Michael D Hamersky On Comics Is Pleased To Review TwoMorrow Publishing's...   Jack Kirby Collector #63!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4009 -    One of the activities I like to do each year at the Comic-Con International is to stop at the TwoMorrows booth!

I usually do that on Sunday, right after attending the Jack Kirby Tribute Annual Program hosted by Mark Evanier.  This year was the 20th Anniversary of Jack's passing.  Good tribute panel and there was a good selection of publications at the TwoMorrows booth this year.

One of the publications I chose to pick up was Jack Kirby Collector #63.  Yes, I have blogged on this publication a few times over the years, but it remains to be one of my favorite publications to pick up at Comic-Con each year!

This issue's theme was 'Marvel Universe'.  Which featured Mark Alexander's pivotal Lee/Kirby essay "A Universe A'Borning".

I have already read issue #58 titled "The Wonder Years" also by Mark Alexander, which really went into depth on the Lee / Kirby years.  See blog #3682 where I reviewed this publication.  

This issue #63 was more of an essay in format, but just as interesting reading at the earlier publication. The front cover to #63 was a double page spread. Really nice!

Mark mentioned that the essay had taken 5 months of hard work to create.  The photos / illustrations were very helpful in getting Mark's points across to the reader.  The 34 pages in this essay would be a good entry point to turn a friend into finding out about Jack Kirby.   I found this to be a highlight of issue #63.

Pages 37 - 47 was a section titled 'Mega Marvel Pencils', with the original artwork penciled by Jack Kirby with notes about each page presented.  Nice!

Page 48 was a one page update on the Jack Kirby Museum.

Pages 49 - 63 was a 2008 Jack Kirby Tribute Panel, presented at the Big Apple Con in New York City.  I have sat through 20 of these panels now, and find each one has something different to present on Jack.

Pages 64 - 66 was the Kirby Obscura section by Barry Forshaw. 

Pages 67 - 69 was Kirby Kinetics by Norris Burroughs.  Good tie-in with King Kong.

Pages 70 - 73 was a section by Shane Foley, titled "By Theire Enemies Shall Ye Know Them".  An interesting topic was covered.

Pages 74 - 81 was a section titled "Key Late Career Moments"84 - 85  from the early 1970s to 1994 when Jack passed. Some of these dates I didn't know what had happened.

Pages 82 - 83 was the section titled "Incidental Iconography" by Sean Kleefeld.  Interesting notes on Triton the Inhuman.

Pages 84 - 85  was on FF #110: The Lost Collage.  I kind of knew this story.

Pages 86 - 88 was a regular feature:  Kirby As A Genre.

Pages 89 - 90 was a new feature: Unearthed - The Lone Survivor.

Pages 91 - 92 was the letters page:  Collectors Comments.

Pages 93 - 95 was the house ad showing earlier Jack Kirby Collectors still available for sale.

Page 96 was the one page feature titled "Parting Shot".

Once again John Morrow and feature contributors assembled a fine publication!  This one was chock full of Marvel Universe items. Definitely a good buy at $10.95 cover price!   This is something that would be considered a good gift for a friend.  I highly recommend this issue!  It definitely covers "The Marvel Universe" which Stan Lee & Jack Kirby basically co-created!

~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 4,009 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 my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 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 Says...   Look Who's On The Blacklist...

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4008 -    I blogged the last few days on the 2014 Comic-Con International.  I actually have enough material gathered from that convention to post blogs on for a few more weeks!

However, today I'm posting about a TV show I've never seen... 'Blacklist', aired on Monday on NBC TV.

The reason I'm posting about this is a momento I received while eating at the Tinfish / Blacklist restaurant across the street from the San Diego Convention Center.

The restaurant had been changed to be a full building advertisement for the TV show.  The pricing was good for the fish dishes... I ate there twice during Comic-Con!

The TV show had a booth where they were shooting photos of the guests / diners.  I decided when there was a lull in the line to get in, to do it myself.  The above photo card is the result, with me as #59 - The Photo Bomber!

Now I'll have to watch the show for at least one episode when it returns for its second season!

Here is the Wikipedia entry link for the show. Not that it has anything to do with Comic-Con of old... But so many people attend Comic-Con nowadays that don't even pay attention to comic books!

(And NO... I didn't attend the Blacklist program held during Comic-Con!)

~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 4,008 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 my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 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 Is Pleased To Mention Mark Todd's...   BEDLAM!

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4007 -    I blogged earlier this week that I didn't have a full four day membership at the Comic-Con International.  Yeah, that's right, after attending every day of the Con since 1991 straight, I missed out on this year's convention due to the new lottery system of obtaining badges for each day.

So on Friday of con week I attended the Off Site Events that sprawled around the front and back of the San Diego Convention Center.  You can see photos from Friday at this link to my special Facebook Fan Page's photo album.

One of the events down to the East of the convention center was the Wonder Bread Building.  It was right across the street from where I used to work at, San Diego Rubber Company / Hoffmeyer Company.  That building where I worked is now part of the large parking lot for Petco Park.

The Wonder Bread Building was hosting the 2014 Art Expo, which was on both the bottom and second floors.  There I walked around for a while, and at one of the exhibit tables a publication jumped out at me!

That publication was titled 'BEDLAM', by Mark Todd. It was a 'mash-up'  of a Fantastic Four cover, one that I remember quite vividly.  Fantastic Four #98 from May of 1970, the month before I graduated from Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach.  Also, this was one of artist Jack Kirby's final issues in his 102 issue long run on the Fantastic Four.

Well, I just had to skim through this publication.  Wow!  Even more mashups inside!  The Amazing Spider-Man, Tales To Astonish, Avengers, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, Eternals, and more Fantastic Four!  Issues that I had enjoyed when first picking them up on the newstands.  Sheesh!  All this in one publication!

Then I met the creator of this mash-up.  And we talked... and talked.  He explained he had picked up his first comic at a 7-11 in 1983, Iron Man #179, and he had started reading, bagging and collecting comics right then.  He also started some illustrations of the comics.  He couldn't move to New York to pursue comics, but instead became an artist in other genres, which is why he was at the Art Expo.

This 'Bedlam' was such a great publication that I purchased it before leaving his exhibit table!  You too can do so, by checking this link at his website.  There are more photos there of the interior pages as well, so you can see what you are buying before doing so.

I also took the time to videotape him, and I will be uploading the video at my YouTube channel. Here is the link to that, when it is uploaded.

My thanks to Mark for sharing his background on how he came to do this 'Bedlam' mash-up!

~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 4,007 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 my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 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 Is Sad To Find Out Of The Passing Of...   Scott S. Norton

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4006 -    I thought I would mention the passing of my high school friend, Scott S. Norton in this blog today.

Actually Scott passed away January 2nd of this year.  A fact that I didn't know about until last week, when sitting in line at the 2014 Comic-Con International, I was flipping through the 2014 Souvenir Book.  Something I usually do when waiting in the long lines at the convention.

When I flipped to page 214, which was part of the 'In Memoriam' section, I was surprised to see: Scott Stuart Norton (1952-2014).   I did a double take.  The photo to the right of the article was indeed an earlier photo of Scott, my high school friend. 

I was floored!   This shocked me, as he was the same age as I.  We had spent the Sophmore & Junior years of High School together at Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach.   Whereas I graduated in 1970 there, Scott & his mother had moved to Chula Vista, and he graduated from Bonita High School, also in 1970.

While at Mar Vista, he and I had participated in the Chess Club, and during our matches we had talked about our love of comic books.  Plus we both had been reading some sci-fi books, which we shared with each other. It was a shame that he moved to Chula Vista... But in 1975 I invited him and one other High School friend, David Heilman, to my first wedding.  

I had moved by then to the Los Angeles Metro Area, and basically lost touch with Scott over the years. 

He connected with me via Facebook, sending a friend invite in April of 2010.  I gladly accepted, and we missed seeing each other at the CONjecture 2010 convention.   I then took pains to see him at the CONdor 2011 convention, a photo of us is shown at the top left of this blog post, (above).

Scott basically went more toward sci-fi over the years, although he did work on staff at the San Diego Comic Con in the 1980s.  

Readers of this blog know that I haven't missed a year of the Comic-Con since 1991, but I have also attended a few other conventions, Xena, X-Files, Quantum Leap, CONjecture, CONdor, anime, etc., etc.  Scott was a co-founder of CONdor, but he was most pleased with his bringing of the 1990 Nasfic to San Diego as his biggest fannish accomplishment.

My thoughts during the past several days have been on Scott.  I'm sad to hear of his passing, but also glad that he was remembered in the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book with a fitting tribute to him.  That would have pleased him greatly...

~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 4,006 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 my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 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...   The 2014 Comic-Con International In Total...

TODAY'S FEATURE IS BLOG #4005 -    It has been an hour since the 2014 Comic-Con International officially closed...

For a change I actually left the San Diego Convention early, yes early.  I walked out with purchases made and that I couldn't see carrying further with only 40 minutes left till the Con closed.

So I hoofed it over to the garage, sat down and turned on the ignition.  Then I proceeded to drive home, only stopping at red lights and at a local fast food drive through.

So how did I like / dislike this year's Comic-Con?

Well... I was actually glad I left early, seriously.  There were so many ups and downs this year for me.

If you have been this Blog the past few days, you'll know that for the first time since 1991... That I did not have a four day membership nor Preview Night privileges.   Yeah, that bothered me.  Actually it affected my thinking of this year's con each day of this past week. 

If I hadn't been going for the past 23 years I probably would have said skip it when Thursday and Sunday were the only options left for me to buy.  

But I did buy, and tried to make the most of this year's con.

Starting with going to an Advance Comic Con Party on Tuesday evening, (see blog #4001), followed up by going to the Con early on Preview Day (Not Preview Night as I did not have a ticket to get in), see Blog #4002, and then spending my Birthday on the first day of the con, (see blog #4003). 

Heck, I even tried to make the best of it by going to the Off-Site Activities outside of the Convention Center that did not require a con badge.  (See blog #4004).

Well, as stated above, the Comic-Con is now finished for 2014.  I'll post the photos I took today on my Facebook Fan Page, (as seen at this link).

The highlights for me today were the two panels that I attended.  First was the Annual Jack Kirby Tribute panel, which has now been held 20 years, (of which I have attended all 20 of them), and a Spotlight on Michelle Nolan, which I also enjoyed hearing Michelle, Maggie Thompson, and Bud Plant talk about the old days. But that was it, just two panels today.

The rest of the day was spent checking the exhibit floor, and running out to the car to drop off stuff I bought.  Yes, bought. There were next to nothing that was free swag this year.  Even the freebie tables had nothing of any interest to me.  Just advertisements for things to buy or other conventions to attend nationwide.

I did do my annual purchasing at the TwoMorrows booth.  Picking up the latest Jack Kirby Collector, and other miscellaneous items that John's company has published since last seeing the company booth.  More on that later after I've read the latest issue(s).

I also bought some comics for resale purposes at one booth, as the prices were too good to pass up, (after all it was the last hours of the con!).   But because my car was so far away, I held back on purchases this year also.

As stated in this week's blog posts I did have some fun at this con.  You can't help but do so, with so much variety of programs / panels to attend. 

But the long lines to get in the convention center, and long lines outside at the Off Site Activities just got me down this year.   First time I believe this has happened to me, and I haven't missed a day since 1991 when the con first moved to the San Diego Convention Center.

The crowds were in force both Thursday and Sunday as far as I could tell.  Not pleasant to navigate through.  I had to navigate them because Artists Alley is at one end of the center, and the Small Press almost at the end of the other side.

I mentioned my problem of not being able to attend all four days to a couple of the con's senior staff.  Time will tell if anything can be done to alleviate this problem for next year.

All in all, the Comic-Con International is something YOU have to see at least once in your lifetime. Seriously, even with all the problems with crowds, lines, etc., etc.  I realize it is getting harder to obtain admission but you have to do it at least once in your lifetime.

Again, don't forget to check out the pics I'm uploading at this link.

~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 4,005 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 my blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to me for possible review, just contact me. 

 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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