Sometimes when at conventions, Tina and I are handed copies of comics or other publications that are either one-shots or a single issue of a mini-series...

One such issue of a mini-series that I wanted to find out more about was issue #3 of Richard  F Roszko's mini-series, 'Dreadnought Invasion Six', which was distributed at the 2009 Comic Con International: San Diego (SDCC).

I normally don't like coming into a mini-series in the second or third issue of a mini-series, but since it was handed to me I felt I should read it, but not necessarily review / blog about it.

Well, this issue was pretty darn good, considering I came into the third act of the mini-series!

I checked out where I could pick up more of this series, and found out that the creator distributed the last of the hard copies at the 2009 SDCC!   Even at his web site, he refers potential buyers of this mini-series to sellers on eBay that have it listed!  Only problem is... All 4 issues are Not currently listed for sale!

So, as I like to share 'new' comics / graphic novels that grab my interest with my blog readers, I thought I would mention this mini-series in my Blog today.

There is a Facebook Fan Page that was started for this mini-series at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dreadnought-Invasion-Six/35491499704?v=wall

Where the following is written about the series:

"TalcMedia Productions was founded by Richard F. Roszko of Illinois. Rick originally came up with the concept of Dreadnought: Invasion Six for production as a film.

The storyline, (at least for issue #3), was well written by Richard F Roszko.  The end page made me want to pursue looking for the next issue; it was that well written.  The pencils and inks by Guillermo Sanna were well illustrated especially as there was a lot of text copy involved.  The colors by Maria Laura fit the tone of this issue.  Lettering by Khari Sampson was well placed, not detracting at all from the artwork, even though there quite a bit of dialogue.  

This issue was dated May 2008 and was the first printing.  As stated above the creator / publisher no longer has hard copies for sale. However you can check out his web site for more info on this series at: http://www.dreadnoughtseries.com/

I haven't communicated with the creator of this series, but it appears it probably had its' beginning on the 'Drunk Duck' web site which is where several independent comics get started.  Issue #1 of the mini-series was released in February 2008 and distributed by Diamond Comics.

There are also videos at the TalcMedia Press web site, where they have created sample videos for a 'flash version e-comic'.  You can also find those at YouTube.

There is also a feature length screenplay that is available from the representation company - Jeff Ross Entertainment.

The Press Release has the following for the concept of the series:

"Set in the distant future, space travel is routine. The newly-wedded
Lord Commodore Ranor Broxton of the Space Cruiser Orius and Lady
Alianna Broxton of the Planet Pirene Garrison are spearheading an
exploration to an uncharted nebula for territorial expansion. They are
eager to begin as it's their first joint mission since they were married.
But before Ranor can join Alianna, invaders strike and decimate her
remote outpost."

It appears that there was a 'big push' for this mini-series during the 2008 comic convention season, as this mini-series was represented at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the New York Comic Con.

Unfortunately I had not seen this publication during that season.  As anyone know that goes to these cons, a person can't see everything... they are usually 'bigger than Disneyland' in what could be seen at each Con!  From what I could see from the con pics at their web site, their booth at the 2008 SDCC was in the small press section of the exhibit hall.

Again, I'm only mentioning this as a topic in my Blog today because I normally only blog about publications that either got my interest enough to blog about it, or that are unique enough or have some other quality to spend the time on writing about it!

Also, it appears that the publisher is going to go 'electronic' in the future. So if you can't find all the issues in hard copy, there is a possiblity / probability that you'll be able to read the issue in some other format down the road...

BTW.... Whereas we don't have all four issues of this mini-series for sale here at Make It So Marketing, we do have a few copies left of issue #3 in our own online store.  While there, please check out our other new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!  We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films in both versions of our Blog!  

~ Michael @  http://www.comicbookcollectorsblog.com/

Monday of this week I went to Stephanie Buscema's Facebook Page to post a picture of her grandfather holding my copy of the Fantastic Four #300 that he had personalized to me back in 2001...

It was at that time I found out that Stephanie was enroute to the airport in Barcelona, Spain, to travel to a Special Exhibition starring her Grandfather's works in the city of Palma, Spain.  

This is what I found at her Facebook Wall about what had brought her to fly to Spain:

"There's actually an exhibition of my Grandfather's art in Palma, Mallorca at Casal Solleric. The translated show info can be found here:

Population: Palma de mallorca Palma de Mallorca
Centro: Center: Casal Solleric Casal Solleric
Dirección: Address: Passeig del Born, 27 Passeig del Born, 27
Fechas: Dates: del 17 de septiembre al 8 de noviembre September 17 to November 8

John Buscema (New York, 1927-2002) was attracted to the comics as a child, and copying the cartoons of Alex Raymond, Hal Foster, Burne Hogarth and Elzie Segar.

Guió sus primeros pasos hacia la ilustración comercial dada de su evidente capacidad para el dibujo realista de la figura humana tras dejarse influenciar por los clásicos (los europeos Rubens, Monet, Renoir, Rafael, y los yanquis Al Dorne, Dean Cornwell, Norman Rockwell y Robert Fawcett).

He led his first steps into commercial illustration because of its obvious ability for drawing realistic human figure after being influenced by the classics (the Europeans Rubens, Monet, Renoir, Raphael, and the Yankees Al Dorne, Dean Cornwell, Norman Rockwell and Robert Fawcett).

Stephanie Buscema is a grandaughter of Big John.  Here is a little bit about Stephanie, taken from her web site:

Stephanie is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist from Brooklyn, New York. Since 1998, she has worked on everything from comics and children's books to rock'n'roll art and gallery exhibitions. Growing up on a heavy dosage of comic books, early animation, 1950's-60's horror/sci-fi movies and punk rock helped fuel the creative fire at a young age.

Starting out as an inker for her grandfather, John Buscema, Stephanie learned how to make traditional sequential art with brushes and without computers. Being exposed to the art of Milton Caniff, Jack Kirby, Mary Blair (and about a hundred other inspirations) she longed to expand her skill and learn how to paint the traditional way. Soon, she became infatuated with mid-century advertisements, design and illustration.

You can find more about her at her web site:

http://www.stephaniebuscema.com 

I wish Stephanie a fun time at the exhibition in Palma, Spain.  It is very good that her grandfather's works are being shown world wide!  For those Europeans that are reading this Blog Post, You might want to stop reading this for a moment and add this event to your calendar to see!  Be aware that you only have until November 8th 2009 to see this!

BTW.... Whereas we don't have a special exhibition of Big John's works here at Make It So Marketing, we do have several back issues of John's comics and magazines, (plus his brother's Sal Buscema's comics), in our own online store. Plus please check out our other new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!  We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

As most of this Blog's regular readers know...

I've been around comics for most of my life.  Starting back in the mid to late 1950's when I first started reading them, and then with issue #72 of Journey Into Mystery, (cover dated September 1961), which started me truly 'collecting' them instead of just reading them!

I've also been very lucky to have attended several comic conventions, shows, or store signings during the years, where I have met comics creators.  

However, there are many creators that I've never met or seen.  Which is why fanzines or prozines that are devoted to comics creators or comics history make good reading for me.  Additionally those fanzines that are devoted to writing on just one comics creator always attract my attention.  

The above pictured fanzine edited by Michael Vance is one that after reading it proved to be blog worthy.  Michael worked with Grass Green on the three stories that are published in this first issue.

For those that are not familar with Richard 'Grass' Green, here is a brief bio from Wikipedia:

"Richard 'Grass' Green (May 7, 1939 – August 5, 2002) was an African American cartoonist notable for being the first black participant in both the 1960s fan art movement and the 1970s underground comics movement.  Popular creations included Xal-Kor the Human Cat and Wildman and Rubberroy. In the 1960s, Green's Harvey Kurtzman-like zany, action-packed, humorous comics parodies appeared in numerous fanzines. His "outrageous" 1970s and 1980s underground work used searing humor to expose America's racism and bigotry.

Hailing from South Bend, Indiana, Green was given the nickname "Grass" by his childhood friend Ronn Foss (with whom he later collaborated in Alter Ego).  Beginning in 1964, Green's fan art quickly became sought out, and his work appeared in zines like Alter Ego, Star-Studded Comics, Fantasy Illustrated, The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom, Rocket's Blast Comicollector, Komix Illustrated, Super-Hero, and Masquerader.

In 1967, Green broke into the professional comics world, collaborating with Roy Thomas on "The Shape" in Charlton Premiere #1. In the late 1960s, Green drew several more humorous strips for Charlton Comics, mostly in Go-Go Comics. (He also had work published in witzend.) He then became involved in the underground comix movement, where his work was published in Super Soul Comix and a Wildman and Rubberroy series. In the 1990s, Green produced work for among other places Eros Comics."

I had seen several stories during the years in other fanzines that were illustrated by Grass Green, but had never seen the three stories reprinted in this first issue.  (There are a lot of regional comic strips or cartoons that have not been published even yet for mainstream reading.)

Here is Jim's advertising blurb for this first issue:

Features the work of comic fandom legend, the late Richard "Grass" Green, in a publication lovingly compiled by his equally talented co-worker, Michael Vance. The book is comprised of material the two did together from the "Holiday Out" comic series, which is wildly outrageous.  

OK, I'll take it from there...

First off, even though I may enjoy fanzines like this one, I do realize that they are not for everyone.  This is a 28 page fanzine, and thus cannot go into 'depth' in just one issue on Grass Green's vast amount of comics work.  And this issue was not meant to.  It is however a good representation of the work that Grass did with Michael Vance.  Plus the stories are from publications that did not have mass publishing, so most people would not have seen these stories before. Which adds to the 'reading value' in my opinion.

Also, the inside cover text, where Michael Vance writes about his collaborations with Grass is informative and does present a good introduction for the three stories presented within. 

I believe that this is a good beginning for a series of issues devoted to Grass Green.  The price is right for a first issue, and the shipping charge is reasonable.  If you are already a fan of Grass Green, then this would be a good fanzine to see more of his work.  If you are new to his work, then it would be an interesting start to see just a little of what Grass illustrated, in this case on stories with Michael Vance.

I thank Michael Vance for putting together this first issue.  And to Jim Main that published this fanzine.  This is just 1 of the 48 publications that Jim has published that are currently listed for sale in his online store!

Details on this issue as follows:

Cost of this issue is: $2.95 plus 1.35 shipping.
$4.30 per issue postpaid in the USA.  Personal checks only, with checks made out to Jim Main.  Jim's web site to order is at:   http://www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com/  

Unfortunately we don't have many back issues of Jim's comics or magazines in our own online store at this time... However, Please check out our other new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!  We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com