Hey, who’s talking about Grant Morrison and how he’s re-imagined New York for Seven Soldiers? The New York Times is! Interesting piece that talks about how Morrison and Stewart’s Seven Soldiers: The Manhattan Guardian reimagines a place that I’ve come to love fiercely.
New photos up on My Flickr Page. We went for a short little walk this morning before brunch at Picante, where you can get really tasty Mexican breakfast food on the cheap.
I love covers that use “real world” people for some
silly reason.
Great composition. Now I want to know who the hell
Walter Jordan is.
Looks…familiar somehow. Brilliant recycling of
an great image.
Kneel before Grodd!
Great Eisner nod with this one.
Father forgive me. I tried not to do it.
What a great image.
I’m…Captain Kirk! I’m…Captain Kirk!
Aquaman’s totally like “I don’t think
so, Girlfriend.”
Bolland. We bow before thee.
And now, Josh has a new Flash-related remix,
which should make you cackle or shudder.
Or both.
It’s been a little while since I did one of these, so here’s a sort-of-dancable, slightly melancholic mix I’ve put together this afternoon using Audacity, a neat little open source application.
Right click to download The End Of July mix by BeaucoupKevin. (59mb, 192kbps mp3.)
Here’s the track listing, with commentary because I’m pretentious like that.
When Saul or Ellen Tigh drink, take a drink.
No, really, that’s it.
So say we all.
Oh, dear. David Baddiel at The Times Online went thermonuclear on Dan Brown and The DaVinci Code. Let’s run an excerpt, shall we?
Harry [Potter], of course, has the get-out clause of being for children. Dan Brown�s get-out clause should have been: �It�s a bestseller, so therefore it�s for those essentially childlike creatures, the general public.� And then everybody would have been happy. Unfortunately, by doing some historical research and putting the Mona Lisa on the cover, Brown makes his book aspire to that quality most jealously guarded by those who consider themselves the reading elite, gravitas. The thing that really makes literary critics furious is the idea that there are people reading TDVC who think that they�re reading a proper book; who think, God save us, that they�re reading a literary novel.
Congratulations to the Rocketship crew and best of luck with the new shop. I plan on swinging by next time in the city, probably with a bottle and a few glasses in my hand to celebrate in a manner appropriate to this medium we love.
Somewhat further away from me, but no less worthy of our love is a store called RIOT!, Jason Richards’s new joint. It looks like he’s got his ducks in a row and I hope he posts pictures of the finished place so I can savor the awesomeness.
Hey, Kochalka’s new book, The Cute Manifesto, came out this week. Despite the fact that the promotional material describe this as his Dianetics, you should pick it up anyway. Kochalka discusses craft, life, Gameboys, and the tiny billion details that make our world what it is in an engaging manner. Sometimes, yes, it’s a tiny bit precious (the opening comic, “Sunburn” was remixed by a friend of his into a cruel, cruel mini that gave me spastic fits of laughter,) but that’s easily forgiven when you realize how deeply felt “The Horrible Truth About Comics” is. His love of the medium comes through like a white-hot laser, inspiring and provoking thought in a way that a thousand interviews with people like Dan Jurgens could never manage.
Some special note should be made of “Reinvinenting Everything (Part 2.)” Maybe it’s my impending old age (less than a month until I’m officially over the hill at 31,) but the story behind the conception of his son Eli was much more moving than I expected. While I won’t exactly admit that there might have been something like a lump in my throat during a good portion of the piece, I won’t deny the power of his deceptively simple style.
Bonus Links (Kochalka Related):
Tom “Boom Boom” Spurgeon interviews the man himself!
Jef Harmatz reviews this work on CBG.
Extra Special Bonus Links Related To Ian Brill
And Having Nothing At All To Do With Kochalka
But I Wanted To Point Them Out As Ian Is Smarter
Than Me And Loves A Lot Of The Same Stuff As I Do
So Enjoy These Before I Stalk Him Down And Consume
His Brains To Improve My Own Writing:
His review of Darwyn Cooke’s issue of Solo.
His review of AEIOU.
Bob over at the Jack Kirby Comics Weblog posted a great entry about Kamandi #13, which features Reason #293 that I love the work of The King:
In my rush to do the list this week, I skipped right over Dead West, a graphic novel from the creators of Teenagers From Mars. This is because I spend all of my time of late working instead of thinking about comics as much as I should, which means I may not be presenting the blogging value that you, the readers, expect from me. In fact, right now, at 11:09 at night, there’s a work-related document open on my desktop, expecting me to add at least a few hundred words of high-quality rubbish that will make people fall over themselves to procure a copy of the software. Not that I want your absolution or anything, but please cut me some slack until they get an additional helper monkey, ok?
Anyway, thanks to an email from Rick Spears, I was reminded that this fine-as-hell looking graphic novel comes out this Wednesday and judging from the minicomic they produced as a test for this work’s new style, it’s going to be a class act all around. I’m sure I’ll give it a longer review once things settle down a bit, but I just wanted to make sure I told you people about it.
Now, who wants some digital scrapbooking software?
Over at The Beat, Heidi MacDonald (who I want to call H-Mac and invite to the ECB cabal) links to this incredibly trippy visit to the offices of The Des Moines Register And Tribune by Lucy Van Pelt and Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame.
This is a neat little cultural artifact, especially as it’s from the mid-50s, before Schulz marketed the heck out of those tykes. I wonder how much of the technology mentioned and spotlighted in this is still in use.
ECB/BOS Meetup
I’ve decided we need to meet up for the Stray Dogs exhibit at the Gardner Museum, per previous rantings. We will do this next Saturday, August 6, at 1pm. Are you wondering how to get there or if it’s going to be worth it? Click here. Afterwards, we will go to a location such as the Pour House and have a late lunch. Alternate suggestions for time or meal location? Let me know. This is, sadly, the only day I have completely free in the next couple of weeks. The photo above will tell you people what I look like.
Hey, yeah, it’s time for the list. But first of all, there’s a few people that deserve my thanks. Thank you, Pete Von Sholly, for a review copy of Sergeantstein, which I will review soonish. It looks quite loony and may just be the thing I need to focus on to ignore the fact that it’s hotter than Satan’s bunghole up here in ECB territory. Then there’s Fat Cramer (an alias, no doubt,) who gifted me a gift of such proportions that…I was honestly a little choked up. I’m now the proud owner of The Fantastic Four Omnibus, and it is a thing of beauty. Damn, Fat Cramer! You make a grown man weep like a baby. These two presents, along with Ryan’s making sure I got the latest Matt Kindt mini from SDCC, make me a happy, happy man. You dudes rule.
And now…
Nothing from Dark Horse or DC really offends my sensibilities outside of JLA / Cyberforce, which is going to sell not nearly as well as they’d like, I bet. I mean, was anyone going “Hey, is there any way we can get that dude with two right arms to, like, punch Green Lantern?”
Image comes through in a pinch, though:
APR051660 GODLAND #1 $2.99
I read the preview of this on some site or another and wondered what happened to the Joe Casey whose work I quite liked there for a while. We need another lame Kirby tribute the way that we need Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating…Flaming Carrot. I just don’t think that you’re paying tribute to Jack when you mindlessly recreate poses and linework in a pandering effort to create nostalgia. Disclaimer: I have a soft spot for Ladronn, who manages to create a more organic feel while using the same blockiness.
MAY051596 TOMB RAIDER WITCHBLADE MAGDALENA VAMPIRELLA ONE SHOT $2.99
You hear that? That’s the sound of a thousand lonely fanboys crying out in climax together…and then were suddenly silenced by their mom banging on the bedroom door, wondering what they were up to.
Marvel
MAY051824 COMBAT ZONE TRUE TALES OF GIS IN IRAQ VOL 1 TP $19.99
I see this selling less than Call Of Duty. I like how it went from being solicited as a miniseries to becoming a trade very, very quietly.
MAY058106 ULTIMATE IRON MAN 3RD PRINTING #1 (OF 6) $2.99
I like how Issue 3 is not out yet, months and months after issue 2 hit the stands. I think that’s really cute.
Wizard
JUN052626 WIZARD COMICS MAGAZINE JLA LEGION OF DOOM CVR #167 $5.99
JUN052627 WIZARD COMICS MAGAZINE X-MEN 3 CVR #167 $5.99
I just wanted to point you guys to this hilarious post from David at Precocious Curmudgeon. I have very little interest in shôjo, but found the latest issue of The Comics Journal to be worth approximately ninety-three issues of Wizard when it came to readable, coherent sentences that discussed things like craft and structure.
Other Companies
JUN052823 BRIAN PULIDOS LADY DEATH DEAD RISING MARTIN SKETCH ED $34.90
JUN052821 BRIAN PULIDOS LADY DEATH SWIMSUIT 2005 KILLING BLOW ED $5.99
JUN052824 BRIAN PULIDOS UNHOLY NATURE CALLS CVR #2 (MR) $5.99
APR052678 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE #1 (OF 4) $3.99
JUN052884 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE COMM CVR #1 (OF 4) $5.99
APR052682 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE GLOW CVR #1 (OF 4) $19.99
MAY052640 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE GOLD FOIL #1 (OF 4) $5.99
APR052681 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE PREMIUM CVR #1 (OF 4) $9.99
APR052680 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE RYP CVR #1 (OF 4) $3.99
APR052679 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE WRAPAROUND CVR #1 (OF 4) $3.99
JUN052822 LADY DEATH LEATHER & LACE 2005 HOT AS H$$$ ED $5.99
I…don’t know what to make of Unholy Nature Calls. Is this a fecophiliac comic about demons emerging from orifices best left alone? And “Killing Blow” edition? And seven variant covers for Abandon All Hope? What the fuck is wrong with you, Pulido? Who did what to you when you were young and impressionable? Tell us – we can help!
APR052653 FATHOM SIGNED ED #1 $29.99
Man, they just don’t let up over at Aspen Entertainment or whatever the hell Turner’s calling his little company.
JUN052812 GYPSY #1 $3.50
JUN052813 GYPSY ADRIAN CVR #1 $3.50
JUN052815 GYPSY NOUVEAU CVR #1 $3.50
JUN052816 GYPSY PREMIUM CVR #1 $9.99
JUN052814 GYPSY REARTE CVR #1 $3.50
I fucking hate Stevie Nicks. She’s the reason I’ve not purchased the new Deep Dish album. No, really, they’ve remade “Dreams” with her. That’s not necessary, people. I liked my diva-prog house version that Perfecto put out around 95 just fine.
JUN052793 STARGATE SG1 DANIELS SONG DALLAS CON GOLD ED #1 $4.99
JUN052794 STARGATE SG1 FALL OF ROME JUDGE SGN #3 (OF 3) $39.99
I’m very glad Avatar did not get the Battlestar Galactica license, I tell you what.
NOV042476 THRESHOLD LOOKERS NUDE CVR #53 (MR) $6.00
NOV042475 THRESHOLD LOOKERS WRAPAROUND CVR #53 (MR) $4.99
NOV042474 THRESHOLD PANDORA CVR #53 (MR) $4.99
JAN052537 THRESHOLD PANDORA DEMON NUDE CVR #53 (MR) $6.00
NOV042477 THRESHOLD PANDORA NUDE CVR #53 (MR) $6.00
You know what I like? I like it when somebody says something like “This cover, this nude cover…it’s not mature and edgy enough. We need a Demon Nude Cover!” That’s what I like.
MAR052787 TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE #1 RED FOIL CON ED $12.99
You know what Jason likes? Transformers.
Dark Horse
MAY050040 HELLBOY THE ISLAND #2 (OF 2) $2.99
There you are, Sean! I hope he talks about drinking with skeletons some more in this one.
DC
MAY050270 ALBION #2 (OF 6) $2.99
I liked the first one enough to keep going. Hell, they put a Cyberman in the opening splash – how wasn’t I going to be kind of interested?
MAY050197 BATMAN DARK DETECTIVE #6 (OF 6) $2.99
Read the shop’s preview copy on Sunday. Surprisingly gory, actually. Even with the whole EC vibe that the cover implies, it’s not nearly as exploitative as I was worried about.
MAY050274 CITY OF TOMORROW #4 (OF 6) (MR) $2.99
Oh, so funny and wrong.
MAY050236 JLA CLASSIFIED #10 $2.99
Ellis’s long-completed arc starts here. Jackson Guice on the art, which is pretty damned easy on the eyes, even with those fucking awful CG covers.
MAY050281 SILENT DRAGON #1 (OF 6) $2.99
I read the first issue (again, the preview pack) and thought it was interesting enough to merit reading the second, even if I’m not completely sure what’s going on yet. Diggle’s like that, though.
Image
JAN051591 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #18 (MR) $2.50
This series needs trades, stat. I think it could build an audience among the people who like Gotham Central and CSI as it’s very far removed from the lousy, stinky, putrid, godawful Spawn mythos.
Marvel
MAY051817 AVENGERS WEST COAST VISION QUEST TP $24.99
Yes, vintage Byrne doing an oddball team. I’m quite looking forward to this one.
MAY051770 DAREDEVIL VS PUNISHER #2 (OF 6) $2.99
Outside of garish color, this mini has impressed me so far, as it’s a straightforward 70′s style morality play between Murdock and Castle. I’ve been kind of on a Punisher kick lately, with the Ennis Max series and this thing.
MAY051778 MACHINE TEEN #3 (OF 5) $2.99
Disappointing and slightly stupid instead of being “all-ages.” Bah. B+ for effort, though, even if I’ve already read the Not Quite Human books.
MAY051748 PULSE #10 $2.99
This series is getting the axe from me pretty soon, I think. This month’s issue is an abysmal, completely illogical House Of M festival.
APR051955 SPIDER-MAN HUMAN TORCH IM WITH STUPID DIGEST TP $7.99
Buy this. Just. Buy. It. Buy one for a kid, too, goddammit.
Other Comics Companies
AUG042366 BILL & TEDS MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURES VOL 2 TP $13.95
Yes, they’re black and white and digest-ized, but this series is pure fun and I’m so glad somebody’s putting it back in trade.
MAY052895 CAPOTE IN KANSAS GN (MR) $11.95
Ande Parks takes a look at the true story behind In Cold Blood. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to suck one bit.
APR052555 CUTE MANIFESTO TP $19.95
Kochalka! KOCHALKA! KOCHALKA! Apparently, this is just precious enough without the reader crossing into hypoglycemic shock.
…
Kochalka!
MAR052699 HERO SQUARED #1 (OF 3) $3.99
MAR052700 HERO SQUARED PULL MY FINGER CVR #1 OF(3) $3.99
Yes, there’s a variant and I should be lamenting that, but I loved the hell out of the special that came out last year. You do have to have to be able to tolerate Giffen and DeMatteis riffing for pages in their very vaudville style. The art by Joe Abraham manages to keep up with them perfectly, which is quite nice.
APR053045 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED VOL 3 #2 (OF 3) (MR) $2.99
At least this Q&Cseries is coming out on time.
That looks like it, really. If anyone checks out the manga version of Nightmare Before Christmas, let me know if it’s any damned good.
File Under: Not Very Surprising.
Which Author’s Fiction are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Great angle, actually.
A random French comic I just liked the look of.
Spotted this one the other day. Instant love.
I like how happy he appears to be at the prospect of
meeting the enemy. Maybe they brought cake.
I hope he’s got good upper-body strength. Damn.
Some cat in an Amazon review for Batman In The 70s said that
“Death Flies The Haunted Skies” was a 40′s style story that must have
slipped in before giving it a D- rating. This person must be sterilized
to prevent further idiot outbreaks. Brilliant story by Goodwin and Toth,
and if you think otherwise you are wrong and will be punished.
Potpourri!
Typos and all (since corrected upon being appalled that I’d let it slide,) I made Tom Spurgeon’s week in review over at the comics reporter as his quote of the week. Spurgeon’s also gone and reviewed Wimbledon Green, Seth’s October-released graphic novel that I’m rather eager to read. He shows superior taste and recommends Tales Designed To Thrizzle, as well, so go give him some clicks if you’ve not already.
Just to prove he’s crazier than the rest of us, Christina’s brother Arthur has gone and decided to walk from London to Rome; I presume he’s procured a diving suit and two strong men operating the bellows for the Channel crossing. Anyhoo, he’s blogging the adventure and I’ve added him to my sidebar for easy reference.
I keep meaning to review The Surrogates from Top Shelf, but I can’t quite get a grip on why I enjoyed it so very much, so I’m going to just cheat and call it “NYPD Blue with cybernetics” and tell you to go check it out. For a first issue featuring a brand-new writer, Venditti’s nailed the beats perfectly and Brett Weldele (who I’m always glad to see making with the comic art) creates a moody, moody world that you get sucked into. While I may be wishing this was just being released as a novel, buying it in singles form helps Top Shelf get some money back on their investment before the inevitable trade, and I’m pretty darn OK with that.
Music News What I Think Is Really Important Follows. You may or may not agree. Whatever.
Underworld is collaborating with composer Gabriel Yared to score Anthony Minghella’s upcoming film Breaking And Entering. Yared worked with Minghella’s previous films The English Patient, The Talented Mister Ripley, and Cold Mountain. Yared’s score for The English Patient is a disc I put on quite a bit, actually, and not just for the period music – he infuses regional themes beautifully and his deft use of Marta Sebestyen’s vocals sends a chill up your spine in the wee small hours. This should be interesting, at the very least.
UK and Euro sorts are lucky on September 5 – that’s when the Pet Shop Boys soundtrack for Battleship Potemkin is released, as long as they get the necessary sample clearance, which EMI Classics and Parlophone are confident of obtaining. They are also working on a DVD release of Potemkin with the new soundtrack, which may actually make me shit myself with glee upon receipt. Tennant and Lowe are also in the studio with Trevor Horn right now, working on their forthcoming album which has been stated to be a return to the dance stylings that have made them my favorite pop band.
