Friday, October 16, 2015

New York Comic Con 2015: Day Four and Final: The Mighty Quinn!


Sunday saw an IDW “kids comics” panel, featuring Disney comics editor Sarah Gaydos, artist Derek Charm, and others.  Turtles and Ponies tended to dominate.  But there was a least a little love for Disney. 



My favorite moment of the con, to digress, was autographing (along with David) a copy of the first UNCLE SCROOGE Trade Paperback for a mother and son!  



Also did the same on Day One, for a young lady dressed as Jose Carioca!  Though that was the DONALD DUCK Trade Paperback, in which none of my work appeared.  Still honored to do so.  

Before the panel I saw this comic for sale at cover price.  I had to get it. 


Captain Strong was the “Popeye Tribute Character” who appeared in various Superman comics in the ‘70s and '80s, such as the one directly below, that the Harley cover tributes, and this later one. 


On line for the panel, I discovered that the Captain Strong story was (surprise, surprise) concluded in the next issue – so I got that one as well.  And, because I enjoyed the HARLEY QUINN ROAD TRIP SPECIAL the day before (I TOLD YOU to remember this!), snagged a few other HARLEY QUINN issues at cover price. 


Before the afternoon was over, I had all 20 issues of the current HARLEY QUINN series, the ZERO issue and a few more specials.  I’ve always loved the character – and now that my tastes in current DC Comics series has shifted almost completely toward the humorous ones – and away from the ever-changing, continuity-heavy ones – this was a natural. 


I read and thoroughly enjoyed the ZERO issue, and am presently in the beginning of the # 1 issue.  I've just added HARLEY QUINN to my regular comic shop reserve list.  After all, something’s gotta replace the tragic loss of BATMAN ’66


Hey, Harley's even HERE in 1966! 

Oh, and there must be some serious fan-buzz going on with Harley and Poison Ivy, because I saw this very recent comic selling for as much as 20 bucks!  Glad I got mine at cover price, as a regular SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP reserve customer! 



Traveled home and had an early dinner with David Gerstein and Jonathan Gray – and so endeth New York Comic Con 2015!  



9 comments:

Sérgio Gonçalves said...

I dig the Captain Strong-Harley Quinn cover. I love seeing tributes to older comics, that only true geeks (such as I am fast becoming) can truly appreciate! Though I must say, I don't get the "What the hell is a phone booth?" line. I suppose it's a joke about how technology changes and how kids today don't know about a lot of older, once commonplace technology. But how does Harley Quinn not know what a phone booth is? I mean, she's IN one... Is she that dim-witted? (I'm not at all familiar with her character. I vaguely recall Harley Quinn in "Batman: The Animated Series," and that's the only exposure I've had to Harley Quinn.) Granted, a lot of gags in comics and cartoons don't make logical sense if you stop and think about them (not that they're supposed to make sense). This is especially true of plot devices. Having said that, this gag seems exceptionally weak to me. It'd have been better to not have Harley saying anything! But then, I haven't read this story, so maybe I'm missing something?

Joe Torcivia said...

Sergio:

First, congratulations on “fast becoming a true geek”, and we look forward to the day when you fully catch up with the rest of us around here! :-)

I think you’ve got the right read on the Harley Quinn “phone booth gag” – that being, especially in this age of cell phones and the amazing array of personal communication devices that are commonplace, an old school “phone booth” (though certainly iconic) is not an instantly recognizable sight in “real life” anymore.

This notion goes at least as far back as that magnificent scene in the first Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve in 1978, when Clark Kent (per the audience’s expectations) is ready to change to Superman and we see that public telephones have become “open air”, rather than a personal “booth” enclosure.

The fact that the original ACTION COMICS cover, that HARLEY QUINN # 18 tributes, dates (at least marginally) to a time when the notion of Superman changing inside a phone booth was still a widely accepted character image and convention makes the parody that much sweeter.

I’ve not yet read the story yet myself. As I’ve collected all the issues over that last day of the convention, I’d prefer to read them in strict order – and, given my busy schedule, that could take some time – so I can’t say if the cover gag has any bearing on the story inside. But, I’d tend to think it was simply a clever “tribute for tribute’s sake”!

Chuck Munson said...

Sometime back daughter Kathryn started watching the Batman animated series (I told her that my friend Joe would be pleased!) and whichever episode(s) Harley Quinn showed up became her immediate favorites. So perhaps when we see one another we can explore the fascination with HQ in the mind of at least one newly minted teen!

Joe Torcivia said...

Chuck:

I would warn you that, being a “modern mainstream DC comic” (whatever that may mean today) would suggest that this particular incarnation of HARLEY QUINN may not necessarily be suitable for the “youngest among us”. You, of course, would be the best arbiter of what is suitable for Kathryn, but issue # 1 had some scenes that felt as if they were out of some sort of “Best of Lobo Retrospective” on its first seven pages – and the “Road Trip Special” goes to some places best visited only by adults.

For whatever this might mean – both the current issue of HARLEY QUINN and the “Road Trip Special” are rated “T+” (Teen Plus) on their respective covers.

Best you share the IDW Disney comics first, then decide where to go next. Just some advice from an old friend!

Ryan said...

Joe, Look at you! Signing autographs for kids and cosplayers alike! Yo, Joe your really moving up in the world, you know that? I think you're now an offical "y list celebrity" (one level above no fame at all). ;)

Elaine said...

Chuck, for a "newly minted teen" who likes superheroes and humor, you can't do any better than The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: very, very funny, smart funny, and all-ages-appropriate but not at all "kiddie"--loved by many adults. She's a college student in computer science when she's not defeating yet another supervillain, with the help of her squirrel powers, her squirrel friends, her human friends and her own empathy and smarts. Another great teen girl superhero is the new Ms Marvel, Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager in New Jersey. It's been a runaway hit for a good reason: really good writing and engaging art. And you do NOT have to be informed about the whole blinkin' Marvel Universe to follow it. Both of these are free of the sexy stuff you'll find in Harley Quinn. If you're lucky, you might be able to find the initial TPBs of either of these in your friendly neighborhood library, so your daughter can try them out before investing.

Joe Torcivia said...

Clapton:

Thanks… I think!

If there’s one thing that makes me feel even better than the reactions my work draws on this Blog (…and thank ALL of you for that!), it’s being asked to autograph a comic for someone who really enjoys it!

That was the best part of the whole con experience for me! Just to create that kind of positive feeling in someone over these comics!

Joe Torcivia said...

Elaine and Chuck:

As uncharacteristic as it may seem for me to, under any circumstances, recommend a Marvel product over a DC, I must enthusiastically second Elaine’s recommendation of “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl”!

Elaine was quite the convincing spokesperson for the title one recent Sunday afternoon at NYC’s Midtown Comics, and I’m glad I didn’t let my memories of the arrogant and obnoxious Marvel of the ‘90s close my ears to her words.

From what I’ve read of the first trade paperback collection, this would be a perfect title to share with Kathryn… as long as you surround it with IDW Disneys of course! …Gotta promote the titles I work for after all!

As I’ve discussed elsewhere with Elaine, efforts such as this and the “new Ms. Marvel” she also mentions, where things I could never imagine occurring under the “distasteful Marvel regime” that completely lost me to DC – and, I feel, must be the influence of Disney taking over. And, if so, then hooray for Disney!

Ryan said...

Your Welcome :)