Comix Journal

All Bloggers Welcome

2009-02-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

Hey all!
As I've mentioned before, I've got my site fairly locked down to all those that are trying to hotlink the images posted there to prevent bandwidth vampires from their unintentional bandwidth theft.

Just today, I received an e-mail from "Skywalker" that he had posted a blog entry about my site on his blog, Terra Incognita. I was struck not only by his politeness at informing me about his post, but that he had copied the images from my site and is hosting them on his own.

Now that got me to thinking. The blogosphere can only be to my benefit. I really should make the images on my site available to the bloggers whenever they need them. So I did. At least, I'm pretty sure I did. I've opened up image hotlinking to the "blogger.com" and "blogspot.com" domains.

Now, I'm sure there are other blog domains I could add to this list, but I don't know what they are. If you are a blogger (and I don't care if you write about me or not) and aren't using the blogger.com domain for your blog, please let me know what it is. I'll be sure to add it (after checking it out, of course).

I Hates Politics

2008-11-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Normally I stay out of discussion concerning religion and politics. I leave them alone, and they leave me alone. Politics, especially. Maybe I've become cynical about the whole game. You're a Democrat? That's nice. You're a Republican? That's nice.

You're a politician? In that case, it doesn't matter what your party affiliation is. YOU LIE! You'll say anything, you'll lie about anything, and you'll kiss anyone's ass if you think it will get you elected. You no longer represent anyone but yourself.

Now some anonymous fool has left a comment on one of my blogs. It doesn't matter which one, but if you must know (it doesn't appear to be relevant) it's "I've Got My Own Troll". I've deleted it already. Wanna know what was posted? Here it is...

"I think that was John McCain & Sarah Palin posting about your site. You would think they would have better things to do & people to insult."

Okay, it is highly probable that this was a bot-posting, that did it to innumerable other blogs. However, if it wasn't, then either pony-up with the posting about which you referred, or admit to me you've made a mistake. If I am wrong, I will quickly admit my errors. Or, if you're wrong, I fully expect you to remain silent.

That's the difference between an honest citizen, and politicians and their ilk.

The best leader is the person who leasts wants the job.

Comix Search Anomalies

2008-10-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I was just going over the stats of my website. When someone is directed there by way of a search engine, I can usually see what they were searching for. Most of the results are pretty straightforward. Stuff like "bible of filth by robert crumb", or "skull comics #4 cover". And there are the most popular searches, like "cherry poptart" (306 searches), and "cheech wizard" (37 searches).

But some of the searches are a bit odd, and worthy of mention. One of the oddest is the search for "a". There were 162 searches for "a". My first reaction is a stupid search. But I also see there are searches for ".a", "a a", "a.com", and "www.a.com". A.com? Still, it's a lot of hits from an odd search. Almost like the one search for "fo". What is that fo? What did it show?

There was one search for "anus clenching". LOL! I know what they were searching for, but ya gotta wonder what originally came up on that search. In various wordings, there's another one for "set my chickens free". A lot of people seem to remember this little ditty, or at least remember about it. Another reasonably popular term is "armando's stiletto". It is one of my favorite images, too.

Here's one that has got my interest, "ed watson california comics" (5 searches). Now, Ed Watson is one of my favorite comix artists. Who are you, and why are you looking? There's another one for "freak brothers theme". Musical theme? Windows theme? Did you find it? Would you share it?

Would you believe that someone actually searched for Rip Off Comix #13? I understand why it would be searched for, but it's still funny that it's being looked for.

Here are some other searches that I've catagorized...

Sex-Related
amputee lover (1)
beastiality (4)
bizare catalog (1)
bizarre sex moments (1)
bizarre sex practices (1)
box snatch cunt (1)
felch pussy (1)
felching stories (1)
nuns leather (1)
perfectr tits and clits (1)
phelch (1)
sex comix (5)
smut (3)
www bizarre sex com (1)

Odd-Related
a filterui color-color (1)
beautyrest bicycle seats (1)
betaa (2)
buster foyt (1)
cheela smith (1)
dave dursley (1)
dennise summers (1)
dwarf revolt (1) - S. Clay Wilson?
effluvium terry richards dee fasteau (1)
eric eidelbach (1)
fo (1)
henry hubben(1)
how to price photos (1)
ï¿¼ï¿¼ï¿¼a (1)
j.lowis t-shirts (1)
jacki randall (1)
jeff jacklin comics (1)
john serdy (1)
julie franki (1)
kvre (1)
marc grabler (2)
marianne wizard (2)
nick poliwko (1)
statue big cat (1)
steve kristmann (1)
straitjacket ninja (1)
the chosen family noreen (1)
trephening (1)
vootie 8 omaha (1)
wyndi witch (1)

Comic-Related
rat comics (1)
scientific comics (1)
smacky the duck (1) - sounds familiar
um tut sut comix (1)
what are the best underground comics (1)

Dumb-Related
guide - (3)
homepage (1)
ie7pro (2)
picture of a book (1)
price (6)

Of course, there are quite a number of searches in theme and variation for "sir real". You luff me. You really luff me!!!

Then there's "hawaiian baby woodrose on okinawa". Who on earth is looking for this particular string of words? I see the same string every once in a while. Send me an e-mail!

Respect Is Earned

2008-01-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I get a little weirded out about the Bandwidth Thieves. The usual response from the Hotlinkers is...

a. Completely ignored.
b. No response, but the link is removed or changed.
c. Irate complaining about how unfair I am.
d. Reasonably sincere apologies.

Well, it happened again. But the response I got was a new one. Y'see, there's this guy, Jack, with a MySpace page. He hotlinked an image from my blog. I saw what he did, and changed the image into a Hotlink Citation...

So, I poked him with my Citation. Well, he poked back with...

Y'know, I gotta respect somebody who can dish out as good as he gets. If you want to see "The Mind of an Old Crazy Guy" image, head on over to Jack's Site. It's pretty funny. And a tad too accurate. LOL!

Jack, if you ever read this, drop me a line. For displaying such good form, you can link to anything on my site that you'd like.

A New Project

2008-01-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hey all. Yeah, I know I haven't been around in a while. Actually, I have. Y'see, I've been working on a collaborative project. It's called the HeadComix Wiki. It is a most ambitious project. A small collection of us UG collectors, under the beneficence of Comix Junky (who has supplied the web-space & wiki program) we are creating the definitive source of Underground Comix printings.

Sort of like Kennedy's guide without the listing of current prices. It is not a price guide, but a printing guide.

Anyway, I've been spending a lot of time there.

My First Slab

2007-09-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since the ComicCon, and I've been neglecting my blog. I've still gotta come up with an idea for my next video.

Anyways, while I was at the Con, I had mentioned to Justin that I was looking for a 1st edition of a Freak Brothers #11. Well lo and behold, he happened to have one that he was willing to sell to me. I jumped on it right away. What you see on the right is what I purchased.

This is truly the first slabbed comix I have ever owned. And let me tell you right now, I'm never going to buy another one. Sure, its in super condition, and verified as a 1st edition. But it might as well be behind a museum glass case. I can't touch it, I can't read it. It is forever out of my reach, and that kind of grates on me.

I don't think I'm going to buy any more slabbed comix.

Fabuleuses Aventures Des Freak Brothers

2007-07-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've recently acquired an interesting comix. This is an 84 page (80 if you don't count the covers) comix of the The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. And it's all in French. From what I've been able to glean, it is most likely and unauthorized (pirate) edition.

I've traced down each story in it, and they are from a variety of comix. Selected shorts from Freak Brothers #1, #2, and #3. Also from Feds 'n' Heads Comics, Facts o' Life Funnies, and Hydrogen Bomb and Biochemical Warfare Funnies.

There's only one thing I'd really like to know. There is a two-page preface, and its all in handwritten French. Does anyone out there know enough French to translate it for me?

Now With Bigger Covers

2007-07-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow collectors is working on his own site. Right now its really hush-hush. He wants to announce its opening when he's ready. Anyways, he is using a couple of features that I really liked. So much, in fact, that I'm stealing them to use on my site. Don't worry. He's okay with it.

First off, I'm including on each page a "click for detailed cover" link just under the cover scan. This will load a nearly full-size scan of the cover. Now you can read any of those word-balloons that were unreadable before. I thought about water-marking the new, larger images. Naw, I've already locked down the hot-linking problem. If people want to steal the images, more power to 'em.

Then, on the thumbnail pages (y'know, A, B, C, Sets, etc.), I'm including the edition information, too. And not just the edition, but whether it was the only edition. That's going on the individual pages, too.

And finally, a feature that I've been thinking about for awhile now. I'm starting the process of cross-referencing the comix. In the comments section, I'm putting a "See also:" list of like comix. A good example is The Collected Cheech Wizard. This is a lot of work putting this stuff in. Most likely I'll miss something. If you catch me in a mistake, please let me know.

All these additions don't happen overnight. Like my scanning project, I'm working my way through the numbers. As of right now, I've completed from the A's through the J's.

Y'know, I figure this website will actually be complete in a couple of years.

What Edition Is It?

2007-07-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

The latest video from the Sir Real Show is now available. Its just me rambling on about how to find which edition of underground comix you've got. It would appear that I also made a mistake. At one point I'm talking about Zap Comix #1 and page numbering, and it should have been Zap Comix #0.

In my defense, I did know it was #0. You can even see me hesitate right before naming the comix. I suddenly had a brain-fart and couldn't remember the correct issue.

Oh well. Even so, I rambled on and on. It was so long, I had to split the show into two parts. And, since the next show is going to be from the San Diego Comic-Con, it might even split into three parts.

See ya there!

Kanned Korn Research

2007-07-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
Its been awhile, and I apologize. I get in these moods sometimes. Anyways, here's whats been going on...

I keep track on the statistics of my website. I like to see where people are coming from, where I've been linked to, etc. So I see where somebody has visited my site coming from a URL in Craig's List in Tallahassee, Florida. So I follow it back. It looks like there's a guy selling a record album that contains a comic book, and he's linked it to a comix page of mine to show an accurate description. From looking at his CL ad, he's selling the Canned Heat album, "Canned Heat Cookbook". Along with the album is the Kanned Korn Komix, which he says came with the album.

I never knew that the Kanned Korn Komix was bundled with a record album, but it made sense to me. The comix is in Kennedy's Guide (Fogel's, too), but it has a 10¢ cover price. This is a full-sized comic, with a mini-comic price. Granted, it has only 20 pages, but the price still doesn't seem to match.

Okay, so I contact the seller and make noises that I'd like to buy both the album and the comic. He tells me that he doesn't have any experience dealing in comics. Records are what he knows. He found this album and the comic was inside. He figured that they were supposed to be bundled together. Works for me. I made the deal and got the bundle, which you see here. Now I start doing some research, trying to verify the bundling.

After doing some extensive searching, I've found only two points of interest, both on the same website. Over at the CD BBQ, Index To C, there are two entries, which are...

B12274 CANNED HEAT LP: FUTURE BLUES 53.95 VG+/VG 197?,GFLD,NO COMIC BOOK,RW,WOL LIBERTY LST 11002
G03783 CANNED HEAT LP: FUTURE BLUES 61.95 VG+/VG+ W/KANNED KORN KOMIX STEREO

Based on this sparse information, it looks like the Kanned Korn Komix was not bundled with Canned Heat Cookbook album, but with the Future Blues album. And this is the only reference I could find.

So there you have it. Another little piece of comix history is come to light.

Wotta Month

2007-04-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I know I should try to keep this thing more updated, but sometimes I just busy with other stuff. So, what's been happening? I finally got April's video log up and running, featuring the Slow Death series. Now I gotta figure out what to do for May.

Then I got a notification from "Bob" about an eBay auction concerning the "R. Crumb's Little Big Ass Statue Bonanza". Thanks to Bob (whoever you are), I now have the entire set of that run...
In the order of their issue, is Mr. Natural (#0113 of 2,000), Fritz the Cat (#0296 of 2,000), Flakey Foont (#0596 of 2,000), Devil Girl (#0283 of 2,000), and Keep On Truckin' (#0279 of 2,000). They're all pretty cool, but I noticed that Flakey Foont is sporting a bit of gray on the sides of his head. This isn't from the Hup series. In the Hup series, Flakey looks to be his old self, that we've all come to know and love. This is the older (and still not wiser) Flakey in the Mystic Funnies series. I was kind of disappointed with that. I guess I was expecting the younger Flakey Foont. Oh well, I'm sure I can live with it.

And finally, the icing on the cake, from Darryl of Ormond, Australia, I've received a handful of interesting comix...

The Bijou Funnies, is actually Bijou Funnies #1, Official Australian Edition, but it sports the cover of Bijou Funnies #2. This is the only one of this set that I believe NOT to be a pirate edition. The remaining seven (God Nose, Mean Bitch Thrills, Skull Comics #5, Zap (#1?), Zap Comix #6, Zap Comix #7, and Zap Comix #8) are all pirate editions, completely unauthorized to print. The covers and guts are all newsprint, and for those issues that actually duplicated the cover art, the print colors are just all wrong. Of the Zap Comix run, only the first one tries to keep with the original Zap series cover. The remaining issues all have new covers. I've only briefly gone through them, and it looks like the contents are all from the original Zap series. Once I've done a more complete cataloging, I'll have a better idea of where each of the stories came from.

A New Thing

2007-03-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Just last Saturday, I went to a collectibles show. It's called Frank & Son Collectible Show. Wow, lotsa stuff there, f'sure. Now, I knew that these statues existed, but I couldn't pass up the price. Now its got me hooked, in a small way.

As you can see, I bought the "R. Crumb's Little Big Ass Statue Bonanza Keep on Truckin', No. 5 of 5", #279 of 2,000. I think it looks pretty cool. Looks like a nice quality item. For a limited edition, I'd expect nothing less.

I've gotta admit, though. Comparing it to the original drawing, its kinda weird to see it in color and in 3D. The head doesn't look quite right.

Now that I've got "No. 5 of 5", I'm going to be keeping my eyes out for the rest of the series...

Of course, I'm also going to be keeping my eye out for the "Catholic School Girl", too.

A Much Better Show

2007-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Far out, right on, and outta sight!
Sir Real's Underground Comix Classix show for March, 2007 is now up and ready for viewers. And despite what that Cherry Poptart cover, that's not what its about. This month is featuring Captain Guts, by Larry Welz.

I had some real fun with the show this time. I've converted my 'library' into a mini video studio. I've got my laptop "prompter" sitting in front of the vidi-cam. You can also see my 500 watt halogen light with its homemade 8½"x11" diffuser.

This is a shot from the camera-side looking towards my backdrop. I've come a little farther than my original "pink screen" that I used to use.

I've also conquered the problem I was having with lighting the backdrop. Here you can see my fluorescent shop light positioned at the bottom of the blue-screen. It make a big improvement when working in chroma-key.

Now on to figuring out what to do for next month...

Zero Growth

2007-02-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another thing I wanna mention. I see my friends over at the Comics Price Guide Forum buying up all of these high-priced cool comix. It actually makes me kinda jealous. I haven't added to my collection in some months. Nothing really rare, anyways. Well, I did add these new American Splendor comics...

...but that's not really rare stuff. Ah well. Once the scanning project is finished, then I can start actively growing again.

AARRRGGHH! Why Me?

2007-02-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Egads, I must be cursed.

I'm working up my next show, and my computer decides it wants to freak-out on me. At least this time it's not a hardware fault. Stupid thing wants to reboot every 6 minutes and 15 seconds (+/- 3 seconds). Yeah, I did a couple of things wrong, and now I'm paying for it. I should have made recovery discs, but I didn't. Luckily all my data is securly backed up. I've ordered a set of recovery discs from HP. When those come in, I'm going to wipe everything and start over.

With any luck, I'll be able to reinstall the OS without all of the advertising crap that came with the computer. I don't want to try AOL free for 3 months. I don't want a trial version of whatever stupid personal financial package that was there. I don't want all the stupid lame games. I just want a computer and the OS. Everything else I'll install myself.

Anyway, the next show is coming together nicely. I do have a back-up computer I can still created it with, so no delays there. Also, I might have to make another entry later this week. I've been offered a couple of "goodies" by someone we all know and love. I'll let you know if it happens.

Another Lackluster Show

2007-02-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

February's show is in the can. After fudging around with that chroma-key thing, I decided to just screw it. I can't seem to get it to work as perfectly as I'd like, so until something else comes along, I'm just going to use a plain background.

Although I did have a bit of fun with the closing gag. You'll see.

Chrismas Goodies

2006-12-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Heya all,
Christmas has been good to me this year. Over on the Comics Price Guide Forums, us undergrounders had a little Secret Santa thing going on. Good ol' Over40Artist sent me Real Pulp Comics #2, Terminal Comics, and Promethean Enterprises #5. Sweet! He also sent me the poster for the 3rd Underground Comix Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, done by Dan Clyne. Had to get that one into my poster book right away. I also sent out my Sir Real Coffee Mugs to all of the participants. Merry Christmas, all!

I also received a rather unexpected present from Evert Geradts, who just recently added a new item to my Vanity Page. Evert does this story series, "Mynga and Ramzy" for the magazine "Hello, You!". It is designed to help young Dutch children learn English. Check it out, Evert drew me in making a guest appearance. HOO-HAW! Check out the two pages (left and right) where I make my appearance.

I'm in saddle-shoes????

Can't Do It This Month

2006-12-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the 18th of December, and I still haven't done this month's video show yet. And it looks like I won't have it done anytime this month, either. This time of year is just way too busy for me.
I will have it done for January. I've already got the subject ready. I promise to have the next episode ready for the first week of next year.

Promise!

I've Got My Own Troll

2006-12-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

Somewhere along the line, I've picked up my own little enemy. I don't know where he came from, but he really has it out for me, bad-mouthing me in all the places he can. Both of them.

Anyways, here's what I think happened. There's this Stumbleupon guy that goes by the name of Erick Wessels. Like a lot of people on Stumbleupon, he hot-links pictures from various websites to display on his little "look-at-me" page. As many of you know from my previous rants, hot-linking the images on my site will only get you the...

I think Erick tried to hot-link one of my images, and got my chastisement picture. This upset the little Neder-weiner, a lot. He reviewed my site, calling me an asshole. He then comes over and signs my guestbook, again calling me an asshole. He even got his little girlfriend to sign my guestbook unflatteringly, too.

Of course, I'm guessing at all this. If its not the hot-linking issue, then I don't have a clue as to why the little Dutch-dick has a burr-up-his-butt for me. Funny thing is, all of his linking to my site has really increased the number of people hitting it, and giving me good comments and feedback.

Hey Erick! You wanna straighten me out as to why you're so hostile towards me? Or are you just gonna start calling me names again. Pretty boring, if you ask me. If you're going to insult me, at least try to be clever about it.

I've Been Whammied

2006-12-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Bad things happen in threes, right? First off, it's the Holiday Season. Being an adequate pianist with the ability to read music, I'm in demand this time of year. I'm also part of a small drama/acting group, so that keeps me busy, too. Therefore, any free time to devote to my hobby is a rare thing, indeed.

Next, my home computer system fried last week. It was either the power supply, the motherboard, or both. In any case, I can't seem to revive it. I knew it was going to happen sometime. It was over seven years old anyway, with a very outdated OS.

I'm waiting for the third shoe to drop.

As a consequence, my video show is going to be delayed about a week. Speaking of the video show, I'm working on a new intro sequence that I'm very pleased with. I can hardly wait to start filming.

I'm also be getting a new desktop system later this week. One with a bit more oomph. I can hardly wait for that, too.

How Much Is It Worth?

2006-11-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

Another show is in the can. The November episode of Sir Real's Underground Comix of the Month is ready for viewing. I learned a lot putting this one together. I still haven't figured out the audio hum problem, but I did make a passable job of the chroma-key (aka bluescreen) background.

I actually built my own "pink" screen. I glued a couple of sheets of day-glo pink poster boards together, and attached it to a PVC pipe framework. The actual chroma-key work was a little weird, working in pink, but I did find a setting that does work.

And because this episode is just the tiniest bit risque, the wife is giving me some grief about it. Its not even that bad. I thought it was funny.

And a special kudos to "Mark Maverick", of iRadioLA.com, for doing his part in the show.

It's Only 1's and 0's

2006-10-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

I find some of the damndest things online. But then again, I guess you all do. I've been playing with my photo, and "digitized" it. Check this out...

Sir Real Digitized

Sir Real Digitized Again

I don't really know quite what to do with them. It just seemed interesting at the time.

Oh, and if you're interested, here's the site: Text-Image

Have Fun!

Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends...

2006-10-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

I think I shall ramble for a bit. The first installment of my "Comix Classic of the Month" seemed to be a reasonable success. Sure, it lacks polish and finesse, but it will evolve over time. I apparently have a problem with my sound, but I expect to solve that with the purchase of a real microphone instead of the cheapo computer mic that I used. I also think I'll script my next episode instead of just rambling whatever I think of at the moment.

A couple of other ideas also are in the works. For the next show, I'll try some close-up head shots to splice into the monologue. And I'm going to throw in a surprise. A friend of mine gave me a funny idea, but its a secret at this point.

I've been looking into doing some kind of backdrop for the show. Ideally, I'd like to chroma-key the background. That's bluescreening for the rest of you. I'll have to experiment with that a bit. What the heck, I will do it. Please be aware that the attempt will be half-assed, on the cheap, and probably won't work anywhere near as good as I'd like it. But I will learn from it, and it might even be fun.

And finally, what the heck am I gonna do for November? Some ideas that have crossed my mind are...

Talk about pricing undergrounds
Dopin' Dan
The Mysterious "Mother Wheelbarrow"

As always, I am open for suggestions.

New (Old) Comix for the Sir Real Collection

2006-10-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

As mentioned somewhere below, I've acquired three new comix for my collection. All of them acquired directly from Michael Roden, of Thru Black Holes Comix.

They are, in order, Ancient Dreams Comix, Oracle Comix (#1), and Oracle Comix #2.

Did I mention that Michael is a really nice guy?

Come Inside, The Show's About To Start...

2006-10-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

HEY, I've just started my own show! In case you haven't found it yet, just click on the picture on the right.

It's taken a few months and several attempts, but I've finally got a finished version. Yeah, it still looks a little lame and stilted, but I'm happy enough with it. Hopefully, after I've gotten several "issues" completed, I'll have developed a working style.

I'm totally wide open for any type of critisisms and suggestions. Both for making it better, and for possible future content.

My Vanity Grows

2006-09-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

HOO HAW! I've just received another addition to my Vanity Page (use the link above) from the stylings of Evert Geradts. Evert has his art in many comix; Bizarre Sex #4, Don Dohler's ProJunior, Bijou Funnies #7, Felch Cumics, Dutch Treat, and many others. And he's still doing more. Head over to his website (http://www.kos-mo.com/) to see what he's up to lately.

Thanks Mr. Geradts!

Marketing Is Hard

2006-09-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've been going a bit overboard as of late. I'm working on my new Underground Comix Classix of the Month video show. I just finished shooting the video a couple of hours ago, and I'll be working on the editing next week. My first attempt was more of an experiment to see what mistakes I could make and to figure out how to do things better. I'll be announcing the finished version at the beginning of October.

And now I've just had some coffee mugs made up. They came out really sweet, if I do say so myself. And I do. I don't know what I'll do with 'em yet. Do I want to sell them? What if, on the off chance, they become reasonably popular? I don't really want to go through the hassle of boxing and mailing and keeping records and all that stuff. Maybe I could think up of some kind of bi-monthly contest, and give one away as a prize. Hey, I could even announce it on my video show. Well, if any of you has a suggestion that sounds pretty good to me, I'll give you one.

Y'know, I look at all this stuff I'm doing, and I look pretty vain. Maybe I am. Don't care. I'm having fun with it.

And no Captain Buzzkill is gonna bring me down.

Another Artist Found

2006-09-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

Not that they were lost. But I do so enjoy locating another one. If I may, I'd like to present...

Michael Roden

Shaddap, he's wearing a mask and having fun. Heck, I do it too! Really cool shirt by the way, Michael. Anyway, I just eBay'd a couple of his comix from him... Oracle Comix #1 & #2 (Kennedy #1458 & 1459). I haven't been to his eBay Store yet, but I did peruse his web site, Thru Black Holes Comix. You just gotta swing by there and check out his animated comix covers. I've never seen the like of it before, and I REALLY LIKE IT!

Michael is still making comix in the old underground style! You can check out a catalog of all of his work at the Michael Roden Catalog.

Michael, if you ever get out Los Angeles way, or if I ever make my way out to Ohio, we gotta party.

The Bandwidth Thieves

2006-08-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

I really debated with myself about posting this acidic diatribe. But I won the argument (or lost, depending on your own half-full/half-empty view of life) and decided to vent a little bit.

There is a process called Hot-Linking. This is where a person on one website can display an image (or video or flash object) on their site that actually resides on another website that is not their own. Most all websites have a limit to the amount of traffic, or bandwidth, that they can handle. The site that has been hot-linked has to bear the bandwidth cost for the pirating site that is displaying their image. For the people or companies that own their own sites, this is considered bad form, rude, and yes, it amounts to theft. Pure & simple.

Since I have moved to my own site-location, I have a bit more control over the hot-linking issue. Yes, I hot-link myself. BUT I'm only hot-linking from my own site, and then most always for my participation in the few forums I suscribe to. I can also keep a close watch on my site to see who is trying to hot-link from me. Of course, the control I now exercise prohibits the image pirate from being successful at it. A broken image icon is the most they can expect out of my site.

IMHO, online forums and the MySpace site not only allow this kind of behavior, they actually encourage it. Well, not really encourage, but they don't seem to have any policy concerning hot-linking. Hot-linking is just plain rude behaviour. I'm being shoplifted behind my back, and these pirates somhow believe they have to RIGHT to do it.

Now if I'm contacted by somebody that asks me nicely if they can hot-link images from my site, I'd be much more inclined to work with them to produce something that would benefit us both. Heck, even if they were to copy/download/steal my images to their own site, I couldn't stop that. At least they wouldn't be a bandwidth vampire on my site. I don't have any outside advertising here, so that means that I pay for all of this myself.

heh heh! Just because I don't have any advertising, doesn't mean that there won't be. I just haven't been approached with anything yet that tempts me.

Anyway, since I've been keeping close tabs on the access to my site, I've amounted a small list of names that are trying to hot-link to me. And I'm gonna out them, too. Here's the list...

Paul Halpin - July 26, 2006 [Self-Loathing Comics #1]
Just trying to show a comic cover in his StumbleUpon site.

sympatheticdevil - July 28, 2006 [Cherry's Jubilee #1]
Trying to use the image as a forum avatar.

alfredo - July 28, 2006 [Oat Willie #1]
Part of a forum posting.

My Pet Robot - August 9, 2006 [American Splendor #16]
Announcing his acquisition of this comix by hot-linking mine.

Seattle Hempfest 2006 - August 18, 2006 [Hemp for Victory]
Showing a collection of hemp related images. Probably ALL of them hot-linked.

billyleopard - August 27, 2006 [Every Cherry Poptart cover I've got]
His homage to a defunct comic store.
Apparently after seeing that his theft wasn't working, he removed that post.

C'mon folks. Ask nice. I'm a reasonable guy. But I'm not a Caspar Milquetoast.

You Tube, I Tube, We all Tube...

2006-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've found an unexpected resource over at YouTube. A couple of videos I've found make a nice addition to their respective pages. My Cheap Thrills album with artwork by Robert Crumb is one of them. There's an interview with Robert Crumb where he talks about how he came to create this album art. Pretty interesting, actually.

The other one is a comic called "Hemp for Victory". Its based on a 1942 film produced by the Department of Agriculture. Damn if I didn't find that film there. And now its on my site as well.

Now this got me to thinking. Definitely a dangerous pasttime for me. Please bear in mind that this was a rushed, no-plan, first draft. I'm actually working up something a little more polished. At least that's how I'm deluding myself. So what da hey, check it out...

Lil' Ol' Sticker Maker, Me

2006-08-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun thing to do. I had a bunch of these old Avery 5293 labels lying around. So me 'n PhotoShop decided to put 'em to use. Now I have a bunch of underground comix labels that I can annoy countless people with. I'm going to stick them up wherever I go. If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, and see one of my stickers somewhere, let me know. Better yet, if you take a photo of it, I'll post it here as a sighting.

If you click on the picture, you'll get a little better resolution image of 'em. I used the images from (left to right) Fat Freddy's Comics & Stories #1, Hup #4, Mickey Rat #1, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers #10, and the back cover of Rip Off Comix #15, featuring Wonder Wart Hog.

I'm always open to suggestions about the next set of stickers that I make. Drop me a line!

San Diego ComiCon 2006

2006-07-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, amongst the hundreds of other blogs about the Con, here's mine, too.

It was huge, it was crowded, and I'm not sure I'm gonna do it again next year. I got there on Saturday, and waited about an hour and a half in a line that stretched from the front, all the way around behind the convention center. And then I get to the door only to find out that since I was pre-registered, I didn't have to wait in any lines. (insert choice explitives here) As usual, I pretty much stayed away from the East side of the hall where all the mainstream outfits were. I feel more at home with the independent press folks.

I did take a few (very few) pictures. Below are a few shots of me with various entities 'n things.

I also had to visit the booths of sellers that I've fond memories of...

Plus I had to stop and see a Comics Price Guide Forum friend, Jim...

I'm so stupid. When yer average Joe asks me about undergrounds, I'll expound continuously until told to shut up. When I'm talking to someone, like Jim here, who knows more about undergrounds than myself, I never know what to say. I just stand there looking like a doofus. Well, that's how I feel anyway.

And I did get to meet Frank and Derek, the creators of the Rudy McBacon comic series. That's Frank, below.

They're actually a couple of nice guys.

One interesting incident happened there (among several). I was stopped by a group of wildcatters. Y'see, they didn't have a table or booth or anything. But they were hawking there comic. They laid it on thick for a few moments, and I did buy their comic. Y'gotta respect that kind of chutzpah. Heck, because one of the artists autographed it to me, Sir Real, I'll even give 'em a plug. The comic was called "On A Leash" (aka Kill Me Comix #5). You can find their website over at www.killmecomix.com.

Well, that's about all I can think of at the moment. I wonder how this blog will evolve...

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers MOVIE!!!!

2006-07-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

My gosh, it looks like it's really gonna happen. The new Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers movie, "Grass Roots" is coming together. If you'd like, you can see the Teaser Trailer. Information about the movie can be found at www.grassrootsthemovie.com. Hmm, dare I actually think about investing in this enterprise?

As an added bonus, Gilbert Shelton has drawn the first brand new Freak Brothers strip in 10 years. You can find that one over at www.fabulousfurryfreakbrothers.com.

Things are really looking up.

Up 'n Running Again

2006-07-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

I now have a new flatbed scanner. Y'see, my previous scanner died. There's nothing really wrong with it that I can determine, other than it makes a half-scan, then stops dead. Nothing I can do will make it move, short of rebooting. Anyways, I've got a new Canon LiDE 500F scanner. They sure do make 'em small nowadays. Its so thin it doesn't even have a power cord. Completely powered from the USB connection.

During this brief interlude, I've made a few additions to the collection. And I do want to apologize to Mr. Bradford, who so kindly informed me of an eBay auction he was holding for a comix that was on my Want List. I got busy with something (a drama performance I had to give the next day) and I totally missed it. But I did make a few purchases along the way. Check 'em out...

Big Ass Comics #2, 1st Edition
Bijou Funnies #3, 1st (or 2nd) Edition
Bizarre Sex #3, 1st Edition
Facts O' Life Sex Education Funnies, 1st Edition
Feds 'N' Heads Comics, 2nd (or 3rd) Edition
Slow Death #3, 1st Edition
Slow Death #4, 1st Edition
Tasty Comix
Zap Comix #1, 3rd Edition
Zap Comix #5, 1st Edition
Zap Comix #6, 1st Edition
Zap Comix #7, 1st Edition
Zap Comix #8, 1st Edition

Plus, with all the extra time I should have been devoting to my updates, I actually made a list of the duplicates that I have. In doing so, I actually found a couple of comix that were editions that I didn't have. In other words, I made a couple of finds...

Bijou Funnies #7, 1st Edition
Hungry Chuck Biscuits #1, 2nd Edition

Will wonders never cease. Now I wonder how I should divest myself of my duplicates. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Highs & Lows

2006-06-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I was feeling pretty good. I had just scored first editions of Bijou Funnies #3 and Bizarre Sex #3. They're in excellent condition, too. Ah, now it comes time to update my site here...

What th'?????

Aw CRUD! It looks like my scanner has just up 'n died. Now I've gotta go out and decide on a new scanner. Puckernuts! I hate it when things don't work as they're supposed to. I'll let you know when I've got it replaced.

Does anyone out there know what I can do with a non-working scanner?

The Move Is Complete

2006-06-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I've done it. I've got everything all converted over to the new design, and I've disabled the old "50megs" site. Oh, there's still lots of updating yet to be done, but that's always been a continuous process. At least now I can relax to the steady pace of updating those pages which need it.

If any of you good people out there find anything missing, broken, or just plain wrong, PLEASE let me know so I can get it corrected.

Enjoy!

Progress Is Being Made

2006-05-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working madly on my new site, and am actually making a little headway. The alpha pages are complete all the way up to "Q". And that's not the only thing, either. I've added my own little search engine to the site. You can now search the collection for titles, artists, stories, publishers, and pretty much anything else that's there.

I've got some other ideas of things to add, but I'll play around with that stuff once I've completed all the priority work.

This Is Hard Work

2006-04-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

The work on the new site is progressing. But the going is slow. I have completed all of the top-line links, and am now working on the main body of the catalog section. The Numeric section, and the A section is complete. I expect that when I have processed enough of them, it'll start going smoother, albeit monotonous.

If any of you are morbidly curious, you can stop by and have a looksee over at...

http://sirrealcomix.mrainey.com

New Digs

2006-03-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a bit of news for all of you fair-weather hippies and latent long-hairs. I've taken the first steps in moving Sir Real's Underground Comix Classix website to a new host. The 50Megs host was a great place to start, but I've completely outgrown it. My new space gives me a lot more control, a lot more options, and a heck of a lot more space.

Moving a well-established website seems a lot like physically from one house to another. There are so many things to do. And to top it all off, I'm going to completely redesign the whole site. I'll keep posting here to keep you all apprised as to how its going.

It's Been A Good Week

2006-02-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

As if anybody cares, its been a good week in my Underground Comix Collecting World. Dan Fogel, of Hippy Comix, has finally published his Underground Comix Price Guide. In two versions, no less. There is the "R" rated version with the Odd Bodkins painting by Dan O'Neill, and the photocover "X" rated edition with Playboy Playmate Teri Weigel.

Other than the fact that Dan has signed both of these editions to me, I think the thing that has me most jazzed is that he also has me listed as a "Senior Consultant". Just how cool is that? Hey, I'm a little bit famous!

An unexpected side-effect of this new guide is that is has created tons of work for me. With a new "yardstick" to work from, I now have to add some new fields into my database (it needed a reworking anyways), and try to figure out a way to work this new info into my site.

As an additional sidebar, I've been seriously considering changing my site host to something with a little more breathing room and a lot more service. Of course, a host change will also be a good excuse to completely redesign my site. Of course, I'm always open to suggestions as to what I should include 'n stuff.

Another new acquisition to my collection is Bill Griffith's new book, "Type Z Personality". I'd like to say that Mr. Griffith has personally signed this book to me, Sir Real. And he DID! But, it's not a really big caveat to me. When you order the book online, there is a place in the form where you can specify what inscription he'll write for you. No extra charge.

I'm not really a big fan of Zippy. I much prefer Griffith Observatory or Tales of Toad. But Bill Griffith is truly an icon of the Underground Comix world, and I simply couldn't pass it up.

And finally, my latest real comix came from Denis Kitchen's site. I'm constantly looking around for UG comix (although a whole lot less lately), and I found a first edtion of Snarf #4 there. Well, my single copy was a second edition. (Yeah, I know. It'll be a few months 'afore I can get to updating their info.)

Well, heck. I couldn't very well let that one slide by me. As the old saying goes, forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission. It's in superb condition, too. Kudos to the staff of Steve Krupp's Gallery & Curio Shoppe.

That's about all I have to say tonight. Happy collecting, and I fervently hope I find it 'afore you do!

My Online Collection is a Good Thing

2005-11-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here's another of my infrequent entries. This one is about the advantages of having my collection publicly online. I've found that this has turned out to be a good thing. Originally, my online collection was mainly for my own purposes. I'm not always at my house with my collection when I find a new comix at auction. I've made a purchase, more than once, of a comix that I already own. With my collection online, I can immediately check whether I already own a particular edition or comix.

But because my collection is public, I have been contacted by a multitude of other collectors. Some are even offering to sell me particular issues that are in my Want List. I've made a few purchases of some really prized items, that aren't available anywhere. On the down-side, I've been burned really bad a guy in New York who offered me a rare item at a really good price. I was drooling. He got my money, and I got bupkis and excuses!
(Dude, you know who you are.)

I've even had a number of the comix artists drop me a line. Every time I write back to an artist, I get this Wayne & Garth (Wayne's World) feeling, "We're not worthy, we're not worthy!" After all, it is the work of these artists that I collect and revere.

I also receive a lot of e-mails from people who have some comix or other, asking me what the current price of it is, hoping that they've got something they can turn into a fistful of cash. C'mon folks! I am ill-prepared, and ill-trained to place a value on comix. I'm not a dealer, but a collector. If you really need to see just how little your comix are worth, go to the Comics Price Guide and find out for yourselves.

Anyways, I'd like to thank all of you serious collectors out there. I'd also like to entice you to get your own personal collections online. It seems like I'm the only one out there.

Top 10 - May '05

2005-06-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hey, its ontime for a change. Cherry Poptart #1 has dropped to the number three position, and Weird Trips #1 has eeked its way onto the chart. Amputee Love still retains its number one position, thanks to all of you twisted perverts out there.

Most Popular Comix - May 2005
1. 771 hits - Amputee Love
2. 575 hits - Tales of Sex And Death #2
3. 384 hits - Cherry Poptart #1
4. 284 hits - All Canadian Beaver
5. 282 hits - Funny Animal Lust (Everyman)
6. 233 hits - California Comics #3
7. 211 hits - Official Underground & Newave Comix Price Guide
8. 193 hits - Jiz Comics
9. 176 hits - Tales of Sex And Death #1
10. 160 hits - Weird Trips #1

NEW ADDITIONS
I've added a couple of new comix to my collection last month.

Dynamite Damsels

Gay Heart Throbs #3

Top 10 - Mar-Apr '05

2005-05-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

Damn-near forgot to post the top searched items. I've decided to take it down to a Top 10. It just takes up too much space to do 20.

Most Popular Comix - March 2005
1. 596 hits - Amputee Love
2. 472 hits - Cherry Poptart #1
3. 241 hits - Cherry Poptart #2
4. 190 hits - Official Underground & Newave Comix Price Guide
5. 145 hits - California Comics #3
6. 130 hits - All Canadian Beaver
7. 124 hits - Bizarre Sex #8
8. 123 hits - Cocaine Comix #3
9. 122 hits - Cherry Deluxe #1
10. 102 hits - Funny Animal Lust (Everyman)

Most Popular Comix - April 2005
1. 783 hits - Amputee Love
2. 533 hits - Cherry Poptart #1
3. 458 hits - Tales of Sex And Death #2
4. 348 hits - Tales of Sex And Death #1
5. 247 hits - All Canadian Beaver
6. 215 hits - Gay Hearthrobs #2
7. 190 hits - Official Underground & Newave Comix Price Guide
8. 174 hits - California Comics #3
9. 161 hits - Funny Animal Lust (Everyman)
10. 142 hits - Cocaine Comix #3

As you can see, Amputee Love and Cherry Poptart #1 are still the leaders. With the exception of Cocaine Comix #3, and the Official Underground & Newave Comix Price Guide, all of these are just pure sex-related searches.

Wankers!

Top 20 - Jan-Feb '05

2005-03-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here's some interesting info. Going through the stats of my site, I've compiled a short listing of the top 20 comix that have been viewed for each month, starting in January of this year.

Most Popular Comix - January 2005
1. 422 hits - Cherry #1
2. 375 hits - Amputee Love
3. 226 hits - Cherry #2
4. 188 hits - The Official Underground and Newave Comics Price Guide
5. 170 hits - Gay Hearthrobs #2
6. 165 hits - Gang Bang #1
7. 133 hits - Cherry Deluxe #1
8. 110 hits - Gang Bang #2
9. 103 hits - Cherry #12
10. 88 hits - Bizarre Sex #9
11. 84 hits - Cherry #3
12. 77 hits - Cherry #20
13. 76 hits - Cherry #7
14. 74 hits - Bizarre Sex #8
15. 74 hits - Cherry's Jubilee #1
16. 73 hits - Zap #1
17. 64 hits - Cherry #21
18. 64 hits - Cherry #22
19. 63 hits - Cherry #18
20. 62 hits - Cherry's Jubilee #3

Most Popular Comix - February 2005
1. 546 hits - Amputee Love
2. 270 hits - Cherry #1
3. 193 hits - Cherry #2
4. 168 hits - The Official Underground and Newave Comics Price Guide
5. 97 hits - Gang Bang #1
6. 93 hits - California Comics #3
7. 92 hits - Cherry #12
8. 91 hits - Cherry #20
9. 91 hits - Beastiality #1
10. 87 hits - Cherry Deluxe #1
11. 77 hits - Cocaine Comix #3
12. 76 hits - Cherry #7
13. 73 hits - Cherry #3
14. 72 hits - Funny Animal Lust
15. 71 hits - All Canadian Beaver
16. 70 hits - Bizarre Sex #8
17. 64 hits - Cherry's Jubilee #1
18. 64 hits - Cherry's Jubilee #3
19. 63 hits - Gang Bang #2
20. 63 hits - Gay Hearthrobs #2

Y'think there's a distinct trend here? Yeah, Cherry Poptart is by far the most searched for comix in my collection. And looking at most of the rest, its no wonder that the porn peddlers do so well. It seems like most people are looking for wank-off material.

We'll see just how long I keep up this running tally.

Vanity Is All

2005-03-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

I just got what I think is a brilliant idea. I want to create a new page on my site. I'm going to call it "Sir Real's Vanity Page". What I want to do is contact what few underground comix artists that I know, and plead, beg, and beseech them to do a drawing of me in their own style. I will then assemble the drawings on my vanity page, as a showcase of these artists.

I've already lined up one artist, Ed Wesolowski. His work appears in the American Splendor series, issues #11-15. Now I just have to contact some others. Fact is, I may have to pay some of them to get a piece done. Maybe, someday, if I get enough submissions, artists will contact me to place a drawing of me on the page.

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Die Spammer, Die

2004-12-28T22:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been tolerant of all the spam I get in my e-mails. Its easy enough to delete. But now they've gone too far. The sleazy bastards are now trying to use me to advertise their pay-for-porn sites.

They're USING me!!!

Now I'll be the first to admit that I can be bought. But I wasn't even asked if I could be bought. They just started posting the URL's to their sleazy sites. As quickly as they posted in my guestbook, I've removed their entries. I've put up with it for about two months now, but no more.

I've got a pretty good idea how they're finding my guestbook entry page and I've got a plan. As of today, I'm taking my guestbook page down for a month. Hopefully, this will take that page off of their "radar". Come the beginning of February, I'll put it back up with my "anti-spamming" changes.

If I ever meet one of these Spammers face-to-face, I'm afraid that someone is going to have to bail me out of jail on assault charges.

Me too! I ate one sour, too!

2004-10-04T07:26:00.008-07:00

Every now and then, something odd comes up in my site statistics that makes me wonder what the hell is going on. I'm used to the flood of searches for Cherry Poptart, and the various others looking for particular comix and comix artists. But every now and then there seems to be a flood of searches for a particular odd comix or phrase.

This last weekend brought up one of those. It seems there was a spate of searches for "me too i ate one sour too" or "I ATE ONE SOUR TOO". It makes me wonder what is going on. Did someone write something about this story and some of the readers went searching for it? Is there some kind of scavenger hunt going on trying to find the phone number that this story refers to? Man, its got my curiosity all a dither. If anyone knows what caused this sudden interest in this particular Freak Brothers story, please let me know.

Oh, and if anyone is interested, here is the full "Me too! I ate one sour, too!" story.

Clang Honk Tweet

2004-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Y'know, I really enjoy hearing from you Underground Comix artists and collectors out there. I've had the most interesting conversations (online, that is) with Howard Cruse, Skip Williamson, and others.

Of course, the collectors I've met online are quite an interesting bunch. Especially the one's who are my age or older. I have to admit that I am truly envious of some of these people, with the interesting stories they have to tell. I just met another collector today who goes by the handle of "Dr. Heinrich Atomic". Before he became a full-fledged physicist, he met Larry Todd (creator of Dr. Atomic comix). Larry tagged him with that moniker. Man, I want to party with all of you!

Web Stats

2004-08-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there, all you happy hippies out there.

Y'know, I keep a pretty close watch on the various statistics that are generated on my website. I know what pages have been hit and how many times they've been hit. One of the things I find most interesting is how you people find my pages. Almost all of you find your way to my site by using one of the many search engines out there, such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Dogpile, AOLSearch, and the like.

I also see what it is you were searching for. I like this ability mostly because you people search for the most interesting things. I've actually found other resources useful to me by following your search. Would you like to know what the most often searched for item is?

Cherry Poptart

Cherry is by far and above, the most search for item that people are looking for when they find my site. I don't find this too surprising. For comic porn, Cherry has got to be somewhere in the top ten f'sure.

This next searched for item has got to be either number two or three. And frankly, I find it a bit disturbing. I've got one comix, ONE, mind you, that goes by the title of Amputee Love. There are a LOT of people out there doing a search on "amputee", and they're finding their way here. Now, I'd like to think that these are earnest folk, searching for valid information. But, being the cynic that I am, I just know that these people are looking for a twisted thrill. Far be it from me to be judgemental, but really now. An amputee fetish has got to rate right up there with a scat fetish. Ah well. C'est la vie. (or something like that)

If there's any interest, I may tell the story of why the Gay Comix series is not longer displayed on my site.

Keep On Truckin'

Restrained Attitude

2004-08-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

There are some days where I'd like to burst forth from this bud of calm, and blossom into full hysteria.

This usually happens to me when I've been frustrated by people or things that impede my progress. I am a patient man, but not very tolerant. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of my way!

Anyway, there is a section of my site that is used very little. That is the "News, Requests, & Suggestions". Maybe I should be a bit more clear on how it's linked.

The News section is intended for me to keep you unwashed hoardes apprised with things that are happening with the site. Yeah, I know there's not much there, but there is usually very little new happening.

The Requests section is supposed to be from you users out there, requesting heaven-knows-what. I've actually had a request from "Revilo" (from Commies From Mars) asking if I would scan some of the pages from that comix and send to him. He had apparently lost his original artwork from that one.

The Suggestions section is another section that you users can fill out. If you find mistakes in my site, or have any constructive critisisms, this is where you can post 'em. Comments like "U ar so stupid" are usually ignored and deleted. There are enough idiots out there without them having to proclaim it loudly.

Statement of Being

2004-08-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Blog. A friend talked me into this nonsense, so I guess I'll give it a try.

I've found a quote that really strikes home for me. It is attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, a 12th century philosopher.
"Timeo Hominem Unius Libri"
Roughly translated, it means, "I fear the man of one book."

If you're learning, thinking, even your way of life is based on a single work or body of knowledge, then you are blind to the rest of the world.