Year: 2013

Originally published February 19, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1318

It was recently reported that Columbia-Tristar has optioned the classic comic series Nexus as part of its children’s programming. Both Mike Baron and Steve Rude, the series’ creators, are aboard with Rude signed on as a producer and Baron as the scripter.

I remember the first time I saw Nexus in development as an animated property. Somehow I knew that, in that particular instance, it was doomed from the get-go.

I had been brought to Hanna-Barbera studios to meet with an executive regarding a project that seemed, to me, to have tremendous potential: An animated feature film of Space Ghost.

Continue Reading “Space Ghost Writer” →

Originally published February 12, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1317

Lots of fans are writing me (mostly via e-mail) asking what I think of hypertime.

Now for most of America, there are various definitions of hypertime. April 15 represents hypertime to many, while for others it’s the last couple of shopping days before Christmas. But for comics fans, hypertime is the concept introduced in the second issue of the excellent Kingdom, Mark Waid’s follow-up to the Kingdom Come limited series.

Continue Reading “Hypertime” →

Originally published February 5, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1316

The first time I saw him was on television.

I was a kid, and the local news was doing coverage of a comic book convention in New York, one of the now-legendary Phil Seuling conventions. And there was Jack Kirby himself, signing autographs, talking to the TV reporter about the comic fans. The coverage of the convention made it sound tremendously exciting.

Continue Reading “Peter and the King” →

Originally published January 29, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1315

(Interior, conference room of a Major Comics Publisher. Several Executives are waiting. Executive A enters, two issues of Comic Buyer’s Guide tucked under his arm. He slams them down on the desk and projects his ire to the others in the room.)

EXEC A: Did you read this? Did any of you? This whole “MarvelManic” satire that compares us with Titanic?

EXEC B: It’s satire. It’s nothing.

EXEC A: I want this David guy gone! I want him off any titles that he was working on for us! And I want it done nine months ago!

EXEC C: You got it, boss.

Continue Reading “Behinds the Scenes at a Major Comics Publisher” →

Originally published January 22, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1314

And so, as we roll into the next year, it’s time for the annual doling out of what may very well be the least-awaited awards in the country: The Most Awards. Named for the patron saint of this little column, Donny Most (for no particular reason) the Most Awards is given out (in no particular order) to assorted people, places or things (in no particular pattern) for various reasons (with no particular criteria.) And so, here we go:

Continue Reading “The Most Awards 1998” →

Originally published January 15, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1313

Some more belated observations/recollections about the MECYF ’98, the sizable convention held in Mexico City last summer…

Continue Reading “Con Voyage to Mexico City, Part 2” →