Clone Saga #0000.575

The search for the true #0 continues…

[covering Amazing Spider-man #133-137. Which all have awesome Ross Ardru art. I don’t know why this guy never got more fame. The way he arranges his panels without borders reminds me of a Gene Colan, and the sleekness and blankness of his linework lends itself to humor really well. The man really accomplishes some Gene Colan level page composition almost every issue here. And, because the colorist often had little interaction with the penciller and inking team, the best way to read these comics is definitely in the Black and White Essentials reprints. It’s how the Brits fist read American comics, too. Can you believe comics were still 12 pence in the mid seventies in Britain!? And they were at least 48 pages and oversized while reprinting marvel classics with a brand new feature, most often Captain Britain!?!?!

ah, but then you see what color can mean to some things…]

Clone Sage #0.5

[covering Amazing Spider-man #123-132]

I started reading the clone saga issues, and, surprise surprise, almost everything happened in earlier issues. The Jackal first appeared almost ten issues before the trade paperback of “The Original Clone Saga” begins reprinting Spider-man. And this is one reader who’s going for completeness when it comes to the clone saga. I would go long with the clones. I was going to start with the introduction of The Jackal.

As you can tell from these character’s designs, Marvel just got more and more creative after Steve Ditko left the Spider titles.

… sigh… They basically just took off The Green Goblin’s clothing and glider and, voila, new villain!

The motivations are a bit different, though: The Jackal wants nothing less than control of New York’s entire criminal underworld. And he has an unhealthy obsession with Spider-man.

Comic Reviews: Clone Saga #1

I did a very bad thing… I collected all of the Spider-man Clone saga, and I want to read it all.

Those familiar with the clone saga know how frustrating it is to collect. While some trade paperbacks do exist neatly compiling it all into a spine, this reader did not seek those out: besides lacking the thrill of the hunt, I just like stapled comics. The way they open so casually and flirtatiously, staying open for your eyes to gaze over. Reading the same story in a perfect bound trade paperback, you’d have to spend all your time reading also holding the book open. That book is ready to be closed and put on a shelf instead of opened and enjoyed.

Here are some pictures to illuminate:

What Jesus Would Probably Do #0001

written by Sir Boltagon, drawn MINUStheEGO

The organizing of Gotham Newsstand

While organizing the comics for my upcoming business launch, I was struck with a pretty big conundrum: how do I sort all of these beauties???

working on the website and digital inventory of Gotham newsstand

The website will be coming in the next month or so, but a straight alphabetized list of Gotham Newsstand’s inventory is coming much sooner!

About a third is already set up on the site, and it should take a couple more days to complete it, now that the inventory itself is stable and organized.

Check it!

Hope your news is always well!

-ptr

My dream is coming true.

I’m about to open a comic shop at a flea market! Trader’s Village San Antonio, to be precise.

All those comics you’ve seen me blog about? You’re gonna be able to buy em. And, what’s even better, is you can rent em if you live in the area, too! I don’t quite know my space yet, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to stick to the March 9th, simply for issues of not having the time off of work, and for having a typo on the printed legal permit I need to collect sales tax, but updates will be posted. Call me at (832)928.7871 if you’re trying to make it out there.

Thank you for your interest in

GOTHAM NEWSSTAND

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT OUR LIBRARY POLICY!?!?!

For just twenty bucks, you can take home twenty dollars of books with you!

You also have the option of returning the books, and, barring any great change in condition, you can take home twenty more dollars of books!!!

You can repeat this process three times, at which point you receive TEN DOLLARS of credit!
Buy a book (or ten) for yourself, or enroll in the library again!

And, if we never see you again, it’s just like you bought twenty dollars of books from me! You can even think of it as a trial period where you just check out books you eventually want to keep.

The only thing we ask is for an e-mail address so we can check up on books after a month has passed, see if we should think about replacing them in our library. And, if you want us to keep your library visits on paper, we can do just that, too, so you don’t have to keep up with a card. Or why not both?

Thank you for checking out Gotham Newsstand! Hope you find something you like!

Sincerely, ptr

PS I’m hard at work on a digital inventory. It may take a week or maybe even two, to finish that document, but it is almost done.

The Second Edition Of My First Book Is Out!

Thank you all so much for reading on here, now allow a post of shameless self promotion.

The first book in my sci fi slacker epic The Search For The Sacred Vandal has gotten a deluxe, second edition! With a new cover!

(mostly because I forgot the password and cant order any more of the first book!!!)

Anyways, you can buy it online right here, right now. I made a trailer for its initial release. Check it!

Some Trivia About Frank Zappa

“I never told people to put safety pins into their faces.”

He has also “made a thoroughly psychological study of discoteques around the world”, and shares it, among other words, with Dick Cavett as well as all of us.

#163:

A Thousand Islands
I will dress in merriment
Before ships pass on.

a haiku inspired by 1000 island salad dressing and my own life.