17 July 2006
16 July 2006
[comics] Fan Response to News Of Tom Frame’s Death: Judge Dredd – Speechless.
[comics] Rest in Peace Tom Frame — I’m very sad to hear news about the death of Judge Dredd’s Letterer. Mike Collins On Frame: ‘Tom’s no-nonsense, finely spaced, tall text is as much a part of Mega City One’s environment as Dredd’s helmet or badge.’
15 July 2006
[comics] Rogues’ Gallery Runoff — a list of villians unlikely to turn up in future Superman movies … On ‘Capitalism’ as a Superman villian: ‘…the blatantly leftist political sympathies of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster have faded as Superman has become less of a rage-filled activist and more of a benevolent caretaker.’ [thanks Stuart]
12 July 2006
[comics] Long Roundtable Watchmen Interview with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons soon after Watchmen was released …
Alan Moore: ‘…if we have any optimism in [Watchmen] it’ll be valid optimism because it won’t simply be based on ignoring the nasty facts of life. To me, just in that last panel, in Godfrey’s last line “I leave it entirely in your hands” – that’s talking to the reader as well… I leave it entirely in your hands, how do we sort out this Gordian Knot? If the question is who makes the world? then if there’s an answer it is that everybody does. Yeah, there’s people that seem to be in more immediate power than others but really the world is an elaborate series of accidents, coincidences and unbelievable synchronicities that people appear to be in control of but… well, think about the events in your own life, the things that have made really dramatic changes in you can be traced back to deciding to pick up a ballpoint pen or not pick it up.’
10 July 2006
[comics] Review of Lost Girls — Blogcritics.org reviews a preview copy of Lost Girls … ‘Much of Moore’s work involves a critical transformative event that breaks the border between worlds, such as the genocidal concentration camp that creates his “V” in V For Vendetta, or the murders of Jack the Ripper seen as a kind of invocation for the 20th century in From Hell. In Lost Girls, the telling of sexual histories by his girls is a chance for them to escape old hurts, embrace old pains and enjoy their sexuality unashamed. Wendy, from Peter Pan, is a tightly wound Victorian prude when we first see her, but gradually opens to embrace her lusty past with Moore’s sexaholic Pan.’
[comics] Cape Fear — The Guardian asks if Superman is still necessary? … ‘Superman seems to thrive – at least in the movies – in periods of political conservatism or backlash. This is true of many superheroes, but particularly of Superman, who is not usually considered a rebellious figure.’
[comics] Steve Bell’s cover to The British CB Book from 1981 …
3 July 2006
[comics] From Zero to Hero — How does Hergé’s Tintin compare to great literature? ‘…should we now claim, posthumously, on Hergé’s behalf, that in fact he was a writer, and a great one? My short answer to this question is: no. My longer answer is that the claim we should make for him is a more interesting one. And it revolves around two paradoxes. The first is that wrapped up in a simple medium for children is a mastery of plot and symbol, theme and sub-text far superior to that displayed by most “real” novelists. If you want to be a writer, study The Castafiore Emerald. It holds all literature’s formal keys, its trade secrets – and holds them at the vanishing point of plot, where nothing whatsoever happens.’
[shop] Forbidden Planet’s Blog 
… the famous comic shop gets a blog.
… the famous comic shop gets a blog. 30 June 2006
[comics] Alan Moore TV interview from 1987 — watch young Alan Moore flipping his hair back all the time as Gaz Top interviews him about Swamp Thing and plugs the recently released (at the time) Watchmen.
27 June 2006
[comics] John Byrne and his Forum discuss Lost Girls … Byrne: ‘This thread is officially too depressing. That there are people who would defend Moore on any grounds just adds to my overall sense of having wasted 30 years of my life. End of thread.’
[comics] Metafilter on Lost Girls … ‘So is this really a viable business model? Take a children’s classic, toss in some pornography, generate some canned controversy and then PROFIT!? I’ll be watching closely to see how much Moore rakes in on this. If this works then I can finally start shopping around my The Secret Life of Tiggers.’
25 June 2006
[comics] Rich Johnson Reviews Lost Girls: ‘This comic has driven me to complex thought, to patterns and ideas staying fixed in my own mental space that will stay with me. I will quote this book in conversation, I know it. I will see others through it, I will filter experience through it, it has affected me as much as any fiction can.’
[comics] Rich Johnson on Lost Girls: ‘But I can’t see this being published, with Alan Moore’s current media profile, with the characters of Alice, Dorothy and Wendy used in this was (not to mention the coincidental Harold Potter) without someone kicking off. Am I the only one who can see “PEDO PAN” as a front-page headline of the News Of The World? I’ve already been asked for comment by the BBC which is planning a news feature in a couple of weeks.’
24 June 2006
[comics] Alan Moore’s Erotic Lost Girls — some pages from Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie’s Lost Girls [NSFW].
23 June 2006
[comics] Hospital worry at “porn” take on Peter Pan’s Wendy — Reuters on Lost Girls … ‘Moore insists on calling the work “pornography”, while Publishers Weekly, in an article earlier this year, said it involved “fetishism, incest and even a touch of bestiality, as well as a whole lot of sexual activity involving minors”. It is due to be published in the United States in August.’
[comics] ‘Sex acts’ Wendy is Panned — CNN on Great Ormand Street and Lost Girls … ‘Stephen Cox, the hospital’s spokesman, said in a telephone interview Friday that it has not taken legal action against Moore and is was waiting to see whether the author will contact the institution to discuss its objections.’
[comics] Comic row over graphic Peter Pan — Great Ormond Street Hospital isn’t happy Alan Moore sexing up Peter Pan’s friend Wendy … ‘The Lost Girls, which shows Wendy in erotic trysts and being observed by paedophiles, is the latest work by Alan Moore, the British graphic novelist behind V for Vendetta. He said that his novel was inspired by Peter Pan but he would not seek permission to use the Wendy character. “I don’t see that you can ban anything in this day and age,” he said.’
22 June 2006
[comics] The Myth of Superman — Neil Gaiman and Adam Rogers on Superman … ‘Other heroes are really only pretending: Peter Parker plays Spider-Man; Bruce Wayne plays Batman. For Superman, it’s mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent that’s the disguise — the thing he aspires to, the thing he can never be. He really is that hero, and he’ll never be one of us. But we love him for trying. We love him for wanting to protect us from everything, including his own transcendence…’
16 June 2006
[comics] D’Blog of ‘Israeli — the blog of comic artist D’Israeli … ‘Want to know what being a comic artist is about? Packing, that’s what. I always start out with the intention of making some great new thing that’ll redefine the medium, but in the end, it’s always comes down to packing, cramming it all in.’ [via Pete’s Linklog]
14 June 2006
[comics] 100 Reasons Why I Love Comics (#1 – #25) …
- Alan Moore.
- Grant Morrison.
- From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell.
- Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
- Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli.
- Cerebus by Dave Sim and Gerhard.
- St. Swithin’s Day by Grant Morrison and Paul Grist.
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.
- 2000AD (between 1977 and 1989).
- The Castafiore Emerald by Hergé.
- Steve Bell.
- The Playboy / I Never Lived You by Chester Brown.
- Dan Clowes.
- Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Various Artists.
- Elektra: Assassin by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz.
- Hate by Peter Bagge.
- It’s A Good Life if you Don’t Weaken by Seth.
- “Gaze into the Fist of Dredd!”
- Peep Show by Joe Matt.
- Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau.
- The Alec McGarry Stories by Eddie Campbell.
- Daredevil.
- Rupert the Bear Annuals (Probably the first comics I ever read).
- Brendan McCarthy.
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill.
13 June 2006
[comics] 100 Reasons Why I Love Comics (#26 – #50) …
- Grendel: God and the Devil by Matt Wagner, John K. Snyder III and Jay Geldhof.
- Charley’s War by Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun.
- Hellblazer #27 – Hold Me by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean.
- The Batman TV Series.
- Shadowplay: The Secret Team by Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz.
- V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
- Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
- Judge Dredd.
- Stray Bullets by David Laptham.
- Alan Moore on Swamp Thing with Various Artists.
- Carlos Ezquerra.
- Ghost World by Dan Clowes.
- Evan Dorkin.
- We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.
- Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon by Hergé.
- Brian Bolland.
- American Flagg by Howard Chaykin.
- Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo (the Manga and the Film).
- Warren Ellis.
- DC comics from the 60s with go-go checks on the cover.
- The Shadow by Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz and Kyle Baker.
- The Incredible Hulk.
- Hellblazer.
- America by John Wagner and Colin MacNeil.
- Lex Luthor.
12 June 2006
[comics] 100 Reasons Why I Love Comics (#51 – #75) …
- Why I Hate Saturn by Kyle Baker.
- Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein.
- The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke.
- Uzumaki by Junji Ito.
- John Garrett.
- The Time Machine (from 2000AD #324) by Alan Moore and Jesús Redondo.
- The Eltingville Comic Book, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy and Role-Playing Club comics by Evan Dorkin.
- Philip Bond.
- All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.
- Neilalien.
- Eightball #22: Ice Haven by Dan Clowes.
- Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan and Pia Guerra.
- General Zod as played by Terrance Stamp.
- Comics Letterers — Tom Frame, John Constanza, John Workman and Tom Orzechowski.
- Issue 6 of Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III.
- John Wagner.
- Tomb of Dracula by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.
- The 600 page novelisation I did of the Judge Dredd story Apocalypse War which is now sadly lost to history.
- scans_daily on LiveJournal.
- Barry Allen.
- The smell of old comics.
- Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly.
- Moon Knight by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz.
- Zenith by Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell.
- Walter the Wobot.
[comics] 100 Reasons Why I Love Comics (#76 – #100) …
- Rom the Spaceknight.
- Dave’s Long Box.
- The 1989 Batman Movie. directed by Tim Burton.
- Winker Watson from The Dandy.
- Mek-Quake.
- Animal Man #26 by Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog.
- Mike McMahon.
- Diesel Sweeties.
- Dave McKean.
- Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks.
- Captain Haddock.
- John Romita Jr.
- The V.C.s
- DR and Quinch by Alan Moore and Alan Davis.
- Green Arrow.
- Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu by Doug Moench and Various Artists.
- Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Micheal Avon Oeming.
- The Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons.
- The Watchmen Smiley Face Badge.
- The Mighty Tharg.
- Jack Chick’s Comics.
- Robert Crumb’s Cross-hatching.
- The Original Superman Movie.
- DMZ by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli.
- Chopper (aka Marlon Shakespeare).
10 June 2006
[comics] The Diary Of Ralph Dibny … the weblog of the superhero formerly known as Elongated Man … ‘It’s been a couple of weeks since the unpleasantness with the alternate earths and the killing and the shouting and all and my therapist thinks I should start keeping a journal of my inner thoughts and feelings. Well screw you Dr Willis. If you were any kind of therapist I wouldn’t respond to a serious global emergency by sticking a goddamned gun in my mouth. I blame you for the last three suicide attempts, you quack.’
6 June 2006
[comics] New Comics Blog: Blog@Newsarama.
5 June 2006
[comics] All-Suck Batman and Robin — a review of Miller and Lee’s All-Star Batman … ‘The thing is, the book IS immensely enjoyable. It’s like watching a really fascinating train wreck. I simply cannot tear myself away from reading it, and I’ve gotta tell you, I eagerly await the next issue as much as any of my favorite books.’ [via Metafilter]
2 June 2006
[comics] In praise of … Tintin — from today’s Guardian Leader … ‘Journalists envy Tintin as a reporter who never feels pressure to file a story, but everyone else can just enjoy the plots. The early books are of their period, stereotyping Africa and Africans but, from the Blue Lotus on, Tintin sides with the oppressed, fighting Nazis, communists and capitalists alike.’
1 June 2006
26 May 2006
[comics] Warren Ellis on Superman Returns: ‘…[the Superman Returns Trailer] hits the high points of the mythos in a sequence of painterly, carefully composed shots over an altered John Williams score. My appreciation of the Superman movies stops about halfway through the first one, but those high points have over the years accreted the strange magic of Judeo-Christian myth about them, and as a writer I can admire that.’ [from Bad Signal]
25 May 2006
[comics] Graphic Novels for People Who Hate Comics — a list of serious comics for serious people … ‘Did you notice how the good graphic novels plumbed teen angst and autobiography for material? Did you further notice how the great graphic novels covered bigger subjects: the Holocaust, the Islamic Revolution, the Trojan War? Coincidence? I don’t think so.’ [via Waxy’s Links]
21 May 2006
[comics] Out-of-Context One Panel Theatre … ‘You’ve got to earn my ring, boy.’ [from scans_daily]
20 May 2006
[comics] Free Scott Pilgrim — Brian Lee O’Malley’s comic for Free Comic Book Day available online. ‘SCOTT PILGRIM. PREPARE TO DIE.’ [via Do You Feel Loved]
17 May 2006
[comics] Top 50 Marvel Characters List — if I were to do a list my #1 Marvel character would be the legendary John Garrett (from Elektra: Assassin) … On Iron Man: ‘Tom Selleck in a can! With Bluetooth compatibility!’
[comics] Dave Sim Reads the Bible to Feed the Hungry … ‘No Preaching: Just the Scripture.’
15 May 2006
[comics] 52 Pickup — a blog looking at DC’s new weekly comic series 52 (which is partially written by Grant Morrison). ‘Ralph Dibny believes himself to be hopelessly imperfect; he couldn’t save his wife, he couldn’t do much in the crisis, he’s a relic of the Silver Age, etc. Hence his near-suicide attempt. But he is a detective, after all, like Batman — and, actually, like Montoya. And what detectives thrive on is mysteries…’
12 May 2006
[comics] Evan Dorkin: Did Someone Say “Pirate Monkey”?
11 May 2006
[comics] He say Blade Runner — BeaucoupKevin posts a page from Marvel’s comic adaptation of Blade Runner.
7 May 2006
[comics] Sean Phillips has a Blog … ‘The Hardest Working Man In Comics…or a hack…U decide!’
3 May 2006
[comics] Alan Moore Quotes: ‘Life isn’t divided into genres. It’s a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you’re lucky.’
[comics] But Is It Art? — interview with Dan Clowes and Terry Zwigoff. Clowes on Conceptual Art: ‘I don’t want to come off like one of those Republicans picking on the NEA, like, “Oh this guy pissed on a crucifix and called it art.” That’s not what this is about. But when I was in art school, people literally were bringing in the tampon in the teacup.’ [via Robot Wisdom]
[comics] Superman Returns Trailer … ‘You’re Bald.’
1 May 2006
[comics] Daniel Clowes Talks Confidential — Clowes interviewed regarding Art School Confidential … ‘I figured we’d work on (Ghost World footage) a bit and be done in two weeks. Cut to a year later and we are still struggling and rearranging scenes and changing the music and doing all of these drastic and subtle things. It made me realize how fluid the medium of film was. You can change a film entirely — you can give the two different editors the same footage and they’ll make two entirely different films…. It got me excited about trying to figure out how to edit and change comics after the fact.’
28 April 2006
22 April 2006
[comics] This Vicious Cabaret — an MP3 of David J. performing a song taken from Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta. (from Hidden City)
20 April 2006
[comics] Grant Morrison Quotes — posted at Wikiquote … On Comics: ‘Truthfully, the job security in this business is uncertain, the hours are long, long and lonely, the audience is increasingly small, fickle and dissatisfied, like 3 of the 7 Dwarves. Respect is nonexistent, success fleeting; you’d be better off in a boy band, where at least you’d get laid before they made you obsolete.’
[films] Film of the Book: Top 50 Adaptations Revealed — a list of best book to film adaptations includes Frank Miller’s Sin City.
18 April 2006
[comics] The Mathematical Cartoons of Larry Gonick … [via Neilalien]
(Gonick on Lumps and Chaotic Mixing)
(Gonick on Lumps and Chaotic Mixing)
17 April 2006
[comics] Irreconcilable Sameness. (from Mark Stivers)
