Jodie Foster doesn't like superhero movies.

In an interview with some magazine, Foster compared superhero-themed movies to fracking (the process of injecting water at high pressures into subterranean rocks to extract oil or gas).

"You get the best returns right now, but you wreck the earth," she said. "It's ruining the viewing habits of the American population and then ultimately the rest of the world."

Foster has a right to her opinions, and you can agree with her if you want. Maybe she's right. Maybe superhero movies have reached a point of over-saturation.

But I like a good superhero movie. If you like them too, then you got to keep an eye out for these seven upcoming movies.

Black Panther



Release Date: February 16
Director: Ryan Coogler
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira

This movie is going to be HUGE!

"Black Panther" is outselling every previous superhero film in advanced sales, and there's lots of positive word of mouth. One of the attendees at the premiere in Hollywood last week said "Believe the hype, believe the buzz, believe the words 'cultural phenomenon.'"

Okay, okay. No need to oversell it. I was going to see the movie anyway.

Avengers: Infinity War



Release Date: May 4
Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin and a whole bunch of others.

The only movie that could possibly be bigger than Black Panther is this one. Marvel has been building up to this movie for ten years.

Ten years!

The only thing I've been building up for ten years is Grumpy Old Man syndrome.

Deadpool 2



Release Date: May 18
Director: David Leitch
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz

Everybody's favorite chimichanga-eating mercenary is back in this sequel, and he's brought friends... most notably the mutant cyborg from the future, Cable.

I'm looking forward to this one, but where are all of the teaser trailers? We had like a bajillion teaser clips for the last Deadpool movie. Dammit, where are my trailers?!

Ant-Man and the Wasp



Release Date: July 6
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Should be interesting to see what this movie is going to be about since it comes on the heels of Infinity War. Not a lot of information out there about this film (probably to prevent spoilers for Infinity War).

Venom



Release Date: October 5
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Tom Hardy

Okay, this is where we're venturing out into murky waters. Since this is a Sony picture, is it going to be related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which now has the film rights to Spider-Man) or is it set in a completely separate Spider-Man universe... without Spider-Man?

There's no word on the plot yet, but I was surprised there was a trailer released already. It looks more like a horror movie than an actual superhero movie.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix



Release Date: November 2
Director: Simon Kinberg
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Sophie Turner

I'm not sure if I'm ready for an X-Men movie without Hugh Jackman.

And besides, didn't they already do this story in X-Men 3? This one better be better.

Aquaman



Release Date: December 21
Director: James Wan
Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard

Hey, look. A DC movie!

Before I get into Aquaman, I did want to mention, there are other superhero movies coming out in 2018. There's Alita, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Incredibles 2.

But the one I really am looking forward to is the Teen Titans GO! to the Movies. I loved the animated series, and the trailer is especially awesome. Why? Because it ends with this...

Because if Aquaman can get a movie, then anyone can.

Everyone does, it seems.

JR

Believe it or not, making webcomics doesn't pay the bills. Not yet anyway.

I'm not chillaxing on my luxury yacht in the middle of the Aegean Sea, slipping a mai tai. Maybe Stan Lee can do that, but definitely not me.

No, I have a day job.

It's more like an all-day job. I work crazy hours sometimes. Like 60, 70 or more hours. This past week was one of those weeks.

However, in the back of my mind, as I was working all those hours, I was wondering which tokusatsu movie I would watch for my traditional Tokusatsu Thanksgiving. Would it be Rodan? Or War of the Gargantuas? Or maybe something obscure, like The H-Man?

Tokusatsu, for the non-enthusiasts, is a Japanese live-action film or television show that uses considerable amounts of special effects, usually dealing with science fiction, fantasy or horror. Giant monsters in rubber suits and the Power Rangers are all Tokusatsu.

When I finally stumbled home Wednesday night, carrying a sad sack of fast food, I decided upon Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster.

I chose wisely.

Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster is a significant film in the Godzilla mythos. Released in Japan in 1964, it was directed by Ishiro Honda and featured special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Godzilla dons the mantle of hero for the first time as he joins forces with Mothra and Rodan against the dreaded space dragon, Ghidorah.

Truthfully, I fell asleep trying to watch it. Just too damn tired. But I was successfully able to watch it on Thursday morning.

Thanksgiving Thursday.

Tokusatsu Thanksgiving Thursday.

That's an alliteration even Stan Lee would be proud of.

JR

The San Diego Comic Con is a friggin' intense experience. There are all kinds of bizarre things to see...









The rarest site of all at Comic-Con... an empty hallway!!!



Going to Comic-Con takes a lot of energy. You don't attend Comic-Con; you survive it. However, it is still sad when it's over and all you're left are the memories... and sore feet.

Till next year, San Diego... Stay classy.

JR

Another day of the awesome sauce that is the San Diego Comic-Con!

There is lots to see at Comic-Con. There are celebrities like Stan Lee being mobbed by the press or Sergio Aragones receiving the prestigious Icon Award...



My buddy over at The Missing Digit comic got to meet his hero, Jim Davis, creator of Garfield. This was Jim Davis' first Comic-Con appearance.



Besides notable cartoonists, there were more cosplayers...







Come back tomorrow, and we'll wrap up Day Four.

JR

Let's just jump right into the cosplayers, shall we?













Lots of nice costumes. But, by far, the most authentic costume was this one of a hack-cartoonist.



JR

Comic-Con.

My first convention was in 1994. I drove down to San Diego with a couple of friends. We didn't have passes or even a hotel booked. Back then, you didn't need to worry about planning ahead. Things have changed a lot, but some things have remained the same.



You can still meet your favorite comics creators like Jim Lee...



You can see and purchase almost anything imaginable...







It's all a little intense. After a long day at the Con, it's a good idea to hit the Gaslamp District and get a drink... or two.



JR

PS I saw this guy walking around the convention. I tried throwing balls at him, but I couldn't seem to catch him.



PPS Come back tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures of cosplayers. I mean, why post pictures of Comic-Con unless you post pictures of cosplayers?

WonderCon.

The San Diego Comic-Con's less attractive sister.

Even though this year's convention was practically in my backyard, I wasn't really planning on going. But then a friend invited me, so I thought I would make a day of it.

Without anymore yapping on my part, here's WonderCon 2016...



The badges were kinda cool this year. In an attempt to prevent scalping and counterfeit badges, these badges were equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags. And it had some nice artwork on it.

Kinda cool. You just had to remember to tag yourself in and out whenever you were going somewhere.



This convention is pretty crowded... not SDCC-crowded, but you better like people.

Of course, there's lots of awesome things to see and learn. Lots to things to buy.




And lots of cosplayers.



Did I say cosplayers? There was certain emphasis on Deadpool this year. Wherever you looked, there was a Deadpool.






Speaking of Deadpool, there was this guy...



I only checked out WonderCon for a day. Going to these super-mega conventions can wear a guy down. After a few hours, I was ready to take my purchases and go.



"Tapping out" seemed appropriate.

JR

Okay, maybe the title is a little over the top.

I don't know if these are the best comic book covers of all time, but they are the ones that stood out the most for me throughout my life. If you have opinions different from mine... well, you write your own blog. I promise that I'll read it.

Before I go down the list, what exactly constitutes a noteworthy cover? Lots of elements go into an interesting comic book cover. There were lots of great comic book artists that were not great cover artists, and lots of cover artists that were failures at the interiors. Good design, composition and drawing skills go into a fine cover.

In the past, it was easier to spot the truly memorable comic book covers because nothing else on the stands even remotely resembled them. Nowadays, there are lots and lots of exceptional covers by artists that are phenomenal. It's actually kinda hard to point out just one cover because they're all so good.

Anyways, in no particular order, here are my ten favorite comic book covers.

Famous Funnies #213



I saw this cover years ago inside a magazine talking about older comics. This comic was published way before my time, but, man, I would snag it up right away! I have no idea what the inside story was about, but this cover said everything you would need to know.

Turned out that this amazing cover was illustrated by Frank Frazetta. This work here foreshadowed many of the themes that Frazetta would revisit later in his breathtaking sword 'n sorcery paintings.

Uncanny X-Men #136



This was the comic that hooked me on the X-Men. This issue was towards the end of the now-famous Dark Phoenix Saga. I really had no idea what was going on with the story, but I was mesmerized by the action, drama and storytelling.

This is the power of a great cover. It'll get you to open up a book you would have no intention of doing otherwise.

This cover was penciled by John Byrne (and inked by Terry Austin). Not sure if Byrne copied this cover from anywhere else, but countless covers have definitely been inspired by this one.

Moon Knight #23, vol. 1



This was one of the first direct-market comics. This was only a precursor of what artist Bill Sienkiewicz was capable of doing. The mood, the texture, the stark black & white image. This definitely stood out from everything else in the early 1980's.

Foxhole #1



It might be blasphemous to say, but I don't think Jack Kirby was necessarily a great cover artist. He drew lots of iconic covers, no doubt... but those were probably because of something important that happened inside the comic itself.

Not many of his covers stand out on their own, but this one is definitely striking. The soldier's one eye would captivate you from a thousand yards away.

Strange Adventures #207



Word balloons on covers were gimmicks that publishers used so much in the past that it's super hokey to a lot of readers now. But it works on this cover. It sets up an intriguing mystery that sucks you inside.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that it was drawn by Neal Adams.

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #7



Along with Adams, Jim Steranko revolutionized art in comics back in the 1960's. He brought aspects of design that comics had never seen before. Steranko's work was even influenced by gallery art styles like surrealism, pop and op.

The Killing Joke



In the mid-1980's, comic books took a turn down the dark side. Books were tough and gritty and twisted. None more twisted than Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke."

The cover by artist Brian Bolland is a compositional masterpiece. Everything, from the word balloon to the title blurb, points to the Joker's camera. "What is he taking a picture of," you may have asked? You had to look inside to find out.

Of course, due to DC's retconning their entire universe, this story doesn't exist anymore.

Man-Thing #1, vol 1



I stumbled across this comic while I was rummaging through a used comic book bin. Since it was sealed in a mylar bag and board, I couldn't look inside but I knew I wanted it. I was 12 or 13 at the time, and the price tag was more money than what my parents gave me in an allowance. For three weeks, I saved my nickels and dimes until I could afford to make the purchase.

This atmospheric cover, by Frank Brunner, almost made up for the mediocre artwork inside.

Crime Suspenstories #16



Holy Crap! No wonder EC Comics got themselves banned! I mean, dude... this cover is intense! Art by Johnny Craig.

Mad #1



Speaking of EC, this is one of the most iconic covers ever. The cover to the first issue of "Mad" is not only clever and funny, but it makes great use of color to emphasize the unique art style of Harvey Kurtzman.

So, those are the top ten most memorable covers to me. But before you click away or leave me a despairing comment, here is an honorable mention to this line up of covers.

Action Comics #434



I think Nick Cardy was the artist here. Looks like Superman is like everybody else when it comes to the dentist's chair. The dental assistant looks like she's about to faint... probably in embarrassment for poor ol' Superman.

I had never seen this cover before a few days ago, but seeing it encouraged me to write this piece. Which goes to show that a memorable comic book cover does more than just sell a book. It can also become a source of inspiration to cartoonists for years.

So blame DC and the artist if you don't like this article.

JR