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A Metamorphosis: Beginnings
It’s been over six months since my last blog posts, and in reviewing them it became clear that something was missing. All that was tendered in these writings, that promised to extol the virtues of the comic book medium and its offerings, was “strict judgment” and a few choice words of appreciation (peppered with quotes)–but the WHY was left unanswered. There was no evaluation, analysis, interpretation, nor comparison. The posts were extremely subjective (although that in itself was not bad, they were shallow), and they did not display any deep sensitivity whatsoever in their descriptions.
A different approach was required, but my options were limited. A redo in life, and returning to school to become an English Lit major was out of the question; but perhaps book driven autodidaction offered a more economical–in both time and money–means for me to acquire the skills and vocabulary necessary to develop a “heightened sense of how literature works and what it does.” The first reading referred to was a serendipitous find on amazon.com: ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism,’ by Steven J. Venturino PhD (and it is hoped that he does not take offense at this subversion of his work).
In addition, I purchased and read A.O. Scott’s, ‘Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think About Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth’ (as to the why, will be made clear in later posts).
The comic book medium, however, is unique from pure literature in that it makes use of both text and graphics to tell its stories. An improved understanding of Art, and the expressions necessary to “translate visual experience[s] into written language” was also needed. For this, the following texts were read: Gilda William’s ‘How to Write About Contemporary Art’ and Scott McCloud’s ‘Understanding Comics’.
The hope was that these readings would actuate a metamorphosis in me as a writer, and elevate my experiences of life, art, literature, and its under-appreciated cousin: the comic book. Come join me on this fantastic and amazing textile and graphic journey!
My Pull List for #NCBD 8/30/17
Here are my scheduled pulls for tomorrow’s new comic book day (#NCBD 8/30/17):
My top pick for tomorrow is DC Comic’s Darkseid Special #1. 
Given that we celebrate Jack Kirby’s centennial this week, this book is aut0 selected as my number one pick. Penned y Mark Evanier (Kirby’s biographer), and with Paul Levitz, it includes Granny Goodness, an OMAC short, and a classic Kirby Fourth World story.
Happy 100th Birthday Jack Kirby!
Just a few picts to celebrate Kirby’s 100th Birthday. The Monsters on the Prowl is one of my favorites. It Came out in April 1972. Has three stories: A Roy Thomas Kull, Steve Ditko short, and they saved the best for last … a short by Jack Kirby. 
The others are also from my personal collection. A little beat up, but luv em anyway!
Elana Guests on Blastr’s Who Won the Week
This week, special guest Elana Levin joins Blastr for a discussion of a couple of big changes in the sci-fi canon: Riri Williams taking over for Tony Stark as Iron Man in Brian Michael Bendis’s post-Civil War II run, and the announcement that a well-known character would be written as gay in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond. Are these good steps toward a more diverse and inclusive genre? They break it all down.
We’re Here: Black Women Working in Comics
I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. My mother recalls me sitting quietly in the living room taking construction paper, a hole puncher, yarn, crayons and writing and illustrating my ‘first’ book at 6 years old. As I grew, the stories I wrote became more thoughtful, more complex and somehow I landed in the arena of comics. Comics became my refuge at an early age; granted I’ve always read different types of books and novels, but comics stole my heart. They combined art with the written word; I was just thunderstruck by the perfection of the blending of the two. Creating characters was an ongoing practice for me, at 10 years old I was certain that Marvel or DC would want to buy my characters. My mother even called the Marvel offices for me to see if they would be willing to. Now here I am several…
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Review: Kim and Kim #1
Turn on some Sleigh Bells (Veruca Salt if you’re old school) or the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, and get ready to be amazed by Kim and Kim #1. The new Black Mask series from writer Mags Visaggio, artist Eva Cabrera, and colorist Claudia Aguirre follows the adventures of Kim Q and Kim D, a pair of fast-talking, fashion forward, and not afraid to cave your face in with a musical instrument bounty hunters. As they travel the Omniverse in their flying van, they try to avoid any entanglements on the way to pay dirt, but of course, this doesn’t happen, and thus the comic has a plot. The story of ne’er do wells trying to stay solvent in a dangerous sci-fi setting has been told several times before in shows like Firefly and Cowboy Bebop, but Visaggio, Cabrera, and Aguirre put their own mark on the genre with a candy floss…
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Mighty Morphing Power Rangers #4 – An 8 Year Old’s Review
Our resident 8 year old take on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!
Source: Mighty Morphing Power Rangers #4 – An 8 Year Old’s Review
QUOTES #NCBD 03/30/16 Ragnarok No. 8 (@IDWPublishing)
Reading Walter Simonson’s Ragnarok is like time traveling back to the comic book years of the 80’s. It’s non-stop sword and hammer action as the Dark Elf Regn and Thor team up to take on Surtr’s Firestarter Demons. Plus, as a bonus, IDW threw in at the end an awesome eight page art gallery highlighting Simonson’s pencil and ink artwork for this issue. Don’t miss out!
Here are the quotes:
” … with a name like “The Lord of the Dead,” just how much Immortality do you think he could bestow upon anybody?”
“Faith. You should try it. I understand it works wonders.”
Ragnarok #8, IDW Publishing
Written and Illustrateed by: Walter Simonson
Colored by: Laura Martin
Lettered by: John Workman
Quotes #NCBD 3/23/2016 (DC’s Batman No. 50)
It’s been over two months since I last blogged on this site–just in time for #NCBD 3/30/16 tomorrow. Bruce Wayne is back, so I’m coming back. Nothing against Scott Snyder, who is one of the best comic book writers out there right now, but I wasn’t really digging the whole Jim Gordon as Batman in the Power Suit thing. I am glad to have good old Bruce back, with some really cool quotes:
“It’s been a good rest, but the city is calling you. They need their Batman back.”
“Hello Jim. Who died and made you Batman.”
“But Superheroes never fix those things for us. Not even Batman. He can’t fix the real things … because he’s not Real.”
“The rest of us. We do what we can to be able to say: ‘I was here.’ ”
Batman #5o, DC Comics
Written by: Scott Snyder
Pencilled by: Greg Capullo
Inked by: Danny Miki
Colored by: Fco Plascencia
Lettered : Steve Wands
New Hobby: Adult Coloring Books
Looks like I found a new hobby: Adult Coloring Books!
You can read more about it here in graphicpolicy.com:
ADULT COLORING BOOKS: ART THERAPY OR BS?
Also, I can”t wait to get my hands on the coming Walking Dead Coloring Book from Image. Read about it in the latest issue of Comic Shop News.
Great Comic Book Quotes 