BLACK MASK STUDIOS: LIBERATING AND OCCUPYING COMICS - Cosmic Treadmill at FORCES OF GEEK!

Black Mask Studios is a new creator owned and operated publishing company that can be described as being influenced just as much from the punk rock scene as it is the comic market.

Publishers Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Brett Gurewitz (from punk band Bad Religion) and Matt Pizzolo (Occupy Comics, Godzilla) are ready to represent the punks, vegans, animal liberators, the 99% and hip hop heads with a variety of intelligent, funny and sometimes bizarre catalog of comics featuring artists and writers from the underground and also celebrity writers and artists the likes of Alan Moore, Ghostface Killah, Darrick Robinson and Ben Templesmith.
 
After the jump we take a look at their first wave of titles.

 

BALLISTIC
Writer/Co-Creator: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Illustrator/Co-Creator: Darick Robertson
Colorist: Diego Rodriguez
Letterer: Crank!
Producer: Pizzolo
Issue #2 out on September 11, 2013
BUY DIRECT


Not since Transmetropolitan (Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson) has a future world looked so disgustingly bleak and surreally awesome. One could also draw comparisons to the cybernetic hyper pop culture world of Hard Boiled(Frank Miller, Geof Darrow) or elements of Miller’s Roninfor this tale of ex-con Butch with his talking, fleshy best friend of a gun.

The walls, the cars, the drugs, the cloned human meat and even gigantic buildings with human heads seem to be living and breathing.

Everyone’s on drugs, especially the gun and bong hits from organic brain stems seem to keep everyone on the same level.

The psychedelia is merely a backdrop for a bad-boy heist story except that this time, the guns is too hungover to participate or function properly. 

What we have here is a cyber-psychedelic-anti-hero action comic for the ages. No wonder this is Grant Morrison’s favorite comic of 2013. Writer Adam Egypt Mortimer is working with Morrison on a movie project that will mess with your head no doubt!

Darick Robertson is a master of the page, with incredible detail and really excellent work here. Fans of The Boys and Transmetropolitan need this book!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: “DRONES” WITH CHRIS LEWIS

 

Some great stuff comes my way via ComiXology Submit: a section on the site where creator-owned projects and independent creators get to strut their stuff with guided-view technology and sit right next to the big boys on the app! A recent gem I discovered was Dronesa comic about remote bomb pilots in Las Vegas bombing Afghanistan in the war on terror. Writer Chris Lewis was gracious enough to join us today to point some attention to his Kickstarter to get a trade printed with the conclusion of this action-packed and fun book!


DIGBOSTON: Thanks for joining us today to talk about your Kickstarter for Drones. What can you tell new readers about the series?
CHRIS LEWIS: Thanks for having me, Clay! Drones is a self-published, five-issue miniseries about the so-called War on Terror, Las Vegas style. It’s a satirical look at these crazy things we hear about in the news, with a special emphasis on unmanned aerial vehicles (AKA drones), the pilots who operate them, and the people (and goats) caught in the crosshairs.

 

Your first issue draws people in with a cool concept, plenty of action, gambling, and even sex. Are you trying to give people a heart attack?
This is just another example of reality being far stranger than fiction. With Drones I’ve tried to ride my imagination into the weirdest wild blue yonder, but I’m nowhere close to matching the pure insanity we’re consuming on a daily basis.

Just another day at work - Drones, Bruno Oliveira art

Just another day at work. Drones, Bruno Oliveira art

How much research did you do on drone pilots?
Quite a bit, actually. I’ve always been into politics, espionage, technology, etc., and I just started gobbling up news reports about drones after the events of September 11th. There’s an amazing book called Wired For War, and after I read it I started realizing that there was a very interesting psychological aspect to these drone pilots who are flying missions over war zones half a world away, sometimes firing missiles, but mostly just watching.

There’s a term that gets thrown about when describing how these drone pilots feel while they’re at work: The God’s Eye View.

The whole thing started to get uncomfortable when I realized that this technology mirrored how I was consuming media.

War via video feed. War as entertainment.

And guess what? A lot of drone pilots live and work at a base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. They have access to the biggest stage in the world in Afghanistan, and they are literally a short drive away from the entertainment mecca that is the Strip. These two things should make you question your sanity.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 4, 2013




COMICS

The bad guys take over at DC Comics this month, and if you are lucky you’ll get a copy of the 3D lenticular cover of your favorite baddy. That is, if DC made enough (which they didn’t). Speculators and collectors alike will be clamoring over these special covers! … Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Blackest Night) and David Finch (The Dark Knight) kick it off with the main event title, Forever Evil #1 as Nightwing seems to be teaming up with none other than Lex Luthor before facing the Crime Syndicate of America from another dimension. Keep an eye on Grayson! … Andy Kubert writes and Andy Clark draws the Clown Prince of Crime in Batman 23.1 — Joker!, an early tale of the purple suited lunatic, complete with face! … Me am tell you not pick up Superman 23.1—Bizarro Superman because Sholly Fisch terrible Superman writer. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

 

 

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UPCOMING SHOWS! This THURS 9/5 @MacLethal at @TTTHEBEARS

Thanks! 

 

Bloggers/Daily Email blasters & press folks! Looking for coverage on this —

 

Thursday’s 9/5 MAC LETHAL show at TT THE BEARS. You know him from his hilarious  http://textsfrombenett.com/ blog! And this pancake video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Teaft0Kg-Ok

 

Let me know if I can help you get any information SORTED!

 

BOOOSH!

 

-Clay at LeaguePodcast - your source for comics, nerdcore, spyfi and covert activities!

 

https://www.facebook.com/leaguepodcast/events

 

GOOGLE CALENDAR: http://bit.ly/1dIJ5eD

EVENTS PAGE

**NEW** - Google Calendar of our Events

 

THU 9/5 - TT THE BEARS: Mac Lethal (Texts from Bennett Tour), H.W. & DJ Emoh Betta, Clinical at TT the Bear’s Place [Bowery Boston & League Podcast present]

 

**NEW** SUN 9/8 - CASUAL SUNDAY with BORN CASUAL (Providence) at ZUZU (Throwback Hip Hop and R & B) - 10pm 21+ FREE

SAT 9/14/13 - MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS: Video Game Orchestra, DJ Cutman, Darren Korb (Bastion), Control Group, deadbeatblast - Guest MC Brian O’Halloran (Clerks)[Boston Festival of Indie Games Presents - Boston Plays Indies - 7PM]

SUN 9/15 - MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS (MATINEE): LeaguePodcast & Turbojugend Boston Present: The Hip Priests (UK), The Cretins, The Sprained Ankles, Bad Sex - All Ages $10 *NOTE: 1pm Doors

**NEW** SAT 9/28 - The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (DAY 1 - 11AM - 4PM)

**NEW** SUN 9/29 - The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (DAY 2 - 11AM - 4PM)

TUE 10/1 - Jel (anticon.), Serengeti (anticon.), Sole, Open Mike Eagle, F. Virtue at MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS [Leedz Edutainment and LeaguePodcast Present]

SUN 10/6: Rock On! Concerts & LeaguePodcast! present: Wil Wheaton VS. Paul and Storm

OCT 10-13: New York Comic Con

**NEW** FRI 10/11 - Peelander-Z CD Release @ Church Feat Members Of Electric Eel Shock! with PLANETOID [Presented by Rock On! Concerts and LeaguePodcast]

THU 11/7: MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS: Rob Delaney Book Tour @robdelaney - Early Evening Show - [Brookline Booksmith & LeaguePodcast Present]

**NEW** SAT 11/23: BOSTON SUPER MEGAFEST 2013 & COME TOGETHER MUSICFEST [DAY 1 - 10:30am - 6:00pm] - Sheraton Framingham Hotel

**NEW** SUN 11/24: BOSTON SUPER MEGAFEST 2013 & COME TOGETHER MUSICFEST [DAY 2 - 10:30am - 5:00pm] - Sheraton Framingham Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clay Fernald / Clay N. Ferno

M: +1 (617) 30-COMIC (google voice)

Check out our comic book podcast, LeaguePodcast.com

Check out my comic book culture column at DigBoston.com - EARTH PRIME TIME: DigBoston

 

Pop culture & comics at Forces of Geek

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1, BATMAN INCORPORATED SPECIAL #1, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #4 plus FIGHTING STRANGER VOL. #1

Art & Franco take a lighthearted all ages approach to Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse superhero and movie star Hellboy in Itty Bitty Hellboy #1, Chris Burnham curates a send-off to his team-up with Grant Morrison in Batman Incorporated Special #1, and Adventures of Superman #4 gives us some all star shorts in red shorts! Wash it down with a post-apocalyptic ComiXology Submit creator owned title Fighting Stranger Vol. #1.
  

ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1 (of 5)
WRITERS: Art Baltazar & Franco
ART: Art Baltazar
Publication Date: August 28, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156823936200111
Buy it HERE


Aw, Yeah Hellboy!

You might recognize the team of Art & Franco from Tiny Titans at DC as well as the most recent Superman Family Adventures. 

Perhaps you’ve seen the DC Super-Pets on Cartoon Network.  The point is, Art & Franco have been doing kids or all ages comics for years and now they have broken away from DC to give the cute mischievous humor and art to the Hellboy Universe and the fun keeps on coming!

From our usual inside jokes, referring to running gags on the Aw Yeah Podcast to Lil’ kid versions of everyone from Johann the spirit, Liz and Hellboy this book is just pure fun. They face off against kid friendly Karl (with exclamation point on his head), Rasputin and Herman The Head in varying sizes of cardboard box forts.

The book is worth the price of admission for the Johann chicken soup gag alone. True Story!

BATMAN INCORPORATED SPECIAL #1
WRITERS: Chris Burnham, Joe Keatinge, Nathan Fairburn, Mike Raicht, Dan DiDio
ART: Chris Burnham, Ethan Van Sciver, Emanuel Simeone, John Paul Leon, John Stanisci
Publication Date: August 28, 2013
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131789200111
Buy it HERE

Chris Burnham was the artist chosen to work with Grant Morrison to close out the chapter of his Batman run known as Batman Incorporated.  Burnham filled in on issue #11, featuring Jiro and Canary, the Batman of Japan (Introduced in Batman Inc., Vol. 1 #1).   The first internationally franchised Batman character Jiro (also known as Mr. Unknown - too many names) is more Bruce Lee than Wayne and all of his adventures are fantastical weird sci-fi kung fu flick futurist tales of Tokyo.

Burnham introduces a new  organ harvester villain, Dr. Inside Out in this issue that has the best use of a capsule hotel as a story device I’ve ever seen. Let’s hope Burnham moves to the writer/artist part of the business because I think he is great at both.

This book is an anthology looking at various international Bat-Associates from El Gaucho, the somewhat controversial Night Runner, Squire, Raven Red and Man-Of Bats. You’ll never guess it, but when DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio writes a story about some wacko DC C-Lister (See OMAC, Wednesday Comic’s Metal Men), its quite good. DiDio and Ethan Van Sciver drive it home with a Bat-Cow backup that’s something to be seen to believed. Damian Wayne’s former pet, Bat-Cow, is absolutely the hero. And he has a cape. Bat-Cow wears a cape.

I WAS LIKE:

WHAT?

[READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

 

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EARTH PRIME TIME: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK “KING” KIRBY


Let’s all take a minute to celebrate the life and times of the undisputed King of Comic Books, Jack “King” Kirby! Comic book, movie, sci-fi, and pop culture fans all owe this man practically everything. Jacob Kurtzberg (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994), was born to the poor Kurtzberg family. His mother encouraged him to draw and as a young man he eventually started on newspaper strips. His career got the biggest boon when he created Captain America in 1941 with collaborator Joe Simon. Timely Comics (later Marvel) had a winning team on its hands. After switching from company to company and working on various projects, Kirby teamed up with Stan Lee to create The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine in 1961, The Fantastic Four, creating, in that single issue, the start of the Silver Age of comics and resurrecting Marvel Comics from the Power Cosmic. That year begat stories resonating with fans to this day and influencing our favorite summer superhero blockbusters with timeless characters.


The saddest part of Jack Kirby’s legacy is that he is not often credited in these movies, nor was he ever rightly compensated for the work he did as a creator. Before the creator’s rights revolution, partially spearheaded by Batman’s Neal Adams in the 1970s, all work for comic book companies was work for hire. All characters (to this day, this is sadly true for the Big Two companies, unless a contract denotes otherwise) are property of the parent company to do what they like with them.

And that’s all fine, but it should shock and surprise you, and make you drop your cereal spoon, to realize that Jack Kirby’s heirs receive NOTHING when a movie likeCaptain America is produced.

Luckily, his family is cool, and so are the people over at the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center. Let’s tell you a few things about the cigar smokin’, page crankin’, sonuvvagun that you might not know!

1. Ben Grimm / The Thing is Jack Kirby!

Fantastic Four #8 - Jack Kirby

Fantastic Four #8 by Jack Kirby

Well, we are sure that Jack himself didn’t get irradiated in space and turn into a rock monster, but we can be sure that The King saw himself in his creation. I bet he would have clobbered the Yancy Street gang with big orange fists if he could have. But Jack found more time for drawing on fish paper with a No. 2 pencil than he did for fighting, so I guess we are lucky.

 

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill: A Look at 'Classic Star Wars - A New Hope' at FORCES OF GEEK

I wonder if Jedi before me woke up with a light saber in their bed like I did today.

Of course mine is a Halloween prop from years ago, I dug it our to do a pose for a project I’m working on.

Also, to the chagrin of my girlfriend, when she isn’t staying over, her side of the bed is filled with comics, toys, guitar picks, my backpack and whatever else I decide to leave there. Right now it’s my well-deserved booty from Boston Comic Con, where I raided the $5 trade paperback bins to expand my collection of classic must read comics on the cheap. My favorite score from the Con?

Classic Star Wars: A New Hope by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin.

This six issue series are the first Star Wars comics to exist, written by former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Roy Thomas in an unusual deal for Lucasfilm.


The rights were offered for free to Marvel so long as the first two issues hit the stand to raise awareness of the movie. No one knew the comic or the movie would be successful of course!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Save 10-50% on in-stock toys at TFAW.com.

 

 

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for August 28, 2013





COMICS


Aw Yeah, Hellboy! We’ve missed Superman Family Adventures and Tiny Titans, now we can get our fill of cute heroes in the Aw Yeah style at the popular Dark Horse character, Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 from our pals Art & Franco. Its an all ages funny book, from hell! … The Joes amp up to take on Cobra and defend Manhattan in Fred Van Lente’s G.I. Joe #7. Yo Joe! … Grant Morrison ran out the clock on his two volume end cap to an epic run on Batman with Batman Incorporated. Superstar co-creator on the series, artist Chris Burnham leaves the series with an all-star special in Batman Incorporated Special #1. DC Publisher Dan DiDio and Ethan Van Sciver (Flash Reborn, Dark Knight) spin off a BatCow backup! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

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YOU'RE NEXT (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

YOU’RE NEXT (review)

Review by Clay N Ferno
Produced by Simon Barrett, Keith Calder, 
Kim Sherman, Jessica Wu
Written by Simon Barrett
Directed by Adam Wingard
Starring Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, 
Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, 
Barbara Crampton, Rob Moran

Lionsgate / Rated R

Horror fans get a chance to get out of the house this weekend to check out You’re Next, a 2011 film picked up for national distribution from director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett.

Be wary of those in the theatre with plastic animal masks on in the theatre, the could be in on the master plan.

Welcome to a mansion in the woods with your family for the weekend!

If that’s not scary enough, just wait until your older brother gets there and starts teasing you about your weight.

This is a good horror film.

Perhaps a great one, but not a great thriller.
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

SuperHeroStuff.com - Shop Now!

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser:X-O MANOWAR #16, BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #12 plus THE FEZ #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser:X-O MANOWAR #16, BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #12 plus THE FEZ #1

The Summer of Valiant is almost over but X-O Manowar is ramping up for the fight of his life, Batman Beyond Unlimited Universe jumps ahead a year in Neo-Gotham, plus Triple Shotfavorite Mark Waid gives Indestructible Hulk the Doctor Who treatment and drops him into the Wild Wild West.

Wash it all down with 12 pages of The Fez from Roger Langridge found backstage at Babette’s Supper Club.


X-O MANOWAR #16
WRITER: Robert Venditti
ART: Lee Garbett
Publication Date: August 21, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200303101611
Buy it HERE

Aric of Dacia has returned from rescuing slaves from The Vine on Planet Death, and now he’s home.

A flashback to the Visigoth Aric looks much like Thor the Mighty Avenger on the title page, being schooled by his former mentor, Gilad The Eternal Warrior.

Flash forward to present day Romania, where Aric breaks into the National Museum of History to reclaim his father’s throne and fulfill his destiny as king.


Two of the most powerful heroes in the Valiant Universe go head to head as The Eternal Warrior sees firsthand the might of the alien X-O armor. 

This series is the lead-up to the fall Unity event at Valiant that will pit Aric against Ninjak, Toyo Harada (Harbinger), The Eternal Warrior and more. Aric is on the path to reclaim not only his throne, but conquer the Earth itself, fulfilling the destiny of his people.

The Valiant crossover event looks promising with Matt Kindt at the helm, and this main book by Venditti and Garbett continues to impress with great stories and art.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1
WRITER: Kyle Higgins, Christos Gage
ART: Thony Silas, Iban Coello
Publication Date: August 21, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131789200111
Buy it HERE

There are two full stories here, collecting the digital first comics Batman Beyond 2.0 and Justice League Beyond 2.0.  Both stories jump ahead one year after the reveal of the new Batgirl Beyond and the 10000 Clowns storyline. 

Kyle Higgins (Nightwing) kicks off his run on Terry McGuinness with a re-opening of The Arkham Institute, a mid-air Man-Bat fight and a ‘round the table introduction to the people most important to keeping Batman Beyond out there on the streets, Dick Grayson and Commissioner Barbara Gordon.

Where’s Bruce? He’s there, but observing. For the first time, Bruce Wayne is not in the mentor role, as reported by the writers, to shake things up a bit.

Terry and Babs tackle a murder at Arkham, with Grayson advising from his acrobatics gymnasium. This story is off to a great start and if you care to read this digitally, you will be ahead of the print readers. Kyle Higgins knows Nightwing so his interpretation of the older Grayson is fun to read.

Some of the coolest Superman stories are those in which he is weakened by Kryptonite, or otherwise de-powered.

What is happening in Beyond is that something is wonky with how Superman is processing his solar energy and he is losing control over his powers. In an ode to a Cyclops mess-up, Supes nearly takes out Aquagirl with his heat vision and is forces into exile in his Fortress of Solitude. 

Micron helps out with his physiological problems and returns Clark to one of his previous New 52 professions—a firefighter. Unable to use his Kryptonian powers, can he rescue a cat this time? It might be hard! Christos Gage is at the helm of the JLB, and the two books compliment themselves nicely and exist in the same space and time.

Bruce is the one who tells Superman to go away, of course!
[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

Super Mario t-shirts

EARTH PRIME TIME: SUMMER OF VALIANT: BLOODSHOT, X-O MANOWAR & UNITY


Before another Summer of Valiant comes screeching to a close, new portals are opening up in the Valiant Universe introducing Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Frankenstein: Agent of Shade) to the characters in Bloodshot #0 and November’s Unity. Aric of Dacia (X-O Manowar) faces former brother-in-arms Eternal Warrior in modern day Romania in X-O Manowar #16. The second year of Valiant is just as exciting as the launch, with some of the industry’s top talent.

 
Matt Kindt’s Valiant debut, with Chrisscross on art, in Bloodshot #0 explores the origin of our favorite nanite-covered super soldier. Narrated by the scientist put in charge of throttling back the killer instincts of the nanite-driven soldier to give him a conscience, the story spans several decades of the government-run Bloodshot program. We’re taken through Vietnam, the Reagan assassination, and up to the unfortunate soul chosen for the 1993 Project Rising Spirit experiment.

The Man Who Would Be Bloodshot - Chrisscross Art

The Man Who Would Be Bloodshot - Chrisscross Art

This is the true origin of Bloodshot that you may have been waiting 25 years to read.


Bloodshot #0 - Matt Kindt Variant

As with the previous issues of Bloodshot, we’re treated to some truly horrifying violence and horrors of war. The Vietnam version was in improvement, physically, with self-repair built in, but, like the real soldiers in the war, lines were blurred and unnecessary casualties were par for the course. It was not until the ’90s when the nanites were infused with the memories of dying men, a step closer to garnering a conscience for the killer.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

Free Condoms with Every Purchase Online

Cosmic Treadmill: 'MARBLE SEASON' by Gilbert Hernandez (review) - FORCES OF GEEK

Cosmic Treadmill: ‘MARBLE SEASON’ by Gilbert Hernandez (review)

The Cosmic Treadmill takes us back in time to those summer days of reading comics, collecting baseball cards and watching everyone grow up around you, even if it seemed as if you would never get older.

This year saw the release of Marble Season from Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets). 

As the summer starts to wind down and kids go back to school, what themes will resonate from this book to an all ages audience?

The book is not merely a nostalgic retread of Hernandez’ childhood, but rather an account of growing up, family and the livelihood of a neighborhood when kids still played outside.


MARBLE SEASON
Writer/Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Price: $21.95
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
UPC: 9781770460867
BUY IT HERE

Los Bros. Hernandez have been publishing Love and Rockets for over 30 years.  

Marble Season is an excursion to the past, referencing the dawn of Marvel Comics in the ‘60s,Adventures of Superman on TV with George Reeves and Topps narrative trading cards Mars Attacks.

Brothers Huey and Junior join in the reading fun and both share access to Junior’s box of comics—that is until Mom puts an embargo on comics for the both of them until Junior gets his grades up. Their younger brother, the toddler Chavo is too young to read, and prefers to tear the covers from the books. 

Around the neighborhood are a whole host of boys and girls of differing ages, playing marbles, stickball and even a It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World party.


Everyone seems to get along, except for when they don’t, which usually ends up in an honest to goodness old fashioned fight with little boy punches and slaps (remember those?). 


A tomboy swings her stickball bat, some bad kids move into the neighborhood briefly for the summer and the star football player decides he is more interested in cooking than playing ball.

The little vignettes of Huey walking around the neighborhood as time passes takes the concept of Billy in Family Circus running around the block and elegantly captures the sense of time passing in the summer, and the myriad of adventures one finds themselves experiencing. The story is told through the eyes of Huey and Junior but also with the gift of play and imagination. 
[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: ROBIN HOOD: OUTLAW OF THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MATT DURSI


Matt Dursin is a comic book writer as well as the founder of the League of Ordinary Gentlemen Comic Book Podcast (LeaguePodcast). Dursin has written comics before, but taking the knowledge of his Comics Experience writing classes combined with his film-making degree from Emerson College has led him to applying himself to his latest project, green lit by Kickstarter
: Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century #1. Fellow League member and Earth Prime Time comic book correspondent Clay N. Ferno interviews his close friend about his experience getting the project together, Robin Hood’s modern Merry Men, and the ridiculously high cost of medical expenses these days.

 
DIGBOSTON: Start with the origin of Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century!
DURSIN: This goes back to the Andy Schmidt (IDW, Hasbro) Comics Experience writing class I took in 2009. The first class assignment was to write a 5-page story with a beginning, middle, and end. I had this idea in my head because I wanted to make a screenplay out of it.

I had been writing scenes for the screenplay for many years. It was a classmate that suggested that we don’t know if they are good guys until the end … page 5.

Tell us about this Robin, the setting he is in. Does he use a bow and arrow? What is he stealing?
He doesn’t steal gold! I figured, “What do people need?” Because of my own health issues through the years, I always think of the cost of medications and medical supplies. “How would you even pay for this without insurance?”

What if this Robin Hood steals medicine and gives it to people that don’t have health insurance or can’t afford it or don’t have a job. That’s what people need these days.

In the traditional Robin Hood, he was just giving money to the poor. Now, who is richer than the pharmaceutical companies these days?

 

If you go back to serfdom and the knight class and the royal class of the medieval period, the gap is just about the same from the 99% to the 1% in modern times.
Spoiler here: in issue 2, he does actually steal money. Without giving away too much, there is someone that needs money and Robin Hood makes the decision to steal money, but it is a decent to a darker turn as he gets deeper into it. I was kind of inspired by Breaking Bad.

Every issue isn’t going to be a robbery; different things can happen.

Are there more characters from the old stories than the familiar Robin Hood who will show up in your comic?
There’s Robin Hood, The Merry Men, Little John, Will Scarlett, of course the Sheriff is the bad guy. Maid Marian of course—the lady friend of Robin Hood. She is not a maid, obviously. She’s a nurse and one of the people who knows where the medication needs to go, she knows where the supplies are that he can steal.

She’s the inside maid.

It’s basically Sherlock—not to compare my little comic book to one of the greatest shows ever!

Go for it!
That’s Sherlock Holmes in modern times.

Although when did Sherlock actually debut? I think I predate it with my 5 pages in 2009!

It’s the same idea. The character is one you know, and a story you can identify with. This Robin Hood uses a gun; it’s not bows and arrows.

 

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

 

[Kickstarter page]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for August 21, 2013


 
COMICS

The power cosmic! It is a silver age swashbuckling Daredevil with the Herald of Galactus in one of our favorite runs on the character in Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil #30. … Batman Beyond Universe #1 gives Terry a new book and possibly introduces some more Batman lore set in the not so distant future of the existing books. Written by Kyle Higgins (Nightwing) and Christos Gage (G.I. Joe: Cobra). … You wanted the best, you got Kiss Kids #1! See what kind of trouble Li’l Demon, Starchild, Catkid, and Spacey can get into. Hopping on the Muppet Babies/Tiny Titans/Itty Bitty Hellboy trend, KISS introduces the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the world to the all ages audience! (Finally!) … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

 

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Cosmic Treadmill #1: THE NEED FOR SPEED - FORCES OF GEEK

Today, I debut a new comics column on Forces of Geek! COSMIC TREADMILL.

Cosmic Treadmill: THE NEED FOR SPEED

 

(Stefan made another awesome icon, thanks man!)

This is the first installment of my new regular comics feature here on Forces of Geek.

The comic book industry can be tough to keep up with, like a treadmill someone else is controlling from a back room somewhere.

Cosmic Treadmill may keep you up-to-date with news about exciting creator switches, new book announcements, company wide events or the coolest Kickstarter announcements.  Sometimes, the treadmill might go back in time to look at master works of the past (ahem, Jack Kirby or Wally Wood for instance!), back issue bin finds and also reviews of Comic Con trade paperback finds from the weird to the wonderful and the bizarre. There is no place on Earth and Time where this may not go. We will stretch across the universe and cross-time alternate universes while our little legs keep pumping along.

We hope you can keep up!

You may be able to tell, we’re Flash fans.


From Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver in 2009’s Flash: Rebirth all the way back to classic Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert’s 1956 Showcase #4 we look at the world differently when you can imagine popping out the red suit from your ring and running to save the world in the blink of an eye.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

 

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for August 14, 2013

 


COMICS

 

What sells more books than The Wolverine this summer? How about an 8-Bit Sabertooth Matthew Waite variant cover for Paul Cornell and Alan Davis’ Wolverine #8!. Yet another revival of T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents #1 pops up over at IDW! The classic Wally Wood and Len Brown ’60s superhero team returns as Phil Hester (Wonder Woman) gets a hold of the Menthor helmet. This is comics for comics fans, folks, a delectable delight to bag and board! … Last year we talked with R. Stevens of Diesel Sweeties about his robot romance comic strip. Oni Press collects the first volume of the thing here in Diesel Sweeties Vol. 01 - I’m A Rocker I Rock Out. Get it or the robots will get you! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

 

 

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

11/7 MIDDLE EAST - Rob Delaney Book Tour - Early Evening Show - [Brookline Booksmith & LeaguePodcast Present]




Thu 11/7/13 - Early Evening Show -
Brookline Booksmith & League of Ordinary Gentlemen Comic Book Podcast - leaguepodcast Present:
Rob Delaney
18+ $30 1 ticket 1 book /
$50 2 tickets 1 book
*NOTE: 6:00pm doors (event ends at 9:30pm)

http://tktwb.tw/13vkC2B


Rob Delaney’s career received attention via his Twitter account. As of June 2013, Delaney has 875,300 followers. In 2010, Paste magazine named him one of the ten funniest people on Twitter.
In May 2012, he became the first comedian to win the ‘Funniest person on Twitter award’ at the Comedy Central awards.
Delaney has written several articles for Vice magazine.
In December 2011, Comedy Central announced Delaney would shoot a pilot for a variety show, called “@RobDelaney”. In 2013, Rob was hired to star in the new television show called Big Rob produced by Judd Apatow. This is said to start filming in the Fall.
After Kim Kardashian’s divorce from Kris Humphries, Delaney announced on Twitter that he planned on suing Kim Kardashian to prevent the divorce. No lawsuit was ever filed.

********************
Comedian, Writer, 6’3 217 lbs. Preorder my book, ROB DELANEY: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. http://goo.gl/bPHf0c

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/216862/rob-delaney-by-rob-delaney/9780812993080

********************
NO PASSES OR GIVEAWAYS because of the book thing….
[email protected] for press inquiries.

http://www.brooklinebooksmith.com/
http://leaguepodcast.com/

Triple Shot: SIDEKICK #1, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #11, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #2

Triple Shot: SIDEKICK #1, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #11, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #2

JMS takes on the dark twist of a superhero sidekick plunged in to the depths of despair after the assassination of his hero in Sidekick #1, Paul Jenkins returns to Batman in Legends of the Dark Knight #11, and Nick Spencer’s misfit Scooby game of super villains are still one short of being Sinister until the Punisher shows up!


SIDEKICK #1
WRITER: J. Michael Straczynski
ART: Tom Mandrake
Publication Date: August 7, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Joe’s Comics / Image Comics
UPC: 70985301407200111
Buy it HERE


We’ve seen the fall from grace story a few times recently, in fact these are some of or favorite superhero books.

From Irredeemable to The Mighty and The Boys we see a super being turning bad and turning on the world he’s sworn to protect.

This most recent JMS superhero story focuses on Barry Chase aka Flyboy—sidekick of The Red Cowl.

At a parade in his honor, The Red Cowl is assassinated and Flyboy is left alone. Chase is left living in a tenement apartment trying to fund his career with Kickstarter, seeking the company of prostitutes, and staging saving the day with fake crimes for his public reputation. 

Needless to say, life sucks when you are a sidekick and are living under the shadow of the hero you served with, even when that hero is gone. Things aren’t looking up for Flyboy as he struggles with his identity in Sol City.

Straczynski’s return to comics is strong with this title and Ten Grand. Here’s to hope he continues his streak with The Protectors in November.
[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS (review)

Review by Clay N Ferno
Produced by Michael Barnathan, Karen Rosenfelt
Screenplay by Marc Guggenheim
Based on The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, 
Alexandra Daddario, Leven Rambin, Jake Abel, 
Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion, Sean Bean, 
Anthony Head, Missi Pyle, Yvette Nicole Brown

Fox 2000 Pictures / Rated PG



Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is the second in the film series based on the novels by Rick Riordan.

An honest attempt here is being made to capitalize on the success of the Harry Potter franchise in all of its forms but the difference here is that half-bloods and demigods are less appealing than Quidditch and Horcrux to the all ages crowd. 

An advantage of being able to dip into the well of Greek mythology retelling the journey of Jason and the Argonauts in a modern setting is that the story is written for you.

A disadvantage is being subjected to some cheap gags and some expensive but even cheaper CGI monsters.

One can give this a mostly positive review as a straight up kid’s movie (which it is), but bottling and stealing the Potter lightning falls short on making this a movie that parents and other adults wouldn’t be able to stop rolling their Cyclopian eye over.

This year’s sequel to the Chris Columbus directed Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief loses a sense of scale and all of the star appeal of the cameos in the first film.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: THE WATCHER’S LOOK AT BOSTON COMIC CON


This past weekend, citizens of Earth Prime finally got their Boston Comic Con at The Seaport World Trade Center. After much anticipation, the show was a glaring success for the fans, promoters, organizers and vendors. I am Uatu, The Watcher. I have taken an oath to aid humanity and monitor key points in human history without interfering. Here just some of the events happening at Boston on Saturday and Sunday, for us Watchers to study.

 

Boston Comic Con is angling to be a major independent comic book show in the country, and even after a reschedule and change of venue, founder Nick Kanieff has his target on being the number #3 show in the country behind touchstone San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con. If what I have seen from this past weekend is any indication, they may just make it. From the long entry lines, to the elaborate cosplay, to the amazing panel artists and guests the Beantown nerd and geek culture crowd uproariously rejoiced, seemingly forgetting about the unfortunate events of the Marathon Bombings in April that caused the show to move.

 

Observe! Boston Comic Con Fans Fanning Out on Fan Pier

Observe! Boston Comic Con Fans Fanning Out on Fan Pier

As The Watcher, I’ve seen some things. but never have I seen a line for tickets in Boston for something other than October baseball.

Nick Kanieff’s initial attendance prediction of 12,000—15,000 people was exceeded, and with a venue three times the size of The Hynes, one wonders if this is the best spot for the convention in 2014.

But I am just an observer, sworn not in interfere with my cosmic juju.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]