TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

I have mentioned the HERO Initiative a few times in my blog...

However, I haven't really mentioned the 'membership aspect' of the organization.

First, my thanks to Christina Arrobio-Zietsman, who became my Facebook Friend back in March of 2009. I had a nice conversation with her briefly at the October 2009 Long Beach Comic Con, (LBCC), at the HERO Initiative booth, about what the HERO Initiative was doing for the rest of 2009  and upcoming in 2010.

Christina is shown in the photo to the left, standing beside Jeph Loeb during the Opening Day Ceremony at the 2009 LBCC.

She is the one who has been sending me updates on what the HERO Initiative is doing, and I thank her for it!  There have been some good posts here due to her sending in possible articles!

So, I felt it was past time to show a link to the membership form to this organization here in my Blog.

At the top right of this blog post is the form, and at the left of the post in the text area, is a link to the .pdf copy for you to download and print off!

What does the HERO Initiative do? Well... I'll copy just a little bit from their web site pages here:

"In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $200,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment."

Additionally:

"Hero is served by two boards of directors:
Writer Jim McLauchlin, CGC (Comics Guaranty Corp.) President Steve Borock, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Atomic Comics owner/operator Mike Malve, Lady Death Creator Brian Pulido, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada and Orlando MegaCon owner/operator Beth Widera comprise the Executive/Fund Raising Board which administers all the fund's operations and raises money.

Dick Giordano, Charlie Novinskie, Dennis O'Neil, George Pérez, John Romita Sr., Roy Thomas and Jim Valentino make up a peer group Fund Disbursement Board that hears petitions and disburses funds to worthy applicants. Pérez is the Chairman of that board."

For more info on this organization please see their web site at:

http://www.heroinitiative.org/

Plus, they have a Facebook Group Page that YOU can join by clicking here:  HERO Initiative Facebook Group Page!

My thanks to Christina for her Facebook Friendship, her time at the LBCC, and for the updates that are being sent my way.  I do appreciate that Christina!

For earlier blog posts that have been posted here in my Blog, please see the following link:  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com + HERO Initiative posts!

Join us again soon, as we publish another 'Main Feature'.  And don't forget to check out the 'Featurette' shown below this article!

TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

Recently I became Facebook Friends with Javier Hernandez...

... After seeing his name on several other Facebook Friends Walls.  I also found that he had hosted an event last Fall in Whitter, and when I saw that another was coming up, I thought I would ask him what it and he was all about!

Here is what was sent to me about Javier and the upcoming seminar:

Javier Hernandez is an independent comic book creator (writer and artist of EL MUERTO, MAN-SWAMP, WEAPON TEX MEX, among others). Javier has been publishing comics and mini-comics since 1998, and hopes for at least a couple of more decades doing what he loves. In addition to exhibiting at numerous comic conventions and in-store appearances over the years, Javier has also had his artwork displayed in both solo and group art shows. www.javzilla.com

His signature character EL MUERTO was turned into a live-action film starring Wilmer Valderamma (THAT 70s SHOW) and Joel David Moore (AVATAR), for which Javier served as Associate Producer. And of course he had to snag himself a speaking cameo role!

Javier also hosts a bi-weekly podcast called JAVILAND: The Podcast for DIY Comics. The show features a roundtable of indie creators talking about particular issues related to self-publishing comics at:

http://javilandblog.blogspot.com/

Javier has taught workshops on creating comic books, and on Saturday, February 13, he will be conduction a free seminar called "DIY COMICS:The Secrets of Self-Publishing". The free seminar will be given at GEEKS Comics in Whittier, CA, at 2pm.

The seminar will cover such topics as establishing your brand, exhibiting at conventions, using social internet sites for networking, and other topics critical to getting your voice heard. The seminar runs about an hour, feel free to bring any questions you may have.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=241369072708&ref=mf

GEEKS
6747 Greenleaf Ave, Ste A
Whittier, CA 90601
(562) 696-9393

Please note that while I have not attended Javier's earlier seminar, I believe that attending a seminar such as this could be beneficial to aspiring comics creators out there.

Especially if YOU are in the Los Angeles Metro Area on February 13th this month!  The Cost is 'Free', so all you are investing is your time in this seminar, which could be beneficial to you!

When I was growing up, all of the comics biz was in New York, and you had to live there or close by to even be in the biz.  What a difference the Comics World has become since then!

My thanks to Javier for the above info, pic, and poster for use in this blog.

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts! We usually blog on a daily basis during the 'work week' on comic book creators, comic book reviews, comic cons, book signings, and other pop culture news and events, such as the one blogged about here today.

Join us again soon, as we publish another 'Main Feature'.  And don't forget to check out the 'Featurette' shown below this article!

TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

Just a short blog post today, as I am busy at a new client's office since mid-week during the day...

So I'm going to tell you my thoughts on Jackrabbit #1 from Committed Comics! 

First...Below is the press release for this TPB:

That leaves Jackrabbit to deal with the self-proclaimed menace of The Eight Fingers of Mischief.

Jackrabbit must run a gauntlet of hilarity to stop an octet of third-rate super villains from achieving their diabolical goal to cause some degree of discomfort and disruption to the world at large.

104 Full Color Pages - SRP $7.99!

Written by: Boe DuRansier
Penciled by: C Wilson Trull
Inked by: Lisa Moore and Eric Lebow
Colored by: Shizue Harrison
Lettered by: Jeremy Parsons

If you like....This tale of madcap shenanigans follows proudly in the lampooning lineage of such great comic characters as Jack Cole's Plastic Man and Ben Edlund's The Tick."

I have read individual issues of Jack Cole's Plastic Man and Ben Edlund's The Tick prior to reading this TPB.

But, I'm not going to compare this compilation to those issues, in case You haven't read them before.

Instead I'm going to mention that the character and the stories presented in this TPB are funny and entertaining in their presentation. I enjoy tongue in cheek humour. 

Note: You do have to know some other comic book companies' characters to get the full effect of the parodies, though.

The writer / creator of this series was Bo DuRansier. (As shown illustrated to the left).

 

 

The penciled artwork by C Wilson Trull, (shown in illustrated form to the left), is clear, precise, and to the point. No wasted background shots, as the panels center on the characters and the action for the most part.

The lettering fits this style of presentation.

The coloring is vivid, but not over the top.

The only thing that could have been improved on, IMO, was the actual breaks between the stories.  I only saw one clear break in the TPB, so this was a formatting issue for the TPB, not the actual stories themselves.

I liked the fact that there were additional pages added after the last story.  There we find the 'origin' of the character in the creator's mind, and much more, including bios of Bo DuRansier, C Wilson Trull, and character sketches.  

You can see more about this TPB at Committed Comics own web site.  I've selected the individual page link for this publication already for you at:

http://committedcomics.com/comics/jackrabbit.htm.

There are selected interior pages of the publciation for you to view there, before possible purchasing.

Plus, if You are a member of Facebook, then You can be interactive with others interested in this comic book and others by Committed Comics by checking out this link for the Facebook Fan Page for Committed Comics on Facebook and joining!

My thanks to Thomas Doherty, Editor In Chief at Committed Comics, for sending the promo copy for possible mention or review here in my Blog! 

AND: Thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts! We usually blog on a daily basis during the 'work week' on comic book creators, comic book reviews, comic cons, book signings, and other pop culture news and events, such as the review blogged about here today! 

Join us again soon, as we publish another 'Main Feature'.  And don't forget to check out the 'Featurette' shown below this article!

~ Michael D Hamersky @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

Note: Comic books / graphic novels can also be found at our own web site:  http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com 

 

"Hammering Out the Web For You Since May 12th, 1998!"       Note: If you are breaking into or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email 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 PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013     We also have an on-line exhibitor table at the virtual Facebook Comic Con. You can view the table by clicking this link.  If you are a Facebook member, please join our Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, and other wall posts!     If you are a Facebook member and would like to join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'.

TODAY'S FEATURETTE: UPDATED NOTE: AS OF APRIL 15TH 2010 - THE BELOW SCHEDULED APPEARANCE HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS OF JULIET LANDAU - SHE IS NOW NOT EXPECTED TO ATTEND THIS CON. I noticed that my Facebook Friend, Juliet Landau, will be a Special Guest at the upcoming Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con. The Con takes place: April 16-18, 2010 Anaheim Convention Center 800 West Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA 92802 Here is what the press release says about Juliet Landau*: (Actress - Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Angel; Ben 10: Alien Force; Ed Wood) *Appearing Saturday and Sunday ONLY    Juliet Landau was a professional ballerina. She studied acting extensively with the late Susan Peretz and is a member of the Actors Studio. Juliet co-starred in Tim Burton’s ED WOOD as Loretta King and starred opposite Whoopi Goldberg in New Line Cinema’s THEODORE REX. She created the role of Drusilla on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, appearing on BUFFY and ANGEL over the course of six seasons. Juliet plays Russian villainess Nataliya Chernov in the adorable kid’s movie, MONSTER MUTT, created and produced by 4X Oscar-winning Greg Canom’s Drac Studios. Juliet directed the short documentary TAKE FLIGHT about and for Gary Oldman, co-directed/ appeared in Godhead’s HERO music video and co-wrote two issues of the ANGEL comic book about Drusilla. Lead roles in Independents include: THE YELLOW WALLPAPER, DARKNESS VISIBLE, HACK, TOOLBOX MURDERS, REPOSSESSED, CARLO’S WAKE, LIFE AMONG THE CANNIBALS, RAVAGER, DIRECT HIT, CITIZENS and a co-starring turn in Henry Jaglom’s GOING SHOPPING. TV guest appearances include: MILLENNIUM, LA FEMME NIKITA, STRONG MEDICINE, a starring role in the Lifetime movie REUNION and a project directed by Jake Scott for HBO. She has lent her voice to various characters on the popular animated series’ JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED and BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE as well as on BIOSHOCK 1 and 2, STAR WARS THE OLD REPUBLIC and BEN 10 video games. She voiced Labella in GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT. Juliet has worked extensively in the theater, receiving outstanding reviews for her work every time out. She has written the short film IT’S RAINING CATS AND CATS and will play seven different characters in the project.    I also noticed on Juliet's own Facebook Member Page that she has added a link to her new film titled 'Take Flight', as seen here: http://julietlandaustakeflight.com/. Pictured below is a photo of Juliet used for the press release for the Anaheim Comic Con: Tina and I are looking forward to attending this comic con, and have noted that Juliet will be there only Saturday and Sunday of this con. Our best wishes to Juliet for a Fun & Successful comic con! Note: As mentioned in the above press release, Juliet has also written for IDW Publishing, with issues #24 & 25 for 'Angel'.  I have not yet read or reviewed those issues here in my blog... However, when and if we do pick up copies, they will be listed at our: ComicBooksCircus.com!  --------------------------- Talking about publications: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works! I've made a special blog post about: "How To Best Submit YOUR Publication For Possible Review!" for those creators / publishers that would like to possibly have their publications mentioned or reviewed, which could either be published in the 'Main Feature' or 'Featurette' sections. ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently. The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768. All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

Last October, I blogged before, during, and after about all the Great Folks I met at the Inaugural Long Beach Comic Con, held in Long Beach California...

That's because I had a "Really Great Time" at this first time con! And I was making plans to attend the 2nd Con later this year.

However, the folks that sponsored the con didn't want to wait until the end of the year to throw another con, so they have decided to throw a mini-con, (one day con), sooner! 

Below is the press release for this upcoming con:

LONG BEACH COMIC CON PRESENTS: COMIC EXPO 2010 FEBRUARY 20, 2010 AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

A Full Day of Comics for Comic Lovers

(Long Beach, CA, January 25, 2010) MAD Event Management and Long Beach Comic Con are proud to announce Comic Expo 2010 to be held Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Long Beach Convention Center (LBCC) in downtown Long Beach.  The one day event will be held in the Promenade Ballroom from 10am – 7pm and entrance to the floor for the day is $10.

An exceptional show of support from notable comic artists, writers and creators for the Long Beach Comic Expo include Mike Mignola, Bernie Wrightson, Steve Niles Tim Bradstreet, Stan Sakai, Dustin Nguyen, Todd Nauck, Whilce Portacio, Tone Rodriguez, Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald, Trent Kaniuga, J.T. Krul, Brian Haberlin, Lou Ferrigno, JJ Kirby, Michael Lopez, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, Amanda Dawn Wolf, Rick Basaldua, Eric Basaldua, Rob Levin, Joshua Hale Fialkov, David Wohl, Beth Sotelo, Frank Mastromauro, Mark Roslan, Vince Hernandez and Steve Sievers.

Lionsgate, Aspen, Top Cow, Com.X, High Tower, Comic Madness, Graphitti Designs, Freedonia Funnyworks and Metropolis Comics Scott Hudlow Comics and Terry’s Comics are all setting up booths on the Expo floor.  Aspiring artists can meet with writer & editor Barbara Kesel for a one-on-one portfolio review.  And an Artist Alley loaded with talent will be on hand to meet and greet fans.   

“After the tremendous amount of support we received from the community for Long Beach Comic Con we didn’t want to wait a full year before returning,” said event planner Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management.  “We decided to create a one-day event that is a great place for fans to come to celebrate their love of comics.” 

For a complete list of events, guests, activities, ticket prices and times, visit www.longbeachcomiccon.com/comic-expo-2010.php.

I am blogging about this today, as I just received this press release, and wanted those that will be in the SoCal area around the date of February 20th to be aware of this convention, so they could possibly attend.

As you can see from the photos that I posted above all of this text, I really enjoyed the three day October 2009 Con.  And so did Tina, when she joined me on the 2nd Day!  So if You are going to be in the area on February 20th, don't delay... buy Your ticket(s) today!

Plus, if You are a member of Facebook, then You can be interactive with others interested in this comic con by checking out this link for the One Day Comic Expo on Facebook and joining their Fan Page!

My thanks to Drew Seldin, of Seldin Gross Public Relations, for getting this press release out to me on a timely manner! 

AND: Thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts! We usually blog on a daily basis during the 'work week' on comic book creators, comic book reviews, comic cons, book signings, and other pop culture news and events, such as the Upcoming Comic Con blogged about here today! 

Join us again soon, as we publish another 'Main Feature'.  And don't forget to check out the 'Featurette' shown below this article!

TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

Yesterday late afternoon, I read that Pernell Roberts had passed away over the weekend...

I already had posted my blog for the day earlier in the morning, and did not have time to post a rememberance blog post that evening.

So I'm posting this blog today about my thoughts on the veteran actor Pernell Roberts. I first recall seeing him on one of my favorite shows titled 'Bonanza'.

And yeah that was a long time ago. But during the late 1950's to mid 1960's TV Westerns were something that I liked to watch and also collect in comic books that were published by both Dell and Gold Key Comics. 

However, I had not kept up with what Pernell was doing after his retiring from show business in the late 1990's.

From what I gather, Pernell died at his Malibu home this past Sunday, January 24th of 2010.  The LA Times was told by his wife Eleanor Criswell, that Pernell had lost his battle with cancer at the age of 81.

Pernell had risen to fame in the role of eldest son 'Adam Cartwright' on the long-running TV western 'Bonanza'.  However, he left the show to pursue a film career after only six seasons, while the show went on for a total of fourteen seasons.  I couldn't understand that move at the time, and indeed even Entertainment Weekly recently counted that move among the '50 Worst TV blunders Of All Time'.

Being a fan of TV, I did see him in other shows as a guest star, but it was only after 15 years out of being in the limelight, that he took on the starring role of 'Trapper John, MD,' for all seven seasons of its run on TV.  I was newly married at the time, and we didn't watch that show, except for a few episodes.

I hadn't kept up with his works through the late 1990's, but definitely remember him on one of my favorite TV Westerns Shows of all time.  Thanks Pernell for the hours of entertainment you provided me during my formative years!

My condolences to Pernell's wife and friends...

Pernell is the last of the original four actors to play the four lead roles on 'Bonanza'.

Dan Blocker (December 10, 1928 – May 13, 1972), was the first of the actors to pass away.  I really liked his role on Bonanza.

His real name on the show was 'Eric Cartwright', but we all knew him as 'Hoss'.

Lorne Greene (February 12, 1915– September 11, 1987), was the 'stage name' of Lyon Himan Green, Canadian actor.

Lorne's television roles included playing Ben Cartwright on the long-running western Bonanza,. I truly found him to be an actor that I respected.  I have a picture card of him that I recevived from him as a kid, and actually still have it, something that I haven't sold!

Lorne later played the role of Commander Adama in the original science fiction TV Series Battlestar Galactica. Even though it was short-lived, he was perfect for the role of leader, in my opinion.

Lorne later worked on the award-winning Canadian television nature documentary series "Lorne Greene's New Wilderness".

Michael Landon (October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991), was an American actor, writer, director, and producer at different times in his life.

He actually stayed on the NBC Network for three decades.  He started as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959-1973).

Then he went on to play Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983).

Then he followed up by playing the role of Jonathan Smith in Highway to Heaven (1984-1989).

And yeah, I did watch all three of those TV Series.  Well, most of the episodes for sure!

So as you can see by the above paragraphs, I truly enjoyed watching the actors from 'Bonanza' on that show and their later works for the most part.

All have passed on now... This blog post is dedicated to all of them for giving me the hours of television watching pleasure.

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts! We usually blog on a daily basis during the 'work week' on comic book creators, comic book reviews, comic cons, book signings, and other pop culture news and events, such as the one blogged about here today.

Join us again soon, as we publish another 'Main Feature'.  And don't forget to check out the 'Featurette' shown below this article!