving does a fantastic job.  I've done this for a few years now, so I might have watched this movie more than any other movie in my life...but every time I push "play", I have to pay attention.  It happens, I guess.

- I'll end with something un-comic related, but familiar to those who read the blog (BOTH OF YOU).  There's a new episode of the Internet(s) sensation Franks and Beans online.  I'll embed it below, because...I feel like it.  Enjoy!

Killing the Killing Joke

I'm a huge fan of anything Alan Moore writes (I know, that's like saying you're a fan of the Beatles...it's kind of obvious), and even though I have DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore and it includes the 1988 Batman classic The Killing Joke, I was still enough of a sucker to make sure I got the 20th anniversary "deluxe" edition soon after it came out.  I finally got around to unwrapping the plastic cover and checking it out.  Artist and collaborator Brian Bolland completely recolored the story and there are a few extras included, but this story is, for the most part, The Killing Joke repackaged.

I will agree with popular sentiment (and Moore himself) that this isn't my favorite/the best story by Alan Moore, and it's probably not even the best Batman story I've ever read - though I couldn't tell you what is - but it's hard to argue that this story hasn't had its affect on Batman's supporting cast and perhaps the Joker's persona as a lunatic.  I will say that what continues to stand out to me regarding this story isn't contained in the fictional Batman/Joker tale - it's how much Brian Bolland always mentions how he dislikes the book.  It's like he can't stand it!

I'm not sure why this rubs me the wrong way as it does.  Certainly the man is welcome to his opinion, and as the visual talent behind the story, I'd say that his thoughts on the subject are worth more than mine, anyway.  But if the guy has had so many problems with the story, why does he keep coming back to write about it?  Every time I've heard him speak on the subject, he always talks about how the story was his idea - he asked Moore to write a Batman story featuring the Joker - but the end result wasn't really to his liking.  He'll mention the Batman/Joker laughing scene at the end (a funny joke, but admittedly a strange ending) doesn't sit well with him.  But I've never heard the man offer up his own thoughts on how he would have taken on the story.  The nature of collaboration - even collaboration with Alan "TerriBeard" Moore - is such that there are some disappointments along the way.

Brian Bolland is one of the best cover artists in the business, even more than 30 years in, but he's probably best known for The Killing Joke.  I hope that I don't have something I'm so disappointed in define my career, because from reading everything Bolland writes on the subject, it must be pretty awful.

What I'm reading right now

There are few unequivocal truths in the universe, but here are two of them:

1) I will never be as good a writer as Alan Moore

2) I will never have a beard as scary as Alan Moore's

I hesitate not in the slightest at either one of these statements.  In all seriousness, I think of Alan Moore as the greatest comic book writer in the medium's history.  I am an absolute captive to Neil Gaiman's writing, and it can't be denied what Will Eisner has done for the industry, but Moore is the writer who, for me, sits at the top of the field.  I think he has the body of work to back up such a claim, as well, with Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell on his resume.  So when DC Comics (through their Vertigo imprint) released the first volume of Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing collection, I bought it right away, and it has not disappointed.

The Swamp Thing might best be remembered for the live action television series that lasted three seasons in the early 1990s, but the book with Moore at the helm is the definitive take on the character.  I mean, think about it - the character is called "The Swamp Thing".  Literally, "the thing from the swamp."  A guy gets blown to hell and lands in a swamp...and becomes a super hero.  With all due respect to Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, creators of the character, what?!  This is the origin tale?  Not that there aren't tons of unbelievable creation stories out there (nearly every Marvel character from the 1960s should have died of radiation poisoning), but this one just seems silly.  Moore took that concept and made it work.  Swamp Thing wasn't Alec Holland, it was just "a plant that was trying its level best to be Alec Holland."

Horror comics usually are simply filled with gore or just have some ironic twist to them; Swamp Thing is genuinely frightening.  Super hero books are sometimes vapid and shallow; Swamp Thing is layered and meaningful.  Comics from the 1980s are often lackluster; Swamp Thing is fulfilling.  From Moore's first issue, you can tell that he has a plan, and he sticks to it throughout.  Supporting characters add meaning to the overall story.  Guest stars, including the Demon and the Justice League, are used appropriately and respectfully.  But through it all, you know that this is the Swamp Thing's book, even when he/it doesn't appear much in some issues.  All in all, it's a breathtaking piece of work.

If you couldn't tell, I am in love with this book.  I can't recommend it highly enough.