Comics Grinder

May 18, 2014 · 11:55 pm

Interview: Antonin Baudry and ‘Weapons of Mass Diplomacy’

Antonin Baudry is the French government’s Cultural Counselor, based out of New York City. He is the author (pseudonym of Abel Lanzac), with cartoonist Christophe Blain, of the graphic novel, “Weapons of Mass Diplomacy.” This is a work of fiction that provides an insightful look at how, amid what can appear as utter chaos, great things can be accomplished. Baudry was part of the staff of French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and helped in crafting speeches including the French position to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. As a work of fiction, this book provides a unique window in a similar spirit to “The West Wing” and goes it one better with its distinctive vision, timeless quality, and wry sense of humor.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Antonin Baudry, Christophe Blain, Comics, European Comics, France, French Comics, graphic novels, Interviews, movies

Tagged as Art, Books, Culture, Diplomacy, Diplomats, Entertainment, Film, Foreign Affairs, France, Geopolitics, graphic novels, International Relations, Interviews, Movies, New York City, Peace, Pop Culture, Publishing, United Nations, War, War in Iraq

May 18, 2014 · 6:03 pm

Graphic Novel Introduction: ‘A Night at the Sorrento and Other Stories’ by Henry Chamberlain

A man and woman with supernatural powers enter the city with ill tempers and a need to act out their frustrations. Not a good night for them or anyone near them. However, there’s more than a good chance that their destination, a luxury hotel with charm to spare, may contain their anxiety and solve their problems beyond their wildest dreams. That’s the story behind the title piece in “A Night at the Sorrento and Other Stories,” a collection of short works in comics plus a full length work (available here). Every story here finds characters at various turning points. It makes for good entertainment, I think, and it should prove a fun introduction to works in comics by yours truly.

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Amazon, Amazon Publishing, Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Henry Chamberlain, Kindle

Tagged as Alice in Wonderland, Amazon, Amazon Publishing, Art, Artists, arts, Book Reviews, Books, comics, Coming of Age, Entertainment, Fantasy, Feet, Fiction, graphic novels, Kindle, New York City, Pop Culture, Publishing, Rabbits, Still Life, Writers, Writing, Young Adult, Youth

May 14, 2014 · 8:15 pm

Graphic Novel Review: ‘Will & Whit’ by Laura Lee Gulledge

Do you think it’s hard to find comics that you can relate to on a human scale? Hopefully, that’s not the case but, for a lot of readers out there, it may seem confusing. Well, the comics medium offers such a vast and wide assortment of possibilities. Consider the story of Wilhelmina Huckstep, “Will” for short, who is a talented and beautiful young woman who has one Achilles’ heel. She’s sort of afraid of her own shadow. More specifically, she’s afraid of the dark.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Comics, Graphic Novel Reviews, graphic novels, Young Adult, Youth Culture

Tagged as Charlottesville, comics, Entertainment, ghost story, Ghosts, graphic novels, Jane Austen, Pop Culture, Publishing, Teens, Virginia, Women, Young Adult, Youth

May 12, 2014 · 10:23 pm

Review: POWER GROOVE #1

Imagine, it’s the ’70s, anything seems possible with free love, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. It was the zeitgeist and everyone participated, one way or another. For many, it didn’t lead to much more than preening about in a leisure suit, platform shoes, and feathered hair. But for the superhero team of Power Groove, it was their time in the sun, their glory days, their salad days, and their happy days. Today, forty years later, not so much. But, due to contractual obligations, they’re getting the team back together, and it hurts for them just to think about it.

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, Ken Pisani

Tagged as Comedy, comics, Comics Reviews, Entertainment, graphic novels, Humor, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Satire, superheroes

May 9, 2014 · 6:01 pm

Review: ALL MY GHOSTS by Jeremy Massie

For a relatively young country, the United States holds a tremendous amount of history, with much of it leading back to Ole Virginny. “All My Ghosts,” a new comic from Alterna Comics, is set in a small town in Virginia, rife with history, and ghosts. Our main character is Joe Hale, the editor and owner of The Wise Progress. This is likely a nod to The Daily Progress in Charlottesville. Given that this story takes place in Wise, a small college town up near the Appalachian Mountains, I believe I’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s a nice quirky setting that adds some extra flavor.

Continue reading →

Review: THE WOODS #1

If you’re looking for some good all-ages comics that teens, and anyone for that matter, can relate to then “The Woods” is an excellent choice. Everything in a teenager’s life can seem like it could trigger the end of the world. And then, one day, that world literally ends. That’s the premise of “The Woods,” a new comic by Boom! Studios.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Boom! Studios, Comics, Comics Reviews, Horror, Sci-Fi, science fiction

Tagged as Boom! Studios, comic books, comics, Comics Reviews, Entertainment, graphic novels, Horror, Pop Culture, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Teenagers, Teens, Youth, Youth Culture

May 5, 2014 · 2:48 pm

Interview: Tim Hanley and ‘Wonder Woman Unbound’

From “Wonder Woman Unbound”

Wonder Woman can lead the way out, above and beyond our current state. Wonder Woman commands respect. That respect can carry over to other female characters. It can carry over to respecting all human beings.

That respect is the key to Wonder Woman’s success and popularity. You just don’t mess with Wonder Woman. She is bigger and more powerful than any one person or corporation. With that in mind, it is my pleasure to share with you my interview with Tim Hanley, author of “Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine.” You can read my recent review here. You can visit Tim Hanley’s site here. And you can definitely pick up his comprehensive study of Wonder Woman right here.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Comics, DC Comics, DC Entertainment, Gender, Interviews, Janelle Asselin, Sexism, Tim Hanley, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment, Women, Wonder Woman

Tagged as comic books, comics, DC Comics, Entertainment, Gender, graphic novels, Interviews, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sexism, superheroes, Women, Wonder Woman

May 4, 2014 · 6:39 pm

Movie Review: The French Minister

If you are interested in an intriguing movie based on a work in comics besides “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” you will want to see “The French Minister.” This comedy could be your window to offbeat political satire and French comics all rolled into one.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Comics, France, French Comics, Movie Reviews, movies, Paris, politics

Tagged as Amazon, Books, Comedy, Entertainment, Film, Foreign Films, France, French, French Comics, Geopolitics, graphic novels, Humor, Movie Reviews, Movies, Peace, Political Humor, Politics, Pop Culture, Satire, War

May 2, 2014 · 9:36 pm

WE ARE COMICS

Fantagraphics Books shows support for We Are Comics

In the aftermath from a recent incident that rocked the comics industry, something good emerges. Welcome to We Are Comics.

Here are the details from Metafilter.com:

We are comics. When former DC Comics editor Janelle Asselin wrote a scathing critique of the art on the company’s new “Teen Titans” book, the response she got was depressingly predictable: a deluge of insults, some anonymous rape threats and even one (less predictable) attempt to hack her bank accounts. But after much of the online comics community rallied around Asselin, a tumblr-based project to show off the true diversity of comics creators and fans took off.

We Are Comics is the brainchild of writers/fans/editors Rachel Edidin, Arturo R. Garcia, and Elle Collins.

An epilogue: In the wake of Asselin’s abuse, Comic Book Resources – the Eisner-winning news site that hosted her original article – has locked its community forums and started over fresh, with a brand-new civility code.
posted by Holy Zarquon’s Singing Fish

We keep making inroads to a better world. It takes effort. We Are Comics is on the right track. You are welcome to join them.

4 Comments

Filed under Comic Book Resources, comic books, Comics, Comics News, DC Comics, Diversity, Janelle Asselin

Tagged as Activism, Art, arts, Cartoonists, comic books, comics, Community, DC Comics, Diversity, Entertainment, Gender, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Sexism, Social Media, superheroes, Teen Titans, Women, Writers

May 2, 2014 · 3:53 pm

Review: GONZO COSMIC #1 by Garry Mac

Writing high concept sci-fi, with its vast potential, can be a challenge to pin down into a cohesive narrative. One false move with jargon or a rant, and you can lose your casual reader, sucked into a void never to be seen again. With “Gonzo Cosmic,” a new comic book series, Garry Mac has created something with plenty of twists and turns but with a solid narrative and cast of characters that will keep you grounded and, more to the point, hooked.

Continue reading →