NEWS! Got news? Send it to news@captainkinetic.com! 01/19/01 — Someone wrote to tell me that they saw some of the images from CaptainKinetic.com swiped and used on other sites, so I added a "bug" to make sure people know where the images come from. Sorry if it mars your viewing experience. I guess I should be happy that people are enthusiastic about the good Captain, but hey, let's be nice to each other, people! In other, happier news, David Brady sent me a scan of a drawing he bought at a flea market of a Silver Age version of the Kinetic Kid. Look for it in the Gallery! Keep those clippings coming! 01/17/01 — Haven't been any site updates in a while because... well, there hasn't been anything to say. Until now that is! Claire Montano sent in a Kinetic Comics panel scan for the Gallery, and it's GREAT! I think it's a Harry P. Geddes but I'm not sure. Remember, if you have anything to share, send it to me at kevin@captainkinetic.com! 8/16/00 — I've gotten a lot of traffic since the site redesign launched, and a lot of things in my email box (remember, kevin@captainkinetic.com!) including something new for the Gallery that I'd never even seen before!! In other email news, my pal Dwayne must have felt a little slighted when I made fun of his Sugar and Spike habit, because he posted the following message to a listserv we're both on. Well, duh! Who *wouldn't* go after SUGAR & SPIKE instead of those Golden Age KINETIC COMICS? And it's not that I *wouldn't* take that issue #4 out of its triple-sealed Mylar permacoating, it's that it doesn't *come* out anymore -- keeps the grade from going lower, you know. After losing my Golden Age copies of BLONDE PHANTOM, NAMORA, and ELSIE THE COW, Kevin should understand that I am a wee bit paranoid. Besides, the Black Bat doesn't really "appear" until the last panel, when CK breaks the door down to confront the mysterious nefarious evil criminal mastermind who has only been seen in silhouette for the whole story. Of course I know that, since that story has been reprinted like eight-hundred-gazillion times. (I wholeheartedly agree with your decision to keep your comics sealed, though that won't protect them if you plug in your Captain Kinetic night-light, circa 1947, and then leave to visit your parents for the weekend. Trust me.) Speaking of webmaster Kevin, he comes across as sort of nerdy, though I hear that he has a taller and cuter buddy who really does most of the work on the website. A little explanation here: Dwayne and I met through a emailing list we both belonged to (which was not Captain Kinetic related) and met for the first time in San Diego this past summer. If he finds me nerdy, well... that's his opinion. He is right, though, that I get some help from my friend Charles on the more technical aspects of the site, though I'm learning fast! I've been reading the LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE collections from Fantagraphics, and I believe that Annie could kick the Captain's butt. And is there any truth to the recent rumor that old sketches from an aborted ad campaign have turned up that show CK with big curly hair and blanked-out eyes? Given the Captain's enormous popularity at the time, I highly doubt that. And maybe I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that Captain Kinetic's endorsements of Elliptine started long before Annie was selling that other stuff. Anyone out there have any more info? (I think Dwayne could just be jerking my chain here.) As a semi-huge fan of radio drama I can't wait to hear the Elliptine Radio Hour excerpts! Me either! The guy at Chicago Comics on Clark Street, an excellent (though Captain Kinetic-challenged) store, said he does in fact have some episodes on tape that he'll dub for me. SCORE!! Expect to see some clips posted here pretty soon. Thanks for the comments, Dwayne! 8/15/00 — I got my first art submission from a site visitor: Davey Cenko of Rapid City, Iowa! Check out his sketch of the good Captain (drawn on a paper towel, his dad says) in the Gallery and be among the the first to see his budding talent! Also, I ordered my new scanner today, but they say it might take up to two weeks for it to arrive. I'm going to see if scanning the book at Kinko's would be cheap enough. I should be able to do at least one panel. 8/10/00 — I think my scanner is beyond repair, so I'm just going to get a new one. After all, what am I going to spend my money on, rare Captain Kinetic comics? (Insert sarcasm here.) The guys at the shop in Chicago were really nice, but they didn't have any books in good enough condition to spend money on. On the brighter side, it turns out one of the buyers at the store is a CK fan, though only because he collects radio serials. I asked him if he could tape some of the old Captain Kinetic shows for me and he said he would see if he could dig some out. Cool! 8/5/00 — Taa-daaa! The new site design debuts. There are finally some pictures in the gallery, though no scans from the hardcover book; my scanner has been on the fritz (AUGGHH!!!). Mike's been doing a lot of drawings and sending them to me by email. He says he might be publishing a comic (!) this year with an independent publisher! Cool! In the meantime, he's done some more CK sketches. Someone get this guy a job on Avengers or something! 7/26/00 — YES!! Still no actual comics, but I did find a copy of the Captain Kinetic hardcover collection from the late 70s from a shop in Chicago (!!!). It reprints the first three backup stories from Kinetic Comics plus Captain Kinetic #1-5. The dealer told me he had a few more CK items that he didn't bring, and he's going to call me when he gets back to his store. SCORE!! It's just like the Wizard of Oz... you can look all over for Captain Kinetic merchandise and it's waiting right in your own backyard. The second I get home, I'll be making scans of some of the hardcover book for the gallery. In the meantime, I hooked up with a few CK fans at the Con, and they're going to contribute some artwork to the gallery. This guy Mike (also from Chicago) did a sketch for me at the Con which you'll love, although he got the logo wrong. 7/24/00 — I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! Your webmaster is really and truly bummed!! I combed the dealer tables today looking for ANY Captain Kinetic books and found absolutely NOTHING!! Nada! Zip! All I can think is that everyone is holding onto the copies they have, which I don't really understand, since (I have to admit) there's not a big collector's market for him right now. They probably don't even like him, they just figure they're scarce, so they'll hoard them. Sometimes I wish I had a different hobby, like building model cars. 7/17/00 — Spent the week in San Francisco with some other CK-heads, though I must admit that I was the most enthusiastic of the bunch, even without any actual comics to show for it. My pal Dwayne is also hoping to pick up some CK stuff at the Con, though he's more interested in filling out his run of Sugar and Spike. (!!!) If there was any justice in the world, it would be me with the near mint copy of Kinetic Comics #4, which (as I'm sure I don't have to remind you) introduces the dreaded Black Bat. I asked him if he would scan the cover for the site, but he didn't want to take it out of the bag. I can hardly blame him, though. But soon I'll have my own copy. Hee hee hee! 7/14/00 — I'm heading out to the west coast for the San Diego Comic Con!! I hope to pick up some old C.K. comics at the dealer tables, since all my issues were lost in that apartment fire. (Don't ask, it's still a touchy subject.). I've paid down my credit card all year so I'm ready to plunk down some serious coin to restore my collection to its former glory. I'm also bringing a lot of stuff to trade. Wish me luck! I'll be making updates from the road.