Jenny Blake aka Tony Isabella
@tonyisabella.bsky.social
Writer, creator of Black Lightning, Misty Knight and Tigra. Trans. She/Her
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Late Night with Seth Meyers. I’m a fan of “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” in which writers Amber Ruffin (black) and Jenny Hager (lesbian) tell jokes Seth, as a straight white male, can’t tell. It’s always hilarious. 11-13-25.
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Late Night with Seth Meyers. I’m a fan of “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” in which writers Amber Ruffin (black) and Jenny Hager (lesbian) tell jokes Seth, as a straight white male, can’t tell. It’s always hilarious. 11-13-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Simpsons. “Bart & Frink”, an episode about the unlikely friendship between Bart and Professor Frink, shows tat, even in its thirty-seventh season, the series can still deliver humor, character growth and heart. 11-12-25
November 13, 2025 at 2:20 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Simpsons. “Bart & Frink”, an episode about the unlikely friendship between Bart and Professor Frink, shows tat, even in its thirty-seventh season, the series can still deliver humor, character growth and heart. 11-12-25
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest: War: The Big Five Arrive. I have five of these trades to read. This latest reprints 1957 issues of the DC war titles plus Blackhawk. I will be sure to wear my steel pot when I get around to enjoying them. 11-11-25.
November 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest: War: The Big Five Arrive. I have five of these trades to read. This latest reprints 1957 issues of the DC war titles plus Blackhawk. I will be sure to wear my steel pot when I get around to enjoying them. 11-11-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Turducken Holiday Feast. One of the best things about seeing George Broderick, Jr. is getting his new comics. This one introduces “The Fowl Foe of Foul Felons.” Hilarious fun for readers of all ages. I love it a lot! 11-10-25.
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Turducken Holiday Feast. One of the best things about seeing George Broderick, Jr. is getting his new comics. This one introduces “The Fowl Foe of Foul Felons.” Hilarious fun for readers of all ages. I love it a lot! 11-10-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Svengoolie: The Valley of Gwangi (1969). This one is an all-time favorite of mine. It has cowboys versus dinosaurs, the scary Tia Zorine, the even more scary Gwangi, a redemption story for James Franciscus and special effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. 11-9-25.
November 11, 2025 at 10:04 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Svengoolie: The Valley of Gwangi (1969). This one is an all-time favorite of mine. It has cowboys versus dinosaurs, the scary Tia Zorine, the even more scary Gwangi, a redemption story for James Franciscus and special effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. 11-9-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Akron ComiCon. I introduced Jenny to old friends who only knew me as Tony. I met new friends. There was much hugging from people who said they’d never seen me happier and many vows to have my back if I was harassed. A darn good day. 11-8-25
November 11, 2025 at 5:50 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Akron ComiCon. I introduced Jenny to old friends who only knew me as Tony. I met new friends. There was much hugging from people who said they’d never seen me happier and many vows to have my back if I was harassed. A darn good day. 11-8-25
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Akron ComiCon. Walking into the venue to set up for the convention and seeing the new Jenny Blake Isabella banner the promoters made for me was an emotional moment for me. I felt seen and accepted and supported. 11-7-25.
November 10, 2025 at 11:17 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Akron ComiCon. Walking into the venue to set up for the convention and seeing the new Jenny Blake Isabella banner the promoters made for me was an emotional moment for me. I felt seen and accepted and supported. 11-7-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Brandon Thomas. If I can’t write Black Lightning, he's my choice. His “This is Why” from DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve #1 is the only time a DC writer made me believe Jeff Pierce joining President Luthor’s cabinet wasn’t insanely out of character for my creation. 11-6-25.
November 10, 2025 at 10:06 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Brandon Thomas. If I can’t write Black Lightning, he's my choice. His “This is Why” from DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve #1 is the only time a DC writer made me believe Jeff Pierce joining President Luthor’s cabinet wasn’t insanely out of character for my creation. 11-6-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC’s Jonah Hex: All-Star Western Omnibus offers a thousand pages of terrific Hex stories by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray plus other features. I’ll try to be strong and read just one story a day. 11-5-25
November 10, 2025 at 7:49 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC’s Jonah Hex: All-Star Western Omnibus offers a thousand pages of terrific Hex stories by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray plus other features. I’ll try to be strong and read just one story a day. 11-5-25
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: My son Ed is the winner in the election for Medina City Council-at-Large. I’m so proud of him and all the folks who worked their asses off to help him get elected, especially the tireless Saintly Wife Barb. Medina chose wisely. 11-4-25.
November 5, 2025 at 5:26 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: My son Ed is the winner in the election for Medina City Council-at-Large. I’m so proud of him and all the folks who worked their asses off to help him get elected, especially the tireless Saintly Wife Barb. Medina chose wisely. 11-4-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest Superman Family: The Giant Turtle Man. I’m enjoying these 1960s tales of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. But editor Mort Weisinger was cruel to these characters and they were often cruel to each other. I’d recommended therapy for all of them. 11-3-25.
November 5, 2025 at 4:48 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest Superman Family: The Giant Turtle Man. I’m enjoying these 1960s tales of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. But editor Mort Weisinger was cruel to these characters and they were often cruel to each other. I’d recommended therapy for all of them. 11-3-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Black Cat Books in Medina. Tatum’s Top Five appears on their web page every month. Rarely do I not find at least one book on her list that catches my eye. This month, it’s Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell. 11-2-25.
November 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Black Cat Books in Medina. Tatum’s Top Five appears on their web page every month. Rarely do I not find at least one book on her list that catches my eye. This month, it’s Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell. 11-2-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Black Lightning: The Standard by Brandon Thomas and Fico Ossio collects the five-issue series of which I wrote “This is authentic Black Lightning, honoring the creator’s basic vision while going into new, exciting and respectful territory.” I liked it a lot. 11-1-25.
November 2, 2025 at 12:44 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Black Lightning: The Standard by Brandon Thomas and Fico Ossio collects the five-issue series of which I wrote “This is authentic Black Lightning, honoring the creator’s basic vision while going into new, exciting and respectful territory.” I liked it a lot. 11-1-25.
My elf on the shelf has reported for duty early.
November 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
My elf on the shelf has reported for duty early.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Space Adventures #34 [June 1960]. “The 2nd Man in Space” by Joe Gill & Steve Ditko. Though Cold War tensions are seen here, we also see Captain Atom act with compassion towards a Russian cosmonaut and the cosmonaut show honesty and integrity. A cool little story. 10-31-25.
October 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Space Adventures #34 [June 1960]. “The 2nd Man in Space” by Joe Gill & Steve Ditko. Though Cold War tensions are seen here, we also see Captain Atom act with compassion towards a Russian cosmonaut and the cosmonaut show honesty and integrity. A cool little story. 10-31-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Lost Tales of the Golden Age #1 features five never-before published stories from the 1940s. Introducing the Great Gazabo, it’s a serial that’s fun, quirky, and very entertaining. This is the first of eight issues. 10-30-25.
October 30, 2025 at 6:01 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Lost Tales of the Golden Age #1 features five never-before published stories from the 1940s. Introducing the Great Gazabo, it’s a serial that’s fun, quirky, and very entertaining. This is the first of eight issues. 10-30-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: “Martha Kent” has complied Superman: The Official Cookbook: Recipes from Smallville to the Hall of Justice and Beyond. The recipes are fairly down-to-Earth, but the commentary is fun. A great gift for any Superman fan. 10-29-25.
October 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: “Martha Kent” has complied Superman: The Official Cookbook: Recipes from Smallville to the Hall of Justice and Beyond. The recipes are fairly down-to-Earth, but the commentary is fun. A great gift for any Superman fan. 10-29-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Kit-Kat Break Squad. Four large men in suits who make sure folks enjoy their Kit-Kat breaks without interruption. I’m not sure paying four guys to protect a candy bar worth two bucks is cost-effective, but it makes me smile. 10-28-25.
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Kit-Kat Break Squad. Four large men in suits who make sure folks enjoy their Kit-Kat breaks without interruption. I’m not sure paying four guys to protect a candy bar worth two bucks is cost-effective, but it makes me smile. 10-28-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Amber Ruffin. “Amber Says What?” is a recurring bit on Late Night with Seth Meyers in which the brilliant comedian recaps the latest pop culture news. I loved her calling out gay icon Gloria Gaynor for donating to Republicans. 10-27-25.
October 29, 2025 at 6:48 AM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Amber Ruffin. “Amber Says What?” is a recurring bit on Late Night with Seth Meyers in which the brilliant comedian recaps the latest pop culture news. I loved her calling out gay icon Gloria Gaynor for donating to Republicans. 10-27-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Mombies. They are a group of mothers who perform zombie-themed dances to raise money for metastatic breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kittering Cancer Center. This is our country at its best. 10-26-25.
October 28, 2025 at 11:30 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: The Mombies. They are a group of mothers who perform zombie-themed dances to raise money for metastatic breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kittering Cancer Center. This is our country at its best. 10-26-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss Omnibus. This beautiful tome collects the original and second series, two prequels, and a brand-new story. Challenging, but worth reading, especially the Black Kiss XXXmas Special from 2014. Adults only. 10-25-25.
October 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss Omnibus. This beautiful tome collects the original and second series, two prequels, and a brand-new story. Challenging, but worth reading, especially the Black Kiss XXXmas Special from 2014. Adults only. 10-25-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest. I’m a huge fan of this format. It gives the reader lots of great stories at a reasonable price and goes well beyond the usual (relatively) recent comics reprinted time and time again. I have a stack of them. 10-24-25.
October 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: DC Finest. I’m a huge fan of this format. It gives the reader lots of great stories at a reasonable price and goes well beyond the usual (relatively) recent comics reprinted time and time again. I have a stack of them. 10-24-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Fightin’ Five #41 (January 1967) was an unexpected treasure from my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. It’s the last new Gorgo appearance in a Charlton comic. While they don’t call him Gorgo, there’s no mistaking his identity. 10-23-25.
October 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Fightin’ Five #41 (January 1967) was an unexpected treasure from my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. It’s the last new Gorgo appearance in a Charlton comic. While they don’t call him Gorgo, there’s no mistaking his identity. 10-23-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: YouTube: White noise, black screen, no ads. I had a hunch there was something like this and I found several choices. They were relaxing and soothingly put me to sleep. Sleep doesn’t come easy in this Trump Hellscape, so they are a very welcome discovery. 10-22-25.
October 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: YouTube: White noise, black screen, no ads. I had a hunch there was something like this and I found several choices. They were relaxing and soothingly put me to sleep. Sleep doesn’t come easy in this Trump Hellscape, so they are a very welcome discovery. 10-22-25.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Kohl’s Mom. It’s no secret I’m a fan of commercials, especially ones with good characters. Ellie Kemper plays a funny helpful woman with a hint of mischief in her. I wish she shopped at my Kohl’s here in Medina. I could use her advice. 10-21-25.
October 25, 2025 at 10:55 PM
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Kohl’s Mom. It’s no secret I’m a fan of commercials, especially ones with good characters. Ellie Kemper plays a funny helpful woman with a hint of mischief in her. I wish she shopped at my Kohl’s here in Medina. I could use her advice. 10-21-25.