Editorials (263)
Much like one of his greatest creations, much like myself, and much like many others who held issues of Spider-Man in their hands as children, Stan Martin Lieber came from very humble beginnings. In a way, that’s precisely why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest comic book creators that ever lived. He took the unstoppable - the unbeatable - and made them relatable and flawed. He gave his characters with the same kind of humble beginnings and human characteristics that he undoubtedly lived through, just like any of us dealt with. He brought his insecurities to the page. Before Stan Lee left his stamp on the comic book industry, everyone looked up to heroes, but Lee made everyone feel like they could be heroes, too, simply by dealing with the “every day.”
Mark your calendars, because Halloween ComicFest is back for its seventh year this Saturday, October 27! Like Free Comic Book Day (held the first Saturday of May), this annual event provides an opportunity to introduce friends and family to the wonderful world of comics! Participating local comic book shops around the country and beyond our shores will be giving away free comics from major publishers such as DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, IDW, and others.
It was ten years ago today that the animated cartoon, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, premiered on the Cartoon Network. The series followed on the heels of an animated film by the same name that had been released in August, 2008. Spanning six seasons, the TV series was set during the prequel films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and conveyed events that took place in the Star Wars universe during a three-year period of time that was not portrayed in the films. The show has the distinction of becoming the most watched series premiere in the history of Cartoon Network and was nominated (and won) several awards; however, news of cancellation was not well received by fans of the series, and the last episode became available on Netflix on March 7, 2014. Fortunately, at this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, fans rejoiced when Lucasfilm announced that the series would return with 12 episodes which will be released on Disney’s streaming channel in 2019.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated series created by George Lucas and supervised under the leadership of Dave Filoni (Avatar: The Last Airbender). While there are many amazing accomplishments and meaningful additions to the Star Wars mythology that come from The Clone Wars series, for many fans (myself included), the greatest gift the animated show has offered are the various ways that Lucas and Filoni's series filled out, patched up, and, frankly, improved upon the much-derided Star Wars prequel films. Below are several of the most important and impactful ways the prequels retroactively benefited from the existence of The Clone Wars series.
A little film premiered on October 1, 1968, which told the story of seven people who barricaded themselves in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania one night. Night of the Living Dead was George A. Romero’s first feature-length film after having shot short films, TV commercials, and even a segment for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Romero directed, photographed, edited, and co-wrote the film on a budget of $114,000. It became a cult classic, spawning a number of sequels and remakes; however, it also revolutionized the horror genre, as well as redefined the concept of the zombie. Now fifty years strong, Fanbase Press commemorates the 50th anniversary of Night of the Living Dead with this special editorial essay from horror writer/scholar Dr. Kevin Wetmore. – Ed.
O golden-tongued action film with serene lute!
Fair plumed T’challa! King of far away! (Wakanda Forever!)
Leave melodizing on this summer day,
Shut up thine director’s commentary, and be mute:
Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,
Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay
Must I burn through; once more humbly assay
The bitter-sweet of this Whedonesque fruit.
Thanos! and ye Guardians of the Galaxy,
Begetters of our deep eternal theme,
When through the Marvel Cinematic Universe I am gone,
Let me not wander in a barren dream,
But when I am consumed in the fire,
Give me new some infinity stones and an Iron Man suit
to fly at my desire.
The 10th anniversary for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) animated film is here, and it’s quite easy to wrap up my experience of watching it recently for the first time.
Comic book publisher Oni Press will soon release an all-new color edition of the beloved all-ages fantasy/humor book, Banana Sunday, to be released on October 24. Writer Paul Tobin and artist Colleen Coover have teamed up with colorist Rian Sygh to bring this collection to vibrant life with a brand-new introduction by Tobin and previously uncollected art from Coover! The publisher has been very generous to the Fanbase Press staff, as we are now able to share an advance preview!
Here at Fanbase Press, we have eagerly followed the success of Action Lab's hard-boiled crime drama series, Spencer & Locke, since its announcement in October 2016. Written by David Pepose and illustrated by Jorge Santiago, Jr. Spencer & Locke follows Detective Locke, who returns to the scene of his horrific upbringing when his grade-school sweetheart, Sophie Jenkins, is found dead in a lonesome back alley. But when Locke’s investigation dredges up menacing figures from his traumatic past, there’s only one person he can trust to help him close the case — his childhood imaginary panther, Spencer. The series tackles noir, drama, and mental health issues with a deft and thoughtful hand, as is outlined in Fanbase Press' recent installment in the Fundamental Comics series. Today, Action Lab has announced the continuation of the series with Spencer & Locke 2 with an SDCC 2018 exclusive issue planned for next week. The full press release from Action Lab's announcement is listed below, and we, at Fanbase Press, eagerly anticipate the new issues!
Last week saw the release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the second film in the Jurassic Park sequel trilogy being overseen by director/producer Colin Trevorrow. The Jurassic World films have impressed many and disappointed others, but what some Jurassic fans might not be aware of is that the very first “sequels” to Spielberg’s modern classic were actually in the form of several comic book series published by the now-defunct Topps Comics between 1993-1997. Featuring acclaimed and iconic comic talent from the likes of Steve Englehart, Michael Golden, Adam Hughes, John Byrne, George Pérez, and more, these comic books took the story in many unexpected directions. These stories from the world of Jurassic Park are an untapped resource for adaptation to other mediums, and below are the top five lessons the new films could learn from these forgotten ancestors of the franchise.
