Friday night Tina and I went with several other couples to see the first of a series of films featuring Leo Carrillo, of whom I have blogged about here a few times...

The film is part of a five week Friday nights Film Festival featuring Leo Carrillo, who is best known today as portraying 'Pancho' in 'The Cisco Kid' TV Western Show of the 1950's.   Before the feature film is played, a half hour episode is played first of 'The Cicso Kid'.  All this under the stars, in the same area where Leo and his wife used to entertain all the Hollywood Stars that would come down to their ranch to stay and 'rough it'!

So this morning, thinking about the above fun we had last night reminded me that in the package that Jim Main, Publisher of Main Enterprises, had sent me recently, was a modern Western Comic Book with a HoRRoR twist to it. 

I recently reviewed a fanzine on Doc Savage that Jim also publishes, (see here for that blog).  That zine and this Western HoRRoR Comic Book are just 2 of the 48 publications that he has published that are currently listed for sale in his online store!

However, this post is on the Western HoRRoR Comic Book  titled Boot Hill #1... The comic book itself is an anthology with three stories written by Sam Gafford, and illustrated by three different artists in black & white interior pages format.   Here are the stories that this issue covers per Jim's advertising blurb:

Do you like westerns? Are you a fan of horror stories? Well here's a new comic anthology that pairs them both togerther! Issue #1 features 3 tales of sagebrush terror, as narrated by your host, The Gunslinger : "Do Not Forsake Me"(illustrated by Dave Farley), "The Horseshoes" (illustrated by Jack Bertram) and "The Battle of Perkin's Feed (illustrated by John Lambert) all penned by horror writer Sam Gafford! And take a gander at that creepy cover by Scott McClung! If that's not enough to give you the willies...  

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

As you can tell by this blog's opening paragraph, I like western comic books.  I have since I first started reading comics and watching TV western shows!  I found the process of taking a TV show and printing it as sequential art to be something I enjoyed.

However, this comic book doesn't come from a TV Show.  It takes a genre of comic books that has recently been having a revival and inserting the HoRRoR theme into it.  Very similar to what I have seen by others do in recent years.  I have even blogged about a couple of them here, that included either HoRRoR or Supernatural themes into the western background of the story, (i.e. Jonah Hex upcoming film, and Desperadoes Omnibus by Jeff Mariotte.)

That doesn't mean I don't like this hybrid genre.  It just better be done good to rate my taking the time to blog about it! 

The cover to this comic book is one that made me put it near the top of my 'to read' stack of comics and mags that have come in for me to possibly review.  That says something right there!  Good job by illustrator Scott McClung!

The stories use a 'host' narrator to introduce you to the storyline. His name is 'The Gunslinger'.  Similar to the old EC HoRRoR Comics.

The first story 'Do Not Forsake Me!' is well written by Sam Gafford. The art is by Dave Farley.  I can't figure out the style here, it has a little 'underground' flavor to it, but since it was his comic book premiere, I don't really know his background.  The artwork meshed pretty well with the storyline.

The second story 'The Horsehoes!' was well written.  Reminded of the style of earlier EC Comics... The lettering didn't mesh as well with the art in this second story after the splash page.  The splash page lettering looked like an effort to tell the story in an EC lettering style. But turning the page, it lost that flavor.  I don't see the credits for that effort.  However the art by Jack Bertram told the story well in the sequential art format.

The third story 'The Battle of Perkin's Feed' was done right all the way through!  The storyline, the dialogue, the lettering and the art all blended well together!  And the ending?  Well done!

OKay... as I've said before here in my Blog...  Reviewing an anthology is one of the hardest things to do.  In this case, because the writer of each story was the same person, it was just a tad easier.  Plus there is a different 'tone' for comics that have black and white interior pages instead of color pages... 

For those that like Westerns with a HoRRoR or Supernatural bent,  then this issue should be down the right path to Boot Hill for you to read pardner!   I would appreciate seeing a 2nd issue to this series.

Details on this issue as follows:

Cost of this issue is: $2.95 plus 1.50 shipping.
$4.45 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://mainenterprises.ecrater.com/

Unfortunately we don't have 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!  

This entry in our 'Spotlight On...' blog post series is about a special person who is celebrating his birthday today...  

Yes, that would be Scott Shaw!, who has entertained my family members during the many years they attended the San Diego Comic Con International with me...

I could go on and on about how Scott Shaw! is a famous United States cartoonist and animator!  But if you are reading this, you probably know about that of him! 

So I'll just mention that among Scott's many works in the comic-book industry is his work on Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones (for Marvel Comics and Harvey Comics).

Why just mention that?  Well, it's because my two oldest kids had the privilege years ago at one of mid 1990's San Diego Comic Cons  (SDCC) to actually sit in a 'class' at the Convention and learn how to draw Flintstones characters as taught by Scott!  They talked about that 'class' the rest of the summer and brought it up for years afterward!  Thanks Scott for doing that for my kids, and all the other kids that were there that year!

The other program that has entertained us everytime for many years is his 'Oddball Comics Slideshow' which he has shown at the SDCC! Quite honestly my feet thank him for being able to sit down for an hour at each con and then I just relax and laugh with Scott at his choices to feature each year!   Seen below are: left - 'Forward With Eisenhower - Nixon', and yes that is a comic book!, and to the right one of many promotional comic books that have been published through the decades, this one being Scotty MacTape to The Rescue!

The above program was not the only program or panel he attends each year at the SDCC;  just click here to see my earlier blog post as to what he was attending and participating in at the 2009 Con! 

And yeah, I guess I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Scott was also the first artist for the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic book which my youngest son enjoys reading!  So much so the my son even blogged about that here once!

Currently Scott also maintains a regular column on the craziest comic books ever published, http://www.oddballcomics.com/ web site.

So, why don't YOU, If You aren't already registered there, sign up and comment on his discussion board?!  I'm sure he would appreciate that as a Great Birthday Present from YOU!  At least wish him a Happy Birthday there!

And so I close out this 'Spotlight On... Scott Shaw!' by saying...  Happy Birthday Scott, AND Thanks for all the entertainment you've given me and my family during the years!  Looking forward to many more years of fun programs at the Comic Con and your other endeavors! 

And Oh... 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!  

Plus... Please check out our 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 usually based on.  We do have a few Scott Shaw! comics there from time to time! 

I want to thank Bill Galvan for bringing the below notice to my attention...  

Not being a personal friend of Jake's, I wasn't aware of the upcoming Benefit for him in Provo, Utah.  For those of You that aren't aware of the Benefit either, here are the details so You can attend if you are able to:

Dragon's Keep & Comic Artists Unite For Benefit Fundraiser

Dragon's Keep and Comic Book Artists will be joining forces and pitching in to help fellow comic book creator and Utah local Jake Black. This will be a benefit fund raiser for comic book writer Jake Black in his battle against Hodgkin’s Disease (Cancer) and 22nd Anniversary of Dragon's Keep.

Jake Black is a writer with credits on Smallville, Ben 10: Alien Force, Chaotic and more. In comics he's worked on "Legion of Super-heroes" "TMNT" "Ender's Game" and more. He's written several books including stories featuring popular characters such as Batman, Superman, and the WWE. His next book, "The Authorized Ender Companion" (an encyclopedia of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series) hits stores in November 2009. Jake lives in a quiet Utah town with his wife and son.

The comic artists will be on hand providing sketches (for a small donation), selling original art and limited edition prints and other great items!! There will also be benefit fundraiser prize opportunities held through out the day! In addition, Dragon's Keep will also be donating a percentage of sales to help pitch in for Jake Black. So, Please join us in our effort to help support creator and Utah local Jake Black!

Date: Saturday- September 12
Time: 10AM
Artist Arrive: 12 Noon

Artists Scheduled To Appear:

Ryan Ottley:
Invincible, The Haunt

Chad Hardin:
Spider-Man, DC Comics

Bill Galvan:
Archie Comics, ScrapYard Detectives

Derek Hunter:
Pirate Club, Disney

Howard Tayler:
Schlock Mercenary, XDM: X-Treme Dungeon Mastery

JJ Harrison:
NBC Heroes, BamPop

Jason Hanks:
Marvel Comics Animation, Superman

Travis Walton:
Superman, Blackest Night

Quinn Johnson:
Elders of The RuneStone, TMNT Turtles

Again, our guest creators will be signing comics and doing sketches for a small donation to help Jake Black and his family. In addtion the guest creators will be reviewing portfolios, and talking with fans. This is a great opportunity to help out a member of our community and meet some of the comic book industries great talent!

This benefit and anniversary event will be filled with prizes, games, sales, and much more! So, please spread the word and come down and join us at Dragon's Keep for a great cause and event!

For More Details visit http://www.dragonskeep.com/

Dragons Keep Comic and Game Emporium, is located in Provo, Utah at 260 N. UNIVERSITY AVE, PROVO (801) 373-3482. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about this event or other questions, visit http://www.dragonskeep.com or call (801) 373-3482.

Again, my thanks to Bill Galvan, who is also attending and signing at this event, for bringing this to my attention here.  I wish all those attending this worthwhile event a successfull and fun day in raising the necessary funds this Benefit is being thrown for.

BTW, If you have an event that is similar in scope to the one described above, feel free to message me via Facebook to do so, or email me if you have that address of mine.

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 that fit our Blog's scope!  Most of the topics we blog about either have that item, or have items similar to that topic being discussed, listed for sale in our online eBay Featured Store !

Lately I haven't been blogging about 'mainstream comics' that much...  

Not that I don't read them, but that there is so much coverage by other bloggers out there on them that I would feel like I'm repeating myself (or them) here!

I used to be a 'completist' in collecting comics and would buy issues that just didn't 'cut it' for me as a reader.  Sometimes cycles of months or even years would go by, and I would show up every New Comics Day to just add the latest issue to my 'complete run'. 

Well, ever since I started selling those complete runs a few years ago, I broke those 'chains' of buying habits!   It only took my selling one each of a complete run to realize that once I did that, I didn't have to buy new issues of a title that didn't satisfy me any more!  

So that is why you see so many different titles being reviewed here, and mostly from the 'independent publishers' this year!  

However there are individual issues from mainstream publishers as well as from independent publishers that are worth taking the time to mention. 

The top left corner of this blog post is one of those issues.  It was distributed at the DC Comics booth at the recent Comic Con International: San Diego.  Tina and I picked up a couple of copies of that issue.   As you can see by the top right photo of this blog post, we are fans of Batman the character!   I recently wrote a chapter (essay) for an upcoming book to be published in 2010. (More on that later, same Bat-Time ... Same Bat-Place!).

Here are the details from DC Comics on this first issue:

Written by Grant Morrison: Art and Cover by Frank Quitely: Variant Cover by JG Jones; Sketch variant cover by Frank Quitely

"Batman Reborn" begins here! With the reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3,New X-Men), this first issue kicks off a 3-part story arc that can't be missed! The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who's been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer. But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here!

OK, that's what DC sez... Here's my thoughts on this issue:

The cover was striking enough for me to pick it up at the Con.  The 'intro fist page' was enough to make me turn the page and see the two-page 'splash page'.  Which showed a flying Batmobile!  Okay, got my interest!

The storyline kept my interest and the art was very well done.   I'm not going to spoil it for you here as to who the new team members are, etc., so I'll just mention that for a 'reboot'  of this franchise, it was a well done first issue... except... for where the story ended (for now) in the last two pages.  The storyline of course is a continued story, and up to that point I enjoyed the presentation. 

It wasn't the art that keeps me from giving this issue a big thumbs up, as Frank Quitely's art is magnificient here!  It's not the colors, as Alex Sinclair did a fine job also.   And I enjoyed almost all of the story by Grant Morrison... until... the final two pages...

So yeah, I'll pick up the next issue just to see where this storyline is going, but if it continues on course in the direction that the last two pages took, then I for one won't be back, great art or not! 

Please note:  Nowhere do I see any kind of 'rating' for readership on this comic book.  And yes, I 'know' that 'comics' aren't for 'kids' anymore... But still, I find it kind of tough to rave about comic books and comic book movies when there are less and less comics out there that the pre-teens can pick up to read OR that their parents or uncles can buy to give to young readers to start them on reading comics...  You would think that a title called 'Batman and Robin' would be a little more 'light' in tone while in keeping with what the front cover is showing as a 'draw' to pick up the comic book in the first place!  The cover looks 'cool', that 's for sure!

Now, Don't get me wrong... I'm fine with HoRRoR stories or MoNSTer stories etc., I read those that are sent in to me to possibly review; but let me know ahead of time as most indie publications do with a 'For Mature Readers Only' or some other verbage! 

You see, as an online dealer, I find it hard to recommend something and then find that the person buying the item was going to give it as a gift to someone else who is a lot younger!  And then to hear the flack about it!  I feel for the retailers who have to face parents or others that come in to a store to complain a comic book issue that their kid brought home, or one they paid for not realizing the content.

One of the reasons we normally don't deal in 'new comics' is because of the above scenario.  It is a lot easier to deal in comics that have the old CCA stamp of approval.  Not saying that we should go back to those days, but man, it's a lot easier dealing with those comics for resale! 

I bring the above up because this past month we were asked by three more creators if we would like to stock their comics in our 'store'.   As we are an online comics dealer, Not an online comics retailer nor a brick n' mortar comics store, we decided to say no once again.  It's hard to deal in new comics online, as our clientele is mainly looking for back issues anyway, and we don't need the possible 'hassle' in selling unrated comics.  

However, and here's where the commercial comes in...  If You haven't picked up this First Issue yet of Batman and Robin #1, AND are an 'older reader', we do have it listed in our online store for LESS than what the other sellers have it listed for.  (Click here to see our listings for this special first issue.)  

While You are looking at the above first issue in our store's aisle... 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!