I’m seven years old, in first grade, and my dad showed me an item in the New York Post (back in those days, it was a respected tabloid) that Batman was coming to television. I remember being so excited about this that I blurted it out in class, interrupting whatever math my teacher was trying […]
I love the Baltimore Comic-Con, a show that puts its love of all things comics ahead of all things media. It’s a great chance to catch up with peers and friends while keeping my eye out for the next great thing. As always, I will be a panel moderator while wandering the aisles and visiting […]
I’ve thought about this column long before the “How long have you been in comics” meme began circulating on social media. After all, today is a very special day for me. It was 40 years ago that I officially joined the staff at DC Comics, where I would stay for 16 wonderful years (returning a […]
I intended to write this before chaperoning a school trip to Germany but, well, life got in the way. Just prior to departing, I made sure to wach the earliest screening of The Flash to avoid spoilers. I figured it would generate conversation and maybe controversy. What I did not count on was it crashing […]
I was stunned to realize I would have three releases come out on the same day in October. Imagine my surprise to see three books coming out in March. Out first, is Biff! Bam! Ee-Yow! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Guide to Batman ’66—Season Two. Edited by Jim Beard, aided and abetted by Rich Handley, this […]
Surprisingly, the annual Farpoint convention sort of snuck up on me in the sense that I have been so focused on school work that with just days to go, I have had to shift my focus and prepare to be a writer/editor/bon vivant once more. The show is tremendous fun, with lovely fans, but even […]
Back in late November, I received a call from my publisher atChartwell Books. Apparently, sales have been so strong, and the reviews so superlative,on the first three 100 Greatest Momentsbooks, they negotiated a deal with DC Comics for three more books. She wantedto know if I was interested in writing them. What do you think? […]
It’s hard to believe it’s time for Shore Leave 39 already. I’ve been coming steadily since SL 3 back in the early 1980s and I delight at how it has grown but retained its intimate, fan-centric experience.I’ve got a rather packed schedule along with playing emcee most of the weekend. For those attending, here’s where […]
In January 1966, I was seven years old and thrilled beyond belief when Batman debuted on ABC. I was fairly new to comics but was already drawn to the Caped Crusader and bought every wacky thing about the live-action series.West had the right vocal tone, the right demeanor so his ultra-straight portrayal worked for my […]
This was sent to me by Sarah at Personal Income, a financial management company that at least tries to talk in language most people understand. I thought it was fun and was willing to share it with the understanding that I do not endorse their services or have been paid to run this. Anyone would […]
Perhaps the biggest challenge Batman vs. Superman had was the same one plaguing Avengers: Age of Ultron. It had to service so many different agendas that things got muddled, especially for audiences not steeped in the lore. It certainly explains why the Blu-ray release will contain an additional 30 minutes of scenes, including more with […]
Hard to be believe it’s been fifty years, but I still remember the thrill and anticipation as I sat in the playroom, ready for Batman. I embarrassed myself some time earlier when my father showed me a newspaper item announcing the ABC series and interrupted my teacher’s math lesson to share the good news.Yeah, I […]
The Dark Knight Rises is not necessarily the movie Christopher Nolan set out to make. The tragic death of Heath Ledger derailed his plans to conclude the trilogy with more between Batman and the Joker so he spent the last four years rethinking how he wanted to end his trilogy (because it seems every super-hero […]
Here’s the deal, the folks at Sequart are pushing Mutant Cinema by making it available free on Kindle for five days, Tues to Sat (26-30 June). Publisher Julian Darius says, “If any book has failed to achieve what we know it’s capable of, it’s Tom McLean’s Mutant Cinema. It’s a great study of the X-Men film […]