Comic Books and Hip-Hop

Essential Reading: Daybreak

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:06:41 -0500

Daybreak started out as a big mystery to me. I picked-up the second issue, recognized that the art was obviously my style, and so I bought it, at the same time ordering the firs issue. I waited till I had both to read them, and I was glad for it. These two issues have left me ready for more.

Brian Ralph lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, Megan, and their son, Miles. (That's what I want to name my son.) (Someday.)

Ralph posts various illustrations on a blog he shares with 12 other talented people. Daybreak, which has had two physically published issues, is a story he's been posting in pieces. Those two issues get you through part 38, which ends with a cliffhanger. If you dig through the blog (seriously, guys, a little navigation help, please), you'll find he's up to #53 thus far.

Huizenga Follow-Up and Ganges #2

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:11:17 -0500

Isaac Butler's diablog response to my Essential Reading post on Kevin Huizenga's work is right here.

In it he details not only some of the reasons he digs Kevin H., but also the one major shortcoming he finds in Huizenga's work. A couple of quotations from his post sum it up nicely.

What happens in one issue has only cursory bearing on another. Glenn Ganges is in many ways like a bulletin board that Huizenga uses to pin whatever he wants to talk about to.
...
I'm unsure what the stakes are within Huizenga's world, and I'm unsure what my relationship to his characters are supposed to be.

Isaac then asks...

Is it wrong for me to have this quibble while enjoying rather profoundly each individual Huizenga story? ... Should I just relax and quit my bitching and enjoy the riches that are there? Do you think Huizenga is deliberately playing with how character is represented in narrative? Do you think I've totally got my head up my ass here? And weren't we supposed to talk about Ganges #2 which Douglas Wolk called "the kind of thing I want to hand to people who ask 'what kind of comics do you like?'"

So, in order ... No, maybe, sometimes, kind of, and yes we were.

Essential Reading: Kevin Huizenga

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:41:20 -0500

Isaac Butler of the Parabasis (theatre, comics, the universe, and everything) blog knows I'm a fan of Kevin Huizenga, and invited me to have a diablog with him about the latest issue of Ganges, Huizenga's occasional series for Fantagraphics about Glenn Ganges, Huizenga's possibly somewhat-semi-autobiographical stand-in and everyman.

Well, I'm happy to oblige. We'll be talking about Ganges #2 tomorrow some, so I thought I'd get a jump on it by talking a little bit about what I admire so much in Kevin H.'s work.

We are fortunate in that Douglas Wolk included a review of the Huizenga collection Curses in his wonderful tome Reading Comics. I've taken a good deal of notes myself, but I'll be referencing Wolk often, I'm sure.

There are several hallmarks to Huizenga's comics of which I'm particularly fond.

His penchant for layering stories within stories (and sometimes within another layer or two of stories).

His formal experimentation.

His mixing of fiction on non-fiction.

His concern for everything.

Grant is God?

Sun, 18 May 2008 08:59:53 -0500

New X-Men by Grant Morrison - Ultimate Collection Vol. 1
Okay, now I'm starting to get why they call him the "God of Comics". I wasn't that much of a fan before, I must admit.

These comics are amazing, though. Highly recommended.

Spaceman West: Live and even more Daft

Sat, 17 May 2008 13:55:56 -0500

I hope Kanye pushes his music as far "out there" as he has his stage show.

See pictures of half-naked astronautettes here.

R+B 5.15.08: Sky Doll, War is Hell, El Zorro

Thu, 15 May 2008 18:01:58 -0500

Sky Doll #1
I wanna start with this one, both because I enjoyed it so much, and because it's so, so unusual.

I tend to think of the guys at Marvel as being much like the guys that hang-out too much at my local comic shop - under-sexed, over-stimulated cretins. Marvel makes so damned many cash-grabs per month that's it's difficult to believe that they occasionally artists.

How did it come to pass that Marvel is publishing a bunch of French comics? And comics with nudity and mature thought at that?

I may never know the answer, but for the moment I'm grateful.

As it's creators note in the helpful comments near the back of this 54-page, almost adless monster, the art is a combo of manga, European, and American comics. Let's put it this way: The faces are manga, the pizzazz is American, and the colors are European. But let me tell you - the grace is all French. As is the fact that this cute, cartoony book, full of bouncing boobs and bare bottoms is actually trying to get to deep philosophical territory by talking about religion, of all things.

This first issue is a hefty 44 pages of solid story, but it's a page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the characters, figuring out the dilemmas the series is meant to explore, and I'm happy to report that the sky doll herself is a likeable figure capable of well-earned joy but providing glimpses of real loneliness and frustration as well.

We know Marvel couldn't possibly be doing this for the money, but it can't hurt if this book turns out to be a minor hit. So, support the cause and pick-up your copy today.

Dyme Def's tight

Thu, 15 May 2008 17:49:42 -0500

You know about these dudes, right?

Yeah, that track ain't the bomb, but they agreed, so it's not on their album.

Try Clap Clap instead.

R+B 5.7.08: Secret Invasion, Ultimate Human, Avengers/Invaders

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:19:54 -0500

Secret Invasion #1, 2

The best thing about Secret Invasion so far is that Mockingbird is in it. I have the entire run of West Coast Avengers and she's totally great. Hawkeye totally went downhill after she died.

In #2. See Captain America call Iron Man "shellhead" was great too. It immediately lets you know what era these folks are supposed to be from. There's a missed opportunity here, though. On that big double splash-page, Cap says "damn." The Captain America of the time he's supposed to represent wouldn't have said damn in a comic. So, Bendis, one step forward, two steps back.

Anyway, this plot gets more dark and twisty with every passing moment. I hope it actually makes sense in the end, and that Bendis manages to avoid a Civil War-style anti-climax.

It's also interesting to see how the Avengers books have basically become Secret Invasion extensions. No Avengers appeard in this week's. Heck, I couldn't even tell you which book it was.

An Image reunion courtesy of FCBD

Mon, 05 May 2008 15:13:52 -0500

My feelings for Image Comics are very similar to my feelings for Kevin Smith movies. I generally don't like them, but I do like what they represent - championing the independent spirit of artists everywhere. I remember being extraordinarily excited in 1992 about what Image Comics could do for the world. Turns out, not a whole hell of a lot. But still, it was a defining moment in my adolescence, and I look back on it fondly. So big BIG props go out to the folks at Atomic Comics for organizing an event (publicity stunt?) that, for me, ranks right up there with a Beatles reunion. The founding members of Image Comics gathered together again, signing autographs for fans young and old during Free Comic Book Day. Remember that issue of Wizard where Todd McFarlane went on record as saying "Rob Liefeld is dead to me"? Holy smokes. But here we have photographic evidence of McFarlane and Liefeld not only sitting next to each other in the autograph line, but actually breaking bread at the same dinner table. Full details are at Comic Book Resources. Thanks for the great coverage, CBR.

Who is The Nobody?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:50:40 -0500

Coming from Jeff Lemire and Vertigo.

And yes, I will gladly shill for Jeff Lemire.

Blueprint VS Funkadelic

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:12:48 -0500

Blueprint is a hometown hero here in Bustown, and he's a genuine talent behind the boards and on the mic, and anytime he releases new music, it's an event.

So, imagine my excitement when I received this email yesterday afternoon.

We are starting the preorders for the Blueprint vs Funkadelic CD. There are only 500 copies of the actual CD version of this release. The CD is $7.99 and will come with a 11x17 poster of the artwork and all the instrumentals. Pre-orders will be shipped out Thursday night (or first thing Friday depending on the order volume) and should arrive 2-3 days later depending on how far from Ohio you are.
For those of you wondering how you will get a copy of this release with when there's only 500 copies of it don't worry, starting next week on the release date there will be select websites that will make this album FREE to download on Tuesday, April 29th (specific sites to be announced later). The downloadable version will not include the instrumentals.

Exactly 8 minutes later I received an email receipt from CCNow. So, there are definitely not more than 499 copies left. Better act fast.

To order, CLICK HERE.

(There's even a YouTube preview right here.)

Queen & Country Vol. 2 is hot hot hot

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:49:00 -0500

I got this today. If you're not reading these, I assume it's because you already have the whole series. I finished the first collection what seems like years ago and I've been salivating uncontrollably ever since.

It's maybe the best looking collection of it's kind of ever seen. And the comics are the bomb. Yes, I think that's the perfect word for them - the bomb.

The Roots will return

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:15:21 -0500

Their last album displayed amazing musicianship, but was kinda weak on the song-writing front. Black Thought sounded like he was sleeping through some of the sessions. This sounds much better.

R+B 4.20.08: Narcopolis, Kick-Ass, Echo, FF

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:13:43 -0500

It's an interesting moment for me in my comic reading-ness. I've got this little list of the titles I'm enjoying a heck of a lot, and it seems that most of that list is made up of titles that weren't around 3 months ago. How'd this suddenly happen? Did I luck out? Is it a publishing co-incidence. I had been pretty unhappy with my pull-list for the few months before this, and I kept weeding things out of it. Suddenly though, I'm more excited about going to the comic shop again. What are the titles that are pulling me back it? Read on.

Fantastic Four (Millar & Hitch version)
I was really into FF until the end of the Civil War. In fact, I thought they had some of the best issues of that whole darned Civil War thing, but then Dwayne McDuffie took over and they totally lost me. (Not to mention those horrible covers by Michael Turner. Lord!)

However, now FF is near the top of my must-read list again. It feels like a real comic book to me. It doesn't feel written for the trade. You get a nice taste of what everyone's doing each issue, and it's fun. And a storyline that features a second Earth really is appropriately sized for this group. I'm not sure I agree with Millar's assesment that Reed is the coolest guy on Earth, it's great to see him acting like a hero and a scientist.

Anyway.

It's fun every month, that's why I'm into it.

The shelf life of Cerebus

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:58:33 -0500

Fact: Measuring approximately 13.25" across, the entire collection of Cerebus phonebooks will fit perfectly within one of the shelf spaces in an IKEA Expedit bookcase. Coincidence? Or a sinister Swedish-Canadian conspiracy to foist Abrahamic monotheism and misogynist philosophy upon consumers of inexpensive minimalist home furnishings?