Beautiful Balloons with Maggie Thompson

"Well, that was disappointing!" said a voice from somewhere in back of me, as the screen went to black at the end of the new Hulk movie. The guy was not, however, referring to the film as a whole -- but, clearly, to the fact that we'd all patiently sat there through seemingly endless credits, waiting for some sort of kicker footage at the end. For nothing.

Unless you consider it a must-see kicker that there's a quick notation that, no, we don't endorse smoking, you needn't bother to hang around through hundreds of names. You can just mosey out of the theater and head for home. (There is an epilogue, mind you, but it precedes the endless Scroll of Details.)

As to the movie itself, there was, unfortunately, far too much time devoted to predictable chase scenes and predictable fight scenes, and the CGI was far too clearly CGI (yawwwwn). Nevertheless, despite all that (and the fact that the bellowing Hulk kept reminding me of the large Totoro in Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro), I enjoyed the film and hope you will, too. It's no Iron Man, mind you, but I'll be buying the DVD when it's released for Christmas or whenever.

6/13/2008 7:20:39 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Comics at YANK
Posted by maggie

Another find at the antiques mall was The Best from YANK the Army Weekly, selected by the editors of Yank. Cleveland & New York: The World Publishing Company, 1945 (second printing, though there's also the note, "The material and format of this edition are the same as of that originally published by E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc."). Among the contents that caught my eye were a number of cartoons by creators whose careers continued in cartooning.

For example, there's Sgt. Ralph Stein, whose work appeared on several pages -- and a Google search I just made turned up the information that, in fact, the artist (who died in November 1994) had made his career in the field after being the staff cartoon editor for Yank, as well as providing text and photos. He went on to draw Popeye for five years and illustrated Here's How for King Features.

Other cartoonists included Sgt. George Baker (1915-1975, the creator of Sad Sack, which is what's reprinted here); Sgt. Dave Breger (1908-1970, who may have invented the term "GI Joe" and went on to create the Mister Breger newspaper panel), and Sgt. Al Jaffee (1921-, creator of the Mad "Fold-In").

And here's a non-Family Circus cartoon by Bil Keane (1922-). Note that he signed it "Bil Keane," but both the attribution line and the table of contents add an "l" to his first name. (By the way, you'll find more of such early work at the Family Circus website. Also by the way, you'll find there a note on the spelling of his name: "In the late '30s, Keane was working with a group of friends putting out a satire magazine, The Saturday Evening Toast, when he decided to drop the second L in 'Bil.' 'I really did it just to be different,' he says. 'I thought it was a little more distinguished and started signing my cartoons that way, and it stuck." Which is probably why Yank didn't alter it, no matter how he signed his work.)

6/13/2008 5:25:35 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

That Pop Culture Brochure
Posted by maggie

Have you taken a look recently at the CBGXtra videos? (We're finally getting back to a schedule of posting more of them, and we've got more than 15 more waiting for the final editing and uploading.)

In any case, here's a closer look at the Gepp's Entertainment Museum "Pop Culture" brochure Melissa is showing in the video. (And, hey, if you live near Baltimore, note that Fathers get free admission to the museum on Father's Day!)

6/12/2008 11:24:48 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

When You Go to an Antiques Store, Do They Ask You What You're Looking For?
Posted by maggie

A week ago, I wandered through a little antiques mall in Appleton, bemused once again by just how many old things there are that I don't want at all. But it did come to mind that there was a section of the mall set aside for a dealer in a strange assortment of old books -- so I eventually headed to them.

As noted, I'm often asked in antiques stores what it is that I might be looking for -- and I never have a suitable answer. I'm after what I might find that I'd like. (I once spotted a doll that was clearly from the same lot as one I'd had when I was 5 or so -- and had to have it, of course. But I certainly didn't go into the shop with the idea of finding that doll.) Heck, during this visit, I tried asking one of the dealers who had a number of card games from the 1920s whether he had or could find one I've been looking for: It was called Excuse Me -- which is not something easy to find in a Google search, let me tell you. The guy practically sneered at my question: It wasn't expensive enough for him to bother with, apparently. Ouch!

In any case, amid the books that I found in that strange assortment there were a number of sheets that both intrigued me and simultaneously made me cringe: they'd been razor-bladed out of old issues of Harper's Weekly. Some of them were simply scenes of the time -- but some were full-page political cartoons, and I couldn't pass up this one, from June 1, 1872 (when Ulysses Grant was running against Horace Greeley). (It's not the full image, thanks to the limitations of my scanner. In fact, to get the Nast signature in the scan, poor Grant got cut out. But you get the idea.)

6/11/2008 7:59:39 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Mind You ...
Posted by maggie

The last time I played a videogame, it was Douglas Adams' Titanic. So, after Homer punched out a chocolate rabbit, all I could get him to do was wander about (occasionally punching windows, doors, and candy carts) the land of chocolate, getting no further in the game.

But perhaps that's a life lesson. I shall mull. (I shall also ask Brent for his opinion of What To Do Next.)

6/11/2008 12:12:58 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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For Example...
Posted by maggie

Since last we chatted, I've bought a Wii -- AND the Simpsons game. Woo hoo!

6/11/2008 12:01:57 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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My Sleeves WERE Rolled Up
Posted by maggie

But, clearly, there haven't been oodles of posting on this site recently. It is my goal to see that that changes. Today. Ready?

6/11/2008 11:34:47 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Why Haven't I Posted Recently?
Posted by maggie

It's not that I haven't yearned to post here. It's not that I haven't had things to say. It's not that ...

Oh, never mind. Thing is (a) the issue has gone to the printer, (b) I've finally begun to dig out from a (happy) out-of-town jaunt, (c) the WisCon SF show is over, and (d) I'm almost recovered from one of the worst cases of flu I've ever had. (For the time being, if you Google "Madison," "convention," and "flu," you'll find an account of what hit me (and others) hard.)

Now, my sleeves are rolled up, I've had a nap (several, in fact), and I hope you'll see more activity on this site. In the meanwhile, check out the links on the left; they're always fun -- and usually far more frequently updated than this has been recently.

5/29/2008 3:54:38 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Will Elder
Posted by maggie

When I came into the office this evening to do an Internet radio interview, I was dismayed to find my office e-mail brought the news that Will Elder had died today. I'm sure we'll post a full report tomorrow (by which time I'll be on an airplane -- which is the only reason I don't have time to provide the write-up that this gifted, delightful artist deserves). I've loved his work for many decades and was thrilled at the chance to meet him several years ago at Comic-Con International: San Diego.

He was born Wolf Eisenberg Sept. 22, 1921, and he first came to comics buffs' attention as the inker of John Severin's pencils for Prize Comics' "American Eagle" feature. The duo went on to work on the E.C. line of comics, and eventually Elder took on art assignments solo -- drawing most attention for his wildly inventive work on Harvey Kurtzman-scripted features for Mad. When Kurtzman left Mad, Elder went with him and worked on Trump, Humbug, and Help!

He not only continued to work with Kurtzman on the satiric "Little Annie Fanny" strip for Playboy, but he also did freelance work on books, magazines, and posters.

And that's a totally insufficient summary of the delightful body of work of a delightful creator.

5/15/2008 6:52:13 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Iron Man: A Super-Heroic Treat
Posted by maggie

I'm posting this from my Super Phone after emerging from the theater. Delicious script, nothing more pretentious than the character's story adapted for the screen. That's what they were trying to do, that's what they did, and it was worth doing. Perfect casting and no sequence was so long as to be tiresome, even for those who knew the plot. Kudos. And, yes, of course you need to sit through the credits. Hee!

5/2/2008 3:37:37 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Plans for Free Comic Book Day -- and Iron Man
Posted by maggie

I suddenly realized it's time to start scheming about the weekend. Here's how it's looking at the moment:

Friday: Hit Appleton, which is where Iron Man should be playing nonstop on multiple screens at the Hollywood theater. I don't always get to see The Big Comic-Book Film on Free Comic Book Day weekend, but the omens are good this time around.

Saturday: Arise at 6 and head for Madison.

Depending on when I get there, I may start at the Farmers' Market around the Capitol Building. In any case, planned comics shop visits are:

Westfield Comics at its new location: 7475 Mineral Point Road (608) 833-4444, next to Frugal Muse (which I'll visit while I'm there; it's an often-productive used-book [and used-CD and used-DVD and used-audiobook] store). Mind you, the actual map seldom displays properly online; despite the address, it's a strip mall sorta on the corner of Mineral Point and D'Onofrio Drive -- and I usually end up finding it by pulling into West Towne Mall and driving past Barnes and Noble (on the right), then heading on a little street to the right and to the right again and -- ta daa! There I am! (If memory serves, that Barnes and Noble also has a used-book section, though I'm usually too busy to stop. We shall see.) Anyway, it'll be interesting to compare the layout and attendance with what I've seen in previous years at an earlier location and chat a bit with Bob Moreau on how the year (and FCBD) is doing for him.

Capital City Comics: 1910 Monroe Street (608) 251-8445, near a Trader Joe's that moved there more than a year ago. Owner Bruce Ayers has been a comics retailer since Forever, and I'm eager to see him again and get his insights on this year's comics. Now that my son and his family do not provide me a Madison Habitat, my trips to the West Side are few and far between, but here's hoping 2008 (now that the snows are, maybe, gone) will see me there more often.

20th Century Books: 1421 South Park, in what has to be one of the wildest stores to get to. (The AAA instructions once told me that, to get to the store, I needed to make a U-turn in the middle of [the four-lane highway] South Park.) Last year, I finally managed to make an early turn left onto a sidestreet behind the store to park; a prior year, I parked in the Arby's lot and bought a Jamocha Shake in order to justify my presence there. Nevertheless, it's always fun to talk with Hank Luttrell and Debra Daemmrich and well worth the trip.

And I'll probably wind up the annual Madison adventure with a visit to Half Price Books on the East Side before heading back to Iola to get home before the deer take over the highways for their own.

Sunday: Well, Sunday Sam Kujava indicated I should attend Oconocon at the Olympia Resort (1350 Royale Mile Rd., (262) 567-0311) and conference center in Oconomowoc. It looks as if Chuck Fiala, Rich Koslowski, Sean McKeever, Ande Parks, Gordon Purcell, Jeff Moy, Tom Nguyen, and John Jackson Miller are among the folks who'll be there, which is certainly promising. Geez, Oconomowoc. How the heck far is that?

What are your plans?

4/29/2008 2:19:21 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

When I Wrote It ...
Posted by maggie

OK, so there I was a week or so ago, and I wrote, "That's not all -- but it's all for now. Huzzah!"

And it sure was "all for now." Because the aspect of convention attendance that hits me most hard holds true, I think, for many others. And that's that the wrap-up of a convention quickly morphs into the problems of packing, sometimes shipping material, getting to the airport, managing to arrive home with most sanity intact, and then -- then catching up on everything I've set aside until "after the show."

Which means, as in this case, that there are still boxes wending their way toward me: boxes that not only hold clothing I brought to wear at the show but also books, press releases, and the like that I picked up at the show but have yet to savor. And my little spiral-bound notebook has pages with notes I have yet to transcribe. I did manage to dupe camcorder tapes to DVD format, and Kindly Dan Halverson is in the midst of editing them for posting. Fingers crossed, we'll start to put those videos online well before Free Comic Book Day (when I'll be shooting still more video).

In the meantime, here are more notes from NYC Comic-Con:

# I was confounded in my hopes of getting a clip of one of the Archies singing at the Archie booth. I know I shot the footage -- except that it's not among the footage with which I returned. Talk about blowing a one-time opportunity! (And, yes, that's another aspect of convention attendance; I try not to dwell on missed opportunities -- but they're a necessary adjunct of the convention experience.)

# Poor John Jackson Miller, who was there throughout the show, ran out of his voice by Saturday morning. He claimed to be feeling fine -- but his speech ballons were pretty much empty for most of the show.

# From 11 a.m. to noon Sunday, DC's Senior Vice President-Executive Editor presided over one of the high spots of the convention: "Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio." It was described in the program booklet as, "Dan DiDio and friends invite you to join an intimate Sunday afternoon chat to talk about your favorite comic book memories and about why we love this medium. All are welcome; no RSVP required!" I was delayed about five minutes in getting there, so the room was packed with 60-70 people filling the chairs and overflowing into leaning against the wall: just the right size for the event, DC Vice President - Sales (and panelist) Bob Wayne commented to me later. About five minutes after I arrived (to stand against the wall), Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort entered the room, pointing out that the announcement had been that everyone was welcome -- and he was cheerily invited to join the panelists in front of the room. At which point, folks shared responses to such topics as: what comics it was that led each to get into comics; what each found the most ridiculous moment in comics; and what was the most memorable comic-book moment for each. The session is available in podcast form: Click on "Sunday Conversation with Dan DiDio."

# Artist and long-time buddy Joe Staton (whose "Oh, So?" header for the print CBG runs in every issue) commented that some of the material we've run recently on letterpress printing had errors. I asked him to do a podcast with me on the topic, and he agreed. I'm looking forward to that!

# When I told Carolyn Kelly that Leonard Starr had commented that he missed the old Windsor-Newton sable brushes for inking, she replied that she finds Scharff sable brushes to be good replacements. She likes a #3 for its body and flex.

# I was able to catch most of Michael Uslan and Chip Cronkite's forthcoming documentary (well, it's a documentary but not in general release as yet) Legends behind the Comics. Don't miss it when it becomes available! It consists of Michael providing the connecting material between film of such icons as: Stan Lee; Jerry Robinson; Joe Simon; Joe, Adam, and Andy Kubert; Murphy Anderson, Irwin Hasen; Sheldon Moldoff; Lew Sayre Schwartz; Greg Hildebrandt; Denny O'Neil; Al Bellman; Ramona Fradon; John Romita; Roy Thomas; and Dick Giordano. (It did come to my mind as I watched that the focus -- of most of the panel as well as of the film -- was on the legends behind super-hero comics. I think we may have lost most of the creators who wrote and drew comic books in other genres.) Thank goodness we have film-makers among us who love the medium as much as any fan!

4/27/2008 3:43:06 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)

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