Thursday, May 25, 2006

Listen

I know you've been dying to hear what are the latest albums I've been listening to as I push the ink around my pages! Well, wonder no more!

First up....
Tool's new disc - 10000 Days
This was released on May 2 and it's been in my cd player pretty much non-stop since. It's growing on me. I think it's a solid record but it just hasn't hit me as hard as their previous releases did. The packaging for this cd is unbelievable! It's got a couple of lens that you look at the interior artwork through, which turn the 2D images into 3D images! But don't look through them too long.... it'll give you headaches.....

Next in heavy rotation is
Genesis' 2cd live disc - Seconds Out
This is a live album that features a Peter Gabriel-less Genesis lineup. When Peter left the group, Phil Collins was thrust into the lead vocal duties. He managed to sing the Gabriel material quite well.... and that is coming from a huge fan of the Gabriel years of the band!

And lastly,
Steve Hackett's solo album - Spectral Mornings
Hackett was the guitarist for Genesis up until the completion of the Wind and Wuthering tour, which was from where the Seconds Out album was recorded, strangely enough. This was Steve's third solo album. It is a interesting mix of material that shows the diversity of his tastes and skills. This record is only for the lovers of Prog Rock. If you don't know what "prog rock" is, keep your distance from this one!

Ok. Time for me to hit the drawing table..... and throw on the Tool!

Last post's title was a song title from:
Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles

This album has the dubious distinction of being the only Beatles album I've ever disliked. Hell, I even sold it to a used place. There are a couple of great songs on it (Fool On The Hill and I Am The Walrus), I'll give you that, but too much of it felt like filler.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Magical Mystery Tour

Whoa... hold the presses!!! This just in!
I've just added a new title to my DCBS order for this month. It's called The Tourist, written by Brian Wood & drawn by Toby Cypress. Why did I add this to my order, you ask....? Well, I stumbled upon an article featuring Toby's new project, Rodd Racer, on The Pulse and was knocked out by the artwork it showcased. The article also made mention that Toby had just collaborated with Wood on a graphic novel called The Tourist that just hit the stands. Luckily, it was still listed on DCBS' site and I made sure I added it to my order! Toby's work reminds me of a few very talented comic artists that I love..... Paul Pope, Tony Salmons, Kent Williams and Bill Sienkiewicz. He has a great sense of balance, movement and line quality. Very inspiring work! Anyways.....here's the solicitation blurb that was in the previews catalogue:

When Moss arrives in a remote coastal village on the North Sea, he is welcomed as what he appears to be: a somewhat grubby American backpacker. He gets contract work on the offshore oil rig and courts Julie Tucker, a local café owner and single mother. Gradually the town begins to realize just who it is they're harboring: a Special Forces soldier gone AWOL-turned-smuggler, and, if that wasn't bad enough, he has a lot of really rough bastards riding into town after him. The safety of the town and the woman he loves vs. the successful conclusion of a very lucrative drug deal which will Moss choose?

Product Code: MAY061926

So there you have it!

Last post's title was a song title from:
Shake Your Money Maker by The Black Crowes

I still think the Crowes' second album is their best, but this debut record has some very rockin' stuff on it, too.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Twice As Hard

Here's part II of what I'm getting from this month's Preview catalogue. This stuff is the mainstream stuff (read as Marvel and DC), with a few excellent items from smaller publishers in there for good measure. I'm finally getting around to picking up the HARD BOILED trade. Written by Frank Miller with art by Geoff Darrow! Anyways, here's the list and a reason or two why I'm getting them:

ELRIC: MAKING OF A SORCERER #4 - Walt Simonson is a master of dynamic comic art. His work is always a treat for the eyes.

AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #44 - The new direction of this book is fine but it's the art of Butch Guice that really steals the show.

AMERICAN VIRGIN #5 - It's had a good first few issues so I'll continue to follow. Not the glowing endorsement you were expecting, eh?

DAREDEVIL #87 - This monthly comic is the best superhero thing coming out. The writing of Ed Brubaker is excellent and the art of Michael Lark is Fan-tab-u-tas-tic!! If you aren't reading this book...... well... you should be.

EXTERMINATORS #7 - This book has gotten stronger and stronger as the issues come out. Tony Moore is drawing all kinds of gross stuff. Gross but good!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #20 - Another Brubaker book that kicks all kinds of buttock!

HARD BOILED TP - Miller and Darrow are 2 different tastes that go great together! This has been out for years but I just decided to lay down some hard earned money for it.

MODERN MASTERS VOL 8: WALT SIMONSON SC - I'm all about the Walt Simonson books. This looks to be very entertaining.

SPARROW HC - Ashley Wood. Say no more.

BERNET HC - I'm pretty much unfamiliar with Jordi Bernet's work, but this book comes highly recommended. It's a 240 page hardcover at a very reasonable price.

Last post's title was a song title from:
Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting

This was Sting's first solo album following the demise of The Police. I really like this record and it totally reminds me of the first time I decided to start drawing comics! Listening to this as I read Frank Miller's Ronin...... good times, good times.....

Monday, May 15, 2006

Consider Me Gone

Well, I've put in my DCBS order for this month's books. It was so much great stuff to order month this month that it will take me 2 posts to talk about it all! The next post will talk about the "mainstream" stuff I ordered and this post will talk about the books you might not have heard of but should consider preordering. After each title I'm going to put the Diamond order # and the original solicitation text of the Preview listing. Please consider ordering them if you find them interesting.

DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #30 [MAY063095]

by Various. This is it! The mystery surrounding Fist of Justice is answered as the truth is revealed and our hero squares off against the only man that knows his secret. This changes everything! Also in this issue; S.A. Bennett's Edgar Advance makes his debut!

LAST SIN OF MARK GRIMM #3 [MAY063370]

by M. Sean McManus & Chris Moreno. Battered, beaten, and hell-bent on revenge, Mark Grimm's obsession with his wife's death twists him into knots. The only path to finding her murderer lies in joining forces with the evil that grips the city. Grimm's alliance with darkness consumes what's left of his soul and reveals a much darker truth...


JIM REAPER: WEEK ONE [MAY063369]

by Dwight L. MacPherson & Mathieu Benoit. Fearing an imminent breakdown, the Grim Reaper decides to take a Holiday. After an exhaustive search for a replacement, he finds only his cousin's nephew's son to collect the souls of those who are perishing. Enter the Jim Reaper! The only problem is that Jim is afraid of his own shadow, and his first week on the job may ultimately cause the destruction of his very own soul - or worse!

PERHAPANAUTS TP [MAY060021]

There are places in this world where the fabric of reality has worn thin, where strange and terrible creatures have crossed over to lurk in the shadows and the light. There is an organization dedicated to finding these creatures and sending them back from whence they came, sealing the rift behind them, and maintaining the integrity of those borders. The organization is called BEDLAM. Its agents are . . . The Perhapanauts! • Now, for the first time ever, collected especially for you in this widely popular trade paperback format, the critically acclaimed, highly sought after four-issue miniseries that started it all--The PERHAPANAUTS!

COBBLERS MONSTER GN [MAY061722]

written by Jeff Amano art by Craig Rousseau, Wayne Faucher & Giulia Brusco cover by JEFF Amano • 128 pg • FC • $14.99 Grieving over the death of his only son, Gepetto mixes the new science of DNA with the age-old magic of the golem to resurrect his son. But in truth, he was never very close to Victor. And the anger that burns within the heart of the monster he birthed and created, destroys everything and everyone around him. Now, Gepetto must hunt his own son. The story of a man and a monster who through unspeakable horror find their way to becoming father and son for the very first time.

SIDEKICK #2 [MAY061741]

written by PAUL JENKINS art & cover by CHRIS MORENO • 32 pg • FC • $3.50 In this issue, Eddie, in an effort to make more money and make ends meet, tries life as a sidekick to four different and distinct heroes, each one crazier than the other! We meet the downtrodden Hobo for the first time, we marvel at the ingenuity of an automated 'Escape Bear,' Eddie gets lucky in an elevator, and our hero learns just how hard it is to cover up an eye injury. Confused? You will be.

Last post's title was a song title from:
Abbey Road by The Beatles

This was the final album recorded by the Fab Four. Yes, I know that Let It Be was released after this one. But, you see, it was recorded before Abbey Road and, due to problems with the post production (mostly Phil Spector's doing), it's release was pushed back to after Abbey Road had hit the record shops.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Come Together

I've been curbing my online time for the past few weeks, thus my lack of blogging. I'm finding it tough to get to the computer as much as I use to, what with becoming a fulltime Stay-at-home Dad. And, not only that but the NHL playoffs have started, and anyone who knows me will confirm that I like my hockey. Especially when it's playoff time! If only my Atlanta Thrashers had made it in.....

A. David and I have managed to get a few talented people on board to make our comic, Empty Chamber, even stronger! Jeremy Mohler has been tapped to do the covers! Jeremy has an amazing color palette and air tight compositional skills. Jenn Rodgers has agreed to enhance my black and white pages with her impressive grayscaling expertise! And last, but by no means least, we have added Kel Nuttall for his lettering prowess! This, if I may say so, is a killer team of artists that will make this book exponentially better. A. David and I are so stoked! (well, I know I am..... I don't know if Dave gets stoked..... but excited, I'm sure!)

And, the San Diego Comic Con is just over 2 months away. Things are really starting to come together nicely!

Last post's title was a song title from:
Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent d'Arby by Terence Trent d'Arby

Actually, this is a pretty good record.... once you can get past his overinflated ego.