HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: marks@castle.ed.ac.uk (Mark Steyn)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Location of the StarBrand (Spoilers for Quasar 40)
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:20:03 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: Edinburgh University

Don't look!

















Sorry about that - I've never gotten the hang of the ^L thingi

Anyway back to Quasar issue 40.

The StarBrand is back and Kayla has it!  I shouldn't be surprised really
- it was kind of obvious when you think about what has been happening to
her recently.

Hmm.  Does this mean we're going to get an interesting love triangle as
Kayla and Her, oops Kismet (interesting name) fight to see who will
accompany Quasar around the galaxy?  All we need now is the return of
MoonDragon :-)

	Mark

-- 
? As long as the youngest child is free to dream,  ? Mark Steyn :          ?
? In the forest that we call imagination,          ? marks@castle.ed.ac.uk ?
? There shall always be a Unicorn.                 ? mpjs@dcs.ed.ac.uk     ?
?              Knowledge is no virtue and Innocence no vice                ?
From: nova@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Jennifer Baughman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: % made on comic books
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:30:29 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

Think of a comic as more analogous to the Sunday paper.  For one, it's in
color.  Also, DC & Marvel have to pay their artists, their colorists, their 
inkers, their writers, their letterers, their editors, their plotters, their
scriptors, and their support staff.  So no, I don't really think it's price-
gouging.

Jennifer
From: tyg@dip.eecs.umich.edu (Tom Galloway)
Subject: Re: % made on comic books
Organization: Interleaf
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 03:23:47 GMT

In article <92254.222849JVI100@psuvm.psu.edu> <JVI100@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>        For example, take DC's Batman at $1.25. I know that the Philadelphia
>  Inquirer sells at $.35 a copy, and Batman probably has the same circulation
>  as the Phil Inq. I know that the Inq. doesn't sell at a loss, so it costs
>  them less than $.35 a copy to make, and there is much more paper and people
>  to pay for each copy of the Phil Inq than DC does for each Batman book. So
>  if we say that each copy of Batman costs $.25 to produce, there is an entire
>  $1.00 unaccounted for for each copy sold. if DC splits that $1.00 profit
>  50/50 with the comic shop selling it(and they probably don't), and they sell
>  50,000 copies of Batman, DC is making about 25,000 a month off just that one

Let's see...first off, the Inquirer's circulation is a lot higher than
50,000. Batman's probably in the 100-150K range on average, although it's
hard to tell since DC no longer has to publish circulation figures. According
to the World Almanac, the Inquirer's is about 500K daily, 1,000,000 on
Sunday. Definitely higher than any regular comic by at least a 100,000.

Next up, take a closer look at that Inquirer. Notice all those ads? That's
where the money comes from. The price of the newspaper may pay for the paper
and ink, but that's about it.

Also, note that the paper is a cheaper grade than comics paper these days.
Further, note the glossy cover on the comic. More expensive paper. Note
the color printing on every page of the comic. More expensive printing.

Also, note that there are 30 or so Inquirers for every issue of Batman.
Means you can get away with a smaller profit margin and still make a lot
more money on the paper.

If I recall directly, DC sells books to distributors at roughly 45% of
cover price. That knocks it down to .5625 to DC per issue. Not that much
more than that Inquirer.

"I'm talking about the recently completed 1988 Presidental Election Campaign
From Hell.  The news people all claim it's over, but what if it's a trick?
What if it's like the movie "Fatal Attraction," where just when you think Glenn
Close is safely dead, she comes swooping up out of the bathtub?" --Dave Barry
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: Alexx@world.std.com (Alexx S Kay)
Subject: Re: Grendel: Warchild #2
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 20:23:36 GMT

rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu (Michael Rawdon) writes:
[...]
>I was wondering why Laurel Assante was so irritated at the revelation of a
>"Athena Project" in #2.  Presumably it refers to Jupiter in some way, but
>what?  Apparently, she knows.  (Another - more remote - possibility is that
>Orion had himself cloned; perhaps the Grendel is this clone?)

I think the key here is the "born directly from Zeus without any need for a
mother" bit.  Laurel and her security chief apparently suspect that the nature
of this plan is to put Jupiter's development into the hands of Orion (well,
a pre-planned surrogate), and remove him from Laurel's influence.

Alexx

Alexx@world.std.com
On Persona, and the Differences to One's Mundane Being:
"If I'm wearing glasses, I'm David. If I'm not wearing glasses and am
 awake, I am probably Cariadoc. Cariadoc lives in a different world
 than David. Fuzzier."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: carterk@cgsvax.claremont.edu
Subject: Character Control (was Re: Spawn + WRITERS)
Organization: The Claremont Graduate School
Date: 15 Sep 92 10:07:06 PST

In article <716364081.1@selene.FidoNet.Org>, Ed.Almasy@f99.n121.z1.FidoNet.Org (Ed Almasy) writes:
> 
> The latest tidbit from a Fairly Reliable source (who will not be named but
> who most of you have heard of):
> 
> Spawn #8 (Image)
>     Writer:  Alan Moore
> Spawn #9 (Image)
>     Writer:  Neil Gaiman
> Spawn #10 (Image)
>     Writer:  Dave Sim
> Spawn #11 (Image)
>     Writer:  Frank Miller
> 

Doesn't it seem odd that a company that was founded, in part, to allow the
creators complete rights and control over their characters is already (or,
actually, I should say Todd McFarlane is already) going to outside writers to
"take control" of his character? From what I've read of Spawn, it seems that
McFarlane has an overall story arc and part of that is learning the rules of
the character that he created. Where does all that go if he so soon lets out
characters to other writers. Now, I'm not saying anything about the choice of
writers, all of whom are the top of their class, I'm just surprised by the use
of new writers at all. I'm also not commenting on the value/lack thereof of
McFarlane's writing, so let's not let this devolve into a "who is a better
writer" thread...

Reminds me of all those comics whose artist leaves after seven issues. Of
course, at Image, it would be the writer who does so.

-----
Douglass Barre -- carterk@cgsvax.claremont.edu
From: ss@wpi.WPI.EDU (Scott Streeter)
Subject: Re: FLASH pilot availability (video)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 12:48:09 GMT

>>>>> On Tuesday, 8 Sep 1992 00:44:53 CST, Steve W Hill <SHILL@HARPERVM.BITNET> said:

SHILL> I've seen the FLASH pilot for sale on laserdisc, and a friend said he
SHILL> saw it available for rental at Blockbuster.  What I want to know is,
SHILL> what's the tape's retail price?  I'd like to buy it, but not if it's
SHILL> a $99.95 tape.

The laser disc was like $30.00

--
                        Scott Streeter
                        ss@wpi.wpi.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: draphsor@deathstar.Stanford.EDU (Matt Rollefson)
Subject: Re: Classic STAR WARS
Summary: Yes, #1 is out.
Organization: Residential Computing, Stanford University
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 21:57:04 GMT

In rec.arts.comics.misc wplogan@ocf.berkeley.edu (William P. Logan) writes:
>I've been away for a while, so can anyone tell me if the _CLASSIC_
>Star Wars books ever came out (I already have the Dark Empire
>series currently out).

I saw issue #1 in my comic shop just yesterday. Haven't had a chance
to take a look at it yet to see what it's like, but it's there.

Rollie
--
Draphsor vo'drun-Aelf                   draphsor@deathstar.stanford.edu
Residential Computing, Stanford University	NeXTmail accepted
From: sl859@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Vampirism in Marvel??
Date: 10 Sep 92 23:47:21 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

Hi  all, anyone the scoop on how the vampires in the marvel Universe
bit the dust???  I have two conflicting opinions here and dont want to
look in my old comix...  They're in the attic...  Anyone, Anyone, Anyone.

CASE #1:
>In Marvel Comics Vampirism was a result of an evil cult.  Sort of a magic
>spiritual perversion.  Dr. Strange destroyed all vampires when he destroyed
>the Darkholm, a book of ultimate evil magic. 

CASE #2: 
>	Just curious-
>	I thought it was the Montesi formula that destroyed almost all
>	the vampires- wasn't his brother a vampire that existed past
>	the Montesi formula? I used to read Strange and was curious more
>	than anything...

						wReam...
					     Ultimate Ninja!

P.S.  Hey! Anyone out there see the new baby doll for kids???
THIS IS NO JOKE:  MAGIC POTTY BABY!  It comes with its own potty.
How do I know this you ask?!  Little Bothers who love those Afternoon
Cartoons!  (I admit I had to take a peek at BatMan, not all that 
bad, says I!)  Anyway, I was commenting on the way toys are going...
I cringe to think of the future... Collicky Baby Upchuck!
Oopsy Patty Poopoo!  Or Hershey Squirtin Kid???  I bring up such
rivetting comic subjects, don't I???
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: birmingh@fnalo.fnal.gov (Phillip J. Birmingham)
Subject: Re: Cerebus #161
Organization: Huh?
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 20:35:12 GMT
X-Posted-From: fnalo.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1992Sep8.122210.6556@iscsvax.uni.edu>, rezabek1037@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
> In article <1992Sep7.001054.306@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, aoki@eden.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Bishonen Senshi Sailor Paul) writes:
>> birmingh@fnalo.fnal.gov (Phillip J. Birmingham) writes:
>>>         One short question: Who's the guy in the bar who sounds like
>>>    Yosemite Sam?
>> 
>> "Yosemite Sam"?  You talking about Dirty Fleagle McGrew and his baby
>> brother, Dirty Drew?  (They first appeared early in HIGH SOCIETY.)
> 
> hey, could he also (or either) be talking about Elrod?
> rez

         Naw, it's the McGrew brothers. Elrod, I recognize; he sounds like
    Foghorn Leghorn. (Am I the only one who thinks the McGrew brothers
    sound like Yosemite Sam? And if not, what other Warner Brothers
    characters do you hear in Cerebus?)

-- 
 Phillip J. Birmingham   birmingh@fnal.fnal.gov  
 I don't speak for Fermilab, although my mouth is probably big enough...
From: jogle@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Jim Ogle (Ks. Jim))
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Starman
Date: 12 Sep 92 00:52:00 GMT
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM

In article <mumble> shannon@cadse.enet.dec.com (Mike Shannon) writes:
>
>Before I get started on this, a form feed, in case you have not 
>read eclipso #2
>

>
>Okay,
>I can't believe they killed starman. Of all the characters, that had the 
>most potential, why did they kill him?
>He easily could have become a major player in the DC universe.

Actually, several years ago when the DC Heroes RPG (2nd edition) came
out, Starman was identified as a new "major player in the DC
Universe".  My guess is whatever they had planned for Starman just
never came about.

>I am pissed.
>anyone have any ideas if this is a permanent situation?

Well, anything is possible.  After all, Eclipso is going to be back
(in his own book) in just a month or so.  They'll probably hold off on
Starman for a while before "reintegrating his energy patterns" or
somesuch comic-book physics to bring him back.

Heck, once they close the books on the JSA (since they have their own
Starman) they'll probably start leading up to it....

-- 
Kansas Jim (Jim Ogle, TORG guru)
jogle@aoc.nrao.edu (NRAO-VLBA, Socorro New Mexico)
"I'd be apathetic if I cared."
From: conty@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (OtakuRoach)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Marvel Bashing, if you please!
Date: 9 Sep 92 19:51:03 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories

In article <92253.102258U16244@uicvm.uic.edu>, <U16244@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
> Well, I've discoverred a certain attitude that isn't helping Marvel
> or any comics company really.  It's called "I refuse to sponsor the quality
> stuff that's put out because those bastards put out such crap otherwise."

Or "reverse Zombies", for short.  "I must not buy it because it's a Marvel..."

-- 
			    E n r i q u e  C o n t y
			The Incredible Man-with-no-Life
			      jester@ihlpl.att.com
		    Disclaimer: You're not dealing with AT&T
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,rec.arts.comics,rec.arts.tv
From: wmorgan@stsci.edu (Windsor A. Morgan)
Subject: Batman Cartoon Info Wanted
Followup-To: misc.test
Originator: wmorgan@nemesis.stsci.edu
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 16:43:00 GMT



If anybody has any posted information on the new Batman animated
series, please email it to me.  I saw it posted a few weeks ago and
failed to save it.  I will repost it once I get a copy, so please
don't post it yourself.  Thank you.

-- 
'Verily, there be no leader as wise as the Vision!'
                         Windsor Morgan (wmorgan@stsci.edu OR NHT@PSUVM.BITNET)
                         Space Telescope Science Institute
                         Baltimore, MD   21218
From: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu (Michael Rawdon)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Grendel: Warchild #2
Date: 6 Sep 92 22:24:32 GMT
Reply-To: rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Dept., Madison, WI

In <=#nnz#+.dani@netcom.com> dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:
>I've seen a number of claims that over the centuries, just as the Grendels
>rose from being criminals or other outsiders to being the establishment,
>the motivating spirit has also become more widespread.  I'd say that Warchild
>shows that this is not so.
[...]
>From the beginning, Grendel has been a spirit of violence which, in
>the process of possessing chosen outsiders (the kidnapper appears to
>be a clanless Grendel) has also given them the ability to function at
>the limits of their human potential.  Faced with this level of
>ability/motivation, the forces of 'order', be they policemen or soi-disant
>Grendels, are virtually impotent.

I absolutely agree.

I was wondering why Laurel Assante was so irritated at the revelation of a
"Athena Project" in #2.  Presumably it refers to Jupiter in some way, but
what?  Apparently, she knows.  (Another - more remote - possibility is that
Orion had himself cloned; perhaps the Grendel is this clone?)

This story is shaping up to be the best yet.  It's certainly got the best
non-Wagner art: The penciller is outstanding.  Hopefully next issue we'll
start to see what Grendel's plan is.

-- 
Michael Rawdon				 rawdon@colby.cs.wisc.edu
University of Wisconsin Computer Sciences Department, Madison, WI

No optimistic outlook survives contact with the human race.
From: morrow@fnalo.fnal.gov (The Elmo Strikes Back)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: NOT the "Good Omens" sequel
Date: 13 Sep 92 21:29:55 GMT
Organization: Lucasfilm
X-Posted-From: fnalo.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1992Sep11.185740.15694@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, tweaver@nyx.cs.du.edu (T.C.Weaver) writes:
> But some ideas are more inspired than others. Heeeeere's Neil:
> 
> "Gee. [real name deleted] aka Charles L. Grant was on the other end of the panel
> on humour in fantasy that Terry and I were on in Chicago, at the World Fantasy
> Convention in 1990. Where we mentioned the title to the Good Omens sequel. And
> gosh, he laughed like anything.
> 
>  I suppose there's a moral in there"

	Tanaqui, that quote just doesn't make any sense.  Who's Charles L.
Grant aka Name Deleted?  Is he Lionel Fenn?  Gary Larson?  Someone else who 
ripped off the title?  Fenn's editor?
	So how's Neil settling in?
-- 
"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."                        
--Janis Joplin, "Me & Bobby MeGee"                                             
  
elmo (morrow@physics.rice.edu,morrow@fnal.fnal.gov)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: SAG@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU
Subject: Re: Where's all the good stuff?
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 03:30:55 GMT

 
In <1992Sep12.192954.17485@ultb.isc.rit.edu> sta2534@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
 
>                        Anyway, I'm curious to know if anyone else
>is having the same problem.  It's not all bad, since I wanted to
>cut back on my comics spending, but is the dearth of quality
>material really *that* severe?  Or maybe there's some really
>good, obscure stuff out there that I don't know about?  I'd be
>willing to hear suggestions from you, if you know of anything
>really good out there.
 
Have you tried Bone, from Jeff Smith's Cartoon Books label?  It's way cool
stuff.  Then there's Grendel, Cerebus, Xenozoic Tales and Concrete.  Those
last two come out irregularly, but are worth the wait.  Plus, there are back
issues.
 
I concur with these, but!
May I additionally recommend Naughty Bits, Hate, Eightball, Love and Rockets,
Cud (new Terry LaBan), Real Stuff, and Yahoo all from Fantagraphics. From
Drawn & Quarterly their flagship anthology, Yummy Fur, Dirty Plotte,
Palookaville and Peep Show are very fine. Tundra has been erratically
dropping some good stuff with Beernutz, Rick Veitch's books, Harvey Pekar's
American Splendor, Hyena, Tantalizing Stories (beautiful Jim Woodring
stuff), and the piercing Harvey the Hillbilly Bastard. Dark Horse's
anthology is usually good (particularly this month's issue with the
splendid Ed Brubaker/Eric Shanower collaboration "An Accidental Death) and
they continue to publish Eddie Campbell's great Bacchus stories.
Ed Brubaker's Lowlife and Carol Swain's Wayout Strips from Caliber
are always interesting. Good books from various other publishers are:
Buzz (Kitchen Sink), Blab! (KS also, if you can afford it), R. Crumb's
Hup! (Last Gasp), Wimmen's Comix (Rip Off Press, I believe), Real Girl
(oy, I forgot--another Fantagraphics), Rubber Blanket, Raw, the EC
reprints, and the newly revamped Kevin Eastman published Heavy Metal.
If you feel like a real wildman try and get hold of a luscious French
anthology titled "a'Suivre" (meaning roughly, To be continued) which
is all in French, but always contains artwork of the highest quality.
 
Even with all these, though, I have to agree there are too few
"good" comics on the stands. On average I only go home with 3 books
a week after scrounging 2 different stores for the more esoteric
stuff.
 
regards,
S.A.G.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,alt.fan.pratchett
From: morrow@fnalo.fnal.gov (An Elmo of Their Own)
Subject: NOT the "Good Omens" sequel
Organization: Fay Vincent's Baseball Substitute
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 23:32:19 GMT
X-Posted-From: fnalo.fnal.gov
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

	As folks may or may not know, the putative sequel to Terry Pratchett
and Neil Gaiman's _Good Omens_ was to have been entitled _668: The Neighbor of
the Beast_, a terrific pun on Revelations.
	Today, I saw _668: The Neighbor of the Beast_ in a local bookstore. 
Not Gaiman and Pratchett, but Lionel Fenn, a sort of third-rate version of
Craig Shaw Gardner.  I'm half-convinced he stole the title, because he hasn't
come up with anything clever before.
	Caveat Emptor.		
-- 
"You look back at your high school yearbook, and you see the Looks that were   
popular years ago, and you wonder how the human race managed to reproduce."    
--Dave Barry                                                                   
  
elmo (morrow@physics.rice.edu,morrow@fnal.fnal.gov)
From: klein@frith.egr.msu.edu (Jeffrey Klein)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Fun with IMAGE
Date: 6 Sep 92 01:59:20 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University College of Stunt Piloting

If Todd MacFarlane and Ben Edlund did a story together, would it be callled...

SPOON?

-- 
Jeff Klein             | "Happily, Ral doffs his outer clothing for a
Browsing Boy of the LNH|  refreshing dip in one of the dangerous 
klein@kira.egr.msu.edu |  chemical vats." - Ty Templeton
From: bxp1628@hertz.njit.edu (Brian Perler)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Batman: Gotham Nights
Date: 14 Sep 92 04:13:56 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Sep12.044054.16878@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> kogutt@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (SCAVENGER) writes:
>A friend asked me to find out what the general feeling about this series was?
>
>Personaly I liked it.

I loved it.  Doing a story based on the normal citizens of Gotham City
was a new approach, and I think it worked great.  Keeping Batman's
appearances to a minimum also helped it.  Putting Batman in it helped
establish that it was in the DC continuity, but by putting him in as
little as possible helped the actual characters of the stories be
defined on their own.
-- 
"Dog bites man--that's not a story.  Man bites dog--*that's* a story.  And
if the dog and the man slug it out for six issues, and then Wolverine shows
up for a guest appearance, and the dog turns out to be a mutant, that's a
*Marvel* story!"			-Marvel Editorial Handbook
From: mbvg9741@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Hmmm. . .)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: OH NO! not more infinity wars! (was Re: I1nfinity Wars...)
Date: 9 Sep 92 23:20:32 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


>  Its an interesting story and a lot clearer now that we know the Magus' intentions were to the the infinity gauntlet all along.  By the way, this is not the last of the infinity series by any means.  I read somewhere that there will be another storyu called the infinity crusade. Anyone heard about this?


>                                                                _Mike

OK, but if they have to do this, please please pleasepleaseplease
PPPLLLLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSEE!!!!!! don't crossover to every book 
in the Marvel Universe!!!!
From: levin6706@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: More Superman stuff
Date: 7 Sep 92 23:32:29 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

Time for good 'ol rumor speculation!

I just heard that while, yes, Superman IS going to die, Clark Kent will NOT.
Hmmmm, interesting.  But this news introduces a contradiction.  And that is:
I thought that Supes, after his death,  goes on to hell to do battle for 
something against somebody (Blaze maybe?  Can somebody clarify?)  If this is
true, at the resolution of the plot where does that leave the character then?  
Is he just "alive" somewhere in hell, with DC just ignoring him from now 
on, introducing some "new" and "improved" Superman to take his place?  Or are
they going to go the cheap way and revive him?

One of the best aspects of keeping Clark alive, while killing Superman is
Clark's reaction to the death of himself.  Unfortunately, IMHO, this is fodder 
for more creative writers than the current team.  This is not a story concept 
that I think Dan Jurgens or Roger Stern could handle effectively.

 At least, now Clark and Lois can get married, meaning we haven't had to
endure all that hype for nothing.   


                                        S H Y L O C K
Xref: sparky rec.arts.comics.misc:2235 rec.arts.comics:22888