Search Results for: bill black

Sybil Danning / Paul Gulacy / Bill Black and Me

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The Black Diamond comics shown above each feature a cover drawn by Paul Gulacy.  A fan of the series and actress Sybil Danning recently posted the covers on Twitter with this response…

I responded to his Tweet with, “Funny story – I was Bill Black’s connection for both Paul Gulacy & Sybil Danning!”

I thought I had told that story here before but a search of the site indicates I didn’t… until now.  Let me take you back to 1980…

It’s about 10 at night and I’m watching tv.  The phone rings and I answer.  The voice on the other end asks to speak to “Mr. ZAB-blow.”  Dead giveaway that he doesn’t know me since he mispronounces my name. (For the record it sounds like ZAY-BLOW.)  I think he’s a nervy sales guy and am ready to hang up when he says, he got my name from a Bill Black publication that listed me as an editor.  The guy wants to get in touch with Bill Black.

Little does this guy know, my editing amounted to either putting Bill in touch with artists or copies of convention sketches.  My biggest contribution in this area was that I introduced Bill to Paul Gulacy.  Paul was my favorite artist, we talked fairly regularly and I had commissioned a few pieces from Paul.  Bill wanted to get Paul to do some art for him.

Ah, but back to the Sybil Danning phone call.

The guy says that he couldn’t find any phone number for Bill, but he was able to locate mine.  I tell the guy, that I can’t give out Bill’s number but would be glad to take a message for him.  The guy proceeds to tell me he is Sybil Danning’s manager.  He asks if I know who she is.  I do.  He says that they want to do a comic with Sybil as the main character.  They want Bill to publish it.  I take his number and tell the guy I’ll pass Bill the info.  We hang up and I go back to watching whatever I was watching.

I’m pretty sure it was the next day that I reached out to Bill to let him know that I had received a call from a guy saying he was Sybil Danning’s manager and they wanted to do a comic with him.  If you know Bill, you know how enthusiastic he gets.  Bill begins rapid fire asking questions, “When did he call – do I have his number – why didn’t I call him last night to tell him – etc.”  I explain to Bill it was late, I don’t know if the guy is on the level, etc.

Needless to say, Bill was able to contact Danning’s manager and the rest is history.

Ken Meyer, Jr.’s Ink Stains 1 & Bill Black’s Black Rider

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If you’re a fan of fanzines, then you’ve got to check out Ken Meyer, Jr.’s monthly column Ink Stains.  Each month Ken (who is an amazing artist) posts… well, let’s let Ken explain…

I have a collection of over 200 fanzines from the 60’s-80’s that I plan to scan and talk about, one at a time. I hope to have some of the participants answer a few questions. Many of those participants are established comics professionals now, while some have gone on to other things. I will show a few snippets from each zine and give you a link to download a pdf of the whole thing, which I hope all of you will do!

For Ink Stains 1, Ken took a look at The Collector 27 from the winter of 1973 published by Bill G. Wilson.  The issue featured an interview with Gray Morrow, several articles and art by Ken Barr, CC Beck, John Byrne, Steve Ditko, Steve Fabian, Alan Hanley, Jack Kirby, Gray Morrow, Joe Sinnot, Don Newton and others.

The spot illo I chose to post with this piece was done by my buddy Bill Black!  I loved the days of fanzines and thanks to Ken, we get a chance to enjoy them again!

“Damsel in Distress” – A Bill Black Short

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Damsel in the Dark  is a short [less than two minute film] that is a lot of fun — moody, great soundtrack and reminds me of the shorts that used to accompany episodes of Night Gallery. 

And I’d give it all that praise even if it wasn’t created under the direction of my ole buddy, Bill Black.

Hey Bill!  If you do a sequel I want to play C.Z. Pickens.  EZ’s brother.

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Rogers… Bill Black

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My buddy, “Wild” Bill Black is a writer, penciler, inker, editor, publisher, chief cook and bottlewasher for AC Comics, an independent comic company that he created over 20 years ago. Bill has been favorably compared to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Roy Rogers — and that’s just the comparisons that Bill uses when talking about himself!

Okay, okay… all kidding aside. Bill has been running AC Comics [the company that he really created] for over 20 years, but now he’s bringing his comic creations to the silver screen… or at least your tv screen… if you have a dvd player.

I guess now Bill will add Roger Corman to his list of comparisons!

Meet Bill Black

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Bill Black has been publishing comics since 1969. He’s outlasted every other independent comic company and is still going at it. 

Bill is best known for writing and drawing his own creations, but has also published the work of big name artists such as Mike Zeck, Dave Dorman, Dick Ayers, Erik Larsen, George Perez, Greg Horn, Jerry Ordway, Pat Broderick, Paul Gulacy and Wm. Michael Kaluta to name just a few. Bill even gave Big Beatty his first professional job in comics…
…and believe it or not Beatty pencilled, Jerry Ordway inked and I scripted a story which appeared in the comic above!

Wow! Bill Black!

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Wow!

I’ve known “Wild” Bill Black for over 25 years and that’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of him. Bill is one of those rare individuals who has a real enthusiasm for the things in life that he likes. And Bill likes a lot of things. Good Girl Art, Comics, Horror Movies, Old Time Westerns and Old Time Science Fiction Movies. You know, the really cool things in life.

Not only does Bill enjoy all of these things but he takes an active part in them as well. Bill has made horror movies, worked as an artist for Charlton, Warren and Marvel, run conventions for the subjects he loves and more. But Bill is best known as the founder of AC Comics, the longest running “Independent Comic” company going today. AC Comics focuses on good girl art and westerns but that’s not all that they do.

I just spent over an hour previewing the CD-ROM pictured to the left. It’s packed with hours of material (over 1,000 “pages” and around 6,000 pictures)! I’ve known Bill for over 25 years and was learning stuff I never knew! If you enjoy the stuff that Bill does (and who doesn’t?), then check out the CD! After you get a look at it I know that you’ll say:

“Wow!”

Bill Sienkiewicz’s “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”!

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Bill Sienkiewicz’s riff on The Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the best I’ve seen.  Bill makes the creature his own with subtle changes which make the monster more menacing.  Look at those claws on his webbed hands.  Sometimes artists make the creature’s face look a bit funny with the fish lips.  Not Bill. I would love to see a Creature from the Black Lagoon story drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz!

You can see more of Bill Sienkiewicz’s art at his website or on his Twitter.

“Blackboard Jungle” (1955) starring Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier / Z-View

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Blackboard Jungle (1955)

Director: Richard Brooks

Screenplay: Richard Brooks; based on THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE by Evan Hunter

Stars: Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Louis Calhern, Margaret Hayes, John Hoyt, Richard Kiley, Emile Meyer, Warner Anderson, Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Dan Terranova, Paul Mazursky, Horace McMahon, Richard Deacon, James Drury, Emil Sitka and Jamie Farr.

Tagline: Is The Most Startling Picture Of The Year!

The Plot…

Richard Dadier (Ford) is a war vet and recent college graduate (thanks to the GI Bill).  His wife is pregnant and Dadier needs a job.  So Dadier accepts a position at North Manual Trades High School.  North Manual is an inner city school for boys.

From day one, the students attempt to run Dadier off.  But Dadier is not a quitter.  Although most other faculty members allow the students to run wild, Dadier is determined to reach and teach his students.  Dadier’s attempts to win over Greg Miller (Poitier) and Artie West (Morrow) are unsuccessful.  As time goes on West’s leadership turns the students from mild defiance to insubordination and worse.

Dadier is determined to teach his students, no matter the cost…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Blackboard Jungle was nominated for four 1956 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Film Editing – Ferris Webster
  • Nominee for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White – Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell, Edwin B. Willis, Henry Grace
  • Nominee for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Russell Harlan
  • Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay – Richard Brooks

Blackboard Jungle features the film debuts of Vic Morrow, James Drury and Jamie Farr.

Morrow was 26 and Poitier was 28 playing high school students.

I liked Blackboard Jungle, but it didn’t resonate with me like the audiences in 1955 (and maybe most today).  I thought it was good.  Glenn Ford was an excellent choice to play Dadier.  Anne Francis doesn’t have much to do other than look pretty and she fulfills that role.  Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier look right despite being a decade too old in real life.

The characters and story have all the expected arcs and plot points.  The students don’t seem that scary of course in 1955, they could have seemed shocking.  I liked the film but most folks seem to love it.  Your mileage, as always, could vary.

Blackboard Jungle (1955) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Nosferatu” (2024) written & directed by Robert Eggers; starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård / Z-View

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Nosferatu (2024)

Director:  Robert Eggers

Screenplay: Robert Eggers; based on Nosferatu by Henrik Galeen; inspired by DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Stars: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe.

Tagline: Succumb to the darkness.

The Plot…

Thomas Hutter (Hoult) is sent to Transylvania to finalize an estate purchase with Count Orlok (Skarsgård).  Hutter is unaware that his employer is involved in the occult and that Orlok is a vampire infatuated with Hutter’s wife, Ellen (Depp).

Orlok intends to leave Transylvania for his new manor in Wisborg, Germany. In this new metropolis Orlok will be able to feed without fear of discovery.  Orlok will also take possession of Ellen.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The exteriors of Orlok’s castle are an actual Transylvanian castle.  Vlad Dracula was once imprisoned behind the castle’s walls.

Count Orlok is often surrounded by rats.  Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Dafoe) and Ellen (Depp) are often seen with cats.  Cats kill rats.

This is Willem Dafoe’s second movie in regard to Nosferatu.  In Shadow of the Vampire (2000) he played Max Schreck, the actor who played Nosferatu in the original film.

Eggers’ Nosferatu has the feel of a creepy old black and white film thanks to use of a computer to remove the red and yellow color spectrums.

I like the idea of keeping Orlok/Nosferatu’s appearance a mystery in ads and much of the movie.  Sadly, I was disappointed in the look of Orlok/Nosferatu when we finally see him.  The big bushy mustache makes no sense if the rest of his body is decaying.

The solution to killing Orlok is found in an ancient text.  If the method to his demise is so well known, how come Orlok isn’t aware?

Eggers’ Nosferatu is a scary character study that slowly builds tension.  Settle back and enjoy the ride.

Nosferatu (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Brian’s Song” (1971) starring James Caan & Billy Dee Williams / Z-View

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Brian’s Song (1971) 

Director: Buzz Kulik

Screenplay: William Blinn, based on I AM THIRD by Gale Sayers, Al Silverman

Stars: James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden, Bernie Casey, Shelley Fabares, David Huddleston, Judy Pace, Harold ‘Happy’ Hairston, Stephen Coit, Stu Nahan, Dick Butkus and Doreen Lang

Tagline: An inspiring true story of friendship and courage.

The Plot…

Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers are rookie running backs drafted to the Chicago Bears. Piccolo is white, outgoing and a jokester while Sayers is black and shy.  Despite their differences and competing for the same position, they become friends. When both make the team they become the NFL’s  first interracial roommates and best friends.

Their friendship deepens when Piccolo assists Sayers through a long arduous knee rehabilitation. Later Piccolo becomes sick and Sayers is ready to return the favor.  That’s when they learn Piccolo has an aggressive terminal cancer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Brian’s Song was nominated for eleven Primetime Emmy Awards and won five…

  • winner Outstanding Single Program – Drama or Comedy – Paul Junger Witt (producer)
  • nominee Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – James Caan
  • nominee Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Billy Dee Williams
  • winner Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama – Jack Warden
  • nominee Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program – Buzz Kulik
  • winner Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation – William Blinn
  • nominee Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Special Program – Michel Legrand
  • winner Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television – Joseph F. Biroc (cinematographer)
  • nominee Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing – Marvin I. Kosberg (sound editor), Harold E. Wooley (sound editor), Wayne Fury (sound editor), Ralph Hickey (sound editor), Paul Laune (sound editor), George C. Emick (sound editor), Monty Pearce (sound editor)
  • nominee Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing – William J. Montague (sound mixer), Alfred E. Overton (sound mixer)
  • winner Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television – Bud S. Isaacs (editor)

Louis Gossett Jr. was cast as Gayle Sayers.  Gossett tore his Achilles’ tendon before filming started and was replaced by Billy Dee Williams.

Brian’s Song was so popular in the US that it received a theatrical run in Europe.

Stu Nahan who plays a sportcaster in some of the Rocky movies plays a speaker at one of the awards ceremonies.

One of the best made-for-television movies ever.  It’s better than most feature films.

Brian’s Song (1971) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Girl in Black Stockings” (1957) starring Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren & John Dehner / Z-View

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The Girl in Black Stockings (1957)

Director:  Howard W. Koch

Screenplay: Richard Landau, based on the short story “Wanton Murder” by Peter Godfrey

Stars: Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren, John Dehner, Ron Randell, Marie Windsor, John Holland, Diana Van der Vlis, Richard H. Cutting, Larry Chance, Gene O’Donnell, Stuart Whitman and Dan Blocker.

Tagline: One Will Die Tonight!

The Plot…

When a party girl is found brutally murdered, Sheriff Jess Holmes (Dehner) has no shortage of suspects. They include:

  • David Hewson (Barker), a LA lawyer on vacation
  • Beth Dixon (Bancroft), Ed Parry’s former personal assistant
  • Ed Parry (Randell), the paralyzed, wheelchair-bound lodge owner
  • Julia Parry (Windsor), Ed’s sister and caretaker
  • Norman Grant (Holland), a once-famous actor hoping for a comeback
  • Harriett Ames (Van Doren), Norman Grant’s much younger lady friend
  •  Joseph Felton (O’Donnell), a guest who just recently arrived at the lodge
  • Joe (Chance), an employee of the lodge

Sheriff Holmes has his hands full. More will die before the murderer is revealed!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Girl in Black Stockings was filmed on location at the Parry Lodge in Kanab, Utah.

Top-billed Lex Barker played Tarzan in five movies prior to making this.

Anne Bancroft would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress in a Leading Role five times, winning once in 1963 for her performance in The Miracle Worker.

Stuart Whitman and Dan Blocker appear in small roles.

The Girl in Black Stockings (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Black Mass” (2015) starring Johnny Depp / Z-View

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Black Mass (2015)

Director:  Scott Cooper

Screenplay: Mark Mallouk, Jez Butterworth based on BLACK MASS: WHITEY BULGER, THE FBI AND A DEVIL’S DEAL by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neil

Stars: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Julianne Nicholson, W. Earl Brown, Bill Camp, Mark Mahoney, Brad Carter, Scott Anderson, James Russo and Juno Temple.

Tagline: Based on the true story of one of the most notorious gangsters in U.S. history

The Plot…

When FBI agent John Connolly (Edgerton) is assigned to the Boston area where he was raised, he gets an outrageous idea.  Growing up, Connolly was friends with James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp).  Bulger now controls one of the major crime gangs in Boston.  Connolly wants to make Bulger a FBI informant.

Reluctant at first, Bulger agrees when he realizes he can use the FBI connection to his advantage.  Protected by his “FBI informant” status, Bulger uses the information he gets from Connolly to take out rival gangs.  Bulger becomes even more powerful.  Realizing he’s been used Connolly has no recourse but to protect Bulger.  Bulger’s hunger for power continues to drive him to commit worse crimes.  Soon Connolly will be unable to protect Bulger, and even more importantly himself.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

As outrageous as it sounds, Black Mass is based on real-life criminal James “Whitey” Bulger.  Bulger’s brother was a US senator.  Whitey was at one time #1 on the FBI’s Most Wanted List!  Bulger was, as the film shows pre-end credits, captured and sent to prison.  While in prison, he was repeatedly stabbed and beaten to death by prisoners.

Johnny Depp is unrecognizable as Whitey Bulger. Depp has said that this role is his favorite performance of all the roles he’s played.  For his part Depp was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

Depp is supported by an outstanding cast.  Special mention to Joel Edgerton, Jesse Plemons and Juno Temple for their performances.

Black Mass (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022)” written & directed by Elvis Mitchell

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Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022)

Director:  Elvis Mitchell

Writer: Elvis Mitchell

Stars: Elvis Mitchell (voice), Margaret Avery, Harry Belafonte, Suzanne De Passe, Antonio Fargas, Laurence Fishburne, Sheila Frazier, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Glynn Turman, Mario Van Peebles, Billy Dee Williams  and Zendaya

Tagline: Is That Black Enough For You?!? How One Decade Forever Changed the Movies (And Me)”

The Plot…

Elvis Mitchell, the writer and director of Is That Black Enough for You?!?, is a film scholar and film critic.  Here he explores the history and impact that African-American cinema had on all films and American culture.  There is an emphasis on the 1970s.  The film makes use of film clips as well as interviews with many of the artists who lived through this period.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I greatly enjoyed Is That Black Enough for You?!?.  The two hours and 15 minutes flew by.  It was interesting to see the history of how African-Americans were portrayed in movies and the impact the late 60s and early 70s had when more black artists were able to take control of their films.  The interviews are the glue that holds it all together,  The film clips reminded me of many movies I’d seen in my youth and many more I’d like to see.

When the film was over, it left me wanting to dig deeper into the history of black artists such as Paul Robeson, Mantan Moreland (who sadly wasn’t mentioned), Oscar Micheaux and many others.  The topic is so huge it would be hard to cover in just one film and I’m sure that fed in to Mitchell’s decision to focus on the late 60s though the mid 70s.  I would love to see a streaming series that took a deeper look.  Elvis Mitchell, are you listening?

Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022) earns 4 of 5 stars.