tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.comments2023-06-22T16:19:58.951+01:00No Longer the Borderline Press BlogPhil Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-7872290191925895802023-06-22T13:31:58.248+01:002023-06-22T13:31:58.248+01:00I'm afraid I'm of the opinion that most of...I'm afraid I'm of the opinion that most of the animosity between Kirby and Lee didn't come into being until Roz Kirby decided she wanted to live in California and Jack didn't earn enough, and a lot of the animosity has been continued by their children, who want their cut of what they see as their dues. Ditko always was batshit crazy anyway.<br /><br />I've also never really forgiven Kirby for his mean-spirited assertion that Lee was responsible for Joe Maneely's death. Maneely fell off a train, but Kirby blamed Lee by saying Maneely was so tired due to overwork, etc, that he was responsible for the tragic accident. Had Maneely lived he, and not Kirby, would probably have been Lee's partner in starting Marvel - Maneely was acknowledged as both a quicker and technically better artist than Kirby.<br /><br />Lee was a huckster for sure, but without his salesman and showmanship Marvel probably wouldn't be here today, and one only has to read Kirby and Ditko's post-Marvel output to realise who was (at the very least) dialoguing all the Marvel titles of the time. David Hodsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-52074811786778462112023-06-22T00:24:25.429+01:002023-06-22T00:24:25.429+01:00If you want to look into both side of the story to...If you want to look into both side of the story to a greater degree, I highly recommend the recent Stan Lee biography TRUE BELIEVER from Abraham Riesman as well as the comic biographies of Kirby and Lee by Tom Scioli. Matt Sommernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-72933248506803834082023-06-21T15:46:54.851+01:002023-06-21T15:46:54.851+01:00Very balanced piece, Phil ... though (full disclos...Very balanced piece, Phil ... though (full disclosure) I hold the same views myself. I don't have much time for those rabid "fans" who are bent on tearing Stan down at all costs. I'm reminded of Pauline Kael's attempts to "prove" Orson Welles had nothing to do with the creation of Citizen Kane, and Peter Bogdanovich's succinct dismissal, saying "Orson at least co-wrote the script, he certainly directed it, and even if that weren't true, he was IN it!"AirPiratePresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136561512898563240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-12430412765090315632017-06-13T08:43:47.138+01:002017-06-13T08:43:47.138+01:00Very nice article...its intersting visit naukri ba...Very nice article...its intersting visit naukri batao<a href="https://www.naukribatao.com/tspsc/" rel="nofollow">tspsc </a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08450512178331586772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-56232405971663922752015-10-31T14:57:30.392+00:002015-10-31T14:57:30.392+00:00Good luck Phil!Good luck Phil!thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-63452937368384197172014-11-14T18:39:30.285+00:002014-11-14T18:39:30.285+00:00Quite so. I've always felt there was something...Quite so. I've always felt there was something sinister about the way the story changed from "Jack contributed lots of ideas" to "Stan stole everything and took the credit".thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-63112214689994793752014-05-14T17:17:14.849+01:002014-05-14T17:17:14.849+01:00Apparently the main reason for moving Bristol is t...Apparently the main reason for moving Bristol is that the Shed is being 'improved' into some sort of wanky corporate visitor centre & will thus no longer be available :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-1275389689937010562014-05-14T12:25:12.948+01:002014-05-14T12:25:12.948+01:00Nice post. Based only on seeing your stall at Bris...Nice post. Based only on seeing your stall at Bristol, the ZCS was positioned in the spot my eyes alighted when I glanced at the table. Whereas, Zombre somehow wasn't. I had a prior interest in both, but I picked up the ZCS.<br /><br />Was the stall at the other convention set up the same?<br /><br />Nich Angel from 7String said that he's been doing a lot of testing on table layout, and thinks it has a big effect on what sells and how much. Sam Roadshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10957432460296570323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-7417385264004579922014-05-14T10:02:29.887+01:002014-05-14T10:02:29.887+01:00Mike was there; he must have been gloating inside....Mike was there; he must have been gloating inside...<br />Johnston sent me a message suggesting a Borderline comic con - I'm not sure if he thinks that was what I was inferring in the blog or if he just wants me to go bankrupt again... If I or the company got behind a convention it would probably be NICE or Leicester as they are local. I had an idea to take Caption over, but frankly I haven't got the time to do anything other than attend (and then write scathing reports) ;)Phil Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-54077328496278429652014-05-13T20:35:08.277+01:002014-05-13T20:35:08.277+01:00'fraid to say that Bristol has been pretty shi...'fraid to say that Bristol has been pretty shit since Mike stopped doing it - supposedly last year it went back to the Engine Shed and thus had room to breathe and let people in, but that must've been a crashing financial disaster to resort to the 6th Floor of a hotel (not even the Ramada of times past?). Craig Johnsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-58097713276762451882013-10-18T08:12:48.200+01:002013-10-18T08:12:48.200+01:00I think the next Friday 19th is in February 2016 ....I think the next Friday 19th is in February 2016 . . . why do I fear this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-73179538894822045892013-06-22T00:24:58.976+01:002013-06-22T00:24:58.976+01:00Talk to me, Mr H.Talk to me, Mr H.Phil Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-33946976778074567712013-06-19T17:46:11.178+01:002013-06-19T17:46:11.178+01:00Be afraid. Be very afraid.
No, seriously: best of...Be afraid. Be very afraid.<br /><br />No, seriously: best of luck. Rolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02103804480646939038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-49510929280175680412012-10-07T19:19:25.418+01:002012-10-07T19:19:25.418+01:00Comics are DEAD. They DESERVED it.Comics are DEAD. They DESERVED it.Lizard Seerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07497330695288945161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-31369907312202460002012-05-07T11:13:42.212+01:002012-05-07T11:13:42.212+01:00The irony, Tim, is that I have a perfectly better ...The irony, Tim, is that I have a perfectly better version of the tome, on my PC, edited by my old friend Dave Brzecki, which through a combination of laziness and not enough hours in the day has remained on my PC and gone nowhere else. All of the points you make, I, of course, knew anyhow and abide by them, at times. But I'm an impulsive old git - which was probably the main reason for some of Dez's frustrations with me - and have a minor reputation for producing texts that do nothing to enhance any reputation I might have or had.<br />Oh and I completely agree with you about the title of the 'book'; I had called it boringly The Comic Book Diaries - A Personal History; but one night down the pub, my wife made the joke about periods, the fact that CI came out 13 times a year and that comics were largely a monthly thing. I've never really liked the title, tbh, but it has an ironic truth about it.<br />To answer your other question... If I was an alcoholic, I've switched from whiskey to weak beer. I've also realised that I'm a recreational writer rather than a serious (or ambitious) one and apart from my blog, the majority of my writing has reverted to fiction and I've no allusions about that. <br />It is my intention, despite what has been inferred in the recent Extra Portions bit, to never darken comics tainted door ever again. MMC was supposed to be cathartic, but as I said (in the main body of the above) it didn't work out that way entirely. If I never see my name in print again or associated with comics, it will still be too soon.<br />Anyhow, take care and don't feel bad, I really am my own worst enemy :)Phil Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-79305240987490707952012-05-07T10:07:41.640+01:002012-05-07T10:07:41.640+01:00Aww, Phil, I feel bad now.
But I would say that ...Aww, Phil, I feel bad now. <br /><br />But I would say that if you addressed all my criticisms in the book (which I think you probably did) why didn't you do something about them, and get someone to do a good hard edit on it? Writers are always too close to their own work to judge (myself included) and you need an unattached editor to come at your work with cold eyes. <br /><br />Keep up the writing but I'd try and steer clear of the self-analysis in public from now on. Work it through in other ways. Hope you've put the weed to rest now. While I have nothing against it personally (I've managed to write three books on the subject) I find it's a great debilitation for writers and motivation. The only exception I can think of is Alan Moore, otherwise most people sit on their arses all day thinking "what if?" without actually doing anything. Seen it happen to loads of people. <br /><br />And I am, by no means perfect, and I still vacillate far too much with the best of them. Still, as you say, live and learn - and hopefully we've both still got a lot of both to do yet!TimTruehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11980759779084868041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-72417147608053062992012-05-06T13:07:54.844+01:002012-05-06T13:07:54.844+01:00A final, final comment. I noticed that the entire ...A final, final comment. I noticed that the entire MMC had been reviewed by TimTrue (presumably Pilcher) on his blog. It wasn't a good review; well, it was very well written, it just wasn't very complimentary. But that's fine and the majority of the criticisms were totally justified. No one likes a bad review, but at least I could completely understand where Tim was coming from and I believe it's probably the fairest review I've read.<br />The only thing that upset me about it was the fact that he didn't seem to recognise the fact that I had recognised all of his criticisms at some point. This might have happened during the 6 extra portions or in some minor edits I made after the Kindle version had been released; but I acknowledged a lot of the things he didn't like about it. <br />I suppose, I did the Kindle version more because of the encouragement of friends and family rather than my desire to vanity publish something I was happy just to serialise in a blog and I have, over the last year or so, realised that I won't be doing that again in a hurry. I was really lucky to have worked in a field where I wrote lots, but for all the improvements I've made to myself and my writing in the last ten years; I'm just lazy, ill-disciplined and my faults massively outweigh my abilities. Tim's review made the belief a reality, because he is good at what he does; he worked hard to get where he was and I spent all the time I should have been working, whining about all the injustices I was dealt.<br />Still, we live and learn.Phil Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-49586855978536973242012-04-22T15:05:58.101+01:002012-04-22T15:05:58.101+01:00What's this shit, then?What's this shit, then?Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317873880417708319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-59835662741454558472012-03-27T15:22:57.822+01:002012-03-27T15:22:57.822+01:00Came across this doing a search for comic shops in...Came across this doing a search for comic shops in Northampton (what *was* the one called on Lime Avenue in Abington in the early 90s???) and as a regular at Close Encounters I feel some of Matthew's comments are a little unfair.<br /><br />Obviously I can't comment on the e-mail(s) you sent but Jeff has always been quick to respond to any queries I may have had, by text, Facebook or by e-mail. Possibly he didn't get your mail or overlooked it in error. A telephone call would have put that to bed.<br /><br />The state of the shop is always in flux. However, the window display always looks to be attractive and diverse (though if I had a pound for everyone who asked if the Freddy Krueger glove had real knives I'd be rich - I can only imagine how bad it must be to work there!), but doesn't always hit the mark. Jeff is a man with his tongue firmly in his cheek and it's possible that the shiny covers were an in-joke. He hates the 90s as much as the rest of us.<br /><br />I do take issue with Matthew's bewilderment at the amount of TPBs on the shelves - I wonder if he'd say the same to Page45, or complain at how many CDs & DVDs HMV have on their racks? TPBs, like it or not, are the way most "normal" people read comics these days. I like a shop with a solid stock of these, and would much prefer it over space given to back issues. Indeed, find me a modern comic shop that even *has* back issues these days! There's a balance to be struck, but I think it's about right in Northampton.<br /><br />Lastly, Phil, your position on illegal downloads is honest, but really doesn't require the justification you give it. I "steal" comics by reading them online, but I also spend money in shops. Enough people do the same, at least at the moment, for a business like Close Encounters, done right (and in a town big enough to support it), to make money quite easily.Alannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-59776986911109216932012-03-18T17:06:40.525+00:002012-03-18T17:06:40.525+00:00Oh never mind. I don't know what I did differe...Oh never mind. I don't know what I did differently but I got the Wayback Machine working this time. Happy as Larry the Happy Chappy.Andy Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06244721854075483089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-72427610227156180772012-03-18T17:00:21.300+00:002012-03-18T17:00:21.300+00:00You looked at your Comics Village columns and the ...You looked at your Comics Village columns and the comments recently? I'm pretty gnarled with the lads not informing me the site was coming down and the contents scooped out. Any suggestions on how I might retrieve my work? A year of very good material. Hope it's getting better.Andy Lukehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06244721854075483089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-65203596604020258432012-03-10T00:35:29.094+00:002012-03-10T00:35:29.094+00:00I dumped my entire CI collection in the paper recy...I dumped my entire CI collection in the paper recycling bin last October. I'm sure you'll be strangely gratified knowing your years of hard work will be packaging eggs or being the infamous brown paper wrappers in the near future.Lizard Seerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07497330695288945161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-30716746068047784972012-03-05T18:26:19.069+00:002012-03-05T18:26:19.069+00:00Annie Nocenti's back.
Marshall Rogers couldn&...Annie Nocenti's back.<br /><br />Marshall Rogers couldn't draw to save his life, even if he had one anymore. <br /><br />DC and jumping-off points: they seem determined to keep offering the chance to walk away; August 2011 was a pretty big one.<br /><br />If you've binned your copy of Big Change and want a replacement, bell me. <br /><br />Oh, and well done for including We3, no matter how much love it gets that book remains underrated. <br /><br />Omwards!Martin Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418302788172359916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-72310121057889807102012-02-23T19:07:41.062+00:002012-02-23T19:07:41.062+00:00@Ben: you could always read http://farkynell2.blog...@Ben: you could always read http://farkynell2.blogspot.com/ which is my personal blog. But that tends to be very self-indulgent at times and blathers on about my life.<br />As for recommendations and the like... eek! I haven't read a new comic (apart from the odd Buffy and most of the Walking Depressed, um, I mean Dead) in a loooong time and a lot of the stuff I could recommend from bygone eras could effectively be governed by my memory of said comics, as I no longer possess much more than a couple of dozen.<br />Yeah, my background is extensive, but I don't know half of the people in comics now (and vice versa); I don't even know what's going on to comment on it.<br />@Matthew: you were mentally 65 when I first met you; I see nothing has changed to change my mind :p<br />@Monty: I've never been able to figure out how come you don't do a blog or something; as much as it pains me to say, you are quite a talented writer :* and you don't find many people as wantonly opinionated as you are! Do a guest column for me; write about London's dwindling comics shops; spread false rumours about GOSH being a children's hospital and not really a comic shop...Phil Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12680058800847509275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166204050275914735.post-767180033458622622012-02-23T09:48:54.523+00:002012-02-23T09:48:54.523+00:00I'd be happy to keep reading any new posts, wh...I'd be happy to keep reading any new posts, whatever the topic may be. I would be particularly interested if you have any recommendations for Euro comics or anything that might shine a bit of light on some lesser know gems. Even stuff on current or more mainstream books that pique your interest or commentary on goings in the industry, given your background.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06306722954151185387noreply@blogger.com