Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents Our Take On... The 2012 Free Comic Book Day  As Seen In North San Diego County, California (Green & Purple Areas)!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3643 -  My youngest son, Vinnie, and I went to six different LCBS (Local Comic Book Shops) in North San Diego County on Saturday to see how they were celebrating the 2012 Free Comic Book Day.

Vinnie has already written his blog, so I am going to just add on my comments after each of the LCBS that he mentions in order of visitation!

(Vinnie) This past Saturday, as you may know, was 'FCBD' (Free Comic Book Day), and my dad and I stopped and visited 6 of the North County area 'LCBS' (Local Comic Book Shops) in search for free comics. By the way, when I say 'limit', I'm talking per person, not per purchase, or anything else.

1) Our first stop was at the 'Comics N' Stuff' in a shopping mall in Escondido. They had opened three weeks prior, and as such, had no FCBD comics to give out. They did, however, give away their own stock of prior FCBD comics, which I found was very kind. They hadn't ordered their FCBD comics because they weren't sure if they would be set up in time for the event. They had a limit of 1 FCBD comics, which was on the low end throughout the stores we visited. I give the shop a 7.5 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.

(Michael) This location is in the North County Fair (mall), close to the Sears building.  I had called to see if they were in business.  (They were.) Limit of 1 FCBD comic book prior to 2012.  No Rating (N/R) for this store as they weren't celelbrating the 2012 FCBD event.

2) The second stop in our trip was at another newly opened shop, this time about a week or so old, also in Escondido. The shop's name is 'Superheroes in Training'. The owner, and staff, were all very friendly and welcoming, and made the experience light and joyful. The limit at this place was the second highest we found, with 4 per person. I feel they deserve an 8.5.

(Michael) The owner, Mike, had his brand new store set up and ready to go.  After talking with him, I found that the store fixtures came from Comic Gallery, the three store chain that recently went out of business.  This LCBS is on 78 on the Ash Street side.  Limit of 4 FCBD comics.  I'd give this store an 8.5 Very Fine Plus (VF+) for its FCBD event.

3) 'Invincible Ink,' our third stop was very welcoming. Upon entering, you would meet 'Captain Spider' as he called himself, a super hero who stroke quite an amazing resemblance to Spider Man and Captain America... we shall do further questioning! The owner allowed everyone to take 5 comics, being the highest limit. With the amount of comics, and the atmosphere of the place, I think they get a 9.0.

(Michael) In the previous years of FCBD, I would see this store near the last of the day, so it was different seeing it before 12 noon in San Marcos.  Several customers were there to get the 2012 FCBD editions, of which the limit was 5 FCBD comics.  I give this event at this LCBS a Very Fine / Near Mint (VF/NM) 9.0 comic book grade.

4) Our next stop had quite the setup. 'Sky High Comics'  in Carlsbad had set up a panel of people who would sign your free comics. The signing started at 12:00, but unfortunately, as we had to head on to the next stop, we couldn't wait for it to begin. As they had something no other store had, an activity, I think they deserve a 9.0.

(Michael)  Friendly shopkeeper with a limit of 3 FCBD editions.  The smallish store had several patrons. The event was to hold five persons for signings, with one group already there. That was the group from Crimson Vision Studios, and you can see their free comic book offering here. I give this LCBS a Very Fine / Near Mint (VF/NM) 9.0 comic book grade.

5) The fifth stop, another 'Comics N' Stuff' in a Carlsbad mall, was quite honestly, not too impressive. The comics you could get were limited to 1, and there wasn't really anything else to promote it. I honestly think it deserves a 6.5.

(Michael) No FCBD banner, and the comic book stand was behind the sales counter where you could point to which one you wanted.  After spending several dollars there, the limit was one FCBD comic book...!  My grade for this, a Fine Minus (F-) 5.5.

6) Our sixth and final stop was at 'Big Steven's Comic Kitchen'. The shop was quite cramped, and didn't feel too welcoming. You were limited to 3 comics, and because we arrived here around 1:00, most were already gone. That isn't Steven's fault that people already came and took most of them. However, he put out other comics to fill the void, but they were all new, coverless issues. I feel that was pretty tacky, I mean, there surely had to be some $1 comics around there to pass out instead of coverless comics. Another 6.5 here.

(Michael) There was a limit of 3 FCBD comics at the front counter to choose from.  Plus as Vinnie said above, several coverless comics that were being made available.   No outside signage on the wall that the FCBD event was even going on.   A Fine Plus (F+) 6.5 here.

(Vinnie) Honestly, I do think it was worth it to visit all of the shops. I think the one I'd definitely make sure to go to if I only had time for one would be 'Sky High Comics' simply because it was a welcoming atmosphere, and they had a couple of special guests to sign the books. Taking this day to visit all of them was quite fun, and I am glad I attended these LCBS.

(Michael) Thanks to Vinnie for writing his blog and to those owners / staff at the six LCBS that we attended for the 2012 FCBD in North San Diego County!   I believe that we hit all of the stores that are considered 'LCBS'.  If we didn't and you know of others, feel free to tell me at my Facebook Fan Page, 'Michael D Hamersky On Comics'!

Please note:  The photos for this FCBD will be shown at this link at my 'Michael D Hamersky on Comics' Facebook Fan Page!

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,642 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,736 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Loca8' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' that I am shown holding to the left. I'm 1 of 14 essayists in that book! !     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents Our Take On... The Avengers   The 2012 Film From Marvel Studios / Walt Disney  Pictures!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3642 -  We are just back from viewing The Avengers film, from Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures!

The three of us, Tina, Vinnie, and myself have our reviews starting here:

Tina:  Review: Avengers Assemble for a Box Office Blow-out!

Nick Fury has been showing up after the credits of Marvel movies for years now. In The Avengers, he finally makes the first act. It was weird, but Samuel L. Jackson can make anything work (even those tentacles in The Spirit).

As The Avengers opens all hell is breaking loose at the super-secret Area 51-ish S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. The alien power source of a big glowing cube, the Tesseract, has been activated, Thor’s evil brother, Loki appears and quickly enslaves Hawkeye and the scientist in charge of the Tesseract (Stellan Skarsgård from Thor). They escape as the facility implodes.

From this rousing beginning, the pace slows as each member of the Avengers is enlisted to fight Loki. Fury attempts to assemble the group which only leads to fighting between the members. It becomes a movie version of What If? Comics with Thor fighting Iron Man, and Captain America stepping in. Later we get even more in-fighting as The Hulk goes bonkers after Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Thor fights The Hulk, and Scarlett (I couldn't stop seeing Black Widow as Scarlet, my bad) fights Hawkeye. After a key death (which I'm ticked off about), the Avengers truly assemble to fight as one.

The final showdown takes place in my birthplace and the city most victimized by super-hero and disaster films: New York. Fortunately, the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty are spared, but beautiful Grand Central Station takes a beating and the Chrysler Building gets lit up. This crop of New Yorkers pales compared to the natives in the Spider-Man trilogy, but I was amused to see people still out in the street and seemingly hanging around a hot dog cart more than halfway through the battle. Those must be some dogs!

While the evil alien army looks formidable (and gross - why do movie aliens always look like insects?!), they crumble at any strike by our heroes. They descend in legions, but our team, led by Captain America, destroy them one after another.

What did we love about The Avengers besides The Hulk slamming Loki back and forth like a rag doll? Lots of story and character development especially for the heroes who are new to the franchise. And, the best Hulk I've ever seen, and I've seen them all. I suffered through the Ang Lee version, was turned off by the ginormous Hulk in the Edward Norton movies, and slept through Michael's re-viewing of the tv series. This Hulk was by far the best - expressive and impressive - and Ruffalo does a stellar job as Banner.

Director Whedon does a fine job of balancing the characters and not allowing RDJ to run away with it; however, I could have used more Thor (I'll never get enough of that hunk) and a little less running around the S.H.I.E.L.D. ship/aircraft. Otherwise I'm happy with The Avengers - except for that key death. Still pissed about that.

My rating: 9.0 Very Fine / Near Mint (VF/NM)

Vinnie:   Today my dad, Tina, and I went to see 'The Avengers' in the theater.

The movie, being that it was about super heroes, was quite action packed. When The Avengers weren't fighting baddies, they were constantly quarreling. The only time they ever really fought anyone besides themselves was at the end, which I will not be spoiling.

I didn't actually have a favorite character- they were all played very well by their respective actors, and I think they were perfect for their roles.

The movie was quite humorous, and two scenes really come to mind as perfect example. One of the funny scenes was when Loki was speaking to the Hulk, commanding him to bow down to him, when suddenly the Hulk picks him up and repeatedly thrashes him into the ground.

The other funny scene in mind was near the ending, when Captain America was directing orders to all of the Avengers, when he looks at the Hulk and says, 'Hulk... smash,' and the Hulk gets a big grin on his face and leaps up and grabs onto buildings and throws down the enemies hanging on said buildings.

I really enjoyed the movie, and I would definitely recommend you watch all the Avengers personal movies, seeing as I had no clue what Thor had to do with the story until later on in the plot, considering I haven't seen the movie. Anyway, I give 'The Avengers' a 9.0 out of 10.0 grade scale, a Very Fine / Near Mint, (VF/NM). 

Michael:   This film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just seen by the three of us!  I decided to post what Tina and Vinnie had first.

My thoughts are as follows:

The film was a bit long, but it didn't matter to me, as I was captured by the action!

This link will take you to the Wikipedia entry for the film.  Please note:  That link tells a lot about the film, so if you don't want to know, then don't read it before seeing the film!

The storyline was pretty good.  The dialogue was pretty good.  The action, scenery, and CGI were all pretty good.

Here's my take on the actors in the major parts:

Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:  A little more smart ass in this film than in Iron Man I & II.  Which was okay, as in the scenes with 'Pepper Potts' / (Gwyneth Paltrow), it was more lovey dovey.

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:  I loved the Captain America: First Avenger film.  Chris was pretty good in this film also. 

Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / Hulk:  What... the third actor to play Bruce Banner?!  Not that exciting, but the Hulk was toned down a bit for this film, which was okay with me.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor:   Still totally amazed as to how well Chris plays the Mighty Thor!  Great job here!

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:  More film time in this flick.  Which kind of showed something a little lacking... but can't put my finger on it at this time...

Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye:  I like Hawkeye in the older comic books.  I actually like Jeremy as Hawkeye here in this film, after a cameo shot in the Thor film.  Good job!

Tom Hiddleston as Loki:   You know, when Tom transforms to his Loki clothing with the horned helmet... He really looks like the Loki in the older comic books!  And he plays the villain very well.  Kudos to Tom!

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury:  This film really has a lot of Samuel in several scenes.  Although I'm not overly pleased with changing Nick from white to black, Samuel does a good job in this role.

Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill:  Does a more than capable job in this role.  Not familar with her though.

Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson:    You know, I like Clark in the Marvel films... And he a very good role in this film.

Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig:   I know that this character was needed, but didn't see more than that to the role.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts: Nice sort of cameo role in the film.  Enjoyed seeing her in this film!

So... I'm going to give this film a 9.4 Near Mint (NM) comic book grade.  It was worthwhile seeing, and I suggest if you liked the other films in this Marvel Cinematic Universe, that you get to the Big Screen near your place to see it!

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,641 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,736 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Loca8' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' that I am shown holding to the left. I'm 1 of 14 essayists in that book! !     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On... Mouse Guard, Labyrinth And Other Stories The Free Comic Book Day 2012 Book From Archaia Entertainment!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3641 -  I just received a copy of the hardcover book from Archaia Entertainment, which is one of ten of the 'Gold Books 2012' that could be available at a LCBS (Local Comic Books Shop) near you this Saturday, May 5th!

This little book is titled:  'Mouse Guard, Labyrinth And Other Stories'.

What is it about?   Here's the publisher's promo on that:

"Publisher: ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT LLC
(W/A) Jeremy Bastian & Various (CA) David Peterson
(W) Jeremy Bastian, Nate Cosby, Royden Lepp, Jim McCann, Ted Naifeh, David Petersen (A) Jeremy Bastian, Chris Eliopoulos, Cory Godbey, Janet Lee, Royden Lepp and David Petersen
(C) David Petersen

This Free Comic Book Day, Archaia offers readers the chance to experience history in the making with a FREE, gorgeous, 48-page, 6" x 9" full-color original anthology hardcover featuring all-new material! David Petersen returns with an all-new Mouse Guard tale that's guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings! Lose yourself once again in Jim Henson's amazing world of Labyrinth, featuring a fantastical story from Eisner Award-nominee Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin) and Cory Godbey (Fraggle Rock). Get a new perspective on Jet Jones in Royden Lepp's critically acclaimed Rust, with a short story seen through the eyes of younger brother Oswald Taylor. Jeremy Bastian's acclaimed Cursed Pirate Girl hits the high seas in this whimsical, swashbuckling tale of wonderland journeys and unimaginable dangers. Nate Cosby (Pigs) and Chris Eliopoulos (Franklin Richards) present Cow Boy, a comedy/western that tells the tale of a young bounty hunter determined to send his entire outlaw family to jail. And Jim McCann and Janet Lee follow up their Eisner Award-winning Return of the Dapper Men with an all-new short story that leads into the upcoming sequel, Time of the Dapper Men. Witness the origin of a new, major character! And...the return of 41?!"

So what's 'My Take' on this book?

Well... The book has six stories in it.

Both my youngest son and I have review blogged other 'Mouse Guard' publications here before. On page 5 of the book 'The Tale of Baldwin the Brave' starts, and ends on page 12.  It is a cute little tale, and I enjoyed reading it!

Page 13 had the start of the Labyrinth story:  Hoggle and the Worm. Which lasted till page 18.  I found this story to be okay... Just O.K. 

Page 19 had the start of the 'Steps of the Dapper Men'.  Which is the start of a story to be continued in another publication.  Which is okay, because Free Comic Book Day is meant to be an introduction to comics.

Page 25 was a story of Rust:  Oswald's Letter.  A touching story.  Well done in only the few pages that the story fits in!

Page 33 - Cursed Pirate Girl:  Ramblings From An Old Sea Dog Who Likes To Be Called Alice.  Which due to the font used for the printed word, was just a little hard to read...

Page 38 - Cow Boy:  Long While Ago.  A little strange story...

Then two pages of inhouse ads for the books that the above stories are based from, and then a page on the creators of the stories.

And that's that!

If you see this book at your LCBS this Saturday for Free Comic Book Day... Pick it up!  You will be glad you did so...

My comic book grade for this comic book hard cover presentation is a VERY FINE / NEAR MINT (VF/NM) 9.0 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.

You can see more of this comic book direct via this link. 

My thanks to Archaia Entertainment for bringing this book to my attention!

And be sure to attend YOUR LCBS to find this book and all the others that the LCBS carries for this special FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) 2012!

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,640 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,736 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Loca8' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' that I am shown holding to the left. I'm 1 of 14 essayists in that book! !     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On... Genetiks The Graphic Novel by Marazano & Ponzio!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3640 -  I recently received a box of relatively new TPBs and graphic novels from Archaia Entertainment for possible review.  My youngest son, Vinnie, already review blogged one of them.  This graphic novel is one that I decided to read & review blog on.

This graphic novel is  'Genetiks - Volume 1'.

What is it about?   Here's the publisher's promo on that:

"What happens to Thomas Hale when the company he works for cracks his genetic code?

Genetiks is a pharmaceutical company on the cutting edge of biological science. Thomas Hale is one of thousands of employees in the Genetiks’ labs. Like his colleagues, he had agreed to give a drop of blood to his employers; a drop of blood that will allow the researchers at the company he works for to decode his entire genome. As the drop of blood is the property of Genetiks, Thomas will become, in effect, the first man to be privately owned by the corporation he works for."

So what's 'My Take' on this book?

The front cover to this book, which is rectangular in format, has a good intriguing cover.  Just enough to make you want to open the first page.

The inside front cover has the credits & other info necessary to present the book to its possible readership.  However, no introduction is shown as to what the book is about.

The 'splash page' is used... And the next page goes right into the story.

I found myself liking the artstyle right away, and it took a few pages for me to get into the storyline.

The artwork is 'realistic' in style, and it meshed very well with the storyline.

There is a final page, 'About The Authors', but that is all that is shown other than the storyline / art for this book.

The tale itself is pretty gripping, and held my interest after the first few pages in figuring out where the storyline was going.

A worthwhile book to read...

My comic book grade for this comic book presentation is a VERY FINE / NEAR MINT (VF/NM) 9.0 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.

Here is the info for ordering this book:

Reading level: Ages 16 and up
Hardcover: 104 pages
Publisher: Archaia Entertainment (May 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936393425
ISBN-13: 978-1936393428
Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8 x 0.4 inches

You can see more of this comic book direct via this link. 

My thanks to Archaia Entertainment for bringing this book to my attention!

~Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,639 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,736 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Loca8' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' that I am shown holding to the left. I'm 1 of 14 essayists in that book! !     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Mentions... The Passing Of Howard A. McIntosh April 26, 1915 - April 25, 2012

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3639 -  Yesterday morning I received word that my Great Uncle Howard McIntosh had passed away during the night.   Being his power of attorney, I had to go to Los Angeles to take care of several items, which are discussed in the below obituary. 

It was Howard and his deceased wife, Marge (Carr) McIntosh, who started me on comic books back in the 1950s.  I mention them each year in my annual 'Whom I Am Thankful For... The Thanksgiving Post', when I update it each year. 

Howard and Marge are shown in the topmost photo.

Howard is shown with my wife Tina and me in the two other photos, that were taken during the February 2009 Zap! Pow! Bam! Exhibit at the Skirball in Los Angeles.

It has been a long and wonderful life for my Great Uncle Howard.  I am pleased to have helped him the last few months in his adjusting to assisted living care in between visits to the hospital and rehab center.

My condolences to the rest of his family members and his friends.

Here is the obituary:

Howard A. McIntosh, 96, Monterey Park, CA

Howard A. McIntosh died April 25, 2012 at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center after a brief illness. He was 96.

Howard lived a long and interesting life spanning pivotal events of the 20th century from Prohibition, The Great Depression, WWII and well into the new Millennium.

Howard was born April 26, 1915 in Brooklyn, Missouri to Mary Gertrude “Gerty” and Auris Harvey “Oak” McIntosh. Howard was the seventh of nine children, including five brothers and three sisters, one of whom survives him, Helen Olsen of Omaha, Nebraska.

Howard grew up on the family farm, enjoyed the local fishing hole, and was educated in a one-room schoolhouse. To put himself through college in Maryville, Howard and his mother raised turkeys!

After graduation, Howard worked as a teacher and later a principal in Missouri and Iowa. His first marriage to Dorothea Miller, ended in divorce. They had one son, Terry Roger who passed away in April, 2012.

During World War II, Howard was a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force serving as a Navigator on a B-19 Bomber. After the war, he joined the Air Force Reserve where he served until his retirement at the age of 60 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1949, Howard married the love of his life, Margaret (Marge) Marie Carr who passed away in March, 2007. Marge and Howard moved to Monterey Park, California in 1960.

During his varied career, Howard worked for the tax preparing giant H&R Block. He also had a Law Degree and worked for a time in Family Law in the Los Angeles area.

Howard was known for his quiet and easy going disposition which served him well for many years living with three women in one house: his wife, her mother, and her aunt!

Howard had set up a scholarship at Northwest Missouri State University, where he graduated after the war. The fund has grown over the years and the "Howard A. McIntosh Scholarship" is awarded each year to a student from Mills County, Iowa with a GPA of 3.0 or more. If no qualified student from Mills County applies, students from Atchinson, Nodaway, or Worth counties in Missouri can be considered.

Living in California afforded Howard many opportunities to enjoy his favorite pastimes: fishing and golf! Howard enjoyed fishing off the coast of California many times with Francis Hamersky, husband of Howard’s niece, Lois, and deep sea fishing off the coast of California with his next door neighbor. After retirement, Howard regularly played golf on the hilly greens at the Monterey Park Golf Course with his long-time friend, Stan Lingdon.

Over their 58 years of marriage, Howard and Marge enjoyed traveling. They had a second home in Palm Springs, California and were world-travelers taking cruises to far off destinations including the Philippines and Turkey.

Including his sister, Helen, Howard is survived by his many nieces and nephews: Lois McIntosh Hamersky, Imperial Beach, CA; Leta McIntosh Hoyt, St. Joseph, MO; Erma Hall Payne, De Soto, IA; Gertrude Gaddy McNeeley; Julie Olsen Kenkel, Shennandoah, IA; Donna McIntosh Brown; Kate Lavely, Merriam, East Dover VT; Richard Hall, Billings, MT; Larry (Dean) Gaddy, Santa Ana, CA; John L. McIntosh, Creston, IA; John McIntosh, Plattsburg, MO; Richard McIntosh; Jimmie McIntosh; Douglas Olsen, Omaha, NE; George McIntosh, Omaha, NE; James Lee Olsen, Omaha, NE; Jerry Olsen, Minnesota; and Bill Lavely, Seattle, WA.

Friends are welcome to visit between 1 pm and 4 pm on Sunday, April 29 at Pierce Brothers, Turner, Stevens Mortuary on 1136 East Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, California.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Monday, April 30, 2012 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Monterey Park. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Howard A. McIntosh Scholarship c/o Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO 64468.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

My thanks to my wife, Tina LoSasso, who wrote the above obituary with help from family members.

Also, there will be a web page In Memory of Howard Adolph McIntosh at this link, (after 5PM today), courtesy of the mortuary, Pierce Brothers Turner and Stevens Mortuary.

~Michael D Hamersky

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,639 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app link!  We currently have over 2,731 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note:  My online 'Loca8' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com, including the book 'Gotham City 14 Miles' that I am shown holding to the left. I'm 1 of 14 essayists in that book! !     

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written per the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up slightly differently, sorry about that!  The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.  Note:  Your computer's resoulution may be set differently, but the above resolution is the most commonly used resolution at the time of this blog post. 

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:  Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page!

---------------            

      

In Addition, I started a YouTube Channel just before the 2011 Comic-Con International, where I am slowly uploading videos from conventions or other events that we attend that are also pop culture related.  You are invited to 'subscribe' to that channel also!  As found at 'HamerskyOnComics'!

---