I should have introduced myself again before. My bad. My name is Cecil Castellucci and I wrote the OGN The PLAIN Janes out on DC Comics new Minx line. It’s about a group of girls named Jane who start an art girl gang in their suburban town and shake things up.

So this week’s street and crush is going to be in the same post because I am in love with Banksy.

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Thanks for the great questions, people!

Senore Swankypants asks: What is your favorite kind of cheese and why?

CC: I like it stinky and blue. ‘Cause I’m French and it tastes good.

Tim O’Shea has two questions: Have you seen an increase in snail mail?

CC: Why yes! I have! Thank you for your postcard! PO Boxes should always have things in them! That said, here it is again: Cecil Castellucci PO Box 29005 LA CA 90029

What’s been the best experience or benefit so far in terms of taking your writing skills to a new medium (and/or along the way of promoting the PLAIN Janes)?

CC: I think that when you take your writing skills to a new medium, you learn how to write differently in your old mediums. I think that writing a graphic novel along side a novel was interesting. It freed me up to use more words than I usually do in my newest novel, BEIGE and allowed me to cut a lot of words out from my graphic novel.

Kevin Melrose asks: When will James star in his own comic?

CC: Oh, how I love James. I could write a whole book about him. He definitely gets a starring role in my heart.

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Just thought that since next Friday will be my last Friday guest blogging here, I’d give you all a chance to ask me anything you want!

I’ll answer anything!

Well.

Within reason.

So, if anybody has any burning questions for me, Cecil Castellucci, or Jim Rugg – cause I bet I can get him to answer some, too – ask in the comments and I’ll post the responses next week!

Meanwhile, May the force be with you!

And thanks for all the kick-ass suggestions for reading material so far!

There is nothing like quite like it. The neighborhood bookstore. They are a dying breed, too. So I thought, since this past week I had book launches, for my novel Beige, and The Plain Janes, at both my fave neighborhood indie bookstore and comic book store, I would sing their praises.

First up, the fabulous Skylight Books in Los Feliz. They are a Booksense Independent Bookstore and I love them so much that sometimes I even help them out when they do outside events. We had cupcakes and champagne and I made people come up with punk names.

The greatest thing about them (and other indie bookstores) is that the booksellers in the store really know books. You can say, “I’m in the mood for this kind of story…” and chances are they’ll have just thing. Skylight also has a great graphic novel section (mostly indie, but some superhero) and has had signings with Joe Matt, Gabrielle Bell, Kevin Huizenga, amongst others.

The same fabulous and discriminating taste can be said for my local indie Comic Book store The Secret Headquarters.

Whatever you might be in the mood for, they’ve got it. From superhero stuff to obscure indie comics, they’ve read it, they’ve got it and they can let you know if you’ll like it.

I’ve been going there regularly and they’ve never steered me wrong. David and David have introduced me to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, Warren Ellis’ Next Wave, Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman, Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, and R. Kikuo Johnson’s Night Fisher to name a few titles off the top of my head that they’ve recommended and that I’ve adored.

They also have art shows there. I even bought an original (tiny) Johnny Ryan that makes me laugh out loud every time I walk up and down my stairs.

It’s a lush, cozy, comfortable place and last night at my first official comic book store signing it was like a fabulous literary salon, where people came in and out and had a beer and sat with me and talked about how to get girls to read comic books, fave titles, and life, the universe and everything.

Both stores are simply wonderful and they make me love my neighborhood all the more. I bet you know what I’m talking about. I bet you have a local indie book store and comic book store that makes your heart sing, too.

I was a Batman Girl, growing up. But lately, Superman has my heart.

It probably began when I saw Superman Returns last summer. Some of my guy friends were all grumbly, but I was really excited about it being so Chick Flick-y with all the Lois Lane stuff.

A few months ago, as a special treat, I got myself the boxed set of the Superman movies, with Christopher Reeve.

Once again, I was fascinated, especially in Superman II, with the relationship between Superman/Clark Kent/Lois Lane. That moment when he gives up his powers to be with Lois and Lois overheard it and let him do it. It blew my mind. It was clear I needed to get reading to understand the heart and soul of what made this relationship between the Man of Steel and this sassy girl reporter tick!

I got a bunch of suggestions from friends and have been voraciously reading.

I’ve really enjoyed some recent issues of Kurt Busiek’s Action Comics – most specifically – Last Son

–Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen

–Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar

–Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid

–and Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman.

I even made my dad read it when he was here visiting last week for my book launches. And I’m wanting to read more! more! more!

So, please, enable my Superman crush! And bring on the Superman must reads to complete my education!

Sometimes art is a little bit evil. It’s a little bit dark side. It’s a little bit Star Wars. And it’s a little bit awesome.

Behold! The Vader Project!

It’s the best thing I saw at the Star Wars Celebration. Oh, yes, didn’t you know? It’s the 30th anniversary of Star Wars today and L.A. is host to a weekend long celebration.

Presented by Master Replicas Inc. and curated by Dov Kelemer of DKE Toys, they gave artists Darth Vader helmets to use as a blank canvas and I think the results are beautiful.

I know what you are saying, “But, Cecil, the Plain Janes do public street art. This is in-a-gallery-type-setting art.”

Pshaw! I say! The Plain Janes love art. Period! I think they would be all over this Vader Project, wishing and dreaming that they had been amongst the artists chosen to do something wildly creative with a Darth Vader helmet.

Art projects like this are something that I adore. The idea that everyone, given the same parameter to work around, will come up with something totally different and totally fantastic.

All the Vader Helmets were simply exquisite.

And the artists involved are incredible. Shag, Paul Frank Sunich , Mr Cartoon, Frank Kozik, Marc Ecko, Amanda Visell, Tim Biskup, J. Otto Seibold, Gary Baseman, Joe Ledbetter, Jeff Soto and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! There were 66 helmets on display!

This one is by Tim Biskup, who also designs my fave little characters in the Gama-Go line. I have the Gama-Go wallet, pajamas, slippers and a million T-shirts. I was even wearing my Pirate Ninja Kitty tee today.

This week L.A. has been invaded by knitters! The street art collective Knitta, Please! from Houston is in town and I was so excited to find one of their attacks right in my neighborhood!

In The Plain Janes, the girls do a knitting art attack. They make hats and scarves for public works.

I think we can safely say that telephone poles are good places for art. They are everywhere. And you can tape, staple or twist tie stuff to them!

I have to admit something. I had never watched Buffy, or Angel, until a few months ago.

I suspect it’s because I haven’t had the ability to watch broadcast or cable TV for the past 8 years. I won’t say I don’t have a TV, I do. I just can’t do anything with it but watch DVD’s.

I know tons of people who are so enamored of Joss Whedon. And Buffy. And Angel. And Firefly. But I had no idea what they were talking about because I had never seen anything he’d done. I would get bored when they talked about Joss Whedon, for hours, or said something we were watching was Whedonesque, because I didn’t get it.

“Oh, brother,” I thought. “How great can this Joss guy really be?”

But then, one day, randomly, I netflixed Firefly. And then I read Astonishing X-Men.

And. Oh. My. God.

I fixed the lack-of-Buffy-in-my-world problem I was clearly suffering from and have been watching Buffy and Angel religiously for the past few months.

What I love about all of Joss Whedon’s oeuvres is the ensemble.  He is interested in how the team works together, or falls apart. I also love the attention to detail and the fully fleshed-out characters. As a writer, there is so much to learn from him.

So, yesterday night, instead of hanging out with friends, cleaning my apartment in preparation for my parents visit, or maybe, I don’t know, writing, I finished watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 7.

I find that I was so glad to get finished with it so that I can start reading the Buffy Season 8 comic book. (Should I pick up the Firefly one, too? Let me know!)

And now I, too, am completely smitten with Joss Whedon.

Dear Joss Whedon,

I love you.

your new fan,

cecil

I first met Jim Rugg because Shelly Bond handed me every issue of Street Angel. I fell in love with his art on the spot. We met officially, for the first time, on the telephone, when we were discussing the look of the Janes for our OGN The PLAIN Janes.

He’s a great artist, a hoot to hang out with, and is pretty much one of the nicest, most down to earth, realest guys I’ve ever met. I am glad to count him amongst my friends.

Presenting: Jim Rugg!!!!

CC: First, let me tell you how excited I am that our book came out this week! Why don’t you introduce yourself to everyone and give us a little Jim 411. Who are you?

RUGG: I’m the co-creator of Street Angel, Afrodisiac, and the PLAIN Janes. I’m also the current inker of American Virgin from DC/Vertigo. I started out making mini-comics and zines, then contributing to anthologies, and eventually landed my own comic book series with Slave Labor Graphics, that was Street Angel. I went to school for graphic design (which was my day job for 7 years until this past February). Now I freelance full-time, mostly comics but a little illustration and design. I have three pet cats. I’m married and live near Pittsburgh.

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Here’s what I saw today, on the way to the post office:

I love that you think it’s for lost dog.

You think, “Oh great, another lost puppy. Boo hoo!”

And then WHAMMO!

It’s something that’s funny and clever and cheeky and we’ve all been there.

In The Plain Janes, the Janes start a guerrilla art girl gang.

I love street art. I think it’s surprising and funny and it always puts a smile on my face. If you look carefully, you can see art everywhere

We’ve all lost our heart.

We’ve all wanted it to be returned to us.

Once, mine got lost somewhere between Silverlake and Boston… good thing I got it back! Sadly, it was a little bit scuffed.

(by the way – I really like snail mail – send me a post card why don’t you? – po box 29095 la ca 90029)