Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...   ARROW The WB TV Show... So Far!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3799 -    Okay... First of all, I have to say that I saw the preview show at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con International, AND received one of the promotional comic books as shown at the top of this blog post. (See this link for my 2012 SDCC photos of the panel, starting with pic #26.)

Not that I'm that crazy over Arrow (Green Arrow), as it is a DC Comics character.

Yes, I did enjoy the Green Lantern / Green Arrow series back in the1970s with Neal Adams & Denny O'Neill, but I didn't read all of them.  That series ran in Green Lantern #76 (April of 1970) through #122 (November of 1979), which was quite a while.

So technically, I'm not an old time fan of Green Arrow.

However, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the preview show was at the Comic-Con.  And the promo comic book was pretty good too, although I sold my copy before the Summer was over.

So... I was there when the TV show premiered on the WB on October 10th of 2012.  Tina and I have viewed all of the episodes since then, all fiveteen of them. 

I for one am quite interested in this show, and am glad to hear that it has been renewed!

The show is actually aimed for persons younger than myself, like the 'Smallville' series was.  I just couldn't get into the 'Smallville' series, which ran for ten seasons. I tried a few times, but gave up.

However, this Arrow TV show, doesn't have all of the continuity built into it.  I'm finding that each episode is pretty well grounded, with just some annoyance of the previous five years on the island in flashbacks.

The cast is pretty good, and I find myself liking Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen (Arrow). 

The supporting cast is pretty darn good, with David Ramsey as John Diggle.  David has an extensive acting background, which I wasn't aware of. David brings an extra sense of reality to the show.

Katie Cassidy plays Dinah Laurel Lance in the series.  I just found out resarching for this blog post that she is daughter of David Cassidy, a singer I liked on the TV Show, The Partridge Family!  Katie does a fine job as well, but seems to have less air time in the current episodes.

Susanna Thompson plays Oliver's mother, Moira Queen.  I'm intrigued by her role, and she is getting more airtime in the latest episodes.

I've got to say that with only fiveteen episodes aired so far... That I'm hooked!

For you to catch up on this TV series, I'd recommend checking out the Wikipedia entry for 'Arrow'.

I would give this season a Very Fine / Near Mint (VF/NM) 9.0 comic book grade.  I'm looking forward to the final six episodes in this first season. 

~ Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,799 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

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

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

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

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

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

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

---------------            

      

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

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Contemplates On...   Flo Steinberg   Marvel Comics' Gal Friday & More!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3798 -    I have been reading a collection of Alter Ego magazines that I purchased at the San Diego Comic Con International a while back.

While going through the issues, I've run across some names of persons I haven't thought of for a while...

One of those was Fabulous Flo Steinberg!

She is shown at the top right of this blog post circa that era.

Flo was sent by a temp agency in New York City in March of 1963 to Marvel Comics, when a 25 year old Flo was looking for a job. 

Stan Lee had been running the Marvel Comics division of Magazine Management in a small office.  He needed help.  Help in the way of what was then called a 'Gal Friday'.  Flo fit that bill and worked there for several years.

Matter of fact, it was Flo who was the third voice on the flexi-record that I received after sending in my dollar to the ol M.M.M.S.  (Merry Marvel Marching Society).  Here's a link to the audio that you can listen to, with Stan, Flo, Jack, Sol, Stan G, Artie Simek, Sam Rosen, Chic Stone, Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, Don Heck, and others.  I wore that record out listening to it so much!

Flo only quit after not receiving a $5 week raise in 1968, after working at Marvel Comics for 5 years. She was sad about it, but went on.  Indeed, she even published a comic book herself, titled 'Big Apple Comix', in 1975!

Flo had moved out to San Francisco in 1970, and ended up in the state of Oregon.  Later she came back to New York, working for Captain Company, which was the mail order division of the Warren Publishing Company.

Others at Marvel remembered Flo with a lot of good feelings about her.  As a matter of fact, Flo was included in the Fantastic Four in What If? issue #11 from 1978 that Jack Kirby scripted and penciled!  Flo was the Invisible Woman, while Jack was the Thing, Stan Lee was Mr. Fantastic, and Sol Brodsky was the Torch.  Great little story there, in case you haven't read it yet!  The front cover is shown at the top of this blog post.

I remember Flo's name being mentioned a few times in Marvel Comics during that early to late 1960s period, usually in the Bullpen Bulletins sections.  I unfortunately never got to meet her at a convention.  I do know that she was a panel at the 2007 New York Comic Con with Ralph Macchio, Stan Lee, Joe Sinnott, and Gene Colan.

Here's the link to Flo's Wikipedia entry.

Here's the link to Flo's Grand Comics Database entry.

~ Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,798 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

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

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

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

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

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

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

---------------            

      

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

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Contemplates On...   Roy Thomas   Comic Book Writer 1965 - Present

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3797 -    I have been reading a collection of Alter Ego magazines that I purchased at the San Diego Comic Con International. 

The magazine is Roy Thomas' volume 3 of the magazine and is published by TwoMorrows Publishing.

I just finished reading issue #50 (cover dated July 2005), which celebrated 40 Years Since Modeling With Millie #44, the first Marvel Comic that Roy worked on!

In that same issue of Alter Ego were other articles, all on Roy's 40 years in the comics industry.

Now this was a magazine that needs to be shared with others!

Roy was interviewed by Jim Amash in the article titled:  "Roy The Boy" In the Marvel Age of Comics. A wealth of information was presented, including Roy's thoughts on persons that were working there in 1965 when he first came to the company, after working at DC Comics for about two weeks!

I was really pleased reading this article, and the other flip side of the magazine.  Well worth the cost of the magazine!

Which got me to thinking... I haven't really blogged about Roy Thomas in this Blog before.  Sure, I've posted a few pics of him, but as for a full fledged blog post... no.

Here's Roy's Wikipedia entry so you can see Roy's background.

I knew Roy was a little older than me, he was born November 22nd of 1940.  He was first involved in comics fandom, and was part of the first Alter Ego run of issues.

In 1965 he was given an offer to work for DC Comics in New York City.  He was there for almost two weeks, when he realized that he had made a mistake in accepting the offer.  He took a writer's test with Stan Lee at Marvel Comics and joined them.  He stayed from 1965 to 1980!  After that he went back to DC Comics, and then in later years worked for independent comic companies. Today he is the Editor of Alter Ego magazine, now with over 100 issues in volume three of the mag, and writes in other industries as well as comics.

That would make Roy 'The Boy' 72 years old... Whew!   I knew I was getting older, but still...

Well, Stan 'The Man' Lee just turned 90 in December...

Anyways, the title of this blog post is 'Reflecting on Roy Thomas...', so I'll get back to Roy.

It seemed to me, back in the mid 1960s, that Stan would start a comic book, and then turn it over to Roy.  For the most part, that was okay with me, as Stan developed a lot of comic books, and couldn't keep up.  Which is why they had 'the Marvel Style' of producing comics. See this link as to the two main different style of producing comics.

It was Roy's influence at Marvel that led to that company obtaining the license to publish Conan the Barbarian comics.  Which I found the early issues to be great!

Roy was the first Editor-In-Chief after Stan Lee, from 1972-74.  This was a period of growing pains for Marvel Comics, and Roy went back to writing.

I found his fondness for the 1940s era to be amusing, as I enjoyed his 'The Invaders' comic book title to be pretty good.  I didn't follow Roy to DC Comics, so I missed a lot of his work there...

Here's a link to Roy's comic book credits at Grand Comics Database. You'll see a lot of titles there where Roy worked on a series.  With over 11,000 credits to his name! Whew!

After Roy joined Marvel Comics, there seemed to be a gradual increase in the number of writers there.  I saw less and less of his work, as the Marvel Universe expanded.

After 1980, when Roy left for DC, I just didn't see anything by him, as I wasn't reading DC Comics at that time.

Of course in later years, I read some of the indie comics he was writing, including Xena: Warrior Princess for Topps Comics.

Over the years, I've run into Roy at several San Diego Comic Con International events, and gotta say... That Roy is a really nice guy!  I look forward to see what he has coming next!

Here's a link to other posts I've included Roy in...

Here's a link to the Alter Ego Magazines that I have listed for sale.

 ~ Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,797 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

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

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

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

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

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

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

---------------            

      

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

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Projects...   His 2013 Convention Schedule   Comic Cons, Other Cons & Comic Book Films

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3796 -    I have been a little hesitant in publishing my convention schedule for 2013 this year.  I've usually posted the next year's schedule ahead of time, but I've held back, thinking that I may expand the areas I would be travelling to for 2013.

However, that will not be the case for 2013!   

Here's my tentative convention / films schedule:

March 29 - 30 - 31         WonderCon - Anaheim, California.  I've been invited to be on a panel on Sunday. More on that in a future blog.   Facebook Fan Page is at this link.

May 3                              Iron Man 3 Film -  Movie Theater.   Looking forward to this one!

May 4                         Free Comic Book Day - Nationwide - I'm not for sure which LCBS I will be attending this year... More on that in a future blog post! Here's the Facebook link. 

May 11                       Long Beach Comic Con Expo - Long Beach, California.  The one day convention, which is pretty darn good for a one day show!  I haven't missed one of these yet!  Here is the Facebook Fan Page link. 

June 14th                       Man of Steel - DC Comics film (Superman)

July 18 - 19 - 20 - 21      San Diego, California - I have't missed one of these since con moved to the the new San Diego Convention Center in 1991!   Plus, I started as a comic book dealer at the 1972 comic con at the El Cortez Hotel.   Here's the Facebook link. 

July 26                            The Wolverine - Marvel Comics film

August __                        Read Comics In Public Day - I don't see the San Diego date set yet... Which is sometimes different than the National Day of this event.

October 4 - 5                 San Diego Comic Fest - San Diego, California - The 2nd Annual convention! I'm one of the organizers, so I won't be missing this one!   More at the Facebook link. 

November 1 - 2 - 3           ComiKaze Expo in Los Angeles.

November 8                   Thor: the Dark World - film

November __                   So Cal Comic Con - to be held in Oceanside, California.  Don't have date yet.

November 23 - 24            Long Beach Comic & Horror Con - Long Beach, California.  Haven't missed this con since it started!   Here's the Facebook link.

November 29                    5th Annual Black Friday Online Event - That I have held the past four years... More details on this later.

Okay, that seems to be it for 2013...

If you are a convention promoter, let me know about your convention, and I'll check to see if I can attend.

 ~ Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,796 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

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

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

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

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

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

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

---------------            

      

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

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics Reflects On...   Paul Reinman   Comic Book Artist September 2, 1910 - September 27, 1988

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3795 -    I have been reading some back issues of Alter Ego, the magazine edited by Roy Thomas, and published by TwoMorrows Publishing this past week.

Which reminded me of my earlier years, when I first discovered comic books in the late 1950s and joined in on the Marvel Age of Comics in the early 1960s.

One of the comic book artists during this early time of my reading comic books was Paul Reinman.  Yes, for those of you that are reading this blog post, several of you may not know the name or his works.  I'm going to relay what I remember of those early days of my reading comic books.

You see, as evidenced by Paul's credits at Grand Comics Database, (GCD), Paul has over 1,400 credits to his name in comic books!

My earliest rememberances of Paul would be his work in the sci-fi 5 page stories that existed before Marvel's superheroes started in November of 1961.  Those included stories in Tales To Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Strange Tales, and Journey Into Mystery.

I had no idea that Paul was also submitting work to ACG, Prize, and Horwitz during that time period! See the GCD link for those.

Paul was also illustrating western tales in Kid Colt Outlaw, Two-Gun Kid, and Gunsmoke Western during that time, but not all of the stories were signed.

In Amazing Adventures #6 (dated November of 1961), Paul penciled and inked a Dr. Droom (not Dr Doom) story.

In Magic Agent #1 for ACG Paul penciled a few stories of the main character.  I didn't see this issue come out though...

Throughout early 1962, Paul was working for both Marvel Comics and ACG.  He turned to mostly inking for Marvel stories, while penciling for ACG into 1964.

As a matter of fact, Paul inked Jack Kirby's pencils on Incredible Hulk #1, X-Men #1-5, and Avengers #2, 3 & 5.  So Paul was pretty busy during that period.

As the years followed... I basically saw more of Paul outside of Marvel Comics, such as in The Shadow series by Archie Comics.  Issue #7 is shown above, cover dated July of 1965 when I was in Kodiak, Alaska.  Paul penciled and inked this cover, as well as most of the other issues in this eight issues series!

Paul also contributed to Tower Comics, including a NoMan story and a Dynamo story in 1968.

Paul basically stopped drawing in the 1970s, although his works have been reprinted by Marvel, and other publishers.

Paul never received the accolades while at Marvel Comics, which was my main emphasis of reading in the 1960s... His work is now in Marvel Masterworks books, so his work will be remembered.

For more reading on Paul Reinman, I'd suggest:

Paul's Wikipedia entry.

Paul's credist at Grand Comics Database.

Paul is also mentioned in a few of the Alter Ego magazines.

My thanks to Paul for his works when I was a kid growing up.  I for one, remember them...

 ~ Michael

NOTE FROM Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,795 total posts in number!   I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

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

Note:  My online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item(s) that was mentioned here today...!  If I have it, you'll find under the BIG TOP of Comics, at Comic Books Circus.com!     

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

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

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

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

---------------            

      

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

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