Comic Coverage

Dream Casting: Brainiac

Sure, the Silver Age model of Brainiac is long gone (pink shirt and all)....and the fantastic Yul Brynner has long since departed our mortal plane.

However, if it was up to me to cast the perfect Brainiac? No brainer.

Fighting for Truth, Justice and the Anorexia Way!

I came across this item on Blog@Newsarama, spotlighting a new line of action figure/dolls from Tonner Doll Company.

As you can see from the photo, Wonder Woman and Supergirl will apparently be battling the evil forces of good nutrition and realistic female body standards!

Someone get these girls a sandwich!

Captain America: Cross-Dressing for Freedom!

It's with a heavy heart that I bring you an humiliating episode from Captain America's otherwise inspiring past.  In this installment of Silver Age: The Lost Episodes, I'm actually jumping back to the earlier Golden Age of comics, back to Captain America Comics #2 (1941).  Having just made his debut the previous month, Captain America and his young sidekick Bucky Barnes had already joined the ranks of high-profile Axis smashers. Whether at home or abroad, Cap and Bucky took the fight to the Nazis by any means possible....with an emphasis on the "any means possible".

In the issue's second story, titled "Trapped in the Nazi Stronghold" American war financier Henry Baldwin is kidnapped and taken to Europe by Nazi sympathizers...and Cap's on the case!

What does Cap have in mind for Mr. Baldwin's rescue?

To secretly intercept the band of fifth columnists traveling with Baldwin?  To boldly storm the headquarters of their Nazi masters, scattering goosesteppers with his shield, wiley gymnastics and a good right hook?

Er...no.

Actually, in only his second issue, mind you, Cap resorts to dressing in drag to catch Nazi scum, while Bucky impersonates a sissy boy!  The sacrifice! The humiliation!  The high heels!

Happy Halloween

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern continue the grand tradition of whimsical Golden Age covers by joining forces against a hapless turkey. Judging from the turkey's determined look, he's not going down without a fight.

Comics Calvacade #18 (1947)

Despite the turkey's fighting spirit, the trio accomplished their grim task, as you can see from the Justice Society of America meeting later that day.

A slightly "enhanced" All Star Comics #3 (1940)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...and "thanks" for stopping by!

Mission Impossible: Christmas Shopping for Geeks

While jotting a few things down for a Christmas wish list, it occured to me that we comic book/sci-fi/fantasy geek types are a difficult lot to shop for.  Who among us hasn't gotten the bewildered look, the Mr. Spock eyebrow-raise, or the exasperated "Where the heck am I going to find THAT?" question from confused friends and family?

Yes, we are particular.  Yes, we like maddeningly obscure stuff.  In short, Christmas shopping for us is a major world-class drag.  I admit it. It's in this spirit of clarity and contrition that I offer this cartoon:

UPDATE: Want this cartoon on a shirt or some other cool stuff? Click here to visit my Geek Christmas Cafepress store. There's not too many days left for you to get your gifts by Christmas time, so check it out today!

Coincidence? YOU DECIDE!

Update! While we're on the subject of coincidence, little did I know that today, December 12th, is the actual birthday of our pal Edward Munch! I just found out! It's enough to give a guy goosebumps!

World's Coolest Government Logo

Courtesy of the Riding Sun blog, I present the official logo of Russia's Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie (GRU), or Main Intelligence Directorate. Despite the treachery of oily Vladimir Putin in recent years, the Russian President has good taste in logos. I'm sure the legal department of DC Comics/Warner Bros. disagrees...but what do they do? Sue Russia?

On second thought, if these creepy radiation-poisoning spooks wanted to steal a DC Comics logo, why did it have to be Batman's? Why not something more appropriate....like this one?

Happy New Year!

So I'm watching my annual twelve minutes of the Tournament of Roses Parade, and was lucky enough to catch this year's newest float, sponsored by the gang at Pasadena's Cosmic Crypt comic shop.   

Happy New Year!

30 Second Recap: The Death of Gwen Stacy!

Chris Sims, proprietor of the hilarious Invincible Super-Blog, has thrown down the 30 Second Recap challenge, in which a noted comic book story is summarized using only a few panels and super-fast drawing.  Since I'm a professional cartoonist, I tried to go as fast as I could without putzing over the details...while still trying to make it look like a sucky drawing.  My entry for the 30 Second Recap goes back a ways to the classic early-70's shocker The Death of Gwen Stacy, one of the most dramatic comic book stories I've ever read (or ever expect to read).   Click on the thumbnail image of the recap for a full-size view.

I'll have to admit, there's something charming about knocking a story down to its barest essentials....even a dark storyline like this one.  Enjoy! 

P.S.:  Hey Chris...do I get extra credit for that kick to the face in panel seven?