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Robert Edward “Ted” Turner, the bold media pioneer who reshaped television and gave professional wrestling one of its most influential platforms, has passed away at the age of 88. While…

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MARY JANE: FACE IT, TIGER #1, a special anniversary one-shot with stories by J.M. DeMatteis, Ann Nocenti, J. Michael Staczynski, Ashley Allen, Phil Noto, Alina Erofeeva, Andrea Broccardo and Luigi…

The post MARY JANE: FACE IT, TIGER #1 CELEBRATES THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARY JANE WATSON AND SETS THE STAGE FOR HER NEXT ERA! appeared first on First Comics News.

This month’s Doctor Who Magazine hunts down everything you need to know about the recently rediscovered episodes

The First Doctor’s companion Katarina makes her DWM cover debut with the latest issue! She, the Doctor, and Steven star in two episodes of The Daleks’ Master Plan, lost to viewers since 1964. Doctor Who Magazine 629 uncovers how Film is Fabulous! recovered them, and gets the reactions from those seeing them for the first time.

 

Coverage of the recovery of The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet

• Peter Purves – the actor who played the First Doctor companion, space pilot Steven Taylor shares his delight on seeing episodes he recorded over 60 years ago!
• Film is Fabulous! – meet the people behind Film is Fabulous! Hear the story behind this remarkable find, and what hope there is for further discoveries…
• Toby Hadoke – the Doctor Who historian on the enduring fascination of the show’s missing episodes.
• Reactions – Find out what Doctor Who celebrities and experts made of the episodes now they can finally see them. Among those discussing the episodes are Russell T Davies, Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse, Ben Aaronovitch, Rob Shearman, Pete McTighe, Nicholas Pegg and Matthew Sweet
• Reviews –Gary Gillatt on The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet

 

Other highlights this issue

• Rutans vs Sontarans – check out exactly how a Big Finish audio drama is recorded, with contributions from Paul McGann, Colin Baker, and Nicola Bryant
• The Fact of Fiction – a deep dive into the mysteries of Twelfth Doctor episode The Pyramid at the End of the World.
• Back to 1987… – and the discovery of two missing episodes of Doctor Who…
• The Caves of Androzani – How does the poll-topping fan favourite compare to modern TV drama?
• Corruption of the Daleks – The Fifteenth Doctor and Mel battle the Daleks in the comic strip…
• Gallifrey Guardian – your monthly round-up of news from across the Whoniverse.
• Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe – including the latest Eighth Doctor audio box set, the 100th monthly Torchwood release and an interview with Siobhan Redmond about playing the Rani.
• Competitions – prizes to be won include the Steelbook edition of the TV movie. 

 

Doctor Who Magazine 629 (c) Panini Doctor Who Magazine 629

DWM Issue 629 is on sale Thursday the 30th of April from the online Panini store, TG Jones and other retailers priced £8.99 (UK). Also available as a digital edition from Pocketmags for £7.99. You can also save with a subscription, as well as receiving exclusive, text-free covers.

 

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This Little Princess Baby Blanket Tutorial walks you through every step of creating this beautiful afghan! It's been nearly 10 years since I designed this pattern, but I still get requests for a tutorial  - it's a truly timeless piece, fit for any little prince or princess. Crochet along with the right and left-handed video […]

The post Little Princess Baby Blanket Tutorial appeared first on moogly. Please visit www.mooglyblog.com for this post.

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The Green Hornet was clearly popular in 1938 — so much so that DC Comics offered two comic book pastiches of the radio superhero. An urbanized, updated version of the…

The post JUST IMAGINE! October 1938: Avengers of Many Colors appeared first on First Comics News.

My mission: to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were on stands in the week of May 9, 1985. 

Warlord Annual #4: This was the first Warlord Annual I bought off the stands, because it has a map of Skartaris in it, which will appear again in Who's Who. I reviewed this issue here.

Atari Force #20: Baron and Bareto/Villagran give the Martin Champion and by extension the rest of the Atari Force their day in court on New Earth. Thanks to Morphea and Targg the court gets a good look at the malevolence of the Destroyer through his psychic residue. Though they are exonerated, there are still powerful forces in New Earth society arrayed against them, so Champion and friends choose to use a device to jump to a new universe to see what else is out there. There's also another humorous Hukka story by Fleming/Giffen/Kesel.
Helfer tells us in the editorial that Atari Force isn't getting canceled because of sales (it's a middling seller) but because it was decided this was the right ending for the characters. I have to say, I'm a little skeptical. I buy it's middle of the pack on sales, but it is a licensed book. Surely a middling wholly DC owned book would be better for the company than having a publishing slot taken up by a licensed book? I do think, though, that the creative teams they've put on the book couldn't figure out anything more to do with the characters. Conway's later issues and Baron's entire run have mostly relied on them being on the ship but not encountering much interesting. No "strange new worlds and civilizations" here. The only mystery is why they didn't have anyone would better ideas, particularly when they were giving the book great artists?

Crisis on Infinite Earths #5: Wolfman and Perez/Ordway open with the Antimatter a bit confused. He thought he destroyed Earth-One and Two, but he hasn't gotten the victory he should have gotten. He lets Psycho-Pirate play the Flash while he investigates. Earth-One and Two have sort of merged and different eras in time are bleeding over. Harbinger and Alexander Luthor assemble a group of heroes to explain what is happening: the Monitor gave his life to power a transfer of the Earths to a netherverse to hide them from his Adversary, but now they now are trying to occupy the same space which will destroy them anyway. The only choice is to re-integrate them as a single universe as it was in the beginning.
We get a lot of cameos, and Travis Morgan, the Warlord, even gets some dialogue. 
The Adversary adapts to these developments, though. He takes control of Red Tornado (In a limited series on sale now! Or then, I mean.) and transforms the android for his own purposes. Flash briefly breaks free of the Psycho-Pirate, and we get a glimpse of the shadowy Adversary's face, and he names himself as the Monitor, though he doesn't look like the Monitor we have seen.

Fury of Firestorm #38: Conway and Kayanan/Akin/Garvey have Stein arriving at Vandermeer University in Pittsburgh to start a new position only to find the campus afraid and under siege due to mysterious and vicious killings of facility members. Stein is in danger of becoming the next victim as he is attacked by the Weasel in his apartment. The Weasel keeps ranting about once he kills Stein, he'll be out of danger. Ronnie is out for a date with Doreen where Cliff accuses him of cheating, thanks to his uncharacteristically good grade on a test, when he is summoned to form Firestorm.
Thanks to poor vision and bumbling, both Stein and Raymond are captured by the Weasel and put in a deathtrap with molten steel about to pour on them.

Jonni Thunder #4: Thomases and Giordano bring this detective story/superhero hybrid to a conclusion. First, Jonni has a confrontation with "Slim" Chance which she only wins by wielding the power of the Thunderbolt without the idol. Then after some uncertainty and romantic tension with Harrison Trump, the rival PI, they are ambushed by Red Nails and her crew. Luckily, Jonni has now figured out that the power is in her, not the statue, which gives her the element of surprising, keeping them alive along enough for Detective Sanchez to swoop in with the police. The series ends with a hope for more Jonni Thunder adventures. We'll see how that goes.

Justice League of America #241: The Tuska/Machlan combination on art doesn't do this issue any favors, but mostly it's tough to get back into the New League after the disruptions. A conversation with Vixen prompts Aquaman to head out without telling anyone to find his estranged wife, Mera. Vibe agrees to let Steel date his daughter then gets a new less garish (slightly) costume. Then the team under J'onzz's leadership heads off to Canada where Amazo is on a rampage. J'onzz splits the party, and he and Dale are almost immediately attacked by the android.

Tales of the Teen Titans #56: Wolfman and Patton/DeCarlo bring Raven and the Fearsome Five (minus 1!) into the story. Agents of Gizmo assault STAR Labs to steal Neutron who has been brought in in a containment capsule. Raven shows up and deals with them ruthlessly, but when she realizes what she's doing, she instead uses her power to heal the patients there. Meanwhile, Gar greets Jericho and his mom at the airport to bury the hatchet, and Cyborg undergoes surgery to replace his obviously mechanical limbs with more natural looking ones. The rest of the Titans deal with an attack by the Fearsome, uh, Four, and are defeated in two engagements. The Fearsome Folks make off with a another encapsulated super-being from Tri-State Prison.

Vigilante #20: Wolfman/Kupperberg and Smith/Maygar reveal that giving up the Vigilante identity may not prove so easy for Chase. The Vigilante is still in the streets, more violent than ever, including killing a cop. Meanwhile, Chase seems like he's having a nervous breakdown as he is tormented by nightmares where he is the Vigilante committing these acts. He wonders if he might somehow have lost his mind and actually be responsible. Nightwing fights with the murderous Vigilante in the streets, but winds up getting thrown off a bridge. Later, he crawls in through Chase's window to confront him.

Mad Cave’s Speed Racer – Vol. 1 wastes no time proving it isn’t just a modern repaint of a classic property. David Pepose and Davide Tinto take the familiar iconography…

The post Speed Racer Vol. 1 appeared first on First Comics News.

Recently, I sat down with David Pepose to talk about Mad Cave Studios’ Speed Racer, whose 8th issue is released today. Also, the first Speed Racer trade was recently released,…

The post David Pepose on Speed Racer appeared first on First Comics News.

Title: Grips Remastered # 1 Publisher: Razorverse Created/Written by: Kris Silver Artist: Tim Vigil Colors by: Patricio Hernandez Produced by: Everette Hartsoe Cover: Everette Hartsoe Variant Covers: Pat Hernandez, Frederick…

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In 3 separate Interviews, Jenny Feldy talks w/Author Paul Pape, Filmmaker David Seth Cohen, and Greg Cioffi

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Welcome, Davide Pepose, back to the show to dig into Mad Cave Studios’ Speed Racer— when was the last time you went down into the Cave?

The post FANTASTIC COMIC FAN: David Pepose and Speed Racer appeared first on First Comics News.

Title: Female Force: Carol Burnett # 1 Publisher: Tidal Wave Comics Writer: Michael Frizell Pencils: Ramon Salas Letters: Benjamin Glibert Colors: Ramon Salas Cover: Pablo Martinena Price: $ 8.99 US…

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I began playing D&D during the heyday of the artists known as the “Four Horsemen” of TSR—Elmore, Easley, Caldwell, and Parkinson—which I discussed in my previous post on the artists who inspired my TTRPG gaming.

However, I switched from BECMI D&D over to AD&D around the winter of 1987, if memory serves. I remember it vividly because during one of those very first sessions, I was running the game as the Dungeon Master while listening to the American Top 40 end-of-year countdown. But I had actually been buying and reading the AD&D 1st Edition books for a few months before we ever rolled dice.

My original AD&D 1e books were the orange-spine printings featuring the iconic covers by Jeff Easley. I got the Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG) first, followed by the Players Handbook (PHB). The only two AD&D books I owned that were not orange-spine editions were the original Monster Manual (MM) and a copy of Deities & Demigods (the rare printing that still included the Cthulhu and Melnibonéan Mythos!), which I scored from a neighbor’s garage sale. You can read the full story about that lucky find right here.

The covers for Deities & Demigods by Erol Otus and the Monster Manual by David A. Trampier served as my true introduction to TSR’s earlier art style. But, despite my books sporting the newer Easley covers on the outside, the interiors still featured the original 1e layout and illustrations. And I must admit… at first, I was turned off by them.

Let me explain before you burn me at the stake!                                                                                                

I came into the hobby through the Mentzer Red Box and the rest of the BECMI sets. While they weren’t anywhere near as cleanly laid out as modern games, they had a very approachable, easy-to-use style. They were specifically designed to welcome you in and teach you the game.

When you dive into the 1e PHB—and especially the DMG—they are not easily approachable books. I know now that their design came directly from the layout style of miniature wargaming rulebooks, but to young me, they just felt like inscrutable, textbook-like mystery tomes.

To add to my confusion, I started reading the books in the opposite order to their publication! Starting with the DMG didn’t make much sense if you hadn’t read the PHB first. I eventually figured it out and switched books, but coming directly from the polished look of BECMI, I was a little disappointed by the interior art.

The cartoonish illustrations next to the Intelligence and Dexterity tables in the PHB were okay, but they didn’t quite match my epic expectations for the game. I’ve also never been a huge fan of the “races” lineup on page 18 by David Sutherland. But then I flipped a few pages and saw his A Paladin in Hell full-page piece… and I was absolutely blown away!

The MM had more illustrations that captured my imagination. But it was truly through the original Deities & Demigods that I learned to appreciate the old-school, foundational art of early TSR deeply. So, let me talk about these luminaries—Jeff Dee, Erol Otus, David C. Sutherland, David A. Trampier, and Jim Roslof—the artists who were there at the birth of the hobby, and how their work inspired me!

Jeff Dee

Of all the artists who originally worked for TSR, Jeff Dee is my absolute favorite. He has a distinct, clean style with clear comic-book influences. He didn’t just work on D&D; he also illustrated Villains & Vigilantes and The Mighty Protectors. I was actually lucky enough to interview him here on the blog back in 2015.

I must admit that of all the original TSR artists, his was the only name I knew by heart for a long time. As my interest in the hobby grew, I learned about the other legends and their trajectories, but Dee’s name always stuck with me. Strangely enough, I had no idea what he actually looked like. So, when I started watching episodes of The Atheist Experience and heard his name, I thought, “Huh, this guy has the same name as the fantasy artist.” Little did I know they were the same person!

His work on the Norse, Egyptian, Melnibonéan, and Non-Human Mythos sections of Deities and Demigods blew me away. That book was my first introduction to Elric of Melniboné, and Dee’s illustration of Gruumsh is still exactly how I imagine the orc god today. Jeff worked on a lot of classic modules that I read but never actually played, and because of his distinctive line work, even as a teenager, I could immediately tell when he had drawn something.

Later on, I discovered his art for Villains & Vigilantes, which completely solidified my love for his work. His aesthetic reinforced for me the connection between comic books and the fantasy genre, which I still think is a perfect fit.

Jeff Dee didn’t draw any of the monsters in the original MM. But he did draw my absolute favorite monster in the Fiend Folio—which also happens to be my favorite non-traditional D&D ancestry, the Aarakocra! Their physiology in the game may have changed over the years (they now have separate arms and wings), but to me, Dee’s illustration is the true Aarakocra.

Erol Otus

Otus is my second favorite artist from this period. Just like Jeff Dee introduced me to Elric, Otus introduced me to Cthulhu via Deities & Demigods. While I wouldn’t discover H.P. Lovecraft’s actual writings or the Call of Cthulhu RPG until a year later, this book was my very first exposure to the Mythos.

Erol Otus’ cover for that book absolutely beckoned me. While Sutherland’s MM cover was great for showing you the creatures inside, Otus’ Deities & Demigods cover illustrated the terrifying, cosmic connection between mortals and deities perfectly and efficiently.

I would only discover and come to appreciate his iconic covers for the Basic and Expert sets much later in the late 90s, when I finally tracked down used copies. Perhaps because I discovered it so much later, his dragon on the Basic set isn’t my definitive mental image of a dragon—Elmore had already imprinted that concept onto me with his Red Box art.

But when I began collecting old Gamma World supplements and adventures, I was thrilled to find his work scattered throughout that line as well.

Erol Otus’ modern work is reminiscent of a psychedelic dream, and I mean that as the highest possible praise. His style is a perfect fit for the weird, gonzo feel of Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC). He even drew one of my favorite interpretations of my favorite D&D Cthulhian monster—the Aboleth—for the cover of DCC Module #25: The Dread Crypt of Srihoz.

David C. Sutherland III

Sutherland wasn’t my favorite artist of the bunch, but his A Paladin in Hell is arguably a masterpiece of early RPG art. When I rolled up my very first character—a Paladin—that illustration was exactly how I imagined him!

His cover for the DMG is an undeniable classic. It’s incredibly evocative, and much like the MM cover, I can deeply appreciate the nostalgia it elicits and how it influenced later generations of gamers, even if it isn’t my personal favorite piece.

What I do love is his monster illustrations inside the Monster Manual. Some of them were quite simple, but they captured my imagination completely. I prefer his smaller, in-text illustrations to his full-page spreads. His Mind Flayer is so basic, yet incredibly charming. I love his Sea Lion and Rust Monster, but his Naga remains my absolute favorite in the book.

Fun fact: While researching this post, I discovered that Sutherland designed my favorite creature from the Monster Manual II—the Wemic—which was first published in Monster Cards Set 3 with art by Jim Roslof!

David A. Trampier (DAT)

I was never really into Trampier’s Wormy comic strip; it just didn’t catch my fancy. I primarily knew his art from the AD&D 1e rulebooks. His illustration of Emirikol the Chaotic riding through the streets in the DMG is my favorite piece in that entire book. The sheer action and excitement of it invited you to imagine the story happening around the frame. I desperately wanted to play in a game that felt like that!

In the Monster Manual, his illustrations for the Rakshasa, Vampire, Pseudodragon, and Intellect Devourer immediately made me want to throw those monsters at my players.

I finally got a second-hand copy of the PHB featuring his original cover around 1993, and of the three original AD&D core books, it is my favorite cover. It is the perfect classic murder-hobo scene; it captures the dark, dangerous feel of an old-school dungeon crawl.

However, my second favorite piece of art by DAT is something I never actually owned: the panoramic art for the original AD&D 1e Dungeon Masters Screen. It is a masterpiece. You might argue it’s technically better than Emirikol, but the DMG art remains near and dear to my heart simply because of how deeply it inspired my games.

Another fun fact I learned while writing this: DAT also created illustrations for one of my favorite sci-fi games, Star Frontiers!

Jim Roslof

When I originally outlined this post, Roslof wasn’t on my list. But as I flipped through my old books for research, I saw his full-page illustration of Thor. I immediately realized just how important that specific piece of art was to sparking my lifelong interest in Norse mythology. It is a powerful, inspiring image and an absolute classic of D&D art.

It’s also worth noting that, as TSR’s Art Director, Roslof was pivotal in hiring the exact artists I wrote about in my previous post in this series (Elmore, Easley, etc.), so the inspiration really does come full circle!

I am still not done talking about the classic TSR artists! Keep an eye out for the next post in this series as we continue the 40-year retrospective.

 For a campaign diving deep into the foundations of the world, "classic" D&D offers everything from gritty survival to high-fantasy politics. If you are looking for the definitive adventures that shaped the concept of "Inner Earth," these modules are the essentials. This blog post picks up from OSR Commentary Adapting C1: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan To Aethel, the Sunken Core Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

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 Bringing the 1982 cult classic The Sword and the Sorcerer to the tabletop requires capturing that specific "heavy metal" fantasy aesthetic. In the Sword of Cepheus (2nd Edition) system, Talon is a high-powered protagonist, likely built with more than the standard three terms of experience.Here is the breakdown for Talon and his Mercenary Warband.TalonCareer: Mercenary (4 Terms)Rank: Needleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243274667834930867noreply@blogger.com0

Check out the cover for QUEEN IN BLACK #3 by Al Ewing and Iban Coello along with QUEEN IN BLACK tie-in issues on sale in August, including QUEEN IN BLACK:…

The post DYLAN BROCK IS THE KEY TO ENDING THE WAR BETWEEN KNULL AND HELA IN QUEEN IN BLACK #3! appeared first on First Comics News.

MIRACULOUS CHIBI 3-IN-1 VOL. 2 Coming this Summer from Papercutz Bigger Laughs, Bigger Chaos, and More Chibi Adventures with Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Friends MAY 5, 2026 (PORTLAND, OR) —…

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New imprint debuts first titles in Fall 2026 and is dedicated to releasing manga, international graphic novels, illustrated chapter books, and picture books for younger readers   Los Angeles, CA…

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Ahead of WORST MAN’s release this August, it is time to meet the cast. Here are some of the unforgettable characters at the heart of this sun-soaked chaos! Set against…

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