The Johnny Bacardi Show
Monday, April 05, 2004
Boy, I've been a posting demon today, haven't I?
Anyway, the new Diamond shipping list is now up, and it looks like I'll be getting
BPRD: A PLAGUE OF FROGS #2
MY FAITH IN FRANKIE #4
SANDMAN PRESENTS: THESSALY, WITCH FOR HIRE #3
DEEP SLEEPER #2
And that's it! Looks like I'll be picking up that new Mojo magazine that came out last week, so I won't be getting off that easily. Besides, I'm still not through that monster shipment of AiT/Planet Lar books yet...I will get around to reviewing them very soon, probably 3 or 4 at a time over the next month or so. This week? Well, the first issue of Plague of Frogs was the strongest Hellboy spinoff in a good long while, and I see no reason why that shouldn't continue; Frankie is winding up, and I'm eager to see how it all gets resolved; Thessaly grabbed me about halfway through last issue, so it's got my attention now, and Deep Sleeper's premiere issue was intriguing stuff. So quality, not quantity, is the order of the day on Wednesday.
I was, like many of my comics blogospheriverse peers, invited a while back to participate in a group comics blog, named Four Color Hell. However, it seems to have lately fallen into disuse, and after a while I kinda let it slide as well. It's become a haven for comments spammers, sad to say. So imagine my surprise when I received this legitimate comment:
To the 4 color hell guy: thanks for the kind words. I should like very much to bring back Timespirits, first as a reprint for the generation that has come since I left comics, and then as the continuing series I had always envisioned. The Timespirits graphic novel "Doot Lives" never was published, and the script remains in a drawer, along with many other adventures of Cusick. I've tried to contact Tom (Yeates) but this is only the third week I have entered into the world of the internet -- surprised anyone remembers. After whoring on Thundercats and Silverhawks, and losing a major motion picture deal, I bummed and, while writing all these years, have published nothing since 1991.
Wow! Steven Perry, the writer of one of my all-time favorite comics series, the Epic/Marvel mid-80s Timespirits, found the list of 12 comics everyone should read, and felt moved to comment! I'm geeked in that fanboy way, for sure. It's especially cool to get an update on what he's been up to lately...I had wondered. I would love with all my heart to see him get another shot at continuing Timespirits, that's for sure. If any of you enterprising indie publishers are reading this, check into it!
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Finally, I'll get around to commenting on Jeff Parker's Interman graphic novel, of which he graciously sent me a copy a few weeks ago.
Interman is a spy/sci-fi/action-thriller type concept, which introduces us to one Van Meach, who was the result of a secret government project conducted during the early 60s, the goal being to create a human who could be instantly adaptable to any environment or threat. After Van was "born", however, the project was sabotaged, the other samples destoryed, and the project was closed down. Baby Meach was at first taken in by the Professor who was project head, but then he was given to someone else later with instructions to monitor his progress and report in. Eventually, though, after administrative changes and other distractions, the sole progeny of the project was forgotten about...until an accountant discovered that the Meach family government stipend was still being paid, and when he brings it to the head of the CIA (who by then had risen to the title of Agency Director), who arranges to have Van killed for fear of what he might become as well as what he represents.
This is very much a nutshell version of the premise behind Interman 1, and to me represents both its strengths and its slight failing. There's just a lot of stuff crammed into this one issue. Interesting scenarios, intrigue, fascinating characters, lots of rough-and-tumble action, but it all goes by so quickly that I got a little overwhelmed, whichis to say that I barely got a good feel for this or that character before they were gone and another was here to take his or her place. Like master spy/professional killer Outcalt, for example. The clever conceit behind the killer quintet "The Compass"; May, who would seem to be another result of the Interman project, and several of the others who make up the large tapestry of this book. And to make it worse, many of these characters die, some after a bit of background, and some right after we meet them! This is not so much a shortcoming, though, as it is frustrating. Hopefully, Parker has a lot more characters left where they came from, to be showcased and knocked off in subsequent issues of Interman
Otherwise, no real complaints. Parker's art evokes fond memories of reading comics illustrated by Doug Wildey, although his style is a bit looser than Wildey's. Still, he has a definite knack for composing his pages, especially his action scenes. Once in a great while, there's a face or a pose that looks a little too loose or awkward, but it doesn't happen often.
The Interman is a engrossing, exciting read, even if it is sometimes a bit gnarly plot-wise, and left me wanting to see more. I understand there's a movie in the works, perhaps, and that could be interesting as well, despite my misgivings about comics adaptations of films. I would think that spy/action films like Bond movies or The Bourne Identity (both the original and the remake) are some of the sources Parker had in mind when conceiving this, so perhaps it will be all right. Either way, hopefully there will be more graphic novels in the meantime...
For a preview of The Interman, go here.
Fox once again displays its staggering idiocy: Wonderfalls has been cancelled, nipped in the bud before it had a chance to hit its stride. I had my problems with many of the aired episodes, but I liked the concept and some of the actors a lot and was willing to stick with it in hopes it would get better...but the empty suits at Fox didn't share my conviction. There's an online petition to try to encourage a DVD release, which sounds like a worthy enough cause to affix one's proper name. So go, already.
OK, I've heard from several who've seen Hellboy already and wish to let me know that my fears are ungrounded. Plus, after scanning the reviews section at Rotten Tomatoes, critical reaction hasn't been as uniformly negative as I believed. Of course, until I go and see the damned thing for myself, my own opinions will have to wait...but I know two things I've read right off the bat bug the crap out of me. First, the subtle rearrangement of Hellboy's origin. Instead of being an accidental summoning, who pops up not in the Nazi camp but instead in the Allies', and Rasputin left holding the bag but still not accepting that he screwed up, now we have the Allied forces breaking in on the Nazi summoning and engaging in a big battle, with rasputin being sucked into a dimensional portal of some sort. Why in the name of pamcakes was this necessary? To get a gun battle right off the bat? Were the actual events of the comics' origin so confusing to Joe Sixpack that someone felt the need for a change? I don't understand. Also, the romance between HB and Liz Sherman. NO! NO, NO! People! I admit it makes a certain sense that a pyrotechnic and a hell-spawned demon would hook up, but IT'S NOT IN THE COMICS! Mignola had a reason to not hook up HB and Liz, and I was fine with it. Was it so important to gove him a love interest for the lazy fools who expect such a thing in every fricking movie they see? HB, so far in the comics (unless you count the romantic interest in the Lost Army prose novel), has shunned romantic entanglements, although he seems to have a soft spot for fellow agent Kate, whose last name eludes me right now. In the comics, Liz and Abe have a sort of relationship, or at least a closer understanding. Why was this necessary?
Aren't you glad you won't be seeing this film with me?
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Should have posted this yesterday, but I disremembered. Yesterday marked nine years since the death of Priscilla Lane. The above picture, from the film Silver Queen (which I've never seen) was stolen from the wonderful Priscilla Lane Picture Gallery. A tribute night on TCM would have been nice, but let's face it- she's not a big enough name to warrant such treatment. Still, I'm thinking about trying to launch a campaign to get something like that on her birthday June 12. A petition or something, maybe. Stay tuned.
Time now for the monthly sports post.
I won the Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey League I was participating in! On the very last day of the regular season! Now, let's face it- I am far from knowledgeable about pucks, but I know to pick up hot players and cut cold ones, so I managed to squeak by, despite being in second place for about three months. Almost makes up for losing the NBA league I was in on the last day last year.
Baseball season is now under way, and here are my preseason picks:
NL: Philadelphia, Houston, San Diego. Wild Card: Chicago.
AL: Boston, Minnesota, Anaheim. WC: New York.
World Series: Anaheim and Philadelphia, with the Angels winning in six.
Clip 'n' save!
My beloved White Sox? 83-79, 3rd place in the AL Central. Reds? 74-82, 5th place in the NL Central. If Griffey goes down again or gets traded, exchange ten games to the negative.
College basketball? Well, since the somewhat overrated-going-in Kentucky Wildcats got eliminated, my interest has waned. Plus, I was kinda rooting for Oklahoma State, because of former UK coach Eddie Sutton. However, at least Duke got beat, always a good thing as far as I'm concerned. My radio station is carrying the broadcast of the Final Four championship tonight, so since I'll be listening I'll predict a 73-69 Connecticut win.
And that concludes the monthly sports post.
The Pulse's Heidi MacDonald has now joined the Comics Blogosphereiverse. Her page is named Seventh World, and while it's still in the embryonic stages it promises to be a site of great interest. The only way it could be better is if she linked to me. Hopefully she'll one day see the light.
First noticed at Franklin's, by the way.
The Bacardi Show Political Correspondent sent me this several days ago, and I keep forgetting to post it. Apparently Mojo Nixon has decided to call it quits, and gave a "farewell performance" back on March 20. Of course, one always reacts with, shall we say, skepticism when confronted with those words together. Mojo, on the other hand, is ornery enough to mean it. I suppose being a self-imposed fringe cult artist gets old after a while. Anyway, as of this writing the official announcement is the front page on www.mojonixon.com, so go check it out.
Then let's go out, crack open a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon, and sing a rousing chorus of "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two Headed Love Child".
The Great Losers Giveaway. What is it, you may ask? No we're not giving away people with low self-esteem. I'll let the Master of Ceremonies, none other than Ken of Ringwood Ragefuck renown, tell it in his own imitable way:
The time has come. Enough hints, enough innuendo.
THE GREAT LOSERS GIVEAWAY has now begun.
Here's the deal: the DC Vertigo book The Losers, as written by Andy Diggle and illustrated by Jock, is an absolutely fantastic title that sells abysmal numbers, even for a Vertigo title. Not enough people read the book, and if it were to fall under the cancellation knife, I would become so distraught that I'd be forced to massacre entire tax brackets.
And we can't have that. Hence, THE GREAT LOSERS GIVEAWAY is born.
Here's the deal: I, as well as Shane, Johnny, and Kevin, would very much like to get more people into this fantastic book. But screaming about it on our blogs is not going to be enough, is it? So the next step is logical: GIVE THE BOOK AWAY FOR FREE.
Which we'll be doing. Except just giving the books away is no fun, is it? No fun for the readers at home (you). So we've made a little contest of it.
HERE'S WHAT WE WANT:
Between now and 12AM CST, Saturday, April 10th, I want YOU (the reader at home) to send in a brief but colorful blurb telling me why YOU are the biggest loser in the universe. It shouldn't be hard. You read comic books and blogs. You're already halfway there, buddy.
That's right. I want you to humiliate yourself for our sick pleasure. You heard me. Give me anecdotes, give me general summaries of the worthlessness of your existence, give me graphic descriptions of that time your mother-in-law walked in on you shaving the dog, nude. (You're nude, not the dog.) Get as creative as you like, but DON'T JUST MAKE SHIT UP -- we have very potent bullshit detectors/anti-personnel mines. And we know you value your ability to walk upright.
But you won't be doing this for nothing, oh no. There will be prizes. Because this is THE GREAT LOSERS GIVEAWAY, remember? And just what are those prizes, you wonder?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
FIRST PRIZE receives a copy of The Losers: Ante Up, the TPB collecting the first six issues, AS WELL AS The Losers #7, #8, #9, and #10, all lovingly bagged and boarded. That's right. THE ENTIRE RUN OF THE LOSERS UP TO THE PRESENT DATE. Hey, you think you're excited? FEEL THESE NIPPLES!
SECOND AND THIRD PRIZE is a copy of The Losers: Ante Up, so you can get yourself a taste of what this fantabulous title has to offer, and (if you're sane) wander on over to your favorite piece of Direct Market to pick up the rest of the titles. That would be super.
FOURTH PRIZE will recieve the first two issues of another underappreciated gem, DC's The Monolith. That particular title is only two issues in, which, for those of you doing the math, means you'll be brought right up to date JUST FOR TELLING ME WHAT A LOSER YOU ARE! They're even bagged and boarded. Excuse me while I change my pants.
FIFTH PRIZE will receive the first two issues of yet another underappreciated title, Image's Sword of Dracula. That one's only three issues in, so you'd be damn near up to speed, wouldn't you? And GUESS WHAT! These are also bagged and boarded. Wow. Do I rock or what?
There's only THREE RULES for this contest, kiddies:
1) Losers virgins only, please. The idea of this giveaway is to snare NEW fans, whose lily-white genitalia have not yet experienced the pleasure.
2) Only one entry per person. Keep in the spirit of giving here, folks. Don't make me start breakin' kneecaps.
3) Be funny. If you win, your shit's going to be posted, so that the world may laugh at you. Make it worth our while.
So there you have it. DROP ME AN E-MAIL (link in the upper left corner, and be sure to put "LOSERS" somewhere in the subject line) and tell me why you are the biggest loser in the universe, and you may snag yourself some steamy, throbbing prizes.
You have your orders. MOVE, soldier!
(Once more, many thanks to Shane, Johnny, and Kevin. Give them some love, people. They're saints in sinner's clothing.)
You're more than welcome. Anything to #1, get sales up on that great comic, and #2, convert the infidel to our holy cause. Here's the link to click to go to Ken's site and enter.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
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BEST OF THE WEEK
What I bought and what I thought, week of March 31
ULTIMATES 13
Let's see. When last we were graced with an issue of this perpetually tardy title, I was annoyed at the jingoistic, boorish Captain America and appalled at the horrible treatment of Bruce Banner. And I'm pleased to report that none of this troubled me at all in this appropriately apocalyptic finale to the first "volume" of The Ultimates. As always, that would-be Straw That Stirs The Drink Mark Millar has crafted a terse, frequently amusing (especially the almost Stooge-ish Hulk interludes), and dramatically tight script which is, of course, derivative of many previous stories from many previous writers but taken on its own terms very exciting and satisfying. Kinda like in a "Beatles covering Chuck Berry and Larry Williams" way. There's a saying in creative circles that creativity is the art of disguising your sources, and in that sense Millar is a past master. Don't want to de-emphasize the Hitch and Neary team's excellent, expansive art, which definitely helps Millar get his pastiches across effectively. Bring on Vol.2, coming soon most likely in 2006, and since I'm not particularly geared to expect instant gratification, that's all right with me. A
COURTNEY CRUMRIN in the TWILIGHT KINGDOM 3
The plot thickens, as the saying goes, as Courtney goes back to the Fairie world in order to get the kid who got changed into a "night thing" changed back, and foolishly allows his friends to come along...and you just know that it's not going to go smoothly. I can nit-pick- it seems like Courtney gets around a little too easily in the Kingdom, and again, she never should have allowed the others to go along...but none of that's important, since this is still clever and engaging fantasy of the highest order, and Naifeh the artist is in perfect sync with Naifeh the writer. Striking cover, too, even though Oberon looks like he's wishing he hadn't had that extra slice of pepperoni pizza... A-
MIDNIGHT, MASS: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS 3
The latest issue of yet another candidate for "best title you're probably not reading" expands the plot but doesn't really move it forward much, unless your primary interest is in their secretary slash tech person. I have a feeling that this particular arc will read better collected, and hopefully DC will see fit to release it that way. A-
PLANETARY 19
Well, I guess we got lucky this time because I was really worried that having Ultimates and this come out on the same day might cause rifts in the spac-time continuum, earthquakes, floods, fire, real Old Testament-type wrath of God type stuff, dogs and cats...sleeping together, and all that. Anyway, judging by the title, I thought we might be in for some sort of Silver Age DC Sci-Fi tribute but that isn't the case. Instead, Warren Ellis channels 2001, among other things, and throws in some imaginative touches of his own- creating a story that's full of mood and cleverness, but unfortunately not much actually happens. That comes next issue. And as always, impeccably drawn by John Cassady, certainly one of the most elegant, style-wise, artists out there right now. Now if only the big revelation at the end didn't remind me of Bender in the Futurama episode "Godfellas". A-
JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER 194
Speaking of Warren E, here's his old Hellstorm and Druid compadre Leonardo Manco doing the guest artist honors on Mike Carey's "morning after" story. I wish I could say Manco was in fine form here, but I can't; his work is nowhere near as adventurous and unrestrained as it was back in the day when I was nuts about it, and his figure drawings are downright poor in places. Still, it's a good, if a tad grisly, opening chapter. Back when Ellis and Manco were killing me on Hellstorm, I used to wish that someday they could take a crack at John Constantine...another dream dies hard. B
LEGION 31
Cutesy-poo story about microscopic "bugs" loose on Legion World, distinguished chiefly by the return of the master of the nine-panel page, Keith Giffen, on pencils and Al Milgrom, of all people, on inks. Given the lame duck status of writers Abnett and Lanning and the complete story inertia that's been going on for several months, I have to ask myself why people are still buying this comic- and more importantly, why am I still buying this comic? C+
AVENGERS/JLA 4
Hoo boy. I can't decide whether writer Kurt Busiek, who is capable of better things (I seem to recall), is being cynical in a "I'll rewrite Justice League of America vol. 1, issues 46 & 47, (even to the point of having the Spectre physically seperate the two colliding worlds) and none of the fanboys buying this crap will notice, plus I'll pick up a nice paycheck" sense or if he's sincerely trying to write some sort of old school multi-issue multi-character throwdown, and is unconsciously channeling the comics he read as a youngster, just not as successfully. Either way, this is lazy, derivative hackwork, dialogued terribly (everyone is constantly asking each other questions so the reader can presumably identify characters they already know), full of tiresome expository dialogue and just plain old unnecessarily complicated. Gotta give George Perez a gold star or something for taking this task on, but he has not helped matters by cramming every tiny panel full of Kirby dots, flying debris, rays arcing everywhere, closeups of characters with mouths agape, distance shots of hundreds of obscure and not so obscure characters leaping, swinging, flying, punching, shouting, and so on over and over and over and...whew. Perez is still a fine illustrator, and his work here is as good as it was back in the 80s when he really did stand above most of the field, but let's face it. This whole series has been a tiresome, enervating, convoluted exercise in cosmic gobbeldygook and nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. Don't know what's worse- that this sort of thing is embraced by comics readers that either don't or should have known better, or that I am out $24 bucks for this shite myself. I have no excuse. Do you? D
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Nobody posts on Sunday. So, naturally, here I go. Thought I'd open up the festivities with a Prismacolor sketch I did for one of Shane Glines' drawing message boards a while back. Not the worst thing I've ever done, but far from the best...
Also, this will keep my image host from automatically deleting it.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Hello again! I know, I promised comics reviews, and the weekend's not over yet, but it's gonna be tomorrow sometime. Between an extremely busy two days at the Snooze, my sister-in-law's wedding rehearsal last night and subsequent wedding today, and other distractions, I've had precious little time for composing my thoughts, let alone channeling through my fingers and into your head.
I wanted to note, however, that another reason I'm a bit behind in my personal journalistics is that I've been devouring the care package I received from Mr. Larry Young , he of AiT/Planetlar renown. He sent me a heapin' helping of the offerings from his publishing venture, and I am in the process of making my way through them. My impression so far? There's some extremely good stuff in them thar funnybooks. Edgy, thought-provoking stuff. I don't know why I haven't been moved to sample any of the offerings from this publisher before, but I'll tell you now that will change. I am eternally grateful...but I reserve the right to slam any books I don't like.
On to other topics- as you can probably infer, I haven't had the opportunity to go see Hellboy the movie yet either. Early reviews range from confused to unimpressed, and now I'm a little trepiditious about rushing out to see it. I was kinda afraid this would happen- Del Toro and Mignola said all the right stuff, but it's obvious there's been a significant amount of studio interference, as there always is, because (as I've said many times before) The suits and real decision makers have no respect for the source material. None. And Del Toro can make all the "Hellcar" jokes he wants, but his (and Mignola's) vision has apparently been compromised, and all I can do, I suppose, is hope for the best when I do see it.
Thursday night's Wonderfalls was better, with a clever premise and a not-too-credibility-stretching resolution...but still suffers from having its characters behave in ways that the writers apparently think is cute and interesting to the targeted demographic, and couldn't care less about how actual people would behave in those situations. Ratings haven't been spectacular, so it may not matter much longer. I just hope XTC puts out that theme song on an album someday.
That's all I got time for right now. Tomorrow, if the fates allow, comics reviews, including that gilded turd titled JLA/Avengers.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Yeah, I'm still alive. Just been too busy to post anything. I'll try to have more over the weekend, including comics reviews.
Music the last couple of days: Steve Earle-Train A'Comin', XTC-Oranges and Lemons, Halcyon Days- The Very Best of the Strawbs (UK version), The Kinks-Everybody's In Show Biz (Everybody's a Star), Prince-The Gold Experience, Electric Light Orchestra-Discovery, Lambchop-Is A Woman, Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin (yes, again), Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Lucinda Williams-Essence, Pentangle-Solomon's Seal, Mary Hopkin- Earth Song Ocean Song, The Allman Brothers Band-Brothers and Sisters, Black Oak Arkansas-High on the Hog, The Marshall Tucker Band. Kind of in a Southern rock mood for a while there.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Another day, another several previously unknown-to-me comics blogs out there. One of them, which is Comixpedia's, links to a fun interview with the three ladies who played Catwoman in the 60s, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, and Lee Meriwether.
Which brings me to a pet peeve of mine. It drives me absoultely stark raving insane to see how many people who write about that sort of thing, and should know better, think the principal 60s Catwoman actress was Kitt! For the love of God, Newmar was electrifying in that part for darn near the entire run of that show! Kitt only played Catwoman in the final third season, so the percentage was roughly 75-25 Newmar...but because Kitt had the nickname "Cat Woman" back in the 50s and early 60s (one reason why she got the role in the first place) in her Broadway stage and Vegas nightclub singing days, people now associate her in the part that Newmar pioneered! As that noted philosopher Chuck Brown used to say- "AAAAUGH!" Kitt was no more Adam West's Batman's Catwoman than John Astin was the Riddler.
OK. I'll be all right. By the way, I'll try to get around to adding many of you newcomers to the comics blogosphereiverse ASAP, but now I have to wait till I can access a PC before I can add links to my template code. No, I don't understand why, but that's the way it seems to be now.
You know, I was just thinking...the only way that Lord of the Rings: Return of the KIng could have been any better would be if "the King" had been Elvis.
Whoa. Thankyewvurrymuch, Gandalf, for savin' our asses against those wicked bad Nazghul. Those were some bad mommas. Now c'mere, Eowyn...I want me some of that sweet Elf lovin'.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
I'm now three episodes into Wonderfalls, and I hate to say it but I was wrong before. It has superficial similarities to Dead Like Me, including the same creators, but the two series are light years apart in several ways. Wonderfalls, despite a mostly promising first episode, is sinking into a quicksand of cutesy quirky-for-quirky's sake, and the last three episodes have had me gritting my teeth at the inanity of the characters and the contrived situations they keep getting into. Dead has its share of quirk and cutesy, too, but the far superior ensemble cast knows how to underplay it, and apparently the writers of DLM also don't feel like they have to be writing Joan of Arcadia, Amelie, and My So-Called Life all wrapped into one package. And last week's eppy didn't even have Tracie Thoms in it! Oh well, even though I've just spent the best part of a paragraph knocking it, I still haven't given up on the show yet...but I'm getting fidgety.
HBO's Deadwood, on the other hand, is really developing a nice, gnarly drama out of all the muck, grime, and foul bodily functions which it delights in showing us. I get the feeling that almost anything could happen, even to the point of someone bumping off town bully Al Swearengen, which would be shocking (and unlikely, true), but it just serves to show how much I can't see where any of its going- and that usually always earns my attention. And props to Brad Dourif, who's endured countless crappy nutball roles in thousands of no-budget crapfest films to graduate to significantly better parts, mostly thanks to his turn as Grima Wormtongue. He's showing us several layers to his jittery town doctor, and it's one noteworthy performance in a show full of 'em.
This has been your weekly TV update. Tune in again tomorrow.
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I am by no stretch of the imagination a fan of this character, but I do think this is a mighty sweet cover. Does this mean I might pick it up? Nah. But it's a mighty sweet cover.
You've probably already seen these, but just in case you haven't here's The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman!
Thanks to Mik Cary for the link!
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Caught TCM's latest screening of Shanghai Express last night, and enjoyed it very much. Sure, it's pretty creaky by today's standards, but the uber-charismatic performance by Marlene Dietrich, plus a mostly solid supporting cast and extremely atmospheric direction by Dietrich's mentor Josef Von Sternburg make it a facinating, if a bit stiff and kinda un-PC-ish, view.
In this film, her fourth and the fourth of seven she did with Von Sternburg, Dietrich plays "Shanghai Lily", an notorious "coaster", or lady of (shall we say) dubious moral character, who takes the train from Peking to Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War era, accompanied by her exotic traveling companion Hui Fei (played by Anna May Wong). She encounters a cast of characters on the train, including an ailing German man, a fundamentalist preacher-type, a prissy old lady, a ne'er-do-well gambler type (played by Eugene Pallette, who was Friar Tuck in Errol Flynn's Adventures of Robin Hood), a military doctor who just happens to be the man Lily fell in love with and jilted several years prior, and Henry Chang (Warner (Charlie Chan) Oland), who happens to be a Chinese revolutionary warlord traveling incognito. The train is barely underway when it is stopped by Chinese troops, and a Chinese man is taken off the train and arrested. Turns out it's Chang's right hand man, and he contrives to have the train boarded and taken captive at the next stop, so he can get a hostage and get his lieutenant back. Chang's a little lonely and wants some female company, but is rebuffed by first Hui Fei, then Lily- and when he attempts to force himself on her, the doctor breaks in and slugs him one. Chang then takes the doctor hostage and has Hui Fei brought to him, where he rapes her. The Brits and Chinese governments back down and return his man the next day, but there's one little problem- Chang doesn't want to return the doctor in one piece; he intends to blind him first for the affront he committed to his person. Lil comes back and offers to go away with him, if she'll let her true love go safely. Of course, she doesn't wish the doctor to know, so this causes him to bitterly come to believe that she has rejected him yet again. The rest of the film pretty much deals with the resolution of all these plot threads, including some classic camera shots of Dietrich and a great scene in which Hui Fei gets a measure of payback.
Dietrich is, of course, languidly excellent, and lovingly photographed by Von Sternburg. Wong is mesmerizing, despite being in the background a lot, as Hui Fei. She had such charisma, and in more enlightened times would have been a major star. Oland is all underplayed, reserved malevolence, and seeing him in that part was a bit surprising. I'm more used to seeing him in good guy roles, such as Charlie Chan, although I do remember him as the less-than-benevolent doctor/rival of Henry Hull in Werewolf of London. The subplot with the Bible-thumping Reverend Carmichael started out as another clichéd portrayal of an intensely judgemental religious nut, but then took a surprising left turn, actually making the Reverend a more sympathetic and, conversely, righteous character before movie's end. The film's biggest liability to me, besides the staginess and slow pace, was the wooden performance of Clive Brook as Dietrich's doctor and former lover. He was all veddy stiff-upper-lip British uppercrust, you know, and couldn't even get angry in a convincing fashion. Half the time, even when Lily was being threatened by Chang, he looked as if he was wondering when his next polo match was.
I've yet to see a Dietrich film yet that I've disliked, and I really wish TCM would try to assemble an evening of films featuring Anna May Wong. Hell, I'd watch! If you get a chance, you should check this film out. It's a definite time-capsule film, well worth the effort. One unintended side effect this film had on me- I've had that old Rod Stewart song "Every Picture Tells a Story" in my head all day, with its line "Shanghai Lil never used the pill". Sigh.
Monday, March 29, 2004
New Diamond shipping list is up, and here's what I will, presumably, be getting on Wednesday:
AVENGERS JLA #4
HELLBLAZER #194
LEGION #31
MIDNIGHT, MASS: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS #3
PLANETARY #19
ULTIMATES #13
COURTNEY CRUMRIN IN THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM #3
Looks like Planetary and Courtney Crumrin are the highlights of the week for me, closely followed by Ultimates and Midnight, Mass. Aren't they worried that if Ultimates and Planetary come out on the same day, that it might cause a rift in the space/time continuum or something equally dire? I wouldn't mind getting BATMAN/POISON IVY: CAST SHADOWS, because I loves me some John Van Fleet art, but the price tag is a bit too high for me.
Rick Geerling is the latest to answer Dave Fiore's favorite movie list call and having thought it over am now ready to inflict mine upon you as well.
First, the usual ambling preamble. This is a list of my personal favorite films, and I fully realize that there are several films of, shall we say, dubious stature among film buffs on it. So this is not a "all-time best movies in my opinion" list. There's no way that I am going to try to convince you, nor do I believe that, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, for example, is a better film than The Godfather or Touch of Evil, classics both but not on my list because they haven't given me the idiosyncratic personal pleasure that the movies on the list have. That being said, I am prepared to make a case for each and every one of them. I had to make some tough calls, especially with films by creators I admire like the Coen Bros. or Hitchcock. There are probably at least two other films by either that I could put in place of the ones that did make the cut, but the ones listed are those I got the biggest kick out of, and besides, I didn't want to have, say, five Coen movies on a list of 40-something. Also bear in mind that this is my list as of today...this time next year this list might look completely different. So without any further ado, here be the list. In alphabetical order, so I can cop out on naming which ones I think are better than others...
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (Across the 8th Dimension) (1984)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Airplane! (1980)
Army of Darkness (1993)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
The Black Cat (1934)
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Caddyshack (1980)
A Christmas Carol aka Scrooge (1951)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Duck Soup (1933)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Ffolkes aka North Sea Hijack (1980)
The Fifth Element (1997)
The Fisher King (1991)
The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
Gods and Monsters (1998)
Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Head (1968)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Island of Lost Souls (1933)
It's A Gift (1934)
King Kong (1933)
The Lady and the Duke (2001)
The Last Emperor (1987)
L.A. Story (1991)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
The Natural (1984)
North By Northwest (1959)
Pollock (2000)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Return to Oz (1985)
Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Sling Blade (1996)
Snatch. (2000)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Videodrome (1983)
Yellow Submarine (1968)
And that's it! I'll stop at 45, 'cause it's such a nice round number. Well, actually it's kind of a pointy number but you get what I mean. Feel free to discuss in the comments section!
I have come to a decision. As you may recall, I was flirting with the notion of receiving my comics in the mail via an online supplier rather than my local comics shop which has been frustrating me a lot recently with UPS-and Diamond-caused short shipments, lack of discounts, plus its slightly inconvenient-to-me-now location. However, after doing some math, I have come to the decision that I'm really not any better off going with the online supplier because of its high shipping costs. Comparing the total of the books at cover value that I had selected for my first order with the total after discount but plus shipping, I only came out about $2 better. And then I wouldn't get them till most likely Tuesday of the next week at best, because they don't ship till the end of the week. And even though they very generously offered to give me half off the shipping price for the first month, that doesn't help with subsequent months. So it looks like the Great Escape gets a reprieve...for now. However, if you don't live close to a comics shop, you might want to check Mailordercomics.com out- they were very helpful and courteous to me- and if I ever get a job which requires me to live far away from a comics shop, like Nebraska, for instance, I'll definitely be giving them a shot.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
No Room For Super-Turtle.
Now at last it can be revealed...The Secret Origin of Vertigo!
Credit where...due dept: Neil Gaiman's Journal. I saw it on another blog, too, but I forget whose. Sorry, mate!
Saturday, March 27, 2004
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Just wanted to post this really cool (well, to me, anyway) poster which announces the re-forming of the Hero and Heroine and Ghosts-era Strawbs for a number of US and Canadian shows, none of which are anywhere close to me, damn it. It's OK, though, I certainly got my money's worth when I saw the acoustic group last May. I loved this poster, though, and wanted to share.
Yow! I won a contest! And I didn't even know I had entered! I've been informed that I have won my choice of a 3 x 5 drawing by Steve Lieber of Mercury Studios, or a Portugeuse edition of Bruce Wayne: Fugitve, apparently because I linked to the Studio blog and had my name drawn out of a hat. Is that cool or what? Since Portugeuse is not exactly my strong suit, I think I'll go for the sketch. Which character, though, I'm not sure about. Batman, perhaps? Or Hellboy? The only criteria is that it has to be a character which Lieber has previously illustrated. Hawkman? The Escapist? Rosa Saks Kavalier? I must ponder. Anyway, thanks to the fine peoples at Mercury Studios, especially Steve Lieber.
Also, you may have noticed the small button in the links list at right, which says "Paypal: donate". Yes, it's true, I have succumbed to the siren call of mammon, and with iHat firmly in hand, now ask if you could find it in your heart to toss a few coins (or bills) my way, then feel free to do so. And if you don't, that's fine. I'm still happy to have you here just the same. There's no obligation whatsoever, especially when you consider (in the interest of full disclosure) othat I don't think I've ever donated to anyone else's online tip jars, not because I don't want to but because I just don't really have it. Maybe if I get it, then I can...wait, here it comes...pay it forward (sorry) to OPB. Maybe. Anyway, give if you like, and if you don't that's cool, we're still pals.
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BEST OF THE WEEK
What I bought and what I thought, week of March 24
LOSERS 10
Looks like the first story arc in issues 1-6 was just a prelude to even more complicated goings-on as Andy Diggle sheds more light on the CIA agent that he introduced in #9, and the Losers themselves get closer to finding out what's in the volcano that the enigmatic Max wants. Diggle deftly weaves in a lot of great character interaction, including some conflict between leader Clay and loose cannon Aisha that you just gotta believe is going to come to a head at some point. It can't be an easy thing to come up with such a complicated storyline, with multiple players each with their own agendas and none knowing everything they need to know about each other, with sharp dialogue and even humor in places (best example, the blackly funny scene in which Aisha tasers the guard), and not have it devolve into a jumbled mess. If it was, then more people would be doing it. Artist Jock is doing a great job of giving us what we need to maximize the depth of Diggle's script, with his jagged, heavily black-spotted ink style and random perspective shots- and the cover for this issue is modestly brilliant. Honest, folks, words fail me- this is one remarkable comic book, and maybe all who agree with me should go get tasers of our own and "suggest" to our unconverted friends that they go get a copy of Ante Up. Anything to get sales up. And they'll thank us- you wait and see. A
HELLBOY: THE CORPSE ONE-SHOT
So nice, I bought it twice! I bought the original comic this appeared in, the "Corpse and the Iron Shoes" one-shot of several years ago...but hey- it's Hellboy, it's only a quarter, so why the heck not? Plus, now I have a chance to re-read one of Mignola's very best stories, a clever blend of horror, humor, folklore and action, and I can stop digging out the original book, which was beginning to get a bit worn. A
HUMAN TARGET 8
Here's another book with a gnarly plotline, and a character with an equally gnarly backstory, just since Milligan's been writing him alone- and it's recently occurred to me exactly why I'm not insane crazy for this above-average comic. You see, for me Human Target is a book that requires a high amount of belief suspension. Think about it- if you were sitting next to someone who was heavily made up, with a complete body suit and wig and latex makeup covering their entire head, wouldn't you notice? Or at least suspect? Nine times out of ten when you see actors in movies made up to look older (for instance) or disfigured, no matter how good a job it is- doesn't it look just a tad artificial? Now let's say, for the sake of argument, that Chris Chance was hired to impersonate your significant other. Exactly how painstaking is his recreation of this person? Could he copy every mole, blemish, or birthmark? Could he imitate the shape and color of your partner's sex organs? Wouldn't that be a dead giveaway, the first time he made love to you? In the comics, it's well established that Chance is so good that he can whip up complete disguises with limited information and rarely is anyone the wiser...but I gotta believe that in real life it would be fairly obvious, especially if you got close to Chance, that here was a disguised man. Not even the best makeup artists in Hollywood are able to pull off a completely convincing disguise like Chance can do at the drop of a hat. Fortunately for my enjoyment of this title, my disbelief suspension mechanism's not totally gone, so I can tell you that this is an especially deep and well-scripted chapter of the current story arc, with some nice, tense moments and some humor, well illustrated by Cliff Chiang, who seems to be more at home here than on anything else I've seen from him before. But if that internal mechanism ever goes...watch out! A-
SMAX 5
Rousing finale to this Kurtzman-meets-Howard-meets-Bochco mini, to its parent Top 10 as methadone is to heroin. Which is not to say that this hasn't been lots of fun, far from it. It's been a fine entertainment, but it just hasn't operated on as many levels as the original. Artist Zander Cannon (with diverse inkers) has often surprised when least expected, such as his imaginative portrayals of the series' Big Bad, surely the most unorthodox dragon you'll ever encounter in fantasy fiction, or the Death named Dennis. Sad to observe, unless the 49ers ever sees the light of the day (hardly a given considering that the entire ABC imprint seems to be wilting on the vine) this could be the last time we'll get to read new exploits of the good cops of the 10th precinct, and that's more than a little sad. Keep your fingers crossed. A-
WANTED 3
Pretty much status quo- lotsa attitude, lotsa super-villains and spandex in general, lotsa snappy, terse, vulgar dialogue, and pretty much a total dearth of anything groundbreaking or fresh, unless you count the introduction of a kryptonite rubber. Kinda like Astro City as a Penthouse comic. The saving grace of Wanted is its beautiful J.G. Jones artwork, which (if I wanted to be snarky) reminds me of pearls and swine...but honest, I don't mean to sound like I'm being completely dismissive. Wanted has definitely got a lot going on, and the part of me that doesn't mind secondhandedness at all if it's done with a lack of pretention and a sense of enthusiasm (cf. Marc Bolan) is more than willing to hang in and see where this is all going. B+
STEVE RUDE'S THE MOTH DOUBLE-SIZED SPECTACULAR
What we have here is basically 50 plus pages of Rude's dynamic, arresting, exciting, fluid KirbySteranko-inspired artwork in service to clunky, awkward scripting which buries its good ideas in a pile of poor dialogue and helter-skelter construction, more so in the lead tale than in the backup, which is actually pretty good and saw print previously in an issue of Wizard, which I stopped buying ages ago so it's new to me. Inker-turned-scripter Gary Martin did both, so that means (perhaps) that there is hope once he gets his bearings. I love the concept- the circus setting is Kirbyesque to the hilt (and reminds immediately of Rude's 1987 Mister Miracle Special one-shot- something Bill Sherman picked up on as well) and gives it a somewhat fresh spin and strangely enough you don't see bikers in comics too much anymore, especially sympathetic portrayals like we get here. Personally, I hope that "Red" becomes a recurring character- but I also hope that Martin learns to writes better words to come out of his mouth. B-
Later on, The Interman, which I am long overdue in writing about.
You can go here to take the Firefly personality quiz.
I matched up with Inara, which is just fine with me.
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Look! I drew a pitcher! Ain't it purty? Done in a fit of boredom last night while minding the board for basketball games. Perspective problems abound, but I cropped them out, mostly. It's the Losers, by the way. More about them later.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Music over the last couple of days: The Black Crowes-Three Snakes and One Charm, Trip Shakespeare-Across The Universe, Booth and the Bad Angel, Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin, the Essential Earth, Wind and Fire, The Essential Miles Davis, T.Rex-Bolan's Zip-Gun, In Time- The Best of R.E.M., the Strokes-Is This It?, Masters of Reality-Deep In the Hole, and an oldies CD I lifted from the radio station that has two Marianne Faithfull cuts that I like- of course, "As Tears Go By" and one which I had never heard before but just dig the hell out of right now-"Go Away From My World" with a great, string section-facilitated chord change that just blows me right away.
That's all I can think of, anyway...I know there are more.
Eve-Tushnet has posted a list of her 43 favorite movies. Why 43? She explains before she proceeds to list. Lotsa good flicks on that list, fer shur. I'm gonna do a list one of these days, by golly. Two on which we agree totally: Gross Pointe Blank and Gods and Monsters.
The ongoing search for an alternate comics supplier continues. Taking a cue from reader "Jeff", who in turn had heard about it from John Jakala, I decided to check out www.mailordercomics.com. They give some incredible discounts, for sure- up to 75% off certain titles, mostly in the 25% range. Shipping's a little steep- $28 for weekly delivery which translates to about $7 per week, which isn't all that outrageous when you think about it, I guess. Each month, you order your titles from the Previews catalog for the upcoming month, which can be a lot to go through if you don't know to use the handy toggle bars that are organized by different publishers and whether or not you want new, trades, or back stock. And because I was kinda stupid, I accidentally placed an order while clicking around to see how the site worked, and when I emailed the operators to ask them to cancel the order, their response was prompt and very helpful. Not to mention that they offered me a sweet deal, which I can't tell you about. (It's secret.) Like Butt-head says, "It's a first-come, first served deal".
So I was impressed with these guys, and while I intend to investigate another service or two, www.mailordercomics.com is definitely a contendah. Now if I can just wrap my head around the notion of not going to Great Escape every Wednesday anymore...!
On the subject of The Walking Dead, Newsarama has posted some character sketches and three pages of finished Charlie Adlard art. Found at Shane's. Danke Shane.
I posted this yesterday, and the more I thought about it the less I liked it so I deleted it, but like the little kid that gets picked towards the end in a pickup ballgame, it keeps jumping up and down at me, saying, "put me in! put me in!" So here it is, for better or worse.
After having observed the discussion sparked by various members of the comics blogosphere about the super hero emphasis and its effect on the perception of comics in general by the great unwashed out there, in particular Franklin's recent column regarding the topic, I really can't add a wealth of significant commentary (no big surprise there) to the discourse, but I can make a statement that doesn't seem to be factored in to anybody's argument one way or the other:
It's not the superhero that dooms sequentially illustrated fiction to scorn and disdain by the infidel hordes of the unenlightened; it's the format itself. Comics in general are perceived, by those who wouldn't think twice about watching movies or TV crime dramas or soap operas or sitcoms or Survivor or football games all day, as somehow frivoulous, juvenile, and just not something that "normal" people read. Billy Bob snuff dipping Deer Hunter or Suzie Trailerpark from Cub Run, Kentucky or any local-to-you stereotype you care to insert here just don't have time for that silly shit. They might let the kid have one once in a while. And of course I'm referring to my own environment and surroundings here, but it's easily applicable to where you live as well- it's a matter of what kind of upbringing and peer experiences people have. They're just not conditioned to open their minds and foster that sense of wonder that is so important to enjoying any kind of fantastic fiction. It doesn't matter whether it's Blankets, Love & Rockets, Maus, Watchmen, Acme Novelty Library, the Hornschmeier book of your choice, or Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, or Wonder Woman, the great unconverted out there don't care. If it looks like a funnybook, it is a funnybook, and nine times out of ten they'll retain that opinion no matter what you stick under their noses. And if this is a defeatist attitude, well, it's been a well-earned one, based on 40 plus years of reading and collecting comics and having only a select handful of friends scattered over 40 years that share my passion. I gave up trying to convert the unbeliever many, many years ago.
And this is a big reason why box-office numbers of recent blockbuster hits like Spider-Man and the X-Men flicks haven't translated into increased comics sales figures. Some things are black and white, good or bad, hot or cold to people, and to them, like water is wet and sky is blue, movies and tv (no matter how stupid or lame they are) are somehow legitimate (no matter how much they might criticize or complain) and comics are juvenile and not worth their time. And that's a shame, but what do ya do. All the free comics days in the subsequent history of the known universe aren't going to matter much while this mindset is prevalent.
And that's my opinion. As I've said on many such occasions, I've been known to be wrong before.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Scott Kurtz's PVP webcomicstrip has recently done a series dealing with the Firefly DVD box. To read them from the beginning go here.
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Speaking of Kaluta, while clicking around the Bud Plant Illustrators Biography site, I decided to check out Mr. K's entry and was a bit surprised to read that he apparently did covers and pen-and-ink interiors for a series of mystery books aimed at young teenage girls entitled (and I think this is a great title and idea for a series) My Name Is Paris, about a young American girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century who gets involved with, what else, mysteries. Why doesn't anybody tell me these things? The books are, to the best of my knowledge, out of print, but that doesn't mean I might not run up on a copy or two at a yard sale or eBay or someplace. Just what I need- more stuff to covet.
My friend the Bacardi Show Political Correspondent keeps telling me I should forget about the Great Escape comics shop and do as he do- get them from the subscription service at Midtown Comics' website. They not only bag & board them for you free of charge, they also give a 15% discount, none of which I get at good ol' TGE. So I went over there to check it out, built a subscription list so I could see how many of the books I buy on a regular basis would be there plus much shipping would be, clicked on "continue", and was informed by the nice screen that 15 monthly comics on my list are required, and I only had 12. Sigh. And that's counting books I'm considering dropping, like H-E-R-O and The Legion. So, not wishing to start buying some cranked-out DC or Marvel monthly just to activate my subscription service, I remain, for the time being anyway, a mostly loyal customer of the Great Escape. Sigh.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Tim O'Neil with one "L" has written a very nice overview of Walt Simonson's underrated take on Kirby's Fourth World characters, Orion. I had pretty much convinced myself that no one could do the New Gods but Kirby because that whole trio of books were just so idiosyncratic that his successors just couldn't quite capture that Kirbyesque vibe. But Simonson didn't try to emulate Kirby as much as he tried to take some paths less traveled, and obviously put a great deal of thought into what he wanted to do. It was a damn fine book, it was, and Tim's is a damn fine piece, it is.
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Once again, Steven Wintle has pointed me to something I find cool and fascinating: Illustration Magazine's website, investigation of which in turn led me to discover the work of one Nell Brinkley, which is absolutely amazing. I was thinking "Aha! She has got to be an influence on Mike Kaluta, one of my favorite illustrators!" Then, I follow some more links to this page, which features more illustrators that remind me of Mr. MWK than you can shake a Windsor-Newton No. 2 at.
There's precious little of Brinkley's work on the Web, but I think I'll go back to the Illustration Magazine site and see if I can't print that article out, and investigate some of the others further, some of which I'm familiar with, many of which I'm totally unaware.
Hey, didja know that there's a Challengers of the Unknown website? Well neither did I, and now we do!
Sad to see no mention, though, of the excellent Loeb/Sale miniseries of the early 90's. I really liked that one. At least they mention the late 90s X-Files-ish Challengers- I liked that team as well.
Geez. I suppose if I'm going to be serious about this comics blogging thing, I should read the comics news sites more often. If I had, I would have been on top of the news three days ago that Tony Moore will no longer be drawing The Walking Dead, according to writer Robert Kirkman. Which is a shame, but it's OK, because while I think Moore was getting better with every issue, TWD was one of the few books I buy for the story more so than the art. As long as they get someone halfway competent, I think I'll hang with.
The replacement artist is said to be one Charles Adlard, whose name I've heard but with whose work I'm totally unfamiliar.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
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Something else I watched, at least for a while, was the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on VH1.
All in all, not a bad show, although I found it annoying how VH1 mixed performance clips in with the presentation shots. Too much going on at the same time for my aged eyes. Speaking of aged, do we all agree that Bob Seger looks pretty rough, like Kenny Rogers after a weekend of hookers & tequila? And while we're on the subject of tequila, I agree with Sean Collins that it's a g-darned shame that Black Sabbath isn't in the Hall, but I have no quarrel with ZZ Top's inclusion. For the most part, they've been an adventurous, unpretentious blues band with a sense of humor, and that's in short supply in blues (and often rock) music. Well, except for a period there in the 80s and 90s where they let their love of tech get the better of them. I've never had any use for the overrated Seger and Jackson Browne, so it burns me to see them get the nod in spite of all the great bands and musicians that aren't in. I was happy to see Prince get in, though, and really happy to see Traffic get their due. It was kinda odd for me to see all the love thrown out for their early songs like "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "50,000 Headmen" simply because I came to them via their final 70s album, When The Eagle Flies, and that's the one I get all warm and fuzzy over. That one and John Barleycorn. They actually put on a pretty darn good performance, as well, with Jim Capaldi laying down a solid beat and Steve Winwood showing there's still some life left in his creaky-looking body.
After all is said and done, though, here really is no excuse for not having Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Faces, Cat Stevens, King Crimson, Yes, Kate Bush, The Monkees, or the Replacements in there. Really. And if you press me I could name many others.
Boy, this new Catwoman flick sounds about a hundred thousand different kinds of bad. Go here for some quotes from star Halle Berry.
Credit where credit is due dept: Near Mint Heroes.
Cool link, especially for those who fancy ourselves graphic designer creative types: The Patron Saints of Graphic Design.
Credi where credit is due dept: Found at Elayne Riggs'.
I like this guy's work. He's good. Real good. I'm going to link to his blog. I need to score a copy of his Paper Biscuit book. That is all.
You may be wondering how I spent my weekend. Well, I doubt it, but you never know.
Throwing common sense and wisdom to the wind a few days ago, I took advantage of another Columbia House "buy one get three "free" " sale and ordered The Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin, The Essential Miles Davis, The Essential Earth, Wind and Fire (definite impulse buy there), and The Guess Who Anthology, which arrived Friday. So far, that Flaming Lips is amazing- well worth picking up if you've been thinking about it; the EWF collection is fun, and it's amazing how my tastes have changed since back in the late 70s-early 80s when I heard many of those songs incessantly on local radio and hated them each and every one- and now here I am dancing around the living room to "September" and "Shining Star"; The Davis set is a bit challenging, like much of his mid-to-late period work is (to my ears, anyway), but I like what I've heard so far; and it's great to finally have some Guess Who music in my collection. My friend and onetime high school rockbandmate Billy Mack Hill (Mack's the tall guy in the back of the picture, if you go to the link) had an 8-track of The Best of the Guess Who, which we listened to constantly. I would borrow it over and over again from BMH, and he would get so pissed at me, I'm sure. Anyway, for some reason I never got around to buying any Guess Who albums for myself, partially because I could always borrow it or heard it all the time on the radio, so I never really felt the need until now. The Guess Who was one of those bands which made BeatleCreamDoorsBlues-ish music, and hearing it now I'm reminded a lot of not only the groups lumped together in my clumsy made-up adjective, but Grand Funk Railroad, Bloodrock, Steppenwolf and others. One appeal they had for me was that cool older guys I looked up to listened to these groups and others, so it will always be "cool older kids" music, no matter how old I get. Music that always sounded good when driving down the road in someone's van or Camaro, with the 8-track player cranked up LOUD. Ah, nostalgia.
I watched movies this weekend too, oh yes- A Mighty Wind, which was charming and funny, but how could it not be with the usual Chris Guest players on board. Is there a funnier actor on the face of this earth than Fred Willard? Well, probably, but I can't think of any offhand. Those not particulary attuned to Guest and Co.'s type of humor will probably wonder what the point is and just think it's silly, but those of us who've enjoyed Waiting For Guffmann, Spinal Tap and Best of Show will love it. Also decided to spend the four bucks next month when the phone/cable/internet hookup bill comes in and watch American Splendor, which aired on pay-per-view. Now, I've never been much of a fan of autobiographical comics series...I have a tendency to be preoccupied with my own life and I get very little escape or stimulation by reading about others' . Solipistic, I know, but whaddaya do. So, as you can probably infer from this, I've never been all that concerned with following the work of Pekar, Chester Brown, Joe Matt, Joe Sacco, and others. It's all good work- I've read enough in the Journal to convince me of that- but I just don't particularly care. There's no real stimulation for me, visual or mental. I do not own a single issue of American Splendor, Peep Show or others of that ilk, which is not to say that I don't consider them good comics- they're just not my cuppa. That being said, I completely enjoyed this movie, in no small part because of its clever visual style and the nervy juxtaposition of the real Pekar and Co. with the actors that portrayed them, a move which could have easily backfired. Of course, for comics fans it's fun, if nothing else but for the sights like Pekar and "Robert Crumb" sitting at a bus stop talking, Pekar complaining and Crumb sketching away, seemingly oblivious but actually quite aware of what Harvey's saying. Hope Davis makes a strong impression as Pekar's wife Joyce Brabner, as well. I suppose it can be chalked up to that strange attraction I have for movies about artists and the creative process. A psychiatrist could probably make some hay from that, I suppose. Anyway, I found American Splendor quite enjoyable and now wish I hadn't changed the channel whenever Pekar came on the Letterman show.
I caught two new TV shows over the weekend as well: Wonderfalls, which I had to tape and watch later because of work, and the HBO series Deadwood. I liked the charming debut episode of the former a lot more than I liked the second, which presumed the willingness of the viewer to swallow a ton of illogic. The first eppy was zingy and clever, and the lead is likeable in spite of herself. If you don't get Showtime, and wonder what kind of feel Dead Like Me has, well wonder no more- the two shows have a similar vibe, since the same guy created both. Dead is superior, at least in my book, because its ensemble cast is just a bit stronger. I also found myself attracted to her buddy Mahatma, played by Tracey Thoms, whom I could swear I've seen in something else before- but a glance at the imdb listing tells me that isn't the case. In fact, the show is so whimsical and clever, that I'm sure that Fox will begin to screw around with it real soon and I give it two months tops, or at least until enough episodes are filmed to put together a DVD box, which I will be right there in line to buy. Time will tell, I suppose. HBO's Deadwood won't have that problem- HBO generally gives its series room to breathe, and they don't usually bail on a series as quickly as its more fickle network cousins. Deadwood has gained most of its noteriety so far for its constant use of vulgar language, which is certainly excessive but not terribly out of place, since almost everything about this series, from the greasy coif on town kingpin Al Swearengen to Robin Weigert's grimy, loud Calamity Jane to all of Al's skanky looking ladies of the evening are all sweaty, dirty, grimy and generally unkempt. While I only managed to catch the second episode Saturday night (my TV listing said it was the debut, but I don't think so), I thought the cast was great and the storyline appears promising. While I was watching, it kept nagging at me that something was real familiar about the show, and when I saw the credits on last night's encore showing, I realized what it was: the director was Walter Hill, of The Long Riders fame, and it's no coincidence that one of the stars of that great flick (possibly a candidate for my top 30 which I'm thinking about listing right here in response to Dave Fiore's call for some movie blogging) was none other than Deadwood's Wild Bill Hickock, Keith Carradine.
I did other things besides watch TV and listen to music, like participate in the annual draft of the Southern Kentucky Fantasy Baseball League, which was a bit of a cluster f*ck thanks to excessive drinking and tardiness on the part of some of the members, but that's usually always the case so it'll be all right. And in case you were wondering, I had four beers, 'cause I had to get up early Sunday morning and didn't care to be hung over. I had to get up so I could do the Sunday Morning Religious Program Thing at WLOC again. Yesterday, I finally finished burning some CDs for this fellow who emails me from California occasionally and wants to talk music- he sent me some blank CDs back in November and I'm finally getting them done. I gave him plenty of time to get tired of the ones I sent him in October! I did a little work around the house, honest I did, and that's about all I can think of. And that's how I spent my weekend. Woo hoo!
ADD certainly has a bug up his bum about the perennially late Ultimates book. Me, personally, I've never gotten too bent out of shape because a title's late, although it definitely burns a lot of people up, I know. I'm content to buy it whenever it comes out, because as far as I'm concerned a long wait between issues of a comic done by creators I like is preferable to fill-ins or replacements. Plus, that's three bucks I can spend on something else or not spend at all. I realize that this is kind of a head-in-the-sand attitude to have, and one would think that creators should take it upon themselves, whenever possible, to be mindful of deadlines- but as a natural born procrastinator myself I suppose I can sympathize.
Another week, another Diamond shipping list. Here's the funnybook goodness awaiting me tomorrow at the Great Escape, formerly Pac-Rat's, in the Greenwood Square Shopping Center in Bowling Green, KY. Maybe if I plug 'em enough I'll get a discount on my books. Yeah, like that's gonna happen.
HUMAN TARGET #8
LOSERS #10
SMAX #5
WANTED #3
Plus, I'm supposed to get the copy of Steve Rude's The Moth Double-Sized Special that my shop got shorted on. We shall see. I'd love to get a copy of that sweet-looking Darwyn Cooke spotlight issue of Comic Book Artist, but I had to give that title up long ago. Still, the temptation is there.
Had the day off yesterday, so I decided to take the day off from the ol' blog too. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me.
Sunday, March 21, 2004
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BEST OF THE WEEK
What I bought and what I thought, week of March 17
DAREDEVIL 58
It seems like a book that's as consistently excellent as Bendis and Maleev's Daredevil will, by its very nature, receive consistent reviews from one issue to the next, and it becomes frustratingly redundant to always say something along the lines of "Great, gripping script. Outstanding, atmospheric art. Daredevil is quite possibly the best superhero comic out there, especially when Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev are at the reins. Frank Miller has nothing on these fellows.". But heck, I can't let it go at that- in this issue we get the introduction of the most Tarantino-ish character Bendis has dreamed up yet (or better, re-imagined), the Night Nurse, and exploring all the ramifications of Matt Murdock's new title through the eyes of Ben Urich has given us two more memorable set pieces: of course, the interlude with the Nurse and Matt at the nameless hospital, and the state that Matt's law practice is in now, with a beleaguered Foggy Nelson's sad plight. Daredevil remains one of the few mainstream superhero books you can read and still respect yourself in the morning. A
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER 3
Once again, Darwyn Cooke is loose in DC's Silver Age sandbox, refining and expanding his take on the DC pantheon with an early 60s setting. In this issue, we get an exciting widescreen re-enactment of the origin of the Challengers of the Unknown, more on Hal Jordan (whose handwriting is kinda teeny tiny for such a strapping young test pilot), Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman (is he insinuating that WW had a fling with Ike? Eww), a lot with J'onn J'onzz, and even manages to work in the likes of King Faraday (I wonder how many of today's readers are even aware how long that guy's been around). He also gives us a new character, a black man in the deep south who was the victim of a failed lynching by the Klan, and isn't very happy about it. He is apparently going to take it upon himself to fight this evil with a hammer and a mask, and will call himself John Henry. All good, but if we get Pecos Bill and Paul Bunyan as well, I'm bailing. It's obvious that this is both a Herculean task and a labor of love for Cooke, and it's staggering, almost on a Peter Jackson level, to imagine how much effort he's put into this so far, especially on splash pages like the one on page 51. We also get a cute homage to the film Invaders From Mars which for some reason Dar renames "Invasion From Mars", and why he does this I don't know. Still, this is great stuff, and kinda puts the wan JLA: Year One to shame, doesn't it? A
THE WALKING DEAD 5
Robert Kirkman plays us like a boxer, stringing us along for three quarters of the book with lots and lots of talk and dramatics, then suddenly we get the uppercut with an intense zombie attack scene (with some atypically quick-reflexed zombies) which is genuinely harrowing because we've come to care about the characters- and as anyone will tell you that's half the battle. And Tony Moore seems to get more confident with every issue as his facial expressions become more facile and his linework gets more assured. Pretty good for a zombie comic. A-
LUCIFER 48
Fine little fantasy story, made better by the appearances of Mazikeen and Elaine Belloc, like the cavalry, at the end. Problem is, I don't necesarily buy this comic for fantasy stories, as it were, but for the machinations of the title character and their effect on those who are in his orbit, and we've been getting very little of that lately which I think accounts for my somewhat lukewarm interest in this otherwise-not-bad four issue story arc. This issue would seem to be a resolution, but the last page shows this isn't the case, so I'll keep the faith 'cause I know it will get better. B+
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I've been digging again in the box my Mom found in our basement, which was full of old, coverless, beat-up comics which I did not deem to be in collectable condition waaaay back long ago when I started collecting comics for real. I had found an old copy of Eerie 8 in that box, which contained one of the stories drawn by Jerry Grandenetti that had blown me away as a kid, and I posted a page and a synopsis of the story in question. So digging in the box again, I unearthed another coverless, yellowed Warren mag, this time Eerie 9, which featured my favorite Goodwin/Grandenetti story, "Rub The Lamp", and there was no way I was gonna not post a page from it. "Lamp" is basically a spin on the old "Monkey's Paw" type tale, in which our protagonist, a lamp collector named John Coates, finally acquires the one object he's searched for for years- Aladdin's lamp.Of course, he has more than a collector's interest...he wants to use its wish granting powers to make himself and his wife rich. So he ducks into an alley, rubs the lamp, and wishes for the staggering sum of $50,000 dollars. Whereupon nothing happens, and he flings the lamp away in disgust. However, on his way home, he is dismayed to find (in the scene above) that his apartment cought fire, due to faulty wiring, and his wife died in the blaze. The next evening, the dejected Coates is presented with a check by his insurance agent for $50,000 dollars. From there on, things go from bad to worse as Coates goes back and finds the lamp, and makes two more wishes- and gets more than he bargained for each time.
Grandenetti was just out of his mind doing this stuff back in this period- it's full of skewed, vertiginous perspective shots, lettering that fills up backgrounds rather than word balloons, some gorgeous wash effects, and of course his trademark expressionism- few could depict lunacy, tension and desperation as effectively as Mr. Grandenetti, especially in those days. I see, looking back, that it was work like this (and, of course, others like Eisner, Adams, Kane, and more) that led me to want to practice drawing and be a comic book artist when I grew up. Of course, I never acheived that goal, but that's my fault and certainly neither here nor there.
I really wish that someone could collect all these great Grandenetti stories from the 60s, both in the Warren Magazines and DC comics like The Spectre as well, so people could check it out for themselves and perhaps stimulate some interest and recognition for this underrated and forgotten creator. Hope springs eternal, as they say...