It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the song goes. And we commemorate our first Christmas here at Blastoff with this month’s new banner from our Artist-in-Residence Elena Casagrande. Click on the image to see it full-size.
Remembering Franco
It was my first trip to New York, for the New York Comic-Con. The plan had been for me to hang out mostly with my friend and editor Chris Ryall, but as we should have assumed, the many, many commitments and appointments that come with his position almost immediately took up most of his time. […]
About that Will Eisner Guy
Confession time: until this month I’d never read a Will Eisner comic. I know he’s incredibly influential in the medium. I understand that the Eisner Awards are a huge deal, and they wouldn’t be named after him if he wasn’t the same. Reading The Spirit has been on my list of things to read for […]
Walking the Racks
A rare few days of downtime over the holiday weekend, allowing me to catch up on literally months’ worth of comics. Let’s talk about a few things that impressed me: Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley’s FANTASTIC FOUR is off to a good start, with the familiar but in-character subplot of Reed Richards keeping secrets and […]
A Return to Greatness
By the mid-1980s, the BATMAN books published by DC Comics were mired in what could charitably be called a bit of a slump. The Denny O’Neal/Neal Adams-inspired renaissance the character had undergone in the 1970s, which had restored much of the darkness and mood to the series, had been gradually slipping, with several years of […]
Marvels Could Be a True Story
What if superheroes were real? It’s crossed most of our minds – comics readers or not. Our world may not have alien invaders, but it needs saving all the same. There’s plenty for superheroes to stand against and fight, but I don’t know if we’re ready to accept them. I’d like to think so, that […]
Off the Shelf
Since I’m in a bookstore frame of mind these days, I thought this week we’d take a look at some of the new trade paperbacks and hardcovers that came out last week and immediately caught my eye and found their way home to the Comics 101 HQ Library. New from DC last week was GREEN […]
Talking Comics
At last weekend’s grand opening of Blastoff North Hollywood, Fanboy Comics interviewed our own Scott Tipton! Take a look:
Continuity, Superman, and Alan Moore
Continuity is a tricky beast. When you’re telling stories about a character for years or decades, there have to be common ties. You need consistent places, familiar villains, and constants that can revolve around and tangle with the protagonist’s ongoing story. Ten years of one shot issues or unrelated mini-series don’t work as well. You […]
A Picture-Perfect Launch
Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday to the grand opening of BLASTOFF, my new comic shop in North Hollywood. The day was everything we hoped for, even if we didn’t quite have everything out the way we’d planned, but that’s okay; lots of surprises to come for repeat visitors. If you’ll indulge me, […]
Extraordinary
Published by DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is that most rare of commodities: a truly original idea that takes some of the oldest and most well-worn characters and concepts from classic literature, and finds a way to make them feel new and vital after a century’s worth of translation and adaptation. […]
Let’s Talk Retail
At last weekend’s grand opening of Blastoff North Hollywood, Fanboy Comics’ Jason Enright interviewed our own Jud Meyers! Take a look:
Three Years of Roses
V for Vendetta was the first comic I read. Well, almost. I remember having some Muppet Babies comics when I was very young, but to be honest I mostly colored in them (I was like four!). I’d watched and liked the movie, and I wanted to know more about the story that inspired it. That’s […]