Thursday, February 6, 2025

Irv Gotti Has Died

Irv Gotti has died at the age of 54 due to a stroke. Unless you like to study the minutiae of music you may not know who Gotti is, but you definitely know the music he worked on. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the man created chart-topping hit after hit with the Def Jam imprint, Murder Inc. Created with his brother, the Murder Inc. imprint featured artists such as Ja Rule, Ashanti, Fat Joe, DMX, and more. Gotti crafted hits featuring everyone from Jennifer Lopez, to Mary J. Blige, Lloyd, and more. 

Infamously abrasive and blunt, Gotti was an incredibly controversial figure, accused of money laundering for a drug lord (Murder Inc. offices were even raided by the FBI although he was later acquitted) and he was apparently sued for sexual harassment/assault with an unnamed woman in civil court last year. Gotti was without a doubt a creative genius who knew how to make good music even if he also appeared to also make questionable legal choices. A good deal of hit artists maybe wouldn't have achieved fame without Gotti and the musical landscape would look a lot different today without his work. Def Jam records said in response to his passing how he, "Defined an era," and based on his discography, one would have to agree, flaws and all.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Diamond Hemorrhaging Clients, Massive Taking on Indies, Dark Horse Laying off Staff, IDW's Future Uncertain, and More Comic Industry News

A lot is happening in the comic-book industry. I mean, a lot. Ever since Diamond announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcy it hasn't been able to reorganize so much as lose a ton of clients to PRH or Lunar. If Diamond can't find someone to help take on their debt/purchase them then they could shut down as soon as April 1st. Will there even be much left to buy at this rate, however? Everyone seems to be jumping ship who is able and one interesting note is the publisher known as Massive is joining Lunar and adding a sub-distribution program known as, "Massive Indies." Designed to help smaller publishers who are currently stuck with Diamond (PRH or Lunar can be selective in who they take on, after all) it will allow them to have titles distributed with assistance from Massive as a bit of a workaround. It is an interesting idea for publishers struggling to survive--and it seems even bigger ones are feeling a crunch.

Dark Horse used to be privately owned, was bought by Embracer (a company that focused more on video-games), and had been chugging along. However, they just started implementing sweeping layoffs related to, "market conditions, economic factors," redundancies, and other corporate-speak for positions that basically cost more than Embracder thinks they make/are worth. A decline in sales, the ongoing threat of tariffs (that comes and goes at Trump's whim), and Embracer's own business issues have apparently made it necessary for Dark Horse to cut a lot of staff to survive. At least it looks like Dark Horse will survive, as some publishers have a grimmer possible future.

IDW has pushed back on a recent auditor's report that expressed, "Substantial doubt," about the publisher's future. Apparently, some of this relates to who owes money to whom from back when IDW was with Diamond and how PRH is like Rhianna in her song, "Bitch Better Have My Money," and wants its funds from anybody who can pay them--and Diamond can't, so IDW's gotta put some cash forth. IDW has claimed they are working things out with PRH and all will be fine, but whether that's true or its a case of a ship sinking and the captain trying to keep everyone calm while he/she sneaks off to a private escape craft remains to be seen. Clearly, a lot of is happening in the comic-book biz, much of it worrisome. I sincerely hope that everyone will be able to remain in business and that as few jobs as possible will be lost from bankruptcies, layoffs, etc. Optimism can only carry us so far, however.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

"Fantastic Four: First Steps," Has Dropped its First Teaser Trailer

"Fantastic Four: First Steps," is coming this July from Marvel and released a teaser trailer. It looks fun and appears to be set in a retro-futuristic 1960s. I'm not sure how it can take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for that reason (the main MCU is more like the real world we live in...minus the superheroes), but I imagine it is in a different dimension that will end up in the, "Main," Marvel World during the upcoming, "Avengers: Doomsday," or, "Avengers: Secret Wars." Give it a look:

This is a teaser trailer so only so much is being revealed to us, obviously. It seems the team has been in action for a bit and already has a base of operations. Also, we get a peak at what looks to be a big baddie in the form of Galactus (OG costume as opposed to the Fox iteration of, "Fantastic Four," which made him a weird cloud). I'm intrigued for sure and almost anything that has Pedro Pascal in it at least is watchable, so I'm eager for July 2025 when this hits theaters!

Monday, February 3, 2025

CGC is Embroiled in a New Scandal with Pokémon Cards

CGC has had it rough. They had a huge scandal early last year when scam artists took advantage of a lack of oversight to have regular comics graded as being special editions (Mark Jewelers and such) but the company seemed to weather the fiasco okay. This probably was due to how in regards to comics, CGC is still the big dog. When it comes to cards they are relatively less popular, with PSA and other companies getting more love for grading sports cards or non-sport stuff such as Magic, Pokemon, and the like. PSA is actually getting into comic grading too this year, interestingly enough. One wonders if the timing will work well for PSA as CGC now has suffered a huge hit to their credibility with a Pokemon card forgery scandal. 

Cards worth millions of dollars that had been certified as legit by CGC and slabbed were supposedly prototypes of Pokemon cards from 1996. A number of these cards were examined with professional forensic equipment by individuals who then determined a large amount of the cards were, in fact, printed in 2024 and elaborate forgeries. This is extremely bad for CGC and could cause their reputation to take a massive hit. Comic fans will stick with them almost no matter what because they're a huge name in comic-books. When it comes to cards they have a lot of stiff competition--competition who can take advantage of this fiasco. I'm not going to jump to extreme conclusions such as stating this will lead to the downfall of CGC or something equally dramatic, but this is without a doubt going to hurt them, severely.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Today the Infamous Rodent Saw His Shadow

Today was February 2nd, 2025. That means it was Groundhog Day. The somehow eternally young groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. He deemed that for such a reason we will have six more weeks of winter weather, Spring equinox (March 20th) and a warming planet be damned! He is only right about 35% of the time, but I doubt most people trust a magical rodent so much as they find this whole thing to be some whimsical and silly fun. Plus, we got a really good movie with Bill Murray out this event (literally titled, "Groundhog Day," and nothing else) so that's a nice fringe benefit of this pseudo-holiday. 

Phil will most likely be wrong about the weather based on past statistics, but at least he didn't bite anybody like a less-famous groundhog did (multiple cities apparently have them) some years ago. I'd rather somebody call the forecast incorrectly but at least keep their teeth to themselves! That would make for an interesting episode of the, "Today," show, however, if Al Roker decided to just chomp down on some bystanders in the plaza one day. Anyways, Phil saw his shadow, nobody cares. The holiday itself is what's fun, not what the groundhog actually sees.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

The Upcoming, "Superman," Movie Has Been Hit with a Rights Lawsuit

There is a big, "Superman," flick on the way. Directed by James Gunn, it is meant to kickstart a new DC film universe that Gunn and Peter Safran are overseeing. This movie has been hit by a lawsuit from the family/heirs of Joe Shuster and have Marc Toberoff representing them. The argument is that certain rights have reverted to the family in some countries/territories and they want to block the flick's release in those locations. This case maybe would fail in court, but as soon as a huge company like Marvel or DC gets even a hint there could be an actual problem they usually settle out of court. Toberoff was the attorney who represented the family of Jack Kirby when they sued Marvel and once it became apparent there was even a 1% chance things could go sideways everyone settled out of court for an undisclosed (but presumably large) amount. 

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman decades ago and depending on who you ask were screwed over and tricked or made a bad deal in good faith upon selling the rights regarding Superman for $130 to the company that became the DC we know today. A lot of time has passed and copyright law is always evolving, so new actions are being taken. Whether this is a case of a family wanting what is fair or greedy children trying to get an easy check can be argued, but I've always been on the side of creators and their families as opposed to megacorporations, myself. The owner of DC (Warner Brothers Discovery) could very well try to get a quick dismissal of this case and if that fails quietly settle out of court to avoid bad press as the date of this new, "Superman," nears.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Flashback Friday: "Secret Invasion," Had an Amazing Build Up, but the Event Itself Was a Letdown

Sometimes a comic-book event will be announced, have a handful of issues lead up to it, happen and make some changes, and then we get back to business as usual after a bit. That's how it is with Marvel and DC. One event that happened back in the 2000s had a clever hook, however. "Secret Invasion," came a bit after the critically divisive, "Civil War," which was the first big Marvel event I read as it came out and relatively enjoyed. The cool idea of, "Secret Invasion," was the idea was that it had, in essence, been in the works for decades. Through some continuity tweaks (sometimes referred to as a retcon) it was hinted that the seeds were planted way back during the first Kree-Skrull war event in, "Avengers," comics long ago. A ton of tie-in comics showed how the Skrulls had been infiltrating every facet of our planet--including superheroes--and planned to conquer Earth. That was a Hell of a hook but then the, "Secret Invasion," comic itself (written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu) happened, and over eight issues led up to little more than a big brawl and the Skrull Queen getting shot by Norman Osborn with a special bullet. Yep.

The Skrulls used all their skills, knowledge, and so forth to end up just getting in fisticuffs with all the heroes and villains who teamed up to defend Earth--quite an anticlimax. While this did lead into the interesting Dark Reign era of Norman Osborn running his own team of Dark Avengers (that had some cool stories), "Secret Invasion," itself was like an epic song building up to a sonic zenith and once you hit what seems to be the big peak you get a big and wet fart sound. It is a fitting metaphor as, "Secret Invasion," shit the bed even if the fallout of, "Dark Reign," was cool. Even if the preceeding, "Civil War," wasn't the best Marvel event, it wrapped up in a wild way with Captain America surrendering to the United States after rebelling and seeming to be assassinated in the epilogue tie-ins.

"Secret Invasion," beautifully set up a big event but failed at the most important aspect--the event itself. Since then there have been better Marvel event comics ("Avengers Vs. X-Men," had its moments and I dug the 2015, "Secret Wars,") and even worse ones ("Fear Itself," "Civil War II," and, "Secret Empire," were wretched). Still, nothing seemed to squander as much potential as, "Secret Invasion," did. The Disney+ show which loosely adapted the series was universally panned too so perhaps the whole, "Secret Invasion," works better in theory than in practice.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Newest Spider-Man Villain Makes Me Think of a Video-Game from the 2000's

There was a video-game that came out back in 2007 titled, "Hellgate: London." It was an action role-playing game set in London after demons had invaded that was multiplayer. Long story short, even though it got lots of hype it bombed. Tweaks were made and it stayed around for a while, but eventually the whole shut down. The game remains a footnote in history aside from a surprise sorta-sequel being announced and getting a little press. I hadn't thought of, "Hellgate: London," in years, but today it popped into my head due to how a new Spider-Man villain was announced with the name (you guessed it) Hellgate.

Coming in the latest relaunch of Spidey, "Amazing Spider-Man," #1, this April we will witness as writer Joe Kelly introduces Hellgate along with artists Pepe Larraz and John Romita Jr. Not much has been revealed about Hellgate but apparently he will,  "...force Spider-Man to endure some of his most brutal battles ever and will significantly impact the course of Peter Parker’s life—both in and out of the suit!” That sounds incredibly vague but Joe Kelly is a great writer, Larraz is a stellar artist, and JRJR sometimes produces cool stuff, so I'm optimistic this could be a fun new run on the series.

I know Hellgate the villain and, "Hellgate: London," the game have nothing in common besides a name, but it is just funny how the older I get the more random things will trigger assorted memories. Perhaps there should be more baddies with names like mostly forgotten video-games. "Daikatana," anyone?

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

"Raised by Ghosts," is a Stellar Book About Growing Up, Finding a Place in the World, and Writing Lots of Notes!

I had the chance to acquire an advance copy of, "Raised by Ghosts," from Fantagraphics for the purpose of review. It releases to all finer bookstores and comic shops on February 4th (and the 5th for comic stores). Written and illustrated by Briana Loewinsohn, it is a semi-autobiographical account of being a teenager in the 1990s. Focused on Biana and her friends' love of writing notes, the book intersperses various thoughts jotted down by Briana with the comic segments, adding context to what we see. While the everyday Briana feels disconnected and almost alien to the World, the Briana we see within her writing is sharp, witty, and engaged. The notes are an outlet, a release, and something Briana treasures.

"Raised by Ghosts," gets its title from how Briana's parents are so removed from her life at times that they almost feel absent and a bit like otherworldly entities, only occasionally making an impact on daily life. Briana makes the most of things, however, using her love of notes and also drawing to eventually make friends and feel a bit more present in the present, despite all the challenges everyday life can bring. A lot of, "Raised by Ghosts," has a quiet and minimalist feel, until about 100 pages in where we get a fascinatingly surreal segment that offers a bit of a glimpse into Briana's psyche. The carefully constructed page borders and, "Gutters," between panels disappear into full-page splashes of lines and doodles messily strewn about before eventually being organized into Briana's many notes, drawings, and so forth--it is a masterful method of showing how she handles her many thoughts and emotions via her writing/doodling/etc.

"Raised by Ghosts," is geared towards a Young Adult audience, but anyone who grew up in the 1990s can definitely relate to it as well considering how we've all been teenagers once. Plus, those of us older folks especially recall those, "Good old/bad old," days in the past. I and many others surely have recollections of digging for records at the music store or hanging out at an all-ages space (be it a club, coffee shop, or whatever) and listening to the latest crappy local band we were convinced was bound to achieve superstardom someday. There is a mix of nostalgia and timelessness to, "Raised by Ghosts," that makes it a real treat of a read along with the fantastic art by Loewinsohn (which especially amazes in the aforementioned dreamlike section).

I'd highly recommend checking out, "Raised by Ghosts," when it hits stores in the very near future. Brianna Loewinsohn has created a superb graphic novel for readers younger or older as whether one lived through the 1990s or is a teen now in the 2020s certain things never change--for better and worse, I suppose!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

The Punisher is Back, but Only as a Comic Slab Label


Marvel has struggled in regard to Frank Castle, lately, to put it lightly. Better known as The Punisher, his logo has inadvertently become politically fraught. Used (without permission)by far-right groups, some police organizations, and otherwise utilized in ways that complicate a seemingly simple skull, Marvel/Disney doesn't like wading into overly political waters and has therefore had trouble with what's become a bit of a hot potato over the years. One solution was changing the skull a bit and sending Frank Castle to another dimension followed by a brand-new person becoming the Punisher. Everybody hated the new guy and his series was canceled within five issues. Frank Castle remains absent from the, "Main," Marvel Universe/616, however. All of this makes it really odd that CGC announced today a new specialty label featuring The Punisher was now available--skull and all.

When you get your comic graded by CGC and put in a slab you have the option of getting a fun little bit of comic art put at the top of the slab. It costs extra and certain art logos are only available so long. It doesn't usually impact the value of a book at all, but it can be a fun little compliment to the slab itself (e.g. you have a logo of Venom with a, "Venom," comic). CGC's latest press release discusses how this new Punisher label homages his first appearance in, "Amazing Spider-Man," #129 and perfectly compliments all your Punisher-centric books. As they put it, "Frank Castle has been dishing out his own brand of justice since 1974, and he's ready to make a killer impression on your comics. From rooftop shootouts to alleyway showdowns, this label packs as much punch as Punisher’s infamous “War Journal.” Whether you’re a fan of his relentless pursuit of criminals or just love a good skull logo, this label does Frank Castle proud." Does it do Marvel or Disney proud, considering how antsy they've been about Frank's skull lately?

I assume this was cleared by any powers that be, but it is odd that with Marvel doing its best to bury any Punisher stuff this got made. The logo will surely look snazzy on a Punisher comic regardless of any other outside context, but man, there is a lot of outside factors with that skull these days.