If you don’t live in Louisville, you probably think of the Kentucky Derby as a famous horse race that takes place on the first Saturday in May. You don’t have a clue about the rest of what is called the Derby Festival: two weeks of
Since we are now in Derby week proper, that means I have a little extra time, since we get off work early two days this week. I decided to put the time to use by finally finishing my Mixed Bag CD and by doing some long-overdue blogging. (It’s either this or mow the yard…)
First off, some blogiversary wishes! A couple of my favorite blogs recently celebrated milestones. Happy Blogiversary and thanks for all the good reading to Rambling with Roger and belatedly to Comics Worth Reading!
Speaking of CWR, I finally got its link on my sidebar fixed. I also added a couple of blogs a while back, but never mentioned them: Beaucoup Kevin and Various and Sundry. I’m also adding Blockade Boy, Crocodile Caucus, and The Absorbascon today. Good reads, every one of them. I really need to do something about my template.
Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday, proving that nobody in comics has any idea about Derby Day in Louisville. It’s not exactly the best time to be doing any special promotions that don’t involve horses running in circles in this town. On Saturday, no one is going to be interested in comics, free or otherwise. As the day wears on, there are fewer and fewer people out, as those who aren’t at the track start attending Derby parties and cook-outs. By race time, the streets are practically deserted.
It’s kind of a shame, because I’d love to see FCBD do really well here. It’s not practical to try to change the whole system at this point, just for one mid-sized city, but every year I do kind of wish it could fall on another weekend, just once.
My own LCS has compensated in the past by doing Free Comic Book Week, and just giving the things away all week. I’m not sure how effective that’s been for them. Seems to me like it dilutes the impact of the promotion, but they gotta do something. One year, they did get some coverage in the paper. I think Don Rosa (local guy) was a guest there for on FCBD. Not sure what they’ve done this year. I haven’t been to the shop in a while.
Just got tickets to see Doc Watson here in June. I’m really psyched because he’s one of a dwindling number of musical treasures that still remain with us. Years ago, I passed up the chance to see Bill Monroe do a free show in a park a few blocks from our apartment. He died a couple years afterwards. I’ve regretted not going that night ever since.
Since then, I’ve drug Keith to see Jean Ritchie three or four times and insisted that we make time to see Hazel Dickens the year we went to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. I also made sure we got to see Odetta when she was here in January. (And it was an AWESOME show!) I’m not going to pass up the chance to see any more musical legends!
When we missed HSB last year, we missed a chance to see Doc Watson, so I was excited to see him scheduled to come to Louisville. The tickets had been on sale a little while before I was able to order them, so I was pleasantly surprised that I got front row seats!
Speaking of music, first new release I’ve bought this year: Garrison Starr, The Sound of You and Me, which I like a lot! I’m so behind in my musical pursuits! It’s a good CD though. I need to get the Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris disc!
Eddie’s one comic question of the post:
Is there any place online where I can find a copy of Previews every month? Text is fine. I don’t necessarily need the images. I used to rely on CBR for it, but they don't update as regularly as they used to. I don’t want to pay for the thing, and my web searches aren’t turning anything up. I’ve been going to Westfield’s site and using their listings, but they don’t offer everything that’s in Previews. Honestly, I hate the whole pre-ordering thing, but do play the game from time to time to make sure I get what I want to read. Although, honestly, I haven’t placed an order since well before Christmas!
Let’s see….what else? How about some comic book linky-goodness? This is supposedly a comic blog, after all!
Courtesy of Comics Reporter: A book I’d really like to have! This is the kind of stuff about comics I love to read!
Not comics, but still fun: pranking Best Buy (link from Augie).
Courtesy of Bully Says: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about comic book logos. Fun stuff.
From The Absorbascon sometime last week: Robin vs Surrealism. Reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of the TV show!
To quote the esteemed episode guide at 1966 BatFan:
91 - POP GOES THE JOKER
92 - FLOP GOES THE JOKER 3/22/67 3/23/67
Starring Cesar Romero as The Joker
Written by Stanford Sherman. Directed by George Waggner. Joker joins the world of pop art when he disfigures paintings in a gallery with twin guns of spray paint, leading to a plot to steal the Renaissance art collections of imprisoned millionaires, including Bruce Wayne. Robin attmeps a rescue but ends up in a giant rotating mobile of deadly palette knives that will slice apart the Boy Wonder-bread. A fantastic pair of episodes that shows the staff's creativity at colorful lighting and design at its best. Some knowledge of art history will enhance and enjoyment and understanding of some of the less-obvious gags such as Jackson Potluck and Vincent Van Gauche. What knocks a piece of the ear off these episodes is perky overacting by Diana Ivarson as Baby Jane Towser, whose art contest helps launch the winning Joker on a new career as art instructor to the millionaires. BatBits: Dialog coach Milton Stark played several small roles in the series including the second browser in #92, as well as the second zoologist (#72), Mr. Tamber (#76) and Irving Bracken (#89).
Free stuff: Graphic novels from Comic Book Galaxy and comics from Yet Another Comics Blog. I saw some of the First Second gn's at the bookstore last night, and they look really sharp. The production values and book designs are fantastic, and some quick flip-through's tell me the content will be too.
It figures Roger would manage to get his pic snapped with a green-skinned comic character!
And finally, speaking of the Batman TV show, here’s the commercial announcing the introduction of Batgirl in the third season.
"In the guise of a noble, flying rodent and a common backyard bird!"
(I need to learn how to make the fancy links to YouTube like Mike and Dorian do.)
4 comments:
Thanks for the plug! i had a lot of fun rambling on about logos and glad to hear someone else enjoyed it. Great blog you have hear yourself...makes a little stuffed bull jealous. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by, bully. I've been interested in logos and typefaces and such for several years, so it was really fun to read all your posts on the subject.
hey, em, thanks for the kudos.
I go to www.diamondcomics.com for my previews information each month.
Hazel Dickens is amazing. Saw her a couple fo times at the San Fran Stricktly Bluegrass.
Glad to see you post!
Post a Comment