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Archive for February, 2008

FANTASTIC IMAGE

Posted by admin On February - 18 - 2008 1 COMMENT

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Fantastic Comics

Image Comics

64pp Full Colour  $5.99 

Well,I’ve been previewing and pushing this one for a while so the question is;is it any good?  Being slightly larger than a standard US comic book and approximately four times thicker than,say,Fantastic Four #554,it certainly stands out.  And Erik Larsen’s cover really catches the eye.  There are nice,crispy pages on white stock and a thicker,card-like stock.  I’d guess that Image was looking for a 1940s paper shortage style look? 

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Larsen’s Samson strip was quite goofy and,I’d guess,meant to be tongue-in-cheek and fun.  And it worked. I’d have to say that Samson was one of the best strips here –staying true to the original character. 

Joe Casey wrote,while BillSienkiewicz drew “Flip Falcon In The Fourth Dimension”.  Sadly,only the first page or two stick to the original character –Flip changes into a totally different form and character.  Not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t purchased a copy yet,but if you are going to revive a character use that character the way he was meant to be used and not “re-create”. Nice to see Sienkiewicz but… 

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Thomas Yeates and Bryan Rutherford bring us “The Golden Knight” –set in a US comic version of Medieval times!  Again,nice and crisp artwork with a humour twist in the story.  Actually,quite enjoyable and reminded me a little of European characters such as Sigued and Roter Ritter.  

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Yank Wilson is a character I’m not familiar with,though he is billed as “Superspy Q-4”. Looking more like something from S.H.I.E.L.D. we have the character up against [yawn,here we go] “Rajiv Bahdgi..a Pakistani national with ties to several known terror organizations”  A pointer here to Americans who desperately need a sneaky evil foreigner as villain while American college kids go round killing their school mates –did that seem to be an offensive stereotyping of white American students?  How do you think Pakistanese people feel being stereotyped constantly as terrorists-in-waiting? 

The ending here was humorous but not that original [remember how Kirk punished Harry Mudd in the original Star Trek TV series –the one with the “femme-bots”? 

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Tom Scioli,on the other hand,brings us the excellent retro “Space Smith”.  Reminded me a little of a certain Outlaws strip being drawn by a Mr Brown.  Lovely retro space craft and aliens! 

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Jim Rugg & Brian Maruca brought us “Captain Kidd –Explorer” A world travelling pilot-adventurer who becomes “the greatest game of all” –hunted in the air by a madman who collects trophy adventurers.  Initially,I thought this was all a bit bland BUT this is exactly the sort of strip you’d get in a Golden Age US comic.  So read it as it was intended and not as a jaded old comic geek! 

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The two-page “Professor Fiend” by one Boris Hembeck [hmm –wasn’t there a Fred Hembeck who—oh].  This is a nice piece of colourful fun and I’ve not seen Hembeck for a while. 

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 John Keatinge wrote,while Mike Allred drew,”Stardust The Super Wizard” –one of the Golden Age’s odder characters.  There were elements I liked but thought the computer had been used a little too much.  Pity,but I’ll certainly re-read it later. 

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“Sub Saunders” by AW was awful.  A mess.  Not sure what AW was trying to do but it failed.  Unless he was trying to annoy me?  The last sketchypage of “Automated Keates” was probably the only thing out of the six pages even worth glancing at.  It would never have gotten into a Golden Age comic. 

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Over-all,this was fun,pricey but fun.  Though I again have to ask why there is a need to resurrect Golden Age characters if you are not going to present them as they should be? 

Forbidden Planet in Bristol tells me that people were coming in and just buying Fantastic Comics.  That’s great –it shows there is hope out there!  Talking to retailers I found that they ordered extra copies and sold them after customers and non-regulars said they had read about the comic on CBO.  Great.  

Be interested to know what other readers think?  Next up,of course,is Crack Comics.  Go out and buy a copy and have some fun. 

Archie,Archie,Archie..

Posted by admin On February - 18 - 2008 ADD COMMENTS

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Thanks to the stores who have been in touch to say they use CBO as an ordering guide -and a bigger “thank you” to those who have started picking up Archie books after visiting us!

I really ought to get a commission,you know!

ON WITH THE NEWS!!

ARCHIE COMICS SHIPPING MAY 2008

ARCHIE #585 

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“A Yelp for Help”: Archie, Betty and Jughead decide to make extra money as personal aides, which only leads to romantic misunderstandings¸ canine chaos, and garage sale mania!  

SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg.  

“Par for the Course”: A golf outing with a potential business partner turns into a golf “ouching” when Archie comes along with club in hand! 

 SCRIPT: Bill Golliher. ART: Stan Goldberg.  

“Lucklorn”: Archie laments the fact that for someone who doesn’t believe in “luck,” Jughead sure has a lot of “good fortune!”  

SCRIPT: Craig Boldman. ART: Stan Goldberg. 

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.  

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #119 

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“Archie World Tour Part 3 of 4”: Continuing their quest to see five cities in ten days, Archie and his friends barely have time to reminisce about London and Madrid before arriving in

Nairobi, Kenya! Everyone is excited as they visit one local landmark after another, including the state museum and zoo. Of course, no trip would be complete without some suspenseful intrigue, and this one is no different as Archie and Jughead find themselves being trailed by two mysterious men. Who are they, and what are they up to? Acclaimed writer, children’s art advocate, and organizer of the world’s only “Kids Comics” convention, Alex Simmons returns to handle the script chores, while fan-favorite Rex Lindsey is back with some of the best art of his career. It all adds up to one world tour you won’t want to miss!  

SCRIPT: Alex Simmons. ART: Rex Lindsey. 

Shipping Date: May 7th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 14th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: May 27th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.  

ARCHIE DIGEST #244 

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“Feeling Feulish”: Mr. Lodge offers to buy and restore Grandpa Andrews’ classic “Model Z,” but can it survive the drive over with Dilton’s experimental fuel in the tank and Archie behind the wheel? 

 SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Pat Kennedy.  

“Dog Tired”: Archie learns dog-sitting requires working like a dog – even if the dog you’re watching isn’t doing any work!  

SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Bob Bolling.

PLUS: Other new and classic tales!

SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Shipping Date: May 14th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 21st, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 3rd, 2008

Full color digest format

$2.49 US.

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DOUBLE DIGEST #189,   

“Gadgets Galore”: Archie learns that “geek is chic” when he dons glasses and offers to help all the technologically-challenged damsels in distress he can!

SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Pat Kennedy.  

“Mad Fad!”: Waking up in a sleepy haze leaves Archie a mismatched mess – and an unlikely fad-starter, much to Veronica’s chagrin!

SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Bob Bolling.  

“Them’s Fighting Words”: When Archie finds himself in the middle of a feud between Jughead and Veronica, each person tries to convince Archie that the other is a bad influence on him. How will Archie decide between his best friend and his best girl?!

SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART: Randy Elliott.  

PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents.

BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Shipping Date: May 28th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: June 4th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 17th, 2008

Full color digest format,

$3.69 US.  

BETTY #174

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“Curious Color Choice”: Everyone has an opinion on what color Betty should paint her room, but does she really only have to choose only one spectrum of the rainbow?

SCRIPT: Barbara Slate. ART: Stan Goldberg.  

“The Late, Late Show”: Those lazy, hazy days of summer find Betty especially hazy – because she’s finding new ways to stay up later each night!

SCRIPT: Kathleen Webb. ART:: Stan Goldberg. 

“Weather Tether”: A inaccurate weather forecast leaves Archie and Betty with a whole beach to themselves… and enough sun rays to get a tan 10 times over!

SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Stan Goldberg.  

Shipping Date: May 28th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: June 4th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 17th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.  

BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #83

IT’S A SPECIAL “SUMMY FUN” ISSUE WITH THOSE TEEN SCENE DREAMS, BETTY & VERONICA!  “TheBattle for Riverdale Cove”: When both the boys and the girls claim the same exact spot in the cove as their exclusive place to hang out, they hold a multi-game contest to determine who has dibs. When they get to the “treasure hunt” portion of the competition, imagine their surprise when they stumble upon a bag of coins and jewels! Will the two teams put aside their rivalry long enough to team-up and solve this mystery?

SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.  

PLUS!: Special features including “Betty & Veronica’s Favorite Summer Things,” “Top 10 Beach Tips,” “Good Summer Fashions” and more! 

Shipping Date: May 14th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 21st, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 3rd, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.  

BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #184 

bvd184.jpg Down Memory Lane”: Betty faces that age-old question: to embrace all her childhood clutter, or sell her memories out to a garage sale!

SCRIPT: George Gladir. ART: Pat Kennedy.

“Downsizing Dilemma”: Dilton’s plan to help the environment and tackle the world’s population explosion? Downsize the human race – literally – by shrinking everyone so they need less natural resources!

SCRIPT: Mike Pellowski. ART: Pat Kennedy.

PLUS: Other new and classic tales!

SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups! 

Shipping Date: May 7th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 14th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: May 27th, 2008

Full color digest format

$2.49 US.  

BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #161

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FEATURING PART 1 OF A 5-PART, INTERACTIVE STORY WHERE THE READERS DECIDE THE OUTCOME!

“And the Winner Is… Part 1 of 5”: 2008 is an election year, and Archie Comics is no exception as we present a special election of our own: your chance to vote for Cheryl Blossom’s new boyfriend! Ever since her return, Cheryl has been the bane of Betty and Veronica’s existence, complicating their “eternal love triangle” with Archie into an awkward quadrangle! Even though Cheryl has been seeing Reggie lately, the girls would love nothing more than to see Cheryl completely preoccupied with someone other than a Riverdale high hunk! They get their chance when Reggie takes a nonchalant attitude toward his relationship with Cheryl – prompting the red-headed vixen to seek a new boyfriend on the TV show, “The Lonely Hearts Club!” Wait until you see the hot contestants vying for the title! Best yet, over the next few months readers will have a chance to both witness each date in this digest series AND vote on who they think Cheryl should choose online at www.archiecomics.com! It’s the Archie Comics event of the summer, and you don’t want to miss it!

SCRIPT AND ART: Dan Parent.  

PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

Full color digest format,

$3.69 US.  

JUGHEAD #189

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 “The Sound and the Fury”: Dilton invents a device to help Archie locate his car with an audio signal… and Jughead promptly swallows it, mistaking it for a mint! Worse, Reggie has made off with the remote that controls the audio signal, making sure Jughead “goes off” at the most inappropriate moments! “The House-Warming”: A nice, quiet, comfy new doghouse for Hot Dog is tempting to Jughead as a new napping spot! “Jughead Stuck in the Doggie Door”: With a title like that, need we say more… other than don’t miss one of the funniest Jughead stories yet! SCRIPTS: Craig Boldman. ART: Rex Lindsey.

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.   

JUGHEAD & FRIENDS DIGEST #28

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“Riverdale Jones and theTemple of Food”: While rummaging through Jughead’s attic searching for sleeping bags, Archie finds something else instead: the hat, jacket and journal of Jughead’s archeologist-adventurer ancestor Riverdale Jones! Food was his specialty, so when the boys also find a map to the legendary “

Temple of

Food,” the quest is on to find this fabled land of food and fortune!

SCRIPT AND ART: Fernando Ruiz. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

Full color digest format

$2.49 US.   

JUGHEAD’S DOUBLE DIGEST #140

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CONTINUING THE FOLLOW-UP TO LAST YEAR’S MOST TALKED-ABOUT BETTY & VERONICA STORY, “BAD BOY TROUBLE” – FEATURING RIVERDALE’S FAMOUS TEENS IN A REALISTIC STYLE!

“The Match Makers Part 2”: Picking up where last issue left off, Archie, Betty, Reggie and Veronica carry out their plan to play “matchmaker” for Jughead and break him free of his “fifth wheel” status! The boys bring Jughead to the movies and the girls bring Sandy Sanchez in an elaborate scheme to have them “accidentally” run into one another! When Jughead and Sandy catch on to the scheme, they decide to turn the tables and pretend to be in love… or are they?! It’s another intriguing chapter in this 4-part epic! Last year’s “Bad Boy Trouble” set the comics world on its ear as the teens were depicted in a realistic style. Comic book legends Joe Staton and Al Milgrom carry on that look, handling pencils and inks respectively, in what is sure to be one of the more intriguing Archie stories of the year!

SCRIPT: Melanie Morgan. ART: Joe Staton. PLUS: Other new and classic tales! SCRIPT AND ART: Various talents. BONUS: Puzzles, games and pin-ups!

Shipping Date: May 7th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 14th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: May 27th, 2008

Full color digest format,

$3.69 US.  

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #94 

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Salem’s Secret Part 2”: In one of the most intriguing Sabrina stories yet, the secret of Salem’s past life is given the spotlight. Witness as Salem and Nocturna quest for the fallen unicorn horn on the

Island of

Elves. With selfish intent, Salem uses Queen Seles’ magic to find the horn, and once in possession of the great power the wand brings, his motives come to light, leaving Nocturna only one choice, and lives that are changed forever!

SCRIPT: Tania Del Rio. ART:

Chad Thomas (pencils) & Jim Amash (inks). Star-crossed cover by Tania Del

Rio & Jim Amash!

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.   

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“Beating the House Part 1”: Sonic is ambushed and captured by the Destructix, and it’s up to the Freedom Fighters to find and rescue him! The trail leads to a dingy dungeon beneath a flashy casino owned by Mammoth Mogul – but just how real a threat faces our heroes this time? The con is on in this tale of twists, turns, takes and double-takes!

SCRIPT: Ian Flynn. ART: Tracy Yardley (pencils) & Jim Amash (inks). Jumpin’ jackpot cover by Tracy Yardley & Jason Jensen.  

Shipping Date: May 7th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 14th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: May 27th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.  

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES #7 sa7.jpg

 The thrilling new series that lets fans relive classic Sonic stories continues! Volume 7 presents issues #25 through #28 of Sonic’s ongoing comic book series in a special 5 x 7 & ½ inch edition. Each story is meticulously restored and printed on high-grade paper-so you can feel like you’re zipping right alongside the cobalt champion as he saves Knothole Village! This action-packed edition features the first comic book appearances of Metal Sonic, Amy Rose, Sonic’s betrayal of the Freedom Fighters and the solo story that led to Tails’ own mini-series! Stories include:“Go Ahead, Mecha My Day” (issue #25): Robotnik kidnaps Amy Rose so he can lure Sonic into a duel with his newest creation, Metal Sonic! First appearance of both Amy and Metal! “Way, Way, Way Past Cool!” (issue #26): Robotnik attempts to put Knothole into a deep freeze, but luckily the Arctic Freedom Fighters arrive to thaw… and thwart… his chilling scheme! “Fortified” (issue #26): A twisted ankle for the blue blur leads Sonic and the Freedom Fighters to refuge in an abandoned fort. Will it be enough to protect them from Robotnik’s rampaging onslaught? “Scrambled Hedgehog” (issue #27): A case of amnesia makes Sonic an easy mark for Robotnik, who convinces our hero to almost give away Knothole’s secret location! Will Sonic’s memory return, or will his betrayal be permanent? “Saturday Night’s All Right for a Fight” (issue #28): Sonic continues his traitorous ways due to his memory loss, and the Freedom Fighters need all the firepower they can muster to defeat their once-great champion! “Growing Pains Part 1” (issue #28): In the aftermath of Sonic’s betrayal, Tails sets course in his Sea Fox for an uncharted island. There he meets and must save Fiona Fox, who the dastardly Robonik kidnapped, in this prelude to Tails’ mini-series.

SCRIPTS: Mike Gallagher, Angelo DeCesare, Mike Kanterovich & Ken Penders. ART: Dave Manak, Jon D’agostino, Harvey Mercadoocasio, Rich Koslowksi & Art Mawhinney. Colossal cover by Spaz!

Shipping Date: May 28th, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: June 4th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 17th, 2008

112-page, full color paperback

$7.49 US.  

SONIC X #33

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 “Meteor Madness”: For once, the heroes of Knothill Village have a chance to relax and enjoy a nice quiet picnic together… yeah, right! Things go from picnic to panic when Chuck spots a meteor hurtling toward earth – and it has an Chaos Emerald embedded inside! Now the heroes must travel to the South Pole and keep Eggman from getting his hands on it. To make things more interesting, they decide make it a competition and split up into teams. Before they’re through, readers will witness more action, romance, and inter-squad squabbling to rival a certain fantastic foursome!

SCRIPT: Joe Edkin. ART: David Hutchison and Terry Austin.

 Asteroid-blastin’ cover by Pat “Spaz” Spaziante!

Shipping Date: May 21st, 2008

On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: May 28th, 2008

On Sale on Newsstands: June 10th, 2008

32-page, full color comic

$2.25 US.

PHOO ACTION OR Peuoow Action?

Posted by admin On February - 15 - 2008 ADD COMMENTS

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Well,I’ve now seen the 1hour long Phoo Action programme on BBC [TV]3 twice.  It seems to have polarised media critics [as if their opinions really matter] from those who hate it with a vengeance to those who love it.

Honestly,I felt a little disappointed.  It was not the Jim Henson style rejects that soured me -I found those okay- but the fact that the “action” was not what we were led to expect.   The action seemed slow and so unconvincing that it did spoil the programme for me.  All the talk of martial arts,etc. was,it seems,a deceptive lure.

Okay,at times the dialogue was a little bland -but this is based on a comic strip!  It is how the dialogue was delivered that matter and,while the two Princes Harry and Wills were the old awful stereotypical “upper class obnoxious” types bordering on non-entities,there was one great performance that stood out…Carl Weathers!  Man,he is some police chief.

Of course,everyone is going on about how “hot” Jamie Winstone looked -I think due to the fact that the look and the amount of time the camera was focussed on her.

The trouble is that the whole thing looked like it was done on the lowest budget possible.  If you are going to try to adapt a comic strip then,rather than the videoing in normal light,you need to darken the backgrounds more.  The darker backgrounds will work better when the colourful characters appear -it really is a case of contrast and brightness.  As it was the whole thing looked like a rehearsal tape..

..would the BBC be so cheap as to broadcast a rehearsal tape..forget I asked.

I would like to see more.  However,the production needs to be made slicker and if we get promised action it should be action not..well,what we got here.  Shorter [30 minutes] episodes might help.

It’s okay setting yourself up as a “trendy” channel but delivering damp squibs won’t work.  Let’s see the action and far more of Carl Weathers!

But interest is clear -my earlier item before Phoo Action was broadcast had hit rates soaring.

Now let’s see what happens at BBC 3.

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MICHAEL GOLDEN Exhibition

Posted by admin On February - 14 - 2008 ADD COMMENTS

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Society of Illustrators Exhibits Golden Artwork! 

New York– The renowned Society of Illustrators in Manhattan is featuring an exhibit of Michael Golden originals for a limited time this month. Known as the paramount club of renowned artists for over a hundred years, boasting a membership that at various times included such talents as Montgomery Flagg and N.C. Wyeth, the society has also become the artistic home of many of today’s top sequential art illustrators. 

Golden being one!

A member since 2007, inducted on the same night as Neal Adams and Basil Gogos, Michael’s artwork is currently being displayed in the third floor gallery, right next to the likes of Rockwell, Lyndecker and Parrish, and in the same room with SI’s famous Oak carved bar and marching band drum–signed by many of the  Society luminaries from the past and present such as Frank Frazetta. The Michael Golden exhibit shows a spectrum of work, and includes a six page sequential segment entitled “The Sniper,” which is one of the first appearance of his influential “The ‘Nam” characters.

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In addition, the Golden works include canvas pieces of his X-Men and Jurassic Park pieces and much more. Known for his groundbreaking work on The ‘Nam, Micronauts, G.I. Joe, Dr. Strange, Batman,  and Nightwing, there has been an abundance of material on Golden springing up in the last year including Modern Masters: Michael Golden; Modern Masters: In the Studio with Michael Golden DVD;  and soon The Creator Chronicles Sketch Cover DVD.  

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And, with recent covers on Iron Man, Exiles, Heroes for Hire, Wonder Woman, and soon, Wolverine , G.I. Joe, and Demon’s Regret,  Golden continues to reinvent himself with each new project.  

To cap it off, in addition to his current exhibition at the Society of Illustrators, Golden is also being honored with an extensive exhibition of original art at this year’s Barcelona Comic Con!  For information on how to view the current collection during this limited engagement, contact the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan at:

info@societyillustrators.org 

For information on Michael Golden and his work, contact: evaink@aol.com 

Terry Bave On His “Kicking the bucket”!

Posted by admin On February - 14 - 2008 ADD COMMENTS

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 Interesting to hear from veteran British comic creator Terry Bave today.  When the UK fanzine CRIKEY! noted recently that Terry had “sadly passed away” it was but one source of this rumour -I could have corrected the error had anyone even bothered asking!

Seems the confusion may have centred on someone misunderstanding a news item that I had almost croaked last year.  Terry [Hooper] from Bristol …Terry[Bave] from Bristol…

Terry retired “right out of the business” in 2007 but told me that “…I did receive some very nice ’sympathy’ letters -I’ve always wondered what people would say when I’d kicked the bucket!!!”

Well,Terry -have a very long and happy retirement!

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 Terry’s “Odd-Ball” strip

LATEST FROM ARCHIE!

Posted by admin On Feb