Okay, before I get into today’s entry, I want to point back to Monday’s post about the Donald Duck comic from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Because I am an unworldly American who also has eyes that occasionally betray him, I referred to the museum by a different name. I’ve corrected the post (but left my dumb mistake there and crossed out). Thanks to Walter for pointing this out to me.
Now, onto to hopefully less error-ridden looks at some of this week’s comics! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Now, this graphic novel I haven’t had a chance to read page one yet, but it’s Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead and master cartoonist, presenting another of his epic-length biographies, like those of Schlitzie, the famous real life “pinhead” of the 20th century, and Ernie Bushmiller, creator of Nancy.
Griffith is going back to his own family as a subject, having previous written about his mother in 2015’s Invisible Ink. This time he’s examining the life of his great-grandfather William Henry Jackson, the famous photographer. My brief glance through the book reveals another lavishly illustrated, densely-told narrative that promises to be as rewarding as any of Griffith’s works. I can’t wait to dive in.
Sophie Campbell returns to full art chores for this Thanksgiving tale, as Supergirl is delayed for dinner by finding herself attempting to help a previous adversary. …Well, okay, no need to be coy, it’s Princess Shark, she’s right on the cover. It’s a fun read, and it doesn’t shy away from the dichotomy of the holiday being a time for family gatherings and maybe not having the most savory of origins. Supergirl is a solid book built around relationships and learning to understand each other, definitely one of the most worthwhile books on the stands.
Well, bless him for trying.
It’s a little strange that two different American companies are publishing their own Uncle Scrooge McDuck series simultaneously. Both are fine, but this one, the Fantagraphics series, is picking up the “legacy” numbering (the pictured issue is #462).
And this series also feels more like an authentic Disney Uncle Scrooge comic, reprinting as it does from Italian publications, one of the primary sources for modern Duck comics. The Marvel produced Scrooge comics feel more like “what if Scrooge was a Marvel character?” (and I don’t mean Marvel’s series of Disney-themed What If comics.) It’s a perfectly acceptable take, but it’s just off-model enough to be distracting.
The Fantagraphics series is enjoyable, though, and surprised me in #461 with a bit of serious emotional depth in the middle of all the wild goings-on. Old enemy Flintheart Glomgold has reformed (or…did he?) and as he’s about to take the nephews out to his place, Donald has this to say:
That’s not goofball, slapstick Donald being put upon by Scrooge or Gladstone, or furious Donald squawking incoherently…that’s “don’t piss me off, I mean business” Donald, who poses an actual threat to anyone who would harm his family. Good to know some of that steel in Scrooge made it to his nephew.
Oh, okay, fine, I’ll say a little more about Youngblood.
Look, I’m not a big ol’ Liefeld hater or anything. I appreciate that he has fans and that he can still sell books. Waaay back in 2009, I even put out the question “hey, I know I sold a lot of Youngblood when it first came out, did any of you guys buy it?” and at first I got some responses from folks who were all “yeah, I got caught up in the hype” or “I was totally into Rob then” and that sort of thing.
And then the Rob himself noticed, and linked to me on his message board, and behold, Every Youngblood Fan in America was suddenly in my comments, defending Rob and his comics and occasionally getting mad at me for some reason. You can read the three parts here (1 2 3) but be aware there is some linkrot, including links to the original comments, alas. But I quote enough of them to give you an idea.
And I discussed the comments and responded to them, even the ones that called me a jerk, and I tried to be open-minded about it all. The overall impression I received was that Rob’s fans, at least these responders, were hyperdefensive, and I quickly add, not that I can blame them. Especially at the time, when his work seemed to get pulled out and kicked around a bit, particularly in the comicsweblogosphere.
The ultimate conclusion was that 1) Rob’s work is Not for Me, and 2) More power to his fans for liking his stuff. I mean, that’s all.
Yes, my short review above was a cheap gag, one I got in my head and needed to release. However, like I said somewhere in those posts I linked from 2009, I would love nothing more than Liefeld committing, Erik Larsen on Savage Dragon style, to doing a single issue of Youngblood every single month for the rest of his career, just to see the weird and wild places it would go to. Personally, I think that would be amazing.
This first issue I don’t find particularly amazing…lots of full-page drawings and close-ups and backgrounds that are little more than lightly textured color and the occasional shot of a boat. Everyone’s leaping around and shouting at each other and, I mean, nobody’s buying Youngblood to see a comics version of My Dinner with Andre. This is pretty much the Platonic ideal of a Youngblood comic.
I will give the comic this. The first page, acknowledging the title’s return to Image with panels in the shape of the Image logo, is clever. And the last page reveal does make me want to see what happens next, even though it’ll probably be more leaping around and shouting.
“nobody’s buying Youngblood to see a comics version of My Dinner with Andre. ”
Liefeld should do “My Dinner With Youngblood” even if it’s just a title given to an issue.
If ‘Photographic Memory’ is half as fascinating as ‘Invisible Ink’ was, it will be a very rewarding read.
“Nobody’s buying Youngblood to see a comics version of My Dinner with Andre.”
A comicbook version of ‘My Dinner with Andre’ might actually work better than Malle’s film, since comics allow for captions and panel layouts to enliven things.
There are cooking and dining-related manga, such as ‘Cooking Papa’, that have run for decades.
I’m happy to have a sincere conversation about my love of Rob while acknowledging he’s not for everyone or being a jerk about it. I wrote about it a loooooong time ago, but the gist of it is his comics take me back to being a kid again in the heady early 90’s. His energy and enthusiasm spill off the page (and yes, it’s fun to catch the continuity gaffes from panel to panel).
Rob still owes me from that failed Brigade Kickstarter, but damn if I just can’t quit him. Oh and his podcast (especially in the early days, less now that he’s transitioned to YouTube) is solid.
Sunnytime Review Show: Image United Edition https://share.google/vwllWsMrBxWbkFEJ6
This week’s Youngblood was not a good comic, but it was a hoot. I had more fun reading it than any other book this week. When Player 2 Cable showed up with vague pronouncements about the future, I laughed out loud. Very dumb, but a pure example of what it’s trying to do*.
*Make it 1993 again, through science or magic.
Did Liefeld get the rights to Youngblood back? I seem to remember him losing them, which I found incredibly sad.
$5 for Youngblood? Bloody Hell!
“Sophie Campbell returns to full art chores for this Thanksgiving tale”
Now, THAT Looks CUTE!
” I would love nothing more than Liefeld committing, Erik Larsen on Savage Dragon style, doing a single issue of Youngblood every single month for the rest of his career, just to see the weird and wild places it would go to”
It COULD be interesting, sure, but I just don’t think he has enough imagination for it to go very far.
THE MAN DOESN’T READ.
Exactly, Snark Snark: Liefeld is a fundamentally incurious person.
Liefeld recently wrote the introduction to Ed Piskor’s posthumous graphic novel ‘Switchblade Shorties’, and the contrast between them is instructive. Say what you want about Piskor — and a great deal can be said, both good and bad — but at least he was a creator absolutely willing to stretch himself.
Okay, now that’s interesting. I didn’t realize Bill Griffith made biographical comics. I’m going to have to track down a copy of Three Rocks.
As far as Rob Liefeld goes, that cover isn’t bad. Maybe now that he doesn’t have to deal with editorial, he can do what he wants and stick with this series for a while.
Thom H.,
Three Rocks is brilliant!
Thanks for the heads up about Griffith’s new book. I dig his biographical work a lot.
Youngblood – I bought all the early Image stuff. Rob went to interesting places in Youngblood, like Shaft’s (once-mentioned?) eating disorder, but it mostly felt chaotically meandering. The most vivid memory I have of it is a guy like Gambit except with a stick fighting a guy like Sabretooth except he turns into a werewolf. Same issue, probly.
Hey! As editor, I’m incredibly glad you picked up on what Francesco Artibani—and ace translator/localizer Jonathan H. Gray—were putting down in our UNCLE SCROOGE 461.
On a more comical day, Donald Duck may be a waddlin’ crazy guy who gets stuck with all the bad luck, but in a serious situation—with people he cares about on the line—he gives a damn (…er, a doggone?) like few others.
And… er, please stick with our series! Francesco would never set up Donald being in this mood if the story wasn’t going to go there again later. And it will!
What is the complete breakdown of all of the Youngblood characters which Rob Liefeld sourced from other DC or Marvel characters?
I seem to vaguely recall a drawing Rob had published in an issue of Megaton in the ’80s where some Youngblood–or proto-Youngblood characters appeared. There was a guy who looked a lot like Timber Wolf from the LOSH, another guy with a costume that looked like Colossus, from the X-Men, when he was in his metallic form, and a woman who looked a bit like Dream Girl from the LOSH.
And then, with some of the main Youngblood characters there seems to be a Speedy/Arsenal/Roy Harper knock-off, a Blok (LOSH) or The Thing (FF) knock-off, a Harlequin (as in Duela Dent of the late ’70s Teen Titans) knock-off, etc. Were any of the Youngblood characters not knock-offs?
Who would be the best artist to adapt My Dinner with Andre into a comic book?
“Were any of the Youngblood characters not knock-offs?”
I’ve read more BIGADE than Youngblood, but they certainly all could be traced back to one or more obvious inspirations. Not that a LOT of other characters aren’t.
“Who would be the best artist to adapt My Dinner with Andre into a comic book?”
DITKO!!
I vote for Robert Crumb as the best artist to adapt “My Dinner with Andre,” or else Daniel Clowes…
Speaking of dinner, that Supergirl Thanksgiving cover art looks horrible. What is up with all of the distorted faces? Whatever happened to the standards of keeping DC characters looking on model, a la the great Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez character guides from the Bronze Age? The art seems to have slipped quite a bit ever since the New 52 happened.
“Who would be the best artist to adapt My Dinner with Andre into a comic book?”
Chris Ware. I’m not even a fan of Ware but his sense of design could make even a menu look interesting, plus there’s a lot of condescension beneath the chit-chat of My Dinner with Andre that he’d be perfect for.