Twenty Great Classic Anime Openings

As anime began to flourish in Japan in the 1970s, greater and greater attention was paid to crafting the opening title sequences to a given show. Theme songs evolved from being essentially chants that extolled the virtues of the characters or robot or ship that was being featured into legitimate rock numbers that didn't have … Continue reading Twenty Great Classic Anime Openings →

BHOC: NOVA #25

The next issue of NOVA that appeared at my local 7-11 was also the last, a fact that saddened me. I'd only started reading the book a few months earlier once I realized it was a super hero series, and I'd enjoyed it throughout its short run. Especially concerning was the fact that writer Marv … Continue reading BHOC: NOVA #25 →

MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED: THE COMICBOOK FILMBOOK, Part Four

Continuing our look through MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED: THE COMICBOOK FILMBOOK, a 1973 release that explained assorted filmmaking techniques and terminology by using visual examples culled from then-recent Marvel comics. A Johnny Craig sequence from IRON MAN opens this chapter. Panels by John Buscema and Jack Kirby Some more John Buscema here. A Barry Smith CONAN sequence … Continue reading MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED: THE COMICBOOK FILMBOOK, Part Four →

BHOC: MARVEL TALES #103

Marvel had begun to phase out its line of reprint titles, with only MARVEL TALES (starring the ultra-popular Spider-Man) and MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (featuring Marvel's TV Sensation, the Incredible Hulk) making the eventual cut. I can understand why this was done--the marketplace was changing and there wasn't the same need to both establish a large beachhead … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TALES #103 →

Twenty Children’s Shows That Made An Impact On Me

It's another holiday, so it's time for another one of these semi-purposeless lists. When I was growing up back in the 1970s, the options for entertainment were slim for a kid. There were only three main broadcast channels, plus PBS and a couple of syndication stations. Nothing like today, when there are entire stations dedicated … Continue reading Twenty Children’s Shows That Made An Impact On Me →

The Second Batman Story

Batman was created in direct response to the overwhelming success of Superman, and he represented the second major super hero to be created, and the polar opposite of the Man of Steel. While the two characters seemed like they shared a tailor, their attributes were in direct contrast to one another. Superman was godlike and … Continue reading The Second Batman Story →

BHOC: INVADERS #40

I was saddened to discover upon purchasing this latest issue of INVADERS that it was the final issue of the series. Which is a bit of a strange reaction given that my interest in the title had been waning for some months, pretty much coinciding with when artist Frank Robbins stepped down in favor of … Continue reading BHOC: INVADERS #40 →

MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED: THE COMICBOOK FILMBOOK, Part Three

Continuing on with our survey of this long-lost volume that uses examples from comic books to illustrate points of filmmaking theory. A Don Heck panel there on the lower right. Some Gene Colan here. More Gene Colan. A Steve Ditko panel on the right. A Gil Kane Spider-Man panel. More Gene Colan and a Dick … Continue reading MOVIEMAKING ILLUSTRATED: THE COMICBOOK FILMBOOK, Part Three →

BHOC: INCREDIBLE HULK #235

He'd been teased over the course of the previous month, but this issue of INCREDIBLE HULK firmly brought Jack Kirby's creation Machine Man into the Marvel Universe proper. The character had debuted in the last couple of issues of Kirby's 2001 and possessed ties to the mythos of that film. But after 2001 had run … Continue reading BHOC: INCREDIBLE HULK #235 →

The Second Atom Story

By 1940, the newsstands of the nation were filling up with stories of all-new superhuman champions. Superman had set off a flood of imitators, and costumed characters were clearly a bit of a gold mine. Not all of them were great, some of them were downright bizarre, and many wouldn't last the test of time. … Continue reading The Second Atom Story →