Muhammad Ali, 2025 hype meter, and shameless plugs
Muhammad Ali
My buddy Ryan Alexander-Tanner (whom you may remember as a co-host of the Saved by the Bell Reviewed and A Very Special Episode podcasts alongside me and Doctor Bitz) is running a Kickstarter to publish his Muhammad Ali biographical graphic novel.
I interviewed him about the project for ComicsXF this week, which you can read here. Amongst other things (including some process & inspiration questions), we talked about which of the X-Men could beat Ali in a fight.
Check out the interview, but more importantly, check out the Kickstarter and back it, if you're so inclined. You can find it here.
2025 Hyper Meter
I recently finished listening to the Ringerverse's 2025 Hype Draft episode, which got me thinking about what bits of pop culture I am most excited for in 2025.
1. Andor Season 2
2. Fantastic Four: First Steps
3. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
4. Superman
5. Star Trek: Stranger New Worlds
6. Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed
7. Stranger Things Season 5
8. Marvel Fanfare Omnibus
9. Alien: Earth
10. Welcome to Derry
Shameless Plugs
For Comicon.com, I reviewed Howl #1, a new series from Ahoy that does Invasion of the Body Snatchers in Greenwich Village, and Space Ghost #9, which wraps up the two-part Metallus story.
What Else?
What I'm Reading
I returned to Larry Hama's GI Joe this week, just for funsies (thereby fulfilling a resolution of sorts), but also as sort of a pregame to a future project I swear I'm going to start someday. I've read it before, but re-reading #1, I was surprised at how overtly political and, in its way, anti-military establishment it was. Obviously, as a veteran, Hama is pretty pro-soldier, but it's clear he's got (or at least had) a very "a person is great, people are terrible" attitude when it came to the military as an institution.
One of my ongoing "book hunting" projects is assembling a full set of Three Investigators hardcovers. Over the holidays, I picked up a copy of The Mystery of the Screaming Clock on eBay in great condition for a good price. It's one of my preferred "styles" of Three Investigators books, one more about solving a series of weird puzzles vs. the more adventure-y, Hardy Boys-esques stories. It also features one of the series few non-Three Investigators (and their families) recurring characters (and really, one of the series' only recurring antagonists), the French art thief Hugenay (who, in true recurring villain fashion, just a slight "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" face turn in the story).
What I'm Playing
I'm still not convinced that Ares is anything more than a fun addition to a Surtur deck in Marvel Snap, the card's ability is one of the best in terms of cleverness. He's the God of War, and his card triggers a game of war between you and your opponent. 10/10, no notes.
— — —
'Til next week, Excelsior!
Dear Austin,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're doing well, I did some digging on Popverse and found your article and now, I’m reaching out to explore a potential NFT partnership that could help your brand preserve its originality, engage fans globally, and unlock new revenue streams through Web3 technology.
At Perfect Systems LLC, we craft NFT solutions tailored for comic creators, ensuring seamless integration and maximizing audience engagement. I’d love to discuss how we can bring this vision to life with you.
Kindly schedule a time that works best for you using - https://bit.ly/Unlock-Opportunities. Alternatively, feel free to reply with your availability. Looking forward to the conversation!
Best regards,
Akan Williams
Business Development Representative
Perfect Systems LLC
Yay, a spambot is here.
DeleteA spambot from 2021 no less!
ReplyDeleteHama's GI Joe (at least when I was reading it for the first sixty issues or so, and *especially* those early Special Missions issues) had a very "war is too important to be left to the generals" theme.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about doing a Marvel Gijoe comic retrospective similar to the X-aminations. I just wish there was a decent platform to do so.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI’m with you on about half of your 2025 hype list.
I look forward to James Gunn’s Superman with both excitement and trepidation. Fantastic Four has me less worried, although that CGI Thing is going to be a constant distraction if what we got in the trailer is the best (or even just the average) we get in the actual film. I’m likewise eager for the next season of Strange New Worlds and, despite it bringing diminishing returns to an extent, the last of Stranger Things.
I’ll admit that diminishing returns was true after a fashion with Yellowjackets from the first to second seasons as well, but I’m still amped for the new one. Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World are high on my list as well, as is Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. I’ll throw in Saturday Night Live’s fiftieth anniversary if the preceding two Marvel flicks can be counted as one item, and round things out with a pair of graphic albums: Mike Mignola’s Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown, released last month but not yet in my hands, and Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud’s The Cartoonists Club, a collab between two of my favorite comics people.