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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 Thursday, June 5, 2008
"I wish I were rich" was the header my friend Alex Ness gave to his recent post on my message board. In the body of that post, he said he'd throw a "big party for all [his] friends" with "Booze, comics, food of all sorts"...with Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez as the hostesses. "It [would] be the Tony Board dinner of all time."
When I consider what I would do if I were rich, my imagination fails me. The obvious ones leap to mind: pay off all my debts and set up trust funds so my Sainted Wife Barb and our kids will always have what they need to get by in this world. Maybe go on some way cool vacations. Buy and/or sue DC Comics.
Stuff like that.
This time, though, Alex's post inspired me to think about what I would do, comics-wise, if I were rich. I'm not talking insanely rich to the point where I could actually buy DC. I'm talking maybe superstar baseball player rich. Let's say, because I don't really understand big numbers, that I have a hundred million dollars or so after taxes. What would I do with it?
Here are the first dozen things that came to mind:
1) Buy my next door neighbor's house and move my office and my accumulation of stuff into it. I'd have the floors strengthen to make sure they could handle the load. I would keep enough "house" features so the occasional guest could stay there, but, primarily, it would be a place for me to work and organize my afore-mentioned accumulation of stuff.
2) I'd hire someone to organize my stuff.
3) I'd allocate a million or two per year to publishing comic books. Mostly comic books I would write, but I would also be open to publishing the old and new work of others. I'd love to license the right to publish collections of the best work of Marvel writers and artists of the 1950s.
4) Black Lightning. Through whatever means necessary, though I would hope for an amicable agreement, I would reclaim my proudest creation from DC. A collection of my Black Lightning stories is so overdue it's ridiculous. I still have new Black Lightning stories to tell. When I created the character, it was supposed to be as an equal partner with DC Comics. The company violated that agreement, but I'd be willing to resume it.
5) Conventions. I would attend one convention in every month that had a decent convention.
6) Convention guests. I would sponsor a guest at every con I attend. That way I could be sure there was always someone I wanted to meet at all of them.
7) I'd buy the best RV I could find to take me to all of those conventions. I hate flying. I hate what the airlines and our own government have done to make air travel horrible. I'd rather take comfortable trains with sleeping cars to the conventions, but our rail system isn't as convenient as it once was. So I'd buy the RV and hire the best driver I could find.
8) Convention dinners. I would throw a nice dinner for Tony Board posters and TOT readers at every comics convention I attend. Nothing fancy. Just good food and good company.
9) I'd make large annual donations to both the Hero Alliance and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, but I would also donate seed money to start a "Comic Book Legal Offense Fund" which would help comics creators sue publishers who have wronged them.
10) I would visit Los Angeles twice a year to spend time with all my great friends there.
11) I would visit Great Britain once a year to spend time with all my great friends there and to meet the talented comics creators I've never had the chance to meet.
12) I would visit Japan every other year because that country has great comics creators, baseball, and Godzilla.
That's what I would do if I were rich. Alas, becoming rich is the hard part.
If only I could pitch.
******
ADDENDUM
Concerning Alex Ness...
My pal is the owner and proprietor of the Pop Thought website where he and his fellow columnists discuss "all the things you watch, read, and play."
You can visit it here:
www.popthought.com
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BLACK LIGHTNING
My fame leaps across oceans.
Okay, not really, but I was recently interviewed by Michelle Adabra, who is a journalist from the New Nation newspaper, which is a UK-based, national black newspaper. She was writing a piece celebrating black superhereos in preparation for the coming Will Smith film Hancock and wanted to talk to me about Black Lightning. I have been asked these questions before, but I think I'm finally getting my answers down to more manageable word counts. When Adabra's article is printed, I'll look for an online link to it. If I can't find one, I'll run my answers here.
In other Black Lightning news...
DC Comics has still not paid me for the Black Lightning action figure it released last summer. I know they sold some of them. I bought a couple myself and I've seen them on sale in comics shops and at conventions. Obviously, I'm disappointed DC is pulling this kind of thing, but, as always, if and when they make good on what they owe me, I'll happily announce it here.
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BLOGGY BITS
School's out...for summer!
My daughter Kelly finishes up her last day as a sophomore at Medina High School today, though she'll be taking her PE class for next year in July. Besides playing on a softball travel team, she will also be joining the work force. It looks like her first day at her first job will be this Saturday. If all goes well, I'll let you know where she's working.
Today is also the last day of my son Eddie's freshman year at The Ohio State University. Sainted Wife Barb will be bringing him back from Columbus this evening. Though he does have a part-time job with a neighbor's construction company, his job search hasn't been going as well. However, the Army and the Marines call here at least once a week trying to get him to enlist...despite my telling them - at Eddie's request - that he isn't interested in joining the armed forces.
A Marine recruiter sent Eddie a letter saying he'll be coming to our house in two weeks to speak to Eddie about the opportunities available to him in the Marines. What do you figure are the odds the recruiter will realize our "no solicitors" sign also applies to him? Especially since the prominently-displayed sign doesn't seem to stop religious salespeople from knocking on our door.
Maybe it's a vocabulary problem.
But, even if we get invaded by the Marines, I'm excited about having my kids home for the summer. Who knows? Maybe this will be the summer they help me organize my comics.
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CLARIFICATIONS/CORRECTIONS
In Monday's column, I reviewed Archie & Friends #119. After reading the review, Al Nickerson, one of that issue's inkers, sent me this e-mail:
Thanks for reviewing Archie & Friends #119. Just so you know, even though the inking credit reads "Amash/Nickerson," I inked the first half of the issue and Jim Amash inked the second half. Jughead and Friends #28 also came out recently. That issue features "Riverdale Jones and the Temple of Food" (an homage to the Indiana Jones films) which I inked, as well.
Thanks for the clarification, Al.
TOT readers who want to know what else Al is working on should check out his blog at:
alnickerson.blogspot.com
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COMICS IN THE COMICS
In La Cucaracha strips from last Monday through Friday, Lalo Alcaraz did his take on the latest Marvel Comics hero to find big-screen success. The sequence ran on May 26-30:
Thanks to TOT reader and friend of the column Tom Duffy for alerting me to this sequence.
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TIP THE TIPSTER
Tony's Online Tips is a reader-sponsored feature, made possible through your "Tip The Tipster" donations. Donations from David, Ramon, Brent, Michael, Mark, Dee, Stuart, Anthony, Wayne, William, and Dennis have paid for the next 11 full-length columns and I thank them for their support. If you'd like to contribute and keep TOT running, click on the "Tip The Tipster" link you'll find elsewhere on this page.
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TONY POLLS
Every Tuesday, I post new Tony Polls for your balloting entertainment. A few weeks back, I asked you to vote on your use of eBay. Here are the results:
How often do you buy or sell comics on eBay?
Never.....33.33%
Occasionally (3-6 times a year).....45.45%
Regularly (once a month).....12.12%
Frequently (once a week).....7.58&
Often (more than once a week).....1.52%
My eBay activity varies considerably, but I'm probably closer to regularly than occasionally.
Overall, how would you rate your eBay experiences?
Near-Mint.....12.07%
Fine.....46.55%
Very Good.....15.52%
Good.....8.62%
Fair.....13.79%
Poor.....3.45%
I rated my experiences near-mint. I have only had one really bad experience on eBay and that was from a seller who lied about the condition of a comic book that was meant as a gift. He was impossible to reason with and, when, after several attempts to reason with him, I posted negative feedback for him, he retaliated with the only negative feedback I've ever gotten. Needless to say, I'm thrilled eBay no longer allows such sellers to get "revenge" on buyers who express their dissatisfaction.
Of these comics or comics-related eBay categories, which holds the greatest interest for you?
Silver Age (1956-69).....24.14%
Graphic Novels, trade paperbacks.....22.41%
Bronze Age (1970-79).....12.07%
Original Comic Art.....12.07%
Golden Age (1938-55).....8.62%
Modern Age (1980-Now).....6.90%
Collections.....5.17%
Full Runs.....3.45%
Magazines.....3.45%
Figurines.....1.72%
Platinum Age (1897-1937).....0%
Apparel & Accessories.....0%
European & Latin American.....0%
Manga.....0%
Newspaper Comics.....0%
Posters.....0%
Supplies.....0%
Other Comics.....0%
I went with Silver Age, though, in truth, I buy almost as many Golden Age and trade paperbacks via eBay. Not that I can afford to buy as much as I'd like. That will have to wait until I can organize my accumulation of stuff and start selling most of it on - What else? - eBay.
This week's Tony Polls questions came from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films nominations for their 34th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be awarded on June 24. We're asking you to vote on the eight Saturn Awards categories that honor television actors, actresses, and series.
You can make your choices at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
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Discuss this column with me at my Message Board. Also, read Heroes and Villains: Real and Imagined.
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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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