Category: Cartooning

Dog Rat’s Soap Box

That’s what I was listening to then, so lemme see… what about the comic books was I reading? Oh, this one was a very big deal for me. Spectacular Spider-Man #1, a new magazine format comic, on sale April 9. Costing as much as three regular comics (minus a penny), with Spidey in black & white? Sure, why not!

The Spectacular Spider-Man #1, 1968

Marvel was finally free of its oppressive 10-year distribution deal with competitor DC, setting the stage for the big DC implosion that year. Editor Stan Lee was expanding the Marvel lineup like crazy with new titles, while publisher Martin Goodman was working a deal to sell the company, and screwing people in the process.

Fabulous Flo Steinberg didn’t get a well-deserved raise, so she quit. Jack Kirby didn’t get a promised contract and Stan gave the new Silver Surfer book to John Buscema, putting the wheels in motion for Jack’s departure two years later.

https://seanhowe.tumblr.com/post/177947385267/martin-goodman-sells-marvel-comics-to-perfect-film

The Wealthy Land of Lichtenstein

Michael Cavna at The Washington Post reviews WHAAM! BLAM! Roy Lichtenstein and the Art of Appropriation.

Now, long after Lichtenstein’s death in 1997, the U.S. Postal Service is issuing a stamp set to commemorate his birth centennial; its release will be celebrated April 24 in a ceremony at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/comics/2023/04/05/roy-lichtenstein-documentary/

I didn’t know the USPS is issuing stamps this month in Lichtenstein’s honor. The timing of the documentary’s release couldn’t be better.

Ghosted by Ghosts?

Job applicants who never hear back are applying for positions that don’t exist.

Among those who said they advertised job postings that they weren’t actively trying to fill, close to half said they kept the ads up to give the impression the company was growing.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/that-plum-job-listing-may-just-be-a-ghost-3aafc794?mod=hp_lead_pos12

This raises some questions and concerns. Is the Bureau of Labor Statistics getting accurate information? The Fed is basing its interest rate decisions in part on the “robust job market.”

Speaking of ghosts. When Hanna-Barbera in Los Angeles was at its early peak, Famous Studios in New York was doing better limited animation for television. Wendy performs “The Red Shoes.”

https://youtu.be/3wa3XnmI-2k?t=1