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A Hero Without a Name

A brief history of Shazam, the original Captain Marvel

In the early days of superhero comics, when Superman, the world’s first superhero, was still leaping “over tall buildings in a single bound,” there was one hero who managed to capture the public’s imagination and fly. By reciting a magical word made up of the gods, Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, a young orphan named Billy was able to transform into the world’s mightiest mortal. His name was Captain Marvel and, at his height, his comic book adventures sold 14 million issues a month, outshining even Superman. The Captain Marvel phenomenon would end up, not only capturing imaginations of millions but also ignite a series of lawsuits which would eventually lead to our hero losing his name… not that this was the first time it had happened.

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10 Questions with Victor Dandridge

Victor Dandridge Jr. created Vantage:Inhouse Productions in 2011. Since then, he’s created a list of thought provoking and engaging properties including “The Samaritan,” “Origins Unknown,” “The Trouble w/Love,” as well as the novella series, “8 Mins.” and the writer for the all ages friendly “Wonder Care Presents: The Kinder Guardians.” Vantage:Inhouse Productions is also aiming to educate, encourage, and inspire future creators through its U Cre-8 Comics brand, an education-based line of products and programming designed to bridge comics with classroom fundamentals. As if that wasn’t enough, Victor freelances as host/moderator at comic and pop-culture conventions meeting celebrities of all varieties. He also hosts a youtube channel where he critiques comics with Comic Town Owner, Ryan Seymore, called “Black, White, and Read All Over.” Did we mention he also has a fiancé and five kids?

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They Called Us Enemy

When studying World War II in high school, I vaguely remember brief mentions of Japanese internment camps, but it was never really more than a footnote in a larger discussion of America’s history. With that tragic oversight in mind, I am glad we have the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy. The book is an insightful look at the events of WWII from someone whose experience was different than those of the people who were in power and those who fought on the front lines.

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Fury in the Skies

A Brief History of Tarpé Mills and Miss Fury

High above the clouds, a B24 bomber flies over the hills of Germany streaked across the nose is a woman, brunette hair flowing behind her and the words “Miss Fury” written above. This is not a one-off occurrence in World War II, a number of bomber noses are adorned with this woman of mystery. The woman chosen to strike fear into the hearts of the Axis power was, in fact, the first major female comic adventurer to see the printed page, beating Wonder Woman to the presses by over six months. Her name was Miss Fury and, while her likeness was soaring above the clouds, her adventures were being published in newspapers around the world.

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Bone: Out from Boneville

I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to get to Jeff Smith’s epic, Bone. If you grew up patroning comic stores in the 90’s, like I did, you are probably already familiar with the artwork of Bone. I remember seeing issues and posters of the little bald white cartoon characters set against a fantasy world backdrop on the shelves and walls of my local comic shop. Maybe I was more prone to seeing Smith’s work, growing up in Columbus, Ohio, as that is where he works and resides to this day. But regardless of where you reside, Bone has become an international hit and independent comic book success story.

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Spotlight on All-Ages Creators: Nick Dutro and Patrick Lay

Patrick Lay is a cartoonist from northwest Ohio. His comics are teen and all-ages stories about our relationships with each other and the ups and downs of a wild world. He earned a B.S.F.A in Oil Painting from Valparaiso University and recently earned an MFA in Comics from the California College of the Arts. Nick Dutro works in economic development in northwest Ohio and formerly was a reporter and editor at a daily newspaper. He graduated from Ohio Northern University with a degree in journalism. He lives with his wife and two daughters. Continue reading “Spotlight on All-Ages Creators: Nick Dutro and Patrick Lay”

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A Look at Fantasy Comics

The fantasy genre can trace its origins all the way back to the very beginnings of literature when stories were rooted in folklore and mythology. It’s had a particular attraction to people through the centuries, but experienced a kind of renaissance in the 1930’s thanks to authors such J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Since then, the genre has become a staple of our modern pop culture.

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10 Questions with Rafael Rosado

Rafael Rosado has had a long career working on some familiar properties. The Boondocks, The Avengers, Teen Titans, The Venture Brothers, and Animaniacs are just a few of the many credits to his name. On top of being a talented storyboard artist and animator, he and his writing partner, Jorge Aguirre, have created a three part all-ages graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette including Giants Beware!, Dragons Beware!, and Monsters Beware! Originally born in Puerto Rico, Rafeal is now based in Columbus.

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Nimona

Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson was originally published as a webcomic on Tumblr in 2012 as part of Stevenson’s senior thesis. HarperCollins would go on to publish the graphic novel in 2015. It has since gone on to be recognized for several awards, including being a National Book Awards finalist and an Eisner Award nominee for Best Digital/Web Comic.

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