30 Day Comic Challenge Day 27

Day 27 - Favorite Comic Book Movie.

See my previous post for some thoughts on my general lack of enthusiasm (at least lack of the level of enthusiasm of most of my fellow geeks) for movies and TV versions of my favorite comics and books.

That being said, I think that comic book movies have come a long way and improved quite a bit, especially in the area of being faithful to the original source material.

I credit this movie for starting the trend:



Okay, admittedly, there were some changes, and I know that some hardcore fans got righteously indignant over the "organic" web-shooters.

But seriously, take a look at Spider-Man and see what a great job they did with the cast. The minor characters that Hollywood would in past years have thrown out are present and in most cases spot-on. J.K. Simmons absolutely NAILED the part of J. Jonah Jameson. And this movie didn't NEED J. Jonah Jameson. He was there because somehow against all odds, the powers that be in Hollywood actually paid attention to the comics and realized that the fans didn't want to see Hollywood's Spider-Man. They wanted to see Marvel's Spider-Man, or at the risk of sounding overly sentimental THEIR Spider-Man.

Since that time, there have been some films that ditched the source material completely (Wanted), but there have been a lot more that made a very serious effort to stick close to it (Lord of the Rings did a pretty admirable job). If Spider-Man had been a flop, I'm not sure if we'd be seeing that kind of effort. We might easily have remained stuck in the days when Hollywood thought that Cathy Lee Crosby as a blonde Wonder Woman was a good idea.

From My Creations

It's been about two weeks since this challenge was for favorite cartoon series, and I STILL don't have anyone offering a movie deal.

So, sorry, no Dandelion Studios films in the works, and that means a pass on this half of today's question. However, I don't want to leave you with nothing video-wise, so here's the video trailer for the first issue of Stone.



The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 26

Day 26 - A Comic You Wish They Would Make Into A Movie.

One of the ways in which I'm not a typical geek is that I don't get excited about movie adaptations of my favorite books and comics. First of all, I'm much more into the printed word than I am into any sort of video format. Sure, I love a lot of geeky movies, and I generally enjoy SF on the big or small screen even when I don't love it. But I have a hard time getting excited about it. Example. I bought the complete Firefly series on DVD a couple of years ago, and have only ever watched one episode. It wasn't that I didn't like the episode I watched. It was good. I was entertained. But it didn't excite me to the point that I wanted to spend the time to sit there and watch the rest of the series. And I know how passionate a lot of my friends are about this show. I just don't have that kind of passion for TV/movies.

What I have passion for is books and comics. And when it comes down to it, Hollywood ruins books and comics at least half the time they get adapted. And I there are almost no instances for me in which the film version really surpasses the experience of reading the book. Lord of the Rings came close. But off the top of my head, that's pretty much all I can come up with and that's still only close.

So, having said all that, I will answer this with the HUGE caveat that if and only if it could be done in a way that is faithful to the original, the comic series I'd like to see a film version of is Bone.



Bone has a visual quality to it that I think could be great in the film medium. It has an epic scope without being excessively busy the way many comics (and their movie versions) can be. Done right, it could be amazing, but I still have to admit that I'd greet the announcement of such a project with skepticism and a bit of trepidation.

Edit: Having looked at the Wikipedia page, I see that Warner Brothers has bought the film rights. I am skeptical and filled with trepidation.

From My Creations

I think that Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire would make a great action comedy in the vein of films like Men In Black, Despicable Me, and Megamind.

It's got fun, quirky characters, lots of little jokes, giant robots, and even a cute little monster (Darlene the giant spider) for toy marketing purposes.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 25

Day 25 - A Book You Plan On Reading.

I recently picked up a bunch of trade paperbacks when our local Borders went out of business. One was a very popular comic that I've never read any of:



Fables looks like really great stuff, and I am looking forward to checking out the first two volumes and possibly more.

From My Creations

How about a comic I plan on publishing? Gynn's long-running project, Knifeclaw Company is on hold while we produce issue #4 of Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire, but when we finally finish up Knifeclaw Company it will be awesome. Here's a piece of concept art:



Although this piece has a fantasy feel to it, Knifeclaw Company is very much a science fiction story, and we're looking forward to our first real foray into that genre.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 24

Day 24 - Dream Character Team Up.

Harley Quinn teamed up with Delirium of the Endless.



Admittedly, the resulting story would probably be almost entirely incoherent, but it would also be totally awesome.

From My Creations

I'd love to see Ramult from Perils of Picorna team up with Rebecca from Kaeli & Rebecca.



They would make a great swashbuckling combination with fighting skill, scrappiness, and style to spare. This is a team that would face down overwhelming odds with a wink and a smile.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

Irredeemable / Incorruptible Free Comic Book Day Edition

I've had trouble finding time to do reviews this week. Hope you've been enjoying the 30 Day meme. Here's a 2010 FCBD item that I picked up at this year's FCBD.

Title: Irredeemable / Incorruptible Free Comic Book Day Edition
Date: May 2010
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Peter Krause, Jean Diaz, Belardino Brabo
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Ed Dukshire
Cover: John Cassaday, Laura Martin
Editor: Matt Gagnon

Reprints the first issues of the two interconnected series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, both written by Mark Waid.

The essential story here is Superman (going by the name The Plutonian, but essentially Superman) gone bad. Plutonian kills off the masked vigilante known as the Hornet in the opening scene, along with Hornet's wife and children. From there the surviving members of the Paradigm (the superhero team that the Plutonian was a member of) are frantically scrambling to find any bit of information that might give them a chance against the seemingly unstoppable Plutonian. Waid does a pretty good job of ratcheting up the emotions and laying out the basic scenario here.

Incorruptible is the mirror-image of Irredeemable, the story of a super-villain who decided to go straight. The two stories share a setting, and the change of heart that the former villain Max Damage undergoes comes as a result of the destruction caused by the Plutonian's rampage. I liked the character of Max Damage, but the attempts at humor in the book fell flat (possibly because of the grim nature of the world and the companion book) and Damage's sidekick, the aptly name Jailbait, is a pretty good summation of everything that is bad in the treatment of female characters in mainstream comics these days. I suppose it's possible that she's been set up as a stereotype for the purpose of breaking that stereotype down later, but I was pretty unimpressed with what I saw in the character so far: dump, only interested in sex and money, and drawn in typical barely dressed comic book heroine style. Waid is trying to write a very serious deconstruction of the superhero genre here. I was hoping for better than this in such an effort.

Rating: 6/10

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 23

Day 23 - Your Favorite Artist.

Like many folks, I find this a very difficult question. There are so many artists who have contributed to my love of comics. After much deliberation, I'm going to choose Charles Vess.



Part of my love for Vess' work comes from my love of the fantasy genre. Vess takes every subject he illustrates and infuses it with a sense of magical wonder that suits fantasy perfectly. And he does it with incredible attention to detail.

From My Creations

When it comes to the comics I write and the artists I work with, I really can't choose favorites. I'm going to have to call this one a draw. I've been fortunate enough, since I co-founded Dandelion Studios to work with four absolutely awesome artists. Here are some quick samples.

Gynn Stella draws Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire.



Missy Pena draws Perils of Picorna.



Katrina Joyner draws Kaeli & Rebecca.



Alice Veidt draws Stone.



The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 22

Day 22 - A Series That You Liked But Stopped Reading

After the mess that was Infinite/Final Crisis (which got to the point that the only way it would possibly have been cool was if it were actually, you know, FINAL), I had pretty much sworn off the DC Universe. Then along came the next big crossover. I flipped through it in a store an said to myself, hey, this is actually kinda cool. Like a zombie apocalypse in the DC Universe. That series, of course, was Blackest Night. And it started out really good.



By about the fourth issue I was done. Though well-written, the story fell into the same old pattern of contrived deaths of minor characters (and the occasional major one just to get the fans worked up into a tizzy) that were cruel, sadistic, and ultimately meaningless as it was obvious that the universe was headed for yet another cosmic-scale reset button, so nothing that happened in the story was really going to have any meaning in a long-term sense. It's too bad, because the execution (pun intended) on this one was decent. If they had done JUST this, and not Identity Crisis/Infinite Crisis/Final Crisis/52/One Year Later (and if they hadn't followed this with Brightest Day/Flashpoint with another huge reboot heading our way this September), then I might have kept reading.

Sorry, though. Only going to be fooled so many times.

From My Creations

I'll take this from the point of view of projects that I liked but that we never finished publishing.

Years ago I started a zine called Caravan. It began life as a standalone zine, although it resembled a newsletter more than what most people think of when they think zine. For several years, it was published as part of Phoenix, a longstanding APA. Currently, we're publishing a steampunk version of Caravan as a freebie to give out at the more steampunk-oriented shows we attend.

In the original Caravan, I wrote a comic strip called The Hearth, which was conceived as a comedic soap opera set in a fantasy world. Gynn drew it, and it ran infrequently for many years. It doesn't have a home in the new version of Caravan, so it's back on indefinite hiatus.

Here are a couple of sample strips:




The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 21

Day 21 - Favorite Writer.

This will probably be a popular choice among lots of possible good choices. My favorite comic book writer is Neil Gaiman.



Gaiman uses mythology and symbolism beautifully in his work, creates memorable characters, and delivers great stories. He does it without needing to resort to shock and extreme violence on every pages, but has still written some of the most horrifying sequences in comics when the needs of the story called for it. He deals equally well in horror and beauty, and he is probably singlehandedly responsible for bringing a huge number of new readers to American comics.

From My Creations

Okay, a bit biased here because I'm married to her. My choice is my co-writer on Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire, Gynn Stella. She's also the writer for many of the Dandelion Studios minicomics.



I write genre fiction and (hopefully) play around with the familiar themes enough to make it seem interesting and perhaps a bit original.

Gynn invents her own genres.

She tells amazingly original stories through her comics, and can make the most mundane of experiences into compelling comics storytelling. She's got a great talent for catching details and for looking at the world from unexpected perspectives.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 20

Day 20 - Favorite Super Power Or Skill.

What's worse than facing a powerful enemy? How about a supernaturally lucky enemy?



I'll take Longshot's "probability-alteration field" any day of the week.

From My Creations

Well, actually, it's really the same answer. In the pages of Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire, we've got the Legion of Good Girls, those staunch defenders of all that is right (and constant annoyances to the Minions). Among them is Slim Chance, who's got her own set of luck-related powers.

However, since it's boring to pick the same power twice, I'm going to choose Unseen Crusader's invisibility. At Dandelion Studios, we don't do some silly convenient version of invisibility like you see in The Fantastic Four. Nope, we get all old-school, going back to HG Wells' The Invisible Man. Which means that Crusader has the power to make herself invisible. Just herself. Not her equipment, her weapons, or her clothing. That's right, we are not-drawing a naked person in multiple panels of every issue!



And yet the book somehow maintains a PG rating.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 19

I took a much-needed night off last night after a long day of Father's Day activities, so I'll be doing double duty today both on this meme and on reviewing.

Day 19 - Comic Book City/Universe You Wish You Lived In.

I always liked the city of Devil's Echo, the setting for Leave It To Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith.



The city is depicted as a sort of multicultural center in a world of magic and monsters. It's magical, modern, and fun.

From My Creations

Artist Missy Pena does a wonderful job with the architecture of Medbobd the capital city of our fantasy kingdom of Ferstaal in Perils of Picorna. It's a city of soaring palaces and cathedral spires, and best of all, it's got a huge library! What more could could you want?

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 18

Day 18 - Favorite B-List Character.

Superhero cliches are very goofy in general. One area that lends itself to a lot of silliness is the whole secret identity concept.

So it was only a matter of time before someone decided to take secret identity to its logical extreme.


Meet The Thorn, the character who's identity is so secret that even SHE doesn't know who she really is! It's perfect. Everyone always talks about Bruce Wayne/Batman or Clark Kent/Superman as being different personas in one person. With Rose/Thorn you get a character who really is a multiple personality. Her "secret identity" doesn't realize that she's off fighting crime at night. I always thought that was a pretty cool twist on a very over-used theme.

From My Creations

I love my minor characters. There were a lot of minor characters from my comics that almost made this list before I settled on Sister-Aide Nyllen from Perils of Picorna.



Nyllen is the "mother hen" of First Sister Talavaria's entourage, but she occasionally hints that she has skills that go beyond the cooking and cleaning. Nyllen doesn't get a ton of "screen time", but I always look forward to co-writing her scenes.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 17

Day 17 - Most Useless Villain

One of the major advantages of Batman comics over Superman comics has always been the quality of the Batman rogues gallery. Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Bane, Scarecrow, Penguin. The list goes on and on and it includes a ton of interesting villains.

With Superman, you've got two of the all-time great villains in Lex Luthor and Brainiac.

And at the third tier, you've got this:


Seriously, folks? The Toyman? Against Superman? Give me a break. This guy is a joke most of the time and when he's not a joke he's a creepy old guy Who's obsessed with children. Ew.

From My Creations

Well, he is intentionally useless, but the prize definitely goes to our icy-dispositioned would-be world conqueror Cold Shoulder, who was the minions' employer in the debut issue of Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire.


The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

Plastic Farm #18

Closing in on the last of my Plastic Farm stack.

Title: Plastic Farm
Issue: #18
Date: 2010
Publisher: Plastic Farm Press
Writer: Rafer Roberts
Artist: Rafer Roberts, Chris Piers, Dale Rawlings

Two stories with bits of framing sequence. First up, Elaine tells the tale of the day the next door neighbor died. The next door neighbor with all the animals. And the library. And the secret passage and the hidden laboratory. The fun of this story is Elaine's inability to communicate what she is seeing coupled with Chris Piers' illustrations which let the reader in on the secrets that Elaine is failing to get across to her own audience.

The second story is a creepy little bit of urban mythology involving a dancing statue of Jesus in a cemetery somewhere in New Jersey. Dale Rawlings does a nice job with the illustration for this one.

As always with Plastic Farm, half the fun is figuring out how these disjointed pieces fit into the overall jigsaw puzzle.

Rating: 7.5/10

Your Chance To Review MY Comics!

It's inventory time at Dandelion Studios, and as might be expected with all of the running around to conventions this year, we have a small number of damaged comics. Most of these are warped or creased to a greater or lesser degree. All of them are complete and readable. I am offering them for free to anyone who thinks they could give them a fair review or even just a mention in your blog. You're welcome to message me on FB or email me at rsilva444@yahoo.com. Copies of all of our major titles are available, so if you're familiar with our books you're welcome to request a title. If you haven't read any of our books, feel free to go over to dandelionstudios.com and check them out to pick one you think you might like or else we're happy to send you one at random. Please include a mailing address in your email. If you are a reviewer and would prefer an electronic copy, I can set you up with a .pdf version of any of our full-format issues.

The offer is good, as the saying goes, while supplies last. I really don't have any other use for these damaged books, so please don't be shy. If you've heard that I publish comics and have wondered what that is all about, now is your chance.

Plastic Farm #17

Title: Plastic Farm
Issue: #17
Publisher: Plastic Farm Press
Writer: Rafer Roberts
Artist: Rafer Roberts

Chester Carter finishes up his tale of his college days with his account of his experiences at a keg party. As might be expected, it ends with him staggering off into the woods to puke. Less expected are the mysterious voices he hears.

We also revisit the starving farmers and their newfound source of fresh meat. You might remember the bit from the classic film Motel Hell. "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters."

Back at the snowed-in airport, Chester passes on the storytelling torch as the stranded travelers settle in for a long night.

This issue was less focused than the previous one because of the different plots we were following, but it also featured some good advancing of several of those plots.

Rating: 7/10

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 16

Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.

I'm not the Joss Whedon fan that a lot of my friends are, but I must admit that the guy has a talent for one-liners. And for coming up with exactly the thing that has needed to be said for years. The example that sticks in my mind is from Astonishing X-Men #1.



Here's the exchange:

KITTY PRYDE: Hi. It's possible that I'm late.EMMA FROST: Quite so. This, children, is Kitty Pryde, who apparently feels the need to make a grand entrance.
KITTY PRYDE: I'm sorry, I was busy remembering to put on all my clothes..

HA! Lots of other great bits of humor in this series as well, along with some good storytelling.

From My Creations

Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire is our comedy book, so obviously we're trying to make it funny. The following scene, leans heavily on the goofy side of our sense of humor, but as a stand-alone page, I've always thought it made for a pretty good laugh.


The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 15

Halfway through!

Day 15 - A Picture From The Comic You’re Reading Right Now.

Well, the blog is called Comic A Day because I read and review one comic per day. I've been focusing mostly on Free Comic Book Day stuff recently, but before that there was one title I was reading on a regular basis more than anything else. That's because at SPACE this past March, my wife Gynn brought home the entire run of Rafer Roberts' Plastic Farm. I still have some issues to read, so I pulled one of those out and reviewed it tonight. You can read the review of Plastic Farm #16 here and you can read my reviews of the complete run of this multifaceted series here.

Here's some tentacly goodness from the issue I read tonight.



Artwork by Rafer Roberts.

From My Creations

This would be a great opportunity to showcase some new artwork from one of the comics that I have currently in the works. Unfortunately, none of the issues currently in the works are being drawn right at this moment. All three are at various stages of the script editing process.

So here's an image from the book we most recently finished, Unpopular Species #3.


Artwork by Gynn Stella.

Did you know that nine-banded armadillos can jump up to four feet straight up in the air when startled? Did you know that they are carriers of leprosy? That and loads of other fun facts can be found in Unpopular Species, our "nature documentary" minicomic series about creatures that are less loved.

The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.