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Drawing Blood #6

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Walt

drawingblood_0006_with_KS_questionChapter 6

Writer: David Avallone
Artists: Ben Bishop, Kevin Eastman, Troy Little
Letterer: Tony Esposito
Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado
Published by: Image Comics

So…Drawing Blood #6 is out.

This issue is the SECOND issue of the 4-issue "Drawing Blood vol. 2" that was funded by Kickstarter backers more than FIVE YEARS AGO.

In the 5+ years SINCE they raised over $121,000 dollars for what amounts to Drawing Blood #s 5-8, the creators have collectively posted a grand total of 15-16 Updates–several closer together, most with half-a-year-or-more gaps. By and large, they have stoutly refused to communicate with Kickstarter backers, preferring to post things to OTHER social media, expecting anyone who "cares" about the Kickstarter to BE on other social media.

And for years they’ve been making and continuing to break promises, and it’s been over 14 months since they even vaguely hinted at any sort of timeline. It’s always “soon,” but how many YEARS until “soon” becomes “scammed”?

Just going back THREE YEARS, below are some of the creators’ words from Kickstarter updates, with my ‘responses’ interspersed in blue. You’ll find the original comments from the creators on Kickstarter in the ‘Updates’ section of the project’s page corresponding to the ‘Update’ for each respective date.

David Avallone, July 21, 2021

[Shared video call between Avallone, Eastman, Bishop, saying loads of stuff that over 3 years later still hasn’t happened…and couldn’t even be bothered to summarize or write something for Kickstarter backers. Additionally, it was a short video, so no one spent much time to provide information/updates…it was like a 10-minute conference call on the go. ]

Ben Bishop, February 19, 2022 (7 months later…)

As I always mention – the very best place to see the latest on DRAWING BLOOD is our Instagram […] and our Facebook page […] – As wells as our individual Instagram accounts […] – – Whereas a single image and caption doesn’t always make for a meaty enough KS update,  I’m always posting bits and pieces of the process all the time over on IG, and also pretty decent at replying to comments. So, definitely give those accounts a follow if you want to stay more in the loop as we wrap this baby up.

It’s taking forever – we know. But we’re so close, and so confident that it’ll be worth the wait. Thanks for hanging in there.

And yet none of those pages linked to are Kickstarter itself…where backers backed this, and expect to be able to at LEAST get “monthly” “updates.” Sure, a single image/caption here or there may not warrant a whole Update and can add further TO the actual updates…abdicating Kickstarter and forcing people to go to other social media in the hopes of MAYBE finding something relevant to this particular project?

Ben Bishop, November 9, 2022 (9 months later…)

We’ve been getting lots of bumps and nudges, or pokes, whatever you want to call them – for another DRAWING BLOOD Kickstarter update, so I wanted to drop in quickly this morning and type something up for all of you patiently waiting on DRAWING BLOOD VOL.2.

Yeah, that only took NINE MONTHS of “bumps/nudges/pokes/whatever” for an Update. Even if not posted as a full-on Update, it’s actually, genuinely POSSIBLE for creators to hop on and post COMMENTS and/or REPLY TO comments without having to put together huge/long/fancy Updates.

There’s not a whole lot to update you all about – and no one likes a lame update – but I can at least come by and let you know we’re all still alive, and still working on the book. Nothing has changed. We’re still all bouncing between various jobs or conventions or everyday human stuff like doctors appointments, funerals, DMV lines, and whatever else somehow sucks the time away each day.

No one likes lame updates, sure…but at least an update IS an update. It’s the few minutes of a creator’s time amidst everything else—it should be part of those “whatever else somehow sucks the time away each day” to have even one creator out of 3+ take five minutes in ONE MONTH to post something. Creators bouncing between jobs taken in lieu of what money was already collected for (Last Ronin over Drawing Blood v. 2) is a bit shady. Everyone else has stuff going on, do they not deserve to know where their money’s going and that the creators haven’t just left them high and dry?

David Avallone, July 20, 2023 (Over 9 months later, start of SDCC 2023 just ahead of panels involving this creative team)

I hoped the overlap in the fandom would satisfy most of you that you were getting something amazing, even if it wasn’t DBV2 yet.

Some of you… weren’t satisfied and weren’t patient.

What *I* myself primarily saw and experienced in the months leading up to this Update was people requesting informatioin, updates, SOME SORT OF COMMUNICATION from someone involved in the project…but it was months of abject SILENCE.

[…]

He should have 8 inked within a month… and then we’re finally done, and ready to send it to you.

As of September 24, 2024…this statement is 14 months old. Speaks for itself.

[…]

Which leads us to the big announcement. You are the first to officially hear it, before we talk about it later today at San Diego Comic Con (and I hope some of you are in the room when we do.)

This seems to be the entire reason anyone even bothered to post an update…so that no one could stand up in a panel and ask FOR an update or ask why they haven’t communicated in 9 months…

It was pretty thrilling to get this email, even knowing the contract had been signed.
Eric Stephenson of Image loves DRAWING BLOOD, and we have signed a contract with him to publish the series, and the RAGDOLLS comics that supplement it.

And this was the first backers had anything official on this. Never even any information about them considering publishing through Image, having already published 1-4 as single issues through Kevin Eastman’s studio!

[…]

Within a week or so, we’ll announce when the first issue will drop from Image.  In keeping with industry practice, that means the first issue will be in comics shops about four months later. This will be DRAWING BLOOD #1, which you’ve all read, of course, but then we will go straight through for 12 months, with Volume Two commencing about four months in, and Volume Three four months after that.

14 months later and they still have not communicated when issues would or have drop(ped) from Image.

Never anything specific about timelines or intentions such as “We should know by December if we’ll be able to deliver by February” or some such.

[…]

rest assured: Kickstarter supporters of Volume Two will get their copy of the Volume Two trade a very long time before those issues hit stores for public consumption.

Absolute LIE. Now with #6, this is HALF OF volume 2 that is in stores, and Kickstarter supporters have NOTHING tangible. Even a PDF of #5 shared at the end of the day the day it was in shops was half-assed at best; more later.

[…]

You’ll get it first. And you’ll get some extras we’re throwing in, to thank you for your patience. We’ll make sure that you, the core fans of DRAWING BLOOD hear about everything first, and see everything first.

Again, LIES. There has been NO FURTHER communication, promotion, information, announcement(s) etc in the over 14 months since this was posted.

Kevin Eastman, May 18, 2024 (10 months later)

A LONG OVERDUE letter to all the generous fans that supported the second Drawing Blood Kickstarter campaign in 2019 – my sincere apologies.

Long overdue indeed…I had figured Eastman had essentially merely lent his NAME to the project. Finally, some responsibility being assumed, and this thing can get underway…
…right?

[…]

It is appalling quite honestly that I have not been up here to speak with you before, my name is on the campaign, much like the first one

EXACTLY like the first one

[…]

There is no one to blame except me and there are no excuses I could offer or would accept if I were you.

Ok, we’re getting toward platitudes, especially looking back more than 4 months with nothing tangible since.

[…]

I will say only this, five years to complete a project like the one you funded is disgusting – especially when it has my name on it, even more so. I can sincerely tell you on every level, over that time, the money you contributed to help create and fund this project has only been spent on this project – the funds to complete and deliver the remaining items (original art and related, already complete items, have long since be sent to the supporters) are right where they are supposed to be, and will be used to do so in the coming months.

Potentially ok, but these months later in September, methinks he doth protest too much, so to speak.

[…]

We will be sending out a backer survey shortly, we are nearing completion of all the final elements of the funded Kickstarter campaign

Nothing concrete. No specific dates. And 4+ months later, no backer survey (pretty sure one might have been sent out YEARS AGO, but I haven’t even dug back that far if my emails even DO go back that far). No word on what “nearing completion” means, or what “final elements” REMAIN.

[…]

Again, and you’ll hear it MANY, MANY more times from me in coming months – my apologies –

more generic-sounding apologies and words from something that doesn’t seem like it should have taken more than a half hour to write…averaging (at a half hour) 3 minutes per month of silence since July 2023?

Kevin Eastman, July 9, 2024 (over 7 weeks later)

By the end of next week, we’ll have the final digital PDF of issue #5 to send to you all, and if all goes as planned, we’ll have issues #6, and #7, and #8 off to you about every two weeks thereafter – so you get to see, at least in digital form, in the short term, everything you helped us bring to life – and the hard copies are coming soon.

2 months shy of the 5-year-mark from this project being funded, virtually a YEAR after being told backers would have DBv2 long before others, and it was reduced to a digital file. That many people don’t even care about or have trouble attempting to read—it is NOT a Guided View thing or any ‘smart’ digital comic, and at least for myself, viewing PDFs on a widescreen laptop is NOT conducive to a good reading experience for comics and their crazy panel layouts/structures modern artists seem to always be using.

[…]

I’ll also make sure we send around Troy’s final 40 page “RRRR Adventures” again as well – as I know some of you have gotten it and some missed it, and I want to make sure you all get to enjoy it – it’s truly beautiful.

I have seen NOTHING of this being sent around again…maybe there were private messages and/or private emails, but certainly nothing posted to the Kickstarter project page itself for general access by backers.

[…]

Looking further down the road, we’re all self-funding the final four issues of the series, issues #9, #10, #11, and #12 (which we couldn’t be doing if you hadn’t helped us with the first eight) and we are going to make sure you get digital copies of all those as our “thanks” for helping us throughout the dreadfully long process to date.

Probably because there’d be no way to do a Kickstarter again with the abysmal track record of the current project remaining UNfulfilled 5 years later and plenty of comments and concerns from people seeking updates that extremely rarely materialize.

And being published through IMAGE…aren’t ALL such comics—be it The Walking Dead, Drawing Blood, Saga, whatever—thus self-funded?!?

[…]

Okay – back to work for me – wanted to touch base with you all – and stay tuned for the backer survey details and more updates and surprises from us all in the very near future.

Ok, July 9…very near future…great.

(NOTHING on those as of September 24!)

Kevin Eastman, August 28, 2024 (another over-7-weeks later)

I know you are all feeling (very appropriately) upset about putting down your hard-earned cash to support our second Drawing Blood Kickstarter and are feeling ripped off – I apologize – it was not my intent, nor any the parties involved in this project to rip anyone off.  I couldn’t be more sincere here – and I assure you the money you have invested has been spent ONLY on the Drawing Blood project, period, and is actively making its final steps to completion.

August 28, 4pm, virtually end-of-the-day…after #5 was in stores all day for anyone, backer or otherwise.

Not sure I’d seen any further comments or such about how the money was spent, so again, methinks someone doth protest too much.

[…]

Personally, if my Uncle Quentin (one of the OG crowd funders in my history) did not loan us the $1300 to print TMNT issue #1 it would not have happened. Thanks to him it did, and thanks to many of you, our 2017 KS for Drawing Blood Volume One never would have happened, and additionally for so many more of you, the 2019 KS for Volume Two would never have happened either – I am very grateful for your support.

$1300 is a far cry from nearly $122,000 (OVER A HUNDRED *THOUSAND* dollars) that then has left backers waiting HALF A DECADE. If that $1300 loan happened in 1983 (TMNT #1 hit in 1984), 5 years later would have been…1988. Think about THAT.

[…]

Below, you have a link to issue #5, and in the next two weeks you can expect another update from me and the digital version of issue #6. 

And after all that time, and it’s just a simple link to a basic PDF file. Presumably such a file had to have existed prior, for proofing and approval and such during the printing process.

And a simple, basic LINK to a simple, basic FILE couldn’t even be provided to backers until the END of the day, basically an AFTERTHOUGHT?!?

[…]

And here we are, 8pm September 24, with issue #6 arriving in stores in a few hours (likely already there, just not for sale til Wednesday), and…

STILL.

NOTHING.

NOT. A. Freaking. Peep.

No PDF for #6. No backer survey. No timelines for expected schedules and such.

It’s not even like they’ve delayed #5 or #6 after #4, an understandable “break” between arcs/volumes, etc. SURELY they could have voluntarily INSERTED a brief hiatus in order to fulfill the Kickstarter, and see that backers got their books prior to them being released to the general public.

But here we are, halfway through vol. 2, and a whole lotta NOTHING.

drawingblood_0006_blogtrailer

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Drawing Blood and its creators disgust me

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Walt

db_ks_app_cover_pageSo, Drawing Blood #5 is out. To say it’s on my [crap]list is probably an understatement.

I meant to post back when #1 came out, but just didn’t have the heart to get into things on it.

But now?

End of August, 2024?

Yeahhhh…Drawing Blood and its creators (and by extension, basically anything/everything "Last Ronin" that I see) have a REALLY BAD taste to me, so to speak.

I backed the first Drawing Blood Kickstarter in 2017.

When the thing was later re-issued as single issues, I snagged those to ‘support’ the thing, even already having received the Kickstarter book.

August 2019 (FIVE. YEARS. AGO!) I backed the "Drawing Blood vol. 2" Kickstarter.

To this day, I have NOTHING PHYSICAL from said Kickstarter, despite promises and brush-offs and so on from the team behind it.

Drawing Blood vol. 2 was supposed to be fulfilled one year later: August 2020. Of course, pretty much anyone knows what "2020" held for the world, and obviously the project was "delayed."

But the 2020 stuff didn’t really hit until MARCH 2020, over 6 months AFTER the Kickstarter WRAPPED, over HALFWAY to the point the project was supposed to fulfill.

But the creators virtually ABANDONED the Kickstarter.

Oh, there were maybe an update or two in a YEAR.

But nothing remotely RESEMBLING the monthly updates that Kickstarter itself requires as part of its terms for creators of a Kickstarter project. As of this writing, August 29, 2024, there have been a grand total of 30 "Updates" posted to the Kickstarter…the first 15 of which were during the actual run of the campaign.

Meaning 15 "Updates" in FIVE YEARS. An "average" of 3 per year…with zero engagement from the creators to their backers, aside from some snotty attitude-laced comments over people basically BEGGING–for *multiple* MONTHS AT A TIME–for SOME SORT OF COMMUNICATION regarding the project.

Not ONE of the people involved in the Kickstarter–from Kevin Eastman, to David Avallone, to Ben Bishop, to whoever else–for MULTIPLE YEARS now–have even bothered to post a "comment" to the Kickstarter page.

While they’re off at conventions, signing appearances, hosting Whatnot events, posting to various social media, NONE would even take a few MINUTES within any given MONTH to so much as post a comment to touch base with and engage with their Kickstarter backers–who they collected $121,732 from HALF A DECADE AGO.

While there were occasional posts other backers noted being on Facebook or Instagram occasionally–the creators apparently REFUSED to engage with Kickstarter itself once they had the money and ran.

For the past nearly-14 months, even, there’ve been platitudes and half-assed supposed "apologies" with immediately-broken promises attached, yet STILL…

STILL, not one of the creators acknowledges the NEAR-ZERO COMMUNICATION.

Making matters worse–in my eyes–are "promises" and definitive statements made over the past ~14 months that have NOT materialized.

Just 3 “recent” examples:

Avallone Update #26, July 20 2023 (over 13 months ago)
"rest assured: Kickstarter supporters of Volume Two will get their copy of the Volume Two trade a very long time before those issues hit stores for public consumption."

Eastman Update #28, May 18 2024 (over 3 months ago)
"We will be sending out a backer survey shortly, we are nearing completion of all the final elements of the funded Kickstarter campaign – and you will be hearing and getting updates from me directly, here, through the completion of fulfillment."

Eastman Update #29, July 9 2024 (7 weeks ago)
"By the end of next week, we’ll have the final digital PDF of issue #5 to send to you all"

Yet even with that last promise…it wasn’t until AFTER #5 was already out, available in stores, that a link to a PDF was even posted to the Kickstarter page—4pm, nearly end of the standard workday—on the 28th, .

Of just that one issue.

So FIVE YEARS of near-zero communication, passive aggressive hostility, and so on…and people that never had anything to do with crowdfunding had their issues in-hand before general backers even had a chance to read a digital PDF.

I can’t even begin to describe my disappointment–to put it most mildly–in a creator whose creations I’ve otherwise primarily enjoyed for most of my life. To say nothing of being so incredibly put-off by the other creators involved, and by their being able to put out umpteen issues of Last Ronin and Elvira and general work and appearances and events for themselves, other publishers…

But there’s been NO ACCOUNTABILITY to their Kickstarter backers.

Just idle "promises" of extras to be provided at fulfillment…but not even a PEEP in YEARS as to when anyone can EXPECT that fulfillment.

I’m amazed that IDW hasn’t stepped in–because surely this reflects poorly on creators involved with their biggest TMNT stuff in The Last Ronin, let alone TMNT itself!

Image sure doesn’t seem to have cared about the creators’ disrespect to their Kickstarter obligations, backers, and fans.

I am absolutely disgusted, and may post more on this at some later point but for now, putting this out there.

Feel free to visit the Kickstarter page itself to see whatever you can see for yourself–including my many requests for Updates, and comments asking what’s going on, etc.

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Grails Update October 2023

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Walt

After "passing" on a copy several years ago at Carol & John’s before the "pandemic spike" of absolutely delusional, ridiculous pricing on comics, I figured even a 3rd print of TMNT #1 was out of reach for me, for my price range.

But a couple weeks ago, an email from Kenmore listed some new TMNT acquisitions…which included a 3rd print of #1. And while it was definitely more expensive than the CNJ copy a few years back…it was at a price I was willing to pay, and I jumped on it.

tmnt_1_3rdprint

I was introduced to the TMNT in 1989 or so, while Dad was Den Leader for my Cub Scout group. Meeting was at the old house in Eastlake, and someone flipped the tv to this cartoon that I initially thought was dumb, but soon totally got onboard with. I remember Dad taking some of us (I think as friends and not as Cub Scouts) to the 1990 film; I was definitely "into" the TMNT by then.

Suffice it to say I was aware of the original Mirage TMNT #1 cover/image at LEAST by 1992, when TMNT #50 came out (with an updated version of the classic image). I feel like I recall seeing #1 listed somewhere back then in the $300 range and thinking that was absolutely ridiculously expensive and farrrrr outta reach. (Which, to a middle school kid most certainly WAS true).

That’d be a STEAL nowadays in 2023.

However, after seeing that copy at CNJ, I resolved that the 3rd print of #1 was attainable (to me)…if only "someday." Though I grew to DOUBT that, as said, with the spike in pricing the last several years.

This copy I just got now holds the record as THE most expensive single comic I have EVER bought in my life–more, even, than any Omnibus hardcover or other collected volume. It also beats out the copy of Uncanny X-Men #141 that I got at a show in early December 2021 that Dad was SHOCKED at learning what I’d paid, but figured it was my money, made me happy, and not like I was buying drugs or such.

And I’ve updated my "grails" list…though I’m sure there are plenty of other issues I’m also interested in. These now are specifically "notable" though I’m not in any huge rush to obtain them.

With the price of modern new comics’ cover prices also spiking lately to $4.99…I yet again need to be trimming back on what I’m buying. And even stuff I’d otherwise be perfectly interested in is getting hard to justify in the "generic" sense of being "just another" issue to come out any given week. (More on that soon, possibly).

Updated Grails List:

  • Mirage TMNT vol. 2 # 10
  • Body Count (Image TMNT/Casey/Raph mini) #1
  • Body Count (Image TMNT/Casey/Raph mini) #2
  • Body Count (Image TMNT/Casey/Raph mini) #3
  • Body Count (Image TMNT/Casey/Raph mini) #4
  • Mirage Donatello: The Brain Thief #4
  • Image TMNT #s 1-18, 21+
  • Mirage TMNT #2 (2nd print)
  • Mirage TMNT #3 (1st print van cover)
  • Mirage TMNT #3 (2nd print splinter vs mousers cover)
  • Mirage TMNT #4 (1st print green sketchy cover)
  • Mirage TMNT #4 (2nd print Nintendo box art cover)
  • TMNT IDW #1 (Donnie cover)
  • DC Comics Presents #26
  • TMNT IDW #1 (wraparound cover)
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 1) #1
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 1) #2
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 1) #3
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 2) #1
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 2) #2
  • Archie C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa (vol. 2) #3
  • Battletech: Fallout #1 Hologram cover
  • Mortal Kombat: Blood and Thunder #1 Hologram cover
  • Max Yearbook (1990 Marvel) #1 (hologram cover)
  • Onslaught: X-Men gold edition
  • Spawn #s 132, 134, 136-149, 151-175, 177-184, 190, 194-198, 203-256

grails_update_october_2023_blogtrailer

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The Weekly Haul: Week of December 22, 2021

Posted on December 27, 2021 by Walt

weekly_haul_header

Closing in on the fiiiiiiinal haul of the year! Here’s a look at yet another huuuuuuge week’s haul!

weeklyhaul_20211222a

The Trial of Magneto #5 wraps up this mini-series jusssst shy of the new year. Wolverine #19 and SWORD #11 I believe ALSO wrap the current volumes, with renumbering/relaunching with stuff in 2022.

New issues this week for Amazing Spider-Man #82 continuing the Beyond thing; Phoenix Song Echo #3 continuing the theft/plundering/appropriating of X-stuff to the Avengers side of things. And Wastelanders Hawkeye is….there. (Still hunting down the Wolverine issue from the previous week!)

Rounding out the Marvel stuff, I happened to look at the Venom #3 cover and saw that it lacked a certain NAME on the cover. Ok…so, if that name was JUST on the #1–that I already bought when I mixed it up with Hulk a few weeks back–then I’ll give in and give the series a few more issues since I’m not avoiding it for the social media practices of its writer. And I’m not even sure why I’m getting Black Panther except to "support" a title that does NOT feel like its writer is overhyped or "stunt"-assigned.

weeklyhaul_20211222b

I love that we have a whole family of Spawn books now…though I’m curious as to just how long McFarlane & co. will keep it up. I’d have to "research" to see what the longest-running other "side series" was for a companion piece to the main Spawn, but I have a feeling these are already putting a decent-sized dent into things.

Radiant Black continues to get by on strength of its writer’s name for me, and supporting his NON-Boom, non-MMPR work.

Walking Dead Deluxe continues; as does IDW‘s TMNT; and managed to get the second issue of the new Haunted High-Ons mini.

While I’m mentally "OVER" DC at this point, I’m already "invested" in this Batman Catwoman series for better or worse; ditto the Batman Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Total "obligation" or "OCD" buys both…and I’m not even sure about reading either at this point! Yet again, rather sad to note that a mere 5 years ago I was basically all-in on DC and now it’s just my own OCD finishing out limited runs on a couple books that has me buying ANYthing AT ALL from them.

The Conan the Barbarian facsimile edition #1 is from a week or two back; had to get it online as it was unavailable locally.

weeklyhaul_20211222c

I also hit back-issue bins and came up with a "random" issue of the ’90s What If..? series…the cover grabbed me. I’ve long been a fan of this iteration of the Iron Man armor, with those cables in the neck…not sure WHY, it’s just always grabbed me! And I’d swear I already had the X-Men ’92 issue, but it was still on my list, so I figured fine, get it (again, maybe) just to make darned sure so I can get it OFF my "missing issues" list!

And of course, Comic Shop News…amazingly still going, and at this point the ONLY still-published, continuously-numbered periodical in North America that actually goes back to the early-’90s…

One more week’s haul to go to complete 2021. And that’ll be the usually-small week falling on the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year.

weeklyhaul_20211222_blogtrailer

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The Weekly Haul: Week of December 15, 2021

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Walt

weekly_haul_header

Heyyyy…finally a less-than-18-books-in-one-week week!

Extremely Marvel, heavy, though…but that’s come to be a new-ish "normal" for me as well.

weeklyhaul_20211215a

X-Force #26 and Excalibur #26 mark what I believe are the final issues for both series, as well as the totality of Krakoan X-content for this week.

Hulk #2 gives me a second issue of the title…something that has my attention PRIMARILY for it NOT being the writer of the Immortal Hulk series. I’m already well on my way to being better off waiting for collected volumes, but c’est la vie, I guess.

Amazing Spider-Man #81 is another "just the next issue" for me; while Miles Morales: Spider-Man #33 is an issue I didn’t even realize was gonna be tying in to the Beyond stuff currently in the main Amazing title. Since I thankfully was made aware of it before visiting the comic shop I was able to grab it!

Demon Days: Rising Storm #1 is one I should have passed on, but I THINK I have all the other Demon Days issues so far, so until I figure out what I’m doing (or not) with them, better to "keep up" than have to "catch up" later, I suppose.

Marvel Voices Comunidades #1 came out some other week recently, but I’m just grabbing it this week…and that’s to follow along with/keep along with Chris Sheehan‘s X-Lapsed podcast and as close to "complete-Krakoan-X as I can get.

TMNT #124 is apparently a Christmas issue; I’ve been starting to reconsider on this title…deffffffinitely "just" getting it at this point outta HABIT as opposed to any actual enjoyment of the title. I can’t even think what the last issue was that I read, and marks at least a couple years since I’d last REALLY enjoyed the title and been excited for it–back with the run up to and actuality of #100.

King Spawn #5 is another "latest" issue…interesting and cool having a "family" of Spawn books…though kinda scary already being at a 5th issue here and I haven’t read any yet.

weeklyhaul_20211215b

I’ve been enjoying these "binge book" comics of which Super Sleepy #1 is the latest: about $5 for a nice thick issue seems a great value and plenty worth "supporting"!

And having backed it on Kickstarter, my copy of the Silverline Christmas Special arrived this week along with its companion SIlverline Signature Series book (modeled after the old Malibu Signature Series).

So only 10 books–really–for the week; the Silverline issues don’t "count" as they weren’t comic shop purchases of stuff newly out this week. Baically a week only HALF the size of the previous couple…so hopefully I’m getting stuff wrangled back down a bit.

Intentionally skipped a couple issues I’d have otherwise bought; missed at least one or two issues that I’ll likely seek in the near-future; and….time will tell!

Even though this is the third New Comic Book Day of the month, there are still TWO MORE yet for the month…and the YEAR.

2021 is nearly done, and 2022 technically will be the third year involved in all this pandemic stuff and ramifications. This time rather than "hiatus" stuff it’s delays and shortages as well as newer/changing distribution stuff.

Not sure if I’ll try to do a post on those topics or not, but we’ll see.

For now…here’s hoping for another small-ish week for the 22nd!

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A (solo) Birthday Trip and Haul

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Walt

Getting older is a mixed thing. On one hand, I feel "old" and "older every year." On the other hand, I gotta count my blessings–especially that I still have both my parents, even at MY "old age" and grateful for THEIR continuing-to-increase old age.

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Without getting too deep into the "weeds" on stuff, I took a day off work and set out for some "distraction" to keep busy and not let myself "think" too much ABOUT another solo birthday and all that.

So I set off for Columbus, OH for the day. My plan was more or less a "mini version" of my "HPB Quest" from September 2019 where rather than trying to hit ALL of the HPBs I was aware of, I figured maybe I’d shoot for 3 and a comic shop or 2-3, a comic shop, and a couple Walmarts for some "toyhunting" or such.

BUT I’d also been thinking about trying to hit IKEA while I was down that way to hopefully score 2-3 Detolf display cases.

THEN I totally forgot to even plot out a route/note addresses and such, so I ultimately wound up picking the northernmost HPB and setting GPS for that one, planning to figure out the rest once I got there.

On the way, I actually had to go past Ikea Way, so plans changed a bit on the fly.

I went to the Half-Price Books and ended up scoring a few comics. More expensive than I wanted, but better pricing than I feel the HPBs in northeastern Ohio have.

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Found a handful of Uncanny X-Men 500s issues that the list I have in my phone indicated I was still missing. (although several seem really darned familiar so hopefully it’s just that I’ve seen them in the past and/or passed on them in the past due to price!

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And I could not pass up the Amazing Adventures issues.

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I decided to duck into the Walmart in the same plaza, and happened across a Raw10 figure I hadn’t even known would be out! "Hoof."

They also had some red "chase variant" of the character, but this thing’s too large for me to be bothering with odd-colored variants, "chase" or otherwise.

Since I was already really close to IKEA, I decided to go there next. And realized that it wasn’t as big as I’d imagined…yet soon found out it was more labyrinthine than I had.

And long story short, ultimately despite several COLORS existing, they only had ONE single Detolf letf in stock that I was able to buy…and I’d pretty much decided I was going to get at least 2, maybe 3, prior to discovering that last, lonely, single unit that remained. I couldn’t very well pass on it after so much time and such, so got it…but "only one" necessitates a return visit some other time…hopefully with "pre-ordering" a couple units ahead of time!

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So I’ve got my one…not sure if it’s gonna get put together today or not, but at least as of this typing, it’s still in its 2-box packaging to await assembly.

By this point I was a bit discouraged and decided I didn’t "have the heart" to run around to a bunch of HPBs. I remembered that a friend had recently posted about Big Fun Columbus where she’d gone with her kids, so I decided that I’d try that instead.

After a bit of an adventure trying to find and figure out parking (what ever happened to classic, MECHANICAL simple parking meters???) I was able to park and get into the store.

Where I found what I’ve been missing for close to 4 years since the Cleveland Big Fun closed in February 2018!

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One key purchase was this Cyber Samurai Mike. These came out "after my time" collecting the TMNT figures as a kid (though I have fond memories of the Archie comics 5-parter featuring these!) While a bit pricier than I’d prefer, the novelty of one of these now in my collection is well worth it…all the more when stacked against the novelty of a mere 6-10 new comics these days.

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I was going to get the Raph one but it was more expensive…AND had a tag on it that it was "incomplete." This one had no such note, and was $10 cheaper so I opted for this one. I don’t know that the other was missing much of note, but I do really dig this one! And bonus: it came with this "clip and collect" profile card! (already clipped and collected).

birtthdayhaul_marvel_legends_shikah_to_get_jeffWhen I’d first walked in, I found several "cheapo" loose figures that I was going to buy–some old Toy Biz X-related characters (I think I had a Gladiator and Weapon X at least). But I eventually decided to put those back, in favor of some other finds.

While looking (only intending TO LOOK) at the loose Marvel Legends figures, I noticed a little figure that really caught my eye. Did a double-tacke: nahhhh….couldn’t be! When the heck would they have made a Jeff the Land Shark figure?!?

But given the way they had the thing standing between another figure’s feet, I figured they probably came together, but asked anyway.

Sure enough, Jeff was not a "solo figure," and was part of a "package deal" including the character he was with.

Now, I’d had a price in mind, that I was willing to pay just for the little guy.

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And all the more as I had absolutely no clue who the character was that he came WITH, I was thrilled that the PAIR were a mere $10! (Which was cheaper than what I was prepared to pay for JUST Jeff!) Some post-trip internet sleuthing (aka "Googling") tells me the character is Shiklah, and was released in a wave of Marvel Legends back in 2020 or so. I remember seeing that wave in stores…I’m sure I even SAW this one, including Jeff! But that was BEFORE I was consciously aware OF Jeff or had any interest at all in the character.

The figure came with a small wire "doll stand," which also added value for me…even discarding Shiklah, that leaves me a figure stand and Jeff for less than what I would gladly have paid just for Jeff!

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There was an old card catalogue unit that–rather than cards–had a bunch of small figures and accessories. I spotted one drawer labeled "minimates" and decided to peek. Spotted what had to be–and indeed turned out to BE–Steel. Not a horrible price….but BONUS! That price INCLUDED a Cyborg Superman! So…not a bad purchase at all! And I added the bag to my basket.

birtthdayhaul_vintage_ish_aprilWhile still having the Cyber Samurai turtle on the brain, I found a bin of classic loose figures for $5/each. Not bad, but they were mostly early non-turtles figures that I already had…mostly from my own ORIGINAL childhood collection.

I did find a variant April O’Neil that I don’t think I had, so I grabbed that.

I also found two Triceratons and was all set to grab those, too, as army-builders…but then noticed they had no tail.

That explained the $5, I guess. And not caring to bother with online prices and hassles for "replacement" tails, I opted to pass on those.

The lack of "finds" here solidified my intent to get the Cyber Samurai Turtle, so this was when I decided to put back the other bagged/loose figures.

I was also going to get a Batman Beyond/Batman 2-pack but cool as it was, I only really wanted the Batman Beyond and otherwise find myself–overall–so sick and tired of BATMAN at this point with the dozen or so (seemingly!) Batman comics out every single week that it was not hard to talk myself out of getting it.

I’d also spotted some figurines that appealed to me…and while they ratcheted me way above what I wanted to spend for the day, I knew I’d be kicking myself if I "passed" on them.

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Rogue, and Gambit. Especially with both figurines being present, and these being older units…I figured it was not likely I’d come across them again, so might as well suck it up and buy ’em while I could.

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While I was willing to pay what I did for them–about 4-5 comics’ price each–there was an unexpected bonus!

They had the "books" that the figures came with! They were filed away, so I had a few minutes to continue looking around while the store employee went to pull those. Since I was willing to pay for just the figurines themselves (knowing that as "originals" they’d have come with the books) I was not about to turn down the books….and I really like these, too!

While I had those few extra minutes looking around…I found some old Wolverine and Wolverine and the X-Men figures from back in 2008 or so, when the first X-Men: Origins movie hit, and that animated series. I still have a bunch of those figures–loose–somewhere but I need to dig them out.

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Considering Marvel‘s (Hasbro‘s) 3.75" figures are about $10…seeing this 12-13-year-old figure still in packaging for $5, I decided I might as well snag it as well as part of my purchase, if only because I like the yellow on this a bit better than my (memory) of a 3.75" Wolverine I already have from around this time.

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So all in all….an expensive, frivolous, but fairly satisfying "haul" for my own birthday.

And between the drive to and from Columbus, between stores, and time IN stores…it was definitely a full day’s trip, which kept me busy/occupied and distracted for the day.

Not exactly what I’d had in mind or intended going into the day…but can’t really complain much with the outcome.

Especially as the haul rivals that of any convention, minus the admission cost and other convention frustrations.

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PCS TMNT Villains Statues

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Walt

Over the weekend, I happened across something that REALLY caught my eyes: some TMNT villains statues that looked a LOT like the Marvel Gallery and DC Gallery statues from Diamond. Except these are PCS (or Premium Collectibles Studio, apparently).

I’d been somewhat aware of them from seeing a Green Ranger thing at a GameStop in early 2020 before the shutdowns. But then seeing these, I remembered (vaguely) having seen something about these coming up, though I’d completely forgotten about them.

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Initially, I shrugged them off. Kinda cool, but where would I put them? Besides…the GameStop I saw them in did not have Shredder. So I passed on them.

Later that evening I found that Shredder was available to order online for pickup in-person at a GS just a few minutes away, so I pulled the trigger on that and let it go.

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The more I thought on it, though, and after watching some YouTube reviews of these, I decided I indeed wanted all four.

And when I went to pick up Shredder, I lucked out–they also had Bebop and Krang. If I was only to get two total, it would’ve been Shredder and Krang; but why not get the other two?

While they did not have Rocksteady in stock…another GS–the one I initially saw these at, at the local mall–did. So…back to the mall I went, and picked up the fourth and final for this wave.

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Like the Diamond Gallery statues, these are relatively simple to get out of the packaging, which is great. They’re secured and centered within the packaging like a Funko Pop; but the plastic packaging splits apart to release the statue easily once out of the main box!

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And of course, that made them all the better to get out of the packaging. They’ll very easily go back into the packaging should I ever want to do that, so absolutely got them all out to be displayed free-standing!

These are a pretty good size, definitely larger than NECA cartoon figures, but similarly cool. And far EASIER to locate/acquire!

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As statues, they’re already posed and have no articulation…but they’re display pieces, about as any NECA figure would be, so just as well!pcs_tmnt_villains_shredder

Shredder‘s base–unlike Bebop and Rocksteady‘s–is the edge of a building, so he doesn’t actually "blend in" as well with the others (their bases look like they’re in the Technodrome!). Taken totally alone, it works; but might’ve been cool to get two bases to choose from.

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As I saw mentioned in one of the YouTube reviews, this Krang can 1. stand on its own even without its base and 2. looks quite excellent alongside the NECA figures.

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While I’m not 100% enamored with the Android Body’s pose (it looks a little too much like it’s reaching out to stagger forth after some braaaaaains) it works well enough.

All in all, these are some great little statues! Especially for the price–at "only" $49.99, they’re slightly under the price of a NECA two-pack. Buuuuut as said NECA packs are scarce and even rarer to come by, and these are significantly larger, these are a welcome value, and an excellent alternative if one doesn’t want to hunt those figures!

I’m a bit torn now on whether I want to seek out the turtles themselves. Had I stuck with "just" Shredder and Krang, the turtles would’ve been definite no-gos for me. Adding Bebop and Rocksteady, though…they’re tempting. And my "OCD" kinda wants the turtles since they should pretty much be in-scale with these, and "complete the set" and all that.

But then, I saw and am also interested in Goldar and Rita Repulsa from the Power Rangers line…especially if they have or will have Lord Zedd. I have enough actual figures and figurines of the Rangers themselves. But the villains I have less of, and would be more willing to have without "needing" to get 6-7 Rangers!

And looks like there are some GI Joe ones, which I figure would be more appealing at this point than the Classified line and withOUT the stigma of more Target-EXXXCCCCLLLUUUSSSIIIVVVEEEE-ness.

The primary issue for me is shelf space and these are already prompting me to consider some innovation and changes to my space to accomodate stuff in a better way!

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Retro Movie Star TMNT Out of Their Packaging

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Walt

Several weeks ago, I posted about getting my set of the Retro Movie Star TMNT figures from Target. That post merely showed off the figures and collector’s box packaging.

I’m following up now to show the figures out of said packaging, actually opened and loose!

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Starting off, here’s the new Donatello side-by-side with my actual vintage figure that I still have all these years later from the early 1990s! (The vintage one is on the left).

One of the first things to note is that the coloring is slightly off, as are the weird dots marking the character. While having them present fits, the exact (or nearly-exact) placement is off.

The biggest disappointment to me, though, is that Playmates did NOT use the softer/rubbery plastic this time around that they did with the originals. These new ones move easily at the joints…but lack that rubbery texture that was so unique and cool about the originals!

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The new figures are slightly taller than the originals. I first thought it was the camera angle but on closer inspection I found that these new versions are indeed slightly larger pieces. Not significantly so, and not really noticeable without having them literally, physically side-by-side, but…there ya go.

I continue to be quite a fan of the shells on the turtles…I’m not sure why, but I really dig ’em!

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Here’s the Super Shredder…the only real difference that I noticed myself is where the original is stamped with a copyright year and the 2021 edition lacks that on its back. This figure is definitely the star for me, being the closest, full recreation…enough so that it’s actually pretty redundant. But as a guy interested in having the figures for the characters, this is exactly the sort of thing I want from Playmates: new "printings" of classic figures, virtually indistinguishable from the originals. Since I just want to be able to own a copy, and be able to look at it and have it appear as the original, I’m good with having a recreation, and leaving genuine vintage originals to die-hard collectors overall!

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Here’s the entire 2021 edition of the Retro Movie Star TMNT out of their packaging (minus accessories…holding the accessories would make these stick out big-time from the rest of the figures they’ll be displayed with!

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Going a bit further beyond merely opening the figures and comparing them to the two "originals" I have…here are the two genuine Playmates-produced figures side-by-side with a knockoff edition Donatello.

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And here’s the full Turtles + Splinter genuine 2021 edition with their knockoff counterparts.

The difference is much more telling with the side-by-side comparison. The knockoffs aren’t great, but they weren’t…horrible, either. For what they are.

That being said…being able to get actual, genuine articles for a reasonable price was something I was morrrrrrre than willing to do!

While I have no idea what sort of legal/licensing issues there may be with creator-owned characters and such that were produced as part of the original iteration of the TMNT figures line…for whatever tooling still exists, it’d be great to see MORE THAN just a handful of figures recreated multiple times over (with mere repaints)…and to see them just simply available as individual pieces. As otherwise rare, out-of-print vintage things…I’d more or less be willing to (at least grudgingly so) pay $15-$20 apiece for re-issued figures, just for the sake of having them. From Mirage characters and such that transferred to Viacom when Laird sold the property to various creator-owned characters like Ray Fillet, Usagi Yojimbo (Miyamoto Usagi), or Panda Khan.

To say nothing of some army-builder pack of say, 5 classic-style Foot Soldiers. The 5" Krang in Android Body. Non-turtle Toon characters like Burns, Vernon, and Irma. The Neutrinos.

And of course, a new re-issue of the Party Wagon would be amazing.

But I suppose time will tell…

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TMNT: Rad Plastic (and It’s REAL!)

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Walt

Way back in 2017, I backed a "TMNT Encyclopedia" on Kickstarter. Long story short, the creator strung folks along for MONTHS–until it was past any way for people to do chargebacks or otherwise "dispute" charges, and then ultimately GHOSTED.

But that is likely a story for another time…and remains the SOLE Kickstarter project I’ve gotten screwed on…out of more than 90 as of this typing.

This book is NOT that one!

THIS book is Rad Plastic, by a Chris Fawcett, and while a different sort of book, it scratches the same itch–lots of pics and stuff about classic TMNT figures!

Fawcett even has an actual, legit website for the book! https://www.radplastic.com/

(Unfortunately, as of at least March 25th, the site declares that this book is sold out.)

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That this is now sold out makes me all the gladder I "pulled the trigger" when I did, while I could, and went ahead and ordered this!

As said above…this is a whole different animal, but still VERY cool, and I look forward to REALLY diving into it! (Thus far I’ve skimmed, but it’s a subject matter that I actually want to give some close attention and not just breeze by).

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It seems to have information and lists of figures in various waves, as well as photos of loads of the figures, including stuff on prototypes and concept art and whatnot. Maybe no "encyclopedia" but certainly an absolute TREASURE TROVE of Turtle-y awesomeness!

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I’m posting several photos here of 2-page spreads just to show a little bit of the format/layout…don’t want to infringe on the creator and the actual book.

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Just paging through the thing…this is something that ABSOLUTELY should be something Viacom/Nickelodeon work a deal with the creator to reprint and to make it even more widely available! (But as a fan-made thing using private photos and whatnot, does not require the companies’ involvement/etc!)

Knowing just how closely I apparently almost missed out on this…I can imagine plenty of others actually missing out…so I really would hope this could get a reprint for further distribution.

That said, I’ve got my copy (not for sale!), and happy to have it! I don’t know if I’ll post an actual review of this ever, but still wanted to show it off…

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The Weekly Haul: Week of March 24, 2021

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Walt

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This is a mixed week of stuff. Not a whole lot, so…I’ll just dive on in!

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Cable #9 and Excalibur #19…as the latest X-issues.

IDW‘s latest TMNT: Best of _______ issue, this time spotlighting Michelangelo. This reprints the original Mirage Michelangelo one-shot ("micro-series") issue from the ’80s; the IDW Michelangelo "micro-series" issue from early in their run; and then their more recent Michelangelo "macro-series" prestige-format/deluxe thing in the build up toward #100.

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Unfortunately, someone at the publisher did not correct/change/update some text properly, and so the issue actually claims on its title page to have a TMNT: Leonardo Macro-Series issue instead. And it was just a few weeks ago that IDW also printed a GI Joe comic with "$3.99" on the cover, despite it being a $5.99 book.

Semi-sorta-finally, Amazing Spider-Man #62 as "just the next issue of a series I’m buying out of habit, really"…at this point.

And then as I’ve jumped back into the X-books in a big way, I definitely wanted to snag the preview catalogue thing, all the more featuring the upcoming Hellfire Gala and such.

I spotted the Millennium Edition Superman #1 reprint on display…and the display worked! $5? Not bad at all for such a thing, especially at this point, over 20 years later! I remember when these were first coming out new and have more recently been starting to track some of them down. Kind of stupid how expensive some are for being reprints. But as part of that huge series of Millennium Edition reprints DC did…they’re their own thing there, separate from modern replica/facsimile editions, and from a very specific time!

I’ll end now with Comic Shop News…I quite enjoy Alex Ross‘ art, and this is a relatively cool-looking piece on the cover. No clue about the Cap title(s) itself/themselves lately…been years since I’ve been interested in an actual, modern/"new"/"current week" Cap comic. I think I even missed some anniversary issue this week or last, but it doesn’t actually bother me all that much.

Actually got outta the LCS for under-$30. Unfortunately, no Alien #1, so that’ll get its own post some other time, I guess.

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