November 23, 2021 Johanna Comic News Leave a comment

Coin-Op Carnival #1

Ryan Claytor (And Then One Day) sent over a copy of his latest project, Coin-Op Carnival. Co-written with Nick Baldridge, it’s an illustrated zine that aims to “celebrate and explore the history of electro-mechanical coin-operated amusement devices.” That means, for those of us (like me) not clued in, pinball machines. And boy, that brought back memories of hanging out in the student lounge in college, playing them. The zine is 64 full-color pages in digest size, making for a substantial […]

Cover of Darkness #1 Scott McDaniel cover

November 22, 2021 Johanna Comic News Leave a comment

Interview With George Michail, Writer of Cover of Darkness

I met George Michail last month at the New York Comic Con. He’s got a new comic, Cover of Darkness, coming out in January from Source Point Press, and he agreed to answer a few of my questions. Q: How and why did you start writing comics? A: I’ve always loved comics, ever since I was a little boy. If you would have asked ten-year-old George what he wanted to do when he grew up, he would have told you […]

November 22, 2021 Johanna First Second Leave a comment

Maker Comics: Create a Costume!

Create a Costume! is another outstanding entry in the Maker Comics line. Kids these days want to dress up for conventions and other gatherings, and the emphasis here is very much encouraging do-it-yourself. Guided by the Costume Critter, a hamster in a hat and cape, Bea and Parker learn how to decorate, modify, and repurpose secondhand clothes into outfits that can be used for a magical girl or boy a witch or wizard a space traveller a superhero (including a […]

November 9, 2021 Johanna Movie Reviews Leave a comment

Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol

One of the cool-but-frustrating things about doing this is that I sometimes get to see really neat things that you won’t be able to. I don’t mean that as a taunt, but as recognition that this animated film/documentary (a fascinating blend) is currently playing film festivals, so the ability to see it is limited. (The filmmaker provided a copy of this for me to check out.) Hopefully, that doesn’t remain the case, as Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen […]

November 8, 2021 Johanna DCU Original Animation 2 comments

Batman: Year One Commemorative Edition

The animated movie version of Batman: Year One came out a little over ten years ago. The studio has now released Batman: Year One Commemorative Edition on 4K UltraHD to mark the anniversary. (And they were kind enough to send me a copy!) This is one of the better DCU animated movies, as you can see in my original review. All the key extras have been carried over from the previous package. That includes the “DC Showcase Presents Catwoman” short […]

November 7, 2021 Johanna Mysteries Leave a comment

Sherlock Holmes and the Molly-Boy Murders

In Sherlock Holmes and the Molly-Boy Murders, Margaret Walsh manages quite the feat: she combines the traditional feel of a classic Holmes pastiche with a modern sensibility when it comes to characters and motivations, enlivened with flashes of dry humor. Someone is killing and mutilating young men who dress as women. The variety of characters include a well-meaning woman who runs a safe house for young men of this type, a young baronet and his private secretary, and a medical […]

November 6, 2021 Johanna Other Publishers Leave a comment

The Beechwood Helm

A friend turned me on to this short but gorgeous comic by Letty Wilson from the small, UK-based Quindrie Press. Two knights, friends, are returning from a skirmish when they encounter a mysterious knight in red armor who challenges them. That’s the panel that won me over. (It helped that I had the tiniest whiff of being reminded of Good Omens.) The resulting battle has unforeseen consequences. The story is about obsession and friendship and memory and fear and identity. […]

October 26, 2021 Johanna Other Prose One comment

Doctor Who: Whographica

I had a brilliant time reading Doctor Who: Whographica. It’s colorful and fun and full of ridiculous detail. It has twelve chapters, one per Doctor. (Published in 2016, the book only covers through 2015, or two-thirds of the way through the Twelfth Doctor’s run, ending with “The Husbands of River Song”.) Each chapter also covers another theme — including TARDIS, Alien Worlds, Technology, and my favorite, “That’s Silly” — and opens with something like this: That lists the episodes for […]

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