Collection of Published Articles for 2013, Pt.1

UPDATED: This is going to be a repository for links to my published stuff for a bit.

I haven’t been posting about toys because I got a paying gig blogging about them for MTV Geek!  Here’s my first few posts:

Power Lords Return

Django Unchained Toys Pulled from Shelves

Django Unchained Toys Now Banned on eBay

Sideshow Toys Unveils Sixth Scale Joker Figure

ADVENTURE TIME Marshall Lee Plush Now in Stores

Thunderbirds are Go(ne): A Tribute to Gerry Anderson

Marvel Select Toys Rhino Figure in Stores

Hasbro’s new STAR WARS BLACK 6-Inch Figure Line

Toys based on 1966 Batman TV Show Coming Soon

New Superman MAN OF STEEL Toys

He-Man Plush Toys

Interview with THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman on New Michonne Statue

Exclusive look at DC/Domo Funko Figures

New Star Wars Jango Fett Statue

Sideshow Toys Black Widow Sixth Scale Figure

Game of Thrones toys coming with PLUSH DIREWOLVES!

Four Horsemen’s New York Toy Fair Party!

SUPER-EXCLUSIVE: Todd McFarlane Reveals THE WALKING DEAD Season 3 Blu-Ray Case, Recreating The Governor’s Fish Tank!

Did a piece recapping one of my favorite 1990s comics, QUANTUM AND WOODY.

I also did a two-part talk with James Kochalka on the end of his web journal AMERICAN ELF and on his web cartoon SUPERF*CKERS.

PART ONE

PART TWO

For ADVENTURE TIME fans – here’s Danielle Corsetto talking the new GN focusing on Flame Princess!

Did an interview with Craig Zobel, director of the ultra-creepy indy film COMPLIANCE!

I also did some reviews of the short films nominated for Oscars, including Disney’s PAPERMAN.

Here’s a new interview I did with Kim Harrison on her novel series THE HOLLOWS!

New theater review: BUS STOP at Raleigh Little Theatre!

New theater review: Joe Brack’s one-man show MY PRINCESS BRIDE!

And I’ve gotten a lot of response for this interview with the creator of Golden Age Bakery, which puts edible comic book panels on cookies!

I have a few more pieces should hopefully come out by the end of the month, and I’ve been working on some odd projects — including a couple of new comic book one-shots that should come out from MonkeyBrain by year’s end.  My artists are working on spec, so good stuff takes time!

Might try to get some more original posts done in the future.  I’ve had some good feedback on the children’s book pieces and want to do some more.

 

ALL My ADVENTURE TIME-Related Stuff for 2012!

My strange, deeply unhealthy obsession with Cartoon Network’s ADVENTURE Time yeilded a bunch of pieces this year.

Here they are in chronological order, more or less.

This is actually from Dec.27 of last year, but eh, it’s still close — I talk with Ryan North about the KaBOOM! AT comic book.

Here’s an intro to the series on the eve of the comic book’s launch party at Chapel Hill Comics, who did an original cover.

Before Season Four premiered, I did an interview with series creator Pendleton Ward with guest-Qs by Paul Pope, Mike Allred, Joe Hill — and this original Tony Millionaire illustration of Lumpy Space Princess!

Here’s the conclusion to that Pen Ward interview, with guest-appearances by Scott McCloud, Scott Kurtz, and this special original illo by Tony Millionarire’s daughters Phoebe and Pearl!

I interviewed some of the people who worked on the show about their own comic book projects — here’s a talk I did with Tom Herpich, who did the above “Thank You,” along with “Goliad,” “Memory of a Memory” and “Too Young,” among many others.  This is about his new comic WHITE CLAY.

Here’s a piece I did with Micahel DeForge, who’s designed props and things for such episdoes as “Beautopia” (seen above).  This is about his online strip ANT COMIC and his print collection LOSE.

Here’s another interview I did with Pen Ward, about the influence of 1980s culture on his work.

Later, I talked with THE MAGICIANS novelist Lev Grossman (and his daughter Lily) about our obsession with ADVENTURE TIME.

And on a slight AT-tangent, I talked with A SOFTER WORLD writer Joey Comeau on the BRAVEST WARRIORS comic book from KaBoom!, based on Pen Ward’s new YouTube series.

Finally, I got many, many new additions to my collection of ADVENTURE TIME drawings by comic book artists.  There is some pretty cool stuff in there, including things by guys who work on the show.

Yes, I’m aware I have a problem.  I’m working on it.

 

EVERY SINGLE Pop Candy USATODAY.com Post from My Second Week!

Hey guys — just had a great week subbing again for Whitney Matheson at Pop Candy!  Here’s all the posts I did in once easy-to-find place, day by day!

Monday:

Early Buzz!

Special Guest Essay by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Charles Brownstein!

Gift Suggestions from Mondo’s Justin Ishmael, The Four Horsemen, and Mark Rein of Epic Games (GEARS OF WAR!)

Tuesday:

Early Buzz!

TV Critic Alan Sepinwall talks his new book THE REVOLUTION WAS TELEVISED, which talks with the stars and creators of THE SOPRANOS, LOST and more!

CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL and SUNNYSIDE author Glen David Gold discusses the thrills and perils of collecting original comic book art!

Wednesday:

Special Super-Sized Early Buzz (Nearly 50 Items!) with a special guest-logo by teen cartoonist Emma Capps!

“How to Write a Comic Book” — I team up with Chris Roberson (Monkeybrain Comics, MASKS, MEMORIAL) to show would-be writers the resources that can help them!

“Two Grown Men and a Seven-Year-Old Discuss ADVENTURE TIME:” THE MAGICIANS author and TIME magazine writer Lev Grossman (and his daughter Lily) chat with me about our obsession with Cartoon Network’s hit show!

Thursday:

Early Buzz with EXCLUSIVE News about some bizarre-sounding KFC cookies!

Turner Classic Movies’ Robert Osborne chats with me about his favorite holiday films!

My friend Chris Shy chats about his new graphic novel THE NORTH END OF THE WORLD, about the famed photographer of Native Americans, Edward Curtis — and his own journey to tribal lands to research the book!

Friday:

Last Early Buzz — with an exclusive preview clip of Cartoon Network’s REGULAR SHOW and a special award for SHERLOCK’s Benedict Cumberbatch!

Emmy-Winning Cartoonist Dean Haspiel talks his Trip City comics salon and his efforts at Hurricane Sandy relief!

And finally — I talk with people from the Alamo Drafthouse and the Carolina Theatre of Durham about our favorite years in film!

 

Best of the Last Six Months

Yes, I haven’t updated this site in forever.  I was busy.  And sick.  And busy again.  And disorganized. Well, new year, new opportunities, and here is some of the stuff I wrote that is worth archiving.

Pop Cultural and Nerd Icon John Hodgman came through town, so I talked to him about moustaches and the “Occupy” movement…

Read That Interview Here

…and for Newsarama, where he expressed his thoughts on DC Comics’ “New 52″ relaunch (he doesn’t like it).

Read THAT Interview Here

Continuing my brush with the highbrow, I talked with NPR’s lovely, funny and smart Brooke Gladstone about her excellent graphic novel THE INFLUENCING MACHINE with Josh Neufeld.

Read Part One of the Interview Here

Read Part Two of the Interview Here 

And Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket came through town to promtoe his book WHY WE BROKE UP, and we chatted about a bunch of odd stuff.

Read Our Witty Reparte Here

I talked to many webcomic creators, including Zach Weiner of SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST CEREAL, who even shared the script to an unused strip!

Read That Very Disturbing Interview Here

Brian K. Vaughan of Y: THE LAST MAN, RUNAWAYS and EX MACHINA talked with me briefly about his new Image comic SAGA…

Get Down With BKV At This Link

…and with that book’s artist, the very cool Fiona Staples

Check Out Some Sweet Preview Art Here

I did a two-part interview with author Brian Selznick on his new prose/graphic novel hybrid WODNERSTRUCK — and talked about Martin Scorsese’s film of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, HUGO (now up for 11 Oscars)

Read Part One Here

Read Part Two Here

And I discussed some cult comics, like John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke’s MAJOR BUMMER….

Read This One, it has a Nazi Dinosaur Named Tyrannosaurus Reich

…and a three-part series on comics that need to be reprinted (a few of which have in the ensuing months)

Part One is Here

Part Two is Here

Part Three is Here

And this essay on the cult 1980s’ show CAPTAIN POWER AND TEH SOLDIERS OF THE FUTURE coming out on DVD, which proved strangely popular online.

Power On Wtih Captain Power Here

Toward the end of 2011, I became obsessed with Cartoon Network’s cult hit ADVENTURE TIME.

First, I chatted briefly with creator Pen Ward and voice actors Tom Kenny and Jeremy Shada at a press junket at New York Comic-Con…

Experience The Insanity Here

Later, BOOM! Studios announced an ADVENTURE TIME comic, and I talked with that book’s writer, Ryan North of the amazing DINOSAUR COMICS

More Strangeness Here

And for the coupe-de-gras, I talked with ADVENTURE TIME creator Pen Ward at length, with guest-questions from Mike Allred, Joe Hill, Scott Kurtz, Lev Grossman, Nicholas Gurewitch, and even a guest-art piece by Tony Millionaire!

Part One is Here

Part Two is Here

In January, the daytime soap opera ONE LIFE TO LIVE ended, so I talked to local author Michael Malone, a former headwriter of the show, for a piece that included many clips from his era

It’s a Daytime To Remember Here

And for some reason, I wrote about the weirdly compelling awfulness of ONE TREE HILL, with clips.  Including one where a dog eats a heart.

Read This Very Strange Essay Here

Well, that’s most of the best stuff.  I’m pretty awesome, aren’t I?