I thought I’d share a few pages from a Focus Features promotional book for, 9, the major motion picture debut of director Shane Acker’s beautiful animation. Based on his Academy Award-nominated short film, this full length movie is co-produced by Tim Burton and stars Elijah Wood as the plucky little hero who is determined to bring back humanity to a world without humans. 9 arrives in the US, Sept 9 or 9-9-09.

First, here’s a nice Shane Acker quote:

“Steampunk” is a celebration of mechanisms and an idolization or faith in machines as a future, which emphasizes analog over digital. But in 9, since the world has fallen to pieces it’s become all analog. “Stitchpunk” — a term which I first heard coined from a fan of the short film — fittingly describes the 9 characters’ aesthetic, in what they physically are and in that they have been designed not as toys but to survive in a barren landscape.

And here is a sketch by Shane Acker accompanied by the storyboard art:

It’s official: Fox has announced that Ridley Scott, who brought us Alien in 1979, is set to direct the latest entry in the franchise, the yet untitled Alien 5, slated for 2011.

Is it possible that the horrible creatures from Alien can behave themselves? We should get to see how they interact on their own turf as this prequel will visit them on their planet of origin. No doubt, they won’t act civilized for long once the humans arrive.

At 71, Ridley Scott is a very busy man. A look at his IMDb shows he has quite a number of movies in the works including Brave New World, The Forever War, Stones, The Kind One and Child 44.

The screenwriter for the new Alien movie, John Spaihts, made the successful pitch to Fox and Ridley Scott on the strength of his previous space thrillers, featuring Keanu Reeves: Shadow 19 and Passengers. Spaihts’ current writing schedule includes The Darkest Hour, Children of Mars and St. George and the Dragon.

There have been three sequels to Scott’s original, most notably James Cameron’s Aliens, the second movie that came out in 1986. This is the first time that Ridley Scott has returned as director of the franchise. Will he be able to bring this latest movie back to the level of the first two?

Dash Shaw (Bottomless Belly Button, Body World) wrote his first essay on comics in a contribution to the comics art mag, Comics Comics, with a look at a book of prep work for an animated movie, Groundwork for Evangelion: 1.0, that turned into a debate over comics and cinema.

It’s interesting to note that Shaw begins his essay with a plea to “go easy” on him, the same plea he used at the start of BBB. A superstar cartoonist, like himself, doesn’t really need to ask that, does he?

So, the overview of the book, which is wonderfully detailed, leads to a discussion on whether or not comics should share any of the vision of film. Quoting from Chris Ware, who comes out completely against comics sharing anything with film, Shaw follows up with his own view.

Here is a Chris Ware quote from Shaw’s piece:

I don’t like to think of my work as “cinematic.” A movie is passive — you’re watching it, taking it in. Where a comic strip, it’s completely active: you have to read it, search it for meaning, for the connection with your entire experience and your memory. Yes, you do have the illusion of watching something happen in a comic strip — but if it’s done well, it comes alive on the page like a novel. A novel is the most interactive thing ever created.

Dash Shaw concludes that “cinematic” comics can be seen in a positive, not passive, way and that cinema is “one of many modern languages that comics can react to.”

I think it’s too much to come out so against film as Ware does but, this is Chris Ware, and I’m happy to “go easy” on him. His vision has gotten him where he is. And of course, his way is only one of so many ways of making comics.

The comics writing talents of Eric Trautmann (JSA vs Kobra: Engines of Faith) and Brandon Jerwa (Battlestar Galactica) have created a webcomic, Wide Awake, that is now on its way to becoming a movie. Wide Awake got its debut as a short story, “Behind The Wall of Sleep,” in Image Comics‘ Popgun Vol. 2 anthology.

Here is the official press release:

Do-Over Productions has just announced that they have optioned the film rights to Wide Awake, the extraordinary webcomic written by Eric Trautmann and Brandon Jerwa, with art by Mirco Pierfederici and art direction by David Messina. As described in the press release from Do-Over, Wide Awake is the story of Amanda Carter, a young woman whose dreams of terrifying monsters are much more than just figments of her unconscious mind. If she doesn’t defeat them before she wakes up, the horrors from her dreams get loose in the physical world and she must deal with them there.

Trautmann and Jerwa co-created the series which premiered a sample chapter on Free Comic Book Day and was originally scheduled to commence weekly chapters later this summer. This new deal may possibly alter that schedule some. Jarrod Feliciano and Mirjana Novkovic will produce and write the film adaptation. They are repped by attorney Bianca Bezdek-Goodloe. Do-Over Productions is currently in production of the crime drama Fallen Moon, directed by Peter Medak and produced by Feliciano, Novkovic, Valerie McCaffrey, and co-produced by Roger Pugliese. Eric Trautmann can be found at his web site: www.eric-trautmann.com. Brandon Jerwa can be found online at www.brandonjerwa.com.

Having read the first chapter, I have to say this webcomic packs a sly punch. The lead character, Amanda Carter, is someone who could grow on us. The idea here that your worst nightmares would like to stay for coffee is pretty cool.

One scene from a few clips shown of Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass got a standing ovation during its panel at Comic-Con in San Diego. To get a standing ovation is suppose to be a rare thing at Comic-Con and that is a sign that this adaption of a Mark Millar (Wanted) creator-owned comic book has legs and will ultimately find a distributor.

Whether or not your taste is for the ultra-violent, is something to consider. Vaughn admits that part of the problem with finding a distributor is that “the script broke every taboo known to man.” But it sounds like this film about teenagers who want to be superheroes is going to turn out to be pretty cool.

Keep in mind, Matthew Vaughn, the co-writer and director of Kick-Ass, also produced Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1997 and that was a fun ride. Is this something you’re looking forward to? I think I’d give it a try. It is Mark Millar after all.

Here’s a quick rundown on some of the other things I did at Comic-Con International in San Diego starting out with some photos. Here we’ve got some shots of the con, the Heroes panel, the Pop Candy Meetup, Jennifer Daydreamer, Henry Chamberlain, Popcultour, Paul Pope, and live art by Jim Mahfood, Josh Blaylock and Scott Morse:

Here is a lineup of stuff including things to come and look out for:

Anthony Zuiker Presents The Digi-Novel, Level 26: The creator of the CSI franchise was very kind to take some time to speak with me about his new project, Level 26. I will have that interview for you to check out later.

Lucky Man At Heroes Panel: I think the very best moment was towards the end of the Q&A when a quite smitten young man asked if he could see Hayden Panettiere up close after a quest to meet her that began four years ago. Hayden smiled and said, “When this is adjourned, will you meet me over there?” This was immediately followed by a warning not to get any ideas. “Too many brothers up here,” quipped Hayden.

Whitney Matheson’s Pop Candy Meetup: Talk about a very mellow and fun get-together Saturday evening. Whitney was totally charming and accessible. I highly recommend Whitney’s coverage of Comic-Con among other pop candy treats. I enjoyed a cocktail with my sweetie, Jennifer Daydreamer, as we took in the view and later on got into a comics discussion with James Sime.

James Sime’s Favorite Geek Out Moment: JamesSime, the proprietor and driving force behind Isotope Comics, had this to say: “It was during the Eisner Awards ceremony. Suddenly, there’s Leonard Starr at the podium making a presentation. He’s well known for his legendary comic strip, Mary Perkins, On Stage. It hasn’t been in print for so long. So, it was a deer in the headlights moment for me to see him.”

Paul Pope at Popcultour: I think the theme of the night was “accessible” since, after Whitney’s party, it was also great to see Paul Pope later that night at another party. Paul was open to do a little meet and greet as the opening DJ for an event to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. A live art performance featured Jim Mahfood, Josh Blaylock and Scott Morse.

Alfonso Ruiz: Cartoonist Alfonso Ruiz, a very talented young man is well on his way. I bought one of his original pages and I will need to keep my eye on what he’s up to. He loves the fact that he’s involved with a lot of great comics talent which includes a lot of great Mexican artists. We’ll hear more from him soon.

Rum For Comics: I was speaking with someone waiting in line for the Popcultour event. He said he never spends money on comics. He simply trades it for some of the best rum you’re ever going to find. I believe that would be Puerto Rican but I didn’t catch the name. Email if you read this!

DC Comics Talent Search: As many of you are aware, SDCC is a great place to try your luck at being discovered by DC Comics. The best advice I can offer, having gone through the orientation process but sadly not chosen for a portfolio review, is to take this very seriously and go in with your best work. That said, keep in mind that this is highly competitive and only five or six of the hundreds who submit each day are chosen for a closer look. It really doesn’t hurt to go through the process and you will learn something about your work.

Lark Pien Debuts New Book: A big name in the small press is Lark Pien. So, to see her first published book, Long Tail Kitty, is such a beautiful thing. She’s published by Blue Apple Books and distributed by Chronicle Books. Keep an eye out for it or ask for it at your local bookseller. I’ll have a review and more info about it later.

Be Good And This Won’t Happen To You: I will leave you with a disturbing image to ponder. We were waiting near the train tracks overlooking the Gaslamp District as we were about to walk over to Comic-Con, when a police officer asked us all to stop. Well, this guy, probably about fifteen, really wanted to join his friends who had already gotten across. In a panic or just plain stupid, he began to push his way past the officer. Maybe he figured since this was a female officer that he’d get away with it. Wasn’t long before two fellow officers frog marched our little friend back to the curb. They did an excellent job of it too. I know I was inspired to be extra courteous to everyone around me after that scene.

I was talking with someone at SDCC about the Heroes panel and all the love that was shared between the show and its fans. And yet the show seemed suspect to me because of how well-financed its marketing campaign is. The first thing she asked me was, “Is that show still popular?” In a nutshell, Heroes was something special when it started out and then it turned into something that, despite all the money thrown at it, lost its way.

Judging by the Nissan Cube giveaways and an elaborate carnival set to promote Heroes at Comic-Con International, I’d say Universal is very serious about promoting the heck out of its once golden property.

Having stood in a hopelessly long line for the two Dollhouse panels, it is interesting to me to consider how much less money Joss Whedon’s creation needed to spend in its SDCC campaign compared to Heroes and perhaps…how much more popular, and better, Dollhouse is than Heroes. From what I could tell, posters were all that Dollhouse needed to get the word out.

Friday at San Diego Comic-Con was a full day for me. Here is a quick run-down of what’s been going on lately from my vantage point:

• EQAL and Anthony Zuiker Present LEVEL 26: I had the pleasure to interview Miles Beckett who, with Greg Goodfried, run EQAL, a company that produces original interactive content online. They have come a long way since their first lonelygirl15 videos and now have teamed up with Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the CSI franchise, to bring you, LEVEL 26, the world’s first “digi-novel,” a fully interactive novel. It’s a very cool idea that, thanks to some awesome talent behind it, is something to really look forward to. You can start right in and see for yourself. I will provide you guys with the full interview in a later post and some other interesting news about this and other related projects in future posts.
• COMICPALOOZA SHOUT OUT: I have to thank P. J. Holmes for allowing me to borrow his laptop at a critical moment here at SDCC, the home of critical moments. Check out the great comics con of the Southwest, Comicpalooza.
• THE PRISONER PANEL: I caught the tale end of this panel and it really came across as a genuine lovefest for this film by the actors, Jim Caviezel, Jamie Campbell-Bower and Lennie James; writer, Bill Gallagher; AMC‘s Vlad Wolynetz, vice president of production; and producer/director Robert Meyer Burnett. I will just say here that the sneak peek clip was very cool with the sinister “Two” character played wonderfully by none other than Ian McKellen! The scene has “Two” wondering if anyone really likes him as he tosses a grenade into the trembling hands of an assistant who can’t quite bring himself to say he actually likes his insane boss. I also should say that this is a six-part mini-series and runs for three consecutive nights in November on AMC.
• NO ROOM FOR ME AT DOLLHOUSE BUT FAN COMES TO RESCUE: I tried. I stood in one of the longest lines you’ll ever want to see for a very long time only to be told that they had a packed house. No one dared move at first and only a few hesitantly gave up and walked away. But all was not lost, really, since I  got a fan to give me the scoop on what’s going on with Dollhouse. Andre Walker, a lean man in his thirties, let me know that the series has problems but that fans are willing to wait. “It’s got some good stuff but it needs character development. It’s not like Buffy or Angel. There’s only a few characters right now I really care about. Eliza Dushku’s main character is not someone people care about like they should. And, hey, it’s Joss Whedon. Give him time. Just look at Firefly. That was a bumpy ride at first.”

On Wednesday, I was fortunate to catch the tail end of the ICv2 conference as well as take a first look at the convention floor. As they say, it’s all about the fans. And that often means it’s all about the money. Seeing so many people at Comic-Con with giant bags of swag, standing in so many lines, desperation in the eyes of some, waiting for a chance to win something or buy something, I could clearly see money as the dominant theme: those who make it and those who spend it.

So, before being part of the human comedy that is SDCC, it was nice to listen to a few elite voices plot out what they think will motivate the fans. ICv2 is a consulting firm in the service of those trying to sell something to the fans. The conference was meant to tell it like it is about market trends. For my money, the star of the last panel was Jeff Katz, a Hollywood exec (Snakes On A Plane) turned comics writer (DC Comics’ Booster Gold) who led off with a two guns firing declaration that Hollywood is no fool and it knows how to chase down money and the money is in comics. Katz, looking like a hyperactive Kevin Smith, went on to rally for all those good-natured, well-meaning, creators who feel powerless in dealing with corporate interests. “The secret is that they need us more than we need them. The corporate balls are exposed and you should feel free to squeeze!”

Katz, who runs his own company, American Original, was beside himself in forecasting further profit in comics in a big way. He didn’t say exactly how a lone creator overcomes and succeeds but the general idea was to control what is yours. This is where Top Cow‘s Matt Hawkins stepped in with more straight talk, “Don’t take the money. Don’t sell you soul for $25,000 when your title could make millions over time.”

Once I was out on the convention floor, observing the fans, as a mass of humanity, out for the next shiny bauble, they seemed totally at the mercy of the various corporate interests, utterly powerless. Of course, they really are not. Just like those good-natured, well-meaning, creators, the fans have more power than they probably realize. As Jeff Katz would advise, if the corporate balls are hanging, the fan should not hesitate to squeeze.

Here’s another of the many special treats at San Diego Comic-Con: The Cartoon Art Museum’s Third Annual Sketch-A-Thon to raise funds for the museum, in San Francisco, celebrating this year its 25th anniversary. Just go to booth #1930 and remember to say hello to the museum’s hardworking curator, Andrew Farago.

During the entire convention, cartoonists will be doing sketches at various scheduled times and you can purchase sketches from such talents as Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Keith Knight (K Chronicles), Bobby London (Dirty Duck), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Ted Naifeh (How Loathsome), Phil Foglio (Girl Genius), and many more. A fine example of Bobby London’s art is pictured above.

You can visit the Cartoon Art Museum‘s Facebook page or their Twitter page (@cartoonart) for scheduling updates.

While at San Diego Comic-Con, if you’re looking for something very unusual in a place full of the unusual, then you may enjoy the Pop Perversity panel discussion on Friday, July 24 from 6pm to 7pm in Room 32AB.

The panel will feature Isabel Samaras (On Tender Hooks), Ron English (Popaganda) and R. Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics).

The panel is moderated by Colin Berry (On Tender Hooks).

From the press release:

Parodists from the worlds of art and comics show how their sharp, sly images blur the boundaries between the popular and the profound, the propagandistic and the profane. Parody is a familiar part of our culture, but when done right it can still shock and awe, revealing deep truths while it makes us cackle.

If there’s a chance to meet Stan Lee, hey, I’m going to grab it. And, anyone out there in a position to make that happen, you can take that as a really big hint. I’m like anyone else going to San Diego Comic-Con when it comes to something like that. Actually, there is one way to maybe meet Stan but let’s move on.

This is a calm before the storm. My partner, the cartoonist, Jennifer Daydreamer, and I are very excited about going to SDCC on many levels: as creators, as fans, and even as gawkers. Well, maybe I should speak for myself but there’s sure to be a lot of gawking and, if you can’t do that at SDCC, where can you?

I’ve been flooded with oh so many options. And it’s still, as I say, the calm before the storm. I let myself get caught up with everything down to reports of giant squid invading the waters off San Diego. Shouldn’t they have done that last year for Watchmen? Bad joke, I know. Well, you can’t control the forces of nature anymore than you can control the forces of marketing. Some things I’m pretty sure I’ll pass on like a chance to levitate a ball supposedly by mind control. I’ll probably pass on any games too although I might take a look just to be fair.

Mostly, I see myself coming to this from a somewhat bookish outlook. I’ll zero in on the more offbeat, the more literary and art-related. But I’ll be open to just about anything too and keep in mind that a lot of stuff defies easy labels. For example, I’m totally with Sarah on the merits of Phonogram and I’m totally with Lan on the merits of Blackest Night. And I’m totally in tune with the undeniable: Twilight. That alone is a force to be reckoned with. Which reminds me, I will need to be sure I have ear plugs handy for fans screaming their bloody heads off.

So, if you feel like it, let me know what you look forward to this year at SDCC, whether or not you’re actually going. And remember, you can catch live TV coverage of SDCC on Saturday from our friends over at G4.

Phil Yeh holds a unique place in the comics community not only as a comics creator (he’s been called, “the godfather of the American graphic novel”) but as a prominent activist for promoting literacy through comics. He’s been around for quite awhile, going back to the very first San Diego Comic-Con in 1970. Phil is a passionate, colorful, and outspoken voice in comics and, as I head out to SDCC, he’s someone who can definitely help take stock of things.

Blog@Newsarama: Phil, I’d like to start by focusing on the San Diego Comic-Con and branch out from there. You have been very active in comics over the years and you go back to the first San Diego Comic-Con. Can you tell us about your earliest experiences with what started out as a modest comics convention?

Phil Yeh: I was a 15 year old kid growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles near Watts.  I knew a couple of kids in my area who read and maybe even “collected” comics with a passion but most of us just read comics very infrequently.  Sports was the big thing for most of my friends.  But I managed to see this tiny ad in a DC comic book about a convention at the US Grant Hotel in 1970 and asked my dad to drive me down.  My sister Kathy went with me too as I recall.  The funny thing is I actually was published in DC Comics that same year.  I sent this idea in for a promo cartoon that Henry Boltinoff did and my name got in print and I had this check from National Periodical Publications for $5.  My first and last check from DC Comics who I am sure must appreciate my role later in helping Jerry and Joe get some money for Superman.

Anyway, I went to the convention at the U.S. Grant hotel and met two of the greats in that room with maybe 300 people.  Ray Bradbury had always been one of my favorite writers, I never read many comics as a kid or now, but I love to read books.  Classics especially but some living authors too and Bradbury was a big deal to me and even now.  I told Ray that I wanted to be a writer but I had problems in school with spelling and grammar and didn’t know if I could become a writer.  He told me that there were editors to correct those things and that I really should just do what I loved.

I then walked up to this giant of a man in our comic book industry and who, to me at 15, was a GIANT and told him that I wanted to become a comic book artist.  Jack Kirby in reality was not that tall of a man but, to this 15 year kid from the ghetto, he was HUGE.  Jack smiled and told me to just do it.  “If you want to draw then you should draw and if you want to tell stories, just tell stories. ”

Both Ray and Jack made this seem so very easy and that fall I would start my own publishing company and never look back.
(more…)

Review: Big Funny

Big Funny Web site, 16″ x 23″, 48 pages, $5 US

(a co-production of Altered Esthetics, The International Cartoonist Conspiracy and Big Time Attic)

It doesn’t happen all at once. First, there is the longest silence, as if nothing has changed, followed by a cry inspired by nostalgia until, finally, we all wake up to a world without printed newspapers. Maybe there will always be some newspapers but it won’t be the same. However, through nostalgia, we can find ways to move forward. And so a comic strip anthology printed on an old timey oversized newspaper is welcome as something to enjoy and learn from.

The biggest thing about Big Funny is that it is a celebration of the comic strip art form and, by extension, of how it all came about it in the first place. We owe a lot to the comic strip pioneers. They set up the ground rules and, in a lot of ways, we cartoonists still follow them. And, in a broader sense, we all are influenced to some extent by the way the original cartoonists went about telling a story or joke.

The first comic strip in the collection is “Hey Kids, Comics!” by Terry Beatty. Here we find the very first star of the comic strips, The Yellow Kid, now quite elderly. In a quick and snappy fashion, as only comics can do, we’re given a brief history of comics. This is nicely followed up by “Little Emo in Slumbaland,” by Jesse Gillespie, which is one of the best you’ll find here. A landmark in comics is tweaked for a new generation. The title alone is clever but Gillespie delivers with a beautiful tribute to Winsor McCay. And no one can deny that Kevin Cannon provides an excellent tribute to the adventure strip with “Army Men.”

The goal of Big Funny, as it called for talent, was to seek out assorted views from various backgrounds, inside and outside the comics community. In that all-inclusive spirit, there are plenty of comic strips here that don’t look like comic strips. There’s the comic strip oil painting by painter Bjorn Rolvaag. There’s “Vis, Croatia: The Ride,” by printmaker Jenny Schmid. Some of my favorites that stretch comics quite nicely are “The Teenage Ghost Hunting Society,” by B. Sabo, “Pumpkinship” by Maxeem, and “Dear Friends,” by Britt Hammerberg.

With forty-five different views of what you can do with a comic strip, Big Funny is like your own personal tour of a comics festival. For my part, I contributed “Inkwellspring,” an offbeat take on today’s family comic strips. On the other end of the spectrum is “Living in Filth,” by Hawk Krall, a hilarious look at aging rebels whose routine these days includes a trip to Pottery Barn. If you like political satire, you’ll like the sharp wit of “Banana Republic,” by Kirk Anderson. All in all, a nice selection of comics anyway you look at it.

Last but not least, is “Ticket to Crickety Creek,” by the late William R. Ede. His son, Craig Ede, provides an essay in loving memory of his father. We find Will Ede to have been, like most cartoonists, very passionate and determined. We will never know what might have been had some editor, down the line, said, “yes,” instead of, “no.” William Ede kept his day job as a postman for 30 years. He may have complained from time to time but he remained persistent. He loved to draw trains and alligators and that’s what he did. Whether he should have succeeded then or whether his art should succeed now is not the question. He did what he had to do. If you look at the comic strip in Big Funny, you’ll see why.

No wonder artists count so much on posterity. It can be only after death, even if only on newsprint, that some art just begins to live.

Here is a list of the contributing artists to Big Funny. There will be an art show by the same name on August 7th at Altered Esthetics where the anthology will premiere and some of the artists will show their original work. This will also be the premiere of a bonus set of comics at the show, Little Funny:

“Hey Kids, Comics!” by Terry Beatty

“Little Emo in Slumbaland” by Jesse Gillespie

“Little Miss Mechanical’s Bedtime Amusement” by Diana Nock

“There is a Heppy Plonet” by Mike Sgier

“Captain Kleinbottle” by Jason Sandberg

“Hey Rube!” by Daniel J. Olson

“Army Men” by Kevin Cannon

“Classics Majors…in Love!” by Ursula Murray Husted

“Tommy Chicago and Jimmy” by Brian Bastian and Danno Klonowski

“Oil Painting” by Bjorn Rolvaag

“Banana Republic” by Kirk Anderson

“Citizen Participation in Hell” by Ken Avidor

“The Teenage Ghost Hunting Society” by B. Sabo

“Vis,Croatia: The Ride” by Jenny Schmid

“Residue Comics: Krack-Up” by Roger Lootine

“Middle Management” by Andy Singer

“Mark Droppings” by BIll Prendergast

“Dewey Dawner” by Madeline Queripel

“Post Modern” by David Sandberg

“Flying Boy!” by Lewis Tuck

“Authoritative Expert J. Wiggins” by Bud Burgy

“Squirrels and Pigeons” by Caanan Grall

“Eye of the Beholder” by Adam Wirtzfeld

“Uncle $achs” by Donn Ha

“The Madcap Shenanigans of Randolph & Sir Chirptrude, Esq.” by Lonny Unitus

“Gee, Whizzard!” by Kevin McCarthy

“Nate the Nonconformist” by Stephanie Mannheim

“Rampage!” by Erik Nelson

“Inkwellspring” by Henry Chamberlain

“Laffit Forward!” by Blake Himsl Hunter

“The Further Adventures of Vegan Ninja Cats (Who Ride Bikes)” by Mike Toft

“Living in Filth” by Hawk Krall

“Rocket Steven” by Earl Luckes

“Talewinds: Little Jimmy” by Steve Mason

“L’il Buddha and the Hungry Ghost Realm” by Ryan Dow

“Dear Friends” by Britt Hammerberg

“A Breast Abreast” by Lupi

“Uptown Girl” by Bob Lipski

“Underground Funnies” by D.C. McNamara

“Adventure!” by David Steinlicht

“Bongo the Monkey” by Steven Stwalley

“Pumpkinship” by Maxeem

“Look” by David Paleo

“Pickle-Head” by Paul Fricke

“Ticket to Crickety Creek” by William Ede

The question: Can you really enjoy Blackest Night if you’re outside the fanbase?

I think so.

While I don’t see myself as part of the base, I feel that I’ve thrown myself into a different orbit than I’m used to and I’m not sure where I’ll end up. I’ll explain and I will offer up some other questions to which you, my friends, are welcome to offer back whatever insight you like.

The first thing that strikes me about Blackest Night #1 is how smooth it is. The story does not feel like it is trying too hard to explain itself which is a blessing if you’re coming to this, shall we say, cold and in the dark.

I felt welcome right from the start. Even more than I did by Green Lantern: Rebirth or The Sinestro Corps War. Maybe that has to do with the sense of urgency coming from all the talent involved, especially Geoff Johns, to finally deliver the goods. And yet it didn’t feel so much like a comics event as it felt like something that was working the way it should.

It didn’t matter to me anymore if I didn’t know every last detail and reference. It can be fun to go into this without any prior knowledge at all. But, I admit, the more you know, the more you’ll enjoy it. Just being able to refer back to the last issue of GL and reread the rise of Black Hand added something. And the same is true for going back to the now famous Free Comic Book Day Blackest Night #0. That special issue offered some interesting clues, I think, about how Bruce Wayne could hold the key to returning back to the light. This isn’t a spoiler, just my guess. Does that sound right?

I have to say that a little of the space opera aspect of GL goes a long way for my taste. I prefer character development, conversation and understanding motives. Growing up, I found the action scenes in Superman and Spider-Man to be cool but understanding what made them tick to be even cooler. Blackest Night is sensitive to this. For instance, I think the scenes with Hawkman are intriguing like when he goes into a rage over the phone with The Atom as he is attempting to shield him from harm. He tries to explain to Kendra why he must refuse The Atom’s wishes as we cut to a panel of a tiny speck of a superhero sitting on the edge of a gigantic desk, relative to his size, waiting by the giant phone. Hawkman saying, “She made The Atom feel small,” is corny and perfect in the spirit of Alan Moore.

Little moments like that add up nicely. But what about little continuity issues and the like? I just wonder what you all think about the many layers to the GL universe. On the one hand, I think it is fun to be challenged to follow the many paths in this narrative. On the other, this goes back to an older way of reading comics when you needed a program to follow the action not to mention a number of tie-in comics. Maybe it’s the best of all possible worlds since the flagship title is so strong you could do just fine to focus on it but, if you’re so inclined, you could also buy all the other related comics too.

So, why isn’t GL more popular? I mean, believe it or not, there are plenty of people inside the comics community who are not even dimly aware of what’s going on in the GL universe. When you have something as special as Blackest Night, people should pay more attention. I wonder if the problem with GL’s overall low profile goes back to its rather creaky origins. It’s only been after decades of development, that we find ourselves with something cool. GL simply does not resonate with people in the same way that Batman and Superman do. That may change. A major motion picture is no guarantee but we’ll have to wait and see.

Ironically, reading the retro version of GL in Wednesday Comics, all New Frontier style, was very refreshing to me. And I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that is what gets presented to the general public when the movie comes out.

Getting back to Blackest Night, the bottom line is that this series moves the ball forward considerably. In fact, if you really want to stir things up, forget about going back to Abin Sur, just make this into a movie and, if it’s done right, this would be your summer blockbuster.

Directed and Written by: Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Joon-ho Bong

Tokyo! is out on DVD and may I suggest it as a weekend rental or for the next chance you get.

Tokyo! is not only a thought-provoking showcase of three films by three talented directors but it has a very cool comics connection: Gabrielle Bell collaborates with Michel Gondry to bring one of her comics in Cecil and Jordan in New York to the screen in the first film, “Interior Design.” She also provides some charming opening credits artwork.

You don’t have to be familiar with Gabrielle Bell’s work to enjoy the first film but it does add to it. Just imagine a quirky creative New Yorker bringing you in close to what it can feel like struggling to just stay afloat in the sink or swim big city. If you know Gabrielle’s work, then all the better since the DVD special features have a couple of segments with her and Gondry discussing how tricky it was to take a New York sensibility and place it in Tokyo. Of course, some things are universal and that is made clear in this film. While site specific, there is an interplay between the general and the specific. These stories could occur just about anywhere on our fragile global village.

“Interior Design” is about a young couple, Hiroko (Ayako Fujitani) and Akira (Ryo Kase), finding their way in the big city. They start by crashing at a friend’s tiny apartment but they quickly wear out their welcome. Akira is promptly established to the viewer as a shallow opportunist. But it is Hiroko who can’t catch a break from anyone. Just as she spots a menial job tailor-made for her, Akira snatches it up. Having left herself in charge of all the drab details while Akira pursues being an artist, she finds herself quite literally fading away.

Ironically, Akira is capable of artful observation when he least expects it. On a walk, and avoiding a serious discussion, Akira talks about how all the buildings refuse to touch each other and how ghosts reside within the gaps. Hiroko, who should know better, is impatient with Akira’s poetic musings. And she’s very dismayed with herself. In a moment of clarity, Akira tells her she must find the one thing she excels at and do it better than anyone else. In a fantastical way, worthy of Kafka, that is exactly what Hiroko does.

“Merde!” the second film, is more than just the story of the latest viral video sensation. It certainly keeps getting darker and deeper than you can digest in a video clip. The opening scene blasts off like a rocket and, in itself, is a must-see: a manhole cover pops off and out jumps a filthy little man with wild red hair, a marble white eye, pointy beard, and a tight-fitting green outfit. He proceeds to slam his way through anyone and everyone down a busy sidewalk, grabbing flowers about to be delivered, snatching a crutch from a man in midstep, and licking the armpit of a young woman for good measure. The rampage is caught on video, off the cell phone from the licked young woman and a star is born.

Director Leos Carax attempts to create a cross between Charlie Chaplin and Godzilla and succeeds. The actor Denis Lavant is so out there as the “creature from the sewers” that he is The Other’s Other and brings up still unsettled issues for Japan and Otherness. It is only with the assistance of a prominent French attorney, wonderfully played by Jean-Francois Balmer, who suspiciously looks a little too much like the creature, that finally an articulate voice is given to insanity. In time, everyone will think they know the creature and have an opinion about him.

No one really knows anyone else in these three films. That disconnection leads to some highly unusual developments. In the last film, “Shaking Tokyo,” directed by Joon-ho Bong, the main character is a hikikomori, or shut-in, played by Teruyuki Kagawa, and so appears to have given up right from the start. He is quite content with his life of quiet routine although he realizes something is missing. It is not until an earthquake, and all the coming together that follows, that he clumsily crosses paths with a beautiful young woman who was just about to deliver to him a pizza when she’s bonked on the head during the quake. When she comes to, she is mesmerized by all the neatly stacked toilet tissue rolls, not to mention the temple created by empty pizza boxes. It moves her to go over and correct the placement of one of the boxes. A match has been made. More will transpire, as love is not so easy. It is a warm and delightful story of one man rebelling against the disconnection within him and around him. A wonderful way to conclude this study in alienation.

From DC Comics

Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Art by Cristiano Cucina

Jonah Hex #45, Part Two of Six of “The Six Gun War” is an impressive page-turner and easily a great place to jump in. This series has gone through a number of artists since its relaunch with the shift in styles from one story to the next sometimes jarring. But the current story arc is looking quite good with the robust style of Cristiano Cucina. A dramatic page from the previous issue, a depiction of gunmen and horses swirling in a tornado, opens this multi-layered tale with a promising flair that delivers throughout.

Like any good Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, the beauty of the plot lies in its utter simplicity. Johah Hex has been wronged and he is out for revenge. And, like most Eastwood films, we are initially pushed away from an unlikable character while being pulled in as we become curious about what’s going on inside. Hex certainly has that push/pull dynamic. Half his face is hideously deformed from some past misadventure for one thing. He’s also a fairly ruthless bounty hunter.  And yet he does have a sense of justice, however rough it might be. And he may even have a heart.

In “Six Gun War,” it looks like we’ll get to explore a bit more of what makes Hex tick. The writing team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have done a great job of capturing the feel of the old existential spaghetti westerns that you can just about here an Ennio Morricone soundtrack in the background. The series has gone from one adventure to the next. A lot of fools have attempted to kill Hex and he ends up killing them in the end. This time out, Hex has the help of a supernatural entity, El Diablo,who prods Hex to explain himself. But what really spices things up is the inclusion of Tallulah Black, a female desperado whose face and outlook on life is as twisted as that of Hex and she seems to be a little sweet on him, even though she adamantly denies it.

I have to admit that I never really gave Johan Hex much thought until Megan Fox but now I’m glad I’ve gotten to know the guy even though he’s a mighty hard fella to understand. If you get a copy of the first collected trade, Face Full of Violence, of the new Hex under the capable hands of Gray and Palmiotti, I’m sure you’ll find yourself reading the book in one sitting. The character, as odd as he is, grows on you.

Well, it seems this review is pretty timely. I was starting to wonder if Barack the Barbarian really had legs and then we get some legs.

Playing off Pres. Obama’s mention that he collected Conan the Barbarian comics as a kid, this comic, published by Devil’s Due and written by Larry Hama and drawn by Christopher Schons, is set in a time of swords and sorcery. A gathering of children listen as a shaman retells the legend of Barack the Barbarian. Riding in on a donkey, Barack the Barbarian is determined to set things right in the city of Warshingstun, “where every word uttered was lie, and every soul was for sale. A place where men traded dark secrets and openly peddled a powerful drug named Influence.” After fending off some ogres, Barack meets Manny the Fixer who will set him on the path to greatness. But first, they will feast and Barack will partake of a multicultural meal with a dash of Dijon mustard.

Considering that the flap over Dijon mustard is pretty recent, it looks like the creation of the rest of this four part comic is very much in play. So, it would only make sense to go for the gold and follow closely what Sarah Palin does next now that she’s abandoned her post as governor. It’s when Red Sarah, the fighting Queen of the North, makes her entrance that this first issue kicks into gear and it may very well be that the Wonder from Wasilla will bestow some of her mavericky magic onto the rest of this comic.

So far, the best of the Obama comic books is IDW‘s comic book documenting the Obama campaign. It’s a serious approach and it’s spot on. And the best satire is MAD Magazine‘s “Obama, The First 100 Minutes.” Of course, MAD is the gold standard. Barack the Barbarian is funny and seems aimed at all ages despite all the babes in bikinis. So, maybe for older kids. Overall, it’s poking fun at a time in history and isn’t really taking sides. I would only hope that the jokes get sharper.

The humor should be at least as funny as what The White House can create for a political roast. And delivered with as much style as the real Obama like in this perfect dig at the House Minority Leader, a true Republican partisan with a perpetual tan, John Boehner, told at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, May 9, 2009: “In the next one hundred days, our bipartisan outreach will be so successful than even John Boehner will consider becoming a Democrat. Afterall, we have a lot in common. He is a person of color. Although not a color that appears in the natural world.” That joke had the Commander in Chief cracking up. And it still cracks me up.

From Moonstone Books $3.99

Written by Joe Gentile

Art by Carlos Magno and Andy Bennett

Yes, just a little more Sherlock Holmes. I couldn’t resist this one after having reviewed work from SelfMadeHero and Dynamite Entertainment. A matching of Sherlock Holmes with the ’70s TV series, “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” sounds goofy but Moonstone Books is up for the challenge.

“Cry of Thunder,” a three issue comic, written by Joe Gentile, begins in 1890 out in the Wild West as two desperados peer at something weird just out of our sight. We then cut to present day LA at the modest offices of the Hollywood Dispatch. Kolchak’s purple prose is in full swing as he describes his good luck: Brandy Lexton, a pretty young woman, is interested in him helping solve a 100-year-old unsolved murder. She even provides him with an old journal full of clues.

Once alone with the book, he is chilled to the bone to see his own name scrawled within its writings but where exactly, or why, we do not know. Kolchak proceeds to read the journal which makes up the rest of Issue One. We are in London in 1905 as a new Holmes case takes shape involving the murder of Brandy’s ancestor, Clara Lexton. It turns out she was killed by a gun runner. This leads to Holmes disguised as a sailor, in mortal combat, after he’s gotten a little too close to a syndicate trafficking in American machine guns to the UK.

An opportunity to build on the momentum of the first issue is lost in the next when the assignments of the two artists are muddled. In Issue One, it was the light line style of Carlos Magno that illustrated the Holmes story and the rough style of Andy Bennett that illustrated the Kolchak story. It made perfect sense.

However, in Issue Two, we find the two artists working together through both stories and it’s like a third, painterly, style has emerged. It’s pretty good but the work is not nearly as tight and there are a lot of scenes that appear rushed, especially a less than dramatic fight scene between Holmes and a thug. I can’t fault the artists for experimenting. Overall, I dig what they’re doing but I still prefer what they started to do in the first issue.

I also have a little constructive criticism for the writing. I think that we might get bogged down with details a little too much for what should be a smoother ride given all the great elements at play. I would have preferred more solid connections between Kolchak and Brandy. I think I would have created a few back and forth scenes between the Holmes story and Kolchak and Brandy reading and reacting to it. Those opportunities to interact would have allowed clues to flow more easily and would have made their unlikely romance more plausible.

Issue Three has a lot of things to resolve but it catches a nice push at the end of this current issue. We get a little payoff on the last page as we get a full view of the highly coveted photograph that could explain everything while revealing something out of a nightmare.

The Trial of Sherlock Holmes #2 (of 5)

Written by Leah Moore and John Reppion

Art by Aaron Campbell

Cover Art by John Cassady

Dynamite Entertainment $3.50 US

The Trial of Sherlock Holmes is a new Holmes tale and a “locked room” mystery that finds Holmes appearing to be the only possible murder suspect in this five issue series published by Dynamite Entertainment. Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue is considered the first locked room mystery and first detective story. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, among other writers, would build on the idea of a shrewd detective with an assistant/narrator as well as the idea of an impossible crime.

It’s a puzzle within a puzzle and lots of fun. Considering it’s been done by some of the best writers around, the bar is set pretty high for the writing team of Leah Moore and John Reppion but they are no strangers to telling a good yarn, particularly a good Victorian one. This is Alan Moore’s daughter and son-in-law and they’ve learned from the legendary storyteller. They’ve been around for awhile now and have gotten some credits under their belts. I suspect this could be their best work yet.

The art of Aaron Campbell picks up nicely from the impressive cover art of John Cassady. It looks like Campbell did his homework and studied the original Holmes illustrations by Sidney Paget and built on that. Campbell’s style also makes me think of the gritty noirish art of Sean Phillips, Ed Brubaker’s partner in crime for a  number of books including, Incognito. Interestingly enough, among the many comments of praise on the back of the first issue is a quote from Brubaker: “A fantastic opening shot, literally, to a great new Holmes mystery that I can’t wait to read the next chapter of.”

That opening shot is quite impressive with its steady pacing leading up to a dramatic explosion that sets the plot off and running. It is 1895 and a quarter of London’s East End is in flames after a bomb is detonated. A threatening letter is sent to Sir Samuel Henry, a retired police official, demanding that, unless he remains at his home at precisely seven the next evening, more explosions will follow. Sir Henry requests that Holmes be at his side at that hour. Holmes obliges and subsequently is found in Sir Henry’s room with gun in hand and a dead Sir Henry. Not only that, but it appears that Sir Henry had evidence proving Sherlock Holmes to be the infamous criminal mastermind, Professor Moriarty.

So, here we are into Issue Two and into a devilish mystery. Hats off to colorist Tony Aviña for his deft handling of moody colors and lighting. There is quite a lot of play with light to see as in an engaging scene with Watson struggling over what little clues he has before him bathed in lamp light. Campbell’s bold use of marks across a face or surface in place of more delicate lines adds to the suspense. All well in good for an issue that continues to set the tone for this story.

By the end of this issue, Holmes has escaped from prison and Watson has snuck into the crime scene and found another clue. This last one appears to be a scrap of paper. This could lead back to the threatening letter sent to Sir Henry. Perhaps Sir Henry sent it to himself. Or maybe it was from Mrs. Gammage, the overbearing housekeeper. For now, Holmes is on the loose disguised as an English bobby with only his wits to rely upon. Like Ed Brubaker, I can’t wait to see what happens next.