Archive for April, 2004
Bookslut
Not sure of how many of you are familiar with Bookslut, but it is a site worth checking out on a regular basis. In additional to quality reviews of books, the site also offers interviews, opinion columns, and a range of other features. Plus, they have always been good to comics and graphic literature. The Comic Book Slut provides great reviews of alternative and independent comics. Currently, the site features three comics-related articles on the front page: an interview with Dame Darcy; a review of Louis Riel by Chester Brown; and a look at Comix Revolution in their spotlight on independent bookstores.
You can�t spell Punisher without P-U
Hey, kids. I saw �Punisher� on Tuesday, but I haven�t worked up the energy to write about it until just now. �Craptastic� isn�t a strong enough word, nor is �failure� or �train wreck.� Neither is �disappointment,� but it�s as good a place as any to start.
I saw disappointment because I�m honestly a fan of the current Garth Ennis-written incarnation of the Punisher, and I understood it was going to lean more toward that version than the old Dolph Lundgren version. It kept some of the surface details of the Garth Ennis version, such as the Punisher�s quirky neighbors, but it missed the point completely. Ennis didn�t give the Punisher neighbors to add comic relief or to humanize him; they�re there to illustrate just how screwed up Big Frank really is.
That�s the difference between the Lundgren version and the Ennis version — the Lundgren version is a straight-up vigilante masturbation fantasy, whereas the Ennis version adds the knowledge that what the Punisher does is probably not healthy, either for him or for society. In (poorly) mixing the two approaches, the movie loses the unified punch of the Lundgren version and the perverse joys of the Ennis version.
And then there�s the execution. Superhero stories operate on their own worldview: ie., the idea that someone might put on a mask and fight crime. It�s important to put the viewer into this world as soon as possible, otherwise the whole thing falls flat. The movie never does this, and the movie�s entire internal logic falls apart with the appearance of a pair of quirky assassins.
It fails on a number of other levels, too. The Punisher�s origin is overly long, without shedding any new light on the character or achieving much dramatic heft. Thomas Jane does a decent job with what he�s got, but John Travolta is a dead weight on the screen — the best performance is probably Rebecca Romijn�s. And memo to screenwriters, who apparently just read about �foreshadowing:� 1910 called, and it wants its telegraph machine back.
More Cool “Behind-the-Scenes” Stuff
Artist Salgood Sam (aka Max Douglas) has a nice little site with plenty of artwork, and cool commentary on the why’s and how’s of many of his projects. The most fascinating is the explanation of how Marvel editorial completely and totally fucked up the Saint Sinner series he worked on, to the point where he quit after 4 issues. I love reading these types of “exposes”, if you will, not so much from a prurient angle but just from a purely inquisitive fascination on how the business side of the comics business runs. His commentary includes plenty of cover and interior art that was rejected or changed at the last minute by his editor, as well as other anecdotes. Here are a few snippets:
“Oh, and that embossed foil cover? It got us huge orders on book one, which resulted in big bonus checks. 6 grand for me!…But as it turned out, it was a fiction…you see someone at Marvel botched up in sending out the checks when they did, before the News Stand Returns came in… So 6 months after, when I inquired as to why I had not received a check for some time for work I had recently completed, I was told that I actually owed them another $600!! to balance my ‘account’ with them before I’d see anymore money, effectively I had worked for two months for free…”
“Another gripe I had with this issue of the book was that when it was printed the two page spread introducing the new world that Kanto, Bull Baby and Mish Mash have created for Saint Sinner was split up to make room for a 2-page X-man ad….arrrgggggg! It would have only taken moving the ad one set of pages in either direction to avoid this. PLUS, I had cleared the spread with Marc as well�.yet another reason not to trust him in the end.”
Watchmen movie news
From ComicBookResources: “According to Ain’t It Cool News, “Pi” veteran Darren Aronofosky is going to direct the Alan Moore adaptation. This was revealed when screenwriter David Hayter talked to the rumor site, and Hayter said, ‘I have spoken with the Producers about a couple of different things I can do to both retain my involvement in the film, and to help ensure that the film retains its integrity. They have been very supportive of myself and this project for the past two years and continue to desire my creative support in terms of the script, the characters and the world. Please assure the fans that I will NEVER give up on creating a truly great Watchmen film that both honors and celebrates the Graphic Novel, and illustrates to the movie-going Audiences what a genuinely great comic-book story can do. And on a personal note; If, God forbid, anything goes off-kilter with the currently proposed set-up and the Director’s chair opens up again in say, a year, I will be first in line to try to regain my seat. Either way, I just hope the film is great.’”
Here�s why superheroes wear underwear outside of their tights:
http://www.ibiblio.org/jmaynard/TRONcostume/
Even if I could post a photo, I’m not sure I would.
Friend-of-Panel Gus Dahlberg posted this on McKeever�s site, along with the comment: �myeyestheyburnmakethehurtingstop.�
More love for Panel:
“Incidentally, I love your comics also. As I mentioned, I’m no critic, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Sophomores one in the anthology; the whole Panel is so well designed! Good lord there is talent all over that thing. What I’m starting to like about comix is that it leaves a lot to readers’ interpretation and begs more questions than it answers. Good literature does that.”
And this one from a real, live girl!
James Jean newspaper profile
Read it in the Daily Record. A few items of interest:
“Although trained in fine arts, the James Jean says he is living his boyhood dream to draw superhero illustrations. Jean says he’s currently working on sketches for the new ‘Batman’ movie.”
“Ben Jean said he expected his son, who received an almost perfect score on his SAT’s to go to an Ivy League school, possibly into a business or medicine, but supported his son’s decision to become an artist.”
Of the comic book industry, he has this to say: “It’s a really good industry to work in. There is a lot of money in it that a lot of people don’t realize.”
Um, yeah. Not so sure about that last one. Then again, “a lot of money” is a subjective concept…
I can top that!
Just last night I was at KMart and I came across Mighty Beanz. I can’t figure out how to post a picture (I posted for you -dara), but here’s a link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C2TSO/103-2389156-8278208
Let me see if I can describe them in words … they’re like little capsules, each one painted up like a different character. When I say capsule I mean that’s all it is — no points of articulation, no kung fu grip, no appendages of any kind. The selling point seems to be that they have some kind of weight inside them so they, um, roll funny?
Apparently there are non-Marvel Mighty Beanz, but a good percentage of them seem to be Marvel characters. Is it lame? Yes. Fun to play with? I can’t imagine they are. But if they help keep our friend Sean McKeever in Killian’s Irish Red, I say “excelsior!” to the Marvel Licensing Department.
Good Ol’ Marvel Licensing Department
It’s good to have low standards, that way you don’t have to turn away any licensing fee just because you think the product…um, sucks. Check out these ridiculous Marvel “superheroes” motivational posters! (link courtesy of our bud Gus Dahlberg)
Cause, you know, excellence is very important in any profession…even an assassin…
Yo, next time one of those puny humans from finance gives you lip about your project, bash ‘im in the head…
And it gets better when you realize they have a “motivational” poster featuring The Punisher. Nice.
You’ve come a long way, baby.
When I was a junior in high school, in 1992-1993, my school received a rumor that two girls were caught making out in the middle school bathroom. This news was greeted with fear and loathing; I have a clear recollection of one of my (female) classmates saying how she wished she could beat the crap out of those two girls.
This was 10 years ago. I didn’t realize how long ago that was until I woke up Sunday to find a flier tucked under the windshield wipers on my car. It advertised a “Girls Kissing Girls” contest May 1 at Long Street. Top prize is $300.
http://www.longstreetclubs.com/main.shtml (scroll halfway down).
Howtoons
Comics is a wonderful medium!
“Howtoons are one-page cartoons showing 5-to-15 year-old kids “How To” build things. Each illustrated episode is a stand-alone fun adventure accessible to all, including the pre-literate. Our Howtoons are designed to encourage children to be active participants in discovering the world through Play-that-Matters — fun, creative, and inventive — and to rely a lot less on mass-consumable entertainment. ”
(link courtesy of Boing Boing)
And Now a Word or Two About Sound Effects…
From a question on SilverBulletComics’ “The Panel” column about the who/where/why’s of sound effects…
Scott Allie, Dark Horse Comics editor: “Sound effects come from the writer’s own little mind, and I’ve seldom heard any intelligent discussion of how, why, or when to use them. My rule of thumb is to only use them if they aid storytelling. I don’t need to “hear” a faucet running if I’m given a closeup of the faucet running, but it’s usually helpful to hear a gun fire, since that’s the most distinctive indication that the gun has actually fired. A little burst of color from the muzzle doesn’t have the same impact. Sneezing’s another good one. Without the sound effect, the look on the character’s face might be really confusing. But I don’t really need to hear a punch, unless I’m supposed to know that it’s a really strong punch.”
The first Punisher movie review
So I’m listening to CD101 and Andyman and Michael Palermo are chit-chatting. Andyman mentions that he saw The Punisher movie last night at a special media screening. Snippets from the conversation, as best as I can remember…
“Yeah, so I saw it last night ant it was…crap! I mean, horrendous crap. And you gotta’ understand, I’m a huge comic book fan. But it just…sucked.”
“I mean, I almost think the Dolf Lundgren version was a better movie.”
“God help us all if that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ever makes a movie with…you know, what’s-his-douche from the Matrix…Keanu Reeves. I think God will just wipe out all of humanity if that ever happens…”
So there you have it folks. The first Punisher movie review, courtesy of radio DJ Andyman.
