Something I’ve been wanting to do for a while on these Monday posts is start introducing bloggers, artists and writers I admire by way of short interviews. It’s a neat platform that allows me to ask questions I have, stroke the egos of some cool people I like, and hopefully introduce you guys to new corners of the web and 3-D world to explore. First up is Scott Tipton of Comics101.com, a site devoted to all sorts of pop cultural ephemera, but that takes its name from Scott’s weekly column in which he gives readers insightful overviews of the 4-color world that enrich the understanding of the medium for avid comic readers, but also allows an entry point for those of us who are new to comics or have been away from them for a while–if you’re a lapsed fanboy or fangirl, Comics101 is a great way to slide yourself back into the fold, or if you’re in a relationship or are friends with someone who’s expressed interest in sharing your love of comics but don’t know where to begin, Comics101 is a fantastic primer to get them started. Feel free to explore the online archive, or check out the expanded physical publication from 2009 that Scott co-wrote with his Comics101 cohort Chris Ryall!

Hi Scott! I know your favorite character (or one of them) is Hank Pym as Ant-Man (or really any of Pym’s heroic alter-egos), but I also know you have a lot of fondness for Hawkeye. After Jeremy Renner’s cameo in Thor, are you looking forward to an expansion of the character’s use in The Avengers? Sub-question: said cameo reminded me an awful lot of his “first appearance” in Ultimates several years ago. In fact, excepting Ed Norton’s depiction of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, it seems like a LOT of the plot-sourcing for these Marvel films is trying to offer up some sort of synthesis between Mark Millar’s arc and the origins of the characters as told by Stan Lee. Thus far it seems (to me at least) that the various writers and directors attached to these projects are weaving the two together pretty deftly. Would you agree? If so, how do you feel about that, both as a moviegoer and a fan of the printed stories? Would you prefer a more purist adherence to the original stories?

If Hawkeye is used in the AVENGERS film half as well as he’s been used in the current AVENGERS cartoon series, I’ll be extremely happy. As for THE ULTIMATES, I’m not seeing as much of an influence as you are. I think you might be getting that feeling just because the films are so modern and current, which was what made ULTIMATES feel so fresh. (Ed. note: This is probably true.) But for both IRON MAN and THOR the characterizations are very much classic Stan and Jack to me, and I don’t feel much Millar at all.

Keeping with the theatrical theme of the last question, who would you say is winning the current box office battle between the Big Two? Not necessarily in terms of receipts, but as purveyors of entertainment? Christopher Nolan’s treatment of Batman is pretty much beyond reproach, but Superman Returns, while charming and, in my view, underrated, was a bit of a flop both critically and commercially, and as much as I like Mark Strong as Sinestro, I just can’t seem to get exciting about Green Lantern. This is my long-winded way of asking what’s better to have on your report card: an A+, an A, a B, and a C- (DC’s), or a solid string of A-’s, and B+’s (Marvel’s)?

Marvel has certainly had the better string of hits lately, but they’ve had their fair share of lemons, too. For every SUPERMAN RETURNS, there’s an Ang Lee’s HULK; for every JONAH HEX, there’s an ELEKTRA. And so far, Marvel hasn’t produced anything on the level of DARK KNIGHT RETURNS yet. Frankly, I don’t see it as a win-lose situation. Kick-ass superhero movies mean we all win.

Now, besides publishing an expanded collection of your Comics 101 columns back in 2009, you’ve also been doing more and more writing of actual comics thanks to your association with Chris Ryall and IDW. How has that been as a creative experience? Most of your work as a writer thus far has been with existing franchises like Star Trek, Buffy, Angel, etc—are there any plans or aspirations to create a wholly new title?

Well, writing the comics has always been the real goal (after setting it aside for a few years following the passing of Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald, who was a bit of a mentor of mine, and whose unexpected departure kind of took the joy out of comics for me for a while), so the fact that I’ve been able to step back into it and fulfill this childhood dream has been nothing short of spectacular. I’m planning on keeping it going as long as possible. As for an original creation, all I’ll say for now is “yes” and “stay tuned.”

Such a tease! Speaking of your writing work, Comics 101 readers have been lucky to have you sort of lift the curtain a bit from time to time and show us the creative process that goes into your books, at least as far as the back and forth you have with the pencillers and inkers in Italy. I’ve been wondering for a while: when you first send them the script, how detailed do you get in describing the action in the panels? Are you more on the Alan Moore/Neil Gaiman end of the spectrum, or really hands-off the way Stan Lee was with Jack Kirby?

Actually, I’d say somewhere in the middle. I try and give my artists as much instruction and detail (and reference material) as I possibly can, but I always tell them that I trust their instincts as storytellers, and if they see a way to improve what I’ve laid out, by all means do so. Sometimes they’ll run it by me first, sometimes they’ll just go ahead and do it, but I’ve never been unhappy with what I’ve gotten back. I’ve been amazingly lucky in getting to work with such talented folks.

OK, now on to the fun stuff…favorite artist from each of the “ages” (Golden, Silver, etc)?

Too many to name any single favorites, but just to name a few: For the Golden Age, aside from the obvious like Will Eisner, I really like the Fawcett guys like C.C. Beck and Mac Raboy, and I’ve got a real soft spot for Bernard Baily’s HOURMAN and Jack Burnley’s STARMAN. And Carl Barks. For the Silver Age, of course it’s the usual suspects: Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema and Carmine Infantino. I’d also list some unsung heroes like Dick Dillin, Ross Andru and Bruno Premiani. And although you didn’t ask, as far as artists working today (recusing myself from mentioning my friends David Messina, Elena Casagrande and Sara Pichelli, who I think are some of the best-kept secrets in comics (though Sara is getting some much-deserved attention on ULTIMATE SPIDEY)), I’ll buy absolutely anything by George Perez, Tony Harris, Adam Hughes, Amanda Conner, and Darwyn Cooke.
Which character has the best logo? Best costume?

The best logo is still the classic DC Superman. Instantly recognizable and iconic. As for the best costume, I think the Fawcett Captain Marvel has an elegance about it that’s pretty hard to beat.
Which character has the best super-power(s)?

The Legion of Superheroes’ Matter-Eater Lad, hands down. He eats stuff.

Which character has the worst super-power(s)?

See above.
Seriously, though, Doug “Cypher” Ramsey of the New Mutants came up pretty short in the super-power lotto. “Super-linguist” isn’t much good against Juggernaut, unless you can convince him to play Scrabble.

All-time, which publisher is your favorite, based on cumulative quality of output (IDW aside)?

I was raised on superheroes, so it’s always gonna be Marvel and DC for me, and I can’t pick one over the other. As for current output, it’s always in flux; these days, Marvel really seems to be firing on all cylinders.

Congratulations! You just became the king of Hollywood. Pick ten comic-based properties you’d like to develop and cast the three main roles (hero, love interest, villain) using any actor, living or dead.

First off, I prefer the title “Vice-President of Showbiz” (any Hollywood Babble-On listeners out there just laughed), and I’ll stick to the living, thank you very much. Still, 10 properties? That’s a lot of development. I’ll give you five.
ANT-MAN: Alan Tudyk as Hank Pym, Amy Acker as the Wasp and John Malkovich as Egghead.
DR. STRANGE: Ed Norton as Dr. Strange, Kat Dennings as Clea and Ian McShane as Baron Mordo.
SHAZAM!: David Boreanaz as Captain Marvel, Paul Giamatti as Sivana and The Rock as Black Adam.
FLASH: Chris Pine as Barry Allen, Alicia Witt as Iris West and the voice of Alec Baldwin as Gorilla Grodd.
THE SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY: Nathan Fillion as The Vigilante, Viggo Mortenson as the Crimson Avenger, Daniel Craig as the Shining Knight, Brad Pitt as Green Arrow, and Bruce Campbell as Stripesy. We’ll cast unknowns for Speedy and the Star-Spangled Kid.

Many thanks to Scott for his great answers to silly questions. If any of YOU guys would like to do the same, you know the drill as it pertains to fans: send me a pic of yourselves in some Ex-Boyfriend gear and I will happily send you some fun questions

Sometimes I miss certain coworkers from my previous jobs. While I am in no way suggesting that being a member of the workforce is in any way the same as fighting in a war (support our troops an’ all that), it can’t be denied that there is a bond formed when you go through particularly harrowing days or weeks at the office. I suspect that for most people, it’s that camaraderie that gets them to go back each day (that, and we all need to put food on our families. Cash rules everything around us, no?)

However, typically those work-comrades make up a pretty tiny percentage of the fools and trolls we have to put up with on a daily basis. The rest of them often fall into one of the the following six categories:

Post your most awful coworker anecdote in the comments section! Winner gets an “awww” and a cyber-pat-on-the-back from me!

Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Some Kind of Wonderful have all been making the rounds on TV in the last few weeks. Even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was on Saturday night. All of this John Hughes-mania got me to thinking: how would one go about finding out who their ideal 80s iconic boyfriend is? Using my recently-busted Final Four bracket as an inspiration, here’s my flow chart for helping you find out!

Apologies to Farmer Ted for the omission, but head-gear and panty profiteering gets an immediate disqualification. Also, I could probably do one of these entirely comprised of characters John Cusack played: Lane Meyer, Lloyd Dobler, Walter “Gib” Gibson, Hoops McCann, Bryce (in Sixteen Candles), Denny LaChance (Stand By Me)…dude was everywhere!

Thanksgiving is next week. Are you ready for the cheek-pinching aunts and creamed spinach? This year I’m planning a low-key celebration at home with some friends, but if you’re planning to brave a family gathering here are a few tips:

You may also enjoy my useful tips on making polite conversation at parties.

The other day I was hanging out with some friends and they overheard my wife say “don’t poke the bear.” I think I was asking if we could watch like 400 hours of football on Sunday(her words, not mine) instead of cleaning the house or something. My friend burst out laughing. “That’s great! ‘Don’t poke the bear’, I love it.”  It got me thinking about some of the other verbal shorthand I use and verbal shorthand in general.

First let me say, I love verbal shorthand. I love a little inside joke with a loved one that expresses an idea in only a few words. I don’t mean things like LOL or BRB, although I do use those online like every other 21st century netizen. Here are some examples of what I mean…

Don’t poke the bear – This is what we say in our house when one of us is beginning to grow annoyed with the other one. If my wife sends me to the store for peanut butter and then calls as I’m already in the check out lane to say we need toilet paper I tell her “You are poking the bear.” It’s something said kind of playfully to diffuse a potentially annoying situation one of us is creating.

Too much hello – We say this when we have to go to a really boring social event full of extremely boring people. Do you remember in the beginning of the movie Sixteen Candles when Molly Ringwald’s grandparents arrive and perkily comment on her developing breasts? Imagine that same level of perkiness, but with the only exchange being “Hello!” and maybe commentary about the weather or the hors d’oeuvres spread, followed by nervous smiles and awkward pauses.

Oh, skycake – We say this when confronted with religious lunacy. It’s a reference to a Patton Oswalt bit. Patton talks about how he believes religion started because big bullies were going around beating up the little smart guys, thus the little smart guys convinced all the thugs that if they would lay off the murder and rape they’d go to heaven and it would be full of delicious cake. He goes on to say that the problem began when other thugs heard heaven was full of delicious pie and thus the religious wars began. So now, when we hear about some psycho bombing a clinic we say “oh skycake.” Shorthand for our exasperation with religious zealotry.

Positivity ’09 – (soon to be positivity 2010)- This is said sarcastically when one of us is in a bad mood. My wife will be going on about getting stuck in traffic and having to go to the DMV and our furnace breaking down in the middle of winter and I’ll say “Positivity ’09, honey”. We stole this from friends of ours who say it with complete sincerity when one of them is in a bad mood and the other is reminding that they should try to maintain a positive outlook. Since we revel in cynicism around here (we do live on the east coast, after all), my wife would probably smack me if I said this to her sincerely. When said jokingly, it usually gets a chuckle around here.

So what shorthand do you use with your friends and family? What does it mean and where did it come from?

Lately I’ve been reading a few web comics and it got me thinking about how this blog has become more rant and less illustration. Although most of my sketchpad is dedicated to t-shirt designs, I’ve decided to branch out and throw in some comic strip fun. So here’s my first of hopefully many absurd comics, featuring Medusa at the beauty salon.

If you like my new comic you can vote for it over at Top Web Comics.

Normally I try to share some amusing webby finds or good personal anecdotes on le blog but I have been super busy…. gah. So before a whole week goes by without any fun stuff posted, I thought I’d share today’s webby find that made me smile — a personal comic strip by Allan Wood. Enjoy…

In case you missed it, a few weeks back the hot vid-of-the-day at YouTube was this cat spinning around on a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. It was no ninja cat or talking kittens, but hey, they can’t all be. Today, however, the gauntlet was thrown down. In an apparent effort to unseat Roomba cat from the top of robotic-vacuum-riding-cat hill, these young turks have essentially guaranteed that Roomba Cat MkI will rapidly fade into obscurity, with his only claim to fame being that he was first. Because these guys are ADORABLE. I love my full-grown cat Oliver, who is the handsomest of all beasts, but much like rock always beats scissors, kitten ALWAYS beats cat.

The best part of this video is how it actually illustrates a playground favorite: When kids would pile onto the merry-go-round, and one would spin it as fast as possible, gradually causing the weaker kids to fly off until the strongest remained. MITTENS IS STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!

After graduation I am either going to get a job in a cubicle or hatch an evil scheme to take over the world. I am leaning towards the latter. To that end, I am going to need some minions, thus I’ve decided its time to advertise to help. If you’re interested in being a minion clickety-click, my friend, and apply for the job.

If you are considering master-minding an evil scheme of your own, you can get a “Now Hiring Henchman” badge for your website or Myspace here. It’s all set up to send you applications from your potential minions. Fun, huh? If you’d like to celebrate your evil in other ways check out the new Intramural Supervillain Tees.

If you’re a parent raising a little rascal whom the neighbors affectionately keep referring to as “Damian,” you may be interested in the brand new “Future Dark Overlord” T-shirts. Let’s face it, they can’t all be future doctors and future Presidents, right?

Top Ten Ways You Can Tell Your Child is a Future Dark Overlord:

1. When you ask your little one what she wants to be when she grows up, she says she wants to be just like Ann Coulter.

2. He keeps pestering you for a tank full of piranhas instead of a puppy.

3. When you ask her if she’d like to come play outside, she replies that she is too busy working on her death ray right now.

4. Your child exhibits an unhealthy fixation with resurrecting the dead to form an army of minions to do his bidding.

5. Her favorite television show is the O’Reilly Factor.

6. Mysterious charges on your credit card keep appearing from chemicalsbannedinmoststates.com

7. His favorite book is the Necronomicon

8. Her Christmas wish list includes such things as a rocket launcher or napalm.

9. Inordinate amount of pleather in his wardrobe.

10. She begs you to buy her a “Future Dark Overlord” t-shirt.