Simpsons Comics Thread

[Charlie]

You know what, for some reason I had always thought #81 was in Fancy Book Learnin', but when I read your post and I went and checked... and you're so right. My memory sure isn't like what it used to be. It befuddles me that they didn't include that one, yet included an issue as recently as #148.

Yeah, I remember some were really bad. I noticed Ian was writing less plots and just creating gag-filled stories, the "Up All Night" issue sticking out in mind. I think the art in that one was really good though, if I'm remembering correctly.

I've never read Bart Simpson comics in a while, but I really think the first 4 issues of that series were up to my standards of being entertained. Haha I sound like such a critic, but they just seemed stronger and more "fun". I remember dissembling those comics so the Radio-Active Man issue was seperate... Not sure if that's what they intended for us to do, but 'eh...

I still enjoy Bart to a degree, but it's nowhere near as fun as it used to be. It seems to be more of an outlet for outside artists and writers (basically a non-horror version of the Treehouse of Horror comic). In some instances, like the various Carol Lay stories in recent issues, it's alright because her style is still somewhat faithful to the actual, official "Matt Groening style" (from the looks of it, she is a permanent Bongo addition now, she recently penned an entire issue of Simpsons Comics). Other stories though, are just bizarre - if you're familiar with Peter Kuper's past THOH work (he did the cockroach story in THOH #6), you'll be kind of shocked to discover he's now contributing stories to Bart, with his blocky, Picasso-like style that jars with other stories. Same goes with Gilbert Hernandez, and, nothing against the guy, Sergio Aragones (who, like Carol Lay, seems to be somewhat permanent at Bongo now, he does little Maggie Simpson shorts and has even had an entire issue of Simpsons Comics, too. Bongo are even publishing his own comic book soon, which from the looks of it seems more in line with his old MAD work). Luckily they seem to alternate this formula - one issue will be experimental with outside artists/writers, while the next will be a "classic" Bart issue with the normal Bongo staff - James Bates, Phil Ortiz, John Costanza, Eric Rogers, etc (I'm really hoping they ditch it when it goes monthly, starting this month). And in writing that, I just realised that I cannot recall a single story out of Bart's 59-issue run that was penned by Ian Boothby. Kinda interesting considering his saturation in every other Bongo series.

[yodazone]

I've noticed there are a few comic centric magazines that have alot of Bongo cover art. Wondering if there's a list out there of these.

Here's one from the "San Diego ComicCon 1994" program cover:



Here's an "Overstreet Comic Book Monthly #7" which also features some early Bongo interviews inside:



And here's a pic of a set of the old Zongo/Jimbos I finally scored:

[Dark Homer]

grats on the jimbo score

[Charlie]

What are the Jimbo's like? I've always had this odd interest in their Zongo books (I think their other title was called Fleener or something), and the non-Simpsons Bongo books like Roswell, Hopster's Tracks and Heroes Anonymous. Unfortunately, as much as I've been hunting for them I haven't found anything

[yodazone]

What are the Jimbo's like? I've always had this odd interest in their Zongo books (I think their other title was called Fleener or something), and the non-Simpsons Bongo books like Roswell, Hopster's Tracks and Heroes Anonymous. Unfortunately, as much as I've been hunting for them I haven't found anything

The "Jimbos" are pretty cool now that I see them up close. It has alot of rough jagged artwork with b&w pages and all the artwork going cover to cover with no ads. I noticed these books are about a half an inch shorter than a regular normal sized comic. I found the later half of these books on amazon. But the amazon sellers tend to list books in insanely high prices.

The "Fleeners" were pretty easy to find on ebay. I really like the color covers on these. Shame these didn't take off but I guess the comic crash of the mid '90s didn't help:



I still need to get the "Heroes Anonymous" run and a "Hopster's Tracks." And the "Roswell" tradepaperback.

I wouldn't mind seeing a new "Zongo" 2.0 imprint since it looks like Bongo is adding more new titles with the "Funnies" monthly and even Spongebob.

I feel like digging the old Bongo issues to see how they advertised these "Zongo" books in their pages. Always fun to see how old books were advertised back in the day.

[yodazone]

Big Bongo month in September. 5 titles:

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stori.../bongosept.htm

[ArchiveGuy]

I've noticed there are a few comic centric magazines that have alot of Bongo cover art. Wondering if there's a list out there of these.

A subsection of The Simpsons Bibliography includes a list of Simpson covers, albeit without delineating Bongo covers.
http://www.snpp.com/guides/bibliography20.html#BIB30
Haven't caught up with updating the entire Bibliography yet ever since 9/11. As far as the covers go, I always intended to create a separate site scanning in every relevant cover - and I still do. There have been some other decent Simpsons magazine cover sites, although they always seem to fail to include full reference data (title, issue number, date, etc.)

Like most collectors I have the Fleener issues, and like most, I *don't* have the full set of Jimbos. When I eventually create a superset of the Simpsons Comic list to include all the Bongo/Zongo comics (well, maybe not Spongebob..) maybe I'll come after you for help with those..

The media list on the archive also includes a full list of comics referenced / seen on The Simpsons itself - and I also plan to add a full list of comics referenced within Simpsons Illustrated and Simpsons Comics and in other places - such as that great 1994 SDCC program cover above!

[yodazone]

A subsection of The Simpsons Bibliography includes a list of Simpson covers, albeit without delineating Bongo covers.
http://www.snpp.com/guides/bibliography20.html#BIB30
Haven't caught up with updating the entire Bibliography yet ever since 9/11. As far as the covers go, I always intended to create a separate site scanning in every relevant cover - and I still do. There have been some other decent Simpsons magazine cover sites, although they always seem to fail to include full reference data (title, issue number, date, etc.)

Like most collectors I have the Fleener issues, and like most, I *don't* have the full set of Jimbos. When I eventually create a superset of the Simpsons Comic list to include all the Bongo/Zongo comics (well, maybe not Spongebob..) maybe I'll come after you for help with those..

The media list on the archive also includes a full list of comics referenced / seen on The Simpsons itself - and I also plan to add a full list of comics referenced within Simpsons Illustrated and Simpsons Comics and in other places - such as that great 1994 SDCC program cover above!

Thanks for the link. That's a pretty extensive list. I've mostly been collecting the MAD and fanzine covers but I see there's some more good stuff on the list.

[yodazone]

Here's a pic of this year's SDCC exclusive:

[Charlie]

I can't wait to get my copy, I have one on the way signed by Bill Morrison.

Is it all-new or are the stories reprints from, say, Super Spectacular?

[yodazone]

I can't wait to get my copy, I have one on the way signed by Bill Morrison.

Is it all-new or are the stories reprints from, say, Super Spectacular?

It looks like it's reprints from Super Spectacular....like "The Sprint" story from issue #8 and the "Gastritus/Galactus" story from #3 and a few other short stories. I think there's another one from the FCDB issues too.

[yodazone]

A buddy of mine who was at San Diego was able to get me a signed copy of the SDCC Bongo exclusive with a Homer sketch for only $20:



I've noticed ebay sellers listing some of these for obnoxiously high prices right after the con. Most having been charging at least $100 for something they got for $20.

[ArchiveGuy]

Simpsons Comics #28: Another Look

A periodic post on issues from the past.



The cover story for this comic was Krustonia - a name not found within the comic, but supplied in the Big Bonanza reprint, a story about Krusty forming his own kingdom.

This cover takes its cue from a famous 1931 Russian propaganda poster by Gustav Klutsis titled "The USSR is the crack brigade of the world proletariat", with the Russian writing along the pole replaced in The Simpsons comic by "A Belly Laff Rebellion by a Prankster's Proletariat", with the "R's" printed in reverse in imitation of the Cyrillic alphabet. The poster is considered a classic illustration of Constructivism, art for a social purpose.

Many of the covers are based on obvious cultural icons; some are more subtle. We're in the process of adding 'em all to the archive, with a bunch more appearing shortly.

ArchiveGuy

[Diversity Pumpkin]

Homer's reading the original Duffman!

I love all of these old comics from the 90s.

[ArchiveGuy]

Simpsons Comics #144: Yet Another Look

A periodic post on issues from the past.

I previously noted the last page of this issue "Ragin' Abe Simpson's Battle Round-Up!" was a series of four faux letters from famous artists; here we look at the cover, far more obvious than the Cover for Simpsons Comics #28 but still one not everyone will recognize.


This issue, filled with World War II references, appropriately carries the parody on the cover. The heading "Another Riveting Issue" appears above a cover based on J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!" image of Rosie the Riveter, a World War II poster supporting the American woman who worked in factories replacing the men who went off to war.

ArchiveGuy

[yodazone]

Those homage covers are great. I like the next 2 issues right after where they homage the classic Superman/Flash race cover from DC.

[ArchiveGuy]

Those homage covers are great. I like the next 2 issues right after where they homage the classic Superman/Flash race cover from DC.

I have to admit I'm a sucker for any homage cover - and I was putting them up a few at a time but decided I would upload the bulk of them with the next round of comic updates in a week or two on the archive - including the comparison to Superman #199. All except the Radioactive Man issues, which will get their own issue analyses section.

[Charlie]

The cover story for this comic was Krustonia - a name not found within the comic, but supplied in the Big Bonanza reprint, a story about Krusty forming his own kingdom.

Bongo seems to have a hard time deciding exactly what to call this story - as you said, at one point it's called Krustonia and then when it was reprinted a few years ago in Simpsons Classics it became, I believe, The Clown Who Would Be King.

[yodazone]

There's was a cool comicon program from a couple of years ago that featured an interview with Bill Morrison and Aragones. In one of the pics, you can see Morrison at the drawing board and next to it is a spinner rack of old comics. I tried to zoom in on them to see if there are any recognizable issues that were homaged in the Bongo run. The whole issue can be viewed online here:

http://issuu.com/mercadonuevo/docs/1...=1c7o7moofjf7i

[Charlie]

Earl Kress, a regular writer for Bart Simpson Comics, has passed away age 60.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tv/earl-kress.html

RIP

[rkell48]

So excited ! But they are SO expensive $15 AUD. But soo good.

[Dark Homer]

cool bill morrison interview: http://www.themortonreport.com/arts/...turama-comics/

I guess the best way to explain it is that, when I was a kid, it really used to bother me when I used to read a comic book that was based on an animated cartoon, or an animated show, or an animated movie that seemed really different from the original source material.

For example, I remember reading the Roadrunner and Coyote comic books, and the Roadrunner talked in those comic books, and it would drive me nuts. I was like, “The Roadrunner doesn’t talk!” And I understand now, as a comic book creator, I understand that it would have been really difficult for them to do a regular comic book with the Roadrunner and the Coyote without the characters talking. You know, to do them without voice like the original cartoons were done.

So I get that, but at the same time it just seems inauthentic, you know?

[Charlie]

This year's Treehouse of Horror was just as consistently great as the last few years, lots of interesting ideas. The guests this year are Jim Woodring, Zander Cannon, Gene Ha, Tom Hodges and Jane Wiedlin. The first story, "Nosferatu: A Simpsony of Horror" is probably the weakest - a bit of a weak story but it's made up for with the amazing art. The second, "Marge of the Dead", is pretty great - I actually got a classic era THOH feeling from it. The final story - I'll call it "Harvest of Fear" as that's all that appears on the opening page (there's not even any proper credits for it, but I'm assuming it's Jim Woodring's story as he didn't appear in the other two) - was my favourite of the bunch this year. Again, plot wise it can be a bit thin at times but if anything it reminded me of how screwed up THOH #15 was a couple years ago. All I'll say is potholders - and Bart's reaction - was easily the biggest laugh I've had from a Bongo comic in a while. The art was amazing, especially the parts featuring the comic book - to the point that the aforementioned potholder sequence is almost nightmare inducing. Brilliant stuff.

[yodazone]

Anybody seen this year's German Simpsons variants yet? Looking if there are any picture scans released yet. They're probably not printed yet but looking for any preview solicits of the covers.

[ArchiveGuy]

Simpsons Comics #183: A Look... Forward

Another homage cover, coming to you in the October Issue!



This issue will be available soon and the preview cover above immediately appears to be different from a standard cover and hence a good sign that this is another homage cover. Combined with the preview story description "'Everything's Bartchie!" and the guest penciller Stan Goldberg of Archie fame, and we find an obvious parody of Archie Comics #1 from Winter 1942. Note how the appearance of the "Simpsons" title mirrors Archie, including the dot above the letter "i". Homer is also jumping over two barrels of nuclear waste to parallel the liquor barrels on the Archie comic. We have broken ice just beyond the barrels in both illustrations, with a shark added in Homer's world. Both have a display of characters beneath, with the Simpsons heading "Not In This Issue!" versus "Also" on the Archie comic. Since the "R" on Archie's varsity sweater represents Riverdale High School we should also note the "S" on Homer for Springfield High School. The people watching and the colors they're wearing are in parallel, with two woman on the left (note Marge's clasped hands) and a guy on the right, and even the tree line and the house behind them are in synch. We await the final Simpsons cover to see the heading on top - they should use "The Mirth of a Nation" but may go for something along the line of Bart having Homer over a barrel, or perhaps an allusion to Homer breaking the ice.

ArchiveGuy

[מתן ענבר]

I found the Simpsons Butterfinger ashcan with the original wrapping. It also included some artwork on the inside cardboard tray:

the comics in the picture is an comics that you get from the butterfinger or that is an Rigler comics from a store?

[ArchiveGuy]

the comics in the picture is an comics that you get from the butterfinger or that is an Rigler comics from a store?

I believe you're asking if the comic included with the Butterfinger package is the same as the one that could be purchased - the one within the Butterfinger wrapper is "ashcan" sized, i.e., is smaller. Both of these, of course, are from 1993 and are no longer available except from collectors and auction sites.

[מתן ענבר]

I believe you're asking if the comic included with the Butterfinger package is the same as the one that could be purchased - the one within the Butterfinger wrapper is "ashcan" sized, i.e., is smaller. Both of these, of course, are from 1993 and are no longer available except from collectors and auction sites.

again im asking if the comic in the picture is a little butterfinger comic edition or an bought comic, and if its an butterfinger comic so were i can purchase the comic?

[the real comic book guy]

new variants in germany

comic book guy #1 each limited to 333 (original/4x variant)

[ArchiveGuy]

again im asking if the comic in the picture is a little butterfinger comic edition or an bought comic, and if its an butterfinger comic so were i can purchase the comic?

The comic in the picture is the smaller "ashcan" edition; I've repeatedly seen this smaller comic (as well as the larger one) on sale on eBay, Where I bought both the smaller comic and a sealed Butterfinger package with the smaller comic. Some of the larger online comic dealers may have it, but not usually, since it was never available "new" through that channel.