You Really Need to Take Advantage of This Sale on Stumptown

You like comics? You like Greg Rucka? You like smart, female characters that are drawn realistically and don’t suffer from asstititis?

You need to read Stumptown. I’ve told you this before. Kelly and I have done podcasts on this title. If you still haven’t read it, now is the time because Comixology is having a sale that ends tomorrow.

Stumptown is a detective story and focuses on a Seattle PI, Dex Parrios. The first volume is about a missing girl. The second volume is about a missing guitar. I’m not going to tell you much else because it will spoil the fun. This is Rucka at his most Ruckaiest. And you get the great art of Matthew Southworth including a car chase issue in volume 2 which was one of my best of 2012.

If you want to read it but aren’t down with the digital thing than you have a mixed bag. Stumptown, Vol. 1 has a gorgeous trade you can buy here. Volume 2 won’t be out until fall but why not give digital at try?

75 Years of Lois Lane: A Chat with Mindy Newell

This month marks 75 years since Action Comics #1 landed on the newsstand. In that issue Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel introduced the world to one of the most important women in comics - Lois Lane (Superman made his debut in that issue, too). To mark this anniversary I’m chatting with some of her creators to get their thoughts on the character and her place in comic history.You can see the previous pieces here. Today I am chatting with Mindy Newell who in addition to writing Wonder Woman and Catwoman for DC Comics also wrote a much acclaimed Lois Lane mini-series at the very end of the Bronze age. Mindy’s written about Lois in her column and she drew upon some of her thoughts for this piece.

So Mindy, what’s your first memory of Lois Lane?

I think that should be “memories,” Sue, since I can’t remember issue #’s, months, and years—hey, I was a kid, after all

I grew up on the Silver Age Lois in comics, she of the “Mamie Eisenhower” hairdo and suits and hats from the late 50’s and early 60’s (suits, nylons, pumps, hats and gloves were the de rigueur style for women back then, though I don’t remember Lois wearing gloves). 

I didn’t like that she was always mooning over Superman and that her main raison d’être was to prove that Superman was Clark Kent.  I didn’t like that Superman always managed to pull the wool over her eyes.  It made her foolish.  It was insulting.  It was dumb.  (I liked Lana Lang; she was spunky, she was Insect Queen, she was a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and she just seemed smarter and not so constantly obsessed with Superman’s secret identity.  I did say constantly.)

Still, even though some part of me didn’t like the way Lois behaved, some part of me did, because I avidly read her comic, SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND, LOIS LANE, whenever I could find it.  SGLL always seemed to feature: (1) “imaginary” stories in which Lois was “Mrs. Superman” or sometimes “Mrs. Kent”; (2) Lois discovering that Superman was in love with some other dame, usually her “arch-rival” Lana Lang, or if not Lana, some babe from another planet who had super-powers; (3) Lois spurning Superman for some other super-dude, usually—again!—from another planet; (4) Lois transforming into some weird version of herself just as Superman was about to propose.  Hmm…there’s a theme here, but I just can’t figure it out!

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Better Superhero Costuming: It’s Kids’ Play

You may or may not be aware that run another blog in addition to this one called Girls Love Superheroes. The blog is devoted to showcasing young girls demonstrating that superheroes are not a “boy” thing. 

My day is always made better by opening an email or submit with a little girl dressed up like a DC or Marvel superhero (so keep them coming!) The costumes range from store bought Halloween one to elaborate homemade ones. 

And you know, some of the latter are even better than what appear in the comic pages. To prove it a Tumblr artist has taken these costumes and shown how they would look in comics And results are great!

Here’s a young female Green Lantern.

Gee how much better than say:

Oh wait, I forgot right now there are no female Green Lanterns in comics. 

But go check her take on Powergirl!

Boston Comic Shop Lets the Show Go On

With Boston Comic Con postponed due to yesterday’s manhunt, a few local shops held alternative events for fans including Comicazi in Somervllle which is a few train stops away from Boston. The event, Not the Boston Comic Con, was put together very quickly last evening but it still attracted crowds of comic fans who waited in line to see some of the creators scheduled for the con cam to the event.

Inside Agnes Garbowska and Tim Seeley were busy signing prints, sketching and saying “hi” to fans.

Also there were Bill Willingham and David Mack

Boston based Ming Doyle signed copies of Mara along side of Tim Sale

And the great Don Rosa was busy sketching for some young fans.

I spoke briefly for the PR rep for Boston Comic Con and he said they have a lot of details to deal with but will then start seeing about when the con can be rescheduled. 

Second Earth-2 Title by Robinson Due Later This Year

DC Comics wil be expanding its Earth-2 later this year with a second title by current writer James Robinson. DC’s Bobbie Chase and Bob Harras had said it had “plans” for such a book earlier in the week. The news and writer was confirmed by Nicola Scott last evening during a panel at the Supernova Gold Coast Show. 

The focus of the new title has not been revealed but given a new Batman will soon be introduced into Earth-2 there’s a good bet that character will be a part of the new title if not the focus.

No Boston Comic Con Today But Heres Some Alternatives

Boston Comic Con may have had to be postponed due to the events over the last few days but there are some events that have popped up for local folks who still want to get a comics fix.

Comicazi of Somerville is having several creators in for signings. this event is free

Comicopia is hosting two creator signings. On Saturday, Nate Bellagarde will be there 11-1. On Sunday Adventure Time creators Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb (Adventure Time), will be signing on Sunday from 12-3.

Friendly Comics in Bellingham is hosting several creators including Carlos Pacheco and Chrissie Zullo.

Let me know if there are other events going on.

Lois Lane 75th Anniversary Celebrated by Fans and Lois’ on Twitter and the Net

The fans who wanted to trend Lois Lane on Twitter last night to gain recognition for her 75th anniversary suceeded last night as tthe Twitter hashtage #LoisLane75yrs topped the Twitter Trending listings.

The two hour event organized by several fans and the tumblr FyeahSupermanandloislane took to Twitter to tweet out facts, trivia, their favorite moments and more. But it wasn’t just fans who Tweeted. Both Dana Delaney and Teri Hatcher also took part in the event.

Hatcher tweeted out photos and other memorobilia.

In addition to the Twitter event several blogs and comics sites also recognized that the 75th anniversary of Action Comics #1 was not just a Superman event.

Comic blogger and Robot6 columnist Michael May did an exhaustive history of Lois Lane on his blog.

Comics writer and Blogger Alaisdair Stuart looked at the music of Lois and Superman. It’s a fun read.

Tom Bondurant did a nice piece on the history of Lois Lane for Robot 6.

And if you didn’t see them I interview Superman biographer Larry Tye and Superman writer and artist Dan Jurgens about Lois. And I have a half dozen other interviews ready to go over the next days.

While DC has announced their plans to recognize Superman’s 75th anniversary, they have yet to announce what they will do for Lois Lane’s 75th. I look forward to seeing what they have planned.

Joker’s Daughter Coming to DC Comics?

DC Comics today posted on their new “What’s New in the New 52” (more on that here) this image today with the caption “Joker’s Daughter”

Not sure who the artist is there, Capullo? It’s Brett Booth.

In the pre-Crisis, pre-52 DCU, there was someone who called themself Joker’s Daughter, Duela Dent.

She wasn’t the Joker’s Daughter but was later revealed to Harvey Dent’s daughter. In the post-Crisis Duela Dent showed up in the Teen Titans books with a different origin. Duela Dent also appeared in Ame-Comi Girls.

So who is this Joker’s Daughter and where will she appear? The Joker was just a focus of a major Batman arc and appears to have been put back on to the toy box for awhile. Will this character let them leverage the Joker name without using the character.

Or will these character be a member of the Earth-2 world. We know that Earth-2 is getting a new Batman. Perhaps this character will be a foil for him? Or perhaps this character could be a foil for Helena Wayne?

It’s Lois Lane’s 75th Anniversary!

Seventy-five years ago today, Action Comics #1 arrived on newsstands. On the cover, of course, was Superman. But inside the issue was the debut of one of the most enduring characters in pop culture and she came out swinging.

From her very first appearance Lois Lane, one of the most memorable moments for women in DC history, became an integral, critical part of the Superman mythos. As readers read that first story and saw this strange man do amazing things, Lois plays a stand-in for the reader as Superman calms her concerns.

But Lois Lane would do much more that just be a stand-in for the reader. She would become the model for the modern career woman who reveled in her job and strived to be the best there was in her field regardless of gender. 

Lois Lane became short hand for aggressive reporter and I know she’s a big reason why I went to Journalism school. And she was also, after Batgirl, what drew me to DC Comics. In fact, when I started this blog she was the very first character I wrote a post about.

To celebrate her 75th Anniversary, I reached out to a number of her creators to see if they’d be willing to talk about Lois Lane. The responses were fast and enthusiastic. Everyone wanted to talk about Lois. I’m going to start posting these interviews today. And don’t forget to participate in the Lois Lane Event on Twitter this evening! And if you have a love for Lois, the wonderful “Women Write About Comics” site is running a blogging carnival to celebrate Lois’ anniversary. If you have a desire to write about Lois drop them a note.

I think it’s beyond fair to say that Lois Lane is one of DC Comics most well known female characters having appeared in books, multiple movies, multiple television shows, books and even Broadway in addition to comics. I look forward to seeing what DC has planned to celebrate her anniversary.

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New 3 Chicks Podcast is Up with Jamal Igle and Jeremy Whitley

Now available for your listening pleasure is a new 3 Chicks Review Comics podcast. So soon you ask? Due to travel and cons, Kelly and I are giving you two in a row and then heading on a bit of hiatus.

This week we spoke to two creators from Action Lab Comics who are focusing on the all ages market. Jamal Igle of Molly Danger and Jeremy Whitley of Princeless talk about the importance of all ages content and the challenges and rewards of selling that content in the direct market.We also review two comics and this week its one each from the big two!

And we end with our usual chit chat about the strange world of superhero comics!

So please stop by and give us a listen! And feel free to leave us comments!

Let’s Celebrate 75 Years of Lois Lane …

… because it doesn’t seem like DC wants to.

This Thursday, April 18, marks 75 years since the first issue of Action Comics #1 hit the newstand. On the cover of that comic is a character you’re going to be hearing a lot about this year - Superman. But there was another character in that issue. A character whose name is known around the world. Who has appeared in almost every media adaption starring Superman. A character who is synonymous with hard nosed reporter. Not girl reporter. Reporter. 

That character is Lois Lane. 

Right now DC Comics has announced no plans to celebrate this anniversary. There are no special Lois Lane comics solicited. No Lois Lane anniversary memorabilia being offered. And while there will be a set of anniversary variant covers for the upcoming Scott Snyder/Jim Lee Superman Unchained series, there will be covers for Superman and for Lex Luthor but no cover for Lois Lane. She “might” get a cover with Perry White and Jimmy Olsen, according to Lee.

Seventy-five years of comic, movie, radio, book, Broadway and TV appearances and all that we’ve heard is she might be getting a joint cover with two characters who arrived to the Superman mythos long after she did. This despite a big budget movie with Amy Adams playing the character arriving in June. 

Do you think that makes sense? Do you think that is right? I certainly don’t. 

We can hope that DC has something to celebrate Lois Lane. But rather than waiting to hear or see that, why not tell them you want to see something for her 75th anniversary?

And here is a good way. On Thursday you can use Twitter to help tell DC Comics and Warner Bros. you want to see Lois Lane’s 75th anniversary recognized. You can find out all the details here. I’m going to be Tweeting and I hope others will too.

I’ll be celebrating her 75th anniversary over the next weeks with some interviews with her creators and Superman historians.

Preview of WW #19: What Name does Wonder Woman Suggest for Zola’s Baby?

DC Comics has made available the preview of Wonder Woman #19 and we see some suggested names for Zola’s baby.

Hmm, Steve. What do you think of that?

Happy Birthday, Amanda Conner!

There have been two books published recently that look at her work and they are both great additions to your comics library.  DC Comics: The Sequential Art of Amanda Conner collects her stories featuring Power Girl, Birds of Prey and Lois Lane.

The Art of Amanda Conner  is an overview of her career and covers her art from other publishers including DC.

It’s all about Superhero costumes on the new 3 Chicks!

Kelly and I had fun chat with artist Kris Anka who recently redesigned both Storm and Psylock’s costumes for Marvel. We talk about what makes a great costume and his process for design.

We also review two books - a last issue and a first issue - Glory # 34 and Polarity #1. You might want to pick both up. 

We also talk about the 75th anniversary of Lois Lane and what DC should do. And we also ask for you suggestions for “Chick of the Week”!

So please head over to CBR and give us listen and as always leave a comment if you can!