Category Archives: Comics

Before Watchmen Announced

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DC Entertainment just announced new stories that will be written for the Watchmen Universe titled Before Watchmen.  As highly anticipated as they are controversial, the seven inter-connected prequel mini-series will show who they were before the original Watchmen.  For those who don’t know or need a mini refresher, Watchmen are a graphic novel that was published by DC comics during 1986 and 1987 and was created by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. It chronicles a group of crime fighters and their personal development and struggles as they investigate into the murder of a government sponsored superhero as they pull out of retirement.

“It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”

Before Watchmen will be collective banner for all seven titles from DC Comics which will include the following:

  • RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
  • MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
  • COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
  • DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
  • NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
  • OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
  • SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called Curse of the Crimson Corsair, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, Before Watchmen: Epilogue, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a Crimson Corsair story by Wein and Higgins.

DC is taking a big and quite bold risk, and has put some of the best talent to work on this project.  There are already arguments to be made why this could fail or might be a big mistake, or bring a new dimension to an already awesome story.  Time will tell how this will shape up.

Alan Moore response hasn’t been happy to say the least and was quoted as saying, “As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to Moby-Dick.”

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Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

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I saw Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol at the Irvine Spectrum in true IMAX.  The reason for this, was to see the prologue to The Dark Knight Rises.  It’s quite the experience, mostly to showcase Tom Hardy as Bane.  I won’t go too much in to it, but it involves two planes in flight and amazing use of the IMAX camera.

On to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, it’s about Tom Cruise in pretty much his only well to draw from these days.  He again dons the guise of Ethan Hunt on an impossible mission.  This time it directly follows MI:3, but now the team faces the threat of nuclear war, a premise long since defrosted.  Throw in some great action, BMW cars, spy espionage, and Cruise’s trademark running, then add Brad Bird taking the director duties (live action) and you get a pleasant action movie.

The good; action, action, action.  The action is very well executed.  Modern action films should take a page from Ghost Protocol in that we can see things, there’s a sense of direction and coverage to avoid any confusion or nausea.  In no way are any actions scenes shot in a way that leads you to believe that they are hiding the lack of physical dexterity of the actors on screen.  I guess what I really like is that there are wide shoots, lovely lovely wide shots.

The story is placed in to the continuity of the film franchise, after the third one, but you can also jump directly in to Ghost Protocol with no problem.  In addition, there’s a real sense of urgency and danger, I care for their mission and if they succeed or fail.  That may seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how some movies miss this.

The hardware, they gave us what we expect, tons of gadgets.  Especially in the skyscraper climbing scene, no words can describe it.  From cameras in contacts, to the magnets, right down to the cars… it delivers what I want and expected.

The bad; Ethan Hunt seems a bit too smart.  This can probably be attributed to the fact that it’s Tom Cruise’s character.  Don’t get me wrong, he does get physically beat, but he always comes out of it glowing.  The other team members do get their moments to shine though.  Tom Cruise runs, and he runs well, there’s even a shot with what appears to be a specially built “run cam” that keeps up with his strides at a low angle.

Oh and they all have tailored suits, it’s ridiculously sickening and covetous at the same time, I don’t know whether to applaud or shake my fist.

Overall, definitely worth watching in the theatre.  Good job Brad Bird on your first departure from the animated medium.  I can’t say more without spoiling, but go see it for the action, stay for the espionage.

 

Official The Dark Knight Rises Trailer!

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If you didn’t catch it with the new Mission Impossible movie this past weekend, then here is the new The Dark Knight Rises trailer!

It shows a lot more than the teaser trailer did. There’s more Anne Hathaway screen time, as well as the main villain Bane. And…a new Bat vehicle.

Summer 2012 can’t come any sooner!

Superman Grounded

Superman Grounded

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I just finished reading the trade paper backs of the Superman Grounded story line.  It follows the New Krypton story arc, written by J. Michael Straczynski and then finished off by Chris Roberson, with art from Eddy Barrows.

After being on New Krypton for so long (a year or so) Superman returns to Earth, he feels he’s lost touch with his adoptive planet, so in order to reconnect he literally walks across America.  He goes to; Philadelphia, Detroit, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Des Moines, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Las Vegas, Oregon, Seattle.  Along the way he meets the ordinary/everyday man on his journey he destroys a drug house, helps reinvigorate a town rundown by the closure of a factory, and finds a place in society for a stranded alien race.  Superman also does feats that are more personal; he puts a stop to domestic violence, instills confidence to an inner city child, and rescues people from natural disasters.  In the end his self doubt is dispelled and he inspires people to do good.

 

I get the idea behind this more “down to Earth” story, after spending most of the previous year on the planet of New Krypton it’s as if Superman has abandoned his adoptive home, Earth.  But to carry this story for twelve issues?  The point of the story is realized after the first two issues, the following issues felt like they were beating a dead horse.

Another problem with this story arc is the premise – Superman wants to connect with the common man – isn’t that what Clark Kent is for??  Think about it, Superman has the powers and flies above humans, Clark Kent has a day job, an apartment, and wife… Clark Kent “grounds” Superman.  Clark Kent has been absent from the Superman titles for way too long, it’s been more than a year.  After New Krypton Superman wants to reconnet with the people of Earth… so go back to your day job as Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet.  This sentiment is echoed by the podcasters on From Crisis to Crisis: A Superman Podcast.  Grounded feels like Superman’s attempt at the Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes run with Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams in the 70s.  But Green Lantern and Green Arrow aren’t Superman, they rode around in a pick up truck, while Superman walks the Earth, like Caine from Kung-Fu, but seems more like Forrest Gump, Superman can fly… it’s one of his main appeals, let him fly, Clark Kent is the one that should be connecting to the common man.

For the Grounded story arc’s purposes people should look to back issues like Superman 59, or anything pre-Death in 1991 (as much as people shun the 90s in comics).  But don’t get me wrong, there are nuggets of good things in Grounded.  One of them are the references that they make to the now old continuity, Under A Yellow Sun for instance, they flat out refer to the novel that Clark Kent wrote, that’s awesome.  The John Byrne mini-series, The Man of Steel, gets a nod too, they mention Magpie, something all the way from 1987.  I love when comics do that, but sadly this era is gone and we are starting anew.

The small moments are what I really remember.  Bringing Superman back to his roots, fighting for the underdog, is a great idea.  Meeting the average joe on the streets or at their home, the subplot with domestic violence is great, Eddy Barrows draws a very angry Superman.   Looking back, I didn’t care for the Superman Squad issue, we get it that Superman inspires others.  I’m a fan of Stracyznski so I really wanted to like this, I may have set my standards too high, I got to talk to him about Superman: Earth One, which is the reason he left Grounded – to concentrate on Earth One, and he said the second volume of Earth One was a lot of fun to write.  I sure hope so, cause to combine two things I like sounds like a good idea, but Grounded doesn’t do it for me.

2011 Comikaze: Talking with Cosplay Fans

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Yup. We did it again. Another intimate look at cosplay fans. Check out the clips below and discover who showed up at the 2011 Comikaze.

00:00 Nerfpunk (Nerf + Steampunk mashup) talks about supporting Comikaze because it’s for the geeks, by the geeks. Check her out on the web and on twitter: @MakeUpBySiryn
02:11 A psychology student cosplays Link (Legend of Zelda)
03:13 A sheriff cosplays Pyramid head and explains he loves the character’s darkness.
05:29 A 6th grade student teacher cosplays a deku from Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) and says “no comment” when asked how to solve the education system’s problems
08:01 Ariel (Little Mermaid), cosplayed by a visual effects artist that worked on Arthur Christmas, talks about the use of 3D in movies giving her a headache. Check her out on Facebook
10:51 A TSA agent cosplays Joel Robinson (Mystery Science Theater 3000) says she likes Comikaze because it goes back to the roots of comics. If you’re a friend, add her on Facebook
14:07 Amazing Spider-Man talks reboots, the moral values of Peter Parker, the spark on kids’ face. He’ll be joining the military in a couple of years.
16:18 We weren’t able to get inside the Mark Hamill panel for Sushi Girl, but did talk to some people waiting in line. The first talks about his thoughts on Comikaze as the first convention he’s ever been to. He mentions seeing Stan Lee in person being quite a treat. I ask his buddy about Star Wars who tells me which episode is his favorite and shares thoughts about George Lucas’ revisions.
20:47 This guy was one of my favorites of this convention. I’m so glad I stumbled across this fellow. This Snow Trooper (Episode V) also talks about George Lucas’ changes, using the help of 501st.com to make his costume, and his German origins. I became instantly fascinated with his background and learned he was a marketing student who loves how friendly people are in Califorina but hates the speed limits on freeways.
24:46 A fan briefly explains why he loves the Joker. We weren’t able to talk with him more due to the line moving into the hall
25:02 A fan does a mashup of Simpsons and Dragon Ball Z to create: Hegeta (Homer + Vegeta). He offers a suggestion of how the Simpsons should end the show and talks about why the Dragon Ball Z movie was a flop and how they could make a reboot better.
29:28 We knew there would be plenty of Elvira fans since this was her last convention appearance. I caught up with one fan who explains why she loves Elvira, meeting Elvira, and if anyone else can fill Elvira’s shoes. I asked about her personal life and she explained she’s an assistant editor for a film trailer house, Ignition Creative. Check out her deviantart profile here
32:28 A fan cosplays Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in all of Equestria, talks about putting her blood and sweat into making her costume. Follow her on twitter: @mkpresson. When I ask her about the craziest thing she’s seen, she points to a guy just to her left who turns out to be playing a character from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride.

00:00 A very chatty, original costume, cosplay fan talks about his custom work, making moccasins, and being a Hawaiian cowboy. Check out his pizza businss on Facebook
03:49 The green man we chatted with earlier ends up in a battle/dance with another full body suit guy. Hilarity ensues.
05:04 Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) loves being a total douche and says he’d reboot the Star Wars movies.
06:50 Steampunk peacock. Check out her steampunk group here and follow her on twitter: @saintchimo
08:51 Girls and Corpses representative has trouble convincing me why people have a corpse fetish
10:39 A pool boy cosplays a Tusken Raider
12:52 Phantom of the Opera talks about being dragged into conventions by her daughter
14:25 Another fan takes method acting very seriously and doesn’t get out of character as Rorschach (Watchmen)
15:07 A college student cosplays Allen Walker. She wants to be a costume designer and we think she’s onto a good start
17:05 The Red Shirt Army from Star Trek. Check out their youtube channel here and follow them on twitter: @inprovence
19:50 A steampunk couple does it right. It’s always nice to see couples get into the spirit of things together and really invest some considerable time and effort into their costumes
23:23 A fan cosplays Speed Racer and talks about his first car. Follow him on twitter: @jaysethan and check out his site
26:19 This fan cosplays Gem (Tron Legacy) and really pulls it off. She works for the Disney Channel as a satellite operator. Follow her on twitter: @annisse
28:57 This guy helps demonstrate why its fun to ask what people do for a living. He’s an optician that cosplays Cyclops.
30:59 I really love watching childhood favorites come to life. This guy obviously put serious money and time into his Predator costume. He does IT work for an elementary school.
32:25 A young industrial design student traveled all the way from Atlanta and cosplays Rydia (Final Fantasy IV). I love that the cute Anya photobombs in the beginning of the video. Follow her on twitter: @mnikalee

00:00 Costume contest: includes Spy Versus Spy, Anya (Gears of War), Rydia (Final Fantasy IV), Mandalorians (Star Wars), Predator, Deadpool, Jurassic Park, Squirrel Girl, Jedi Bob’s Big Boy, Henchman (Venture Brothers), Black Widow, Cloud (Final Fantasy VII), Dr. Doom, Cobra Commander, Joker, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), the same Poison Ivy from the Anime Expo (@megturney), Wonder Woman, Gem, Putty (Power Rangers), Master Chief (Halo), Lloyd Dobler, Pyramid Head, Rainbow Dash, Catwoman, Rogue (X-Men), Cyberman
13:20 Anya (Gears of War) talks about why she loves the game and Comikaze and says what she’ll buy if she wins the $500
14:46 Putty (Power Rangers)
15:53 Squirrel Girl turns out to be a real character in the Marvel World! I also love how animated she is! Add her on Facebook if you’re a friend and follow her on tumblr
19:24 Winners of the costume contest are announced
24:45 Jurassic Park couple
26:22 A gender bender cosplay fan talks about his character being known for being a slut. I can’t make out the name of the character. If you recognize the character, comment below!

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

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The Green Lantern: The Animated Series debuted this weekend.  For those who are unfamiliar with the Tales of the Green Lantern, here’s a short snap shot – fearless test pilot Hal Jordan is chosen by the ring of a dying Green Lantern to be the first human inducted in to the Green Lantern Corps.  The Corps is comprised of beings throughout the universe that are chosen because they have the ability to overcome great fear.  They maintain order in their sector of the galaxy, in short, intergalactic cops.  The Guardians of the Universe are their “bosses” who are the oldest beings in creation, and have designed the GL Ring to be the most powerful weapon in the universe.  It allows its bearer to create anything that their mind can will in to existence.

Here’s the short of what happened in the hour long pilot episode; Hal (voiced by Josh keaton) is testing a jet for Ferris Aircraft when an earthquake happens, he loses the jet to save a train.  Carol Ferris gets mad at him, he promises to make it up to her with a dinner date, but then his ring calls him to OA.  Hal transforms in to Green Lantern and is space bound.  He’s being reprimanded by the Guardian council when a GL Ring flies in, it’s the ring of a now dead Frontier Lantern.  Who are they?  The Guardians give a quick explanation and dismiss the hearing.  Ganthet shows Kilowog (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) and Hal this experimental spaceship that’s got artificial intelligence and a power battery.  Hal and Kilowog then “borrow” the ship and go in search of what killed the Frontier Lantern.

They discover that there are Red Lanterns and they combat them while saving Shyir Rev (voiced by Kurtwood Smith), another Frontier Lantern, from certain death.  Returning the wounded Shyir to his home planet they’ve accidentally led the Red Lanterns to this peaceful colony planet.  The Red Lantern leader, Atrocitus (voiced by Jonathan Adams), sends down a probe that will destroy the planet unless the inhabitants hand of the Green Lanterns.  A valiant fight is fought that ends with *SPOILER* Shyir’s death and Kilowog saving the inhabitants.

The AI ship along piloted by Hal and Kilowog have a captured Red Lantern named Razer.  They set out to find more Red Lanterns in the cosmos.

The good; the fight scenes were great, once they started going.  This being mainly a kids’ cartoon, it got a lot more violent that I thought it would.  Much like The Clone Wars of late, so that was surprisingly unexpected.  The sound effects are great and the use of constructs really complimented the excellent sound.  Having Kurtwood Smith voice a GL was a nice treat, almost casting against type for me, but it worked.

Shyir’s death caught me by complete surprise, I mean – it’s a cartoon for kids, they would find a way out, but nope, they didn’t.  And what’s more, they brought in Kilowog’s backstory, which you’d only know from reading the comics.  That was a great emotional moment coupled with a nod to the comics, wonderful.

The action – once the fighting and combat started, they had some nice sequences.

The bad; Hal goes in to space way too quickly, and it seems like the whole series will be space bound.  Which I’m not too keen on.  The whole relate-ability to a character will be gone.  It should be about Hal trying to balance his day job with his romantic interest in Carol coupled with space emergencies and Coast City dangers.

This is just the pilot episode, but it looks like we’re losing the who secret identity thing, which to me is a kid’s fantasy, to be completely passed as having no impact in anything, while actually saving the world.  With the Green Lantern you not only have that but you also have the will to create anything you can imagine, which is essential for growing kids where they play in their imagination almost everyday.

From a production standpoint I see why they went in to space though, space is easy to animate, and when they land in a “combat zone” it’s usually rocks and desert like.  For some reason the animation still looked flat to me, overly simple and not detailed.  Which makes me think that Hal will spend all his time as GL in space fights.

One more thing, and this is way too nitpicky, but they really really simplified Hal’s hair.  Much like Superman, Hal has a certain hair style.  Which makes me think that they’re going for a medium between the comics and Ryan Reynolds…

Overall, I will have to give this a couple more episodes before an official verdict is rendered.  But for now, I’m leaning toward passing on this series.  It needs to decide what it wants to be.  Go all the way like Justice League Unlimited with the serious aspects or go for tongue and cheek the way of Batman: The Brave and The Bold.

 

 

 

 

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Interview with the Creators of Toonhole

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At the Long Beach Comic Convention, we saw many booths where artists, writers, and producers showcased their latest works. One of them that immediately caught our attention was the Toonhole booth. Who doesn’t love Macho Man Randy Savage? Even though he rests in peace, his legacy and iconic voice lives on. We stepped closer to discover a world of funny and clever comics that really appealed to us. Obviously, we had to get a word with the boys behind Toonhole.

Take a look below and learn all about Toonhole in this interview with Ryan Kramer and Mike Nassar. They talk about the drunken mashup that is Toonhole, their origins as animators, the benefits of technology on the comic book industry, plans to publish for the growing tablets market, and offer unique advice for aspiring artists.

Find more about Toonhole here
twitter: @toonhole  / @toonholechris

Comikaze Aftermath with Photos

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Comikaze was a triumph!  It’s hard to overstate our satisfaction with Comikaze Expo.  We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers and the very huge turnout of fans.

There were so many things and people to see and here are some of the highlights (listed in no particular order):

  • Smaller venue – This one is a bit misleading, because the venue was just right for the occasion.  It wasn’t as massive of a scale as San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) but as a smaller venue it still maintains its fun.  There weren’t too many people to dodge (sort of) when walking around.  We watched 2 guys in full body suits go into an impromptu dance off and everybody was cheering at the end of it.  At the end of the convention, we saw a Jurassic Park hunter and raptor chasing each other on a Power Wheel Jeep throughout the floors of the convention.
  • Low cost – We believe this was the leading reason why the turnout was so great.  For $20, you get to go for both days.  At such a low cost, it doesn’t bleed out your wallet. Now you have money to buy any item at the convention like comic books, artwork, plushies, swords and so on.  Other low price promos, such as Groupon and Goldstar, helped in creating a good crowd as well.
  • Diversity of the booths – There was a lot of options available of varying interest, from a steampunk outfitter to your regular toy/plushie/comic book vendors. They even had a tattoo artist booth, that were available to give you a tattoo on the spot!
  • Celebrities – There was an incredible number of fans that came for headliners Stan Lee and Elvira!  Fans lined up and stretched for quite a while. Even when the locations would change a bit, the fans just shifted over and continued to wait in the long line just to meet their favorite celebrity.  The venue was intimate enough to meet and converse with other celebrities like Ernest Borgnine, Miracle Laurie and/or Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim of Star Trek Voyager). In fact, we learned that Sean Kanan, who was the villian in Karate Kid Part III, has a cookbook!
  • Artist signing/drawings – Being able to get custom art or purchasing some of the art (whether it was a poster or a shirt) from your favorite artist is always great.  Sure you may see their work in comics and web sites, but being able to talk to them in person is always a nice bonus on top of supporting them.  There was even an artist who was willing to draw you in zombie form.
  • Informative panels that was both funny and engaging – Morgan Fairchild knows a great deal of paleontology.  Garrett Wang watched the 2009 Star Trek Movie nine times.  Being able to debate who would in a fight is always fun, well besides facing Batman (he has an answer for everybody).
  • Costume Masquerade – A bit unorganized at first, and it was standing room area, but it was nice to see the turnout of cosplayers in quality and quantity.  Costumes were fantastic!  We saw so many well done costumes, there’s too many to list (thankfully we have photos below).  The three hosts (Dante, Chun Li and Jake from Blues Brothers) did an excellent job of maintaining order and keeping it fun.

Here are things we thought that could’ve been better (listed in no particular order):

  • No time schedule/program readily available – Though there was a schedule posted at each booths and makeshift rooms (more on that later), there was a sense of confusion when you didn’t quite know when some panels were going on.  This was slightly addressed on Sunday when there was a time schedule printed on a poster board near the front, but there were many that weren’t aware of where Room 306 AB was or that a panel even existed up there.
  • Makeshift rooms – There is an understanding this is the first convention so we’re hoping this one will get addressed.  The sound was atrocious as the people within the panels would become hard to listen, mostly because of the ambient noises from the convention itself.  Some people could break through the curtained off areas to sneak into the panel from the side (good or bad thing).

Despite the minor complaints, it was a great outing and we look forward to seeing this event next year!  Likewise Mark has been posting quite a few videos we took as well.  Enjoy the crazy amount of photos we took that weekend!  Photos were courtesy of Danny and myself and have been combined for your entertainment.

Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze took place November 5-6, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend.

Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information.

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Angus Oblong Scared Me

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Angus Oblong is an interesting person. If you saw him on the streets, I’m not sure you’d recognize him right away. I say that because he wore his usual face paint at the Long Beach Comic Convention.

Many of you may be more familiar with his series, The Oblongs, which was recently salvaged by Adult Swim, purveyors of once under-appreciated works like Family Guy and Futurama.

Angus Oblong talks about making art for his own amusement and offers indispensable advise for aspiring artists. I was admittedly intimidated by his appearance despite the fact I really felt a connection with his art. I wish I could have spent more time asking him questions but I was clearly unprepared for the man I met. Take a look below.

Discover more about Angus Oblong:
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his site

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Brian Buccellato Talks Flash

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We talked briefly with Brian Buccellato at the 2011 Long Beach Comic Convention where he discussed The Flash’s appeal, DC’s slow output of movies, and who he’d pick to star and direct in The Flash movie reboot.

Learn more about Brian Buccellato:
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his blog

Bil Keane – Creator of ‘Family Circus’ Passes Away Today

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William Aloysius Keane, better known as Bil Keane, died Tuesday at age 89 at his longtime home in Paradise Valley, near Phoenix.  Keane was an American cartoonist notable for his work on the long-running newspaper comic The Family Circus, which began its run in 1960 and continues in syndication.  Jeff Keane, Keane’s son, said that his father died of congestive heart failure with one of his other sons by his side after his conditioned worsened during the last month.

Keane said it best, when he wrote about himself on the Family Circus website:

I was born in Philadelphia. Well, I wasn’t exactly born, I was discovered there by Benjamin Franklin (Oct. 5, 1922). I grew up in that city with a penn by my side–William Penn! When asked who cracked the Liberty Bell I replied, “Not me!”–my first association with that invisible gremlin who showed up in “The Family Circus” many years later.

Taught myself to draw, so I can’t blame anyone but me. Started cartooning in high school which I attended when I grew too tall for low school. Spent 3 years in the U.S. Army during World War II, but we won anyway. While stationed in Australia I met a cute koala bear named Thel Carne who was trying futilely to throw away a boomerang. I, too, returned–5 years later and we were married in Brisbane. In Roslyn, Pa. we started our real-life family circus. They provided the inspiration for my cartoons; I provided the perspiration.

I worked at the Phila. Bulletin for 15 years where I was a staff artist. I drew staffs. I launched “Channel Chuckles” in 1954, a syndicated cartoon about TV. The TV repairman was at our house so much I thought he was part of the family. In fact, later I named one of my cartoon characters after him: Barfy. I drew free-lance cartoons for the major magazines and a Sunday comic for the Bulletin called “Silly Philly.”
In 1959 I decided to work from my home and we moved the whole family lock, stock and barrel to Arizona. We managed the lock and stock okay, but had trouble with the barrel. We still live in the same house near Phoenix and love the state. Even its canyons are grand.

“The Family Circus” bowed in 1960 and I’ve been going around in circles ever since. It now appears in over 1500 newspapers whose editors have excellent taste in comics. Readership polls place “The Family Circus” at the top regularly. And it’s a very nice view from atop a poll.

“Family Circus” has appeared on TV in holiday specials and has been published regularly by Fawcett Gold Medal Books in paperback collections. There are over 14 million “Family Circus” books in print. If you can’t find a copy in your book store, come over to my house–I have 13 1/2 million of them.

In 1983 I was named cartoonist of the year by the National Cartoonist Society and at the awards dinner I was given a sitting ovation. We now have nine grandchildren who I like to follow around for grand ideas.

Thel is my editor and consultant. Youngest son Jeff inks and colors the cartoons. The Syndicate does the selling.  Come to think of it, what do I do? I keep in shape (I’m not sure what the shape is) by playing tennis and jogging.

If asked when I will retire I say “probably about 11 o’clock tonight. But, hopefully, I’ll be back at the ol’ drawing board in the morning and happy to be there!”

 

Keane was able to draw upon his experiences with his family and bring it to us in comic form.  He gave some heart and consistency to the public with his traditional family values.  He will be missed.

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2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Chris Moreno Talks About “Zombie Dickheads”

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Freelance comic artist, Chris Moreno, gave us a few minutes to talk about his latest project: Zombie Dickheads. It’s a unique twist on the zombie apocalypse where some zombies DON’T eat people. Moreno also chats about his source of inspiration and discusses the relevance of tablets like the iPad and Kindle in the comic industry.

Check out more of Chris Moreno’s work:
http://www.chrismoreno.org/
deviantART
http://zombiedickheads.blogspot.com
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