Comic Books: Three Titles You Should Consider Reading

What an excellent topic for the League as I had a wonderful time at C2E2 on Saturday, and the Chicago Antique Toy Show on Sunday before a flight back to Kansas City Sunday evening.  A whirlwind 2 day-2 show/1 night trip.  Yes, the stars were in perfect alignment!
 
Aside from going to Artist Alley and covering as much of the dealer hall as I could, I had a goal to meet John McCrea / "Mars Attacks", James Silvani / "Darkwing Duck", and Jeffery Brown / "Darth Vader and Son." 

In 1962, Topps released a non-sports card set called Mars Attacks.  The 55 card set featured a Martian invasion & story line.  The set was very popular, and raised some concern as many cards featured explicit gore.  An original set is very difficult to come by it has been reprinted several times, the last was this past fall in celebration of it's 50th anniversary.  The card set inspired a 1996 film entitled "Mars Attack" that was directed by Tim Burton.  The film stars Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, and Danny DeVito, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Short, Natalie Portman, Michael J. Fox, and Christina Applegate.
 

John McCrea began working on the Mars Attacks! 50th anniversary re-launch of the ongoing comic, written by John Layman and published by IDW in 2012. He also contributed 15 new cards to the  Heritage set and exclusive variants for the set. 
 
This past Saturday, John drew a sketch for me, as I purchased a Convention Sketch book by IDW.  My goal is for the book to feature an alien / space theme.  My first sketch in entitled "Martians on Vacation."

 

 
During our recent comic book convention in Kansas City, I met a legendary (IMHO) artist, Don Rosa.  Don Rosa earned the Will Eisner Award in 1995 for The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.  The story follows the main events of Scrooge's life while providing back ground information and origins of many characters related to Scrooge.  I got carried away, purchased 4 prints from him.  My favorite is Scrooge as Superman.  In following Don's footsteps is James Silvani.  He is an artist for Darkwing Duck and Richie Rich. 

Drake Mallard is a average citizen by day and St. Canard's resident superhero by night.  As a young boy, I was a huge Donald Duck, Scrooge, and Daisy Duck fan.  Poor Donald was always misunderstood & an understudy to Mickey.  James drew a second sketch for me with Darkwing battling Marvin the Martian.

 

 

The third artist I was excited to meet was Jeffery Brown.  This fall I accidently found a small graphic novel that I immediately fell in love with, Darth Vader and Son.  It is a what if.... story.  What if Darth raised Luke?  The single panels capture the parent's story that I have lived for the past 20 years (Ryan 20, Hunter 19, & Ian 11) within the Star Wars universe.  After finding this wonderful book, I shared a page a day with a close friend who's twin brother was losing his battle against cancer.  Jeff then followed this title with Darth Vader's Little Princess.  What if Darth raise Leia?  They are must reads for all parents & Star Wars fans!

 

 

Overall, C2E2 was a blast! 

Please check out these addition League Blogs, as they explore this week's topic of Comics.

Cold Slither explores May Day

Erik Johnson Illustrator

30ish Year Old Boy - the lazy day of comics


I met Brian's Kong's relative!

A Pop Culture Sleep Over

This week’s assignment from the League of Extraordinary Bloggers was suggested by 3B's Toy Hive.

You have the opportunity to spend the night at any residence in pop culture. Where do you go?

Oh my, so many choices……. I would love to have a sleep over with Dog the Bounty Hunter & Beth.  I can only imagine the stories that did not make the show.  Then the next morning after a hearty breakfast and a family prayer, I could ride along chasing a fugitive. 
 How about Will Wheaton. I would love to sit in on a taping of Geek and Sundry.  Even better would be an overnight with the gang from the Big Bang Theory.  However I have been known to be a “suck up.”  Brian, how open are you to hosting a League sleep over?  That would be cool.

Like many of you, I love most all things alien and space related.  I would love to sneak into to Hanger 51.  Can you imagine all of the unanswered questions you could finally have answers too.  To touch the Ark of the Covenant, or see the Roswell remains……  I want proof, have we have been visited??  I promise I won’t tell anyone.

"Everyday[sic] powerful artifacts are being discovered by people who have no idea what to do with them. Something has to be done."

―Man in suit

On a fun but true note, In April of 2011, my second son and I spent the night on the Great Wall of China in a two man tent.  I spent several hours just sitting in the dark, watching the stars, and trying to imagine what it was like for the Chinese warriors to patrol the wall.

 

Please check out where my fellow League Members want to have an overnight.
VIKKIVERKA
Rediscover the 80's

 

 

Hate is such a strong word, but as a kid what did I hate about pop culture?

This is such a challenging topic to blog on but after much thought I finally found something to write about.  However before I dive in, I have to echo many of my fellow bloggers thoughts about hate.  AGREE, AGREE, AGREE!! We must have all been raised by very thoughtful, strong mothers.  I know without a doubt that my mother’s teachings shaped me into the Social Worker I am proud to be.  I fight the impact of hate every single day as I guide hurt children and families to forgiveness, and healing.

I strongly dislike the hate that many pop culture icons and pastimes have had to endure.  For example Magic the Gathering has faced received criticism from many religious groups because certain cards referred to demonic creatures and symbols.  In 1981, Mazes and Monsters tells a story about a young man who experiences a psychotic episode and loses touch with reality while playing a D&D type role-playing game.  Bothered About Dungeons & Dragons (BADD) was a group founded by Patricia Pulling who felt her son’s suicide was influenced by a curse put on him by playing Dungeon and Dragons.  "Should a Christian Play Dungeons & Dragons?" 2001 and "Straight Talk on Dungeons and Dragons" 1989 were essays written by Bill Schnoebelen (a former Satanic priest) who felt that D & D challenges morality and Christianity.  Finally, who hasn’t had their morality beat down after reading Harry Potter. 

Oh well.  What do I know?  Please check out my fellow League Members blogs;

Diary of a Dorkette

Neato Coolville

Shezcrafti

 

When I was a kid.......

When I was a kid, my favorite activity was riding my bike.  Although I logged hours and hours playing with my GI Joe's, Lego, Cars, and Army Men, my bike were my prize possession.  My first bike was a red Schwinn Stingray with a white banana seat.  If it was nice outside, I was on my bike.  It unlocked my imagination.  

I lived on a dead end street, that had two islands.  When I was riding my bike around the islands I could imagine being in the Indy 500, or was in chase like the classic 1970's movie, the "7Ups."  I decked out my bike by adding a horn, an AM radio, and eventually a basket in the front (yeah I was that kid.)

Then the big day arrived when my parents let me ride my bike to school!  I can remember it like it was yesterday.  Complete freedom with the wind in my face.  By 5th grade, I was allowed to ride my bike to Bruce Smith Drugs where a pocket full of allowance would be spent on Wacky Pack stickers or the latest 45'.  By 6th grade, I was riding my bike to school everyday including days that I had band.  I would just strap my Saxophone in the basket, and off I went.  It was my mean red machine.  A 1972 Red Schwinn Stingray!

Then 1976 rolled in, and my birthday gift was a Columbia Light Blue 10 speed.  Blue Ice!!  It was such a smooth ride.  Within weeks I could ride without my hands.  Using a helmet never crossed my mind.  Then in the Spring of 1978 as I was riding to church to serve mass (every good Catholic boy was an Alter Boy,) I was hit by a women who was turning left and did not see me flying down Mission Road.  As my bike went under her car, I went onto the hood.  As she hit the brakes, I went flying.  Hitting the ground was worse than being hit by the car.  I turned down a ride by the women, and walked my bike to church, served mass, and then got a ride home by my fellow Alter Boy's mom.  My parents were in shock as I explained how I hit a pot hole.  I was so afraid that I would not be allowed to ride my bike, as a neighbor boy was hit by a car and his parents grounded him to his yard for a year. I did not tell my father the truth until I was well out of college.  While my bike was eventually repaired, but the frame was just off enough that I could never ride without my hands again. 

Please check out my fellow League Members memories!!
Goodwill Hunting 4 Geeks
Tupa's Treasures
Fortune and Glory (Days)