The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, from 2006, is yet another anime about high school. This one is top notch fun.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/NOV/LeaptTime.flv 640 360]
Category: Cartooning
Sibley on Mickey’s Birthday
This morning on the BBC World Service I heard (while writhing in agony from my ailment) our blogging friend Brian Sibley talking about Mickey Mouse’s 80th birthday. There’s audio of Brian talking about Mickey, that’s a bit different from what I heard this morning, at this link. And over at this link, Brian has an essay about the significance of the mouse, all these years later.
Joe Sinnott depicted first black President in 1964
Various news services, including NPR’s website last February, picked up the story that in 1964 there was a comic book that predicted/depicted the first black candidate for American President. In January, this video about the comic book series was posted on YouTube. (Turn down the sound if you don’t like “Switched-On Bach”!)
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/NOV/TreasureChest.flv 448 335]
The man who illustrated those comic books is Joe Sinnott. I took this picture of Joe with his son Mark in New York on Saturday. Dennis provided the comics.
Peek-a-boo Hulk
The new Incredible Hulk movie isn’t as good as the Iron Man movie, but it’s sure better than the awful first Hulk movie! We borrowed Bismo’s copy, with deluxe packaging that was available at Target stores exclusively. Maybe it’s still available, but my guess is it’s already been turned into an eBay exclusive.
Boston Globe goes color, wimps out
The paper edition of The Boston Globe now prints the daily comics in color. They’ve gotten letters of complaint from some readers, including one old codger (are there any young codgers?) who said the only way he knows it’s Sunday is because the comics are in color, as if having them printed bigger in a separate section isn’t enough of a clue. Anyway, I’m all for it, because other cities have had color daily comics for twenty years. Back then the papers had to do their own coloring, but now the syndicate provides the color guides.
But I’m disappointed that the Globe didn’t run G.B. Trudeau’s intended installment of Doonesbury for November 5, declaring Obama the President-elect. Instead, this strip was reprinted.
Newspaper people love to rag on other newspapers, and the suburban Boston paper I get, The Metrowest Daily News, had this commentary on the Globe’s wimpery.
AF #15 in LOC
Something I meant to mention months ago is the anonymous donation to the Library of Congress of the original art to the 1962 comic book Amazing Fantasy #15. That particular issue includes the first appearance of Spider-Man, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
And a few months ago a new book about Ditko came out from Fantagraphics, the outfit that is handling The Complete Peanuts. (Here’s the set I’m hoping to get from Santa this year.) STRANGE AND STRANGER The World of Steve Ditko, by Blake Bell, rated a review in the New York Times.