The first Idle Time comic book trivia night of 2019, and our seventh since falling down this rabbit hole of tangential science questions and Golden Age oddities, took place last night at Mission: Comics and Art in San Francisco. Congratulations to Bronze Tigers for taking home first place! This assembled-on-the-fly superteam featured all first-time champions with the exception of captain Otto, who took home the gold as part of Team Immortal last October. Look out Dan and Ben — Otto has his sights set on being the first three-time champ.

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Here’s the quiz in its entirety. Do it without Google, true believer!

Question #1 – Easy Opener
In 2015, in order to be closer to its parent company Warner Bros., DC moved its corporate headquarters from New York City to what city in Los Angeles county, also known as “the Media Capital of the World”?

Question #2 – Outside the Big Two
The only time in the modern era in which a publisher claimed more of the market share than either Marvel or DC was in 1992 when this publisher moved ahead of DC (thanks in large part to the fact that they were the first publishers of Image comics). Name the publisher.

Question #3 – Secret Identities
Carol Danvers is the secret identity of which comic book character?

Question #4 – Manga
In 1976, this story of a boy living through the atomic bombing of Hiroshima became the first full-length translation of a manga from Japanese into English to be published in the West. Name the work.

Question #5 – First Appearances
In which comic series did The Martian Manhunter make his first appearance?

Question #6 – Geography
Marvel’s fictional island nation of Madripoor is situated in Southeast Asia, between Singapore and which of Indonesia’s major islands?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: Episode VII →

We hosted another successful Comic Book Trivia night yesterday at Mission: Comics in San Francisco. Caught up in the spooky season, and on the cusp of Halloween, it only made sense to go with a horror comics theme…

Congratulations to Team Immortal for winning first place, besting Green Latrine on the tie-breaker question! They took home $60 in store merchandise, and the top four teams each left with a Halloween-appropriate trade ranging from Richard Sala’s latest to the first Locke & Key collection.

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s the quiz in its entirety. Lots of creepy questions.

Question #1 – Easy Opener
Which best-selling zombie series is celebrating its 15 year anniversary in 2018?

Question #2 – At the Movies
James Wan, the horror movie genius behind Saw, The Conjuring, and Insidious, is directing which upcoming superhero movie?

Question #3 – On TV
Netflix’s new spooky series, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, is based on comics from which publisher?

Question #4 – Matching
Match the comic book character to the demon or entity that has possessed, enchanted, or otherwise affected him.

1) John Constantine 2) Jason Blood 3) Johnny Blaze 4) Juggernaut

a) Cyttorak b) Nergal c) Etrigan d) Zarathos

Question #5 – First Appearances
In which comic series did Moon Knight make his first appearance?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: The Halloween Edition →

As part of the July 3rd celebration and midnight release for Captain America #1, Catwoman #1, and Batman #50, featuring the purported nuptials of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, we hosted a special trivia night at Mission: Comics and Art.

Congratulations to the Anagraminals for becoming the first repeat champions, taking home a full set of the nine variant covers to Captain America #1 along with $50 in store merchandise. And special recognition to Hsiangrila for finishing second as a solo player!

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s the quiz in its entirety. Lots of questions on Captain America and Batman, of course.

Question #1
Batman #50 isn’t the only super-wedding issue this summer. Which two characters got married in last month’s X-Men Gold #30?

Question #2
3 Dev Adam, also known as “the Turkish Captain America,” was a completely unauthorized 1973 Turkish movie. Who is Cap’s nemesis is this film? [Hint: think popular Marvel superhero, reimagined as a villainous gang leader.]

Question #3
Since 1997, the Ignatz Awards have been conferred at the Small Press Expo. The name is derived from a character from what seminal comic stip by George Herriman?

Question #4
What political movement is mocked in a protest scene from Captain America #602 (2010), causing a page to be edited before publication in the trade paperback collection?

Question #5
In which comic series did Judge Dredd make his first appearance?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: The Cap, Cats, & Bats Edition →

Another thrilling comic book trivia night touched down at San Francisco’s Mission: Comics and Art on May 15. Congratulations to the Anagraminals on their first victory, edging superstars New New Mutants by a mere half-point (Steve Ditko, Ben? Really?)

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s the quiz in its entirety. With this year’s Eisner Award nominees announced just a few days prior, we went with a theme…

Question #1
Since 1991, where have the comic book industry’s annual Eisner Awards been conferred?

Question #2
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is the first actor to portray characters in both MCU and DCEU films. Name those two movies.

Question #3
For decades, the only creator receiving any credit for Batman was Bob Kane. But after a long crusade, this writer finally got his due, beginning with the opening credits of Batman vs. Superman.

Now, all Batman stories — in any medium — carry the credit: “Batman created by Bob Kane with whom ?

Question #4
Action Comics #869, published in 2008, was recalled and reprinted by DC because of an objectionable cover.

The original cover depicts Clark Kent and his father Jonathan doing what?

Question #5
In which comic series did Black Panther make his first appearance?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: Test Your Knowledge Part III →

Our second trivia night at San Francisco’s Mission: Comics and Art took place on March 13. Congratulations to the Guardians of the Avenues who edged Anagraminals via the tie-breaker to take home the first place title!

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s the quiz in its entirety. Before you start Googling all the answers, see how many you can nail down on your own.

Question #1
We all know that the Hulk’s alter ego is Bruce Banner. But Bruce is actually his middle name. What is Dr. Banner’s first name?

Question #2
What was Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro’s first feature film based on a comic book character?

Question #3
In Watchmen, what symbol does Doctor Manhattan inscribe on his forehead?

Question #4
In Chris Claremont’s first three instances featuring the X-Men playing baseball – X-Men #110,
Uncanny X-Men Annual #7, and Uncanny X-Men #201 – which member of the team is at bat?

Question #5
In which comic book series did John Constantine make his first appearance?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: Test Your Knowledge Part II →

Yesterday we hosted a comic book trivia night at Mission: Comics and Art in San Francisco. Congratulations to the New New Mutants who scored an impressive 29/30 en route to first place, and $100 in store merchandise!

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s last night’s quiz in its entirety (sans all the cleaver lead-ins, witty banter, and alcohol-influenced hints). Before you start Googling all the answers, see how many you can nail down with your own.

Question #1
Before he took on his iconic green shade in Incredible Hulk (#2), what color was the Hulk?

Question #2
What is the only comic to have won a Pulitzer Prize?

Question #3
What was Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s first feature film?

Question #4
Before the rights were purchased, which company was the original publisher of DC’s Captain Marvel?

Question #5
In which comic book series did Thanos make his first appearance?

Continue reading Comic Book Trivia: Test Your Knowledge! →