Hey party people, welcome to my latest video! For this one I dive deep into Wonder Woman (stop it). As DC Comics has proven over the past 70 years that they have no idea what to do with her. I mean, when she came out, she was selling like three comics (Sensation, Wonder Woman, and Comics Cavalcade)! Then when her creator William Moulton Marston stop writing her adventures, she was barely hanging on by her finger tips. If it wasn’t for all the merchandise she sold, DC would have dumped her all together. So let’s go back and checkout what Wonder Woman was like in the beginning. And see where DC went wrong- even super star George Perez didn’t get it completely right. And how DC just keeps making it worse and worse. Seriously, when I was researching Wonder Woman, I was getting mad that DC didn’t make her comics like Marston did. They are so frick’n fun and exciting! Her villains like Cheetah were equally amazing- but now? They are all dreary and hyper violent. And this isn’t to say Wonder Woman shouldn’t be updated for modern times. Just that she should be update in the same vein that Batman has been: Keeping true to their creators original vision. It shouldn’t be this hard, right? Anyway, please check out the video and tell me what you think! Am I nuts, or am I the only one who cracked the code?
Hey party people, confession time, I’m more of a DC fan than a Marvel fan. So putting this list together was kinda tough. I hit up a lot of Marvel fans for notes- but they were all over the place! Marvel was such a powerhouse in the 1980’s, basically all their books sold well. So coming up with a top ten list people could agree on, was nearly impossible- but I did it anyway! One thing I unfortunately omitted from the video was perhaps Marvel’s greatest failure of the 80’s: The New Universe. It was ‘Big’ Jim Shooter next ‘big’ idea. Another Earth, with no superheroes, per say. Now there was superpowered beings on the world, like NIGHTMASK, STAR BRAND, JUSTICE, PSI-FORCE and others. But they weren’t the typical long underwear brigand in your typical superhero comic. For reasons that could fill a novel (no money for talent, failed leadership), the new line failed and was canceled fairly quickly (even with a last ditch effort to save it). It also helped Marvel show Jim Shooter the door (his overbearing style was becoming too much as well). So while I stand by my list of Marvel best work of the 1980’s. I should have mentioned their giant flop as well. Because I honestly doubt, any comicbook company ever survived such a colossal blunder. No not even DC’s Nu52- because it started with great sales and very slowly fell apart, giving DC the time to undo it, before it could undo the company. In contrast, Marvel’s New Universe was pretty much dead on arrival. So when talking about Marvel in the 1980’s, I should have mentioned it.
Be that as it may, I hope you enjoy the list. As it was quite a nice walk down memory lane to put it together. Even as a DC fan, I bought several of these comics back then! As for a little house cleaning- yes this video is about two weeks late. But, I still have hopes of putting out a Halloween video in the next two weeks- wish me luck! But more over that will make November’s video pretty d@mn late as well. I’ll tease it by saying it will be another Animator on Animation video. But until then, thanks for all the support and I’ll catch you on the flipper!
Hey Party people,
Well I tell ya, the combination of a toddler and a new born can really kick your @$$! I’ve barely had time to scratch my own nutz (as they say). But finally, my newest video is up! Hooray, let me tell ya. This time I get to talk about a little cartoon oddity- did I just give it away??? Well stop reading if you want to be surprised by the video. Because today I dig into the fact that Spider-Woman is the only, the only, only superheroine to ever (to this day!) to have her own cartoon show. How messed up is that, huh? Check out the video to learn more about it.
As for more videos, they are still coming! And my schedule just got a bit easier. So the wait until the next one should be as long (please God, please). Because I as I’m sure you hear all us YouTube video makers say, it’s a lot of work- but it’s fun too. One thing I love most, is the talkback. This is why my videos appear on Aintitcool.com and why I write from them, over other ‘superhero type’ websites. It’s just a lot of fun, even poking the trolls.
Anyway, enjoy the video- I got more to make!
Hey Party People,
Got two things to talk about today.
1) In a change of format, instead of my usual trivia/info dump, Super-Hero Pow is doing a trivia game! Just something to keep the channel interesting. So in this first Puzzle Time, you have to guess which Marvel Artist drew each character. Sound easy enough, until you realize that the artist drew the picture with their eyes closed! Yup, it’s a fun little thing I swiped from my ancient copy of the Marvel Fun Book #2. I thought you’d enjoy it as well.
2) To draw back the curtain a little more, I’ll let you know I’m a father times two now. As I write this the wife and I are trying to manage an infant and a crazy toddler! It’s like burning the candle at both ends, let me tell ya! As you may have guessed, it’s thrown a real monkey wrench in my production flow. This Puzzle Time video was suppose to be uploaded last week, but life happens to the poor and sleep deprived.
But not to worry, content is still coming out! I’m in the middle of editing the next Super-Hero Pow and am researching two others. So don’t give up on me, because I’m not giving up on you… if that makes any sense. One thing I want to see happen is to increase my output to two videos a month. One being my usual Super-hero Pow and then another being a shorter video; ala the Shazam Mash-Up, Puzzle Time I just did. I’m also thinking of doing some old comicbook reviews. In the vein of what I used to for Antitcool.com’s comicbook post, “Raiders of the Lost Box”. I’m also hoping to have a guest host with me from time-to-time. And feel free to let me know what you’d like to see. So I got plans for more fun stuff to come! And, as you can guess, I hoping to crack YouTube’s glass ceiling and finally start getting some ads on these videos. I know you have no interest in watching YouTube ads, but seriously this is how the world works. And believe it or not, but I always try to watch the ads of other YouTubers- because I know how important it is to them! So please be kind and subscribe and watch an ad. And I’ll be kind enough to keep you entertained at the office, or the john- or wherever you like to watch!
Now thanks for your time, and here’s Puzzle Time 1:
A few weeks back I talked about Power Girl’s physique, this time I talk about her costume. Just what is up with that circle window on her chest?
It’s often been said that Batman used to run around with a handgun and kill people. But, is that really true? Check out his first 14 issues, Detective Comics #27-39 and Batman Comics #1 to find out! Though while we are at it, how many did Robin kill???
Every year around Oscar time, the comicbook gang and I would compile our best of lists of the year for Aintitcool.com. Well sadly those days have come to an end. Since I already compiled most of it, I figured I’d just share them with you. One thing to keep in mind, it’s impossible to read everything! So on some level, these are my favs of everything I read this year. Mind you, I still read plenty and most are not getting rewarded with a favorite mention. So if I missed something amazing, please list it bellow. That said, here is the list:
Favorite Mini Series:
Lady Mechanika: The Clockwork Assassin
As a non-steampunk fan, meaning I don’t go out of may way to consume Steampunk material, I’m always quite surprised how much I enjoy Joe Benitez’s creation, Lady Mechanika. Mind you, the art work is always amazing, but the stories are nearly always pitch perfect adventure tales. With his latest one from 2017, The Clockwork Assassin, Lady Mechanika and her ‘sidekick’ Archie are involved in a murder mystery. As a lovely female form is slicing people in half- making Lady Mechanika the prime suspect! This is just one of, if not the best adventure book on the market.
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Best Publisher:
As I did the year before, I give the best Publisher trophy to Valiant. While they may lack in earth shattering comics, they also lack (greatly so) in mediocre and awful comics. And this year they took it up a natch with their crossover event Massacre. As H.A.R.D. Corps declared war on the psiots- mostly Generation Zero. It was a bloody not win situation, that reminded me of the X-Men heydays. Sadly, Valiant doesn’t have any marque names like Captain America or even the Walking Dead. But they have the best collection of books on the market.
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Favorite Super Team:
Future Quest
Ok this is a cheat, but I can’t think of a collect of heroes I had more fun with last year, than Future Quest. Nearly the entire line-up of Hanna-Barbera cartoon heroes coming together for one big adventure. Writer Jeff Parker (with help from the late Darwyn Cooke) did a great job updating these heroes and putting them in a collected universe. From Johnny Quest to Space Ghost, to even the Impossibles! I can’t wait to see these heroes team-up again in some fashion or another.
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Favorite Artist:
Tomas Giorello
Tomas Giorello is an Italian artist who has been bouncing around for a while. And he has just been getting better and better every time. In 2017, his work on X-O Manowar just blew me away. His work reminds me of Marko Djurdjevic, just a super rich, storybook, old school illustration feel. Editors need to be putting him on more high profile work- seriously.
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Favorite Comic Book TV Show:
The Defenders
Dare I say, there is a gut of comicbook tv shows now. Something I never thought would happen when I was a kid. We were lucky if there was one a season. But the best by fair, if by sheer weight alone, was the Defenders. Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Dare Devil and Jessica Jones all coming together in one big blow out series on Netflix. Now sure you can nitpick it to death, but the pros totally out weight the cons. And did I mention we get to see Power Man (he’s Luke Cage by the way) and Iron Fist together for the first time- plus they get to hang with Dare Devil!? Come on now! That was the best comic show of 2017, period.
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Favorite Comic Book Movie:
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
This has got to be the best year for Superhero movies. Three great Marvel movies, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man Home Coming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, a great X-Men movie: Logan and DC actually had a great- well really really good movie for once with Wonder Woman (we’ll just skip the Justice League flick). But for my money Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the best. It was funny as hell, loaded with action and each of the main characters are so broken (Gamora and Nebula raised by Thanos, lab experiment Rocket Raccoon, Starlord’s dead Mom and M.I.A. dad, and Drax’s dead family), I cry a few manly tears while watching it. As fun and action packed as the other films were, this one touched me more, as well as entertained the hell out of me. I can’t wait for Vol 3!
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Favorite Cover and Cover Artist:
Jeevan J. Kang (AVATAREX)
It was kinda hard picking this winner, this years. As nothing really spoke to me, despite some great work all year long. But Kang’s minimalist and elegant covers for Grant Morrison’s Avatarex just had a little more cool than the rest of them this year. And even with the minimal approach, they still have some nice superhero sizzle to ‘em.
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Favorite Super Villain:
Captain America
As with last year, no supervillain really stood out to me. Seriously, where are all the good villains!? So I give it, again, to a hero turned ‘bad’ Captain America. Because it was awful and I hated it. It was ill conceived (Hey let’s make Cap a nazi- er Hydra), ham-fisted executed (stop asking how I pulled this off, how I’m maintaining it, or about all the forgotten subplots), and has messed up the character- you understand we now have two Steve Rogers: the Steve Rogers, who is now a nazi (dang) Hydra agent and a Cosmic Cube’s memory of Steve Rogers (before he remember he was a naz-ah Hydra agent) walking around in a body. Yeah that’s awful all-around, Cap wins.
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Favorite Writer:
David Walker (LUKE CAGE AND IRON FIST, LUKE CAGE)
No question about it, Marvel screwed up a good thing. David Walker’s Power Man and Iron Fist was the best comic on the market. The perfect example of a great buddy story. But Marvel canceled it and gave Walker just Power Man aka Luke Cage. With the direction of making it more like the Netflix TV show. Which, while good is rather dull. Still, Walker did a good job of it, not as great as PM&IF, but still a good read- so nice job Walker. But sales didn’t reflect my thinking, so Marvel canceled it. So from Great to decent to canceled- smooth move. Either way, Walker is my writer of the year.
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Favorite Crossover/Event:
Inhumans vs X-Men
There’s no bones about it, Crossover Events suck- they just do for some reason. DC did several this year, and while popular, they were effectively just noise. Michael Bay movies in comicbook form. But Charles Soule, Jeff Lemire had a killer opening to Inhumans vs the X-Men and while the ending was clearly lack luster, it was still a more logical and well thought out conclusion than any other event. Well, Valiant had better thought out events, but to be honest their highs weren’t as high as IVX’s highs were. So while not crushing it, IVX was my favorite crossover event of 2017, and the best ‘vs’ event Marvel ever had.
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Favorite Super Hero:
Cave Carson
Cave Carson is one of those Silver Age concepts that always kinda interested me. A time when men were men, and they went on adventures in the name of science. And you didn’t need superpowers or a costume. For DC’s Young Animal line, Gerard Way and Jon Rivera did an amazing job updating him and at the same time not trying to ‘fix him’ or make him ‘hip’ and ‘edgy’. I really enjoyed his ‘everyman’ hero bit in a Doctor Who like adventure. So he’s my hero for 2017!
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Best Ongoing Series:
Future Quest Presents:
After the end of Future Quest, Jeff Parker and team spun the Hanna-Barbera superheroes into an anthology series, Future Quest Presents, with the main focus on Space Ghost. It’s just a nice collection of sweet adventure stories that update, without breaking the H-B heroes. Stealing the Lone Ranger’s origin, Space Ghost is now a man in a mask, and the last survivor of the Galaxy Patrol. Just a great idea. Not to mention the series has had some great artwork by the likes of Ariel Olivetti and Steve Rude. It’s a real pleasure to read a comic that doesn’t deconstructed or attempt to ‘fix’ it’s concept.
Well let’s see, it’s been about a year since some meaningful content- so here is a new video series I’m kicking off! SUPERHERO-POW! Where I talk about everything I love: superheroes and cartoons! Starting things off is the first solo female superhero movie, starring Audrey Hepburn! You read that right. Now watch the video to see how it’s true!
Hey party people, well it’s getting really close to relaunch time for Toonocity. Over a year ago I relaunched the site with Cindy Li and GoldStar and this time I’m relaunching with- well I can’t tell ya yet! Since I never know for sure when I’m going to be done and posted, I don’t really like talking specifics. Making promises that I don’t keep, or letting people peek behind the curtain before I’m done. After the launch I’m totally cool with talking about how it came together and why, but before that, I guess I’m just too nervous about it all.
Anywho, as I said before it’s an animated series done all by my lonesome, so don’t expect anything as awesome as COWBOY BEBOP or anything! But it should still be pretty darn entertaining and fun. Here is another bg shot of the show.
As I go through creating the cartoons and update the website, I’m also finally opening a merch store as well. So I’m creating some t-shirts of the new concept, GoldStar and Cindy Li too of course! There’s not much there yet, but if ya want a look go here:
http://460650.spreadshirt.com/
Also remember that every week I write comic book reviews for Aintitcool.com In case your curious, I specifically wanted to work with them. Because of all the main nerd sites they have the ‘Talk Back’ section. This is very important to me as an internet user. Websites shouldn’t be just about content provides posting stuff and walking away. The masses should be able to response. So I really like that this is the only website where people can post to disagree with my reviews or agree with them. If I was better at building website I’d have a ‘Talk Back’ section on all my webpages. Sadly, all I can manage is my blog, but that is half the rest I created my blog. So everyone could have a voice about my content. So please if you hate my cartoon or love it, write on blog of the cartoon and tell the world- not just me.
So what do I read in comic book these days? Well since I’m a reviewer now I read much more than I used too. But I still pick things I think I’ll enjoy. Here is my pull list:
THOR GOD OF THUNDER – 3 out 4
DAREDEVIL – 3 out 4
UNCANNY AVENGERS – 3 out 4
SAVAGE WOLVERINE – 3 out 4
NOVA – 2 out 4
AGE OF ULTRON – 1 out 4
WARLORD OF MARS – 2 out 4
THE SHADOW – 3 out 4
THE GREEN HORNET – too early to say
MASKS – 1 out 4
MARS ATTACKS – 3 out 4
STAR WARS – 2 out 4
THE HIGH WAYS – 3 out 4
AQUAMAN – 3 out 4
JUSTICE LEAGUE – 2 out 4
And I just recently dropped SWORD OF SORCERY and AVENGERS and AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. I always make time for indie book or anything else that strikes my fancy too.
Ok, that’s enough for now! Keep an eye on this spot because XXXXXXXXXXX is coming soon!
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Happy Holidays, party people! I hope everyone is having a good time. As for me, I’m behind schedule on everything, as I attempt to do everything! So, just my usual holiday season. I’ve got plans for a new Christmas animation, but I haven’t been able to do much with it for two years now! Been too busy finalizing Cindy Li. The second comic will be released any day now. As well as a new Gold Star.
As the New Year rolls in, I am starting production on my next project- since, as I’ve said, Cindy Li is all in the can. Too early to really talk about, but my one hope is it doesn’t take me as long to complete as Cindy Li did- life throws too many curve balls, ya know.
Now I thought I’d bore you with one of the gifts I got this season- An Atari FlashBack- the new one with original ‘shaped’ joysticks (a bit smaller than the original joysticks). Yes, as a child one of my greatest Christmas gifts was an Atari 2600- Actually it was a Sear Tele-Game, same dif. Many, many hours of my youth were spent playing that. I even enjoyed the Pac-Man for it (even though it looked like hell). I actually still have the machine in a box somewhere. But hooking it up to modern TV’s is a trick- and it’s not in the best condition. So my wife got me this baby- though she can’t understand how I can still scream as the dragons from Adventure are chasing me. Only problem with it, as any old schooler like me might know, is some of the best games weren’t owned by Atari- talking Pitfall, Demon Attack, Cosmic Ark, River Raid, and I loved Tron’s Deadly Disc, Star Wars the Empire Strikes Back, Krull and MegaForce. If only companies would just let those go for cheap (serious is there much money to get out of them!?) Or if the manufacturer allowed upgrades to it. Pay to download games and install them on the FlashBack. Life would be grand! Still, many cool games on this, and I love the ‘original’ joysticks. Playing on a computer keyboard just can’t cut it for these games- and the original FlashBack joysticks were pretty bad!
Now I suppose it’s just my age, but watching the video game evolution happen while being a kid was pretty damn magical. Enjoying Space Invades, getting Pac-Man fever (sorry), and then seeing Donkey Kong- it’s no wonder that even though the fade passed, those games have more appeal today than say the hula-hoop. I still miss those old arcades- for a few dollars you could play Joust, Mappy, Omega Race, The Red Baron, Defenders, Wizard of Wor- even ‘newer’ games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Double Dragon, Bad Dudes, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat. What a way to spend an afternoon or an evening. Arcades today, for me anyway, are just kinda sad. A dance game, a shoot ‘em up, an expensive riding one, then just the same old games that have been around since 1930! No magic, no fun. So that’s why I feel games of those days still have merit. Sure you can’t walk around a virtual world, living out a movie plot- which don’t get me wrong is frick’n awesome. But the skill games of light, and high scores are great as well- and an iPad can’t compete with a dark lit room of neon and video, drinking soda with your friends as you are ‘are your own’ with a pocket full of quarters. So long live the Atari- or Sear Tele-Game, you blew our minds and you’re still fun. Even if some of the fun is now laughing at how silly it all looks 
The Offical blog of Toonocity
http://www.toonocity.com/