Roger’s Comic Ramblings: It’s a Team Sport
New Teen Titans by Wolfman & Perez
Westfield’s Roger Ash talks about some of his favorite creative teams.
Westfield’s Roger Ash talks about some of his favorite creative teams.
For Your Consideration: DC’s Night Force HC
Night Force HC
Robert Greenberger tells you why DC’s Night Force HC needs to be on your bookshelf.
Roger’s Comic Ramblings: Baltimore Comic-Con 2010 report
By Roger Ash
A few weeks back, I wrote about how much I like going to comic conventions. I got to indulge in that pleasure the weekend of August 28 & 29 when I attended the 11th annual Baltimore Comic-Con. I love going to the Baltimore Comic-Con because it is one of the few shows that focuses specifically on comics. It’s also a unique show for me as I’ve been part of the convention staff for the past two years. I met convention organizer Marc Nathan a number of years back at a DC Comics function, and we hit it off and quickly became friends. Last year, Marc asked if I’d program the panels for him. I agreed. I guess I did OK as he asked me to do it again this year.
Beauology 101: You Always Remember Your First, part 1
by Beau Smith
Most of you have read the title to this week’s column and I know what you’re thinking. I’ve no doubt sparked some, what must be, pleasant memories for you. That or you’re wishing for a time machine and a chance for a re-do.
As I’ve mentioned here in Beauology 101 class before, I have a lot of stuff here at The Flying Fist Ranch. Some of you (and my wife) may call it by its true name, clutter. I call it treasure. Needless to say, when I can, I try and go through the containers, boxes and files and decide what really needs to be kept for the archives, and what needs to be given away or sold. The other evening I found a box with two very special items in it. One was Amazing Heroes #23. (May 15, 1983)
DC Comics’ New Teen Titans: Games – Westfield Pick Video
Roger lays out the many, many reasons why you should read DC Comics’ New Teen Titans: Games HC by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
KC Column: The Never-Ending Story Part 1
by KC Carlson
Though we may be inundated by it in current superhero comic books, long-form serialized storytelling is nothing new.
The idea of telling a long-form storyline as a series of chapters originally dates back to somewhere between the mid-8th and the mid-13th century. The work in question? One Thousand and One Nights, more colloquially known in English as the Arabian Nights. They are actually a series of independent stories gathered together with a framing device, but as originally told, each story was shared over a period of nights, including some kind of “cliffhanger” ending, which would be resolved the following night. Some of the more famous of the stories include “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp”, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”, all of which are probably much better known to several generations of American children as the basis for three very memorable (and historically important) Popeye the Sailor cartoons.
Roger’s Comic Ramblings: Magic Time
by Roger Ash
“What the heck is magic time, Roger?”
Good question! For the purpose of this column, “Magic Time” refers when comics were magic to you. I’ve found that with many of my friends this is the time shortly after you discovered comics and they had the biggest impression on you. It’s the time when you couldn’t wait for new comic day at your local comic shop, or if you’re old like me, when you’d haunt the spinner rack at the local convenience store looking for new issues of your favorite comics. Or when you were sure every UPS truck that drove down the street had your latest shipment from Westfield. (Yes, I know Westfield doesn’t ship by UPS now, but they did back when I was a customer.)
Roger’s Comic Ramblings: I’m Not Gonna Talk About Disney
by Roger Ash
OK. Maybe I’ll talk about Disney just a little, but only to explain why I’m not going to talk about it more right now. When the news broke yesterday about Disney’s impending purchase of Marvel, I thought it was a fascinating story. By the end of the day, I was overwhelmed by all the commentary about it and needed a break.