My Comic Book Conundrum

I’m facing a dilemma. I want to collect the Marvel Comics I knew and loved as a kid, but I’ve turned into a tightwad. (Actually, I’m not a tightwad — I’ve just become more sensible about the way I use my money.) There are several ways I could go about maintaining this collection, each with its own distinct advantages and disadvantages.

The four methods I could use to build my collection are:

Collect the actual comics. I could buy the old comic books I remember reading as a kid. Most of these are available at a reasonable price — a couple bucks each — but some would cost $40 or $50 of dollars, even for reading copies. By collecting individual comics, I could pick up just the issues I read and loved as a kid. This method would provide the best tactile experience — there’s nothing like holding (and smelling) and old comic — but it would also take the most space. My collection of actual comics is pretty weak at the moment.
Collect the hardbound color editions. Marvel publishes a series of hardback books called Marvel Masterworks. Each book collects roughly ten issues in a restored format. These are beautiful books, but they retail for $50 each. (They can be acquired for $25-$35 each with careful shopping.) I already own about fifty of these volumes (about 80 have been published, with another one coming every month), and have paid about $28/each for them. I’m wary of damaging these books: I don’t want to read them in the bathub. I don’t want to read them while eating. They take a lot of space. Some are highly collectible right now, going for big bucks on eBay. (Though with a reprint program about to begin, these prices are going to drop quickly.) The Masterworks only reprint a very limited part of the Marvel library, primarily material from before I was reading comics.
Collect paperback black-and-white reprints. Marvel also publishes a series of reprints called The Essentials. A volume of Essential Spider-Man might reprint 25 issues of old comics in black-and-white. Each of these volumes retails for about $17, though they can be purchased for about $12 online. I have several dozen of these, but there are dozens more I haven’t purchased. Nearly anything that has been published as a Masterwork has also been published as an Essential. These are great books to read in the tub or over a bowl of breakfast cereal. They’re fun to read. There’s a wider range of material available, too, including a lot of minor titles, and a lot of material from the late 1970s when I was actively reading comics.
Buy comics on DVD. Marvel has begun producing DVDs that collect their core titles. Each $40 DVD holds every comic ever printed for a particular title. For example, the Fantastic Four DVD holds 40 years of the comic book. These are actual scans of the comics, so aside from reading them on your computer, it’s as close to the real thing as a person can get. There are two huge advantages to this method: cost and completeness. But let’s not forget the space advantage, too. There’s no shelf space required for comics ripped to a hard drive. There are some big disadvantages to DVDs, too: only core titles are being collected so far (with Ghost Rider being the sole exception). Also, these discs must be viewed on a computer.

I honestly have no idea which way to take my collection. The only option I know I’m not going to choose is to purchase the original comics. I have no interest in that. So which of the other three options should I choose?

I could sell my Masterworks for a modest amount of money ($1250?), but it would take time and effort. The proceeds would easily fund DVDs as replacements. I could also sell my essentials, but they’re unlikely to fetch much money at all.

If I decide to continue collecting Masterworks — I haven’t purchased a new one in almost a year — then I’m committing to spent about $35 a month on them. Essentials would only run about $24 a month. DVDs would be one-time expenses of about $40 each time a new title was released, which is apparently every three months or so. I only expect a small number of titles to be released on DVD.

The Indispensable Comic Strip Reprint Library

As I get older, the more interested I am in comic strips instead of comic books. They’re more entertaining. There are fewer to collect. They’re less dominated by fanboy culture.

I’ve begun to collect comic strips at the perfect time. We’ve entered a golden age of comic strip reprints — there’s an embarrassment of riches. In fact, there are so many books coming out right now, that I’ve made the time to create a checklist. To the best of my knowledge, these are the in-print reprint projects, as well as some ancillary material.

The idea for this came from a discussion in the Marvel Masterworks forum. This research is merely the groundwork for what I hope will eventually be a subsection at Vintage Pop. I know this isn’t of interest to most people, but I want to get this posted someplace so that I have it as reference.

First, I’ll list all of the books that are scheduled to come out in the next few months. Then I’ll list books by strip name. I’ve placed a happy star next to particular favorites. (Happy stars reflect my personal taste, which probably is the opposite of yours.)

Upcoming Releases
Walt and Skeezix, book three (1925-1926) by Frank King (26 Jun 2007)
The Early Years of Mutt & Jeff by Bud Fisher (11 July 2007)
The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art by Jerry Robinson (08 August 2007)
Krazy & Ignatz: The Kat Who Walked in Beauty by George Herriman (15 Aug 2007) — daily strips
Sundays with Walt and Skeezix by Frank King, edited by Peter Maresca (15 August 2007)

The Complete Terry and the Pirates, volume one: 1934-1936 by Milt Caniff (25 Sep 2007)
The Complete Peanuts 1965-1966 by Charles Schulz (15 October 2007)
Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, volume one: “Into the Wild Blue Yonder” by Walt Kelly (19 Oct 2007)
The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, volume three by Chester Gould (25 Oct 2007)
Popeye, volume two: “Well Blow Me Down” by E.C. Segar (19 Nov 2007)
Growingold with B.C.: A Celebration of Johnny Hart by Johnny Hart (25 November 2007)
Krazy and Ignatz 1941-1942: “A Ragout of Raspberries” by George Herriman (19 December 2007)
Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1957-1958 by Hank Ketcham (19 December 2007)
The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968 by Charles Schulz (19 May 2008)
Little Nemo: So Many Splendid Sundays, volume two by Winsor McCay, edited by Peter Maresca (Summer 2008)
The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970 by Charles Schulz (19 October 2008)

Dennis the Menace
Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1951-1952 by Hank Ketcham
Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1953-1954 by Hank Ketcham
Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1955-1956 by Hank Ketcham
Hank Ketcham’s Complete Dennis the Menace 1957-1958 by Hank Ketcham (19 December 2007)

Dick Tracy
The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, volume one: 1931-1933 by Chester Gould
The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, volume two: 1933-1935 by Chester Gould
The Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, volume three: 1935-1936 by Chester Gould (25 Oct 2007)
DVD: Dick Tracy movie serial (1937)

Gasoline Alley
Walt and Skeezix, book one (1921-1922) by Frank King
Walt and Skeezix, book two (1923-1924) by Frank King
Walt and Skeezix, book three (1925-1926) by Frank King (26 Jun 2007)
Sundays with Walt and Skeezix by Frank King, edited by Peter Maresca (15 August 2007)

Little Nemo
Little Nemo 1905-1914 by Winsor McCay
Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays by Winsor McCay, edited by Peter Maresca — the gold standard for comic strip reprints
Little Nemo: So Many Splendid Sundays, volume two by Winsor McCay, edited by Peter Maresca (Summer 2008)
Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend by Winsor McCay
DVD: Winsor McCay – The Master Edition (1911) — a compilation of McCay’s animated pieces, including “Gertie the Dinosaur”
Winsor McCay: His Life and Art by John Canemaker

Mary Perkins On Stage
Mary Perkins On Stage, volume one by Leonard Starr
Mary Perkins On Stage, volume two by Leonard Starr

Mutt & Jeff
The Early Years of Mutt & Jeff by Bud Fisher (11 July 2007)

Pogo
Pogo: The Complete Daily & Sunday Comic Strips, volume one: “Into the Wild Blue Yonder” by Walt Kelly (19 Oct 2007)

Popeye
Popeye, volume one: “I Yam What I Yam” by E.C. Segar
Popeye, volume two: “Well Blow Me Down” by E.C. Segar (19 Nov 2007)
Popeye: An Illustrated Cultural History by Fred M. Grandinetti

Steve Canyon
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1947 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1948 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1949 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1950 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1951 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1952 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1953 by Milt Caniff
Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon 1954 by Milt Caniff

Terry and the Pirates
The Complete Terry and the Pirates, volume one: 1934-1936 by Milt Caniff (25 Sep 2007)

Modern Classics and Other Oddities
Growingold with B.C.: A Celebration of Johnny Hart by Johnny Hart (25 November 2007)
The Best of Beetle Bailey by Mort Walker
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 by Gary Larson
The Best of Hi and Lois by Mort Walker
Hi and Lois: Sunday Best by Mort Walker
Oh Skin-Nay! The Days of Real Sport by Wilbur Nesbit and Calre Briggs

Anthologies and Reference
100 Years of Comic Strips edited by Bill Blackbeard
The Adventurous Decade: Comic Strips in the Thirties by Ron Goulart
America’s Great Comic-Strip Artists: From the Yellow Kid to Peanuts by Richard Marschall
Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries 1900-1969 by Dan Nadel
Children of the Yellow Kid: The Evolution of the American Comic Strip
The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art by Jerry Robinson (08 August 2007)
The Comics: Before 1945 by Brian Walker
The Comics: Since 1945 by Brian Walker
Great Comics Syndicated by the NY Daily News and Chicago Tribune by Herb Galewitz
Masters of American Comics
Reading the Funnies: Looking at Great Cartoonists Throughout the First Half of the 20th Century by Donald Phelps
The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics edited by Bill Blackbeard
The World on Sunday: Graphic Art in Joseph Pulitzer’s Newspaper (1898-1911) by Nicholson Baker

Periodicals
Comics Revue reprints 64 pages of classic comics every month
Big Fun reprints classic American newspaper strips in a deluxe format (but on an irregular schedule)

Publishers, etc.
Checker Book Publishing Group
Classic Comics Press
Drawn and Quarterly
Fantagraphics Books
IDW Publishing
Ken Pierce Books
Pacific Comics Club
SPEC Productions
Sunday Press Books

Weblogs and web sites
Don Markstein’s Toonopedia
Last of the Spinner Rack Junkies
Vintage Pop will feature a lot of comic strip material when I launch it. Some of that material can be still be found at Four Color Comics

I could actually prolong this by adding movie serials to the list, and by adding Little Lulu. (Lulu was not a comic strip, but contains similar elements.)

Why I Won’t See Spider-Man 3

At first I didn’t plan to see Spider-Man 3 because the story doesn’t interest me. I don’t like Venom. The idea of three villains seems like overkill. The second film was so good, that there’s no need to see a third.

Then I didn’t want to see this because of the obscene amount of money plowed into it. Upwards of half a billion dollars? It almost begins to seem immoral to support that kind of excess. Why don’t we spend half a billion dollars to do something more productive, instead? Or maybe $450 million. Give me a $50 million Spider-Man movie with a good story, and use the rest to feed starving kids, or to support peace, or to stop global warming. I don’t care — pick your cause. Just don’t waste it like this.

This brings up another reason I might not like the film: it contains excessive CGI from all accounts. It’s no secret that I believe modern filmmakers use CGI as a crutch. They think that if they throw up some splashy, costly special effects, this will excuse their poor storytelling skills. (Peter Jackson and George Lucas are the most egregious offenders, in my book.) It doesn’t work that way. (At least not for me.) Your half-hour tear-filled farewell scene still sucks, no matter how many CGI elves you put on the screen. You can cram as many clone troopers as you want into a battle, but it’s not going to matter because you’ve done a poor job of making me care. From all reports, this film is a CGI lovefest. Ugh.

So, those were all the reasons I didn’t plan to see Spider-Man 3. But now, after reading some reviews, I don’t plan to see it because it’s not any good. From the SF Gate:

“Spider-Man 2” was a textbook example of how to make a sequel: Deepen it, make it funnier, give it more heart and come up with a strong villain and a good story. “Spider Man 3,” by contrast, shows how not to make a sequel. The film takes three bad stories and tries to fashion a narrative out of them. It can’t be done. It also takes established and warmly regarded characters and has them behave in ways that make no sense in terms of what we know about them. And, perhaps to give the movie the illusion of scale, it contains many empty conversations — scenes in which characters dither and nothing happens. Word to the wise: Whenever Rosemary Harris shows up as Peter Parker’s beloved old aunt, it’s safe to run out and get popcorn.

From Anthony Lane of The New Yorker:

If “Spider-Man 3” is a shambles, that’s because it makes the rules up as it goes along. By the end, for instance, Sandman has become the size of an office block, each swinging fist as big as a truck, his personality reduced to brutishness. I half expected him to come after Spider-Man and Mary Jane carrying a gigantic bucket and spade. By what criterion did he grow so mountainous? Is he like a Transformer, or more like a genie? The fact is that if the fantastical is to flourish it must lay down the conditions of its magic and abide by them; otherwise, we feel cheated. (Tolkien knew this better than anyone.) Some viewers will take the New Goblin, whose name sounds like a small-circulation poetry magazine, to be a vessel of unnatural forces, while others will see him, when he fires up his rocket-powered skateboard, as a rich kid with too many toys. That’s the problem with this third installment of the franchise: not that it’s running out of ideas, or lifting them too slavishly from the original comic, but that it lunges at them with an infantile lack of grace, throwing money at one special effect after another and praying—or calculating—that some of them will fly.

I’ll save my money, thanks.

p.s. I recently watched Superman Returns. I was disappointed. B-O-R-I-N-G!

A Crime Lab in the Trunk

I dedicate this entry to Kris and Rhonda, and to the Goddess of Light.

The women of the OSP crime lab — my own personal super-heroes!

Gasoline Alley – A Walk in the Woods

I warned you: now that I’ve officially mothballed Four Color Comics and Vintage Pop (though the latter will return in a year or two), you folks will have to bear the brunt of my comic-y meditations.

Today I want to talk about Gasoline Alley. I read this comic strip when I was a boy, but I could never really get into it. I didn’t get it. It wasn’t funny. The story didn’t make sense. It was worthless to me. My friends and I used to joke about it, making fun of it.

However, when Drawn and Quarterly recently began to publish a reprint series of the strip, I picked it up. I was blown a way. Gasoline Alley is my favorite comic strip of all those I now collect. It’s amazing.

When Frank King started the strip in the late teens, it was usually just a daily single-panel car gag. (Cars were novelties at the time, and not all comic strips adhered to a standard format.) In 1921, though, this all changed. King’s editor asked him to broaden the strips appeal, so he introduced a “baby on the doorstep”, and Gasoline Alley began to move from car-centric to family-centric. More interesting, though, is that his characters began to age in real time. The baby, Skeezix, grew up with his readers, eventually going off to fight in World War II.

King has a talent for observing the details of life, much as his fellow Midwesterner Garrison Keillor now does. He takes pleasure in the minutiae, in the everyday stuff. His art is both gangly and chunky, but it serves his subject well. (Whenever I get a new volume in this series, I take delight in pointing things out to Kris — “Look! He’s still using gaslight here, but by this time, he has an electric lamp.”)

All of this is prelude to the real subject of this entry. In the Gasoline Alley Sunday pages (which I have not read because they’re not collected in the compilations), the two main characters, Walt and Skeezix, would take an annual walk through the woods. Roger Clark has collected these autumn walks into one location.

They’re magical. Especially those by strip creator Frank King. Here’s a good one (click to enlarge):

The third volume of Walt and Skeezix (as the Gasoline Alley compilations are called) will be released at the end of June. I recommend these books highly.

The New Frugal J.D.

I made some changes to this site’s RSS feed the other day. Could somebody who reads foldedspace via RSS please leave a comment (or e-mail me) so that I can verify things still work? Just a ping is fine.

Here’s an entry I’m able to post to three different weblogs! You gotta love that…

Rhonda called this morning. “There’s a garage sale near me where a guy is selling old comic books. They’re from the seventies. You might want to come take a look.”

I did want to take a look, though I knew it was dangerous business. One key to managing your money is to avoid temptation. It’s foolish to purposefully put yourself into a position where you’re likely to spend.

And yet I drove to the garage sale to look at the comics books.

I’ve collected comics since I was a boy. I used to collect the actual magazines, buying them at grocery stores and bookshops. I grew out of them in high school, and in 1989 I sold my entire collection for $100 to a comic book store near my university. I needed the money to take a girlfriend on an expensive date. (The collection I sold included many fine runs, including all of Miller Daredevil, most of the “new” X-Men, all of Marvel Star Wars — basically all the cool stuff from the late seventies and early eighties when I had been actively collecting.)

Most garage sale comics are woefully overpriced. People ask $5 for a common-as-dirt mid-nineties Batman, for example. Nobody’s going to pay that. But the garage sale I drove to today was different. The seller had two boxes of mid-seventies Marvel comics, all of which were priced at about $2 an issue.

He had Amazing Spider-Man from about 115-145. He had Fantastic Four from about 130-160. He had Incredible Hulk from about 180-200. He had various issues of Avengers, X-Men, Captain America, and Daredevil. There was a lot of great stuff here, and two years ago I would have offered $100 for as much as the seller would let me take.

I didn’t do that today. Today I leafed through both boxes, thanked the man, and left. Why? Two reasons:

I no longer collect the comic magazines themselves. I collect comic compilations.
I’m a better money manager than I was two years ago.

Would I have liked to have these comics? Absolutely. They would be great fun to read, especially since most won’t be collected in reprint volumes for another five or ten years, if ever. But I can’t keep up with the comics I buy currently. I’m thinking of cutting back to collecting only comic strip compilations. And there are other things I’d like buy with that money. (MacBook Pro, anyone?)

In the end, I only spent a few dollars in gas to drive to the sale and back: a victory for the new frugal J.D.

Graphic Novels for People Who Hate Comics

Note: I’ve cross-posted this to Four Color Comics, my comics blog.

Kristi asked yesterday about good graphic novels for book groups. In response, here’s a list of comics that I think nearly any adult would find entertaining and interesting. Note the absence of superheroes.

The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman: The most important graphic novel yet published. Maus recounts the experiences of Spiegleman’s father as a Polish Jew during the Holocaust. It won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1992. Outstanding. A+ $22.05 from Amazon.
La Perdida by Jessica Abel: La Perdida tells the story of Carla, an aimless young American woman living in Mexico City. The ending is a little Hollywood, but overall, this is a great read. B+ $12.97 from Amazon.
Blankets or Good-Bye, Chucky Rice by Craig Thompson: Thompson is a Portland-area creator. Blankets is considered his best work to date, and it’s fine in a Tori Amos sort of way, but feels a little sophomoric at times. I prefer the more imaginative Good-Bye, Chunky Rice. Blankets: B $18.87 from Amazon. Good-Bye, Chunky rice: B+ $9.97 from Amazon.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis is the autobiography of a woman who grew up in Iran during the reign of the Shah, and during the Islamic Revolution. This book has been compared (favorably) to Maus, and while it’s not quite up to that standard, it’s excellent nonetheless. Highly recommended. A- $11.67 from Amazon.
Black Hole by Charles Burns: One of the next books on my “to-read” shelf. This highly-acclaimed graphic novel is another portrait of adolescence. It combines a sexually-transmitted plague with a series of murders. Highly-regarded. Inc. $15.72 from Amazon.
Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid in the World by Chris Ware: The story of a sad family full of sad men. I collected this in comic book form during the mid-nineties — I bought the first issue on the day my father died — but haven’t read it since. Ware is the darling of the intelligentsia.B $22.05 from Amazon.
Torso by Brian Michael Bendis: Remember Eliot Ness of Untouchables fame? After he stood up to Al Capone in Chicago, he moved to Cleveland. This true-crime graphic novel tells of his other big case, the one that ruined him: a series of gruesome killings. A- out-of-print, but available used at $12.95 from Amazon.
Age of Bronze: A Thousand Ships and Age of Bronze: Sacrifice by Eric Shanower: Over the course of a planned seven volumes, Shanower is writing and drawing the history of the Trojan War using primary sources as reference. He’s dispensed with the gods and goddesses, but not their roles. When drawing the books, he relies on archaeological evidence to get the costumes, structures, and objects correct. This is great stuff. Age of Bronze: A Thousand Ships: A $13.57 from Amazon. Age of Bronze: Sacrifice: Inc. $12.97 from Amazon.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes: Some of you have probably seen the film adaptation of this book. The graphic novel on which it is based is a little different, emphasizing the relationship between the two young women, and spending less time on secondary characters. This is really a series of eight short stories that hang together as a whole. Shortish. A- $9.20 from Amazon.
American Splendor by Harvey Pekar: This book contains dozens of short autobiographical bits from Pekar’s early work. Some are great, others are less impressive, but on the whole American Splendor does a great job capturing adult angst. I actually prefer the recent film, which is wonderfully post-modern and often hilarious. B+ $11.53 from Amazon.
Locas by Jaime Hernandez: Though this is a classic in the field, I haven’t read any of it yet. To quote Publishers Weekly: “These superb stories … define a world of Hispanic gang warfare, ’80s California, punk rock, women wrestlers and the subtle battle to stay true to oneself. Hernandez’s main characters are Maggie and Hopey, two adorable lesbian rockers who start out in a somewhat vague relationship.” Inc. $31.47 from Amazon.
Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez: If you enjoyed Like Water for Chocolate or One Hundred Years of Solitude, then Palomar may be for you. Publishers Weekly again: “The earliest stories in the book owe more to magical realism and Gabriel Garcia Marquez than to anything that had been done in comics before. But in later pieces … Hernandez’s style is entirely his own”. Inc. $25.17 from Amazon.
Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson: Here’s a graphic novel that I do not own and have not read. Box Office Poison gets rave reviews from every corner. From what I understand, it tracks the misadventures of a group of recent college grads. Inc. $18.87 from Amazon.

Did you notice how the good graphic novels plumbed teen angst and autobiography for material? Did you further notice how the great graphic novels covered bigger subjects: the Holocaust, the Islamic Revolution, the Trojan War? Coincidence? I don’t think so.

One other excellent book to consider is Scott McCloud‘s Understanding Comics ($15.61 from Amazon). Understanding Comics is not a graphic novel, but a visual exploration of the comics medium: how it works, why it works, and so on. It’s brilliant in its simplicity. I actually want to choose this sometime for our book group, and then ask each member to read a graphic novel, too.

Some of you may be wondering, “Where are the great superhero graphic novels?” The short answer is that there aren’t any suitable for people who think they don’t like superhero comics. If you can’t buy into the genre, you’re not going to like the superhero stuff, no matter how good it is.

The primary exception are the products of Alan Moore. His work is imaginative and literary; I think that most open-minded adults will find it engaging. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (volume one, volume two) is clever fun. It takes fictional Victorian heroes — such as Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, and Mina Harker — and melds them into a sort of “superteam”. Every character in the book is an established character from a previous work of fiction or an ancestor of a character from modern-day fiction.

Moore’s V for Vendetta has no superheroes, though it trades on superhero comic tropes. It explores themes of freedom, identity, and fascism. I think the beginning is strong, but the ending is something of a chore.

Finally, Watchmen deals explicitly with superheroes (though largely C-list superheroes that nobody has ever heard of). Many, including myself, consider Watchmen the finest superhero comic ever published. To quote the wikipedia:

Watchmen is drama that incorporates moral philosophy, popular culture, history, art, and science. It is set in an alternative history 1980s America where costumed adventurers are real and the U.S. is close to a nuclear war with Russia. Public opinion towards the notion of vigilantism has soured and public demonstrations demand the police be reinstated as the de facto marshals of law. Meanwhile, members of The Minutemen, a defunct organization of costumed adventurers, are being murdered. Watchmen is the only graphic novel to have won a Hugo Award and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time magazine’s list of “100 best novels from 1923 to present.”

That’s a lot of information, I know, but I hope this guide proves useful to someone. Comics and graphic novels are often marginalized by the well-read, and that’s too bad. I often find them just as exciting, entertaining, and educational as any other literature.

Little Lulu

Some people are addicted to alcohol. Some people are addicted to cigarettes. (Some people are addicted to both.) My vice is comix. I love comic books, I love cartoons (single-panel comix like The Far Side), and I especially love comic strips. (Classic comic strips are my favorites.)

I’m amazed how huge the field of comix is. I’m always discovering new gems, some of which were sitting in plain view, waiting for me to notice. One recent example is Little Lulu.

For the past year, I’ve heard raves about Little Lulu all over the comic book world. “What’s the big deal?” I wondered. “It’s just an old kids book, right?” Well. I recently bought a volume, and now I understand the raves. Little Lulu may have been a kids comic book, but it’s a kids comic book with class. These stories from the forties and fifties exhibit a charm and intelligence (and a sense of spunk) completely missing from the Richie Rich comics I grew up with. They do a remarkable job of capturing the feel of a bygone era, not to mention a sense of childhood. Most of all, they’re just plain fun.

Lulu is an eight-year-old girl with a terrific imagination. Her neighborhood is populated by other children, including a gang of boys (the most notable of which is her friend Tubby), and various other girls. A little boy named Alvin lives next door to Lulu. Alvin is a pest: he often wants Lulu to tell him stories. And lord, what stories Lulu tells!

Here’s a short example from a recent volume of reprints:

I love this bit (and the rest of the story, for which I do not have scans), and bored Kris by recounting it once on the way home from a grocery trip. I love the little details that reveal what life was like sixty years ago (the self-service market has replaced the old-style market, for example, or the fact that you might bring your own shopping cart from home). I wish you could see the gag on the next page where Alvin keeps stashing cabbages on the bottom of some woman’s cart. It makes me laugh.

There are several great Lulu pages around the web, including Michelle’s Little Lulu page,Bob Pfeffer’s Little Lulu page and John Merrill’s Little Lulu page. Apparently, the HBO Family channel (who knew there was such a thing?) airs an animated series called The Little Lulu Show featuring Tracey Ullman as the voice of Lulu Moppet.

I’ve managed to track down seven Little Lulu comic stories on-line, and am hosting them here in order to share them with the world. The seven stories are:

Story in a Barrel from Little Lulu #10
The Rock Candy Mine from Little Lulu #23
The Grasshopper Story from Little Lulu #24
Little Lulu’s Diry from Little Lulu #30
Little Itch’s Spell from Little Lulu #86
Wet Mumday from Little Lulu #129
Just a Jigolo from an unknown issue of Little Lulu

If you’d like to read more Lulu, Portland’s own Dark Horse Comics has begun a Little Lulu reprint project. They’re reproducing a large number of her early adventures in small, affordable black-and-white volumes. I own several. They’re wonderful. I think they’re perfect for boys and girls who are just beginning to read. (And for their parents, too!) These delightful books can be had for only $10 each from Amazon (just use the links below) or from your local comic book store. (Also, Tales of Wonder has them for $8 each.)

My Dinner With Lulu (Four Color 74, 97, 110, 115, 120)
Sunday Afternoon (Four Color 131, 139, 146, 158)
Lulu in the Doghouse (Four Color 165, Little Lulu 1-5)
Lulu Goes Shopping (Little Lulu 6-12), from which the first three pages are excerpted above
Lulu Takes a Trip (Little Lulu 13-17)
Letters to Santa (Little Lulu 18-22)
Lulu’s Umbrella Service (Little Lulu 23-27)
Late For School (to be released in February)
Lucky Lulu (to be released in April)

I often refrain from discussing comix in this forum, but one of my goals in 2006 is to cast off this inhibition. Every month or so I will share some comix-related feature that really makes me happy: Little Lulu, Little Nemo, Peanuts, Flash Gordon, Krazy Kat, early Wonder Woman, Micronauts, Rawhide Kid, and more.

I know this will bore some of you, but I hope that others will get to glimpse the greatness of an art form that often gets only disrespect.

Superman is a Dick

Remember that comic panel I love so much?

[Only you have the power to absorb all heat!] title=

Now there’s a site devoted to wacky covers: Superman is a Dick. (The site is down right now — it was overwhelmed by mass blogosphere linkage yesterday — but the forum thread that inspired it is still up.) Most of these covers involve Superman being a jerk in some way:

[another cover]

But this comic panel is my favorite item from the entire site:

So. Damn. Funny!

On a semi-related note, here’s a cartoon that Kris drew a couple of years ago. I found it when I was cleaning the workshop and scanned it in to share.

My wife actually draws quite well. She should do it more often.

Comments

On 09 February 2005 (01:26 PM),
Tiffany said:

Are those real comics?

Kris, that is great, I have the food that almost matches my tan carpet. It does make life easier.

On 09 February 2005 (04:52 PM),
Denise said:

Ha! Have you read the message on the SIAD site lately? 172 hits a second! There are too many geeks (me being one of them) with too much time on their hands.

That is absolutely amazing.

On 09 February 2005 (04:55 PM),
J.D. said:

“Robin, what have I done to you?”

Heh. Gets me every time. I want to know if this double-entendre is intentional? Was the writer aware of the hilarity in this panel?

On 10 February 2005 (06:21 PM),
bill said:

really a cute kitty cartoon! real tough act to follow! liked the funnie! lol

My Little Pony

My campaign to corrupt the innocents continues apace.

Several months ago, somebody was asking Harrison about me. I forget what question was asked, but I remember his response: “I believe most of the words that he says.” And that pretty much sums up our relationship. Mostly I’m a good influence on the boy, but occasionally I’m a rascal, and he knows it.

I was talking with Jenn recently. “You know how we have those superhero popsicles?” she said. The kids are really into these popsicles packaged in Marvel superhero wrappers: Spiderman, Hulk, Captain America. “Well, Harrison asked me today whether Spiderman is a part of Justice League.”

“What did you tell him?” I asked.

“I told him he wasn’t, but I wasn’t really sure.”

“You’re right,” I said, proud that even Jenn is beginning to absorb superhero knowledge.

“You know, you could just have Hank call me with any of his superhero questions,” I added. “I’d be happy to answer them.”

Jenn sighed.

After several days of preparation, our house is officially on the market. We had three families tour it yesterday. The last family could only make it at 8 p.m., so we called Jenn and invited ourselves over for dinner.

When we arrived, Emma was playing with horses. Multi-colored horses. With manes as long as Barbie’s hair.

“Emma,” I said. “Barbie is one thing, but now you’re sinking even lower.”

“Play with me, J.D.,” she said.

I sighed. “You know what, Scout? I’m not a big fan of horses and ponies. I don’t really want to play with them. Maybe later. Or maybe Kris will play with you.” I went outside to help Jeremy grill the steaks.

After dinner, Emma sat me down to show me more about her My Little Pony collection. (MLP FAQ, funny porn star or my little pony quiz)

“Ugh,” I said after examining all the ponies. “I’d rather clean dishes.” So, I got up and went to help in the kitchen.

Emma followed me. “J.D., come play with the ponies,” she said.

“Emma, how do I feel about the ponies?” I asked.

“You like them,” she said.

And at this point, Jenn chimed in, the voice of reason: “Oh J.D. — step out of your comfort zone and go play with the ponies.”

What I did instead was go to the den to write down this conversation for today’s weblog entry.

“Come see the ponies’ castle,” Emma told me.

I went to see the ponies’ castle. It was a molded piece of pink plastic (actually several molded pieces of pink plastic) with mirrors and steps and frilly things all around.

“Look,” said Harrison. He likes playing with the My Little Pony collection, too. “When the ponies step on the castle, music plays.” And lights flash.

“That’s not a castle,” I said. “It’s a barn.”

“No,” said Emma. “It’s a castle.”

“It’s a barn,” I said. “Have you ever heard of a horse who lived a castle? Horses live in barns. That’s a pink barn.”

The kids argued with me about this for several minutes. Finally I agreed that maybe it could be a castle if the king or queen of the horses lived there.

“Ponies don’t have kings or queens,” said Harrison. And who was I to argue?

For dessert, the kids had superhero popsicles again. Emma chose a Captain America popsicle (red, white, and blue). Harrison chose a Hulk popsicle (green, purple, and grey (well, black)).

Hank I goofed around while he ate his popsicle. Because he couldn’t defend himself — he had to use both hands to eat — I covered his eyes and made him walk ahead of me, blind.

“Which superhero is blind?” I asked.

“I can’t remember,” he said.

“Daredevil. Daredevil is blind.”

“Oh yeah,” he said. “That’s what I thought.” Hank considered this for a few moments. “What are Daredevil’s powers?” he asked.

“Well, he can’t see, right? So all of his other senses are extra-powerful. He can hear things, even quiet things. He can smell things. He’s got super-sensitive touch. Plus he has a sort of radar, like a bat.”

“Oh,” said Harrison. Then he said, “Does he climb walls? Like Spiderman?”

“Not really,” I said. “No. You know how spiders and flies can climb on walls? That’s how Spiderman does it. He can climb a wall just like a spider. Daredevil isn’t like a spider. He’s very strong, and could climb a building if there were things to hold onto, though.”

Harrison thought about this as he finished his popsicle. “Well, maybe he could grab onto the walls with his hands” — and here he formed his hands into claws of strength — “he could grab onto the wall and crush it when he grabs it. He could even smash buildings!”

“The Hulk climbs walls like that,” I said. “But not Daredevil. Daredevil isn’t that strong.”

He thought some more. “Well, maybe he could have magnets in his hands and use them to climb the walls.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said. “He doesn’t do that, though. I don’t know of any superhero with magnets in his hands. Maybe you can make your own superhero.”

After the kids had gone to bed, we stayed to watch Love Actually. We just saw the film two weeks ago, and though it’s fluffy pap, it’s high-quality fluffy pap. Kris and I both like it, and were willing to rewatch it. I liked it just as much as I had the first time.

During the movie, our realtor called to let us know the eight o’clock family really liked the house. “They’ll be faxing over an offer tonight,” she said. Wow! That was quick! We still don’t know the details of the offer, but we’re meeting Mary at one today. We have until three to make our decision.

Comments

On 21 May 2004 (08:33 AM),
Joel said:

Not to bring politics into EVERYTHING, or anything, but wasn’t Hugh Grant’s character in “Love Actually” a wonderful liberal fantasy? Complete with Monica-esque girlfriend?
Also, I’ve spent some time in Milwaukee. Either I was going to the wrong bars, or there was some serious Oscar-worthy movie magic going on there.

On 21 May 2004 (09:29 AM),
tammy said:

JD,I can’t believe you find fault with My Littel Pony! I’m crushed! Anna Lise loves the things. She wanted the castle for Christmas and I didn’t get it fo rher. Now I regeret it.

And you know what? Superheroes most certainly do have magnets in their hands. Spidermand does!It helps him get up and down poles. I bought a spiderman for Wally the other day and his hands were magnetic so he could slide down the magnetic pole that came with it. His hands and feet both clasp the pole by use of magnets! Now you go apologize to that little boy! And next time believe the kid when he tells you something! Out of the mouth of babes,ya know!

On 21 May 2004 (10:02 AM),
Dana said:

Heck, back in the 70’s you could get Meego Batman and Robin dolls that had magnets in their hands and feet so they could climb up slides and swingsets and whatnot.

And then, of course, there’s Magneto…

On 21 May 2004 (10:56 AM),
Denise said:

Another set of toys I never liked was Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Blech!

On 21 May 2004 (10:57 AM),
Denise said:

Ack! Bad grammar – sorry – should be were. My apologies!

On 21 May 2004 (11:08 AM),
mac said:

is Magneto a “super hero”?

On 21 May 2004 (11:10 AM),
Emma Jordan said:

I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up – they have no holidays.
-Henny Youngman, comedian, actor (1906-1998)

On 21 May 2004 (11:32 AM),
Joel said:

Ouch, I scored 5 out of 12 on the “My Little Pony or Porn Star?” quiz. Are the ponies really scented?

On 21 May 2004 (11:36 AM),
Aimee said:

Yes, dearest … I had one that smelled like cotton candy. Her name was … well, Cotton Candy.

On 21 May 2004 (11:40 AM),
J.D. said:

Aimee: Her name was … well, Cotton Candy.

Sounds like a porn star name to me…

On 21 May 2004 (11:45 AM),
J.D. said:

And Joel, I only got two out of twelve on the porn star vs. pony quiz… :(

On 21 May 2004 (11:48 AM),
Tiffany said:

Does that mean you need to watch more porn or play with toys more?

On 21 May 2004 (01:53 PM),
Joel said:

I should think the answer to that question goes without saying.

On 21 May 2004 (02:20 PM),
Johnny said:

Is there a difference?

On 21 May 2004 (02:37 PM),
Denise said:

Yeehaw! (I can say that – I grew up in Canby.) Congrats on selling your house. When you guys decide to do something, you don’t mess around, do you?

Glad that everything is going so smoothly, hope it continues to do so!

On 21 May 2004 (02:50 PM),
Tiffany said:

I already miss your house.

On 21 May 2004 (03:47 PM),
Joel said:

Eh? It’s 3:47, does this mean you’ve accepted the offer?

On 21 May 2004 (04:06 PM),
Mom (Sue) said:

That sounds pretty definite — congrats, J.D. and Kris! I’m glad your house sold so fast! It’s in a great location and a nice house, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

Thanks in part to you (and also one TV commercial), I signed up for Netflix about a week ago and have so far watched The Age of Innocence and Girl with a Pearl Earring, both of which I had read in the last few months. Love Actually is in my queue and I just added Fog of War due to your recommendation a day or two ago and also the fact that it receives high marks on the Oregonian A & E section’s video/DVD ratings chart. I have Lost in Translation and Calendar Girls here right now to watch. I think I will most likely watch Calendar Girls tonight and Lost in Translation this weekend. I have quite a few films yet in queue and I didn’t even browse seriously yet. -G-

On 21 May 2004 (04:07 PM),
Kris said:

We’ve accepted the offer, but of course it is contingent on the house inspection results and financing for the buyer. So, we should feel a bit more sure about the whole transaction going through by next weekend. We’ll keep you posted.

On 21 May 2004 (07:23 PM),
Lisa said:

Speaking of the Monica-esque character in Love Actually, I found it annoying that she was described as “chubby.” She was a perfectly normal looking woman. Good grief!

On 21 May 2004 (08:46 PM),
adam luckey said:

Ok…so no super heros with magnets in hands…but Magnito does have magnetic capabilities.

On 21 May 2004 (09:53 PM),
Lynn said:

Thank you, Lisa! I was terribly annoyed at the constant chubby remarks because she looked great. Oh to be that chubby!