Bart King's Blog, page 92
October 28, 2014
October 26, 2014
Bonus SUPERHEROES quiz!
Writing something like The Big Book of Superheroes means taking notes. Lots of notes! And I just looked over them and saw I had plenty left over for this bonus superheroes quiz!
1. True or False: Batman buried his butler, Alfred, alive.
2. Newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson sure hated Spider-Man! One reason for this was because…
a. he hated spiders3. In real life, this man was named Terrence Cotta. But as a supervillain, he was called…
b. Jameson’s son, John Jonah III, was an astronaut about to be launched into space—and Spider-Man was stealing all of his attention.
c. No, seriously—spiders really creeped him out!
a. Brickface4. True or False: The Fantastic Four has always included the same four superheroes.
b. Welcome Back Cotta
c. The Mason
5. This superhero surprised readers by shooting and killing a criminal in the very first issue of his own comic book.
a. Bullet Man6. The first superhero to swing from place to place on spider webbing that shot from the wrists was...
b. Batman
c. The Flash
a. Spider-Man7. The weird thing about the original “Human Torch” is that he...
b. Boris the Spider
c. the Spider Queen
a. wasn’t human at all
b. burned everything he touched.
c. was easy to find when playing hide-and-seek. (“You’re getting warmer…warmer…uh oh! Does anyone know where the fire extinguisher is?”)
8. Comic writer Daniel Clowes wanted his teenaged character, Andy, to get super-powers in an unusual way. So after Andy…
a. skipped showering, he became super-popular
b. smoked a cigarette, he got super-strength
c. wore a turtleneck, he became invisible
9. (Short answer) When young Billy Batson says “SHAZAM!” he turns into the mighty Captain Marvel. This superhero is as strong as Superman—and he doesn’t fear kryptonite! Now pretend you’re a supervillain and think of a good way to stop Captain Marvel that doesn’t involve bananas.
Answers below!1. True! While trying to save Batman, Alfred was crushed by a falling boulder (Detective Comics #328, 1964). Heartbroken, Batman took his butler’s body and stuck it in a refrigerated coffin. Luckily, a passerby walked by the coffin later, and heard Alfred’s weak moans. He was still barely alive!
2. b. 3. a.
4. False! There have been lots of additions and subtractions to the FF over the years. Heck, Spider-Man even applied for a job with them. And the She-Hulk took the Thing’s place for a while . . . and once, all four members of the FF were believed dead. Then a New Fantastic Four (Wolverine, the Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man) was formed.
5. True!
6. c.
7. a.
8. b. (This doesn’t work, you know!)
9. Hang on—I told you NOT to use bananas in your answer. Sheesh. I think the best solution is for you to turn Billy Batson into a baby. (How? You’re a super villain!) And since baby Billy can only say “THA-THAM!” you’ve now stopped Captain Marvel.
Holiday Gift Guide entry: Bow-Lingual!
Your dog has something to tell you! "I need a hug."
October 25, 2014
Dave Stelts grew a really big pumpkin!
Now that he's seen its weight, Dave could best be described as:a. shell-shocked
b. out of his gourd
c. making plans for carving a stagecoach after midnight.
October 24, 2014
History's greatest "Epic Fails"
Hey teachers—I had a lot of fun writing this "Epic Fails" series for an educational publisher. They're high-interest nonfiction chapter books written from a “comedic point-of-view.” (Translation = They have comics!)
October 21, 2014
Important Announcement
My first novel will be published by Hyperion Books (Disney’s publishing division) in the not-too-distant future. It’s a funny science-fiction story about a young birdwatcher caught up in an adventure.
P.S. Yes, I am very excited!
October 17, 2014
“Trick-or-treaters! Beware of my GARDEN GATE OF DOOM.”
—“But wh-what’s on the other side, mister?”
—“Well, the nasturtiums are just lovely this time of year.”
*screams, sounds of children fleeing*
October 14, 2014
October 13, 2014
Book review from Washington Parent Magazine!
Well,
that
brightened my Monday!
