Comic Book Resources

If this van's a-rockin', the spinner rack needs restockin'

I wonder: Will there ever be a movement to legitimize airbrushed van art in the same way that "graphic novels" have given comic books traction with the smart set? 'Cuz this ain't gonna help out in either department, but it sure is funny: Maxim lists the 12 Superheroes Who Should Be on '70s Vans, complete with Photoshopped visual evidence so convincing you can almost smell the newsprint and hear the Foghat.

My favorite's the Man-Wolf van (or is that the Van-Wolf?), but I also enjoyed the always welcome Thor/"Immigrant Song" gag and the description of Doctor Strange as "the lava lamp of superheroes." They're funny because they're true!

Ryan Dunlavey & ToyFare's comic-strip mash-ups

Kraven and Hobbes

They're better known these days for Con Wars and layoffs, but the magazines of Wizard Entertainment have long been capable of producing some pretty funny stuff. Exhibit A: the comic-strip mash-ups artist Ryan Dunlavey has posted on his blog--here and here. Generally written by the ToyFare magazine editorial staff and illustrated by Dunlavey in impeccable approximations of the original styles, the comics take classic strips and mix 'em up with superheroes, science fiction, and general nerdery, resulting in such mash-up masterpieces as The Thunderkatzenjammer Kids, Spy vs. Spy vs. Alien vs. Predator, Orlando Bloom County, X-Nuts (will Phoenix ever let Good Ol' Charlie Xavier kick that football?) and much more. Alas, my all-time favorite of the ToyFare/Dunlavey efforts, Ellen Ripley's Believe It or Not, has yet to be posted, but the rest are still well worth checking out.

Tony Millionaire does Achewood

Tony Millionaire's Achewood

Pretty self-explanatory, no? Maakies and Sock Monkey caroonist Tony Millionaire has done a guest strip for Chris Onstad's Achewood One of today's greatest humor cartoonists does one of today's greatest humor strips. There's even a cameo by Uncle Gabby and Drinky Crow. Click the link already!

(Via Brian Warmoth.)

Hey Colbert, Cap's gonna need that shield back now ...

You might remember back in 2007 when talk show host Stephen Colbert was given Captain America's shield after Steve Rogers was apparently (but not really) shot to death. Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor in chief, passed the shield on "to the only man who has the red, white and blue balls to carry the mantle" -- the "conservative" talk show host/comic fan whose show runs on the Comedy Channel.

Well, as we learned in June, Captain America isn't exactly dead, so schoolteacher and Robot 6 reader Robt Seda-Schreiber has served Colbert with "a legal document called a writ of replevin that I have prepared." Here's what it looks like:

"As I am sure comes as no surprise to anyone, Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, has returned ('reborn' if you will) from his supposed death. More to the point, reports of his death were greatly exaggerated in the first place. It was under this false pretense that Mr. Colbert was 'bequeathed' said shield, so it would follow that the good Captain’s shield be returned to him post-haste," Seda-Schreiber writes. "I bring this legal action in his name, with the help of my brilliant & beautiful lawyer-wife." Check out his blog for updates and to find out exactly what a writ of replevin is.

(And a closer look at the writ makes me wonder if it IS actually legal ... there's a really good chance the sheriff who signed it was a Life Model Decoy ...)

Stark Industries working around the clock on new Mets uniform

The new Mets uniform?

The Real Dirty Mets Blog revealed some good news for fans of the New York Mets in late August -- apparently they're getting a new injury-proof uniform for next season.

"It will make sure that all the injuries of 2009 will never happen again," the blog reports. "No word on how much it will cost to put into production but sources say the first two will go to Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana."

(Thanks David!)

Nobody Watches the Watchmen

Funny or Die offers up a parody meeting between Watchmen creator Alan Moore and his character Rorschach, as the famed author does whatever he can to keep people from watching the Watchmen DVD:

(Thanks Ian!)

Robot reviews: Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me

Everybody Is Stupid Except Me

Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me and Other Astute Observations
by Peter Bagge
Fantagraphics Books, 120 pages, $16.99.

Peter Bagge's seminal work in the 1980s and 90s (Hate, Neat Stuff) always featured characters going off on extended rants about one subject or another, so it's no real surprise to find that the author has managed to transition himself into something of a reporter/editorial pundit.

Nor is it any real surprise that the pieces collected in awesomely-named Everyone Is Stupid Except for Me -- all of which were done for Reason magazine over the past nine years or so -- are wonderfully entertaining and often fall-on-the-floor funny, even when you find yourself at odds with Bagge's viewpoint.

Continue Reading »

Captain Blood and the Peril of Indie Comics

Matthew Shepherd, Michael Shoyket and David Hedgecock rework a few pages from Captain Blood to address the problems independent comics have with distribution, ultimately asking readers to "demand more from comics." And, in one panel, not to download comics ... which seemed very unpirate-like.

Slash Print | Following the digital evolution

Split Lip

Webcomics | The long-running Split Lip horror webcomic is now available in print. Split Lip Vol. 1 is a 158-page trade paperback collecting 11 horror comics, all written by Sam Costello and drawn by artists such as John Bivens, Jason Ho and Sami Makkonen.

Costello is selling copies on the Split Lip website and will sell them at conventions as well.

E-devices | BoingBoing points to an announcement from Gamma Dynamics that they've developed "a new electrofluidic reflective display" that uses colored pigments. Mark Frauenfelder wonders if this could lead to a color version of Amazon's Kindle device. Matt Maxwell says, "And you will end up reading your comics on it, sooner or later."

Webcomics | The Opera web browser recently celebrated its 15th anniversary by sharing a comic that detailed its not-so-secret origin. [Hat Tip: Kelson Vibber]

Webcomics | French cartoonist Raphael B. uses the scroll bar to his advantage in this very cool Spider-Man webcomic that transcends any language barriers. [Hat tip: Laura Hudson, at the relaunched Comics Alliance blog]

Humor | Meet the world's first Post-Paper Evolution Consultant. "I’m 29. I was practically raised by an original Nintendo, so I was there the first time a video game (Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest) showed a richness of characterization, lyrical language, and elegant plotting that rivaled the finest novels. I was blogging by ’02, Facebooking by ’04, bored of Facebook by ’06, thinking it was lame how thirty-five year olds got super in to Facebook in ’08. Like it or not, I’m the future."

'Batman is $15 closer to another night at the Ramada Inn'

Batman has defeated The Joker, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze again and again, but he's no match for ... a Ponzi scheme! In this latest video from Funny Or Die, Batman -- er, Adam West -- finds himself "a little strapped for cash" after falling victim to the "evil perils of Bernie Madoff." So, he does the only logical thing: He holds a garage sale outside the Batcave.

F.F.C.B.D.F.E.

Jon Adams FCBD flyer

Truth Serum creator Jon Adams asked us to help spread the word about his latest charity project, "Free Free Comic Book Day For Everyone."

(And yes, it's a parody site, much like his Lunchballz and Fornidate sites. Man, I could go for a Dairy Delight Lunchballz right about now ...).