Art & Beauty # 2

Writer/Artist: Robert Crumb
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 2003

Art & Beauty is not so much a comic book, but a picture book of drawn ladies by Crumb in a comic sized book, each captioned by either himself or other writers/artists.

I was first introduced to Crumb when I was in Toronto several years ago. I wandered into a book shop and I saw the R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book on display. After a quick peruse, I noticed here's a guy who definitely likes to draw, especially the darker side of life. After some more research on Crumb, I was inevitably drawn towards the movie Crumb.

The movie Crumb covered many aspects of his life, ranging from his obsession with old timey music, family trauma, to his sex life. Now, here is a guy who has a split persona when it comes to sex. He is clearly obsessed with sex, and he comes off as both a victim and benefactor of his compulsions. Crumb's attitude toward women is a mixed bag as well. On the physical level he is enraptured, but overall some of his work is extremely misogynistic. Needless to say, that dichotomy has earned him his fair share of praise and criticism.

However, his Art & Beauty comics show a brighter attitude towards women. And boy can he draw!

Bad Girls # 4

Writer: Steve Vance
Artist: Christine Norrie
Cover : Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: DC
Published: January 2004

I have no idea what this series is about, and starting at issue # 4 of 5 is not the best way to get what it is all about. I only picked it up because it was $1 and the cover was by Darwyn Cooke. Here's a link to a review of issue # 1.

The Goon # 6: iLagarto Hombre!

Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Colorists: Eric Powell, Robin Powell, Shaynne Corbett, Barry Gregory
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Published: April 2004

Ahh...the Goon. What a great comic! Today's issue brings Powell's interpretation of that oh so famous tentacle beast. After a rift in time and space opens, depositing the said beast in Goon's territory, it makes it's way to town. Powell can't help but remark: "How original. An ugly thing with tentacles. Why it can't be something interesting like a monster made out of breasts?"


Good question. Definitely worth pondering over....


Moving along, the beast attacks the town where it gets the royal Goon treatment. The issue ends...well you'd never expect how. Here's a snapshot to get the ol'brain bubbling:

Spookgirl # 4: Chinese Daydream & Trip Out

Writer/Artist: Macropoulos
Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics
Published: November 2000

Ladies Night # 4 (No, I did not choose this issue on purpose - pure coincidence it's number 4!)

Issue # 4 has our lady Trixie attempting to reclaim a lost bit of her childhood. She remembers an old Chinese fairy tale: an old man kept his childhood memories in a flask. He believed these secrets had wonderful meanings, and so he meditated atop a mountain, until his younger self disappeared, and all he had left was an empty flask.

Deep.


Trixie revisits this mountain, is kicked out by some Tikis, eats a hallucinogenic plumb, and meets a strange visitor.


"Trixie will be the first to believe that their really is a monster under your bed." - Spookgirl # 4

X-Statix # 11: Introducing El Guapo!

Writer: Peter Milligan
Artists: Mike Allred/Laura Allred
Publisher: Marvel
Published: August 2003

X-Statix is one of my favorite series Marvel put out in the last decade or so. These heroes more concerned about saving people for television ratings sake than goodness sake.

Issue # 11 introduces Robbie Rodriguez aka "El Guapo" aka "The Handsome One" to the team. He has been brought on to boost drama amongst the team. He rides a mystical skateboard.


During a recruitment party, Robbie is sent into action with the team. Being a bit drunk, he slams head first into a tree. Exit stage left.


After, Robbie has a heart to heart with his girlfriend on whether to join X-Statix. He decides it'll be great for him and her, and they'll see each other whenever they can.


All seems well until, fame, money, and attention get the better of El Guapo.


Too bad for him Doop records everything.


Too bad for El Guapo his skateboard doesn't approve of his cheating ways, and gives him a lesson in skate justice.


Welcome to X-Statix.

Things From Nowhere

Writer/Artist: Richard Kolkman
Publisher: Xulu Comics
Published: 2002

I'd never heard of Richard Kolkman, but after reading Things From Nowhere, I kinda wish I had earlier. He has a unique sense of humor. He blends pop culture with his own slanted view on reality. Take a look:

Batman Gotham Knights # 3

Writers: Paul Pope, Devin Grayson
Artists: Paul Ryan, Paul Pope
Publisher: DC
Published: May 2000

Chock this one up to laziness again. I had some more pre-scans of Pope's stuff. You know, when it comes to Batsy, Pope definitely has a handle on that guy. Year 100 is fantastic, and any other short story he has done is usually top notch as well.

Ok, Gotham Knights 3 has Batman battling it out with undead and Popes tale has Batman battling a guy in a giant robot suit, all the while suffering the indiginity of a broken nose. These black and white tales are the stories that compose the Batman Black and White Volumes. They're pretty sweet.

Spider-Man's Tangled Web # 15

Writer/Artist: Paul Pope
Publisher: Marvel
Published: August 2002

Yet again, another Paul Pope comic finds its way onto COMIX 3 6 5! No, folks this isn't bordering on obsession,..well maybe a little, but trust me, partly the reason is because I'm right tired and I have some of his comics pre-scanned from an earlier post. But the rest is obsession.

Tangled Web 15 has Spidey only appearing for about 4 or 5 pages, with the rest about a daughter finding out her dad is not the man she thought he was. As always the art looks great.

Heavy Liquid # 4

Writer/Artist: Paul Pope
Publisher: Vertigo
Published: January 2000

I'm a big Paul Pope fan, and I love his artwork. Heavy Liquid follows this guy who is being chased 'cause he's got the Heavy Liquid, which is some form of metallic explosive/hallucinogenic drug. Heavy Liquid has recently been re-collected and recolored. I'm not sure of the differences between the original series and collected version, but based on the cover I saw, and Pope's recent works, I can only imagine it looks great.

One thing I liked about Popes artwork is his scenes of buildings and moody landscapes. Check some from issue # 4:


and because I used the word 'love' in this blog entry, I am counting this as meeting my self made commitment to blog about valentineish comics during the season of love.

The Walking Dead # 3

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Tony Moore
Publisher: Image Comics
Published: December 2003

What's Valentines Day without jealousy, envy, and feelings of murder and desperation?

Zombies have taken over the world. Everyday is a struggle to survive. All you want to do is carve out a life for you and the ones you care about; and the one you really care about is a wife with a MIA husband.

Too bad for you, her husband has waltzed back into the picture and has advised her everything is going to be alright.

But it's not.

Ghost Riders # 1

Writer/Artist: Chuck Austen
Publisher: Marvel
Published: March 2002

A few years back Marvel jumped on the manga band wagon and started up the Marvel Mangaverse series. I've read a few and they're not bad. This one of the better ones, simply because of, well, its simplicity.

Damion is trying to convince Johnny of his heritage. To do this, he invites Johnny to a coffee shop where he reveals the pentagram burned on his chest. Johnny is still hesitant about his heritage, when out of the blue, they are both attacked by their sister Satana. She is there to kill Johnny. Damion releases Johnny's true form - THE GHOST RIDER! Battle ensues and an unlikely ally comes to their rescue.

Forlorn Funnies # 1

Writer/Artist: Paul Hornschemeier
Publisher: Absense of Ink Comic Press
Published: June 2002

The store attendant that sold me this issue is a sarcastic douche bag - and if that big haired prick is reading this - I stand behind my statement you 1950's greaser asshole cast off wannabe.

Shit that was a bit harsh I guess...but the guy is still an asshole. I suppose I've had worse experiences dealing with comic shop employees. Back in Fredericton NB the manager of the comic shop I attended seemed to be always giving me a hard time. I thought it was personal. For instance, whenever I entered the store the manager always eyeballed me, acting as if I was going to rob the joint, always following me around. Never mind I was there at least 3 to 4 times every week. I once asked the manager to hold a comic for me that was coming in the next shipment. He said to me he wouldn't do it because 'they don't hold comics for customers who only buy one comic.' Fine, I thought, and let it go. Another time, I asked one of the employees if I could open the $1 comics to peruse them and he said ok, but then in comes the manager, and he instantly blurts out I have done wrong and that I shouldn't be opening the comics.

There were a few other instances that pissed me off, but there not worth going into, but there is one instance that is worth sharing. I hadn't been to the store for about a year, (I wasn't living in Fredericton anymore), and during a visit I went back to pick up a few comics. I had chosen a selection, and I went to the front desk and asked the manager that I had bought comics from for years if I could open them in front of him so I could decide which ones I wanted. He said he wouldn't allow it because he didn't want to put them back. I said I'd put them back. Then he just said no he wouldn't allow me. I said "you know you're going to lose a sale because of this" and he said "I am aware of that." I then bitched that I had been buying comics from him for years, grumbled to myself, bought half the selection, and left.

I was pretty irritated, but as I look back, I can't blame the guy. This is because he's nearly blind. Now don't think I'm forgiving him out of pity, 'cause I'm not. It's because I woke up and realized that he has a uniquely shitty situation. He works in a comic store full of sorts of tiny things and he can't see. He probably has developed different defense mechanisms to help him run the store, and his interaction with me probably wasn't personal. He probably didn't know I was a regular customer because he couldn't see me clearly. Plus, Fredericton has more than its fair share of jerks and he probably has been ripped off by assholes, so he treats everyone with suspicion when it comes to his comics. When I asked him to let me open some comics, his first worry was probably that I would steal them. I know that would be my worry if I were in his shoes. Anyway I was in the wrong and I've accepted that, but as for the big haired dick weed that works at the current shop I go to, he has no excuse for being a prick. Fuck him.

Forlorn Funnies is an experimental comic that has several different stories blended together. The first story has a 'bad bad man' attempting to kill the wrong man and failing, whereupon he then heads home to read "Thesaurus The Literate Dinosaur." The bad man then heads to town to score some lovin' and during his walk the art/story transitions to a lonely young woman watching Mr. Dangerous on TV, which then transitions into Mr. Dangerous world as his show is axed, which then transitions again into a fast food diner where he is offered a job to dress up as a woman, which transitions again into the life of a character who has a complicated crush on his neighbor.

I really liked the transitions between tales. Check out the transition between the bad man tale to the lonely woman's story.

Deadman # 4

Writer: Steve Vance
Artist: Josef Beroy
Cover: Mike Mignola
Publisher: DC
Published: May 2002

Boston Brand is a dead man.

Nope, that's not a line out of the Sopranos. It's an introduction to DC's favorite ghost. Boston Brand worked at a circus as a trapeze artist and would dress up in a red outfit with white makeup. His moniker was Deadman. Brand ended up getting murdered, and in the afterlife Rama Kushna gave him the power to possess living souls to find his murderer. Pretty cool, right?

Well it is cool.

Issue # 4 has Brand on a mission to find some baddies. He ends up possessing the body of a local convict and is able to get some info on a group of terrorists who plan to nuke Glad City via a submarine unless some cash is coughed up. Brand infiltrates the submarine, possesses a few of the terrorists and saves the day, much to the displeasure of the bad guys, as the sub takes on a bit too much water and they all drown.

One of the best sequences in this issue is when Deadman is contemplating possessing the body of Clark Kent. He visits Clark and Lois who are about to eat dinner. As the two sit down to eat, Deadman watches Kent burst back and fourth from the table. Each time Clark comes back he mentions what catastrophe he had to avert, all the while Deadman stares on flabbergasted. By this point, Deadman leaves, not bothering to possess Superman as he already has a full plate.

Get it - Lois and him are trying to eat dinner! On plates! Clark's is full 'cause he is too busy rescuing folks! I wonder: Does Superman need to eat? I don't think he needs to, because he is pretty much a solar battery; and if he did need to eat, then technically he could suffer from starvation, which could lead to a lame way for the mightiest of heroes to exit stage left.