San Diego next year?

Been talking with Kat and we're trying to decide on our big vacation next year. The less expensive choice (of the two we have now), oddly enough, would be four or five days in San Diego at San Diego Comic-Con.

It'd be fun and exhausting and all of that times ten. Plus it'd put a huge dent in our wallet.

=sigh=

Not sure what we'll do but it's something that's on our minds.

Grading the Comics: July 24, 2008

Okay, here's what we had this week...

• AVENGERS INITIATIVE #15 SI - In the last issue, a little wish really screwed over 3D Man, who might have become one of the major anti-Skrull heavyweights... but probably not any more. Thanks bunches, jerk. Overall, an okay story that doesn't much advance the Secret Invasion plotline so much as tell a peripheral character story. C+
• BLACK SUMMER #7 - End of the road for the Seven Guns, though Warren Ellis has enough left to continue if he chooses (but he probably won't). Interesting take on the extremes to which superpowered vigilantism can go. Nasty but a good ending. A-
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #26 - End of the Mother Mercy story with a rather heroic (if out-of-left-field) effort by a GL. B
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #23 - The team gets its collective @$$ kicked by Amazo, whose use of their powers is inspired to say the least. Plus the first intimations that something is very wrong with Vixen after all. A-
• NUMBER OF THE BEAST #8 (OF 8) - The end of a protracted and not-very-great "end of the world" story. By itself, not interesting at all, but maybe it opens up some possibilities for WildStorm to break out of being just another superhero universe. D
• SUPERMAN #678 - Atlas kicks butt. Nothing special. C-
• TRINITY #8 - Bruce Wayne hosts a party and Despero entertains an offer. B-
• ULTIMATE X-MEN #96 - Big news for Wolverine (courtesy of a special guest star) and the X-Men have a little reunion. B-
• UNCANNY X-MEN #500 - the store sold out! Go figure!
• WAR HEROES #1 - Interesting kickoff: ongoing attacks inside the US result in a program that gives soldiers superpowers in pill form. Hm... Millar can't be making points about current events, can he? B
• X-MEN #214 - Despite the cover, which has nothing to do with the insides, Professor X gives a good accounting of himself, Gambit and Shaw bond and a new villain is unveiled. B+

Overall, not a bad week. Still wish I was at Comic-Con.

Stuff I Liked (Random)

Short post on Stuff I Liked 2007:

• PUSHING DAISIES- absolutely my favorite new show of the year. Incredible cast, excellent storytelling, quirky plots, this one has it all. I hope we'll eventually see the full season, especially since this left off with a very revealing, um, reveal.
• SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON- first time visiting the big show (known uncharitably among insiders and snobs as "geek prom") in about 11 years, it's vastly bigger than I remember. The convention is dominated by the presence of Hollywood just up the road, with more multimedia than you could see if you were the Multiple Man (hey, a comic reference!). Kat loved it and we owe a huge debt of thanks to John Nee for making it possible. (A close runner up: Baltimore Comicon)
• BUGLES PLANET DAILY- our funky little joke blog, it's been a lot of fun writing posts for it over the past several months. It's fallen dormant for the moment but it's only temporary.

I have a few more but... gotta run! Back soon with more.

Comic-Con!

Hey gang!
Kat and I went to Comic-Con and yes, we have pictures. I'll upload them this weekend, I promise! But here are some highlights:

• had a hotel room that was absolutely beautiful, courtesy of a good friend;
• caught up with a bunch of old WildStorm colleagues over the weekend, which was absolutely great;
• American Dad panel was awesome!
• ditto the Cartoon Voices panel--Maurice LeMarche and Jess Harnell are still my heroes;
• if there is any justice, Pushing Daisies will be the big hit of the '07-'08 TV season-- and Kristin Chenoweth is one funny lady (look for YouTube footage of their panel!);
• Kat and I hung out Sunday afternoon with Mike Carey, comic book writer extraordinaire and hardest working man in comics;
• got pictures of the Mach 5, Batmobile and Tony Stark's car;
• saw Rosario Dawson out in San Diego and said hi and good luck with her comic book (she said "thanks!");
• got a glimpse of the crated-up Iron Man armor Mk 1 at the Marvel booth;
• got a look at some upcoming Justice League Unlimited toys from Mattel;
• generally suffered the battering and abuse that comes with struggling through about 100k others, all generally interested in the same things I am;
• and so on.

There's a LOT I'm forgetting but will occur to me later, so keep an eye on this space!

San Diego Bound

Hey folks!

Kat and I are going to San Diego Comic-Con this Friday. For me, it's a business trip; for her, it's an action-packed thrill ride. (She's never been-- I hope it won't overwhelm her TOO much!) This would not happen without the kindness of John Nee at DC Comics, so a big "THANKS, JOHN!" goes out to him. Can't wait to see the guy in SD.

Seems like every day brings more announcements and news. Jenna Jameson is doing a comic book? Okay. I already know Rosario Dawson will be there touting her book, which is cool (Kevin Smith said she's "the hottest geek on the planet" after talking comics with her).

Mostly I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Kat and I are going to visit with Mike Carey after the X-Men sign-a-thon Sunday, plus there will be a bunch of "did you see?" moments. Kat has her heart set on the HEROES panel Saturday and on seeing Clive Owen Friday afternoon (she's even skipping a Neil Gaiman panel!).

In short, this is going to be one fabulous trip. If I can, I'll blog from the con. If not, expect a LOT of posts shortly after!

see ya!
Drew

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund call from Jim Lee

Hey everyone,
Reposting an email from Jim Lee, asking for support for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It's a great cause-- read why he's making the ask below.
Drew

Forgive me for the mass email but time's running out and the SDCC is right around the corner!

To my fellow professionals--
In comics, we're always telling stories about people inlife-threatening situations. That's thrilling in a comic book, but in real life it's the scariest ordeal you can imagine. Right now Gordon Lee, a retailer in Rome, GA, is facing the fight of his life. This August he will finally stand trial against two counts of distributing harmful-to-minors materials.

He faces penalties of up to a year inprison and fines of up to $1,000 on each count if convicted.

Gordon has been fighting to prove his innocence for almost three years.

Fighting through being overcharged with two felonies and five misdemeanors, most of which were later thrown out.

Fighting though the prosecution throwing out and refiling their case because the day before the trial, they discovered that their facts were wrong.

And now, fighting against two remaining charges that are completely meritless.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has taken up the fight for Gordon, and now we need to help them finish that that fight. Right now, I'm asking you to join me in supporting the CBLDF's work on this case. To date, they've spent nearly $80,000 defending Gordon, and they expect the trial to cost another $20,000 on top of that. To ensure that they have the cash on hand for Gordon's August trial, and to shore up their reserves for what could be a very litigious Presidential election year, they need our donations now.

Please join me in supporting the Fund by making a donation of cash, original art, high-grade comics, or even some of your time (like I did in 2003 when I did a signing at Defender of Liberty recipient Chuck Rozanski's Mile High Comics as part of a CBLDF benefit auction).

It's up to those of us who rely on comics for our living to stand behind the Fund in protecting our own. The Fund needs all of our support to win this case-- a conviction won't just harm Gordon, but its precedent could affect all of our livelihoods.

To donate art or collectibles for the Comic-Con auction, please send an email to cbldf1@gmail.com to let them know what you are contributing.

If you have it available, include a jpg of your donation so they can list it in their auction preview online. You can see my donation--a penciled promo piece of Batman for the upcoming DCUMMO--alongside this message.

To donate money, go to http://cbldf.safeshopper.com/12/cat12.htm?479 .To make sure that the Fund can include your donation in their Comic-Con auction preview, please be sure to get in touch with them with a jpg no later than Sunday, July 15. You can send the physical piece to their office until July 20th, or deliver it to them onsite at Comic-Con.

Please join me in helping the CBLDF raise the resources it needs to win this important case. If you have questions, or to let the Fund know what you're sending, email Charles Brownstein or Greg Thompson at cbldf1@gmail.com or call them at the CBLDF office (212-679-7151).

And please send your contributions to CBLDF, 271 Madison Ave, Suite 1400, New York, NY 10016... and tell them that I sent you!

Thanks for joining me in support,
Jim Lee