Things to do in and around LA this weekend:
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the USC Campus, Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free!
The FoB commercial:
The 45 Show gallery closing event at the Twenty Miles East Gallery in Pomona, Saturday 5 PM – 10 PM. RSVP on Facebook
Wizard World Anaheim Comic-Con in the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim (duh), Orange County, Friday through Sunday. On-site tickets: $35/per day or $55 for 3-day ticket. RSVP on Facebook
1943 letter re: use of chains in Wonder Woman comics (click for bigimification)
With a brand new Wonder Woman TV series being produced by David E. Kelley, and the ensuing panic over the show’s costume(s), it’s sometimes helpful to get a bit of historic perspective.
Take the document on the right for example. This 1943 letter was reprinted in the Chronicle Books publication from 2000, Wonder Woman: The Complete History by Les Daniels, and was recently brought online by the Hey Oscar Wilde! tumblr site.
Wonder Woman comics publisher All-American Comics thought that the character’s writer and creator, Dr. William Moulton Marston, ought to maybe tone down the use of chains in his stories of the Amazon Princess. Chains for tying Wonder Woman and other characters up. Apparently, they had received a letter from a reader or reader’s parent concerned about how often this particular plot device was popping up.
This may sound like a reader overreacting, but the truth is that early Wonder Woman comics invariably depicted the main character getting tied up, locked down, or maybe disciplined with a good spanking. Or all three.
Yes it was the 1940s. But this was also the same publisher that released Picture Stories from the Bible. So maybe time to reign things in a bit. A bit, of course, translating to specifically “50 to 75%” less chains minimum.
Another thing to note is that at most there had only been 5 or 6 issues of Wonder Woman released up to this point. The comic book series was barely over a year old, with a quarterly release schedule. And people were already thinking “enough already with the chains!”.
Never one to leave his creators without guidance, All-American Comics president Max C. Gaines provided Dr. Marston with a helpful list of alternative “methods which can be used to keep women confined or enclosed”. For story purposes! Nothing else. The list was “hastily dashed off” by a female assistance, so she would know I guess. Gaines reassures that substituting chains would not interfere “with the excitement of the story or the sales of the books”.
Nothing kinky going on here
At this point, it might seem like Dr. Marston had some issues. Well, yeah maybe. But to be fair, he had a lot going on in his life. He had invented a crucial element of the modern polygraph (lie detector). He was a Harvard educated psychologist whose work led to a behavioral model still used today. He created one of the most instantly recognizable and globally known comic book icons in history, and was among the earliest proponents of the educational power of comics. He lived with his wife (psychologist Elizabeth Holloway Marston) and another woman (Olive Byrne) for years in a polygamous relationship. Both women inspired and should probably be considered co-creators of his work. His studies led him to early feminist theories printed in popular magazines of the time. We’ve all got stuff going on. Right?
Some quotes from the good doctor (some represented last year by SarcasticBite.com, some from Wikipedia):
“Wonder Woman-and the trend toward male acceptance of female love power which she represents indicates that the first psychological step has actually been taken. Boys, young and old, satisfy their wish thoughts by reading comics. If they go crazy over Wonder Woman, it means they’re longing for a beautiful, exciting girl who’s stronger than they are. By their comics tastes ye shall know them! Tell me anybody’s preference in story strips and I’ll tell you his subconscious desires. These simple, highly imaginative picture stories satisfy longings that ordinary daily life thwarts and denies. Superman and the army of male comics characters who resemble him satisfy the simple desire to be stronger and more powerful than anybody else. Wonder Woman satisfies the subconscious, elaborately disguised desire of males to be mastered by a woman who loves them.” – Dr. William Moulton Marston, Family Circle, 1942
“Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don’t want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women’s strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.” – Dr. William Moulton Marston, The American Scholar, 1943
“The only hope for peace is to teach people who are full of pep and unbound force to enjoy being bound … Only when the control of self by others is more pleasant than the unbound assertion of self in human relationships can we hope for a stable, peaceful human society. … Giving to others, being controlled by them, submitting to other people cannot possibly be enjoyable without a strong erotic element” – Dr. William Moulton Marston, source unknown
“Give them an alluring woman stronger than themselves to submit to, and they’ll be proud to become her willing slaves!” – Dr. William Moulton Marston, source unknown
Comic books continue their evolution into digital comics, where the sequential art form is available on mobile devices like the iPad and Android, game systems like the PSP, and web browsers. Expanding in distribution, getting more competitive with prices, and experimenting with interactivity – these are all good signs that digital comics might be growing from infant to toddler.
After some delays, Dark Horse Comics will launch their anticipated Dark Horse Digital program later today. The system was built in-house and uses a web-based system supplemented by apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The comics will be priced starting at $1.49 $0.99 (versus competing apps that have comics starting at $1.99), and will be available in bundles as though you’re buying a full graphic novel collection. The app will be free and come loaded with the first issue of Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne. There will also be five free comics available: the first issues of Criminal Macabre by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, Joss Whedon‘s Fray, Mike Mignola’s Abe Sapien: The Drowning, Gerard Way‘s Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, and Mass Effect: Redemption. The app will have hundreds of other comics for download, including issues of Conan, Joss Whedon’s Serenity, Eric Powell‘s The Goon and more. An Android app will follow.
Meanwhile on the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble has launched a new app store which includes three graphic novel apps from Graphic.ly: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen, Mark Millar and JG Jones‘ Wanted, and Mark Waid‘s Irredeemable. All of the apps have been specially optimized for the Nook Color e-reader, which uses Google’s Android platform. Graphicly also has digital comics from major comics publishers available on the iPad, iPhone/iPad Touch and Android, on the web, Adobe Air, and Google’s Chrome browser app.
Dinosaurs Across America (iPad screenshot)
NBM Publishing and their all-ages Papercutz imprint has teamed up with TWP Interactive to produce what they are billing as the first interactive graphic novel, Dinosaurs Across America by Phil Yeh. (It’s not the first, but it’s still cool.) Dinosaurs Across America was first published as a traditional graphic novel in print in 2007. It was named one of the best 25 graphic novels of the year by School Library Journal and has won acclaim for its ability to teach geography to children. The new interactive edition allows the reader to zoom in on individual states, learn fun facts and play with puzzles. The interactive version is now available for $9.99 as an app for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), and for $4.99 as an e-book on Koobits.
And finally, Archie Comics continues its aggressive pursuit of digital, launching Spanish language versions of some of their digital comics Monday. The comics are available on Archie Digital, as well as their iOS app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch provided by iVerse, and the Sony PSP. An Android app is coming soon. Further translations into French and Hindi are planned as well.
Yay!
Wait, that’s not right.
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant blew up 25 years ago. It was a horrific incident that forever altered countless lives and the surrounding environment. And here we are watching Japan struggle with a partial meltdown (at least) at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant following the incomprehensible destruction and loss of life from an unprecedented earthquake and tsunami. Different and yet there are some frightening similarities.
Today and tomorrow in the Atwater Village community of Los Angeles, as well as Pasadena, there are several events paying tribute to the original Chernobyl disaster, courtesy of Voices From Chornobyl, a theatrical production adapting a book of interviews with survivors of Chernobyl. I have worked with Cindy Marie Jenkins on this in the past and her handling of this topic is pitch perfect. Never preachy or dogmatic, but sympathetic and humble to this massive event’s effects on real people. The performances of her actors aren’t manipulative, they are heart breaking on their own terms, filled with revelations about how the human condition responds to the unthinkable.
Tuesday, April 26th – 25th Anniversary of Chernobyl
3:30 PM: A special preview of the Hollywood Fringe Festival production of Voices From Chornobyl Jr., a workshop focusing on the disaster’s effects on children’s lives. The free event is for children ages 8+, at the Atwater Village Branch of LA Public Library.
Katya was 9 when the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant changed her life. After recent events in Japan, a journalist asks Katya and her family about the accident 25 years ago. An interactive and educational story of a young girl struggling with her world, brought to you by the Awareness Team of Voices From Chornobyl. Profits go to Chernobyl Children International.
6-8 PM: Gallery reception for Art From Chernobyl at Kaldi Coffee & Tea, 3147 Glendale Blvd., 90039.
9 PM: Staged Reading of Voices From Chornobyl followed by a talk back session discussing radiation, at Brazilian Yoga & Pilates, 3191 Casitas Ave. #112, 90039.
Wednesday, April 27th
8 PM: Staged Reading of Voices From Chornobyl at CalTech‘s Baxter Hall in Pasadena, sponsored by CalTech’s Engineering & Applied Science and Theater Arts at California Institute of Technology. Snacks & beverages following reading.
Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko (click to read issue at Marvel.com)
I closely re-read Amazing Fantasy #15 recently, as reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. This is the very first appearance of the amazing Spider-Man, as he appeared in the final issue of a weird little anthology previously titled Amazing Adult Fantasy.
Cover dated August 1962, the issue was plotted by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, scripted by Stan Lee, illustrated by Steve Ditko, probably colored by Stan Goldberg, and lettered by Art Simek. The cover was illustrated by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and colored by Stan Goldberg. In this reprint edition, art and color reconstruction was done by Michael Kelleher and Kellustration.
A lot has been written about this issue but I’d like to just post some of the random thoughts that popped into my head as I was reading this. A lot of it silly and trivial but not all of it and I don’t see many people specifically pointing this stuff out too often. If you’ve got a copy of the issue, follow along at home. It’s a fun issue and a great origin story told in a compact 11 pages. They really don’t make ’em like this anymore. You can buy the Marvel Masterworks reprint on Amazon or read the issue online at Marvel.com.
Random Observations:
Cover:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Announcement from the Editor:
Have any observations, random or otherwise? Questions about the issue? Post them below!
Things to do in LA this weekend:
Spectacular Superhero Variety Hour at the Bootleg Theater in Silver Lake/LA, Friday 7:30 PM, $10. [Interview with director Ben Dickow]
Tumblr Reads at the Mountain Bar in downtown LA, Saturday night 7 PM.
The Magic Meathands Present Variety Comedy Hour with improv groups the Magic Meathands and [this space left intentionally blank], and stand-up comics Jeff MacKinnon and Atul Singh at the Mary Pickford Studio in West LA, Saturday 8:30 PM, $5. (With me!)
Archie Marries... (click to buy from publisher Abrams ComicArts)
Speaking with comics artist Stan Goldberg was an honor, and I’m very grateful for his generosity with his time. I definitely did not expect this to go 45 minutes but he had a lot to share, and it’s worth it to hear him talk about all of this. His love for his work comes across quickly. He really loves what he does. It’s clear that this is a man still enjoying and exploring his craft and the process of storytelling despite already being a master at it.
I was also struck with how unfortunate it is for someone who has lived and breathed the Archie characters for the last 40 years, who has been the artist on their most commercially successful and buzz worthy books (for good reason), now finds himself with some uncertainty. Fortunately he’s still immensely talented. His abilities not only haven’t diminished, but may be stronger than ever. And he remained classy throughout, with not a bad word to say about his former employers. Already plans are in the works for the next phase of his career, and that to me is exciting. With over 60 years in the biz, he still has a lot of creativity to give.
Here’s the audio of our interview:
Here’s a breakdown of what he talked about:
Archie: The Best of Stan Goldberg (click to buy from publisher IDW)
(Also a cameo by my cat Cleo climbing up the back of my chair if you listen carefully. I should also apologize for the volume disparity between his voice and mine. Fortunately once we get started, it’s mostly him. Ah the joys of technology. I’ll try to work that out for the next interview.)
FF #1 variant cover by Goldberg (50th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1, Marvel Comics)
This Saturday night, improv comedy troupe The Magic Meathands have a special all-new show! We’re teaming up with the improv group [this space left intentionally blank] and stand-up comics Jeff MacKinnon and Atul Singh for a full 2 hours of late-night comedy.
The show is at the Mary Pickford Studio, 8885 Venice Blvd., Suite 102, Los Angeles, CA 90034.
Tickets are only $5 for the entire night of entertainment! The show starts at 8:30 PM, Saturday, April 23, 2011.
I hope to see you there. The Meathands will be debuting a new late-night format focused on current events. We’ll be riffing on the big news items of the day. You give us the headline, and we’ll turn it into absolute silliness. (Of course in some instances, this may not be that much of a stretch.)
Forest for the Trees (page 1 by Kevin Mellon, click for bigness)
Last week, I talked about Kurt Busiek’s daunting task to improvise his way through a script for a lost comic book. In that case, Kurt was working with an intractable improv partner because the art he was working off had been drawn and finished a decade earlier. While not impossible, it’s an uphill battle to find something that clicks when dealing with something that can’t adjust to what you’re adding.
Improvisational theater and improvisation in comics works best when two (or more) partners are listening, embracing, responding and adding to what the other is doing. That fluidity and flexibility is fertile ground for creativity and a magical experience for the audience/readers.
Two comic book artists have partnered to create a fully improvised web-comic called Forest for the Trees. John Bivens (Comic Book Tattoo, Popgun) and Kevin Mellon (Comic Book Tattoo, Hack/Slash) take turns adding 1 page a week. As their site explains it, “Each page is done in response to the one before it, neither artist knowing what each will do in response until the finished page is turned in.”
In performance, Kevin Mellon would be considered the initiator of the scene, as his page is the first. He is the first to establish things about the world they’re creating, and it will be John Bivens’ job to not only not contradict or negate these things, but to wholeheartedly embrace and then explore them. John’s first page, page 2 for the story, should go up tomorrow.
I’m really excited to see how they do, and I’ll be checking in with them to see how they’re doing.
(Via Comics Alliance)
Today we’re taking a look at the nominees for the Best Single Issue or One-Shot category.
The 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards released their nominees for excellence in comic books for the previous year recently. A panel of 6 judges made up of professionals throughout the industry selected the nominees. People throughout the industry will now begin voting on the nominees. Winners will be announced at the award show put on at this summer’s huge Comic-Con International convention in San Diego. The Eisners are basically the comic book equivalent of the film industry’s Academy Awards, TV’s Emmy Awards, music’s Grammy Awards, and theater’s Tony Awards, so it deserves a closer look.
I’m breaking down the nominees in each category, providing context and background info, and giving links to Amazon and other sites so you can buy your own copy, if possible. I can’t read everything, so lots of this stuff passed by me or is on my way-too-high to-read pile, so I’m going to avoid saying what “should” win. (I’m also pretty bad at predicting award show winners, so I’m not going to bother embarrassing myself.) Please feel free to post your predictions, preferences, opinions, or questions.
Best Short Story
Take a closer look with the click through: (more…)
Corey Blake 