In Memorium: Dick Giordano

The comics world was saddened again this week by the death of one of the industry's most acclaimed creators, former DC and Charlton Executive Editor Dick Giordano, who passed away on Saturday due to complications from pneumonia. He was 77. For most of today's fans, Giordano is probably best known for his work as an inker. Though he also pencilled many comics over his long...

Read More

Concert Review: Puscifer

On March 15, I had the unique experience of attending a Puscifer show (I hesitate to use the word concert for reasons that will become clear) at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. Puscifer, in case you're not aware, is the most recent project from Tool and A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan, or, as he describes it in one of the video segments that appears...

Read More

Health Care Special: Top Ten Comic Book Doctors

As America buzzes over last night's landmark Health Care Reform Bill vote, our nation's increasingly polarized citizens are dividing into two camps: those who support the bill because they want to have, say, Doc Savage as their primary care physician and those who oppose it because they've fallen under the sway of Doctor Destiny. Or, you know, something like that. I'm not...

Read More

Quest For the F. F. F. : The Conclusion

Welcome back. As those of you have been breathlessly following events here at The Vault know, I recently undertook a quest -- some would say a journey of the soul -- to achieve one of the greatest and rarest honors in comic fandom, Marvel's honorary title of Fearless Front Facer. I began my quest by contacting Marvel editor Tom Brevoort, who informed me that he would need...

Read More

Great Moments: The Boy Comics Amputation Scheme

Welcome to another episode of Great Moments in Comics. For those of you looking for an update on my Quest to earn the title of Fearless Front Facer, there will be an exciting announcement later this week. In the meantime, I thought we'd take a step back and look at one of the forgotten great moments in comics history. Previously we've explored such legendary topics as The...

Read More

Quest for the F. F. F. -- Episode 2

Welcome back to the Quest for the F.F.F., one man's humble effort to achieve the greatest honor in comics, Marvel's honorary title of Fearless Front Facer. If you're one of the millions of readers who have been following me and supporting me ever since I embarked on this quest back in... last week... you'll recall that on Thursday, I began my attempt by contacting Marvel editor...

Read More

The Quest for the F.F.F. Begins!

Back in the 60's, Marvel Comics encouraged fan participation on a level previously unseen in comics, with lettercolumns, fanzines, No-Prizes and more, all set up to foster a sense of community. But perhaps no Marvel creation had a bigger impact on the emerging fan subculture than the MMMS.Yes, the Merry Marvel Marching Society, Marvel's first official fan club, was a watershed...

Read More

Lettercolumn Classics: Tell It to Fury

Hey folks, welcome to the first edition of another semi-regular feature, Lettercolumn Classics. You may recall that yesterday, I announced my quest to earn the coveted title of Fearless Front Facer. I haven't yet heard back from Marvel, but our friends over at Comics Should Be Good were kind enough to give us a shout out, so hopefully Marvel will take notice soon and I'll...

Read More

March Answers From the Vault

Welcome back to another round of Answers From the Vault. Earlier this week I threw open the gates of inquiry and you, my loyal readers, flooded through, cramming my inbox with literally trillions of questions. Most of these I will answer in full through private correspondence, so keep sending me questions, but a select few I have decided to post here for the wider internet...

Read More