Fat, Stats, Bats, Tats and other things ending in "ats"

  I forgot the other question I was asked: "What are your highest viewed posts?"

That, again, is easily answered by showing the stats on that

Entry	Pageviews
Green Skies 12 Dec 2013	86080
您好！ 5 Mar 2014	60374
Goodies From David ("The British Manara") Gordon 2 Feb 2011	17346
A Message To A Certain Trouble-Maker And His Frien... 9 Apr 2015	10214
中国漫画 - 张曼华，出版商 4 Feb 2014	9776
我会推荐什么漫画书？ - 更新 13 Apr 2014	9015
I Would Like To Point Out That Deadpool Sucks Like... 27 Aug 2014, 7 comments	5920
Titan Books:The Secret Service -Kinsman 24 Mar 2014	5010
Reality Check Controller circa 1998 10 Mar 2012	4254
T-Shirts, Mugs, Caps, Comics and more -Black Tower... 8 Apr 2017	2562

The 4th February, 2014 post was directed at Chinese entrepreneurs.  The 13th April, 2014 post was the earlier look at the Avengers volume 1 but in Chinese. Green Skies was the original promo image.

These are views via Blogger ONLY and exclude views from all other  sources.

If you look to the right of the blog (above the blog roll) you will see the top posts listed there. Interesting is that, despite Google/Blogger blocking Peoples Republic of China (PRC) views -the Chinese language posts still get high views.  As far as I am concerned it does not matter what country you come from -the interest is comics!

Cinebook the 9th Art reviews do remain in the top 10-15 posts regularly but I have noticed that delays with the publishers are being reflected by fewer views.  But, folks, look at previous reviews -some nice books there!

I like answering easy questions that are not "How come ---- on his blog is copying what you post?"  That is just a desperate attempt to pull in views by seeing what is popular here.  Sad, but it keeps the Brit has been comickers from trolling each other for an hour or so (a paragraph long posting takes a lot of effort from them!)

UK Comics

"Assess the UK's current companies and the possibilities of their producing new action comics"

Good question from one of my Yahoo group members.  Answer is brief and simple.

IPC Media

According to the top lady there "IPC has been out of comics well over 35 years and does not intend entering the field again."

Panini UK



Panini are quite happy with US reprint material (inan age when there are so many comic stores that you can go into and purchase the titles regularly what is the point of modern reprints?

There is a closed outlook in the company and a mindset that excludes new UK material (for obvious reasons I've gone into in other posts).

D. C. Thomson & Co. (Dundee Editions)

Despite what some people in UK comics may want you to believe by cutting/editing my post comments and adding their own fiction, I have always said that Thomson could be a force in British comics. 

 However, since the Thomson boss stated on a BBC TV Money Programme episode in the 1980s (1983?) that "comics will be a thing of the past in ten years", things have gone down hill. Almost as though Thomson is just waiting to die.  Lack lustre editors (including the one that told a certain comic artist "Terry Hooper? He's a c***!") and bland art and flagging sales aren't good.

Management would have to give 100% backing to any new comics and I cannot see that ever happening as I do not believe they know a great deal about modern comics.  And new editors would be needed to bring in new talent and new ideas.

Could it happen?  On a scale of 1-10 I'd give the chances at -0

Rebellion Studios

Well, again, despite people wanting to misquote and tell you what I think, I have said Rebellion was a good contender for UK comics.  However, I think its agenda is quite clear and, sadly, I have to rule them out.

Egmont UK

Publishing in many countries (I believe 23?) and that includes comics, Egmont I had hopes for in the distant past. Even proposals sent to its top people get no response and Egmont HQ in Europe always suggests you contact Egmont UK!

I have had phone conversations with people at Egmont UK who openly state they have no idea about comics and would have no idea how to put one together.  This is very sad as Egmont remains the company "attaching toys to promotional leaflets".

There is absolutely no reason why the UK cannot have its own strong and creative comics industry like Germany, Spain, France or Belgium.  However, that calls for someone with money to invest in a company, sit back and let it run (while keeping an eye on sales of course).

In all seriousness I have written and stated it many times over the years that there are two possible sources for revitalising the industry and neither are in the UK.  Namely China and India -both of which have the resources and entrepreneurial businessmen.

The question is are any business people in those countries interested?

C'è un ospite a sorpresa al corso Impariamo a leggere (e non solo)!

Il 21, 22 e 23 settembre c'è Impariamo a leggere: un corso in due formule per approfondire diversi linguaggi: albi illustrati, fumetti e romanzi per ragazzi.  Quest'anno il corso ha un ospite speciale: Alexis Deacon, uno dei più grandi illustratori inglesi contemporanei, autore di Cip e Croc (edito in Italia da Settenove). Deacon terrà un incontro venerdì 21 settembre, per discturere del suo lavoro e dell'albo illustrato come mezzo espressivo. Siamo lieti di informarvi che abbiamo raggiunto il numero massimo di iscrizioni  (e per questo ringraziamo di cuore le persone che si sono iscritte, quest'anno davvero tante!), ma l'incontro è aperto, oltre ai partecipanti, anche al pubblico esterno.  Comunicheremo il luogo nelle prossime settimane. Alexis Deacon sarà con noi grazie al progetto Transbook Children's Literature on the Move, cofinanziato dal programma Europa Creativa dell'UE.

Leggi di più sull'incontro con Alexis Deacon

È uscito il nuovo numero della rivista! Hamelin 45 - Figure in movimento è dedicato alle app e alla lettura digitale. Nato dal progetto europeoTransbook Children’s Literature on the Move, è una guida per orientarsi nell'editoria digitale e scegliere cosa leggere - e scaricare - consapevolmente. Scopri il nuovo numero della rivista

Premio Carla Poesio per la migliore tesi in Letteratura per l'infanzia Bologna Children's Book Fair e il Centro di Ricerca in Letteratura per l'Infanzia di Bologna hanno istituito un premio in memoria di Carla Poesio per la migliore tesi di laurea in Letteratura per l'infanzia. C'è tempo fino al 15 ottobre per partecipare: leggi qui il bando.

Segnosonico / 02 - In memoria della strage di Ustica Segnosonico è un progetto di BilBOlbul e Bologna Jazz Festival che unisce musica e disegno. Stefano Ricci e Pasquale Mirra salgono sul palco coi ragazzi del Conservatorio GB Martini, dell'Accademia di Belle Arti, del Liceo musicale Lucio Dalla e del liceo artistico Arcangeli di Bologna per un concerto disegnato dedicato alla strage di Ustica.  11 luglio, ore 21 Segnosonico / 02 / La scatola nera - Parco della Zucca, Bologna Con il sostegno di MIBACT e di SIAE, nell’ambito dell’iniziativa “Sillumina - Copia privata per i giovani, per la cultura”. In collaborazione con Museo della Memoria di Ustica. Tutte le info su Segnosonico

Per finire, ti segnaliamo due progetti importanti che puoi sostenere con una donazione: Le Edizioni dell'Asino vogliono regalare un abbonamento alla loro rivista Gli Asini a 100 biblioteche, associazioni, spazi pubblici e luoghi di frontiera; Canicola Edizioni ha lanciato un crowdfunding per la realizzazione di "Io sono mare" di Cristina Portolano, un fumetto per l'infanzia sulla diversità di genere che fa parte del progetto Dalla parte delle bambine. Buone vacanze, Hamelin

Comic Book Palace (Ep. 24)

Last Words. Facts

No one wants to openly post comments to CBO just private snide comments in emails.

Seriously, why can people not concentrate on Ditko's work rather than tell lies about how poor he was because of evil Stan Lee?

Yesterday I read and watch some of the most despicable things said and claimed about Stan Lee and how he got rich while Ditko lived a poor life. The obscene names used against Lee shows that there are some very low IQs in comics -quoting the made up facts presented by Alan Moore does not give you a water tight case.

Ditko was NOT poor.

The big give away was the fact Ditko worked for years out of an office in  Manhattan's Midtown West neighbourhood- you could not afford an office there if you had no cash.

His apartment was not a run down, cheap hovel.

Go to celebritynetworth.com.

Ditko was worth over $5 Million

I wish I was half as poor.

Now let's concentrate on Ditko's art and what we loved about it rather than the fake fans on the net.

There Are No "Real Friends" In Comics: Remember that

I find it odd that when old colleagues get in touch they tell me things they should have told me 30 odd years ago.

In the last few months I discovered that an artist I worked with (now deceased) and who I acted as an agent for and got plenty of paying work through my efforts (no, he never ever paid the agreed agents percentage of 7%) well, it seems that on several occasions after I told him that I was meeting a certain editor or publisher about getting work for myself....he contacted them and offered to do the work for less and even told outright lies about me.

A colleague and a friend I had thought.

I know on two occasions I caught people out doing this but gave them the benefit of a doubt -but they still went on to do the same.  People I had known 20-30 years.

I got a message from someone who used to work as an assistant editor at Marvel UK in the 1990s. At one point he stated that he was sorry about the way I had been treated over an editor's job. It's worth recounting the story as an example.

In the 1990s I had spoken to Paul Neary who was Marvel UKs Editor-in-Chief. He thought that I'd be perfect for an editor's job that had become available.  Went the 200+ miles to London to the Marvel offices, met him, chatted and he said "You're the chap we need".  Great. Panic over having to sort out a move to London but once the letter arrived asking me to come in the following Tuesday it was all set in motion. On the Monday I spoke with Neary by phone and he said he'd run me through things.

I left Bristol at 0600 hrs the next day and the coach (come on, I couldn't afford the train!) arrived in London at 1100 hrs and I walked from Victoria to Marvel's offices (HOT day, too).

I smiled at the receptionist and explained why I was there. "Mr Neary won't be back in the office until Friday" I was told.  I showed the letter and explained I had talked to him the afternoon before. No, he had gone off on a planned business trip.  So another editor turned up and took me to his office and I was told the editor's job had gone the week before!

This may have led to the infamous incident we'll not talk about.

So, 200+ miles back to Bristol, out of pocket on the travel expenses (that I was told would be reimbursed) and, basically, flat broke (there is a common theme in my life!).  Never a letter or call from Neary.  That was it and I learnt that the editor's job went to someone else a week after my visit!

Not the first time I was messed about like that. It seems, however, that things were going on in the background. I had told a writer and an artist, who knew each other, about the job offer and it could mean more paying work coming there way. Despite the fact that my getting an editor's job at Marvel UK could mean more paying work it seems that my two friends quite literally killed my chances by telling outright lies and much more about me.  Had I been told of this at the time I could have easily shot down every accusation...but the duo knew Neary apparently so who was he going to trust?

There are other stories but they are of no interest to anyone other than as a warning to "trust no one in comics". I couldn't care less as it was almost 30 years ago.  Those two 'friends' were cut off a long time ago. Anyone from the 'good old days' contacts me now I start by stating "I'll talk but I do not want to hear what anyone said or did behind my back decades ago". Conversation killer there!

Work by yourself for yourself because in comics and other media those smiling faces of 'friends' are normally there to distract you as the knife goes into your back.

Judge weighs in on struggle surrounding Marvel’s Stan Lee

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/judge-weighs-struggle-surrounding-marvel-013350734.html

The private struggle over the care and legacy of Marvel mastermind Stan Lee has played out in a Los Angeles courtroom as lawyers working with his daughter reasserted that they represent the 95-year-old.

They were granted an elder-abuse restraining order against a former manager of Lee, just as a previous lawyer had done, but only after a judge heard arguments about who should speak for Lee.

In the tiny courtroom packed with current and former lawyers and associates of Lee, lawyer Tom Lallas asked for a 30-day extension of the temporary restraining order he had received against Lee’s former manager Keya Morgan.

Mr Lallas has said in legal documents and news releases in recent weeks that he was representing Lee.

Superior Court Judge Pro Tem Ruth Kleman refused to consider the motion, saying it appeared Mr Lallas was not employed by Lee.

“I’m only concerned who has authority to represent Mr Lee,” judge Kleman said.

Stan Lee with Keya Morgan at the world premiere of Avengers: Infinity War (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Lee’s daughter and only child, JC Lee, sat in court and smiled at her lawyers when the judge refused to recognise Mr Lallas. Lawyers working with her had provided a signed declaration from Stan Lee denouncing Mr Lallas.

The hearing came on the anniversary of the death of Joan Lee, Stan Lee’s wife of nearly 70 years.

The latest Marvel film featuring Lee’s characters, Ant-Man And The Wasp, was released in the US on Friday and is expected to top the weekend box office.

The new restraining order against Morgan, a 42-year-old movie producer who had worked as Lee’s manager and personal adviser, demands that he keep away from Lee, Lee’s daughter and Lee’s brother.

The request for the order alleges that Morgan has attempted to interfere with Lee’s ability to contact caregivers, doctors and family members, has attempted to alienate Lee from his daughter, and is embezzling or misappropriating five million dollars-worth of Lee’s assets.

Lee’s new lawyers said they would also work with police and prosecutors in an elder-abuse investigation involving Morgan.

Morgan told The Associated Press that he was in New York working on a film. He declined to comment further on the advice of his lawyer but has previously denied abusing Lee in any way.

Morgan’s lawyer Alex Kessel did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the allegations in the new order.

Stan Lee’s declaration said he had fired Mr Lallas in February and had no desire to be further represented by him.

It also said Morgan had likely committed malpractice by disclosing to media and others his opinions about Lee’s health and personal life.

It said that he had no desire for Mr Lallas to file for a restraining order in his name.

“Mr Lallas has done enough damage already,” the document says. “Hopefully, he will just stop.”

The document includes Lee’s original request that Mr Lallas be fired, signed, “Excelsior! Stan Lee.”

Mr Lallas said outside court that he stood by his assertion that he could act on Lee’s behalf, but he was glad at least that Lee’s other lawyers were moving to keep Morgan away from him.

Ditko Death Reactions and Justice League OVER Avengers??

It is sad when anyone dies. Let's face it -none of us are getting out of this alive but we need to enjoy ourselves. We need to celebrate things we like -whether war-gaming, arts and crafts, terrain building, flower arranging or comics.

There are quite a few low IQs out there.

It seems every time something happens the arschlochs turn out in full force.

"Everybody ignored Ditko's death -if it had been Lee it would have been blasted all over the newspapers, TV and internet!"

"Ditko created Spider-man: Lee took credit!"

Well, it was two days before Ditko's body was discovered. He lived VERY privately, ignored social media and even fan contact to a great degree. There is nothing special about being found dead days later because no one knew you were ill or died -check your local news weekly. The old lady I knew who was in her 90s died a few weeks back. I never knew until I saw her friend and asked where she was. Other people I spoke to locally had no idea she was dead.

TV and the internet IS all over the story churning out the same stuff. Lee is VERY public and he has a media team behind him so he is in contact with colleagues and family daily. He attends events and even talks to fans when he can (if I see one more little ass-wipe moan that Lee would not enter a long conversation with while signing or being escorted to an event I will personally crucify them. The guy is, what, 97 years old now? Jeez give him a fecking break). Of course people would know sooner if something went amiss with him. 

Has everyone lost the ability to think rationally??

Steve Ditko drew comics. So what? The old lady who died raised a family, had grand and great grandchildren and worked hard all of her life -is her death less important than Ditko's?

Lee came up with the Spider-Man idea and story and Ditko drew the strip and (allegedly) created the costume look we all know and love. Ditko wanted -demanded- FULL creative credit. Lee even put into writing for Ditko (and this is widely known in comics -and despite Jonathan Ross trying to put words into Lee's mouth during the BBC Steve Ditko documentary it was mentioned there) that he considered him to be the Co-Creator of Spider-Man along with himself and pushed for Ditko to get credit on the Spider-Man movies and money. Ditko rejected both (there has been a rumour since the first Spider-Man movie that Ditko did accept money but NEVER confirmed).

If you cannot use your brain to do anything but spout ill thought out rubbish that you have read on the internet or seen on You Tube be quiet.

Remember Ditko for his art not fan boy mythology.

Honestly, by August people will be asking "Steve who?" It's how it goes., I do note prices on Spider-Man and Dr Strange figures ("created by Steve Ditko") and books have sharply increased. Scum are everywhere.

Now, I have managed to keep up with every incarnation of The Avengers thanks to trade paperback gifts and some extremely low prices. I'm up-to-date with the current series up to issue 2. In the current run the story and art have been good. I have reviewed other trades before -just search CBO.

When the New 52 emerged and I saw Justice League 1 and 2 I dropped the title. Several months ago I got sent trades 1 and 2...I then found a very cheap source for trades and, though I had to wait til prices dropped very low, I just finished volume 8 which is part 2 of the Darkseid War. Which means I am a little behind (hey -you want to send me later trades I'm game!) but it gives me the chance to assess the series.

It was annoying to read one trade where Shazam and Black Adam were involved and thinking "I can't wait for the next part...and finding it was excluded. This happened a couple times because the old con of "You HAVE to buy the Forever Evil series to find out what happens" was used. The Darkseid War, at times, seemed a little too cluttered.  Several times I thought "What? What just happened?" and had to flick back a few pages. Bad editorially: more pages were needed or the script needed to be tightened up more.

I got hold of the Forever Evil trade on special offer (I can't afford new book prices!!).  Same there with more clutter and things needing more pages.

ahem...everyone knows I am a Marvelite.  I have been an Avengers fan since 1966(?).

Justice League and the Forever Evil story and art beat up on and pissed all over anything from the Avengers since the mid 1990s.  How the feck does that happen?  Out of the two titles (I have full collections) The Avengers was always light years above the Justice League. Marvel has (excluding the current run) employed bad editors, writers (even known "names") and not very good artists on Avengers since 2000.  I think the last good Avengers book was Avengers Forever by Busiek and Pachecco.

I almost cried when I read the Darkseid War intro explaining how one crisis after another resulted in the DC universe being reborn. Continuity constantly thrown away.  However, once past that the fun started.

I cannot believe I am writing that Justice League (volume 4?) was far superior to the Avengers.  But I have to be honest and fair.

End times indeed.

Stephen ("Steve") J. Ditko 1927-2018

Steve Ditko is dead.  He was 90 years old and he lived his life the way he wanted to and was not, despite what you will be reading in the established comics media, ripped off by Stan Lee and living a poor man's life.

We are about to see days of Ditko images posted by people who want to seem hip and cool but have never heard of Ditko before.  Eulogies will be written bordering on the poetical and talking of his brush-line, the angles of lines the "majestic poetry of his work" and so on and so forth.

A few words about his "troubled personality" and world-view/politics.

Most will skirt past (if they are even aware) of the question as to whether he ripped off a Kirby department store fancy dress costume for Spider-Man.  Or whether he borrowed a lot from the movie The Raven for the look of Dr Strange.

Ebay prices on anything with Ditko's name on it are going to sky-rocket...in fact, even books or toys based on Ditko work are going to sky-rocket.

Here is the thing: Ditko is rather like Kirby in that they were seen as comic gods who were ripped off by Stan Lee -in fact Marvel Comics owners at different times should be responsible.  Ditko turned his back (allegedly) on Spider-Man movie money.  Kirby would have loved that kind of cash.

I could run off a very -VERY- long list of artists and writers who have died over the last ten years who all contributed to making the comics industry in the United States what it is today.  Creators who were the back-bone of Marvel and DC comics.  Some died poor. Very poor.  But who cares, heh? They were not Kirby or Ditko so where's the "merch" or investment value?

Comic artists and writers are, incredibly, human beings. They need to eat and pay bills like the rest of us. They might get a very brief mention when they die. Or end up in a care home. But who cares, right?

I can predict what each internet eulogy, each You Tube tribute will say.  Even the art they will show. Because these are the wannabe cool kids or blinkered fans.  I am not taking part in that falseness.

I have all my Ditko books, including his often mocked work for Charlton.  I have my Dr Strange collections.  His Spider-Man work.  My eulogy to Ditko is in my head. That first Dr. Strange story I read (in Black and white) as a youngster and how it impressed me so much that I could not wait for the next part or story.  The way he drew the Spider-Man cast. But above all, yes, Dr Strange and how it affected my outlook on comics and story-telling.

That is how each and every real Steve Ditko fan will honour the man. Because that is how we cherish our favourite writers and artists.

But let's not forget the other founding comic creators -old and sick and who would really appreciate all the attention but will not get it.

Steve Ditko is dead.

Others are still out there.

Wo ist der Comic? Von der Comic Con Germany 2018 in Stuttgart