Back in 2011, I was asked "So, what old DC comic would YOU like to reboot, and what's the angle, and can you draw a cover for this theoretical comic relaunch?" I was not asked this by a professional editor at DC, but by my friend Jon who was doing a themed blog thingie. Look, it was before the world we live in now—we had time to imagine a better world and fool around! Anyway, I am reposting the "pitch" I wrote, as well as the illo I did back in 2011 (below), just to have it here. Above is a more recent posca drawing/painting of Dart (as you will see if you read the wall of text below, she's my favorite 😂)

ATARI FORCE #1 (of 12)

2063: A.T.A.R.I. (Advanced Technology And Research Institute) combs an infinite number of realities in order to find a suitable new world for the population of a dying Earth. In their travels through the Multiverse, one of the expeditionary forces does battle with and ultimately kills the ultimate evil - a lovecraftian devourer of dimensions they dub the DARK DESTROYER. In the course of this battle, they find a perfect, empty world in a universe teeming with advanced civilizations. After some false starts both the recolonization of New Earth and the socialization of the New Earthlings with the rest of their new neighbors is a success.

2088: THE ATARI FOUNDATION, now the de facto governing party of New Earth, has ushered in a new era of utopian prosperity. After the Old Earth was brought to the brink of destruction by gross negligence and mismanagement, the people of New Earth are only too happy to put themselves in the guiding hands of ATARI. All live in relative prosperity and happiness..

Except for MARTIN CHAMPION, brilliant Multiversal scientist and the leader of the original expedition that battled the Destroyer. Martin is haunted by the death of his wife in childbirth, and is convinced that the Dark Destroyer somehow caused it. Instead of going about his life and picking up the pieces, Martin sits in his lab sending probes out in to the Multiverse, in hopes of finding proof of the existence of the Dark Destroyer. Martin has, over the years, become a laughingstock of ATARI, as well as driven his now adult son out of his life, due to misplaced anger about the death of his wife. All he has left is his obsession..

Until one of his probes goes missing after sending back readings of energy very similar to the kind the Destroyer radiates. Worried that he's given the Dark Destroyer a direct route back to New Earth in the lost probe, Martin hijacks his now antique Multiversal scout ship

SCANNER ONE and heads out to stop the Destroyer once and for all. To help him on this mission, he enlists:

ERIN BIA O'ROURKE-SINGH, aka DART - A telepathic mercenary, as well as his goddaughter. She's one of the deadliest, sexiest beings in the universe, and she has a precognitive "second sight" that comes in handy.

MORPHEA - An alien empath, forced on Champion by the ATARI FOUNDATION to serve as his psychiatrist. Ostensibly she's there to help him with his "delusions", but her connection to Martin's deepest convictions gives her reason to think he's actually right about the danger facing the Multiverse.

CHRIS CHAMPION, aka TEMPEST - Martin's estranged son. A professional fighting champion who's anger management issues and freakish teleportation abilities have made him a star in the Mega-Brawl circuit.

Wanted by the government of New Earth, and pursued by the ATARI Security Squad, Champion has to outwit them all and defeat the ultimate expression of evil all over again. Luckily this time he has the new, improved, ATARI FORCE!

Over the course of their adventure, their rag tag team grows in size as they pick up new members:

BABE - The hulking, freakishly strong infant from a world of rock-like creatures.

TUKLA OLY, aka PAKRAT - An impish, self-absorbed master thief who goes into berserker rages when cornered.

TAZ - A master soldier, last of her race, who carries deep anger and sadness within her.

MOSES FISK, aka BLACKJAK - Dart's lover, a roguish mercenary once thought dead, secretly brainwashed to do the Dark Destroyer's bidding. --- I loved AF as a kid, so when Jon asked me what book I'd reboot if I got the chance, it was one of a handful of titles I considered. I especially loved Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez' designs and storytelling, and Gerry Conway did a really good job weaving all these plot threads together in an exciting way.

My reboot of the book would reprise it as a 12 issue mini series (or maxi series, as it would have been called back then), and really play up some of the hard sci fi elements at the fringes of the concept, as well as inject a sort of European sense of storytelling to the character bits, while still remaining true to the general arc of the original.

The only character I would really change that much is Chris, who in the original is pretty lame/bland/whiney and was quickly overshadowed by Dart. I thought giving him the MMA-style fighting league to be a part of would be something interesting for him to use to try and cope with being crapped on by his dad all his life, as well as ground him more than in the original series, where he's really sort of a cypher-brat.

Another wrinkle I would explore is the sexual tension between him and his "sister", Dart. It's hinted at in the original series, but I think that I'd have it bloom fully in my version on these long weeks and months stuck on Scanner One - Chris always having had a thing for Dart since they were kids, and Dart being rather depressed and lovesick because of Blackjak's apparent death early in the series. Things would, of course get rather sticky when Blackjak reappears.

Needless to say, the ATARI FORCE gang eventually wins out against the new iteration of the Dark Destroyer, but not without some serious losses, and they limp off still wanted by the ATARI FOUNDATION and use the failing Multiversal drive on Scanner One to take them into unknown space..

Atari Force was created by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. (Read more)

Out this week: Power Button: The First Invasion (Lerner Publishing, $17.99): Zack Soto writes and draws this all-ages graphic novel about two cousins who must fend off an alien invasion with the help of a space knight they summon named Trinn Cyclo.

See what else is arriving at your local comic shop this week

Join Zack Soto and Jason Fischer-Kouhi to celebrate the release of Power Button Book 1: The First Invasion!

Join Zack Soto and Jason Fischer-Kouhi to celebrate the release of Power Button Book 1: The First Invasion! #comics #comicbooks

Truly’s parents are arguing all the time, so they’ve dropped her off with her aunt and uncle. Her cousin Kaz has a big imagination but he’s not the best at making friends. Maximo Skulldigg gets bullied by his older brother—and now he has to conquer Kaz and Truly’s home planet. It’s a good thing Kaz and Truly just uncovered a family secret. After the cousins find a hideout full of strange…

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Source @phillyphangirl

I love this team so much

Yay!

I can finally announce this.

Description:  A cover image of my book MEAT EATERS coming in 2025.  The picture is a close up of a pale girl looking panicked.  She’s dirty with twigs and leaves tangled in her hair and dirt on her face. Hot pink blood stains her lips and teeth.

Below that is a text blurb:  Meredith McClaren’s MEAT EATERS, which explores trauma and how it changes a person when a 17 year old girl wakes up unharmed after a seemingly fatal attack, only to find she no longer has a heartbeat and is craving a very particular diet, to Michelle Nguyen at Oni Press, with Zack Soto editing, for publication in winter 2025, by Jessica Mileo at Inkwell Management (world).

- N a v i g a t i o n -

icons by @phillyphangirl

C l u b h o u s e

Roster

#2 Kody Clemens

#3 Bryce Harper

#5 Bryson Stott

#7 Trea Turner

#8 Nick Castellanos

#9 Whit Merrifield

#10 J.T. Realmuto

#12 Kyle Schwarber

#16 Brandon Marsh

#18 Johan Rojas

#19 Cristian Pache

#21 Garrett Stubbs

#28 Alec Bohm

#33 Edmundo Sosa

Bullpen

#25 Matt Strahm

#27 Aaron Nola

#30 Gregory Soto

#45 Zack Wheeler

#46 José Alvarado

#50 Orion Kerkering

#55 Ranger Suárez

#58 Seranthony Domínguez

#99 Taijuan Walker

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BLUE BEETLE (2023)

Starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, Jorge Jimenez, Eyra Aguero Joubert, Gabriella Ortiz, Vicente Ydrach, Modesto Lacen, Oshún Ramirez, Brianna Lewis, Tahj Vaughans, Dante Gonzalez-Abreu and the voice of Becky G.

Screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. 127 minutes. Rated PG-13.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve never heard of the character of Blue Beetle before this film. When I first heard of the title, I thought it may be a movie about a Volkswagen. I asked my nephew, who is more up to date on comic book characters, what I should know about Blue Beetle, and he explained that the version of the character in the film (who is apparently the second Blue Beetle in the comic saga) is “just your normal teenage ‘relatable’ superhero.”

And yes, this Blue Beetle is sort of like a DC version of Spider-Man with a different insect and more alien tech. Beyond the Spider-Man connection, Blue Beetle also has certain connections to Iron Man (the high-tech armor suit) and Venom (symbiotic connection to the alien).

Still, I’ve got to admit, while there was nothing all that unique about the overall story of Blue Beetle – other than the fact that it is strongly grounded in Hispanic culture – the movie was a whole lot of fun. In fact, it was probably the most purely enjoyable DC film since the similarly low-key Shazam! (The first Shazam! movie that is, the second one kind of stunk.)

After the recent calamitous popular and critical crash and burn of the much higher profile The Flash (which I have to admit, I mostly liked),the new DC needed a low-key charmer like this to get back on track.

And speaking of low-key charmers, the film certainly scored one in casting Xolo Maridueña – previously best known as one of the lead characters in the series Cobra Kai – as the hero. Maridueña has the type of every-kid sense of wonder which is necessary for a character like this to work. As his uncle says, “He’s like Superman of Metropolis or the Flash of Central City — but not as good.”

He is also surrounded with an interesting and varied family unit, particularly Adriana Barraza as a surprisingly able Nana and George Lopez adding comic relief as the conspiracy theory spouting uncle.

In lots of ways, Blue Beetle is typical superhero fare – the alien trinket with unimaginable power, the evil corporation headed by a megalomaniac tycoon (Susan Sarandon) desperately trying to get her hands on the item, no matter who it hurts. (She often says the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, even though she is personally never one of the few making these sacrifices.)

However, it is not the story that makes Blue Beetle so good. It’s just so upbeat and good humored that it’s hard not to embrace, with enough off-the-beaten-path quirks to capture even someone who is getting a bit of superhero fatigue – which can be said about a lot of us at this point.

Blue Beetle is a fine reminder of why the word “comic” is part of the term “comic book.” After way too much of the DC movie universe has been dark, moody and morose – we’re looking at you Zack Snyder – it’s nice for some of these stories to just be good old-fashioned fun.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: August 18, 2023.

2024 Spears Carriers

It was a frustrating draft. Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes were the marquee players and garnered huge bids of $51 and $39. A part of me wishes I had taken Burnes, but I can’t pay $40 for a starting pitcher. I just can’t.

My Bargain Basement Cathers

There’s nothing to write home about here.

C Jose Trevino More NYY 1  C Christian Vazquez More Min 2 

My Very Decent Infield

This infield should generate a lot of power numbers and runs, but few steals.

1B Anthony Rizzo NYY 10  2B Brandon Drury LAA 10  3B Josh Jung Tex 10  SS Corey Seager Tex 38  CI Justin Turner Tor 13  MI Jorge Mateo Bal 1 

My Middle of the Road Outfield

These are a bunch of mid-tier to low-tier guys. I’m hoping for bounce-back performances from Kepler and Kirloff. I’m also hoping Cedric Mullins retains his job. There have been rumors. 

OF Tyler O'Neill Bos 21  OF Kerry Carpenter Det 13  OF Max Kepler Min 9  OF Cedric Mullins Bal 13  OF Hunter Renfroe KC 16  DH Alex Kirilloff Min 4 

My Iffy Starting Staff

Castillo should be good, but all others are nothing but risks. We shall see.

P Luis Castillo Sea 27 P Jon Gray Tex 19 P Yusei Kikuchi Tor 5 P Erick Fedde CWS 17 P Patrick Sandoval LAA 1 P Clarke Schmidt NYY 5 P Zack Littell TB 1

My Mid-Tier Relievers

Let’s face it, either of these guys could lose their job at any moment.

P Alex Lange More Det 15 P Carlos Estevez More LAA 9

I don’t have a lot of hope for this team. There’s no speed with the exception of Mateo and there’s nothing but hopes and dreams for the rest of my starting staff.

Hey all! I haven't posted here in so long that one of my most recent entries is announcing Process Party, the podcast I did with Mike Dawson for a few years (aaaand which has been more or less done/hibernating for a year or two now😂) so I thought I'd actually post about my current podcast, as I migrate hosts (and archive Process Party for the ages) in this holiday season.

The new one is called In This Issue… It's a podcast about what I'm calling "formative comics reading experiences," with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode I'm talking to a special guest from the world of comics, doing a close reading of a comic book (IE not a graphic novel! 22-64 pages is the range we're working with here) and have a lively chat about it. TBH I haven't actually posted a new ITI in a couple months either, but I just have to get the will to edit the ones I have banked. Look, the holidays are hard! Anyway, there's been 9 episodes so far and they're all great in their own special way! I'm excited to talk to more dorks about the comics that made them go "WHUH!?" in the coming year. Check the place where you normally find your podcasts for these and the next ones, whenever I get around to posting them!

Dave Bautista & Jason Momoa team up for The Wrecking Crew!

Get ready for The Wrecking Crew! Fresh off the wings of Blue Beetle, director Ángel Manuel Soto is back in the limelight with the announcement of buddy comedy The Wrecking Crew! Backed by MGM, and with a script from Jonathan Tropper, we can expect to see a pairing of Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa. Taking on the producing role is Jeffrey Fierson. Although the movie was set up before the current writers' strike, it is ultimately quite hard to see how far along this project is, however, Ángel Manuel Soto achieved a brilliant response from both fans and critics upon the release of Blue Beetle, so we are really excited to see what he can accomplish here. Dave Bautista has had a ridiculous couple of years. First of all, he finished his time as Drax in The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with Vol. 3, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. He was Duke Cody in the highly anticipated Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, and on top of this he is the "gentle giant" in Knock at the Cabin, AKA Leonard, which is the most recent Horror/Mystery release from M. Night Shyamalan, AND let's not forget his approach to Glossu Rabban Harkonnen within Dune. To many, Bautista is known as an action star, but his acting portfolio is actually quite diverse when you focus on it, and it'll be great to see that ability continue in The Wrecking Crew. Recently causing complete mayhem in Fast X as Dante, Jason Momoa has also had a hectic, and highly rewarding couple of years with his own acting career. One of the main reasons for this has to be his work within the DC Extended Universe as Arthur Curry, as fans got to see him in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Continuing this narrative, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will splash their way into cinemas worldwide this December. Opposite Dave Bautista's villain work in Dune, Jason played the brilliant, and protective Duncan Idaho. To conclude though, and most importantly for this particular announcement, both actors worked together in Season 3 of See, an interesting, and savage world without eyesight, that focuses on its sound, and bleak surroundings. This creative pairing worked really well in See, and that is a promising start for The Wrecking Crew. Read the full article

Green Lantern Surprises Fans with Cameo Appearance in Latest DCEU Movie

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) never ceases to amaze its dedicated fan base, and its latest installment did not disappoint. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Green Lantern made a surprise appearance in the DCEU's newest movie, leaving fans buzzing with excitement.

Zack Snyder's Justice League Teased Green Lantern

For those who closely followed Zack Snyder's Justice League, a hint of Green Lantern was dropped during a pivotal scene. Yalan Gur, a Green Lantern, briefly graced the screen during Darkseid's initial attempt to terraform Earth. Unfortunately, his appearance was short-lived, as he met his demise at the hands of the Apokolips leader.

Originally, Snyder had planned to use Wayne T. Carr's John Stewart as a messenger to warn Bruce Wayne about an impending threat. However, the final version of the film featured Martian Manhunter instead.

In March 2022, Wayne T. Carr treated fans to a high-definition image of his portrayal of Green Lantern, unveiling the true design of his scrapped DC hero.

DC's Latest Movie Confirms the Green Lantern Connection

During a spoiler-filled Q&A session hosted by Collider at an early Blue Beetle screening, director Angel Manuel Soto confirmed the Green Lantern's presence in his movie. Blue Beetle, positioned as the penultimate installment in the DCEU saga, contained a captivating opening sequence that featured a green light striking the Scarab. Soto enthusiastically shared with fans that this mysterious force was, indeed, "a Green Lantern."

Soto playfully stated, "There's more. At the beginning of the title sequence, for those of you guys that follow the Blue Beetle comics, there's a green light that hits this character, and that's a Green Lantern. If you didn’t catch it, watch it again. Also, on the bug layer, and you see it also at the end, there's a stack of Oreos, and who likes to eat Oreos?"

However, the identity of the Green Lantern in the movie remains a tantalizing mystery. In the vast DC Comics universe, numerous characters have assumed the mantle of Green Lantern, including Alan Scott, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jordan.

When an audience member inquired about Martian Manhunter, Soto intriguingly responded with, "Maybe he was around."

Soto also hinted at the stealthy inclusion of Easter eggs, suggesting that these references went unnoticed by DC higher-ups. When asked if he believed DC had caught on to his hidden nods, Soto humorously replied, "No. [Laughs] 'Yes, that was part of the design.' Nobody asked, right? Let’s go!"

Green Lantern's Future in the New DCEU

In the pages of DC Comics, Blue Beetle and Green Lantern share an intriguing history. In Blue Beetle #1, Jaime Reyes found himself at odds with Guy Gardner (Green Lantern), whose power ring reacted unexpectedly to the Scarab, sending him into a violent frenzy.

James Gunn, the head of DC Studios, has already confirmed Blue Beetle as the DCU's inaugural superhero, opening up the possibility of Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes crossing paths with the DC reboot's Guy Gardner. Notably, Nathan Fillion has been cast as Guy Gardner for "Superman: Legacy," further fueling speculation about their eventual meeting.

The alien origins of Blue Beetle's scarab suggest that a Green Lantern may hold the key to unlocking its mysteries. As the DCEU enters a new era of storytelling, fans can only hope for more exciting crossovers involving Blue Beetle and Green Lantern.

Catch Blue Beetle in Theaters Worldwide

For fans eager to witness these thrilling developments, "Blue Beetle" is now playing in theaters worldwide. Don't miss your chance to uncover the secrets and surprises of the ever-expanding DCEU.

Man Of Steel References Honoring The Snyderverse In Blue Beetle Explained

Blue Beetle will feature references to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, and the movie's director explains the choice. Snyder's Man of Steel started the DCEU back in 2013, with Henry Cavill's Superman being the shared universe's first hero. While the Blue Beetle movie is not part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe, Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes is the new DC Universe's first movie character. That parallel between Blue Beetle and Man of Steel is not the only connection between the two movies.

During an interview with Nestor Betancor (via The Direct), Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto revealed that the movie will have references to Man of Steel.

According to Soto, he was excited to see Snyder hype fans to see Blue Beetle, as he respects the DCEU's former architect, saying, "his films are an immense influence." The Blue Beetle director then went on to reveal that his movie has "some references to 'Man of Steel' that we made out of honor and respect for the work and art of Zack Snyder." Check out the full quote below:

“Waking up in Mexico to the news that [Zack] Snyder wants to see it too, a director that I respect so much, that his films are an immense influence… Even in 'Blue Beetle,' there are some references to 'Man of Steel' that we made out of honor and respect for the work and art of Zack Snyder. Also, seeing David Ayer sharing it… It’s like, ‘WOW, brother!’ How nice it feels to have that support from people that one respects and that the fans also respect.”

Why Blue Beetle Having Man Of Steel References Is Bad

While Man of Steel is a good movie, and there are similar themes between Cavill's Superman debut and Blue Beetle, the new DC film would be better off not referencing the DCEU's first entry at all. Gunn and Safran were brought in to oversee the newly founded DC Studios to go away from the controversial decisions made by the former management during the DCEU.

Snyder did not actively work on any project for DC — other than the popular Snyder Cut of Justice League — after he departed 2017's Justice League. However, Snyder's DC movies are heavily associated with most of the controversial decisions that led to the DCEU not being as successful as it should have been. With the DCEU now being rebooted in favor of the new DC Universe, Blue Beetle referencing Man of Steel adds some unnecessary baggage to the movie.

Blue Beetle needs to be a breath of fresh air to the franchise, with the movie's standalone story and debut of a new hero being the perfect setup for its success, and adding in references to a movie from the controversial DCEU might hurt the film's box office chances. DC's other two 2023 releases so far, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash bombed in great part due to its DCEU connections. Remaining largely standalone, with perhaps Blue Beetle's post-credits scenes giving a peek at the new DC Universe, seems like the best option for the movie to succeed."

This is such bullshit. First the Anti-Anerican narrative for Bane. Now this.

Riffle me this: IF Warner Bros Discovery were truly serious about a DC reboot, a clean slate, why would they allow Soto to put Snyderverse references in Blue Beetle?

(From May 2, 2006)

Warner Bros.'s upcoming Justice League franchise is looking a little shaky these days.

Last week, Seth Grahame-Smith, the director of The Flash movie, which is scheduled for 2018, left the project, citing creative differences. And there have been rumors that director James Wan is getting cold feet with his Aquaman movie (which Wan later dispelled).

The turmoil reportedly stems from director Zack Snyder, the man who bungled Batman v Superman, a film that Warner Bros. believes didn't live up to expectations at the box office. Snyder is also the creative lead for the Justice League franchise and part of the Warner Bros. braintrust for the DC Comics cinematic universe. Ergo, because Batman v Superman disappointed, executives are now worried that Snyder's vision — a grim Superman, a Batman who tortures and brands people for death, lots of scenes in which Batman does Crossfit, etc. — isn't the best way to go.

But Snyder's plans for his comic book superhero movies shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, including critics. Back in 2008, Snyder gave a revealing interview to Entertainment Weekly about how he sees comic books, superheroes, and his upcoming movie (at the time) The Watchmen. The piece has been making the rounds on Twitter for how much it traces the psychology of Snyder's movies, from older titles like The 300 and Suckerpunch all the way through Batman v Superman.

The Q&A touches on a lot of different topics, but one of the most striking parts of the discussion comes when Snyder talks about his dislike for comics without gore or sex. He said:

You could call it "high-brow" comics, but to me, that comic book was just pretty sexy! I had a buddy who tried getting me into "normal" comic books, but I was all like, "No one is having sex or killing each other. This isn’t really doing it for me." I was a little broken, that way. So when Watchmen came along, I was, "This is more my scene."

Snyder not liking comic books where people don't kill each other explains his Superman; traditionally, Superman's entire existence is about inspiring and being bright and hopeful, but Snyder's iteration of the character kills someone in Man of Steel.

Later in the interview, Snyder talks about Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, revealing that if he'd been at the helm, he would have gone a lot darker than Nolan did by incorporating prison rape:

Everyone says that about [Christopher Nolan’s] Batman Begins. "Batman’s dark." I’m like, okay, "No, Batman’s cool." He gets to go to a Tibetan monastery and be trained by ninjas. Okay? I want to do that. But he doesn’t, like, get raped in prison. That could happen in my movie. If you want to talk about dark, that’s how that would go.

It's a mystery why Snyder believes that prison rape, sex, and death are what people want to see in superhero films — that comic book fans who love Superman really wanted to see him start killing people, or that Batman fans would really relish seeing the greatest detective alive not be able to tell the difference between a boat and a crime lord.

There's a reason these superheroes and their comics have endured. And even when Frank Miller and Alan Moore introduced grit and darkness into their worlds, it wasn't darkness for darkness's sake — which is what Snyder seems to be obsessed with.

Of course, the most baffling part of all this is that unless a shakeup happens at Warner Bros., Snyder is very close to making all of his terrible ideas come true."

ADIDAS - MADE WITH CARE, WORN WITHOUT. from I AM HERE on Vimeo.

We directed the global brand campaign for adidas originals "HOME OF CLASSICS". This is the Directors Cut.

Client: adidas Originals Director: Maik Schuster, Max Paschke Production: Iconoclast MD: Charles-Marie Anthonioz Executive Producer: Valerie Romer Producer: Richard Weager DP: Zack Spiger 1st AD: Javi Soto Production Manager: Nacho Pinar Styling: Lorena Maza Edit: Jamie Foord, Maik Schuster Sound Design: Dennis Beckmann Color Grading: Sofie Borup Casting: Affa Osman

Agency: Johannes Leonardo Creative Director: Maclean Jackson Senior Copywriter: Nico Baumann Producer: Rebecca O’Neill, Alex Olivo

Service Production: 247

2019

I AM HERE facebook.com/iamherefilmco/ instagram.com/iamhere_filmco/ iamhere.cc

info (at) iamhere.cc

Join host Zack Soto—cartoonist, editor and bin crawler—for In This Issue… a podcast about formative comics reading experiences, with a focus on the single issue format. Every episode finds Zack and a special guest doing a close reading of a comic book (IE not a graphic novel!) and havin’ a lively chat about it.

THE ISSUE:

Teenagers From Mars #1 By Rick Spears and Rob G

Published 2001 by Rick Spears and Rob G

THE GUEST: Dave Baker

It’s a New Year, and a new In This Issue…! Dave Baker (Halloween Boy, Everyone Is Tulip) joins us to talk about the turn of the 21st century and one of his biggest influences from that time: Teenagers From Mars #1, by Rick Spears and Rob G.  Tune in next time for another close read with In This Issue…

Angels Take Series.

Angels 10 Twins 3 W-Suarez (7-8) L-Bundy (8-8)

The Minnesota Twins bats showed some life last night in a win over the Angels. The rubber game was today and luck wasn’t on the Twins side again this afternoon. The Angels got things started in the first inning with a Mike Trout one-out double to left. Shohei Ohtani lined a single to center, but Caleb Hamilton couldn’t stop a return throw home and a run scored. With two outs, Matt Thaiss hit a run-scoring single to left. Anaheim had a two-run lead before the Twins grabbed a bat. The Twins answered in the second when Carlos Correa doubled with one out. Gio Urshela singled him home and we were tied at one after an inning of play. The Angels countered in the third with a Mike Trout blast off a Dylan Bundy slider. Jose Miranda led-off the bottom of the third with a base hit. Gary Sanchez kept the inning alive with a single and Nick Gordon singled home a run to retie the game at two. The Angels kept on coming back in the fourth with a Max Stassi infield single. Livan Soto reached on a fielder’s choice and Michael Stefanic hit a grounder to second. Jermaine Palacios made the dumb choice to throw to second base and it was wild. Luis Rengifo plated a pair with a single to left to put the Halos up 5-2 after four innings of play. Jose Suarez settled down and threw 5 2/3 solid innings. The Angels bullpen was doing a good job until Caleb Hamilton belted a Jose Quijada fastball out to left for a solo homer. It was his first Major League hit and the Twins were within a pair. Trevor Megill came on for the ninth and it was awful. Five runs scored on six hits and the Angels turned this game into a rout. Zack Weiss threw a 1-2-3 ninth as the Angels took the series from the Twins today. 

-Final Thoughts- Dylan Bundy didn’t have his best stuff and the defense behind him was bad. He went 3 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Ronny Henriquez threw 4 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts. Trevor Megill gave up five runs in 1/3 of an inning and Jovani Moran had to get out of the ninth. Jose Miranda, Carlos Correa, Gio Urshela, and Gilberto Celestino had two hits each. The Twins hit 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. The Twins will have their final off day of the season tomorrow. The White Sox come to town for the final home series of the year on Tuesday. Bailey Ober will get the start for the Twins. 

-Chris Kreibich-

Atari Force: Dart by Zack Soto