I can't recommend enough the comic magazine Back Issue put out by TwoMorrows publishing. I've been reading this book since about issue 9 or so, it comes out bimonthly (That's every two months to you nimrods). It's on around #37 or so and while some issues are hit or miss, the overall concept is tops.
It's a Black and White pub devoted to comic books of the 1970's and 80's. That's my wheelhouse right there. Funny because I didn't really start getting into comics until 87 or so, but immediately, my collection looked backwards to the past. In fact, that's the best part about collecting comics, the history.
Each book builds on the other, whether you like it or not. The fans demand that this is so. You can get an entirely new creative staff on a book, taking it in a totally new direction, and your fans will absolutely hold you to a throw away line, 3 issues before the writer came onboard, where Nightcrawler said he hated anchovies. In your book you have him eating anchovies. BUSTED. You fucked up. And the awesome thing is, the reader is right. It certainly isn't important in the story, but they're right. Any time a creator dismisses continuity, they immediately sound sour grapes, because they didn't do the homework, or didn't have the talent to use the past continuity to work their story around.
This is really, in my opinion, the strength of the 70's and 80's creators. These were the first generation of fans graduating to creators and they respected the shit out of continuity. They made a point of not contradicting things, and if they did, they included an explanation in it somewhere in the script. I admire that. That feels like they're respecting the medium and the readers.
So, this veered off into a discussion why that era is awesome. I'll talk more about Back Issue tomorrow, but read it, it's a great mag!
MotD: Ace In The Hole
Kirk Douglas is a pimp! I had heard about this movie when the Criterion disc came out last year and it didn't disappoint. He plays a newspaper reporter, looking for a big story. When he comes across a man trapped in a cave in, he seizes upon the opportunity to milk it for all it's worth. A true visionary film into what the media would become 50 years after the film. The circus that develops just ruins him, after elevating him first and deluding him into thinking he's getting exactly what he wants. I recommend this movie very strongly. It's really, really a good film.
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