Saturday, April 30, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/30/2005 10:49:00 AM
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They Fight Crime!
Funny random plot generator for buddy action movies (or comic books.) Perfect for Hollywood and lame-o indie comics.
"He's an ungodly pirate househusband with a robot buddy named Sparky. She's a plucky antique-collecting hooker with someone else's memories. They fight crime!"
"He's a witless pirate cat burglar fleeing from a secret government programme. She's an orphaned insomniac single mother with an incredible destiny. They fight crime!"
--Dara (permalink)
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Friday, April 29, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/29/2005 11:17:00 PM
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Posted by
Dara
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4/29/2005 11:26:00 AM
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Dear Diary: I just saw Rummy with a couple guys in tights...
File under "pictures I never thought I'd see". Full story here.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/29/2005 09:39:00 AM
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Why, dear god, why ?!?
Rob Liefeld is doing a 2-issue stint on Teen Titans. For the love of god, why is this talentless hack slacker plagiarist guy still offered work?
Ok, ok, I know why. It's because the controversy surrounding his name will, in and of itself, guarantee tons of free press and massive sales. And yes, I realize the irony of this post vis a vis that statement. But it just burns me up every time I see this so-called "creator," who - setting aside his deficiency in the anatomy and art departments - has proven time and time again that he's unable to finish projects or even keep to a schedule, get paying work. Especially when there are tons of talented, energetic, hungry young artists just waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves.
From the man himself:"I drew Cyborg too small then I drew him too big, now I think I have a feel for him. Ditto for Robin. I'm still finding my way with Wonder Girl and the others. I've already heard from fans I need to tone down her chest and I will, no problem. I'll probably just get used to them when the arc is over." Gee, you think? Friggin' asshat.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/29/2005 09:34:00 AM
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Here's something fun to ponder...
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia :)-
Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt
--Dara (permalink)
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Thursday, April 28, 2005
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Posted by
Tony
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4/28/2005 04:54:00 PM
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Coming soon ...
Our friend Peter John Ross, organizer of the “Look At My Shorts” indie film festivals, may be coming soon to a theater near you.
Screenvision, a New York-based cinema advertising company, plans to air some of Ross’ short films as part of the pre-show entertainment for major Hollywood movies in around 5,000 theaters around the country. Screenvision partners with chains such as Loews Cineplex and Cinemark.
The first short film, “License Exam,” shows some surreal moments at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It stars George Caleodis, weekend disc jockey at CD101, and local actors Harley Kaplan, Holly Magnani and Jon Osbeck.
Screenvision found Ross’ films through Undergroundfilm.com, according to a press release from Ross.
“This is the real reason you make movies,” Ross said in a press release. “I’m a big fan of the Internet, but nothing compares to sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers and watch a story unfold in flickering images.”
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/28/2005 01:09:00 PM
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Serenity movie trailer
Joss Whedon's short-lived Firefly TV show is now a movie, called Serenity. You can catch the trailer for it here.
I watched a couple episodes when the show first started, but it didn't do much for me. Then after it was cancelled, I saw a few more episodes on the DVD release, in the original order that Whedon intended them to be aired, and I was impressed. The movie looks pretty cool, and it seems to have kept the entire cast of the original TV show.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/28/2005 11:38:00 AM
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Superman dissed
So today is "Bring your son or daughter to work day," and one of my coworkers brought her 11 year old son to visit. I found out that he enjoys drawing, and likes comic books. Well, I always keep a stack of "mainstream" and kid-friendly comics at my desk, for just such an occasion. So I gave him a copy of a Superman comic (the "10 cent adventure" book from last year) to read if he got bored.
He flipped through a couple pages, and then handed it back to me. "I don't like Superman," he said.
Damn.
--Dara (permalink)
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Wednesday, April 27, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/27/2005 01:20:00 PM
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Attention zine creators!
Tokion magazine is sponsoring a contest called King of Zines. All zines must be produced using a standard photocopy machine, deadline is July 1, 2005. Prizes:
1st place: 1 year of health insurance, plus your zine published through Tokion.
2nd place: $500
(via boingboing)
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Tony
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4/27/2005 12:21:00 PM
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Tuesday, April 26, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/26/2005 04:20:00 PM
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Comics Code Authority...wow!
You know, I had heard some general information regarding the rules of the Comics Code Authority, but I had never actually read the full text of it. Until now. And all I can say is...wow. I can't believe that for decades, Marvel and DC actually published comics under these strict rules. For that matter, I'm willing to bet if you went back and read some of the supposedly CCA "approved" books, they really wouldn't stand up to a strict application of said rules. Some choice ones:"General Standards Part A:
6) In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
8) No unique or unusual methods of concealing weapons shall be shown.
11) The letters of the word "crime" on a comics magazine shall never be appreciably greater than the other words contained in the title. The word "crime" shall never appear alone on a cover.
General Standards Part B:
5) Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.
General Standards Part C:
Religion:
Ridicule or attack on any religious or racial group is never permissible.
Costume:
4) Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
Marriage and Sex:
2) Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
4) The treatment of love-romance stories shall emphasize the value of the home and the sanctity of marriage." So, in other words, the Bush/Chaney/Rove doctrine of how America should be.
You can read the full text of the Comics Code here.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/26/2005 10:44:00 AM
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Hollywood, you magnificent bastard!
Fascinating article on Slate about how major Hollywood studios use tax loopholes in Germany and the UK to finance their big-budget movies."As paradoxical and absurd as it sounds, it's cheaper for a Hollywood studio to make a big-budget action movie than to make a shoestring art film like Sideways." So how does it work?"Germany allows investors in German-owned film ventures to take an immediate tax deduction on their film investments, even if the film they're investing in has not yet gone into production...The Hollywood studio starts by arranging on paper to sell the film's copyright to a German company. Then, they immediately lease the movie back—with an option to repurchase it later. At this point, a German company appears to own the movie. The Germans then sign a "production service agreement" and a "distribution service agreement" with the studio that limits their responsibility to token—and temporary—ownership.
For the privilege of fake ownership, the Germans pay the studio about 10 percent more than they'll eventually get back in lease and option payments. For the studio, that extra 10 percent is instant profit.
" And then there's the whole "Section 48 tax relief in Britain" that comes into play. The article uses the example of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to illustrate this scheme."On paper, Tomb Raider's budget was $94 million. In fact, the entire movie cost Paramount less than $7 million." Yep, the other $87 million came from the German and UK tax loopholes and schemes.
--Dara (permalink)
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Monday, April 25, 2005
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Posted by
Tom
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4/25/2005 07:29:00 PM
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S.P.A.C.E. Transmission}
Per Tony's request here's a reprint of my s.p.a.c.e. report from a week ago...
Good times at the show yesterday. It's been a real whirlwind these past two weeks putting the Panel book together. My girlfriend's patience tested. We all escaped unharmed and full of Olive Garden. I didn't get alot this year from last. I'd say I picked up maybe 8 books and a handfull of trades. I was really impressed by Jim Rugg's con sketchbook. Crazy, I skimmed it and wow! Sketches by Spiegelman, Hernandez, Crane, and many others. Unfortunately Jeff Mason from Alternative couldn't make it. Chris Staros was at a book fair or something (Andy Runton was at the booth) Runton won the Day Prize this year which I think was a given. There's just not enough comics for kids to go around these days and that's really sad. Horrible for an industry that seriously needs to not just produce books for college kids and adults. It's detrimental to growth and self-destructive. Kid's love comics. Love them and yet the big guys keep churning out the Ultimates and so on. If Owly were to get wider distribution in drug stores, Wallmarts and such- it'd go thru the roof. I really believe that.
The haul} The latest installment of Owly (from Top Shelf), Happy Town (1-3 collected) and Sorrel by Justin Madson, Hideous by Pat Lewis, Icecreamlandia and a few trades n' handouts I have yet to go thru.
--Tom (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/25/2005 03:14:00 PM
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Pizza cutters as art
Check out these cool pizza cutters created by artist Frankie Flood. There are a few more at the link. I love the designs! From the artist's statement: "My work investigates one of a kind objects and their role in a world based on mechanical reproduction. Industry has removed the aura from objects and stripped them of their individuality. My pizza cutters seek to demolish the sterile conformity of mass produced objects and represent the stylistic and flamboyant embellishment of groups who live on the fringe of popular culture."  
(via boingboing)
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/25/2005 03:08:00 PM
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Sin City movie-to-comic comparison
Finally saw the flick this past weekend. Not much to add to what's already been said. I liked it a lot. The dialogue, especially the voice overs, sounded stilted and cheesy, but in the context of the film, it worked. Some of the CGI I didn't care for (mostly the car sequences,) but overall, I loved the look of the film.
Anyway, for those of you interested in this sort of stuff, FilmRot has a detailed comparison of some of the movie shots to their corresponding graphic novel panels. Talk about remaining faithful to the source material.
--Dara (permalink)
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Sunday, April 24, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/24/2005 03:19:00 PM
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Cheap Marvel 64-page digests
Think of this as a companion piece to Matt's "Marvel Essentials" post below. Via Newsarama, details on a new venture from marvel:"In July Marvel is offering six new dollar digests to the direct market with a suggesting retail price of $1.00. These b&w, newsprint 4-7/8 x 6-9/16 are not Marvel’s standard digest format. Each volume is 64 pages and according to the publisher contains approximately three classic Marvel Comics stories, some perhaps abridged to fit the format.
SPIDER-MAN: AMAZING FANTASY DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1, #2
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST FAMILY DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects FANTASTIC FOUR #1-#3
AVENGERS: ASSEMBLE DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AVENGERS #1-#3
SPIDER-MAN: DOCTOR OCTOPUS DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #3,#4,#5
HULK: HULK SMASH DOLLAR DIGEST
Collects HULK #1-#3
X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM
Collects X-MEN #1-#3" Not sure what the "perhaps abridged to fit the format" comment means...
--Dara (permalink)
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Friday, April 22, 2005
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Posted by
Matt Kish
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4/22/2005 06:59:00 PM
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Geekery, #1
My friend Andy Bennett got me thinking about this with his mercilessly stinging comments about Moon Knight a few days ago. I may not be able to interest anyone in this with the possible exception of Mr. Craig Bogart, but hopefully a few of you will chime in.
Since the appearance of Ultimate Moon Knight in Marvel's July solicitations got me hankering for an "Essential Moon Knight" collection, I thought I would post my list of top 5 most wanted Essentials. I've read a lot of mixed opinions about the Essential line--people don't like the black and white repro, people can't read the black and white repro, the newsprint sucks, and so on. But I love them for several reasons. The first is that for around $15.00 you get 400-500 plus pages of fantastic silver age comics in a nice phonebook sized block. The second is that the black and white ain't always great, but it does the job and frankly I think some of that old Kirby, Ditko, and Romita stuff looks GREAT even with no color. And third, these Essentials often reprint some really fun comics that might never have made it into a Marvel Masterwork or a trade paperback, like Ant-Man, Monster of Frankenstein, Tomb of Dracula, Human Torch, Supervillain Team-Up, and the upcoming Essential Defenders.
So, without further ado, here is my top 5 list of Essentials I'd love to see Marvel put out, in order.
Yes, I wrote "put out." Heh heh.
#1-Essential Deathlok the Demolisher
#2-Essential Adam Warlock
#3-Essential Ghost Rider (although with the Nic Cage movie I think there must be something in the works for this character)
#4-Essential Moon Knight
#5-Essential Champions (could be done in one!)
So what are your dreams, if you like the Essentials?
--Matt Kish (permalink)
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Posted by
Tony
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4/22/2005 04:23:00 PM
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There's a surprise at the end of every bag!
Kroger Co. sent out a press release this week advertising "Disney's Old Yeller" chunk-style dog food.
This has been another public service message from Way Out.
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Tony
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4/22/2005 04:19:00 PM
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Through the looking glass
A couple of apologies and one non-apology:
1. I deeply, deeply regret criticizing the art and story of the “Oz/Wonderland Chronicles” preview. I haven’t seen the whole thing, and I was in a bad mood when I saw the preview. It was definitely a more professional package than most of the other stuff I bought last week.
2. I kind of wish I’d used a little less heat in my comments, or done it in a slightly less public way. I sometimes forget just how public this forum is.
3. I apologize that I missed the “preview” badge. I’m not trying to insinuate I was somehow tricked into buying this. I just didn’t look that closely at it.
The truth is, I didn’t look too closely at most of the things I bought at SPACE. I spent upwards of $60 on indie comics last weekend and came home with a shopping bag full of them. I support the small press as much as I can, in terms of green American money.
At least half of my haul was stuff I’d never heard of. I bought a number of books that I frankly didn't think I was going to enjoy. That’s how much I love this medium. I want to see as much of it as possible, and I want to see as many people do it as possible. I have nothing but respect for anyone who does something creative and puts it out there -- regardless of what some guy on an Internet message board might think. That’s why I’m a little embarrassed that I publicly called out another creator.
The non-apology is this: I continue to believe $2.99 is way too much to ask for a preview. But while I appreciate Heying’s offer to refund my money, it’s not necessary. Just put out a completed project at next year’s SPACE.
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/22/2005 02:45:00 PM
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The business of Marvel
From a news blurb over at ICv2: "Marvel Enterprises was the most dramatic gainer in the annual License Magazine list of the Leading Licensors in 2004, moving from #69 in 2003 to #4 last year. The worldwide retail sales of its licensed products rose from $189 million to $4 billion. In addition to building licensing streams around its movies, Marvel plans to develop sub-brands, including Spider-Man and Friends for pre-schoolers, and Marvel Babies for infants." To recap:
4 billion dollars.
Marvel Babies.
The top 3 licensors, by the way, were Disney, Warner Brothers, and Nickelodeon, in that order.
(via Fanboy Rampage)
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/22/2005 10:54:00 AM
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Archive of classic comic book ads
Check out this cool site. It's a repository of tons of classic ads from the pages of comic books. Hostess ads, old Atari 2600 game ads, toy ads (sea monkeys, Evel Knievel, etc.) and other goodies.
There's even a section featuring subscription ads for Marvel and DC comics. Cool stuff all around.
Here's one for Mr. Kish. "To me, my board!"
--Dara (permalink)
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Thursday, April 21, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/21/2005 12:46:00 PM
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Jeff Smith's cocktail party
The Beat writes about the swanky party Scholastic threw for the launch of the color Bone graphic novels."BONE auteur Jeff Smith got his moment in the sunny room last night, when Scholastic, publisher of the color Bone, threw a cocktail party for Smith in their dining room, known as the Greenhouse. The place was all dolled up with Bone blow-ups and books, and after a wonderful unseasonably warm New York Spring day, it was the perfect place to unwind with a glass of chardonnay and a crab cake. In attendance, journos, booksellers, library types, and some cartoonists, including Paul Pope, Frank Miller (weathering all the hoohah, and gearing up for a trip to Cannes in a few weeks, where SIN CITY will be screening in competition), Mike Mignola, Kyle Baker and wife Liz, Dean Haspiel, Josh Neufeld, Alex Robinson and Kristin Siebecker, Mike Dawson, Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier, whose Babysitters Club graphic novel revamp will be out next spring. Cartoon Books Vijaya Iyer and Steve Hamacher were also on the scene." They also post the remaining dates from Smith's signing tour, which solicits this classy comment from a reader:"I think it is pretty shitty that he is signing at Midtown Comics, undercutting by one day Jim Hanley's Universe, who has been promoting Smith's New York appearance for months." Comic fans. Gotta' love 'em.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Tony
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4/21/2005 12:29:00 PM
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SPACE 2005: Still crazy after all these years
The main thing that struck me at this year’s SPACE was how familiar it all seemed. I felt like I had to hunt harder for things I hadn’t seen before. I was unable to buy two comics, “Whisp” and “Arsenic Lullaby,” because I already have all their stuff.
That makes me feel good.
The best way to describe SPACE is “uneven” -- the quality varies widely from table to table, even from page to page. You see good page design paired with poor rendering skill. Crackling dialogue with no pacing. Faces with no bone structure underneath, arms that don’t fit quite right into their shoulder sockets, and so on. Self-referential gags that refer to a self no one’s ever heard of.
It’s hard to find a common thread through such a diverse show, but the theme that cropped up most often was insanity. “Plastic Farm” depicts a man’s slow descent into madness, as does “An Open Place.” “Whisp” shows the nightmare world of a group of people locked in an insane asylum, addicted to a drug that lets them see the future. “Blow” was a tone poem about a baddd-ass blaxploitation hero/jazz trumpet player.
If I were to pick a second thread, it would be Jesus. In addition to his star turn in Bogart’s “Divinity Crisis” piece, the Wonderful Counselor got cloned into five G Force-style heroes in “Jesus 5,” and His cross is auctioned off on Antiques Roadshow in the new “Jape.”
The two books that sum up SPACE for me are “Happy Town” and “Dead End.” “Happy Town” depicts -- well, I’m not so sure what’s going on there. “Happy Town” creates its own world and thrives in it, as do the best of the indies.
“Dead End” is about a fellow named David Stonebridge, who for some reason has a long nose and is colored blue. That’s the first problem, as the blue coloring doesn’t come off well in a black-and-white book. David has adventures with a group of offbeat superheroes called the Suicide Club, in addition to dealing with life as an Azure-American.
Each issue is 8 pages. Individually they’re not enough to grab me, but four or five at a sitting is always an enjoyable reading experience. “Dead End” just published a 25th issue, a stunning accomplishment for a small press book.
That’s the thing about SPACE. The books are short, amateurish and uneven, but patience pays off.
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/21/2005 10:13:00 AM
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Blue Beetle weekly comic?
I found this link via a post on Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin (which has a ton of other Blue beetle links as well).
Anyway, check out this page on Steve Englehart's website, where he briefly talks about a weekly comic that DC was planning a while back, with Blue Beetle as the feature story. The book never came to be, but Steve has artwork from one of the 4-page chapters that he wrote. And what makes it interesting is that several artists were "trying out" for the job, and so he has art for the same exact story from both Deryl Skelton and Chas Truog, side by side.
I've always loved seeing how different artists interpret the same exact script, and this is a good example. I just wish Steve had also included his script, so we could compare the final renderings to the original story. Still, worth checking out.
And I'd love to hear from you guys which set you liked more...
--Dara (permalink)
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Wednesday, April 20, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/20/2005 10:02:00 AM
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Tom Peyer's blog
Tom is a funny, funny man. Check out this post titled "The news, explained with comic book covers," wherein he uses old DC comic covers to make commentary on recent news events. My favorite is the Swamp Thing cover for the Britney Spears pregnancy!
Update: another post on the same topic, this one being the Justice League edition.
--Dara (permalink)
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Tuesday, April 19, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/19/2005 10:54:00 AM
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Posted by
Tony
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4/19/2005 09:51:00 AM
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Buzz Dixon sighting!
Our friend Buzz Dixon appears in "Stormwatch: Team Achilles" No. 5 as a metahuman spy/informant. If the drawing is accurate (and I have no reason to believe it isn't), Buzz can walk on walls, turn invisible and looks something like Stitch from "Lilo and Stitch." And he's beige.
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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4/19/2005 09:47:00 AM
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Daily Musings: The End
For those of you who cared about my daily musings, I'm sure you've noticed by now that there haven't been any for about a week now. And this post is to make it official. I'm ending my attempt at daily musings.
I started this little self-challenge on my birthday last year, November 3rd. My goal was to "write original content every day, including weekends and holidays, for a full year. Not links to funny websites or Newsarama articles, but actual essays, personal thoughts, or simple musings. At least one every day." And I did, with varying levels of success, for 162 consecutive days.
Yes, there were times when I missed the daily deadline and had to catch up with double posts the next day. But still, all things considered, I think I did pretty well in keeping with the spirit of the challenge.
But sometimes, life throws a lot of unexpected things at you and you find yourself in a position where you have to make some calls. I did have fun with the musings, and it was also a good learning experience in short-form writing, quick thinking, and general awareness of my daily activities. But it was also time-consuming, and at times drained away my energy from writing comics, hanging out with friends, or spending quality time with Wendy.
The last time I posted a daily musing was a week ago, about the death of the father of one of my best friends. And it made me realize that in the big picture, there were many more important things in my life than worrying about a self-challenge. So for now, it's the end of the daily posts.
Thanks to all of you who encouraged me in this particular endeavor. And thanks to everyone who participated in fun, spirited discussions in the comments section of some of my musings. Keep on checking out the blog. We're not going anywhere.
--Dara (permalink)
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Monday, April 18, 2005
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Posted by
Dara
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4/18/2005 03:25:00 PM
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