All-Star Squadron #60 - Aug. 1986

Comics Weekend This is the issue where the Crisis Wave literally hits the All-Star Squadron. In DCU Continuity terms, the world DC comic readers knew when they opened the book was a different one by the time they closed it.

This is also probably the first wave that Aquaman really didn't want any part of.

After several members of the All-Star Squadron--Hawkman, Starman, The Atom, and the Sandman among them--return from the mission they were shown to be on in previous issues, and some of the other heroes confront Robotman and Mekanique, they all receive a signal from Squadron chairwoman Liberty Belle to return to their HQ.

Turns out the signal wasn't, for once, anything life threatening, but was in fact to have all the heroes compare notes and be present for the group photo of them asked for by President Roosevelt.

The presence of Aquaman--who first showed up last issue--surprises even some of the other heroes who weren't there to see him arrive:

"Yes, Starman, there really is an Aquaman!"

Anyway, the heroes do indeed pose for the picture, and it's an awesome spectacle indeed:

We then cut back to the more pressing matters involving Robotman and Mekanique, where we see that whatever is "in" Mekanique has started devleoping feelings for Robotman, who saw more in her than anyone did.

Meanwhile, Hawkman, Johnny Quick, and Liberty Belle deliver the picture to FDR, and, well...

...the Golden Age Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman are no more.

I must admit, I was a little surprised that Aquaman got swept along with his more famous contemporaries. I guess that, with Aquaman's Atlantis-based origin, having two different, totally unrelated guys (now on the same Earth, due to the Crisis) just happen to become superheroes named Aquaman was too incredulous even for comic book readers to bear.

So Aquaman showed up for his first All-Star Squadron meeting, only to be wiped from existence one issue later. Sometimes comics can be cruel.

Update: I had the chance to ask comics legend himself Roy Thomas about these two issues, and it turns out all the assumptions I made above were just plain wrong:

Roy Thomas: "DC didn't really like my mentioning Aquaman, adding yet another doppleganger on Earth-Two just for the sake of my own feelings of rightness. And there were a couple of other editors (not Dick Giordano, who was over me) who particularly at the end didn't want Aquaman brought in.

I didn't do it to spite them...I did it because it was my concept of Earth-Two and All-Star Squadron, not theirs, that interested me.

I don't recall precisely why I never got around to using Aquaman [more in All-Star Squadron]...I should have."

...so DC was more interested in just forgetting the Golden Age Aquaman entirely than giving him any sort of official send-off.

Well, as brief as it was, I'm glad Roy thought to give the original Aquaman one last chance in the spotlight...and flanked by his fellow Super Friends, no less. Thanks for that, Roy, and thanks for setting me straight!


Update 2: For the sake of completeness, and the fact that it'll probably never come up again, here's the Golden Age Aquaman's one other "appearance" in All-Star Squadron, from issue #31, nicely drawn by Rick Hoberg and Mike Machlan:

Even when Aquaman does appear, its in reference to how he never appears!

All-Star Squadron #59 - July 1986

Comics Weekend The two issues of All-Star Squadron we'll be talking about for this week's Comics Weekend probably feature the least amount of Aquaman than any book I've talked about before, yet they are important milestones in Aquaman's history.

Of all the books DC was publishing at the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths, no book was more affected than Roy Thomas' labor of love. After DC was done, the entire history of their superhero characters would be rewritten, meaning many of the excellent stories Thomas had written would somehow have to be retrofitted to fit this new paradigm.

Since the biggest stars in DC's publishing stable--Superman, Batman (and Robin), and Wonder Woman--were continually published from the Golden Age until modern day, it was decided to keep them "special", the older versions would be eliminated from continuity. It was Roy Thomas' job to accomplish this during these issues of, er, ASS.

But--along with the big three, Aquaman and Green Arrow were also survivors of the Great Superhero Drought of the 1950s, so DC decided to split the decision. They left the Golden Age Green Arrow (and Speedy) alone, but decided to eliminate the original King of the Seven Seas.

And since Roy Thomas basically never used the Earth-2 Aquaman, he needed to be brought into the current storyline, just in time to be wiped from existence! Talk about missing the party!

So this issue opens with the most amount of action the Earth-2 Aquaman has seen in a comic since around 1956:

...here he is confronted by the other heroes, who are understandably skeptical of who this guy really is, since they have had so little contact with the famed "Aquaman":

It's here that the main plot line kicks in, continued from last issue, where regular Squadron member Robotman is in conflict with his teammates.

Previously, the android life form known as Mekanique attacked several heroes, but was stopped before she could do any lasting harm. Before deciding what to do next, Robotman--sensing a possible kindred spirit--took Mekanique back to his own lab, to see if he could examine her, and try and figure out if she is as evil as she appears, or can she be rehabilitated.

The Squadron wants Robotman to return her pronto, but he refuses. So the team puts it up to a vote to try and force Robotman to give in, and here all the team members--even Aquaman--get a vote: should Robotman be forced to turn Mekanique in?

...I have to say, this is a tiny bit, but I loved that Roy Thomas cared enough to make Aquaman one of the minority here. It takes a lot of chutzpah to show up for your first meeting after many years of being a no-show, and then going against the majority of the group in your first vote.

Whether Thomas was retro-planting the Earth-1 Aquaman's more rebellious nature onto his predecessor, or just looking not to make the vote so lopsided, I don't know. Either way I thought it was a cool and telling moment for the character.

Tomorrow: Say Goodbye to Aquaman!

Aquaman Around The World Week, Part 5 - 1960s

We conclude our Aquaman Around The World Week on the other side of the world--Australia!

This is SuperAdventure Annual, featuring, as you can see from the cover, a ridiculously diverse cross-section of the DCU, as drawn by...someone not officially approved by DC, I'd bet. (Why is Jimmy Olsen blond? And why are Ollie and Roy so darn chummy?)

The book consists of reprints from DCs from the 1960s, printed in varying shades of one color on white, which makes them...a little hard on the eyes, actually. The Aquaman story inside--printed in green--is a Ramona Fradon-drawn adventure originally from, well, Adventure. And now in SuperAdventure.

Fun/Frustrating Fact: That less than inspiring shot of Aquaman was actually used on a piece of merchandise, an English Pocket Watch by the Ingersoll company that remains one of my Holy Grails of Aquaman Collecting.

Location: Australia!

We started this week at Argentina, moved to Germany, then to Mexico, back to Argentina, and ended up in Australia. That's a lot of ground to cover for a hero who can't fly.

I hope you enjoyed our All Around The World week, and who knows maybe we'll do it again sometime!

Aquaman Around The World Week, Part 4 - 1982

Man, are these adorable.

These are the Super Jrs., a group of DC's finest heroes as tiny tots that were originally created for the foreign markets, but a few things here and there with them have made their way to American shores.

This is a package of five paper plates featuring, as you can see, Lil' Superman, Lil' Batman, Lil' Robin, Lil' Wonder Woman, Lil' Flash, Lil' Green Lantern, Lil' Green Arrow, and, best of all, Lil' Aquaman!

The Super Jrs. even appeared in an American DC comic--Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #58--but sadly Lil' Aquaman was not included.

Location: Argentina!

Aquaman Around The World Week, Part 3 - 1977

More foreign edition comics, this time an issue of Superman (?) that features a real smorgasbord (if I may mix my cultural references) of stories. And like last issue, the logo manages to make it look as though Superman is participating in the action.

Or, in this case, not, since as Aquaman is about to get reeled in by The Fisherman, Superman is flying by without stopping to help--maybe he was busy ("I don't have time for the friggin' Fisherman, for Rao's Sake! I have to go stop Darkseid!").

The comic measures about 7 and 1/2" high, and features stories reprinted from American DCs of all different time periods, as you can see from the diverse splash pages:

"Flecha Verde"--I think I like that more than "Green Arrow."

The inside cover to this comic also features an ad for...Archie Comics! What the heck is going around here?

Location: Mexico!

Aquaman Around The World Week, Part 2 - 1977

These are covers to some German and Austrailian-edition DC Comics, as sent to me by F.O.A.M. member George Rears.

I love the cover to Wonder Comic Monthly, where the logo, combined with Nick Cardy's art from Aquaman #45, makes it sorta look like Superman is coming to help! What fun!

George spent some of his formative years in Germany, and he writes about the German books specifically in a post today over at Hey Kids, Comics! (George has written so many pieces for Hey Kids! I'm thinking of changing the blog's title to Hey George, Comics!)

The Superman Tasenbuch cover--an intriguing one--is by Bob Oksner, and the Justice League of America cover is by Dick Dillin. And as you can see, Aquaman is in trouble on all three!

Location: Germany and Australia!

Aquaman Around The World Week, Part 1 - 1983

Welcome to our first theme week in a while, Aquaman Around the World Week!

For the next five days, we'll be presenting Aqua-Merchandise and Aqua-Comics that originated from outside his country of origin.

Speaking as an All-American Boy, the thing I find the most charming is how foreign merchandisers take a character like Aquaman and, often as not, plant him in the middle of more locally-recognizable context. To me, it makes the characters more universal, with appeal that knows no geographic boundaries.

Plus, of course, a lot of it can end up looking really goofy, and that's always fun.

Anyway, today's subject is a small plastic sleeve (around 4" wide) that features two cardboard puzzles, one with the Aquaman Family as rendered by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, the other Batman and Robin as drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger (Batman, at least).

The puzzles only consist of six pieces each, so they aren't that mentally challenging. But they are sure are pretty to look at!

Location: Argentina!
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Shameless Plug Department: After a three week vacation, All in Black & White For 75 Cents returns! All the fun of classic black and white comic magazines without the inky smudges on your hands!

Aquaman (Vol.5) #4 - March 1994

Comics Weekend The gripping conclusion to Aquaman: Time and Tide!

We open in the recent past, with the villainous Ocean Master having Aquaman and Aqualad in a typical super-villain death trap, facing certain doom!

At this point, Aquaman gets to chronicling about Orm, the angry grandson of the family that took Orin in so many years ago.

Aquaman flashes back to the Good Old Days, when he was King of Atlantis, with a beautiful queen, a son, a young sidekick, and a city of devoted subjects.

It's as he presents his new son to his subjects that this mysteriously-dressed man confronts Arthur, and demands to fight him for the kingship of Atlantis. Aquaman makes quick work of him, and this "Ocean Master" is proven to be nothing of the kind. Instead of putting him to death for the attempted assassination of the King, Arthur shows mercy and lets him leave, with his tail between his legs. Mera, Aqualad, and Vulko are none too certain of their King's decision.

Soon after, Atlantis is attacked by a wave of torpedoes, and when Aquaman and Aqualad find their way into the sub launching them, they see the culprit is in fact...the Ocean Master!

It's here we wind our way back to the beginning, where Orm tells them why he has it out for Aquaman so bad. He then mentions how his Mother would tell him that his Father wasn't really his Father, that she was seduced by some sort of "undersea wizard."

As Aquaman is relating this tale in his journal, it dawns on him here that this is the prophecy he has been told, that two brothers, born of different mothers, would struggle for Atlantis. And this will lead to either Atlantis rejoining the Surface World...or be forever destroyed!

Back to the past, where Aquaman frees himself, pastes Ocean Master one, and then his sub is wrecked by Mera:

...I love their chemistry here, in that last panel. I woulda skipped lots of JLA meetings, too.

They find that Ocean Master has escaped, but left his own henchmen to drown. Mera wonders what kind of monster is this man, which leads us back to the present, where Aquaman has to deal with the nightmarish reality that this murderous man is his brother. To be continued in the new, ongoing Aquaman series.


Probably my favorite issue of the four, since Peter David weaves in a lot of previous Aquaman history with his new, revised origin. I'm still not sold on redoing it all over like this, but it does have its virtues, and like many of the Aquaman comics of the time, it reads better to me now then it did before.

And obviously it was a hit with the readers, since the series sold well enough to right to a new ongoing book, which would eventually become the longest-running Aquaman solo title in the character's history.

The splash and opening few pages are lots of fun, where we get to see the Aquaman we all remember from the Haney/Cardy days:

I've never been a slavish devotee of continuity, but at the same time I don't think its right for a new writer and/or editor to just completely ignore all that has come before. That said, these pages with Aquaman and his colorful, happy family, makes me wish we could just have this Aquaman back again.

Planet Comic Book Radio

My episode of Planet Comic Book Radio--"Son of My 70s Show"--is now available as a podcast.

I had a lot of fun talking with pal Javier, and we mostly talk about my time at the Kubert School, treasury comics, Power Records, and black and white magazines, but other stuff finds its way into the conversation, as well.

It's broken up into three parts so you don't overload on my geeky ramblings:

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3

Javier told me his highest rated episode was his first, when my pal Ben Holcomb was on the show. I'm hoping I at least match that, so Javier will be inspired to do another 70s-themed show (Beneath the Planet of the 70s Show, perhaps?), so please check it out!

Aquaman (Vol.5) #3 - Feb. 1994

Comics Weekend We were in the middle of talking about Aquaman: Time and Tide when we got interrupted by the New York Comic Con, so let's get back to it!

This third issue opens with the comely Inupiat girl Kako, as she's about to get mauled by an angry polar bear. Luckily, young Orin suddenly arrives and battles the bear to the death. Orin survives of course, but with severe, near-fatal wounds.

We then flash-forward to Aquaman in present day, recording the events of his life. He takes a gander at the deep scar under his hairline that has been there ever since the battle with the polar bear, a nice touch.

Back to the past, where we see Kako's grandfather encountering a rude, loud-mouthed example of the ever-encroaching White Man, and he doesn't like what he sees.

So he's none too thrilled when he comes home, and finds one in his home! Kako has taken the young blond man in to tend to his wounds. As Orin lay unconscious, he has a sort of dream where he finds himself in the ocean, face to face a with a mysterious, otherworldly woman, who offers him a choice to repent for killing the polar bear--either "pay with one dear to you, or take my hand and give yourself over to me."

Orin wakes up from this disturbing vision, and finds himself an uneasy guest in this Inupiat family's home. At the same time, that same loud-mouthed white man, Orm, is involved in bitter emotional turmoil with his mother and father, who are part of Kako's family.

Orin gets better, and as we see here, he and Kako get very close:

Orin wakes up to find Kako gone, and nearly cut to ribbons. As Orin waits by her bedside, he re-encounters this strange demonic woman, who wants to claim Kako's soul as her price.

But this is the eventual King of the Seven Seas we're talking about here, and he uses his developing powers to turn this Medusa-like evil horde of eels back on her, and he can then "rescue" Kako. This demon tells Orin that she will be following him the rest of his life, to make sure he pays for his effrontery.

Kako wakes up, and Orin tells her family about his dream. Kako's grandfather is stricken, and tells him that he has been tangling with Nuliajuk, the mother of sea beasts. Now that Orin has offended her, Grandfather believes, all their lives will be cursed! The stress causes him to have a massive heart attack, and he dies.

Kako's grandmother is tired of all the misery this white man has brought to their home, and drives him out. Six months later, when Orin returned...he found them gone, as if they were never there. To be continued!


I thought it was interesting that DC had enough faith in this series to have entire issue like this where, except for a handful of flash-forward panels, Aquaman doesn't appear in costume at all. Not that there isn't any action in this book (of several different kinds), but usually you don't see origin stories as "pure" as the way this one is told.

Super Amigos Sticker Album Part 4 - 1985

Yet another set of Super Amigos Sticker Album pages, courtesy F.O.A.M.er Ramiro, from the Amos Del Retro site. (Just last week, Ramiro sent me more cool stuff like this, and I haven't even gotten through all the stuff he sent the first time!)

This seems to be some Asterix-like character in a Tintin-like adventure, until a Jose Luis Garcia Lopez Aquaman shows up. Other than that, I have absolutely no idea what's going on here.

Aquaman Shrine Interview with Ben Stout - 2008

As promised, today we present a brief chat with the genius behind the "Dear Aquaman" segment on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, writer/producer (and even sometimes actor!) Ben Stout:

Aquaman Shrine: The first question has to be, who the heck came up with the "Dear Aquaman" idea?

Ben Stout: I originally had an idea for a different self-help piece called "Snorkeling with Tony Robbins." It was a complete failure. Mainly because no one believes Tony Robbins actually exists.

AMS: Why Aquaman? Why not "Dear Spider-Man" or "Dear Batman"?

BS: Well, I must admit I'm a Marvel guy from way back, but "Dear Sub-Mariner" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

AMS: What was Craig's reaction to when you first proposed it?

BS: His first reaction was, "I love it, but I don't actually have mental telepathy, nor can I breath underwater." Once we convinced him that the audience would never know the difference, he agreed to it.

AMS: And Thank Neptune for that. Are there comic book fans on the writing staff?

BS: Yes, but I'm the only one who cops to it.

AMS: How do you decide to keep doing the bit? Do you go solely by audience reaction or do you get mail from viewers?

BS: Well, since Craig refuses to take off the costume when we're not shooting, he kind of forced our hand.

AMS: How much is Craig involved in the writing of the show?

BS: Craig is extremely active in all aspects of writing for the show. In fact, it was his decision to make Aquaman sound just like the MovieFone guy.

AMS: I think that's one of my favorites elements of it. How did you end up writing for the show?

BS: I first worked as an editor, cutting comedy pieces. I started writing more and more, so they eventually made me a writer. Also, I slept with anyone and everyone.

AMS: Think there's any chance you could ever talk some female guest on the show into "Dear Mera"?

BS: Doubtful. But keep your eyes peeled for a cameo by a middle-aged and woefully misshapen Aqualad.

I absolutely love "Dear Aquaman", it's goofy and affectionate at the same time. And if there's ever a new Aquaman animated series, I say get Craig to do the voice.

Thanks to Ben for his time, and special thanks to Tim Schlattmann for assistance with this interview!

"Dear Aquaman"

Did you know that Aquaman appears on a nationwide TV show almost every week? No?

If not, then get thee to CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, where every so often the affable Mr. Ferguson dons the familiar orange and green tights and answers questions from viewers looking for help with their problems, in a segment called "Dear Aquaman" (it arrives at the :30 mark):

I had never seen The Late Late Show until a few years ago, when we first tuned in to see what, if anything, Craig had to say in tribute to the recent passing of Johnny Carson.

For my money, I thought Craig's tribute to the former King of Late Night was by far the most touching and well said, and after that we would make it a point to watch the show when we up that late.

But I had somehow never seen the "Dear Aquaman" segment until my pal and F.O.A.M.er Craig Wichman pointed it out its existence to me, and I loved it as soon as I saw it.


I was so intrigued at how this sketch came about that I got in contact with the Late Late Show writer behind "Dear Aquaman", Ben Stout, and he generously agreed to an interview with the Shrine, which we'll see here tomorrow!

Mera Pog - 2008

"Remember Mera? Well she's back. In Pog form."--Milhouse Van Houten

Who knew they still/started again making Pogs? I certainly didn't, until All Things Fun staffer and F.O.A.M.er John McLaren handed this to me when I came in the store one day.

He has yet to come across an Aquaman or Aqualad Pog, which seems odd to me. But like I say, never look a gift Pog in the mouth!

Actually, I posted this mostly because I just like saying/typing/reading the phrase "Mera Pog." It could only get better if there was maybe a Kilowog Pog, or maybe a Magog Pog...or best of all, Walt Kelly's POGo.

Ok, I'll stop.

Yesterday we had Aqualad, today Mera. Tomorrow, the Sea King himself returns...sort of.
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Shameless Plug Department: It's a big day over at my JLA Satellite blog. Today we feature the first ever JLA Satellite Interview, with the legendary Steve Englehart!


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Shameless Plug Department II: And don't forget, 5pm/8pm tonight I'll be the guest on Javier Hernandez's online radio show Planet Comic Book Radio!

AquaSketch by Art Baltazar - 2008

This was the first sketch I got at the 2008 NY Comic Con, a wonderfully charming shot of Tiny Aqualad, from Tiny Titans writer/artist Art Baltazar.

When I saw that Art was at the con, I went right over to his table and told him how much I loved his work, both on Tiny Titans and Patrick The Wolf Boy. Art was super-friendly and after I told him who I was, told me he was a fan of the Shrine. Wow!

After purchasing a little doo-dad of Art's (that will probably show up at some point on Dispatches From The Arrowcave), I asked him for a sketch, and he drew this up in just a few minutes as we talked. It's adorable, and I thanked him profusely.

I'd kill to see this in plush toy form, wouldn't you?

New York 2008 Comic Con Report, Part 2

I concluded my tour of the New York Comic Con Saturday, where I picked up the spoils of Friday's hard work--my sketches!

I made my way to the tables of Rich Buckler, Joe Staton, and Patrick Gleason, respectively, and each time I was thrilled with what I got--Aquaman, Aquaman, and more Aquaman! They will, of course, all show up here soon.

I saw that Peter David was at his table, and I wanted to stop by and thank him for doing an AquaShrine interview (which, like the sketches, will show up here soon). As I waited in line, I realized I should start a page in the sketchbook for the writers, too, so I decided to ask Peter to be the first:

..um, there will be more.

Anyway, the biggest difference between yesterday and today were the crowds. Today, the Javitz Center was packed, with some aisles impossible to pass through.

...I don't know if I'm partly claustrophobic or something, but something about crowds this big makes me a tad uneasy, so I decided I wasn't going to hang around forever. It all just feels too stressful.

I found my way over to longtime artist Frank McLaughlin's table. He was extremely friendly, and I told him, after like a billion issues together on JLA, the names "Dillin & McLaughlin" was like "Lennon & McCartney" to me. He worked on an Aquaman sketch as we talked, and not only did he do a fine job, but he agreed to do an interview with me for my JLA Satellite blog. What a pal!

Just a few tables down was Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. And while I ruled out asking for a sketch, I did consider asking him for an autograph--in this case, I brought along a F.O.A.M. certificate, which I thought would be cool, since it has his work on it. But I also wondered how the hell I was going to explain what I was asking him to sign.

But before I could figure that out, another bullish fan stepped forth, and dropped what looked like a longbox full of comics on his table, "asking" him to sign. Jose, even more of a gentleman than I could've imagined, signed them all, even about ten copies of the same book. Criminy, did this guy have no shame?

The answer was "no", because he kept grabbing the books out from under JLGL and then fwapping down another one. I felt like Jose was a bit signed out at the moment, so I decided to wander off and come back later.

I then called my pal Paul Kupperberg, who I knew would be at the show. I met him and his son, honorary F.O.A.M. member Max, a few aisles away. As good as I thought my sketchbook was, Max's is truly a wonder to behold--a tiny, notebook-sized pad, with headshots by Adams, Byrne, Kubert, Staton, Adams again, and about a dozen more comics legends. Something about being eleven and his Dad having worked with all these guys helped Max secure a wondrous group of artists. Gee, my Dad sold insurance.

Anyway, Paul and I talked for a bit, and I decided I would make one more visit to Jose and then split. (Paul told me Neal Adams avoids the Obnoxious Signer problem by charging for the second autograph onwards, which seems like an eminently reasonable solution to the problem)

So I make my way to Jose's table and...you guessed it. He was gone. I sighed, decided to take one more tour around and come back. In the meantime, amid the few dozen women dressed in clothes enough for three of them, I met the original Green Lantern!:

Now that's dedication to a costume! Had I wanted to be a smartass, I would've lobbed a pencil at him, Lantern being unable to stop it.

One of the coolest surprises was when I was walking by and spotted this--comedic actor Scot Adsit, who is a regular on 30 Rock (which I love) and was a regular on the late, great HBO series Mr. Show. I normally don't bug famous people, even if I'm a fan, but I couldn't pass this up.

I introduced myself and told him I was a fan of his dating back to Mr. Show, my favorite sketch he was in being a brilliantly insane one about how "Monster Party Songs" are actually real. He played a psychiatrist who gets a little too into his work, and Scott said of the sketch "Yeah, I had no idea they were going to make me masturbate in that." Feeling there was no way to top that, I shook his hand again and moved on. Wow, cool!

I then went and visited my friends Ed and John at their All Things Fun booth, as well as stopping by the Abrams Publishing one to shake hands with Mark Evanier to thank him for all the help he's given me with these blogs(Mark was the first interview I did for TreasuryComics.com, and his promotion of the site really helped put it on the map).

I tried Jose one last time, but he was still gone. Ah, it seems like every year there's one pro I get so close to talking to/getting a sketch from but it somehow slips through my fingers. Let's hope Jose is there next year--I'm heading there first.

(Strangely, Craig Hamilton never showed--I hope nothing's wrong. I very much wanted to meet Craig in person and thank him for all he's done for me and the Shrine)

As I walked back to the Port Authority, on a wonderfully sunny day, I came across this row of billboards:

...A Spirit movie and an IronMan movie?

It's a comic book world, and we're just living in it.

New York 2008 Comic Con Report, Part 1

I decided to forgo my usual Comics Weekend posts this weekend, instead for the next two days I'll be sharing my experiences at the 2008 New York Comic Con. Since the con organizers were nice enough to let me in with a press badge, I figure the least I can do is give the show some attention here, especially since it was the Shrine that got me in in the first place.

After finding my way to the tiny Press Room (located somewhere beneath the Earth's crust--I swear, I had to make it past some Mole People to get to it), I hit the first speed-bump: they had no listing for me or the Shrine to receive a press badge. Luckily, I brought the email I received saying I was approved for one, so the con volunteer politely and quickly handed me a generic badge. I was a tad disappointed that I didn't get a badge saying "The Aquaman Shrine" over the "Press" banner, but what are you gonna do?

One of the pleasant surprises this time around is that the con organizers moved Artists' Alley from the tiny cramped room it occupied last year into the main room, giving it a lot more space. Nicely done. It seemed so odd to have 100x as much space devoted to the comics as the people who made the comics in the first place, so I'm glad they fixed that this year.

I had made an extra effort to get to the con right as it opened, 10am. I wanted to use the few "Professional Only" hours I had (10am-3pm) to maximum advantage by getting as many interviews and/or sketches lined up, before the massive throng of autograph seekers made it impossible to get to talk to someone for more than five seconds.

Unfortunately, I was a little too organized for my own good, since none--not one--of the artists/writers I wanted to see was at their tables at 10am! I walked from table to table, searching out my quarry, only to look up and see an empty chair. *sigh* Dang artistic types.

This continued for a better part of two hours, so I spent that time searching the dealers' aisles, looking for AquaStuff or comics I needed. I didn't find much of the former (except for some cool 1970's DC stickers, ghastly overpriced at $25.00), but I did find a bunch of fun b/w magazines for very good prices. An issue of Rampaging Hulk for two measly bucks? Sa-weet!

Anyway, I kept trolling through AA, until around noon I saw my pal Joe Staton, who since I first met him at the last NY Con, did an interview with me for TreasuryComics.com and hooked me up with his pal, writer/editor Nick Cuti, who has done two interviews with me. I shoved my sketchbook in Joe's face, barely before he had time to sit down, and finally my Sketchbook Sweepstakes were on!

The con at that point became a series of me walking by the tables of people I wanted to meet, then wandering out into the main area, but not for too long since I didn't want to miss one of my "targets" just having sat down. As you can see, the Jacob Javitz Center is a big space. Some of the Trophy Booth Babes hired to wear corsets and ten-inch fetish heels--I don't know they got around, having to walk so far to get to their booths.

In the meantime, I came across a guy named Geoff Grogan, who was selling his own treasury-sized(!) monster/collage comic, called Lookout!! Monsters. It's kind of like the Universal Pictures Frankenstein crossed with the work of Peter Kuper, if you can imagine that. Anyway, it was way cool, so I picked up a copy and Geoff agreed to do an interview with me for Treasury Comics about it. He was very friendly and a pleasant surprise at this year's show.

Soon after my pal Rich Buckler showed up at his AA table, and I soon Aqua-Commissioned him as well. Rich is someone I can always email with a question related to some comic I'm talking about on one of my blogs, and he always takes the time to answer. Even if I didn't hire him for a sketch, I just wanted to shake his hands to say thanks.

Someone I hadn't initially scoped out was Art Baltazar, the writer/artist behind Tiny Titans. Since I love that book, I went over and introduced myself to Art, who could not have been friendlier. We talked about TT, and when I told him about the Shrine, he told me was a fan! Great Neptune!

I then asked Art for a TT-inspired Aqualad sketch, which he whipped up before my eyes. It's adorable, and will show up here on Monday!

I took another walk around (Craig Hamilton, Patrick Gleason, Frank McLaughlin, Peter David, Jon Bogadanove, and Kevin Maguire still nowhere to be found) and came across this odd "Cartoon Car" exhibit thing they have on display. Its an old-timey roadster painted fender to bumper with comic/pop culture characters like Superman, Tarzan, Mickey Mouse, Homer Simpson, Snoopy, etc. It even featured the Golden Age Starman, so I figured the Sea King must be somewhere on there. Perhaps the section on the driver's side door, featuring all water-related characters?:

...nope. No Aquaman! What the frak?

Anyway, after that disappoinment, and one four-dollar Snapple later, I headed back to AA, and--aah! There was another one of my targets--former Aquaman artist Patrick Gleason. I introduced myself to Patrick, and, like Art, he could not have been nicer. I put myself on the list Patrick was compiling of Sketches To Do, since I really liked the square-jawed, chiseled profile Patrick gave Arthur.

And like Art, when I told Patrick about the Shrine, he said he was a fan, too! Wow! He said he read my recent posts talking about the issues he drew, and that he liked the blog a lot. Wow. He agreed to do an interview--yay! (I also rounded up another Most Wanted Interviewee, but I'll keep that a secret until I can conduct it and put it up here--cue cryptic laugh)

Then I made a brief stop at longtime Marvel cover painter Bob Larkin's table (who signed one of my b/w mags and agreed to an interview for All in Black & White For 75 Cents!). Like the other guys, he was extremely friendly and receptive to doing an interview with me. I think I may have misjudged people's responses to these things--I always feel like I'm being a bit of a pest, asking these people to take time out of their busy day to talk to me--for free--about their old work, but I was on a real roll here!

At that point, I had commissions going from Joe Staton, Rich Buckler, and Patrick Gleason, and I didn't want to burn through my two-day budget all in one afternoon, so I decided to take one last trip around and then head home (plus I had some freelance art obligations I needed to attend to). I came across the massive Mattel booth and snapped a pic of the (drooool) DC Super Friends Aqua-Sub:

Not only that, but here's a shot of the two new DC:SF figures, Hawkman and Cyborg:

Awesome!

I made one last trip to AA--still no Hamilton, McLaughlin, David, Bogdanove, or Maguire, so I went back to see if Joe Staton had finished his sketch for my book (the other commissions I decided to have done on separate pieces of paper, that way I could get more than one per show).

Unfortunately, I had told Joe I was going to be at the con until the early evening, so my earlier-than-planned 4pm departure meant he had not yet done the piece. So--*gulp*--I left the book in Joe's hands, and made plans to pick it up tomorrow. That gives Joe more than enough time to do the piece, and while I'm sure he will protect my book with his life, not having my baby in the same city with me means I'll sleep uneasily tonight.

On my way to leave, I made the rounds of my missing artists one last time, contemplating my own stage play, Waiting for Craig Hamilton. But then I saw someone I didn't expect--the master, the one, the only, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, whose work has graced this blog so many times it could be its own sister blog.

I knew he'd be at the show, but after talking with him last year, I knew he probably wasn't doing sketches (understandable, considering how meticulous his work is). And since I'm not a big autograph collector, I didn't have him on my "To Get" list. But...there he was, doing a sketch! Hmm...

So I wandered over to his table, and he was so involved in his piece (of Wonder Woman) that he never saw me, so I never had a moment to introduce myself and wonder, just maybe, was he doing sketches this year? Visions of an original Garcia-Lopez Aquaman danced--swam--in my head.

But since I'm very shy about bugging people, I continued to stand there, waiting for an opening. Then another con attendee, not nearly so patient or polite, stepped in front of me and all but demanded the master illustrator sign what looked like a pile of comics.

I've always found this extraordinarily rude, since its clear that no one needs ten comics with the same autograph--most likely, nine of them will show up on eBay. And since artists don't charge for autographs, it seems the height of rudeness to demand multiple John Hancocks from them.

But JLGL, being a gentlemen, uncomplainingly signed them, and then went back to his drawing, me still standing there like a broomstick. I considered being more bullish, but then I realized--I had spent a good portion of my con budget already. What if JLGL said yes to a sketch, and then quoted me a price I couldn't afford?

I hate saying no in that situation, since it makes it seem like I'm saying "Your art isn't worth that much to me", when of course a Jose Luis Garcia Lopez original is worth whatever damn price he wants for it! So I reluctantly walked away. Maybe next year.


*Whew*! So that was today. I'll be back in the Big Apple tomorrow for more hi-jinx and adventures at the 2008 NY Comic Con!

Comic Book Guy's Guide To Life, Part 2 - 2006

This is another selection from the mini-hardcover book The Comic Book Guy's Guide to Life, just one small speck in the massive Simpsons global merchandising onslaught.

This page features a funny (and chillingly accurate) cross-section of the life-forms you see at a comic con, with a cute shot of Milhouse Van Houten in full Aquaman gear. Actually, I think Milhouse looks less nerdy this way.

This is one of three Aquaman "appearances" in the book, sent to me by F.O.A.M. member Brian "Plaid Stallions" Heiler. Thanks Brian!
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I'll be at the NY Comic Con today and tomorrow, so if you see someone babbling on about Aquaman...well, it might be me. A Comic Con is the only place where you might hear more than one person talking about Aquaman out loud. Heck, it oughta look a lot like the picture at the top of the post!

But chances are it is me, so if you are a fan of the Shrine and see me, please come over and say hi. In addition to tomorrow's Comics Weekend post I will try and blog about the day's events, if I don't come home too exhausted.

Super Powers VHS Ad - 1985

Warner Bros. Home Video must have sold approximately seventeen billion VHS cassettes of these 1960's Filmation cartoons, because you can still find them in plentiful supply on sale eBay. I even saw them on sale in a big box store, who unbelievably still bothered to carry any sort of VHS stock as recently as a year or two ago.

This ad (which ran in lots of DCs at the time) is colorful and dynamic, but of course that's what you get when you use Jose Luis Garcia Lopez stock art.

Having someone this good draw your stable of characters tends to bring the "lesser" characters up a notch, because everyone looks so cool. Hence, Aquaman doesn't seem out of place with Globally Recognized Icons Superman and Batman. Superboy's presence amid his future self, to the non-comic book fan, just seems odd.

Hard to remember a time when a VHS tape cost twenty-five bucks, isn't it?

Planet Comic Book Radio - 4/22/08

Shameless Plug Department: I will be the guest on my pal Javier "El Muerto" Hernandez's swell online radio show Planet Comic Book Radio next Tuesday, April 22nd!

I will be the guest for the whole hour, and we will talk about my various blogging endeavors, and a certain Sea King is sure to come up.

The show airs every week live at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific Time, and of course available for Podcast afterwards. Please check it out and tell Javier The Aquaman Shrine sent you!

Vs. Card by Craig Hamilton - 2008

I had been waiting for what seems like forever for this Vs. card to come out!

For, as most of you know, this card features a jaw-droppingly gorgeous piece of art by master illustrator (and my pal) Craig Hamilton, who then turned around and graciously sold me (or, more accurately, sold Darlin' Tracy) the original art.

We had planned to get the piece framed, and then my pal Ed over at All Things Fun suggested I wait for the Vs. card to come out and have them framed together, which was a smashing idea. So as I write this, the original and the Vs. card are at the frame shop, hopefully under some sort of 24-hr. armed guard.

Once I get it back, it's going up over my art table, just to my left of where I'm typing this.

AquaSketch by Mike Manley - 2007

With the New York Comic Con only a few days away, I thought I'd put up one more sketch before I start adding to my collection again.

This beautiful, iconic shot is by Mike Manley, writer/artist of a whole bunch of comics plus the TwoMorrows mag Draw! I had talked to Mike online about his oversized MonsterMan comic, so when I saw him at the con and I made a beeline for his table. I dropped my book off and went about finding other ways to spend all the money in my pocket.

When I picked the book back up, I couldn't have been more happy--this is such a great piece; Aquaman looks dynamic and solid and I love all the extra backgrounds Mike threw in. Arthur has a classic heroic profile and it's one of my favorite pieces in the book.