Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...  Ex Libris Daemonum Book One

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3840 -    Recently I ran across Mark Rivers at the 2013 WonderCon in Anaheim, California.  He has already provided me with a couple of comics books he has been involved with, and that I blogged about previously.  Freaks, Mutants, and Monsters #1 in blog #3302, and Giant Monster A-Go-Go #1 in blog #3758.

Knowing that, he brought to my attention his newest creation titled: Ex Libris Daemonum - Book One, which he is seen holding at the top right photo of this blog post.

So what is it about?  Here's the promo from his web site:

Written and Illustrated by Mark Rivers

Standard Comic
Full Color
Page Count: 36
POD

A firsthand account of the devils of Hell, and all things which creep within.

Ex Libris Daemonum TM and © Dirty Kitchen Press, Mark Rivers.

Okay... Not my normal genre to read, but I had fun reading and review blogging the two earlier publications from Mark.  So what the heck... I'll read this one!

So here's 'My Take' on the comic book:

Front Cover - Kind of weird, but you will notice that it is similar to the parchment illustration that Mark is holding in his right hand in the top right photo.

Inside Front Cover - Blank parchment style page, with copyright 2013 by Dirty Kitchen Press.

Splash Page - The title, with 'A Testament of Things Unseen' sub title.  With an small illustration, and below that 'Compiled by M. Rivers'.

Next Page - An introduction of sorts...  But kind of mysterious...

Next three pages - The Stigyan Plain... With strange illos, and texts as to what the illos are about.

More pages - The River Styx - illo & text.  Rhab, Devil of the Sea, illo & text.  Charon, ARcheron of the River Styx... with illos & text.

The comic book pages go on, with illos & text.  Strange beings and even stranger background texts!

Inside back cover - plain with just the parchment style page.

Back Cover - the same plain page with the parchment style page.

Okay!  Whoo!   That was one strange comic book to read!  I'm not for sure what to make of this!  Really!

It is supposed to be a first hand account of the devils of Hell, and all things that creep within.  Trust me on this one... there are a lot of devilish creatures illustrated and talked about in this publication!  A lot of creepy, crawly things!

I'm not for sure what comic book grade to give this publication... Seriously!  I've got to think about it a little more!

There was a lot of effort by Mark that went into publication, that is for sure! It must have taken him hours and hours of illustrating, and then coming up with text to go with each illustration.

This is more like a reference pamphlet in my opinion, than a comic book.  I'm sure that several of you would enjoy reading it...

So here's my comic book rating for it.  I'm going to give a Very Fine (VF) 8.0 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.  I can appreciate all the hard work Mark has put into this publication, but it just isn't my genre of reading.  I'm kind of curious what comic book grade you would give it?!

Here is the Indy Planet web page that you can order this comic book from, or you can buy it from him at the comic cons that he attends, if you are in Southern California.

My thanks to Mark Rivers for bringing this publication of his to my attention!

~ 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 3,840 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'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...    Avörya: One Shot

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3839 -    Recently I received a package in the mail from Jericho Projects.  In it were four comic books.  One was a 'one-shot publication', and the other were three out of four issues of a mini-series.

The One Shot was the first one I chose to open.  And I was quite surprised!  I had no idea that this was a 'fumetti' style comic book!   I couldn't tell it from the front cover, (see top left photo), and had not read any publicity on this comic book.  So I proceeded to start reading it... (page 7 is shown at the top right).

Before I go into 'My Take' on the comic, I want to present what the publisher says about this comic book:

Introducing...Avörya! Now at indyplanet.com in a One shot all cosplay story!

Written and Illustrated by Adrian 'Asia' Petty, Stacy Petty

Standard Comic
Full Color
Page Count: 24
POD

Hard working wife Lynn Smith dies and finds that her life is just beginning after meeting the mysterious woman, Jalene.

This is the story of the protector angel, Avörya, and her mission of being a protector angel.

Which doesn't really say much without seeing / reading the comic book itself.

As I was saying... I figured I would read the 'one shot' comic first.  And was totally surprised after turning the front cover.  

What the publisher calls 'cosplay story' is actually 'fumetti'.  Here's the link to what 'fumetti' is.

Okay... Back?  Well, I found myself turning page after page, and enjoying what I was seeing and reading.  I didn't know the background of the characters or the storyline, but it was enjoyable to read anyways.  Besides, it was just a 'one shot' anyways, right?

So besides the photo-novel inside, there was the inside front cover which was the credits page, and then the inside back cover, which was a letter from the publisher, Adrian 'Asia' Petty.  With a list of links about Jericho Projects, Inc.

The inside back cover also had the history of this comic book, which made good background reading.

Which by the way covered the fact that Adrian had not yet finished the fourth issue of the mini-series that I referred to at the beginning of this blog.  The three comic book issues that came with this one-shot.  At least as of February of 2013.

Adrian also mentioned that he... "did not want a photographed cover and decided to enlist the help of his friend, Marcel Zero, to create a cover".   Although the cover is fine on its own, it hides the fact that this is a 'fumetti' / 'cosplay' comic book. That would kind of throw me when looking for something to read and then discovering what the interior pages looked like after viewing the cover.

My gut feeling is that the comic book one shot should have had a photo cover.  So that the reader would not be surprised when opening to the splash page.  I found the comic book to be very readable and enjoyed the format.   The only negative, for me that is, is the illustrated front cover.  But again, that front cover would have been fine if the interior pages were also illustrated.

For that reason I'm giving this a Very Fine / Very Fine Plus (VF/VF+) 8.25 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.

You have several links to check out for this comic book and company. Here they are:

Jericho Projects Inc Facebook Fan Page

Jericho Projects web site

IndyPlanet web site to purchase the comic book

My thanks to Adrian / Stacy for bringing this comic book to my attention!

~ 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 3,839 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'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents His Take On...    Jack Kirby Collector #60

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3838 -    It's been a while since I last blogged about the Jack Kirby Collector magazine.  Actually it was Monday, August 20th of 2012 on issue #59 in blog #3699.  Here's my review blog on issue #60 that I picked up at the recent WonderCon 2013 in Anaheim, California at the TwoMorrows table.

So what's this issue about?  Here's what the publisher shows as a promo for the issue:

"JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #60 continues in its new format (104 magazine-size pages with COLOR SECTION, $10.95), with a Fantastic Four follow-up issue to #58’s THE WONDER YEARS! It starts with a dynamic, never-before published Kirby FF wraparound cover (and wait’ll you see the flip side)! Also, we present a dual interview between classic FF inkers JOE SINNOTT and DICK AYERS! Then, there’s a rare Lee & Kirby interview, and we compare one of Jack and Stan’s FF Bullpen story conferences to what ended up on Stan’s final script and Jack’s penciled pages. Plus there’s MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, and galleries of Kirby FF art, including pencils from Kirby’s BLACK PANTHER, SILVER SURFER, and more! Edited by John Morrow."

Okay... So what's 'My Take' on this issue?

Well... I could see right away that this issue should be a good issue for me to read.  Why?  Well, Jack's Fantastic Four issues are my favorite run of titles in all of the comic book titles that he illustrated in during his professional career!

The top right of this blog post shows the front cover of the issue.  It is actually just half of a wrap around spread showing the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom and the Incredible Hulk. Oh, and plus the Sentry who appears to be a little smaller in this illustration.

I am actually amazed at how after 59 earlier issues, that there is still more to be published on Jack Kirby's works! 

There are 100 interior pages to this magazine, which is published in black & white with a four page middle section in color.   The color pages this issue are from the 1960s which are reprints of the poster that were published back then.  Pretty sharp four pages!

The Table of Contents on the first page shows that the magazine has its usual features, plus the special articles.

One of the articles showed the evolution of The Thing, on pages 22 & 23.   With the Thing my favorite comic book character, it was good to see all the head shots of the Thing during the years.

Page 27 had a really sharp pencil illustration of the FF versus Galactus.  While the next two pages were the pencils to the front & back covers of this issue.

I really enjoyed the Joe Sinnott & Dick Ayers interview that is published in this issue.  I've had the good opportunity to meet both of them at comic cons before, and they are both very nice in person to meet!

The Black Panther article was presented in five pages.  That was good to see also.

There were several other interesting articles and illustrations, but I'll let you check those out after purchasing the issue!

Suffice to say, I'm giving this issue a 'Near Mint' (NM) 9.4 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.

If you were or are a fan of the Fantastic Four, this issue is for you!

If you can't locate this at your local LCBS, then you can take look at the TwoMorrows web site and purchase it online. 

~ 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 3,838 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'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents An Update On...    Free Comic Book Day 2013   FCBD Is Saturday, May 4th!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3837 -    Back in blog #3792, I first posted about the 2013 Free Comic Book Day that is coming up on May 4th...

At that time I hadn't made plans which LCBS, (Local Comic Book Shops), I would be going to for this year to pick up my FCBD comic books. 

Those Gold & Silver FCBD comic books are shown at this link.  There are 12 'Gold' tier FCBD comic books, and 40 'Silver' tiered FCBD comics!

Of course not many of the LCBS will be stocking all 54 of these 2013 FCBD comic book editions!  Since 2009 when I first started blogging about Free Comic Book Day after attending it in San Diego, I found that most LCBS had a small limit of how many you could pick up.  That's because the 'Free' comics cost the LCBS money!

Anyways, here's a few links for you to check out to help you figure out which LCBS in your area to check out, plus what I've found here in the local San Diego Metro Area in previous years:

Free Comic Book Day web site

Free Comic Book Day Facebook fan page

Local Comic Book Shop Locator for Free Comic Book Day

My 2009 FCBD blog + my 2009 photo album

My 2010 FCBD blog + my 2010 photo album

My 2011 FCBD blog + my 2011 photo album

My 2012 FCBD blog  + my 2012 photo album

As of right now, today, I still haven't made up my mind to which LCBS(s) Vinnie and I will be travelling to.  We've kind of made the rounds of the Metro San Diego LCBS and am thinking still about attending one up in San Bernardino County, which has been getting larger in size each year. 

I'll let you know via my Facebook Fan Page, what our decision is.

In the meantime I suggest you check out the links above to see what you have been missing, and what is planned for 2013!  Be sure to arrive before noon at whatever LCBS you attend, so that the LCBS isn't out of FCBD edition comic books!

Oh, and don't forget... Iron Man 3 is out on Friday the 3rd at a local theater near you! 

~ 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 3,837 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'!

---

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Presents Vinnie's Take On...    Mount Palomar Observatory

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3836 -    This morning we have another guest blog from my youngest son, Vinnie:

This previous February was half-priced museum month and although we got to catch a few museums, including the USS Midway (blog #3801), we didn't get to see the Hale telescope. However, yesterday, my dad, stepmother Tina, and I went to see it. Located on Palomar Mountain, the 200 inch telescope is quite a spectacle.

We had the chance to go on a tour, which they host at 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The tour takes you inside the dome, into a place you don't get to see normally, unless on a tour. They have docents to show you around, provide information about the history of the telescope, and answer any questions you might have. The tour was very informative, even explaining how and why they made the mirror in the telescope with a honeycomb pattern, which was to reduce the weight of the glass.

Along with the tour, there is a museum dedicated to George Ellery Hale, the founder of all five telescopes on Palomar Mountain. There is the 200, 60, 48, and 24 inch telescopes which are all still used today, and an 18 inch telescope that was retired. For more information, please visit the Wikipedia page here for more info.

On the way up, we had a stop at a little group of shops; a general store, restaurant, and post office. The general store had a variety of items, my favorite being the music boxes, and the "do it yourself" music box kit. The restaurant, Mother's Kitchen, was a friendly place, but unfortunately, I don't have much to say about it because we had to leave nearly after entering so we could catch our tour. However, if you would like, you can visit their website at this link.

As for the pictures featured at the top of this blog post, the top left is a picture of the whole 12-story telescope dome, and I'm standing in front of it. The top right photo shows the telescope in the "parking position" as the docents called it, which is completely vertical. This helps to minimize pressure on the mirror inside the telescope, so it doesn't strain or crack. In the bottom right picture, you can see a docent explaining to our group how the telescope was used when it first started, and how it's used nowadays, which has changed vastly due to improved technologies. No longer do we need an astronomer sitting at the top of the telescope, as we can have a camera send the video straight to a viewing room. Also, just behind him is a window looking into a room. That room is the farthest you can go to see the telescope if you don't go on the tour. We took more photographs than shown here, and you can see them all at this special photo album at my dad's Facebook fan page.

The whole experience was very fun and informative. I've learned so much, not only about the telescope, but about the planets and other space features, which we able to see in the museum. I'd give the whole thing a comic book grade of Near Mint (NM), a 9.4 out of 10.0 grade scale. It was all thoroughly enjoyable, and a wonderful learning experience. If you live in the area, I would definitely recommend checking it out.   If you are visiting San Diego, be sure to add this one day excursion to your 'to do' list.  You can visit their website for more information, or for scheduling if you do choose to visit at this link.

~ Vinnie

NOTE FROM MICHAEL:  My thanks to Vinnie for blogging about yesterday's day trip to Mount Palomar Observatory, located in North San Diego County.

I remember when I was a kid that science, and then science fiction became a hobby for me.  Especially when I found that there were sci-fi comic books!   Reading those introduced me to stories adapted from Ray Bradbury's books, which led me to other sci-fi books!  But it was comic books that continued to be of more interest to me during those elementary and high school years.

Here's a few links to a few sci-fi titles that I enjoyed when I was a kid:

Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Strange Tales, and Journey into Mystery!

And yes, there's a lot more, but these were the 'Atlas' (Marvel) Comics ones that I enjoyed most!

Oh, and I do have several sci-fi comics listed for sale at my online comic book shop, ComicBooksCircus.com!

 ~ 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 3,836 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'!

---