To WonderCon!

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WonderCon From Above: DCI’m heading to San Francisco this weekend for my third trip to WonderCon. I’ll definitely be there on Saturday, but Friday’s still up in the air. Unfortunately, Friday is also the day with DC Nation and the spotlights on Ethan Van Sciver and Geoff Johns. If I make it in time, I’ll post any scoops here.

[WonderCon: April 2-4, 2010]You can follow me during the con at @@SpeedForceOrg on Twitter. Keep an eye on my Flickr photos as well.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested, you can check out my write-ups and photos from the last two conventions:

Weekly Comics Rule

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Tilting at Windmills’ column on periodicals at CBR got me thinking about my comic book buying habits. I’ve been making the weekly trip to the comic store for well over a decade, but that’s been changing lately. Since I’ve cut back to about 10 monthly books, it’s not uncommon for a week to go by with nothing on my list, or with only one or two items. It hardly feels worth it to go to the store for a single comic book unless it’s something I really want to read immediately, so I’ve found myself skipping those weeks and picking up several weeks’ worth of comics at once.

So how about you? Do you have to get your new comics “fix” every week, or do you save it up for one big monthly trip? Or something in between?

Update: The poll results are in. With 122 people responding, nearly half (43%) said they went to the comic store every week. The surprise was that the second-most popular response wasn’t every other week (7%) or even every month (12%), but those who only bought comics occasionally — a full quarter of those who replied!

In short, buying habits cluster around the Wednesday crowd and the bookstore crowd — and the bookstore crowd is a lot bigger than I expected. I don’t necessarily mean literally buying comics at book stores rather than comic stores, but people who buy their comics the way most people buy books: when they have the opportunity, or when something specific comes out.

Speeding Cushion -> Speeding Ticket?

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So today I was checking my yahoo mail and on the front page an article immediately caught my eye. “Why the speeding ‘cushion’ is disappearing” – USATODAY.com. Naturally I clicked on the link and proceeded to read an article explaining that the ‘speeding cushion’ that enabled drivers a little leeway to go about 5 or 10 miles over the speed limit is rapidly disappearing due to increased police action. As a result of the recession, cities and states are trying their best to bring in any “new” revenue they can. Even to the point of apparently exaggerating details.

As for what this has to do with The Flash?

Not much really. It just reminded me of this hilarious fan film, “Speeding Ticket” by Chris .R. Notarile.

In it The Keystone Comet is “pulled over” by a police officer and humorously admonished for going 275 miles over the speed limit. Kelson did a little blurb on it about a year ago but I thought it was funny enough to warrant another mention. Especially in light of this recent story.

You can check out Speeding Ticket HERE and see more of Chris .R. Notarile’s Blinky Productions Fan Films (and there are a ton) HERE

–Devin “The Flash” Johnson

Dick Giordano 1932-2010

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If you’ve been following any comics news sites over the past week, you’ve probably read that legendary artist Dick Giordano passed away last weekend. I don’t really have much to add to what others have said elsewhere online, but he contributed to more than 70 issues of The Flash from 1970 to 1984.

Funny story: my first introduction to the artist was on the cover of Captain Carrot #14, a funny-animal superhero book which featured the first part of an homage to the classic JLA/JSA team-ups. In addition to the faces of the Zoo Crew on one the left side of the cover and the Just’a Lotta Animals on the other, the bottom of the cover featured funny animal versions of the creative team and others at DC, labeled as Owl Gordon, Duck Giordano, and so on. So I knew his name long before I knew his work!

This Week (March 31): Blackest Night and More

Definite and probable Flash appearances this week:

Blackest Night #8

The extra-sized conclusion to the most talked-about event in comics is here, and the results will change the course of the DC Universe for years to come. Earth has become the final battleground for life versus death, but how will our heroes fight back against the darkness of sentient space itself? And what does the future hold for Green Lantern, The Flash and the rest of the worlds greatest heroes and villains? Find out here as the stage is set for the next epic era of DC Comics!

8 of 8 · 40 pg, FC, $3.99 USWritten by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS, OCLAIR ALBERT & JOE PRADO

1:25 Variant cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI · 1:100 Sketch variant cover by IVAN REIS

Justice League of America #43

Following the decision that occurred in JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE and the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1, the World’s Greatest Heroes must come to terms with who they are and what they represent. Meanwhile, an all-new danger threatens the existence of everything past and present in the exciting finale of “Team History.”

Written by JAMES ROBINSON; Art by MARK BAGLEY and ROB HUNTER; 1:25 Variant ; Cover by MIKE MAYHEW; 6-page preview

The Brave and the Bold: Demons and Dragons TP

Brave and Bold Demons and Dragons TPA new paperback collecting THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13-16, along with tales from THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (Vol. 1) #181, THE FLASH (Vol. 2) #107 and IMPULSE #17!

168 pg, FC, $17.99 US
Written by Mark Waid & Alan Brennart
Art by Scott Kolins and others
Cover by Scott Kolins

Notes: This starts out with the Jay Garrick/Batman team-up where they go up against the Samuroids. The additional stories include a Flash/Captain Marvel team-up and an Impulse/Zatanna team-up, both written by Mark Waid.

SpeedsterShow Podcast

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While catching up at the SpeedsterSite forums, I found a thread announcing the first episode of the SpeedsterShow Podcast. It actually launched a week ago, but I missed it because I haven’t been keeping up with forums much lately.

Listen to Kuhan, West, Prime, and Ben as they discuss the highs, but mostly lows, of Flash Rebirth and Blackest Night: Flash and how they feel about the future of the Flash ongoing! Also, old news…

In addition to the podcast website, it’s also on iTunes.

Now I know what the soundtrack for my commute is going to be for the next day or two.