The comic blogosphere seems to grow larger every day and just like comics, sometimes it’s pretty easy to get a little lost. “Meanwhile…” will act as your map pointing out what interesting discussions are happening out there while you’re reading Blog@Newsarama.
No more flu for me. I’m all better now and coming at you with more links than you can handle this week. Lets see what we have in store for you this time. How about a Q and A Session, Dates with Imaginary People, Kate Kane Reactions, Icing, Male Pattern Baldness and a ton of Quick Hits? Sound good? Then lets gets started.
The Mike Sterling F.A.Q.
Mike Sterling decided to open his blog up to his fans this week and let them ask him any question related to his blog or comics in general. Here are the questions and his answers.
Comic Book Dates
Heidi Meeley had some fun this week picking the 10 Best and Worst Comic Book Dates. Here’s the list she came up with:
The Good Dates
1. Bruce Wayne
2. Black Panther
3. Frank from Liberty Meadows
4. Captain America
5. Dr. Mid-Nite
6. Kyle Rayner
7. Luke Cage
8. Nightwing
9. Ralph Dibny
10. Wolverine
The Bad Dates
1. Punisher
2. The Darkness
3. Namor
4. Green Arrow
5. John Constantine
6. Iron Man
7. Daredevil
8. Captain Atom
9. Booster Gold
10. Mr. Graves
How about a list from a male bloggers point of view?
The Longest Post in the History of Meanwhile
Since I’ve been writing Meanwhile… I’ve come across some long winded folks. None as long winded as Plok. He takes a while to get there, but he’s a smart guy and his posts are usually worth reading. Take his recent post on on comic companies looking towards other markets. It goes on for a while, but contains some gems within. Here’s the gist of his post to get you started…
Let me identify four main strands of comics-making and publishing decisions that (it seems to me) are at work in the marketplace today, running alongside or on top of the house styles of the Big Two. Four different characters of comic-book decision-making, if you will, that are analogous to four very general types of comics that sit on the shelves next to DC and Marvel titles, and which they must figure out how to compete with a little, but not too much…even as their presence on the shelves next to these probably serves to prop the whole direct-market house up in the first place.
He then goes on to identify these strands as The Fantagraphics model, the Image model, The Vertigo model, and The Nu-Marvel model.
Retro Magic
Ian Brill looks at a few series that have a retro feel, but new just the same.
This past Wednesday I picked up All-Star Superman #4, Casanova #1 and the trade paperback to Fear Agent (read the first issue). The books were all enjoyable, but reading one after another I started noticing something they all have in common. It’s something they share with Godland and perhaps other books I haven’t read yet.
I think this is what the always insightful Jim Roeg meant when he saw what was “hyperreal” about Godland. An audience absorbs an original work. Their reaction to it is mixed in with whatever emotional buttons that have been pushed. Now part of that audience has their own book that combine the most memorable bits of the original work in hopes to create a more refined type of storytelling.
Did You Know There Was a New Batwoman?
Kalinara is one of the few bloggers that I’ve seen comment on Kate Kane’s first appearance in 52.
I’ve read complaints about Kate being introduced first as Kate Kane rather than Batwoman, thus emphasizing her as the lesbian instead of the superhero, but I actually think this was the best way to go about it. With all the media buzz, Batwoman is already associated with lesbian. If they’d introduced her as Batwoman, it’d be a momentous scene that pulls the audience out of the story, it’d be more “See, THIS is the Batwoman you’re all talking about!” She’d feel more exposed, random, like a tacked on token lesbian to the Gotham superheroes.
Icing on the Cake
Chris from 2 Guys Buying Comics has come up with a pretty good metaphor for continuity, it’s just icing on the cake.
The way I see it, continuity is icing on the cake.
I have two meanings behind that sentence.
First, that continuity is more or less great to have when it’s there, but take it away and you’ll still have a reasonably good cake.
Second, who the hell wants to eat a cake without icing?
And therein lies the dilemma for DC and Marvel.
The Sensual MODOK
I tried to come up with another title for this link, but words failed me. There is no other title more appropriate than The Sensual MODOK. Readers beware, you will be scarred after visiting that link. I believe it happened to Malibu’s Ultraforce #1.
For a while, Malibu had top-tier talent working on their books, but after Marvel bought them, most of the experienced hands were shown the door and MC Hack and the Hackmasters took over many of the books. Some of the Malibu books were so awful that it makes you wonder if they weren’t deliberately run into the ground out of spite or contempt. Anybody who has read the final issues of Mantra will back me up on this.
For a while though, things looked good for Malibu. Case in point: Ultraforce #1, which was written by Gerard Jones, one of the more ubiquitous writers of the Nineties, with art by comics legend George Perez, who can draw rock very well.
Malibu could have been a contender if Marvel didn’t throw it all away. My personal favorite is James Robinson’s Firearm series.
Dave has collected all his Lame Ass Villain posts too.
An Alternate Take
Remember last week when I linked to The Absorbascon’s take on Rip Hunter’s lab in DC’s 52? Well this week we have an alternate take on the scene from Tom Foss who thinks it may herald the return of Mon-El.
It’s his one year bloggiversary too.
Strange Dr.Strange Sites
If you’re looking for Dr. Strange links your first stop should be Neilalien. He doesn’t fail us this week with quite a few links on the history of the strange doctor.
He also points us to a site looking into the inspiration for Dr.Strange’s costume. Could it have been swiped from The Vision?
Speaking of swipes and Dr.Strange. Sleestack has found a possible swipe in an old Dr. Strange issue.
Bald or Full Flowing Hair, Nothing In-Between
Where are the superheroes who are balding?
Look at male characters in comic books and what do you see? Most have of full heads of hair, but a few are strikingly bald.
Now take a look around at the men of the real world and what do you see? Many men have a full head of hair and there are a few who are completely bald (but not as many as in the comics), but a large number of men are losing their hair. Where are these balding men in the comic books? Few and far between.
Quick Hits
Fred Hembeck (Who needs permalinks on his site. See what you can do about that will ya Fred?) celebrated his twenty-seventh wedding anniversary on June 23rd. He’s one of the nicest people you’ll find on the internet.
Neil Klied got himself hitched! Congrats!
Jog Reviews All-Star Superman #4 and The Eternals #1
Sean Phillips has a blog!
Ye Olde Jimmy Olsen Week Begins!
Graphic Language interviews Chris Pitzer of Adhouse Books!
I’m not the only one who misses Dwayne McDuffie!
Renee’s Magic Cast! Watch it move in real time!
What Batman takes years to do, Moon Knight does in panels!
This just in! Superman is Creepy with a capital C!
You Will Believe a Dog Can Fly!
Pulp Goodness at The ISB! The Black Dwarf! The Bat!
CONTEST: BOOM! Sampler Winner Announced! Don’t forget to enter our own contest!
Illustration Site of The Week
This week’s site is the blog of Chris Wahl where you can watch him draw through the wonders of video. I particularly enjoyed the tutorials that can be found on his sidebar. Thanks to Drawn for pointing us to this wonderful site.
June 27th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
Heh…it was a bit long, wasn’t it? Many thanks for the kind proviso! I think that does it for me and marketing talk…woke up this morning with a post burning in my head about Disney but wisely quenched it…
June 27th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
No problem Plok, I enjoy reading about the marketing aspects of the business even if it is a bit long.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
You’re very welcome, Shane. I’m the guy who posted about Chris Wahl’s blog and his tutorials on Drawn! I was not familiar with Wahl’s work until I checked out his Illustration Friday entry for last week. I was very impressed. What amazes me here in his drawing movies is how he makes it look so stinkin’ easy!
June 28th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Thank you for showing my lists! I had a great time picking the men who made it, and spending a brief time in fantasy land trying to picture how it would all go down.
I think it would be a wonderful idea to see the men’s take on top 10 best and worst dates as well. I look forward to seeing who picks up the gauntlet and the end results.
Thank you for all the great links to other blogs around the internet. I found a few I hadn’t seen before.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:39 am
Ward- I’m glad video is getting easier to use on the web. We’re getting a lot of great illustration sites taking advantage of the technology to show off their techniques. Thanks again!
Heidi- It was a fun and unique feature. I enjoyed it and the fun you had making the list came out in the posts. I might try to do the men’s side of thing on my own blog if I have some spare time. Glad you found some sites you hadn’t seen before. A lot of times it’s the same people doing the same great writing every month, but I try to poke around every week and find a few new folks too.