Major Feature -CHANG3LINGS At The Edinburgh Comic Con

Above: A little over 2 feet (60cms) tall with resin wings. EVERYTHING hand-crafted by Chang3lings.

Yes, the Edinburgh con is this weekend and Dave Gordon of Chang3lings says:

“Check out page 8 Chang31ings will be tables R23 R24 R25…soooooo exciting!”

Above the cover to the Chang3lings catalogue. As you can see, they do not just make one off exclusive dolls but also sell quality vintage action figures -Cyborg, Muton, Android and my favourites -Micronauts!

Check out the unique figure below. It’ll be at the ECC this weekend.

Chang3lings is one of the most under-rated UK pop culture businesses and you can meet up with David Gordon, who is also a very talented graphic novelist (check out Cosmic Oddity).

I love Winged Greenie below -over 2 feet tall which has an option for bird-like feet/claws.

When you talk about investment potential it usually involves comics. Comics produced in their thousands and 99.1% of all those copies of a book will need to be destroyed before yours is worth anything. But the action figure and doll market is strong. Guess what? all of Chang3lings dolls are unique. Just one of each. One of each.

In case that did not sink in let me explain it. Chang3lings will make a custom made figure or sell a figure of which there will only ever be one. Not duplicatable.

You would own the only one of its kind. Hopefully treasure and love it but, if you ever had to sell then that figure is unique. No “Oh, well I think I saw one cheaper at—” because there are no other copies/duplicates.

But look at it another way, and I’ve seen some of these first hand and no photo really does them justice. There are different scale sizes and you can see the much chunkier me of a few years back at the Bristol Comic Expo at David Gordon’s table with a display of dolls.

And below: same event but with the legend that is David Gordon (who has added considerable locks to his hair since this photo….oh, and someone eating a bacon butty -in front of a vegetarian. I ask you!

So here’s the pdf ECC brochure link.

***ECC 2016 CON BOOKLET with floor plan***

Although we will have printed versions at the event, here is a .pdf of our 2016 booklet* for those who would prefer a digital copy for their phone/tablet.

*All details were correct at time of going to print.

http://www.herocomicshop.com/HEROCON/SBA/ECC2016FINALWEB.pdf

Remember that there is a link to the right of page for Chang3lings and they have now been named “The UKs Premier Exclusive Figure” company!

Below: Dave (see -more hair!) and Lynsey at the 2015 ECC with a Chang3lings display -or part of it.

Now, back to the real delights!

When I met Dave, Lesley and Lynsey at the Bristol Expo I got to see how carefully the dolls were put together -everything from eyes (different colours), hair and right down to the clothing and extras that were amazing to see. Things have moved on since the day of Action Man (GI Joe) outfits and weapons!

The display piece below (NOT completed in this photo) has raised a few comments and interest so go see Chang3lings and the display and buy something…unless you are too stunned by what is on offer!

or how about this……

Yes, the fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith and some bald crook off the TV…but I think the Doctor is far more interested in someone else! Now come on you Star Wars fans what do you think?

Below: more classic figures. If there is one place you need to go if you are into any scale figures/dolls this weekend it HAS to be Chang3lings at the Edinburgh Comic Con!

And I did say that Dave was an incredible graphic novelist. His Cosmic Oddity was such a revellation to me that I just sat there after finishing reading it. So, you see a copy grab it because, as I wrote earlier this month, the book deserves an award.

The Iron Warrior v Big Bong

D-Gruppe EP 667: The Grandfather Paradox…Now

by Stransky & Labbat

A Batman I Have Known by Pierre Labbat

“When Society fractures and creaks…dark justice oozes through the cracks…”

Hamelin Newsletter – 28 marzo 2016

28 marzO 2016

BOLOGNA CHILDREN’S BOOK FAIR 2016 – TUTTE LE MOSTRE

Dal 4 al 7 aprile 2016 si terrà a Bologna la Fiera del Libro per Ragazzi.
Hamelin cura e segue numerose mostre che non potete assolutamente perdere!

TOLLE HEFTE. LIBRI FOLLI E BELLISSIMI

Per la prima volta in Italia, dal 4 aprile al 5 maggio 2016, Bologna ospita la mostra Tolle Hefte. Libri folli e bellissimi, una retrospettiva dedicata al progetto di Armin Abmeier.
La mostra si terrà presso Sala d’Ercole a Palazzo D’Accursio (Piazza Maggiore, 6) e sarà accompagnata da un catalogo pubblicato da orecchio acerbo editore.

Inaugurazione: domenica 3 aprile ore 19.30.
In anteprima, Rotraut Susanne Berner racconterà la figura di Armin Abmeier e l’importanza del suo lavoro, presso l’Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, venerdì 1 aprile alle ore 11.00.

Da un’iniziativa del Goethe-Institut. In collaborazione con orecchio acerbo editore.
Per informazioni: www.hamelin.net/tolle-hefte

ACHTUNG KARTOFFEL!

Achtung Kartoffel! è un laboratorio permanente di Atelier Labor che, dal 1 al 6 aprile, prenderà vita all’interno della piazza coperta di Biblioteca Salaborsa e nelle sale di Biblioteca Salaborsa Ragazzi, per poi diramarsi lungo le strade della città attraverso opere-manifesto affisse ai muri di Bologna, grazie alla collaborazione con il festival CHEAP.
Per informazioni e iscrizioni ai workshop, scrivete QUA.
Gli artisti saranno protagonisti anche di un workshop con le scuole presso CUBO.
Opere in mostra: 1-17 aprile Biblioteca Salaborsa – Piazza Coperta (Piazza del Nettuno, 3).

Inaugurazione: domenica 3 aprile ore 19.30.

Un’iniziativa del Goethe-Institut Italien, in collaborazione con Biblioteca Salaborsa Ragazzi, Transbook – Children’s Literature on the Move, CHEAP on Board.

Per informazioni e iscrizioni: www.hamelin.net/achtung-kartoffel

RACCONTI DI CITTÀ.
BERLINO/TORINO

Due capitali europee, Torino e Berlino si raccontano attraverso lo sguardo di due illustratrici: Nadia Budde ed Elisa Talentino. Grazie a una residenza artistica che ha ospitato Nadia Budde a Torino ed Elisa Talentino a Berlino, le artiste hanno potuto vivere le atmosfere delle due città, confluite in una mostra e pubblicazione comune, edita da La Grande Illusion.
In mostra, dal 7 aprile al 6 maggio 2016, presso lo studio Legale Evolve (Strada Maggiore, 10).

Inaugurazione: mercoledì 6 aprile ore 19.00.

Promossa da Goethe-Institut Italien.
Per informazioni: www.hamelin.net/berlino-torino

VA TUTTO OKAY

La provincia scrive, appena evade, diventa bilingue, s’inventa storie, si dà un tono. Sul retro delle cartoline tutto è rimasto intatto. Il collettivo di autoproduzione La Trama ha provato a dare un volto a queste storie in una mostra, Va tutto Okay, in cui Francesca Lanzarini, Alice Milani, Viola Niccolai e Silvia Rocchi, trasformano, da giovedì 7 aprile a venerdì 6 maggio 2016, le stanze di Hamelin (Via Zamboni, 15) in uno spazio di dialogo fra memorie e figure, fra passato e presente, giocando con vecchie cartoline.

Inaugurazione: mercoledì 6 aprile, ore 19.30.

Per informazioni: www.hamelin.net/la-trama

Le altre mostre di LOOK. Germany in BCBF 2016.

– WAS? Das Beste von Allem – Presso Zoo (Strada Maggiore, 50/a) – Inaugurazione lunedì 4 aprile, ore 18.00.

– Nomads – Presso Goethe-Zentrum (Via de’ Marchi, 4) – Inaugurazione martedì 5 aprile, ore 18.30.

– In Diesem Moment/In questo momento – Presso Galleria Stamperia d’Arte Squadro (Via Nazario Sauro, 27/b) – Inaugurazione martedì 5 aprile, ore 19.30.
– Illustra. Racconti notturni 2016 – Presso Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna (Via Belle Arti, 54) – Inaugurazione mercoledì 6 aprile, ore 18.00.

Per informazioni: www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com

CONTENUTI

Tolle Hefte. Libri folli e bellissimi

Investing In Comics and Batman V Superman Box Office

Well, most people I’ve heard from state that Batman v Superman is a mess. I’ve seen a few others state it is “Okay”. Not seen it myself and don’t intend to until it comes out on DVD!

But before we get onto how the movie fared I’d like to discuss something I’ve noticed recently and that is people who are buying comics making blog and video posts on “Comics to Invest in in 2016”.

Okay, from what I’ve seen and read these people do not –do not– know much about comics. They ain’t that bright either. One suggests buying a comic because “There’s an AMC series that seems kinda popular and this comic is based on on that so worth investing in”. Right. The AMC series is based on the comic and the comic is not based on the series. Dumb-ass.

Also, “It’s investable” ….sigh. Thousands of copies printed off. You are in your thirties.

(1) all the other copies would have to be somehow destroyed or there be only about 50 left to make the comic worth anything (unless you are dumb enough to buy into all that dealer crap). Golden Age US comics are worth money because a lot -not all- but a lot were destroyed during that whole American insanity sparked by Frederick Wertham. Fewer copies -see? Also, they had to wait 30-40 years before dealers hooked into them and asking, and getting big bucks.

(2) The fact that you are going to have to wait for all those other copies to be destroyed is against you. But even if they did become an investment you will be in your late 60s to 70s -IF you live that long.

Ignore people who are, I assume, just hoping to “get a name” as someone to listen to. Yes, you can read only the articles telling you how big an investment all these comics are -ignore that they are sponsored by dealers and companies and written by people who are such double-dumb asses that they still think it cool to use headers like “Bam! Pow! Sock!” Yeah, it was cool. Forty years ago.

You need to read the honest articles out there. The ones that tell you to buy and read comics because you enjoy them because, other than that, they are not worth the price you paid for them. Otherwise you are in for a big bad surprise.

Now, that Batman V Superman movie. How bad did it fare at the box office? Read for yourself: NBC News http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/batman-v-superman-shatters-records-170-1-million-debut-n546256

‘Batman v Superman’ Shatters Records With $170.1 Million Debut

by Reuters

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” steamrolled past records, debuting to a gargantuan $170.1 million over Easter weekend despite being pilloried by critics. That ranks as the top opening weekend for a DC Comics film, the best March launch ever, and the sixth biggest domestic opening weekend of all-time.

The earnings are a shot in the arm for Warner Bros., which has been reeling from a series of costly bombs such as “Jupiter Ascending” and “Pan,” and is looking to the Dark Knight and Man of Steel throw down to kick off a series of inter-connected comic book franchises.

Warner Bros. has already announced release dates for sequels and spin-offs for the next five years, with the first of these superhero adventures, “Suicide Squad,” coming out in August.

Image: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg — From left: Actors Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill and Jesse Eisenberg at the London premiere of ‘Batman v Superman.’ Tim Ireland / AP

“This sets us up well,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. distribution executive vice president. “We’re very proud of what we’ve made before in the DC world and what’s coming in front of us is really exciting.”

The studio spared no expense, tapping Ben Affleck to assume Batman’s cape and cowl, bringing back “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder and Superman star Henry Cavill, and shelling out $250 million in production expenses, as well as millions more in promotional razzle dazzle.

The bet appears to have paid off, positioning DC and Warners to have the kind of cinematic universe of costumed heroes and villains that rival Marvel has leveraged to enormous profits.

It also undercuts the influence of top critics. Reviews for “Batman v Superman” were withering — the New York Times’ A.O. Scott said seeing the film is “… about as diverting as having a porcelain sink broken over your head” — but audiences didn’t care. They were kinder to the picture too, giving the film a B CinemaScore grade.

“It’s the fans that speak the loudest,” said Jeff Bock, a box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “It proves how strong these characters are.”

The film’s audience was largely male (66 percent) and crowds tended to be younger, with 63 percent of ticket buyers ranging between the ages of 18 and 34. Imax showings contributed $18 million to the gross, premium large format screens added an estimated $17 million to the earnings, 3D screens were responsible for 40 percent of the opening weekend results, and RealD 3D accounted for an estimated $47 million of the total.

“The filmmakers delivered experientially on something that can best be seen in movie theaters,” said Greg Foster, CEO of Imax Entertainment. “This is not a movie that any one wants to see in a small venue.”
Last weekend’s champ, “Zootopia,” slid to second place, racking up $23.1 million to push the family film’s domestic total to $240.5 million. Globally, the Disney Animation blockbuster has earned $696.7 million, pushing it past the likes of “Tangled,” “Big Hero 6,” and “Ratatouille.”

In third place, Universal scored a counter-programming success with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.” The romantic comedy pulled in female crowds not interested in watching the superhero beatdown, earning a solid $18.1 million from 3,133 locations.

“It’s not so much to do with strategy and positioning as it is just a fun film,” said Nick Carpou, Universal’s distribution chief. “It’s about family and everyone has that experience and can relate to a lot of what’s in the film and the way people care for each other in the story.”

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” is a follow-up to the 2002 box office phenomenon, which grossed $368 million at the global box office. Gold Circle Entertainment, HBO and Playtone produced the sequel for $18 million and brought back original stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.

The weekend was a grim one for Lionsgate, which saw “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” plunge 67 percent in its second weekend, eking out $9.5 million. The film has earned $46.6 million, a disappointing result that puts the studio in an uncomfortable position given that another sequel, “Ascendant,” is currently scheduled to debut in June 2017, when it will face off against heavy hitters such as “World War Z 2” and a reboot of “The Mummy.”

Sony’s “Miracles from Heaven” tied for fourth, earning $9.5 million, and pushing the faith-based drama’s domestic haul to $34.1 million after two weeks.

In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics debuted the Hank Williams drama “I Saw the Light” to $50,464 on five screens, for a per screen average of $10,093, while Bleecker Street’s drone thriller “Eye in the Sky” expanded from 35 theaters to 123 in its third week, earning $1 million and pushing its domestic total to $1.7 million.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE Trailer (2016)

Acting has come in for criticism and and the story-line for being
“meandering” and “not getting to the core of who Batman is”.

Another Bat-flop??

Hooper’s Silver Age Mania! The Return!

I have, as previously noted, completed the run of Marvels West Coast Avengers/Avengers West Coast. I really got into the concept with the original 1984 four issue mini series. And then Marvel decided to make the series ongoing.

The time travel, evil mystical nemeses and much more made this one of my favourites. Hey, I was an Avengers Marvelite from when I was a pudding-basin haircut away from being a member of the Beatles! I’ve mentioned that enough on CBO but, mann, WCA/AWC was good.

Why was it that the WCA or AWC were shut down by the founding Avengers? Well, in an awful script/story -and some AWFUL artwork- that seemed to throw established characterisation and established Avengers history aside, it was because the WCA compound had been attacked and compromised too often.

Now, let’s get this right: the established East Coast Avengers whose mansion had been infiltrated by the Scarlet Centurion, Immortus, Kang, The Masters of Evil (in the classic “Siege” story-line), Ultron -so many times I forget and almost thought he was a permanent Avenger!- by the Vision (before he became an Avenger), by Black Panther before he became an Avenger, by NSA Henry Gyrich, by Man Ape…

Look, you see where I’m going with this?

A team that had been attacked, injured, imprisoned in their mansion HQ -whose mansion HQ had been wrecked and damaged so often (hey -every super hero in the Marvel universe were at Janet Van Dyne and Henry Pym’s wedding but did that stop the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime? Nope) were telling the West Coast team…..

I sat there reading this crappy story and just kept asking out loud: “WTF???!!!”

The story and script were so damned awful that I kept pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t reading comics in a nightmare. Total, awful scheiß haufen.

But it is interesting, when you go through your collection of Marvel Comics, that you notice writing and story-telling as well as art sharply decline at 1990/1991. It’s almost as though it’s a different company. The good writers were still alive. The good artists were still alive. One Sal Buscema or John Buscema book was worth 20 or 30 of the new ones. No comparison really.

And, sadly, The Avengers volume 1 ended with #402. Yes, things had gone down hill. The Wasp had antennae and had become more like a dragonfly! Tony Stark had become a murderer in a misguided attempt to change history -seriously, it was almost as though Marvel wanted to kill their own comic books.

And so The Avengers died until the new Avengers vol. 2 which resulted in 11(?) issues that were so bad they then….died away. That cover might look okay but inside….yeugh. And when I write “Okay” I am being so sarcastic that my mouth is dry as a badgers arsch!

Then Marvel brought in Kurt Busiek and George Perez for volume 3 and things were back to the glory days until, as with the excellent Avengers Forever , Marvel thought “screw this!” and totally killed everything. Yes, the Avengers were back with great stories and art but, Marvel tells us, Busiek moved over for the half-wit that totally buried the Avengers because he didn’t think he was as good a writer. I’ll have a bag of french fries with that horse-shit,please.

Where am I going with this? No idea. But I think my point is that 1990/1991 saw a huge and noticeable decline in Marvel Comics.

So, I have decided to just complete my Silver and Bronze Ages books.

I’ve completed Machine Man -the run started by Jack Kirby- which ran for 19 issues and each one, even after Kirby, is a joy to read.

I’ve also completed my Omega the Unknown series (10 issues) and it was good to finally read the end so many people have talked about. Not a let down!

And I have completed the 1960s-1970s run of The Sub-Mariner….a fantastic series. I just love it and the Sub-Mariner Essentials book covers the classic series from Tales To Astonish. If you are not hip here’s the summary:

Ten years after the last issue of the Golden Age’s Sub-Mariner Comics, the Avenging Son finally claimed a monthly feature in Tales to Astonish, the entire run of which is presented here!

Namor’s on an undersea quest, braving the Seaweed Man, the Demon of the Diamonds, and other oceanic oddities for the power to protect his kingdom from his perennial would-be usurpers: Attuma, Byrrah, and Krang! But even if he reclaims his crown, Puppet Master and the Secret Empire want him as their puppet king!

Plus: Namor learns secrets of his past, but does his future lead only to…Destiny? Guest-starring Daredevil, Iron Man, and the Hulk! Collects Daredevil #7, Tales to Astonish #70-101, Tales of Suspense #80, Iron Man & Sub Mariner #1, and Sub-Mariner #1.

This was when Marvel were still slightly respecting fans and realising they were not all rich! The Essential books filled in a lot of gaps. Then Di$ney (Marvel) crapped on us.

I’ve only a few of the original Defenders series I need to get and, basically, I’ll sort out others I need to complete such as Marvels The Champions featuring Hercules, Ice Man et al. I need a good few of them!

Isn’t it interesting that comic dealers were ripping off comickers by telling them that these were “HOT!!!” why? “Because there is a Sub-Mariner movie on its way!” Now, I went to source and I even posted on CBO warning against falling for this lie. There was NO Sub-Mariner movie planned. People ignored me and….no Sub-Mariner movie.

It would have been nice to see to see issues of the Avengers in black and white from volume 1 #207 on but Marvel, like DC with DC Showcase Presents. have scrapped The Essentials line for higher priced, fewer issues in colour in hardback form. Masterworks.

Yep, sell lots at a lower price or fewer at a higher price and “***** you fans!”

And, no, I’m not going to be ripped off with high prices: UK dealers note that I have bought three Avengers back issues from the US which, even with postage, cost less than one of them at an inflated high price from one of you. You do not want UK buyers trade **** you.

I could be getting very angry but……..

Japan Is A Pariah Nation

As far as I am concerned Japan is now a pariah nation.

I have no sympathies with that country and fuck them.

I suppose they can’t invade and kill like they used to so a highly intelligent species slaughtered in the hundreds gives them their hard-ons.

SHAME ON YOU AS A NATION JAPAN.

FUCK Japan.

Japanese Fleet Kills 333 Whales In The Antarctic

Updated March 25, 20166:29 PM ET Published March 25, 20163:13 PM ET

Kevin Beesley

Workers disembark from a whaling ship at the port of Shimonoseki in western Japan on Thursday.

Jiji Press/AFP/Getty Images

Japan’s whaling fleet has returned to base with the carcasses of 333 minke whales, in apparent violation of a ruling by the International Court of Justice.

Reuters quoted a statement by Japan’s Fisheries Agency that said 103 male and 230 female whales were caught during the fleet’s summer expedition to Antarctic waters. Ninety percent of the mature females were pregnant.

“The number of pregnant females is consistent with previous hunts, indicating that the breeding situation of minke whales in the Antarctic is healthy,” Reuters quoted the agency as saying.

The Australian broadcaster ABC reports that the Japanese government’s Institute of Cetacean Research said the ICR ship Nisshin Maru spent 115 days at sea, 65 of those surveying and slaughtering whales for biopsy sampling and conducting nonlethal satellite beacon experiments and marine water surveys.
Japan has said it conducts this “scientific whaling” strictly for research; however, the meat is sold commercially and government agencies say the ultimate goal is the resumption of commercial whaling.

Commercial whaling was banned by the International Whaling Commission in 1986, although killing whales for scientific research was allowed to continue. However as the Two-Way reported in 2014, the ICJ ordered a halt to all Japanese whaling:

“The court said the research program had generated only two peer-reviewed papers that together refer to nine whales.

” ‘In light of the fact that [Japan’s program] has been going on since 2005 and has involved the killing of about 3,600 minke whales, the scientific output to date appears limited,’ the court wrote in its judgment.

“By a 12-4 vote, the court based in The Hague decided Japan must ‘revoke any extant authorization, permit or license granted in relation to’ its whaling program, ‘and refrain from granting any further permits’ related to it.

“Japanese officials have said the whaling program, called JARPA II, is for research on whales’ age, sexual maturity and pregnancy rates, according to court documents. Some elements of the program were slated to go on for six to 12 years.

“But the court noted that an expert who was called on to testify … said Japan’s program ‘operates in complete isolation’ from other Japanese and international research efforts into Antarctica’s wildlife.”

Japan denies that the latest hunt violated the court’s decision because it was conducted under a new research plan that has yet to be ruled on by the ICJ.

News of the hunt sparked outrage among conservation groups and a political row in Australia, where environmental activist group Sea Shepherd accused the Australian government of doing nothing to protect the whales, some of which it said were killed illegally in the Australian Whale Sanctuary.
Australia’s environment minister, Greg Hunt, told AFP that the Australian government opposes whaling “clearly, absolutely and categorically.”

THIS Book Deserves An Award -Excess: Dave -A Cosmic Oddity

A4
Black & White
Paperback,

106 Pages

Preview

Price: £12.99

Ships in 3–5 business days
http://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-gordon/dave-cosmic-oddity/paperback/product-21852269.html

The biography of Dave Gordon, often called the Uk’s Manara. Detailing Dave’s origins and relationships, this is an insight into one of UK comicdoms creators.

I got this book handed to me by the postman (mailman if you are American) at 1300 hrs and by 1500 hrs I had read it through.

You people out there deciding who gets nominated for an Eagle Award should read this book.

This book should NOT be ignored. If you think “I’ll buy just one Independent book….” then PLEASE make it this.