The Small Press Virgin

'N' is For...

...Night Raven, Nevada Smith and Negative Man!!!

A Marvel UK creation, Night Raven was a throwback to those pulp-era, trench-coat and fedora wearing vigilantes such as The Spider or The Shadow. One of my most-read comic related books "How to Draw and Sell....Comic Strips" featured a short, silent story by Parkhouse and Lloyd. It was meant to show how a story should be perfectly understandable even without dialogue. That was a great book, sadly destroyed through constant thumbing through. I hear there is an updated third edition now, I might have to replace this one! :-)

Negative Man was...a guy who did a thing with....that power....you know the one, in the Doom Patrol. I really am only familar with Larry Trainor: The Negative Man through the Doom Patrol's appearance in JLA: Year One. A former Jet-jockey pal of Hal Jordan who later went on to become Green Lantern, Trainor had a cameo in the New Frontier movie for eagle eyed viewers only. Blink and you'll miss 'im!

Steve McQueen is the king of cool, we all know this. Back in the 60s a 35 yr-old McQueen's coolness was so intense that he could play a 16 yr-old half Indian and nobody would notice. I've got to find this film on DVD - I want it so bad.

Speaking of Nevada Smith, I went to see Indiana Jones yesterday. I don't wanna spoil anything but I loved how the film started to blend 1950's sci-fi film influence's into the familiar adventure story we all enjoy. I'm glad to see some progression in the series rather than the same old, same old that my local geeks are yearning for. It's a shame Karen Allen appeared to be on the Happy Juice for most of the film - perhaps she's just glad to be getting work again.

This also, was the first time in years I've seen a cinema sold out. (God, back on the first weekend of Kong and I shared the cinema with three other people!) Everyone seemed to like it, even the noisy kids didn't need to be told to shut up this time. So all's good in the world. LOL

Take Care All

-R