In the latest Austin Chronicle, I contributed reviews for both their Books and Geek Out! gift guides.
For the former:
When Jack Cole killed himself in 1958 with a .22 caliber Marlin rifle, he left behind an impressive artistic legacy. His most famous creation, Plastic Man, not only introduced arguably the first pliable superhero – decades before the Fantastic Four frontman, Mr. Fantastic – but also influenced generations of artists with his outlandish sight gags and superior draftsmanship. In the early 1950s, Cole left his zany stretchable character and joined the staff of the fledgling Playboy, where he pioneered the watercolor paintings that came to typify the publication’s cartoons. Not satisfied with two iconic creations, Cole invented and sold a daily strip to the Chicago Sun-Times Syndicate in 1958. Betsy and Me collects for the first time the complete run of Jack Cole’s final artistic endeavor.
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And the latter:
Premiering on Sept. 8, 1966, to lackluster ratings, Star Trek ended its three-season run in 1969 and almost immediately began a wildly successful syndicated existence. The once-doomed program eventually spawned five more original series, 10 motion pictures, and an abundance of pop-culture paraphernalia, becoming the most successful television franchise of all time and joining the cultural zeitgeist. Phrases such as “Beam me up, Scotty” and “red shirt” entered the popular lexicon. NASA named the first space shuttle Enterprise. To celebrate Star Trek’s 40th anniversary, Paramount, custodians of the venerable franchise, decided to give the 23rd century a face lift.
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