Saturday, June 30, 2018

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman

I've been fascinated with Andy Kaufman from a very young age. I remember seeing that infamous scene where Kaufman has fire thrown in his face by Jerry 'The King' Lawler as well as later getting the snot slapped out of him (again by Lawler) on the David Letterman show.

Though Kaufman died in 1984, over the past 3 decades, it seems that interest in the absurdist comedian will spark back up about every 7-8 years. His over-the-top stunts and brilliant bits of surrealism have never really left the public's interest. When such interest in Kaufman reaches it's temporary zenith, I end up reading another biography on the comedy icon.

This biographical graphic novel by Box Brown is a rare triple-triple crown for me. This is the third biography on Andy Kaufman that I have read just as it is also the third work by Box Brown that I have gotten my hands on.

While the other two Kaufman books focus more on his time as a comedian and actor, this 2018 volume, published by First Second, deals more with Andy's life-long love affair with wrestling. I really learned a lot of new stuff that I did not know about Kaufman- especially how he came to be involved with the circuit down in Memphis. I would have liked more focus on Kaufman's personal life as well as his battle with cancer. But the information Brown puts into this book was quite satisfying.

In the early 80s having a big name celebrity involved with professional (I.E. FAKE) wrestling was unheard of. These days, it's not considered unthinkable if a celeb doesn't appear on a wrestling program or premiere event to pitch a new film or music project. Why even our current President of the United States took to the squared circle prior to his political career to get in some free publicity. There can be no doubt, without Andy Kaufman, the WWF (now WWE) and showcase events like Wrestlemania would not be the cultural touchstone that they are today.

I love Box Brown's work. I've been eagerly awaiting this book for well over a year after devouring Brown's story of the video game Tetris. There's a couple of Brown's collections of fiction stories out there for me to read. But I can't wait to see what piece of pop culture history Box Brown has in store for his next work of non-fiction. (Upon further research, the answer to that pondering is Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, due in stores in April 2019.)

Worth Consuming! 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Friday, June 29, 2018

Family Comic Friday- Golden Kid Comics

Readers, I am sad to say that due to technical issues, I can't get my interview with Dan Johnson and Josh Holley and their new publishing company Golden Kid Comics to transfer properly to this blog.

However, you can read this week's Family Comic Friday in it's entirety over at FCF's sister site, Outrightgeekery.com.

My apologies for this. But it happens in the blogsphere from time to time... 


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The Beef #4


When it comes to miniseries, the next to last issue tends to be the weakest of the lot. That's one reason why I think this, the penultimate issue of The Beef by Richard Starkings and Tyler Shainline is so vastily different and unique from the first three issues.

Issue #4 of The Beef begins with a talking (and flatulent) cow. Not only does the bovine give the reader a recap of the the story so far, it also leads into a lengthy segment of the truths (and horrors) of the dairy industry. 

Being both a chef as well as product of a dairy farming family, and later working on a farm or two, I'm not shocked by the information. But I was quite surprised to see it here in such raw 4-colored glory. Or should I say 'gory?'

While I would like to say that farms are returning to more ethical practices, it's a slow road getting there. Giant corporate farms are just too in deep financially to ever change their ways. Plus, the average consumer is just too cash strapped to pay $5-7 dollars for local, humanely harvested products- especially on a regular basis. Then again, there are some pretty sneaky tricks that some farms will do in order to slide under the reigns of certain terms like 'free range' and 'organic.' 

For example, and this is one of my favorites- under USDA rules, a chicken only has to released from it's pens or cages for 1 hour a day in order to be declared a free range chicken. Don't blame our current administration on this loop hole. This is just one of many such bent rules that have been on the books for at least a decade.

The Beef #4 is most definitely a different change of pace from the series. But it was actually needed as I think this story really would be over in probably only 4 and a third issues without this giant interlude. Has the events and facts of the farting cow changed my ways of eating meat? Not in the least. But I greatly appreciate the efforts made to bring a serious subject such as food production ethics to the realm of comic books. 

Lastly, in terms of the cover, I really felt at first that the comic book cover of a comic book cover wasn't such a big deal. However, a great amount of effort went into it's development. Don't skip on the 'making of the cover' section in the back of this issue! It's very informative, especially for aspiring artists.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Despicable Deadpool Volume 1: Deadpool Kills Cable

The reign of the Despicable Deadpool begins with this volume that takes place immediately after the events of Secret Empire!

SPOILERS: 

The reign of HYRDA Cap has been thwarted. But the damage has been done. The public still doesn't forgive or trust the true Captain America. Wade Wilson has been declared and enemy of the state! And the Preston family is in serious disrepair. 

On the run, Deadpool now must complete a series of 4 murders in repayment of his debt to Stryfe. His first target: Cable!

I must admit when I first heard that Deadpool was going back to a baddie, I was afraid that he was going to loose all of the elements that led to me falling in love with the character over the past couple of years. Thankfully, he's the same old Merc with a Mouth- he just doesn't give a damn anymore!

Another thing that should have led me to not worry is the fact that Gerry Duggan is still penning the further adventures o Deadpool. The quality of the stories haven't diminished and Scott Koblish continues to pencil the series in his 'pen is mightier than the sword' ways. 

Though it's a more gruff Deadpool, everybody's favorite mutant- besides Wolverine, and Cable, and Kitty Pryde, and Storm, and Professor X...(okay, I could go on for ever)- anyways Wade Wilson is still in very talented hands and this is a series very much Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Dark Nights: Metal


The DC event of the past 18 months. While most DC fans were clamoring for 'The Button' and the eventual meeting of Justice Leaguers and Watchmen in Doomsday Clock, those in the know hitched their wagon to Metal

Man did I pick the wrong storyline. 'The Button' was good but didn't really move the Rebirth Universe forward any. And Doomsday Clock has been a giant dud! If you want to learn of the origins of No Justice and the new age of DC superheroes, this is the title you will want to read!

This volume of the Scott Snyder penned tale contains issues 1-6 of Metal. The various one-shots aren't here unfortunately. But I am sure they will be collected together or have already and I just haven't run across it yet. 

This story pretty much returns the DC Universe to normal and I love it! It explains why there were only 52 universes for so long. Plus it introduces the dark multiverse. 

Most times when DC has a big metaphysical crisis such as Final Crisis or Infinite Crisis, I get really confused on the analytics. I understand what's happening, but I usually have to have a dictionary with me to understand all the $5 words! I didn't have here and that doesn't mean that Scott Snyder did a poor job either!

Metal was really an enjoyable read! The artwork by Greg Capullo was good and he had some very amazing and visually stunning moments. But the price of admission is all due to Snyder. How he ends this story is how I wish the Justice League movie would have ended. Plus, that unimaginable team-up! Holy Cow! You must see to believe. 

Dark Nights: Metal does perplex me in one way- how to rate it. It's one of the best multiverse crisis stories in DC history. But it still doesn't dethrone Crisis on Multiple Earths as the all-time best. I'm going to have to go down the middle on this one folks. It's rare, but I give this one a 9.5.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars.

Deadpool: World's Greatest, Volume 10: Secret Empire

The world Deadpool knows is no more! Captain America has made his intentions known and the United States of America is now under the domain of HYDRA!

In order to keep his daughter Ellie safe, Wade Wilson will burn all of his bridges. That includes his relationships with Agent Preston, the Avengers, the Mercs for Money and even Rogue!

It's been alluded to for several volumes now that the Merc with a Mouth was going to bottom out and this is the beginning of that downfall.

Secret Empire was a great read. It's another Gerry Duggan triumph! I just hate seeing bad things happen to Deadpool. I know that he deserves a lot of what is coming to him. But this wasn't one of those things he deserved. 

Man, is that HYDRA Cap slimy. It's no wonder Captain America has fallen from being my favorite superhero of all-time to 4th or 5th. He and Marvel have a look of restoration to do to put him back in the top position. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Deadpool: World's Greatest Volume 9: Deadpool in Space


Deadpool raids the former domain of Uatu the Watcher in hopes of finding something that can destroy Madcap once and for all. This begins a galaxy spanning adventure that will pit Wade Wilson face-to-face with the Nova Corps, Asgardians, Brood and so much more. 

In light of all the chaos, it appears Deadpool is doing something he's never done before- have fun! It's a vacation in space unlike any other!

Some of the best work by Gerry Duggan. Along with Wilson's trek through the stars, there's also a special story formed by collecteing 13 secret covers together starring the Merc with a Mouth and one of the most important characters in Marvel history in the past 40 years. 

A really fun read right before the crap hits the fan for Deadpool in the Secret Empire storyline.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out 10 stars.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

America's Best Comics Primer


I didn't need much of a reason to be convinced of the quality in Alan Moore's America's Best Comics imprint. But to find this collection of first issues for only $3 was a deal I could not pass up. 

I had read about half of the issues contained within at one point of another. But I didn't own them and they were so very good that I did not mind reading them at all. In fact, I am glad I did because I am now wanting to give Promethea another try. Plus, I have a near complete wish list in which I can look for the remainder of the other titles still in need of my consumption!

Alan Moore might be a rather odd fellow in person. But I am a big fan of a lot of his work. His Swamp Thing tenure was amazing. Top 10 is probably in my top ten indy titles of all-time. And Moore's Vigilante stories and the Superman epic 'For The Man Who Has Everything' are probably some of my favorite one-shot tales ever!

The ABC books are not that hard to find. But it's not the easiest of stuff to locate either. So when I can get my hands on something from that 1999-roughly 2008 line, I snatch it up without hesitation. I know that the stories from Moore are going to be excellent. Plus with a line-up of talented artists like Arthur Adams, Jerry Ordway, Yanick Paquette and Gene Ha, I know that I am in for a visual treat!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

(Note: This book is also listed as the America's Best Comics Sampler.)

Monday, June 18, 2018

Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77

A decades spanning epic starring the cast of Batman '66, Wonder Woman '77 and Ra's al Ghul!

Jeff Parker does a masterful job starting the story in the 1940s in which the first season of the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series was set. Then we jump to the 1966 era Batman and finally we end up in 1977 where we meet an aged and retired Batman, a grown-up Robin now Nightwing and a new Commissioner Gordon.

To me, there was one BIG continuity error as the first act had the Eartha Kitt Catwoman. But in the second two-thirds of the story, she's white. Jeff Parker claimed that he did this in order to honor all three actresses who played Catwoman during the run of the Batman TV show. However, in previous issues of Batman '66, it was established that both the Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriwether  Catwomen were 'copy-cat' thieves taking advantage of the Julie Newmar's Catwoman being incarcerated in Arkham. So while the tribute is great and all that, it contradicts canon that Jeff Parker himself had established in this franchise of Batman '66 titles.

Regardless of the mistake, this was a really good story. I only hope that this isn't the end of the Batman '66 tales. I really would like to see Batman '66 meet Superman '78 and Flash '90. That last one might be a little too far in the future to really happen. Though the Flash does have the ability to time travel. But maybe we'll see those Legends of Superheroes characters one day. 

Hey, a comic book collector can dream...

Featuring some great covers by two of my personal favorites Alex Ross and Michael Allred!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Aw Yeah! A Hasbro Action Figure Jam


Who says that the adults get to have all the fun?

 In honor of the epic IDW Hasbro crossover Revolution, the publishing company decided to make an all-ages version! Bringing together Rom: Spaceknight, GI Joe, Transformers and the Micronauts, Aw Yeah! A Hasbro Action Figure Jam crafts a story that will delight fans of all-ages of any or all of these franchises. 

However, I felt that a little something was missing to this book by Art Baltazar (Tiny Titans). I think it's that his long-time art and story partner, Franco isn't involved in this miniseries. Normally in an Art Baltazar and Franco adventure has tons of inside jokes, Easter eggs and is fun, fun, fun. This  yarn was missing at least one of the funs and a bunch of the hidden treasures. 

I enjoyed a large majority of this story. Having a very popular good guy changed into a member of COBRA was awesome! Seeing the Micronauts and Snake Eyes fighting together was epic! And anything with ROM is just pure old school fun!

But I hated the ending. It was ambiguous and stories without definitive endings are a huge pet peeve of mine. However, if you are a grown-up or parent who is looking to share over 35 years of Hasbro toy history, this is a very good place to start.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Friday, June 15, 2018

The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage

A supernatural thriller that starts out really good, gets kinda confusing and then ends as greatly as it started. 

A paranormal investigator who can speak to the dead, has one little problem. Unable to locate her deceased husband, Doctor Mirage has lost her passion for life. But when a former covert ops agent seeks Mirage's help to release himself from a demon, she discovers a chance to reunite with her spouse.

The first third of this book is so much like The Sixth Sense. It wasn't a rip-off of that movie. But it just flowed so well that I didn't want that segment to end. 

The middle act gets a little like that Robin Williams afterlife picture What Dreams May Come. In that regards, things get really metaphysical and weird. (Now, I will admit the Director's Cut commentary at the end of this volume helped clear things up. But it was too little, too late.)

The final act didn't return to The Sixth Sense. But it was such a beautiful ending, I didn't want it to end. If the book had cut out that confusing middle act, I would read further adventures of Doctor Mirage.

This wasn't a bad read from Jen Van Meter (Captain Marvel.) The art from Robert Le Torre was okay. His demons were quite terrifying but some of his other characters were hard to decipher from one person to another. Especially the human characters.

A series that wasn't very smooth in it's transitions. However, there is enough promise that I
would give it another try. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating 7 out of 10 stars.


Family Comic Friday


Family Comic Friday will return on Friday July 6th. 

Until then, read more all-ages comics!

Monday, June 11, 2018

Thor: First Thunder

Relive the first year of Thor's return to earth in this 5-issue collection from Marvel. In terms of an origin story, there's not much being rebooted. But there's not much being rehashed to where I felt that I had read this story before. 

The real crux of this story is the relationship between Donald Blake and Thor. It answers a nagging question that I have had about Thor and Blake for a very long time- where does Blake go when Thor is summoned and vice-versa? 

Donald Blake's love-affair with Jane Foster is another key element that has matured somewhat in this retelling of Thor's origin. It's not that insipid soap opera drivel that Stan and Jack did back in the 1960s. Of the many things Stan Lee could do well, writing a love story wasn't one of them...

The one thing about this book that I had trouble with was the art. Or maybe it's the inks. Heck it could be both. Tan Eng Huat (Legion: Sox of X) is the artist. I admire some of his subtle nuances, like having Donald Blake's bad leg be atrophied. But when it came to noses, the artist gives everybody the same one- a long green bean of a thing. And for some reason, Huat liked to draw faces where you can see up their nose. 

The last quarter of the book is inked by a different person other that Huat ,who for the most part does double duty. The new inker's stuff looks much cleaner and more in the style of John Bryne or Sal Buscema. I like it better as the Huat pencils which also tend to look blurry. That would be okay for action scenes, but even the static ones look out of focus.

A good story with art and inks that need polish. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Friday, June 8, 2018

My Little Pony: The Ponyville Mysteries #1 (Family Comic Friday)

I hope you like a good mystery because today’s featured comic involves a trio of sleuths, a pair of suspects, and one baffling crime. For this edition of Family Comic Friday we’ll be looking at IDW’s newest all-ages entry in the My Little Pony Franchise: The Ponyville Mysteries.

My Little Pony: The Ponyville Mysteries #1
Written by Christina Rice
Art by Agnes Garbowska
Published by IDW Publishing

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are the founding members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They go around Ponyville doing good deeds and earning merit badges. Their latest episode of volunteer work take them to Ponyville Hospital where they stumble upon a real mystery.

Someone has been stealing supplies from the storage closet. Is it the very grumpy (and scary) old janitor, Distemper? Could it be the very sweet and timid Nurse Redheart? Or is one of the patients involved in this sticky-fingered crime? It’s up to the Cutie Mark Crusaders to find the culprit and save the day!

My Little Pony fans of all ages will delight at this new series. Compared to a lot of all-ages mystery stories, this one isn’t at all scary. It was smartly written and the mystery was actually a very good one. This story has some real twists and turns to it.

One thing Christina Rice doesn’t seem to do is name the members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. If you are already associated with them, it will not be hard to know who is who. But considering that this was my first encounter, I wouldn’t have known the names of Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle if I hadn’t looked them up. If IDW is trying to win new readers, they got to remember to incorporate the characters names. Maybe not do it for every issue, but at least attempt the introductions in the first issue.

The artwork seems pretty standard for the new style of My Little Pony. In the 80s, the characters were depicted as being softer and more life-like akin to how a real horse should look. The modern version is more Manga styled with sharper edges. Plus, there sure are a bunch more unicorns that I remember from when I was a child.

The Ponyville Mysteries is a series that will delight, tease and maybe even make you smarter. You have to really study the book for clues! The story really felt like an Encyclopedia Brown mystery, only with ponies. Recommended for readers 6-8 years old, the My Little Pony Brand has universal appeal with both boys and girls of all ages. This title is no different as any Pegasister or Brony is gonna love it! With 4 more issues in the series left to be published, the real mystery is what are you waiting for? Get it today!

My Little Pony: The Ponyville Mysteries #1 debuted in stores and digital platforms on May 30th. Issue #2 is schedule for later this month.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

This review was published concurrently at Outrightgeekery.com.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story

I saw Solo last weekend during it's first week in theaters. However, due to work and other things, I forgot to do a review until now. The latest Star Wars film isn't doing so very well and if I am any part to blame for not reflecting on my experience, I apologize to my fellow Star Wars devotees. 

Solo doesn't have any of the original cast in the film. The ever cool Harrison Ford is now replaced by the ever trying Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!). Instead of super-suave Billy Dee Williams as Lando, Childish Gambino himself, Donald Glover, has some big capes to fill. Sadly, Peter Mayhew is unable to portray the Wookiee Chewbacca due to ill health even in sitting down roles. But I don't think it was the acting that kept fans away.

The biggest kiss of death for a film is anytime there are massive re-shoots. Needing to go back and do a couple of scenes due to corruption of the film or poor sound quality is one thing. But Solo had around 70% of the film redone due to the poor directorial efforts of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Thankfully, the legendary film maker, Ron Howard (Apollo 13) stepped in and saved the film. However, I don't think many had faith in Howard's ability to save the project.

You can tell when the movie has the original scenes still attached and not fixed by Ron Howard. They lack the magical Star Wars feel to them. They're quite gritty, extremely slow paced and don't seem to fit. Howard, being a former protege of George Lucas with the filming of Willow, at least knew how to rekindle that flame of wonderment and excitement that I remember having watching Star Wars as a kid.

Solo does exactly what I expected it to do- fill in the huge gaps in the backstory of Han Solo. However, some fans feel that this film did too much to try and answer all of the questions at once. I might agree with one or two aspects. But overall, I think the effort of this movie was just fine. 

Some critics say that because Solo wasn't as cerebral as the past two Star Wars sequels, it failed as a Star Wars story. Clearly, there's some childhood bias here because I can site a number of things wrong with the original 3 Star Wars films- like Luke's whining about going to Toshi Station, Leia losing her British accent after the destruction of Alderaan, and the entire plot of the Ewoks in the last act of Jedi. 

Solo is a return to the feel good days of sci-fi movies that didn't have to be 100% scientific nor did it have to be Oscar quality. I came out of the film wanting to see it again and that was something I did not feel about watching Avengers: Infinity War. Besides with all of the Easter eggs in Solo, I probably need to watch it again to catch them all. But that biggie at the end of the film- I caught it and I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Friday, June 1, 2018

An Interview with the Creators of SuperOwl (Family Comic Friday)


Welcome to a very special edition of Family Comic Friday.  Normally with this column, I review a comic book or graphic novel that is family friendly and fun for readers of all ages. Today, I’m sitting down with Lester Jones and Steven Dodd, the creative team behind the new children’s book: SuperOwl: Being Different Makes You Super!

Just who is SuperOwl? Why he’s the hot new superhero with autism who has taken Amazon by storm! By day, SuperOwl is the young owlet, Little Bro’ and he has Asperger Syndrome. But he’s also pretty amazing as he uses his special skills as well as his disability to save the day from a dastardly falcon!

The Godfather of Britain

Steven Dodd is the inspiration for SuperOwl. Born with Asperger Syndrome, Steven has worked to bring awareness for his special needs. He has a reputation as an  ambassador for autism awareness. But to many, Steven is also known as the British Godfather.

Steven's nickname has evolved from a term of endearment that one of his doctors gifted him years ago. 'One of my doctor's gave me the nickname ‘Padrino’ which is Italian for godfather.’ Over time, people started to add his heritage to his nickname and began calling him the British Godfather.

He marvels at being a top search under the moniker. “You Google ‘British Godfather’ and there's my picture in front of all these Mafia guys. It's great.”

Another area of pride that Steven let's everyone know about is his love of the Special Olympics. Having competed at that level for several years, Steven is looking forward to a chance to represent Team England in the Paralympics in Abu Dhabi in 2020. His chosen sport is deadlifting. “I can do 200 (440.95 pounds) kilos from the ground,’ says Dodd.

While Steven practices for a chance at Abu Dhabi, he's also spreading the word about SuperOwl to his friends and competitors in Special Olympics. “I'm telling everyone that I know about the book. My friends really like it.” Some of those friends also happen to be characters in the book along with members of Steven's family.

It was through the Special Olympics that Steven meet a new friend:  Lester Jones.

About Lester Jones:

Lester is the writer and artist behind SuperOwl.  He is an award-winning artist, designer, musician originally from Wrexham, North Wales but now based in Plymouth, Devon. His inspiration is drawn from his volunteer work supporting cancer patients and encouraging people of all ages to `give it a go.' He met Steven Dodd through his charity work and as a result of many conversations with him, SuperOwl and his friends have now come to life in the pages of this book. Being different makes you SUPER! is Lester's slogan to help and encourage children with Aspergers Syndrome, Autism or any form of disability to enjoy their lives and to show that with support from their friends and family, they can achieve great things.

Interview with Lester:

Q: Lester. Thank you for being able to talk with me a little about SuperOwl. How did the idea for this book comic about?

Lester:  The idea for the book - I am a qualified graphic designer/artist and for the last six years I have been a volunteer at a hospital in Plymouth, England. Part of my work has been in supporting cancer patients and through this I organised fund-raising events in my area. I met Steven Dodd when we organised a Kayakathon with him and discovered he was a double Special Olympics silver medalist in kayaking. Steven has Aspergers Syndrome. We became good friends and one day he asked if I would write his life story for a book.
I told him I would prefer to write and illustrate a children’s book and asked him to choose a character he could be in it. Steven likes owls and loves Super Heroes.. so SuperOwl was born!!
I created a cast of character animals and creatures through chatting with Steven and decided to set the story in a magical garden .
I then spent the next 9 months writing the story and illustrating all the characters and a few scenes from the story. Some of the characters are based on real people in Steven’s life and some from mine.
I have tried to write the story from the mind of someone who has Autism, that is why the story has a “quirky “ feel to it, I also created the slogan..”Being different makes you SUPER! I also created 4 characters in the book who have a disability to try to help children who read it that they can aspire to great things in their lives with help and support from their friends

Q. I hear that some great things have been happening with the book on Amazon. How has reception to SuperOwl been?

Lester:  Reception to the book - It was launched on Amazon UK and USA and Waterstones Books on Monday 21st May 2018. In 48 hours it sold out !! Amazon were not prepared for the demand. It has sold across from the UK, Europe, USA and even in New Zealand. It will be available in stock again very soon.

(Interviewer’s NOTE: The book is currently available via the Kindle digital platform. Some paperback copies are available via other retailers on Amazon as well.)

Q. How long is the book and what is the age range for SuperOwl?

Lester:
The book is 100 pages plus cover. Approximately 18,000 words. Age Range- I would say 6 years to early teens. It is also a book parents would enjoy reading to their children.

Q. Are there plans for more adventures of SuperOwl?

Lester: Future plans - Yes! I am now working on the sequel which will contain new characters to add to the first. I will also be pushing boundaries by helping children deal with matters such as M.E.(Myalgic encephalomyelitis, also referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)), Cancer, Bullying and even a new baby in their family.
Finally I am looking to produce an Audio Book and animated film. I am looking for sponsorship or funding for this from businesses interested in the potential of the project. Maybe Marvel or DC Comics might like to take SuperOwl on?

A Spider-Man/Superman/SuperOwl Team-Up? Yes, indeed Lester and Steven- that would be so very awesome indeed. Here’s to continued success with SuperOwl and the amazing message of hope and purpose he provides.

For more information about SuperOwl and to view his artwork, visit Lester’s  Facebook page `Lester Jones - My Art - My Music.'

This interview was published concurrently at Outrightgeekery.com.