Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Her Majesty

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she doesn't have a lot to say


Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to day


I want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine


Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm going to make her mine, oh yeah
Someday I'm going to make her mine



The End.


Page from FF (2013 series) #14 (January 2014), story by Matt Fraction and Lee Allred, script by Lee Allred, pencils and inks by Michael Allred, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Clayton Cowles

But I don't want to say goodbye.

I am seven years old (which is still a very good age to be) and my blog is fifteen years old. How did that happen? I really don't know. But now it's time to pick up the toys and the tinsel and wipe off the greasepaint and sweep up the cookie crumbs and say, yes, this is the end of Comics Oughta Be Fun.

You've probably almost certainly noticed I've been perpetually inconsistent with this blog over the past four years (long gone are the glory days of 2012-2013 where I published over 1,200 posts per year). I've found it harder and harder to concentrate on writing pity pieces of precise practicality and playfulness, especially since 2016, and I've gotten further and further behind and have had to play catch-up in marathon sessions that never have captured the drive and — let's say it — fun that I felt I was bringing you at the best of times.

And I've been battling with the systems of blogging as well. Last month I discovered any new images I posted would no longer show up. I bypassed it manually for this post, but losing that process really stranded me out here without the tools I use and need. Probably the telling point was when I've tried to convert of transfer the blog over to my own domain rather than Blogger, but I was just baffled at every turn. I used to be a smart little bull, but the tech has caught up with me, and now I'm a Bull of Very Little Brain.

I'm sorry I won't finish 365 Days of Power and Responsibility, especially during these times. I'm really sorry I never finished the back half of A Wodehouse a Week, a non-comics project I have been really proud to do (half of). I'm sorry I never finished a year of KirbyTech, but emotional crashes kept even the Ultimate Nullifier from cheering me up then.


But hey! Let's not be sad here. I'm still around. I still love comics. And comics still are fun. And I love them as I love you and everyone who read this cow-town puppetblog and contributed help, comments, suggestions, and love. You are the folks who deserve a standing ovation, so give one to yourself! I'm applauding along with ya!

Whatever else, this is a happy ending. So in the words of the great Chrissie Hynde, stop your sobbing, and remember this:

EVERYTHING Oughta Be Fun.


And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make



Saturday, April 11, 2020

HOW MANY TIMES TO I HAFTA TELL YA?!?

STAY HOME AND STAY INSIDE!


Panel from "The Cannibal!" in Out of the Shadows #13 (Pines, May 1954), script by Carl Wessler,
inks by Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio (?), letters by Herb Field

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Today One Thousand Years in the Future in Comics: That one never goes out of style


Page from Legion of Super-Heroes (1989 series) #41 (March 1993), script by Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum, pencils by Chris Sprouse, insk by Karl Story, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by John Workman

The 1992 2020 Marvel Age Calendar: In April I will just stay set / And smoke a Winston cigarette

Alas! Instead of the usual monthly 1992 calendar that we can use again in this shelter-at-home era of 2020, Marvel Age #112 instead provided us with this kinda-silly house ad:


Granted, this issue does give us the bovine excellence of Mark Texeira's TexCow:


But that doesn't solve the problem of needing an April 1992 calendar you can use to count of the many, many days we're all stayin' indoors. Tell ya what: here's the Winston Cigarettes Page-a-Day calendar for April 1992.


So smoke 'em if you got 'em tear off the pages every day to keep track of the rich, delicious taste and cool menthol that only aa Winston can give you each day you don't go out without gloves and a mask and unless you really need to, okay? Remember: it tastes good like a calendar should!

PS: Don't smoke, kids. I'm dead now. Don't smoke.

PPS: I'm not dead.

Also not dead: The X-Men's Kitty Pryde, because the very first time she tried smoking...


Panel from Uncanny X-Men #186 (August 1985), script by Chris Claremont, breakdowns by John Romita, Jr., finishes by Dan Green, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski

...and Ms. Pryde never smoked ever again.


Panels from Generation Next #2 (April 1995), script by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Chris Bachalo, inks by Mark Buckingham, colors by Steve Buccellato, letters by Richard Starkings

OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD KITTY


Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Today in Comics History: Ben Grimm Goes to DashCon

Today! The Human Torch plays a April Fool's joke on the Thing, in one of the finest Ben Grimm stories put down on paper! (Seriously, you need to get it. It's in Marvel Fanfare #15, and I don't know why it hasn't been reprinted twenty times. Ask for it by name!


Page from Marvel Fanfare #15 (July 1984); script, pencils, inks, and colors by Barry Windsor-Smith; letters by Jim Novak

But wait, Bully! (you're saying) Why are you posting this a day too early? Have you made a mistake? (you ask). Well, no (I say). I'm not the one who made a mistake.


In any case, get a good night's sleep, and have a peaceful and serene April Fool's Day tomorrow. Don't do anything too extreme: I don't think our hearts can stand it this year.


Monday, March 30, 2020

Today in Comics History: Big Blue meets...well, don't look directly at it.


Panels from Doomsday Clock #10 (July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

Friday, March 27, 2020

Today in Comics History: Filming of that Kate Bush video does not go smoothly


Panels from James Bond: Origin #2 (October 2018); script by Jeff Parker;
pencils, inks, and colors by Bob Q; letters by Simon Bowland

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Today in Comics History: Sgt. Pepper takes James Bond to a pretty lousy petting zoo


Panels from James Bond: Origin #2 (October 2018); script by Jeff Parker;
pencils, inks, and colors by Bob Q; letters by Simon Bowland