Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
Take the Dare!



A few valentines from me to you.

The love is flowing over on the Comics Journal message board, and Tim Hensley has posted a link to a groovy Steranko romance comic. Lay your orbs on that, daddio.

There won't be a better time to check out Sax and Lentil's wonderful Jenny Everywhere story, My Bloody Valentine.

Searching for something for Grandma? Look no further than The Archive of Golden Age Romance Comics, where you will find full issue scans of all your old-time favourites, and some Silver Age goodies too. Stay awhile. Stay forever!

Looking for some background on this beloved genre? The site above has a Very Brief History of Romance Comics. Or take a look at how "King" Kirby, the two-fisted co-creator of the Romance Comic, approached his work. The LA Weekly has a remembrance of days filled with secret hearts and confidential confessions.



No date? Take solace in the satirical reworkings of Truer Than True Romance, which includes a few preview images. Just remember, everything you need to know about relationships can be learned from Romance Comics.

No bitterness on this end. My evening will consist of a warm bed, a stack of romance comics and someone very special to share them with. Mwah!
posted by Steven at 1:25 PM

 
Astro Boy Kegger

In what must be some sort of record, the illustrious EGON labs hasn't posted news in almost a week. For just a few days I felt just a little less insecure. Thankfully, it's back, and has a link to talks about the Astro Boy Birthday Celebration in Japan. Not to be outdone, we at Flat Earth will also be hosting an Astro Boy party on that date. If you're going to be in the Ottawa area, drop me a line.

Canada Bids Farewell to Joe Matt

"I just know that I’m going to be paying three times for rent what I pay in Canada."

Well, that's one person who won't be making it to the party. It may not be anything remotely related to real news, but according to an interview at Newsarama Peepshow cartoonist Joe Matt is moving on up from Hog town to the Big Apple. For some reason, the Matt/Seth/Brown breakup seems a little sad to me. Seth also mentions it in a separate interview at Comicon.

Marvel to take Joe Matt's Place

Newsarama also has a small bit on the newest Niagara Falls attraction to further drag that Wonder of the World into a deep, tacky pit of Kitsch Hell. Am I originally from the Niagara Region? Am I bitter?

Hellboy Preview

I love to look at roughs and thumbnails from comic artists. Slushfactory has a sneak preview of the upcoming Art of Hellboy book. Tasty!

Pass the Envelope

The second year for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and Classical Animation is kicking ass and taking names. The nominees are...

LILO & STITCH
SPIRITED AWAY
TREASURE PLANET
ICE AGE
SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON

With obviously lengthy production schedules, I suppose it's going to be awhile before we see if the Academy Awards influence the creation of better animated features. My pick is Spirited Away, though Hollywood's love affair with CGI gives the edge to Ice Age.

Bloggers Anonymous

A few people have commented on my choice of a single initial for my name on this blog, saying it is "mysterious" or "for reasons of privacy". Actually, it's because I'm stupid and don't know how to use a computer, which is also the same reason I don't have decent permalinks and the blog is so ugly. For the record, my name is Steven Wintle. I think I have it fixed to say "Steven" now.

My previous image posting site has, without warning, cut its customers off from its services. You'll notice a large number of beautiful white circles with red "x"'s littering the landscape.

Another group of people seemed apologetic towards my comments about the short-sightedness of people in the comics community and not knowing who Bill Mauldin is. I wasn't upset about a lack of knowledge on some people's part. I know very little on so many subjects myself, as one can see by the limited scope of this blog. I was more concerned with a smaller section of folk who don't care about the medium's history because they have some sort of internal cut-off date for comics. While I don't like rampant nostalgia, comics ageism is just as bad.

Yet another set of people commented on a comment I made about the Journal of M.O.D.O.K. Studies. No one was upset, mind you, but I thought I would clarify. I've read a great deal of general comic history books that contained knowledge I already possessed, but in most instances I was not only glad that there was a primer available for the uninitiated, but I also managed to get at least a few things out of them myself. So it is with the Journal of M.O.D.O.K Studies. It is, by far, the greatest magazine on M.O.D.O.K. you will see in your lifetime, and a reliable source has passed on details of the content for the next issue, which is positively orgasmic.

M.O.D.O.K. and orgasms mentioned in the same sentence. You love to watch.
posted by Steven at 8:57 PM