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Saturday, August 14, 2004
Okay, look. I know this is from Something Awful. And that means there's gonna be plenty of in-jokes, homophobia, and shit jokes. But if you can block that stuff out...
...these Watchmen remixes are pretty funny.
posted by Matt 1:51 PM EST permalink
While the majority of news and info that'll happen this weekend and most of next week will come from the chicago thing that's going on, Diamond released the July Top 300 list right before the close of the news cycle.
A quick parsing shows that only 6 of the top hundred titles and 48 of the second hundred weren't published by DC or Marvel. So out of a possible 200 slots, the big two fill 146.
posted by Matt 1:35 PM EST permalink
Friday, August 13, 2004
i'm out of here on vacation for a bit. fraction should be popping in from time-to-time, assuming anything actually happens in our wacky world of comics. probably won't be checking email, so i'll catch you when i get back. cheers.
posted by peter! 12:09 PM EST permalink
new review: real stuff by dennis eichhorn and friends
"Thank God, someone's put Dennis Eichhorn back into print.
"Hunter Thompson once said, and I paraphrase, 'You want to know what Gonzo is? Ask Eichhorn.' For years, he was pretty much the only autobio comics guy not writing about his crappy job or jerking off. He's burned through a few marriages and millions of brain cells, collected a mass of scar tissue, had three guys' share of crazy girlfriends, and documented it all in comics. And the possible man-sweat overload is cut hard by his honesty. He's pretty aware of being a stupid bastard. But, hey, he got the stories out of it. And they're good, funny, poignant and real stories."
(more from warren ellis)
posted by peter! 12:05 PM EST permalink
adi on blackshirt:
following up yesterday's post, adi dropped us a line with some additional thoughts on the new book...
"BLACKSHIRT is a pulp noir story, the type they used to churn out in the 1930s where the writers were paid 10 cents a word, and they downed a bottle of whisky and a handful of pills and write the whole story in a white line fever in a few days. The best thing about those stories is that they fucking moved. Not an ounce of fat or padding in the story, no false stops or pauses for wanky sensitive character moments. Character was expressed through action. Crime and lust drove the characters to extremes. Primal storytelling. Antiheroes, dangerous women and shades of grey.
"I wanted to update the pulp story and see how far you could push it to the present day. Turns the basic premise held up just fine: a former soldier turned writer who moonlights as a thief for kicks, only to be blackmailed into being a good guy by a mysterious woman who wants him to be better that. That's a perfect plot engine and all it took was an updating: the man is now a former SAS man turned writer like real-life authors Andy McNabb and Chris Ryan. The woman is much more sophisticated and scary because of what we now know about the world of politicals and black ops. The bad guys are drawn from what we have now: Russian gangsters, Chinese people smugglers, corrupt corporations.
"But it really comes down to a twisted love story between two damaged and dangerous people who need redemption, who have more in common than they care to admit, and how they play out this dance in a landscape of obssession, betrayal and death."
posted by peter! 11:44 AM EST permalink
Thursday, August 12, 2004
teaser for the third couriers graphic novel coming out this january from brian wood, rob g and ait/planetlar.
posted by peter! 11:26 AM EST permalink
blackshirt arrives:
adi tantimedh's new graphic novel, blackshirt, arrived in finer comic stores yesterday from moonstone books. here's the cover to look for:
96 pages, black & white, $10.95
posted by peter! 11:23 AM EST permalink
ennis on 303:
here's what garth had to say about his new war book coming out from avatar later this year:
"303 is the story of a Russian Special Forces Colonel, who, after a particularly brutal bit of black ops nastiness in Afghanistan, decides to walk to America to take out a highly important target.
"The title refers to the rifle he's going to use for the job, an antique British army Lee Enfield, three oh three calibre. This was the weapon that took the British army through two world wars and survived in its service until long after the second. It still shows up today from time to time, carried by tribesmen and guerrilla fighters in some of the world's most brutal conflicts. The Lee Enfield is one of the great success stories of killing technology; it's simple to use, what flaws it possesses are few and far between, and it'll withstand a good deal of very rough treatment indeed before it stops doing what it says on the tin.
"This particular Lee Enfield, however, is not just some artefact long overdue for retirement. High in the war-ravaged mountains of Afghanistan, the rifle falls into the hands of a man who plans to do the unthinkable: who sets out on a journey across whole continents, who fights his way through killing grounds both terrible and unexpected, all so he can fire a single bullet at the most important target in the world.
"303 begins as a war story, but changes halfway through into something I'm still not certain of myself. This is odd territory we're traversing, where the past pushes its warriors into the present with murderous intent, aiding and abetting destiny by means of numerous unwitting agents. It's the tale of a soldier who's been fighting for nothing all his life, but now believes he's found his purpose, and the one man who can stop him, a worn-out hero filled with fatal sadness.
"If I had to sum it up in one line, I'd say 303 was inspired by my fears for the world.
"I'm extremely fortunate to have the excellent Jacen Burrows drawing the story for me. If you've enjoyed his work with Alan Moore and Warren Ellis, you'll know exactly what I mean. Jacen's producing some of his finest work to date on this book, and with the complete creative freedom available at Avatar Press, you'll be glad to hear that neither he nor I will have to pull our punches. Which comes in handy, believe me, when you realize that a story's taking you places you've never been before."
posted by peter! 11:15 AM EST permalink
spanish eyes
comics writer samuel teer caught our spanish reference to cristian mallea in the road trip post from the other day and dropped us a line to tell us about a new book called disposable boys that he's collaborating with mallea on.
"Two teenagers, Tarasato and Fairport have discovered a truth that jars them awakens them from the suburban slumber. So, the two teens do the only thing they believe is logical. They're going to steal a car, drive half-way across the state and stop a mad scientist that has supposedly been turning children into walking/talking biological explosives..."
samuel's posted a 12-page PDF preview right here.
not related, but, uh, related kind of, carlos ferreira writes in to inform us of his new spanish comics blog, which has some snazzy art on display:
http://www.ferreteria.blogspot.com
posted by peter! 11:01 AM EST permalink
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
resonance:
the latest issue of resonance magazine (#42, cover below), is featuring a slew of comix and graphic novel reviews including sam henderson's magic whistle #9, allison cole's never ending summer, steve brodner's freedom fries and romance without tears edited by john benson, the former two published by alternative comics and the latter by fantagraphics. here's a cut of the allison cole review:
"Cole's characters are like Gumby's long lost hip cousins, with nondescript bodies save for the occasional variation in hairstyle. Simple in shape though they may be, it's difficult to avoid identifying with several characters, and wanting to tell them -- one can't be so sad all the time!"
posted by peter! 11:06 AM EST permalink
ocean:
for a interesting look behind the curtain, chris sprouse's character designs for warren's new sci-fi book entitled ocean were posted earlier in the week at the pulse. i've been looking forward to this book since warren had the idea for it and it looks like it's in very good hands, if i may say so myself.
posted by peter! 11:01 AM EST permalink
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
coming attractions: top shelf in october
BIGHEAD
by Jeffrey Brown
"Jeffrey Brown is back -- and with a BIGHEAD, no less! From the creator of CLUMSY and BE A MAN comes an irreverent and clever superhero parody, featuring the most amazing hero of all time: BIGHEAD. Witness inept villains clash with an all-too-emotional hero, in the epic graphic novel that will leap all clichés in a single bound. BIGHEAD brings together moral fable, social commentary and classic comic book action, featuring a superhero who must save an unthankful world while facing the demons of his own failures." ($12.95, 128pp, SC, ISBN 1-891830-56-2)
GUTSMAN COMICS VOL. 1
by Erik Kriek
"Think Love and Rockets of the superhero world mixed with Quentin Tarantino and you'll have Gutsman by Dutch creator Erik Kriek. Wordless, stylish, and sexy, this graphic novel playfully uses the imagery of mainstream comics to turn the spotlight on love affairs, despair, temptation and loss. A unique approach to comics." ($14.95, 128pp, SC, ISBN 90-5492-098-X)
posted by peter! 10:38 AM EST permalink
Monday, August 09, 2004
new review: teratoid heights by mat brinkman
"The effect of exploring Mat Brinkman's work after reading today's sophisticated graphic novels is like seeing something silent and unexpected happen on crude video footage upon arrival home from the multiplex, or listening to tapes of Depression-era folk musicians after overdosing on the oeuvre of Electric Light Orchestra. The skill and simplicity are incredibly affecting, and remind you of the core strengths of the medium in gently insistent ways."
(more from tom spurgeon)
posted by peter! 10:52 AM EST permalink
archives:
11/30/2003 - 12/06/2003
12/07/2003 - 12/13/2003
12/14/2003 - 12/20/2003
12/21/2003 - 12/27/2003
12/28/2003 - 01/03/2004
01/04/2004 - 01/10/2004
01/11/2004 - 01/17/2004
01/18/2004 - 01/24/2004
01/25/2004 - 01/31/2004
02/01/2004 - 02/07/2004
02/08/2004 - 02/14/2004
02/15/2004 - 02/21/2004
02/22/2004 - 02/28/2004
02/29/2004 - 03/06/2004
03/07/2004 - 03/13/2004
03/14/2004 - 03/20/2004
03/21/2004 - 03/27/2004
03/28/2004 - 04/03/2004
04/04/2004 - 04/10/2004
04/11/2004 - 04/17/2004
04/18/2004 - 04/24/2004
04/25/2004 - 05/01/2004
05/02/2004 - 05/08/2004
05/09/2004 - 05/15/2004
05/16/2004 - 05/22/2004
05/23/2004 - 05/29/2004
05/30/2004 - 06/05/2004
06/06/2004 - 06/12/2004
06/13/2004 - 06/19/2004
06/20/2004 - 06/26/2004
06/27/2004 - 07/03/2004
07/04/2004 - 07/10/2004
07/11/2004 - 07/17/2004
07/18/2004 - 07/24/2004
07/25/2004 - 07/31/2004
08/01/2004 - 08/07/2004
08/08/2004 - 08/14/2004
08/15/2004 - 08/21/2004
08/22/2004 - 08/28/2004
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