I’m feeling fortunate there are so many fascinating things to read that distract me from the troublesome events going on today. Like all of us, I struggle to find the right balance of staying informed and not getting overwhelmed.

My nightstand has a few treasures on it that help populate my brain with positive thoughts. For example:

Illustrators Magazine

Illustrators Magazine, a brilliant UK publication, just shipped their Hardcover Special #19, featuring a deep dive into the artists who’ve contributed to the illustrative mythology of Prince Valiant over the years. It’s stunningly gorgeous filled with beautiful essays and analyses of Hal Foster and the major artists who followed in his footsteps, John Cullen Murphy, Gary Gianni and Thomas Yeates, and there are even sidebars about some of the artists who didn’t stick with it including favorites like Gray Morrow and Wally Wood.

This one had a short print run, so it might be hard to find. You can borrow my copy, but you’d have to promise to give it back.

Author: Diego Cordoba
Artists: Hal Foster, John Cullen Murphy, Gary Gianni, Thomas Yeates, Meg Nash, Scott Roberts
Publisher: Book Palace Books, October 2024
Number of pages: 200
Format: Hard Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9″ x 11″ (216mm x 280mm)

Pinupocalypse

Pinupocalypse from Massive Publishing is wonky comic with a fun first issue. Conceived, written and illustrated by Andrew Tarusov, this initial installment sets up the adventures of a ‘50s young woman as she faces a zombie apocalypse. It’s goofy and silly, but if you don’t think about it too hard, it’s a fun ride.

I didn’t know anything about this one. The cover just caught my attention. But the publisher shows off more of this series here.

Batman and Robin

Phillip Kennedy Johnson is one of those writers who also sounds personable and authentic when he’s on comic podcasts. He seemed to take a step into the big leagues with his Action Comics writing a couple of years ago. In general, it’s nice to see the success he’s having with DC Comics. And that’s a long winded way of saying that the bat-series he’s writing, Batman and Robin, ( issue #17 just came out) seems like the core series to me.

It’s engaging and moves quickly. The villain, Memento, reminds me of that ‘70s bad guy, The Spook. Or what that bad guy could have been, at any rate. I especially enjoyed the crisp character interaction, story surprises, Young Bruce flashbacks, fresh situations and solid art.

More next week. Hang in there gang!