Good Morning!

Another day in the "land of the free"...

Of course, these days when they talk "Freedom" in the circles of power, they mean it in the same way that Slave Traders used the term when they spoke of abolition as a threat to their freedom.

And you better look close at who's filling in the other side of that equation.

Anyway...

The inner hermit has been rising up with the internet machine issues and actively rebelling against a quick fix. It's even dragged me to spend days without connecting to the net at all. When's the last time you did that?

And it's been odd when i am online since i'm booting this system from a USB stick. All my normal browser info is absent - like bookmarks. How well could you get around these days if you had to type in the URL for every location you want to visit? How many could you  recall properly?

And - DAMN! The default browser on the stick doesn't have add-ons, like AdBlocker. At least half of the sites visited got shut down within seconds as being completely unusable in the raw. That sure helps cut down on the internet time - i'm simply not enough of a submissive bitch to stay on so many of those sites. Do people actually visit more than once?

Perhaps the worst are the ones who seem  to use high school interns to design their dynamic layouts. Ads with different dimension load and the page shuffles, moving the point you're reading elsewhere - go find it, bitch!
Seriously? They put that up on the web and they're not so embarrassed that they immediately pulled it down to avoid the shame?

Or do the site owners only visit with their AdBlock turned on, so they have no clue how broken their own pages are?

ANYWAY (again) ...
The net sure works hard to please my inner hermit these days. They give it lots of reasons to stay offline.

On the comics front, i've been excited about the idea of Probably The Best Superhero Comic Book In The Universe being in development for an animated series. Even though it was published after the big two pushed me out of the comic book market, i still managed to read the first 100 issues. Now i've gone back to re-read them and catch up on the remaining almost 50 issues that i missed. And along the way i discovered that Marvel Team-Up he did with Spider-Man!

I wonder if there are other appearances i missed?

You're all excited for Invincible, too - right?
Or do you just love The Walking Dead?
(They're both written by Robert Kirkman)

Let's go ahead and try to add a few covers here. Maybe the system will be nice and not fight back over just 3 images...


The first cover of Invincible was quite unassuming in its way, with a sweet little teaser line - 

Girls, acne, homework, super-villains.

When you're a teenager, it helps to be

INVINCIBLE

The book hit the ground running with a clear vision and a deep world surrounding our hero. A dozen and a half issues in, they boasted a new tagline the likes of which we hadn't seen since the glory days of Lee & Kirby with their World's Greatest Comics Magazine blurb on the Fantastic Four. And like that old classic, the material under the covers made solid arguments to support their claim of  Probably The Best Superhero Comic Book In The Universe -

I tend to assume that most comic fans are already well familiar with, and have read the run of, Invincible. If not, with the series now going into production, it might be a good time to check and see why so many folks loved this new hero...

There - see?
I managed to drag the brain back around to comics.

I'll see if we can't coax it to do some regular comics & media posts. Maybe i can trick it into watching the sequel to Viy and let you know how that worked out...

stuff by -3-, covers by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley from Invincible #s 1, 18, & 42 (2003, 2005, 2007)

This Is A Story Of Coyote.

Well, hot steaming damn. I found full print size versions of the 24 Hour Comic i mentioned yesterday. According to the file dates, this was back in 2006. 

Hmm...   Actually, it seems like 24 Hour Comic Day should be around this time of year - maybe recently passed? Us hermits tend to miss those things unless we actively go looking.

If it is unfamiliar to you, 24 Hour Comic Day is an annual challenge to create a 24 page comic in 24 hours. It's a lot of fun, if you're up for it. Not something i can do these days - my mind won't focus on one thing for that length of time any more.

Anyway, as i mentioned yesterday, twice did i participate in 24HCD. This was the first time, and the results far exceeded the second attempt. (In partial defense, i had been sick for a few days prior - but i think it was also a lazy concept i was playing with. Possibly as a result and knowing i wouldn't last the full 24 hours in my condition at that time. But, no one cares.)

I have, at various times, thought about going back to complete things which time did not permit in this story. But, it just seems wrong. So here is Chasing His Tale in the original form -

We'll get back to some real comics soon.
Promise.

page art by -3- for 24 Hour Comic Day (2006)

Delving Into Ditko

As mentioned before, Steve Ditko was a man of mystery, preferring his work to be known for its own merits - standing apart from the creator. His last known photograph was taken nearly 60 years ago, and he stopped talking to reporters 50 years back.

But, this doesn't meant that there's never been any interview with him. Perhaps the most substantial comes from Gary Martin in the old 1965 fanzine, Comic Fan #2. Let's take a look at some of those questions and answers from those days at the height of his Marvel period.

The artwork on this page is much more recent, of course, coming to us from after Ditko tired of dealing with the big companies and struck out into independent territory.  (Note that this is not the complete interview, though most questions are presented here. He doesn't like blue pencil, okay?)

Do you prefer inking to pencilling?
Like both, each has its own fascinating problems.
Would you prefer to draw and ink or do you prefer other people to ink your pencils?
Rather do it all myself.

What type of pen do you prefer? Do you prefer pen to a brush?
I change off from one to the other. I use different ones, depending on how I feel. I like a Hunt 102.
Does Marvel allow their artists anything in the way of supplies?
Nothing supplied.

Have you ever considered syndicating a strip?
Yes, but not seriously.

  

Do you have any personal dislikes in comics?
I have them about everything.
What is your favorite TV show?
Don’t watch TV.

How long does it take to complete a page of art?
It depends on how I feel and interest in the story and deadline.

Who originated Capt. Atom?
Someone at Charlton Press. Don’t know exactly who as I just worked out costume, etc.

Who originated Spider-man??
Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist, & spider signal.
Would you enjoy continuing on him?
If nothing better comes along.

About your art, have you ever attempted painting or any other field of art?
No

Do you/did you ever draw from models?
Once, when studying. 

(Parts of this interview were included in an excellent 3-page article on Ditko appearing in this issue.)

Other than practice, practice, and practice, what other advice to ‘budding’ young artists do you offer?
Learn what is right & wrong about drawing or art. Practicing bad drawing habits is an awful waste.
Study anatomy – you should know what is under the skin and how it moves.
Study people – to see how he muscles & bones cause the various shadows, bumps & shapes – their gestures, emotions, habits – everything about them.
Study other artists – to see how they interpret anatomy, people, etc.
Everything today, whether it’s a light bulb or the English language – or a car, is the result of people building on the knowledge before us. Everyone adding something of their own.
That is why you must study –
1. The basic anatomy, composition drapery, and even story telling.
2. Then seeing how this basic anatomy, or basic drapery looks on human beings in various poses, lighting or conditions, wet clothing is different than dry.
3. And studing other artists to see how they interpret the basic anatomy composition, drapery, etc.
This does not mean you can copy what they do – but help you understand how it is done and why. To show a man laughing – means definite muscles must move, yet 10 different artists can draw 10 different pictures and all be right and not two drawings alike. Basically, yes – they’re all the same – since smiling action must conform to anatomy, but the artist’s individual approach to how to show it sets him apart.
1. Study the basics
2. She how it appears in life
3. How others interpret it
4. And from it all do it in a way that you personally feel is right or good.

To close out, i'll let Steve share a bit of wisdom that touches close to home. Here he explains why i haven't seen an advertisement for a movie in many, many years. Thankfully, the networks told me to go away when they informed me that they'd be broadcasting for stupid people and addicts only*, so they're a lot easier to avoid these days.

page art from The Mocker, 160 Page Package, Mr. A, and Strange And Stanger - possibly among others. (I failed to make my proper notations while so perturbed over the recent losses)

===
*(No, seriously - i'm not merely being facetious. Back in the 90s when it was getting started, i contacted several networks over the new practice of placing "bugs" on the screen. (Bug is the industry term for that little logo, so they know) I was informed that this was for the benefit of their viewers. I was told that their viewers were too stupid to find the channel without help, and so  - the bugs. Visually distracting? Who cares - it's just tv crap! Nothing worth a damn. And like small dogs marking expensive carpets with their piss stains, they can't see they're destroying it by marking it as theirs. So, while i may watch a number of shows, i watch no broadcasts, having no use for the networks who have nothing but contempt for both their shows and their viewers. I won't even go into the stupidity of erecting barriers to immersive entertainment as a reaction to losing market share to more immersive entertainment forms. They can dick-wave all they want, but i'm not interested in sadly rotting meats.) 
(Gee - no wonder why i'm so enamored with Ditko, hm?)

Tinkle Twinkles

I mentioned previously that one of the things that first attracted me to comics from India was Tinkle's collections of Folk Tales; and not just from India - tales from around the globe. For a quick introduction, let's take a look at some of those today.
Here's a half dozen tales from ...

Russia..

...China...

...South India...

...Romania...

...Arabia...

...and Greece...

pages from Tinkle #s 2, 11, 21, 256, & 503 (1981-2004)