Every time our birthday rolls around, we know it’s time for our favorite comic con ever, The Rocky Mountain Con, as created and promoted yearly by our Denver amigo,Tim Moret. The show, since its inception eleven years ago has always been for one charity or another. The past few years, Tim has supported Caps for Kid, a group that helps research to eliminate pediatric cancer. Val and the Air Chief have been participating since day one and this year’s gathering was as much fun as ever. And we’ve a few fun stories to share with all you Loyal Airmen.Off course the fun of the show is seeing so many of our comic loving pals. In fact, we travel to and from Fort Collins, with Zane & Olivia DeGaine, the super talented husband & wife comics creators. (Above at left). Then joining us Sat afternoon was our old and dear friend, Arnie-Darila Toro (above right) who managed to find a Popeye hand-puppet on the shelf of the toy vendor across the aisle from us. To funny. Arnie made it a point of telling the fellow how we’d written a Popeye comic ages ago.As always, one of the joys of attending comic shows like Rocky Mountain is getting to meet new comic creators. This year we met two exceptional new talents to our ranks. One was young David Sheronick. It seems at last year’s show, David had picked up a copy of our Mr.Jigsaw Special, “How to Make a Comic Book.” Then he went home and put it to good use by making his own comic book. And we mean he did it all by himself, from writing, drawing, coloring and lettering. Then had it printed and brought copies to the com and gifted me with a copy. It is called “Twister – A New Awakening” and deals with people uncovering magic amulets that give them superpowers. Of course it’s a bit rough around the edges, but there is no way the Air Chief could have ever produced a comic this good the first time out of the gate. David is a real talent and it shows in every page of his comic. We predict he’s going to have a real great career in this media. Stay tuned.The following day, Tim introduced us to another comics creator; this one a rising star already knocking down walls and being professionally published. Her Mia McLaughlin and as a true lover of comics, she got her start being a very successful cos-player. Whereas that success only heightened her creative talented and she began writing scripts and sending them off to the various publishers. Eventually her scripts were accepted by Dynamite and she’s penned both a Betty Paige comic and a recent Red Sonya. (See above right. And yes, that’s Mia as Red Sonya.) In talking with Mia, we learned she’s really interested in getting involved with self-publishing and ultimately creating and publishing her own series and characters. Trust me, having read her work we’ve no doubt that’s going to happen soon. So as you can see, Loyal Airmen, there was no lack of gifted, wonderful participants at this year’s con. That always happens, thanks to Tim and his amazing crew. Dang, we already can’t wait until next year’s show.
BROTHER BONES COMIC PDF SHIPPED!
While the Air Chief was at the Con, artist partner Joe Arnold was busy assembling and sending out the PDF versions of the Brother Bones Graphic Novel Chapter One, to all our great Kickstarter supporters. Here’s a little feed from one such fan. “Just dropping a quick email to congratulate you on the first issue of the Brother Bones comic book. Loved the story, and Joe and Rob served up some jaw dropping artwork. Can’t wait to get my physical copy!” Robert Ricci Pulp Writer. Thanks so much, Robert. Joe is working hard to get those printed up and then mailed out. Hang in there, Loyal Airmen.
DEL TORO’S FRANKENSTEIN ON NETFLIX
We first saw the Universal “Frankenstein” at age twelve on a late night television showing in glorious black and white. The movie mesmerized us from story to sets to actors. Karloff was simply amazing as the The Creature. From that point on we’d view “Dracula”, “The Wolfman” and all the sequels that came down the road, including the equally thrilling “Bride of Frankenstein.” Then getting fully into our teens, along came Hammer’s retelling of these monsters throughout the 1960s. It was all great fun, though it was the Universal originals that had won our hearts. Later we’d enjoy other revisionist interpretations from Robert DeNiro’s take on “The Creature” to Gary Oldman’s lovelorn “Dracula.” Truth is, the old classics never ever die an it was only a matter of time before other talented monster-movie-makers got their hands on them. Now comes a two and a half hour adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel by the brilliant Guillermo Del Toro that is simply breathtaking. Del Toro tells a riveting story about pain, suffering, love and ambition and he does skillfully, employing all his cinema know-how to paint his picture with the most realistic sets, beautiful costumes and an eerie musical score that pulls at the heart-string. His cast is also magnificent from Oscar Issac as the haunted, obsessed Victor Frankenstein to Jaco Elordi as his “Creature.” Honestly, this is Elordi’s movie because once he takes his initial lungful of air and tentative first step, the viewer is hypnotized. He brings to the screen a cruel mixture of both innocence and savagery that is powerful. Leave us not forget Mia Goth as Elizabeth, who recognized the duality of man in that he is more “the monster” than what he created. In the end, this is a spectacular, old fashion monster movie the gang at Universal would have been proud of. As for the Air Chief, we loved it!!
JIN & TONIK # 2
Despite suffering a recent painful bout of kidney stones, artist Cesar Feliciano push forward delivering Page 41 of issue two of our spy thriller JIN & TONIK. Now that’s suffering for one’s art above and beyond. Thanks, Cesar. Works is beautiful as ever.
And that’s a wrap for this week, Loyal Airmen. Thanks for stopping by as always and we’ll see you back here next Friday morning. Till then, be well and stay safe. Ron – Over & Out!
REPRINTS & ROCKY MOUNTAIN CON