The Elseworlds (or ‘imaginary story’) concept is a tried and tested formula in comics, but it also exists in other media, although nobody calls it that. In particular, it has frequently appeared in (mainly American) serial television productions since the 1960s at least.
Almost a decade before the current upgraded ‘new look’ Archie was launched in 2015, Archie Comics took a more limited swing at the idea of giving the venerable Riverdale gang a new look – but with less apparent success.
Some thoughts on one component of what Jim Shooter once called ‘junk publishing’ on his blog, in line with the old adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Former comic industry professional Irene Vartanoff, who was a staffer at both Marvel and DC back in the 1970s/early 1980s, penned two light-hearted super-hero novels: Temporary Superheroine and its sequel.
A signal boost for another worthy Kickstarter project, a hardcover edition of “The Lonely War of Captain Willy Schultz.”
One of my favorite movies from the 1980s is “To Live and Die in L.A.” I recently re-watched it – but also read the novel upon which the movie is based for the first time, and again began listening to the film’s outstanding soundtrack.
The summer blockbuster season has prompted me to contemplate certain long-running and generally well-liked cinematic franchises – and why they even exist.
