Joe Pepitone, (a.k.a. JoepeP), Art Director at Archie Comics, has asked me to publicize the fact that Archie Comics has a New Fan Page!    

Which I am glad to do here in my Blog!  JoepeP tells me that besides Archie Comics just having changed their Company Name to 'Archie Comics', that they also have a new CEO, and recently announced that in the soon to be released Archie #600 that Archie Andrews finally proposes!

Whew!  That's a Lot of Changes all at once for a Company that has been around since 1939!

JoepeP is asking all Fans of Archie Comics to come visit them at their New Fan Page and 'Become A Member' there.   

You can view the Fan Page and 'Become A Member' by checking out the following:  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ARCHIE-COMICS/91179009524

JoepeP and others at Archie Comics will be adding more content to the Fan Page on a daily basis, including photos of all of their graphic novels, trade paperback compiliations, and more!

Of course there will be discussion threads, trivia questions, and more fun stuff!  So I invite you to follow up on JoepeP's invitation to check out the NEW Archie Comics Fan Page!

I've mentioned before that I started reading comics quite a while ago, (late 1950's), and of course Archie Comics were part of the mix.  My wife Tina grew up around Archie Comics among her friends back in New Jersey.  My daughter enjoyed the Sabrina Comic Series that was published during the Melissa Joan Hart years on the Sabrina TV Show.  My older sons collected the TMNT Archie Adventure Series.  And my youngest son recently blogged about the Sonic the Hedgehog TPB that he read from Archie Comics.  So it's definitely been a 'Family Affair' with Archie Comics during the years here at Make It So Marketing!

BTW, here at Make It So Marketing's Blog, we post daily on comics and pop culture news and events.  Check out our daily blog posts, new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale including ARCHIE Comics in our online eBay Featured Store! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!!  

I just had to tell my blog readers about this great looking 'Action Figure' that was just released...   From Jay Piscopo & Nemo Publishing!  Jay Piscopo is a good Facebook Friend of mine, and I have been watching what he has been doing with his creations both in print, video and toys.

And yeah, upon closer look at the 'action figure' above, you'll notice that it really is a  Mego-Style 'doll'... And so what?  I still have my hard to find Mego Mister Fantastic in my collection after all these years, (even tho I've listed it for sale)!

So what exactly is this Commander X Western Knight item?  Well, it  is a limited edition, Mego-style, eight-inch collectible action figure available for sale exclusively on the Nemo Publishing company’s website, http://www.captneli.com/.  Would you believe that the 'Western Knight' is the third variant in the Commander X collection and there are many others in the works?   Must be a heck of a graphic novel series to warrant that much attention!

Okay, so now you ask who is Commander X??  Well, he is an integral character in Jay Piscopo’s all-ages graphic novel series, "The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n Eli," which are written and illustrated by Jay Piscopo and printed by Nemo Publishing.

The character Commander X is really an amnesiac who has been sent from the future to save the earth from inevitable destruction!  No kidding!  He is based on the Depression-era heroes of the comic book and movie serials of the 1930s, and in my opinion he definitely fits that style in looks!  

I mentioned earlier that the action figure is created in a retro-style reminiscent of figures made by the Mego Corporation in the 1970s.  Mego itself has a large cult following that sparked the initial creation of this limited edition collectible series.  There has been an ongoing trend toward nostalgia and a rising interest in old favorites that bring back childhood memories of a simpler time.  Mego itself is one of those old favorites that envoke better times for many collectors.

Jay Piscopo says that "the core concept behind 'The Undersea Adventures of Capt’n El'" series and the Commander X character in particular is to draw from the best elements of traditional Americana and update classic themes of the old adventure comic strips for a new audience".

Now that you know who Commander X is and what he is doing as an action figure the next question question is how do You get one? And for how much?

The  limited edition Commander X eight-inch Mego–style action figures currently available are The Golden Age Commander X and the 1950’s Commander X. Each figure is $19.95 plus shipping.  Photos of those action figures can be viewed at this link: http://www.captneli.com/cmmdrinfo.php

For more info on this graphic novel series created by Jay Piscopo, please see his web site at:  http://www.captneli.com/ 

Here at Make It So Marketing's Blog, we post daily on comics and pop culture news and events.  Check out our daily blog posts, new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale including retro style Graphic Novel and Comics in our online Store! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!!  

I recently became Facebook Friends with Dr. Paul Shackley...   When I went to his profile and info pages I noticed that he had authored several articles that he placed online.  

One that really jumped out at me was his article on "Getting Superman Right".  It was too long in its entirety to reprint here.  I asked him if he could condense it to fit a blog post, which he graciously did.  The results are posted below to share this work of his.  My thanks to Dr. Shackley for permission to post this in my Blog. 

Extract From 'Getting Superman Right'

By Dr. Paul Shackley

Why do Kryptonians exactly resemble white North Americans? One answer would be that superheroes, like gods, are myths, therefore resemble their creators. They are made in our image. This answer is basically sound. Anyone writing a new Superman story must accept the absurd premise of humanoid extraterrestrials as part of the established myth. However, thoughtful versions of the story rationalise its absurd elements. Superman is sf-based, not fantasy-based. His origin is extraterrestrial, not supernatural. The very first episode explained his superhuman feats scientifically, not magically. I offer below two alternative answers to the above question: Kryptonians are either descendants of terrestrials or a fiction within the fiction.

The Last Son of Krypton

The Kryptonian god, Rao, a powerful superior being associated with an old red giant star, presided over a large planet with a dense atmosphere. Rock-hard plants grew on the surface and a few almost un-killable animals lived on a plateau where the atmosphere was breathable by terrestrials although other conditions, like gravity, climate and visibility, were hostile. Rao rescued shipwrecked terrestrials, placed them on the plateau and oversaw their evolution so that they increased their strength, endurance and visual range while retaining their human form.

In order to survive, the Kryptonians, as they now were, developed the physical sciences but not evolutionary theory because they were clearly not related to Kryptonian animals which had different facial features, number of limbs, body chemistry etc. Therefore, the Kryptonians believed that they had been created on Krypton by Rao whom they simply identified with their red giant sun. This explains why the Science Council and the Raoist priesthood were the dual authorities in the later cities of Kryptonopolis, Kandor and Argo.

Rao’s aim was to generate a hero who would escape to Earth when Krypton exploded. Indoctrinated by recordings in his spaceship, Kal-El is conscious of his heroic mission but adopts a human guise while on Earth. This Superman joins other cosmically powerful beings in the Justice League. He flies through space in the Solar System, survives unprotected trips through hyperspace and the time stream and will live through an indefinite future, roaming the galaxy after completing his terrestrial superhero career.

In Superman: Last Son of Krypton, a novel by Elliot S. Maggin, human beings have spread to various planets, we are not told from where. On Krypton, “…two stranded space wanderers found each other…” and began to populate the planet. (1)

Because of the “monstrous” gravity, drastically changeable weather and poor visibility:

“The race’s physiology was subtly altered while outward appearances changed very little…” (2)

With denser muscles, sharper reflexes, broader perceptions and wider optical capacity but unchanged appearance, Maggin rationalises Superman’s human appearance and superhuman powers. (3) However, I think that outward appearances would change under such conditions unless Rao controlled the adaptations.

My “Last Son of Krypton” scenario is an adaptation of Maggin’s.

The Smallville Angel

In the Smallville TV series, green meteors, accompanying Kal-El’s spaceship to Earth, harm him but give terrestrials strange powers. In my second alternative version, there was no spaceship. The meteors gave more powers to Clark Kent because his pregnant mother, Martha, was at Ground Zero but not directly hit by any of the meteors. Clark, either acting from a distance or moving too quickly to be seen, averts disasters and rescues accident victims, thus giving rise to the story of the “Smallville Angel”. Since he is occasionally glimpsed running impossibly fast, there is also a legend of “the Superboy” but no one produces any photographs and the sightings are never verified.

Working at the Metropolis Daily Planet, the adult Clark, now able to fly, still uses his powers secretly but prepares for the day when he will be seen in action. By changing his voice, stooping slightly, pushing his hair back, dressing conservatively and wearing large distracting glasses, Clark conceals any resemblance to the figure he presents when, in casual dress, he flies or uses super strength.

He notices in the Planet a comic strip about Superman. This fictitious costumed character is strong and fast but does not fly and has neither visual powers nor a secret identity. He came as a child from the fictitious planet Krypton and was brought up by an unnamed couple who taught him to use his powers for good, as Jonathan and Martha Kent had done for Clark. Clark seeks out the reclusive author/artist of the strip who turns out to be his friend from Smallville, Peter Ross. Pete not only saw the Superboy but recognized him as Clark and based Superman on him.

The Planet has a promotion in which an actor wears a Superman costume. Seeing with X-ray and telescopic vision that, on the second or third day of the promotion, the actor has been delayed and will arrive late, Clark removes his glasses, pulls his hair forward, dons the costume and poses in the Planet foyer. Some colleagues walk past and may even look directly at him but do not initially recognize Clark’s face without glasses above the colourful costume. He experiments with a deeper voice and colleagues in earshot do not turn towards him.

Before anyone does recognize him, his visual powers and super-hearing tell him that an airliner is about to crash on Metropolis and he flies to the rescue. He moves at super-speed, does not wait for thanks or applause and also vibrates his face at super-speed in order to blur any films or photographs. Thus, he is not recognized and continues to operate in a superhero identity. The Planet staff finds that its fictitious character has come to life but is as puzzled as everyone else. Superman is only ever glimpsed moving very fast at a distance with a blurred face. No one suspects that he has a secret identity as the Gotham City vigilante must.

When Ross leaves the strip, other writers and artists base it on the real Superman so there are different versions of the character. One version is even more powerful than the real superhero and his Kryptonian background, involving the god Rao, is developed. Later, Superman rescues Lois Lane. She interviews him but does not immediately suspect any connection with her colleague, Kent.

This Superman can fly to the Moon and back if he fills his lungs with oxygen but cannot remain conscious indefinitely in a vacuum. To travel to other stars or times he needs a spaceship or a time machine like anyone else. He spends a lot of time in his Kent identity and as an investigative reporter in places like Iraq. He believes very strongly that he must use his powers to help but not to change society. (Maybe the powers fail if he tries?)

He opposes injustice but also accepts legal constraints on his actions and therefore is conservative on questions like the justice of the current war. He does not join the war on either side but awaits the decision of an international court and then expects the authorities to act appropriately. He investigates Luthor but this takes a long time. He dies in action and is commemorated by a large statue with out-flung cloak and an eagle on the shoulder in Centennial Park. We see life continue without him.

(Several aspects of this scenario are based on John Byrne’s revision of the character.)

Crossovers between the Two Versions?

Never. Maybe one Superman reads about the other as a fictitious character. There was an old Superman story about a villain who could animate newspaper comic strip characters long enough for them to help him commit robberies but that seems a bit far-fetched.

Please Note:  The Above Extract is copyrighted by Dr. Paul Shackley.  He is interested in anyone's comments. For the full article and Dr. Paul Shackley's other articles, including "Getting The Justice League Right", please see those and his email contact info at his web site:  http://www.zen118085.zen.co.uk/general/index.htm 

Here at Make It So Marketing's Blog, we post daily on comics and pop culture news and events.  Check out our daily blog posts, new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale including Steve Ditko Comics in our online Store! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!!  

About this time of year I start getting excited about attending my favorite comic con...   Yeah, it's the one we older fans still call the San Diego Comic Con, (SDCC) although the name has been changed to 'Comic Con International', (CCI).

I've blogged about the early history of this comic con in the past, but I'll repeat a little history of it that ties in with my earliest years at this con...

There was an initial mini-con that was a one day affair held March 1970 to raise funds for the then upcoming 3-day con.  I did not know of this mini-con and thus did not attend.

The 1st 'true' SDCC, then called the Golden State Comic-Con was held August 1st-3rd 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego.

I heard about this very late from a co-worker at the San Diego Zoo who knew I was into comics, and was able to attend on the last day, late in the day, after leaving work early. My memories of this event are not totally clear as it was my first realization that there were actually comics fans like me in the San Diego area!  That was a shock! Total approximate account of attendees was 300, yes only 300!

The 2nd SDCC, still called the Golden State Comic-Con, was held in 1971 at Muir College, UCSD Campus in San Diego. I was still working at the San Diego Zoo, had completed my first year at college, and either did not hear about the Con, or was too busy working.  Additionally the 'North' San Diego area where UCSD was not in my normal area of traveling to.  I had a more 'provincial' attitude in those days.  Heck, North San Diego was considered a long way off from the South Bay where I lived, even though gas was like 25 cents a gallon???  Attendance at the 2nd Con was approximately 800 persons.

Long time blog readers will then know that I first set up at this comic back in 1972 when I bought out another dealer at the Con when it was held at the El Cortez Hotel.  This Con was the 3rd San Diego's West Coast Comic-Con, (renamed), and was held August 18-20th, 1972.  

The following year I paid for a table early and exhibited when the Con was held at the Sheraton Hotel on Harbor Island in San Diego.  It was this 4th con when it was renamed to the 'San Diego Comic Con'.

Well, the reason I am blogging down memory lane this morning is because the Comic Con International has decided to also write about its' history!  With a 40 Year History to draw from, the Con has released info on the book it has available for pick-up at this Year's Con.

Here is a little bit on what the book is about: 

"The massive 208-page, 9x12 full-color book features over 620 images from the 40-year history of Comic-Con. Most of the art has not been seen since its initial publication in Comic-Con's program and souvenir books, and the majority of the photos have never been seen outside of the Comic-Con archives. And sprinkled throughout the book are quotes and observations from leading professionals in comics, movies, and television, commenting on their own experiences at the show.

The whole package is capped off with an amazing new full-color wraparound cover by one of Comic-Con's favorite special guests: Sergio Aragonés. Masterfully colored by Tom Luth!

Advance sale books are $31.99 and includes CA Sales tax, but are only available to those attending Comic-Con 2009 and must be picked up on site during the convention. Unfortunately at this time Comic-Con cannot ship the book. All orders for pick up must be received by Monday, July 13, 2009.

Books will also be for sale at Comic-Con (provided books are still available) for the cover price of $40.00 + CA Sales tax."

Trust me on this one folks... This is will be a book You will treasure for year if You have ever been part of this Con's 40 Years of history! What a keepsake this will be!

For more info on the Comic Con International, including how to pre-order and pick up the book at the con, please see the web site at:  http://www.comic-con.org

Here at Make It So Marketing's Blog, we post daily on comics and pop culture news and events.  Check out our daily blog posts, new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale including Steve Ditko Comics in our online Store! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!!