We Are Pow Wow Comics!

 

   Hello ladies and gentlemen! 

   It's me, you know, Gary (the nerdy one on the right)...  Or, as I'm known around the office, DR. POW!!!  I was born into this trio of superheroes aficionados all thanks to my old man, MR. WOW (AKA Guy).  From day one I've had full superhero exposure with movies, shows, video games and toys upon toys. What fascinates me about comic books is the genuine creativity... the inspiration in my long journey through the world of fandom.

   The passion really started with a bunch of old school action figures and a VHS video camera.  The old guy and I would make marvelous little movies inspired by some of the greatest stories ever told.  Come high school, I dove deeper into production and found a group of like minds to help start a comic book club (mostly consisting of debates around a table of pizza).  After that, it all came together that my pops and I should open a comic shop, and some 10 years later... HERE WE ARE!!!

  

   The goal of Pow Wow Comics is to encourage the same creative passion for everyone else.   We want to give a community of creators a platform to find their voice in the industry, and share our own thoughts and collection with our own Pow Wow Pals.  We hope to expand to store fronts and conventions across the world, but for now... CHEERS!

 AND NOW TO MR. WOW

To those who share my passion,

   They call me GUY... Yeah, that Guy... the one that endless pop culture passion. Honestly, I dig everything from movies, to TV, to music, and especially comics. Overall, my quest is for hope, and no one does that better than our 4-color superheroes!

   Now, they call me lucky!  I witnessed the launch of mass communication. I was present when the golden age heroes jumped from the page and into our living rooms (faster than a speeding bullet)!  I started with reruns of George Reeve’s “The Adventures of Superman,” then POW! ZAP! BAM! WOW with the instant classic... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA “Batman!” Yep, 8 years old me wanted to be the next Boy Wonder and grow up to be the BATMAN!  So that was it… 

My life was shaped...

   Did I take up costumed fighting in search of justice?  Not really... I did learn some valuable lessons, and probably more from comics than text books.  I borrowed, traded, and bought whatever captured my interest, hanging onto the belief that someday I would get see these stories on the big screen.

   Now, it happens all around us!  Starting with Christopher Reeve as Superman, followed by a whole bunch of Batmen, and then the Marvel Universe making superhero films a multibillion dollar industry.  I love it all, from the biggest budget features, to the artsy independents, and even your everyday fan made flick. 

   I’m happy to be launching Pow Wow Comics with “The Kid/Dr. Pow” AKA my son Gary, our Pow Wow Comics visionary (did I mention I’m a proud Pop?). I’m excited to be watching, announcing, and sharing where we go from here. So, follow me!!! And share your story, keep it clean, I’d love to hear it.         

And here's Uncle Phil!

 

Well this is a first for me...

   To the Pow Wow Pals, I’m known as Uncle Phil... my good friend Guy (AKA MR. WOW) asked me to write an occasional opinion piece on my deep appreciation for the comic book.  Not to be cliche, but ever since I can remember I've been in love with comic books.  Super heroes, villains, outer space, incredible action, impossible situations to conquer, beautiful illustrations in full color… I mean what's not to love for a kid with a vivid imagination!  Much like my old friend Guy, I grew up in the ‘60s watching 'Superman' reruns and the original run of 'Batman.'   That was a good time for a child to grow up.

 

   Through the years I've read thousands of comics (approximately 40 thousand)! From the Golden Age through out, and in my humble opinion the Silver Age truly defines the medium.   An era universally accepted to have started the return of the super hero, and created most of our favorites today.  This super hero brand of comics had been gradually shrinking after WWII, with only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman surviving the purge, and the Silver Age started by far the greatest wave of stories.

 

   The Golden Age stories on the other hand aren't too appealing, but fun to collect.  Unfortunately I was too young to participate in this renaissance, but fortunately I knew this kid with older brothers.  At 8 years of age, I would get a small stack of his brothers DC comics to bring home and read (which I had to return of course).  Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern and Justice League comics, the greatest library I could ask for.  I read and reread those comics, returned them, and received a fresh stack to read anew.  I still think about the fact that I held all those classic comics in my hand at one time, and doubt if any survive to this day.

 

   Shortly after being exposed to DC, I was introduced to the other major publisher at the time, the mighty Marvel Comics.   My cousin collected Fantastic Four, and after reading the first one I was hooked on this team for life.  These were great stories, written and drawn by arguably the most dynamic duo (sorry, couldn't help it) in comics, Stan 'The Man' Lee and Jack 'King' Kirby.  In my opinion, from all the comics I've read, their run on this title (just over 100 issues) was the greatest stretch in the comic art form history.  Off the top of my head, some of the most classic characters were introduced including Doc Doom, Skrulls, Black Panther, The Watcher, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, and the return of the Sub-Mariner just to name a few.  It was a wonderful cast of heroes and villains.  Stan's writing was fast paced and loaded with humor and Jack's drawings were dynamic and explosive, with action on page after page. 

   Still to this day I don't see anything that compares, and will miss those creators greatly.  Now be sure when to check back, but I'm sure we will be talking again soon!