Here is a new feature for you. We begin with a simple observation: a cat about to devour a bird. Enjoy.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
SPIKE # 3 Review
There can be little doubt after this third issue of “Spike” that Morgan and Spike have a lot of potential chemistry. The sequence of panels that have the two sitting down for a chat is teased out long enough to leave even the most ardent Buffy true believer uncertain of what will happen between these two. And that is no spolier, I’m sure. That is what we’re expecting to find and it is done well.
Part 3 of “A Dark Place” begins with a marvelous flashback that will leave you disoriented at first. In fact, it would be a crime to spoil that for you. We quickly enough find ourselves back where we left off: Pearl and Nash have crashed the scene in search of shards left over from the big blowup of the Seed. There are none to be had but that doesn’t stop anyone from a nasy fight. It’s during this scuffle that Spike and Morgan make their escape. And all of this leads us to the fine predicament that Spike is now in: Morgan is aboard his ship and she is calling the shots. This does not sit well with the ship’s crew of bugs one bit.
Sebastian, the bug left to worry the most over Spike, is beside himself in trying to warn Spike about Morgan. Has he fully considered this and that? Well, Spike must admit, no, he hasn’t considered this or that or anything, really. Victor Gischler’s script has given us a Spike we can believe in and viable rival to Buffy. There’s quite a delicious shower scene that shows us how close to the edge Gischler is willing to go, along with the help of the art team of Paul Lee and Andy Owens. Spike had been prompted by Sebastian to check in on Morgan just as she is stepping out of the shower stall. She snaps, “Go ahead and look.” Spike is surprised. Then she adds, “Through my clothes, I mean.” Well, she had to say that, all of that. Our boy Spike is playing with fire and only Sebastian can try to talk some sense into him.
The one thing, of course, than can instantly kill a date is if it’s clear either party is not showing interest. While not really a date, Spike and Morgan are both attentive to each other during their long talk over drinks. It leaves Spike a bit bemused and off guard. If he was really listening to what Morgan was saying, he might not be leaving himself so open. But who catches all the flaws on the first date? Well, maybe it’s not exactly a first date but maybe as close as Spike can get to these days. It’s close enough that he simply can’t see his loyal guardsman, Sebastian, as he’s flailing his little arms in the air in futile agony to warn his master.
“Spike #3” is avialable October 24. Visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics.
Filed under Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Spike
Review: A WRINKLE IN TIME: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
“A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel,” is as full of delight and mystery as the original book. Hope Larson, known for wonderfully ethereal comics like “Salamander Dream,” “Gray Horses,” and “Chiggers,” has taken the beloved classic work by Madeleine L’engle and honored it by embracing it with a fresh approach. In the hands of Larson, the characters come to life in a timeless yet contemporary way. There is Meg, the brilliant but insecure teen; Charles Wallace her little brother, who acts as her mentor; and Calvin, the trustworthy beau to Meg. A story like this, meant for children but easily enjoyed by adults, requires a healthy leap of faith. We get that right away with Meg. She is presented to us as a lovely and vulnerable being by Larson. In no time at all, we want to know more.
If you’ve read the original book or if you’re new to it, this version of “A Wrinkle in Time,” will delight you. What makes this graphic novel work is the character development that Larson did ahead of working on the book. Throughout, the characters are vibrant without any false notes. We can jump right in and enjoy a style that is both energetic and comforting. Larson’s mastery of the comics medium allows her to be spare when she needs to be and provide complexity with well chosen marks. In a less seasoned hand, the characters could have fallen into the trap of being generic and lifeless. With Larson, the suspension of disbelief is left intact. The only quibble that I would have regards some of the interactions between the characters. At some points, there is a conflict that seems to be abruptly resolved. Maybe that speaks to the flexibility of children.
This is a story about how things seem and about how things really are. A big part of the plot revolves around a daughter’s hunger for her father. How will she find him when there is so much deception in the way? “Daddy abandoned you.” “Daddy is a failure.” “Daddy never cared about you.” Meg must navigate through all of this if she can ever progress. There are many challenges to confront along with her father hunger that reach all the way to her very existence. We are all particles in a delicately balanced field. What to make of that? If Meg can see the deception regarding her father for what it is, she can then move on to seeing the world as it really is. She must trust her senses. She must trust herself. Ultimately, Meg will need to rely on every last fiber of her humanity to get her where she needs to be.
“A Wrinkle in Time” stands today as a very unusual and outspoken work. Essentially, the outspoken stuff is all about putting things in perspective and finding the power of love to help you get there. It is the gentle and very honest philosophy found in this book that has gained it the status of being a banned book in certain schools and libraries. Is there really something controversial to be found here? Well, that depends on one’s level of enlightenment, I suppose. For many of us, it is simply a cherished book and this new graphic novel version is a most welcome adaptation.
“A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel” is published by Farrar Straus Giroux and Margaret Ferguson Books. Visit them here. It is a 392-page hardcover, priced at $19.99 US. Learn more about Madeleine L’Engle and her work here. And visit Hope Larson here.
If you’re in Austin, Texas, on Friday or Saturday, October 26 – 27, stop by and meet Hope Larson at the Austin Books & Comics booth at Wizard World Comic Con. Some press release stuff for you:
Hope Larson Signing
A Wrinkle In Time
@ Wizard World Austin Books Booth
Friday & Saturday 3 – 6pm
Friday and Saturday we will be joined by Hope Larson, who will have copies of her beautiful graphic novel adaptation of the classic novel A Wrinkle In Time. We’ll also have copies of her previous works Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercuryavailable for signing.
Signing times:
Friday the 26th 3 – 6pm
Saturday the 27th 3 – 6pm
Filed under Comics, graphic novels, Hope Larson
Comics Grinder Update
If you are new to Comics Grinder, expect a lot of new content on the way and more original artwork along with the regular reviews, news, interviews and essays. You are encouraged to stay awhile and look around. There are a number of surprises for new readers like this interview with writer Mark Z. Danielewski which was part of Comics Grinder’s extensive Comic-Con coverage. MZD will be here on Comics Grinder’s own turf, Seattle, on October 28 for a reading at Town Hall and that will be a treat to comment on. And, of course, just around the corner is a big event, the 24 Hour Comics Day that will see Henry Chamberlain hard at work on his solo 24 Hour Comics Day effort at the Sorrento Hotel, 900 Madison Street, this upcoming weekend, October 20 – 21. If you happen to be around the area, then consider stopping by and saying hello. You’re especially welcome if you have any good stories related to the Sorrento Hotel. And, if not, it’s all good.
Filed under Comics, graphic novels, Seattle
NYCC 2012: LEBRON: KING OF THE RINGS
For fans of Christos Gage’s writing in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, you may want to consider his contribution to a sporty comic put together by Marvel Comics and ESPN. You get to see what happens when a mad scientist decides to clone basketball superstar Lebron James! It’s hoot of a story about a guy who knows a lot about shooting hoops. Get an overview from Marvel at NYCC here.
Filed under Marvel Comics
ART: Pumpkin Pie
Here is a close-up view of the pumpkin pie in a recent painting I did.
I love pumpkin pie and I’m always on the look out for the best version I can find. So far, I’ve kept my search down to various eateries I come across. I’m not sure if I’m up for making one from scratch. The basic recipe seems easy enough. Most involve buying the pumpkin pie filling already made. And there would be the challenge, to make your own filling. Anyway, if you’re in Seattle, and especially if you live in Ballard or are a regular at the Hi-Life restaurant, see if you can find my painting currently on display.
Filed under Art, Henry Chamberlain, Painting, Seattle
24 HOUR COMICS DAY: Henry Chamberlain at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle, October 20 – 21
Yes, you heard right. I will be doing a solo 24 Hour Comics Day at the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. 24 Hour Comics Day takes place on the weekend of October 20 -21. I will be there at the Sorrento Hotel creating my comic. Hope to see you there. The Sorrento Hotel is located at 900 Madison Street. For now, here’s a flyer for the big show. This event is proudly sponsored by Comics Dungeon, which is currently having an awesome moving sale so stop by and check it out.
Filed under Art, Comics, Henry Chamberlain
DARK HORSE COMICS PROMOTES SCOTT ALLIE TO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It is great news to learn about Scott Allie’s promotion to Editor-in-Chief at Dark Horse Comics. Scott is such a good guy. He is always accessible at comics events, is in tune with Dark Horse comics fans and the fans love him back. He is a very talented writer in his own right. He is simply a kind and down-to-earth person. I got a chance to have a chat with him over lunch when I did a tour of Dark Horse Comics headquarters in Milwaukie, Oregon. You can read that article at GeekWeek.
Dark Horse Comics Press Release follows:
Filed under Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Scott Allie
24 Hour Comics Day: A Night At The Sorrento
I am doing a special 24 Hour Comics Day event at the Sorrento Hotel this year which takes place October 20 – 21. I am proudly sponsored by the leading comics shop in Seattle, Comics Dungeon. In the same spirit as Molly Crabapple’s solo performances, I have booked a night at a marvelous hotel where I alone will create art throughout the night. This is not just any hotel. This is the landmark Sorrento Hotel that has been providing Seattle with its old world charm since 1909. It is regal. It is sophisticated. And it has stories to tell. My goal is to tell a story, or more, that do justice to this beautiful treasure of a hotel.
The goal of the 24 Hour Comics Day event, observed world-wide, is to complete a 24-page comics narrative during 24 hours. That’s what I will be doing. I will be drawing my heart out. In the process, I will have not only my comics project but any number of drawings that I will be able to work up into paintings at a later date. I will complete a 24-page narrative which I intend to build up into a graphic novel. Basically, I will make the most of this wonderful and exciting opportunity for any writer, artist and cartoonist. I will be discreet, respectful and play it by ear as to whether I’m at the bar in the Hunt Club or lounging at the Fireside room. Essentially, you’ll find me somewhere in the Sorrento Hotel while I am a guest at the hotel, from the time of check in at 4 pm on Saturday, October 20, up until check out the next day at noon. So, if you happen to spot me drawing, feel free to say hello. That same day, October 20, Comics Dungeon will host two amazing talents, Erika Moen and Jeff Parker who will be signing their collaboration, the graphic novel,”Bucko,” a very sexy and funny murder mystery.
Filed under Comics, Comics Dungeon, Henry Chamberlain, Seattle
BUCKO Review
“Bucko” is a webcomic-turned-graphic novel powered by the energetic talents of its artist, Erika Moen, and its writer, Jeff Parker. The beauty of this screwball comedy murder mystery is how it remains fresh and feels spontaneous up to the end. If you caught this comic while it was a red hot web sensation, you’ll want to get the book just released by Dark Horse Comics that adds some new things to the plot and does a fun and impressive job of giving you all the bonus features you could want. There is a cute and insightful ongoing commentary running at the bottom of most pages and there’s also plenty of witty observations in between acts. So, what happens in “Bucko”? Well, it seems like just about everything!
If this episodic comedy involving youthful misadventures makes you think of the cast of “Friends,” well, don’t. But the characters in “Bucko” can sure be friendly! The first few pages lead the reader to believe that stories about hormones run wild will dominate the comic. But there’s more going on here. As Jeff Parker explains in one of the book’s intermission observations, one of the aims of the comic was to not get predictable and not have readers just hanging on for the naughty bits. It’s a delicate balance. For a story to have authority, to really be a story, all the elements will need to follow a coherent tone. There needs to be a structure in place, an engine that keeps events and characters moving. As Parker puts it, “tone is everything.”
That said, the reader wants to be entertained and that’s the bottom line. Things move fast in this comic. It is a tight script that, for a webcomic, resembles more the best in television and not a clunky comic strip from yesteryear. Rich Richardson wakes up to a classic “morning after” scene. He is naked. He has had sex with someone new. He doesn’t know where he is at first. And then, bam! he realizes he has to get up and leave for an important meeting just minutes away! His partner from last night emerges, Gypsy Bouvier, and she’s still groggy too. All she can think to call the new boy in her life is, “Bucko.” Gyp fits Bucko up with one of her blouses and finds a tie from her roommate/lover to add to his look. Roommate/lover? There’s no time to ask questions! Bucko must rush to make it in time to a job interview so he can pay his rent.
Erika Moen has a delightful light touch to her drawing style. Her autobio comics, “DAR!” show the reader a very open and uninhibited person. Moen is comfortable with any topic, anything from sex to farts is fair game. That’s the spirit! Her chemistry with Parker is undeniable. Jeff Parker, you may know, is just as in love with the offbeat. Among a stellar roster of works, including comics scripts for X-Men and the Avengers, is one wacky adventure that Jeff did with Tom Fowler called, “Mysterius The Unfathomable,” which is required reading. In that story, eccentricity prevails. And so it does in “Bucko.”
In many ways, “Bucko” is all about the journey. Boy meets girl. Girl loses boy. And then…maybe…girl and boy find each other again. And, in between, we have steampunk Makers, Juggalos, Suicide Girls, meth heads, top hats and absinthe. With the journey, comes the right mix of attitude. It was during the start of the “Bucko” webcomic that the hit television show, “Portlandia” began to air. Okay, both are set in Portland and have a high hipster factor. Do you see any conflict with that? Actually no, the more the merrier. As Parker points out in the book, “While we shared a lot of things on a Venn diagram, we became conscious of staying distinct from the show.” In that regard, “Bucko,” is definitely in its own world.
“Bucko” is a 136-page hard cover, 8″ x 8″, and is $19.99. Visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics. And, if you’re in Seattle on October 20, come out and meet Erika Moen and Jeff Parker at Comics Dungeon.
Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Erika Moen, graphic novels, Jeff Parker, Webcomics
