Alan Moore at a party

A Funny Book Fanatic can dream can’t he?

And so can the humor dudes in Wisconsin.

From the “too good not to pass along file” comes the following story from America’s finest daily humor source, The Onion.

Click on the graphic below to read the whole “story.”

CLICK ME !!! • CLICK ME !!!

Consider this an official Funny Book Fanatic plug. Read my blog first (just in case I update it more often … sorry about that regular readers!) then go directly to read The Onion, which is full of great stuff every day and often makes extremely funny comic book references.

Too bad Moore would probably never let Vertigo publish this non-existent biography. But it is good for a “mass media meets geek” inside-joke giggle nonetheless.

That’s my version of the story.

— Dave Olbrich (DWO) Tue. Nov. 4, 2009

I wasn’t a fan of Megan Fox … but I’m seriously considering changing my mind. It isn’t due to peer pressure. It didn’t have anything to do with the attractive pictures that were taken of her while she was partially clothed (not that there is anything wrong with that). It is due to the following segment on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

Watch the whole thing. It will take a minute or two, but eventually the discussion turns directly toward subject matter of significant interest to Funny Book Fanatics (after all … that’s why you’re here dear reader … right?) I think you’ll agree with me and be converted to the Megan Fox bandwagon. I suspect that this is the beginning of many more posts on this subject.

My daughter, Maggie, and I saw young Megan Fox on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. We were deconstructing her appeal based on the information we had at the time. While we both were pleasantly surprised by the first Transformers movie, it didn’t really have anything to do with Megan. We decided that her problem was a lack of obvious personality. While she was nice to look at … her appeal seemed to end right there. “She’s too … well … generic,” Maggie said. I agreed. We suspected that men were attracted to her in a Barbie doll sort of way, not in a cool-girl-to-hang-and-talk-with sort of way.

Megan Fox shows more personality in these few minutes with Kimmel than she did the entire length of Transformers I.

I blame her publicity people. If she really is as cool as she appears in this Kimmel segment, she needs to find more ways to show it. Not being a regular viewer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (even though I like the guy) and not being a fan of Megan Fox (at least until recently) I would never have seen this clip without the help of acquaintance/artist/Facebook friend Joyce Chin. So thanks Joyce.

I’m sorry Megan! I take it all back. And I’ll even have a talk with Maggie.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Just in case you haven’t heard this rumor (it is about sixty days old at this point), CLICK on the picture and it will take you to a page detailing even more ties … both real and rumored … between Hollywood’s hottest (both in career momentum and physical beauty) actress and the wonderful world of funny books.

CLICK on the picture for more Megan meets Comics news!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I POST THE FOLLOWING PICTURE WITHOUT COMMENT …  YET!

Artist Steven Butler, Writer Roland Mann and ME!

Thanks to Roland Mann for this photographic trip down memory lane.

That’s my version of the story.

— Dave Olbrich (DWO) Sat. June 27, 2009

If you don’t watch cable financial news channel CNBC, the following post will mean nothing to you.

I promise you won’t see this kind of post very often. In the morning, I often turn my television to CNBC. I don’t know how much longer I will continue this practice. I like to know what is going on in the world, especially in the world of money. I like to expose myself to differing thoughts and opinions. But sadly it seems that the recent financial crisis and the election of President Obama have had a negative effect on the broadcasting at CNBC.

The radicals and enemies of the middle class and American work have come to the forefront. With additional sadness, I’ve watched as these corporate SHILLS have started to dominate the discussion of American business on CNBC. A disturbing “point of view” has emerged that isn’t limited to Larry Kudlow and Melissa Francis, the shrill skreech of both Dennis Kneale and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera often shout down the more moderate voices of both their guests and their fellow “deskmates” Bill Griffeth and Sue Herera.  Perhaps, as I’ve said, I’ll just have to turn it off … but in the meantime I’ve written an open letter to the people at CNBC detailing my outrage.

THE CALL is the name of the morning program that features Melissa Francis and Larry Kudlow.

Two people who deserve (in my opinion) to be jobless and homeless.

To whom it may concern at CNBC:

Why don’t Melissa Francis and Larry Kudlow just say, “We’re 100% behind f*&#ing the American worker and f*&#ing the American consumer. Rich people are smarter than poor people, that’s why they’re rich and why poor people are poor. Rich people deserve to be richer and poor people deserve to be poorer and the government should insure that this process continues. And we don’t really need a middle class as long as the crumbs effectively trickle down to the homeless and nearly homeless.”

Isn’t it time these two corporate STOOGES reveal their prejudices? C’mon, just be honest. Stop the pretense. You’ve sold out. You have no journalistic distance or credibility.

Do either of these fugitives from FOX NEWS belong to a broadcasters union?

I think CNBC could make a lot more money if they got rid of the horrible and unnecessary labor costs involved in THEIR salaries. Show these corporate SHILLS the door. In this economy CNBC can EASILY find someone who can do it cheaper and better. (Larry and Melissa would agree that it is CNBC’s corporate responsibility to do so.)

How much benefit could CNBC see in the long run if CNBC were to declare bankruptcy so that the broadcasters contracts could be voided. And while you’re at it, void everyone’s contract: producers, camera-men, technicians … there must be a HUGE opportunity here to improve the profit margins if CNBC could pay all these people minimum wage.

Hey, there are HUGE corporate benefits to high unemployment. It becomes a buyer’s market for all employees. It doesn’t matter that lives get destroyed. Ask Melissa and Larry, human lives don’t matter … only capital investment has any real value.

And given their expressed opinions, both Larry and Melissa would by HYPOCRITES if they objected to their own dismissals. Whatever is good for the “open” market is good for everyone … right?

If Larry Kudlow and Melissa Francis are not Anti-American middle class … I’d love to hear their philosophy. From what I hear, neither are more sophisticated than a very thinly veiled … “whatever is good for me and my rich friends is good for everyone.”

That isn’t really philosophy … that is myopic selfishness. If you can’t see more of the big picture than what is good for your friends, the people you meet as a business journalist and the end of your nose, then you don’t deserve your job.

Melissa Francis seems like a victim of brainwashing.

Larry Kudlow is delusional and the enemy of every working American.

Please replace both of them with voices of reason and common sense. We don’t need any more divisive radicals, we need people who can see the big picture, not just shill for their friends and themselves. We need people who are interested in eliminating the evils (and extremely high costs) of poverty, not supporting the continued and accelerated redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the corporate raiders, rapers and strip miners.

That’s my version of the story.

– Dave Olbrich (DWO) Monday,  June 1, 2009

Come back next time for stuff about comic books, comic book creators, the comic book business and occasional “other” stuff.

Before we get to the news story (well comics/movies/animation news anyway) that has been jerking me around so bad that I’ve got whiplash, we need to cover a few housekeeping chores here first.

1. Don’t forget … if you’re reading this blog and you want me to answer a question that you might have about comic books, especially behind the scenes stories that may have occured since I went professional in 1982 … ASK! We’ve even given this special fanatic feature a name and its own logo. This is your chance to ASK THE DWO. If you’re curious about me and what I might have some intimate knowledge of … check out the BACKGROUND page.

2. Vote for me. Immediately below the “Calendar” and the “Contact the DWO” headers in the right-hand, there is a little blue box that says “Vote for me.” While I admit that I don’t know exactly what this does, apparently the slaves rowing in the galley of the internet get an extra bowl of gruel if you vote regularly.

3. Send me a new header. I’d love to run a new header from a fanatic reader. The George Perez header that I’ve been running for the last few months is perfectly fine. I’m sick of it though and I’d love a change. So send me something cool. The size is exactly 200 pixels by 770 pixels.

4. There has also been a sever lack of pithy comments lately. Even the recent shot of Diana Rigg/Emma Peel in the suit that inspired the Black Widow costume raised hardly an eyebrow … or a “hubba hubba” for that matter. So if you’re reading this, don’t forget that you’re free to contribute with comments as well.

And now … on with the show.

Doug Wildey painting for a Comico comic cover

ZAC EFRON AS JONNY QUEST … AND “THE ROCK” AS RACE BANNON IN THE JONNY QUEST FEATURE FILM

One of the reasons that I ended up loving comic books, becoming a funny book fanatic, is the original Jonny Quest animated series. I could go on and on and on about my love for this television show. From the first drum beats of the rousing and unsurpassed cartoon theme song, to the fantastic locations, the advanced science, the monsters and the believable action (at least for a cartoon), Jonny Quest had it all.

Jonny Quest & Race Bannon character designs by Doug Wildey

There are a legion of fans all over the world (in my age range) that feel exactly the same way. My love of the show has seeped into this fanatical blog a couple of times (HERE and HERE). Not only does the theme song make you want to leap off the couch and go have adventures of your own, the title sequence is absolute genius. That mummy still gives me the creeps to this day. There are mysteries of course, like why the Pteranodon and the condor sound exactly the same.

So for you old guys, here is a bit of exciting childhood nostalgia and if you haven’t seen the opening credits to Jonny Quest before, you are in for a treat. I apologize in advance for the quality and the non-English voice-over, but this is the best one from YouTube.

The Jonny Quest movie producers also produced HITMAN

Now the embarrassing part for me, apparently I’ve been living under a rock … or simply not paying attention … or this story didn’t get much (if any) coverage from the traditional comic book news channels. It turns out that the producers (Daniel Alter and Adrian Askeriah) that brought us Timothy Oliphant in the video game inspired HITMAN movie are producing a JONNY QUEST live-action movie at Warner Brothers. And this is an OLD STORY. The announcement of the plans for the movie date back to August 2007.

I can’t explain my lack of knowledge about this … or my lack of comment … except to say that I think my lack of interest has to do with how common these announcements are, how many of the announcements never get as far as casting and how even fewer of them ever go before the cameras. Why spend a lot of time talking and worrying about stuff that isn’t going to happen?

Then recently the project started moving forward. But no one seems to be able to keep their stories straight. I’m confused and the whiplash starts right here, with this wonderful news story where the reporter and Dwayne Johnson don’t seem to know the difference between the GOOD Jonny Quest and the MOSTLY CRAPPY Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

Here is the link to the leak that Dwayne Johnson was talking about.

Lillard as Shaggy and Cardellini as Velma (great casting!)

I have a bit of a reputation for having very strong opinions about the casting decisions made for live-action versions of comics and animated programs (especially those for which I have a great deal of affection). I hated Michael Keaton’s casting as Batman (I was wrong). I hated Jack Nicholson’s casting as The Joker (I was right). Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini were both brilliant in the Scooby Doo movies despite other significant weaknesses in the movies. I did backflips the day Robert Downey Jr. agreed to do Iron Man and I wrote an angry and inflammatory blog entry when they announced the extraordinarily wrong-headed casting of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha, The Black Widow.

I know it is going to seem like I’ve lost my mind, but except for the age problem, I don’t really have a problem with the proposed casting of Zac Efron as Jonny and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Race Bannon. While the movie Race won’t have white hair (I hope), I think that Mr. Johnson has all the right attributes to be the perfect Race Bannon … and sometimes attitude and aura are more important than exact physical characteristics. (And let’s all admit it, classic Jonny Quest always flirted at the edges of child endangerment anyway, right?)

The whole QUEST gang in their Dragonfly plane

THE BAFFLING MYSTERY OF THE “SPEED RACER” EFFECT

Let’s start with the rumor about the Jonny Quest movie. The rumor no one is writing about specifically. The rumor, if it is to believed, won’t stop you from getting whiplash like I did, but should help to explain the circumstances the Jonny Quest movie now faces.

It turns the Dan Mazeau script is (rumored to be) REALLY GREAT. So great in fact that the star of High School Musical is interested in the lead … oops … sorry … that sounded snarky … let me start again. Mr. Mazeau turned in a really good script to producers Alter and Askeriah, or so the rumor goes, and it has encouraged everyone in the process to try to move the production of the Jonny Quest movie to the next step. (On a side note, Mazeau is also working on a screenplay for DC’s THE FLASH.)

Check this link for a take on the movie that doesn’t involve Zac Efron.

Quest screenplay writer Mazeau is also working on THE FLASH

But the colossal bomb that was the SPEED RACER movie has the execs at Warner Bros. running scared. They have a property that could be a terrific franchise if done properly. They have a great script (or so they say). So their solution to the problem, make the movie from the script they have … BUT WITH A DIFFERENT NAME. According to movie executive thinking if you can’t sell the American public on a Wachowski Brothers SPEED RACER movie, then you might have to come up with a different title for a Jonny Quest movie.

What?

Following that logic, you shouldn’t release MARLEY & ME because BEVERLY HILLS  CHIHUAHUA was a box office disappointment. Clearly the American public can’t tell the difference between a good dog movie and a bad dog movie. To see what the LA Times said about it, CLICK HERE.

Quest cast promo model sheet

And just so that the Jonny Quest lovers that are also Funny Book Fanatic are forewarned, you can expect lots more Jonny Quest stuff sneaking into this blog in the coming days … when you start researching this stuff … you find all sorts of cool stuff.

And I haven’t told you about my visits to Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey’s house yet … so there is that yet to reveal.

That’s my version of the story.

— Dave Olbrich (DWO) Mon. May 18, 2009

SUDDENLY I’M A MUCH MORE POPULAR FANATIC
In a recent post, I discussed the amazing work done by Diamond Comic Distributors Elissa Lynch (and Leslie Jackson) as she successfully got Hugh Jackman to record a PSA promoting Free Comic Book Day and comics in general. (CLICK HERE) Thanks to links from many of the comic blogosphere’s best read sites, more people came to Funny Book Fanatic to check out the “story behind the story,” nearly four times more than on any usual day. I want to take this opportunity to thank …

1) Heidi MacDonald @ The Beat

2) Tom Spurgeon @ Comics Reporter

3) J.C. Vaughn @ Diamond’s SCOOP

4) The cool Robot 6 folks @ Comic Resources

Plus an honorable mention to the website home of Joe Field’s Flying Colors store. (Free Comic Book Day was Joe’s idea.)

Jon Favreau and an iron man

IRON MAN 2 UPDATE AND MISCELLANEOUS STUFF

Suddenly and unexpectedly there was a spike in the number of readers checking out my post bitching and complaining about the mis-casting of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff (The Black Widow) in the second Iron Man movie. (CLICK HERE) Then I found out why. It seems that people found Funny Book Fanatic after searching for information about the subject after reading director Jon Favreau’s tweets on Twitter. (Makes me feel unnaturally in the loop because I know what that previous sentence means.)

Mrs. Peel (Diana Rigg) in the suit that inspired the Black Widow's outfit

It seems that Mr. Favreau was taking a few minutes from his busy directing duties to mention details about scenes involving Ms. Johansson costumed for the first time in the slick all-blue/black stolen-from-Emma-Peel suit that the Widow is famous for. It seems that this Twitter news hit cyberspace and suddenly renewed interest in the Scarlett/Natasha casting. And Funny Book Fanatic was there, thanks to the kind service of Yahoo, Google and other search engines.

On a related note, Favreau was also sending out tweets about the first scene in Iron Man 2 featuring Robert Downey Jr and Samuel L. Jackson working together (as Tony Stark and Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD). For some pretty terrific and comprehensive coverage of this story, CLICK HERE.

A photosales website caught a glimpse of Samuel L. Jackson on the set in his Nick Fury get-up and posted it on the internet. (CLICK HERE) There are only a small number of Fury/Jackson shots, but a whole slew of them featuring Robert Downey in costume, including shots inside a giant doughnut (?). Yeah, I know it is a doughnut retailer and I know it is a Los Angeles landmark and it was featured in a famous episode of The Simpsons, but it was more fun to think of Iron Man inside a giant doughnut.

Kate Mara previously appeared in Mark Wahlbergs SHOOTER

Plus, let the speculation begin … who (oh who) is Kate Mara going to portray in Iron Man 2. She has been cast, but no one is talking yet about the character she is going to play. However, the early bets seem to be either Janet Van Dyn (the Wasp) or Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch). She might be perfectly fine for either part. Other speculation includes Bethany Cabe or SHIELD agent Maria Hill. The MTV blog even speculates that she might be SHIELD agent Sharon Carter (as a set-up for the Captain America movie). For my money, my daughter Maggie and I had pre-selected Rachel Leigh Cook to play The Wasp, but what do we know. CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE.

Oh, yeah, no one has a picture of Johansson in the Black Widow costume yet, sorry.

That’s my version of the story.

          – Dave Olbrich (DWO) Mon. May 11, 2009

UPDATE July 21, 2009: I was feeling a little guilty about not including an actual picture of the dangerous-as-a-dishrag Ms. Johansson all dressed up in her “big girl” superhero outfit. So now that the first picture is out … the least I can do is post it. Too bad her red wig looks about as realistic as Raggedy Ann’s hair. Oh, well, I’ve got my fingers crossed that it all works out …but color me skeptical.

Now that all FIVE of the 2nd String Character Hall of Fame Nominees have been introduced one-by-one, I’ve set up the voting box and you can vote for your favorite. Just check it out in the right hand side bar (you will have to scroll down past the “Saloon” and “Fanatical Hosting“). To see a lot more detail into this and all the previous nominees, check out the 2ND STRING HALL OF FAME PAGE linked above. To recap, the nominees are (alphabetically):

 • Big Barda (DC Hero)

• Lorna Dane (Marvel Hero)

• She-Dragon (Image Hero)

• Thundra (Marvel Hero/Villain)

• Vixen (DC Hero

THE GENE COLAN PROJECT

A painted interior page by Gene Colan from the Bob Marley comic. Enjoy!

That’s my version of the story. 

          — Dave Olbrich (DWO) Wed. May 6, 2009

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about how Concord California retailer Joe Field came up with the idea for Free Comic Book Day, a great promotional tool for the industry since 2002. I also wrote about the watershed event (IMHO) of Wolverine Hugh Jackman standing in front of a camera in Malibu California and talking about Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) and how great comic books are. 

This SATURDAY is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Don't forget!

Yesterday’s post also included a brief discussion about the huge amount of wasted time and wasted discussion that went into the pursuit of getting a high visibility celebrity to endorse comic books. More than one organization was formed, meetings held and organizations ultimately abandoned, all in the pursuit of an endorsement from a popular movie or music star.

When Joe Field said of the Wolverine PSA that he had waited 25 years for it to happen, he also revealed another secret that I had not heard before. Joe said, “We had three of the four actors from the Fantastic Four movie a couple of years ago, they recorded a Free Comic Book Day PSA, but something happened with the studio and the deal fell apart.”

Oh REALLY ! ! ! Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Ioan Gruffold recorded a FCBD PSA that never saw the light of day?

Chris Evans wasn't part of the failed PSA attempt, but all the other stars were.

So then I asked Joe how the Wolverine/Jackman deal got done. After decades of frustration and so much wasted effort, I wanted to hear how Joe had succeeded where so many others had failed. He told me that he didn’t really have anything to do with it … and Marvel didn’t either.

In yesterday’s post I mentioned the sad state of affairs regarding comic publishers being unwilling or unable to attract celebrities to the idea of endorsing comics. But Mark Herr, who worked for the Diamond Comics organization for 29 years posted a comment in defense of comic publishers. “As someone who was heavily involved in the behind the scenes of the first four FCBD events, I can assure you that the publishers did attempt reach outs to the movie studios involved in corresponding movies at the time and they got little to no cooperation.”

If Joe Field didn’t arrange for Hugh Jackman to make the FCBD endorsement and Marvel Comics didn’t do it, who did?

Turns out the heroes of our story are employees of Diamond Comic Distributors, Elissa Lynch and Leslie Jackson.

*** Cue fanatic round of applause! ***

So on behalf of all you fanatics, I got the information from Elissa Lynch that everyone wants to know … the story behind the story … of the Jackman/Wolverine PSA. 

FBF/OIbrich: Where did the idea of using Jackman originate? 

LYNCH: We have been talking to Fox for a couple months about promoting Free Comic Book Day and the Wolverine Movie. When we brought up the idea of a PSA followed by a trailer of the movie they loved it.

Hardly the short "fire-plug" Wolverine as originally conceived

FBF/OIbrich: What was the interaction like …how did he respond to the idea? 

LYNCH: Fox said Hugh was very open and excited to tape the PSA.

FBF/OIbrich: How involved was the studio? 

LYNCH: The studio handled everything. Diamond came up with the copy for the PSA and Fox didn’t change a thing.

FBF/OIbrich: Why did this effort succeed, while the one from two years ago with the Fantastic Four cast didn’t come together? 

LYNCH: Working with Fantastic Four was great too however there was a technical error on the day of taping with the green screen in the background of the PSA. They would have to redo the PSA which would have involved all the talent coming back into the studio and they were already starting their publicity tour for the movie so the PSA never made it into the hands of retailers.

FBF/OIbrich: What is the plan for distribution of the PSA? Who is going to see it and how? 

LYNCH: Anyone can download it from the website. We have some hard copies being sent to Diamond if anyone needs a hard copy of the PSA to play in their store.

A huge fanatic THANK YOU to Elissa Lynch, Joe Field and Mark Herr for their help with this post.

THE GENE COLAN PROJECT

Because I love black-and-white original artwork and I love to see Tom Palmer’s inks over Gene Colan pencils, I submit this cover of HOWARD THE DUCK for your fanatical enjoyment. While I don’t know for sure whether the late GREAT Steve Gerber wrote this issue, the cover features a common theme for Gerber, the writer vs his own typewriter.

That’s my version of the story.

          – Dave Olbrich (DWO) Thur. April 30, 2009

OKAY … HE’S PROMOTING A MOVIE … BUT STILL …

I’m assuming that at this point, with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie opening just days away, that most comic book fans have already seen the Public Service Announcement that was recorded by MOVIE STAR Hugh Jackman. If you haven’t, I’m including it here and now because there are many longtime comic book professionals that wondered (mostly in the past) if it would ever happen.  

JOE FIELD HAD TO WAIT 25 YEARS FOR THIS 

When the news broke many days ago about this video combo promoting the Wolverine movie that included a PSA for Free Comic Book Day, I got on the phone and called one of my favorite retailers, Joe Field. Joe’s store, Flyer Colors is, regrettably, one of those great comic book retail outlets that I’ve never had the good sense or good luck to actually visit.

This SATURDAY is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Don't forget!

How do I know it is a good store? I don’t, but I do know a couple of things. First, I know and like Joe Field. He thinks clearly, he speaks his mind, he’s thoughtful and he is nice to have around, whether at dinner or at a business meeting. Joe Field is my kind of guy. When I grow up, I hope that people think I’m 75% the guy that Joe Field already is. The second thing that I know is that a comic book retail store tends to reflect that personality of the owner … or at least the guy in charge. Based on these facts, I’m sure Flying Colors is a great store.

*** BLATANT PLUG WARNING *** FLYING COLORS, 2980 Treat Boulevard, Concord, CA 94518, (925) 825-5410, www.flyingcolorscomics.com

Joe Field and some FF action figures

I called Joe Field when the video and press release hit the comic news sites because Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)was Joe Field’s idea. Congratulations were in order. The first Free Comic Book Day was held in 2002. Like many good ideas, Free Comic Book Day is both genius inspiration and simply obvious. It seems like the kind of idea that has been, or always should have been, part of the comic book industry landscape. So bravo, a fanatic round of applause for Joe Field.

I called Flying Colors and Joe took a few minutes to talk to me. After telling me some important information about the Wolverine/FCBD public service announcement, we started to talk about how this seemed to both of us like a major milestone in the history of comic books to both of us.

“I remember writing to Comic’s Buyers Guide 25 years ago,” Joe said to me. “I wanted to know what it would take or how we could get a BIG celebrity to endorse comic books. And now it has finally happened.”

Some guy sitting outside FLYER COLORS (sorry dude!)

HUGH JACKMAN IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF COMICS

RAVER written by Walter Koenig, published by Malibu

I’ll reveal another piece of my discussion with Joe later, but talking to him got me to thinking about my own past. During the early days of Malibu Comics, the “partners” (Scott, Dave, Tom and Chris) would have long exhaustive discussions about steps we might be able to take to us the power of media celebrities to get Malibu Comics noticed.  We seemed to have this kind of talk every couple of months. We even did a comic book with actor/writer Walter Koenig of Star Trek fame, with limited results.

In the recent history of comics, there is example after example after example of attempts to leverage celebrity to draw attention to a comic  … less so to comics in general.

Over at Heidi MacDonald’s BEAT (which I support with a double-dose of fanatic applause) she wrote the following:

“Second: Back in The Dark Ages, for decades, comics folk thought that a “Milk Board”  — an industry advocacy arm that would put together promotional efforts featuring celebs who said they read comics — might help raise the profile of the medium to the general public. In fact, entire organizations were formed to work towards this milk board, before petty differences or inertia would inevitably end the efforts.

And now, it’s almost like the Milk Board came to us.

So, once again….yay us!”

Jackman's MILK BOARD advertisement. CLICK ME ... I'M A LINK!

BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER … THANK YOU HUGH JACKMAN!

Sure it was big when Hugh Jackman’s Swordfish co-star Hallie Berry (did they do any other movies together? :-) showed up at Comic Con International to promote the Catwoman movie. To me it just doesn’t feel as big as Jackman/Wolverine looking into the camera and talking about how great comic books are for children and as a weapon against illiteracy. 

There is a long list of celebrities that were more than willing to work in comic book movies who had no interest in supporting the comic book industry. We didn’t get this kind of thing from Christopher Reeve, Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson or Gene Hackman. We didn’t get this from Patrick Stewart, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Robert Downey, or even Samuel Jackson.

Hallie Berry and Hugh Jackman were together in SWORDFISH, plus some guy named Travolta

There isn’t any evidence that Hugh Jackman is a comic book fanatic, reader or collector. And yet there he stands, saying the words and conveying the ideas that Joe Field has waited 25 years to see. And many of us have waited side-by-side with Joe. Maybe those other celebrities would have done it if asked. The fact that comic book publishers didn’t have the guts, clout or reach to get this done before now is sad.

Thank you Hugh Jackman for saying “yes.”

COME BACK TO FUNNY BOOK FANATIC TOMORROW. 

There is more (LOTS & LOTS MORE) aspects to this story, which I have yet to reveal, but this post has already gotten too long. I’m even skipping my regularly scheduled edition of The Gene Colan Project for this post.

That’s my version of the story.

           — Dave Olbrich (DWO) Wed. April 29, 2009

BACK TO BASICS … OR UPSETING MR. HEINTJES AGAIN.

What with the trifecta of nicotine withdrawal, calorie counting and excess exercise, I’ve been ignoring my responsibilities to my fanatic fan base. I’ve not made myself available as the stunning font of knowledge through the regular program we (how many of me are there?) like to call “Ask The Dwo.” Okay … okay … everyone stop laughing.

The reason that this upsets my longtime friend Tom Heintjes is two-fold. First he’s responsible for my DWO nickname (yeah, you pronounce it like it was a word … you say du-woh … it doesn’t rhyme with “two”) so he thinks he retains some control over its use. Second he disapproves of “the Dwo,” it is his opinion that my nickname should be “dwo” without the “the.”

Now that I’ve completely bored everyone who stopped by to read about funny books, let me say this to Mr. Heintjes. Get Over It.

None of this changes the goal of this humble program. Ask me a question. Any question. I’ll attempt to answer it. I can’t guarantee that you’ll like the answer. So put on your thinking caps. And if you’re stumped for ideas, you can always check out the BACKGROUND page for ideas. I’ve got an answering “Ask The DWO” post coming up next week.

ANSWER TO THE LAST FANATIC QUIZ QUESTION

In my April 1st post, I ran pictures of Red Raven Comics #1, Iron Man & Sub-mariner #1, and Edgar Allan Poe: Tell-Tale Heart and other stories #1. The question was this: besides all being first issues, what do these three funny books have in common? Now I’ve got a problem. I was thinking of one answer and then one of my fanatic readers provided a better … or at least more entertaining answer.

Human Torch #2 followed Red Raven #1

My original answer was almost immediately guessed by regular fanatic Pat Curley (and there will be a special gift for Pat later in this post). The answer is: all of these titles had NO second issue. Red Raven Comics was so poorly received that the title to the series was changed to Human Torch with the second issue. Iron Man & Sub-mariner #1 was (at the time) one of the few “one-shots” ever released by Marvel Comics. The title’s contents were short (and incomplete) Iron Man and Sub-mariner stories that were sitting in inventory and the book was a way to turn that investment by the publisher into income.

Edgar Allan Poe: Tell-Tale Heart and other stories #1 was a deliberate attempt on the part of Malibu Comics to maintain a small margin of profitability with its Edgar Allan Poe reprint stories. There were three or four issues worth of material. We (meaning the upright and responsible folks at Malibu, including me) knew that if we released them as a regular series that the second issue might break even if we were lucky and the others would be money losers. By making all the issues, FIRST ISSUES, each one sold enough copies to be a profitable release.

Another Edgar Allan Poe #1 from Malibu

Fanatic reader Mark Bourne guessed that the answer was “Wings.” I really like this answer better. Red Raven had wings, Sub-mariner has those little “baby” wings on his ankles and Tell-Tale Heart has a black bird on the cover. So even though Pat answered my question the way that I wanted, I think that Mark’s answer is more fun. So Mark wins the trivia contest and Pat has to look below, just above today’s Gene Colan Project, for his special consolation prize.

THE NEW FANATIC QUIZ QUESTION

Below is a Marvel splash-page. Name the title that it came from. And if you feel like showing off, I’ll take the issue number. If that information is too tough, how about naming the artist.

Can YOU provide the answers to the questions about this SPLASH PAGE?

2nd STRING HALL OF FAME NOMINEE

I’ll be rolling out the nominees in ROUND FOUR one by one. And this new round of nominees is going to be all-female. 

Vixen (DC Hero)

Created by the great Gerry Conway and artist Bob Oksner, according the Wikipedia, Vixen was very nearly the first black female DC superhero to star in her own series. The first issue was produced, but was then caught 1978’s “DC Implosion.” Eventually, Vixen made her first official appearance in Action Comics #521. Mari Jiwe McCabe was raised in Africa, but moved to New York City to be a model.

Vixen's actual first appearance: Action #521

Upon a return trip to Africa, she gains possession of a fox-shaped totem that was part of her family’s heritage. The totem gives Mari the power to call on the powers of the animal world (and her powers may have the same source as Animal Man’s). Vixen was part of the Justice League of America when Aquaman re-organized the team and she departed when Martian Manhunter later disbanded this version of the team. She’s spent time fighting side-by-side with Animal Man, the Suicide Squad and Oracle’s Birds of Prey. In 2008, Vixen even got her own 5-issue limited series in which writer G. Willow Wilson told an adventure of Mari’s return to Africa. And just for the record, Vixen is included in this round of nominees based on a suggestion from a fanatical reader.

FANATIC PAT CURLY’S CONSOLATION PRIZE

Pat wrote the following comment on a recent post, “As a teenaged boy at the time, I loved the Black Widow series, especially since every issue had at least one panel (integral to the plot mind you) where she was showering or changing into her fighting togs.” So just for Pat … 

Natasha in the Shower by Gene Colan

Natasha changes clothes by Don Heck

THE GENE COLAN PROJECT

For some people, Frank Miller is the artist you think of when you talk about Daredevil, The Man Without Fear. For me, it is Gene Colan. And I also love love love to see penciled artwork, especially by Gene Colan because his inkers always said how difficult his pencils were to interpret into ink lines. So take some delight in this beauty, not from a by-gone era, but a Colan Daredevil pencilled commission piece from 2004.

When I think of Daredevil, he looks (more or less) like this!

That’s my version of the story.

          – Dave Olbrich (DWO), Friday, April 17, 2009

SEND THE BLOODHOUNDS HOME … OR OUT FOR STEAK

Strap in. I’m back. If you need an explanation, that’s fine. But be careful what you ask for. I’m going to do this is the dreaded ask yourself a question and answer it format that is so annoying when you see someone do it live. It may even be more annoying when you see it in print.

Dave Olbrich (me) San Diego 2009

Am I glad that I quit smoking? Yes, of course I am.

Was it easy? No, it wasn’t easy. I used comfort food to make up the lack of nicotine, but I did it cold turkey. And I gained about 18 pounds. 

Am I glad that I started Weight Watchers about three weeks ago? Yes, I’ve lost 12 of the 18 pounds that I gained, but it completely wrecked me in ways that I didn’t expect. My mood has been really REALLY crappy. It is now very difficult to work in my office where I enjoyed my cigarettes and chocolate. 

What am I doing to turn things around? Exercise seems to help a little, releasing much needed endorphins. Time used for exercise also leaves less time for this fanatical blog.

DEATHLOK THE DEMOLISHER GETS SOME RESPECT

Being the funny book fanatic that I am, I really dig the original Deathlok the Demolisher. If you didn’t know about this statue, I think the picture is just spectacular. Luther Manning was an amazing creation.

Rich Buckler should be proud!

First published in Marvel’s ASTONISHING TALES #25, the character and story was created and drawn by Rich Buckler, with the script polished to a luminous shine by the masterful Doug Moench. A version of the “Six Million Dollar Man” who looked like a cross-between a robot and a zombie, Deathlok was the most conflicted hero I’d ever encountered (when I was 14).

The book was characterized by an internal dialog the character was having between his conscious mind and his implanted computer. Awfully creative stuff for the time.

In addition to the really cool statute ($130-$180), I’ve included some really great panels from Deathlok’s original appearance. Enjoy.

One of the first things George Perez ever drew for Marvel

2nd STRING HALL OF FAME NOMINEE

I’ll be rolling out the nominees in ROUND FOUR one by one. And this new round of nominees is going to be all-female. This is one of my personal favorites. Just as other teenage funny book fanatics, I took some of my favorite second-string characters and created a super-team called The Renegades. I wrote fan fiction featuring the team. Hawkeye, Two-Gun Kid, Thundra, Tigra and another character I can’t remember. I even commissioned a poster from pro artist Rick Stasi that hung on my bedroom wall. The fact that I can’t remember the fifth character is going to haunt me for days.

Thundra (circa 2009)

Thundra (Marvel Hero/Villain)

Thundra, like previous nominee Big Barda, is a warrior woman from another world. In this case, the stunning redhead in the red costume came to Marvel’s Earth from the 23rd Century. In Thundra’s future, women have taken control of the planet by enslaving the male portion of the population. Every time there are societal movements, there are characters that refect the movement. No character is a better mix of the admiration and paranoia that was all mixed up in the women’s liberation movement than Thundra. She’s been associated with The Fantastic Four (including a love/hate relationship with Ben Grimm), The Frightful Four, Project Pegasus, The Inhumans, The Avengers and most recently Jeph Loeb featured Thundra along with some other Marvel female heroes in the pages of The Hulk. She’s big, she’s strong, she’s confident, she’s sexy and she’s a warrior from another time. What’s not to like?

The first appearance of Thundra

THE GENE COLAN PROJECT

With all the hub-bub about Scarlett Johansson portraying The Black Widow in Iron Man 2, I thought I would take this opportunity to feature a few panels of Gene Colan’s portrayal of The Black Widow from her solo adventures that ran in the pages of Marvel’s AMAZING ADVENTURES #1 through #8. If you haven’t read my point-of-view on this bit of bad movie casting, just click HERE.

Amazing Adventures #4: Writer Mimi Gold, Inker Bill Everett

Amazing Adventures #3: Writer Gary Friedrich, Inker Bill Everett

That’s my version of the story.

          – Dave Olbrich (DWO), Friday, April 17, 2009