To celebrate #NationalComicBookDay, here's a throwback to NYC 1985... My best friend & I were broke away from our high school tour group in NYC to sneak inside the Marvel building. Out intent was to crash the place, get an office tour, and meet some creators. When the elevator doors opened, we were stunned by the giant wall mural (and the realization that our group would leave us) so I took a quick pic of the lobby before the elevator doors closed. This was way before 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' taught us how to survive without adults so give us a break! 😉😁 Pretty sure this was when the Marvel Building was located at their 330 West 42nd Street address by Hell's Kitchen (s/o Daredevil of course)...
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According to writer /artist Tony Isabella, DC didn’t want to pay him part of their cut from their licensing characters for the SUPER FRIENDS animated series. Hanna Barbara didn’t want to pay him for the right to use of Black Lightning so they created Black Vulcan to fill in that vacant spot and DC let them do it. In response, Isabella wrote the last story of Black Lightning called “The Other Black Lightning” where a villain called Barbara Hanna used a Black Lightning impostor as part of her crime syndicate. DC published the story and Isabella has said in an interview “I don’t think they realized what I was doing there.” Regardless of his origin, Black Vulcan still holds a place in the minds of SUPER FRIENDS fans... read Marc Tyler Nobleman's interview with the voice of Black Vulcan, Buster Jones.
Got my hands on a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1... haven't owned one since trading it away for some '76-era FF's in grade school.
Smuggling comics into school borders was tough and I was the kingpin of the network. Once of my favorite methods was to wrap several layers of comics around both shin/calf areas and pull my long gym socks over them. You could get 24 issues in if you really tried! I was really into the Fantastic Four at that time and traded my Giant Size X-Men #1 to The Johns (John M. and John D. - two of my fellow comic book mules) for some FF issues. There was no value on any of the issues and they were just something we enjoyed... the collectible after market was a long way off. Once after getting busted by my elementary teacher, I told her that 'comics were the only thing that I saved and spent my own money to buy... they made me want to read more.' I feel like I almost had her convinced but she don't go for it so my criminal career continued. It's really good to see this issue in person again... a true landmark issue! 'The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest' got it right way back in 1997. The animated feature was a spin-off of the widly popular Bruce Timm/Paul Dini versions of Batman and Superman series. 20+ years later, Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy are still considered the definitive voices of Superman and Batman... and we have to mention Mark Hamill as The Joker as his geek cred surpasses both of them. The movie juggles multiple heroes and villains while still pushing pushing the story along. You actually care about the characters and believe that there is some logic what motivates them. So if you're feeling bummed after watching the recent Batman v Superman movie, then sit back and full screen this far superior version of the World's Finest. I had to customize mine a bit to get it more like if Charlie Brown had grown up listening to Richard Pryor, reading Groucho Marx, and playing in clubs for a few decades.
Try it out for yourself at http://www.peanutizeme.com
Join the Bill Finger Google Doodle Campaign...! IGN reports: In recent years, author Marc Tyler Nobleman has become an advocate for Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman. He even wrote a book called Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, about Finger's original vision for the iconic character and how his instrumental contributions failed to get the credit they deserved. Now, Nobleman wants to raise awareness of Finger even more by calling on fans to help get Finger his own Google Doodle -- the stylized Google logos that act as a tribute to notable people, events, and the like -- and this year is the perfect time to get it done, for several reasons; 2014 is not only the 75th anniversary of Batman, but also the 100th anniversary of Finger's birth and the 40th anniversary of his death. "Finger was well known for writing scripts featuring oversized versions of everyday objects -- giant props," Nobleman said. "Perhaps a Doodle could take this into account somehow (and sidestep copyright issues at the same time)." However, Bat-fans will need to rally soon. The target date for a Bill Finger Google Doodle -- February 8, his birthday -- is rapidly approaching. Nobleman encourages fans who wish to pay tribute to Finger to show their support by emailing proposals@google.com. *** Here's Marc's suggestion on what to send to Goggle: #1 I’m with Marc Nobleman. It’s time for Bill Finger to get some recognition for his long-standing contributions to pop culture. And it’s not the doodle that so important, but the link. Millions of users will go to Google to search the Internet, they’ll see a Batman-themed doodle and click it, and it will link to Finger’s story. Normally your doodles highlight someone who is recognized for his achievements, but a doodle for Bill Finger would actually help give him the recognition he’s never had. I hope you’ll consider it. Thanks and I’m looking forward to the doodle. #2 Please consider a Google doodle for this poor man who made millions of people happy and died penniless without the fame deserved of him. To join the movement yourself, email proposals@google.com Join the Bill Finger Appreciation Group on Facebook and visit Marc Tyler Nobleman's blog. |
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