________________________________________________________________________ Visit Our Web Page! http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ / THE \ \C O M I C/ Issue #44 This publication is brought to you \B O O K/ by the active participants of \N E T/ Monday the international center for \ / January 15th, comic book discussion, the Comic *E-Mag* 1995 Book Net. !!! - Editor: Ryan Brewster [Xenozoid@cris.com] - CBN Network Administration Team: - Ed Dukeshire - - Mike Imboden - - William Hughes - - Ryan Brewster - - Jacob Greenberg - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Comic Book Net Founding Fathers: Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ________________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] The Bullpen ........................... Ryan Brewster [2] CSNsider #449 ......................... W. Batty, C. Biggers [3] ComICunications Re-Cap 1/17/95 ........ Ryan Brewster [4] Rich's Revelations .................... Rich Johnston [5] Pressing the Issue .................... Ronald-Thomas Fleming [6] Retailer Rant ......................... Jeff Archer [7] New Comics ........................... Chuck LePage [8] Join in the Fun! [9] BBSes Linked into CBN [10] E-Mag Info ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] The Bullpen by Ryan Brewster Not a heck of a lot to update you all on this week. We are still talking about what sort of form the Comic Book Net will be taking in the future, but in the mean time, keep your eyes peeled to our web page (http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html) for new developments. Speaking of the web page, I've been meaning to compile a "hotlist" of cool comic-related web sites to put on the CBN web page, but the right time never seems to have come up. If you have a web page or know of one that you think should be added to the CBN hotlist for any reason, please e-mail me your suggestions (to Xenozoid@cris.com)! I will be glad to check out your favorite sites. Best, --Ry Editor The Comic Book Net E-Mag Xenozoid@cris.com ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2] CSNsider #449, by W. Batty and C. Biggers This is the CSNsider from CSN #449, which will be in shops on 1/25/96. It is reproduced in its entirety with the expressed permission of COMIC SHOP NEWS! Neil Gaiman is expanding his horizons; not only will he be working on several new comic book projects after the completion of Sandman, but he has also signed a $1 million deal with Avon books for two novels and a short story collection (he has already co-authored a novel, Good Omens, with Terry Pratchett and has a short story collection, Angels & Visitations, available through comic shops)... On January 3rd the Marvel Entertainment Group announced a number of layoffs throughout the company, including Marvel Comics, Malibu Comics, and Fleer/SkyBox; according to Reuter's News Service, approximately 275 employees were released in a downsizing of the company. On the comic book front, no one is certain what effects this will have on Marvel titles, although the HNN report that Marvel was discontinuing its comic book line is totally erroneous; Marvel says that they have a major new comic book project in the planning stages for this year, although they didn't reveal what. Bob Harras remains as Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, although many other editorial changes will be made. As soon as Marvel announces which comic book titles are affected, CSN will let you know... Diamond Comics Distributors announced that they were consolidating their warehouses, closing many warehouses and servicing many stores via UPS; the recent alterations in release-day scheduling means that stores should continue getting their books right on time, though, so customers should not be affected by this change... The Atom (now a teenager himself) will play a major role in Dan Jurgens' new Teen Titans series for DC, set to debut later this year... Tad Williams and Margaret Weis have both signed contracts to create new properties for Tekno Comix... Harrison Ford is supposedly very near an agreement to play John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee in an upcoming film... A direct-to-video sequel to Toy Story is under consideration at Disney... DC is working on a trade paperback collection of some of their best holiday-themed stories for late 1996 release... It looks like some Malibu heroes might be making the move to the Marvel Universe later this year... In CSN #444, we ran a cover story about Black Ops; however, the wrong plate was dropped onto the cover art, resulting in the cover carrying a DefCon 4 tag. Rest assured the art was from Black Ops and if you want to get a peek at DefCon 4 art, take a look at the review of that book that we ran in last week's CSN... Marlowe & Company, publishers of the Sam & Max trade paperback, have announced that they've signed contracts to reprint Michael Zulli's Puma Blues in trade paperback this spring... The CSNsider is just a small part of each issue of Comic Shop News. CSN #449 features Verdilak from NBM on the cover as well as more news and the complete February Checklist. The CSNsider is now available via e-mail! In order to subscribe to CSNsider, send a message to majordomo@redweb.com, with a single line message saying: SUBSCRIBE csnsider Visit our WWW site! http://www.actwin.com/csn We post the new CSNsider there each Monday or Tuesday and it will go out via e-mail each Wednesday or Thursday. The WWW site is still the first place it will appear each week, but we wanted to offer it via e-mail as well. The only way to get Comic Shop News is to visit a shop that carries CSN. The publication costs the shops just a dime each and is generally free to customers. If your shop doesn't carry CSN, nag 'em until they do. After all, isn't your business and satisfaction worth a dime a week? Ward Batty wardo@netdepot.com Cliff Biggers cliffbig@netdepot.com (c)1995 CSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3] Comicunications Weekly Re-Cap, by Ryan Brewster ///// ComICunications \\\\\ Weekly Re-Cap 1/15/96 Contents: 1. Editorial: Looking Forward to '96 2. Industry News: * Malibu's Ultraverse Down, Not Out * Jurgens Leaves Spidey, Revives Titans * Araknis Down Under * The Black Dragon Returns to Print * The Mask Leads the Pack * Entity Adapts Stargate * New Tex Avery Comic Debuts * Wizard Introduces New Premiums 1. Editorial ---------------------------------------------------------- Looking Forward to '96 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ by Ryan Brewster I'm not sure "looking forward" is the right choice of words, but I am indeed using this week's column space to peer into the near future of the comic book industry. As I'm certain most of you are aware, the industry is not in the greatest shape at this point. Circulation, particularly on the more POPULAR titles, has been lower than it has in years. Already, 1996 has seen the "Marvelcution" (that is, Marvel laid off over 100 of its staff and reduced its title count by 30-some books), and the closing of two- thirds of Diamond Comic Distributors' warehouses. This year is unquestionably going to be a year of great change. I cannot hope to predict all or many of these changes, but it is certain that 1997 will begin with the comic book industry in a much different shape (way, form) than it is today. There are, of course, a few things I can envision happening. First of all, it's a fair guess to say that the superhero comics will decline in popularity. As movies and animated cartoon series become more and more sophisticated, their comic book equivalents will seem less and less exciting. While the action (with rare but wonderful exceptions) in superhero movies and cartoons of the early 1900's was largely stiff and implausible, the modern art of computer animation has created much more believable effects. Superhero motion pictures were not as impressive back then because a child could pick up a comic for a nickel and his own imagination would "fill in the gaps" between the panels. So I think we'll see a decline in superhero popularity and, as such, an increase in "alternative" comics - comics with more to offer than just flash and action. The alternative comics that survive or thrive will have something that can't be very effectively reproduced in another medium; a combination of art and literature that creates a sensation one can't feel from watching television or reading a book. As far as distributors go, the alternative comics movement is most liable to benefit Capital and Diamond, the distributors that haven't closed their doors to independent comics. Heroes World/Marvel is bound for more hard times. Dark Horse, Kitchen Sink, Fantagraphics and Caliber are companies that I think may actually _benefit_ from the current marketplace. They all produce quality, diverse comics. DC Comics' Vertigo imprint may falter a little bit, but will not suffer to the extent that the DC Universe titles will. This move to alternative comics will probably affect Marvel, DC and Image Comics the most. The three large companies will likely be hit hard by this lack of interest in the superhero genre. None of the companies will FAIL or anything hugely drastic like that, but the amount of product coming out of the publishers will decrease and the _type_ of product will become more varied. In order to stay alive in the evolving marketplace, Marvel, DC and Image will have to evolve as well. Next Week: Evolution Best, --Ry Xenozoid@cris.com [Incidentally, I did recieve a few suggestions in response to my recent column on naming the comics medium... My favorite of the bunch was from Marc Sparks - a cool guy from Africa who writes a column for the Comic Book Net E-Mag occasionally. His suggestion: "Mythos". Hm....] 2. Industry News ------------------------------------------------------ Malibu's Ultraverse Down, Not Out: 1/8/95 - Dispite previous reports, three titles from Malibu's Ultraverse line of comics will survive the Marvelcution. Rune, Prime and Ultraforce will continue publication after April. A quarterly Ultraverse comic will be introduced as well. Jurgens Leaves Spidey, Revives Titans: 1/13/95 - Creater Dan Jurgens has announced that he will be leaving Marvel's Sensational Spider-Man after issue number six. He has since announced that he will be working on a new Teen Titans title for DC Comics. Rumor has it that the cast will include Impulse, Robin, and a new teenage Atom. Araknis Down Under: 1/1/95 - No, Mushroom Comics' Araknis title has not been cancelled... the publisher has just signed an agreement with Marketing Entertainment, ltd. in _Australia_ to distribute 4000 copies of each issue of Araknis through the Australian newsstands. The Black Dragon Returns to Print: 1/10/95 - The Black Dragon, a comic-book heroic fantasy series created by Chris Claremont and John Bolton, will become available again in April as a graphic novel TPB (Trade PaperBack) from Dark Horse Comics. The intro- duction to the collection will be written by sci-fi/fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey. The book will ship to shops and bookstores on April 9th. The Mask Leads the Pack: 1/10/95 - Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema's new Saturday morning series "The Mask", finished first in its time slot in November amongst children in the 2-11 age group, according to national Nielson numbers released on November 27th. The cartoon finished third overall among the 39 half-hour shows that aired on Saturday morning, Nov. 25th. Entity Adapts Stargate: 1/11/95 - Entity Comics has announced that they will adapt the film Stargate to comics, beginning with Stargate #1 in May. The four-issue monthly mini-series will probably be followed by new Stargate adventures shortly thereafter. New Tex Avery Comic Debuts: 1/10/95 - A new four-issue comic book series based on the cartoons of Tex Avery will begin in March from Dark Horse Comics. Some of the artists and authors working on the book are Steve Vance, Terry Moore and Scott Shaw!. Wizard Introduces New Premiums: 1/4/95 - Wizard Press has announced a new retailer incentive program, to begin with Wizard #55. The Wizard ACEs will be a series of special printings of comics that had low initial print runs and are now experiencing a high collector value. They will feature an acetate cover. The first comics to become a Wizard ACE will be Creed #1. Retailers will recieve one copy of the special printing of Creed #1 for every 25 copies of Wizard #55 they order. __________________________________________________________________________ Comicunications is Copyright (c) 1995 by Ryan Brewster ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4] Rich's Revelations, by Rich Johnston Rich's Revelations for January Happy New Year all! Let's have some news and rumours. Take everything you read below with as much salt as you deem necessary. Some is from magazines, some from trade papers, some from chatting to the creators involved, some from the drunken lips of comic book dealers. Elfquest cancelled? Aaaargh! Well, okay, cancelled for now... The licensed Marvel titles will start in October 1996, giving both Windstorm and Extreme to build up a backlog of work on the titles. Alan Moore was offered the chance to write Avengers/Hulk but declined, and is also staying away from the current Wildstorm crossover. Brendan McCarthy has been approached and asked whether of not he'd like to work on the X-Men film. For the last month or so, the Marvel Comics indicia has changed, so that all the characters are copyright, not Marvel Entertainment, but Marvel Characters. Easier to sell off, I suppose... Titan is starting to collect Preacher as trade paperbacks. Vertigo can't be far behind. Avengers/Justice League may restart now that Liefeld has Avengers control. And remember, he bought all of Perez' pencils for the project. Get ready for Mike Deodato and Stephen Platt on Captain America! Dave Elliot's editorship on Penthouse Comix means that we'll see a lot of Brit artists commissioned by this ex A1/Tundra guy. One Glasweigan artist, after being offered work has received offers from female friends offering to pose. With page rates at 500 pounds to one thousand pounds each, do these artists really need such perks of the job? But since neither Diamond or Palan/Capital are bringing them in, no Brit reader will get to read them. Ditto with Lost Girls from Kitchen Sink. One enterprising Northern comic shop will be smuggling copies, but they will be few and far between. Alan Moore has finished his novel and is, as we speak, finishing From Hell. 1963 Annual will happen, but its in Liefeld's hands and he hasn't found an artist for it. He's probably a bit busy, and may want Warchild finished first. If you're surprised by Hellstrike's Irish accent in WildCATS, the character has been stated as Irish, but not enough people knew. Hell, Warren Ellis was writing a Wildstorm character for 2 months before he found out he was meant to be Australian. Deadline is dead? So why is it still being solicited? Remember Gary Erskine's Usenet posts SNIVEL: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARY? Well, Snivel: TWAT Gary is now being printed in Tripwire with a rather fetching caricature. The Knockabout plane jumps raised 1500(pounds) for their legal case, importing My Troubles With Women, by Crumb. Alan Moore's Twilight: A Proposal ain't happening folks. Talks with DC have stalled. Stalled, as in up sh** creek without a hardback Watchmen. And apparently, every DC editor has now heard of me. Well, perhaps I can turn that around into an opportunity (thank you Quark.) However Gary Erskine has said he'll write and draw a four pager for Twist and Shout's Twist anthology for this summer. We'll be taking submissions from others too. Anyone interested? X-Flies Conspiracy has been spotlighted in Previews. Terry Fitzgerald has promised a reply to the allegations made by Lance Guek in the comic, but we have had no response yet. Deadlines approach... which reminds me, Fabian? How is Life Bytes going? 8-) This has been Richard Johnston, investigative reporter signing off. This column may be reprinted as long as my name is attached, and if any magazine would like to sign me up, I'm available! Richard Johnston Advertising copywriter for Buckfield Lord and Co. Creator and Publisher of Dirtbag and X-Flies as Twist and Shout Comics Networks Columnist for Comics International, and writer for Indy. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5] Pressing the Issue, by Ronald-Thomas Fleming I recently got a package from long-time publisher Brad W. Foster whose Jabberwocky Press has been producing fine comics for many, many years. So this time around I'm going to devote the whole column to some of the great comics he has produced. Most of these are adult-only titles marked with an "*" and so you must include an age statement when ordering. *GOODIES #94: Not many small press publications have lasted this long and this is something a little bit different. GOODIES specializes in erotic comics, done tastefully, as far as the genre goes. The cover, best yet in the series, features a stunning art by Kevin Hopkins. This issue is a mixture of stories and pin-up art done by some awesome talent. You really haven't tried this genre until you've sampled GOODIES. $7.00, 36 pages, standard format. WIZARDS & Dragons & Elfs ~ oh my! Orignally this was art used to illustrate concepts in a book on writing simple computer programs in the "Logo" language for kids. The art is now collected here in this stunning showcase of Brad W Foster's art, who doesn't just draw erotic comics. The over-sized zine shows-offs his exquisitely detailed art and is a great primer for artists who draw by example. $4.50, 20 pages, standard format. *QUICKIES: This adult-only anthology features erotic humor done by James A. Martin. Each cartoon is lavishly illustrated in typical naked woman, but what isn't typical is the humor. Features some very funny stuff and is bound to leave you laughing. Publisher Brad W. Foster's Jabberwocky imprint is known for quality and you won't be disappointed by this one. $1.50, 16 pages, mini-comic. *RANDY REVIEWER: Originally this was art used to illustrate concepts in a book on writing simple computer programs in the "Logo" language for kids. The art is now collected here in this stunning showcase of Brad W Foster's art, who doesn't just draw erotic comics. The over-sized zine shows-offs his detailed art and is a great primer for artists who draw by example. $4.00, 16 pages, standard format. *Spunki e' Babbett: Not your ordinary science-fiction comix, when the spaceship is shaped like a penis. Yes, erotic meets sci-fi! This one-shot features sex and more sex! Well, maybe not THAT much sex. It does star Babbett, of Space Army, who has all the right equipment to get the job done. This comix is sort of different, because it masques as a foreign comix being translated to English. I'm not sure if the experiment works as well as it should. However, with that aside, it is the same excellent material you have come to expect from Jabberwocky. $1.50, 16 pages, mini-comic. You can reach Brad Foster at: Jabberwocky Graphix, PO Box 165246, Irving, TX 75016. (Ronald-Thomas Fleming also runs the COMICS INFORMATION NETWORK on CompuServe and the best way to reach him is at: 75562.2253@compuserve.com) ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [6] Retailer Rant, by Jeff Archer "Decipher": Let's Give them a Second Chance... Not! Recently, I reviewed DECIPHER'S STNG limited tin set for VENTURA, a fine magazine devoted to C.C.G.'s (customizable card games), like MAGIC: THE GATHERING. I ended my review with "Let's give Decipher a second chance" referring to the company's broken promises and late ship dates for their STNG and STAR WARS card games. The store I manage, TWILITE ZONE COMICS AND CARDS, in Bowie, Maryland, has had a standing order, directly with Decipher, for ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, the STNG expansion, and the STAR WARS C.C.G. for over eight months. We were also given a 30-day payment window, so we ordered heavily on these so-called "hot" products. Sounds to good to be true. For over eight months we have heavily advertised Decipher's cards, and in good faith, rolled with the punches because we believed in the company and the product. Every time (and there were many) ALTERNATE UNIVERSE and STAR WARS were promised to ship and did not arrive, we kept our cool and apologized to our customers believing we would receive our cards soon. On September 9th, ALTERNATE UNIVERSE was to arrive. Customers lined up, and "shazam", no cards, or even a word from Decipher. We called Decipher and asked them what was up, and we were told the cards would be late again because of complications with PARAMOUNT, the licensor of STNG product. We were also informed that there would be no 30 day net on our first order of ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, as promised, but we still had the 30 day window on STAR WARS, an order that was in the thousands of dollars. We bit the bullet, we waited and waited. It is now December. We have over 30 people pre-signed up for STAR WARS boxes; almost guaranteed sales. Less that five working days before the cards were to ship, Decipher tell su, and all small card and comic shops nationwide, that there will be no 30 day net, all orders are now C.O.D. , which means have your thousands of dollars on hand or you won't receive your STAR WARS shipment. This is bad business; worse it is just wrong! Could it be that two million dollars are needed for PARAMOUNT'S licensing fees and Decipher knows that DIAMOND, CHESSAX, or THE ARMORY would gladly take our orders and cut a check without blinking, and then re-sell the same STAR WARS cards to the Mom and Pop shops who initially got the 30 day net order through Decipher's own manufacturing reps? What's wrong with this picture? What am I supposed to tell my rightfully upset customers when our store doesn't have the cards the first day of release as promised? I do not lie to my customers, and this business decision of Decipher had turned good faith into a lie, and has made us all, retailer and customer, look like fools. To my customers one last time, I apologize for believing Decipher's sales pitch to the small retailers, the very people who sold their STNG game and made them millions of dollars in the past year. We will do our best to find the STAR WARS cards someplace else, but we will never trust direct sales from Decipher again. There are no more "second chances", and I will never promote another Decipher product. ______________________________________________________________________ Jeff's opinions are solely his own, and not necessarily those of ComicBookNet, the CBN E-MAG, or it's editors. Jeff can be reached via the CBN E-Mag E-Mail address, or at the TWILITE ZONE, Mon. - Fri. , 11am - 6PM, at 301-805-4595. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [7] New Comics Shipping 1/18/95, by Chuck LePage NCRL: NEW COMIC BOOK RELEASES LIST FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1996, COMPILED BY CHARLES LEPAGE WITH INFORMATION FROM SUN COAST COMICS. Statistics courtesy of WA This list is posted weekly, usually Tuesday afternoon. GO TO: * NCRL homepage for the latest lists and information. * http://www.mnsinc.com/hyworth/comics/new.html, for a beautiful "tabled" NCR list, and other comics info, courtesy of Thomas Aylesworth. * NCRList@aol.com to send any messages, including email subscription requests, which are always welcome! PLEASE READ- Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. Let me know if any of the names or numbers are wrong. "MR" means "recommended for mature readers". _________________________________________________________________ PUBLISHER * TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS _________________________________________________________________ ABBERATION * Tales From The Bog #1, 2.95 ABISS * Tony Jappa's Raging Bull #1, 2.5 ABSTRACT * Strangers In Paradise #5, 2.75 * Strangers In Paradise #6, 2.75 * Strangers In Paradise #7, 2.75 ACCLAIM * Bloodshot #47, 2.5 * MTG: Legend Of The Elder Dragons #1 (of 2), 2.5 * Mutant Chronicles: Golgotha #1 (MR), 2.95 ADHESIVE * Family Affair, 18.95 * Too Much Coffee Man #2, 2.5 AMAZE INK * Swerve #1, 1.5 AMERICAN * Comic Source #29, 3.95 ANIMUS * Wu Wei #1, 2.5 * Wu Wei #2, 2.5 ANTARCTIC * Albedo Vol. III #1, 2.95 * Albedo Vol. III #2, 2.95 * Albedo Vol. III #3, 2.95 * Albedo Vol. III #4, 2.95 * Antarctic Press Six Pack Sampler, 6.99 * Best Of Furrlough #1, 3.95 * Ninja High School Trade Paperback #8, 7.95 * Tigers Of Terra Book II Trade Paperback, 9.95 ARCHIE * Betty and Veronica Digest #80, 1.75 * Jughead #79, 1.5 * Scooby Doo #7, 1.5 * Sonic The Hedgehog #33, 1.5 * Street Sharks Miniseries #1, 1.5 ARIA * A Distant Soil #8, 1.75 * A Distant Soil #10, 2.5 * A Distant Soil #11, 2.5 BIG * Leonard Nimoy's Primortals #13, 2.25 * Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger #9, 2.25 BISHOP * Rose And Gunn #5, 2.95 * Sade #2, 3.0 BLACKOUT * Jugular #0, 2.95 BLACK SWAN * Bloodthirsty Pirate Tales #3, 2.5 BONEYARD * Big Bagga OJ, 9.95 * True Sin #2, 2.95 BROADWAY * Powers That Be #3, 2.5 CALIBER * High Caliber Trade Paperback, 9.95 * Kabuki Color Gallery, 2.95 * Kabuki: Circle Of Blood #1, 2.95 * Kabuki: Circle Of Blood #2, 2.95 * Kabuki: Circle Of Blood #3, 2.95 * Kabuki: Circle Of Blood #4, 2.95 * Kabuki: Circle Of Blood #5, 2.95 * Legendlore #1, 2.95 CFD * Outlaw Nation #1, 4.95 CHAOS! * Lady Demon Poster #1, 5.95 CLAYPOOL * Elvira #32, 2.5 COPPERVALE * Collected Starchild Hardcover, 35.0 * Collected Starchild Trade Paperback, 20.0 * Starchild: Crossroads #1, 2.95 CPM * M.D. Geist Comic Book/Phone Card Action Pack, 15.0 CRUSADE * Shi Senryaku Hardcover, 24.95 * Shi: Way of the Warrior TP (revised edition), 14.95 CSN * Comic Shop News #448, free DARK HORSE * Grendel Tales: The Devil May Care #2 (of 6)(MR), 2.95 * Madman Comics TP, 17.95 * Space Usagi #1 (of 3), 2.95 * Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi: Seth War #6 (of 6), 2.5 * Tarzan/John Carter, Warlord of Mars #1 (of 2), 2.5 * You're Under Arrest #2 (of 8), 2.95 DC * Animaniacs #11, 1.5 * Batman #528, 1.95 * Catwoman #30, 1.95 * Extreme Justice #14, 1.75 * Flash #111, 1.75 * Legion Of Super-Heroes #78, 2.25 * Lobo 325, 2.25 * Mad Magazine #343, 2.5 * Millennium Fever #4 (of 4)(MR), 2.5 * Spectre #39, 2.25 * Static #33, 2.5 * Superboy #25, 2.95 * Superman: The Man Of Steel #54, 1.95 * Vamps: Hollywood & Vein #2 (of 6)(MR), 2.25 * Wonder Woman #107, 1.95 DRAWN&QUARTERLY * Peepshow #7, 2.95 EL CAPITAN * Stray Bullets (#1-4 each)(current printing)(MR), 2.95 * Stray Bullets #5 (MR), 3.5 ENTITY * Fem 5 #1 (regular and A through D), 2.95 * Knight Hawke Investigations Videogame #1 (w/disc), 6.95 * Nira X Series III #2, 2.5 EXHIBIT A * Wolff & Byrd: Case Files Trade Paperback #1, 8.95 * Wolff & Byrd: Counselors Of The Macabre #8, 2.5 * Wolff & Byrd: Counselors Of The Macabre #9, 2.5 FANTAGRAPHICS * Blonde: Double Cross #1 (third printing), 2.95 * Disobediant Daisy #2, 2.95 * Kinky Hook (third printing), 2.95 * Princess Of Darkness #4, 2.95 * Super Taboo #1, 2.95 * Tumbling Boxes #1, 2.95 GEMSTONE * Weird Fantasy Annual #3, 8.95 HARRIS * Vampirella Of Drakulon #1, 2.95 HEAVY METAL * Druuna: Mandragore, 14.95 I BOX * Thieves and Kings #2 (second printing), 2.35 * Thieves and Kings #9, 2.25 IMAGE * Black Ops #1 (of 5), 2.5 * Bone #3 (Image printing), 2.95 * Combat #1 (of 2), 2.5 * Cybenary #3 (of 5), 2.5 * Prophet Vol. II #3 (resolicited), 2.5 KITCHEN SINK * Button Man: Killing Game, 15.95 * Death Rattle #2, 2.95 KRAUSE * Comic Buyer's Guide #1158, 2.5 LADY LUCK * Shades Of Gray: Comics and Stories #9, 2.5 MALIBU * All New Exiles #4, 1.5 * Mantra Vol. II #4, 1.5 * Prime Vol. II #4, 1.5 MARVEL * Barbie #63, 1.5 * Beavis and Butthead #25, 1.95 * Doc Samson #3 (of 4), 1.95 * Doom 2099 #39, 1.95 * Excalibur #95, 1.95 * Generation X #13, 1.95 * Green Goblin #6, 1.95 * Incredible Hulk #439, 1.95 * Iron Man #326, 1.5 * Marvel Vs. DC #2, 3.95 * Punisher #6, 1.95 * Saban's MMPR: Ninja Rangers/VR Troopers #4, 1.75 * Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #5, 1.75 * Spider-Man #66, 1.95 * Storm #2, 2.95 * Thor #496, 1.5 * What If? #83, 1.5 * X-Men Adventures Season III #13, 1.5 * X-Man #13, 1.95 MILLENNIUM * Red Moon #2, 2.95 * Sparrow #4, 2.95 MONOLITH * Return To The Eve Vol. III #8, 2.25 MU PRESS * Zu #7, 2.95 MULTICULTURAL * Cyberzone #6, 2.5 NAILER * Nailer Studios: Special Edition #1, 2.95 NBM * Nina Vol. II, 9.95 * Skin Tight Orbit #2, 10.95 * Snow White & Other Tales Of Grimm, 15.95 * Streak Of Chalk, 16.95 NEWCOMERS * Dunson County Law #1, 2.95 * Kelly Belle: Police Detective #1 (2nd printing), 4.95 * Newcomers Showcase #2, 2.95 * Worlds Of Fantasy #3, 2.95 NEW IDEA * Kyron: The Equalizer #2, 2.95 PACIFIC SUN * Shards #0, 2.25 PERMANENT PRESS * Patty-Cake #6, 2.95 SIRIUS * Akiko On The Planet Smoo Hardcover #1, 19.95 SLAVE LABOR * Little Mister Man #2, 2.95 TOPPS * James Bond: Goldeneye #1, 2.95 * Return To Jurassic Park #8, 2.95 TRIDENT * Deadredd: The Enforcer #1, 1.75 UCC * Doris Nelson: Atomic Housewife, 2.75 VEROTIK * Deathdealer #1, 5.95 VIZ * Bio-Booster Armor Guyver Part IV #3, 2.95 * Fist Of The North Star Part II #3, 2.95 * Nausicaa Of The Valley Of Wind Part V #7, 2.95 WEST WIND * Comics Pro Magazine #3, 3.75 ZUB * Telluria #2, 2.5 * Telluria #3, 2.5 ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8] Join in the fun! You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads that occupy the conferences of the Comic Book Net every day! However, many people who read this e-mag aren't familiar with the Local BBS echo-mail system.... Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the USofA, and many of them are free! Chances are, if you have a modem you have the accompanying communications software. Using the Terminal Emulation software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the many systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs). Most of the boards offer all the message echoes in the Comic Book Network... there are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention sections for general (doesn't even have to be about comics!) conversation. If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer! Most if not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download a .QWK packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called an offline mail reader. You can read & write messages at your leisure, and then upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your local BBS. There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every type of computer system. They all give you a better explaination in their documentation than I can. These programs are available all over the Internet and are downloadable from most BBS's. These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is LESS THAN 75›! See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial information services available! :) So what else can you find on free BBS systems? Theres plenty of files for specific types of computers. Some systems also offer other types of message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes like sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc. And, let's not forget online games. Join into the many different multiplayer games, each system sports different challenges. There's nothing like becoming the most powerful being in a online adventure! And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to ALL, and introduce yourself to us! You're guaranteed to get plenty of replies and all the help you need to join in the fun! Best, --Ry, the editor, with assists from Ed Dukeshire. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8] BBSes Linked into CBN Here's the most up-to-date node listing for the COMIC BOOK NETWORK F=FIDO Q=QWK B=Both *=Major HUB -- ARKANSAS ------------------------------------------------------------ F* Karate & Comics & ... Russelville AR 501-968-3910 Robert Wood F The Mystic BBS Hector AR 501-284-5503 Curtis Tesch -- CALIFORNIA ---------------------------------------------------------- Q Corner Mailbox BBS Lakeside CA 619-561-2961 Joy Manning Q Freedom Flight Victorville CA 619-955-6445 Ronald Siodla -- FLORIDA ------------------------------------------------------------- F Info. Interchange Ft Lauderdale FL 305-792-9622 Mitchel Waas F Flamingo Melbourne FL 407-253-0782 Genie Bohn F Never Never Land Melbourne FL 407-253-8754 Wayne Bell Q Twilight Hall BBS Tampa FL 813-977-6712 John Pierce F Steel Dog Cafe' Destin FL 904-654-9385 Keith Schultz Q Oak Street BBS Ft. Walton FL 904-244-7434 Michael Fischer Q Extreme Online Jacksonville FL 904-363-6347 Eric Cohen F Ded Dudez' Tavares FL 904-343-7272 Mike Burgess -- ILLINOIS ------------------------------------------------------------ F Warp Speed BBS Palatine IL 708-776-2395 Alex Gen -- INDIANA ------------------------------------------------------------- F The CyberSpace BBS Indianapolis IN 317-856-9020 Charlie Smith B* Rob's BBS Arcade La Porte IN 219-325-3655 Rob Swanson -- KENTUCKY ------------------------------------------------------------ Q Mister Rogers Lexington KY 606-273-6611 Doug Rogers -- MARYLAND ------------------------------------------------------------ B* The Daily Planet Frederick MD 301-831-8057 Mike Imboden F The Vampyre Bar! Frederick MD 301-698-5194 Darryl Pierce B Zoneland BBS Gaithersburg MD 301-601-9731 Bob Hair F DataStorm Kettering MD 301-390-5243 Tarek Gordan F Bifrost Mount Rainier MD 301-779-9381 Kevin Carlin F Castravalva Walkersville MD 301-898-4088 Jeffrey Frasure F Womens World East BBS Silver Spring MD 301-431-0647 Wendy Dumser F Boardwalk BBS Bishopville MD 410-352-5754 James Davis -- MASSACHUSETTS ------------------------------------------------------- Q DJ Dave's Domain Agawam MA 413-789-6533 David Scarpa F Archives BBS Acushnet MA 508-995-0085 John Viera F* Arkham Asylum Haverhill MA 508-372-2258 Ed Dukeshire F Computer Castle BBS Haverhill MA 508-521-6941 John McNally B U.S.S. Saratoga BBS New Bedford MA 508-984-1212 Justin Campeau F Muskrat & Heatwave New Bedford MA 508-984-5321 Dennis Racine F Computer Castle BBS North Andover MA 508-686-8010 John McNally F Enigma BBS Rochester MA 508-763-5579 Chris Ferreira B* Keystone BBS Shrewsbury MA 508-753-3767 John Harris F HellFire BBS S. Dartmouth MA 508-979-8930 Brock Cordeiro B Call Again Soon Worcester MA 508-791-1281 Joe Johnson -- MICHIGAN ------------------------------------------------------------ F Intl. Comic Network Dearborn Hgts MI 313-565-8464 Anthony Palacio -- MISSOURI ------------------------------------------------------------ F The Oan Citadel Grandview MO 816-767-1488 Brian J. Stewart -- NEW HAMPSHIRE ------------------------------------------------------- F Computer Castle BBS Atkinson NH 603-362-4125 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Exeter NH 603-778-4662 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Hampstead NH 603-329-5643 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Kingston NH 603-642-5949 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Newton NH 603-382-0567 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Raymond NH 603-895-2393 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS Rye Beach NH 603-964-4760 John McNally F Computer Castle BBS South Hampton NH 603-394-7534 John McNally -- NEW JERSEY ---------------------------------------------------------- F Virtual Connection Fair Lawn NJ 201-796-7202 Dmitry Korsun B* Bergen BBS Hillsdale NJ 201-722-1495 Jacob Greenberg F Cyberspace Arcade Little Ferry NJ 201-440-5499 Rick Smorawski F The Quantum Zone Park Ridge NJ 201-307-9225 Wayne Robinson F Unnamed BBS Saddle Brook NJ 201-368-1866 Edward Di Geronimo Jr. -- NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------ B Asgard.TW BBS West Islip NY 516-422-4225 Tom Pemberton F Generation X Rochester NY 716-647-6960 Eric Sears F X-Mansion BBS Astoria NY 718-204-0159 Benny Powell F Starbase : Red Dwarf Saugerties NY 914-247-9601 John Dragun B Gotham City BBS Spring Valley NY 914-426-3029 Gerald Schranz F Di Vermiis Mysteriis Poughkeepsie NY 914-485-5463 Thomas Morton -- NORTH CAROLINA ------------------------------------------------------ F Electronic Hangover Durham NC 919-286-4542 Richard Lee F Psychotronic Durham NC 919-286-7738 Richard Lee F* TI-Raliegh Maximus Raliegh NC 919-833-3412 Walter Tietjen F Crystal Winds Raliegh NC 919-790-3599 Mike Gurkin -- OKLAHOMA ------------------------------------------------------------ F Lets PC BBS Oklahoma City OK 405-672-0615 Hyun Nam F Snart's Dreamland Collinsville OK 918-371-0980 Jeff Bennett -- PENNSYLVANIA -------------------------------------------------------- F Comic Book Board Philadelphia PA 215-365-5225 William Horton Q 3-4-2 LEVI Online Philadelphia PA 215-342-5384 Leo Keil F Dark Lands Philadelphia PA 215-487-7315 Chris Ford F The Malverne BBS Eddystone PA 610-872-2830 Raymond Jones -- TENNESSEE ----------------------------------------------------------- F The Factory BBS Union City TN 901-885-9647 Rick Brewer -- TEXAS --------------------------------------------------------------- Q Way Out There Dallas TX 214-680-2755 Justin Pasher F House Atreides Garland TX 214-494-3702 Wayne LeMonds F The Chess Board Grand Prairie TX 214-641-1136 Ken Givens B* FIAWOL/MSConnections Irving TX 214-790-6472 Bobb Waller F Star Streams Waxahachie TX 214-938-7115 Michael Rudolf F* The RASTER Line Houston TX 713-568-0825 Jeff Watts F The Dream Sequence Missouri City TX 713-835-0965 Biju Mathai F Young Blood Killeen TX 817-699-2254 T.J. Gohl F Orion BBS Odessa TX 915-530-2712 Dennis Brown -- VIRGINIA ------------------------------------------------------------ B Crystal Aerie Arlington VA 703-415-0134 Spencer Greenwald -- WASHINGTON ---------------------------------------------------------- F* Longview On-Line! Longview WA 206-577-7358 Jeanne Lejon -- ONTARIO, CANADA ----------------------------------------------------- F Dark Knight BBS London ONT 519-850-9929 Michael Cross F MACH 1 BBS London ONT 519-457-6771 Tomasz Heiber F The Outpost BBS St. Mary ONT 519-284-0223 Murray Atthill F Snake Pit BBS Tecumseh ONT 519-979-4251 Mark Godard F Gananoque System's BBS Gananoque ONT 613-382-1788 Mike Serson -- MEXICO -------------------------------------------------------------- B* The Gate BBS Mexico City 52-5-264-2994 Emilio Karam - From USA, dial international-access 011 then 52-5-264-2994# ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [9] Comic Book Net E-Mag Info The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published weekly by the many participants of The Comic Book Network. This is a compilation of articles and columns which were originally posted in the network's conferences or written specifically for this electronic magazine. All text contained within are copyrighted to the originating author(s). Freely distributable for noncommerical purposes only. THE CBN WEB PAGE ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as an annotated index of back issues. You'll also find important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic Book Net, an archive of Comic Book Net fanfic, and other neat features! The URL address is: http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html LOCATING THE ISSUES ------------------- The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into The Comic Book Network. You can also find the back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: Science Fiction, clicking on the menu item Comic Book Forum and then going to the Comics Library from there. All back issues should be available at the above sites, as well as our World Wide Web page. SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc to our e-mag, simply post it in any Comic Book Net conference and leave me a message in the CBN: E-Mag conference giving me permission to use the article. If you cannot access the Comic Book Net, submit your news articles (no reviews accepted at this time...) to the editor: Xenozoid@cris.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive these issues automatically through your internet account, please address a message to Xenozoid@cris.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - End of Issue #44.. see ya next week!