Everything is better in LEGO.

Where are the other 1/2 of Earth's heroes? The ones not eliminated by Thanos 'snap' should have been there already right? Read the rest

Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg continue to dissect the turbulent comic book speculator boom on the 1990s while looking through antique copies of Wizard Magazine.

What to expect in this issue:

* Malibu's Ultraverse is announced!

* Chris Claremont's life after X-Men. An interview.

* Joe Quesada is talking is hopes and dreams about wanting to leave a mark on the industry.

* Ron Wagner, the Morbius Artist, cuts promos on the series writer, Len Kaminski

Subscribe to the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel for more comics vids and analysis like this. Read the rest

Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg continue to dissect the turbulent comic book speculator boom on the 1990s while looking through antique copies of Wizard Magazine.

Some of this issues contents:

• Jae Lee takes center stage and talks Youngblood: Strikefile, WildCATs Trilogy, Namor, John Byrne, and more! • Liefeld interview 2: Youngblood, Bloodstrike, Brigade, Prophet, Image, editors, publishers, and late books • Star Trek comics • Ray Bradbury comics at Topps and the all-star lineup of artists drawing them: Richard Corben, Al Williamson, Mike Mignola! • Topps' Kirbyverse comics: Steve Ditko draws the Secret City! • The Comics Code, Mike Allred in Palmer's Picks, and Wizard's editor vows to never read manga - a proclamation that upsets Jim and Ed so much that they make a new t-shirt in response:  • PLUS - the winners of the Cable cover contest in Brutes & Babes!

Subscribe to the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel for more vids celebrating the medium of comics. Read the rest

Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg unpack the tale of Human Torch creator, Carl Burgos's, bitter attempt to agitate the mainstream comics publishers of the 1960s with his very own Captain Marvel character (and Plastic man, Dr Doom, Dr. Fate, and The Bat).

For further reading: Marvel, The Untold Story, By Sean Howe. 

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The title says it all, Ed Piskor, Jim Rugg, and Tom Scioli got their grubby hands on some Jack Kirby artwork (inked by Mike Royer) from his 1970s period at Marvel. No ink-line or artistic decision goes unnoticed once this classic page gets put under the microscope.

--------------------- SUPPLEMENTAL LINKS:

Instagram #KirbyHands

Jack Kirby Museum

Jack Kirby Collector

Jack Kirby Pencils and Inks (Note: any comic book store or book store can order this book for you)

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Get your Cartoonist Kayfabe merchandise at our Spreadshop storefront.  Read the rest

Controversial subject matter in this week's episode. Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg showcase a small sample of their favorite unauthorized comics.

Subscribe to the Cartoonist Kayfabe youtube channel for updated comic book coverage every week.

Supplemental Links of comics from the video:

Comics Journal review of Ron Rege Diana (Wonder Woman)

Ron Rege Store Envy

Josh Simmons' Mark of the Bat

Josh Simmons' Twilight of the Bat

David Enos' Batman Lost In the Woods

Benjamin Marra American Psycho

Benjamin Marra Website

Jim Mahfood's Ask For Janice

Tom Neely's Doppleganger

Teddy Goldenberg's Cobra 2

Jim Rugg's Rambo 3.5 Read the rest

Black Panther, on the heels of its SAG win and seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture, will play for free at 250 movie theaters for a week starting tomorrow (February 1). As part of the Black Panther celebrations, Walt Disney Company is also granting $1.5 million to the United Negro College Fund.

“In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers," T'Challa said. "We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.”

Claim free tickets to see Black Panther (WeTicketIt) Read the rest

I've always had a soft spot for Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. They were met with middling enthusiasm from critics, but they served up a whole lot of what I wanted: the ability to build my own team of Marvel heroes to open cans of whoop ass on the forces of evil. Long before Diablo 3, the Ultimate Alliance games allowed me to scratch my "quest for gear" itch, without having to log on to World of Warcraft and deal with other people. Providing me with juuuust the right combination of mindless button mashing, light tactics and story to keep me coming back, they used to be among my favorite games to turn to when I needed to switch my brain off for an hour or two.

Soon, there'll be a new addition to the franchise for me to play.

From The Verge: Nintendo has announced Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order exclusively for the Switch. The game was announced through a trailer shown off at The Game Awards, which are currently in progress; it’ll be out in 2019. Team Ninja, the studio behind Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, and Nioh, is on board as developer, marking its first Nintendo collaboration since Metroid: Other M.

I'm curious about how it'll work for the Switch. The PSP version of the first installment in the series was playable, but often felt cramped on the portable console's tiny display. I guess I'll have the opportunity to find out in 2019. Read the rest

Having 50% of the universe's population turned into ash by a lunatic seems to have brought everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe down. That said, after the emotional thrashing that Marvel fans took from watching Avengers: Infinity War, anything will likely feel light and airy. Read the rest

Got a 3D printer? Read the rest

Here's Stan Lee on a 1970 episode of To Tell The Truth, a fun game show where a panel of celebrities had to identify an individual with an unusual profession (in this case, comic book creator) among a group of impostors.

Excelsior!

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Tom Hardy continues his tradition of playing comic book characters whose main power is mumbling in the latest trailer for Venom. It's a fun-filled 3:14 that extols the virtues of teamwork, appreciating one another's differences and making the best of a bad situation.

I'm betting the movie'll be just like the Odd Couple, but with more eviscerations. Read the rest

Welcome Ed Piskor back to Boing Boing (previously), where he'll be offering an annotated page-by-page look at the first part of X-Men: Grand Design, his epic retelling of how Marvel comics' pantheon of heroes came to be. Here's page 3; read page 1 first — Eds.

Director’s commentary

Long before the X-Men publisher was called Marvel it was known as Timely. The heroes (The Fin, Original Human Torch, Blonde Phantom, Blazing Skull, Angel, The Destroy, The Witness, and Vision) in the first panels represent the more popular creations from Timely's "Golden-Age". Because this comic is a veiled world-building exercise, I will take the opportunity to include characters from the extended Marvel pantheon into X-Men: Grand Design whenever possible.

The Sub-Mariner tidal wave that engulfed New York City in the last strip provided me the opportunity to come up with some sort of explanation for how Charles came to have a giant estate and an even bigger disposable income (Danger Rooms and Blackbird Jets aren't cheap). As far as I know this has never been covered in a major way before, though we do know early on that his father is a scientist.

Panel 4: The battleship floating over the submerged city, absorbing solar energy to then evaporate the water was a fun challenge to compose and I can live with the resulting illustration. As an artist, the beauty of such a project is that it really stretches one’s drawing chops with all that’s required. One page is World War II imagery. Read the rest

The Hollywood Reporter published a story yesterday about Marvel legend Stan Lee's horrible living situation. A document allegedly written by the 95-year-old Lee and his lawyer claims that he is the victim of elder abuse being perpetrated by his daughter, her lawyer, and others.

The Feb. 13 document, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, begins with some background, explaining that Lee and his late wife had arranged a trust for their daughter because she had trouble supporting herself and often overspent. “It is not uncommon for J.C. to charge, in any given month, $20,000 to $40,000 on credit cards, sometimes more,” the document states. It goes on to describe how, when he and his daughter disagree — “which is often” — she “typically yells and screams at me and cries hysterically if I do not capitulate.”

Lee explains that J.C. will, “from time to time,” demand changes to her trust, including the transfer of properties into her name. He has resisted such changes, he states, because they “would greatly increase the likelihood of her greatest fear: that after my death, she will become homeless and destitute.”

The declaration then explicates how three men with “bad intentions” — Jerardo “Jerry” Olivarez, Keya Morgan and J.C.’s attorney, Kirk Schenck — had improperly influenced his daughter, a woman with “very few adult friends.” The document claims the trio has “insinuated themselves into relationships with J.C. for an ulterior motive and purpose”: to take advantage of Lee and “gain control over my assets, property and money.”

From Uproxx:

Lee has denied and distanced himself from the document referenced above, but the report indicates that the “turmoil” between his daughter and the three men named has been ongoing and raised questions about the 95-year-old’s wellbeing.

When Disney built Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris), it was required to partner with a French company that borrowed heavily, couldn't get out from under its debts, and ended up beholden to creditors who forced it to limit spending on the park, trapping it in a cycle of unpopularity and underinvestment. Read the rest

Marvel is launching a website that allows visitors to create their own comics using the company's pantheon of famous characters. They insist, however, that certain topics not be addressed: social issues, death, farts, and so forth. You wonder: if the trap is so obvious, why walk into it?

Here are some highlights from the very long list of no-no’s:

“Content that could frighten or upset young children or the parents of young children.”Prescription drugs or over-the-counter medication, vitamins, and dietary supplements.Contraceptives“Suggestive or revealing images,” including “bare midriffs” “Sensationalism,” which is not defined but elucidated with the examples “killer bees, gossip, aliens, scandal, etc.” “Obscenity, bad or offensive language” or “proxies for bad or offensive language.” E.g. no “X@#%!” “Noises related to bodily functions.” No politics, including “alternative lifestyle advocacies” Death “Misleading language” “A copy or parody of current or past Marvel advertising creative” Any “controversial topics,” including “social issues” Double entendres Any amusement parks that aren’t Disney amusement parks Any movie studios that aren’t “affiliated with Marvel” Guns

I can't wait to play with this.

Heyyy so I heard Marvel is letting us make our own comics now and there are some rules about stuff we have to include? Anyway @bisonfisticuffs and I made you a thing, I think we got everything in there pic.twitter.com/nF3qyJwIQl

— Alex de Campi (@alexdecampi) December 29, 2017

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