Author Archives: Henry Chamberlain

About Henry Chamberlain

I am both a fan and creator of comics. I believe people have come to know me as a thoughtful guy. I hope you enjoy the views expressed here at Comics Grinder.

March 16, 2016 · 7:00 pm

Review: YEARBOOK HERO by Ami Komai

YEARBOOK HERO by Ami Komai

Ami Komai has so much fun satirizing the cool kids. Allisa and Matt end up hanging out a lot, although it’s fairly painful for both of them. Allisa needs Matt as a sounding board and pulls him out of his art supply store clerk job every chance she gets. Matt ends up being insulted by Allisa as she goes about venting. Matt, while essential to her routine, proves to be dull-witted at every turn. But they seem to look cool together as they take in the latest scene. That, and more, is what you can expect from Ami Komai’s first issue of the comic, “Yearbook Hero.”

Reading YEARBOOK HERO

In such a cool kid dynamic, it always comes down to every man for himself. Allisa keeps hanging out with Matt but, in the end, she really doesn’t care about anyone or anything as much as what impression she made with a total stranger. And that easily proves to her that nothing matters. Bravo. Wonderfully pithy stuff here. Komai is on the right track. And that is only the first story, “Dead Girl Water.” Komai writes and draws this comic which is in the tradition of Daniel Clowes and Adrian Tomine: off-kilter slice of life. Her style is more pared-down, lean, and does a great job of capturing perfectly deadpan hipster moments.

Panel excerpt from YEARBOOK HERO

The second story, “NASA Space Universe,” features Jean Paul, a possibly dead hipster. We overhear his friends on a road trip. They stumble upon a notice that states Jean Paul is missing, complete with milk carton portrait. They split on the idea of his being dead or still alive. This story is left unresolved. To be continued. And we end with a two-pager, “Heavy Love in Holograms,” that is concise and poetic and sums up the frustrations of a young woman. All in all, this is an elegant heavy hitter of a comic. I can’t wait to read more of Ami Komai’s work. Visit Ami Komai right here.

3 Comments

Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Hipsters, Los Angeles, Minicomics, Satire

Tagged as comics, Entertainment, Media, minicomics, Pop Culture, Publishing, Writing

March 16, 2016 · 10:15 am

Review: DEPARTURE by Jeane Wong and Roy Stewart

DEPARTURE by Jeane Wong and Roy Stewart

DEPARTURE is another comic that has recently intrigued me with its low-key approach. It is one of those comics that creeps up on you, panel by panel. It’s not an easy story to tell. It begins with the domestic violence that two brothers must endure at the hands of their father growing up in the backwaters of Louisiana. This puts their mother in great harm. And it’s only a matter of time before Michael and Rafe must confront the situation. Written by Jeane Wong, and drawn by Roy Stewart, this comic can be considered a stand-alone, and also serves as a prequel and back story to a television pilot Wong has written.

Reading DEPARTURE

Jeane Wong’s script is lean with the right hints of pathos. Roy Stewart’s artwork neatly mirrors the style and mood of the script. Stewart’s spare linework keeps the vibe somber and tense. Among Jeane Wong’s work, she wrote for “The Vampire Diaries” for D.C. Comics. Among Roy Stewart’s work, he did the artwork for the graphic novel, “Aleister Crowley: Wandering the Waste.”

Panel excerpt from DEPARTURE

The issue I picked up proves to be a good teaser for a larger work. Apparently, since this 16-page edition first came out in 2015, a new 32-page edition is now available at Amazon and you can check it out right here. From the description, I can tell that this latest version expands upon the initial opener. Beyond this introductory story is a larger work which involves an alternate America where segregation still exists. That is Wong’s TV pilot. It’s interesting how, once a work is out there in the world, it takes on a life of its own. So, if you pick this comic up, unaware of a bigger story down the road, you’ll still find much to like. On the strength of this initial effort, I look forward to more work from both Wong and Stewart.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Minicomics, Television, writing

Tagged as comics, Entertainment, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Television, Writing

March 14, 2016 · 3:00 pm

Review: ‘Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet’s Ace Reporter’ by Tim Hanley

There is no Lois Lane without Superman. Okay. But is there no Superman without Lois Lane? That makes sense too but it’s more complicated than that, as Tim Hanley points out in his new book, “Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet’s Ace Reporter.” Lois Lane. Who is she? What Hanley concludes is that the general public has got a good handle on this: Lois Lane is a smart, capable, and determined journalist. But it took DC Comics a very long time to come around and understand this.

Lois Lane and Superman, circa 1970

In a book that is brimming with facts, Tim Hanley provides a highly accessible read on an iconic character that has been put through the wringer. Hanley’s 2014 book, “Wonder Woman Unbound” was highly insightful and entertaining. With this new book focusing on Lois Lane, I think he’s really hit the nail on the head. Here is a female character who has been a part of DC Comics right from the start and holds a unique position as the key partner to Superman, the most celebrated superhero of all time. As a significant female character in pop culture, we have in Lois Lane an informative gauge of how women have been depicted and treated in media and society in close to a century in America.

Superman and Lois Lane, circa 1938

Lois Lane began as a “sob sister” on The Daily Planet in 1938. As a woman, she was initially relegated to answering letters from women readers seeking advice on love and relationships. But Lois was persistent and it wasn’t long before she was holding her own with other newspapermen. She had to not only be tough, she had to be exceedingly single-minded. No fiancé for her. Along comes Superman and he sort of spoils things for Lois since she now finds herself more often the damsel in distress than the self-controlled ace reporter. This is a holding pattern that Lois will not break free from for the next thirty years. And, when she does, Lois is subjected to some pretty cringe-worthy attempts to revamp her character as a new feminist seeking justice for women, minorities, and any and all causes.

Superman and Lois Lane in “I Am Curious (Black)!”

The jumping the shark moment for Lois comes when she decides to go undercover as an African-American woman in 1971. This is a story I was not aware of by any means. Hanley, I’m sure, does not expect readers to be familiar with this. Instead, I’m sure, he relishes in revealing these gold nuggets that have been lost to time. We come to see just how ill-conceived this story was and just how desperate DC Comics was to catch up with Marvel Comics that seemed to effortlessly keep up with the times. This particular story was entitled, “I Am Curious (Black)!” It is referring to a popular subversive Swedish film, “I Am Curious (Yellow).” That is provocative but decidedly tone deaf too as that film’s greatest notoriety was as pornography. Hanley goes on to say that the whole idea of having Lois Lane in blackface is bizarre and repugnant. I can see where this story might have worked had it attached itself to “Black Like Me,” the 1961 true account of journalist John Howard Griffin, a white man going undercover as a black man.

Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder in “Superman: The Movie”

Hanley’s strength is in enthusiastically retelling each Lois Lane story as it rolls out. In Hanley’s hands, even the most popular stuff feels fresh and alive. With clarity and nuance, he brings to life the behind-the-scenes aspects to “Superman: The Movie” and how Margot Kidder would go on to provide the definitive template for Lois Lane. We come to see that, when it comes to Lois Lane, every step in the right direction is highly significant since they happen sporadically. What does the future hold for Lois Lane? Well, from what I found in this book, Margot Kidder remains a viable model to follow. Lois Lane can be as brash, and relevant, as writers can make her. Perhaps she’d be a bit like Tina Fey in “Whisky Tango Foxtrot,” which is an imperfect example at best, but the point is that we have barely scratched the surface on the character of Lois Lane after nearly a century. It’s time to pick up the pace. As Hanley’s book makes clear, Lois Lane remains a character full of potential who continues to resonate with potential fans.

“Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet’s Ace Reporter” is a 288-page trade paperback, published by Chicago Review Press. For more details, visit Chicago Review Press right here.

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Filed under Comics, DC Comics, Lois Lane, Superman, Tim Hanley, Wonder Woman

Tagged as comic books, comics, DC Comics, Entertainment, graphic novels, Lois Lane, Media, Pop Culture, superheroes, Superman, Wonder Woman

March 11, 2016 · 12:45 am

Review: PATIENCE by Daniel Clowes

Just like Alfred Hitchcock and Edward Hopper are familiar to neurotic connoisseurs and average slobs alike, so too Daniel Clowes is one of those select alternative cartoonists known to the general public. “Ghost World” is a bona fide cult classic that evokes better than most that special blend of Gen X rage. The Clowesian world is mired in self-loathing coupled with self-delusion forever seeking some sort of redemption through perpetual self-deprecation. Clowes perfected an ironic noir in the ’90s all his own. Since then, many readers have been catching up. His latest graphic novel, “Patience,” finds him in top form. It is published by Fantagraphics Books.

When I first moved to Seattle in 1993, Fantagraphics began publishing “Ghost World” in the one-man comics anthology, Eightball (1989-2004) by Daniel Clowes. I remember it, at the time, as being so perfectly rendered and mirroring the sarcastic bite of the hipster scene I was experiencing. It seemed too good to be true. And yet it did exist. There are other great alt cartoonists to enjoy, to be sure, but Clowes has the pulse on a certain strain of disconnected disquiet. His work will always be inextricably linked with the DIY/zine/grunge era. That’s the sweet spot his characters revolve around whether it’s 2006 or 2029. Clowes, as he ages, just keeps getting better. Like a cartoonist version of David Letterman, he cannot, nor should not, try to extricate himself from his roots. In Clowes, the Gen X muffled rage lives on. In this new book, we see just how timeless a Clowesian world can be.

This is as classic as you can get when it comes to Clowes. The title character is a young woman named, Patience. It is through the actions and thoughts of a young woman, it seems, that Clowes believes the secrets to life can be unlocked or, at least, we have our best chance at experiencing true grace on Earth. To act as our guide, and fully explain the rare quality of said lady, is a stand-in for Clowes. We begin with an attractive young couple. Patience and Jack have just learned that Patience is pregnant. While the timing is not great in respect to their finances, the two of them are happy. And then our story takes a turn that makes it, as billed, “a science fiction love story.”

Clowes has created an excellent vehicle for his vision. He has Patience, his ideal young woman, and he has Jack who, due to just the right touch of strange, becomes an ideal Clowes alter ego. This is quite a remarkable, beautiful, and ambitious work. Clowes gets to play with all the Clowesian toys in this one. It is a far better world, perhaps a tad too melancholy, but a far better world, to have the work of Daniel Clowes in it. Patience makes for a wonderful Clowes girl, full of grit with just the right amount of stubborn optimism. Jack makes for a great befuddled Everyman, just one step away from either utter self-destruction or blissful epiphany.

“Patience” is a 180-page full color hardcover and will be released on March 21st. For more details, and how to purchase, visit our friends at Fantagraphics Bookstore right here.

And don’t miss out on the Daniel Clowes “Patience” book tour. If you are in Seattle, you can see Mr. Clowes at the Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery this Saturday. Details are right here.

9 Comments

Filed under Comics, Daniel Clowes, Fantagraphics, Fantagraphics Books, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, science fiction, Time Travel

Tagged as comics, Daniel Clowes, Entertainment, Fantagraphics Bookstore, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Seattle, Time Travel

March 8, 2016 · 3:45 pm

BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: WHO WILL WIN?

“Batman V. Superman: Who Will Win?” game

Later this month sees the arrival of director Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” which hits theaters on March 25th. As we approach this landmark unveiling which will pit two of DC Comics’ most iconic figures we are gearing up for being hit with a barrage of promotional material and accompanying movie tie-ins. This includes the very recent release of the new Batman v Superman mobile game now available on both iOS and Android.

Those waiting to see the return of the Man of Steel as well as just how award-winning actor/director Ben Affleck will fare as he takes on the role of the caped crusader will be pleased to get in on the action for this upcoming on-screen bout. The game “Batman v. Superman: Who Will Win?” takes place in both Gotham and Metropolis and offers players the opportunity to play as either Superman or Batman.

Any battling game that includes “versus” in its title is going to focus a lot on “Who Will Win?” and, quite frankly, that’s exactly what’s happening here. But that will come as no surprise and won’t disappoint any fan.

Those movie fans who may be considering avoiding this one due to potential spoilers that may be included in the game or storyline will not have to worry as there’s nothing here that directly relates to the plot of the upcoming movie. What’s more this is a great little game to play especially for Superman fans who, let’s face it, have not exactly had a decent offering of video games up to this point that feature the last son of Krypton. While his new opponent already has plenty of well-conceived gaming efforts out there including a cool Dark Knight Rises slot game that you can play at allslotscasino.com and, of course, Batman: Arkham City.

Batman has fared much better in terms of video game adaptations mostly thanks to the series of Arkham-based games featuring a whole host of familiar Gotham faces battling it out against the man beneath the black cowl. With Warner Bros and DC Comics keen to take a bigger slice of the feature-based superhero box office which has been mostly dominated by Marvel for the past few years we’ll no doubt be seeing plenty more gaming spin-offs from their new Justice League venture.

The new mobile-based game from Warner Bros can be played on a web browser also and it’s an endless runner that requires players to chase through the streets collecting power-ups as they go along while dodging obstacles that happen to be in the way. And there is the inevitable face-off battle between the two superhero giants to see just who comes out on top.

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Filed under Batman, Comics, Games, movies, Superman

Tagged as Batman, comics, Entertainment, Games, graphic novels, Media, Movies, Pop Culture, Superman

March 6, 2016 · 8:30 pm

Review: THE COMPLETE WIMMEN’S COMIX

The Complete Wimmen’s Comix

The sexual revolution. The war between the sexes. Just plain sex. It can get complicated, confusing, messy. In 1968, Robert Crumb and his merry men staked their claim to uninhibited expression in underground comix. Yeah, these guys had a few things to say. From their point of view, the establishment was totally out of whack and they had the antidote. Crumb would show us all, in his opinion, just how wild the id could run, no matter how offensive. A couple of years later, along comes Trina Robbins with another view, the view of the opposite sex, which proved a great counterbalance and reality check. For the first time, this groundbreaking work, from 1972 to 1992, is collected in “The Complete Wimmen’s Comix,” published by Fantagraphics Books.

The Complete Wimmen’s Comix, published by Fantagraphics Books

The topic of sex is endlessly fascinating, to be sure. What men like Robert Crumb seemed to envision was a “telling it like it is” approach. In similar fashion, Trina Robbins and her female compatriots were showing sex and related themes from a very different point of view, that of the opposite sex. Yes, there was more than one point of view! Who knew, right? Issues of abortion, male performance, and abandonment, had a voice within the pages of Wimmen’s Comix. While the groovy hippie guys may have thought they had it figured out, cartoonists like Lee Marrs demonstrated with great humor and insight that the groovy guys were just as likely to be ugly pigs as their buttoned-down mainstream male counterparts.

“All in a Day’s Work” by Lee Marrs, 1972

From the first issue of Wimmen’s Comix, in 1972, there is “All in a Day’s Work” by Lee Marrs. A young woman enters the work force to find herself fending off abusive male co-workers and bosses. When she quits and starts a job at a co-op, the men turn out to be just as abusive. A few more twists and turns and the main character, an alter ego for Marrs, stands naked pleading, “What Can I Do?” In a piece nearly twenty years later, entitled, “Men & Women,” by Roberta Gregory, she sees a systemic problem. Gregory sees leading policy makers, both male and female, pollute the air with their own misinformation about men and women.

“Men & Women” by Roberta Gregory, 1990

As Trina Robbins states in her introduction, the level of quality of comix from women steadily increased with the years. At first, there were only a few women cartoonists. Then, after the hiatus and subsequent return of the magazine in the ’80s, there were plenty of women cartoonists. And, now, it is a whole new world with more women cartoonists that ever before.

“Evolution” by Caryn Leschen, 1989

The roster of talent is breathtaking: Phoebe Gloeckner, Lynda Barry, Julie Doucet, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Caryn Leschen, Joyce Farmer, Alison Bechdel, Carol Tyler, Mary Fleener, and many more. In the end, these are great comics but they are also presenting a distinctive feminine viewpoint which makes all the difference. This collection is a must-read for students of the counterculture, women’s studies, and fans of great comix. It is a time capsule as well as a tribute to vital comics that retain their punch and relevance today.

“Mom Gets Sick” by Trina Robbins, 1991

The Complete Wimmen’s Comix is a two volume hardcover set, totaling 728 pages, black & white with some full color pages. For details, and how to purchase, visit our friends at Fantagraphics Books right here.

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Filed under Comics, Comix, Counterculture, Fantagraphics Books, Sex, trina robbins, Women

Tagged as Comix, Counterculture, Entertainment, fantagraphics books, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sex, trina robbins, Wimmen's Comix, Women, Women in Comics

March 5, 2016 · 12:00 am

Review: MELT-THOLOGY #15, a Meltdown Comix Jam

MELT-THOLOGY #15, a Meltdown Comix Jam

I love a good comix jam, either as a group, a pair, or solo. Each has its own dynamic. While the work could remain private, the comix jam is basically going on with the assumption that you are putting yourself out there. If I do a 24-hour comics jam all by myself, I do it with the incentive that I’m going to show it. When in a group, you have that added delicious tension of rivalry mixed with a sense of community. As a pair, it can be like a sexy game of chess, the back and forth motion exploding into an exquisite corpse.

Pages from Lady Beaver & Steve Waldinger (L) and Meesimo (R)

I’ve been looking over a recent issue of a groovy comix jam anthology, MELT-THOLOGY, that comes out monthly by Meltdown Comics. Here you will find a bit of everything: loopy stuff like the work of Austin James with his vulvic form sampling various phallic forms; or quirky domestic observation like the work of Joan Varitek with her hurried mom desperately trying to keep up with her baby’s progress through pics stored on a smartphone.

“Spider Bouncer” by Mike Levine & Evan Lewis

Basically, with this format, each participant gets one page and that can be used for a one-panel gag, an illustration, or a multi-panel. A one-panel gag can be the most daunting as the odds are against success. Matt Elkins does a good job with a cyclops wearing one eyeglass and being called a “two-eyes” by some callous fools. Cory Fuller‘s illustration of two kids hanging out has a nice fun vibe. And “Spider Bouncer,” by Mike Levine and Evan Lewis, is a tight, well-paced, and spot on multi-panel.

If you’re a local cartoonist, you’ll definitely want to check this out and give it a try. It is held on the third Tuesday of each month. For more details, visit our friends at Meltdown Comics right here.

Chris Rock Leaves Big Shoes to Fill

Once upon a time, you could rely on one host for the Oscars, Bob Hope, who hosted for 19 years, a record that is never to be broken. No, not when we look upon Ellen DeGeneres, Jon Stewart, and Chris Rock as old-timers with each of them having hosted twice. No doubt, each would make a great host again, maybe as early as next year. Speculation is already brewing on who the next host will be for 2017. As for this year, the Oscars will be remembered for one thing: what Chris Rock had to say.

We once had the Bob Hope gold standard full of wry humor and brash for its time. Bob Hope told it like it was. And Chris Rock tells it like it is today. After all the mounting pressure from #OscarsSoWhite, Rock masterfully defused, and refocused, the situation with some passionate humor and honesty. He began by asking, “Why this year? Why now?” and then went for the kill, “In all those other years, we had more important things to protest about, like getting lynched!” His monologue was the highlight of the show, a message for today and beyond. As I had stated earlier, I was in a perfect vantage, the 25 Degrees bar in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. What I observed was a very attentive audience for Mr. Rock.

Making a political statement at the Oscars is far more challenging than it may appear. Chris Rock did it with skill and heart. He had been honing new material in the days leading up to his monologue and it resulted in something that ranks up with the best. The Oscars have that tradition of protest. It rarely works. However there are exceptions. The best, perhaps the first, is Sacheen Littlefeather refusing to accept the Best Actor Oscar on behalf on Marlon Brando for “The Godfather” in 1973. This was a protest over the treatment and depiction of Native Americans in the media as well as reaction to Wounded Knee. Talk about arguing for diversity! It is a graceful, articulate, and authentic moment, a far cry from the blather of today.

Chris Rock interviews Compton moviegoer

The 88th Academy Awards ceremony had a number of responses to the current outcry. One of the funniest had notable African-American stars Leslie Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracy Morgan, and Chris Rock green-screened into nominated films. Leslie Jones steals the show as the bear from “The Revenant.” And Tracy Morgan follows with his line, “I’m a Danish Girl!” as he bites into a pastry. More to the point, a segment with Chris Rock interviewing moviegoers in Compton helped to demonstrate that the typical outcrop of Oscar nominated films like “The Big Short” and “Spotlight” did not resonate with a black audience.

In the end, Chris Rock rose to the occasion. He was presented with a significant moment in time, recognized it, and ran with it. On that night, he filled the big shoes of the likes of Bob Hope and left a pair of big shoes of his own.

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Filed under Chris Rock, Entertainment, Hollywood, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hotels, Oscars, pop culture, Race, Race Relations, Racism, Travel

Tagged as Chris Rock, Entertainment, Hollywood, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hotels, Media, Pop Culture, Racism, The Oscars

March 3, 2016 · 1:00 pm

Review: DARK PANTS #1 and #2

I find artist Matt MacFarland quite the kindred spirit as he makes comics coming from a fine arts background. Think of it this way, most of us out there love a David Lynch movie because it has all those extra layers of ambiguity. Well, that’s Lynch’s fine arts background at play. Some of us cartoonists began as painters and/or hybrid artists working in various forms of expression: writing, drawing, film, acting, photography, and so on. When you take all that activity and bring it into comics, it can result in some mind-blowing art like MacFarland’s ongoing comics series, “Dark Pants.”

Reading DARK PANTS at Canter’s Deli

What sets apart one alternative comic from another is this fine art sensibility. You don’t necessarily have to go to art school for it–but it helps. Imagine that, art school actually does have value! I kid you not. It is what you make of it. Here’s another comparison. Try to achieve the comedic chops of Tina Fey without ever joining an improv comedy troupe. It ain’t gonna happen. You need to flex comedic muscles you don’t even know you have–and you need to be around like-minded people in order to really stretch yourself. In time, with the help of others, you’ll realize how much you suck and what you need to do to improve. And so we find ourselves with this comic which unabashedly displays its motif, those dark pants.

Issues 1 and 2 of DARK PANTS

Like Cinderella slipping her bare feet into glass slippers and transmogrifying into a regal beauty, there is something enthralling about a story of transformation. This is certainly not lost on MacFarland as he has one hard luck character after another in his series find a break from their routine when they happen upon a mysterious pair of tight black jeans. In the first issue of this comic, Diego, a drab little guy, becomes a hot lover when he buys these jeans at a thrift store and puts them on. But he soon finds that his newfound sex appeal is far more than he bargained for. By our second issue, the jeans have found their way into the hands of Milena, a lonely virgin who writes a sex column for her college paper. Once those jeans are on, she too is over her head.

Diego’s story set on Miracle Mile, 1992

It’s interesting that both Diego and Milena were already struggling with their lives before they crossed paths with the sexy jeans. It just stands to reason that these jeans were just as likely to wreck, instead of enhance, their existence. But, who knows, maybe the right sort of loser, like the sort portrayed by Don Knotts or Jerry Lewis, would make the most of a cosmic makeover. So far, MacFarland’s characters are doomed, with or without sex, and that’s just as well for this humorous noir. This is a rare treat. I love MacFarland’s wit and vision.

Milena’s story set in Glendale, 2002

MacFarland has a very accessible style which goes well with his less commercial, and darker, vision. That said, the darker stuff is not always the less marketable. Overall, I see MacFarland’s work as assured with a refreshing approach and zest. It is a cartoony style that makes me think of ironic cartoonists from the ’90s like Ward Sutton and Michael Dugan. It is a sturdy yet elastic style that makes you think you could poke at the characters and reshape them a bit. With that in mind, it is a style that lends itself well to laughs and/or drifting in and out of reality. Our next victim of the traveling tight dark pants will be a kid named Philip in the upcoming third issue. I look forward to how things develop there.

To learn more, and to purchase comics, visit Matt MacFarlnd right here.

2 Comments

Filed under Alternative Comics, Comics, Humor, Independent Comics, Indie, Matt MacFarland, Minicomics, Noir

Tagged as alternative comics, Art, arts, comics, Comix, Entertainment, graphic novels, Humor, Independent Comics, indie comics, Media, minicomics, Noir, Pop Culture

March 2, 2016 · 3:10 pm

LA Journal: Meltdown Comics & Collectibles

One thing I love in this life is an awesome comic book shop. Such is the case with Meltdown Comics & Collectibles. On the Sunset Strip, this is the place you want to make time for during a visit to Los Angeles. And, if you’re a native, then you likely know what I’m talking about. Okay, let’s say you’re a tourist and you have your list of places to go to while in LA, well, I am here to tell you that Meltdown is a landmark you’ll want to hit.

MELTDOWN 7522 Sunset Blvd

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was at Meltdown to promote my own ongoing comics series, GEORGE’S RUN, about the life and times of screenwriter George Clayton Johnson. However, as my regular readers know, and those of us in the industry fully appreciate, this is a labor of love, very interconnected, so I’m there just as much to embrace the scene and my fellow creators. Stay tuned because I will be posting reviews of some awesome comics that I picked up during my visit. If you are a creator, be sure to contact me about reviewing your work. For this post, I am providing you with a little guided tour that will whet your appetite.

ZINES & MINICOMICS

As you can see from the photos and video, Meltdown is a fully stocked, and fully loved, place for comics and related items. Keep in mind, for those of you still unsure, that comics are not only part of the zeitgeist. Comics are definitely an art form in their own right. That’s been said many times and bears repeating. Comics provide an outlet, a platform, that is a highly specific form of expression. It attracts many stripes of folk including some of the brightest and whipsmart. The word “comics” means many things and, no doubt, is inextricably linked to the world of comedy, even when it’s far from funny. It’s no surprise then that the likes of comedy genius Patton Oswalt cannot help but love comics and write for comics too.

STAFF PICKS

The day I made my visit, a special Bernie Sanders event was being set up. There are all kinds of cool things going on here from music to comedy. And, of course, there are all sorts of special comics events. The next big one is a March 18th signing by Daniel Clowes in support of his latest masterpiece, “Patience,” published by Fantagraphics Books.

MIKE LE’S OPEN IP WALL

Here’s the deal, there is not, or should not be, a great divide between indie/alt comics and superhero comics. That’s a given for a lot of us. But it’s one of those things I feel compelled to repeat as often as necessary. I want readers out there who have not been around comics for a while to come back and see what’s been brewing. That just instantly comes to mind when I’m in such a fine place as Meltdown. The love and the knowledge is clearly here, each member of the staff is carrying the torch. You see it in the careful and thoughtful displays and staff picks. What Amoeba Music is to music, Meltdown is to comics. I rest my case. So, be sure to visit our dear friends at Meltdown right here.