Arlen’s Blog

Over the course of his almost-three decade run on the character (1957-1986), Swan depicted many of the landmark events that became touchstones in the lives of the Superman family. His versions of familiar aspects of the character’s iconography, from the scenes of a doomed Krypton to sights of Superman soaring above the Metropolis skyline, became the new icons against which ALL succeeding Superman artists are judged.

In this 2nd installment of THE GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS OF THE SILVER AGE webinar series by comic book art historian Arlen Schumer (author/designer, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art), running the last Wednesday of each month in 2021, each of the dozen artists’ Silver Age- era work is delved into, discussed, and boldly displayed on screen in ways that graphically communicate comic book art’s sequential, page-turning nature, so you’ll truly “see,” as if for the first time, the comics you’ve only ever “read” before!

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 @ 6:00pm EST

TIX: http://instantseats.com/events/arlen

•CAN’T MAKE IT LIVE? Buying a ticket allows you to access a recording of the webinar for up to 72 hours after!

“THE TWILIGHT ZONE in the Age of Corona” webinar by Arlen Schumer via InstantSeats:

“We can feed the stomach with concentrates. We can supply microfilm for reading, recreation, even movies of a sort. We can pump oxygen in, and waste material out. But there’s one thing we can’t simulate, that’s a very basic need: man’s hunger for companionship. The barrier of loneliness. That’s one thing we haven’t licked yet.”

Those are the concluding words of Rod Serling (1924-75)—creator, head writer, narrator and host of the legendary television series The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1959-64)—at the end of its debut episode, “Where is Everybody?” about an astronaut-in-isolation-tank-training who hallucinates that he is totally alone in a deserted American town.

If those words sound uncomfortably close to the claustrophobic pandemic quarantining we are all experiencing during this Corona Virus crisis, it’s because Serling was a true visionary, a prescient prophet of the small screen, whose many Twilight Zone episodes dealt with the universal, timeless themes of isolation, loneliness, and solitude, which is why they are so timely for today’s existential epidemic of Covid-19.

These episodes will be discussed and analyzed by pop culture historian and Twilight Zone scholar Arlen Schumer (author/designer, Visions from The Twilight Zone). Filled with images and video clips from those episodes, interspersed with images from the broader popular culture, and accompanied by Schumer’s trenchant and witty commentary and insight, you’ll see how episodes from the greatest television series of the 20th Century shed prescient light on the greatest crisis of the 21st Century!

TIX: http://instantseats.com/events/arlen


• CAN’T MAKE IT LIVE? Buying a ticket allows you to access a recording of the webinar for up to 72 hours after!

Join pop culture historian Arlen Schumer (author/designer, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) as he explores the fascinating comic book origins of The Black Panther by the legendary artist/creator Jack Kirby in the 1960s—like why his original maskless Black Panther ended up wearing a complete facemask—and how the character developed over the decades, and how those developments were (or weren’t) translated into the 2018 film.

Of course, the sudden death of Black Panther lead actor Chadwick Boseman last year, which sent shockwaves throughout both the mainstream entertainment and comic book worlds, will be discussed in-depth. How will The Black Panther franchise move on— even survive—without Boseman as the titular character? Which male—or female?—actor might replace him?

Combining comic book images with those from the film, as well as the broader pop culture, with his usual trenchant and witty commentary, Schumer’s webinar will make you look at The Black Panther— both his comic book and cinematic creations—in ways that will make you see them as if for the first time!

TIX: https://www.instantseats.com/events/arlen 

•CAN’T MAKE IT LIVE? Buying a ticket allows you to access a recording of the webinar for up to 72 hours after!

#1 CARMINE INFANTINO: Wednesday, January 27 @ 7:00pm EST

Twelve of the greatest comic book artists of their generation—Carmine Infantino; Jack Kirby; Curt Swan; Steve Ditko; Joe Kubert; Gil Kane; Murphy Anderson; Gene Colan; John Buscema; Nick Cardy; Jim Steranko; Neal Adams—created some of their greatest work during The Silver Age of Comics (circa 1956-1970). They not only created and drew definitive versions of the medium’s greatest characters—the ones being made into movies and television shows today—but often set trends in comic book art itself.

And while their art reflected the dominant motifs of the 1960s, from the futuristic idealism of Infantino to the cinematic realism of Adams, the superheroes they drew changed, from establishment types like Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern, to counterculture crusaders like Spider-Man, Dr. Strange and Green Arrow.

In THE GREAT COMIC BOOK ARTISTS OF THE SILVER AGE webinar series by comic book art historian Arlen Schumer (author/designer, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art), running the last Wednesday each month in 2021, each of the dozen artists’ Silver Age-era work is delved into, discussed, and boldly displayed on screen in ways that graphically communicate comic book art’s sequential, page-turning nature. So you’ll not only see where Hollywood’s love affair with superhero movies comes from—you’ll truly see, as if for the first time, the comics you’ve only “read” before!

#1 CARMINE INFANTINO: If DC Comics was the Cadillac of comic book publishers at the dawn of The Silver Age of Comics, then artist Infantino was their man at the wheel: his slick, streamlined style was the sine qua non of The Silver Age!

TIX: https://www.instantseats.com/events/arlen

CAN’T MAKE IT LIVE? Buying a ticket allows you to access a recording of the webinar for up to 72 hours after!

Tuesday, January 12 @ 7:30pm EST

Do YOU remember the frisson of excitement the night of Wednesday, January 12, 1966— truly, “a day that will live (in infamy?) forever!”—when the Batman television series debuted?

If NOT, don’t worry—because Pop Culture Historian Arlen Schumer (author/designer, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art) WAS there, and on the 55th Anniversary of Batman’s premiere, he’ll present a brand new webinar that will not only recreate the pop culture atmosphere of the mid-1960s—the dawn of psychedelia—that spawned the landmark series, but will detail the comic book origins of the show, and how they were—and weren’t—translated to television. Of course, the ‘66 merchandising and cultural phenomenon known as “Batmania” will be covered, too!

Weaving together a plethora of still images with television and music clips, interspersed with his usual trenchant and witty pop culture commentary, Arlen Schumer’s Batman TV series webinar will make you look at the show you’ve been watching for 55 years as if for the FIRST time!

TIX: https://instantseats.com/events/Arlen

“Illustrator Arlen Schumer‘s ‘Just Biden Time'”

“My first political portrait of 2020 was my first choice for Democratic President, Bernie Sanders. But when he lost the nomination to Joe Biden in the primaries, I created my Biden portrait, whose type reads, ‘Just Biden Time,’ a double entendre on Biden being the last Democrat for President standing, while also referencing how very long he has been ‘biding’ his time being on the short-list of Democratic Presidential hopefuls, for decades.

“Once Biden was the official Democratic Presidential nominee, talk turned to who his eventual Vice Presidential pick would be. Biden committed to running with a female VP, so I immediately threw my illustrated hat in that ring by creating my portrait of Kamala Harris, whom I felt was the strongest candidate for the position (hence my text, ‘…for the win’). Need I add, I was overjoyed when he finally did put her on the ticket months later; vindication is oh so sweet!”

Pop Culture Historian (author/designer, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art and Visions from The Twilight Zone) Arlen Schumer’s new webinar, of his favorite Christmas-themed samplings spanning six decades, culled from movies, television, comic books, and animation, is a potpourri of pop culture Christmas classics!

In honor of the tradition of the Twelve Days of Christmas, Schumer’s chosen a dozen examples that, without revealing what they are (don’t you want to be surprised? , run the gamut of genres and mediums, from comedy to drama and melodrama to maximum rock & roll, and he’ll surprise you with his unique takes on some “expected” Christmas choices, to more that are unexpected.

Weaving together a plethora of still images with film, television, animation and music clips, interspersed with his usual trenchant and witty pop culture commentary, Arlen Schumer’s webinar will make you look at some of your Yuletide favorites in a whole new light, while also exposing you to new ones that put the “pop” in pop culture (and the “Christ” in Christmas)—and will become your new Noel classics!

TIX: https://instnt.us/SklmD

*** Can’t make it LIVE? A ticket allows you to watch a recording of the webinar for 72 hours after!

When Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90 a few months ago, the outpouring of accolades, affection and sentiment for the knighted Scottish actor throughout the world attested to his unforgettable, immortal, iconic portrayal of the cinematic secret agent 007, James Bond, in seven of the most successful movie franchise in history’s twenty-five films.

Though Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore and other great actors have played the 007 role over the decades, the majority of Bond aficionados still consider Connery the definitive Bond. His seven films are not only arguably the best of the entire series. but the beginnings of the modern action film genre itself.

Join New York Adventure Club as we explore all seven Connery Bonds, hosted by pop culture historian Arlen Schumer. His multimedia webinar includes pertinent clips from each film, along with rare, behind-the-scenes production stills, films, and advertising and promotional materials!

TIX: nyadventureclub.com

*Can’t make it LIVE? A ticket allows you to watch a recording of the webinar for a week after!