Monthly Archives: July 2017

• ‪Sean Spicer says he's "looking forward to lying in the private sector."‬

Howdy. Yesterday — the first day of Comic-Con International 2017 — somehow felt like the nineteenth to me. This is not to say I didn't enjoy it. I've enjoyed to some extent every day of every one of these I've attended — and I've been present for at least one day of every one of these things. I'm just not used to feeling Fourth Day Fatigue on the first day. I'm hoping the process has just reversed itself; that today will feel like Day Three, tomorrow will feel like Day Two and by Sunday, it'll be like I just arrived.

Breakfast was with my friend and editor — two descriptors that cannot always be hung on the same person — Charlie Kochman. Charlie is responsible for the new, revised edition of my 2008 book, Kirby: King of Comics, which debuts today and which I'll be signing later this afternoon at the booth for Abrams Books. If I were a better promoter of my own work, I'd have the booth number handy to give you.

Got to wander the hall a bit and then it was time for my first panel of the con: Spotlight on Mike Royer. I've known Mike since a day when neither of us could have imagined he'd become the main inker of Jack Kirby's work…and in the opinion of many, the best. I hope my interview of him made folks appreciate the exemplary professionalism that Mike brought to that job. Jack's work had been previously lettered and inked in New York by people selected by the office there…and the office there liked it that way.

Jack was living in Southern California so though officially the editor of his comics, he couldn't see or impact much about them between the time he finished the writing and penciling, and when the books went off irrevocably to the printer. For that reason alone, he wanted to have his work finished by someone closer to him — someone who would deliver the pages to him, not the New York office. (There were other reasons, as well. He felt the folks in the office were trying too hard to make his work look like everything else they were publishing, plus there were security breaches. The fellow then inking his work was also inking for Marvel and showing Jack's work around that office.)

In his spotlight, Mike said, "They gave in to Jack's demands because they were sure I would fail." That's true but it was more important to them that Jack fail. They did not want to believe that someone could deliver a finished, ready-to-color-and-print work without their input. But Mike did not fail, which meant that Jack did not fail. Mike never missed a deadline and everything he did was solid and professional.

It was also very, very good but that was almost a bonus.

We discussed that and his work with Russ Manning and what he did for Warren (Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella) and for Gold Key and on the Marvel Super-Heroes cartoon show, and later for Disney for a couple of decades. He really has had an amazing career.

Later in the day, I was on "The Mark, Sergio, Stan and Tom Show," or as most folks call it: The Groo Panel. This year, it was without Tom Luth and as usual, we talked about upcoming projects. I'll do a separate post about those in a few days as we are still using our convention time to firm up some plans.

Saw a lot of old friends and made some new ones. Were I not due for a breakfast meeting, I would tell you more about it. Later.

A little magic trick for you…

The drive here to San Diego was fine until the last twelve miles felt like twelve hours. I had the same experience back in February when we came down here for the San Diego Comic Fest. Note to Self: Time these things so you don't do the last dozen miles during Rush Hour. Further Note to Self: Rush Hour is anything between about 3 PM and Midnight.

Doing 2 on the 5 (two miles per hour on the 5 Freeway), I reminded myself of how good it always feels to pull into the valet area at the hotel and experience the dual rush of "It's over!" and "Home again!" They're always faintly tempered by the nagging suspicion that I still have to drive home someday but that can wait. The rest of the evening was decompressing, unpacking and going on a grand hunt for where guests pick up their badges and swag bag this year. We finally located ours at 8:55, five minutes before the Convention Hall — into which they'd admit us — closed. Then we went to dinner.

Hey, if you're not attending the con this year, try to get hold of a copy of the souvenir book. It's wonderful. Gary Sassaman assembled and designed a fine, fine book full of tributes and articles about Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Reed Crandall, Carl Barks, John Stanley and others. (Full Disclosure: I wrote several pieces for the book.) I don't know how non-attendees get a copy of this thing but I'll find out and report back.

Okay, so this is a boring first report. It'll get better today if only because we have our badges and I don't have to drive anywhere today. One thing I do have to remember is to keep moving. Down here, if you stand in one spot for more than about three minutes, someone will plaster an ad for Conan O'Brien on you.

I've written in the past here about my friend Jim Brochu. He's an actor, writer, director, producer…there's not a whole lot that Jim doesn't do. I don't think he's much of a podiatrist but he could probably learn it. Anyway, he sometimes does this marvelous one-man play called Zero Hour, in which he magically becomes Zero Mostel for an hour or two. He knew Zero and the play does great service to the man and his memory.

During a recent revival of the play, Jim had a superstar guest there one night. It was Harold Prince, who as a director and producer worked with Zero on A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and Fiddler on the Roof. Those are only two of the dozens and dozens of impressive credits Mr. Prince has on his résumé. At that performance of Zero Hour, the play was followed by an on-stage discussion with this man. Here's a video of that important conversation…

Fred Kaplan notes that Trump is stuck with Obama's Iran deal because it's working fine. But it is Obama's deal so that means Trump has to sabotage it even though he has nothing to put in its place. This is the same strategy that's being applied to this nation's Health Care.

One of the few issues on which most Liberals and Conservatives agree is that Civil Assets Forfeiture is a ghastly abuse of governmental power. Basically, it's the power wielded by some agencies to seize and sell your belongings if they accuse you of a crime, regardless of whether they later drop the charges or you're proven innocent. No one approves of this except the Trump Administration, which is promising to undo all restrictions on this insidious practice. Conor Friedersdorf will tell you all about it. He says Jeff Sessions' plan to increase Civil Assets Forfeiture may succeed because "…in the era of Donald Trump, a faction on the right seems to hate whatever liberals favor more than they like liberty, and another faction seems willing to defend whatever the Trump Administration does so long as the press is criticizing it."

Steve Benen notes that Trump keeps changing his position on how he feels about the Health Care bill that informally bears his name. Only Donald Trump can manage to be on both sides of an issue and be wrong both times.

And Ezra Klein says this is because Trump doesn't understand what's in the bill or how anything in there might affect American lives. I think that's right. All he knows (or even tries to know) is what he can try and sell to his base.

One nice thing about Comic-Con: It'll keep me too busy to follow a lot of this kind of thing.

A mother panda puts her baby back to bed. Thanks to Zane Magnuson…

Trump boasts that the vote on the G.O.P. Health Care Plan would have been 48-4. That's right. He's boasting about a loss and not even one to an opposition party. Is this the kind of "winning" we were all supposed to get sick of? How is it that I think most Trump voters are a lot smarter than he does? Jonathan Chait has more on this.

Jonathan Chait also explains why the G.O.P. Health Care Bill failed. It's because, he says, the party cannot govern. That's probably so but I thought of another reason. We're talking here about a bill that had 16% support out there. Even people who hate Obamacare thought this was worse.

And Ezra Klein notes that more people than ever think Obamacare is a pretty good system.

While campaigning, Trump said that NAFTA was the worst deal ever made. He also said that the Iran deal was the worst deal ever made. He vowed to kill or completely transform both…and what's he doing now? He's making minor tweaks to NAFTA and leaving the Iran deal as it is.

And finally for now: It's costing us a helluva lot of money to have Trump live the lifestyle he wants. How come all those Republicans who complained about imaginary Obama travel expenses aren't outraged about this? Oh, right. Outrage is only for the opposition.

This is from a French TV show but the act is in English. It's Tony Chapek, who has one of the most original magic acts I've ever seen. He was at the Magic Castle a year or two ago and when I walked in, a magician friend told me, "You've got to see this guy." This video is an abbreviated version of what I saw that night…

• Trump's playing truck driver again. He's probably planning to co-star with an orangutan in a remake of "Every Which Way But Loose."

• Trump says 48 senators supporting his health bill is "impressive by any standard." Apparently, actually succeeding is no longer a standard.

If you're attending Comic-Con, read this page of tips and advice — and I'm going to quote this one because it's so important…

The barcode printed on your badge may include your name, address, phone number and email address. If you allow someone to scan that code, you may be releasing that information. Don't let anyone scan the barcode on your badge, unless you want them to have your name and address.

And here's one more from me: Go outside. If you're in that building for hours on end, take a moment to walk out on the back terrace where there's a lovely ocean view and actual air. It's a great remedy for Convention Fatigue.

If you're heading for Comic-Con and panicked about getting everything done that needs to be done before you go, don't worry. I just asked if the convention can be delayed a few weeks…maybe to late August. I'm sure they'll do that for me.

Just in case they won't postpone it — and I can't imagine why they wouldn't — posting here will be more intermittent than usual 'til it's over. I have a hectic schedule the whole time. My Saturday goes like this:

9 AM: Business-type breakfast meeting. 10 AM: Video interview. 11 AM: Business-type meeting. 11:45: Quick Draw! 1 PM: Cartoon Voices Panel. 2:30 PM: Signing. 3 PM: Business-type meeting. 3:30: Brief guest appearance on someone else's panel. 4 PM: Brief appearance on Abrams Books panel. 4:30 PM: That 70's Panel. 6 PM: Recess, change clothes. 7 PM: Party. 8:30 PM: Dinner with friends. 10 PM: Party if we feel like going.

And it's kinda like that for the whole convention. I couldn't live at that pace year-round but it's fun to do it for 4.5 days now and then, especially if I can sleep the entire following week. If you see me and want to say hello, don't let the schedule stop you. Except for obligations to publishers, I will not be sitting anywhere signing things because I don't like doing that. My main demand now when I'm asked to appear at a con is that they not give me a table. I'll be glad to sign a few things for anyone but I just feel stupid sitting there like I expect people to line up for it.

So…what's in the news? "Trumpcare" (which was really "No Care") seems to be gone. A lot of folks seem upset that Senate Republicans, who might conceivably have to run for re-election some day, were reluctant to pass a bill that was polling at 16% approval. To put that in perspective, hitting yourself over the head with a ball peen hammer is polling at 17% and is not all that different.

This means that now we have to watch Trump and the G.O.P. sabotage Obamacare every possible way so they can say, "See? We told you it would never work!" Oh, that's going to be so good for everyone.

They say Trump is seething because all his advisors insisted he had to keep Obama's negotiated deal with Iran. He was dying to get rid of it because, you know, it was Obama's. Despite campaigning on the premise that it was the worst deal in the history of mankind, Trump's keeping it…for now. Okay, but how long before he finds some pretext for voiding the treaty, blaming Iran and his predecessor and as with health care, trying to get rid of something without having any idea what to put in its place? This guy never seems to have a Plan B and sometimes, as with the border wall, he doesn't seem to have a workable Plan A.

I have to go pack. Back later.

Fiona the World's Smallest Living Hippo…

Here is the latest in the skirmish over longtime Muppeteer Steve Whitmire being removed from the role of Kermit the Frog. The folks who made the decision claimed he had been hard to deal with and there's a line in there from Jim Henson's daughter about Whitmire being difficult in contract negotiations.

This whole thing feels very creepy to me…like we're reading something that whatever its outcome, should have been handled in private. We have a little bit of each side of the story but probably not enough to really decide who's right or wrong.

And yet, I found a lot to think about in Mr. Whitmire's recent blog post, "The Muppet Performers are not Interchangeable." Much of what he says is true but the very title of the piece may pinpoint the problem. In a company like Disney, everyone is interchangeable. A valuable asset like Mickey Mouse continues on, or is supposed to carry on, long after everyone involved with him in one era is gone. Kermit is supposed to thrive long after Whitmire expires. It's not a matter of if Steve Whitmire will be replaced but when.

I have no opinion on whether now, when he's still able and eager to continue in the role, is the right time, nor do I feel qualified to make that judgment. I just wish this was not happening.