Summer of Unmatchable Hustle

After a summer hiatus, I now come back to bring you my noodnik sense of cool. That guy in first place my hustle is like his unmatched

Mailbag

Every now and again I get interesting questions, whilst I sling books. So I figured I’ll start answering them blog style so all of you can share in my awesome insights.

Last Wednesday (06-04-08) I got the comment/Question of

Q: I was reading Hellboy and I noticed that in early sketches of the character he had more of a superhero and in the comics he has very sunken shoulders. What up with that?

Well here’s the deal, from reading interviews with Mike Mignolga he based Hellboy’s persona around every boy’s first superhero his pops. Mike’s dad was a cabinet maker who routinely witnessed other guys getting nails stuck in their hands and getting 15 inch shards of wood as splinters. His dad would come home and tell him about it, and be all casual about it.
What does this has to do with Hellboy’s sullen shoulders? Well it’s simple, Hellboy acts the same way, he treats the work he does like a job. In the movie he’s more of an unsung hero and not like comic Hellboy who’s just a blue collar working stiff. His posture reflects this. You ever have to wake up early for school or work and the first words out of your mouth is just a string of obsenities? Imagine if your job was to deal with weird bastards who want to use magic to bring about the apocalypse, or watching your fish buddy get shot by a monkey? That’s this guys life, it seems more taxing than heroic. That’s why I think Hellboy is awesome he’s not angst ridden sissy he’s a man’s man, there’s no time for that crap.


Some one came in recently and asked me point blank this question (06-11-08)

Q: What’s going on in X-Men?

A: Four words: The fuck if I know.


See you at the shop...

Quick...

So it's 12:05 am Wednesday morning, I stumble across Tila Tequila and there is only one phrase that can describe my feelings towards this show and Tila Tequila herself...

What a self indulgent whore...

that is all.

I usually try and have a picture of something to keep everyone who reads this thing at least visually stimulating. but no right now I'm terribly upset at everyone who made this "See You Next Tuesday" famous


Go to Hell

Community

Like most things in life when you get enough people doing something, it kind of becomes a community. I started blogging cause of my boy Neil Parbhu. Then I started reading Massacre Mike K's then Tim started his blog, then Jon Ho. We're all into similar stuff but every blog is unique.

If you're looking for cool we got the market cornered now there's a new (to me) blog that belongs to an old skool friend of mine Steph! Her art is wild, and I think you all know my affinity for art. I'll keep adding to the list of cool people who do cool blogs.


Also There will be a crazy post about stuff tomorrow...

Since i can't think of an image that works i'm just gonna put something cool to look at

Looking Forward...

So the tide has turned on DC comics. Two years ago the lead up to Infinite Crisis is all the rage, OMAC's were all around, magic itself was tearing itself apart, B-List villains were fighting against the big boys and alian wars were tearing the galaxy apart. All fronts were being assulted and the three greatest heroes were at each others throats. Weather its bringing back the multiverse or destroying it, Infinite Crisis, One Year Later and 52 were some of the most inventive things in comics, it's never been seen, the years of planing the almost Marvelization of the villains and the big creative teams. DC was at the top of it's game and I bought in, I was a big supporter of this new wave of strong editorially controlled comics, I welcomed back the iron fist of the Jim Shooter days. Then they got some top talent writing books. Kuberts, Richard Donner, Terry Dodson and a whole mess of guys who write stories that we all enjoy. Then they just stopped producing. How do you have Adam and Andy guys who were the go to guys over at Marvel and then they stopped working. So all the crazy good stories and creative teams just never showed up.

Over at Marvel the cock and bull wild west antics of free range writing and late books was super shitty. With the exception of anything written by Bendis and Brubaker, editorially it was a mess. (I'll save talk about Marvel for later.)

The tide has turned, over at DC continuity had become greed, and what started out as the cool idea of weekly comics turned into weekly comics with fifty million off shoot books. Countdown... alright i can buy in. Countdown To (Adventure/Mystery/What the Fuck Ever) at 3.99 a book and eight months of your life that's when the riot begins. Some of the stuff is good, but wholly unnessisary in the grand scheme of things.

This Final Crisis better pay off, The art will be strong, it's J.G. Jones. I have no idea what to expect from the writing, Grant Morrison is good but a little off kilter at times, what happens when you give him control of the crossover that's gonna decided what happens at DC for the next year?

There will be some good coming out of this, there is something good coming in August, a three issue mini written by DC mastermind Geoff Johns and drawn by George Perez. SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION OF THREE WORLDS is gonna kick some serious ass. Over the past year Superman Prime has become one of the coolest villains because he is fanboy, he wants to kill what he doesn't like and hates the multiverse, and when he's rolling three world's deep with the baddest of the bad... FUCK YEAH! This is gonna be sweet. I think Geoff Johns is the only guy who can handle a company wide crossover. He knows the history he knows the characters and man if anything the real awesome comes in August, but we're gonna have to hold out keep the faith and read whatever crisis is thrown at us, or we can read about the Cylo-- I mean Skrull invasion...



See you at the shop.

By the way, I have it on good authority that Camron is a Skrull. Do with that you will.

Finally! Something Worth Posting About!!!!

One of the biggest thing to me about NYCC this year to me was footage from season 3 of one of the best cartoons to hit planet earth ever, and no ignoramus I do not mean Family Guy, I mean real cartooning, cartooning that rolls big with laughter and just awesome. VENTURE BROTHERS!!!!!* So cause it's 2 in the morning and I'm wide awake and excited without further adew the trailer!

IMPORTANT DAY!!!

April 2nd is more of an important day than any of you think, now when you think of this day historicaly in 1513 Ponce de Leon created spring break by discovering Flo Rida, I witnessed two groups get verbally raped in tech class but above all these things there are two birthdays that are very important.

First, Sir Alec "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Guinness was born today in 1914 and he's awesome not just because he was the trainer of Skywalker's, but this guy was a man's man he served in WWII and the British Royal Navy, it's just funny how he wanted to get killed cause he thought Star Wars are going to be a bomb, but nevertheless he kept up and turned all ghosty and watched his boy Luke grow up, and really if you look at the prequels as the story of Obi-Wan, drop kickin Jango Fett, and cutting Darth Maul in half what a badass! Alec Guinness died in the year 2000 but today is a day we should celebrate this guys status and the man who taught us all the ways of the force.

Also! The hottest girl in the universe was born today Roselyn Sanchez. Now I don't know much of her work, i remember her from 'Rush Hour 2' and yes, I'll admit that even watched 'Boat Trip' cause she was so friggin hot! I'm assuming that her 'heynow!' is so beautiful that it'll melt your face like the Ark of the Covanent.

Oh yeah and Secret Invasion #1 shipped today, with an awesome start to the story, and cleaned up art by Francis Yu. Top friggin notch! I'm actually a fan of his New Avengers work sketchlines and all, but his retro clean style works really well in what I'm hoping will be the awesome crossover of the summer.

The Gem that Time Forgot...

Smaller films always get lost in the Hollywood machine shuffle. The small feature called Primer was one of those films. This movie is about one of my favorite things to watch a movie about TIME TRAVEL from Back To The Future, all the way to Southland Tales I am all about breaking the fourth dimension.

This movie is great, clocking in at just under 80 minutes it jumps right into action, having a very subtle way about it, and if you're one f those people who tends to not pay attention in movies you'll never like or understand this, but if you're one of the good people then you'll enjoy this film, and like me you'll wanna watch and re-watch this thing cause man alive it's so friggin interesting, even if you're not an engineer...

THIS IS NOT NEWS!

You know what the problem with news media today is? That bloging makes the news, broadcast journalism is the biggest farce they read magazines, and they read blogs and then they report it like they discovered and it's their opinions. What sparked me to say fuck broadcast journalism is i saw this piece on the today show where they were talking about Lebron James Vogue cover with Gisele Bundchen, they're calling him King Kong holding the blonde, they're saying he's fucking up his image, this makes no sense to me. When I saw the cover it looked like a cover, it was a crazy high energy image, and you know what if I got to take pictures with Gisele Bundchen I'd have the same expression on my face.

"FUCK YEAH! I GET TO GRAB GISELE BUNDCHEN ASS!" that's what that face says to me. Good on you King James, straight up I hope you steal her sexy ass from Tom Brady and take a year off and just and make her shit funny for months on end.

She's so fucking hot!

But I digress, it's I just wish they reported news as opposed to talking shit about Lebron . Isn't the America in peril and crisis right now? What's happening in Burma? everyone forget about that?

Fuck the Today Show.

Things That Scare Me #1

Last night I was coolin out with in Myron's fantastic garage hangout, as we cooled out shot shit and watch TV Conan O'Brien had an all star show of The Rock, Ed Helms and Bjork. Now I can watch any sort of horror movie and not be scared but if you strapped me to a chair and held my eyes open like in "A Clockwork Orange" and had me watch Bjork preform I'd release my bowels in terror of her spastic motion and creepy pale skin. Bjork is the probably my biggest fear currently, above, Terminators and the ocean.

She's so gaddamn creepy, so much so I don't care how good her music is, the images of her are burned into my mind and man alive I wouldn't wish this upon my most hated of enemies.


So Bjork (seriously what kind of name is that?) you terrify me...

Jon Ho! Watch the Wire!

If you know anything about the shop you'd know that if you missed something on TV you can talk to Jon Ho and he'll use his wizard powers and correct the situation, but I tell You Jon Ho has season 1 and 2 of The Wire and has yet to watch it.

If anything next time you see this man, ask him why he hasn't watched it? hound him, barade him and badger him until he finally watches it. Make it the only point of conversation until he has no choice until he does, lets use the power of the interweb to make him watch it.

See You at the Shop!

Get Ready

Now some of you may know, that my somewhat dream is to have my own radio show, I'm one step closer, Jeffrey, WH, Jon Ho and myself have recorded the first of what i hope to be many kick ass podcasts...

I'm in photography class, I'll talk to you later

On Time?

So far so good! Brian Hitch and Mark Millar's newly birthed run on fantastic 4 is like my ex's menstrual cycle! On TIME!

Now I'm sitting in design class, so i can't talk long, but! This is a big thing to me Never IN Life did i think that this book would actually be on time, I know it's only the second issue but even Ultimates 1 issue 2 was late. So its kind of a big deal... well at least to me.
PEACE

363 Days Until Watchmen....

I'm hyped, in 363 days Alan Moore's opus is made into a full length feature film, Everyone is skeptical, and I'm pretty sure after I get over the initial thrill of seeing these characters on film, I may hate it, but before then I'm willing to get myself jazzed. So with that being said weekly I will post not Watchmen news, but things that enhance the total Watchmen experience... lets start with this:

Ozymandias
by Percy Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Q: Hey What's better than reading my words about stuff?


A: Hearing me!

Hopefully by this weekend I'll be rockin the podcasts with a cast of cool people. get ready for comic talk as well as politics and hot lady types.

that's right, I said lady types!

oh yeah and here's some more Human Giant!

It's been awhile so lets start off by saying what up to Javier Bardem not that I know him personally, but he seems like a cool dude. Anyways onto what I was talking about.

So I'm looking forward to Wednesday, it's a Brubaker TRIPPPLE header get this bit of crazy Captain America #35 (the further exploits of the new Captain America) Criminal 2 #1 (for serious it's like realistic Sin City) AND! AND! Daredevil # 105 (that nogoodnic Larry Kranson and Parker Robbins are still riding Matt Murdock's itch)

If that doesn't make you wanna scream 'HOLY CALAMITY!!! SCREAM INSANITY!!!' I have no idea what will.


Next!

I was lucky enough to see New Frontier about a month early and man is it worth your time and effort. Adapted much more closely than the Superman/Doomsday movie, this seventy minute movie is quite the production, from the incredible voice talents of David Boreanez (probably didn't spell that right but you know he's Angel/ 'the dude from Angel who is on Bones', Lucy Lawless and NPH! The Story is strong, the animation is based on Darwyn Cooke's art. IF you wanna learn more about DC's Golden Age, this is where it gets real.

One More For The Road!

I've been shown some of the worlds greatest comedy, if any of you are acquainted with Flight of the Conchords and you remember the racist fruit stand owner, that cat is funnier than you could ever imagine. Check out his comedy stuff Human Giant is where the party is at.

New Kid On the Block

It's been awhile, there's been a lack of new blood over at the 'House Of Ideas' Bendis and Brubaker have been running the show for like 3 years and there's just a lack of new energy rocking around the Marvel U... UNTIL NOW

Meet Jason Aaron, writer for the DC/Vertigo series Scalped which in and of itself is pretty fantastic but now he's rocking like Bendis did in his workaholic prime. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, it's only been one issue each of the new books he's taken over (notice how i haven't mentioned the titles of these books yet, I bet the wait is killing all of you slowly.)

Six issues of the useless story of Wolverine digesting a hand grenade story is over and now we're on to the post Messiah Complex hunt for Mystique. With solid art form Ron Garney and some streamlined use of Wolverine having all his memories back, as opposed to just tossing it all into another book and having it making no sense. Now the search of Mystique kicks off with the bang, actually more like a firing squad, then it gets kicked up three notches when it goes on a cross town chase through the heart of the middle eastern world.

The best part of all this is that it actually ties in with Uncanny X-Men and X-Force, thank you for finally reforming the X-Men universe, and making it worth my reading.


Now here are words I'd never thought say in from when this series started.

"Ghost Rider issue number twenty...was actually a good read." - Justin Elliott

This series started off weak, and poor man's Garth Ennis (Daniel Way) had no idea what to do, and it ended with Ghost Rider actually being an angel . (what?) But in a good example of lemon's into lemonade, Jason Aaron managed to make it at least a cool read, not taking itself to seriously but still maintaining what made Johnny Blaze awesome.

These are two books that kinda faltered for awhile and now have a good chance to kick back and really get back to seventies marvel.

All Growed Up

So I read the new issue of Nightwing, or rather the past 2 issues of Nightwing # 140-141 and boy howdy can this Petey Tomasi write Dick Grayson. If you look at the character he's really the first person who was practically born into the superheroic life, but unlike Batman he's less a terrifying icon and more of just that kid you watched grow up and take charge of his own shit.

Not to give to much away but he's cooling out with Superman, the JSA he's dating broads, and rolling with his buddy Wally West. I'm saying it from now if DC handles this correctly this style of book and if others become more like it, they can win that war against Marvel.

What? Big talk eh? Let me explain. The problem with the DC universe is that it's based more on iconic character and archtypes rather than humanistic character, but with characters like Nightwing, and pretty much the original Titan's growing up they can have a more humanistic approach meaning you'd get the big iconic stories, as well as some decent ballast with characters who do have problems and are people first.

So kudos to the power team of Peter Tomasi (Black Adam) and Rags Morales (Identity Crisis) this book has had a great kick off and hopefully it'll be the first of a new generation of heroes being taken seriously as characters and not just sidekicks.


Peace Peace Y'all

See you at the shop!

Flabergasted, and Discombobulated

This week is hard, between Captain America, Y:The Last Man, Batman, Green Lantern and Ultimate Spider-Man there is just too much goodness to be singled out. So what I'm going to do is talk about nothing until my brain is re united with my skull... hopefully this will be soon or we're all in trouble.

This One is For Chris Ho

If there's two things that Heroes World Alumni and funnyman loves it's Steve Carell and The Rock the international trailer for "Get Smart" which stars BOTH these actors has just hit. Rumor has it Chris Ho has just exploded with anticipation.


You can see the video... at this link


http://wbads-63.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbol/uk/movies/getsmart/get_smart_tlrf2_qt_500.mov

Hot Water Art

Now as many of you know I am a huge fan of all the good that comes out of deviant art, even though there is a ton of people who A.) can't draw and B.)post odd psudo-porn pictures of cartoon characters (I'm not going to post any, find it yourself). Tonite while watching Arrested Development I was link hopping from Tim Townsend (kick ass inker) and like Moses coming down from the mountain I bring you some links that will make go damn! I'll start with some artist you may know, and remember this is an ongoing process so everytime i find something i'll hit you cats up.

Lets Begin!

Ed McGuinness

http://skage.deviantart.com

LeSean Tomas (Designer for The Boondocks)

http://lesean.deviantart.com

Tim Townsend

http://timtownsend.deviantart.com

Rico (Colourist)

http://whoisrico.deviantart.com

Ferd Poblete (former Dreamwave inker and you can catch him at the Heroes World when he buys his books)

http://callmepo.deviantart.com


The secret is you check out their art and then you check their favorites the rest is easy.

this is the kind of stuff you eventually find when doing such things (see top)

REVIEW!

Serious Books!

This week hit hard, with Marvel pumping out the books with huge titles to round out the end of this month. lets start with...


Ultimates 3

Now for the second installment of Joe Mad's return to comics they jump right into the fray, showing just how damaged Hawkeye is, to the point of him being shooting at and picking on sixteen year old Spider-Man, also some good character development behind him when all he seems to care about is protecting his new family. With good action and some nice art and set up it makes for a fantastic read.

Now On to the Problem. I don't know what Cockamammy idea Mark Millar put in Jeph Loeb's head but Captain America is such a square. Might as well call him 'Four Corners' and this guy has the time durning a fight with a malicious killer (Sabertooth) to talk about the 'moral decline in America' I hate to use internet speak but WTF! The design of the book and the story move well, but using Mark Millar template for characters was a bad idea.

Other than that I decree this to be a decent read.

sorry people, I gotta get to class

See you at the shop

Lots of stuff... Yet Nothing at all

So much has gone on today, and there's a bunch of knowledge I'm getting ready to drop on you, and like a fool i didn't drink a coffee tonite.

so I'll hit this up tomorrow. also cupcakes are delicious and i plan on dreaming of electric sheep.

Oh! who thinks cult status is abound for The Dark Knight? i mean everyone was looking forward to this movie anyways but toss on a death attached it only increases hype.

Oh!2 Drop dead Chuck Norris, you're a hairy redneck and why should anyone listen to you about who should be elected president.

Oh!3 I'm going to read some serious stuff, and report back to you all tomorrow. as well as all the research I'm going to be doing on sleep.


I can't think of how to end this half ass post so ladies and gentlemen i give you...

David Bowie

Living Under a Rock

So I was reading the other day that, every one's new screen writing darling Diablo Cody and the hit she wrote 'Juno' may not be as original as everyone thinks. There's a Korean movie called "Jenny Juno" which is a about a Korean dude named Juno who knocks up his girl and has to mature and the like to take care of this. I'm not saying that Diablo Cody lifted this idea, but it seems to damn similar to not be an influence in some way. Of course most of you won't care because Juno made you feel smart and nice in that coming of age sense, so does Squid and the Whale and really that was a better movie. I'm not gonna lie, I am an elitist when it comes to media, if you're on the same page as me which i know most people who read Vertigo comics, watch movies that aren't at a Cineplex, and listen to music that's not on the radio are, doesn't it seem a little peculiar that there are two movies with similar subject matter and really have characters with the same name in it and it's NOT an adaptation.

Diablo Cody has responded to this on her blog (is it me or does everyone have one these days?)

"Unbeknown st to me, we had another spiritual cousin out there, a Korean movie called "Jenny, Juno", This time, the cousinry goes one step further and the movie is about--seriously--a pregnant teenager and her cute, sweet boyfriend. (The guy character is named Juno, not the girl.) There's no adoption subplot and apparently the film is otherwise dissimilar to mine, but how fucked up is that? I bring this up because a journalist drilled me about it recently--awkward!--and also because I saw someone on our IMDb board wondering if Juno was a remake of the K-flick. So for the record, 1.) it isn't a remake 2.) I haven't seen 'Jenny, Juno,' though I want to now, and 3.) I don't think anyone would even bat an eye about this if my film was called Jenny. The name Juno is just so darned distinctive that confusion is inevitable"


Confusion? I dunno... if you're getting into film (which i hope to do someday) you try and get your hands on anything you can get, and if you can adapt something you'd do it. because we all know that Reservoir Dogs is just an adaptation of a old John Woo movie. Doesn't make it shitty, it doesn't make Tarintino any less of a filmmaker, it's just something if you're really into film you know.

This probably won't affect Diablo Cody in anyway, this Ex Titty Bar dancer is too damn hot and with Ellen Page and Jason Reitmen backing her she has nothing to fear. It's not like they throw you outta Hollywood if you adapt things. Just admit you've at least heard of it, because as we all know the Interweb is a merciless place where loudmouthery rules.

Oh and by the way, I enjoyed Juno, but really the script was decent but the directing and the soundtrack rocked the hell out of that bitch!

If you haven't seen Thank You For Smoking and you're giving Bigups to Juno you're only proving to me that you're one of the ruiners of all things cool.

See you at the shop!

What's Wrong With You!

Out of all the books that aren't being read, the thing that pisses me off the most is that the new Action Comics story isn't being consumed on mass. We're three issues deep into it and Heroes World still has first prints of Action Comics #856.


The team is solid, you got Geoff Johns rockin' the words and Gary Frank being kick ass on the art, and as of right now it's monthly. SHOCK!

Now for all those who don't like Superman you can go suck a lemon. For those of you who understand that you can still tell a good story with this classic character here's the rundown.

The story is titled "Superman and the Legion of Superheroes" starting in the 30th century with a dying planet and a couple sending their last son off to the world that made way for the galaxies greatest hero. Good call right? but when the baby gets there and some sterile couple in Kansas find it and they do what any responsible earthling would do when an alien baby lands with no one to take care of it... Kill it!

That's just the prologue the rest of the story deals with Superman having to go back to the 30th century (he hasn't been there since he was like 15) and the crazy thing is the sun's red now and also the Legion are rebels because some dick weed said he found proof that Superman was from Earth, and aliens suck.

With art that makes you believe that Superman is real, and a story that just won't stop everyone who's not reading this should be.

As far as why this is actually a good an relevant story it's kind of obvious when you look at the world today. History is written by the victor and people who did bad things to get to good places become heroes, and a hero's legacy isn't what it was due to manipulation. If you don't know what I'm talking about just look at how and who was slandered by the republican party in the last two elections.



Post Script: This is the first of what i hope to be many entries. Thanks to Andrew "never wrong" Wright and the rest of my peoples.


see you in the shop!