By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/26/2015
I can’t actually vouch for the contents of this humorous book from the fine folks at The Devastator…but the cover is certainly seasonal. Oh, The Flesh You’ll Eat is a short comical book from writer Mike Levine, a contributor to The Onion, Heeb, The Devastator and McSweeney’s; and illustrator Jacob Vollum. It’s the same team […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/11/2015
Gwenpool, an unholy mixture of Gwen Stacy and Deadpool started out as a Gwen Stayc variant cover month joke but took on a file of its own..to the point that it is now an actual comic book—with art by Guruhiro and Kris Anka no less. Gwen pool will debut in November’s Howard the Duck #1, […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/7/2015
MAD Magazine is often overlooked as one of the longest running and most successful properties that DC Entertainment publishes. Of course, the early Harvey Kurtzman edited run, and seminal work by Will Elder, John Severin, Wally Wood, Al Jaffee and Sergio Aragones is justly lauded among comics history buffs, but with issue #535 coming out next week it's also the longest continually running comics periodical in the US. If it was just puttering along with jokes about these kids today and boring TV shows, perhaps it would be allowed to stay in its pasture, but in truth it's still putting out sharp satire with bold visuals and presenting the work of some of today's finest cartoonists—including Al Jaffee and Sergio Aragones.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/25/2015
A trip to Comic-Con with a good hotel room, two passes, dinner with the Suicide Girls and VIP access to a special burlesque show — sounds like a good deal. How much would you pay for it?
Suicide Girls, the website that offers saucy, consensual webcam girls as well as some excellent journalism and more, was going to find out.
With an auction that began with $7500 as an opening bid.
$7500 is quite a bit of cash…and it could have gone for even more.
I got the email blast about this yesterday, but by the time I checked it out, the auction had already been shut down. Comic-Con International, the non profit organization tat runs SDCC and WonderCon, does not like secondary market sales of passes and polices eBay, Craig’s list and elsewhere pretty religiously. I reached out to the Suicide Girls on why the auction was shut down, but haven’t heard back yet. So there could have been many reasons.
Here’s what you would have won in the auction:
Once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the world-famous San Diego Comic Con in all it’s geeky glory WITH the SuicideGirls!
This package includes all of the following:
-2 all access passes to Comic Con, good for all 4 days of the convention
-4 nights hotel accommodations, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday in a nearby 4-star hotel (the Manchester Grand Hyatt)
-Dinner with the SuicideGirls for you and your guest – Saturday night dinner with just you your guest and 20 SuicideGirls
-Pair of VIP tickets to our special Comic Con Blackheart Burlesque show on July 9
-Huge SuicideGirls prize pack, including a one-year membership to SuicideGirls.com for you and your guest, a t-shirt each for you and your guest, one copy of each of our books (SuicideGirls: Beauty Redefined; Hard Girls, Soft Light; and Geekology), our 4-issue comic series, the latest issue of our magazine, and a signed posterThe lucky winner of this package will attend Comic Con and stay in a hotel just blocks from the convention center. You’ll join the SuicideGirls for an exclusive dinner and get the VIP treatment at our Blackheart Burlesque show, including our pre-show meet and greet. You’ll have tons of awesome photo ops with the girls, AND we’ll send you home with a prize pack full of awesome SuicideGirls merch!
This SuicideGirls San Diego Comic Con Experience will be an unforgettable weekend of fun with our geeky, gorgeous girls – Bid now on this once in a lifetime opportunity!
*Winner and their guest must be over 18 years of age. Winner must provide own transportation to and within San Diego.
Money buys a lot of things, but it doesn’t necessarily but tickets to Comic-Con. If you had $7k to spend you could have just booked a hotel room at market prices and bribed someone to get you a pass for a lot less.
Anyway, file this under bad ideas.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/31/2014
So Play Doh made a thing called the Sweet Shoppe Cake Mountain Playset that allowed you to mold inedible Play-Doh into the shape of luscious cakes. It all seemed like innocent fun.
Once you’ve made your pretend cakes, it’s time to decorate. You can start by squeezing out some Play-Doh Plus frosting with the extruder. Try adding 2 colors for fun swirls! Add Play-Doh candies and other fun shapes with over 20 half-molds on the playset. You can even use them to decorate the playset itself. Top off your Play-Doh birthday cake extravaganza with the 6 included candles, then serve your pretend treats to your friends on the 2 plates!
Of course this is not the only dubious, genitally-questionable toy. There was the Dora The Explorer Aquarium that looked like a micro-penis with Dora the Explorer floating inside:
We had a whole gallery of toys and comics with exploding junk here, but this Batman water pistol remains a favorite:
And of course, toys that pee and poo have a long, honored tradition, like Barbie’s dog that pooped brown stuff and then ate it so it could poop again:
And Barbie also had a kitten that wee’d. And our all time favorite, Potty Training Kelly.
But while researching this post, we found the motherlode, as it were, a whole site called that is just too good to be true:
Huge selection of pooping dog at great prices. Shop pooping dog now!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/16/2014
At SPX, following the Ignatz awards, a very special wedding took place, as cartoonist Simon Hanselmann, author of Megahex, wed comics in a ceremony presided over by SPX Executive Director Michael Thomas. Michel DeForge, currently on tour with Hanselmann, stood in for comics, althuogh several acual comics were present. Hanselmann, who is a cross dresser, appeared in a lovely wedding gown, and a brass band serenaded the wedding party which consisted of Annie Koyama, Annie Mock, Jason Leivian, Sean T. Collins, Julia Gfrörer and Gary Groth.
When I first heard about this, I thought it was going to be funny but cringeworthy, but it turned out to be funny and memorable in a very performance arty way. Hansellman wrote vows that were amusing and accurate at the same time, and since everyone falls in love with comics all over again at SPX, making the union legal seemed a very appropriate thing to do.
As you’ll see, the big moment came when Hanselmann’s publisher Groth jumped up at the end to kiss the bride and kiss the two did. Which again, is usually what happens when you fall passionately in love with someone, or even comics. Brigid Alverson has some still photos and the money shot but you’ll have to go here to see that.
After the ceremony, Hanselmann cut a giant wedding cake, eventually tearing out chunks with his bare hands and giving them out as other attendees cavorted around the chocolate fountain and an equally enthusiastic and fun prom got under way a few meeting rooms down. People will be saying they were there for this for years to come. The social aspect of SPX has always been one of the biggest appeals of the show—I remember back in the day at the picnic people climbed trees and threw water balloons at each other. In a wacky way, this was the perfect update.
This was DEFINITELY an SPX to remember!
Photo by Brigid Alverson
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/2/2014
They totally went there.
And why not? We’ve never really known Richard Grayson have we? What was a “Robin” anyway? Someone who ate worms for a power? And now he’s a super spy. With a very catchy slogan.
The new Grayson debuts next week from Tim Seeley and Mikael Janin.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/12/2014
Apparently for a year a statue of Spider-Man that proved he is a MAN loomed over a playground at the Lotte Shopping Center in Busan, South Korea. Since I can’t post the pictures directly here, suffice to say that Spidey has a big old boner. According to Kotaku, sculptor Eunsuk Yoo did not understand why the erection that was erected might be offensive.
I am the artist who made this piece. My reason for it was that I wanted apply the natural physical phenomenon to a superhero depict whats’s natural in the morning without lies and superficial-ness in a comical way.
There have been some comments on various community sites and Facebook pages that this is lewd and a disgrace to the source material. Lotte Shopping Center has received many complaint calls this morning from a certain organization, and after their meeting, it was decided that I have to either modify or take the statue down. Instead of modifying my work, I’ve decided to take it down.
It was ok for about a year and now it has to be taken down due a sudden interest in the piece, which is sad. But I understand that a piece that could be potentially interpreted as lewd can be offensive at a place like shopping mall. It’s disappointing, but I’ll reach out to the public with a better work next time.
To be fair, the sculpture is high on a building, and Spidey’s manparts may not have been all that visible from the ground. But now the statue went viral in Korea and went went up…must come down.
I could make some more puns about this, but Chris Sims has that covered.
To see the shocking uncensored photos, go here!!!!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/20/2014
For those longing for the days of Barbie’s crapping toy dog Tanner, we have very good news: there is a new generation of toy animals that take little toy dumps on command. Although this being 2014, the girls who own the pets are fashionable “Moxie Girls” and the lovable pets with “the silly poo” are a bunny a koala and a unicorn. It turns out unicorn poo looks a lot like a small plastic ball, which is a huge relief for all. Turns out the main varieties of toy turds are glitter, rainbows and jewels.
These toys have been around for a while, but it reminds me that I should have investigated this phenomenon at Toy Fair more thoroughly. Dolls that wee and poo never really go out of style for children of any age who like to laugh.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/18/2014
With comics sales stalling out after a sustained period of growth, many comics publishers are looking to get out while the getting is good. it’s no secret that many companies have been in it to be acquired by a larger media company, and today’s revelation of the shocking DC-buys-Dynamite rumour, has sent many more of them tumbling into my inbox. Here’s an exclusive look at who’s in talks where.
RUMOUR: DC TO BUY DYNAMITE
Source: Two Headed Nerd podcast where one of the hosts said, I’m going to break something here on the show. A rumor I heard while I was in LA, with a person who will remain unnamed who works for Dynamite Comics. This person told me “DC actively trying to buy Dynamite Comics”, and news like this, I didn’t think anything of it when I heard this rumor. I was like ehhh, that sounds kind of fishy. And then this [DC and Dynamite teaming up on a BatmanShadow crossover] pops up this week, and I did go hmmm. So just throwing it out there.” He can’t say if it was a staff member or a freelancer.
Analysis: Dynamite’s books skew heavily to the older male demographic that DC targets so adding The Green Hornet to the Greens Arrow and Lantern line-up would unite verdure for all times. However, most of Dynamite’s comics are licensed pulp properties, which DC had a go at a few years ago and ditched due to the costs. Maybe DC is buying Dynamite for it’s coloring department?
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Dark Horse buying Oni
Source: Bedroom blogger who was trying out Tumblr.
Analysis: Dark Horse has been ramping up its creator owned line, and by buying Oni would consolidate Portland’s two biggest publishers and add some attractive office space to Dark Horse’s already formidable building. A lot of money should be saved on letterhead and Keurig cups. In addition, Joe Nozemack and James Lucas Jones could spend more time with their families.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Dynamite buying Dark Horse
SOURCE: Something somebody said in the bar that time
ANALYSIS: Dark Horse previously owned the Gold Key licenses that Dynamite is now publishing. By purchasing Dark Horse, Dynamite would have access to the spellbinding JIm Shooter era on these characters as well as DH’s backlist library of reprints of Ripley’s Believe it or Not comics by Esteban Maroto. Plus, Dynamite owner Nick Barrucci is a big fan of Spyboy.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Dark Horse Buys Dynamite
SOURCE: I overheard it on Tinder
ANALYSIS: Dark Horse previously owned the Gold Key licenses that Dynamite is now publishing. By purchasing Dynamite, Dynamite would get back these coveted comics, as well as Dynamite’s backlist library of reprints of Project Superpowers. Plus, Dark Horse owner Mike Richardson is a big Vampirella fan.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Amazon buys Thrillbent
SOURCE: Piece of paper found blowing along side of the road
ANALYSIS: Amazon has been slowly ramping up its comics offerings, including a bunch of in house comics which have yet to get much traction, or even appear. Mark Waid’s Thrillbent portal already has a bunch of recognizable characters and has perfected its mode of digital storytelling. This puts Amazon ahead of the game with proven tech and content. Plus, Jeff Bezos always wanted to meet Mark Waid.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Marvel buys The Outhouse
SOURCE: The other day Jude Terror said to me, “I marvel at how many good comics there are,” clearly code for being acquired.
ANALYSIS: While Marvel has largely given up tweaking DC execs on a daily basis, this is a way to expand their comics coverage, promote their digital initiatives, and compete with The Onion for eyeballs. Plus, Joe Quesada has always been a fan of Elf with a Gun. Finally Marvel would like to acquire The Outhouse’s coloring department.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Platinum buys Comixology
SOURCE: Mumblings overheard outside Scott Rosenberg’s house
ANALYSIS: Platinum Entertainment has been looking to get back into the game and owning something that does things would be a great way to start that.
IS IT TRUE: No
RUMOUR: Robert Kirkman acquires MGM
SOURCE: Thought it would be funny to write it here
ANALYSIS: Kirkman has so much money his accountant told him to make an investment, and buying a movie studio would be a lot of fun! Plus he will make good use of its coloring department.
IS IT TRUE: No
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/1/2013
The rumor’s provenance was impeccable: director Bryan Singer.
I can finally announce @ladygaga is joining #XMen #DaysofFuturePast as Dazzler. One of my all-time favorite characters. Can’t wait!
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) April 1, 2013
But given the date…
Still, casting Gaga as the resident mutant singer/dancer/disco queen, it would kinda be genius.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/1/2013
And speaking of the Center for cartoon studies, perusing their front page there’s some unbelievably exciting news on a variety of fronts, including news that Jon Chad has been accepted into the US astronaut program, and news of the CCS kickboxing team triumphing over Dartmouth. What caught our eye was the news that after vewing the CCs movie, a producer thinks White River Junction would be a great setting for a reality tv series. The ‘Junc?
Charismatic and talented young people chasing their dream? Check. A picturesque, isolated location? Check. Mounting pressure and plenty of deadline challenges? Check. After the documentaryCartoon College caught a television producer’s eye, NBC exec Miles Bradford knew he had all the elements for a hit show.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/1/2013
It started with this press release:
Coast City Comics is proud to announce the display of some rare comic books from the Golden Age, recently unearthed in Portland, Maine and estimated to be worth over $10,000 in value. The showing will be for one day only, this coming Monday, on the first of the month.
There are a variety of titles from publisher Zeus Comics, dated from the late 1940s to the mid-50s. They were found in a wall during renovation of a house in Portland’s West End by comic creator Mort Todd. The comics, considered very controversial and risqué in the 1950s, include such titles as WEIRD MENACE, RED NIGHTMARES, FORBIDDEN FANTASY, SPIKE JONES and THE BLACK LEATHER KID, among others.
These comics were the target of psychologists, politicians and concerned parents during the 50s, when comic-book burnings were regularly sponsored by towns and churches. Not many of these comics are in existence today, so even beat-up copies are valuable.These valuable publications will be on display for one day only, this Monday, from 11AM to 6PM at Coast City Comics, 634 Congress Street in Portland, Maine.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/1/2013
While nerdlebrities are a big draw at comic-cons these days, as we’ve noted in the past, trying to throw a celebrity-only show can be a dismal affair. But with the rise of nerd culture, autograph shows seem to be picking up, even on the local level. For example: while going through our mail, we found a press release for a show called The American Music & Pop Culture Expo. Sounds promising. The event was held this past weekend in a Hershey, PA gymnasium and headlining guests included Bronson Pinchot and Butch Patrick. If that was not enough to excite you:
Other guests, who will be appearing at the expo, include Paris Themmen (best known as Mike Tee Vee in the classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Matt Hardy (professional wrestler), Geri Reischl (best known as Jan Brady from Sid & Marty Krofft’s Brady Bunch Variety Hour), David Orange (best known as the Sleepy Klingon from the motion picture Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), and Triston Johnson (Zombie Barn Walker from AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead).
Is that really what is has come to?
“Hey Dad, what did you do in the 80s?”
“I was a sleepy Klingon, son. They need 40 winks or it’s the Doomsday Machine over and over again.”
As for the Zombie Barn Walker— did you SEE how many zombies were in that barn????? How do you know it was really him?
We have nothing against those who brushed with fame using the scrapings from the fame lint remover to make a buck or two but…give us working cartoonists any day. No matter how dismal the comics industry may seem at times, it’s got to be better than being known as the third Romulan from the left.
So how was the event? Chris Mautner of Robot 6 went and seems to have had a good time.
The event itself was a bit like a schizophrenic flea market. At one table you might find a gentlemen selling vintage toys. A few steps away someone else might be selling vinyl records. Across the way someone else might be selling dolls, or hot sauce, or antiques or a mish-mash of stuff that suggested they had recently cleaned out their basement. One inventive gentleman was selling light switches with decoupaged Marvel comic book characters on them.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/19/2013
David Goyer, a Hollywood vet perhaps best known for co-writing Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, is going to direct a a new version of The Count of Monte Cristo which is billed as having “a graphic novel approach” in Michael Robert Johnson’s script.
Now what does this mean?
This experience [producing the Man of Steel Superman movie] helped Goyer land the new gig because Constantin’s approach for Monte Cristo will be akin to the refurbished take Warner Bros. did on its Sherlock Holmes movies as well as its DC heroes. In fact, one source tells The Hollywood Reporter that a buzz phrase for Monte Cristo is “19th century Dark Knight.” Constantin put an ultra-modern spin on a literary classic with Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers, which didn’t catch on domestically but performed solidly internationally.
You may recall that Alexander Dumas’s original tale 19th century tale featured a man named Edmond Dantes who is wrongly jailed and then emerges from prison with a new swagga persona and a plot to find a treasure he heard tell of while in the pen to help exact his revenge on those who sent him to jail. So far, so good, as far as this “graphic novel” thing goes.
The surprising twist is that Dantes (played by Ryan Gosling) has a secret lab where he builds a giant robot with the aid of a wise tinkerer played by Morgan Freeman, and is able to transfer his persona into the robot. This comes in handy when aliens attack the Earth with the goal of stopping the French Revolution. While attempting to stop the aliens, Dantes teams up with another guy named Jean Valjean (Channing Tatum) who also has a giant robot. Together the two start a team called “Le Revengeaux,” gathering an unusual gang of misfits—a reformed thief named Oliver Twist who can turn into a puddle of water (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a feisty prostitute named Hester Prynn (Jessica Chastain) who is trained in the ancient art of Qigong.
It will be an exciting film.
PS: When I was a kid I always thought this story was called The Count of Monte Crisco and wondered what it had to do with rendered vegetable oil. Later I discovered that there was a delicious sandwich called the “Monte Cristo” consisting of a deep fried ham and cheese sandwich. Life is beautiful.
PPS: because I just can’t let this go, over the weekend I was chatting with some comical folks about the co-opting of the term “graphic novel.” One had seen a magazine feature billed as a “two page graphic novel!” I guess there are worse things to have than frivolous co-opting of the name of your literary form.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 1/21/2013
For those who don't herd sacred cows, Tucker Stone's weekly comcis reviews at TCJ are always worth a read, but especially because you might miss things like him highlighting a panel of a happy space toilet from a recent issue of THE HIGH WAYS by John Byrne.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/12/2012
Eisner nominated writer Ian Boothby is probably best known for his work on The Simpsons comics, but he also contributes to the Canadian humour radio programme, The Irrelevant Show. Now all his superhero themed sketched have been collected in one webisode.:
As an appetizer for the coming season, we’ve put together some of our favourite Superhero sketches in a special Webisode! You’lll hear Superman is a Jerk, Woman-Man, and the Supervillain Lifetime Achievement Award, plus many more. Enjoy, nerds and non-nerds alike!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/5/2012
We’re hearing that DC Comics is in turmoil today after popular lunch spot McGee’s changed their bean salad recipe: instead of cannellini beans, the salad now contains navy beans, and the change has everyone upset.
Rattled staffers have been complaining bitterly. “Cannellini beans are mild in flavor and hold their shape well,” said one prominent editor. “Navy beans don’t have the nut-like flavor I prefer.”
The complaints were said to be especially harsh over at MAD, where one worker was heard to say “This is the worst lunch ever.” Another summed it up succinctly: “Bean Crisis.”
A series of meetings is being planned to cover lunch options and how to drive internet traffic with meaningless headlines.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/27/2012

we’re outta here.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/20/2012
You’ve always wanted to see Darkseid painted in the style of Francis Bacon, haven’t you? Just admit that you have or things will go badly for you.It’s part of the latest “The Line It Is Drawn” sketchup at Comics Should Be Good, and there is much more of that ilk, like Black Canary Scream and so on.
This particular painting is the work of Nick Perk. You can see lots more of his funny mashups if you poke around that site.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/9/2012
Yahoo Answers….the raw id of our unknowledge….the cry for help in a darkling plain of the unknown. Some lass named Jann wandered in there and asked:
Where can I see DC or Marvel comics online for free?
I want to see those comics, or that style, like superheroes, I’m not interested in Manga
So again she wrote:
Additional Details
There most be an online site were you can see them for free, like scanned or something like that
You can’t; I’m afraid you’ll have to buy them. Comic books aren’t like manga, there isn’t anywhere on the internet where you can read them– for free, at least.
But if Jann is reading this….check out our Webcomics category…lots and lots of free comics to read on the Internet right there. If you search and search, there are even a few Marvel and DC comics for free on the internet.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/15/2012
What really happened in Jakarta???
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/7/2012
Mocking the comfy tropes of The Family Circus is a joke that never gets old. Or as Stephen Colbert put it last night, “We’re getting all relaxed and average.”
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/1/2012
Although we get all the PR, we haven’t been covering Vivid’s Axel Braun directed series of porn parodies of geek-beloved franchises because, well, it’s not really in our target demo. However a recent release backs up what we’ve been told by porn industry insiders for quite a while: these nerd-themed parodies are the only hot category in the original porn business as homemade sex tapes and VOD have changed the entire distribution model. As Braun told Die Screaming:
A: The geek community is heavily tied to science fiction, comic books, and superheroes. With the mainstream movie industry focusing on these types of projects in recent years, geeks suddenly became a very important target audience. They are incredibly dedicated fans, excellent critics, and their massive networking can literally make or break a movie. When the proliferation of the Internet killed DVD sales, I decided it was time to stop trying to lure back the typical porn consumers from the dark side of free adult content, and I went after a different demographic. Geeks were an ideal target, and being one of them it was fairly easy to know what they wanted: parodies of cult movies, TV shows, comic books, or superheroes, infused with obvious deep knowledge of the subject matter, tons of nerdy references, and obsessive attention to detail. And boobs. How could I lose by being so totally awesome?
The moral of the story? Identifying market trends quickly helps you stay on top of a fast evolving marketplace.
That and….BOOBS.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/15/2012
I know we link to these every time, but you don’t want to miss them. In her review ofThe Vow for Vanity Fair Lisa Hanawalt nails the sidekicks this time. We’d also note that her venues are getting bigger and bigger. Hanawalt ftw.
Spider-Gwen represents everything I love about comics, Gwenpool represents everything I resent.
…sigh…
OMG, there is a robotic cat in Howard The Duck? I have to get a copy somewhere, who cares about Deadgwenpool!
“Deadgwen” would have obviously been the better name.
I loathe everything and everyone connected to Deadpool. For the life of me I can’t figure out why that character is so popular? He’s a walking joke. Perhaps that’s the reason, I have no clue…