Jason May, the creator of Rob Bot, is a pretty busy guy... as you can see by his contact sites below:

Jason May - Illustrator
My website: jasonmay.net
On IMDB: imdb.jasonmay.net
On Twitter: twitter.jasonmay.net
On Facebook: facebook.jasonmay.net

Jason also wrote the following about the upcoming Big Apple Con that he will be attending soon:

"I will be bringing piles of robot head paintings, original art from various published works and my sketching materials. I will be doing my usual $10 robot sketches and will be happy to discuss any other types of sketches or commissions over the weekend. I may have a guitar or two with me. We'll have to see what time permits. I hope to see a good turn out."

As stated above, Jason May will be at the Big Apple Con. He will be sharing a booth with Joe Caramagna at booth #3043.  Here are additional details on the con:

Big Apple Comic Con 2009
Start time:  Friday October 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM - Eastern Time 
End time:  Sunday October 18, 2009 at 5:00 PM - Eastern Time 
Where:  Pier 94 Manhattan, Pier 94, New York, NY 10019

Tina and I have been at a Big Apple Con before, (The National), a few years back.  Since then Wizard World has taken it over... I'm looking forward to hearing feedback of the 'new' Big Apple Con from my Facebook Friends and Blog Readers!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

Okay folks!  The comic con season isn't over yet!

There are still several more cons out there before the end of the 2009 Calendar Year!

Including the brand new Victoria Comic Con being held in Canada, which I last blogged about on June 6th, 2009, giving everyone a 'heads up' back then!

The main web site for this new con is at:  http://www.victoriacomicconvention.com/

I have already shown a few of the guest stars that will be at this convention in the photos above.  I have personally met Richard Hatch and William Katt before, and can vouch what a thrill it would be for those that were fans of Battlestar Galactic or The Greatest American Hero, or even both shows!

Others shown to the right above are some of my personal faves, but haven't met them as of yet: Amanda Stevens, Erin Gray, and Robert Picardo.

For other movie and tv star guests:  http://www.victoriacomicconvention.com/guests_movie.php

For comic book creators: http://www.victoriacomicconvention.com/guests_comic.php

For schedule of events including workshops: http://www.victoriacomicconvention.com/workshops.php

For ticket purchase before you go to this con: http://www.victoriacomicconvention.com/buy_tickets.php

PLEASE NOTE THAT ON WALK-UP TICKETS AT THE DOOR: Pre-sale tickets are discounted. To buy at the door, they are $24 per day with no weekend passes! So if You are going, buy 'em now!

For those of you on Facebook and want to be 'interactive' with others that are going to this con, please see this Con's Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52386488687&ref=ts

Please also note, guests appearances and times are always subject to possible change.  The links shown above will also take you to the other tabs in the web site for FAQs, Register, etc, for this, the 1st ever Victoria Comic Con!

Here's wishing good luck to Bill Code and the rest of the people putting on this 1st ever Victoria Comic Con! 

Tina and I just came from a 1st ever Long Beach Comic Con, and were very pleased with that brand new convention!  (Click here for our report on Day 1 and click here for Day 2 of the LBCC!)

BTW.... Whereas Tina and I don't publish comics or books (yet?) or set up at comic cons, (except at our own Facebook Virtual Comic Con Dealer Table), we do have thousands of indies and mainstream comics in our own online store. Be sure to check out our new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on!  It's due to sales at this online store that keep us going with the ability to post blogs like the one you have read here today! 

Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!  We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films! 

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

"KILL KILL KILL
Ebony prepares to spend a quiet day at home... but a MAPPO sleeper cell has other plans for him.

Published: September 2009
Story: Richard Starkings
Artwork: Boo Cook
Cover: Boo Cook
Variant cover: Ian Churchill
32pp full color for $3.50
Diamond: JUL09 0393 (page 150)

Okay, the above issue and the #3 of 3 in Elephantmen: War Toys (E:WT), actually caught my interest and made me want to blog about this series bringing it to my blog readers if they aren't already reading it.

Why?  Even though I haven't been exposed to this series before, there are a minimal amount of stories to catch up on, via TPBs if nothing else if you can find the floppy single issue comics.

The storyline of the two issues I read kept my interest, and it wasn't that hard 'jumping' onto the series.  Sometimes coming into a series, even in the second issue, a reader could be 'lost' quite easlily.  Not here, as the storyline was well written and kept me turning the pages of the 'floppy' single issues.

The artwork by Moritat in E:WT#3 was in grayscale.  Drawn very well, and the blood wasn't overwhelming in this grayscale mode.  Even tho it was the last issue of the mini-series, the conclusion to this story made me want to immediately read the next issue I had.

Elephantmen #21 is part 6 of 8 in the story arc 'Dangerous Liasions'.  Here the blood was in color, along with the rest of the scenes and characters.  But after reading into the issues a few pages, I realized that the animal savagery of the beastmen allowed for this bloodletting.  It wasn't blood n' gore just for shock value.  The art by Boo Cook was also illustrated very well, and Richard's writing had a sense of direction where this story had come from (previous issues), and where it was going next (the final two issues of this story arc). 

I found after reading these two issues, that I liked the concept of the Elephantmen, and would add it to either purchasing back issues of 'floppies' comic books, or see if there any TPBs that I could pick up at reasonable cost.

BTW, If YOU are anywhere near Baltimore, Maryland this upcoming weekend, Richard Starkings will be exhibiting there next at the Baltimore Comic Con!  He should have more issues and TPBs for sale there at his booth if you want to get introduced to this series! 

Here is the link to that Con for dates and hours, etc.:

http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/

I have not blogged about the 2009 Baltimore Comic Convention so far, and it doesn't look like I'll be doing any posts on it other than this mention, as it runs from this upcoming Saturday Oct 10th thru Sunday Oct 11th, 2009.

If You can't make it to the Baltimore Comic Con, You can find more about the Elephantmen comic book series at their web site and links to purchase individual issues or TPBs also:

http://www.hipflask.com/index.html

My thanks to Richard Starkings who gave me a couple of issues to read and possibly review while Tina and I were at his booth during the Long Beach Comic Con!  My thanks for the introduction to this well written and illustrated comic book series!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

I meant to continue my new series on comics and graphic novels that I found out about in the Artists Alley at the 2009 Long Beach Comic Con from this past weekend...

But an email came in yesterday that I didn't want to wait on telling my blog readers about.

That's because the email came in from Mike Towry, who I met at the September 20th event at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego.  For full story of that event, (Click Here).

A photo from the Mysterious Galaxy event is shown at the top left of this blog post, and includes both Mike Towry and Richard Alf, plus others named above. 

The reason I mention Mike and Richard in particular, is because I asked them both if they were on Facebook (FB) or some other social media platform at the book signing event.  Or if they had a web site.  Richard said no, that he was basically just on for email, and Mike was not on FB either, which was unfortunate because I wanted to communicate further with them both more easily.

I mentioned to Mike about seeing them at the July 2009 SDCC, when they were on a special panel about the 1970's origins of the San Diego Comic Con International.   Matter of fact I had talked with Richard Alf at a later panel, and re-introduced myself to him.  That's because many years ago, Richard had bought my duplicate copies of my comics, before I went into selling them myself!

I had asked Mike and Richard follow up questions about the early days of the SDCC, and then followed up by sending both of them emails about the event held at Mysterious Galaxy.  (I included a link to my blog post for that event.)  So I was very pleased when the below email came in yesterday from Mike with the new Tribute web site news:

"Hi Michael,
 
I thought you might be interested to know that Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, and I have just launched the ShelDorfTribute.com Web site. There's just a single posting on the site at present, which is a welcoming and explanatory message from we three. We're looking for people to share reminiscenses of Shel, tributes to what he's meant for them and for others, and also any pictures of Shel they might have.
 
BTW, I enjoyed seeing the pictures of our Mysterious Galaxy session on your Web site.
 
Regards,
 
Mike Towry

I took a look at the web site, realizing it was brand new, and decided to help them kick off their new endeavor.  BTW, I did not see Barry Alfonso at the Mysterious Galaxy book signing event.  He lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and was not able to come to this event.

Here is just a small portion of what YOU can see at the web site that the above three named persons have created in the 'Shelf Dorf Tribute' web site:

Shel Dorf has lived for comics, for bringing their fans and professional creators together, and for helping many of those fans to become professionals themselves.

In 1969, Shel came to San Diego already possessing years of experience in producing comic conventions and other fan activities along with a host of fan and professional contacts. He was certainly in a position to claim a preeminent place for himself as the chairman, the great leader of the comic convention he proposed for San Diego. It would not have seemed unreasonable had he viewed the inexperienced young fans he gathered as fit only to be his gofers and flunkies. Another man might have done so, but that wasn’t Shel. He always wanted to help his friends and associates to realize their dreams, to discover what they could do, to find their own places in the sun. From the beginning, he always was content to be known simply as Comic-Con’s founder and the advisor to its committee. He was surely those things and more.

At the time we first met Shel in 1969, we ranged in age from 12 to 17. How could we think we could put on our own convention? Shel showed us the way. It was an experience that few kids could have, one that we’ll always remember, one that Shel made possible.

Through Shel, we got to meet the comics pros, something that we had never considered possible – isolated as we were in our sleepy little Navy town in the southwest corner of the United States. And thanks to Shel, we started at the top with our first visit to see Jack “King” Kirby in November of 1969. To us Kirby truly was the King of comics, and because of Shel’s efforts in arranging our visit, we found out first hand that Kirby was a fascinating thinker, full of boundless ideas and creative energies matched only by the kindness and consideration he showed his fans.

Would there have been a Comic-Con in San Diego without Shel? Probably, someday, sure. Would it have been the one we have today? Certainly not. Comic-Con got its spirit, its positive, non-profit, welcoming vision from Shel. The Con committees throughout the years have done a fantastic job in building the Con into what it is today, but, to paraphrase Isaac Newton, “If they have seen further than others, it is because they stood on the shoulders of a giant.”

Shel was always better at doing for others than at doing for himself. How many fans and pros did he bring together, how many fans became pros because of the man and his work: these are questions we hope this site will start to answer for all to see.

Since we three – Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, and I – were kindly invited to attend Comic-Con this year as 40th-anniversary guests, we’ve come to learn more of the state of knowledge regarding Comic-Con’s founding. That there is a paucity of accurate information available about this matter is perhaps not a surprise as we who were there at the beginning had not before related the facts in public. One purpose of this site is to remedy that situation and thereby assure Shel his just recognition. As the only three of the original founding members of the Comic-Con Committee available, we want to set the story straight and fill in the gaps regarding Comic-Con’s earliest days.

Shel, unfortunately, cannot speak for himself. He has been in the hospital for over a year. He is currently unable to communicate: unable to speak or even to read or hear much of anything. We of course hope that his condition will improve, but we have not been given reason to believe that it will. However, we will be sure to let you know of any change in his condition. If prayer is something that you do, we’re sure you’ll want to pray for Shel.

—Mike Towry

So now, with respect, gratitude, and affection, we launch this site in tribute to Shel Dorf. Our best wishes go out to Shel and to all his friends and admirers. Please let us hear from you.

—Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, and Mike Towry

Again, I must mention that this web site is brand new, and will grow in the weeks to come.  If you have any early memories of the San Diego Comic Con, and with Shel Dorf in particular, feel free to visit the Tribute web site and submit your memories there!

Here is the url for doing that:

http://www.sheldorftribute.com/ 

My Thanks to Mike Towry for informing me so quickly of their new endeavor.  I look forward to coming back and seeing more stories about Shel and the good ol' days of the Comic Con!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

Continuing my new series on comics and graphic novels that I found out about in the Artists Alley at the 2009 Long Beach Comic Con ...

Is the 'Mysterious Adventure Magazine' comic book series from Matt (Crap) Bennett and Scott Godlewski.

Their table caught my attention because the way the covers of their publications were laid out on the table made me first think that they had several publications for sale.  Upon closer examination there were only two publications, but each cover was striking enough to make me pick them up to look at closer.

In the photo to the above left is Matt holding the Spring 2009 issue and Scott at the right holding the 2nd issue (Summer 2009).  The photo insert to the right of their photo is a close up of the first issue.

You can see how striking both covers are.   The genre that the covers present is one that I like, so of course I struck up  a conversation with both of them.

The following is what their first issue of this comic book series is about:

"Written and Illustrated by Scott Godlewski, Matt Bennet, Joe Dellagatta, Ben Perkins, Matt Kaufenberg

Standard Comic
Black & White
Page Count: 40  Cover Price:  $2.99

The Flying Phantom must escape a deadly trap sprung by the manical Dr. Otto Metzger and the Dead Baron! Plus, an eerie retelling of the Selkie legend, a private eye with a frightening secret, and two ranchers discover an unbelieveabe creature on the Arizona desert!

Mysterious Adventure Magazine recaptures the magic of the great Silver Age anthologies with a modern twist!"

I put the above issue mentioned and the second issue toward the top of my list of comics to read first from the LBCC, because of the covers and the conversation I had with them.

The first story in the Spring issue did not let me disappoint me.  It was exactly what the cover indicated this 'magazine' comic book would be. Good job by Scott Godlewski and Matt Bennett.

Then I read the second story, 'The Fisherman's Wife'.  Although it was an enjoyable story by Mat Bennett and Joe Dellagatta, it was then that it really struck me that I was reading an anthology comic book.  An anthology comic book as I have mentioned in this blog before, is one of the hardest comic books to review.  That's because that even though the cover may pull a casual browser to stop and pick up the comic book, you would think that all the stories inside would fit the 'theme' or genre format that the front cover suggested would be inside.

I found the second story to be good, but the art style was so different from the cover and the first lead story, that it was kind of jarring to be the following story after the lead story.  Taken on its' own, the story and art was good, but somehow didn't seem to fit in this issue in my opinion as a reader and reviewer.

The third story 'Found in The Desert' by Scott Godlweski and Matt Bennett, got back on track with the genre that I would think would be in this comic book.  A good 4 page story.

The fourth and final story, by Matt Bennett and Ben Perkins, fit in the genre, and actually reminded me of the old stories by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko that were the pre-superhero HoRRoR / MoNSTer stories that I loved so much.

The last four pages were welcomes from Matt and Scott, and a great 'hook' for the reader to join the 'Mysterious Adventure Club' with a membership card, etc.  Now that is the branding and style that made me pick up these two issues in the first place!

So for me, the first issue this anthology comic book series did a pretty good job in delivering the promise of what the cover suggested would be inside.  Again I want to state that publishing anthologies with different writers and artists are one of the hardest things to do in comic book publishing.  Matt and Scott did a pretty good job delivering in the first issue of this series.

Wait, I said there were two issues, right?!

Here's the details on the second issue, Summer 2009 cover date:

Written and Illustrated by Matt Bennett, Scott Godlewski, Joshua Covey, Michael Kasinger, Michael Babinski, Dan Schkade, Matt Kaufenberg, Ryan Cody

Standard Comic
Black & White
Page Count: 40
Cover Price:  $2.99

Masked mystery men, water-borne legends, and demonic detectives await!

Mysterious Adventure Magazine recaptures the magic of the great Silver Age anthologies with a modern twist!

Again, Scott and Matt promise a 'Mysterious Adventure' comic book on the front cover.  And again for the most part they delivered that to me as a reader.

There were five stories in this second issue.  The front cover featured 'Night Shift'.  That lead story delivered what the front cover promised. But again the following story, although I enjoyed it in its' own right, was too different for me as a reader from what the front cover suggested would be in the comic book.

The third story, 'Saying Goodbye With Bullets' fit the story genre of the comic book although the art style was different.  But it wasn't that different from the issues's theme after reading the second story.  It kind of put the issue back on track for me as a reader.

The fourth story, 'Down To Zero' was another Flying Phantom story, who was featured in the first issue.  Again, another well done story and art here!

The fifth and final story. 'Death In Haiku', was another story with artwork that was too jarring for this comic book in my opinion.  It just didn't seem to jell with the rest of the issue's works.  This would be a good anthology story, but just not in this series in my opinion.

So... for me the first issue was a good first issue start for this series.  The second issue had a couple of stories that just didn't jell for me as a reader.  Again as I've said, publishing anthology comics is a hard undertaking to take on. 

The premise of the series is a good one, and the lead stories delivered what the front covers promised.  Being a long-time comic book reader, I'm wondering if instead of an anthology book, maybe a 'split book' would work better?

A 'split book' would be like the old 'Tales of Suspense' which basically ended up with Iron Man and Captain America sharing the covers for the most part and sharing the interior pages.  'Tales To Astonish' with the Incredible Hulk and the Sub-Mariner would be another good example.  However, just like anthology comics, the 'split book' concept doesn't always work to draw in readers.  Take for example 'Strange Tales' that had Doctor Strange and Nick Fury - Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.  The readership of that split book probably didn't like both features, as they were too different.  That is probably why sales of that series weren't as high in numbers as TOS and TTA.

However, in 'Mysterious Adventure Magazine', the comic book series, I could see that 'split book' concept as probably working.  Especially with their own characters 'Flying Phantom' and 'Night Shift'.  Both of those features worked well and were actually the featured characters on the two front covers.  Those front covers promised and the interior pages with those two characters delivered! 

You can find more about the 'Mysterious Adventure Magazine' at their web site:

http://www.comicspace.com/mysterious_adventure/

You can purchase these issues at:

http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1785

I enjoyed both of these issues enough that I would be sure to come back for the third issue.  Like any new comic book title that is an anthology comic book series, the publisher does have to get a few issues out to see what the reading public enjoys before finding its' selling niche!

~ Michael @  ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com