FP Weekly Planet backup

Mortal Kombat With a Friend in Vietnam

2007-11-21T09:31:00.001-08:00

Marvel debuted their new online comics venture, Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, last week to much discussion and consternation. Have you checked it out? I played around with it myself, and found about a million things I despise about the interface, but overall was generally surprised by its breadth of content and affordability. Sadly, they won't be getting my sign-up moolah as I can't stand reading comics on a computer screen for an extended period of time, and I have a healthy obsession with books. More on this in a moment.

I was watching Charlie Rose last night (quiet you! I love Charlie Rose. I wouldn't marry him or anything, but his show is a shining beacon of hope in the cultural wasteland that is Televisionland) and his guest was Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com, Newsweek cover boy, pimping his company's new product, Kindle. It's basically an iPod for books; it's about the size and heft of a trade paperback novel and features a current library of 120,000 titles is available for wireless download in under sixty seconds, $10 each regardless of the physical book's cover price. Kindle looks like the biological baby of a Star Trek datapad and an Etch-a-Sketch Animator (remember that thing? Jeez I loved that toy!). It'll store 200 books at a time, and any that you delete are stored on the website's server for future reference. All in all it's kinda nifty. (*Please note: I have no idea the details of Kindle's legal ramifications, nor creator's rights and royalties issues. It appears that Amazon has shored up agreements with most major publishers, but you never know what those pesky writers will do to get paid for the digital reproduction of their work -- see: WGA strike. BTW -- Power, brothers and sisters!).

All this is prologue to the following: This is by no means the death of The Book, nor are these the digital John the Baptist of the great paradigm shift in how we read and enjoy the written word. Not to be presumptuous or overly inclusive, but if you're like me, we love BOOKS, the physical books. The smell of them. The lending to your friends. The joy of giving your favorite as a gift. Owning a 1st Edition of your favorite. When were you last inclined to pay ten bucks for the e-Book edition of a cheap mass market SF novel? With regards to a book's design -- When was the last time you looked at an e-Book brilliantly designed by Chip Kidd or Catherine Casalino? Never, because it ain't gonna happen. When was the last time you wished they'd get the single issues finished so you can wait for the online trade? Never because, frankly, why bother?

We're Forbidden Planet, and we realize you want your BOOKS. And we gots lots of 'em!!! And they smell terrific!

X-Men: God Loves Man Kills Premiere HC - Fancy schmanzy reprint of seminal X-story by Chris Claremont (w) & Brent Anderson (a). One of the best, if not THE BEST, X-Men stories of all time. I carried this book around with me everywhere I went for a year when I was twelve, This book is hardcore. From the opening scene of Magneto discovering the bodies of two executed mutant children, throughout the rest of this gripping yarn, GLMK never feels like a dopey super-hero book. Never treats you like a short bus reject. It also features my favorite X-Team -- Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine and Professor X. It also takes place outside the realm of the soap opera of X-Men continuity. Thusly, GLMK is the least convoluted, most accessible X graphic novel. If you've never read a Marvel mutant book, this is the one to start with. I'll be picking mine up this week -- I need it in sexy hardcover/book form!

This Week's Hugo Award Winning SF Novel?

Dune - by Frank Herbert. The dreaded winter looms (We hates the nasty cold! We does, my precious... we hates it!) so let's read Dune in an attempt to psychosomatically warm ourselves up, huh? The great SF adventure epic for the ages, Dune follows the saga of the desert planet called Arrakis, unassuming power center of a sprawling galactic Empire, and sole source of Melange, the Spice that powers interstellar travel and source of great psychic power. Indigenous religious fanatics, Sandworms that'd dwarf Union Square, weapons powered by a single sound, "I, Claudius"-type political intrigue, more back-stabbing and deception than a novella on Telemundo... Dune's sheer scope is astounding and exhilarating. Dune makes Star Wars look like a quaint movie for a dreary afternoon -- a real yawnfest, Daddy-o! If you've never read Dune it's time for you to take the plunge into the big kids' end of the plasma pool. If, like me, you're old hat at this: The Spice Must Flow.

"Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."
-Mark Twain

Be Well,
JEFF

Mortal Kombat With a Friend in Vietnam

2007-11-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

This Week's Hugo Award Winning SF Novel?

"Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."
-Mark Twain

Be Well,
JEFF

Contributor Art

2007-11-21T09:25:00.001-08:00

Death and Dream (Daniel) from Sandman (detail, unfinished)
http://alicemeichi.com - illustration portfolio

Artist's Note: Drawn upon Mr. Gaiman's announcement that that Death: The High Cost of Living film will be set in London... and the fact that Daniel doesn't get enough love. The finished version can be seen on my site soon!

Contributor Art

2007-11-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

Death and Dream (Daniel) from Sandman (detail, unfinished)
http://alicemeichi.com - illustration portfolio

Embracing the Inner Bimbo

2007-11-21T09:16:00.001-08:00

Well, it looks like this shall be my last of a glorious and well-designed fifteen-issue run as the uncredited ghost editor of the Weekly Planet. (That's okay, the satisfaction of a job well-done is enough credit for me! ...haha.) As a result, I wanted to commemorate this by finally contributing another article.

Now I've been a longtime fan of Sam Kieth since comic book store employees stared in puzzlement at a 10-year-old me using her allowance to purchase floppies of The Maxx during its first run. (Having parents that didn't understand English very well definitely worked to my advantage as a kid!) So imagine my excitement as I found out that #2 of My Inner Bimbo was *finally* releasing after over a year's delay!

Were I more pretentious I would spout a pedantic list of philosophers and psychologists from which Kieth derives his themes, but pretension takes effort and I'd like to focus my energies on other "p"s that come far easier for me -- "proselytization" and "psychoanalyzation". Yes, that's right. My Inner Bimbo is a diamond in the rough -- Kieth's psychedelically surreal art shining through in black and white as well as potent elixir of his personal vocabulary.

Reflecting upon The Maxx, you will find the dynamic between Lo, the protagonist, and Bunny, his inner bimbo, pointedly reminiscent of Mr. Gone's sexist fantasy-play with a kidnapped and pink-enrobed Julie Winters. Indeed, there is a strong visual comparison between the two pairs (a balding, older, long-faced man and a baby-faced, buxom blonde) and suggests that My Inner Bimbo may be Kieth's further extrapolation of the vitriol and emotional dependency between these two examples of his personal pantheon of archetypes.

Both are stories of naive femininity coming into its own after periods of traumatic suppression. While Julie Winters' rape as a college student caused the mental creation of her stronger Jungle Queen counterpart, Lo's premature marriage to a much-older woman froze his emotional development and caused it to manifest in the form of his inner bimbo who is now finally embarking on her own journey of growth.

Parallels are abound in this book, as similarly-drawn juxtaposed panels depict Lo treating Bunny in the same way that he, as a 17-year-old wide-eyed blonde, was treated by his obviously more dominant future wife. Transference, much? Ironically enough, we also found that Mr. Gone's twisted serial-raping ways manifested from his own molestation by an older woman as a child. Names change, but the patterns and character mythologies are reincarnated until they can finally be resolved. Yet, instead of the older male figure acting as the somewhat-otherworldly guiding force for the younger female to face their dark past, it's the opposite in the case of My Inner Bimbo.

The crux of the plot is the evolution of the bimbo. Initially an unquestioning and eager sex slave; she then takes her first steps as a critical Greek chorus, adding sarcastic comments to Lo's woe-is-me monologue from a Kids Say the Darndest Things perspective. In issue #2, Bunny is further tinged with worldliness, her hair occasionally turning black a la the Jungle Queen, and takes an interest in philosophy and personal development. She demands to be addressed as "Liza", taken from Lo's reading of My Fair Lady in the role of Eliza Doolittle, and sets forth to find emotional independence for herself -- and by proxy, for Lo.

My Inner Bimbo is an alternate subtext reinforcement of developing one's inner Anima, first pioneered by The Maxx. It is the painful adolescence of Kieth's portrayal of our feminine side, and an expository and all-too-realistic reinvention of his first beloved characters. Let's just hope we won't have to wait another year for #3 to hit the shelves!

*Alice Meichi Li

Embracing the Inner Bimbo

2007-11-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

The Static Age Part 4: In Space!

2007-11-21T09:04:00.001-08:00

Space, the final frontier... or the last place left for a washed-up slasher to stalk. These are the voyages of the dying horror franchise. Its mission: to explore bad ideas. To seek out new viewers. To boldly go where other monsters have gone before (and embarrassed themselves). You may not want to admit it, but you know what I'm talking about. And if you're totally clueless, let me fill you in. You see, when a horror movie franchise's idea pool is running dry there's really only one place left for it's evil doers to go -- outer space. Let's run down a few examples to show you what I'm talking about.

Critters 4 (1991) - The first film to blast off into the unknown and the only one that would actually make sense. The Crits (or critters to all y'all country bumpkins) are actually ALFs (no, not the friendly furry kind from Melmac) so setting their fourth and final film in space brings the series full circle. Although not my favorite, it's still a pretty fun watch.

Hellraiser IV: Bloodline (1996) - Now let me preface this by saying I'm not a big Hellraiser fan. The special effects are nice and all but I just don't dig on it. Now as far as Bloodline, the concept is really pushing it. On a space station in the future, a relative of the inventor of the original puzzle box decides it's his duty to put an end to Pinhead and his Cenobite cronies once and for all. And how? By making a reverse puzzle box, of course. Not only is the concept ridiculous but it probably would have worked better if it wasn't in space. Pass on this one and pretty much every Hellraiser after this.

Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997) - The Leprechaun movies are some of my all-time favorites but this is the only one in the series that I can't stand. They were too aware of the fact they were making a bad movie so they didn't even try to make it a good "bad" movie. There's no real reason behind having him in space other than to add wacky futuristic elements. I guess they just wanted to jump on the "in space" bandwagon. Notice how each movie so far has been the 4th in it's franchise. So I'll give them credit if they were aware of this trend and did it on purpose, but I highly doubt the masterminds behind this turd were that smart. The most important part of a Leprechaun flick is Leprechaun's silly rhymes, which are non-existent in this installment. Yes, this one sucks, but don't let that stop you from checking out Leprechaun in the Hood and Back to the Hood which are quite possibly some of the best.

Jason X (2002) - People talk a lot of yang on this flick, but I honestly love it. It successfully did what Leprechaun 4 tried to: take your main character out of his element and put him on a futuristic space station. They were aware that they were making an "in space" movie and didn't suck at it. They took everything I love about the Friday the 13th series and super-sized it with uber technology. Whether you wanna admit it or not, Jason hasn't been remotely interesting since part 7 and its other horror movie cliche: the girl with psychic powers (hopefully someday I'll cover those flicks), so I welcomed X in all it's far-fetched glory. A must-see for all true quality schlock fans.

Since then I haven't seen any franchises try to execute an "in space" flick. Why not? Fear of a flop and backlash from fans? Who cares, bring on the cheese. I could only imagine the stuff Chucky would pull on an unsuspecting space crew, Freddy could easily invade the dreams of Elm Street descendants in the future, and pretty much anyone at anytime could pull of a chainsaw massacre. So let's do it, fledging film makers. Shoot me into outer space!

Oh and by the way... if you're not busy this Friday and are into heavy music, check out my band. We're playing just a few blocks from the Planet at Otto's Shrunken Head. All the info is conviently located on this super-rad zombie flyer, that I drew by the way. See you there!

- Matt D.

The Static Age Part 4: In Space!

2007-11-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

- Matt D.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-21T08:50:00.001-08:00

This week I'm starting off with a big "I'm sorry", boys and girls. Last week we had Loveless vol. 7 coming out, and as much as I love the series I told you all that it was over. It turns out I was wrong, but let me explain! Ever since I started reading the series it was always listed as "1 of 7", or "2 of 7". Even as far as Volume Six was "6 of 7". I guess that's as far as there was available back when our distributors put it in their systems.

And, let's face it, volume 6 was really climactic. I mean, we found out Seimei was still alive and everything looked as if it were about to hit the fan. Lo and behold, I'm reading volume 7 and the aptly named "Septimal Moon" chapters, and I finally get to the end and what?! "In the next volume of Loveless..." Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it's not over, I just had to let you guys know I'm sorry about the incorrectness.

Moving on, last week we received an awesome little surprise of Air Gear vol. 6 -- the manga AND the Vol. 6 DVD coming in. The manga showed up a bit early, but the DVD came just in time. The DVD is also the last volume of the series (pending the decision on the second season). And while they changed a few things around to make the ending make sense, you can expect Benkei and Yoshitsune to be their awesome selves.

Now, you all know I'm an Air Gear fanboy, so I'm not gonna hang on that too long. The only other thing you need to know this week is Paprika is finally here! Now the DVD auto-plays in Japanese, but it does come with English subtitles for those of you who want it. And if you don't know Paprika, this is the latest movie from Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers). A group of psychotherapists create a device that allows them to travel into the dreams of their patients to help them overcome their issues, but someone steals a set of the D.C. Minis and starts mixing the crazy dreams of the patients into everyone else's heads... even while they're awake. Action, adventure, and tons of bizarre dream imagery makes for an awesome movie, but this has that extra spice... Paprika.

See you all next time, and don't hold that Loveless thing against me.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-11-21T08:28:00.001-08:00

SUPERTURKEYS

Superman stands for all things American, and Thanksgiving is no exception. Superman loves eating turkey. Remember that one issue when a Kryptonian turkey returns from Krypton and ole' Supes destroys Metropolis trying to chop its neck off with an axe-head made of Green-K, and then Jimmy Olsen turns into a mermaid? It was awesome. The next issue had Bizarro superturkey arrive in Metropolis, cackling a hideous "Elbog, Elbog" and trying to eat pilgrims.

Batman, on the other hand, HATES turkey. There was a great Elseworlds story where Benjamin Franklin became Batman... or Turkeyman, rather. Scene One involved Benjamin "Bruce" Franklin-Wayne arguing that the turkey should be our national bird, being versatile, plentiful and indigenous. After this debate England, guns down his parents in an alley. "The British are a superstitious, cowardly lot," says Ben, "though those that fear bats and liberty deserve neither," and donning a turkey costume, beat the red-coats in the streets of Philadelphia with Turkey-rangs, electric kites and a special horse-drawn carriage shaped like a turkey. I think Mark Waid wrote it.

BLACK FRIDAY

This week we all become sharks in the shopping frenzy as the bleeding corpse of the holiday season floats ever closer. What to buy, what to buy? Drugs and illegal fire-arms make the perfect gift for the young and the old, as they are certainly the catalyst of many a new experience. Forbidden Planet does not sell these items, not even if you wink at the counter and ask to see the *wink-wink* "Back-issues," *wink-wink.*

Gift guides, however, are stupid. Suffice it to say Forbidden Planet is stocked to the snots with DVDs, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic, manga and gift certificates. Why shop anyplace else for gifts this season? Dad would LOVE some Hellboy Heroclix, and Mom is just stupid for Crisis on Infinite Earths. Why not get little sis a scale model replica of Hawkeye's bow and cowl, plus wouldn't Grandma be the talk of the nursing home in her Battlestar Galactica "Frak Me!" T-shirt? Yes. Yes she would.

FUNNY BUSINESS

The Goon: Chinatown - Eric Powell (w/a), Dark Horse. The Goon is a tough-as-nails, battle-scarred mobster who is the only thing standing between the poor schlubs he shakes down for protection money and screaming bog-lurks, giant land squids, zombies, and the occasional bowling midget. He drinks, he fights, and he carries with him deep scars. Chinatown, the Goon's first full-length original graphic novel has been eagerly anticipated by Goon fans. Chinatown promises to be a prequel of sorts, detailing secrets from the Goon's dark and mysterious past... but don't think it'll be too serious. The last time the Goon took trips down memory lane still involved slap-stick, football thugs, and his bearded circus aunt..

Multi-award winning cartoonist Eric Powell got great exposure this year working with writer Richard Donner on the "Bizarro World" storyline in Action Comics. The Chinatown graphic novel marks the beginning of what Dark Horse is calling "The Year of the Goon." Yup, 2008 will bring in new Goon merchandise and the return of the Goon comic going monthly. Indulge the disgusting misanthrope within: Read the Goon!

You should also pick up Street Fighter Volume 4: Bonus Stage (Various creators from Udon Comics). If you have ever liked Street Fighter II you will dig this. Creators like Adam Warren and Ultimates 3's Joe Madureira bring quick, fun stand alone stories of globe spanning beat-downs just in time for Thanksgiving.

DANG. Out of room. I shouldn't have spent so much time making up malarkey about Ben Franklin and his turkey vigilance. Nah, that stuff was gold. Pulitzer, thy name is "MINE!"

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-11-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

SUPERTURKEYS

BLACK FRIDAY

FUNNY BUSINESS

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 028

2007-11-21T08:20:00.001-08:00

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 028

2007-11-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

Deal of the Week

2007-11-14T13:52:00.001-08:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Deal of the Week

2007-11-14T13:52:00.000-08:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

The Future: Far More Futuristic Than Originally Expected

2007-11-14T13:28:00.001-08:00

The only cool thing about writing the Weekly Planet later than most everybody else this issue is that most of the grunt work's already been done for me on this week's libro numero uno -- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier -- as Unkie Dev's article stresses the paramount importance and unmitigated awesomeness of Messrs. Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's new work rather nicely. Which frees me to review the following graphic novel I want you kids to read...

Shooting War
by Anthony Lappe & Dan Goldman

"I'll tell you 1 and 1 makes 3."
-Living Colour

It's 2011 and John McCain is president, America still writhes in an impossible quagmire in the Middle East, Dan Rather and Bill O'Reilly are kickin', gas is fifteen bucks a gallon, and terrorist cells are going at it a la The Invisbles by infiltrating the system from the inside (the popular video game of the moment is Infidel Massacre, secretly developed by the super tech savvy Abu Abdallah -- Big Mac chomping leader of The Sword of Mohammed). Jimmy Burns, small-time activist and hipster, witnesses and inadvertently video blogs the terrorist bombing of a Starbucks in Williamsburg. Global News Network pirates the footage, airing it and instantly propelling Jimmy to celebrity "journalist." On assignment embedded in Iraq's civil war, Jimmy finds himself in the midst of chaos and destruction, faking his way through the muck that we're currently helping create.

Were I a Hollywood jamook I'd pitchline Shooting War as Max Headroom meets DMZ.

Writer Anthony Lappe, unlike the majority of the punditocracy, has actualy been to Iraq, executive editing the Guerilla News Network's website and producing an award-winning documentary on the embattled nation called Battleground: 21 Days on the Empire's Edge. So he's got street cred in spades. Storytelling-wise -- his pacing, dialogue, and media savvy excel. Shooting War is damn harrowing, man. Dan Goldman's art, a technique combining photography, vector illustration, and digital painting is fluid and lucid. Unlike last week's pretty and gussied up Silver Surfer release, the reader can always tell what's going on and the story is only complimented more so by it's art. Congratulations, Dan. You're the only comicker I've ever to pull this style off WELL!

Shooting War was originally serialized online at ACT-I-VATE, but we should all rejoice this hip, relevant and important comic work is now available in a beautiful hardcover. It's accessible by the masses/mundanes and readily available for those of us book fetishists; just check out Dan's provocative cover!

The best compliment I got reading Shooting War on the train to work this morning was the lady next to me sucking her teeth and muttering under her breath why she had to be subjected to such filth. Guess my morning reading wasn't laced with enough pics of Brangelina for her. Good.

- Also of note: Southland Tales, Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly's long-awaited and much-ordealed second film hits theaters nationwide this week. And while many of you will flock to Beowulf (why must every genre film look exactly like Lord of the Rings mixed with a cauldron of 300-style violence? And, yes, I am very familiar with the Anglo-Saxon poem and its influence on Mr. Tolkien -- I'm just sick of Hollywood's exploitation of fantasy classics, and quite frankly need not see some uber-dude actor viciously behead the baddies while gnashing his teeth in front of a green screen for some time to come... ever again, really), I'll be checking out the former. Hope to see ya there. Oh, but make sure you've read Richard's prequel graphic novel first! It features the fantastic talents of artist Brett Wedele (I've gone so far as to have bought an original page from him for someone special to me!) and is sure to enhance the experience.

"How can you tell a network executive is lying? His lips move!"
-Max Headroom

Luv-luv-luv Love Ya,
JEFF

The Future: Far More Futuristic Than Originally Expected

2007-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Shooting War
by Anthony Lappe & Dan Goldman

"I'll tell you 1 and 1 makes 3."
-Living Colour

"How can you tell a network executive is lying? His lips move!"
-Max Headroom

Luv-luv-luv Love Ya,
JEFF

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-14T12:21:00.001-08:00

Welcome to another epic end, people. This week comes with bitter-sweet news. And that is... Loveless is over. That's right. Volume 7 comes out this week and I know every yaoi/cat-boy loving one of you out there are going to be sad and excited. Finally we get to learn the truth about Seimei and his mysterious relationships to just about everyone. Talk about dependancy issues, there's the old lady, his mother, Septimal Moon, his brother and of course Soubi. Anyway, yeah, everything to be revealed! And yet, you've loved it so much, you know you're sad to see it end. Well, if you need a fix, there's always the anime.

Also showing up this week is *drum roll* Vampire Hunter D... the manga! Now I know what you're thinking, "Hasn't the manga been coming out for a couple years now?" And the and answer is no. No it hasn't. Those have all been novels. As in books with words and no (or mostly no) pictures. By the way, Volume 9 of the novel series also drops this week, but back to the point. The Vampire Hunter D manga is 100% comic, the kind with lots of pictures, and it looks pretty awesome.

There's also a ton of other stuff coming in this week including a new Dark Crystal manga (following the trend started by Return to Labyrinth). A few brand-new titles that look like they might be worth checking out, like Suppli and Zig Zag. So drop by and enjoy the bounty. It almost feels like they're trying to make up for all those past weeks of nothing.

And a couple things before I go.

1) FRUITS BASKET 18 (almost forgot).
And 2)...there's no 2. See ya folks later.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

1) FRUITS BASKET 18 (almost forgot).
And 2)...there's no 2. See ya folks later.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev: Grampy Bramperson

2007-11-14T11:14:00.001-08:00

Unkie Dev: Grampy Bramperson

2007-11-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

New Engineering

2007-11-13T09:32:00.001-08:00

In the foreword to his first book, New Engineering [Picture Box, Inc., $19.95], Yuichi Yokoyama states that "there are two kinds of artworks. One carries information and the other is craft. The former expresses new ideas... the later is the kind of work that one desires to purchase and own. I aim for the former."

This is a strange statement coming from an artist just featured in the newest issue of hipster uberzine Ganzfeld 5: Japanda! [Ginko Press, $29.95]; and someone who plans to publish two new books, the next one about travel, in the next two years.

That is how new art can often feel: unfinished and contradictory.

For example, in Yokoyama's work he only uses rulers to draw his lines, yearning to remove the human element from the work completely, to make the perspective of his invented reality more mechanical, objective.

But there is human feeling in the stories: angles of perspective jut out violently, action lines and boulders crash brilliantly, and bold Japanese sound effect scripts deliver compelling dialogue, in his visual narratives of alien paper dolls and plastic mountains.

What are his stories about?

"I like construction sites and traveling." Yokoyama's characters, sometimes an inanimate boulder or book used as projectile weapon within the landscape pop off of the page. Adhesives of no explanation glue together costumes of feathers and rubber. Often his stories are events in progress, such as an unexplained battle or the construction of an underwater viewing station.

Plainly stated: if you, the reader, are looking for what Yokoyama states as a "humanistic work," or "works of a personal nature," I can recommend this book to you with a warning that you may find it an oblique read, especially reading right to left in it's original Japanese format.

If you are the type of reader who loves the alien and the new, the person among friends who preferred the original Andrei Tarkovsky Solaris over the Soderberg remake, this is your cup of tea. Maybe you even saw another Tarkovsky film, Stalker, where alien technology has been left to humanity with no user manual. That is the feeling with Yuichi Yokoyama's New Engineering. It is something new.

By Guest Contributor: Mark Denardo

New Engineering

2007-11-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-11-13T09:11:00.001-08:00

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neal's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier finally comes out this week. This banishes all other comic book releases to the long box of unworthy trash... yes, even YOU B.P.R.D. Killing Ground #4. When a new League book hits the shelves there ARE no other comic books that week. A new League is a victory for the Earth... but a sad challenge for those of us who have to write about comics.

CEREAL KILLERS

Since we can't talk about comic books we can talk about, uhm... BREAKFAST CEREAL! Did you know at the height of their fame, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had their own breakfast cereal? And why not? If they're going to give a cereal to C-3P0 then the turtles can have one, too. You DID know C-3P0 had a cereal, right? It was a delicious Honeycomb knock-off with the original name "C-3P0's." Catchy. Relegating such an uninspiring character from a sensational property to "Cereal Box Hero" status is like if they made a Watergate-based cereal and called it "Agnew's."

Turtles cereal was corn Chex with colored marshmallow shapes of their signature weapons. There was a pink Sai for Raph, a blue sword for Leo and a yellow jump-suit marshmallow for April. The corn Chex was SUPPOSED to be a net, but it was Corn Chex.

If the Turtles hadn't had a movie then this comic book property probably never would have made it to the breakfast aisle. Hopefully next summer we'll have The Watchmen breakfast cereal with naked blue Dr. Manhattan marshmallows and sugar coated smiley faces that turn blood red in milk.

BACK IN BLACK

I can't write about anything else: L.E.G.: The Black Dossier finally comes out this week! I can't stop thinking about it! I write these things on Monday so that means I have an unbearable two days to wait. I'm a League junkie and could tell you anything you want to know. You could, too if you only bought Jess Nevins' companion books, Heroes and Monsters and A Blazing World, available NOW from Forbidden Planet. You'll learn all about the source material as well as character cameos and hidden facts, for example: Did you know there's a Twin Peaks reference in the second volume, or the hows-and-whys on Dracula ever appearing?

MORE MOORE

As a funny comics guy I recommend Alan Moore's Top 10 and Tomorrow Stories, home to the hilarious dead-pan child uber-brain Jack B. Quick. Jack is a 10-year-old genius growing up in rural farm country where he experiments with the darkest sciences, much to the suicidal chagrin of his parents. He once tied buttered toast to the feet of a cat and threw it at the ground. The toast and cat, unable to land butter side down or onto its feet, spun uncontrollably creating the world's first perpetual motion machine. Good stuff.

Another hilarious Alan Moore bit comes from Batman Black and White, Vol. 1, a great trade paperback showcasing top b/w artists, such as Jim Lee's first Batman work and inspired outings from top Batman writers like Paul Dini. Anywho, there's a great Alan Moore/Simon Bisley team-up where Batman and the Joker play out a comic book from behind the scenes, palling around off-panel, reading their lines together, working on fight choreography and complaining that the extras eat all the good food at the commissary before they, the stars, get there.

THE REAL DEAL: Forget comics, Alan Moore is one of the best writers in fiction today period. If you've never read the League you should get on that. I feel bad for good books like 100 Bullets, New Avengers, and the DC collection of Sgt. Rockthat all ship this week. You books may as well be gnats at the battle of Normandy. There is ONE comic book this week, and I can't wait to read it. Black Dossier: MAKE MINE MOORE!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-11-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

CEREAL KILLERS

BACK IN BLACK

MORE MOORE

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 027

2007-11-13T09:10:00.001-08:00

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 027

2007-11-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

Deal of the Week

2007-11-13T09:07:00.001-08:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Deal of the Week

2007-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Mahna Mahna

2007-11-07T08:13:00.001-08:00

There used to be this really boss and fun radio show on WFMU that we'd listen to in the store on Saturday mornings called "Greasy Kid Stuff". They'd occasionally play this song leading in to the DJs that'd maddeningly jingle over and over, "We could be heroes, dah dah dah du-duh dah..." I have know idea any of the other words or who did it, but the derned thing tattoos itself on my nimble, yet susceptible mind about once a week this fall, with no end in sight as the following book hits FP's shelves 11/7/07:

Heroes HC - When this TV show first aired last season I gave it a three episode trial, after which I held it in such low esteem that snorting wasabi was preferable. Customers would ask what I thought about it, affording me a chance to use the tried and true Han Solo quip, "I'm trying not to, kid."

Then I found myself at Shea with my friend MDO one night, idly chit-chatting as Johan Santana made the Mets look like tee-ball rejects. Now this guy and I have many things in common and I usually respect his opinions (except when it comes to his creepy Harry Potter obssession), so when announced his unreserved and unexpected fandom of the show he convinced me to give this thing another chance when it was DVD-ified. And I have. And I really dig it -- even if it is the world's corniest super-hero comic on screen. I know I wrote a few weeks ago about not wasting time for serials to "get good," but some things deserve a second, third, or fourth chance. Nobody ever got anywhere without taking a chance.

Now DC Wildstorm presents us with a comic of television's comic booky. Collecting the online comics based on the show, this volume -- featuring two covers by comics giants Jim Lee and Alex Ross -- also includes an introduction by Masi Oka (Hiro -- this guy's terrific), all 34 chapters of Season One, and Tim Sale's artwork as seen on the show. The comics included have been written and illustrated by some of comics' and television's top writers and artists, including Michael Turner, Phil Jimenez, and more! Now, I know I can happily listen to "Greasy Kid stuff online at www.wfmu.org, but I ain't got a lot of me time coming up, so if anybody knows or gathers details of the song I refer to up top, contact me so that I might seek it out and further my dementia, will ya? I've got a terrific no-prize to give out!

Acme Novelty Library Vol 18.5 PX Portfolio - Attn. Chris Ware acolytes: You ain't gonna find this book just anywhere, and it ain't gonna be available for long. Act accordingly. This print portfolio contains all four "Thanksgiving" covers drawn by the cartoonist for the November 27th, 2006 issue of The New Yorker, as well as an additional fifth comic strip previously available only in digital form.

Dark Tower Gunslinger Born Premiere HC - collecting Marvel's seven issue series of the year, this is essential for you milions and millions of Stephen King fans.

And in case you won a buncha dough with a scratch-off ticket, or just worked hard for it, or were born into it, here are three more high end books of note from last week that I highly recommend:

Storeyville - by Frank Santoro.

New Engineering - by Yuichi Yokoyama.

Mw - by Osamu Tezuka.

Mahna mahna-ma nana nee nee yee-dee-dee!

JEFFY

Mahna Mahna

2007-11-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

Storeyville - by Frank Santoro.

New Engineering - by Yuichi Yokoyama.

Mw - by Osamu Tezuka.

Mahna mahna-ma nana nee nee yee-dee-dee!

JEFFY

Graphic Misogyny

2007-11-07T08:00:00.001-08:00

As readers of mainstream comics (read: superheroes) know, sexism in comics is nothing new. True, it exists in other media and genres, but it's always been a bit more noticeable in a world of fiction traditionally aimed at young males and populated by physical paragons in tight-fitting outfits. Hell, even Wonder Woman, icon of female empowerment, has a history of being tied up a lot. (Conveniently, she even carries her own rope around.) Anyway, the question of how women are treated in superhero comics comes and goes from time to time, and a recent comic event made me think a bit about it.

In the latest issue of New Avengers #35, C-list hero Tigra (sorry, tigrafan@comcast.net) is severely beaten by The Hood, a new supervillian and Kingpin wannabe. What's sexist about that, you say? Well, nothing necessarily, but a couple of things set this apart from your typical superhero battle and made it legitimately questionable. First, the beating happens in Tigra's apartment because she's been targeted for a beating. She's not beaten in the line of duty or anything like that -- The Hood breaks into her place, waits for her to get home, and jumps her. Second, perennial Punisher punching bag, Jigsaw, records the whole thing. Y'know, for home viewing pleasure. Creepy. It didn't help that Tigra's costume is literally fur skin and a bikini.

Reading that story made me wonder if it was okay. And judging from the online reaction, I wasn't the only one. Some readers thought it crossed the line and others thought those people were overreacting. Me, I'm not sure. Any story involving violence and women has to walk a very fine line. If you're going to accept female superheroes, then yes, they're going to get hurt. Like I said, as a home assault this was different than a slam-bang fight with a giant robot, but I wondered if it was any different than Luke Cage getting attacked in his home during Marvel's Civil War. Is it just that he escaped? Would people even be talking about this if Tigra had won? If not, why not? Shouldn't the point be that she was attacked, and not the outcome of the attack?

I have no doubt that there are plenty of examples of misogyny in comics, but I don't know if this is one of them. But I think we can all agree that hating on women is dumb. Chris Rock said it best: "I like women. My mom's a woman -- that helps."

Ken Ip

Graphic Misogyny

2007-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-07T07:52:00.001-08:00

Welcome all my friends to the show that never ends (hopefully). First news this week... STUFF! Lots of stuff. We just got in a million Naruto keychains, Deathnote keychains and patches, some new wristbands, necklaces -- oh, and 1:1 scale Naruto emblem iron-ons (like the Konohagakure red swirl, the Uchiha fan, the thing on the back of Tsunade's coat, and the Akatsuki clouds). So much new nifty stuff, that we had to play Tetris with all our other merchandise just to make space for everything.

Oh, and the toys. This week, we obtained a PVC of The Major from the Ghost in the Shell: SAC Solid State Society movie, a PVC of Urd from Ah! My Goddess in a bikini, chibi coin figures for the characters of Lamento (by the same people who did the chibi coin figures for Togainu No Chi), and a bunch of other PVC statues for Rumble Roses, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and many others. The downside? PVC statues get kinda pricey, but they're all so awesome that you know it's worth it (kudos to Japanese sculptors).

Now for the manga. This is a big week, since this is technically the first Wednesday of November. We've got Eden vol. 9, D. Gray-Man vol. 7, Prince of Tennis vol. 22 , One Piece vol. 16, and Ultimate Muscle vol. 18 just for starters. There's also plenty of new yaoi books coming in and a billion other titles I know you're gonna love; but this time I want to focus on a new book that I had once thought was completely over and am so glad to see now.

Now, I don't know if any of you remember a series called Hands Off by Kasane Katsumoto. It was about the two psychic cousins who struggle to restore their once-brotherly relationship that was wrought apart by ghost sightings, deaths in the family, and just growing up. You might also remember their overtly flirtatious and charismatic friend Yuuto thrust in the middle trying to keep everyone's volatile tempers from exploding every step forward. If you remember the series, then I'm sure you loved it too. Well this week beckons the release of Hands Off: Don't Call Us Angels Vol. 01.

By the end of the first series, so many other characters had appeared and while some mysteries and issues were resolved. Now we get the chance to go even further, and I couldn't be happier. This is essentially a mini-series dedicated to flashbacks of the highschool days of Udou and Kiba (the older psychics that appear half way through the original series), and we get to find out more about their relationship and how they came into their own powers. So this week, be prepared with all your saved-up allowance (even if you're the one allowing it to yourself), and all that unused lunch money (or money you were supposed to, but know you weren't gonna use on food anyway), and have a little shopping spree. God knows I'm broke. See you all next time.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff: WGA STRIKE Edition!

2007-11-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

DOES the Writer's Guild of America's strike affect comic books? MAYBE. That is why us professional and semi-professional comic book entertainment-type writers are taking no chances. I have heard that Chris Claremont plans on recycling the same corny dialogue and plots until AND AFTER the strike is over, while Warren Ellis plans on doing a Transmetropolitan mini-series off of the remaining works of Hunter Thompson he hasn't stolen yet. Besides, if the strike DOESN'T affect comics (And I think it doesn't.) the strike is a good thing: Comic pros like Jeph Loeb who write for TV can focus more on comics, and comic pros like Brian Michael Bendis who habitually WATCH TV can focus more on comics!

I, for one, am swearing off ALL writing just to be safe. That hasn't stopped me from speaking out loud a great deal lately, especially since I've hired a court-trained stenographer to "Hang Out" with me... and if she happens to write down everything I say and I happen to pay her for it, where is the harm in that? [Stenographer's Note: There isn't any.]

Thank you, Mitzy. Where was I? Oh YEAH!

FUNNY BOOKS AHOY

Howard the Duck #2 - Ty Templeton (w), Juan Bobillo (a), Marvel. Howard the Duck is probably the funniest comic book about bestiality Marvel has ever printed, and relaunch has been a blast. Howard's human girlfriend, Beverly, is getting exploited/a leg up in her acting career as Howard is about to become an internet celebrity. Geez, looks like Mitzy and me are not the ONLY ones taking precautions in the wake of the WGA strike: This week sees two Steve Gerber Marvel books recycled: Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown being helmed by novelist Jonathan Lethem and artist Farel Dalrymple. Pay attention WGA, and all you other writers with integrity: Never stand up for your rights because you can be replaced, years later, by younger and cuter writers without such moral hang-ups.

I keed, I keed.

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash - James Kuhoric (w), Jason Craig (a), DC and Dynamite. I can't copy and paste "CANNOT WAIT" enough to express my joy at this book's arrival. I'll be torn whether to buy the Eric Powell variant cover or the J. Scott Campbell cover... guess I'll get both! Based on the Pretty Darned Good (P.D.G.) Freddy vs. Jason and the Evil Dead movies, this monster mash-up will be bloody good fun for all. You have watched all the movies this comic book is based on, haven't you? Well, another P.D.G. thing about the strike is you'll have more time to watch monster flicks.

May I recommend Friday the 13th Part 4, The Final Chapter (HA, what a title,) and Nightmare on Elm Street III: The Dream Warriors? If you haven't watched em' then "Shame on you!" Freddy and Jason go to all that trouble killing promiscuous teens, so the least you can do is watch.

Way more funny books are out this week: Groo: Hell on Earth by Mark Evanier (w) and Sergio Aragones (a), trades of The Boys and Runaways, a reprint of an old R. Crumb classic Mystic Funnies #2 and kid-friendly books like Archie Digest and Scott Pilgrim and Marv Wolfman's Duck Tales. Read em' and weep... with laughter.

STRIKE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND

In conclusion, the writer's strike is not to be feared. Current comics and older reprints shall get you through the TV drought, and let's face it... the writing is so bad on most modern movies, who's going miss them? I just hope the stenographers' union stays strong, otherwise I can't return next week with another Forbidden Planet-plugging edition of Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff! [Stenographer's Note: That and my pay check.]

No, or your pay check. Thank you, Mitzy.

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff: WGA STRIKE Edition!

2007-11-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

FUNNY BOOKS AHOY

STRIKE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 026

2007-11-05T09:21:00.001-08:00

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 026

2007-11-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

Deal of the Week

2007-11-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Deal of the Week

2007-11-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Gary Wassner Signing

2007-10-30T14:13:00.001-07:00

Gary Wassner Signing

2007-10-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

PBF & the JMan

2007-10-30T13:50:00.001-07:00

My Stars. Thank the universe for small miracles. I'm up to my eyeballs in the fabulous Previews catalog, the book we order much of our wares from and due tomorrow night, as of this writing. (BTW, when I use the term "fabulous" I mean the exact opposite of its definition, usually through gnashed teeth -- if something's fabulous, it bites Beelzebub boobs) I was gonna take a hostage a second ago, kvetching to the office walls that I also had to write a Weekly Planet on top of swimming through the muck of this 526-page bundle of inane solicitations and ca-ca. But crisis was averted when I perused the list of items hitting our shelves this week! OMG! I've been waiting to write this column for months now! Been eagerly awaiting this one book for years now!The first collection of Nick Gurewitch's Perry Bible Fellowship releases Wednesday, making this your lucky day, kids. Better buy a lottery ticket. Let's delve deeper, shall we? (And I ask your forgiveness in advance for all the superlatives I'm about to use.)

PBF: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto HC - Dark Horse Comics finally presents this collection of Gurewitch's comic strips, which appear online and grace the pages of newspapers and magazines the world over. PBF is my favorite comic strip going these days. It's my opinion that Nick Gurewitch is the greatest young strip artist to break out since Bill Watterson. Possessed of a singular, and disturbingly jagged wit, his strips will make ya laugh to be sure. But, PBF excels when it examines our human frailties, our foibles, insecurities, and our world, skewing them slightly... and then you get eaten by a dinosaur. Enough telling -- let me show you what I'm talkin' about. Here's a reprint of my most favoritest strip of the 21st Century (don't sue, Gurewitch), Punch Bout:

I think that sums it up nicely. Buy the book. Check out his website www.pbfcomics.com. Enjoy.

Also recommended and releasing this week:

Special Forces - Kyle Baker (Why I Hate Saturn, Nat Turner) presents the tale of an army whose recruitment quotas, lagging during the President's troop escalation, calls for a few good men. Whadda they get instead? Follow a small-town autistic teen from his recruitment, through basic training, and then off to war in Iraq. With violent felons, mental patients, a violent mental hot chick and at least one "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", his unit is composed of the military's last line of defense. The very last line, and this is NOT a true story!

Biff Bam Pow #1 - by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer. More titans of comic-dom releasing books this week, this time Evan (Dork, Milk & Cheese) and his lovely partner in crime Sarah bring you superheroes, monsters, monkeys, and the neverending battle between the good, the bad, and the stupid. A steal at three bucks.

Moomin the Complete Tove Jannson Bk. 2 - The Moomins are a family of Scandinavian trolls that resemble hairless hippos. If you're still reading this, your mind is open enough to trust me that these books are magical, and should be cherished by anyone with an imagination.

This week's Hugo Award Winning Novel?

Downbelow Station (1984) - By C.J. Cherryh. - Grandiose space opera at its finest, as war rages between Earth and her Colonies in the year 2352. It also stars a character with the same last name as me! Segust Ayres... Well, it's pronounced the same, smarty-pants!

One More Time!

Orphanage Misfortune

Be Well,
JEFF

PBF & the JMan

2007-10-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

I think that sums it up nicely. Buy the book. Check out his website www.pbfcomics.com. Enjoy.

Also recommended and releasing this week:

This week's Hugo Award Winning Novel?

One More Time!

Orphanage Misfortune

Be Well,
JEFF

Grand Ole Party

2007-10-30T13:32:00.001-07:00

My limited capacity to comprehend books without pictures and politics has put me in a conundrum. I am a simple person who enjoys comics. Thus, in order to understand politics I need to equate them to superheroes. Continuing from last week's article on the Democrats, this week I look at the Republican candidates:

Rudy Giuliani: This former mayor of New York City is the perfect candidate to become the protector of Sector 2814. That's right! Rudy Giu is the Green Lantern. Strong-willed and determined to make the United States into a better nation, who else can wield the Oa power ring? He acted like a top-notch leader during 9/11. Hal Jordan faces these types of threats all the time. In fact, Hal's own city was attacked and destroyed. Oh wait, that was because Jordan was mad with power. But we try to forget that little part of GL's career. Much like Giuliani's iron-fisted reign over NYC.

John McCain: Captured as a POW in Vietnam, the experience changed McCain's life. He dedicated himself to the betterment of his country. Does the Senator's origin sound familiar? That's because he's Iron Man. Tony Stark was also captured by an evil Asian mastermind, the Mandarin! And like Iron Man, McCain's views have turn towards the drastic side, i.e. the U.S. should only have a Christian president. Don't be surprised if the Senator clones Jesus and has Clone-J blast a hole through Joseph Lieberman! Once considered mavericks in their respective fields, both these men need to find themselves again and fight for the greater good.

Mitt Romney: This candidate has drawn the suspicious ire of the right-wing evangelical Christians. His Mormon religion has ostracized him amongst his constituents. Maybe it's his religion or maybe it's because he's a MUTANT! Misunderstood, persecuted, and discriminated, he could be one of Charles Xavier's students. But, Romney isn't an X-Man; he's more of a Morlock. Mitt is Leech. Both Mormons and Morlocks are alienated and prosecuted; not fitting in with their Christian counterparts nor their mutant brethren respectively. Don't worry, Mitt. One day you'll be accepted by the surface-world. One day.

- Andrew Jung

Grand Ole Party

2007-10-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-10-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

All around and back, people. Here we are again. When last we met it was all about blood, sex, and demon-slaying in the Witchblade: Takeru manga, so I figured we'll take a different path this time around and talk about Natsumi Ando's latest creation, Kitchen Princess.

Now some of you might remember her first series Zodiac P.I. which was pretty popular for a while, but it's been just that. A while. Finally she's put out a new series, and I like it. The art is super shojo style with the sharp-jointed stick people much like the Sailor Moon manga or the Utena manga. So as long as you don't have anything against shojo, I'm sure you'll dig it too.
So here's the skinny. This girl named Najika was raised in an orphanage on one of those tiny random Japanese islands after her parents died in an accident when she was little. With both of her parents also being world-class chefs, Najika was born with the sense of perfect taste. Basically if she tastes anything once, she can recreate it perfectly; even accounting for the love, thought, and soul put into the food.

The real story begins when Najika enters one of Japan's most prestigious private schools in search of a mysterious boy. He gave her a cup of flan and a silver spoon back when she was new to the orphanage and feeling super-depressed. Her only clue? The spoon he gave her is made by this school and given only to its students.

Many of the other students can't stand her and don't even know how she managed to get into their school at all, let alone on full scholarship. But Najika does her best to prove herself and help everyone with her awesome cooking abilities. It all might sound a little corny -- these things often do when you're sitting there trying to summarize them -- but what makes this series really awesome is that everything Najika cooks, from dinner to dessert to drinks, the recipes can be found at the end of the book so you can make it yourself (complete with handy doodles). So pick it up, enjoy, and vicariously make yourself hungry. Then eat. See ya next time.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff: GET MARRIED EDITION!

2007-10-30T12:54:00.001-07:00

OMG. You have got to try this: Go find a nice girl or boy you think is attractive and you can spend a great deal of time with... Okay, ready? Now buy that person a ring, propose marriage and THEN get married! DUDE, it is totally cool. Friends tell you how nice you are, and you get to dance to fun music and folks get you gifts.

The only bad part about getting married is going on your honeymoon. Sure you get to drink daiquiris by the pool in the Bahamas, snorkel, and eat conch fritters; but you will not see one comic book the entire time. You may pass an old comic book store on the way back to the airport. It may have a sad, Caribbean sun-faded poster of Wolverine in the window taunting you with past comic book glory. Yeah, you can come back home afterwards and buy your weekly comics at Forbidden Planet... but it just won't be the same, and Marvel Previews will have sold out. *Sigh*

CON ARTIST

Last week's Weekly Planet announced Wayne Barlowe as Forbidden Planet's special guest at the Big Apple Comic-Con National Show on November 17th. Hooray for America! What follows are a few scant "do's and don'ts" for first time comic convention-going fans:

1: Respect all, ESPECIALLY creators: There is your favorite writer/artist... they're RIGHT THERE in front of you! WOW! Do go say "Hi", do tell them how much you like their work citing specific examples but DO NOT crowd them. Some artists will draw commissioned sketches at cons, some will draw for free. DO NOT assume they will do either. Ask them whether they do con sketches and if so whether they charge or not. I know Sergio Aragones is going to be there... boy I'll never live down asking him to draw me a free pirate sketch.

2: DON'T buy the first thing you see: there are tons of vendors all with different price schemes. If you see that rare comic book you've been looking for forever: Atari Forces #1 for example, DO NOT buy it outright. Note the price and price shop across the con. You'll be thanking yourself/kicking yourself if you find it cheaper later on.

3: DO attend panels: Conventions are a fun bazaar of toys, books and costumed crazies; but the heart of the con is in the panels. Find out what the pros have to say on a variety of topics. Learn about upcoming trends, products and talents.

4: Keep costumes comfy: I've seen some pretty snazzy Transformers costumes at cons but the folks trapped inside cannot move, cannot shop or attend panels. Do not get trapped by your own brilliant costume design. Two of the biggest con hits are a guy that dresses like an Elvis Stormtrooper and an Unemployed Skeletor. I have seen these two gentlemen on numerous occasions and they are always surrounded by well-wishers, adoring fans and, surprisingly, women wanting pictures. HECK YEAH you can take folks pictures, just ask first and remember rule #1.

5: Bring water/patience: Cons can be crowded, hot affairs. Take your time, pace yourself, and don't lose patience with other con-goers. All of us can get a bit jumpy about our favorite hobbies/creators, but judge not lest yea be judged yourself. It's always smart to bring a bottle of water for refreshment.

6: DO NOT say "Candyman" five times into a mirror: If older kids tell you "It's cool" it is NOT. A murderous, hook handed African-American painter from the 1800's will jump out and swarm you with bees. You've been warned.

There. That is every single thing you need to know about comic book conventions. If you follow all the advice in this column carefully, you will be happily married and attending comic book conventions in no time... or at least in November. I didn't really get around to recommending products this week, so might I mention Forbidden Planet DOES offer Gift Certificates? They make great presents for Halloween, or even... oh, say, friendly columnists who just got married?

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Unkie Dev: Grampy Bramperson

2007-10-30T12:45:00.001-07:00

Date From Hell

2007-10-24T10:33:00.001-07:00

A quick announcement:

Fantasy artist extraordinaire Wayne Barlowe has just been confirmed as our esteemed guest at this year's Big Apple Comic-Con National Show! Mr. Barlowe will be signing to promote his just-released first novel, God's Demons, which is highly recommended and in stock now. Inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost, the book tells the story of the demon Sargatanas, exiled from Heaven eons ago. His dream of returning leads him to amass an army of human damned and demons to aid him in overthrowing Lucifer's regent, Beelzebub, in an attempt to catch God's eye and achieve redemption.

If you're familiar with Mr. Barlowe's art (and if not you oughta get familiar; it's phenomenal) you'll know that demons and Hell are his forte, especially so in the masterful Barlowe's Inferno (a graphic adaptation of the Dante classic). Hence, if that stuff's your thing, I think you should check Wayne's book out. Then I think we need to get the two of you together. How about at a comic book convention in NYC on a Saturday? Saaaay... November 17th? I'm thinking 2ish? Cool? Then it's a date. He'll bring the Roylance Guide and you'll eat and read.

Jellyfist - by Jhonen Vasquez & Jenny Goldberg. First, here's the publisher's solicitation:

"Barely conscious and muttering to himself, Jhonen Vasquez grabbed a fishbone and scrawled on the side of a cat a series of surrealist scripts never meant to be read by anyone. Two thousand miles away, J. Goldberg hears these very scripts whispered to her in her sleep by her pet ferret, devoid of any real direction beyond the dialog. Goldberg awakens to find that she has illustrated these scenes. In Jellyfist, two artists battle with interpretation - however absurd the intent or outcome - with running commentary from the creators on just how wrong or right it's all gone. The first book published as a result of ferret-aided, carved-kitten-transmitted telepathy, Jellyfist's collection of highly important nonsense just might change your opinion of almost all known things. This full-color comic will have production values and bindings far beyond what the content would dictate."

Having witnessed firsthand how Jhonen Vasquez' work (beginning with nigh on hundreds of printings of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Squee, Filler Bunny, and his TV show Invader Zim) gains a new and ever vast audience year after year, project after project, I can say with impunity that: Wow. Wow. Like "acceptable losses" in a war, there seems to be a never-draining pool of replacement army of Vasquez fans. Now while these new ranks are always aged around, say sixteen to eighteen and of a certain darkish demeanor and sarcastic humor, they are drawn to it in loving droves. To say that Orson Welles was a hungry guy would be an understatement.

To say Vasquez fans dig his comics is the ultimate understatement. And that's just swell. That's terrific. The guy's produced but a handful of comics in the last fifteen years or so, and yet there's still an audience for it. Moreover there's a perpetually burgeoning audience for the work. And while there's something to be said for the Bart Simpson quote, "Making teenagers depressed is like shooting fish in a barrel," there're a few irrefutable truths here. Kids buy comics, dammit: even though the publisher has no dough to spend on mass market advertising, their customers come to the material through generational word of mouth -- one older brother or sister's old comics become the younger's new hotness, or the hip kids who were juniors or seniors devoured this and yesterday's frosh mimic in turn. Pass on your passion, in this case COMICS, and you can affect the universe. And, if you're the author, find your artistic voice and rock it.

X-Men #204 - Wow. Gambit and Rogue snogging on the cover of an X-Men comic. In 2007. The more things change the more they stay the same, huh? I smell a Xavier Institute mutie baseball game coming soon. Sweet Jesus, where's my New X-Men Omnibus when I need it?

This week's Hugo Award Winning Novel?

The Gods Themselves - by Isaac Asimov. Need an abundant and efficient energy source in the year 2100? The invention of the Inter-Universe Electron Pump, derived from alien technologies from a parallel world, is the answer to all your energy woes, Humanity. Only problem is it affects the rate of hydrogen fusion in the sun, leading, inevitably, to the possibilty of an Earth-engulfing supernova. Kinda puts a cramp on your poker night. Energy's kinda like playing Black in Magic the gathering, folks. It's all about attrition.

P: She says she's the Gatekeeper, does that make any sense to you?
E: Some. I've just met the Keymaster. He's here with me now.
P: Oh, wonderful, we have to get these two together.

Have a Great Week,
Jeff

Democracy for Donkeys

2007-10-24T08:44:00.001-07:00

I don't particularly follow politics, nor do I read books without pictures. So when I encounter real people and real-world topics the only way I can understand them is to relate them to comic books. With elections just around the corner, I started following the candidates and their policies. Luckily, I equate these politicians to superheroes. It makes fighting evil so much easier. Here are the Democrats:

Hillary Clinton: She is Susan Storm A.K.A. The Invisible Woman. Her marriage to Bill is the perfect example of the powerhouse couple of Marvel comics. Former prez Bill Clinton is a great Mr. Fantastic. Future First Husband, Bill, is generally well-liked even after all the missteps of his administration. Kind of like Reed after siding fascist Iron Man (even Spidey asked Reed for help after the war). Sue reconciled with Reed by having a second honey-moon. Hillary stood by her man during the Lewinsky scandal. Anybody remember the waterfall picture of Hillary and Bill having an intimate moment after the scandal? Plus, the very word "invisible" says it all. Hillary is politically acute. It's obvious she influenced Bill during his presidential terms from behind the scenes. If you have any more doubts that Hillary is Sue Storm; let's look at the rest of the First Family.

Al Gore: During his tenure as Vice-President, he was characterized as stiff and robotic. But now, he's Johnny Storm. FIYAH! In the polls, he's as red-hot as you can get! He hosted Saturday Night Live, won an Oscar, and now a Nobel Peace Prize. This once boring politician has turned into a sensational celebrity. His entrance into the election race would out-shine all the other candidates. It doesn't hurt that he was Tommy Lee Jones' former roommate in college. As for The Thing; well, that's former Attorney General Janet Reno. 'Nuff said.

Barack Obama: I don't want to be racialist by analogizing Obama to a black superhero, but let's kick the ballistics: he is BLACK PANTHER. Like T'Challa, he is intelligent, charismatic and willing to speak out against government officials. He saw the consequences of war before all the other politicians. T'Challa predicted the Civil War. Maybe Congress should have read some issues of Black Panther before entering Iraq. Finally, BP would make a great leader for the Avengers if only given the chance. Kinda like a certain politician we know.

Vote unless you're a Skrull.

- Andrew Jung

THE STATIC AGE

2007-10-24T07:37:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago I promised DVD reviews, and if you noticed I failed miserably. Who am I kidding? You didn't notice, nor do you care but as long as I have this platform I'm gonna speak my mind and those of you who do read the Weekly Planet will have to put up with it. So anyway... I was slacking off due to my birthday and various other in and out of store situations, but I'm back and here they are.

Metalocalypse Season One - Skwisgaar Skwigelf, taller than a tree. Toki Wartooth, not a bumblebee. William Murderface Murderface Murderface. Pickles the Drummer, doodily doo, ding dong doodily doodily doo. Nathan Explosion! Follow the exploits of the worlds biggest band in this most brutal two disc set. Every episode to mindlessly drool over again and again. They hate their fans, but that won't stop us from obsessing over their every move. With "one cubic metal ton of hidden murder features" including music videos, interviews, and even a guitar lesson by Skwisgaar himself! Buy this now or go forth and die!

Planet Terror - You think Ash had it good with a chainsaw for a hand... well he's got nothing on Cherry Darling's machine gun leg. Toxic gas, mutated zombies, lesbians, and BBQ. What more could you want? For the last 15 years, director Robert Rodriguez has kept the fans happy with such classic out of the box flicks as From Dusk Till Dawn, El Mariachi, Sin City and more. Planet Terror is the first flick of the two-headed monster known as Grindhouse, and just another entry in this versatile film maker's every growing catalog of genre work.

Death Proof - Quentin Tarantino's half of Grindhouse delivers on the feel of a true 70's trash flick, so you'll probably hate it if you don't already. Now if you've been longing to see Kurt Russell be a badass again, don't even remotely hesitate -- just purchase. Then all you gotta do is pop it in the DVD player, sit back, and enjoy because you know what Jack Burton always says... "What the hell?!?"

Murder Party - I was born and raised here in NYC; Maspeth, Queens to be exact on the Bushwick, Brooklyn border, in the industrial area. I've seen this thing that they call "gentrification". I remember being afraid of certain parts of Brooklyn, and now I don't go to that area for another reason. An influx of drugged-up, soon-to-be drop outs living off their parents under the guise of misunderstood artists have taken over. So what if there are more bars and music venues opening up to cash in on these dingbats? Who can enjoy themselves while neck deep in guano? Am I jealous? Yes! I wish I came from money and lived in a loft where I could have bands play and host my own art shows, but that ain't gonna happen so I sit home and watch horror movies instead. Now if any of my rambling here strikes a chord, this is the movie for you.

The Set-Up: So this average guy finds an invitation to a Halloween party and since he's got nothing even remotely going on (that night or in his life in general for that matter) he decides to check it out.

The Twist: It's not a party, its a trap! A bunch of artist wannabes think that killing their guest in the name of art will impress an even bigger artist wannabe in hopes to get their hands on a grant.

The Wrap-Up: These kids obviously have no idea what it means or takes to kill someone so get ready for a bumpy ride with plenty of laughs, some quality gore and a dog on crank.

Spoilers Ahead, Read On With Caution: Murder Party teeters between horror comedy and indie flick without overstaying its welcome in either genre. All in all, I really dug it. How could I not? The dim-witted hipsters get what they deserve, and our unsuspecting guest "the real outcast" gets a happy ending. Next time, just stay in and watch horror movies.

One more week 'til Halloween, duders and dudettes. Hopefully I'll be back next week with another thrilling installment of The Static Age. That is of course if I don't get murdered by a bunch of bohos.

- Matt D.

OMEGA the Unknown

2007-10-24T07:32:00.001-07:00

Okay. So, Jonathan Lethem wrote in his book of essays, The Disappointment Artist, about Omega the Unknown, "It's a comic from the 70's from master storyteller Steve Gerber, along with Mary Skrenes and illustrator Jim Mooney."

The original book has a great story, with this very gothic 70's superhero vibe. Somewhere between Power Man/Iron Fist and Doctor Strange from that same period. Within 10 issues a mystery involving a boy, a superhero from another planet, robots, and the greek letter Omega are shown but never really explained.

According to Wikipedia, Gerber objected initially to the retelling of Omega the Unknown, but has since allowed the remake. Gerber's thoughts were "Why not just name the book something else? Why take my ideas?"

This retelling is strong, but has a different tone. The mystery of Omega the Unknown is replaced by irony and personal history of Lethem, whose writing voice in this book mirrors his work in his essays and novels. He drafts great dialogue, and this is a trend in comics I would like to see continue. Comic books should be well written -- not just be wooden good vs. evil smackdowns all the time.

Farel Dalrymple's drawings are very different from Jim Mooney's, who worked closely with both John Romita and John Buscema on the Amazing Spider-Man and the Mighty Thor respectively, and as a result drew Omega very much in that same expressive style. Dalrymple art is more about what is happening inside; the facial expressions giving life to the narrative. The human form is anatomically well-drafted, but still looks like a comic book -- somewhere between Ted McKeever and Dan Clowes. The colors Paul Hornschemeier renders are unique and opaque; I like his robot laser blasts.

But is this a remake? No. It feels like a new book, and the parts which tie in with the original fable even seem forced and ironic at times, probably on purpose. Even if they recreate the comic panel by panel, it will still feel like a new story. This reinforces Steve Gerber's initial argument about the remake: that it did not have to be an Omega remake at all. Still, this is the first issue of the first comic book ever by Jonathan Lethem, the well-known writer and novelist best known for Fortress of Solitude, and it's really damn good anyway.

By Guest Contributor: Mark Denardo

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 025

2007-10-24T07:24:00.001-07:00

Time & Attention

2007-10-17T07:32:00.001-07:00

Our sheer existence, our mere experience, is, at its best boys and girls, precarious to say the the least, scatalogical by nature, and limited to a fault. There's so little time and so very much to breathe. I find that often when writing for this newsletter, while I'm very proud of the corner I've carved out for myself on this plane, I rue that which my time and attention limit me from experiencing. I, like Mr. Steve Martin before me, wish to be the All-Being, master of time, space and dimension (and if that comes off as super-villainy: sue me, I'll be your Huckleberry). I, too, wish to be omni-prescient, omnipotent, obsequious, kind, and omnivorous. And in many ways the J-MAN is. But, in rare moments of clarity and self-effacing despondence I'm man enough to realize I ain't. You can't be everywhere at once, and cool gigs can slip through the cracks. There's only so much geekdom one can ingest before one's chest bursts, a la John Hurt.

This was never more recently apparent than when viewing this past weekend's SPX correspondence. (SPX, for those of you not in the know, stands for Small Press Expo, and is THE east coast event for such comickers.) Having to help hold down the fort in NYC, plus having personal plans, meant not being able to attend the show, not even for business, while boatloads of friends and co-workers got to make the trek down to Maryland. I spent much of this past Sunday night and Monday PM catching up with friends and bloggers about what I missed, and, not to diminish the good times this weekend brought me here, jealous of SPX karaoke jams, new books, and a comics community together in one place.

But that's cool. I knew it was coming up, and focused neither my time nor attention to the show, having other concerns. That's life and sometimes that's gonna happen. But in this communication thing you and I have going here, kids, it's our job to alert you to what is worthy of your time and attention. And hopefully we pull that off pretty well. If there's anything you want to share with us, or anything of yours for us to possibly plug, send a merry email to me: jeff.fpnyc@gmail.com.

Oh -- and next year? We're gonna tear SPX up.

There's often little to suppress the twelve-year-old in me, thus the allure of the phrase "time and attention." Sure it has its pragmatic usage (in this case alerting you guys of cool new stuff and happenings), but it also shortens to the wonderful T&A >snicker<. Without further ado, let the T&A fly!!!

Items and To Do's Worthy of Your T&A:

FIRST ANNUAL FORBIDDEN PLANET D&D GAME DAY

WHERE	Children's Aid Society 219 Sullivan Street (between Bleecker and W. 3rd St.) New York, NY
WHEN	Saturday October 27, 2007 11am - 3pm 3:30 pm - 7:30pm

Ever wondered how to play D&D? Is it just for Nerds and Geeks? Are you a Nerd or Geek?

This is your chance to find out the answers to those questions and more, and have some fun doing it.

Enjoy a great, imaginative, interactive game, run by a DM with over 20 years of experience.

There will be treasures available to take home and coupons given away for you to use for cool stuff at your favorite comic shop.

There will be adventure, excitement, and perhaps a bit of horror -- PLUS you'll be introduced to a medium for your imagination whose scope is boundless.

All for only six bucks.

RSVP Zane at sumofallbears@yahoo.com by Wednesday October 24th to reserve your spot.

Persepolis - This past Sunday I was privileged to attend the NY Film Festival screening of Persepolis, the wonderful animated adaption of Marjane Satrapi's splendid graphic novel. Believe the hype. It's that good. All that and a bag of chips, etc. In terms of review the film differs slightly in tone (I feel the 1976 Marjane to be portrayed as a little too cutesy, and some storytelling shortcuts grating), but it conveys the young woman's very heavy story of politics, nationalism, and growing up so magically and so poignantly that I have to make sure that each and every FP adult customer has some desire to read the source book TODAY and see the film when it releases stateside in December.

You lucky boys and girls in Europe get to see it sooner than us, and in its intended French! We Yanks are gonna get a dub, featuring Sean Penn and Iggy Pop (?!). This is not at all necessary, as the subtitles do not hinder the film whatsoever, but I suppose their vocal "stylings" will draw some kind of mundanes to the picture. In a world of pixels and Pixars and cliched done-to-death family animation, Persepolis looms like Citizen Kane (especially apparent in that since I had to turn the anesthetic, odious, idiotic and hollow Happy Feet off fifteen minutes into watching it earlier that day). Go to IMDB to for more details on the film.

Come to Forbidden Planet ASAP to pick up your copy of Ms. Satrapi's masterpiece, Persepolis, or any other of her fine comics (the similarly lovely Embroideries, and Chicken With Plums), as we will strive to have each and every one of them in stock at any time!!!

Forbidden Planet is hooking up with (heh, heh) Comixology.com for an incredibly wild stab at informing our customer base better than ever. Don't believe me? Check out comixology.com/forbiddenplanet for details. But trust me, when you sign up for your free membership, your comics-buying habits'll never be the same.

Last but not least, it's that time of year again! Fall convention season is upon us here in NYC, and two biggies are coming up:

Big Apple Con's National is Fri-Sun 11/16-11/18. Big name guests? You got 'em. Hayden Panettierre (Claire from Heroes) and Adam Hughes and Tim Sale and tons more! And as usual, we'll have a big, sexy booth, Their website: http://www.bigapplecon.com/

And the inaugural New York Anime Festival sponsored by New York Comic-Con kicks off December 7th-9th, and, even in its infancy is poised to be one of, if not THE biggest east coast celebration of Japanese pop-culture on the East coast. FP will be selling tickets soon! Their website: http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/

Gotta Jet,
JEFFY

Welcome To Shibuya-cho

2007-10-17T07:23:00.001-07:00

I know it's a little late this time folks, but last week the Witchblade: Takeru v. 2 manga came out, and revealed the bizarre conclusion. At the same time, the Witchblade anime is arriving this week -- a little late, but finally. The manga and the anime, while both supposed to be continuations of the american series (not directly, but they exist as some point in a post-Sarah Pezzini world), they actually have very little to do with each other.

The manga, subtitled "Takeru" since that's the name of the wielder, focuses on a high school girl who lives with nuns that have been guarding the witchblade for decades. Her boyfriend is the descendant of demon hunters, and her best friend is a nymphomaniac. I know, it sounds fairly typical, but it is full of gore and action, as well as the basic struggle for control between the wielder and the Witchblade.

What I love about it is that unlike so many American comic companies these days, it is an actual manga version of an American series, rather than the repint of a series in black and white or in digest form. It is a real manga written and illustrated in Japan by Japanese people, hence the meaning of the word manga. And on the other hand, what ticks me off about it is not that the Americans in the series are portrayed as psychotic, war-crazed asses, but rather that the Witchblade itself is some kind of demon hand.

Now I am a Witchblade fan, that's the main reason I started reading this series, and for those who don't know the Witchblade was spawned when the forces of light and darkness had sex and a creepy little bracelet appeared. But for the manga writer to keep so much, and yet change the origin to it being the hand of some great demon that was cut off, eh, just bugs me.

And the anime version puts a strange twist to the story. A woman named Masane is found at ground zero of some unexplained, or even defined, catastrophe in Tokyo lying unconscious holding a baby and wearing a bracelet. some time later, she's using the Witchblade to fend off some huge corporation and the government both vying for the blade. Just had to get that bit out of my system.

Anyway, there are a few titles coming in, including a lot of new books, and number 2's to a bunch of series that premiered a while ago like I Hate You More Than Anything, and In The Starlight. Also, two long awaited yaoi titles Passion v. 4 (and you were surprised when volume 3 appeared), and Constellations In My Palm. If none of that has you interested, I'm sure you're still reading all the books you bought last week. See ya next time boys and girls.

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-10-17T07:08:00.001-07:00

MORE Exclusives

Forbidden Planet has signed an exclusive deal with Orville Redenbacher brand microwave popcorn. We don't have coupons like we do for our arrangement with Nightmare: Ghost Stories, but we must insist you only eat Redenbacher Popcorn on the premises. Failure will be met with physical force: ALL HAIL THE REDENBACHER!

SITE SEEING

ComicArtFans.com - Comic fans with high speed internet should hit up comicartfans.com, A searchable treasure trove of original artwork, scanned by their fans and owners. Type in an artists' name and instantly convention sketches, original commissions and pre-inked pencils spring up on the screen. The site also features spotlights on active and drool-worthy eBay auctions... right now there are a few Mignola originals as well as an entire Adam Hughes sketchbook up for grabs at insane prices.

I ALSO hope you all check http://www.fpnyc.com, the Forbidden Planet New York web site! Every week the site is updated with the upcoming books, figures, manga and DVD products arriving that week but also all the contents of the Weekly Planet, news, announcements and more!

OCTO-OMNIBUS

The mid 80's saw what is now known as "The Black and White Boom," part of an exciting and still controversial period of comics leading up to the great "Market/Speculation Glut" of the late 80's which almost destroyed the industry. Started by now classic black and white comics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and crazy ole' Dave Sim's Cerberus, the B/B-Boom had many animal imitators. My favorite is Mark Martin's Gnatrat... more on that in another column.

My second favorite was Reggie Depasqualle's "Ultra-Pus: Eight Arms of the Law!" Ultra-Pus was a regular sea-dwelling octopus who was flown to the magical land of EZ in a water spout. EZ is much like OZ, except substitute munchkins, witches and flying monkeys with octopi, octo-witches and flying monkopusses. The Wizard of EZ gives our hero magical powers which Ultra-Pus uses to return to Earth and fight human criminals, feeling himself more akin to humans then sea creatures. He also had a clever secret identity as "just some octopus that hangs out at a science museum."

"Ultra-Pus: Eight Arms of the Law!" ended after 24 issues when its creator, Reggie Depasqualle, was forced into an insane asylum by his brother. Polar Bear Press announced at last weekend's Poughkeepsie Comic-Con they intend to collect and publish Ultra-Pus in its entirely in a black and white anthology tome this December, making some of this material available for the first time in 20 years! Forbidden Planet is currently filing the paperwork to have Depasqualle released as an out-patient for a special in-store signing. Watch this space for more info!

NOW AVAILABLE

This week's hot humor hits include Umbrella Academy #2, Simpson's Comics #135 and Marvel Zombies II #1. Though late to the game, Marvel Zombies is an interesting bridge between the once popular humor genre and the now status-quo, though over exposed, zombie genre. I'd recommend anyone who likes funny super-hero stuff to pick up Brian Michael Bendis's Mighty Avengers #5. I know Bendis isn't for all, but I think he's a hoot!

END TIMES

This week I have planted a fake news story in amongst the humor news. Post a comment here on what YOU think was the fake story. Wouldn't it be great if you won a lifetime supply of Orville Redenbacher popcorn? Well you won't. You won't win anything. Actually, most of the items this week are made up. Did I mention I'm a ninja?

Alright... I'm not a ninja. [ED. NOTE: Forbidden Planet has signed no such exclusive deals, and does not endorse one tasty popcorn treat over any other. And please don't eat in the store. Thanks. Also -- sorry ladies, but Unkie Dev is getting married this week, and is no longer on the market. Rah, rah, congrats and lord help that poor woman!]

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 024

2007-10-17T06:56:00.001-07:00

Nightmare Haunted House Coupon

2007-10-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

We're partnering with Nightmare Haunted House to bring you discounted tickets!

Bric-a-Brac

2007-10-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

By the power of Thor!!! No events, no signings, no in-store TV shoots, no nonsense this coming week. Don't get me wrong; FP loves all of the above! But I write this we're in the midst of receiving oodles and oodles of stock and it's refreshing to only have to deal with the buying, selling, and processing of said wares this week. And by oodles I mean a googltastic plethora of very magnituderific & heavy proportions. To give you an idea of the sheer scope of new stuff, let alone re-stocks, we have to offer you guys I will posit the following rhetorical question: Who knew Columbus Day would be our biggest receiving day of 2007 so far???

Nobody. That's who.

So, like that Anthony dude Billy Joel croons about in "Movin' Out," I hope you've been saving your pennies for someday because that day has arrived, my friend. A broad overview, with pretty pictures, starting with a focus on books cuz they my thing and I gots to do my thing!:

Books

I Am America (And So Can You!) - by Stephen Colbert. Is he for real?

Shortcomings - by Adrian Tomine. All our copies currently in stock are SIGNED, amigo!

America - by James Sturm.

Maggots - by Brian Chippendale. More Picturebox mayhem from the creator of last year's lauded Ninja.

Heroes of the Negro Leagues - by Jack Morelli (w) and Mark Chiarello (a). originally published as trading cards, now a snazzy tome with a DVD included!!!

Exterminators v. 3 - by Simon Oliver (w) and Various (a).

Imaginistix - by Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell. Their first new art book in years. Rejoice!!!

Yearbook Stories 1976-1978 - by FP buddy and Top Shelf publisher Chris Staros about his formative H.S. years and sleazy 70's mustache.

Absolute Sandman vol. 2 - The 2nd sexy-bound volume outta 4.

Best American Comics 2007 - edited by Mr. Happy himself, Chris Ware.

Toys

Cult Classic Series 6 - featuring Lost Boys Keifer and Army of Darkness Ash in S-Mart gear!!

7" and 12" God of War Kratos - You kids love them damn video games. Here're figures for ya.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - McFarlane Toys does 'em justice.

Back to the Future MiniMates - Their destiny has brought them to you. Dork thinks he's gonna drown!

12" Dorothy of Oz - naughty 12" toy. That description could be SO misconstrued.

Death Note - Ryuk and Rem vinyls!

Doctor Who - from Judoon Helmets to Dalek phone charms, we've got more Doctor tchokes than one can shake a stick at!

Disney Princess PEZ dispenser Sets - I think these are just here to kinda clear the palette.

T-Shirts

Christopher Lee as Dracula - Slammin' Hammer Horror Action!

Resident Evil - sweatshirts and tees.

Venture Bros. - Monarch Symbol shirts.

And all that's just the proverbial tip of the old timey iceberg -- the one that's not melting. Just blips on the FP radar. Just ripples in the Awesome Ocean. "Ted, you and I have witnessed many things, but nothing as bodacious as" all the stuff Forbidden Planet has in stock!

Station,
JEFFY

This Week's featured Hugo Award-winning SF Novel?

Hominids - by Robert J. Sawyer. In dubious honor of last week's Cavemen premiere on ABC TV, may I present a relatively recently released selection? The first volume in a new science fiction trilogy examines the humans of this universe and the Neanderthals of a parallel world where they are the dominant intelligence. When a Neanderthal physicist pierces the barrier between the two worlds and finds himself in this universe, he is quarantined and studied, while in his own world his lab partner is investigated for his murder.

Where's the First Graphic Novels?

2007-10-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I need help.

I just got outbid on eBay for an old Marvel graphic novel I've been wanting for years now -- Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment. Art by Mike Mignola (you may have heard of him). Story by Roger Stern (this guy -- not so much, which is a real shame, but that's another column). Anyway, if I remember the story right, Dr. Doom blackmails Dr. Strange into helping him on his quest to go into Hell and save his mother's soul from Mephisto, blah blah blah, they battle some really cool looking demons (Mignola, remember?), yadda yadda yadda, and the two learn valuable lessons about each other. The End.

But that's not important right now. No, what's important is the fact that I had to go online to try and buy this fondly remembered comic from my adolescence, because it -- and almost every other Marvel Graphic Novel from its period -- is out of print. Which is another shame, and the point of all this.

You see, the comics cognoscenti can debate all they want about what the first graphic novel was: Will Eisner's A Contract with God? Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin's Blackmark? For me, the words "graphic novel" will always be partly associated with the first comics I ever saw bear that label -- Marvel Comics' oversized, 64-page extravaganzas from the 1980s. We kids thought they were something special. Lookit how big they are! Whoa, they cost like, $5.95!

Looking back, there were probably a lot more misses than hits. (I mean, Super Boxers? For real?) But the hits were good ones, and hold up surprisingly well today. The aforementioned Strange/Doom team-up. The Death of Captain Marvel, which started it all. Spider-Man: Hooky. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills. And so on. But most of these stories are long out of print, victims of the mainstream comics industry's unique sense of self-loathing that says, "Hey, this stuff is just disposable entertainment anyway! Who's going to want to read this in five years?" The answer? A lot of us.

Now, comics have left some of that self-loathing behind, and the trade paperback programs of publishers are light years ahead of what they were even 5 or 10 years ago, but there are still some holes to fill. For me, this is one of them. It's an absolute crime that there is work out there by creators like Mike Mignola, Bernie Wrightson, Charles Vess, John Byrne, Bill Sienkewicz, etc. that is mostly unseen. So like I said at the start of this, I need your help. If you want to read these stories, or if you want to read them again, let Marvel know. Their address is in their comics. Address it to Jennifer Grunwald, Collection Editor. Tell her you think the comic that oh, X-Men 2 was based on should be in print. Tell her that you and your grandmother who loved X2 want to read it.

Hell, tell her you want to read Super Boxers. It couldn't hurt.

- Ken Ip

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning Boys and Girls, and welcome to another nifty issue. This week we've got a ton of the new Pokemon Miniature Figures Game. Any of you kids out there who have been looking for any kind of Pokemon toy to no avail are going to love these. Not only are they sculpted really well, and fairly larger than your average mini-fig game pieces like Heroclix, Horrorclix, and D&D minis, but they're packaged in ways to make them easier to collect. There are single packages so you can pick the one you want, double packages that have one visible and one secret figure, triple packages that have one regular figure, one exclusive Diamond and Pearl figure, and one secret figure. and then the four figure starter packs that come with three pokemon and one of the trainers -- not to mention game mats and checklist poster. They're totally cool, and cute, and well designed, like a Torchic engulfed in flames, or a Piplup sliding across a slab of ice on its tummy.

We also have a couple of hot DVD releases this week including the sudden release of the new anime, Phoenix, taken from the Osamu Tezuka manga. In a sleek shiny, very shiny box, the stories of Phoenix come to life adapting Tezuka's notorious art style into new animation full of color, drama, and life in a way you've never seen Astroboy even come close (not that classics don't have their place). If you ever wondered what an old school artist would look like these days, this is definitely a vote "for".

The Hell Girl DVD also came out this week, and this one also has a shiny box with black and gold trim, and the unique art of this particularly dark anime in the center. In fact, the people who put this together are so proud of the artwork that this first volume includes a couple of nifty art cards, (smaller than posters, bigger than postcards). Since most of you guys probably haven't heard about Hell Girl, this series revolves around people who wish revenge on someone and make a pact for their souls to send the recipient through Hell and back. Well, not so much back, they kinda stay in Hell. This one's dark, and not really for the kids, but definitely worth a spot by everyone else.

Now, one last mention before I wrap this up, we've got a bunch of manga coming in this week. A lot of cool titles, and a lot of brand new #1s that look like they might be interesting. So you all have to come check us out upstairs this week. God knows I have plenty of reading to catch up on. See you guys next week!

Ja ne!
Mat K.

Unkiedev's Amazing Stuff

2007-10-09T13:31:00.001-07:00

Last week's column was about the great abundance of variety in modern comic book shops. Nuts to that! This week, apart from Archie, Jughead and Captain Carrot there are no new "humor" comics being published. Some think this is because "humor doesn't sell," and some think it's because the audience for this material has dried up in the super-hero centered market. Still others think it's because of Frankenstein, but I suspect they may be mistaken.

I couldn't give three twigs WHY this is the case. I have a column to write on funny stuff to buy at New York's greatest and most diverse comic book shop, Forbidden Planet, and if the big three fail then others must pick up the slack:

One Step Beyond

Metalocalypse, Season 1 - by Dethklok and Adult Swim. Metal fans already know how indispensible the Adult Swim cartoon "Metalocalypse" is. This grotesque shred-fest is full of gore and more! A five man heavy metal band is bigger than the Beatles, bigger than democracy or religion in fact, with screaming fans happy to die/murder for them. The band, Dethklok, may not be very bright but have managed to stranglehold the world's economy. The show is the blackest of black comedies about how Dethklok thrashes and trashes an enthralled Earth on the way to the eponymous, inevitable "Metalocalypse."

The excessive blood and gore can be an on over-the-top turn off, but the characters are surprisingly likeable. Another plus: "Metalocalypse" focuses on character and story for its humor, not relying on the tiring abstract "jokes" and awkward pacing that ruins most of the other Adult Swim programs.

PVP - Scott Kurtz, Image Comics. Still going strong, Scott Kurtz is a beloved online comics creator who's runaway hit web-strip "PVP" spills into the paper-and-staple world from Image Comics. PVP is the charming, yet rambling story of geeks publishing a magazine, their affairs and interactions with giant blue trolls. Its success is often due to the subject material: early adopters of online comics with the IT crowd eager to read jokes and plots tailored to their tech/geek sensibilities.

Modern Image Comics is an umbrella publishing house that gives proven independent creators a safe haven for self-publishing. Kurtz is the cartoonist's dreams personified: A thriving independent comics empire fueled by fans and profiting from merchandised characters. Image and Kurtz probably do a fine turn putting the online PVP characters out in print, bridging online and analog geekdom and finding new fans for both.

Hollywood Zombies Trading Cards - Various, Topps. YEE-HAW! Great art and gross out concept make this a Halloween HIT! Have you bought a pack of these? As Tony the Tiger would say: "They're GREAT!" Hollywood Zombies trading cards are fully painted cards of your favourite celebs as flesh eating ghouls with fake interviews, jokes and glow-in-the-dark cards, too. FAB, right? These are every bit as fun as you remember "Wacky Packages" or "Garbage Pail Kids" to be. Did you know those are still being minted, too? Both are on their 6th season since their revival. Trading cards still remain one of the last places for cheap laffs and cool artwork. Release your inner ten year old and pick up any of Topps' line of cards. They're all silly, they're all fun and they're all available at the Forbidden Planet cash register.

Brigadoon

Let's review: Comic book publishers do not put out more humor based products because they feel they either A) don't sell, B) don't have a market or C) something about Frankenstein. Meanwhile online creators, television viewers and producers are doing swell making with the high quality ha-ha's for all the little cash infused girls and boys. Heck, even trading cards, an older and arguable more out-dated medium then our venerable comic books is still in the humor game. Someone is doing business in funny. Why aren't comic books?

Maybe the funny comic books will come back into vogue. Maybe they have just left us like the lost city of Brigadoon and will return, secretly and placidly, in 100 years. All I know is if Marvel, DC and the other big publishers don't want my money I'm glad there are other fine companies, like Forbidden Planet, that do!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Unkiedev's Amazing Stuff

2007-10-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

One Step Beyond

Brigadoon

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 023

2007-10-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Unkie Dev: The Creeps 005, Grampy Bramperson

2007-10-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Of Note, Point by Point

2007-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Lost and Found can be pretty interesting in this joint. Know what we found magnetized to the magazine shelf last Saturday night? An awesome telescoping pointer that I haven't been able to stop playing around with since! Hence, when reading the following, try to picture me looking all smaht and stuff as I use my new acquisition to illustrate my points. And if it's your pointer, you'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands to get it back. Or ask me real nice.

I know it's a bit of a short notice reminder, but I wanna talk about this coming Thursday night, and our part in Nightmare: Ghost Stories once again!!! Even if you're just hearing about this now, I expect to see a bunch of youse guys at the CSV Cultural Center (108 Suffolk St. at Rivington) Thursday night. We're hosting an evening with Marvel Zombies cover artist Arthur Suydam, raffling off a bunch of cool free swag, we'll have a bunch of comics and T-shirts for sale -- the whole nine!

Once More The Dilly:
What? FP night at a cool Haunted House in NYC. Nightmare: Ghost Stories
Where? CSV Cultural Center (Scary lookin' building Lower East Side) 108 Suffolk St.
When? Thursday 10/4/2007 evening 6-11pm. 7:30pm for Arthur Suydam event.
Why? Because it's gonna be bodacious!!!

One of my must have FP New Releases this week? In fact, my numero uno? Tekkonkinkreet on DVD!!!

Speaking of DVDs, I watched the new Superman/Doomsday DVD this week. The animation's pretty okay, but 75 minutes of Superman getting the poop kicked out of him is not really my thing and felt like more like 175 minutes. Many of you I know either own or will own/love this movie, but for those of you yet to see it, especially you parents out there, a grave and dire warning: I would not let any child under the age of 10 watch this DVD. It is extremely, extremely violent, and features more death (some of it quite graphic, some perpetrated by Supes himself, albeit a clone of Big Blue, but no less confusing to an impressionable mind) and destruction than any two Schwarzenegger from the 80's combined. I'm a pretty liberal dude, but trust me... This is 100% not for kids!!!

Our friends at ComicMix.com start a new week-daily web comic venture this week. While not a devoted fan of reading my funny books online, I fully support the efforts of a myriad of talented writers and artists who toil every day, producing quality work for a new paradigm in comic story-telling. From their Pretty Rad Press Release:

"Starting 10/2, ComicMix.com changes this forever. ComicMix debuts with a new episode of a new series every weekday:
"GrimJack: The Manx Cat a swashbuckling detective story set in the dimension-spanning city of Cynosure written by John Ostrander with art by Timothy Truman;

"EZ Street by Mark Wheatley and Robert Tinnell, a story about action, family, show business and imagination in Pittsburgh; a new Southern gothic horror story,

"Fishhead, by Mark Evan Walker, Larry Shell and Michael H. Price;

"Black Ice written by Mike Baron and art by Nick Runge, an action adventure story with pirates and motorcycles;

"The Adventures of Simone and Ajax, the story of a girl and her pet dinosaur;

"The Demon of Sherwood, a new take on the latter Robin Hood myth written by Robert Tinnell and painted by Bo Hampton;

"...and the long-awaited return of Munden's Bar, written by playwright and Batman writer John Ostrander with art by the most surprising collection of artists online, starting with underground comix legend Skip Williamson. Upcoming new projects will include efforts from Ian Gibson, Marc Hempel, Mike Grell, Trevor von Eeden, Val Mayerik, Dick Giordano, John K. Snyder III and more.

"There's more! In addition to new comics, ComicMix.com allows visitors to read classic series, including Jon Sable, Freelance, GrimJack, Mars, The Badger, Simone and Ajax, Fashion In Action, Scout, Breathtaker and many others for free. Unlike most webcomics, the stories on ComicMix.com are written and drawn by both experienced and new comics professionals, in a format that's easy to read and more closely resembles the experience of reading offline comics. Using proprietary software developed by the team responsible for some of the Internet's most popular programs, ComicMix.com allows readers to zoom in on details, pull back to scan an entire page or sequence, and read at the pace and intensity that works best for them. Every day, readers can also find columns, news and blogs by an array of informed and opinionated writers, including Denny O'Neil, Michael Davis, Elayne Riggs, Mike Gold and John Ostrander..."

Next week I will have a very cool announcement about one of our most prominent new items. Watch for it!!!

And don't worry, there will probably be no more baseball analogies, nor Mets boasts from me for the next coupla months! Yep, no baseball whatsoever. None except go Pads, and/or Cubs, and/or Rockies -- That is all.

Rock 'n' Roll,
JEFFY

HOME-PLANET SICK

2007-10-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

As a native New Yorker, I am genetically prone to hate everything not New York City. So finding a geek shop in Los Angeles did not appear promising. Honestly, how can another shop compare to Forbidden Planet? The Planet was my home for comics; I knew where to look for the new releases, where the back issues were, and the best spots to just chill and read (note: it's not between the Non-superhero and Sci-Fi novels).

Entering this new geek shop, I was completely overwhelmed. A four-foot replica Ultraman greeted me at the door, presenting copies of CSN in his brightly colored arms. I wandered around the store for about ten minutes, completely unaware of where everything was located. First thing: how is this store organized? They have all the publishing companies grouped together? Inconceivable! Second, back issues: they're all in cabinets? Inconceivable! Only one shelf of manga? Inconceivable! This is Bizarro World! I couldn't help but size up this place, comparing it to my home Planet.

See, anytime we visit a new comic book shop, we cannot help but compare it to the one we're used to. At first glance, it's intimidating, even overwhelming. But new experiences prevent us from being complacent. If you like DC, read a Marvel comic. If you like Marvel, read a DC comic. And if you like both the Big Two, grab an indie mini. If you're a hardcore horror fan, why not try Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane? It's daunting at first, but eventually you'll question how you even lived without it.

To my surprise, and at the other end of the continent, I found a copy of FP employee Austin English's Christina & Charles. And it all came into perspective. No matter where we go we'll find something that brings us back home. While the distance may be long physically or metaphorically, it's the newness of the experience that makes the journey worthwhile; whether it's reading a comic title that you've never heard of, looking at the work of an artist you're unfamiliar with, or traveling to a new comic store. One trip is never enough. There's so much to read, see, and feel. We all have to fly away from our nests of familiarity. And when we do, it's only natural to feel a little homesick.

- Andrew Jung

THE STATIC AGE

2007-10-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's my second week back and by this point you know how hyped I am about our partnership with Nightmare Haunted House and the Arthur Suydam signing this coming Thursday October 4th. I did devote my very first front page article to its awesomeness, and you know I'm not the kind of guy to B.S. you. As the day nears and we put the finishing touches on our plans, I promise this will be one event you won't wanna miss out on. Make sure you keep checking www.fpnyc.com for up-to-date info on this event and All Things Forbidden.

Now let me apologize for the lack of articles in the past two months. Yes I was away on tour with my band Vermefug for a month (check us out at www.myspace.com/vermefug and order our new EP featuring cover art by fellow FP employee, illustrator and friend James Wrona), but honestly the second month of no articles was just me being lazy. So we've got a lot of catching up to do and I know that a ton of stuff came out that you want, but you just don't know it yet. Thank God (or Satan) that I'm back to steer you in the right direction. Less talk, more rock. Onto the goods...

Dimensions Behind The Twilight Zone - by Stewart T. Stanyard. I'm a TZ nut. So when I heard about this book, I immediately bugged Jeff to order it and then continually nagged every employee in the store to make sure to pull me a copy as soon as it came in. Was it worth my fellow FP staff's respect and sanity just to make sure I got another piece of the Twilight Zone puzzle in my ever greedy hands? Without a doubt! Who needs friends when you have books? Mr. Stanyard successfully collects enough rare info, interviews, photos, and artifacts to satisfy even the most rabid TZ fan. (meaning me!) With a format similar to many of the college text books I remember not enjoying, it makes me wish I could have majored in Rod Serling Appreciation.

The Walking Dead Vol. 7: The Calm Before - Ant-Man may be squashed, but I see no end to The Walking Dead in the near or far future. Surprisingly enough TWD (no, that doesn't stand for Twinkie Doodle) has been beyond on schedule, with 3 issues coming out in a month-and-a-half time span this past summer with this trade hitting shelves immediately after. I'm sure you all remember the wait for trade number 6 and 5 for that matter. Let's just keep our undead fingers crossed that they keep it up and keep a look out for the 3rd hardcover coming out late November.

Big Ole Face Full Of Monster Magazine Issue 3 - So if you're anything like me, you've already picked up this month's copies of Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Horror Hound, and Scary Monster; and your thirst for horror knowledge still isn't satisfied. Then thank the evil masterminds behind BOFFOM for giving us another quality periodical to grace our shelves. I love a magazine with honest views and reviews and BOFFOM reeks of just that -- horror info from people who love and respect all aspects of the culture. With a cover article on the history and future of those beautifully Bama boxed Aurora Monster Models, what self-respecting fan of the genre could pass this baby up?

Thirteen Steps #1 - by Phil Hester (creator), Chuck Satterlee (co-writer) and Kevin Mellon (artist). "Humanity is overrated." Talk about first impressions. Justin Ullrich's bleak views on life as a werewolf without self-control or remorse brings a new twist to the genre: the self aware-wolf. Where do you go when no one wants to listen to your problems? Monster rehab, of course. I picked this book while impatiently waiting for a more popular werewolf book that took a bit to long to hit shelves, and boy am I glad I did. I'm not saying I'll be switching over, but rather I now have two sweet werewolf books to look forward to each month. Or one, if my man Kirkman doesn't get on the ball, so what if you write 50 other titles too? (Don't hate me Rob!)

I seriously could go on forever considering how much I slacked over the summer. But this is the Weekly Planet, not Matty's Planet, so let me wrap it up with a few must-have toys that I recently added to my collection instead of putting food in my belly. Cult Classics' newest series featuring The Lost Boys' Michael and David figures are a trip. Both come with alternate non-vampire heads and David even comes with a box of wormy Chinese food! NECA finally brings us an affordable talking 12-inch Saw puppet with Trike. And just in time for our Arthur Suydam signing (One last shameless plug, huzzah!) Marvel Select dropped two of the three Marvel Zombie figures: Zombie Spidey with missing leg, and Zombie Cap with removable scalp. How sick is that! Next week, movie reviews... I hope. See you on Thursday... at the Nightmare Haunted House, duh!

- Matt D.

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to Shibuya-cho, my faithful readers. I know you all missed me last week but I've had the most annoying cold all week. In the mean time, I hope you found the emergency article about Apollo's Song nifty and informative.

But enough about me. In toy news, we got in some new anime girls including Amy from Burst Angel and a new Neon Genesis Evangelion XX Chromosome Angel figure of Shamshel (the giant, red, mushroom-snake with laser whips for arms). Totally awesome and sexy.

And finally some big manga news. In case you didn't catch them last week, Bleach v. 21 and Bersek v.19 came in. And aside from them there are about 43 new books coming in on Wednesday. A good percentage of these titles seem to be from the Tokyopop vault of "manga that has been so delayed we forgot we loved it". This includes Ai Yori Aoshi v.17, Arcana v.6, Arm of Kannon v.9, Dragon Head v.8, Dragon Voice v.9, Hyper Police v.10, Id Entity v.10, Kami Kaze v.6, Liling Po v.7, MBQ v.3, Return to Labrynth v.2, Tarot Cafe v.6 (though not as long as the wait for volume 5 was), Tramps Like Us v.13, and Wild Adapter v.3.

Now this is obviously not everything, and I know a lot of you are still waiting for Legal Drug v.4, but it's still not coming, and this one isn't Tokyopop's fault. Clamp actually dropped the title for now to focus on the big hit, Tsubasa. And if you want the list of the rest of the books coming in just to check, it's right here. I just wanted to get you all a little hyped and happy for the week. The next wave of Naruto books are here: 19, 20, and 21. So start begging for money now, cuz you're gonna need it. See you next time!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-10-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

We are a week into the fall and it is time to harvest the bumper crop of humor available this week from America's greatest medium: COMIC BOOKS! What did you think I was going to say, shadow puppets?

Howard the Duck #1 - Ty Templeton (W) and Juan Bobillo (A), Marvel. Howard the Duck fans vary by generations. Above 35 you'll find fans who loved his groundbreaking Marvel comic in which Howard was THE anthropomorphic voice of counter culture. Above 25's might remember the fun yet flawed "Howard the Duck" movie which George Lucas produced and shuffled under the rug. Younger readers might only know Howard from rumors, guest appearances and hearsay. The Duck's publishing adventures are another matter, an incredible story of creator's rights... that we won't be telling here. Go read it on Wikipedia, ya' illiterate ape-spawn!

Ty Templeton has the weighty task of trying to pump new life into Marvel's maligned mallard. Previews of the book look GREAT, with Howard's biting sarcasm and down-trodden nature apparent. Juan Bobillo's art is well paired to Templeton's pen. Whatever their generation, fans have been wanting more Howard. The wait is over! Forbidden Planet also has the Essential Howard the Duck still in stock.

EMPOWERED Volume 2 - Adam Warren (W/A), Dark Horse. A case for Empowered: Gentlemen, this tome of American-manga is infused, nay, fortified with ribald titillation and illustrations of the soft, feminine form in flagrante. Light-hearted stories of a yielding super heroine ingénue forms the soil to which humorous cheesecake trees may flourish. Our damsel's distress is nothing compared to the distress of her costume as she occupies herself wistfully covering her "shame" and cooing up to lady ninjas. A perfect tome for today's bachelor or sailor.

A case against Empowered: Ladies, this book is near SMUT, dirty humor and bondage art sure to corrupt the young. Dark Horse publishes this filth as a mature title but it is as immature as a babe-at-breast. The story centers on a (what else) blonde bimbo who's costume falls off as she battles crime. She lives and congregates with thugs and demons. Can we let this pernicious, though funny and well-illustrated, garbage pollute the minds of our husbands, boyfriends or children?! Irredeemably puerile.

Unkiedev's Verdict: Strewth! 'Tis a good'un. Ask the Forbidden Planet staff if they have any Volume 1 left, maybe hidden in their sock drawer.

Owly: The Way Home... - Andy Runton, Top Shelf Productions. I haven't read Owly, but I hear good things... I bring it up because of the contrast of Owly and Empowered. Empowered is a flat out geek fueled jiggle-fest for immature male teens to thirty year olds... i.e. the bulk of the comic buying populous. Owly is an adorable all ages story aimed towards kids with no dialogue, about an owl and his pal Wormy the worm learning life lessons in a forest. These two books could not be more different.

The demand for Owly material is constantly growing as more tykes discover its gentle simplicity. Now think about the contrast of the two titles. Think of the variety of materials you can get at a comic book shop like Forbidden Planet.

The variety of today's comic book market is only supported by a wealth of interested readers. The readers of tomorrow are the kids of today. Maybe you have a little brother or sister, a niece or a nephew or kids of your own. As an aspiring comic book creator myself, as a fan of comic book diversity and just as a piece of advice: start the younger people in your life reading comics... by that, I mean cute books about cartoon owls like Owly and NOT EMPOWERED. Oh no, no, no, no, no. I REPEAT: DO NOT GIVE CHILDREN EMPOWERED.

Wow. Also this week: Action Comics #856 has Superman fighting Bizarro from "The Goon's" Eric Powell, and Dark Horse has Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey The Inches Incident trade-paperback collecting the recent Sock Monkey Mini! A good week for funny, really.
Your homework till next time: Go carve a pumpkin into the great American novel. Till then Unkiedev's sez: Off with you, go play in traffic!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 022

2007-10-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Unkie Dev: The Creeps 004

2007-10-02T13:11:00.001-07:00

37 Days of Nightmare

2007-09-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

By now you know Forbidden Planet is a proud sponsor of Nightmare: Ghost Stories, NYC's most horrifying haunted house. My slant on this partnership is this: I'm real jazzed about this, baby! The amount of time, creativity, and detailed hard work the Nightmare folks is simply awe-inspiring. It's conveniently located in the Lower East Side, a short 20 minute-ish walk from the store. And in NYC, city of billions of things to do and see, this is a seasonal stand out by all accounts.

You can't tell there's a reason not to love this time of year; the weather, baseball post-season, and most of all -- Halloween. That's right. I wrote "Halloween". Where the hell did September go? Time to get those costumes made or bought, kids. Heed my words: the time to get this settled is now! Working three blocks away from the Halloween store I've witnessed, and am doing my small part to avert, the utter chaos the neighborhhod erupts into as the 31st draws closer. The two to three hour line just to get into the joint from, like, the 27th onward just boggles the mind. Did soooo many people not see this coming?

Here's where I'm going with this: The time to check out Nightmare is now, soon, today, early, ASAP, and any other modifier of imminence you'd like to add. The venue's huge, but it's gonna sell out often. And as more and more peops get in the swing of the season it's only gonna get hairier. I'd love to fill it up with FP customers, too. Knowing that, why not join us next Thursday for Forbidden Planet Night? I'll see ya there.

Also! Here's a good book to warm yourself up to the season:

30 Days of Night - by Steve Niles (w) and Ben Templesmith (a). The movie adaptation of this recent classic graphic novel finally releases on October 19th, so make sure you can dismiss or praise it based on your having read and enjoyed the book first.

This week's Hugo winning book and featured SF recommendation?

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester - In the year 2301, guns are only museum pieces and benign telepaths sweep the minds of the populace to detect crimes before they happen. Ben Reich plans to commit a crime that hasn't been heard of in 70 years: murder. That's the only option left for Reich, whose company is losing a 10-year death struggle with rival D'Courtney Enterprises. Terrorized in his dreams by The Man With No Face and driven to the edge after D'Courtney refuses a merger offer, Reich murders his rival and bribes a high-ranking telepath to help him cover his tracks. But while police prefect Lincoln Powell knows Reich is guilty, his telepath's knowledge is a far cry from admissible evidence. Deftly crafted by Bester, this intelligent and suspenseful book was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and I relish the chance to be reading this again. Also, I was recently recommended the author's short stories, and have picked up the collection Virtual Unrealities. Enjoy.

JEFF

UnkieDev's Amazing Stuff

2007-09-25T12:47:00.001-07:00

So funny, it's SCARY! So scary it's FUNNY! Welcome to UnkieDev's humor reviews spooktacular, presenting the latest and greatest creepy comics makin' with the monsters, mayhem and mirth.

Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #13 - Bongo Comics, Various. I have more fun reading these Simpson's horror/humor annuals then I do watching the specials! The Treehouse of Horror titles are a great opportunity for Bongo to bring top talent from inside and outside the industry to tell their twisted and macabre tales of Springfield's crazy creeps. This year we have such writers as Reno 911's Thomas Lennon and two of the Comedians of Comedy, Paton Oswald and Brian Posehn joining up with cartoonists extraordinaire Hilary Barta, Terry Austin and more.

Where the Simpsons show fails. this title always brings the goods. How? After 22 years the show can be stale. Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror is a creative free-for-all, with each new creator bringing crazy styles of art, jokes and story diversity hot from the oven. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of restriction, and you can imagine Bongo getting giddy over irreverent stabs at the beloved characters in a way Fox could never stand.

This book is always one of the highlights to the Halloween season and it drops this week from Bongo Comics. The $4.99 price tag gets you a big 64 pages of haunted ha-ha! If you didn't pick up the past offerings Forbidden Planet has Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror trades: "Fun Filled Fright-Fest" with Paul Dini, Mike Allred and more as well as "Spine Tingling Spooktacular" to satisfy your horror hankerings.

Showcase Presents: House of Mystery Volumes 1 and 2 - DC, Various. Unclassifiable yet frightening fun from comic legends set in the haunted house to end all haunted houses. DC's "House of Mystery" bounced from humor, horror and sci-fi genres like a mime falling down stairs. While an anthology title its characters and settings work their way into mainstream DC and Vertigo continuities. HOM is "can't be beat" creeps and treats!

Comic book greats such as Alex Toth and Bernie Wrightson rub elbows with Silver Age newcomer Sergio Aragones a.k.a. "That Mad Magazine guy." Sergio cut his teeth at DC drawing grisly stories, links, and hilarious pin-ups as funny as they are grisly. This book is can be another fine example of "funny off-purpose," with a handful of the stories being gassers due to their bizarre anti-humor. At $16.99 for 500 pages you'd have to be a Halloweiner to avoid "The House of Mystery." Comic connoisseurs should track down Sergio's return to the title in 1998's "Welcome Back to the House of Mystery," one of the flat out best horror/humor books ever. "Welcome Back" reprints 10 of the best HOM stories with new chapter links by Sergio and his pal Neil Gaiman... yes, THAT Neil Gaiman!

Scary Godmother - Jill Thompson, Various Publishers. Encompassing four beautifully illustrated children's books and three comic book trade paperbacks, Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother is the undoubted queen of comic book Halloween handing out charming characters and stories for all ages tricks and treats.

A young girl discovers she can travel to "The Fright Side," a haunted though friendly town of monsters, vampires and ghouls, by getting up on the wrong side of her bed. There she meets the Scary Godmother, Halloween's red-haired magical matron whose job is to bring Halloween to our world year after year.

Yeah, those ARE the same plots to Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" AND "Beetlejuice" cartoons but Thompson can be forgiven for cribbing. Younger audiences may prefer Thompson's colourful characters and endless enthusiasm to Burton's flat tones. For younger readers this is a Halloween must have!

THE END...?!

As the Count would say that's "THREE, THREE scary funny-books Ah-HA-HA!" [Cue thunder and lightning.] The Dark Horse "Books of Monsters, Hauntings, Witches and the Dead" as well as Marvel Monsters and Marvel Zombies are such good titles I've assumed you have them already... if you don't, then SHAME ON YOU!

COUNT VON COUNT: Vonderful! That makes NINE, NINE scary comics! Ah-HA-HA!
[Cue thunder and lightning}
UNKIEDEV: Count, please stop making it rain in the store. You're ruining all the books!
COUNT VON COUNT: ONE, ONE wet nerd! Ah-HA-HA!
UNKIEDEV: *Sigh* Happy Horrors everybody!

By Guest Contributor: UnkieDev

Apollo's Song Review

2007-09-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

"Apollo's Song" by Osamu Tezuka, is Tezuka cast of characters in top form.

"'The Song for Apollo' is a science fiction manga for young readers featuring a boy named Chikaishi Shogo, a bad boy who has grown up without knowing love. In the story, he travels in time to search for true love." [Synopsis taken from Tezuka's site]

I also see a similarity between this manga and the novels "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" [1968, Phillip K. Dick] and "Valis," [1981, Phillip K. Dick] due to times in our respective societies when sexuality, technology and identity became subjects of importance in science fiction writing.

"Apollo's Song" is a fever dream of the future, splicing the storytelling gene of the greek myth with the cyberpunk future tale. Both heroes struggle to find love as artificial constructs in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," and "Apollo's Sun." Both Kilgore Trout from "Valis," and Chikaishi Shogo both suffer a multiple personality disorder that in time reads more like an actual phasing of their real selves through time. This is heavy shit.

As Shogo falls through the cracks of his dream lives to rediscover and suffer love tragically, he willingly accepts his fate to experience the wheel of karma time and time again, combining the Buddhist with the greek myth/cyberpunk hybrid.

"Apollo's Song" is a really great read. This is Tezuka, also known as the "Japanese Walt Disney," in top form. His team of artists render the story with such quality, the likes of his "Phoenix," and "Cyborg 009" stories, with lush vegetation, expressive gestures, and mind-numbing technological epiphany.

Read it.

By Guest Contributor: Mark DeNardo

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 021

2007-09-25T12:24:00.001-07:00

Renew! Renew!

2007-09-18T14:19:00.001-07:00

"Galloping the cosmos is a game for the young, Doctor."
-James T. Kirk

As a point of illumination with regards to this week's headline, I am, as of this writing, in the midst of Berfday. My 30th birthday, to be exact. Thank you, thank you. So I'm going to give myself a quasi week off from the WP. But not without saying this; some matter of introspection and temerity predescribed by the milestone age:

On this day, looking back on my adult life I realize that most of what I can see is your faces, the customers, employees, and friends of this establishment. I've been working at the FP since I was released from the prison of high school- all of my adult life. So that means you and I have have shared the best years of mine, together, and I wouldn't have traded it for all the tea in China. You guys and girls make this dimension a sheer pleasure and I'm blessed to know you. You hear me? I'm very fond of you all, and I can only hope that we will share even more of it together. Talking comics and Star Trek, ringing you guys up on Wednesday, basking in the geek oasis of Forbidden Planet, whatever the case may be. Let's live long and prosper.

This week's Hugo winning book and featured SF recommendation?

The Forever War - by Joe Haldeman. Private William Mandella is a hero in spite of himself -- a reluctant conscript drafted into an elite military unit, and propelled through space and time to fight in a distant thousand-year conflict. He never wanted to go to war, but the leaders on Earth have drawn a line in the interstellar sand -- despite the fact that their fierce alien enemy is unknowable, unconquerable, and very far away. So Mandella will perform his duties without rancor and even rise up through the military's ranks... if he survives. But the true test of his mettle will come when he returns to Earth. Because of the time dilation caused by space travel the loyal soldier is aging months, while his home planet is aging centuries -- and the difference will prove the saying: you never can go home... Vietnam vet, Purple Heart recipient, and super talented writer Joe Haldeman's masterpiece!

Rock 'n' Roll,
JEFF

Who Wants to be a Hero?: Darkon movie review

2007-09-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

Do you ever feel like you were born out of time? Does chain mail armor excite you? Do you think your name should be more along the lines of Gonwyn, Elora, or Valkor? If you could be any type of hero, who would you be?

Darkon explores the lives of those who yearn for something greater -- Live Action Role Players. Directed by Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer, this 89-minute documentary follows members of The Darkon Wargaming Club, a full-contact fantasy wargaming group in the Baltimore area. The film primarily focuses on Skip, also known as Bannor of Laconia, and his quest to overthrow the empire of Mordom, lead by Kenyon, or Keldar of Mordom.

Once the audience gets past the first few chuckles at the thought of grown-ups in tights with foam swords, they begin to see the real people behind the costumes. Neel and Meyer take great care to show the role players' everyday lives. Some are stay-at-home moms and dads. Many work 9 to 5 in an office. Through a calm camera lens, the audience sees what is a very normal, suburban existence for those in the game. How they choose to express themselves through their player characters is what makes them individuals. What all of the people of Darkon want is a little control in their lives and to make a difference.

The film is a wonderful combination of fantasy and real life. On one side there is Darkon, where honor and loyalty rule. The audience learns about the inner workings of the game. They see the campouts and the battles. They learn about the weaponry system. It may seem like a completely different world. However, soon it is apparent that the lives of those in Darkon are just like everyone else's. Role players are husbands, wives, and the barista at Starbucks. As Skip points out, "Everybody wants to be a hero."

Perhaps you have picked up a 100-sided die at Forbidden Planet and wondered, "How does this thing work?" Or maybe you've glanced through a Dungeons and Dragons book on your way to the anime. Maybe you know all of this and are a level 50 Mage named Gylggewich. In any case, Darkon is a revealing, fun film for young and old, informed and uninformed, Paladin and Dark Elf alike.

Darkon is playing Sept. 14th - 27th at Cinema Village, 22 E. 12th St. www.darkonthemovie.com

- Miyoko Conley

Welcome Back, Tommy

2007-09-18T14:04:00.001-07:00

So my most anticipated comic of 2007 comes out this week. That's saying something, considering the volume of material this industry produces. (I mean you've seen Previews, right? Retailer catalogue and blunt instrument of death in one convenient package...) Anyway, people who know me well might say, "Ken, Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man doesn't start shipping this week," to which I would just smile and reply, "I know [insert your mother's name here], but Tommy Monaghan is back in comics."

For those of you unfamiliar with the name, Tommy Monaghan was the star of DC Comics' Hitman, a defunct series written by Garth Ennis and drawn by John McCrea. It ran about the same time as Ennis' signature book Preacher (you may have heard of that one). The latter book got a lot more love than Hitman ever did, probably because Preacher had boobs, f-bombs and no stories guest-starring Green Lantern. But I've always thought Hitman was as good as/better than its big brother. It was the story of Tommy, a cocky, smart-mouthed Gotham City punk who was given super powers (don't ask) and proceeded to hire himself out as a specialized, meta-human assassin, backed up by his crew and buddies. But it was so much more than that meager description. It was Ennis and McCrea's love letter to everything from Hong Kong action movies and Clint Eastwood to zombie flicks, war stories and even -- just once -- Superman. It was sometimes scary, sometimes poignant and always funny. And since the book's cancellation in 2001, I've missed Tommy and his friends. A lot.

But all that changes this week, when the first issue of JLA/Hitman comes out. It's a two-part miniseries where Tommy presumably saves the Justice League from some threat that they can't handle because it can't be punched. And somewhere in it Tommy may use his powers to look at Wonder Woman naked. Again. So what are you waiting for? Read it. If you like it and you haven't already bought it, buy it. It just might convince the bean counters at DC Comics to put all the Hitman trades in print, and then your life will be just a tad bit better for it. I myself have all the single issues, but I want you to have all those stories too. And so would Tommy.

- Ken Ip

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-09-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

I sit here this week struggling with what to write about. I have been so overloaded as both retailer and fanboy by books, toys, and DVDs for the last few weeks that I totally forgot about those nifty manga exposés I used to do. So I'll just make a quick DVD mention about Air Gear v. 5, Bleach v. 6, and Kyo Kara Maoh Season 2 v. 6 having come in, and then go to a book that if you don't know about yet, you should definitely check out.

I know a lot of you out there are Fushigi Yugi fans. And even if you didn't watch the whole series, you know the death of Nuriko hit you right in the heart strings. You may also know that Season 1 was known as Suzaku Kaiden, and season 2 was known as Seiryu Kaiden (the Phoenix and Dragon respectively). But who was the first priestess, and who wrote the book that got this whole mess started?

That's where Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden comes in. Now Genbu is the turtle god of the south that carries the world on his back, often seen with a snake wrapped around him. And I'm sure some of you actually liked Miaka, but for those of you who thought she was annoying and useless, (as Lily called the series "What would have happened if Kairi was the main character") then you will love Takiko. This priestess comes with a spear (well, a naginata), and she knows how to use it. With a dead mother, a father who was missing most of her life, and her childhood love interest being married to someone else, oh yes, there will be drama. But also plenty of action, and magic, and coolness. Did I mention that one of her Seven Guardians can turn into a woman and can only use his powers in female form?

So yes, I highly recommend this one, and maybe if enough of you take interest Shojo Beat will release the volumes faster! See you all next week.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-09-18T11:15:00.001-07:00

It's not every week that I get to talk about the comics from last week, but this week is exceptional. Did you know the 25th anniversary of Groo the Wanderer has come and gone? Dark Horse knew, and to celebrate they published the lovely Groo 25th Anniversary Special. Man, last week was awesome.

GROO WHO?

"Legend" is the only word to describe all things Groo. Groo himself is a wandering barbarian, a cartoony parody of the Conan-crowd. He is Groo: bringer of destruction, eater of cheese-dip and friend/owner of his faithful sidekick/dog, Rufferto. He is also dumber than deep fried rocks, has a nose like a potato and cannot step on a boat without accidentally destroying it. For 25 years he has rambled and slayed across five different publishers, 150 comic books and two original graphic novels. His creative team, Mark Evanier (writer) and Sergio Aragones (artist) are comic book legends as well, despite working on this goof-ball character year after year.

Evanier is considered THE comic book scholar, cutting his teeth working for Jack Kirby and Wally Wood. Sergio Aragones, the world famous MAD Magazine cartoonist, has more industry awards for cartooning then he knows what to do with. Aragones has a background in engineering, assuring each catapult, castle and medieval torture device depicted was drawn in perfect working order. The art is so incredibly detailed, Mark and Sergio used to hide hidden messages in each book.

LET'S GET STUPID!

Groo is a tried and true "Funny Book," mixing slapstick, bad puns and silly humor with great stories and art for consistent yucks. Groo had comic fans LOLing and ROLFing before such things existed. Loyal Groo readers know the gentle humor and all around sense of fun found in Groo is to be had in NO OTHER comic. Indeed, The Groo panel at the San Diego comic con is usually jam-packed, even for the past 3 years when there have been no Groo books being published at all!

If this all sounds like kids stuff: sorry, IT IS! South Park and the internet have changed what mainstream culture can laugh at. More recent funny books such as "The Pro," and "The Boys." i.e. "Mature" books, have virtually killed off the all-ages humor comic. Reading Groo is reading books from an often funnier, more innocent time when it was okay to laugh at a moron barbarian, his faithful hound and the thousands he accidentally slays behind him. Let the inner ten year old in you have a break from the grim and gritty. Pick up the silly, crazy and wacky world of Groo TODAY with the The Groo 25th Anniversary Special from Dark Horse, or any of the Groo reprint trades also available here at Forbidden Planet. You will never look at "Mulch" the same way again.

AND ON THAT NOTE:

Groo ain't the only all-ages funny book debuting this week. For fairy tale good times with a dash of gender politics look no further than Linda Medley's award-winning Castle Waiting from Fantagraphics. Dwarves, witches and enchanted princesses try to live together in a crowded, crumbling castle. It's a fairy tale "Real World" that never skimps on charm.

And if THAT wasn't hoy-falloy enough for you, last week also saw the release of Action Philosophers #9 from Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. Simple, clean yet expressive art helps break down the tough concepts of philosophy with fists and funny. Think of the "Big Book" or "Cartoon History of" approach to logical positivism or Marx/Engles... and if you didn't understand a single thing I just said then stick with Groo. Unkie Dev AWAY!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 020

2007-09-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

Gerard Way Signing

2007-09-14T08:41:00.001-07:00

(Click banner for details)

Deal of the Week

2007-09-11T12:44:00.001-07:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Blast Off

2007-09-11T12:25:00.001-07:00

"Wake me up when September ends," lamented Billy Joe Armstrong. And now as September winds down, I find myself awakening from my dream of working at a comic book store. This is my last week at FP, and when I read this Weekly Planet, I'll be on the other side of the counter. In two weeks, I'll be buying comics at a shop on the other side of the continent. However, I am not sad nor do I regret anything while working here. Instead, Forbidden Planet represents what's great about comics... the people.

Mystery revealed! There are actually TWO of them.

Comic books themselves hold only the value we ascribe to them. They are merely pieces of paper covered with scribbles and bound by two staples. They wrinkle and bend easily and they serve as terrible wrapping paper. What is of value are the characters in the stories and the writers/artists' efforts to create a world where we can connect ourselves when we feel disconnected. When we need a good laugh, we read a comic; when we are sad and think no one else feels our pain, we read a comic; when we are angry and want to smash everything around us, we read a comic. Comics make us feel not so alone and awkward.

Our resident Multiple Men: Andrew (left) and Ken (right)

And here at Forbidden Planet, that's what we try to facilitate. This "geek" shop is for everybody. No matter who you are, you'll find something that either inspires you, captivates your imagination, or lets you in on someone else's world. Here, if you're a Trekkie, you're cool. If you like Doctor Who, you're common. And if you love the Power Rangers, well, we can find someone who knows more about it than you! But ultimately, the message is clear: You're not alone in your awkwardness. Revel in it, embrace it, and cherish it.

Saying "Goodbye" - Forbidden Planet-style

As I help my last customer, I will always remember the wonderful people I have met here, both customers and employees. People, who made me feel welcomed on my first day at the job; people, who have made me smile when I felt like my entire world was crashing down; people who I had long and engaging conversations with about comics; people who accepted me as I am. So, thank you all.

Oh, I have just one thing left to say: Treat the person at bag-check with some respect. He/she is working really hard and taking a lot of guff from people all day. A simple "Thank you" and a smile goes a long way.

-Andrew

Harvey Winners

2007-09-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

The comic industry's prestigious Harvey Awards were presented this past weekend and are presented below. The awards, named after comics legend and Mad creator Harvey Kurtzman, recognized some of the best stuff published in 2006, and are voted on by comics professionals. Not only are these selections outstanding, they're also in stock at Forbidden Planet today, baby!

Best Letterer: Stan Sakai. Usagi Yojimbo
Best Colorist: Lark Pien, American Born Chinese
Best Syndicated Strip: Keith Knight, The K Chronicles
Best Online Comic: Nicholas Gurewiich, Perry Bible Fellowship
Best Inker: Danny Miki, Eternals
Best Foreign Reprint: Tie: Abandon the Old in Tokyo, Moomin
Best New Series: The Spirit
Best Graphic Album (Previously Published): Absolute New Frontier
Special Award for Humor in Comics: Bryan Lee O'Malley
Best New Talent: Brian Fies, Mom's Cancer
Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation: Art Out of Time. Dan Nadel
Best Anthology: Flight Vol 3
Best Domestic Reprint: Complete Peanuts
Best Cover Artist: James Jean, Fables
Special Award for Excellence in Presentation: Lost Girls
Best Original Graphic Album: Pride Of Baghdad
Best Continuing or Limited Series: Daredevil
Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Daredevil
Best Artist: Frank Quietly, All Star Superman
Best Cartoonist: Jaime Hernandez, Love & Rockets
Best Single Issue: Civil War #1

Releasing 9/12/07

Action Philosophers #9 - by Fred Van Lente & Ryan Dunlavey Final issue! ActPhilo goes out with a bang, cramming as many thinkers as they can into one 32-page comic, as voted on by the fans at AP.com! Marvel at "Six Degrees of Francis Bacon!" Reel from the attack of giant Confucius, a.k.a. "Master Kong," on the minds (and skyscrapers) of China! Also, Michel Foucault and Bil Keane team up for "The Foucault Circus!" And many, many more! We'll be very sad to see this incredibly fun comic walk off into the sunset, but some might argue that every ending is something else beginning.

Superman Death And Return Of Superman Omnibus HC - Love it or hate it, this monumental Superman storyline is collected in one massive 784-page hardcover volume featuring an all-new cover by pivotal creator Dan Jurgens, timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the event and the release of the Superman: Doomsday DVD. Includes the best-selling trade paperbacks The Death Of Superman and The Return Of Superman, as well as portions of World Without a Superman, plus all the goodies you've come to expect from DC's exhaustive Absolute editions -- 40 pages of bonus extras including promotional material, pre-production showcase and product spotlights.

Hellboy Vol 7 The Troll Witch & Others TP - Older favorites originally published in various scattered sources are collected here for the first time in the seventh volume of the Hellboy saga. Hellboy: The Troll Witch and Others collects short stories from The Dark Horse Book of the Dead, Witchcraft, Hauntings, and Monsters, the 2004 Hellboy: Wizard 1/2, as well as the 2006 miniseries Hellboy: Makoma by Mignola and comics legend Richard Corben, and a previously unpublished Hellboy story by P. Craig Russell and Mike, along with sketches and story notes.

Nightly News Vol 1 TP - Collecting the Weekly Planet-acclaimed miniseries by promising newcomer Jonathan Hickman. As an act of violence spirals out of control to encompass the entirety of the news media, a cult has emerged, seeking attrition for the irresponsibility, errors and retractions (or lack thereof) that have ruined careers, marriages and even lives. Under direction from his cult master, The Hand leads an army of followers willing to die for their cause and committed to revolution. Sleazy Hollywood pitchline? It's Michael Moore meets Fight Club. Whatever. It's terrific.

Drafted #1 - Nifty alien invasion comic.

Also: Speaking of award winners... I'm on a big SF kick recently, rediscovering classics I haven't read in years and jumping head first into the pool of writers and works I've mistakenly neglected. Hence I've decided to share this with our Weekly Planet readers, hoping you guys get hip to some of the best SF novels ever imagined. This feature may also be a great introduction for newbies.

For the foreseeable future I'll highlight a Hugo Award nominated or winning novel worthy of your time and dough. The Hugo Award was named in honor of Hugo Gernsback, "The Father of Magazine Science Fiction," as he was described in a special award given to him in 1960. The Hugo Award, also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award, is given annually by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The distinguishing characteristics of the Hugo Award are that it is sponsored by WSFS, administered by the committee of the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) held that year, and determined by nominations from and a popular vote of the membership of WSFS. Consider this a book club if ya wanna, just pick some of these up!

This week's Hugo book and featured Science Fiction recommendation?

The Man in the High Castle - by Philip K. Dick. It's America in 1962 where slavery is legal and the few surviving Jews hide anxiously under assumed names all because some twenty years earlier, America lost a war and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan. This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel set in a parallel universe is the work that established Dick as a legendary science fiction author.

"Stickin feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."
Love,
JEFFY

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-09-11T12:10:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another exciting episode of WTS. I know I mentioned this last week, but I wasn't sure when it would be here, and suddenly it's here this week. That's right, I'm talking about Kingdom Hearts 2 Master Form Sora. Bright yellow and once again containing two keyblades. This time the blades are "Guardian Soul" that he gets from Final Fantasy X's Auron and the "Circle of Life" blade that he gets from the Lion King world. Sexy.

Okay, more big news. Brace yourselves. This might be hard to believe, but Tokyopop FINALLY is releasing volume 4 of I.N.V.U by Kim Kang Won. I.N.V.U. is one of the very first Korean Manwha to be released in America and was (is) crazy popular. It almost makes me wanna cry to think about the delay between issues. It has been about 4 years since volume 3 came out, and while a lot of you gave up hope, I know there are a lot of loyal fans out there who keep asking when the next issue is coming in. If this doesn't prove that patience pays off in the end, then I don't know what will. I can only hope that Tokyopop doesn't do the same thing with the next issues of Tarot Cafe and Legal Drug, but that would be too much to ask.

Also coming in this week (which I'm sure most of you out there are already aware of), is Path of the Assassin Vol. 7. I'm sure I don't have to say too much, since anyone out there reading it already knows Kazuo Koike from the classic mega series Lone Wolf and Cub. I just thought I would let you all know since it has been a little while since volume 6 came out. Okay! I'm making it a short one this time readers, so see you next week!

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

WWJJD?

2007-09-11T08:57:00.001-07:00

What Would James Jean Do? -- a mantra for aspiring artists everywhere, spawning copycats and envious detractors alike. In my experience with speaking to various editors and art directors, praise for the Golden Boy of cover art flows as freely as Pabst at a Williamsburg (James' former place of residence) party. And it's no wonder, as his prodigious talents scored him the opportunity to do Fables covers for Vertigo a mere six months out of college and more awards than can be humanly recounted from memory alone (including his most recently-won THIRD Harvey Award for Best Cover Artist). Startlingly humble and soft-spoken in person, these achievements have obviously not phased his ego nor his artistic integrity, as he begins to move towards working in the more personal field of fine arts rather than commissioned illustration.

Until then, we have the lovely second edition of Process Recess collecting his various illustrative and personal work in convenient twenty-two 15" x 11" cut-out prints suitable for framing (with handy-dandy instructions, at that!). Furthermore, the backs of his finished pieces feature the piece at various stages of the "process" to shed light on the method behind his madness. "Shouldn't James be concerned that imparting his methods will encourage imitation?" you may ponder. Not to worry! James' progressive work methods allow him to share his genius with others, as he is always steps ahead of whatever he has revealed to his audience. Additionally, there are extra pages of pen sketches of his work space as well as photo-thumbnails from his personal life to shed some light on the artist behind it all, how he works, and what inspires him.

*Alice Meichi Li

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 019

2007-09-11T08:42:00.001-07:00

Deal of the Week

2007-09-05T12:22:00.001-07:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

Everybody's Happy Nowadays

2007-09-05T12:13:00.001-07:00

"It just feels like it's a wonderful time in comics right now. The range of creative material seems to be expanding everywhere you look. The reactions to it are getting both warmer and wider. More places are talking about the medium seriously; covering it seriously; Not quite proselytizing it in the literal sense that some of the people in comics have done for years, but really joining in that effort of reaching out because they're buying into what we've been saying for so long..."

-DC Comics Publisher Paul Levitz

Yeah. Isn't it terrific? Isn't it a wonderful time?

So why such hubub about my pal Fantagraphics' schill/publicist Eric Reynolds upset by walking into a comic store in the college town of Pullman, WA, whose extent of independent offerings could be narrowed down to a copy of Watchmen, some Vertigo books, and a copy of Gilbert Hernandez's new Dark Horse books. When Eric asked the store's owner if he had anything by Fanta or Drawn and Quarterly, the reponse was a question: "Are those guys still in business?" And this despite carrying comics ordered from a catalogue that Eric and his company extensively advertise in month after month (Previews).

Now, while I agree with those who contend that the store has every right to carry only what they wish, I do believe that Eric has a right to be overtly incredulous. The fruits of his efforts, and the efforts of everyone that effectively, enthusiastically promotes this wonderful medium (the endless litany of fellow activist retailers, publicists, bloggers, fans, and print and web reporters for that matter), have in this instance fallen on deaf, blind and otherwise unreceptive ears, exemplar of many comic outlets.

You can only please some of the people some of the time. No store that sells comics can be a full-line establishment. There is just too much material published in the last hundred years for that to even be remotely possible. That being said: hopefully Forbidden Planet pleases you as we strive to try. If you're looking for books or comics not currently in stock, please ask me to procure them. I probably have them on order or will bust my butt to get. Either way -- we know Fanta and D&Q are still in business.

Amazing Spider-Man #544 - J. Michael Straczynski (w) and Joe Quesada. Coming from someone (me) who admittedly has no love for the character, rather an idifference really, a good review of Marvel's big Spidey event book will probably fall on the deaf ears of his loyal fans. You're gonna pick it up anyway. It is to you, the casual reader that I say this: It's not bad. #544 is still the soap opera that is Peter Parker's life, still the fallout from Civil War, but a helluva lot better than recent perusals I've given the title. It would seem Joe Mike has been saving his usually excellent writing (dialogue, esp.) for "One More Day" The addition of the dynamic super-hero pencils of Marvel honcho Joe Quesada don't hurt, neither. There's also the nifty long-time-coming showdown with Iron Man, who screwed Spidey over royal last year. Plus, if forty or so years of convoluted Spidey continuity are too intimidating to us lay folks, there's a terrifically terse history and character outline in the back. Not too shabby.

Process Recess 2 Portfolio - Published by Adhouse Books. Eisner and Harvey award winning Fables cover artist James Jean presents his second art collection and includes editorial and annotated pages that give an insight into the working methods of an illustration prodigy blending media such as acrylics, oils, computer work, and sketching. The first Process Recess was one of our best-selling books of all time, and deservedlly so for all its splendor. Vol. 2 is twice the size of that sexy little hardcover (for almost the same price!) so I want double the sales. Highly recommended.

Sentences: The Life Of MF Grimm HC - Here's something interesting. Underground NYC rapper Percy Carey, aka MF Grimm's memoir (deftly illustrated by Hellblazer: Papa Midnight artist Ronald Wimberly) is published by DC/Vertigo this week. Percy, paralyzed after taking eleven bullets in an attempt on his life in 1994, delves into the facets of an extraordinarily troubled life in his first comic work. The streets, to rap entrepreneur, to jail, to comics writer. There's a fascinating profile of him here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=10969. Let's hope this book is his first of many.

Yes, it would seem there's something for everyone out this week. But isn't there always? Highlights include:

Paul Dini's Madame Mirage #2 - Two Garth Ennis treats in the form of a new printing of his hilaiously lewd and unsavory The Pro (hooker super-heroine) and The Boys #10, Exterminators #21, Buffy #6, Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol 2.

"Bet you are tired of being upset
Always wanting something you never can get"
JEFFY

Welcome to Shibuya-cho

2007-09-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

Howdy folks. We just got an awesome unexpected toy arrival since last week's issue that I know you're gonna love. You've got Sora, you've got him in Valor form, you've got him in his Final form. Now finally, one year later, you can own Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora in his gloriously cool blue Wisdom form. Now this version only comes with one keyblade (as it is in the game), but at least this keyblade is the lovely "Follow the Wind" blade that Sora gets from the "Pirates of the Carribean" world. And just so you guys aren't kept in too much suspense, we do have Sora in Master form on order to arrive hopefully soon.

Now in the wild world of manga, my two picks of the week (until some other unexpected titles show up again), are Dark Horse's titles MPD Psycho volume 2 and XS Hybrid volume 2. Both have fantastic art, and intriguing and and curious stories.

First up is MPD Psycho by Sho-u Tajima and Eiji Otsuka about a homicide detective who was arrested after killing his girlfriend's killer. After a few years in prison a friend and also detective quits the force to start her own investigation firm and hires him onto her new team. So why does she take in a convicted murderer? He's the best profiler the department ever saw, and now he works for her. That's all well and fun, but who's fault is it when the serial killers start getting serial killed? The killer detective, the woman who got him out of jail, or one of the various personalities stored in the killer detective's brain?

And now XS Hybrid by Song Ji-Hyung is a different kinda story but with the same action pace. A young man tries to protect his girlfriend from a thug, but the thug wails on him in a fairly supernatural manner. Not even the cops who rushed to the scene can stop this guy. Shortly after a quick escape, they encounter the thug again, but are saved by this mysterious blond guy with the same strange strength only more so. And suddenly not only one, but international governments are involved. Still not quite sure what it is, but there's a secret about these "hybrids". That's why I'm aching to read volume 2. Ok, just so you know ahead of time, both these titles are quite violent in their awesome action-ness, so they're pretty much for late teens and up. Enjoy and I'll see you next week.

Ja Ne!
Mat K.

Unkie Dev's Amazing Stuff

2007-09-05T11:40:00.001-07:00

You know you are a comic book geek when Labor Day does NOT fill you with the happy anticipation of hot dogs and swimmin' pools but with anguish and the apprehensive question: "Will this push back my weekly comic books to Thursday?"

Let's Talk Silver!

Nothing beats the Silver Age of comic books for non-stop excitement and joy! Both Marvel and DC comics are keeping a plethora of their silver age material reprinted at rock bottom prices. Does Forbidden Planet have it all in stock? Let's ask:

UNKIEDEV: Forbidden Planet, would you say you have a plethora of Silver Age Comics?
FORBIDDEN PLANET: Oh yes, El Guapo. You have a plethora.
UD: Forbidden Planet... do you even know what a plethora means?

The Silver Age is the early sixties comics revival started by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and the mighty Marvel Bullpen. For the first time the emphasis in the comics was not on the powers that the super heroes possessed, but on their personality, or their friendships and foibles.

Foibles? Wasn't that an 80's toy line of plush, suction cupped lizards?

Essential Hulk Volume 1 - Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Marvel
Not only is this Essential reading for Marvel fans, it is essential reading for all. Explosive panels of a lumbering beats jumping over mesas and smashing tanks to bitty-bits, all while Stan pours on the prolix about pain and responsibility. Fun, fun, fun. Don't look for continuity; it still hadn't been invented. In one story the Hulk's lungs are his only weakness, another issue has them as his greatest strength! This is Silver Age at its best!

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 - Jack Kirby, DC
Kirby is raw comic book id. After leaving Marvel due to rights, tension and respect Kirby took his fantastic imagination over to DC creating a whole new universe: All the gods that ever were die in a battle, giving birth to two new planets: New Genesis, home of benevolent New Gods and Apokolips, an evil land of power hungry deviants! What follows is the over-the-top shouting, punching and drama of Kirby's unfinished masterpiece. I swear to Pete, every sentence in this book ends with an exclamation point! This is a beautiful volume of reprints, but not as cheap as the Merry Marvel essentials.

There is so much great Silver Age material, and at such low prices, you can't really go wrong. Here's one more of my favorites:

Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank Vol. 1 - Robert Kanigher (W), Russ Heath, Irv Novick and Joe Kubert (I), DC
This book is a little Golden Age-esque. It's a war comic, and as the Silver Age blazed its trail the diversified topics of the Golden Age: war, romance, western and horror fell by the wayside. Now, maybe you want to go read some new modern comics with long, drawn out stories about attractive teenagers with super powers who still sit around and mope that nobody loves them. Maybe, however, you want a REAL comic book about a Haunted Tank that shoots Nazis in the face! HAUNTED TANK, PLEASE. I could write more explanation on the characters and plots, but "Haunted Tank" sums it up pretty dang good.

Comics should be fun. I have all of literature and cinema for pathos but I have only one time and place for Hulking Green-skinned atomic Monsters, an epic battle of dorky-dressed battle gods or a Haunted Tank piloted by a man named Jeb: The Silver Age.

So this week, blow your paycheck/parent's allowance on some Silver Age treasures. This goes for you too, Hipsters: The Silver Age is Iconically-Ironic. That's it for me, Unkiedev. Have fun and help *CRUNCH* take a bite out of crime!

By Guest Contributor: Unkie Dev

Shannon Wheeler : Postage Funnies 018

2007-09-05T11:16:00.001-07:00

Unkie Dev: Grampy Bramperson

2007-09-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Deal of the Week

2007-08-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

We have a new Deal of the Week!

FP Focus on: Art Books!

2007-08-28T13:54:00.001-07:00

We spend a lot of time in these pages talking about movies and comics, Star Trek, and manga, but every so often I like to do tidbits on my favorite section of the store, my baby if you will: the art book department. It's that jam-packed section of wall immediately on your left upon entering the store and it features some of the greatest material Forbidden Planet has to offer. We rotate the books presented, but at any given time it can feature such diversity and amazingness as to boggle the mind and give your imagination that de-pantsing it's been sorely needin; boasting the likes of Frazetta, Froud, Royo, Matthew Barney, Simon Bisley, Shepard Fairey, the Art of 300 to the Art of Ratatouille. The section also features a ton of comic reference and how-to material. That all being said, here's a sampling of what's new and hot in the art book department...

Akira Club - Katsuhiro Otomo's epic manga, Akira, is considered by many to be the finest work of graphic fiction ever created, a work of astonishing power and visionary scope, and possessing a level of illustration skill unmatched. Now available for the first time in an English-language edition, Akira Club is an essential companion to Akira, a dazzling collection of Otomo's mind-blowing visions, including over one hundred title-page illustrations created for the original serialization but not included with the published collections of Akira. The book also features rarely seen alternate art, preliminary drawings, production sketches, and a variety of Akira posters, advertisements, and products, all accompanied by fascinating commentary by the artist himself. No Akira enthusiast, manga fan, or devotee of fantasy and science-fiction illustration should be without Akira Club.

World of Faerie - by Brian Froud. Drawing inspiration from the gnarled shrubbery of England's windswept moorlands, Brian Froud is best known for being the mad genius behind Jim Henson's film The Dark Crystal, and illustrating such best-sellers as Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book. In this volume, a long-awaited sequel to his international best-sellers Faeries and Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, Froud returns to the world of faerie with a wealth of new, never-before-seen paintings, watercolors, and drawings.

Toxic Waste - by Humberto Ramos. Never before seen drawings and plenty of favorites from the world-famous artist of Crimson, DV8, Revelations, and Civil War: Wolverine.

Scrap Mettle - Award-winning storyteller Scott Morse's SCRAP METTLE is the culmination of every spare moment spent away from the creation of his graphic novels and his duties at Pixar. This book is the reservoir of the products of a mind that won't empty of its ideas. SCRAP METTLE, a gargantuan volume of both electrifying images and smaller, personal thoughts, is a must-have for any admirer of sketching and painting, and a sure favorite of any follower of the retro pop art scene.

Lift Off presents personal and professional works by Scott Robertson, Program Director of the Entertainment Design major at Art Center College of Design and. This book features the following chapters: Airships, Spacecraft, Aircraft, Lefty Sketches, Hovercraft, Original "Card Collection" and selected work from the conceptual design of vehicles for the video games Field Commander and Spy Hunter 2.

Comics Introspective Vol. 1 Peter Bagge - From his Seattle studio, Bagge lets journalist Christopher Irving in on everything from just what was on his mind with his long-running comic Hate!, to what's going on in his head as a political satirist. This debut volume features an assortment of artwork picked by Bagge himself, and is printed on deluxe glossy stock to maximize the impact of the art and photography all working to make it as breakthrough as the innovator it covers.

Art of Midway: Before Pixels and Polygons - Sexy pre-production, concept and in-game art from video gaming juggernaut Midway's top selling Gauntlet, Mortal Kombat, and Psiops franchises.

The Art of Von Dutch - He wasn't just a clothing brand, ya know. Rebel, iconoclast, cult hero, curmudgeon, artistic genius, Von Dutch was a master of many disciplines and the source of countless stories and wild tales. This long-awaited book celebrates his artistic achievements and sets the record straight on his important contribution to American pop culture from the late '40s to his untimely death in 1992. Big, hardbound, loaded with photos (mostly color, some b&w). A must own for any fan.

Forbidden Planet art books will make your brain explode and your eyes cry for mercy. And they make a swell gift, don't they?

-JEFFY