Ken Aldred

I think that Thomas was a talented writer but all too prolific, and quantity diluting quality to a degree.

Possibly why many A-list creators who've worked for Marvel and DC do more interesting stuff over at Image Comics. It's not just Kirkman and Walking Dead.

That's a great series. Well-written, nice art.

That was a problem with some collected editions I got in the early 2000s. For wavy-looking paper, the Wolverine Origin hardcover was terrible.

I like Thomas' Avengers run; Ultron, Vision, Squadron Sinister / Supreme, The Kree-Skrull War, but not so much his X-Men run, though elevated towards the end by Neal Adams' art. One of the friendliest comic book creators I've ever met in person, and a fan of British TV soap opera.

I just realised that I should reply to your post from a few days ago. Over here in England, if you’re initially anxious or if you find the experience distressing, you can be given some Entonox gas, which is most commonly used for labour pains. I was pretty much okay with everything apart from experiencing a bit of discomfort, and I told the nurses that I didn’t need the gas - it was just that having a distending tube passing through the region was a completely novel, unfamiliar experience. Later, I realised I’d provided too much information. The nurse performing the screening discharged me as a patient immediately afterwards, saying there were no problems and that it was one of the clearest he’d seen in someone in my age group. I suppose then that if he’d been employed by CGC rather than the NHS he would’ve given the area a 9.8 in his medical notes, with the possibility of a CVA exceptional presentation sticker. Yup. I’ll be sent an NHS party fun pack yearly from the age of 60, containing a very similar home test to the one you mentioned.

52 to 70 - Werewolf by Night Complete Collection Vol 1 (ComiXology digital) Marvel Spotlight (1971) 2, 3, 4 Werewolf by Night (1972) 1 to 15 Tomb of Dracula (1972) 18 Pretty much an okay read throughout, nothing exceptional. The later stories by the coincidentally-named Marv Wolfman are better, the earlier ones by Gerry Conway seem a bit overwritten compared to the style he used on Amazing Spider-Man. Probably because Werewolf’s a fairly limited character the familiar tropes appear, such as being captured and turned into a circus sideshow attraction, and being hunted as a ‘more dangerous game’ than man. A fairly similar driving force to The Hulk, often mentioned, that of wanting to be left alone, but in his case to be left in peace to hunt in ‘the forest’. Artwise, Mike Ploog has a very scratchy style earlier on, heavily Eisner-influenced, and something that for me is better suited to Eisner’s typical urban noir subject matter than horror. The later art is much tighter, on occasion with a Jack Davis influence, and works well for the horror material. Gil Kane does some nice art on a couple of issues, but I’m not as keen about Tom Sutton’s.

Because I'm high-functioning autistic / Aspergers. I tend towards repetitive behaviour, including finding something to wear that's easy to match and functional. I tend to buy multiples of the same item, such as having five of the same black fleece jacket. Like you, I'm not particularly bothered if I encounter people with the judgemental misconception that I'm 'always wearing the same thing', and who try to socially diminish me in the process. With my mindset, it isn't that important.

I've given the post a like, but had absolutely no clue about the reference at first. Of course, unlike back then in the Bronze Age, we have search engines to compensate for ignorance. Rather narcissistic.

Yup. The effects can sometimes enhance, but also sometimes involve poorly-considered, eyestrain-inducing colour combinations.

Don’t forget Grit, Count Dante, and, of course, the Polaris Nuclear Submarine. Just a classic period for comic ads. We all have our favourites - so many to choose from.

It’s one reason why I prefer reading on a tablet. Fairly easy balance adjustment, the flexibility of the system across all types of presentation, old or modern.

That's true. The Bronze Age in particular was a classic period.

I've never really been that bothered by modern glossy paper stock. Occasionally you'd encounter a new indie using glossy paper with a fairly noxious, powerful, synthetic odour which would be a bit too distracting for me. Marvel and DC's paper seemed to be flimsy and prone to crunching, so finding a really nice high grade copy at the LCS could be problematic, at least when I was buying, up until 2010. I like the wider colour spectrum used in moderns, but the digital enhancements, to colour and effects, are highly variable in their ability to improve or detract, of course.

Nice to see boardie Mitch Mehdy in those early SDCC photos I've always been quite repetitive and practical in my dress sense, and genuinely approving of Neal Adams' very similar approach. I'd be interested in seeing a colourised version of this photo, to check if he was wearing his customary blue. Here it's striped, and so we can already see that there's been a sartorial evolution in style over the intervening decades, though always sensibly emphasising comfort.

I was quite surprised at the standard of the NHS treatment I received. Private changing room while waiting for the enema to work its magic, incredibly courteous and supportive nurses - really exceptional, making an anxiety-inducing experience as comfortable as possible.

Nice range of material there.

I may be in the minority, but I really liked Eccleston. Capaldi as well.

When I went in the 90s, the Royal National was pretty much all comics. It still looks like it would be much, much better than the recent, supposedly larger conventions you attended, such as MCM. I just wonder how much it’s changed there over the last few years?

Being British, I don’t have a Medicare card, but before Christmas the NHS provided me with a generously-intrusive colonoscopy screening, which is offered to elder citizens when you hit 55. I was going to reminisce about comic prices, but that’s a more memorable indicator.

If I was thinking of moving to Vancouver, being on the boards I would be able to contact Greggy or Bronty for some advice on getting a nice cosy apartment in the city. The couple don’t have this advantage and have to settle instead for an unaffordable mansion on an island.

Yup. One of many overdue apocalypse events.

Never noticed it before, but Grogg looks like a prototype for The Abomination. Nice selection of books.

I was thinking that if you start discussing some of the big expenses, such as security, you’re starting to deviate away from comics into the type of analysis you get in the WC, but the thread could be relocated over in that section too.

I’ve only included books that have engaged me with decent story, art and dialogue. For example, I tried reading Atlas Comics Journey Into Mystery Masterworks Vol 4. It’s generally tedious, poorly-written, poorly-drawn. I find my attention wandering very quickly with these volumes, and was just skimming through over half of this one, despite some occasionally nice artwork from Al Williamson, Wally Wood and Bernard Krigstein. I got this in a ComiXology sale for 69p, around $1 at the time, and a bit cheaper than the $65 cover price for the physical hardcover, thankfully. So, I skimmed through, and won’t add this to my total for the year. It’d be cheating.