Sound issues have been corrected!
Two books that were both worth buying this week. One suffered a bit from lateness and the other managed to impress despite my accidentally missing the last two issues.
Sound issues have been corrected!
First shot of the week is a two-fer. In reviewing Amazing Spider-Man, I make it clear that I’m not reviewing books to do my best to win friends and influence people amongst the comic book professional set. With Amelia Rules, I stumble upon a little gem of a book (and all because a Newsarama message board member suggested it months ago).
A U.S. spy satellite will be falling out of orbit soon. It may contain hazardous materials.
Does that sound vaguely familiar to anybody?
In the interest of public safety, I now post this oversized document.
What’s a better way to get your name all over the papers than to say something dumb? In 2006-2007 there were a lot of racial slurs being thrown around. Many of us remember Mel Gibson’s tirade about the Jews which wasn’t the best timing considering he had just released a very controversial movie about the death of Jesus Christ. Wasn’t he a Jew Mel? Things died down a little bit until Don Imus opened his mouth and called the women on the Rutgers basketball team, “nappy headed hoes.” This was just as bad as Mel Gibson’s comment but at least Don Imus hadn’t made a movie about the Rutgers’. Picking up where Don Imus left off, Kelly Tilghman purposed “lynching Tiger Woods in a back alley.” This was probably the worst of the three considering she was suggesting murdering the number one golfer in the world right now where the other two were just making derogatory comments towards Jews and black women. Now the public knows not to blame the Jews for any wars, comment on black women’s hair or any woman’s hair, and definitely not to suggest lynching a black golfer that had changed the sport of golf.
Was there ever a more obvious joke to make than a response to this?
Amy Winehouse Going Back to Rehab
The answer? No. No. No.
Fish? Meet barrel.
If you ever find me non-responsive, please do not call Mary-Kate Olsen before calling the proper emergency agencies.
If you believe that you must call a celebrity, please select from the following list:
1) Bono.
2) John Walsh.
(Why? They’re probably the closest thing to actual super-heroes that we’ve got. They’ll know what to do.)
3) George Clooney. He just seems to know how to get shit done.
4) Peter Jackson. Anybody that can make LOTR work on-screen can probably figure out my problems.
5) Monica Bellucci. If I’m not wakin’ up for Monica Bellucci, I’m not wakin’ up.
6) William Petersen. He’s been doing the CSI thing long enough that he’ll be able to figure out which one of you did it. But please for the love of God leave Caruso out of it.
7) The original KISS line-up in full regalia. For no other reason than I could drink and dine for years on a story that ends, “So I wake up . . . and there’s KISS! Paul says, “Troy, are you okay?” And I say, “Starchild?” And Gene says, “Oh great. He’s seen that fucking movie.”
These totally boss looking decorative vinyl plastic bears are both artistically interesting and cute as can be! Now paint these bad boys as classic Marvel characters and you have some of the awesomest collectables ever! Check ‘em out after the jump! And be prepared to say “awwww.”
Now available on Last.FM . . . Blue Days Lost, the full-length album from our pals, Samsell!
Long-time readers know Samsell as the band of the site’s original webmaster (and writer of Shoe’s Music Reviews) Shawn Delaney. Presently, you can stream or download four free tracks at Last.FM, or purchase the entire eleven-track release.
But even though we’ll hype Samsell, don’t expect us to review ‘em. I’m not that guy.
However, Warren Ellis is. The notoriously hard-to-please writer of comics and more said of Samsell’s EP in February 2004, “Samsell: It’s like a lost demo tape from 1987, when indie guitar pop was about to become extraordinary. And that’s no bad thing. There’s some nice rolling Pixies bass in there, some chiming Britpop guitars, occasional punctuating surges of My Bloody Valentine glide-guitar. There’s four tracks at the band link, all of which have something to love in them.”
Can’t beat that.
Angry soapbox time people!
The news is out that my beloved Amazonian Princess is about to get a brand new penciler, and it’s non-other than former Ms. Marvel artist Aaron Lopresti. I wish I was excited about this, but I just can’t seem to muster the effort. Sure Lopresti is a fine artist, but once again I just feel sad for Wonder Woman.
Here she is, barely on her 16th issue, and already the book has had 6 artists! 6! And now that “long-term” art team the Dodsons are leaving this will make Lopresti the 7th artist. That’s almost a new artist every two issues. This is absolutely inexcusable. Why does DC let this happen? And why does DC have to convince an artist to take on handling the art chores for the grand dame of comics? In an interview on Newsarama.com Lopresti originally said he turned down the assignment and had to be encourage to take the job, read about it here:
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=143911
He turned down the assignment? He had to have people convince him? Totally insane. This is an artist DC wants on the book? Someone who’s devotion to the character is circumspect? Creators should be clamoring for the opportunity to work on Wonder Woman! It should be opportunity to be excited about, a chance to leave a lasting mark on a freakin’ icon!
Which is why DC needs to realize they already have the perfect Wonder Woman artist waiting in the wings! Former co-collaborator of current Wonder Woman writer Gail Simone! Yup! Miss Nicola Scott herself, whose work you can marvel at on Birds of Prey. Scott would be a perfect fit, someone who wants to work on the character (based on past interviews), someone who is an excellent artist, someone who has worked with Simone already and whose work mixes perfectly with Simone’s writing, and (although this shouldn’t be a reason) someone who is a female. If having the female Simone on the book has managed to get tons of press, see Newsweek and the New York Times, then imagine the PR that DC could get outta having a female artist on the book too! Talk about a hit of epic proportions! C’mon DC, get your heads out of you fannies and make it happen!
That is all.
Ready to launch some ridiculously adorable cartoon hamsters into orbit? Sure you are! Totally go to:
http://www.digyourowngrave.com/flight-of-the-hamsters/
This online game is so addictively fun you will be able to maximize your time wasting ten fold! Enjoy!
The reaction of the Shotgun staff to Cloverfield remains quite positive. Many staffers are also looking forward to the latest Romero living dead opus, Diary of the Dead, which uses the same style of handheld verité camera techniques. Considering the similarity in shooting, we fully expect that a plethora of critics will think that they are clever and refer to the new Romero film as Zombiefield.
That’s why we’re trademarking* the phrase, Zombiefield as it relates to film description! It’s too late, Manohla Dargis! Sorry, Ebert and Roeper! Anytime you want to invoke the phrase Zombiefield as a comparison point, you’re going to have to pay! Present your cash, bitches! Present your cash!!
*Trademark pending clearance of paperwork, and whether we actually feel like paying over $300 just to extend a comedy bit.
Since the turn of the New Year, the “major” hip-hop releases have left somethin’ to be desired. I mean it’s gotten so bad, I’ve been bumpin’ old Mic Geronimo and Doobie Brother’s records. Anywho, thank the Lord for the underground–peep the goodness:
Domination Recording artist and Chi-town representative, Cos
mo Galactus serves up the “Appetizer” ; a mix-tape prelude (if you will) to his upcoming Domination Recording LP Hunger Strike. Sounds like dude has thing for digestive themes(???)
The Wise(n) Rhymer:
Not to be outdone–yet another Domination Recording artist hands out a few freebees, as Praverb the Wyse (gotta luv the spelling, right!) makes his latest mix-tape “The Gospel Is Free” available for 
download. (And what do you know its free!!) Mix features Praverb’s take/lyrics over contemporary hits and features fellow mic-mashers Billybo, JC Rymez and Change. Check for Praverb’s official debut Center Of Attention coming soon.
The One Man Army returns!
If One Be Lo’s ‘next-up’ effort, The R.E.B.I.R.T.H is anything like his last (the relatively slept-on classic from a few years back S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M) then the hip-hop sonic drought should be over! Check out: “Gray” and judge for yourself!
And one to grow on…
Queens, N.Y. emcee and graphic artist Bisc 1 will be taking the plunge into the sound game with his ‘official freshmen’ release, When Electric Nights Fall. (Sounds like a title for a great poem!) Not 
necessarily a newjack in the game, as Bisc has held down on the art direction tip for a number of well-known indie’s (Aesop Rock, Murs, C-Rayz-Walz), and like every other rapper in this world his 07′ mix-tape, The Stay Up Project has made its rounds…
But even with all of that, the folks over at indie hip-hop label, Embedded Music are givin’ Bisc 1 the industry co-sign! And if that’s not enough to peak yuur interest then perhaps the first single, “Turbulence” will?
P.S. I Love You!
Nah, not really..and that had to be the lamest Hillary Swank movie ever. (???) But, ya know..a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do–especially when the better half is pickin’ the movie. But, I digress–one mo’ freebee to keep y’all amped: Clan Destined feat. Laws “Older and Wiser.”
I just wanted to add my two cents to THE BEAT debate over whether publishers selling their books at conventions prior to shipping to retailers is a proper practice. Do the publishers have a right to make money by selling directly to their customers? Sure. But to not share their plans to have a competitive advantage by selling the book at the con before the retailers get a hold of the product? Not so much.
MSNBC Reports Death of Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger has been found dead in his SoHo apartment. The cause of death is not known at this moment, but a fine, young actor (and father of one) has been lost to the world!
I don’t mean this in the way it will come across, but watching THE DARK KNIGHT will now be a bittersweet experience.
A discussion thread is up over at our sister boards, Shots in the Dark.
