Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Five Star Comics Reviewed in Paper & Ink!

Small-press reviewer Steve Shipley has reviewed Five Star Comics #1 in his latest issue of Paper and Ink, published in November 2011. "This has to be the best comic I've received this year so far," Steve writes on his way to giving Five Star Comics--what else?--five stars. "Order this comic," Steve concludes, "you will not be disappointed!"

So how do you order a copy of this coveted comic book? Send $5.00 to Larry Blake, 69306 State Route 124, Reedsville, OH 45772, that's how! And to read Steve Shipley's Paper & Ink: News & Reviews of Small Press Comics, simply write to 1825 Eastgate Road, Toledo, OH 43614. Single copies are $1.00 each, while a 4-issue subscription costs $2.00.

Paper & Ink #2, available now from Steve Shipley and featuring small-press news and reviews. Cover art by Mike Pascale.

Art copyright 2011 Mike Pascale
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Monday, November 28, 2011

Introducing The Amalga-Mates!

The World's First and Only Siamese Twin Superheroes!

Five Star Comics #2 is in the works and will feature five new stories by five creators:

The Black Bat by Matt Marshall!

Missile by Larry Blake!

Lady Luck by Gary Gibeaut!

Cave Girl by Terence Hanley!

and

Introducing The Amalga-Mates by Terence Hanley and Tim Corrigan!

Who are The Amalga-Mates? None other than the world's first and only Siamese twin superheroes! In their debut, entitled "Nuts to the Nut," The Amalga-Mates will meet a giant robot, a mad scientist, and a killer plant. What more could you ask for? Be on the lookout for Five Star Comics #2 in March 2012!

The Amalga-Mates!
The World's Only Siamese Twin Superheroes!
Appearing soon in Five Star Comics #2! 

Art copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Terence Hanley at East Elementary Holiday Shoppe

East Elementary PTO of Athens, Ohio, is putting on its Twentieth Annual Holiday Shoppe on Friday, December 9, 2011. The Holiday Shoppe gives pupils of East Elementary an opportunity to purchase handmade Christmas gifts for their friends and family. Five Star creator Terence Hanley will be on hand to sell his coloring books, comic books, and posters. He will also offer custom drawings to the children. Items offered for sale will include:
  • Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers Coloring Book
  • Monsters and Aliens of America Coloring Books
  • Lucky Girl #1 comic book
  • Five Star Comics #1 comic book
  • Mothman '66 poster
East Elementary is located at 3 Wallace Drive in Athens.


Art copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Monday, November 21, 2011

Five Star Preview

A Sneak Peek at Lady Luck by Gary Gibeaut

Gary Gibeaut is hard at work on his story for Five Star Comics #2. The story will feature not one but two incarnations of Lady Luck, originally created by Will Eisner, Dick French, and Chuck Mazoujian for Smash Comics and now in the public domain. In his story, Gary's new Lady Luck meets up with her grandmother, the original Lady Luck, as they face down a gang of thugs and crooks. Anyone who knows the creators of Five Star Comics might also recognize Gary's fictional gang. Anyway, here's a sneak peek at Gary's story, in the penciling stage right now but soon in print!


Story and art copyright 2011 Gary Gibeaut
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Monday, October 31, 2011

Five Star Comics News

Second Print Run for Five Star Comics #1

The first print run of Five Star Comics #1 is nearly gone! That's why we have decided to make a second print run with even more copies than the first. Five Star Comics #1 will be available at all of our events next year, and by the beginning of the convention season, it will be joined by a second issue, Five Star Comics #2, featuring Larry Blake's new character, Missile, Matt Marshall's updated Black Bat, plus two Lady Lucks for the price of one, drawn by Gary Gibeaut.

Five Star Comics #1 Reviewed on YouTube

Steve Keeter has reviewed Five Star Comics #1 on his semi-regular YouTube comic book review feature, "Classic Comics Man." He also reviewed the first issue of Paper & Ink, a brochure of comic book news and reviews by Steve Shipley. Paper & Ink #1 includes a profile of Five Star creator Larry Blake and a review of Lucky Girl #1 by Terence Hanley. Mr. Keeter posted his video on October 9. You can see the video by following this link. As for Paper and Ink: true to its title, it appears only on paper and ink and is available by writing to Steve Shipley at 1825 Eastgate, Toledo, OH 43614.

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Lexington Comic and Toy Convention On Its Way

The first Lexington Comic and Toy Convention is set for Saturday, March 24, 2012. The convention website is up and the countdown is on. Five Star Comics creator Terence Hanley is on board as one of the artists. As the date approaches, we'll have more information.


Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Larry Blake at Columbus Record, CD, & Music Memorabilia Show

Larry Blake will be on hand to sell music memorabilia and original art at the Columbus Record, CD, & Music Memorabilia Show in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, November 12, 2011. The hours for the one-day show are 10 a.m to 4 p.m.; the venue is the Haimerl Center, 1421 Morse Road, Columbus, OH 43229. As anyone acquainted with Larry knows, he had been a music fan since the glory days of the 1960s and has contributed to fanzines and other magazines for decades. KISS is one of his favorites and specialties. Be sure to stop by and say hi.

You can read more about the show at its Facebook page, here.

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Five Star Comments

One of the great things about comic books of the 1960s and '70s was the letters page. Well, Five Star Comics is planning to have a letters page, too, and it's called Five Star Comments. In order to have a letters page, though, we have to have letters. That's why we're inviting everyone to send questions, comments, and suggestions. There are three ways to reach us (unless you're planning to hand deliver your letter or pass us a note at a convention). First, by email:


Next, by leaving a comment on this blog:


And last, the old-fashioned way, by Golden Age mail:

Five Star Comments
c/o Larry Blake
69306 State Route 124
Reedsville, OH 45772

We're eagerly awaiting your letters, notes, messages, and comments, so don't pass up this chance to make your name immortal. Write to Five Star Comics today!

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Five Star Comics #1

Five Star Comics #1 is ready at last! After months of preparation, Five Star Comics is in print, featuring five stories, each with its own Golden Age hero.

Moth Man!
The book starts off with a tale in which Moth Man the Golden Age character meets Mothman the paranormal creature. Find out how Mothman gained entrance to our world by reading "Moth Man Meets Mothman" by Terence Hanley!

Silver Streak!
Next, Silver Streak returns to the comics where he crosses paths with his own great-granddaughter, a new heroine called Missile. Together they go up against King Chronos. Read "Yesterday and Today" by Larry Blake!

Marvel Maid!
Marvel Maid is up next in a story in which she must face a threat to our very own Earth. She's not alone, for two small boys and even Albert Einstein are on hand to help. Find out what happens in "Agent of Doom" by Terence Hanley!

Flip Falcon!
Flip Falcon makes his first appearance in the comics in almost seventy years in "Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension". In this timeless tale, written by Jordan Lowe and drawn by Gary Gibeaut, Flip runs into a mad scientist and his demonic minions from another dimension. Read the full story in Five Star Comics.

Cave Girl!
Finally, Cave Girl, inhabitant of the forgotten Dawn Lands, sets out on an odyssey to rescue a helpless baby from his kidnapper. On her journey, she must avoid all the perils of a land populated with dinosaurs and even more monstrous creatures. You'll discover how it all turns out by reading "Cave Girl" by Larry Blake, Gary Gibeaut, and Terence Hanley!

Five Star Comics #1!

Five stories filling 37 pages--and no ads--plus a full-color cover and a preview of The Black Bat by Matt Marshall, on sale beginning Saturday, September 17, 2011, at The Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia!


Five Star Comics cover art copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Five Star Comics at the Mothman Festival!

The first issue of Five Star Comics will make its debut at the Tenth Annual Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, this coming weekend, September 17 and 18, 2011. Five Star Creators Larry Blake, Gary Gibeaut, Terence Hanley, and Matt Marshall will be on hand, offering the book for sale at their tables along with their own merchandise, including stickers, posters, coloring books, and original art. The Mothman Festival takes place on the streets of downtown Point Pleasant, home of the original Mothman. Admission is free and so is the fun. Although Mothman events begin on the evening of Friday, September 16, vendors won't set up until Saturday morning. The festival goes on all weekend. For more information, see the Mothman Festival website at:



Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics
Art copyright 2009, 2011 Terence E. Hanley

Cave Girl Comes to Five Star Comics!

Cave Girl, denizen of Gardner Fox and Frank Frazetta's Dawn Lands, is the newest addition to Five Star Comics #1! Our Cave Girl story arrived at the last minute, scripted, penciled, lettered, and inked just two weeks ago in a marathon artists' jam session spread out over two days. You'll find art by Larry Blake, Gary Gibeaut, and Terence Hanley in the story, called appropriately enough "Cave Girl!" Look for it this week in the first issue of Five Star Comics!


Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics
Story copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Art copyright 2011 Larry Blake, Gary Gibeaut, and Terence Hanley

Marvel Maid in Five Star Comics!

Marvel Maid, a one-shot Golden Age superheroine, is back after six decades and starring in her own story in Five Star Comics! The story also features two little helpers, as well as Albert Einstein himself. Also, in cameo appearances, look for Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten. Five Star Comics #1, out this week!


Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics
Story and art copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Five Star Cover!


Here it is, your first look at the cover of. . .

Five Star Comics #1!

Five Characters!
Moth Man! Silver Streak! Marvel Maid! Flip Falcon! Cave Girl!

Five Creators!
Larry Blake, Gary Gibeaut, Terence Hanley, Jordan Lowe, Matt Marshall

Five Stars!

Five Star Comics logo and stars copyright 2011 Larry Blake and Gary Gibeaut
Five Star Comics main cover art copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Five Star Creators-Matt Marshall

Not Just an Artist but an Author, Too

Matt Marshall has been interested in comics and illustration since he was a kid. Over the past few years, he has created three Mothman poster designs for the annual Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Matt is also the author and illustrator of a Mothman novel, End of Tomorrows, published in 2010. You can order the book straight from its publisher, Publish America.  

As a Five Star creator, Matt is working on two stories based on a pulp fiction character from the 1930s and '40s. His work is unique, like nothing you have seen in the comics lately. The first of Matt's two stories will appear in the second issue of Five Star Comics, due out in time for the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) in Columbus, Ohio, April 21 and 22, 2012.

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to Matt Marshall and his family. Matt's mother, Donna Rae Marshall, passed away last week and was laid to rest this week.



Art copyright 2011 Matt Marshall
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Five Star Creators in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Five Star creators Terence Hanley and Jordan Lowe were at the River City Comic Con in Marietta, Ohio, this past weekend, and both were interviewed by a reporter for a local paper, the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Jordan, owner of Asylum Comics in Marietta, was the organizer of the event. Terence, creator of two cryptozoological and extraterrestrial coloring books and the comic book Lucky Girl, was one of about twenty vendors at the convention. It was a hot, humid day, but the vendors and the attendees gamely stuck it out for an enjoyable show. Jordan Lowe and Terence Hanley were both featured on the website of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. You can read all about it in Natalee Seely's article, "River City Comic Con: First in the Area in 10 Years," here.

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Larry Blake and Terence Hanley at River City

Five Star creators Larry Blake and Terence Hanley will be at the River City Comic Convention in Marietta, Ohio, this Sunday, July 24, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The convention will be held at the Junior Fair Building, Washington County Fairgrounds, 922 Front Street, in Marietta. Larry will have plenty of original artwork for sale, plus his regular comic books and other publications. For sale at Terence's table: Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers and Monsters and Aliens of America coloring books, Lucky Girl #1, and Mothman '66. Terence will also draw pictures for young and old. You'll find more information about the convention at its website, here.

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Five Star Creators-Jordan Lowe

Keeper of Asylum Comics

Writer Jordan Lowe is a relative newcomer in the indie comics game, but he’s already amassing a resume to be proud of and feels right at home with the gang at Five Star Comics. He opened the store Asylum Comics in his hometown of Marietta, Ohio, in 2005, which he has freely admitted to doing in order to meet fellow comic creators. His first such collaboration was with artist Michael K. Easton on the city-full-of-superheroes tale Paradox City and continues to this day on their web comic Short Pants Romance, about a famous former kid sidekick who’s pushing thirty. Jordan and Michael co-founded OVAL, the Ohio Valley Artists League, where writers and artists gather for collaboration, motivation, and the production of a yearly anthology of their work. Jordan wrote the script for “Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension,” drawn by artist Gary Gibeaut for Five Star Comics #1, due out this summer. Jordan is also ready to begin posting the third volume of Short Pants Romance online and is producing an anthology of short, offbeat horror and fantasy stories with artist Z.D. Brooker called Strange Books and Paper. If that wasn’t enough to lose sleep over, he is also hosting the first annual River City Comic Con in Marietta, Ohio, on July 24, 2011. Five Star creators Larry Blake and Terence Hanley will be there, too.

Jordan Lowe's Links:





Copyright 2011 Jordan Lowe

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Terence Hanley at Derby City

Five Star creator Terence Hanley will be at the Derby City Comic Con in Louisville, Kentucky, this weekend. This year is the first for Derby City and anticipation is high. The convention takes place on Saturday, July 16, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202. Terence will have his coloring books--Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers and Monsters and Aliens of America--available, plus the first issue of Lucky Girl, Mothman '66 poster, and coloring pages of Orange Eyes, the Beast of 'Busco, and Louisville's own Pope Lick Monster. You can find out more by visiting the website of the Derby City Comic Con, here.

Monsters and Aliens of America coloring book, available at the Derby City Comic Con, July 16, 2011, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Monsters and Aliens of America copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Five Star Creators-Gary Gibeaut

Guardian of the Guard Dawgs

Gary Gibeaut has drawn comics since he was a kid. Now his artwork is in print--in comic books and coloring books, on t-shirts and stickers. Gary's main title is Guard Dawgs, the story of a supergroup that began shaping in his mind and on his drawing board many years ago. There are three issues of Guard Dawgs in print with more--and maybe even a web comic--on the way. Gary is also the creator of a Mothman coloring book, a "Mothman Rocks!" sticker, and Mothman t-shirt designs sold every year at the Mothman Festival in Gary's hometown of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Best of all for fans of Golden Age superheroes, Gary has illustrated Jordan Lowe's "Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension" for Five Star Comics. In Jordan and Gary's story, Flip Falcon must travel into the fourth dimension to rescue a group of scientists from a circle of demons and their newly crowned king, the evil Doctor Blanc. Look for "Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension" in Five Star Comics #1, due out in the summer of 2011!



Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension script copyright 2011 Jordan Lowe
Flip Falcon in the Fourth Dimension art copyright 2011 Gary Gibeaut
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Superheroes in the Public Domain

Seventy-three years ago this month, a new kind of fictional hero made his debut and popular culture hasn't been the same since. The hero was Siegel and Shuster's Superman, and although he was not the first costumed hero, all others before him (and most since) pale in comparison. Within a year or two of Superman's debut in Action Comics #1 (dated June 1938, but on the newsstand for a couple of months prior), dozens of comic book companies had popped up, mostly in New York City, each trying to repeat the success National Periodicals had with its Man of Steel. Those companies and the studios under their employ created hundreds of costumed characters--superheroes, mystery men, phantoms, super soldiers, detectives, aviators, jungle girls, spacemen--most of which flopped and have seldom been seen or heard from since.

After World War II, superheroes themselves fell on hard times. During the 1950s, comic books came close to extinction. Many comic book companies gave up the ghost, while artists and writers were forced to go looking for work elsewhere. No one gave any thought to renewing the copyrights or trademarks for hundreds of characters and titles, or of thousands of stories. Consequently, those characters, titles, and stories fell into the public domain. They are free now for use by anyone, without permission, licensing, fees, or even attribution. There are no copyright violations or trademark infringements associated with their use and reproduction. Thus was born a new kind of character: the Public Domain Hero.

Five Star Comics began with the idea of reviving not only the characters of the Golden Age but also the  the spirit of the 1930s and '40s. Too often today, comic books are grim, negative, gratuitously violent, and nihilistic. So-called "heroes" are not heroic or even admirable in any way. Many are simply psychotic killers. Golden Age heroes were different. They were aware that there really is a difference between good and evil. Golden Age heroes knew where they stood: It was on the side of right.

So how did we find the characters for our stories? Few people today can afford to search through hundreds of Golden Age titles for just the right character. Fortunately, there are several websites devoted to characters in the public domain. The men and women who have compiled the information on these websites have done a lot of work. We should all thank them for it. They have made it possible for us, the creators, to tell new stories about old characters, and they have made it possible for you, the readers, to enjoy those characters once again, after all these years.

Websites for Public Domain Characters

The best of three websites we have found is called Public Domain Superheroes. It includes alphabetical lists of characters, types of characters, and comic book companies. Each listing has a summary of information and a picture of the character in question:


Comic Vine also maintains a list of public domain characters, complete with pictures, but there is less information on each character than what you'll find on the previous site:


Finally, Wikibin has a list of public domain characters, but it's mostly just a repeat of the previous two lists, though less comprehensive:


Public domain characters offer a lot of opportunities to artists and other storytellers. You might want to give it a try. As for Five Star Comics, look for the first issue this summer!

Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Terence Hanley at Summit City

Five Star creator Terence Hanley will be at the Summit City Comic Con in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Saturday, June 18, 2011. This will be his third convention as an artist and the first of at least three conventions he will attend this summer. In addition to selling his Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers and Monsters and Aliens of America Coloring Books, Terence will draw pictures of your favorite monster, alien, creature, or beast, and he'll have a coloring page giveaway showing the most famous monster from the Fort Wayne area, Oscar, the giant turtle, otherwise known as the Beast of 'Busco! The Summit City Comic Con is a one-day event taking place at The Grand Wayne Center, 120 West Jefferson Boulevard, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Event hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can find out more at the convention's website, here.

Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers! Available at Summit City Comic Con in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this weekend.

Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers Coloring Book Copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Five Star Creators-Terence Hanley

The Man Behind Mothman

Cartoonist Terence Hanley broke into small press with his own self-published coloring book, Mothman, Aliens, and Flying Saucers. Now he's bringing Mothman to Five Star Comics, where Mothman the creature will meet Moth Man the Golden Age hero for the first time. Terence's story, "Moth Man Meets Mothman," begins in the mountains of West Virginia and ends at a place everyone remembers as one of calamity. Look for Mothman and Moth Man in the first issue of Five Star Comics, coming soon!

Terence Hanley's website: www.hanleyart.com


Story and Art Copyright 2011 Terence E. Hanley
Text Copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Five Star Creators-Larry Blake

Larry Blake: Wanted in Twelve States, Unwanted in All the Others

Larry Blake has been drawing small press comics for almost forty years and has been writing and drawing comics since at least 1960. Now he's on board with Five Star Comics. In his first story, "Yesterday and Today," Larry will bring Silver Streak, a popular Golden Age character, back to life and into the 21st century. And who does Silver Streak meet but his own great granddaughter, a new character and new heroine named Missile. If you have read Larry's long-running Psychozort and Kevin Cool, you'll like "Yesterday and Today."
 

Story and art copyright 2011 Larry Blake
The character, name, and concept of "Missile" are the property of Larry Blake. All rights are reserved.
Text copyright 2011 Five Star Comics

Friday, January 7, 2011

Contact Us!

We have email! You can now email us at:


We invite questions, comments, and requests. Feel free to write to us today.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Five Star Comics Begins!

Fun, spirited, well made--Five Star Comics are comics like they used to be. Are you tired of all the grim, violent, nihilistic super "heroes" of today? If so, Five Star Comics is for you!