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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, May 27, 2008
On this date in 1934, Harlan Ellison was born in Ohio. He's one of our greatest writers and, much to my constant amusement and delight, a good friend. He hates birthday cards - I was going to add "with a passion," but, when it comes to Harlan, that phrase will always be redundant - so this is my Internet equivalent of a birthday card to my friend.
Harlan was a huge influence on my life before I ever read one word of his writing. I heard him speak at a World Science Fiction Convention held in Cleveland - I believe he was talking about the soon-to-debut Star Trek television series - and, as only a teenager can, I instantly knew he was one of the coolest guys on the planet. He wasn't cool because some show business publicity campaign said he was cool. He just was.
After that convention, I read every word of Harlan's writing I could get my hands on. I bought his new books when they came out and haunted Kay's Book Store in Cleveland for his old books. If I saw his name on the cover of any of the science fiction magazines of the time, or in the contents of any science fiction anthology, I bought the magazine or anthology. At that time, only two writers - Stan Lee and William Shakespeare - had ever spoken to me in the way Harlan spoke to me. I would add other writers to that personal pantheon over the years - Ed McBain, Dave Barry, Max Allan Collins - but Harlan was the coolest. He was a troublemaker and, Lord help me, I wanted to be one, too.
Because he made trouble for them what deserved it.
When I moved to New York in the chilly fall of 1972, I lived in a cold basement apartment in Brooklyn. It was cold because my landlords had somehow managed to rig things that way.
I had moved to New York to take a staff job at Marvel Comics. In the evenings, I would try to do whatever freelance I had managed to land. On many occasions, I'd set up my typewriter stand in my tiny kitchen and turn on the stove for heat. The sweat of my labor would turn to ice water if I walked a few feet from that kitchen. It was a miserable place to live and work.
When I first moved to New York from Cleveland, I took only two books with me: the Harlan Ellison-edited Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions. Those of you have read those anthologies know they are thick with remarkable tales by remarkable writers. Yet what I revere the most in those volumes are not the groundbreaking stories, but Harlan's introductions to the stories. Because, at a time when I didn't know if I could survive New York to become the writer I longed to be, those commentaries illuminated the nobility of my calling.
They gave me the strength to keep my inner fires burning even as my ass was frosting over.
That was the first of many I owe Harlan.
Somewhere along the years and other conventions, Harlan and I became friends. For all his troublemaking ways - and I sincerely revere him for them - Harlan has more and more loyal friends than anyone I know. His own loyalty to his friends has a lot to do with that. As he becomes more cuddly and curmudgeonly with each passing year, there's no one I'd rather have watching my back in any kind of fight you could name. I love the guy.
They don't make birthday cards big enough to contain all the good wishes and thanks I wish to send Harlan today. If they did, I might even risk his wrath and send him one. But they don't make those birthday cards - if they did, they would have to be shipped to him in a piano crate - so this column is what he gets instead. I'm getting off cheap.
Happy birthday, Harlan.
Tony Isabella
<< 05/26/2008 | 05/27/2008 | 05/28/2008 >>
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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.
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