Friday, February 14, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day!
Here's hoping no one tears through your heart the way Ann Miller has gone through the one in the picture.
Monday, February 10, 2014
'Ginger and Snap' : Coming from NUELOW Games
Early in 1948, Eastern Color Printing published the first issue of Club 16, a humor anthology series focused mostly around high-schoolers and young professionals. The quarterly title lasted four issues, and it was gone again by year's end.
From the first issue ot the last, one of the features was "Ginger and Snap." Ginger and Snap were fraternal twins and each story saw them trading places or otherwise impersonating each other. Since Ginger was a girl and Snap was a boy, all the stories feature light-hearted exploratons of gender role reversals. "Cute' is the perfect word to describe the stories by Mickey Klar Marks and the illustrations by Dave Tendlar, and not in a sarcastic way.
I immediately developed a fondness for "Ginger and Snap" when I discovered the series during one of my hunts for comics for NUELOW Games to re-publish as part of its comics/rpg hybrid line. It's not like anything else we've put out, so the Trading Places Twins are getting a book of their very own. Here's the splash page from the first story, as it will appear in NUELOW's "Ginger and Snap." (Click on the image for a larger, more readable version.)
When I made a post similar to this in a Facebook forum, announcing the plans to do a "Ginger and Snap" book, one of the commentors said,"Where the mind goes by today's standard would make a book like this a little ...,"
And he's right. If Ginger and Snap were to be fully rebooted instead of just re-issued, it would probably look something like this:
Look for Ginger and Snap, later this week from NUELOW Games. Meanwhile, click here to check out the other comics offerings... guaranteed better than 99 percent of the crap currently at your Friendly Neighborhood Comics Shop.
From the first issue ot the last, one of the features was "Ginger and Snap." Ginger and Snap were fraternal twins and each story saw them trading places or otherwise impersonating each other. Since Ginger was a girl and Snap was a boy, all the stories feature light-hearted exploratons of gender role reversals. "Cute' is the perfect word to describe the stories by Mickey Klar Marks and the illustrations by Dave Tendlar, and not in a sarcastic way.
I immediately developed a fondness for "Ginger and Snap" when I discovered the series during one of my hunts for comics for NUELOW Games to re-publish as part of its comics/rpg hybrid line. It's not like anything else we've put out, so the Trading Places Twins are getting a book of their very own. Here's the splash page from the first story, as it will appear in NUELOW's "Ginger and Snap." (Click on the image for a larger, more readable version.)
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| The first appearance of Ginger and Snap. |
When I made a post similar to this in a Facebook forum, announcing the plans to do a "Ginger and Snap" book, one of the commentors said,"Where the mind goes by today's standard would make a book like this a little ...,"
And he's right. If Ginger and Snap were to be fully rebooted instead of just re-issued, it would probably look something like this:
 |
| Joke ad for Ginger and Snap, by Karl M. |
Look for Ginger and Snap, later this week from NUELOW Games. Meanwhile, click here to check out the other comics offerings... guaranteed better than 99 percent of the crap currently at your Friendly Neighborhood Comics Shop.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Coming Soon: Judy of the Jungle
I'm editing a projected series of three pdf e-books for NUELOW Games reprinting the "Judy of the Jungle" series from 1947 - 1949 issues of Nedor's Exciting Comics. The series is a great example of the Jungle Girl adventure comic genre that thrived during the 1940s; Judy didn't exactly break new ground, but the art and writing has weathered the passage of time better than most of her contemporaries.
You can take a look at the possible covers here. (And while you're visiting the NUELOW Games blog, this post may be of interest if you're a gamer, as it has some RPG rules inspired in part by Judy.
With most of these series, there's invariably a panel or sequence of panels that I notice become funny if taken out of context. With Judy, it's an entire page. The page that introduces her, in fact. But I'm not sure if it's funny or creepy.
First off, Judy seems to be wearing make-up and a cocktail dress... in a hut that she shares with her father in the deepest, darkest African jungle. That's a bit weird--but not as weird as the fact that she wears that dress for most of the series. (It becomes tattered as time goes on.)
But there's nothing weirder (or more disturbing) than the vibe that Panel Three excudes. No wonder Judy's dad thinks he's made a mistake and it's time for his daughter to go somewhere else, where there are other men. (Click on the image of a more readable version, one that will show you that the text does not make the drawing any less skin-crawlingly disturbing as I thought it might when I read it.)
I should say a little about the process by which we select the comics that get revived in NUELOW Games editions -- just because the comment about thinking Panel Three might be less disturbing when I read it might make more sense.
Step One: My partner (L.L Hundal) or I suggest a character or comic strip to the other that we like. The other person takes a quick glance at a couple sample stories --and sometimes even just a couple of pages. At this point, we just look at the art, because when it comes to comics, it the art isn't appealing, you lose readers right then and there. If we agree the art is good, the we put the material on the "Maybe." (In the case of "Judy of the Jungle," the title alone made it a "Maybe" and insured her a place in at least one ROLF! product.
Step Two: I do research to determine that the series in question is in the Public Domain. If there are trademark complications (such as with Black Cat), I make a note of it to make sure Hundal knows to be careful about presentation if I end up not being directly involved in a project for whatever reason when it comes to deciding what title it should be published under. (For example, we will never be able to just do a book called "Black Cat," even if we can publish Black Cat stories and fiction to our heart's content. As can be seen in numerous of our products.
Step Three: I either read the entire series (if it's one of the very short-lived ones that we favor due to their obscurity), or I read the first installment, followed by a random selection of one or two later chapters. If the writing appeals to me, we note the series for future use in one of our comics/rpg projects. (Sometimes, this approach backfires on us. I completely misjudged "Rocket Man" and "Lady Satan" because of this. The art for the most part remains high quality on both strips, but the writing is absolutely horrid on many stories after the first few. For this reason, I'll be writing new "Rocket Man" scripts for future issues of Science Sleuths.)
Step Four: We process the comics pages, assemble books, write new material, edit, publish... and hope that some folks out there think the stuff is as cool as we do.
(And then there's Step Three-Point-Five... where I make posts like this. Hundal doesn't like it when I sometimes poke fun at the comics were:) )
If you've read this far, maybe you'll also like to take a look at NUELOW Games's comics selections. Questions, comments, or reviews -- feel free to leave them here or at DriveThruComics in the comments section.
You can take a look at the possible covers here. (And while you're visiting the NUELOW Games blog, this post may be of interest if you're a gamer, as it has some RPG rules inspired in part by Judy.
With most of these series, there's invariably a panel or sequence of panels that I notice become funny if taken out of context. With Judy, it's an entire page. The page that introduces her, in fact. But I'm not sure if it's funny or creepy.
First off, Judy seems to be wearing make-up and a cocktail dress... in a hut that she shares with her father in the deepest, darkest African jungle. That's a bit weird--but not as weird as the fact that she wears that dress for most of the series. (It becomes tattered as time goes on.)
But there's nothing weirder (or more disturbing) than the vibe that Panel Three excudes. No wonder Judy's dad thinks he's made a mistake and it's time for his daughter to go somewhere else, where there are other men. (Click on the image of a more readable version, one that will show you that the text does not make the drawing any less skin-crawlingly disturbing as I thought it might when I read it.)
I should say a little about the process by which we select the comics that get revived in NUELOW Games editions -- just because the comment about thinking Panel Three might be less disturbing when I read it might make more sense.
Step One: My partner (L.L Hundal) or I suggest a character or comic strip to the other that we like. The other person takes a quick glance at a couple sample stories --and sometimes even just a couple of pages. At this point, we just look at the art, because when it comes to comics, it the art isn't appealing, you lose readers right then and there. If we agree the art is good, the we put the material on the "Maybe." (In the case of "Judy of the Jungle," the title alone made it a "Maybe" and insured her a place in at least one ROLF! product.
Step Two: I do research to determine that the series in question is in the Public Domain. If there are trademark complications (such as with Black Cat), I make a note of it to make sure Hundal knows to be careful about presentation if I end up not being directly involved in a project for whatever reason when it comes to deciding what title it should be published under. (For example, we will never be able to just do a book called "Black Cat," even if we can publish Black Cat stories and fiction to our heart's content. As can be seen in numerous of our products.
Step Three: I either read the entire series (if it's one of the very short-lived ones that we favor due to their obscurity), or I read the first installment, followed by a random selection of one or two later chapters. If the writing appeals to me, we note the series for future use in one of our comics/rpg projects. (Sometimes, this approach backfires on us. I completely misjudged "Rocket Man" and "Lady Satan" because of this. The art for the most part remains high quality on both strips, but the writing is absolutely horrid on many stories after the first few. For this reason, I'll be writing new "Rocket Man" scripts for future issues of Science Sleuths.)
Step Four: We process the comics pages, assemble books, write new material, edit, publish... and hope that some folks out there think the stuff is as cool as we do.
(And then there's Step Three-Point-Five... where I make posts like this. Hundal doesn't like it when I sometimes poke fun at the comics were:) )
If you've read this far, maybe you'll also like to take a look at NUELOW Games's comics selections. Questions, comments, or reviews -- feel free to leave them here or at DriveThruComics in the comments section.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
New from NUELOW Games: 'Real American No. 1'!
The latest project I've completed for NUELOW Games is one I think it more worthy of attention than most of the ones I've done. It's a little book collecting episodes from Dick Briefer's ahead-of-its-time superhero series "Real American No. 1."
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| Comic Books: Making Fun of Bigots Since 1941 |
"Real American No. 1" premiered in Daredevil Comics #2 and ran as a back-up feature there until #11. Starring the Bronze Terror (who secretly is Jeff Dixon, a "full-blooded Indian" and successful attorney devoted to fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom), "Real American No. 1" drew heavily on troubles facing Native Americans in the modern era for its background and conflicts. There wouldn't be another series like it again until the 1970s, with the arrival of characters like Marvel's Red Wolf.
NUELOW Games' Real American No. 1 contains the four best of Briefer's Bronze Terror stories (as selected by yours truly) and a roleplaying game presentation of Jeff Dixon and his girlfriend Lilly Weaver for use with ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game. By way of a preview, here are the splash pages for the included stories; I hope you'll check it out.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Picture Perfect Wednesday: Raquel Torres
Raquel Torres and Shades of Gray proudly present "How to Safely Peel an Onion."
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
As 2014 gets underway...
... we turn to Kay Francis for a refresher on the unifying theme of this blog.
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Saturday, January 4, 2014
You might want to avoid 'Chinatown After Dark'
Chinatown After Dark (1931)
Starring: Rex Lease, Billy Gilbert, Carmel Myers, Barbara Kent, and Frank Mayo
Director: Stuart Paytom
Rating: Three of Ten Stars
Jim Bonner (Lease) tries to unravel the mystery of his brother's disappearance, while being hounded by an incompetent police detective (Gilbert) and a sinister Chinese criminal mastermind (Myers).
There a scraps of interesting story elements scattered throughout this poorly written, unevenly paced, wretchedly acted,, and badly staged Yellow Peril-style thriller. Most fascinating to me was the casual yet nasty racism on display when the chief homicide detective assigns the investigation of the murder of a well-to-do Chinese man to an officer he states won't be able to solve the case.
Although I reference a mystery in my summary above, there are actually three different mysteries in the film, none of which are handled very well. First, the reason why the villain wants the Chinese dagger is the film's first focus is revealed way too early. Second, the disappearance of the hero's brother (and the hero subsequently coming under suspicion of murder) would easily have been resolved by the hero doing to the police--something which he never really did not have a reason to do, other than there wouldn't be a movie. Third, the question of "how will the hero clear his nane?" was never really a question, because of the ineptitude with which the two previous questions have been handled.
Watching this film, I repeatedly found myself saying, "that would make an interesting story" as some plot nugget or off-hand reference came and went on the screen. Unfortunately, that interesting story is not found in "Chinatown After Dark."
What is also not really found, since this film headlines Carmel Myers, was the elaborate costumes that I imagine some of the audience went looking for. Although little known today, Myers was a huge star during the Silent Ere who was known for wearing spectacular and exotic outfits in her films. Here, while she is midly exotic in her look, there is nothing particularly amazing about her costume; I suppose, in some ways, that can be taken as a reflection of how her star steadily faded after she made her transition to talkies.
I think this film is probably only of interest to hardcore lovers of old films... and even then, you probably don't need to rush to see it. But, if you have nothing better to do, you can watch it right here, right now by clicking below.
Starring: Rex Lease, Billy Gilbert, Carmel Myers, Barbara Kent, and Frank Mayo
Director: Stuart Paytom
Rating: Three of Ten Stars
Jim Bonner (Lease) tries to unravel the mystery of his brother's disappearance, while being hounded by an incompetent police detective (Gilbert) and a sinister Chinese criminal mastermind (Myers).
There a scraps of interesting story elements scattered throughout this poorly written, unevenly paced, wretchedly acted,, and badly staged Yellow Peril-style thriller. Most fascinating to me was the casual yet nasty racism on display when the chief homicide detective assigns the investigation of the murder of a well-to-do Chinese man to an officer he states won't be able to solve the case.
Although I reference a mystery in my summary above, there are actually three different mysteries in the film, none of which are handled very well. First, the reason why the villain wants the Chinese dagger is the film's first focus is revealed way too early. Second, the disappearance of the hero's brother (and the hero subsequently coming under suspicion of murder) would easily have been resolved by the hero doing to the police--something which he never really did not have a reason to do, other than there wouldn't be a movie. Third, the question of "how will the hero clear his nane?" was never really a question, because of the ineptitude with which the two previous questions have been handled.
Watching this film, I repeatedly found myself saying, "that would make an interesting story" as some plot nugget or off-hand reference came and went on the screen. Unfortunately, that interesting story is not found in "Chinatown After Dark."
What is also not really found, since this film headlines Carmel Myers, was the elaborate costumes that I imagine some of the audience went looking for. Although little known today, Myers was a huge star during the Silent Ere who was known for wearing spectacular and exotic outfits in her films. Here, while she is midly exotic in her look, there is nothing particularly amazing about her costume; I suppose, in some ways, that can be taken as a reflection of how her star steadily faded after she made her transition to talkies.
I think this film is probably only of interest to hardcore lovers of old films... and even then, you probably don't need to rush to see it. But, if you have nothing better to do, you can watch it right here, right now by clicking below.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Welcome to the first Picture Perfect Wednesday of 2014....
... welcome to the Year of Ann Miller!
Each month for all of 2014, Ann will make an appearance honoring a special day, like, for example, New Year's Day. We hope you'll check back regularly to see what day she shows up on.
Why is this the Year of Ann Miller, you ask? Why not? (If there must be a reason, we could say it's in observation of the 10th anniversary of her moving onto that great dance floor in the sky.)
But while we wait for Ann's next appearance, hope you have a Happy New Year and that 2014 is nothing but smooth sailing for you. Olga San Juan is setting a course toward a great year!
Each month for all of 2014, Ann will make an appearance honoring a special day, like, for example, New Year's Day. We hope you'll check back regularly to see what day she shows up on.
Why is this the Year of Ann Miller, you ask? Why not? (If there must be a reason, we could say it's in observation of the 10th anniversary of her moving onto that great dance floor in the sky.)
But while we wait for Ann's next appearance, hope you have a Happy New Year and that 2014 is nothing but smooth sailing for you. Olga San Juan is setting a course toward a great year!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
It's almost Midnight...
... and Ann Miller is marching with the last few minutes to the end of 2013!
Hoping to start the New Year with a Bang!
Marilyn Monroe and Ann Miller stand ready to help you start 2014 with a bang! However, I don't recommend following their lead as far as fireworks safety goes....
The Year is Rapidly Coming to a Close
The end of 2013 will soon be upon us! For some, the hands one the clock can't move fast enough past 23:59:59!
Friday, December 27, 2013
Marx Bros deliver 'Room Service'
Room Service (1938)
Starring: The Marx Bros, Frank Albertson, Donald McBride, Lucille Ball, Cliff Dunstan, Philip Wood, Alexander Asro, and Ann Miller
Director: William Seiter
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A broke theatrical producer (Groucho Marx) engages in an increasingly desperate series of ruses to prevent eviction of himself and the cast of the play he is trying to secure financial backing for.
"Room Service" is the only Marx Bros. film that was not specifically written for them. It's an adaptation of a play that was hugely successful at the time, and many of the supporting actors (such as Donald McBride as the long-suffering hotel inspector) play the same roles the originated on stage. I assume it's a faithful adaptation, as the stage roots are so visible that the vast majority of the film takes place in a single room, with characters coming and going through its three different doors and one can even sense where the lights would dim and come up between acts.
The fact that the film is "stagey" doesn't hurt it, however, as running in and out of doors and verbal patter is the Marx Bros. stock and trade. I felt that the only weakness here over material tailor-made for the trio was that Harpo feels under-utulized, even if he gets to be at the center of the film's culmination and the conclusion of one of its funniest sequences--a prolonged fake suicide and impromptu memorial
While Groucho and Chico expertly deliver some superb lines, the aforementioned suicide scene and the aftermath with Harpo are the only parts that compare to the many great bits in "Duck Soup" or "A Day at the Races." The pacing of the film is solid and the comedy is top-notch, but in general only that the suicide sequence really felt like it could only have been done by the Marx Bros.
In some ways, this might be a film that even those who don't usually like Marx Bros. movies can enjoy. The story serves a greater function here than just moving us from comedic set piece to comedic set piece, and there isn't the sense that there's a single character that's the target of Grouch's abuse is also lacking. As stories go, the only weak point I felt was the romantic subplot between the playwright (Frank Albertson) and one of the hotel staff (Ann Miller); it added nothing whatsoever to the film.
Trivia: Ann Miller was only 15 when she appeared in as the love interest in "Room Service", having lied about her age to be hired at RKO as a contract player.
Starring: The Marx Bros, Frank Albertson, Donald McBride, Lucille Ball, Cliff Dunstan, Philip Wood, Alexander Asro, and Ann Miller
Director: William Seiter
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A broke theatrical producer (Groucho Marx) engages in an increasingly desperate series of ruses to prevent eviction of himself and the cast of the play he is trying to secure financial backing for.
"Room Service" is the only Marx Bros. film that was not specifically written for them. It's an adaptation of a play that was hugely successful at the time, and many of the supporting actors (such as Donald McBride as the long-suffering hotel inspector) play the same roles the originated on stage. I assume it's a faithful adaptation, as the stage roots are so visible that the vast majority of the film takes place in a single room, with characters coming and going through its three different doors and one can even sense where the lights would dim and come up between acts.
The fact that the film is "stagey" doesn't hurt it, however, as running in and out of doors and verbal patter is the Marx Bros. stock and trade. I felt that the only weakness here over material tailor-made for the trio was that Harpo feels under-utulized, even if he gets to be at the center of the film's culmination and the conclusion of one of its funniest sequences--a prolonged fake suicide and impromptu memorial
While Groucho and Chico expertly deliver some superb lines, the aforementioned suicide scene and the aftermath with Harpo are the only parts that compare to the many great bits in "Duck Soup" or "A Day at the Races." The pacing of the film is solid and the comedy is top-notch, but in general only that the suicide sequence really felt like it could only have been done by the Marx Bros.
In some ways, this might be a film that even those who don't usually like Marx Bros. movies can enjoy. The story serves a greater function here than just moving us from comedic set piece to comedic set piece, and there isn't the sense that there's a single character that's the target of Grouch's abuse is also lacking. As stories go, the only weak point I felt was the romantic subplot between the playwright (Frank Albertson) and one of the hotel staff (Ann Miller); it added nothing whatsoever to the film.
Trivia: Ann Miller was only 15 when she appeared in as the love interest in "Room Service", having lied about her age to be hired at RKO as a contract player.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
It's Christmas Morning...
... and everyone is dancing with glee over the pile of gifts Santa has brought them!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
It's Christmas Eve!
May Santa, or one of his helpers, bring you everything on your Wish List!
(And if you have a few days off, allow me to suggest you spend it gaming with family and friends! You can get all the NUELOW Games themed Christmas releases (edited and co-designed by yours truly) up to the most recent one bundled together in "A Christmas Box" by clicking here. The just-released 2014 Christmas Special is also available. Give yourself and your family and friends the gift of rollplaying this Christmas!)
Friday, December 20, 2013
The Louise Brooks Quarterly: A White Christmas
Louise Brooks would like to remind you that there's only four days until Christmas. Also, she wants to underscore the unifying theme of this blog.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Christmas is coming...
... and Ann Miller is trimmer her tree. Soon she will be applying fake snow to her lawn, using the world's largest powder-puff.
Are you ready for Christmas yet?
Are you ready for Christmas yet?
That's no way to treat the mayor!
Earlier this week, NUELOW Games released another book in which I contribute a chunk of RPG material -- this time, a set of rules for creating superheroes in the d20 OGL Modern system with Golden Age teen heroes Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy being statted out as examples of how to use the rules in practice.
The book in question is titled "Madden's Boys," and it's the fourth in a series of comics/rpg hybrid books spotlighting the work of Bill Madden, an artist who had a brief comics career in 1941 and then faded from the field. He had an energetic and quirky style that in many ways resembles that which would become with underground comics artists in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel that his art has stood up to the passage of time very nicely and that the total obscurity into which his small body of work has fallen is undeserved.
That said, like many Golden Age artists, Madden's execution is sometimes a little rough around the edges. In each of the collections I've worked on, there's always a panel or two that make me laugh... for unintended reasons. The sequence below comes from Dynamic Boy's origin story where he takes on gangsters and corrupt politicians:
The book in question is titled "Madden's Boys," and it's the fourth in a series of comics/rpg hybrid books spotlighting the work of Bill Madden, an artist who had a brief comics career in 1941 and then faded from the field. He had an energetic and quirky style that in many ways resembles that which would become with underground comics artists in the 1960s and 1970s. I feel that his art has stood up to the passage of time very nicely and that the total obscurity into which his small body of work has fallen is undeserved.
That said, like many Golden Age artists, Madden's execution is sometimes a little rough around the edges. In each of the collections I've worked on, there's always a panel or two that make me laugh... for unintended reasons. The sequence below comes from Dynamic Boy's origin story where he takes on gangsters and corrupt politicians:
Yes... taking his head off with a chair is indeed no way to treat the mayor! (But, whew!, turning the page we discover his head is still attached and his neck isn't snapped!)
Whether you are in the mood for some quirky, early superhero comics, or if you want to see a new way to handle super-characters in d20 Modern games, this is a book that's worth checking out. Click here to take a look at previews and, I hope, to purchase and download your own copy.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
A Black and White Friday the 13th
Our thanks to Kate Moss for demonstrating the unifying theme of this blog. May your Friday the 13th be a lucky one!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
In the Twilight Zone.
A girl. A guy. A guitar. A curious, version of a classic song that builds to a cheerful finale. A fitting performance for... the Twilight Zone
(This strange little cover was performed by Tess Gaerthe (vocals) and Thomas Zwijsen (guitar) of the Netherlands. I hope you enjoy it. I came upon it while amusing myself posting a whole string of "Twilight Zone" covers to Facebook. It seemed to fit better here, though.)
(This strange little cover was performed by Tess Gaerthe (vocals) and Thomas Zwijsen (guitar) of the Netherlands. I hope you enjoy it. I came upon it while amusing myself posting a whole string of "Twilight Zone" covers to Facebook. It seemed to fit better here, though.)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
I think her objections were reasonable...
This week, NUELOW Games will release the first issue of our new anthology series Werewolf Hunter. Here's an excerpt from one of the stories featuring the headliner Professor Broussard and his faithful companions in monster hunting Lilly and Dan. (The art is by Saul Rosen. Click on the images for larger, more easily readable versions.)
I think if I had been Lilly, I would have objected to the "new technique" as well. But, hey, at least Professor Broussard and Danny were nearby and ready to jump out with nets and cattle-prods... not hiding in the bushes 100 yards away.
You can read more of this excursion into inventive monster hunting in The Werewolf Hunter #1, coming later this week. In addition to two adventures featuring Broussard, the issue brings you the return of Lady Satan, a werewolf story illustrated by the great Lee Elias, and short stories by Robert E. Howard and yours truly, Steve Miller.
To get warmed up, why don't you check out Lady Satan by George Tuska, also from NUELOW?
Professor Broussard's interesting methods will also be featured in the next issue of Science Sleuths
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Halloween is coming...
and Vera Ellen is cleaning out last year's cobwebs and ghost dust so she'll be ready. What steps are you taking?
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The June Collyer Quarterly
In the early part of the 20th century, it was common for movie studios to do holiday-themed promotional pictures featuring their starlets. In 1930, June posed for Paramount staff photographer Eugene Robert Richee in celebration of Halloween.
Why white cats? Maybe they were trying to marry Halloween witches with a Maneki-neko good luck and wealth them?
Why white cats? Maybe they were trying to marry Halloween witches with a Maneki-neko good luck and wealth them?
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Rocketpacks never go out of style!
At least that's what L.L. Hundal and I hope, as we're replacing the scientific fisticuffs of girlfriends Jill Trent and Daisy Smythe (of "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth") with the high-flying adventure of inventors Cal Martin and Doris Dalton (of "Rocketman") in our ongoing Science Sleuths comic book/rpg series.
The change is happening in part because the B-feature, "Spider Queen", is coming to close with the just-released issue #3. The intent all along was to replace it with "Rocketman," but as we started work on Science Sleuths #3 and beyond, we decided to change our plans slightly. The initial plan was to burn through our inventory of Jill Trent stories as quickly as possible, but that meant we'd be out of them as of Science Sleuths #4. We've been successful enough with the series so far that we think it might have some legs, so instead Jill will become the B-feature while Cal and Doris step into the front slot.
Here's the first page of the first "Rocketman" story to give you a little taste of what's being offered. The full tale can be read in Science Sleuths #3. (Click on it for a larger, more readable version.)
While the artwork on the "Rocketman" series is more pleasing to the eyes of modern readers than some on "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth," the writing is generally pretty weak. Current plans call for yours truly to write partially new scripts for at least one "Rocketman" story per issue. For Science Sleuths #3, there's only one bit of dialogue that I rewrote, and I think it made the story 100 times better. If you get the book, I'm sure you'll be able to spot it due to the inconsistent lettering. :)
We hope you'll give Science Sleuth #3 a try, giving Spider Queen a nice send-off while giving Cal and Doris a warm welcome. If you do check it you, be sure to tell us what you think. If you have a favorite Golden Age comic book scientist or inventor who you think needs to be returned to the spotlight, let us know about that, too. We might be able to fit stories featuring your favorite characters into future issues.
Meanwhile, please enjoy these illos of women with rocketpacks, which will be included in a sci-fi themed forthcoming NUELOW Games stock art collection.
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| Cal Martin and Doris Dalton: Partners in business, love, and crime-fighting |
We hope you'll give Science Sleuth #3 a try, giving Spider Queen a nice send-off while giving Cal and Doris a warm welcome. If you do check it you, be sure to tell us what you think. If you have a favorite Golden Age comic book scientist or inventor who you think needs to be returned to the spotlight, let us know about that, too. We might be able to fit stories featuring your favorite characters into future issues.
Meanwhile, please enjoy these illos of women with rocketpacks, which will be included in a sci-fi themed forthcoming NUELOW Games stock art collection.
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| Can Rocketgirl save the birds from the bird?! |
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| Rocketpack vs. Two-headed Monster! |
A quarter of a century ago...
... this is what Milla Jovovich looked like. (The first picture first saw print in September of 1988, 25 years ago.)
And here's what she looks like today...
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