Archive for July, 2006
New interview with Chris Staros over at Independent Propaghanda. Part one reveals him being cool with Thompson moving his next book to Pantheon. The whole move appears to be amicable. Chris doesn’t blame Craig for taking the deal at all. Thompson is going to release Kissypoo Garden thru Top Shelf next year. It’s good to hear as I haven’t heard anything but white noise from the journal boards about it till now.
It’s always interesting to hear the behind the scenes stuff. Top Shelf has alot of heart and really believes in what they publish.
A personal rant (please skip if not interested)
Fuck you, Lifestyle “Family” Fitness center.
So on my drive home this afternoon, I caught a segment on All Things Considered where they interviewed Eric Klinenberg, the author of Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago. The book recounts the devastating heat wave that hit Chicago in 1995, killing over 700 people.
You read that correctly, by the way. 700 people in the city died of heat related causes.
The author talked about how the victims of these types of natural disasters tend to be the more disadvantaged and disenfranchised members of society: the poor, the elderly, those living alone and isolated, and people without the means to get to “cool zone” shelters. His book is a call to arms to local governments to put into effect a plan to mitigate such natural disasters.
Just as the segment ended, I was preparing to stop and pick up some groceries, when I saw it.
A person, dressed in a full-on ape suit (as in a fur-covered costume,) standing by the road in the 95 degree heat of today, with a sign announcing $100 off membership at the Lifestyle Family Fitness center. I’m sure you’ve seen similar scenes yourself. Around here, retailers regularly hire some poor slob to dress up like Uncle Sam or a clown or a monkey, and stand at a busy intersection for a whole day, carrying a sign advertising their business.
I’ve had this conversation with Wendy several times, because frankly we both think it’s an absolutely shitty and degrading thing to do to someone. And believe me, I completely understand that it’s the person’s choice to accept that “job” and that nobody is forcing them to do it. And yes, they’re getting paid for their trouble. Hey, who could argue with that sweet, enviable minimum wage lucre, eh? But you know what? Just because there are people out there desperate enough to do an unpleasant, degrading job doesn’t make it ok for businesses to choose such tactics. There’s no reason, no reason, why they have to resort to this crap when there are easily dozens of other avenues for marketing and advertising.
So anyway, I ended up doing something I’ve never done before. I walked into this multi-million dollar fitness center catering squarely to the yuppies of Upper Arlington and shared my thoughts with the couldn’t-care-less desk jockey (no manager to be found anywhere.)
“For what it’s worth, and I know I’m just expressing my opinion on this and it probably won’t affect your practices, I think it’s pretty degrading and deplorable to hire a guy to wear a fur costume and stand out in 95 degree weather to advertise your store. Especially given the fact that you’re supposedly concerned with fitness and people’s health.”
Blank stare. Then, “I don’t understand your point.” Then pretending to answer a call. Then once again, “I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying. He works here, it was his idea to do this.”
Right. Fuck you.
Nobody, nobody, who works at a fancy, air conditioned gym in a rich neighborhood suddenly decides one day that it would be quite a nifty idea to dress like a monkey and stand by a busy street in 95 degree weather. That person doesn’t work there anymore than the condescending desk jockey douche cared about how their business chose to advertise itself.
Anyway, I’m sure some folks this rant will come off as petty, or making a mountain out of a molehill, but I don’t care. I know my going in there and telling them off won’t affect them one bit, but I felt I had to at least say something. And if you’re at all interested, I encourage you to drop these asshats a line and tell them how you feel about their bullshit practices. Their number is 614-326-1500, or you can e-mail them at HEN@lff.com
Who knows, maybe if they hear from enough people they’ll think twice about business as usual the next time they want to stick some poor schmuck in a costume and throw them out in the heat.
Something old, something new
It’s a potpouri of links for ya today…
Former Iron Man artist and failed publisher Bob Layton has a free webcomic up on his site. Colony is a sci-fi tale set on a prison planet. Art by DC veteran Dick Giordano, story by Layton. 5 pages posted every month.
This one you can file under “hot naked man action” (Google hits, come to pappa!) The pilot episode for the failed Aquaman TV series (from the same folks who brought you Smallville) is available for download thrugh iTunes. Only 2 bucks.
If you can’t find it in iTunes, try this link.
Monday Morning “Guess the Artist”
He’s a big name now. But his art sucked when he first started out. Guess the artist!
(click image to go medieval)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 6/10/2006, 6/17/2006, 6/24/2006)
08.. 07.. 06..
Via a group effort, the Chemistry Set‘s site is up and active. Sporting a new logo by your’s truly. Soon it will be full of comic goodness. Oh yes. New webcomics every day from various group members.
Let’s all wish fellow Cbus artist Chris Sprouse a happy 40th birthday! I didn’t even know till I spotted it on Spurgeon’s site. Co-creator of one of my favorite books Tom Strong. Happy birthday Chris.
$24 for THAT?
Too geeky? Or just geeky enough????
I don’t have a lot of comix-themed apparel. I can’t convince anyone I’m wearing it ironically.
San Diego Con anecdote, part 2
My flight out to the show routed me through Cincinnati. On the plane from Cinci to San Diego, I noticed a guy in the seat across the aisle reading a Preacher TPB. No doubt another con traveler.
But the real “small world” portion of this story is the guy sitting next to me. I noticed he was reading some toy and card game magazines, and asked if he was going out to the con. He said yes, and we started talking. When I showed him Andy’s sketches for my presentation, he said “Oh yeah, I know Andy. I’ve worked with him and Dave Aiken.” Now, my memory is failing me here, but I’m pretty sure he said his name was Wayne, and he used to work at Journeyman Press. That’s the gaming company that put out the Zombie game Aiken worked on, right? Anyway, not only did I sit next to the guy on the flight, but I actually ended up running into him again at the con. Twice. Believe me, at a show with 100,000 attendees, those are strange odds.
Oh, and I ran into Jeff Carlisle on the convention floor as well.
One final thought: if I never see another person wearing these damn Naruto metal headband thingies, it won’t be soon enough.
I saw literally hundreds of kids at the show sporting these obnoxious $30 accessories. Talk about sheep led around by marketing execs.
Hanso exposed!
This had to of been staged. A lady claiming to be Rachel Blake interupted the Lost Q&A at SDCC. You Tube has the whole scene. Hansoexposed is here which furthers the stagey-ness of it.
*not Rachel Blake but this pic amuses me none the less. (off the fanta blog)
Who the F’ is Dan Goldman indeed?
Dan just announced his (and Antony Lappe’s) book deal with Warner’s this week. Shooting War appears on Smith Magazine’s site.
The premise:
‘The year is 2011, and Jimmy Burns, a young anti-corporate blogger has just seen his Williamsburg apartment blown to bits by yet another terrorist attack on New York City. He’s recorded the gruesome scene on his videoblog camera—footage Burns beams live to a freaked-out world and that makes him an overnight media sensation. Exploited by his own network (Global News: “Your home for 24-hour terror coverage”), enraged by the terrorists, and determined to tell the American people the truth, Burns takes off for Iraq to get the real story of a war that’s been raging for more than eight years.’
If you haven’t checked out Dan’s Styx Taxi, you should.
*he’s the guy not in the moose costume. The SDCC pics on his LJ, well they’re bold. Maybe Brave and Bold. Ass shots and groping galore.
What are you going to do, BROTHER?
This is totally not comics related, but I went to WWE Raw on Monday night here in Cleveland. Being that I haven’t been a wrestling fan since I was about 10 (1987) it was the last place I would expect to find myself. The ticket was free…ok. I don’t get away from the house much…ok. Making an appearance would be non other than the Hulkster…fuck yea! It was insane…83-87 were my Hulkamaniac years. Monday night there was no way i was pushing 30. I was totally a kid for those 20 or so minutes Hulk was in the ring.
Two things I noticed…the fan set was pretty similar to what you find at most capes and tights cons. And secondly, in person the entertainers really seem to be having a great time doing their thing. The fakeness of the wrasslin’ was totally offset by how into their character these guys were. It was completely a modern day traveling circus and totally worth the free admission.
Before the Hulkamania runs it’s course I whipped up a little sketchbook childhood idolatry.
Enjoy, brother.
Rocket Science update
The new issue of Melt magazine is out, and with it another Rocket Science strip by Tim “The Terrible” Fischer and myself. For those of you unable to pick up a copy, you can always check it out online. We’re on page 60.
This time around, we poke fun at the sacred cow of Columbus, the OSU football team. Let the hate mail begin!
San Diego Con anecdote
So I was wondering the ginormous convention floor on Saturday and noticed several tables of longboxes with “Scratch n’ Dent Indie Comix – $1 each” signs on them. Well shoot, I likes me the indie comic, I thought. So I started digging through them.
There were all sorts of books to be found. Manga, early 80s black & white books, late 90s art books, modern indie fare, etc.
Then I came across a copy of McKeever and Tom’s book, Looking Through the Front Door. “Cool,” I thought.
And then I came across a copy of Panel: Space (without the band.) “Holy crap, that’s one of our books!” I proclaimed. Here, in San Diego, thousands of miles from home, a Panel book! A gentleman behind the counter noticed me staring at the book and asked if I needed any help.
“Yeah,” I said. “This is one of my books! I’m curious where you get your books from?”
“Oh, we get them direct from the publishers.”
“Really? You don’t go through a distributor like Cold Cut?”
“We are Cold Cut.”
That’s when I looked up and noticed the giant “Cold Cut Indy Island” sign.
D’uh.
And I had even passed by the same booth half a dozen times the previous couple of days. Then again, that show is so huge, everything tends to run together after a while.
Anyway, they also had a metric assload of graphic novels for sale “by the pound,” specifically $8/pound. So I ended up picking up the $60 hardcover collection of Scott Morse’s Soulwind saga for a mere $10.
Right on, Cold Cut, right on.