New Challenge: I LOVE COMICS 3000

I LOVE COMICS 3000, PART 8 - - formerly known as THE 2021 COMIC BOOK QUARANTINE ODYSSEY

This began as the 1,000 COMICS CHALLENGE issued to Captain Blue Hen from some friendly comic shops in Texas and Ohio.  Captain Blue Hen Comics didn’t win that challenge, but they came close.  Then, they were invited to keep going and participate in a 2,021 challenge - - same rules, the winner is the shop/group that reads and posts 2,021 comics first.  Captain Blue Hen apparently took first place, although the results have yet to be officially announced. So, the quest begins anew: the new moniker is I LOVE COMICS 3000. Sometime after that it may be called COMICS 5K. I’ll happily contribute. This has been fun.

I’ll share all my posts to the group on this blog page.  I’ve been numbering my entries, picking up where I left off with the 2,021 COMIC BOOK QUARANTINE ODYSSEY.  I’m curious to see how long it takes me to read that many comics. I want the results to be realistic so I’m not going to binge read unless I happen to be in the mood.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t end up reading some comics, so we’ll see how long it takes me.

#269, 270, 271  AMERICAN JESUS, VOLUME 1: CHOSEN (Image) I read the second series first, without realizing it was the middle of a trilogy. It didn't matter. Both read quite well as stand-alone stories, but I picked up new appreciation for this series after finally reading this. Mark Millar is a dynamic duo by himself: 1) He has incredible ideas, and 2) He's a great storyteller. A nine-year old boy survives an accident that should have smashed him into oblivion. It's a miracle! When he begins to exhibit healing powers and supreme intelligence - - people begin to worship him as the second coming of Christ. The only naysayer is the local Catholic priest, who's seen enough unwarranted tragedy in his life to justify his skepticism.

This is a first person narration from the point of view of the nine-year old boy, and Millar shows great sensitivity and understanding as the boy struggles between using his powers or waiting for adulthood to reveal himself. The first 80% of this story is a warm, heartening saga with a feel-good vibe all over it. Then it takes a turn that I did not expect for a sucker-punch of an ending. FIVE STARS.

#272  STAR WARS ADVENTURES #1 (IDW, 2017) A Star Wars comic aimed at younger readers. First issue features the beginning of a Rey story, and also a one-shot tale with Obi-Wan Kenobi. THREE STARS. 

#273 THE FLASH #73 (DC, 2019) Part 4 of a very good Year One story which introduces new speed-force-powered villain The Turtle (works different for him, obviously). The best part is the opening scene where Iris knocks on Barry’s apartment door, which he doesn’t answer because he slumped on the other side and near death. While Iris makes this heartfelt guilty confession to him, Barry is trying to vibrate his hand enough to enter his body and remove a bullet slowly inching towards his heart. A modern classic moment. FOUR STARS. 

#274  JUSTICE LEAGUE #27 (DC, 2019) “Apex Predator, Part 2 — part of the Year Of The Villain: The Offer saga. A big cluster of stuff — Martian Manhunter captive, Professor Ivo, Amazo, the Monitors, the Multiverse, the Anti-Monitor, Legion of Doom, young boy Shayne (son of Martian Manhunter/Hawkgirl?) and Lex Luthor in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s tattered robe. The best thing about this issue is my Arthur Adams variant cover, the image of which reflects my mood after reading this. There’s a good reason I’ve been avoiding Tynion’s version of Batman. What a mess. TWO STARS.

#275, 276, 277  FIVE YEARS (Abstract Studios, 2019) I read the first three issues of the Terry Moore crossover/continuation featuring characters from his other series. You don't need to be familiar with those to enjoy this - - an espionage tale of a group of women banding together to prevent the development of a super-bomb. It's scheduled to run 10 issues (9 so far). I'll definitely check out the collection once it finishes. Very intriguing and well-developed. FOUR STARS.

#278 SCOUT #1(Eclipse, 1985) The great Timothy Truman writes and draws this saga of Emmanuel Santana a.k.a. Scout, a Native American Apache on a mission to bring down a corrupt United States Government. America in 1999 is empty, not the result of a bomb, but a combined effort by Russia, Japan, Africa and South America to close off relations. Fields go barren, topsoil eroded, orchards picked over - - the country is tapped out. “As ever, America pretended it wasn’t happening.”

With the aid of a spirit guide ( a gahn ) who manifests as small talking insects and animals, Scout rides a motorcycle out of the mountains to do battle with the ancient four monsters (disguised as humans), the real enemy, who were summoned by Grail (the POTUS). In Issue #1, Scout takes down Mr. Al, a pornographer who’s befriended various U.S. Senators. Mr. Al is really a giant owl man. A female consort enslaved by Mr. Al decides to leave with Scout. The backup feature, FASHION IN ACTION, by writer/artist John K Snyder III is a cool action tale of F.I.A., a protection agency for executives staffed by tough female operatives in the year 2087.  In the first story, their client tv host/comedian Johnny Mars (hmmn, a Smiths connection?) gets abducted during a New Years eve gala by agents of Doctor Cruel. Good stuff. FOUR STARS.

Street Trash (1987) - Official Trailer

Pretty impressive for a B-movie. Of course, there's not much of a plot, but the special effects and cinematography are very good. Watched this as part of Joe Bob Brigg's The Last Drive-In Movie Show on streaming Shudder TV.

Magazine Review: BLACK STATIC #65, September-October 2018

BLACK STATIC ISSUE #65 (TTA Press, September-October 2018) Edited by Andy Cox. 96 pages. ISSN # 1753-0709.

Yet another issue of high quality provocative literary horror, commentary, and book and film reviews.

     I'm always engaged in the story-telling but usually not disturbed or frightened by it, as if the terms "literary horror" and "scary" are incompatible. There are more than the usual selection of worthwhile stories in Issue #65.

     The stand-outs this issue are "Impostor/Imposter" by Ian Muneshwar, where the instance of two male lovers growing apart from each other has deeper implications and consequences. 

  

  I've got to admit that the stellar art illustrating "Marrow" by E. Catherine Tobler helped me to visualize the apparent mechanical weapon left behind following a future war. Destined to wander a wasteland, consuming human and animals alike, the machine known as EATR lives up to its' name. A small (child?) human befriends the machine and leads it to what it promises is a field of food. The writing reveals just enough to give a sense of scene, but remains vague enough to never be sure. 

     

An artist uses stillbirth and deformities to create his visionary art, and gets brought down to earth by an art scholar in "In The Gallery Of Silent Screams" by Carole Johnstone & Chris Kelso. Art also takes center stage in "The Pursuer" by Kailee Pedersen, which is the name of the only piece of art still in possession by the daughter of the deceased and famous father. There's much to be said about hanging onto old possessions, and the final line leaves it up to readers to determine if the action in that sentence was literal or figurative. 

    

In "The Gramophone Man" by Matt Thompson a Japanese solider meets a ghost before the actual event that resulted in the death that caused the stranger to become a ghost. 

     

"Squatters' Rights" by Cody Goodfellow entertained me with the constant use of metaphor, but it made it difficult to understand the action and resolution of the story. I believe I know what happened here, but not sure enough to state it with certainty.

The Old Guard: Another Graphic Novel Goes Netflix

The Last Days of American Crime Gets Cinema Treatment

AWA/Upshot & Diamond Sign Distribution Deal

Information courtesy of the AWA Press Release . . . . . . . Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise, is pleased to announce that it has signed a distribution agreement with Artists, Writers & Artisans to exclusively distribute their products to comic book specialty markets worldwide. Diamond was also awarded the rights to exclusively distribute Artists, Writers & Artisans new releases to the North American book market under the banner of Diamond Book Distributors. Artists, Writers & Artisans, also known as AWA Studios, is an independent publisher crafting new characters, stories, and worlds for a 21st century audience. The company approaches the comic book industry with a new business model, one that focuses on creators and gives them ownership of their work, the company, or even both. Founded by Marvel alumni Axel Alonso and Bill Jemas, along with former CEO of AOL and of Digital Media at News Corp, Jon Miller, AWA Studios aims to give power back to the creators with a genre-blending, sky’s-the-limit approach to storytelling. "Comics aren’t a genre of storytelling—they’re a medium,” said Axel Alonso, Chief Creative Officer of AWA Studios. “A medium that is only as limited as the talent and tastes of the creators making them and the publishers supporting those creators. At AWA Studios, we want to tap their full potential, with stories that span and blend all genres: crime, horror, war, western, science fiction, journalism—and yes—superheroes.” Frank Fochetta, Senior Consultant of Sales & Distribution, added, "Similar to AWA Studios's shared creator culture, we have initiated The AWA Retail Council with comic and book retailers encompassing editorial input, and industry leading financial incentives. Our book content approach is to sell what works with direct retailer say, supporting buys with industry leading discounts and credits. We are offering what we believe to be the best and only fair deal for comic and book retailers by selling you what you want to buy at a price you want to pay. We also provide the opportunity to read all of our stories in full before you make the decision to purchase. AWA Studios boasts a continuously expanding library of standalone stories and ongoing series that span genres and audiences, offering diverse tales for a broad range of readers. Upcoming trade paperback releases include The Resistance, Year Zero, Archangel 8, Red Border, and Hotell. “We can’t wait to show you more innovative series by top talent and tomorrow’s stars that will entertain, challenge, provoke and expand the boundaries of the medium,” says Alonso.

The Resistance AWA STUDIOS 9781733499316 • $9.99 Superheroes • Ages 16+ On Sale: 10/06/2020 Archangel 8 AWA STUDIOS 9781733499330 • $9.99 Supernatural • Ages 16+ On Sale: 10/06/2019 Red Border AWA STUDIOS 9781733499361 • $9.99 Horror • Ages 16+ On Sale: 10/06/2020

The Easybeats - Good Times (1968)

The Easybeats - Sorry

Music Favorites 1961-1970 #16: THE EASYBEATS

The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind (French TV, 1967) 1080p HD

A good day for this song . . . . . .

Small Faces Sha La La La Lee 1966 Stereo

THE SMALL FACES SORRY SHE'S MINE

Small Faces - What'cha Gonna Do About It 1966

Music Favorites 1961-1970 #15: THE SMALL FACES

Official Trailer | Team America: World Police | SceneScreen

Stay-At-Home Theater: TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE - -  Even though I saw this many years ago, I still laughed at most of the parts. Guilty pleasure. Over-the-top puppet movie from the South Park team. You can expect dirty language, explosive violence with exploding puppets, and even a ridiculous puppet sex scene.

Book Review: IT CALLS FROM THE FOREST anthology

IT CALLS FROM THE FOREST: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TERRIFYING TALES FROM THE WOODS, VOLUME 1  (Eerie River Publishing, April 2020)  Kindle Edition, 386 pages.  ASIN # B0821XQF1

      Overall, I rated this collection THREE STARS out of a possible FIVE STARS.  A detailed summary with explanation for my evaluation follows. Almost 40% of the stories in this anthology rated above Three Stars.

     Before the pandemic, publishers were super-conservative when it came to buying fiction from less-established writers. Stick with the familiar and the best-sellers only, it seems. I hate to imagine what it will be like once things open up again. Small press publishers are the best outlet for the new writers of the future. For that reason, small press anthologies that collect stories from a variety of writers deserve a bigger audience than they might be able to attract. 

     IT CALLS FROM THE FOREST offers 24 tales of varying length and styles. Only three stories failed to meet my standards, while eight stores were promising enough to investigate the authors further.

     The best story of the bunch is "Forest Man" by Holley Cornetto.

     As is my habit with most anthologies and collections, I'll review this story by story using this 5 point rating system: Three stars is the medium rating, meaning the story was satisfactory and met my expectations. Four stars indicates the story was above average. Five star stories exceed my expectations, so much that the story is worthy of best-of-year consideration. Two star stories are below average, and did not meet my expectations. One star stories don't entertain or engage or don't seem to fit well within the collection's themes.

1) "A Wail Of A Tail" by Emma K. Leadley made me wonder if the author thought of the title first and then wrote the story to fit. A hunter fires at prey hidden in the brush, and manages to shoot off it's tail. He'll soon meet the rest of the body, of course. THREE STARS.

2) Some teenage boys discover a rock-thing in the woods and suspect it of alien origin in "The Thing In The Woods" by D. R. Smith. Strange things occur which leads to a grim resolution. Really enjoyed this one, wish there was just a bit more of an outcome. FOUR STARS.

3) "The Hike" by E. E. W. Christman. Steph goes looking for girlfriend Becca in the cold Oregon woods the morning after a verbal fight. However, Steph isn't the only one hunting for a companion. A little predictable, but the writing was crisp and moved me through the story. THREE STARS.

4) "When the sun goes away, the wolves come to play . . ." Too long to be considered flash fiction but too short to engage the reader sufficiently, "Only Snow" by Clint Foster offers a little background and then skips right to the climatic scene. That's disappointing. TWO STARS.

5) New business owner Benny returns to his hometown, gets reacquainted with Marsha who he lusted after in high school, and gets invited to a camping trip with promises of sex. In "Carhaze", writer Dale Drake mixes in some erotica with the horror, a nice change-up at this point in the anthology. However, it might have more impact if the characters were more likable. THREE STARS.

6) "Knotwork Hill" by C. W. Blackwell reads like a purplish noir thriller with dark elements. It's very engaging and gets stranger as it moves forward. Ex-cops, witch legends, and cultish Celtic rites. This would be a five star story if not for the improbable ending. There are limitations to writing in first person. FOUR STARS.

7) In "Lazarus' Respite" by Michael Subjack a middle-school boy abused by bullies finds an unusual solution to his troubles. FOUR STARS.

8) A group of teens meet every summer during family vacation at a lake resort in "Forest Man". They take a hike in the woods, find a cave with an odd tree-like formation, and then they start disappearing individually. Twenty years later, some of them return with chilling and disturbing results. This story hit all the marks. FIVE STARS.

9) "Return To The Woods" by G. Allen Wilbanks.  A prisoner charged with the murder of his family has a special connection to a monster in the woods, a monster he claims is who really killed his wife and kids. THREE STARS.

10) Michael D. Nadeau utilizes some Irish folklore in "The Lady In The Woods", where a tourist enters a forest of legend, and has a serous injury. Alone, and unable to move he encounters a mysterious woman and is offered a choice that will determine his future. THREE STARS.

11 + 12) Tim Mendees contributes two FOUR STAR stories. In "A Matter Of Recycling" an introverted lad who spends his leisure time exploring the woods discovers a clearing where a wounded badger is quickly consumed by strange insects. Curious to learn more, he brings roadkill to the clearing and enters into a pact with the insects that will see him into adulthood and beyond. In "Rouse Them Not" a Druidic wassailing ceremony involving leaving spiced toast in trees takes a nasty turn when two mischievous twins decide to make an offering to the two graveyard apple trees they were warned to stay away from.

13) "Dig" by Elizabeth Nettleton. Be careful who you dig up your past with. THREE STARS.

14) "Pumpkinface" by T. S. Hurt is more of an excerpt or scene than a full story. Four high school chums share campfire stories about a serial killer and then meet him in person. TWO STARS.

15) "Neumack Woods" by N. M. Brown did not end to my satisfaction. Two eleven-year old boys decide to sneak out at nighttime and see if the rumors about the Woods are true. This is more of a campfire story, maybe one that should have been told in "Pumpkinface." TWO STARS.

16) "Thirteen" by Craig Crawford is narrated by the wraith-like hermit trapped in a wooded cabin some 100 years prior by a druid. He needs to lure hikers inside to feed from their essence. Will he finally succeed in ensnaring enough victims to gain release? Chilling. THREE STARS.

17) "Automatic Contamination" by M. A. Smith held my interest for awhile, but it's too inconclusive to be scary, or even different from a score of similar missing person with adults not believing the kids' stories. TWO STARS.

18) There are parts of "Interference" by Matthew A. St. Cyr that are very inventive in this mysterious, and intriguing yet frustrating story. The frustration comes from too many unexplained events as a young couple take too long on a hike and have to descend a mountain in darkness, with injuries occurring. I don't want to state my many questions about this story because it would end up spoiling it. This is one for the reader to decide. For me, it's worth THREE STARS.

19) An isolationist enters a park after closing for uninterrupted camping. The more cuts and scrapes he endures, the more he hears the voices. "Getting Away From It All" by Greg Hunter raised some questions that go unanswered, yet I'm giving it FOUR STARS mainly for inventiveness and creepiness.

20) The title of "Fairies In The Forest" by Jason Holden tells everything you need to know. Except, these fairies are not friendly, as Alex and son Warren soon find out. THREE STARS.

21) A middle-aged nature lover takes a mid-week break to visit an historic Chicago park in "The Von Brunner Woods" by Evan M. Elgin, hoping to have the isolated acres all to himself. He encounters an odd stranger on the trails, and fears for his life. THREE STARS.

22) "Jodie's Spot" by Mark Towse. A teenager enters a mysterious misty part of the forest where he believes his equally nature-loving sister disappeared a year earlier and has an encounter with Mother Nature. THREE STARS.

23) Two poachers stalking a wounded bear in "Seita" by Thomas K. S. Wade become the prey when the bear becomes indestructible in a strange area of the woods where spirits dwell. FOUR STARS.

24) In "Hollow Woods" by Brian Duncan a father and daughter move from Arizona to Florida. The teenage girl gets invited by her new friends to a wilderness park with a beach. Rather than a swimming trip, the girls want to hike to an off-the-trail area to check the validity of some folklore amid rituals and sacrifice. FOUR STARS.

IDW Reveals PUBLISHING SCHEDULE For SUMMER 2020

Visit or Contact Your Local Comic Shop for the Best in Summer Reading, Including New Locke & Key, TMNT: The Last Ronin, Rob Liefeld’s Snake Eyes, the First Star Trek: DS9 Series in a Decade, and Much More! SAN DIEGO, CA (May 26, 2020) – IDW Publishing (OTCQX: IDWM), the award-winning publisher of comic books and graphic novels, is thrilled to announce its revised Direct Market release schedule for Summer 2020. With world-renowned brands like Sonic The Hedgehog and Transformers, groundbreaking original series like Usagi Yojimbo and Sleeping Beauties, acclaimed celebrations of the comics medium like Dave Cockrum’s X-Men Artifact Edition and Parker: The Martini Edition - Last Call, and everything in-between, IDW is perfectly poised to bring readers the summertime thrills they’ve been longing for -- all available from your friendly neighborhood comic shops! “It’s been a crazy time for everybody,” says John Barber, Editor in Chief at IDW. “I’m really excited about finally bringing people the thing that brings us together: comics and books. There’s a really wide range of comics and graphic novels coming from IDW this summer — some you’ve probably been waiting for, and some that are new surprises. For me, the real magic is that there are stories here for everyone, from every walk of life.” Chris Ryall, IDW’s President, Publisher, and CCO, says, “We’ve all been waiting -- fans, retailers, and our staff alike -- fervently and sometimes with a bit of understandable restlessness. Our thanks go out to all of you for letting us continue to make, ship, and sell comics to you. None of us take that opportunity for granted – and we will all continue to strive to make any purchase you make worth your time and your money.”   MAY 27 Camp Spirit Graphic Novel Revisit the summer of ‘94 with writer/artist Axelle Lenoir! With just two months left before college, Elodie is forced to take a job as a camp counselor. She doesn't know the first thing about nature, or sports, or kids for that matter, and isn't especially interested in learning... but now she's responsible for a foul-mouthed horde of girls who just might win her over. Just as Elodie starts getting used to her new environment, a dark mystery lurking around the camp begins to haunt her dreams. Sonic The Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Join two of the most popular new characters from Sonic's world in this classic odd-couple team-up adventure! Tangle the Lemur's got a problem: there's not enough action in her life! Whisper the Wolf's also got a problem: she's hunting down an incredibly dangerous enemy named Sonic the Hedgehog! Can Tangle and Whisper help solve each other's problems, or will they just make things worse? By Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, and more! Dungeons & Dragons: Days of Endless Adventure Trade Paperback G.I. Joe #6 Godzilla: The Complete Rulers of Earth Vol. 1 Trade Paperback (New Edition) Marvel Action: Captain Marvel #5 Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath Trade Paperback Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle Trade Paperback Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends #23     JUNE 3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Road to 100 Deluxe Edition Hardcover The landmark 100th issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gets the celebration it deserves in this special hardcover edition! Nearly eight years of action-packed continuity by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and series co-writer Tom Waltz is brought to its dramatic finale… but that’s not all!  In addition to the landmark issue, join TMNT scholar Patrick Ehlers for an authoritative study of IDW’s TMNT continuity -- the perfect companion for such a notable comic book milestone! G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #271 Marvel Action: Black Panther Vol. 2: Rise Together Trade Paperback Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim #5 (of 6) Star Trek: Year Five #11     JUNE 10 Parker: The Martini Edition Hardcover Slipcase Graphic Novel The great Darwyn Cooke’s graphic novel adaptations of Richard Stark's Parker stories “The Hunter”, “The Outfit”, “The Man with the Getaway Face”, and “The Seventh” are collected in this 9” x 13” hardcover, packaged in a gorgeous slipcase. Includes copious illustrations by Cooke and a long form discussion on Parker featuring Cooke, Ed Brubaker (acclaimed writer of Criminal), and noted comics journalist and historian Tom Spurgeon. A loving tribute to the legacy of Darwyn Cooke and Parker! Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 1: Bunraku & Other Stories Trade Paperback The warrior’s journey of Usagi Yojimbo continues in these all-new full-coloradventures! In “Bunraku & Other Stories”, Usagi becomes embroiled in a puppet drama where the players are not quite what they seem, goes back to his bodyguard roots on a perilous journey alongside Lady Mura, and hunts a stolen sword with bounty hunters Gen and Stray Dog. Plus, the very first Usagi story, “The Goblin of Adachigahara”, is expanded from 8 to 24 pages, adding new insights into the characters! Afraid of Everything Hardcover Graphic Novel Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues #4 (of 4) Disney Comics and Stories #12 Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish Trade Paperback The Kill Lock #5 (of 6) Mountainhead #4 (of 5) Pandemica Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Rascal Hardcover Graphic Novel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics Vol. 3 Trade Paperback Wellington #4 (of 5)     JUNE 17 Dave Cockrum’s X-Men Artifact Edition Hardcover After the runaway success of Giant Size X-Men #1, all-new stories exploded in the pages of X-Men #94… and the rest is the stuff comic book dreams are made of! This Artifact Edition contains more than 100 pages from Cockrum’s initial run on X-Men, as well as pages from the artist’s second run on the characters several years later. As an added bonus: a gallery section featuring covers, sketches, and a few surprises! This is an art book made for fans of Dave Cockrum’s X-Men art! The Crow: Lethe #1 (of 3) - Second Printing The Crow: Lethe #2 (of 3) Dying is Easy #5 (of 5) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #272 Lab Vol. 1 Graphic Novel Tiananmen 1989: Our Shattered Hopes Hardcover Graphic Novel Transformers #20 Transformers: The IDW Collection - Phase 2 Vol. 11 Hardcover Uncle Scrooge #56 Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artisan Edition Hardcover     JUNE 24 Sleeping Beauties #1 (of 10) Based on the horror novel by Stephen and Owen King, and adapted by Rio Youers and Alison Sampson! A strange sleeping sickness, known as Aurora, has fallen over the world, and strangest of all, it only affects women. In the small town of Dooling, a mysterious woman has walked out of the woods; she calls herself Eve and leaves a trail of carnage behind her. More mysterious: she's the only woman not falling asleep. A Radical Shift of Gravity Graphic Novel Locke & Key #1 Facsimile Edition Marvel Action: Spider-Man Vol. 4: Venom Trade Paperback My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Sonic The Hedgehog #28 Sonic The Hedgehog Vol. 6: Last Minute Trade Paperback Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars - Battle Tales #2 (of 5) Star Wars Adventures Vol. 9: Fight the Empire Trade Paperback They Called Us Enemy Spanish Edition: Nos Llamaron Enemigo Graphic Novel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #105 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika #3 (of 3) Transformers vs. The Terminator #2 (of 4)     JULY 1 Ed Leffingwell's Little Joe by Harold Gray Hardcover Eve Stranger Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Ghostbusters: Year One #4 (of 4) I Can Sell You a Body #4 (of 4) Johnny Dynamite – The Complete Adventures of Pete Morisi's Wild Man of Chicago Hardcover Marvel Action Classics: Avengers Starring Iron Man #1 Speed Bump: A 25th Anniversary Collection Hardcover Graphic Novel Star Trek: Year Five #12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends #24 Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #4     JULY 8 Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues Vol. 1 Trade Paperback Disney Comics and Stories #13 Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides #4 (of 5) Marvel Vault of Heroes: Captain America Trade Paperback Michael Recycle Meets Borat the Space Cat Hardcover Picture Book Sleeping Beauties #2 (of 10) Sonic The Hedgehog Annual 2020 Starcadia Quest: Heart of a Star Trade Paperback Star Wars Adventures #32 Transformers: Galaxies #7     JULY 15 Snake Eyes: Deadgame #1 Comics superstar Rob Liefeld (New Mutants, X-Force, Youngblood) takes on G.I. Joe in this high-octane, adrenaline-fueled miniseries! Snake Eyes has long been the most mysterious member of the G.I. Joe team, but within the pages of Deadgame, he’ll finally be forced to play his hand! How long can he keep his past classified… and what deadly secrets will come back to haunt him? Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Too Long a Sacrifice #1 Death casts its shadow as Constable Odo searches for truth amid a web of treachery and lies. Everyone on the Promanade has a motive for this murder, be it vengeance, justice… or old-fashioned greed. Legendary Star Trekscribes Scott Tipton and David Tipton team with noir artist Greg Scott for the first Deep Space Nine comic book series in a decade! Transformers ‘84: Secrets & Lies #1 (of 4) Simon Furman returns! Accompanied by the equally accomplished Guido Guidi and John-Paul Bove, the beloved writer tells a new tale in the original Transformers comic universe, hot off the heels of the successful Transformers ’84 #0 one-shot! As the Cybertronian Civil War rages, Decepticon scientist Shockwave has encountered a new obstacle to the Decepticon’s victory and subjugation of the planet: an obstacle called Megatron! The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy Vol. 28 Hardcover G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Complete Silence One-Shot The Grot: The Story of the Swamp City Grifters Trade Paperback H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau Hardcover Marvel Action: Spider-Man #3 Napoleon Dynamite: Impeach Pedro Trade Paperback Star Wars Adventures: Clone Wars - Battle Tales #3 (of 5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #106 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 11 Hardcover Usagi Yojimbo #10     JULY 22 My Little Pony / Transformers #1 (of 4) When Queen Chrysalis casts a spell looking for more changelings, she accidentally interferes with a malfunctioning Spacebridge! What’s this mean for our favorite fillies? There are suddenly a bunch of Autobots and Decepticons in Equestria! And as the dust settles, Rarity and Arcee find themselves teaming up against a hostile Decepticon force... Canto and the Clockwork Fairies One-Shot Red Panda & Moon Bear Spanish Edition: Panda Roja y Osa Lunar Graphic Novel Sonic The Hedgehog #29 Star Trek: Year Five Vol. 2: The Wine-Dark Deep Trade Paperback Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2020 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends #25 Transformers #21     JULY 29 The Crow: Lethe #3 (of 3) The Kill Lock #6 (of 6) Marvel Action: Captain Marvel #6 Pandemica #5 (of 5) Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim #6 (of 6) Sleeping Beauties #3 (of 10) Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #5 (of 7)     AUGUST 5 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #273 Judge Dredd: False Witness #2 (of 4) Marvel Action: Avengers #2 Marvel Action: Captain Marvel Vol. 2: A.I.M. Small Narcos #3 (of 4) Read Only Memories #4 (of 4) Sonic the Hedgehog #30 Star Trek: Year Five #13 Usagi Yojimbo #11     AUGUST 12 Be Gay, Do Comics Graphic Novel The dream of a queer separatist town. The life of a gay Jewish Nazi-fighter. A gender reveal party that tears apart reality. These are the just some of the comics you’ll find in this massive anthology from The Nib. Be Gay, Do Comicsis filled with dozens of comics about LGBTQIA experiences, ranging from personal stories to queer history to cutting satire about pronoun panic and brands desperate to co-opt pride. Brimming with resilience, inspiration, and humor, featuring more than 30 cartoonists! Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides #5 (of 5) G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: Snake Eyes Origin One-Shot The Mueller Report Graphic Novel My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #89 My Little Pony / Transformers #2 (of 4) Sleeping Beauties #4 (of 10) Sonic The Hedgehog Spanish Edition Vol. 1: ¡Consecuencias! Trade Paperback Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars - Battle Tales #4 (of 5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #107 They Called Us Enemy Expanded Edition Graphic Novel Transformers #22 Transformers: Galaxies #8 Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #6 (of 7)     AUGUST 19 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 (of 5) Springing from the minds of TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird comes an epic like you've never seen before! In a far different future NYC, a lone surviving Turtle goes on a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. Kinetic layouts from Eastman, moody inks from Andy Kuhn, and a thrilling script from longtime TMNT scribe Tom Waltz combine to make this one of the most memorable TMNT stories you will ever read. Oversized in both format and page count! Voyage to the Stars #1 (of 5) The hit sci-fi comedy podcast crashes into comics! Earth is gone. Only one intrepid crew of misfits managed to escape, now determined and ambiguously destined to stop a growing, ancient evil from consuming the universe (although stopping it may be tricky, as our heroes can't help but destroy just about every planet and species they come across) By five-time Harvey Award-nominee James Asmus and Connie Daidone! Fishtown Brotherly Love Edition Graphic Novel G.I. Joe #7 Godzilla: Half-Century War Trade Paperback Life in the Stupidverse Graphic Novel My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Vol. 19 Sonic the Hedgehog #31 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Too Long a Sacrifice #2 (of 4) Star Trek: Picard Trade Paperback Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends #26 Transformers '84: Secrets and Lies #2 (of 4) Transformers vs. The Terminator #3 (of 4) Uncle Scrooge #57 Usagi Yojimbo Color Classics #7 (of 7)     AUGUST 26 Canto II: The Hollow Men #1 (of 5) All-ages fan favorite Canto returns! Once, a little tin slave with a clock for a heart broke all the rules — he escaped his masters on an epic journey to save his love’s heart, and he led his people to freedom. But now that freedom is in jeopardy, as Canto discovers his people’s clockwork hearts will stop unless they return to captivity. He and his friends Falco, Rikta, and Veratta embark on a new adventure to save the lives of all their people. Can they lift the curse before their time runs out? Locke & Key: …In Pale Battalions Go… #1 (of 2) Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez’s acclaimed Locke & Key continues! The impossible, reality-bending keys of Keyhouse have always been weapons of war. In the spring of 1915, Chamberlin Locke's oldest son, John, is desperate to be a part of the greatest war of all... and use the keys to turn the tide! Prepare to open a door onto one of the grimmest battlefields of the 20th century, whose darkness might even strike fear into an army of supernatural shadows. Corto Maltese: Mu, The Lost Continent Graphic Novel From Hell Master Edition Hardcover Gears of War: Hivebusters Trade Paperback Kodi Vol. 1 Graphic Novel Haunted Mansion Graphic Novel Snake Eyes: Deadgame #2 (of 6) Star Trek: Hell's Mirror One-Shot Star Wars Adventures Annual 2020 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #108 Transformers: Galaxies #9 Transformers Vol. 2: Change in Their Nature Hardcover Usagi Yojimbo #12   For information on how to acquire copies of IDW Publishing’s upcoming comic book and graphic novel releases, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.

THE DARK TOWER - Official Trailer (HD)

Stay-At-Home Theater: THE DARK TOWER. Ignore the negative reviews and decide for yourself. This is an entertaining movie, with good effects. I was disappointed, but still liked it - - but not enough to want to see it again, and not enough to want more. That's where it fails, if this was intended to be the first in a series. On a positive note, it's only 95 minutes as opposed to the 2.5 to 3 hours that most epic special effect films are these days. And, if it was intended to be a one-shot then it does a fairly decent job of capturing the main points of Stephen King's epic series. The acting by Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey is as good as can be expected, considering that the film doesn't explore much of their back character (a little for the Gunslinger, but next to nothing for the Man In Black) and a script that tries hard to reduce them to cardboard props. The real focus here is on the young Jake, the best developed character in the film and the most compassionate and likable.  I'm wondering what kind of film this could have been with a 2.5 to 3 hour running time. Oh well. This might be a good time to read the books again. I only got as far as the third volume the first go-around. King's writing and world-building in those was incredible.

AHOY's Paul Constant Provides Comics Writing Tips

 

EDITOR"S NOTE: We conclude our update of Ahoy Comics and their look back at the prior year in this third installment. Information provided courtesy of Ahoy Comics Marketing . . . . . . Three Important Tips for Writing Comics, as Written by Someone Who Has No Right to Give Advice on Writing Comics by Paul Constant About a year ago, AHOY Comics published the first issue of my first-ever comic book miniseries, PLANET OF THE NERDS. AHOY Editor-in-Chief "Torrid" Tom Peyer's decades of experience saved me from a boatload of first-timer mistakes, but I also learned a few lessons over the course of writing NERDS that I'd like to share with you. You may ask, "who the hell is this guy, who has written exactly ONE five-issue miniseries, to tell ME how to write comics?" I respond by kissing you gently on the forehead and whispering: "Shhhhhh. Just this once, in the middle of a literal plague, let me fulfill my lifelong dream of hijacking a comic publisher's newsletter, okay?" Okay. Here goes: 1. Give each character a secret, and never reveal it. In order to really get into each character's head, I made up something about that character that only I would ever know: a shameful experience, an allergy, maybe a surprising opinion about a piece of pop culture. Sharing a secret with a fictional character is a great way to help you care about that character, no matter how villainous they are. 2. Write for the rush. For comics writers, there's no drug greater than the high of opening an email containing a freshly drawn page. I'd have to sit down when I got a new email from my partner on NERDS, Alan Robinson, because his artwork would literally make me swoon. So I started writing pages with that moment in mind: give Alan the raw material he needs to draw a dynamic page that makes me faint from joy when I see it for the first time. That goal helped create a more artist-friendly, visual book. 3. Make a playlist and stick to it—no matter how much your ears bleed. When writing NERDS, I compiled a playlist of songs that were in heavy rotation in 1988, when the story begins: "Don't Worry Be Happy," "Hazy Shade of Winter," "Bad Medicine." I listened to it every time I wrote. Eventually, I got sick of the songs. Then, my body started to reject them like a bad heart transplant. Finally, John "Cougar" Mellencamp stalked me, Freddy Kreuger-like, in my dreams. But I stuck with the playlist, and it was essential to keeping me in the world of the book. Every writer has to find the process that works best for them, but these three tips improved my process. Did they produce a good comic? You can find out by buying PLANET OF THE NERDSf rom a comic shop or independent bookstore near you! And be sure to join me next time, when I'll share three tips on how to awkwardly market your comic in the last paragraph of a writing craft listicle. (Number two will blow your mind!)

On the Horizon

One bright spot in all the confusion is the fact that the DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN trade paperback will be hitting stores in June. That's right folks—your AHOY fix is coming. Comic book stores will have the title June 3rd, while bookstores will have it on June 16th. Hoppin' hornets!

So concludes the latest edition of AHOY's newsletter. How did we do? Was it great or really great? Please send adulations, congratulations, felicitations, and general praise to marketing@comicsahoy.com so we can see how we did. (And if you have any suggestions, you can send those too, sandwiched delicately between two thick slices of compliments.)