Category: But I Digress…

Originally published September 29, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1402

The release of the “Ultimate Marvel” line, the first of which launches this week (as of this writing) with Spider-Man, serves several purposes. The first, of course, is that it downgrades the previous forty years of Marvel tales by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, et al, into merely a Penultimate Marvel line, leading up to the overwhelming greatness represented in the new series. A sizable legacy to live up to, indeed. However, it also seeks to address a genuine problem facing many potential new readers: Where to start?

Continue Reading “Ultimate Marvel and redefining comics for adults” →

Originally published September 22, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1401

Two without-warnings in the past few days…

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The story has it that, at an auction house where a Carl Barks “Scrooge” painting was going up, Steve Geppi of Diamond stood the moment the bidding commenced and raised his bidding paddle. He held it out and up in a manner no less determined than Van Helsing defiantly holding a crucifix in the face of an advancing Count Dracula, and not once did Geppi lower it. So determined was he to get it that he kept the paddle up there, automatically jumping over every would-be competitor until the bidding was all done and he was the owner of it. Such is the determination and passion that the work of the masterful Barks inspired in some folks.

Continue Reading “Remembering Carl Barks’ work & Marvel editorial changes” →

Originally published September 8, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1399

Spider-Man Fans Up In Arms Over What’s Up with Spider-Man’s arms! Film at 2001!

I have learned to take, with a massive helping of salt, fan angst over news related to upcoming superhero films. My baptism of fire, so to speak, in that arena came at a convention when I was on a general Q&A panel with several other pros. We were asked, as a group, what we thought of the (then) news that director Tim Burton had cast Michael Keaton as Batman.

Others on the panel made it clear that, as far as they were concerned, any thoughts that Burton would produce a “serious” treatment of Batman had now fallen by the wayside. Not only was it bad enough that the film was in the hands of the director of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, but it was going to star Mr. Mom. We were going to see another camp treatment. It was inevitable, a sure thing, take it to the bank. Throughout the room, fan heads bobbed in agreement.

And I said, “Uhm… I have no intrinsic problem with either Burton or Keaton. Just because Burton’s known primarily for comedy doesn’t mean he can’t do a serious take on Batman. And Keaton’s an actor. A comic actor can play something straight. The film might actually be pretty good because they’re both talented guys…”

It was the nearest I’ve ever come to being booed off a panel. I’ve never been barraged with that much hostility. Even some of the pros were looking at me as if I’d advocated using a dead baby seal to bludgeon the Pope.

Continue Reading “Spider-Man in Comics and Film” →

Originally published September 1, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1398

The following is a guest column by Mr. Harlan Ellison. In my recent coverage of the Tony Twist decision (where Todd McFarlane got hammered by a St. Louis jury for transforming hockey player “Tony Twist” into corpulent thug “Tony Twist), Harlan was struck by Todd’s (and Todd’s supporters) clear lack of comprehending what (if anything, in his eyes) he’d done to deserve this. Harlan has elected to draw from personal experience and spell it out for him. Here is Mr. Ellison:

So Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen walk into a building.

You’d think one of them would have seen it.

Continue Reading “Guest column: Harlan Ellison on Twist vs. McFarlane” →

Originally published August 25, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1397

Finishing up stuff that went on at San Diego…

Continue Reading “San Diego Comic Con 2000, Part 2” →

Originally published August 18, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1396

Assorted fun and games at the San Diego Comic Convention (or, if you prefer, Comic Con International, which is probably more accurate except I only hear it referred to as the San Diego Con. But, y’know, go argue with those pesky comic folks):

Continue Reading “San Diego Comic Con 2000, Part 1” →

Originally published August 11, 2000, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1395

When last we left our hero, Todd McFarlane, he was fretting outside a St. Louis courtroom after a St. Louis jury had awarded $24.5 million to former hockey player Tony Twist after McFarlane appropriated Twist’s name for a thuggish mobster in the pages of Spawn. “I thought that ‘law’ was sort of short for ‘logic,’” said Todd. “That just got blown out of the water.”

Continue Reading “Twist vs. McFarlane, Part 2” →