Archive for September, 2008
Having finally made the leap to the 1990’s and started downloading the majority of my music, I’m also going through my CD collection and ripping all those old discs in preparation for the day I have all my music on something the size of a cigarette lighter while six boxes of CD’s languish in the basement. Along the way, I have to decide what to do with a few treasures that I don’t want to simply file away in the darkness, never to see again. I’m considering buying frames for a few of these mementos from the days when I was single and could hang out in the alley behind the Palace Theatre with a sharpie after a show…
Robert Cray is the guy I met behind the Palace. The guy towered over me– I think he’s about seven and a half feet tall. Buddy Guy I’ve met several times; anyone dropping by his music club during the Chicago Blues Festival stands a good chance of finding him sitting by the entrance signing autographs.
The late Johnny Copeland I met in what passed for a dressing room at Stache’s. This may have been one of the first signatures I scored. Keb’ Mo’ played at a club in the brewery district whose name I can’t recall. This first album from him is scintillating; regrettably, everything he’s done since has been pretty tepid.
More from the Blues Festival: a couple Chicago locals whose live shows are religious experiences. Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials (scan wouldn’t upload for some reason) actually tour pretty widely; go see them if you can. Ed does not tower over anyone– he’s about four-foot-nothing. Anyone sitting int the front row of a Big Time Sarah show runs the risk of having their face smashed into her breasts. You’ve been warned.
I discovered Duke Robillard when I was in high school and he was playing with a band called the Pleasure Kings. He’s the living reincarnation of T-Bone Walker.
This one isn’t an autograph, but pretty cool nonetheless. Given to me by The Man himself.
No, Tom, you can’t have this one. The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart.
Bobby Keys has played sax for the Rolling Stones for going on four decades now. When not touring with them, he used to play with a band called The Warsaw Falcons. I saw them at Stache’s playing for a crowd of about twenty people. God, I miss Stache’s.
As previously proclaimed, the mightiest band in all of the cosmos: The Fleshtones.
Sort of an odd one this week. Good luck!
(click image to enlarge)
(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, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008, 3/24/2008, 3/31/2008, 4/7/2008, 4/14/2008, 4/21/2008, 4/28/2008, 5/8/2008, 5/12/2008, 5/19/2008, 5/27/2008, 6/2/2008, 6/9/2008, 6/16/2008, 6/23/2008, 6/30/2008, 7/7/2008, 7/14/2008, 7/22/2008, 8/4/2008, 8/11/2008, 8/18/2008, 8/25/2008, 9/8/2008, 9/22/2008)
Wendy and I both had a booth at the inaugural Independents’ Day festival this past Saturday (as did PANELista Tom Williams). I had a pretty good day, but I think Tom’s poor location (in Pearl Alley) contributed to a slow show for him.
The Good: gorgeous day, some good music on the Gay St. stage (Stretch Lefty and The Rosehips were my favs), and hanging out next to Wendy all day!
The Bad: all the hipster kids in their ironic scarves and day-glo sneakers and messenger bags…enough is enough
The highlight of the day: when Wendy ran over a print of this comic strip (that I wrote) to Columbus mayor Michael Coleman. I don’t think he quite got the joke, but he did ask me to sign it for him:
Close second: this picture of Hanna with him:
Here are some pics I took (click to enlarge)
Every now and then, our esteemed colleague Dara uses this Ferret Press blog as a platform for some very astute, very passionate, very profanity laced political observations. Now it’s my turn to yell and swear and what I hope is an equally astute yet passionate manner about why I think I can no longer have anything to do with this world of “comics” and “graphic novels.”
Via The Beat (original can be read here), Variety magazine announces that Timur Bekmambetov, the director of hallowed and time-honored cinema classics Day Watch, Night Watch and this summer’s bestest movie of all time ever Wanted will be directing a new film version of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.
But see, the thing is, Melville had it all wrong. Fucking hack that he was. No, Bekmambetov is gonna do the whole world a favor and make this dried up piece of literary shit something everyone can love. How, you ask? By giving it that good ol’ “graphic novel treatment.” Because, you know, nowadays, nothing could be worth anything unless it was somehow in some way connected to a graphic novel.
And what might this “graphic novel treatment” entail, you ask? Besides the obvious dumbing down, muscling up, and injecting lots of good old manly action? Well, according to Bekmambetov himself, HIS version of Moby-Dick, the “graphic novel sensibility” version, will remove Ishmael’s first person narrative style and depict Captain Ahab as a charismatic leader rather than a brooding obsessive madman. Never mind the fact that Ahab as a brooding obsessive madman is CENTRAL TO THE ENTIRE FUCKING NOVEL AND CRUCIAL TO ITS DEEPER UNDERLYING THEMES.
But why should that matter when you can show a huge CGI whale smashing shit up and then a big muscly crusty old salt of a sea captain with a heart of gold standing heroically at the prow exhorting his crew to great acts of courage and heroism? Just like in a comic book!
Look, I understand that changes absolutely have to be made when transforming a narrative from one medium, such as print, into another, such as film. I have no problem with that. But when these changes start altering or obliterating the central thematic elements of the original work, it’s no longer even an adaptation, it’s a butchery. And it’s a fucking insult to the original creator. Maybe that’s okay when the original creator is just some schmuck with a comic book eager to get a paycheck and a Hollywood credit under his or her belt, but I don’t think it’s okay when the work in question is a pillar of the Western Canon of Literature. Go ahead, call me a snob and a pretentious asshole prick on a high horse all you want, because I’m sure someone reading this thinks that of me, but I’m not budging. This is fucking bullshit and I’m tired of the “graphic novel treatment” being given to everything under the sun constantly under the banner of “We’re actually improving it!”
Farther down in the article, they state that “This is an opportunity to take a timeless classic and capitalize on the advances in visual effects to tell what at its core is an action-adventure revenge story.” Only no. I’m sorry. Not really. Moby-Dick is not, at its core, an action-adventure revenge story. Certainly, those are elements, yes. But it is so much more than that. Have these morons even read the fucking book?
God damn. I used to really truly fucking love comics and graphic novels. But I didn’t need them to occupy every single fucking corner of my life. I didn’t need my movies to be graphic novels, my TV shows to be graphic novels, my music to be comic book based, my toys and interior decoration to be graphic novel themed, all my t-shirts to be from graphic novels, my job to be in graphic novels, my hobbies to be completely graphic novel-oriented and on and on. I’m fed up. It’s just reached toxic fucking levels with me. I can’t take it anymore. There’s more to the world than “graphic novel sensibilities,” the culture of fandom, and Hollywood properties suitable for merchandising across a wide variety of revenue generating media platforms.
Bekmambetov and anyone associated with this movie can suck a bag of dicks. I’m through.
Just made it to the printer for debut at MidOhio Con in two short weeks:
Allied Powers chapter one preview edition: the online comic will be rearing it’s head by the time the convention rolls around, but those who can’t wait to read the first chapter in all it’s glory will be able to enjoy the B & W version in print. Written by yours truly and illustrated by the indomitable Brent Bowman. Chapter one introduces most of our cast; future chapters will be set against the backdrop of some cool but lesser-known historical figures and events. All this, and FIST THUMPING ACTION!
The Enigma Foundation Grande Premiere Issue: also planned for online publication, but printed for your consumption anyway. I thought I’d take a break from The Ineffables to do… a book almost exactly like The Ineffables, actually. Doing a series of Character Wednesdays and working on projects with Brent and Steve gave me the urge to do something more “straight faced”. If The Ineffables is the Adam West Batman, consider this an old Jim Aparo issue. Same basic premise, different execution. Hope someone out there enjoys it (but rest assured, the Ineffables will be back in time for SPACE).
Ok, we’ve had a few missteps this past month, but hopefully MMGtA will be back on a weekly schedule again. Today’s page is a nice un-inked piece of sequential art. Guess away.
(click image to Aliensize)
(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, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008, 3/24/2008, 3/31/2008, 4/7/2008, 4/14/2008, 4/21/2008, 4/28/2008, 5/8/2008, 5/12/2008, 5/19/2008, 5/27/2008, 6/2/2008, 6/9/2008, 6/16/2008, 6/23/2008, 6/30/2008, 7/7/2008, 7/14/2008, 7/22/2008, 8/4/2008, 8/11/2008, 8/18/2008, 8/25/2008, 9/8/2008)
AEP restored power to Ferret Central around 6:30 tonight. It then promptly went out as a transformer blew. But it was back on an hour later. Our 5 days without power have come to a close. I have to say, in some ways, it was a fun little adventure. And in other ways, it sucked. Kinda’ like life.
See you kids at Independents’ Day…
A while back Tony blogged about Independent’s Day happening this weekend. Well, Dara and I each got booths at the fest. In hindsight, I wish I would have phrased my blurb a bit better. Didn’t think they were going to run it verbatum. Heh, heh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaah. I perused the schedule and it looks to be a lot like a Craftin’ Outlaws meets Comfest. Local vendors, crafters, artists, people with a plan, bands, dj’s, vegan bakeries.
Kish I swear it’s as clear as day Saturday. No hipster rainout and the fratboys will be at the game.
It’s also my f’ing birthday. If you have power and or an internet connection, come on down.
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Chin up kids, AEP’s current status is at 14% outage for Franklin County. Hope everyone else’s power kicks on before the weekend.
You know, I usually don’t care to repeat the latest asinine thing John Byrne spews out, but this one…jeez, judge for yourself:
“Ever since I started writing for a living, I have found myself viewing libraries somewhat differently than once I did. I think we are all in agreement that libraries are A Good Thing — but are they A Good Thing right across the board? When we have niche products like comics, is it really a good idea for them to be available in libraries?…How much more negative impact comes from those trades being available in libraries? Not only are they reliably on the shelf from month to month in a library, they are free!”
Gasp! You mean I can pick up a comic book TPB for free at the library? Instead of buying a copy? Oh my god! Libraries are killing comics!!! It’s OK for that shit to happen with regular books, but god, not comics!
I didn’t bother to follow the discussion, but feel free to do so here.
The guy deserves his industry legend status, and has an amazing body of work, but damn! Sometimes I wonder if he just says stupid-ass stuff on purpose, just to keep his name in the press.
Dear blog readers:
Sorry about the lack of updates. Most of us PANEListas are currently without electricity in our fair city of Columbus, Ohio. The remnants of hurricane Ike whipped through town last weekend with 80 mph winds and knocked out power to just about everyone in the city. By now some folks have had their power restored, but the power company’s best guesstimate for getting Ferret Manor back up on the grid is this Sunday! So until then, yours truly will be writing his comic book scripts the old fashioned way: pen and paper by candlelight.
Yours in darkness (literally),
Dara