Good morning! I know I promised you a movie review today, but the movie wasn't really that good to begin with... The Editor and I have been doing a little house cleaning over the last few weeks, and we've managed to get enough comic books around for a pretty big comic book garage sale! There are a lot of really awesome titles in the mix, so be sure to check them out if you're interested. Some of the highlights include:
*Akira
*The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (the one featuring Obama)
*Captain America First Series
*Catwoman Third Series
*Cyberfrog
*Dark Tower
*Deadpool
*Fables
*Huntress
*Identity Crisis
*JLA and JLA Classified
*Justice
*Marvel Superhero Squad
*The New Mutants
*Psylocke
*Robin II
*The Walking Dead
*Wolverine
In addition to these titles, there are like, a bajillion more. Come check out our big sale HERE at Atomic Avenue!
Carly on Comics is a blog about all things nerdy. Carly is a 20 something chick who loves all things geeky, nerdy, dweeby and overall awesome.
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Saturday Rant: Comic Books and Goodwill
Good morning everyone! I felt compelled to write today after reading THIS article on CNN and watching the corresponding video. I nearly had an anxiety attack after learning about this.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for charity. I'm more than happy to help out with a fundraiser, or collecting food, or donating where I can, or participating in different charity walks. Wherever I'm needed, I can totally help out. But as a comic book lover and collector, ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!
It's obvious when I'm watching the video that whomever the books once belonged to, they took good care of them, which is even more infuriating to me. I don't think that the donor was the person who owned the books. I'm going to go ahead and say that someone passed away, and the comics were donated because whoever donated them had no idea what they were worth.
I guess this is just a good ol' Carly style rant. I'm not pissed or anything, because like I said, charity is a good thing, but in my mind, the donation would have been better served had the books gone to a professional auction, and the money was donated rather than the books themselves. Not to sound like a real shit, but I've seen the way things are taken care of at Goodwill and it's not with a whole lot of love and care. I've also known some people who have worked there, and I wouldn't be surprised of some of the books were "misplaced".
The Editor and I were at a Goodwill recently to get some articles of clothing for a party we were attending, and there were three or four boxes of comics on one of the tables. Of course, it was a big jumble of this and that, some with some worth behind it, and some so beat up and shitty that they wouldn't be fit for the quarter box. When we inquired about the price we were told that all comics were $1 regardless of condition, which tells me that they are ill equipped to deal with something like a $42k donation of books. But what do I know?
Again, charity is a good thing, by no means am I saying it's not, I just think that you should put in some effort to see what you're giving away before you do. Especially if that collection was loved by someone who passed. I just think that the collection would have been better off being auctioned off privately, and then have the money donated to a good cause. But that is just the collector in me...
If you want to see what was in the "generously donated lot" you can check out www.goodwillonline.com to bid. The bidding starts at $3.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for charity. I'm more than happy to help out with a fundraiser, or collecting food, or donating where I can, or participating in different charity walks. Wherever I'm needed, I can totally help out. But as a comic book lover and collector, ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!
It's obvious when I'm watching the video that whomever the books once belonged to, they took good care of them, which is even more infuriating to me. I don't think that the donor was the person who owned the books. I'm going to go ahead and say that someone passed away, and the comics were donated because whoever donated them had no idea what they were worth.
I guess this is just a good ol' Carly style rant. I'm not pissed or anything, because like I said, charity is a good thing, but in my mind, the donation would have been better served had the books gone to a professional auction, and the money was donated rather than the books themselves. Not to sound like a real shit, but I've seen the way things are taken care of at Goodwill and it's not with a whole lot of love and care. I've also known some people who have worked there, and I wouldn't be surprised of some of the books were "misplaced".
The Editor and I were at a Goodwill recently to get some articles of clothing for a party we were attending, and there were three or four boxes of comics on one of the tables. Of course, it was a big jumble of this and that, some with some worth behind it, and some so beat up and shitty that they wouldn't be fit for the quarter box. When we inquired about the price we were told that all comics were $1 regardless of condition, which tells me that they are ill equipped to deal with something like a $42k donation of books. But what do I know?
Again, charity is a good thing, by no means am I saying it's not, I just think that you should put in some effort to see what you're giving away before you do. Especially if that collection was loved by someone who passed. I just think that the collection would have been better off being auctioned off privately, and then have the money donated to a good cause. But that is just the collector in me...
If you want to see what was in the "generously donated lot" you can check out www.goodwillonline.com to bid. The bidding starts at $3.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Things You Should Be... Friday!
Hey everyone! It's a lovely not-hotter-than-balls day here in Upstate New York! Woo woo! It's been a while since the last "Things You Should Be...", so here are a few of my favorite things you should be taking advantage of this Summer...
Things You Should Be Listening To...
S.I.R. (SModcast Internet Radio)- From the people who brought you "Tell Em' Steve Dave" and "Plus One", there is now a newfangled way to listen! Kevin Smith (and the rest of the SModcast crew) have launched their own radio station! You can listen through your computer, or through the Stitcher App on your phone. Oh, and don't worry if you miss anything, you can still get it through iTunes as well!
Peter Fox- Stadtaffe- Peter Fox is an amazing musician from Berlin. The album has so many awesome songs on it, and they're best listened to during the summertime. The album is in German, but who cares? It's fantastic! Below is the video for "Alles Neu", which is one of mine, and The Editor's favorite Summer songs. Enjoy!
Things You Should Be Watching...
Sports Show With Norm MacDonald- When it comes down to it, who DOESN'T love Norm MacDonald? This show is amazing. It's inappropriate, sexist, and full of some of the most awkward moments on television, but that is why it is SO worth watching! It's like watching a train wreck, but if you are a fan of Norm's humor, you'll get it :-)
The NHL Hockey Finals- The Boston Bruins vs. The Vancouver Canucks! It's America vs. Canada! I'm completely torn on this one. It would be great to see the Canucks win, since Canada hasn't won Lord Stanley's Cup since 1993, but the Bruins are my second favorite team (after the Red Wings, of course)! The series is now tied 2-2, and the boys are duking it out at 8 PM. Definitely worth the watch.
Things You Should Be Reading...
Axe Cop- Written by a 5 year old, illustrated by his 29 year old brother. This is a monthly comic put out by Dark Horse, but a lot of the content found in the comic can be found HERE on the Axe Cop website. I dare you NOT to laugh.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charrlaine Harris- I know I already hit on this a few weeks ago, but the series is sooooo good! It's the book series that "True Blood" was based on, and the best Summer read you'll ever have. I promise!
Things You Should Be Listening To...
S.I.R. (SModcast Internet Radio)- From the people who brought you "Tell Em' Steve Dave" and "Plus One", there is now a newfangled way to listen! Kevin Smith (and the rest of the SModcast crew) have launched their own radio station! You can listen through your computer, or through the Stitcher App on your phone. Oh, and don't worry if you miss anything, you can still get it through iTunes as well!
Peter Fox- Stadtaffe- Peter Fox is an amazing musician from Berlin. The album has so many awesome songs on it, and they're best listened to during the summertime. The album is in German, but who cares? It's fantastic! Below is the video for "Alles Neu", which is one of mine, and The Editor's favorite Summer songs. Enjoy!
Things You Should Be Watching...
Sports Show With Norm MacDonald- When it comes down to it, who DOESN'T love Norm MacDonald? This show is amazing. It's inappropriate, sexist, and full of some of the most awkward moments on television, but that is why it is SO worth watching! It's like watching a train wreck, but if you are a fan of Norm's humor, you'll get it :-)
| Sports Show with Norm Macdonald | Tuesdays, 10:30/9:30c | |||
| Michael Jordan's Hitler Mustache | ||||
| ||||
The NHL Hockey Finals- The Boston Bruins vs. The Vancouver Canucks! It's America vs. Canada! I'm completely torn on this one. It would be great to see the Canucks win, since Canada hasn't won Lord Stanley's Cup since 1993, but the Bruins are my second favorite team (after the Red Wings, of course)! The series is now tied 2-2, and the boys are duking it out at 8 PM. Definitely worth the watch.
 | |
| That's right Canada, Jim, me, and The Editor ALL got to see the cup before you... |
Things You Should Be Reading...
Axe Cop- Written by a 5 year old, illustrated by his 29 year old brother. This is a monthly comic put out by Dark Horse, but a lot of the content found in the comic can be found HERE on the Axe Cop website. I dare you NOT to laugh.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charrlaine Harris- I know I already hit on this a few weeks ago, but the series is sooooo good! It's the book series that "True Blood" was based on, and the best Summer read you'll ever have. I promise!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Comic Review: Morning Glories!
There will be some spoilers in this post, so be warned!
Morning Glories is the hot comic book title right now. Of any other new or new(ish) book out there, I feel like this one has received the most praise. After the Boston Con, The Editor and I decided to pick up the first trade to see what all of the hype was about, and let me tell you, it's certainly worth the read!
Morning Glory Academy is a prestigious prep school that is hiding a lot of dark secrets. The story focuses on six new recruits. These recruits begin to realize right away that there is something not quite right about the school. When they call home their parents don't remember who they are, and one girls parents are murdered to teach her a lesson.
As the story goes on things begin to get even more sinister. One of the new recruits gets kidnapped after trying to drown herself, and the others have to go on a mission to save her from the school. If that isn't enough, it seems that there is a supernatural entity that is attacking students as well.
As the story progresses you find that some of the upper classmen (including the new girls' RA) who aren't quite right in the head, and that all of the kids attending the school have the same birthday. There is a lot going on in this story, but all of it keeps you on your toes, and gets you excited about the next issue. I don't want to give anything more away, so I'll stop there before I do.
It's a great thriller, and if you're into the whole "independent comics" thing like I am, you'll appreciate the originality of the series. It brings you in and keeps you guessing the same way that "The Unwritten" does. And with a end to the series planned (author Nick Spencer has 100 issues planned, with a definite ending), it's suer to keep you on your toes until the very end.
Morning Glories is the hot comic book title right now. Of any other new or new(ish) book out there, I feel like this one has received the most praise. After the Boston Con, The Editor and I decided to pick up the first trade to see what all of the hype was about, and let me tell you, it's certainly worth the read!
Morning Glory Academy is a prestigious prep school that is hiding a lot of dark secrets. The story focuses on six new recruits. These recruits begin to realize right away that there is something not quite right about the school. When they call home their parents don't remember who they are, and one girls parents are murdered to teach her a lesson.
As the story goes on things begin to get even more sinister. One of the new recruits gets kidnapped after trying to drown herself, and the others have to go on a mission to save her from the school. If that isn't enough, it seems that there is a supernatural entity that is attacking students as well.
As the story progresses you find that some of the upper classmen (including the new girls' RA) who aren't quite right in the head, and that all of the kids attending the school have the same birthday. There is a lot going on in this story, but all of it keeps you on your toes, and gets you excited about the next issue. I don't want to give anything more away, so I'll stop there before I do.
It's a great thriller, and if you're into the whole "independent comics" thing like I am, you'll appreciate the originality of the series. It brings you in and keeps you guessing the same way that "The Unwritten" does. And with a end to the series planned (author Nick Spencer has 100 issues planned, with a definite ending), it's suer to keep you on your toes until the very end.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Things You Should be... Friday!
Things You Should be Listening to...
The Adam Carolla Podcast- Adam Carolla, of "Loveline" and "The Man Show" fame has his own podcast, and it's awesome. It's a daily show and every day he has a different guest. Jerry O'Connell, Dr. Drew and Brett Ratner to name a few. Adam and his staff will keep you laughing every day.
Things You Should be Watching...
Dexter- The Editor and I just finished up the series up to the current season, and it was awesome. He's the most lovable serial-killer ever. Dexter is a forensic scientist for the Miami police department, and because of things that happened to him as a child, he is now on a mission to kill bad guys. The story discusses his struggle to keep a "real life" while hiding who he really is. The show is filled with twists and turns, and guest stars like Jimmy Smits and Julia Stiles.
Things You Should be Reading...
Air- Air is a fantastic limited series comic written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by M.K. Perkins. The story is about an acrophobic flight attendant who is conned into transporting blueprints for a terrorist attack. The story then takes a weird turn as you're trying to figure out who it is that conned her. The story drifts into fantasy and sci-fi elements with the use of teleportation and featuring characters such as Amelia Earhart and Quetzacoatl. It's an amazing, fun to read thriller that won't leave you disappointed.
The Adam Carolla Podcast- Adam Carolla, of "Loveline" and "The Man Show" fame has his own podcast, and it's awesome. It's a daily show and every day he has a different guest. Jerry O'Connell, Dr. Drew and Brett Ratner to name a few. Adam and his staff will keep you laughing every day.
Things You Should be Watching...
Dexter- The Editor and I just finished up the series up to the current season, and it was awesome. He's the most lovable serial-killer ever. Dexter is a forensic scientist for the Miami police department, and because of things that happened to him as a child, he is now on a mission to kill bad guys. The story discusses his struggle to keep a "real life" while hiding who he really is. The show is filled with twists and turns, and guest stars like Jimmy Smits and Julia Stiles.
Things You Should be Reading...
Air- Air is a fantastic limited series comic written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by M.K. Perkins. The story is about an acrophobic flight attendant who is conned into transporting blueprints for a terrorist attack. The story then takes a weird turn as you're trying to figure out who it is that conned her. The story drifts into fantasy and sci-fi elements with the use of teleportation and featuring characters such as Amelia Earhart and Quetzacoatl. It's an amazing, fun to read thriller that won't leave you disappointed.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Comic Recommendation of the Week: Superman: Earth One
After Perry White tells him that they're not looking for anyone, Clark becomes depressed. He calls his mother and begins talking about his "identity crisis" with her. Like any good mother, Martha tells Clark that he should do whatever makes him happiest, she'll be proud of him no matter what. We find out through this conversation that Clark is not only struggling with his work life, but he is also having a hard time figuring out where he fits in everyday human life. Martha explains that she and his father had always discussed the day when the world would need him, but exposing himself for what he is had to be a decision that he made himself. During this discussion we also find out that John and Martha found Clark while hiking in the woods one day. During their hike they came across a crash site, and found the baby. They passed the baby off as Martha's nephew, so there was no need to explain here he came from.
Cue the evil attacking aliens lead by Tyrell. Tyrell was from a planet (Dehron) that had always been in competition with Krypton, until the day came when Dehron "assassinated" Krypton. When the planet of Dehron was informed of Clark's escape, Tyrell was sent out to destroy the last son of Krypton.
Flash forward, Clark kicks some serious alien butt, the world is saved (for now), and Clark Kent manages to get the interview of a lifetime with Superman, which lands him the job at The Daily Planet.
I thought this was an amazing retelling of the story. The story itself, combined with the artwork made for one completely unboring, very exciting version of a story that we've heard a million times.
This was the first issue of DC's now ongoing series "DC: Earth One", which is basically an updated retelling of your favorite superheroes origins made for a new generation of readers. I, for one, will be purchasing all of them as they come out. But don't take my word for it! (Sorry, couldn't resist, since Lavaar Burton was on Community this week)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Comic Recommendation of the Week: Hack/Slash
Happy Saturday everyone! So, last night as The Editor and Evan T. remotely played Red Dead (romantic Friday night, I know) I took The Editor's advice and started reading Hack/Slash. Hack/Slash is a story about Cassie Hack and how she survived a slasher attack. Since she survived the attack, she is now on a mission to kill all of the slashers out there to protect the innocent from being killed themselves.
The daughter of a slasher herself, Cassie wonders if that is part of the reason she kills. She worries if it is something so ingrained in her that she'll ever be able to quit. All of the slashers in the comic are done movie style, so most of them are able to return from the dead, including Cassie's mother (there is an explanation for that in the series, don't want to spoiler it for you).
There is a supernatural element to the series as well, as people make deals with the devil to gain success. Whenever a deal is made, the devil demands a "quota" of souls, meaning lives must be taken to maintain success. One of the most lovable characters in the series is actually a hell hound names Pooch who has been sent to earth to hunt Cassie, but finds his living accommodations with her friends too nice to do so.
Cassie is aided by Vlad, her protector, and gentle giant. Other people in Cassie's posse include Georgia, Cassie's best friend/sometimes girlfriend/stripper, and Lisa and Chris, whom Cassie saved from a slasher, and they now run Hack/Slash Inc., the website where people can go to report slashers and have Cassie look into the case.
It's super violent and kind of racy, but the story is truly entertaining. I devoured nearly two omnibuses last night, so you know it's good.
The daughter of a slasher herself, Cassie wonders if that is part of the reason she kills. She worries if it is something so ingrained in her that she'll ever be able to quit. All of the slashers in the comic are done movie style, so most of them are able to return from the dead, including Cassie's mother (there is an explanation for that in the series, don't want to spoiler it for you).
There is a supernatural element to the series as well, as people make deals with the devil to gain success. Whenever a deal is made, the devil demands a "quota" of souls, meaning lives must be taken to maintain success. One of the most lovable characters in the series is actually a hell hound names Pooch who has been sent to earth to hunt Cassie, but finds his living accommodations with her friends too nice to do so.
Cassie is aided by Vlad, her protector, and gentle giant. Other people in Cassie's posse include Georgia, Cassie's best friend/sometimes girlfriend/stripper, and Lisa and Chris, whom Cassie saved from a slasher, and they now run Hack/Slash Inc., the website where people can go to report slashers and have Cassie look into the case.
It's super violent and kind of racy, but the story is truly entertaining. I devoured nearly two omnibuses last night, so you know it's good.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Things You Should be... Friday!
Things You Should be Listening to...
Puck Nuts- This is yet another podcast in the SModcast podcast universe. It's Brian John, Brian Quinn (sometimes) and Walt Flannagan from Tell Em' Steve Dave, as well as computer nerd Ming Chen and The Stash's illustrious Sunday Jeff. Originally, the podcast was made so that the boys would have a place to talk all things New Jersey Devils, but the show quickly morphed into a sports-talk show of sorts (thanks to the Devil's having a sub-par season). I'm not even the biggest sports fan there is, but if you ever wanted to become a little bit more knowledgeable about hockey and football, and you want to laugh while doing it, I suggest this podcast. It won't let you down!
Things You Should be Watching...
Top Gear UK- Okay, so I guess that today's post contains a lot of "guy stuff", however, as a girl, I very much enjoy these things too! Top Gear is a fantastic talk-show type car show that airs weekly on the BBC, and BBC America. The shows hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take you a a series of weekly adventures in this one hour show. They travel all around Europe, and hold friendly competitions, whether it be whose car will die first, or which luxury car is the fastest. They also have regular weekly segments like, the news and "Celebrities Driving the Reasonably Priced Car". If you're even a teensy bit of a car enthusiast I suggest you watch. These blokes will keep you rolling with laughter!
Things You Should be Reading...
Fables- I don't have any idea why I've waited this long to post about Fables. It's easily my favorite comic out there. When I explain the premises of the comic, it sounds ridiculous, but it's filled with more heart than any other book I've read. Okay, close your eyes and imagine every character from every fairy tale you can. Now take those characters, move the human ones to NYC, and move the animals to a farm. That's Fables. The Fables are forced from their homelands by a violent adversary, and the story revolves around defeating the adversary. It is a fantastic tale that now has well over 100 issues. The series has even spawned a number of spin-offs such as "Jack of Fables" and "Cinderella: To Fabletown, with Love". The writing, paired with some of the most amazing artwork I've ever seen will leave you wanting more.
Puck Nuts- This is yet another podcast in the SModcast podcast universe. It's Brian John, Brian Quinn (sometimes) and Walt Flannagan from Tell Em' Steve Dave, as well as computer nerd Ming Chen and The Stash's illustrious Sunday Jeff. Originally, the podcast was made so that the boys would have a place to talk all things New Jersey Devils, but the show quickly morphed into a sports-talk show of sorts (thanks to the Devil's having a sub-par season). I'm not even the biggest sports fan there is, but if you ever wanted to become a little bit more knowledgeable about hockey and football, and you want to laugh while doing it, I suggest this podcast. It won't let you down!
Things You Should be Watching...
Top Gear UK- Okay, so I guess that today's post contains a lot of "guy stuff", however, as a girl, I very much enjoy these things too! Top Gear is a fantastic talk-show type car show that airs weekly on the BBC, and BBC America. The shows hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take you a a series of weekly adventures in this one hour show. They travel all around Europe, and hold friendly competitions, whether it be whose car will die first, or which luxury car is the fastest. They also have regular weekly segments like, the news and "Celebrities Driving the Reasonably Priced Car". If you're even a teensy bit of a car enthusiast I suggest you watch. These blokes will keep you rolling with laughter!
Things You Should be Reading...
Fables- I don't have any idea why I've waited this long to post about Fables. It's easily my favorite comic out there. When I explain the premises of the comic, it sounds ridiculous, but it's filled with more heart than any other book I've read. Okay, close your eyes and imagine every character from every fairy tale you can. Now take those characters, move the human ones to NYC, and move the animals to a farm. That's Fables. The Fables are forced from their homelands by a violent adversary, and the story revolves around defeating the adversary. It is a fantastic tale that now has well over 100 issues. The series has even spawned a number of spin-offs such as "Jack of Fables" and "Cinderella: To Fabletown, with Love". The writing, paired with some of the most amazing artwork I've ever seen will leave you wanting more.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Things You Should be... Friday!
Things You Should be Listening to...
DJ McFly- Okay, so this came to me in a weird way.... DJ McFly and I share a mutual friend, the mutual friend told me about him, I checked out some of his music, and it's AWESOME. All my derby girls are back in full swing work-out mode, so the past few music suggestions have been mash-ups, because it helps get the blood flowing. This week is no different. If you happen to like Girl Talk or DJ Fergie Ferg from last week, you MUST give DJ McFly a listen. His website is http://dublejmedia.com/, and you can find out more about him, as well as download some of his funky-fresh tracks! Sidenote: if you need a kick-ass wedding DJ, who is capable of doing mash-ups, you might want to give him a shout.
Things You Should be Watching...
Catfish- This is a great documentary I just watched. It starts out with a photographer in NYC whose brother is making a documentary about him and his friendship with a 9 year old artist. He gets involved with the whole family, and starts a relationship with the girl's older sister (who is a decade older, so it's not pervy or anything) then there is a a pretty big twist. It's a film shows that no matter how much you think you might know someone, there is a big chance that you may have no clue who that person REALLY is, especially when you've made those connections over the internet. I am a documentary nerd.
Things You Should be Reading...
Y the Last Man- I just got Miss Reading Rambo in this one. It's an amazing story of the last man on earth. Yorick Brown was just another 20 something guy trying to find his way in the world, until he woke up one day and found that he, and his pet monkey, Ampersand, were the last two males on earth. It's a really interesting way of looking at a post-male society. It's not all "peace and love" like us ladies like to preach about "if we were in charge". It shows the dark side of feminism, and the obstacles that have to be overcome to live in a world without men, and how to keep Yoricks identity hidden from anyone who would want to harm him. Originally a 60 issue comic book series, this comic has been collected and consolidated into 10 graphic novels. It's a definite "must" for non-capes loving comic readers.
DJ McFly- Okay, so this came to me in a weird way.... DJ McFly and I share a mutual friend, the mutual friend told me about him, I checked out some of his music, and it's AWESOME. All my derby girls are back in full swing work-out mode, so the past few music suggestions have been mash-ups, because it helps get the blood flowing. This week is no different. If you happen to like Girl Talk or DJ Fergie Ferg from last week, you MUST give DJ McFly a listen. His website is http://dublejmedia.com/, and you can find out more about him, as well as download some of his funky-fresh tracks! Sidenote: if you need a kick-ass wedding DJ, who is capable of doing mash-ups, you might want to give him a shout.
Things You Should be Watching...
Catfish- This is a great documentary I just watched. It starts out with a photographer in NYC whose brother is making a documentary about him and his friendship with a 9 year old artist. He gets involved with the whole family, and starts a relationship with the girl's older sister (who is a decade older, so it's not pervy or anything) then there is a a pretty big twist. It's a film shows that no matter how much you think you might know someone, there is a big chance that you may have no clue who that person REALLY is, especially when you've made those connections over the internet. I am a documentary nerd.
Things You Should be Reading...
Y the Last Man- I just got Miss Reading Rambo in this one. It's an amazing story of the last man on earth. Yorick Brown was just another 20 something guy trying to find his way in the world, until he woke up one day and found that he, and his pet monkey, Ampersand, were the last two males on earth. It's a really interesting way of looking at a post-male society. It's not all "peace and love" like us ladies like to preach about "if we were in charge". It shows the dark side of feminism, and the obstacles that have to be overcome to live in a world without men, and how to keep Yoricks identity hidden from anyone who would want to harm him. Originally a 60 issue comic book series, this comic has been collected and consolidated into 10 graphic novels. It's a definite "must" for non-capes loving comic readers.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Things You Should be... Friday
Things You Should be Listening to...
Masharoni and Cheese by DJ Fergie Ferg- DJ Fergie Ferg is an up and coming DJ who is just about as much fun as Girl Talk. So if you like music catered for ADD, I highly suggest you download the album. (Psssssst... you can download it for free here.)
Things You Should be Watching...
Planet Earth- Yeah, I know, its been around for a while.... Last night I popped in the Blu Ray of it though, and fell in love with all over again. If you don't know what Planet Earth is, its a documentary that the BBS did a few years ago. Armed with high-def cameras, these film makers went to some of the most amazing places in the world, and got some unbelievable footage. It's completely riveting, especially in HD.
Things You Should be Reading...
Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski- I will be giving you all a full review of this book most likely over the weekend. It's one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time. It's pretty much a retelling of Superman's origin story. Straczynski, along with artist Shane Davis, create a very cool, very grown up version of the early Superman. You'll love the story and the art.
Masharoni and Cheese by DJ Fergie Ferg- DJ Fergie Ferg is an up and coming DJ who is just about as much fun as Girl Talk. So if you like music catered for ADD, I highly suggest you download the album. (Psssssst... you can download it for free here.)
Things You Should be Watching...
Planet Earth- Yeah, I know, its been around for a while.... Last night I popped in the Blu Ray of it though, and fell in love with all over again. If you don't know what Planet Earth is, its a documentary that the BBS did a few years ago. Armed with high-def cameras, these film makers went to some of the most amazing places in the world, and got some unbelievable footage. It's completely riveting, especially in HD.
Things You Should be Reading...
Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski- I will be giving you all a full review of this book most likely over the weekend. It's one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time. It's pretty much a retelling of Superman's origin story. Straczynski, along with artist Shane Davis, create a very cool, very grown up version of the early Superman. You'll love the story and the art.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Things You Should Be... Friday
Things You Should Be Listening To...
Wiretap- Wiretap is a great show on the CBC. The host, Jonathan Goldstein is a self-proclaimed "humorist", meaning, if you're looking to be rolling on the floor laughing, you're in the wrong place. However, if you like sarcastic, self-deprecating humor, it's the perfect match for you!
Things You Should Be Watching...
Tosh.0- Tosh.0 is a clip show kind-of like "The Soup". Comedian Daniel Tosh takes the most popular viral videos and basically rips them a new one. This show also offers "web redemptions" to the most embarrassing viral videos out there, giving the people in the video a chance to redeem themselves. Fan-freaking-tastic! Below is my favorite clip from the show
FOOTBALL!- Again, I stress, if you are were not, or have not been in a fantasy football league, please be sure to do so at the end of next Summer when leagues are available. ESPECIALLY if you are a girl who HATES football. I only say this, because if football is important to your guy, you should try and embrace it, because lets face it, football is like, five months, and wouldn't you rather NOT be pissed at your guy for half a year? It's the last football weekend before the Super Bowl, so I suggest you pick your pony and put some money on that hoss! I mean, what fun is betting on the game, if you're not putting your money where your mouth is? ;-)
Things You Should Be Reading...
Angry Little Girls- You could get through this book in like, half hour. This book was loaned to me by Miss Reading Rambo, and I LOVED it. Below is the Amazon description:
Lee created Kim, the angry little Asian girl, for a brief cartoon that was a response to insulting Asian characters in other cartoons. In this collection of her weekly strip, she expands the idea to include a bunch of girls of different races. The book aims for wry humor and occasionally achieves it, as when Xyla, the gloomy girl, says, "The thought of suicide is what keeps me alive." But actual laughs are rare. Lee's minimal drawing style recalls Peanuts, Life in Hell and South Park, and she tries to emulate their tone. Like Peanuts, she gives her child characters adult neuroses, cynical worldviews and a touch of sadness. But her plain approach never reaches that strip's subtlety. Nor does her satire come close to Life in Hell, which at its best was relentless about the state of love, work and childhood in the modern world. Instead, we have a trifle that seems too timid to say much about anything, ironically packaged with a hard cover and heavy, full-color glossy pages.
If you enjoy this book, you should check out the sequel "Still Angry Little Girls".
Wiretap- Wiretap is a great show on the CBC. The host, Jonathan Goldstein is a self-proclaimed "humorist", meaning, if you're looking to be rolling on the floor laughing, you're in the wrong place. However, if you like sarcastic, self-deprecating humor, it's the perfect match for you!
Things You Should Be Watching...
Tosh.0- Tosh.0 is a clip show kind-of like "The Soup". Comedian Daniel Tosh takes the most popular viral videos and basically rips them a new one. This show also offers "web redemptions" to the most embarrassing viral videos out there, giving the people in the video a chance to redeem themselves. Fan-freaking-tastic! Below is my favorite clip from the show
| Tosh.0 | Tuesdays 10pm / 9c | |||
| Web Redemption - Crying Giants Fan | ||||
| ||||
FOOTBALL!- Again, I stress, if you are were not, or have not been in a fantasy football league, please be sure to do so at the end of next Summer when leagues are available. ESPECIALLY if you are a girl who HATES football. I only say this, because if football is important to your guy, you should try and embrace it, because lets face it, football is like, five months, and wouldn't you rather NOT be pissed at your guy for half a year? It's the last football weekend before the Super Bowl, so I suggest you pick your pony and put some money on that hoss! I mean, what fun is betting on the game, if you're not putting your money where your mouth is? ;-)
Things You Should Be Reading...
Angry Little Girls- You could get through this book in like, half hour. This book was loaned to me by Miss Reading Rambo, and I LOVED it. Below is the Amazon description:
Lee created Kim, the angry little Asian girl, for a brief cartoon that was a response to insulting Asian characters in other cartoons. In this collection of her weekly strip, she expands the idea to include a bunch of girls of different races. The book aims for wry humor and occasionally achieves it, as when Xyla, the gloomy girl, says, "The thought of suicide is what keeps me alive." But actual laughs are rare. Lee's minimal drawing style recalls Peanuts, Life in Hell and South Park, and she tries to emulate their tone. Like Peanuts, she gives her child characters adult neuroses, cynical worldviews and a touch of sadness. But her plain approach never reaches that strip's subtlety. Nor does her satire come close to Life in Hell, which at its best was relentless about the state of love, work and childhood in the modern world. Instead, we have a trifle that seems too timid to say much about anything, ironically packaged with a hard cover and heavy, full-color glossy pages.
If you enjoy this book, you should check out the sequel "Still Angry Little Girls".
Friday, January 14, 2011
Things You Should Be... Friday
Things You Should Be Listening to...
Antoine Dodson- Bed Intruder Song- Antoine Dodson was a normal guy, until someone tried to start raping everyone up in here! His infamous interview was remixed by Autotune the News, and the song has skyrocketed to the top 100 list on iTunes. Pretty impressive! Below are the links for both the original interview (for those of you like me who are waaaaay behind the times), as well as the song. You will NOT be able to get this out of your head. Just ask The Editor...
SModcast- I've been so busy pimping everything else on the SModcast network that I nearly forgot about the original that started it all! Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier bring you this smart and hilarious podcast on a weekly basis. The two catch you up on all of the ongoings in their lives, as well as create some pretty amazing characters. If you're a fan of Kevin's, I highly suggest this, and even if you're not a fan, you should give it a listen.
Things You Should Be Watching...
Fringe- I'm aware that I have already pimped this show here, maybe more than once, but it's only because it is honestly a GREAT show. I hear stupid things all the time like "But Caaaaarly, isn't it just like, an X-Files rip off? Blah, blah, blah...". Well, I don't know, because I was too young to enjoy "The X-Files" when it was on. However, I can tell you that The Editor is/was a huge X-Files fan, and he LOVES "Fringe". I'm pleading with you to watch it because the Fox network is doing what they are notorious for doing; moving awesome TV to Friday night. This sucks because Friday night is like the "kill spot" for TV. "Smallville" is sitting in a Friday night spot, in it's last season and the amazing "Terminator: The Sara Conner Chronicles" got moved to Friday night right before Fox pulled the plug on it. Let's not forget about "Firefly" either. If we can stay on top of this, and all pull our collective "nerd" together to watch, maybe, just maybe, we can save this show from being axed. Don't let "American Idol" win.
Parks and Recreation- Parks and Recreation is an awesome show. People are always saying to me "But Caaaaaaarly, isn't it just like 'The Office'?". I suppose it is in that they are both filmed documentary style, and that you get the same douche chills with Amy Poehler's character that you do with Steve Carrell's character, but that's about it. Remember when "The Office" used to be good? Well, Parks and Rec will make you laugh just as hard as the "good" seasons of The Office did. Amy Poehler is a little annoying, but the supporting cast is absolutely amazing. Just check it out, you'll like it.
Things You Should Be Reading...
"My Boring Ass Life" by Kevin Smith- This amazing collection of Kevin's blog entries will keep you rolling with laughter. This very well written, well thought out book gives you a glimpse inside what it's like to be Kevin Smith. If you have a cross country flight, be sure to bring this with you!
Antoine Dodson- Bed Intruder Song- Antoine Dodson was a normal guy, until someone tried to start raping everyone up in here! His infamous interview was remixed by Autotune the News, and the song has skyrocketed to the top 100 list on iTunes. Pretty impressive! Below are the links for both the original interview (for those of you like me who are waaaaay behind the times), as well as the song. You will NOT be able to get this out of your head. Just ask The Editor...
SModcast- I've been so busy pimping everything else on the SModcast network that I nearly forgot about the original that started it all! Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier bring you this smart and hilarious podcast on a weekly basis. The two catch you up on all of the ongoings in their lives, as well as create some pretty amazing characters. If you're a fan of Kevin's, I highly suggest this, and even if you're not a fan, you should give it a listen.
Things You Should Be Watching...
Fringe- I'm aware that I have already pimped this show here, maybe more than once, but it's only because it is honestly a GREAT show. I hear stupid things all the time like "But Caaaaarly, isn't it just like, an X-Files rip off? Blah, blah, blah...". Well, I don't know, because I was too young to enjoy "The X-Files" when it was on. However, I can tell you that The Editor is/was a huge X-Files fan, and he LOVES "Fringe". I'm pleading with you to watch it because the Fox network is doing what they are notorious for doing; moving awesome TV to Friday night. This sucks because Friday night is like the "kill spot" for TV. "Smallville" is sitting in a Friday night spot, in it's last season and the amazing "Terminator: The Sara Conner Chronicles" got moved to Friday night right before Fox pulled the plug on it. Let's not forget about "Firefly" either. If we can stay on top of this, and all pull our collective "nerd" together to watch, maybe, just maybe, we can save this show from being axed. Don't let "American Idol" win.
Parks and Recreation- Parks and Recreation is an awesome show. People are always saying to me "But Caaaaaaarly, isn't it just like 'The Office'?". I suppose it is in that they are both filmed documentary style, and that you get the same douche chills with Amy Poehler's character that you do with Steve Carrell's character, but that's about it. Remember when "The Office" used to be good? Well, Parks and Rec will make you laugh just as hard as the "good" seasons of The Office did. Amy Poehler is a little annoying, but the supporting cast is absolutely amazing. Just check it out, you'll like it.
Things You Should Be Reading...
"My Boring Ass Life" by Kevin Smith- This amazing collection of Kevin's blog entries will keep you rolling with laughter. This very well written, well thought out book gives you a glimpse inside what it's like to be Kevin Smith. If you have a cross country flight, be sure to bring this with you!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Things You Should be Friday...
Things You Should Be Listening to...
Live From SModcastle: Crimson Magical Mages-- This is amazing. Jason Mewes and other people in the Kevin Smith universe play quite a lot of "Dungeons and Dragons". When Kev found out about this, he decided that he, Jason Mewes, producer Scott Mosier and friend/director Malcolm Ingram should create their own game like D&D. So "Crimson Magical Mages" was born. This hilarious podcast follows their game. It's totally raunchy, and amazingly hilarious.
Things You Should be Watching...
If you're a girl...
United States of Tara-- This show is great. It's very heartwarming and funny. The show follows Tara, a woman suffering from multiple personalities, and her family. It follows each family member, and shows how each member is coping with Tara's "problem". The bigger story involves Tara's past, and her trying to figure out what happened to her that triggered her disease. The show is certainly a dramedy and it proves that with a little bit of understanding that love can conquer all.
If you're a boy...
Sons of Anarchy-- Alright, I'll give it to The Editor and Evan on this one. They have been trying for MONTHS to get me to watch this, and now that I have finally had the time to sit down and watch, it's AMAZING. The show follows a biker gang in California. It highlights all their right and wrongdoings, and shows that more than anything, these people are not a gang, but family who would do just about anything to protect one and other. It's a super gritty show, but definitely worth the watch.
Things You Should be Reading...
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-- This is one of the most amazing series I have ever read. They're a little slow in the beginning, but the payoff is awesome. The books follow Lisbeth Salander as she hacks and investigates different crimes. The biggest catch? Lisbeth is not a cop, nor an investigator. She is the most badass chick you will ever read about. And if you're going to cheat and watch the movies, just make sure that you're watching the Swedish subtitled movie, instead of waiting for the American version. I have a sneaking suspicion that the American version is going to cut out some key plot points to make the film a little less disturbing...
Live From SModcastle: Crimson Magical Mages-- This is amazing. Jason Mewes and other people in the Kevin Smith universe play quite a lot of "Dungeons and Dragons". When Kev found out about this, he decided that he, Jason Mewes, producer Scott Mosier and friend/director Malcolm Ingram should create their own game like D&D. So "Crimson Magical Mages" was born. This hilarious podcast follows their game. It's totally raunchy, and amazingly hilarious.
If you're a girl...
United States of Tara-- This show is great. It's very heartwarming and funny. The show follows Tara, a woman suffering from multiple personalities, and her family. It follows each family member, and shows how each member is coping with Tara's "problem". The bigger story involves Tara's past, and her trying to figure out what happened to her that triggered her disease. The show is certainly a dramedy and it proves that with a little bit of understanding that love can conquer all.
If you're a boy...
Sons of Anarchy-- Alright, I'll give it to The Editor and Evan on this one. They have been trying for MONTHS to get me to watch this, and now that I have finally had the time to sit down and watch, it's AMAZING. The show follows a biker gang in California. It highlights all their right and wrongdoings, and shows that more than anything, these people are not a gang, but family who would do just about anything to protect one and other. It's a super gritty show, but definitely worth the watch.
Things You Should be Reading...
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-- This is one of the most amazing series I have ever read. They're a little slow in the beginning, but the payoff is awesome. The books follow Lisbeth Salander as she hacks and investigates different crimes. The biggest catch? Lisbeth is not a cop, nor an investigator. She is the most badass chick you will ever read about. And if you're going to cheat and watch the movies, just make sure that you're watching the Swedish subtitled movie, instead of waiting for the American version. I have a sneaking suspicion that the American version is going to cut out some key plot points to make the film a little less disturbing...
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Gotham City Sirens
Good day everyone! Sorry for skipping out on the posting yesterday, I get super busy this time of year, like I'm sure you all do! The last two day have been all about Christmas music, wrapping presents and doing holiday things.
Today's post is about one of my favorite comics currently, "Gotham City Sirens". GCS is an awesome story about Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy living together.
Basically, the girls are trying to leave behind their life of crime, and start new lives. The dialogue is very witty, and easy to follow. Paul Dini is the author of this series, and if you know anything about me, you know that he is one of my all-time favorite writers, and he does not disappoint in this series.
Poison Ivy is the seductress, Harley Quinn is the (still) joker-loving-Barbie wanna be-batshit crazy blond we all know and love, and Catwoman is the glue that holds them together. Whether it's working out an issue with the pet hyena's (yeah, I said hyena's) or trying to figure out a missing persons case, this comic is perfect for any girl who wants a story about kick-ass villainesses, or any boy who likes naughty chicks in tight clothes. In other words, I recommend this to EVERYONE, as it is sure to become one of your new favorites.
P.S. I know I left the plot line very vague, but after the whole "Please stop ruining Walking Dead for me" thing, I don't want to accidentally give up any spoilers! ;-)
Today's post is about one of my favorite comics currently, "Gotham City Sirens". GCS is an awesome story about Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy living together.
P.S. I know I left the plot line very vague, but after the whole "Please stop ruining Walking Dead for me" thing, I don't want to accidentally give up any spoilers! ;-)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Fables 100
Below is a fantastic interview between Cyriaque Lamar of io9 and Bill Willingham, author of the hit comic book "Fables". I hope you enjoy!
The one-hundredth issue of Fables hits the stands this week, and in anticipation of its release, we spoke with series author Bill Willingham about where the comic's been and where it's going. Also, the Fables TV show's probably dead. Boo!
First off, when you began writing Fables, did you anticipate it going on as long as it has?
I had wanted it go on for a long time. Considering the books I'd had out just before Fables — Proposition Player and some other things — they had been getting good critical praise but very little sales prior to Fables, so my expectations were colored by that.
At what points did the story diverge from what you had originally planned?
There were many big changes. I would love nothing better than to do a proposal to the publisher that says, "The story starts this way. By the time we get to this issue, I'll have thought of a whole bunch of cool new things to do with the story." The "don't worry, I'll think of something" method doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in publishers, but pretty much that's how I've gone all along since the Elementals days in the dim Eighties [...] For example, the Adversary was pretty much locked in, but we had to change who he was right away. As you might know, I originally intended for the Adversary to be Peter Pan, because even as I child I thought he was the villain of the story because he stole people's kids. I thought it was sinister and, as a kid, used to have nightmares of Peter Pan coming through our bedroom window. The first issue hadn't come out yet, but we were two or three issues in when DC came to us and said, "We can't have Peter Pan because of the copyright situation in England." After a while, I picked Gepetto instead. The long-term story of Fables — which followed the battle with the Adversary and him signing the General Amnesty — that was locked in from the beginning. Many of the side stories — like Boy Blue discovering who the Adversary was, Flycatcher becoming an important character — those were ideas that grew out of things planted early. It's almost a 50-50 mix of plots planned and plots developed.
Are there any other famous characters you've wanted to use but couldn't?
If the heirs and copyright holders of C.S. Lewis wanted to write me a nice letter and say, "The entire treasure chest of Narnia characters is now open and yours to use," I'd think that just be the finest thing possible. I'd love to bring characters I've read as a kid into Fables, such as the characters of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The true origin of Fables is in Fractured Fairy Tales from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. That launched the whole idea in my head as a kid that you could take these well-known stories and twist them around and be irreverent. I had previously thought that stories were protected. Out of a residual affection for that moment, I wouldn't mind bringing Rocky and Bullwinkle in, but those things aren't going to happen.
Are there any updates on the Fables TV show?
None whatsoever. I am the last person to know about things like that. Through rumors of rumors of mistellings of legends, I understand that the new DC regime was very much interested in getting Fables going. The TV show that was prematurely announced is probably dead — don't hold me to that, because I don't know. Hopefully, I'll know before it airs, but I'm kind of out of the loop.
What's the future hold for Fables?
I've been asked, "Why doesn't Fables come to an end the way other Vertigo books do?" — this question implies that you get a stronger story if you set a horizon line. My reply is, "Fables comes to an end all the time." There's been many stories throughout the series — both epic and small — that have come to an end. My hope is that I won't get bored writing this book, and that I'll be able to do it for a long time to come.
As always, I want to thank the readership of Fables for being with us this long, we've got a lot of fun stuff coming up. As people may have seen, the title of the next major arc following issue 100 is called "Super Group" — it's a Fables examination of superhero comics with a weird twist.
My mom, who hasn't been a comics fan since the 1950s, loves Fables. How would you as the author explain your book's longevity and popular appeal
The "my mom or dad who never understood why I like comics but finally does" anecdote is very near and dear to me. I've managed to hear this story in a variety of permutations, and I never get tired of hearing it. I don't exactly what the break-out-of-the-box appeal is, but it involves characters that almost everyone in Western culture knows. There's that lack of intimidation — people know where these characters started from without continuity. Otherwise, I'm not sure why. I'm glad that Fables readers are very evangelical about the book. If I knew why Fables inspired this kind of loyalty, I'd bottle it and sell it to every other comic writer.
Given that Fables is a comic with a literary leaning, what have you been reading lately?
I just caught up with Matt Sturgess' House of Mystery — that's just wonderfuly. I'm enjoying I, Zombie and The Unwritten. Not to toot my own horn, as I'm doing a Warriors Three story arc for Marvel, but a lot of the Thor stuff is terrific these days. They're really getting back to the raw mythology that drives the character. In the land of books, I'm reading Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, which is quite enjoyable. Anything that Bernard Cornwell puts out, he's so prolific.
What is Bill Willingham's advice for writing comics?
It's the same as my advice for drawing comics — it's a lot harder than it looks, so don't waste your time writing stories that aren't vitally important to you. And by "important," I don't mean that you should set out to write great literature, because that's the one guarantee that whatever you do produce won't be it. That's the kind of thing that's decided by others, it's out of your hands. "Important" means entertaining stories that you're dying to tell.
Fables 100, which includes the above board game illustrated by Mark Buckingham, hits stands Wednesday, December 8.
The one-hundredth issue of Fables hits the stands this week, and in anticipation of its release, we spoke with series author Bill Willingham about where the comic's been and where it's going. Also, the Fables TV show's probably dead. Boo!
First off, when you began writing Fables, did you anticipate it going on as long as it has?
I had wanted it go on for a long time. Considering the books I'd had out just before Fables — Proposition Player and some other things — they had been getting good critical praise but very little sales prior to Fables, so my expectations were colored by that.
At what points did the story diverge from what you had originally planned?
There were many big changes. I would love nothing better than to do a proposal to the publisher that says, "The story starts this way. By the time we get to this issue, I'll have thought of a whole bunch of cool new things to do with the story." The "don't worry, I'll think of something" method doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in publishers, but pretty much that's how I've gone all along since the Elementals days in the dim Eighties [...] For example, the Adversary was pretty much locked in, but we had to change who he was right away. As you might know, I originally intended for the Adversary to be Peter Pan, because even as I child I thought he was the villain of the story because he stole people's kids. I thought it was sinister and, as a kid, used to have nightmares of Peter Pan coming through our bedroom window. The first issue hadn't come out yet, but we were two or three issues in when DC came to us and said, "We can't have Peter Pan because of the copyright situation in England." After a while, I picked Gepetto instead. The long-term story of Fables — which followed the battle with the Adversary and him signing the General Amnesty — that was locked in from the beginning. Many of the side stories — like Boy Blue discovering who the Adversary was, Flycatcher becoming an important character — those were ideas that grew out of things planted early. It's almost a 50-50 mix of plots planned and plots developed.
Are there any other famous characters you've wanted to use but couldn't?
If the heirs and copyright holders of C.S. Lewis wanted to write me a nice letter and say, "The entire treasure chest of Narnia characters is now open and yours to use," I'd think that just be the finest thing possible. I'd love to bring characters I've read as a kid into Fables, such as the characters of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The true origin of Fables is in Fractured Fairy Tales from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. That launched the whole idea in my head as a kid that you could take these well-known stories and twist them around and be irreverent. I had previously thought that stories were protected. Out of a residual affection for that moment, I wouldn't mind bringing Rocky and Bullwinkle in, but those things aren't going to happen.
Are there any updates on the Fables TV show?
None whatsoever. I am the last person to know about things like that. Through rumors of rumors of mistellings of legends, I understand that the new DC regime was very much interested in getting Fables going. The TV show that was prematurely announced is probably dead — don't hold me to that, because I don't know. Hopefully, I'll know before it airs, but I'm kind of out of the loop.
What's the future hold for Fables?
I've been asked, "Why doesn't Fables come to an end the way other Vertigo books do?" — this question implies that you get a stronger story if you set a horizon line. My reply is, "Fables comes to an end all the time." There's been many stories throughout the series — both epic and small — that have come to an end. My hope is that I won't get bored writing this book, and that I'll be able to do it for a long time to come.
As always, I want to thank the readership of Fables for being with us this long, we've got a lot of fun stuff coming up. As people may have seen, the title of the next major arc following issue 100 is called "Super Group" — it's a Fables examination of superhero comics with a weird twist.
My mom, who hasn't been a comics fan since the 1950s, loves Fables. How would you as the author explain your book's longevity and popular appeal
The "my mom or dad who never understood why I like comics but finally does" anecdote is very near and dear to me. I've managed to hear this story in a variety of permutations, and I never get tired of hearing it. I don't exactly what the break-out-of-the-box appeal is, but it involves characters that almost everyone in Western culture knows. There's that lack of intimidation — people know where these characters started from without continuity. Otherwise, I'm not sure why. I'm glad that Fables readers are very evangelical about the book. If I knew why Fables inspired this kind of loyalty, I'd bottle it and sell it to every other comic writer.
Given that Fables is a comic with a literary leaning, what have you been reading lately?
I just caught up with Matt Sturgess' House of Mystery — that's just wonderfuly. I'm enjoying I, Zombie and The Unwritten. Not to toot my own horn, as I'm doing a Warriors Three story arc for Marvel, but a lot of the Thor stuff is terrific these days. They're really getting back to the raw mythology that drives the character. In the land of books, I'm reading Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, which is quite enjoyable. Anything that Bernard Cornwell puts out, he's so prolific.
What is Bill Willingham's advice for writing comics?
It's the same as my advice for drawing comics — it's a lot harder than it looks, so don't waste your time writing stories that aren't vitally important to you. And by "important," I don't mean that you should set out to write great literature, because that's the one guarantee that whatever you do produce won't be it. That's the kind of thing that's decided by others, it's out of your hands. "Important" means entertaining stories that you're dying to tell.
Fables 100, which includes the above board game illustrated by Mark Buckingham, hits stands Wednesday, December 8.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Zatanna!
Hey everyone! Over the past weekend, I read "Zatanna", up to the current issue. Below are a few likes and dislikes about the book.
Zatanna Zatara is a powerful sorceress, who moonlights as a magician. Previously a member of the JLA, the new series is independent of the JLA. The story mentions her being a part of the JLA, but doesn't go any further than simply mentioning it. Her talents are genetic, coming from her father, who was a very powerful sorcerer.
I dig that Paul Dini wrote the story. Paul Dini is easily one of my favorite writers. Other projects he's worked on include: "Gotham City Sirens" and "Streets of Gotham". Having loved Dini's work for so long, I was a little bored with his work on "Zatanna".
I love "Batgirl" and "Gotham City Sirens" because the characters are very relatable. Even though they're crime fighters (or former villains) these girls are funny. They gossip and they backstab, and they make mistakes. Zatanna makes mistakes, but they're not really anything I care about. Below is wikipedia's explanation of the story line.
Now no longer an active member of the JLA, Zatanna is asked by officer Dale Colton to help her solve a murder case at a restaurant frequented by mobsters. Zatanna informs Dale that the murderer was a powerful sorcerer known as Brother Night, who rules the supernatural crime scene in San Francisco. After Zatanna shows up at Night's demonic nightclub and threatens him, he responds by calling upon a powerful demon for help in taking her down
Maybe it's not the story that I'm not interested in, maybe its the supernatural element that I'm not interested in. I mean, as far as her powers go, I love it. She has the ability to get into people's heads, and to cast spells on just about everything. I don't care about the supernatural part though. There are demons that cast "shape shifting" spells on aliens and demons that make them look like people, and I think that is weird. Lol. I really like sci-fi, but I don't like it in this capacity. I'm not even sure if that makes sense. I like my superheroes being a super human version of myself. I don't like my superheroes fighting weird dream monsters. It's certainly an interesting story, it's just not for me.
Zatanna Zatara is a powerful sorceress, who moonlights as a magician. Previously a member of the JLA, the new series is independent of the JLA. The story mentions her being a part of the JLA, but doesn't go any further than simply mentioning it. Her talents are genetic, coming from her father, who was a very powerful sorcerer.
I dig that Paul Dini wrote the story. Paul Dini is easily one of my favorite writers. Other projects he's worked on include: "Gotham City Sirens" and "Streets of Gotham". Having loved Dini's work for so long, I was a little bored with his work on "Zatanna".
I love "Batgirl" and "Gotham City Sirens" because the characters are very relatable. Even though they're crime fighters (or former villains) these girls are funny. They gossip and they backstab, and they make mistakes. Zatanna makes mistakes, but they're not really anything I care about. Below is wikipedia's explanation of the story line.
Now no longer an active member of the JLA, Zatanna is asked by officer Dale Colton to help her solve a murder case at a restaurant frequented by mobsters. Zatanna informs Dale that the murderer was a powerful sorcerer known as Brother Night, who rules the supernatural crime scene in San Francisco. After Zatanna shows up at Night's demonic nightclub and threatens him, he responds by calling upon a powerful demon for help in taking her down
Maybe it's not the story that I'm not interested in, maybe its the supernatural element that I'm not interested in. I mean, as far as her powers go, I love it. She has the ability to get into people's heads, and to cast spells on just about everything. I don't care about the supernatural part though. There are demons that cast "shape shifting" spells on aliens and demons that make them look like people, and I think that is weird. Lol. I really like sci-fi, but I don't like it in this capacity. I'm not even sure if that makes sense. I like my superheroes being a super human version of myself. I don't like my superheroes fighting weird dream monsters. It's certainly an interesting story, it's just not for me.
 |
| Like it or not, she sure is nice to look at. |
Friday, November 26, 2010
Things You Should Be... Friday
Hello everyone! I'm back in action and full of turkey! Apologies for not posting yesterday, it was Thanksgiving, and I was with my crazy-awesome family. Today is going to be a "Start of the Season" post, so wake your ass up, and away we go!
Things You Should Be Listening To
Christmas Music!-- Obviously, since today IS the "official" start to the holiday season, why not throw on some Christmas music? I'm not talking about shitty old Christmas, I'm talking about something to put a little pep in your step! Download the album "Merry Mix-Mas", and I promise you will not be disappointed!
Things You Should Be Watching
Football!- The playoffs are almost here, and if you're a fantasy football freak like me, you know that this is the perfect time of year! There is more football than you can shake a stick at playing right now, so I suggest you eat waaaaay more than your stomach can hold, grab a beer, and curl up next to the fire with your loved ones, and watch your dad and your uncle argue over whether the Lions or the Bills are a better team. Correct answer? Lions. But I'm just a teensy bit biased ;-)
Christmas Movies!- Whether it's "Elf", "Scrooged", "Christmas Vacation", "Miracle on 34th Street" or my favorite, "It's A Wonderful Life", pop in a Christmas movie, and start feeling great about the holidays!
Things You Should Be Doing
Donating some time/items to charity- This is the time of year to really start thinking about others. Go through your closets, look for any old coats, jackets, mittens, hats or gloves to donate to local shelters or Goodwill. Drop off some food at a local food pantry. And if you're reeeeeally lazy, if you happen to pop into a Toys R' Us, or Dollar Tree, just pick up some sort of inexpensive toy to donate to Toys for Tots. That $6 Super Hero Squad three pack may not mean much to you, but it'll mean the world to some kid on Christmas morning.
Go shopping!- Obviously, it IS Black Friday today, and because of this, you should be spending money. I mean, what better way to say "What recession?" than spending all of that hard earned cash? And don't forget when you're out there fighting someone for a towel that is 10% off, that the amount of money you spend on a person is directly related to how much you care about them! ;-)
Things You Should Be Listening To
Christmas Music!-- Obviously, since today IS the "official" start to the holiday season, why not throw on some Christmas music? I'm not talking about shitty old Christmas, I'm talking about something to put a little pep in your step! Download the album "Merry Mix-Mas", and I promise you will not be disappointed!
Things You Should Be Watching
Football!- The playoffs are almost here, and if you're a fantasy football freak like me, you know that this is the perfect time of year! There is more football than you can shake a stick at playing right now, so I suggest you eat waaaaay more than your stomach can hold, grab a beer, and curl up next to the fire with your loved ones, and watch your dad and your uncle argue over whether the Lions or the Bills are a better team. Correct answer? Lions. But I'm just a teensy bit biased ;-)
Christmas Movies!- Whether it's "Elf", "Scrooged", "Christmas Vacation", "Miracle on 34th Street" or my favorite, "It's A Wonderful Life", pop in a Christmas movie, and start feeling great about the holidays!
Things You Should Be Doing
Donating some time/items to charity- This is the time of year to really start thinking about others. Go through your closets, look for any old coats, jackets, mittens, hats or gloves to donate to local shelters or Goodwill. Drop off some food at a local food pantry. And if you're reeeeeally lazy, if you happen to pop into a Toys R' Us, or Dollar Tree, just pick up some sort of inexpensive toy to donate to Toys for Tots. That $6 Super Hero Squad three pack may not mean much to you, but it'll mean the world to some kid on Christmas morning.
Go shopping!- Obviously, it IS Black Friday today, and because of this, you should be spending money. I mean, what better way to say "What recession?" than spending all of that hard earned cash? And don't forget when you're out there fighting someone for a towel that is 10% off, that the amount of money you spend on a person is directly related to how much you care about them! ;-)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Nerding 101: CGC Comics
Hello everyone! HUGE apologies for the lack of post last night, it was my birthday, so I took the evening off to have dinner in a castle with my friends! That's right, a castle. And it was awesome. :-)
Tonight we will be discussing the CGC. CGC (which stands for Certified Guarantee Comapany) is a comic book grading company who will help protect your super rare comics. Well, they'll give you a grade on comic, it just makes more sense to do it when the comic is worth a a lot. The comic book in question is rated on a scale from 1-10. 1 being the lowest grade, 10 being the highest. Most comic books that you pick up at a store, especially if they were freshly bagged and boarded and virtually untouched would be between a 9 and 9.5. The more scratches, folds, dents, tears and fingerprints are on the comic the lower the grade is.
Below the CGC describes the investment you'll make with them:
Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing an expert assessment of condition and quality. Every comic book certified by CGC is graded by the hobby’s most experienced and trusted team, according to well-established grading standards. Furthermore, every CGC-certified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. When restoration is detected, it is fully noted on the certification label.
Once certified by CGC, a comic book is encapsulated in a state-of-the art, tamper-evident holder, providing superior protection and stability for long-term preservation.
CGC employees are prohibited from commercially buying or selling comic books, eliminating any potential conflicts of interest. CGC is the only expert, impartial, third-party certification service.
Over one hundred thousand comic books are submitted to CGC each year. Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. You can explore comic book grading by tracing through the grading process.
After your comic book is carefully inspected by a number of different professional graders, the comic is then encapsulated in plastic, and the grade of the comic is encapsulated with the comic for all time. Once the comic is graded and encapsulated, you'd better hope you read it before it went in there, because there is no reading a comic once it had been CGC'd (unless you crack open the case that you just paid allll that money for).
So, if you have an Action Comics #1 or just a Walking Dead #1 laying around, it would probably be worth your while to contact the CGC!
For more information on CGC, check out their website here.
Tonight we will be discussing the CGC. CGC (which stands for Certified Guarantee Comapany) is a comic book grading company who will help protect your super rare comics. Well, they'll give you a grade on comic, it just makes more sense to do it when the comic is worth a a lot. The comic book in question is rated on a scale from 1-10. 1 being the lowest grade, 10 being the highest. Most comic books that you pick up at a store, especially if they were freshly bagged and boarded and virtually untouched would be between a 9 and 9.5. The more scratches, folds, dents, tears and fingerprints are on the comic the lower the grade is.
Below the CGC describes the investment you'll make with them:
Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing an expert assessment of condition and quality. Every comic book certified by CGC is graded by the hobby’s most experienced and trusted team, according to well-established grading standards. Furthermore, every CGC-certified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. When restoration is detected, it is fully noted on the certification label.
Once certified by CGC, a comic book is encapsulated in a state-of-the art, tamper-evident holder, providing superior protection and stability for long-term preservation.
CGC employees are prohibited from commercially buying or selling comic books, eliminating any potential conflicts of interest. CGC is the only expert, impartial, third-party certification service.
Over one hundred thousand comic books are submitted to CGC each year. Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. You can explore comic book grading by tracing through the grading process.
After your comic book is carefully inspected by a number of different professional graders, the comic is then encapsulated in plastic, and the grade of the comic is encapsulated with the comic for all time. Once the comic is graded and encapsulated, you'd better hope you read it before it went in there, because there is no reading a comic once it had been CGC'd (unless you crack open the case that you just paid allll that money for).
 |
| If you have one of these laying around, congratulations, you're a millionaire! |
For more information on CGC, check out their website here.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Things You Should be Friday
Things You Should Be Listening to...
M.I.A.- M.I.A. is a British rapper/producer/songwriter who is kind of euro-pop and very awesome. He best known song is probably "Paper Planes" which was featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". A hot chick with a crazy sense of style, M.I.A's music is best listened to while playing the game "Zombie Apocalypse".
Bagged and Boarded- I'm telling you, if you're not on the SModcast podcast channel, you are missing out bigtime. Matt Coen and Brenden Creecy are the best dorks around. They talk about comics, movies and everything nerdy. They have guests like Taylor Negron, Guillermo Diaz and Alex Winter. Who are these people you ask? The kind that when you see who they are you go "Oooohhhhh... THAT guy.".
Things You Should be Watching...
Adventure Time with Finn and Jake- This TV show is downright ridiculous. It started out a few years ago on Nickelodeon as a 9 minute time filler, but had so many hits on youtube that Cartoon Network decided to pick it up. It is a crazy, technicolor explosion of awesomeness. You truly are missing out if you don't know what I'm talking about.
I've got no suggested reading for this week, as I have been out of my mind all week! However, I'm planning on doing some catching up this evening, so I'll be sure to have some recommended reads soon! Ta!
M.I.A.- M.I.A. is a British rapper/producer/songwriter who is kind of euro-pop and very awesome. He best known song is probably "Paper Planes" which was featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". A hot chick with a crazy sense of style, M.I.A's music is best listened to while playing the game "Zombie Apocalypse".
Bagged and Boarded- I'm telling you, if you're not on the SModcast podcast channel, you are missing out bigtime. Matt Coen and Brenden Creecy are the best dorks around. They talk about comics, movies and everything nerdy. They have guests like Taylor Negron, Guillermo Diaz and Alex Winter. Who are these people you ask? The kind that when you see who they are you go "Oooohhhhh... THAT guy.".
Things You Should be Watching...
Adventure Time with Finn and Jake- This TV show is downright ridiculous. It started out a few years ago on Nickelodeon as a 9 minute time filler, but had so many hits on youtube that Cartoon Network decided to pick it up. It is a crazy, technicolor explosion of awesomeness. You truly are missing out if you don't know what I'm talking about.
I've got no suggested reading for this week, as I have been out of my mind all week! However, I'm planning on doing some catching up this evening, so I'll be sure to have some recommended reads soon! Ta!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Nerding 101: Comic Data Base
Good evening class! Tonight I will be discussing what comic book archiving software you should be using to catalog your comic book stash.
If you're like me, you have what seems like a bazillion comic books. You're constantly rebagging and reboarding, and filing. The last thing you want to have to do after all that work is worry whether or not you have a certain issue of something when you go to the comic book store or a con. I mean, sure, you could go through every single comic you have and see if there are any books missing, but wouldn't you rather just have something on your phone telling you what you need?
The software that The Editor and I use is called Comic Base. It's a wonderful system. You just catalog your collection as you go, and you're able to generate tons of reports! The reports include things like: what comics you're missing in a particular run, whether or not you have any multiple comics, the current value of your comics, variant covers, etc. The program will even give you little pictures next to each comic that you have (or need) so there is no second guessing when you're at a con! These reports can be printed out, or saved on your smart phone for easy access. This way, you don't have to be carrying a notebook full of chicken scratch around with you!
At $40 I personally think that this is the best investment you can have for your comic collection. Class dismissed!
Learn more about Comic Base here.
If you're like me, you have what seems like a bazillion comic books. You're constantly rebagging and reboarding, and filing. The last thing you want to have to do after all that work is worry whether or not you have a certain issue of something when you go to the comic book store or a con. I mean, sure, you could go through every single comic you have and see if there are any books missing, but wouldn't you rather just have something on your phone telling you what you need?
The software that The Editor and I use is called Comic Base. It's a wonderful system. You just catalog your collection as you go, and you're able to generate tons of reports! The reports include things like: what comics you're missing in a particular run, whether or not you have any multiple comics, the current value of your comics, variant covers, etc. The program will even give you little pictures next to each comic that you have (or need) so there is no second guessing when you're at a con! These reports can be printed out, or saved on your smart phone for easy access. This way, you don't have to be carrying a notebook full of chicken scratch around with you!
At $40 I personally think that this is the best investment you can have for your comic collection. Class dismissed!
Learn more about Comic Base here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)