Solo by Mike Allred

Bear with me, even if you think you don't like comics. As I mentioned Tuesday, I couldn't possibly be less impressed by Jim Lee's new super hero designs for DC.

Coincidentally, last night, Mike Allred's issue of DC Comic's Solo (from 2005) was on the top of my reading pile. What an absolute delight.

The first story features Hourman, a character I always thought was ridiculous. If you're not familiar, he has a supply of pills and when he swallows one, gets superstrength . . . for one hour. He wears a sandtimer around his neck to keep track. Silly right? But Allred's story is a beautifully-illustrated, funny tale of what Hourman does when he swallows a pillow, but finds he has no crime to fight. Even if you're not a comic book fan, you should read the whole thing here (site is probably NSFW).



You can also read another story from the issue here (also NSFW). Allred makes the classic designs shine:



It's a terrible shame that the Solo issues were never collected (I think?), although you can find some issues at eBay. If anyone has some they'd like to swap for some Threadless credit, please get in touch. I have the Darwynn Cooke and Teddy Kristiansen issues.

Link roundup

1. Thew new Deus Ex Revolution trailer is actually a little lackluster compared to the slick marketing materials. (And it's sad that seeing the Square Enix logo is now a turnoff.)

2. In light of the fact that Symbionic Titan was supposedly canceled for not making a viable toy line, it's interesting that Hasbro still won't commit to making toys for Disney's Avengers cartoon. (Which my boys would looove.)

3. Full scan of "Immune" - - imagine early chapters of The Stand illustrated by Frank Quitely.

Link roundup

1. Comic strip by Lucy Knisley about online dating.

2. Weird niche blog - - Could they beat up China Mieville? Via.

3. It's Yang, Master of Kung Fu vs. a mistress of wolves in Night of the Wolf.

Link roundup

1. Totally bizarre story of a nuclear power plant mishap that killed three men in 1961 Idaho. "When one of the trio was buried, his family asked to see the coffin: permission was only granted when they agreed to rush through the funeral in five minutes."

2. Fast Company chose Reshma Shetty as one its most creative people in business:

At MIT Shetty earned her synthetic-biology chops by helping engineer a strain of E. coli bacteria that smelled minty fresh, eliciting praise from experimental biologists who hated the outhouse stench of unadulterated E. coli.

3. It's Star-Lord and a sort of space Dr. Moreau in "More Than Human" by Doug Moench, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Bob McLeod.

The time when Wonder Woman had to babysit a dinosaur for charity

Full scan of Wonder Woman #90, when Wonder Woman had to babysit a whale, elephant, and dinosaur for charity.

*Buy invisible jets at eBay.

The Vision is so emo

From Avengers #58, John Buscema shows even an android can cry.

*Buy Vision toys at eBay.

Link roundup

1. Custom dog crate.

2. Psychedelic time waster by Paul Neave. He's also posted various games like Asteroids, and a planetarium.

3. Full scan of a twilight zone-esque tale by Neal Adams and Sergio Aragones.

Link roundup

1. Sky on fire. Via.

2. Fast Company has a great article about Cargill's creation and marketing of the sweetener Truvia:

TRUVIA HAS ITS OWN tribute message, an ode to the comfort Cargill wants to provide. "Have you ever cured bad news with hot choc-olate? Ever snuck downstairs to eat a cookie before breast-feeding the baby at 3 a.m.?" If the answer is yes, you are part of Cargill's new demographic, the Yoga Momma, the company's name for the typically harried but well-intentioned working woman.

On a recent day, McFerson and Truvia's marketing director, Ann Tucker, explain the tao of Yoga Momma-ism. "The Yoga Momma wears yoga pants but may never make it to class," Tucker says. "It's more about a mind-set," McFerson adds. Both readily admit this sounds like them. "I've never been to class, but I have the pants," McFerson deadpans.

The brand homage was conceived by mothers at Ogilvy & Mather in Chicago. "What is cool about Cargill is it's a pretty female-based group," says Donna Charlton-Perrin, one of the campaign's architects. "There is a line in there about how women have a complicated relationship with sweetness. Everyone just had this autobiographical understanding of how that goes." Not surprisingly, Yoga Mommas tend to be prime spenders on health-related supermarket goodies. To reach them, McFerson spent lavishly to secure a name (which sounds like true plus stevia, and was devised by Lexicon Branding); a logo (light green type with a tiny stevia leaf, by Pentagram); and clever print and TV ads designed by Ogilvy.

3. Goofy mystery awaits Detective Rex Starbuck in House of Mystery #251.

Illustration roundup

Panel from Detective Comics #421 (December 1971).




Meet new Daredevil artist "Lanky" Frank Miller circa 1979.




Lots of fun in this 1500-panel scan of Wham-O's Giant Comics.





Magician by Jared Joslin. Via.






Hearing trumpet and labyrinth by Leonora Carrington. Via these sites.

*Buy magician posters at Amazon.