I decided I wanted to linkblog to the last three weeks of interesting posts I pulled out of my feed reader… You know, just cuz. Merry Boxing Day, everyone!
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[INDUSTRY]
At The Quill & Quire (like PW for Canadians) they have the results of a survey on reviewing ethics. Apparently only 76.5% of reviewers think it’s unethical to review a book without having read it. I just got into a fight over this very point, but it still depresses me that this number is so low… Actually, there’s a bit on there about how 20 percent of reviewers feel it’s okay to lie in a review and not write what they actually thought… I generally just abstain from reviewing in those situations where impropriety makes me feel as though I might need to be less-than-honest. I mean, what if I ran into that Time.com blogger at a party one day and he found out how terrible I thought his Best of 2007 list was? And running into Doug Wolk sure would be awkward if I’d gone on a rant about how any Best of 2007 list that was missing both Shortcomings and any of the 3 comics by Chris Ware that were released this year could only ever be described as “woefully inaccurate at best.” See? Awkward. I will say that the two top-fives released by Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jensen and Ken Tucker are both focussed, consistent lists that at least make sense, although Jensen’s taste is pretty questionable… Buffy and The Killer and Y, oh my…
It turns out “Nice Guys” are really just passive-agressive assholes who will never get laid because women see right through them. Duh. Ldragoon sets it up with an amazing illustration, and the MightyGodKing spikes it right into the sand.
Marvel is doing alternate-universe manga versions of their characters, and it’s a big deal! Just like when BLAME! and NOISE creator Tsutomu Nihei did… an alternate-universe Wolverine story a few years back. I guess it ruins the ‘thread’ of the news item if these sorts of things are brought up… Anyway, I’m very, very happy for writers Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier, who are excellent comics creators and friends of mine whom, I hope, are having fun and cashing cheques for this endeavour. Big, big cheques.
[FREE COMICS]
Zombies Calling creator Faith Erin Hicks did a full-page comic strip for Halifax’s ‘frebie weekly’ The Coast this week. Go check it out, it features characters from Zombies Calling.
[FREE ART]
My friend Zack Soto is the creator of the comic The Secret Voice. Only the first issue has come out, but it’s really good stuff and we’re all really hoping that there’s a second issue soon. In the meantime, Zack has been kicking out some pretty damned awesome silkscreen posters and previewing them in various LiveJournal communities. I’m sure he’s even selling them in some way if you contact him…
[PHOTO-BLOGGING]
Meanwhile, Kean Soo is the co-editor of the Flight anthologies and has been contributing adorable little comic strips to them featuring his character Jellaby for nigh-on four years now. This winter (February 5th, to be precise) will see the release of his first full length graphic novel, Jellaby Volume One, published by Hyperion. Kean just got his box of comps yesterday, and you can take part in the joy of opening the box to view the freshly printed books!
[IT’S PROBABLY TOO LATE FOR THIS ONE]
This last-minute Holiday Shopping Guide by one of my favourite comics creators is sure to make all of the shopping I have to do a breeze this Saturday and Sunday! A BREEZE. Weep.
[GOTTERDAMMERUNG? DON’T MIND IF I DO]
Alex Cox, a Certified Dark Horse Hero (which one? I bet he could pull off a great “Don’t Call Me Babe!”) and retailer at the Brooklyn-based ROCKETSHIP COMICS has completed his comic adaptation of part of Wagner’s Ring cycle, in considerably fewer pages than P. Craig Russell! Check out The Legend Of Brunhilde.
[ANGRY HOMOSEXUALS]
Dorian took the time to point out a particularly jarring bit of homophobia and queer-baiting, and the general consensus from comics fans? You’re clearly imagining things, you Angry Homosexual! I for one am glad that folks like Dorian are around to point out things like this, but I can’t imagine why he puts up with the inevitable angry-nerd backlash. That man is a saint, up on a cross. Meanwhile, if you’d like to point out the repetitive, reductionist nature of the critics that pop up whenever a homosexuality becomes an issue in comics, check out the Queer Comics Controversy Bingo!
[WACHOWSKI]
I really liked the trailer for the new Speed Racer movie, which would explain why the Newsarama comments section hated it.
[WEBCOMICS]
So I saw a promo for a fun new webcomic called FCHS which has started running at webcomics portal The Chemistry Set, and I’ve been checking it out and apparently it’s only going to be updating 3 panels? Per week? Of a continuous story where no three panel strip has any payoff at all? Attractive art, my buddy Vito is writing it, but even with all of that said, there is no way I’m gonna read this every week, that’s completely insane. It’s like watching one minute of Ferris Bueller every day for half a year. Sure, it’s a good movie, but fuck that nonsense–I’ll buy the DVD. If you’re MUCH more patient than I am, check out http://www.chemsetcomics.com/category/fchs/
[VIDEO GAMES]
Dude they turned Oregon Trail into a web-based game… and they updated it for Hipsters! Check it out as you get to the big concert in California on time.
[THE END]
Man this shit takes forever… How does Dirk do this every morning?
– Christopher
To be perfectly honest, I put up with it because I find nerd-rage very, very entertaining.
1) Man, that Speed Racer trailer looks like it will either be amazing, or transcend awful and actually wind up amazing anyway. I can’t wait.
2) What is the deal with the National Post? They’re always posting these hateful screeds about the Montreal Massacre or Unions or something, but then they also have Jonathan Goldstein and Mr. Zdarsky doing things for them. I feel kind of dirty enjoying it.
Dorian: If you’re having fun then so am I 🙂
Hugh: 1) Agreed, either way I’m there opening night. 2) Me too. I really have to separate the hateful, completely insane front of the paper from the fun, well-illustrated and sane rest of the paper. I find it’s best to just bite my tongue until it bleeds.
– Christopher
Working at the Post is weird because I genuinely like almost everyone that works there. Most I would categorize as lefties (or, on the Financial Post side, socially lefty / fiscally conservative), and our editorial board which controls the pages at the back of the front section as being right-wingers. Those are the pages in the paper that sometimes have me shaking my fists, but I love that. Reading something that I wholeheartedly agree with doesn’t challenge me nearly enough. In a lot of ways, the Post exists so the other papers don’t get lazy.
The Toronto section, especially the weekend edition, is smart and funny and a great guide to the city. The Arts & Life section is a wonderful blend of young and old, fun & smart, and is by far my favourite read amongst all of the papers.
There is a feeling at the Post of freedom and a desire to try new things which I don’t see or feel at the other papers. They’ve given me so much autonomy AND allowed me to spout my left-leaning beliefs that I feel like I’m extremely lucky to be a part of their team.
I don’t know if this helps anyone reconcile enjoying the Post with our conservative roots, but if not, you can always just throw out the front section.
-Chip!
I also liked the trailer for SPEEDRACER… I think that it’s exactly the way a SPEEDRACER movie should be done, actually…
Hi Christopher–
FYI: the Salon list wasn’t “the best things this year,” it was “12 of the best things from this year.” And I had to turn it in before any of the Ware books for this year came out!
But I’m always happy to run into you!