EXCELSIOR!

Tomorrow is the first Saturday of May.  Do you know what that means?

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!

A few years back when the fist X-Men film was released, comic book retailers across the nation decided to seize upon the publicity by having Free Comic Book Day.  The theory being that the film would cause millions of people to start jonsing for a comic fix and they (the retailers) would be there to scratch your itch.  Well I guess it was successful because here we are nearly a decade later and it's become an annual tradition.

Last year Free Comic Book Day followed the release of the excellent Iron Man movie.  This year we're not so lucky and are getting a reportedly less than stellar Wolverine movie.  Oh well. They can't all be winners.  

Shitty mutant movie aside - you should carve an hour out of your tomorrow to  head on down to your nearest comic book retailer.  What you don't know where that is?  Shame on you!  But you can always dial 1-888-COMICBOOK for a little help in that department.

Lots of cool publishers are releasing lots of cool special issues that are only available as part of Free Comic Book Day.  I'm personally excited for the Love and Rockets sampler from Fantagraphics (though there will probably be none left by the time I get off work). Grrr.

In addition to the free books, most shops will also be hosting massive sales.  With the economy as it is this would be the perfect time to but that trade paper back you've been eyeing.  Or for those of you who aren't really comic book followers this is the perfect time to start.  The first taste is free and the second taste could be 25% off.  I'd like to see a drug dealer who could do better.

All joking and carnival barking aside - please come out and support this truly American art medium.  You turned out in droves to see The Dark Knight, now it's time to turn out for the little funny books that first gave us the caped crusader.

Recommended titles for newbies to look at:

-Love and Rockets

-Y: The Last Man

-Watchmen

-Runaways

-Scott Pilgrim

-The Dark Knight Returns

-Persepolis

-Invincible

Comics and Film: A Dialogue

Here’s a link to the new trailer for Frank Miller’s adaptation of Will Eisner’s “The Spirit”. When you're done come back and enjoy a lively discussion on comics and film.

http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-spirit/26912/trailer?trailerId=2254867

Well hopefully this will be a more successful film than “Sin City”

Oh my God! Did he just rag on “Sin City”?

Yes I did. A little.

But Craig, you own “Sin City” on DVD. The special edition no less!

Guilty as charged.

Then what is this heresy thou speakest?

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy “Sin City” but not as a film. I marvel at what was achieved visually by all those involved. Marv walking through the rain, white silhouettes on black screen, racing cars, etc.

OK. So where’s the problem?

The problem is that I hardly ever feel the urge to re-watch it as a whole film. I’ll watch a scene or even a particular shot, but not the whole film.

Why do you think that is?

I think it’s the result of those involved being too reverent to the source material.

Too reverent? Don’t you geeks get all in a twitter about film adaptations that stray too much from the source material?

Yes we do. We want the film’s creators to be respectful of source material.

Then what’s the problem?

The problem is that if you hold something too tightly you can kill it.

Like a bunny rabbit?

Yes. Like a cute little bunny rabbit. “Sin City” is so fetishistically obsessed with depicting each and every panel of the comic that it loses it’s energy. “Sin City” does not feel alive for me. It feels like an exercise in replication. I came down to the theatre to have a cinematic experience. If I wanted the comic I would read the comic. A film needs to be allowed to be a film.

So then are you entirely against the idea of adapting comics into films?

No. Not at all. Take “Ghost World” for example. That was a very respectful adaptation while at the same time being drastically different from the book. Terry Zwigoff’s visual style complimented Daniel Clowes’ illustrations but is not slavish to them. Also it remained true to the emotional story. The same goes from “American Splendor”.

So then are you going to see “The Spirit” when it comes out?

Probably.

But what if it's missing energy or whatever you accused "Sin City" of doing?

That's absolutely possible but I don't think it will happen.

Why not?

Because this film isn't a slavish recreation of anything. Aside from character names and basic set-up, this film looks to have little in common with the old Will Eisner books. Frank Miller having some fun with Will Eisner's toys. I cannot wait to see what comes of it. Good pulpy fun.

You baffle me.

I baffle myself all the time. See you in the funny papers and at the movies.

PS - Speaking of movies...

Here are two other cool trailers you might like:

First up the Tom Cruise tries to kill Hitler pic "Valkyrie"



And finally the new trailer for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". You'll have to go to the actual site and watch the quicktime trailer cause it's just too beautiful to experience in muddy ol' youtube

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/

And lastly

When I first became politically active and able to vote I registered Green. The first ballot I ever cast was for Peter Miguel Camejo for Governor of California. Sadly Peter died on September 13th at the age of 68. I did not find out about this until yesterday. This brings me much sadness. Camejo was a great man who stood up for what he believed.

Read more about him over at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Camejo

RIP

The Goddamn Batman!

Since last month I have been looking forward to the new issue of "All Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder". Issue 10 was originally due to hit stands in August but got pushed to September.

This is understandable seeing as the book is written by two insanely popular and busy creators (Frank Miller and Jim Lee respectively) but when I got to my local shop on Wednesday and found the issue still not on the racks I was very miffed.

Now thanks to this blog from the LA Times I know exactly why it wasn't there:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/batman-and-robi.html

Man I wish I had been able to get ahold of one of those books. These babies will be sought after like the Star Wars Holiday Special. But really, what's the problem? Is there a difference between reading a curse word and seeing one blacked out especially when you can ABSOLUTELY tell what word is supposed to be there? I mean this book is CLEARLY not for kids.


Oh well.

I guess DC has to do what DC has to do to cover their ass.

Now I have only one question - WHEN THE FUCK DO I GET TO GET MY MOTHERFUCKING COMIC?!?!?

update: according to the DC Comics website I am going to have to wait till the 24th. Damn printers!

Sterotypes Rock!

About a month ago I went on a “Love & Rockets” spree reading anything by Los Bros Hernandez I could get my hands on. While making my way through Jaime’s stories about “Las Locas” Maggie and Hopey I came across an epically long story entitled “Wig-Wam Bam”. The title is a reference to a song which bonded two characters when they were younger and it’s by the band Sweet (often referred to as “The Sweet” on early albums). Most people know them as the band behind “Ballroom Blitz”.

After finishing the story I decided to give the song a listen. It’s really catchy with its fuzzy glam guitars and all. The perfect song to rock out to in 1977 (or 2008 if you’re a geek like me). Anyhow, I never really paid attention to the lyrics until recently, and boy are they kind of racist.

Now I’m not talking Johnny Reb ‘get a rope’ racist, but a touch offensive nonetheless. The song is about Native American’s getting it on. Check out this youtube clip and the guitarist's fashion choice:



The bleeding heart liberal in me is a little offended. The rocker side of me just plain loves the song. And the part of me that loves to be inappropriate is insanely giddy over this song.

With a final score of 2 against 1 this song is officially declared –

AWESOME!

PS:

On a much more somber note I would like to mark the passing of two insanely talented individuals.

Isaac Hayes & Bernie Mac

You will both be greatly missed.

Mahalo

Youth of the Beast

Recently I read Rob Schrab’s “Drywall Unzipped” in which two AWESOME Don Ho songs (“Happy Me” and “A Lover’s Prayer”) are referenced. When I was done with the comic I instantly sampled the songs on iTunes and bought them. They are pop perfection and I have been playing them incessantly since.

While listening to the songs on our way down to San Diego the other day, my lovely fiancé mentioned that Don Ho had appeared on an episode of her favorite TV show – “I Dream of Jeannie.” Tonight, having nothing to do, we found ourselves watching not only that episode but also two others featuring Phil Spector and Sammy Davis Jr. respectively. It is here that we encounter a, ‘chicken or the egg’ situation.

Watching these episodes I encountered so many period-specific things that I adore:

- Pathé Color©
- Mid-Century furnishings & fashion
- Lounge Music
- Space-Age obsession
- Animated title sequences
- Exotica
- Random musical numbers
- Self-deprecating celebrity cameos
- Crazy opticals & transitions
- Jabs at the youth culture of the time

I then began to wonder:

“Do I like these things because I watched “I Dream of Jeannie” as a child, or do I like “I Dream of Jeannie” because it has these things in it?”

I know that I watched a lot of “I Dream of Jeannie” when I was young, and I admit to looking back on my childhood with nostalgia, but is that enough to really build an obsession? Plenty of people my age watched this show and others like it growing up and they don’t give two fucks about the things that I find beautiful.

Where does obsession begin?

I guess it’s kind of like, “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll© center of a Tootsie Pop©?”

The world may never know.


Mahalo.

Do The Con

I’ve attended Comic-Con off and on for the past decade. Over those years it has grown exponentially. It has evolved to the point where there is absolutely no way to really, “Do the Con,” in one day. Take it from me – I’ve tried.

Last year was my first time going in four years. It was quite a culture shock and knocked me on my ass. Though I had been there before, I felt like a stranger in a strange land. I was overwhelmed.

When I first started going back in middle school, the convention floor was small enough that you could walk every aisle and still have time for a couple of panels. Now the floor is so large (and packed with so many people) you really need a whole day (or parts of multiple days) to dedicate solely to visiting booths.

Thanks to increased interest from Major Hollywood Studios© booths that were once simply booths now can tower two stories and feature lighting rigs that would blow your house’s circuit breaker. Also thanks to Them© the swag has taken a huge leap up in both awesomeness and quality but… you have to play their game in order to get it. The right two panels could literally eat up a whole day.

It’s like a dance: Wait in line an hour and a half for the panel. Sit through panel. Get ticket for item. Wait in line one hour to receive item. Rinse. Repeat.

This year I was able to take it more in stride. The boy who once had to see and do everything decided to settle for a few really special things. While it is true that you cannot, “Do the Con,” in one day, you can still have one heck of a time – as long as you’re selective.

See you in the funny papers.

The Kid From Left Field

I owe Rob Schrab so much.

Because of him I was able to become far cooler than any 6th grade comic geek rightly deserved.

After seeing a pic of Scud: The Disposable Assassin in an issue of Wizard I instantly set about finding an issue. The one that I eventually found was issue #11 "Neutron Dance: Dimension of Blood II." It didn't matter that I had no clue what had gone down in the previous ten issues - I was hooked but good.

The dynamic black and white art, the cinematic layouts, the pop culture references I didn't quite get (but would eventually seek out and love) and most of all - the dirty words. While all my friends were still reading X-Men and Gen 13 (which admitedly I was also still reading) I was frequenting the "indie" section of the comic shop fiending for my clown colored assassin fix.

Every time a new issue came out the hunt was on. Many stores didn't cary the book and the few that did didn't order very many. As a result, my collection is very patchy. Those books are prized highest because of the hunt that prefigured their possession.

Around the time I stopped reading comics regularly, Rob also ceased doing Scud. He left it at issue 21 with one hell of a cliffhanger.

CUT-TO:

May 2007

I take the occasion of "Free Comic Book Day" to return to the world of comics. I picked up the first "Y: The Last Man" collection and was hooked. Like lost loves, comics and I were reunited.

Aided by the internet, I frantically began looking into what all of my favorite writers and artists were up to these days. That is when I came across...

(http://www.robschrab.com/)

Awesome! But even more awesome was the news that Rob was going to be returning to Scud to resolve that cliffhanger and bring the series to conclusion. Originally it was going to be just a single issue that would be added to the end of a big book collecting the whole series, but as most projects tend to do - it grew.

Eventually it became a four issue arc released over the course of as many months. Schrab churned out some of the best work of his career and ended the series on the perfect note completing not only the arc of his series but an arc in his personal life.

As of yesterday (7.22.08) you can now buy the big-ass "Whole Shebang!" book. For the sheer volume of comic you are getting the $29.99 cover price is nothing. Pick it up and have some fun.

Unfortunately since I am only able to attend Comic Con on Friday, I will not be able to meet Mr. Schrab in person to thank him for this comic and what it has meant to my life. Le sigh. Perhaps one day I will. Or maybe he'll read this blog.

Mahalo

...Meow?

The day after seeing "The Dark Knight" Becca and I started talking about what they could do for the next film and we both felt the next logical step would be catwoman. But who would they get to play her?

Some one with balls. Someone dark. Someone European.

My ideal Catwoman is...

Asia Argento

Discuss!

Why So Serious?

Well it seems like "The Dark Knight" is set to overtake Spider-Man's title of 'highest grossing comic book movie' and I couldn't be happier.

I really really really didn't like the first "Spider-Man" (the third one too). I had problems with the effects and with some of the performances but my main problem was the Green Goblin. I found him to be a really shitty villain and his plastic mask did him no favors.

I knew directly after seeing it that I didn't like the film but I could not exactly place why. About a week or so after it came out I read a review written by filmmaker Kevin Smith where he hit the nail on the head. He described the rooftop scene where the Goblin is trying to talk Spider-Man into being bad as reminiscent of a young child playing with his action figures.

Green Goblin: "Come on be a bad guy!"

Spider-Man: "No way man!"

In order to have a truly great comic book movie you have to have a truly great villain. Sure Sandman in "Spider-Man 3" had this whole sob story and was all misunderstood and such, but we never had time to care 'cause the movie was trying to ram so many other things down our throats that we wound up not caring about any of it. Zilch.

While I do have some problems with "The Dark Knight" (the "scary" bat-voice, some editing in an early scene and the way hand-to-hand combat was filmed) all of them are rendered tolerable thanks to one key element - an awesome villain.

People have been saying for a long while now that the late Heath Ledger is headed for a posthumous Oscar nod (and possible win) and after seeing this movie I agree completely. Heath's Joker is one sick, scary son of a bitch. This character is a completely un-predictable sociopath and that's what makes him so scary - he doesn't care and you never know what he's about to do.

A problem I had with the first film was the philosophical speechifying. You know the whole, "Gotham is worth saving," stuff. Here the speechifying goes down a lot smoother because the debate about man's base nature, is so tightly woven into who Joker is as a character. Whenever Batman (in the "scary" voice), Harvey Dent or Jim Gordon would go off on a tear about heroism or some such, I found myself waiting for the plot to move forward. The Joker, on the other hand, I could listen to for hours.

If you haven't seen this film yet you probably should. While it's not as rip-roaring as "Iron Man" it's still a great ride that has something to say and features, front and center, one of the greatest swan songs in cinema history.

Heath – you will be very sorely missed.

Gang Of Four No More

2007 was a great year for film. I didn’t go and see as many films as I did in 2006 but about 90% of the ones that I DID see were excellent. There was bawdy comedy like “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”, there was thoughtful indie comedy like “Juno” and “The Darjeeling Limited”, there was even a rockin’ Korean monster movie in “The Host”. Back in January I picked four films as my key favorites of the year. And, in no particular order (‘cause no one film is truly greater than any one of the others) they are:

There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men
Grindhouse
Zodiac

Tonight I decided on the film that will turn my marvelous quartet into a mind-melting quintet.

Persepolis

I first saw this film back in February (though it came out in like December thus allowing it to qualify for both the Oscars AND my list). Immediately upon seeing it I knew it was a great film and rooted for it at the Oscars (where it lost to the immensely talented Brad Bird and those geniuses over at Pixar) but the thought of adding it to the list had simply never crossed my mind.

Tonight Becca and I went over to John and Melody’s to watch it on DVD. Since this was my second time seeing the film I was able to really step back and look at all of the individual elements and each is astonishing. The film is a perfect melding of style and story, the personal and the political. It shifts tones from funny to sad like a top of the line cinematic racecar.

If you have not yet seen this film please do. It is a masterpiece of the highest order and is also very relevant to what the Chinese would call these “interesting times” we are living through.

Mahalo.

PS: Check this out. To the truly hip this is old news but to me and possibly to you it’s new: (http://www.banksy.co.uk/films/movie5.html)

Big Red

As any fan boy worth his salts knows, we are existing in a great time for comic book movies. This summer we have have Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted and Dark Knight. I loved loved loved Iron Man but took a rain check on both Hulk and Wanted. Tonight Becca, Dri and I saw Hell Boy II: The Golden Army.

Aside from the opening scene featuring a 9 year old Hell Boy I really liked the movie. Director Guillermo Del Toro put his bigger budget to great use. It was funny as hell, the action was AWESOME (tooth fairies are fucking viscious man) and despite all of the make up you could really feel for the characters. A lesser directors would get too drunk on all the new "toys" and made a pretty but vacant film.

Like the best comic book movies (Ghost World, Superman II, American Splendor) it stays true to the comic without being so reverent as to render it lifeless. I once read (or maybe heard) an interview with Mike Mignola where he said that he created Hell Boy because he liked to draw monsters fighting other monsters. This Hell Boy film is exactly that.

I think I might like this one more than the original but I won't say for certain until I've had time to really live with the film. But yeah it was really good and I hope it gets its moment to shine at the box office before Batman's arrival next week when everyone gets laid waste.

Hello

It seems that everyone has a blog these days and I'm somebody so here we go.

This will be a place for me to blab about shit that I think is cool and perhaps to post rants. Maybe that's how i'll start this off. Eh - I'm too lazy at the moment.

Instead I'll take a moment to sing the praises of Los Bros Hernandez.

I've been into comics since the 3rd grade. This was mostly the result of my teacher telling my mom that it would help me to better socialize with my peers. I'm not exactly sure how that works because a) comics are something you read by yourself and b) comic geeks are commonly social outcasts. Anyhow...for most of my life I've been a comic reader. Sure there have been times where I didn't read very many (college) but in the past year + I've gotten back into comics with a vengeance.

Here are some titles I've followed in the past year and recommend:

Runaways (ongoing series):

Y: The Last Man (completed 60 issue series)

Grendel: Behold the Devil (almost complete 8 issue series)

Madman: Atomic Comics (ongoing series)

Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (ongoing but who knows for how long)

Invincible (ongoing series)

In addition to these I have also been catching up with important works in the history of comics such as:

Reading all of these has been an extremely enriching experience. Sequential Art (as Will Eisner called it) is such a wonderfully diverse medium. It can tell intensely personal stories as well as fantastical stories about heroism. There is endless potential and I feel that nobody explores that better than Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez with their legendary series Love and Rockets.

Jaime and Gilbert are so different yet so similar. People have tried to pidgeonhole them by saying that Gilbert is the better writer and Jaime the better artist but that is not really the case. I'm blown away by Gilbert's art just as often as I am Jaime's. Jaime's stories about Las Locas fascinate me just as much as Gilbert's tales of Palmoar. I love both equally. And I think the reason for that is they take the best elements of so many different genre's and styles and mix them all together very beautifully. There is touching drama, funny gags, thrilling action, experimental storytelling and personal expression all wrapped up together. Fantagraphics Books has recently started publishing chronological collections of all the Love and Rockets stuff. There are three books of Gilbert's Palomar stuff, three books of Jaime's Locas stuff and one book of misc. stuff by the two of them. I highly recommend picking up the first Gilbert book (Heartbreak Soup (blue cover)) as well as the first Jaime book (Maggie the Mechanic (red cover)). Great great stuff in both.

Gilbert Hernandez

Jaime Hernandez

Well I guess I did have enough energy for a rant of sorts. Not bad for a first blog. I guess the moral of this story kids is to go out to your local comic shop and start reading. Try any of the titles suggested in this blog as well as Persepolis 1 & 2 (recently made into an awesome Oscar nominated animated film) and the four currently available volumes of Scott Pilgrim (soon to be major motion picture directed by Edgar Wright and starring Michael Cera).

Long Live Sequential Art!!!

See you in the funny papers.