Regrets are one thing and missing stuff is another. A person shouldn’t get the two mixed up. I try not to do that. There are some things in my past that I regret, but I do my best to learn from them and move on as best I can. You can’t go back and change them, but you can make sure you don’t do dumb stuff in the future. I try not to repeat my dumb things.
There are other things that I just flat out miss and have no problem saying out loud. Some of the stuff I miss are serious things like how I miss my parents and close friends that have passed on, but other stuff is not so serious, so I feel okay about sharing them with others; in this case, you. Most of this stuff deals with comic books and pop culture, the realm where most of us love to play.
Here are some takes on what I miss:
“I miss…”
- The fact that comic books are no longer 12 cents.
- That new villains and heroes aren’t introduced in former Marvel flagship books like Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Mananymore. Why aren’t we getting characters like the Watcher, the Black Panther, the Rhino, the Silver Surfer, Galactus, and the Punisher being introduced in ongoing series? I miss that.
- Super Hero annuals where something really big happens.
- Stand-alone, single-issue stories in monthly comics.
- New comics hitting the stores on Friday so we could really kick off the weekend right.
- Don Heck and Ross Andru.
- Tony Stark/Iron Man being a playboy.
- Bruce Wayne/Batman being a playboy.
- The title, “Playboy.”
- Doctor Doom being THE top Marvel villain.
- An abundance of western, romance, war, humor, sci-fi and crime comics.
- Being able to understand what is going on in X-Men.
- Green Lantern stories reading and looking like someone dropped a bowl of spaghetti on the floor.
- Wolverine having a mysterious past.
- Skull the Slayer.
- Bloodstone.
- Writing Guy Gardner, Wildcat and B’Wana Beast.
- M.A.R.S. Patrol: Total War.
- Printed letter columns in comic books.
- Being innocent in the ways of comic book business.
- The Wasp and Sue Storm worrying about what they should wear.
- Main villains having hordes of nameless minions and henchmen.
- Todd McFarlane not paying for all my expenses and traveling.
- Big royalty checks; heck, I miss the small ones.
- Stan Lee’s story titles.
- Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos.
- Red Wolf.
- Bruce Jones, Ron Frenz and Armando Gil doing Ka-Zar the Savage.
- DC Comics Imaginary Stories.
- Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta drawing the Mighty Thor.
- Dave Stevens.
- Alex Toth.
- Rory Root.
- Chuck Dixon writing Robin.
- Paul Storrie writing more DC Comics.
- Having Darwyn Cooke beg me to write his next story….Oh, I forgot, he never has.
- Bill Everett on the Sub-Mariner.
- Airboy.
- Having 15 or more comic book distributors.
- Having comic book publishers write and market more comic books for all ages.
- Having people not question me. (Yeah, I know, that only happened in my twisted dreams.)
- Yancy Street.
- A monthly Kevin Maguire comic book.
- Scot Eaton drawing Creature Commandos.
- Carol Kalish.
- Hanging out with Bob Wayne and Lou Bank at conventions and making fun of everyone else.
- Flint Henry drawing monthly comics.
- Billy Tucci being speechless.
- Buying cheap original art at conventions.
- Working with Mitch Byrd and Brad Gorby.
- People sucking up to me because they thought I could give them work.
- Rooming with Ted Adams on the convention circuit and tormenting him.
- The chaos of Image Comics owners meetings.
- Chicago Comic Con in the old Rosemont Hotel.
- Meeting Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for the first time.
- Wyatt Wingfoot and Lockjaw.
- The original Egg Fu in Wonder Woman comics.
- Blackhawk.
- Sitting on a plane going to San Diego Con and having no one in the two seats beside me.
- Sitting on any plane and having no one sitting beside me.
- Corner Gas on TV.
- Baxter paper.
- Being eight years old the night before Christmas.
Manly Recommendation of the Week
Comics Shop: The Only Color Comic Book Price Guide
By Maggie Thompson, Brent Frankenhoff and Peter Bickford.
Krause Publications
$24.99
Softcover
Available Now.
Comics Shop is a massive brick of a book that is over 880 pages of color photos, prices, title summaries and over 3000 covers. It’s hours and hours of reading and reference pleasure. With this on your bookshelf you will always be informed and up to date on any comic book in your collection and anybody’s else’s collection for that matter.
Even after all my decades of reading, collecting and writing comic books, I never fail to learn something new thanks to this wonderful book. Teaching an old dog like me is always a good thing. The quality of the paper is heavy and will withstand years of thumbing through. Having color covers on every page is a ground-breaking plus that every collector and reader will enjoy. Comics Shop is truly a fantastic Christmas gift for anyone that enjoys comic books. As a comic book creator I can’t begin to tell you what a thrill it is to see comics that I’ve written and created listed in this book. I hope all of you get that thrill at some point in your life. Check it out and enrich your comic book life.
Busted Knuckles Manly Cover of the Week: Kid Komics #8
Timely/Marvel Comics
1943
There’s not much I can add to what you can already see with your own eyes. Every cover
of Kid Komicswas total chaos. Every cover had so much wonderful, politically incorrect stuff going on it would make your head explode. What kid in the 1940s wouldn’t wanna buy these comics from seeing the covers? There was a lesson to be learned from this cover, it’s a federal offense to steal the U.S. Mail, and if you try, then you will get a major ass whuppin’ from gang of kids that aren’t strangers to using guns, ball bats and blackjacks as motivation to walk the straight and narrow. I was born in the wrong decade.
Check out the covers to Kid Komics when you can. You’ll be begging for these to be made into posters as well.
Busted Knuckles Babe of the Week: Jackie Guerrido
Weather Forecaster and Goddess Of Warm Fronts.
I’ve told you here many times that the smartest and best looking women are not in the movies, but are reporting the news and weather on your very own TV. It was never like this when I was growing up. It’s all changed and for the better. The prime example is the curvaceous and captivating weather forecaster, Jackie Guerrido. Believe me when I tell you that I don’t understand one word that comes out of her mouth, but she is still my number one storm warning. I thank my buddy, artist/write, Billy Tucci for introducing me to this F5 tornado of a tempting beauty.
The Roundup
Well, it’s that time of year, amigos, Christmas! I’ve been getting things ready here at the ranch. It’s been busy, but I’ve been getting it done just the same. Still have some gifts to buy, wrap and some to ship out. I’m sure you’ve got a few things left to do on your list as well.
I’ve gotta say that I am a little weary of the all the snow and cold weather that has been dumped on us here in the Mountain State of West Virginia. Spring can’t come too soon for me.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. I thank you all for reading Busted Knuckles for another year. I appreciate it and as always, I’m in your debt.
I hope Santa is good to you this year and brings you a copy of Wynonna Earp: The Yeti Wars in your stocking. (You really didn’t think I was gonna let this column go by without a little shameless, self-promotion did you?)
From all of us here at The Flying Fist Ranch….
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Your amigo,
Beau Smith
The Flying Fist Ranch
www.flyingfistranch.com