Thursday, October 23, 2008

Haiku time!

I've decided it's time to switch it up. This time around, all of my comments will be delivered in haiku form. Here we go:

DMZ:
Kristian is back!
Staten Island has never
looked hotter than this.

Rest:
Milo writes comics?!?
No, he's just a producer-
The book seems cool, though.

Welcome to Hoxford:
Good thing it's a book-
If this were a movie, I'd
be too scared to watch.

Dynamo 5:
This book is X-Men,
but with characters that you
actually like.

Astonishing X-Men:
Oh Warren Ellis,
Is there nothing that you won't
insert sex into?

Hawaiian Dick:
Short stories in back
Make it worth the three dollars
all by themselves.

Noble Causes:
They're ending the book,
but at least I get to keep
my Dynamo 5!

That's all for now, as I still haven't finished reading Air, Unknown Soldier, and Fables. Maybe I'll update on those later with limericks!

PS-I cheated on one of these, and left a syllable out of one line. Sorry, but I couldn't make it work no matter how hard I tried! And I mean, come on-would you have noticed anyway if I hadn't told you?

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

That's right! NOW is the best time of the year, hands down-pumpkins, holidays where you wear costumes and get free candy, jacket weather, big piles of leaves to jump in, and oh! Lots of comic news!

Let's get started, shall we?

I skipped last week's comic-buying venture, mostly because I'm super-busy, and once the weekend rolls around it just makes sense to wait until the following Wednesday. SOooo, I have two week's worth of reading fresh in my head. First, the news:

This week, word came down that David Gordon Green was attached to direct the Steve Niles book Freaks of the Heartland. While there's no shock that a Niles book is up for a movie adaptation (30 days of Night, anyone?), DGG directing certainly IS. He's actually one of my favorite directors, but certainly not for his ability in adapting from books, or even for his experience in this genre.

He's known as a Southern Gothic director, who crafts these sleepy little gems of character development in slow-moving, "talky" films. (See "Snow Angels", "All the Real Girls", "George Washington"...no, really. Go SEE these movies-you'll thank me later.) Recently he made a notable departure with "Pineapple Express", but this isn't even another comedy: It's horror, AND a comic book adaptation. While I'm totally sure DGG can pull it off (mostly because I blindly love him and can't imagine he'd release anything that wasn't top-notch), I'm really curious how he's going to do it. Guess we'll wait and see.

I was going to insert the new round of comments I have for the books I read last night, but I've gotta run to grab lunch, and don't want to leave this sitting until I get back. Today's blog updates part 2, in a few hours!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Sooo many things...

You ever put off doing laundry for so long that the pile starts to resemble a mountain and the larger it gets, the less you want to do it until one day you're just like "Eff it", and buy a whole new wardrobe?

That's kind of what maintaining this blog is like. Once I go a week without updating, I think of more and more entries I want to make, and the fun of it suddenly starts to look more and more like a daunting chore.

I apologize for that, I really do. I'll try to change, but like any addict I'm sure I'll slip again. Either way, there are a few things I'd like to bring up today.
Actually, there's way more than a few, but my memory is shot and I can only remember things for roughly 72 hours, so that's what you're gonna get.

-MY LETTER WAS PUBLISHED! FOR REALS!!! For the first time in history, I sent something to a letters page, and it ran in the issue! It's kind of the most exciting thing ever, and I feel like I should have an IMDb page now, or something. Anyway, for any of you who want to see the wonderful glory that is my wrathful letter to Robert Kirkman, be sure to pick up issue #8 of Astounding Wolf-Man!

-Back to Brooklyn. Oh man. This is a new title from two names that roughly translate into "golden" and "golden golden", AKA Jimmy Palmiotti and Garth Ennis. If you're a fan of (awesome) things like Brubaker's Criminal, oh man. Buy it.

-Minx died. Sigh. Maybe someday publishers will realize that teenage girls don't want to read books geared towards teenage girls*-they want to read GOOD books geared towards people with taste. Sadly, some great writing got swept under the bus there, and hopefully the marketing push from now on will be more focused to point out that existing comics are GOOD, rather than these new lines that delineate "comics for them" from "comics for you". *-Although, I will concede that pre-teen girls do want to read books written for girls. But I swear by the time I hit 13, those Babysitters Club Books were long forgotten.

-I'm really really upset about the most recent issue of Fables. What should have been a captivating story was rendered completely distracting due to the shoddy artwork of this issue. I understand that comic artists are people too, and that everyone needs to take some time off-honestly, I do. But for a line as beautiful as Fables-one whose covers are all worthy of wallspace, and interior pages are a delight to look at, this recent issue was a total letdown. With apologies to the artist-it's nothing personal, I promise-it was just so poorly done. Let's all hope for the speedy return of Buckingham.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Kick-Ass, Shmick-Ass.

I mentioned a few posts ago how excited I was about the development of Mark Millar's Kick-Ass into a movie. Especially so, once I found out that they're sticking with the original story (no sanitizing for the masses), and one of the major players had been cast, in Christoper Mintz-Plasse. But now, disaster has struck.

As in, more players have been announced. Some people of no real working history, blah, blah, and, oh yeah-NICHOLAS CAGE.

Seriously, guys? NIC FRICKING CAGE?!? That guy is like Jack Kevorkian to every worthwhile comic movie. Or any movie in general. I mean, have you guys SEEN Ghost Rider? I understand he's one of the biggest comic nerds in Hollywood (a son named Kal-El?), but seriously who messed up so bad that they decided Nic Cage would be the best person to cast in this situation? I mean, if we're using fandom as a worthwhile reason to cast someone in a movie, then shit-you can call me Jean Grey.

I don't even know that part that he's supposed to be playing, as the character hasn't really been introduced in the book yet (thanks for the spoiler on character development, by the way), but I guarantee that it's a terrible idea.

Dear whoever's in charge of casting,

For your career's sake, I hope somehow, somewhere, there's a National Treasure 17 being conceived that makes him have to leave this project.

Hopefully yours,

-Dina

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Humans are people, too

So, I went to the shop yesterday, even though I only had two new issues that interested me come out this week:

Air #1, and Anna Mercury #3.

I needed to go, since I was scared that Air would sell out, and I couldn't remember if I'd added it to my pulls. Once I got to the shop, my (usually)infallible CSG stopped, looked at Air, and said: "I hate to do this, but um..." and I could tell what he was about to say. He hated it.

Now, generally, his reccommendations are spot-on. House of Mystery? House of Awesome. Crooked Little Vein? Twisted Little Book. However, I wasn't willing to accept this and leave it alone. I mean, I'd read the preview-it looked if not just plain good, at least it was different. And interesting. And I'd liked Cairo, her previous work. I bought it anyway.

I'm proud to say that my CSG is now officially a terrible person. This book was great! The characters were engaging and mysterious, the enemy was introduced and appropriately nefarious, and the story moved along quickly enough that it never got boring. Most importantly, I was intrigued. Who is this Zayn, and what does he want with Blythe? How does he afford all those plane tickets? How the heck did he not know that Lancaster was involved with the Etesians when he had their symbol tattooed on his fricking hand? All of these questions need answers! And this is why I will be buying issue #2.

CSG, you're on watch.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Hi There

It's uh...been a while. Sorry about that, I really am. I've just been so unmotivated. Even though I already had my fonal comic-con post all written up, and I really did want to tell you all about how the DC booth was a total disappointment, and Which lines were the most ridiculous, and how I really didn't understand why the Ghosbusters guys were giving out chapstick and Doritos. (Cool Ranch, for those who are curious.) I mean, is there a connection there that I'm missing?

but alas, you'll just have to live with the knowledge that I'll never get to tell you about who the nicest creator/artist duo I met were (Brian Lynch and Dave Crosland, hands down), or which booth was a guaranteed clusterfuck at any givent point in time (Warner Bros., thanks to their elusive giant Watchmen bags).

But hey, you'll live, right?

So now, on to business. I was reading The Hollywood Reporter today (again, every day), and I found out that Millar's Kick-Ass movie, while set to be directed by Matthew Vaughn, was actually passed on by every major studio due to the excessive violence and young age of the main characters. So, instead of raising the ages, or toning down the violence, Vaugh decided to raise all $30 million for the movie himself, and go it alone.

Oh man-can you imagine seeing this thing at Sundance?

Also, apparently Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin') is cast as one of the leads, which is awesome. So excited for this movie!

In other news, the I Am 8-Bit gallery opening was last night. It was sponsored by Colt 45 (free 40's!), and was supposed to be super, super cool. I was pretty excited to go, and rounded up a few friends to take in the sights. Except when we got there at 8:20 (it was supposed to start at 8:00), there was a line three buildings down and around the corner. (And it was already full inside!) So, unfortunately knowing that the fire marshal was going to shut this down was before we would ever get in, we redirected our enegies and instead drank some wine at a nearby French place.

So, moral of the story is: Never underestimate the power of hipsters to show up at any event that has to do with free malt liquor, hot dogs, and art based on video games.

The good news is that on my way back to my car, I passed the gallery again, and everyone was outside-turns out some genius sprayed the fire extinguisher, and everyone inside had to move it on out.

Looks like we had the better night after all!

Friday, August 1, 2008

The Disner Awards, Part 2b

Miscellaneous Costumes, continued! (And I'm not sure, but I have a feeling I saved the best for last...)

Commendation for "Most annoying thing to walk around the con floor while dressed as":And truth be told, I saw this guy the next say, and his left hand was a hammer. He made various attachments! ATTACHMENTS!! (No sign of Woozy Winks, though.)
The "Comic-Con cliche'" Award:
Seriously, no Con is complete without a Goku. I can't believe I went 3 days before seeing this guy!
The "Oh, I get it-that's a pun!" Award:

In case you don't know what Pocky are, click here. Also note, that he was wearing a giant Pocky box on his back, that I failed to photograph. In case you're wondering, that lunchpail was full of sporks. He made me take one.

The "What's sad is this isn't the first time this has been done" Award:Smart money says there's a reason his friend list didn't make it into the costume...

The "I can't believe I saw you here last year" Award:Points for improving the sign? I wonder how much money he would have made if he charged for the high-fives instead...

The "Is that really a SPIKED CODPIECE?!?" Award:

Answer: Yes. Yes it is.

The "Nothing's creepier than a grown man wearing a homemade Pikachu costume" Award:

Actually, maybe if he was holding a sign that said "Free Candy"...

The "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else in your Star Wars Reenactment Guild where I saw you sneaking off to" Award:

I hope he and his poke balls never find out where I live...

And finally, the Honorable Mention for "If I were the "dressing up for cons" kind of gal, I'd totally wear the crap out of this:

Seriously.

Stay tuned for the General Convention Awards!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Disner Awards, Part 2a

Miscellaneous Costumes Division! (Or, well, half of it. I've got tons of stuff here, people!)

You know the deal, let's jump in:



The "I thought my costume was AWESOME until I saw this guy-"

...Award:
Bonus points for actually channeling another Star Wars entity, the Ewoks!


The "I finally figured out what to do with all of those worthless pieces of paper everyone keeps shoving in my face" Award:

This guy is my all-time favorite. (All it takes is some masking tape and a dream, people!)

The "OH MY GOD IT'S EATING HER LEGS!!!1" Award:
(In the words of my friend Shawn, "I can't decide if I like it, or REALLY like it".)

Award for "Not having ANYTHING to do with comic books, or, well, just about anything": Seriously, an In 'n Out Burger guy? Who thinks of this stuff?

Meritorious Achievement in "Lack of Costume Planning": After I took this guy's picture, I asked him what booth he bought the Kirby in, and he replied "Oh no, I made this!" HE MADE IT. He literally sat at home, slaved over the sewing machine, and thought to himself "Man, this is a great idea-I'm going to have so much fun holding this gigantic Kirby doll over my head through huge crowds for hours at a time. I can't wait!". Try to wrap your minds around that fact.

I've got too many more to just throw in this post, so check back again tomorrow for more!

The First Annual Disner Awards! (Part 1)

Phew, Comic-Con this year was a BEAST. But now that it's over, we've got some free time to, you know, reflect. After flipping through the pictures I've taken so far, I've decided it's best to award my own prizes for exemplary performance. And what better way to do that than rip off the title from the famous comic industry awards? Here's part one, the Joker division:

1) The "They Really should Start Checking People for Weapons" Award:
Seriously, this is a real switchblade knife. WTF?


The Award for "Actually Creepy in Real Life":(Just taking this guy's picture was seriously creeping me out. He kept licking his lips and rocking back and forth on his heels. Way to commit, really!)

Conversely, the "You are WAYYYY too happy to be playing this character" Award:
He looks like he brought that crowbar as a gift to my birthday party!

The "I had no idea Joker wore glasses" category:
Comic-Con: Not letting physical impairments get in the way of your costume dreams since 1978.

The "Parents should really research what they're letting their 8 year olds dress up as before allowing it" Award:
(As I took this picture, he hissed: "Why so serious?")

The "You're not fooling anyone, we all know that's a pom pom on top of your head" Award Winner:Bonus points are awarded for the use of his sister's lipstick, too.


Sexiest Adaptation:
I'd do her.

"The Best Overheard Pissing Contest" Award:
Joker on Right: "Where'd you get your jacket?"
Joker on Left: "Ebay."
JR: "Oh, I made mine. It took forever."
JL: "Cool. Is the red for your smile facepaint, too? It looks kind of light compared to mine..."
JR: "Oh, it's lipstick."
JL: "Oh."
::awkward silence::


And finally, the Award for "Excellence in being completely oblivious to the background tongue action going on just feet behind you" goes to:

Disco Joker!

Thanks for reading this installment, guys. Next post: The Miscellaneous Costumes division!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Quick Sunday Morning Update

So, we miscalculated this morning and arrived before the doors opened. This was a mistake, considering they checked our passes, ushered us through the doors, up some stairs, through the registration and ballroom areas, then back downstairs, and outside again where we started. (Did someone say clusterfuck?)
Then we waited for the doors to open, were one of the first people let in, and ALREADY there were lines closed for things because too many people were there.

This marks the third day that I've been shut out from getting a Watchmen t-shirt. Oh well, it would have been too big anyway.

Then I had nothing else to do and couldn't bear being on the convention floor a second longer, so I headed upstairs (an hour early!) for the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia panel. I'm not exactly sure what this (or most any of the other panels, actually) have to do with comic books, but watching a new episode before the season premieres is a nice way to kill an hour until Shawn is finished shmoozing and we can get out of here for good.

Unfortunately, I apparently wasn't the only one with this idea. Right now it's 9:53 and the BALLROOM with a capacity of Idon'tknowwhat, is already two-thirds full. This year was a beast, and honestly I'm not sure if that's good or bad for comics.

But either way, I'm off to twiddle my thumbs for the next half an hour. Talk to you soon!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

DISPATCHES FROM THE CON

I'm irresponsible, I know. I've been in San Diego since Thursday, and I have not updated any of you on the goings-on. There's so much to say, I don't even know where to start. First off, I gotta let you know that I have roughly 4534536 pictures, but I'm too lazy to even try to edit and upload any of them right now. Maybe tomorrow? I'll try and do my best to whet your appetites with the following:

-I have never seen so many people in all my life. For that matter, I have never seen so many people trying to shove free meaningless pieces of paper in my hand. I have been told about more upcoming projects, movies, TV shows, high school graduatons, and coming out parties than have ever existed in the world. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm SICK OF ALL THE FREE STUFF!

-A word of advice to all future con-goers. No matter how comfortable you think they may be, do not wear flip flops to a con. You WILL get blisters between your toes. I never thought this was possible, but believe me, it is.

-This place is rife with the "celebrity" sightings. So far I've seen Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Jamie Pressly, Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Method Man, and THOUSANDS of half-naked chicks.

-Highlight of the day: Waiting in line to get Everybody's Dead signed by Brian Lynch (more on these guys later), I overhear this AWESOME exchange:
Brian: So, did you read the book?
Fan #1: No, not yet.
B: Nobody's read the book!
F1: I just bought it! ...but I can't wait to read it!
B: Ok, well here you go. ::hands back signed copies:: hope you enjoy it!
::Fan #2 walks up::
Brian: So, did you read the book?
Fan #2: Yes!
Brian: Oh, cool-did you like it?
F2: ...No...
B: Oh.
::beat::
B: So why am I signing this?
F2: Ebay?


I've never seen anything like it. I also thought it was kind of balls that Brian still signed the comics for the guy, and not even with a dedication. If that was me, I swear I either would have refused to sign it, or signed with a fake name, or even just have written some sort of something on it that would have hurt the resale value. Maybe "the owner of this book has herpes", or something of the like. I guess that means Brian's just the bigger man.


I have so much more to write about than this, there's pages filled with notes of things I want to tell you guys, but I'm just so fricking spent. (And yes, it's only 9:30. Sue me.)

More updates soon!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The Dark Blight

While I, perhaps even more so than most appreciate a good magic trick, there was something gnawing at me the whole time I was watching The Dark Knight in IMAX last night.

It took me a while to put my finger on it, and then all of a sudden it hit me.

First it was interesting when they pushed Harvey Dent down to "Lower 5th St.", considering the only city I've been to with that system is Chicago.

Then it got worse.

Why does the Batmobile have Illinois plates?
Why is the Joker walking down a wide avenue with a storefront behind him called "Sweet Home Chicago"?
Why does this look like the spitting image of the windy city?

BECAUSE IT IS.

What happened? I mean, maybe I should have known about this before, but due to my self-imposed blackout of all news Batman (I hate ruining the movies before I see them), I hadn't heard about this latest travesty.

I understand if the Nolans feel that Chicago looks more like what they picture Gotham to be in their heads. But why the heck wouldn't they just shoot Chicago in a generic "Gotham" fashion? As a New Yorker, one who's been to the Gotham Comedy Club, eaten at the Gotham Bar & Grill, and read the ny-centric website gothamist, I'm truly offended.

How dare they take something that us "mad" New Yorkers have owned for over 100 years and appropriate it to a wholly new city?

While I may be the only person who has a complaint about this movie, I don't care. At least when they filmed Rent in San Francisco, they tried to make it look like New York. This was simply offensive.

I'll probably never get one, but I still expect an apology.

Harumph.

PS-Am I the only one that thought Christian Bale's "Batvoice" was ridiculous? Come on!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

SDCC Scavenger Hunt!

So, I originally dreamed up this scavenger hunt for my friends and I to have a little friendly competition. Then it grew into something a bit bigger than that. I figured maybe some of you guys attending the con might want in on the action.

There will be fantastic (in my opinion, at least) prizes, so why not give it a shot? I'm sure you'll have at least a few minutes here and there of downtime. Here's something to fill that Sunday afternoon void!

And because I'm a nerd, but I'm still low-tech, it's hosted on a geocities account.
Find the list (and win the booty!) here.


Good luck!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Congratulations Kirkman!

It's been confirmed that he's been made a partner at Image Comics, where he writes my faves (aren't you sick of hearing about these?) Astounding Wolf-Man, Invincible, and Walking Dead.


Here, Hear!

(Apparently this was supposed to be the big announcement from Image at the con on Friday, now I don't feel so bad about having to miss it in exchange for helping out at Brian Wood's booth for a few hours!)

Oooh, snap!, and Detective Comics Comics!

Brian Wood gets a none-too-nice shout out in this sick freestyle about comic books and all things G4:

http://www.g4tv.com/thepile/videos/27187/ComicCon_Freestyle_101_Murs_Living_Legends.html

Man, I wish I could have a Wii, too.

PS-Did you know that the DC in DC Comics actually stands for Detective Comics? That's almost as redundant as people calling an ATM an "ATM Machine", or a DMZ a "DMZ Zone, for that matter.

The more you know!

Monday, July 21, 2008

More things I want:

I found this amazing watercolor portrait by Dustin Nguyen of some of Gotham's most famous um...residents...and can't help but post it here as well:

Looks like this isn't the first painting like this the artist has done, but it's certainly my favorite. You can view the original post (bigger!) here, on his blog. Hopefully he'll be making some prints!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Cliff Chiang Art!

Cliff Chiang posted some new pinups on his site (www.cliffchiang.com) recently, and oh man, WANT:
I'm HOPING these are for sale at the con next week. If they're not, I might have to steal the original. Just sayin'.

The rest of the set can be found here, including Teela from Masters of the Universe, Supergirl, and Scarlett from GI Joe!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Anti-Horrible!


So, the site's back up. And I saw it. Dr. Horrible is awesome!

But on a slightly different note, anyone notice the resemblance to another certain comic book Doktor?

Light Week

So, I just took a gander at the list of comics coming out this week, and man! There's only ONE issue of the lines I currently read being released tomorrow. (Helen Killer #3)

I hate going to the shop to buy only one thing, but I also hate missing out on something awesome. Is there a really great comic that you think I'm crazy not to buy this week? Something that simply everyone should be reading? Let me know! (dinasaurus at gmail dot com) The top 5 suggestions will be on my pull list for tomorrow.

Thanks!

Simply Horrible!

So, Act I of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog went live today...and promptly crashed. For those of you who don't know, this is a 3-part web musical written by Joss Whedon (Astonishing X-Men), starring NPH, and Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Firefly), about some sort of crazy mad scientist who vlogs while trying to take over the world. Or something.

See, I don't know, because I haven't been able to view the video, since the site crashed. From my friends who have seen it, I hear it's pretty awesome. Unfortunately, I'll have to take their word for it. There was a release saying that they were working on the outage, and you can access the episode via iTunes in the meantime, but I sadly discovered that in order to do this, I'd have to buy it for $1.99. I'd probably pay it if it weren't already available for free from the creator himself, but it's the principle of the thing!

So, I wait. This better be awesome.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The excitement builds...

So, one thing I've never experienced before (and hadn't anticipated) in connection with a con, was the flurry of press releases and invites that fly around in the weeks leading up. Maybe because I've never been smart enough to apply for a press pass, but it seems I've gotten myself on the mailing list for all (or at least a lot) of the messages being sent out to the press corps. Some of the things that I've been privy to (and keep in mind, the emails only started coming yesterday afternoon, which is when I'm guessing the mailing list went live):

  • IDW announced that Joe Hill will be a comic-con guest of honor (!) and will be signing special limited-edition slipcased sets of Locke & Key (exciting!). Also, Darwyn Cooke will be announcing a new project, and Ben Templesmith (Fell, 30 Days of Night) will be premiering an exclusive ashcan of his new line Welcome to Hoxford.

  • THQ is hosting an exclusive party Thursday night for the video game Darksiders: The Wrath of War, which was created by Joe Madureira. No info is posted as to what consoles it is for, but either way, I doubt it will be avilable for Wii. (Man, I'm such a girl)

  • Sex Drive, a new movie being billed as the "next American Pie", is having advanced screenings in LA before the Con starts. The movie features James Marsden and Seth Green, which means I will be there. I'll let you know how it is once I see it!

  • Will Wright will be making a speech on opening day, about his new game Spore, and how the comic book creator makes it easy to bring your character to life in a comic book setting.

  • Midway is hosting a panel to discuss the new game Mortal Kimbat vs. DC Universe, which sounds exciting, but then I remember that every time I tried to play Mortal Kombat, all of my Street Fighter moves didn't work. My brother totally kicked my ass. Where is Dhalsim when you need him?!? YOGA FIRE!

  • Shout! Factory announced a 20th Anniversary DVD box set for MST3K, with all major players and even the robots appearing in a reunion panel during the con. Wonder if they'll show any movies?

  • And finally (so far), the UK series Spaced will be launched on DVD in the US, so Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) will be appearing, and there will be a screening late Friday night.

That's all for now, kids. I'll keep you posted as things develop!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Interesting News

So, I was reading the Hollywood Reporter this morning as I usually do with my AM schedule, to catch up on what's going on in the industry (important in my line of work), when I stumbled across this very interesting piece of news.
Apparently, Vertigo's recently cancelled (and consistently genius) line Exterminators, has been optioned into a TV show by Showtime. This is pretty interesting to me, not only because a comic that I enjoyed will be adapted, but also because these aren't things that happen overnight. From the little that I know about the process, they've been in discussion on this for months. I know that Vertigo lines are creator-owned, but I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't have caught wind of this, and maybe wanted to hold off on the cancellation until this panned out. Now there's going to be (hopefully) a second wind of demand for this line, and no new issues will be made. Seems kind of "cart before horse", no?

Then again, in the article Simon Oliver does say that he originally conceived of the book as a TV pitch, so maybe once that got rolling he had something to do with the line being cancelled?
I don't know. Either way, it should be an interesting show, that's for sure.

On a related note, it does seem that I'm seeing more and more comic books being optioned for shows and movies. I know this is an age-old practice, but has anyone else noticed the recent feverish upswing this has taken? I mean, an Elfquest movie was announced today, Millar followed up Wanted with the announcement that Kick-Ass (only 3 issues in!) will be a movie too, Whiteout is also getting the treatment, Warren announced Red was going to Summit for a movie, and Ocean is over at Warner Bros, AND Goon is going to be given the movie treatment by Fight Club's David Fincher. And that's only the things I've heard about in the past month!

Anyone else just a little bit breathless about it?

Monday, July 7, 2008

I'm famous!

Well, not really. But the tongue-in-cheek email I sent to Newsarama's JK Parkin ended up being the bonus features in this post about who is attending this year's San Diego Comic Con:

And finally, Dina is really excited about attending:


No, I’m not a creator, writer, artist, or otherwise associated with the industry in any way. In fact, the closest thing I have is a poorly updated blog about how much I love comics and a friend who edits at DC.
However, I saw your post on Newsarama asking people to tell you
they were going, and I just found it hard to believe that you wouldn’t be excited to hear I would be there.


How cool is that??!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Weekend!

It's the 4th, so I'm off to go celebrate my country's independence by traipsing through the woods and trying to evade the ferocious bears that inhabit the woods of California.

Hope you all have a great weekend, I'll leave you with this awesome bit of fun from another country that won independence from the Brits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDkiYZLnsyg&NR=1

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It's July!

Yesssss!

Are you as excited about it being July as I am? I mean, come on-Independence Day, summer parties, oh-
AND THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON!

Who's going?

Anyone who can find me there and say the secret phrase: "I read your blog" (I'm so creative, aren't I?), gets one free drink, on me, when I'm (inevitably) at the bars at the end of each day.

(But please, no requests for Moet or nothin', ok?)

Also- to claim your drink you have to pose for one picture, with me, to be posted forever here in the annals of eternity.


22 days left!

Monday, June 30, 2008

More comic-related fun!

Ok, two more things to discuss today:

1)I took a hike last week to a place some of you might find a bit...familiar.

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(Please forgive my oh-so fashionable Sunday afternoon workout gear. I wasn't really thinking about how this would play on the web. I'm not really a hobbit, I promise!)

Anyone?

THE BATCAVE!

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It's actually in one of the most famous places in L.A., Griffith Park, about a 5 minute hike from the parking lot. (Super-easy!)

It's nothing fancy when you get there, just a cool looking cave, but still. My nerd-dar was all over the place.

Also, it's a pretty close-up view of the Hollywood sign (which we hiked to later on that day)
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Also, another topic I'd like to discuss:

Warren Ellis, where did you get the idea for the Snowtown brand? For those of you who are unfamiliar, here's a quick shot of the protagonist of Fell wearing one.

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Hmm. Interesting that it looks eerily familiar to some *ahem* monthly pills that I take for, um, babylessness.

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Coincidence?

Friday, June 27, 2008

Multimedia!

Ok, so the first thing I want to discuss today is one of the things I've been busy with. This video doesn't do it any justice at all, but unfortunately I haven't been able to get my hands on any of the pictures that were taken yet.

I'm completely inept, and can't seem to find the embed code, so you guys are going to have to live with a link:

My Video!


To explain: my company (to keep up employee morale) hosts a mini-golf tournament every year, where people can create holes with obstacles and themes, and then the hole office (pardon the pun!) plays the course. This was my contribution, a "Choose your own Adventure" superhero themed hole. What it doesn't show is a large portion of the decorations-there's 50 classic comic covers posted around the course, as well as some narrative signs, a comic art collage, and some toys (including a pair of Hulk hands!)

This is just one of the things I was busy with, more to come!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Of course, I'm a loser and haven't had a chance yet to post pictures of what I've been busy with, mainly because I've been so busy. But what I can tell you is I'm AWESOME. And the things I've made (descriptions don't do them justice) are worth the wait.

In the meantime, I would like to share this little bit of fun. While I was *ahem* "working" today, I stumbled upon this article from NY Magazine's website. While amazing and hilarious in and of itself, what intrigued me more was the link to the site of the article which read, "The Comics Page: Excerpts from new graphic novels". How cool! I had no idea that NY Magazine supported comics at all, let alone devoted a whole section of their site (since April 2007!) to the medium. While of course I'd prefer some devotion to actual issues and not bound books, I understand that complete stories have a much longer shelf life and work better for their means. Besides, any attention is good attention, especially ones that give a taste of what the work is like!

Thanks, NY Magazine-what a cool site.

Read more here!

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/the_comics_page/

Friday, June 20, 2008

Treasure!

I found this hilarious little bit of Warren-rambling on another site today, and thought it completely awesome:

@BrianReed Unearthing old characters for Marvel to see if they’re worth reactivating will clip five years off your life. Trust me.

Because six hours later you’re all “ah, yes, Flying Coyote Whore who some drunk invented for Luke Cage to fuck in 1975, I see potential..” And a day later you’re, “geezer, that guy who used to deliver the mail to The Fantastic Four, there’s totally a miniseries there…”

And then your kid starts calling you “Scary Daddy” and your girl won’t let you touch her and you see Stan Lee when you try to jerk off. But you can’t jerk off and suddenly you’re living in the woods and you don’t remember why and someone seems to have pissed in your clothes.

But you really want to write that story about the voodoo chicken guy from those old Marvel comics but old women are flinging turds at you. And cops are beating you up every night and you get raped by a hobo with a face like Roseanne who keeps saying “Cough on it, John.”

And why? Because you decided to research old Marvel comics. Just walk away, Reed. Or you may never walk the same again.


Oh Warren, you're the best person ever.

I know I've been AWOL lately, some pictures detailing why soon!


Thursday, June 12, 2008

Oh man, I am maaaaaad...

So I went to my shop today, super excited because not only was the last issue of Local coming out, but new issues of Locke & Key, AND Doktor Sleepless were coming out today! (Among other things, of course.)

So what happens when I finish BOTH of these issues?

I see on the bottom of the last page "To Be Concluded".

WTF?

Oh man. I mean, I understand the concept of a miniseries-you have a finite story in your head, and it only takes a few issues to tell it. I understand that, and I'm not upset about that. Some of my favorite things I've ever read have been told in less than 10 issues. HOWEVER, there is an expectation there that you let us know when this is the case, so we don't get all heartbroken when we find out there's only one issue left.

Mr. Ellis, why didn't Doktor Sleepless say "Issue _ of 8"? And Joe, same question to you, but even less! 6 issues in total!

What am I going to read in August, hmm? It's your job to make more, because you slackers forgot to tell me that you were quitting.

Shame on you.

EDIT: Oops, looks like that's a false alarm on Doktor Sleepless, after all. Turns out the "To Be Concluded" was in reference to the conclusion of the furst volume of the story, but there will certainly be more issues. Whoa. Next time, let's be more sparing with the word "concluded", hmm?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

This really made me laugh today:

Oh, you comic-related references in comics, I never tire of thee!

You can read more funny stuff at Inktank.com!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Wow, emails!

So, on a whim today I checked the email account for this page, and OH MAN! MESSAGES! I am totally a slacker and haven't checked that account in a month, not thinking that this site gets anywhere close to the number of views that would actually generate emails for me.

How wrong I was. Sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to all of you, you should all be receiving shiny new responses in your inboxes soon, if you haven't already.

Thanks so much for reading the blog-I had no idea so many people were reading it (who aren't personal friends, anyway), and all of the reccommendations I'm getting are great.

I hope you all keep reading, and don't take my month-long silence to mean that I don't care about you. I love each and every one of you, my beautiful and unique snowflakes.

Keep the feedback coming!

-Dina

Friday, June 6, 2008

Oh man, this week was awesome!

Have I mentioned how much I love Brubaker's Criminal? Ugh, so good. This is the most consistent comic I'm currently reading, hands down.
I also happened to pick up issue #1 of Brothers In Arms, which I actually really liked. I expected to hate it, mainly becuase it looks like an old WWII throwback-and I hate those. But then I read the issue. I was so engaged, oh man-I already care about the characters, and I was only halfway through the issue! I can't wait to see where this goes. THEN I get to the end of the issue and find out it's based on a video game?!? Man. Good thing I didn't know that in advance-I never would have picked this thing up. I'm not entirely keen on the art, but the writing is strong enough to have this make the list for #2.
Then I moved onto The War that Time Forgot, which I mainly picked up because of the dinosaurs on the cover (have we discussed my love for dinosaurs?), but it's still sustaining itself enough that I'll pick up #3.
THEN. OH MAN. House of Mystery. Have I mentioned that I wasn't going to buy the first issue of this series, but my always on duty comic book guy made me? Well, i owe him a huge debt of thanks. Not only is this line shaping up to be one of the most interesting things I'm reading nowadays (although the cover is a bit misleading...), but if it weren't for this issue, I never would have gotten a sneak preview of Air. So stoked for this to come out. STOKED.

(And I still haven't even gotten through Kick-Ass #3, The Boys 19, and Helen Killer #2!) Best week ever!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Whose responsibility is it?

So, one of the topics I've noticed come up again and again in online forums, blogs, and con panels is that of the financial status of the comic industry. Many times over I hear the discussion about how reading comics online is bad (duh, just like listening to music or watching movies), and that trade-waiting just a terrible thing to do, since they don't help the continuation of the series and generate less revenue.

I'm honestly sick of this argument. If you don't want people to buy one of your products, then why do you even have that product? It's stupid to offer a version of your work but then complain (or even SCOLD) your fans for purchasing it. I don't buy the trades of any comics I currently read, mainly because I'm too impatient to wait. However, I don't think I should be made to feel guilty if I did. Trades have many selling points to them that single issues don't. For starters, they contain a whole story. Instant gratification. They're also more durable and conducive to sharing. When I want to show one of my friends a comic that I think they'd like, I certainly don't feel comfortable handing them single issues, but I have no qualms about loaning out as many trades as they'd like. (Which actually, when this happens, brings you more people who are exposed to your work and might even buy something!) Not to mention they simply look better on a bookshelf, which leads me to believe they're the better long-term investment.

I understand that most comic creators, artists, and all around employees aren't rolling in the dough. But let's face it, neither am I. I empathize that you'd like to have as much of my money in your pocket as possible and that it costs a significant amount of money to create a comic. I'm all about you guys turning a profit and living comfortably while entertaining me. However, I honestly don't think that people buying trades instead of singles is going to fix this industry. Comics are the only medium I've heard of that can SELL ADVERTISING in the product itself, and yet can't manage to maintain a reasonable price while remaining a profitable venture.

I truly believe that it's the industry itself and its monetization schemes, rather than how many of us wait for the collected works, that needs to be under the microscope here. Not to mention the fact that making your fan feel bad for being the kind of fan they are is certainly not the way to gain more fans.

To be honest, it's situations like this that make me regret ever doing anything more than reading the issues. I enjoy reading creator blogs and hearing opinions on forums and getting a much more in-depth experience on the books that I read each month. However, if you told me that one of my favorite bands was at a concert and telling people that they're not real fans if they bought the general admission tickets rather than the much more expensive front row seats, I guarantee you I'd never be going to one of their shows again.

Buck up, and fix your company. It's not my responsibility to spend more money on an equivalent product just because your endeavor can't figure out to how to make its financials work. I have a budget to balance, too.

Friday, May 30, 2008

FreakAngels

In case anyone forgot/doesn't already know, Internet Jesus (aka Warren Ellis) has a F R E E weekly webcomic posted here at: http://www.freakangels.com.

You should read it.

And worship him.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I actually sent this yesterday. Angrily.

Dear Robert Kirkman,

Wow. Astounding is right. Do you publish every SINGLE letter you get? I just finished Wolf-Man #3 (I'm like, a year late, sue me), and I swear, the letters page is longer than the actual comic. Now, I read them, mostly for your snarky comments because well, they're comic gold. But 73 letters? SEVENTY-THREE??!?! Come on now, there's no way any sort of comedy is served by answering SEVENTY THREE letters. You know how that time would be better served? That's right-WRITING MORE COMICS. Seriously, I need to know what the heck is going on right now with Rick over at TWD. This is urgent business. And I come to find that you're over here, chillin' out, answering SEVENTY FRICKING THREE letters?!?! Kirkman, don't make me come down there and show you how to put pencil to paper. Because I will force you. (And FBI, if you're reading this, I don't mean that, it's an empty threat, I swear.) Anyway, I digress. Everyone and their mother knows how much I love your comics. I first started reading Invincible because I liked the colors (blue and yellow, yeah!), and then I started reading TWD because Phil Lamarr told me to. (Seriously, I was in my comic shop, he looked at what I was buying, and told me I should be reading your comic. Be flattered.) So I bought it. And now I'm addicted. And now I'm waiting for the next issue to come out so I can stop holding my breath and I bide my time by picking up all four issues of Wolf-man, and I find out that you're just lollygagging over here? I'm disappointed in you.

Thoroughly.

Sincerely,

Dina

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I'm a slacker

...but I have my reasons! I'm sorry for the dearth of posts this past week, but I was in Chicago because of my real job (blogging doesn't count you know), and have not even had a chance to pick up new comics until I got back in town.

Luckily for me, this meant that I made my drop on Sunday, which just so happened to be the day of a giant backissue sale at my shop (60% off! w00t!), so not only did I pick up my new issues (only 2 this week, ugh), but also my backordered first TPB of Casanova, as well as all 4 issues of Kirkman's Wolfman, along with back issues of Invincible, and Brubaker's Criminal.
(Which by they way, if any of you haven't read yet, I might have to excommunicate you.)

Haven't yet had a change to get through it all since, well, Memorial Day weekend is for BBQ's and Yard Sales (...or is that just me?). BUT, I promise I will soon.

What I can give you guys, is my honest opinion of a book I read on the (interminably long) plane ride: Life Sucks. (PS, really funny note-when you Google "Life Sucks", the first result is kind of hilarious. True Story.)

Ok, so this book is a Vampire story (yawn), but in a new way (reserved yawn?). Instead of showing us how awesome and deliciously evil it must be to be a vampire, it shows you the crappy "real" side of it. (Not being able to see the sun, indentured servitude to your master, those stupid vampire teenage wannabes, etc.) I actually liked the book, even though I have the feeling I was a bit older than the target demographic. (But then again, every so often I do catch an episode of That's So Raven...) Bonus points for the "blood orange" juice joke.

More writeups when I get home. Promise!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

More stuff I've read!

Young Liars #3: I was honestly more confused after reading this issue than I was before. All I can say is that the Sherlock Holmes getup made me gag I was laughing so hard, and that I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel like crap after reading #4. Also, I think it's awesome that Sadie boxed Marcus' ears, because I'd totally box everyone's ears if I could. It's so fun, easy to do, and yet it hurts like a mofo if you do it right. I always wished I knew about ear-boxing when I was a kid and didn't feel bad about hurting people. F'reals.

NewUniversal-Shockfront: I missed this. The last time we had a new issue was back in mid-2007, so I'd kind of forgotten what had happened so far. I appreciated the quick catch-up in the beginning, so I didn't have to go running back upstairs to reread everything. Although, I'm kind of miffed on the dialogue complaining about people who only buy comics on Wednesdays-Why the heck would I come into the shop on Tuesday? You don't have anything I need yet! Anyway, the book was good and the last page certainly shocked me. (In a good way!) Excited to see where it goes from here.

Everybody's Dead #3: Man, I'm really loving this. (And not in the McDonald's sort of way, either) There's visual gags, puns, retro jokes (Paddington Bear?! Come on!) and a great story. (At least, so far.) It's the most enjoyable thing I've read all week, and that's no lie. It's a short run by a smaller label so it might be hard to find, but don't be shy about asking your shop to order it for you. You'll thank me!

Walking Dead #49: I hate Robert Kirkman a little more every day.

EVERY DAY.

Kirkman, I'm willing to ignore the last two issues if you are-can we please go back to issue #47 and try this again? Something where, you know, NOT EVERYONE DIES?!?!?!!>2.

KTHX.

Locke & Key #4: Aw, man. I don't like this issue. I mean, I understand that it's necessary to the story, and blah blah, blah. But that doesn't mean I have to see the writing on the wall and like it, darn it! Agh! *Sigh* Put me down for #5...

Ok, the weekly update

Here's my take on what I've read so far this week:

SkyDoll #1: This book is actually a bestseller in France-it's part of a new project by Marvel to translate and publish some of France's best stuff. If they're all like this one, I think the project will be successful. (Although the $5.99 price tag stings a little, they're huge issues and well worth the money when you consider how much you pay for a paperback these days...) So, this story is actually about an alternate future (kind of looks like Snow Crash a little bit for the nerds who read that book), where there are these sex dolls that are created solely for purposes of "pleasure", although they can talk and interact and have personalities (although limited). I won't go into much detail from there because I don't want to ruin the story for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and will definitely be picking up #2. (Also, it will be interesting to see how far Marvel takes this comic, considering they dropped The Boys because of the graphic content, and this line seems to have it in spades. We shall see...

DMZ #31: What can I say about Brian Wood that I haven't already? DMZ is one of my favorite books to read each month, and this issue was no exception. We had a rousing speech, parental interference, a lovers' quarrel (?), a personal moment of principle, some fabulous art (seriously, some of the nuance in this issue is second to none), and *gasp* oh no! Pick it up.

Shoot, I've got a lot of work piling up. I'll finish later.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Jack of Fables was cancelled?

This blog:

http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/05/13/cant-wait-for-wednesday-92/#more-8162

From the generally correnct Newsarama site says that Jack of Fables was cancelled.

*Gasp*! Is this true??

I did a quick search on some forums and at fabletown, but haven't seen this confirmed anywhere.

Someone please tell me-they didn't kill Jack, did they????

EDIT: Ahhh, they fixed it, those cheaters!

Vertigo: First Cut trade paperback

Kevin: The second of Vertigo’s big first-issue samplers, this trade paperback gathers the premieres of Army@Love, Crossing Midnight, DMZ, The Exterminators, Jack of Fables, Loveless and Scalped. I realize collected editions are forever, but it’s a bit, I don’t know, sad that more than nearly half of the series represented here — Crossing Midnight, The Exterminators and Loveless — have been canceled.


Still sad that some great lines have been axed, but it's a relief that JoF is still kicking!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Why I don't read superhero comics

Ok, so this is the elephant in the room, and I think it’s about time I bit the bullet and addressed it. If you ever take a look at my pull list (not sure how you’d get your hands on it, but I’m assuming you guys are really crafty), you’d notice that I have a significant number of titles on there, with relatively no traditional superhero presence whatsoever. I think the last one I had died off with the last issue of Astonishing X-Men.

To be honest, the answer is simple: They’re too complicated to follow. Now, I know that doesn’t exactly make sense considering I’m a fan of all things Warren Ellis, which are as twisted as a comic can get, justabout. But, what I mean is, with Doktor Sleepless, or Black Summer, or any of the other stuff I read, there’s a finite history. In order to understand exactly what’s going on in the universe, I only have to trace the line back to Issue #1. Even if I come into a line 20 issues in (I’m looking at you, Invincible), I pick up some trades and I’m all caught up. If I suddenly decide that I want to pick up an issue of Justice League, I’m completely lost. Not only would I have to pick up all of the previous issues, but I’d have to address everything that’s happened in each of the team members’ individual lines. That’s a significant amount of catching up just to read one issue to see if I like it. I know it sounds like I’m choosing not to read these comics because I don’t want to have to read other comics, but seriously. There’s much to be said for the “plug and play” aspect of Vertigo lines and those in that vein.

There are so many new lines coming out with promising writers and artists each month, that I honestly don’t feel left out when someone asks me about Countdown to Infinite Crisis on Infinite Earths, although I will admit that I read Civil War (but couldn’t get into House of M), and Identity Crisis. The ones that are masterfully done and don’t make me feel as if I’m losing a large chunk of the story without having read all 545834 issues that have ever been written, are the issues I’ll read. Until then, I’ll stick with my self-contained storylines that aren’t in and of themselves a ploy to make me buy more comics. I’m honestly not shy about buying comics, really-as it is, I already buy about 8 issues per week (man, the money I’d save!), and that’s without supporting the overarching “universe-changing” events that are supposed to be the real sales motivators. Write good stories, people-THEN I’ll buy more comics!

Look! Someone is doing something cool on the Internet!

Yet Another Comics Blog: May is Free Comic Book Month 4 at YACB!

So, I found this guy's blog in one of my random internet searches today, and he's doing the coolest thing:

He's choosing one person every day to send a free comic book that he thinks they'll like, based on 5 comic titles they've submitted.

I think this is super-cool (and something I just might try, considering how overflowing my bookshelves are right now...)

Is it bad that I'm going to enter his contest to get a free comic, when I already have too many of my own?

Friday, May 9, 2008

Finishing up the week

Ok, so here's the rest of what I got this week:

House of Mystery#1: I wasn't going to buy this one, as I actually wasn't too impressed with the preview I had seen in the back of last week's book, but CBG James basically threatened to melon ball me if I didn't, so under duress, I picked it up. Glad I did. I love Sandman (who doesn't?), and who doesn't love a good mystery? The great thing about this line is that there's an ongoing story, and a one-shot contained in each issue. As of right now, I think I preferred the one-shot to the initial set up of the main story, but that might be due to my Willingham bias. But we'll see, I'll be getting #2.

Pretty Baby Machine #1: SNORE. Seriously, how can anyone turn a noir comic about gangsters, murder, vengeance, bootlegging and Al Capone into something I can barely keep my eyes open for? I was reading this one in between commercial breaks for Lost, and I was really tempted to watch the commercials instead. I honestly think this comic would have been MORE interesting if it actually was about a pretty baby machine. Like a machine that just pumped out pretty babies. In a factory. All day. MORE INTERESTING. I don't know exactly where the major malfunction was. I mean, it was in black and white, but I'd kind of expect a comic like this to be black and white. And some of my other favorite comics lack color too and don't suffer for it, (coughwalkingdeadcough), but this black and white was definitely kind of all muddled together, so maybe that had something to do with it. I'm certainly a fan of a more clean style of art, where I can tell exactly what's going on and don't have to guess at what the thousands of little scribbles all over the place are trying to tell me. That's not the only reason I hated it, though. The writing, too. Which is amazing considering there's Tommy guns and bribes and JFK in the storyline. But about 6 pages in, it starts to get wordy. REALLY wordy. Like, so wordy that there's hardly any room for the artwork between the dialogue and the narration. To be honest with you, I didn't even finish it. If anyone made it through past page 13, let me know if it gets better. Me? I just went back to Lost.


The War that Time Forgot #1: Lots of #1's this week, huh? Anyway, I had to pick this one up, considering the cover has (seriously) a T. Rex, Davy Crockett (or Daniel Boone, I can't tell), a WWI German soldier, a WWII American pilot, and a rampaging Native American on a horse. Come on. Do I even need to tell you what's inside to make you go buy it?

The Boys #18
: After issue 17, I wasn't too convinced I wanted to see what else Ennis had in store for Poor Hughie. Luckily, there's only ghosts, urine, butt hamsters, and dead bodies. Such a sweetheart. (PS, I'm not sure why the reviewer in that link calls Hughie Willy, although I have my theories...)

Dynamo 5 Annual: What can I say? A solid book comprised of 4 stories. 1 reprint (but rarely-read) taken from Noble Causes, and 3 completely new original stories, all from various points in the Dynamo storyline. Solid stories, interesting artwork, and all for the cost of only two comics. If you're a Dynamo fan, I certainly recommend this, if only for the sweet Cinar pinup in the back.

And finally, the one I was most excited about, Helen KellerKiller #1: Oh man, oh man. SO. AWESOME. MUST. BUY. NOW.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Oh, and by the way...

Is anyone else going to San Diego this year? Guess who just got verified for her Press Pass?


STOKED!

New Comic Wednesday!

Here's the list, and my thoughts so far:

The Man With No Name #1: Apparently, this comic was based on the Clint Eastwood movies where he played the title character. BGut honestly, because: 1)I've never seen any of these movies, and 2)I'm dense, I didn't make that connection at all until I Goggled it to get you a link. However, what I can say is that like Eastwood, this guy is a badass, and I will probably pick up Issue #2. But we'll see how formulaic it gets...

Also, is it sad that instead of Fistful of Dollars, my direct connection with the title led me to have this song playing in my head over and over again?

I was Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space!!! #1: Apparently, this comic (and 5 other issues) are available for free online (on a page a day basis), but at a cost of 99 cents, there really is nothing like holding an issue in your hand. What can I say about the comic? There is a girl, she was kidnapped, and they do seem to be aliens, lesbians, and pirates. Maybe next we'll find out they're robot ninjas, and we'll have the whole pop-culture niche down!

Kick-Ass #2: Well this one was a surprise. Nate (shout-out!) over at my shop reccommended this one to me, and I gotta give him credit. This is one of the most interesting new comics I've read in a while, and can't wait to see what happens in #3. I would totally have been that kid, if I didn't have an older brother to constantly beat me up and remind me that there's no way I could kick anyone's ass. Pick it up, they're in second printings already, so be quick about it!

I also picked up a few other things, but since I'm a working stiff, I haven't had time to read them yet. New post later, promise.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Dear James at Golden Apple;

Here is an entry about you.

You're welcome.

(PS, I won't tell anyone you did that thing that would totally get you in trouble at work. Secret's safe with me.)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Can we discuss...

Iron Man?

More importantly, the end of Iron Man?

More specifically, the appearance of Nick Fury following the credits?

Dear Marvel,

What the fuck?

Sincerely,

The girl who had never thought that Samuel L. Jackson looked anything like Nick Fury.

If I wanted to see Samuel L. Jackson playing a badass, I'd go watch Pulp Fiction. Or Snakes on a Plane. Or Shaft. Or any other fricking movie he's ever done.

Samuel L. Jackson, while I throughly loved Pulp Fiction as much as the next guy, is suffering from what I call Denzel Washington syndrome. He's too overexposed, and he always plays the same guy. I no longer see the characters these guys are playing, I see these guys acting as their characters. Same with Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts, but Samuel L Jackson is certainly the largest offender and the most deeply pigeonholed out of all of them.

Want someone who can play badass as well as SLJ, Marvel? Why not hire Chiwetel Ejiofor? He was sick as the bad guy in Serenity, and could knock Nick Fury out of the park. Or what about Jimmy Jean-Louis? He is perfect as The Haitian on Heroes, and could Fury with the best of them. I'm disappointed in your stunt casting, Marvel.

Not to mention, I could swear that this was what Nick Fury looked like. I understand you "reimagined" him for the Ultimate version, but I was hoping it was a limited stunt. Tsk tsk. Whatever happened to staying true to the comics? Rewriting the comics to fit the movies doesn't count. Shame on you.


(But I do have to say, the movie was pretty tight. 9/10. Would have been a 10, but the final scene where Obediah is blown up totally should have annihilated Tony as well. Stretching, but I'll accept it.)

Monday, May 5, 2008

Don't get a big head now, Brian

Can we please discuss, just for a moment, the beauty that is Northlanders?

I mean, I've been riding Brian Wood's proverbial bandwagon for ages now, and you guys are probably sick of me going on and on about things like how awesome Local is, or much I enjoyed reading every story in Demo, or how excited I was when Brian sent me a copy of Supermarket IN ITALIAN!!!, but seriously. This thing is (if he's even at his crest yet,) truly his magnum opus.

Given that this line is only 5 issues in, I understand that this is no small claim.

However, I reply:

Have you read the friggin' thing?

My gosh, man. The beauty of it. The vast storytelling. The way I read this book is unlike any other I've gotten into since my "revival" a few years ago. I care about Sven. (And goshdarn it, I'll lay it out there, he's damned sexy.) But beyond that, the story is reaching around him in a way that you can't help but do anything other than hold your breath for the next issue.

This most recent one was the icing on the cake for me. We finally get a little bit of Sven's background, and an idea of who he is, where he came from, and why he's acting the way he is. (Although of course, not too good of an idea...) I can't believe for one, that this is coming at issue 5, and I'm not even bored yet. When was the last time you read a comic and didn't get a lick of back story until issue 5? Shit, when was the last time you read a #1 and cared, for that matter?

To be honest, period pieces don't generally work for me. I find it hard to relate to something taking place in a time that I've never experienced and haven't really been exposed to. (Follett's Pillars of the Earth did a good job of overcoming this for me, but many authors, regardless of medium, fail in this.) We don't have, as a culture, a great many viking stories. (And almost none with any sort of depth.) Other than Thor, and his dad Odin, what else do we know? That they wore horned helmets and had cool looking ships? That they pillaged and got drunk?

This comic injects more color into a boring subject for me than anything I've ever read before. It's not a history lesson, it's a modern-day story set in a distant past.

And to be honest, 1000 years suddenly doesn't seem that long ago.


PS-There is no better artist for this line than Davide Gianfelice. I'm a writer's reader, and so I give the majority of my focus to the unsung half of comic creation, but Davide really does what an artist is supposed to do-bring these characters to life even better than if they were simply just words on a page.

Friday, May 2, 2008

An Apology

To the man reading a TPB of The Walking Dead near the window at the Borders on La Cienega last night:

I'm sorry I was waving at you, pointing and thumbs-upping like a lunatic. I wasn't trying to tell you your zipper was down (though it was, points for noticing), I just wanted to give you kudos on your good taste.

Sorry about that.

Sincerely,

The crazy girl who apparently should learn more universal signs for "Nice choice!".

Thursday, May 1, 2008

...And we're back!

Sorry for the radio silence kids, I've been catching up on a bit of work here, and didn't want to make another post until I had some good material.

Well, here it is-I headed to my comic shop this week to pick up my long-overdue books. I was very excited, since there were some great titles waiting for me in there: Northlanders (lovelovelove!), Fables (this cover was hot!), and Young Liars (anxious to read this one, partly for David Lapham, and partly because I really really love that TV on the Radio song and hopefully the book will do it some justice).

However, as I read through Black Summer, moved onto Dynamo 5, and then began Fables, a strange thing occurred to me:

Our artists are perverts.

I mean, not so much that they like to expose themselves to people at the local bus stops, or have a weird habit of hanging around playgrounds, but tell me if you don't see a pattern here.

Black Summer, Page 4:

Fables, Page 16:

Dynamo 5, Page 15:


I mean, is it me, or do a few of this week's panels have an interesting, um, perspective?

Just a thought. Maybe someone's a little sex-starved from being chained to the drafting table for hours at time? I'm thinking someone needs a vacation, that's all...


Also, in other news, I found this panel very funny:I don't know why, but anytime someone draws a punch with the punchee at the moment of impact, rather than a split second after, with their face turned, or maybe a little blood, it looks like their face simply absorbed the impact. After this punch, I always am shocked to see the guy on the floor, shaking his head-it looks to me almost as if the punchee should have his other hand on the puncher's forehead-holding him back so his face is just out of reach. Kind of like my brother used to do, you know?

Maybe it's just me, though.

Anyway, someone agree with me about how hot this cover is for just a moment. Seriously. James Jean, will you marry me? Or at least draw a really flattering picture of me?

HOT SEX ON A PLATE:

Man. So hot.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Link Love

Sorry I haven't had time to post much in the past week, but I just got back from vacation on Tuesday, and man have I been busy! To tide you over until I get to reading this week's catch of comics, here's my favorite thing I've seen all week:

http://kundor.org/pub/batman-alignment.jpg

Thursday, April 17, 2008

List Time!!

Soooo, I was listening to Weezer's In The Garage this morning when it hit me: They reference not only 12-sided dice and Ace Frehley, but also Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler! It got me thinking about what other songs out there reference comics.
Believe me, there are tons-Barenaked Ladies name-check Aquaman, and we all know about that 3 Doors Down song, but who does it with style?

Without further ado, I bring you:
Dina's Top 5 Comic-Referencing Songs!

5)Rancid-Sidekick: This song isn't all that great, but they definitely get bonus points for the lyrics: "Wolverine was sad/and it made him mad/Every single cop/got a bullet in the head". We all know how I feel about Wolverine, so I'm kind of a sucker for this song.

Okay, moving on:

4)Donovan-Sunshine Superman: You gotta give this song some credit for not only referencing TWO superheroes, but doing it in 1966, waaayyy before it was fashionable. The money line in this case is "Superman and Green Lantern ain't got/uh nothin' on me". Bonus points for the GL shout out (My favorite!), and BONUSBonus points for the weird kitten-eating scene in the video. WTF?!?!

3)Pop Will Eat Itself-Can U Dig It?: This song is basically one long string of references. They mention Marvel, DC, Alan Moore, V for Vendetta, AND Bruce Wayne. Bonus points for throwing in Optimus Prime, and the Furry Freak Brothers. BONUSBonus points for harking back to that scene in The Warriors.

2)Anthrax-I am the Law: Man, I'm no huge Anthrax fan or anything, but this whole song is just a gigantic Judge Dredd reference. Bonus points for sticking to a theme, BONUSBonus points for this.

And the Winner is...

1)Soulja Boy-Crank That: So, yes. This song is completely played out, overplayed, and done with. Yes, it's cheesy and gets stuck in your head way too easily. HOWEVER, you gotta give credit where credit is due. Supermanning that Ho? Who thinks of this? I don't care who you are, that's still hilarious. Bonus Points for the Spiderman remix, which is even worse.

Honorable Mentions go to:
-Mr. Fisk by Lightspeed Champion for managing to call out Spiderman, Mary Jane, Dark Phoenix, AND Bruce Banner.
-Here He Comes by Will Smith for reworking the original Spiderman theme song to prove that he can still rap after all those years of living in Bel Air.