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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
My Take On: Shane And Chris Houghton's Reed Gunther Issues #1 -5
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Comic Books - New

                                        

Shane And Chris Houghton's

Reed Gunther

Issues #1 - 5 From Image Comics!

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 IMAGE COMICS as seen at my own online comic book shop!

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Top Photo left column: The Main Characters in Shane And Chris Houghton's Comic Book Series:  Reed Gunther & Sterling the Bear!
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Photo at top of this column:  Chris & Shane Houghton at the 2011 Long Beach Comic & HoRRoR Con with Issues #1 - 5 at their table!  Today, November 9th is their Release Party for the TPB compilation of those issues in Los Angeles!
  

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3543:

The past two weekends have flown by for me!

October 29th & 30th Tina and I were at the 3rd Annual Long Beach Comic & Horror Con in Long Beach, California.  There, among hundreds of other exhibitors, we met Shane and Chris Houghton once again, where I picked up the first five issues of their 'Reed Gunther' comic book series. I read them right away and knew that I would want to review blog them in the near future.

This past weekend, November 5th & 6th, Tina and I were at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the 1st ever ComiKaze Expo, where we met Shane and Chris once again. This time their brand new TPB (Trade Paper Back), was shown for the first time at their table! I knew it was coming soon, being told at the LBC&HC that it was upcoming, but I haven't yet review blogged the issues I had just read in the floppy single issues format.

Well, today is their Release Party for the new TPB in Los Angeles, as seen by the flyer at the left. So I better get started! Please note: My review is based on the five single issues published in 'floppy' comic book format. Other than seeing the cover of the TPB at the ComiKaze Expo, I haven't seen the contents to see if any extra 'goodies' were included or not.

First, what's this comic book title about? Here's what the guys show on their web site:

"Reed Gunther is a goofy and exciting, all ages comic book, created by brothers Shane and Chris Houghton and published by Image Comics.

Follow Reed Gunther and his trusty bear, Sterling, as they ride through the adventurous Old West! Whether they're battling supernatural monsters, tracking down slimy villains, or catching a runaway train... you can bet they wish they were doing something else!"


Okay... So what's 'My Take' on this 5 issue story arc?

First, I'll say that I have seen either one or the other of the brothers at comic cons in Artists Alleys for a while... During their original black & white press run via their own independent publishing days for this comic book title.  However, I had not read their title in that B&W format before.

At the recent 2011 LBCC, I had the opportunity to pick up all 5 issues of the story arc, now being re-printed by Image Comics in full color.

The first issue of the five issue story arc is about:

Reed Gunther and the Steak Snacking Snake!
 
This first issue follows Reed and his faithful bear, Sterling, as they help a not-so-helpless young lady named Starla. Starla’s herd of cattle are dying off and Reed is determined to figure out how!
 
I’ll give you a hint. It’s a Steak Snacking Snake.
 

I found this first issue to be a very good introduction to the story arc, starting with the front cover!  Right away a consumer knows that this comic book is for 'All Ages', and that the price is 'reasonable' at $2.99 cover price.  The addition of the 'Image Comics' logo is something that would give comics readers a moment to think that if Image published it... There must be something in the inside contents for Image to publish it.  

There is! The storyline, the dialogue, the artwork, the characters, and the colors all appear to be 'fresh' and 'vibrant'! The introduction of the characters is smooth, and the storyline is a fun ride, (no pun intended on the front cover!).

Issue #2:

Reed Gunther in a Stalac-TIGHT Spot!
 
This exciting second issue is specifically designed to burst your spurs!
 
Follow Reed and Sterling as they venture underground in search of hidden gold, despite being warned by the town loony that there is something dangerous hiding in the caves! But what does he know? He’s crazy, right?
 

The action doesn't slow down in this issue, and is well written by Shane Houghton.  The artwork by Chris Houghton moves the reader into believing that this story can be told. I'm very interested in continuing on to Issue #3:

Reed Gunther in Trains, Reigns, and Pains!
 
The continuing adventures of Reed Gunther …uh… continues!
 
Reed, Sterling, and Starla hop a train in hopes of catching up with Mr. Picks, the slimy freak show owner, to stop him from spreading those dreaded mole creatures to the East! But I’m sure they will. Nothing ever goes wrongs in comic books, right?

This series continues on to be for 'All Ages', which is good, as I dislike series that start for one age group or as one genre, and convert to something else partway through.  The Houghton brothers have a good handle on what they want to present in this story arc so far!

Issue #4:

Reed Gunther in Fish Out of Slaughter!
 
Continuing his cross-country chase to reclaim the mysterious monster-generating Idol, Reed Gunther and his trusty steed Sterling must find their way through the wild, wild… East? Join the out-of-place cowboy in New York City, where monsters aren’t the strangest thing in town!

The story arc taking us across country works for me.  The two main characters are out of their natural element in the Big City, and this is a fun read.  It is good that this is a 5 issue story issue, as I am ready to read the ending in the Next Issue!

Issue #5:

Reed Gunther And The Freakshow Showdown!

The 'Freakshow (Final) Showdown'!   It takes 5 single floppy issues to finish this story arc.  A good number of issues / pages for a compilation into a TPB.  Not too short at 3 or 4 issues, and not to long at 6 issues.  Five issues are just right for a story arc such as this one.

I enjoyed the Statue of Liberty scenes in this final issue of the story arc.  I turned the final page feeling satisfied with what I had read in this issue and the earlier 4 issues.

This presentation was done right, and was in keeping with the 'All Ages' label on the front covers.  And no... It wasn't dumbed down for younger readers!  A fun read, enjoyable artwork, and great coloring made this a comic book story arc I would recommend to those that are looking for a series to help get younger people to read.  Plus it is a good read for those even my own age... Who remember comics when they were referred to as 'funnybooks' by the mainstream public.  It truly is a comic book story arc for 'All Ages'!

My comic book grade for this series of comic books is a NEAR MINT (NM) 9.4 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale.  (I have not read the TPB compilation of these issues for rating purposes, just the five single 'floppy' issues published in color by Image Comics.)

I do want to mention that both the Houghton Brothers and myself were nominated in different categories for the 2011 Shel Dorf Awards...

The Brothers in the category: Self Published Comic of the Year, and myself for Comic Blogger of the Year.

However none of us won... Which is the reason for the sad faces at the left at the Long Beach Comic & Horror Con... LOL!   But it was an honor to be nominated, we all said! 

My thanks again to Shane and Chris Houghton for taking the time to talk with us at both the 2011 Long Beach Comic Con AND the 2011 ComiKaze Expo!

Oh... And have some fun at your 'Release Party' for the TPB tonight!

(Note: For those of you that can't make it to the release party tonight either... Here is the link to the Houghton Brothers' store at their web site, where you can still buy most of the issues in the original black & white published format.   For a copy of the new TPB, here is a link to it: Reed Gunther Volume 1 TP!

     

~Michael D Hamersky On Comics!


NOTE FROM THE BLOGGER:

My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,543 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!  We currently have over 2,608 'Followers'!  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!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

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 can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up 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! 
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Posted by makeitsomarketing at 5:12 AM PST
Updated: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 6:59 AM PST
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011
My Take On: Ron Dante - Favorites!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Comic Book History

                                        

Ron Dante - Favorites

'The Voice Of THE ARCHIES'!

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 THE ARCHIE COMICS ITEMS ENDING SOONEST as seen at my online comic book shop!

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Top Photo left column: The Voice of The Archies - 'Live In Person' at the 2011 Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, California!
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Photo at top of this column:  Tina LoSasso with Ron Dante and the CD: Ron Dante - Favorites!
  

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3542:

This past weekend Tina and I attended the 1st ever ComiKaze Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

While walking through the exhibit hall, we came across a table that had Archie photos, Archie TPBs, and Archie CDs. In addition was the placard shown at the left of this blog post, which stated: 'Live In Person' - Ron Dante - 'Voice of the Archies'.

I immediately knew who we were seeing behind the table, as my friend, Joe Pepitone (aka JoepeP!), had talked to me on the phone about him before, and has posted a few great comments about Ron on his own Facebook profile page.

Telling Ron Dante about our mutual friend, we discussed a few quick topics, including what he was doing at ComiKaze, etc.

Of course both Tina and I knew of 'The Archies' cartoon band, and of his relationship with that series.

However, I had not seen the other CD on his table. Tina had picked it up, and I did also, commenting about the choice of tracks that Ron had included in this compilation of 'Ron Dante - Favorites'. 

That's because I knew ALL of the tracks, and exclaimed so outloud.

Well, we ended up leaving Ron's table with that CD, telling ourselves we would listen to it on the drive back to Carlsbad, a good hour and half down South of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Indeed it was a great choice to listen to, as we headed down to 'El Maguey', our Favorite Mexican restaurant in Orange County.  After a long day or two at a comic book convention in either Los Angeles or Orange County, stopping there for their dishes with mole sauce is just heaven for Tina and myself!  No convention center food for us!  (Here's the link to their Facebook Fan Page so you can get the location and hours.  Truly recommended for those of you in the area, or traveling between LA & San Diego!)

Anyways, we listened to the CD on the way, and after a great dinner, we finished listening to it.  Or rather I should say, Tina finished listening to Ron sing and with me singing along!  She did say she preferred Ron's voice over mine, LOL!

Here's the info on what is on this CD:

First of all... The Tracks:

1.  Old Time Rock and Roll  
2.  I'd Wait a Million Years  
3.  Heaven Knows  
4.  That's Alright Mama  
5.  Windy  
6.  Temptation Eyes  
7.  Billy Don't Be a Hero
8.  Rock Me Gently  
9.  Let's Live for Today  
10. Cherish  
11. Black Is Black  
12. Rockin' Robin  
13. Happy Together  
14. Gimme Some Lovin'  
15. Bee Gees Medley  
16. Give Me Just a Little More Time  
17. I Go to Rio  
18. Midnight Confessions
19. Lay a Little Lovin' on Me  
20. Even After

Secondly, the liner notes gives a little background on Ron Dante, as a record producer, Broadway producer, and as a recording artist. With a note from Ron... and what musicians and singers accompanied Ron on this album.

I've got to say... Just the fact that this CD has six 'Grass Roots' songs in it made it something I'm going to play again and again while I'm driving! What a happy, upbeat CD compilation this is!   Which is exactly what we needed after the death of our parakeet on Friday morning before we left on Saturday for the ComiKaze Expo...

Tina was pleased that the songs were interpreted by Ron with being very close to the originals when sung, with only a couple of changes that she could tell. Those songs on this CD reminded her of being with her friends and family and brought back good memories.

And yeah, I did enjoy hearing Ron with the 'group', 'Cufflinks', back in 1969 with the hit song 'Tracy'.  For the story on that, you have to read this Wikipedia entry

So... I would have to say that one of the hi-lights for me at the 2011 ComiKaze Expo was meeting Ron Dante in person, and driving back home with his 'Favorites' CD playing on Sunday evening!  I'm sure I'll be listening to this CD for years to come!

Oh, and you can purchase this CD also, but you don't have to wait to see him at a convention.  Here's the link to purchase this CD online: Ron Dante - Favorites.

You can also find out more of what Ron is currently up to, including his upcoming performances schedule at his web site, RonDante.com!

And yes... I know... It's NOT a comic book, but my comic book grade for this CD is a NEAR MINT (NM) 9.4 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale. Highly recommended for listening to!

Thanks again to Ron Dante for taking the time to talk with us at the 2011 ComiKaze Expo!

     

~Michael D Hamersky On Comics!


NOTE FROM THE BLOGGER:

My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,542 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!  We currently have over 2,608 'Followers'!  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!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

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 can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up 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! 
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Posted by makeitsomarketing at 12:01 AM PST
Updated: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 6:13 AM PST
Post Comment | Permalink
Monday, November 7, 2011
My Take On: The 2011 ComiKaze Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Comic Cons

                                        

Michael D Hamersky On Comics Shares 'His Take' On...

The 2011 ComiKaze Expo

Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the Downtown Los Angeles Area November 5th & 6th of 2011!

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Click here to see the HoRRoR and MONster Comics that we have in our online store for sale, including DOLLAR COMICS!
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Click here to see the COMIC CON ITEMS that we have in our online store for sale, including DOLLAR COMICS!
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Click here to see the SIGNED ITEMS that we have in our online store for sale, including DOLLAR COMICS! 
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Above Top Photo: Sam F Park with Michael D Hamersky at the Monsterverse Booth during the 2011 ComiKaze Expo.
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Above Middle Photo:  The guys at the Stranger Comics booth.  I'll be review blogging several of their publications in the weeks to follow!
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Top Bottom Photo:  Tina LoSasso and Ron Dante, known for many recordings during the years, especially for his 'Archies' songs including 'Sugar,Sugar'!   We totally enjoyed his CD 'Ron Dante - Favorites' album on the way home to Carlsbad!  More on that soon!
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Left Column Middle Photo:  Tina LoSasso & Michael D Hamersky in front of the ComiKaze Expo backdrop that was moved inside the exhibit hall on Sunday!
  

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3541:

Back in blog #3522, I mentioned that I was looking forward to attending a brand new convention in the Downtown area of Los Angeles...

That would be the ComiKaze Expo, which would be held in the expansive Los Angeles Convention Center!

I'm not going to repeat here what I said in the earlier blog post for the most part, other than the links I believe you would be most interested in, along with my 'review' on the con itself.

Here are just a few photos from this convention, as uploaded at my Facebook Fan Page, Michael D Hamersky On Comics:  Special Photo Album!

I will be adding more photos to this photo album in the next four hours, and in the days to follow.  Tina took almost 200 photos and I took over 200 photos from our two days there, (Saturday & Sunday).  Plus I have videos to share from this con, which will be posted directly at my YouTube Channel as well as the links to those videos at Facebook Fan Page.

Plus here are the links for you to check out to match up with the photos and videos that I will be presenting at my Facebook Fan Page, as these links have links to the exhibitors, panelists, and Artist Alley participants:

The 2011 Scheduled Guests of Honor

The 2011 Featured Guests

The 2011 Artists / Exhibitors / Creators / Etc.

Oh, and so you can see what everyone else is saying or has alreday said about this year's Long Beach Comic & Horrr Con... Here's the Facebook Fan Page for the ComiKaze Expo, so that you can be interactive with the promoters / attendees for this year's Con!

So... With All that out of the way... What was 'My Take' on this year's con?! (Along with a few comments that Tina voiced to me during the con & on the drive back home.)

Here's my immediate topics and my thoughts on them:

Attendance:  The Expo's organizers did a Great Job in getting attendance at this first time ever event.   The word of mouth and distribution of flyers at other conventions prior to theirs showed that they were going to do their utmost in getting people there. I saw their promotional pieces at the Comic-Con International: San Diego back in July, followed up at So Cal Comic Con in August, and Long Beach Comic Con in October.  So the Expo's organizers were on the ground promoting their Expo, as well as doing a fine job online.  

Parking:  Saturday's parking was a little tough, as where I have parked at befor the Wizard World Los Angeles Comic Con held here previously, was full.  So we parked at the next closest parking structure.  Sunday's parking was worse, as there appeared to be even an additional convention going on.  (At least three at one time... An Anthony Robbins conference, and a Franchise conference.)

Registration:  Saturday's registration for attendees was disorganized, as far as we and others trying to find where the lines were going.   We had press passes as usual for conventions of this niche, which we able to obtain relatively easily once we found where the registration booths were actually located at. However, as we came in and out during the day to use the restrooms, (there was only one inside the hall!), the lines continued to stay packed. Sunday's registration was better, as we arrived at 11:30 and the line wasn't as long.

Opening Day Ceremony:  We didn't see any ceremony.  We were there before the opening.  With our press passes, we were allowed in early, and the attendees on Saturday were delayed in coming in until after the official opening hour as much as we could tell from inside.   

Exhibit Hall:  Believe it or not... The exhibit hall was actually held in an underground parking garage facility.  You could tell by the multiple columns holding up the floor above!  That's probably why there was just the one set of restrooms in the hall itself, which was hard to find... Several attendees, including us, were told to leave the large hall, use the restrooms near there, and come back in the entrance again afterwards...

Panels:  This is where the organizers of the con could definitely improved on... The panels were held inside the exhibit hall, with just blue drapes separating them from the rest of the hall.  The noise factor was horrendous, and with the announcer on the public address system coming on too often for commercials... the panels were interrupted even further.  Worse, the numbering of the panel 'rooms' were out of logical order... and a person had to walk back and forth a few times until learning the numbering layout.  There was ONE panel held upstairs in an actual room, (the room that surprise guest Mark Hamill was giving his presentation).   Definitely the worst aspect of this convention...  At the least there should have been large placards with the numbers of the panel 'rooms' that could be visible from a ways away.  A person had to walk all the way to the panel 'room' to see what the 'room' number was.  Why?  Because the organizers 'ran out' of maps / panel schedules the very 1st day of the show!   And no, neither Tina nor I believe that there weren't any Kinkos FED Ex or anything else close to the LA Convention Center that couldn't deliver more!

Program Book:  Which brings me to the lack of a 'program book' or some sort of giveaway at the time of registration.   Even small cons that have more than just a bunch of dealers in a room with comics to sell, have a 'program book' or 'program flyer'.   Nothing was provided to regular attendees / pros / press.  You were expected to have downloaded / printed your own.  Which I had done, only to circle / make a grid of the panels I wanted to attend before arriving to the con. 

Pricing:   Yes the expo was 'inexpensive'.  Only $12 a day, or $20 for both days.   And yes the parking cost was $12 per day at the LA Convention Center.   But what the problem was, IMO, was that the lack of name badges, the lack of program schedules, lack of maps for the layout inside the exhibit hall, led to the confusion that existed there for both days.  Please bear in mind that this in intended to be constructive criticism, not a bitch session...

Events:  On Sunday there was appeared to be a 'masquerade' of sorts in the back of the exhibit hall... I'm still not for sure what kind of event it was meant to be.   As the 'contestants', all stood in line and faced an evergrowing crowd.  Mass confusion, and many of the cosplayers were obviously not pleased to be standing there in line for so long.  Other events?   Well, I'm not for sure if there were any, other than the following:  

Special Event:  The Award Ceremony for Cassandra (Elvira) Peterson.  It was nice that Cassandra was honored, especially as Saturday was the last convention appearance for her Elvira charcter (portrayed by hereself, as there is a 'replacement' already).   However the mini-event STARTED and ENDED before the publicized time of the event at 2PM!  Many attendees came over to the 'panel room' AFTER the event was over, no kidding!  Tina had grabbed us a couple of chairs earlier, because the event that was supposed to be running at 1PM had been cancelled / rescheduled.   But then she had to sit and listen to an impromptu session of a few panelists who arrived early for the 2PM ceremony and "entertained" the crowd until Cassandra was announced (early).  For those of you that missed this event, I'll be uploading the ceremony at my YouTube Channel sometime in the near future, and posting a link at my Facebook Fan Page.   

Artists Alley:  The map that I had printed out to get a general idea of how the exhibit hall would be laid out, indicated an area that I thought would be an 'Artists Alley', although it was not called that. However it turned out to be a 'hodge-podge' of artists intermixed with TV & Film 'celebrities' ala a Wizard World convention. Plus at least one row of 'models' with Playboy and other such credits.   The intermixing of all of this was NOT conducive to bring younger children into.   Too much semi-nudity, and I am NOT a prude, as you can tell by my review blogs on comics / graphic novels / books.   Not a good mix at all.  Something that Wizard World learned a while back not to do, as well as the Comic-Con International in San Diego.  Keep these areas separate!

Exhibitors: The way the floor design was set up... It was tough to know where you were without a map.   And with the promoters running out of maps & with no program books... Well, it wasn't until Sunday that I saw pillars (columns) with maps taped to them for some guidance.  The mix of exhibitors was interesting... but not cast into sections. I found even some 'TV / Film celebrities' in areas that were not conducive for signings. However, I know of at least one comics publisher who had made back their total booth & transportation costs the first day of this con, so they were happy!

Other Activities:  With everything but one panel room in the exhibit hall, the other activities were limited, UNLESS you left the area to go elsewhere in LA for 'parties', which we did not do.  We had other business at night to attend to during this trip.

Additional Comments:   I want to point out here that the above, and what I am about to point out here is meant as constructive criticism.  After attending comic, sci-fi, anime, and other pop culture conventions since 1972, I like to see even more avenues for 'mainstream' people to find out about the niches that this con and others are attempting to bring new people into!  However, if a promoter uses the word 'Comi(c)' in their name, be sure to have a stand alone section for that.  Not like a 'comic ghetto for comic book dealers' that the Comic-Con International now has in that expansive San Diego Comic Center, but at least somewhere that the undressed models aren't a part of, to have families want to attend the upcoming years.

For a first time con, both Tina and I were pleased to see that the promoters of ComiKaze were able to deliver attendees on Saturday!   AND for you vendors, we saw many going through boxes of items for sale, AND walking away with purchases!   For a vendor thinking whether or not to set up at ComiKaze next year... This would be good news!   Sunday was a little lighter in purchases from what we could see, but exhibitors that I personally know, (publishers & comics dealers) said that the weekend was a sales success for them.   I won't go into the exhibitors at the 'Artists Alley' area, as several still don't get the idea of how to sell their publications or their artwork... I see that at every show.

The attendees that have been posting that they were 'underwhelmed' by this ComiKaze Expo, are basically stating that the promoters were over promising and under delivering what was being told about this convention.  

I don't see it that way. I see it as trying to be too much of a 'pop culture con', with too much inclusion and not enough specializing in any one or three niches and doing those very well. Yes, there was something for everyone... But not enough of it. Except that the price was right, at $12 for a day. Others have said 'you get what you pay for', but I'm not going to be unkind about that. I found it to be more than what I thought it would be in the numbers of attendees, and I believe the promoters found that to be the same as well, as they weren't prepared on Saturday morning to handle the crowds of those wanting to get in.

A first con is always a learning experience, both for attendees, exhibitors, and promoters. Those that attended had a 'pop culture con' in the Downtown Los Angeles area, which hasn't happened for a few years.  The promoters should take a closer look at the layout of other cons that are using their facilities well for a guideline, such as the previous weekend's Long Beach Comic Con.  That exhibit hall's layout, and the adjoining panel rooms was executed very well for example.  Along with their program book with maps, panels, guests, etc. For a convention that is only 3 years old... They are hitting on all 8 cylinders this year. 

I wish the promoters well, and hope they get the 'messages' of what are being told to them, both in person and online. I look forward to seeing the 2012 ComiKaze Expo, and will be glad to mention it on my Facebook Fan Page, as well as pre-blog about it here.

My thanks again to Regina Carpinelli, Fabiano Carpinelli, and a big hello to Gino Fabinelli who I saw briefly at the Expo!  He was very pleased with what his children had been able to put on for a first time con.  He has every reason to be pleased as far as I am concerned.   It was a good first time effort to put something of this size together. I am hoping to say even better things after the 2012 ComiKaze Expo!

~Michael D Hamersky On Comics!


NOTE FROM THE BLOGGER:

My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,541 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!  We currently have over 2,607 'Followers'!  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!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

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 can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer. Every effort has been made for this blog post to show properly on your computer, but the different standards that the browsers serve this blog up in have minor tweaks that could need to be adjusted to...

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! 
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Posted by makeitsomarketing at 5:21 AM PST
Updated: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 8:15 AM PST
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Friday, November 4, 2011
The Best Things In Life Are Free...

                                        

Michael D Hamersky And Tina LoSasso Say Goodbye To...

Clouds 'Baby Girl' LoSasso Hamersky

Our Family Member Since 2002

The Best Things In Life Are Free...

Click Here to see ABOUT THE SELLER in our eBay Store!

Click Here to add This ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com to Your list of NetworkedBlogs!

  

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Top Photo left column:  Clouds' favorite comic book cover!  (And one that would always remind us of him when we found this in dealer boxes at comic cons.  We always ended up buying this issue, (Strange Adventures #244 from Oct / Nov 1973 - the last issue in the series), because it reminded us of our little one that we would have to leave behind while on trips or at comic cons.)
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Photo at top of this column:  Our first 'family' Christmas photo card, back from 2002... With Clouds (at the right) and Rain (at the left). 
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Bottom photo this column:  Clouds, at an early age when he first arrived at our and his new home!  You can see why we named him 'Clouds'!
  

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3540 - The Best Things In Life Are Free:

Tina and I just said our final goodbye to a beloved family member, Clouds 'Baby Girl' LoSasso Hamersky.

He was a good friend and companion to both of us, and loved people. Clouds would welcome guests to our home by landing on their shoulders and talking with them.

Clouds had been lingering with an undetermined illness for several days, and despite the best efforts of the Animal & Bird Hospital in Del Mar, including a shot that he did not like at all - passed away early this morning, at home. Like a good Mommy Bird and Daddy Bird, Tina and I made sure he took his medicine, and took turns holding him which was his best comfort in what turned out to be his final week with us.

The top photo shows all us in our first Christmas together as a family - including Clouds' buddy, Rain, who passed away last year. Tina is holding Clouds.

My family has had parakeets for as long as I can remember.  Over 15 of them over the years. Clouds was Tina's first ever bird.

How he came to live with us is a story in itself.  My kids and Tina were thinking about a special birthday gift for my 50th birthday. I said if there was anything I'd love to have for my birthday, it would be a beagle. However, both Tina and I knew that our townhouse was too small with a next to nothing back yard for any size dog. But we thought we'd just go to the pet store at Carlsbad Mall to look at them.

While Tina kept walking into the store to see the beagles, I was stopped in my tracks by the parakeet display just outside the entrance. I quickly fixed on one little blue and white bird that seemed really smart. By the time Tina turned back and found me, I was sold. When the store clerk told us that the birds were free with purchase of a bird cage, I figured it was a sign. Needless to say, we left the pet store with that white and blue parakeet in hand.

Since then, Clouds so named because he resembled the Microsoft clouds on our computers, turned out to be the smartest parakeet that I or my folks had ever had! He even liked comic books. I've posted the cover of Clouds' favorite comic book which pretty much sums up our relationship because clearly he owned us!

Clouds was to the amazement of all who knew 'him', (yeah he turned out to be a boy after all!), a great talker. He had the largest vocabulary of any parakeet I ever knew!

He was like the dog that I'd wanted. He flew to me when I called his name. He'd come when I whistled; he'd even whistle back. He Was always asking for food when I hit the refrigerator. "Soda, soda," he'd beg or, "cookie, cookie" when I opened the cupboard.

Alas, he never said to me what he said to Tina:"I love you mommy mommy"... But he loved me and I could not help but love him back.  You can see how much fun we had together in the video at the end of this post!

With tears welling up again, (we just finished burying him), I want to stop now, and get this ready for posting.

Clouds, you will be remembered... The smartest parakeet I ever knew.

Love,

Daddy Bird


I'd always been a dog person, but Clouds won me over pretty quickly. He was so adorable and cute, said the funniest things and clearly preferred to be with me or Michael (mostly me!) more than anything else he could be doing.

Clouds joined our family when Michael and I were still newlyweds so he quickly learned to make kissing noises. But, not only the sound, he'd zero in on me with a long squeeking kiss that ended in a big smack on my check. How could I not fall in love with a little cutie who hung out on my shoulder all day saying things like, "I love you mommy mommy" and "Hi, Cutie!" And he always managed a great big wolf whistle whenever I was in the shower.

My daily routine will be boring without him to help me brush my teeth, put on my makeup, share my bowl of cereal, or brew my morning latte. I'll miss his sitting on my laptop in the afternoon or watching tv with me in the evening. (He was a big American Idol fan, X-Factor not so much.)

As the Mommy Bird, I was Clouds' protector. I made sure he had a clean house, food, and fresh water.
I always made sure he couldn't get hurt on anything and that all the doors and windows were closed. I even scared away a hawk who was sitting on our deck trying to figure out how to get in for his 'snack'. I hand fed Clouds lettuce and grapes, apples and pears. While Michael fed him things like soda, iced tea, cookies and - his favorite - cheese!
 So, if Clouds were startled he always flew right to me. You should have seen him during an earthquake! That was some fast flying.

While Clouds and I were very close, he always had fun with his Daddy. Many times, they got up to trouble, like the time Clouds got butterscoth pudding all over him; or, as you can see in this video  driving down to Michael's folks to leave Clouds for his summer vacation while we were at Comic-Con. So naughty! So cute!

Good night, my sweet bird! - Mommy Bird


NOTE FROM THE BLOGGER:

My thanks gain to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,540 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!  We currently have over 2,601 'Followers'!  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!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

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 can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up 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! 
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Posted by makeitsomarketing at 9:50 AM PDT
Updated: Friday, November 4, 2011 11:32 AM PDT
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
My Take On: Comic Book Junkie #1 From Hypno Comics
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Comic Books - New

                                        

Comic Book Junkie #1

Published by Hypno Comics!

Click Here to see ABOUT THE SELLER in our eBay Store!

Click Here to add This ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com to Your list of NetworkedBlogs!

  

 THE ITEMS ENDING SOONEST as seen at my online comic book shop! 

Top Photo left column: The Front Cover to Comic Book Junkie #1!

Photo at top of this column:  At the Hypno Comics Table at the 2011 Long Beach Comic & Horror Con, (L-R) George Chase, Lance Sawyer!
  

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3539:

This past weekend Tina and I attended the 3rd Annual Long Beach Comic & Horror Con in Long Beach, California.

While walking through the vast Artists Alley of the exhibit floor at this con, we both came up to the Comic Book Junkie / Hyno Comics table. I recognized the signage from the wall posts on the LBC&HC's Facebook wall, that George Chase had been posting on.

I said hello to both George Chase, (creator & writer), and Lance Sawyer (cover & interior art) and proceeded to check out issue #1 of their new title 'Comic Book Junkie' issue #1.  I had mentioned previously on George's work at this blog and at my own Facebook fan page as seen here.  Same with Lance, as seen here.

So what's this comic book about?  Here's what the publisher has as a promo:

"If you are looking for Superheroes, yeah we got 'em, but they're going to cost you.  I'm going to let you in on a secret. A dark, violent, and humourous secret.

A secret about being a comic book dealer back in the 1990s.  You're about to get a glimpse behind the curtain through the drug glazed eyes of people who made their livings selling you books about men in tights.

It was the 90's and it was good to be a comic book dealer.

This was a time of the variant cover, speculative buyers, and suckers. The comic companies were turning out crap that fanboys were more than happy to spend their hard earned cash on and there were dealers like us woh cashed in on it."

So... What's 'My Take' on this comic book?

First up was the front cover.  From the first glance at this cover, you know it is going to be 'hard hitting'.   The 'warning' label at the bottom right of the cover confirms that.  The use of the black / grey / white / red colors on the cover are striking.  Good first impression!

Inside front cover - Good introduction with credits immediately shown.  I had picked up the regular cover by Lance Sawyer.  There is also a 'variant cover' by Ryan Kincaid.

Splash page -  This does make a 'splash' going into it.  Hard hitting and with the title of the story being:  "Bitch Betta Have My Comics!", the warning label on the front cover is justified right off the bat.

Interior pages - This is a 20 page black & white interior pages comic book. The storyline is set at a good pace and the artwork totally blends in with the story. This is a 'continued series', but the first chapter wraps up nicely.  There are a few curse words used in the dialogue as the story unfolds.

The inside back cover is a preview of what is to come in the future... With a photo of George and Lance with their thanks to those that have already supported the effort on getting this series off the ground.

The back cover is a collage of ads which is fine.

I found this first issue a good intro to the series, and the set up for the next issue, "Going To The Show", a logical step in telling the story arc. Where it is going from there... I don't know?!

The last time I personally had set up as comic book dealer was in the boom years of the early to mid 1990's, (well... until this past August at the So Cal Comic Con, 20 years later!), but I don't remember having this much 'fun'! Of course, I was married then, and the comic book setup at cons was a part-time gig for me!

I'm looking forward to seeing where George & Lance take us on this series!

My comic book grade for this first issue is a VERY FINE / NEAR MINT (VF/NM) 9.0 out of a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale. I do want to emphasize the 'Warning' label at the bottom right of the front cover.  'Parental Advisory Explicit Content.  It says what it means, folks!  No young children!

For those of you on Facebook... You can find more info, and 'Like' the Fan Page at:  Comic Book Junkie #1, to interact with the comic book creators and other fans.

You can find this comic book online for purchase at this link:  Hypno Comics

My thanks to George Chase and Lance Sawyer  for bringing this comic book series to my attention!

BTW, if YOU are in the Los Angeles Metro Area THIS upcoming weekend...November 5th & 6th... Hypno Comics / Comic Book Junkie will have a booth at the upcoming ComiKaze Expo, which I have blogged about at this link!

     

~Michael D Hamersky On Comics!


NOTE FROM THE BLOGGER:

My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now at 3,539 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!  We currently have over 2,599 'Followers'!  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!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky

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 can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safari, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up 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! 
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Posted by makeitsomarketing at 12:01 AM PDT
Updated: Thursday, November 3, 2011 7:56 AM PDT
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