The (Comic) Boxer

Today, I was reading a comics-related magazine, when I noticed an ad in the back. It mentioned, among other things, a "new design" for one of it's products.

A comic box.

Now, I've been involved in comics in a variety of ways since I started reading them as a kid. I've been a comic shop manager, and a writer as well. I've attended any number of conventions over the years (a practice I hope to resume when time and finances permit).

In that time, I've seen many comic boxes. I even bought extra ones to help me move--some of you may not know that in addition to comics, they're great for paperback books, CD's DVD's and VCR tapes. They're sturdy, with built in handles and solid covers that don't even need to be taped on. You can write on them in pen, marker or sharpie, relabeling over the years as your collection grows.

They've been modified a little over the years, more acid free, recyclable materials, streamlined just a little from the old days.

But the basic design is the same. It's a bloody BOX, not a house or car.

So I look at the ad, and these boxes are proudly proclaimed "strong enough to stand on". OK, all you comic shop people--how often did you use some of the old back issue boxes as a ladder to replace a light bulb--on those occasions when the display table was too far away?

These also "need no tape or glue". Gee, the only time I ever taped up a box was when it was so old and used that it was wearing out and the store owner was too cheap to pop for new boxes, even though we got a discount! I can't ever recall a time when using glue to hold a box of comics together was an option.

I'm deliberately not mentioning the name of the supplier or the magazine, because I'm not trying to pick on them specifically. I'm sure other suppliers/manufacturers have made similar statements. It just struck me as funny that advertising has gotten so "out there" that someone actually thinks that announcing a new kind of box merits mention anywhere but in the funny books.

The one drawback to writing this is, when the time comes for me to order new boxes, I won't be allowed to have the "NEW" boxes.

Mike

In Praise of Pimentel

Joe Pimentel is an artist, first and foremost. His specialty, officially in comics terms, is inking, where he adds dimension to a penciller's work, practically making it easier to print. Ideally he also makes it better.

I didn't know anything about him before he started working with Mike Deodato on "Amazing Spider-Man" for Marvel. He's from Brazil, and he excels at his job. He is also, hands down, the single best person for inking the work of Mike Deodato, and I include Deodato himself in that list.

Here's a few pages of his work.

This is New Avengers 19, pages 20-21. I love how Pimentel's work resonates with Deodato's on this double page spread (as always, pages shown here are for sale at the time they're posted (unless otherwise stated specifically), over at our online store, www.artandcomicsstore.com ; and if you click on the image itself, you can see a much larger version.)














This is a cover re-creation of Amazing Spider-Man 512, pencilled by Deodato, and inked by Pimentel. I really wish you could have seen some of the interior pages from that series. But those pages were sold long ago.




However, I can show you the next best thing....







The above graphic is scanned from Amazing Spider-Man 526, story pages 11-12. Pencilled by Mike Deodato, inked by Joe Pimentel, color by Matt Milla, lettered by VC's Cory Petit, from a story written by Reginald Hudlin, and published by Marvel Comics. This is during Spidey's final battle with Morlun, which had a truly shocking ending! I had the original art in my hands, and was trying to figure out how many people would be annoyed at me if I bought it for myself. I behaved and sold it to another person.

Tons of people know who Mike Deodato is, and rightly so. Comparatively few know who Joe Pimentel is, and that's NOT right.

We've occasionally had samples done solo by Joe for sale at our online store, but we're all sold out at this time. Check in occasionally and see what's there!

So here's to another great example of why we need all the great inkers we can get!

Mike

The thing about Mike Deodato and drawing women

I've had the good fortune to have some of my stories drawn by Mike Deodato, Jr., an extraordinarily talented artist. This was back in the days when "Mike Deodato's Jade Warriors" was published by Image, then later by Avatar (at least until Avatar somehow neglected to pay for the work--and I'm not holding my breath or anything, but the creative team, myself included, WOULD like to have that taken care of sometime...).

Anyway, people like to get on his case for drawing really, really sexy women. "It's unrealistic and demeaning", some people proclaim.

I have two problems with this. First, Deodato doesn't get the final say on how a character looks, the publisher does. The Editor runs the book, backed up in some cases by a "group editor", but always then by an Editor-in-Chief, the real-life Perry White who ultimately makes the company call. If they had a problem with the way Deodato draw the pages, believe me, they'd speak up. So, the quarrel some people may have is NOT with the artist (or, for that matter, the writer, operating under the same chain of command), it's with the Editors, or ultimately, the Publisher.


Second, I've had occasion to se pictures of the women living in Deodato's general neighborhood, and in the major cities and beaches nearby.











Take my word for it, those proportions DO exist. Also the clothes. Business suits for women with skirts cut tight and short. Exercise outfits that would make Olivia Newton-John grab for a potato sack. As to the bathing suits....what there is of them...let's say he's adapted to American's relatively prudish sensibilities, at least to a point.

























The really funny thing? Deodato enjoys drawing monsters. Wouldn't you just know it?







So, the next time you think you have a complaint about what you see (or read), ask yourself, who are you REALLY annoyed at?

Mike

We are here--but how do we let you know that?

As readers here have noticed, I run the Art and Comics online store over at www.artandcomicsstore.com .

As many people also likely know, the economic times have been tough. More and more, we've had to find ways to get the word out to new customers. We've been running paid ads, which is the traditional way, I suppose. We've also been making sure the search engines let the online world know we exist.

Also, I've been spending a lot of time slogging through various "free ad" offers online. Sadly, many of these are outright scams. Some do the bait and switch with pushing paid advertising. Others just want us to exchange banners with places we've never heard of with no say over the type or content of what ads appear on our site. Still others only want the information so they can send me spam. Then there's the places that on closer look, only offer local ads in one city, or only let you pitch a specific product, as opposed to an entire site full of products.

So I've been taking my message to the fans, directly. This is a tricky process, as some forums specifically prohibit too much commercialism--as I quickly found out after being asked to leave a couple of places. They were right to do so--my posts WERE commercial.

Therefore, I've altered my approach a bit, contacting forum owners and/or administrators with a short introductory e-mail explaining who I am, what I represent, and what I'd like to do. Universally, they've responded with positive encouragement, either specifying how and where to post, or explaining why they'd prefer I not do so.

This seems to work best for everyone, and with their various blessings, I've begun spreading the word once more.

Those of you who read this, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help out when and where you can, even if it's only mentioning the site or this blog to your friends.

Thanks,
Mike