May 2012
56 posts
Whatzit?
A detail of Michael Chiklis’ Thing costume from the Fantastic Four movie?Or an extreme close-up of a dog’s nose, colored orange? Hint: Costume designer José Fernandez did zero work on this.
Kleefeld on Comics: Books I'm Looking Forward... →
I’ve got a lot I’m looking forward to in May. Loads of stuff going on around Castle Kleefeld. But in an attempt to look beyond just the next month — and because I’m having trouble coming up with any real content — here’s a list of comics/graphic … Kleefeld on Comics
April 2012
54 posts
Books I'm Looking Forward To
I’ve got a lot I’m looking forward to in May. Loads of stuff going on around Castle Kleefeld. But in an attempt to look beyond just the next month — and because I’m having trouble coming up with any real content — here’s a list of comics/graphic novels I believe are coming out sometime in 2012 and that I’m looking forward to. In no particular order…...
Filmation's Flash Gordon
I believe I’ve mentioned previously how I spent many of my Saturday mornings as a kid glued to the television watching cartoons, and how most of those were themed around comics or superheroes. There were a few years when that included a Flash Gordon cartoon, that looked exciting and different from just about everything else on TV at the time. It also infuriated me to no end. The show was put...
Foxtrot Experiment Is A Major Success
Two weeks ago, Bill Amend announced on his blog that he was taking his “first steps into the worlds of e-books and self-publishing.” Amend’s comic strip, Foxtrot, has been running since 1988 syndicated through Universal Press. Like just about every successful newspaper strip before, Andrews McMeel (which owns Universal) periodically published bound collections of the strip, in...
Kleefeld On Webcomics #58: A Broadening Base →
from MTV Geek
Closing Doors Review
You know that one holdout shop on the other side of town? It’s a small place, run by one guy. He’s really put his heart and soul into it over the past few decades. The shop’s seen better days, but that’s not due to a lack of willingness on the owner’s part. It’s just that business has slowed quite a bit these past few years with big box stores and the ability to...
Kleefeld on Comics: Time For Links! →
Remember last week when I linked to a scathing obituary of Mort Weisinger? Well, his son Hank came back to defend him. Seemingly oblivious to the irony in light of the current ongoing discussion about creators’ rights, his defense largely … Kleefeld on Comics
Time For Links!
Remember last week when I linked to a scathing obituary of Mort Weisinger? Well, his son Hank came back to defend him. Seemingly oblivious to the irony in light of the current ongoing discussion about creators’ rights, his defense largely consists of the idea that the comics industry would have to be pretty fucked up to let someone without original ideas of their own make money off the...
Freddie Mercury, The Sub-Mariner
Last night, Jeff Parker relayed Steve Lieber’s theory that adding a mustache to the Sub-Mariner turns him into Freddie Mercury. Let’s put that to a test. Here’s a picture of Mercury for reference.And now, shots of the Sub-Mariner with a mustache. Damn! That’s pretty creepy how well that works, costumes and all!
Random Thoughts On Kickstarter
Don’t worry, regular readers, I’m not going to make another sales pitch for somebody’s Kickstarter campaign. But I was thinking, and figured I’d bang out a handful of not-entirely-connected, not-fully-thought-through thoughts about Kickstarter in geneal. We’ve quickly learned that it’s a great way to fund projects, if you’ve got a reasonably sized audience...
Comics AM | The state of the French comics... →
Comics | Sean Kleefeld goes with a somewhat nobler theme and collects all the Earth Day comics he can find. [Kleefeld on Comics] Awards | The winners of the …
Eric Orchard: Marrowbones Review In Kleefeld On... →
Marrowbones Review In Kleefeld On Comics. A great review of Marrowbones by Sean Kleefeld. Sean points out some weaknesses in Marrowbones one that I fully agree with. One great thing about reviews is that if you’re brave enough and … Eric Orchard
Kleefeld on Comics: Earth Day Comics 2012 →
Back in 2008, a number of cartoonists got together and themed all of their comics around Earth Day. They informally followed that up in 2009 but totally dropped the ball in 2010. Honestly, I didn’t even pay attention last year because of it. Kleefeld on Comics
Eric Orchard: Marrowbones Review In Kleefeld On... →
A great review of Marrowbones by Sean Kleefeld. Sean points out some weaknesses in Marrowbones one that I fully agree with. One great thing about reviews … ericorchard.blogspot.com/…/marrowbones-review-in-kleefeld-…
Earth Day Comics 2012
Back in 2008, a number of cartoonists got together and themed all of their comics around Earth Day. They informally followed that up in 2009 but totally dropped the ball in 2010. Honestly, I didn’t even pay attention last year because of it. But this year, we have at least a few folks who remembered, so I thought I’d try to collect all of the Earth Day cartoons I’ve been able to...
MTV Geek – Kleefeld on Webcomics #57: These Kids... →
By Sean Kleefeld McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm. They consult with lots of big companies and even some governments about. geek-news.mtv.com/…/kleefeld-on-webcomics-57-these-kids-t…
Kleefeld on Comics: Today's Framing Project →
I got a raise at work a couple weeks back and I thought it was high time to celebrate by getting some comic book art up on the walls. But I try to keep a somewhat classy homestead, so I’m not just going to tack up some posters with thumbtacks! Kleefeld on Comics
Today's Framing Project
I got a raise at work a couple weeks back and I thought it was high time to celebrate by getting some comic book art up on the walls. But I try to keep a somewhat classy homestead, so I’m not just going to tack up some posters with thumbtacks! I went out for some actual frames. I’ve actually got quite a few pieces that could stand being framed. Some cool posters, prints, original...
Kleefeld on Webcomics #57: These Kids Today →
from MTV Geek
Has Anyone Really, REALLY Read The Galactus...
Over at The Hooded Utilitarian, Ben Saunders ponders the question: has anyone really read Action Comics #1? He mostly looks at it from the perspective of the fact that, even as early as the mid-20th century, very few people had access to an original copy of the seminal comic book and the vast majority of us are relegated to reading reprints and digital copies. He brings up several salient points...
Amazing Graphic Novel Reference For Libraries
Salem Press is finally releasing their three-volume Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Independents & Underground Classics. It’s a huge reference for many of the most important and significant graphic novels in the history of the medium. (I know it includes an entry for It Rhymes With Lust and I’m pretty sure He Done Her Wrong is in there as well.) It costs $395 but it was edited...
Kleefeld on Comics: It's Wednesday &... →
Ken Quattro, the Comics Detective, posts a previously unpublished “obituary” of Mort Weisinger, written by William Woolfolk. As Quattro says, it doesn’t pull any punches. Rob Steibel posts some scans from Excelsior, a fanzine started in 1968. Kleefeld on Comics
It's Wednesday & It's Links
Ken Quattro, the Comics Detective, posts a previously unpublished “obituary” of Mort Weisinger, written by William Woolfolk. As Quattro says, it doesn’t pull any punches. Rob Steibel posts some scans from Excelsior, a fanzine started in 1968. Of particular interest is that it includes short interviews with both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Not particularly in depth, but there are...
Season 1, Episode 7 - Videoman
I learned earlier today that Videoman was officially brought into Marvel continuity a few years ago. I’ve been having trouble wrapping my head around that, so I’m just going to present the character’s debut in its entirety. And, for a little added perspective, this episode came out one week after “Seven Little Superheroes” — arguably the best, most memorable...
The Safety Purchase
If you buy Batman every month, you generally have a decent idea of what to expect. That’s not intended as a slam against the writers and artists of the book, by any means, but as a reader, you know that some crime will be committed and Batman will have to hunt down the perpetrator and bring him/her/it to justice. Batman looks a certain way, moves a certain way, talks a certain way… You...
Marrowbones Review
Eric Orchard is launching his new comic, Marrowbones, tomorrow and sent along an advance copy for me to review. It’s about an orphan named Nora who goes to work at her Uncle Barnaby’s Ravensbeard Inn. Despite being surrounded by ghosts, vampires, werewolves and the like, Nora finds herself quite at home. The main story is about how Nora and her vampire friend Ollie discover a lich in...
Dystopian Fiction VS Reality
I was reading Warren Ellis’ Ignition City this afternoon. Good story, as is pretty typical with Ellis. The story, not surprisingly, mostly takes place in Ignition City which can probably be described as a shithole built largely with half-wrecked spaceships. Kind of like Mos Eisley, except where the Star Wars city might be described as far from the bright center of the universe, Ignition City...
Appearances + Cameos
Since everyone else is off at C2E2 this weekend, I figured it’d be a good, relatively unobtrusive time to do some self-promotion on what I’ve got coming up in the near and semi-near future… Flying Pig Marathon OK, this has nothing to do with comics, but it’s taking a big chunk of my time and is why I’m not attending C2E2. I’ll be running in the Flying Pig...
Kleefeld On Webcomics: Brad Guigar Interview →
from MTV Geek
Kleefeld on Comics: Does This Fit In My Lifestyle? →
At my day job, they just spent a bunch of time and money on some market research, relative to our business. They’re having meetings and distributing the results throughout the company now. I can’t get into specifics, of course, but the broad … Kleefeld on Comics
Does This Fit In My Lifestyle?
At my day job, they just spent a bunch of time and money on some market research, relative to our business. They’re having meetings and distributing the results throughout the company now. I can’t get into specifics, of course, but the broad theme was “Does this fit in my lifestyle?” That is, people these days are asking — in broad terms — whether or not a given...
Links! Links! And Links Some More!
Jim Shelly predicts an impending buyer’s remorse for those folks reading Avengers vs X-Men. Although he doesn’t say it expressly, he also suggests that there’s more magic here than in DC’s new take on Shazam. Comics: Philosopy & Practice will take place at the University of Chicago on May 18-20. The guests “will explore comics autobiography and journalism, the...
Kleefeld on Comics: De-Syndicated →
If you look at the comics in the newspaper, you’ll find that many of them are strips that have been around for ages. Long-running strips are LOOOOOONG-running strips, often out-living their original creators. The Katzenjammer Kids, Blondie, … Kleefeld on Comics
Kleefeld on Comics: Image →
Let’s talk about image. Not capital-I Image as in Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, et. al. but lower-case-i image as in how people perceive you. Everyone has an … kleefeldoncomics.blogspot.com/2012/04/image.html
De-Syndicated
If you look at the comics in the newspaper, you’ll find that many of them are strips that have been around for ages. Long-running strips are LOOOOOONG-running strips, often out-living their original creators. The Katzenjammer Kids, Blondie, The Phantom… I think one of the reasons syndicated comic strips were viewed as the end goal for cartoonists for so long was because it was almost a...
Image
Let’s talk about image. Not capital-I Image as in Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, et. al. but lower-case-i image as in how people perceive you. Everyone has an image of themselves in their head. You think you’re smart, handsome, witty, talented, etc. But that may not be what other people see when they meet you. They might see you as ignorant, unattractive, dull and unskilled. In all...
Comics AM | Arizona legislature pulls back... →
[Comics Alliance] Analysis | Sean Kleefeld discusses the taxonomy of comics and the continued usefulness of the term “webcomic.” [MTV Geek] Awards | David …
Comic Book Resources
Kleefeld on Comics: So... It's Easter, Is It? →
I’m with Dagwood; nothing good can come from this. at 9:57 AM · Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook. Labels: covers. 0 comments: Post a Comment · Older Post Home. Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom). Purchase from … Kleefeld on Comics
So... It's Easter, Is It?
I’m with Dagwood; nothing good can come from this.
Kleefeld on Comics: AARPing Health Care Reform →
My folks pulled aside the January/February issue of the AARP magazine that had a short article about Jonathan Gruber’s and Nathan Schreiber’s new graphic novel Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works. It’s a short … Kleefeld on Comics
AARPing Health Care Reform
My folks pulled aside the January/February issue of the AARP magazine that had a short article about Jonathan Gruber’s and Nathan Schreiber’s new graphic novel Health Care Reform: What It Is, Why It’s Necessary, How It Works. It’s a short piece, barely a couple inches of column space. But it does include a short quote from Gruber: “I didn’t think of a graphic...
Some more talk on whether the term “webcomics”... →
Over at MTV.com, comic-talking-guy Sean Kleefeld gives his two cents on whether or not “webcomics” should still be used as a term. I’ve discussed the topic a couple of times on this site, but Mr. Kleefeld goes that extra mile and discusses the … The Webcomic Overlook
Kleefeld on Comics: Buster Brown Erases Your Hips! →
Perhaps, they should’ve been marketing to overweight adults instead of children in short pants. In reality, it’s likely that the inker just got distracted and missed a few lines since the pencil lines could well have still been showing on the original. Kleefeld on Comics
Some more talk on whether the term “webcomics”... →
Over at MTV.com, comic-talking-guy Sean Kleefeld gives his two cents on whether or not “webcomics” should still be used as a term. I’ve discussed the topic a … webcomicoverlook.com/…/some-more-talk-on-whether-the-ter…
Buster Brown Erases Your Hips!
This Buster Brown ad circa 1946 suggests that wearing Buster Brown shoes makes your hips disappear. Perhaps, they should’ve been marketing to overweight adults instead of children in short pants.In reality, it’s likely that the inker just got distracted and missed a few lines since the pencil lines could well have still been showing on the original. But that nobody noticed before it...
Kleefeld On Webcomics #55: Taxonomy →
from MTV Geek
Tremendous Terence!
I’m always amused when a cartoon throws in some comic book references, particularly when it’s clear that the writers are trying not to step on anyone else’s toes legally. In the Count Duckula episode “The Vampire Strikes Back”, Duckula, Igor and Nanny find their castle tower blasted into outer space. Duckula then relies on what the wit and wisdom of comic book space...
Spring Links
How about an hour and a half of video footage of Gary Groth interviewing Robert Crumb at the India Comic Con? Not enough? How about another hour of Groth by himself? And how about another 40 minutes of Chris Oliveros? Why have you not clicked the link yet? The Food Junk blog takes a taste of 22-year-old Batman cereal. Although the author suggests the plastic has taken it’s toll on the...
Risk VS Reward
You ever see read the comic or see the movie Kick-Ass? There’s this teenager named Dave who decides he wants to be a superhero. He buys a suit and starts training in a very amateurish Batman fashion. He eventually decides he’s going to actually fight crime and promptly gets himself beaten to a pulp. He winds up in the hospital, and spends months in rehab. But once he’s done, he...
