Can we really have too many Batman action figures?
We remember the headline from what was probably ten or 15 years ago … “DC Comics Celebrates Release of 500th Batman Action figure.” It was […]
Articles by john@johnsimcoe.com
Spider-Man and the Punisher … and the X-Men’s Nightcrawler?
In Amazing Spider-Man #161–162 from 1976, Marvel gives us one of those gloriously odd Bronze Age situations that feels less like a plotted crossover and […]
Steelgrip Starkey: Make this a franchise now!
A good title can stick with you for a long, long time. Whether it’s for your book — “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” — […]
Make a Toy Story of your own with Miss Marcella’s Missions
Parade of Heroes, CotB’s gaming wing. has added a new Tricube Tales game to its catalog. This time it’s Miss Marcella’s Missions, a whimsical, child-friendly […]
Train your dragon in a new tabletop RPG
Are you ready to take to the skies on your dragon. Are you willing to sacrifice your life for queen and country? Can you […]
Ladies, Fish and Gentlemen: Blue Oyster Cult is more than you think
We cannot get enough of Blue Oyster Cult. Their music offers something special. It mixes mysticism and science fiction with biker bars and the rock […]
Get to know the Red Blazer – Punk Rock Superhero from the Past
Jack Dawson was a rebellious teen living on the streets of London some 40 years ago. As with many homeless youngsters, he gravitated to […]
Here on Castaway Island: A classic comedy comes ashore as a Tricube Tales minigame
Ask any Gen Xer what life was like in the 1980s, and one thing they’re likely to point out is how TV changed. It went […]
Reign of the Jungle Guardians: Tricube Tales one-page roleplaying game
Comics on the Brain fell in love with pulp magazines before we even knew what pulp magazines were. In truth, even before Tales of the […]
Adventure magazine and Ared White
This issue of Adventure magazine, a 10-cent pulp from December 1932, features an eye-catching cover. It depicts a troop of knights reaching the shores after […]
Stilt-Man will always stand tall
When CotB started reading comics, Marvel Comics were the comics to read. We’re talking the early 1980s, and it was sometime then that we picked […]
I.W. Atlas: A superhero born from the legacy of I.W. Publishing
“Hey, Skinny! Your ribs are showing!” — Israel “Mac” Waldmann had heard it all. This insult — and a savage beating — made a man […]
Jungle Tales of Johnny Cash — The Complete Comic Script
At long last, it’s done! Here is the finished comic script for “Jungle Tales of Johnny Cash.” You can download it for free here, it’s […]
What are the best features of D&D 5th edition?
CotB had an opportunity to try a few sessions of fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons. It proved to be a great time that allowed us to […]
Super Ann and the Super-Kid Crusaders
First appearing in Amazing Man Comics in 1941, the heroine known as Super Ann is described as a somewhat dainty superhuman who is cleverly assisted […]
Magno solves Super-Mysteries in Hong Kong
The newest Public Domain redesign challenge has turned its eye on a character named Magno. Chances are you haven’t heard of Magno because he wasn’t […]
Jungle Tales of Johnny Cash – Part 2
We’re back with the continuation of “Jungle Tales of Johnny Cash” …. When we last left Johnny Cash, he survived a plane crash in the […]
Jungle Tales of Johnny Cash – Part 1
When country singer Johnny Cash’s tour plane crashed in the remote jungles of Africa, the Man in Black adopted a new life, launching the Jungle […]
Enter the Spark Man … yet another electric-themed superhero from the 1940s
The earliest comic heroes often shared very similar characteristics. Capes were still a thing. Everybody was super-strong. They all seemed to be eager to join […]
The Star Wars that weren’t: Imagining a Legacy
With the success of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and the fact that “Solo: A Star Wars Story” was a darn fine movie as […]