Michael D Hamersky On Comics Mentions That THIS Saturday Is...   Free Comic Book Day 2014!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3996 -    Turning the monthly page on my calendar... I see that THIS Saturday is the 2014 date for Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)!

Well... I've been to a LOT of LCBS (Local Comic Book Shop) the past several years, see these blogs:   2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, earlier years, and now this year I'll be attending just one LCBS to celebrate the special day. 

That would be the one in San Diego that my friend, Barbara Marker is setting up at.  See this Facebook Event Page for details.

I suggest that you get a start on this event by checking out the Facebook Fan Page for FCBD, and seeing where LCBS are participating at in YOUR area.

It is usually a lot of fun, and each LCBS has its own idea of how to throw a party on this special day.  Some just give away one FCBD comic book, while others give up to ten FCBD comics.  Some LCBS throw a party as well, with music, food, etc.   Plus some even have comic book creators signing at their locations.

Here is the link to the 2014 FCBD comic editions that you could possibly obtain to read.

So check it out... And participate in this year's Free Comic Book Day!  Plus take your own kids, or your neices and nephews!

~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 3,996 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 Presents His Take On...   Jack Kirby Collector #62

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3995 -    I found this magazine at the TwoMorrows table at the 2014 WonderCon  in Anaheim, California this past weekend. In the early years of this magazine I had a subscription, but when it started being printed in oversize format, I had to stop as the USPS usually bent my copies in transit.  So nowadays I wait till I see it at Comic-Con in San Diego or at WonderCon in Anaheim.

This issue's them was 'Kirby @ DC'.  Which is actually not my favorite period of Jack's works.  Yeah, I'm a Marvelmaniac of Jack's works, which is what I grew up on starting around 1960 with the monsters comics titles of what was to become Marvel Comics.

However... I do enjoy a good story or presentation of Jack's other works.  And this issue does deliver that! Starting from the front cover to the back cover, this issue had a LOT of Jack's works at DC from 1970 to 1975, which is the last period he worked for DC Comics.

The publisher's editorial, by John Morrow, stated that this was his favorite period of Jack's works.  And he shows why in the editiorial. 

Then an article title 'Key 1970s DC Moments' was featured.  I didn't know all of this info, and it was nice to see it presented in chronological format.

'Return of the X-Files' is not on that TV show title 'The X-Files', but rather all of Jack's work at DC during 1970-75 which were labeled with an 'X' in front of the work number.  Very interesting reading, along with the tables of the works that were produced.   Very good article... matter of fact!

'Pleading the Fourth' was a presentation of Jack's works on 'the Fourth World', with nice artwork shown.

Kirby Obscura is a regular feature in this magazine, and once again it was on the money.

'Kirby & Kobra' was a nice feature, even though I have not read all of the run of 'King Kobra' from DC Comics.

'Fascism in the Fourth World' was presented well.  It made for good reading.

 'Challenging the Unknown' where the Challengers of DC were compared to the Fantastic Four of Marvel was very good.  I've read most of those Challenger stories, whereas I've had a complete run of FF from #1 to 102 that Jack produced along with Stan Lee and others.  Mike Breen did a good article on this comparison.

The magazine had other articles as well, ending with the 2013 Kirby Tribute Panel held at the 2013 Comic-Con International in San Diego that I attended.

All in all... This issue of the Jack Kirby Collector was a piece of art, even though the topic is not at the top of omy own personal likes of Jack's works.  I would give this a Near Mint (NM) 9.4 on a comic book grading scale. Be sure to check out your LCBS (Local Comic Book Shop) or order online direct from TwoMorrows.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 3,995 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 Presents His Take On...   Wonder Con 2014

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3994 -    I was asked by a few people why I hadn't mentioned anything on my Facebook Fan Page about attending the 2014 WonderCon in Anaheim, California.

That was because I hadn't planned on attending this year.  I was a little miffed about not getting tickets to any of the five days at the 2014 Comic-Con International: San Diego when they went on sale online for those that had attended the 2013 Comic-Con.  This after not missing any days since the SDCC first moved to the San Diego Convention Center in 1991!   And I go back to 1972 when I first sat up at the SDCC in the El Cortez Hotel. So yeah, I was a little miffed about not getting any days at all for 2014...

However, I did get tickets for Thursday & Sunday when the tickets did go onsale online to the general public.  So when I was asked again if I was going... I went online to purchase.

However, Saturday was already sold out, and Sunday was Easter Sunday, which I already had plans for. So I just purchased a Friday ticket.

Friday morning I drove up to Anaheim, (which is one & three quarter hours away from me now).  I arrived at a quarter till eleven, and found that the first two parking structures were already full, even though the WonderCon didn't open till noontime.

I've attended the 2012 & 2013 WonderCons at this same Anaheim Convention Center, and found the parking to be lacking for this convention.  I even had to park at the Disneyland parking lot and walk the distance to the convention center in 2012.  Plus I was forced to park in a hotel's parking lotby mistake due to being guided in there by traffic control.  There was a problem in getting out as I didn't have a parking ticket.  So yeah, the 2014 WonderCon got off to a 'great' start. 

By the way, I only went to my car once during the day, as I was getting overloaded with stuff I was given.   I didn't purchase anything from the vendors till the end of the day, and walked out with minimal purchases at 7PM.   That's a heads up to the vendors setting up there...

Also, I only had interest in two panels, Scott Shaw!s Oddball Comics, and the panel on 'Revolution' the NBC TV show.  However, they were running together at the same time, so I opted to see 'Revolution'.  The guests from the TV show numbered two... yes, just two.  However I was seated in the second row, (far easier to find a single seat), so it was worth it to me to be there.  Plus I was able to see Stephen Collins, whom I've liked since his 1982 TV series - Tales of the Gold Monkey.

The other guest was Elizabeth Mitchell, who I liked in the TV shows, 'Lost', and 'V'.  So for me this panel was pretty good although only two of the stars were on the panel.

I had started off the morning by going through each aisle of the 'Artists Alley', then the 'Small Press'area.   I met several new artists to the show, as well as seeing several of my older acquaintances.  See the photo album on my Facebook page for all the photos taken.

I've got to say that one day pretty much had me seeing the whole con.  There was no need for me to return on Sunday.  

The 2014 WonderCon took up Halls A, B & C, the two floors above it for the programs, and the Arena for the bigger programs.

I did hear several attendees mention the San Diego Comic Con, both good & bad, and comparing it to the 2014 WonderCon. 

I myself felt that the 2014 WonderCon was 'okay', nothing spectacular about it, but they have to work on the parking situation.  It has been a 'pain' each of the three years that I've attended WonderCon that has 'temporarily' moved to Southern California from Norther California.

Here is the link to the photos that I snapped at this year's WonderCon. 

~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 3,994 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 Presents His Take On...     Captain America: Winter Soldier

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3993 -    I'm just back from viewing this new film at my local theater...

I wanted to blog about this film while it was fresh in my mind.

First of all, here is the link to my review on the first Captain America film in this new trilogy. You will notice that I gave it a 9.8 (NM/M) Near Mint / Mint.

Unfortunately... I'm not giving this 2nd film the same comic book grade... Why?

Well... Here's why:

The film had a good story, and good actors.  However, the total film just didn't have the total affect on me as the first film did.

Possibly because the first film had a WWII background to it.  This second one didn't although there were references to Cap's past.

The actors were fine, and the storyline just... so-so in my viewing.  There just wasn't anything that got me excited while viewing this film.   It was kind of like watching the new TV Show, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..   That show is okay, but nothing really exciting going on.  I do watch it each week, to see what is happening, but it just doesn't jump out at me to watch it first on my DVR taped list of shows to view.

The same mood kind of goes for this film for me...

I like Steve Rogers / Captain America... .as portrayed by Chris Evans.  I like him more as 'Cap' than as the 'Torch' in the Fantastic Four films. He does this film fine..

Scarlett Johansson is fine as the Black Widow.  I like how she is shown during the film, with more to do time wise.

I don't understand why Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier doesn't grab me more... It just doesn't come across to me with his connection to Captain America.  I understand what the connection is, but it just doesn't seem 'real' to me.

The others in the film are fine also... Which is probably why I'm giving this film an 8.0 VF Very Fine grade.  It just doesn't grab me as so many of the other Marvel films have.

In fact for those of you that aren't into Marvel Comics... I would almost say to wait to catch this on DVD when it comes out later this year... Yeah, I really do mean that.   And that after giving the first film such high marks!

I'm posting the link to this blog on my Facebook Fan Page, where I ask you to share what you thought of this film if you do see in the theaters.

The above is just 'My Take' on this second of the three Captain America films coming our way.  The third installment is scheduled for May 6th of 2016.

Oh, and if you want to see all the details of this film, the Wikipedia entry has it all, but that will take out some of the experience for you to see it on the Big Screen.

~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 3,993 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 Blogs On...       ART From The HEART       An Art Show That Took Place On February 15th   In the Normal Heights Area of San Diego, California!          Barbara Marker & Batton Lash Pose Before the Opening of the Art Show      Angelica, Barbara Marker & Michael D Hamersky Before the Opening of the Art Show     At the Beginning of the Art Show

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #3992 -    I'm posting a few photos here from last Saturday's ART from the HEART show.   This was a one woman art show, that was presented by Batton Lash at the ArtLab Studios in the Normal Heights area of San Diego, California.

The show ran from 7PM to 10 PM, but I and my friend, Angelica, arrived early to shoot some photos of the gallery before it got busy.

I've blogged about Barbara Marker, Batton Lash, and ArtLab Studios before.  They are both great artists, and the ArtLab Studios is a fine place to exhibit art at.  David Rodger runs a great place for events at his ArtLab Studios.

I've seen Barbara's work before, but have mainly blogged about her comic book work.  At Saturday night's art show, the emphasis was on all of her other work.   That included abstract, animal art, unicorns, fantasy, and realistic art.  

This is the link to the rest of the photos that I took that night.  Where you can see her work, and others that attended the art show.

Everyone had a good time that I could see, and Batton Lash presented a very fine exhibit of Barbara's works!

~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 3,992 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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