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Steven Thompson has been a longtime friend of this blog. He's also been faced with more than his fair share of work/health challenges over the past few years.

He does a lot of work editing/writing/blogging and needs a new computer to help him stay productive. And sane.

If you can spare a few bucks to help him out, you can do so here.

Check out his main blog here.

New Star Trek: Into Darkness poster


Very sad news: Jonathan Winters

Sorry to hear that Jonathan Winters, one of the funniest, most brilliant  comics in American history, has passed away at age 87. There won't be anyone like him again.

Here's one of his classic bits:


See a new preview of Comic Book Creator magazine

This looks good: A new mag from TwoMorrows Publishing focusing on comics artists and writers. It's created and edited Jon B. Cooke, editor of the acclaimed Comic Book Artist magazine, which ceased publishing several years back.

Some background info:
 TwoMorrows Publishing is proud to debut our newest magazine, COMIC BOOK CREATOR #1 (84 FULL-COLOR pages, $8.95) devoted to the work and careers of the men and women who draw, write, edit, and publish comics, focusing always on the artists and not the artifacts, the creators and not the characters. Behind an ALEX ROSS cover painting, our frantic FIRST ISSUE features an investigation of the oft despicable treatment JACK KIRBY endured from the very business he helped establish. From being cheated out of royalties in the ’40s and bullied in the ’80s by the publisher he made great, to his estate’s current fight for equitable recognition against an entertainment monolith where his characters have generated billions of dollars, we present Kirby’s cautionary tale in the eternal struggle for creator’s rights. Plus, CBC #1 interviews artist ALEX ROSS and writer KURT BUSIEK, spotlights the last years of writer/artist FRANK ROBBINS, remembers comics historian LES DANIELS, talks to TODD McFARLANE about his new show-all book, showcases a joint talk between NEAL ADAMS and DENNIS O’NEIL on their unforgettable collaborations, as well as throws a whole kit’n’caboodle of other creator-centric items atcha! Join us for the start of a new era as TwoMorrows welcomes back former Comic Book Artist editor Jon B. Cooke, who helms the all-new, all-color COMIC BOOK CREATOR!

And here's a PDF preview of the first issue.


Pop culture roundup: Van Dyke Parks; Kate Bush; TARDIS fridge; Carmine Infantino; Spider-Man

An entertaining interview with the legendary Van Dyke Parks, who has an album of new material out soon.

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Singer Kate Bush was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth this week for her services to music. If I understand correctly, a CBE is the third-highest honor, Knighthood being the top, awarded by royalty in Britain. It's two notches up from the MBEs the Beatles were controversially awarded back in the 1960s, when no one could scarcely imagine a Beatle ever being knighted, as Sir Paul McCartney was several years ago.

Anyway, Kate had this to say:

"I feel incredibly thrilled to receive this honour which I share with my family, friends and fellow musicians and everybody who has been such an important part of it all," she said.
"Now I've got something special to put on top of the Christmas tree."
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Turn your fridge into the TARDIS with this handy "skin" kit!

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The great comics artist/editor Carmine Infantino passed away earlier this week. I was out on vacation and didn't have a chance to put together a fitting tribute. But here's a nice look at Infantino's early career work for Timely comics.

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Who created Spider-Man? Stan Lee? Steve Ditko? Jack Kirby? All of the above? 20th Century Danny Boy takes a detailed look in a post that includes some spectacular Ditko art. But I'm teasing it with this image by Kirby: