BotTalk Reviews

Marin County (San Francisco Bay Area of California), December 1978 Wendy Moira (a Peter Pan homage?) confesses to Clara Holmwood that she is in love with the leader of "The California Cult", Billy Joe aka William Joseph Franklin. Wendy plays Billy Joe's advanced promo record. Wendy and Clara listen to Billy Joe's song "Come Wander With Me". Suzy Smiles (a radicalized acolyte of Billy Joe who likes to listen to "Always is Always Forever" by Charles Manson) pays the girls a visit. Suzy leads the demoiselles into an ambush, they get abducted by "The California Cult". Death Valley National Park, east of the Sierra Nevada, 5 months later Clara escapes from the Billy Joe Family. Reseda, Los Angeles, California, Present day Clara (now Lucy) cannot afford to pay for her daughter's university tuition, so she agrees to tell her "California Cult" story on TV for beaucoup bucks.  Clara/Lucy, Wren (Clara's daughter), Phoebe (Clara...

This volume collects the Nancy daily newspaper comic strips from 1949–1950.  We actually get 620 timeless, charming and very clever black-and-white Nancy strips by American cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller (1905-1982) in one collection! Don't worry Sluggo aficionados, Nancy's pal is very much present in this tome. We get to see Sluggo ice skating, playing in the coal yard, struggling with his weight and lack of hair, losing his bubblegum, growing taller, using his periscope, magnet and handheld mirror, working at the bank, circus and music shop, reading in his attic, ski jumping, dissipating static electricity, going to the most dangerous place in town, tightrope walking, sleeping in a hammock, mowing lawns, walking on stilts, keeping Nancy off the grass, catching a baseball, dressing for tea, painting, playing the trombone and the xylophone, getting a push on a tree swing, slicing some baloney, dancing, golfing, fishing, swimming, paddling his boat, pulling weeds, camping, learning...

Ninkugel the Harvester purloins bars (a currency) from his stingy employer, Tonkfarr. Ninkugel trades his bars for a Schema Beetle sculpture. The sculpture comes to life and gives birth to a brood that devours all of Tonkfarr's crops. Ninkugel is thrown in jail, he escapes and leaves his village that has become abandoned. Ninkugel comes across a talking lizard, Wurl. Wurl gets killed by slavers: Rolden and "Huntsman". A Bog King appears. Rolden and "Huntsman" slaughter the beast, but Ninkugel drops his blade, blade first, on "Huntsman"'s foot. Refusing to be sold into servitude in Arn-Uthyr (An homage to Uther Pendragon?), Ninkugel murders Rolden and "Huntsman". Ninkugel runs into a talking dragon (a "demon"), he kills it. Ninkugel arrives at another village, he introduces himself as a "Demon Slayer" to Arloth. Arloth introduces Ninkugel to Smekland. Smekland introduces Ninkugel to the village council members (includin...

A catalogue accompanying the exhibition at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.  Edited by Peter Maresca and Brian Walker. What you'll actually find inside this mysterious "Companion Catalogue": Photos: Cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller at his drawing board in 1955, Ernie with a group of Nancy and Sluggo vinyl dolls, Ernie in 1948, Ernie reading a Nancy Dell comic book by John Stanley and Dan Gormley in 1959 and Ernie at a Red Cross fundraiser. A nice Preface by Caitlin McGurk, Curator of Comics and Cartoon Art at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Nancy and Me by Ernie Bushmiller from Collier’s Magazine (September 18, 1948) Ernie Bushmiller’s famous self-portrait for Martin Sheridan’s 1942 book, Comics and Their Creators. A drawing of Ernie Bushmiller dreaming by Bushmiller from 1945. The Life and Times of Ernie Bushmiller by Brian Walker The first appearance of Nancy from the Fritzy Ritz daily comic strip, January 2, 1933. Original art from around 1935 ...

Who is this Benjamin Marra? What is he known for? His great illustrations for MLB.com and NYTimes.com The GRAMMY nominated Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares album from The Numero Group His contribution to Cryptozoo (2021) He is Jake Rhodes aka Space Cowboy (Channel Frederator) His cameo in The Education of Fredrick Fitzell (2020) The Indie Rock Universe special foldout in Rolling Stone magazine #1039 The title sequence for Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018) When the King Held Court (30 for 30 Shorts) Masters of the Powerskull Sword in Adventure Time Comics #21 Robot Overlord Land in Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream Hellcloud Awaits in Bloodshot Reborn Annual 2016 U.S. Agent vs. the Terror-Saur!! in Strange Tales II #3 Space-Werewolf Biker Gang Zealots Gone Wild!! in Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Beachhead in Heavy Metal Magazine #280-281 Teen Swamp Monster Love in I Feel Love   Casino Squat in Lethal Comics Presents: Psycho Goreman Album cover art for Peter Peter (Bien...