Oh yeah, Zombie Cat Bacon is sharing awesome content from all over the Interwebs here:
Twitter - Twitter also posts the various newsletters from the ZCB Universe: United States of Whiskey (focusing on craft bourbon and whiskey trends), WOMMAN (women's MMA news), Rock Is Alive (real rock'n'roll from the 70's to now), and The Escape Goat (comics news).
Facebook - Follow ZCB on Facebook and always be up to date
Pinterest - Pretty pictures and nifty article links
Tapiture - Pinterest for guys (not so SFW all the time)
Gentlemint - Other Pinteresty kinda thing (always SFW)
Citizen Archivists and the Battle for Future Pasts
At a time when markets for used LPs like eBay and Discogs have snuffed the mystery from record shopping, Bob Abrahamian and Patrick Lundborg were the kind of collectors who actively sought out unexplored territory. Over decades of discovery, their lives’ work accumulated meaning that exceeded the value of the vinyl on their shelves — even if those recordswere breathtakingly rare. Their sudden deaths (Abrahamian took his own life at age 35; Lundborg passed away of unspecified causes at 47) this past summer left the record collecting world in mourning. They were important voices, snuffed out too young.
I love hockey (specifically, the Toronto Maple Leafs).
I love comics (grew up a Marvel Zombie).
So, in October 2010, when the National Hockey League and Marvel Comics' icon Stan Lee announced a joint venture called the Guardian Project, I was as excited as a mature, well-balanced, professional 40-something could be. Well, maybe not "excited". Let's say, "intrigued".
Could this "Guardian Project" be my own personal Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of pop culture?
As the NHL rolled out character after character during the 2010-2011 season leading up to the All-Star game, I thought, "well, there's a few interesting character designs here, but what's the point of all this?" Obviously, it was an effort to attract 9-14 year old kids, that perhaps had not the awareness or appreciation for the greatest sport in the world like I did. The best coverage of the whole thing came from Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy fame:
Long story short, the whole thing was a debacle for everyone involved. The NHL gained absolutely nothing except for ridicule, the company that developed the graphic elements, Oxford Metrics Group, took a massive financial hit, and the fans had to endure this:
As late as the summer of 2011, news of the Project still dribbled outbut the last news one can find on Google (except for writers using the Project failure as a snarky aside) is from October 2012 in which a Taiwanese businessman announces a partnership with Stan Lee involving the Guardian Project. It's now dead, I assume, hopefully, along with this fellow (and his friends):
The Facebook page and some NHL links still live on, if you feel like looking at the remains.
During my hiatus (which ends now, apparently), a little story/meme started making the Internet rounds in late January:
'Bart' The 'Zombie Cat' Claws Its Way Back From The Dead
Hey, copycat (heh), I was here first! Anyway, just like Bart, the Zombie Cat Bacon comblogorate has returned! Not from the dead, but from the near-deadly clutches of chronic laziness.
I really have no excuse. I have tons of material to scribble about on all channels, and I have some nifty new ideas. And, of course, you are all starved for content.
I just need to get off my ass, and off my ass, I am.
Remember to check out the Daily R'n'R (free subscriptions!)
Out of curiosity, I took a look at my blog traffic this past year (he said, weeping), and I thought I'd try doing something no one has ever done before: I'll repost the most popular entries from 2014!
From The United States of Whiskey, you drinkers out there really started to turn on to my state-by-state review of local whiskey scenes, and tops was the first part of California (Northern). The US of W posts will begin again this week, as will most of the others in the ZCB blog family.
The odd, still somewhat undefined art thingy, Pulpwear, hit one (nearly) out of the park with this review of the Big Four of old moldy magazines.
BBQHoney will soon see a new addition to the site (stop by next weekend) (the blog, not my house) and see what's what. Til then, here's a nice longread on the Honey Hunters.
The Comicro was all over the place the past few months and very inconsistent. Just like this post from September (but full of cool news and relevant info).
Finally, the Mother Ship, Zombie Cat Bacon, has yet to really find a purpose after the collection was sold. If you'll recall, I started this whole thing to document the dispersal of my beloved yet increasingly cumbersome comic book collection. It took a few months, and then I buried the news of the sale in a mini-rant about Mile High's Chuck Rozanski. But stay tuned - I think I have an idea for good ol' ZCB...
Oh and my travel blog, Voyage of the Darned? Well, yeah, I managed to post a pretty picture on the Internet (that I didn't take).
I'll be trying new stuff in 2015 (like the Daily R'n'R) and I'll continue to struggle with consistency and which social media "works" for me. This thing, the "Internet", is like a big toybox to me, and I don't really know how to best use it, either for good or for evilprofit good. But I'm having fun experimenting with it (click here: this post is still a semi-blueprint for my online plans). Let me know how I'm doing, or just say howdy anytime. Thanks for reading!
A coming nerd implosion? Is there too much content to consume on a daily basis? We'll see...
From the Editorial Team of GEEK MAGAZINE:
To our readers, Facebook and social media friends, and of course the whole Geek Magazine community, we want to thank you for the support you’ve given us these last 2 1/2 years. Unfortunately, we are announcing the discontinued publication of GEEK Magazine and geekexchange.com. Despite our sadness over this decision, we appreciate the opportunity to bring you a high-quality magazine filled with stuff that we hope you have loved as much as we have. Print and digital subscribers will be receiving further information in the near future on any remaining part of your Geek subscription, if applicable.
We at GEEK want to thank all of our talented editors and contributors for your dedication to helping pack each issue with what we hope has been entertaining and interesting content. And a special thanks to our Web editor, Brian Kronner, and his awesome team for helping to grow the site and online community.
We look forward to new avenues to reach out to you soon to keep highlighting the geeks behind the stuff we all love.
Tuesday, Pulpwear showed pretty pictures! The Big Four pulp magazines from yer great grand pappy's time (which I'm sure he hid under the bed from Great Grandmama) routinely featured gorgeous painted covers to stand out on the incredibly crowded newstand of the day. Go look and be pleased.
Yesterday, we began our boozy journey across the US of A with the US of W. Beginning in Bama, and travelling alphabetically (?!), we'll try to discover what's new and interesting in bourbon.
This long weekend has given ol' ZCB plenty of time for reflection, contemplation and experimental hangover cures (I still prefer a Bloody Mary). I thought long and hard about where to take this blogging effort next, now that the Collection has been sent to a better place (Ann Arbor, MI).
I have many interests and pursue quite a few side projects while keeping the airwaves safe entertaining for kith and kin. And I've dropped vague and cryptic hints along the way since March about a couple of these (Comicro? Pulpwear? SnackyPOP?!). While sitting on the back deck on a beautiful Saturday morning, it hit me: why not try to accomplish everything at once, while maintaining a full-time job and supporting a gorgeous wife and two wonderful, crazy kids (first day of school tomorrow...more excited than I should be)?
So here goes everything. Effective immediately, you'll start seeing new daily activity here on ZCB, and during the week, you'll be shown a pathway to a new different adventure. Your majestic ship awaits...
Monday - SnackyPOP: I'll be trying out a venture with a few craft soda purveyors and alternative snackmakers. Ya see, kids, the ZCB clan prefers to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) whenever possible. The stuff is in everything, it seems, and while the jury may still be out on the effects of HFCS in the diets of the citizenry, I just think it's best to stay away from it if you can. And I like me some pop'n'snacks. So I'll point out a few nifty things you might be able to find on the shelf at your local groceteria or at least feature an online ordering option. If you enjoy eating and drinking things, then tasty treats are to be found within!
Tuesday - Pulpwear: Not just the finest t-shirt emporium this side of Steve & Berry's (wait, what?), but also a home for an overview of modern art. I said modern art. Over the past two to three decades, my love of comics has led to an appreciation for many styles of illustration from the past 100-150 years. And Pulpwear is my crass, overtly commercial way of celebrating that. We'll look at some fascinating examples of art nouveau, art deco, early 20th century advertising, cigar box art, produce crate art (!) and much much more. Seriously, this stuff is beautiful. You'll see.
Wednesday - The Comicro: This is where the comic book talky talk will reside. The Comicro will still feature my erudite musings on collectin' stuff, and we'll get back to the Indiestarter updates too. I have been enjoying the wonders of mini-comics and the small press much more as Marvel leaves me behind with it's rebootin' and renumberin' and what not. WAY back, I worked for Geppi's Comic World, and I've always been interested in the funny book biz too, so we'll touch on that. I still do have plenty of comics, so I might point out a few gems to faithful readers as well. And it all happens on Wednesday, cuz you know, it's Wednesday.
Thursday - The United States of Whiskey: Cheers! You've made it this far in the post; it's time for a drink or two. As we stagger towards to the weekend, we'll look at the amazing craft spirit industry. I don't drink the demon liquor too often, but I do enjoy bourbon (to be more specific, George Dickel #8), and rum, wine, beer, cider, vodka, gin, a growing selection of cocktails, and various new concoctions that can occasionally be found in the great state of Wisconsin. I've heard there might be a couple of drinking establishments nearby (I live near Lambeau) so access to booze is likely certain.
Friday - BBQHoney: I grill. A lot. The charred flesh of unlucky animals has always been a favorite among my tribe, and I've grown fond of developing my own sauces and marinades. Two things happened recently: I discovered all but one brand (Stubb's) of BBQ sauce at the local supermarket have HFCS as a prime ingredient. I also found out that Wisconsin frowns on people selling their own stuff unless made in a commercial kitchen. I don't have time for that, but I do make a kick ass chipotle sauce that, for now, will only be enjoyed on the grounds of the ZCB compound. Did I mention bees? They seem to be disappearing and that's bad. Very bad. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches rule! So I have a vested interest in bees proliferating. As do we all, really. See you Friday, TGIF and all that.
Saturday - TravelociraptureVoyage of the Darned: More of a personal sidelight, where I'll be looking back at my travels and looking ahead to places I've yet to visit. Over the past 25 years, I've been fortunate to live and travel throughout North America (with a few stops in the Caribbean and South America), and I have experienced some amazing, and some harrowing, events. Grab a cup o'joe, find your cozy place and then troll the living shit outta me in allcaps with all the cool/hip things I missed when I was in your town. Also, I couldn't think of a better name than Travelocirapture. I made a slight improvement. Suggestions are still encouraged.
Sunday - Zombie Cat Bacon: - Hey, that's right here! Yup, we end up back at the beginning to prepare for a new week of yammering on and on about things I find interesting. But as a treat for those of you that stuck with me, I tell you what movies, TV, and sports you should be watching. Music and games too. If you're well behaved, I'll share the tale about the time I saw Devo and Black Sabbath in the same week back in the 80's.
Can I pull this off? Can I blog every day? Do I have enough material? I think so.
After my dazzling performance as a shirt hawker a few weeks ago (we all remember it fondly, and I sold nearly one of them! Thanks, Mom!), I thought I'd create some nifty threads using some of the images I've collected over the years. There will be more to come and there is absolutely no theme to this. You won't find Marvel characters or Dr. Who stuff. Certainly no Star Wars/Trek or Game of Walking Guardians or anything else like that.
I dig vintage travel posters and old race car ads. Sometimes dead brands can be fun, as can the art deco/nouveau liquor promos one occasionally sees in your finer mall art stores.
Pulp magazines and public domain comics can have very interesting covers (if not totally lurid and a little sleazy...oooh baby), but they're hard to find in decent condition.
At the top of the page, you'll see a link for Pulpwear - clicking on that is what you want to do now.
Anyway, go take a look and if something strikes your fancy, buy it, tell yer friends, they'll buy more shirts, and then I'll be rich and won't have to blog for food anymore.
Hot Links!
Here's a few links about collecting and music I found recently. Read and enjoy! Tell 'em Zombie Cat sent ya!
In the winter of 1980, I was published in print for the first time. It was during my freshman year at Pinellas Park High School (Florida). Back in the olden days, schools actually used to encourage students to write and produce things like literary magazines. Ours was called Touch of Class. Below is a scan of my review of Robin Williams' debut comedy album, Reality...What a Concept.
I'd kinda forgotten about it until tonight. But I thought it would be nice to share.
In early May, I started randomly holding a spotlight over a few Kickstarter and Indiegogo comic projects that I thought to be sorta neato. Here's an update:
Save Kowabunga - ouch. The Kickstarter campaign didn't quite make it, however the boys at Kowabunga are fighting the good fight and recently posted on their website that they'll be open at least through August. If you're in America's Dairyland, stop by and say hi (with money).
Exquisite Corpse - Success! However I'm not sure where they're going now. I didn't see an acknowledgement of the Kickstarter win on his Facebook, twitter or website, so I'm really not sure what's going on.
Lumina - Wow! They crushed it, and I look forward to seeing the finished product. For more, go here and here
Skidmarks - Three in a row! And apparently, it's available now
The Dying Breed - Make that four straight. For more on EJ and the challenges he's currently facing, go read this now. Best of luck and congrats on the Indiegogo win!
So the Golden Shower of Zombie Cat Bacon love (note: reword that in final edits) has 4-2 score in crowdfunding so far.
Something new watch: Radiator Comics, a new distribution outlet for small-press creators.
And, of course, when I wrote "More on that tomorrow...", I meant next Monday.
If you've been following along, I started this whole bloggy thingy to detail my adventures in selling my comics collection. OK, to recap for new readers so far:
1. I have a lot of comics
2. I no longer want to have a lot of comics
3. I made an effort to sell them through various online and offline channels
4. It was a giant pain in the ass
5. I really haven't detailed my adventures so much as I've just written about stuff I felt like writing about, with a large serving of comic related musings on the side
So after four months of multiple Craigslist posts, I finally sold my comics.
!
Yes, it is true. I should tell you that I am more excited about the sale than it may appear, and the transaction is almost complete (now, now, don't worry - all I have to do now is ship them - they're paid for, and the buyer is arranging the shipping).
In total, since March, I received about 100 emails and phone calls. I had one aborted sale (after a 2 1/2 hour drive each way). I had far too many questions about the Silver Age and/or Marvel content of the collection, (though the listings were pretty darn clear as to the comics contained therein). I had some hilarious lowball offers. I spoke to some colossal assholes. I was afraid I would never sell them, and concurrently afraid that I would.
After sharing my story with so many of you (a surprising amount, considering my inability to maintain even the most basic writing consistency), I realized I was not alone in my contention that comic collecting, as I knew it growing up, is dead. I'm OK with that, I really am. My kids can read the same great Avengers tales and Love & Rockets comics as I did, albeit probably through a different medium and format.
Oh, what's that? How much did I get for the whole thing? It appears the going rate for 3900 bagged and boarded comics, dating from 1975 to 2013 from publishers as diverse as Marvel, First, Image, DC, Comico and Eclipse, in long runs and all sorted and chronological and neat and tidy (near mint to mint condition - sure I guess), is about a cool grand.
$1000. That's what I got. I didn't haggle. I wasn't insulted. I wasn't surprised. A guy in Michigan said he'll give me a grand, and I said yes, I'll take that.
By the end of this week, there will be a large 15-long-box shaped hole in my life. The $1000 I got for the collection won't fill it, but something will, and I'm sure it'll be something cool.
And, sure, Zombie Cat Bacon will continue. I enjoy the process and the interaction. Plus a Facebook page now exists here. Join me, won't you?
After 42 consecutive years in a row, it may finally (at long last...) be time for me to bid San Diego good-bye, forever.
The comic collectibles market is changing, we all know that. Ebay, digital, trade omnibus editions and a new generation of readers that don't care about ownership have taken the old paradigm (of long box diving and gap-filling back issue purchases) behind the woodshed and pumped a shotgun into the back of its head.
I do not weep for the past. I think collecting things is fun. However, it is no longer a necessary function of enjoying comics. If you want it, you can eventually find it on Ebay. If you have a reading device, comics are as portable as any other entertainment. I have a large bookshelf and I like the look of having it full of beautiful trades and omnibus editions (omnibi? nope, checked it, omnibuses...hmm, I don't like that).
And access over ownership is really the generational shift we're seeing. My kids loved Frozen (didn't we all? Especially that tune...how's it go again?) (By the way, AAAAaaggghhhh).
Though we did buy it on DVD (for our epic July cross-country trip these past few weeks, he says, explaining Zombie Cat's summer hibernation), we didn't need to. The kids use Netflix streaming, Time Warner on-demand and YouTube for 90% of their flat screen based entertainment. They rarely if ever ask us to purchase DVDs (or even to go to the local cinema). They have access to nearly anything they want 24/7 via multiple devices.
So why buy stuff like paper comics? "I love the feel/smell/permanence/physical object", you might say. That's fine, but you're in the rapidly shrinking minority. And if you're under the age of 30, you're weird.
Chuck's rant regarding this weekend's Comic-Con is focused on a specific category of collectibles, but the underlying theme regarding his business model shows how vulnerable enterprises like his really are. He has literally millions of comics in his warehouses. The supply will now always supersede the market demand, and as demand for physical objects like Marvel Two-In-One #39 stagnates and shrinks, the costs of warehousing and staffing physical plants will only increase over time.
I like to read, and now, more than ever, it is just too easy to find cool/interesting/infuriating stuff to read online. So I save articles I want to read in an app called Pocket. Rarely do I have the opportunity to get to the saved articles in Pocket however, what with my DVR load and my DCBS monthly shipment of trades and my sports-watching, and my other book-reading and my bike-riding, and my, uh, whadduyacallit, family.
Here's a list of some of the recent saved articles. I haven't read any of them yet:
Perhaps my loyal readership could read these for me and give me a synopsis on each one. I would be grateful, and frankly very surprised if any of you actually did that for me. It would reek of awesomeness.
