Veterans Day 2010 Tribute Via Comic Book Covers At ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com!   - Top Photo:  My Grandfather, Aloysisus 'Ollie' Hamersk(i)y at Camp Funston, Kansas At the Start of WWI.  He served in the US Army! - Immediate Top Photo - My Father, Francis L Hamersky at his retirement from the US Navy! - Each year I've blogged aobut the Veterans Day Holiday in some way. Usually I include comic book covers or actual photos of Armed Forces events / places. - This year I'm showing my grandfather and father in their uniforms at the top and then publishing one comic book cover from each of the branches in the Armed Forces to the right. - There are multiples to choose from four of the branches, Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines, but its always a hard one to find a Comic Book Cover with the Coast Guard on the front cover! -     - -   - -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3278:

Why do I publish a blog each year for this Holiday?

Well, first I'm a 'Navy Brat'. I was 'exposed' to  Navy & Marines themed comic books at the barbershop when we were stationed on Kodiak Island, Alaska back in 1963.  There were quite a few in 'circulation' there!

As stated before in this Blog, I was first given 'funnybooks', (Chilly Willy, Woody Woodpecker, etc.), by by Great Aunt Marge and Great Uncle Howard, and then I started getting Western TV show comic book adaptations in the late 1950's.

It wasn't until I was in Alaska that I realized there were 'war comics' as well! That's because distribution at 7-lls and other type of convenience stores were kind of a hit or miss proposition back then in Southern California.  Plus I had a small allowance!

It wasn't until Stan Lee & Jack Kirby started Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos in 1963, that I actually started collecting war comics! Sure Sgt. Fury was a 'little bit' far fetched, but I had rally gotten into Stan's & Jack's stories by then!

Nowadays 'war comics' don't have the circulation they once had, but there has been a small resurgence in the genre in recent years.

I urge you to take a look at the following links to just view some of the titles that have been published throughout the years!

Namely, comic books with 'Navy' in the title, comic books with 'Army' in the title, comic books with 'Air Force' in the title, and comic books with 'Marines' in the title! Sad to say, there hasn't been a comic book title with 'Coast Guard' in it per the GCD, where the above links take you to.  I could just stare for hours at all of the comic book covers that are shown there!

BTW, If YOU are in the San Diego Metro area today, (November 11th, 2010), you might want to check out the celebration on the USS Midway, that is now a floating museum at the Port of San Diego!

Here is the link to the Party, and here are the details:

Veteran's Day Celebration on the USS Midway!

Thursday, November 11, 2010 - 6 PM - 10 PM

Honor our "Greatest Generation", with a night full of:

•High Flying Swing Dancing
•Exciting Big Band Performances
•"Victorious" Fare (Dinner is provided)
•Cocktails
•1940's Costume and Dance Contests!
Tickets on sale now online and at the USS Midway Museum Ticket Booth! 

$45 General Admission / $35 USS Midway Museum Members

San Diego used to be quite a BIG Navy Town back in the Day!  There are still a lot of active servicemen and retired Navy personnel here, including my Dad who I pictured above.

If YOU are in the area, (I realize it is short notice, but just heard it mentioned on a radio station yesterday), then check it out.  Plus take in a tour of the USS Midway while you are there!

In closing, I do appreciate all of those who have served in the Armed Forces, no matter what branch, and celebrate with you the 2010 Veterans Day Holiday. 

But when it comes to the Annual Army-Navy Football Game... Well, it's 'Go NAVY, Beat Army'!

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My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now up to 3,275 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)! Plus I have a chapter in a new book coming out in December of 2010, that is pictured above, "Gotham City 14 Miles"! Click here to become a 'Fan' of the GC14M Facebook Fan Page! 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.

 

Tina LoSasso's  Review On: The Secret History: Book 12 - Lucky Point From Archaia Entertainment!     - Above Photo:  The Secret History Tells the Story of Mankind - It Ain't What YOU Heard In History Class!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3277:

I, (Michael), recently blogged about Books Eleven and Twelve in this Mini Series of comic books titled 'The Secret Story' from Archaia Entertainment.

As stated before, I usually don't blog about series that I've come into reading that are more than halfway past the mini series run number. (There are thirteen books in this series.)

I made an exception with this Mini Series. That's because I really 'dug' what was going on in Books Ten & Eleven!

When the latest shipment of publications came in from Archaia for possible review in this blog, my wife, Tina LoSasso, looked through the box and found that she wanted to read Book Twelve of this series!  Then she wanted to to blog about it, as you'll soon find out why! 

Here's her review, which is timely, because it is TODAY, November 10th, that this Book Twelve goes on sale at YOUR Local Comic Book Shop, (LCBS)!

The Secret History - Book Twelve: Lucky Point

Napoleon said, "What is history but a fable agreed upon?".

The Secret History, (Archaia, originally published in France by Delcourt) provides a new grand fable of the key events in history from 1350 BC to present day. In this reality, events unfold as we know them, but for reasons none of us ever heard in History class.

Unbeknownst to most humans, our fate is being determined by four 'Archons'  -  the heads of The Four Houses.  The four Archons weave in and out of human events to protect humanity from the evil of the fifth Archon, William of Leece, who is bent on destroying mankind. 

Book Twelve: Lucky Point covers 1942. Like one of the bombs the Allies drop to destroy a Nazi stronghold, the story hops, skips and jumps from the Pacific Theatre to Europe to the Middle East. The Allies and Axis commands utilize runes and draw circles of power to shield and protect their forces. Imagine shielding your entire fleet with a Cloak of Invisibility. 

We learn that the Nazis really are pure evil. They use the concentration camps to harness fear and distill it into "black runes" they can use in warfare. One of the Nazi facilities seems to be quite literally, the Gates of Hell. (I'm reminded that 'The Secret History' comes from France, a nation with an intimate knowledge of the evils committed by the Nazis in WWII.)

Book Twelve of 'The Secret History' is well executed. The intricate story by Jean-Pierre Pecan enfolds beautifully in the artwork by Igor Kordey (illustration) and Chris Chuckry (colors). Most impressive is how the personalities of even the most minor of characters come alive in just a few panels.
As someone whos only recently read comics and graphic novels, I especially appreciate the graphic flow of a story and how the construction of each frame, the lettering and illustration all work together to tell the story. I've read enough to know that if I can't follow the story,  it's not me, it's not a good comic! Great comics use every aspect of the medium to propel you through the story. 

The Secret History  is a great book.  If you're just entering the series at 'Book Twelve' don't despair (so was I), there's a handy guide on the first pages of the book that outlines the overall story timeline and locals for each Book, gives you a quick synopsis, and names the Archons (so you'll know 'em when you see 'em!) In addition, you'll find footnotes of historical trivia throughout the story that enhance your reading and lend an air of sophistication to the book.  

If you're looking for a mature, intelligent story, I think you'll agree that The Secret History is a fable well told.

The Secret History, Book Twelve: Lucky Point - For mature audiences. On sale: November 10th, TODAY at YOUR LCBS!

Review Rating: 9.2 NEAR MINT MINUS (NM-) out of a possible 10.0 Comic Book Grading scale.

Retail Price $5.95 Page count: 48 pages

Format: saddle bound, 6.875" x 10.25", full color

Mature readers (Contains Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content).

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Thanks, Tina for reading and blogging the 12th book in the 13 book mini series!

Here is the link to Archaia so that YOU can purchase either the single volumes or the collected works so far.

Here is the Facebook Fan Page for Archaia Entertainment, which I suggest YOU 'like' also to keep up with what this publisher is presenting next.

My thanks to Archaia for bringing this series to my attention!  Now both Tina and myself have enjoyed volumes in this mini series!

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 3,275 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!  We currently have over 2,010 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet...I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note: 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"!  Click here to become a 'Fan' of the GC14M Facebook Fan Page! 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.

 

Vinnie's'Take' On:  Mouse Guard: Legends Of The Guard #4 (of 4) From Archaia Entertainment!      --- Above Photo: The Front Cover to Mouse Guard: Legends Of the Guard #4 (of4)! --- At the Left: The Logo for the Publisher of this series, Archaia!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3276:

During the Week of October 18th through the 22nd, I blogged about several publications that  had previously come  in from Archaia for possible review. (As seen in this link.)

I was on such a roll bloging about those publications, I ended up calling it 'Archaia Week at ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com'!

Well, another package came in over the weekend, while my youngest son was visiting with us, and he helped me sort through the box.  He wasn't familiar with 'Mouse Guard', and it was age appropriate, (he's a tween), so I suggested that he read it, and if he liked it, to guest blog about it here.  The following is the result of his reading.

Which is pretty timely, because the publication will be at YOUR Local Comic Book Shop as of Wednesday, November 10th!

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This blog review is "my take" on Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard #4 of the four issue limited series.

On  Saturday, while at my dad's house, he had gotten a shipment of books for possible review, from Archaia. I decided to read this book, and write a review, when I saw the details laid out in the promo material by Archaia about this book. Those details are the following.

"Located in the western mouse city of Barkstone, The June Alley Inn is hosting a rousing storytelling competition, and the winner's bar tab will be paid in full! LEGENDS OF THE GUARD is a limited anthology series with artists and storytellers handpicked by creator David Petersen. Featured in this final issue are tales by Karl Kerschl (TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE), Craig Rousseau (IMPULSE) and Mark Smylie (ARTESIA)."

Retail Price: $3.50 Page Count: 32 pages

Format: saddle bound, 8" x 8", full color

All Ages Available Nov. 10 in comic book shops

Now for 'My Take' on this anthology comic book.

The Front Cover, (by David Petersen), has an illustration depicting a crew of sailors finding their way home. They were following the direction of the beak of a heron that they saw in a constellation after they had been sailing, and out of nowhere, there was a rough storm. Interestingly, the front cover makes a "cameo" appearance in the additional pages. When you buy this comic, be sure to look for it!

The Inside Front Cover has a "Table of Contents" sort of layout, saying who each story was by, in both story and illustrations. Below that is a "On the Cover" section, describing what the front cover is depicting.  I am glad they put that, as I wasn't too clear on what the cover was trying to tell me.

First Story - "The Lion and the Mouse" - Art and Story by Craig Rousseau. This story was a retelling of an older story (I believe) - with a twist. The art and story were both fantastic, and I loved the slight differences added, for it was like a whole new story. It all flowed so well, and overall, I really liked it.

Second Story - "Bowen's Tale" - Art and Story by Karl Kerschl. This story didn't have any text except for some sound effects. It didn't make much sense to me because of this. However even though I didn't enjoy the 'story', I enjoyed the art. I just wished it would have been told in a way for me to understand the story.

Third Story - "Crown of Silver, Crown of Gold" - Art and Story by Mark Smylie. This story was the longest, and In My Opinion, second most interesting story, right behind "The Lion and the Mouse". It told a story of bravery, madness, and love. The art would be take 'first place' between the three stories printed in this issue, for I just love this style.

The Inside Back Cover is just promoting the hardcover edition, which contains all four issues, and the works of the many artists and writers and other creators involved with this series.

The Back Cover is a continuation of the Front Cover's illustration. No other pictures, or text.

Overall, I would give this comic book, "Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard #4" a comic book grade of Near Mint Minus (NM-), a 9.2 on a 10.0 grading scale.

~Vinnie!

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Thanks Vinnie for guest blogging here today, and giving us your thoughts on this final issue in the series from a tween's POV!

My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over the 3,275 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!  Plus Vinnie (pictured at the 2010 SDCC), likes attending the Comic-Con with us too now!   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: Bela Lugosi's TALES From The GRAVE #1 From Monsterverse!     - Above Photo:  The Front Cover to Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave #1 (Basil Gogos Cover). - At the Top Left: Sam F Park at the Recent 2010 Long Beach Comic Con!  - At the Bottom Left: The Long Beach Comic Con Logo!

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3275:

I have been watching the progress of this 1st Issue of 'Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave' for a while...

I was at the Monsterverse panel at the July 2010 San Diego Comic Con International, where several aspects of this comic book were unveiled.

Also, I've 'Liked' the Facebook Fan Page for 'Comics From The Monsterverse', (YOU can also do so by clicking this link!), and watched the updated wall posts as they were uploaded there about the comic book in progress.

The release party signing event for the 1st issue was held in the LA Metro Area at the end of October. We were unable to attend that event, but did see Sam F Park and Kerry Gammill at the recent Long Beach Comic Con during the Halloween Weekend.  What a fitting arena to additionally 'premiere' this 1st issue!

Here is what this comic book series is about per Monsterverse's promo. Please note there is a variant John Cassady cover that is NOT pictured here, as well as the Basil Gogos cover shown at the top right of this post:

BELA LUGOSI'S TALES FROM THE GRAVE will be in comic shops during the coming Halloween season. The comic will be a double-sized 48-page color quarterly comic retailing for $4.99. Besides the variant cover, John Cassaday also provided the script and art for one of the stories in the first issue. Other stories feature work by such notables as Kerry Gammill, (SPIDER-MAN and SUPERMAN) James Farr (whose XOMBIE online animated and comic book series is being brought to theater screens by Dreamworks in a live-action production by top writer/producers Orchi and Kurtzman), Chris Moreno (WORLD WAR HULK), Rob Brown (named last year's horror artist of the year in an online vote for his comic BANE OF THE WEREWOLF), Derek MacCaw, Rafael Navarro (creator of the Xeric Award winning series SONAMBULO), Martin Powell, Eisner Award- winning artist Terry Beatty (THE BATMAN STRIKES), Brian Denham (IRON MAN, ANGEL), Bruce Timm (designer for Warner Bros animated BATMAN series) and more. The book also features an article by leading Lugosi researcher and author Gary D. Rhodes.

Upcoming issues will feature work by some top names in movies and comic books. Directors John Landis and Joe Dante, make-up genius Rick Baker and others will be bringing their talent for horror from movies to the illustrated page for the first time. Other contributors will include Steve Niles, Benton Jew, Neil Vokes, Jack Herman, Mike Hoffman, Brian Denham, Hank Mayo, James Groman, and Joe and John Lansdale

Okay...So what is 'My Take' on this 1st Issue?

Front Cover: A truly fitting front cover for this premiere issue! A painting of Bela Lugosi as Dracula by Basil Gogos! (Note: there is a variant cover by John Cassaday also!)

Inside Front Cover:  The 'Welcome' Page by Kerry Gammill, who besides being the artist of this page, is also the Publisher / Editor In Chief as seen on the Table of Contents Page.

Note:  Kerry Gammill is shown to the left at the Monsterverse table during the LBCC, where he was very busy sketching! Sam F Park is shown behind him holding the 1st issue.   

Table of Contents Page (in lieu of a Splash Page):  No wonder it took a while to put this together! Just the numbers of comics creators listed must have taken a while to type! Plus this is definitely an 'anthology series', as seen by the nine (9) features presented in this Table of Contents.

Intro Page: Great 1 page introduction of Bela Lugosi and Nosferina, (the hosts),to the readers!

1st Story: 'Unpleasant Side Effects' - Just the right story to start off this issue!  Story & art by Kerry Gammill with script by Sam F Park.

2nd Story: 'A Strangely Isolated Place' - Story by James Farr. Art by Chris Moreno.  I see Chris at a LOT of comic cons we attend, where he is drawing commission works.  So it was nice to see this story illustrated by him.  The darker colors really are opposite of the previous story, which makes a startling change in reading the stories in order.  But I liked it!

3rd Story: 'The Mark of the Zombie' - Yet another different style in storytelling presented here.  The story teller / artist / writer is Rob E Brown. This story is really 'text heavy'.  However, the 'parchment' color used for this story really places this story in the right genre. Zombies!  Not bad at all!  And trust me, I've seen a LOT of Zombie stories to read in the last year!

The next story, #4, 'Eyes of the Prairie' - Is written by Derek McCaw. I recently received a couple of artist Rafael Navarro's works, (click here for the reviews), and was wondering how his style would work for this genre?  It worked well, IMO, especially with the colors by Kerry Gammill!

The 5th feature was:  'The Good Doctor' - Which reminded me of a writing style once seen in the Twilight Zone series.  Good four page story!  Story & art by John Cassaday.

The 6th feature was the 'Lugosi Gallery' - Which was an array of artistic interpretations of the master of horror. A three page section with contributions by Paul Garner, Frank Dietz, Jeff Preston, and Kim Loh. Interesting choices selected for this art section.

The 7th feature was a two page section, titled 'Dr. Vornoff & Lobo' - A Fumetti like style presentation. Again, another visual style presented for the reader's pleasure.  I happen to like 'fumetti' style presentations, which have never caught on big here in the 'States'.

'The Midnight Museum' was the 8th Feature.  Which was 'introduced' by Nosferina in the one page prior to the start of this story.  I happen to like the HoRRoR hosts that introduce movies, (like Elvira), so this was a nice bonus for me!  The screenplay by Martin Powell was written well, and the art by Terry Beatty fit in this genre of storytelling in a filmatic setting.

The 9th and Final Feature was 'Lugosi And Dracula' - How They Re-Created Each Other, by Gary D. Rhodes.  This was a two page text section, with three photos, which reminded of the old comic books that would run two pages section like this to obtain special postal mailing privileges.  A fitting end to this 1st issue!

The Inside Back Cover: Is titled 'Bela Is Back', which is actually a note from the Publisher, Kerry Gammill, PLUS additional credits to the contributors to this 1st issue, with THEIR websites for YOU to see more about them.  That's a NICE touch. And like Stan Lee's old 'Stan's Soapbox' feature on the old Marvel Bullpen Bulletins page, there is also a small 'House Ad' for the reader to buy an 18 x 24 Inch Poster illustrated by Kerry! 

Back Cover: A one page pinup by Bruce Timm! Of Bela and Nosferina!  A fitting end to this 1st issue!

I found that this issue was unlike most anthologies that I have read recently.  Usually anthologies are hard to review, because if there are three features in the comic book, I usually love one story, the 2nd is OK, and the third is kind of like...Why was this chosen for inclusion?!

Not so in this 1st issue of Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave!  From start to finish, I really enjoyed all of the features selected for inclusion.  No wonder it seemed to take so long for this 1st issue to be published!   

The fact that it is a double-sized 48 pager probably had something to do with my liking this issue so much!  I'm not for sure what size the next issue is, but I am looking forward to seeing it, based on the results of THIS 1st Issue!  

My 'comic book grade' for this publication is a NEAR MINT (NM) 9.4 on a 10.0 comic book grading scale. Which is the highest grade that I 'award' to a publication that I review blog here.

Here is the link to the Facebook Fan Page for 'Comics From The Monsterverse'!

Here is the link to the Monsterverse web site!

My thanks to Sam for continuing to bring updates of this 1st issue of the series to my attention at the SDCC, on Facebook, and at the recent Long Beach Comic Con.  Plus my thanks to him for introducing me to Kerry Gammill, whose works I've enjoyed reading.

PLUS: My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over 3,270 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!  We currently have over 2,010 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet...I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

Note: 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"!  Click here to become a 'Fan' of the GC14M Facebook Fan Page! 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   DWEB 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 Thoughts On the 1st So Cal Comic Con! (Which Ran Saturday, November 6th in Oceanside, California.) - Top Photo:  The So Cal Comic Con Poster! - Immediate Top Photo - Amanda Porter Hendrix, Michael D Hamersky & Erik Hendrix at the Carpet Bomb Comics Table! - Top Right Photo: The comic con was held at the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, California! - 2nd Right Photo - Bob Layton Was a Special Comics Creator Guest! - 3rd Photo to the Right - Rey Reyes, Co-Promoter of this con, at his own table with CGC Comics! - 4th Photo (Bottom) - Members and the Instructor of the Graphic Novel Project: High Tech High at their table!     - -   -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3274:

Yesterday, my youngest son and I attended the 1st So Cal Comic Con that was held at the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, California.

I had seen flyers for this first time con at the SDCC in July, and most recently at the LBCC last weekend.  So there was a little bit of a 'buzz' around it starting up.

However, as is my usual practice, I didn't blog about this one before attending, as first time comic book shows are so often a 'hit or miss' proposition, and I don't want persons reading my Blog traveling long distances to attend a first time show that hassn't worked the kinks out yet.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see that the parking lot for this show was already full after we arrived there shortly after opening time, (10 AM).

We were greeted warmly by the two gals that are pictured at the bottom right of this blog post.  I also noticed that there were raffle prizes on a table to the left, which included several toys, a few CGC graded comics of both current and older comics. Plus a Daredevil #1, (ungraded), signed by Stan Lee! So of course I bought a few tickets! 

There were three separate times that the tickets were pulled, 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, AND 4:30 PM, which was watched with interest by both the attendees and the exhibitors. 'Spidey' is pictured watching So Cal Comic Con's Co-Founder Joel Elad calling out the ticket numbers!

The exhibit floor had several comics creators at tables. I've already pictured Bob Layton at the top right of this blog post.  He is known for his work in comics for many years, but the dealers seemed to emphasize his Iron Man comics at the tables nearest him.  Bob freely signed comics, and took commissions for personalized sketches as well.  Good to see Bob here at this first time show!

Other comics creators included Clyde Grapa, pictured at the bottom right of this post, and Joel Gomez pictured to the left of this paragraph. 

Actually there were several comics creators from Wildstorm in attendance.  Which was good, because Wildstorm is based in San Diego.

I found talking with those in the industry already to be fun, and this was an added attraction for the con itself.  I haven't seen industry professionals living in San Diego to turn out in any  big numbers for local comic book shops in recent years, (FCBD included), so this was a pleasant surprise also.

I noticed several well known local collectors to be in attendance also, including Mick Rabin, and Steven. Steven is shown to the left, holding a piece of artwork that he commissioned from Russ Heath at an earlier comic con.  Of course the piece is set in war time! 

Talking about comics collectors... For a good show you have to have comic book dealers!  And there were several there in attendance!

Several were local collectors who were selling their duplicate items, or items they no longer wished to keep in their collection, but there were also bigger dealers there, inluding Jamie Newbold from So Cal Comics in San Diego, Rich & Karen from R & K Comics, and Terry from Terry's Comics in the Los Angeles Metro Area.  So there were several dollar boxes of comics on up to CGC graded comics valued at thousands of dollars!

Again, I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout of attendees at this first show for the promoters.  I also got into the buying mood, as well as my youngest son, who couldn't pass up some Amazing Spideys for his personal collection.

My only thought is that the 'name' of this show is somewhat vague, and that I got it 'confused' with the 'Oceanside Comic Con' that was also used when this show was being organized in earlier months.  After talking with both of this show's promoters, I'm hearing that it may not just be an annual con, but more regular, and not necessarily located in Oceanside.  

IMO, as long as the show is located in North San Diego County, where attendees can come down from Southern Orange County, or Southern Riverside County, this show should continue to grow in size. I for one would like to see this show continue, and on a more regular basis!

I mentioned that my youngest son was with me yesterday. (Tina was at a day long seminar.) Here are my son's thoughts about this show:

"At my trip to the So Cal Comic Con, I had lots of fun. As my dad and I first arrived to the Oceanside Boys & Girls Club, we were greeted with free grab bags. (For the first 100 paying attendees.) We spent some time purchasing comics and relative items, while talking to dealers. Also I met some more comics creators, and just over all had a great time.  As the only title that I collect is the 'Amazing Spider-Man' from Marvel Comis, I was happy to see 'Spidey' at this con greeting attendees!  I am looking forward to attending the next So Cal Comic Con!"

Well... That about wraps it up for this post!

I'll be posting additional pics here in my blog about those that I met at the So Cal Comic Con, and also post some at my own Facebook Group Page, at Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing.

I have already mobile Facebooked photos during this con.  Unfortunately the photos first are uploaded to my personal profile page, which is maxed out at 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan Pages 'Liked', so I can't accept many more 'Friends Requests'.  Which is one of the reasons why I have a Facebook Group Page in addition!

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My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now up to 3,270 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)! Plus I have a chapter in a new book coming out in December of 2010, that is pictured above, "Gotham City 14 Miles"! Click here to become a 'Fan' of the GC14M Facebook Fan Page! 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.