Dan Newland
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historian.us
Dan Newland
@historian.us
Dad | Database and Cloud Guy | Ph.D. candidate in Public History | Co-host of the @comicsovertime.bsky.social Podcast | Defending Champion of the MSURBL Fantasy Baseball League | Reviewer of comics & movies
Watched ROBOCOP (the original from 1987) again recently, and it was actually sort of fantastic?!? The movie is a weird mashup of cheesy stop motion robots, social commentary and a massive helping of gore. But it works. If anything i think I like it more now than I did when it came out!
June 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Watched TRON with my son tonight, and when Gibbs says "Won't that be grand? Computers and the programs will start thinking and the people will stop" it hit a bit harder than I remember.
June 4, 2025 at 5:23 AM
And so my Eisner readthrough begins. Starting this year with the six nominees for Best Publication For Teens.

Congrats to Jen Wang, @jonahnewmancomics.bsky.social, @geneluenyang.bsky.social, Leuyen Pham, @davidfwalker.bsky.social, @marcuskwame.com, @mollyostertag.bsky.social and Adam de Souza!
May 22, 2025 at 1:28 AM
My wife is a school librarian and Eisner voter, and so every spring we read all the Eisner nominated books we can lay hands on before she casts her ballot.

This is the first batch. Looking forward to digging into a great pile of comics!
May 21, 2025 at 9:07 PM
We are alternating episodes of #Murderbot and #Reacher, and while both shows are excellent it is weird how they star essentially the same character - a casually homicidal loner unable to connect with normal humans who is a mortal danger to everyone they come into contact with.
May 20, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Footage of me working on building a Batmobile last night, with my attention-demanding assistant.

Somehow he always knows exactly which piece I need, and then sits directly on it.

#catsofbluesky
May 12, 2025 at 3:32 PM
One of my current favorite comics is RED BEFORE BLACK from @boom-studios.com. It feels like a crazy mashup of Love and Rockets and Bound (remember that?...from the 90s?...Gershon and Tilly???)

Anyway, the story by Stephanie Phillips is a ton of fun and Sudžuka and Svorcina's art is gorgeous!
May 11, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Starting my week at #mmsmoa with a session that is helping demystify MS Graph for me.

I am, btw, one of those weird people that loves this stuff.
May 5, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Having a great time today helping with the line and answering questions for #FCBD at my LCS.

Cool to see so many kids and families coming in to check out the store and give comics a try!
May 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Got a chance to visit with @artebuen.bsky.social at C2E2 a couple of weeks ago and picked up his book ©ALIFORNIA, INC.

These are fantastic. Dave Law's art and colors gave the story a stylish modern look, and the idea of America divided and corporatized states seems all too believable. Recommended!
April 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Absolutely loving HOWL by @alisakwitney.bsky.social and Mauricet. The art and colors have a gorgeous retro sci-fi feel & the story is fun, weird, sexy and spooky.

#comics @ahoycomicmags.bsky.social
April 28, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Recently got my monthly comic order, and finally am getting to dig in. Time to see what's all here...

#comics
April 24, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I miss just going to the newsstand to get comics. Back before preorders, previews, and final order cut-offs. Yeah, you sometimes missed an issue, but it was fun and immediate. As things are now it is a painful slog. I dread hunting through multiple sites and catalogs to find what I want to order.
April 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Starting to think it may be time to reread Undiscovered Country, and maybe move these into the non-fiction area.

Great story by Scott Snyder, @charlessoule.bsky.social and the folks at @imagecomics.com. But the premise of these comics - and the cover of issue #1 - hits too close to home right now.
April 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
I need to make heading to the library a habit again. Looking forward to the Batman '89 sequel by @johnjacksonmiller.bsky.social, and had Lorenzo Carcaterra recommended to me. Time to start reading...
March 2, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Managed a 3-0 tonight at FNM, with a goblins & gearseakers deck. I am really enjoying #aetherdrift. Its a bit slower, a bit complex and very interesting! #mtg
March 1, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Had a great time at the #MTGAetherdrift pre-release last night.

Getting together with friends for Friday Night Magic at my LCS is one of the best parts of my week, and for me the "gathering" is what keeps me interested in #mtg.
February 8, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Today's mail with a great mix of old comics and new comic criticism!

Looking forward to digging into the first issue of The Comics Courier from @explodingarrow.bsky.social and friends, and also paging through a classic Avengers tale from 1964.
January 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Everything about the FRIDAY series is right up my alley, from the Encyclopedia Brown setup to the weird sci-fi/fantasy story that it morphs into. But it's the art that puts it over the top. @panelsyndicate.bsky.social and Muntsa Vicente have done sublimely beautiful work on every page. I love these.
January 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
On music: William Shatner's "Has Been" is, in fact, one of the best albums of the 21st century. The title track is a fantastic rumination on perseverance , his cover of "Common People" is ridiculous and yet perfect, and the entire album is an uncompromising reflection on aging, ambition and regret.
January 17, 2025 at 10:00 PM
On art history: Tintoretto is by far the greatest artist of the Italian Renaissance. No one comes close to his work at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, which includes his massive, gorgeous, tumultuous "The Crucifixion."
January 17, 2025 at 9:00 PM
On football (all sorts): The Minnesota Vikings and Leeds United are astonishingly similar franchises in their ability to cause heartbreak, and being a fan of both is a curse no one should have to bear.

Sadly for me, I have been with both for decades and just can't quit either of them.

#skol #mot
January 17, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Spongebob is a fine film, but for me it's difficult for anything else to compete with the star power of Animal AND Orson Welles. Its fantastic from start to end, and even the parts without Gonzo are gonzo!
January 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
On Movies: I believe that there are four perfect movies: Blade Runner, The Princess Bride, Casablanca and The Muppet Movie. Everything else lives in their shadows.
January 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
On Baseball: Luis Garcia Jr. of the Nationals is going to be a star.

From 1974-2023 only 30 players had over 100 AB in a season at the MLB level before turning 21. Garcia is one of them, and its a pretty good group to be in!

#baseball #fantasybaseball
January 17, 2025 at 6:00 PM