The Fantastic four musicians who comprise a string quartet: Here’s a cute story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer about a string quartet from the Cleveland Institute of Music who visit grade schools as Supersonic Sound Man, Harmony Hero, Viola Girl and Mr. Rhythm to teach kids about music. It got me thinking—aren’t most comic book characters who have some sort of super-powered classical instrument villains? Maybe these guys can help reclaim classical music from the likes of The Fiddler, The Piper and Anton Allegro.
This week’s cartoontroversy: A Pat Oliphant cartoon responding to Israel’s recent military actions in Gaza that left at least 1,300 Palestinians dead is called ‘hideosuly anti-Semitic.’
The secret origin of Iron Man’s house: This NPR profile of architectural photographer Julius Shulman opens by pointing out that Tony Stark’s home in last year’s Iron Man movie was inspired by Shulman’s photos.
“It seems only fitting, and long overdue… that the history of comics should be chronicled in comic book form”: NPR’s Monkey See blog on the first couple issues of Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s comic book history of comic books, Comic Book Comics.
Well it can’t be both “sexually explicit” and have “a lot of sexual undertones,” now can it?: Here’s a not very well-written article about some lady somewhere being mad about a school library having a Spider-Man comic, which is either a “‘Sexual’ Spider-Man Comic” or a “sexually explicit” Spider-Man comic or one that has “a lot of sexual undertones.” There was no indication of what comic it was that caused the offense given in the text version of the story, and I couldn’t listen to the local newscasters talking about it without wanting to kill myself, so I’m not sure what the offensive comic was. The one they’re flipping through looks like John Romita Jr.-drawn story with Mary Jane in it, though. Given the fact that Marvel’s kept Spidey out of the Max books I doubt that it was anything other than a book with “sexual undertones,” and, given Marvel’s clear rating and labeling, I can’t imagine how something actually inappropriate would get into a school library. I’m always glad to see stories like this though, as it means kids—or at least this one kid—is actually interested in comics (or at least this one comic).
This is where I lose all faith in The Onion’s comics reviews: Here are the latest batch of the A.V. Club’s regular reviews of recent-ish comics. This time out, everything that isn’t A Drifting Life, Humbug or My Mommy in in America… gets B’s, even Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1, which features “clear…storytelling” from Tony Daniel.
Tim O’Neil keeps Kingdom Come discussion coming: Here’s the latest post of O’Neil’s discussing Kingdom Come and its place in comics history. Like his previous posts on the subject, it’s an excellent read, and persuasively makes the case that today “Superhero comics have become superhero comics about superhero comics, which are themselves stories about superhero comics in a fallen world.” Go give it a read. Unless you happen to be a writer of superhero comics, in which case I imagine you might want to avoid reading it, as it might strike you with creative paralysis if you send any time considering how to write a good superhero comic without making it about superhero comics or replicating the deconstructed model of Alan Moore and pretty much everything since.
Well at least we’re all unhappy about it: Someone asked Justice League of America writer Dwayne McDuffie, “Do you actually enjoy writing JLA? It just seems to be constant editorial rewrites and bad art.” And he responded, “No, I don’t.” I’m actually kind of glad to hear that. I’ve always enjoyed McDuffie’s writing, but I dropped his JLoA within his first arc on the book, unable to stand another month of Ed Benes’ completely inappropriate artwork and amateur design skills and storytelling. But I have kept flipping through it each month at the shop, and it seems like every single story has either been in a lead-in or lead-out to another comic and/or devoted to cleaning up after the narrative mess of Brad Meltzer’s breif run. With artwork that hurts my eyes. (Link stolen from David Brothers of 4thletter.net)
March 28th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Well, if he doesn’t enjoy it than he should probably stop because I don’t think many other people are enjoying it either.
I’m kinda tired of how people keep blaming his mediocre writing on editorial mandates and crossovers; you can still write a decent story with limitations. Plus half of his run was crossover free, like his arc where he completely ripped off Meltzer and the current arc where he gets to play with his Milestone toys again.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
People should probably stop buying it too… Isn’t this still DC’s top selling monthly title? I gave up on it long ago, but despite all the griping people still buy it.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Oh, and about the Oliphant cartoon. Apparently, no matter what sickening and heinous acts the Israelis commit, you can’t ever criticize Israel without having the “anti-semite” label thrust upon you.
I’m not saying the Palestinians are total saints, but the Israeli government (and military) have become the very thing they claim they needed their own homeland to protect themselves from. Historical irony, indeed.
March 29th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Seems McDuffie writes the JLA solely for the paycheck.
March 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Pulitzer prize winner Pat Olyphant adds fangs to the star of David: Shock! Outrage! The vile anti-semetic agenda at work! Look at how
Pulitzer prize winner Michael Ramirez depicts the entire nation of Iran as a festering sewer leaking cockroaches and filth all over the middle east, then in another cartoon depicts Iran using octopus imagery appropriated directly from Nazi propaganda: Nope, no problems here.
March 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
sorry, that first paragraph should have said “look at how he’s echoing the nazis!”