Follow The Leader: Episode 7: Falling Out of Love with a Creator!

Martinex1:  It is the last day of January but it is also Tuesday and therefore it is Follow The Leader time!  

Last week we talked about food that we cannot choke down; today will be something entirely different.   It is all up to you. We will take any topic suggested and throw it out to the masses for consideration and conversation.     The challenge is to keep the conversation rolling and going, so keep in mind that sidebars, tangents, and non sequiturs are welcome! 

Here are the general rules:

1) Whoever gets here first (or even second) post a topic starter in the comments that others can jump on and discuss for the day; supply as little or as much detail as necessary to get the ball rolling.

3) The range of possible subjects is broad - comics, movies, music, television, fiction, hobbies, queries, etc.  Try to have the topic touch some aspect of Bronze Age nostalgia if possible.

4) Keep it clean and family friendly.

5) All others...follow the Leader! Your job is to keep the conversation rolling.   (As I said - follow the topic wherever it takes you; a conversation started about comics may lead to comments on jazz for all we know)!

Note:  There is one caveat... if Redartz or I notice that the suggested topic is something we already have in the pipeline, we will let you know and inform you of the projected date for that subject for discussion.  That is just so we don't double up.   Hey - great minds think alike, right?

So give us something to sink our teeth into and we will be back later with our own comments on the topic!   Cheers!

Chew the Fat: Final issues of Your Favorite Comics...

Redartz:  Welcome, everyone! Today we will look at 'the end of the line' for some of our favorite comic titles. First issues are always enticing, and are generally popular- generating some extra sales interest. But how about last issues? Sometimes a title will simply change to a different title (say, Marvel Collector's Item Classics became Marvel's Greatest Comics). Sometimes a comic will end with an accompanying finale to it's primary characters, say Man-Thing's first series. And then, occasionally a title will end, just leaving us hanging (Omega the Unknown, anyone?). Aaand of course, you have the current trend of simply rebooting a title and starting over with issue number 1 again. 

Here we present a selection of some final issue covers. Sorry I can't say more, I'm too choked up at seeing a good comic end...

Do any final issues stand out in your memory? Any that became particular items of collector interest? Any favorite classic finale stories? Go ahead and add your epilogue to the tale...

Sunday...Kicking Off Another New Week!

Martinex1: These weeks sure do go by fast.   Let's take a slight break and update you on what's been fun and what's to come...

RECENTLY:

This past week we reminisced about the many comic reprint titles.   We discussed foods that made us gag. We enjoyed the cartoon adventures of Jonny Quest.  We shared our thoughts about prime time heroes and suggested some others.  We queried about Marvel's underworld and purchasing glitches.   And we jumped into the inkwell with many great inking artists.

There were dozens of great comments and insights so take a look if you missed it.  And welcome if you are just joining us for the first time.

COMING SOON:

Monday:   It is all over!  It is the end!  No more! Never again! Chew the Fat!

Tuesday:  That was short... because we are back already with another Tuesday Follow the Leader!

Wednesday:  We will kick the bucket on Short Cuts!

Thursday:  Not so fast...we need to journey back to another destination Riding the Retro Metro!

Friday:  We found something lost on TV Guided!

Saturday:  And we will double our love of covers over at the Quarter Bin!

We like to keep you guessing about what's to come; play along and see if you were right this week at Back In The Bronze Age! 

And if you have any suggestions for future topics contact us at backinthebronzeage@gmail.com!

AND GET READY BECAUSE WE ARE JUST A WEEK AWAY FROM THE KICKOFF OF HULK WEEK 2017!

COMING SOON!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Music:  Like I mentioned last week, I've been digging out some old treasures so today I suggest The The.  Whether the "band" is Matt Johnson solo or Matt Johnson with various artists, The The's words and music are worth a listen.   The albums Soul Mining (1983), Infected (1986), and Mind Bomb (1989) all have something to offer.   With tracks like "This is the Day," "Infected," "The Beat(en) Generation," and "Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)," Johnson was often musically and lyrically ahead of his time.  The albums and songs listed above: 4 to 4.5 Bronze Medallions.

Food:  Today I recommend a salad dressing combo you may not normally try:  Use a base of spicy mustard; add some lemon juice and a dash of cranberry juice and apple vinegar; liquefy for a spicy citric treat.  Put it over a bed of romaine lettuce, add some cashews and feta cheese and enjoy!  To each his own when it comes to taste buds... so a mystery Bronze Medallion here.

Motion Pictures:  If you like music and stories that don't follow typical relationships or expectations, you may enjoy Begin Again with Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly.   It is not a perfect film and I felt it got off to a slow start, but it was a movie that I found myself thinking about afterward.   It follows the relationship of a down-on-his-luck music producer and a young ingénue with a broken heart as they make a record in the streets of New York.  3.75 Bronze Medallions (maybe more).

 What are you listening to?  What are you eating?  What are you watching?   Feel free to make some recommendations!  

Cheers!

Panel Discussion: Inkers Who Leave Their Mark

Redartz:  Hello, folks! Our topic today is brought to us courtesy of our good friend and mentor, Doug! He suggested a look at inkers who have become associated with a given title. As pencillers are often the subject of discussion here, it seems very appropriate to give the embellishers some love. With that in mind, we present a selection of samples, with the responsible inkers noted (and a comment or two, of course). 

Joe Sinnott, over Rich Buckler

Klaus Janson, over Frank Miller

 Joe Sinnott and the Fantastic Four: almost synonymous with the Fantastic Four. Whether over Kirby, Buscema, Buckler or Byrne, Joe kept the FF looking just right.

Klaus Janson and Daredevil: the legendary Frank Miller run on Daredevil owes much to Klaus' beautiful inks. 

Larry Mahlstedt, over Kieth Giffen

Bob Layton, over John Romita Jr.

Larry Mahlstedt and the Legion: Mahlstedt finished Kieth Giffen's pencils with style, and gave the book a futuristic sheen...

Bob Layton and Iron Man: One look at the shining Golden Avenger on this cover says all that needs to be said.  

Terry Austin and the X-Men: Although Terry turns anything he touches into purest gold, his perfect inks over John Byrne made this book the iconic masterpiece it remains today.

Tom Palmer and Dr. Strange / Tomb of Dracula: Here we get to see Tom's elegant inks over Gene Colan on both of these characters. Palmer added a detail and finish that made Gene's pencils even more cinematic.

Romeo Tanghal over George Perez

 Romeo Tanghal and New Teen Titans: Romeo's fine inks were a perfect match for Perez' intricate pencilling. He helped give the title a clean, consistent polish.

Dick Giordano, over Neal Adams

Dick Giordano, over Neal Adams

Dick Giordano and Green Lantern / Batman: Both of these books, and characters, were the beneficiaries of some magnificent art by the team of Adams and Giordano. Dick's tight finishes mesh with Neal's pencils so well they might be one man.




 That's only a small sample; to limit things a bit I kept it to Bronze age images. But you aren't limited in this respect, let us know what you think of these choices, and all the others not shown here today. Hats off to the inkers, and may their pens never clog...

Two Questions: Ruling the Underworld and Underwhelmed by a Purchase!

Martinex1: Today we have two questions suggested from our friends here on the blog, Doug and Charlie Horse 47!  You have the choice to respond to one or both of the queries, so be our guest....

QUESTION 1:   What exactly is the structure of Marvel's afterlife and who really rules the dark depths of the Marvel underworld?

 

QUESTION 2: What was your worst experience (when and how did you get burned) in the purchase of back issues or items from catalogs, on-line, or in shops?