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    THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE     -     ISSUE NUMBER 66
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    World Wide Web Page------>>    http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet
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   This publication is brought to you by the members of the premiere
   BBS network for the discussion of comics books and the people who
   create them,
                       The ComicBook Network!!!

   Edited by: David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com]
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   The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden
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   If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email
   account, please address a message to    ComicBkNet@aol.com   to be
   placed on the subscription list.
________________________________________________________________________
                   T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S
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    [1]  On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc
    [2]  Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page!
         TRIVIA CONTEST......................... Guesses & Answers
    [3]  CBN Insider ........................... News, gossip, & rumors
    [4]  Marvel signs with America OnLine....... PRNewswire
    [5]  Chicago Convention Report ............. Angelo Furlan
    [6]  Keady's Comic Komments ................ John Keady
    [7]  Review:TABOUX #1 ...................... David LeBlanc
    [8]  Bonus Review:COPY BOOK TALES #1 ....... David LeBlanc
    [9]  New Comics Shipping  7/8/96 ........... Bobb Waller
    [A]  How to join ComicBook Network.......... BBS 101
    [B]  BBSes Linked into CBN.................. CBN node list
    [C]  E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights
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[1]   On the Net                                        by David LeBlanc

Well this is an interesting week for most of us, for one reason or
another.  Independence Day, the holiday celebrated on July 4th, falls on
a Thursday so lots of U.S. workers have a long weekend.  Traditionally,
many companies that shut down in the summer for a week, or two, do it
during this week.  Some of us, take advantage of the 4 day weekend and
supplement it with vacation days to start the summer off right, that is
what I did.  It is usually the last week of the summer blockbuster
premieres, and sure enough "Independence Day" which opened this week
looks to be a winner.  My personal recommendation on this one folks.  It
is a real fun movie.  Finally, this year, the San Diego Comic Convention
began, having been pushed back by the Republican National Convention
later this year.  Many pros and fans of the comic industry left their
homes and workplaces mid-week to be where the action is.  I stayed home,
with time off, to play Home Improvement all week and entertain my
brothers and their families to an old fashioned July 4th barbecue.  My
heart was thinking thoughts of the convention.  Some day I'll get to
one.

Instead, early Sunday morning I will be heading for the local Flea
Market (swap meet, whatever you call them) to set up a table and sell a
bunch of no longer needed items, gifts we couldn't use, toys the kids
outgrew, and lots of comics.  It is a tradition to skim the collection
once a year and decide which comics i just can't bear to part with and
which I am willing to pass on.  It is not done out of greed, but out of
the realization that they take up lots of room, and I rarely get to read
them again once they are boxed.  Better to keep the ones I will always
want to own and sell the rest to those who are looking for something to
read.  Most years I net about $80-$100 on selling comics.  A few select
at 1/2 book price, most at $.25 each and a box or two at $.10 each.
Something for everyone.  Real cheap stuff, very readable at only a
quarter, and some decent sought after books at prices they won't find in
the stores.  It is a days event, rising before the sun to get a prime
table.  The dealers themselves make the rounds before they set up their
own tables and before the general public shows up.  By about 2:00 PM the
crowd is thin and the leftovers are packed and we (#2 son and I) head
home.  Perhaps, if it is interesting enough, I will give a report on how
it went.  Hopefully, next time we will have some of the latest news from
the convention as well.

This week we have reviews of two products I got free samples of in the
mail.  One is familiar to some of you as a minicomic, the other is
something different and worth checking out.  John Keady drops by to give
his top picks of the month so far and Angelo Furlan, creator of Sinnamon
and the Bruiser, gives us a report on his trip to the Chicago
Convention.  All you Marvel fanboys, and girls, dig out those America
Online disks you are using for coasters.  They are finally coming online
in a big way and AOL will have them around July 18th.  While you are
waiting, upgrade to AOL 3.0, it really is a BIG improvement.  Fire up
the Web Browser and drop by our page where we have added a number of new
links to our favorite comic shops, Gemstone Publishing, Howard the Duck,
Olyoptics, and even a cartoon of the day page.  There is more to come
but we'll save that for another time.

David LeBlanc [ComicBkNet@aol.com]
Editor, The Comic Book Net E-Mag
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[2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous
issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to
shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send
Email to:

ComicBkNet@aol.com

Note: letters of comment, complete with the sender's Email address, may be
used in future issues of the CBN E-Mag unless you specifically request us
NOT to use them.  Email address will be withheld upon request.
+++++

Hmm, everyone is gone to San Diego or on vacation.  Only the die hards
who had to guess the trivia bothered to write.  That's ok, I had lots to
do around the house this week.

[TRIVIA CONTEST]
Last week's question:
What continuity problem arose when Wonder Girl joined the Teen Titans in
The Brave & The Bold #60?

From: jsacks@juno.com (Jason Sacks)

Wonder Girl only lived in imaginary stories, but including her in the
Titans embedded her in DC continuity. This was an unresolved issue until
the great "Who Is Donna Troy" issue of New Teen Titans.
+++++
From:    sjdy@mail.idt.net (Stephen J. De Young)

Not entirely sure which of the many Donna continuity problems you
are referring to, but let me take a stab, post-Crisis, Donna in the
Titans means that Wonder Girl existed in the DCU before Wonder Woman
by a margin of a few years.
+++++
From:    kjobe@socomm.net (Ken Jobe)

The answer to this week's trivia contest is:  Wonder Girl as a person
separate from Diana Prince didn't exist at the time.  Her adventures
were like Superboy's at the time, the adventures of Wonder Woman as a
girl.  A few years into the run of Teen Titans, they finally established
that this is Donna Troy and came up with an origin for her.

[that was it, but the first one to get it is the winner]

From:    perler@tix.timeplex.com (Michael Perler)

>What continuity problem arose when Wonder Girl joined the Teen Titans in
>The Brave & The Bold #60?

At the time, Wonder Girl was suppose to be a younger version of Wonder
Woman, not a separate character.

[Congratulations Michael]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:

Name the original Frightful Four.

IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE:
The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm).
The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first!
Please be sporting and send only one guess at a time.

LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON!
Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you stump the
subscribers! You MUST submit the correct answer with the question.
________________________________________________________________________
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[3] CBN Insider - News, gossip and rumors from around the industry

From: ncoll22357@aol.com (NColl22357)    4 July 1996
Over the past weekend, Vertigo editor Lou Stathis (INDUSTRIAL
GOTHIC,HELLBLAZER), suffered a seizure and was rushed to a Manhattan
hospital, where he was diagnosed as having a possible brain
lesion/tumor. He is to undergo exploratory surgery within the next day or
so. If you would like to show your support for Lou, you can contact DC
via email at DCOVEMAIL@aol.com or send the more traditional (and
tangible) get-well card to him c/o DC: 1700 Broadway/NYC.10019. They'll
see to it they're forwarded to him (he's being transferred to another
hospital--I'm not sure which). I'm sure your thoughts and well-wishes
will be greatly appreciated during this trying time.

+++++
     A copy of Action Comics #1, the comic book in which Superman made
his 1938 debut sold for $61,900 at a Sotheby's auction.  The buyer was
Steve Geppi, owner of Diamond Comics Distribution and a part-owner of the
Baltimore Orioles.  No one knows how many of the comic books still exist,
but a Sotheby's spokeswoman said experts estimate there are about 50.  An
Action Comics No. 1 that was in pristine condition sold for $82,500 in
1992, a record for comic books. Saturday's book sold for less, Sotheby's
said, because it had been partially restored.

+++++
    NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Toy Biz, Inc. (NYSE: TBZ) has filed
a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission
covering the sale of 7,500,000 shares of Class A Common Stock consisting
of 1,000,000 shares to be sold by Toy Biz; 2,500,000 shares to be sold
by Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRV); and 4,000,000 shares to
be sold by certain other selling shareholders who will grant the
underwriters an option to purchase an additional 1,125,000 shares to
cover over-allotments.
          Marvel and Toy Biz intend to use the proceeds of the sale of
their shares to fund, from time to time, a new company, Marvel Studios.
Marvel Studios' role is to facilitate the development of live action and
animated motion pictures and television programming based on the Marvel
Characters.
          After the offering, Toy Biz will have approximately 28 million
shares of common stock outstanding with Marvel owning approximately 7.4
million Class B shares with a 26% economic interest and a 78% voting
interest and the public owning approximately 10.25 million Class A
shares.  Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Smith Barney Inc. and
Jefferies & Company, Inc. will co-manage the underwriting group.  When
available, a copy of the preliminary prospectus relating to the
securities may be obtained from the offices of Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated, 1585 Broadway, New York, N.Y., 10036-8293, Smith Barney
Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, N.Y., 10013, or Jefferies &
Company, Inc., 11100 Santa Monica Boulevard, 10th Floor, Los Angeles,
Calif., 90025.

+++++
Two new web sites for you netsurfers out there:  OLYOPTICS is at
http://www.olyoptics.com  by the award winning color separation house
found by Steve Oliff.  It features an exclusive first look at Steve's new
comic book, Armature!  Get coloring tips from the Olyoptics crew.  See a
gallery of top-of-the-line comic book covers.

Diamond Digital Web Publishing services is pleased to announce a new web
page for Gemstone Publishing called: www.gemstonepub.com. These pages
will highlight many of their offerings, especially Overstreet's FAN.  As
the Gemstone site develops, it will contain sections on EC Comics, Comic
Book Marketplace and soon to come, the Overstreet Price Guide Annuals.

+++++
From this week's CSNsider in the Comic Shop News #472, lots of stuff we
already told you about, plus  . . . How's this for a team up coming in
September - "Grifter & The Mask!"  A two issue limited by Steven Seagle,
Luciano Lima, and Jose Pimentel. . . and later in the year, or early '97
will be a Wetworks/Predator limited series. . . Mike Deodato will be
joining Peter David on the Incredible Hulk this fall. . . London Night
Studios has sold 50% of it's company to Ministry of Film in a deal to
give each rights to develop the other's properties to their respective
media. . .Harvey Abrams is working on a second coffee table book called
Marvel Universe along with Marvel Archivist Peter Sanderson. . . Steven
Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment  plan to produce a live action version
of Dr Seuss' classic "Cat in the Hat". . . a Gen12 miniseries is being
developed to fill in between Team 7 and Gen13. . . Daredevil and Shi
cross paths in 1997. . . Mr. Mxyzptlk and The Impossible Man will be
plaguing Superman and the Silver Surfer in a crossover by George Perez,
Ron Lim and Terry Austin. . . new Amalgam comics are being planned, word
is that among them is a Green Lantern/Iron Man mix called Iron Lantern .
. . other team ups in the works include Spider-Man/Gen13 and
Batman/Daredevil the latter by Scott McDaniel & Dan Chichester.
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[4] Marvel/America OnLine in joint venture!                   PRNewswire

    DULLES, Va., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- America Online, the world's
largest commercial online service, and Marvel Entertainment Group, the
number one comic book company in the world, today announced an innovative
joint venture which will create a new universe of comic book characters,
original exclusive-to-online comics, and a community for comic book fans.
The venture includes a wide range of new initiatives, the first of which
is a state-of-the-art area dedicated to bringing Marvel's popular comics
to the fingertips of fans everywhere.
    With the launch of Marvel Online, Spider-Man, Marvel's premier comic
book hero, will spin his web onto AOL this summer.  Unlike traditional
comic books that change content on a monthly basis, this highly
interactive area will provide comic book aficionados and soon-to-be
fans, new content weekly as well as allow them to actually participate in
the strip by driving the content.  The next comic to be introduced will
be Wolverine followed by a fan selected comic, as well as a comic strip
created exclusively for the online services leader.
    The AOL/Marvel Joint Venture will also include the development of
new properties some of which include CD-ROM, comic books, and
merchandising materials.  Both companies will also be launching an
aggressive advertising campaign later this summer to support the
initiative.
    "AOL is committed to partnering with industry leaders to create
original, innovative content exclusive to the online medium, "  said Ted
Leonsis, President of America Online Services Company.  "By working with
Marvel, the recognized leader in the comic book industry, we have
combined our sense of entertainment-oriented programming to take the
comic book universe to the next plane."
    "We are constantly looking at ways to make the online medium more
compelling," said Barry Schuler, President of AOL Productions.  "The new
Marvel Online area is just one example of how AOL continues to embrace
new technologies to achieve our goal in creating a richer member-
experience."
    "The launch of Marvel Online represents a critical step for Marvel
Entertainment in building our brand and exhibiting our products on the
emerging digital frontier.  We are extremely excited about working with
AOL and expect Marvel Online to be one of the hottest area in
cyberspace,"  said Scott Marden, Chief Executive Officer, Marvel
Interactive.
    Marvel's universe of talent and creative artists have joined with
America Online's talent pool to create an area that appeals to comic
book aficionados and novices alike.
          The area will include the following features:
    * Spider-Man stars in Marvel's inaugural digital comic book.  In the
cyber-comic, featuring all-new original content, the traditional comic
book "page" takes on fresh meaning.  AOL members navigating the weekly
eight-page tales will be awash in color-packed sights and smashing
sounds.  Also, by clicking on specifically marked images, members can
pull up histories of featured characters in a truly interactive comic
adventure.
    * Member driven content including  "The Threaded Web," ongoing
member/fan created fiction, and "I Wanna Be in Comics," a challenging
opportunity for members/fans to complete art and submit for inclusion in
future comics.
    * A community of online comic fans.  Members have a direct link to
chat with other fans throughout the comic--by clicking on areas
throughout the strip readers are linked "real time" to other members who
are reading the same page at the same time.
    * NTN presents a new trivia game designed specifically for Marvel
Online.  Fans can answer questions about their favorite characters for
prizes.
    * A historical archive of Marvel characters available for the first
time exclusively to AOL members.
    * Live events with marvel editors, writers, and artists.

    Marvel legend, Stan Lee, assisted by The Amazing Spider-Man, will
hold a live event on AOL at 5:00 PM, EST, Thursday, July 4, during the
1996 San Diego Comic Book Convention. AOL members can attend the event by
using Keyword: AOL Live.  The Marvel Online area will be unveiled to the
show attendees at this time.  Kids of all ages are invited to stop by the
Marvel Booth to meet Marvel Characters: Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk,
She-Hulk and The Silver Surfer.

Marvel Online will be at Keyword: MARVEL  in about 2 weeks.
________________________________________________________________________
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[5] Chicago Convention Report                           by Angelo Furlan

FEAR AND LOATHING IN THE WINDY CITY

    Your exalted editor of the CBEM asked me to provide a report on this
year's Chicago Convention.  Being the publicity-starved type that I am, I
readily agreed.  At this point, I should mention that I'm the
writer/publisher of SINNAMON (Catfish Comics), and I went to the Con in
the company of members of Mythic Comics.  We shared a booth.
        So now you know where I'm coming from.  Unlike those of you on
the other side of the newsstand, the prospect of being in close proximity
to so many well-known creators no longer fills me with awe.  I did the
fan-boy thing at both New York and Detroit in '94 (wanna see the copies
of BRUISER #1 I had signed by John Romita Jr, Walt Simonson, or Jim
Shooter?), but I'm much more jaded now.  Rubbing shoulders with ANY
creator no longer does anything for me.
        Unless those shoulders belong to someone like Susie Owens or
J.J. North, that is.
        Here's the one most important thing I learned from this year's
Chicago Con: the industry has changed dramatically.   I was at the
Chicago Con in '94. Tekno Comics was handing out shopping bags full of
stuff - posters, Frisbees, Styrofoam mugs, while impressive video
displays trumpeted the advent of this new company (without a single page
of comic book art in sight).  Marvel had a huge booth and handed out
loads of posters to all who came by.  Image had the YoungBlood Spaceship
on the floor to amaze us (I didn't go inside, but I was impressed),
along with the Spawnmobile.  Best of all, Valiant had a TWO STORY
building set up to show off their wares (which actually didn't seem to be
much more than a few trading cards).
        Oh, and DC had a large display as well, with a number of video
monitors constantly running snippets from the Batman cartoon.
        And at Chicago '96?  As you might have guessed, no Tekno  and no
Acclaim booths.  Marvel had a very normal looking booth up against a
wall, which was very easy to miss (the only giveaway was Onslaught
stickers, which were slapped on anyone walking by).  The Rob was there,
but I saw no space ships. Todd had a small booth to promote his toy line
(but no Todd, though Al Simmons was seen wandering about).
        Oh ... but DC had a display much like they did in '94.
        Draw your own conclusions, folks.
        Keeping in mind that I spent much of the Con manning my booth,
here are my highlights:
        Rob L. actually offered himself up as human sacrifice for the
Comic Legal Defense Fund Dunk Tank.  For $20, you could throw balls at a
target in the hopes of soaking Rob, much as some people accuse him of
doing to readers. To be honest, Rob took it all in VERY good humor.
        Of course, if I had someone like Glory encouraging me, I'd
gladly have gallons of water poured over my head, too.
        The Ultimate Warrior made a promised appearance at the Rock 'Em
Sock 'Em Robots booth, taking on all comers.  As a wrestling fan myself,
it was a bit disappointing to see the Warrior wearing an over-sized
T-shirt and long shorts.  If it weren't for the veins sticking out of his
calves, it could have been ANYONE.  Oh, in keeping with his regular ring
performance, the Warrior's "appearance" lasted an entire 16 minutes
(yeah, I timed him).
        J.J. North was at the London Night booth.  What, do I have to
elaborate on why this would be a highlight?
        Spider-Man was there (in the classic costume).  Note to Marvel:
most of us regular folks expect heroes to have chests bigger than their
bellies (even the MALE heroes), so tell Spidey to watch those calories,
OK?
        Looking for freebies?  The Fan gave away free copies of their
latest issue, along with copies of classic EC comics (I'll assume these
were reprints.  Or maybe The Fan is doing really well).  Diamond gave
away a free calendar, which I never got around to picking up.  DC had
loads of buttons, but since they've been giving these away since '94, no
big thrill.  No Frisbees this year.
        J.J. North was at the London Night booth.  Oh, have I mentioned
this before?  Sorry, but buxom blondes in revealing outfits tend to make
lasting impressions on me.
        Two teens looked at the cover of SINNAMON #4 (featuring SINNAMON
and INFAMA) and asked me, "Do they kill anyone?"
        Sorry kids.
        My biggest thrill?  Having guys ask me where SINNAMON was, and
ad libbing the answers ("At home watching our kids" got me some envious
looks).  Just for the record, there is no live model, okay?
        Maybe I should have asked J.J. to put on a wig and come by the
booth for a while.
        (Note: this wasn't REALLY my biggest thrill, but there are some
things a gentleman doesn't talk about.  And neither do I.)
        Well, that's about it for my report on the 1996 Chicago Con.  It
might be a good idea for our esteemed editor to get future reports from
someone a little less jaded than yours truly.   On the other hand, I
think I showed great restraint with the shameless self-promotion.

Angelo Furlan
Writer/Creator of SINNAMON, BRUISER, and STUF.
email me at: afurlan@pathcom.com
Check out the Catfish Comics Web Page at: http//www.thenerve2.com/catfish
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[6] Keady's Comic Komments                                 by John Keady

Here is the top 10 for August releases!

10. Legionnaires #39 - Trying to catch up on the back issues but this
    one is growing on me rather quickly!

 9. Azrael #20 - Been kinda slow on this title lately but it has always
    been well written so slow on this book is still good!

8.  Legion of Superheroes #83 - Some pretty powerful stuff!!

7.  Detective Comics #700 - Not been too thrilled with the Bat books
    lately but this issue was rather well done!

6.  Spectre #44 - Very good issue dealing with women's oppression and how
    the Spectre deals with it!

5.  Aztek #1 - Good start to the series.....a hero with dignity and
    compassion is a rare thing these days!

4.  Hitman #4 - Not letting up one bit! Read this book! It will not
    disappoint!

3.  JLA #113 - Final issue of this series was best of the past couple
    years It's a good lead into the upcoming changes!

2.  Impulse #16 - I've been teetering on dropping this one just because
    I can't afford to get EVERY DC title, this issue is making my
    decision much more difficult!

1.  Kingdom Come #2 - A classic in the making.....READ IT!
________________________________________________________________________
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[7] REVIEW                                              by David LeBlanc

TABOUX #1 - Antarctic Press - (fumetti) $3.95 ($5.49 CAN) -
            40 pages  MATURE AUDIENCES
Produced and copyright by American Cinema-Graphics  1-800-840-0630
Email  ranchman@earthlink.com
STORY: Vivian Lushliner
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rueben Njaa
Story Adaptation, Computer Graphics & Design: Greg & Carrie Webmeyer

"What ultimate evil glows inside the crystal discovered by Darcey Bennet?
Celina, the most evil of the five Original Vampire, will stop at nothing
to get it and spare no one who stands in her way. Irresistibly beautiful,
she is a voracious seductress who takes on new energy with each kill.
Can no one stand in her way?"

"Maximilliano Dante, another of the five Original vampires, knows the
stage is being set for a showdown the world does not want."

In the words of the author, you are plunged into another interpretation
of the vampire legacy.  But this one is most likely unlike any you have
seen before.  The book is done in "fumetti" style.  The term describes
basically using photography, rather than artwork for the images, along
with text to tell the story.  Unlike other fumetti styles, there are no
word balloons the text is more narrative and dialogue is within the text
mostly rather than crowding the images.  But even that is not accurate
because the pictures are overlaid by the text for portions of each page
with some of the dialogue breaking out for emphasis.  In all, the style
is very unique and worth checking out.  They manage to flow the action
from clip to clip as well as a graphic artist would show action in
sequential art. Shot 1: a man in the corner seat at a bar, shot 2 a car
at the curb, shot 3: a female leg stepping out, shot 4: a close up of the
man, bottle in hand, shot 5: the woman scanning the bar patrons, shot 6:
she stands before him and asks, "Are you detective Ric Garcia?"

The inside front cover credits the various actors that play the
characters in this drama.  Reuben Njaa is listed as Creative director as
well as the photographer and Kathy Thalman is the producer while Chase
Thalman is listed as one of the *victims*. Heh, heh!

I found the story acceptable and a decent take on the vampire myth. Darcy
holds the crystal that is the key to the Original vampires gaining
dominance over mankind.  As long as she possesses it she is safe from
Celina, the villainess of the Original 5.  Not so those around her as she
finds in the opening chapter of the 5 part arc.  This is the story of her
struggle to learn the secret of the crystal and learn why everyone she
loves is becoming victims to this ancient evil.  She has an ally in
Maximilliano who although he is a vampire has reasons to fight Celina.  I
found the story easy to follow and interesting enough to wonder what
happens next.

You may find it pricey at $3.95, but it is 40 pages so I don't think it
is overpriced.  Perhaps shorter chapters at a lower price point would
bring in more readers?  Anyway, I think it is worth checking out since
both the story and composition of the photography is top notch.  It is up
to you whether this type up *comic book* will become a regular thing.
________________________________________________________________________
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[8] Bonus Review                                        by David LeBlanc

THE COPYBOOK TALES #1 -July 1996- B&W, color covers SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS
Written by J. Torres, Illustrated by Tim Levins $2.95/$3.95 CAN

Wait a minute?   Didn't Dave review this title already, way back in the
Comic Book Electronic Magazine #52?  And isn't this J. Torres the same
guy who does that bi-weekly column  called "Recommended Reading" for the
same Emag?  Right on both counts, very astute readers!  Except this time
around, I guess that makes it volume 2, The Copybook Tales is a full
sized comic from Slave Labor Graphics, not a self-published mini-comic.
I was waiting patiently to go to the greatest comic store in the world a
day later than normal to pick up this new #1, since new comic day
conflicted with a family pre-Independence Day picnic, when the ash can
showed up in the mail at the beginning of the week. (Thanks Joe)  Now I
can keep that mint copy with the color cover sealed up tight to go up in
value astronomically overnight while I read the ashcan over and over. Or
should I do the opposite and horde the ashcan instead?  Oh well, on with
the review.

When I first was introduced to this series I did not know what a
"copybook" was.  Turns out it is just a spiral bound notebook, like for
taking notes in class.  The "tales" are that of Jamie as a high school
student along with his friends Mike, Mike and Mike and little brother
Alex.  His journal is typical of a youth that is "into" comic books as
well as various other things like TV and the movies.  We saw parts of
these interests intertwined in stories both present and flashback to the
high school days in the mini-comics, and the tales are familiar and
interesting.  This chapter is called "Portrait of the Artist as a
Fanboy."  Mixed in with the real life problems of a struggling young
adult, we are treated to some snatches of experiences in the past that
nicely relate to the present.  This one deals mostly with the fanaticism
of comic collecting; the *must have* first appearance of Alpha Flight,
the blowup when a friend carelessly creases an expensive back issue, the
reality of having to sell that collection you thought would become family
heirlooms (I can relate to that one), and much more.

This is a comic lovers comic book.  While it pokes fun at a lot of our
little quirks, it does so with the love of a true fan.  It relates
stories of adults looking back fondly on their youth and artists
struggling to get a break in the business.

As Jamie's adult friend Thatcher puts it when presented with the idea of
a comic book about a journal from the high school days of his friend, "No
super heroes? No costumes?  No heaving breasts? No big guns? Just a bunch
of teenagers running around . . .?   You do realize it probably won't
sell.       But I like it!"

You will too, if quality art and a good story matter more to you than all
that other stuff.   This one should be read by every comic book fan out
there.  It is "our" story.

Rating:  I don't *do* ratings.   Buy this book!
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[9] New Comics Shipping  7/8/96                           by Bobb Waller

Well Marvel Stiffed us on the shipping next week list, and I already
threw away last weeks which listed some for tis week. So no Marvel,
But here are the lists from Diamond & Capital City of what is scheduled
to ship the week of 7/8/96:
========================================================================
Acclaim Comics:
MTG:Urza Mishra Wars                 Sliders:Darkest Hour #2

Archie Comics:
Betty & Veronica #104                Betty & Veronica Dbl. Digest #60
Flintstones #14

Astro Comics:
Hilly Rose: Space Reporter V.1

Big Entertainment:
Primortals #3                        Phage:Shadow Death #4

Black Eye Productions:
Land of Nod #2

Claypool Comics:
Elvira #38

Comic Shop News Inc.:
CSN #473

Crusade Comics:
Atomix Angels #2                     Thunderg-d #1

Dark Horse Comics:
Dark Horse Presents #111             Dominion Conflict 1-No More Noise #5
Ghost #16                            Heartbreakers #4
Insider #8                           Mask:Southern Discomfort #4

DC Comics:
Adventures of Superman #538          Animaniacs #17
Azrael #17                           Batman #534
Batman: B&W #4                       Batman GCPD #2
Books of Magic #28                   Essential Vertigo:Sandman #2
Fate #22 (Final Issue)               Green Arrow #112
Hardware #42                         Impulse #17
Kingdom Come #3                      New Gods #11
Static #39                          Superboy Annual #3
Supergirl #1

Drawn & Quarterly:
Palooka Ville #9

Eros Comics:
Mara Paperdoll Book

Event Comics:
Ash:Fire Within #1                   Kid Death & Fluffy Spring Break Special

Fantagraphics Books:
Acme Novelty Library #7              Eightball #2 5th Printing

Fire Man Press:
Scud:The Disposable Assassin #13

High Impact Studios:
Jazz #3

High Top Comics:
Brinke of Destruction #3

Image Comics:
21 #The Saga Begins TP               Maxx TP-2nd printing
Stormwatch #37                       Wetworks #18

Indo City Productions:
Wil Seed #2

Jet Black Grafix:
Cyberzone #8

Lightining :
Hellina Nude (A)                     Hellina:Genesis Platinum Nude

Lightining Comics:
Moxi #1A&B

Mushroom Comics:
Araknis #2

Topps Comics:
X-Files #19

Viz Communications:
Game On! USA Vol.1 #3                Maison Ikkoku:Part 5 #9

Manga Vizion V2 #7                   Ranma 1/2 Volume 6 TPB
Return of Lum:Part 3 #2

Magazines:
Scrye #16

Toys:
Spawn 13 Inch Action Figure 60101

Origin: FIAWOL/MSConnections * PP288MT II V.34 * 214-790-6472 * (23:203/4)
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[A] How to join the COMIC BOOK NETWORK (CBN)

You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads
that occur in the conferences of the Comic Book Net every day!  However,
many people who read this e-mag aren't familiar with the Local BBS
echo-mail system....

Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the continent and
the world, many of them are free!  Chances are, if you have a modem you
have the accompanying communications software.  Using the Terminal
Emulation software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the
many systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs).
Most of the boards offer all the message echoes in the Comic Book
Network...

There are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as
well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention
sections for general conversation, collecting, gaming and other forms
of entertainment.

If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer!  Most if
not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download a .QWK
packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called an offline
mail reader.  You can read & write messages at your leisure, and then
upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your local BBS.
There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every type of computer
system.  They all give you a better explanation in their documentation
than I can.   These programs are available all over the Internet and are
free to download from most BBS's.  I recommend SLMR or OLX-TD for DOS to
get started.

These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading
replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the
average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is
LESS THAN $.75!  See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial
information services available! :)

So what else can you find on free BBS systems?  There are plenty of files
for specific types of computers.  Some systems also offer other types of
message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes like
sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc.  And, let's not forget online
games.  Join into the many different multiplayer games, each system
sports different challenges.  There's nothing like becoming the most
powerful being in a online adventure!

And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to
ALL, and introduce yourself to us!  You're guaranteed to get plenty of
replies and all the help you need to join in the fun!
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[B] BBSes Linked into CBN
  Here's the most up-to-date node listing for the COMIC BOOK NETWORK

           F=FIDO    Q=QWK    B=Both     *=Major HUB

-- ARKANSAS ------------------------------------------------------------

 F* Karate & Comics & ...  Russelville   AR  501-968-3910  Robert Wood
    Conway PC Users        Conway        AR  501-329-7227  Tim Stone
-- CALIFORNIA ----------------------------------------------------------

 Q  Freedom Flight         Victorville   CA  619-955-6445  Ronald Siodla
    Electronic RPO         Newbury Park  CA  805-498-8061  Kelly Cruise
-- FLORIDA -------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Never Never Land       Melbourne     FL  407-253-8754  Wayne Bell
 F  Steel Dog Cafe         Destin        FL  904-654-1631  Keith Schultz
    Ghost's Realm          Crestview     FL  904-689-6664  Kie Dorton
 Q  Oak Street BBS         Ft.Wayne BeachFL  904-244-7434  Michael Fischer
-- ILLINOIS ------------------------------------------------------------
-- INDIANA -------------------------------------------------------------

 F  The CyberSpace BBS     Indianapolis  IN  317-856-9020  Charlie Smith

-- KENTUCKY ------------------------------------------------------------

    Lex Corp               Georgetown    KY  502-867-0992
-- MARYLAND ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  The Vampyre Bar!      Frederick      MD  301-698-5194  Darryl Pierce
 F  DataStorm             Kettering      MD  301-390-5243  Tarek Gordan
 F  Bifrost               Mount Rainier  MD  301-779-9381  Kevin Carlin
 F  Womens World East BBS Silver Spring  MD  301-431-0647  Wendy Dumser
 F  Sherata's Realm       Mechanicsville MD  301-884-9732  Linda Peek
-- MASSACHUSETTS -------------------------------------------------------

 F  Archives BBS           Acushnet      MA  508-995-0085  John Viera
 F  Muskrat & Heatwave     New Bedford   MA  508-984-5321  Dennis Racine
 B* Keystone BBS           Shrewsbury    MA  508-753-3767  John Harris
 F  HellFire BBS           S. Dartmouth  MA  508-979-8930  Brock Cordeiro
 B  Call Again Soon        Worcester     MA  508-791-1281  Joe Johnson
-- MICHIGAN ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Intl. Comic Network    Dearborn Hgts MI  313-565-8464  Anthony Palacio
-- MISSOURI ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  The Oan Citadel        Grandview     MO  816-767-1488  Brian J. Stewart

-- NEW HAMPSHIRE -------------------------------------------------------

    Venom's World          Rollinsford,  NH  603-743-4188  Ira Locke
-- NEW JERSEY ----------------------------------------------------------

    Phoenix Modernz Systems Seaside Hts. NJ  908-830-8265  Tal Meta
-- NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------

 B  Asgard TW BBS          West Islip    NY  516-422-4225  Tom Pemberton
    Interzone BBS          Long Is. City NY  718-786-5557  Jim Garvin
 F  Starbase : Red Dwarf   Saugerties    NY  914-247-9601  John Dragun
-- NORTH CAROLINA ------------------------------------------------------

 F  Electronic Hangover    Durham        NC  919-286-4542  Richard Lee
 F  Psychotronic           Durham        NC  919-286-7738  Richard Lee
 F* TI-Raliegh Maximus     Raliegh       NC  919-833-3412  Walter Tietjen
 F  Federal Post           Spring Lake   NC  910-436-2055  Frank Koza
-- OKLAHOMA ------------------------------------------------------------

    Compumate              Tulsa         OK  918-628-0887  Danny Pelletier
 F  Snart's Dreamland      Collinsville  OK  918-371-0980  Jeff Bennett
 F  The Dreaming World     Broken Arrow  OK  918-451-3056  Greg Adkins
-- PENNSYLVANIA --------------------------------------------------------

 F  Comic Book Board       Philadelphia  PA  215-365-5225  William Horton
-- TENNESSEE -----------------------------------------------------------

 F  The Factory BBS        Union City    TN  901-885-9647
-- TEXAS ---------------------------------------------------------------

 B* FIAWOL/MSConnections   Irving        TX  214-790-6472  Bobb Waller
 F  Star Streams           Waxahachie    TX  214-938-7115  Michael Rudolf
 F  Orion BBS              Odessa        TX  915-530-2712  Dennis Brown
-- VIRGINIA ------------------------------------------------------------

 B  Crystal Aerie          Arlington     VA  703-415-0134  Spencer Greenwald
-- WASHINGTON ----------------------------------------------------------
 F  Longview On-Line!      Longview      WA  360-577-7358  Jeanne Lejon
-- ONTARIO, CANADA -----------------------------------------------------

 F  Dark Knight BBS        London       ONT  519-850-9929  Michael Cross
 F  MACH 1 BBS             London       ONT  519-457-6771  Tomasz Heiber
    Stargate:Above & BeyondLondon       ONT  519-472-4938  Paul Nicholas
-- MEXICO --------------------------------------------------------------

 B* The Gate BBS           Mexico City      52-5-264-2994  Emilio Karam
           - From USA, dial international-access 011 then 52-5-264-2994#
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[C] E-Mag Info

The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published by the many participants of The
Comic Book Network.  This is a compilation of articles and columns which
were originally posted in the network's conferences or written
specifically for this electronic magazine.  Some articles are
independent of any connection with CBN and are used with permission.

All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s).
Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the
Network Administration Team or the members and users of The Comic Book
Network.

Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Network Electronic
Magazine is Copyright 1996 by the Comic Book Network.
You may freely distribute or duplicate this file intact without alteration
for noncommercial purposes only.  Please do not distribute except as the
complete file as originally transmitted by The Comic Book Network.

THE CBN WEB PAGE
----------------
If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our
web page!  On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag,
as well as an annotated index and all back issues.  You'll also find
important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic Book
Net, and other neat features like newly released comic book graphics,
links to lists of Comic Book Company addresses, Comic Professionals Email
addresses, and other Comic Book related Web pages!

The URL address is: http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet

LOCATING THE ISSUES
-------------------
The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into The
Comic Book Network.  You can also find the back issues at America Online,
by going to Keyword: Science Fiction, scrolling to the menu item _Comic
Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. Most issues
should also be available on Compuserve, Genie, Channel1 BBS and Software
Creations BBS as well as other non CBN affiliated Bulletin Board Systems.
All back issues should be available at the above sites, as well as our
World Wide Web page.

SUBMISSIONS
-----------
To submit an article, review, column, etc to our e-mag, simply post it
in any Comic Book Net conference and leave me a message in the
CBN: E-Mag conference giving me permission to use the article.  If you
cannot access the Comic Book Net, submit your articles for consideration
to the editor at:   ComicBkNet@aol.com

Reviews of mainstream books are least likely to get included when
submitted from sources outside of CBN.  We give more consideration
to reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that
material deserves more exposure to the general public.
Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations
and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included
in our publication.

We also accept product for review purposes.  Advanced copies of comic
books will not be returned but anything sent to us will be reviewed in
the ComicBook Net Emag.  Send all material to:

David L. LeBlanc
84 Heather Circle
Jefferson, MA  01522-1419

SUBSCRIPTIONS
-------------
   If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email
   account, please address a message to   ComicBkNet@aol.com    to be
   placed on the subscription list.
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
- End of another Issue .. see ya in the funny papers!!

  Imaginary story?  I thought they were all Imaginary!
