| September 4, 2007 13:36 - Stan Lee or Jack Kirby, Who's your Favorite?
Stan Lee has become a household name in the last few years. With his comic book heroes becoming major box office stars and his face all over the sci fi channel. But Jack Kirby should be just as pronounced in remembrance as Stan is today. Here is an interesting story:
"Meanwhile: Remembering the man who penciled the Hulk
By Brent Staples Published: September 4, 2007
NEW YORK: The fear of being forgotten after death is endemic in the creative arts. It happened to the iconic comic book artist Jack Kirby while he was still alive.
By the 1960s, Kirby had already revolutionized the comic book business more than once. Working as principal artist and in-house genius for Marvel, he created a voice and an aesthetic unmatched by any other company.
Marvel took his talents for granted and denied him the credit and compensation he clearly deserved. Worse, he was overshadowed by his loquacious and photogenic collaborator, Stan Lee, who became the public face of an enterprise that depended heavily on Kirby's skills.
Kirby eventually quit, leaving behind characters like the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Silver Surfer, and ending the most fruitful collaboration in comic book history.
His long and ugly battle with Marvel over the rights to his original artwork galvanized the artistic community and raised his public profile.
Still, by the time of his death in 1994, he was clearly worried that Lee would eclipse him in public memory and that history would deny him the recognition he deserved for breathing life into a collection of universally recognized superheroes who would eventually become movie stars.
History was late to the party, but it finally arrived. Thanks to renewed interest in Kirby's work - and shout-outs from novelists like Michael Chabon and Jonathan Lethem - he is more widely known today than he was in the 1960s.
Back then, those of us who read him haunted newsstands and drugstores, ripping each new issue right out of the deliveryman's hands. Two books, including a long-awaited biography, are in the works, and the reprint industry is threatening to resurrect everything Kirby ever produced.
He was introduced to a broader public just last month when the U.S. Postal Service issued 20 stamps depicting Marvel characters. The images seemed deliberately chosen to maximize Marvel's marketing opportunities.
Even so, Kirby is credited on eight of the stamps and could have been credited on several more. After all, he did at least some work on nearly every major character Marvel produced..." And to finish Jack Kirby! It is a good story.
Have you found a place in your collection for Jack's lifelong work? As Stan gets more popularized as he cashes in on big screen and TV, let us not forget his partner Mr. Kirby. Jack is as instrumental in a lot of our sacred heroes as Stan is. Don't you think?
Dave
September 11, 2007 10:55 - Who Wants to be a superhero?
Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I did kind of get into the second season of Stan Lee's, Who Wants to be a Superhero, reality show. It is now over with a new superhero selected for this season. Here is a good wrap up of this year's series:
" 'Who Wants to be a Superhero?' Winner Says He's Living The Dream
September 10, 2007
On September 6, Texan detective Jarrett Crippen was crowned the second winner of the SCI-FI Channel's reality series, Who Wants to be a Superhero? Emerging victorious from the competition means Crippen's alter ego, The Defuser, will be featured in a comic book written by the legendary Stan Lee and published by Dark Horse Comics. Additionally, Crippen's character will appear in an upcoming original movie by the network.
"Most kids grow up reading comic books and dreaming about being a superhero. It's taken 38 years, but I'm living that dream," Crippen said in a statement. "I can't express how this experience has changed my life for the better. The only word that comes to mind is… incredible!"
Jarrett Crippen, who has been a detective for 14 years, said in a separate interview that he first came up with the idea for The Defuser when he was in seventh grade.
"I remember reading about a police officer having to shoot a bad guy." Crippen said. "And so I created a superhero that used non-lethal gadgets, his own weapons to catch guys, then hand them over to police, so the police wouldn't be put in that position, either... " To finish Superhero, click on over.There is also a profile synopsis of all of this year's contestants.
One thing I have to admit about this reality series is there is no stab um in the back tactics like most other reality shows. There was quite the family affair and comradery among the players. For me, this at least made this reality show palatable, unlike most other reality shows. So, take a gander at the rest of the article and let me know what you think!
Dave
September 15, 2007 13:23 - The 10 Top Comic Books of the Week!
Well, I received a new press release from an interesting comic book site, which displays the top 10 pulled comics of the week. David Steinberger, the owner had this to say:
"Hi Dave- I'm co-owner of a site called Comixology, which lists all the upcoming comic book releases so collectors can create a pull list. We also have commenting, rating and embedding tools for individual comic books. Our most recent press release is below. Thanks! David
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Comixology.com brings comic book releases to the iPhone September 13, 2007 Comixology.com, the top provider of information on weekly comic book releases, is now available anywhere and any time on web-enabled mobile devices.
The beta of their iPhone-optimized interface (found at http://www.comixology.com/iphone) joins iComicsOnSale (a popular Mac OS X widget available at http://www.comixology.com/icos) as another convenient way Comixology provides to review and create buying lists of upcoming comic books.
"Comixology concentrates on making it easier for comic book fans finding out what's coming out each week," said David Steinberger, President of Iconology, which owns Comixology.com. "That's why you'll continue to see innovative tools from us, like the iCOS widget, or our embeddable comic book descriptions and now the mobile-optimized site. Plus, it's simply cool to whip out your iPhone in the store on Wednesdays to check your pull list!"
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR SCREENSHOTS About Comixology. Comixology is the premiere website where comic book fans can review upcoming comic books, trade paperbacks, toys and related merchandise. Users can browse the best listings of comics on the Web, create virtual pull lists, rate and discuss comic books, and use Comixology's tools to post covers and descriptions of comics to their MySpace page, blogs and websites.
Comixology aims to transform the relationship between comic book readers, retailers and publishers. Comixology is owned by Iconology, Inc. Contact: David Steinberger President, Iconology, Inc david@iconology.com 646-421-2051"
So you may want to head over to David's site and do a little surfing. Here is a live link for you: Top 10 Comic Books of the Week! Enjoy.
Dave
September 19, 2007 11:14 - Superhero Costume Contest Anyone?
Boy time flies when you are having fun. Next month will be Halloween again. Any of you planning on dressing up in your favorite comic book character persona? I know this is quite a big deal for many individuals, but alas I am sorry to say, I haven't participated for years (shame on me). Anyway, it looks like Marvel has set up a costume contest this year if you want to take a gander:
"Enter to Win Marvel's First Annual Costume Contest!
Posted: 2007-09-17 Updated: 2007-09-17 19:03:10
Do you spend every Halloween dressed up as your favorite Marvel super hero or villain? Well, Marvel wants to see you in your costume and we're handing out prizes to the best-dressed Marvel fans! All you have to do is head over to www.marvel.com/costumecontest right now to enter Marvel's First Annual Costume Contest!
The deadline for submissions is October 22. Then, from October 23 through October 29, Marvel fans will be able to vote on Marvel.com for their favorite Marvel Costume Contest entry. Then, before you go trick-or-treating, check Marvel.com on Halloween day to see if you're one of the winners of Marvel's First Annual Costume Contest and Marvel Costume Contest Voter Sweepstakes!
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a personalized "handbook style" page to appear in a Marvel comic book and be spotlighted in a feature article on Marvel.com along with a signed CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS by Ed Brubaker! Plus, one randomly selected voter will win a signed CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS by Ed Brubaker for helping judge the competition.
What are you waiting for? Grab your Marvel costume, your digital camera and head to www.marvel.com/costumecontest right now to enter Marvel's First Annual Costume Contest!" And if you are interested in entering head on over to superhero costume contest. Let me know if you enter. Ta!
Dave
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