the stuff inside my head that must get out
archives
Sat, 27 Sep 2003
this is why
A lot of people ask me why I give away all the comics retailing software that I write. This is why I write
Free Software. Because 20 years ago today RMS started the GNU Project and changed the way people think about
proprietary software. Without that little email, I would not have been
able to build any of the fun and interesting software gadgets I've
tinkered with to help me run a better comic book store.
the website that made a man out of mac
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Check out this great website for an archive of classic comic book ads. Many folks agree
that the ads are some of the best parts of classic silver age comics.
A thirty footer! |
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Sun, 21 Sep 2003
What does Stan Lee mean to you?
An essay contest to promote the new Stan Lee Biography has announced the
winners. I was
surprised to see old Mike's Coliseum/Hijinx customer
Mark Klegg listed among the winners. Way to go Mark!
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Mon, 15 Sep 2003
Family Guy movie
I'm a big fan of the short-lived Fox tv show The Family Guy.
I recently got the second box set and watched a huge marathon session.
According to this the series creator Seth MacFarlane is going to produce
a full length Family Guy movie direct to DVD. I'll buy one, would you?
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Johnny Cash 1932-2003
Rest in peace, Johnny.
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I love stage magic. There's something cool about going to a show where
you know everything you see is going to be a fake. Harry Houdini was
more than just a magician, he was one of the first professional occult
debunkers. He thought that anyone using stage magic techniques to bilk
desperate families out of cash was wrong, and he used his skills and
money to bring those people down. Now if only someone would go after
that phony Crossing Over guy. I hate him.
Thanks to boingboing for this link to an archive of old magic posters. |
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You've gotta love Bazooka Joe. Not only is it cheap, it comes with cheap comics too. Check out this great BZ archive site. I just don't think I'd look good in an eyepatch and turtleneck... |
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Fri, 12 Sep 2003
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I'll admit I've never heard of MC Honky, but sharp-eyed readers will notice the fine cover art by Ivan Brunetti. Even sharper readers will go to this link and download the music video animated by Mr. Brunetti, then rush down to Hijinx to purchase his comic Schizo or Haw his collection of horrible, horrible cartoons. |
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Wed, 10 Sep 2003
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Fleep is one of my single favorite comics of all time. Jason Shiga was
nominated for two Eisner awards this year, and took home one for
Talent Deserving Wider Recognition. In Jason's words:
It's about a boy who wakes up in a telephone booth which has been mysteriously sealed in an envelope of concrete. Using only the contents of his pockets (two pens, a paperback novel, three coins and 20 ft of unwaxed dental floss) our hero must fashion and execute an escape plan before he runs out of oxygen. Believe it or not, I try to end each strip on a cliffhanger which is very challanging considering most of the 42 strips take place inside this one phone booth. Read it online, then buy a copy at Hijinx! |
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mad is rad
Thanks to Mark Evanier for
blogging about this great
Mad Magazine cover gallery that has the cover of every regular issue from 1953 to the present day. It also includes the table of contents for each issue.
Many people don't really think of Mad as a comic book and are surprised to hear that it's still being made. They've brought some interesting artists to the mag in recent years like Peter Kuper and Kyle Baker, but they'll never recapture the magic of the early Kurtzman years in my book. I sometimes think of Mad as the perfect comic book.
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Mon, 08 Sep 2003
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from crimeboss.com: For crime collectors, this is the Holy Grail. This is the one that started it all...the very first "crime comic." For my money, this is the second most important comic book of all time (the first being Action Comics #1, of course). Editors Charles Biro and Bob Wood* stole the title from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's popular newsreel series, and bordered the cover with photographs of famous criminals to give it a "true detective" look and feel. All of the early covers, including this one, were drawn by Charles Biro himself. *Ironically, according to Ron Goulart's Over 50 Years of American Comic Books (which is a great reference, by the way), Bob Wood went to prison in the early 1950's for beating his girlfriend to death. |
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Sat, 06 Sep 2003
TPB Tuesday every day
I'm happy to announce that the extremely positive response to our TPB
Tuesday program has prompted me to expand it into the all new
Hijinx Book Club!
That's right true believers, earn store credit with each Graphic Novel or Trade Paperback purchase every single blessed day of the week. You can spend your credit any time on any other GN/TPB purchase. It's the new rage all the kids are talking about! Sort of...
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an important message from Mark Evanier
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programmer or serial killer?
My buddy Howie just sent
me a great link to an online quiz where you decide based on a photo whether the person
is a serial killer or the inventor of a programming language. I guess
either one qualifies as a hacker...
Hijinx Downtown is coming!
The papers have been signed and the die has been cast, I'm proud to
announce the all new Hijinx Downtown! All the great service and
selection our loyal Willow Glen customers are used to is coming to
the underserved downtown San Jose area. Watch this space for more
info about the grand opening nuttiness that will unfold in the very
near future!
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Scarlet Traces guest reviewed by JK
from the message boards:
Sleeper of the year-"Scarlet Traces"
This could be the perfect example of what Frank Miller was talking about when he said the future of comics is original graphic novels. Written in four equal chapters, it seemed the intention was to be a mini series, although Dark Horse put out the story as a single hardcover book.
The story takes place in Victorian England and has a LXG feeling about it. The main storyline is about two men, a retired-soldier-turned-gentleman-adventurer and his former Sergeant Major (now manservant), and their quest to find the later's missing niece. What really sets this story apart is the incredible backdrop storyline: the Martians(the tripod variety from H.G. Wells) invaded England, but before their inevitable victory they succumb to germs that humans have been immune to for centuries. The industrious English assimilate the left behind Martian technology into their everyday lives, including the devastating heat-ray, and became a world power. What does this have to do with the missing niece? Plenty! The scripting by Edginton is flowing and flawless. The artwork by D'Israeli captures that victorian feel and his Martian technology is right on the mark. This book is so English, in a good way.
JK GRADE: A-
See, there's occasionally something useful on the feedback board
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Wed, 03 Sep 2003
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Sharp-eyed customer and Hijinx message board troublemaker Mario pointed out
this image and said it was spotted in an LA movie theatre. I
thought it was for the old Corman stinker, but no...
The Fantastic Four was a great book for two reasons and their names are Stan and Jack. To capture the scope of the book in it's prime would require a huge budget. I'm looking forward to seeing the negative zone, but I bet it'll be mostly set in Latveria and a involve a certain Doctor named Vic. |
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Mon, 01 Sep 2003 |
When I was a kid I was really into dinosaurs and insects. To this day I buy insect field guides just to look at the purty pictures. Check out this cool bug site for everything you need. |