Why isn't the earth aflame?

Today marks my 40th of your "Earth years," and I'm pretty hyped about it. A big, meaty meal and The Wolfman are on the horizon, and the coming year (and years following that) promise to be full of Adventure and Interesting Things. I know middle-age is supposed to be some sort of soul-crushing mill stone rather than milestone, but I'm excited about the promise the Big 4-Oh will bring.

It's also possible I've finally snapped.

Either way, I'm glad I was around and more or less paying attention when the intoxicating scent of the Silver/Bronze Age gumbo was a-bubblin', because, brother, if that doesn't make you a comic book fan, nothing will.

I mean, check out what was on the stands in 1970:

Young Love!

All-Star Western!

Mutha-f'n Conan the Barbarian!

Astonishing Tales!

And of course, probably a personal favorite also debuted that year — witness the birth of:

Jack Kirby's Fourth World!

You know what that means? That's right; me and this guy are the same age:



Truly, the voice of a generation.

Ride the Lightning

So the last time I saw my nephew he was hard-core excited about a young adult series of books called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is apparently about the demigod children of classic Greek gods and their misbehaving parents. I'd never heard of it at the time, but it sounded kinda neat and I've been meaning to look into it ever since.

And then suddenly, this starts making the rounds.


Now, I'm not ashamed to admit this: I've had a soft spot for Uma Thurman ever since she ripped the curl on the half-shell as Venus in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I even forgive her (mostly) for that awful, awful thing she did as Poison Ivy. I won't watch it ever again, but I forgive her. And now that she's playing Medusa in The Lightning Thief? Pretty much guarantees I'll be seeing this in the theater when it comes out.

(And was that Rosario Dawson in there?)

...

(It was!)

Like a lot of kids, I went through a serious mythology phase when I was younger and it's a fascination that's always lingered. Which is probably why I'm also interested in the Clash of the Titans remake.

Zeus help me.

Geek check: So, uh ... what're you wearing?

So far today, two people have pointed at me and said, "Hey, Green Lantern!"

The company I work for is pretty casual, and jeans and a T-shirt is the top of the dress code for most of the employees, myself included. Today that includes a Green Lantern shirt.

The funny thing is, this shirt brings that reaction in people a lot. I don't know if it's because people are familiar with the John Stewart character thanks to the JLA cartoons, if an older (*ahem*) generation remembers Hal from the Super Friends or what, but most people seem to recognize this green and white symbol.

The cool thing? Everybody who points it out is smiling.

This shirt has prompted more random conversations than I can think of, with the exception of the Aquaman T-shirt, but that was annoying at first because everyone seemed to think it was an Entourage reference instead of, y'know, an Aquaman reference.

Is it a Green Lantern thing? Leftover goodwill from Iron Man and The Dark Knight? Personally, I like to think it's mostly a fun thing — and people like to have fun, even if it's just in a brief moment of recognition, whether you're a comic fan or not.

I think it's also part of the whole Rise of the Geek thing , though we'll see how long that lasts. But for now, a comic book T-shirt may not make you cool, but it's not going to get you ostracized, either. And in some cases, it may even get you a wave and a smile from a stranger.

So what about you? Are you proudly wearing your superhero T-shirts to work? Putting your laptop in a manga themed messenger bag? Or do you have a comic character dangling from your keychain? Let your comic geek flag fly in the comments!

All that important galactic info

Not too long ago, being a comic book nerd was the sort of thing you kept to yourself — unless you were a fan of the atomic wedgie or the dreaded purple nurple. Thankfully we're moving past those dark days, and even writing letters to city newspapers to proudly show off just what huge geeks we are.

Take hero to the cause Russ Forbus of Buda, Texas, who was recently published in the Austin-American Statesman:


I might quibble with Russ' description of the Lantern's "magic" ring, but I give him big thumbs up for pointing out the difference between a pulp, crime-busting hero and a corps of space cops patrolling the universe. ESPECIALLY since the mayor was totally wearing a Green Lantern T-shirt. (I have no idea why the paper's Web site didn't include it, particularly since it was in the print edition.)

The headline on the letter seems to be a pretty obvious crack, but I'd like to think Russ Forbus doesn't care, having long since become invulnerable to melvins and wet willies.

Stop Talking About Comics or I'll Kill You

Laying in bed this morning, trying to find the will to get up and get ready for work, I was half-listening to the clock-radio when a sudden thought surfaced in my sleepy head:

Aquaman?

The local "we play anything" station had just started "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies, a song so crammed with auctioneer-style lyrics that I'd never bothered to learn the words. But I could've sworn the singer said something about Aquaman, and a quick Google check later confirmed the band's Curry name-dropping (Sailor Moon's mentioned, too). And now that I was awake I started wondering; how many songs mention superheroes, anyway?

Off the top of my head (and showing my age), I was able to come up with:

• "Land of Confusion" — Genesis

• "Sunshine Superman" — Donovan

• "Iron Man" — Black Sabbath

• "Kryptonite" — 3 Doors Down

• "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" — Jim Croce

• "Catch Me Now (I'm Falling)" — The Kinks

• "The Ballad of Barry Allen" — Jim's Big Ego

• "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" — Spin Doctors

• "In the Garage" — Weezer

And a bunch of songs by Ookla the Mok including "Arthur Curry," "Theme From Super Skrull" and — of course — "Stop Talking About Comics or I'll Kill You."

I know I'm missing a lot of songs, so I put it to you, Internets: What's your favorite superhero song? I'm a little embarrassed that there aren't any rap songs in my mental checklist, and I'm curious whether there are any country-comic songs out there, so let me know.

But wait — there are rules! I'm looking for songs that explicitly name a hero (or at least alludes so much that there can't be any confusion), cartoon or TV show themes don't count (sorry, Spider-Man theme), and neither do accidental mentions of comic book characters (sorry, "Ghost Riders in the Sky").

Other than that — let's hear it!

Comics in the Wild: Iron Men Down Through the Ages

Click for full-size metal!

I found this drawing on a dry-erase board outside of the Austin Community College-Northridge student lounge a few days ago, and the more I looked at it the more amazed I was at the detail. The Iron Man designs for 1964 through the present are right on, and it looks like the whole thing was done with just four markers. I can't even make a list on my dry-erase board without it getting smudgey.

Besides, it's just kinda funny, what with the Futurama/IronMan/Ozzy mash-up going on (with a little Spider-Man reference thrown in for good measure). I'd love to give the artist credit but he or she did everything except sign their name, so if anyone in Austin has a line on who drew this, let me know.

OK, now I gotta go crank up the Sabbath!

Edit to add: Whoops! I just noticed you can't read the Spider-Man reference in the photo; in the last frame Bender is singing, "Iron Man, Iron Man, does whatever an Iron can ..." Of course he's also holding a bottle of booze, which makes sense any way you look at it.

Can't talk ...

... I'm reading a stack of free comics! And then later I'm going to see Iron Man, so today is like some sort of comic geek's perfect storm.

Austin Books and Comics, my awesome LCS, had a limit of 10 comics per person but the pile's a little bigger than that since my wife went with me and basically picked up whatever I didn't. Here's what I'm working my way through, in no particular order:

• Gumby

• Owly and Friends!

• Walt Disney's Gyro Gearloose

• Archie's Pal Jughead

• Hellboy: The Mole

• Gekiga!

• The Moth

• Atomic Robo

• Graphic Classics

• EC Sampler

• Ignatz

• Maintenance

• Dan Dare

• Comic Strip Masterpieces

It looks like there's a lot of good stuff this year, and my wife has already laughed her way through Comic Strip Masterpieces. I also grabbed Visionaries: Thor Vol. 1, featuring Walter Simonson, for 50 percent off so I think my weekend is booked.

In case you haven't already, be sure to get to your local shop and take your pick of some free swag (and if you can spare the cash, why not show your LCS a little love while you're there?). And hey, maybe you could bring friends who are new to comics along and use this as a chance to introduce them to the wide variety of comics out there.

OK — back to the stack!

It's a red-letter day!

Greetings, running dog lackeys! It's May Day! And don't you think it's time you asked yourself, "While I'm out there saving the world, who is protecting my rights as a super-powered worker? I serve my brothers and sisters in the community, but isn't anyone going to look out for me?"

Wonder no more! Why, just look who has already joined the party!












Incredible! So rise my comrades, rise! (And don't forget to pay your membership dues.)

See you at the next meeting!

THE PAIN!!!

Well, shit.

Sadly, Dave Campbell of Dave's Long Box is calling it quits after blogging about comics for more than three years. Dave retiring is like Ali stepping out of the ring, a recognized champion going on to become a legend.

Woof, that's sappy. But let's consider the facts: Campbell was one of the first people to regularly blog about comics, building a tremendously loyal readership that not many other bloggers can match. He was funny, he was enthusiastic, he was insightful and he was consistent (mostly).

When I began trolling through comic blogs, the Long Box was the first one I read and it told me a lot. It told me that it was OK to be a comic book reader, and it reminded me that it was supposed to be fun. Eventually, reading the Long Box (along with Chris Sims, Kevin Church and Bully) would be what would give me the push to start my own blog. Thanks to them I rediscovered the joy of communication and community, things I thought had been ground out of me years before. But I've never forgotten that it all started with Dave's Long Box.

Most of all, though, Campbell just made me laugh. Every. Damn. Time. Seriously, go read the archives and look for The F*@% Yeah Files or Boob War, or just randomly click on entries. It won't matter because he's that good. And even though I'm sorry to see the shutters going up at the Long Box, I'm glad he's got a gig blogging for ABC and even happier to know he'll still be doing a personal blog of some sort.

Guys like Campbell can't keep quiet for too long. I know I'm looking forward to hearing what he's got to say.

Finally, here's my favorite moment from Dave's Long Box, if for no other reason than it made me and my wife laugh for an entire day:




Thanks, Dave. Stay Airwolf.

And so, it begins

I got this in my fortune cookie the other day, and I can only take it as a sign that the time is finally right to launch my plans for super-villainy and world domination. What else could it mean?


And it beats instant baldness or horrible disfigurement, so I'll take it.

Lucky numbers: 12, 31, 8, 36, 2

Dr. Nikken?!?

I'm not really sure how to take the latest news concerning genetic research and human/animal hybrid embryos. One one hand, the term "human chimera" alone is a little unsettling, while on the other hand ... man, that's kind of awesome.

But if one of these companies decides to rename themselves "Mappo," don't say you weren't warned.


Britain approves human-animal embryo research

LONDON (Reuters) - British regulators decided on Wednesday to permit in principle the creation of hybrid human-animal embryos for research into illnesses such as Parkinson's, Motor Neuron Disease and Alzheimer's.

The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) agreed to allow a specific kind of inter-species hybrid, where human DNA is injected into a hollowed out animal egg cell, a spokeswoman for the regulator said.

The resulting "cytoplastic hybrid" embryo, or "cybrid" would be 99.9 percent human and 0.1 percent animal.


And if it turns out to be Hip Flask, it would be all heart. Let's keep our fingers crossed, big guy!

Today I am a man: Great Caesar's Post hits 100

It might seem like a small milestone (especially compared to some of my fellow comics geeks who have been blogging for years already), but this is the 10oth entry here on Great Caesar's Post and I'm pretty happy about it! Gee, I wish I could get some help commemorating ...


Wow, thanks Showcase heroes! You're right - that is awesome! And while I feel as if I'm still working the kinks out of it, I hope people have enjoyed reading the Post as much as I've enjoyed putting it together. And what exactly have I put together? Let's warm up our Time Spheres and take a look!

• Awww, look at that ... my very first post.
• Once upon a time I did a regular feature called "Favorite Panel Friday;" this particular panel still cracks me up.
• Speaking of Favorite Panel Friday, there was a period where I wasn't updating much due to work and FPF was the only posting I seemed to be doing. Of course, I did find time somehow to play Boneless Spidey. A lot. I blame the Ram Jam soundtrack.
• It's adorable when The Thing cries. Plus, in the comments I confess to my dark secret of not having seen many recent comic book movies.
• There are questions about Captain Marvel that need to be answered, not least of which are about the more twisted branches of the Marvel family tree. Also, a dig at the pride of Pennsylvania.
• I finally got a scanner.
• The crazy thing about Jay J. Armes is that if someone ever did make a comic based on his life, people wouldn't think it was believable. Believe it.
• I get into a fight.
• When is it time to drop your comic shop? Is it enough that the shop is a little loose with its discounts, even when it keeps doing you wrong?
  
• And speaking of the direct market, how do we bring older, non-comic readers into the medium and then keep them there? What's the best way to introduce comics to people who think it's just kids' stuff?
• A regular feature on Bob Kanigher's crazy-ass dinosaurs and soldiers mash-up makes its first appearance. There's also a lame explanation of why the title is "W.T.F" (periods) instead of the usual "WTF" (no periods).
• Sometimes I watch TV.

Finally, we're caught up to our current timeline! Some recent highlights have included the questionable need for Dazzler, the trouble Blue Beetle gives those unfamiliar with the Español, and lots of other unsolicitated opinions.

Thanks again for reading, and don't be shy about leaving your comments; it really does mean a lot to me, and I enjoy hearing what you have to say.

One more thing: DAZZLER?!?

I like you, but I'm breaking up with you

Comic books fans have a reputation - not completely undeserved - of being fickle. We expect a lot from our obsession, and we're willing to drop a title the minute an artist or writer we don't like takes over, or if a costume is changed, or if a character does something we think is, well, out of character.

But we are also intensely loyal, and this shows in how we shop. Or actually, in where we shop. Most regular comic book readers I know have a particular store they go to, a place that they consider their shop. This is where they go first, and a lot of times it will be the only place they go. And even if they have some gripes about it, they'll always go to their store.

Until they don't.

Let me explain what got me thinking about this. I like the store I go to, but it also drives me crazy. Since it's a smaller shop, it carries a mostly mainstream selection, which is fine since I read a lot of mainstream books. But, I also read indie titles and books that don't dress up in spandex, and that means I either have to place a special order or go to another shop to get everything on that week's list. The problem with a special order is it either takes weeks to be filled, or someone goofs and the order is never placed at all.

I usually end up going to the back-up shop for whatever's missing at my regular store. Every week.

Honestly, if I was better about ordering things in advance, that would take care of most of my problems with the shop. And like I said, I like my shop. It:

• is staffed by very nice people who make an effort to know what I'm in to
• offers a 15 percent discount to subscribers
• is literally blocks from my home

The back-up shop is more of a schlep (but still not that far, really) and doesn't offer any regular discounts (except 10 percent off graphic novels). They do, however, have almost every title being published in a given week.

But I doubt I'll switch. My main shop has built enough goodwill that I want to stick with them, and that fanboy loyalty makes me want to defend my shop, even from myself.

Which brings me to my point (or my question, actually): What would it take to make you leave your shop for a different one?

Only sorta about comics (but not really)

The other day my wife and I were telling a co-worker about our hometown, and somehow the conversation ended up on Jay J. Armes, a former city council member and WORLD-FAMOUS PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!

Since I grew up with Armes as a regular part of the landscape, it was easy to forget how much pure awesome this guy is packed with; I don't remember him being much of a councilman, but check out this resume:

Blew off both of his hands with dynamite when he was 12, later replacing them with gripping steel hooks!

Last name: Armes!

Rescued Christian-son-of-Marlon Brando from kidnappers!

Has a specially made prosthetic housing a .22 magnum!

Played a deranged sniper called The Hookman on Hawaii Five-O!

Has his own action figure!

Runs his own international PI business!

Has a movie in development with Stan Lee's company, Pow Entertainment! (there's your comicy content)

OK, honestly, I don't know what's going on with that development deal since it was first announced in January 2005 and I haven't been able to dig up anything more recent, but I hereby officially support this film. According to some sources, Scott Lobdell (more comicness!) has already written a first draft of the script.

And it's called "Hooked" for God's sake. This, kids, is Stan the Man's special genius.

If nothing else, looking all this up helped endear him to me all over again (he would genuinely seem like a nice guy when you ran into him around town). His huge plot of land, only a couple of miles from where I lived, was legendary in my neighborhood. I didn't grow up in a well-off area, so a mysterious compound surrounded by a tall golden fence featuring gates emblazoned with a huge "J.J." and crossed guns had an effect. Plus, he was known to have jungle cats that prowled the property after dark.

Holy crap ... I think I just overdosed on kick-assery.

I hope the movie does get made someday. At the very least, I'd love to see a Human Target-style comic come out of this - after all, the guy's practically OMAC! He's even got a similar affection for wacky head decor.


How could you lose?

Favorite Panel Friday is now in session

You may have noticed (or not) that there isn't a panel from any of this week's comics. It wasn't for a lack of good stuff, because there was a bunch. Oh, no, this week's Favorite Panel was called on account ... OF JUSTICE!!

I had a good run, but finally got caught and ended up serving on a jury of my peers. It was pretty quick and everything was finished within the day, but it meant no access to a scanner. No scanner equals no panel. Today, we're only uploading THE LAW!

Here it is in a nutshell: She was speeding. It was pretty obvious she didn't have a case (soooo busted). Guilties all around, maximum fine, and no plumbers had to go to jail. If it had been up to us on the jury, the sentence would have been even tougher.

Oh, and on the way home I saw a couple of grackles mating on the lawn of an office building on Sixth Street. Dirty birdies. I told Lopez! it was like watching 9 1/2 Weeks and From Here to Eternity, but with feathers.

Office supplies

And now, for no reason at all, here's a random sampling of some of the toys that live in my office. They come alive at night and plot, I'm sure of it.

Oh, and I apologize for the quality of some of these photos, but I like to pretend my office is a dark cave and growl at people who walk too close to my door.



A lot of people don't know this, but Spider-Man can pop 'n lock like a mutha. Go Spidey! Go Spidey!



In another life, this guy was bad news, nearly destroying the entire friggin' multiverse single-handedly. Now he's got a very tiny head. He's not real happy about it.



Oh, Wampa. How I love you. We'll just pretend that's Luke's legbone, 'k?



Off-screen, Jet and Julia are actually married. Jet just wants to eat his pear, maybe watch a little bit of the game, but noooooo, Julia says he can't wait until after the "Late Late Show" to pick up the kids from day-care. Pfft. Women.



My fleet is mighty and swift and we take no prisoners. I mean c'mon, look at the size of these ships, where the hell would we put 'em?