“So, It Was a Drag, and a Gyp, and a Royal Rip-Off…”- What the Disastrous ‘Evening with Stan Lee’ at Carnegie Hall Tells Us About the True Believers

It’s been critiqued and discussed. It’s been brushed over, sanitized, rationalized and retconned. It is, of course, the infamous publicity event designed to make a mainstream celebrity out of Stan ‘The Man’ Lee– an event at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in early 1972 that was anything but dazzling and far from career-boosting. Not that Stan […]

“They Just Wanted Public Contact with Some Comic Book Personality…” – Excerpts from the Thought Process of STEVE DITKO

When Steve Ditko died in June 2018, I was filled with more of a genuine gratitude than a sense of sorrow. While I couldn’t claim to truly know the man, I was familiar enough with his belief system to recognize how pragmatic he was, especially in regard to a life lived and as to who […]

A LOUSE IN FOUR COLORS: Reviewing Roy Thomas’s Bland Life & Same Old, Same Old Autobiography

Welcome back, o frantic ones- the most beloved comics industry critic has returned to take you through familiar territory- and, in doing so, does what “Manager” and “Best Friend” John Cimino should have done- act as a sounding board for some of the things that supposed living legend (if we’re going by convention flyers) Roy […]

“When Other People Get a Hold Of That, They’re Going to Explore That”- A Review of Super Visible: The Story of The Women of Marvel Comics

There are some things I need to say at the offset of this review, if you don’t mind. ‘Super Visible: The Story of The Women of Marvel Comics’, written by Margaret Stohl, with Jeanine Schaefer and Judith Stephens, was published- notably, by Marvel *(see below)- in June of 2025. I apologize that it’s taken me […]

I Mean, Fuck Robert Crumb: Thoughts On The Patron Saint For White Apologists

“The Crumb laugh isn’t just unconvincing, it’s painful. Something disturbing is going on, for which the laugh is a bribe. It buys you off, deflects your attention, solicits your collusion. I know that something grotesque is being smuggled in, I just don’t know exactly what.” – Laura Kipnis, BOOKFORUM Review, Spring 2025 Well friends, another new year is […]

“I Did Not Sleep Much in The ’80s, or the 90s’ for that Matter…”- an Interview w/ JayJay Jackson on Her Prolific Career, Art, and Life in Comics

Where does one begin with a creative force and powerhouse personality like JayJay Jackson? Prolific and eclectic, she has worked steadily and consistently as a viable collaborator in nearly all areas of the comic book industry (to say nothing of her work as a graphic artist, designer, and author) while still flying purposely under the […]

“…FanFic Masquerading as Journalism and Still Winning the Pulitzer…” – Highlights from the Mid-Week Mailbag

Well friends, I suppose writing this on a Tuesday doesn’t really qualify as a “midweek” mailbag but hey- this isn’t a journalism site so give your humble and gregarious host a break, yeah?? I’m barely coherent and yet still decided to delve into the ol’ inbox to finally response and share a horrid host of […]

“The Results Were Pure Simon, With Only Hints of Kirby…”- Reviewing Joe Simon’s 2011 ‘My Life in Comics’

Joe Simon (1913-2011) was (and is) a seminal and pivotal figure in the history of American Comic Books, and one that is largely associated by his successful and innovative partnership with Jack Kirby, a partnership that had such value during the Golden Age of Comics that their names were touted on covers, a rarity for […]

“I’ll Be Damned if I Stand Aside Silently…” – The Confessions of Roy Thomas, Creator

Well folks, buckle up! The long-awaited rebuttal from Rascally Roy has finally reached us, courtesy of TwoMorrows Publishing- and its chock-full of, well, everything you might expect from Team Thomas at this point. One of the more interesting things I got from reading this was indisputable proof that at least someone on Roy’s plantation is […]

“And I Knew That Roy Was The Second Wave Guy…”- an Interview with the Living Legend, John Cimino

I’ve got to start by sharing what a gratifying experience it was to see the tremendous response from fans and industry professionals alike when it came to our interview with the great Clair Noto. Even esteemed and established comic journalists gave credit for the journalistic qualities of that conversation, and the discussions it provoked within […]