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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Friday, December 23, 2005
TOT returns to its Monday-through-Friday schedule on Friday, January 6, 2006, but I couldn't bear not doing some sort of column to commemorate Christmas and any other holidays any of my readers celebrate this time of year. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, it's all good and anyone who tells you otherwise is bereft of the genuine spirit of their religion and/or basic human courtesy. I'll get back to that thought in a bit.
Our opening cover comes from FOUR COLOR #367 [Dell; January, 1952]. Drawn by Carl Barks, it illustrates Barks' "A Christmas For Shacktown", which is easily my favorite comic-book Christmas story of all. I mean, no sooner had I decided to open this column with a Christmas cover than this one and this story popped into my head. That must mean something.
Christmas is likewise one of my favorite holidays, though it comes with a great deal of frustration for me. So many who loudly proclaim its importance as the birth of Jesus Christ and insist on its preeminence over all other holidays are also among those whose words and deeds are most diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus. For example, not once when I asked myself what would Jesus do did I ever come up with answers involving lying to start wars, taking from the poor to give to the rich, opposing equal rights for all Americans, and so forth.
Don't get your panties in a bunch. That's almost the extent of the political/social commentary you'll be getting from me in this column. I couldn't resist a nod to those who fill my personal "naughty" list.
Getting back to "A Christmas For Shacktown," I'm not going to get back to "A Christmas For Shacktown." If you've read the story, you already know how wonderful it is. If you haven't, you deserve to enjoy it without me spoiling anything about it. As befits its legendary status, it has been reprinted on several occasions. It's worth seeking out.
Onward to other holiday goodies...
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CHRISTMAS CARDS
I love getting Christmas/holiday cards. I love that tactile sensation of holding something sent to me by a friend. I love the expressions of good will. I love the special cards some creators and publishers send to me. I even love those family newsletters. I know so many people and it's difficult to stay in regular contact with most of them. Heck, that's one of the main reasons I started writing this online column.
I love sending Christmas/holidays cards as well. I just wish I sent out better ones. One of my ongoing ambitions is to get my act together enough to create a really cool card to send to all my friends and maybe even all my enemies.
Here are some of the cards I received this year.
This year's ARCHIE COMICS card had a great visual gag as drawn by Dan DeCarlo and Henry Scarpelli. It was designed by Suzanne V. Paddock.
From my friend and neighbor Tom Batiuk came a Christmas card featuring characters from his FUNKY WINKERBEAN and CRANKSHAFT comic strips.
Illustrator AL BIGLEY's card suggests keeping extra gifts on hand for those unexpected visitors. You can check out his website by going to:
www.albigley.com
DEVIL'S DUE PUBLISHING had a terrific year and 2006 should be even better for them. Their website:
www.devilsdue.net
Mark Dooley is working on the second issue of his ACTUAL SEMI-TRUE ADVENTURES OF MARK AND DEE. You can see what else he's been up to at:
www.whoosiernetwork.org
IMAGE COMICS featured Skull the troll from Scott Kurtz's PVP comics on its Christmas card. Their website:
www.imagecomics.com
ONI COMICS selected LOVE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE for their card. The series is written by J. Torres and drawn by Eric Kim. Another of my goals is to review more titles from this always fascinating publisher.
One more for the road. THOM ZAHLER is one of my best buddies and his work entertains me mightily. You can find out about all of his current and upcoming projects at:
www.thomz.com
My thanks to all of you who sent holiday greetings, whether by electronic or postal means. You made Christmas that much merrier through your good will and thoughtfulness.
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COMICS IN THE COMICS
Veteran readers of TOT know that I'm a fool for comic strips that reference comic books, other comic strips, or comics creators. Because of the hiatus, I've a huge backlog of such strips, but only one that fits today's Christmas theme:
This JEFF DARCY editorial cartoon ran in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for December 21, 2005. Ohio Congressman Sherrod Brown, who is a pretty good man as politicians go, is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Senator Mike DeWine, who isn't completely unsuitable for office. Just mostly because, well, he is a Republican and he has supported the crooked guy currently sitting in the White House.
One of Brown's primary opponents is Paul Hackett, a promising newcomer who came amazingly close to winning a Congressional seat in an overwhelmingly Republican district. He's a Iraq War veteran and not a fan of President Bush. He'd make a good Representative and, someday, a good Senator. I think Brown is the better choice at the moment.
Darcy's cartoon refers to the United Auto Workers making the surprising decision to endorse Hackett over Brown. Which, I think, speaks to the growing feeling among Americans that we need to start saying "so long" end to "politics as usual" and the politicians who have been working in the present two-party system. We could see a lot of new blood in the next decade.
That would be swell with me. The ruling Republicans - by and large - are, well, evil. The Democrats might not be as evil, but few of them are good enough to smite the evil that is Bush, Cheney, DeLay, Frist, etc. Maybe we have to look elsewhere for the heroes we need to stand against such villains.
You can un-bunch your panties again. Only one more political shot to come. Everything else is - I swear - incredibly jolly and heartwarming.
Look for more COMICS IN THE COMICS in darn near every TOT that I write once we actually return from hiatus.
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FAVORITE HOLIDAY STORIES
"A Christmas For Shacktown" is my favorite seasonal comic-book story, but there have been dozens of other good and even great ones over the decades. Thinking far more long-term than is natural for me, I'd like to write about them next year.
What are *your* favorite Christmas/holiday comic-book stories? Tell me about them in mini-essays of 500 words or so. I'll run the best of your pieces in next December's columns and use them as the basis for a comprehensive list we can share with our fellow comics enthusiasts.
Consider this an ongoing request of which I'll remind you on occasion. If you're not up to writing the mini-essay, just send me the title of the story and where it appeared, assuming you recall where it appeared. I'll do my best to track it down for inclusion on the comprehensive list.
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GET MORE TONY
The only seasonal stories I've written have been an issue of DAREDEVIL which took place on New Year's Eve [1975] and the Black Lightning tale - "'Twas the Night Before Kwanzaa" - for DCU HOLIDAY BASH II [1998]. However, this year, courtesy of Gemstone Comics, I worked on a pair of holiday yarns.
Gemstone Comics publishes great comics featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge, and other Walt Disney characters. The stories in their books are a mix of classic American tales and new-to-us tales from across the Atlantic Ocean. These foreign stories are translated into English and then rewritten and script-doctored to make them more entertaining and smoother for their new American readers. It's sometimes challenging but always fun work and I love doing it. One of these coming weeks I'll bring you a checklist of the stories I've worked on.
WALT DISNEY'S CHRISTMAS PARADE #3 [$8.95] features the 16-page "Sentimental Energy" by writer/artist Marco Rota with rewriting by me and spiffy coloring by Thom Pratt. It's an Scrooge and Donald adventure with a sci-fi beat and cameo appearances by several other Duckburg denizens. I had a ball working on this because it gave me a chance to play with some of Scrooge's best-known character and personality traits.
Among its other contents, this special issue also features two Barks classics ("The Golden Christmas Tree" and "Silent Night") and "It's a Wonderful Christmas Story," in which a despondent Mickey Mouse sees what things would be like for his friends if he were not part of their lives. Writer/penciller Romano Scarpa spins a great tale here, assisted by inker Lucio Michieli, American writer David Gerstein, and colorist Scott Rockwell.
You can't tell from the cover, which illustrates William Van Horn's "Out of the Blue," but UNCLE SCROOGE #348 [$6.95] is packed with seasonal laughs. Scrooge and his nephews are on "The Hunt For White December" in a story by writers Joel Katz and Donne Avenell with art by Daniel Branca and dialogue by Gerstein. Gyro Gearloose stars in "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" by writer Janet Gilbert and artist Vicar, who also team for "The Duckburg Ice Festival," a hilarious exercise in physical comedy.
I got to work with the Beagle Boys for the first time in Gorm Transgaard's "The Christmas Gathering." The story, ably drawn by Maria Munez, afforded me several opportunities to insert "cookies" [pop culture references] into the script. They're pretty easy to spot - subtle, I ain't - but I think the American readers will get a kick out of them.
I don't review things on which I've worked, but I will say I'm very fond of these comics. Check them out and, afterwards, let me know what you thought of them.
******
IMAGE HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Gemstone wasn't the only publisher to bring seasonal cheer to readers. The 100-page IMAGE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2005 [$9.95] kicks off with a LIBERTY MEADOWS cover by Frank Cho and proceeds to sequences by Erik Larsen, Scott Kurtz, Joe Casey, Jay Faerber, Jim Valentino, Robert Kirkman, and others. The contents reflect the diversity to be found on the Image roster of titles, though some pieces require of the reader more familiarity with those titles than I have. No matter; the special is for the avid Image fans and I'm not going to carp because I didn"t "get" everything in it. There was still much for me to enjoy.
My favorites among the contents?
Kurtz's PVP vignette had me chuckling. Spread out over eight single-page chapters, "Scenes From a Bar on Christmas Eve" by Eric Stephenson and Tim Seeley were movingly morose. Other highlights of the special include:
"G-Man and the Christmas Tree of Doom" by Chris Giarrusso;
"Shadowhawk: Just Another Christmas Story" by Jim Valentino, John Wycough, Bob Pedroza, and Jim Keplinger;
"Noble Causes: Snow Job" by Jay Faerber, Gabe Bridwell, and Ray Dillon;
"Buddy Henson's Unexplained Mysteries" by the always amusing Chris Eliopoulos; and,
"The Walking Dead" by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn.
I'm going to rate the IMAGE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2005 on its appeal to avid Image readers. It gets four out of five Tonys.
******
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Simply put, MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 [$3.99] is a delightful collection of three heartwarming Christmas stories. The Fantastic Four star in Shaenon Garrity's "The Mole Man's Christmas" wherein the title villain's Moloid subjects try to bring some holiday joy to their master. It's a hilarious tale, nicely drawn by penciller Roger Langridge and inker Al Gordon.
The Avengers (new and old) get together for a Christmas party at Doctor Strange's crib. "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa..." is a solid super-hero yarn by Jeff Parker with art by Reilly Brown and Pat Davidson. Lots of action and humor...just the ticket after the darkness of recent Marvel Universe events.
The humor takes a back seat in Mike Carey's "Christmas Day in Manhattan," but the issue's second Fantastic Four story still fits the holiday theme perfectly. Artist Mike Perkins gives the visuals a distinct and almost Dickensian touch.
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 is an outstanding comic book. I'm giving it the full five Tonys.
******
TONY POLLS
Once again, if you're a veteran TOT reader, you already know the drill. Most every week, we pose questions to our readers on a variety of subjects. Around the middle of last month, we asked you to cast your votes on some holiday issues.
Do you regularly give comic books or comics-related items as presents to family members or friends? For our purposes, define "regularly" as something you do most years.
Yes.....28.74%
No.....71.26%
I don't give a lot of comics or comics-related gifts, but I'm good for a few such presents every year. This year, I was fairly pleased with myself for finding some cool Dell comic books from the 1960s, titles I thought would have special appeal for some friends. I gave another pal the first two volumes of THE COMPLETE PEANUTS, which are ideal for gift-giving all year round.
Do you regularly receive comics or comics-related items as presents from family members or friends?
Yes.....54.02%
No.....45.98%
This would be a big YES for me. I update my AMAZON WISH LIST frequently to make it that much easier for my family and friends to figure out what to give me.
In this season in which we hope for peace on Earth and good will towards all, do you *really* give a rat's posterior if someone wishes you "Happy Holidays!" or "Merry Christmas!"?
Yes.....29.07%
No.....70.93%
I should have worded this better. Some voters took it to mean that I was asking if it mattered if folks acknowledged the holidays at all where I was actually asking if it mattered which expression of good will was used.
I voted NO because, come on, an expression of good will should not be seen as anything other than that. The person expressing the good will is being nice and anyone taking offensive at however the good will is expressed is an ass.
Like I said up top, it's all good.
How do you do most of your Christmas/holiday shopping?
At the mall.....42.17%
Online.....34.94%
Other.....22.89
I voted OTHER. It was neck-and-neck between shopping at local stores and shopping online this year. I didn't step foot in a mall even once this season.
If Santa Claus had any political affiliation, which party would he join?
LIBERTARIAN.....26.25%
Communist.....25%
Democratic.....18.75%
Green.....17.50%
Republican.....12.50%
Man, I wish I had made this an essay question because I would have loved to see the 12.50% who voted for Republican explain what strange parallel world they come from. Truth be told, though, I'm equally interested in why other folks voted as they did.
I voted GREEN because I got hung up on how Santa's ride must be very environmentally-friendly. Of course, I was also assuming he didn't feed the reindeer too much before taking them out for the long night's journey.
For our current TONY POLLS questions, we ask you to pick your choices for the Golden Globe Awards from the announced nominees in eight different categories.
You can cast your votes at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
******
TONY'S CHRISTMAS MUSINGS
This is the year for joy, but I find myself reflecting on what has gone before. Call it mental housekeeping, getting things all nice and tidy for the new year.
2005 was a rough year for me and I've shared a lot of it with the TOT readers. But it was a far rougher year for an awful lot of people, so I'm not going to get all whiny on you here. I came out of it okay, getting stronger, and looking forward to whatever comes next in my life. Close the books on 2005.
My Christmas/holiday message to you is two-fold:
BE GOOD TO EACH OTHER. You don't have to like everything your fellow man does, but if he/she isn't hurting you or anybody else - and, if you think about it logically, they really aren't - let them lead their lives as they please. It's what you want for yourself. It's the least you can do for others.
THANK YOU. Thank you for your friendship, your many acts of kindness, and your support of my work. I can't express it any more concisely than that and, if I try to get all flowery, we'll be here for days on end. So...thank you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I'll be back with another pre-return column on Sunday, January 1, 2006.
Tony Isabella
<< 11/07/2005 | 12/23/2005 | 01/01/2006 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
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