Orphan Auto Picnic 2009

The 19th Annual Orphan Auto Picnic will take place on Sunday, August 23, 2009, at the Kendall County Fairgrounds near Yorkville, IL. Open to all makes and models of out-of-production "orphan" cars that are at least 20 years old, the picnic is an adventure in "they don't make 'em like that anymore." The family-friendly event is sponsored by the Chicagoland Corvair Enthusiasts. The show car gates are open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and the event ends at 5:00 pm.

As always, hot grilles are provided, so bring your own grillable foodstuffs. Picnic tables and beverages are also provided -- you supply the rest. And bring your camera, too. There will be plenty of cars attending that you've only seen in books or the pages of your favorite car magazine.

For more information, click the links above. Enjoy the picnic!

Review: Wednesday Comics

In an age of newspaper closings and scary times for print journalism, DC Comics has released the smash hit comic of the summer, the weekly Wednesday Comics. The ultimate homage to the Sunday funnies, Wednesday Comics is a fold-out newsprint tribute to the full-color comics that generations of readers have enjoyed each Sunday. But this isn't your typical set of funny pages.

When folded, Wednesday Comics is 7" x 10", and when unfolded, 15 DC characters each receive one giant 14" x 20" page. WC is a treat for the eyes as DC has included not only its heavy-hitting characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, but the lively adventures of Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, Deadman, Metamorpho, and the Metal Men, as well.

An all-star cast of writers and artists has been assembled to create WC, and each creative team has embraced the characters and Sunday funnies format with unique interpretations. Metamorpho is written and drawn like a Silver Age classic, Batman is a noir detective tale, Strange Adventures has an underground comics appeal, and Teen Titans is inspired by modern manga techniques. Not all the stories or artistic styles will be your cup of tea, but you'll enjoy your favorites and appreciate the remarkable creativity.

Batman—by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets)
Kamandi—written by Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Green Lantern Corps) with art by Ryan Sook (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell)
Superman—written by John Arcudi (The Mask) with art by Lee Bermejo (Joker)
Deadman—written by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck, art by Dave Bullock
Green Lantern—written by Kurt Busiek (Trinity, Astro City) with art by Joe Quiñones (Teen Titans Go!)
Metamorpho—written by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, The Graveyard Book) with art by Michael Allred (Madman)
Teen Titans—written by Eddie Berganza with art by Sean Galloway
Adam Strange—by writer/artist Paul Pope (Batman: Year 100)
Wonder Woman—written and illustrated by Ben Caldwell (Dare Detectives)

Metal Men—written by Dan DiDio with art by Ian Churchill (Supergirl)
Supergirl—written by Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex) with art by Amanda Conner (Power Girl)
Sgt. Rock—written by Adam Kubert (Superman: Last Son), illustrated by Joe Kubert
The Flash—written by Karl Kerschl (Teen Titans Year One, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive) and Brenden Fletcher, illustrated by Karl Kerschl
The Demon and Catwoman—written by Walter Simonson (Thor, Manhunter) with art by DC cover artist Brian Stelfreeze
Hawkman—written and illustrated by Kyle Baker (Plastic Man, Special Forces)

Wednesday Comics will only run for 12 issues and issue #6 shipped this week. It's not too late to see why WC has fans (me, too!) running for their local comics shops each week -- pick up an issue (only $3.99) and enjoy the funnies the way they'd look if you were in charge of DC Comics.

Review: Passport to Peril

The latest release from Hard Case Crime is a re-issue of Robert B. Parker's 1951 espionage classic, Passport to Peril. Not to be confused with the Robert B. Parker (the "B" is for Brown) who writes the Spenser novels, Robert Bogardus Parker was a lifelong newspaper man. A European correspondent during World War II, Parker filed his reports throughout Eastern Europe and was secretly an agent for the OSS, crossing borders without papers and trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo.

Parker's experiences contributed heavily to his handful of crime/espionage novels. In Passport to Peril, American reporter John Stodder feigns Swiss citizenship and travels from Vienna to Budapest on a false passport to discover the fate of his missing brother. As the Orient Express hurries along, Stodder learns that his phony passport belonged to a murder victim whose secretary is secretly carrying a mysterious manila envelope that must not fall into the hands of her Russian or German pursuers. Stodder is suddenly knee-deep in spies from all sides and becomes the only person to know the location of the crucial manila envelope.

This page-turner is the perfect example of an early spy thriller. With its solid cast of characters and a pulpish plot favoring suspenseful turns, Parker created a genre classic. You'll also enjoy the afterword by Parker's daughter that sheds some light on the author's real-life adventures.

[Update, August 24, 2009: I also posted a review of this title on the Comics Buyer's Guide forums.]