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AICN COMICS PRESENTS CHRISTM@$$ 2006!!!

Published at:  Dec 20, 2006 5:11:58 PM CST








”No, no, no, no. Hold on. Wait there. I've got something to say. There's something I had to tell you. Something important. What was it? No, hold on, hold on... Oh, I know! Merry Christmas.” - Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion

Welcome to the fifth annual @$$hole Last Minute Comic Book Gift Giving Guide. Comics readers are a finicky, obsessive lot. Finding that perfect Christmas or Hanukkah gift can frequently be a pain. That’s where these guys come in. For all of you last minute shoppers out there, here are a few suggestions for that little @$$hole in all of us. Let’s see what these lunatics plan on giving and are interested in getting this year…




Prof. Challenger's Best Christmas List Ever 2006




Last year, I offered up 4 comic book-related items that I believed would make the perfect Christmas gift for your average geek. They were THE SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF COMIC-BOOK COMICS, FRANKENSTEIN (illustrated by Berni Wrightson), JOE JUSKO'S EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, and Win Eckert's MYTHS FOR THE MODERN AGE. Then I offered up the one book I wanted more than any other, which was GEORGE PEREZ: STORYTELLER.

Now this year, since that Perez book got delayed for a whole frickin' year, it's back on my list and I'm just offering up 2 additional books that I feel were the best overall productions of 2006 and should be required on every geek's bookshelf. So….awaaaaayyyy we go:

(1) For the total geek fanboy in me, I've been drooling over this stupid thing for over a year. Yes, once again I'm proclaiming my personal wishlist demands GEORGE PEREZ: STORYTELLER: The Art of George Perez be under the tree this year. This 200 page trade paperback by Chris Lawrence is published by Dynamic Forces and lists at $29.99. I can not believe Perez has not already received an extensive retrospective like this, but better late than never. Perez is producing the best art of his career right now and I cannot wait to sit down and read through the evolution of his art from those early Man-Wolf backups through the various CRISES and onto BRAVE AND THE BOLD today. Perez truly is a master storyteller and this is my personal must-have.

(2) THE COMPLETE DICK TRACY: VOLUME ONE
published by IDW and also retailing for $29.99. Some of you may have missed my glowing review awhile back of this book, but it essentially comes down to the fact that this book exudes "labor of love" insofar as an historical collection of an old newspaper strip can be such. Wrapped in a gorgeous goldfoil dustcover, this hardback book features hundreds of pages of meticulously reproduced comic strips from 75 years ago, including the five dailies that Chester Gould worked up as a proposal for the series. This book is a great example of getting the most "bang" for your "buck" and its historical significance as the trendsetter for all modern crime and detective comics can not be overstated.

(3) DC:THE NEW FRONTIER-THE ABSOLUTE EDITION by Darwyn Cooke and published by DC Comics. There are seminal works and then there are SEMINAL works. This hefty 900 pound gorilla of an oversized slip-cased graphic novel is quite simply the best thing published by either of the "Big Two" publishers in 2006-bar none! DC has a history of publishing revolutionary books that establish new industry-wide trends (CRISIS, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, WATCHMEN, KINGDOM COME). Personally, I see NEW FRONTIER as the missing puzzle piece of a triumvirate of near-perfect DC Comics: THE GOLDEN AGE and KINGDOM COME. Squeeze NEW FRONTIER in the middle there and you've got a classic tale of the JSA at the end of WW2, the rise of the JLA, and the final years of the Heroic Age begun by the JSA.

Darwyn Cooke hits every note perfectly. I remember giving some grief when the second issue came out and word was that Hal Jordan was a war pilot who wouldn't kill. This rubbed me wrong at the time, but reading that bit in context with the entire story landscape Cooke lays out, I accepted his logic and went with it. The artwork flows like animation storyboards in a style reminiscent of so many early Silver-Age artist (Kirby especially) while not directly copying any of them. With Cooke's SOLO issue, the recent BATMAN/SPIRIT, and now this collection, he has rocketed to that top tier of comic book professionals whose work I can't get enough of. This Absolute edition, besides just being oversized, includes notes, sketches, tons of additional artwork, amazing additional pages to the story, and panel-by-panel annotations by the author. This truly is what I would expect from a package billing itself as "Absolute" and I feel like I've got more than my money's worth out of it already. In fact, I've had it for two weeks now and I keep going back to it.

Before I die, I want to shake Darwyn Cooke's hand and just thank him for this wonderful story and art.



superhero’s X-M@$$ Picks


MAKING COMICS: STORYTELLING SECRETS OF COMICS, MANGA, AND GRAPHIC NOVELS by Scott McCloud: I'm sure many of the people out there who read AICN comics have had either a passing interest in how comic books are produced or possibly some of you out there are budding comic book professionals yourselves. Well, if you've ever wondered what the secrets are to making your own great comics or you just need a little help along the way as you put together your own great tome of sequential art greatness then this may be the book for you. Scott McCloud has been impressive in the past with his other books about comics ( UNDERSTANDING COMICS and REINVENTING COMICS) and I can think of no one other than the man who brought us the 24 hour comic book to help educate all of us in the ins and outs of comic book production. Other than Will Eisner, that is. As a matter of fact this book is probably the perfect companion piece to Eisner's COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART. So if you know someone who's interested in creating their own comics, run out and get them both of these books.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE COMPLETE SERIES (DVD): Sweet Fancy Christ on a cracker! They finally came out with these on DVD! YES! If you were as much of a nerd as I was growing up then you spent many an afternoon gathered around a table battling ogres and giants with nothing but a twenty-sided die and a pencil and paper to guide your way. Then, when this cartoon premiered you practically crapped yourself with anticipation. Sure, it was different from Gary Gygax's pencil and paper adventure game (Cavalier? What the hell is that? Acrobat? Who cares! She's cute!) but they were moving images of kids duking it out with dragons! Fantastic! Of course, the cartoon might not hold up to how you imagined it (have you watched an episode of G.I. Joe or He-Man lately?) but the nostalgia factor alone plus the wholesome quality of the cartoon would make this a great gift for the older geek you know or the young geek in training you're rearing.

GORILLAZ: RISE OF THE OGRE book and PHAZE TWO-SHOWBOAT TO HADES DVD: Know a geek that sees themselves as a bit too cool for school? Or know someone who isn't too incredibly comfortable with their geekiness? Well then get them these. If your Christmas nerd is into animation or design or music then these two items are the perfect gift for them. SLOWBOAT TO HADES DVD features fantastic music videos from the band's album “Demon Days” as well as "live" performances along with tons of extras. RISE OF THE OGRE is a beautiful hardcover book that details the band's beginnings and how they rose from obscurity to become the best cartoon band in the history of animation. Take that Josie and the Pussycats! If you want to make your gift giving experience the perfect holy trinity then pick up the DEMON DAYS (LIVE) DVD as well.

WORLD WAR Z: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE ZOMBIE WAR by Max Brooks: Do you know someone who loves horror? Or know someone that digs THE WALKING DEAD comics? Well, this baby may be the ultimate gift for them this year. Sure it doesn't have pictures but any fan of Kirkman's DEAD book is more than likely going to love this sucker. Yes, many of you out there might not be cool with giving someone a horror novel for X-Mas but if your truly love the horror freak in your family you'll look past your prejudices and pick this book up for them. I mean, come on…it's the holidays, right? Don't be so selfish! Get your goth teenager something they'll actually enjoy this year! Skip the Izod shirt you'd wish they'd wear and get them a chunk of grand old zombie horror! Then, to prove you love them even more, pick up Brook's ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE as well. They may not love you for it but at least they'll want to kill you in your sleep a little less this holiday season.




Vroom Socko’s Christmahanaquanzika List


ABSOLUTE SANDMAN VOL 1: This is the Wii of the comic book year. Even if it was just an oversized collection of the first twenty issues of the SANDMAN series, with a host of background notes and extras, it would still be worth giving as a gift. But the recoloring, the glorious Gaiman-given recoloring makes the artwork pop in a new and beautiful way. It reads like a brand new story. If your family comics fiend doesn’t already have this, he probably wants it. Trust me.

INVINCIBLE ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL 2: If last year you heeded my recommendation of the first volume, then you’ll definitely have the second one all lined up for this season. This one features the prolonged fallout from Invincible’s battle with Omni-Man, High School graduation, Mark revealing his identity to his girlfriend, and the origin of Angstrom Levy. Not to mention the fact that INVINCIBLE is one of the few remaining superhero books where the main characters not only are noble, but actually seem to enjoy the fact that they’re heroes.

THE EVERLASTING: No matter what I do on this site, and elsewhere, there are still people that don’t read comics. Here’s how you can help. If there’s a literate snob on your list, give them Jamie S. Rich’s monstrous novel about twentysomething life, romance and ambition. Main character Lance Scott is the personification of the young male I bump into on the street every day.


And when your friend finishes reading this one and asks you what else Rich has done with these characters, then you spring LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE on the sucker. If that hooks them, introduce them to BLUE MONDAY, and their journey to the dark side will be complete.





Christmas with Squashua


Comic book fans are notorious collectors. Relatives and friends can never buy for them because they already picked up the best version of whatever they want. The problem is that relatives need to go to the periphery. I'm not talking buying a t-shirt with the SUPERFRIENDS on
it; no one likes clothes as a present and anyone who tells you differently is either lying or a woman or gay.

In the past few years I've ended up with duplicate trades, unwanted shirts, and one time my mother-in-law sent me a few issues of Superman from the mid-70's that she bought from an antique store. Not even a comic store, but an antique store! I'm positive she was ripped off.

So here you go, a few things that the geeky comic gamer nerd in your life might not actually own:

THE BATMAN HANDBOOK: THE ULTIMATE TRAINING MANUAL: I just received this as a present last week and it's by far the coolest item that I never would have bought for myself: an extensively detailed manual on how to BE Batman. And it's not a silly book out for laughs, it's an actual, mostly workable guide. For the more scientific geek, you could get them THE PHYSICS OF SUPERHEROES. If you search Amazon, there's a whole genre of these physics/science
books for super-heroes and villains and very likely your Secret Fan-ta target has never heard of these tomes.

THE TICK VS. SEASON ONE: Screw Batman: The Animated Series; Tick was greatest super-hero cartoon of the mid-1990's. It's entirely possible your comic nerd owns the first season of this essential DVD series, so check his stash before you buy. In the event that he does, you can always fall back on THE VENTURE BROS. I'm continually surprised at how many geeks have never even heard of this series. Get it, especially if he doesn't have Cartoon Network broadcast to his house.

If all else fails, Choose Cthulhu.

First it was zombies, then pirates. Now Lovecraft has slithered back into popularity. There are a number of online stores that sell all sorts of squamous Lovecraftian creepiness that I bet your target geek doesn't own. From obscure DVDs (The Call of Cthulhu Silent Movie!) to mugs and hats, to dolls, dice and votive candles, here's a list of the Lovecraft stores I trust in alphabetical order:

Arkham Bazaar

Dagon Industries

H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society Bazaar

Kthulhu Kitsch

If you must go the comic route for Cthulhu, make him your bitch with a copy of THE HAUNTER OF THE DARK TPB by John Coulthart.
Disturbing vistas and ultra-detailed pencilling can't be beat!



Humphrey Lee’s Holiday Schwag Bag


ALIAS OMNIBUS by Brian Michael Bendis: Back before he became "The Award Winning Writer of NEW AVENGERS and ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN!" Brian Michael Bendis used to write dirty, dirty books with lots of swearing... and I really miss those days. So if you have a buddy or a loved one who enjoys the work of Marvel's little Jewish wunderkind now, well wait until you present them with this amazing package. This is the story of Jessica Jones, one of the most realistic and intriguing characters I've had the pleasure of reading in a comic book series, and plays a little bit more on the adult and dirty side of the Marvel Universe thanks to the MAX imprint. Collecting every last issue of Bendis' opus and the WHAT IF? issue featuring the title character Jessica Jones in a slightly oversized hardcover binding, this is a hell of a package. It's a little on the expensive side coming in at a whopping seventy dollars, it's definitely a gift reserved for some a little more on the special side of your life, but even if you couldn't find it on places like Amazon for about forty bucks it'd still be worth every penny.

PRIDE OF BAGHDAD HC GN by Brian K. Vaughan & Niko Henrichon has turned out to be one of, if not the most, critically acclaimed pieces of comic book art this year. And for very good reason. Brian K. Vaughan has crafted a hauntingly beautiful story, with tons of emotional highs and lows, and is actually a very deep and symbolic read depending on how deep you choose to read into it. There's so many ways you can take this story. It really is one of those books that is "made for everyone" making it a gift you can give to the most hardened of comic book reading veterans or a relative newbie. The best part? It's only twenty bones and comes in a very sleek and durable hardcover format. Put this one at the top of the list.

FABLES: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL HC GN by Bill Willingham & various artists: A pretty well self-contained OGN for one of the best and most critically lauded monthlies on the shelves today, 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL is a great treat. This graphic novel does wonders to introduce those not familiar with the series to a wonderful cast of characters, but also does a lot to flesh out the stories behind some of the events going on in the FABLES book proper. And it also features one of the best assemblages of artists I've ever seen including such greats as Jill Thompson, John Bolton, Charles Vess, James Jean, painted Mark Buckingham art, and hell, even Brian fucking Bolland contributed a couple pages. Even though it does deal with fairy tale characters, this is definitely a mature book and not for everyone, but this is a great gift for fans of Willingham's epic saga. It’s a great hook for the uninitiated too. And it also comes in Vertigo's spiffy little hardcover treatment with a lovely James Jean dust-jacketing, all for only a twenty spot. You really can't go wrong with this.

WILL EISNER’S NEW YORK: LIFE IN THE BIG CITY: Simply put, Will Eisner is a goddamn genius. There's a reason why the comic book industry's highest award is named after the man. But the sad part is there's not many people familiar with the work of the man himself, both non-comic readers and Wednesday warriors alike. So it's time to school some of those ignorant bastards in the ways of one of the greats. And there's really no better way to do it than with this excellent collection of some of the his greatest tales of everyday life and its great ups and horrible downs. Including collections of stories such as THE BUILDING, CITY PEOPLE NOTEBOOK, and INVISIBLE all for a mere thirty bucks this is one of the most inspirational and heartbreaking collections of comic book literature out there.

THE FOUNTAIN Softcover GN by Darren Aronofsky & Kent Williams: Arguably one of the most brilliant films I've seen this year, THE FOUNTAIN was first one of the most brilliant graphic novels I've ever read. A wonderful story story of life, love, and tragic loss featuring amazing painted art by Kent Williams, this is one of the greatest testiments to the graphic novel medium. Another prime example of what the medium can be and a great intermediary between the comic elite and novices alike. Also a great pick for fans of the actual film (or Aronofsky fans in general) as this is more the "Director's Cut" as it unfolds the events seen in the movie rather differently and fleshes out some of the more intimate parts. And it is properly oversized to show off Williams fantastic art and sports a lovely cover design all for a paltry twenty bones. And be on the look out for a hardcover version that came out last year for forty as well.



Some Friendly Holiday Advice from Your Ol’ Pal Buzz Maverik


Take the money you'd spend on isolating yourselves from reality and making comic pros rich and donate it to a homeless shelter or a food bank or a boy's or girl's home. And don't buy 'em comics. If they get a gift allotment, they can get their own comics if they want.

Don't get me started on those damned $200-$300 inflatable Santas/Frostys/Grinches/Power Girls that people have in their front yards. Actually, you can respect the people with the Power Girls, but otherwise...



Dan Grendel’s Stocking Stuffers





For those of you who know fans of Greg Rucka's QUEEN AND COUNTRY or CHECKMATE, or just fans of well-done spy stories in general, some recommendations from across the pond are in order.


First, the thrilling and dramatic TV series /ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7093787-6365534?ie=UTF8&s=dvd target=_blank> THE SANDBAGGERS, the story of a beleaguered British spy chief and his three spies as they deal with Cold War issues. Sound familiar? It should, it was a major influence on Rucka during development of QUEEN AND COUNTRY.


If you want to stay in the print medium, try Peter O'Donnell's superb novels about sexy ex-criminal mastermind turned sometime spy /ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-7093787-6365534?ie=UTF8&s=books target=_blank> MODESTY BLAISE. The stories are always intriguing, and Blaise and right hand man Willie Garvin have a relationship that's just plain fun to read about.


Want to keep to comics only? I've still got you covered. Peter O'Donnell wrote the adventures of 1165604683/ref=sr_1_5/104-7093787-6365534?ie=UTF8&s=books target=_blank> MODESTY BLAISE in strip form in newspapers for decades, and Titan Books has begun collecting them in nice volumes, each with extra interviews or articles about the comic. This is some great work, brought back to life.





Ambush Bug’s Holiday Wishes



If I were to have…just one wish this holiday season, I’d go Scarlett Witch on the comic book industry, murmur the words, “No more crossovers.” and watch the last few years of pee-hole tight interconnectedness in today’s mainstream comics disappear. It’s not that I don’t mind the concept of a shared universe, but I’m sick to death of these status quo changing, multi-part crossover-ed, deconstructing/reconstructing stories. There was a time when stories could be told with the character and didn’t have to be always about the character. Maybe this new trend in storytelling has a lot to say about the “me first” direction society has taken in the last thirty years. It’s all about topping the last status quo shaking crossover now and the creator making his mark on the character’s story. Just tell stories. Stop trying to make headlines. Writers, you’re trying too damn hard.


If I could have…two wishes this holiday season, I’d first wish “No more crossovers.” then I would ask for a set of trade paperbacks from a pair of early DC Vertigo series that I have yet to read, ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL.
There are those who deem Grant Morrison’s early works as precious tome, but I have yet to read them and wish to pass my own judgment. I do know that they sport some of the coolest covers I’ve ever seen in quite a while by Brian Bolland. It’s prime time I take a look at these books and see what all of the hubbub is about.


If I could have…three wishes this holiday season, first “No more crossovers”, then the ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PARTROL trades, then third, I want a few more trips through the surreal and demented images and texts of Crispin Glover. Through his Volcanic Eruptions website, three of Glover’s books are available. RAT CATCHING (which I’ve read) is a bizarre instructional manual meant to educate those interested in capturing rats, but the narrator goes delightfully off subject throughout the book. OAK MOT and WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT’S DONE (which I haven’t read) both look like fun nosedives into the weird. These three books were read aloud by Glover himself when he visited Chicago a few weeks ago with his Big Slideshow and feature film, WHAT IS IT? Although the intensity of watching Glover read his own stuff could not be reproduced upon reading these books themselves, I’m sure you’ll find the stories, while offbeat and sometimes unsettling, entertaining nonetheless.

If I could have…four wishes this holiday season, first, I’d definitely go with the “No more crossovers”-thing, then the early Morrison trippiness, then the Glover kookiness, and finally, I’d dig deep into yesteryear and wish for everyone in the world to read IF I RAN THE ZOO, by Dr. Seuss
which speaks to the critic in all of us as a young boy, Young Gerald McGrew, goes to the zoo, and tells the zookeeper how a zoo run by him would be much better that the one he’s in now. Filled with Sues-isms and rhymes, this one will take you back and make you smile.

And if I could have…five wishes this holiday season. Blah, blah, crossovers. Yadda, yadda, Morrison. Hammy-shammy, Ratcatching. Rhubarb, rhubarb, Seuss…and finally, I’d ask for CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES; THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13th by Peter M. Bracke, a book that will surely satiate the bloodlust of any F13 fan. I need this book which delves in to the history of the movie series, the behind the scenes juiciness, and much more. Just stumbled upon this and it is definitely going to be in my hands soon. I don’t care if he thinks I was naughty or nice this year, if Santa doesn’t drop this badboy down my chimney, he’ll have a machete embedded up that rosy red nose of his. Ch-ch-ch-ho-Ho-HO!



From all of us @$$Holes to all of you Faithful Talkbackers…Happy Holidaze!







    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:15:53 PM CST

    Sandman sounds like a good one

    by chopstyx1

    I've never read it before but it seems to be a good one to start with...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:24:50 PM CST

    Seventy-Third!

    by luckypierre

    The Friday the 13th book really is worth checking out. I passed it up when I saw it last year and regreted it immediately. It sold out and I could only find it on eBay for obscene amounts. I got lucky and found a copy at the San Diego Comic Con for cover price. No self-respecting F13 fan should be without it!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:43:41 PM CST

    some good stuff this year

    by bloo

    some excellent stuff, can never go wrong with Eisner and McCloud and Buzz you're right give to those in need...FIRST...then to me

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:45:46 PM CST

    ahh, Sandman..

    by amy chasing

    Especially Brief Lives, Worlds End and The Dolls House. Magic stuff!
    Then there's always some Hellboy and BPRD for fun, Sin City for cool, and Clone Wars by Ostrander & Duursema for a look at how the prequels should have been.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:50:49 PM CST

    I graduated from Spandex to Thinking with Sandman

    by dogsoup

    When I was 14 I'd collect 20 titles a month (including ANYTHING that started with "X"). After picking up The Sandman on a whim I dropped every other title and collected that alone. I never get tired of reading any storyline. There really IS a reason everyone loves it as much as I do, so if you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and start with 'Preludes and Nocturnes' and end with 'The Wake'.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:52:23 PM CST

    Absolute New Frontier

    by waggy

    probably the most beautifully produced comic i've ever seen (with a great story to boot). it's a bit pricey, but i bet any comic fan would be overjoyed to find it under the tree

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 5:59:49 PM CST

    Don't buy the Alias Omnibus

    by dtpena

    I own it, that series is ubershit, some of the lamest reads I've ever had. The rest of Humprey Lee's list is 100% good stuff though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 6:13:49 PM CST

    Absolute Watchmen

    by fakethulce

    Why is this not anyone's list? My wife is going to give me this for Christmas...why do I know you ask, I bought it and gave it her to wrap up for me

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 6:31:46 PM CST

    superhero's not much of a geek, is he?

    by chrth

    Cavalier and Acrobat were both classes in Unearthed Arcana!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 6:47:09 PM CST

    UNEARTHED ARCANA

    by superhero

    I knew someone was going to try and nail me with this one I KNEW IT!!!! Boy, did I call that sucker! But you, my dear chrth, are WRONG!!!! Yes, it's true that Cavalier and Acrobat both finally made their debut in UNEARTHED ARCANA but at the time the DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS cartoon began airing there was NO UNEARTHED ARCANA!!! It hadn't been published yet! So there! HAH! UNEARTHED ARCANA was published way after D & D began airing and the subclasses of Cavalier (Fighter/Paladin) and Acrobat (Thief) were brought into Dungeons & Dragons because of the show. NOT, I say NOT, the other way around! So while you are correct that those sub classes were in UNEARTHED ARCANA I was correct in recalling my initial reacion to both classes when they appeared on the D & D cartoon. SO! Because it is the holidays...we can both be right. But I must ask you...who's the Geek now, huh? HUH????

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 8:45:46 PM CST

    chopstyx1

    by killah_mate

    You're on the brink of making a very good decision. Buy Sandman and you WILL have happy holidays.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 9:41:33 PM CST

    Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT...

    by halcyonseven

    Buy presents for your loved ones or children or friends. If you do you are an uncaring, horrible person. If you do not donate ALL the money you had planned to use to buy gifts you are an evil republican.
    This has been a message from SGRPWWOTFAMATD: Stupid Guilt-Ridden People Who Want Others To Feel As Miserable As They Do.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 20, 2006 10:07:07 PM CST

    Ah, Christmassyness...

    by loodabagel

    Whoever recomended The Originals last year, thanks! I fondly remember the review saying "Give this to your emoboy friends." And I did. They wanted to read it willingly too. I didn't even have to force it on them. This year? I've been sacrificing puppies for alla those Absolute Editions, starting with Sandman. Man, I freakin' hate blow up shit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 8:27:04 AM CST

    superhero: my geek techniques are still greater

    by chrth

    iirc (and I may not be), all of the classes in Unearthed Arcana had previously appeared in Dragon Magazine, so while Unearthed Arcana was published later than the show (and yes, I did know that), the character classes existed before the show.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 8:37:43 AM CST

    Ok, I'm definitely at least half right

    by chrth

    Cavalier class first appeared in Dragon Magazine in 4/83 (Ish 72). D&D the cartoon didn't debut until September of that same year.
    Curious if that's coincidence, or if TPTB decided to introduce the Cavalier as a class knowing full well there would be one in the show.
    Haven't found any info on Acrobat, though (mostly because my Google searches keep finding 'must use Adobe Acrobat' in the search terms).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 8:41:40 AM CST

    Aha!

    by chrth

    Acrobat character class was part of the Entertainer Class in issue 69, January 1983. BAM!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 10:57:06 AM CST

    Buzz yes.

    by zebtron a. rama

    I tip my hat to you.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 11:29:42 AM CST

    Collected Works from IDW

    by rengaw

    In addition to the Dick Tracy collection mentiond by Prof Challenger, I also suggest the following collections from IDW:
    Volumes 1, 2, and 3 for both Doctor Solar and Magnus Robot Fighter. They even put out a new issue of Magnus Robot Fighter.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 11:48:11 AM CST

    Dammed Dragon Magazine! Damn you!

    by superhero

    Well, I still stand by my reaction to the classes when the cartoon came out as they hadn't appeared in any of the main books and that's what me and my nerd friends were going by back in the day, mostly. But you, my dear chrth were initially wrong as well because you said they were in UNEARTHED ARCANA and you insinuated that that's where they came from. So, because, as I said, it's the holidays...we can both be right and wrong :O)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 12:34:06 PM CST

    But then, chrth, my question becomes...

    by superhero

    When did the Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon actually go into production. Apparently, Gygax was heavily involved in the production of the D & D cartoon and who knows how long it took to write all of the scripts and actually put all of the episodes together? Especially since Saturday morning cartoon production took much longer back then than it does today. So, it could be that those classes were made for the show before the publication of thos articles in Dragon magazine...hmmmm....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 1:46:45 PM CST

    I'm pretty sure that Cavalier and Acrobat

    by squashua

    were made for the show. And then the classes were developed later; as someone with experience in the RPG industry, including the magazine portion, it was (and still is) fairly easy to get pretty much anything printed toot-sweet; adjusting a cartoon back then was a lengthy process. Cartoon before classes.

    I played "Original" D&D, not what came to be "Advanced" D&D.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 3:02:31 PM CST

    New Frontier is what I want the most this year.

    by the heathen

    A lot. I've almost bought it for myself, but I'm holding out at least for the next couple of days. *crosses fingers*


    superhero and chrth, I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but it's entertaining. chrth, hit me up with one of your Heroes multiple time line theories. Those are crazy fun man!


    About Power Girl from last tb. I think looda was right about Thora Birch. ** http://tinyurl.com/yehznr ** The chick from Battlestar is the fanboy choice I'm afraid.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 3:52:45 PM CST

    superhero: agreed. God bless us, everyone!

    by chrth

  • Dec 21, 2006 4:36:44 PM CST

    "Cavalier and Acrobat were made for the show"

    by chrth

    I tend to agree. However, I find it interesting that the Acrobat class is actually a sub-class of the Entertainers. One would think they if Gygax et al. were going to be highlighting a new class in Dragon, they'd make it the primary focus of the article, rather than lump it in with other classes.
    Also, Barbarian was new to Unearthed Arcana as well, right? Wonder what ish that class first appeared in?
    Of course, I tend to think the only reason they made Eric a Cavalier in the first place was because the name 'Fighter' was so generic.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 21, 2006 6:36:32 PM CST

    Yeah, Barbarian was new in Unearthed as well...

    by superhero

    I wish we could get in touch with Gary Gygax on this...are you out there Gygax??? Please inform the unwashed masses! What came first...the D & D Cartoon or the Dragon articles? chrth, superhero, and Squashua need to know!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 22, 2006 12:14:47 PM CST

    D&D Cartoon = TB Death

    by the heathen

    *zzzz* As do the holidays.


    Speaking of which, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! To every Cog Smooch, @$$hole, honorary cogs, fellow tb'ers and even the trolls, er, troll - Jar Jar Maddox!!! Everyone, have a great time and peace be with you.


    Namaste.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 22, 2006 1:30:15 PM CST

    Talk about Cthulhu instead!

    by squashua

    This is Squashua, Wishing You Proper Astral Alignment for the Winter Solstice.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 23, 2006 6:15:34 PM CST

    Word, Ambush Bug, word.

    by magsweeto

    The first paragraph of Ambush Bug's Holiday Wish List is not only one entusiast's pipe dream but the intellectually disappointed, un-entertained, empty-pocketed buyer remorseful prayer of comic fans everywhere. It bears repeating..."Writers, you're trying too damn hard."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 25, 2006 1:02:20 PM CST

    merry xmas my fellow cogs!

    by blackthought

    shigeru, psynapse, thayla, heathen, el vale, darth kal-el, turtle and our long lost but not forgotten cog, gus nukem...couldn't find a better bunch to lounge in a giant mansion while we ignore crime. 2007 will be the Year of the Cog. also merry xmas to the the a$$holes for bringing this column to us weekly(usually) so we may bitch and moan and throw praise about to those that make comics good, bad and most ugly(usually liefeld).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 25, 2006 9:06:29 PM CST

    christmas

    by shigeru

  • Dec 26, 2006 3:58:12 PM CST

    well i trump you there psy...

    by blackthought

    add lots and lots of incurable pain and that is xmas...well actually that is my everyday haha. psy hop you are better by new years...we should have a cog new years bash next year. the mansion could use some debauchery.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 27, 2006 9:58:50 AM CST

    Squasha, I'm late to this TB...

    by abin sur

    But I own the "Call of Cthulhu" DVD (in Glorious Mythoscope!), and for the budget they were working with, I have to say they did a damn good job with it. I shouldn't have watched the "Making of" portion though - the image of those fat naked men flogging themselves in front of the blue screen is forever seared into my poor brain...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 29, 2006 11:10:07 AM CST

    might as well…

    by the heathen

    LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 29, 2006 12:55:52 PM CST

    you thought so

    by shigeru

    last, bitch.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 01, 2007 6:11:48 AM CST

    And...

    by stones_throw

  • Jan 02, 2007 9:00:21 AM CST

    Call of Cthulhu - in Mythoscope!

    by squashua

    Right on, Abin! I love how they did the "falling into an angle" bit.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Nov 23, 2007 6:49:20 AM CST

    LAST!

    by rock-me amodeo

    heh heh heh...

    Reply to Talkback

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