December 31, 2009 - Finally, 2009 is done. At last! I don't know about you, but - with the noted exceptions of some of the positive events and trends in the larger world - 2009 was a sucky year for me. And it wasn't so great for most of my friends and family (like you), for that matter. I guess that's how it goes sometimes. In past years, I've managed to sum up the previous twelve months, good or bad, with a "Top Ten" list here in the ol' WOMP-Blog, but, as I began to compile a similar list for 2009, I realized that it was virtually entirely negative...and who wants to read that? Heck, I've barely posted two dozen entries for the entire year, so the last thing I need to do is end the decade with a list of gripes, pains, and sorrows. Instead, let's try something unusual. Here's a year-end list of...
The Top Ten 2009 WOMP-Blog Stories That I Forgot to Post (Because They Never Happened)
10) January 20, Inauguration Day - A wonderful recounting of my trip to Washington to attend the Presidential Inauguration as special guest of the Obamas. Favorite memory; huddling with Al Gore as we attempted both to keep warm and from laughing out loud at Aretha's "giant green zipper tied in a knot" hat.
9) February 14, Valentine's Day - I must admit that I outdid myself this year. It was just barely over-the-top when I flew my wife, also known as the beautiful WOMP Staff, to Paris for a romantic dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower, but I think I really jumped the shark when I hired the Sarkozys to serve and serenade us as we ate. What can I say; I'm a hopeless romantic.
8) April 3, Monkey's Birthday - Imagine my surprise when a choir of small children gathered outside my studio window to sing birthday greetings to my most famous cartoon character. Unexpected, but, in light of the coinciding release of the Pixar film based on The Adventures of Monkey, not entirely unimaginable, I suppose.
7) July 4, Independence Day - Almost lost in my reporting on the 100th Anniversary of Pete's Hamburgers was the commemoration of the 233rd Anniversary of The United States of America (not to mention the 955th Anniversary of the "Birth" of the Crab Nebula Being Observed on Earth).
6) August 21, Hawaii Statehood Day - Celebrating the 50th anniversary of becoming the 50th U.S. State, Hawaii threw a crazy awesome feast. I ate until I nearly passed out, and still I performed a hula kahiko like a lifelong islander.
5) September 7, Labor Day - In spite of the economy (or because of it?), and in honor of Labor Day, I finally quit my dreaded "real" job, in favor of my cartooning. Now that I am no longer there, I can finally reveal that my "real" job had been working as Senior Manure Inspector for a fertilizer company. And you thought your job stinks!
4) October 31, Halloween - For the first time since I was a kid, we turned WOMP Headquarters into a massive haunted house! "Mundt Manor" had hundreds of visitors, gave away about seventy pounds of candy, and officially became the most elaborate "haunted house" in city history. In my role as "Phantom of The Manor," I had lots of fun scaring anyone who I heard say aloud "This isn't scary."
3) November 11, Veterans' Day - We stood ten to twenty rows deep on both sides of the street as all local troops marched through town when they came home from Iraq and Afghanistan. I certainly never expected everything overseas to end so quickly and so well, but I'm happy to have been wrong.
2) December 8, My Birthday - Ugh. One year away now from the big one-two-oh. Turning 119 years old this year may seem impressive, but there is some sort of psychological threshold that turning 120 represents, so I am already dreading the countdown to my next birthday. I mean, when I turn 120, I can no longer really claim to be "just out of my 100's" anymore. Yep, no matter how I look at it, I have a year left to make my mark before I am officially "old."
1) December 31, New Year's Eve - That brings us to here and now. I don't know how 2010 can top 2009, especially in light of the kickass party that is going on in the next room as I write this, but I am optimistic. With a little luck, everything will just keep getting better and better!
Hrm. That...that all still rang a teensy-bit negative, didn't it? I really just wanted to be optimistic for a change, but it's not in my nature, I guess. Still, I do have some reasons to think that the next year may be better than the last. I am healthier going into 2010 than I was for 2009, for example. I have just recently been able to get back up to speed drawing stuff (although none of it has increased in quality yet). Moreover, for the first time in years, I have a plan. In fact, I have a redesigned "master plan," and several smaller sub-plans for 2010. Even though my plans can (and usually do) collapse, just the fact that I have some is a big step up from this same time last year. Sneak Preview; back to the "Art is My Job" mantra. I hope that we all will have a better year in 2010. See ya!
BONUS! Here is an extra "Top Ten" list! It's...
The Top Ten Years of The 2000's
10) 2001
9) 2000
8) 2009
7) 2004
6/5) 2006/2003 (tie)4) 2007
3) 2002
2) 2005
1) 2008
November 24, 2009 - Here's the thing; I may have moved on. Maybe. I don't really know, but it seems like I no longer have that internal need to post entries in the ol' WOMP-Blog. I still have the desire to do so, but the need seems to have ebbed. Why? Heck, I don't even know why I began a blog in the first place. I have always purported that it was to keep interested people informed of my cartoonish efforts. If I could admit it, I'd say that it really may have been that I'd hoped to impress strangers with my sparkling wit and deathless insights. Whatever the reasons, actual or supposed, they apparently have little sway over me anymore. Even as my circle of e-friends was increasing, I think I began to feel that I was blogging just to blog. Of course, my health and work concerns played a role in my lengthy laconic lapses of late, but my most recent spat of silence seems to stem from a sense of being in a bit of a bubble. The whole thing reminds me of some of my childhood imaginings about the nature of reality. As I'd walk home from school, I'd often wonder how I could know that the world around me wasn't really an elaborate mirage, orchestrated by mysterious forces with inscrutable motivations to hide the truth that I was really the only living being on Earth (if I was even on Earth at all). I suppose that every kid has some similar ego-infused Truman Show style dream. Back then, I'm sure that my comic book and science fiction reading, coupled with a lifelong general sense of loneliness, made me ask "what is really real?" Today, "what is really real" is even harder to define. Much of self-promotion (the apparent purpose of The WOMP-Blog) is also self-encouragement, if not self-delusion. By attempting to convince others that you are doing something worthy of their interest, you often are convincing yourself as well (or are, at least, re-enforcing a conviction). For whatever reason (and I suspect it is the specter of death that has hung over my shoulder during the last year or so), I'm no longer able to efficiently delude myself into ignoring my many inadequacies nor the unlikelihood of my success, and I really have nothing to market other than stacks of yellowing pulp, so "what is really real" has become less obvious. So, I may have moved on. Maybe. You see, beyond all of that, there is still some weird little spark-thing that keeps me going, like a far-off lost hiker sending out an S.O.S. with a tiny mirror reflecting the sun. So here I am, reflecting on the recent sixth anniversary of the "founding" of the ol' WOMP-Blog. Yep, back in November of 2003 I began my informative, self-promoting, ego-infused, marketing delusion with a weak posting about comic book creators and football players. In the hundreds of posts since, I have waxed poetic, waned prophetic, and complained pathetic. I've talked about history, artistry, and an artery. I've even produced a few entries of which I'm somewhat proud. In reviewing the past posts, it's also pretty obvious that they add up to a great big question; "what is really real?" Just like when I was a kid, the question has no "real" answer. There is no way to know whether or not the world is a ruse. All you can do is accept that a degree of uncertainty - in all matters - is the only thing that is truly "really real," and then...move on. So, I guess I will. Whatever that will mean I can't begin to know right now, but I certainly hope that it doesn't mean that I will go another two-plus months without posting at least something. Sorry about that. If I can, I'll try to fill you in on some recent misadventures. If I can't, I won't. Either way, I'll move on. See ya!
September 12 - I'm certainly not the first to say this, but Autumn is clearly, and I would say prematurely, creeping up on us, isn't it? That means fallfire6 is almost upon us! I haven't done a lot of preparation work yet, but I do have some of the basics of funding and locales determined. Soon I'll have to update the fallfire site with this year's specifics. It feels great to be talking about the sixth annual fallfire contest, but, organizationally speaking, I'd hoped to be far less involved in what I'd also hoped to have been a much more autonomous entity by now. Ah, plans. Without my grandiose plans, and their inevitable abandonment, how else would I measure my failure? Still, having a plan - or, to be more accurate in my case, merely the slightest hint of an actual plan - is better than just bumbling along without any self-direction. I think. Take, for example, my "plans" for this year's FallCon comic book convention in St. Paul, Minnesota (which, by the way, has a brand new WEB-SITE). I have plans for all sorts of things, from new business cards, to a sketchbook of some recent drawings, to con-report webcasts at the end of each day. How much of that will actually happen? It's almost at the whim of the wind right now, as something as simple as a single bad day at the dreaded "real" job could rob me of just enough energy or motivation that I will have to forgo any or all of my FallCon plans. Even so, I do get this little buzz of excitement in my chest when I imagine - daydream, really - about my plans. While it may be true that "life is what happens while you're busy making plans," making plans can also be a way to enjoy life. For me, actively envisioning what could be is not only constructive, but fun! So what if only a small fraction of my planning comes to fruition. The dreamer in me can sustain the realist, even when the realist has to clean up the dreamer's messes. So, wish me luck as I begin my downward spiral in to reconciling my plans with sad reality...and the same for you and your plans! Now, some quick notes....
1) SpikeTV is still accepting votes for the 2009 Scream Awards. "Who cares?" you might ask. Well, amongst the categories is "Best Comic Book," for which O.F.O.WOMP Tim Seeley's Hack/Slash has again been nominated! Quick, go vote for him HERE (and every day after that until October 17th)! Beyond the obvious honor of being nominated with Green Lantern, Kick-Ass, Thor, The Walking Dead, and Wolverine: Old Man Logan, Tim's comic has the unbelievable distinction of having been nominated by an expert panel that includes Zack Snyder, Tim Burton, Wes Craven, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller! That's like an award right there!
2) I will be drawing caricatures in fabled Wisconsin Dells in October (17th and 18th)! Fulfilling my father-in-law Steve's prophecy, I am finally stepping up a notch on the caricaturing biz scale, hitting "the big time" after just six (or seven?) years of drawing people in public. The event is the 2009 Autumn Harvest Fest, and you can read more about it by clicking HERE, although I'm not yet listed there.
3) Speaking of my father-in-law, I should probably tell you that he is doing well. He's had some trouble with his recovery now, but, overall, he's clearly on his way back to 100%.
4) I'll say it here, and I don't care what you think of me afterward; I love Glee! Maybe it's the ghosts of my high school chorus experiences come back to haunt me, or my time as director of community theatre clouding my judgement, but I can't help it. I love it. I love the music (although badly dubbed...yeesh), I love the characters, I just...love it. Plus, I've long had crushes on Jane Lynch (brilliant and hilarious), and Jessalyn Gilsig (plays Claire's birth-mother on Heroes), and a pseudo-crush on Broadway's Lea Michele (of Les Miserables fame...and she's 22, not 16 like her character, so I'm technically not a creepy old man for liking her...technically). The only problem is that I can't help singing along with the show (much to The WOMP-Staff's chagrin). Anyone else have that problem? Oh, well...don't stop believin'!
5) I have a theme for this month's "...Of The Day" feature; superpowers! Hopefully, as September progresses, I'll post some thoughts about the nature of superpowers, their origins, their deeper meanings, and so forth. Or, at least that's the plan. Hmm. So, I leave you tonight with your first dozen Comic Book Superpowers of The Day - Flight, Control Over The Elements/Weather/etc., Matter Eating, Wall-Crawling, Ability to Communicate With Animals, Super-Mimicry, Immortality, Extra-Sensory Perception, Super-Strength, Super-Intelligence, Invulnerability, and The Ability to Emit Energy/Lasers/Fire/etc.!
August 28 - Let's talk a little bit about jealousy, shall we? The topic has been on my mind for a few days as my own sense of jealousy - which I'd long assumed to be dead (or at least dormant) - has once again reared its ugly head. When I was a much younger man, I was often overcome with envy, usually after viewing an amazing piece of artwork. I'm not talking about work produced by an established master. That would have been like being jealous of the sky for being blue. No, my greenest envy was reserved for artists whom I knew, or those with whom I believed I "ranked" (and "ranking" was, itself, a version of jealousness, as I imagined where "on a scale of 1 to 100" I compared, in my mind only, with all other artists in my genre). If any of these artists produced something extraordinarily beyond my expectations of their talents, my guts would grind with jealousy pains. In those early days, which included my Kubert School experiences, I truly believed that such envy was not only an important component in my artistic development, but a healthy one as well! I reasoned that it forced me to compete, which, in turn, forced me to improve myself. I can't completely deny the logic of that, but neither could I ignore the actual, physical illness that I'd feel afterward. There are those who will espouse envy (a form of greed, really) as a productive motivator. We comics artists - if I may indulge myself with such an inclusion - are, in theory, competing for essentially the same audiences (and their dwindling dollars). In competition, there is rivalry, and in rivalry there is often jealousy. Still, that attitude was putting my intestines into sour knots, so I finally came to the realization that envy was not only unhealthy (clearly), but not the motivator I'd once believed. When it came right down to it, I was never spurred to greater things upon seeing another's artwork. I was either too involved in making "excuses" for my suddenly apparent inadequacies, or wallowing in self-loathing. No, for me, jealousy was an evil habit that I had to kick. Like many addicts, I couldn't go cold turkey, so I stepped back in manageable increments. First, I let go of thinking "Anyone could have done that," then expunged "I could have done that," and finally settled on a healthier "I should have done that," which is more of a true motivator. With that, I learned that I can happily encourage other artists, that I can genuinely enjoy their work, and that I am in competition with no-one but myself. Or so I believed, and so I acted, until this last couple of weeks. That's when I was struck by a wave of stanky, old-school, fluorescent-green envy. It started with finding an absolutely gorgeous image of Swamp Thing on-line. Even though it was produced as a three-dimensional computer model by someone named "J. Gary" in 2006, it made me as jealous as a thirteen-year-old watching "grown-ups" drive. Check out this cached page explaining the piece's creation (although the version I saw was much more advanced than the one posted there). OK, OK. I can handle a little spurt of old style jealousy. It makes no sense, but, after living without real envy for so long (twenty years or so?), I can be forgiven for a teeny lapse like that. Then...ugh. Then O.F.O.WOMP jake Stephens and I had a great little conversation about art and inspiration and such, and I mentioned that I was jealous of where he is, artistically, right now. It's been a long time since the Big Lightbulb went off for me, so I envied his current "Just Switched On" status. He's just hit that sweet spot where time, interest, opportunity, talent, life, and desire have converged. Squarely in the middle of that nexus, jake is worthy of envy. Again, not that big of a deal...until I saw what came of our conversation; encouragement to create something cool every day for a year. On his new site, 365 Days of Creation, jake describes it thusly;
While talking to John (Mundt, esq. - artist extraordinaire) today, we touched on a lot of different ideas, but we kept coming back to creativity and what is inspiring and what makes some artists stand so head and shoulders above the rest. Sweat equity? Hand of Dog? Genetics? Who knows.
Regardless, as we wrapped up, I mentioned that I was going to start this blog, imperfect idea or not (another idea we touched on in the two hours we sat in the coffee shop, landing pads for flies - “look one has a flag!”). It is based on an endeavor of another artist friend of John’s, Cary Kann, who has, for quite some time, forced himself to sit down and drawn something every day. After hearing that... I figured it was about time that I had a blog that had a point.
And, true to his word, he has produced some sort of creative artwork every day since then. Poetry, music, photography, and, mostly, virtual works have been spitting out of him like Africanized bees from a hive. Each day's product is at least interesting, usually amazing, and too-often jealousy inspiring. Best of all, jake is finally garnering some of the wider recognition and praise that he so richly deserves. Damn him. So, here I sit, stewing in envy, trying to figure out why I fell so hard off the no-jealousy wagon. At least I'm still happy for another artist's successes, but not without a side order of stomach-churning green fries. As best as I can guess, my jealousy has something to do with the computer as medium. In regard to the flood of virtual art of the last two decades, I'm positively antediluvian. I often wonder how my life, and relationship with computers, would differ had I been born just a year or two later. In 1984, just before I graduated high school, there were four computers in our entire school, and those were used exclusively by advanced Math students for basic programming. The following year, when I was a Joe Kubert School student, Joe had just acquired the computer set-up that had been used to create the "cyber" elements of the film Tron, but only third year animation students were allowed to mess with it. Over the next few years, while such computer access restrictions eased, my sorry financial situation, coupled with my inglorious return to my parents' basement, kept me from being exposed to any of the advancements made in computer generated art until after I had become a curmudgeonly "established" artist (and by "established" I certainly don't mean that I was "recognized" or "employed," just that I'd become ensconced in my own peculiar ways by then). Had I been a member of, say, The Class of 1986? Who knows? So, here I sit, envious and bitter, and apparently none-the-wiser for the journey. Hmm. Actually, now that I've talked about it, I feel a little better. In fact, I feel great!
Jealous?
Well, now I must be off to my next exciting adventure, but not before asking once again for your suggestions for September's "...Of The Day" theme. If you've got an itch to see a topic discussed, just let me know before Tuesday, September 1st. Thanks in advance! See ya!
August 25 - OK, so first let me quickly say that everything with my father-in-law is great now, but only after some very serious surgery. In fact, far outpacing his doctors' predictions, he actually came home from the hospital today, and he's already back to...well, not "normal," but certainly a few hundred steps above lying motionless in an Intensive Care Unit recovery room. More on that in a moment, but I need to get back to the story of my speaking engagement in Montfort (was that just last week? Oy, it's been a long couple of days). Just as I was wrapping up my spiel, my host, librarian Marcie Harwick, ran from the building to respond to a family emergency, leaving it to an attending mom and me to close the library! It was pretty scary wondering what had happened, but I basically had to leave without knowing. Perhaps I'll let Marcie fill you in on the rest, courtesy of an e-note she sent today;
John,
I wanted to thank you for the wonderful job that you did with the kids here at our library. They are still talking about you. Thank you for your professionalism. I also wanted to apologize for running out on you that day. My 3 year old son had an old heavy 32" TV fall on him at home. He is fine now, but mom was pretty freaked out for awhile. Thanks again and good luck in your future ventures!
Marcie Harwick
Montfort Public Library
I wanted to be sure that everyone was OK before I told you about the unusual way that the event ended. That, I suppose, brings me back to my father-in-law, Steve. His surgery was certainly unique, even to his battle-tested heart surgeon, Dr. Paramesh, who called Steve's heart "definitely one of the top five worst" he'd ever seen. What made it so unusual was that Steve, a non-smoker/non-drinker, had none of the blockage-type problems that plague most cardiac patients. In fact, the vessels that usually need to be bypassed were, on Steve's heart, in excellent condition. Still, after a battery of tests, he was told that he needed dramatic, immediate surgery or he wouldn't live more than another six months (and that was the optimistic prognosis). Apparently, Steve had a congenital defect. One of his valves and a portion of his aorta had always been malformed, causing damage and, essentially, premature aging. In the twelve hour operation that began early the next day, both were replaced. Since then, Steve's recovery has been close to miraculous. He wasn't even expected to come out of sedation for two days, but was awake and speaking - hoarsely - just a few hours after surgery. Instead of "perhaps a month," his hospital stay, from diagnosis (after which he was quickly admitted), through surgery, to release earlier today, was almost exactly one week. A week! So, as frightening and serious as everything was, I think that Steve should consider himself incredibly fortunate to have had things transpire as they did.
Now, I think I need some rest. With the exception of Saturday (when I had to work at the dreaded "real" job), I've spent the last few days with my wife, the lovely WOMP Staff, either sleeping in waiting rooms, waiting in waiting rooms, or driving and/or walking to and/or from waiting rooms, so I am going to try to get some sleep (in a real bed! neat!). As I wrap this up, I've got no "...Of The Day" feature for this month now that I've finally posted all of the Comic Book Father Characters from my list (begun in April), so I'll leave you with a question; what theme would you like to see presented as September's "...Of The Day" feature? Send in your suggestions before the end of the month. The "winning" theme suggester (if there is one) will get a special mention in the ol' WOMP-Blog, a link to whatever they want to promote, and the gratitude of a lapsed blogger whose brain is pretty frazzled right now. Thanks! See ya!
August 18 - Whew. What a long day. I had a wonderful time in Montfort on Monday, speaking and drawing for kids at their library. There is more to the story, but I'll have to get a little more information before I tell you about it. Sorry, but after the next WOMP-Blog posting you'll understand why I must be so mysterious. I just have to check on something before I can talk about it. Oh, and speaking of checking on things, my father-in-law, Steve, had a check-up today, at which he learned that he must immediately have heart surgery! He goes in to the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday), after which we will all know more about what will happen next. Right now, it looks like he will need a valve replacement. He is understandably scared, and so are we. Hopefully, everything will work out just fine. I'll keep you posted. In his honor, I'll leave you with the first, and only, Comic Book Father-In-Law Character of The Day - Dr. Franklin Storm!
August...16 already? Yowza! - Yes, I've lapsed a bit again, but merely because of my inherent laziness. I've meant to post several times, but, as you may know, the end of my day seems to be the only time that I can get to any extraneous writing, I always have to decide whether to sit at the WOMPuter, hunting-and-pecking out my groggy thoughts, or to acquiesce to the overpowering lure of sleep. Ten times out of ten (percentage-wise), sleep wins. The number of times when The WOMP-Blog wins is statistically insignificant, but that doesn't mean that I didn't want to post something. I've been practically dying to tell you all about a bazillion things (more or less) that have happened recently. Some of those are even interesting! Still, I can't possibly talk about all of it, so I'll have to give you an old-school "Top Ten" List! As preamble, I'd should probably reiterate that I live in a tiny community where great and weird history permeates every square inch. Even in day to day life, reminders of what happened in the past intersects - and interplays - with every step. Here, then, is...
The Top Ten Things I Wanted to Tell You and/or Stories From This Month in Prairie du Chien History
10) No Balloon Animals, Though - For only the second time, I was hired to draw caricatures for a private party. Shannon, a former co-worker of the lovely WOMP-Staff, asked me to come to her daughter's sleepover birthday party so that I could draw the attendees. That was fun, but a bit of a shock. Instead of seeing the little kids I was expecting, the girls were all in the early teen range! I guess a lot of time has gone by since I last saw Shannon's family! In reality, there's no big difference in drawing older kids versus younger ones (they're equally squirmy, if for different reasons), except that - especially with girls - a great deal of emphasis is placed on the hair-styles. So, now I suppose I should advertise that I hire out for birthday parties, wedding receptions, and Bar Mitzvahs. Hmmm...
9) History On A Bun - OK, OK. I'll stop talking about the 100th Anniversary of Pete's Hamburgers...right after this. This month marked the official anniversary of the first Pete's burger, an event commemorated with a special program at the Prairie du Chien Museum. Unfortunately, I had to work at the dreaded "real" job, so I couldn't attend, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't there. Apparently, an oral presentation of the history of Pete's even included mentions of my various artistic contributions to the local institution. That's pretty cool.
8) Fun-Fast - For the fourth (or fifth?) year, I drew caricatures for the Fennimore, Wisconsin, "Fun-Fest." Even though I was there for five hours, I was kept so busy that the time seemed to just fly by. And I had so much fun! All such events have memorable highlights for me. Sometimes those are experiences with difficult customers, but most stem from the unique people I meet while drawing their portraits. Special challenges are also very memorable, such as the super-sweet mom who had a reconstructed face, or the developmentally challenged woman who sat with me for most of the day, watching as I drew, until she finally got the courage to sit for her own caricature. Another challenge has now become something of a tradition (if traditions can be set with only two instances). A young couple had me draw their oldest kid, now two-years-old, whom I'd drawn two years ago when he was an infant in a stroller. Then I drew their new baby, sleeping in that same stroller. Drawing babies is hard enough, but knowing that the two virtually identical pictures will always be compared? That's definitely a challenge. I was so happy with the result, but I have no photos of the event because I was there sans-assistants. Sigh. Maybe next time.
7) The Great Council - On August 5th, 1825, a "Great Council" of Native Americans and white settlers was held at Fort Crawford here in Prairie du Chien. For days prior to the event, canoe-loads of attendees converged from all directions and included members of the Sioux, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Iowa, Sauk, and Fox tribes. The purpose of this gathering was to promote peace among the tribes and to establish boundaries for their territorial claims. Thousands of native people, who by tradition considered the plain where Prairie du Chien now sits to be sacred neutral ground, met in the spirit of peace. It's pretty cool to think that, right where I live, treaties between tribes, settlers, traders, and the government were signed, and great leaders from all camps professed their admiration and respect for one another. Exactly six years later, though, that all changed dramatically...
6) Edutaining Fun With Uncle John - Remember my assistants from the caricature drawing I did at Pete's Hamburgers 100th...er, I mean That Food-Stand Celebrating a Special Anniversary? My nephew Colton and niece Alanna (who was named after Adam Strange's wife, by the way) were great helpers that day, and we all had lots of fun together, so, when they asked to spend another day with me recently, I gladly capitulated. They're such great kids, how could I not? So, with Colton again taking photos, we first went for a fun nature hike in Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor, Iowa. We then trudged out onto the remnants of the old 1930's bridge in the middle of the Mississippi River between Marquette, Iowa, and Prairie. I blogged about it sometime in the past, but the kids had never even really realized that such a bridge existed before the current, modern one. Colton especially was excited to find actual artifacts - bolts, lengths of support cable, tarmac chunks, etc. - of the bridge that he could take home with him. He is planning to research the old bridge, find a photo of it, then frame everything in a shadow-box with a brief history. Neat idea!
5) A Fight to Remember - Sometime in August of 1910, the world famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show came to Prairie du Chien for a performance. As the elaborate production - complete with Main Area events, an Indian village, sideshows, and even horse racing - was being set up, several of the show's performers, cowboys, and other roustabouts wandered downtown to check out...well...to check out the local girls. This, as you might imagine, did not sit well with the local boys, who soon banded together to confront the out-of-towners. Voices raised, tempers flared, and, within minutes, a massive all-out brawl broke out, right in the city's main intersection (then called Church and Bluff Streets, now called Beaumont Road and Blackhawk Avenue, respectively). As the dust kicked up, and the flying fists were beginning to transition to knives, something happened. Some heard a single gunshot. Some heard a loud voice shouting "Halt!" Whatever it was, it caused everyone to stop in their tracks. As they looked up, there, astride a glowing white steed, was Buffalo Bill Cody himself. A distinguished man with long white hair and trademark mustache and goatee, Cody dramatically rode directly into the center of the fray, commanding everyone to cease. Whether because of the force of his presence or his signature on their paychecks, everyone calmly dispersed. Disaster was averted, and no-one was seriously hurt. In fact, even the later presentation of the show itself was OK. In spite of the scrap (or because of it?), it was a sell-out. The event has become legend, and may even seem to you like a tall-tale from long ago. And I might agree with you, if I hadn't known a man who was actually there when it happened! Yep, the same man who would also tell me of his experiences in World War One (as readers of The WOMP-Blog may remember), was there that hot August day. His accounting of the fight has always sparked my imagination. Oh, there are the newspaper reports of the time that corroborate everything, but, for me, hearing it from a participant is so much better...and one of the greatest privileges of my life.
4) More Adventures of Comics - Hey! I'm going to be in Montfort, Wisconsin, on Monday to give my The Adventures of Comics presentation at the Montfort Public Library. I'm scheduled to speak at 2:00PM (until 3:30 or so). Stop in for a visit if you're going to be nearby.
3) A Stearns Warning - I wanted to send a shout-out to freshly anointed Official Fish of WOMP, Brian Stearns. Hi, Brian (and, sorry about the inexplicable "Fish" thing...it's sort of a tradition that...uh...really, it's too silly and confusing to even explain)! Brian, who lives in New Hampshire, is a writer who contacted me about a month ago about using one of my avatar illustrations (Mind's-Eye) for his blog. Since then, we've conversed a few times, striking up a bit of a friendship. We're even planning some collaborations over the next few months. Keep an eye out for those!
2) Happy Landon - An updated, second edition of John Garvin's The Landon School of Illustrating and Cartooning is about to be published. Readers of The WOMP-Blog (both of you) may remember my month-long investigation of the life and influence of cartoonist and educator C.N. Landon. I passed all of that information on to Mr. Garvin, who was able to incorporate most of it into his new edition. In fact, he's kind enough to give me this credit in the preface; "John Mundt, Esquire, provided a wealth of information from his own research on Landon’s early history, and forwarded additional research done by Henry R. Timman of Norwalk, Ohio. Mundt’s informative and entertaining home on the Web can be found here: http://www.johnmundtesquire.com/" Pretty cool, huh? I'm happy that something came of my weird fascination with comics history. Now, if only I can get my own such book off the ground....
1) Bad Axe - On August 1st, 1832 - just six years after the Great Council - as a clumsy, bloody war swept through the area, an armed steamboat (the ironically named Warrior), sent from Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien, reached fleeing warriors of the Sauk, Fox and Kickapoo Nations (called the "British Band" for their attempts to ally themselves with Britain) on the banks of the Mississippi, where the native force had hoped to cross the river to escape American troops. After being guided by a Sioux Indian, the boat, with its prominent artillery piece, dropped anchor, making an escape virtually impossible. Black Hawk, leader of the British Band, attempted to surrender to the Warrior by waving a white cloth, but the crew either did not understand or, more likely, chose to ignore the message. The boat and its men opened fire, killing a number of unprepared Indians before they could scramble away into surrounding bluffs. The next day, on August 2nd, Black Hawk split his band, leading the American troops away to the North with a small group of men, while the rest of the Indians constructed rafts and canoes to facilitate an escape across the Mississippi. The plan was successful initially, but eventually General Atkinson, commander of the American troops, realized the ruse. The Americans broke their pursuit of Black Hawk, converging instead on the bulk of the band. In the ensuing "battle," women, children and the elderly hid behind rocks and logs, but the American soldiers often could not or did not differentiate between warriors and the obvious noncombatants. Atkinson even sent Wabasha and his Sioux warriors, enemies of the Sauk, in pursuit of the approximately 150 members of the British Band that had made it to the Western bank of the Mississippi. The Sauk, "escaped the best they could, and dispersed", but, of over a thousand souls, only 22 women and children were spared. Black Hawk escaped, but the Battle of Bad Axe marked the end of the war that still bears his name. Days later, he surrendered to the troops of Fort Crawford, and was temporarily held in the fort's dungeon. The bars of his cell are still on display at the Prairie du Chien Museum. As you've guessed, this sad episode still reverberates through P.d.C., not only in the community's many eponymous tributes (Blackhawk Avenue, for example), but also in our general reverence for a great local leader who found himself on the wrong side of history. In fact, his likeness was the first to be erected in Prairie's life-size sculpture park. In fact, just a few days ago now, almost under the radar, a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (who was one of the pursuing American troops back in 1832, although he never saw action) was held near the grounds of the old fort. Special programs were presented throughout the day by re-enactors and others, including George Thurman, who is currently Principal Chief of the Sac (Sauk) and Fox Nation...and is a direct descendant of Black Hawk! Even though many generations separate the two, Mr. Thurman's resemblance to Makataimeshekiakiak is uncanny! Moreover, the fact that he could be invited - and would then accept such an invitation - to visit the site of his great-grand-ancestor's defeat and imprisonment, speaks volumes to how far we've come in a short 177 years.
So, there you have it; a little history, a little cartooning, and a little nonsense. That's what has been occupying my mind these last few weeks. If I could expand the parameters of the list a bit, I'd add an eleventh (unranked) bit of odd local info. August 15th marks the seventieth anniversary of the premiere of the film The Wizard of Oz. Sort of. You see, three days before the red-carpet, star-studded opening in Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz was actually first shown in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. No one knows why, but, for some odd reason, that's where it actually premiered. In fact, over the next couple of days, the now classic film was shown on several area movie screens, including - as legend has it - here in Prairie du Chien. I have tried to prove the early P.d.C. screening, but to no avail (our local newspapers were not dailies, so they're not much help), and, without real proof of any sort, I can't really call it "history." Still, it's a cool legend, so I thought I'd pass it along. Hmm. Speaking of "passing along," I'm about to pass out from all of this typing, so I should be getting along. Here, for absolutely no reason other than my obsessive-compulsive need to complete even the most inane tasks once I've started them, I present the last of my list of Comic Book Father Characters of The Day - Stone (as in "Turok, Son of..."), Kong (as in "Son of..."), Magneto, Scott Summers, Richard Rich, Sr., Zeus, Bruce Wayne, Homer J. Simpson, Mildew Monster, Goliath, Fred Flintstone, and Jonathan Kent!
July 24 - Hiya! Boy, have I been busy! I wish that I could say that my time has been occupied with exciting artistic endeavors, but, with a couple of possible exceptions, I have instead been mired in mundane chores. One of the hidden costs of an extended period of illness is that ignored household tasks pile up exponentially. As each uncompleted project begat three others, and so forth, the ability to easily reign it all in began to slip away from me, until, finally, I had to just dedicate pretty much all spare time for the last two weeks to getting "back to normal." So, as of right now, I'm nearly done. The extensive yard work (pruning old trees, planting new trees, gardening, landscaping, etc.) is done, the new shed has been built and filled with rakes and pots and such, the garage has been cleaned, bills have been paid and filed, I've responded to most of my backlogged correspondence, and I've completed any number of other even more menial, yet necessary, jobs. Now...ugh. Now I am waging a war against the continually accumulating crap cluttering the catacombs beneath WOMP Headquarters. And I think I'm losing. Every time I believe I'm winning, I discover another vein of unsorted comic books, or a hidden cache of boxes and packaging material saved for eBay shipping, and, while sorting it all, I end up with a mess as unkempt as before I began. Sure, I'm making some sort of progress, but only The WOMP Staff and I can see it (and even then only if we squint). I have no one to blame but myself, but it's still somewhat aggravating. To counteract the tedium, I've begun to experiment with the WOMPuter's video-making program. HERE is my first attempt, as is now found on YouTube. It's weird. It's worthless. It's WOMPtastic. Watch it with someone you love...then immediately apologize. For now, I'd better get back to work. Someday...someday I may even be finished. Sigh. I guess I'll leave you with a few more of my old, unposted Comic Book Father Characters of The Day - Odin, Doggie Daddy, Peter Griffin, Ben Cartwright, Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, and Gomez Addams!
July 11 - So, let's see...what all have I neglected to blog about recently? Well, I suppose I should tell you that my comic book classes for later today and next Saturday have been canceled. Darn it. Well, at least my last two workshops were well attended. I presented my cartooning spiel a couple of days ago right here in WOMP's hometown of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. It was part of our library's Summer reading program, so it drew (ha ha - a pun!) a fairly large crowd of kids (forty or so?). With the exception of a girl who appeared to be in her tweens, most of the crowd was very young (well, excluding parent-types). That meant a heavy emphasis on drawing silly or gross things (for example, my character, LIF-EL - who resembles "a living booger" - was very popular), and less focus on "how to." Even so, I showed the kids how to break down things into shapes, touched upon facial proportions, showed and explained several cartoon strip/comic book storytelling hints and tips, and even demonstrated my patented "Scribble-Dogs" method of finding inspiration/exercising imagination (OK...I'll describe that further some day, but, in a nutshell, it is similar to looking for figures in cloud formations). Afterward, I was asked to draw the kids' names from a bucket so that they could pick out prizes. The selection was a little thin, but I added the drawings from my lecture with the other prizes so that every kid could win something! So, one by one, I called out names, and was (egotistically) amazed that the first several kids chose my drawings over Beanie Babies, teddy bears (with the Wisconsin "W" on them and everything), T-shirts, and McDonald's gift certificates. OK, OK...so the two inflatable "guitars" were early choices also, but, for the most part, kids wanted my artwork! Unfortunately, when all of the gifts were given, I still had one name left; Emily, a teensy little girl of about five years. Fortunately, my arm hadn't fallen off, so I drew a special piece just for her. Since she had earlier volunteered that she liked to draw princesses, I drew a grown-up version of her, complete with crown, and called it "Princess Emily." Well, although some of the boys could not believe I'd just drawn such a girlie thing ("without no horns or anything," as one pointed out), Emily was thrilled. Seeing her ear-to-ear smile was like a prize that I had won. A month earlier, I had a much different, yet just as rewarding, experience when I presented my lecture at the public library in Cobb, Wisconsin. Only a handful of kids attended, but they were much more interested in the subject. It's a bit elitist, I suppose, but I think that I would much rather speak to ten kids who really want to learn about cartooning than forty who are "just there." At Cobb, I was able to more fully explain stuff to an appreciative few. These were kids who read Manga and Jeff Smith's Bone, had created their own characters, and wanted to know specific things, like how to draw a fist in three-quarter view. That was pretty cool, too. In light of these two events, and another coming up in August, I guess it's not a big deal that my classes were canceled. Well, I guess I'll wrap this up for now. Next time, I'll tell you about some of my recent art projects. Here is your Comic Book Father Character of The Day - Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader!
July 10 - Hey there! How are you doing? As for me, I'm about a half hour away from heading to the dreaded "real" job, but I just had to post a little something for you. I have found a good video from the Pete's Hamburgers 100th Anniversary Event held last weekend. It gives you a pretty good idea of what it was like, even though the vast majority of it was shot just minutes after everything began on Friday. About half-way through, there's even a pretty good sequence of me drawing my first two caricatures. If you'd like to watch it, click HERE to go to the Pete's-specific page on the new pdctoday.com site. As for my own pix and video, well...hmm. On Sunday, my soon-to-be-in-4th-grade niece, Alanna, and soon-to-be-in-6th-grade nephew, Colton, volunteered to help me all day while I drew caricatures. That was a lot of fun, and they were really very helpful, especially in keeping babies and dogs (yes, dogs...sigh) attentive and smiling while being drawn. Colton, in charge of taking photos, did an especially good job. He documented virtually every detail of the event (as well as any cool muscle car or motorcycle that drove by). He also took almost a half-hour of video in ten and twenty second snippets, but much of it is unusable, and all of it is fighting with my WOMPuter's video editing software. I'm still trying to cull the footage to a handful of interesting clips, after which I will post them to YouTube. Until then, I think I'll post some of his photographs on The WOMP-Blog Archives. Well, I've got to get to work now, so I'll leave you with your Comic Book Father Character of The Day - Craig Robinson!
July 7 - Well, that was incredibly sad. Like so many others, I watched Michael Jackson's public memorial service this afternoon. I had intended to view the event with detached, almost scholarly interest, but I was crying like a baby by the first shaky lines of Mariah Carey's "I'll Be There." Look, I grew up with The Jackson 5, was a teenager for Thriller, and have been an active observer of Pop Culture since college. For better or worse, Michael Jackson meant something to me. I don't know exactly what, but it was definitely something. Of course, I've been to way too many funerals recently, so that didn't help. Hmm. So...I was trying to get back to wrapping up my Pete's Hamburgers 100th Anniversary report, but I just couldn't (partly because YouTube was undergoing service, so I couldn't upload my awesome Pete's videos!). Now I've got a cartooning lecture/workshop in a few hours, so I'm going to bail tonight as well, but I will get back to it later, I promise ('cause I know you've been on pins and needles waiting for it). For now I'll leave you with your Comic Book Father Character of The Day - Fred Andrews!
July 4th - Well, I survived Day Two of the Pete's Hamburgers 100th Anniversary Event. The day was rainy and cold while I was there, but the crowds were even larger than yesterday! I forgot my camera (UGH!), so I will have to wait until at least tomorrow to post any pictures for you. There were festivities and special events all day, including live music and more radio broadcasts. Starting at 10:00AM, I drew caricatures for four hours, having only one short break from 1:15 to 1:20. Just as I was wrapping up for the day, Congressman Ron Kind, straight from Washington, D.C., stopped by to present Pete's Hamburgers with a U.S. flag that had been flown over the the Capitol Building. And this was on the Fourth of July! On top of that, he also read aloud a copy of his remarks entered into the Congressional record on June 26th (presented below as are now found on-line) -
HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF PETE'S HAMBURGERS -- HON. RON KIND (Extensions of Remarks - June 26, 2009)
[Page: E1618] GPO's PDF
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HON. RON KIND
OF WISCONSIN
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Friday, June 26, 2009
Mr. KIND;
•Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pete's Hamburgers of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and to recognize their 100th anniversary.
•It is reassuring to see that despite these tough economic times many American small businesses are still thriving. It was 100 years ago when Pete Gokey opened Pete's Hamburgers as a small, humble stand selling pan-fried hamburgers. Pete Gokey's life embodies the hard work, dedication, and commitment that have made our country great.
•Although we recognize it today for achieving the feat of keeping its doors open for 100 years, the story of Pete's Hamburgers is one founded upon an individual's commitment to public service and hard work. Before opening his stand to sell hamburgers, Pete Gokey was a member of the volunteer fire department in Prairie du Chien. As fate would have it, Pete was selected to be the chef for one of the fire department's community events, at which he was expected to serve fried hamburgers with onions. The hamburgers were a huge success and became the catalyst for Pete Gokey's successful stand.
•Gokey was able to turn his stand into a fixture of the Prairie du Chien community. Whether serving hamburgers or volunteering as a fire fighter, Pete Gokey was a man who lived a life based on hard work and service to his community.
•Pete's Hamburgers and its quality product have stood the test of time and I proudly stand before this chamber to recognize the success of Pete and his family who have dedicated their lives to something they love: hamburgers.
•I applaud the efforts of Pete Gokey and his family members who now run the business and I am proud to see their hard work rewarded by 100 years of business and 100 years of service to the Prairie du Chien community. May their success continue for many more years to come.
Pretty cool, huh? Now that's impressive. Well, I hope you all had a great day. I'm going to leave you for now with a special Independence Day Comic Book Father Character of The Day - George Washington!
July 3 - Day One of the Pete's Hamburgers 100th Anniversary Event is in the books, and, man, what a crowd! At any given time, the throng numbered between fifty and a hundred people...and this is just for hamburgers from a street vendor (a well-established one, but a street vendor nonetheless). Of course, there were many other things to do and/or buy during the day's celebrations. I was kept busy drawing my cartoon-portrait-style caricatures from 11:00AM to 2:00PM. It was crazy! I was interviewed by the local radio station (by O.F.O.WOMP Norb Aschom), during which I learned that I had been the answer to the daily call-in quiz! I was also filmed by two area television station news crews (not exclusively, of course...just as one of the anniversary events), and was part of at least two podcasts. If I find any of that stuff on-line, I'll post it here somewhere so you can point and laugh. In fact, I'll try to take my own little film or photo series tomorrow, but I can't promise anything. If I'm as busy on Saturday as I was today, I definitely won't have the time. In fact, I should probably go get some extra rest right now. Have a happy Fourth of July everyone! Here's another long-overdue Comic Book Father Character of The Day - Trigon!
July 2 - So, as I mentioned last night, this weekend marks the one-hundredth anniversary of one of Prairie du Chien's many oddball institutions, Pete's Hamburgers! Ever since Pete Gokey first made batches of hamburgers for a firefighter fundraiser (utilizing his secret ingredient; water), Pete's has been a Summer-and-Autumn weekend tradition. Over the years, while time has marched forward, very little has changed for the hamburger stand. In fact, I think that this "new" version of the stand (made a mere twenty years ago) is only the fourth to have dispensed burgers "with or without" onions on the hot streets downtown. Beginning tomorrow, three days of Pete's-centric fun will reunite family and friends, celebrate local history, and bring together everyone alive who has been part of the Pete's story...and that includes me! Several years ago (1999?), I drew the artwork for a new Pete's Hamburgers T-shirt. It features people from several different eras, all enjoying Pete's burgers. Below them is the phrase "WORTH WAITING IN LINE - SINCE 1909." Not too long after that, I was asked to create a postcard for the stand. It features the double-line (people on both sides of the stand, but essentially in one line as the customers are served one at a time from alternating sides) mentioned on the T-shirt. It's crazy, I know, but whenever I drive by the busy stand, and I see my T-shirt swinging from a hanger in one corner, while my postcard seems to have come to life...well, I feel a weird pride that I can't explain. That's why I said "Yes" when asked to draw caricatures for Pete's customers over the next three days. That should be fun...and it may be even more fun on Saturday when all of the artists who have contributed artwork will be on-hand. That includes my former high school Art teacher, Paul Porvaznik, and, as my Mom put it, "at least one Williams boy." This honor (?) is doubly humbling for me since Pete Gokey himself was an artist and sign maker when he wasn't making burgers. If you're in town over the weekend, treat yourself to a true Prairie du Chien tradition; stand in line, order a burger (in fact, get two), and remember to tell them whether you want yours "with or without." Oh, and bring a little extra cash for a caricature. I will be donating my profits to The Gokey Fund, established by Pete's descendants to raise money for cancer research. Stop by, won't you? The first burgers are ready at 11:00 each morning! See ya there! Oh, and here is another back-logged Comic Book Father Character of The Day - George Jetson!
July 1 - Uh, yeah. It's been a while....like three months. As you have no doubt guessed, things here at WOMP H.Q. have been...interesting? Challenging? Bewildering? Whatever the proper adjective, I'd like to add "...and boring." In a nutshell, I was unable to post, but now I think I can. It may not be daily (in fact, I'm virtually certain that it won't be), but I feel like I am back to as much as 90% of where I was before the "continued fun" happened to me, so I should have the energy to get back in the saddle, even if I fall out every now and then.
So, what have I missed? It's like the world has completely changed since I last sat down to write in the ol' WOMP-Blog. For example, as the lovely WOMP-Staff put it, "Everyone you ever thought was cool died last week." That's not exactly true, of course, but for someone my age (118), it felt like it. Coming right during the week of the 25th anniversary of my graduation from high school, the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson seemed to re-enforce the obvious: I'm not young anymore. I'm not even sure whether I count as youngish.
But I used to be young, and if it wasn't exactly yesterday, it doesn't seem like more than two or three years ago. During the last week in June of 1984, as I prepared to accept my diploma, how could I have foreseen the ironic impact that my actions would have a quarter-century later? Virtually everything that happened back then now resonates with unexpected emotion and bittersweet nostalgia. In no particular order, those last seven days in June of 1984 included...
...a "Meet The Artist" reception/performance for/by me! I had the good fortune to be awarded a scholarship from the Bluff Country Arts Council, but it came with a string attached; I had to exhibit my art for the members of the council (and their invited guests). Since I was being rewarded not just for my cartooning, but also for my sculpting, writing, singing, and acting (yes...my singing and acting actually won me a scholarship), I had to showcase several different works, act in a short play (which I co-wrote and performed with Michael Haefer and Joe Shulka), and even sing. Right then and there, as I learned that I was getting not just the expected honorarium, but everything from the Council's bank account because it was folding, I decided to find some way to pay my community back for their generosity. Jump ahead to this last week in 2009, and I am on the Design Committee of Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, helping plan our own "scholarship" of sorts (more on that in the days to come).
...sending my application and portfolio to The Joe Kubert School. Since several of the portfolio pieces were on display at that reception thing, I was shipping them off at the last possible moment. In fact, I nearly skipped it altogether. After all, what were the chances that I'd be accepted anyway? Jump ahead to this last week in 2009, and I have been making plans to teach my own cartooning and comic book classes on July 8th, 11th, and 18th (details to follow soon).
...singing in our last high school chorus performance. Chorus, as a class, was one of the few (only?) places where my friends and I could actually hang-out together while at school. Our final concert, then, was symbolic of the ending of our school days. We (Mike Haefer, Joe Shulka, Joe Becwar, and I) sang as a barbershop quartet, as part of the larger ensemble, and as featured performers in our - and I swear this is true - tribute to Michael Jackson! We sang a medley of Jackson's hits, including a memorable version of Beat It....where I portrayed The King of Pop himself! It all sounds much cooler than it was, especially because my "impersonation" consisted of nothing more than donning a black fedora and a single white glove. I gave it as much attitude as I could (remember, I did get a scholarship for my singing and acting), but I was still an awkward six-foot-four white kid from Wisconsin...with a hat and a glove. Jump ahead to this last week in 2009, and, well, my odd connection to Michael Jackson has forced me to once again face my own mortality.
...at the Class Night before Graduation Day, unexpectedly receiving "Hall of Fame" awards in both Art and English. Seriously, I did not expect that. I egotistically thought that I might be in the running for the Art award, but to be named the top graduating student of all English courses? That really shocked me. These awards, given every year from about 1920 to about 2000 (when they mysteriously ceased), were chosen by the teachers of each subject category. Since our school had only one Art teacher, Mr. Porvaznik, I had a feeling that I was in the running for an Art award based solely on his actions in those last few days of school. The English award, though? The entire English Department had to vote on that one. It still shocks me today...speaking of which, jumping ahead to this last week in 2009, I found myself dealing with many of those former teachers. My dreaded "real" job often puts me in contact with people I haven't seen for years, which, this last week, included two English teachers, a Geometry teacher, and Mr. Porvaznik. In fact, he and I will be together again this coming weekend as Pete's Hamburgers celebrates their 100th anniversary (more on that later)!
...receiving my diploma. Finally. And, even today, as I almost daily drive past my high school alma mater, I still think to myself "I am so glad that I don't have to go back there." Oh, don't get me wrong. I have many pleasant memories of those days. Some may even have been the cliched "best days of my life," but, over all, I did not enjoy attending high school. Jump ahead to this last week in 2009, where plans may very well be underway for a 25-year class reunion, and I couldn't care less. I know that sounds snarky (or maybe even false, since I am talking about it right now), but it's just how I feel. And why wouldn't I? My closest friends have either kept in touch or died, I've seen most other classmates in the same way I've seen past teachers at my dull "real" job, and there have been no substantive changes in my life recently (that I'd care to share).
That pretty much brings me back to right now. I have had a few interesting things happen while AWOL from the WOMP-Blog, but I'm not going to over-reach tonight by trying to tell you everything all at once. No, for now I am happy to just get back on my horse, even at a trot. So, look for more posts as my recuperation transitions into rehabilitation (or words to that effect). For now, for no particular reason other than satisfying my own dementia, let me leave you with what should have been April 4th's Comic Book Father Character of The Day - Herman Munster!
April 3 - Well, today was my Dad's last day at work. As of 3:00PM, Kelly Mundt has officially retired. Dad was something of a Doogie Howser, having graduated from medical college at eighteen years old. He was a double-threat, proficient in both the diagnostic medical laboratory and the (then still) new use of X-Ray machinery. As such, just a few years later, he became the head of both the Laboratory and X-Ray Departments here in my hometown of Prairie du Chien...when he was just 24. And there he stayed, day in, day out, until 3:00 today. Oh, the names of the departments have changed a bit (now jointly called Diagnostic Services), and the equipment has changed immeasurably (CAT, MRI, digital...heck, they don't even use X-Ray film anymore), but my Dad has been in charge of all of it for over forty years. On his way out the door, he stopped at the reception desk and asked to use the hospital's public address system, upon which he announced "Kelly Mundt has left the building. Kelly Mundt has left the building." With that, flanked by the sound of applause coming from every corner of the hospital, he walked out to begin his well-deserved third chapter. In his honor, I've decided to get a jump start on June's traditional celebration of paternity with an entire month dedicated to fathers in comic books! Believe it or not, this has been an actual topic of geeky conversation several times during my years as a fanboy/cartoonist wannabe. Ever since Joseph Campbell told us about the guy with 1,000 faces, the relationship between comic book characters and their fathers has been the subject of great debate and conjecture. Even my own comic, The Adventures of Monkey, isn't immune to discussion of it's (my?) many "daddy issues." So, let's jump right in with one of the most prevalent "daddy issues" in comics, the absentee father. Long before it was a popular topic on Tyra, comic books have been dealing with the subject of "men who leave." It's as if there is some rule that a character, male or female (but especially male) isn't really a "grown-up" until Dad is gone. An incredible array of characters lost their pops to the Grim Reaper before beginning their "adventures." Poor Superman had to lose two. In the past, I've argued that this "absence of a father" element was a reflection on the kind of creators and, ultimately, readers that are drawn to the comic book medium. Now? I'm not so sure. I think that such stories as Superman's are just in keeping with the world's mythology, which has inspired many comics creators for decades. Some of that is because of the sense of "passing of the torch" that a father character's death elicits. As Uther had to die so that Arthur could rule Britain, so we feel that Thomas Wayne had to die so that Batman could rule the night. There is not only torch-passing involved, but a somber empowerment, as in "I'm the man of the house now." In some ways, this is pretty much what happened to my Dad's father, my Grandpa Les Mundt. At the age of twelve, his Dad (Great-Grandpa Henry) died. Grandpa's two older brothers were already off to barber college, so, with his Mom and a handful of sisters to support, little Les took over running the family farm. He "retired" sixty years later when he died at the age of seventy-two. Of course, not every absentee father character actually died. An off-shoot of the theme is the mysterious-disappearance, dramatic-later-reappearance father. This is an especially evil plot device, as it first tortures a character through childhood, then revisits that pain after a couple of decades of healing have passed. Curiously, none of this applies (at least not broadly) to mother characters. Weird. Well, let's pick this up again tomorrow. I've got my Dad's retirement party to set up early in the morning. Until next time, here are your first few Comic Book Father Characters of The Day - Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, Jor-El, and Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff!
March 31 - So, what's left to say about More Fun Comics? I suppose that I haven't really talked about the superheroes that it spawned. Some became minor stars (like The Spectre), others were also-rans (Johnny Quick), and several others became odd footnotes (Dr. Occult). Even though they had some successes back in the day, it was never "Superman-success." Probably the biggest super-star to first see print in MFC was Aquaman. Originally just another back-up feature character, it took him decades to gain "Justice League level" status. That seems to be the general legacy of all super-powered characters from More Fun Comics. None of them took the world by storm, and I think I know why; they never had the advantage of a book-length story. Every appearance was limited to a handful of plot-intensive, action-filled pages. While the more obvious detriment to such a publishing history is that readers never had more than a few panels to get to know these characters, the secret of their non-success may actually have been the lack of memorable auxiliary characters. Name one character from The Spectre's comics mythology other than himself (or his alter ego). If you are a comics historian, you could probably do it, but chances are that you're drawing a blank. Now name Superman's mom(s), girlfriend(s), and boss(es). Even my Mom, wife, and boss could do that. A well-developed supporting cast seems to have a big impact on the success of a lead character, for any number of reasons. In eight-pages-or-fewer stories like those in More Fun, everything had to be more streamlined, so the cast was limited too. It's just a theory. So, with that, let's wrap this month up with your last More Fun Comics Character of The Day - Dr. Fate!
March 30 - It turns out that I'm cool. At least that's what a fourth grader told me recently. I've never really felt like I was cool, but at least someone thinks I am. In fact, I seem to have been a hit with lots of people this last month...as long as those people were between the ages of six and twelve. I apologize for my lax blogging over these last few weeks, but I've been busy entertaining kids all over town. Some we were "babysitting" (or whatever word you'd use when the kids are around ten years old....preteensitting? Hmm...that doesn't sound right), but most were the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Graders of Bluff View Intermediate School. The school is just a few blocks away from WOMP Headquarters, so it was no big deal for me to just drop by to talk about comics and cartooning (and you know that I love talking about myself, as is evidenced by the example of this WOMP-Blog). Not only was that was a lot of fun, but I really feel that I was able to tell every group (several hundred over the course of two days) some very important, interesting things. I knew it was going well (based purely on the excited shrieks solicited by my drawings of blob monsters and super-ducks), but I was pleasantly surprised at the great, pertinent questions the kids asked. It was pretty obvious that many of these students were truly cartoonists in the making. To me, that made the whole thing worthwhile. Oh, if only some cartoonist had told kid-me even half the stuff I told those kids (all of which, by the way, someone else told me in later years). Sigh. Anyhoo, time has passed, and I had only my impression of the day to gauge whether I'd had any impact. Imagine my surprise, then, when a package from the school was delivered to WOMP Central. Within it, wrapped in three signed "thank you" cards (one from each grade), were literally hundreds of cartoons drawn by every student I'd seen! Awesome! Better still, upon review I could see that the vast majority of them had implemented one or more of my tips from my "lectures." And, yes, I looked at every single one. Most were actual comic strips, some of which were quite good or funny (all of which were very interesting). Now, I'm not deluded enough to think that any of these kids will necessarily go on to have cartooning careers someday, but I've always felt that cartooning comics can open up imaginations, can improve communication skills, can comfort in troubled times, and can be a lifelong friend, so I feel like I've really made a difference in their lives. And, you know what? That makes me feel pretty cool.
OK, now let me talk about More Fun Comics again. Just a little. One of the things which most interests me about the series is that it was so malleable. Unlike, say, the Batman comic, More Fun could, and did, feature whatever kind of story the editors thought would sell comics. In that way, it was not just a laboratory for the comics medium, it was something like the pulse of the industry. Well, maybe it was more like the pulse of the editorial strength of the industry. I mean, it was canceled due to poor sales, so it wasn't a pure barometer. Still, it fascinates me that More Fun was, using television as a metaphor, more of a TV network than a TV show. In a young, foundling industry, I suppose that made sense. While it may seem strange to put silly cartoony stories in the same comic as serious murder mysteries, the publisher and editors had little choice but to put all of their eggs in the only basket they had. If any of them hatched, then they were moved around to other titles or even into their own. Today, anthology comics (what few there are) are seen as the weaker, less impactful poor cousins of "regular" comics. Even at that, today's anthologies are more thematic. Every story within a title has some element in common. The last successful anthology was probably Dark Horse Presents, which, in many ways, was very similar to it's More Fun Comics ancestor. As More Fun gave us some of the most beloved characters of the Golden Age, DHP introduced new characters (like Paul Chadwick's Concrete) and new stories (like Aliens vs. Predator) which have dominated the industry in more recent years (Frank Miller's Sin City being arguably the most famous). Unlike More Fun, however, DHP focused more on quality rather than quantity. I'm not saying that there weren't great artists at work in the pages of More Fun, but here are the features of a typical table of contents from issue #25;
- Sandra Of The Secret Service
- Johnnie Law
- Sam the Porter
- Jack Woods
- Dr. Occult
- The Magic Crystal of History
- Spike Spalding
- Ivanhoe
- Hanko The Cowhand
- The Brady Boys
- Pirate Gold
- Just Suppose
- Pep Morgan
- Barry O'Neill
- Bob Merritt
- Pirate Gold
- Brad Hardy
- Wing Brady
- Mark Marson of the Interplanetary Police
- Jest Jokes
- The Three Musketeers
- Woozy Watts
- Marty McCann, Champion of the Navy
- Little Linda
- Radio Squad
All of this in just sixty-eight pages...and for just 10 cents! Whew! Wow, how times have changed! I don't think that I'm specifically nostalgic for those days (especially since my parents hadn't even been born at the time), but I'd love to see something like More Fun Comics produced today. Heck, we already have Free Comic Book Day (coming up on May 2nd this year), so maybe DC could have a More Fun Comics Day, where they could repurpose the venerable old title as a promotional introduction to the year's upcoming projects, selling it for a dime. Hmm. It's a thought. I'll be back tomorrow (I promise!!!) to wrap this month up, so I guess I'll just leave you with all but the last of your remaining More Fun Comics Characters of The Day - Jimminy Crockett, Sandy Keane of The Radio Squad, Doctor Occult, Biff Bronson, Superboy, The Masked Ranger, Pedro, Green Arrow, Speedy, King Carter, Bulldog Martin, The Spectre, Sgt. O'Malley, Detective Sgt. Carey, Wing Brady, Lieutenant Bob Neal, Lance Larkin, Clip Carson, Larry Trent of The Radio Squad, Dover, and Clover!
March 9 - Whoops! I guess I let the remainder of Will Eisner Week slip by without an update here in the ol' WOMP-Blog. That was mostly an oversight since much of the entry below was completed back on last Wednesday night/Thursday morning. I just never had the time to post it. Oh, well. Let's get back to it...
Man, I love a good police drama. I grew up during what has to be considered the Golden Age of TV cops. The proliferation of detective programs during that period, from about 1970 to around 1980, really hasn't been matched since. It may not be what most kids were into, but my Dad and I were devoted followers of everything from Kojak and Baretta to The Streets of San Francisco and Hawaii Five-O. Oh, and The Mod Squad, Ironside, Quincy M.E., Columbo, Banacek, McCloud, Cannon, and - of course - our favorite, The Rockford Files (just to name a few). As we'd watch each show, we would compete with each other to see which of us could solve the case first. Dad always won, but only because I always wanted there to be some sort of "aliens," "ghost," or other sci-fi angle, whereas he was both smart enough to decipher the actual clues and he understood TV-writing formulas (for example, the Murder She Wrote murderer is always the most famous guest star who is not the accused, or, expressed as an actual formula, M=MFGS-A). Sigh. Those days are gone now, but, thanks to the new cop/science fiction series Life on Mars, which is set in 1973 (or a coma-induced version of 1973 at least), I can not only revisit the era of my youth, but finally can enjoy the weirdo elements that I'd always wished for back then! Even so, I'm sure my Dad solves the cases before I do. That all reminds me of Will Eisner's The Spirit, which, when it comes right down to it, was a police drama. Often overlooked in scholarly examinations of Mr. Eisner's work is his ability to craft a compelling mystery. This may be related to the first countdown feature of the night...
Seven Ways That
WILL EISNER
Changed My Life!
Number Four - Will Eisner made me think ahead about what I draw! It seems like a no-brainer. If you are going to draw something, you should think about it first, right? Even so, for years I drew as I had since childhood; without any planning other than remembering to assemble pencils and paper, I'd start drawing "something," then slowly fill the remaining page(s) with whatever else I'd think of. I drew my earliest comic books that way. I'd draw a cover, then the first panel, then the second, and so on. That may explain why so many of those comics have no ending. Later, when I saw how carefully designed Mr. Eisner's extremely tight little Spirit stories were, I knew I had to change my established "process." In just a tiny number of pages, he could show - ugh - just so much; satire, mood, the passage of time, character development, humor, drama, philosophy, innuendo, adventure, and an actual story (with not only a beginning, middle, and end, but also a point). It was pretty obvious that he didn't "just draw" such a comic. He crafted it. Wherever I would always just wing it, hoping to find something good when I was done, Mr. Eisner clearly polished his stories, reworking each several times before they went to print. Since discovering this, I have spent a lot of time thinking about my comics work (which has been few and far between...but at least I thought about it) before drawing it. I now have file after file of production designs, story notes, layout ideas, and stories (each with not only a beginning, middle, and end, but also a point). While the quality of these stories is questionable, no-one can deny the amount of thinking ahead that I do to create them. Far from burdening the process, this adds so much more enjoyment and satisfaction to my work (just like his challenge to never do the same thing twice). Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
That brings me to...
Number Three - Will Eisner revealed to me that comic books are all about storytelling! OK, I'll admit it. I used to think of comics as not much more than booklets filled with nifty drawings. Oh, I understood that they were written by someone, but most stories of my youth seemed to be pretty formulaic. Those that weren't? I couldn't figure out what made a comic book better than another. Even more curiously, some of my favorite comics featured artwork that wasn't as "cool" as what was in some of my least favorite comics. In fact, when I really first saw Will Eisner's The Spirit artwork in advertisements, I was less than impressed. I guess that his style was too old-fashioned for a kid more accustomed to Neal Adams and Gil Kane. It was only later, when I actually read three The Spirit stories in A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics, that it all finally clicked. A comic book is a storytelling medium. Everything, from script to layout to character designs to lettering size to inking style to whatever, should contribute to telling a story. If some element doesn't do that, it shouldn't be there. And those comics with "so-so" art that I enjoyed nonetheless? Upon review, they were streamlined to tell the story at hand. No muss, no fuss, just enough for us. This hit me like a revelation...a revolution...a resolution; from then on, for me, comic books are all about storytelling. This has enriched my comics reading, understanding, and creating. Thanks. Mr. Eisner!
Speaking of understanding...
Number Two - Will Eisner legitimized comic books in the eyes of my family! I've been dancing around the subject of the most powerful of Mr. Eisner's works, at least in regards to its impact on my life. I'm talking, of course, of Comics and Sequential Art (subtitled The Understanding and Practice of The World's Most Popular Art Form). Published about the same time I left The Kubert School, this book became my textbook for furthering my comics education on my own (sidenote; at least during my time at the JKS, there were no textbooks, nor even a library). It is the first book to dissect the art of comics in a serious, studious way. It has been indispensable to me over the years, but, honestly, by the time I got my hands on a copy (1987?), it served mostly to clearly and carefully voice concepts which I had already come to understand in some form (at least a little) by schooling, private study, reading, and/or doing. No, the greatest impact the book had on my life was as an introduction to "my world" for my parents. After reading my copy, I loaned it to my Mom and Dad. It's all well and good to have a passion for something, but how do you explain that passion to people who have absolutely no frame of reference? Comics and Sequential Art showed my folks exactly what I'd been trying to tell them for years. While they had always been supportive, they were each very impressed with the book, which not only legitimized comic books in their eyes, but my pursuit of a comics career as well. Strangely, the story doesn't end there. Nearly twenty years later, in 2005, I felt like I was in a creative quandary, and I was looking for some direction. Some of you long-time WOMP-Blog readers may remember this episode. After years of fantasizing about communicating with Mr. Eisner, I finally decided to place my future in his hands. I gathered my crappy comics, began a letter begging for advice, and prepared to accept his judgement. Before I went any further, because of the potential that this act would change the course of our lives, I felt that I had to explain to my lovely wife (The WOMP Staff) just who this Eisner guy was, and why his "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" meant so much. What better way than to show her my dog-eared copy of Comics and Sequential Art? Like my parents before her, she gained a real appreciation for what Will Eisner did, and an understanding of why his opinion would mean so much to me. Unfortunately, Mr. Eisner died three days later. I'd missed my chance for a direct conversation about comic books with one of my heroes, but, upon reflection, I realized that he'd already spoken to my family on the subject, and that was worth all the advice in the world. Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
That brings us to...
Number One - Will Eisner has inspired my entire "career" It's probably pretty obvious by now that I think very highly of Mr. Eisner and his work. He has been a serious influence on me since I was in the seventh grade, and I consider his comics and graphic novels to be among the best ever produced. But, as for inspiring my attempts to have a career in comics? That's more difficult to explain. I suppose that it has a lot to do with Mr. Eisner's impressive talents for "sequential art" as his chosen medium. Most cartoonists are, were, or at least seemed to be frustrated artists who'd rather have been creating "real" art, but were forced to belittle themselves with comics work. And, even though Mr. Eisner himself seems to have felt that way quite often, it's pretty obvious now that he was meant to create comics. Whether innate or learned, his ability as a master comic book artist has become legend, and was/is, no doubt, one of the main reasons why Mr. Eisner's work has inspired me for decades. But...but there is something else there....something that keeps me going, even when everything around me is desperately trying to tell me to stop. What is it? Well, when I read an Eisner work, especially his later graphic novels, I'm always, always swept up in his genius. I have often blathered about his fellow master-storyteller Frank Miller (who had an equally important influence on me), but where Mr. Miller sees the darkness, Mr. Eisner illuminates it. He doesn't dismiss it. Both artistically and thematically, Will Eisner never shied away from the dark areas. In those graphic novels, there was seldom (if ever?) a "happy ending," but the focus was less on the character's specific vignette than it was on his or her humanity. I think that his artistic world-view, which imbued his drawings with a sense of real life - warts and all - may be the biggest reason why Will Eisner has influenced my entire "career," and, of course, my life. I like to think that I'm a better artist because of The Spirit and Comics and Sequential Art, but I know that I'm a better person because of A Contract With God and A Life Force. For that, and for every other way that he changed my life, I am eternally grateful. Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
So, I have no fun little game for you tonight, but I can leave you with a few more (backlogged) More Fun Comics Characters of The Day - Johnny Quick, Captain Desmo, Henri Duval, Superman, Johnny "Genius" Jones, and Aquaman!
March 3 - Will Eisner Week is going strong, but I haven't heard anything about it in the "real" press yet. That's OK, I suppose. He's sort of "our" guy. Trying to explain to "outsiders" just who Mr. Eisner was, or what made him so great that we need an entire week devoted to his legacy, is like trying to explain a symphony to the deaf. I mean, he didn't create Batman or Superman or anything. In fact, other than a tribute piece or two that he produced later in life, I don't think that he had any significant, direct involvement in "mainstream" comics since the 1940's. I once tried to describe him as the "Ben Franklin of comic books;" he was an indispensable figure from the very beginning, guiding it all with his immeasurable strengths and unmatched talents, but he was never the "President." Just like Dr. Franklin, we all owe Mr. Eisner so much for what he did for us (especially we comics folk). That brings us naturally to the next part of my countdown of...
Seven Ways That
WILL EISNER
Changed My Life!
Number Five - Will Eisner challenged me to never do the same thing twice (*)! When I first decided to really pursue a comics career, I began to look at the actual work of creating a comic book. This is back in the days before home computers and long before the Interwebs, so I studied by purchased and library-loaned books, mostly. Many of these were collected volumes of old comics. One of the first, most obvious differences between mainstream comic book collections and those of Mr. Eisner's classic The Spirit was that The Spirit had no actual logo. Everyone knows the iconic Superman logo because the same one was used over and over again (thanks to photostats), but for it's entire ten year run, Will Eisner redrew - re-imagined, really - The Spirit's logo every single time it was used...and this was for a weekly comic! Of course, if one looks just a little deeper, this compulsion for constant invention and reinvention permeates not just the logo, but every page of The Spirit, and everything Mr. Eisner did after that. He was literally still drawing comics up until the day he died, and none of what he did - NONE OF NEARLY SEVENTY YEARS' WORTH OF DAILY COMICS WORK - ever repeated (* except, of course, when that repetition was an important element of the story, such as in a "wallpaper gag" or other such replicating pattern that was necessary for storytelling). Now, while I'll cop to reluctantly using photocopies of logos, I otherwise strive to never repeat anything. Taking my cue from Will Eisner, I'm challenged to always, always find new and different ways to...well, to do pretty much anything that I do, now that I think of it. While Mr. Eisner's "never-do-the-same-thing-twice challenge" originally only affected how I wrote and drew comic books, it has now infected nearly every aspect of my life (at least in regards to those things which are creative endeavors). Today, while it sometimes means that I've made my work a little bit more difficult, it also ultimately makes that work so much more meaningful to me. Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now some more fun! More Fun Comics was an anthology book, featuring dozens of characters in little eight, four, or even two page stories. Because of this, no one character was ever the "star," but a few dominated the covers. Until issue number 52 (a weird coincidence, in light of DC's series 52, but I digress), the cover illustrations feature fairly generic humor or adventure scenarios. Images of kids getting into preposterous trouble, swashbucklers sword-fighting on castle walls, and holiday themed scenes were forever interrupted by the grim visage of a hooded ghost rising menacingly above a gang of racketeers. Above the logo, a bold announcement ushered in a new era of "more fun." It read...
Starting this issue: the daring exploits of THE SPECTRE!
For the following five years, as World War Two raged, superheroes dominated the covers, even as all sorts of stories were still being printed inside. In honor of these oddball spirits of vengeance, masters of mystic arts, scarlet speedsters, and heroic marksmen, I have another game for you tonight! Below, I will post the names of a handful of strange, completely new superheroes (or supervillains?). Pick one (or a couple, even), then reply to this entry (via the WOMP-Blog Archives on LiveJournal) with your ideas of what their powers are, their origin stories, or whatever else you'd like. Be serious if it strikes you to be so, or be silly. Either way, just have fun with it! So, here are your candidates...
A) The Harvester
B) Gateway
C) Yaro The Invincible
D) The Clubber
E) Acropolis
F) The Tork
G) Phantom of The World Cup
H) The Fearless Cutlass
I) Gandhiman
J) The Tinsmith
K) Motion Master
L) Farmer's Daughter
M) Captain Bronto
N) Axcess
O) Mason Dixon
P) Flowerchild
Q) Skyboxer
R) Ronald Raygun
S) Sigfriedenstein
T) Mister Child
U) The Blue Ribbon
V) Originman
W) W3-X7
X) The Bounder
Y) Doctor Pentagram
Z) Baby Boomer
There has to be at least one of those that strikes your creative eye. Go on, pick one out, and write up a little something. Who knows, maybe it will be the next big character! Here, then, is your More Fun Comics Character of The Day - Congo Bill!
March 2 - Hey there! Back for more? Let's start, then, with the next "thrilling" installment of my countdown of...
Seven Ways That
WILL EISNER
Changed My Life!
Number Six - Will Eisner ruined my handwriting! Well, "ruined" may be too strong a word. You see, before I'd ever seen any of Mr. Eisner's work, I was dutifully keeping notes, writing letters, and submitting reports in a decent cursive handwriting. By the fourth grade, my overly-curly "John Mundt" was more like "John Hancock." By the time I'd added "Esquire?" Forgetaboutit. Then I had a seventh grade Biology teacher who required that every student carefully print everything produced for his class. That was quite a challenge. I did my best, I really did, but my printing was so illegible that it actually angered my teacher. If any of you have seen my current signature - which is directly descended from one I developed during those days - then you have a rough idea of how awful my printing was. Even so, I have never gone back to "longhand" handwriting. I struggled through the next few years as I looked for my "print-voice," but then I saw Will Eisner's larger-than-life signature on the cover of one of the earliest Spirit collections. It was composed of a tweaked traditional comics font, brush strokes, and a handful of specific quirks. I was especially fond of the way that some lowercase letters stood in for their uppercase counterparts. As a Freshman in high school, I created my alter ego/nom de plume John Woe, and, in homage, developed a separate Woe signature that closely resembled Mr. Eisner's. Little by little, John Woe's hand-printing became my handwriting. By the time I was in college, I was angering a whole new set of teachers with it (sorry, Hy). Again, I really tried to clean up my act, but I just could not shake my Eisner influences (again; sorry, Hy). After college, I had taken to heart many of my Lettering Class lessons, but I decided to stop denying my Eisner-Woe handwriting...especially the little circles used to dot any lowercase "i" in the middle of an otherwise all-capitalized word. Ruined forever by Mr. Eisner's iconic autograph, I'm now left with my own quirky, printed, weirdo handwriting. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now some more fun! Tonight, I begin what I hope will be an on-going....game? I don't know what to call it, other than nerdy, wordy, weirdy, comic booky fun. Here's how it will work. Below, I'll post the name of a comic book character. Reply to this entry (via the WOMP-Blog Archives on LiveJournal) with the name of another, always different character's name that begins with the last letter of the previous character's name, and we'll see how long we can go before either accidentally repeating (or everyone just gets bored with it). Got it? OK, let's start with a few, just to get the ball rolling;
1) Mister Mxyzptlk
2) Krypto
3) Omega The Unknown
So, hop to it! Number your entry so that people can follow along. Here is your More Fun Comics Character of The Day - Percival Popp!
March 1 - OK, so I had a little break there, didn't I? Essentially, I posted nothing in the ol' WOMP-Blog for the entire month of February (other than a days-late entry for "January 31st"). Why? Well, it started with health problems. Yes, I was sick again...SURPRISE! Then, as I got better, I got busy (both of which are good things, of course). I've had many art commissions, many art-related meetings, two days spent at Bluff View Intermediate School talking about cartooning, a heavy "real" work schedule, and many days spent helping O.F.O.WOMP William Waite move back to Prairie du Chien. Around February 26th I did find myself with the time and energy to post something, but I decided that February was a total loss, blogging-wise, so I held off until now. So, let's get to it!
First, let me welcome you to Day One of Will Eisner Week! Yep, this first week of March marks the 92nd anniversary of Eisner's birth, and, to celebrate this pioneering comic book artist, several comics-related organizations and schools have created this event (read more about it HERE and HERE). In that spirit, over the next few days I want to count-down for you...
Seven Ways That
WILL EISNER
Changed My Life!
Number Seven - Will Eisner helped me get into the Joe Kubert School! Of course, I never actually met Mr. Eisner, and he didn't literally facilitate my acceptance into Big Joe's House of Kubert, but my appreciation of the artist/creator of The Spirit did! Before a final decision about enrolling me in his school, Mr. Kubert called my home to interview me. That was a thrill (one which I actually recorded...for posterity?). For about two hours, I had a personal conversation with one of the greatest comics artists of all time...and the main topic was me. We discussed my career goals, my horrible portfolio, and my influences. I talked about Jack Kirby, Don Newton, Steve Ditko, Frank Miller, and, mostly, Will Eisner. At the time, I had no idea that Mr. Eisner was more-or-less Mr. Kubert's collegiate competition, having taught cartooning at New York's School of Visual Arts. Oops. I went on and on about how much I admired and hoped to emulate Mr. Eisner's innovative layouts and storytelling. Yes, I enthusiastically - naively - proceeded to tell Joe Kubert how awesome Will Eisner was...and I never, not even once, talked about how much Mr. Kubert had influenced me (which he had, just not as much). When I finally came up for air, there was a brief pause on the other end of the line, then Mr. Kubert said something like "You're right, John. And you said the magic word; storytelling." Joe proceeded to briefly tell me about how much Will Eisner had helped and influenced him in his career, pretty much from the start. Far from holding against me my adoration of Mr. Eisner, Joe said that my interests and influences were the reasons why he stamped my application "ACCEPTED." So, in a very real way, not only did Will Eisner help me get into the Joe Kubert School, but he was instrumental in inspiring the school itself! Thanks, Mr. Eisner!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now, it's time to get back on track with my "...Of The Day" feature, and I think it's time for more fun. In fact, I think it's time for More Fun Comics, perhaps the quintessential Golden Age comic book title. Published first as just New Fun in 1935, then, after the name change, from 1936 to 1947, this groundbreaking book was DC's first and longest running series, due in part to the continual metamorphoses it went through, mirroring the changes in comics during those years. Starting out as a collection of humor comics, MFC eventually encompassed every type of story, including historical fiction, detective mysteries, illustrated classics, rollicking adventure, imaginative fables, patriotic pabulum, and superheroes....lots of superheroes. More Fun Comics was also a laboratory for the comics medium. It's where Siegel and Shuster tried out their first superheroic character, Doctor Occult (who, in the pages of MFC, morphed from a fedora-and-trenchcoat paranormal investigator to a be-caped adventurer who was very similar to his decades-later descendent, Marvel's Doctor Strange). Even the very format of what a comic book "is" was changed and solidified over the course of its run. To commemorate this pioneering comic, I'll post a different seminal More Fun Comics character's name each night as part of my "...Of The Day" feature. I am also planning to honor the spirit of the title by devoting the entire month to FUN! And just how do I propose to do that? Well, knowing a bit about who reads this ol' WOMP-Blog, it will be nerdy, wordy fun. Here's the basic premise; I want to hear from you, starting tonight with your thoughts on...
Pitch It To Me #1; The International Association of Investigating Adventurers - As I compiled the list of More Fun Comics characters, I was struck by the large number of investigators and private detectives among their ranks. In fact, even superheroes are generally detectives of some sort. "Wouldn't it be cool," I thought, "if they all belonged to a fraternal order or club of some sort, wherein especially difficult open cases and unsolved mysteries were secretly investigated?" That's when I had the idea for a the I.A.I.A.. So, how to proceed? Let me get the ball rolling. The year is 1953. The United States is gripped with the perceived threat of The Red Menace. "Something Big and Dangerous" happens behind the public facade of the government, but it can't be resolved through normal channels because of the overbearing climate of fear and suspicion. It somehow falls to the members of I.A.I.A. to quickly and quietly solve the mystery/resolve the crisis without exposing their group to public exposure, McCarthyist inquisition, and/or the very real threat of whatever is revealed as the truth behind "Something Big and Dangerous." The various I.A.I.A. members, whether extraordinary agents of various government agencies (like Pete "T-Man" Trask, Navy Lieutenant Bob Neal), members of police departments (Slam Bradley, "Radio Squad" cops Sandy Keane and Larry Trent), private investigators (Dover and Clover), adventurers (Congo Bill, Captain Desmo), or oddball personalities (TV detective Roy Raymond, "Genius" Jones), must pool their collective skills to save the day. Sound interesting? Then Pitch It To Me! Reply to this entry (via the WOMP-Blog Archives on LiveJournal) with what you think the "Something Big and Dangerous" might be, who would be involved, how the story would progress, etc., and we'll see what we can come up with! Take your time, but try to post your ideas by March 28th. At the end of the month, I'll use the best suggestions to post a short story and, hopefully, an original illustration to go with it! For now, I leave you with your first More Fun Comics Character of The Day - Ginger Snap!
"January 31" - Yes, I know that it's well into February as I type this. For the sake of wrapping up several loose ends before moving on, let's just pretend that it is still the last day of last month. I'll get to February stuff in just a little bit, but first let me talk about what was 2008's biggest story not only here in the ol' WOMP-Blog, but, almost certainly, everywhere else. I'm speaking, of course, about...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number One - Hope Votes!
For me, without a doubt, the biggest story of the previous twelve months was the election of Barack Obama as our nation's 44th President. Far smarter people than I have filled the Internet with articles, essays, editorials, poems, and songs about "what this means," so I won't waste your time trying to match or top what they've already said (and said again). What I do want to write about is what it was like to go to an Obama campaign rally...
It all began back in October of 2008. As you may remember, then-candidate Obama was scheduled to speak in nearby La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the 1st, which couldn't have been worse timing for me personally. As I said back then, "I had hard artwork deadlines looming, an impending comic book convention, an art contest to manage, people to see, places to be...but I had also just said "goodbye" to a lifelong friend (Joe Shulka). Add that to the troubles facing everyone today, and, well...I just felt like I needed a little hope, you know?" I also promised to tell you all about it later, so...
It all began in July of 2004. The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois gave a keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. The young legislator with a funny name delivered what has since been commemorated as one of the greatest American speeches. He was compared to Lincoln and Kennedy and Reagan and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by many who saw him. But not me. I was at work. The next day, my wife tried to explain how moved she was by the speech and the eloquence and confidence of the speaker...she just couldn't remember his uncommon name. "It was something like 'Farouk Ibiza' or 'Iraq O'Hara.'" She went further, with a prophecy that "That guy will be President someday." Now, I've been interested in Presidential politics since I was a kid...
It all began in January of 1977. Up until then, I'd been only barely aware of who was President. Even though I was born during the Johnson administration, I had no recollection of any President before Gerald Ford...
It all began in July of 1976. As our nation celebrated it's Bicentennial, I was swept up in the - let's face it - relatively tepid wave of patriotism that had not excited much of anyone else. The timing of the event, coming hard on the heels of Watergate and the Viet Nam War, couldn't have been worse, but I didn't know that. I was just a kid who liked red, white, and blue. By the time July 4th had come around, I was like a little walking Bicentennialpedia, reciting the names of past Presidents along with The Pledge of Allegiance and The National Anthem. So, I suddenly knew who The President was. Later that year, as the election loomed, I learned from my Grandma Fry that the Democratic Presidential candidate was actually related to me! Suddenly, I was interested in Presidential elections! That brings us back to...
January of 1977. All the kids in my grade school were rounded up into classrooms to see the televised Inauguration of President Carter. As we watched, I was feeling especially smug because he was, after all, family (something like fourth-cousins, once-removed, but family nonetheless). Then this kid - this even-more-smug kid - starts showing off this letter. It turned out that the kid had written a congratulatory note to the President-Elect after the election. To his surprise, and my dismay, he got a personal reply! Yep, there, in that fifth-grader's hand, was a letter signed by Jimmy Carter. At that moment, in my jealousy, I became a collector of Presidential memorabilia. From then on, I saved special Inauguration Edition newspapers, buttons, bumper stickers, and whatever else I could find, all in a vain attempt to have something as cool as that darn letter. Oh, and I should probably mention that the letter-kid was named Joe Shulka, and that he and I became lifelong friends. My interest in Presidential politics has also been lifelong, which brings us back to...
July of 2004. I was determined to find out more about Iraq O'Hara, but had some trouble finding out just exactly what his real name was. It took a couple of days, but I finally came across Barack Obama's Senate campaign site. Illinois is a neighbor state to my own (less than 60 miles away, now that I think about it), so I signed up to his e-newsletter, and I've been receiving almost daily e-messages from "him" ever since. Originally, I did it just to keep abreast of what was happening down there. That, and after reading a transcript of that convention speech, I thought that maybe my wife's prediction would come true, and I'd be in on the behind-the-scenes build-up to his eventual run in 2012 or 2016. Imagine my surprise when I got an e-message about two years later saying that Obama was going to run in 2008! That brings us back to...
October of 2008. When I weighed all of the reasons why I shouldn't take the trip up to La Crosse to attend the Obama rally, it occurred to me that they were also the same reasons why I had to do it. I made my final decision when the alarm went off at 6:30AM that morning. "Aw, why go? It's not like I'm an undecided voter or anything." But, as I thought about it, and all of the years that led up to that day, I knew that I had to get up and get going, despite being just, ugh...so tired. So, off I went. Mr. Obama was scheduled to speak right on the public street in front of the La Crosse Center at 10:00AM, but e-mails from the campaign said to show up early. Because of the traffic, and the lack of parking spaces, I was running a bit late, but, by 8:10, I still found the end of the line (near the Mississippi riverfront) into which people had to cue to get into the secured assembly area. To call the line "long" is an understatement. In just the segment I could see, using a count of people between evenly spaced streetlamps, I guesstimated over two thousand people in my "section" of the line. By 10:00, I had moved to just a half block away from the metal-detectors and security checkpoints. I was a little nervous about whether I'd even be allowed in, but, as other speakers began to warm up the crowd, the line seemed to accelerate. By the time someone shouted "And here he is, the next President of The United States, Barack Obama," I had found myself a decent vantage point about a block away on a slight rise near a street sign at the West corner of 2nd and Pearl. Rumor had it that Mr. Obama had a cold, and that he'd already canceled other scheduled appearances that day to both recuperate and so that he could head back to Washington for a crucial vote, so there had been some concern as to whether he'd even show up. When he began to speak, he was clearly tired, but he began to speak clearly and forcefully anyway. I can't explain exactly why he was so compelling as he continued. In part, it was most certainly due to his patient, steady cadence. It built, paused, rose, and stilled with near perfect parallel to his words. But, it was those words which really hit me. I've never heard a major candidate so clearly espouse my own beliefs out loud. Heck, I'd never before heard any candidate say even half of that stuff! Frankly, after eight years (or more) of paying attention to what has been happening to my country, I'd have voted for a ham sandwich if it had won the Democratic nomination, but, to hear this man - this lone, thin, congested man standing in front of ten-thousand people (and the world) - as he talked about fairness, hope, work, and dreams, well...I knew that we all had an excellent chance of reclaiming the soul of our nation. I took several photographs - I really did - but I was so far away from the dais that Mr. Obama is only visible in them to someone who knows exactly where to look for him amongst the teensy human-shaped blobs in the distance (even so, at six-feet, four-inches tall, I was employed by several shorter members of the nearby audience to capture what I could on their cameras). So, I instead turned on my camera's movie mode, capturing the dramatic, moving, last few minutes of his speech. It's on YouTube now, if you'd like to hear it (if so, CLICK HERE). It picks up just before he wondered aloud how history would judge us and that moment in time. He said...
"Will they say that we turned on each other? Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame...when we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other's success? That all of us - Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Young, Old, Rich, Poor, Gay, Straight - that all of us have a stake in each other...that I am my brother's keeper, that I am my sister's keeper?"
As I stood there, looking at hundreds of faces which literally matched up to each of his "all of us" descriptions, I knew that whatever people of the future might say, I was finally - finally - hopeful that there was going to be a future at all. After the speech, I took the opportunity to get some photos of the crowd, the speakers' stand, and so forth. As I did, I saw people crying, strangers actually hugging, and, frankly, a reflection of the United States of America that I'd first fallen in love with way back in 1976.
Of course, the rest is history now. Where we all go from here is still shaky and uncertain, but I join with my fellow Americans - and, really, my fellow citizens of the world - in the reinvigorated hope that, with President Obama's steady, principled leadership, we'll move forward into a better tomorrow.
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OK, time to move on. In the next post, I'll get back on track with a February-dated entry, but, just to wrap up January, I leave you all with your last Dead Comic Book Character of The Day - Casper, The Friendly Ghost!
January 30 - Looking at the names I posted as "Dead Comic Book Characters" at the end of the last post, it struck me that many superhero origin stories prominently involve the death of a loved one. Ben Parker, The Waynes...heck, the entire planet of Krypton; it seems as though it takes a traumatic death to prompt someone to take truly extraordinary action (reaction?). I suppose it's commonly believed that to really deal with the feelings of helplessness and loss that accompany an untimely passing is difficult and life-changing, sometimes beyond peoples' coping abilities...and that's especially true for young people. Even if one has not yet experienced such a loss first-hand, just the thought of what it would be like to suddenly be "on one's own" can engender sympathy and fear. Add to that mix of powerful feelings a rage at the unfairness of it all, and anyone can imagine dressing as a bat to beat on "bad guys," or, in just slightly more extreme cases, becoming a "bad guy" oneself. It's curious to me that so many of our most famous fictional superbeings might have taken different paths if only they'd had a good grief counselor at just the right time. Of course, as characters, they were never truly meant to be "real" in their reactions anyway. If anything, they are meant to be "worst case scenarios" played out for entertainment purposes. Real people dealing with loss don't dress like bats because they have to deal with the real world. In the real world, people soon realize that no-one ever really recovers from unexpected loss. They just move on. In the real world, they carry the "bat" in their hearts.
Hmm. So, in light of my own sudden loss a few days ago, that all sounds rather dark and sad, but it was already on my mind when I chose the "Dead" theme at the beginning of the month. Circumstances (irony?) just have brought the subject into deeper focus. In the same way that one seems to hear nothing but love songs on the radio when in the crush of new romance, the shadow of loss seems to be everywhere when one is grieving. In fact, that seems to be part of what makes it "grief" rather than "sadness." With grief, everything becomes magnified through the lens of loss. Even innocent, seemingly unrelated things - like a crying baby, a single bird in a bare tree, or a burnt-out lightbulb - take on unexpected, existential meaning. That process of...well, I want to call it "enrichment," but that implies some sort of added value to such experiences, rather than a sort of darkening or deepening...that "whatever-it-is" then, inevitably, refocuses the grief inward, over and over, until it is either internalized and absorbed, or leaked out as tears or actions. Or all of the above. Or none of the above. There really is no one way to deal with grief. Hmm. One thing, then, that comic books have gotten right with the death-spurred super-origins is the emotional truths of terrible, unforgettable, unforgivable loss.
And, again, this may seem like a somber, perhaps even maudlin discussion in light of recent events, but it's not meant to be. The timing is just a weird coincidence. I mention that again because, upon review of what I've just written, I was afraid that people might worry about me. If that had crossed your mind, thanks for the thought, but I'm actually OK. No reason to be alarmed. In fact, on that note, why don't I just get back to my countdown of...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Two - IMNXQB!
Even though it's been more than twenty years since I was there, I find that my single year at The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art may have been the most influential of my life. Just the act of having a month-long discussion (in August) about those days brought back not only strong memories and emotions (some bad, most good), but reconnections with some of my former classmates (Joey Martinez and Dan Lietha) and peers (Asmund Berge). I also heard from XQBs from other eras, like Joe Moore, Alan White, and Kim DeMulder (who is now a prominent member of the JKS teaching staff). That was pretty cool. I hope it was interesting for WOMP-Blog readers, 'cuz it sure was nostalgic fun for me. Still, I feel like I cheated all of you a bit. While I talked all about the people I knew back in the good old days, I never told you about what has happened to all of them since 1985. Where are they now? Well, while it is by no means a complete list (and there's no way I could summarize twenty years in the lives of hundreds of people anyway), I offer below a handful of cool update-links for many of the people with whom I spent a lifetime in New Jersey one year...
Classmates:
Peers (other 1984-85 students not in my actual class):
Teachers:
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So, I'd better get wrap this up. Next time, I'll post the biggest (WOMP-Blog) story of the year...but it might be a little late. The 31st is the day that I draw caricatures all night at the local Heart Disease and Cancer telethon. Wish me luck! Here are two days' worth of Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day - The Flash and Cerebus!
January 28 - Back to my review of the last year with...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Three - De-Bunkered
As far as "big" stories go, I suppose that this one is bigger for me than others. I mean, it may be no big deal to you that Walter Simonson wrote to me, or that Michael Netzer and I have become friends of a sort, or that I spent an hour or so talking to Howard Chaykin, but, to me, having these personal contacts with comics legends/former Crusty Bunkers was HUGE! Following on 2007's Crusty Bunker explorations, 2008 solidified my interest - and involvement - in the history of those who once lent a hand (or a pen or a brush) under that odd-sounding nom de plume. Probably the best thing that happened was that much of what I'd previously supposed has been debunked, amended, or at least clarified. While this might frustrate or humble some, I'm so happy to have a clearer picture of the subject that I've decided to take it to the next level. Yes, as everyone who reads this blog with any regularity has already figured this out, I'm planning on writing a book about the Bunkers. Why? Well, I just think that such a book should be written, that there is a real (but small?) market for such a book, and that I already have a good head start and vested interest. So, be warned, WOMP-Blog readers and/or former Crusty Bunkers; I am actually - GASP - motivated!
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OK, so now the cat's out of the bag. Mostly. I still have withheld some of the project's secrets and surprises. And it's not because I like teasing you (although, admittedly, that's a great bonus), but because of the Internet's all-seeing, sometimes-stealing nature. When I have things more shored-up, I'll begin to let you all in a little more. Hopefully, if all goes reasonably well, this will be on the list of "The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2009." More tomorrow. For tonight, here are some more Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day - Maxwell Lord, Darth Vader, Yoda, Gwen Stacy, Captain Marvel, The Blue Beetle, The Question, Jor-El, Ben Parker, Jonathan Kent, and Dr. Thomas Wayne!
January 27 - I'm back. It's been a tough few days - in fact, it's been an entire week - since my aunt, Shelby Mundt, died, but I'm hanging in there. I've got lots of comic-booky type stuff to tell you, but, first, let me just tell you a little about Shelb. She was easily one of the most amazing people I ever known (and I've met two Presidents). Everything about Shelby was bigger than life. She was a social rebel, a wicked wit, a loving educator, a strong leader, a leadfoot daredevil, a daring entrepreneur, a Hall-of-Fame bowler, and a legitimate genius. Some of the local newspapers have tried to sum her up in news briefs and obituaries and such, but, try as they may, all have fallen far short of painting a truly recognizable portrait of the woman who was my father's twin. Never married, Shelby led a life free of such pedestrian entanglements (perhaps remorsefully, but she never showed it). No, she not only marched to a different beat, she always led the parade. Examples? Well, she is probably best known as the longest serving mayor in Iowa history (whether that's actually true or not....although I'm pretty sure that she is still - by far - the longest serving female mayor). For twenty-two years, she was the snow-plowing, lawn-mowing, budget-crunching, butt-kicking elected ringleader of Castalia, Iowa. Stories of her mayoral exploits are legend, and are nearly impossible to believe...unless you knew Shelby. Short in stature, and tough in appearance, she was once publicly described as looking like "John Belushi from The Blues Brothers channeled through an aging Truman Capote." This was no shrinking violet. Even when Shelby was a bundle-of-energy little girl, my Grandma called her "Spitfire," and, although the nickname faded away, her rapid-fire mind continued to "spit fire" for the rest of her life. Intense and intimidating when spurred to action, she personally took on anyone who needed "a good talking to," from lackluster politicians to armed gunmen (really!)...but she was also a sweetheart surrogate mother to every kid in town. An entire generation of Castalia children (two generations, really) grew up under her loving, watchful eye. It's not surprising, since she'd earlier had a career in education, including several years as a public school librarian. Shelby was also an incurable bibliophile who enjoyed books about history just as much as a good Ellery Queen mystery. Her mind was always buzzing with off-beat information and obscure words, although she spoke in the "down-to earth" vernacular of her Iowa farmgirl upbringing. Shelby also had a strong, moral sense of community, which was, perhaps, instilled by my grandparents, who served on local boards and committees for years. In addition to her mayoring, Shelby served (usually as President of) many charitable organizations. Her leadership, even there, was remarkable. Once, her efforts to help desegregate local schools prompted one White Supremist to threaten her with "a hemp chiropractic adjustment" for being a "race traitor." And that was in 2003! Yup, Shelby was bigger than life...which is why it's hard to believe that she's gone. Still, what I'm going to miss most is Shelby Mundt, the person. When I close my eyes and think about her today, I can still hear her laughing. Ever since I was an itty-bitty kid, one of the purest joys in my life has been to make Aunt Shelby laugh (a laugh, by the way, virtually identical to my own). She was my first audience, and my first fan. As we've been dismantling her new apartment this past week, we've found virtually every single thing I've ever produced, from grade school projects to copies of The Adventures of Monkey (embarrassingly, many of these were actually framed). For whatever reason, I now have that stuff here in WOMP Headquarters. Amongst the items is her T.A.O.M. embroidered hat, which is so worn that it now only says "The __v__es of MO___Y." It's odd to see what is essentially tangible evidence of her love for me, but I'm so happy to have it. I know that Shelby knew how much she meant to me (mostly because I told her several times, thankfully), but I'm having a hard time dealing with how much I meant to her...if that makes any sense. She had no children of her own, and, although I'm the second-born of my generation of Mundt kids, I was the first one who lived near her...and I am, after all, her twin brother's son. I guess it's only natural that we'd have had such a strong connection. And, in many ways, I suppose we still do. Shelby will, of course, always be with me. Whenever I take a stand on principle, or talk to a little kid, or just laugh out loud, my Aunt Shelby will be right there too. So, on I go. That's what one does. That's what Shelby would want...no; that's what she'd demand. Get back to it...keep going...keep doing. So, OK. I will. Tomorrow, I'll get back to more 2008 review and such. See ya then!
January 21 - Hello, everyone. Sorry for the lapse. I may not post anything for a few more days as well. Early this morning, my Aunt Shelby died. She was 64 years old. Some day, I'll post a little eulogy to her here in The WOMP-Blog, but not tonight. I'm not really feeling up to it yet, and I have to get up very early tomorrow morning to go with my parents to Shelby's new apartment (into which we just moved her about a month ago) to shut it down, etc., so I'm going to just call it a day. I'm sorry to bring everyone down in the midst of such a positive time, but I can say that Shelby was able to see President Obama take his oath of office before she died, and I know that meant a lot to her. Goodnight, for now.
January 17 - You may notice a few unlikely names in this month's listing of "Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day." Superman, for example. Obviously, Superman is still "alive" in current comics, but only after he'd already "died" a decade or so ago. Remember that? "Superman Dies" was actually a major headline in newscasts and newspapers worldwide. Yep, he was dead, which is why he (and anyone else who also so "died") made the list. Later, of course, he got better. In fact, none of the characters on my list are guaranteed to remain dead. Well, maybe the character I have planned to post on the 30th will stay deceased, but even he may make a comeback in years after the actual death of his creator (many "dead" characters miraculously spring back to life, coincidentally right after they lapse into the public domain). These all are, after all, just fictional characters. Some will return as the undead, some as the never-was dead, and some will make their comebacks as ghosts. The "ghost" option has become a surprisingly prevalent trend in the last few years, perhaps due to the popularity of paranormality on TV right now. In fact, I am surprised that there hasn't been an earnest attempt to revive a classic Silver or Bronze Age horror comic like The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, GHOSTS, The House of Mystery, The House of Secrets, or Secrets of Haunted House (Hmm...there sure were a lot of creepy "Houses" amongst DC's 1970's publications). The old Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery often used "true" ghost tales as basis for the comic's stories, which seems like a way to bring in fans of, say, Ghost Hunters or Paranormal State. There were even several strange hybrid horror/romance comics, which could be resurrected to appeal to followers of The Ghost Whisperer. Although now long gone from comics display racks, such genre titles used to be almost as popular as superhero books (and probably more popular than some). When I was a kid, ghost-filled comic The Unexpected was one of my favorites, so I can easily see how these old books could be revamped and reissued. Of course, because of the economy, there probably aren't going to be too many new comic book titles coming out for awhile anyway. I suppose that the idea itself is dead...for now. Well, let's leave that subject for now, but remind me to tell you about our ghosts sometime (WOMP H.Q. has at least one, if not several - honest!). I want to get back to my year-end countdown of...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Four - C.N. Stars
I don't know why obscure little stories about cartooning history intrigue me, but they do. Someday, I'll tell you about the first cartoonist to amass a real fortune (John T. McCutcheon), or about how a cartoonist was the subject of a study meant to illustrate the once-controversial theory that people's personalities are products of how they are raised, rather than by their race (Paul Fung). This last year, however, I really fixated on only one such story, that of C.N. Landon. Coming along perfectly during Platinum Age Comic Book Characters Month in the WOMP-Blog, my discovery of the now nearly forgotten cartooning-education pioneer continued to occupy my thoughts throughout the Summer. It also happened to coincide with the release of Mr. John Garvin's new book, The Landon School of Illustrating and Cartooning, the on-line promotion for which had a lot of great information on the subject that wouldn't have been available any year earlier. Since those posts, in which I told you a little bit about Mr. Landon's life and who some of his famous students were, I have learned a lot more, thanks in great part to the research of Norwalk, Ohio, historian Henry Timman. I'm sure I'll learn even more soon, too, since I've even finally ordered a copy of Mr. Garvin's book, which is in the mail as I write this. While I may still post some of those very interesting updates here someday, for now I want to save most of them for Mr. Garvin, who is planning a second, updated version of his book. For now? Hmmm...let's see. I suppose I can at least tell you that Charles Nelson Landon was once known as "Nelt" to his friends. Aw, heck...if you check out this entry in The WOMP-Blog Archives over at LiveJournal (where I can include photos), I'll even post a copy of his 1937 hometown newspaper obituary (and probably some other nifty stuff while I'm at it). Maybe you're a comics history nut like me, or maybe you're not, but, either way, I hope you'll agree that that history, like the story of C.N. Landon, needs to be chronicled and preserved before it is lost. And if you don't agree with me, just why the heck are you reading this anyway?
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Well, I've gotta get back to work. Here is your Dead Comic Book Character of The Day - Thor!
January 16 - Back to the countdown of 2008's top ten big stories. Finally, with #5, we leave behind the shadows self-doubt and death that have dominated the list so far. Sheesh. Sorry to have seemed so negative, but, more often than not, bad news is big news. One of my favorite TV journalists of all time, Linda Ellerbee, once explained on air - after much criticism that her program, NBC News Overnight, only reported bad news - that "news" is, by definition, stories of what is notably different than the status quo. That TV newscasts could boil that down to a mere half-hour of what some see as "bad news" was, therefor, actually a sign of how good life was. So, my list, half-composed of depressing retrospect, is a sign of the positivity of my 2008...and now, as out-right positive stories top the list, I'm struck by how good it really was. For example, I'm still married, I'm still employed, I still live in my house, and I'm still alive. Not many people can say all of these same things about the past year (especially those people who are not "still alive"). So, let's get to it with...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Five - Star Wars...Nothing But Star Wars
I can't tell you how much fun Star Wars Trek '08 was for The WOMP Staff and me. My ten-year project of nerdifying my wife finally paid off as we both enjoyed the geeky goodness of the Science Museum of Minnesota exhibit entitled Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. It was great! There were literally hundreds of authentic Star Wars saga movie props and costumes. As moving and inspirational as it was for me to see the actual Darth Vader, C-3PO, Yoda, and more, the real reward was being able to share all of it with the person whom I love most. To be honest, for years such a thing seemed impossible. While my wife and I have many similar interests, all things geek were not originally among them. Somehow, little by little, comics convention by comics convention, I've been able to convince The Staff that there was some merit in all of the goofy stuff I have loved my whole life. This last August, as I took her photo in front of Chewbacca, her smile was bigger than mine.
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OK, OK. Gotta get going. Here are the last few days worth of your Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day - Captain America, Bucky, and Sasquatch!
January 13 - Well...darn. I'm a little bummed out right now. I've just discovered that "they" (the people working for the International Wizard of Oz Club) are doing a new issue (or issues?) of Oziana, apparently without me. I was really looking forward to being involved in Oziana whenever they got it back up and going, but I guess I will just have to be happy with having been involved with the last three. Still, it puts an immediate - if minor - damper on my 2009. Oh, well. This actually brings up something interesting with which I've been dealing over the last year or so. My artistic "self-classification" has been in flux for some time. How long can I drag around vintage copies of The Adventures of Monkey from comics convention to comics convention, still claiming to be a comic book creator? At this point, it's a bit like claiming to be a champion basketball player because I was on a championship Summer League team when I was twelve (which I was, by the way). I guess the difference there would be that I haven't ever seen myself as being an athlete of any sort, while I've never considered myself as anything other than a comics "guy" (either as fan or creator). Whenever someone refers to me as an artist or illustrator, I cringe a little. Norman Rockwell was an artist/illustrator. At best, I'm a cartoonist, and even that is giving myself a little too much credit. So, what am I? As any long-time readers of The WOMP-Blog know, this basic question was foremost in my mind as I, nonetheless, attended two comics cons last year, which brings me to...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Six - Con-Fusion
Early in the year, I attended the (first annual?) Oconocon in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. That was some old-school, comic bookish fun! As if part of some sort of flashback to the early 1990's, my Dad came with me, which was actually pretty cool. It has probably been fifteen years or so since he and I set up at a con, so I'd forgotten how much it meant to both of us. For me, it was just so cool to have the time to just hang out with him...all while trying to sell stuff, of course. We saw many old friends, made some new ones, and had many interesting surprises pop up during the course of the convention. I really hope that there are plans in the works for a continuation of this show. Wisconsin needs more of them, and so do I. How is it possible that Madison - a city famous for it's huge, downtown college (with an almost one-thousand-square-mile campus, and over forty-thousand students) - has never been able to put together a big annual show? Oh, they'll have dealer shows or book signings, but not (as far as I know) a real comic book convention. Kudos to Mr. Joshua Goes for leading the campaign to change that. Anyhoo, with no local shows, the fabulous M.C.B.A. FallCon has become "our" comics con. This year, with nothing more than a couple dozen new pieces of artwork for sale and otherwise the same old stuff as in years past, the beautiful WOMP Staff and I set up at the twentieth FallCon. That was so much fun. As always, we saw so many old friends and made a few new. We sold just enough stuff to pay our way (always a good thing), and I participated in just enough comics-themed events to feel like I "belonged" there. Different this year, however, was my new focus on other parts of my "career." In the most preliminary ways, I began to lay some of the groundwork for what I guess I'd call a "career maturation." You've already heard about some of that. Hopefully, by the next FallCon, I'll be able to tell you all about it (like I said a few posts ago, I've decided to play some of this close to the vest until it's more "certain"). Until then, I can tell you that my plans for that mysterious "book" are only part of what I've got in the works. Just in case you are thinking about attending, here is some information that the MCBA folks have just sent to me;
MCBA FALLCON COMIC BOOK CELEBRATION
Saturday & Sunday, October 10 & 11, 2009 - 10AM to 5PM Both Days
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
1265 Snelling Ave
Saint Paul, MN. 55108
E-mail;
Myspace;
Facebook;
Comic Art Fans;
Website;
Yep, even though I had a fairly low-profile at each of those two shows in 2008, what they might represent to my future plans makes them one of The WOMP-Blog's biggest stories of the year!
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And so it goes. Of course, as the Oziana-revelation has shown, plans can sometimes change. We'll see, I guess. Now, get out of here. Before you go, here's your Dead Comic Book Character of The Day - Jonah Hex!
January 12 - Yippee! COMICS! I recently had a serious yen for new comic books, so I turned to eBay to scratch my itch. I would have gone to my local comics shop, River City Hobbies of La Crosse, but it has closed (supposedly temporarily, but, in this economy, I'm not optimistic). And it would be hard to call it my "local" comic book shop anyway, since it is sixty miles away. Of course, Comic World in Dubuque is also sixty miles from WOMP Central, but in the opposite direction...in Iowa. Yikes! Seriously, though, I am just more familiar with La Crosse. ANYHOO, the eBay comics came in today's mail! Well, to call them "new" is a bit charitable. The most recently published among the thirty or so comics is the final issue of DC's 52 from 2007. Most of the books are from the late 1970's and early 1980's. That's my favorite era, I guess. It's not like I'm really stuck in that time period as much as it is that I have a fondness and appreciation for the kinds of comics they made back then...that, and they are usually pretty cheap. Most can be bought for a quarter of the cover price of new comics, especially if condition is not really important to you. Let's see...I got issues of Claw, The Unconquered, Beowulf, Ragman (a Joe Kubert superhero comic!), Starfire (the hot Mike-Vosburg-chick version), Showcase, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves (great Ditko story/art), The House of Secrets, and Wonder Woman. Not everything was from the Disco Era, though. From the 1990's, I got several "Vertigo Visions" books, including re-imaginings of Prez (Eric Shanower art!) and Doctor Occult. From more recent times, I also purchased some trade paperbacks of titles I've never read (but should have), including Bill Willingham's Fables. Yep, I've got hours of reading ahead of me...not to mention hours of drawing! Whenever I get new comics, I'm just naturally inspired to draw some character or feature from within them. I've already drawn Prez, The Mad Monk, Solomon Grundy, Itty, and Doctors Graves, Robot, and Occult. I also drew forgotten Wonder Woman villain, Armageddon...all on my "mousepad." You see, I use large pieces of old artboard for my mousepads, and, over time, I doodle on both sides of them until they're "full." Then it's time to start a "fresh" one. My current mousedoodlepad is about 80% filled. I have "completed" twelve of these since I began the practice about two years ago. I have no idea why I'm saving them, or what I'll do with them, but, well, I never really throw anything away, especially not artwork. Maybe someone will want them for something some day. I guess it's just another example of the kind of oddball art projects that are...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Seven - For Art's Sake
Did you know that I once used to create comic books? It's true! Oh, they were crap, but at least I once actually did - briefly- what I'd always dreamt of when I was a kid. Now...well, now I find myself involved in all sorts of weird artwork projects. In 2008, I kind of did everything but draw comics. Oh, some of it was comic book related, like my cartooning "lectures" in Endeavor, Wisconsin, or my "Done In One" make-a-comic workshop in Delavan, Wisconsin. I also created a ComicSpace page for myself, which is, at least in part, comic booky. Mostly, though, I did other stuff. For about the fifth year, I drew caricatures for MANY local events (some for $$$, some for charity), and, for the twenty-first year, I designed the sets for the local middle school play. I had many strange commissions (my most memorable assignment? That's easy; "three Army guys hunting terrorists"), and I drew some even stranger stuff just for myself. On top of all of that, I hosted the fifth annual Fallfire contest. With the addition of the Fallfire: Reflections gallery show afterward, it was easily the best year yet (less quantity, but much more quality). I've never really thought of myself as an "artist" in the traditional sense, but, looking back, I am surprised by how Art-filled my year really was. In fact, I must now confess something; for the last few months of 2008, three of my original drawings were hung in a local art gallery. Really! I didn't mention it because, well...I was/am pretty embarrassed. I mean, there they were, the original cover illustrations for Continuity Crisis and Tales From The WOMP-Blog two and three, displayed in the same vicinity as fully painted works and original photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Ugh! What was my junk doing there? Well, I guess that I may be an "artist" of some sort after all...much in the same way that a marshmallow is technically "food." Hmm. If 2008 has taught me anything, it's that I should probably always follow where my "art" leads me.
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Gotta go. Here's your latest Dead Comic Book Character of The Day - Elektra!
January 11 - Jeepers, what a week. I've been...uh...not busy, per se. This last week has just overwhelmed me with....stuff. It was just so weird. First, I lost a big artwork commission. That was unfortunate. I also worked some extra, odd hours at the dorky "real" job. That was also unfortunate. Mostly, though, I've just floundered. Flopping around like a fish on deck, I've not had a good run at anything for several days. It's like I couldn't start anything....or that things I'd started I couldn't finish. Whatever. Now, several days have passed and I have little to show for it. I suppose that's OK. I don't know why I worry so much about "getting stuff done." It's not like I ever do anything important or necessary. Still, I'm reminded of something that Buddy Ebsen once told me (via an interview on CNN late in his life). The actor, best known as Jed Clampett on Beverly Hillbillies, took up writing and painting in his last few years. When asked what motivated him to attempt new, unfamiliar artistic endeavors so late in life - when other nonagenarians might just sit back and relax - he said that, in his opinion, "Any day, where you don't create something new that wasn't there the day before, is a day lost." Or words very similar. That hit me like a brick when I heard it. I'd always felt that way, but had never heard it expressed in such a clear manner. He also said that he specifically enjoyed writing because "There is no limit to what you write as long as it increases the value of the paper you write on." Hmm. Who knew that Barnaby Jones could be so inspirational? This last week, however, I definitely let my inner-Ebsen down. In fact, my general inaction during the previous year would have disappointed Buddy...but I had good excuses! Well, not "good." More like "life-threatening." That brings us to...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Eight - At Least I Have My...Uh...
Normally, I wouldn't consider "being sick" to be a big story, but 2008 seemed to have a contract out on me or something. Looking back, it's a wonder that I made it through. In addition to the usual bouts with flus and colds, I was attacked by a swarm of bees, I nearly sliced off my right pinky finger, I severely twisted my knee while helping a stranger, and a blood vessel burst in my head! GACK! Look, I'm doing well now (although I have several bee-sting scars, and my knee still bothers me toward the end of a long day), but there is no denying that my poor health had a major effect on my productivity. Throw in an "ailing" Internet hook-up, a wife with her own lengthy flu battle, and a beloved aunt with a major, scary health emergency, and it's a wonder that I got anything done at all. Back when I was a kid, whenever adults would talk about childhood being the best time of life, I thought they were talking about the lack of responsibilities. Now, as a supposed "adult" myself, I think that they might have been talking more about the inevitable deterioration of health that accompanies aging. So, what to do about this? I suppose I can try to avoid beehives and stalled cars, but the artery thing? That's just genetic...just fate. The answer may be to accomplish what I can when I can. I'm sure that even Buddy Ebsen had some bad days. The point is to make the most out of the good days.
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Well, time to wrap this up. I'll keep plugging along, health permitting. I have no idea why, but I'll keep plugging along. In the face of health concerns, overwhelming floundering, and the normal case of the Year End Mopes that I'm trying to shake off, I will keep trying to make something new that wasn't there the day before. Thanks to Wikipedia, Mr. Ebsen offers this thought on the subject; "You get more negative reactions than positive reactions as you go through life, and the big lesson is nobody counts you out but yourself...I never have, I never will." Words to live by. And, on a related note, here are your most recent Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day - The Green Goblin, Mr. Spock, The Spectre, Supergirl, Blade, and Ferro Lad!
January 6 - OK, I'm only just now about to post the second entry on my list of "The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008," and it has already occurred to me that no-one cares. Or, if they do care, they've already read about all of this stuff in The WOMP-Blog over the course of the previous year. Still, I have been doing these year-end wrap-up lists for awhile now, so I want to keep it going. To reconcile all of this, I've decided to give you some updates along with the list. Here, then, is...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Nine - What's New, Pussycat?
If you are a cat lover, there is no need for me to explain what fun a kitten is. Well, "fun" may be an oversimplification. Is there a word that means cute/scary/sweet/aggravating/love? Oh, yes there is; Alex! What a little character our new kitty is. Alex has been fully absorbed into the soap opera that our cats perform daily. He has been welcomed heartily by amiable Orange Kitty, adopted by loving nursemaid Charlotte, ignored by icy vixen Carolina, and befriended by gender-confused Thomas. For the few months when he and Earl lived together, Alex wisely deferred to the "King Cat" in all matters. Now that Earl has passed, there has been a mostly-quiet struggle to find a new balance of power. While O.K. has been asserting himself, venerable Carolina still maintains passive-aggressive control. Meanwhile, down at the bottom of the totem pole, blissfully ignorant Alex is enjoying himself liberally, even as he grows bigger and bigger every day. He has also become our little shadow. If The WOMP Staff is working on a quilt, Alex is there to "help." If I am working at my drawing board, Alex is right next to me, eager to lend a paw. Yep, when I look back on the big stories 2008, the addition of Alex P. Kitten to our home is definitely in the top ten on my list!
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Now I've got to get going. I will continue the countdown next time (I know you can't wait), but, until then, I leave you with your Dead Comic Book Character of The Day - Dracula!
January 4 - Hey, everyone! Please excuse me while I send a little note to a new friend...
Hello, 2009! Nice to see ya. We've been waiting for you for what seems like a very long time...and you're finally here! Now, I know you're busy, but I'd like a moment of your time, please. Here...have a seat. Comfortable? Good. OK, I'll just get to it. We are happy to see you, but that comes with some big expectations. I know that it's unfair to ask so much of you, especially when you are just starting out, but we don't have time to stand on cordiality. Put bluntly, you have to be one of the best years ever. We can't afford any more steps backward. Your predecessor, 2008, broke some ground, but ultimately left you with a world on a precipice...and we're starting to slip over that already. All we ask is that you not be as awful as it looks like you could become. That's it. In short, don't suck. Sorry to put all of this on ya, but I thought it was only fair to let you know what you're up against. Well, thanks for stopping in. I won't keep you any longer...but, before you rush off, I do have one final request. Please keep my friends and family as safe as possible. Can you do that for me, 2009? I'd consider it a personal favor. So, thanks...and get out of here. Go! Go be the best freakin' 2009 you can be!
Sorry about that. So, to you, dear reader, I add my salutations and best wishes for this New Year. As today is January 4th (well, actually the 5th, now that I look at the clock), I think that, finally, the "holidays" are over. It seems like everyone goes a little nuts during these last two weeks of the year. My dreaded "real" job had me working four or fives times as much as usual, all while I've been waddling around on a bad knee. Oh, that's right...I haven't told you that story yet. Almost a month ago, I was driving home from a quick run to the bank, when I saw a car stall out in the middle of the highway. I drove past it at first, then, after seeing the little older lady get out of the driver's seat to try to push the car, I backed up and jumped out to help. Barking orders like I was in charge or something, I told her to get back inside. Traffic was light, but it was still coming at us from four lanes. I got her to roll down her window so that I could help steer. In pushing the vehicle, I twisted my leg, but I couldn't stop to cry about it...we had two big trucks coming right at us. Fortunately, I got it rolling and safely backed into a nearby rollerskating rink's parking lot. By the next day, my knee had swollen to the size of a cantaloupe, and the pains shooting through it were a bit like having hot knives clumsily carving it up from the inside out. Fun! Now, it's much better. At the end of a particularly long day (like the one I just finished), it does hurt, and my limp reemerges, but everything is clearly mending (thankfully). Sigh. What a way to top-off what was, in spite of some wonderful "highlights," a fairly terrible year for me. I hope your 2008 was better, but, for me, it goes in the books as "thumbs down." In reviewing my WOMP-Bloggings from the last twelve months (what few there were), I was struck with the abnormal amount of, well...death. Something like every third posting concerned the passing of someone, and most of those were people I've known and loved. It was very hard to come up with a "Biggest Stories of 2008" list in the light of this, but I've devised a way to try to get past it. Confronting the issue head-on, January is going to be "Dead Comic Book Characters Month" here in the WOMP-Blog. The "rules" for being included on the list are simple; at some point in the character's "life," he or she died. Some stayed dead, some became undead, and many more became never-really-was dead. A cheery subject, I know, but it should be interesting. Now, though, I want to get to that "Year In Review" that I had planned. In looking back, I turned to sources other than just the WOMP-Blog and my own failing memory, but most haven't been much help. For example, my hometown "newspaper," The Courier Press, led their 2008 review with this line;
"Embattled hog farmer A.V. Roth of the town of Wauzeka will finally receive his license to expand."
Man. Just when I think I have problems. As bad as things might have been for me, at least I was never described as an "embattled hog farmer." Sheesh! Well, my list is a bit less...controversial? Just to get it all out of the way now, I start the countdown tonight with...
The WOMP-Blog's Biggest Stories of 2008
Number Ten - Goodbyes
As I've mentioned, for me personally, 2008 was a year of loss. I lost childhood mentor Father John Scott, my grandfather Clifford Fry, my lifelong friend Joe Shulka, and my oldest cat (Earl). We also lost neighbor Steve Uher, who was a very good friend of O.F.O.WOMP Eric Gillitzer and a direct inspiration for one of my characters and several stories. The passing of Muriel Kubert, wife of comics legend Joe, had me revisit my Kubert School days, and the threat - then confirmation - of the "death" of comic book character J'onn J'onzz prompted me to publicly plead for his life. The world of comics lost many greats, including Steve Gerber, Dave Stevens (and his inspiration, Bettie Page), Jim Mooney, and Will Elder. Even my home state of Wisconsin was hit hard with "goodbyes" as we lost Lake Delton, the town of Gays Mills, and Brett Favre in the same year.
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Like any year, 2008 could be remembered for who passed (and this was just a brief list), but I hope that it may also be recalled for some of the other significant events. More on that later. I'll leave you for now with the first four days worth of your Dead Comic Book Characters of The Day - J'onn J'onzz, Deadman, Jean Grey, and Superman!
WOMP-Blog!
"Daily" ramblings from John Mundt, Esquire, regarding Monkey, comics, cartooning, and whatever else comes to his head at around midnight each night!
Last update: January 1, 2010
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