Pabst Blue Ribbon to WWE: See You in Court

Friday May 27th, the WWE reposted an image from the WWEShop Instagram account. The image is promoting a new John Cena tshirt that is a riff on the Papst Blue Ribbon beer logo. PBR quickly responded with a post of their own via Twitter.

Pro Wrestling Sheet reported WWE's official response:

A rep for WWE says, “As a content creator, WWE respects trademarks and intellectual property, and therefore will not proceed selling the merchandise, despite it being an original design clearly within fair use.” 

WWE has since pulled the tshirt from their merchant site and has replaced it with a similar, yet none trademark infringing alternative -- a wrong move according to Forbes.com.

Despite the similarities between the seemingly PBR-inspired Cena shirt and the PBR logo itself, there’s nothing to suggest that it would result in any confusion among wrestling fans, many of which may not have even heard of the beer brand. 

Although the Pabst Brewing Company has the right to protect its intellectual property, WWE has proven in the past that Cena’s t-shirt designs indeed constitute “fair use” because, no matter how similar they may seem in comparison to other popular logos, they’re not similar enough to result in confusion. 

Maybe if every WWE fan was a PBR drinker, but that certainly isn’t the case.

Reebok's Alien Stomper: Eat Your Heart Out Marty McFly

On October 21, 2015, back to the future fans were moping around that there were only a few self-fitting Nike's in existence. However on Alien day, Ripley fans can kick the life out of squirming facehuggers with special edition replica ALIEN STOMPER's!

Photo: reebookclassics

These are replica kicks of the shoes worn by Sigourney Weaver in the 1986 ALIENS sequel to ALIEN.

Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

However, unless you were one of a VERY select few to pick these instant classic kicks, you will be paying upwards of $800 on the resale market. But when it comes to crushing a xenomorph's skull into a steel grate, you may not want to be worried about price.

Available in High-Top and SUPER-High Top. Photo: solebox_official

Foot Patron, London was gave Weyland-Yutani branded Pelican-Cases to customers that spent a certain dollar amount in their purchase.

Photo: Foot Patrol, London

While reselling at $800 now, within a year, sneaker heads and cosplayers alike will happily be paying double the current market price.

The Goon Movie is Happening

Hunsaker to Interview 30 DAYS OF NIGHT Co-Creator Ben Templesmith

Thursday March 24, 2016 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm in hall 255C.

Horror comics reached a peak of popularity in the United States 65 years ago. New York Times best selling artist and author Ben Templesmith has hooked readers in the new millennium with unique depictions of the macabre and supernatural, proving the horror comics aren't [un]dead.

Don't miss this candid conversation between Trent Hunsaker (smodcast.com - deathraycomics.com) and Eisner Nominee and International Horror Guild Award recipient Ben Templesmith. From co-creating 30 Days of Night which spawned the major motion picture, to making his stamp on the DC Universe with Gotham By Midnight, get a glimpse beyond the pages and at the horrors Templesmith has yet to unleash.

Comic Shop Word of the Day: BLANK SKETCH COVER

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Blank Sketch Cover

[blangk skech kuhv-er]

noun

• A type of variant issue comic book.
• The pages of this issue match the regular issue.
• The cover of this issue is left white and uncoated with gloss.
• These covers are made with the intent for artists to do original art work on them.

"I brought a few blank sketch covers to the comic convention; we'll see what artists are there."
"My friend collects blank sketch covers and then draws his own covers."
"I brought a blank sketch cover, but Geoff Darrow isn't doing commissioned pieces."

Artist Mark Harmon drew Rocket Raccoon on @MarkAvo's Guardians of the Galaxy blank sketch cover. 

Comic Shop Word of the Day: KIRBY KRACKLE

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Kirby Krackle

aka Kriby Dots

[ˈkɜrbi ˈkrækəl]

noun

• Created by comic book creator Jack Kirby
• An artistic technique using a field of black, pseudo-fractal images used to represent negative space around unspecified kinds of energy
• Used in illustrations of explosions, smoke, the blasts from ray guns, energy, and "cosmic" and space phenomena

"I love that artists still use Kirby Krackle."

"Kirby Krackle takes more time, but looks so much better than cross hatching."

Further Reading:

Evolution of Kirby Krackle via The Jack Kirby Museum

Comic Shop Word of the Day: ANNUAL

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Annual

[ˈænjuəl]

noun
adjective: describing type of comic book

• An issue of an ongoing title that is printed in addition to the regular monthly issue of said title
• It is an issue usually published once a year
• These issues traditionally have more pages (and cost more) than the regular title issues
• Often these issues are stand-alone stories that can be read as (see) One-and-Done
• Annuals often feature different writers/authors than those of the regular ongoing title

"Any annual written by Christos Gage is one worth reading over and over."

"The Batman Annual #3 was alright, but I like Greg Capullo's Batman the best."

Comic Shop Word of the Day: DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS

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Diamond Comic Distributors

[ˈdaɪmənd ˈkɑmɪk dɪˈstrɪbjətɜrz]
noun
synonym: Diamond, DCD, the worst 

• The only comic book wholesale distributor
• All products distributed via DCD are nonrefundable
• The #1 reason new, local comic shops don't survive past three years
• Defined by the DCD website:
• Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. was established in 1982 to provide comic book specialty retailers with wholesale, non-returnable comic books, graphic novels and related pop-culture merchandise.
• After more than 30 years of service, Diamond has become the world's largest distributor of English-language comics and related merchandise at the nexus of comics and pop-culture.

"I know you pre-ordered that comic book, but Diamond screwed up and over-sold the amount that they actually had, and we won't be able to get it now."

"Our comic book shop is still waiting for a refund for products that we paid for ($800 worth) but never received eight months ago."

Website's highlighting the poor customer service of this mega-corporation:

• Diamond Damage Disasters
• Sub Reddit /r/diamondsucks

A-Force Survives Battleworld as an All-New All-Different Title

Created during the "Secret Wars" event, "A-Force" is one of the titles that will be continuing on after the universe-changing event has passed. However, it will be minus one of the writers at the helm of title. G. Willow Wilson of "Ms. Marvel" fame will take over as sole writer for the title while Marguret Bennet will be writing other titles.

Putting the rubber to the road -- or rather the pencil to the paper -- is "Storm" artist Victor Ibanez. So it can be assumed that these superheroes will be extremely easy on the eyes.

The roster for this all-female Avenging team includes She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Dazzler, Nico and more. Wilson has also stated that a rotating guest cast will be something readers can look forward to as the series develops.

Cover by Victor Ibanez

Cocreator Sana Amanat realizes that taking on an all-female team is a large responsibility, especially as readers, now more than ever, are reading with a feminist perspective. She told Glamour magazine:

The industry's whole audience has changed. We have more female readers and minority readers, and they expect our characters to reflect them. The amount of female-driven titles we've launched that aren't being cancelled, that's a phenomenon in itself. "A-Force," "Ms. Marvel," "Spider-Gwen"—we couldn't have done these things seven or eight years ago. The dialogue of female representation is so hot right now, not just in comics but in general. And that makes us more responsible in how we depict our characters.

Marvel has yet to release a final order date for "A-Force," but it is listed as a fall All-New All-Different release.

Storm #1 Cover by Victor Ibanez

The following pages are from Storm #4 featuring the aftermath of the Death of Wolverine. Notice how Marvel censored the finished page to have Wolverine (bottom left of page) sans a smoking a cigar.

Censored Page from Storm #4 by Victor Ibanez

Original page, posted on Victor Ibanez's blogger page.

Comic Shop Word of the Day: THE BIG TWO

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The Big Two

[ðə bɪg tu]
noun

• Marvel and DC - the two largest comic book publishers
• Publishers are often divided into "The Big Two" and all the rest
• Marvel is a subsidiary of Disney
• DC is a subsidiary of Warner Bros.

"Do you remember when The Big Two teamed up and made the Amalgam Universe?"
"I tend to read mostly comics from The Big Two, but sometimes I'll pick up an Image or Dark Horse book."

Marvel's website, the landing page for all cross-platform media.

DC's Website; an upfront guide to all their new comics.

Comic Shop Word of the Day: VARIANT

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Variant

[vɛriənt]

noun

• Single issue of a comic book featuring a different cover than that of the regular issue
• Often available in limited quantities (see incentive cover)
• Due to market demand, variant issues often sell for more-than MSRP prices

"I want to get all of the STAR WARS action-figure variants."
"Skottie Young is my favorite variant artist."

Just a handful of the many variants available from Death Ray Comics.

Comic Shop Word of the Day: MANGA

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Manga

[ˈmæŋgə]
noun 

• Japanese word for comic book
• Asian-style trade paperbacks/graphic novels (TPB, GN)
• Usually smaller than American & European graphic novels; often digest size
• Printed in black and white or gray scale

"Do you have ATTACK ON TITAN?" - "Yes it's in the manga section."

"Manga just gives you more bang for your buck than American comics."

40% of all books and magazines sold in Japan are manga. (Photo by Fabien licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Comic Shop Word of the Day: BACK ISSUE

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Back Issue

[bæk ˈɪʃu]
noun 

(back-issue: adj)

• An older (not current) single-issue of a comic book series.
• Value and collectability of a 'back issue' depends on market (though usually priced at less-than
  retail).
• These are the comics that fill the many long boxes in your local comic shop.

"Do you have any back issues of 90's Wolverine?"
"I could thumb through back-issue bins all day!"

Comic conventions can be a great place to browse back issues. Photo via DRC Instagram

Comic Shop Word of the Day: COLLECTED EDITION

Collected Edition

Subscribe to the Word of the Day (with your own set frequency) here.

[kəlɛktəd ədɪʃən]
noun

• A bound book (see Graphic Novel, Trade Paperback) of multiple comic book issues, collected into a single volume.
• Most of the large comic publisher's graphic novels and trade paperbacks are, in fact, collected editions.

"Has Matt Fraction's HAWKEYE been released as a collected edition yet?"

"I'm waiting until Ms. Marvel is released as a collected edition; I like binge-reading comic arcs."

Just a few of the Marvel Collected Editions available from Death Ray Comics.

Music Monday Mixtape #42

To check out all 42 free #MusicMonday #Mixtapes we've curated, go to bit.ly/drcmixtape.

DRC MIXTAPE 41

We've got a new mixtape made for the DRC fans!

Grayhat: A Weird Western

In this business of make-pretend, we come in contact with some amazing story tellers. Once in a while, we get to give back, or even help to give a boost to some of the amazing people who share their incredible talents and passion with us.

The entire Death Ray Squadron became fans of comic creator Jason Beirens the moment he stepped foot into our old location on Center St. Logan, Utah. His affinity for bronze-age comics easily melted into the great comic-shop talk that was so unique to that location at that time.

Aside from being a husband, father, and spinning the plates of providing for both, he's also one of the most talented artists in Northern Utah. Fans of the late Mœbius (Jean Giraud) will quickly see the influence of the French master in Beirens work. Here is a chance to give a boost to an insanely talented creator and likewise enter the beautifully intricate world of Grayhat!

BACK THIS PROJECT
This is for the first issue of a planned five of Grayhat. It is a full color comic book with 24 pages of story with a few little extras in the back, 28 pages total. This first issue is an introduction, but also a complete story in and of itself.

The story is about a wanderer, the eponymous, Grayhat who is going home, west to east. His best friend and beast of Burden, Bea saves a mouse in the high desert. The mouse, Neda, joins the travelers and then they are confronted by an avian wizard, named Bird. Will they be friends or foes?

The funds raised will be used to print 300 copies in floppy form of the first issue. Also if I am lucky enough to get any extra funding, it will be used to purchase a table for the Salt Lake Comic Con in September.

What is Spider Ham Radio?

Watch Steve Crawl Around the InterWebs

This week, Death Ray Squadron Lieutenant Commander @StevenDKent gives us a briefing on the best wall-crawling centered podcast on the interWebs, Spider Ham Radio. 

---

What’s Spider Ham Radio?

Hi there, True Believer! Spider Ham Radio is the only podcast as goofy as Spider-Man. It’s two brothers, Steve and Will Kent, talking about their favorite webslinging superhero.

What’s it like?

It’s like listening to a couple of goofy nerds with sleepy voices get excited about Spider-Man. Every full-length episode starts with a radio drama based on a classic Spider-Man comic book -- most of them written by Stan Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko in the early ’60s. Occasionally Steve and Will trick somebody else into helping with the voice acting, but for the most part, they do every character themselves. The Bros Kent round out the rest of Spider Ham Radio with discussions of upcoming Spider-Man comic book titles, recommendations and usually some sort of discussion making fun of the world’s first teen-aged superhero.

Are the Bros Kent good at voice acting?

Next question, please.

What does “Spider Ham Radio” mean?

It’s an allusion to three things:

1. Spider-Ham, the Spider-Man parody character created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong for Marvel. Since we’re hams and we’re lampooning Spider-Man as well, it’s a good fit.
2. Spider Radio. Originally, Spidey could intercept certain radio frequencies with his Spider-Sense. While you don’t see it very often now, Stan Lee worked this ability into three plots within the first five issues of Amazing Spider-Man.
3. Ham Radio. Because podcasting is the new ham radio.

How often do you publish episodes?

We post something every (almost) Saturday. It alternates between full episodes and Fat-Free Spider Ham, which are original short parodies involving the characters. The Bros Kent have about eight pages of plots for Fat Free episodes, like “Aunt May tries to convince Peter that she’s Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man is elected mayor of a small town in Idaho.”

Those are both real Fat-Free Spider Ham episodes.

Why Spider-Man?

Spider-Man is one of people’s favorite superheroes for a lot of reasons. I think most of his appeal is in the fact that he’s a goofy kid that doesn’t always know what to do.

And he doesn’t get a lot of support -- in the past, his boss has paid for the creation of Spider-Slayer robots. He thinks if he talks to his Aunt May about his superhero life, she’ll have a heart attack and die. His love life has been very complicated. And a couple of times a month, some weirdo dressed as an animal pops up and starts punching up New York.

But he keeps going. No matter what kind of grief he’s dealing with, you see him swinging around the city and making jokes.

So that’s why we love Spider-Man. Because life is hard and humor makes it better. Because you don’t have to be popular to be passionate about something. And because you don’t have to be perfect to do the right thing.

‘Nuff said.

Final Order 1-19-15 | GUARDIANS OF GALAXY VOL 01 HARDCOVER

ORDER FROM DEATH RAY COMICS

Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
On The Rack: 5/6/2015
Genre: Super Hero
Format: Hardcover
MSRP: $34.99
ORDER FROM DEATH RAY COMICS

Why has Earth suddenly become the most important planet in the galaxy? The Guardians of the Galaxy plan to find out! Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot - and the invincible Iron Man - embark on an explosive adventure! The secrets they discover will rattle readers for years to come! But while Earth deals with a brutal Badoon invasion, the Guardians' fate has been decided millions of miles away!

Then, Heaven's most fearsome angel comes for the Guardians! And when Gamora battles the mysterious Angela, the universe hangs in the balance! The Guardians find themselves at a crossroads when Thanos' master plan takes shape. Can Angela's power help combat INFINITY? And will Star-Lord betray the entire universe? The cosmic blockbuster hit begins here!

Collecting GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2013) #0.1 and #1-10, and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: TOMORROW'S AVENGERS #1.

The Real Peter Griffin Explains Cosplay

Many times customers ask us if we go to comic con. And for the non comic con goes that inquire, many ask about "dressing up," or "Why do people cosplay?" We think the Real Life Peter Griffin sums up the "why" perfectly.

"You know what I love the most about New York Comic Con, is the freaking friends that I see every year. Like I go to work and I'm a nobody. I have a nobody job, making nobody pay. But then I go to New York Comic Con and people are pulling out phones like I'm freaking Brad Pitt or some shit. It makes me feel like a million bucks. It's the reactions that I get out of what I do, that gives me the joy of what I do."

Come and meet the guys from Death Ray Comics and the A Part of Him Podcast Network at the Salt Lake City Comic Con FanX January 29-31.