Joke Books

GN Reviews

2011-08-07T21:45:00.000-04:00

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century 1969. Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill. Top Shelf. 80 pages. $9.95.
Moore is a synthesist, expropriating bits and pieces of characters, legends and life, then crafting amazing stories studded with premises, plots and undiscovered subtexts inspired by this “found” material. LOEG began as a relatively conventional super-group of fictional characters and now, freed of corporate restraints and ”the conventions of boys' adventure comics," (according to Moore), has morphed into a dense, meta-textural multi-era tale. This latest, possibly penultimate chapter mostly takes place in 1969 Swinging London, mixing occult, the music scene, criminals and, as always, politics, into a heady psychedelic brew. While you may not necessarily need the copious annotations provided online here (http://jessnevins.com/annotations/1969annotations.html) and in other places the numerous appearances of fictional favorites, obscurities and real-life analogues deepen the enjoyment of this ripping yarn. Kudos also to the faithful and steadfast Kevin O’Neill whose startling art is more than equal to Moore’s relentlessly clever script.

Seeds. Ross Mackintosh. Com.x. 80 pages. $10.99
There have been other graphic novels devoted to the terminal effects of this malignant disease on the family, most notably Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabnner and Frank Stack’s Our Cancer Year. This one, Yorkshire designer Mackintosh’s first graphic novel, unambiguously recounts his father’s decline and demise in simple and relatable terms. It’s intimate and accessible, clearly told and honest. Powerful and palpable in ways that’s hard to fake, this sober story of the slow loss of a beloved parent and the effect on his grown-up son and other family members is an auspicious debut.

Blood Work. Kim Harrison. Pedro Maia, Gemma Magno. Del Rey. 176 pages. $23.
I wasn’t familiar with the Hollows series, of which this is a supposedly freestanding chapter, and this untold tale is pretty inaccessible to the uninitiated, though I slogged through it, undeterred. The art is cutesy enough, perhaps, for its intended audience but ihe storytelling was flat and average, though the coloring and tones were pretty. Maybe devotees of this series, with its slender witches, succulent vampires, young-adult angst and sexual tension will find it appealing. I hope so, because I found it on the level of amateur fan fiction.

Sweet Tooth Vol. 3: Animal Armies. Jeff Lemire. Vertigo. 144 pages. $14.99.
Rising star Jeff Lemire breathes fresh life into the reliable fantasy trope of post-apocalyptic survival in this yarn, collected from the monthly comic book. The drama, mystery and tragedy that befall its humans and human-animal hybrids is illustrated in a loose but evocative style by Canadian Lemire. He deftly avoids dopey melodrama and other predictable stuff as the story unfolds in a smart and engaging manner. The violence is never gratuitous and always shocking and integral to the plot in this surprisingly entertaining adult comic.

Fighting American. Joe Simon, Jack Kirby. Titan Books. 200 pages. $19.95.
Simon & Kirby spawned several putatively patriotic heroes in the mold of their original and most famous red-white-and-blue Avenger, Captain America. This chap started his superheroics fighting comic Commies during the postwar Red Scare. But after slack sales, the creative pair retooled their approach and the stolid patriotic icon (plus putative sidekick, Speedboy) then fought a variety of comically bizarre and zany adversaries with punny monikers like Yafata’s Moustache. This collection includes the character’s complete run as well as a previously unpublished tale, all lovingly restored. This may be a footnote to comics history but even less than stellar Simon & Kirby is worth a look.

Krazy Kat and the Art Of George Herriman. Craig Yoe. Abrams ComicArts. 176 pages. $29.95. Though some may best recall the character from King Features' beloved series of antic animated shorts produced by Gene Deitch in the early sixties, the funny feline enjoyed a very long run in newspapers. The gorgeous volume includes essays by comics historians and creators (including Calvin & Hobbes’ reclusive Bill Watterson and poet e.e. cummings) as well as generous servings of sketches, strips, original art and more.

Originally published in the Miami Herald

Neonomicon in Hardcover

2011-03-19T11:17:00.012-04:00

Hardcover coming in November.

Round Up: From anthologies to Detectives to Johnny Cash

2010-02-14T08:16:00.002-05:00

BY RICHARD PACHTER

The Best American Comics 2009. Charles Burns, Jessica Abel & Matt Madden, editors. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 332 pages.

Like a greatest hits collection from indy labels, this "best of'' eschews contributions from the majors, so there are no mesomorphic crimefighters, though there are several anthropomorphic animals and plenty of angst-y adolescents. Editors Abel and Madden, joined by the eminently estimable Burns, assemble stellar contributions from all-stars Clowes, the Crumbs, Kupperman, Pond, Spiegelman, Tomine, Ware and others. There's something to appeal to most every taste, though you'll have to decide for yourself if it all adds up to "the best.''

Johnny Cash: I See A Darkness. Reinhard Kleist. Abrams ComicArts. 224 pages.
Originally published in Germany and written in that country's language, this graphic bio of the country legend is told affectionately, despite unfolding like a restless nightmare in stark black and white. Though it may not strictly stick to the facts, this visceral tale of Johnny Cash's rise and fall and rise again is lyrical and haunting.

Luna Park. Kevin Baker. Danijel Zezelj. Vertigo. 160 pages.
Baker's hallucinogenic dream of Russian survival in Coney Island, Afghanistan and Dallas blends history, pulp fiction and fantasy, with Zezejl's perfect art, and a didn't-see-it-coming, jaw-dropping final twist.

Detectives Inc. Don McGregor. Marshall Rogers. Gene Colan. IDW. 160 pages.
Don McGregor's pair of groundbreaking graphic novels, with art by the late Marshall Rogers and the great Gene Colan, is back in print in this lovingly produced collection, replete with script samples, reminiscences and more, plus stills and text from a film adaptation. McGregor's scripts may seem wordy and violet-hued to some, but his honesty, sincerity and humanity always shine through. Bits of ancillary material were obviously reproduced from secondary sources, but the stories themselves are crisp and sharp and hold up quite well, all things considered.

Alec: The Years Have Pants (A Life-Sized Omnibus). Eddie Campbell. Top Shelf.
If autobiography is the lingua franca of the graphic novel form, Campbell is its undisputed Shakespeare. The consistency and growth of the artist's narrative skills and draftsmanship are unique though unsurprising. This long-awaited collection that gathers 30 years of disparately published stories limning the life and loves of Campbell's alter ago, Alec, will undoubtedly top every year's-best list, including mine.

Talking Lines. R. O. Blechman. Drawn and Quarterly. 288 pages. $27.95.
Blechman's beautiful squiggly drawings are instantly recognizable to generations of magazine readers. This lovely and overdue collection makes an eloquent case for the prodigious talents and seriously whimsical art of a modern master. The accompanying text is similarly enlightening and almost as entertaining.

Dread & Superficiality: Woody Allen as Comic Strip. Stuart Hample. Abrams ComicArts. 240 pages.
Inside Woody Allen was a fun and funny strip when it ran in newspapers (from 1976 to 1984), though none ran front-page retrospectives mourning its demise. But this thorough collection is an unexpected delight. As a primer for would-be cartoonists, the text provides great insights into the development of this sadly dying art form. Creator Hample collaborated loosely with subject Allen, abetted by several writers, including, astonishingly, The Cluetrain Manifesto's David Weinberger, now a Harvard professor, but then a Ph.D. philosophy candidate, which pleased the Woodman to no end, no doubt.

originally published in The Miami Herald

More reviews

2010-02-13T21:42:00.002-05:00

Grandville. Bryan Talbot. Dark Horse. 108 pages.

Funny animals? Ugh. Though Walt Kelly, Carl Barks and even Jack "King'' Kirby embraced and elevated the genre, it mostly left me cold — until now. Talbot's tightly plotted political thriller posits an alternate universe where France conquered England in the Napoleonic Wars, and the world is ruled by anthropomorphic animals, with a few hairless apes as servants and lackeys. Following his tour de force Alice in Sunderland, the grand master of British comics' recent projects have been a bit odd. Grandville is no exception, but this wildly heady blend of mystery, heroics, politics, religion and romance is more reminiscent of his classic Luther Arkwright series than anything he's done since. If you can get past — or embrace — his archetypical menagerie of well-drawn faux-bipeds, the story, with allegorical echoes of 9/11, is further evidence that Talbot blazes his own path and is always worth following.

The Year of Loving Dangerously. Ted Rall, Pablo G. Callejo. NBM Publishing. 127 pages.

In different alternate universes, normal-looking Rall, an award-winning writer and artist, is a stud-muffin, so irresistible that women at peace protests, pizza joints and other public places invariably invite him to share their beds. Just as well: Since he was tossed out of Columbia, Rall has no fixed abode and usually bunks down in supply closets or subways (and strange ladies' apartments). The story is true, apparently, and unfolded in the 1980s after a freak medical condition resulted in Rall's school expulsion for failure to take his final exams. Rall scripted but wisely left the illustrations to Spain's Callejo, who did a great job illuminating a story as bleak as the empty experiences it depicts.

The Escapists. Brian K Vaughan, Eduardo Barreto, Philip Bond, Steve Rolston. Dark Horse. 160 pages.

Stories about comics can be dull affairs. Affection for the medium and its practitioners often distorts the image. Even the great Will Eisner's The Dreamer was somewhat whitewashed and sentimental.

Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay added mysticism and religion to the mix, but his love of the genre dominated. The series of comics spun off from his novel are a mixed bag, but this standalone story is wistful, evocative and powerful as it depicts the conflict and ambiguity of art, comics and real life. Vaughn's story has all the elements of a great comics tale with clearly drawn heroes and villains, but it also transcends the medium with its great heart and spirit.
— Richard Pachter

Originally published in The Miami Herald

Zombies, Dylan and the Bible

2010-01-14T22:49:00.009-05:00

BY RICHARD PACHTER

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. Max Brooks and Ibraim Roberson. Three Rivers.
Brooks' silly and self-important "historical'' zombie vignettes serve as illustrated back-stories to his popular series of expository zombie prose novels. It's a decent enough gimmick, and this graphic treatment might be entertaining and important to acolytes and fans of his other undead work. But the only redeeming feature for the unconvinced is the lithe and imaginative illustrations and vivid storytelling of Ibraim Roberson, whose craft and skill far outclasses Brooks' moribund material.

Bob Dylan Revisited. Various artists. Norton.

This French collection of illuminated Dylan lyrics, illustrated by an international, non-American team of artists is a mixed bag. Some of the selections seem odd choices for graphic retelling; others represent missed opportunities. But when things click, like in Dave McKean's Desolation Row, Gradimir Smudja's Hurricane and Zep's Not Dark Yet, you can see the promise of the concept. But most of the interpretations are a bit too serious and austere to justify the effort.

The Spirit: The New Adventures. Will Eisner and others. Dark Horse.

Reunions are usually iffy, which is why Eisner wisely resisted revisiting his creation, The Spirit, except for a few brief encounters. But he finally acquiesced to publisher Denis Kitchen's entreaties to allow other creators to play with his most famous character. The result was an eight-issue series that's gorgeously reproduced in this volume. Artists and writers alike were canny enough to resist slavish mimicry, bringing a new energy to the strip while retaining the original noir-ish blend of innovation and tradition. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Eddie Campbell, Kurt Busiek, Tom Mandrake, John Ostrander, Paul Chadwick and others clearly had a ball with their stellar homages to The Spirit of Will Eisner.

The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb. R. Crumb. Norton.

The good news is that Crumb tackles the Bible -- but that's the bad news too. While his draftsmanship and composition have never been better, the material is, frankly, weak, hackneyed and disjointed. Unless readers allow their own transcendent faith and suspension of disbelief to make it more than what it is, Crumb's visual tour de force is for naught.

Masterpiece Comics. R. Sikoryak. Drawn & Quarterly.

Sikoryak's astonishing mashups take classics from Shakespeare, Camus, Bronte and the Bible and combines them with the hoary comics motifs of Batman, Superman, Mary Worth, Blondie, EC, Garfield and more. He's a terrific artist, and his awesome mimicry and maniacal imagination will startle and delight litt'rateurs and fanboys alike.

Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth. Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos, Annie Di Donna. Bloomsbury.

This amazing and rewarding book presents a portrait of Bertrand Russell -- of all people -- and his quest for meaning in logic and romance. The book's creative team also appears as characters in their resonant and interesting evocation, using of the graphic format in an imaginative and engaging way.

Originally published in The Miami Herald

Cameron Stewart on Batman and Robin

2009-09-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

Announced today.

He'll be doing Issues 7-9, right after Philip Tan and before Frank Quitely returns for 10-12.

Here's a sketch from his blog.

Planetary #27 preview

2009-08-31T14:40:00.002-04:00

An actual story, it would seem. Nice!

New Brian Azzaello promo comic

2009-05-27T17:21:00.002-04:00

In conjunction with his forthcoming novel, Vanished, author Joseph Finder produced a comic featuring his creation, The Cowl.

From his site: The Cowl is written by Brian Azzarello, one of the greats in the comics world and the author of 100 Bullets and the bestselling Joker, and drawn by talented new comic artist Benito Gallego. There are limited quantities of the comic book available in print. This is an exclusive offer for fans who pre-order VANISHED. (Click here) for a letter from Joe explaining the origin of The Cowl.

More Chris Sprouse

2009-05-21T14:01:00.003-04:00

In a bit of synchronicity, this interview of Sprouse just appeared online. Disregard the typos. It's pretty good!

And Sprouse was set to do a Superman story, he says, but it was canceled.

Alas!

My favorite quote: "It was very easy to break in: I simply mailed sample pages to DC Comics and they called me two weeks later! "

The great Chris Sprouse

2009-05-19T22:42:00.009-04:00

Artist Chris Sprouse has a very appealing style. Simple, clean and really elegant line work, expressive faces, terrific page design, smart sexy ladies, powerful men, scary villains — Sprouse does it all and makes it look easy.

He's currently working on a new series featuring Tom Strong, the character he co-created with Alan Moore.

I ganked the above image from his website which is well worth a visit.

Wouldn't it be great if Chris Sprouse regularly drew Superman? I sure think so.

Wayne Boring + Curt Swan + Kurt Schaffenberger = Chris Sprouse. That's how I figure it, anyway.

Batman returns?

2009-05-11T12:33:00.006-04:00

(click twice for readable image)

Ha!

From Wednesday Comics.

No Moore?

2009-05-08T09:17:00.001-04:00

The final part of the interview, here.

More Moore

2009-05-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

Pádraig Ó Méalóid's fine interview continues here.

Latest from Alan Moore

2009-05-06T10:12:00.003-04:00

New Alan Moore interview!
(h/t Pádraig Ó Méalóid and Forbidden Planet.)

Flashing on Wednesday

2009-05-05T09:21:00.002-04:00

Karl Kerschel previews his new Wednesday Comics Flash strip.

Tucker Stone reviews!

2009-04-23T10:17:00.001-04:00

Cheerfully ganked from Comixology.

Before Watchmen

2009-04-03T09:01:00.003-04:00

Dave Gibbons' unpublished cover for a proposed new weekly comic that would feature the Charlton hereoes — and Superman.

Help The Checkered Demon's Dad

2009-03-31T00:01:00.002-04:00

The great American artist and writer, S. Clay Wilson is recovering from profound brain injuries suffered during a fall, late last year. While still able to draw, he is illin' and chillin' at home under the care of his partner, the resolute and faithful Lorraine Chamberlain.

Wilson requires constant care and donations are needed. Yours would be nice.

If you ever read classic and wondrous S. Clay Wilson strips like the The Checkered Demon, Ruby The Dyke or my favorite, Captain Pissgums, please fork over some money right now. Click on the above image or right here to go to his site to donate a few bucks.

And if want to learn more about this American original, here's the straight poop. More here. (Photo below is Wilson and Lorraine.)

John Cassaday is working on Planetary #27

2009-03-24T09:47:00.005-04:00

And Warren Ellis finished the script two years ago, so let's all chill!

In the meantime...

3/31 Update

According to Ellis, Cassaday turned the art in to DC to publish!

You can order the final volume here.

Final Crisis Cover

2009-03-19T15:39:00.001-04:00

Click the image for another GrantMo rap session, too.

Cover: World of New Krypton #3

2009-03-19T10:33:00.003-04:00

Grant Morrison Interview

2009-03-09T00:01:00.001-04:00

From Scotland's The Big Issue.
(h/t IO9)

Watchmen opening credit sequence

2009-03-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

Who watches on Saturday morning

2009-03-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

and other directors' takes on Watchmen.

Still Knows the Score

2009-03-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Another non-Watchmen-promoting interview with Alan Moore. In Salon.com

Alan Moore Interview

2009-02-22T15:46:00.006-05:00

Nice one from Previews. Mostly about the next LOEG book and a forthcoming one on Magick.

Kind words for Mark Evanier, too.

Update: Here's another one, from Wired.

Tales of The Black Freighter

2009-02-13T16:07:00.002-05:00

Return of the Super Young Team

2009-02-11T19:13:00.002-05:00

Not, apparently as the new Forever People. Written by Joe Casey.

Rick Veitch and Alan Moore

2009-02-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

For sale. Nice!

I Will!

2009-02-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Midnight? Sure.

GI Joe Preview

2009-02-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

This could be fun.

Planetary 27: Soon Come? Maybe!

2009-01-30T15:43:00.010-05:00

I joked about it once too often, so Warren Ellis doesn't love me any more (if he ever did), but you can't blame him. He turned his script in a year and a half ago. Artist John Cassaday is said to be working on the final issue of one of the greatest series in comics, Planetary, so it may be out soon.

More clues: In the latest books from Wildstorm, DC's imprint that publishes the series, Editorial Director Jim Lee writes: "Finally, the project I'm most looking forward to in ’09 is the final issue of PLANETARY by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday. It's been a wild ride from beginning to end and I look forward to reading the whole series through one day, but you know what they say about all good things."

And the final hardcover collection is scheduled for July, so...

Unhappy Watchmen

2009-01-28T19:41:00.001-05:00

Coming Soon: Slaves of Mickey Eye!

2009-01-28T08:50:00.003-05:00

SEAGUY: THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Cameron Stewart

In 2008 alone, superstar writer Grant Morrison killed Batman, put the entire DC Universe through its FINAL CRISIS and concluded the unanimously beloved ALL-STAR SUPERMAN. But what does a writer who’s written every significant Super Hero do when he can create any Super Hero he wants? The answer, of course, is SEAGUY! Morrison (THE INVISIBLES) rejoins original SEAGUY artist Cameron Stewart (SEVEN SOLDIERS) in an all-new adventure starring the cult-favorite character!

In Seaguy’s cartoon future world, everyone is a Super Hero and no one dies. It’s absolutely perfect...Or is it? In this follow-up to the cult 2004 miniseries, Seaguy resurfaces with a sinister new partner, a hatred of the sea and a rebel restlessness he can’t explain. Why are Doc Hero and his ex-archenemy Silvan Niltoid, the Alien from Planet Earth, whispering strange equations? Why is Death so useless? And can that really be the ghost of Chubby Da Choona mumbling uncanny warnings and dire prophecies of ultimate catastrophe?
When the grotesque powers lurking behind the corporation known as Mickey Eye and the Happy Group attempt to erase Seaguy’s entire existence, can he possibly get it together in time to save a world so far gone it can’t even imagine the horror lying in wait? Find out here in Morrison’s own personal reframing of the Super Hero concept for the 21st century.

On sale April 1 • 1 of 3 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS

Still MAD

2009-01-27T14:31:00.001-05:00

Even if they're going quarterly.

A new look for Grant Morrison?

2009-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes!

Preview from SEAGUY: SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE.

More here and here from artist Cameron "Smoked Meat" Stewart.

Final Crisis 7

2009-01-18T00:19:00.003-05:00

Coming... January 28th

(Really?? January 28th?)

Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy; Covers by J.G. Jones and Doug Mahnke

The dramatic finale to the epic, seven-part saga of the DC multiverse concludes with an apocalyptic battle for the soul of humanity that must be seen to be believed! Can the heroes of 52 Earths save the multiverse? And is the only way to save it, to change it forever? DC Universe | 48pg. | Color | $3.99 US

Kyle Baker on Obama

2009-01-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

The great Kyle Baker is doing a book on the 44th president. Cool!

Japanese Watchmen Trailer

2009-01-07T19:25:00.002-05:00

(Is it March yet?)

Domo arigato!

Steve Rude

2008-12-31T20:21:00.004-05:00

Had an interesting visit with the great Steve Rude today — his birthday!

This lovely painting of his wife Jaynelle was displayed along with several others in his home.

Steve is a very thoughtful guy. I'll share some of our conversation soon.

King Kurt!

2008-12-29T09:35:00.005-05:00

image ganked from http://aqua.gjovaag.com/blog.

I've known Kurt Busiek for a zillion years. We're not in touch regularly but he's one of those friends with whom you can pick up the thread any time you talk.

In addition to being a prolific writer, he's also a great idea man (he came up with the rationale for Jean Gray's rebirth), critic (he was the first person to bust Alan Moore for his "homage" to the novel Super Folks in "Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel") and keen observer of the scene. He's also a fanboy, which is how we met; in a couple of apas together, back in the Jurrasic Era, I think.

I shouldn't have been surprised that Tom Spurgeon chose to interview him (though I was). Check it out!

Batmen

2008-12-24T08:56:00.006-05:00

ganked from Newsarama

Here it is in black and white on Tony Daniels' blog.

Reviews and gift guide

2008-12-23T09:23:00.004-05:00

In today's Miami Herald.

It's like writing haiku, trying to fit everything into such a tiny space, but I'll have another venue soon.

Neal Adams Superman cover?

2008-11-17T00:10:00.001-05:00

What the hell is this?

It's this.

Doctor Who "Children In Need" clip

2008-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Preview of the 2008 Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Miami Book Fairing

2008-11-14T16:27:00.006-05:00

I'll be at the Fair this weekend, shmoozing and cruising, and introducing three comics-GN panels; Saturday at 2:30, it's David Hajdu and Francoise Mouly; at 4 pm, David Heatley, Ariel Schrag, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. On Sunday at 2 pm, it's Jim Morin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist of The Miami Herald.

If you're around, stop by and say hey.

Here's a music video David Heatley did to promote his new book.

Another Watchmen trailer

2008-11-13T22:13:00.001-05:00

Punked by Neil Gaiman? DC? Or both?

2008-11-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

Neil Gaiman says that this Andy Kubert image, shown as the cover of the forthcoming release of the "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" hardcover (due in July 2009), is NOT the real cover image for either volume of his 2-issue mini-series, which follows Grant Morrison's current Batman: R.I.P. storyline.

There was a bit of controversy when it was first posted by colorist Chris Sotomayor, as plot points were allegedly revealed.

So why is it that image used on the cover of the compilation? Is Neil obfuscating? Is DC?

And if you've been reading the series and wondered where Batman got the idea for his funky duds...

Still Watching

2008-11-11T09:51:00.002-05:00

Raw Shark

2008-11-08T09:10:00.002-05:00

Watchmen? Watch women!

2008-11-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

Watchmen Exclusive: Girls Kick Ass

Grant Morrison Flash movie?

2008-11-04T21:33:00.013-05:00

The story (which was essentially a non-denial) originally appeared on MTV's "splash page" site then referenced — and linked to — in several other places. Then the item item disappeared.

Hmmmm.....

But here's the Google cache.

Jim Morin!

2008-10-29T12:20:00.013-04:00

I'm going to see my buddy, Jim Morin, The Miami Herald's Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist on Saturday at the Coral Springs Museum of Art.

Full report to come!

The Alcoholic and Monsieur Leotard

2008-10-26T20:18:00.010-04:00

A couple of capsule reviews from The Miami Herald. It's not easy writing short!

The Alcoholic. Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel. Vertigo. 136 pages.
Jonathan Ames is a successful performer, essayist and novelist of mostly noirish detective fiction. Aided by artist and American Splendor stalwart Dean Haspiel, he recounts his life of sexual ambiguity, substance abuse, and affairs of the heart and other organs. An unrequited boyhood crush and the unconditional love of a favorite aunt provide resonant and visceral emotional counterpoints. Haspiel's images are powerful and complementary. As with the best art, the reader is left wondering what's next.

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard. Eddie Campbell and Dan Best. First Second. 128 pages.
English expatriate and resident Aussie artist and writer Eddie Campbell's autobiographical Alec stories are finally collected later this year, but From Hell, the revisionist Jack The Ripper series with Alan Moore, is his claim to mainstream fame. This gorgeous new work, an entertaining collaboration with Brisbane attorney and writer Dan Best, is a colorfully frothy fantasy extrapolating a biography for the imaginary nephew of famed acrobat Jules Leotard, the original ''daring young man on the flying trapeze'' for whom leotards are named. His misadventures with an endearing supporting cast form a hilarious and astounding epic that culminates in the creation of (what else?) the first comic book superhero.

Geeekerific

2008-10-22T20:20:00.004-04:00

GrantMo On All Star Superman

2008-10-21T14:14:00.008-04:00

Superb initial installment of an interview with King Mob himself. Also, a terrific review, some fascinating speculation and further discussion.

(Image referred to in the interview: Grant, Superman, Mark Waid and friends; lifted from Grant's site.)

Supergroup: Mary Fleener and Captain Beefheart

2008-10-17T21:21:00.010-04:00

The great San Diego artist Mary Fleener illuminates Don Van Vliet's "Golden Birdies."

VERY scary!

2008-10-02T08:54:00.004-04:00

Immortalized by Tom Spurgeon

2008-09-26T20:15:00.002-04:00

I think I might've even blushed.

What are your superpowers?

More All Star Superman?

2008-09-18T23:06:00.010-04:00

The final issue (of 12) came out this week. Nice ending to a wonderful series.

Will there be more? Grant Morrison, from an interview last April with Comic Book Resources:

“We’re stopping mainly because Frank really doesn’t want to draw Superman for the rest of his life,” Morrison confirmed. “The two of us have some other projects we’d like to do so we had to make it finite. We wanted to say our piece and leave. Personally, I could write that book forever. I just love it. I could write stories about Superman every month but the book was designed from the start to be something complete, and to have a beginning and an end. So that’s the way we are playing it.”

Morrison did add, however, he hopes to write a series of one-shot in All Star Superman specials one day as his schedule permits. “As I was working on the book, a bunch of other ideas came to mind and one was an idea for an All Star Superman/Batman book. So that was one of the stories, a thing called ‘Son of Superman.’ It was a kind of take on the Super Sons idea from the 1970s, which I really liked. So I wanted to do that one. And there is another one set in the far, far future with the Superman Squad. So they were stories that were more tangential to Superman.

“And I wanted to do a story of Superman’s first year in Metropolis when he wasn’t so powerful and he was a bit more of a liberal activist. And to do that kind of Superman, the big heavy guy who can only pick up trucks and be killed by an exploding shell, you can kind of do that as the first year and see the differences between that guy and the incredibly powerful, self-assured man-god in the main All Star Superman book. So those are the three stories I came up with and as I say, they were slightly off the main storyline but related to it so I hope to do those when the current workload eases up because as I say I could just keep doing that Superman stuff forever.”

Read the whole interview.

(Grant counts three and I count four, btw. Must be a PoMo thing.)

This makes too much sense

2008-09-17T09:51:00.004-04:00

And it's kind of clear and linear, too.

How can it be about Final Crisis?

Kudos to Alan Kistler, ~~but don't do it again~~!

(Kidding!!)

Super Beer?

2008-09-15T19:17:00.001-04:00

Action Comics 869

Are Jonathan and Clark Kent drinking beer?

Rich Johnston burps, "Yes."

Tom Toles

2008-09-15T10:28:00.004-04:00

Back in biblical times, when I loitered around SUNY Buffalo, Tom Toles was the editorial cartoonist at the Spectrum, the university newspaper. (I was music editor of ethos, the school magazine. Among the editors I tortured was Stuart Berger [RIP], who later became a famous diet doctor. He was large AND in charge when I knew him and a real trip. We got along great, since I always seemed to make him laugh.)

But I digress. Toles went on to be the editorial cartoonist at the Buffalo News and is now the guy at the Washington Post.

Here's his latest.

Fr@#k Miller

2008-09-12T08:52:00.004-04:00

Drops the F-Bob, but had no idea. Want 3 copies for himself, of course. Bagged and boarded, too?

I'm a fan, but...

2008-09-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

...these folks are FANS. (Thanks to the irrepressible, incomparable Kelson the Mighty and his buddy, The Captain!)

All Star Superman #12

2008-09-08T14:13:00.006-04:00

art by Vincent Deighan (Frank Quitely) and Jamie Grant

Coming next week!

And Grant Morrison sits for an interview (apparently by e-mail) with Newsarama; though fanboys are still complaining that Final Crisis is too hard! Wahhhhh!!!

Jack Kirby invented the iPhone!

2008-09-05T10:49:00.001-04:00

At least according to the pulse-pounding, senses-stunning Fake Stan Lee blog he did.

Excelsior!

Brad Meltzer loves Superman

2008-09-02T08:56:00.006-04:00

Yeah, well, my three kids each had birth announcements drawn by the artist who was currently penciling Superman. (And no, I'm not going to post 'em online.) But props to Brad.

In the meantime, I have some thoughts about the notion of a darker reboot of the Superman movies... coming soon.

fake poster by Brad Brevet

Grant Morrison's modest goal

2008-08-28T09:46:00.001-04:00

"Why not set time and space right?"

(from a terrific interview by by Dan Phillips.)

My Pal, Jimmy Olsen

2008-08-21T18:42:00.005-04:00

This is a fantastic collection of classic comics. I love my public library!

Marketing

2008-08-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

More Levitz

2008-08-06T11:45:00.007-04:00

Nice interview in the Wall Street Journal with DC's Paul Levitz.

Apparently, he attended Stuyvesant High School (as did I, albeit briefly).

Held Over!! Dr. Horrible!

2008-07-29T15:33:00.001-04:00

Secret Identity

2008-07-28T11:36:00.004-04:00

This will be interesting. (From Publishers Weekly)Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster, an unusual collection of S&M comics secretly created by Superman’s co-creator Joe Shuster. Thought to have been destroyed, the comics were discovered in a shop in Britain by Yoe, who has verified that Schuster was the creator. Called Nights of Horror, the comics are fetish fantasies with characters that look just like Clark Kent and Lois Lane. “They’re chained and being whipped and there’s women kissing women,” said Charles Kochman. “It’s a great story and no one ever connected them to Schuster.”

Charles Kochman was recently promoted to executive editor at Harry N. Abrams, the venerable New York City art book publishing house, just in time for its 60th anniversary. In spring 2009, Harry N. Abrams will launch Abrams ComicArts, a sub-imprint specializing in comics and comics related book.

I'm not at Comic-Con

2008-07-22T08:35:00.009-04:00

But here's a note from Tom Green (not that one) of Titan Books.

Hey Richard. Is there any chance you could mention our new Comic-Con site on your blog? We’re heavily promoting our Watching the Watchmen title there with an interview with Dave Gibbons and a contest to win signed artwork.

http://comiccon.titanbooks.com/

Paul Levitz speaks!

2008-07-18T18:52:00.005-04:00

Illustration by Michael Netzer

DC publisher's online chat with The Washington Post, Friday 7/18/08.

Coming in April

2008-07-18T15:14:00.001-04:00

Hurm!

2008-07-18T09:27:00.003-04:00

Watchmen Trailer

2008-07-17T16:48:00.002-04:00

Jack Kirby and Bill Mauldin

2008-07-16T10:19:00.006-04:00

Collections reviewed here.

Frankly...

2008-07-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

The Spirit trailer (full screen HD).
(Sorry about the tasteless and inappropriate commercial.)

Other versions here.

I Am Curious (Black)

2008-07-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

The legendary Lois Lane 106.

Did you know that the Harlem of Metropolis is called "Little Africa?" Me neither!

Diddling DiDio

2008-06-22T17:05:00.001-04:00

I'm as guilty as the next fanboy and I should know better.

DC Senior VP-Executive Editor is the subject of rumors regarding an imminent departure from the company for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to detail everything here but you can just do a Google News search for "Dan Didio" and you'll be as plugged in as the next know-nothing.

Now, Hollywood journalist and über-yentah Nikki Finke has picked up the story, though being a normal-ish person, isn't aware of all the intricacies and politics. And DC, if anything, is a political rat's nest — or so I'm told.

Good luck to DiDio. Hope his parachute is golden. And to Jimmy Palmiotti: be careful what you wish for.

NOON UPDATE Palmiotti says that he's not interested in the job, per Newsarama. You can blame the people who originally reported his "no comment" for their failure to convey his sarcastic and humorous intent, assuming they perceived it.

Planetary 27 is coming!

2008-06-18T09:31:00.000-04:00

When?

Who knows? Maybe this year or early next, but at least drawing has commenced on the final "epilogue" issue of the series, the script for which was turned in a year ago.

Per writer Warren Ellis's e-mail this morning:

"late last night, Wildstorm informed me that John Cassaday has commenced drawing PLANETARY 27. Please don't respond to this -- I don't need the listserv breaking. Just know and be happy. I have no word on what else is on John's plate right now, so I don't know how long it'll take or when it'll see print. It's not the easiest script in the world to draw, as I recall."
These are notes for issue 7 of the series, by the way; the "Vertigo" story featuring, well, that's subject to interpretation.

Margot & Chris?

2008-06-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

Valerie D'Orazio thinks this is good. And I guess it's not the worst thing in the world, but... should Lois Lane and Clark Kent (and Superman) look like Margot Kidder and the late Christopher Reeve? They do in Action Comics right now.

It started, if I recall correctly, when Geoff Johns began writing Action with his former boss, director Richard Donner. Adam Kubert was the artist, and though it was a bit... different... having Supes look like Reeve seemed sort of natural with Donner involved. After Kubert fizzled, Gary Frank took over. And it's Margot and Chris. Isn't that nice?

Uh, no. It's starting to creep me out.

SUPER-HEROES BATTLE SUPER GORILLAS

2008-06-05T10:24:00.000-04:00

What could be finer? (Wonder what Mort told his shrink about that particular nightmare?)

Online comics!

2008-05-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

This ruggedly lifelike fellow is Warren Ellis, scourge of the Internet, and author of numerous "comics," including the brilliant Planetary.

Mr. Ellis has deigned to share his greatness with the lumpen proletariat by making his latest effort, "FreakAngels" available for viewing through a browser on your very own computer. Or someone else's. You can even subscribe to it as an RSS feed. Will wonders cease?

JMS

2008-05-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

J. Michael Straczynski is hot. His original script, "The Changeling," directed by some guy named Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Joli, was a big hit at Cannes. His screenplay for "World War Z," based on the hit novel by Max Brooks (Mel's son) is in preproduction; he just did a quickie polish on a Wachowski Brothers script; has another film set to be directed by Bourne director Paul Greenglass; and will be working on a series of films based on the classic "Lensmen" science fiction tales with Ron Howard. And there's more.

JMS was best known for creating, writing and producing the epic TV series, "Babylon 5," and has just signed to write comics for DC, having concluded his previous deal with Marvel.

A few years back, I wrote a piece on writers who traverse the worlds of TV, film and comics, now a pretty common occurrence. Then... not so much. I interviewed Joe and Neil Gaiman, Howard Chaykin, Mark Verheiden and Gerry Conway, as well as Marv Wolfman, who wasn't included due to space, but I'll have to dig out the Q&A and run it here some time.

The article, as published, is posted here (along with this intro, which you can skip.)

Who Watches

2008-05-27T13:10:00.001-04:00

The movie version of "Watchmen," the Citizen Kane of comics, is coming out next March, directed by Zack Snyder, whose last film was Frank Miller's "300." (Miller, of course, is directing the big screen version of Will Eisner's strip, "The Spirit").

A story in The New York Times revealed that in addition to "Watchmen's" main tale, an animated version of the sort-of subtextural narrative that was part of the original graphic series, "Tales of the Black Freighter," will come out on DVD about a week after the main film's theatrical release. Another feature to be included on the DVD, "Under The Hood" (which was the title of yet another fictional subcomponent of the original series — a tell-all memoir by one of the characters — will be a "making of" documentary on the DVD, according to the Times piece.

A few months later, the theatrical version of "Watchmen" will be released on DVD, then an "ultimate" version of the film, with "Tales of the Black Freighter" integrated into the story, as in the comic series and graphic novel compilation. There will also be online webisodes that will offer side-by-side frame-by-frame comparisons of the original story and the film(s), also according to the Times.

"Cloverfield" created a larger framework of a game with multiple online components that added to the anticipation of the film (and functioned as a powerful marketing tool) but was optional insofar as enjoyment of the movie was concerned.

The "Watchmen" producers, if the Times story is accurate, are using different media to tell a fuller and richer story, and the marketing and commercial aspects of the project — though a bit of a gamble — are also being served. In fact, they're making the telling of "Tales of the Black Freighter" commercially viable and, as a result, ensuring that the adaptation of "Watchmen" is even closer to the original than was thought possible.

"Watchmen" writer Alan Moore has pointedly disavowed the project, and given the artistic failures of the film versions of his other graphic stories, notably "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," who could blame him? He's declared on numerous occasions that he writes comics, not movies. But artist Dave Gibbons has been publicly supportive of the "Watchmen" film, and his imprimatur may be justified by the final result. Or results.

(text cross-posted at Review RAP)

Gene Colan is not well

2008-05-13T11:57:00.001-04:00

Gene Colan, artist extraordinaire, is in bad shape right now, suffering from liver disease, with mounting medical bills. Make a donation via Paypal or send best wishes via this e-mail address. The family is also selling original art on eBay here.

A good interview with Gene from 2001 by Tom Field in Comic Book Artist is here.

(The above cover has enormous sentimental value to me, as I used to own the original art. The inker, btw, is the incredible Tom Palmer.)

Merry Gerry!

2008-05-08T14:08:00.000-04:00

Gerry Conway, former DC and Marvel editor and writer, has a blog and promises to post regularly. If so, I promise to read it regularly. Deal?

Shellhead

2008-05-05T10:39:00.000-04:00

With the success of Iron Man, what other secondary Marvel or DC characters might serve as material for films?

Green Lantern? Sub-Mariner?

Too late for Daredevil, Howard The Duck and probably The Hulk.

How about Planetary?

Help David Pirkola

2008-05-01T10:05:00.001-04:00

David Pirkola, owner and operator of Apparitions Comics and Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan was robbed at his store and then shot by the robber. He is currently in stable, but critical condition at a local hospital. He has no health insurance. Hit the link for more info and to make a contribution.

I don't know the guy from Adam, but I've been going to comic stores even before there were any (My Friends Bookstore in Brooklyn) so throw this poor guy a few bucks and gain that smug, self-satisfied feeling that you can only get from doing something nice for someone who needs it.

Where is Flex Mentallo?

2008-04-29T15:01:00.001-04:00

The acclaim for All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely has been unanimous. So why hasn't DC reprinted the earlier series by this pair, a spin-off of Morrison's Doom Patrol, Flex Mentallo, a multi-layered post-modern extravaganza?

Seems crazy, since the title is easy enough to find on BitTorrent. And there's plenty of demand.

Johnny Bunko

2008-04-21T22:42:00.000-04:00

That madman Daniel Pink, whose previous death-defying feats included writing speeches for Al Gore, wrote a manga-esque career book, which I reviewed in The Miami Herald.

(Pink also wrote a great piece about the Japanese comics industry in Wired a few months back.)

Check out the trailer for the Johnny Bunko book (a trailer for a book? WTF?!) above.

UPDATE: check this out for more on Bunko from yours truly and another fellow.

Steve Gerber switched ducks!

2008-04-01T14:36:00.001-04:00

In 1996, Steve Gerber pulled off an incredible cross-company switch — engineered by no less a maniac than Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen — that resulted in Howard the Duck switching places (in the Marvel Universe) with a clone, then renamed "Leonard. The "real" Howard (Leonard) was in Steve's virtual possession through his final days. The clone remained with Marvel.

Think I'm making this up or it's an April Fool's thing? Read this.I'm going to lay out the whole story when I get a chance, including an interview rescued from Wizard's recent page-purge, but it's nice to know that things worked out... even if we're talking about fantasy.

GN reviews

2008-03-11T07:31:00.001-04:00

"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier" and Bryan Talbot's "Heart of Empire" CD-ROM in The Miami Herald.

Book reviewed

2008-02-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

My review of Jake Rossen's "Superman vs Hollywood," on the history of movie and TV adaptations of Superman and a host of related characters, is in The Miami Herald, here.

And I filed capsule reviews on the "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier" and the 2nd edition of of the "Luther Arkwright: Heart of Empire" CD-ROM, too. Not sure when they'll run, though. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

Atrios is a fanboy!

2008-02-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

The progressive Blogfather's Amazon wishlist is nice 'n geeky.

Duncan Black's site, Eschaton is the hub of liberal blogs and a must-read, whether you are similarly inclined or not.

Comics, Seriously

2008-02-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

The makers of comic books are all powerful. With a flick of their wrists, they create and destroy universes, cheat death, shatter the time barrier, and imbue mere mortals with powers far beyond those of mortal men. But despite their heroic demeanor and soaring imaginations, many of these omnipotent, omniscient Masters of Reality have been broke, exploited, and demoralized victims of corporate oppression. Occasionally, some rise up to fight this injustice and subjugation.

Our story begins many years ago ...

As content, comics are now a primary source of material for blockbuster movies. But the business of comics is just that: a business, albeit a rapidly changing one. Once upon a time, there were many companies producing comics. But for the last 40 years or so, the best-known characters like Spider-Man, Superman, the Fantastic Four, Batman, the Hulk, and others, have come from two companies: Marvel and DC. Sales of traditional pamphlet-sized, individual "comic books" have dropped sharply over the last decade, while the sales — and mainstream cultural acceptance — of hard- and soft-cover compilations, as well as original "graphic novels," are ascendant.

If you grew up reading comics in the '60s or '70s, you were regaled with tales of the Merry Marvel Bullpen, a wondrous place where all the artists drew their comics while laughing and kibitzing with writer/editor Smilin' Stan Lee. They had a grand time.

Turns out the bullpen was essentially a myth. Few, if any, artists hung around the office, except to pick up a check and a new assignment. They toiled from home, or from their own rented studios. That's the way it's still done. Most of the creative work in comics is performed by freelance writers and artists on a work-for-hire basis, with the companies retaining ownership of the story, the characters (old and new), and any derivative works, like movies, TV shows, cartoons, lunch boxes, ring-tones — whatever. Creators are sometimes offered a slender sliver of the pie, but paying actual royalties to actual creators is a relatively recent innovation.

Years after signing away his rights to the iconic character, Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel couldn't even get a writing assignment from DC or any publisher. His partner, Joe Shuster, was legally blind and couldn't draw, so he toiled as a messenger in Manhattan and lived in semi-poverty. Marvel comics artist Jack "King" Kirby, at minimum responsible for the original design (if not the actual creation) of the Fantastic Four and nearly every other Marvel character, was forced into pleading, threatening, and finally shaming Marvel into returning a fraction of his original drawings — those that hadn't already been lost, stolen, or destroyed.

"All I know is that I own my drawings, but they've got them, and they know that I own them," he told The Comics Journal back in 1986. "They know, and they're holding them arbitrarily. They'll grab a copyright, they'll grab a drawing, they'll grab a script. They're grabbers — that's their policy. They can be as dignified as they like. They can talk in lofty language, although they don't usually ... not to me [laughter]. They can act like businessmen. But to me, they're acting like thugs."

And this was Kirby, the King of the Comics! Mere mortals, and just plain journeyman artists and writers, have been treated far worse.

While it's legal and practical for publishers to exploit (in the positive sense of the word) their intellectual property, until quite recently these companies have also exploited their freelance writers and artists, paying on a per-page basis with none of the benefits typically accorded salaried employees, such as health insurance, paid vacations, holidays, etc. When a group of veteran writers organized in the mid-1960s and asked for basic health insurance, DC's reaction was to abruptly cut off their work — in effect, firing them. That was the end of that little uprising.

Modest improvements were made over time, including the advent of creator-owned properties and shared trademarks, royalties, and payment for reprints. Most of the advances were incremental and isolated until 1992.

Before that important year, the hegemony of Marvel and DC had been challenged by a handful of smaller publishers: Dark Horse, First, Pacific, Eclipse, Malibu, Comico, Valiant, and others (all of which are now out of business except Dark Horse, whose close ties with film properties like The Mask, Time Cop, and other Hollywood productions augment and support their print ventures). Some of the indies produced books with production values equal to or better than the majors, though the quality of the stories and art varied greatly. Distribution was inconsistent, at best. They were less a threat to the Big Two and more of a farm system for new talent.

But in 1992, seven of Marvel's hottest artists (Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Mark Silvestri, and Jim Valentino) met with the company's management and announced the formation of their own publishing entity, Image.

Jim Lee told author George Khoury in Image Comics: The Road to Independence, "There was a wide, wide rift between how we perceived ourselves and our value to the company as creators, and [how] they valued us as creators, and I think they felt that they would survive without us. And they did, ultimately. They took a hit for ... several years because I think they underestimated what Image would become."

Image began to publish books written and drawn by the rebel alliance. At first Malibu distributed the comics. After learning they were paying Malibu for services that they could handle themselves, like dealing with printers and other vendors, Image distributed the books themselves.

But Image wasn't even a publisher in the traditional sense. It didn't own the copyrights, trademarks, or characters. It was (and is) more of a collective, with each of the then-six (Portacio dropped out) shareholders owning their own creative properties and calling the shots. The effect of Image's entry into the marketplace was immediate; initial sales of their books were quite high, even surpassing DC's volume, albeit briefly. Comics featuring their creations — Spawn, The Savage Dragon, Wildcats, and others — sold in the millions (!), and the Image founders became quite wealthy, especially for comic artists.

It's worth pointing out that these Image founders were all artists, and not writers; none wrote their own tales, though some had already begun either scripting or "plotting" the stories they drew at Marvel in collaboration with an editor or a "scripter," who penned dialogue to match the action depicted in the drawings.

In the wake of Image's success, several groups of writers and writer-artists also tried forming similar publishing collectives, but none gained traction and all were abandoned.

Image itself didn't stay together. Jim Lee's Wildstorm imprint was wholly acquired by DC in 1998. Lee is still ostensibly in charge of the creative side, but DC manages the business, which frequently involves creative decisions, too.

Marc Silvestri's Top Cow Productions left Image in 1996 but returned shortly after Image founder Rob Liefeld was voted out by the other partners over a variety of complaints and conflicts. Top Cow regularly works with Marvel. Lee and Liefeld have also drawn books for their old company, though since the DC acquisition, Lee's work has mostly appeared under that company's banner.

The comics industry is subject to the same competitive forces faced by most businesses, including consolidation. Image, though originally formed as a means to empower and enrich its creators, found that they still had bills to pay, payrolls to make, and profits to turn. Business is business; it's revealing that nearly all of Image's current books are written and drawn by non-partners.

But creators still seek to create businesses to serve their needs — and not the other way around.

The latest, artist Steve Rude, is a journeyman "artist's artist." In an upcoming post, we'll explore the secret origins of his new company, Rude Dude Productions, which one skeptical veteran editor termed "a suicide mission." We'll see.

© 2007, 2008 The Pachter Family Trust. Originally appeared on www.Moli.com.