For years Paul Gulacy was my favorite comic book artist. His work on Master of Kung Fu [I know, dumb title, but what a really great comic!] made his reputation, but that was just his start.

Sabre was Paul's next claim to fame and it raised the bar even higher. [Not only was it the best art Gulacy had created up to that point, but Sabre was also the first graphic novel created for the direct market!]

I used to talk to Paul on a fairly regular basis back in the late 70's and early 80's. I loved those conversations. Paul was not only a quick wit but also had the uncanny ability to impersonate famous voices. He did a killer Brando and Clint Eastwood as well as many, many others.

At that time I was collecting and dealing in original comic art and of course Paul was my favorite artist. In 1980 I commissioned Paul to do a Stallone piece for me [and it was the only piece that I kept when I stopped collecting art back in 1983]. When I finally got to meet Paul [at a comic convention in Atlanta] I found him to be the same charming man in person that he was on the phone.

Paul invited me to sit and talk with him as he sketched for the fans. So there I was, this kid of 19 or 20 sitting at a table that consisted of some of the biggest names in comics... Paul Gulacy, Michaael Kaluta, Mike Grell...

At one point a kid was walking down the line getting autographs. He asked me who I as he handed me his autograph book. I replied, "Oh, I'm nobody." Paul quickly spoke up, saying, "This is Craig Zablo. He's a friend of mine." Wow! Even now, nearly 25 years later, I still smile when I think about that.

Sadly, Paul and I lost touch over the years. I drifted away from collecting art and Paul was doing less and less comic book work. Still, I always kept my eye out for the rare Gulacy cover or story that would pop up from time to time.

The Art of Paul Gulacy is now available for pre-order. It's scheduled for shipping on April 1st [No fooling! The same day that Sin City is going to open at theaters!].

It's funny, but in the last few years, Paul has started doing comic art regularly again, and I've started collecting Stallone-themed sketches. And to think that the Paul Gulacy piece started it all!

24 premieres tonight.

If you already watch then you're probably as psyched as me.

If you don't, then tonight would be a great time to give 24 a try.

If you're still undecided, then check out 24's official site. Odds are you won't be after that.

I just don't believe that there's any way I'm not going to completely love Sin City. Think about it...

I've read and dug each and every one of Frank Miller's Sin City yarns.

Robert Rodriguez is one of my favorite directors... and HE loves Sin City.

The cast is unbelieveable.

The trailer rocks.

These new posters sweeten the deal.

2004 was a good year and I'm hoping for even
better things in 2005. But before we leave '04 completely, I thought I'd give a brief rundown of
some of the highlights entertainment-wise
[at least for me]...

Movies: I loved the Dawn of the Dead
re-make and The Passion of the Christ. [Kinda strange that they were both about people who rose from the dead.]

Collateral was very good and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and The Chronicles of Riddick were fun rides.

Several of the best movies that I saw in
2004 were older movies that I discovered
on DVD or cable.

The original Metropolis was stunning even 77 years after it was made.

And you know I love the whole tough guy - noir genre, so seeing movies like On Dangerous Ground, Brute Force and The Big Heat make my day.

TV: The Shield, 24, Survivor and West Wing continue to make my "Must See TV" list. And although Alias still hung in there, ER fell from the ranks. Lost soared to the top of the list and I enjoyed Boston Legal when I caught it.

Novels:The best were Portrait of a Murderer: The Jack the Ripper Case Closed by Patricia Cornwall, Double Play by Robert Parker, Sensei by John Donohue, and Rain Storm by Barry Eischer.

Comics: My favorite comic of the year was Grave Digger: The Scavengers by Christopher Mills and Rick Burchett. The writing and art meshed perfectly to create a comic that's impossible not to enjoy. If we don't get more Grave Digger stories from Mills and Burchett, then there's no justice.

My favorite graphic novel of the year was The Wicked West by Todd Livingston, Robert Tinnell and artist, Neil Vokes. Anyone who is a fan of westerns, horror or simply great graphic novels would love The Wicked West.

My favorite on-going series were The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard [which just keeps getting better and better] and 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso.

Blogs: Mark Evanier's News from ME is required reading daily. He's funny, informative and blogs don't get any better. Jeff Parker's Mystifying Oracle and Mike Wieringo's blog don't appear daily but when they do, they're worth a read.

Breakfast: Was a three hour marathon session [and NO, we weren't eating the whole time] with my ole pal Jim Ivey last week. Jim will soon be 80 and we hadn't been able to get together in quite a while. Christmas Break seemed like the right time to clear my schedule and make a trip over to see "Jimbo" and I couldn't have asked for a better time. Jim seemed to enjoy it to. ; )

Now... on to 2005!