Fridays…with Greg Hatcher
Cross-Hatchings for February 2012
More bits and pieces. Bookstore finds, a couple of thoughts about the Before Watchmen thing, and some odds and ends that arrived in the mail. (Normally I would never do two of these in a row, but to be honest, this is really the second half of last week’s column that was in progress before [...]
Cross-Hatchings for January 2012
Busy couple of weeks here, so it’s all bits and pieces today.
Saturday in 1942 (though it’s really more like 1975)
I know that it feels like it’s all about the The Avengers at Marvel in recent years, and that’s nothing compared to the onslaught of tie-in comics that’s going to hit when the Avengers movie gets its big theatrical release. But there’s another super-team at Marvel that’s been doing really well for itself lately.
Attention-Deficit Saturd– OOO! SHINY!
Okay, I wasn’t going to comment on this, but after the announcements DC has made this week, I can’t help myself.
Friday I’m in Love (Comics That Made Me Happy Last Year)
I’ve been up and down with comics over the years, particularly superhero comics. Every so often (on the downs) I catch myself thinking about just quitting them for good. And then I have a year like this last one, where I find myself falling in love with comics all over again.
Saturday in Lincoln City (Despite Parental Warnings)
This is the concluding installment of the tale of our recent excursion to the Oregon coast; a place that we discovered is much better bookscouting– and comics-friendly– territory than one might suppose. Part one is here, and part two lies below the fold.
Fugitive Weekend on the Coast
My wife is sentimental about holidays and family. Me? Not so much.
A Friday Farewell to a Classic Illustrator
This certainly has been a depressing December for comics fans. Jerry Robinson and Joe Simon, both industry giants, leaving us within days of each other. There have already been many words written about both men by comics historians far more erudite than me, and i imagine there are more to come. It’s not getting nearly [...]
New Comics Day
No, not Wednesday at my local retailer. This particular “New Comics Day” is actually a much bigger deal in our household; it’s the one we have at school when the first issue from this fall’s new Cartooning Class rolls out.
Geeky Gift Suggestions For Black Friday
Actually, we don’t do Black Friday. In fact, we’re not even doing Thanksgiving.
The Birthday Story
Reminiscing in recent weeks about comics I loved when I was a sprout — and the decade-long battle with my mother from 1968 to around 1978 or so about whether I would be allowed to purchase and read comics at all — reminded me of a story I haven’t told here before.
Friday Drive-By Links and Stuff
Okay, full disclosure: it’s a light column this week. Julie and I are both fighting some sort of nasty bronchial thing– why, yes, I do work in public school, why do you ask?– so between that and trying to keep up with other work commitments, not a lot of column-writing happened. However, there’s all sorts [...]
Scary Afternoons
My boss Katie had a call from a parent who was upset about my class last week. The mother of one of my students had heard we were planning a ‘scary movie’ for my Young Authors class this Monday — Halloween day — and she really didn’t feel her eleven-year-old son was ready for something [...]





