Tag: Bill Schanes

Pop Culture Squad > Bill Schanes
With Further Ado #117: Horror Pix ‘n Mix

With Further Ado #117: Horror Pix ‘n Mix

Posted on by Ed Catto

Hosting spooky movies for my Screams & Screens series is one of my most favorite things to do. We’ve put it all on pause during Covid, of course, but in normal times, it’s a wonderful celebration of my favorite cinematic endeavors. And it’s all the more fun to see them on the big screen and to munch on movie theater popcorn.

So as I’m missing our kooky and creepy movie tradition, let me make up for it in this week’s column by celebrating creepy comics instead:

Count Crowley, Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter is a recent comic from Dark Horse, focusing on the misadventures of a monster movie host. It’s a lot of fun and just the thing for Halloween.

Bud Plant’s Incredible Catalog isn’t really a comic, but the most recent issue showcases an illustration from the new Bruce Timm book, The Big Tease. I don’t usually save these catalogs (hey, I’m not that obsessive) but I’m going to keep this catalog with my horror comics.

The DCYou mini-reboot from five years ago certainly wasn’t considered a big success, but there were a lot of creative folks producing creative work at that time.  And that’s why I like this oddball issue of Detective Comics (it’s vol. 2 #43 from 2015). Frances Manapul contributed a creepy cover- and he wasn’t afraid to utilize that white space either.

Back in the 70s, I only purchased black & white magazines. For me, the format difference somehow put them in a totally different category from comics. It’s taken decades, but I’ve finally gotten over that misguided mindset. This issue of Dracula Lives (#6 from 1974) is such a treat, with stories by Gene Colan, Dick Giordano and wonderful collaboration by Tony Isabella and John Buscema.

I don’t know anything about this series, Sword of Dracula, but I rescued this comic from a bargain box not too long ago. The cover provides such a fresh, unorthodox take on the Dracula legend — and it’s still pretty creepy!

I’ve long been outnumbered by women in my household. You don’t need a RealClearPolitics poll to tell you that with my three daughters and wife, any man would be outnumbered.  Even though we’re now empty nesters, we still get some fashion magazines and I am often impressed by their creative covers. That’s why I’m including this issue of Allure in my creepy covers list!  Love it!

Comics for Collectors in Ithaca is a shop I first started visiting in the 80s. Now that we’re living in the area gain, I’m so happy to be shopping there regularly. They usually have a fantastic bargain box. I was elated to rescue this issue of Dell’s Ghost Stories from a sad fate of being stuck there forever. I’m not sure who illustrated this creative cover, but I love the blocky lines and the negative effect of the specter in the foreground. It almost looks like something that a modern favorite, Chris Samnee, may have done.

And the Horror Pix N’ Mix imagery comes from ghastly Graham Humphreys. It’s one of the many stunning images from Korero Press’ Hung Drawn and Executed. It’s a book that deserves to be on your coffee table. And maybe  you’ll flip through this book of instead of raiding the trick-or-treater’s candy bowl.  Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

***

And as a way to avoid just being scared and actually doing something, Bill Schanes and his merry band have been working hard on Give Comics Hope. Have you jumped on board yet?  Check ‘em out and I’ll focus on them more next week!

With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism

With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism

Posted on by Ed Catto

The Thrill ISN’T Gone

The weirdness – and tyranny –  of COVID-19  wasn’t supposed to last this long. I will admit I thought It would all be over by this fall.

I miss in-person comic cons. The lack of conventions is a drag. I always enjoy pawing through long boxes and looking lost treasures. I love seeing the cool vintage collectibles and new toys. But what I really miss are the people. I miss the buzz of the fans. Their unique, positive excitement is, I would argue, unique to Geek Culture. It’s different from fans going to a concert or a big sports game. Although each of those types of events have their own enthusiastic fans, it’s an entirely different flavor than what you would find at comic conventions.

Maybe people are nicer to one another? Maybe they are more excited? Maybe it’s that shared joy that comes from finally finding your own tribe?  I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I miss it.

I miss the old normal of comic shops too.  In my neck of the woods (The Finger Lakes Region of New York State) they are all open again. Finally. But there’s still a stilted caution that is a part of every visit. Everyone’s a little more cautious. Everyone lingers a little less. Everyone finds some excuse to cut short their visits.

Publisher’s schedules are getting backing to normal. I’m hearing positive news, anecdotally, that some publishers are actually doing pretty good right now. That’s encouraging news.

On the other hand, so many comic shops are still struggling. They’ve had to pivot, to adapt and to get ready for the new reality, and it hasn’t been fun.

Give Comics Hope is a new initiative that’s looking to make a difference.  Their premise is straightforward:

Give Comics Hope is an ambitious charitable initiative that calls on all members of our community to rally together to provide vital aid to comic book shops. Continue reading “With Further Ado #114: Give Comics Hope Promotes Modern American Optimism” →

With Further Ado #105: Sharing SDCC’s Secret Traditions

With Further Ado #105: Sharing SDCC’s Secret Traditions

Posted on by Ed Catto

The San Diego Comic-Con is many things to many people.  For the business community, it’s an incredible commerce success story.  For fans and collectors, it’s both a celebration and a validation.   For entrepreneurs, it can be an enjoyable way to drive revenue quickly. For the entertainment community, it’s a fantastic marketing venue. For the entertainment community in Los Angeles and Hollywood, it’s also a great excuse to get outta town.

And for so many folks, professionals and fans alike, it’s an opportunity to spend time with 200,000+ of your closest friends.  It’s an annual journey to a real-life Disney World, mixed with a hefty dose of your best days on a college campus and the most incredible state fair ever, where the main dish on the menu is “all the stuff you love.”

This year, as the nation and the world struggles with Covid-19, the folks behind the convention shifted gears quickly to morph the show into a virtual convention. We’ll all be analyzing that for a while, but one refrain I heard time and time again was not so much how folks missed the big events, but how they missed the little things.

I reached out to a group of fascinating folks and asked them to share some of their more personal stories and traditions from their annual pilgrimage to San Diego Comic-Con and the little things they miss this year.

* * *

Rob Salkowitz is the author of Comic-Con and the Business of Geek Culture  (I use this as a textbook for one of my college classes)  a consultant  and a sayer of things. He wistfully remembers one tradition he and his wife Eunice especially hold dear:

Our oldest and longest running SDCC tradition is the Tuesday night dinner we instituted with Batton Lash and Jackie Estrada back in 2000, maybe earlier. We were fans with no industry connections whatsoever. They befriended us, introduced us to pros, made us formally part of the Eisner Award staff and brought us into the circle of Comic-Con. After we lost Batton a couple of years ago we continued with Jackie. We really miss seeing her in person this year.

Continue reading “With Further Ado #105: Sharing SDCC’s Secret Traditions” →