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.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Digging Through Dina's Archives

As you all know, I was recently organizing my (sadly enormous) collection this past week. One of the things that became obvious was the amount of ridiculous stuff I've been hauling around for years, from apartment to apartment. Every so often, I'm going to share one of these gems with you, dear readers. Here's the first installment:


This book, published in 1985, is just about the pinnacle of comic existence, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner yet, so you're going to have to deal with the blurry shots taken on my digital camera.

The premise of the story, without ruining it for you (if that's at all possible), is that a race of beavers protect a structure called the Time Dam, which is the force that manages the space-time continuum in all dimensions, through all of history. The bad guys (of course there are bad guys) are, understandably, the beavers' only natural predators, the rat. These rats thrive on chaos, and want to destroy the Dam in order to throw all time dimensions into anarchy. (Simple enough, right?)

The dam book opens with a look at our dam protagonists:



Basically, there's Doc (The one with the glasses), Slapper (the captain), Mac (the one with the funny sayings and chipped teeth), and Shiner, the one with the, well, Shiner.

Then, the story progresses to the great lodge, where our heroes are told to travel to earth, throughout its history, to prevent the rats from undoing pivotal points in the evolution of man.


(Into the Reality Breach? That's what they should have called this whole comic...)

Ok, so moving on, we get a good look at our villains:


You gotta give these guys credit, though-they invented Splinter before TMNT! (And check out the SWEET chicken-head helmet on this guy!)

This book is full of gems, but I'll leave you with this final shot-I hate to ruin it for all of you who are planning to run out and buy this book, but the last place in Earth history the Beavers travel to is Berlin, 1945, where the rats try to give Hitler the Atom bomb. Here's our friend, Captain Slapper, telling Hitler what he should do instead:


I know that all of you are just foaming at the mouth to get your hot little hands on this magnificent piece of comic history, so I'm willing to give up my one and only copy to one lucky reader. Email me, dinasaurus [at] gmail [dot] com, and tell me what you plan on doing with this creation/why you are most deserving. One of you will have your very own, VERY RARE gift from me!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Weekly Spotlight











Every week (or as often as I get suggestions, if it's running slow...), I'm going to highlight one "undiscovered" talent in the industry. All decisions as far as what determines talent, and what determines undiscovered are solely at my discretion. Feel free to nominate someone you think deserves it by emailing me.

This week's Spotlight shines on Shawn McCauley. Shawn is a 26 year old artist from Connecticut, where he and I met during my brief flirtation with the University there. As payment for keeping in touch all these years, he gets to be the inaugural Spotlight Talent. Good show, old chap!

Shawn is currently working on the art for a 4-issue series from Markosia, called The Ritual. This is Shawn's first work for money, so hopefully it's a banner year for Markosia! From the pages I can see on his portfolio, it's looking pretty tight.


So, here's where it gets fun. I sent Shawn an 8 question survey, which he HAD TO answer, under penalty of death, which is reprinted in its entirety here:

1)What's the most embarrassing book in your collection?

-I have two for two sides of me. The artist side of me is embarrassed in actually buying the 2004 X-Force books written and illustrated by Rob Liefeld. When I was a kid I loved Rob Liefeld's X-Force. But in 2004 I knew was was good art and bad...and I still bought his comics...so ashamed...
The comic...and male side of me is embarrassed to have a Shojo Beat book. If you don't know, that's a Japanese comic that features stories oriented to...girls. In my defense, I got it for free at a comic book convention. The embarrassing thing is I actually read it, and it's sitting on my bookshelf.

2)What's your favorite thing that you've made?

-My wolf logo. That thing looks so cool. I may be pretty arrogant in doing this, but I put it on everything I own-my hats, my bag, my shirts...it's so cool-looking.

3)Which character do you most want to put it to, and why?

-Put it to? Man I hope you mean sex or I'm about to embarrass myself pretty bad right now. I'd say Sara Pezzini Witchblade. Long dark brown hair, big boobs and a mystical battle armor that rips off her clothes when summoned...what man wouldn't love that?

4)What writer do you think can do no wrong?

-There's a ton of awesome writers out there, but I've never read a Frank Miller story I didn't like.

5)Why do you, at 26 years of age, still read comics?

-Why do people at 26 years of age watch TV? Go to the movies? Read a book? Comics are a story-telling media with all the visual appeal of a movie and the portability and convenience of a paperback book...it's quite possibly the perfect media.

6)What would you do with all the money you spend on comics, if you didn't spend it on comics?

-We can spend money on things other than comics? Like what? WHAT ELSE HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME?!?!?

7)What superpower do you wish you didn't have?

-Didn't have? Is that a typo? (It's not.) Cause I don't really have any I wish I didn't. I suppose I wouldn't want the superpower of Marrow of X-Men. Who's Marrow? EXACTLY. Her powers suck. (Gotta say, the boy's got a point.)

8)Make up a question and answer it.

What is your favorite costume to see at a comic con?

-Darth Vader. There is ALWAYS at least one guy dressed as the Dark Lord of Sith...and I love hunting for him among the crowds. I saw a picture on a blog once of a Hello Kitty Darth Vader, I want to meet him one day...


Well kids, that just about wraps up this week's Spotlight Talent. Be sure to send me your suggestions for any unsung heroes in the industry at dinasaurus [at] gmail [dot] com-I won't bite! (No promises.)

List Time!

Ok, so some of you may know how much I like lists. Others may know how much it bothers me when people only think of Superman or Batman or Wolverine when discussing comics. (Hopefully) All of you know how much richer the medium is than just the major titles being pushed by the big guys. If you're not, well, prepare to get educated, because I hereby present to you:

Dina's Definitive List of the Top 5 Comics not published by DC or Marvel

(in no particular order, other than the order that I think of them)
(Oh, and The Walking Dead is out, cause Kirkman's head is already going to explode)

5)Local (Oni Press)-This one almost didn't make the list, since it's a 12-issue story and we're currently waiting on issue #11, but it's too good not to pass up. This is an interesting line, as each issue is a stand-alone story, but each one is a different year in the life of the same girl. Without ruining the story (as if that's possible), the line follows Megan McKeenan, as she travels all over the country, not really belonging to any place at all. I assure you the comic is much better than I'm making it sound here, and the stories in each issue are amazing. The love that Brian and Ryan put into this book makes it come alive. Pick it up, you won't regret it.

4) Fell (Image)-Written by Warren Ellis, aka Internet Jesus, this is a gritty, noir-ish comic, and it's the steal of a lifetime at $1.99 a pop. (Or less-Seriously!) Fell is the story of Richard Fell, a homicide detective who gets reassigned to Snowtown, a version of Detroit on its worst day. Like Local, each issue is a singular story (no cliffhangers!), but the events in each issue are referred to in the ones that follow. This is a twisted sort of line, with sparse, but beautiful art by Ben Templesmith.

3)The Boys (Dynamite)-Ok, so this one started out being published by Wildstorm (owned by Marvel), but was promptly cancelled 6 issues in because it was just THAT offensive. Dynamite rescued this gem from extinction, and it has been living happily over on their roster ever since. This is from Garth Ennis, so expect your share of gross-outs, ultraviolence, and the old in-out. But in between the shock value is actually a great comic. This line actually follows the guys ("Boys", if you will) who keep the superheroes in line. No cheesy lovey-dovey Spiderman here, this comic's "supes" have names like "Blarney Cock", and "Love Sausage" (the link is safe, I promise!), and they're the bad guys. Refreshing, and although at times it's so shocking it's cliche', this one is a keeper.

2) The Sword (Image)-Oh Luna Brothers, how do you do it? This line is currently flying off the shelves just about everywhere, so take advantage of the free online version of issue #1 here. This comic sounds like a retread, but oh I assure you, it's not. Dara Brighton, a quadriplegic art student suddenly finds her family dead and her legs working. Oh, and did I mention she found a magical sword that lets her jump miles high and heal any wound? With the government (and just about the worst baddies ever) looking for her, I am still on edge about what happens next. Pick this one up for a superhero read without the "super" or the "hero".

1) Locke & Key (IDW)-This one is only three issues in, and it's already the thing I'm looking forward to most each month. Oh man, who the heck are these guys, and how have they created crack in page form? I can't say much about it because honestly, I'm still confused myself as to what's going on, but I can tell you this much-it's on this (and every month's) pull list. Get it!

Monday, April 14, 2008

An open letter to Robert Kirkman, writer of The Walking Dead

Dear Mr. Kirkman,

As you may well know (from my previous blog entry, of course), I received a recommendation for TWD from a "celebrity'. When someone (at least semi-)famous tells me to read something, well, I read it. And as I like to pretend that I have lots of disposable income, I picked up the first two trades on my next trip to the shop. Wow. Let me state for the record that I hate all things Zombie. Night of the Living Dead annoys me, and I can't stand those stupid Zombie Emergency handbooks everyone's buying now like zombies actually exist. I want to punch all of those people in the solar plexus, truth be told.
However, holy balls. This comic rocks my face off like a karaoke version of "My Heart Will Go On", except instead of sucking, that's how much it rocks. (Go on, click the link, you know you want to...) I went out and picked up all the other trades that were out, and have been reading individual issues ever since. I've recommended TWD to just about anyone who will listen to me, and have lent out my copies to countless people who don't even read comics. (Now they do, of course...)

Ok, so now that I've throughly kissed your ass:

W T F!?!? I just finished issue 48, and I just want to state for the record that I hate you. Hate you, hate you, hate you.

That is all.

Sincerely,

-Dina

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Funny Comic Stories, MAD TV Edition

So, this past July I moved to LA, and needed to find a new comic shop. I (regretfully) parted from my beloved Cosmic Comics in NY, and landed by way of a few reccommendations at Golden Apple.

Turns out, I really like this place. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the new releases are arranged in a way that makes sense. Not to mention, the staff picks each week are generally spot-on. (And I don't mean to get anyone in trouble ot anything, but I've been getting the "new customer discount" for like, 9 months now...)

So, I head there for one of my Wednesday stock-up sessions, and I'm waiting in line at the counter. The clerk is talking up a storm with the guy ahead of me, who looks really familiar but I can't put my finger on it. Then he turns around and sees me.

"Whoa, what is this WOMAN doing in a COMIC BOOK STORE?!?1"

I'm pretty used to this, so I just turn to him and say "I'm here pretty often...", figuring he was just some jerk. Then he and the staff people start going through my stack and evaluating my taste as they're checking me out, and saying things like "ooh, Faker! That one's so good!" and "Oh, she's on Volume 8 of Preacher, almost done..." and then he turns to me and suggests Walking Dead, and I'm all "I'm not really into Zombies", and he insists it's good so I write it down and all this time I feel like I know him from somewhere but I'm still kind of miffed at the delay/invasion of privacy and so I'm a little bit cold which in retrospect I shouldn't have been when it hits me:

I'm talking to Phil LaMarr: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482851/

No way!

Monday, April 7, 2008

My Name is Dina, and I Read Comics

After deciding to tackle the job this weekend of organizing my comic books, and finishing days later with a terrible backache, I had a realization.

I am a comic book geek.

I know, I know, it's a hard truth to accept, but all the signs are there:

a)Buy comic books on a regular basis? Check.
b)Follow specific writers and artists and stay "up" on the industry? Double check.
c)Go to *gasp*! comic book conventions, sometimes even out of state? Resounding Check.


Wow.

This is not something that everyone just glancing at me would know. One reason being the fact that I am 25 years old, and, well, a woman.

I've been getting the sidelong glance for years in comic shops-every time I entered a new one there would be the period of adjustment where the staff and regulars would wait me out, to see if I was simply shopping for a boyfriend, or for myself.

I've never been treated poorly (save for my awful shop in Astoria NY), but of course, just being a girl is enough to make anyone take notice.

I'm sure I'm not the only girl out there who gets all sweaty and out of breath each time a new Ex-Machina issue hits the stands-come on, I know there's more of you out there!

Regardless, I've decided it's about time I shared my thoughts on my favorite books, as well as other random musings with the rest of the world. Hopefully I can help some new people stumble on some great reading!