Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Neilalien's Favorites of MoCCA 02010

Strongman Strongman by Charles Soule and Allen Gladfelter
The first printing says March 02009, but its new to Neilalien, and it takes the championship belt out of all his MoCCA loot this year. This tale of the noble Tigre's redemption is part action, part noir, part superhero, part Mexican wrestling, and 100% can't-put-it-down-once-picked-up. Highly recommended. And the best news of all: Strongman 2 is on its way. [Amazon] [Charles Soule weblog; Twitter] [Strongman short films!] [Allen Gladfelter weblog; art site]
The Sinister Truth: MK Ultra The Sinister Truth: MK Ultra by Jason Ciaccia and A. Norhanian
Neilalien doesn't know what's scarier about this graphic novel: how lushly cartooned it is, or that its content is rooted in historical fact. You might become a conspiracy theorist after reading- but can we trust a writer who has "CIA" in his last name twice? [preview] [Pop Industries weblog]
Gang of Fools Gang of Fools by James Smith III
Debuted at MoCCA: Collected: F.o.N.'s James Smith III's webcomic Gang of Fools. Aditi's got one week to come up with the ten grand for the month's rent! A wild skate ride into the wacky world we are currently barreling towards, where everyone has a Q rating, lives a life even more infused with technology, and speaks in a rich thieves' cant of the future. Neilalien wants to know: Where's his single-use LSD license, Mutafikah?
The Side Effects of the Cocaine The Side Effects of the Cocaine: David Bowie April 1975- February 1976 by Sean T. Collins and Isaac Moylan
Did you know David Bowie had some kind of occult-inspired fascist kick in the 70's? "Further support for RAR [Rock Against Racism, 01976] came after David Bowie, speaking as The Thin White Duke, his persona at the time, made statements that expressed support for fascism and perceived admiration for Adolf Hitler in interviews with Playboy, NME and a Swedish publication." [RAR Wikipedia page] And thanks to Attentiondeficitdisorderly Too Flat and Moylan, now we have a mini-comic snapshot of that point in time. [bibliography of Bowie bios used for the comic]
GG Allin Neilalien met Justin Melkmann at MoCCA this year, a fine lad of many talents including the comic makin', the TV producin', bein' a frustrated GG Allin biographer, and playin' guitar in NYC punk band World War IX. Inspired by the meeting, and reading Slap In The Face: My Obsession With GG Allin, Neilalien ventured back to one of his old haunts when it was Barmacy, Otto's Shrunken Head, for a WW9 show last weekend (which also included High Teen Boogie) that left him humming. World War IX is going on tour in May- be sure to catch them if you can! Tell them Neilalien requests their cover of "I Was Drunk When I Met Ya". [Justin Melkmann Comics]
Journey Into Misery Journey Into Misery #1 & #2 by Paul Hoppe
Neilalien enjoyed these two funny brand-new mini-comics for this year's MoCCA featuring the Terrific Two, two co-workers who totally annoy each other but become inseparable and gain superpowers after being tortured by aliens. Hoppe's client list for art and editorial is long and prestigious, but hopefully he can loosen up and do more "career-risking" "low-brow" "for the sole purpose of having fun" stuff (sheesh). [Hoppe's Newsblog]
Unpleasant People Unpleasant People #1 by Holly Foltz
A charming sword-and-sorcery-parody mini-comic about that creep Lord Zoloft and his poor organizational skills. From a twisted mind only the state of Vermont could spawn. ;)
The Littlest Bitch Neilalien had the great pleasure of chatting once again with Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme writer and good dude David Quinn- his The Littlest Bitch: A Not-for-Children Children's Book is now out. Quinn laughed that he has more plans for conquering many other contradictory low-commercial-viability literary micro-niches like not-for-children children's books.
Kool Aid Get Fired Previous Faves Update: Already-classic Kool Aid Gets Fired by Tim Piotrowski is back in stock for ordering- now with an extra story, Son of Kool Aid.
Superhero Inc. Neilalien met Miguel Guerra at MoCCA this year, a man who lives in the future where one can surf the internet on one's phone. Guerra warned that his new project Superhero, Inc. is coming soon- which sounded like a rich vein of story to be mined combining superpowers and corporate power. We'll be watching! [Iberian Press] [Art of Guerra on Facebook]
Cragmore Previous Faves Update: Cragmore by Pat Lewis continues to do everything possible to avoid eternal damnation in Books Two and Three.
Egg #2 Previous Faves Update: More crime vignettes from writer/designer Eric Skillman in Egg #2, and many other new books and projects. [his Cozy Lummox blog]
Not Available Sorry Neilalienistas, but no Doctor Strange art this year. :( Becky Cloonan was on the signage to do MoCCA-supporting sketches on Saturday, which would have meant an awesome sketch, but as far as Neilalien could tell she was never at the sketching table. Ah well. MoCCA didn't get a donation, Neilalien saved some moolah.
Monopoly Guy All in all, another great MoCCA Festival! Neilalien hasn't been to one yet that didn't completely refill his tank with comics-love gasoline. Moving the show from June to April messed with Neilalien's circadian rhythms, but it makes for a good chance to avoid the stifling heat that haunted last year, and had come up occasionally at the Puck Building too. If there was one dominant conversation meme of this year's show, however, it was again negative: the table prices are getting too high for the small individual exhibitor, many of whom expressed they wouldn't be returning next year. MoCCA- please do not lose your creator-with-a-photocopier feel! Or you risk turning these annual Faves of MoCCA Neilalien blogposts into Faves of The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival ones.

Posted 25 April 02010 - Permalink

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Roger Stern reveals the secret origin of Sara Wolfe [Crisis On Infinite Comics! MB] [thanks Chasdom!]

Actually, Sara Wolfe was originally intended to be... Carol Danvers. After MS. MARVEL was canceled, Chris Claremont figured that he would just make Carol a supporting character in Doctor Strange's book. After reading Chris' plot, editor Jo Duffy asked me if I -- as editor of the AVENGERS titles -- had approved this. I replied, "Why...no." So we made sure that the woman who ran into Doc in DOC #38 looked as different from Carol as possible. Thus was born Sara Wolfe.

Massive message-board thread collects Creeper letter pages; Ditko debated [DC Archives Message Board]
One post discussing how Ditko left DC. Was it tuberculosis or liberals?

Neilalien fave Casanova reprinted at Marvel's Icon imprint in July; some new stuff [Matt Fraction]

Superheroes apparently popular at gay costume-fetish parties; the challenge of creating a gay or lesbian character that's not merely minority-representation [New York Times]

Posted 23 April 02010 - Permalink

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Legendary Doctor Strange artist Gene Colan injured, needs Team Comix help [Clifford Meth] [health updates here; broken shoulder; 22 days in hospital so far] [The Invincible Gene Colan Benefit Auction]

Posted 22 April 02010 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange Midcentury-Modern-Inspired Portrait Print [art by RoganJosh] [entire RoganJosh Etsy shop of wonderful modern sophisticated design + comic book geekery] [thanks Brad!]

Doctor-Strange-inspired print by RoganJosh

Posted 21 April 02010 - Permalink

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It feels wrong, and tipping-point risking, that in a recession, in a world awash with cheap entertainment and piracy, that more narrative-exhausted superhero comic singles cost up to $3.99 than ever before [Comics Reporter]

Update/Recent Related: Comic Titans Are in the Grips of the Dreaded Inflationist [New York Times]

Pirated comics are mostly the Marvel and DC, the same demographic as the Direct Market shop, the weekly addicts do the scanning; on considering 'faux piracy' to get one's indie work out there, anything vs. the withering obscurity [Warren Ellis]

Posted 20 April 02010 - Permalink

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Missed it: Marvel once offered artist Sean Murphy Dr. Strange work [mentions: Newsarama interview, December 02008, with sketch image; CBR interview, January 02009; Robot 6 interview, January 02010] [Sean Gordon Murphy website] [currently working with Grant Morrison on Joe The Barbarian] [via some Dr. Strange fandom backchannel chatter, and this Twitter tweet]
But Murphy chose the Distinguished Competition instead, since they offered more work at the time. How did Neilalien's scanners miss all these mentions? There were even sketches- Dr. Strange muscle car sketches...

Doctor Strange by Sean Murphy

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Ah MoCCA, the gift that keeps on giving: While still reading his Festival loot, today Neilalien used the Midtown Comics 25% Off Anything coupon he got there to bring Paul Pope's Heavy Liquid hardcover into his tentacled embrace.

Posted 19 April 02010 - Permalink

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Spider-Man: Fever #1
Neilalien finds the book very fun to look at- maybe a bit too-odd-stiff-for-odd-stiff's-sake by half- but the dialogue is jarringly bad. But he's in for the three issues, and other reviewers have been kinder, so another chance it will get. Reviews collected as found:

"An avalanche of knowingly stiff dialogue... crushes whatever action hasn't already been flattened by the surprisingly inert physicality..." [ADDTF negative review]

"[B]lows away the cobwebs of every dreary, by-the-numbers superhero title you've read in the last five years." [very positive Comic Book Resources review]

Part of "a McCarthy renaissance" [When Worlds Collide]

Posted 18 April 02010 - Permalink

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A gayed-up Doctor Strange judges Harry Potter on last night's Ugly Americans episode "Treegasm" on Comedy Central [BlueXeal]
At about the 2 minute 45 second mark: "You call this a potion? More like SNOREcery." [thanks Howard!]

Posted 15 April 02010 - Permalink

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Marvel Studios is wrapping up a deal for Joss Whedon to helm The Avengers [Variety]

NYC's own real-world superheroes [New York Post]
Dark Guardian "waited until a little bit into the relationship" before telling his now fiancee. The Staten Islander has almost come to blows with thugs.

Will There Ever Be a Show As Awesome As Manimal Again? [io9]
Neilalien was more an Automan kid, but Manimal was watched. [Automan opening credits on YouTube]

Posted 13 April 02010 - Permalink

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The Politics of Hit Girl: Kick-Ass' 11-year-old c-word-using brutally-violent killing-machine girl raises eyebrows, invokes feminist smiles, concerns [Women & Hollywood] [New York Times]

Nicolas Cage Explains How [0]1960s Batman Helped His 'Kick-Ass' Character 'Get The Job Done' [MTV Splash Page]
"Comic books, to me, are Jungian archetypes for the modern age."

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Big Excelsiors to The Hurting, he of 1,000 blog posts, and Progressive Ruin, he of 3,000 blog posts!

Back to lots of yummy MoCCA loot to read...

Posted 12 April 02010 - Permalink

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Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival this weekend 10-11 April in NYC! [MoCCA]
The earlier date snuck up on Neilalien this year. At the 69th Regiment Armory again. See you there, Neilalienistas!

Update: MoCCA panels schedule [Dino Haspiel superhero panel Saturday 2 pm]
Swedish Invasion party at Rocketship Friday night
Party at Village Pourhouse Saturday night

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Out today: Spider-Man: Fever #1 by Brendan McCarthy; Doctor Strange looks heavily involved [Diamond Comics Shipping This Week]

Quick Reviews of Every Issue of Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange Run [Comics Should Be Good]

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Back issues making a comeback in one comic shop after successful initial experiment [Forbidden Planet] [via Comics Reporter]
Ebay disappeared the back-issue bin from comic shops- now growing dissatisfaction with that online venue (bad dealings; it's now more expensive on Ebay after postage) is a factor.

"Shades of Grey: An Examination of Race Relations in Comic Books" [documentary trailer video on Vimeo]

Neilalien fave Captain Britain And MI13 nominated for Hugo Award now after its cancellation [Bleeding Cool]

Reading Marvel comics with iPad app "take[s] the joyous, marvellous sharing and bonding experience of comic reading and turn[s] it into a passive, lonely undertaking that isolates, rather than unites" [Boing Boing]

Stan Lee Media suit against Stan Lee and Marvel dismissed on various technicalities [Variety]
The suit had charged that Lee improperly transferred any rights he had re: Spider-Man, etc., from SLM to Marvel in 01998.

Blackest Night generates only sighs, headaches, and action figures [Trouble With Comics review]
And they brought Deadman back from the dead? Purpose, meet defeat. No longer a ghost able to possess people's bodies to fight crime, Boston Brand now drives a bus in Tallahassee.

Posted 7 April 02010 - Permalink

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