Episode 1230 Talkback: Off the Racks

Pants

Green Lantern Animated Series #1 (DC), Secret Service #1 (Marvel/Icon) and The Shadow #1 (Dynamite) were our choices for some off the rack discussion this month. (1:11:12)

Listen here.

nweathington

Murd, you have to turn in your Child of the ’70s card now. All those guys you said Richard Corben was channeling in Ragemoor? They were all influenced by Corben. He’s actually an American artist. In fact, he’s a very influential American artist whose work came into prominence in the ’70s with his “Den” stories in Heavy Metal. “Den” was even adapted in the Heavy Metal movie (the first one, not the crappy sequel). Recently he's been doing some excellent Hellboy stories with Mignola.

In your defense, he hasn't done much work that could be considered mainstream. He has a unique style that doesn’t appeal to everyone. I've always thought of it as two-dimensional claymation. He’s very good at creating a sense of depth and solidity in his work. If you liked Ragemoor, there’s plenty more of his work out there.

rebis

I liked The Shadow, but had problems with the visuals. I would bet that the underlying pencils are pretty good. The inks and colors are heavy and muddy and inconsistent. I seem to have that problem with a lot of Dynamite's books. Flash Gordon is a good read. It's just hard to look at.

Mr_Cosmic

Of the three I liked The Shadow the best.

Green Lantern was just plain boring. I realize that I'm not of the age they are writing for but if I enjoy the show shouldn't I enjoy this?

Secret Service was OK but when I put it down after reading it I knew I was done for good. I just simply don't care about these characters. The only thing that remotely interests me is the subplot dealing with the actors being kidnapped.

SteveAtkinsStudios

Point Of Information:

There are several terms for the picture sheet that outlines what a character in an animated project looks like.

Depending upon whom you speak to, the terms are model sheet, character board, character sheet, character study or simply a study.

nweathington

Or a turnaround, if it's a model sheet showing the character from front, side, and back views.

wordballoon

Matt, it's Howard Chay-kin, not Chank-in. Also Aaron Campbell was Matt wagner's artist on the Green Hornet dynamite series set in the 30's.

MikeGallagher

Murd, you have to turn in your Child of the ’70s card now. All those guys you said Richard Corben was channeling in Ragemoor? They were all influenced by Corben. He’s actually an American artist. In fact, he’s a very influential American artist whose work came into prominence in the ’70s with his “Den” stories in Heavy Metal. “Den” was even adapted in the Heavy Metal movie (the first one, not the crappy sequel). Recently he's been doing some excellent Hellboy stories with Mignola.

In your defense, he hasn't done much work that could be considered mainstream. He has a unique style that doesn’t appeal to everyone. I've always thought of it as two-dimensional claymation. He’s very good at creating a sense of depth and solidity in his work. If you liked Ragemoor, there’s plenty more of his work out there.

What the heck did they say? I'm a Corbin fan! I should have been there, huh?

rebis

I like to think of Richard Corben as Frank Frazetta re-imagined by Sid & Marty Croft.

KyleMoyer

Murd, you have to turn in your Child of the ’70s card now. All those guys you said Richard Corben was channeling in Ragemoor? They were all influenced by Corben. He’s actually an American artist. In fact, he’s a very influential American artist whose work came into prominence in the ’70s with his “Den” stories in Heavy Metal. “Den” was even adapted in the Heavy Metal movie (the first one, not the crappy sequel). Recently he's been doing some excellent Hellboy stories with Mignola.

In your defense, he hasn't done much work that could be considered mainstream. He has a unique style that doesn’t appeal to everyone. I've always thought of it as two-dimensional claymation. He’s very good at creating a sense of depth and solidity in his work. If you liked Ragemoor, there’s plenty more of his work out there.

What the heck did they say? I'm a Corbin fan! I should have been there, huh?

I thought you said you listened to the episodes you weren't on!

But nobody said anything bad about him. Murd actually liked the book he was reviewing, they just didn't know who he was other than that the name "sounded familiar."

MikeGallagher

I just listened today.
I listen to them when I have time. I don't listen to the con reports as I understand most don't.
I'm caught up on CGS, 2 eps behind on word balloon, caught up on legion of substitute pod casters, 3 eps behind on black tribbles, 6 eps behind on scriptcast, and 10 eps behind on film sack.

I need to talk to Adam about Corben. That made me cry.

John_Steed

10 eps behind on film sack

I love Film Sack \m/

alienal

Wow, I actually read all three of the issues you reviewed! Yay for me! I think I liked Shadow the most even with the coloring error (good eyes, Murd!). Glad to see Matt back reading a montly comic! But The Secret Service came in a CLOSE second. As someone else felt, I too was pretty bored by the Green Lantern one, just as much as I was bored by the #0...wait! There was a #0 issue wasn't there? I seem to remember reading it. And it was just like the cartoon. How did I see the cartoon here in Japan? I don't remember...maybe I was on vacation in the U.S. When did it air? --- Ragemoor: Yeah, I had to laugh about the lack of knowledge about Rich Corben. Maybe I'm old, but I first saw his stuff in the Warren books (Eerie, Creepy, etc.) in the early 70's long before Heavy Metal. I wished I had seen his earlier underground stuff. Unfortunately, I thought Ragemoor was a bit derivative of other stuff Corben has done, but I ordered the whole series so maybe it'll get better. Oh, and I loved his Startling Stories: Banner and the CAGE series he did with Azzarello. I just read he did Hellblazer: Hard Time with Azzarello. Was that any good, Mike? Daredevil: Yay, Pants! Back in the Daredevil Zone! I was also surprised how much I liked the new series, but it was the cover of #1 that first drew me in. With the billy club covering his eyes and the slight smile. That cover just made me suspect something good was gonna happen with the series. Finally: YAY! The Murd was NOT muddled again! Can anyone say winning streak?!?

MikeGallagher

Corben's hellblazer story was fantastic! I am not that big an Azzarello fan but this one sang. I wish Corben would do more magic John.
Have you read the Hellboys he done did?

alienal

Yeah, Mike: I think I read all of them. Wasn't one of them like Makoma...uh, Being Human, House of the Living Dead? It was all pretty good.

Adam_Murdough

Murd, you have to turn in your Child of the ’70s card now. All those guys you said Richard Corben was channeling in Ragemoor? They were all influenced by Corben.

...With the exception of Dr. Seuss, I assume? ;)

Seriously, thanks for the background, Eric (and Happy Birthday!). I really had never seen Mr. Corben's name or work anywhere until I got around to reading the first issue of that "Banner" miniseries from 2001 a few months ago. Guess I should read a few issues of Heavy Metal someday.

(And for the record, having been born in 1979, I really can't claim to be anything more than an "Infant of the '70s"--my fascination with '70s culture is more a matter of heritage than lived experience. I suppose that makes me "Seventies-American." :D There's still a lot I don't know about my native decade, but I'm learning!)

nweathington

Heavy Metal can be pretty hit or miss, but in the early days there were a lot more hits than misses. You should watch the movie sometime, though. It'll give you an overview of some of the better features from the magazine, and while it was released in ’81 it did make a cultural impact and obtained a cult status.

And thanks for the birthday wishes!

Amalgam_Man

Listening to this show made me want to pick up The Spider #1. I have been on a pure mainstream binge for a couple of months. It was nice to pick up an indy book (especially a pulp book) as a palette cleanser.

LibraryBoy

Heavy Metal can be pretty hit or miss, but in the early days there were a lot more hits than misses. You should watch the movie sometime, though. It'll give you an overview of some of the better features from the magazine, and while it was released in ’81 it did make a cultural impact and obtained a cult status.

Plus, Corben's "Den" is one of the segments in the movie, so it's a good introduction to what his work was like.

I remember seeing an ad for another Richard Corben series, Children of Fire, in the back of a TMNT comic when I was a kid (it might've been the original Turtle Soup anthology, but I'm not sure), and it freaked me out. The characters in the ad had this look in their eyes like they were seeing into (and causing) my nightmares or something. Creeeeeeeeepy.

Though the ad also mentioned that Corben's work tended to involve female nudity, so that made me really curious to see it. :D

dubbat138

Heavy Metal can be pretty hit or miss, but in the early days there were a lot more hits than misses. You should watch the movie sometime, though. It'll give you an overview of some of the better features from the magazine, and while it was released in ’81 it did make a cultural impact and obtained a cult status.

And thanks for the birthday wishes!

It seems that the past 5 years Heavy Metal has been way more miss than hit. I pick up an issue once a year and am always disappointed.

MikeGallagher

I get about one issue a year to see what is going on in heavy metal. I agree with dubbat that it's mostly miss. I have only spoken of one issue on the show, the all war of the worlds issue which was quite good. But the mag in general is far from where it was in the 80s.

Marathon

Heavy Metal can be pretty hit or miss, but in the early days there were a lot more hits than misses. You should watch the movie sometime, though. It'll give you an overview of some of the better features from the magazine, and while it was released in ’81 it did make a cultural impact and obtained a cult status.

And thanks for the birthday wishes!

If you can't find the movie, try watching the 'Major Boobage' episode of South Park. :)

Flintlockjaw

I get about one issue a year to see what is going on in heavy metal. I agree with dubbat that it's mostly miss. I have only spoken of one issue on the show, the all war of the worlds issue which was quite good. But the mag in general is far from where it was in the 80s.

The reprints of Pat Mills 'Requiem' are well worth reading. That story is batshit crazy!

dubbat138

I get about one issue a year to see what is going on in heavy metal. I agree with dubbat that it's mostly miss. I have only spoken of one issue on the show, the all war of the worlds issue which was quite good. But the mag in general is far from where it was in the 80s.

The reprints of Pat Mills 'Requiem' are well worth reading. That story is batshit crazy!

Was that reprinted in last years issues?

Adam_Murdough

If you can't find the movie, try watching the 'Major Boobage' episode of South Park. :)

Now that I've seen!

dubbat138

If you can't find the movie, try watching the 'Major Boobage' episode of South Park. :)

Now that I've seen!

You need to see the first Heavy Metal movie Murd.

MikeGallagher

I agree. Some parts are better than others but it is an american animation landmark.

LibraryBoy

I agree. Some parts are better than others but it is an american animation landmark.

Yup. Definitely a watershed moment. Lots of interesting, outside-the-then-norm North American animation at that point in the 80s, actually. Most of the American public was all "um, we'd like more singing mice now, please," but still, it was cool to see stuff like Heavy Metal or Rock & Rule or American Pop actually get made. Nowadays I don't think most studios would take the risk.

MikeGallagher

American pop is rough but worth watching at least once.. So is wizards.
I love rock and rule! One of my all time favorite films!

Flintlockjaw

'Wizards' is Awesome...and so is 'Rock and Rule'!!!!!! Great movies!

LibraryBoy

Haven't seen Rock & Rule in years, and when I did, it was the "edited for broadcast" version they'd show on TNT. I should track that down to watch it again. The music alone was pretty awesome.