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 […]
On my back home from Bowling Green, Kentucky, I couldn’t pass up the chance to stop at The Great Escape’s second location. It was a smaller shop in a strip mall in Bowling Green a short distance from the highway. Given my proclivity for Bargain Bin shopping, I was hoping that this second location hosted a bunch of bargain boxes also.
I was in luck! Not only did this store have dozens of 49 cent bins, but they also had 35% off all back issues in honor of the most ludicrous shopping day of the year.
Before I got to the bargain bins, I was struck by a comic book they had on the wall. It was Marvel Spotlight #28, a book I’ve been eyeing for years. It features the first “solo” appearance of one of my favorite Marvel characters, second only to Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden … (Read More)
One of the few drawbacks to being a monk is the income.
While some things aren’t a worry, spending money is always at a minimum. We don’t draw a salary like traditional clergy. Instead, we get a monthly allowance for toiletries, basic living expenses, and (maybe) a little bit of fun.
I’ve decided that I’m going to start recreating the old comic collection I had in the late 70s through early 90s. But to do that, I need to practice snagging eBay bargains, looking online at want ads, and of course, becoming “bargain bin” savvy.
On my travels today, I stopped into The Great Escape, a mecca for used comics, records, movies and RPGs in Madison, Tennessee. I was in luck – two full long tables of bargain bins. Better yet, the bargain bin comics were 49 CENTS. The tables were full, and a neat second row of … (Read More)
Ok, so I can see this blog is being read (about 9 readers a day!) yet no one has liked us or added us to circles on Google +. That’s fine, but I’d love to know who you are, and maybe have a comment or two here on the blog.
I’ve created a Facebook Group for Paint Monk’s Library – like us there, and get updates, additional blog posts and more. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/Paint-Monks-Library-1725147764459342/
Thanks! Wally – AKA Paint Monk… (Read More)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: I waited until I had seen FIVE episodes of Star Trek: Discovery before I wrote this column and just couldn’t take it anymore.)
I know this page isn’t about movies. But what comic book/fantasy miniatures enthusiast isn’t a fan of Star Trek or Star Wars?
I’m going to take a minute to rant about the new so-called Star Trek: Discovery series on CBS All Access. To quote Courage the Cowardly Dog’s supporting cast, “It’s Garbage. It’s not just Garbage, it’s King Garbage. Of the Garbage Dynasty.”
Take the brooding Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) from The Walking Dead and plop her into a Star Fleet uniform. She’s exactly the same character. Angry. Brooding. Defiant.
In other words, she’s everything we know that a good Star Fleet officer ISN’T.
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| What is it? Definitely not a Klingon. |
In the first episode, Green’s character (Michael Burnham… (Read More)
Slasher flicks and slasher horror just don’t do it for me. But have an eloquent writer weaving tales of the supernatural – of ghostly beings from beyond the grave, mixed with an occasional tale of dark fantasy – and I’m hooked.
Chamber of Chills #1 (premiering in 1972 after the 1971 loosening of rules created by the Comics Code Authority) is a strange masterpiece of different works, including a story called “Moon of Madness, Moon of Fear” written by sci-fi novelist George Alec Effinger. The artist of this particular story is the famous P. Craig Russell – who is simply referred to as “Craig Russell”
Maybe I’m old, or maybe I just look at comic books differently than when I was a kid.
A few years ago, I got back into comic book collecting. I started with the GIT-Corp digital collections (now out of print, sadly) and moved on to Marvel Unlimited. Both are great ways to get entire digital collections of comics for a very low price.
The Comics Code Authority was abandoned years ago, but as I look at newer comics, I wonder if the loss of the CCA was the end of an era in many ways for the writing in comics today.
CCA had specific criteria for what could be included in comics and what could not. There were limitations on things like profanity, nudity and even subject matter that had to be followed in order to receive the coveted CCA stamp.
Today, it seems like all things some deem … (Read More)
If you’re not a regular on Blogger, Paint Monk’s Library also has a Facebook feed. Check my Facebook page or search for “Wally Monk” and add me to get notifications of new blog posts here. I won’t be re-copying everything to the FB page, but the page will have links back to recent articles and this blog.
This blog is currently under construction, but when it’s completed it will showcase comic book news and reviews, and occasionally, creator interviews.
If you are curious about the theme of this blog, yes, I am a member of a Christian religious order and “Paint Monk” seemed like an appropriate moniker. When I’m not living my full-time vocation, I enjoy comic books (sword-and-sorcery and super heroes, like Moon Knight!) Don’t expect any off-topic chat here, though – “Paint Monk’s Library” is entirely about comics and perhaps an occasional hobby-related sidetrack. You won’t find any talk about philosophy or politics here, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.
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| Reaper’s latest Bones Kickstarter prompted me to “re-open” the library. It’s funny how one thing can drag you back into your hobby! |
I do plan to keep the site family friendly. This will also be a place where you don’t … (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.
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November 26th, 2017 
Culture and Political Wars Go Interstellar
Orville Vs. Star Trek: Discovery Debate Rages On In Social Media
I won’t get too deep into the Orville Vs. Star Trek: Discovery debate that’s going on all over social media in the sci-fi and pop culture forums. And it’s no secret that I have a strong dislike (that’s being kind) for the new Star Trek: Discovery series. I’ve already covered that in a previous post. I’ll just post a few thoughts and let you decide which side of the fence you’re on, or if you’re a happy fence rider for the most part like this monk.
Today, I’m going to write about The Orville, which is a complete surprise to me. No, I don’t like the burp-and-bodily function jokes, but they’re no worse than ridiculous Klingons, a protagonist who is a jerk, and relegating a legendary science fiction franchise to a Star Wars special effects extravanganza… (Read More)