Paper Girls, two ways

 As I was starting to watch the Paper Girls series on Amazon, I realized I did not remember it very well.

In between the second or third episode and the next, I decided to fix that.

Paper Girls

Written by: Brian K. Vaughan 

Illustrated by Cliff Chiang,

Colorist:Matt Wilson, 

Letterer and designer: Jared K. Fletcher, 

Color flatter: Dee Cunniffe

Image Comics. 

The version I read was borrowed through the very excellent Hoopla app, through it's affiliation with my local public library system. If you don't know it, Paper Girls is the story of 4 newspaper delivery girls that get caught up in a generational time war. They get sucked into it inadvertantly. There is humor and well written characters with good arcs. There is real emotion in it as well. Possibly even better than Vaughn's excellent character writing is Cliff Chiang's art. It is beautiful as usual, and really brings the characters to life. Wilson's colors very much contribute to the story, as well.

Paper Girls, the tv Series, Is basically the same story, told differently in parts. Some new things are added, some old things removed, things happen to different characters, and even so, the feeling and essence and direction of the storey, are so similar it doesn't stick out at you. The Actors playing the Girls when they are young are all great, and look nearly exactly like Chiang's art in the comic. They all convey a full range of emotions and are very believable in their roles. Ali Wong plays the grown-up version of Erin, and deserves an emmy for her performonce. Jason Mantzoukas Embodies the character he plys (GrandFather) so well, it's like he stepped off the page.

This isn't a big review or anything, just a solid endorsement for both versions of this story.I strongly suggest you take in both versions

Talking about comics

 In the late Seventies, or very early eighties (I was around ten) We went to Maine where my dad was stationed and stayed in the UOQ there with him (Unaccompanied officer's quarters... used to be BOQ I think, with the B for Bachelors). While we were there, we went to a flea market, and I got a brown paper grocery bag full of comics all in good reading condition. They included Plastic Man volume 1 #11-20 from 1976 or so, and some Omac (1,2 from 1974), and some Omega the unknown and a few other things. It was awesome, and boy did it make my trip. I was right around 10 years old. The other cool things were a bumper pool table (My sister was really good at it), and an unattended health center. 10-year-old me went a little crazy with the apparatus and bike and pulled a groin muscle. That was awful, but a cool bag of comics made it less so.

Surprise comics troves have always been my favorite. there is something great about unexpected free or inexpensive comics, of a type you didn't choose, and might not have ever chosen on your own. I got a pile of Tomb of Dracula the same way, and I have had a soft spot on my neck for that comic ever since. I can't pin down when I got those, but it could have been in Maine also.

My earliest version of this was when we uncovered a box of comics above my grandparent's garage, in a loft, open to the world, on their farm. They had been my uncle's comics as a kid in the early sixties or so, and included things like wagon train, Honey West, Classics Illustrated, and sugar and spike. Those are more examples of things I would not have gotten for myself; from an era and genre's I may have overlooked.

I bought comics at auction back in the late 80's, and I didn't pay a lot. they aren't in great shape, but included an early daredevil, x-men, and the first appearance of rhino in amazing spider-man. That wasn't exactly the same, but it was still a surprise of sorts as I think I only knew it was comics and didn't know exactly what. That one made me feel like I had something, and it was extra special to get to read a variety of comics that I might not have otherwise been able to at the time.

Most recently, my youngest daughter's boyfriend gave me a pile of comics that had been in his garage. His mom is an antiques dealer and sometimes gets miscellaneous things from auctions or estate sales, in lots, etc. It had been in a box in their garage for a while, and he gifted the whole pile to me. It was completely in the category of things I might not have considered, but really loved getting and having. There were 26 issues of Superman Family from 1979 - 1981, and a full run of Time Warp 1-5, and several Adventure Comics from the same era. All of these were oversized "dollar Comics". There is a joy to comics from this era. The stories they are filled with may not be particularly great, but they sure do delight me for the joy and silliness they provide, and the fact that they feel like the era they are from and link me directly to how comics made me feel at that age.

Setting up to disappoint

I know I have probably done this too often, but I think I may actually have some things going soon. I volunteered at SPX this year, and it was fantastic. SPX does a lot of things on a lot of levels, and is pretty special. It can also be offputting. You just need to convince yourself that you are just as cool as all the people there that are cooler than you. I met some great people and bought some really good comics.

I am definitely working on a Podcast that highlights the comics of the eighties, hopefully covering some of the less celebrated but still awesome creators and stories of that decade that covers a pretty big time in comics for me and my cohost Victor. Look for Big Time Comics Podcast coming soon.

Also, I very much want to make a youtube channel where I talk about comics... A Talkin' 'Bout Comics channel where I talk.... 'bout comics. My plan is to take all those cut up comics and action figures created by baby-men, and tape them back together on camera... Just kidding, I just plan on talking about comics stuff, and not being a horrible person while doing it.

So, you know, look for updates on these projects here, hopefully soon.

Harley and Ivy

I like Harley Quinn, but I think she has been done too much and often not very well. I wasn't super stoked at the prospect of a new Harley based cartoon, But watching the preview and reading what I've read of it, this looks like it may be really good.

I really like Ivy as Daria

HARLEY QUINN New York Comic Con 2018 First Look #WBNYCC https://youtu.be/kBBvIyGqQYI via @YouTube

I turn 50 this year. I have some projects I am working on regarding comics. If they see the light of day, I will post them here. Right now I am hoping to write about the comics I have been getting since very late last year. I am also in the early stages of getting a Podcast together with an old friend of mine. More on that as it develops.

The Wolverine (may contain minor spoilers)

My daughters were both home this weekend, and asked to go to see The Wolverine. The greatest trick as a parent, is to raise kids who genuinely like the sorts of things you like, while still being 100 percent their own people. My girls are like that, as I am sure I have suggested in the past. The first thing my oldest asked when we picked her up from the Girl Scout Camp bus pickup on Friday, was 'can we see Wolverine?'. Actually, it was the second thing after... 'Let's get something to eat...', which I was also happy to hear and oblige.

We went to a regular matinee showing of the movie, and got away for just 21 bucks, so I didn't feel cheated or anything to begin with. I was seeing this movie with both of my girls, and we all had fun. Based just on those facts, this movie gets an above average rating from me. Having fun, or being able to enjoy something on some level that my girls also enjoyed is a primary factor in what I think of a movie.

Having said all of that up front, I really enjoyed the movie. It was not a perfect movie, but it hit an awful lot of the right notes, if not exactly how I would have hoped, it at least made an effort. I am not a super Wolverine fan, or a wolverine comics historian, but I was reading X-Men and getting wolverine mini series back in the 80's, and I did like Wolverine in Japan quite a lot when I was younger.

The movie gives us a solid wolverine in Japan experience. He meets a lot of significant people from the comics, and fights versions of recognizable villains from the comics as well, modified somewhat to fit into the movie reality. We get ninjas and some intrigue, in addition to seeing different aspects of the country it is set in.

I liked that it was sort of a checklist of wolverine character notes:
Wolverine is a wildman who has lived apart from people
Wolverine is a top of the food chain predator, but is respectful of animals and they are respectful of him.
The guy has a code, and pity the fools that violate it.
Wolverine is loyal and a good guy at heart. He will stick up for people in danger and jeopardy wherever he can
Wolverine is a soldier, and always has been. at his core, fighting for a cause is a thing he will always come back to.

I thought the movie showed good character insight, had enjoyable interactions, a bit of humor, and good action. It was easily worth seeing at the matinee.

SPX - Small Press Expo is this Weekend. I will be there today. My Daughter and I are  volunteering from 3-7. Jaime AND Gilbert Hernandez will be there, among many other distinguished guests, and awesome smaller press comics' creators. Check out their site at http://www.spxpo.com/