The Shape Of Things To Come!

And now for something completely different. Welcome to 2024! Here at the Dojo, I begin the sixteenth year of regular posts about things comic, movie, and pulp related (among other things), and I am using this opportunity to make some changes to how the place runs. It won't much change how you guys encounter it, but it will change how I approach putting together the posts which appear here. I have spent many years now working with monthly themes. That wasn't really intentional, but developed over time and I found I liked putting together the monthly posts circulating around a unified idea or character.

But there have been limitations, specifically I have readings I'd like to get to, but have to set aside because I've committed to a given theme. Eventually I get to it, but it can be frustrating in the moment. This year I want to eschew the monthly themes (with a few exceptions perhaps from time to time -- don't want to limit myself too much) and will switch to ongoing departments which will hopefully allow me to pursue some readings that have eluded me to this point or projects which are larger than any given month.  There likely be weekly themes concerning a particular artist, character, actor, concept or other specific notion of immediate interest. 

Look for the following departments over the coming months. "Showcase Corner" which has been around for several years and will continue with an emphasis perhaps on comics edited by Julius Schwartz. "Essential Epics" is a new one in which I will take good close looks at Marvel Comic series in the reprint Epic line and when necessary, its predecessor the Essential gatherings. "Golden Way" which will focus on comics from the earliest years of the comic book in the years just before, during and just after World War II.

"Horror Hayride" will focus on just what you think, in film, comics, and otherwise. "Space Cadets" focuses its attention on matters science fiction and alien related. "Kaiju Korner" will focus on those great big old monsters from Japan and elsewhere. "Make War No More" will wander onto the sundry battlefields from the many decades of comics and film. "Six-Gun Heroes" will look back at the vintage westerns. "Crime Alley" will be a haven for crime and such as that, in comics, books, and films. "Saturday Serials" is an old label and likely will make a comeback. As might "Sunday Funnies".  Likewise, the oldest of the labels I've used here at the Dojo -- "Favorite Covers" will return, which is what this blog was originally set up to do a decade and a half ago, before I wandered into other areas of interest. Expect more of these tags as I lumber along. 

And expect lots of things without handy-dandy categories as well. I want to loosen up things here quite a bit. And expect some breaks. I know I said that last year and with a very few exceptions, there were none, but that might not be the case in 2024. If and when I'm away, I'll leave the comforting image of Steve Ditko's iconic Captain Atom above to show I'm powering down, but I will return. 

And while not a monthly theme, do expect quite a bit of Lee Falk's The Phantom to show up this winter and into the spring as I'm working my way through the Hermes reprints of the vintage Avon novels featuring the character as well as the comic books from Gold Key, King Features and Charlton Comics. 

Likewise, don't expect it to be a monthly theme, but do anticipate some coverage of Kurt Busiek's and Brent Anderson's and Alex Ross's brilliant comic series Astro City. I've been getting the regular issues since the beginning way back in the 90's and it's the one title which I never gave up on. I've been collecting the remarkably readable MetroBooks this past year and they demand attention. 

And I've recently picked up all of Frank L. Baum's OZ books. I've never read any of these save for the first one The Wizard of OZ and I don't want to put it off reading this esteemed series of American fables any longer. I read praises for these tales all the time and regret I didn't put my hand to them to share with my daughters decades ago. 

And over the years I've gathered up quite a holding of animation from the studios of Hanna-Barbera, Warner Brothers, Walter Lantz, Fleisher Brothers, Disney, UPA, Jay Ward, Total Television and many others. This seems a grand year to indulge in a wonderful schmear of cartoons. 

Another project I'd like to get to introduce this year is the titled simply "Favorite Stories" in which I'll take a gander at some of my all-time favorite storylines from sundry comics from across the decades. Expect some single issues as well. There are so many really good stories, this feature will never run dry. 

Everybody loves a good villain, so I hope to take a look at some of best of the worst as the year rumbles along under the label "Bad Guys". Marvel, DC, and all the rest have been cranking out baddies for decades. Some of them are delightfully awful. Besides, there's a slightest chance the U.S. might elect a super-villain to high public office this year, so it's perhaps prudent to be on the bad side before the end times arrive in full force. (I don't really think so, but it's enough to distract the mind. Sigh.)

Then there are the things that go bump in the night. I gathered up quite a collection of books about things paranormal last year inspired by my trip to The Mothman Museum. It's entirely likely I'll dig around in more of those at some point this coming year as well.  

And I want to revisit some old favorites such the brief but blistering Atlas-Seaboard line which blasted onto the comics scene fifty years ago in the late autumn of 1974 and sputtered out and was gone before the summer of 1975 was done. I want to take a leisurely look at the line book-by-book month-by-month as this anniversary year bubbles along to its inevitable conclusion. 

While it's not necessarily an intentional project of mine at this time, I wouldn't be surprised to see quite a bit of work by Neal Adams pop up at the Dojo this year. His passing last year really struck home with many fans of my generation. and I have found that his influence is directly or indirectly involved with many of my favorite comics and characters over the years. 

This new format will give me the ability to respond to matters of interest in a timely manner. News of the day perhaps, or a simple whim which strikes me. Not being limited by a monthly theme, as much as I enjoy putting them together, will be pleasant, at least for a while. I look forward personally to reading and responding to some of my all-time favorite stories and storylines from across the decades. Looking forward to another interesting year here at the Dojo and I invite one and all to join me. Lord knows paying close attention to the real world reaps diminishing returns these days. Here are some hints about what else might be on the way.

I want every day to be a surprise (a pleasant one I hope) this year at the Dojo. Hope you'll hang out and enjoy them all with me. Until tomorrow...

Rip Off