Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

Taking a break… (November 2020)

Posted on November 5, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

It’s getting harder and harder to keep up, so Gotham Calling is going on yet another hiatus. Like in the summer, I’ll try to keep the weekly COMICS CAN BE AWESOME section alive, though, so that at least you can … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM INTERLUDES | Tagged Catwoman, Darwyn Cooke, Matt Hollingsworth, Mike Allred | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (2 November 2020)

Posted on November 2, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Your weekly reminder that comics can be awesome, free-for-all edition…

Posted in AWESOME COVERS | Tagged Archer & Armstrong, Black Science, covers, Danny Crespi, Frank Teran, George Pérez, Matteo Scalera, Michael Golden, Pere Pérez, Punisher, Rick Hoberg, Star Wars, Tom Palmer, Wonder Woman | 1 Comment

Neat B-level horror short stories

Posted on October 29, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Last year I celebrated Halloween by posting about ten brilliant horror comic book short stories. I could easily fill another post with ten gems – after all, cool horror anthologies are a dime a dozen in this medium… However, this … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged 2000 AD, Adventure Comics, Al Feldstein, Archie Goodwin, Bill Gaines, Bob Powell, Charlotte Jetter, D-PI, Ed Hamilton, Eerie, Fantastic Fears, George Evans, George Roussos, Gerry Conway, Haunt of Fear, Haunt of Horror, horror, House of Mystery, Jack Kamen, Jack Younger, Jim Aparo, Jim Macdonald, Jim Wroten, Joe Orlando, John Albano, Johnny Craig, Ken Battefield, Metal Hurlant, Mort Meskin, Narie Severin, Neal Adams, Nicolas Jean, Otto Binder, Ralph Reese, Reed Crandall, Rith Roche, Russ Jones, Shock SuspenStories, Simon Bowland, Syd Shores, Tales from the Crypt, This Magazine is Haunted, Wayne Howard, Yann Valeani | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (26 October 2020)

Posted on October 26, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

After a summer of protests and with the electoral chaos looming in the horizon, it’s hard not to see in each new pop cultural release a contribution to the conversation about the current political moment. With its flashes of police … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Action, Adventures into Terror, Adventures into Weird Worlds, Alex Toth, Astonishing, Bernard Baily, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, Charles Nicholas, Charlotte Jetter, covers, David Lloyd, Francesco Francavilla, Gaspar Saladino, George Roussos, Ghostly Tales, Ghosts, Gus Ricca, Hellblazer, horror, House of Secrets, Joe Maneely, Journey into Mystery, L.B. Cole, Lee Elias, Lost Worlds, Martin Nodell, Marvel Tales, Mike Gold, Mike Kaluta, Mike Peppe, Mister Mystery, movies, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Nick Cardy, Out of the Shadows, Out of This World, politics, Punch Comics, Russ Heath, Sanho Kim, Stan Goldberg, Suspense Comics, The Spirit, Vince Alascia, Witches Tales | Leave a comment

On Richard Lester’s Musketeers

Posted on October 22, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

For a long time, when critics talked about ‘comic book movies,’ they used to just mean silly, exaggerated action films. In the past couple of decades, the term is more likely to refer to a movie that is a direct … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Hergé, Hermann, Hotspur, movies, The Towers of Bois-Maury, Three Musketeers, Tintin | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (19 October 2020)

Posted on October 19, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

One of the games going around since the beginning of the pandemic involves people recommending old movies that have acquired renewed resonance in these Covid-19 times – not necessarily because they presciently captured today’s reality, but because some of their … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged covers, Crime Must Pay the Penalty, Crimefighters, Dick Tracy, Frank Giacoia, Jim McLaughlin, Joe Orlando, Joe Simon, Justice Traps the Guilty, movies, noir, Ray Fehrenbach, The Spirit, Will Eisner | Leave a comment

Alternative futures – part 2

Posted on October 15, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

After a week binging the growing subgenre of paranoia-inducing documentaries about paranoia-inducing social media (The Social Dilemma, Agents of Chaos, The Great Hack), a lot of science fiction has come to feel positively *quaint* in comparison with the current times… … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged Alem Curin, Alex de Campi, Alice Duke, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian K. Vaughan, Butch Guice, Chuck Dixon, Colleen Doran, Dan McDaid, Diego Rodriguez, espionage, Felipe Sobreiro, Igor Kordey, Jesse Hamm, Jorge Zaffino, Julie Michel, Mack Chater, Marcos Martin, Milton, Muntsa Vicent, politics, R.M. Guéra, Richard Pace, science fiction, Smoke, The Private Eye, Winterworld | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (12 October 2020)

Posted on October 12, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Your weekly reminder that comics can be awesome, Bat-symbol edition…

Posted in COVERS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Adriano Lucas, Chris Burnham, covers, Eber Ferreira, Eddy Barrows, Gotham City, John Kalisz, Nathan Fairbairn, Olly Moss, Pat Gleason, Phil Winslade | Leave a comment

Alternative futures – part 1

Posted on October 8, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

As I’ve pointed out before, this year has brought to life elements from various works of science fiction. However, the appeal of sci-fi is not always realistic accuracy… there is also plenty of fun to be had with counter-intuitive imagination. … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged 2001 A Space Odyssey, 2020 Visions, Arthur C. Clarke, Elmer, Frank Quitely, Gerry Alanguilan, Jack Kirby, James Romberger, James Sinclair, Jamie Delano, Mike Royer, politics, science fiction, Steve Pugh, Warren Pleece | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (5 October 2020)

Posted on October 5, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Your reminder that comics can be awesome, Marvel Tales edition…

Posted in ART OF HORROR COMICS | Tagged Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, covers, Harry Anderson, horror, Marvel Tales, Sol Brodsky, Stan Goldberg | Leave a comment