Advance Warning: The Twelve Days of Classic Comics Christmas 2012

[berk]

I feel I must apologize to Katsuhiro Otomo and to Jiro Taniguchi, as well as to Jean Giraud, for finally dropping their magnificent books from my list. Akira has indeed been collected in six phone book sized volumes, but that's almost cheating... the version I read and enjoyed was a 13-volume run. The summit of the gods, one of the most beautiful thing ever crafted in the field of graphic storytelling, is a true graphic novel in five parts and not an actual "series". As for Lt. Blueberry, the be all and end all of western epics, part of it was collected in under 12 volumes by Epic comics... but come on, I know the real series is longer than that.

Besides, all these will no doubt pop up again some day, in some "greatest series or books of all time" list... and dropping them will give a chance to less perfect but somehow special short-lived series to shine for their own 15 minutes.

I ruled out everything but American comics right from the start, because I had no idea how to apply the rules to, say, French BD albums.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

I feel I must apologize to Katsuhiro Otomo and to Jiro Taniguchi, as well as to Jean Giraud, for finally dropping their magnificent books from my list. Akira has indeed been collected in six phone book sized volumes, but that's almost cheating... the version I read and enjoyed was a 13-volume run. The summit of the gods, one of the most beautiful thing ever crafted in the field of graphic storytelling, is a true graphic novel in five parts and not an actual "series". As for Lt. Blueberry, the be all and end all of western epics, part of it was collected in under 12 volumes by Epic comics... but come on, I know the real series is longer than that.

Besides, all these will no doubt pop up again some day, in some "greatest series or books of all time" list... and dropping them will give a chance to less perfect but somehow special short-lived series to shine for their own 15 minutes.

For this offensive, you must give you first born child or any child after first or second or third (you catch my gist) to the Otomo, Taniguchi and Giraud.

[dan bailey]

Just checked Wikipedia, which corroborates my late-forming, vague suspicion that a certain 12-issue series from the '90s was cancelled, rather than intended all along to end at that point.

If that proves to be true, I think my final pick has been made, & my work here is done. (Well, except for the part about actually writing the things up.)

[berk]

I too feel I've already worked hard enough just thinking up my twelve choices. Hell with all this exhausting typing: I figure everyone should be able to guess what they are anyway, based on my posting history over the last several years. What do they want from me, BLOOD?!

[Cei-U!]

I too feel I've already worked hard enough just thinking up my twelve choices. Hell with all this exhausting typing: I figure everyone should be able to guess what they are anyway, based on my posting history over the last several years. What do they want from me, BLOOD?!

A quart will suffice.

Cei-U!
I summon the straw!

[dan bailey]

By the way ...

[Roquefort Raider]

I feel like I've seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster!

[Cei-U!]

By the way ...

Yeah, nice try.

Cei-U!
I summon my deed to the Brooklyn Bridge!

[Slam_Bradley]

I have no idea what is going on. Photobucket does not show up on my work computer.

[dan bailey]

Well, when you get home, you'll see that Kurt is denying reality.

Again.

On the one hand, he promulgates the delusion that Chronos & Chase lasted at least 1 million issues each, while on the other he insists that Brother Power the Geek #3 -- of which I have furnished a clear, incontrovertible cover image -- doesn't exist.

I suppose we should take the charitable view & see this as a cry for help.

[Aaron King]

On the one hand, he promulgates the delusion that Chronos & Chase lasted at least 1 million issues each, while on the other he insists that Brother Power the Geek #3 -- of which I have furnished a clear, incontrovertible cover image -- doesn't exist.

I suppose we should take the charitable view & see this as a cry for help.

I've actually been wanting to do a full mockup of a Brother Power #3 cover for exactly this purpose, but I keep getting sidetracked by lame things like work and responsibilities to friends. Maybe once the holiday season is over.

[icctrombone]

I've actually been wanting to do a full mockup of a Brother Power #3 cover for exactly this purpose, but I keep getting sidetracked by lame things like work and responsibilities to friends. Maybe once the holiday season is over.

You'd have to create a 20 page story with a silly plot and bad art as well...

[Aaron King]

You'd have to create a 20 page story with a silly plot and bad art as well...

Luckily, I'm full of silly plots and bad art.

[Reptisaurus!]

Jeepers, pals and gals, it's that time of year again! That's right, the holidays are upon us again and that means it’s time for everybody's (well, mine anyway) favorite CBR Yuletide tradition. For our eighth(!) annual exploration of the tastes, opinions and quirks of our happy little community of Classic Comics fans, I’ve hopefully picked a theme we can all have fun with, to wit:

LESS IS MORE:
YOUR TWELVE FAVORITE SHORT RUN COMIC BOOK TITLES

Sounds simple, right? Not once I'm done with it!

For our purposes, a "short run title" is any comic book that ran a minimum of 3 issues, a maximum of 12 issues, and began with either #1 or #0, with each subsequent issue consecutively numbered. The titles you choose need not have been *intended* as limited runs and need not feature recurring characters. Any genre, era or nation of origin is permissible. Any standard comic book format from mini-comics to Treasuries are eligible. Omnibuses, Masterworks, Archives, Essentials, Showcase Presents and other TPB or hardcover collections are not. Reprint titles are eligible if they meet the other criteria. You do not have to own copies of your selection. Because this is the Classic Comics board, your selections' final issue must carry a cover date no later than December 2002. Finally, keep in mind that these are your personal favorites, not what you or anyone else might consider "the best."

The rules this year are a tad tricky so you'll need to consider your choices carefully. For example, the 1960s 10-issue Spectre series is eligible but the Fleisher/Aparo stories from Adventure Comics #431-40 are not (though the reprints in the Wrath of the Spectre mini-series are!). Similarly, the 1970s 12-issue run of The Inhumans is acceptable but the characters' 10-issue stand in Amazing Adventures, a title which ran for another 29 issues after their strip was dropped, is not. Arbitrary, you say? Guilty as charged but, admit it, it makes for a greater challenge!

The survey will work just as it did last year. Each participating poster will draw up a list of their favorite short run titles, ranked 12 (lowest) through 1 (highest). On December 13, I will post my #12 choice, on the 14th, #11 and so on until our #1 choices on Christmas Eve. It will make tallying the totals easier if everyone posts on the appropriate day's thread but late entries (up through, say, the 31st) are welcome. At the end of the survey, the results will be stickied with pointers to the original 12 threads. Remember: You must explain your choice. You do not have to include an image of your selection but if you can, please do.

Rules are subject to tweaking based on participant input for the next week, after which they’re locked in. Any questions, suggestions or (horrors!) criticisms should be posted in this thread.

So this is your official heads up: you have 3+ weeks to create your lists before the fun starts. Who's in?

Cei-U!
I summon the Ho! Ho! Holy shit, this is tough!

EDIT: Rules are now locked in. 11/30/12

Hmm. 8 Consecutively numbered bi-monthly-ish issues, starting with # 1, a whopping 51 years old....

Nope, I still don't quite see it.

[dan bailey]

Interesting to see that the title-change proviso isn't addressed, but nonetheless it's taken up in what we might as well regard as subsequent codacils. See, for instance, the various rulings that Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love is, for purposes of the listings, a series separate & apart from Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion, that Amazing Adventures isn't to be confused with Amazing Adult Fantasy, etc.

Reptisaurus & Reptilicus are closer than those, but they're still different, & I'm afraid that that's the controlling factor.

Again, though, that'll be Cei-U!'s call; in this instance (& this instance only!) I'm merely the Houseroy to his Funky Flashman.