Thursday – 19 July 2018
DACCA
Thought Balloons
Tuesday – 14 August 2018
Earlier this year, Marvel released Black Panther to the world. Advance ticket sales for it broke the record for a superhero film – two weeks before the movie opened. It quickly rose to be one of their fastest-earning, top grossing movies.
Just before the movie came out, I was interviewed in The Salt Lake Tribune about what the new film meant to me. I noted:
You can look in the mirror and say, “There is somebody [onscreen] with features like mine, and has had experiences like mine.
Because, representation matters.
If you want to better understand just how much it matters – and to how many people – simply take a look at this article on Wakandacon, a Black Panther-inspired event that took place earlier this month in Chicago:
Testing out Instagram feed settings for this month’s Black Panther pictures.
This is only a test.
[instagram-feed]
Are you a fan of the X-Men?
Did you enjoy X2: X-Men United?
Do you like – or even dislike – Magneto?
Do you like well-written stories with great artwork?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you should check out this limited time offer on Amazon: Marvel Graphic Novel #5 – X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills.
This book was written by Chris Claremont, during the height of his X-Men run, with artwork by Brent Anderson. Some of the references and dialogue do come across as a bit dated, but the story is well-told and worth reading. Also, as loosely noted above, parts of this book were adapted into one of the storylines for X2: X-Men United.
When this book was first released – in 1982 – it sold for $8.95 (USD). You can now get it for only 80 cents. You read that correctly: ZERO dollars and EIGHTY cents. How can you go wrong with a price like that!? (Hint: You can’t!)
Give it a read.
Sunday – 24 September 2017
This past weekend, Salt Lake City was host to the fifth annual Salt Lake Comic Con (#SLCC17) – a three-day celebration of fandom. I missed the first day – Thanks, Universe! – but attended Friday and Saturday.
Friday saw me testing out a new variation of my Green Lantern costume – Varsity Green Lantern:
I met up with and played tour guide for my friend, Denise, who ventured south from Canada to check out the Con – I had talked about SLCC to her earlier in the year and suggested that she see and compare it to Calgary’s Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and San Diego’s event. And, she did.
The first part of the day was spent scouting the Con, checking out things to see once Sara! and Team DiVa arrived. One of my goals was to get the little ladies to meet Shea Fontana, author of DC SuperHero Girls comics, of which they are fans. Sara whipped up a Hawkgirl costume – including molding the helmet out of Worbla (first time she’d ever used it!) – and the girls went as the DC SuperHero Girls versions of Katana (Diana) and Bumblebee (V)
Warrior women!
Mission: ACCOMPLISHED – Team DiVa meets Shea Fontana
I was going to have some of their books signed… but managed to leave them in my car. D’oh! I told them that I would get them signed the next day. They were, fortunately, alright with this option. We then walked around, waiting for the girls to decide what they wanted to buy as a souvenir before they left – Vanessa wound up getting a Tentacle Kitty (work-safe); Diana, a parasol. A little later, Sara took the ladies off for dinner and pre-bedtime hanging out; Denise and I roamed and took in some panels before the show closed for the evening.
I unveiled another new variation on an old theme: Nick Fury, as redesigned by Marvel artist Declan Shalvey. The idea for this came over a year ago, when Marvel was setting up their Civil War II storyline.
Backstory:
I went to my local comic shop and the guys congratulated me for being on the cover of a comic. Having no idea wheat they were talking about, they showed me the book:
At that point, I tweeted Mr. Shalvey, leading to this exchange:
@declanshalvey I’m a week late, but thanks for putting me on the cover of CWII:CS! 😏 @Marvel pic.twitter.com/VaLEepkSAA
— Robert Neal (@shadorunr) June 29, 2016
No problem. Where’s your eyepatch!? https://t.co/PqmS7sOwUU
— Declan Shalvey (@declanshalvey) June 29, 2016
Is this better? I need to work on the younger Fury’s uniform – with LEDs – for @slcomiccon… pic.twitter.com/SFKDfbqtiG
— Robert Neal (@shadorunr) June 29, 2016
HA! Works for me!
— Declan Shalvey (@declanshalvey) June 29, 2016
Thus, I decided to work up a costume based on that:
I was rather pleased with how it turned out.
For my second day at the con, I was scheduled to participate in two panels.
The “Comics as a Tool” panel was fantastic! My fellow panelists had some great anecdotal stories to share about how they – and either their children or children they’ve worked with – have used comics in the home and classroom. We also had a number of great questions from the audience. It was early in the morning (and not the largest turnout), but parents and teachers (!) came to hear what we had to say about using comics to help children begin to read and using comics to help young readers who are experiencing difficulty with reading.
After that, there was wandering, people-watching, picture-taking, and lunch. Post-lunch, I took Denise to experience the joy of RubySnap. She’s threatened to send cross-border requests for cookies; I may have created a monster. Back to the con for more roaming before my last panel.
The Get Out! panel was just fun. Sean did a masterful job of guiding the discussion. We delved into the social commentary behind the movie, how it turned a number of norms on their ears, and issues of power and control. The hour we had for that panel felt far too short; I would have loved to have had another hour or more to peel back more layers of the movie. The audience not only asked good questions, but they also made a few salient points.
Following the panel, we went to the Grand Ballroom to watch the results of the Cosplay Contest. To be honest, I first went into the ballroom because of the music they were playing – I had to know what was going on. We entered during the period when the judges were voting on the winners and honorable mentions and there was a dance party going on at the front of the room. I wondered if Melodywise Cosplay was there… and, lo, did she walk across the stage moments later.
And then, all too soon, Salt Lake Comic Con 2017 was no more than a memory.
Thank you to the staff, volunteers, guests, and fans who continue to make Salt Lake Comic Con such a fun experience.
As I mentioned, I’d invited Denise down to compare Salt Lake Comic Con with other cons she’d attended. Her commentary:
Although, my favorite of her comments was something she tweeted the next day:
One of my big takeaways from Salt Lake City Comic Con is that while Calgary fests smell like mini-donuts & weed, SLCC smells like a bakery.
— DeniseF (@yycsan) September 24, 2017
As noted earlier, I did Saturday’s costume based on a Twitter conversation with Declan Shalvey last year. Naturally, I sent him a picture of the costume, which elicited this reply:
***GASP*** https://t.co/Q2kjZ9siBG
— Declan Shalvey (@declanshalvey) September 24, 2017
That really is amazing man 😊
— Declan Shalvey (@declanshalvey) September 24, 2017
Needless to say: My day was completely made.
Friday – 24 February 2017
There’s been a lot of comics-related news in the past couple of weeks… and I’ve had very little time to post anything about it. But, I’m carving out a couple of minutes here to do that very thing.
sdfskfsj
Thursday – 05 January 2017
Happy New Year and Happy Day-After-New Comic Book Day!
As yesterday was the first new comic book day of 2017, I went to my local comic book shop and came home with new things to read. This week, I picked up:
In all, it was kind of a mixed week for my books – some good, some kind of meh, and a couple of extraordinarily fun reads. My favorite reads were:
Kate (aiming bow with nocked arrow at a mostly off-panel figure): Touch some sky, pal.
Guy: Whoa whoa whoa. I am not with these dudes.
Kate: Okay, then you should probably mosey on out of here, cowboy. I don’t need help.
Guy: I buy that. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen anyone that needs help less than you in this moment.
Our intrepid Hawkeye even has a run-in with a cultish mob. I have to admit that I didn’t see that coming, as I was reading. I look forward to seeing how it resolves.
Woden: Listen. We’re the clever, practical two. Baal is practical. Minerva is clever. We’re both. Who else is going to work out what’s going on? Sakhmet? Dionysus? I think Amaterasu only wears sandals so much because she has trouble with shoelaces…
Persephone: And I am…?
Woden: You’re the wild card Dark Arts professor who scares the shit out of Slytherin kids like me. I still have no idea how you do half the things you do.
Cassandra: Me neither. You’re the only god who’s ever affected me. Why? You projected a performance through Owly…
Woden: She did? That’s impossible.
Cassandra: And… you said something happened after Lucifer died. What was that?
Persephone: Nothing important.
Cassandra: See! That’s the kind of enigmatic wankery we haven’t got time for when we’re all going to be dead in two years!
And the closing pages with Baal, Minerva, and… Sakhmet (?) were a curious look at a little “family” and how they were dealing with revelations about Ananke.
Nadia: You worked on one of my father’s projects? I’ve researched them all. I don’t remember a Bobbi.
Mockingbird: “Bobbi” is short for Barbara. Barbara Morse.
Nadia (realization dawning ): Biologist Barbara Morse? Like, “Project: Gladiator” Barbara Morse? Like, almost succesfully reproduced the Super-Soldier serum Barbara Morse?
Mockingbird (somewhat astonished): Those are not usually the things people remember about me.
Nadia: Like, lady adventurer scientist in the Savage Land and hanging out with Man-Thing in the Everglades Barbara Morse?
Mockingbird: That is… weird that you know all of that.
Nadia: You are my hero! I read your research on the super-soldier serum and you talked about all the traveling and the Savage Land and I thought– I thought “This is who I want to be when I grow up!” A woman who’s a super scientist but doesn’t stay in the lab all day. She has adventures! (reaches over and hugs Mockingbird) You inspire me.
Mockingbird: Okay… that… that’s a lot right there, and I just… you know, I’ve worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time… and I… I don’t know that anybody has ever said that I inspire them, and… and it’s totally cool for a super hero to just cry in public… people don’t remember that I’m a scientist. They just remember that I used to be married to Hawkeye1 and I hit things with sticks. So that means a lot. Come here, kid. It’s been a rough couple of months for me. Can I have another one of those hugs?
Nadia: Heck yes!
See, unabashed science-loving fangirl. And superhero. And, from the look of the last page, ready to take on the world.
If there is one book that I’d recommend reading from this week’s new titles, this is it. Buy it. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.
I shouldn’t have to become a bulletproof-Luke Cage just to feel safe as a black man in America.
Jay Whittaker
30 September 2016
This comment sparked an interesting – and introspective – thread on the Facebook account of my friend, Jay Whittaker.
Like me, Jay is a long-time comics fan. Also like me, he was eagerly anticipating the release of Luke Cage on Netflix this past weekend.
Luke Cage
I’ve been a comics fan since the mid- to late-70s. Most of the heroes wore capes and tights (and their underwear on the outside). It was pretty easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys. “Representation” wasn’t really a watchword when I started reading comics, but there were some signs of change and inclusion around the time the 80s rolled around. Today, you can find heroes of all colors, genders, belief systems, and/or sexuality. And they aren’t just in comics. They are also on TV, in books, and in major motion picture releases.
I’ve come to appreciate Black heroes more in the past fifteen years. For me, it really started with John Stewart, the Green Lantern on the Cartoon Network Justice League series. (My affinity for the character isn’t something that I’ve ever been shy talking about.) But, I have taken the time to become more familiar with Static, Black Panther, Cyborg, Nick Fury (MCU/Marvel Ultimate Universe version), Black Lightning, and many others.
Friday, Marvel’s Luke Cage joined the list of Black characters who have reached out from comics into other media. Who is Luke Cage? He’s:
I’m only about halfway through the series, but I am enjoying it. In bringing the character to the small screen, a few changes have been made, but nothing that makes the character unrecognizable. Something that I found interesting was what I can only assume was a rather conscious choice on the part of the show’s staff: Dressing Luke in an outfit that has become associated with many Black shooting victims in America today – a hoodie and jeans. Part of this is because Luke is trying to maintain a low profile and a hoodie affords a bit of anonymity. But, I can’t help but wonder if there aren’t a couple of underlying messages in that choice:
The series has also depicted something that doesn’t often get seen on the small screen: Glimpses at and inside the Black community. No, parts of it aren’t always pretty nor clean, but I don’t know of any community that truly is. But, you see the community – what brings them together, what tears them apart – and not just a caricature of it.
For a more personal connection to what made this series so special for so many people, I’ll defer to Jay once again:
Cage has always been the character I’ve truly identified with. Yes, I know you’re thinking, “But, what about Falcon?” [For those who don’t know him, Jay’s been a vocal fan of Marvel’s Falcon over the past few years, even cosplaying as him at Salt Lake Comic Con.]
Put it this way: Falcon, War Machine, Black Panther have always been the brothas I’ve wanted to BECOME. Falcon & WM are both respectable service members AND CAN FLY! Black Panther is a damn king. The same can be said about John Stewart as Green Lantern. But Luke Cage has and always will represent who I’ve BEEN and probably always WILL BE. He’s an experienced man of the streets, who’s seen and done things he’s not proud of. His dark past is shrouded in mystery and difficult for him to talk about, but in the end he’s an everyday guy who just wants to do the right thing. He’s more realistic than a high-tech brotha that can fly. That’s why this show is so important right now.
You don’t have to soar through the skies to be a successful black man. You can stay on the ground, make a difference in your community and push forward…ALWAYS FORWARD.
Jay Whittaker
September 30 at 3:31pm
After reading that, I messaged Jay, asking if he’d be alright with me quoting him. I also noted that his summary of what Cage meant to him was “perfect.” Why? As I told him:
…your POV is a great one – not only for people who know the characters, but also for people who just know the movies/Netflix series.
It humanizes – and personalizes – the character in a succint but very poignant way. Pointing out that the others are (ex-)military, given your background, and that Cage is still the most similar to you and the core of your being…? That adds a level that anyone can relate to.
The Washington Post said of Luke Cage “…definitely about time that people – everyone – has a chance to see something like this.
Check it out.
Saturday – 03 September 2016
Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 has come to an end.
This was, quite possibly, my most fun time at the con to date. I had a great time seeing friends, reacquainting with others, meeting new people and being a panelist for the first time! (Hopefully, I’ll get to do it again next year!) There were some things and people that I did not have the opportunity to see, but I really can’t complain about this year’s con experience.
This morning, Sara and I took Team DiVa to the Con (ahem… “the costume party”), so that they could see people in costumes. We found “a few” Captains Marvel, to Diana’s glee, but we had a hard time finding a Ms. Marvel for Vanessa. I was hoping to see the young lady (also pictured below) that I saw on Friday; she was nowhere to be found today. Sara managed to find both a Captain AND a Ms. Marvel – at the same time – who were both happy to take pictures with the girls. This happened while I was having a brief meet-and-greet with Phill LaMarr (Pulp Fiction, Mad TV, the voice of Green Lantern John Stewart on Justice League). WHEW!
We left Comic Con, so the girls could have lunch and some down time. I realized that I needed some recovery time, as well.
I returned to the Con a little after 5 PM… to find that the main floor was closing at 7 PM. Fortunately, I had managed to check off most of the boxes on my “To Do” list during the earlier visit. I visited with the Dr. Volt’s crew and managed to get more than three pictures of cosplayers today. I wrapped up the evening attending a panel with three-fourths of the lovely ladies from the Hello Sweetie Podcast, and three other panelists.
I think that Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 was fantastic convention and hope that it was a great success for all involved. I’d also like to thank and congratulate the staff and crew of Salt Lake Comic Con for putting on a great event… and for letting me be a part of it this year! I look forward to what SLCC 2017 brings.
And here are the pictures…
Thursday – 01 September 2016
For a No Bad News Thursday, today wasn’t horrid. It didn’t start off as what I would have called “perfect,” things came together by the end of the day and it ended with a bang! The day started with me at work and not at the Mark Hamill and William Shatner Salt Lake Comic Con panels that I had originally planned on attending. Oh, well. (As the song says: “I guess this is growing up…“) The work day came and went I left work a little early and made my way downtown.
People. Everywhere.
Many/most of them were in costume. It was great to see the array of characters and the work that people put into their outfits. (I only took one picture.) Of the standouts I recall, there was:
I made it to the convention center, picked up my badge, and hung out at the Dr. Volt’s Comics booth before heading to my panel discussions.
Wile E. Coyote… Special Guest! (What!? It has the same initials as “Super Genius!”)
Leigh George Kade (Geekshow Podcast and Frisch) moderated both discussions. They were fun and hopefully informative. Audience members asked a number of good questions across a decent spectrum from – we even fielded a few questions after each panel ended. I think that augurs well. (And, if it doesn’t… just let me sit here and enjoy my little delusion. Thank you.) The fifty minutes passed far too quickly – it felt like we had just gotten a good head of steam built up when the “Five Minutes” sign was waved. Hopefully, I’ll get an opportunity to be a panelist at a future con; if not, I’ve scratched an item off my bucket list that I didn’t even know was on the list!
For now: Sleep.
And tomorrow: Work… and Salt Lake Comic Con: Day Two!
