This is a rare occasion when I’m using something I first saw on Mark Evanier’s News from ME. It’s the Comic Book Burnings Project. You can scroll through the entire site within this embedded window.
Category: Comic Books
The Kirby Way
A New York City street renamed in honor of Jack Kirby?
Joe Sinnott said Stan Lee struggled with the introduction of Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52. Was it because of the potential controversy resulting from having a black leading character in Marvel Comics? Nope, it was simply that Stan kept changing his mind about the character’s costume. Full face mask like Spider-Man, or a half-mask like Captain America? Short cape or no cape?
There is little to go on, regarding the influence that Jack’s stint at the Fleischer animation studio in New York had on his later work. But I can infer something from the fact that, besides Kirby, Carl Barks, Walt Kelly and Hank Ketcham all had animation studio experience.
https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/in-his-own-words-jack-kirby-at-fleischers/
I’ve Got Nuthin’ on my Mind
On Sunday, Denro and I were at the Albany Comic Con. It’s a small, one-day show that’s devoted to comic books, which is a rarity these days. I bought this groovy FLAME ON! logo from comic book letterer Janice Chiang. It would make a good tattoo, not that I’d ever have any interest in getting one.
That’s all I have at the moment. I’ll think of something else to Prattle about later.
Oh, wait. There is one more thing. Something from a few days ago that returns every time I reset it on the CR-V. I suppose I should get an estimate on a new catalytic converter.
A Couple of Supermen
With Warner Bros. up for sale, will Disney make a grab to own Superman?
Getting Some Green
Comic book artist Joe Staton gets recognition, and presumably financial compensation, for co-creating Guy Gardner, the latest incarnation of Green Lantern. In the Superman movie he’s played by Nathan Fillion.
It’s a Wonderful Soundtrack
It started with me sending Denro this picture of an album I saw on display at Newbury Comics. The late and very great Joe Sinnott, Bing’s #1 fan, would have been pleased to see a new Crosby record in 2025.
The topic quickly switched to something else from long ago, when Denro replied that he had just purchased a new record he spotted at a Barnes & Noble.
It’s a soundtrack of It’s a Wonderful Life that I heretofore didn’t know existed. Denro said the album was originally released as a CD that is no longer available.
https://www.kritzerland.com/wonderful_life.htm
The CD information at that link includes this warning…
Do not be fooled by any other CDs that purport to be the original soundtrack for this film – they are all bootlegs and contain dialogue, sound effects and music right off the film itself. This is the first release of the real deal.
… a warning that is easily confirmed.
The album Denro bought is also available as a new CD release.
https://lalalandrecords.com/its-a-wonderful-life-75th-anniversary-remastered-limited-edition/
The soundtrack is on Amazon as an MP3 for $9, so I bought that. I would have sprung for a CD copy, but the liner notes are available on the Kritzerland page.
This music cue is called “Love Sequence”. It reminds me of the music that Tiomkin composed for Capra’s Lost Horizon, produced ten years before It’s a Wonderful Life.
My favorite aspect of It’s a Wonderful Life is the contrast that’s drawn between Mary and Violet, who I see as the most interesting character in the movie. It’s easy to infer what Violet originally had in mind for her evening’s fun, before her attempt at seducing George, and it’s certainly intended for mature audiences. “We’ll wait for you, baby.”