Fish-Flavored Baseball Bat

Remember Whens-Day: Black Canary by R.C. Harvey

2012-01-25T17:28:00.002-05:00

Cartoonist and comics historian R.C. Harvey contributes this charming Black Canary portrait:

Remember Whens-Day: Midnight by William Messner-Loebs

2012-01-18T20:25:00.003-05:00

William Messner-Loebs supplies this wry look at Midnight, Jack Cole's answer to Will Eisner's Spirit. It's all in good fun...

Remember Whens-Day: Fighting American by Steve Rude

2012-01-11T20:32:00.003-05:00

Was the Fighting American one of the last Golden Age heroes or one of the earliest Silver Age heroes? It's an interesting question, but why debate semantics when we can look at this gorgeous Steve Rude drawing?

Remember Whens-Day: Johnny Thunder by Chris Sprouse

2012-01-04T10:48:00.003-05:00

The great Chris Sprouse provides this portrait of Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt.

Remember Whens-Day: Will Eisner

2011-12-28T10:56:00.002-05:00

I've been lucky enough to meet several Golden Age creators over the years, and understandably, not all of them did convention sketches. Nevertheless, meeting the legendary Will Eisner and getting an autograph was exciting enough.

Remember Whens-Day: The Gay Ghost by Bo Hampton

2011-12-21T15:08:00.003-05:00

Bo Hampton provides this portrait of Sensation Comics' The Gay Ghost (or Grim Ghost, as renamed in more recent years). Okay, get the snickering out of your system...it meant something different back then.

Remember Whens-Day: Plastic Man by Phil Foglio

2011-12-14T11:13:00.001-05:00

And now, Plastic Man by Phil Foglio:

Remember Whens-Day: Bozo the Robot by Dave Johnson

2011-11-30T11:11:00.001-05:00

Next up in the Golden Age Sketchbook: Dave Johnson makes Bozo the Iron Man look cooler than he ever did in Smash Comics...

Remember Whens-Day: The Jester by Keith Giffen

2011-11-23T21:14:00.004-05:00

Keith Giffen provides this portrait of Quality Comics' The Jester.

Remember Whens-Day: Ralph Farnham, Space Pirate by Me

2011-11-16T18:09:00.003-05:00

Now here's an obscurity that I did myself. Way back when, I was reading the "Famous First Edition" overside reprint of Flash Comics #1, and was struck by this spot illustration from the issue's text story (written by Gardner Fox, illustrated by Sheldon Mayer):

I was just so tickled that the villain didn't get a futuristic or menacing name...he's just "Ralph Farnham, Space Pirate." And then there's that expression on his face...the world-weary look of "Yeah, that's right, the name's Ralph Farnham. Wanna make something of it?"

Well, I did make something of it: My own contribution to my Golden Age sketchbook.

Remember Whens-Day: The Fin by Bob Burden

2011-11-09T16:40:00.004-05:00

Bob Burden, creator of Flaming Carrot, supplies this portrait of another hero known for his unwieldy headgear: Bill Everett's aquatic hero The Fin!

Remember Whens-Day: Wonder Woman by Jason Pearson

2011-11-02T21:05:00.002-04:00

Next up in the Golden Age sketchbook: Wonder Woman by Jason Pearson. (Actually, with the caption he provided, this one would be equally at home in my musical sketchbook!)

Remember Whens-Day: Hack O'Hara by Joe Phillips

2011-10-26T11:58:00.001-04:00

Joe Phillips contributed this action shot of Hack O'Hara, the crime-fighting cabbie from Crack Comics.

Remember Whens-Day: Captain America by Adam Hughes

2011-10-19T14:59:00.003-04:00

The second piece in my Golden Age sketchbook: This gorgeous portrait of Captain America by Adam Hughes.

Remember Whens-Day: Alan Scott by Mart Nodell

2011-10-12T18:59:00.002-04:00

Now that I've gotten up-to-date with posting my Musical Sketchbook collection, I'm now going to start sharing scans from the other sketchbook I've been keeping over the years...a sketchbook devoted to Golden Age characters.

I started this collection back in 1992, when Martin Nodell was a guest at a local convention. After all, when you have a legend of the Golden Age attending, you can't miss an opportunity like that. I'm honored to have had him get the book off to such a beautiful start.

More Golden Age goodness to come!

Musical Monday: Jimmy Olsen Sings Simon & Garfunkel

2011-10-03T09:50:00.004-04:00

And now, my most recent acquisition, from this year's Dragon*Con...Karl Kesel's fantastic portrait of Jimmy Olsen living out a line from Simon & Garfunkel's "America."

And that brings us up to date on my musical sketchbook...but it's not the end of my sketch collection. I've also been keeping a second sketchbook with a separate theme, and I'll start sharing those sketches next time around. The theme of this collection? Well, I'll keep you in suspense for a little while, but I'll drop a hint with a Firesign Theatre quote:

"Forward...into the past!"

Musical Monday: Green Arrow Sings Harry Nilsson

2011-09-26T09:20:00.002-04:00

An acquisition from this year's DragonCon: Mike Grell's lovely portrait of Oliver Queen, to the tune of Harry Nilsson's "Me and My Arrow."

Musical Monday: A Werewolf Sings Warren Zevon

2011-09-19T09:53:00.002-04:00

From Kelley Jones, a lovely portrait of a werewolf drinking a pina colada...

Musical Monday: Tony Stark Sings Black Sabbath

2011-09-12T11:20:00.002-04:00

An obvious character/song combo, but I held off on getting it until the right artist came along. Ken Steacy was indeed the right artist to depict Iron Man singing "Iron Man."

(And a special thank-you to Brian Cronin of Comics Should Be Good for his shout-out last week! I appreciate it, and I'm glad you've been enjoying the collection.)

Musical Monday: Baron Strucker Sings Nick Cave

2011-09-05T21:00:00.002-04:00

Steve Rude supplied this fantastic illustration of Baron Strucker, inspired by Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand." (Normally, there would be a caption with the song title/lyric in the picture itself, but there's no way I'd spoil the composition by lettering it in.)

Musical Monday: Emma Frost Sings Blink-182

2011-08-29T19:13:00.002-04:00

From Cully Hamner: Emma Frost is living proof that "some girls try too hard," as Blink-182 stated in "The Party Song."

Musical Monday: Weapon Brown Sings The Coasters

2011-08-22T10:54:00.003-04:00

Jason Yungbluth's Weapon Brown ponders The Coasters' tribute to his namesake...

A Musical Monday Bonus: Requests/Suggestions

2011-08-15T16:14:00.003-04:00

Dragon*Con is coming up soon, and while I'm not totally sure whether I'll be able to make it, I do have some "musical sketchbook" ideas in mind for some of the artists who'll be attending. (There is also the question of how much I'll be able to afford, and whether the artists will have time to do sketches...but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.)

The guest I most want a sketch from is Steve Dillon...but while I'm sure most people will be asking him for Punisher sketches, I'd love to get a drawing of one of his earliest creations: Mysta Mystralis, Laser Eraser. And the lyric to accompany the character: "Gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam," from Queen's Killer Queen.

(Mind you, I would someday like to get a Punisher sketch in this book, just so I can have Frank Castle saying "I hate people when they're not polite.")

I also want to get a Karl Kesel sketch of Jimmy Olsen, with the warning "Be careful, his bowtie is really a camera."

And if possible, I'd like getting Jim Starlin to do a drawing of the In-Betweener, captioned with the line from "Accentuate the Positive": "Don't mess with Mr. In-Between!" (Alternately, Ian Dury's "Inbetweenies" could also work...)

And now, I'd like to open the floor for suggestions for other "musical sketches." Not necessarily specific to the artists attending DragonCon (since I doubt I'd be able to afford that many sketches), but just ideas of other comic characters and song lyrics that could go with them. Does anybody have any "musical sketch" ideas of their own?

Musical Monday: Power Girl Sings Anna NicoleMiner's Daughter

2011-08-15T15:53:00.004-04:00

Here's a real obscurity: An Adam Hughes Power Girl sketch inspired by "I'm Wearing an Orange Tank Top," a tune by Atlanta band Anna NicoleMiner's Daughter.
The lyrics describe the "my eyes are up here" frustration that Kara can certainly identify with:

You might have a chance with me
If you'd look me in the face.
Not bitter, just fed up with you,
Where'd I put my mace?

Rock out, Peej!

Musical Monday: Bat Boy Sings Bat Boy

2011-08-08T20:22:00.003-04:00

Another sketch from Peter Bagge: The Weekly World News' legendary Bat Boy sings the opening number of "Bat Boy: The Musical."

Musical Monday: A Peter Bagge Lady Sings Mudhoney

2011-08-01T17:39:00.005-04:00

Sorry I missed last week's post (crazy week at work, but I promised myself I'd never post about work). In any event, here's this week's musical offering: Peter Bagge illustrating Mudhoney's "Here Comes Sickness."

Musical Monday: Doctor Doom Sings Gilbert & Sullivan

2011-07-18T23:24:00.003-04:00

From Allen Rowe: Doctor Doom sings Yum-Yum's ode to world domination from Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado."

Musical Monday: Jennie's Inner Devil Sings The Rolling Stones

2011-07-11T14:31:00.003-04:00

Jennie Breeden, creator of the webcomic The Devil's Panties, provided this illustration of the classic internal struggle within each of us...

What? Doesn't YOUR inner demon rock those boots?

Musical Monday: The Goon Sings Tom Waits

2011-07-04T18:17:00.002-04:00

For Eric Powell's portrait of The Goon, I asked Powell to choose whatever song he liked to accompany the character...and he picked Tom Waits' "Misery Is the River of the World." Proof that Eric Powell is not only an incredible artist, but also has great taste.

Musical Monday: She-Hulk Sings Kermit

2011-06-27T16:29:00.002-04:00

Another contribution from Allen Rowe: She-Hulk reflects on Kermit the Frog's ode to being green...

Farewell to a Master

2011-06-24T16:45:00.002-04:00

I've just heard the sad news that Gene Colan has passed away. I was a great admirer of his consistently wonderful artwork, from Daredevil to Tomb of Dracula to Howard the Duck. His work was striking, dynamic, bold...I could easily run out of superlatives to praise him.

One element of his work that always impressed me was that he was a master of faces. Consider Tomb of Dracula...a book that amassed an enormous cast of characters over its run, mainly because most of them were killed off almost as soon as they were introduced. But Colan never drew "stock characters"...he devoted as much care to making Dracula's "victim-of-the-month" a distinctive individual as he did to dilineating the series' regular cast.

Rest in peace, Gene Colan. Now, I'm going to reread some old Daredevils...

Musical Monday: Bonus Medley

2011-06-20T08:45:00.003-04:00

A little bonus offering: When I got Andy Price to do his Darkstar sketch, he threw these in as an unexpected extra. You see, some of the ink from Georges Jeanty's Outlaw sketch had run through onto the next page of the sketchbook (you can see the spots scattered throughout this page, most prominently above She-Hulk). Rather than let that page go to waste, Price came up with a few musical mini-sketches of his own: Batman to the tune of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence," She-Hulk to the tune of The Commodore's "Brick House," and The Phantom Stranger to the tune of Billy Joel's "The Stranger." Thanks, Andy!

Musical Monday: Darkstar Sings Crosby, Stills & Nash

2011-06-13T10:42:00.001-04:00

Andy Price did this piece of Marvel's Russian heroine Darkstar, accompanied by the Crosby, Stills & Nash tune..."Dark Star." Whod've thunk?

Musical Monday: Crazy Inez Sings Kelly Hogan

2011-06-06T15:59:00.003-04:00

From Georges Jeanty: A sketch of Outlaw a.k.a. Crazy Inez (from Gail Simone's hilarious run on Deadpool/Agent X), with a verse from "Papa Was a Rodeo." (The link is to the original version by The Magnetic Fields...but I hear Kelly Hogan's version in my head.)

Musical Monday: Spider-Man Sings Himself

2011-05-30T17:03:00.002-04:00

Alex Saviuk contributed this image of Spider-Man, accompanied by his own theme song:

Musical Monday: The Norm Sings Bill Murray

2011-05-23T16:46:00.002-04:00

Michael Jantze, creator of the comic strip The Norm, presents Norm singing the theme to his favorite movie...

Musical Monday: Donna Troy Sings The Monkees

2011-05-16T15:36:00.003-04:00

I got a sketch from Nick Cardy (a fact that still has me awestruck...I mean, I GOT A SKETCH FROM NICK CARDY!), featuring "the being known as Wonder Girl" to the tune of the Monkees' "Randy Scouse Git."
The being known as Wonder Girl
Is speaking, I believe,
It's not easy trying to tell her
That I shortly have to leave...

Musical Monday: Herobear Sings Paul McCartney

2011-05-09T15:26:00.002-04:00

Mike Kunkel's Herobear (of "Herobear and the Kid"), with a verse from Paul McCartney's "Waterfalls."

Musical Monday: Hellboy Sings Screamin' Jay Hawkins

2011-05-02T10:31:00.002-04:00

From Mike Mignola: Little Hellboy accompanied by a verse from Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Little Demon."

Musical Monday: The Joker Sings The Bee Gees

2011-04-25T10:29:00.002-04:00

From Ryan Sook, a portrait of the Joker to the tune of the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke." What more need be said?

Musical Monday: Jonah Hex Sings Waylon & Willie

2011-04-18T09:55:00.005-04:00

Here's one for Dwayne 'The Canoe Guy': A Sam Kieth drawing of Jonah Hex, accompanied by a Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson soundtrack. I admit to being a little distracted by the anachronistic gun, but otherwise it's a magnificent drawing!

Musical Monday: Lilith Sings Screaming Lord Sutch

2011-04-11T07:47:00.002-04:00

Philip Xavier contributes this drawing of Marvel Comics' Lilith, Daughter of Dracula...appropriately accompanied by Screaming Lord Sutch's "Dracula's Daughter."

The lyrics, in case the scan isn't clear enough:

Lips of blue, eyes of red,

A laugh like gurgling water,

But I can't resist that passionate kiss,

I'm in love with Dracula's daughter.

Musical Monday: Brandy Sings Looking Glass

2011-04-04T13:57:00.003-04:00

From Frank Cho, a portrait of Liberty Meadows' Brandy, to the obvious tune by Looking Glass...

Musical Monday: Scarlet Witch Sings Kip Tyler

2011-03-28T09:19:00.002-04:00

Another contribution from pin-up artist Allen Rowe: Wanda Maximoff dances to Kip Tyler's "She's My Witch." (I couldn't find the original tune on YouTube, so I've linked to a cover version by The Fuzztones.)

Musical Monday: Shadow Lass Sings Billy Joel

2011-03-21T19:04:00.003-04:00

From artist J.E. Smith (of "Bulletproof"): The Legion's Shadow Lass is summed up by Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman."

Musical Monday: Clayface Sings The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black

2011-03-14T10:20:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, a character suggests a suitable tune...and sometimes, I hear a line that suggests a character. When I listened to "You Slay Me" by the outrageous band The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black and heard one line in particular ("I'm a slimy mush to your tender little touch"), I was reminded of Clayface's flesh-melting powers. So, I got horror artist Tim Vigil (of "Faust" notoriety) to illustrate a literal interpretation of that verse.

Oddly enough, this is probably the LEAST disgusting thing Tim Vigil has ever drawn...

Musical Monday: Ben-Hur Sings Lard

2011-03-07T10:30:00.003-05:00

Another of my own contributions to my sketchbook. The background: Charlton Heston had been announced as a guest for the 1997 DragonCon, so I thought it would be cool to illustrate the relevant line from Lard's "Mate! Spawn! Die!" and get the man himself to autograph my drawing. (No doubt he would have been utterly baffled.) Unfortunately, Heston was unable to attend the convention, so that opportunity was lost. Still, I'm pretty proud of the drawing itself...

Musical Monday: Black Bolt Thinks Kelly Hogan

2011-02-28T18:42:00.003-05:00

At the 1997 Dragon*Con, Mike Wieringo drew this lovely sketch of Black Bolt musing on the lyrics to Kelly Hogan's "Dirtclod."

Sigh...I miss Mike Wieringo...

I Am Sad

2011-02-23T18:21:00.003-05:00

He has been praised more eloquently on several other blogs, but I just needed to say how saddened I am by the untimely passing of Dwayne McDuffie. I enjoyed his work immensely, from Damage Control to Static to his underrated run on Fantastic Four. He was a great talent, and I'll miss reading his skillful characterizations.

Musical Monday: Flaming Carrot and Screwball Sing Lorne Greene

2011-02-21T15:04:00.002-05:00

From Bob Burden: Flaming Carrot and Screwball present the theme song to "Bonanza," as sung by Lorne Greene. (Fun fact: The "Bonanza" theme was actually featured prominently in an issue of Flaming Carrot Comics, when it was used to bring Flaming Carrot out of a coma.)

Musical Monday: Red Hot Riding Hood Sings Swing Shift Cinderella

2011-02-14T19:23:00.002-05:00

This week's musical sketchbook offering: Stephanie Gladden's interpretation of Tex Avery's Red Hot Riding Hood and the Wolf. Okay, so the song is actually from Swing Shift Cinderella, but why nitpick?

Musical Monday: Anna Nicole Smith Sings The Seekers

2011-02-07T16:41:00.003-05:00

Occasionally, I've done my own contributions to my musical sketchbook, though my own work is pretty much limited to tracing/inking photographs that struck me as suitable images to go along with songs. Such was the case when it occurred to me that Anna Nicole Smith's marriage seemed to be predicted by the closing verse of The Seekers' "Georgy Girl" (that is, the final verse from the movie version, rather than the pop single)...

Musical Monday: Seth Sings Jimmie Rodgers

2011-01-24T09:31:00.002-05:00

Another free-form musical sketch: Seth provides an illustration of Jimmie Rodgers' "T for Texas."

Musical Monday: Adrian Tomine Sings Pat Benatar

2011-01-17T09:10:00.002-05:00

Adrian Tomine was another artist to whom I gave free rein in coming up with a "musical sketch," and he provided this illustration of Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot."

Musical Monday: Snappy Sammy Smoot Sings The Jody Grind

2011-01-10T18:56:00.004-05:00

Another Snappy Sammy Smoot drawing from Skip Williamson, this time quoting "Lounge Axe" from The Jody Grind's album "Lefty's Deceiver."

Musical Monday: Catwoman Sings Meg Myles

2011-01-03T10:40:00.002-05:00

Pin-up artist Allen Rowe contributes this lovely color piece of Catwoman, accompanied by Meg Myles' nightclub number "The Female of the Species" from the 1962 B-movie classic "Satan in High Heels."

Musical Monday: Ant Sings Madness

2010-12-27T09:04:00.002-05:00

And now, Ant from Patty Leidy's "Zero Hour" goes wild to Madness' "House of Fun."

Musical Monday: Snappy Sammy Smoot Sings The Village People

2010-12-20T09:27:00.002-05:00

Next up in the musical sketchbook: Skip Williamson's Snappy Sammy Smoot expresses his ambition to live up to The Village People.

Musical Monday: Frank Sings Jimmy Lunceford

2010-12-13T10:10:00.002-05:00

And now, Jim Woodring presents his acclaimed character Frank, accompanied by Jimmy Lunceford's "T'Ain't What You Do." (Not to be confused with the later Fun Boy Three/Bananarama cover "It Ain't What You Do.")

Quick Thought: Batman's Bright Segment

2010-12-11T01:26:00.004-05:00

I picked up the past couple of weeks' worth of books this weekend, and something occurred to me while reading the Batman 80-Page Giant, specifically the Two-Face/Humpty Dumpty story.

I would not be at all surprised if either Dan Slott (who introduced Humpty in the Arkham Asylum: Living Hell mini-series) or Brad Desnoyer (writer of this tale) were a big fan of Theodore Sturgeon. Why? Because reading this story, I was suddenly struck by the similarity of Humpty to the protagonist of Sturgeon's short story "Bright Segment."

If you haven't read Sturgeon's story (which you should), it concerns a mentally-challenged handyman who finds a badly injured woman in the street. Trying to help, he carries her into his apartment. Although he immediately realizes he should have taken her to a hospital, he's afraid that he'll get in trouble because he didn't think of that first. So he decides that the only thing left to do is to "fix" her himself, using his own skills and whatever information he can glean from the first-aid and medical books he finds. (I won't spoil the story by saying anything more.)

While the similarity is striking, it could be just a coincidence. Still, I'll take any excuse to recommend Theodore Sturgeon to anybody.

Musical Monday: Guy Gardner Sings The Jody Grind

2010-12-06T11:07:00.003-05:00

And now, the Musical Monday sketch that SallyP has been waiting for...Joe Phillips (from the '90s Mr. Miracle series) draws Guy Gardner, accompanied by a line from "Just Because You Wear Big Shoes," from The Jody Grind's 1990 album "One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure."

One of my favorite aspects to this character/song pairing is that it can be interpreted in two ways. The line could be talking ABOUT Guy, disparaging his immaturity (as he was generally written at the time) and his choice of footwear...or it could be spoken BY Guy, issuing a challenge to his opponents.

Musical Monday: Cully Hamner Sings The Ramones

2010-11-29T10:28:00.002-05:00

A particularly bizarre musical sketchbook contribution: Dave Johnson did a portrait of Cully Hamner inspired by The Ramones' "Pinhead."

Musical Monday: Ren & Stimpy Sing Stinky Wizzleteats

2010-11-22T09:30:00.002-05:00

Next in the musical sketchbook: Stephanie Gladden draws Ren & Stimpy getting down to "Happy Happy Joy Joy"!

Musical Monday: Bikini Girl Sings the Cramps

2010-11-15T16:51:00.002-05:00

Wayne VanSant's contribution to the musical sketchbook: Not an established character, but a straightforward interpretation of The Cramps' "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns"!

Musical Monday: Warren Worthington Sings Cowboy Junkies

2010-11-08T08:57:00.004-05:00

Another sketch from Franchesco, using The Cowboy Junkies' "Misguided Angel" to illustrate the two sides of Warren Worthington III:

Musical Monday: Harmony IS Punk

2010-11-01T15:32:00.003-04:00

A slight variation on the "musical sketchbook" theme: Rather than incorporate a song title or lyric into his drawing, Evan Dorkin drew a character who EMBODIED punk rock. From the pages of Pirate Corp$!, it's Harmony of The Trombone Girls!

Musical Monday: John Stewart Sings Badfinger

2010-10-25T13:24:00.004-04:00

When I got this sketch, "Green Lantern: Mosaic" was in full swing, and I had recently watched The Magic Christian for the first time. Hearing the haunting Badfinger ballad "Carry On Till Tomorrow," it struck me how the lyrics could apply to John Stewart's situation. Cully Hamner obliged with this striking portrait.
In younger days, I told myself
My life would be my own,
And I'd leave the place
Where sunshine never shone.
For my life's too short for waiting,
When I see the setting sun,
Then I know again
That I must carry on...

Musical Monday: Denis Kitchen Sings KC & The Sunshine Band

2010-10-18T11:24:00.003-04:00

Denis Kitchen is another artist to whom I gave free rein...and this delightful bit of randomness is what he came up with. Soundtrack: "I'm Your Boogie Man" by KC & The Sunshine Band.

Musical Monday: Mary Jane Watson Sings Mike Clifford

2010-10-11T10:31:00.003-04:00

Here's a really obscure one: Way back when, I acquired an LP of the soundtrack to the 1968 movie Maryjane, which included a title song written by Mike Curb and performed by Mike Clifford. (Unfortunately, the song doesn't appear to be up on YouTube, so I can't share the actual tune.) As little-known as the song is, I thought it was pretty catchy...and a perfect fit for comics' most famous Mary Jane (Watson). Here's my Mary Jane/Maryjane sketch from Franchesco:

Since the lyrics are hard to read on this scan, here they are:

She's not a new girl in town

And you know she's been around.

You met her on a rainy day,

And she made the clouds go away,

Mary Jane, Mary Jane, Mary Jane.

Musical Monday: A Hernandez Kid Sings Little Feat

2010-10-04T10:27:00.002-04:00

Last week, I shared Gilbert Hernandez' contribution to my musical sketchbook. Now, here's what Jaime Hernandez drew for me. Again, I gave him free rein to draw whatever he wanted, and he came up with this salute to Little Feat's "Teenage Nervous Breakdown."

Musical Monday: Some...THING Sings The Coasters

2010-09-27T10:15:00.004-04:00

One of the advantages I found to having such a loose sketchbook theme as "musical sketches" is the leeway it gives to indie creators. Let's face it, if your book is devoted to getting sketches of X-Men or Legion of Super-Heroes characters...chances are that Dan Clowes is not going to be too thrilled if you ask him to draw Wolverine. (Although he might have a giggle doing a Matter-Eater Lad sketch.)

When the Hernandez brothers made a local appearance, I explained my "musical sketchbook" to them, and basically said "Go to town, draw whatever you want." This is what Gilbert Hernandez came up with:

Don't talk back.

Musical Mondays: Prince Mick Sings...well, Prince Mick

2010-09-20T15:35:00.002-04:00

The next entry in my musical sketchbook: Dave Sim's Prince Mick (as seen in the pages of Cerebus), sharing an observation from his namesake.

Musical Monday: Shade the Changing Man Sings David Bowie

2010-09-13T10:04:00.003-04:00

From my musical sketchbook: A beautiful Craig Hamilton drawing of Shade the Changing Man in both his Ditko and Vertigo incarnations, accompanied by David Bowie's "Changes."

BAW: She Leaves the Masks On

2010-09-10T08:08:00.002-04:00

And to wrap up Sally's Beefcake Appreciation Week, here's the opening page of Captain America #391 (by Mark Gruenwald, Rik Levins & Danny Bulanadi), in which Cap and Paladin have been captured by the female-supremacist Superia and prepared for a sex-change operation (done through comic-book SCIENCE!, rather than conventional surgery and hormone therapy).

I assume that Superia left their masks on so they wouldn't get any hair into the chemical vats and clog up the drain. After all, running a super-SCIENCE! laboratory on a secret island is expensive...why spring for extra hairnets when your subjects are already wearing head-covering?

BAW: The Jameson Genes

2010-09-09T19:25:00.003-04:00

Today's installment, from What If? vol. 1, #7 (by Don Glut, Rick Hoberg, and Sam Grainger): An alternate-reality John Jameson gets bitten by the radioactive spider...and unlike Peter Parker, he makes no secret of his abilities.

"A chip off the old block"? Well, let's just be glad we're not seeing shirtless JJJ...

BAW: Tor = Ripped

2010-09-08T10:59:00.002-04:00

Continuing Sally's "Beefcake Appreciation Week," here's the great Joe Kubert's prehistoric hero Tor, from Sojourn #1:

BAW: Kurtzman and Superman

2010-09-07T13:29:00.004-04:00

Continuing my contributions to Sally's Beefcake Appreciation Week, the opening pages of Harvey Kurtzman's "Man and Superman" from EC's Weird Science #6.

BAW: They've Just Been Ruffled!

2010-09-06T22:15:00.004-04:00

Over at Green Lantern Butts Forever, Sally has declared it to be Beefcake Appreciation Week once again! Well, since I just got back from a couple of days at Dragon*Con, where I had the pleasure of meeting Neal Adams, I thought I'd start out the week with one of those famous Neal Adams shirtless heroes! No, it's not Shirtless Batman (sorry, Sims)...

...it's Shirtless Warren Worthington III, from X-Men #60 (complete with Roy Thomas dialogue)!

Musical Monday: Cherry Sings Neil Diamond

2010-09-06T08:05:00.002-04:00

The next entry in my musical sketchbook: Larry Welz' character Cherry (wearing a bit more clothing than usual), accompanied by Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry."

Musical Monday: Uncle Scrooge Sings Liza Minnelli

2010-08-30T14:30:00.003-04:00

Here I go again, trying to get back into the habit of blogging. Luckily, I have a large supply of ready-made content scanned in, so hopefully I'll be able to post regularly once again.

For many years now, I've been keeping a couple of sketchbooks collecting drawings from the conventions I've attended. In one of these sketchbooks, I came up with the theme of having all the drawings accompanied by a line or title from a song that suits the character. Through this "musical sketchbook" concept, I've been able to amass a wide variety of sketches while maintaining a (mostly) consistent theme.

Here's the sketch that started it off: Don Rosa's Uncle Scrooge, to the tune of "Money" by Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey from Cabaret.

Lost Splendor

2010-07-12T22:16:00.001-04:00

RIP Harvey Pekar. America is less splendid without his unique voice.

Quick Thought on Green Lantern #55

2010-06-30T23:42:00.002-04:00

If Bruce Wayne were an adorable wittle kittycat, he would be Dex-Starr.

Non-Comics Related...

2010-05-20T15:34:00.002-04:00

One of my friends, Jessica (whom you may remember as "Jessica the Destroyer" from some of my "What I Sang" posts) has started a blog of her own:

Lady of Leisure Summer

Just thought I'd spread the word, and I hope you enjoy her blog!

Salvaging the Sentry

2010-05-14T17:20:00.003-04:00

Ragnell and Chris Sims, among others, have articulated their complaints about The Sentry: Fallen Sun one-shot, and I couldn't agree with them more. The sad part is, I liked the original Sentry mini-series...even though I disliked the character even then. What made the mini-series work for me was precisely the thing that I've hated in his subsequent appearances...the fact that he was such a "Mary Sue," with Jenkins (and later Bendis) pounding us over the head with the Sentry's alleged awesomeness and his importance to the history of the Marvel Universe. In that mini-series, his too-good-to-be-true nature was just that...too good to be true. His perfection gave me the unsettling feeling that something was very wrong with this picture, and it paid off.

My take on it was that the Sentry wasn't this pivotal figure who sacrificed his place in history to save the world...instead, his powers changed the world into his own wish-fulfillment fantasy, warping reality into one where Bob was the most powerful...and more importantly, the most beloved hero in the universe. When he suppressed the Void, he didn't make the world forget; he just restored the world to the way it had been. The Sentry was no longer a part of the other heroes' lives, because he never had been.

This theory could also explain a great deal of Fallen Sun, such as why so many of the mourners seemed so out of character (Ben Grimm needing to be restrained from killing?) and why Bob's "fall from grace" was glossed over. I believe that, as he died, Bob's final thought was a desperate "Please don't remember me like this!" And his last burst of power once again changed the world to one where he was the greatest person on Earth and everybody loved him because he was such an important part of their lives. And I like to think that in time, that final reality-warp will fade, and everybody will remember their inspiring encounter with the Sentry...then step back and realize "Wait, that didn't happen!"

And when Rogue realizes what he did to her memories, Bob's going to be mighty glad he's already dead.

What's So Bright About This?

2010-05-13T11:45:00.004-04:00

See Chris Sims' SPOILER post regarding the pointless elimination of one of the most enjoyable new characters of the past few years. Geez, it wasn't enough to relegate him to second-string "back-up" status after "the real guy" came back...they had to kill him off as well?

To quote an MST3K classic: "I am bugged!"

What If...I Started Posting Again?

2010-05-04T18:53:00.009-04:00

Wow, it really has been a long time since I've last posted. My apologies...I've had a bit of an increased workload in my day job, I've become more active with Dad's Garage Theatre Company (where I just finished a two-month run of a new improv-show format), and, well...I've gotten addicted to FarmVille, so that's eating up my free time. (I'm ashamed, but I admit it.)

However, I'm on vacation this week, so I've got a little more time to post. So, I'll share an idea that's been rattling around my head for a while.

I was a big fan of Marvel's What If? series (the original one, and to a lesser extent, the '90s revival). Currently, I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from Siskoid's recap/reviews of the series. But there's an idea I've had for a What If story of my own...and I'm finally going to put it down on paper (okay, on a computer screen).

WHAT IF...

Returning home after capturing the burglar, and contemplating his guilt and responsibility...

...What if, instead of hiding is secret, Peter Parker went to his Aunt May and tearfully confessed how his inaction led to Uncle Ben's death? Surprisingly, she does NOT keel over (as Stan Lee probably would have had her do at the time), but reiterates the famous lesson in that final panel, adding that responsibility doesn't just mean doing the right thing, but also taking the consequences of your mistakes.

The next time Spider-Man appears on TV to perform his stunts, he concludes his act with an important announcement...he is retiring from performing. With that, he unmasks and tells his story, explaining that he will be using his powers for the greater good, rather than personal glory.

At school the next day, Peter is approached by an awestruck Flash Thompson, who asks for an autograph. Peter is taken aback, not only by the change in Flash's attitude, but because this sort of adulation was exactly what he was trying to avoid. He asks Flash if he'd actually listened to what he was saying on TV, but Flash doesn't get it.

Much of Spidey's early adventures proceed as in mainstream continuity; he still saves John Jameson's capsule, but J. Jonah Jameson still considers him a publicity-seeker, even moreso since his identity is public. Photography is out as a potential career for Peter, since he's known to be Spider-Man. (On the other hand, he is able to cash that check from his last TV appearance, since it's been made out to Peter Parker instead of "Spider-Man"...but that one payment won't last forever.)

Interlude: Norman Osborn, having adopted the identity of the Green Goblin, is contemplating his next move to impress the underworld and establish his reputation. He considers targeting Spider-Man, but despite Spidey's crimefighting record, Osborn ultimately dismisses him as an insignificant child. He instead decides that Daredevil would be a worthy opponent.

Peter Parker is frustrated and discouraged, feeling that he's getting all of the drawbacks of "celebrity" (loss of privacy, threatened lawsuits, plus the added fear for Aunt May's safety) with none of its advantages. Then, one night he returns home and finds Aunt May entertaining a guest...retired police Captain George Stacy. Without wishing to belittle Peter's accomplishments as a costumed crimefighter, Captain Stacy suggests that he could do much more as an actual police officer (with a few special allowances to make best use of his particular abilities). As a further incentive, Stacy mentions that he's heard a great deal from May about Peter's scientific interests, and refers him to the police academy's forensic training (while assuring him he can also work his way through college).

Cut to some time later: Officer Peter Parker reports for his first day on duty. Donning his uniform (mostly standard-issue, except he's been permitted to replace his regulation shoes with footwear that will allow his wall-crawling ability), he meets his new partner: Officer Jean De Wolff. As they drive off, Peter expresses hopeful enthusiasm for his new career. De Wolff responds "Face it, tiger, you just hit the jackpot." (I know, it's not her line, but I had to use it.)

The Return of SCANDAL!

2010-02-25T15:43:00.003-05:00

A new season of the improvised soap-opera SCANDAL! has started at Dad's Garage Theatre, and once again, I'm writing up the weekly synopses to catch people up on what happened in each episode. The first synopsis of the new season is up now:

It's SCANDAL!

What I Sang 2/10

2010-02-10T23:24:00.002-05:00

After a long absence, trying to get back in the karaoke groove with a couple of pre-Valentine's offerings:

"Love Hurts" by Nazareth.
"The Look of Love" by ABC.

30 Second Recap: Amazing Spider-Man #33

2010-01-03T20:55:00.004-05:00

It's time once again for Chris Sims' annual 30-Second Recap contest...and I've decided to boil down a comics classic to its bare essentials. I present Amazing Spider-Man #33 in two panels:

I was tempted to just let the images stand by themselves, but if text is needed, the sequence can also be encapsulated in three words (okay, two words with one repeated):

God bless you, Lee and Ditko.

The Gift of Insanity

2009-12-25T20:50:00.003-05:00

Wishing Happy Holidays to everyone out there! As for me, I just want to mention one gift that particularly made my Christmas merry...the two-book set of the complete comics work of Fletcher Hanks: "I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets" and "You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation."

If you haven't heard of him by now, suffice it to say that Fletcher Hanks was a mad genius of the Golden Age of comics, creator of such demented characters as the all-powerful Stardust the Super Wizard, the skull-faced Fantomah, and the completely interchangeable triumverate of space heroes: Space Smith, Whirlwind Carter, and Buzz Crandall. (Hanks was also a horrible, abusive human being who came to a miserable end, as revealed by the reminiscences of his son Fletcher Hanks Jr...but that's another matter entirely.)

I'll just leave you with a typical image, courtesy of Paul Karasik's Fletcher Hanks website:

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T11:05:00.002-05:00

I have been remiss in posting, haven't I? Well, here's a little present from a couple of my friends from Dad's Garage Theatre Company. (Yes, that's right, I'm re-gifting it to you.) This is quite possibly the best thing to happen to the worst Christmas song ever...

Merry Christmas!

What I Sang: Veteran's Day Edition

2009-11-12T13:29:00.001-05:00

From last night's karaoke, a vintage salute:

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" by The Andrews Sisters.

What I Sang: Halloween Edition

2009-10-31T17:55:00.003-04:00

From last night's Halloween-weekend "Scaryoke" at Midtown Tavern, a nautical theme in keeping with my half-assed pirate costume:

"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin.
"A Pirate Looks at 40" by Jimmy Buffett.
"Come Sail Away" by Styx.

Rest in Pies

2009-10-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

RIP Soupy Sales.
Me with Soupy, picture taken at Dragon*Con 2004.

VHS Vednesday: The Perfect Bride

2009-10-14T11:56:00.004-04:00

THE PERFECT BRIDE (1991). Directed by Terrence O'Hara. Starring Sammi Davis, Kelly Preston, and Linden Ashby.

Essentially a gender-swapped version of Joseph Rubin's 1987 movie The Stepfather (not to be confused with the recent remake), The Perfect Bride stars Sammi Davis as Stephanie, a young woman obsessed with finding the perfect husband and having the perfect wedding...but when her fiances don't live up to her expectations, she eliminates them and moves on to the next town for another try.

Stephanie's latest beau, Ted (Linden Ashby) is clueless as to her sinister intentions, but Ted's sister Laura (Kelly Preston) soon grows suspicious of Stephanie's odd behavior and mysterious past. As, indeed, any reasonable person WOULD find Stephanie suspicious. Implausibly, the rest of the family dismisses Laura's concerns despite the ever-increasing cracks in Stephanie's facade...they all think that Laura's simply being over-protective. I'm reminded of some of television's more prominent "perpetually ignored sisters," Lisa Simpson and Meg Griffin...but in this case, we're supposed to take the situation seriously.

The absurdity doesn't stop there...most glaringly, Stephanie's preferred m.o. (an injection of potassium) would show up on any autopsy, but all of her victims are accepted as heart-attack casualties despite being young and healthy. And then there's the scene in which she finishes off a narrowly-escaped victim by disguising herself as a nurse, sneaking into the hospital room, and cutting off the oxygen. Um, I think those vital-sign monitors are supposed to actually signal the hospital staff in case of an emergency...but apparently, in this case, they're only for the benefit of the people who happen to be in the room.

Who's Leaving This Off Their Resume?

The cast makes a game attempt of carrying off the ridiculous material, but can't rise above it. Kelly Preston fares the best, delivering a sturdy performance as the beleaguered heroine. Sammi Davis, however, is less successful...her act of innocence is never convincing, so it's a wonder that anyone in the family ever buys it. (Curiously, Davis is usually very good at playing genuinely innocent characters.)

The most memorable performance comes from B-movie legend John Agar in one of his last screen appearances, as the Alzheimer's-afflicted grandfather. Both Agar and the director seem undecided as to whether to play the role straight or broad, and the result is truly bizarre.

What I Sang 10/12

2009-10-13T10:23:00.003-04:00

Apologies for the long absence...but now, on to my most recent selections. It was an '80s night for me...

"(Keep Feeling) Fascination" by The Human League.
"Situation" by Yaz.
"88 Lines About 44 Women" by The Nails.

RIP Paper Chase Guy

2009-09-25T20:22:00.002-04:00

In memory of Robert Ginty, I'd like to quote from one of my previous VHS Vednesday reviews:

"Robert Ginty, a capable actor with several noteworthy performances under his belt (most notably his supporting role in Hal Ashby's Coming Home and his star-making turn as the title character in the brutally violent Exterminator movies), has had the misfortune of having his worst role immortalized on MST3K (Warrior of the Lost World)."

And now, the aforementioned immortal role:

What I Sang 9/18

2009-09-19T10:23:00.002-04:00

A little tribute...

"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers.
"She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze.

A Dream

2009-09-16T10:27:00.002-04:00

Last night, I dreamed of an action movie where Patrick Swayze was on a motorcycle, chasing a bad guy in a stolen police car. They wound up going into a lake, and an elaborate underwater fight scene ensued, complete with Swayze delivering a Chris Sims-style kick to the head. And as I watched, I was cheering "Go, Patrick Swayze, go!"

Go, Patrick Swayze, go!

What I Sang 9/02

2009-09-03T13:48:00.002-04:00

From last night at Midtown Tavern:

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down.
"Never Gonna Stop" by Rob Zombie (in honor of Malcolm McDowell's upcoming appearance at DragonCon).