Thursday, October 27, 2005
Actually, She's Named After the Clone
Nicholas Cage says he named his son Kal-El (Superman's birth name) because he has a soft spot for comics, which taught him to read. I'm down with that line of thinking, because comics (and the patient father who read them to me every night) did the same trick for me. I was the only five-year-old on my street who knew the words "ragnarok" and "malefic".
I also got the shit kicked out of me a lot.
On a related note, I love thinking about my little sister having to explain to everyone she knows for the last 29 years why her middle name is Gwen.
She's just lucky my parents didn't go with my first recomendation, "Toothar". On second thought, who am I kidding? That would be a fucking awesome middle name.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Jack Kirby Hiatus Wednesday
I got nothin'.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Criminalizing
By now you've probably heard the phrase "criminalizing politics" at least once from a right-wing apologist who is interested in justifying the exposure by the Bush Administration of Valerie Plame as a CIA spy. I think this phrase is terrific and I can't stop thinking about it.
However, the reason I dig it is not because I think Prosecutor Fitzgerald is (potentially) unfairly seeking charges against people who have engaged in behavior no worse than what should be expected in Washington.
No, the reason I love it is because it sounds like a slogan for the Republican party as I see them. It's like I asked them a question: "What the hell are you lunatics doing?" A: "Oh, we're just criminalizing politics!"
Hopefully these fools have peaked. We'll see.
However, the reason I dig it is not because I think Prosecutor Fitzgerald is (potentially) unfairly seeking charges against people who have engaged in behavior no worse than what should be expected in Washington.
No, the reason I love it is because it sounds like a slogan for the Republican party as I see them. It's like I asked them a question: "What the hell are you lunatics doing?" A: "Oh, we're just criminalizing politics!"
Hopefully these fools have peaked. We'll see.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Kochalkaholics Anonymous
Around the same time the Mountain violently thrust itself out of the digital mantle, Alan David Doane of longtime (in net years, anyway) comix site Comic Book Galaxy started Kochalkaholic, a blog dedicated to the work of Vermont cartoonist James Kochalka.
Author of the daily diary comic American Elf, SuperF*ckers and about 1,000 other wonderful, funny, sometimes frustrating comics, Kochalka is an amazing creative force—and a unique voice in the world of independent comics. His work, infused with a DIY joy, agressively rejects the cynicism, terminal mopiness and studied detatchment of the AltComix All-Stars (you know their names; they all listen to ragtime 78s and wear their grandfathers' underwear). For its part, Kochalkaholic has quickly proven itself a invaluable resource for Kochlaka fans. Particularly interesting are Doane's interviews with various people in James' life—which means invariably, his comics. His most recent interview is with Josie Whitmore, a student at the new Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont*. Like many of other prominent cartoonists in the Green Mountains, Kochalka is part of the faculty at this two-year graphic novel arts school. It's an interesting interview, not least of all because it helped my gauge my comic geek patheticism: yes, I was slightly bugged when the girl called her first comic "Cap’n Carrot and his Crunch-A-Carrot Crew." It's Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew.
Clearly, I need help. (And now that I think about it, her title is better.)
*I grew up about 10 miles from WRJ, and lived there for six months before I got married in 1994. I remember it as cloudy much of the time...or maybe White River is just grayer than other Vermont towns. If my impressions are any guide, upon opening this fall CCS instantly became the most interesting thing there.
Author of the daily diary comic American Elf, SuperF*ckers and about 1,000 other wonderful, funny, sometimes frustrating comics, Kochalka is an amazing creative force—and a unique voice in the world of independent comics. His work, infused with a DIY joy, agressively rejects the cynicism, terminal mopiness and studied detatchment of the AltComix All-Stars (you know their names; they all listen to ragtime 78s and wear their grandfathers' underwear). For its part, Kochalkaholic has quickly proven itself a invaluable resource for Kochlaka fans. Particularly interesting are Doane's interviews with various people in James' life—which means invariably, his comics. His most recent interview is with Josie Whitmore, a student at the new Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont*. Like many of other prominent cartoonists in the Green Mountains, Kochalka is part of the faculty at this two-year graphic novel arts school. It's an interesting interview, not least of all because it helped my gauge my comic geek patheticism: yes, I was slightly bugged when the girl called her first comic "Cap’n Carrot and his Crunch-A-Carrot Crew." It's Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew.
Clearly, I need help. (And now that I think about it, her title is better.)
*I grew up about 10 miles from WRJ, and lived there for six months before I got married in 1994. I remember it as cloudy much of the time...or maybe White River is just grayer than other Vermont towns. If my impressions are any guide, upon opening this fall CCS instantly became the most interesting thing there.
