I’ve been collecting comics for roughly three decades now, but I think I can split my habit into only two periods: the point where I followed characters from issue to issue, and the period where I followed artists, writers, and creative teams from title to title. You can see the change in the way I organize and show-off my comics as well, with “wings” dedicated to Alan Moore and Warren Ellis, Jill Thompson and Dave Johnson. [Read more…] about Why you should be buying Artist Editions from IDW
What the Hell is Anime? Part 2: One Punch Man, Fist of the North Star, and The Touch of Death
(What the Hell is Anime? Is a hopefully recurring series where we take a look at the beautiful weirdness of manga, anime, and the surrounding culture and package it up in what we’re calling “satir-ucation.” Which is all to say that this is both well-meaning and entirely John’s fault.)
Hello and welcome back to the show which asks the only question that matters: How many pushups can you do before you destroy the Earth? [Read more…] about What the Hell is Anime? Part 2: One Punch Man, Fist of the North Star, and The Touch of Death
Shadow and Weight: Mike Mignola Comics Profile & Chronology
There is something magical about watching someone become who they are. Not so much an evolution, but a refinement, a growing clarity in which their influences and experiences blend together into something that looks like nothing else. This is an especially wonderful thing in comics, because it leads to telling not many stories, but one story — their own story.
And that’s exactly what we get with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola (pronounced Meen-YO-la) as he went from staff artist to, well, himself. [Read more…] about Shadow and Weight: Mike Mignola Comics Profile & Chronology
Heroes in Crisis & The Breakdown of Tom King’s Formula
“What does it mean for the world to end?” This is the core concept at the heart of Heroes in Crisis and, regardless of its execution, it’s worth pointing out why it’s such a provocative question. The apocalypse is always around the corner in comic books, with huge, potentially universe destroying events like the Anti-Monitor’s cannon and the Anti-Life Equation near annual occurrences. So much so that some fans are growing numb to this.
Note: Spoilers for Heroes in Crisis follow [Read more…] about Heroes in Crisis & The Breakdown of Tom King’s Formula
The Macro-Narrative of Tom King: Comics Will Break Your Heart, Kid
Tom King is impossible to miss right now. His books have won multiple Eisner awards, he’s appearing on late night TV, and if he’s putting out a new book, it’s sure to be on virtually every “must read” list before the ink is dry. Even his backstory is everywhere:
Originally a CIA operative in the Counter Terrorism Center, King left the agency after the birth of his son, stating “the type of career I wanted at the agency did not fit with the type of father I wanted to be.” He returned home to pursue writing, eventually working at the same places he’d interned for while in college — DC and Marvel. [Read more…] about The Macro-Narrative of Tom King: Comics Will Break Your Heart, Kid