From: [t kli] at [qualcomm.com] (Kathy Li)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: SDCC: Rev. Mom Rambling
Date: Tue, 01 Aug 1995 10:52:20 -0700

It's been years. Since I made a report, I mean. <grin>.  This being my ...
what? fifteenth SDCC, you get a little jaded. But since nobody else seems
to be going, I figured I might try and get the ball rolling. Don't expect
coherence, organization, or anything but weird tidbits filtered through a
fevered brain (I've been on antibiotics and running a fever during the
entire convention)

Kitchen Sink stuff that's coming out:
   - reprints of The Yellow Kid (100th anniversary of the comic strip).
   - A book on MAD collectibles.
   - A TWISTED SISTERS collection
   - A collection of Betty Boop Sunday strips
   - A reprint (annotated) of Wertham's SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT, so that
     we can all debate from knowledge, rather than heresay. :-)
   - "Voodoo Child." A Sienkiewicz book on Jimi Hendrix, on which 
     Sienkiewicz consulted Will Eisner on graphic storytelling. 
     It looks *GORGEOUS*.
   - A film sequel to THE CROW (???) My notes get hazy, here.
   

VERTIGO/Gaiman stuff (I only (mostly) paid attention to Gaiman-related things.):
   - Sandman collections in hardcover.
   - October: trade paper of MR. PUNCH
   - Upcoming Death limited series: DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. It's
     about Hazel and Foxglove, and their son.  Bachalo & Buckingham doing
     the art (?)
   - The Dreaming is going to have rotating writers/artists.
   - "Farewell, Moonshadow" will be relased after a reprint of Moonshadow.
   - Stardust.  Book by Gaiman and Vess. *NOT* a comic, but lots and lots 
     of sumptuous illustrations with text and illuminated capitals. It's
     a story that starts in a British village in the 1830's where there's 
     a wall, through which is the land of Faery. Every nine years, there's
     a market-fair, and one year, (nine months after the fair), a baby
     gets pushed back through the wall into the village. When he grow up,
     he falls in love, professes his life in high-blown terms to the girl,
     sees a falling star, and says, "I would even get you that falling
     star..." and she says, "Well, go on then."  And the rest of the book
     is his adventures finding the star (which fell on the Faery side of the
     wall), and trying to bring her back to the village.
        And, of course, it looks gorgeous. [also when you see the marketplace
     if you look closely enough you'll be able to find Gaiman, Vess, and Prince
     Valiant...] They say don't even start looking until October 1996.

     [side note, Charles Vess is self-publishing a book based on ballads and
      stuff. Lots of cool fantasy writers will be supplying the scripts, and
      he's doing all the work. First issue has an 8-page story written by 
      Gaiman. First two pages were in the ashcan Vess was giving out. Due out
      Halloween this year. Bimonthly afterwards, hopefully.]

    - Gaiman's doing a DELIRIUM mini series with Jill Thompson.
    - Sandman Midnight Theatre (combining both Morpheus and the golden age
      Sandman Gaiman and Wagner.)
    - SHADE is ending with #70.
    
    Last SANDMAN Issues:
   
    #71. The middle issue of the wake. Everybody gets drunk and a lot of
         loose ends get tied up.

    #72. Last issue of the wake proper. Everybody makes speeches and the
         new Dream gets to meet his family for the first time.

    #73. Hob Gadling at a modern Renaissance Fair. Apparently inspired by
         Gaiman walking around one and feeling rather like Sitting Bull at
         a Croydon Wild West show.
   
    #74. Muth.  An ancient Chinese poem.

    #75. Last issue. Vess artwork. The Tempest. Shakespeare fulfills the
         bargain.

    - Dave McKean is working on CAGES 9 & 10 together, and they should be 
      finished by the end of this year (he said).

TV stuff:

   MAD TV. Saturday nights on Fox @ 11pm. There's going to be an EC comics
   slot replacing TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and this show is part of it. 
   Not fantastic, but funny, and deserves a look.  Things like Spy vs. Spy
   will be animated segments on the show, but the basic format is rather 
   as if MTV decided to do a Saturday Night Life show. Good fake ads and
   movie parodies, though.

   REBOOT. 10 new episodes begin Aug. 12. "Talent Show" is a must-see.

   GARGOYLES. About 50 new episodes in the new seasons. Now four days
   a week in the Disney afternoon, not just one. Lots of neat story arcs.
   Stuff about the eggs in the rookery. It looks and sounds like a cool
   season. Starts up September.

Masquerade:

   It gets worse every year.  This year, Hawkman came out with a rolling boulder
   and all anybody wanted was to see the boulder again. Chants of "Rock! Rock!"
   will be with me for days.  Great Harley Quinn costume, though, and quite
   a few fun presentations, and gobs of cool movie trailers.

Cool book for the year:

   Every SDCC, I find another cool book I really like. Last year it was
   JAR OF FOOLS, the year before, it was BONE.  This year: LONGSHOT COMICS.
   Just trust me. You may get severe eyestrain, but it's worth it. It's
   dots and dialogue and precious little else, but they are really GOOD
   dots and dialogue, and a cool epic story to boot.

There. The ball should be rolling, now.

--Kathy Li, aka the Rev. Mom

_____________________________________________________________________
Kathy Li           | "...clever, well-informed people with a great
[t kli] at [qualcomm.com] | deal of conversation; that is my idea of good 
                   | company." "You are mistaken," said he gently. 
San Diego, CA      | "That is not good company. That is the best."
Standard Disclaimer+               -- Jane  Austen, PERSUASION.