RobAbsten's Recent Comments
August 5, 2011 1:36 am Three hours again, John?

Past four episodes: 1:57, 3:52; 1:47; and 3:01.
July 30, 2011 10:41 am 1) Digital: There is a cost barrier to digital and it's not a "1% problem."  Tech isn't as ubiquitous as those of us who frequent message boards seem to think. Further, much of what IS available to lower socioeconomic statused individuals isn't available for many of today's digital comics venues/ Try to install Graphic.ly on a PC at the library.

Also, and I have to shout this one: YOU CAN'T PAY FOR A DIGITAL BOOK WITH CASH. Vast numbers of Americans do not havecredit cards or even bank accounts. They operate in a world of cash and money orders; iTunes/comixology/graphic.ly/etc. do not. Yes, a motivated individual can go use his cash to buy a prepaid credit card, but that person gets to pay a premium, ranging from 10-25% (e.g. a $20 Visa may cost $24.95 at the corner bodega).  Digital cuts off that market entirely.

2) Length. I don't love four hour podcasts. I don't love three hour-plus interviews being jammed into one show. Keep it reasonable. 

3) Pocasts in general. Get to the point. As Ron once tweeted, if you're doing a comics revioew podcast and 20 minutes in you're still not talking comics you're doing it wrong. And get a good mic, learn to use Skype, and encourage if not require guests to Skype or use a land line. Cell phone interviews often (usually) suck.

4) Panels in specific. Mic the audience questions or repeat them verbatim - in show or in post - for the home audience. And the moderator shouldn't be a featured guest, s/he should moderate.
July 29, 2011 12:17 pm I've read the "best selling graphic novel of all time" moniker for DOS takes into account the individual issues sold. I ran across a recent listing of all-time trade sales for DC and it wasn't in the top 5. Watchmen, DKR, and one of the Sandman trades were.
July 29, 2011 12:10 pm Thanks for bringing the original E & L books to our attention again, Tom. Learn them kids some knowedge, I say.

The original TMNT was near-perfect satire for the mid-80s, poking fun at the then current obsessions with teenaged herores (X-Men, New Mutants, and The New Teen Titans), mutants (X-verse in general), and ninjitsu (Daredevil, Wolverine, and again, the X-Men). And turtles. Everyone loves turtles.

But, the Fugitoid wasn't goofy. He was a fine, fine character. Misunderstood, perhaps, but not goofy. Well, maybe a little.
July 29, 2011 12:00 pm This suit ultimately comes down to one issue: were Kirby's (vast and indispensable) contributions to the creation and development of the Marvel pantheon done as "work for hire?" If no, then he - or his estate - have an opt-out provision under the '76 copyright act where he could regain control of his creations; if not, there is no opt-out right and the empoyer, Marvel, is the author. The Court found there was no competent evidnce to show Kirby was working under any other arrangment other than work for hire, therefore summary judgment was granted.

The Kirby estate could not provide any evidence, other than hearsay, e.g. Mark Evanier's "expert" testimony and opinons, that Jack WASN'T working under WFH circumstances. Compare that to Marvel, who had the sworn testimony of several men who were there: Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, John Romita Sr., and Dick Ayers, who, to a man, described facts that could only lead to one conclusion: Kirby's work on those characters was work for hire.


Is it fair? Probably not, but the work for hire provision of the Act and subsequent cases interpreting it have been the operative law since 1909, thirty years before Jack got his start in comics.  Moreover, Jack had sixteen years after the 1976 Act went into effect to exercise his option, yet he never did. Had he sone so he would have had the opportunity to speak on the issue and provide the "genuine issue of material fact" necessary to overcome summary judgment and move the matter to a trial.  I may not agree with the outcome but I can't dispute the Court's reasoning.

As for the Superman cases, it's been fairy well established that Seigel and Schuster were NOT operating under a work for hire scenario, making this case irrelvant to that litigation.

And yes, I'm a lawyer.
July 20, 2011 10:40 am 3:52 is obnoxious, John. Not "crazy"; obnoxious.

Cut them up into something managable. Even with the time coding it's near unmanagable.

Bad form.
July 2, 2011 1:23 am Mmmmmm, Manwich. It's not just a sandwich - it's a meal.
July 1, 2011 4:04 pm And Jessica / Peter was Post-BND. The Avengers are all "We can't have any more secrets between each other" and Peter's all angsty and "But, I dunno, this is, like, what I DO, being all secret and all" and Clint is all "That's the way it is, son" and Peter looks like he's going to bolt but then takes off his mask then Jessica is all "OMG! Peter effing Parker? I used to have the BIGGEST CRUSH ON YOU" and Luke is all "He's a skinny little white boy is all" and, and....

Yeah, Wolvie'd'a figgered it out. 
July 1, 2011 3:55 pm Re: sandwich. 

Deadman is dead, ergo the name.

The dead crave but one thing: the flesh of the living.

It then follows that Deadman would not want a sandwich but would, rather, prefer to dine on a sandwich artist. Q.E.D.
June 24, 2011 4:26 pm Glad to see you came around, TNC. I remember that Cap 601 kerfuffle as if it happened yesterday.

We've known this was coming for a while but it still hurts. Gene revolutionized comics layouts; the medium today is better for his lasting contributions. We owe him every time we pick up a book with dynamic, something-other-than-a-grid presentation. It was all him.  

I'm getting a beer and pulling out my Howard the Duck Omnibus. Then my Daredevil essentials. Then Nathaniel Dusk. And maybe even some Batman. And I'm going to cry.

Bye, Gene. And thanks.