Pyrrhic Victories

2007-01-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

Not sure if Juxtapose is biting Giant Robot or The Comics Interpreter
but their last two issues have featured GR & TCI staples David Choe, James Jean (as interviewed by Choe), and Seanna Hong. At least the magazine that trumpets ugly art (founded by Robt. Williams, no less) has found it's way to some stuff that is both edgy yet still beautiful to look at. Good art need not always repulse you know. I haven't read Choe's sure-to-be-great interview with JJ yet, but the interview with Choe himself is terrific, as are the sumptuous pieces of art chosen to accompany the piece.
Anyway at this rate, look for future Juxtapose issues featuring Hans Rickheit, kozyndan, and Dash Shaw.

2006-11-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Page from the Basilisk manga.

2006-10-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I was displaced and my life completely ripped apart on Oct. 13, and I've been without internet access until now. Not that it mattered. But it's been restored so I'll probably start blogging again sporadically (which is all I ever did before). Nothing really matters or means anything for me any more. But I'm attempting to do things that make the time pass until I screw up the courage to jump off a bridge or cut my wrists or something.

2006-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

2006-10-06T14:21:00.002-07:00

HERE COMES DUSTY PENCIL

Dustin Harbin, who for the past decade has been the ubiqitous righthand man of HeroesCon founder Shelton Drum, recently made this announcement:

"After ten glorious, back-breaking, and enormously educational years, I’m moving on, into the world of freelance illustration and graphic design. And thus, penury If you’d like to see what I’m up to, try out my website: www.dharbin.com."

It's a credit to Dustin that I didn't even know he could draw, since in the few times we talked he never once dropped that little tidbit or hit me up to promote his work (like so many other artists), or anything. And yet as his website attests, he can draw...very well. I see a little Troy Nixey and maybe even Renee' French in his work, but only a little. Give his site a look. Good stuff.

2006-10-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

COMICS EPHEMERA: AN EXERCISE IN MINIMALISM

Has it been far too long since you wondered Where's Waldo? Dash Shaw renews your quandary with this amazing (read: insane) new plaything.

See the full piece (as well as Shaw's original board game designs) HERE

And look for his new book The Mothers Mouth in stores now.

PS. I haven't bothered searching for Waldo, but it's easy enough to spot the androgynous banana that gave Shaw a handjob in Goddess Head.

2006-10-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting. It's been a rough couple of weeks and suddenly everything was rendered meaningless (especially this) for a frozen moment.

2006-09-17T02:52:00.000-07:00

LOST GIRLS SELLS OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN

This from Chris Staros of Top Shelf:

"Lost Girls hit stores on Wed Aug 31st, and the entire 10,000 copy 1st
printing sold out on that day. -- It even hit the "Top 20" on Amazon.com,
which has never happened to a Top Shelf title before. -- By that Friday,
the back orders in the Diamond system had already exceeded the 2nd printing
of 10,000, which is scheduled to hit stores in October. So, we went ahead
and ordered another 20,000 copies for the 3rd printing, to arrive in
December. If you see a copy, be sure to pick it up right away, as these new
printings are likely to sell out in short order as well."
-- $75.00 (US), ISBN 1-891830-74-0, FOR ADULTS ONLY
LG: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog.php?type=12&title=219

I will attempt to calculate exactly how much gold will enter Top Shelf's coffers as a result of this
on the next podcast. No really, I'm going to crunch numbers and everything. Like Jethro Bodine doin' his figurin'.

2006-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

2006 IGNATZ AWARD NOMINEES

Winners will be announced the night of October 14th at the gala awards ceremony.

From Best Online Comics nominee, Perry Bible Fellowship

Outstanding Artist
* Jordan Crane, The Clouds Above (Fantagraphics Books)
* Renee French, The Ticking (Top Shelf Productions)
* Tony Millionaire, Billy Hazelnuts (Fantagraphics Books)
* Anders Nilsen, Big Questions #7 and #8 (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #16 (Fantagraphics Books)

Jordan Crane's The Clouds Above

Outstanding Anthology or Collection
* Black Hole by Charles Burns (Pantheon)
* Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (Fantagraphics Books)
* D& Q Showcase #3 by Matt Broersma, Genevieve Elverum, and Sammy Harkham (D & Q)
* The Push Man and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Squirrel Mother by Megan Kelso (Fantagraphics Books)

Tatsumi's The Push Man

Outstanding Graphic Novel
* The Clouds Above by Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics Books)
* Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)
* The Ticking by Renee French (Top Shelf Productions)
* Tricked by Alex Robinson (Top Shelf Productions)
* Wimbledon Green by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)

The Ticking by Renee French

Outstanding Story
* Ganges #1 by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics Books)
* “Prebaby” by Joe Daly, Scrublands (Fantagraphics Books)
* “Somersaulting” by Sammy Harkham, D&Q Showcase #3 (Drawn & Quarterly)
* “To Capt. Ayres” by Andrice Arp, MOME Winter 2006 (Fantagraphics Books)
* We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin (Drawn & Quarterly)

Promising New Talent
* Andrice Arp, Mome Winter 2006 (Fantagraphics Books)
* Jonathan Bennett, Mome Fall 2005 (Fantagraphics Books)
* R. Kikuo Johnson, Night Fisher (Fantagraphics Books)
* Ben Jones, BJ & Da Dogs (Picturebox, Inc.)
* Hope Larson, Salamander Dream (AdHouse Books), Gray Horses (Oni Press)

Hope Larson, Salamander Dream

Outstanding Series
* Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics Books)
* Big Questions by Anders Nilsen (Drawn and Quarterly)
* Love and Rockets by Los Bros. Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
* Optic Nerve by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Owly by Andy Runton (Top Shelf Productions)

Outstanding Comic
* Big Questions #7 by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Ganges #1 by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics Books)
* Optic Nerve #10 by Adrian Tomine (Drawn and Quarterly)
* Schizo #4 by Ivan Brunetti (Fantagraphics Books)
* Stuff of Dreams #3 by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics Books)

Outstanding Minicomic
* Comicore Jr. by Paulette Poullet
* Gaylord Phoenix # 4 by Edie Fake
* Monsters by Ken Dahl
* Trackrabbit by Geoff Vasile
* Window #8 by Dave Lapp

Window by Dave Lapp

Outstanding Online Comic
* A Lesson Is Learned... by David Hellman and Dale Beran, www.alessonislearned.com
* Claviger by Ronnie Casson, www.girlamatic.com
* Micrographica by Renee French, www.serializer.net
* Perry Bible Fellowship by Nicholas Gurewitch, www.pbfcomics.com
* Thingpart by Joe Sayers, www.jsayers.com/thingpart/thingpart.html

Outstanding Debut Comic
* Action Philosophers #7: It’s All Greek to You by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey (Evil Twin Comics)
* Anyone But Virginia #3 by Zac Crockett and Josh Eiserike (Self-Published)
* Class of ‘99 by Josh Eiserike (Self-Published)
* Controller by Robin Enrico (Self-Published)
* Cross Country by MK Reed (Self-Published)
* Curses by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
* The Damned #1 by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt (Oni Press)
* Delphine #1 by Richard Sala (Fantagraphics Books)
* Daybreak by Brian Ralph (Bodega Distribution)
* Feral Ducks by FW Harvey and Josef J. Komenda (Self-Published)
* Hellcity by Macon Blair and Joe Flood (Gigantic Graphic Novels)
* Hwy. 115 by Matthias Lehmann (Fantagraphics Books)
* House of Twelve’s “Heavy Metal: The Movie” by various (House of Twelve Comics)
* Interiorae #2 by Gabriella Giandelli (Fantagraphics Books)
* Let Us Be Perfectly Clear by Paul Hornschemeier (Fantagraphics Books)
* Luba: Three Daughters by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
* Lucky by Gabrielle Bell (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip Book One by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Mourning Star by Kazimir Strzepek (Bodega Distribution)
* My Brain Hurts #4 by Liz Baillie (Self-Published)
* New Tales Of Old Palomar #1 by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
* One Last Ride On The Ghost Truck by Ben T. Steckler (Self-Published)
* Premillennial Maakies by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics Books)
* The Pirates of Coney Island #1 by Rick Spears and Vasilis Lolos (Image Comics)
* Project: Romantic by various (AdHouse Books)
* Rogue Satellite Comics: Crossroads to Lambada by Christopher P. Reilly (Self-Published)
* Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux (Oni Press)
* 12 Reasons Why I Love Her by Jamie S. Rich & Joelle Jones (Oni Press)
* We Must Become Our Heroes, vol. II, #1 by Jordan Giarratano (Big G, Little G)
* You Ain’t No Dancer Vol. 2 by Various (New Reliable Press)

2006 Ignatz Jury
Jeffrey Brown
Henry Chamberlain
Justin Hall
Laurenn McCubbin
Jim Rugg

2006-09-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

THE COMICS INTERPRETER PODCAST

PYRRHIC VICTORIES: Episode 7

The Brothers Hernandez panel (86 minutes) moderated by Peter Bagge. Recorded July 2006 at HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC. Featuring all three Bros, Mario, Gilbert and Jaime'; and the ever-loquacious Bagge.

Learn the source of Bagge's "pathological hatred" for punker Richard Hell. Hear Gilbert's hilarious story about the bungled suicide/martyrdom of Darby Crash; and why so many guitarists make the artistic decision to switch to piano. And oh yes...comics. Gilbert on working for DC. Jaime on his work for New York Times magazine. And Mario on the question he always gets asked. And the latest on the Love & Rockets movie (answer: don't hold your breath). And so much more.

2006-09-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

TAIYO MATSUMOTO

2006-09-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

NEAL ADAMS AUDIO INTERVIEW
Meanwhile: The (other) Comics Podcast

Adams talks to hosts T Campbell and Dave Belmore about his hard road breaking into Archie Comics and his long, tumultuous career in a business that everybody warned him about. It's an entertaining conversation, although the boys guffaw at almost every Adams utterance. But Adams certainly has plenty to say. Just wind 'im up and watch (or listen) to him go.

2006-09-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

COMICS, COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, ART, ARTISTS (this is for google)

The image at the left is just one of a plethora of eye-opening laughers from the endlessly entertaining Superdickery site. Racism, sexism, and 25 amusing examples of Superman acting like a real dick.
Have fun!

2006-09-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

COMICS, COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, ART, ARTISTS

2006-09-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

COMICS, COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, ART, ARTISTS

Matt Brinkman's insane take on New Mutants from the now-legendary Coober Skeeber.

(click to enlarge)

2006-09-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

GOOGLE ADS GO AWRY

I am disgusted and embarassed by the Google ad bars that are currently on my blog. They tune into key words to cue up relevant content and apparently my post two days ago about Steve Irwin The Crocodile H** nter inadvertantly cued up a shitload of absolutely disgusting ads for bloodthirsty lodges and clubs that cater to wealthy cowards who get their rocks off killing animals.

I say Fuck them!

Back to comics.

2006-09-02T02:49:00.000-07:00

Writer Deepti Lamba reviews the much-hyped bow of Richard Branson and Gotham Chopra's Virgin Comics #01 --Sadhu at Blogcritics.org

It's a fine review, just don't mistake the amazon.com ad for the cover of the comic.

ps. Hello Mumbai!

2006-09-02T02:27:00.000-07:00

Over at Newsrama, Scottish writer Mark Millar (The Authority, The Ultimates) says Hollywood is the latest threat to comic books.

This really struck me a few days ago when I requested an artist and discovered he’d be out of commission for the next eighteen months because he’d just landed a gig on a huge sci-fi movie. Eighteen months is a long time for a comics artist to be gone and this guy is so good, so popular, that I know he’ll have another three movie gigs waiting for him when his current commitment is done. And he’s not alone ... Likewise, every writer I know has a movie deal at the moment.

2006-09-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hugo Pratt

2006-08-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Anno Domini Presents...COLLABRO
(sounds interesting for anyone living near San Jose, CA)

"A collection of rare collaborative art pieces created by 90 participating artists. The Collabro group show aims to define a moment of the urban art movement, a movement met with evolutionary strides in ideas, composition and esthetic. In this contemporary art progression, artists are encouraged to break hard-line, uncompromising work conventions and instead progress with each other, as evidenced in the cooperative elements of street murals. For Collabro the artists have joined their separate art forms on shared! canvas space, providing exceptional opportunities in what can be called an "ego share."

Anno Domini is proud to be the host of the Bay Area version of this exhibit and has curated an additional 20 A.D. affiliated artists to participate. It was shown in Los Angeles this past May and has plans to move onto other cities across the U.S. over the next year."

Exhibit on view through thru October 21, 2006
Gallery Hours: Tues thru Sat., Noon - 8pm

COLLABRO participating artists:

Joshua Petker, Alex Pardee, Robert Bowen, Lesley Reppeteaux, ! Poor Al, John Michael Gill, Sophia Pottish, Scott Saw, Peter Taylor, Axis, Greg "Craola" Simkins, Isaac Pierro, Jophen Stein, Tim McCormick, Sylvia Ji, Len Croskey, Michele Waterman, Daryll Peirce, Gustaf Rooth, The Mac, Siloette, Luiki, John Stuart Berger, Dave "Persue" Ross, Tina Anderson, Kim Scott, Downtimer, Casey O'Connell, Tristan Eaton, Neko, That Kid Peep, Mike Maxwell, C. Liu, Monica Hoover, Chandu Reading, Ewsoe, Andre Salcido, Mark Bode, Marco Zamora, David Russell Talbott, Kelly Hutchinson, Brandon Steen, Meex, Ricky Watts, Chris Jehly, Jeremy Szuder, Blinky, Marcos Lafarga, Thomas Han, Erik Alos, Ekundayo, Ben Horton, Skinner, Chris Granillo, Daniel Fleres, Gale Hart, Loren Purcell, Iceberg Slick, Caeser Garcia, Clown, Sez, Andrew Brandou, Matt Stallings, James Naccarato, Jeff Soto, Joe Ledbetter, Jeremy Fish, Jesse Hotchkiss, Joe Joe, Misha, Ezra Li Eismont, Charity Romero, Dan Lewis, Matt Pugh, Jason Arnold, Tim Leirman, Lucien Shapiro, Dave Corre! ia, Brad Isdrab, Jon Wayshak, Sam Rodriguez, Paul Alvarez (Zen), Alex Lukas, Ned Ven, Jesse Reno, Ashley Montague, Alfonso Kellenberger, Rebecca Cotton, nOah, Yoshi 47

Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design
366 So. First Street map
San Jose, CA! 95113 408.271.5155
www.galleryAD.com

2006-08-29T05:46:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK KIRBY!

August 28th would have been Kirby's 89th birthday.

Here are a pair of typically jawdropping pages of Kirby's original art (from DC's New Gods, and the Marvel adaptation of Kubrick's 2001).

The man was an artistic titan.

2006-08-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

2006-08-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

Pyrrhic Victories: TCI Podcast Episode 6

You...must...listen...

Featuring an interview with acclaimed cartoonist DASH SHAW (Goddesshead, The Mothers Mouth); David Choe news, a quote from Seth, Lost Girls, Jack Jackson, Lil Mao & Friends, and more.

Plus our most grating musical bumper ever. You'll know it when you hear it. Bleed ears, bleed!

Pyrrhic Victories: Brought to you by the Honorable Brotherhood of Millet. True Roman bread for true Romans.

2006-08-24T02:49:00.000-07:00

HBO's ROME IS...
...absolutely fantastic!

If the promise of copious amounts of blood and sex alone don't grab you, then just read on for the more subtle finery of the series.

I don't have HBO so I have only seen the first five episodes on the just-released DVD collection, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better television series ever (although at HeroesCon Warren Ellis sung the praises of another HBO series, Deadwood)). The sets and wardrobe in Rome are as sumptuous as a feature film, and quite frankly this series obliterates the formulaic mediocrity that was Gladiator.

The acting from Caesar, to Atia, Brutus to Mark Antony, Pompey to young Octavian, and certainly Pullo and Vorenus, is uniformly excellent. Never for a moment do you see the craft, you merely see Romans in all their glory, machinations, and brutality.

The interpersonal intrigue and social maneuvering is every bit as fascinating and involved as that in Valmont (or Dangerous Liasons if you prefer).

Scenes like when Titus Pullo explains to his friend Vorenus (a lifelong soldier not given to Pullo's womanizing ways) that if he can just find his wife's special "button" that she will open to him like a flower. But also nothing works so well as to present a woman with the "still warm heart of an enemy." That he says makes them as "wet as October."

Or when Pullo and Vorenus discuss the stars in the sky: Vorenus explains that the stars are holes in the celestial body, and that they are much larger than they appear--large enough for a man to crawl through--but they look small because they are in fact "hundreds of miles" above the earth. Pullo, in total seriousness, says that it may be possible to reach them...perhaps if one were to ride a large bird. It's a great exchange in that it demonstrates the limited science of the times and the even more limited understanding that soldiers, as opposed to scientists, would have of the universe.

And everyone is flawed, and no one clean in ROME: Passive slaves get whipped simply to exorcise their master's daily frustrations. Innocent people are crucified (even by loyal, dedicated, Verenus) as a means to glean information for Caesar. And animals are cruelly sacrificed to myriad gods for even the most capricious of reasons.

Simply put if you haven't already seen ROME, then by all means buy or rent the DVD's. It's too good to be missed.

Addendum: The second season is filming now but sadly it's scheduled to be the last (so we'll never get to Caligula!?) The first season reportedly cost around $100 million for the 12-episodes (and you can see it on the screen), and for some bizarre reason the show's ratings didn't approach those of The Sopranos or some of HBO's past hits. Perhaps because it wasn't given anything approaching the promotion or publicity, because this show is every ounce as good as The Sopranos. In fact, fuck The Sopranos! I'd rather see Caesar and the original Italian mafia than those fat, fucks from New Jersey.

2006-08-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

DAVID LLOYD INTERVIEW

British artist David Lloyd, best-known for his work with Alan Moore on the V For Vendetta GN, talks about the film version and his latest work, Kickback. The book was originally published in France, because according to Lloyd, the crime genre wasn't that big in the US; but now it's being released domestically by Dark Horse.