Tag: Howard Chaykin

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With Further Ado #398: Resurrecting Stan Lee, AI-celsior!

With Further Ado #398: Resurrecting Stan Lee, AI-celsior!

Posted on by Ed Catto

Variety ran a story last week, but I didn’t see it get much play on the comic news sites. You can read the full story here but let me provide a few excerpts:

Marvel Comics has long resurrected icon characters for second acts. Now, ElevenLabs is doing the same for Marvel’s most famous creator, Stan Lee  — in a sense. 

The AI audio company on Wednesday said it struck an expansive deal with Stan Lee Universe, the joint venture between Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment, to add the late Marvel Comics writer’s voice and likeness to the ElevenLabs Iconic Marketplace, its collection of celebrity personality voices and likenesses companies can license for commercial use.

Sounds kind of creepy to me. But that might just be me. I remember when I first was exposed to this concept.

It seems like yesterday, in some ways, when I was in college reading American Flagg (edited by PopCultureSquad’s own Mike Gold).  That was one of the comics* that I was share with my college roommates, and it sparked good discussions.

The premise was the that lead character, Ruben Flagg, lost his job as an actor because the entertainment corporation decided to just use a computer-generated likeness/hologram of him in films.  We didn’t use the phrase back then, but creator Howard Chaykin was prescient: AI pushed the hero out of his career.

Is bringing a real person back as AI more creepy or less creepy? I don’t know. I have to ponder this one a bit more.  Back in the 80s, when I was making a lot of radio commercials, we’d have the vocal talent record messages for our answering machines as they mimicked old movie stars. I didn’t have any ethical issues then. Maybe I should have..?

Here’s more from the Variety article:

In addition, starting Wednesday, users can generate the Spider-Man and Iron Man co-creator’s likeness within templates inspired by comic book panels through its visual generator — though the images and videos are restricted to non-commercial use — or use his voice to narrate any book through its Eleven Reader app. The voice was trained on professional recordings of Lee, according to ElevenLabs.

It is clear that certain investors believe in this idea. The amounts of money (or greed?) is staggering.

The addition of the Marvel legend comes during a year of continued momentum for ElevenLabs, which raised $500 million in a Series D funding round earlier this year at an $11 billion valuation — five months after the company, which launched in 2022, offered employees a $100 million tender offer at a $6.6 billion valuation.

The partnership also follows the launch of its first volume of “The Eleven Album,” a collection of original songs co-created with singers such as Liza Minelli and Art Garfunkel (and some AI-generated music artists) alongside an AI model to produce “studio-quality compositions.” It released its second volume last month.

Continue reading “With Further Ado #398: Resurrecting Stan Lee, AI-celsior!” →

With Further Ado #391: Seeing Red – Part II. More Red Covers

With Further Ado #391: Seeing Red – Part II. More Red Covers

Posted on by Ed Catto

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my love of red comic book covers. Why? I dunno. Red was the color of my alma mater. Maybe that’s it? I think the simple answer is that when I was a kid, there were just a lot of cool covers that were red. Here’s a few more:

The Brutal Dark – I’m enthralled by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips’ new series from Vertigo – The Peril of the Brutal Dark. But then again, I’m a sucker for detective novels and noir thrillers.  This story is off to a rousing start and I hope you can jump on it too. And Chris will be at ITHACON in two weekends, and it will be nice to get him to sign my copies! Continue reading “With Further Ado #391: Seeing Red – Part II. More Red Covers” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Pretty Pictures

Brainiac On Banjo: Pretty Pictures

Posted on by Mike Gold

Talkin’ ’bout the sea and the sky, and I’m talkin’ ’bout you and I. The sea, the sky, for you and I and I know we’re all blues, all shades, all hues, all blues.” From All Blues, written by Miles Davis.

(Author’s note: I was going to write about this last week, but I got wrapped up writing about myself instead. As Miles said, we’re all blues.)

Graphic Samurai – The Art of Denys Cowan, by Michael Stradford, Gizmoe Press, 2025. $60.00, 314 pages, 233 pounds or so.

Denys Cowan likes to take on the public demeanor of a tough, slightly repressed fighter with a “don’t fuck with me” look that could melt aluminum on a winter night. Do not let that intimidate you. Denys actually is a very nice guy, very funny, a good conversationalist and, really, one pussycat of a martial arts expert.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, Denys’ dance card had some open slots. That’s scary for a freelancer; however, for a freelancer-hirerer such as myself, it was an opportunity. My cell-mate Denny O’Neil and I just hammered out the concept for a revival of Steve Ditko’s The Question. When developing something new, I often take on the role of expectant father, but this time I knew our newborn truly had very serious potential.

A number of artists came to mind. I first mentioned it to the great Ernie Colon, who liked the concept but didn’t grok the overall environment. The Question, was the “hero” to be sure, but the star was Hub City. The Question was about a corrupt, almost impossible city that was based upon East St. Louis. And by “based,” I mean Denny and I both knew about the real town and some real incidents might not be believable to our readers. Think about that. We do a lot of apocalyptic science fiction, and we stuff gorillas into stories whenever possible.

I had my eye on Denys’ work. Hard not to. I’m a fan; I don’t just play one on the Pop Culture Squadcast. And I loved his work. I gave serious thought to putting DC Comics’ money where my mouth was and mentioned it to Denny, who mentioned it to a couple mutual friends at Marvel. Within 24 hours I received three phone calls from friends saying Denys couldn’t hit a deadline if it had been a chaw ad painted on the side of a barn. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Pretty Pictures” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Better Read Than Dead!

Brainiac On Banjo: Better Read Than Dead!

Posted on by Mike Gold

“If mommy is a Commie, then you gotta turn her in!” From The John Birch Society, written by Michael Brown.

First of all, I ain’t no commie. Overall it’s kind of a dumb idea, although in actual practice 20th century “communism” would have been unrecognizable to its founders, Karl Marx and Freddy Engels. For the record, I also ain’t no capitalist neither. It, too, is a dumb idea, and both have left a hell of a lot of damage in their wake.

Having said that, I am all quite aware that many Americans conflate communism, socialism, liberalism, progressivism and the Democratic Party. These lazy camp followers are fools and idiots.

Yes, this piece is about communism in comic books. Hang on.

It wasn’t a big deal before Stalin, but that was because comic books didn’t exist before Uncle Joe. By the time the presses were pushing off-register four-color booklets, we were in a hot war with fascism and the commies were on our side. When World War II ended, those who were intimidated by communism lashed out at the anti-religious nature of Soviet (Russian) communism. Indeed, pulputeers were unleashing the Red Scare on all media. A Wisconsin chicken farmer turned senator started running around complaining about his ever-changing list of commies in government, churches lost their shit. The 1885 Pledge of Allegiance had to add the phrase “under god” to its verse, and the New York Yankees started tossing people out of their stadia if they declined to stand up and sing “God Bless America.” This is why I’ve never been to a Yankees game in New York City: I believe in freedom of religion. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Better Read Than Dead!” →

With Further Ado #308: The Comic-Con … From 50 Years Ago!

With Further Ado #308: The Comic-Con … From 50 Years Ago!

Posted on by Ed Catto

San Diego Comic-Con is almost upon us! This sprawling event has survived a pandemic and the writer’s strike… and is looking to be back to normal this year. Whatever that means. Is there ever really a normal for pop culture?

With that in mind, this week we’ll take a look at the comic convention scene from 50 years ago. I stumbled across a 1974 Creation Con program book a little while back at a great comics shop – The Comics Crypt in Eatontown, NJ. This store leans into their branding with a hearse (complete with logo) in the parking a lot and inside, instead of the traditional long box, there’s a cornucopia of back issues for sale in a coffin!

I lament the fact that the San Diego’s Souvenir Book is now digital only. What a drag for all these old fans who collect paper magazines, right? And this year, one of the Guests of Honor, Joe Jusko, contributed an amazing cover.

But that wasn’t the case for 1974’s Creation Convention. It’s a real program with a sturdy cover. It IS a bit small – approximately paper-back size – and sports a lovely Howard Chaykin (he’ll be at SDCC this year too, at least digitally) with cover of a beautiful cowgirl riding a rocket called Bronk II. It’s all evocative of nose art- those wonderful pin-up girls that adorned the front of WWII planes. Continue reading “With Further Ado #308: The Comic-Con … From 50 Years Ago!” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Cancel, Uncancel, Cancel, Repeat

Brainiac On Banjo: Cancel, Uncancel, Cancel, Repeat

Posted on by Mike Gold

“I blow thru here. The music goes ’round and around (whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho) and it comes out here.” From The Music Goes ‘Round and ‘Round, written by Edward Farley and Mike Riley

It’s not that I have a long memory. I’ve simply lived through a lotta stuff and the goofy has a tendency to stick inside my brainpan.

For example, I remember when Marvel cancelled both Doctor Strange and She-Hulk. I also remember when Marvel cancelled both Doctor Strange and She-Hulk again. Indeed, I can remember a great many times Marvel cancelled both Doctor Strange and She-Hulk.

In fact, I could tell whenever Marvel felt competitive pressure from other publishers — and, yes, I was an “other publisher” so I have a few decades of skin in that game. The idea is, most readers will buy new Marvel titles before they would buy those of “the other outfits,” and they’d be sucking up all the consumer dollars like a cocaine freak at a new record release party.

It still isn’t bad logic, it’s just kinda dated and not as on-the-money as it used to be. Many readers have discovered there are a lot more comics out there that deserve both staples and their attention, and some of those books are absolutely great. Of course, your mileage may vary.

The big red flag on that operation had been Robert E. Howard’s Kull. Marvel would relaunch Kull every time they wanted more rack space. Think of Oreo releasing a Kull cookie; Mondelēz International’s lust for shelf space is gargantuan. But, hell, I dunno the rights situation regarding Kull these days. I know Conan the Character is up for grabs and I look forward to the day Erik Larsen teams the Savage Dragon with Captain Tootsie, the real Daredevil, and Conan the Axe-Dude. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Cancel, Uncancel, Cancel, Repeat” →

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 2/21/24

New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 2/21/24

Posted on by Bob Harrison

Welcome to the New Number Ones!

Each week we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming this week. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.

We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.

It is a relatively light week for new series, but there are some very interesting books on the list and a couple of long awaited collections in the One-Shots and Specials section. We have books on this week’s list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, DSTLRY Media, Oni Press, Archie Comics, and Image Comics.

We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.

New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions

New Series This Week 

Alien: Black, White & Blood #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Ryan Cady, & Stephanie Phillips
Art by Dev Pramanik, Marcelo Ferriera, & Michael Dowling
Cover Art by Ryan Stegman, J.P. Mayer, & Edgar Delgado

THE ALIEN UNIVERSE AS ONLY MARVEL COULD IMAGINE IT! Black, white, red—and GREEN! Marvel Comics and 20th Century Studios present a kill-fest of an anthology in chest-rending artistic detail! Superstars Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) and brilliant artist Michael Dowling (BLACK CAT, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) kick off a generations-spanning story that will continue through all four issues! Fan-favorite writer Ryan Cady explores the limits of compassion in “Maternal Instincts.” And rising stars Stephanie Phillips and Marcelo Ferreira bring you “The Hunt,” a tale of guts, glory and the most exhilarating of games…

Release Date: February 21, 2024

PCS NOTES: Three new groups of creators taking swings at the Xenomorphs? Sound like a fun read.

Blasfamous #1
DSTLRY Media
Written by Mirka Andolfo
Art by Andolfo & Gianluca Papi
Letters by Fabio Amelia
Cover Art by Andolfo

From international superstar MIRKA ANDOLFO (SWEET PAPRIKA, MERCY, UNNATURAL, Harley Quinn, Punchline…) comes a new horror comedy that only Andolfo can deliver—asking the question: how many fans is your soul worth? In a world where pop stars have ascended to divinity, and the masses bow in veneration to a new generation of viral superstars, angels and demons thrive on this exaltation, and revel in this spotlight that grants them unimaginable power. Clelia, the reigning queen of pop, finds her throne shaken by a newcomer radiating with enigmatic charm. As her fans waver and the public eye threatens to wander, Clelia and her demonic agent, Father Lev, are thrust into a battle for dominance on this exhilarating stage of music and mysticism. How far will they go to defend her reign and unravel the mystery of this sensational new threat? Mixing the sacred and profane, Harvey Award-winning Mirka Andolfo effortlessly merges the mythological urban fantasy of American Gods with the sardonic wit of The Good Place in a brand new dark series featuring stunning visual and narrative intensity set in the glittering world of pop music.

Release Date: February 21, 2024

PCS NOTES: This is the NEW NUMBER ONE OF THE WEEK. DSTLRY keeps the hits coming. We can’t wait for this one. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 2/21/24” →

With Further Ado #270: Chaykin’s Fargo is on ZOOP

With Further Ado #270: Chaykin’s Fargo is on ZOOP

Posted on by Ed Catto

I knew some of these entrepreneurs before they started ZOOP. I liked their old start-up, and I like their “new” crowdfunding start-up ZOOP. (Although, it’s not that new anymore.) They are doing so many things right.

Added to the “doing things right” list is their current effort showcasing Howard Chaykin’s adaptation of John Benteen’s Fargo: Hell On Wheels.

This will be a 96+ page prestige format hardcover graphic novel adaptation of one of Howard Chaykin’s favorite characters from men’s adventure paperbacks of the sixties and seventies. Chaykin writes and draws the entire book, along with the extraordinary colorist Yen Nitro and of course his longtime letterer/designer, Ken Bruzenak. Continue reading “With Further Ado #270: Chaykin’s Fargo is on ZOOP” →

With Further Ado #267: Chaykin, Waid, and Comic Book U.

With Further Ado #267: Chaykin, Waid, and Comic Book U.

Posted on by Ed Catto

Lately I feel like reading World’s Finest, or the Teen Titans has been like taking a master class in how to write fantastic comics.   They’re fun and surprising. Fresh, but respectful of longtime readers.  And that new Superman story, Last Days of Lex Luthor, in that oversized DC Black Label format, just blew me away. So much so, that I even passed along my copy to my dad. (I only pass along the really, really good stuff to him.)

Mark Waid, the writer for these series, has written a lot of stories over the years, and I’ve sure enjoyed his stories over the years. A few years ago, I assumed he hit his peak with his brilliant relaunch Marvel’s Daredevil. It was outstanding on so many levels. But like a star athlete, Mark Waid makes a habit of shattering his own personal best and creating better and better comics. Continue reading “With Further Ado #267: Chaykin, Waid, and Comic Book U.” →

Brainiac On Banjo: The Real Clown Prince of Crime!

Brainiac On Banjo: The Real Clown Prince of Crime!

Posted on by Mike Gold

Why do you want him? Why do you want him? Why do you want him? Why do you want him? — “Why Do You Want Him?,” written by Billie Joe Armstrong, John Kiffmeyer, and Mike Dirnt.

No doubt you’ve heard about this “internet” thing. It’s a place where we all go to show everybody else just how clever we are. For example, I’m doing that right now.

My guess is you have seen the Trump “Batman Villain” memes that have popped up all over the internet within minutes of the former Bastard-In-Chief getting fingerprinted and mug-shotted in a toilet of a Georgia jail a couple days ago. I understand the shock of this killed Harley Quinn, and that really sucks. But it’s understandable.

Legendary writer Mindy Newell and I got into a conversation about all this, and I took the position that The Joker is a better person than Trump and, for that matter, The Joker wears less makeup. Somehow that discussion boiled down to the best Trump meme would have him look like Davros, the classic Doctor Who villain who created the Daleks — and, to make a long story short, became one. I think he went to the Stanislavsky School of Villainy.

Be that as it may, the true winner of this debate is the rock group Green Day. They created, according to their Instagram post,

“the ultimate Nimrod shirt is available for 72 hours only. Limited edition shirt proceeds will be donated to T̶h̶e̶ ̶G̶i̶u̶l̶i̶a̶n̶i̶ ̶L̶e̶g̶a̶l̶ ̶D̶e̶f̶e̶n̶s̶e̶ ̶F̶u̶n̶d̶ @greatergoodmusiccharity, which brings food to those affected by the Maui wildfires.”

That meets my definition of humanity’s greatest ability, the know-how to be given shit and to turn it into a shit soufflé. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: The Real Clown Prince of Crime!” →