Last weekend was Baltimore Comic Con, and I checked out the show on Friday to avoid the crowds. So, I wrote this post after last year’s con, about how the prices for creator signings have gotten out of hand. Well, I’m sad to announce that things have only gotten worse. I bought no comics at the comic con, as all of my money went toward getting creator signatures. Now, one could say that I should have known what I was getting into, but I actually budgeted for it this time. Little did I know that the prices would be even crazier just one year later.
There were still folks out there signing for free (Thanks, Cliff Chiang, Michael Cho, and Tula Lotay!), but most started at $5 and went all the way up to $40 a book. Yes, you read that correctly: $40 A BOOK! I guess this is the point where I tell you that the creator who was charging $20 last year? Well, he’s now charging $40, which is insane given his only real contribution since has been an embarrassingly late, unpopular Batman sequel that no one really wanted.
Now, don’t get me wrong – He’s always been very friendly, and I’ve had some nice conversations with him. Still, sometimes I feel like it’s the scenario where the stripper is flirting with me in order to get a bigger tip. He even does this thing, where his handler will tell you “This weekend, he’s got a special where he’ll draw a little doodle with the signature for $30.” Um, OK, but he’s not an artist! I could draw a little Bat on the cover for FREE. And I should add that the little doodle would be $30 PER BOOK. Now, I’m sure some asshole who’s reading my stuff for the first time is thinking “You don’t HAVE to buy it”, but that’s not even what I’m talking about here. It shouldn’t even be on the menu! Someone in a local FB comic group felt the same way I did about the current state of signature pricing, and one of those “I went to the School of Hard Knocks” assholes had to chime in about how we’re being whiny bitches. Whatever, man. Get your money, but like I said last year, this model isn’t sustainable.
Adventures On Pluto
So, lately I’ve been wrapped up in the old CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement, which is a mainstay on Pluto TV’s Sitcom Legends channel (which I’m not quite sure is a title it has earned. I guess the Pluto marketing team ran out of channel names). Airing from 2007-2013, I will always think of it as “the little sitcom that could”. CBS never really treated it with respect, yet it managed to get to 100 episodes merely as a utility player. It launched as a midseason replacement, and spent most of its run as a fill-in when other shows were either canceled or had exhausted their episode orders. It was also notable in that it was something of a base camp for refugees from other canceled shows. You had Patrick Warburton, most recently from Fox’s The Tick at that point; Megyn Price, from Fox/The WB’s Grounded For Life; David Spade, most recently from 8 Simple Rules, which he’d joined after John Ritter’s passing; Kate’s brother, Oliver Hudson, most recently on The WB’s The Mountain, and Bianca Kajlich, off of UPN’s Rock Me Baby. In later seasons, Reno 911‘s Wendi McLendon-Covey joins the show, in what was clearly part of some kind of talent holding deal.
On paper, the show was meant to depict different stages of relationships: Spade’s Russell is a smarmy rich bachelor who hasn’t experienced love. Hudson and Kajlich play Adam and Jennifer, who are the young couple that has just moved in together. Warburton and Pryce, as Jeff and Audrey, are the relationship vets, having been married for years. The men meet up at a local diner, where they share updates on their lives. Usually Adam is experiencing some new relationship dynamic with Jennifer, and Jeff shares his wisdom on the situation. This usually backfires, though, as Jeff is an old-fashioned Man’s Man, while Adam is a bit more modern and metrosexual (the show debuted at the height of us embracing that term). As you can imagine, they sort of run out of things for Russell to do, since he’s not in a relationship, so they eventually add Adir Kalyan as Russell’s assistant Timmy. An Oxford educated man, Timmy know that Russell’s antics are beneath him, but he needs the job, so he goes along with Russell’s schemes.
In some ways, the show is kinda dated. I say that looking directly at Bianca Kajlich, in that she is the epitome of 2000s Hot, with her lowrise jeans and just…hot. There’s a reason she was on Maxim‘s Hottest 100 Women list TWICE! It works, though, as Adam is basically a Himbo, so it makes Jennifer the Smart One in the couple. Spade is playing Spade. You know what you’re getting there, even if he’s closer to the Modern Day Spade than Just Shoot Me! Spade. Pryce is interesting casting as Audrey, but she’s got great chemistry with Warburton. It’s just funny how Grounded For Life had her as a wife and mother who started her family way too young, while just a few years later she convincingly plays a seemingly older (?) woman, who kinda has her shit together. I mean, it’s Acting, but it makes me wonder if maybe she had been too old for her Grounded role. That wasn’t a show that I watched often, and when I did it was mainly for Lynsey Bartilson (has she been freed from the clutches of Scientology yet?)
The real gem, however, is Warburton as Jeff, in that he does so much with so little. He’s Patrick Warburton, so you know he’s just playing Seinfeld‘s David Puddy again, but at least now he’s Puddy in a Suit. He doesn’t say much, so when he speaks, he means it. Even if it’s foolish. One of my favorite lines is when he gets upset that Audrey bought a new TV on her own, without letting him search for good deal: “Please tell me you got it somewhere called ‘Crazy Al’s’, ‘Crazy Larry’s’ – their mental illness means big savings for us.” He never yells like he does when he voices Family Guy‘s Joe Swanson. Instead, when he’s intentional about something, he says it with more emphasis, more bass.
Anyway, this is a show that I enjoyed when it originally aired, and still enjoy today. The chemistry amongst the cast is great, and it’s a good show to just mindlessly put on in the background. Its 100 episodes made it perfect for syndication, although it hasn’t really been cycled since around 2018. It’s definitely worth seeking out, though, as I highly recommend it.
Run The Numbers
Didn’t do a ton of reading this week, as the days went by quickly, yet slowly. Does that make sense? I used to laugh at the concept of a midlife crisis, but boy do I get it now!
OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I’ve got the perfect Fall graphic novel for your teen. From First Second Books, it’s called Pumpkin Heads, which was written by Rainbow Rowell, with art by Faith Erin Hicks. It follows Josiah and Deja, who are two high school seniors who work at a pumpkin patch every Fall. The book is set on the final night of their final year working the patch, as the characters try to make the most of the time they’ve got left. Deja is pushing Josiah to finally talk to his crush who works at the fudge shoppe, while Deja plans to spend the evening sampling all of the snacks that she never tried throughout the season. If you’ve ever seen one of those “This is the most important night of our lives” teen movies, then you get the gist. Only this one is perfect for your 12 year old, as there’s nothing remotely objectionable unless you have an issue with Deja’s implied bisexuality. I had grabbed this used copy a few months back, mainly because I’d heard about the story and thought it sounded cute. It’s tropey as Hell, but that’s not always a bad thing, and it’s a quick read.
Will Around The Web
I joined the latest episode of Super Cinema for Patreon subscribers of Wizards: The Podcast Guide To Comics. This month, the movie we discussed was 2004’s Hellboy. In a situation that almost never happens, this was a movie I had actually seen! If you wanna get in on the action, then sign up for the Wizards Patreon!
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
- South Park did something really weird, where they abruptly ended Season 27, and then went right into Season 28 the next week. Now, basic cable has already ruined the concept of the “TV season”, but I really don’t understand what’s going on with Stone and Parker these days.
- McDonalds brought back the popular, seasonal Boo Buckets this week, and introduced two new colors: Black and Red. Since they were released on 10/21, chances are they’re already sold out. That’s how McDonalds promos work these days…
- It was announced that Warner Bros Discovery is on the market for a buyer, with Skydance/Paramount and Netflix as the favorites to land it. This is a bad thing, any way you shake it, but I think we all saw this coming.
- Speaking of Netflix, they have entered into a toy deal with both Mattel and Hasbro for K-Pop Demon Hunters, where Mattel will handle dolls, figures, and playsets, while Hasbro will handle plush, electronics, and board games. I’m pretty sure someone at Sony is getting fired for letting Netflix have the merchandise rights to this thing…
- A shady New York real estate developer set his sights on the East Wing of the White House, which included destroying the movie theater. Guess Barron is gonna have to watch his Faces of Death tapes in his room from now on.
- Kim Kardashian was diagnosed with having a brain aneurysm. I know some of y’all will say something like “That’s what she gets ’cause she sucks”, but my father passed away from one of those, and they are no laughing matter. So, she’s in my prayers.
- Netflix has ordered a VICTORiOUS spinoff, starring the most boring character from that show. Hollywood Arts will follow Trina Vega (played by Daniella Monet) as a failed actress who returns to her performing arts high school as an underqualified substitute teacher. In a strange deal, the show will later get a run on Paramount+ (where it probably should have been in the first place).
- Finally, I hit Publish last week just before the news broke of the passing of KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. Now, I’m not gonna sit here and act like I know a ton about KISS, but it’s always sad when the founding member of an institution is no longer with us. It’s the end of an era!
Chainsaw-wielding thieves robbed the Louvre? French cinema is BACK, baby! No, apparently this was a real thing that happened this week. I try to stay away from the news lately, however, since I don’t really need to see AI video of the American president shitting on people from a plane. You know Matt Stone and Trey Parker saw that and said “FUCK! That was gonna be next week’s episode!” Anyway, there’s a great pic making the rounds of a kid in a fedora who everyone thought was on the case, but it’s been confirmed that he was just walking by, and has no connection to the investigation. Which is great, because now I don’t have to post said picture. I don’t wanna get sued for posting that thing without permission. So, just do what Miraculous Ladybug does, and picture the Eiffel Tower so you’ll know it’s Paris! Anydangways, the “Louvrers” (that’s what I’m calling them) had the West Week Ever.
