Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
Anaheim Convention Center, March 16th-18th 2012 is the Place. WonderCon is the deal. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1987, Wondercon is part of the yearly staple of the “comic-con” world. Moving through several places in its existence, WonderCon has been significant for its early showings of movies like Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, Fantastic Four, and Watchmen.
Looked at the biggest part of the ‘con by many was the “Amazing Spider-Man” panel with director Marc Webb, and actress Emma Stone. Director Webb went on to talk about the importance of the actors feeling “real”, and speaking on how his experience with the “big-budget” movie world: ”Doing a movie like this, it’s like a sonnet. There’s a form that you have to adhere to, to a certain degree, but there’s enormous flexibility within those barriers and within those restrictions.” He goes on to talk about the importance of Spider-Man’s costume in his reboot : ”He is, I think, one of the only superheroes whose whole body is covered, you know? You don’t see skin color, and that is — in one of the marketing meetings very early on, they said, ‘Spider-Man transcends all these different countries because everybody can see themselves in him.’”
On top of the Spider-Man discussion, the were other comic and entertainment greats like:
Mike Mignola (Hellboy, B.P.R,D,)
Joe Hill (Locke & Key)
Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: TNG, Stand By Me, Toy Soldiers, The Guild, Big Bang Theory)
J. Michael Straczynski (Superman: Earth One, Thor)
Jim Lee (Co-Publisher: DC Comics, Artist: Justice League, Batman: Hush)
Always a good time, the pop-culture convention circuit has the staying power and dedication on NASCAR, with a yearly visitor total that is on par with NASCAR’s per race totals. Check more out about the Comic-Cons here.
Choosing only 10 stand-up comedians as the ‘smartest-of-all-time’ is like asking a parent to choose a favorite child – someone WILL get hurt. There’s obviously some very honorable mentions not here, but including everyone worthy of recognition would make this a top-500 list. Instead, I chose to choose a blend of ten classic & modern comics that drastically changed the medium, not by just making you laugh – but by really making you think.
(NOTE – most videos are NSFW.)
- Kyle
Not since Cheech & Chong has an ambassador of stoner-dom gained such a cult following. However, whereas C&C were heavy on actual drug material, Mitch Hedberg simply seemed lit up. Known for his one or two lined non-sequiters, he was easily dismissed by critics as a “pun-jockey surrealist” – but his massive cult following heard a depth to his jokes.
Hedberg had a way of noticing the little things of life – ironies, word-play, inconveniences – by conveying them in such a likable way you felt like his drinking buddy by the end of the show. Outshining his “duuuude” image, he formulated his stage presence into a remarkably unique delivery, one that almost appears forced when seen for the first time. In reality, he severely struggled with both crippling stage fright (you can regularly see his microphone-hand trembling) & drug addictions, leading to his early death by overdose in 2005 at the age of 37.
www.mitchhedberg.net
THAT’S FACTED UP: Hedberg made an appearance on “That 70′s Show” as Frank, chef of the restaurant the characters frequent.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with them later.”
Comedian (also actor / writer) Steven Wright made his unique breakout in 1985 - striking extreme contrast half-way through the decade of excess. What defined the 80′s is exactly what his act defied. Almost an existentialist, his thought-provoking material delivers itself SO casually, you’re laughing too hard to realize that what he just said was a complete mindfuck.
Wright is the Mitch Hedberg for connoisseurs. Underneath a thick level of deadpan, Wright’s routine bordered on the philosophical – usually in increments of one-lined jokes. A master of the double-entendre, his routines were so languid HE almost seemed bored – which allows the incredibly insightful statements he peppers throughout the act to absorb slowly. His type of humor wouldn’t work well with an energetic, charismatic-type figure – these are dull, ironic & listless jokes – that are brilliant.
Steven Wright @ IMDB
THAT’S FACTED UP: Wright lends his voice to Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 “Reservoir Dogs” as the voice of the DJ on ‘K-Billy Radio’.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: ”I was born by Cesarean section, but not so you’d notice. It’s just that when I leave a house, I go out through the window.”
Arguably the loudest & most vitriolic comic on Earth, Kinison made it known he was in the room. As a former Pentecostal Preacher, his transformation into comedy was distinctive – evangelical, literally-screamed punchlines became the cornerstone of his act. He moved to stand-up shortly after his first divorce (and subsequently leaving the Church), using his massive lifestyle change as fuel to the angry fire & brimstone of his set.
Having an open appetite for drugs, sex & alcohol brought an edge to his personality: here was once a man of the cloth, holy in behavior – now pissed off, hedonistic and loudly sacrilegious. This sort of duplicity helped make his image infamous – besides, it’s pretty hard to ignore the guy shouting in your face. Aside from the bad-boy infamy, Kinison brought angered reason to everyday-topics like marriage, life & religion in a way no one previously had. Kinison died due to a drunk driving accident in 1992 at the age of 38.
www.samkinison.org
THAT’S FACTED UP: Kinison played Al Bundy’s guardian angel in an episode of “Married… with Children”. Ironically, Kinison was also the network’s original choice for the role of Al Bundy (which he turned down).
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I called a detox center – just to see how much it would cost: $13,000 for 3 weeks! My friends, if you can come up with thirteen grand, you don’t have a problem yet.”
If you’ve watched television between the mid-nineties and now, you’ve seen David Cross somewhere. Best known for his roles on “Mr. Show” & “Arrested Development”, Cross has transformed character acting into a crossover art – writing, directing, voicing or starring in over 35 shows and 40 movies as of 2012. Aside from Hollywood work, Cross’ biting stand-up routines have been an indie-favorite for almost 30 years.
His scathing reflections on religion, politics, sexuality and culture have solidified him not just as a left-leaning ‘hero’, but as a legitimate advocate of basic human & animal rights. Performing stage comedy since the age of 17, Cross’ notoriety includes a famous public dispute with fellow stand-up Larry the Cable Guy, multiple lawsuits and even a scandal involving him snorting cocaine at a White House Correspondence dinner near President Obama (just to say “he did it”). Despite his apparent political angle, Cross continues to be a cross-party, crowd-pleasing figurehead for an entire nation of American life.
David Cross – Sub Pop artist page
THAT’S FACTED UP: Cross lost the role of Dr. Gregory House on “House M.D.” to Hugh Laurie.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I don’t think Osama bin Laden sent those planes to attack us because he hated our freedom. I think he did it because of our support for Israel, our ties with the Saudi family and our military bases in Saudi Arabia. You know why I think that? Because that’s what he fucking said!”
English actor / comedian Izzard has confused almost every critic with his short-listed bio: he’s a sexually-straight (but) cross-dressing, dyslexic, atheistic, trilingual, award-winning, accomplished theater / film / television actor; with one hand in British politics & the other in professional athletics. Boosh.
Best known in America for his roles in “Ocean’s Twelve”, “Ocean’s Thirteen” & ”The Riches”, Izzard has been called “the Lost Python” by John Cleese himself (even appearing on-stage with Monty Python in 1998). His multi-faceted biography mirrors his act - rambling / erratic observations colorfully paint his interesting portrayals of world history, religion and culture in a way that makes even anti-intellectuals listen. If the education system was more like this, graduation rates would skyrocket – his routines are study guides with a sense of savvy sarcasm.
www.eddieizzard.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Izzard ran almost 30 miles a day, 6 days a week – for 2 months straight – to help raise money for charity in 2009.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from. ”
Widely heralded as the “comic’s comic” – Louis C.K. brings unashamed, unfiltered honesty to the stage that America hasn’t seen in decades. Taking a no-gimmick approach, C.K. has perfected an “everyman” persona – publicly evaluating his life, love, children, work & society in a way that makes almost every demographic relate. Treating his audience like a personal therapist, his act routinely outs his shame, guilt, struggles & hardships, all without asking for sympathy.
C.K. uses a technique that seems blatantly obvious – truth. The difference between himself & current peers, however, is his quelling of ego. This is a self-realized man in his mid-40′s, dealing with the same problems John Doe down the street has. Despite the centralized personal theme to his material, his reflections of society are fundamentally how it really is. Starting his professional career as a writer for A-listers like Letterman, Conan, Ben Stiller & Chris Rock – he’s successfully transitioned into television & film (screenwriting and directing for others & even independently creating 2 auto-biographical primetime shows). Insightful yet modest – tragic yet empathetic – Louis C.K. is one of our greatest modern voices.
www.louisck.net
THAT’S FACTED UP: Despite popular belief that he is fully Irish, C.K. has partial Mexican ancestry – even living in Mexico City until he was 7 years old. English is actually his second language.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “There’s a reason it’s called Girls Gone Wild and not Women Gone Wild. When girls go wild, they show their tits. When women go wild, they kill men and drown their kids in a tub.”
Lenny Bruce (born Leonard Schneider) was the Elvis Presley of comedy. He came at a time, like Presley, when this type of public-spectacle just didn’t happen. These were the 50′s: clean-cut, wholesome, willingly-sterilzed times. Bruce was approximately the exact opposite. Earning himself an infamous obscenity conviction during his trial in 1964 blew the doors open for an entirely new brand of humor: black comedy in a bright, white world.
Bruce’s social satire & unflinching, free-associated honesty portrayed a darker American image than it’s public was used to. His routines were philosophic – light years ahead of their time. Appearing on national television only 6 times, Bruce encountered constant court battles and was blacklisted by almost every American club by the end of his life. Later in his career, drug addiction & close-to-public-breakdowns affected his fame and fortune, leading to a morphine overdose in 1966 at the age of 40. The legacy he left behind has continued to influence the genre, with most comics citing him as the “original visionary”.
www.lennybruceofficial.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Apart from his comedic influence, Bruce’s likeness appears on the cover of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, has been mentioned in-song by R.E.M. and Simon & Garfunkel, and is the first case in New York state history to be granted a posthumous pardon in 2003.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “All my humor is based upon destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I’d be standing on the breadline right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.”
Richard Pryor did for African-Americans in comedy what Rosa Parks did for political & civil rights. His racially-driven, controversial material helped usher in public (read: White) awareness of social & civil rights. Throughout the course of his (officially, but not in total) 19 live albums, Pryor touched not just the subject of race; but amusingly & profanely tackled culture, politics, sexuality & drug use in a way that completely captured an all-too-unheard-from demographic. You can say he found a way to expand and improve upon Bill Cosby’s live act – with many, many more F and N words.
Pryor’s fame as a stand-up was parallel to his success in cinema – he appeared in over 40 films between the years of 1967-1997. Starring in, supporting or writing classics like “Silver Streak”, “Blue Collar”, “The Toy”, “Superman III” (and an often on-screen pairing with Gene Wilder) helped attain mainstream attention, earning himself a diversely massive fan base. Both during & after his life, Pryor (and the Pryor estate) was awarded an Emmy, 5 Grammys, 2 American Academy of Humor Awards, a Writer’s Guild Award & several Life-Time Achievements. Suffering from lifelong heart problems & multiple sclerosis, Pryor passed away in 2005 at the age of 65.
www.richardpryor.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Sheridan Road in Peoria, IL (Pryor’s hometown) was renamed to Richard Pryor Place in 2002.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “When I was in Africa, this voice came to me and said, ‘Richard, what do you see?’ I said, ‘I see all types of people.’ The voice said, ‘But do you see any niggers?’ I said, ‘No.’ It said, ‘Do you know why? ‘Cause there aren’t any.’”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FipkwtYLTk
Counter-culture’s most pertinent voice, Bill Hicks took the microphone like a sword and the stage like his horse. Hot-tempered, politically incorrect & irreverent to the bone – Hicks barked prophetic genius to unsuspecting audiences everywhere. Leaving nothing taboo; Hicks tore into religion, politics, consumerism, drug opponents and basically anything stigmatized – with fury. Contempt for culture and superficiality have never been criticized so lucidly by anyone since.
Starting his live career in the early 80′s, Hicks’ controversial social commentary was the subject of extreme censorship battles – but by 1990, his audience had significantly grown. Striking a friendship with alternative band Tool, he joined the 1992 Lollapalooza tour, opening their shows. His comedic impact can be seen on most modern comics, but more notably, musicians – with names like Radiohead, SPA, Super Furry Animals and Tool immortalizing him either in song or on album artwork. Hicks was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1993, tragically passing away at home in 1994 at the age of 32. His iconic and prolific performances are regarded as some of comedy’s finest moments.
www.billhicks.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: In 1993, comedian Denis Leary (then close friend of Bill) took a significant amount of Hicks’ previously recorded material – line for line – and recorded it as his own on his 1993 special “No Cure For Cancer”. The incident caused an abrupt ending to their friendship. When asked about the matter in an interview, Hicks said, “I have a scoop for you. I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and, to really throw people off, I did it before he did.”
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “It’s all about money, not freedom, okay? Nothing to do with fucking freedom. If you think you’re free, try going somewhere without fucking money, okay?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObHeRrFhwI
The one and only George Carlin – master of human condition & singular comedy icon of the 21st Century. A Carlin show was not just a comedy set – it was a lecture. A lecture from a professor dead-set on teaching you everything parents & authority didn’t cover. Astronomically intelligent and devoid of any sugar-coating, Carlin’s act was a lightning-fast account of every aspect of life. His wildly controversial, yet instantly accessible finesse found a place in society that most comics can only covet: wholly independent thought on a mainstream level of success.
Carlin first reached the public eye in the 1960′s on both The Ed Sullivan Show & The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Shedding his clean-cut, inoffensive image on-stage by the 70′s, he began to develop his unique styling – dividing his material into 3 categories (as described by Carlin himself): ”the little world” (observational humor), “the big world” (social commentary), and the “peculiarities of the English language”. Carlin was able to articulate hyper-detailed evaluation like an over-clocked computer – frequently using fast-paced, alliterated lists to punctuate his point. In 1978, his “Seven Dirty Words” routine was responsible for one of the biggest cases in censorship & broadcast history – a 5-4 win allowed the government to regulate “indecent material on the public airwaves”. Appearing in 14 films and 20 television shows, Carlin continued his show business career off the stage as well – ironically including the ‘Mr. Conductor’ character on children’s show “Shining Time Station” (!). Carlin has been awarded 5 Grammy Awards (among several others) for his 14 HBO specials, 19 albums and 5 books. Infinitely unique & completely unprecedented, George Carlin enjoyed over 50 successful years in show business before passing away in 2008 at the age of 71.
www.georgecarlin.com
THAT’S FACTED UP: Carlin was the first-ever host of “Saturday Night Live”.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7pQrx1QvE
DC Comics, which is a part of Warner Brothers Entertainment, made huge waves last year, with their announcement that they were “rebooting” the entire DC universe, and there was a lot of trepidation as to whether it was going to be successful, but the men that run the show like Jim Lee, Dan DiDio, and Geoff Johns were adamant and positive about the reboot, allowing continuities to streamline, and let titles stand out on their own. This was a huge deal in the comic universe, and a potentially great opportunity for people who either lost their way in the universe, or newbies who were interested in getting on the bus.
The reboot was more successful than DC’s creative imagined, with some of the new #1 titles getting 2,3,4,and 5 reprints. It was a huge success, and the formula that they used in the 1980′s with “Crisis On Infinite Earths” worked again.
Another reboot has come across to DC. Their website, DC Comics has been completely re-done, and their logo has been streamlined to something drastically different. Long gone is the star circle “bullet” that we remember, and now, we see this:
DC is making some giant leaps, and big changes. Stay tuned for more.
28 years ago, a delightful little show about 5 people piloting giant robot lions came into our homes. When it was necessary, these 5 lion formed into a giant, colorful kick-ass robot named Voltron. An action backed cartoon that helped bring the wave the 80′s animation and toy craze. The original cartoon faded from the airwaves, but the following and love still remain strong.
Enter Dynamite Comics, a comic publisher that last year put out a Voltron comic series, that was welcomed with a lot of fanfare for its sharp, colorful art, and story lines that gave more depth than a 30 second episode flashback, and the following battle with a “Robeast”. Taking the popularity of their Voltron series and running with it, Dynamite is putting out a “spin-off” title called Voltron: Year One, which will look into the past with greater detail of the 5 pilots that became The Space Squadron that saved the universe on countless occasions.
“The Voltron property is at its resurgent height right now in terms of the new toys, cartoons, comics, etc., so as the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. We’re forging new backstories for all of the main players with Voltron: Year One.” Said Dynamite editor Joe Rybandt.
There is of course, the current cartoon, entitled Voltron Force, but it is not tied into the comic universe, but this series will be tied heavily into the original series. Watch for the 1st issue coming soon!
Comicbookjockey is a guy with too many opinions, and too little time. He’s crass and articulate, always has on headphones, talks about nerdy stuff, and cleaning up after himself. Too see and hear more:
The Twitters
The Facebook
The Website
The Blog
The Email
The You Tube Channel
Stan Lee’s ‘Spiderman’ is weaving its web across the big screen this Fourth of July. No, not “Spiderman 4″, but, instead, “The Amazing Spiderman.”
Nerds rejoice: it appears to be closely following the comic books that inspired the movie franchise to the delight of purists. One thing we all can agree on: Never offend Nerd Nation!
Dig this trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi640721177/
Digital comics have been as lucrative as the paper issue business model the last few years, with the convenience of staying home, and taking 60 seconds out of your day to buy, and download the books that you love straight to your computer, Android phone, iPad, or iPhone. Saving space for those that have a 200 square foot Manhattan apartment, or a “green” conscious personality, digital comic downloads, just like digital novels or newspapers have been a smack in the face to print media as a whole. Comics however, are going strong on both ends. Diamond Distribution, the “go to” company for national distribution to comic stores, showed numbers last year that people were buying paper books from the brick-and-mortar stores will continue to do so, with some in the mix that will buy both.
Part of the focus of the DC’s “New 52”, also known as re-launch for their continuity, had a large focus on same day digital with their new series, with great success. Marvel’s “Ultimate” line, which is set apart from the Marvel universe continuity is a more contemporary universe, featuring real places, and people, and more of a connection to today’s reader, have been same day digital since early 2011, and their first experiment with the same day digital was with Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 in June of 2010.
Archie Comics was the initial leader in the digital comics market, going same day digital for their entire line in January of 2011, making a real mark by offering them for a dollar less than their print counterparts. If Marvel wants to really take a step forward, that’s the first thing they need to do once their full line goes to the web.
Keep a watch out toward mid-March to start seeing download options for your favorite Marvel characters, or series.
There’s some crappy people out there, and it’s unfortunate when greed overrides your common sense, or overall decency to your fellow-man.
Medina, New York – July 5th, 2010: 77-year-old Homer Marciniak awoke in the middle of the night to a robber in his house. The robber wasn’t there for jewelry, cash, or sexy underwear to smell. He was there for comic books. Juan C. Javier, 18, beat the 77-year-old Marciniak when he awoke to find Javier in his home. Marciniak only suffered some cuts and bruises, but died later in the day from a heart attack.
Police said that Javier is one of a group of seven people who were hired by Rico J. Vendetti to rob Marciniak of his collection. The other members of this group hired to steal the comic collection are awaiting trial, or have been sentenced for various charges. 8 people total, including Javier and Vendetti were charged in Orleans County court, New York state. The indictment was later dismissed against four because the case was turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which charged all four with murder under federal law.
Javier pled guilty this last fall to attempted second-degree burglary, and was sentenced on January 9th to seven years in a New York state prison, with five years of post-release supervision and was fined $5,000 by the judge presiding over the case.
Christmas is coming pretty fast, and while I’m not a fan of the holidays in general, there’s something good I can share for this time of year, and I think a lot of you will remember as well. *Enter flashback sequence*
We all remember, don’t we? A boy and his stuffed tiger were having adventures in the woods, time traveling in a cardboard box, or fighting off the evil babysitter. Wait. The tiger was real? It talked to the boy, and interacted with him, but when others were around, it was just a stuffed lump. What’s going on?
That was the greatness of Calvin & Hobbes, a syndicated daily/Sunday comic strip, across America for ten years, from 1985-1995. Most around during that time will remember flipping through their paper, breezing through their comics section, and seeing a 3 or 4 panel strip about a wiser than his years 6-year-old, and the “imaginary” best friend tiger, that you would catch having existential debates about nature, gravity, and the perfect snowball. Calvin & Hobbes inspired a generation of people, including this writer, to become artist, get involved with art, and most important of all, to never lose your imagination.
Created by Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes was shopped around in several different incarnations before finally become what it was, and the initial syndication deal he had did not work out, because the newspaper syndication he was with only had him to a “development” deal, to ensure the strip wouldn’t go elsewhere. Not doing what Watterson felt was him, or the strip any justice, or favors, he politely backed out of the deal, sending back the check that was part of the “development deal”. He was locked into something where the strip probably never would have been published. After that, he went to Universal Press Syndicate, where they realized immediately that they had something golden (Watterson was in talks with them before this, but could not act until getting out of or breaking the development deal with the other syndicate).
A hit from the start in newspapers across the country, the stories about the boy and his tiger resonated with people of many ages with Calvin’s age and “friend” Hobbes to connect to kids, and the eloquent dialogue, and damp sarcasm getting a laugh out of teens, and adults alike.
Once the “collections” started hitting the shelves, the fame of these two, and their adventures were sealed in print history. Near 10 books, or “collections” later, and 3 giant treasuries, Watterson halted production of the strip with little warning, ending on December 31st, 1995. Watterson was, and is a very private, and reclusive individual, with only a few articles in print from years ago that had short interviews with him, most for smaller, or local print. The most you’ll ever see Watterson speak about himself, his inspiration for the strip, and content, are 2 places: The Calvin & Hobbes 10th anniversary collection, in which Watterson talks very openly, and surprisingly, about how the strip came to be, and reflections upon his and fan favorites, with crib notes at the beginning of each story, and a very long introduction to the book, which was the first real look into the mind of such a creative guy, that was known throughout the cartoon industry, but never really known as a guy, that live in Ohio with his wife and kids, enjoying peace and quiet.
The other place is the Calvin & Hobbes treasury, a 3 volume behemoth that has everything ever printed Calvin & Hobbes, with another bit of words from Watterson. Some controversial stories and gags, and some that have underlying pokes at world or political climates, and a few even outright in your face, all in one whole collection. Watterson stopped the strip coming up on coming up in a few weeks 17 years ago, and new generations still come across and older brother or sister’s copies of the books, or a hand-me down from parents. Calvin & Hobbes never placed itself in a finite time period, which may or may not have been planned out by Watterson, making his creation something timeless, and a priceless thing to pass down to your children, an old copy of “Revenge Of The Baby-Sat”, or “The Authoritative Calvin & “Hobbes”.
I spent an awful lot of time with them when I was younger, and still do now. Reading the books over and over, I realize now that I’m older that I learned a lot from those two, like big words, their meanings, and that it isn’t a great idea to put on your superhero costume and run through your school like a delusional maniac. With Calvin & Hobbes having some of their best stories and musings during winter time in their universe, and the anniversary of the ending of the strip coming up soon, I couldn’t think of anything better to write about to relate to the holiday season more.
While working on this, I came across a hilarious fan tribute video to Calvin & Hobbes. Now, while Watterson is well-known for maintaining all of his rights, intellectual and otherwise (ala’ George Lucas), a video for fans of the series, and fans of a good chuckle will enjoy it. A video featuring snowmen doing the gruesome, and hilarious things that Calvin would mold them to do throughout the strip’s lifetime is at the link below, and while the 2 are not in the video, waxing poetic, or careening off a cliff on their sled, It’s very funny, and I wish that Bill Watterson stumbles across it one day, and chuckles. See the video here.
Joe Simon was born Hymie Simon on October 11th, 1913 in New York, and became the co-creator of Captain America, along with another golden age icon, Jack Kirby. His career in art started when he was the art director for his high school newspaper, progressing afterwards to be an editorial cartoonist all over the state of New York, finally landing in New York City in the later part of the 1930’s.
His first comic industry creation was the superhero called “The Fiery Mask” that was published by Marvel Comics’ predecessor, Timely Comics. Soon after, Simon and Kirby crossed paths, and first collaborated together on “Blue Bolt” #2. Following that, in 1941, they created the iconic Marvel character, Captain America, Featuring their character’s heroic debut in “Captain America Comics” #1, where the cover depicted Captain America hitting Adolf Hitler in the face with quite a swing on Cap’s part.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s works were recognized, and known for being dynamic and ingenious, which helped the industry begin to take advantage of comic books and their larger pages, forsaking the small newspaper comics, with numerous different strips jammed onto each page. However, they had to put their careers on the back burner for the service to their country during World War II.
Returning from the war working on titles in the late 40’s/early 50’s, they struggled to become publishers themselves, but never succeeded, being kept down by those that already had the money an means to print and publish. Tired of not getting what was felt to be their due, Joe Simon went after Marvel Comics in court to get his rights for the character he helped create, Captain America. The case was settled out of court in 1969, but Simon went after his character again in 1999, but eventually losing the battle as a result of the 1969 deal.
Simon stayed with his craft for many years, in positions such as editor in chief for his father in law’s comics company, to working for DC Comics.
The story of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby fighting for the rights to the character they created almost parallels that of Jerry Siegel, and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman. Artist/writer/creator owned property was unheard of back then, and had no precedent to favor them, so a lot of the golden agers got a raw deal. However, the fights that Joe Simon and these men started paved the way for the comic industry to make sweeping changes in how things are done, with things like creator-owned property, and making money on public appearances, and signings. Joe Simon toured conventions with his son in the early 90’s with books that he wrote about his life in comics, and was seen as recent as comic cons in 2006, taking pictures with fans, and people dressed up as Captain America. Joe Simon lived to almost 100 years old, and in that time, he may not have won rights to the character he helped create, but he got to see the results of the groundwork him and his peers laid.
Kevin Keller is a character that was first introduced into the Archie universe, in the spin-off title “Veronica”. He’s become very popular among the fans, with a father that was in the Army, and Kevin’s character is carried over to the “Life with Archie” series, which follows the Riverdale rat-pack into adulthood, in a very Beverly Hills 90210 like story. Did I mention the important part? Kevin Keller is gay.
“When you enter into new territory — and frankly, we were the first company to really enter into this realm — you’re just never certain how it’s going to go, and you’re never certain how the character is going to develop,” said Archie CEO Jon Goldwater.
Dan Parent, the writer of the “Veronica” series, is the man developing Kevin Keller’s story, from teenage years to adulthood. He’s also getting married to his partner, a character named Clay Walker, in “Life with Archie” #16, scheduled to ship this January. Everyone that has a say in the direction of Archie Comics had a hand in the development of this character, and his upcoming wedding. CEO Goldwater, Kevin’s aforementioned writer Dan Parent, “Life with Archie” writer Paul Kupperberg, and Editor-in-Chief Victor Gorelick.
“We certainly consulted with Dan on how this was going to be positioned in ‘Life with Archie.’ Goldwater said. We’re very sensitive to the fact that this is his baby, and we’re not going to cut him out of the process. He was involved in talking to Paul, and frankly, before we went forward with Paul, we asked if he was cool with it. And more than being cool with it, he said ‘That’s fantastic!’ He was incredibly enthusiastic, and he knows that ‘Life with Archie’ is Paul’s book so he was extraordinarily supportive.”
Kevin Keller will continue to be written, and featured in Archie’s universe, despite the expected disapproval of people that can’t accept, or understand that people have a right to live their own lives. These stories are about characters that happen to be gay, not because they are gay.
Kupperberg says about Kevin being a new character: “It made it a little easier in a way. I talked to Dan about Kevin as a character in general, and he created Kevin’s spouse Clay Walker and came up with a persona for him, and I took it from there,” Kupperberg said. “The Kevin of the teenage Archie world if very different from the version we see in ‘Life with Archie.’ Now not only is he grown up, but he’s also a decorated military hero who has seen his fair share of action and been wounded in battle. Once I got into it, it wasn’t tough writing the character. The first scene I wrote for him involves Kevin reflecting back on his time in the Middle East, and as I was doing it, I thought, ‘He’s Sgt. Rock now! I’m not writing Kevin Keller so much as I’m writing Lt. Kevin Keller, United States Army.’”
Is this a milestone for comics? Yes. Does it show how far our society has come, in terms of accepting people for who they are? Yes. It’s a stand to say that there is a character out there, even though fictional, that not only was proudly displayed as a gay teenager, and that’s okay, to being someone on the front lines of a war, risking their lives just like the man next to him in combat. This is a big day for comics, and you’d be a fool not to pass it on.
Comicbookjockey is a guy with too many opinions, and too little time. He’s crass and articulate, and enjoys hot sauce, talking about nerdy stuff, and cleaning up after himself. Too see and hear more:
There are currently no events to display.