George Lucas Says He's Retiring

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fan of George Lucas. It is true that I am a huge fan of Star Wars, but a Star Wars fan is not necessarily a Lucas fan. I, however, have great respect for the man who built from scratch an empire and a legacy. In addition to Star Wars, Lucas has created Indiana Jones which spans across 4 movies (1 more on the way), a TV show, comic book tales via Marvel and Dark Horse, books and more. Other great films include American Graffiti, Willow, Tucker, THX 1138, and the upcoming Red Tails. Lucas has also been a producer on other films. Some of which you may recognize. These include Howard the Duck, Labrynth, Land Before Time, Kagemusha, Body Heat, Latino, More American Graffiti, Mishima, Radioland Murders, and Twice Upon A Time. This list is certainly not all inclusive.

Lucas has often come under fire by fans for his films. Even Star Wars fans complain about those films. Granted there are some aspects of the films that merit a consideration for improvement but the majority of complainers fail to miss the level of involvement and effort that goes into production. It is easy to miss mistakes, overlook editing cuts, or fail to notice storyline errors. However, considering the immense time span upon which the Star Wars tales have been told, it can be a challenge to fit all stories within a general framework without errors. As a fan I am willing to accept some errors or perceived errors amidst films that span across 5 decades. Lucas' films are really just the icing on the cake. It is his other contributions to the film industry that deserve attention and credit. Lucas' companies such as Lucasfilm, Ltd., Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light and Magic have been at the forefront of developing new technology and standards that the film industry has needed and adopted. The standards for digital sound via THX has greatly improved the movie experience. Few movies can be watched without the imprint of George Lucas somewhere being stamped. Lucas' announcement of retirement is only in regards to epic films. He will finish the 5th installment of the Indiana Jones universe and focus on smaller films that focus on artistic quality. Regardless of what Lucas does, this writer will always be a fan!

Digital Comics Growing More Popular On the Internet

It is a digital online age. Everybody is online using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The once popular MySpace is rarely mentioned anymore. Kindles, iPads, tablets and other electronic media devices have introduced more people to the pleasure of reading than in years past. However, the age of paper has almost disappeared. Newspaper companies are struggling with print issues, whereas, their online presence is continuing to grow. With all this hype towards Internet based reading and electronic media, where does that leave the comic book industry? Although considered a media branded industry, comic books are also a collectible, thus they fall into a slightly different category than most media outlets. Long time comic collectors are still willing to pay for paper versions of their favorite books but younger generations are not as attracted to this avenue. The growing interest in comics and related subjects is less in the value of collecting and more in the characters themselves combined with the online fun it can bring. Marvel and DC have already adopted this form of media by making online digital comics available to read. Some are free while others require a subscription to read. Since an Internet connection is necessary in order to be able to read these digital comics CLEAR Internet can provide what you need in this respect. The downside for digital comics is that they are not tangible. They cannot be collected, or at least not yet. On the other hand we have seen an increase in demand and value in older key issue comics like Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #27, or even Amazing Fantasy #15. The digital age has had, in my opinion, a direct impact on the rise in interest in these comics. If the digital age continues to grow as it is, then the paper comics we old collectors all love will certainly appreciate the growing monetary value on comics that also hold sentimental appeal. The world is changing. How it will ultimately affect the comic book world remains to be seen. Be sure to visit our site for paper comics at www.kryptoknightcomics.com

Would Aspen Matthews Wear Body Glove Gear?

Who would not want to get free surfing lessons from Aspen Matthews, one of comicdom's favorite and sexy water born

characters. On our website at www.kryptoknightcomics.com, we have a teaser advertisement just for fun offering free surfing lessons from Aspen. (You can see the ad by clicking here.) Of course, Aspen is just a fictional character from the mind of Michael Turner, but it got me thinking that if she were real and was a champion surfer, a sport of which she would be a natural, what kind of surfer wear would she sport? The answer was simple...Body Glove!

Body Glove, created by twin brothers Bill and Bob Miestrell in 1953, has been a leader in surfing gear, wetsuits, sunglasses, bikinis and other related beach items. They offer items for water enthusiasts around the globe and for all types of bodies of water. Even comic book fans like us will spend time on the water somewhere in the world. I grew up in the Southeast and still live here today. I have enjoyed visiting beaches all over the world and Body Glove have some of the coolest products for the beach and surf scene. The Body Glove Flame Orange wetsuit is suitable for surfing or diving while the Cheetah Bikini shows off beautiful bodies! Certainly I love comics and could not help but imagine Aspen Matthews sporting Body Glove. What other characters could you imagine wearing Body Glove gear? Hawkeye with sunglasses? Aqualad in a cool wetsuit? The Hulk in some boardshorts?

Visit Body Glove at www.bodyglove.com Visit Aspen Matthews at www.kryptoknightcomics.com/fathom.html

An Inexpensive Way To Promote and Advertise Your Comic Book Company

As a small business owner, I always try to find ways to be effective in marketing without it costing me a fortune. My advertising and marketing budget in no way mirrors companies like Coca-Cola or Disney. At the same time, however, when I decide to spend money on advertising or marketing I want quality. Far too often there is a disproportionate relationship between value and cost. Generally the higher the cost the higher the quality and vice versa. Is it possible to find quality at a fair price? Yes. I recently decided to find ways to increase my advertising efforts other than Facebook or Twitter. Since I am also an artist I decided to creat a logo for my company . Once I finally had the logo I felt it necessary to order some business cards out to give to those who might want to contact me in the future. In addition, business cards are an excellent way present oneself professionally and it solidifies in your own mind that you are legitimate in what you are doing. I, therefore, began my quest for a company that prints business cards. After several searches I decided to give Vistaprint a try. Vistaprint advertises so much on the Internet that most everyone who has spent time surfing has seen their adds or received their emails. I received an offer for free business cards and a free t-shirt with my company logo. I was concerned that the quality of the cards my not be what I desired since they were free. After all, is anything that is free of any value? The answer is YES! I took a chance and order a number of items from Vistaprint and I was more than pleased. I received 500 business cards, a t-shirt, a coffee mug, a mouse pad, postcards and a small vinyl banner with my company logo on them. When they arrived I was pleased with the quality of the products I received, and I plan on doing business with Vistaprint again. I believe in promoting and helping others grow their reputation or business, especially if they merit it. I would want others to do the same for me. Vistaprint has taken very good care of my advertising needs. If you have a new comic book company, character, supply company or any other type of business related to our industry then do not let Vistaprint pass you by. Give them an opportunity to help you. Check out their ad on our blog. It is worth it! Visit our new website at www.kryptoknightcomics.com

Krypto-Knight Comics Website Redesign

I never realized the amount of work that goes into designing a well functioning website. However, I am very happy with the new design for Krypto-Knight Comics. We have a website that is more user friendly, brighter in appearance, fun to navigate and, of course, great prices. I have always tried to keep prices below book values to benefit customers. So what's on the new site? At present there are over 150 pages to the site with many more to be added. Building the databases of comics is very time consuming and we have 1000's or comics and other items to add. In addition, we have changed the Krypto-Knight Comic Book Club to allow more fans to join. You can now join for FREE, although some aspects will be limited. Paid membership, which is very inexpensive, provides discounts, bonuses, special offers and special auctions. Free membership allows you access to basic auctions and to the forums. The Forum requires a separate sign-in so technically you do not have to be a KKC Member to participate, you just will not be allowed to participate in our auctions.

You will also notice that we made the site a little more fun by adding various comic book characters throughout the website. Funny images, quotes, and word bubbles add a bit of humor and fun to the environment. After all comics are supposed to be fun...right? Starting in January we will return to our weekly trivia contests and games, and our goal is to try and do a better job of tracking our winners. We had so much going on in 2011 that some aspects fell to the wayside. Our contests were an experiment and we were not sure how they would fare but we had 100's of participants this past year which was great. It was unexpected so early on but it was fun. Our goal for 2012, is to bring you a better experience. We are always open to suggestions and compliments. We welcome the criticism, too, as it helps us identify areas where we can improve. As we add new pages we will inform you so that you can check them out for yourself. If we do not have your email address then you can send it to us via our Contact Us page on the website. In the meantime, please visit the new site...www.kryptoknightcomics.com

Enhance Your Reading Experience

Reading is a favorite past time for a great majority of people. Whether we are reading comics, novels, articles or even reading articles online like this one, those of us who read find great pleasure and relaxation in this intellectual activity. I enjoy escaping this harsh world in which we live into one where reality is what we bend it to become. Superheroes vanquish villains in the face of unfavorable odds, space exploration reaches the farthest corners of the universe, and the unbelievable conquests of human achievement triumph over adversity. These realms of fantasy, fame, fortune and freedom allow us all to frolic in the footsteps of fantastic fables. I have discovered a wonderful way to enhance any reading experience, especially if you live in colder weather. Coffee.

Starbucks, Seattle's Best and even Dunkin' Donuts has capitalized on what they know we all enjoy. Yet, in times of cold weather, or late nights when you are relaxed in bed wearing your Justice League pajamas, or curled up in the recliner under your Spider-Man fleece, the thought of going out into the cold to your favorite coffee shop just does not seem quite as appealing. I discovered recently that there is a company that offers great coffee you can order online and delivered right to your doorstep. It is called ROASTe and they can be found at www.ROASTe.com. They offer a wide variety of flavors, roasts and espresso coffees to satisfy any pallet. In addition, you can find needed supplies, coffee makers and more to create those sought after elixirs you crave. They are a great company, and they allow you to build a profile in which you put your personal tastes. In turn, they can provide you suggestions custom fit to your liking. Relaxing with your favorite comic, novel or movie with a warm cup of your favorite 'joe' is hard to resist. I drink at least one cup everyday from one of my two favorite mugs. I have a black mug with a yellow Batman symbol that I have had since I was 15 and I have a white mug with the Krypto-Knight Comics logo on it. Both are very cool and I enjoy having a cup when I read. Plus, the caffeine in coffee helps stimulate brain activity which enhances my reading experience. At the top of this page, you will see an ad for a ROASTe gift card to use on yourself or one that you can get for the coffee lover in your life. We like them enough to post an ad for them. Feel free to check them out and discover what a cool company they are.

Captain America Movie Comments

Well I realize I am a little late with these comments. I finally saw Captain America: The First Avenger last night and my initial response to the film is that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I realize that some aspects of the film are not true to Captain America comic book canon so let me first say to all those who are going to cry and moan over that fact to just get over it. Never has a comic book movie ever been exactly as the comic book story originally was written. In fact, mainstream comic companies like DC and Marvel have a difficult time holding to their own universal story lines. When this happens we, as readers, viewers, and fans have to just step back and ask ourselves if the story is well written, are the visual interpretations well presented, and do we feel entertained when we reach the conclusion. When I apply this to Captain America I have to say that I enjoyed the film.

One aspect I enjoyed more than most is the visual representation of the Red Skull's scientific equipment and flying ships. They had that futuristic design popular in the 1940's comics. Those designs, when combined with the literal era pieces, gave it a nice comic book feel without becoming too campy. I also felt that the simplistic visual effects for the Red Skull were believable as opposed to just looking like a stupid mask or bad makeup.

In regards to Cap's uniform I must admit that I had concerns upon my initial viewing of the trailer, but after watching the film I felt like it was more appropriate to the era and the story. Presenting a cheap campy version during his entertainment tour of duty lent to a more appropriate battle version that was more in line with the World War II era. It reflected well the time period and what one might expect. My hope is that in the upcoming Avengers film that his costume will be more appropriate to the modern era.

My one complaint about the film was that there was not enough of action with Steve as Captain America highlighting him as a hero. The majority of his action shots were in the campy uniform covered by a leather jacket, and the scenes with him in his official uniform were too few and short for my taste. I also felt that the movie could have gone another 15 or 20 minutes and still not have been too long. However, taking the time to develop Steve Roger's pre-Captain character was essential to appreciating him as a humble man and why he would appreciate the gift provided him. This development will hopefully fuel his character in a greater way when he makes a powerful appearance in The Avengers. The contrasting characters of Tony and Steve will be fun to watch.

Overall, I will say I am pleased with what Marvel Studios did with Captain America: The First Avenger. I could watch it several more times and be happy with it.

Come visit us at www.krptoknightcomics.com. Our new website will soon be up and running.