stuff to stuff in your brain.
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ROMtrospective Part 2: War of the Worlds
This article is the second in a 4-part retrospective on the original Rom series. Part 1 introduced Rom within the context of the other toy comics of the time. I would suggest you read it, but you’ll be perfectly fine starting here too. Also see Who is the Real Rom Anyway? “Far, far, away, in…
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ROMtrospective Part 1: the Toys that Unmade Us
Thomas Carlyle said “the history of the world is but the biography of great men,” a banger, if contentious (and sexist), quote if there ever was one. I can say something similar: “the history of 80s nerd shit is but the meeting of two men in a bathroom during a party.” At least, that’s the…
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Giant-Man Devouring His Wife
Comic books, as sequential art, are machines for novelty, but are also uniquely prepared to incorporate the visual motifs of other mediums from throughout history. In Fantastic Four #317, the Thing and Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura) share a passionate kiss, and the rendering of this embrace recalls Rodin’s The Kiss. For Jose Alaniz, author of…
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Who is the Real Rom Anyway?
Have you ever heard of the teletransportation paradox? If you’ve consumed any science fiction media in the 20th or 21st centuries, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a version of it. But it goes something like this. Imagine a scientific entrepreneur smarter than Elon Musk (by several degrees of magnitude) builds a way for us…
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Immortal Hulk: Why Men and Monsters Suffer
Two monsters sit down across from each other at a diner. They order hot dogs, coffee, beer. One can barely fit in the seat, and has to check if the booth can withstand his weight before he settles in. His body is huge, all rippling craggy rock in place of flesh, his brow a sunken…
