________________________________________________________________________
Visit Our Web Page! http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    / THE \
  \C O M I C/   Issue #41          This publication is brought to you
   \B O O K/                       by the active participants of
    \N E T/                        the international center for
     \   /      Christmas Eve      comic book discussion, the Comic 
    *E-Mag*     1995               Book Net.
      !!!
                        Merry Christmas!
                            __/\__
                             \  /
                             |/\|

                       From all of us at CBN
                  To all our pals in Cyberspace

              - Editor: Ryan Brewster [Xenozoid@cris.com] -

                  CBN Network Administration Team:
                       - Ed Dukeshire -
                       - Mike Imboden -
                       - William Hughes -
                       - Ryan Brewster -
                       - Jacob Greenberg -

------------------------------------------------------------------------
   The Comic Book Net Founding Fathers: Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________________________________________________________
                   T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [1]  The Bullpen ........................... Ryan Brewster
    [2]  CSNsider #446.......................... W. Batty & C. Biggers
    [3]  Comicunicacions Weekly Re-Cap ......... Ryan Brewster
    [4]  Suspended Animation ................... Michael Vance
    [5]  More on Amalgam Comics! ............... DC Comics Online
    [6]  Letters to CBN ........................ Various
    [7]  Splash Page ........................... Various

    [8]  Join in the Fun!
    [9]  BBSes Linked into CBN 
    [10] E-Mag Info 
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1]   The Bullpen by Ryan Brewster

A very merry Christmas to everyone out there! It has been a great year!

Enjoy the e-mag! :)

Best,

--Ry
Editor
The Comic Book Net E-Mag
Xenozoid@cris.com
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2] CSNsider #446 by W. Batty and C. Biggers.

This is the CSNsider from CSN #446, which will be in shops on 1/4/96.
It is reproduced in its entirety with the expressed permission of
COMIC SHOP NEWS!

Phil Foglio's sexy series Xxxenophile becomes a collectible card game
in 1996; Quinton Hoover, fantasy card artist, is supplying some of the
visuals for the series...

Two, two, two Hulks in one universe?  Reportedly, one plan under
consideration by Marvel calls for the current Peter-David-written Hulk
to continue in his own book, while the savage "Hulk smash!" Hulk will
play a part in the new Avengers/FF subuniverse being helmed by Rob
Liefeld and Jim Lee...

Chaos Comics has a new Lady Death miniseries, The Odyssey, slated to
debut in October.  Incidentally, the publisher has also signed an exclusive
distribution agreement with Diamond Comics; this should not, however,
affect availability of these books to comic fans...

Look for the long-awaited TimeCop comic book series to join the Dark
Horse line-up in '96...

Writer changes over at Image include Warren Ellis taking over Stormwatch
and Steven Grant taking over Grifter...

In response to fan demands for more frequent releases, Wizards of the
Coast has announced plans to focus on their board games and their
mega-successful line of collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering
and Vampire: The Eternal Struggle; as a result, they'll be phasing out
their role-playing-game releases...

The X-Men Animated Series on the Fox Network has changed time-slots; look
for it now at 11:00 a.m., right after Spider-Man (how appropriate!)...

Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in Batman Triumphant, the next Batman film?
Entertainment Weekly reports that it's certainly a possibility.  Alas,
they also report that Michelle Pfeiffer will not be returning as Catwoman...

Rob Liefeld has announced plans to do his part to help bring comics back
to their glory days: he's committing himself to doing at least a dozen
comics in 1996, and he's encouraging other pros to make the same commitment;
fans who have missed seeing Liefeld's work on the stands on a regular basis
will certainly be happy with this news!...

The CSNsider is just a small part of each issue of Comic Shop News.
CSN #446 features Mutant Chronicles from Acclaim Comics on the cover
as well as more news and the January Hot Picks.

The CSNsider is now available via e-mail! In order to subscribe to CSNsider,
send a message to majordomo@redweb.com, with a single line message saying:

  SUBSCRIBE csnsider

Visit our WWW site!
                    http://www.actwin.com/csn

We post the new CSNsider there each Monday or Tuesday and it will go out via
e-mail each Wednesday or Thursday.  The WWW site is still the first place it
will appear each week, but we wanted to offer it via e-mail as well.

The only way to get Comic Shop News is to visit a shop that carries CSN.
The publication costs the shops just a dime each and is generally free to
customers. If your shop doesn't carry CSN, nag 'em until they do. After
all, isn't your business and satisfaction worth a dime a week?

Ward Batty   wardo@netdepot.com
Cliff Biggers   cliffbig@netdepot.com

(c)1995 CSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[3] Comicunications Re-Cap 12/24/95 by Ryan Brewster

               ///// ComICunications \\\\\

                 Weekly Re-Cap 12/24/95

                 ** MERRY CHRISTMAS!! **

Contents:

1. Editorial: Comics As A Medium

2. Industry News:

     * Word Taxes for Comic Writers...?
     * Bagge Cartoon Debuts
     * Teri Hatcher Stars in Heaven's Prisoners
     * Bettie Page Comics Debuts
     * Mister X Returns
     * Deodato Showcases His Talents
     * Radical Dreamer Origins Revealed

3. Reviews:

     * Rune/Venom #1
     * Phoenix Resurrection: Revelations

1. Editorial ------------------------------------------------------------

Comics As A Medium
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ryan Brewster

Scott McCloud, in his brilliant _Understanding Comics_, comes up with the
following definition of the comics medium:

   COM ICS (kom'iks)n. plural in form, used with a singular verb. 1.
       Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence,
       intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic
       response in the viewer.

Will Eisner, in his classic _Comics and Sequential Art_, dubs the same
medium "sequential art".

However you define it, the comic book medium brings writing and art together
to create a visually _and_ intellectually active effect. And comics have
_huge_ potential for mainstream acceptance... but have they lived up to that
potential?

We have a comic book, Niel Gaiman's _Sandman_, winning a prestigious
science-fiction award (and prompting a change in the rules of the contest to
prevent any more comics from winning that award...). We have a comic book,
Art Spiegelman's _Maus_, winning the Pulitzer Prize. We have a series of
comic books, Calvin & Hobbes, constantly topping the bestseller lists.

Whether or not you feel comics has lived up to its potential, it is apparant
that comics does HAVE a HUGE potential.

While with writing itself, one can convey ideas, and with art itself, one
can convey images, comics brings the two together.

Other mediums bring different effects together; movies and television
combine images and sound. With movies and television, you can see people
talking and walking and all that fun stuff... but you can't tell what
they're _thinking_, unless there is a narrative voice-over (a device which
often tends to detract from the movie or show).

With comic books, you can see what the characters are doing. You can read
what they are saying. _And_, with a special device known as the "dialogue
box", you can tell what they're thinking!

Reading dialogue boxes, one can read the very thoughts of not just the main
character, but supporting characters as well. Thus, with the comics medium,
you (the reader) can really _know_ a character, _intimately_. Not only do
you know what the character looks like, you know what they act like, and you
know what they think and say. Can this be done in another medium? Maybe it
can, but it is already BEING done in the comics medium.

So why doesn't anyone take comics _seriously_???

Obviously, some people _do_, or comics wouldn't have the resume' I listed
before, but the vast majority of the public sees comics as a juvenile form
of entertainment.

Some may argue it's the content, yet so many comics contain advanced
vocabulary and mature plot themes. Some believe it's the format; comics
appear inherently _cheap_, stuffed into magazine racks in supermarkets, too
thin and small to be a magazine, but too big to be a pamphlet.

Why do I think nobody takes comics seriously? The _name_: "Comic" implies
humor. The term "comic book" _itself_ implies humor... and many comic books
_are_ humorous. But what do we do when we want someone to take a comic book
seriously?

We come up with a new name for it.

Next week: Naming the Art Form

Best,

--Ry
Xenozoid@cris.com


2. Industry News --------------------------------------------------------

Word Taxes for Comic Writers..?

12/14/95 - On the 12/12/95 edition of Morning Edition (National Public
Radio) was a story of the California tax codes' fight to force Paul Mavrides
and other cartoonists to pay sales taxes on their words. The tax code
argues that they do not consider comic writers to be writers as protected by
the first amendment, they are creators of camera-ready templates and, like
people who create designes for coffee mugs or t-shirst, should be taxed on
their works.


Bagge Cartoon Debuts:

12/18/95 - Peter Bagge (Hate!) will see his creations animated this January
as the documentary Hype! debuts at Robert Redford's Sundance Festival.

Spin Magazine reported in Dec. 1992 on the rock'n'roll movement in Seattle,
known as "Grunge". The Seattle Times reported in mid-'94 on Bagge's
association with the subculture of '92, which began when he devoted two
issues of Hate! to a story where Buddy managed Stinky's grunge band, Leonard
and the Love Gods.

Hype! is a feature-length film which documents the Grunge phenomenon. Peter
Bagge's cast of characters are animated in a four-minute opening animated
sequence for the film by former Ren & Stimpy director Steve Loter.

Hype! is tentatively scheduled to be released nationally in Summer '96.


Teri Hatcher Stars in Heaven's Prisoners:

12/19/95 - Teri Hatcher (Lois of ABC's Lois & Clark) starred in the Savoy-
produced Heaven's Prisoners, but the film has been in limbo since the
company got into trouble. It has now been announced that Barry Diller's
Silver King Communications has acquired Savoy for a reported $210 million.
Hatcher fans can look forward to a release soon, either theatrical or
straight-to-video.


Bettie Page Comics Debuts:

12/17/95 - Bettie Page Comics #1 debuts in March from Dark Horse Comics. The
one-shot will depict the glamour queen in several different styles. In the
comic book, she will drive off a martian invasion, make 'B' movies in
Hollywood and explore the jungle. Jeff Gelb, Bret Blevins, Tony Meers, Russ
Heath, Eric Stanton and Jaime Hernandez are among the names mentioned to be
involved in the comic.


Mister X Returns:

12/21/95 - In April of 1996, Caliber Press will introduce an all-new bi-
monthly series of Mister X. Debra Marks will write and Gene Gonazales &
David Rowe draw the series, which will be based more on the earlier
incarnation of the character. Mister X will also appear in the upcoming
anthology from Caliber, New Worlds.


Deodato Showcases His Talents:

12/21/95 - Mike Deodato (Thor, Glory) will introduce a new monthly series to
begin in March from Caliber Comics. The material will be stories originally
run in Brazilian comics.


Radical Dreamer Origins Revealed:

12/13/95 - Mark Wheatly has announced that Mark's Giant Economy Size
Comics will release a one-shot comic entitled Radical Dreamer Prime in
April.

The comic will contain a complete story showing readers what inspired
Wheatly to create Radical Dreamer.


3. Reviews --------------------------------------------------------------

Comics for review may be mailed to Ryan Brewster, 84 Bunker Hill St.,
Lancaster, NH, 03584


Rune/Venom #1
Written by Chris Ulm
Pencilled by Greg Luzniak, Mark Pacella & Gaberiel Gecko
Inked by Bruce McCorkindale & Art Thibert

(Should be) In Stores Now, from Malibu Comics

This very violent one-shot is brought to life beautifully by its talented
line-up of creators. The art in the first 14 pages is to die for, and the
other 26 pages hold their own.

Despite a pretty clever storyline, the book is still rather confusing at
first. It all comes out in the wash, however, as a helpful character
exposition (one of those classic villain-explains-everything-to-his-doomed-
hostage expositions) pops up in the middle of the story. Better late than
never.

If you like a lot (a _lot_) of action and complex plots, this book's for you.
I would not probably give a copy to Junior this Christmas, though...



Phoenix Resurrection: Revelations

Written by Ian Edington & Dan Abnett
Pencilled by Kevin West, John Royle, Randy Green & Rick Leonardi
Inked by Tom Wegrzyn, Philip Moy, Rick Ketcham & Jeff Whiting

Shipping Soon From Malibu Comics


Despite a cast of creators virtually unknown to me (West, Leonardi, Moy and
Whiting were the only names I - vaguely - recognized...), this book turns
out to be a decent read. The art is gorgeous all the way through, so these
"unknowns" (if they are truly "unknowns" and I am not displaying my own
ignorance) will most likely not be "unknowns" for much longer.

There are some parts in the issue that seem rather vague, however. Teams
popping up fighting each other for apparently no reason... though this may
tie up storylines from other chapters of the crossover. Besides the
"senseless fighting", the book stands quite well on its own.

If you are a fan of both the X-Men and the Ultraverse, you owe it to
yourself to pick this book up. It is flashy but substantial, and brings the
storyline to a tidy conclusion. If you are not a fan, this book is not the
best jump-on point, but may make a fan out of you yet.

________________________________________________________________________
Comicunications is Copyright (c) 1995 by Ryan Brewster.


________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4] Suspended Animation, by Michael Vance

SUSPENDED ANIMATION
 - by Michael Vance

   The silliness called Psychobabble is psychology based on faulty or
nonexistant science. Now, there's a new babble in town.
   A confusion of myths from Atlantis to Zulus with wings -- our
metaphysical beliefs from all times and nations -- metababble is hot!
   And metababble is kept in THE X-FILES.
   Government agents Mulder and Scully investigate metababble on
television and in the new comic book. In recent issues they traveled
to St. Elias, Alaska. Atlantis is buried under the ice there.
   In Atlantis, someone has rediscovered that eating a person gives
the eater the eaten's knowledge. This ancient myth of cannabilism is
given vericity by the new discovery that all knowledge is stored in
human DNA. Adding to the silliness, Aztecs and Toltecs have also become
the Lost Tribe of Israel.
   This is metababble, fun unless taken seriously.
   Taken with a grain of salt is the art of this series. It's clean,
interesting storytelling with one major fault. Neither Scully nor
Mulder look like Scully or Mulder.
   Also salty is the written word. Stefan Petrucha has done his home-
work according to a _long_ list of reference materials. He understands
that adding layers of myth makes metaphysical confusion almost
believable and a fun read.
   In addition, unfolding plot and characterization are intriguing. Much
is promised in this half of the two-part "shocker", "Silent Cities of
the Mind".
   But you won't be shocked. You won't throw this in the round file,
either.
   Taken with a large grain of salt is the price of THE X-FILES, which
follows the standard rules of packaging and page count and paper quality.
Why is it so high?
   THE X-FILES\22 pages, $2.95 from Topps Comics available in comics
shops, on newsstands and by mail.


(Mr. Vance is a professional writer having written for numerous
magazines like CBG, Starlog and Comics Interview. His work has
appeared in over 500 newspapers and he's had work published by
Comico, Renegade, Innovation and Rip Off Press. SUSPENDED
ANIMATION appears in 14 publications reaching 214,000 readers
in the U.S., Ireland and Portugal.)

________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5] More Info on Amalgam! from DC Comics Online

From dcopattyj@aol.com (DCO PattyJ)
Date 20 Dec 1995 14:44:56 -0500
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)

UNDER THE COVERS OF AMALGAM COMICS

Following the announcement of the unprecedented merging of the DC and
Marvel universes in the upcoming AMALGAM COMICS, curiosity over the
content of the 12 Amalgam titles has reached fever pitch. To satisfy at
least some of that demand, DC Comics has released a roster of the 12
one-shots to be published by the two companies on February 28, each with a
brief summary:

Shipping from DC Comics --

LEGENDS OF THE DARK CLAW #1
Adamantium claws, a ferocity driven by old wounds, and a dark batlike
countenance to make his enemies' blood run cold: These are the elements
that make a man the Dark Claw, nocturnal protector of Gotham City.

SUPER-SOLDIER #1
Transformed by an experimental infusion of alien DNA, ordinary human Clark
Kent became America's greatest super-powered hero of World War II; revived
in modern times after a freak accident of suspended animation,
Super-Soldier battles the undying menaces of Ultra-Metallo, the Green
Skull, and the subversive terrorist organization Hydra.

AMAZON #1
Reared on the hidden island of Themyscira, weather-wielding mutant Ororo
Monroe ascended to become warrior-champion of the Amazon civilization...
and one of the most powerful forces for good the Amalgam Universe has ever
known.

JLX #1
Mr. X. Apollo. Firebird. Nightcreeper. Wraith. Runaway. Mercury. Mariner.
Together they're the JLX, outlaw metahuman heroes hated by the world
they've sworn to protect... and hounded by the avenging heroes of the JLA!

ASSASSINS #1
Dare and Catsai -- fierce enemies and two of the deadliest femme fatales
in the Amalgam Universe -- forge an uneasy alliance against an elite gang
of killers.

DOCTOR STRANGEFATE #1
The universe's Supreme Lord of Order is Doctor Strangefate, a mysterious
helmeted mage who may well be the most powerful being on Earth. He alone
knows that this universe is an amalgam of two separate and distinct
realities... and he wants to preserve this new continuum at any cost.

Shipping from Marvel Comics --

SPIDER-BOY #1
He's cool. He's smooth. He sticks to walls. And he has a serious attitude
problem! The Amalgam Universe's maverick Arach-Kid battles Bizzarnage and
goes swinging with Insect Queen!

BRUCE WAYNE: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Driven by the murder of his parents, a grim multibillionaire uses his
wealth to build a political power base and take command of the Amalgam
Universe's premier espionage force.

SPEED DEMON #1
When Blaze Allen chants the ancient words "Gone, gone, o' form of man..."
he transforms into Etrigan, a leather-clad monster with a devil's flaming
face -- Speed Demon!

BULLETS AND BRACELETS #1: A partnership is born as rogue Amazon Princess
Diana forges an uneasy alliance with the Punisher against the menaces of
Monarch Jim Rhodes and Thanoseid!

MAGNETO AND THE MAGNETIC MEN #1
Adapting the robotic technology that his mutant-hating brother Will Magnus
used to create the Sentinels, Magneto creates five robots, each formed
from a different metal, to protect his fellow mutants.

X-PATROL #1
Red-bearded cyborg Niles Cable leads Ferro Man, Shatterstarfire,
Beastling, Elasti-Girl, and Dial H.U.S.K. against the threat of the
Amalgam Universe's most malevolent despot, Dr. Doomsday!

Also shipping for Amalgam week from Marvel is an oversized, 4-color retail
poster with pencils from The Uncanny X-Men's Joe Madureira, inks from Mark
Farmer, and color by Steve Buccellatto.

________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[6] Letters to CBN

It is a sad day for comic book fans everywhere.  Marvel, in its attempt to
streamline the company to make it more efficient, has decided to cancel some
of its titles and let Rob Liefeld (Extreme Studios) and Jim Lee (Wildstorm
Studios) produce some others.  Unfortunately, Marvel has decided to cancel
its longest running title, Thor.

Thor isn't exactly Marvel's worst selling title either.  Sure, the quality
of the book hasn't been the same since Simonson's run, but any creative
team would have been a letdown after Simonson.  And this book is steadily
improving, because of great artistry by Mike Deodato, Jr. and great writing
by Warren Ellis and now Bill Messner-Loebs.  Thor constantly make Wizard's
"Hot Picks" list and was 43rd on the "Top 100" highest-ordered comics list
in Wizard 53.  All of these signs point to an incredibly bright future for
this comic book; a future that will be cut short because it isn't making
as much money as the X-books.

Now I know what many of you are saying.  "Why should I care about Thor?
I've never read Thor before."  All comics fans should care about this
outrage because what is happening to Thor could easily happen to any other
comic book on the market.  Marvel discussed cancelling Incredible Hulk,
another one of Marvel's longest running titles.  One of the reasons that
it was not cancelled is because of the uproar that came from the fans.  A
similar uproar must be made to save Thor.

Incredible Hulk will not be cancelled, but other books will not be so lucky.
In the near future, Marvel could be reduced to only four lines of comic
books; X-Men, Spider-Man, 2099, and the Avengers books that will be
published by Image.  Is the market so bad that Marvel can only afford to
produce about 20 comics a month?

But what if you don't read Marvel books, what if you only read DC or Image?
You should still protext this decision.  If a comic that has gone 500
issues isn't safe from the executioner's axe, who can say that a comics
that has gone 600 is safe?  Who can say that a comic that has gone 700
issues is safe?  Thor's cancelling could begin an alarming trend in the
comic book industry in which no comic book is guaranteed to survive.

So what I'm asking is for every man, woman, and child who has ever read
Thor, or ever even heard of Thor, to write to Marvel and complain about
the cancellation.  Don't be harsh with your words, because that will not
help the cause; it will probably hurt it.  The letters do not have to be
anything eloquent, I think that four words would get the point across;
PLEASE DON'T CANCEL THOR!  But everyone who cares about this issue must
write! There is strength in numbers, and if enough people write in,
hopefully Marvel will see the error in its ways.

Sincerely,
Justin Marsh
ThorIsCool@aol.com

P.S.:  Marvel's address is as follows:

	Marvel Entertainment Group
	387 Park Ave. South
	New York, NY  10016



Subj   Need Info
Date   95-12-18 08:19:07 EST
From   CNFKEN@aol.com
To     ComicBknet@aol.com

Hello,
I am a high school student attempting to gather current information on the
art of comic production and collecting. I got your names by doing a keyword
search of your AOL profiles, which gave me 250 names.

If you have time, I would be interested in your responses to a few questions.
1. Do you collect comics?
2. How did you get started?
3. What do you get out of it?
4. Do you collect for investment or fun?
5. Do you only collect a specific type?
6. Do you intend to get out of collecting in the future?

Please send replies to:
Jeff McClelland on my teachers account at:

CNFKEN@aol.com

Thank You,
Jeff
________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[7] Splash Page!

KnightNet is a friendly message network that also offers interbbs games such
as BRE and Falcon's Eye.  It is a fun place to discuss various topics, meet
new people and make new friends.  It's also connected to a number of boards
in England, and is constantly growing!  Users of the network help decide what
message areas are included in the network, making for good traffic of
messages.

  This is the current listing of Knight Net Conferences.
  This list includes the names for the message areas for FIDO
  systems to use in their mail tossers.  This list may change,
  depending on how responses are to the various areas, and upon
  suggestions from sysops and users as to what they would like
  added or removed.

FIDO Tag-Name -- Title of Area:  Brief description

KSN_SYSOP -- SysOps!:  Sysop, Administration & network discussions ONLY.
                       * manditory base for use by Sysops & Cosysops whose
                         BBSs are a part of KnightNet

KSN_CHAT -- Net Pals!:  This is a general discussion area for everyone.
                        * manditory base

KSN_COLLECT -- Comics & Collectables:  What else, but a comic book and
                                       collectable conference.

KSN_CRIME -- Law & Crime:  Discussion area for people interested in law,
                           crime, social issues, criminal behaviour, etc.

KSN_MOVIE -- TV & Movies:  Discussion of any TV series or movies not
                           specifically covered in another area of KnightNet.

KSN_THEATR -- Theatre & Entertainment:  Discussion of plays, musicals, bands,
                                        and other forms of live entertainment.
                                        This also includes great restaurants,
                                        and fun events.

KSN_TREK -- Star Trek:  Tired of being pushed from one message base to another
                        as you discuss Voyager, the Next Generation, etc.?
                        Knight Net offers a single area for users to discuss
                        everything that has anything to do with Star Trek.

KSN_STWARS -- Star Wars:  Star Wars discussion.  This area is for anything
                          that deals with Star Wars

KSN_XFILES -- X-Files:  Discussion of anything dealing with X-Files (ie. the
                        TV show, books, etc.)

KBOOKS -- Books & Writing:  Discussion of anything dealing with books and
                            writing.

KSN_HIST -- History & Mythology:  Discussion of events and cultures in
                                  history, various mythologies and beliefs
                                  throughout time and the world, etc.

KSN_POLITIC -- Politics:  Political discussion dealing with world politics,
                          local, or national

KSN_SEEK -- Seekers (Geneology):  Got friends or relatives in other areas?
                                  KnightNet is connected to parts of England
                                  and Canada, and is constantly growing.  Why
                                  not use this area to discuss family, try and
                                  contact old friends, etc.?

KSN_MS -- Multiple Sclerosis:  Discussion of multiple sclerosis, dealing with
                               this condition, treatments and support
                               Moderator = Murray Atthill

KJOBS -- Jobs & Careers:  Discussion of careers, job, education, and
                          resources. This includes employers posting available
                          positions, Q&A about specific careers, etc.

KSPORTS -- Sports:  Discussion area for all kinds of sports (soccer, football,
                    hockey, etc.)

KBRE -- InterBBS BRE:  KnightNet now offers InterBBS Barren Realms Elite to
                       it's member boards.  This area is for discussion of it.

KFE -- InterBBS FE:  KnightNet now offers InterBBS Falcon's Eye Elite to it's
                     member boards.  This area is for discussion about the
                     game.

KSN_JOKES -- Jokes & Humor:  This area is for talk about comedy, posting clean
                             jokes, humorous stories, etc.

KSN_SUGGEST -- Suggestion Box:  Area for suggestions of new message areas, how
                                the Net is doing in general (comments,
                                criticisms, etc.), surveys and votes on new
                                areas by the users
                                * manditory base

For more information regarding KnightNet, you can get the latest application
and setup pack from the following using the magic name KNIGHTNET

Dark Knight BBS
519-850-9929
(FIDO: 1:2401/409, KnightNet: 726:1/1, ClibNet: 350:6/0,
Comic Book Net: 23:509/1, TransCanada Net: 201:939/100, GlassNet: 75:400/1)

________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[8] Join in the fun!

You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads
that occupy the conferences of the Comic Book Net every day! However,
many people who read this e-mag aren't familiar with the Local BBS
echo-mail system....

Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the USofA, and
many of them are free!  Chances are, if you have a modem you have
the accompanying communications software.  Using the Terminal Emulation
software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the many
systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs). Most
of the boards offer all the message echoes in the Comic Book Network...
there are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as
well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention
sections for general (doesn't even have to be about comics!)
conversation. 

If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer! Most
if not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download
a .QWK packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called
an offline mail reader.  You can read & write messages at your leisure,
and then upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your
local BBS.  There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every
type of computer system.  They all give you a better explaination in
their documentation than I can.   These programs are available all over
the Internet and are downloadable from most BBS's.

These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading
replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the
average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is
LESS THAN 75!  See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial
information services available! :)

So what else can you find on free BBS systems?  Theres plenty of files
for specific types of computers.  Some systems also offer other types
of message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes
like sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc.  And, let's not forget
online games.  Join into the many different multiplayer games, each
system sports different challenges.  There's nothing like becoming
the most powerful being in a online adventure!

And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to
ALL, and introduce yourself to us!  You're guaranteed to get plenty of
replies and all the help you need to join in the fun!

Best,

--Ry, the editor, with assists from Ed Dukeshire.

________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[9] BBSes Linked into CBN

  Here's the most up-to-date node listing for the COMIC BOOK NETWORK

           F=FIDO    Q=QWK    B=Both     *=Major HUB

-- ARKANSAS ------------------------------------------------------------

 F* Karate & Comics & ...  Russelville   AR  501-968-3910  Robert Wood
 F  The Mystic BBS         Hector        AR  501-284-5503  Curtis Tesch

-- CALIFORNIA ----------------------------------------------------------

 Q  Corner Mailbox BBS     Lakeside      CA  619-561-2961  Joy Manning
 Q  Freedom Flight         Victorville   CA  619-955-6445  Ronald Siodla

-- FLORIDA -------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Info. Interchange      Ft Lauderdale FL  305-792-9622  Mitchel Waas

 F  Flamingo               Melbourne     FL  407-253-0782  Genie Bohn
 F  Never Never Land       Melbourne     FL  407-253-8754  Wayne Bell

 Q  Twilight Hall BBS      Tampa         FL  813-977-6712  John Pierce

 F  Steel Dog Cafe'        Destin        FL  904-654-9385  Keith Schultz
 Q  Oak Street BBS         Ft. Walton    FL  904-244-7434  Michael Fischer
 Q  Extreme Online         Jacksonville  FL  904-363-6347  Eric Cohen
 F  Ded Dudez'             Tavares       FL  904-343-7272  Mike Burgess

-- ILLINOIS ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Warp Speed BBS         Palatine      IL  708-776-2395  Alex Gen

-- INDIANA -------------------------------------------------------------

 F  The CyberSpace BBS     Indianapolis  IN  317-856-9020  Charlie Smith
 B* Rob's BBS Arcade       La Porte      IN  219-325-3655  Rob Swanson

-- KENTUCKY ------------------------------------------------------------

 Q  Mister Rogers          Lexington     KY  606-273-6611  Doug Rogers

-- MARYLAND ------------------------------------------------------------

 B* The Daily Planet       Frederick     MD  301-831-8057  Mike Imboden
 F  The Vampyre Bar!       Frederick     MD  301-698-5194  Darryl Pierce  
 B  Zoneland BBS           Gaithersburg  MD  301-601-9731  Bob Hair
 F  DataStorm              Kettering     MD  301-390-5243  Tarek Gordan
 F  Bifrost                Mount Rainier MD  301-779-9381  Kevin Carlin
 F  Castravalva            Walkersville  MD  301-898-4088  Jeffrey Frasure
 F  Womens World East BBS  Silver Spring MD  301-431-0647  Wendy Dumser

 F  Boardwalk BBS          Bishopville   MD  410-352-5754  James Davis

-- MASSACHUSETTS -------------------------------------------------------

 Q  DJ Dave's Domain       Agawam        MA  413-789-6533  David Scarpa

 F  Archives BBS           Acushnet      MA  508-995-0085  John Viera
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Haverhill     MA  508-521-6941  John McNally
 B  U.S.S. Saratoga BBS    New Bedford   MA  508-984-1212  Justin Campeau
 F  Muskrat & Heatwave     New Bedford   MA  508-984-5321  Dennis Racine
 F  Computer Castle BBS    North Andover MA  508-686-8010  John McNally
 F  Enigma BBS             Rochester     MA  508-763-5579  Chris Ferreira
 B* Keystone BBS           Shrewsbury    MA  508-753-3767  John Harris
 F  HellFire BBS           S. Dartmouth  MA  508-979-8930  Brock Cordeiro
 B  Call Again Soon        Worcester     MA  508-791-1281  Joe Johnson

-- MICHIGAN ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Intl. Comic Network    Dearborn Hgts MI  313-565-8464  Anthony Palacio

-- MISSOURI ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  The Oan Citadel        Grandview     MO  816-767-1488  Brian J. Stewart

-- NEW HAMPSHIRE -------------------------------------------------------

 F  Computer Castle BBS    Atkinson      NH  603-362-4125  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Exeter        NH  603-778-4662  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Hampstead     NH  603-329-5643  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Kingston      NH  603-642-5949  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Newton        NH  603-382-0567  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Raymond       NH  603-895-2393  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    Rye Beach     NH  603-964-4760  John McNally
 F  Computer Castle BBS    South Hampton NH  603-394-7534  John McNally

-- NEW JERSEY ----------------------------------------------------------

 F  Virtual Connection     Fair Lawn     NJ  201-796-7202  Dmitry Korsun 
 B* Bergen BBS             Hillsdale     NJ  201-722-1495  Jacob Greenberg
 F  Cyberspace Arcade      Little Ferry  NJ  201-440-5499  Rick Smorawski
 F  The Quantum Zone       Park Ridge    NJ  201-307-9225  Wayne Robinson
 F  Unnamed BBS            Saddle Brook  NJ  201-368-1866  Edward Di
Geronimo 
Jr.

-- NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------

 B  Asgard.TW BBS          West Islip    NY  516-422-4225  Tom Pemberton

 F  Generation X           Rochester     NY  716-647-6960  Eric Sears

 F  X-Mansion BBS          Astoria       NY  718-204-0159  Benny Powell

 F  Starbase : Red Dwarf   Saugerties    NY  914-247-9601  John Dragun
 B  Gotham City BBS        Spring Valley NY  914-426-3029  Gerald Schranz
 F  Di Vermiis Mysteriis   Poughkeepsie  NY  914-485-5463  Thomas Morton

-- NORTH CAROLINA ------------------------------------------------------

 F  Electronic Hangover    Durham        NC  919-286-4542  Richard Lee
 F  Psychotronic           Durham        NC  919-286-7738  Richard Lee
 F* TI-Raliegh Maximus     Raliegh       NC  919-833-3412  Walter Tietjen
 F  Crystal Winds          Raliegh       NC  919-790-3599  Mike Gurkin

-- OKLAHOMA ------------------------------------------------------------

 F  Lets PC BBS            Oklahoma City OK  405-672-0615  Hyun Nam

 F  Snart's Dreamland      Collinsville  OK  918-371-0980  Jeff Bennett

-- PENNSYLVANIA --------------------------------------------------------

 F  Comic Book Board       Philadelphia  PA  215-365-5225  William Horton
 Q  3-4-2 LEVI Online      Philadelphia  PA  215-342-5384  Leo Keil
 F  Dark Lands             Philadelphia  PA  215-487-7315  Chris Ford

 F  The Malverne BBS       Eddystone     PA  610-872-2830  Raymond Jones

-- TENNESSEE -----------------------------------------------------------

 F  The Factory BBS        Union City    TN  901-885-9647  Rick Brewer

-- TEXAS ---------------------------------------------------------------

 Q  Way Out There          Dallas        TX  214-680-2755  Justin Pasher
 F  House Atreides         Garland       TX  214-494-3702  Wayne LeMonds
 F  The Chess Board        Grand Prairie TX  214-641-1136  Ken Givens
 B* FIAWOL/MSConnections   Irving        TX  214-790-6472  Bobb Waller
 F  Star Streams           Waxahachie    TX  214-938-7115  Michael Rudolf

 F* The RASTER Line        Houston       TX  713-568-0825  Jeff Watts
 F  The Dream Sequence     Missouri City TX  713-835-0965  Biju Mathai

 F  Young Blood            Killeen       TX  817-699-2254  T.J. Gohl

 F  Orion BBS              Odessa        TX  915-530-2712  Dennis Brown

-- VIRGINIA ------------------------------------------------------------

 B  Crystal Aerie          Arlington     VA  703-415-0134  Spencer Greenwald

-- WASHINGTON ----------------------------------------------------------

 F* Longview On-Line!      Longview      WA  206-577-7358  Jeanne Lejon

-- ONTARIO, CANADA -----------------------------------------------------

 F  Dark Knight BBS        London       ONT  519-850-9929  Michael Cross
 F  MACH 1 BBS             London       ONT  519-457-6771  Tomasz Heiber
 F  The Outpost BBS        St. Mary     ONT  519-284-0223  Murray Atthill
 F  Snake Pit BBS          Tecumseh     ONT  519-979-4251  Mark Godard

 F  Gananoque System's BBS Gananoque    ONT  613-382-1788  Mike Serson

-- MEXICO --------------------------------------------------------------

 B* The Gate BBS           Mexico City      52-5-264-2994  Emilio Karam
           - From USA, dial international-access 011 then 52-5-264-2994#


________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[10] E-Mag Info

The Comic Book Net E-Mag is published weekly by the many participants of
The Comic Book Network. This is a compilation of articles and columns
which were originally posted in the network's conferences or written
specifically for this electronic magazine.

All text contained within are copyrighted to the originating author(s).

Freely distributable for noncommerical purposes only.

THE CBN WEB PAGE
----------------
If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our
web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag,
as well as an annotated index of back issues.  You'll also find
important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic
Book Net, an archive of Comic Book Net fanfic, and other neat features!
The URL address is: http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html

LOCATING THE ISSUES
-------------------
The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into
The Comic Book Network.  Issues may be obtained through several online
pay services as well (ie; AOL, CompuServe, GEnie).  All back issues
should be available at the above sites, as well as our World Wide Web
page.

SUBMISSIONS
-----------
To submit an article, review, column, etc to our e-mag, simply post it
in any Comic Book Net conference and leave me a message in the
CBN: E-Mag conference giving me permission to use the article.  If you
cannot access the Comic Book Net, submit your news articles (no reviews
accepted at this time...) to the editor: Xenozoid@cris.com.

SUBSCRIPTIONS
-------------
If you wish to receive these issues automatically through your internet
account, please address a message to Xenozoid@cris.com to be placed on
the subscription list.

________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------------------------------------
- End of Issue #41.. see ya next week!
