Friday, September 29, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/29/2006 09:09:00 PM
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"You in your boxers, too?"
UPDATE: aside from being a perv and an alcoholic, it seems that Foley is a Scientologist kook as well.
Well, another hypocritical Republican bites the dust.
And the thing is, Congressman Mark Foley's sexual orientation shouldn't be an issue. So what if he's gay? But the fact that a 52 year old is e-mailing sexually explicit notes to 16 year old boys is just...ewwww.
And get this:"Foley, as chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, had introduced legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet." Wow. Irony, anyone?
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/29/2006 06:48:00 PM
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Avatar to fans: You're Idiots, So Give Us Your Money and F*** Off
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of publisher Avatar, aka T&A-exclusive-hologram-leather-signed-multiple-variant-covers 'R' Us. They're the poor man's Dynamic Forces, and that's not saying much. So about the only time I mention them is to ridicule them.
This is one of those times.
I was flipping through all the new indie books at the shop today and came across a sword-and-sorcery book called More Than Mortal. Which I guess used to be with a different publisher, but is now at Avatar.
$2.50 price tag.
And what do you get for your hard earned cash?
16 black & white pages.
Which is a rip-off right there, but wait, read on...
2 of those pages are ads for Avatar back issues.
2 are pinups
4 are rough pencil preview pages with no story
3 are a text piece wherein the creator reminisces about the sandwich she ate for lunch (or some such nonsense)
So where does that leave you and your $2.50?
5 pages of story.
That's right, just 5. And it's not even a complete short story at that, it looks like a preview. Which I suppose what the book is, even though nowhere on the cover is it identified as a preview or teaser.
And even if it was, $2.50 for 5 black and white pages of story? I guess if you're dumb enough to buy the book, you get what you deserve.
By point of comparison, I also saw a preview book from Moonstone for The Night Driver. How is it different? First of all, it's clearly marked as a "Teaser." Next, you get 12 pages of story in full color, plus 4 more pages of sketches and miscellany.
And the price? 99 cents.
I'm not a fan of "preview" or "teaser" books, I think they're mostly a waste of money. But if you're gonna do one, have the decency not to charge the price of a full length 32 page book for 5 pages of crap.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/29/2006 09:36:00 AM
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Wait, I thought he had an alcohol problem...
If you hadn't heard already, Robert Downey Jr. has been cast to play Tony Stark in the big budget Iron Man movie. Director Jon Favreau says:"I can say with absolute certainty that there is no better choice. The humor and emotional dimension he brings truly raises the bar on this project. Get ready." Cause you know, there's that first hand experience with addiction...
I'm sorry, that was low. I actually think he's an excellent actor. Too bad he sabotaged his career with some bad personal choices. Still, I think this could be a good movie, provided the screenplay isn't too heavy-handed in bringing in terrorism and national security "real" issues into the updated story.
--Dara (permalink)
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Thursday, September 28, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/28/2006 01:37:00 PM
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Rocket Science update
The new issue of Melt magazine is out, featuring another Rocket Science comic by your truly and Tim Fischer. You can find it on page (heh heh) 69. Pick up your free copy around town, or read it online.
This time out, we dip our toes back in the dirty, dirty politics pool. Next month? Probably back to making fun of OSU football...
--Dara (permalink)
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/27/2006 05:00:00 PM
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Posted by
Tony
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9/27/2006 03:38:00 PM
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pleased to meet you, half-orc
Have you heard about Sen. George Allen, R-Virginia? He's the guy who called an Indian-American -- a Virginia native -- "macaca." "Macaca" is apparently French for the "n word."
First off, how racist do you have to be before you get racist against Indians? All of the Indian-Americans I've ever met were perfectly nice people. Secondly, how racist do you have to be before you can do it in foreign languages? I love pizza a whole big bunch, but I can only order it in English.
Third, what does he say about the rest of us? Slate.com gave us a glimpse with their handy George Allen Insult Generator.
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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9/27/2006 09:41:00 AM
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LIFELIKE update
The final page of "The Long Journey" storyline went up today. As always, you can read my webcomic Lifelike here.
This was one of my favorite stories to write, and one of the ones I'm most proud of.
--Dara (permalink)
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Tuesday, September 26, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/26/2006 08:36:00 PM
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NBC's Heroes - a short review
So I caught the premiere of Heroes last night. To be honest, when I first heard about the show I thought it was either going to be a horrible cheesefest, or a shameless Hollywood ploy to cash in on the sudden popularity of superhero movies and comic book cool. But I have to say, I was quite impressed with the first episode. Some random thoughts on what I liked:
- The subtle embracing of the comic book aesthetics: the use of terminology like "Volume 1" and "Chapter 1" when referring to the show's seasons and episodes, the pseudo-comic-book-but-thankfully-not-comic-sans font used in the subtitles, Peter's (the guy who thinks he can fly) billowing jacket evoking the image of superhero capes, etc. Nicely done.
- The actor playing Hiro (the Japanese comic book nerd) is really charming and charismatic in an uber-nerdy kind of way. Even when his friend calls him "Super Hiro," I smiled, instead of wincing in pain at the silly pun.
- I'm a sucker for intertwined stories wherein strangers of different walks of life are pulled into one giant mystery. Yes, it's been done to death, but I thought it was done well here (so far, at least.)
- Having a multicultural cast is always a plus. Especially when there are non-English speakers.
Of course there were some cliches too, like the whole single-mom-stripping-to-make-ends-meet, but the positives far outweighed the negatives. I'll definitely be watching in the upcoming weeks.
Also, it looks like they're embracing the "full immersion" experience of shows like Lost, with show-specific message boards, character blogs, and even online comics. Speaking of which, the first comic available is nothing special. More of an ad for Nissan, really, and featuring the spectacularly craptacular art of Michael Turner:
That's quite the giant noggin' there, buddy. But next week's webcomic looks to be by the incomparable Tim Sale, so at least it'll look good. You can check out all the extra stuff on the official website.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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9/26/2006 12:24:00 PM
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Beatles fans: the Yellow Submarine comic book that never was
Over at Comic Book Resources, Bill Morrison (Simpsons artist at Bongo Comics) talks about an abortive project by Dark Horse to publish a new comic adaptation of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine.
"It was scheduled to be a full-color 48 page one-shot, prestige format I believe. I was contracted to do the entire project and I brought in a few of my Bongo buddies to help out. Nathan Kane was coloring it, and Chris Ungar was handling the lettering. Also, I enlisted my wife, Kayre, to help me translate some of the dialogue from VHS copies of the film. I remember her calling me into her office to listen over and over to bits of dialogue that neither of us could understand because of the poor audio quality and the thick Liverpool accents." The book was scheduled to release in 1999, to coincide with the release of the movie on DVD. But Apple records changed their mind half-way through the project.
--Dara (permalink)
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Monday, September 25, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/25/2006 08:51:00 PM
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Song lyrics for the day
New York, Tokyo or San Francisco
Rio de Janeiro, Tel Aviv got bumpin' discos
Fingers on the button, intercontinental missile
Don't you know that every bomb is really made from human tissue
A pipeline on a mountain side
A big corporation needs a big supply
They sign a contract in a fancy car
So you can buy a Big Mac in Kandahar
Standing at the wall in the mid-day sun
Uh-oh, uh-oh waiting for my time to come
You can say that's the way that the west was won
Staring in the eye of a man with a gun
In-a Palestine or even in-a China
Somebody always builds a wall to remind ya
Where ya from, tell me your intentions
Little fingers hanging on a chain link fence
A big belly women is ten days late
She needs a hospital, but she's made to wait
She drops her water while they discriminate
And a baby boy is born at a checkpoint gate
The big dope dealer don't make no friends
Just Yens and Euros and Dollars and Cents
The CIA runs intelligence
For Yens and Euros and Dollars and Cents
You go to the courthouse don't bring evidence
Just Yens and Euros and Dollars and Cents
A new President, will he make a difference?
Or Just Yens and Euros and Dollars and Cents
Send the lawyers, guns and money
They call from the tops of the hills to the valley
Take their farmlands, send them to the hustle
Show me your passport, don't you move a muscle
But the roots run deep, the tree is never stunted
The lawless among us never fear being hunted
Standing in line at the mid-day sun
Staring at the lines at the eyes of a gun
-- "Yens and Euros", Michael Franti and Spearhead
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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9/25/2006 01:00:00 PM
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Bat-hound
Wendy brought this to my attention...from the Alive's "Picture of the Day" this fine Monday:
That's wrong on so many levels.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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9/25/2006 10:28:00 AM
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Monday Morning "Guess the Artist"
Before we begin, a special announcement:
The month of October will be Reader Submitted Monday Morning Guess the Artist Pages, also known as RS-MMGtAP. No, the acronym isn't any easier to pronounce, but it kinda sounds like a new experimental drug, you know, the kind that comes with a page and a half of warnings and side effects. So I'm sticking with it. Anyway, back to the RS-MMGtAP. If you have a page of artwork from the early career of a big name artist that you think would work well for this feature, e-mail a scan of it (72 dpi, 600 to 700 pixels wide) to ferret at ferret press dot com. Also include the name of the artist, name of inker (if applicable,) book title, publisher, and date of publication. All submitters will be entered in a drawing to win a piece of original art by one of the PANEL artists. If I get more than 4 pages, I'll run addition features throughout the week. But October is less than a week away, so start digging through those back issues and send me some cool pages. Latest day to send in a page is Friday 10/27.
Ok, now back to our feature...this week, a pinup:
(click image to Graceify)
(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)Labels: guess the artist
--Dara (permalink)
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Friday, September 22, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/22/2006 11:46:00 AM
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Amazon.com, price gouger
Check it: the new Tickle Me Elmo "Extreme" doll as sold on Amazon for a 200%+ markup from the list price.
Nice one, guys.
--Dara (permalink)
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Thursday, September 21, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/21/2006 12:25:00 PM
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Free Taco + Beer tonight, free movie Sunday
For all you Columbus kids, it's free taco and beer night tonight:
"Every third Thursday of the month, Fresh, Due Amici, C Magazine and reSource Real Estate host Fresh Taco Night. The next Taco Beer is Thursday, September 21st at 114 n. 3rd st. (corner of 3rd and long st.) bottom of Connextions Lofts."
More details at Free Taco + Beer.
Also, it seems every Sunday there's a free movie showing outdoors in downtown Columbus, as part of the Urban Drive-in.
"Get your blanket, some snacks and plop down in the middle of the city for an Urban Drive-In. Don’t worry about sneaking your friend’s in the trunk of your car ‘cause it’s free. Come, relax, and enjoy an outdoor movie experience.
Located on the corner lot of Third and Long Street, (look for the DJ and people hanging out), we suggest that you come down at 8PM to get a good spot. If it rains, well...no movie."
--Dara (permalink)
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Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/20/2006 10:22:00 AM
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LIFELIKE update
Quick note: the penultimate chapter of "The Long Journey" storyline went up today. As always, you can read my webcomic Lifelike here.
And to see more of Brazilian artist Irapuan Luiz's work, drop by his website.
--Dara (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
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9/20/2006 09:19:00 AM
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Gerry Conway interview
Newsarama has an interesting interview with 70s comic scribe Gerry Conway, creator of The Punisher and Firestorm, amongst other characters. The interview focuses mainly on his transition from writing comics to working in film and television, specifically the Law & Order franchise.
I love this part about those old 80s cartoons that fanboys have such an unhealthy emotional attachment to, where he calls them out for what they really were (emphasis mine):"NRAMA: In addition to Fire and Ice, you worked on a number of animated shows [including G.I. Joe, The Transformers, and The Centurions]. What are the differences between working in animation and live-action?
GC: There are a number of differences – in live action, you can write real characters with depth. That’s not to say you can’t do that in animation, but there was no incentive to do it in animation, back then, I can’t say it’s the same today, because the main incentive of those particular shows was to sell toys.
The toy companies drove the development. Writers could put in extra levels of character, but at the end of end of the day, it was a 30-minute advertisement. You could consider it an infomercial for toys. Some were better than others, but that’s what they ultimately were. I have a 10-year-old daughter, and the stuff she’s watching today is head-and-shoulders above the stuff we were doing 20 years ago, which is head-and-shoulders over what was being done 20 years before that, a natural progression." Someone needs to bookmark this passage the next time some raving fanboy rages about how the new Transformers big budget movie is ruinning the "spirit" of the 80s cartoon.
Lots more behind the scenes stuff, including his thoughts on co-writing Ralph Bakshi's Fire and Ice animated movie with Roy Thomas.
--Dara (permalink)
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Monday, September 18, 2006
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Posted by
Tony
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9/18/2006 12:20:00 PM
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ripped from today's headlines
One of the central plot points of "Blood of the Tyrant" is the idea that the main character was sent to Iraq as a civilian advisor, even though his main qualification is a stint with the College Republicans. Here's an article from the Washington Post outlining how that process worked:
Ties to GOP Trumped Know-How Among Staff Sent to Rebuild Iraq
--Tony (permalink)
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Posted by
Dara
on
9/18/2006 07:55:00 AM
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Monday Morning "Guess the Artist"
Wow, I just realized we hit the one year mark with this feature! That's like 5 years in blog years.
As always, we're taking a look at a piece of artwork from the early career of some of today's big name comic book artists. For your consideration this week:
(click image to SKREEEEify)
(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)Labels: guess the artist
--Dara (permalink)
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Sunday, September 17, 2006
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Posted by
Tom
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9/17/2006 06:29:00 PM
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 Stuck's on a break but will resume in a week. In the meantime, Vito has come up with a thing he calls 5 x 5. We ask each other five questions.
Off to the side is a new banner featuring the next character: Frank Pastone.
________________
Silver Bullet spotlighted our comic
with a rating of 10/10 'Best webcomic out there'.
Holy Crap!!
--Tom (permalink)
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Saturday, September 16, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/16/2006 10:10:00 AM
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Lyrics for today...
I'm a living sunset
Lightning in my bones
Push me to the edge
But my will is stone
Fools will be fools
And wise will be wise
But I will look this world
Straight in the eyes
What good is a man
Who won't take a stand
What good is a cynic
With no better plan
Reality is sharp
It cuts at me like a knife
Everyone I know
Is in the fight of their life
Take your face out of your hands
And clear your eyes
You have a right to your dreams
And don't be denied
I believe in a better way
-- "Better Way", Ben Harper
--Dara (permalink)
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Friday, September 15, 2006
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Posted by
Tony
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9/15/2006 02:06:00 PM
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Posted by
Dara
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9/15/2006 11:55:00 AM
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Segway and the Bush
From an LA Times article about the latest recall of the Segway:"President Bush tried to ride his parents' Segway in 2003 and fell off." 'Nuff said.
--Dara (permalink)
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Thursday, September 14, 2006
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Posted by
Dara
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9/14/2006 04:27:00 PM
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"Comic Strip Artist's Kit" - artists, go read this now!
Blogger Mark Kennedy has posted a fantastic resource for all artists on his blog: scans of The Comic Strip Artist's Kit. This great guidebook was created around 1975 by "Carson Van Osten, a famous Disney artist who did many Disney Comic Books and created the famous "Comic Strip Artist's Kit". It was created to help beginning comic artists deal with perspective problems and other drawing difficulties. " 
According to Mr. Van Osten himself: "I wrote and drew those sketches around 1975 and I'm so tickled to know that people still find them helpful today. It started as a slide presentation for my boss to show at the Disney meeting in Frankfurt. It went over so well that he asked me to expand on it when he returned. They printed 2000 copies and mailed it to all the Disney offices. " 
Really good advice and guidance on proper use of perspective, body language, etc.
(via boingboing, who found it via Drawn!)
--Dara (permalink)
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Wednesday, September 13, 2006
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Posted by
Tom
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9/13/2006 10:01:00 PM
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For you artists (in Ohio)
Wexner Center has announced it's open call for State Fare: Ohio based artists can submit slides for a juried show. The Wex has only three spots for this exhibition. I'd be game for it except the 250 word artist's statement/ philosophy seems silly to me. It always has. In college, I always made it a point to check out every student gallery show. While I enjoyed the shows, the statement always seemed like an exercise in mental mastubation. Write a book! This is art jackass!! If I seriously have to explain my work to the judges then all hope is lost. 'Yes the cup symbolizes my coping with my latent feminine...' what the F*CK?? I just want to craft good imagery and have a show. Cripes.
Still you have to play the game I guess. Be sure to tie in some reference to a popular disease and add that your mark-making carries on a narritive.
--Tom (permalink)
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