My 'Take' On: The Scarlet Huntress Preview By Stephanie Forney & Sean Forney     - Above Photo:  Sean Forney at the Small Press section during the 2010 SDCC! - At the Top Left: A Closeup of the Front Cover to the Scarlet Huntress Preview from SM Comics! - At the Bottom Left: The Logo for the Comic Con International: San Diego - a.k.a. San Diego Comic Con 2010.

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3232:

Today's post is once again on another publication that I 'found' at the recent SDCCI, back in July of this year. What a great place to celebrate my Birthday Week!

I was still in the Small Press Section of the Comic-Con when I found this new series. Actually I was at the booth next to the booth run by Blair Kitchen, whose Possum #1 I blogged about yesterday, and his brother Mike Kitchen. 

Sean Forney and I have been Facebook Friends for a while, and I've blogged or mentioned him in this Blog and / or my own Facebook Group Page several times!

Sean and I talked for awhile, and knowing that this Blog is the #1 'Followed' Blog on Facebook using the NetworkedBlogs app, he gave me the Preview and the booklet of 'Little Red Riding Hood' to read and possibly review here.

I'm only going to review the Preview here, as the booklet, while it is illustrated, is not a comic or graphic novel per se.  However, it is vital to the background of this new series!

Here is what the the creators of Scarlet Huntress say about her origin story on their web site:

"After running away for two years due to the death of her mother, Scarlet returns hoping to move on with her life. Instead her plans change when she learns of a secret family legacy that will change her life forever. Through her grandmother Scarlet learns of a hidden world full of evil, werewolves, and huntresses. Now Scarlet must decide if she will follow in the secret family business and become the next Scarlet Huntress."

Interesting concept...Here is 'My Take' on the Preview issue of the Scarlet Huntress:

Front Cover - I'm taking into consideration that this is a 'Preview' comic book...Not a regular comic book. Although it is not in color, I'm figuring the Scarlet Huntress is the woman in the foreground, with what appears to be wolves of some sort behind her, and a menancing figure behind them.  This gets my insterest to turn the page...

Inside Cover - Gives the Credits to the those that worked on the Preview issue, along with websites to go to.  Okay start so far...

The first page - Not a 'Splash Page' - as it appears to be interior pages of the planned first issue. So, since it is a 'Preview' issue, I'm okay with that.

Total of 8 pages presented to this story...and it sparked my interest to want to read the full upcoming 1st issue!

Next are pin-ups, character illo sketches, photos of the model that Scarlet Huntress is patterned after...for a total of 24 more pages.  I like looking at sketchbooks or preview issues that show the development of a series over time, IF they whet my appetite for more.  This one does...

The inside back cover was the Ka-Blam! printers ad.  Which I see a lot in other self-published comics that are either given to me at comic cons or sent in for possible review...Another good print job from Ka-Blam!  Oh, and the interior pages are black & white, with color covers outside and inside.

The back cover is the only page in true color, and the colors of the Scarlet Huntress costume are vivid!

I found this Preview Comic to do exactly what preview comics are meant to do...Interest the casual browser enough to make them want to be a reader.  That's because I like Sean's 'pin-ups' that are presented in the pages of this publication. Plus there appears to be a well thought out origin of this character. 

My comic book grade for this publication is a VERY FINE / NEAR MINT, (VF/NM) 9.0 on a 10.0 grading scale.

Here's a little bit more on Sean Forney co-creator of this character, with a 'bio' that I found on his blog:

"Sean grew up in Genoa, Ohio.  He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Sean spent a few years living in New Albany, Indiana. He currently resides in Westerville, Ohio. He is married to Stephanie Forney, an artist and art teacher.

Sean Forney is a professional illustrator and comic book artist who recently completed color work on My Adventures with Spider-Man by Marvel and Identity Direct. He created Star Wars promotional material including the official t-shirt and patch design for LucasFilm/Disney/Blue Planet Gear for the 2009 and 2010 Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios. Daily, he works with The Artifact Group coloring Bakugan illustrations for the national toy line. Sean co-created and illustrated Scarlet Huntress #1, Scarlet Huntress #2, and a children’s book tie-in called Little Red Riding Hood: Origins of a Huntress. He illustrated a pinup for Hanging Chad Entertainment’s Moos Miht: The Adventures of Mighty Moose #9 and colored variouscovers for Moos Miht issues. Sean’s early work was for Twisted Gate Entertainment which included drawing two short Scarlet Huntress stories for the anthology books The Portal #1 and #2, and covers for various titles. He has worked for various comic book companies including Sundragon Comics, Funky Ninja Comics, Stormchaser Comics, Camp Comics, Paper Dragon Ink, Fusion Studios, and more. He illustrated When the Cops Come Knockin’: An Illustrated Guide to the Law, character dossiers in G.I. Joe versus Cobra Fall Special: Rise of the Headhunters through Fun Publications, colored covers for Arrow Comics’ Wild Planet, and worked on comic strips for the Microsoft Developers’ program."

Also...Here's an interesting item on Scarlet Huntress: The Scarlet Huntress is modeled by Brianne Jeanette.

I did mention that there was a booklet titled 'Little Red Riding Hood - Origin of a Huntress'.  This book(let) was written and illustrated by Stephanie Forney, with the cover illustrated by both Stephanie and Sean Forney.  

It is in this book that the 'true' origin of the Scarlet Huntress is told...Reading this and the Preview comic book together will get you prepared for the first full issue of the comic book series.  Which I will be blogging about at a future time!

In the meantime...You can 'like' Sean Forney's Facebook Fan Page, which can be found here.

Sean also has his own web site, as found here. You can also order the items mentioned in this blog at that site directly from him and Stephanie.  Issue #1 is also there for purchase.

Oh, and if YOU like attending comic cons, Sean is exhibiting at several during the rest of this year.  This is the link to the Cincinnatti Comic Con for more info. Stop in, say hi, and check out the new series!

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Thanks again, Sean, for sharing your time with me at the recent San Diego Comic Con International!

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 3,230 total posts in number! I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

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"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 Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013     ComicBooksCircus.com - It's Under The Big Top Of Comics! Click the Above Circus Tent to See Our Current Listings!

My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! Plus I have a chapter in a new book coming out in December of 2010, that is pictured above, "Gotham City 14 Miles"! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. Please Note: I have reached the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so it might be a while before I am able to accept your request. Just send a message along with the invite that you saw my Blog!         ------------------- Talking about comics: 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 for a possible mention / review! 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. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up 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: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

My 'Take' On: The Possum #1 From Possum Press  As Seen at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International!     - Above Photo:  Blair Kitchen at the Small Press section holding Issue #2 of The Possum during the 2010 SDCC! - At the Top Left: A Closeup of the Front Cover to The Possum #1 That is Reviewed In This Blog Post! - At the Bottom Left: The Logo for the Comic Con International: San Diego - a.k.a. San Diego Comic Con 2010.

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3231:

Yes...Today's post is about yet another publication that I 'found' at the recent SDCCI! As you may have noticed by now, I was given quite a few review copies from comics creators at this Comic Con.

It was Sunday, July 25th, and I was back in the Small Press Section of the Comic-Con, going down the aisles, checking out what either grabbed my eyes or my son's.  Comics creators in this Small Press Section of the Comic-Con normally have at least a 'banner' touting their publications.  Which is the smart thing to do in a comic convention of this size!

Blair Kitchen and I talked for a while, and after looking at his publications for a while, he asked if could possibly I review one of them in my Blog, which currently is the #1 'Followed' Blogs on Facebook per the Facebook app NetworkedBlogs. 

I chose issue #1, which is usually the best place to start reading an indy comic book, unless there is an Issue #0 or Preview Issue, or if the 'Origin' of the character isn't published until issue #2 or later...

Here is what the the creator of 'The Possum' says about his comic's first issue, as found on the web site:

The Possum #1   
By Blair Kitchen   
        
Comic Book: 72 pages, black and white interiors

Publisher: Possum Press

Language: English

ISBN: none
 
THE POSSUM #1 by BLAIR KITCHEN is a super-hero funny book telling the secret origin of how indy comic artist Stuart Spankly gained the amazing powers of a human possum, thereby transforming himself into the hero known as "The Possum". Given the gift of having no vital signs, Stuart begins his quest to save the local old folks home from an Evil Genius and his son and learn about his new powers, all while dealing with the pressure of being an unemployed teenager with no living expenses. Along for the ride, is a colourful cast of characters, such as Steve Tacola (Stuart's best friend), Greg (the comic shop owner), and Heath (Greg's hired help. The Possum promises fun and laughs, along with everything else that makes comics and superheroes great."

Okay...Here is 'My Take' on the 1st issue of The Possum:

Front Cover - The figures on the front cover kind of 'grabbed me'.  I'm not always into cartoony type of superheroes, but the placement of the Logo, the cover text, etc., was well done, inviting me to turn the cover page...

Which I did.  The inside cover was a letter from the creator / self publisher.  Telling me the basic history of the character, and why it took so long to bring this issue to market.  Good marketing on this inside cover.  Got me to feel for the creator / self publisher / and main character!

The first page - Not a 'Splash Page' - Instead it's us the readers looking over the shoulder of Stuart Spankly, who is illustrating his new comic book, called 'The Possum'.  This is a good way to bring a reader into the story.  I liked this approach.

More multi-panel pages are shown, with some full page and some double spread pages...I'm finding myself liking the character even more, plus the other chacters that are introduced, and the storyline that develops.

This issue is a done-in-one comic book story. Which even though it took 72 pages to do so...I wasn't bored, nor wanting it to end. Good thing, because there is an issue #2 to follow!  And yes, although the front and back covers are in color, the interior pages are black & white.

The inside front cover was the letters page, titled 'Possum Mail'.  Plus an add for Spy Guy - which is a comic book by Blair's brother Mike Kitchen.  And a house ad for 'The Possum T Shirt'.  Looks like Blair has The Possum covered in marketing, (pun intended!).  

The back cover is a comic strip featuring The Possum in 'Shirts and Skins", which of course is a promo for The Possum T-Shirts for sale!  Another good marketing ploy, and witty enough to work!

I found this comic book to be very entertaining for me.  The number of pages used to cover the origin of the character were the right amount of pages, and I did not see the story draggin on at all!  The characters and storyline were smoothly blended, the art and lettering meshed well together, and all in all, this was a publication that I enjoyed reading.  Enough so that I wanted to publish a review blog about it today!

My comic book grade for this publication is a NEAR MINT, (NM) 9.4 on a 10.0 grading scale.

I wanted to post a little bit about Blair's history in comics here, but the web site's 'about' tab contains an Error 404. So I'll just mention his web sites to you to follow up on...

The Possum has a Facebook Fan Page, which can be found here. Please note, it hasn't been updated for a while.

The Possum has its own web site, as found here.

We don't have any xtra copies of this publication for sale. Plus I don't have anywhere to refer you to other than his web site, which does have all three (3) of the issues of The Possum. Which you can view and order by clicking this link. Please note that the prices quoted are in Canadian Dollars, but YOU can use PayPal to pay for your purchase(s)!

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Thanks again, Blair, for sharing your time with me at the recent San Diego Comic-Con International!

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 3,230 total posts in number! I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

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 Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013     ComicBooksCircus.com - It's Under The Big Top Of Comics! Click the Above Circus Tent to See Our Current Listings!

My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! Plus I have a chapter in a new book coming out in December of 2010, that is pictured above, "Gotham City 14 Miles"! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. Please Note: I have reached the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so it might be a while before I am able to accept your request. Just send a message along with the invite that you saw my Blog!         ------------------- Talking about comics: 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 for a possible mention / review! 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. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up 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: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

My 'Take' On:  Kick-Ass The Film...As Seen On DVD   Plus Photos From the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con!   - Above Top Photo: The Kick-Ass Film Banner As Seen At the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con! - At the Top Right: The Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con Logo.  - Second Right - Michael D Hamersky Standing In Front of the Mist Mobile As Seen On the Exhibit Floor of the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim. - Third Right: The Mistmobile In Total! - Fourth Right - Inside the Mist Mobile. - Bottom Right: Just In Case You Were Thinking of Making This Car Your Own...You Notice That It Belongs to the Red Mist!        --- --- ---

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3230:

This is the time of year that the Big Blockbusters of the Summer are over, and we are waiting for our
Favorite TV Shows to return, or waiting for new shows that we previewed at the San Diego Comic Con International to appear on TV.

So we turned to Red Box last night, (yeah, we sold our Blockbuster stock a couple of years ago), and there was nothing there that we really wanted to see other than 'Kick-Ass' that we both knew was on DVD.

I've had the thought of renting this DVD for a while now, but Tina and I have been so busy, that we haven't rented it.  Plus Tina figured it wouldn't be appropriate for when we had Vinnie with us to view this DVD.  So last night was perfect to view it.

Besides, as you can see by the above photos on the right of this blog post, I had some interest in checking out the Mist Mobile in the film, after seeing it in person at the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con! 

So here's 'My Take' on the film, after a promo blurb on what the film was about per publicity accounts:

DVD Blurb: “How come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” When Dave Lizewski – ordinary New York teenager and rabid comic-book geek – dons a green-and-yellow Internet-bought wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante Kick-Ass, he soon finds an answer to his own question: because it hurts. But, over coming all the odds, the eager yet inexperienced Dave quickly becomes a phenomenon, capturing the imagination of the public. However, he’s not the only superhero out there – the fearless and highly trained father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy and Hit-Girl, have been slowly but surely taking down the criminal empire of local mafioso Frank D’Amico. And, as Kick-Ass gets drawn into their no-holds-barred world of bullets and bloodletting with Frank’s son Chris, now reborn as Kick-Ass’s arch-nemesis Red Mist, the stage is set for a final showdown between the forces of good and evil, in which the DIY hero will have to live up to his name. Or die trying…

So...the above basically tells you what the movie is about. I'm not going to say more about the actual scenes, as it would be giving away the whole film, and I don't want to put a 'Spoiler Alert' here!

Based on the trailers that I saw on the film before it came out on the Big Screen, and by hearing what was being said about it at the 2010 Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con back in April, I knew that this was one film I would probably end up renting on DVD.

I only drag Tina to comic book movies that I know the history of...and 'Kick-Ass' wasn't a series that I read.  Even though I do like John Romita Jr.'s art style in some other comics series.

So other than seeing the car above at Wizard World, and picking up a few Wizard Magazines with Kick-Ass featured on the front cover to resell, as seen in this link to our online store, I waited till a 'slow time' for us to view this.

Yeah, I appreciated seeing all of the comic book references in this film.  To name just a few:

The Spirit 3 Film on the theater marquee - Runaways comic book that is being read - Scott Pilgrim mention - 'Tony Romita' the Crime Boss - X-Men mention - Fantastic Four mention - Sin City mention - and several others that I didn't write down.

I also enjoyed the storyline that the film took. This was a well written and well directed film. 

It kind of reminded me of the Peter Parker Saga in the early days IF Peter took this road to superhero status without super powers.  So for an origin story film, this is the real deal.

The line that Dave says at the beginning: "Like most people my age...I just existed".  That sums it up for Dave's life to that point.

I also liked how Dave mail-ordered his 'superhero' outfit.  Kind of reminded me of the early Marvel Comics days...

However the only problem in the storyline is that the setup of the characters in the film is a little slow in developing.  But that is offset by the language that is used by the characters.

Yeah, 'language'.  That's what kept me from renting this when Vinnie is with us.  I'm okay with 'action films' for the most part, but the 'language' is something I'm not comfortable in sitting with others to listen to.

This film is definitely aimed at a target market other than myself.  If it hadn't been so heavily promoted and showing its comic book roots, I probably wouldn't have made the effort to see it, great looking car or not!

Talking about the car...I teased you with the photos I took at the Wizard World Anaheim in the top portion of this blog. 

To the left are Kick-Ass and Red Mist inside the Mist Mobile in a scene from the film. I understand that the car features a Rich Evans Design Body Kit, a 550 hp Supercharged 4.6L Motor, with Scissor doors, and custom rims. Plus it also features two nitrous oxide tanks with remote capabilities which actually purge from the hood to create a smoke-filled ambiance for 'Red Mist.'  Great Car, Great Character...that's for sure!

Back now to my 'take' on the film...Every character in the film had a good to great origin story.  Especially Big Daddy and Hit Girl.  I appreciated that the film was placed in a 'real city', that of New York City. Made the film more 'real' for me.

One more quote from the film, as it was so good...Kick-Ass says: "With No Power comes No Reponsibility.  But That wasn't true". Great changing of the world famous line written by Stan Lee for Spider-Man.

Now here's where it gets a little rougher.  I've already mentioned the 'language' used in the film.  I don't get it...maybe it's my age...Maybe it's my upbringing.  But I just don't need that kind of language in the films I want to watch and then buy for my collection to replay later.  I just don't need that, nor want that.

The storyline was really good without all that language.  I would have rated this film much higher than I will post here in a little bit...

And the last thing that bothered me in this film.  It's Hit Girl, who is all of 11 years old, talking the way she does in the film, and being the most violent of all the characters in the film.  Yeah, I understand...she's 'Hit Girl'.  So she's a badass...Well I can see why some groups protested this film because of this role.  Not the best role model in the world for younger children to watch and possibly emulate.  And I saw several younger children wanting 'Kick-Ass' stuff at the Wizard World Anaheim Comic Con before the film even came out...

Other than those two points, and they are 'Major' points to me, the storyline, character development, and the directing were pretty darn good.  Again, I would have rated this film much higher if not for those two 'major' points for me.  

I'm giving this a Very Fine / Very Fine Plus (VF/VF+) 8.25 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.  Plus suggesting highly that this is definitely NOT for the younger people.  It is rated 'R' for a reason, folks!

BTW, I was interested in what my wife, Tina, thought about this film.  When we go to comic book movies at the Big Screen, we usually both have separate blog posts on our POVs of the film.

So, since it's a review of the film on DVD, I asked her last night to write just a paragraph on her 'take' on the film, and for a comic book grade.  Please note that she is NOT a comic book fanatic like myself.  Other than being associated with me, and attending many comic cons and pop culture cons, she usually doesn't read comic books unless a creator personally asks her to, or she reads a good review elsewhere about a series or graphic novel.  Here's Tina's 'Take':

"Kick-Ass is not your typical super-hero movie. This one actually 'kicks ass'. If Spider-Man existed in a wild alternative universe - this would be it. 

A fun, wild, crazy ride with a great soundtrack, hysterical comics and pop culture references, ( I love a movie that references both Ugly Betty and LOST!), and surprising story.  Loved it!  Near Mint (NM) 9.4 comic book rating."

Whew!  Tina says a lot of what I thought about this film, but goes away with giving it a different grade, and a much better grade at that!  However she doesn't agree on my take on the language / kid violence.  She said afterward as we were shutting down for the night, that it's an "Adult Teen Movie"...Okay...There is a small age difference between us. She's at the tail end of the Baby Boomers birth years...

Thanks Tina for your input!  So that about sums it up here for this blog post!

Oh...We don't have any Kick-Ass DVDs for sale in our own online store, but here's a link to where we suggest YOU get a copy if you are wanting to purchase one! Kick-Ass the DVD!  

PLUS...My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over the 3,225 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! 

I would appreciate that!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

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"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 Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013   ComicBooksCircus.com - It's Under The Big Top Of Comics! Click the Above Circus Tent to See Our Current Listings!

My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. I am reaching the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends soon, and I don't want YOU to be left out!         ------------------- Talking about comics: 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 for a possible mention / review! 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. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up 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: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

The 2nd Night of the 2010 Leo Carrillo Film Festival... September 3rd! At The Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park In Carlsbad, California!   It's Running For Three More Consecutive Friday Nights At: 6200 Flying LC Lane  Above Top Photo: Michael D Hamersky & Tina LoSasso Enjoying the 2nd Night of the Festival! - At the Top Right: The Film Nights Marquee Seen On the Online Site.  - Second Right - The Look On the Way Down to the Hacienda. Cart Rides Are Available. - Third Right: (L-R) Just a Few of Our Neigbors -Mary Lou Smith, Tina, Vikki Walker & Joe McPadden! - Fourth Right - The Lobby Card to Last Night's Film. - Bottom Right: One of the great scenes starring Edith Fellows & Leo Carrillo in 'City Streets'!        --- --- ---

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3229:

Last night Tina and I joined a few of our neighbors at the 2nd Night of the 2010 Leo Carrillo Film Festival.

This is the same Film Festival I blogged about a couple of weeks ago, (see here for full film schedule in my earlier post). Yep...It's THAT TIME of Year Again for those that are relatively close to Coastal North San Diego County to attend!

Because I have taken on a project that is keeping me away from the home office during the day for a another month, Tina arrived early with the neighbors to save us a spot in the main section of the film area! It's first come...first takers of the grounds area.  They arrived at 5:15 PM and were able to take their pick of area. Note: Only low back chairs are permitted up in front.  So get there early if you don't have those size of chairs!  There is a separate back area for those that arrive later with high back chairs, so even you arrive late, there is still room!

Last week we went with our church group, and staked out a larger claim on the ground, as there would be later arrivals.  We didn't have this time, as it was just the five of us to picnic and have some bottles of wine... 

Tina packed us a bottle of wine, cheese and salami plus great sandwiches, so I only stopped at the Cabana to see what the Opportunity Drawing Prizes were for this week.  However, as you can see by the photo to the left, they have several good choices for a picnic dinner!  Next week is 'Hot Dog Week', so we may try those for a change, especially since they were mentioning possibly having 'chili dogs'!  .

Last week there wasn't a 'Trivia Game', just a new 'Opportunity Drawing', which I played with 3 tickets and won 2nd Prize!  (See last week's blog for details.)  This week there was a Trivia Game in addition to the Opportunity Drawing!  Tina and I had already decided not to play the Trivia Game that is usually played at these film dates, as we have won prizes repeatedly in the past, so thought we should give others a chance to win...Which was good, because the questions were a LOT harder this time!

The three 'Opportunity Drawing' prizes looked pretty good last night, so I bought a few tickets to help support the Festival as this Film Festival is 'Free' to attend.   

Tina is shown at the left holding the 3rd prize...A Peacock Hand Puppet.

Tina loves to look for the white peacock that roams the grounds with the other peacocks.  You can walk the grounds befor the film starts if you arrive early enough, or take a shortened docent tour. 

If YOU haven't taken in a docent tour of the grounds on Saturday or Sunday...You are missing a great tour!

Oh, and here was last night's Grand Prize...A $112 value gift basket! 

Anyways, for those of YOU that haven't been to this Leo Carrillo Film Festival, here's what happens:

Nostalgic entertainment under the stars at a real movie star retreat.  Admission is free.  Movies start promptly at sunset.  Grounds open at 5 p.m. for picnics and tours.  Complementary tour of the hacienda is offered one hour before sunset.

Guests should bring low-back chairs, blankets, and a flashlight.  Warm clothes and appropriate shoes are recommended for uneven terrain throughout the park.  An episode of “The Cisco Kid” precedes the film screening.  Films are not rated.  Parental discretion is advised.  Closed captioning is not available unless otherwise indicated.

And what would the Leo Carrillo Film Festival be without an episode of The Cisco Kid from the TV Series that had an original run from September 5, 1950 – March 22, 1956?! 

As stated above and in my earlier blogs; an epsiode from the TV Series is played first, then it's intermission time, and then on to the main feature film... 

FYI: At the start of this TV series, Leo was 70 years old and Duncan Renaldo was 46!  BTW, Leo and Duncan are considered to be the first regular TV series Hispanic Stars, as Desi Arnaz Jr didn't start until the following year with his wife Lucille Ball with their show...Just a little bit of trivia for you!   

The episode last night was 'Water Rights'.  This episode came across to the several in the audience as 'campy', as there were several laughs at the forced action scenes.  Not one of the better episodes that we have seen at the Film Festival, or online watching the TV Series.

Unfortunately, the usual ending of the episode didn't have the usual "Ohhh, Ceesco!" by Pancho, with the rejoinder from Cisco Kid..."Oh, Pancho!". This was noticed by Mary Lou, who joined us for the first time, and who had watched several of the TV episodes when she was a child. 

As mentioned in last week's blog...This is the 6th Season of the Leo Carrillo Film Festival!  The crowd attending wasn't as large as the 1st Night's crowd, but next Friday's attendance will probably be a lot larger in size, as the brand new exhibit at the Ranch will be unveiled the night before at a private party, and opened for those attending the Friday night's Film Festival! 

I posted a note about this in last week's blog, but want to metnion it again, as it Big News for the Ranch.  Last week, I was contacted by a Facebook Friend, Gerry Streff, an archivist with the the City of Carlsbad, who after seeing my earlier Thursday blog post about this year's Film Season, sent me the following link.  There will be a Special Exhibit that opens to the general public on the Friday Night of September 10th, which coincides with that night's Film Festival. 

You should plan accordingly and get there early to take this new exibit in, plus 'claim' your space to catch that night's Cisco Kid episode and the film that plays after intermission!  Thanks, Gerry for the heads up on this!

So to finish up blogging about last night's 2nd Night of the 2010 Leo Carrillo Film Festival...The audience was still large in numbers although down from Opening Night.  The staff working the event were friendly as always, and I'm looking forward to chili-dogs!  The Cisco Kid episode was OK, and gave those who were new to the Festival a taste of that series.

Add to that the Opportunity Drawing Prizes given away at intermission were good prizes! And the nostalgic main film that was shown...Made it a Great 2nd Night at this year's Film Festival! My thanks again to all of those involved with having this Film Season continue.  There were a couple hundred folks there last night that appreciated it!

BTW, I blog about this Film Festival every year because there is a comic book connection as well! 

There were 40 issues of the Cisco Kid comic book title from Dell Comics, starting in January of 1951 and ending with the Oct/Dec 1958 issue!  Here's a link to all of those covers!

PLUS: Here's a link to the blog posts that we've blogged about in the past to show you what's at the Leo Carrillo Ranch, as well as what fun we had at the Leo Carrillo Film Festival in recent years:  Click here for the link!

Thanks again to the City of Carlsbad, and to the LeoCarrilloRanch.org people, and the Friends Of CarrilloRanch.org folks for making the Ranch Docent Tours and the Film Festival possible this year!

Oh...We don't have any Cisco Kid DVDs for sale in our online store, (we are keeping ours for our own collection!), but here's a link to one of the better Cisco Kid Collections! Best of The Cisco Kid (35 Episodes)

And if YOU are attending and see Tina and myself there...Stop by and say hello!  I'm usually wearing my straw hat and wearing one of my 'Comic Book Collectors Blog.com' indigo colored polo shirts to these events, (as seen at the top left photo of this post)!

PLUS...My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over the 3,225 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!  I would appreciate that!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

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"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 Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013   ComicBooksCircus.com - It's Under The Big Top Of Comics! Click the Above Circus Tent to See Our Current Listings!

My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. I am reaching the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends soon, and I don't want YOU to be left out!         ------------------- Talking about comics: 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 for a possible mention / review! 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. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up 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: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

My 'Take' On: Crying Macho Man #4 As Seen at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International!     - Above Photo:  Jose Cabrera at the Small Press section during the 2010 SDCC! - At the Top Left: A Closeup of the Front Cover to Crying Macho Man No. 4! - At the Bottom Left: The Logo for the Comic Con International: San Diego - a.k.a. San Diego Comic Con 2010.

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3228:

Today's post is about yet another publication that I 'found' at the recent SDCCI.

This time I was back in the Small Press Section of the Comic-Con, going down the aisles and saw this striking banner, as shown at the top right photo.  Again, for those of YOU that are setting up at a comic con, whether in a Small Press or Artists Alley Table...Having a eye catching banner is great advertising!

Jose and I talked for a while, and after looking at his publications I chose the No 4 issue to read and possibly review.

Here is what the the creator of Crying Macho Man says about his cartoon's origin:

"Crying Macho Man was born on the mean streets of New York City and has been bringing you the funny on a weekly basis for the last 5 years. Wow, now that's a lot of cartoons. We're talking hundreds of strips that were born out of love and sweat.

This is about the time I start to list the prestigious awards Crying Macho Man the cartoon strip has won over the years and how successful and rich I've become as it's creator. But I'm sorry to disappoint you. The cartoon biz is a tough cookie to crack. Newspapers, that were once the main vehicle for the funny's have consistently hacked away the main thing I bought the paper for. The Funny Pages!

The interent seemed to bring the distribution of cartoons on a level playing field, giving budding artists like myself the opportunity to conquer this fickle media. But after 5 years of working the web, I've made about enough money to pay for a tank of gas and dinner for the missus and me. 5 YEARS YO! But I don't want this to be a bitch fest. It has brought something much more valuable. FRIENDS WHO LIKE TO DRAW CARTOONS! And I don't just mean fair weather friends either. I've met some of the best people on the planet. And cartoon peeps are such a dedicated bunch. Their love of the craft is infectuous. I seriously believe I would have dropped out the game if it weren't for their support and enthusiasm.

So here stands Crying Macho Man holding his own after 5 years, passionately getting up in the morning and dipping his proverbial pen in the bottomless inkwell of funny.

Thanks for giving me the chance to make you laugh or at least try!"

Fair enough...Here is 'My Take' on the 4th issue of Crying Macho Man:

Front Cover - After a long week of superheroes at the Comic-Con, I was looking forward to seeing something other than superheroes fare in the Small Press Section.  Seeing Jose hold this publication, I could tell it wasn't that genre.  It looks inviting enough to open the page to check out the inside cover...

Which I did.  The inside cover kind of surprised me, by having nine other issues pictured from 'Cartoon Flophouse'.  So if I liked this sort of humour, I would be sure to take a look at what else had been published so far.  Good marketing!

The first page - Not a 'Splash Page' - It wold appear that the pages in this comic book magazine are from his web comic for the most part?  The first page is a one page cartoon strip with six panels.  The joke sets the stage for the next pages...

More multi-panel one page cartoon stories are shown.  Plus one panel pages...which break up the standard format.

I find myself laughing at some of the cartoons.  It is entertaining at that...

What follows next is a 9 page cartoon story. Not bad... And then another one panel cartoon page, with a parody on Wolverine.

More one panel parody pages follow, with 'Super Duper Man', and what are shown to be 'Batman' and 'Ghost Rider'.  Again, the mix of pages keeps this publication from being routine.  I liked the mix and the jokes.  A good break from superheroes, even though some do make it to the interior pages!

The inside front cover was the Ka-Blam! printers ad.  Which I see a lot...Another good print job from Ka-Blam!  Oh, and the interior pages are black & white, with color covers outside and inside.

The back cover is just a little over the top...which is good that I didn't look at it before reading the interior pages.  I'll let you see that one for yourselves...

I found this comic book magazine to be entertaining and worth the cover price for this type of humor. 

My comic book grade for this publication is a VERY FINE / NEAR MINT, (VF/NM) 9.0 on a 10.0 grading scale.

Here's a little bit more on the creator, with a 'bio' that I found on his blog:

"Jose was born and raised in New York City in the upper part of Manhattan. His community was predominately Dominican and throughout his early school years he was surrounded by friends who loved to draw. His love for art got him accepted to La Guardia H.S. of Music and Art near Lincoln Center were he was exposed to the world of fine art. After graduating from High School, he went to Baltimore and attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. He studied everything from photography to environmental design and got a huge spoonful of Art History. Some of his influences include Henry Moore, Amedeo Modigliani, Lucian Freud, Giacometti, Paul Rand, Ansel Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe, Andy Warhol, R. Crumb, John Romita Jr., Sal Buscema, John Byrne, Jack Davis and the list goes on. This gave him the inspiration and the cojones to create Crying Macho Man."

Crying Macho Man has a Facebook Fan Page, which can be found here.

Crying Macho Man has its own web site, as found here.

We don't have any xtra copies of this publication for sale. Thus, I'm suggesting that if YOU would like to read more of this cartoon series, here's a link to another quality online site:  The Premiere Crying Macho Man Collection: Prime Cut - that has at least one copy for sale at the time of this blog posting!

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Thanks again, Jose Cabrera, for sharing your time with me at the recent San Diego Comic Con International!

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 3,225 total posts in number! I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

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 Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013     ComicBooksCircus.com - It's Under The Big Top Of Comics! Click the Above Circus Tent to See Our Current Listings!

My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! Plus I have a chapter in a new book coming out in December of 2010, that is pictured above, "Gotham City 14 Miles"! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. Please Note: I have reached the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so it might be a while before I am able to accept your request. Just send a message along with the invite that you saw my Blog!         ------------------- Talking about comics: 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 for a possible mention / review! 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. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up 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: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.