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------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE - ISSUE NUMBER 58 ________________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Page------>> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ------------------------------------------------------------------------ o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ This publication is brought to you by the members of the premiere BBS network for the discussion of comics books and the people who create them, The ComicBook Network!!! Edited by: David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you wish to receive these issues automatically through your internet account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! TRIVIA CONTEST......................... Guesses & Answers [3] CBN Insider ........................... News, gossip, & rumors [4] WOMEN IN COMICS (Trina Robbins)........ Keith O'Brien [5] SOME STUFF ............................ Nathan Bredfeldt [6] Marvel 1st Quarter loss................ PRNewswire [7] REVIEWS:Fastlane Illustrated & Moot.... David LeBlanc [8] New Comics Shipping 5/14/96........... Bobb Waller [A] How to join ComicBook Network.......... BBS 101 [B] BBSes Linked into CBN.................. CBN node list [C] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] On the Net by David LeBlanc A few miscellaneous things to mention this week. My #1 son found it odd that the cover to CBG last week had the Savage Dragon's girlfriend popping the question when that event had already occurred in the comic. Closer examination revealed that the issue was dated March 22, meaning it was delivered about a month late - AFTER subsequent issues. Maybe our letter carrier decided to read one issue and finally delivered it. Anyway, I would have pointed out to all, if it had been on time, that in that particular issue, CBG #1166, they rerun their most famous letter from Oh, so? - the one from Name Withheld - as part of their highlights of the past 25 years. Miss it the first time? Maybe you can still find a copy at your store. Here are some things I have been meaning to mention, and this week I made a point of jotting them down. File this under Email subscription etiquette. So, you decide you want that Emag delivered to you each time it comes out? Please, on behalf of all my fellow publishers of these things, keep a few things in mind: Be sure you CAN receive Email - this may seem basic but I have been attempting to send last week's issue to a new subscriber on Prodigy, only to keep getting it bounced back because that account is "not enabled for Email" (ZEJM43A@prodigy.com) EMPTY YOUR MAILBOX - if yours has a limit, and does not automatically purge older mail, then new mail will get bounced. The lesson is check frequently enough to avoid this, increase the limit if you can, or drop automatic mailings you just aren't reading anymore - sort of like pruning your pull list because the to be read pile is growing larger all the time. If you are dropping your service please be considerate and send a note to cancel the subscription, some folks do this and I really appreciate it. If mail is continually bounced because the "user is unknown" I have no choice but to delete the name. Changing your address to another service should be automatic, but I recently had to correct one that changed when I saw his new address in HIS newsletter, but he never sent me a message to let me know. I don't mind other people relaying messages to sign up for the mag. Hats off to Ryan Brewster who continues to forward requests sent to the old address. However, it is only courtesy to drop a sub you no longer want, by sending the mail yourself. If I get a message from A saying B wants to stop getting my mag, I have to wonder why B didn't tell me himself! It happened! Finally, if you want back issues, read the sources available at the end of this issue. They are posted to some large BBSs, any BBS on Comic Book Net, AOL, Compuserve and Genie as well as our Web page. If you can't access any of those I would prefer you list which or how many you want and wether you can receive attached files in ZIP format. I have been plagued by one request in the past two days and either a defective mailer, ISP, or disgruntled reader managed to send me 237 copies of the message at once! I guess the last request is don't be butthead! David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com] Editor The Comic Book Net E-Mag ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: letters of comment may be used in future issues of the CBN E-Mag unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. +++++ Subj: X-men:Claremont - the Book Date: 96-05-04 14:06:22 EDT From: mitchell.rabinowitz@compudata.com (MITCHELL RABINOWITZ) Hello, I was just wondering if anyone has heard of a book called X-Men: Claremont. I think it is a hard back, but I have not heard anything else, and was wondering if anyone had some information Mitchell PS - Keep up the good work on the e-mag! [Thanks, sorry I have not heard of the book you mention. Anyone?] +++++ David: I'd like to make a request of all the readers of the E-Mag. I've been off the reviewing circuit lately due to the fact that my previous source of comics went under, and I've been looking for a new source for months. I've placed three consecutive orders thru Westfield On-Line, and I still haven't received a single comic! So, what I'd like to ask is, what are the best mail order services out there? The criteria I'm looking to fill are: 1. Good Discount 2. Timely Service 3. On-line ordering capability, either on the Web or a BBS 4. Large selection of both mainstream and Small Press Comics 5. Friendly Support Staff Westfield Online has an outstanding on-line ordering system, and that was the main reason I switched to them. However, orders must be placed three months in advance (as opposed to the industry-normal two months) so I've paid over $700.00 and never seen a single comic. Even for a die-hard like me, the concept of paying that much money for a magazine subscription and getting the books a month or more late has already worn thin. So, loyal E-Mag Readers, I beseech you... help get Recent Reads back on-line! Help me find a new home for my comic book habit. Thanks! Bill Hughes!!! BHughes@riskguard.com [I miss Bill's reviews as well, and if mail order is his thing maybe we can help him out. If I get a few suggestions I will run it as a feature column so let's hear from satisfied customers out there.] +++++ Subj: More creators ... Date: 96-05-09 08:48:37 EDT From: hancock@inforamp.net (Larry Hancock) Hello there, I've been browsing your Emag for the past several weeks and have been enjoying it very much. I you would be interested in adding Michael Cherkas and myself to your list of creators' email addresses, please feel free to do so. We are: Larry Hancock hancock@informap.net Michael Cherkas cherkas@astral.magic.ca If you are not familiar with our work, you can find our web page at: http://www.inforamp.net/~hancock [noted to check out and add to our Link page] But briefly, Michael (the artist and co-plotter) and I (the scripter and co-plotter) are responsible for The Silent Invasion and Suburban Nightmares which were published by Renegade Press in the late 80s. NBM collected all of these into five graphic albums which are still available. Caliber Comics is reprinting The Silent Invasion in comic book form, beginning this month. Our Suburban Nightmares stories have also appeared in Cheval Noir and Negative Burn, with another story appearing in May in NBM's ComicsLit magazine (with a Michael Cherkas cover). NBM will be releasing a second Suburban Nightmares graphic album in October. Take care, Larry Hancock [Good luck Larry and send along any new stuff you guys do for review in the Emag. ] [TRIVIA CONTEST] This week we had 3 guesses as to the Robin of "The Dark Knight Returns' real full name. In reverse order. Carolyn Keene Kelly... The Keith gerbil@aztec.asu.edu +++++ Subj: Trivia Date: 96-05-04 00:50:26 EDT From: 103514.2754@CompuServe.COM (Jose Mochove, Jr.) Now, the only difference I could find in the book than from the name you gave, "Carrie Kelly" was the name "Carrie Kelley". Don't think it's right, but might as well give it a shot. Jose +++++ At last one I think I know! Carrie Kelly's whole real name is Carolyn Keene Kelly. Jason Sacks Jason was the first to get it and so wins the Cheezy Prize (tm) and a bonus Kingdom Come poster to celebrate the event of the year! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: According to John Romita, who was Mary Jane Watson modeled after? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE: The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Please be sporting and send only one guess at a time. LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON! Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you stump the subscribers! You MUST submit the correct answer with the question. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3] CBN Insider - News, gossip and rumors from around the industry Lots of news releases this week, we report Marvel's quarterly financials elsewhere: CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 1996--Richard Berger, chairman and CEO of Classics International Entertainment Inc. (CIE) (NASDAQ:CIEI) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Dream Factory Inc., filed a petition Thursday for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois -- Eastern Division. "This action will allow us to focus our energies on the strategic alliances being formulated under the Moondog's comic book/pop culture concept, as well as further development and licensing of the Classics Illustrated properties," said Berger. "It will also alleviate much of the cash pressures facing the company, and improve CIE's consolidated balance sheet." Classics International Entertainment Inc., headquartered in Chicago, is also the parent company of Moondog's Inc., a chain of comic book and pop culture stores and departments, and First Classics Inc., a licenser of the Classics Illustrated library of graphic novels, titles and characters. Classics International Entertainment Inc. is publicly traded on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the symbol CIEI. For more information, please contact: CIE's Investor's Communication Department, 1/800/569-CIEI (2434), or Jimmy Holton, Continental Capital & Equity Corp., 407/875-1110, or www.insidewallstreet.com +++++ CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 1996--Acclaim Comics, Inc., the comic book publishing subsidiary of entertainment software publisher Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKLM) announced today that it has entered into a licensing agreement with First Classics, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Classics International Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CIEI). The agreement grants Acclaim permission to re-publish the popular line of Classics Illustrated properties. Acclaim also obtains the rights to publish interactive versions of the classic titles as games or edutainment software. Richard Berger, Chairman and CEO, Classics stated, "This alliance is another major step in the development of the Classics Illustrated properties. With Acclaim's worldwide marketing muscle, publishing and distribution resources, we look forward to significantly broadening the appeal and awareness of the Classics Illustrated brand." Developed in 1942, the Classics Illustrated line of titles was designed to illustrate the writings of noted authors and playwrights including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe, among others. As a result of the agreement, Acclaim will be publishing several different types of books including the integration of existing illustrations with scholarly analysis to develop a "study guide" type of publication. With the backing of parent company Acclaim Entertainment, the agreement also gives Acclaim Comics the rights to electronic publishing and distribution of the vast Classics Illustrated library, including new titles. The agreement also includes all ancillary and merchandising rights subject to certain limited exclusions. "We are excited about the addition of Classics Illustrated to Acclaim's diverse portfolio of published properties," said Steve Massarsky, President/Publisher of Acclaim Comics, Inc. "Introducing the Classics Illustrated brand to a new generation through illustrated books, other media and licensed properties makes this a tremendous opportunity for both companies and our customers." Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. is a leading worldwide publisher of software for Nintendo, Sega, Sony, personal computer and CD-ROM hardware systems; and comic books under the Valiant and Armada imprints. Acclaim also develops coin-operated arcade and ticket redemption games, and operates blue screen and motion capture studios, as well as A.D.I., a global sales and distribution company for products from a variety of entertainment software publishers, including Domark, Interplay, Marvel, Pulse Entertainment, Sunsoft and Take 2. Acclaim, which also entered into a joint venture with Tele-Communications, Inc. for electronically distributed interactive entertainment, is publicly traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol AKLM. Classics International Entertainment, Inc. headquartered in Chicago, is also the parent company of Moondog's, Inc., a chain of comic book and pop culture stores and departments, as well as First Classics, Inc. and Classics Media Group, Inc. Classics International Entertainment, Inc. is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Small Cap market under the symbol CIEI. CONTACT: Julie Haddon, Jayson Bernstein, Acclaim Entertainment 516/656-5000 or CIE Investors Communication Dept. 800/569-CIEI (2434) or Jimmy Holton Continental Capital & Equity Corporation 407/875-1110 www.insidewallstreet.com +++++ Speaking of Acclaim and Classics Illustrated, more bits from Fabian Date: 96-05-08 From: FabNic CREATIVE TEAMS AND TITLES Rumor amongst yourselves about who is doing what or what is being done for now. Truth to tell, I'm kind of enjoying it. I'm a sadist (and a masochist for going back to real work again!). Be aware that some of the names I'm dropping might not necessarily be doing a monthly series (then again, they might be). Look for a series of teaser ads in some of the fanzines real soon which will list writers, pencilers and titles. Although you might still have to play mix and match. :-) New hint of the day: there will NOT be a monthly SOLAR title in the initial relaunch... but there will be a special event called MAN OF THE ATOM. Go figure... Conventions: I will be at Heroes Con in Charlotte on Friday and Sat. June something or other. Kurt Busiek will be there as well. No Acclaim booth presence, just my smiling, schmoozing face. Steve Massarsky, Jon Hartz and I will be at Chicago Con, again no booth, just our smiling, schmoozing faces. We WILL have a booth presence at San Diego, preview comic of our new Valiant Heroes line-up, giveaways, previews of the X-O/Iron Man and Turok video games and other nifty stuff. CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED More details will come soon, but be aware that for the first year, these titles will be reproductions of the ORIGINAL Classics comics with modern artists drawing new covers wrapped up in a very unique format. Once the program gets its legs, we plan to do all-new material. This is more than just comics, this is comics AS real publishing and is intended as a strong outreach program to new and different audiences (but if you're a regular reader, these items will most certainly entertain you). +++++ MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Multimedia developer and publisher Inverse Ink and DC Comics announced today that they will bring famous comic book heroes to life in a series of CD-ROM comic books titles. The titles, which are based on source material from DC Comics classic 1960s animated television shows, will feature famous DC Comics super heroes such as Superman, Batman, Aquaman and Superboy. Inverse Ink will use its graphic comic book engine to combine the original DC Comics video animation with comic style art, new animation, morphs and an original musical score. Updated for a multimedia nineties feel, these vintage stories will have wide appeal from kids to adult comic fans. These products will be shown for the first time at The Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) in Los Angeles, May 16-18, 1996. Inverse Ink will preview the first four titles in its booth. They will be shipped midsummer 1996 with an expected retail price of $9.95 each. The CD-ROMs will be hybrids, supporting both Windows and Macintosh formats on the same disc. Inverse Ink's President Dr. Lingtao Wang says, "We plan to use our technology to introduce comic books into the digital future. We are very excited to have Superman and Batman, the most universally recognized and loved comic book characters, in the launch of this new entertainment category." DC Comics' Vice President of Licensed Publishing Chantal d'Aulnis says, "It's a natural for Superman and Batman to thrive in the CD-ROM medium as they have in other innovations of the 20th century, from radio to TV to feature films. They themselves are showing us the way." Inverse Ink, a division of TAO Research Corporation, is a developer and publisher of multimedia comic books for Windows and Macintosh computers. The company brings comic books to life through a process that morphs comic art panels to live action video or animation. The products are available nationally through major distributors, retailers and mass merchants, as well as comic book stores. DC Comics, based in New York City, is one of the world's leading comic book publishers, whose roster of world famous characters include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many others. Superman, Batman, Superboy and Aquaman and all related elements are registered trademarks of DC Comics. +++++ According to Forbes, the median five-year pay for 800 chief executives was $6.9 million. Compare that with Michael Jordan, player for the Chicago Bulls, who earns about $4 million a year -- before endorsements and advertisements. Paul Harvey makes $13 million a year. And the obligatory(?) comic book artist on the list; Comic book artist Todd McFarlane illustrates ``Spawn,'' one of the most profitable, comic books around. Last year his comics brought in $2 million in sales, while licensed toys, videogames, television shows and apparel brought in $35 million. His take -- $5 million. +++++ From the CSNsider in this week's Comic Shop News #464, lots of stuff we already told you about, plus . . .Sirius Comics will adapt the videogame Primal Rage to comics. . . Marvel will be adapting some of Raymond Chandler's best known works in a miniseries later this year with packaging by Byron Preiss Visual Publications. . . Don't be so sure that Norman Osborn is dead. . . Top Cow and Mattel are planning Cyberforce Action Figures this summer that will be sold only to comic stores first, not the regular toy market until 1997. . .The Dark Horse film project of Black Cross, the character that appeared in Dark Horse Presents #1 ten years ago, is on hold for now. . . The Batman Total Justice toy series will include Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and even Darkseid. . . There are still talking about Steven Grant's "ENEMY" becoming the Friday Night wrap up on FOX after X-Files . . . Early 1997 you may be seeing a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 comic book(?) . . . Fox is negotiating a comic book series based on its tv show Kindred:The Embraced. . . Chris Claremont and Dusty Abel have a 4 issue prestige Elseworlds series scheduled for DC this year called WHOM GODS DESTROY starring Superman and Wonder Woman in a world that is half controlled by Nazis and Superman is the only hero known to the world. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4] WOMEN IN COMICS by Keith O'Brien Interview with Trina Robbins The following is a transcript of a conversation group centered around Trina Robbins. It started out with about half a dozen people but grew to about two dozen. Therefore, all questions and comments by anybody other than Trina Robbins is indicated as from Audience. This transcript was edited for clarity and to fit in the space allowed. Trina Robbins: I've come running from a Friends of Lulu meeting which, luckily, was right next door. I guess you all know about Friends of Lulu, am I right? Audience: <noises of general agreement> Audience: What did they say at the meeting that I missed? Trina: Unfortunately it kinda bogs down with people making motions and people commenting on the motions. That's probably the way a meeting should be, but when you're really in a hurry. I mean it was supposed to start at eleven, it's still going on and it's one now. It kind of drags on a bit too much. I still feel good about Friends of Lulu, but I feel that maybe more is gonna be done in regional chapters than in meetings like this where everybody gets into making motions and stuff like that. But I feel that it's certainly a group who's time has come. And it's a group that is very very necessary. If anyone here doesn't know about Friends of Lulu, it's an organization to further comics by women and for women and girls in the industry. Next question. Audience: How is that gonna be done? Just by oral persuasion? Trina: In many ways, in many ways. I think that there are many different ideas. We want education, outreach, the usual ways that you try to get things done. Publicity, PR. Many many ways. But one thing that I feel really good about is that three women from the Northern California chapter are going to be teaching cartooning classes for women at the Cartoon Art Museum. We'll each be doing one a month. And then if those three go nicely we'll be doing more. Women have to be encouraged. I taught comics classes for kids and it's wound up like all boys and maybe one girl. So that's not a place to do outreach. But if you specify for women, and you get women, you're doing outreach. Audience: How long does it take you to pencil and ink a page? Trina: How long does it take me to pencil and ink a page? Oh god. Audience: It's a techie question. Trina: It's an awfully techie question. It takes me longer now than it used to because drawing is becoming more and more painful for me. Audience: Painful physically or emotionally? Trina: Painful emotionally. It's very painful for me because there are places that want to pay me what I deserve for what I want to say. The places that are willing to publish what I want to say either don't pay at all, or pay twenty-five dollars a page. Audience: What do you want to say? Trina: What do I want to say? Well, for one thing, I want to reach girls. I desperately want to reach young girls. No one who's paying any money is concerned with reaching girls nowadays. Audience: Young girls are a big market with BARBIE, LITTLE MERMAID. Trina: I was writing THE LITTLE MERMAID. I wrote THE LITTLE MERMAID for a year. And, as you may or may not know, Marvel has cut back. Marvel was publishing two BARBIEs a month and I was doing some of the writing and inking for those BARBIEs. And they were publishing THE LITTLE MERMAID, ALADDIN, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST monthly. I was WRITING THE LITTLE MERMAID monthly and I was in heaven. I loved WRITING THE LITTLE MERMAID. One of my idols is Carl Barks. He was what I held as my guide for THE LITTLE MERMAID. And the adventures! There was so much I could do with her. Marvel has cut back, has cut the two BARBIEs down to one BARBIE a month. They've amalgamated all their Disney titles into one book. Which means that if the Little Mermaid appears at all she will be appearing twice a year roughly. Maybe three times a year. I think of the Little Mermaid, personally, as gasping her life out on the dock, you know with her little flippers going. It's pathetic. And that was what I loved to do. I wanted to reach young girls. I wanted to entertain young girls and tell stories for young girls. There's nowhere left in the industry for me to tell stories for young girls. I did deliver a proposal to Archie that would be written by me and drawn by John Lucas. A Katy Keene series. It's a detective. It's Nancy Drew. A number of people are mentioning Nancy Drew this time around. It's KATY KEENE DETECTIVE AGENCY. A good sign is they said they wanted to see it. But of course they couldn't tell me yes or no. We'll see what happens. But this is what I want to do and it's very very hard to do this in the industry currently. What I've said is very grim but, changes take a long time. At this convention more people have spoken to me about wanting to do things for girls. You were at the Lulu meeting. Barb Kaalberg and this guy she's working with have a proposal for a series of things for girls. A guy stood up and said he wants to do something called GIRLS WORLD. I ran into a guy I know who has been in the past a very very successful and famous superhero artist who hasn't been drawing comics for awhile and he showed me a proposal he's worked up with a writer that's, again, that's a girl. And she's not a nasty girl. It's a girl who doesn't have giant breasts and who's wearing clothes, you know? And who has adventures. We're all thinking in terms of girls who have adventures. I don't want to even give her name, but a woman in the industry who's extremely respected and well known, a woman artist called me up and said "I can't stand drawing the muscle guys any more, Trina. Write something for me, I'll draw it, we'll see if we can sell it." All of these people are saying "We just want to do it. We'll do it, then we'll find a publisher." The really really good superhero artist who's drawing this girl thing says "We'll do it first and if we can't find a publisher, we'll just self publish it." Suddenly, people, it's in the air. People are all saying, or a lot of them are saying, "We want to do something for girls." So, I think it's gonna happen. How long it'll take to happen, I don't know because, here's all these creators saying they want to do it. I still don't hear the publishers saying they want to do it. What I hear from the publishers is "The industry is in trouble. We've got to take the wagons and put them in a circle. We've got to go grimmer and grittier. We've got to add more muscles to the superheroes. This is not the time to think about girls." Audience: Have you seen ACTION GIRL COMICS. Trina: Yes, it's lovely, it's lovely. This isn't a put down to ACTION GIRL COMICS, but the thing is, that's for a certain group of young women, but you have to get them younger. You have to get them mainstream. Now ACTION GIRL is great and it fulfills purpose as does... What's that one by Megan Kelso? Audience: GIRL HERO. Trina: GIRL HERO, yeah. These are great. These are wonderful. These are for young women, but we need to get the young girls. Their parents aren't going to buy a black and white edgy comic. Their parents are going to buy for them something they can find in the supermarket or the mall, and not in the comic stores either by the way. Their parents, their mothers don't want to walk into the comic book store and the first thing they see is CRY FOR DAWN. They'll just walk out again. Besides the fact that the comic book store is ankle deep in twelve year old boys. The girl isn't going to want to go into the comic book stores. That's part of the problem. Comics have to be sold somewhere else. Audience: I haven't read MAD MAGAZINE in twenty-five years, is that accessible? Trina: It's still accessible for smart wise ass girls, yes. I read lots of those. I grew up on MAD when it was a comic. Audience: What about female adventure heroines of a sort that you grew up on, like Sheena and so forth? I mean, is that a lost cause? Trina: No, it's not a lost cause. One of the things I'm working on is a book, that I hope will enlighten a lot of people, for Kitchen Sink. It's called THE GREAT SUPERHEROINES. Now unfortunately, it doesn't include Sheena. It's only superheroines, and jungle queens don't count, you know. Maybe someday someone, or me, will do one on jungle queens. Audience: It does seem to me. even if you do need to segment off the superheroines, it would be good to have a supplement in which you have the lesser known, the jungle queens, the detectives. Trina: Well, I've got a lot of lesser known super heroines, but I had to, I'm sorry and I guess you'll just be terribly unhappy with the book, but I had to simply make sure it was only superheroines or the book would have become very amorphous. I defined superheroines as women who either wore costumes and had special powers or wore costumes or had special powers. But those two things pretty much go together. There are some cases where they are plain clothes but still have the powers. Lots of cases where they don't have special powers but just wear costumes and use their fists or karate and stuff, you know. So that, that had to be my definition. I was going to have a little thing in the front of the book, a little apologia, that said this leaves out girl detectives and star reporters and jungle queens. But that will have to be another book. Audience: You don't have Brenda Starr? Trina: No, I'm sorry, I don't. She's in my CENTURY OF WOMEN CARTOONISTS of course though. I do the best I can. Audience: She's not a superheroine. Trina: No, she's not. Anyway, some of the discoveries you will make when reading my book, which I'm giving it all away now so you won't have to buy the book, is that there were tons of superheroines in the past. They sprang up like mushrooms during the war. Most of them, in fact, wore costumes that looked like they were designed by Betsy Ross. Lots of stars-and-stripes and red-white-and-blue. During the war years, of course, they tended to fight nazis. And they had very patriotic names like Miss Victory. There was even one who's name is capital U, capital S, capital A (USA) and we'll never, of course, know if it's pronounced you-ess-ay, oo-suh, or you-suh. Because it was written. Old Glory was her cape. She was the Spirit of Old Glory. She had the flag as a cape and she carried a torch. There was some great characters. Now some of them were pretty silly, but of course so were the superheroes. They kept on for a while after the war. In fact, 1946 through 1948 was a heyday of superheroines. Some of my favorites were from '46 through '48 at Marvel Comics under the directorship, the editorship of Stan Lee. Stan Lee did four superheroines who were very obviously aimed at young girls. You could tell by the art, which was very clean, that they were aimed at young girls. From '46 through '48, actually starting in '44 with Miss America, but then from '46 through '48 four superheroines, five counting Miss America, who advertised in MISS AMERICA MAGAZINE, which was a girls magazine in case you had any doubts that they were for girls, who also advertised in each other's books and did guest appearances in each other's books. So that it was kind of a giant superheroine slumberparty. They were wonderful! It was incredible. It was a phenomenon that didn't happen before and has not happened since. And they were marvelous. Audience: What about Miss Fury? Trina: I have a huge section in CENTURY OF WOMEN CARTOONISTS on Miss Fury and on Tarpe Mills. There's going to be another huge section on Miss Fury and on Tarpe Mills with material that wasn't in the first book in this book on superheroines. Tarpe Mills was fantastic. Tarpe Mills looked like her character. Her character, Miss Fury, had a white persian cat named Perri-Purr. Tarpe Mills the artist had a white persian cat named Perri-Purr. I mean she literally put herself into her adventures. Isn't it great? Artists can do that. If I want to become a superheroine I can draw a superheroine who looks just like me, who has four cats, who lives in San Francisco, but she can fly and I can't. I mean that's a great thing. That's one of the great things about comics. Audience: Is she still alive? Trina: I'm afraid she died about two years ago. Audience: I wanted to ask you about your recent review in the JOURNAL. You recently reviewed, wasn't it called SUPERHEROES, THE MODERN MYTHOLOGY? Trina: Oh God, yes. Audience: By, I think, Richard Rogers? Trina: No, not Richard Rogers. He used to write with Oscar Hammerstein. Audience: Richard something, but I can't think of the last name. It started with an "R" too. I'm planning a book, I'd like to do a book on superheroes as myth, and do it right. And, well, I know you can't tell me what I'm gonna write, obviously. I wonder could you expand on some of the things you found wrong with that book. Trina: Yeah, sure. Because I happen to really be into mythology. I'm a Joseph Campbell fan. He gives rules, he gives very good rules, and I try to follow those rules in my writing. Okay, the mythic hero, and there are certain older superheroes, including Wonder Woman, who are mythic heroes. The contemporary ones aren't anymore. One of the things that's wrong with comics is they've completely lost any touch with myth. These guys don't know from myth. They know just from muscles and pow. You know, slam bang. The mythic superhero is always orphaned in some way. It's both orphaned in some way and is a demigod. Has some kind of a more than mortal parent. One parent is more than mortal. Superman is a good example. His parents are god-like. They're from Krypton. They're superior beings. But he's orphaned. The way he is sent off in that rocketship is exactly like so many heroes, mythic heroes, have been set afloat. Of course Moses is the obvious, Romulus and Remus, Taliesin. All of these heroes were set afloat and were found by simple folk, very often farmers. Well, Moses was found by a king. But usually they're found by simple folk, farmers or fishers. Just like the baby Superman is found by farmers, by simple farmers. Wonder Woman is also very mythic. I mean not just because of all the quasi Greco Roman myth that William Moulton Marston used. She's a really interesting, almost a lesbian myth, because very often the mother is a virgin and the father is a god that somehow fertilizes her in weird ways. Sometimes she'll swallow something that will make her pregnant. Or there's the famous shower of gold, or the swan, or the bull, you know, all sorts of things like that. In Wonder Woman's case her mother is the virginal queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and she wants to have a baby. She molds one out of clay and Aphrodite herself breathes life into this baby. In this case little Diana has two mommies. You see her other parent is a goddess. So these are very mythic. Batman is mythic too. He is orphaned. His parents are killed. He is orphaned, he's on his own. And then another thing the hero does, the hero goes into the underworld and emerges. Audience: Symbolic death. Trina: Yes, the symbolic death and rebirth. Batman literally goes into his batcave and emerges as a creature of the night. Audience: So, you don't think Bill Loebs is working that idea into his work either? Trina: Oh, Bill Loebs, you mean who's been writing Wonder Woman. I think he's been doing a lovely job. The myth was already created. Her creation myth is THE myth, and now he's already taking the adventures of the demi- goddess and I think that he's done a very good job. It's really too bad that they once gave him a good artist and took that artist away. Now you have to read his really terrific dialogue, he's a really good writer, but it's coming from this, I mean, when did Wonder Woman go away and her place was taken by a pole dancer? Audience: Oh, Mike Deodato, Jr. from Brazil or where is he from? Trina: Whoever the hell he is and wherever the hell he's from, he's definitely not from Paradise Island. It's very weird to read that dialogue coming from this thing. And they had a good artist in Lee Moder. Lee Moder did a great Wonder Woman, but, you know. Audience: I think they did go up in sales when Deodato took it over, but they were selling to little boys. Trina: Yeah, that's what happens. Audience: That's a terrible thing to do to a superheroine. Trina: They don't care. They don't care what they're doing to the superheroines. They're concerned about money. And they no longer even expect to get decent sales on superheroines. They don't expect to because they don't expect to have a female audience anymore. Therefore, according to their reasoning, the only way to sell these superheroines is to turn them into PENTHOUSE pin-ups for that crowd that's too young to buy PENTHOUSE and so instead they can buy CATWOMAN and WONDER WOMAN. Audience: Then the mother stops buying them for her ten year old, twelve year old because, I mean, is this what you want to put before your daughter? That she's got to look like this? Trina: Well, no. No. The mothers are not buying them for their daughters, but the twelve year old boys are buying them for themselves, you see. And that's why it's going up in sales. This is very sad, but this is the fact of what heroines in comics have come to today. And that, of course, has to be completely turned around. Audience: So it's basically G rated smut. Trina: Yeah, that's it. You got it. Audience: Smut on training wheels. Trina: Smut on training wheels, cool! <laugh> Audience: I'd like to know approximately how many girls' comics are being published? Trina: Now? Well, there is the Archie series, thank God. Okay, we're talking about for young girls, right? We're not talking about for young women. Audience: Yeah. I know the Archies, BARBIE, LITTLE MERMAID. Trina: I think you've just about got it. You know the Disney ones that Marvel is doing, BARBIE, and the Archies, and that's it. You know there are a number of comics being published for young women, and most of those tend to be black and white independents, but that's it for girls. That's it for little girls. Audience: What's happening with Angry Isis Press? Trina: Angry Isis Press formed in 1990 after the Supreme Court's Webster decision. I approached two other publishers to do a benefit book, a pro-choice benefit book, and I was rejected by both publishers. One publisher said who would buy this? So we formed our own press to publish a pro-choice benefit book. The profits went to NOW, the National Organization for Women. We did very well. We over printed actually. Instead of ten thousand we printed twelve thousand. That was an argument between me and my business manager, who now agrees we should have done only ten thousand because we did sell ten thousand. we have two thousand left. If anybody wants two thousand copies of the book... Anyway, we did sell ten thousand, which for a small privately printed black and white book is darn good. We had cartoonists from all over the country, male and female, contributing to it. Including people like Jules Feiffer and Gary Trudeau and Nicole Hollander and Cathy Guisewite and Bill Griffith. Now Angry Isis is trying to get non-profit status so that we can apply for funding and publish comics by women for women and girls specifically. Especially for girls. And we're working on it. We did get California non-profit status. Now we're trying to get national non-profit status. Audience: Are you looking at proposals for graphic novels at Angry Isis? Trina: Well, let's put it this way: don't hold your breath. If you have a proposal and you want to give it to us, I'm the one to give it to. I'll look at it but we can't publish anything 'till we've got our non-profit status and then we have to get the grants. That's why I say don't hold your breath. If you have a proposal, give it to me, but give it to other people too. If someone else wants it first, I'm not gonna complain. Thank you everybody. This was great. This was so cool. This was just sitting around talking, which is how panels should be. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5] SOME STUFF by Nathan Bredfeldt It's Previews time of the month again, and I have determined, after three weeks of trying to write a Sandman #75 review that it cannot be done with my limited intellectual capacity. Suffice it to say that it is a fair read, and the poster and letter column are nice little touches. But the cover price is still pretty steep. And for those of you who have not tried Sandman before, Essential Vertigo: Sandman #1 will ship in June. $1.95. Buy it. It's a reprint, so it shouldn't be late. Anyhow, I digress. Everyone grab a Previews, and let's take a look at the highs and lows of the month of July. They've started soliciting snacks. You know, gum and the like. Unfortunately, with a two month waiting time after ordering, how can you be sure you'll still be hungry when it arrives? The biggest joke this month is on the bottom of page 15; they notice that 90% of comic readers are male, and invite everyone to start sharing comics with wives, mothers, daughters, etc...Which I will be glad to do, as soon as the industry cuts way back on things like women wearing nothing but a well placed arm/wisp of smoke, and especially things like women licking each other in erotic places (Vol VI #2, page 167). <Am I allowed to say stuff like that? Hm.> In the meantime, I want to keep things like Previews far away as I can from any woman whose opinion of me matters. Is Acclaim dead yet? I ordered some comics from them back in November, and they have not shipped, so I'm guessing they must be on their last legs, or something... Good to see Decade of Dark Horse, Monkeyman and O'Brien, and Harlan Ellison's new book. Maybe Dark Horse does care about us after all? Nah. Yet another dead-in-the-water DC imprint. SUPERGIRL might be good, but Peter David really seems to do better with characters he creates, or can totally overhaul (Spider-Man 2099 and Hulk). JUSTICE LEAGUE: MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE should be interesting for one simple reason: to see what kind of writer Nicieza is, now that he's out from under (evil) Bob Harass's heel. Buy BIRDS OF PREY #1; Matt Haley is a wonderful person, and it has lots of pretty girls; but buy it mostly for Matt. Big, ego busting 30 page preview of Matrix. Speaking of big egos, the Image motto is on page 129. Who else thinks they have their fingers crossed behind their backs? I noticed that X-Force is crossing over with its clone team, Youngcrud. But, oddly enough, none of the characters Robbie 501 swiped appear here. Friends of Maxx #2? I missed #1! <sniff> This month brings Colleen Doran to Image, and the more I think about it, the more it seems the company is perfect for her. A DISTANT SOIL has been going on for like ten years, and it's only on issue 15; she's pretentious enough to solicit issues several times before actually putting them out; and she can make a "great jumping on point" out of any issue, without explaining why. All she needs to do now is plan a numbered multi-book crossover, and make sure the issues don't come out in the correct order. (regardless of where Ms Doran is soliciting her books, she's still very pretty, and my marriage proposal is still valid) GRIFTER #1, by Steve Grant. Buy it! Buy it! (By the time It ships, I'll probably have gone nuts without a Steve Grant shoot-em-up book, since X was cancelled. I know things really start getting smutty after Image, but let me pass a request along. For me, and maybe some of you out there, it is too easy and tempting to just stop at Image, and decide that I've gotten all I'll get for the month. But, there is more out there. Granted, most of it is smutty and/or stupid. But, if you take the time to look, you never know what you might find. And if you don't find anything good, write me, and let me know that the industry IS totally hopeless, and that I should stop pretending otherwise. No books, no cards...the Image Universe Expansion for the Wildstorms game looks fun. But, I am a huge card fanboy. Same for Wraith: The Oblivion (but replace "card" with "RPG") The Superman toys are going the way of Batman toys...with "Capture Net" Superman, "Star Defender" Superman, and "Deep Dive" Superman. <insert Lois Lane jokes here> This is really sad. That's about it for this month, except a $350 lightsaber and the world's most perverted mainstream movie (Species)...nothing too exciting. And it's summer, too! I expected solicitations en masse! NEXT TIME: I try to avoid Marvel, but it cannot be done. So, let me dedicate a column to Marvel, and maybe I'll find something nice to say. (Don't count on it...) ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [6] Marvel suffers 1st Quarter loss PRNewswire NEW YORK, Tuesday, May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRV) today reported net revenues of $189.0 million and a net loss of $4.4 million or ($0.04) per share for the first quarter ended March 31, 1996. This compares to net revenues of $159.5 million and net income of $8.2 million or $0.08 per share in the year ago quarter, which included recognition of other income from Toy Biz's initial public offering. Marvel had announced that it anticipated a small loss for the first half of the year. William C. Bevins, President and CEO, said that in sports cards, "basketball was strong and we experienced the first signs of increased interest in baseball since the 1994 strike, although baseball is still not close to returning to its traditional level of sales. Our strategy of focusing marketing on hobby stores appears to be meeting with initial success, and we experienced strong sales due to our new, more limited production and distribution policy." Mr. Bevins said that while it was too early to comment on publishing for 1996, Marvel Comics Group's new strategy of "strong story, strong art and no gimmicks" was being favorably perceived by the comic book market. Commenting on Marvel's other businesses, Mr. Bevins said Toy Biz grew with the continued success of its promotional dolls business, expanded international sales due to its Spider-Man and Hercules action figure lines, and the addition of the Spectra Star kite and activity toy lines. Panini continued to expand the distribution of sports and entertainment stickers and trading cards into new countries. And in an important development concerning new media support, the United Paramount Network recently announced it would feature a new, half-hour animated series starring The Incredible Hulk on its new 1996/1997 Sunday morning children's schedule. "The Hulk will give Marvel a total of three network TV series, the others being the top-rated Spider-Man and X-Men on the Fox Children's Network," he explained. Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. is a leading youth entertainment company. Operations include Marvel Comics, Fleer/SkyBox trading cards, Panini children's activity stickers, Toy Biz toys, and consumer products, media and advertising-promotion licensing based on Marvel characters and properties. MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Dollars in millions, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 1996 (a) 1995 Net revenues $189.0 $159.5 Cost of sales 113.9 96.9 Selling, general & administrative expenses 52.3 43.4 Depreciation and amortization 4.4 2.5 Operating expenses 170.6 142.8 Amortization of goodwill, intangibles and deferred charges 5.5 3.3 Interest expense, net 13.7 7.9 Other income (b) -- 14.0 Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries 0.1 0.2 (Loss) income before provision for income taxes and minority interest (0.7) 19.7 Provision for income taxes 1.7 10.1 (Loss) income before minority interest (2.4) 9.6 Minority interest in earnings of Toy Biz 2.0 1.4 Net (loss) income ($4.4) $8.2 (Loss) earnings per share ($0.04) $0.08 Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding (in millions) 101.8 103.8 (a) Results in the quarter ended March 31, 1996 include the consolidation of Toy Biz, Inc. for the full quarter and the addition of SkyBox International Inc., which was acquired in the quarter ended June 30, 1995. (b) Other income in the quarter ended March 31, 1995 reflects recognition of other income from the March 1995 initial public offering of Toy Biz, Inc. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [7] Reviews by David LeBlanc FASTLANE ILLUSTRATED self published by Ramirez and Mitchell P.O. Box 36090, San Jose, CA 95158 1 (800) 730-1885 32 pages $2.50 Issue #1 mostly B&W, #2 color, all color covers Story & art Francisco Ramirez - Fastlane Illustrated Story by Ramirez, Color art by Chris Tirri - Fastlane Spotlight SIDEWINDER- story & art by Grant Miller, script by Clay Sagun These two issues came to me with a photocopy of a news piece from a local California paper about Francisco and the evolution of his self publishing effort. This comic is unique in that they deal primarily with Hot Rods and that culture, and mix in the supernatural. You motor heads out there will recognize the '57 Chevy, '41 Willys, the fastest car around town - a Z28, and the new challenger - a '34 Ford Coupe, The Black Rose. At 23 years old Ramirez has started his own comic and plans to put out at least 5 issues, no matter how they sell. From the looks of the first two there should be some interest in this book as the word spreads. The art is at first distracting in black and white but the full color air brushed work in #2 brings out a lot of the artist's unique view of the world of hot rods and demons. The Sidewinder story in the first issue is quite different, very detailed black and white work of the best calibre. The story involves a super motorcycle of the near future and the rivalry of those looking to compete in the Open Class World Superbike Championship race. The likely winner, The Sidewinder, is stolen by force and the owner tracks it down with a vengeance, only to find he has been betrayed. The main story, Fastlane Illustrated, revolves around a group of hot rodders. Vince (don't call me Vinny) is an artist, his half brother Jason owns the Z-28 and reigns as tops in town. His ex-girl Rosella has spent 2 years putting together a '32 coupe that will blow away all comers (but they may get blown away just looking at her!) and she hangs out with kinda square Tracy. Then there is Greece who seems to be the jerk everyone, including the cops, loves to hate. He will cut you off and then slow down to piss you off and his car will do anything he wants, as long as he does anything it wants. And speaking of cars with a mind of their own, Lance's 73 Camaro calls itself CARnivor and at the gas pump sounds like a metal version of the plant from `Little Shop of Horrors' but with a much harsher attitude. Seems it is possessed by an entity from 4000 years in the future and needs to kill 500,000 people to pay for it's crimes. So while Greece is arguing with his Willys as to why he didn't kill a local cop, Lance is helpless as CARnivor drives into a stadium rock concert and starts chewing up the fans. Not to worry, all is not lost. Our hero, Jason can melt metal in his bare hands, and maybe has other abilities that are somehow connected to his hot rod. Will he be able to stop the slaughter at the concert? Will the Black Beauty beat the z-28 and will Rosella entice Jason back to her back seat? I don't know, but this stuff is kinda fun because the art is good, the story is different and it all has a "twilight zone" kinda feel to it. Elsewhere in the two issues are photos of some pretty mean machines, one which has a gorgeous rendition of a life sized ALIEN (tm) on the back of Bill Mitchell's '34 Coupe that Ramirez airbrushed when they first began their association. Some letters in the second issue and advertising in the form of business cards of local shops, and supporters of hot rods and comics. There is even t-shirts for only 10 bucks with some awesome silk screen graphics available from Fastlane Studios at the one address. Tired of superheroes and heavy thinking type comics? Want a break from the usual stuff and still want to see some quality art and coherent stories? Ever fancy yourself as driving a mean machine, cruising for chicks and itching for a race? Well, don't just sit there, get in touch with Ramirez and Mitchell and lay some rubber with Fastlane Illustrated! +++++ A couple of mini-comics showed up this week from our friend Brian Kirk at Moot Comics. Pissed Off Comics #4 stars Boticelli and an adoring fan Zip Wad III who won't leave him alone and even wants to emulate him by writing his own mini-comic. This really gets Boticelli steamed, basically because ZW's comics suck, so he sets out to kick his butt and in the end has to go to extremes to *dampen* his enthusiasm. The other is my favorite, Slip and Smooty #3. The lead story deals with figuring out just who is Uncle Spim's favorite nephew. Seems like Spim has the wisdom of Solomon because his solution uses a chain saw to create one nephew - Splitty! A few more antics in this issue deal with food - chips and eggs. As I said before, these are fun little reads and worth the few bits they cost. Send a stamp to Brian Kirk and he'll send you a free catalogue of MOOT comics. Send it to: Moot Comics, 93 Sunapee Street, Springfield, MA 01108 or write to MootComics@aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8] New Comics Shipping 5/14/96 by Bobb Waller Well Kingdom Come has shipped and I am mad, how dare they do such a good book while all comics are dying around us! Oh well, onto the list of what is scheduled to ship the week of 5/14/96: ======================================================================== Acclaim Comics: Sliders #2 Archie Comics: Archie & Friends #19 Archie Andrews Where Are You Digest Betty & Veronica #102 Flintstones #12 Jughead Double Digest #38 Big Entertainment Comics: Leonard Nimoy's Primortals #1 Blackmore Publishing: Indy Magazine #14 Comic Shop News, Inc.: Comic Shop News #465 Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse Insider #6 Dark Horse Presents #109 Dominion Conflict 1-No More Noise #3 Ghost #14 Girl Crazy #1 Heartbreakers #2 Mask Southern Discomfort #2 DC Comics: Adventures of Superman #536 Aquaman #22 Artemis Requiem #2 Batman & Robin Adventures #8 Batman Annual #20 Fate #20 Legionnaires #38 Lobo #29 Looney Tunes #24 New Gods #9 Nine Princes in Amber #1 Ray #25 Sandman Mystery Theatre #40 Superboy #29 Vamps Hollywood & Vein #6 Vertigo Verite: Girl #1 Diamond Publications Comics: Star System Summer 1996 Gemstone Publishing - R. Cochran: Two Fisted Tales #16 Vault of Horror #16 Weird Fantasy #16 Goblin Studios Comics: Joe Psycho and Moo Frog #1 Image Comics: Body Count #3 Bone #7 Reprint Cyberforce #23 Deathblow #27 Dragon #3 Reprint Extreme Destroyer Epilogue Ripclaw #6 Savage Dragon #28 Sigma #2 Spawn #48 Team Youngblood #22 Wildcats #29 Youngblood #7 Lightning Comics: Claire Voyante #1 Creed TMNT #1 Sinja Deadly Sins #1 Marvel Comics: Silver Surfer: Dangerous Artifacts Thor #500 Generation X #17 Untold Tales of Spider-Man #11 Origin of Generation X TPB X Factor #124 Metal Basketball II Gargoyles II Starlog Group Comics: Baywatch Magazine #3 Topps Comics: Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #7 (And probably yet another X-Files Comic!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is it just me or is Marvel shipping becoming way thin? ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [A] How to join the COMIC BOOK NETWORK (CBN) You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads that occur in the conferences of the Comic Book Net every day! However, many people who read this e-mag aren't familiar with the Local BBS echo-mail system.... Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the continent and the world, many of them are free! Chances are, if you have a modem you have the accompanying communications software. Using the Terminal Emulation software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the many systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs). Most of the boards offer all the message echoes in the Comic Book Network... There are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention sections for general conversation, collecting, gaming and other forms of entertainment. If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer! Most if not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download a .QWK packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called an offline mail reader. You can read & write messages at your leisure, and then upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your local BBS. There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every type of computer system. They all give you a better explanation in their documentation than I can. These programs are available all over the Internet and are free to download from most BBS's. I recommend SLMR or OLX-TD for DOS to get started. These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is LESS THAN $.75! See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial information services available! :) So what else can you find on free BBS systems? There are plenty of files for specific types of computers. Some systems also offer other types of message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes like sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc. And, let's not forget online games. Join into the many different multiplayer games, each system sports different challenges. There's nothing like becoming the most powerful being in a online adventure! And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to ALL, and introduce yourself to us! You're guaranteed to get plenty of replies and all the help you need to join in the fun! ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [B] BBSes Linked into CBN Here's the most up-to-date node listing for the COMIC BOOK NETWORK F=FIDO Q=QWK B=Both *=Major HUB -- ARKANSAS ------------------------------------------------------------ F* Karate & Comics & ... Russelville AR 501-968-3910 Robert Wood Conway PC Users Conway AR 501-329-7227 Tim Stone -- CALIFORNIA ---------------------------------------------------------- Q Freedom Flight Victorville CA 619-955-6445 Ronald Siodla Electronic RPO Newbury Park CA 805-498-8061 Kelly Cruise -- FLORIDA ------------------------------------------------------------- F Never Never Land Melbourne FL 407-253-8754 Wayne Bell Steel Dog Cafe Destin FL 904-654-1631 Keith Schultz Ghost's Realm Crestview FL 904-689-6664 Kie Dorton Oak Street BBS Ft.Wayne BeachFL 904-244-7434 Michael Fischer -- ILLINOIS ------------------------------------------------------------ -- INDIANA ------------------------------------------------------------- F The CyberSpace BBS Indianapolis IN 317-856-9020 Charlie Smith -- KENTUCKY ------------------------------------------------------------ Lex Corp Georgetown KY 502-867-0992 -- MARYLAND ------------------------------------------------------------ F The Vampyre Bar! Frederick MD 301-698-5194 Darryl Pierce F DataStorm Kettering MD 301-390-5243 Tarek Gordan F Bifrost Mount Rainier MD 301-779-9381 Kevin Carlin F Womens World East BBS Silver Spring MD 301-431-0647 Wendy Dumser F Sherata's Realm Mechanicsville MD 301-884-9732 Linda Peek -- MASSACHUSETTS ------------------------------------------------------- F Archives BBS Acushnet MA 508-995-0085 John Viera F Muskrat & Heatwave New Bedford MA 508-984-5321 Dennis Racine B* Keystone BBS Shrewsbury MA 508-753-3767 John Harris F HellFire BBS S. Dartmouth MA 508-979-8930 Brock Cordeiro B Call Again Soon Worcester MA 508-791-1281 Joe Johnson -- MICHIGAN ------------------------------------------------------------ F Intl. Comic Network Dearborn Hgts MI 313-565-8464 Anthony Palacio -- MISSOURI ------------------------------------------------------------ F The Oan Citadel Grandview MO 816-767-1488 Brian J. 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City NY 718-786-5557 Jim Garvin F Starbase : Red Dwarf Saugerties NY 914-247-9601 John Dragun -- NORTH CAROLINA ------------------------------------------------------ F Electronic Hangover Durham NC 919-286-4542 Richard Lee F Psychotronic Durham NC 919-286-7738 Richard Lee F* TI-Raliegh Maximus Raliegh NC 919-833-3412 Walter Tietjen F Federal Post Spring Lake NC 910-436-2055 Frank Koza -- OKLAHOMA ------------------------------------------------------------ Compumate Tulsa OK 918-628-0887 Danny Pelletier F Snart's Dreamland Collinsville OK 918-371-0980 Jeff Bennett F The Dreaming World Broken Arrow OK 918-451-3056 Greg Adkins -- PENNSYLVANIA -------------------------------------------------------- F Comic Book Board Philadelphia PA 215-365-5225 William Horton -- TENNESSEE ----------------------------------------------------------- The Factory BBS Union City TN 901-885-9647 -- TEXAS --------------------------------------------------------------- F Razor's Domain ][ Edinburg TX 210-631-5159 Kevin Nunn Q Way Out There Dallas TX 214-680-2755 Justin Pasher B* FIAWOL/MSConnections Irving TX 214-790-6472 Bobb Waller F Star Streams Waxahachie TX 214-938-7115 Michael Rudolf F Orion BBS Odessa TX 915-530-2712 Dennis Brown -- VIRGINIA ------------------------------------------------------------ B Crystal Aerie Arlington VA 703-415-0134 Spencer Greenwald -- WASHINGTON ---------------------------------------------------------- -- ONTARIO, CANADA ----------------------------------------------------- F Dark Knight BBS London ONT 519-850-9929 Michael Cross F MACH 1 BBS London ONT 519-457-6771 Tomasz Heiber Stargate:Above & BeyondLondon ONT 519-472-4938 Paul Nicholas -- MEXICO -------------------------------------------------------------- B* The Gate BBS Mexico City 52-5-264-2994 Emilio Karam - From USA, dial international-access 011 then 52-5-264-2994# ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [C] E-Mag Info The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published by the many participants of The Comic Book Network. This is a compilation of articles and columns which were originally posted in the network's conferences or written specifically for this electronic magazine. Some articles are independent of any connection with CBN and are used with permission. All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The Comic Book Network. Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine is Copyright 1996 by the Comic Book Network. You may freely distribute or duplicate this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Please do not distribute except as the complete file as originally transmitted by The Comic Book Network. THE CBN WEB PAGE ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as an annotated index and all back issues. You'll also find important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic Book Net, and other neat features like newly released comic book graphics, links to lists of Comic Book Company addresses, Comic Professionals Email addresses, and other Comic Book related Web pages! The URL address is: http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet LOCATING THE ISSUES ------------------- The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into The Comic Book Network. You can also find the back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: Science Fiction, scrolling to the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. Most issues should also be available on Compuserve, Genie, Channel1 BBS and Software Creations BBS as well as other non CBN affiliated Bulletin Board Systems. All back issues should be available at the above sites, as well as our World Wide Web page. SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc to our e-mag, simply post it in any Comic Book Net conference and leave me a message in the CBN: E-Mag conference giving me permission to use the article. If you cannot access the Comic Book Net, submit your articles for consideration to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com Reviews of mainstream books are least likely to get included when submitted from sources outside of CBN. We give more consideration to reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but anything sent to us will be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive these issues automatically through your internet account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - End of another Issue .. see ya in the funny papers!! Ego ipse custodes custudio.