Spawnometer 0:0:3:6: Spawn 25th Anniversary Director's Cut

Spawn #36 &
Spawn Movie Adaptation (1997) &
Dengeki American Comics

Listener Discretion Advised

iTunes ⚬ Spotify ⚬ Anchor ⚬ Internet Archive ⚬ MP3

Spawn #36

by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo

"Set Up" Part Two
Dedicated To: Keith Giffen

Damn you, Fitzgerald! SHOOT him! This isn't a negotiation!

I need a sacrificial pig.

Listen to me!! This is about Terry! He's not what you think! He's deceived both of us. Lied. You can't run away from that.

Spawn Movie Adaptation (1997)

by Carlos D'Anda & Mark Dippe & Alan McElroy & Ted Adams & Mark Irwin

I want out. Wanda and I have decided to start a family.

Enjoy your retirement, old friend. And don't worry about Wanda. I'll take good care of her. See you in hell, Al!

I'm not the Vindicator... or the Victimizer... or the Vibrator! I'm The VIOLATOR!

Image is Everything

• Episode Art Gallery

Promotional Material

• Dark Horse Presents Aliens: A podcast covering the comic book versions of the 20th Century Fox sci-fi/horror films created by Dan O'Bannon & Ronald Shusett with James Cameron, David Giler, & Walter Hill.
• The Projection Booth: Every week The Ultimate Movie Podcast offers up a new episode about a film, its context, influences, and creation.
• Who’s Editing? The show where armchair editors re-imagine the DC Universe based on single issues of Who's Who!

Spawning Ground

• Twitter
• Facebook
• tumblr
• rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.com
• #Spawnometer
• Spawnometer on Blogspot
• Rolled Spine Podcasts on Wordpress

Al Simmons, Angel Medina, Angela, Chapel, Cogliostro, Cyan, Granny Blake, Greg Capullo, HBO, Jason Wynn, Jessica Priest, Malebolgia, McFarlane Toys, Media, Sam and Twitch, Spawn, Spawn Podcast, Terry Fitzgerald, The Violator, Todd McFarlane, Wanda Blake, Wildstorm,

Spawnometer 0:0:3:5: WildStar T-Minus Two

Spawn #35 &
The Messenger (2000) &
WildStar #1-3 (1995) &
Headhunters #1-3 (1997)

Listener Discretion Advised

iTunes ⚬ Spotify ⚬ Anchor ⚬ Internet Archive ⚬ MP3

Spawn #35

by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo

"Set Up"
Dedicated To: Ernie Chan

Nice to have you back, Lt. Williams. Your presence was greatly missed by us all.

What are you saying? That I'm some Super-Spawn?

Not you TOO, Terry! Is everyone controlled by this devil?!

WildStar #1-3 (1995)

by Al Gordon & Chris Marrinan

_{Born To Be Wild}

The Messenger

by Jerry Ordway

Headhunters #1-3 (1997)

by Chris Marrinan

Image is Everything

• Episode Art Gallery

Promotional Material

• Hyperion to a Satyr: The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - will be Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and music adaptations. Watch for it in November!
• Batman Family Reunion: Paul Kien and Shawn M. Myers discuss the Bronze Age classic comic!
• Marvel's Secret Wars & Beyond: Join us in 2018 for the next stage of Marvel's Secret Wars and Beyond as co-hosts Sean and Greg take on Secret Wars II the wacky sequel to the original 12 issues Secret Wars mini. You can find this podcast in the regular Pulp 2 Pixel Feed and in the new Marvel's Secret Wars and Beyond dedicated feed. !

Spawning Ground

• Twitter
• Facebook
• tumblr
• rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.com
• #Spawnometer
• Spawnometer on Blogspot
• Rolled Spine Podcasts on Wordpress

Al Gordon, Al Simmons, Chris Marrinan, Chris Sprouse, Cogliostro, Cyan, Darkseid, Frank Miller, Granny Blake, Greg Capullo, Jason Wynn, Jerry Ordway, Legion of Super-Heroes, Mighty Man, Sam and Twitch, Spawn, Spawn Podcast, Terry Fitzgerald, Todd McFarlane, Wanda Blake, WildStar, Zero Hour

2019 TERRIFICon Witchblade colors by Paul Mounts

It's been over a year since my last update post on this jam, begun in 2017 for the 25th anniversary of Image Comics, and almost completely missing the entire year of the 30th anniversary, a hell of a thing for a piece intended to be completed in a single weekend. I started out with such good intention in January. Anyway, setting aside any Image Comics lateness jokes, here is the first of the figures I got colored after getting the finished art back from Evan Dorkin. He'd warned me against getting additional colors as a threat to the integrity of the piece. Obviously, the central Spawn figure was colored by Joseph Michael Linsner from the beginning, but even one addition would be a commitment to doing many more. Further, depending on the coloring, the inks could easily be marred.

I debated on the matter for a while, but ultimately I felt like the piece would feel incomplete with one color figure. As important as Spawn is to Image and to myself, this is an image representing the full stable. At minimum, I wanted the founders' characters to get the same treatment. So, while on a road trip to visit friends in Canada and Boston, we made a detour to Connecticut, where I ended up running into Dr. Anj ahead of schedule. It was a fun mid-sized con hosted by a sprawling casino with a nice showing of actual comics talent, but I only had one day to spare for the show. I had specific things I wanted done and plenty of options, but oddly I think this is the first effort from that show to get posted. Most of the rest were more personal, or for other projects even further from fruition.

Paul Mounts was one of the first "name" comics colorists that I knew of. He had colored most of Marvel Comics' trading card sets in the late '80s & early '90s, a huge deal to that generation of fans, which got him notices in Wizard Magazine. He later colored nearly 100 issues of Fantastic Four, including the runs of the Waid/Wieringo and Hickman, the first volume of The Ultimates, and the run of Immortal Hulk. He even has an Image connection through work on Brigade, The Tenth, and Tellos. I recall particularly liking his flesh tones, so Witchblade was a natural choice.

Mounts shared Dorkin's reservations about the potential for inks running, and those concerns proved to be well founded. With the tools available at the con, the coloring ran into problems, and the attempted fixes are readily apparent. I still really like the tones throughout the piece, like the insectoid chrysalis yellow-brown within the gauntlet, and the shading in the hair. Obviously I worried that other colorists would have similar issues, but if anything, the flaws here encouraged me to get more coloring done to minimize the distraction. Blessedly, so far so good on later efforts, and I really prefer the piece with the colors. The question at this point is how far out to extend the color, as most of the main figures are done at this point. Blame COVID, poor convention scheduling in my area, and skyrocketing original art prices for this still being a work in progress.

Spawnometer 0:0:3:4: WildStar: Sky Zero

Spawn #34 &
WildStar: Sky Zero #1-4 (1993)

Listener Discretion Advised

iTunes ⚬ Spotify ⚬ Anchor ⚬ Internet Archive ⚬ MP3

Spawn #34

by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo

"Ripples"
Dedicated To: Sal Buscema

Mr. President?

Afternoon, Jason. I want to thank you personally for your assistance in getting us out of that little 'situation' in Bosnia. I've been advised that you spearheaded the resolution. I owe you one. Thanks.

WildStar: Sky Zero #1-4 (1993)

by Al Gordon & Jerry Ordway

_{Born Under a Bad Sign}
Dedicated to all of those who came before.

Image is Everything

• Episode Art Gallery

Promotional Material

• Should I Love this Comic Podcast: with Damien and Yragael Drouet-Whiter
• Never Ending Reading Pile: In this show, Greg and Sean review and discuss single issue storylines or short arcs from their favorite comics and delve into why they love the characters and creators. We are bringing the joy and reminding you and ourselves why we love comics!
• Once Upon A Geek: Celebrating a variety of geeky subjects that we love! Ever-changing topics covering science fiction, comic books, pop culture, what it means to be a geek in this world, and other nostalgia-fueled ideas! Hosted by The Irredeemable Shag and part of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK! Life is short. Focus on the positive. Find Your Joy.

Spawning Ground

• Twitter
• Facebook
• tumblr
• rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.com
• #Spawnometer
• Spawnometer on Blogspot
• Rolled Spine Podcasts on Wordpress

Savage Dragon,WildStar,Jerry Ordway,Al Gordon,Al Simmons,Cogliostro,Cyan,Erik Larsen,Granny Blake,Greg Capullo,Jason Wynn,Keith Giffen,Malebolgia,Sam and Twitch,Spawn,Spawn Podcast,Terry Fitzgerald,The Violator,Todd McFarlane,Trencher,Wanda Blake

Spawnometer 0:0:3:3: Shadowhawk III

Spawn #33
& Shadowhawk #8-11 (1993)
& Images of Shadowhawk #1-3 (1993)

Listener Discretion Advised

iTunes ⚬ Spotify ⚬ Anchor ⚬ Internet Archive ⚬ MP3

Spawn #33

by Todd McFarlane & Greg Capullo

"Shadows"
Dedicated To: Gene Colan

We're society's garbage. We ain't never going to get a fair shake. As the the intruders, that's your problem to fix.

At least the building's exterior appearance is normal. Mankind sees just another corporate entity... not their attentive protectors.

The uniform! How'd you train it to morph this soon? It should still be incubating! TELL ME! Who's helping you?!

Images of Shadowhawk #1-3 (1993)

by Keith Giffen with Alan Grant

Shadowhawk III #1-4 (1993)

by Jim Valentino with Chance Wolf & Brad W. Foster

_{Through the Past, Darkly}
Dedicated To: Frank Miller
Dedicated To: Murphy Anderson
Dedicated To: John Byrne
This issue is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Jack Kirby, the greatest creator our industry has ever known. May he rest in peace.

Image is Everything

• Episode Art Gallery

Promotional Material

• Star-Rocket Radio: An Infinity Inc. Podcast: Run by Billy D_licious and Herman Louw, we talk about DC Comics, the JSA, and their plucky protégés!
• Batman Family Reunion: Paul Kien and Shawn M. Myers discuss the Bronze Age classic comic!
• We Are Venomaniacs!: Welcome to The Venom Site’s official podcast aims to discuss all things Marvel symbiotes from comics to movies, cartoons to video games, and even merchandise.

Spawning Ground

• Twitter
• Facebook
• tumblr
• rolledspinepodcasts@gmail.com
• #Spawnometer
• Spawnometer on Blogspot
• Rolled Spine Podcasts on Wordpress

Al Simmons, Bobby, Greg Capullo, Jason Wynn, Jim Valentino, Keith Giffen, Rafael, Sam and Twitch, Shadowhawk, Spawn Podcast, Terry Fitzgerald, The Violator, Tiffany, Todd McFarlane, Trencher

Image Sourcebook: The Jack (II)

Real Name: Julia Ravenworth
Occupation: British Intelligence
Identity: Secret
Legal Status: Citizen of the United Kingdom
Place of Birth: Los Angeles
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Abner Ravenworth (grandfather)
Group Affiliation: None
Base of Operations: England
First Appearance: TROLL II #1 (1994)
History:
Julia Ravenworth is an agent of British Intelligence and a legacy heroine who has taken up her grandfather's mantle as the new Jack. Following his demise, Julia notified Abner's old partner Troll at the Youngblood base in Washington, D.C., and they met for a quiet observance at his grave before beginning to investigate his murder. With the help of Abner's journal, the pair uncovered a months-long plot to replace the world's scientists with synthetic duplicates. Among them was Dr. Joseph McCall, the father of Youngblood team member Badrock, who joined in a pursuit that led to the South American base of Dr. Franz Völger. Believed dead since 1944, the Professor was instead in hiding, assisting other Nazis in exile following Germany's defeat as they collectively pursued a Fourth Reich. To this end, Völger constructed The Übernaught Mark II, a towering robot body into which his consciousness would be placed, with the aid of the kidnapped scientists.

The trio traced Völger to Brazil, where they were set upon by an armed squad of "Cyber Nazis." Although the Jack initially held her own, all but Troll were captured and taken to Völger's base. Soon, Völger's mind rested within the Übernaught, but Troll managed to distract the ten ton automaton and free Badrock. The pair severely shocked and partially dismantled the Übernaught before Völger activated the base's self-destruct mechanism. The Jack, Dr. McCall, Badrock, and Troll all managed to escape, with the Übernaught once again presumed destroyed. Troll congratulated the new Jack on a successful first outing, and felt "Abner's legacy is in good hands!"

Height: Average
Build: Fit
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Strength level: Presumed normal human strength for her age, height, and build.
Known superhuman powers: None. The Jack appears to possess acrobatic abilities and fair fighting skills, as well as being useful with firearms.
Notes: Julia Ravenworth wears a lightly modified variation on The Jack's anachronistic World War II era uniform, mostly accounting for differences in build and gender. However, the new Jack's mask ends midway down the bridge of the nose and spreads along the cheeks down to the jaw.
© & ™ 1994 Karl Altstaetter & Robert Napton

Image Sourcebook: The Jack (I)

Real Name: Abner Ravenworth
Occupation: British Commando
Legal Status: Honored citizen of the United Kingdom
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: Julia Ravenworth (granddaughter)
Group Affiliation: associate of The Allies
Base of Operations: England
First Appearance: TROLL II #1 (1994)
History:
Abner Ravenworth was a "hand trained" operative under Troll who served England during World War II. In 1944, upon his return from Africa, Major Troll was asked by Winston Churchill to undertake an important mission into the heart of Nazi Germany. Despite considering him "rough around the edges," Troll requested the assistance of The Jack, who had previously embarrassed him in front of his "lady friend" Glory and The Allies in Paris. The pair made their way to Berlin, and the secret lab of Dr. Franz Völger, as he prepared to unleash his "ultimate creation." Bursting in through a skylight, Major Troll and The Jack took on Hitler's legions in pursuit of "Herr Professor," although Jack had to be rescued several times by Troll in the attempt. The Professor escaped to a waiting zeppelin with his towering robot "The Ubernaught" in tow. Standing a couple of stories tall, the Ubernaught nonetheless managed to draw close to the heroes from behind while they stood atop the aircraft. After a brief skirmish, the heroes managed to detonate TNT which appeared to take Völger and his automaton in the conflagration, while Troll's new pilot Eddie swooped in to rescue the pair as they plummeted.

References were made to additional pairings in Stalingrad, Casablanca, and Normandy, but inevitably Major Troll and the Jack parted company, despite Jack's being "one of the best friends, an' best partners, a man could ever have." Fifty years later, Troll was at Youngblood headquarters when he was notified by Ravenworth's granddaughter Julia of Abner's murder. After twenty years in retirement, Ravenworth was prompted to reopen the Volger case, after stumbling upon a plot to replace the world's scientists. He had committed the details to his journal, which was used by his granddaughter and Major Troll to avenge his death.

Height: Average
Build: Athletic
Eyes: White (without visible pupil or iris)
Hair: Brown
Strength level: Presumed normal human strength for his age, height, and build.
Known superhuman powers: None. The Jack appears to possess acrobatic abilities and fair fighting skills, as well as being useful with firearms.
Notes: The Jack's facial features were inconsistent. He sometimes appeared with a Caucasian flesh tone mask open only at the pupilless eyes and mouth, mostly obscuring the nose. Other times in the same sequence, he appeared to wear a blue face mask that matched the rest of his costume, ending at the upper lip with an exposed chin. This was presumably a persistent coloring error or last minute design alteration.
© & ™ 1994 Karl Altstaetter & Robert Napton