Happy Halloween, folks! In honor of my favorite holiday, I'm going to post a couple of pictures I did that depict classic monsters in unusual (for them!) get-ups!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Altered Egos: Roxanne Prize
Greetings, fellow traveler. Today we conclude (at least for now) the "Altered Egos" series crafted by Kabuki Katze with a character that has grown very near and dear to the hearts of Captain Satellite fans these last three years. I speak, as you may have gathered from the title of this entry, of Roxanne Prize. But you can call her Firegirl when she's on duty for the Invincible Alliance.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Horse Balls
As I am pretty sure I've mentioned, I live in a rural area. Though I grew up here, I am not exactly "of" here, if you get my drift. I am not really a country boy, but I'm not exactly a city boy, either. Basically, I am both, and therefore neither. Kind of funny how that goes, isn't it?
Living in these parts can be colorful sometimes. Whether it's passing a horse-drawn carriage on my way to work, or getting an eyeful of donkey-on-donkey action during my walk, there's usually something entertaining in this environment. And to me, the perfect store to epitomize the area is Nichols in DeQuincy.
I'll let you explore the Nichols website to get a better idea of what sort of thing this store carries. It is one of my favorite places to browse. I am not a hunter, but that's part of why I find it so fascinating. It is the kind of store that used to be prevalent, but is now a dying breed.
One of my favorite aspects of Nichols is their toy department. If I could, I would buy everything there. Why? Because it is loaded with the kind of stuff that you just don't see anymore, if you ever saw it in the first place. Want a bag of those solid plastic cowboys & Indians? Done! How about licensed Hannah Montana and Dora the Explorer fishing poles? Got 'em! Looking for action figures of rodeo cowboys and deer hunters? Yes, they have those, too!
They also have this:
Living in these parts can be colorful sometimes. Whether it's passing a horse-drawn carriage on my way to work, or getting an eyeful of donkey-on-donkey action during my walk, there's usually something entertaining in this environment. And to me, the perfect store to epitomize the area is Nichols in DeQuincy.
I'll let you explore the Nichols website to get a better idea of what sort of thing this store carries. It is one of my favorite places to browse. I am not a hunter, but that's part of why I find it so fascinating. It is the kind of store that used to be prevalent, but is now a dying breed.
One of my favorite aspects of Nichols is their toy department. If I could, I would buy everything there. Why? Because it is loaded with the kind of stuff that you just don't see anymore, if you ever saw it in the first place. Want a bag of those solid plastic cowboys & Indians? Done! How about licensed Hannah Montana and Dora the Explorer fishing poles? Got 'em! Looking for action figures of rodeo cowboys and deer hunters? Yes, they have those, too!
They also have this:
 |
| "Hey kids! Want some Horse Balls?" |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Captain America : Patriot #1 and #2
It is rare for me to tell you that I am reading and enjoying a currently published comic book series. It is even rarer for me to tell you that it is a story I have been waiting over 25 years to see published. Captain America: Patriot fulfills both of those statements quite nicely.
If you have more than a passing familiarity with Marvel Comics, you surely are aware that occasionally the continuity gets...involved. OK, there are times when it can be a snarled and tangled mess. This leads to all sorts of things that only exist to solve perceived problems. The multiple post-WWII Captain Americas are just one example, but they are the subject of this mini-series. Well, one in particular.
I'll give a short explanation, for those of you who neither know nor care about continuity minutiae. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revived Captain America in the pages of Avengers #4, they said he had been on ice since 1945. That's reasonably common knowledge. Trouble is, Captain America's comics were published continuously until 1949, and he had also been revived in the early 1950s. How to reconcile this? Well clearly, the Cap stories after a certain point must have REALLY involved different men wearing the guise of Captain America.
This all came up in the 1970s, and it's actually led to some good stories here and there for something that was just a continuity implant. The one story that largely went untold that I personally wanted to see was the career of Jeff Mace as Captain America III. Mace had originally been a hero called the Patriot, but he assumed the mantle of Cap under less than ideal circumstances. Plus, he was the only Captain America who voluntarily retired from the job. It just seemed to me that Cap III was filled with unexplored potential for storytelling, and I sometimes fantasized how I would write the tale if given the chance.
Well, that obviously never materialized, but Marvel has finally decided that now is the time to give us more Jeff Mace in the limited series Captain America: Patriot. I was super-excited when I learned this was happening, especially when I discovered that Karl Kesel was writing. Kesel is an experienced talent who respects what has gone before while also scripting adventures that stand on their own. Plus, he had already done wondrous work in fleshing Cap III out in last year's All Winners book.
This isn't quite the story I had pictured back in the 1980s, but darn it, it might be even better. Kesel deftly builds on elements from All Winners and incorporates pre-established stuff from dozens of prior comics to weave a tapestry that is at once tied to continuity and yet remarkably fresh due to the inherent obscurity of the sources. I mean, I consider myself fairly well-versed in such matters, and I didn't even know about Miss Patriot!
The characterization is sharp and on-the-mark, too. I think people sometimes assume books like this will be simplistic. Not so! Kesel's characters are far from cardboard cut-outs. He's taken What We Knew and extrapolated it into something better defined. That's the kind of comics I like: old school storytelling synthesized with valid and contemporary characterizations.
I have mostly discussed the writing so far, but do not let that leave you with the impression that the art doesn't hold up its end of the bargain. On the contrary, the art is (pardon the pun) MARVELOUS! I raved about Mitch Breitweiser last year when I talked about that Sub-Mariner book, and I'd say it's a dead certainty that his work in Captain America: Patriot is even better!
If you haven't yet seen Breitweiser's work, make your way to his gallery pronto. You will see a number of teaser images from this book which will illustrate my point about the art's quality better than any words I can muster. I am impressed that he doesn't shy away from the fact that this is a period piece, but in fact embraces it. There is plenty of room for dynamic action such as this page, but the devil's in the details. Breitweiser brings the goods, and hopefully, this will only lead to bigger and better things for him!
Oh, and I would totally remiss if I didn't compliment the extraordinary coloring work on display by Bettie Breitweiser, a.k.a. the artist's wife. She finds a nice balance of hues that gives the hero action the proper splashy impact of the era, but counterpointing it with a realistic tone when the situation requires. Coloring doesn't always get the respect it deserves, so let's have some props where they are due!
To sum it up, I really loved the first two issues of Captain America: Patriot. The third issue goes on sale TODAY, so if you are on your game, you can score the 3/4ths of the series in one go. It is worth the price of admission, and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out.
If you have more than a passing familiarity with Marvel Comics, you surely are aware that occasionally the continuity gets...involved. OK, there are times when it can be a snarled and tangled mess. This leads to all sorts of things that only exist to solve perceived problems. The multiple post-WWII Captain Americas are just one example, but they are the subject of this mini-series. Well, one in particular.
I'll give a short explanation, for those of you who neither know nor care about continuity minutiae. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revived Captain America in the pages of Avengers #4, they said he had been on ice since 1945. That's reasonably common knowledge. Trouble is, Captain America's comics were published continuously until 1949, and he had also been revived in the early 1950s. How to reconcile this? Well clearly, the Cap stories after a certain point must have REALLY involved different men wearing the guise of Captain America.
This all came up in the 1970s, and it's actually led to some good stories here and there for something that was just a continuity implant. The one story that largely went untold that I personally wanted to see was the career of Jeff Mace as Captain America III. Mace had originally been a hero called the Patriot, but he assumed the mantle of Cap under less than ideal circumstances. Plus, he was the only Captain America who voluntarily retired from the job. It just seemed to me that Cap III was filled with unexplored potential for storytelling, and I sometimes fantasized how I would write the tale if given the chance.
Well, that obviously never materialized, but Marvel has finally decided that now is the time to give us more Jeff Mace in the limited series Captain America: Patriot. I was super-excited when I learned this was happening, especially when I discovered that Karl Kesel was writing. Kesel is an experienced talent who respects what has gone before while also scripting adventures that stand on their own. Plus, he had already done wondrous work in fleshing Cap III out in last year's All Winners book.
This isn't quite the story I had pictured back in the 1980s, but darn it, it might be even better. Kesel deftly builds on elements from All Winners and incorporates pre-established stuff from dozens of prior comics to weave a tapestry that is at once tied to continuity and yet remarkably fresh due to the inherent obscurity of the sources. I mean, I consider myself fairly well-versed in such matters, and I didn't even know about Miss Patriot!
The characterization is sharp and on-the-mark, too. I think people sometimes assume books like this will be simplistic. Not so! Kesel's characters are far from cardboard cut-outs. He's taken What We Knew and extrapolated it into something better defined. That's the kind of comics I like: old school storytelling synthesized with valid and contemporary characterizations.
I have mostly discussed the writing so far, but do not let that leave you with the impression that the art doesn't hold up its end of the bargain. On the contrary, the art is (pardon the pun) MARVELOUS! I raved about Mitch Breitweiser last year when I talked about that Sub-Mariner book, and I'd say it's a dead certainty that his work in Captain America: Patriot is even better!
If you haven't yet seen Breitweiser's work, make your way to his gallery pronto. You will see a number of teaser images from this book which will illustrate my point about the art's quality better than any words I can muster. I am impressed that he doesn't shy away from the fact that this is a period piece, but in fact embraces it. There is plenty of room for dynamic action such as this page, but the devil's in the details. Breitweiser brings the goods, and hopefully, this will only lead to bigger and better things for him!
Oh, and I would totally remiss if I didn't compliment the extraordinary coloring work on display by Bettie Breitweiser, a.k.a. the artist's wife. She finds a nice balance of hues that gives the hero action the proper splashy impact of the era, but counterpointing it with a realistic tone when the situation requires. Coloring doesn't always get the respect it deserves, so let's have some props where they are due!
To sum it up, I really loved the first two issues of Captain America: Patriot. The third issue goes on sale TODAY, so if you are on your game, you can score the 3/4ths of the series in one go. It is worth the price of admission, and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Just Imagine With ROJ
The day is finally here. Yes, the day I have been repeating incessantly for months. It's October 26. Today is the day when the storyline for Return of Jetman culminates in an ending that is hopefully as well-received as it is long-awaited.
I could babble some more about this, but forget it. Now is when the story over 5 years (or 15 years, depending on how you're counting) in the making takes center stage for its grand finale. So go take a look and tell me what you think!
Read New Return of Jetman Episode 7 - "Just Imagine!" here!
I could babble some more about this, but forget it. Now is when the story over 5 years (or 15 years, depending on how you're counting) in the making takes center stage for its grand finale. So go take a look and tell me what you think!
Read New Return of Jetman Episode 7 - "Just Imagine!" here!
Monday, October 25, 2010
My World : The Masked Menace
The Masked Menace first appeared in 1941 as a "foreign saboteur" who fought the original Ultimate American. Though his initial scheme to blow up American dams was foiled, the Masked Menace quickly established himself as Ultimate American's arch-enemy in the minds of virtually everyone by sheer persistence. And when the United States officially entered World War II, he began to more blatantly express his allegiance to the Axis powers - particularly the Third Reich.
The Masked Menace's true identity was a matter of considerable interest to the U.S. government, due to his fifth columnist activities and apparent ability to travel across the world at will. Suspicions eventually zeroed in on one Wilhelm Krupp, a member of the German American Bund. However, as federal agents sought the Bundist for questioning, they discovered him murdered in his apartment. That evening, Ultimate American caught the Masked Menace planting TNT at a munitions factory.
The end of WWII did not spell the end of the Masked Menace. His anti-American rhetoric faded away, to be replaced almost entirely with a focus on crime. The Masked Menace continued in this vein until 1948, when he was gunned down by his own gang. That seemed to spell the end of the infamous villain.
Somewhat inexplicably, the Masked Menace returned in 1954, claiming to be the original and refusing to explain his resurrection. He briefly espoused a belief in Communist doctrines quite at odds with his wartime views, but later became entirely intent on elevating himself to a position of power. This phase of the Masked Menace's career lasted until 1965, when he was caught up in the detonation of a bomb intended for his old foe the Ultimate American.
The Masked Menace resurfaced alive and well in 1968 and captured the second Ultimate American, prompting the original to come out of retirement to rescue his successor. The two heroes teamed up to fight off their adversary, but this was only the beginning of the third stage of the Masked Menace's reign of terror. He eventually challenged Ultimate American II to a "final" battle in 1977 that ended when he accidentally stabbed himself with his own knife and plummeted from the top of the Mando Building. This seemed sure to be the last chapter, but the Masked Menace's body was not recovered afterward.
The Masked Menace made one final comeback in 1984, and engaged Ultimate American II in a fierce duel to the death. He lost, and as he clearly died for at least the fourth time, the Masked Menace crumbled to dust. He has not returned since, but if history is any indication, it is only a matter of time.
The Masked Menace arose out of a desire to do a purely Golden Age of Comics, 1940s-style super-villain, and then follow him through the decades. I rejected a lot of names and looks before I settled on the "Masked Menace" seen here. I like him chiefly because he displays certain parallels to the Ultimate American and because his design does not owe any specific debt to a certain ideology. That's sort of important, because a character tied explicitly to Nazism is a lot harder to use outside of the WWII setting. All you have to do is compare the latter-day fortunes of the Red Skull and Captain Nazi to see what I mean.
Speaking of the Red Skull, he's probably the character most people would compare to the Masked Menace. There are inevitable similarities, but only in the broadest sense. To me, the Masked Menace is a kind of Everyvillain from his 1940s era. He just had to adapt with the times, and like the Skull, that wasn't always an easy or logical fit.
I enjoyed working a certain element of mystery into this profile, and weaving together a string of unexplained and increasingly improbable returns from the dead for the Masked Menace. That sort of thing was the stock-in-trade of super-villains in a more innocent era, and it was a lot of fun to see how many different demises I could use. Of course, these unlikely escapes would seem to indicate that there is more to this story that will be told someday.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Dedicated Follower Of Stats
Hello, my name is Christopher Elam, and I am addicted to my website stats.
I first got hooked on checking my site stats when I moved www.returnofjetman.com to a new server in 2007 (insert subtle plug here). I'd never bothered with them that much until I had them right at my fingertips. Then, it became hard to resist checking them all the time.
When I began the OWARI blog in January of last year, Blogger didn't have a feature for compiling stats, at least as far as I knew. I registered an account for a service, but I didn't get around to implementing it. I eventually started using Google's webmaster tools, but that was far from perfect in giving me the picture of what was getting hits on a blog as obscure as this one.
At some point a few months ago, Blogger introduced a "Stats" feature. I'm not sure exactly when - it says May, but it doesn't show any views for me until July. In any event, these Stats give a clearer picture of what is getting the most views on this blog. It doesn't fully address the issue of audience, because it doesn't account for my Facebook syndication of these posts or those folks who read via feeds. But it does give me an idea of what the most popular entries on this blog are. The results are sometimes surprising.
Right now, I'm going to take a look at a few of the most popular entries on this blog. As stated above, this only takes into account views since approximately July. That certainly shortchanges every post prior to that, including the entirety of 2009. But even with that caveat, and the wildly erratic functionality at times, I think this list is pretty indicative of what is driving people here.
I first got hooked on checking my site stats when I moved www.returnofjetman.com to a new server in 2007 (insert subtle plug here). I'd never bothered with them that much until I had them right at my fingertips. Then, it became hard to resist checking them all the time.
When I began the OWARI blog in January of last year, Blogger didn't have a feature for compiling stats, at least as far as I knew. I registered an account for a service, but I didn't get around to implementing it. I eventually started using Google's webmaster tools, but that was far from perfect in giving me the picture of what was getting hits on a blog as obscure as this one.
At some point a few months ago, Blogger introduced a "Stats" feature. I'm not sure exactly when - it says May, but it doesn't show any views for me until July. In any event, these Stats give a clearer picture of what is getting the most views on this blog. It doesn't fully address the issue of audience, because it doesn't account for my Facebook syndication of these posts or those folks who read via feeds. But it does give me an idea of what the most popular entries on this blog are. The results are sometimes surprising.
Right now, I'm going to take a look at a few of the most popular entries on this blog. As stated above, this only takes into account views since approximately July. That certainly shortchanges every post prior to that, including the entirety of 2009. But even with that caveat, and the wildly erratic functionality at times, I think this list is pretty indicative of what is driving people here.
- Superman And Batman - STARKERS : This isn't really a surprise, is it? It shouldn't be after the explosion of hits it generated. That has quieted down a lot over the last few days, but the entry still gets a few views every single day. A side effect is that it has also bumped up views of this entry linked in its body. But not nearly enough, so get clicking!
- Blue Behemoth's Bulletin Board : I love that this entry is popular, but I can't quite figure out why. It has more views than any other post devoted to either my superhero universe or my collaborations with Kabuki Katze. In fact, it's by a wide margin. What makes this entry so special? Is it the term "bulletin board"? That is my only guess at this point.
- Batman's Thoughts On Love : If we're being realistic here, this is probably the most viewed post on this blog. I mean, it's over a year old, and it drives in visitors every week. Just think how many of those happened before the Stats started recording them. But really, one look at it should explain why. Everyone loves Batman.
- Devo - Something For Everybody (2010) : This is my review of Devo's latest album. Interestingly, it is not people searching for "Devo" that garners this entry most of its attention, but people searching specifically for that new album. This is by far the most popular piece I've written in the music category. Recording industry, take note!
- SD Battle Japan : I have written about the Japanese superhero show BATTLE FEVER J a lot more on this blog than I would have expected. This particular post is the highest ranked of those discussions. I gather it turns up pretty highly in image searches for the series. I expect that means a lot of people are saving the GIF. Pretty funny when you consider it is one of the earliest examples of my attempts to learn how to color via Photoshop.
- Naomi Morinaga Kicks It Old School : Lost in the hubbub of the recent Superman/Batman post is the popularity of this entry. It has been steadily climbing every day, to the point where it's in the Top 10! This despite the fact that Toei apparently made a claim to get the video embedded in the body of the post removed from Youtube.
- Super Robot Red Baron : This particular Japanese superhero show has been afforded a U.S. DVD release, and is in fact now available ridiculously cheap through a bargain label. That's exactly the sort of thing that will increase the traffic, especially when it's something that is bit of a fringe thing for most of the usual suspects.
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