------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE - ISSUE NUMBER 70 ________________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Page------>> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ------------------------------------------------------------------------ o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ This publication is brought to you by the members of the premiere BBS network for the discussion of comics books and the people who create them, The ComicBook Network!!! Edited by: David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! TRIVIA CONTEST......................... Guesses & Answers [3] CBN Insider ........................... News, gossip, & rumors [4] INTERVIEW: Terry Laban ................ Keith O'Brien [5] Diamond/Capital Q & A ................. Diamond Comic Distribution [6] Review: Moot Comics ................... David LeBlanc [7] Dr. Wonder Top Ten .................... David Allikas [8] Recommended Reading ................... Justin Steiner [9] New Comics Shipping 8/6/96 ........... Bobb Waller [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights [B] How to join ComicBook Network.......... BBS 101 [C] Bulletin Boards Linked into CBN........ CBN node list ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] On the Net by David LeBlanc First, a plea to all of you to EMPTY YOUR MAIL BOXES. When the Emag gets bounced back because it is full I have no way to notify you except in the next issue. I do not want to continually run notices of this type in here but this one time I had two: 72623.776@CompuServe.COM (Roland Mann), and captvideo3@aol.com The latest Emag, CBEM #69, was undeliverable because your mailbox is too full. If anyone chats online or can otherwise contact these folks please advise them I will resend it if they notify me via Email they have emptied their mail box. Next I want to once again draw your attention to our web page. If you don't get an issue in your mail for some reason (faulty service happens to us all) you can always grab it off the web page. I have made a number of changes, mostly with new links. I have added the Diamond Page, Bill Cole Enterprises, and a few more for you to check out. On the PHOTO page I have added the cover to Kingdom Come #3 as well as the new JLA #1 and the first two covers to FINAL NIGHT. I am not trying to have an all inclusive site, others are doing a much more intensive effort in that area, and I need the space for the Emag archives. What I am trying to have is a little bit of everything, and then links to a lot of places to find anything else you need. You will also notice a new banner at the top of the page for Internet Link Exchange. This is a free method of publicizing the web page, by trading banners with other web sites. I get no money for displaying the banners, just free banner time to advertise our web page on other sites and hopefully get more subscribers to the Emag. Some of the banners are for commercial sites, but not more than 50% of the time. Some folks who read this may want to click the link on our main page to the Internet Link Exchange and see if you could generate traffic for your web site as well. Dr. Wonder #2, Jack Split #1, and Tabou, three comics that have been reviewed here already, are now out in the shops. I neglected to mention the Dr. Wonder because I had already talked about it before. Now you will see later in this issue that Old Town Publishing is making sure we don't forget this delightful trip back to the Marvel style of the sixties. The other two are out on the stands and I suggest you look them over as decent alternatives to the normal fare from the mainstream companies. I've included the Question and Answer text concerning the recent buy out of Capital City Distribution by Diamond Comic Distributors. This should address major questions people may have, at least from the point of view of Diamond. The industry is still pondering the impact of this event. The nets are all abuzz with speculation (didn't that start all this stuff?) as to the impact on retailers down the road. Aside from the Marvel products, Diamond now handles 96.5% of the comics shipped to the direct market (this statistic according to Matt High of Antarctic Press). How soon and by how much will their policies change when they have no effective competition? Is this the death knell for companies who may not measure up to whatever standards Diamond decides to set to carry the product, or will some new player rise to pick up the challenge and offer an alternative to what many view is an effective monopoly? It beats me. I'm just waiting for Kingdom Come #4 and trying to keep this mag on schedule. Lucky for you, faithful readers, it is self published and self distributed. *8^) David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com] Editor The Comic Book Net E-Mag ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: letters of comment, complete with the sender's Email address, may be used in future issues of the CBN E-Mag unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Email address will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj: A little more info about the Byrne Wonder Woman novel Date: 96-07-27 06:44:42 EDT From: drew1019@mail.idt.net (drew101) To: comicbknet@aol.com I am on AOL, and I have a little more info concerning the supposed WW novel that John Byre is writing. John Byrne frequently posts to the WW bulletin boards on the DC Online AOL site. Most of this info is gleaned from that and also his online question and answer sessions during the AOL WW Chat Hour. Byrne has written or is in the middle of completing the Wonder Woman novel. The title will/was going to be WONDER WOMAN: GODS AND GODDESSES. It is/was about how American society (which is mostly Christian based) deals with WW's belief and worship of pagan gods and goddesses. The reason for all the slashes(/) is because it looks like Byrne's novel may never see the light of day. According to Byrne he has been having problems with the editor on the book. He didn't elaborate on what those problems where (but based on the subject matter of the book, it's possible DC is having problems dealing with possibly dicey religious subject matter- I'm having flashbacks of the DC/Rick Veitch/Swamp Thing debacle). Anyway, I asked him about it around a week later during the chat session, and his response was "Don't ask." So things don't seem to be getting any better. Well that is about all I know. Just wanted to let you guys know that the novel isn't just a rumor, but that DC may never allow it to become fact. :) If you'd like me to keep you updated just let me know. Thanks. -Robb Stilson (aka drew101) {Thanks Robb, keep us posted} [TRIVIA CONTEST] Last week's question: In the comic BONE, what is Phoney Bone's actual name? From: larryt@tcac.com (Jeff Brown) To: comicbknet@aol.com Phoney Bone's real name in Phonicable P. Bone. +++++ Hi Dave, I love CBEM and look forward to every issue! At last, a trivia question I can answer. Phoney Bones' actual name is Phoncible P. Bone. Gail Nacios +++++ From: nexus1@soho.ios.com Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 11:20:28 -0400 TRIVIA QUESTION: In the comic BONE, what is Phoney Bone's actual name? Answer: Bill Clinton? [Heh, heh!] +++++ From: "Jim, Master of Comics" Subject: Re: CBEM #69 Phoncible P. Bone, IIRC. Aside to the guy who complained because he wasn't winning the contest: I know more comics trivia than you, that's why I've won twice. Jim, Master of Comics smiv@primenet.com +++++ From: FINEST1@aol.com Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 22:09:02 -0400 Subject: Re: CBEM #69 the answer to Trivia? I think the answer is Phonicible T. Bone correct? [Yes] Finest? [No] +++++ From: Ward007 To: ComicBknet Answer: Phoney Bone's real name is "Phoncible P. Bone." O.K. what's my cheesy prize? Theo Ward +++++ From: DKirkby@sierrasys.com (Don Kirkby) To: comicbknet@aol.com ('comicbknet@aol.com') >In the comic BONE, what is Phoney Bone's actual name? Phoncible P. Bone is my official guess. If you let me weasel a back up guess, it's Phonciple P. Bone. What's the P stand for? Ph*ck if I know! :-) [I really had to think about running this one.] +++++ And for the first time, the BIG cheese, gets the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) From: "Mike Imboden" Subject: Re: CBEM #69 Date: Sat, 27 Jul 1996 00:38:29 -0400 > THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: > In the comic BONE, what is Phoney Bone's actual name? I dunno if I'm eligible for the Cheesy Prize (tm), but here's your answer; Phoncible P. Bone And if anyone reading this ISN'T reading BONE, SHAME ON YOU. -M!ke (cambot@ix.netcom.com) "Come Get Some!" - Duke Nukem http://www.netcom.com/~cambot [Mike's name appears in every issue of this Emag as the co-founder of the Comic Book Network. The only people not eligible are my family. The've got enough cheezy stuff! Why do you think we are trying to get rid of it?] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Crossovers are the norm these days so; Name the main characters in the first Marvel/DC crossover! IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE: The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Please be sporting and send only one guess at a time. LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON! Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you stump the subscribers! You MUST submit the correct answer with the question. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3] CBN Insider - News, gossip and rumors from around the industry The following was confirmed by ABC Amy, the producer of the ABC TV area of America Online earlier this week: L&C METROPOLIS CLUB The Online Electronic "Lois & Clark" Fan Club _________________________________ WEDDING BELLS TO RING FOR CLARK AND LOIS!! by Leigh Raglan On Friday, July 26, a group of FoLC visiting the Warner Bros. lot were told during a brief "producer chat" that the *real wedding* between Clark and Lois *will* take place in episode #3 of the fourth season! *Confirming* this, L&C Executive Producers Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Leming state, "Leigh, all true!" and added, "Brad Kern writes episode #4." ABCAmy, ABC's Online Producer on America Online [see AN INTERVIEW WITH ABCAmy in JULY 1996 NEWS UPDATE to be released early next week] told me, "The (real!!) wedding will take place in episode #3 and episode #4 will concentrate on the honeymoon." She also confirmed that Delta Burke ("Designing Women") will be in episode #3. The exact story line has not yet been revealed. Amy continued that "it would have been the **2nd** episode had they been able to produce the opener as a 2-hour movie." Therefore, episode #1 and #2 will wrap up the current story arc begun in the last two episodes in the third season, bringing Clark back to earth to Lois. Buckner and Ross-Leming will be writing the first two episodes, parts three and four, concluding the current New Krypton story arc which began the end of last season with #21 "Through The Glass, Darkly" and #22 "Big Girls Don't Fly." Plans to have a two-hour premiere were canceled. (For more information, please see our JULY 1996 NEWS UPDATE next week.) John McNamara is writing episode #3, the wedding episode, which would have been the second episode had the premiere been two-hours as originally planned. For regular updated information about L&C, please check under Announcements, Star Appearances & Activities, and U.S. Airing Dates on our Web page. http://users.aol.com/lcmetclub.lcmc.html SUPERBest, Leigh Raglan President L&C Metropolis Club; (leigh4ck@aol.com) +++++ In another bit of related news, ABC Amy also revealed that Terry Hatcher will be appearing on OPRAH on August 7th to be celebrated as the sexiest actress on television as voted by the readers of TV Guide! +++++ DC and Wildstorm have formally announced two crossovers for this fall. Brandon Choi, J. Scott Campbell and Alex Garner will be doing a GEN-13/Batman with the kids travelling to Gotham and featuring Joker and Ivana. Justice League/ WildC.A.T.s will be published by DC in 1997 from the creative team on the new monthly JLA book Grant Morrison, Howard Porter and John Dell. +++++ The Hype Cafe says the first Marvel Mania theme restaurant will be in a 20,000 square foot location in Piccadilly Circus in London. . . the Grifter/Badrock #3 is cancelled and will be resolicited as a Badrock Super Special. . . beginning in October the old FLASH TV show will be rerun on the SCI-FI channel. . . The Lost Boyz are featured in Static #40 +++++ A second Gen-13 series will debut in November called GEN-13 BOOTLEG. It will be a series of story arcs by various creators, the first by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer. The second team will be Terry Moore of STRANGERS IN PARADISE and penciller Tomm Coker. +++++ The first 3 issues of the new Nightwing series are being serialized by DC on it's website at http://www.dccomics.com. It began on August 1 at a new page a day and then removed after two weekdays so if you want it start visiting NOW! +++++ SPOILER WARNING __THE FATE OF HAL JORDON!!! Ok if you have been following the discussion around about big goings on in the mini-series FINAL NIGHT coming out in September you know there is a tie-in special featuring Parallax. The solicitations for the books say someone will die and are coy that it could be Hal, or Ferro from the Legion of Super Heroes who died first time around in a similar situation, or even some other hero. The October solicitations for Green Lantern #81, seem to make it clear that it will be about Hal Jordon's funeral. However, there is one persistent poster on rec.arts.comics.dc.universe that says he *KNOWS* there will be a new series featuring Hal later this year and he insists he is not going to die. (personally. I want Ollie to show up somewhere during this whole business) +++++ From this week's CSNsider in the Comic Shop News #476, a lot of stuff we already told you about, plus . . .Superman #116, just out this week, has a free preview of the new TEEN TITANS book. {This seems to be an tradition as I believe the NEW TEEN TITANS first appeared in a Superman book as well.} . . . Former Image publisher, Tony Lobito, is launching his own comic imprint, by the end of this year. . . Melony Crawford Chadwick is the new Editor in Chief of Dark Horse Comics . . . I*BOTS 7-9 features the New I*Bots and Bot-1 and a triptych cover by Pat Broderick. . . Ranma 1/2 is the latest to be rumored getting a film version . . . Caliber is putting Boston Bombers #1-4 on the flip side of selected Caliber titles in October to promote the release of #5. . . talk is going on about Spawn/Spiderman crossover. . . Roger Avery (co-writer of Pulp Fiction) will be directing the SANDMAN film and Warner Brothers is looking at DEATH: The High Cost of Living for a movie as well . . . Usagi Yojimbo is slated to become a role playing game. . . STARLORD is returning to Marvel this fall in a limited series. . . a special 4-in-1 anthology of CEREBUS 201-204 will be released due to the unprecedented demand for those sold out issues. . . Silver Surfer, Daredevil, and Captain America are the likely candidates for animation series from the Marvel/Fox deal just made. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4] INTERVIEW: Terry Laban by Keith O'Brien {Keith O'Brien (The Keith) is the publisher of Zine called Kluttered Visions, distributed in the Phoenix area. It explores the world of visual fringe pop culture thus dealing with visual medium like comics, cards, films (but not just audio, like music recordings) in the fringe i.e. not mainstream, and pop which means this stuff is available in quantities for people to own. (Videos, laser disks, comics, cards, etc). It is digest sized and packed with reviews, interviews, and information about all this stuff and is supported by paid advertising. If you have a product that falls into this category, we urge you to support his effort to promote it with a reasonably priced advertisement in his publication. He can be reached at: gerbil@aztec.asu.edu} +++++ INTERVIEW: Terry Laban [Reprinted with permission from Kluttered Visions Vol. 2 #3 August 1996] Just in time for the 1996 San Diego Comic Con (this year called Comic Con International) is my interview with Terry Laban from LAST year's San Diego Comic Con (last year called San Diego Comic Con . . .) Keith O'Brien: Terry Laban, famous writer and artist of Cud . . . Terry Laban: Say it again, "Famous." K: . . . now working for Dark Horse. How long have you been doing comics? T: Six years now. This is the end of my sixth year as an industry professional, so to speak. K: Were you doing it before you became a professional? T: Well, I've been a professional cartoonist now since 1986. I started out as a political cartoonist in Ann Arbor Michigan. I used to draw for the Ann Arbor News. Political cartoons on state political issues. So I was doing that before I got into comic books, per se. K: But you started out with satire, satirizing politicians rather than... T: Well, yeah, I was a political cartoonist. I mean, I was one of those guys that, you know, the city council would be, like, a mushroom, the mayor would be a caterpillar, and the taxpayer would be Alice. That would be a comment on local bond issues. That's what I did. So, at the end of 1987 I came out with my personal mini, "Unsupervised Existence." I did two of those and then Fantagraphics offered to publish me. So "Unsupervised Existence" started in the summer of 1989, six years ago. And I did "Unsupervised Existence" `till1992. That wasn't exactly a humor comic, it's kind of a slice of life realistic comic, I guess. Then I started to do CUD in 1992. And then CUD ended last summer. No, sorry, last winter. Now I'm at Dark Horse doing this. K: What kind of training did you have in art or writing? T: Ah, well I went to the University of Michigan Art School, but I had some training in writing as well. I didn't study cartooning there, I studied graphic arts. And I did some writing. I took, like a play writing class and stuff, but I'm basically self taught as a writer. And self taught as a cartoonist that I didn't study cartooning, but I did study art. I studied drawing. I studied graphics. K: Which helps. T: Yeah, yeah. Well it helped me because my graphic sense is not the best so I needed training. Yeah it helped a lot. K: What do think is necessary for writing humor? T: A sense of humor, first of all. Well, you know humor's not that different from anything else. I mean it's not a big jump from doing a humor comic to doing a dramatic comic. You have to have a sense of what a story is. You have to have a sense of humor. You have to have a sense of how gags are constructed, and you have to have a sense of timing. You have to have a sense of what's funny and how it works. Humor is a hard thing because the line where you make people laugh is so easy to cross into being really obvious, or trying too hard, or just not being funny. I think you have to have a sense of how things happen in life, I guess, to a certain extent. 'Cause for something to be funny, for a character to be funny it has to have the sympathy of the audience. SO you have to sort of understand how to make the character sympathetic or how to make the characters work that way. I mean, there's a lot involved. Humor's a hard thing. K: Then why do the humor instead of drama? T: It's my inclination, you know? I think if you're the kind of person that's oriented that way then it's hard not to do it. That's one of the reasons I was really unsatisfied with what I was doing in "Unsupervised Existence", because I couldn't just be as funny as I wanted to be. My mind just thinks in certain patterns, and it's actually easier for me to do humor than it is for me to do other things. That's why I think humor is easy to do. I sweat over my stories a lot though. For me to do a funny story is what I'll do. We're not always inclined towards the easiest things. K: Is Dark Horse pretty much leaving you alone? T: Oh yeah. They've given me no creative direction at all. They've completely left me alone. I'm not edited that way. I'm edited in terms of punctuation and things like that. K: You need proofreading. T: Yeah, well, everybody does. I mean, you really need somebody that really knows what they're doing to just sit down and, you know. My editor's Anina Bennet. SHe's real good, and she's real thorough, and she gets all the little dashes and commas, but I think she's really good. I mean, I'm not like the worst speller in the world and I try to do everything right. It's a hassle to change things. K: But everyone needs to be double-checked. T: Yeah. You know, that's a good thing. But in terms of Creativity, it's, for better or for worse, it's not compromised because I'm I'm working for the corporation or anything. It's all my stuff. K: What're the humor comics that are out there that you're enjoying now? Besides yours. T: Well, I really like HATE, that's a great comic. And there's not a lot of comics that I's call . . . I mean, when you say "humor comic" I always think of something really dumb. I don't like anything that doesn't have humor in it. There's a lot of things out there that have humor in them that aren't necessarily humor comics. I mean a comic like NAUGHTY BITS. I wouldn't call NAUGHTY BITS a humor comic, yet Roberta's stories have a lot of humor in them. The characters find themselves, because of who they are, find themselves in ironic situations. They get themselves in trouble because of their own foibles, which is a funny thing, and is a sort of central aspect of my humor. So there's a lot of things like that in there, but I don't think of NAUGHTY BITS as a humor comic. I don't really break down comics into humor and non-humor. I mean, EIGHTBALL, is that a humor comic? I don't know. I don't think of it that way. But, hey, it's been nominated for best humor, best humor writer and artist or something. Somebody thinks of it like that. I like PEEPSHOW, that's a funny comic. I like STEVEN. Like I said, all the good stuff has humor in it. I don't like things that take themselves really seriously. K: Well then, what more general comics do you like? T: Well, like I said, I like good story and I like good characters. And I like things that are well observed. Something that tells me about life, or about the world, or something that when I read I feel that I'm being taken to a place that's interesting. I mean, that's what I like. I don't tend to like things that either don't take me to places that I find very interesting or places that I believe exist in some way. Which doesn't mean they have to be realistic. You know a science fiction world could be believable or not depending on how it's being handled by the person that's writing it. So I'm not saying I like only realistic comics 'cause they tend to sort of take themselves too seriously and be sort of whiny and self indulgent. I like LOVE & ROCKETS though. I'm not putting LOVE & ROCKETS in that category. I think LOVE & ROCKETS is a great comic. Their stories have a lot of humor in them. Gilbert Hernandez's stories are hilarious a lot of times. But again, I wouldn't call it a humor comic. I mean, there is a tendency in comics, I think, to just sort of appeal to this kind of adolescent sense of self importance and pseudo profundity. I think that appeals to a lot of people. It doesn't appeal to me, but it does appeal to a lot of people. It's kind of like heavy metal rock and roll or something, you know? Although there's a lot of heavy metal that doesn't take itself too seriously. K: Where do you think your next direction is? T: This is it, man. THE CUD, that's my next direction, man. K: Where are you going to go with it? T: Well, it's my ambition to create kind of RICHIE RICH on acid. I want to create the kind of comic that I read in the barber shop as a kid. I used to read a lot of Dell comics, and Walt Disney's, and Archies, and Richie Rich's and stuff like that. K: I used to always read BATMAN and SUPERMAN at my barbershop. T: You see, they didn't have those at my barbershop. But I didn't like them anyway. That kind of superhero stuff didn't appeal to me. It just never has. I don't have a problem with it existing or anything, but it's never really been my thing. But I'm sort of fascinated by the kind of static cartoon scenarios where the characters are always the same and always will return to their same place at the end of the story. It's kind of this really simply constructed world, but has some social resonance, so I've always been fascinated by that kind of thing. I guess I've always wanted to do a cartoon strip, so that's kind of what I'm trying to do. K: Well, good luck and thank you very much. T: Alright. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5] Diamond / Capital Q&A The following Questions & Answers have been prepared by Steve Geppi and Diamond's Executive Management Team, and by Capital City cofounders John Davis and Milton Griepp, to address questions we anticipate from retailers and suppliers about Diamond's purchase of Capital City. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT MOTIVATED DIAMOND AND CAPITAL TO REACH THIS AGREEMENT? Diamond and Capital view this as a deal which is not only good for both parties, but good for the industry as a whole. John and Milton are acting responsibly to satisfy their obligations to their creditors, and to provide uninterrupted service to their customers, while also experiencing a fair return on the company they've worked so hard to build over the years. From a personal point of view, they also look forward to pursuing new opportunities and challenges. Recognizing the potential industry-wide ill-effects of a Capital business failure, Steve, in turn, chose to reinvest in the long-term health of the industry by making this acquisition. What's more, increasing volume should allow Diamond to maintain and improve its services to retailers, who will also benefit from cost savings as a result of consolidated orders and shipments. Suppliers, in turn, will experience no interruption in service, will have their obligations from Capital satisfied, and will be able to plan for the future knowing that a sound, economically viable system of distribution is in place. --------------------------------------------------------- WHEN DOES DIAMOND'S ACQUISITION OF CAPITAL TAKE EFFECT? Contractually, the acquisition takes effect on July 26, 1996. From there, it will take some time to merge the two operations, with both sides working their hardest, and doing their best, to make the transition as smooth as possible for retailers. We anticipate operating "dual systems" for approximately one month, with orders shipping from both the former Capital facility in Sparta and the Diamond Distribution Centers. Then, starting in late-August, all orders will be filled out of the Diamond Centers. By the same token, for the next month, there will be dual customer service systems for things like shortage and damage replacements, and dual reorder service out of both Hyperlink and TRU. Then, in late-August, [RF1]all these functions will be consolidated into a single operation. --------------------------------------------------------- HOW SHOULD RETAILERS PLACE JULY ORDERS FOR SEPTEMBER-SHIPPING PRODUCTS? Under the "dual systems" scenario described above, retailers should place their July Diamond and/or Capital orders for September-shipping products the same way(s) they have in the past. These orders should be turned in by their normal due dates, or as soon as possible, if they are late. --------------------------------------------------------- HOW SHOULD RETAILERS PLACE AUGUST ORDERS FOR OCTOBER SHIPPING PRODUCT? Retailers should use Diamond's Previews Order Form to order products which are offered by both Diamond and Capital in August, for October-shipping. (If you are not already receiving Previews, please contact Diamond's Home Office Customer Service Department ASAP.) In addition, Diamond will be preparing a special Previews Advance Comics Order Form Supplement listing all the products offered by Capital in August, but not by Diamond. Both the Previews Order Form & its special Advance Comics Supplement should be returned to Diamond's Order Processing Center in Dallas by the due dates indicated on the forms. Since the Supplement will contain all of the necessary listings, Capital will not be sending out an October Orderpak. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT DISCOUNT WILL RETAILERS RECEIVE ON PRODUCTS ORDERED FROM CAPITAL, BUT RECEIVED FROM DIAMOND? Retailers will be invoiced for these "carry-over" products at whatever discount they qualified for with Capital. This includes orders from Capital's September Orderpak, plus everything else ordered from Capital before July 26. In addition, during the "dual systems" transition period, reorders from Capital's Hyperlink will be discounted and shipped as they have been in the past. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IMPACT WILL THIS ACQUISITION HAVE ON CUSTOMER SERVICE? It's our sincere hope that this acquisition will result in the "best of both worlds" for retailers. While it will take some time, we'll be comparing specific Capital services with their Diamond counterparts and combining the best of both whenever possible. Rest assured that Diamond will never become complacent about quality control or customer service. We will always be receptive and responsive to retailer feedback. We will continue to reinvest in the industry. In short, we will always strive for perfection. Why? Because good customer service - doing things right the first time, fixing mistakes quickly and preventing them from happening again - isn't just good for retailers, it's good for Diamond too. Mistakes cost everyone time and money, so it makes sense for Diamond to continue to provide first rate customer service. In addition, good customer service helps the industry grow, and that benefits everyone. Furthermore, we know that retailers continue to have many choices about where to spend their money and which products to emphasize. In order to make this acquisition successful, we need to grow from the combined base of sales that Capital adds to Diamond, and we can only do that if we give a high level of service. Bottom line: We know that Diamond is dependent on you for our success. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT ABOUT PAYMENTS FOR MERCHANDISE RECEIVED FROM CAPITAL? WHO SHOULD THEY BE MADE OUT TO AND WHERE SHOULD THEY BE SENT? Effective immediately, retailers should send all payments to the Diamond Distribution Center servicing your account. (Accounts not already serviced by a Diamond Distribution Center should send their payments to Diamond's Home Office.) Capital will continue to accept payments only through August 9th. Checks for Capital balances should be made out to whomever you remit the amount. (I.E.: If you've mailed the check to Capital, it should be made out to Capital. Checks mailed to Diamond should be made out to Diamond.) The only exception to the above is for customers currently paying Capital via wire transfer. These accounts may begin forwarding funds to Diamond at any time, but may continue to wire funds to Capital through August 16. (Instructions for wiring funds to Diamond will be distributed by August 2.) To ensure proper crediting of accounts, retailers are advised to include copies of all invoices which they are paying, the remittance portion of the invoices, or, at the very least, to include their account and invoice numbers on all checks. Diamond's release of shipments, whether from Capital's Sparta Distribution Center or from a Diamond Distribution Center, will depend on prompt payment under your established terms. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IF SOME RETAILERS ARE BEHIND IN THEIR PAYMENTS TO CAPITAL? WILL THIS DEBT TRANSFER TO DIAMOND? While Diamond is not acquiring Capital's Accounts Receivable, we will be taking over collection of these amounts on Capital's behalf, and will be contacting retailers to confirm amounts due and, if necessary, to establish a payment schedule. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IF I HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH CAPITAL BUT NOT WITH DIAMOND? Any Capital customers who do not have an active account with Diamond should contact - or will be contacted by - Diamond's New Accounts Department as soon as possible. In the interim, service will continue on an uninterrupted basis. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IF I NEED TO SET UP AN ACCOUNT WITH DIAMOND, BUT HAVE AN OUTSTANDING BALANCE FROM PREVIOUS DEALINGS WITH DIAMOND? If a settlement was reached and carried out on outstanding amounts, the matter will be considered closed. If not, Diamond's Credit Department will work with retailers to set up a reasonable repayment plan. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IF MY PAYMENT TERMS WITH CAPITAL ARE BETTER THAN MY TERMS WITH DIAMOND? Diamond will consider requests for change of terms on a case by case basis, and will certainly take each retailer's credit standing with Capital into account. WILL DIAMOND CONTINUE TO PUBLISH ADVANCE COMICS? No. In all likelihood, the August issue of Advance Comics - for October-shipping product - will be the last. However, Diamond does plan to release more Capital-style themed catalogs such as Anime Archives and StarWares in the future. --------------------------------------------------------- CAPITAL HAS OFTEN OFFERED A GREATER SELECTION OF CERTAIN PRODUCT LINES THAN DIAMOND. DOES DIAMOND INTEND TO INCREASE ITS OFFERINGS IN THESE AREAS? Yes, our plan is to match the selection offered by Capital so that we can evaluate the viability of these additional products. --------------------------------------------------------- WILL DIAMOND BE TOUGHENING THE CRITERIA IT USES TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CARRY TITLES FROM NEW AND EXISTING COMIC PUBLISHERS? No. As we've pledged before, we are committed to open access to the marketplace for all quality titles from all quality publishers. The way we evaluate titles and publishers will not change. We will not make it more difficult for suppliers to gain access to the market. --------------------------------------------------------- WILL PRODUCTS PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH CAPITAL NOW BE AVAILABLE FROM DIAMOND? While Diamond has not yet confirmed this with the suppliers in question, it is our hope and expectation that all of these products will be available from Diamond. --------------------------------------------------------- ASSUMING RETAILERS CAN ORDER PRODUCTS PREVIOUSLY EXCLUSIVE TO CAPITAL FROM DIAMOND, DOES DIAMOND INTEND TO RAISE ITS DISCOUNT PLATEAUS? No, Diamond has no plans to raise its discount plateaus. Any products previously available only from Capital will simply make it easier for retailers to reach the Diamond discount plateaus. (I.E.: If a retailer currently receives a 50% discount, but orders close to the 52.5% plateau, they will have more products to choose from to help them achieve the higher discount.) --------------------------------------------------------- HOW WILL DIAMOND'S ACQUISITION OF CAPITAL AFFECT RETAILERS ECONOMICALLY? Retailers should save both time and money by consolidating more of their purchases through Diamond - especially UPS and other shipping charges. What's more, adding Capital's volume should allow Diamond to preserve and improve the services we offer retailers. In fact, after already improving our discounts on many comic and non-comic lines over the last 18 months - despite dramatic changes and slumping sales in our industry - we are currently evaluating a number of options to help retailers increase profits. --------------------------------------------------------- DOES DIAMOND INTEND TO EXPAND ITS BACKLIST TO INCLUDE PRODUCTS THAT CAPITAL HAS OFFERED ON A BACKLIST BASIS THAT DIAMOND HAS NOT? As part of the acquisition, Diamond will be buying Capital's inventory and continuing to make it available. Diamond will have every incentive to continue to stock those titles that have been profitably stocked by Capital, and intends to do so. --------------------------------------------------------- WILL DIAMOND RETAIN CURRENT CAPITAL CITY EMPLOYEES? In general, most Capital employees will remain on the job for at least the next month. During that time, Diamond will evaluate its needs and the available personnel. It is our expectation that opportunities will be available with Diamond, and we hope that current Capital employees will consider and pursue those openings. --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT ARE JOHN AND MILTON'S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? Both John & Milton will stay on for 90 days to help with the transition as needed. After that, Milton plans to take a period of time to relax, spend time with his family, and evaluate a variety of alternatives with regard to his future options. John also plans to take some time for "R&R" while evaluating his future options. --------------------------------------------------------- We welcome your questions, feedback and suggestions! Contact Diamond's Home Office Customer Service Department! ----------------------------------- Phone: (800) 783-2981 or (410) 560-7100 from outside the U.S. and Canada. Fax: (410) 560-7100 email: cussrv@diamdcom.com Mail: Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. 1966 Greenspring Drive Timonium, MD 21093 ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [6] Reviews: Ubiquitous Funnies / The Man With the Cape David LeBlanc MOOT COMICS 93 Sunapee, Springfield, MA 01108 Send a stamp or email to: Brian Kirk (mootcomics@aol.com) for a free catalog. Since I got turned on to mini comics I have always looked forward to the next batch from MOOT. This week it I got 2 in the mail. If you haven't checked these out yet, send a buck to Brian and get with the program! UBIQUITOUS FUNNIES #20 - 8 pages - $.25 This adventure is the effort of the character Asinine Head to take a bath. When it becomes evident his B.O. is making people sick and even causing structural damage to buildings. Once home he realizes he has no soap and the quest begins. The unexpected twists to the story at every page will bring a chuckle, and the ending caps it off. THE MAN WITH THE CAPE #2 - 16 PAGES - $.50 "When Sculpts the Sculptress" Our hero is Mic Talbot who in the approved super hero manner becomes The Man With the Cape! While on patrol he spies a statue unveiling ceremony where he last tangled with the Sewer Sorcerer (issue #1). It turns out this latest one is a statue of himself. The work is unveiled by the Sculptress, who does all the city statues. Well our hero proves he is a real pain as he manages to destroy his own likeness, which she had just declared as her masterpiece. This leads to The Man With the Cape (love that name) "volunteering" to model for a new one and we begin to see the Sculptress has a scheme of more devious proportions. What happens next will cost you a half a buck to find out. Brian is a delightful cartoonist. The characters are cute and well defined with more detail on the main foreground people and often a crowd scene or two of these strange little moot clones, for lack of a better term. The art of storytelling is strong and the sense of humor is sometimes slapstick, sometimes ironic, and always brings a smile. Once again, I urge you to give Moot a try. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [7] The Top 10 Reasons to Review Dr. Wonder by David Allikas You never know what you will find in the mail. :) From: Oldtownpub To: ComicBknet July 30, 1996 THE TOP 10 REASONS TO REVIEW DR. WONDER 1. The real reason Diamond purchased Capital City was to gain control of all copies of Dr. Wonder sold. (Well, duh; of *course* they didn't say so in their press release. It sounds like a pretty foolish move without knowing what *they* know, doesn't it?) 2. If you pass us up to run yet another review of Spawn, Todd McFarlane is liable to get a swelled head. 3. Irwin Hasen is the unsung father of Japanese manga (which, as you know, is defined as comic art featuring kids with enormous black eyeballs). 4. There's no time to lose! Even now, the heads of Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse are meeting in a board room on the 87th floor of some skyscraper. A guy in a suit is pounding his fist on a 30-foot-long conference table and booming: "We must *destroy* Old Town!" 5. If you wait until we're outselling X-Men and Wolverine combined, we're liable to get snotty and refuse to send you visuals. 6. You can cheese Stan the Man off by writing that Dr. Wonder is even *better* than the Marvel Comics of the 1960s which it emulates. Who cares if it isn't true? Isn't picturing the look on Stan's face worth it? 7. If you wait very much longer, all your readers who loved the Marvels of the '60s as kids will be dead. 8. If we run into you at a convention sometime, we'll grease your palm. (We won't give you any money. But we will grease your palm.) 9. In response to our recent mailing to the nation's 3000 largest newspapers, stories about Dr. Wonder have already appeared in or been scheduled by the following periodicals (and possibly many more; these are just the ones who've contacted us): Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, TX) Corbin Times Tribune (Corbin, KY) Jewish Journal (Salem, MA) Hartford Advocate (Portland, CT) The Herald (Bourbonnais, IL) Progress Index (Petersburg, VA) Summerville News (Summerville, GA) Waterbury Republican (Waterbury, CT) with more being added every day. If general interest papers like these find Dr. Wonder newsworthy, doesn't it stand to reason that your fine publication should? 10. A copy of issue #3 will be arriving at your office next week. What *else* are you gonna do with it? For more information, please contact: David Allikas, Publisher Old Town Publishing 33 Harrison Avenue Franklin Square, NY 11010-3614 Phone: 516-327-0577 Fax: 516-327-2482 America Online: oldtownpub CompuServe: 102635.2723 Prodigy: ZPWS73B Internet: oldtownpub@aol.com [You can be sure to see a review of Dr. Wonder #3 in this very mag soon!] ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8] Recommended Reading By Justin Steiner I'd like to take care of some administrative business before getting to this week's reviews. It was brought to my attention by J Torres that THE JAM (which I reviewed last time) was first published by Slave Labor, then by all the publishers I listed last time. I apologize for having my information incorrect. Also, the INTERFACE graphic novel was never published by Caliber (James Hudnall told me this at the Chicago convention), although Hudnall does hope to publish it through his Halloween Comics. So, if you've tried searching out these titles without luck, my sincerest apologies. And now I'd like to give you all a special treat and actually cover two small press books this time around.... THE LOGBOOKS OF THE TRAVELLING TRAVELALL, VOLUME ONE (Paradise Valley Comics) 32 pgs. $1.50. Written and illustrated by Pam Bliss. P.O. Box 304, Valparaiso, IN 46383. Tony Isabella (CBG columnist and comics writer) has referred to Pam Bliss as the "Queen of Mini-Comics" and with THE LOGBOOKS... Pam lives up to the promise of that statement. This comic is an anthology of time travel stories involving Alexei Petrov (a Russian mad scientist), Miss Katy Davis (keeper of the logbooks), Nakht-Min (loyal Egyptian majordomo), and Rose (inquisitive dog). Some of the stories appeared previously in OH, COMICS!, a small press anthology published by Bob Corby (you can e-mail me for more information on his Back Porch Comics if you're interested). One of my favorite genres of science fiction is time travel. Not only is it an opportunity for science but also a chance to play around with history (a favorite subject of mine). And while these stories are not hard science by any means, they do deliver on the overall concept. The volume leads of with "The Whistler," a tale of a Sasquatch who cannot find a female of his species. Other stories include "Letters," in which the gang finds long lost mail and makes sure it gets delivered when it was supposed to have been; "The Luck of Eden Hall," where a mistake puts them in England in the Middle Ages and the situation takes an odd turn; "A Curious Tea Party," about a tea party in the Jurassic era; and "The Garage Becomes Unbearable, Etc.," in which Katy and Nakht-Min clean out the garage. Bliss seeds these stories with a lot of fun touches, such as coming back from a trip through time to find their address had been changed. Katy wonders if "the convergent time stream has corrected the address books of our acquaintances." Her art is quite good as well. I think of her style as cartoony realism or realistic cartoons. What I mean is that she draws in more of a cartoony style than most artists these days, yet she does a good job paying attention to detail. Her lines are nice and clean and you can see her artistic progress as the stories go along. I fear I haven't done justice to how fun and rewarding this little book is. Do yourself a favor and write to Pam to get her catalog. I know I'm going to delve into more of her creations. NEGATIVE BURN #36 (Caliber Comics) 64 pgs. $3.95. Written and drawn by Various. 11904 Farmington Rd, Livonia, MI 48150 One of comics premiere anthologies concludes its third year of existence with this issue. And like most issues of this comic the quality is of varying levels, which is just the nature of the beast. I don't expect Editor Joe Pruett's tastes to be exactly mine. However, I still find NB worth the money month after month. The issue leads of with "Volt 2000," which is written and illustrated by Jeff Parker. The gist of the story is that time is converging at the end of the 20th century. For example, geologists in the Alps find themselves in the path of Hannibal on his way to Rome. Only one person knows what is happening and she is Vanessa Volt. However, she and Algernon Fabel, doctor of psychology, are out hiking while this is going on. And the sinister CORE has sent agents out to retrieve them. Though only twelve pages long, this story has a lot going for it. Writing and art combine for a pleasant whole that I wouldn't mind seeing continued. Next up is "Mr. Mamoulian," written and illustrated by the incomparable Brian Bolland. Always one page long, this strip is full of humor and satire as the odd-looking Mamoulian makes his way in the world. Some readers of the book have complained of the strip's obtuseness but I always find it one of the highlights of the book. Steve Stegelin's "Boondoggle" is the next story, a preview of sorts of the self-published comic that is soon to become part of Caliber's new imprint Tapestry, which is to appeal to all ages. This is an interesting (and cleanly drawn) little tale about several obnoxious kids (and some not-so- obnoxious kids). While not the best story, it does make me interested in checking out the series. The concluding chapter of Jeff Nicholson's "No Regrets" finishes off the story quite nicely. Since this is the seventh part, it makes more sense if you've been reading it (all parts have been serialized in NB and I think Nicholson has plans to collect it). It is the story of an 80s band known as No Regrets and how the members come back into each other lives through the dreaming world. Check it out. "Mr. Drawing Board Belly" is from Paul Fricke (story and art) and Don Simpson. It follows the life of a comics artist who works in relative obscurity. Knowing the two creators, I read it as a satire on the state of the industry and the creative process. Then again, I might have missed the point completely. Still, it's an enjoyable two pages. Brian Clopper checks in with a preview of his forthcoming self-published series "Fever Pitch," which is scheduled to ship in November. This story focuses on a school in Cascade, a multimystical society in another dimension. Barry is a basilisk who is mercilessly tortured by his classmates because he's different (and he can seriously harm them). However, he ends up meeting someone who accepts him for who he is. It's a cute little tale that serves as a good introduction to Clopper's world. The art is quite good, filled with fantastical creatures. I am definitely going to give "Fever Pitch" a look based on what I see here. Mike Leonard (writer) and James Lyle (artist) give us a Doorman short story, "Stolen Years." A woman is haunted by one of her secrets, manifested in the form of a nasty little girl. Doorman arrives to take Aggie back in time to face her secret and free herself of the Arcanum forever. Doorman is a truly unique concept and that is on display here. Leonard demonstrates a deft writing touch and Lyle's art is simply gorgeous. Caliber recently published a four issue DOORMAN series as well. Give it a try. Jim Mahfood offers a strip that seems even more timely with the recent bombings titled "What's Wrong With the World Today?!" He hits the nail dead on. Other stories include "Life Imitates Art," by Jeff DeMos and Scott Gillis; "Wolf," by Jim Alexander, Storn Cook, and Dan Berger; "This is a Recurring Dream," by Ken Meyer Jr.; and "Narrative in Reverse," by Mark Laliberte. That's not to say they aren't good - I'm just running quite long with this review by now. Upon doing this review, I realized how good this particular issue is and how consistent the quality is, which makes it perfect to try. There's a wide variety of stories and styles here to enjoy. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [9] New Comics Shipping 8/6/96 by Bobb Waller Well now that Capital Cities Is Diamond, no more shipping next week as complete as the past few months. *Sigh* maybe I should take up collecting lint! Oh well onto the list: =========================================================================== Acclaim Comics: Sliders Special #1 Archie Comics: Archies Double Digest #88 Betty #42 Hanna Barbera Presents #8 Laugh Digest #130 Black Out Comics: Hari Kari The Beginning #1 Comic Shop News Inc.: CSN #477 Dark Horse Comics: Age Of Reptiles The Hunt #4 King Tiger/Motorhead #1 Madwoman of the Sacred Heart TP Oh My Goddess Terrible Master Urd #5 DC Comics: Action Comics Annual #8 Batman:SOTB #55 Cyberella #2 Green Lantern #79 Hardware #43 Hitman #6 Icon #38 Justice League:Midsummers Nightmare #2 Lobo:Death & Taxes #1 Nightwing #1 Pinky & The Brain #4 Power of Shazam #19 Preacher #18 Seekers into the Mystery #9 Showcase 96 #9 Sovereign Seven #15 Starman #23 Steel #31 Superman:TMOT #6 Terminal City #4 Diversity Comics: Alpha Korps #1 Drawn & Quarterly: Optic Nerve #3 Image Comics: Backlash/Spider-Man #1 Brass #1 Deathblow #29 Gen 13 #12 Glory/Avengelyne II The Goddesy #? Lady Supreme #2 Prophet/Avengylene #2 Shattered Image #1 Union #10 Youngblood #10 Marvel Comics: Cable #36 Daredevil #357 Onslaught: Marvel Universe Prime #11 Sensational Spider-Man #9 Uncanny Origins #2 Uncanny X-Men #337 Maximum Press Comics: Avengeblade #1 Slave Labor Graphics: Bluebeard Trade paperback 2nd prntg. Caffeine #3 Skelton Key #13 Topps Comics: X-Files #20 ======================================================================= Told Ya it was short! Origin: FIAWOL/MSConnections * PP288MT II V.34 * 214-790-6472 * (23:203/4) ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published 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. Some articles are independent of any connection with CBN and are used with permission. All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The Comic Book Network. Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine is Copyright 1996 by the Comic Book Network. You may freely distribute or duplicate this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Please do not distribute except as the complete file as originally transmitted by The Comic Book Network. THE CBN WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- 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 and all back issues. You'll also find important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic Book Net, and other neat features like newly released comic book graphics, links to lists of Comic Book Company addresses, Comic Professionals Email addresses, and other Comic Book related Web pages! 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, scrolling to the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. Most issues should also be available on Compuserve, Genie, Channel1 BBS and Software Creations BBS as well as other non CBN affiliated Bulletin Board Systems. 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 articles for consideration to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com Reviews of mainstream books are least likely to get included when submitted from sources outside of CBN, but are not excluded off hand. We give more consideration to reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If You write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of anything it will almost always be printed so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but anything sent to us will be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [B] How to join the COMIC BOOK NETWORK (CBN) You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads that occur in 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 continent and the world, 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 conversation, collecting, gaming and other forms of entertainment. 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 explanation in their documentation than I can. These programs are available all over the Internet and are free to download from most BBS's. I recommend SLMR or OLX-TD for DOS to get started. 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? There are 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! ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [C] 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 Conway PC Users Conway AR 501-329-7227 Tim Stone -- CALIFORNIA ---------------------------------------------------------- Q Freedom Flight Victorville CA 619-955-6445 Ronald Siodla -- FLORIDA ------------------------------------------------------------- F Never Never Land Melbourne FL 407-253-8754 Wayne Bell F Steel Dog Cafe Destin FL 904-654-1631 Keith Schultz Ghost's Realm Crestview FL 904-689-6664 Kie Dorton Q Oak Street BBS Ft.Wayne Beach FL 904-244-7434 Michael Fischer -- ILLINOIS ------------------------------------------------------------ -- INDIANA ------------------------------------------------------------- F The CyberSpace BBS Indianapolis IN 317-856-9020 Charlie Smith -- KENTUCKY ------------------------------------------------------------ Lex Corp Georgetown KY 502-867-0992 -- MARYLAND ------------------------------------------------------------ F The Vampyre Bar! Frederick MD 301-698-5194 Darryl Pierce F DataStorm Kettering MD 301-390-5243 Tarek Gordan F Bifrost Mount Rainier MD 301-779-9381 Kevin Carlin F Womens World East BBS Silver Spring MD 301-431-0647 Wendy Dumser F Sherata's Realm Mechanicsville MD 301-884-9732 Linda Peek -- MASSACHUSETTS ------------------------------------------------------- F Archives BBS Acushnet MA 508-995-0085 John Viera F Muskrat & Heatwave New Bedford MA 508-984-5321 Dennis Racine 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 Venom's World Rollinsford NH 603-743-4188 Ira Locke -- NEW JERSEY ---------------------------------------------------------- Phoenix Modernz Systems Seaside Hts. NJ 908-830-8265 Tal Meta -- NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------ B Asgard TW BBS West Islip NY 516-422-4225 Tom Pemberton Interzone BBS Long Is. City NY 718-786-5557 Jim Garvin F Starbase : Red Dwarf Saugerties NY 914-247-9601 John Dragun -- 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 Federal Post Spring Lake NC 910-436-2055 Frank Koza -- OKLAHOMA ------------------------------------------------------------ F Beggar's Forum Oklahoma City OK 405-787-2540 Lonnie Johnson Compumate Tulsa OK 918-628-0887 Danny Pelletier F Snart's Dreamland Collinsville OK 918-371-0980 Jeff Bennett F The Dreaming World Broken Arrow OK 918-451-3056 Greg Adkins -- PENNSYLVANIA -------------------------------------------------------- F Comic Book Board Philadelphia PA 215-365-5225 William Horton -- TENNESSEE ----------------------------------------------------------- F The Factory BBS Union City TN 901-885-9647 -- TEXAS --------------------------------------------------------------- B* FIAWOL/MSConnections Irving TX 214-790-6472 Bobb Waller F Star Streams Waxahachie TX 214-938-7115 Michael Rudolf 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 360-577-7358 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 Stargate:Above & Beyond London ONT 519-472-4938 Paul Nicholas -- MEXICO -------------------------------------------------------------- B* The Gate BBS Mexico City 52-5-264-2994 Emilio Karam - From USA, dial international-access 011 then 52-5-264-2994# ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - End of another Issue .. see ya in the funny papers!! "So that's what that feels like..." - BATMAN