Reader Mail

Sometimes we get mail from our readers here at YACB; sometimes I'll share it with you:

Todd Frye from Tennessee writes:

Hello -

When you have time, please visit my site

http://www.comic-covers.com/

and if you like it, I'd appreciate a mention in your
blog.

Thanks.

Consider it mentioned, Todd.


Ray Tomczak wrote in to let me know about an error that creeped into my SNAP! round-up:

I came across your "Yet Another Comics Blog" while running a vanity search on Google. Under other circumstances, I would be thanking you for the mention, but in this case the comic that you attribute to me--Are We On Mars Yet?--is not one of mine. It is in fact the work of Yul Tolbert, who lives not all that far from you (closer than I do, at least) in Detroit.

If my name is on it, it's because Yul was at the time a member of the Small Press Syndicate, a club for small press comics publishers of which I served as chairman from January 2001 to December 2003.

Also, I will soon begin posting my comic strip Wasted Potential on my blog--just as soon as I get the scans back from my friend Joe.

Sorry about that Ray. Thanks for the info--I've made the correction.


Stephen Frug writes to let us know about a unique project he's undertaken:

I've written a comics script, and released it under a creative commons license. What this means is that anyone who wants to can play with it (illustrate it, rewrite it, or whatever), and publish the result non-commercially (so long as I'm given credit, and so long as they release it under the same license). I think this is the first-ever creative commons comics script -- there have been comics before, but not a script, afaik... The info & script downloads are here: http://stephenfrug.googlepages.com/ContinuityIntro.html

So if you're an aspiring comic artist looking for something to draw, Stephan's got a script for you to play with.


Finally, Phil Ward, who was the manager at my former comic shop, The Underworld, back in the days when it wa a great comic & game shop (it is since deceased...) writes to tell me that he's now at Heroquest Comics and Games in Howel Michigan: 2608 East Grand River Ave, Howell MI 48843, 517-540-9790. I haven't been there yet, but Phil ran a good shop back when he was in Ann Arbor, so if you're in Livingston County it might be worth stopping by to check out what they have to offer.


(some letters have been edited for length or clarity)

New Library Comics: Week of February 20, 2006

Here are the comics we got in for our library collection last week:


Amano, Masanao. Manga design /Koln ; Los Angeles : Taschen, 2004.

Amrapali and Upragupta /Mumbai, India : India Book House, 1997.

Ancestors of Rama /Mumbai, India : India Book House, 1998.

Battle of wits : a Jataka tale /Mumbai, India : India Book House, 1998.

Blood orange. /Seattle, WA : Fantagraphics Books, 2004- no. 1, 3-4

Burns, Charles, 1955- Black hole /New York : Pantheon Books, c2005.

Draupadi /Mumbai, India : India Book House, 1998.

Gravett, Paul. Graphic novels : stories to change your life /London : Aurum, 2005.

Mahiravana /Mumbai, India : India Book House, 1997.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

On the cover of 1980's Super Friends #30, Ramonda Fradon & Bob Smith draw Gorilla Grodd up to his old tricks, trying to turn people into gorillas. What is it with that guy?

(Standard disclaimer about gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

YACB Bulletins

ITEM! LEGO Pinball (via Steve Jackson)

ITEM! Wired has an article about the trials and tribulations of Richard Linklater's roto-animated adaptation of A Scanner Darkly: "Trouble in Toontown ".

ITEM! Chris Butcher is blogging up a storm out at the New York Comic Con. It's the next best thing to being there.

YAFQ: Fire!

Yet Another Friday Question:

There's a fire at your place of residence. You of course have first made sure that your family members, loved-ones, and pets are safe, and have already rescued your picture albums, heirlooms, and important documents. You have time to grab just one more handful of things before it finishes going up in flames, so which comic books do you grab to save from fiery destruction?


Me, I'm saving three things that are nearly irreplacable: the Flex Mentallo mini; Tales of the Beanworld; and my Curt Swan original Superman art pages.


How about you: which comic items would you save from the flames of fate?

Yet Another Music Moment

(I've pretty much given up on Yet Another Media Blog, as I was hardly ever updating it and no one was reading it when I was. So you'll all have to put up with me rambling on about music and tv and movies and books and whatnot from time to time over here on YACB.)

Who knew that listening to NPR could be so expensive? After hearing an All Things Considered story on singer Jenny Lewis, I hopped on over to iTunes and ended up not only purchasing her new album Rabbit Fur Coat, but also the album More Adventurous by her regular band Rilo Kelly. (Darn iTunes makes buying new music too easy!) Both are rather good, so hop on over and give a listen when you get a chance.

You Say It's Your Birthday?

Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!

Other people who share our birthday (courtesy of WikiPedia):

Pope Paul II (1417)
W.E.B. DuBois (1868)
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (1932)
Peter Fonda (1940)
Howard Jones (1955)
Dakota Fanning (1994)

(Update: See the Wikipedia article on the birthday paradox.)

(modified cover to The New Adventures of Superboy #1 by Kurt Schaffenberger & Dick Giordano, courtesy of the GCD. Clark Kent's actual birthday is February 29, but this is close enough!)