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Guardians of the Globe

by KC Carlson

This time out, we’re checking out things that (allegedly) ship in the month of August, generally a quiet time in the comics world. a lot of of the huge comic events are, by then, up as well as rolling along. This is likewise that point in the year where lots of publishers are starting to hold back some of their bigger book projects for holiday gift-giving (and wish list) season. (Although some may put out information now for books that don’t really ship until better to year end. Caveat emptor – as well as read your solicitations thoroughly for actual shipping dates!)

So, this month’s list veers a little a lot more toward my personal interests than usual, as well as it includes a lot more books instead of comics for a a lot more general audience. That kinda seems to be the theme for the month – lots of interesting items from certain genres or aimed at a lot more certain interest groups. situation in point: image Comics has a lot of interesting new projects as well as first issues this month (Guardians of the Globe, morning Glories, Murderland, Seedless, Sullivan’s Sluggers, etc.), however a lot of of them seem targeted at certain groups of fandom. So check ‘em out to see if they’re your thing. Or if you’re trying to find something new to try out, this might be a good first stop.

As always, if you find (like me) that this month is a little light on blockbuster, break-out, jump-up-and-down, exciting things, you still have a couple of great backup options. First, try something new! There are an outstanding variety of titles as well as concepts offered these days – lots of of which may be undiscovered since every month there’s just so much to select from. (Not even I can read – or pay for – everything!) Also, if you find your basket on the light side this month, wouldn’t this be the best time to go back as well as get hold of something you had to pass up when it came out during that month packed with good stuff? chances are we still have a copy, or if you don’t see it on the site, you might always ask about it! often items temporarily slip off the site (Gremlins!), so it just might be a matter of reminding us about something recent that you don’t see.

Enough rambling! Here’s the list:

Scary Godmother

1. scary Godmother: Dark horse is collecting Jill Thompson’s outstanding scary Godmother picture books (now out of print) in a big, fat (192-page), full-color collection. scary Godmother (actually, she’s not so scary) is an outstanding amalgam of format as well as style, originally created as children’s books, however reading like comics, as well as genuinely entertaining for all ages. The series has won many awards, been turned into a successful stage show, as well as was developed into two fascinating animated specials (also an amalgam of styles as the characters were computer animated against hand-drawn backgrounds). This thick hardcover volume likewise includes extras, including the earliest idea designs for the utterly captivating characters – even though a lot of of them are monsters! So, come over to the Fright Side as well as meet Hannah, scary Godmother, as well as all her “broommates”! It’s a trick as well as a treat!

Two people named Joe

2. two people named Joe: This is a need to for all animation fans, a new biography of two mainly unsung animation legends by John Canemaker, highly noted animation historian, animator, as well as educator. The two Joes are Joe grant as well as Joe Ranft. They both died in 2005, as well as both left behind outstanding animation legacies. grant was 97 as well as worked for the Disney Studios, contributing ideas for Silly Symphonies, Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, as well as Dumbo. 40 years later, he returned to Disney as well as contributed to charm as well as the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, as well as The Lion King. Joe Ranft built on the traditions of the past forged by grant as well as others to ended up being the top animation storyboard artist of his generation. some of the films he serviced include The nightmare before Christmas, who Framed Roger Rabbit, The little Mermaid, as well as charm as well as the Beast, before he became one of the innovative founders of Pixar, where he serviced toy Story, toy story 2, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., as well as Cars. He was likewise the voice of Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug’s Life as well as Wheezy the penguin in toy story 2, among other voices. Ranft was 45 when he died in a cars and truck accident. This must be an exceptional biography as well as heavily illustrated. published by Disney Editions. 192 pages.

Polly as well as Her Pals

3. Polly as well as Her friends volume 1: The first in IDW/The library of American Comics’ new oversized (12” x 16”) “Champagne Editions” features one of the most underrated – yet influential – comic strips of the 20th century, Cliff Sterrett’s Polly as well as Her Pals. considered one of the essential masterpieces of comic strip art by historians as well as critics, Polly as well as Her friends (the “Pals” being mostly Polly’s parents as well as cousins) debuted on December 4, 1912, as a daily strip called positive Polly. It initially revolved around the adventures of Polly Perkins, one of the first comic strip pretty young girls (a precursor to the later Blondie as well as Fritzi Ritz characters). Polly was a flirtatious proto-flapper of the jazz Age as well as Suffragette movements. Eventually, the strip changed focus (like lots of long-running strips), as well as Polly’s daddy Paw became the main character of the strip. The Sunday strip began in 1925, as well as here’s where Sterrett really cut loose, with crazy cubism-inspired graphics as well as innovative use of color as well as design. The strip is considered – along with Krazy Kat – to be the height of Art Deco-style comics as well as highly influential on future comic artists. The Sunday strips are the focus of this particular collection, beginning in 1925 as well as including every Sunday page through 1927. (IDW has plans to gather the dailies at a later date in a different format.) strip fans will note that the Sunday “toppers” Daman as well as Pythias as well as dot as well as dash will likewise be included. The series is edited by Dean Mullaney, cover created by Emmy-winner Lorraine Turner, as well as is highly recommended.

Magnus, Robot Fighter

4. Magnus, Robot fighter #1: It’s phase two of Dark Horse’s Shooter-tastic revival of traditional Gold crucial (and Valiant) comic properties. In this first issue (of 4), the re-imagined Robot fighter takes on the immensely powerful half-robot, half-man (and all-trouble!) huge Guns! Written by Jim Shooter as well as illustrated by expense Reinhold, it might be one more traditional in the making! likewise this month: issue #2 of doctor Solar, man of the Atom. however the way-cool thing for old comic fans is that DH is reissuing the (out-of-print) doctor Solar, man of the Atom Archives volume 1 as a moderately-priced trade paperback! So you can now get the first seven issues of the original Gold crucial Solar for under 20 bucks.

Fire & Water

5. Comic book Histories: The biography fire as well as Water: expense Everett, the Submariner, as well as the Birth of marvel Comics, written by Blake Bell, covers Sub-Mariner designer Everett (with the collaboration of the Everett family) as well as likewise looks at Everett’s work in the horror, romance, as well as criminal offense genres. This 216-page hardcover includes lots of full-color illustrations, published by Fantagraphics. Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics looks at Robinson’s long profession in comics as a member of the original Batman innovative team (with a hand in creating Robin, comics’ first sidekick, as well as The Joker), through working in a lot of comic book genres, as well as ultimately into political cartooning as well as syndicated comic strips. Written by N.C. Christopher Couch, the book likewise goes over Robinson’s work as a teacher, historian as well as curator, as well as tireless advocate for creators’ rights. 224 pages, fully illustrated, as well as includes an introduction by Pete Hamill as well as an informative forward by Dennis O’Neil. published by Abrams.

Art of Drew Struzan

6. Art of Drew Struzan: You might not know his name, however you’ve been in love with his work for years. I first heard about Struzan back in the late 1980s when I started checking out comic book artists’ houses as well as hearing them talk about him in reverent tones. When I finally got over being the dumb person as well as asked “Who is Drew Struzan?”, all the artists had to do was point at their own walls – where dozens of framed Struzan-painted motion picture posters hung. (And then I felt even dumber.) If you’ve seen a George Lucas or Steven Spielberg motion picture poster, you’ve probably seen his work, starting with the 1978 poster of the star Wars re-release where Struzan painted the human figures. (Another artist –Charles White III – took care of the tech characters as well as technical details.) Struzan continued with the star Wars series as well as the Indiana Jones series of posters, as well as favorites like E.T., Blade Runner, Cannonball Run, Risky Business, The Goonies, Jurassic Park, Hook, Hellboy, as well as the Harry Potter series. other popular series that he’s painted include the Back to the Future films, the Don Bluth films (notably, An American Tail), as well as the Muppet films. This 160-page collection features over 300 pieces of artwork, including preliminary or unused poster art. There’s likewise an exclusive interview with the artist, revealing the secrets of a lot more than a dozen of his a lot of popular projects.

Essential Superman Encyclopedia

7. essential Superman Encyclopedia: thirdin the trifecta of insanely in-depth reference books about DC’s huge three (the Batman as well as wonder woman volumes are already available), this 496-page softcover includes all the info you’d ever want to know – as well as a lot more – about the man of Steel, all his various incarnations, his friends, his foes, his powers, his Kryptonian heritage, his dog, the cat, the horse, the monkey, his (former) profession as a Superbaby, his island full of Amazon women (oh, wait, that’s wonder Woman. Sorry.), as well as knowing the authors, probably everthing that Red Kryptonite has ever done to him. (Oh, as well as maybe the definitive explanation about the Pocket Universe! Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease…) Written by Robert Greenberger (DC’s unofficial living, breathing encyclopedia – as well as Westfield columnist) as well as former Superman writer Martin Pasko, this book shows these people know their stuff! hundreds of illustrations from the golden Age to today, by hundreds of artists – lots of in full color. plus a new cover by Gary Frank. Don’t forget – it’s Essential! (And look for an interview with Bob Greenberger about this book on the Westfield blog very soon!)

Mad’s greatest Artists: Sergio Aragones

8. Mad’s greatest Artists: Sergio Aragones: hopefully the first in a long line of books about mad artists, this one features Mad’s “marginal” artist in a 272-page collection of his “greatest hits”, hand-picked by Sergio himself as well as set up chronologically, starting with his first work in 1963. It’s going to be hard to select from all the great stuff, considering that Sergio was likewise one of Mad’s a lot of prolific artists. He’s only missed supplying marginals in one issue considering that he started, when they were lost by the post Office. His partner on Groo, mark Evanier, once estimated that Sergio had written as well as drawn a lot more than 12,000 gag cartoons for Mad. Editor Al Feldstein once said, “He might have drawn the whole magazine if we’d let him.” A special pull-out poster of marginals is included with the book, as well as a Q&A introduction by Sergio as well as long-time mad editor Nick Meglin as well as a Foreword by Matt Groening. Sergio likewise supplies a brand new cover. published by Running Press.

Drunk Stoned fantastic Dead

9. Drunk Stoned fantastic Dead: No, not four of the dwarves from marvel Comics’ upcoming adaptation of Snow White as written by mark Millar. (Kidding! Kidding!) check out the full title: Drunk Stoned fantastic Dead: The Writers as well as artists who Made the national Lampoon Insanely Great. This one’s for those of us who were around during NatLamp’s early, traditional years in the 1970s, where this was the place for cutting-edge, topical comedy as well as satire. half prose as well as half comics, national Lampoon was the forerunner to current comedy powerhouses like The Onion, The daily show With Jon Stewart, as well as The Colbert Report. NatLamp artist Rick Meyerowitz (he created the art for the famous animal house poster) has selected the funniest pieces from the magazine’s first decade as well as has sought out the surviving creators for their revealing as well as outrageous stories. There’s a couple of dead people who won’t be appearing – Doug Kenney (screenwriter: animal House, Caddyshack) as well as Michael O’Donoghue (writer as well as Mr. Mike on Saturday night Live, national Lampoon Radio Hour) – however I hope their work is included anyway. 320 pages of articles, artwork, as well as commentary. published by Abrams.

Namor: first Mutant

10. marvel Stuff: The big-ticket item this month is the 1,160-page women of Marvel: celebrating seven decades Omnibus. Which is both fantastic as well as the biggest, weirdest collection of comics I think I’ve ever seen. Bob Greenberger will be along in a few days ideal here at the Westfield blog to drop some details on this Omnibus collection that is so big, it needs its own room. (Speaking of Bob, he’s likewise going to be briefing you soon on IDW’s way-cool collection, Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein, one of those rare, quirky things that I don’t know much about.) … Meanwhile, back at Marvel, my old friend Stuart Moore is writing what looks to be the most interesting Sub-Mariner book in years, Namor: The first Mutant #1. Tying in carefully with what’s currently happening in the Mutant-verse (specifically X-Men #1), this new book will be be pencilled by Ariel Olivetti. (For a lot more Namor, check out that cover for Uncanny X-Men #527! Discuss.) . . . In the huge Anything might happen (Good or Bad) Dept. are outstanding Spider-Man #640 as well as 641, the double-sized final thought to the Joe Queseda-written (and partially drawn) One moment In Time, where “every question is answered, the past