NOW! Comics Astro Boy - Issue 8

[Fauna]

It's okay, I can't take this comic seriously, either.

So, two things. I sent Ken Steacy the questions I wanted to know, but since one of them involved Tony Caputo running the place like a slave mill (not my exact words) he mailed me back and asked what I was using them for. Also, going under your middle name in an email is useless if it displays your full name when the email arrives. :d oh:

And...

http://audobonbridge.tripod.com/toontown/now11_12.html

REVIEW GET! Since the comics now have a ridiculous pin-up in the centre (which is usually just a bigger version of one of the covers), the articles now have a reaction shot at the end. I talk about it more inside...

[Fauna]

Ken Steacy hasn't gotten back to me, and I doubt he's ever going to again. Bah...I knew this was a dangerous thing to do. I probably should've mentioned that I'm just a kid, because he seemed to think I was a worm sent by Caputo or something... :d oh:

I might make the thirteenth (technically, twelth) article this week, but at the moment I'm preoccupied with ripping the Tetsujin 28 movie online, looking for a job and starting a new chapter of my webcomic.

...People saw my new article in the above post, right?

[The Tawashi Bus Hat]

Hehe, those are both terrible, but I really think 13 ranks up there with some of the worst. xP

I dunno what the deal was with them and the pin ups. I guess maybe it was a cheap way to add a few pages or something. (lol we're wasting your money wut?) But seriously, is it just me, or does it seem like the artwork seems to get exceedingly worse after 11? Yeah, it's a bit better when the new guy kicks in at...issue 18, I believe? But man, 12 looks awful. >.<

...And Tawashi...err...Gumshoe looks like an epileptic horse. *dies* It's almost too much.

Ooh, look out - the horrible zombified artings of Steacy may come knocking at your door thirsting for blood. xD You probably scared him back into hiding.

Steacy: "Oh noes! Someone still actually has the Astro Boy comics! Back to the bunker!!!"

[avatargirl]

Why would someone want to ruin ASTRO BOY?- HIS STORY should inspire children to want to be scientists-

[Fauna]

I'm not quite sure, Avatargirl. But after this issue, I am convinced Ken Steacy is partly evil.

http://s333.photobucket.com/albums/m362/astroNOWcomics/Issue13/

To the tune of Psychobabble:
Tell you 'bout a comic that I see every night,
It don't look good in colour, don't look good in black and white,
Take Tezuka for a fool 'cause they think that's right,
I'm always on my own, watching Astro in a fight.
I don't know if I'm scared of the line art,
Trying to warp me,
It looks terrible on the left and the right,
I'm too confused to stop and I’m too mad to try,
But I don’t care, it’s all NOW! Comics crap to me!


Edit: ADVANCE COPY OF THE REVIEW!
http://audobonbridge.tripod.com/toontown/now13.html

[Alittleacorn]

When Ken Steacy mailed you back and asked what you were using them for, you should've just casually written the single reply 'world domination' he would've helped then. If he's not answer then...er...is there the small chance he's googled Astro stumbled across this forum and clicked on this Now Thread? This is the internet after all, not a secret club. XD

Onto the comic, AAAAAH! Okay I admit I like robot's like Astro showing damaged in some dramatic fight scene to the death, but that is just ridiculous! That superman wannabe, no MANLY JOE! That's what i'll call him. He's a jerk @_@

Omg Astro's gonna have his litte sister come soon? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't wanna see scary Uran somebody hold me!

That fight was just....EH!? It's so, there's no words for it. You're just right, Manly Joe is annoying o_o. Astro should've said at the end instead 'Always look on the bright side of life'

And silly green cricket, why won't you die!? T_____________T

[Fauna]

I gave up on talking to Ken Steacy, for the obvious reason that I've yelled at him in my reviews several times. So, I just wrote to Brian Thomas, who did issues 17-20! I like his art a lot better, and after finding his site, he seems really nice. Also, there was a picture of him somewhere from 1990, and he looks like John Belushi.

But I found this on Brian's site:
I was originally slated to do the Astro Boy comic-books for Now Comics, and even did a preview backup that appeared in an issue of Speed Racer. Then the publisher decided to get full color art done in Canada for the series. When sales fell they came back to me. Sales rose during my run on the title, but Now had just made a deal for newsstand distribution of all their titles and it wasn't enough to avoid cancellation.
So, he was originally supposed to be the lead illustrator, and that short story in Speed Racer #17 was actually made as an example of what he could do. But to cut costs, they went after Ken Steacy.

...What?
...WHAT?!
We could have had Brian Thomas for the whole thing?! He would have taken over as writer after Michael Dimpsey dropped out after #7, and given what Brian does in the last two issues, we could have had a fabulous comic! Wait until you see how he draws Hamegg! It's adorable! Aaaaaagh... :d oh:

[jeffbert]

Hey, Fauna, on the page of scans, there is no 'img002.jpg', the cover is 'img001.jpg,' & the very next page is 'img003.jpg.' Did you misname them or omit a page?

Oh, also, is there no indication of this being a licensed by Tezuka product?

[Solarcat20]

i own some issues, and, Alittleacorn, they are creepy looking--haven't seen Uran yet though.

[Fauna]

@Solarcat: Uran shows up as Astro Girl in issue 14. She's mostly on model, but looks more like a smaller and rounder Astro.

@Jeffbert: Don't worry, img002.jpg was just the reverse side of the cover. All it had were credits and previews for the rest of NOW! Comics' comics.

This was never officially licensed by Tezuka, despite him still being alive when the comic started. It credits him as the one who created the characters, but all fine-print licensing goes to Suzuki & Associates. The most of the story that I know is Tony Caputo, NOW! Comics' founder, licensed the Astro Boy characters through a Japanese man claiming to be associated with Tezuka. Brian Thomas might be able to tell me more, but so far, it's unclear.