Showing posts with label wednesday motivators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wednesday motivators. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday Motivators: Jill "Nerdy Bird" Pantozzi

Meet Jill. aka The Nerdy Bird. She runs a fantastic blog called Has Boobs Reads Comics that entertains us with bits on comics, movies, gaming and all things geek in addition to contributing to Comic Book Resources and the Girls Entertainment Network. She's also a advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is raising money for this month's MDA Stride & Ride. Check out her cause here then help her out with a donation here or here.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

About three years now. I've always been a superhero fan but didn't actually start reading comics until then.

DT: What do you collect currently?

Most of DC's titles actually, though I've had to cut back recently to save money. Fables, House of Mystery, Mouse Guard, Locke & Key, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Wormwood. There's more, they're just not coming to me at the moment.

DT: Personal fav?

That's a really tough question. I guess I'd have to say Fables or Buffy because they've both been consistently good since they began in my opinion. Though anything with Batman in it is a constant contender.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

Damn, another tough one! I really can't pick just one. Geoff Johns, Gail Simone and Warren Ellis for authors. Adam Hughes, David Petersen, James Jean, and Ivan Reis for artists.

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

I used to, until my last comic shop closed. I have since found another regular place.

DT: Why/Why not?

I think it's important to have loyalty to your local shop. Plus, it's nice to have the Wednesday routine you know? I've found a great store with wonderful owners and employees so why would I go anywhere else? The quickest way for a store to lose customers is to have an attitude. I'd rather go out of my way to a store with nice people in it than to one around the corner with jerks. If I'm on vacation or in another store for whatever reason I'll usually pick up a trade to, you know, "support the team."

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

Monthlies, hands down. Besides the fact that I write about comics and need to keep up to date with what's happening, I don't think I could stand NOT knowing what's going on from week to week. At least in my superhero comics. I like the whole package that comes with continuity stories. I guess you can compare it to television shows now. There's no way I'd be able to wait for the DVD of Lost Season 5 to see what happened with the Oceanic 6 just like I can't wait to see who's going to survive Blackest Night.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for this one but, it's Supergirl. Yeah, 1984, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole. I was two years old when it came out but it was the first superhero I was exposed to and it branded me for life. It was frightening for me as a child too. The invisible monster, the witch and the Phantom Zone! Holy crap, I was so scared of accidentally finding myself there! I don't know how old I was when I actually saw it but I dressed as her for Halloween in Kindergarten and haven't looked back since. It was so great to see Helen Slater cast on Smallville.

DT: Why do you read?

It's a form of entertainment like anything else. Sure, I've been a superhero kind of kid forever and will always be but it's exciting to sink your teeth into this whole other world and escape for fifteen minutes at a time. I love to read and while I could read books like Harry Potter etc. over and over again, it's also great to have something new waiting for me to explore every week. It's fantastic seeing what creators' varying imaginations come up with.

DT: Why should I (or anyone) start reading again?

It's a great time to be a geek! For better or for worse, comic book movies have made it cool to like them. I remember in high school I didn't share my likes with many people because I thought I'd get made fun of. Now, forget about it! Comic conventions are all the rage and celebrities are praised for their comic "cred."

Besides that, they're just so much fun! And there's really something out there for everyone. I know a lot of people are intimidated by superhero comics because there is so much history there but it's really not that difficult to jump right in. If you already have a fondness for a certain character, Wikipedia can be a great resource for catching up on their past in just a few minutes. Or find a mini-series or trade that's not in continuity to help you get your feet wet.

If you aren't into superheroes there is so much out there. There's books based on tv or movies, books for little kids to enjoy and creator owned stories about people with no powers at all that are just, if not more, entertaining than the traditional heroes.

DT: And finally, who would win? Batman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Superman? Superman vs. Batman?

Batman for the first, but that would be a close one and I really wanted to say Wonder Woman. Have we ever actually seen a Batman vs. Wonder Woman fight? Batman is prepared for anything though so I'm sure he'd have shackles from Mount Olympus tucked away in his utility belt. For the record, I'm still waiting to see them get together. Second, definitely Wonder Woman. The third, Batman, no contest.



Jill as supergirl and a little older with Dan Didio.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday Motivators: K. D. Bryan

K. D. (center) with writer Judd Winnick (right) at Isotope Comics in San Francisco a few years back at a Warren Ellis Scotch Tasting and Signing Party.

K. D. Bryan is the first Wednesday Motivator that I do not know personally. Our relationship is restricted to the Internet, the blogosphere to be more precise. K.D. runs the popular comics blog, "Look Out! Here Comes A Comics Blog" and is a regular commenter here on Bottomless Cup.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

K. D.: God. Just doing the math to answer that makes me feel old. 23 freakin' years, as of now. Wow. I didn't even realize it had been that long.

DT: First comic you remember reading/owning?

K. D.: *Spectacular Spider-Man #106*, starring Spider-Man, The Wasp and Paladin. I was 8 years old and it confused the hell out of me, so I had to read more.

DT: What do you collect currently?

K. D.: I know I'm going to forget a bunch of titles. Arrgh. Well, when I actually have money to buy comics, I try to get everything Gail Simone, Adam Warren, Greg Rucka, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Brian K. Vaughan, Ed Brubaker and Joss Whedon write (usually in that order). I used to pick up the odd superhero title I loved out of sentimental value even if the writing itself isn't thrilling me - She-Hulk, Deadpool, Gen13, Invincible Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men and, God Help Me, Avengers - but not so much lately. That said, as much as I hate Bendis' current take on things, I do love the beejesus out of Powers. Indie titles I currently enjoy include (but are not limited to) Twilight Guardian, The Sword, Echo and I Hate Galant Girl. Due to crappy finances, I've been doing a *lot* of tradewaiting. Mind you,*100 Bullets * and *Empowered* are the two trades that I absolutely MUST BUY whenever they come out.

DT: Personal fav?

K. D.: Currently being published? *Secret Six*, hands down. Of all time? I know I should say Neil Gaiman's *Sandman* but the truth is that *Sandman: Brief Lives* ties with Joe Kelly's run on *Deadpool*. Yes, yes, I am a shallow fanboy.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

K. D.: Arrgh. Tough question. Adam Warren for combination of both - if you try to read *Dirty Pair: Fatal But Not Serious*, you'll get eyestrain counting all the little details and in-jokes on just a single page. As far as just writing goes, Neil Gaiman is boss. Artist-wise, John Cassaday's work on Planetary reminded me why I fell in love with comics to begin with (the lack of Absolute Planetary/finished Planetary makes me a Sad Panda).

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

K. D.: Sadly, no.

DT: Why?

K. D.: Partly, it's finances - I really can't keep up my previous $33 a week habit anymore. I'm lucky to have a $6 habit most weeks. Also, I tend to have an erratic schedule. I'll go to my local indie shop if they're actually open and my friendly neighborhood corporate behemoth comic shop, Mile High Comics when the indie shop's closed. If I could make it up to Boulder more regularly, I'd do most of my shopping at Time Warp the best independent comic book store in Colorado.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

K. D.: I love the rush of a good cliffhanger, so monthlies, definitely. There are crazy complex books I prefer to read as trades, however, like *100 Bullets*.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

K. D.: Ooh. Tough one. I have to preface my choice by saying that *Dark Knight* was the most stunning, nuanced superhero film ever made (and *Iron Man* was crazy fun). Still, out of pure, cheesy sentimentality, I'd have to say my favorite superhero movie of all time is Burton's *Batman.* Something about that film makes me happy every single time I watch it.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

K. D.: Well, there's an *insane *amount of good reads out there now, just waiting for you to discover them. Also, the more people putting their money into good comics, the better. If you buy good comics, you'll make sure they'll keep getting published and the talented people behind them will get more work. Plus, comics are fun, dang it, and I like to read your thoughts on them. :)

DT: Who would win: Superman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Batman? Batman vs. Superman?

K. D.: Hoo boy. That's practically daring me to make a blog post. Wonder Woman beats Superman - see Greg Rucka's awesome four-issue fight between the two for evidence of that. I know people argue that Supes wasn't in his right mind for that fight but even a clever, calm Superman wouldn't stand much of a chance against a magical warrior trained from birth (who's also immune to his heat vision). Wonder Woman vs. Batman? Hmmmm. Cover of The Hiketeia aside, I think that would really just depend on who struck first. The Tower of Babel JLA story illustrates that Batman is always ready to take down his friends but Wonder Woman's fast and strong enough to take Batman's head off with a punch. Batman Vs. Superman? Batman. (Yes, I know that, logically, everything I said for the WW Vs. Bats fight still applies but, well, I just like Batman better than Supes. :)

K. D. with Warren Ellis

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wednesday Motivators: Mike

Meet Mike. Mike is responsible for one of my top ten NY moments. When visiting his sister here in NY, Mike had the brilliant idea to take flowers to Steve Wacker (above) at the DC office in Midtown (this was before he left DC for Marvel) in consolation for the upcoming launch of 52. Amazingly, we were let in, and met Wacker in his office where he indulged us in conversation, a few free trades, and an eavesdrop on a phone convo with Mark Waid. It was AWESOME!

DT: How long have you been collecting?

I've been collecting since I was 7 so that makes it... 20 years. Shit. I'm old.

DT: What do you collect currently?

If you mean titles? Right now, Guardians of the Galaxy, Invincible Iron Man, JSA, Secret Six, Nova, Captain Britain, and MI: 13, Green Lantern, Captain America, DMZ, 100 Bullets, Ex Machina, X-Force and a lot of titles in trade format.

DT: Personal fav?

Right now, I'm really digging Invincible Iron Man and Nova and I'm sure that when it comes out, Agents of Atlas will be my new favorite.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

Authors: Brian K. Vaughan, Geoff Johns, Warren Ellis, and Matt Fraction. Artists: Salvador Larocca, Carlos Pacheco, Tony Harris, Peter Snejberg and Mark Bagley

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

Yup. I'm a loyal bastard to Floating World Comics.

DT: Why?

Jason, the owner, is an extremely responsible and professional owner who keeps his shop clean and inviting and well-stocked and is always welcoming to new customers with events and gallery shows.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

Trades, hand down. Monthlies are great in theory but the days of collecting them are gone. It feels like I'm collecting copies of Time Magazine at this point. I'd honestly rather read everything in trade format in my pajamas on my couch.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

Either Iron Man or Dark Knight. They're both great and neither is spot-on perfect.

DT: Why do you read?

I've always liked fiction with exciting visuals along with crisp and efficient dialogue. Movies and television supply this to a certain extent but in comics, there are NO budget restrictions so pretty much anything is possible.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

This is by far the best time to become a reader. I've been able to find a comic for any one of my friends because of the breadth of work out there from so many talented people. There is literally a comic for anyone at this point no matter what their interests.

DT: And finally, who would win? Batman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Superman? Superman vs. Batman?

Batman. Always Batman.

(I can't resist. Here's me in the DC hallway, and me with Steve Wacker.)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wednesday Motivators: James


Meet James. He wants to help me get back into comics. So two Wednesdays ago, on December 24, I followed James to his weekly comic haven, Old Town Comics in Fredericksburg, VA. This picture makes it look he's signing comics, but he's not.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

J: I started in Elementary school, collecting X-Men, other Marvel comics, and Archie. I took a break for awhile then returned about 5 years ago.

DT: What do you collect currently?

J: Consistently, I follow 5 stories: Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, and JLA. But I'll pick up lots of the miniseries like Final Crisis and anything else recommended to me by Ed, the owner of Old Town Comics.

DT: Personal fav?

J: Green Lantern

DT: Fav author? Artist?

J: Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

J: I started going to Old Town Comics about 2 years ago after my other store closed, and yeah I'm very loyal.

DT: Why Old Town?

J: The personal attention. Ed knows what I like, we have a good rapport and he'll hold books for me when I'm out of town, even for months, as well as throw in recommendations based on my tastes.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

J: Monthlies- I don't have the patience to wait for the trades.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

J: Dark Knight- on Blu-Ray. I like all my superhero movies on Blu-Ray.

[DT: I'm jealous.]

J: I'm also looking forward to Watchmen and Wolverine Origin.

DT: Why do you read?

J: I like the genre and the movies- it's my getaway.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

J: Do you miss it?

DT: Yes

J: That's why

(the above was entirely paraphrased based on an interview post Old Town visit)