Archive for June, 2005
Greetings from Germany
Internet access is fairly easy out here in Europe, just not very convenient when traveling with a 6 year old 
But I wanted to make at least one post to the blog before heading back to the states. We’re in Stuttgart, Germany right now. Last week it was Paris. It warmed my heart to see billboard ads for the latest graphic novels out on busy streets and even in the metros. They love their comics here. Related item: I was in a comic book store in Paris and noticed that they had several pages of original art on display and for sale. One of them was from Columbus’ own Chris Sprouse: Tom Strong issue #7, page 7. Price: 300 Euro (about $362). Cool, huh?
Ok, catch you guys in a few.
Chicks dig manga
I just spotted a pair of high school girls oo-ing and aa-ing over the manga section of the Book Loft. They walked past the American comix and made a beeline for the manga. If I (over)heard them correctly, one of them was looking for an artist for her own manga story.
It’s good to see new people coming to comix, from whatever direction.
As a personal mission this summer, I’m whipping up samples to drum up more o’ the freelance buisness. This weekend I went thru and downloaded/copied all the submissions guidelines for DC, Marvel, IDW, and Dark Horse*. DC’s site is probably the most with it, in terms of telling you which cons they’ll be at (San Diego and Chicago). They send out releases telling which editors will be there. The condecending tone is kept to a minimum. I realize these publishers get hit like crazy with wannabees and pros alike but geesh! Here’s a brief example of tone from the Dark Horse submissions…
BEFORE YOU GET IN LINE, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS HONESTLY:
Have you shown your work to:
your parents?
your friends?
your teachers?
and especially to professional artists attending the convention?
Funny… yes but wrong. The info I needed (samples- how many. what of?) was near the bottom. That’s all I wanted to know. The other aspect I respect of DC is the elimination of lines. Dump off your samples and check back to see if they’ll meet with you. Brilliant. Love it. Wish everyone else was doing it. This is pretty much how everyone else handles portfolio reviews. Why are the other companies so slow to adopt it? It would cause less stress on everyone involved. Everyone meaning companies that work under the factory style system of comics. Publishers like Top Shelf, you simply hand them the work and they get back with you. But that’s a whole different animal.
*I’m writing off Image after hearing of how they work projects. Sounds like one’s paying for that ‘I’ logo to appear on their book. God help you if the gamble doesn’t work.
Borrowed Bling
Aaron’s Rents is testing a pilot program to rent tires and rims to people wanting to pimp their rides.
Atlanta-based Aaron’s (NYSE: RNT), which specializes in renting furniture, named its newly formed bling rental arm Rimco. The company gave the story to the Atlanta Business Chronicle this week.
Daniel Clowes on NPR!!
No worries, it’s up in the archives on NPR’s website. I missed it too. Clowes chats about Ice Haven- his new graphic novel. An extention of the mind blowing issue 22 of Eightball.
Who’s the Big Winner?
Well, I wasn’t the big winner, but I did snag third place in the Hernandez Brothers Love and Rockets contest. That gets me a copy of L&R #14 and my entry paragraph possibly printed in issue #15.
Mystic martinis
And for all you convivial spirits, here are your alcohoroscopes.
Virgo: “They rarely get fully shellacked — but, oh, when they do! Virgo’s controlled by the intellect, but there’s an unbridled beast lurking within, and they let it loose when walloped.”
The mediator between heart and hands …
“Metropolis” (1927) is one of those movies that’s been copied so many times, you feel like you’ve already seen it. But if you’re not doing anything else this weekend, you ought to go check out the source.
The first thing you notice about “Metropolis” is the special effects — soaring buildings, massive industrial machines, highways in the sky, etc. The special effects still work, even after 80 years. Perhaps the extravagant set design or the black-and-white photography helps you suspend disbelief. George Lucas hardly did better in the “Star Wars” prequels.
Some of the best visuals aren’t the effects, but rather the staging. CGI is great, but there’s really no substitute for a cast of thousands on a giant set. Director Fritz Lang puts on a clinic on how to frame shots and place actors to maximum effect. Budding comix artists can learn a lot from this film.
What I like most about “Metropolis” is that it never gets caught up in its giant set pieces. It’s really about labor relations. And after presenting a hellish picture of working conditions in the future, the movie still comes to a surprisingly mild, reasonable conclusion.
It’s a silent film, so the acting may be a little overwrought for modern audiences. The film can be a bit heavy-handed — the moral of the story is literally written out on a title card up on the screen. Some of us may be uncomfortable with all that reading.
But did I mention the villain’s name is “Rotwang?” “Metropolis” plays at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Ohio Theater as part of CAPA’s Summer Movie Series. Tickets are $3.50, or 10 for $21.50.
p.s. I also caught CatCo’s production of Boston Marriage this week. It’s David Mamet doing a fin de siecle comedy of manners — definitely recommended, but it closes on Sunday.
New Small Press Show
The folks at Green Brain Comics in Michigan have been inspired by SPACE and SPX to create their own small press show, SNAP. The show is scheduled for Saturday, October 29th in Dearborn, Michigan.
“We have been traveling out of state to attend small press comic conventions since we bought our store in 1999. And after each show, we return home with a van full of great comics and more excitement about the art form of comics than we can contain. My partner Katie and I have been so inspired by other shows like SPACE in Columbus OH and SPX in Bethesda MD, we decided to have a our very own small press show in the Detroit area!” says Dan Merritt, “Michigan is home to a host of self-publishing comic creators, and we have created SNAP! to help connect them with a new audience right here in their own backyard”The goal of SNAP! is to showcase local, self-published and small press comic creators. By doing this we hope to build community for independent creators and encourage communication between creators and their potential audience, all while having a great time in the hometown of Henry Ford, Dearborn Michigan.
Six foot tables are $35 before July 31st and half an eight foot table is $25. Details here. Dearborn is less than a four hour drive from Columbus. Who’s in?
Lousy films hurt video store chain
Movie Gallery Inc. cut its profit forecast for the second quarter, citing a run of lousy films coming down the pike.
“In addition, with the theatrical box-office in its 17th week of a slowdown and enduring its worst slump in two decades, we believe that the flow-through of an unimpressive slate of titles will continue to adversely impact our stores in both the rural and urban markets over the next few months,” Joe Malugen, chairman and chief executive, said in a press release.
Dothan, Ala.-based Movie Gallery (NASDAQ: MOVI) is the second-largest North American video rental company, with annual revenue of more than $2.5 billion and approximately 4,700 stores in all 50 states as well as Mexico and Canada.
BRUCE CAMPBELL this FRIDAY in DAYTON !!!!!!
your hero an mine will be in dayton fri. signing his new book. HOW TO MAKE LOVE THE BRUCE CAMPBELL WAY. at books and co.
then that night he’ll debut his new film THE MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN. downtown at the neon movies.
if you want to hang out with hollywood’s coolest actor no’ws your chance.
Five things I didn’t like about “Batman Begins”
Because, as Matt Kish would tell you, I’m never satisfied. Cross-posted at my other blog for spoiler-based reasons.
“Ra’s Al-Ghul’s group therapy summer camp does not, in my mind, add much to the canon.”
It’s good to be Batman
“In order to protect my identity and safeguard the lives of those I care about, I am forced to bang these two European runway models.”
I saw “Batman begins” again last night, and it is better on the second viewing. As much as I love the Michael Keaton version, I’ll take Christian Bale’s playboy Bruce Wayne over Keaton’s absent-minded billionaire any day.
When you get caught between the moon and Gotham City
I made the mistake last night of watching “Batman Begins” with a woman who A) doesn’t read comics and B) has a degree in literature.
“So, literature girl,” I asked, “what did you think?”
I expected a discussion on themes, dialogue, plot, motivation, etc. She literally did not understand the question.
“I thought it was pretty good,” she said. “Pretty standard guy movie stuff.”
24-Hour Comics Day anthology lineup
“On April 23rd through 24th, over 800 cartoonists around the globe celebrated 24 Hour Comics Day, a day focused on the 24 hour comics challenge: to create a 24 page story in 24 straight hours.”
70 comic shops hosted the event. Some worked from home. The 24 finalists to be included in the anthology book published by Nat Gertler have been announced. The list includes 13 female creators, several small-press folks (Stan Yan, Chris Fason,) and a few name pros (Lea Hernandez, Zander Cannon).
More details at the official 24 Hour Comics Day site.