A great podcast that talks about all things Fist of Khonshu. Worth checking out!
Our friends who host the Conan Podcast! Check out their other podcasts here.
The Paint Monk uses CBCS to grade all of his key comics. Check out their prices - lower than CGC and just as good.
A podcast featuring titles from the Golden Age of comics.
Keep up-to-date on all the comics coming out that are based on the works and worlds of Robert E. Howard!
All you ever wanted to know about the short-lived Atlas Comics of the 1970s and its equally short-lived revival in 2011-2013.
Our friends at "Diversions of the Groovy Kind" take a look at many different Bronze Age comics! Check them out.
Do you enjoy Marvel's beloved superhero "non-team?" This is a nice blog for Defenders fans!
Get Marvel Unlimited - and access to over 20,000 of the best comic books in the industry - for only $9.99 a month!
Digital INDY comic subscription service with some Marvel and DC Comics, too.
By WALLY MONK – Paint Monk’s Library Editor When I heard that Moon Knight was being relaunched this summer (followed in a month or two by my favorite Jungle Lord, Ka-Zar), I was filled with excitement but also with much […]
My interview with Donald Glut was reprinted in the latest issue of Comics Unlimited! If you haven’t read this new bi-monthly yet, it’s one of the best comic mags I’ve enjoyed since Comics Journal was on the shelves years ago. […]
(AUTHOR’S NOTE: It has been no secret that I have had issues with Marvel’s relaunch of Robert E. Howard’s Conan. The one bright spot has been the writing of Jim Zub. I was a fan before he took up the […]
“This editorial is full of spoilers for all three issues of Empyre: Avengers. If you haven’t read them or had your fill of modern comic book plots that have been beaten to death, go read the comics and come back […]
“As children, we all grew up and played together. Sometimes we even shared our toys, our bicycles, and our skateboards. But the cardinal rule was to take care of the toys or bicycle that you borrowed. Woe unto the kid […]
 |
| $2.50? Yes, please. |
So the same comic shop – The Great Escape, in Bowling Green, KY – had some dollar bins that I didn’t have a chance to pour through on my last visit. So with this month’s $15 in hand, I headed up to Bowling Green today for some end-of-the-year bargain goodness.
I had heard of Alan Davis’ Clan Destine from Marvel Comics, but really had no interest in putting out full price for comic books I had never read. But today, I decided to give Clan Destine a shot.
So for a huge TPB and a hardcover, I laid out $4 plus tax. For … (Read More)
Believe it or not, at one time putting a “Christian” theme into mainstream comic books wasn’t as taboo as it is today. There were even some major comics put out by the House of Ideas in the 1980s that focused on Catholic characters – and Christianity – as the primary feature of the comic.
This is the first in a series of articles that will focus on how Christianity – in particular Catholicism – has featured into mainstream comics. We’ll talk first about faith-themed comics, then we will look character-by-character at five comics where somehow faith played a role in the protagonist’s creation.
Thank you to Mark H. for the idea for this particular series of blog posts.
The Life of Pope John Paul II (Marvel Comics)
Written by Steven Grant – Pencils and Cover by John Tartaglione
64 … (Read More)
I’ve also received some interesting correspondence. In addition to increased blog readership, I’ve received a half-dozen email messages this week, and all were very insightful. Several individuals said they were “grateful” to hear about a religious monk having secular hobbies, and that gave them “hope” for the Church. One man said he was glad I was talking about “hobbies” and not preaching, as he believes some religious blogs do.
December 12th, 2017 
Commentary, Editorial 
Comments Off on The Lost Art of Horror (and Writing) – Part III of III 
By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor
I’ve talked about the Comics Code Authority before, and how I believe it really forced writers and artists to hone their storytelling abilities. I’ve even said that I genuinely miss the CCA stamp on the front of comic books today.
As I read the Tomb of Dracula series (1972-1972) by Marvel Comics in its entirety over the last six months (yes, I am a busy monk and it took that long), I realize exactly why the CCA was necessary – and why it made things even more horrific in many ways. Before we talk about the actual comic, let’s talk about psychology. When people see a picture, they know exactlywhat they are looking at – and it either makes them feel a certain way, or it doesn’t. But when people are read a narrative, it allows their mind to … (Read More)
If you’ve ever tried to figure out which Games Workshop miniatures are in that big shoebox, the new link I’ve posted should be helpful.
Stuff of Legends – www.solegends.com – has an entire page full of references for Games Workshop products, including catalog page downloads sorted year by year. They’re available as seperate .HTML pages and images, so if you only need a few pages, you’re good to go.
This could quite possibly be one of the best resources I’ve found online for tabletop miniatures. Check it out at www.solegends.com or click on the new link on the left side of this page.
As always, I am – Wally (AKA Paint Monk)… (Read More)
As a child, I was a huge fan of Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle and just about anything written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. To be more specific, I was a huge fan of jungle heroes and the exotic worlds that they inhabited.
I loved the stories even more when they included dinosaurs.
When I was seven or eight years old, I picked up a copy of Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle #1 at the newsstand. It set me back a quarter, which means I had to choose between the comic and a pack of M&Ms. The comic book won, and almost fifty years later, I am glad that it did.
Ka-Zar is the consummate jungle hero, and he resides in a “Savage Land” that is found hidden deep in the Antarctic frost and snow. … (Read More)
In my recent posts about horror comics, one reader asked about H.P. Lovecraft and whether or not he wrote comics. Many other prominent writers – like Robert E. Howard, Ray Bradbury, and Clark Ashton Smith – wrote for the pulp fantasy magazines, and this seemed like a great topic for a new post.
Sadly, if you asked me about Robert E. Howard I could speak somewhat intelligently. But to adequately discuss H.P. Lovecraft and his work (other than don’t ever say Hastur’s name three times anywhere near the water) would be a challenge for me. Thankfully, an entire slew of other bloggers and internet newshounds have already done this work for you (and for me!)
H.P. Lovecraft did appear in large part in the pulp magazines, especially stories in the Weird Tales magazine which began publishing in 1923. The magazine had a huge run, with readership … (Read More)
Horror comics were all the rage in the 1940s and early 1950s. But is there any chance they can become popular in a serious way again with modern comic readers? I’m not so sure. There are horror comics out there now that are doing well, but they have not taken the current market by storm like they did half a century or more ago.
The superhero books in the 1930s had featured horror themes, but they were always subplots. The characters like Dracula, Frankenstein and other classic monsters weren’t the focus of the issues.
 |
| Captain America wasn’t even in the issues named after him! |
Things really got started with Marvel Comics’ predecessor, Atlas Comics in the mid to late 40s. Their early Captain America comics were re-labeled Captain America’s Weird Tales (in 1949-50) and didn’t feature good ole’ Cap at all. Harvey Comics jumped on board, too, … (Read More)
Do you enjoy Robert E. Howard's classic Cimmerian in comic book form? Join Paint Monk's Library bloggers, as we review all 275 issues of Marvel's original Conan the Barbarian series. New installments added regularly!
REVIEW: OAR #2 Renews, Refreshes An RPG Classic
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to Musings from the Monk, a semi-regular column written by the chief archivist and comic nut who organizes Paint Monk’s Library ...
REVIEW: Red Sonja #19 a Good “Jumping Off” Point
"JUMPING-ON POINT FOR NEW READERS. Sonja The Red, victorious. But ruling is impossible. And a young, old foe returns with a plan ...
Moon Knight Squares Off with The Sun King
REVIEW: MOON KNIGHT #193 (Written by Max Bemis with art by Jacen Burrows)
When the avatars of the sun and the moon get ready ...
INTERVIEW: Will Barry Windsor-Smith work on New Conan?
By WALLY MONK - Paint Monk's Library Editor
Marvel Comics has announced the release of a new omnibus edition of their Conan the Barbarian ...
Are you a fan of Mordheim? Discuss Proxy Miniatures and New Warbands on Facebook
"Alt-Heim" debuted on 5/10/18 for discussion of proxy warbands in GW's Mordheim
Paint Monk's Library has a new community group on Facebook for Mordheim!
Paint ...
Do you enjoy surfing through comic book bargain bins? Join the Paint Monk as he discovers discounted treasures at comic book stores throughout the Midwest.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Happy New Year! May 2018 be filled with comics…
…and new nicely painted tabletop miniatures!