Reading Room ANYTHING GOES "Comic Book Convention"

Though I do a couple of East Coast and MidWest conventions each year...

...I've never done the nigh-legendary San Diego Comic-Con which begins today!

This never-reprinted tale from Fantagraphics' Anything Goes #6 (1987) by highly-underrated writer/artist George Metzger gives you a feel of how comic conventions used to be, before the onslaught of media promotion made them less "comic book" and more "movie/tv/video game" oriented!
It's an experience sadly lost to today's fans.

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Tales from ComicCon Store

Going to ComicCon in San Diego Next Week?

Remember July 24th, 2010!

When reality became MORE frightening than a horror comic!

Holy Injury to the Eye Motif!

Commemorate one of the most infamous events in San Diego ComicCon history in comfort with this cozy convention blanket that'll keep your butt warm on the cold hotel or convention center floor while you're waiting in line for a panel, presentation, or autograph session.
A generous 50" x 60" (over 4 feet by 5 feet) with a totally machine-washable vintage four-color horror comic image, this conversation-starter is big enough to share with a cute cosplayer (or two)!
Order now for delivery in time for SDCC!
BTW, the art is also available on t-shirts, mugs, and other kool kollectibles!

San Diego "Tales from ComicCon" 5th Anniversary Shirts & Stuff!

On July 24th, 2010, at the San Diego ComicCon, reality became far more frightening than any horror comic book!
Thankfully, the victim survived, and  a suspect was quickly taken into custody.

Sadly, nerd-on-nerd crime is becoming a more common problem in our society than most people realize!
It is THE Threat to Our Way of Life that Dare Not Speak It's Name...mostly because people would roll on the floor laughing hysterically.

But this is NO laughing matter, citizens!
To draw attention to this growing menace to our way of life, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have produced this line of kool kollectibles for you to display at conventions so that this incident is not quickly forgotten by a jaded populace eager for the next cheap thrill!
We were warned!
We didn't listen!
We paid the price!
Remind everyone!
DR WERTHAM WAS RIGHT!

Reading Room: SECRETS BEHIND THE COMICS by STAN LEE...Secrets 7-10!

Join us, as we continue to explore the sacred writings of Stan (the Man) Lee...

 ...as he shows us how a comic story is created!

Note: the "Marvel Method" of a writer giving just a basic plot outline or even a page-by-page synopsis to a penciler who would have greater input into the story direction didn't come about until the early 1960s, when the sheer volume of material Stan Lee was editing/art directing/writing by himself became too much to handle.

We'll return to Secrets Behind the Comics in the near future.

Reading Room: SECRETS BEHIND THE COMICS by STAN LEE...Secrets 4-6!

Let's rejoin comics legend Stan (the Man) Lee as he reveals...

...in this incredibly HTF book from 1948!

All this has been mere prologue.

Tomorrow we get to the stuff you're dying to see...so don't miss it, true believers!

BTW, you probably don't recognize most of the characters Lee mentions.

Timely/Atlas/Marvel hasn't published most of them in decades.

Note: the blonde model/actress Hedy Devine, (aka "Hedy de Vine"), is not the Hedy who became part of the team of Patsy & Hedy, who had their own book through the mid-60s.

That was brunette Hedy Wolfe, who was a teenager, like her "frenemy" Patsy Walker.
Both of them eventually became part of the Marvel multiverse.

Reading Room: SECRETS BEHIND THE COMICS by STAN LEE...Secrets 1-3!

For those, like myself, who aren't (sob) going to San Diego this weekend...

...here's a "how-to" manual from The Man himself...Stan Lee!

(As if you couldn't tell from the "soft-sell" text!)

Tomorrow...

MORE SECRETS!

What I'm looking forward to at SDCC...

...with all the new merchandise from the 1960s Batman tv series...

...coming out, there's really only one thing left, an annoucement about a long-awaited DVD release, either as season boxes or a complete series set!

(And a simultaneous release of it's "brother" tv series...

...The Green Hornet, would be the icing on the cake!)

Sit on It, FanBoy/Girl! THE "Must-Have" Item for San Diego!

Remember San Diego on July 24th, 2010?

When reality became MORE frightening than a horror comic!

Holy Injury to the Eye Motif!

Commemorate one of the most infamous events in San Diego ComicCon history in comfort with this cozy convention blanket that'll keep your butt warm on the cold hotel or convention center floor while you're waiting in line for a panel, presentation, or autograph session.
A generous 50" x 60" (over 4 feet by 5 feet) with a totally machine-washable vintage four-color horror comic image, this conversation-starter is big enough to share with a cute cosplayer (or two)!
Order now for delivery in time for SDCC!
BTW, the art is also available on t-shirts, mugs, and other kool kollectibles!

DC Comics Comments about the Fans...

From Bleeding Cool...

Click on the art to enlarge

Part of DC's presentation to retailers at this year's San Diego ComicCon.
Well, at least they used classic Silver Age art! (But why did they screw up The Atom's costume colors?)

Check Out the

Comic Book Collectibles Shop!

And these fandom-related goodies from Amazon...

"Tales from ComicCon" Redux

On July 24th, 2010; reality became far more frightening than fantasy when fanboys clashed and blood drawn at the San Diego ComicCon! Invoking the "injury to the eye" motif, crazed fans proved Dr Wertham right...comics DO cause Juvenile Delinquency!
Sadly, nerd-on-nerd crime is becoming a more common problem in our society than most people realize!
It is THE Threat to Our Way of Life that Dare Not Speak It's Name...mostly because people would roll on the floor laughing hysterically.

But this is NO laughing matter, citizens!
To draw attention to this growing menace to our way of life, we at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have added larger image (up to 11" x 17") shirts to this line of kool kollectibles for you to display so that this incident is not quickly forgotten by a jaded populace eager for the next cheap thrill!
We were warned!
We didn't listen!
We paid the price!
Remind everyone!
DR WERTHAM WAS RIGHT!

NEW! Dark T-Shirts and collectibles (including a "cutting board" [kitchen use ONLY, please]!)

NEW! Light T-shirts

San Diego Comic Convention Official Book Special Offer!

Remember when comics conventions were all about...COMICS???

(Above: poster for the 1973 SDCC)

Relive those days!
The Official SDCC 
40th Anniversary 
(1970-2010) book
Available from SDCC for $40.00!
Available thru us for as little as $5.24!

The ONLY Reason I Regret NOT Going to SDCC...

...is not getting this cool shirt!
Bloom County T-Shirt $25, Limited to 150
One of a kind t-shirt by the one and only Berkeley Breathed! Created specially for San Diego Comic Con to celebrate his Special Guest appearance, this instant-classic shirt will be available only at the IDW booth.

MiddleMan...the FINAL Episode!

One of the highlights of the San Diego Comic Con was a "table reading" by the cast (including Natalie Morales) & crew of the script for the unproduced final episode of the TV series MiddleMan.
The ep, "The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse" was adapted into a graphic novel (on sale now), but the reading was from the tv show's script, which was slightly different.
(and, while seeing an illustrated Wendy Watson in a Slave Princess Leia costume was cool (see above). the fact we'll never see Natalie in that costume is a bit of a bummer)

BTW, the DVD of the 12 produced episodes goes on sale today! Rush out and buy it...NOW! PLUS...Check out The MiddleBlog by the creator of the comic and the tv series.

Return of the Green Hornet

Well, with Seth Rogan's appearance (with the new Black Beauty) at the San Diego Comic Con, it looks like The Green Hornet movie is finally moving ahead with a projected release next summer!
Rumors abounded that Nick Cage was negotiating to play the main villain and that Cameron Diaz has signed to play Lenore Case, Britt Reid's personal assistant / love interest who knows his dual identity.
Curiously, no word as to who will play Kato, the man who brings new meaning to "sidekick"! (Steven Chow was negotiating to do the role, but talks broke down.)

We're also moving ahead, preparing our line of retro-design Classic Green Hornet collectibles (including t-shirts, mugs, messenger bags, blank sketchbooks and a 12-month calendar) using the 1940s comic book cover and movie serial poster art scanned directly from the originals and digitally-restored and remastered!
(Above is the cover to The Green Hornet Comics #1 before digital restoration!)
Look for a blast from us around Labor Day, just in time for back-to-school!

San Diego Comic Con News: Green Hornet

In the 1966 Green Hornet tv series, the Black Beauty was a converted 1965 Chrysler Imperial towncar with high-explosive rockets under the front and rear directionals, knockout gas sprayer in the front grille, and "infra-green" lights, which combined with flipdown translucent sunvisors, enabled driver and passenger to see in the dark.
As shown this weekend by the 2010 Green Hornet movie's star Seth Rogan at the SDCC, the NEW Black Beauty is strikingly-similar, but with the addition of high-powered machine guns in the same positions as on the Batmobile in the 1989 Batman movie!