Doktor Andy's Mutterings

Sketchbook Page - Joey Weiser

2011-02-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

I am REALLY late posting this one. A few months back Joey Weiser was running a deal on his website for a free sketch if you purchased $10 of merch from his store. Months earlier I'd considered picking up a copy of Tales of Unusual Circumstance, so I knew what to get! Joey has a very nice style and Tales of Unusual Circumstance has some great short stories in it. I sent him a link for this blog and told him he could draw anyone he wanted. He chose to draw his original creation Mermin. It's super cute!

Thanks, Joey! I've been keeping an eye out lately for kids comics for when Xavier is old enough to read. Joey's stuff is on the top of my list!

What's up with you? I've been hella busy.

2010-11-26T18:00:00.030-05:00

How's it going? I know, I know. You're wondering where I've been, what I've been doing. "Where's my Iron Man Versus?!" Well, I'm moving on.

It's sad, I know.

Well, it's not really sad. I don't really care. Hence the reason I'm moving on.

Yup, got pretty tired of the old blogaloging after two... three... shit it's been a long time. I needed a change of pace. I've been putting all my free time into two things lately: reading comics and drawing comics (well, drawing mostly comics and some other random stuff). As I'm sure you all already know I have a webcomic. Awesome Adventures! Comics, please check it out, tell your friends, etc. Apart from the monthly comic I post weekly sketches every Friday, partly to keep the site active. My skill has been improving over the last few months and I think I'm starting to evolve a style, which is very exciting. There are FaceBook and Twitter feed links over on the site so you can easily keep up to date.

Anyway, I'm writing this post mainly to tell you about something new I'm doing. I'm one-third of a podcast hosted by my local comic shop Captain Blue Hen Comics. You can check out the premier (and all future episodes) of From The Booth on their site. Shows are short (about 30 minutes) and updated weekly. I'll continue to be a part of the show as long as I'm having fun. Now rather than not read what I have to say about comics you can not listen to it! There are plans to put the show on iTunes after we hit a stride.

Who knows, I may return to the Mutterings at some point in the future, but right now I'm having too much fun drawing to be bothered with it.

There is one comic book blog I still read regularly. I highly recommend Living Between Wednesdays for all your comic blog needs! They have sponsors, and content! Good content!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have this stack of ROM comics sitting next to me and their Awesomeness beckons.

The Random Dredd: Part 14

2010-11-03T18:00:00.003-04:00

What could possibly pull me out of my pseudo-retirement to post another Random Dredd segment?! When I read this jem from The Judge Dredd Megazine #302 (Oct 2010) today, I just HAD to share it with you.

Judge Dredd is after a perp when he comes across his former robot comic relief (who has a lisp) and his incredibly old--and now deaf as a door--former cleaning lady.

I shit you not, I laughed for about five minutes just reading this over and over. I still can't read it without laughing.

Sketchbook Page - PJ Holden

2010-10-26T18:00:00.045-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

My favorite comic book artist to follow on Twitter is PJ Holden. He's a UK artist that has done lots of stuff in comics over there and a few US books as well (most prominently Battlefields: Happy Valley written by Garth Ennis). There are two things about PJ's art that grab me: he has a style that I dig, and he does beautiful black & white (inked) art.

Anyway, PJ announced on Twitter that he would be attending New York Comic Con this year and although I couldn't make it, my bestest friend Talia was going! I asked her to get me a Judge Dredd sketch from PJ for my themed collection and he gave her this awesome pencil sketch for free while he was sketching at the 2000AD booth! It's zarjaz!!!

Yes, that's Judge Dredd jumping over a candlestick. You wish you owned this sketch. Everything about this sketch is Awesome.

I played with the scanner levels a little to get the pencils to show up better, so this doesn't look as nice as the original (you can see less of the guide lines on the actual sketch). I was thinking I'd try printing this blueline sometime and ink it up myself. I think that'd be fun! If I do I'll post the finished product here on the site.

Thanks PJ, I wish I could have made it to NY to meet you. Thanks Talia for picking this up for me!

Don't forget to check out PJ's blog!

Sketchbook Page - TL Collins

2010-09-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

This is the last in a series of sketches I picked up at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con. TL Collins was in Artist Alley promoting a few webcomics he works on, mainly The SuperFogeys and Bullfinch. I was first attracted to his table because he had some original art pages from SuperFogeys: Origins on display and they looked really interesting. I really liked his art style so I requested a sketch. He was doing color sketches for a great price, so I got what I imagine will be the only color sketch I'll be able to afford for some time!

Since I showed so much interest in his SuperFogeys art, TL choose to do a character from the series. Keep in mind that I had never read any of the strips at that point, but I love this piece! I've shown it to a bunch of people and they've all laughed immediately. TL has a great sense of comedy.

That being said, let me tell you about Bullfinch. Bullfinch is TL's webcomic about supernatural beings in Vermont. When I told him I was from Vermont he laughed with this "oh shit" kind of "That's soooo weird..." I guess he thought I might get offended or something, but I have to tell you that growing up in Vermont I can testify that the comic is a fairly accurate portrayal of the place. ESPECIALLY the first comic, which is one of my favorite things EVER. I'm currently working my way through Bullfinch from the beginning.

Thanks for the awesome sketch, TL! I hope to see you at Baltimore next year so I can get a Bullfinch sketch for the collection!

Spice of the Gods

2010-09-22T12:00:00.001-04:00

Sketchbook Page - Tim Dzon

2010-09-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

This is another in a set of sketches I picked up at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con. I met Tim Dzon is Artist Alley and requested a sketch from him. I was on a really tight budget this year and he was willing to work with me to do a quick sketch in my book, which I greatly appreciate!

He did a takeoff on the old "Superman jumping over a tall building" routine, but with Old Shell-Head instead. The inking on the classic Iron Man armor is fantastic, of course Tim used to ink the War Machine series, so I shouldn't be surprised!

Thanks for the great sketch, Tim! You can check out his deviantArt page here.

Variant Covers are Racist.

2010-09-17T15:10:00.000-04:00

Hey, its true. Variant covers are only okay if they're 50/50 variants: two different covers, neither is actually more rare or worth more than the other. Even then it doesn't make a lot of sense. You couldn't commit to just one cover, publisher?

Seriously, this is a disease. If you want something by that artist, get a sketch or commission. It will mean more to you and give them more money than this crap does.

Now you know.

And knowing is half the battle.

Awesome Adventures! Comics is here!

2010-09-16T12:00:00.038-04:00

If you haven't heard, I teamed up with my good friend Charlie to create a new webcomic. You see, I've been learning to draw recently and I thought this would be a fun way to keep me drawing. We are both having a lot of fun and it's nice to be creating something new.

I hope that all of you will go and check out Awesome Adventures! Comics and leave a comment or comments on the site. There will be a new 1-5 page complete graphic story updated (roughly) monthly, so it certainly isn't a heavy reading burden! I look forward to seeing how my art skill will improve over time.

This brings me to the part of this post that (I hope) at least some of you might be disappointed in. With the webcomic, and life in general, putting more constraints on my time I'll be drastically cutting back the work I do on The Mutterings. Working on the blog is starting to almost feel like a chore, and since this is just a hobby of mine that means it's time to take a step back. I'll still post from time to time, but nowhere near as often. I still have a bunch of Iron Man Versus segments squirreled away, and I'll put those up as I feel like it. Next week I'll be posting the last of my sketchbook pictures from Baltimore Comic-Con, then I probably won't post much of anything for a few weeks. I still plan on doing monthly trade paperback reviews over at Nerdgasm. I seem to be having a hard time getting into the swing of it though.

I just want to say thanks to everyone that read the blog regularly! Keep it in your RSS feeds or on FaceBook so you'll still get updates of when new stuff posts here. And please go check out Charlie and my webcomic!

Sketchbook Page - Scott Derby

2010-09-14T12:00:00.035-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

This is another in a set of sketches I picked up at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con. While walking around Artist Alley at the Con I came across Scott Derby's table. Scott was selling these neat 3x5 inch print cards that featured cartoony versions of movie and comic book characters, as well as these awesome stylized classic movie posters. One of the print cards was of Shaun from Shaun of the Dead. I then noticed that he had a sign up for $10 sketches. I told him his Shaun was awesome and inquired about getting a sketch. I explained the sketchbook theme and broke one of my rules: I specifically requested Shaun. Scott seemed really excited to do the sketch and asked for an hour. What I saw when I got back blew me away.

I'm going to just come out and say it: this is my favorite. Out of all the sketches I've gotten, this one is my favorite based on it's sheer Awesomeness. And yes, I ended up getting one of the Shaun print cards too. Thank you so much for this awesome sketch, Scott! I hope to see you at Baltimore next year to get another sketch!

Check out Scott Derby's site at http://scottderby.blogspot.com/

Sketchbook Commission - Tyler James

2010-09-09T12:00:00.036-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

This is the first of a couple sketches I picked up at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con. A friend of mine found out that Tyler James was offering a deal through his website that the first fifty people that contacted him before the convention would get a free sketch card (the size of a baseball card) of a character of their choosing. He would also do a full character sketch on 7x10.5 inch board for $10. Well, I thought this was a real nice deal, and poking around his site I saw that he has a nice style, so I emailed him. For the free sketch card I requested ROM and am quite pleased with it.

I think I'm going to hang this on the front of my ROM shortbox. It's all like "WOAH! There's Spaceknights all up in this box! Watch yourself, human!"

For the commissioned sketch I asked him to do Hawkeye because I've been wanting to get a Hawkeye sketch and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I explained the concept of my sketchbook and sent him the site address and left the details up to him, like I always do. The result is so cool, unexpected, and characteristically Hawkeye that I immediately fell in love with it!

As Tyler explained to me, "It's Hawkeye jumping out of someone else's car that he just drove off a cliff." That is definitely something Hawkeye would do! This baby's going up on my wall. This is EXACTLY the type of action shot I was hoping for when I came up with the idea for this sketchbook! I love all the stuff I've gotten, but I feel like this really hits the full "action" potential of the collection. So thanks for the awesome sketch card and commission, Tyler!

You can all see Tyler's website and check out his projects over at TylerJamesComics.com

Sketchbook Page - Chrissie Zullo

2010-09-07T12:00:00.003-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

My local comic book shop of choice, Captain Blue Hen Comics, was doing some pregaming for Baltimore Comic-Con. The night before the con they had one of the convention guests, Chrissie Zullo, at the shop doing free sketches and selling prints. Along with the bellow sketch I got a print of a smoking hot redheaded Medusa. Awesome.

Not only is Chrissie the cover artist for Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, but she is also a really classy lady and is super nice. I explained the concept of my sketchbook and she was all over it. She took a minute to think of something that would be funny before deciding "I'll do Bufkin. He has wings so he doesn't have to jump, so it's funny." I think Frankenstein's head is a real nice touch. I really dig this one!

Comic book shop heroine extraordinaire Kita got this shot of us for the CBH website. Thanks, Kita!

Despite the "deer in the headlights" expression, Xavier had a lot of fun climbing on the diner seats while Chrissie sketched Bufkin for me.

Thanks for the awesome sketch, Chrissie! You should all check out her deviantArt page!

Awesome August CONTEST WINNER(S)!!!

2010-09-02T12:00:00.009-04:00

That's right, this contest kicked into AWESOME!

Awesome August Contest Entry #4

2010-09-01T12:00:00.002-04:00

Alex sent these snaps from her iPhone to me via the Twitters. Her awesome fiance recently got her Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. the Ultimate Collection (2010) as a present. I've never read it, but it looks pretty awesome from here! Alex is still pretty new to comics, but she's on the right track here.

Yup, that's Warren Ellis dialog alright! Hey, you know what else has Warren Ellis dialog? The prize for winning this very contest! You have until midnight tonight to enter! (You actually have until I check my email tomorrow morning, because I'm not that big of a douche.)

Iron Man Versus, Part 66

2010-08-31T12:00:00.028-04:00

Welcome back for yet another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where Old Shell-Head lampoons loonies! Today's very special segment comes from Iron Man v1 #217 (1987). It's a little something I like to call Iron Man vs. Clark W. Griswold!

Yeah, I'm pretty proud of this find.

Awesome August Contest Entry #3

2010-08-27T12:00:00.007-04:00

This entry comes from my best friend Talia, who I'm pretty sure submitted something because she felt bad that I only had two entries to my contest... HINT. Anyway, here it is!

This is from I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space, issue 1 (2006?). It was originally a web comic, but I bought all of the issues when they were released in print. This is one of the first series that I subscribed to. This particular panel exemplifies why I became interested in comics. I didn't start reading them until a few years ago, mostly because I thought they were all superhero spooge. I am not interested in the Marvel universe, the DC universe, or zombie spin-offs of characters whose story lines have already been beaten to death and reanimated multiple times. Lesbian Pirates does not have fancy art, or a perfectly well-thought out storyline, but it is completely original and entertaining, and what do you really need besides that?

-Talia

And people think there isn't a comic book out there for them!

If you want to win a sweet set of comic trade paperbacks there's still time to enter the contest!

Reason #1457 Why Judge Dredd is Awesome: Gays

2010-08-26T12:00:00.004-04:00

The title got your attention, didn't it?

Allow me to explain.

Judge Dredd takes place about 100+ years from now. One of the ways that medical science has advanced in that time is that men can now bear children. This means that gay male couples can have biological children (cloning and genetic engineering are also well established in the Dredd Universe).

What is awesome is the way they portray gays in the comic: like normal people. Especially gay men. From what I've read they don't tend to portray them as flaming. In fact, given that the stories often center on lawbreakers, gay men are often portrayed as tough gang members. This is completely contrary to how gay men are portrayed in basically any genre in the USA.

I just find it refreshing.

Above panels from Judge Dredd Megazine #300 (2010).

Iron Man Versus, Part 65: Comic-Con Edition!

2010-08-24T12:00:00.054-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where Old Shell-Head does a dangerous dance of death with dorks! Today we have a very special edition in anticipation of Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend, as our spotlight Avenger goes up against an entirely new and different threat!

I hope you enjoy, from Iron Man v1 #72 (1975), a little adventure I like to call Iron Man vs. the 1974 San Diego ComicCon!

As a special bonus, this story takes place during the time that Iron Man had a nose!

Clearly, this story is a hilarious comedy of errors. Like all (bad) comedy of errors, it ends with the protagonist triumphant!

Noticeably absent from the above panel: Iron Man.

Look, I've read the whole comic and it really doesn't make any more sense than the parts I'm showing you. Just be glad I cut out the parts with the supervillains.

Spider-Man in a Tuxedo

2010-08-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

From Amazing Spider-Man #322 (1989).

I don't really have anything to add to this. I just think it's fucking weird.

Honestly, I'm torn. I can't decide if this is retarded or fucking awesome.

The Random Dredd: Part 13

2010-08-17T12:00:00.005-04:00

Today's Random Dredd comes from the early 1990's story "Reptaur", which was recently collected and bagged with The Judge Dredd Megazine #297 (May 2010). It contains bad-assery beyond approach.

In case you missed that, to prevent himself from falling to his possible death, Judge Dredd STABBED HIMSELF IN THE HAND to pin himself to the pipe he was holding onto! It made a satisfying "STABB!" sound too.

Bad-ass.

Awesome August Contest Entry #2

2010-08-16T12:00:00.034-04:00

Get read for a Hot Shot of Awesome ©™ care of my friend Sarah's submission to the Awesome August Contest!

Dear Doktor,

Please accept this submission for your Awesome August contest... for you cannot tell me that Axe Cop (written by a 6 year old) and Dr. McNinja are not two of the coolest web comics out there. Also, they are on a team. A TEAM!!!1! Can anything be cooler??? This is the best team-up since Nicola Tesla and Audi Murphey took on a nazi-controlled cybernetic Tyrannosaurus Rex. Ooooh...that would make a great comic....

~Sarah

That WOULD make a great comic! But we will just have to make due with the awesome we have, which truly is great.

There's still time to enter the contest! Do it now!

Iron Man: Political Commentator

2010-08-12T12:00:00.003-04:00

Iron Man has always been pretty conservative, so it's so wonder that in the late 1980s he went a little Rush Limbaugh.

All the superheroes are always talking about how bad the roads are, but they never do anything about it! Except, of course, blow them up.

From Iron Man v1 #251 (1989).

Hawkeye Sayz: The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles #1

2010-08-10T12:00:00.006-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkeye Sayz, where Mini-Hawkeye provides short, spoiler-free reviews of recent comics that he swipes from my read pile. Today he'll be reviewing the first issue of BOOM! Studios' The Calling: Cthulhu Chronicles.

Not that long ago, BOOM! Studios was publishing these amazing books inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos (which is largely in the public domain), the best being Fall of Cthulhu. Most of them were written by Michael Alan Nelson, an amazing horror writer and huge Lovecraft fan. When Fall of Cthulhu ended there was a dry spell while BOOM! pushed into the realm of children's comics with their Disney/Pixar licensing deals. While those titles are still selling well, they have finally returned to the dark depths of the abyss with a new Cthulhu book once again written by Michael Alan Nelson.

As soon as I found out there was a new Cthulhu book with Nelson writing I added it to my pull list. Yeah, I'm a fan. Understandably, I had high hopes for this book. Quite frankly, this one issue is so much better than just about any Fall of Cthulhu issue that it's ridiculous. Seriously, this is so good I actually exclaimed with glee at how scary it is. Twice. No joke. Ask my wife, she was there giving me frightened looks.

Enough from me, lets hear what Hawkeye Sayz!

Dude, I told you it was scary!

If you're a fan of Cthulhu/Lovecraft or horror comics in general, do yourself a solid favor and pick this book up!

Awesome August Contest Entry #1

2010-08-07T12:00:00.007-04:00

I'm very happy to present our first entry in the Awesome August Contest! This one comes from my good buddy Charlie and is SO AWESOME my internets almost exploded!

These are three pages (60-62) from the 2004 graphic novel Tales from the Bully Pulpit. To sum up, Teddy Roosevelt steals HG Wells' time machine, teams up with the ghost of Thomas Edison, and fights Adolf Hitler on Mars.

The attached pages are from the climax of the story, where Teddy brings one more reinforcement to the fray against Hitler's army.

By the way, this is the best piece of American literature ever.

-Charlie

HOLY SHIT!!!

Also, what is it about Mars that just makes things more awesome?

That's one week of the contest gone. Don't hesitate to submit something!

Dr Doom: Supervillain, Dictator, Art Critic

2010-08-05T12:00:00.022-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #249 (1989).

Say what you will about the man, but Dr Doom is a man of principle.

The Random Dredd: Part 12

2010-08-03T12:00:00.018-04:00

Justice Department has ordered that I interrupt this Random Dredd segment to bring you this important message from Judge Pals.

Ad from Judge Dredd Megazine v1 #4 (1991).

Awesome August CONTEST!!!

2010-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Detailed Rules:

1. Submit a scan, picture, or video of your favorite example of why comics are awesome. Use a digital camera if no scanner, as long as the panel is clear and visible.

2. Cite the source: series name, issue number (if appropriate), and year (if you know it).

3. Explain why you think your example is awesome! This can be by email or video on YouTube or other video site.

4. Submit pictures and explanations or video links to TheDok@DoktorAndy.com

5. All submissions must be in by 1 September 2010.

6. Submission can't have appeared on the Mutterings before!

7. Winner will be selected randomly and announced in early September and I will contact them by email.

8. Winner will receive both volumes of Warren Ellis' "Global Frequency" trade paperback FREE!

9. Winner must be able to supply a mailing address in the US or Canada due to international shipping costs (sorry!)

I can't wait to see the submissions! I'll post them to the site as I get them.

Have fun!

He's got wheels, and he knows how to use them!

2010-07-30T10:01:00.001-04:00

An old friend of mine Tweeted this to me today concerning his Happy Meal toy:

@doktorandy when did Ironman add wheels to his suit?

An excellent question, @Chaddah! The answer, which you probably were not expecting, is 1963!

Yup, that little slice of awesome appeared in Tales of Suspense #44, the sixth Iron Man comic book!

The Great and Powerful Bambi Arbogast!

2010-07-29T12:00:00.036-04:00

I recently came across this panel from Iron Man v1 #252 (1990), and it's just too ridiculous.

So I guess the intercom is not good enough for Mrs. Arbogast?

Once I captioned this I just couldn't stop...

Well, I think this has gone far enough...

Try for yourself. Email me your submission (TheDok@DoktorAndy.com) and I'll post it on the site! Literally tens of people will see it!

The Random Dredd, Part 11

2010-07-27T12:00:00.003-04:00

We learn in today's Random Dredd that Judge Dredd with straight up ruin your New Years party.

From 2000 AD Prog 45 (31 Dec 1977).

Sal Introduces Himself

2010-07-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

Go-Go-Gadget Get The Hell Out Of Here!

2010-07-12T12:00:00.003-04:00

I'm on vacation for the next two weeks, so don't expect anything from me other than drinking and chillin' until July 27. Yeah, don't all cry at once.

If you just marked your Google Calendars, you might have noticed that July 27 is a Tuesday. Right about now I bet you're asking yourself, "What the Hell?! Where did all this mayonnaise come from?!" Well I have no idea, but maybe you should clean your computer area. What you SHOULD be asking is why I'm not posting on Monday, but instead posting on Tuesday. Well I'll tell you if you'll stop bitching about the mayonnaise! I've been getting increasingly busy what with having a crawling poop factory... uh, I mean bundle of joy to take care of, so I'm switching to a Tuesday & Thursday post schedule effective July 27. This will give me more time to make the posts a higher quality, and hopefully get back to doing some of the longer form posts that I haven't had time for. I have lots of great ideas for the site, including a contest or two for you folks, and some new ongoing series. There is one in particular that I've been planning for some time involving everyone's favorite Spaceknight. More that that later...

What I'm going to try and do is have every Tuesday be when I post part of a series, like Iron Man Versus, Hawkeye Sayz or The Random Dredd (which I will be returning to after the break). Thursday will be regular (hopefully longer) posts. I'm sure I'll be posting random stuff here and there throughout the week, so be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed and/or fan on FaceBook.

Remember that I'm still doing TPB and Netflix reviews monthly over at Nerdgasm.

Don't forget to tell your friends about the site, and check out the FaceBook fan page. I post short stuff on there occasionally. I'd love to see the membership on the fan page hit 75. I'd probably piss myself, honestly. FAN THIS BLOG ON FACEBOOK IF YOU WANT ME TO PISS MYSELF!

So in the words of Abraham Lincoln, "Peace Out, Y'all!"

Above panel from Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Annual #1 (2008).

I just don't understand this panel.

2010-07-09T12:00:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry, I just don't understand this panel from Iron Man v1 #160 (1982).

I guess Tony is putting on the armor? But why is there a disembodied arm floating around? Is that a leg on the left? If so, what's wrong with the foot?

Ugh, forget it.

Iron Man Versus, Part 64

2010-07-07T12:00:00.006-04:00

Welcome to yet another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where I show you how Old Shell-Head, and his alter ego Tony Stark, engage the enemy emotions! Today we have a soap opera moment from Iron Man v1 #153 (1981) staring the always stunning Bethany Cabe.

For your consideration, Iron Man vs. Loneliness!

To be honest with you, I really like this sequence. It comes from a run of Iron Man that I love for the quality of the character writing and art. Well worth a read.

Until next time!

Those That Protect Us

2010-07-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

From Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. v1 #4 (1968).

FREEDOM!!!

2010-07-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

That must be some meal!

2010-07-02T12:00:00.007-04:00

Wow, a meal that takes two whole days to recover from! Man, that must have been some dessert!

From Iron Man v1 #225 (1987).

Borderline Legal

2010-06-30T12:00:00.003-04:00

Being friends with Tony Stark has it's advantages, but more often than not it seems like it's just a pain in the ass. For instance, when he asks you for a favor, RUN.

It really is amazing how many times in the 1980's Tony said "I want to believe in the Law, but..." then broke through a Senator's window, or invaded a country, or punched Federal prison guards. You get the idea.

From Iron Man v1 #225 (1987).

Shrink Down and Get Inside That Woman! It's the Only Way!

2010-06-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

Avengers v3 #71 (2003) is pretty gross.

Sweet Zombie Jesus, I hope that's sweat on Hank Pym's body...

That level of trash is pretty much maintained throughout the issue. Then this great (ie. vomit inducing) scene happens.

I would like to point out that Whirlwind is standing on top of a building. As a result of Hank Pym's poor decisions, all children and 67.8% of the adults in the top three floors of said building have been irreparably traumatized. Seriously, none of them could ever look at Snuffleupagus again without entering a catatonic state!

"Earth's Mightiest" indeed!

Some Simon Pegg

2010-06-25T12:00:00.002-04:00

For those that don't know, I make these blog posts up about a week in advance and schedule them all Saturday while my son takes a nap. This means I have to have them all written up by Friday night. Well, it's getting late on Friday and I've had a hell of a week at work, so I'm going to cop out a little on this one. I didn't want to leave you high and dry though, so here is one of my favorite comedians, Simon Pegg, in some videos you've probably never seen that made me laugh.

Enjoy!

Iron Man: Airplane Mechanic

2010-06-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

One of the advantages of being a millionaire industrialist genius inventor with a flying suit of cybernetic armor is that you don't have to wait for your plane to be on the ground in order to perform repairs.

Of course, one might wonder why you would need a plane in the first place, but they probably aren't millionaire industrialist genius inventors with flying suits of cybernetic armor, so screw them.

From Iron Man v1 #239 (1989).

The part of my brain that processes irony just EXPLODED.

2010-06-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you find something in an old comic book that, because of the passage of time, is so awesome that it blows your mind. I experienced that last week when the part of my brain that processes irony exploded all over Iron Man v1 #244 (1989).

Yes, that's right. I found an Iron Man comic book that insults Robert Downey Jr's acting!

I'll accept my award for greatest comic book find of the decade now.

Awkward Praise for Secret Warriors #15

2010-06-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

Well congratulations, Jonathan Hickman and Stefano Caselli. I've never been more turned on and simultaneously disgusted by a comic book portrayal of a woman.

Joking aside, Jonathan Hickman is one of my favorite writers and artists (he is mindblowingly awesome at both). Stefano Caselli is my all time favorite comic book artist. He's the first artist that really made me say "Damn, this art is amazing" while I was reading a comic book. When I feel I have some cash to blow I hope to get a Caselli commission. As you can see from the above he is an amazing artist, but where he really shines is facial expressions. Absolutely outstanding.

If you're not reading Secret Warriors you should consider picking it up. It really is great, especially after Bendis left the book... although it appears Caselli is no longer on art duties. It's still solid writing though.

What may be the most Awesome ROM Pin-up EVER.

2010-06-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

I've recently become addicted to deviantART. Don't misinterpret, I have basically zero illustrating talent, I'm there purely to enjoy the awesome art that people put out. During one of my periodic searches I came across this MINDBLOWINGLY AWESOME piece of ROM art!

It was done by Andrew Griffith, aka glovestudios on deviantART. One of the great things about the deviantART community is that most people don't watermark their stuff or inhibit your ability to download their artwork (there's actually a "download" button). I'm currently using this bad boy as the wallpaper on my Droid phone, and it is beautiful.

So check out deviantART, you'll be amazed at what you can find!

Iron Man Versus, Part 63

2010-06-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to yet another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where I show you how Old Shell-Head fences with the foe of fame! Today we have, care of Iron Man v1 #103 (1977),

Iron Man vs. Admiring Airline Passengers!

Until next time, keep those tray tables up!

For Fans of Iron Man 2

2010-06-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

Does this page from Iron Man v1 #238 (1989) look at all familiar?

I bet you didn't know...

2010-06-11T12:00:00.003-04:00

... that Nightcrawler is a B.A.M.F.!

And the ladies love him!

Above panels from Nightcrawler #4 (1986).

Hawkeye Sayz: Nightcrawler #1

2010-06-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkeye Sayz, where Mini-Hawkeye provides short, spoiler-free reviews of recent comics that he swipes from my read pile. Today he'll be reviewing the first of a four part miniseries, Nightcrawler #1.

Wait a minute! Hawkeye, this comic was published in 1985! You can't review this!

Well yeah, I recently picked up the whole series from my comic shop's back issue bin, but it's not "recent". You see where it says "recent" in the description?!

I don't care! The point of this segment is to review NEW books! I write snarky shit about old comics all the time! This site is full of that crap! Your job is to write reviews for new comics. For shit sake, I can't even get you to write more than a sentence usually, and now you want to start reviewing old books?! No way!

...

Fine. Just this one time. This had better be good!

Yeah, fine. Go ahead.

... that's it?

Now you're just screwing with me.

NO YOU WON'T!!!

Comic Box Craft Project

2010-06-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

Note: This post contains the willful mutilation of comic books, which may offend sensitive readers.

A while back I got a "comic brick" from my shop as a present. It's kind of a grab bag of comics, all no older than 2006. There were quite a few in there that I liked, but it did include some duplicates and some that I'm not interested in reading. I left them in a big pile on top of one of my longboxes until I could figure out what to do with them when it occurred to me: I could cut them up and plaster them across said boxes!

With the help of my much-craftier-than-I wife, I set to the task. This post constitutes a bit of a how to, along with some things I learned from making the prototype if you would care to try it yourself.

This is the glue/finishing coat stuff. It looks like white glue and dries amazingly clear. Along with this I got three foam craft brushes of different sizes. These items are available at any craft store or (undoubtedly) on the internet.

I applied the glue to the center and corners of full comic pages and overlapped them at different angles, as you can see below. Make sure you get any creases out, that's really important. The picture below is the cover of the box.

Dealing with the "triple point" corner is a problem I wasn't able to fully work out. Having three sides come together and having to fold the page doesn't really work, so I tended to band individual panels around the edges. Not ideal, really. If you can think of a better way I'd love to hear it.

This is the box itself after I was well along. The box is obviously easier than the cover.

You can see I tested having a page fold all the way over into the box. I realized right after I did this that the cover actually falls a considerable distance down the box, so you don't have to get anywhere near the top.

Once the pages were all attached I applied a surface coat of the glue using a small brush, then smoothing it out before it dried using a larger dry brush. I found this gave the best results for getting an even and smooth coat. I applied two surface coats, but more should probably be done.

Here is a finished shot of the cover.

Which leads to the final finished product.

You can see the problem that the box top corners pose. In the closest corner the naked box is clearly visible, and on the left you can see the top of the panel cutout sticking up, waiting to be torn.

You might also notice that I did not cut holes for the handles. Given the small openings I didn't want to deal with folding panels into the holes. Conceivably I could just cut a hole now and not worry about the potential ripping, but I wanted to see what it was like without handles. The answer: really hard to lift. Then again, the whole thing makes this crackling noise when you move it. So in the end you probably don't want to do this to your whole collection, but maybe just a few shortboxes that you want out on display because A) they contain your read pile or B) they are a themed box of your favorite comics. I have some duplicate ROM comics that I was going to use to make a ROM shortbox, since the entire ROM series plus tie-ins will easily fit in a shortbox.

Things I learned:

Using primarily whole pages is not ideal. You run into a lot of problems doing folds at corners. I think the best procedure (and the one I'll use in the future) would be to use pages to cover massive areas but then paste individual panels over most of the box. I'm concerned that this might give a very cluttered look, but the only way to know for sure is to try.

Applying glue only to the corners and the center of the page is a bad idea. As I added more layers I found that some earlier layers would wrinkle. Or when the box shifted it would cause a wrinkle. I think the best bet is to plaster the entire pack of the page with glue. This is what I did with individual panels and they came out much better.

Selecting pages and panels isn't as easy as you'd think. You want stuff that really pops and is interesting visually outside the context of the comic. You also have to pick something that you're going to want to look at for a while. This is actually a very fun part of the process.

I was concerned that the "new" glossy comic paper might not take the glue well. Turns out that isn't a problem at all.

An unanswered question that requires testing is how older comics will respond to this process. As I said, I want to make a ROM box. All the above comics were printed on glossy paper. I'm not sure how the old newsprint style comics will respond to this much glue. Mainly I'm concerned about bleeding colors. I'm optimistic though.

This project also strikes me as something that a kid would love to do. Raid the quarter bin at your shop (or convention) and give it a go! I used pages from four or five different comics to make this box. It would also be really easy to make a themed box, using (say) Spider-Man comics. I intentionally used a little of everything on this box to make it generic.

Let me know what you think in the comments, and feel free to ask any questions. I've never written a craft how to before, so I'm not sure if it's entirely clear. Of course, if you make your own I'd love to see pictures! Email them to me and I'll post them on the site if you'd like!

For the complete gallery of the project, click here.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1

2010-06-06T11:36:00.000-04:00

If you happened to pick up the amazingly awesome Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 this past week, and you happened to read the letters column in the back, you probably spotted the following.

Yup, that's me!

I asked Mini Hawkeye to do a review, but it amounted to 45 minutes of him screaming in joy to be the star of such an excellent ongoing series. Most of it wasn't even coherent. I did gather he especially liked the "Pym particle" part.

The Many Innuendos of... James Rhodes?

2010-06-04T12:00:00.001-04:00

For a while now I've been cataloging the many innuendos of Tony Stark, but it looks like all those innuendos are starting to rub off on Tony's best friend, James Rhodes.

Rhodey gets in on the act in Iron Man v1 #234 (1988).

Hey, that's not bad! You might have a future in this, Rhodey! Got any more?

Ugh. Nevermind.

The Most Awesome Spider-Man Comics EVER!

2010-06-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big Spider-Man fan. I consider him to be a whiny bitch. So when I saw these spoof superhero comics that Jay Pinkerton did years ago, I was blown away. My hats off to you, Jay, these are brilliant.

Iron Baby beats Muppet Babies any day of the week.

2010-05-31T12:00:00.002-04:00

From Patrick Boivin, who already provided us with the awesome Iron Man vs Bruce Lee, now brings us something EVEN MORE AWESOME!

It's Good to be a Playa!

2010-05-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

Tony Stark knows it's good to be a playa!

From Iron Man 2: Public Identity movie prequel comic #1 (2010).

If you thought Nick Fury was mean to his enemies...

2010-05-26T12:00:00.002-04:00

You should see the way he treats his girlfriend!

From Secret Warriors #15 (2010).

You've Come a Long Way, Tony.

2010-05-24T12:00:00.005-04:00

From the 1966 Iron Man cartoon,

to the latest film,

you've come a long way, baby.

Why doesn't Uatu have his own comic?!

2010-05-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

So I was reading Fantastic Four v1 #13 (1962) because it's included in the Marvel Comics 70th Anniversary Collection TPB. Well, turns out this is the first appearance of Uatu, The Watcher, which is something I'd been wanting to check out for a while. Although I found the issue to be kind of lame, the Watcher was awesome!

Just check this out:

That's awesome! I want to see the Watcher's homeworld! I want to see the aliens made of liquid metal! And those green guys? I want to know more about them! Give me war comics featuring those dudes on the lower right!

Why isn't there an anthology comic tied together by the Watcher? I'm not talking about the "What If" books. I mean an anthology short story comic series of stuff that the Watchers have seen. That's be awesome!

As for Uatu, he's clearly a badass!

So what fate awaits he who has disturbed the Watcher? He who is capable of so much!

OH SNAP!!! Uatu was all like "get out of here, bitch! You ain't even worth my time!"

Seriously, I'd read an Uatu comic. Wouldn't you?

Limp Whip

2010-05-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yeah, sure, never. First time. Uh huh.

From Iron Man v1 #224 (1987).

Brain Slug Hats!

2010-05-18T18:06:00.000-04:00

This post is completely shameless.

Not only is it a plug for you to buy something from my best friend's Etsy store, it's also a lame excuse to post a cute picture of my son.

I have no shame.

Anyway, my best friend has this Etsy page where she sells lots of neat stuff, mostly jewelry and stuff for the ladies (hellllooooo, ladies). A recent addition to her site is brain slug hats for babies! You remember brain slugs, right?

Yeah, that's it. Nice.

Not only does she have classic green brain slugs, but the rare non-green variety as well! I'm a canonical guy, so I'm a fan of the green ones myself, but I can see the appeal of non-green.

So go and check out SquirrelProductions and get some brain slug hats! Buy them and put them on your babies, or your friend's babies, or babies that you happen to pass on the street. DO IT!!!

Just look how awesome they look on kids!!!

Awwwww... He's got a space parasite!

NOTE: If you don't have a "baby" but have a "toddler", "little boy/girl" or are a "full grown man" that would like a brain slug hat, you can contact SquirrelProductions via their Etsy site and request a custom! You would not be the first adult to request one!

Iron Man Versus, Part 62

2010-05-17T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where I show you how old Shell-Head, and his alter ego Tony Stark, torment the temptress of time. Today's match is one that Tony Stark has fought countless times in his playboy life.

Witness, from Iron Man v1 #160 (1982), Iron Man vs. Last Call!

See you next time!

2000 AD via Book Depository (Review)

2010-05-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

As I have lamented many times on this blog, it is very hard to get 2000 AD graphic novels in the USA. This will be made much better soon thanks to new US editions of many 2000 AD books (I'm keeping a running list of the announced books for your shopping convenience). Of course, not all books from the enormous 2000 AD library will be made available in the US, at least not at first. What about the others? Well, one reader of this blog was kind enough to point me in the direction of The Book Depository, a UK company that offers FREE SHIPPING on all books to just about anywhere on Earth. Their prices are also comparable to Amazon.com prices for many titles, making acquiring 2000 AD books no less affordable than any other graphic novels! I recently received my first order from Book Depository and wanted to let you all know how it went, and my feelings on getting 2000 AD from them.

For my first order, I got myself copies of Invasion! and The Best of Tharg's Future Shocks. I picked these two in particular because out of all the 2000 AD books I really wanted, I considered these two to be the least likely to have new US editions anytime soon. For instance, they have already announced that the Complete Judge Dredd will be included in the new US editions, so I refrained from getting any Dredd books.

First off, pricing. These two books are your standard size graphic novels, reproduced in the original B&W on glossy paper. They're each about $16 (US$, of course), including the free shipping, so I think you can agree that's a good price. The website says that shipping to the North America typically takes 7-10 working days, which probably would have been the case had this not happened:

Yup, the Icelandic Volcano Of Death erupted. The above picture was taken on 17 April 2010, and I had placed my order on 14 April. Yup. Since the books come via air mail from the UK I was screwed. I can't feel to bad though, I mean I was just waiting for books. Many people were waiting to get home. So I had to wait.

But, my books came. Huzzah! But then, one of them was defective...

Yup, my copy of Invasion! had a printing error. It was missing about 10 pages from the front, and there was a binding problem in the back of the book. I want to say two things about this. 1) Until you opened the book, you couldn't tell anything was wrong with it. Thus, I can't imagine anyone would have knowingly sent me a defective book. 2) I had a similar thing happen with Amazon a few years ago, so at this point Book Depository had as good customer service as Amazon, which I think is a pretty high standard.

I sent a (polite) email to Book Depository explaining the problem and requesting they replace my book. They promptly replied, apologized, and sent a new one my way, free of charge. Because of the shipping complexities they told me they didn't want the original one back. I think I'm going to use it in a craft project I've been meaning to start.

How long did it take to get the replacement book? I got it in the mail eight days after I sent my request for replacement. Clearly they rushed it out the door that day, so I think their 7-10 working day shipping quote is quite accurate.

So my overall review is very positive! I will definitely order from Book Depository again. If there are US editions of the books coming out I will get those though, since I definitely want to help show Rebellion (2000 AD's parent company) that there is a market over here. Oh, I also learned that Icelandic volcanoes are formidable foes.

One comment about prices though. If you are looking to get a book on Book Depository I suggest doing the following: bookmark the page for the book, then check the price on it every day for two weeks or so. I have noticed a decent daily price fluctuation on the site, worse than Amazon has. If you don't care about $2-$4 dollars then you can skip this step, but I'm pretty cheap and patient. Once you have an idea what the lowest price is, order it the next time it hits that price. Just a tip.

Also, Book Depository has this kind of creepy, very British, thing on their website. It's this thing that lets you "watch people shop" in real-time. What it actually does is show you recently submitted orders and where they are going to on a map of the world. Kind of neat, kind of creepy. Here is my order. Click to see the world map.

As you can see, it doesn't report any personal info, so it's not really a privacy thing. I don't know, it's just weird.

So if you are in need of zarjaz thrills, The Book Depository is an excellent dealer!

Hawkeye Sayz: Invincible Iron Man #25

2010-05-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkeye Sayz, where Mini-Hawkeye provides short, spoiler-free reviews of recent comics that he swipes from my read pile. Today he'll be taking a look at Invincible Iron Man #25.

I haven't really been a fan of Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man series since... well... pretty much the first issue. There were a few parts that I liked here and there, but he makes these ridiculously long story arcs for starters. I mean seriously, a 12 part story arc? What the hell Universe shattering story are you telling that it takes you 12 parts? Armor Wars was only eight parts (if you include the epilogue, which I don't)! Sorry, I got off topic there.

Anyway, this is the first post-Siege Iron Man story. It sets up what Tony will be like since he did that thing to his brainz in the last Iron Man arc (I take "spoiler free" seriously). It is also the debut of the NEW IRON MAN ARMOR! Which got a rediculous amount of hype. There was a press release.

Seriously.

You see the cover to this issue? You see the armor? It's fucking new Iron Man armor. Add it to the shelf and move on.

Sorry, I got distracted again.

The main problem with this issue, and the series in general, is that Fraction tries to do this mix of comic book and movie continuity. It's like he's never read any Iron Man comics and just saw the movies. First movie: villain is Obadiah Stane. Fraction's comic: the new villain is Ezekiel Stane, Obadiah's son that came from who the fuck knows where. Second movie: villain is Justin Hammer. Fraction's comic: new villain is Justin Hammer's wife and daughter, who we've never seen before but are well established in the Marvel U. What is Justin Hammer's wife's name? Why would that matter, you ask? She's not a supervillain. Any old name could

It's Justine Hammer.

I. Shit. You. Not.

Bleh. Now I'm all pissed off and I think this post got away from me. Let's just see what Hawkeye Sayz.

5 Minute Marvels

2010-05-10T12:00:00.001-04:00

Fellow snarky comic book blogger Marvel Smart Ass (check it out, he's awesome) has a second blog where he posts pictures of art he draws with his two daughters every night. The site has grown into a contribution site where anyone can send in art that they do with kids, as long as you only take five minutes to do it! I love this site! I check it out every day, and I suggest you do to. A lot of the art they send in has a lot of heart. Maybe it's just the father in me, but almost every picture makes me smile.

Why am I telling you about this now? Well, it was a recent submission to the site that I knew I just had to share.

That turtle is so awesome I can't even express it.

Go to 5 Minute Marvels and start absorbing the awesome. Do it now.

And Marvel Smart Ass, keep on doing what you do, because you have a heart of gold and are an awesome dad.

Iron Man 2 Review at Nerdgasm

2010-05-08T08:44:00.002-04:00

We have an Iron Man 2 review post going over at Have a Nerdgasm.com. All contributors will be posting their reviews once they've seen the movie, and readers are invited to post their reviews in the comments! Go check it out!

I do have to warn that some reviews might be spoilery, but mine is definitely spoiler free.

Go!

Iron Man: Architectural Engineering Instructor

2010-05-07T12:00:00.001-04:00

Iron Man is a great superhero, but a crappy instructor.

I get the feeling he just doesn't care about his students.

From Iron Man v1 #224 (1987).

Iron Man 2 in Theatres NOW!

2010-05-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

Really, Norton?

2010-05-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

I mean really?

Sorry, I just don't see it.

Sketchbook Page - Rich Faber

2010-05-05T18:28:00.000-04:00

For general info about my convention sketchbook's theme, click here.

My local comic book shop of choice, Captain Blue Hen Comics & Entertainment, throws a seriously massive and awesome Free Comic Book Day celebration every year. One of the several artists they had in attendance this year was Rich Faber, and I was lucky enough to grab a fantastic sketch from him!

Rich spent a good deal longer on my sketch then pretty much anyone else's due to it's complexity, which is something I'm very grateful for! I also feel kind of bad to anyone in line behind me. Sorry about that. You can direct your hate-spam at this blog if necessary.

Anyway, Rich did a superb job, especially considering the limited time. He also has the singular distinction (or curse) of being the first to sketch in my book. So far I'm very happy with the way its going!

He chose to sketch Buzzboy jumping over a VW Bug, which allowed him to incorporate his love of drawing cars!

I grabbed a shot of Rich working on the sketch. I really enjoyed watching the process!

Rich also wrote about the day's sketches on his blog, check it out!

Well, what would YOU call him?!

2010-05-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #225 (1987).

Well, what would you call your flying ant steed?!

Come on, let's hear it! Comment it up!

Magnetism, Magic, they both start with an "M"!

2010-05-03T12:00:00.001-04:00

In the 1960's "atomic power" wasn't the only magical science. There was also magnetism! Just check out these panels from Fantastic Four v1 #13 (1962). In them, the Red Ghost's trained primates get exposed to cosmic rays and get super powers just like the Fantastic Four did.

So wait... the gorilla has become magnetized... somehow. Yeah, can we talk about that "somehow"? It's just that I don't think that gorilla has any metal in his body so

A "de-polarized magnet would repel a sheet of tin"?! What the hell are you talking about?! A de-polarized magnet doesn't have any net magnetic field, so it's not a magnet anymore. There is no such thing as "repulsive magnetism"! That's just

No no no no no! Magnetism couldn't attract her unless she had a significant amount of metal in her! See, that's why Magneto can fight Wolverine so effectively! He can't just throw anybody around because magnetism doesn't work like that!

Hang on. Maybe when they say "magnetism" they mean "force field". Maybe they just didn't think of including "force fields" in this issue of

GOD DAMN IT!!! The wavy lines for force fields look just like the wavy lines for magnetism but they make a clear distinction between the two! Thank goodness Reed Richards never pulls this kind of crap! That might drive me insane! I mean, he's the smartest guy in the world, so if he

... same molecular level... atomic body structure...

That's it. I'm leaving.

Here, just watch this. I think it will explain everything.

Well, what would YOU be thinking about?

2010-04-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

This two panel sequence from Iron Man v1 #224 (1987) just brings up too many questions.

So why exactly is Tony thinking about Playgirl Magazine? Apart from the fact that it's inappropriate as he's about to watch someone get murdered, I mean in general as well.

Wait, who is "Ed Meese"?

Oh my God, it's this guy!

Edwin Meese, the 75th United States Attorney General, in office from 1985-1988.

WHY IS TONY STARK THINKING ABOUT THIS GUY POSING FOR PLAYGIRL?!

I need to go lie down.

Will the Parade of Awesome Ever Cease?

2010-04-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

Even more awesome care of the A.B.C. Warriors, this time from 2000 AD Prog 134 (13 Oct 1979).

So to summarize: in the future there are armor-clad dinosaurs on Mars that rich people use to hunt humans for sport in their spare time.

There is nothing about the above panel that isn't AWESOME.

The "A" Stands for Awesome

2010-04-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

While reading A.B.C. Warriors I came across one of the most awesome things I've ever seen in a comic. It's from 2000 AD Prog 128 (1 Sept 1979).

So the manager has the hiccups. Now I know what you might be thinking, it's probably what I was thinking. He's going to be so scared that the hiccups will stop and there will be some joke about it. Lame.

Well, that's not the case.

That's right, he died horribly while still having the hiccups! Just think about how AWESOME this actually is!

Thank you, Pat Mills, thank you.

Contributing Blogger

2010-04-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

I'm now a contributing blogger over at Have A Nerdgasm! I'll be providing comic book trade paperback reviews on a monthly basis (posted toward the end of the month) and will be starting a "movies you might have missed" Netflix review column that will post around the 15th of every month. My first TPB review is up for The Big Book of Barry Ween.

If you're wondering, this won't change any of the content here. I'll still be doing the same stuff just as often. The Nerdgasm stuff is different, as I've refrained from doing any in depth reviews here in the past.

So go check it out! And keep checking out Have A Nerdgasm for all the news that's fit for nerds!

Iron Man Versus, Part 61

2010-04-23T12:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where I show you how old Shell-Head punitively punishes pieces of propulsion!

Today's match-up comes from Iron Man v1 #218 (1987), and is a little something I like to call Iron Man vs. a Lincoln Town Car!

See you next time!

Damned California Health Nuts!

2010-04-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

This is from Iron Man v1 #221 (1987).

Yup, 1987. Some things never change.

I guess eating fast food CAN be hazardous to your health. At least eating in fast food restaurants can be.

The Random Dredd, Part 10

2010-04-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Due to my excitement over the new movie, I've been hitting the Iron Man back issues pretty hard. As a result, it's been awhile since I've done a Random Dredd segment. I did come across this nice bit from 2000 AD Prog 1508 (4 Oct 2006) that I wanted to share with you all.

Brutal.

Ways Comic Books Have Lied To Me

2010-04-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

I love comic books. Although I went a long time without reading them (for a variety of life-circumstance reasons) I never really stopped loving them. Comic books were always pretty good to me. If you're a regular reader of this blog then they were probably good to you too.

The ads though... Sometimes the ads lied to me.

I mean they REALLY lied to me.

Yup, I remember building model cars when I was a kid. I remember how cute girls of every hair color would gush over me as I stood with my latest accomplishment for show-and-tell.

Oh wait, I don't actually remember that happening because THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!!

COMIC BOOK AD, YOU LIED TO ME!!!

Above ad clipped from Iron Man v1 #218 (1987).

Site Changes

2010-04-15T17:35:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed some site changes, but some of them are less obvious, so I thought I'd do a quick post about them.

First and most importantly, a post schedule. I'm moving from the sporadic post "schedule" I've had in the past to something actually regular. I decided to do this after I had a week where I posted every day then realized "WTF do I post next week?" So new content will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon EST. I do reserve the right to post more often. For example, I don't think a post like this should be considered MWF content because there isn't anything... entertaining about it. Also, Mini-Hawkeye can hijack the blog at any time to do a new Hawkeye Sayz, so keep an eye out for those.

Of course, the easiest way to keep track of my site is to use RSS! You can follow my Mutterings in your favorite feed reader. (I use Google Reader, but I hear there are others.)

Another way to follow new content is to fan my Mutterings on FaceBook, where new content is posted as a title and link automatically. Another reason to fan is that I've started using the FB fan page for microblogging content that is relevant to the site. If I find a neat/funny article I'll post the link there, rather than make a whole post about just one link. So you can follow the FB page if you're interested in that kind of stuff. I also just enabled the "Discussions" tab (like a forum) if anyone wants to use it for that.

Finally, I have created an Amazon Store. If you click this link you'll go to Amazon.com, but anything you buy will give me a kickback. I love kickbacks. The real reason I created the store was to present you with My Recommendations. Check them out. I'll try and add more later, but I think this covers the basics. I'm really just experimenting with it right now and getting a feel for it.

So if you know anyone that you think would enjoy the site, tell them about it ( www.DoktorAndy.com ) or tell them via the FaceBook fan page, I'd really appreciate it! It's nice to not feel like I'm talking to myself, even though I do that often enough to be certified insane (I checked the DSM-IV).

The Latest Cutting Edge Research

2010-04-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm sure some of you have wondered what the Doktor does when he's Doktoring. Well, I participate in cutting edge scientific research! Research that presses against the supple sexy body of scientific knowledge until it giggles and give up some of it's sweet wisdom filled... wait, what was I talking about?

Oh yeah! My research! Well I've decided to release this film that shows just one of the many areas I'm involved in. I hope you find it insightful!

Distant Memories from My Youth

2010-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

Note from the Dok: This post is much more sentimental and far less snarky than most of my posts. I hope you still enjoy it.

A few years back I found myself in this dusty, dingy, dirty comic book shop in Miami in the middle of the summer. It was just a few months after I'd gotten back into comic books, and I was checking out this shop while on a work trip. I was dripping with sweat and flipping through Iron Man back issues absent mindedly. All of a sudden my hand froze. My face tightened. I though, "wait, what was that?" I flipped back an issue or two. "What is it? Why do I feel like this comic is important?" There was something about that comic. That comic was Iron Man v1 #222 (1987).

Sure, it's an awesome cover, but it was more than that. I could feel there was something there, but I wasn't sure what. Then it happened. It was like going into the Monolith at the end of 2001, all these memories came flooding back to me. Long lost memories from my youth washed over me. That's when I realized why this issue was important to me! I owned this issue when I was a kid!

When I was young, I didn't have a lot of money. I grew up in a one bedroom house (figure that out) without a lot of frills. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't starving or anything. There was always food in the cupboards, heat in the winter, and even A/C in the summer. I believe the socioeconomic term is "lower middle class". Even when I got older (I was five years old when this issue came out) I couldn't afford to get a comic every month. Some months my Mom would buy me two or three, some months I wouldn't get any. Dems da brakes. As a result, I reread every comic book I had. Didn't matter if it was chapter three of a six part storyline. Sure, I cared that I didn't have the rest of the story, but I couldn't let it bother me. I just held onto what I had and was happy with it. I think I learned a lot from that experience... Anyway, my point is that this was one of the few comics I had, and I must have read it a thousand times. Somewhere deep in my memory it was waiting there, and seeing it again after nearly two decades opened the floodgates.

One thing that I've always remembered from this issue was this awesome sequence where Iron Man dives underwater to get into his secret lab built underneath his house.

When I was five that was the most awesome thing EVER! I used to stare at these panels and get lost forever in the awesomeness of it all. Secret lab under your house, accessible via elaborate, yet simplistic, tunnel system. I think I dug the whole Batcavedness of it.

About a year ago I got my old comic collection back from my parents. I was afraid they had been lost because I hadn't seen any of them for at least twelve years. When I got them I plowed through the small pile to find my old friend. I was surprised to learn that I only owned three Iron Man comics when I was a kid. This one, #246 (1989) and #318 (1995). I do remember always liking Iron Man though, and I think it was because of this issue, because I don't get the same feeling when I see the other comics.

Rereading it now I have to say that this is a really fun issue! It's all about how Tony is trying to get to his housewarming party but can't because numerous ridiculous accidents keep happening as a result of this freak (but naturally occurring) rainstorm. (Expect some ridonculous Iron Man Versus segments coming out of this one, folks!) This is a GREAT stand alone issue!

Now that I think about it, I think this issue may have had a big affect on my subconscience. I only own one variant cover for a comic book, and that's for Iron Man v4 #7 (2006), which coincidently was the first comic I read when I got back into them. Anyway, here is the cover.

I always thought this cover looked really awesome. Now it's thematic similarities to #222 makes me wonder...

That's all the nostalgia I have. Thanks for listening. Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue my quest to read every issue of Iron Man...

... and I think I've been waiting to read this next issue since I was five years old.

Shrink Down...; Iron Man #203

2010-04-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

Greetings, True Believers!

We members of the Mighty Marvel Marching Society know there there are many Mighty Marvel M... um... Traditions. One of the most illustrious is the concept of the "flawed superhero". But perhaps most ridonculous of the Mighty Marvel Traditions is the idea that in order to hack into a computer system you literally have to shrink down teeny weeny and physically get inside it. I've seen this happen in so many Marvel comics that I feel compelled to catalog these instances in a segment I reluctantly call

Shrink Down and Get Inside That Computer!
It's the Only Way!

Here's how this works: I'll provide you the Who, What, When, and Why for every instance of SDGITCITOW. You might be wondering "But Dok, what about 'Where' and 'How'?" Well screw you! "Where" is boring and the "How" is almost always Hank Pym. Now let's get started!

The first candidate for maximum shrinkage? Who else but Iron Man?!

Who: Old Shell-Head himself

When: Iron Man v1 #203 (1986)

What: some boring financial computer

Why: It all goes back to Obadiah Stane...

Maybe not, indeed!

So Tony goes to see Hank Pym and get some of his anti-Viagra so he can get "physically inside the computer". Keep in mind that this means he is literally the size of an electron.

So that's what it looks like inside my credit union's mainframe? No wonder they have such shitty interest rates! Look at all that empty real estate!

So Tony battles the "ermarks" (which is a blatantly made-up word comprised of the financial term "earmark" but without the first "a") and gets a really funky lesson in quantum physics.

I'm not sure what happened, but it's clear that that didn't work for shit!

Of course, since this is Tony Stark we're talking about, he gets all his money back because it would just be sad if he didn't.

I'm sorry to say that there will be a next time. See you then.

Hawkeye Sayz: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

2010-04-08T17:30:00.001-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkeye Sayz, where Mini-Hawkeye provides short, spoiler-free reviews of recent comics that he swipes from my read pile. Today he'll be reviewing the much hyped S.H.I.E.L.D. #1.

This is Hickman doing what he does best: telling epic stories that not only leave you anxious to discover all you can about this world, but also stories that are compelling in single issue format. Indeed, Hickman is a master at making every page of a story compelling in the here and now, while simultaneously presenting you with bits of (in this case) a century spanning epic storyline. I was really excited about this book when it was announced, and I was not disappointed AT ALL! Major accolades must go to Weaver's art as well. Absolutely amazing. I found myself lost in the detail and beauty of every page. This comic would be a bargain at twice the cover price! Lets see what Hawkeye Sayz.

If you're interested in a (slightly) more spoilery review, the CBR review seems to be the most popular one floating around right now. The reviewer has basically the same opinion as Hawkeye and me concerning this book.

GO BUY THIS NOW!!!

Towel Folding Robot

2010-04-08T07:11:00.002-04:00

Some researchers at UC Berkley have programmed a robot to fold towels.

My favorite thing about this? The fact that when the robot picks up the towel it looks at it the exact same way I do when I'm told to fold a towel.

Now you may not think it's very fast, but my wife will tell you it's faster than me! Probably does a nicer job too. I don't know, you'd have to ask her.

Iron Spanish Fly

2010-04-07T18:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since Tony Stark's got his innuendo on, so let's check out Iron Man v1 #219 (1987)!

Oh, but don't think it ends there, friends! When Tony Stark sweats he gives off Iron Spanish Fly! But Tony's got stuff to do, and when you have to dump a pair of sexy ladies, you may has well do it with style!

I tell myself that Tony does this kind of shit because he used to be a nerdy pimply faced teen when he was at MIT, and this is payback for being teased. Canon, don't you DARE spoil this fantasy!

Okay, if you're keeping score (and why wouldn't you?!) that's two completely separate threesomes that Tony passed up, and it's not even 10am yet! Why would he do this? Good question!

Seriously... that's a really good question...

I guess he was just too sweaty to think about doing the sheet shuffle. What he really wanted to do was take a shower on his helicopter and walk around in a wet towel...

Wait, what?!

The only thing I really want to know is why isn't Rhodey shouting "PUT YOUR DAMNED PANTS ON!!!" ?

Well, the truth is that Tony is a man of commitment. Not to women (god no) but rather to his business. He couldn't get involved with the ladies until his business meeting was over! But after that...

Snogging a hot banker? Nice one, Tony.

So... do you think he made a deposit or a withdrawal?

Here's some random Iron Man canon for you.

2010-04-05T18:00:00.001-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #217 (1987).

So not only had Tony Stark had face time with Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping, but was in talks with him to tap China's natural resources for (presumably) personal financial gain!

How's that for Iron Man canon!

You know, with the advancement of modern society, some of these late 1980's Iron Man comics don't portray Tony in a very favorable light.

New US Editions of 2000 AD Collections Coming!

2010-04-02T19:40:00.004-04:00

This news comes straight from 2000 AD via Facebook: Rebellion is launching a new series of US editions of 2000 AD books at a rate of about two per month! All I can say is that I need a new pair of underwear!

I was hoping this would be the case when they published their "Best of 2000 AD" book in the US. Maybe I was right, maybe not. Who cares?! Either way they are coming. I noticed the signs a few months ago, but had no idea it would be as ambitious as two books per month! I strongly suggest you read the Publisher's Weekly article if you're at all interested. It's packed full of good news.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this is some of the best news I've gotten in the last few months. I'm super excited about how easy it will be to get 2000 AD graphic novels in US comic shops and book stores.

Some of these books have already shown up on Amazon. You can pre-order them from my Amazon store by using the links below. (If you can't see the links, make sure you've disabled add blocking plugins. You can also go directly to my store.)

If you can't wait, one of your fellow blog readers commented on my original 2000 AD post that you can get some great imports for cheap from The Book Depository with free shipping to anywhere in the world! This takes out the extra cost associated with getting 2000 AD books, plus many of their prices are on par with Amazon. Just search for what you want, like Rogue Trooper or Judge Dredd and you'll see they are quite well stocked! Thanks for the tip, Lee!

Borag Thungg, America!!!

Iron Lantern Versus, Part 60

2010-04-01T12:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of "Iron Lantern Versus", where I show you how old Emerald Shell-Head battles biting baddies!

Today's special match-up comes from the singular Iron Lantern v1 #1 (1997). Strap yourself in for Iron Lantern vs. Great White!

See you next time!

The Black Smoke Monster's Got Iron Man!

2010-03-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

Oh no!!!

Well, if anyone can figure out what the %$&# is happening on LOST, it's Tony Stark!

Oh, who am I kidding. Sherlock Holmes couldn't figure out this damned show.

From Iron Man v1 #215 (1987).

Yeah for 28!

2010-03-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Today I turn 28 years old!

28 is a composite (non-prime) number whose divisors are 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and of course 28.

28 is the second perfect number, the first being 6 and the third being 496 (with I am dubious about the prospects of living too). A perfect number is one which is equal to the sum of it's proper positive divisors, specifically 1+2+4+7+14=28.

Since 28²+1=785, and the largest prime factor of 785 is 157, which is more than 2x28, 28 is a Størmer number.

28 is a harmonic divisor number, since the harmonic mean of it's divisors is an integer. Specifically: 6/(1+1/2+1/4+1/7+1/14+1/28)=3.

28 is a happy number, meaning that the sum of the squares of it's digits will recursively reduce to 1, like so:
2²+8²=68
6²+8²=100
1²=1

28 is a triangular number (meaning you can stack a 2D triangle with 28 items), a hexagonal number (meaning you can make a regular hexagon with 28 items), and a centered nonagonal number (meaning you can make a regular nine-sided polygon, or nonagon, with 28 items).

28 is a member of the Padovan sequence, which consists of the sum of the second and third preceeding members of the sequence, with the first three members defined as 1. Specifically: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 16, 21, 28...

28 is a Keith number, which means it appears in a Fibonacci-like sequence which starts with it's own digits. Specifically: 2, 8, 10, 18, 28...

28 is the atomic number for nickel.

28 is the fourth magic number, meaning that an atomic element with 28 nucleons will be more stable and resistant to radioactive decay.

28! = 304888344611713860501504000000

Messier object 28 is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius approximately 19,000 light years away, and was the first globular cluster discovered to contain a millisecond pulsar.

NGC 28 is an elliptical galaxy located in the Phoenix constellation.

Texas was the 28th state to join the United States.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, serving in that capacity during World War I.

The 28th Precinct in New York City is a largely residential community in Harlem.

The 28th episode of the Twilight Zone was "A Nice Place to Visit", which is about a gangster that dies and thinks he's gone to Heaven.

Iron Man v1 #28 was published in 1970. This is the 2nd panel on the 8th story page:

This is all good, but next year I get to be a prime!

What Does Iron Man #211 Have?

2010-03-28T18:00:00.003-04:00

Iron Man v1 #211 (1986) has so many awesome things in it! It has liberating portrayals of women, questionable methods for advancing a plot, and good solid advice about accepting Iron Man's help! It also has a great technicolor cover!

But wait, there's more! It also has this awesome face that the Living Laser makes!

That's not all! Perhaps the most amazing thing in the entire issue is the preponderance of frequent and often awkward segue boxes! They challenge me to alt-text them all in snarky ways!

Fourteen! Fourteen segue boxes in 22 story pages! That's an average of one every 0.6 pages! WOW!

I will say this: I had a better sense of time reading this issue's story than I have for almost any other comic I've ever read. Also, I rolled my eyes a lot more.

Mission Accomplished?

It's called Cialis, Hank.

2010-03-27T18:00:00.002-04:00

Hank Pym has some troubles.

"Changing the size of things remains my life's work." Yeah... is that why you hit your wife that time, Hank?*

From West Coast Avengers v2 #1 (1985).

*Cheap shot, I know. But what do you want from an ED joke?!

If Iron Man Offers You Help, Accept It!

2010-03-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

If Iron Man ever offers you help, for the love of God, accept it!

Otherwise he may trap you in a reflective metal sphere!

From Iron Man v1 #211 (1986).

The Light Looks WHAT?

2010-03-25T18:00:00.002-04:00

I understand the need to advance the plot, but there had to be a better way than this:

That beam of light looks awfully familiar?! Maybe you've used a flashlight before?

It's not that it looks suspicious or anything (which it DOES), it's that it looks "familiar".

Top panel from Iron Man v1 #211 (1986). Bottom panel from Iron Man v1 #154 (1982).

Hawkeye Sayz: Sparta U.S.A. #1

2010-03-24T19:24:00.003-04:00

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkeye Sayz, where Mini-Hawkeye provides short, spoiler-free reviews of recent comics that he swipes from my read pile. Today he'll be reviewing Sparta U.S.A. #1.

I picked this up based on lots of good reviews I saw on the intarwebs. It's ostensibly about a town called Sparta in heartland America... but something motha fuckin' creepy is going on is this town! Page 2 caused one eyebrow to raise. Page 4 caused the other one to shoot up there. The rest is just compellingly creepy. Definitely getting added to my pull list.

Let's see what Hawkeye Sayz!

Pick it up if you like creepy, off-kilter tales in everyday settings!

Women's Lib, in the Mighty Marvel Manor!

2010-03-24T18:00:00.001-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #211 (1986).

Pac-Man is Hard

2010-03-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #161 (1982).

Iron Man: Construction Worker

2010-03-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

The mid-1980's were characterized for Iron Man by an extreme slowdown in his Avenging schedule. He recovered from a major relapse into alcoholism and lost much of his fortune. At one point he even needed to pick up a bit of employment on the side as a construction worker.

From Iron Man v1 #210 (1986).

What Makes a Hero?

2010-03-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

From Iron Man v1 #210 (1986).

Iron Man Versus, Part 59

2010-03-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back for yet another installment of "Iron Man Versus", where I show you how old Shell-Head levels legislative lunatics! Today's fight comes from Iron Man v1 #208 (1986).

It's something I like to call Iron Man vs. The State Department!

Now, I could leave it there. This is in fact how Iron Man leaves this particular battle. However, further developments occur in the issue and several pages later Shell-Head finds himself right back where he started.

This argument is actually very interesting, looking at it these days. I think George W. Bush would have got along just fine with 1986 Iron Man.