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[jhl1031973]

Hey Kids, Want A Free BACK ISSUE?

You'll get a free copy of BACK ISSUE #123, which features my May-December romance article on GREEN LANTERN'S Hal Jordan and Arisia Rrab and X-MEN'S Kitty Pryde and Colossus, with every order of these discounted books at TwoMorrows Publishing's Online Store during their Vsalentine's Day sale.

• The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Mainline Comics ($49.95 $29.95)

• Jack Kirby’s Dingbat Love ($43.95 $24.95)

• The Team-Up Companion ($39.95 $19.95)

• The World of TwoMorrows anniversary book ($37.95 $19.95)

Have a Happy Valentine's Day. Stay safe. Until next time I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Honoring George Perez

BACK ISSUE #147 Remembers The Comics' legend.

This has been out for quite a while. I'm proud to have been chosen among the talented BACK ISSUE writing staff to help pay tribute to the late, great George Perez. Sadly, we've lost many legends in comic books in the past year or so. Neal Adams, Tim Sale, George Perez and, more recently, Keith Giffen are among those who have left a gigantic void in the industry. However, their legends live on through there work. Pick up their work wherever you buy comic books, and be sure to get the print or digital BACK ISSUE salute to George Perez here. It's a must-have for any George Perez fan.

[jhl1031973]

Thank you to everyone who got me to 100 likes!

[jhl1031973]

Even Superheroes Face Challenges

You Can Read About Them In BACK ISSUE #146

I tend to be my own worst critic. However, I am extremely proud of my 25th article for BACK ISSUE, which came out Wednesday in issue #146.

"Everyday Challenges: Bronze Age Superheroes With Disabilities" looks at Daredevil, Professor Xavier, DOOM PATROL'S Chief, THE NEW TEEN TITAN'S Jericho and Barbara Gordon/Oracle as they face life head on without limitations. All this, and a look at real life heroes Lou Ferrigno and the late Christopher Reeve. Get your print and digital copies here, and leave a comment by clicking the "Ask Me Anything" button or mail me here or here. I wish to thank my beautiful and amazing wife Laura and our family of cats, dogs and humans for their infinite love and patience, J.M. DeMatteis, Chris Claremont, Marv Wolfman and Chuck Dixon for their quotes in the article, editor Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publisher John Morrow for giving me the opportunity to discuss a subject so important to me.

Take care of yourselves, folks. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best, James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Spider-Foes, Spider-Foes...

...Go wherever Spidey goes. Webhead's lucky to be alive, which you'll see in BI #145. In there, you'll find Spider-Foes.

It helps to sing the words above like the 1960s Spider-Man theme. Anyhow, BACK ISSUE #145 takes a look at Spider-Man's numerous foes. I take a look at Silvermane, Hammerhead, Tombstone, the Rose and the Schemer in "The Gangs Of New York: Organized Crime And Crimeloords In Bronze Age Spider-Man Comic Books". I received my digital comp copy yesterday while writing some things I had previously put to the side. However, you can order your PDF and print copies here.

My 25th article for BACK ISSUE is one I'm particularly proud of. It should be out in August's #146. Plus, I'm part of the magazine's 20th anniversary in BI #147 coming in October. All this, and various manuscripts are in the works. See you soon. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Wil Wheaton re-blogged this about Merv Pumpkinhead. I'll have to re-read Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, as I was still living in Ohio when I originally read the entire 75 issue run. However, this seems to be a pretty sound theory.

Until next Time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

A theory about Merv

I have a theory about Mervyn Pumpkinhead.  I’d say it’s a headcanon but it’s more a theory. 

  According to the tale of Stingy Jack (the origin of the jack-o-Lantern) we carve Jack-o-lanterns to drive away old Jack and other wandering ghosts.  The Jack-o-lantern is a protection ward against supernatural threats from entering your home. One superstition has it that if you blow out the Jack-o-lantern before midnight on Halloween you invite evil spirits to enter your home for the entire year.  It’s only safe to blow it out after midnight. Another superstition is if you let the Jack-o-lantern burn out naturally you invite good luck for the entire year and have warded your home against evil for the full year.  It is especially good luck if it manages to burn until after sunrise. In The House with a clock in its walls Pumpkin Jack-o-lanterns are used as protection wards all year long. Jack-o-lanterns, at their heart, are symbols of protection.  Now, because we see Mervyn as a Mervyn Turniphead in The Sandman story The Tempest, it’s very clear that his Jack-o-lantern head isn’t just for the aesthetic. In his Turnip form, that is an old school Irish Jack-o-lantern.  That is a pre-Halloween decoration (use for any time of year) Protection symbol against supernatural threats.

So even in present day when Mervyn has a modern Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern head, Mervyn is a walking, talking, protection ward against supernatural threats.  He’s not just the groundskeeper or janitor.  He’s a line of defense.   This does explain why Mervyn stands up to The Furies (The Kindly Ones) the way he does.

And this is also one of the many reasons I, myself, love Jack-o-lanterns.  They aren’t just symbols of Halloween. They are kind of comforting in their protective light. 

[jhl1031973]

PS ARTBOOKS PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES PART 2

Horror Mike has had his second part of his look at PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES for about a month. I've been unable to promote it due to writing deadlines. If you're looking for both volumes of PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES which have introductions written by myself, they are still available at https://www.psartbooks.com/pcc-weird-mysteries.php for an economical price. Listings on eBay tend to be expensive for the books, but maybe you can find a bargain there, too.

Special thanks to Horror Mike for letting me ramble on via e-mail about my work on WEIRD MYSTERIES and for PS Artbooks. Extra special thanks to Peter and Nicky Crowther and all the PS Artbooks gang for giving me the opportunity to work on the WEIRD MYSTERIES essays. The greatest, most special thanks, dedication and love to my wife Laura. Without her inspiration and encouragement, none of this would be possible.

Until next Time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

PS ARTBOOKS PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES PART I

Horror Mike has been diuscussing the incredible pre-code Golden Age horror comics on his YouTube channel, inclusing some of the editions PS Artbooks has published. This week, he's put up the first part of his look at the PRE-CODE CLASSICS: WEIRD MYSTERIES. The second part should be out sometime next week. For those who may not recall, the WEIRD MYSTERIES hardcovers consisted of two volumes that collected the entire 1952-1954 Stanley Morse WEIRD MYSTERIES comic series. I wrote the the introductions to both PS Artbooks volumes that reprinted every issue in handy hardcover editions. Special thanks to Horror Mike for letting me ramble on via e-mail about my work on WEIRD MYSTERIES and for PS Artbooks. Extra special thanks to Peter and Nicky Crowther and all the PS Artbooks gang for giving me the opportunity to work on the WEIRD MYSTERIES essays. The greatest, most special thanks, dedication and love to my wife Laura. Without her inspiration and encouragemnt, none of this would be possible.

Until next Time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Out Now, Coming Soon And A Review

I've been working on projects I'd put to the side while also writing my work-for-hire stuff. Hence, the lack of a post in a long time BACK ISSUE #141's Spies And P.I.'s themed magazine has been out since January. Get your paper and/or digital copies here before Nick Fury runs out of cheap cigars. My spotlight on Marvel's Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos comics is anong the fine articles in that issue. The SF Crows Nest even has a review of the entire tome here. Check it out.

BACK ISSUE #145, 146, 147 and 150 will also contain articles I've written. Plus I'm hoping to announce some other projects coming soon. I'll ttalk more about the future issues of BACK ISSUE when they come out. For now, all I can say is I'm proudest of #146's piece. Take it easy, everyone, and enjoy yourselves. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Are you the one who wrote about marvel's Micronauts comics?

Yes. I wrote about Marvel's Micronauts comics in my first BACK ISSUE article way back in 2014 in issue #76.

[jhl1031973]

Published Works

Here's a list of my published work so far. My Superman Homepage work will be put in another list when I have me time, as that goes back all the way to 2006.

“Video-Grams: A Look at Captain Video and His Video Rangers” by James Heath Lantz and Roy Thomas, (Unabridged Version) Roy Thomas Presents Captain Video, PS Artbooks, April 2013

“Video-Grams: A Look at Captain Video and His Video Rangers” by James Heath Lantz and Roy Thomas, (Abridged Version) Alter Ego #117, TwoMorrows Publishing, June 2013

“Dare You Read This Introduction,” Pre-Code Classics: Weird Mysteries Volume One, PS Artbooks, August 2013

"Revenge of the Living Introduction,” Pre-Code Classics: Weird Mysteries Volume Two, PS Artbooks, February 2014

"Inner-Space Opera: A Look at Marvel's Micronauts Comics," Back Issue #76, TwoMorrows Publishing, September 2014

“Queen of the TV Jungle: Irish McCalla as the Reincarnation of the Fiction House Heroine,” Roy Thomas Presents Sheena - Queen of the Jungle Volume Three, PS Artbooks, October 2014

Trilogy of Tales, Self-Published, distributed through Smashwords, September 2015

"The Many Lives of Supergirl: A Look at the Post-Crisis Maid of Might," Back Issue #84, TwoMorrows Publishing, September 2015

"X-Men Revisited: A Look at the Reprint Years of Marvel’s Mighty Mutants," Back Issue #86, TwoMorrows Publishing, January 2016

"A Monolith in Comics: A Look at Jack Kirby’s Adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey," Back Issue #89, TwoMorrows Publishing, June 2016

"Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner Scion of the Deep or Royal Pain?," Back Issue #91, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2016

"Fanfare For Bill Mantlo," Back Issue #96, TwoMorrows Publishing, May 2017

"Expanding the Timmverse: A Look at the DC Animated Universe in Comics," Back Issue #99, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2017

"Cable Guide: A Look at the History of Marvel's Time Traveling Mutant," Back Issue #102, TwoMorrows Publishing, January 2018

"Come into the Dark Side: A Look Inside the Mind of Darkseid, the Tyrant of Apokolips," Back Issue #104, TwoMorrows Publishing, May 2018

"Radioactive Panels: A Look At Marvel's Radioactive Man," Back Issue #112, TwoMorrows Publishing, May 2019

"Captain Video: Forgotten Father of the Sci-Fi Franchise," Sequart Organization (Online at sequart.org), June 2019

"Irreverent Panels: The Comics Career of Billy Graham," Back Issue #114, TwoMorrows Publishing, July 2019

"Capes, Cowls and Purple: How Prince Merged the Worlds of Music and Comics With Batman and Beyond," Sequart Organization (Online at sequart.org), July 2019

"Adventure Star: A Look At The Life of Starman Prince Gavyn," Back Issue #115, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2019

"Dark Knights, Kryptonians, Predators And Aliens... Oh My!," Back Issue #116, TwoMorrows Publishing, September 2019

"With Great Power Comes Great Career Opportunities: A Character Study of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s Zenith," Sequart Organization (Online at sequart.org), May 2020

"Pages Of Thunder: A Look At The Adventures Of Arak," Back Issue #121, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2020

"Starfire In The Sky: A Look At The New Teen Titans Warrior Princess," Back Issue #122, TwoMorrows Publishing, September 2020

"Ages Of Romance: May-December Love In The Bronze Age," Back Issue #123, TwoMorrows Publishing, October 2020

"Where Strikes The Thunderbolt: Hulk's General Ross In The Bronze Age And Beyond," Back Issue #127, TwoMorrows Publishing, June 2021

"Mister Sandman, Was It A Dream?," Sequart Organization, (Online at sequart.org), July 2021

"The King's Odds And Ends: Jack Kirby's Freelance Work At DC Comics," Back Issue #131, TwoMorrows Publishing, October 2021

"Starjammers: Jamming With The Stars," Back Issue #133, TwoMorrows Publishing, February 2022

"Scream Queen: The Life Of Silver Banshee," Back Issue #135, TwoMorrows Publishing, June 2022

"Roy And Remembrance: How America Took On The Justice Society," Back Issue #137, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2022

[jhl1031973]

Potential Ideas For Comics

While doing research and writing various projects in the past few months or so, ideas for potential comics for Marvel and DC came to me. One such book centers around this cool fellow in the above image. I'll even do a writing audition to show my skills to the powers that be. Indie publishers and Big Two current editors can contact me at either torgomadness@yahoo.com or 10thDoc73@gmail.com anytime. My rates are reasonable, and I'm more than willing to write superhero, science fiction, fantasy and horror comics featuring any character. Serious offers only.

James Heath Lantz

Freelance Writer

Staff Writer for Back Issue magazine

2021 Eisner Award nominee, 2019 winner, "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism"

[jhl1031973]

Hear The Banshee Scream in BACK ISSUE #135

I've been busy with numerous writing deadlines, and I recently signed a contract with a publisher. That means something I wrote should be released within the next twelve months or so depending on the editing queue length. Meanwhile, grab your earplugs because my Silver Banshee character study is in the All-Silver themed BACK ISSUE #135. Get your paper and/or digital copies here before your ears bleed from Silver Banshee's voice. Let me know what you think in the Submitted For Your Approval section. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

From The Shameless Plug Department - Jam With the X-Men’s Starjammers in BACK ISSUE #133 Out Now.

Between the current state of the world, release date delays and other writng deadlines, I just haven't had the chance to shamelessly plug my latest published work until now. BACK ISSUE #133 features my "Jamming With The Stars" spotlight on the Starjammers from Marvel's X-MEN comics. I wrote it with the intention of making it a companion piece to my character study of Cable from back in, I think, 2017. You can get your paper and/or digital copies here if you want to read about Cable's graandfather Corsair and the rest of his ragtag group of space buccaneers. Let me know what you think in the Submitted For Your Approval section. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

From The Shameless Plug Department - Out Now - BACK ISSUE #131

After numerous delays beyond our control, BACK ISSUE #131, our companion to #104's look at the FOURTH WORLD SAGA characters and comics, is out now with its salute to Jack Kirby's other DC work. My article, "THE KING'S ODDS AND ENDS: Jack Kirby's Freelance Work At DC Comics", shines the spotlight on Jack's time on 1ST ISSUE SPECIAL, OUR FIGHTING FORCES, KOBRA, RICHARD DRAGON and JUSTICE, INC. In addition to the comics themselves, I discuss their impact on past and present creators and comic books. If you want to know more, get your paper and/or digital copies here while you can. Let me know what you think in the Submitted For Your Approval section. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz

[jhl1031973]

Unpublished Work - First Two Pages Of A Captain Video Reboot Comic #1

I've handed in four short story manuscripts and a BACK ISSUE article. Plus, I'm work on other BI pieces due to editor Michael Eury in August and December. Enjoy this unpublished work while I work on those and other projects I put aside.

I'm not exactly certain when I wrote this, but I think it was not too long after I did the PS Artbooks intros and my first BACK ISSUE article on Marvel's MICRONAUTS comics. I'd seen that Dark Horse Comics had revived CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT comic books. This inspired me to write a new version of CAPTAIN VIDEO. It started as something like a preview or a serial for anthology comic. I wanted to reboot this classic franchise. I had a retro sci-fi visual in mind when I began the script. I've sent it to various publishers, but it's been turned down so far. Oh well, perhaps when the time is right, a new CAPTAIN VIDEO comic will see the light of day. Enjoy.

James Heath Lantz 2 February 2021

PAGE 1 (3 PANELS)

PANEL 1 EXTERIOR: OUTER SPACE

We see the planet Earth and the moon in this image. A caption in the upper right corner should state the obvious.

1. CAPTION: EARTH.

PANEL 2 EXTERIOR: A FOREST ON EARTH

The exterior description should say it all. It's your basic secluded area in the woods. There should be a caption at the bottom of the panel.

2. CAPTION: SOME THINGS REMAIN THE SAME...

PANEL 3 EXTERIOR: A FUTURISTIC CITY IN THE YEAR 2231

Here's where the artist should have fun as long as the scene looks like a 1940s-1950s science fiction film or television series mixed with the art style of the 1951 Captain Video comic books. What we have here is a shining metropolis of the future of polished, bright silver metal. Automobiles and Whirlojets from the Captain Video comics are moving through the streets and skies as spaceships are being launched to go to the stars. This is ALLIANCE CITY, headquarters of the newly formed INTERPLANETARY ALLIANCE AND UNIVERSAL SAFETY COMMISSION, whose triple-domed building should be in the center of the image. If the artist is having trouble with ideas, they can check out the surviving episodes of Captain Video and His Video Rangers. Four are available on DVD. They may also wish to watch the movie serial Captain Video: Master Of The Stratosphere or any science fiction film or TV show from the 1950s for inspiration. It might also help to look at the Fawcett Comics' Captain Video comics. Roy Thomas and I worked on an intro for a hardcover volume that collected the entire series. However, the comics themselves are available online for reference as copies of the book are next to impossible to find. The caption should be in the top left corner without obstructing the image in this panel.

3. CAPTION: YET, OTHER THINGS HAVE CHANGED GREATLY.

PAGE 2 (4 PANELS)

PANEL 1 EXTERIOR: OUTER SPACE DURING AN INTERGALACTIC WAR

Space vehicles of all shapes and sizes are firing energy weapons at one another. I want the artist to use their imagination to its fullest here. Whatever they have in mind will be great so long as it fits with the visual style for Captain Video. A caption should be located in the upper left corner.

1. CAPTION: AFTER MANY YEARS OF WAR...

PANEL 2  INTERIOR: THE INTERPLANETARY ALLIANCE AND UNIVERSAL SAFETY COMMISSION'S MAIN MEETING AUDITORIUM

Beginning with this panel, I want to do something the TV series could not do because the Dumont Network did not have the resources or the budget to do so. I want to show a lot of alien lifeforms of various types. This panel should have a United Nations type of meeting room full of delegates from the numerous worlds in the INTERPLANETARY ALLIANCE AND UNIVERSAL SAFETY COMMISSION. Have fun with this. Once again, we have a caption located in the upper left corner.

2. CAPTION: THE INTERPLANETARY ALLIANCE AND UNIVERSAL SAFETY COMMISSION WAS BORN IN THE YEAR 2231.

PANEL 3 INTERIOR: A TYPICAL HOME IN THE YEAR 2231

A family consisting four grandparents, two parents and three children, two male and a female, are gathered around a holographic video projector. They are watching a program with cowboys as characters. Let the artist decide how the people should be dressed and how "retro-futuristic" the living room they occupy should look so long as the hologram comes out out of something similar to an electric eye.

3. CAPTION: WITH IT CAME THE NEW VIDEO AGE...

PANEL 4 INTERIOR: A BRIEFING ROOM IN VIDEO RANGER HEADQUARTERS

The VIDEO RANGERS are shown in this image listening to a commanding officer codenamed CAPTAIN VIDEO brief them on their missions. Make the VIDEO RANGERS a mixture of human and aliens. Their uniforms should be similar to the army surplus ones used on the television show. However, the fabric should be a metallic gray. There should be a diagonal bronze lightning bolt on the Video Rangers' costumes that begins at the left shoulder with the tip located near the right hip. Captain Video's suit should have a gold lightning bolt. A caption should be located in the upper left corner, with another in the lower right under Captain Video.

4. CAPTION: ITS PROTECTORS ARE THE VIDEO RANGERS...

5. CAPTION: LED BY CAPTAIN VIDEO.

[jhl1031973]

Out Now - Back Issue #127

BACK ISSUE #127 is out now. Get your paper and/or digital copies here while you can. Let me know what you think of my spotlight on General Ross in the Submitted For Your Approval section. Until next time, I wish you...

All The Best,

James Heath Lantz