Whee! Super spies, evil guys (and gals) and perhaps some long trench coats and fog await you, dear reader over at Movies, Silently and a few other blogs over the next three days. Pop on over there and like a hero in a good spy mystery, you may find yourself rendered unconscious and wake up somehow back here reading not one, but TWO posts about secrety angenty stuff. I won’t say which flicks get the treatment here, but I bet you’ll wake up tomorrow and forget ALLLLL about what you saw. Um… Wait, that’s NOT a good thing! Hmmm… I should have diluted that formula a little more, huh? Oh well, as long as you click and read, I’m happy! Mua-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa…
Tag Archives: Reads
READS: Super Graphic Is A Must For Comics Fans AND Statistics Hounds
Writer/editor/designer Tim Leong is a genius, packing all 192 pages of his VERY informative (and a lot more hilarious) new book Super Graphic with graphs and charts and statistics on a wide range of comic book trivia. Ever want to know how much leg Wonder Woman has shown over 70 years? Or how many places in the world (and off it) Tintin has been? How about the difference between cosplay and crossplay? Maybe you’re really curious about How many times the letter “V” was used in each volume of V for Vendetta? Don’t guess, now – buy this book instead!
These and many more answers await in this amazingly cool book which doesn’t use a single illustration from any comic out there. Instead, it’s all an amusing collection of stylized lists and artwork that never fail to entertain, educate and inform with a fine sense of humor throughout.
The book is chock full of serious info as well, but it’s the humor that ties everything together. If you don’t laugh upon seeing the Gotham City Police Department’s Utility Bill (page 154) or the two pages on Why Guys Like The Invisible Woman and Why Guys Like Spider-Man (pages 84 and 85), you may need to go to Doctor Strange and get your head shrunk for a spell. Oh, and that Venn diagram with Stan Lee’s Nicknames for the Marvel Bullpen (pages 68 and 69)? Priceless. Disney and other comic and comic strip characters, manga, anime, animated movies and indie comics also get covered here as well as lots of non-comic, but related info. So if you’re not a member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society or a junior member of the Justice League, you’ll still find a great deal of interesting stuff here to pore over. Pick this up for $18.95 over at the Chronicle Books website.
IDW Brings Cerebus: High Society Into The 21st Century As A Digital A/V Experience
“Cerebus means so many things to so many readers, it really is a monumental work of our times,” said Justin Eisinger, IDW’s Senior Editor Books. “Having the opportunity to work with Dave and his team to bring this High Society set to life—and in this form—is a special experience that we’ll never forget. The creator PERFORMING the story?! It’s a hell of a thing.”
One of the more impressive graphic novel runs of the 20th century, Dave Sim’s 300-issue Cerebus may have ended ten years ago, but the assorted “phone book’ reissues have been in demand and the best of them, High Society, is still in the process of getting a major restoration job for what’s looking to be the ultimate version of that critically acclaimed story arc. While you’re waiting, IDW comics and Cerebus author/illustrator Dave Sim have a nifty surprise for you to spend some money on this August. According to the press release:
The Cerebus: High Society Digital Audio/Visual Experience has Dave Sim reading every issue in character—complete with accompanying music and sound effects—while motion effects applied to the story art present the material like you’ve never seen it before. Each issue also includes a section of full Editorial Comments from Sim, giving fans a virtual guided tour of this masterpiece.
Well, wow. And here I thought we were just getting the book in a new edition when I opened that email. Here’s what the inside of that package looks like:
If you’re new to Cerebus, this is where the book hit its stride, as Sim’s formerly mostly comic take on sword and sorcery got serious as it added even more political and social thematic elements into the story as the aardvark ended up at The Regency, a hotel filled with intrigue, secrets and many tales that expanded the character and his supporting cast into the limelight and became a must read when each issue hit the shelves. Interestingly enough, this project started life as a Kickstarter and got fully funded (I missed that boat, by the way), so it seems that Sim and his best known creation are getting both old fans and a whole new generation of them into the series in a grand manner.
Pricing is TBA, but I’m gathering it’ll be somewhat affordable, as Sim hopefully wasn’t being paid by the character for doing all those voices! More on this one in a bit…
Rainy Days And Mondays Always Gonna Get Me Down (For Some Gaming)…
…Or a good movie or book. Or some bad ones from any of the three choices (plus a few other forms of entertainment). As I’ve gotten older (and fartier, ha ha), I’ve slowly come to the realization that the best way to handle any bumps in the road of this thing called life is to have a hobby or hobbies that can ease the travel (and in some cases, the travel time) down the creepier and less well lit pathways we all drive into. Sometimes, it’s just good to vanish into a bit of harmless fantasy just to ease out of a stressful situation for a few hours and chill for a bit.
Yep, even it a completely off the walls horror flick like this one can get the blues chased down and considerably maimed into submission!
I’ve also found sleeping on some problems doesn’t work as well as it did years back because the whole “waking up to that problem overcooking on the stove” thing is worse when you’re older, wiser and able to do more about stuff than you could when you were younger (and a lot less smart). Interestingly enough, watching a film can actually HELP in some cases when that film happens to show a usable (and hopefully, legal) means to tackling at least part of that thing that’s plaguing you.
In other words, a damn great laugh can really help ease some types of physical or mental pain. I’ve had a few aching body parts soothed temporarily by laughing my ass off or being otherwise distracted by a movie (when it was too hard to concentrate on reading) or game (during times when I could hold a controller while something was hurting up a storm). That said, “Laughter is the best medicine” isn’t a miracle cure at all, folks – just a well-known old adage that’s true because the distraction of a solid belly laugh or giggle-snort gets your brain off the pain and onto the laugh track where it belongs. A good joke can also make for a clear head once you’re upright from that doubling over, I say.
Anyway, pay no mind to the old man – I’m just in a bit of a thoughtful mood lately…
More Star Wars Day Madness? Hokay, Knock Yourself Out, Fans!
One: The folks at mimoco are running a Caption Contest that ends at MIDNIGHT! Th prize? Your choice of One (1) 16GB retired Star Wars MIMOBOT from the #MIMOVAULT (if available, at their discretion) or one (1) of their 32GB USB 3.0 current series MIMOBOTS. Woo! Time is running out, so go HERE and enter to WIN! You can also boogie on over to the mimoco shop and get 20% off any Star Wars USB drives you buy for 24 hours PLUS free shipping for U.S. orders over $50!
Two: Chronicle Books is doing their May 4th up a few ways today, starting off by announcing a fun new kid’s book available for pre-order, Goodnight, Darth Vader by writer/artist Jeffrey Brown.
Yes, it’s TOO cute, but according to those folks at Disney who now own everything Star Wars, most likely NOT at all part of the new canon they’re creating (boo!). Chronicle also has a free activity kit you can grab PLUS a cool facebook contest for an excellent Star Wars prize set that includes books and some really cute maquettes!
Three: Her Universe is offering up a 40% off sale on SELECT Star Wars items, three new items in their SW line and a $10 Star Wars Mystery Tee (what could it be?). Well, you’ll just need to buy it and find out, correct? Everyone loves surprises, right? Well, unless it’s Jar-Jar Binks staring at you when you open that Mystery Package… Eeek.
Anyway, there’s a lot more going on allll over the internet to-day, but I’m tied up in a few other things and just cobbled together some of what but busting my inbox’ back. Anyway, go consume mass quantities or something and… oh, you know how the rest of that goes!
Dark Horse Comics Wants You to WIN $1000! But There’s A Nicely Nostalgic Catch-ola…
Yeah, that’s right. You need to buy a copy of Mike Richardson and Bruce Zick’s The Atomic Legion, read it up right (and probably upright!), all the while with your thinking cap on. Come up with EVERY reference in the book and you score a thousand bucks and your favorite comic emporium scores that much in Dark Horse comics and graphic novels. Of course, they’ll probably try and SELL you that thousand bucks worth of books to match that cash burning a hole in your winning pockets, but hey… such is the life of supply and demand, right?
Sounds like a plan, man or ma’am? The get to it then! I scanned the preview pages and my head nearly exploded because I saw TOO many references to stuff from back in the day. I’d say every panel has something and I got quite a chuckle going on the page with the old comic titles that might fly over the heads of the whippersnappers looking to score an easy grand. This one won’t be simple at all, but I know someone will luck out and score that loot…
Dark Horse Presents Returns In August With Some Killer Tales…
Let’s see now: All NEW stories featuring Geof Darrow and Frank Miller’s Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse’s Resident Alien, Brendan McCarthy’s Dream Gang, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Andy Kuhn’s Wrestling with Demons, Damon Gentry and Aaron Conley’s Sabertooth Swordsman, and the return of David Mack’s Kabuki? Yup. 48 pages, five bucks. At a comic shop near you and most likely on Dark Horse Digital, too. Nice.
READS: One Of My Favorite Books Is BACK Where It Belongs…
I’ve had three copies of Yasunari Kawabata‘s wonderful Palm of the Hand Stories since 1988 and all three (one hardcover, two paperback) have vanished. Well, I gave two away and the third one vanished during a move and I never got around to replacing it. So when I saw this hardcover copy for under two dollars last week on eBay it was go time. No, not “Go” time – I’ve never learned to play that classic strategy game… oh, you know what I mean. Anyway, I’m happy it’s back in my possession and nope, you can’t borrow it. Pick up your own somewhere and dive in. Kawabata’s short stories are lovely little slices of life’s moments and at 238 pages, it’s a pretty quick read you’ll go back to time and again. And before you ask why it’s called “Palm of the Hand Stories”, get your mind out of that gutter and consider that they’re all only a few pages long, silly. Anyway, that’s my recommend for the week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some catching up with a few old friends to do…
IDW Wants Some Of You To Go Broke: Silver Surfer, Manhunter, Lawnmower Man Artist Editions On The Way…
Well, wow. According to the fine folks at Comic Book Resources, IDW’s pricey and VERY desirable Artist’s Edition series is getting at least three more amazing tomes this year in a limited print run form only a select few will be able to get their hands on. To the press release, Robin!:
At the Artist’s Edition panel, Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier showed off some of the amazing art included in the Marvel Cover’s Artist’s Edition and announced that John Buscema’s Silver Surfer (in cooperation with Marvel Comics), and two more projects with Walter Simonson, Walter Simonson’s Manhunter & Other Stories (in cooperation with DC Entertainment), and Walter Simonson’s Lawnmower Man Artist’s Edition portfolio, collecting the entire Stephen King-penned story into a deluxe portfolio, will soon join the IDW Artist’s Edition catalog!
I’ve seen a few of the previous Artist’s Editions in person thanks to a friend who can afford to shell out for them and all I’ll say is they’re the closest thing to owning the original art you can get (at a far more reasonable price, of course). Expect superior quality reproduction from the originals, warts and all (hey, comic art SUED to be all hand-drawn and lettered!) and something you’ll not want to loan out or have the kids use as snack table reading after that finger painting session, that’s for darn sure.
Prices and release dates TBA. I’ll also see if I can dig up pics from that Lawnmower Man book, as it’s one of Walt Simonson’s quirkiest-looking stories in terms of the artist cutting loose and having a blast with his pens and brushes.
Reads: To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis
When Meriwether Lewis took a couple of bullets too many in his room at the Grinder’s Stand early in the morning of October 11, 1809, I’m sure Urban Dance Squad’s “Famous When You’re Dead” wasn’t playing in his head beforehand, nor was he thinking that he’d be immortalized in countless books, films and other media well into the present day.
In her new book, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis Charleston, SC based author Andra Watkins brings Lewis back to life in a beautiful and memorable manner, as his ghost becomes the guide for a young girl in 1977 as the pair travel from New Orleans to Nashville. Without spoiling much, the book grabs you from the first page and holds you down page after page thanks to Watkins’ solid pacing and fine writing style that blends fact, fantasy and fiction as the travelers work to overcome a few interesting obstacles of the living and dead variety… Continue reading



