Misc. Wednesday: February 4, 2009

First, the important stuff … HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE! My daughter turns 23 years young today. Click on the picture of Maggie and Roxy below to see a picture of them together in 1994.

Two things I love (10 years later) Maggie & Roxy from 2004

Yep, my obsession with the National Football League got in the way of my fanaticism for comics, causing this modest blog to be delayed by a day or two. The last two years have featured incredibly exciting and competitive Super Bowls. Definitely a cause for celebration given how often the championship has turned into a lopsided affair. But now I’m back and Miscellaneous Monday has morphed into Miscellaneous Wednesday and if you deal with change as well as I do, you’ll probably find this a little disturbing, but I encourage you to soldier on.

Before we get on to all the miscellanea that you’ve come to expect, let me say THANK YOU. Since the inception of this blog just before Thanksgiving 2008, there have been over 10,000 page views. I’m working hard to make your visits here worthwhile. Thanks to all of you who stop by and spend a little of your valuable time with me. And don’t forget to hit the VOTE FOR ME button every time you visit the site, it apparently sends sugary treats to the hamsters that keep the internet working for each of us every day.

 

FANATIC QUIZ QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Most comics fans know that from time-to-time their favorite creators use pseudonyms when taking credit for their work. There are a lot of different reasons why they might do that, but for the purposes of our quiz, why isn’t important. Your task this week, MATCH the real creator names (the numbered ones) on the left with the correct pseudonym on the right (the lettered ones). Good luck fanatics. And just for the record, I have a hard time imagining being unable to identify Gil Kane artwork, no matter what name was given credit.

 

FANATIC QUIZ QUESTION ANSWER FROM LAST WEEK.

The comic industry stalwart who had staff jobs at Creation Conventions, Marvel Comics, Comico, Dark Horse, Oni Press and DC Comics was/is the multi-faceted and much treasured BOB SCHRECK. If you have been reading the news sites and news blogs, you are well aware of the fact that Bob, who has been at DC Comics for somewhere in the neighborhood of a decade, will soon be leaving for other opportunities.

Bob Schreck, eye gleam not visible in photo

Bob and I have travelled through the comics industry in parallel, never ending up at the same place at the same time, even though we are both reasonably well travelled. Before moving over to work in editorial, Bob did a lot of sales and marketing work … which often made us competitors on the same playing field.

There was a time in the 1980s  that the company where Bob worked tried to hire me (& Tom Mason) and as the fates and fortunes of our employers changed, there was also a time when the company where I worked tried to hire Bob. While neither deal worked out, it gave Bob and I a chance to compare notes about our employers and our places within our organizations.

Schreck in his natural habitat, a comic con

Over dinner once, I was shocked to find out how different Bob’s relationship to Comico was compared to my relationship to Malibu. I took weekly meetings with the other principles at Malibu Comics and got waist-deep in every aspect of how the company was run … from editorial to accounting to marketing to printing to retailer relations. Bob admitted that he was lazer-focused on his job description at Comico and couldn’t really imagine being distracted and driven off- course by being involved in everyone else’s responsibilities. 

So when it came to the way our companies were run and our different approaches, (to use a straining metaphor) I was a comics general practitioner and Bob Schreck was a comic specialist, a heart surgeon.

Now, when convention season comes around, Bob and I look forward to seeing one another … two grizzled veterans who have seen the lofty heights of comics, the sadness and the foibles. We came up around the same time, so we have a lot of history in common. I’m pleased to call him friend. I do whatever I can to make him laugh, even if it means making jokes at someone else’s expense. I do it because I love to see his mega-watt smile and the twinkle in his eye as he laughs and gives me that playful elbow to the ribs.

 

FANATIC BLOG OF THE WEEK

Kleefeld on Comics

Under usual circumstances, I’m a fan of blogs that are generously illustrated. This one isn’t, but the words, the subject matter, the depth and thoughtfulness of this blog more than make up for the paucity of pretty pictures. Sean Kleefeld is not someone I have known or heard of through the industry. After reading his blog, I look forward to meeting Sean and comparing notes. Everything from deep research into Kirby history to the latest promotion for webcomics, he covers every nook and cranny of comics. Check it out. Truly a fanatic blog.

 

FROM THE “NONE OF OUR BUSINESS” DEPARTMENT

This one comes from the Los Angeles Times real estate section. Kevin Eastman’s California home is for sale.

Quoting the LA Times article, “The mastermind behind the concept of having four turtle mutants battle evil megalomaniacs from their home in a Manhattan sewer just lowered the price of his view home in Beverly Hills to $3,495,000 from $3,995,000.

A kitchen built by Turtle money

It’s been on the market since August. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom Mediterranean-style home has 5,458 square feet and is in a guard-gated community. The villa sits on a double lot, which could be split. In addition to the main house, there is a pool, spa, poolhouse (or guesthouse) and an additional detached structure that can be used as a studio, office or gym. The main house has high ceilings, hardwood floors and an attached garage.

Kevin Eastman’s Ninja Turtles originated in a comic book that quickly became one of the most popular comics of the early 1980s. Toy figurines and a TV series followed, and at the height of Turtlemania, there were mutant turtles on toothbrushes, backpacks, Pez dispensers and seemingly everything else.”

 

BILL JEMAS FOUND ON THE INTERNET

Hey look, Bill Jemas and his company 360 Intellectual Equity sent out a press release. Click HERE!. 

The comic industry hasn’t heard from the former head honcho at Marvel Comics in a very long time. He formed this company almost immediately after he left Marvel, but hasn’t been making many waves publicly. Check out the news story of Bill’s goal to create yet another comic book version of the Bible.

 

The HERO Initiative

Buy a membership now. Go on. Click the link. Do it now. Plunk down your hard earned nickels for this worthy cause and get some really groovy stuff.

          — Dave Olbrich (DWO) Wed. Feb. 4, 2009

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