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.
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.
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:
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…
Originally published January 8, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1312
Why do you climb into a rollercoaster?
I’m not talking about tricked up rides at Disneyworld or Universal or other theme parks, where the excuse can be that there’s other stuff to see along the way (the Jurassic Park ride, for instance, features several horrifying drops, but is “worth it” because of all the cool audioanimatronic stuff that’s part of the ride.)
I’m talking about the big ol’, high speed, turbo-charge, ain’t-nothing-there-but velocity roller coaster, hurtling along the rails, screeching as metal clutches onto metal. What is it about the swiftness of the ride that is so attractive? Is it the ear-shattering clacking of the wheels? The howling of people around you as they shriek in adrenalized terror? What’s the big attraction?
Face it: It’s the risk. You know it is. The risk generates the thrill.
Originally published January 1, 1999, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #1311
People often ask, “Where do you get your ideas for the weekly grind of But I Digress?” That’s not the most often-asked question I get. The most often-asked is, “Who the hëll do you think you are?” But a close second would be the one stated above. The answer is: lots of places. One of those places would be the Bureau of Overthinking Things, a think-tank in Oyster Bay which specializes in dwelling upon matters that are of little to no consequence. They then send out news releases to subscribers, and we in turn make what use of it we desire.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve used these reports from time to time if I can’t come up with anything on my own, and then passed that work off as something that I myself had developed. But the guilt has become overwhelming, and I’m afraid I have to confess to it. And before you hold me in too much contempt: Hey, at least I’m coming clean about it. Certain comedians have built entire careers on the Bureau’s releases (right, Seinfeld?)
And so, whenever the Bureau sends out something that I think might be of interest to our rather skewed little sensibilities here at BID, I’ll simply run the release as is, properly credited, so I no longer feel like such a hypocrite.
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