Everything Will Be Fine(?)

All right, topic de jour is what the heck is going on with Saturn Girl?

A couple years back, there was this:

Is this the end of the Legion of Super-Heroes

Then,

So, there we are, left to hang for a couple more years. As far as I know, the Supergirl story never happened.

Eventually, we had

Perhaps a promise to tie up all the loose "strings?"

So, finally, with Doomsday Clock #8, we might be getting somewhere. It's been a ridiculously long ride, as the company strove to get their ducks in a row. The journey has been a long, arduous one. I'm hoping it's worth it. I believe Geoff Johns is doing some of his finest work, and I eagerly anticipate an excellent resolution. It will have been about time.

Stumbling Along ...

Sometimes words just don't come out the way one expects. Rather than mark this down as bad writing, why not explore the subject further? So why don't things come out as expected? Is it a failure to concentrate, or something more? Maybe there is an intangible between conception and expression? Maybe there is a Valley of Disbelief that can never be certainly crossed.

Part of the problem is the Mind changed between inception and execution. New data presents itself, or the initial premise proves to flimsy for prolonged examination.

Let me tell you something: thinking about comics is kind of a drag. There is an annoyance with what ends up expressed. So back on the topic of comics, sometimes ideas are solid. Sometimes, not so much.

A lot of work went into the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. Marv Wolfman and George Perez ended up carrying the majority of the burden. On one hand, you could say they did a good job trolling through the DC properties that included the work of many different companies originally. There was no plan in the beginning for Fawcett characters to live alongside Superman, Batman, or the Justice Society of America. Charlton characters were also created in the spirit of competition. As were Quality characters, of course. The idea of bringing them together is more analogous to a hoarder raiding a garage sale. What resulted was a mess, if only more organized.

Legends, the follow-up series, tried to bring some order to the new reality, establishing a new continuity. In the background, they also tried to incorporate Kirby's Fourth World into the mix. Actually, it was more in-your-face, that part, but the result was severely anti-climatic. One has to wonder what good was ever suppose to come from the universes-mashing together.

I've read Legends for the first time this week, and hope to consume Millennium soon, however, let's jump ahead to Identity Crisis. That however, will have to wait for the next installment of this blog.

Crisis! What Crisis?

Having recently revisited Crisis on Infinite Earths, it's strange to remember what an important role it played in comics at the time. There was a frustration for some about the lack of continuity and the multiple-earths. Crisis was an attempt to simplify the DC world and provide a consistent background for new stories.

It isn't clear if it succeeded in its purpose. A lot might depend on whether there were memorable stories produced afterwards, and whether new readers were brought on board to enjoy the company's rich world of comic properties. As each new comic creation has its own fans, getting caught up in the magical comic world, it's hard to judge each new comic age.

My entry period was between 1973 and 1976. Comics of that vintage hold an irrationally forceful attraction to me. Crisis came about at a reentry point, as I was exploring Alan Moore's magical Swamp Thing series and all things related. However, I didn't fall for what I perceived as a blatant sales gimmick. Surprise. Well I followed the alternative, sophisticated comics for a few more years, and even tried once again to become a comic book professional, but by the early 90s, even that fire had faded. Flash forward to 20-teens, and Crisis became yet another entry point. This time, trying to reflect on what happened to my pre-teen love, and what to make of its past, present, and future.

What I can say about the "new" Crises (Identity, Infinite, 52, Countdown to Final Crisis, Final), is it's still trying to sell comics, of course, but are the "Crisis" stories worth reading? Do they serve a creative universe where good stories can be told?

So far, the jury is still out. There are some successes and some fails. They have, however, explored the universe in a way which has allowed creators the chance to tell their stories.

To be continued.

Madness

Generally speaking, I have a happy interior life, but that's because I'm not interacting well with the exterior world. Let's just say my impact with others is minimal.

I'm caught up in noise and clutter that not only detours me from any old job, but from a job that matters.

This hasn't stopped my dreams, which thrive in obscurity, but keeps me from feeling like I'm making an actual contribution to the world.

So what's the stumbling blocks?

Credibility? Accomplishment? Being noticeable?

In a world of war, politics, and individual need, it's a small wonder for all this, but the ambition of dreams drives its own agenda towards, hopefully, a better future.

Moving Forward, and beyond ...

BY CHRIS HLADY

Read Crisis (1985) up until Flashpoint (2011), and figured it deserved a lot of discussion.

So am organizing an event for lovers of comics to meet and catch up with the characters they once loved, and can love again.

Event flows from 5pm - 10pm. Although some elements will be unique, the general theme will be one of embracing the love of comics with others.

We all grew up dealing with boredom, and for many of us, comics became one kind of answer. It's fun to immerse oneself into a creative team's world for awhile. It widens our imagination, and leads us to possibilities that may turn into careers or lifelong loves.

Many of us leave this world behind as grown-ups. It serves its purpose, but then we move on. Nothing wrong with that. Perfectly natural. Why, even in marriage vows, there's talk of leaving behind childish things. One thing that shouldn't be left behind is a sense of idealism and new possibility. This can take many forms, but there is usually something positive in the motivation.

Once upon a time, there was a famous shelving of comics, as "bad for you" and "leading teenagers into juvenile delinquency. The comics industry created a Comics Code Authority to be an inspection on whether comics were maintaining a wholesomeness, and avoiding "dangerous" modes of expression. To be sure, "market forces" are a dubious gauge of "moral development," but it's become the norm to "discover" entertainment and educational material in an unending game of "hide and seek."

How do we know what's good, anymore? So-called "politically correct" material may put a "spotlight" on what's questionable, or even bad, but "human buzz" is the best test of what's entertaining, and more informed opinion can give us clues about what has real staying power in the field. Good examples for staying power in Jack Kirby, so-called King of Comics, particularly in the 1960s, and Neal Adams' work in the late 60s and early 70s. Highlights from different eras define different genres, like Will Eisner's Spirit, and Carl Barks' Donald Duck.

After the 1980s, a time of Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman, the comics industry went through surges of better production values, but less universally recognized talent. Some work broke the "entertaining value" but it's debatable about the "education" elements.

So what makes the cut? Does it matter? That's why we need discussion, based on fun, creation, and shared experience.

Come join us Wednesday, December 9, 2015, above Cobra Collectibles at 555 Sargent Ave., between 5pm and 10pm, and we'll make Winnipeg's discussion part of the Red River Comics Clubs Report on Comics in the 21st Century and beyond.

Walking Dead Flashbacks

Hello Me Lovelies,

Okay, this will be mostly about comics, even though it's written while watching Talking Dead. I'm looking at my "Read" List, which includes Detective Comics 439, Superman Family 165, World's Finest 223 and 225, and Death of the New Gods 1-8. I have more to say about the Crises stories I've also recently read. Coming soon.

"Just Survive Somehow."

Way back when I began reading comics in the mid-70s, it was definitely a survival mechanism. Trying to make sense of how powerless it is to be human, comics empowers the reader. For a little while, they are given a tour of some other people's imagination, unlocking amazing adventures in the mind.

In 'Tec 439, the main story is Night of the Stalker, an amazing expose of the Caped Crusader, while delivering some amazing golden and silver age stories as well.

I'll stop there and read now. Can hardly wait.

Cheers.

P.S. Updates to follow.

Comic Books: Always Crap or Mostly-Always Crap? Discuss.

I'm ticked. Not unusual, but this time it's got me writing a post.

Been trying to understand DC Comics -post Crisis on Infinite Earths. 

After that, generally speaking, there was Zero Hour, Kingdom Come, Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, 52, Countdown, Final Crisis, Flashpoint and New 52.

Now there must be some way to refer to this besides "a waste of thirty years," but right now, I'd be willing to write it all off as crap.

Reseting the Bar, Part 1 - New Fun Comics

It's been a while since I've drawn, so this is super rough. At the same time, I was really happy to receive a reply from a big-time icon in the world of comic books, and that got me thinking about the beginning of comic book companies.*

What if, I asked myself, a new company was being developed today?  Forget the past specific history, and just go along an intuitive parallel development?  Why not?   I'll see how far I can take it.

First, a little background.  Growing up as the seventh of eight children, relatively-poor, in a middle-class neighbourhood, I was afforded the luxury of loving comic books, and dreaming of, one-day, joining the profession.  It wasn't much of an ambition, but nothing seemed as much fun.  So, there you have it.

Now, life has a way of interfering with the best laid plans of mice and men, you know of course, and it happened to me, as well.  While I was able to make artwork a priority, I didn't find a way to make it economically sustainable.  I even tried a couple of trips to the San Diego Comic Con (where I met Jack Kirby, among others), in the early nineties.  No luck.

There were a few problems with my career path.  I wasn't nearly focused enough, and I wanted to make my own worlds, rather than work within established expectations.    Funny thing is, people only tend to shell out the dinero when working within those expectations.  Fair enough.  I didn't HAVE to make a living as an artist.

Twenty years later, the art's been few and far between, but it's never too late to give it another shot.  Who knows if the economics will finally make sense?  So here we have it - New Fun Comics.  Fairly descriptive.  Fairly simple.  New.  Fun.  Comics.  An interesting challenge, to be sure.  Perhaps, if I do enough pages, a style and tone will be set that gets people to jump on board.

The primary purpose here is development and experimentation.  I'm not sure what "new" will mean, or what "fun" will mean.  I'm not even sure what "comics" will mean?

It is 2012, after all.  It's a braver and bolder new world
than we've ever seen before.  It's nigh impossible that this project will have legs, but the basic fact is, it's time to get a move-on, and make a difference.



* Comment discussing scope of task.

Over 48 Years Ago

For the last little while, I've been contributing the occasional comment to the Jim Shooter blog, as a way of keeping my toe in the watery world of Comics.

On another matter, I, myself, just turned 48 years of age last Friday. The completion of four dozen circuits of crawling about this slippery planet, futilely trying to make sense of anything.

At this point, I'm not disillusioned enough to think I have an audience. If anyone visited cared a wit about the words contained herein, I'd be absolutely flabbergasted. It is not for readership that I write, then, it is for something else.

Recently, on December 13, 2011, I walked out on belief in God, and kept walking. With the death of Christopher Hitchens, I decided to take another look at "anti-theism" and found some clarity, if not happiness.

So what if there is no God, maybe humanity can take a smarter role in not letting our often-beautiful planet become a wasteland. Do comics play any role in saving our planet? Perhaps, in the absence of an "absolute creator," solutions may be found with those creative voices we have, which are not just writing for entertainment purposes.

Life is still serious business. Some might say unforgiving in every way. It is so unbelievably vast, from an individual human perspective. If comics have conveyed anything to modern culture, it is a belief that anything is possible, and as one famous character, Spider-Man (created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko), came to understand more than 48 years ago, "with great power come great responsibility."

Human beings may be small in their ability to change the world, but neither does it diminish their duty to make a difference, anyway they can.

Progress 2011

September 13, 2011 -
Can this be the first day of a new world?

My, how life moves along. It's the year of the Rabbit, by the Chinese Calender. This is my fifth, of those, my forty-eighth year. You might ask me, "how did you find your way to this Google Blogspot? It that what you endured all that time, to become?"

I don't know how I'd answer you, only knowing that this is merely a stopover on life's journey, and it may or may not resonate with you.


The word of the day is Proprietary. Does publishing a blog on blogspot, a division of Google, mean that Google is the ultimate owner of this post? Does my contribution become meaningless, knowing your viewing of same is dependent on that internet giant? User-content value, lending legitimacy to ... who knows what.

What will the world look like in the future? Will it resolve the property issues that give the glory to the giants, at the expense of the ants? Points to ponder, as a new world emerges, and people come to terms with the ever-occuring fall-out.

To think, ten years ago, I never even heard of J. K. Rowling.

An end of an era is taking place, and although my poor brain is pock-marked by distraction, wear and tear, it is only right to take a moment and give the author her due.
 
The series certainly came at the right time for me, as I was complementing medical disability social assistance, with a new job,  the current one, and in need of a new way of looking at things.  It crept in quietly, at the request of a "friend," but became quite an influential force over time.
 
It must have been after re-reading such books as Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte's Web, and even Anne of Green Gables.  I can't quite recall where the Narnia series fit in, but all that was part of trying to build a new way of approaching the world, to replace a shattered hopeless reality, of sorts.
 
It was also in anticipation of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, but the first Harry Potter movie set the stage, in a nice, contemporary, magical kind of way.
 
The new millennium had been sort of humdrum.  The fizzle of Star Trek was taking place.  Insurrection hadn't renewed any sensations, and Nemesis was yet to disappoint, but wherever there is a vacuum, there will surely be something to take its place.  In the world of film, it was Lord of the Rings, with Harry Potter making a strong charge.
 
Around the time, the movies were being released, I figured it was time to do some reading. something meticulously avoided, probably due to the lack of good stuff.
 
Digging into Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling, was a totally fresh experience.  It was lively, and it jumped off the page. Such good writing.  I wasn't so impressed with the movie, which has been the case with each release, EXCEPT each movie serves to remind me of the beauty of that writing.
 
I read the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets out loud.  It was certainly a gateway into a marvellous new world, and along the way, I was continuing a process of re-examining growing up, and learning.  It helps put things in perspective.
 
That was 2001.  Wow, not so long ago.
 
In 2002, Nemesis buried the Star Trek franchise, no longer connecting the way it had.  The 2nd HP film came out.  The 2nd Lord of the Rings thrilled with the reinterpretation of the Tolkien classic.  At that time, I finally dug in and read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so it was good times.
 
A good friend of mine, Leanne, lent me books 3 and 4 of the Harry Potter series, which I devoured enthusiastically, especially Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  What a wild ride, and I got to meet my favourite Rowling character, Sirius Black.  The way the lives of the older generation were interweaved into a grand tapestry was a constant thrill.  
 
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was cool, too, and introduced Portkeys and the Quidditch World Cup, and the House-Elf Liberation Front, and Death-Eaters.  Great stuff.
 
So, when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out, in 2003, it became the first of the series I bought in hardcover.  And did it disappoint?  Not in the slightest, except for a certain death, but these are things you have to get over. 
 
Later that year, I enjoyed seeing Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, with family, in Saskatoon.  I'm sure I was wildly enthusiastic about the Harry Potter series as well.
 
In 2004, we got the nifty third HP film, and in 2005, the harrowing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book, and the fourth HP film.  All that was pre-Facebook, but weren't things lively and magical back then, all the same.
 
2007 brought us the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the sixth HP movie.  What a magical time that was, in Assiniboine Park, celebrating in tents and happy crowds, amongst wonderful exhibits, and joy.
 
Oh, what a thrill going through that final book, finding out the goings-on, and sharing the amazing journey of "the boy who lived" life to the fullest. Thank you Joanne.  What wonderful times of joy you shared.
 
2009 gave us the sixth film.  2010, the seventh.  Now, here, in 2011, we are on the eve of the eighth and final movie.  What a thrill ride it's been.  Even after viewing the final movie (in IMAX-3D yet), there will always be those wonderful words of which to return, if I ever need a smile.
 
As well,  for anyone who has shared those words, there will be a common bond, points of reference, and a kinship to draw upon.  As Lucy Maud Montgomery so nicely pointed out, in Anne of Green Gables, "Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think.  It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."
 
I hear some talk of fans not knowing what to do, afterwards.  I would just recommend, read the books, and … live your lives, appreciating your friends, and even your enemies, along the way.


Copyright 2011 Chris Hlady

Comic Book Dreams

Once upon a time, I dreamed of being a comic book creator.  Here's a link to some of the stuff I was working on.  Can't say I ever made a dime off of them, but it was was a lot of fun.

Chris Hlady Art Albums

Feedback is always welcome.

Jim Shooter: Storytelling Lecture, Huckleberry Finn

Jim Shooter: Storytelling Lecture, Huckleberry Finn: "Storytelling Lecture Series, Part 4 (From the transcript of a 1994 seminar) (JayJay here. I posted this blog straight from the transcript,..."

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I'm really enjoying this series. Lots to share.

Star Trek '09 movie album

For generations, Star Trek has set the standard for pushing people's imagination forward into the future.

With the new movie, coming out in May, a change is coming again, and it is right that it comes at the onset of the new Obama administration.

The world faces unprecedented challenges, and it's up to our collective imagination to keep up with the change.

This picture is interesting. A policeman arrives upon young Jams Tiberius Kirk after the boy has ditched a fancy old car into a big canyon.

For better or worse, J.J. Abrams is telling us that this is part of what the future looks like.

Charles Biro

Isn't the internet amazing? I was reading an interview with the late great Dave Cockrum, who was a very influencial artist on me when I was young, especially with his work on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Dave said his dad brought home a copy of Boy Comics with Crimebuster when he was seven years old. The artist/writer/editor on that book was Charles Biro. 

Now, I've never heard of the fellow before today, but with the internet, I can get a sample of his art, and read about Biro's life on wikipedia. I can imagine the world he lived in, especially when you consider a current television program, Mad Men, about Madison Avenue advertising culture.

More than that, I can share that interest with you, for whatever it's worth.

I've been thinking about Blogs lately, and their ability to quickly share details on any range of subjects. So why not make a blog about comics, or at least my reflections on them.

Biro appears to have been pre-comics code authority, which means that comics were still pretty much up to the imagination of their creators, and to the will of the free market. Comics like these, sold like hot cakes. People couldn't get enough. 

This was a strange time in our history. I grew up with only regulated comics that were expected to set examples of good triumphing over evil, and all that, which in stories is reassuring,  because it's very antisocial to believe that crime pays. It certainly doesn't present a realistic portrayal of the world, but it does appeal to an individuals need for justice in their perception.

I think Cockrum, in his art, projected a sense of Biro's pre-code art, in a palatable way that appeal to this perception.

It's hard to say whether the  Comics Code was good or bad, in retrospect. They may have been influential in defining the counter-culture to a degree, because there were clear cases of great talent that were being suppressed, that needed an outlet. While people could agree with the need for regulation to prevent the worst of the abuses which were becoming far too common. On the other hand, people tend to seek out the creative and excellent, which exists outside of any regulation's confinement. There is a constant conflict between these forces, some threatening to tear everything down, while others strive to lift things higher. In the end, the Code basically disintegrated as comic creators sought to express their talents in smaller markets (which has had it's own negative consequences).

Perhaps this Comics Court blog is a way of seeking the best of both worlds, to acknowledge excellence while maintaining some sense of order in what receives praise and exposure. 

For the moment, Charles Biro gets a big kudos for his work influencing Dave, and I'm sure, many others.