Friday, August 20, 2004

Pacific Overtures

Many things changed the comic book industry in the early eighties but none more than Pacific Comics, a San Diego-based firm founded by Steve and Bill Schanes. Pacific had an amazing rise and fall, and on the way up, they had the top execs at DC and Marvel scurrying about, trying to make their companies "creator-friendly." By the time Pacific (and a few other like companies) had crashed and burned, comics were a somewhat better field to work in...and for some, no longer a field from which one had to escape.

For that and other reasons, the saga of Pacific is an important story so I want to direct you to this historical piece written by Jay Allen Sanford, who worked there for a time. A few "facts" do not jibe with my understanding but most of it seems pretty sound. Thanks to Rob Rose for pointing it out to me.

• Posted at 11:15 AM · LINK

The Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

You may recall that on his recent tour, Eric Idle kept a witty, engrossing day-to-day online diary. It will soon be out in book form. You can pre-order it from Amazon by clicking here.

In the meantime, Mr. Idle has written a Broadway-style adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and it will be heading for Broadway early next year. He is keeping a less formal but still interesting online diary about this venture, as well. Here is the first installment and here is the second.

• Posted at 12:40 AM · LINK