Comics Fairplay: 5 Years of Blog-foolery and More!

For the last year, I have not been very active on my blog. I have meant to, and have actually had things brewing in my head that I really wanted to write about. It is always good intentions lately. My husband and I talked about the fact that I am not doing a very good job blogging. In a nice way, he asked me if I thought I ought to retire the blog.

For a month I thought about it. Hard. I just can't do it.

Today is the 5 year anniversary of the creation of Comics Fairplay and I carry mixed emotions. Without CF, I wouldn't have met so many wonderful people. The list is so long, and the folks are so precious to me, that I hardly dare to list them. CF gave me an entry way to vent my feelings and frustrations about an industry that continues to confound me in every possible way. It also gave me a chance to give my opinions about feminism and comics. I like to think that in a blogosphere that was ready to rumble, I was a voice of sanity.

So it is down to this: until I am ready to sit down and declare myself content with all things comics, this place can't go away. Though I only post once or twice a week, I still feel a sense of passion about the industry. What I encounter as a stumbling block is TIME. My life has been through so many changes in the last five years! I have lost family, have had a roller coaster ride of changes at work, I lost and gained many pounds, and I faced the most horrific challenge a person can face.

The good news is I am still standing. I still believe that there is a place for women to read and create comics. It happens every day, Folks. I think that the industry is more powerful then ever with the avalanche of success of several comic book movies. I do cringe at the San Diego Comicon though- it has become celebrity central, and its own size threatens to swallow it whole. Give me Emerald City Comicon any day of the week!

Five years. Joy. Pain. Terror. Anger, Happiness. Friendship. Hate. Love.

It has all been here. Let's continue the ride a little bit longer, shall we?

This Year's Birthday Present...

So today is my 43rd birthday. Arrgggghhh! Yikes.

At any rate, my husband conspired with artist extraordinaire Jason Metcalf to do a commission for my birthday. It turned out fantastic! Jim wanted to do a warrior look with an action pose, and like normal, Jason came through with a major upgrade.

Pretty sweet, huh? I am a lucky girl. Thank you to Jason and to the hubby for this beautiful piece.

Last Weekend: Comic Evolution and Pat Benatar??!!

The hubby and I had a busy weekend. First we got up early on Saturday and headed to Puyallup, WA for the Comic Evolution benefit "Be A Superhero for Babies" fundraiser. Our friends Randy Kintz and Jason Metcalf were going to be there sketching and there was a huge silent auction that all benefitted the March of Dimes.

Jim and I were blown away at how awesome Comic Evolution is! It is the neatest, best arranged shop I have seen in a long time. Owner Chuck Messinger has a vision that has become one of the coolest realities ever brought to life in comic retailer format. There is amazing original art and prints on the walls, tons of back issues, a great wall of new books, and an amazing amount of trades and graphic novels. He also has a wall of action figures and numerous busts and statues. It is the kind of store a reader WANTS to go to. Needless to say, I wish I lived closer.

We were lucky that day to see Clayton Crain and meet Paul Gulacy. I was a bit taken aback and flattered when Gulacy thought I was part of the "talent". LOL. Nice guy with great stories and a larger then life presence, he did a wonderful Green Lantern sketch for Jim. The lucky hubby also got a Spider-Girl sketch from Crain.

I bid on a piece of original art from Alias by Michael Gaydos and won it! We are currently trying to figure out how to get it here as I had to leave early. Jim bid on a few pieces but was outbid at the end.

On Sunday we went and saw Pat Benatar at Legends Casino. We didn't know what to expect, but we both knew we really wanted to see her in concert. Benatar didn't disappoint! She sounds remarkable and has a sweet sense of humor. Her husband Neil Giraldo is the guitarist of the band, and they really seemed to be happy to be performing together.

The concert lasted about an hour and a half, but it could have gone on all night as far as I was concerned. Benatar played many of her hits and the crowd really warmed up. Speaking of warm, did I mention the concert was outdoors and that it was in the high 80's when we got there. Lots of sunscreen and care to cover up saved us sunburns!

It isn't often that I get to have such an action packed weekend, so this was a real treat. Normally I am working or we have some kind of project going on here at home! I wish every weekend could be this much fun, but with unlimited money and time all week to recover!

Happy almost Wednesday to you!

Awesome Store- Awesome Cause!

There are tons of pieces of original art to bid on! Clayton Crain, Randy Kintz, and Travis Bundy are sketching!

Also, Bumpy's has the best pizza! Thank you to Chuck for the tip!!


-- Post From My iPhone

Head to Comic Evolution!

Today in Puyallup, Comic Evolution is having a silent auction and artists sketching to raise money for the March of Dimes. If you can, head down there and bid or get a sketch!

Photos to come... Comic Evolution is an amazing store!!!



-- Post From My iPhone

Limited Series Versus Ongoing Series: The Questions

A couple of days I was reading The Boys #31. It was vicious and brutal, with a character taking a permanent dirt nap before the last page unfolded. The impact was swift and meaningful, charging the series with an "anything can happen" vibe.

Why is this? Could it be that creator Garth Ennis has expressed that the series is finite, ending with issue #70?

I think that has a lot to do with it.

In a series like Y The Last Man, Preacher, or 100 Bullets, where there is a limited series mentality, no character is sacred. Anyone can be killed at any time, and the status quo can change without warning.

Characters like Wonder Woman, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and even Captain America all suffer from the forever ongoing issue. Creators and Editors can make dictates that shake things up, and often do. There just isn't the same impact allowed though, because through decades of history, these things have been done before. Sure Bruce Wayne is MIA right now, presumed dead in continuity, but how long will that logically last? Last time DC did this, Azrael took over the cowl and grew increasingly nuts until Bruce Wayne stepped back in. This time with Dick Grayson in charge, it could be much longer, but in my gut I know Bruce Wayne will be back.

The closest to a complete reboot I have seen in an "A-list" character is back in the 1980's when DC sent the Wonder Woman of pre-Crisis to Olympus after having her fall in battle. The new (and current) Wonder Woman was completely overhauled. Diana was back on Paradise Island with a few new twists and a complete opportunity for a new lease on life. After 20 years, she still hasn't had a truly steady boyfriend, though she has dabbled. Evidently Wonder Woman's kryptonite is a long term relationship!

Dizzy from 100 Bullets didn't have that hanging over her head. Though she swiftly became one of my favorite characters, and though her series has ended, I felt she was allowed to live without a net in 4 color drama. There were no expectations after all. I didn't grow up with Dizzy, and though I had an attachment to the character, it wasn't the same as how I feel about Wonder Woman- the first female character I learned about and wanted to emulate.

That is a heavy duty responsibility for the comic creators in an ongoing series, especially when said character has been in existence over 60 years. The fanbase gets upset, and it is hard to deal with. Kill a character in a finite series, and we get over it because it is artistic license in a product meant to entertain, rather then entrap.

It feel odd to me knowing that before I would be done with The Boys, most of these characters would be dead. It also felt strange to know that as much as I would like Hughie and Starlight to make it to the end, their relationship will most likely end in heartbreak, unless Ennis takes the Preacher approach and lets them ride off into the sunset, so to speak.

I guess that is why comics are entertainment, right?

Thought on Michael Jackson Services

Though I was at work, I endeavored to watch pieces of the service tonight to see how it all went. I was immensely surprised and pleased to see the classy, sober way the event was conducted. Michael Jackson was celebrated and eulogised by those that knew and loved him best.

What really struck me is this: little Paris Jackson did in 20 seconds what millions of dollars of publicity and a huge comeback tour could not do. She gave him back his humanity. For that moment in time, all that mattered was that a little girl really misses her daddy.

It darn near broke my heart to think about how much she has lost. Ironically, it also lifted my heart to see the poise and sense of normalcy this lovely young girl seems to possess. Too bad Michael couldn't be here to embrace the moment.

Say what you will tomorrow, but tonight in a show of respect, I say: R.I.P. King of Pop.

Happy Independence Day!

Hey there! To all you folks who live in the USA or are American citizens, Happy 4th of July! To the rest of you, Happy Saturday! Heh.

If you do live in the United States, please do not be a jackass and light off fireworks all night. It is not cool to keep your neighbors up and potentially start fires in your own neighborhood. Sure lighting a fire cracker gives a bit of a rush, but remember how much it might hurt when the cops pull up and give you an expensive ticket.

As a girl who grew up lighting off the most dangerous and awkward fireworks known to man, I know what I speak of. Every 4th of July, my family would take over an airport (seriously) and light 'em up. My dad and uncles were volunteer firemen so we would have lot of organization behind the chaos.

My point it this- have fun but be responsible. Captain America seconds that motion!