Dr. Werthless (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The back cover to this graphic novel biography of the controversial psychiatrist, Dr. Fredric Wertham promises 'an unbiased look.' However, that claim is a little hard to believe based on the title, Dr. Werthless (sic). And yet true crime author Harold Schechter and artist Eric Powell managed to give Wertham both praise and criticism whenever it was due.

The German born Jewish M.D. was known to be bullish and divisive with his medical colleagues. Yet, when it came to his patients, he was very compassionate and non-judgmental. Prior to the 1950s, Wertham treated some of the most depraved serial killers and re-offenders of the time, including the pedophile torturer Albert Fish, and the troubled struggling artist Robert Irwin. Wertham would testify at these men's trails that the psychiatric system failed them and that if these murderers had been committed to a qualified mental institution and not institutionalized as part of the revolving-door prison system of 'common murderers', they would not have gone on to later commit the atrocities that Dr. Wertham would be called in to testify on their behalf.

As much as Wertham would decry the influence of violence from magazines, books and movies had on these men, the doctor had very little qualms with making a little bit of money recounting the perverse exploits of Albert Fish and others in a number of books. Meant to be scientific studies on the inner workings of the criminally insane mind, Wertham 's works read more like the pulp fiction 'garbage' that he was preaching against. He also didn't have any misgivings about selling the rights to his books to the producers of Broadway and Hollywood, as long as they didn't change the facts too much. 

It is for this reason that Frederic Wertham is considered by some as the grandfather of true crime. His Dark Legend: A Study in Murder, an account of a preteen boy who slaughtered his mother in front of his siblings predates Truman Capote's 1959 opus, In Cold Blood by almost 2 full decades. Dark Legend was optioned to become an Off-Broadway play in 1952, to which Dr. Wertham gained a low level celebrity status. Enthralled by the notoriety, the doctor begin a crusade against comic books and sealed his legacy in the annuals of modern American history and pop culture. 

In the 1940s, Wertham was made aware of the plight of black youths and how they became lost in the psychiatric system because of inequitable conditions of black hospitals and sanitariums. Often a mental health crisis for a black American would result in their becoming institutionalized, perhaps for life, whereas an white American might be prescribed medication and some out-patient therapy. After meeting writer and activist Richard Wright, Wertham would open a low-cost mental health clinic in the basement of St. Philip's church in Harlem. From his work at the LaFargue Clinic beginning in March, 1948, Wertham treated black youths, particularly males ,who would claim to be depressed and oppressed because of their treatment in society. One young boy said that it was how comic books portrayed blacks that made him feel the most stereotyped. Intrigued by this session, Wertham went to a nearby newsstand and perused the selection of comics. What he found shocked him and it would lead him on a crusade against sequential art for the rest of his life.

One of the biggest complaints I would have about this book is the time jumps. Just when you think Schechter is about to explore Wertham's assault on comic books, the narrative goes back to the 1940s or earlier. This happens at least thrice. If you've read a lot of accounts of the comics scare of the 1950s, you would have a fairly good idea of Wertham's work with youths that led to him publishing Seduction of the Innocent and becoming the expert witness in 1954 during Senate subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency. Dr. Werthless provides a fascinating look at the early case history of the infamous psychiatrist. It is interesting to note that Wertham, while being an expert witness in the landmark Brown V. Board of Education lawsuit, the doctor's fixation on the dangers of comic books almost derailed the NAACP's case. Even when he was attempting to do good, he let his own prejudices overtake common sense!

After reading this book, I have no doubt that Fredric Wertham had care and compassion for his patients and the more impoverished they were, the more empathy the doctor had for them. However, I also believe that Wertham saw dollar signs with every case he was presented with. Because of his intolerable nature with his colleagues, Wertham stunted his professional growth. Passed over for promotions and fellowships because of how he put patients in front of peers, Wertham turned to print media as a way of boosting his stature. If Wertham couldn't become a celebrity amongst his colleagues, he would become one in the public eye. To do so meant elevating, and sometimes exaggerating the effect of society on America's highly suggestible youth and mentally ill from the pulps and comic books. 1950s America was already in a state of panic on hidden Communists thanks to Senator Joseph McCarthy; why not add to those fears by claiming that comic books were turning children into raving lunatics? 

Harold Schechter is the type of crime author that could write the phone book and I would read it. However, the life and times of Fredric Wertham comes to a very odd abrupt end. The title of this book 'Doctor Werthless' was based on a parody ad Wally Wood created in the pages of MAD after the Senate hearings. It looks at how baseball could be considered the source of all juvenile delinquency if viewed using the methods of Wertham. Even the last chapter is titled 'Werthless and Woody'. With it, you'd expect some sort of final showdown between the psychiatrist and Wood. But it never happened. The Dr. Worthless parody was explored in the previous chapter, making the reader wonder just what was the connection between the two men that the writer was trying to achieve?

Regardless of my dissatisfaction at how this graphic novel biography ended, I very much would love for the author and illustrator Eric Powell to collaborate again with another shocking true crime exposé.

Completing this review completes Task #31 (A Biography) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Big Book of Losers

It's a goal to collect all of the volumes that make up The Big Book Of collection from Factoid Books. Unfortunately, this one won't be added to my collection. But it wasn't because of quality or a dislike for the material. Quite the opposite, I found the source material so engrossing, that there are a couple of subjects that I would love to read further about.

For example, the Gatti Gang from Italy. A mismatched group of mostly middle aged bunglers who couldn't do anything right and after several years of trying, when they finally robbed a bank, they only took in enough lira, that it equaled and $25 American dollars.

1997's The Big Book of Losers is full of people who just couldn't get ahead. There's the group of 5 singing sisters who's voices were so bad, only 3 people showed for their reunion show. There's the innovative music producer who snapped under the pressure of a massive infringement lawsuit, killing his neighbor and ultimately himself, only in death to win the verdict and a slew of royalties. There's also some very famous names, like George Custer, 30-day President William Henry Harrison and many more.

Don't think this book is just about people who failed. There's a bunch of inventions, forms of entertainment and other concepts that went bust and ended up in this book. The most famous example being perhaps the Edsel from Ford, a car so hated, only one of the 100,000 that were sold was ever reported stolen. Did you know that Stephen King's Carrie was adapted into a musical? Plus if you think you're having a rough first day at work, take a gander at how things went on the inaugural day of the US Postal Service's Air Mail program!

As you can see, I really enjoyed this book. So why don't I keep it! It's because there's a misprint! A big one and not something that I think would be considered collectible. There is a roughly 30 page segment where the previous 30 pages are included once again. Called an 'erratum', it's a rare production error and yet I have encountered such boo-boos in at least 2 other books with this error and countless comics. Am I am loser when it comes to finding these?

Thankfully I only paid 75 cents for the book. While I don't think it would be ethical for me to try and pass this off on someone else by trying to resell at a used bookstore, I do not have any qualms counting this as having read it. It's not my fault the book is missing a section. It just would be wrong to try and sell it as complete to someone else. To the free shelf it goes and on my wish list it remains.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien

I found this 2024 work in the graphic novel new release section of my local library. Though I am not really sure that you could classify this book as a graphic novel. It's more of a hybrid graphic novel/prose non-fiction biography. I'd say a good 50% of this book is prose. Plus the dialogue is very wordy. But I think that's to be expected as the subjects of this book by John Hendrix were both academics and philosophers.

C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were the 20th century's most distinguished fantasy writers. Lewis wrote dozens of works in many genres, including early science fiction, children's literature and Christian theology. Tolkien was a perfectionist with anxiety and writer's block. But he managed to create an entire universe with his 4 volumes of completed stories set on Middle Earth. 

For a good period of time, the two were the best of friends and if it wasn't for the other encouraging their mates on, we wouldn't have Aslan, Frodo, the White Witch or Gandalf the Grey. They were each other's biggest fans and harshest critics. But as iron sharpens iron, Lewis and Tolkien refined each other into becoming 2 universally beloved authors. Unfortunately, as happens with many friendships, the two men grew apart. Yet, the respect and love the two had for each other was unwavering.

I had a difficult time getting through the first chapter. It wasn't about the history of Lewis or Tolkien. Instead, it was more of an introduction of what made a story either a myth, a legend, or a fairy tale. While I learned how a fairy tale could be as such without the inclusion of a fairy, I was very lost in this opener. Plus, I didn't like how close to calling The Bible a fairy tale or myth the author got and he's supposed to be a Christian author and illustrator!

Our narrators are a Wizard in full garb along with a pointed hat and a Lion dressed in rather a shabby looking blazer. I took me a while to figure out that the Wizard personified Tolkien, who was essentially one of the first cosplayers, and that the Lion in a shabby flannel coat was Lewis, as a lion is the main heroic character in The Chronicles of Narnia, and Lewis wasn't known to be a very flashy dresser 

While the opening chapter was a bit of a chore to get through, the rest of the book was not. It was a fascinating history of the two authors, growing up at the turn of the century, during an industrial boom, experiencing the horror of World War I and then witnessing the sun set on the British Empire after the devastation of the second World War. I even felt that the trio of appendices were really good. They felt more geared for the lay person as opposed to the introductory chapter which was too academic for my tastes.

While I wasn't too keen on John Hendrix in how he kept comparing Jesus to the great stories of myth and legend, I would not mind having him act as my guide through history. I see that Hendrix wrote a graphic novel about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who became a spy and potential assassin of Adolf Hitler. I've been wanting to read a biography of this complex figure in World War II history and this seems up my alley.

So as much of an issue I might have had with some parts of this work, I think it speaks volumes that I am willing to give John Hendrix another try. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Remain in Love: Talking Heads * Tom Tom Club * Tina by Chris Frantz

Chris Frantz is the drummer and co-founding member of Talking Heads; one of my favorite bands of all-time. He's also the husband of my favorite member of the band, Tina Weymouth. From reading this book, I also have learned that he's either an amazing storyteller or someone who incredibly happened to have amazing timing being involved in the formation of so many important bands and creation of pieces of music during the late 1970s through the early 1990s.

Frantz gives a nearly day by day account of how he met and wooed Tina during the early days of Talking Heads. Every stop on the band's inaugural tour of Europe opening for the Ramones is covered in depth. Chris's Kentucky wedding to Tina practically covers the entire guest list. And the married couple's origination of the Caribbean/pop/dancehall project, Tom Tom Club, due more to financial necessity than the ultimate achievement of a lifelong dream, goes through more twists and turns than a week's of soap opera. But when it comes to the demise of the band, Chris Frantz barely spends more than a dozen pages on the topic.

In 1984, while performing in New Zealand, frontman David Byrne stormed off stage and had to be prompted back to finish off the set by Frantz. That event which basically signalled the end of Talking Heads in concert as well as the beginning of the end of the band, isn't even mentioned in this book. One might argue that Byrne is the villain of the book. But I feel that despite as contrarian David Byrne was, not to mention devious and backstabbing he allegedly was, Frantz does a heck of a job giving the self-diagnosed autistic musician a heaping benefit of the doubt. 

One reason the end of the band isn't covered as in-depth as their origins is because how Frantz tries so very hard to focus on the happy times. The name of the book is 'Remain in Love'. However, it could also have something to do with the author's raging cocaine habit that developed right along with the end of Talking Heads. Maybe it's that period of time is too hard for Chris Frantz to document. Maybe his binges were so destructive, Chris just doesn't have very much memory of those times. 

I've gained an enormous amount of respect for Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth thanks to this book; though my level was already high before. I've also grown to appreciate the forgotten Head, Jerry Harrison, a lot more. I'm also listening to more Tom Tom Club than just 'Genius of Love'. An account of the career of the Ramones is definitely on my to-read list thanks to this biography. Though I doubt it's anywhere as rosy a read as this book was. But above all, I want to read David Byrne's side of the story. I think he deserves that chance before I finalize my opinion of him.

Oh... And before I forget! David, Chris, Jerry and Tina: can we please get 1 final tour before I die, please!!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula

Witness the rise and fall of a Hollywood movie icon in Lugosi. If you thought you knew the whole story from Tim Burton's Ed Wood bio-pic, guess again! Creator Shadmi Koren dives right into Lugosi's early life in Romania, disappointing his high-brow successful parents with wild dreams of becoming an actor to becoming one of Budapest's greatest actors, only to flee for his life for his failed support of the Communist party. 

An exiled Bela will take the stage in London as Dracula, gaining notoriety before immigrating to the United States in hopes of becoming a star. Unfortunately, his thick accent and lack of mastery of the English language makes roles on Broadway few and far between. But when Bela moves to California to try his hand at Hollywood, the actor will be reunited with Count Dracula, beginning a lifelong connection with the Lord of Vampires that will wrongly typecast Lugosi as just another schlock horror movie actor. 

Shadmi Koren's artwork was fantastic. I felt like both Lugosi and cinematic rival Boris Karloff were alive and well right in front of me. I learned so much about early Hollywood horror and my respect for Ed Wood, based on how above and beyond he would go for his friends and family, has increased exponentially. And I was already a fan of his! Though I felt at times that Koren's personal commentary took over for what was supposed to be a passive narrative voice, I want to read more of his works- especially his graphic novel account of the life of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling!

Want to capture the Halloween spirit of things without being too scared? The life and times of Bela Lugosi is one way to capture the magic of the season without having to sleep with the lights on!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics (A Madman Re-Read)

After reading Tom Scioli's biography of Stan Lee, I wanted to revisit his account on the life and times of frequent Lee collaborator, Jack Kirby. There were 2 questions I wanted to answer: 1) how much comic book history is repeated between the two graphic novels? and 2) whose account of the early days of Marvel Comics seems the more honest? 

For the first question, not a whole lot is repeated between the two books. In the two volumes, we see how Stan and Jack first met, why Jack was fired from Atlas, Jack's return to Marvel, Jack's departure for DC and that's about it. No panels seem swiped. The dialogue in the two books is differing. If you read one book and then the other, you will not feel like you were gypped. Though written, illustrated and even lettered by the same creator, the Jack Kirby biography and the Stan Lee account are completely different.

For question #2- I believe Jack Kirby. For one moment do I not doubt that Stan Lee loved the fans. He was an entertainer and he knew that if not for the readers of his comics, he and the rest of the Marvel bullpen would be out of a job. I also believe that Stan cared very deeply about his staff. But when given the chance to excel over them, it's my opinion that Stan Lee would connive, back-stab and steal the glory whenever possible. 

When it comes to Jack Kirby, was he hardheaded? Absolutely. Did he make some horrible business decisions? No doubt. However, a lot of Kirby's trouble was based on trying to be a good provider for his family without the benefit of having a good friend that he could rely on for good advice. I think if the team of Kirby and Joe Simon still existed in the 1960s, Kirby wouldn't have received a screw job from both Stan Lee and the high-ups at Marvel years later when the company began making incredible profits from licensing everything from actions figures to bed sheet sets.

I still love Stan Lee's work. But having now read 2 graphic novel accounts of his life, I have less respect for the Man behind the curtains. I hate to think that the way Stan was mistreated and abused by his caretakers in the last couple of years of his life was karma getting back at him for how he treated Kirby and others. Yet, if Stan Lee's life was plotted out like one of the Marvel co-creator's many, many comic scripts, that ironic twist would have been taken straight from the Stan Lee playbook. 

Since I've read Jack Kirby's biography before and wrote a detailed review that I feel still speaks for how I feel about the book, I'll end my reflection here. Nothing new to add and I would hate to repeat myself. 

Both Tom Scioli biographies are fantastic reads that should be read as a companion set!

I Am Stan: A Graphic Biography of the Legendary Stan Lee

My wife knows that I'm a big fan of both Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and got me both of Tom Scioli's graphic biographies of these two Marvel legends. The favorability of Stan the Man had lessened in my eyes after reading the Kirby book. Stan Lee took advantage of the King. But to be fair, a lot of high ups in the comic book industry used Jack Kirby as their personal door mat. 

Knowing how Stan Lee came off as a massive jerk in Scioli's other work, I held off on reading this book which I got last year for Christmas. But I couldn't hold off any further as I Am Stan was just sitting atop my 'To Read' pile just screaming to be read. 

With Stan Lee as the subject, Tom Scioli does seem to paint the man born as Stanley Lieber in a more favorable light. There's no doubt that Stan was a master storyteller and a lot of the anecdotes he regaled both interviewers and audiences seemed to evolve over time; getting more and more wilder and inaccurate with every retelling. As Scioli utilized a slew of articles and writings by and about Stan Lee, a lot of material is more positive about Stan as history is often told by the victors. However, I am glad to say that Stan Lee is portrayed as far from perfect.

For one thing, Stan was a workaholic. Makes sense as his father was often in-between jobs and seldom actively searching for work. However, Stan's work ethic caused friction between him and his beloved Joan, whom I did not know until I read this work that she was married to some other dude when Stan met her. I also expected Scioli to reveal that Stan was cheating on Joan with possibly his gal Friday, the Fabulous Flo Steinberg. However, it appears that in that regard, Stan was a saint!

Stan Lee was also a businessman. As much as he acted as one of the people in his monthly 'Stan's Soapbox' columns, Stan was the MAN, taking the side of big business when approached to support a comic book writer and artist union in the 1970s. That's despite claiming to be all for it years later once he was nothing more than Marvel's Chairman Emeritus.

You might blame Stan's ego on his family. His mother smothered him with praise; perhaps in hopes he'd grown into someone other than his father. Stan could be modest. However, he also couldn't help himself to ham things up. It's a tale almost as old as time. The guy looked upon as the leader gets all the accolades. As their heads balloon up with the forthcoming perks and riches, the leader forgets the little guys, causing friction if not all around dissension and broken relationships along the way. 

Jack Kirby's love/hate relationship with Stan Lee is covered in large part in this work. Thankfully, Tom Scioli doesn't just repeat everything that transpired between the two founders of the Marvel Universe play out exactly as it did in the earlier Kirby biography. If there was ever a time I would expect a comic book creator to phone it in with repeated swipes of previously published material, it would be in this book. Yet, Scioli doesn't fall into that trap!

Reading this biography has got me itching to give the Kirby graphic novel another read in order to compare notes. I've got a perfect chance to do so coming up in a couple of weeks. I'll be interested to see where Tom Scioli repeats himself as well as portraying incidents that are covered in both histories differently. I don't normally like to do a re-read. But this is one of those exception times where I'm actually looking forward to it.

I'm also hoping that Tom Scioli doesn't stop with the graphic biographies of comicdom's biggest names. Julie Schwartz, Bill Gaines and Steranko are just a few subjects I would love to see Scioli give notice to!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hockney: A Graphic Life

In 2018, David Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (Pool with 2 Figures) sold at auction for a record $90.3 million dollars. The sale inspired writer and illustrator Simon Elliot to research Hockney's life and to study his art for this graphic novel biography. Up until reading this book, my only experience with the British artist Hockney was a Jeopardy! question involving his series of pop art paintings of ever growing in size splashes in a pool. What can I say, the guy likes water.

Growing up in England during World War II and becoming interested in art during the country's massive reconstruction from the Nazi airstrikes meant that Hockney had to be creative with the materials he could use to express his creativity. Many important items, such as paper, were heavily rationed. As a lad, Hockney had to use the margins of books, scrap materials, even the walls of his house to create his first works. This inspired many of Hockney's earliest professional paintings and etchings to be of mixed mediums. 

Over time, Hockney diversified his use of a collage technique in his paintings to spill over into prints, photography, stage and set design and more. Hockney also turned his love of art into a passion for art history, publishing works devoted to his idol Pablo Picasso among others. Openly homosexual in a time when being gay was a criminal offense in England, some of Hockney's art was considered cheeky if not vulgar. Yet the artist's most controversial work might be a theory that postulates that many of the great artists of the 1400-1600s used a lighting device called a camera obscura which essentially allowed those masters of art to capture the still lifes they painted not from visual perspective but copied off from a projected image.

Simon Elliot's book is full of recreations of Hockney's works with other images superimposed to reflect the many influences that inspired the artist's work. His personal life is also captured in depth. But there are so many lovers, partners, family members and associates in this book, some sort of diagram is needed to be able to keep up with them all. 

David Hockney is considered by many to be a major player in the pop culture movement. At age 86, he's one of the last living icons of that era. Yet do not think for a minute that Hockney is stuck in the past with his newest works. Since the coming of the 21st century, Hockney has embraced technology, creating massive digital works on his iPad, measuring several hundred meters in length. I think it's safe to argue that without the strides Hockney made in creating digital exhibits that could be viewed simultaneously across the globe, you would not have projects like the Van Gogh Exhibit: The Immersive Experience.

Hockney is as unique a graphic novel as the man himself. This is not a typical graphic novel in which the artist's life is depicted through panels of sequential art. Each page and two-page splashes are collages of a certain period of time in Hockney's life. There's very little dialogue. Mostly it's one or two sentence long quotes added with paragraph long narratives. This book is experimental, edgy and underground just like Hockney. At one point, two pages have the exact same narrative, word for word. I couldn't tell if that was a printing error or an intentional reflection of one of Hockney's early protest pieces. 

This work also contains some images and adult situations that do not make this an all ages read. For one interested in learning about art history, especially modern art of the last 65 years, this graphic biography is for students aged in the upper teens or older.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Fire!!: The Zora Neale Hurston Story (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Prior to reading this biographical graphic novel by Peter Bagge, I wouldn't have been able to tell you who Zore Neale Hurston was. Without multiple choice, I would have put money on her being a singer and I would have lost. But thanks to my local library and my comic book and graphic novel reading challenge, I feel that I've greatly enriched myself by learning about the talented but scandal ridden African American writer, researcher and playwright. 

Zora Neale Hurston was perhaps the major female influence of the Harlem Renaissance. A known storyteller, Hurston completed her education by researching and collecting African American folklore and culture in the deep South, particularly in her home state of Florida. Her studies introduced a number of wealthy white patrons who funded her education and research. As a result, Hurston became a student of voodoo priestesses and witch doctors as well introduced to a variety of lifestyles contrary to her strict Southern Baptist upbringing.

In her spare time, Hurston wrote several semi-biographical novels including her most famous work, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston was not afraid to use native dialect or set her stories in the middle of immense poverty and discrimination. Hurston's blunt portrayal of pre-World War II black lifestyle and culture inspired many to praise her truthfulness while fellow leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, like W.E.B. Dubois, criticized Hurston for perpetuating black stereotypes to white readers. Regardless of who supported her or stood in opposition to her, Zora Neal Hurston was not afraid to speak her truth. 

 

Peter Bagge's look at the life of Zora Neale Hurston seems more like a scrapbook of the writer's life instead of a full on biography. Since the writer has been dead for over 60 years, it isn't a spoiler to mention that Bagge glosses over Hurston's death. On one page,she is suffering from early stages of heart disease. The next page jumps 13 years to long after she's been dead and buried. 

 

I'm not sure why this is. Peter Bagge has an extensive notes section in the back of the book that requires a magnifying glass to read it. I would imagine if you used a 12 point font, the notes section would be longer than the 70 some odd pages of the graphic novel portion of the book. Bagge mentions often (in the notes) that record keeping of blacks in the days of Jim Crow and later just weren’t all that great. It could be that Peter Bagge was trying to reflect that as many of the interviews Hurston gave about herself and her childhood were jumbled collections of stories and personal history.

 

I enjoyed this book very much. I felt that I learned a lot about a period in history that was basically overlooked in my high school and middle school classes. I also understood some perspectives on race a little better. And now if you were to bet me on who Zora Neale Hurston was, I'd beat the house every time.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #18 (That's a memoir/biography) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics

  

 Stan Lee had his chance to speak his version of the origins of Marvel Comics many times; most recently in 2015's Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible graphic novel. Sadly, The King, Jack Kirby never had a chance to give his first person account of the founding of the House of Ideas in sequential art form; passing away suddenly in 1994. That is, until now!

Culling from decades of journals, interviews and first person accounts, Go Bots' Joe Scioli grants Jack Kirby the chance to tell his side of the story. It all influences Marvel Comics and DC's Fourth World! From his rough and tumble days in the Brooklyn ghetto (The FF's Ben Grimm) to his bloody tour of duty in the European theater of World War II (Sgt Fury and his Howling Commandos) to his epic romance with wife Roz (Big Barda) and of course, his love/hate relationship with Stan Lee (Flunky Flashman), if you always wanted to learn the full story of Jack Kirby- now is your chance!

This graphic novel will definitely sour your opinion of Stan Lee. Marvel's most famous employee was an opportunist. Lee's love of comics and most importantly, it's fans, cannot be disputed. But I think it's arguable to say that popularity went to Stan's head. Unfortunately, the influence Jack Kirby had on the Marvel Universe was railroaded by the Stan Lee popularity train.

Kirby says it best when he tells readers that he 'saved Marvel's ass!' There is absolutely zero doubt in that. Marvel, then Timely, was just about to shut up shop. As Jack Kirby entered the office, the furniture was being repossessed. Loyal secretary turned editor, Flo Steinberg, has gone on record to admit that's true! If not for Jack Kirby, your favorite Marvel characters may never have seen the light of day. Or maybe they would have, but they would have been property of DC Comics or Charlton or even Archie...

The majority of this book is about Marvel. But the third act is deep in  Jack's days at DC Comics; which as epic as they were, they didn't turn out as promising as the King had hoped. As it got harder for Kirby to hold a pencil, he went into animation. I had no idea he was behind some of my favorite 80s Saturday morning cartoons like Thundarr, Turboteen and Mister T!

I loved this biography by Tom Scioli, even if I did get him confused with Ed Piskor. The art was great. The book was full of great stories and facts. I might be on the fence with my former love of Stan Lee. But my love for Kirby is unwavering.  If anything, this book has given me a desire to finally bite the bullet and complete my Sgt. Fury collection. 

The King may never have gotten his just due when he was alive. I'll admit, I never gave the New Gods the respect they deserved until I was in my 20s. But, in the past 20 years, Kirby has been cemented as a member of the Mount Rushmore of Comics. Thanks to books like this, Jack Kirby might finally be placed on his undisputed throne as the one true King of Comics!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

For almost 110 minutes, those who grew up as neighbors of the legendary Mr. Rogers, get a chance to experience another visit with the childhood icon. 

Tom Hanks plays Fred Rogers, who from 1968-2001, appeared almost daily on the TV screen of millions of children and their parents and their parents parents. While Tom Hanks doesn't become Mr. Rogers, there are moments when you can see good ole Fred popping up in the Forrest Gump star's demeanor or accent. 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was inspired by Tom Junod's 1998 Esquire article titled 'Can You Say...Hero?' In the film, Junod's character, now referred to as journalist Lloyd Vogel, is self-destructing. A new father, his own troubled relationship with his father has left the writer scarred and angry. Hoping to give him a new perspective, his editor assigns Vogel (Matthew Rhys) to interview Fred Rogers. But when Vogel meets Rogers and finds him almost exactly like his on screen persona, the writer becomes suspicious.

As Lloyd Vogel digs deeper into just who Mister Rogers really is, the journalist must learn just who he is. And that will mean facing a childhood of hurt and pain. Hopefully, in the end, maybe a little bit of Fred Rogers will rub off on Lloyd Vogel, making him into the husband and father he longs to be.

This 2019 film is framed like an episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. From the iconic miniatures opening of the show to the 'Won't You Be My Neighbor? theme'. We get appearances by Mr. McFeely, learn how a magazine is made thanks to Picture-Picture and take a trolley ride to Make Believe Land. Throughout this missing episode, Mister Rogers talks to his neighbors about anger and how it is affecting Lloyd Vogel's life!

 Oh NO! Mister Rogers didn't feed his fish!

The film really did feel like a lost episode. The original cameras and some parts of the set, including King Friday and Daniel are re-used to give Tom Hanks' version of Mister Rogers Neighborhood an as near as possible authentic feel. Yes, trying to keep things as much as things would be on the series made for some oddly trippy scenes. But by the end of this film, I was okay if Tom Hanks and PBS decided to reboot Mister Rogers Neighborhood with some new episodes. Just leave Lloyd Vogel out of it. I felt like this movie was focused too much on him and his family problems and not enough of showing us Fred Rogers. 

Mister Rogers is a lot like painter Bob Ross. He's just so innocent and pure and super chill. It's a complete 180 turn from the chaos of modern day. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood does a wonderful job bringing back such more innocent times. I just hate that it's marred by trying to show how people find solace or even themselves in Mister Rogers. My wife thought that made for a better movie. I felt that that part in which people found answers in Mister Rogers, that part is a given. I wanted to see the unknown Fred Rogers. We get some glimpses. But what I really wanted to know was if Mister Rogers started out in the Army as a sniper and or a Navy SEAL! 

That's been part of Mister Rogers' mystique and a long-time urban legend. Ultimately, considering how bizarre things get in the movie, it was a part of neighborhood lore that could've been explored in the movie. Having Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, killing Nazis on screen. That could've been filmed for this movie. 

Ultimately, I think we all wanted to see that! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7
 out of 10 stars.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams

Having read Michael Allred's Red Rocket 7, about an extraterrestrial rock God come to save the earth, I already had the notion that Michael Allred was destined to be David Bowie's visual biographer. It was just a matter of time when he would fulfill it. That when was revealed recently in the amazing graphic novel Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage DaydreamsWritten by Steve Horton and Michael Allred
Art by Michael Allred
Embellishes Laura Allred
Published by Insight Comics
Pages: 160
Retail: $39.99

In the summer of 2019, Mike Allred announced his plans for a David Bowie biographical graphic novel. I was automatically on board with hit with the news. Red Rocket 7 read so much like an adaptation of David Bowie's sci-fi classic movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Allred's rock opera, also spans the entire history of rock and roll. While you can see the Madman Creator's love for music throughout; the scenes where Rocket meets David Bowie are where you feel the most connected. For Mike Allred is clearly a fan of Bowie!

Back to last summer. I follow Michael Allred and his equally talented wife, Laura, on social media. One day I was scrolling down my feed when I was struck by this beautiful black and white sketch of the Starman himself in the style of Allred. I knew that this scene didn't appear in Red Rocket 7. Where did it come from? Imagine my surprise as the image was the first preview for the new Bowie biography! My wishes had been granted!

Over the course of about 6 months, a new sketch would pop up on my social media feed pretty regularly, showing the progression of this project. This began a lengthy countdown to last week when the book finally debuted in stores. And I was first in line for a copy!

Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams focuses on the early years of Bowie's career. From having to change his name in order not to be confused with a member of the Monkees all the way through the creation of Bowie's personas of Ziggy Stardust and later Aladdin Sane, this is a whirlwind history of the early days of glam rock.

Helping Michael Allred with research and co-scripting duties is Steve Horton (Amala’s Blade). Horton does a great job introducing the reader to the entire lineup of the pioneers of glam. But it's Allred's talented hand that brings heavenly icons such as the late Bowie as well as Marc Nolan, Mick Ronson and Freddie Mercury back to life. With such a large cast of characters, especially in those large group scenes, a ‘Who's Who’ in the appendices would have been appreciated.

This book is very much an Allred project. One of Michael Allred's favorite motifs is the use of the third eye. In much of Allred's work, the third eye is used as a New Age portal between other worlds or dimensions of consciousness. In this book, the third eye is the Stargate between David Bowie the man and his creative process which evolves into Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Another example that makes this book a very Allred project is the presence of Laura Allred. Laura has been Michael's longtime colorist and sometimes inker. Her amazing palette makes Bowie's world so colorful and at times ethereal. 

This graphic novel was a visual delight. So many images of the Starman looked so real. This might be graphic novel blasphemy but I would kill for Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams to be made into an animated movie. Not that the artwork of the Allreds was lacking a fluidity of motion. It's just that the biggest missing piece to this rock and roll tapestry was the music. Couldn't a Kindle version of this book be released with a soundtrack? 

Minus the tunes, Bowie was still a complete sensory adventure into the creative process. Be sure not to overlook the loquacious tribute from Neil Gaiman at the beginning. To gloss over the sketchbook and Michael's afterword would be an equal disservice to the reader.

An intergalactic playlist for the soul. It's only January! But 2020 is going to have a difficult time coming up with something to beat this book for graphic novel of the year.

Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns and Moonage Daydreams debuted on January 8th, 2019! If you can't find this in the graphic novel section of your local bookstore, check the music books section. That's where I found my copy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hawking

I became a huge fan of Richard Feynman thanks to the 2013 graphic novel work by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick. When I feel like being brainy while getting in a good laugh or two, I play the lectures of Feynman on my computer. It's great background noise when you are surfing the web or updating book reviews. 

This was a guy who was building the first atomic bomb one minute and then sneaking out of Los Almos to play bongos at a local club the next. He was so serious and yet chill. And he was fun as well as funny as hell!

So when Previews announced the release of Ottaviani and Myrick's Hawking, I was first in line for the book. I love Stephen Hawking. I read his manga opus, A Brief History of Time when I was in the fifth grade (for fun; not a requirement.) I've followed Hawking career ever since, enjoying his hilarious appearances on The Simpsons, Futurama and The Big Bang Theory. 

So how was this book? Was it all I hoped it would be cracked up to be? In short- NO!

This book was an almost complete 180 turn from Feynman. While Dr. Feynman was the life of the party, Professor Hawking was a massive stick in the mud. Prof. Feynman was willing to accept concepts that didn't gel with his personal philosophy. Dr. Hawking tries to change those rejected ideas to fit into his view of the universe. But above all, this book was boring!

I was hoping for a more personal look at Stephen Hawking's personal life. His struggle with ALS has been in inspiration for me and countless others. While his personal life is glossed upon, this book was more of a treatise on cosmology and physics.

Only Stephen Hawking can make his insanely complex concepts seem simple. Ottaviani and Myrick are no Stephen Hawking. I literally was bored to tears with this book. It's also why it's taking me up till now to have finally completed this. I had to take breaks in order to overtake the mind numbing!

Sadly, Stephen Hawking also seems to have been a bit of a jerk. Understandably, suffering from something as crippling as ALS is enough to make anyone sour. But way before he started to show symptoms, Hawking seemed a bit of an ass. I really felt sorry for his first wife.

Should Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick do a third graphic novel based on a famous scientist, I would read it. It's not exactly that the creative team did a poor job on this. The true life of Stephen Hawking wasn't as enjoyable as the myth the late physicist had built up around himself. But I would recommend that they maybe not spending quite as much time on really difficult physics. It just wasn't as enjoyable read as it could have been as I didn't think that the creators really understood the mind of a master thinker; no matter how tarnished his armor now is in my mind.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Che- A Graphic Biography

Underground comix legend Spain Rodriguez pens and illustrates this graphic novel biography of revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guavara. It's an interesting look at a character of the 20th century that I really knew very little about. 

I found this book at an independent bookstore (on discount, of course!) Being a former history major with a focus on 20th century history (especially pop culture), I figured why not learn something new. 

Here's the thing, I realize that the US has it's faults. Our country isn't perfect because it's run by imperfect people. All nations are this way. But I feel that Spain Rodriguez' view is way more skewed to being anti-American and anti-capitalism than I am pro-American. 

For example, Rodriguez mentions a couple of times how some Cuban newspapers are imprisoned or worse for making anti-Castro statements. For all that Donald Trump hates our liberal media, he's not stooped to the actions of those glorified revolutionaries that Rodriguez so hails. 

It troubled me how Spain Rodriguez maintained blinders to such actions. I appreciate that he mentions them in this historical account. But unlike all the times where he makes commentary against the US for it's dirty deeds, Rodriguez never condemns the Castro regime for their atrocities.

The art was pretty good. It had a very similar style to Rick Geary, which I rather like. But the editing of the art was not all that great. Some panels still has pencil marks that weren't properly erased during the inking process. So in some instances, the art looks blurry when it just ghosted by pencil markings not properly vanquished.

I also had some issue with how Spain Rodriguez executed his footnotes. Some are done properly in a small text box on the bottom right of the inside panel. Both about half of the footnotes were placed vertically to the right of the outside of the panel. It took me several pages to figure this inconsistency out and I had to reread several pages. 

An interesting read that is skewed way too far to the left. There's nothing centric here. Great art but the editing is irregular.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

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.

Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

While this is a biography of legendary Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, a majority of this tome focuses on the band as a whole. That actually doesn’t bother me as I am a huge Queen fan and I’ve always wanted to read a history of the group.

Much is made of Mercury’s sexuality. But thankfully, it’s not full of very sordid details. I’m not questioning Freddie being gay nor am I being homophobic. It’s just that I remember trying to read Steven Tyler’s biography and giving up after chapter 2 because it read like a letter to Penthouse.

Strangely enough, what shocked me about Mercury’s sexuality was that he had several sexual relationships with women after coming to terms with being gay. Pretty much, Mercury was attracted to anything. If the earth had made contact with aliens, I think he would have tried to boink them too. It’s like he was omnisexual with strong homosexual preferences, very much like Torchwood’s Capt. Jack Harkness.

The book was very well written, though the Brit slang is sometimes hard to decipher. Also, there are several characters in this history of the same name that makes for some confusing reading as you try to get everyone’s role understood. I counted at least 4 of the singer’s associates with the first name of Peter.

Alas, this exhaustive recount of the superstar’s life, loves, music, and antics prove that there is only 1 Freddie Mercury.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Feynman

   It seems like everywhere I go right now, Richard Feynman is there. From a factual account of the Oppenheimer's involvement in the Manhattan Project (Fallout) to Jonathan Hickman's alternate history of the program in the pages of the Image series of the same name to an article about the strange quirks of famous people on Cracked.com; I just keeping running into Feynman. Why, even his van achieved some notoriety when it appeared on an episode of the Big Bag Theory a couple of weeks ago. It seems that the noted mathematician and physicist has achieved that rare rock star status of Einstein or Hawking in which they are more than science royalty but pop culture icons!

   From my recent readings, including this graphic novel by Jim Ottaviani (who also wrote Fallout) and Leland Myrick, Feynman has become my personal favorite genius (he's also Sheldon's on Big Bang Theory.) Feynman is very down to earth and while he looks at the mysteries of the universe with an analytical mind, he's not opposed to the idea of a creator nor does he claim to know or even understand all of the puzzles of science. 

   From Feynman's odd hobby of picking locks while at Los Alamos to his attempts to join a Carnival krewe in Brazil, it didn't matter if the subject was trivial or not, as long as his continuing self-education exercised his mind it was a subject worth studying for the Nobel Prize winner. This book maps just about every step of Feynman's life, but it's not in linear order. Just as his autobiographies rambled out of sync with his personal timeline, this graphic novel jumps from time period to time period. Thankfully, unlike Hickman's 'Manhattan Projects', Ottaviani and Myrick are keen to inform the reader of the year in which events unfold.

    While I enjoyed the heck out of this book, it was not an easy read. But that's okay. Complexity doesn't have to equal enjoyment. In at least 2 sections of this book, Ottaviani and Myrick place Feynman behind a lectern as his attempts to explain to the reader his award-winning theory on QED. It has something to do with how light particles reflect off of a surface but not at the same time or in the same fashion every time. (Please, don't ask me to explain more because I would be doing a terrible disservice to both the genius behind the theory and to you my loyal blog readers.)

    Even though understanding his groundbreaking theories were not easy for me to accomplish, I am in no way turned off by Richard Feynman or his work. In fact, the author posted an extensive assortment of suggested readings on Feynman that have inspired me to pick up a few in the coming new year. I am particularly interested in his mostly autobiographical works 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' and 'What Do You Care What Other People Think?'

    Feynman is an interesting read that like the physicist himself, challenges the reader to think, expand, and grow with every life experience. Don't be intimidated by scientific jargon in this 2011 work because even the late physicist's didn't have all the answers either. Look at this as a doorway to world of new ideas and when someone says to you that graphic novels are kids stuff, show them one of Feynman's formulas and ask them if they think a 5-year old could solve it or not? 

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Sisters (Family Comic Friday)

  Ever have that younger sibling that drove you nuts? Was your older brother or sister a big bully or at least that's what you thought because they always got their way or you into trouble? Then this true story graphic novel is the book you've been looking for Or that you should have written!
 
    Sisters is the 2014 sequel to the awarding winning graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier. In this graphic novel, Riana is going on a semi-cross country drive to a family reunion along with her mom, younger sister, and baby brother. It's total sibling rivalry between Raina and Amara, mostly because while Raina is the oldest and a budding artist, it's the younger who keeps winning art awards and accolades.

    Throughout the trip scenes from the sisters lives are recounted. It's not a very good time for the family right now as their dad recently lost his job and his new vocation is preventing him from taking the trip with the fam.  That situation has caused the gang to move, pinch pennies, and has put a strain on the marriage of Raina's folks. Then there's also that little matter of Amara's pet snake who got loose in the family van and may have died somewhere under the seats or it might still be lurking around in the back under the cooler.

   I really enjoyed this tale. Though not all of the family crises mentioned in this book are solved by the final page, Sisters did have an enjoyable enough ending. Plus, with this being the second book, I'm sure a third book is on its way in this a trilogy friendly world. So, some matters will probably be addressed and solved then.

   The art was quite good and it matched the dynamic storytelling. Like I mentioned earlier, this is the sequel to another book called 'Smile.' I'm such a fan of this book and of Telgemeier that I hope to get my hands on that book very soon. Plus, I'm interested to know if Amara ever became famous like older her sister. If anybody has any info on her, please leave me a note in this review's comments section.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown

  I just love to be the first person to check out a book from the library. It’s like you’re starting a legacy or something. I’d read some reviews of this book a while back and put this on my ‘to read’ list. Then, just a couple of days ago, I saw this on the processing desk so I decided to hang around a little bit to see if it would go out. My snooping paid off as 30 minutes later; I snatched this book off the rack from shelving before it even hit the floor!

  As a kid I would say I had two favorite wrestlers- Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. As a kid, I was taller than the rest of my classmates and a heck of a lot heftier. So, I really could relate with Andre’s humongous size. Years later, I would stop watching wrestling but I still held a fondness for Andre- so much that when my cat Sarakit had kittens a few years back, we named the biggest of the litter Andre.



Had to include a pic of Andre- my little shadow cat. He's so big.

This book is an interesting read into the life of a man that was bigger than life and lived every day that way too. He had acromegaly and it caused him to never really stop growing. That also was a death sentence for him as the excess stresses took a toll on his joints, heart, and ability to age. One thing I didn’t know was that he had a ranch in nearby Ellerbe, NC. That’s about a 2 hour drive and is now on my list of places to road trip too.

There’s some R-rated language and some very bawdy anecdotes about Andre. The man loved to drink, mingle, and play cards and fight. But above all else, he loved to put on a show. The story has some great moments and some very sad ones. But, I wouldn’t trade my experience seeing him on TV as a kid and I wouldn’t forgo the opportunity I got reading his biography first.

Not for all ages, but definitely a fun read for fans of wrestling in the 70s and 80s.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.