Psst ... !

Today, a new era begins with ...

Join me, won't you?

Not a dream! Not an imaginary story!

And definitely not a What If?!

Things have been waaaay too quiet around here lately, and I think you deserve an explanation. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I left my job to go back to freelance writing (and again, if you know of any jobs or contacts, it would be awesome of you to let me know). I realized, though, that I've only told you half the story.

Not only did I leave the cozy comfort of a regular paycheck for the rough-and-tumble world of self-employment, but I'll also be moving soon. And not like a "moving to the other side of town" kind of moving. More like, "moving to the other side of the COUNTRY" moving. A combination of a university program my wife will be completing along with a hankerin' for some East Coast livin' is taking us to Delaware (just across the state line from Philadelphia) in just a few weeks.

And yes, we've seen the film clip.



As you can imagine, all this has kept things pretty busy here at Casa Romero, which in turn has stalled things a bit at GCP-HQ (didn't know I was incorporated, did you?). But no more! This time I'm giving you a definite date! A date that is coming! Right ... now!

MONDAY, MONDAY, MONNNNNDAAY!

This coming Monday, May 31, will be the beginning of a bold new era for Great Caesar's Post! Polish the china! Change your underpants! Bring in the dogs and put out the children! Above all, prepare yourselves and watch the skies!

ON MONDAY, GREAT CAESAR'S POST WILL RISE AGAIN.
AND NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME.

And this time I mean it

I know, I know - it seems as if I've had one excuse after another for the meager updates lately, but seriously, guys, in a couple of days we'll be BACK TO REGULAR POSTING.

Honest. Swear to the Big G and everything.

And I really do feel bad about it. In my mind it's as if Perry White himself is chewing me out - a-just like this:

Legendary artist Frank Frazetta dies at 82

The sad news that has been buzzing around the Internet today was confirmed earlier — legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta has died at the age of 82.

The cause of death has been given as a stroke.

Frazetta's iconic work is instantly recognizable to anyone who has read fantasy novels, browsed through yearly calendars or picked up a metal album. Known mostly for his commercial work, Frazetta essentially invented the look of modern fantasy art with his lush paintings of fantastic and fearsome beasts, rough-hewn men, and women seemingly coaxed from the smoothest and deadliest alabaster. Even you didn't know the name, you knew the work; Tarzan, John Carter from Mars, Conan the Barbarian and his own creation, the Death Dealer, were all given the Frazetta stamp, cementing the image of these and other characters for generations.

I distinctly remember my first the time I felt the impact of Frazetta's work — it was the cover to Molly Hatchet's self-title debut album, featuring the Death Dealer himself.


I was fascinated by the cover, with the obscured warrior who seemed to be made of black and gray, of shadow and steel, and who seemed to drain all the color, all the life, out of the world itself. I would study this cover with more attention than I probably ever gave the music inside, imagining what kind of world this demon-soldier haunted, wondering what damnation stoked his eyes to a glowing red, amazed at the sheer muscularity of the enormous, night-black warhorse.

With that one cover Frazetta, as much as anyone or anything, came to symbolize rock 'n' roll to me. Soon enough, his work became shorthand for fantasy, adventure, sex, heroism and an entire pop culture era for me, as I'm sure it is for a lot of other people out there.

There have been plenty of other artists who are maybe just as good, but they all owe a debt to Frazetta. With work that is erotic, powerful and otherworldly, Frazetta was one of those rare artists who defined a style, and with it an entire genre.

Que casualidad!

Hey, it's Cinco de Mayo! In the United States it means a day of celebration, a time to put on hokey fake mustaches and giant sombreros while downing nachos and drinking Dos Equis. In Mexico, it means ... well, not a lot, really. Mexicans acknowledge the day outnumbered and out-equipped soldiers pushed back French invaders in Puebla, but they don't make a big deal out of it.

Ha ha! Silly gringos!

Aaaanyway, I'm a big fan of Mexican comics, so in celebration of Cinco de Mayo I give you the covers to five comics that were actually published in Mexico. And not a luchador in the bunch!

Kalimán! A mysterious guru with incredible mind-over-matter powers who is also a master of martial arts, science and the arts. A man of peace who nonetheless kicks much ass on a regular basis.

It's A ROBOT. RIDING A GIANT ANT.

Brujerias was a blackly comedic comic with horror trappings, right down to the host's name, "Hermelinda Linda," which translates to "Pretty Hermelinda." Terrifying.

The Invisible Guardian is ... well, an invisible man. Who fights things like living skeletons. And who, if you can trust the outline, has perfect hair. He is awesome.

I just want to point out that, as far as I can tell, this was way before Return of the Jedi. Also — thank you, Mexico.

BONUS PANEL!

Alright, alright — here's a panel showing El Santo about to punch out a hippo. I'm not made of stone, people!