Today's TOT is being written on the run. Some family matters and pressing deadlines on paying work are my immediate priorities, and will remain so into next week. Just to make things even more insane in TOT-Land, our wondrous web-wizard Justin is also dealing with some personal matters and pressing deadlines.
Fear not, my faithful ones. We're not abandoning you. I'll be writing three columns - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - for next week. After that, Justin and I hope to resume TOT's Monday through Friday schedule. Fingers crossed.
We do have a few items for you today, but, before we get into them, let me give you the URL for what is quickly becoming one of the most fun things on the Internet:
That's where you'll find YOU'RE ON NOTICE! It's "The Stephen Colbert 'On Notice Board' Generator" and it's what I used to create our opening illustration. I learned about it from my friend Julio Diaz, who posted his own version of the board on the official TONY ISABELLA MESSAGE BOARD:
Please feel welcome to post your own "on notice" boards on my message board or, if you prefer, send them to me at:
If you e-mail your "on notice" board to me, be sure to let me know if I can use it in a future edition of TOT. I always like to share funny stuff with my readers.
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CORRECTIONS
Reading Wednesday's TOT, my decades-long friend GAFF caught me having a major brain fart moment. He writes:
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #68 with "Alias The Bat-Hulk" has interior art by Mike Sekowsky & Mike Esposito, same as in #66's team-up of Rex and the Metal Men. The cover on #68 is Sekowsky and Joe Giella, and the cover on #66 is Ramona Fradon inked by Esposito. Even though METAMORPHO #16 only carries an art credit for Sal Trapani, Charlie Paris did ink that ish, as he had all the previous issues, including the B&B tryouts). Nelson Bridwell once told me B&B #66 was one of the best-selling non-Batman B&B team-ups ever!
TOT regrets the error and thanks Gaff for the correction. No one should ever feel shy about pointing out errors of fact to me. I'll do my very best to get the corrections into "print" as soon as possible.
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TONY POLLS
Before this year's EISNER AWARDS winners were honored at San Diego's Comic-Con International, we asked you to vote on which of the nominees you would have chosen. We've covered all but a few of the award categories so far and you're "batting" 14-for-20. Let's see if that holds up.
Still coming: your votes for the four comics industry titans selected to join the Eisner Awards HALL OF FAME. I'll have those results for you on Monday.
Four TONY POLLS questions were posted this week. I'm asking if you see comics making the transition to movies, TV, and direct-to-DVD as a positive trend and also asking you to rate three recent examples of this:
I review The Amazing Adventures of Nate Banks #1: Secret Identity Crisis, Secret Identity Crisis: Comic Books and the Unmasking of Cold War America and The Walking Dead Volume 2: Miles Behind Us.
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:
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
