Collected Comics Library Podcast #261
27,508Kb; 29m 14s

I have to admit something that may get me banned and shunned from C2E2 later this year, but I’m not that big a fan of Jack Kirby. Don’t get me wrong, I respect and appreciate all the work that he has done in comics over the years and he is definitely in my Top 10 creators of all time (just not my Top 5). But I think that all changed this past week when I sat down and read The Demon Omnibus, which collects the entire 16 issue run of one of Kirby’s most memorable character – The Demon Etrigan. Born of fire and magic in the time of Camelot, he now walks the Earth as Jason Blood human and immortal. Turning into his monstrous alter ego whenever evil seeks to destroy what is good. I loved every page and can’t wait to read more. It’s just too bad that none of it is collected.

Also on the show I talk little bit more about the Amazon.com fiasco and the aforementioned C2E2.

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

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Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

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If I were to ask you to name a current popular comic strip, what would you answer with? My guess is that most, if not all of you would answer Dilbert by Scott Adams. After all, it’s been in syndication for over 20 years, not to mention an animated TV series, countless calendars and a host of business books. Dilbert is easy to read, it’s not loaded with complicated artwork and it’s brilliant. In 2008, Andrews McMeel Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert published . A 576 page, 10 x 13, oversized, slipcase hardcover, commemorating this award winning comic strip; $85.00 US.

I first came across Dilbert in the Detroit News in the early 90’s, when I was in college. I found it to be funny right off the bat even though some of the office humor was above me. It wasn’t until I got a real job and started to live in Dilbert’s world hat I got most of the jokes. I’ve worked in a small start-up of 15 eager young professionals to a 1000 person corporation complete with reports to 5 different bosses. Adams has everything down to a T. In the late 1990’s I got The Dilbert Principle and I’m fairly certain that my Dad got it for me as some sort of right of passage. I’m glad he did, because it turned out to be more true to life then any Bill Gates, Tom Hopkins or Harvey McKay “How To Succeed” book. From then on I was hooked and I can plainly remember turning to the Sunday Funnies before I read the headline of the Sports Page. Now a day, I read it online, but nothing beats it on real paper.

Dilbert 2.0 is, in many ways, an autobiography. Adams writes and extensive introduction, starting with his youth when he first picked up a pen and paper and even showcasing this art. He delves into is influences including Charles Schultz and Peanuts, MAD Magazine and mentions Al Capp. He even has a scan of his application for the Famous Artist Course for Talented Young People. He was highly praised, but was ultimately rejected due to his young age – 11. All the way through is early life and into college and non-cartooning professional career, Adams never gave up, but he did struggle. After more rejection, he received a surprise letter from Jack Cassady, a cartoonist, whom he sought out advice from a year before. That bit of encouragement pushed him to further is hobby and what turned out to be his true calling in life. Adams plowed ahead and sent in cartoons to just about every outlet. One of the more interesting cartoon inclusions are Adams’ early tryout pieces for The New Yorker and Playboy magazine. They got rejected, but one day United Media came calling and offered Adams a six month contract. All of his early Dilbert/Dogbert comic strips are included in the introduction along with running commentary that continues throughout the entire book.

Besides the extensive Introduction, Dilbert 2.0 is broken up into four parts: The Early Years: 1989-1993, The Boom Years 1994-1997, The Dot-Com Bubble 1998-2000, and The Modern Era 2001-2008. All of the daily black and white strips are here (usually four to a page) as well as the color Sundays (usually two to a page); therefore no gutter loss whatsoever, but there is a bit of extra space between panels, especially when it comes to the Sunday strips. The pages are high glossy and the colors are clean. The commentary adds depth, insight and of course some self-deprecating humor that is well appreciated. It’s similar to a director revisiting his movie frame by frame that can be found on a DVD. You can tell by some reflections that this is the first time he has seen many strips since he first drew them. Another nice added bonus are a side by side comparison of the many censored strips, like the Dead Porpoise stuck in a Lawyer strip found on page 495. But there’s more to Dilbert then just the office humor. You also get to revisit the first appearances and evolution of some of the more memorable characters like Wally, Alice, Carol, Catbert, and Ratbert and some of the more obscure like Hammerhead Bob or Dilbert’s long forgotten girlfriend, Lois. In revisiting these characters you’ll wonder where movies (Office Space) or TV shows like The Office or Mad Men would be with out Dilbert or if they would have been made at all! It should be pointed out that this is not a complete Dilbert, but rather strips handpicked by Adams, himself. With such a rich history, I personally can’t tell what exactly is missing, but to make up for that, topping off the collection is the Dilbert 2.0 DVD which includes every official strip found in the book (.gif images only) and strips through April 2008.

Above and beyond making a mockery of the office procedure, incredibly dumb people and mundane life that we all encounter on a daily basis, Dilbert is always outright hilarious. Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert is light hearted and doesn’t need to be read in one sitting (nor could you!). Don’t just leave this encased on your shelf; keep it open or easily accessible for some quick humor to brighten your day. In closing, in this age of oversized comic book and comic strip hardcover publishing, Dilbert 2.0 is a wonderful addition to you collected library.

For more comments on this book and the latest Collected Edition news on a two volume hardcover set of Grant Morrison’s Seven Soilder’s Of Victory and an email regarding the contents for the recent Essential Sub-Mariner Volume 1, listen to the Podcast.
Collected Comics Library Podcast #235
25,792Kb; 27m 14s

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

This week on the show I welcome in Terry Moore, creator of the long running Strangers In Paradise and the current ongoing series, Echo. Terry discusses his history, creative process and even his involvement with Marvel Comics. We also breakdown the Strangers In Paradise Omnibus – a three volume hardcover set that encompasses the entire series and includes a covers gallery like no other. The Omnibus is still available through the SiP website, but only for a limited time.

For more information, please check out the Official Abstract Studios and Strangers In Paradise site.

Collected Comics Library Podcast #234
35,089Kb; 37m 09s

Chris

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Collected Comics Library Podcast #225
32,534Kb; 27m 32s

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

The big news that’s got the internet all buzzing is that Steve Rogers is going to be Reborn as Captain America, but I say he never really went away. Sure, he may be lying dead in a grave in the 616 Marvel Universe, but he is alive and well in three other current titles (OK, maybe just two, we’re still waiting for Loeb and Sale’s Captain America: White). So in honor of Cap #600 (or #51) or Captain America Comics 70th Anniversary Special #1 or Reborn #1 or whatever we take a look at the Collected Editions of Captain America through the years – Golden Atlas, Silver, Modern, and beyond.

Also this week a look at the Collected Edition non-announcements from Wizard World Philly and Heroes Con, the non-happenings of the DC Showcase Presents line and Robert Crumb and his $500 Book of Genesis. Good Lord!

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Sunday night, my son Patrick, was browsing the Internet when he came upon a nasty virus that infected the computer. It took me all Monday afternoon to do a wash, rinse and spin to the old Dell, but I finally got rid of it. It seems that now more then ever there are more viruses, spyware and malware going around, so be careful.

• Last week we got the hush, hush announcement about the Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth, now Rich Johnson, CBR’s Lying In The Gutters, has word of an Astonishing X-Men Omnibus.
• Also, like last week, there is another new Collected Editions review blog. This time it’s The Comic Book Manifesto written by my friend, Luke.
• And there’s another one I came across called simply: Lee, Stan – Books. It looks like the blog recycles the Marvel Stan Lee solicitations with cover art, like what I do, in the CCL Library section. Besides linking to Amazon, there’s nothing else there.
• And even another: My thanks to Kirk Warren, The Weekly Crisis – Weekly Comic Book Reviews, for mentioning the Collected Comics Library! I’m sorry that I never heard of this blog before, it’s really good.
• Scott’s Classic Comics Corner: Out Of Print But Not Forgotten (CBR) goes over The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC Comics), Rio by Doug Wildey, Stuntman by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and The Lonely One, reprinting 4 Konga stories, by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko.
• Old news that I found: IDW is reprinting Captain Canuck. I’m not sure what to think of this since I’ve never read it.
• This has nothing to do with Collected Editions, but I found it pretty cool: Batman Icon’s Mutation 2.0 (youtube).

Here is the Press Release

DC Comics is producing a new hardcover edition of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen graphic novel. The 436-page hardcover edition will have a cover price of $39.99 and will be released in October, the same month that Titan Books will be publishing Watching the Watchmen, Dave Gibbons’ account of the creation of what is likely at this point, the most popular graphic novel of all time. The new hardcover edition will provide a deluxe presentation of the graphic novel classic at a lower price point than the $75, 464-page Absolute Edition.

Watchmen graphic novel have been building steadily since the film was announced. Watchmen was the bestselling non-manga graphic novel in American bookstores during the month of March  and sales should continue to grow as the premiere of the Watchmen movie gets closer.

Thanks to ICv2.com