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Kevin Smith at the Count Basie Theatre

'Comics in Context'

Comics in Context #226: Half a Decade with the Hulk

Posted Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 4:55am

Peter’s back with an in-depth look at the cinematic do-over featuring everyone’s favorite gamma-monster, THE INCREDIBLE HULK…

Comics in Context #225: Getting Lucky in New York

Posted Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 6:16am

Peter takes in the Big Apple’s World Science Festival and gets all super-sciencey, including encountering the real Dr. Savage…

Comics in Context #224: My Cinco de Mayo

Posted Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 5:16am

Peter Sanderson takes in a very special superhero fashion exhibition at the Met, talks some Iron Man, and mentions a few cartoon centennials…

Comics in Context #223: Gathering of the Tribe

Posted Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 4:50am

Peter Sanderson continues his in-depth blow-by-blow look at the New York Comic-Con, with a special panel reflecting on cons past…

Comics in Context #222: San Diego By The Hudson

Posted Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 3:18am

Peter Sanderson takes a look at the rapidly expanding New York Comic-Con, and whether or not it’s a serious challenger to the San Diego behemoth…

Comics in Context #221: The King in Exile

Posted Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 2:01am

Peter continues his in-depth look at Mark Evanier’s mighty tome KIRBY: KING OF COMICS and the man behind the legend, Jack Kirby…

Comics in Context #220: The King of the Silver Age

Posted Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 0:03am

Peter continues his in-depth look at Mark Evanier’s mighty tome KIRBY: KING OF COMICS and the man behind the legend, Jack Kirby…

Comics in Context #219: Kirby at the Crossroads

Posted Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 0:02am

After a short break - and the formal release of the book - Peter returns to his in-depth look at Mark Evanier’s mighty tome KIRBY: KING OF COMICS…

Comics in Context #218: From Animation Into Reality

Posted Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 2:19am

Peter turns his eye towards Disney’s ENCHANTED, discusses how it’s not the first time that the 2-D and 3-D worlds have crossed over, and spends SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE…

Comics in Context #217: The Next Frontier

Posted Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 2:06am

Peter dives into the recent animated adaptation of Darwyn Cooke’s JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER, and takes an in-depth look at the original series of graphic novels that spawned it…

Comics in Context #216: The Omega Enigma

Posted Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 at 2:25am

Peter continues his look back on the work of the late, great Steve Gerber, this week focusing on Gerber’s OMEGA THE UNKNOWN…

Comics in Context #215: Wauugh and Remembrance

Posted Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 4:46am

Peter continues his look back on the work of the late, great Steve Gerber, this week focusing on Howard the Duck…

Comics in Context #214: The Essential Steve Gerber

Posted Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 2:11am

Peter looks back on the work of the late, great Steve Gerber…

Comics in Context #213: Your Obedient Serpent

Posted Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 17:43pm

Peter continues his journey into the world of online animated cartoons, this week focusing on Fleischer SUPERMANs, Fox & the Crow, TOM TERRIFIC, BEANY & CECIL, and more…

Comics in Context #212: Finally Felix

Posted Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 0:03am

Peter’s been diving into the world of online animated cartoons, this week focusing on silent FELIX THE CAT cartoons, more Winsor McCay and Koko, George Pal’s PUPPETOONS, and some bizarre Columbia animated shorts…

Comics in Context #211: The Silent Rabbit

Posted Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 at 13:00pm

Peter takes a look at Disney’s recent reclamation of their first, pre-Mickey Mouse animated star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit…

Comics in Context #210: Divorce, Marvel Style

Posted Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 2:00am

Peter takes issue with Marvel’s latest character upheaval - the Faustian erasure of Peter Parker’s marriage to Mary Jane - and what it means to Spider-Man…

Comics in Context #209: Down in the Dump

Posted Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 3:17am

Peter dives into MST3K alumnus Frank Conniff’s CARTOON DUMP, which also features selections from animation historian Jerry Beck’s “Worst Cartoons Ever Made” library…

Comics in Context #208: Creative Differences

Posted Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 5:06am

Peter kicks off the new year with part 2 of his review of Mark Evanier’s Jack Kirby book, KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, including a digression about the BBC documentary IN SEARCH OF STEVE DITKO…

Comics in Context #207: Royal Retrospective

Posted Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 0:26am

In this pre-Christmas column, Peter digs into an advance copy of Mark Evanier’s long-awaited KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, an art book devoted to the career of the late Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Captain America, and many more…

Comics in Context #206: Blaze Of Glory

Posted Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 1:23am

Peter goes in-depth on Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s latest LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN adventure, BLACK DOSSIER…

Comics in Context #205: Identity Theft

Posted Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 2:59am

Peter takes on Robert Zemeckis’s mo-cap BEOWULF, and dives into the adaptation work of screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary…

Comics in Context #204: Was It A Dark And Stormy Life?

Posted Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 5:32am

Peter lines up the football and takes a crack at David Michaelis’s controversial biography of PEANUTS maestro Charles Schulz…

Comics in Context #203: Paradise Lost

Posted Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter wraps up (for now) his look at Danny Fingeroth’s book DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT, about the effect of Jewish-American culture in originating and developing the superhero genre…

Comics in Context #202: Stung

Posted Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 1:54am

In this week’s column, Peter continues examining Danny Fingeroth’s DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT, and also takes on Jerry Seinfeld’s CG animated BEE MOVIE…

Comics in Context #201: Secret Lives

Posted Monday, November 5th, 2007 at 0:02am

In this week’s column, Peter continues examining Danny Fingeroth’s DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT and delves into why secret identities are an important part of superhero stories…

Comics in Context #200: My First Million

Posted Monday, October 29th, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter Sanderson’s “Comics In Context” celebrates its 200th column with an index of what’s come before, a discussion of Danny Fingeroth’s new book DISGUISED AS CLARK KENT, and wraps up with the mighty John Byrne’s MAN OF STEEL…

Comics in Context #199: The Forgotten Ones

Posted Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 0:03am

Peter brings his six-part critique of the Neil Gaiman’s new ETERNALS series to a close…

Comics in Context #198: It’s Not So Sprite

Posted Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter continues his critique of Jack Kirby’s and Neil Gaiman’s ETERNALS series…

Comics in Context #197: Rude Awakenings

Posted Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter continues his critique of Jack Kirby’s and Neil Gaiman’s ETERNALS series…

Comics in Context #196: Celestial Mechanics

Posted Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter continues his critique of Jack Kirby’s and Neil Gaiman’s ETERNALS series…

Comics in Context #195: Deviant Behavior

Posted Monday, September 24th, 2007 at 0:03am

Peter continues his critique of Jack Kirby’s and Neil Gaiman’s ETERNALS series…

Comics in Context #194: Eternal Verities

Posted Monday, September 17th, 2007 at 0:03am

Peter begins his critique of Jack Kirby’s and Neil Gaiman’s ETERNALS series…

Comics in Context #193: Mystery In Montclair

Posted Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 0:03am

Peter takes a trip to the Montclair Art Museum, and scopes out some choice pieces of comic book art…

Comics in Context #192: You’re So Yvaine

Posted Monday, September 3rd, 2007 at 0:03am

This week, Peter unreels the second part of his thoughts on the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s STARDUST…

Comics in Context #191: You Are My Lucky Star

Posted Monday, August 27th, 2007 at 0:05am

This week, Peter unreels his thoughts on the big screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s STARDUST…

Comics in Context #190: Pop Eye-Con

Posted Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter gets his hands on the wonderful new POPEYE cartoon collection from Warner Home Video, and lays down his appreciation of the spinach-chowing sailor man…

Comics in Context #189: Woody’s Woodpeccadillos

Posted Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 0:07am

It’s the Woody Woodpecker show, as Peter dives into the manic bird’s new DVD set…

Comics in Context #188: D’OHME!

Posted Friday, August 3rd, 2007 at 0:05am

Peter takes in the first big screen adventure of THE SIMPSONS, plus Droopy on DVD, and his completely surrenders to Spongebob…

Comics in Context #187: All Hallows Eve

Posted Friday, July 27th, 2007 at 1:38am

Peter takes a trip to Hogwarts for the first part of his in-depth analysis of Harry Potter’s final adventure…

Comics in Context #186: Le Petit Chef

Posted Monday, July 23rd, 2007 at 0:05am

Peter tackles Pixar’s latest, RATATOUILLE…

Comics in Context #185: Get Off Of My Cloud

Posted Monday, July 16th, 2007 at 1:54am

Peter declares “Clobberin’ Time” in the second part of his in-depth FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER review, and also gives a shout out to the RiffTrax treatment of the first flick…

Comics in Context #184: Clobbered Again

Posted Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 0:10am

Peter declares “Clobberin’ Time” in the first part of his FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER review…

Comics in Context #183: The Quality Of Mercy

Posted Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 1:30am

Peter turns his sights on the webslinger’s third big screen adventure, continuing his in-depth look at SPIDER-MAN 3…

Comics in Context #182: The Red And The Black

Posted Monday, June 25th, 2007 at 0:08am

Peter turns his sights on the webslinger’s third big screen adventure, in the first part of his in-depth look at SPIDER-MAN 3…

Comics in Context #181: Tobey Or Not Tobey

Posted Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 23:59pm

In this week’s “Comics in Context”, Peter is on hand for the SPIDER-MAN 3 premiere in Queens, goes after critics for their poor understanding of comic books as a medium, and discusses some additions to the Stan Lee exhibit at MoCCA…

Comics in Context #180: Tribute At Tribeca

Posted Friday, June 8th, 2007 at 4:23am

In this week’s edition, Peter Sanderson continues his look at the Will Eisner documentary PORTRAIT OF A SEQUENTIAL ARTIST, plus gives a shout out to fellow Quick Stoppers Paul Dini, Misty Lee, and a monkey named Rashy…

Comics in Context #179: Pride and Prejudice

Posted Friday, May 25th, 2007 at 23:09pm

The saying goes that “any publicity is good publicity,” but have recent events pushed Marvel beyond that threshold and into harmful territory? Also, Peter looks at the new Wiil Eisner documentary…

Comics in Context #178: The Whole World Is Watching

Posted Monday, May 21st, 2007 at 2:57am

Peter talks about the recently famous Mary Jane statuette and the new Miller ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN…

Comics in Context #177: The Collector’s Eye

Posted Friday, May 11th, 2007 at 18:24pm

When Peter left off last week, he was being dazzled by the vast array of vintage comic books on display at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, which opened last fall at the former Camden Station building in Baltimore, Maryland. This week, he continues his look at the pop culture wonders it contains within its walls…

Comics in Context #176: Birthday In Baltimore

Posted Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 0:36am

Peter takes Steve Geppi’s new pop culture museum in the heart of Baltimore for a spin. Was he amazed? Check out his report on the wonders within its doors here…

Comics in Context #175: My Dinner In Hell

Posted Friday, April 27th, 2007 at 0:04am

Peter gets down and dirty with Zack Snyder’s cinematic adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300…

Comics in Context #174: Hat Trick

Posted Monday, April 23rd, 2007 at 0:02am

Peter sits down with overpriced popcorn & soda, and takes in the latest CG project from Disney, the non-Pixar MEET THE ROBINSONS…

Comics in Context #173: Happy Heresies

Posted Monday, April 16th, 2007 at 3:23am

Where else can you get a column that mixes Dave Cockrum, Marshall Rogers, HAPPY FEET, and Tex Avery’s “I Love To Singa”-lovin’ owl?

Comics in Context #172: Nightcrawler’s Other Self

Posted Friday, April 6th, 2007 at 5:57am

Peter takes a moment within his New York Comic-Con coverage to remember the late Dave Cockrum…

Comics in Context #171: New York 2007 - Bullpen Bulletins

Posted Friday, March 30th, 2007 at 3:06am

Peter takes in the old school Marvel Bullpen panel at the New York Comic-Con, signs books, and remembers the late Marshall Rogers…

Comics in Context #170: Miller’s Next Move

Posted Friday, March 23rd, 2007 at 23:23pm

Peter’s coverage of this year’s New York Comic-Con continues, this time looking at Frank Miller’s big screen plans for Will Eisner’s THE SPIRIT…

Comics in Context #169: New York 2007 - The King Of Creation

Posted Saturday, March 17th, 2007 at 18:18pm

It’s Saturday coverage of this year’s New York Comic-Con, with BUFFY, Stephen King, Frank Miller, THE SPIRIT, Walt Simonson, and more…

Comics in Context #168: O Captain! My Captain!

Posted Friday, March 9th, 2007 at 4:17am

Peter takes a look at Marvel’s decision to murder Captain America, and wonders just how cold the body will become before the icon returns. He then jumps back into his NYCC coverage with notes on the Stan Lee panel, as well as that evening’s Stan Lee exhibit at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art…

Comics in Context #167: New York 2007 - Blogs, Bone, and Billy

Posted Friday, March 2nd, 2007 at 22:43pm

Peter was at last week’s New York Comicon, and here’s the first part of his coverage - focusing on Jeff Smith, blogging comics, and more…

Comics in Context #166: Megahero Vs. Megavillain

Posted Saturday, February 24th, 2007 at 20:30pm

Peter continues his commentary on Peter Coogan’s book chronicling the origins of the superhero genre, returning to the subject of supervillainy…

Comics in Context #165: The Supervillain Defined

Posted Saturday, February 17th, 2007 at 0:49am

Peter continues his commentary on Peter Coogan’s book chronicling the origins of the superhero genre, this week focusing on supervillainy…

Comics in Context #165: Super Slayer

Posted Saturday, February 10th, 2007 at 2:27am

Peter continues his commentary on Peter Coogan’s book chronicling the origins of the superhero genre, this time focusing on Joss Whedon’s stab-happy heroine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer…

Comics in Context #163: Are They On The List?

Posted Friday, February 2nd, 2007 at 21:06pm

Peter continues his commentary on Peter Coogan’s origins of the superheroe genre, from Superman and Batman to The Fantastic Four (and even Zatanna)…

Comics in Context #162: The Superhero Defined

Posted Monday, January 29th, 2007 at 0:06am

Peter tries to pin down the prickly problem of how exactly to define the term “superhero” in this day and age…

Comics in Context #161: Walt The Auteur

Posted Sunday, January 21st, 2007 at 5:48am

Peter continues his in-depth look into Mary Poppins, this time with a focus on a man named Disney…

Comics in Context #160: Banks’ Holiday

Posted Friday, January 12th, 2007 at 5:06am

Peter continues his in-depth look at Mary Poppins - from book to screen to stage - this time with a special look at the character of Mr. Banks…

Comics in Context #159: The Da Vinci Comics Code

Posted Friday, January 5th, 2007 at 2:12am

This week, Peter continued his in-depth look at the Library of Congress’ “Cartoon America” exhibition…

Comics in Context #158: Jolly Holiday

Posted Saturday, December 16th, 2006 at 3:55am

Peter takes an in-depth look at Mary Poppins - from book to screen to stage - and tries to pin down one of literature’s more perplexing forces of nature…

Comics in Context #157: Our Nation’s Cartoons

Posted Friday, December 8th, 2006 at 22:50pm

This week, Peter goes in-depth on the “Cartoon America” exhibition at the Library of Congress…

Comics in Context #156: Canon Fodder

Posted Friday, December 1st, 2006 at 18:46pm

Peter talks Scott McCloud’s MAKING COMICS tour, plus the likes of Kurtzman, Kirby, Eisner, Crumb, Panter, Ware, and more…

Comics in Context #155: Two American Masters

Posted Friday, November 17th, 2006 at 20:49pm

This week, Peter talks about Will Eisner and Jack Kirby at the “Masters of American Comics” show at the Jewish Museum in NYC.

Comics in Context #154: Master Class

Posted Saturday, November 11th, 2006 at 22:17pm

Milt Caniff and Charles Schulz come to the fore as Peter continues his discussion of comics masters…

Comics in Context #153: Top Drawers

Posted Friday, November 3rd, 2006 at 16:44pm

More “Masters of American Comics” with Frank King’s GASOLINE ALLEY and Chester Gould’s DICK TRACY, plus Roy Lichtenstein, swipe artist.

Comics in Context #152: “Ott Krittik” At Work

Posted Friday, October 27th, 2006 at 14:51pm

Peter continues his in-depth look at the “Masters of American Comics” exhibition…

Comics in Context #151: The New Old Masters

Posted Friday, October 20th, 2006 at 20:30pm

Peter ooks at the recent explosion of comics as fine art, as cartoon art and cartoonists exhibitions begin popping up all over the place, from the museums of New York to the halls of the U.N. and even the Library of Congress.

Comics in Context #150: Remarkable

Posted Saturday, October 14th, 2006 at 1:39am

Peter celebrates his 150th column with a remembrance of a good friend and comics legend, Mark Gruenwald…

Comics in Context #149: Forty Years In Shadows

Posted Saturday, October 7th, 2006 at 2:45am

Taking a cue from Fred Hembeck, Peter celebrates the 40th anniversary of one of his favorite gothic soap operas, DARK SHADOWS.

Comics in Context #148: Radio City Rowling

Posted Thursday, September 28th, 2006 at 23:55pm

This week, Peter gives a blow-by-blow account of the big Stephen King-John Irving-J. K. Rowling
benefit in NYC.

Comics in Context #147: San Diego 2006 - Is This Trip Really Necessary?

Posted Friday, September 22nd, 2006 at 3:05am

Peter wraps up his in-depth coverage of Comic-Con 2006 with Kevin Smith, Mark Evanier, Billy West, supervillains, signings, and the enigma that is Quick Stop editor Ken Plume…

Comics in Context #146: San Diego 2006 - A Hall Too Small

Posted Friday, September 15th, 2006 at 0:27am

Peter’s in-depth Comic-Con coverage continues with Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, and the hell that is Hall H.

Comics in Context #145: San Diego 2006 - Masters and Eisners

Posted Friday, September 8th, 2006 at 1:15am

Peter’s in-depth look at Comic-Con 2006 continues with the Eisners and masters of American comics.

Comics in Context #144 - San Diego 2006 - Stardust Memories

Posted Friday, September 1st, 2006 at 0:27am

Peter’s in-depth look at Comic-Con 2006 continues with Neil Gaiman, STARDUST, Boreanaz, BONES, and Bruce Timm.

Comics in Context #143 - San Diego 2006 - The Donner Party

Posted Friday, August 25th, 2006 at 3:17am

Peter’s in-depth look at Comic-Con 2006 continues with a Singer surprise…

Comics in Context #142 - San Diego 2006 - Driven From Dreamland

Posted Friday, August 18th, 2006 at 3:44am

Peter takes in a panel on the Disney elegy DREAM ON SILLY DREAMER and comes face-to-face with a Stormtrooper.

Comics in Context #141: San Diego 2006 - Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood

Posted Sunday, August 13th, 2006 at 5:17am

Peter’s back with a look at Mark Evanier’s mini-con, Jerry Robinson, and what it could take to get Fred Hembeck to go to Comic-Con…

Comics in Context #140: San Diego 2006 - Stamp of Approval

Posted Friday, August 4th, 2006 at 3:24am

Peter’s back from Comic-Con, and the reports begin…

Comics in Context #139: Superman Returns Twice

Posted Friday, July 28th, 2006 at 3:00am

comicsincontextsm.jpgThe new big screen Man of Steel has feats of clay.

Comics in Context #138: Lasseter, Come Home

Posted Friday, July 21st, 2006 at 4:48am

comicsincontextsm.jpgAfter CARS, is John Lasseter’s golden reputation tarished?

Comics in Context #137: Car Toon

Posted Friday, July 14th, 2006 at 2:30am

comicsincontextsm.jpgPeter Sanderson gives Pixar’s latest a spin.

Comics in Context #136: Before There Were Cars

Posted Friday, July 7th, 2006 at 1:52am

comicsincontextsm.jpgPeter looks into animation’s past, encountering little blue coupes, silly symphonies, dancing cookies, three caballeros, and more.

Comics in Context #135: The Passive Aggressive Phoenix Saga

Posted Friday, June 30th, 2006 at 0:16am

comicsincontextsm.jpgPeter Sanderson wraps up his in-depth look at X-MEN: THE LAST STAND.

Comics in Context #134: Cineplex-Men

Posted Friday, June 23rd, 2006 at 5:16am

comicsincontextsm.jpgPeter Sanderson’s in-depth comic analyses find their way to Quick Stop, beginning with a look at X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, both the flick and the Chris Claremont novelization.

Comics in Context #133: Swinging Down Broadway

Posted Tuesday, May 16th, 2006 at 22:23pm

It’s much easier to justify writing about Tarzan in this column, than Spamalot. Though the latter was based on a movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), which had animated sequences, the Tarzan stage musical is based on Disney’s entirely animated 1999 film, which in turn was inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel Tarzan of the Apes. Even apart from the animated film (and Disney’s TV series and direct-to-video Tarzan II, both animated, that followed), Tarzan has a long history in cartoon art

Comics in Context #50: Summer Camp

Posted Friday, August 20th, 2004 at 4:47am

Catty about Catwoman…

Comics in Context #49: Gray ‘n’ Green

Posted Friday, August 13th, 2004 at 4:41am

The Incredible Hulk…

Comics in Context #48: Small Town Kryptonian in the Big City

Posted Friday, August 6th, 2004 at 4:39am

Superman on TV…