RIP Neal Adams

 

The influential comic book artist Neal Adams passed on April 28th, 2022.  I was seeing his art long before I knew who he was.  He was doing many covers for DC and Marvel when I was just starting my comic book reading career.  After a few years I started noticing the credits and different art styles in books.  By this time Neal was only doing covers, and I didn't get to see his actual comic book artwork until years later.  In fact, I hadn't realized how much John Byrne had copied Neal's art until many years later when I could read some of those Avengers and X-Men comics he did.  Apparently he told someone after seeing Byrne's art for the first time "It is great- what does he do?"

Invaders From Mars (1986) Trailer

                         

Moon Knight 05- Asylum

 

All this makes me love Taweret.  I had never heard of her before this show.  My knowledge of Egyptian deities is somewhat lacking.  Anyway, this episode explores much more of of Marc and Stephen's background.  Some of it is disturbing, which is not surprising, considering the mental state of Marc.  There is more action, but only one slight showing of the actual superhero in costume.  It was during the origin sequence, so it was kind of cool.  But Tawaret is the real star here.

MOTW- Gubira

 

Gubira is an enormous fish monster with a drill for a nose/weapon.  This allows it to burrow underground as well as swim.  It can also breathe air, or at least get around on the ground for a short amount of time.  The drill can also catch Ultraman's super cool Shredding Halo and send it back at him.  It doesn't help the poor beast too much, as Ultraman breaks the drill off and then dispatches the beast with his Spacium Ray.

Mysterious Island Dell Comics

Dell Comics sure licensed a lot of adaptions of movies and TV shows.  I have a few of these that I have collected here and there.  I was never that impressed with the artwork, as I was preferred the dynamic stuff from Marvel and DC.  I also didn't know that most of the adaptions were done before the movie was released, and generally based on scripts, rather than the actual movie.  I haven't read this one, nor do I really have any urge to obtain a copy of it.  I like the movie just fine these days.  It's a well done adventure.

Animated Monster Home Movies

 

I actually owned one of these movies, and saw two more of them.  Back in the day, these were the only way to own even a portion of a movie.  And they were expensive- $8-$10 for 11 minutes of movie.  In today's movie, that equals over $50.  You can buy at least 2-3 movies for that much money, and most of those would have an hour or two of extras on them.  And be the complete film!  It is really amazing how times have changed.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man trailer

                     

Hey kids! Full Color comics in Xenorama!

 

The original issue of Xenorama #32 was black and white.  A crisis happened, and now there are two full color issues being published.  The original issue was over 200 pages, and full color would have been costly for that.  But now, readers can enjoy two issues!  I haven't done a color issue in quite some time, but this seems like a natural one to do it with.  I have fixed a few little typos and added some new content, so at least they aren't exactly the same as well.  They should be live in the next few days!

I kind of wish I had split the original issue into two parts to begin with, but I was excited about it being a real book size.  So this is the most logical solution, I reckon.

Spider-Man and Daredevil

 

After watching the "Man without Fear" two part episode of the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, I want that live action Spider-Man/Daredevil team up movie even more now.  The MCU has all the pieces they need.  Think about it.  They have the Kingpin there already, so all the pieces are ready to go.  Matt would be able to tell that Peter is Spider-Man the first time he meets them both (same heartbeat, etc).  It would be such a great buddy movie.  Or series.  I don't care, it just needs to be done.

Moon Knight 04- The Tomb

 

Marc and Steven talk.  A lot.  Harrow tells Layla what really happened to her father.  Layla battles a zombie or a mummy or something like that.  Alexander the Great gets a tonsillectomy.  Two of our heroes get shot.  Steven stars in an Indiana Jones homage, or does he?  Marc and Steven meet each other in a sanitorium and are happy.  Then they are confused about how that is happening.  There is another clue to a third personality.  Finally, the door opens and...

MOTW- Jamila

 

This is possibly the saddest of all the original Ultraman stories.  The astronaut Jamila has returned to Earth, but he has been changed into a gigantic creature.  He is out to exact revenge on the Earth for this happening to him.  Ultraman does his duty and stops him, but this does kill the man inside the monster.  Somehow water is the monster's weakness.  This all happens in the far off year of 1993 (per the headstone on the grave).

The Cat Who Went to Paris (1991)

 

I received this book as a birthday present.  It is by Peter Gethers, and it explains in how cats can change a life in a mere 195 pages.  Norton is a Scottish Fold, which, like my torties, is a mutation of a cat.  The ears have a fold, which makes them look a bit like a great horned owl.  They are a popular breed due to the lovely disposition they have.  I don't know that I have ever met one myself, but I am sure I would love them.  Side note- I have decided to lean into the crazy cat man life, since I've just been in denial about it anyway. There is no reason to pretend any more.

Ultraman Ace

 

Ultraman Ace is such a fun show.  It isn't as serious as Return of Ultraman but it is so much better than Ultraman Taro.    The monsters get a bit ridiculous on occasion, but the stories are generally good.  This was the first Ultra show I watched completely, at least after the original.  I have always loved the way Ace looked, though it is easy to tell that head piece is a little awkward for the stunt actor to move around in at first.  It had to take some getting used to.

Sven- The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

 

This is the fourth of Universal's Frankenstein series, and it's pretty good.  It was the last one they made before beginning their "team up" movies with the Frankenstein monster.  I remember watching it and realizing that it followed the previous movie, especially with Ygor being the same actor (Bela Lugosi) as the last movie.  This movie involves yet another Frankenstein son returns to his homeland and of course , promptly, if a bit reluctantly, starts up the family business.  Ygor's plan is to have his brain transplanted into the monster's body, which does happen.  It is too bad he does not know anything about genetics, though, as he suddenly turns blind.

The Harlem Globetrotters (1970)

 

I watched this cartoon all the time.  I think I remember it more since it ran two seasons, which was unusual for a Hanna-Barbera series back then.  I loved it, and it probably inspired me to play basketball (I am terrible at that game, I'm a swimmer by nature).  It was fun, and eventually they teamed up with the Scoobies a few times  I enjoyed that as well.  However, once the show left the air and these Trotters aged out of the team I lost interest.  And never saw or heard about the cartoon again.  I remembered it when The Super Globetrotters were showing, but somehow that wasn't as much fun.  I think I knew they had stolen their powers from the Impossibles.

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) Official Trailer

                     

Moon Knight 03- The Friendly Type

 

Talk about meandering around for a while.  A lot of talking happened yet again while the story unfolded.  Eventually we got to see the avatars of five Egyptian deities while they judged the villain, and some backstory on Layla which was nice.  Finally we got some action with an antiques collector from Madripoor, which was the first real connection to the MCU we have seen.  Alan and Steven with V may also have yet another personality in his noggin, which has to be getting crowded by now.  It does look like Ammit is going to be freed, we will see if Khonshu returns.  

MOTW- Telesdon

 

Telesdon is a really cool looking monster.  It is the minion of the Underground people who want to return to the surface of the Earth.  Why they didn't just ask is beyond me, as there couldn't have been that many of them down there.  They don't even have eyes, so how they get around is a mystery.  Telesdon has a fire breath weapon, but nothing that was going to faze Ultraman.  Ultraman does not destroy Telesdon.  It later was revived by Geronimon in episode #37.  So the monster must have been killed in this first episode, but the ending is ambiguous originally.

Whatever Happened to Eddie? Butch Patrick

                       

Another birthday

 

I got this yesterday, I think it came from the Denver Museum of History and Science.  Not sure, though.  It is pretty cute.  Last year's birthday season was not that fun for me, but this year has been much better.  I have kind of leaned into the "crazy cat man" thing, so that's what my life is gonna be now.  And that is quite alright.  I would probably have one more cat if the CEO would let me.

Superhero Origins: The Vision

                                       

Sven- The Wolfman (1941)

No need to see the trailer again, as I have shown that one a while ago.  I am always surprised at how short these early Universal movies are.  This one, like many of the others, runs 70 minutes.  It sure moves along quickly, but is also the perfect running time.  The cast is stellar, and the script is good.  Silver is still the only way to kill a werewolf, though Larry Talbot would return several more times in the next 10 years.

Yule Cat (2017)

Got this lovely book today.  It is based on the Icelandic legend of the Yule Cat, who would devour children who didn't get new clothes at Yuletide.  This books tones down that legend quite a bit, making it much funnier and cuter.  The gist of the book is the Yule Brothers have to give the Yule Cat his yearly bath, since he is old and happy to do a lot of nothing all the time.  The book is by Brian Pilkington, and is full of humorous illustrations.  You don't even have to go to Iceland to get a copy!

Moon Knight 02- Summon the Suit

 

I can't remember if Frenchie is up there in the helicopter, though I can easily check!  Never mind, that volume is in the basement.  I don't think Frenchie existed yet, though.  Heck, we didn't even know who Moon Knight exactly was.  Seems like we still don't, even now, actually.  Anyway, this second episode- like nearly all the first couple episodes, takes its time getting going.  There is much exposition, more characters introduced, and the villain gets to tell the hero why Ammit is the right God and Khonshu is the wrong god.  Each side does have some compelling arguments, but this Ammit sounds a lot like Thanos.  And we already know how that sort of thing is going to end.  I did like Steven's Fist of Justice suit, it was kind of smashing and not overly ornate like they always have to make the standard superhero suits now.

MOTW- Kemlar

 

This rather cute muppet like creature is quite dangerous, as it can spew toxic vapor that kills and blinds most everything it comes in contact with.  The death of pigeons leads the Science Patrol into the area.  Kemlar is known to them, and they know it only has one weakness: a small spot on its back.  This is protected by a carapace, which also protects the monster's face.  It is a tricky thing to defeat this beast, but our heroes do manage to stop it.

Dinosaur Toys circa early 70s

 

These are some Marx dinosaur toys from my collection.  In fact, they are the only ones I have left now.  I had a lot more, but time and distance from them cause much of my collection to disappear.  Some of these figures have dog bites on them.  They have been well played with and well loved.  These are what I consider my dinosaurs.  I would love to get a full set of them, but that is not really high on my list of "must haves" at this point in time.  They will be featured in a future of Xenorama at some point in time.  I am glad I got that Prehistoric Play Sets book, so I could find the set I actually owned.

King Of Beasts- GoLion (1981)

 

Voltron is now on Amazon Prime Video for viewing, and I got to thinking about the original series it was based on.  Those DVD sets are now OOP and cost way too much money.  I liked Voltron enough, though I never really cared much for the vehicles series.  There were too many characters in that one for me to keep track of, especially since you never saw that version too often.  The Lion Force was much more popular in the US.  Anyway, I had watched the first six or so episodes way back when, but didn't remember much.  The US version is rather entertaining, but it is so easy to see where the changes and edits are made.  It is a rather violent cartoon in the original form, and they make all kinds of living beings into "robots" so the deaths are easier to take.

Sven- Werewolf of London (1935)

 

This was Universal's first werewolf movie, and it's closer to The Mummy (1932) than the next werewolf movie they would make.  The werewolf lore is a bit different, involving a flower that would cure a person of their "werewolfery".  Everyone know there is only one way to kill/cure a werewolf.  The first time I saw the movie the whole flower thing mystified me.  It wasn't even called wolfsbane!  This word (werewolfery) is never heard again in any movie, which is not really a bad thing.  It is a good movie though, and one that is very low key overall.

Werewolf of London (1935) Official Trailer

                                         

Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London (A Tribute to Henry Hull - Werewolf)