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

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
Rudy Lapick 1926-2004



"I've always enjoyed doing humor comics. It's what I do best."

Mark Evanier has posted the news that longtime Archie inker Rudy Lapick has passed away. Born in the Bronx, Lapick attended classes in the School of Industrial Art with fellow cartoonist Joe Kubert. In 1945 he received his first job in comics at Cinema Comics, and slowly drifted over to Timely (now known as Marvel) where he lasted until he was laid off along with the rest of the bullpen in 1950. Fortune smiled on Lapick, as Dan Decarlo was in need of a new inker, and the two of them shared a studio through the mid-50s. Both of them began freelancing for Archie, with Lapick becoming a staff member in the mid-60s where he would remain until the present-day. He inked many of the other Archie pencillers in additon to Decarlo, and this is the work which he will most likely best be remembered for. In fact, Lapick was so prolific that it's entirely possible he has inked more pages then any other comic book embellisher, and claimed to be able to finish about forty pages a month even into his late-70s.

While it may seem that inking comics with a style as simple as that found in Archie comics wouldn't be difficult, the truth is that unlike more detailed artwork, a simple style is usually anything but simple. There is little room for error and no way to cover up mistakes by simply adding more lines. Contributing to the difficulty of delineating an Archie comic, only the inker's contour separates the base colours, and is therefore comparable to crafting a piece of glassware. It's not simply a matter of making sure the penciller's work look good, but making sure it looks right, for any discrepency will throw the reader right out of the story.

If that's the only thing Lapick had accomplished, then he would have done an excellent job. However, by looking closely at his inks you can tell that a large amount of the vibrancy and playful nature present in these stories aren't just a result of the incredible composition and posing, but by Lapick's skillful line itself. It almost has a life of it's own.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Lapick. Be assured that you weren't the only one who enjoyed your humor comics.

The majority of this information can be found in an interview with Mr. Lapick in Alter Ego #22.

He makes my boyfriend look like a real nothing!

We tried to stop him, but Marc has managed to strongarm his way into Flat Earth one last time. Forgive me.



Dear Marc:
I have just read your column in YOUNG LOVE. I think having a man’s point of view on girls’ problems is a great change. But must you be so RUDE? I know you’re trying to get your points across, but couldn’t you be more diplomatic with your answers? Hand it to your readers straight, Marc, but for Pete’s sake---don’t hurt anyone!
Concerned

Dear Concerned:
Men who have been ‘diplomatic’ with women have a distinct history of meeting with untimely disaster. What happened to Rome when Marc Anthony met Cleopatra? It fell, of course. What happened to Samson when he treated Deliah with kindness, above and beyond the call of duty? He went prematurely bald, naturally. John Smith almost lost his tactful head over Pocahontas, and we all know what happened when Eve was admitted to the Garden of Eden. Diplomacy? Forget it! We men are the ones who keep this globe spinnin’, and you girls better remember it!
Marc



posted by Steven at 4:49 PM

 
Big Dog! Big Dog! Bow-Wow-Wow!



"It's the animals I feel sorry for. They'll never get out of here. Times have changed and no one will ever want to bring them out. Let's face it, who cares about the Space Canine Patrol Agents in this day and age?" - Merryman, from Animal Man #25 written by Grant Morrison.

For those few of you that my mother hasn't called with the news, I officially started my career as an animator in the last couple of weeks, and just finished my first full scene. I can't express how giddy I am about the whole thing. It's a show for little kids, with the kind of snappy animation that I really enjoy, stuff that goes for broke when it moves, and knows when to keep still on a strong pose. Needless to say, I'm enjoying the hell out of my job, and someday kids will grow up to tell me that my animation freaked them out when they were young, just like all the great cartoons that messed me up. I hope it happens before I'm a jaded alcoholic. That said, I'm already looking towards new horizons.

Word on the upcoming Krypto cartoon is finally starting to get out there, and it's reignited my obsession with this project. At first I wasn't incredibly excited by the idea, but once I found out Streaky, Ace and especially the Space Canine Patrol Agency were going to appear on the show, I perked up fairly quickly. Now I would rather work on this show then just about any other animated tv or feature project I can think of.

So, I'll throw you a bone and give up some links to the mighty S.C.P.A., as they're known to their pals. A page devoted entirely to this galactic organization of superpowered puppies can be found here, with gloriously grainy black and white panels. It even includes a peek at the other S.C.P.A., the Space Cat Patrol Agency. Better pictures, and a great write-up, comprise this informative site. Where would we be if Gone, But Not Forgotten didn't have a page or two about these champions, and their colleagues in the Legion of Super-pets? The legendary Unca Cheeks had an essay on the equally legendary crimefighting team on his site, but the Fanzing reprint comes with pictures. Especially noteworthy for describing the story featuring the pet cats of Phantom Zone villains. No, really. Also at Fanzing, you can read a short piece of fanfiction in which Krypto puts Ace the Bat-Hound up for membership in the S.C.P.A. Finally, Quarter Bin pulls through again with a look at just a few of the many spandex-clad animals from the DC Universe, ending with a hilarious take on Krypto's need for a disguise. Is there anything Quarter Bin doesn't cover?

You're just like all the rest... a wolf! I hate you!

Buck takes one last kick at the cat with his final entry for Flat Earth.



Dear Buck:
I am fourteen years old and I have a boyfriend I’ll call Peter, who is nineteen. I really love him a lot. Well, the other day, I was walking with my friend and another boy came up and asked me if I wanted to go out with him. I had known this boy for a long time, but I didn’t feel any special love for him, so I said no. Anyway, Peter saw me talking to this boy so he whistled to me, and when I turned around and saw who it was I got so scared I didn’t know what to do. Now a few days have passed by and I’ve been trying to talk to him, but it’s no use. Can you tell me what to do?
Signed,
Needs Help

Dear Needs:
Apparently you and Peter have a communication problem. You did nothing wrong by saying no to that other boy, so there is no reason why you should be afraid to talk to Peter. It would have been different had you flirted with the other boy, or had you accepted his offer for a date, but this was no the case. I think you should tell Peter just what happened so he doesn’t entertain any misconstrued ideas. The sooner you get this problem into the open, the better chance you’ll have to clear it up.
Yours truly,
Buck

posted by Steven at 10:36 PM

 
Free Comic Thursday - They Called Me-- Man-Hater!



A little piece of romance by fan favourite comic artist Nick Cardy closes out this month's Valentine theme.

Cardy was the primary artist on the original run of the Teen Titans, written by possibly the greatest superhero writer of all time, Bob Haney. The Silver Age Teen Titans Archives is a real treasure, and I look forward to the next edition. From what little I've seen of his work, Cardy just gets better and better as time goes on, with increasingly delightful cover compositions and beautiful poses. He's one of those artists I should really spend the time and money on tracking down, especially after hearing so much about his run on Bat Lash.

If you'd like more information on Nick Cardy, the website which showcases the story I linked to above has a biography among other things, Quarter Bin comes through once again with a comprehensive look at the artist, Mark Evanier has a fun and informative convention panel transcript (Part 1,Part 2), and it seems I'm not the only one who was knocked out by Cardy's Wonder Girl.

They learn the frug... and I'm doing ballet!

Hey, either Jane Ford is moonlighting as the Man-Hater, or... or... she's not a real person!



Dear Miss Ford:
I am 15 years old and have been going steady with a boy of 19 for the past year and a half. My parents know that I go out with this boy, but they have no idea how serious it is. And I haven't told them because I know it would upset them.
Anyway, this boy is very much in love with me, and would like me to marry him at the end of this year at the latest. Now, I know I love him, Miss Ford, with all my heart. Yet. whenever he mentions the word marriage to me, I become petrified with fear. I cannot understand this feeling I have. My girl friend tells me that maybe I don't really love him, because if I did, I wouldn't hesitate a minute. What do you think, Miss Ford?
Doubtful

Dear "Doubtful":
The very fact that you have not told your parents about your true relationship with this boy is evidence that you feel you are doing something that is not quite right. You know your parents would object to a girl your age becoming serious with a boy so much older than yourself. Reading between the lines, I sense that you yourself aren't too happy about it. My own opinion is that a girl of 15 is a bit too young for a serious relationship, especially with a boy four years older.
As far as the question of marriage is concerned, I don't agree with your girl friend. You may very well be in love, yet unconsciously realize that you are simply not ready for marriage. This feeling is bound to make you "petrified with fear." I think you should patiently explain this to your boyfriend, and make him understand that it may be years before you can even consider marriage. I also think you should reveal the nature of your relationship to your mother.
That's as I see it...
Jane Ford
posted by Steven at 3:37 AM

 
Co-Ed Naked Comic Reading

Last year, the fine people at Savant launched the concept of International Read A Comic In Public Day. I don't know how well it went over among the other members of the comic community, but for those of us who live in frigid climes, I offered an alternative, arguably comics' greatest public holiday.

One week today marks the second annual International Read A Comic Book Naked Day!

Participation in International Read A Comic Book Naked Day is quite simple. On March 3rd you must read a comic while naked. You cannot read a comic, finish the comic, then get naked, nor can you be naked, get dressed, then read a comic, unless of course you have already filled your requirements of reading a comic while completely fucking naked. The format, genre, or quality of the work or the setting in which you can read is entirely up to you. You can scan a sole Garfield strip while nuzzled under the covers, take the day off work and lazily flip through Blankets while lounging on the futon, or sneak a copy of Betty and Veronica into the public washroom with you. The sky's the limit! In fact, if you have any interesting naked comic reading stories and/or pictures, from this year or even the previous extravaganza, we'd love to hear from you.

International Read A Comic Book Naked Day combines two basic things we can almost all agree upon, regardless of our familiarity with the medium, our opinions on format or content, or our body type. Let the healing begin!

March 3rd! Get Naked! Read a comic!

You've turned out to be my kind of pigeon...

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling very excited. I wonder what Ann Martin, Counselor-At-Love of DC's Secret Hearts would say about International Read A Comic Book Naked Day? I should write her a letter.



Dear Miss Martin:
I was turned down by a boy about a year ago. A whole year ago! And yet I still love this boy. How long can this go on?
Still in Love

Dear "Still in Love":
I agree, a whole year is a very long time to mourn a lost love. But there is no set time for recuperation from any "illness." Every case is different. Some girls can recover in a day. Others pine away for months--- even years!
There is only one sure cure for a disappointed love--- another love! Keep meeting as many new boys as you can, and sooner or later, you'll fall in love with one of them. When that happens, all your old hearache will vanish like the morning mist.
Sincerely yours,
Ann Martin
posted by Steven at 11:43 AM

 
Notes from the "Outer Blogosphere"

All the interesting discussion happening in the "Breakin' 2 : Comics Blogosphere" these days is piling up on me. I had better dig in before tomorrow's big announcement.

Neilalien (oops) goes first, since he snuck a link to me via an Archie reference into his essay on the perils of group think in the comic blogging community. I had actually written an immensely long response to his thoughts, explaining why a former comic shop owner with over ten years of additional retail experience in books, magazines, videos and toys rarely speaks about the business end of comics, but upon rereading what I wrote, well, I realized why I rarely speak about the business end of comics.

The other big thing making the rounds these days seems to be a renewed discussion of the merits of the superhero genre, as spawned by Tim O'Neil's comments on his blog (O'Neil's permalinks may not work, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy all the other links he serves up as you scroll your way down to Feb. 22) Check out All Too Flat for all the links relevant to this brouhaha so far, as well as many other comicky goodness.

ADD provides a short interview with Chester Brown. Of special interest to me is Brown's mention of Louis Riel clearing the way for other cartoonists to apply to the the Canada Council for the Arts for a grant. This is almost as great as the publication of Louis Riel itself. Almost.

Animation Blast's Amid Amidi will be conducting the Fred "Roger Ramjet" Crippen retrospective at this year's Ottawa International Animation Festival. If it's half as good as his Gerald McBoing Boing presentation from a couple years back, I'll be ecstatic.

Not to completely dispute Neilalien's thoughtful comments, linked to at the beginning of this post, but it seems to me that this idea of the "comics blogosphere" towing the party line falls apart when one takes a look at just how many bloggers rarely or don't concern themselves with the industry at all. These are the blogs that more often as not don't cross-reference to other blogs nearly as often, limit themselves to comic books or receive questions via email from Comicon, and therefore may not snowball with quite as much buzz. If anything, these "outer blogosphere" sites make up the silent majority of the movement. Not to say that they're any better or worse then any of the other blogs who do carry on legitimate cross-blog discussions or converse about where the industry is headed, just that their voices shouldn't be discounted because they take a slightly different approach.

Some quick links to my brothers and sisters in the "outer blogosphere". The Big Sunny One has joined together with a couple of his pals to form a new comic blog, Insult to Injury. Progressive Ruin continues to shock me with just how similar in focus we both seem to be. I mean, Blip! Touche, Progressive Ruin. Touche! As ADD has pointed out, Comixpedia has a nifty little look at the "comics blogosphere". I seem to recall Comixpedia once wondering aloud why comic bloggers don't spend more time on the webcomic aspect of the medium, a valid question which I've given a great deal of thought to and hope to address at a later date. This article goes a long way to increasing my guilt. In Sequence! Egon! Sequential! Mark Evanier! Bugpowder! Comic Treadmill! Rodrigo Baeza! And many more...

If any of you are ever in trouble, I've got your back. May you forever rock with fists of steel!

Yukk! He'd sooner have a tooth pulled...

Ahhhh... I'm glad I went the positive route instead of using my original, negative response, which will surely join all my other half-written attempts at piecing together a coherent thought I have littering my desktop. What better way to extend this good mood into tomorrow's celebratory preview then with comicdom's hottest couple, Betty and Veronica.



Dear Betty and Veronica,
I've become friendly with a popular girl in school and have invited her to my home to listen to some disco discs a few times. Something happened that has caused a problem in my family. It seems we received a huge phone bill with one big long distance call. After checking, it seems she is the onle one who could have made that call.
I feel this could break our friendship at this early stage! I just found out that she has done this at least four times with different girls who have dropped her since. What should I do?
M.G.

Dear M.G.,
It's easy! There are some people who are users and this one deifinitely sounds like a typical one. I'd ask her to pay for the call and you'll see how fast your friendship will last.


posted by Steven at 3:21 AM

 
Albert Chartier 1912-2004

Sequential reports that legendary Quebecoise cartoonist Albert Chartier has passed away. I would say more, but Sequential beat me to it, with all the information and links to samples of the artist's life work that you may desire.

The boys always seem to prefer fast music

Hello young dreamers, wherever you are! Our second winner from the Dream Man Contest from DC's Falling In Love is Cathy Moats, of St. George, West Virginia. Cathy is only 15, but she, too, is very definite about the man of her dreams.

My Dream Guy, by Cathy Moats

My dream guy is neither the shy nor sexy type. He likes to hold your hand, but doesn't want you wrapped around them. He's tall, but not gangly--- sandy blonde hair, brown eyes, cute and has a personality to match. He's a great athlete, but not a show-off.
He really knows how to show you a great time. When we meet, we'll like each other right from the start and each day we date we'll grow closer until that certain kiss, and we know for sure we're in love!
Where will we meet? Probably at a skating party. He'll ask me to skate and of course I won't refuse. As we talk and get to know each other the night will speed by. When he takes me home he'll kiss me in that tender way and ask to see me next week sometime. He'll call every night and...

Well, dreamers? What about it? We haven't heard from all of you yet. Come on! Get on your keyboard and tell us about YOUR Dream Man.
What's he like?
Where would you meet him?
What will he say... and---
How will you answer?
For those of you who haven't written yet... let's go! There's only one week left in this month of romance! Each entry should be no more than 150 words. Send it in to: stevenwintle@hotmail.com
posted by Steven at 12:35 PM

 
Nerd Riot, Montreal-style

"And, I might add your selection process is autocratic, dictatorial, discriminatory, fraudulent, demeaning and far from the democratic process you pretend it to be!" A Montreal Gazette subscriber gets upset.

The only newspaper I read on a semi-regular basis is J.'s copy of the Montreal Gazette whenever I pop in for a visit. It is therefore the only source I have for reading contemporary comic strips, easily the most widely read by the general public /oft-ignored by the "comics community" form of this medium.

As the superb Canuck-comics blog Sequential already mentioned, the Gazette has decided to cull some of its current comics. Normally what happens is that long-time readers are the main ones to vote, and do so passionately. This means that older, familiar strips which are often phoned-in by the long deceased creator's children/assistants/committees for a quick buck stick around for another decade, while up-and-comers have a hard time squeezing into the funny pages. This results in the stagnant nature of the newspaper comics, which is largely why those pages are critically deplored or ignored altogether.

The Gazette is doing things a little differently, and it's making some of their readers irate. Instead of allowing readers to vote on any and all of the comics available in the paper to make room for new blood, they've narrowed the list down to a small handful which they believe have overstayed their welcome. Readers don't have the choice of vetoing the whipersnappers of the funny pages, but must choose among those strips that have been around forever. Reprints of Peanuts will automatically be taken from the comics section, with three of the following strips following suit. Beetle Bailey, Garfield, Hagar the Horrible, Herman, Hi and Lois and Sally Forth.

It's kind of like choosing among your own children.

Okay, baby... you can come crawling back to me now!

Our Dream Man contest is now three weeks old, and the response is even greater than we expected! You have written about every type of guy--- all ages, sizes, types and shapes... and, of course, all are dreamboats! Who would have thought it? There are as many different types of dream men as there are girls who dream about them.

Our first prize-winner is 17-year-old Barbara Wurtz, of Alberta, Canada. As you can see, she has every little detail planned:

My Dream Man, by Barbara Wurtz

I'll meet the man of my dreams on a very casual blind date. Our first meeting will be a real shock, as he has the reputation of a real playboy. Up to the door will come a very shy, but dashing man...
He has curly hair and the warmest hazel eyes. His greatest dream is to be a game warden or owner of a ranch.
He's not very tall, but he has a very strong body. He comes on playing the tough man, but underneath he's soft as butter.
Soemtime during the time we are dating, we'll surely fall in love. After proposing marriage, he'll present my ring to me (probably in the school cafeteria), and then do something silly like walk into the girls' washroom by mistake. Soon we'll be married and live happily and lovingly forever after.
posted by Steven at 1:15 PM