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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Tuesday, March 29, 2005
"As you see, earthman, I have reduced these three planets for my collection! Your planet is next!"
TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #18 [October, 1957] is the second of three covers Jack Kirby drew for the book in the second half of the 1950s. "The Man Who Collected Planets" appears to be some sort of energy-creature, a more striking figure than usually seen on DC's mystery/science fiction titles of this era. The "shrunken worlds" bit isn't unique to this cover; it appeared on other comics covers over the years and, prior to that, on the covers of science fiction pulp magazines. The GRAND COMICS DATABASE [www.comics.org] has no record of the six-page story ever being reprinted since its initial appearance. Add it to the lengthy list of Kirby stories I've never read and which, naturally, I would like to read.
There are three other stories in this comic:
"A Man Without A World" (drawn by Jim Mooney);
"Riddle of the Glass Bubble" (drawn by Mort Meskin; reprinted in THE UNEXPECTED #160, November-December, 1974); and,
"The Amazing Swap Shop" (drawn by Nick Cardy).
Aren't you impressed I got through this opening without making a joke about shrinking Uranus?
I'm going to continue featuring DC/Kirby covers from the 1950s this week, along with my usual pleadings that these decades-old and often never-reprinted Kirby-drawn stories be collected in a trade paperback. I know I'd buy a copy or two of JACK KIRBY'S UNEXPECTED TALES. Wouldn't you?
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COMICS IN THE COMICS
This is not completely an installment of COMICS IN THE COMICS because this first strip...
...doesn't have any comics references. I feature it here for no other reason than it made me laugh out loud. What's so unusual about this is that I hate the nigh-weekly Sarge beating up on Beetle strips. I was learning to hate them long before the Bush administration determined it was okay to abuse and torture those it deemed enemies, but, given the transgressions committed by some of our troops under policies set into motion by the administration, it's idiotic and insensitive for Mort Walker and the BEETLE BAILEY crew to return to this bit again and again.
However, that said, I have to admit that I got another laugh from this strip...
...which is more of a traditional COMICS IN THE COMICS entry. Of course, I now envision an extended sequence in which Popeye, who has no love for bullies, learns how Sarge is misusing this training and settles the score for Beetle.
Beetle and Sarge were also among the comics characters shown or referenced during a sequence of Lalo Alcaraz's LA CUCARACHA that ran from March 17-19. Here are those strips:
I started reading LA CUCARACHA recently, having been directed to the strip by one of my readers. Cribbed from the uCOMICS site, here's a short introduction:
LA CUCARACHA is a unique comic strip which provides a view of the world through the sharp, satiric lens of its young Latino characters and the fertile mind of acclaimed creator Lalo Alcaraz. Growing up on the U.S./Mexico border gave Lalo a dual outlook on life. He's not "Mexican" enough for his relatives in Mexico and not "American" enough for some in the US. It's a double-edged Spanglish attitude that fuels his jalapeño-biting satirical observations in his daily comic strip.
If you'd like to check out LA CUCARACHA for yourself, you can find it here:
www.ucomics.com/lacucaracha
Look for more COMICS IN THE COMICS in future TOTs.
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TONY'S MAILBOX
Earlier this year, I exchanged a few e-mails with underground comix legend JAY LYNCH. I ran one of those notes in the March 18th installment of this column. Here's another, sent in response to my asking Lynch what he's been up to lately:
The Waldman coloring book stuff has always been interesting to me. I used to do sticker sets and albums of licensed characters to make a living. I worked at this company in Chicago with Jim Engel, and we did Garfield and My Little Pony and all that kind of stuff. Vince Fago used to do coloring book stuff, drawing Hanna-Barbara characters. It's just an interesting thing. but we used to print a million sticker albums, at a time when there was no such thing as a million-circulation comic. I think these things, which are being sold in dollar stores, will be the nostalgia of the future.
I moved to upstate New York about five years ago. Mostly I do freelance work for Topps Chewing gum these days. Topps has revived Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. I do about 350 gag roughs for them a year. It looks like the old humorous novelty cards have come back to warp a new generation.
I wrote a comic called INK AND ANGUISH, EC-style true stories of the adventures of the early underground cartoonists. I wrote it and did roughs. Ed Piskor is drawing the whole book in realistic fashion. One of the stories from it is up on the Top Shelf webpage and Top Shelf will publish it next summer. Mostly, though...I just do Topps trading card type stuff these days.
TOT readers can check out the four-page "Monkey Mind" story by going here:
www.topshelfcomix.com/comix.php?artist=250
There's more good stuff at Lynch's own website:
www.mindspring.com/~jaylynch
Thanks for the updates, Jay. As soon as INK AND ANGUISH hits the stores, you can bet I'll be reading and reviewing it for either COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE or TONY'S ONLINE TIPS.
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MORE MAILBOX
I have to set up our next letter. Back in mid-January, the AP (Associated Press) reported on motivational speaker William Fried's January visit to JANE LATHROP STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL in Palo Alto, California. At a question-and-answer period following his "Secret of a Happy Life" program, Fried was asked why he'd included "exotic dancing" on his list of attractive careers for girls. He said it was because the pay was great: $250,000 a year or more, depending on a woman's chest size.
"For every two inches up there, you should get another $50,000 on your salary."
Fried's comments were reported in newspapers across the world, but there was other STANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL news that didn't make it to the outside press. In a thread on Fried's talk on the official TONY ISABELLA MESSAGE BOARD [www.comicscommunity.com/boards/tony], our pal RICK CHANDLER posted this:
In the coincidence department, this one takes the cake. I'm a basketball coach at the school in question. We're 12-0 so far this season, but all anyone can talk about is strippers!
Then, about a month later, Chandler sent me a picture of his team and this note:
Fighting off The Career-Day Stripper Scandal and a mid-season ankle injury to its best player, our Stanford Middle School eighth- grade boys basketball team won the league title Thursday 45-40 in overtime over crosstown rival Terman. As a reward, I'm bringing several of the players to WonderCon!
Here's Coach Rick and his players:
Congratulations to the team on their great season. But, tell us, Rick, how did they like WonderCon?
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TONY POLLS
It's Tuesday and that means that sometime today, there will be new questions waiting for you at our TONY POLLS page. This week's ballot includes the semi-final round of our "Who Should Play Wonder Woman?" competition. We'll also ask you to vote for your favorite in two categories of the Hugo Awards, which will given out at this year's World Science Fiction Convention, and to choose which of a number of comic books you'd most like to see me review in upcoming TONY'S ONLINE TIPS column.
You can cast your votes on these matters at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
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TONY STUFF
My dear friend ALVIN SCHWARTZ has another terrific AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE column waiting for you at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/alvin
I mention this, not because Alvin says nice things about me in that column, but because he is a skilled and wise writer from whom you can learn things.
The TIP THE TIPSTER link has gotten some use in the past few days with three TOT readers making donations. I never expected to get rich off this online exercise - and thus far my expectations in that regard have been on the money - but even a few bucks makes it that much easier for me to bring you this column on a nearly daily basis. Thanks for the support, guys.
If you look at our archives list, you'll see there are links for every day since the end of February. So why did I say "nearly" just now?
Some days - due to family or work commitments - I can't write a full-blown column for you. But, since I don't want you to visit and not get some sort of payoff for your time, I've been throwing together blog-like TOTs to keep you amused. I might not always be able to give you 1500-2000 words, but I can, at least, give you a friendly "hi there" and a silly photograph.
Which brings us to this week's columns...
My "things to do" list has taken on a life of its own. I'll be putting in long hours to finish all the assignments and chores which simply can't be put off for another week. That's the way it goes sometimes.
So, this week, while you're still going to get 1500-2000 words per day from me, there won't be any reviews. We'll have more great Jack Kirby covers from the 1950s. We'll have COMICS IN THE COMICS. We'll have TONY'S MAILBOX. We'll have TONY STUFF. All less time-consuming than my reviews. With an ounce of good luck, I'll start gaining ground on my schedule and then, next week, catch up on the reviews. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back soon with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 03/28/2005 | 03/29/2005 | 03/30/2005 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
Tony's Online Tips
840 Damon Drive
Medina, OH 44256
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