June 14, 2014 · 3:47 am

On Isaiah Berlin’s ‘The Hedgehog and the Fox’

Isaiah-Berlin-The-Hedgehog-and-the-Fox

Roy and I were just hanging out at the offices of Comics Grinder when we began to consider the current crisis in the Middle East. I had told Roy that Hillary Clinton was talking, actually warning, about the possibility of an Islamist state emerging from Syria and Iraq. This brought to Roy’s mind an essay by Isaiah Berlin, “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” The Hedgehog represents Plato and Big Ideas. The Fox represents Aristotle and Small Ideas. It is a classic that explains the virtues of knowing many small things as opposed to knowing, embracing, being blinded by, only one big thing.

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June 13, 2014 · 10:49 pm

Allen Rubinstein’s Comics Juice Celebrates The Graphic Novel

Allen-Rubinstein-Comics-Juice-Graphic-Novel-Tribute

Allen Rubinstein, over at Comics Juice, has created a special tribute to the graphic novel. He is not only a longtime supporter of the graphic novel. In 2005, Mr. Rubinstein founded the Los Angeles Graphic Novel Book Club, which has grown to a membership of 200. He is doing his part to spread the word to the world at large about the multifaceted world of graphic novels. This had led to his website, Comics Juice, which includes a dazzling display of 1,000 graphic novel covers.

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June 13, 2014 · 4:24 am

Review: THE EMPTY MAN #1 (of 6)

Empty-Man-Boom-Studios-comics

What I love about this comic, “The Empty Man,” is how much it resembles a good fright from a nice lucid nightmare. I had a bad one just the other night. Apparently, there was this little elfin man in a sailor suit lying in a corner. I couldn’t figure out if he was dead or fast asleep. I tried to approach him but could not.

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June 12, 2014 · 10:23 pm

BIRDMAN, starring Michael Keaton, Top Offbeat Superhero Movie for 2014

Birdman-Michael-Keaton-movie-2014

“Birdman,” starring Michael Keaton, has got to be the best offbeat superhero movie since “Paper Man,” starring Ryan Reynolds, as Captain Excellent, in 2009. You can also include “Super,” starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, and Liv Tyler. Hmm, then there’s “Kick-Ass” (2010) and “Kick-Ass 2” (2013). We could maybe add a few more. They emerge at a nice steady pace.

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June 12, 2014 · 3:52 am

Review: DAYS by Simon Moreton

Days-Simon-Moreton-comics

Simon Moreton, works in the tradition of John Porcellino, who originated the intimate, spare, and direct style of memoir comics. It is John P. who continues to fascinate and inspire readers with his ongoing “King-Cat Comics and Stories” mini-comics. It is undeniable that he founded these deceptively simple auto-bio comics, that be began self-publishing in 1989. Where does this place relative newcomer Moreton, working in such close proximity to Porcellino? Sincerity counts for a lot and Moreton comes across as quite sincere. Moreton is a Research Fellow at the University of the West of England (UWE), working on the REACT Hub. As he states, he is “interested in the everyday politics of creative practice, activism and representations of mental illness in sequential art.”

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June 10, 2014 · 5:50 am

Review: ‘Zombies vs Robots: No Man’s Land’

Zombies-vs-Robots-No-Mans-Land-IDW

“Zombies vs Robots: No Man’s Land,” a new prose anthology, edited by Jeff Conner, with illustrations by Fabio Listrani, and published by IDW, is deserving of a thoughtful review. Let’s get one thing straight. Zombies are definitely not for everyone. However, as more and more casual readers have come to find, the genre offers up some fun possibilities, and this book is a fine example of just that.

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June 9, 2014 · 4:25 pm

2014 FIFA WORLD CUP: ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’ and Pokemon

Pokemon-World-Cup-2014

The World Cup kicks off this Thursday, June 12, 2014, and unleashes the world’s biggest sporting event. You can celebrate right along with Pokemon, the official mascot for the 2014 Japan National Football Team. But you won’t see J-Lo. She couldn’t make it, even though she was scheduled to perform at the Opening Ceremony. Oops. Some production issues got in the way.

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June 7, 2014 · 2:43 am

PHOENIX COMICON 2014: Dark Horse Announces New Ongoing Series From Fred Van Lente: ‘Resurrectionists’

Project Black Sky

Project Black Sky

The name of Fred Van Lente means action, fun, and adventure! This has been the case since Van Lente first teamed up with artist Ryan Dunlavey on “Action Philosophers.” It’s been a whirlwind ride from then on with Marvel Zombies and, more recently, with “Brain Boy” and “Project Black Sky” at Dark Horse Comics. And now, we have yet another intriguing Dark Horse Comics title, “Resurrectionists.” Details follow:

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June 5, 2014 · 4:07 am

Review: ‘Adventures from China: MONKEY KING’

Monkey-King-JR-Comics

The first thing to know about the Monkey King is that he is not exactly a hero. He is and he isn’t. He’s not exactly likable either. Basically, he represents just about everything you should not do if you were in a position of power. And he is quite literally willing to do anything to keep himself amused and one step ahead of any authority that would dare stop him. How did this Monkey King become such a stinker? Well, that’s quite a story. In fact, it’s pretty involved, part of a set of stories, based upon a work from 16th century China, Wu Cheng’en’s “Journey to the West.” Thanks to JR Comics, these stories can now be shared as high-quality comics with a Western audience.

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June 4, 2014 · 8:49 pm

CCG EXPO 2014: The 10th China International Cartoon & Game Expo, July 10-14, 2014

Visitors select comics products during the 9th China International Comics Games Expo (CCG Expo) in Shanghai, east China, July 11, 2013. A total of 325 animation and game companies from home and abroad took part in the five-day expo, which kicked off here on Thursday. [Photo: Xinhua/Liu Xiaojing]

Visitors select comics products during the 9th China International Comics Games Expo (CCG Expo) in Shanghai, east China, July 11, 2013. A total of 325 animation and game companies from home and abroad took part in the five-day expo, which kicked off here on Thursday. [Photo: Xinhua/Liu Xiaojing]

Entering its 10th anniversary, CCG EXPO must be quite an event. For us in the West, we’d do well to take a closer look. How many comics and game creators in China are you aware of? We’ll give you some time to think that over.

China Daily: CCG EXPO 2014-The 10th China International Cartoon & Game Expo(CCG EXPO) is held by People’s Republic of China Ministry of Culture and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and organized by Shanghai Municipal Culture, Radio Broadcasting, Film and Television Administration and Shanghai Media Group co., LTD. (SMG). So far, it has been successfully 8 times. SInce the 1st Exhibition, after 8 years, annual CCG EXPO has featured as professional, international, high-level, large-scale. Now, this event aims to give the priority to B2B and partially depends on B2C.

Visit the official CCG EXPO site right here.

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