Trina Robbins & Neil Gaiman: just because....

I’m reading the current issue of Library Journal, with a nice overview of the career of Japanese manga artist Rumiko Takahashi (Return of Lum, Ranma ½, etc.). Along with this there reviews of a new selection of both manga translations and graphic novels from American publishers.

What caught my eye was a review of the book, “Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed!” by Arie Kaplan. Reviewer Martha Cornog mentions that while the book deals with well known creators like Stan Lee, Will Eisner, and the like it also discusses more recent folks like Kyle Baker and Ho Che Anderson. The striking thing is in listing some of the folks she places Neil Gaiman among the long-standing ‘grand master’ and Trina Robbins as a ‘recent notable.’

Maybe it’s just me but I seem to recall Trina having a nice career & fan following well before Neil’s name started showing up on the cover of a DC comic. I’ve been fans of both for years and have had the opportunity to actually meet both at some point face-to-face (ask me about exchanging e-mail with Gaiman sometime!). I realize that a quick mention in a book review shouldn’t be taken as a slight, but a quick Google search on Robbin’s name would not have been to much to ask.

Star What?

Has it really been thirty years since we all first saw STAR WARS (now known as SW: A NEW HOPE) in the theatres? Unbelievable!!

I attended the San Diego ComiCon in ’76, where there was a guy trying to get folks to stop at his table where he was promoting this movie by the director of AMERICAN GRAFFITI. He had a book full of production sketches and some photos of actors in costume. Sometimes that weekend he also did a slide presentation, with much of the same material and told us a bit about the project. No hint that it was going to be more than a single stand alone film.

Thirty years ago, give or take a week my father, who had no interest at all in science fiction, won a contest at work which included promotional material and a free ticket to the film. He was then working at King-Seeley Thermos which had signed a licensing agreement for SW themed lunch boxes and thermoses. I was working for the summer at Thermos, while attending college and he gave me the pass.

To say I was blown away was an understatement. Who knew when that huge spaceship filled the screen that it was only the beginning of a phenomenon?

Hats off to Mr. Lucas and the folks working with him. A light-saber salute to all the fan boys & gals at the “Star Wars” Celebration IV being held in the LA Convention Center this weekend.

Where has all the time gone!

I used to live a very different life. I’m happy with my present one, but it continues to amaze me how different my life has been at various points.

I have been married to three very different women and have had several different careers. I’ve been working as a Librarian almost longer then all three marriages combined, if I count the months I worked as a Library Clerk even longer.

I have made cement urns for cemeteries; worked as an electroplater, motion detecting alarm assembler, short-order cook/dishwasher, and retail-store manager and fork-truck driver. I’ve served eight years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, plus reserve time. For several months I worked as a file clerk for a law firm in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. During all this I have written book, movie and comic/graphic novel reviews for both online & print newsletters, plus dozens of issues of my own publications for fandom.

In this time I have visited five continents, over a dozen countries and lived in eight cities in three states.

I have no reason to admit to all this, except noticing that between my two blogs I’ve written over a thousand posts since January of 2003. Whenever I think I’ve run out of things to write about I just think back.

The season so far!

It’s only the end of May, so you really can’t predict at this point which MLB teams will be ending their seasons in October and which will be facing each other in the play-offs (let alone the World Series). Still it’s nice to see at this point that both the New York Mets & the Boston Red Sox are leading their respective divisions in the East. The fact that both teams have beaten or led in the stats the Damned Yankees makes it even sweeter.

It is quite possible that by August the Sox will have their all too predictable slump and the DY’s will move up to the top spot, but at this point it doesn’t seem likely. The Bronx Bombers play and look old out there, while their track record for the past few years doesn’t make for much hope even in the most die-hard of their fans. Being out here I can’t see the headlines or tabloid photos that probably damn and then praise the Bombers on any given day. I just know in my heart of hearts that this is going to be another ‘also ran’ year for the Bronx Bumblers. How well the boys from Beantown come out is just gravy!

Joe Bob Briggs Reviews

They have finally begun posting a back-log of the book reviews over at the Joe Bob Briggs Report. You can see my review of "An Innocent Among Them" by Jack Allen (which I posted here sometime last year) if you click on over.



Use the above headline or the link over on The Right and see what else Joe Bob has in store.

"Lying in the Gutters" with Rich Johnston

I've known Rich Johnston for over ten years, although it has been almost that long since we've actually been face-to-face. Back when I used to do the fan circuit with Elayne I'd get a chance to chat with Rich, even having him up to our hotel room for our pre-con parties a couple of times.

My introduction to him was when I spotted him selling his comic X-FLIES in an Artist Alley. This was when Fox TV's X-FILES was one of the most popular shows on network television. Rich's insect spoof of Scully & Mulder was a real treat whether you were a fan or not.

Every so often I'll hear about some rumor or story that Rich is writing about over at Comic Book Resources, but I keep forgetting to link to it. I'm now correcting that lapse and hope that you'll click on either the headline above or the link on The Right.

Glad to have you around Rich!

JERICHO falls!

According to what I’ve just read online CBS is going to pull the plug on JERICHO. I’m really sorry to hear about this, as the show was one of the few ‘new’ shows from last season that Donna and I really enjoyed.

I'm going to guess that the show was expensive to produce and we do live in the age where 'reality' shows seem to be what the network wants.

If it’s true, and I have no reason to doubt it, I’m hoping that perhaps SCI FI or one of the cable networks picks it up or at least gives the okay for the show’s creators to put together a made-for-TV movie which would resolve some of the series plots.

San Diego Comicon: Not this year!

Well, after checking my work schedule it's become obvious that I won't be able to make it down to San Diego this year. Needless to say I'm disappointed, as this would have been my first visit to that con in a decade. Next year, as I'll have Annual Leave available, I'm definitely going to be down for at least a couple of days.

On another note, I just want to let folks know that Donna and I are very much further south than the current fires in the hills near Griffith Park & the observatory. This should be the rainy season, but things have been very dry so the fire danger is throughout the Southland. We have hikers, bikers and even a paint-ball group that take advantage of the trails in the arroyo behind the complex on weekends, so I've taken to keeping an eye out for any open fires or smoke from the area.

How to be a super-hero!

I missed Free Comic Book Day, but I wanted to share the latest installment of Sheldon.

He's got it down pretty well, doesn't he?

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!

The new Spider-Man film may bring in some more folks to Free Comic Book Day, especially in those shops close to theatres. Still, I thought the decision had been made NOT to tie the annual event into a major comics-related film. It may be a coincidence this time around, or the film's distributors may be doing it to tie-in the day (which I really doubt).

It doesn't look like I'll be able to take part this year (for the second time in a row), since I'm working again this Saturday. I'll have to check to see if the closest store will be open after 6:00pm.

Anyway, even if I'm not going to be able to enjoy the freebies there's no reason all of you should miss out. Call your local shop or head over to www.freecomicbookday.com and see where the closest event will be held in your neighborhood.

In Denial!

Just in case you folks missed today's UNSHELVED.

The strip will occasionally throw in a comic reference or do a story arc dealing with Dewey's (the main character seen here at the computer) love of the medium. That's Buddy The Book Beaver, with the shield rug, by the way. He is actually wearing a costume, which he never removes for some odd reason.

Evil, Inc.: How to raise funds for global conquest.

Here's the 1st EVIL, INC strip. The next few weeks of material introduce the major characters and give you a good idea if you'll enjoy what Brad Guigar is up to. If you enjoy comics and have a sense of humor about super-heroes I think, like me, the strip will quickly become a favorite.

If you click on the headline it will bring you to the homepage, but you can also head over to www.evil-comic.com and see where it takes you. I'll be adding a permanent link over on the side later today.

What Kryptonite?

I know I shouldn't keep posting the strips from Sheldon Comics, but I couldn't resist.

Again, follow the link on the Right to the actual Sheldon Comics webpage. You might also want to check out EVIL, INC., a great strip for comic & super-hero fans.

I hope you can click on today's SHELDON. Nothing like bursting that fanboy bubble!

Oh, you might also want to go over to the artist's website: www.sheldoncomics.com and check out his blog and products and past strips.

Hat tip to the guys at Unshelved for passing along information on Sheldon.

Chuck Jones "Read To Succeed" Exhibit

The following exhibit will be held at the new library in the City of Orange, CA. Since I'm working there and was thrilled to see the stuff being put up I wanted to pass this along to folks who may be in the area.

**************************
Chuck Jones “Read To Succeed®” Art Exhibition
Displayed at New Orange Public Library & History Center

Orange, CA – A special art and animation display planned to coincide with the grand re-opening of the new Orange Public Library & History Center began on Saturday, April 21, and will run through mid-September of 2007.

The Read To Succeed® art exhibition, part of Orange’s “Year of the Library” celebrations, was enthusiastically announced today by officials of Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Orange Public Library. It will be on display at the new Orange Public Library & History Center during the following schedule of regular library service hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(Closed Sunday)

The Read To Succeed® art was created in 1988 by Chuck Jones, four-time Academy-Award winner; internationally renowned animator, director, artist, and author; and graduate of Chouinard Art Institute (now California Institute of the Arts) as part of a still‑active program designed to encourage young people to read. A voracious reader himself, Chuck relished the opportunity to sketch and paint a variety of colorful works showing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Pepé Le Pew, and other characters finding knowledge, fun, and adventure in the pages of books.

The library exhibition includes the initial, rarely seen series of nineteen-year-old posters, as well as original, hand‑painted animation cels which have never before been available for public viewing. Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Orange Public Library consider this display of art, free to all, to be a unique opportunity for library visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in Chuck Jones’ vision of the world: A place where everyone opens their minds to the unparalleled joy of reading.
Chuck Jones “Read To Succeed®” Art Exhibition at Library, ADD 1-1-1


Chuck Jones Center for Creativity (sharing space with Chuck Jones Gallery and Archive) and the new Orange Public Library & History Center are both located in historic, pedestrian-friendly Old Towne Orange. The Read To Succeed® art exhibition represents the first of what both organizations hope to be many cultural collaborations benefiting the residents of Orange, Orange County, and beyond.

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, a nonprofit private operating foundation, is dedicated to fostering and encouraging creativity, especially in young people, using the drawings, films, and writings of legendary animation director Chuck Jones as inspiration. For more information about Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, go to www.ChuckJonesCenter.org or call (714) 516-9540.

The mission of Orange Public Library is to welcome and support all people in their enjoyment of reading and pursuit of lifelong learning, to preserve local history, and to provide equal access to information, ideas and knowledge through books, programs and technology. For more information about Orange Public Library, go to www.cityoforange.org/library or call (714) 288-2471.

Read To Succeed® is a registered trademark of Six Flags Theme Parks Inc.

No Flying, No Tights: graphic novel reviews for all ages

NO FLYING, NO TIGHTS was created by Robin Brenner a librarian at Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, Massachusetts. It's a great site for those librarians (and the public) who don't know a whole heck of a lot about graphic novels. Robin was actually named one of the "Movers & Shakers" of the year by the Library Journal, just missing being in the Top Ten.

She and her fellow comics reviewers seek out some of the best material being published, review it and then decide for which age level it is best suited. While NFNT was created for teens (and those YA librarians without a four-color clue), Robin has started two additional sites aimed at both older and younger readers (The Lair, for older teens and adults; Sidekick, for kids).
All three sites give the reader basic information on just what 'graphic novels' are, some of the terms used in reviews and even the Name Dropping section listing some of the major creators in the field.

I was going to add this link to Parting Shots, along with some other Library/book related links, but decided that it was probably more appropriate here. Set aside an hour or so and check all three sites. Even jaded fans may discover some titles with which they are not familiar.

WHO is that guy anyway?

DOCTOR WHO was a show that didn’t really capture my attention when I first saw it. If I recall correctly, it was back in the mid-1970s, while stationed out here in San Diego. These were the shows with Jon Pertwee, as the Third Doctor. From Pertwee’s costume, gadgets and flashy automobile it struck me more as a strange James Bond-ish thing with monsters. Hardly something that caught my interest and only seeing an occasional episode didn’t make it any easier to understand.

As a kid I had seen the two DW movies with Peter Cushing, probably either at the local drive-in or on a Saturday afternoon matinee, but neither really did much for me. I remember them being rather confusing, perhaps because DW was totally unknown here in the states. At least he was to me, although it’s possible I may have read of him in an article in FAMOUS MONTERS OF FILMLAND or one of many similar magazines I read ‘religiously’ growing up. It was only years later, while living in Westport that I began seeing the Tom Baker episodes, which turned me into a fan of the character. During fund-raising marathons the various PBS stations would sometimes show older programs featuring the earlier regenerations. It was then that I began to have an appreciation of what each actor had brought to the role.

I’ve rediscovered DOCTOR WHO, or rather discovered the Ninth Doctor. Christopher Eccleston was a nice surprise when I first happened upon a recent DW marathon on BBC-America. I haven’t regularly watched the series for several years, only dimly remembering the attempt to bring the show here to the U.S. with Paul McGann back in ’96. Ill received as I recall by fans and non-fans it seemed to be the sad end of a wonderful series. Several friends had mentioned the new show, but I hadn’t had a chance to see it until Donna was away and BBC-America ran a mini-marathon of Eccleston’s last few story arcs. I think the thing that got me hooked was Eccleston’s similar approach to the character that Tom Baker had brought. He seemed to be enjoying himself and had a sense of humor no matter the chaos happening around him. I also found that after the first few episodes I began to grow fond of Billie Piper as the Doctor’s companion Rose Tyler.

This weekend I caught the initial outing of the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. I think I’ll have to catch a few more with this ‘new’ Doctor before I can judge how much I like him. While I do miss Eccleston I’m willing to give the new guy a chance.

KDOC: Retro Classic TV in the OC

While Donna was away and now when she’s at work, until I’m working regularly, I have a lot of free time to watch way too much television. Thanks to COX Digital we get the Encore series of channels so there is always something I haven’t seen before. Also, AMC and Turner Classics will sometimes show an old favorite.

When there’s nothing there I can generally find something on TV Land, but recently I’ve discovered a channel out of Irvine, near the John Wayne Airport. KDOC is broadcast over Channel 12 here on Cox Cable and I love it. The station’s tag line is “Endless Classics” or what the announcer calls “Retro Classics”. Basically, it seems to show stuff that TV Land isn’t currently running. This includes “Carson’s Classics” at 10:00pm, consisting of various bits from the old Johnny Carson show. While you do see some guests on the coach, the program mostly is made of the things Johnny would do either in character or with whatever guest happened to be on that night.

My other faves over on KDOC are Perry Mason, Quincy, Magnum P.I., The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible and the great Vic Morrow WWII series Combat.

Going through some changes!

I've made some changes to the links over to the side. I have rearranged a few items trying to get items related to each other (at least in topic or interest area) next to each other. I've also renamed the World Famous Comics site to the more accurate Tony Isabella, since it's to Tony's page at the WFC site to which you are actually guided towards.

You might note that I've finally added a link to Comic Mix, the rather new site dedicated to comics reviews & news. You'll see reviews and commentary by such folks as Dennis O'Neil, Michael Davis, Elayne Riggs, John Ostrander, Peter David, Mike Gold and many others. Several of whom I've had dinner or lunch with and one with whom I've actually slept. (Peter and I don't talk much about that!)

Seriously, I know I have promised to post a bit more frequently, but I really do plan on doing so. I have fallen way behind on blogging and reading those of others, and I want to apologize. It was never my intent to let things lag around here, but life at Chez Chaput has taken a number of turns which were not expected. Some of those have been mentioned at Parting Shots, but others will remain within these walls.

From off the shelf: two quick reviews

Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book
By Gerard Jones

I’m probably the last comic book fan to get around to reading and reviewing this book, so I just have a few things to say.

From the many other reviews and high praise this book has received I’m sure you don’t need my say so. Simply put this is the best overview I’ve read of the rich history of the industry from which comic’s fandom has sprung. Amazingly enough it was another fandom that influenced so many of the later lights in the four-color world to begin with. It is also a remarkable look at the lives of several men whose goals (not always benevolent) shaped the four-color empire.

Much of the book centers on the lives and work of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, who created a character that, would become the cornerstone for much of the industry. SUPERMAN became not only an incredibly successful marketing phenomena but one of the most highly recognized fictional characters of the twentieth century. These two kids, who came from such different backgrounds luckily found each other and together brought to the American public something which instantly resonated with millions of other kids.

From its first hesitant beginning in the time of the Great Depression to the final days of Siegel & Shuster, Jones (a comic’s writer & creator himself) demonstrates not only his wit but also a historian’s ability of research and examination. If you’re a reader of comics, used to be or just someone interested in the shaping of American public culture in the middle of the last century you really owe it to yourself to read Jones’ book. Highly recommended.
***

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

In this day and age of instant communication whether by telephone, television & radio or the World Wide Web, we forget that in the beginning of the last century rapid communication was severely limited. The fastest method of reporting or getting any sort of information from one point on the globe to another was via telegraph lines. While this was remarkable compared to an earlier age, there were still vast distances around the world where the hum of wires couldn’t reach. This was especially so across the vast miles of ocean around the globe. Once a ship was out of sight of land or other ships they were lost in a “great hush” separated from knowledge of the world’s events even as they were part of them.

As in his earlier works, ISAAC’S STORM and THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, Larson thoroughly brings to life an earlier age different in many ways, yet eerily similar in others. Since we were school kids we heard the name of Guglielmo Marconi, but probably didn’t really know much beyond the fact that he was credited with the invention of wireless communication. Larson introduces us to this difficult, yet brilliant man, showing us his shortcomings as well as his remarkable tenacity in the face of personal and financial hardships.

In his previous book on the Chicago World Exposition or World’s Fair, Larson followed the lives of both New York City’s Flatiron Building architect Daniel Hudson Burnham, the Fair’s Director of Works and murderer Henry H. Holmes, one of the most fiendish and brilliant serials killers in American history. While Burnham and Holmes may never have actually met the life of one might have been very different if it had not been for the other. So to in this book where Marconi’s new technology makes possible the capture of another murderer, the hardly frightening Dr. Hawley Crippen. The quiet and unassuming Dr. Crippen would have passed through the pages of history unnoted, had he not decided to end his not-so-happy marriage in a most disagreeable fashion.

As with his previous two books, THUNDERSTRUCK causes the reader to care about these long-dead people, many of whom are of note simply because of their proximity to major events. I don’t know what Larson has coming up next, but I’m sure I’m going to be picking it up.
Highly recommended.