OKKO: The Cycle of Water

Newly collected from Archaia (112-pgs, $19.95) is Okko by the French animation artist Hub (real name Humbert Chabuel). I haven't read it and thus am not reviewing it, only giving it mention because the art is quite attractive in a slick European/anime way. Booklist compares Hub to Moebius and Eisner.
And it seems like it's been quite awhile since this sort of appealing European-based fantasy art has surfaced on American shores (typically Heavy Metal magazine is the warehouse for much overwrought, often ugly, but often technically proficient in the extreme Euro-art; while NBM does repackage some of the finer stuff like Mattotti and Christophe Blain.
Anyway at a glance OKKO might not look out of place in something like the Flight anthology or Digital Manga Publishing's discontinued Robot anthologies (featuring Japanese artists also on this level of proficiency).

2008; End of a space odyssey

Oddly enough I was just mentioning to a fellow critic (via email) that Jean Jacques Annaud's excellent film Quest For Fire was likely a logical extrapolation on the opening caveman (pawing at the obelisk) scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. I thought of Quest simply because it's the best caveman movie ever made and it's research and attempt at realism seemed in direct contrast to the ludicrous (and by all accounts really crummy) new caveman film 10,000 BC.

Anyway, the coincidence is just that we were talking about 2001 and today comes news that the legendary author of the novel that spawned the Stanley Kubrick film, Arthur C. Clarke died at the age of 90.

Just over a month ago, 2001 (and Jaws!) star Roy ("We're gonna need a bigger boat") Scheider died of multiple myeloma.

Goodbye to both.

The Biology of Al Columbia

As enigmatic a cartoonist as has ever worked in the funnybook realm, Al Columbia may actually be on the verge of coming out of his spooky ethereal shell. His website promises a forthcoming collection of all his unpublished works 1993-2007 (something that Paul Gravett genuinely pleaded for in an article for one of TCJ's Special Editions). Plus actual streaming audio of Columbia's music which is immediately likable (something I can't say for his beuatifully repulsive artwork...ahs any artists ever been a better fit for Juxtapose?).

Of course Columbia has made innumerable promises of forthcoming work in the past, everything from series' that never materialized to short pieces for Dirty Stories to a promised cover for none other than The Comics Interpreter. And we won't even discuss Big Numbers (see TCI #3 for the amazing true story from Columbia's POV on that).

The Ten-Cent Plague (free Tamiflu)

The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu
Charles Burns cover (this generation’s Ghastly Ingels).
Most comics fans of a certain age are all too aware of the whole Fred Wertham Seduction of the Innocent debacle and the Senate hearings about comics’ corrupting influence and all that shit that led to EC Comics demise and the Comics Code.. Maybe Hajdu has fresh and genuinely interesting insight, but at the moment it doesn’t sound of much interest to anyone but laymen. Watch loveable Mad publisher and former McCarthy whipping boy, William Gaines on To Tell The Truth.

Dan Raeburn reviews the book for Mother Jones.

Maps Legends Nazi's French Fashion and a Pulitzer Prize Winner

In his new book Maps & Legends Michael Chabon discusses his love of comics including Howard Chaykin's American Flagg “the sex-driven, space-travelng, Jean-Paul Gaultier-by-way-of-Albert-Speer-freak-o-rama that was to be life in 2031.” That sounds entertaining enough for anyone who vaguely remembers Chaykin's sexed-up, bondage-heavy, politicized futurescape featuring a talking cat named Raul, and indeed some very puffy shirts.

Publisher's weekly is uncharacteristically critical of the author and the book:

You would hardly think, reading Chabon's new book of essays, that he won the Pulitzer Prize for a book about comics. Rather, he is bitter and defensive about his love for genre fiction such as mysteries and comic books. Serious writers, he says, cannot venture into these genres without losing credibility.It's hard to imagine the audience for this book. Chabon seems to want to debate English professors, but surely only his fellow comic-book lovers will be interested in his tirade.

(is that a Jordan Crane cover?)

A Little Golgo for Gore: Here's Your hanging chad, Gee Dub

Entertainment Weekly lists Golgo 13 Volume 13 as one of the top ten selling graphic novels’s at Comix Experience in San Francisco. The collection reportedly includes one story where Golgo tries to solve the Florida ballot-counting problem in the 2000 Presidential election (hint: the solution involves a sniper). Amazing.

For the funniest review of this unintentionally funny gekiga stalwart (aka Golgo 13) by all means listen and laugh along with Daryl Surat's review on the Anime World Order podcast (the review kicks in around the 30-minute mark).

Food Fight short film

I'm not usually one to play any part in gimmicky viral videos and I don't like people playing wit their food, but Food Fight is as clever an "animated" short as you're likely to see. Clicka the linka and enjoy the next five minutes of world (war) history.

Food Fight is an abridged history of American-centric war, from World War II to present day, told through the foods of the countries in conflict. Watch as traditional comestibles slug it out for world domination in this chronologically re-enacted smorgasbord of aggression.

Hugs and Kisses: From James Jean

James Jean is utterly stricken by Midas Touch. Everything he draws sells for thousands, Prada wants him, major magazines want him, comics publishers want him, and inevitably the big book publishers have come calling.

Chronicle Books blog

Okay, so this is some pre-buzz buzz.

Later this summer, we’ll be releasing the XOXO: Hugs and Kisses postcard book of James Jean illustrations. Fans of Yoshimoto Nara, Jordan Crane, and Ai Yamuguchi, as well as existing collectors of James’ work, are going to L-O-V-E these whimsically dark, otherworldly postcards. Here’s a preview of what’s coming!

Lately I've seen interviews with James in every imaginable art magaize from High Fructose to Theme to the UK's IMagineFX. But it was still The Comics Interpreter that did the first, and most extensive print interview with JJ, just before he blew up large.

Watchmen Film images materialize

I don't geek out about much (except perhaps a new Jean-Pierre Jeunet film or new seasons of No Reservations, and then not really about those either) so I'm not geeking out about Watchmen...BUT be it a masterpiece or catastrophe or most likely something flawed but entertaining that falls in between, it will be fascinating to see how this translates to film. Alan Moore has of course refused to be in any way associated with the film and one wonders what arcane powers Moore truly possesses to allow him the total void of curiosity needed to never see a film based on his most famous work. On the other (more reasonable) hand is Dave Gibbons who is not only cooperating with the filmmakers, but has thus far been noticeably impressed with the level of detail and respect given to the original work. Certainly, regardless of what anyone thinks of Zack Snyder's work on Frank Miller's 300 (I for one found it big, dumb, and entertaining) it is completely, excessively faithful to Miller's comic right down to framing scenes that look exactly like panels from Miller's work.

Anyway, here are the first photos from the Watchmen film, and they've done about as respectable a job as possible with the outrageous costumes (see Michael Chabon's spot-on ruminations of comics costuming in the latest issue of The New Yorker to get to the root of why such costumes can never match their comics originals).

Chabon on capes and cowls

Michael Chabon wrote a very entertaining piece on superhero costumes (Untitard Theory) for the latest issue of The New Yorker. And you can listen to an audio interview with Chabon about his essay on the New Yorker's website. And indeed he discusses the costumed attendees at comic conventions (most recently he attended WonderCon) and he is about as gentle and sympathetic as possible when discussing the oft-maligned cosplayers. Chabon makes the point that no matter how perfectly crafted these costimes are (including the high dollar rubber nippled ones you see in Batman films) it just doesn't work because these costumes by their very nature can only work in comics (or animation).

Awesomely strange interview show (TV Party) with a very lucid and intelligent Jean Michel Basquiat and rock journalist Glenn O'Brien and a bunch of weirdo callers who say idiotic things like JMB has "beautiful eyes" and ask O'Brien what his astrological sign is and if he can take his shirt off in between blasts of screeching feedback. Basquiat sadly doesn't get to say much in the midst of the deluge of idiots.

Far better is this piece with Basquiat and Warhol (the volume is a bit low though).

Fuck it, we're a music blog!

Speaking of The Gurus this is their best song Bittersweet (among many many gems). Sure they're not pretty, if they had been they'd probably have been massive, but their songs were as as sexy as Marion Cotillard in a fish scale dress.

The Pillows have a new record out, Wake Up Dodo and it's a pleasant surprise to find it on iTunes .
I came to The Pillows like most American fans thanks to the anime insanity of FLCL (Fooly Cooly) which not only featured the shimmering J-Rock of "Ride On Shooting Star" as it's theme song, but also featured Pillows songs throughout the series.
Anyway while less eccentric than say Cibo Matto (another favorite group of mine), The Pillows are similarly deeply rooted in western rock but with ample shards of Japanese quirks that make the band fresh even a their most derivative. As for Wake Up Dodo, it's fairly straightforward pop-punk that for lack of a better description is a melodic hybrid of Ramones and Beach Boys. So let's split the difference and say they're sort of a Japanese Hoodoo Gurus. It helps that they are also obviously influenced by The Pixies (and really there is no better musical influence than that) and even have a song in their archive titles simply "Kim Deal" with appropriate swaths of juicy bass.

PS. The links to Ride On Shooting Star, and "Hoodoo Gurus" above both take you to delicious Youtube videos of the song or band in question (in the Gurus case it's for "What's My Scene." God you gotta love YouTube. No matter all the stupid videos it is a mindboggling archive for everything imaginable including videos, and shows you thought you'd never see again.)

Pyongyang comics

They didn't write much of a story here
but it's interesting that a guy did a comic about North Korea. This is essentially another "hey comics aren't just for kids!" piece but with the slight spin that "Hey comics actually can do journalism and news." Anyway to all my readers in Pyongyang, this one's for you.

Rob & Big Net Surly Spidey

UPDATE TO THE NOW_DELETED VIDEO

Hi,

Recently I've noticed a lot of people landing on this page searching for the great Rob & Big clip where they net a d*bag in a Spider-Man costume on Hollywood Blvd.

Unfortunately, although many other Rob & Big clips are available, this particular clip appears to have been scrubbed from the net. I don't know if MTV or Marvel are the uptight ones but you can find the opening scene of the clip HERE (this Spidey must be Ditko era based on that wimpy physique)

I have yet to locate full clip including the scene where Rob & Big actually get their revenge.



You can play this pleasant little Rob Dyrdek video game for free online here

The animated Charles Burns

I really like this Charles Burns' animation.

Ladies and gentlemen: MOEBIUS

Jean Giraud works a little one-minute magic on Lt. Blueberry. With Depeche Mode's "Dream On" as the soundtrack.

Fresh Meathaus

MEATHAUS PREVIEW
pages

The anthology returns again with now famous alumni--James Jean, Farel Dalrymple, Tomer & Asaf Hanuka intact--plus rising talents like Dash Shaw, Tom Herpich, & Dave Kiersh among many. Plus Ralph Bakshi!??

As usual the lineup is impressive but will the heavy hitters really have time to contribute great work, or are they just cleaning out their desks?

Thumbs Up David Choe

THUMBS UP
SEASON 2


Dave Choe's obnoxiously rich and prolific reign of awesomeness expands to yet another medium.

Thumbs Up is my favorite travel show (even better than No Reservations, and more humane).
I'm posting this almost as much to remind myself to watch all the Season 2 eps. as I am for whosoever is reading this. I'm still watching the last few eps of Season 1. I can't believe that Choe's traveling companion and biographer Harry Kim actually takes the crust off his Wonder Bread even though he happily eats a sandwich consisting of peanut butter and sardines. How could you even taste the crust (the best part of bread by the way) through that foul combination of flavor?

Nice I-Racks: Marjane, Lindsay, and Harry. S

Marjane Satrapi from the Feb. 25 ish of New York magazine (the one with a nude layout of lindsay lohan…that’s right search engine spiders I said NUDE PICS OF LINDSAY LOHAN…come to me babies).

Anyway, Satrapi endorses Obama. The tart-tongued Iranian ex-pat said at an NYC screening of Persepolis: “President Truman wanted to help Iran go into democracy. Eisenhower came and he fucked up democracy in the whole region. So after that I think democrats are definitely better.”
On Obama she says (in a none too subtle dig at Hillary): “He’s the only one intelligent enough not to give a quick answer to very complicated questions. He doesn’t talk bullshit. Plus he was against the war from the beginning.”

I love Obama but I don’t exactly trust Satrapi’s logic here. Obama doesn’t give quick, pat answers to very complicated questions like Hillary because he hasn’t been in the game long enough to figure out the answers to those questions. Otherwise he’d play that game the same way as any politician except for Gee Dubya who basically admits he’s a stupid fuck and doesn’t care about answers, questions or all this “governin’” BS, just give him and his cronies more money baby.

So in conclusion: Obama good. Hillary good. Satrapi good (when she‘s not being oh so bad). Truman sorta good. Nude Lindsay Lohan better than expected. And any chance to take another jab at the scumbag Dubya presidency, very very good indeed.

Angouleme video

So lets take a quick look at Angouleme shall we.

Japanese town OBAMA backs a winner

I thought Obama sounded Japanese and indeed there is a small town of 30,000 in Japan named Obama. And the townspeople, recognizing a tourism opportunity when they see one is all for our man Barack becoming the next President. To wit:

From The Montreal Gazette:

The city mayor sent Obama a letter, lacquered chopsticks and the city's tourism brochures a year ago, but Obama had yet to reply, he said.

"So far we have been unilaterally giving him 'love calls' as we have a close affinity with him, although we have not met him," said Hideki Ikegami, a city official in charge of promoting tourism. "Perhaps Mr Obama has yet to know and feel the real festive mood prevailing here."

But Obama knows about the small city that bears his name and has even encountered a former resident.

He once said that during a visit to Japan, the immigration officer took a look at his passport and said to him: "I'm from Obama."

In a related story the German burg of Mitt could not have cared less that Romney asshole dropped out of the race.

300 Less Popular In Iran than actual Americans

I was reading a very fine article in the Travel section of the Sunday New York Times on visiting Iran (the entire is online as well). The author James Vlahos is in fact American, but as a frequent correspondent for National Geographic, one not wholly unfamiliar with inhospitable locales. As it turns out he was welcomed by almost everyone he encountered and said that all he had to do to make a new friend or get invited to tea was stand still for about 30-seconds. I mention this partly because the author stated that the subject that most aggrieved Iranians was less Bush/Cheney's endless saber-rattling which they were basically used to; but rather how the Persians were portrayed in film adaptation of Frank Miller's 300.

The articles ends charmingly enough with the author in a cafe that goes entirely quiet when he reveals to the man beside him that he is American. All eyes turn to him and then the man beside him pats him on the shoulder and says happily "Our governments are bad, but the people are good." Truer words were never spoken.

Of course there's another comics tie in the frequent references to the pre-Islamic ruins of Persepolis for which Marjane Satrapi named her acclaimed graphic novel about growing up in Iran.

Kirby & Steranko on Nick Fury