Wednesday, September 8, 2010
It's Wednesday, but sadly there are no new comics (at least in America). It's not the end of the industry just yet, it's just a side effect of our 3-day weekend. Be patient: there are two Booster Gold comics on the horizon.
To kill the time until they get here, perhaps you can peruse Gavok's review of the Geoff Johns teaser panels from the beginning and end of his run on Booster Gold over at 4thletter.net.
Or maybe you'd just like to keep the beefcake theme going:
"Completely healed" but without toes? (Ah, the 1990s.) Panel from Extreme Justice #12, 1996. Art by Tom Morgan and Ken Branch.
| | Tags: beefcake extreme justice pin-up
harry posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Good grief, that art is horrible. I am glad I wasn't purchasing comics in the 90's. How on earth could DC publish something like that with and honestly expect it to sell?
Superman posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 11:53 AM
I believe that style (extremely long legs, pin heads atop gargantuan shoulders, distorted anatomy, etc.) was de rigeur in comics at the time, and apparently it helped sales then.
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 2:15 PM
That's true, Superman. Extreme Justice fell on the tail end of the trend (DC is not traditionally quick to embrace art trends). I don't know how much it helped sales, as the title was canceled after a year and a half to launch Morrison's Big Seven JLA. Though, to be fair, I think just about anything would be canceled to launch a Morrison title, especially JLA.
tiggerpete posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 5:15 PM
I've read all of Extreme Justice, and although the art is terrible, it did get better, this is actually a panel from later on that didn't make your eyes bleed (btw, I love Morrison's JLA, its one of the first things I collected when I got back into comics)
Harry posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 11:17 PM
I blame Liefeld. I actually got his Hawk & Dove when it first came out... and at the time I thought it was pretty cool. Ahh, youth. BTW, the 4th letter's review of the Extreme Justice run is hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. It is truly scant praise to say a series ceased to "make my eyes bleed" as it progressed.
TGB posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 11:55 PM
Yes, Liefeld... exactly what I was gonna remark.
Superman posted on Sep. 9, 2010 at 12:34 PM
@Harry: I came across a mid-90s Wonder Woman comic book the other day. It has a similar sort of style, with Diana having legs that looked four feet long, and though the massacre of anatomy got to me, I sort of found the style beautiful in its own twisted way. (Pun intended.)
Sallyp posted on Sep. 9, 2010 at 4:50 PM
Egad. Extreme Justice League was of course ridiculous, but still...a shirtless and pantless Booster is always nice.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Nine (count 'em: 9!) new Booster Gold appearances were added to the database this past holiday weekend. I trust that everyone else was just as productive as I was, yes?
I even had time to surf some web. And that's where I encountered a great idea at Green Lantern's Butt Forever: superhero beefcake shots! So while we're all recovering from Dragon*Con hangovers, enjoy:
Advertisement for Dusk Fragrance for Men campaign from Booster Gold, Vol. 1, #9, 1986. Art by Dan Jurgens and Mike DeCarlo.
| | Tags: beefcake green lantern's butt forever
Sallyp posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Why...why that's fabulous!
Lissbirds posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Great to see Boosterific joining the fun!<br />I had a feeling the Dusk ad might be the one.
Cnd posted on Sep. 8, 2010 at 12:35 AM
Screw a secret identity, what good do they do when you want attention, money and fame?
Friday, September 3, 2010
While we're on the subject of how Keith Giffen destroys series, I decided to go looking for another letter column that I remembered once being especially critical of Keith Giffen's art. From 1986's Hex #18 (the final issue):
While most editors wouldn't print so much negative press in their letter columns, maybe because Hex was being canceled, or maybe because he had received a 3-to-1 ration of anti-Giffen letters, writer/editor Michael Fleisher filled the series final letter column with responses to Giffen's art. Nearly a quarter of a century later, and it doesn't seem that the reading public's opinion has much changed.
Have a happy Labor Day/Dragon*Con Weekend, everybody!
| | Tags: hex james w. barnes keith giffen letters page michael fleisher
tiggerpete posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 5:55 PM
wow, my favorite part is that nobody would pay 75 cents for a comic with perceived inferior art. I wonder if they would pay 2.99 for it now? (wouldn't it be awesome if comics were still 75 cents each?) I know my wallet would be happier
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 6:28 PM
I think that it's great that he opens his letter by vowing never to buy another issue following issue #15, then later admits that he "will buy HEX until issue #20." Now _that_ sounds like the fanboys that I know.
Eyz posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 6:27 AM
Wow! That's pretty harsh there! :(<br />I, for one, really like Keith Giffen's art!...<br />I remember some "saucy" letters in the pages of Booster as well.. but darn! that is pretty harsh!
Eyz posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 7:50 AM
Oopsies, I meant "Ambush Bug" not Booster!
TGB posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 9:42 PM
I couldn't take KG's art in Booster Good the other month. Terrible. Inconsistent, blobish, unrecognizable.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Following TGB's weekend comments over his feelings about Giffen & DeMatteis' take on Booster Gold (as detailed here), I decided to look through the old "Justice Log" letter columns for examples of people who felt the same way about G/D's original run. It didn't take too long to find this in the letter pages for JLA #38:
TGB, maybe it will make you feel any better to know that some people have shared your opinion for 20 years.
[The response was written, presumably, by Andy Helfer, editor of Justice League America at the time. JLA #34 was the infamous KooeyKooeyKooey incident. Coincidentally or not, JLA #38 was the first issue following Booster's original resignation from the League.]
| | Tags: andy helfer giffen kooeykooeykooey letters page tgb thegreatestblogyouveneverheardof
tiggerpete posted on Sep. 2, 2010 at 6:03 PM
and here's the kicker, this is pre-internet, shocking when you realize that this is nearly identical to various forum posts that you can come across on both sides of a given issue<br />Fanboys=consistently upset about something since the beginning of letter columns<br />I believe the saying goes "you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time"
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 4:13 AM
The more things change....
Harry posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 9:36 AM
G&D are divisive writers. To create humor, they are often left to disparaging one or more characters (or at least portraying them in a less than flattering light). Many fans are protective of their favorites and many others are resistant to their comics being "silly". When I was collecting this comics, I must admit that I cringed several times at B&G's antics. It made the characters targets for mockery by my friends (and by proxy, me as well for being a fan). But it also created fans that adored the characters and who would defend them (and G&D). Polarization of the fanbase may not be the way to universal acceptance and top ten sales... but it could be the way to consistently selling 20k issues over 5-10 years. I would hate to see BG regress to immaturity. But I would hate to seem him stagnate as a character. I intend to do my best to enjoy the ride.
TGB posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 11:34 PM
And it isn't just that - it's become so darned formulaic. Look through each G&D issue and about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way through it, they have Booster monologue about how it isn't right for him to be there, how he's changed so much over time, how they weren't REALLY idiots but were content to let people think so... It's like it's their way of justifying it all. The problem is that here you have polarization of a relatively small fanbase. BG was selling around 20k before the change... does dividing the fanbase keep it at 20k?
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 11:45 PM
Just for you, TGB (this was going to be a future post, but you can have it now -- happy Labor Day!), from JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #24:
See? They were using the fun-loving dudes excuse even back in 1989. [Again, this is presumably editor Andy Helfer responding.]
Eyz posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 6:30 AM
Oh..the letter... XD<br />I'd say (well, that's an old letter, but I'd say this anyway) get Beetle & Gold out of the book so I'll only have to buy their adventures instead of the whole JL! :P<br />And give them a cartoon show, and a movie, and--
Justin Garrett Blum posted on Sep. 16, 2010 at 3:54 PM
I know there are a lot of people who still feel this way about those old issues of JLI--they carry a grudge to this day about the Bwa-ha-ha league. I've never really been a fan of the Justice League in general, so I think G&D's stuff is classic, since I actually cared about the characters for a change, more so than I really cared about the adventures (which isn't to say that G&D didn't do some interesting arcs).
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
From Larry Evertt's Massively.com interview with DCUO's Chris Cao:
The last system we have is really meant to give you the sense of this rich, deep city. We have a series of exploration quests [for when] you're tired of fighting or just want to get deep in the DC lore. We have Booster Gold, who is this [smarmy], chill, NASCAR superhero. He actually wears the stickers of sponsors, so he's the ultimate sell-out. We use him as the tour guide [for] Booster Gold Tours Metropolis, [with] little kiosks that are conveniently placed [by] safehouses. If you go and take that tour, it will actually let you go to key areas like Crime Alley where Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered, or the Daily Planet, which is actually under duress here because of Brainiac's attacks -- [places] that really matter in the DC Universe. There's a cool cam that actually rotates around, telling you in Booster Gold's voice about any point of interest. You can just go, do these, and explore.
And so the secret of Booster's role in DC Universe Online is revealed! Find the whole interview (it's a pretty big and revealing multi-part interview) on Massively.com.
| | Tags: chris cao massively.com video games
Eyz posted on Sep. 2, 2010 at 5:59 AM
That's actually pretty cool!<br />Not that I will ever play this game..But nice for those who will!
Harry posted on Sep. 2, 2010 at 8:58 AM
That is a relatively high profile spot for BG. I would prefer less emphasis by the designer on him being a schill and sell out... but such is the life of the greatest hero that you have never heard of.
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 2, 2010 at 1:47 PM
I have to admit that I was opposed to the game -- nothing against DC or Sony, I've just had my fill of MMOs -- until I heard this. Now that I know that I can encounter Booster Gold at will (plus the opportunity that maybe, just maybe, I'd get to encounter him on one of his behind-the-scenes missions), I'm interested in giving the game a try.
Harry posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 9:40 AM
I am tempted as well... but this is not a cheap game. I would want to know that it is something I will play regularly before investing the capital. I wonder if they will have some type of trial option?
