Every writer and creator has a different, but sometimes shared, problem. For those who have trouble coming up with a name for their book and can’t simply use a main character’s name (which is how superhero comics often work) James Harrington has some tips for authors on how to name their novel or novel series that could be applied to other media.
There are still people out there who think video games separate people from each other…despite games like Pokemon Go where fans have begged for in-person one-on-one battles or all the gaming conventions. Plus they also bring together people around the world but there are those who insist ONLY face-to-face interaction is important. Personally I think face-to-face is important but online interactions shouldn’t be denounced so quickly.
However this episode of the web series Extra Credits highlights the story of one person who found games to not only be able to bring people together, they allowed two brothers to finally find something to do besides fight each other, a mother to have a respite from her cancer treatments, and a father who learned phones can do more than make phone calls. But I’ll let them tell that story.
Funny, my response to torpedoes flying at me would be “AAAAAAAAH TORPEDOES!”
Doctor Who Classics Series 2 #9
IDW Publishing (August 2009)
(reprinted from Doctor Who Magazine #73-75, Marvel UK)
WRITER: Steve Parkhouse
PENCILER: Mick Austin
INKERS: Paul Neary & Mick Austin
EDITOR: Alan McKenzie
IDW COLORIST: Charlie Kirchoff
IDW EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton
IDW DESIGNER: Amauri Osorio
Outside of a few Christmas specials the variety show has faded from TV and public view. How many of you younger readers even know what a variety show is? My generation was probably the last ones to experience it outside of reruns. Carol Burnett was the queen of variety shows and when she recently accepted an award in her name mentioned how disappointed she is that nobody is looking to bring it back. I have to agree. I miss the old variety shows.
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? and its various video game and TV spinoffs follows a detective (you in the games) for ACME as they chase Carmen around the world. Carmen is a former ACME agent who turned to crime for fun. Her best showing was in the Saturday morning cartoon Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego, where she would steal the strangest things using outrageous gadgets, but would save the lives of the agents chasing her because she was a thief for fun but not a killer. It’s really a great show and you should watch it if you can. There were also two game shows but they don’t factor in this discussion.
Netflix has decided to give Carmen yet another cartoon. The focus is on her…except it isn’t. Like a certain Princess Of Power a potentially good show appears to have been ruined by a terrible adaptation. This is NOT the Carmen from the games and cartoon.
AKA someone bought a really bad calendar.
Iron Man volume 3 #21
Marvel Comics (October, 1999)
PLOT: Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern
SCRIPT: Roger Stern
COLORIST: Steve Oliff
LETTERING: Comicraft
“Burning Need”
PENCILER: Mark Bagley
INKER: Eric Cannon
The Eighth Day prologue: “Strange Things Done In The Midnight Sun”
PENCILER: Tom Grummett
INKER: Art Thibert
The Clutter Reports (my other site) Atop The Fourth Wall Crisis On Earth Prime Lean Into Artcast Bully Says “Comics Oughta Be Fun” Siskoid’s Blog of Geekery
Cartoon Hero’s Lair SF Debris Four Million Years Later
BW’s Morning Article Link: Fixing The Comic Distribution Issue
Comic stores all over the US have been shutting down to due a number of factors. You have the current state of the economy to blame but you also have the problem of mistakes at the comic company and Diamond publishing to blame. The old gimmicks are doing more than not working, they’re actually hurting the stores. Phil Boyle, owner of Coliseum of Comics, wrote a guest-post for ICv2 giving some ideas on the store’s end and on the publisher’s end for keeping comic stores in business. Here’s one I’d add: Remember that what made the medium popular were kids using their allowance to buy comic books, and maybe figure out how to price comics so they can do so again and make comics kids can enjoy. Even the kids comics are too expensive and they aren’t getting the superhero stories I got as a kid. I’m all for showing that comics aren’t just for kids but the solution is NOT making sure comics aren’t for kids at all.
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Posted by ShadowWing Tronix on January 8, 2019 in Comic Spotlight and tagged comic stores, comics, commentary.
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