The New 52: Coming Right at You!

Last week DC began the relaunch of every one of its titles. Dan Didio claimed falling sales for the move, a decision I find specious in the light of their massive 2010 hit, Blackest Night. The relaunch definitely will create a short term spike but how well the entire line will do depends on the actual quality of the books. So what is the quality of the books?

I'm doing short reviews of all 52 #1 titles this month. Partly because it gives this blog a larger purpose than the quick bites I can post on Twitter and Facebook. In this day of social networking, blogs really have to justify their existence.

The other reason is that my local comic store, Chimera's Comics had a deal where if you sign up for all 52 books, you get a free Absolute Batman: the Long Halloween, a $75 book I had my eye on for awhile. I've also been curious about sampling many of the titles so why not all?

The launch started last week with the final issue of the crossover Flashpoint, an elseworlds style mini series that could have been a Flash annual. It did little to reshape the universe and almost nothing to justify the relaunch.

It also began with :

Justice League #1: The flagship title by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. Lee's artwork took a great leap forward when he came to DC with Batman: Hush. Always a superb stylist, he tightened his storytelling skills when he approached the legendary character. Geoff Johns on the other hand is a great writer clearly showing the strain of being spread too thin. His scripts over the last year have lacked the depth and nuance of his long runs on Flash and Green Lantern. So what we have here are some really gorgeous fight scenes.

Buy # 2?: It's all the heavy hitters by two of my favorite creators. I'll stick around to see if the story deepens over the next few issues.


This week saw the release of :

Stormwatch #1: The integration of outside titles into the DCU has been problematic at best. This is a prime example, adding the Martian Manhunter into a Wildstorm title. As a new reader, I'm lost. There seems to be a lot of new characters and a lot of continuity and no clear jump on point. For a #1, this is death.

Buy # 2?: I love J'Onn J'Onzz but no.


Action Comics #1: Grant Morrison has left Batman and returned to Superman with an entirely different take than he did on All-Star Superman. And I'm loving it. The t-shirt, jeans and work boot costume channels the Golden Age stories in the way his Batman run channeled the weird 50's tales. Mark Morales has taken a leap of energy since Identity Crisis, fusing Jerry Ordway with Mark Bagley.

Buy # 2?:I rarely read Superman but this is one run I will.


OMAC #1: Keith Giffen doing Kirby. That's all that recommends it.

Buy # 2?: Sorry I bought #1.


Batgirl #1: When I heard Barbra Gordon would be leaving her wheelchair and donning the batgirl costume again, I was skeptical. Gail Simone knew that and made the change the mystery of the piece. She hasn't ignored continuity, she's using it to keep the story moving forward. And some well paced flashbacks keep a new reader in the game. Well paced action keeps them coming back.

Buy # 2?: Oh, yes. And as a lifelong Batman fan, I've never picked up a Batgirl monthly.


Swamp Thing #1:

Alec Holland is Swamp Thing. And he's not. That's the mystery posed in the first issue. Swamp Thing is a character that has had several different takes. Wein and Wrightson went for pure classic horror. Moore sought to challenge the limitations of the genre. Scott Snyder seems straight forward creepy superhero. I'm fine with it but I don't know if the journey will be worth $3 a month.

Buy # 2?: If it's a slow week.


Detective Comics #1: I usually steer clear of artists turned writers. For every John Byrne or Walt Simonson, you get an IMAGE comic. I read Tony Daniel's first try Battle for the Cowl. It was terrible and I've avoided him for the past three years. He's gotten better but still not great. This is fairly standard Joker fare with a little less characterization and a lot more gore.

Buy # 2?: No, but my expectations for Snyder and Capullo's Batman #1 have raised.


Green Arrow #1: I've always liked the world weary character of Green Arrow. He always seemed a little harder and older than the other DC heroes. So old that in the 90's his grown son take over. That's all erased with this take, along with the bald spot, the goatee and Black Canary. In its place we have a Smallville look, an Oracle stand-in and a pedestrian action scene.

Buy # 2?: It's always hard to keep a Green arrow title going. This one won't be any easier.


Static Shock #1: Despite some great art by Scott McDaniel, I had the same problem here as I did with Stormwatch. I never read the Milestone series or watched the animated show so I don't get the significance of most of these characters or how they may have changed. I'm still on the outside looking in. I wonder if Grifter will fall into the same problems.

Buy # 2?:Wish I could. Can't so I won't.


Animal Man #1: I always root for Animal Man. He seems more grounded than other heroes and Grant Morrison did some really terrific work with him in the 80's and in 52. This issue has a lot going for it and really creepy twist ending but it takes too long to start moving. I also hate the new costume.

Buy # 2?: I won't even browse it. Not unless something amazing happens on the cover.


Hawk and Dove #1: Remember when I said Jim Lee upped his game when he came to DC? Rob Liefeld didn't. This feels like a book from 1991 with hard pinched faces, glamour shots and shading that makes it feel like Hawk is two different characters. Reading this book is like seeing a hair metal band tour again. It's fun as long as you ignore the fact that you've grown out of it.

Buy # 2?: N.O.


Batwing #1: A Judd Winick series about an African Batman in the congo fighting genocide with photo realistic style artwork? It's just as leaden as you'll think it will be.

Buy # 2?: Why bother? It will be cancelled within the year.


Justice League International #1: Dark Knight Returns brought me to DC in the 80's but JLI kept me there. There have been a few relaunches of this idea, mostly mini-series with the original creative team. This has none of them with a slightly more serious take on the line-up, minus Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle, Dr. Fate and most of the characters I wanted to see here. Still it has some of the that series trademark humor and I like both Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti (although why Jurgens is writing one series and drawing a different one is beyond me. He could easily be carrying this book solo) and teases us with Batman and Guy Gardner so it's a pleasant if pedestrian read.

Buy # 2?: The next few anyway.


Men of War #1: Why is this a DCU title? This Sgt. Rock re-imagining is a straight up military title with a hint of supernatural, the kind of thing Vertigo can do very well. Did they need one more series to make up the 52? Did DC want a bigger spotlight for a non superhero book? Plus it's the only title that costs a dollar more. So this odd duck also bites you on the wrist. It's good, it just doesn't belong here.

Buy # 2?: I don't know why I bought #1.

Next week: 12 more.

Show This Saturday!

Doctor Who

Doctor Who returns to BBC America tomorrow night. Andfor the first time ever, I will be there.

Doctor Who was the one major sci-fi franchise I never got into. Star Wars hit me at 5 and made me a life long sci-fi fan. By 7 I was looking for more than (at that time) a single movie. And there on channel 11 was Star Trek, which I never gave up. Aliens, Predators and Terminators came in high school., the X Files, Blade Runner and the Matrix after college. Joss Whedon, Battlestar Galactica and LOST after the wedding. I even gave Babylon 5 a shot for a couple of seasons. But there was never room for the Doctor.

It was too British, too cheap, too sixties. I would stumble upon it on PBS now and then and simply wait for Monty Python's Flying Circus to come on. Every now and then I'd meet another geek and after gleefully trading Trek stories they would steer the conversation towards Doctor Who. I'd tell them I'd never seen it and watch them shrink back, disappointed.

Then in 2005 the BBC relaunched it and everyone loved it. They changed the lead and everyone loved it more. They changed the lead again and people fell blindly, madly in love with it. And they started streaming it on Netflix. I gave in.

I started with the 2005 relaunch. I watched five years of episodes in two weeks. So I was into it.

The franchise always seemed a step behind the genre zeitgeist, especially in 1996 with an aborted backdoor pilot that tried way too hard to be X Files and Deep Space Nine. Not anymore. The BBC learned how to reignite from Star Trek and how to balance fantasy, horror, character work and long arcs from Whedon and Abrams. The inherent goofiness was accepted but turned way down each season until the time Steven Moffat took over it evaporated completely. The rules were established quickly enough for me to get it and were flexible enough to allow for a wide range of stories. I liked it. A lot.

It's the ultimate nerd show. Foppy, tweedy, full of complicated pseudo science most people will never get and surprisingly non violent. Despite the fact that every episode has a monster out to eat you, even when it revolves around Shakespeare or Van Gogh, there's rarely any fighting. Lots of thinking, lots of running, very little shooting. This is a show where the hero is not the toughest, the coolest or the bravest. It's the one where he's the smartest. No wonder nerds love it so.

The show also changes tremendously based on its lead actor. It's like when a new exciting British writer takes on an established superhero comic. Christopher Eccleston felt like Grant Morrison, sci fi concepts thrown at you so fast you can't unravel them led by a frenetic soccer hooligan. David Tennant was like Paul Jenkins, still British, still far out but with the heart of a romantic and a softie at that. Matt Smith is Neil Gaiman, melancholy, desaturated, poetic, grim and written by Neil Gaiman. It's all alluring and bringing me back tomorrow night for more.

New Chili Peppers!

And it's undeniably awesome. The new guitar player completely fills the void left by John Frusciuante's departure and even with a new member, the band is moving in the direction set by 2003's "By the Way" and enhanced on 2006's "Stadium Arcadium".

Get More: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Music, More Music Videos

Final note. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the mustache is back.

Direct link.

Words of Wisdom From Ira Glass

Once again, Ed Murray knocks it out of the inbox.

The End of Indiana Jones Figures

I got my SDCC set. They are all pretty awesome but more importantly, they effectively end the most anticipated figure line of my life.

When I saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark", Walker and I went straight to the typewriter, drafting a petition to Kenner to produce figures. We even sent them a product line with character selections and playsets. We also asked for prototypes.

A year later, when Kenner launched the line with a tv commercial, I felt a sense of victory. I didn't know at the time the deals between Lucasfilm and Kenner piggybacked this license on top of Star Wars so I felt personally responsible.

A year later it was gone. 12 figures, one playset, some mini-sets and vehicles and it disappeared from shelves. When I lost marion and Indy in the sands of Rockaway Beach, there was no hope of replacing them. Three years later, LJN bashed out an out of scale half hearted three figure line for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I still would have bought them, if I ever saw them in a single store.

In the summer of 1989, batman figures based on the Tim Burton movie had me haunting the Kay Bee in Queens Center daily. But no one picked up the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade license.

And then as reported many times on this blog, in 2007 Hasbro tried again with a comprehensive line to commemorate "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was dead by the time the blu-ray dropped.

Yes, the factory that produced the first waves was horrible. Yes, it is clear Hasbro had no idea what would be important in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (didn't we all think the jungle cutter would be an action set piece?). When I saw the hatless, jacketless Indy with a bazooka I was told he was "screen accurate". He wasn't.

At Toy Fair 2008 I asked Daryl dePriest how they would sustain the line this time. He said he had learned from Kenner's mistakes in the 1980's. I asked what mistake. he said "there are adult collectors now". So instead of launching with four figures as they did in 1982, they launched with 20. The end result? I got 40 Indiana Jones figures instead of 12.

And now the final wave that was tooled at the time of cancellation has snuck out. It lasted through the show but sold out online in four hours.

I'd love to see it continue as a DTC line but we all know Hasbro has no infrastructure or interest for a Matty Collector type situation. I'm just glad I got everyone and they will be stored next to my Toy Biz LOTR, my Palisades Muppets and other lines I know I will never see again.

Harrison Ford on Conan

It took him a long time but he learned how to kill in interviews.



He's angry at Smurfs. And who isn't?

Dark Knight Rises Pic

Usually I avoid spoilers and set pics during the production of a movie but this shot is just too awesome.



Batman fighting Bane out in the street. Looks like Batman is keeping the Dark Knight costume as well. That'll save me $200 with Hot Toys.

Walking Dead Season 2

Aw, yeah.




Direct link.

My Favorite Mean Joke Ever

Actual conversation outside Rififi's, 2008.

Me: There's two kinds of jokes that never get a laugh; suicide and Michael J. Fox
Alex Grubard: What about Michael J. Fox committing suicide?
Me: He'd never get the gun to his head.

10 Reasons I'm a Bad Geek.

This week is Comicon, the center of all things geek. And I'm mildly curious. Not salivating and counting the days like most on the message boards. What's wrong with me? Lots of things actually. I:

1. Went to San Diego in 2008. Don't need to go back.
2. Think "Batman Begins" is a better movie than "Dark Knight"
3. had Laser eye surgery
4. Find Grant Morrison cryptic.
5. was 39 before I ever saw a full episode of "Doctor Who"
6. don't care who shot first
7. prefer hardcover reprints to actual silver age comics
8. am outright terrible at video games
9. can wait for Harry Potter on blu-ray
10. now that everyone in the world is a geek, still feel left out.

Conan Finds Grady

Conan O' Brien is at his peak right now. He owns his show and is doing exactly what he wants every night. Plus the documentary "Conan O' Brien Can't Stop" recording his tour hits today.

But Conan was always great. If you want proof here's a series of clips form 1996 where he tracks down the legendary "Grady" Whitman Mayo. In college we became obsessed with Grady so this hit us right where we lived.

1:


2:


3:

Green Lantern Animated Series

And we're back.



With Bruce Timm on this, it will redeem the franchise, at least in the eyes of fans and kids.

Green Lantern

I didn't think it was so bad. I also saw it in a theater that serves alcohol.

I've mentioned my love for Green Lantern before. I've also mentioned how grateful I am that Geoff Johns turned the franchise from a rudderless obligation for DC to its third most popular franchise. That success lead the WB to spend $200 million on a feature film. Shame they didn't treat that investment with more care.

It's been rumored that Johns had input into the film. It must have been early and disregarded. There are his signature touches; the discussion of willpower as a force, the ability to overcome fear, the Sinestro Corps symbol and Parallax as a living entity. There's also Krona and Hector Hammond and Hal's brothers and the death of his father. But it's all jumbled and thrown into the film haphazardly.

Several characters fight for screen time and no one seems to win. Sinestro, Kilowog and Tomar Re all get extended cameos. They throw a few lines of exposition out, look cool in cg and leave. They're also nowhere to be found until the final battle is over when they couldn't be any less help.

I like Ryan Reynolds. I used to dislike his smarmy, entitled persona but like Ben Affleck it's been tamed over the years and it works for Hal. Mark Strong is a solid Sinestro and well prepared for becoming a central villain in a sequel. Several good actors (Peter Sarrsgard, Tim Robbins, Angela Basset) are good and wasted. But Blake Lively is terrible, coming off as a waify girl rather than the career-minded, angry woman that makes up half the dysfunctional relationship in the comics. Like Kirsten Dunst, Malin Ackerman and Katie Holmes, the studio was more concerned with pretty girls than fully-rounded characters.

The cg is passable. It never really bothers you but when you think of other cg fests like the terrible "Tron: Legacy" you realize how much better most blockbusters look. Restraint could have helped. Did the Guardians need to be outside on a mountaintop. Couldn't they have been in a room and save some detail to make Oa look more believable.

There's no focus. This is not a Green Lantern story. It's Green Lantern in live action for two hours. Part of me is grateful we got anything. Part of me hopes they'll fix it in the sequel. Part of me knows there won't be one.

SDCC Indiana Jones Figures

Pics are out!





I'm very happy. They look incredible and as sorry as I am there won't be any more, I'm grateful Hasbro found a way to release these. Whatever the price is, they're worth double.


Thanks to rebelscum

X-Men: First Class

Anyone who has seen this needs to tell people who haven't seen it. Because it doesn't look good, the last two were not good and yet it is very, very good.

This movie is an apology for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a film nearly everyone involved considers bad. The fact that First Class contradicts that one is more a testament to how far afield Wolverine went.

Matthew Vaughan manages to capture the world of the early 60's through the prism of "Mad Men" and James Bond. Lots of sharp suits, brushed metal and nightclubs with secret passages. He also manages to keep you involved with a handful of characters that would never sell a comic series on their own. Charles Xavier is more interesting, complex and fun than he's ever been. James McAvoy channels Patrick Stewart the way Ewan Macgregor did Alec Guinness. Just enough reference to tie it in and just enough room to make it his own. And Kevin Bacon makes a surprisingly effective villain.

It doesn't line up with the comic series much. The "First Class" combines only one of the original five (Beast), a later Neal Adams era character (Havok), a Giant-Size one (Banshee) and even a Grant Morrison New X-Men version (Angel). But it lines up seamlessly with the trilogy adding weight that pushes Singer's films up to greatness level and almost makes The Last Stand decent.

Yes, there are some holes and some obvious missteps (I'm now considering every non-comic accurate mutant to be a red shirt) but the movie actually turns the whole franchise around. It should be doing much better than it is. The fact that there are some amazing cameos that were never spoiled (and I won't) shows how little people are talking about it.

Marvel doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in this film. When I saw the trailer I said that FOX had turned the X-Men franchise into "Smallville". It's a pleasure to eat those words.

Vote for PJ Brady's BBQ sauce!

I've known PJ over twenty years now. We're lucky if we get together every couple of years or so. So I had no idea that he could create an awesome BBQ sauce. One you can vote for on dailynews.com

Vote here!

Mos Eisley Cantina - Google Voice Theatre

Paul F. Tompkins has problems with Google Voice. So much so he transcribed a section of "Star Wars" into it and read the transcription at Largo. Someone cut it to the film itself and here it is.

Ron Zabrocki in Guitar World!

Ron's started a weekly online column on guitarworld.com, a magazine I've been subscribing to since before I met him. If his column is as helpful as sitting in a room with him for twenty minutes, you will learn lessons that will affect your playing for the rest of your life. He gets it off to a great start here:

First lesson

Master Cleanse

I'm 39 years old and I eat badly. Left to my own devices, I will eat cheeseburgers, tacos and pizza for every meal, with ice cream after. I don't but I could do it without looking back. I'm disinterested in fruits, vegetables and fish. I don't dislike them but they are never my first choice. Jamba Juice was a huge breakthrough, teaching me I could have twenty fruits for a meal.

Two months ago my dentist made me quit soda. I'd been drinking diet but it wasn't the sugar hurting my teeth. It was the acid. Apparantly, the phosphoric acid in cola is only one step above battery acid.

It came as a blow but a month or two later I forgot all about soda. I started leaning heavily on lemonade, which between the sugar and citric acid, may be no better. But my lemonade addiction, coupled with the diminishing summer appetite, led me to ponder the Master Cleanse again.

The program lasts you ten days, eat nothing and drink a mix of fresh lemon juice, grade B maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Supposedly it gives you enough nutrition to fast and flush the crap that's stuck in your system. I've fasted before, up to 4 days, so the not eating doesn't scare me. What does scare me is the program of it. 10 days. It's like getting on a roller coaster. Once they pull that bar down, you can't get out. That's why I'm giving myself a caveat; I can bail at any time. As soon as it pisses me off, I'm out. No honor, baby.

Here's a lot of detailed information about the Master Cleanse Diet. It's day 2 and all the information I can give you is that it tastes pretty good.

Mysterio

Our first show is June 11. And our demo is just about done.

Making a demo was such a big deal in the analog world. When I worked on the first Q South demo it was like we'd been signed to a record label. Psychasm spent more time making our demo than actually gigging. And they each cost thousands of dollars.

This demo was literally done in the off hours around practice. If anyone showed up early, they would start recording. We took one Saturday afternoon to learn how to mike drums. We still have one song to finish.

I used the BOSS BR-8 I bought in 2000. It still runs on zip discs. It's digital yet antiquated. But I know it well enough that I can get tracks faster than with Pro Tools. Sound Forge did the mixing and mastering.

And posting it has never been easier. Thanks to Reverbnation, uploading mp3s is finally like getting videos on youtube. The player is also easy to drop on Facebook and here.

The widget will remain on the right hand column but here's a big version to listen right now. Four songs. One original. One live cover. Two studio covers. And one coming. Not bad for a couple of weeks.





MYSTERIO
June 11 9 p.m.
IDLE HOUR
8601 W Grand Ave, River Grove, IL
773-083-2322

Twilight Zone: the Movie Opening

I'm watching the original Twilight Zone (and it excellent audio commentaries) on blu-ray and reading Albert Brooks' new novel "Twenty-Thirty". So this scene has been on my mind. "Twilight Zone: the Movie" was a WHT fixture in the early 80's and I saw it twenty times before I ever watched an episode of the tv show. I'm guessing John Landis did this, since he directed the first section and cast Dan Aykroyd two years after "the Blues Brothers". The deep blacks are also a giveaway.

I'm also convinced 94% of this is improv. It's just too natural. And notice Albert's lyrics to the National Geographic theme. Every line is hilarious.



Direct link.

This episode taught me two things; to pay close attention to Albert Brooks and to fear the song "The Midnight Special". And I do.

Talking Funny

It's my birthday. Here's your present. Ricky Gervais. Jerry Seinfeld. Chris Rock. Louis CK.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

Mysterio premiere

I haven't posted much lately. But I am tweeting a lot which you can see on the right. As the internet becomes more and more social, there seems to be less and less reasons to keep a blog that people need to go and visit. This blog does automatically update to Facebook so it's not completely stuck in 2005.

And I intend to use this blog to post larger stories and bigger news than 140 characters can tell. Here's one:



I'm finally in a band I enjoy out here and we're finally playing a show. Three hours of classic rock, grunge and metal. If you like songs I like, I will be playing the songs I like. Should be a great night!

Where I've Been

And I thought I was well travelled. Typical American behavior.

The Practice Room

Last year, I spent most of the summer buying guitars. While I overbought (I just got rid of two of them) part of the drive was that I finally had a dedicated room in my house to play and display them.

In the nine months that followed, I auditioned for five bands, joined one, gigged with them, came back to NY and played a show, came home, quit the band, auditioned for three more and started my own. Since I had the room we meet once a week in my basement for practice.

So the room had to change. It was no longer a man-cave/guitar museum. Now it was a workout room designed for five musicians rather than one. Things had to move.


First I bought a P.A. A cheap 150 watt one didn't cut it so I sold it and two Indiana Jones statues for this Peavey 1200 watt mixer. It should work when we play at venues that demand we provide all the sound. But more importantly it allows me to hear myself and doesn't shock my teeth.



The first few practices I was stepping over guys to switch guitars and tweak amps. That was stupid. All my stuff had to get together. It took awhile to move the washer and dryer to another room in the basement but now I have both my amps and main guitars at my fingertips. That's a VOX AC30 for cleans, Marshall JCM 900 half stack for heavy. The Strat and SG follow the same pattern.



Here's the floor of that same area. The pedalboard hasn't changed much since the last pic other than the upgrade of the Dyna Comp to an MXR Custom Comp that breathes more for the Rickenbacker 12 string. I also added a Rust Booster for solos because with a 3 guitar lineup, I need every advantage I can get. The Marshall channel switch is there in case I want to run the Big Muff through the stack and the a/b switch gives me both amps (sometimes I'll run them both for a solo). Since I'm once again a lead singer (oh joy) the music stand holds my iPad to look up lyrics (the PC behind me wasn't helping) and the cheapie Kustom monitor means I can stop screaming into the mike. The $20 Home Depot carpet keeps me from tripping over all those cables.



I moved my rig near the computer so I could call up iTunes to solve a debate on a cover. The computer speakers are 150 watts. Serious. The digital 8 track is already on its way to making our demo and the chair slides in so I don't trip over it during practice. Hanging on either side are the guitars I use less frequently. I grab the Rickenbacker 12 string whenever the song calls for one. The Les Paul has always been my number one but with the other guys playing modern humbuckery Shecters and the like the more trebly Strat and SG sit in the mix better. It's mostly hanging here because it looks so pretty. All my other guitars are cased in the corner.



Our drummer Jesse was dragging his kit back and forth from Aurora which either cost us 45 minutes when he moved it or a week's home practice when he didn't. I found this TAMA Rhythm Mate on craigslist for $600. Some kid played it in high school and didn't in college. It was in excellent shape with a nice double kick pedal. Now that I own a kit, I really should learn how to play one. Chris left his bass rig here and after helping him move it I don't blame him. That's a Yahama tube head pushing two Acoustic 15"s. It just POUNDS. The other guitarists are bringing their amps back and forth though I keep telling them they shouldn't.



The old couch is still here though it doesn't get much use. We tend to just keep jamming until we drop. The Kirk chair lost it's place of honor on its own wall for space. Its plywood construction tells me it may not be long for this world.

This is another one of those posts where I start the last paragraph "it's taken me 20 years..." but I finally have a real practice room. When I started playing in the late 80's I had a room as big as this one in my parent's basement. My grandfather had built an apartment there and I eventually moved down in college, turning the living room into a studio. Thing is I had no money for equipment then and no one wanted to cross the bridge into Rockaway every week. We ended up using it more for improv than jamming.

Once I moved I had a recording booth in a walk in closet but no one else could fit in there. And when I moved in with Renee, that studio had to share space with the office. My dream was to buy a house and turn the basement into a practice/ screening room. The ceiling was too low for a projector but the rest worked out just fine. Now if I can only find a name for this band...

Cartooning Financially

"Only in the world of cartooning could freelance writing be considered a cash grab."
-Ted Rall

The Village Voice has a stark look at the living situation of most cartoonists. I know I'd still be doing comics if I could have made any type of living from them.

Check it out.

Green Lantern Footage

Two of my favorite super heroes growing up have a lot in common. Both Green Lantern and Iron Man were 'B' list characters that seemed like they should have been 'A' list. They each had a rich mythology, cool costumes and a sci-fi bent that no other book could capture.

Yet the comic was never very good. As strong as the work Denny O'Neil did on both characters, they never quite reached the heights of a Batman or Spider-Man. And in lesser hands, both books could be very, very bad.

But in 2005, things changed. Almost simultaneously, Warren Ellis wrote "Iron Man: Extremis" as Geoff Johns penned "Green Lantern: Rebirth". And crystallized their mythologies into something clear, strong and identifiable. Johns has stayed on Green Lantern since, adding more and more layers to the character where he now stands toe to toe with Superman and Batman. And Matt Fraction's work on Iron Man a few years later has held the torch for the armored hero.

Then in 2008, "Iron Man" changed everything for comic book movies. Not only did it transform Tony Stark into one of the most recognizable Marvel heroes but it opened the door for lesser known heroes. If the movie was good enough people would go to a Thor" or a "Captain America".

Or a "Green Lantern". For the first time in DC history, Warner Brothers is about to launch a super hero movie that is NOT based on "Batman" or "Superman" (even "Steel" and "Catwoman" were basically spin-offs). The first trailer was wincing, trying way too hard to be "Iron Man" quirky. I anticipated a "Fantastic Four" sized disappointment. Fortunately Wondercon this past weekend showed another four minutes, giving the film more of a JJ Abrams "Star Trek" feel. And I'm looking forward to it. It may not be as good as "Iron Man". It may not be as good as "Thor". But at least I feel it won't be horrible.

Wondercon footage:


And for the sake of argument, that first trailer which caused all the problems:

PG-13: A Bad Idea?

Here's an excellent article describing how the PG-13 rating actually led to the ruination of PG movies.

Check It Out.

The Edge

I've tried for years to nail the Edge's delay sound. Most guitarists don't even try. You can't just step on a delay pedal and expect magic to come out.

But one guitarist approached it scientifically. And got it from every angle. It's fascinating, perplexing and an enormous help. My only problem now is to play this right, I'm gonna have to get somebody else to sing.

Check it out.

Marion Ravenwood

I've never been a big collector of custom figures. The furthest I usually go is a head swap or Sharpie to fix the blacks. But when it comes to Indiana Jones, I have no limits.

So when I was trolling ebay and came across this custom sculpt of Marion Ravenwood, my jaw hit the floor. A day or two of online research proved Sideshow Toys had no intention of releasing a Marion figure on their own. So I pulled the trigger.



Now I had to build the rest of her. The latest Hot Toys female sculpt was in perfect proportions and although it was no longer on sale, it was easy enough to find on ebay.

The dress was trickier. I ended up finding a guy in Istanbul that custom makes them. He even ripped it to make it more film acccurate.



I took a look for shoes but after watching the film again I noticed she doesn't wear them long. If Marion could run from an exploding plane barefoot, she could go without the high heels.



It took about a month and more money than I care to admit but she's fantastic. It's been three years since Sideshow announced their 12" line. It's trickled down to about 1 piece a year but it's worth continuing. And if I can keep finding customs like this one, it's worth adding even more.

Bill Cosby

Friday night at the Chicago Theater I ticked off another life goal; Renee and I saw Bill Cosby.

The man is 73 years old. I know this because he started many bits with it. And he hasn't lost a step. Sure, he's slower than he was but like the greats he shifted his persona to match his speed. Pauses became pregnant. Anticipation ran higher on each set-up. And the audience was glued to every word.

When Ed Murray and I were working at the Improv we used to marvel at "Bill Cosby: Himself". "The man sat down!" We couldn't believe he'd have that much control over the stage to not hold his ground. Now he's even more relaxed in an oversized sweatshirt, sweatpants and crocs, wearing a wireless mike around his ear. No frills.

Two hours. No opener. No introduction. Some crowd work. All new material. He's still telling stories of his childhood which became the basis of "Fat Albert" in the 1970's. He's still telling stories of his wife and children which became the basis of "The Cosby Show" in the 1980's. But now he has grandparent stories, as sharply defined as any material he's ever done.

In "Jerry Seinfeld: Comedian", there's a scene where Chris Rock urges Jerry to go see Bill Cosby. "All new material. Killer." That movie was five years ago and Chris Rock can rest assured, it's still true.

Captain America Trailer

Okay. Now I'm "Thor" excited. You take that any way you want.

Slash, Dave Grohl and Lemmy

Ben Freaks Out to Motorhead

Who wants to know why I'm tired all the time?



Direct Link.

Planet of the Apes Discussion

Continuing the vein of reviewing movies you've already seen a hundred times, Roger Ebert's site has a cool retro review of the original "Planet of the Apes". Because who doesn't want to think about "Planet of the Apes" again?

Indiana Jones Screenwriting Discussion

Here's a series of great articles: the first explaining why Raiders of the Lost Ark is so well written, the second why Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was not and why the unproduced Indiana Jones and the City of Gods was better than Crystal Skull, but not by much.

Crybaby Movie

It's completely out online.

Part 1:



Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:

Movie Locations Guide

Ever get completely distracted in a movie thinking, "That street! Where is that!"? Growing up in New York this happens to me once a week (not counting every time 30 Rock is on.

Now we can know for sure. Movie Locations Guide has a comprehensive list of iconic locations, and establishing shots of buildings that were really in a studio. There are even maps of New York and LA. Now stop making yourself crazy.


Check it out!

All Hail Kumail Nanjianai!

He's on Conan. And in this clip, he's on forever.

Dwayne McDuffie

Dwayne McDuffie has passed away due to complications after surgery.

This is a shock. McDuffie seemed to be in good health and tremndously active, writing the script for the "All Star Superman" dvd which came out this very day.

I was a fan of his wirting but truly came to love his craft after his scripts on "Justice League Unlimited" became the greatest episodes of Bruce Timm's greatest series. I adored his runs on the "Fantastic Four" and "Justice League" comics, both cut short in their prime. Just like their creator.

He will be missed.

Zartan commercial

I've been singing this jingle for 27 years. Somehow I remember it rocking much harder.



Direct link.

New "Thor" Trailer

I was never a big Thor fan as a kid. He just seemed like Superman (who I was also never a big fan) but more hoity-toity. Everything with him was all "thy" and "thou" and "mjolnir". I'd heard great things about Walt Simonson's run in the '80's but never finished it.

But I love Jack Kirby. So last month I bought the entire Stan Lee/ Jack Kirby run in hardcover. And it's great. Great great. Like "Fantastic Four" great. I'm not sure why I resisted so long. There's no reason to believe when both men were hitting their creative peaks they would have done a second-rate job on this.

So I've gotten more into Thor. Which may be why I'm feeling like this movie maybe the best of the summer. We all knew Kenneth Branagh would nail the Shakespeare (which is how Stan thought Norse Gods spoke). But this new trailer shows he's got the pace and the action chops (welcome news for those of us that sat through his five hour "Hamlet".)

Behold the awesome:




Direct link.

"Green Lantern", you've got a lot to live up to.

Len Lesser

Len Lesser passed away at the age of 88.

My generation will remember him best as Uncle Leo on "Seinfeld" and later on "Everybody Loves Raymond" where he played basically the same role. But Len's career as a character actor goes back to the late 1940's. Over the summer I picked up the complete dvds of "The Monkees". Len popped up twice. And he was great every time.

He will be missed.

"X-men: First Class" trailer

Congratulations, FOX. You've turned the X-Men franchise into "Smallville".

Indiana Jones Comes Back

Toy Fair this year is looking solid. The Marvel line is with continuing and even Star Wars has a couple of things I'll buy (along with a genuine tease/rumor of a new Death Star playset at SDCC).

But the biggest news to me is Hasbro will be releasing the lost wave of Indiana Jones figures as a San Diego exclusive. This on top of the recent news that Hot Toys is making a 12" Indiana Jones which, once it's tweaked, should bury the Hasbro line. PLUS, a possible first ever Indiana Jones convention, taking place October 2011 in Chicago!

Happy Valentine's Day, me.

Jamba Juice Secret Menu

I've become obsessed with Jamba Juice. When I walked a mile and a half to the office every day, there was one location at the halfway point that kept me going. Now that I'm working at home I have to wait for the car and drive 7 miles to get to one. Which in my mind defeats the whole point of getting a fruit smoothie (to sum, I need a Jamba Juice in town).

So when I heard the rumor of Jamba Juice's secret menu, I was riveted. Plus it's true. It's like Jamba Juice just became more Jamba Juice. The only trick now is to order one of these without feeling like an idiot.

Bad Comic Book Movies

The Super Bowl means one thing to me; commercials. Part of it is professional and part of it is the traditional spots for the summer comic book movies. This year they showed Thor, Captain America and Cowboys and Aliens. Plus shots of the new Spider-Man costume leaked and a new Superman announced.

And of course the fans are worried. Because they worry about everything. Will they fix Spider-Man's eyes? Is Chris Evans big enough? Is Ryan Reynolds too goofy? Comic fans are terrified because they've seen a handful of great comic book movies and many bad ones.

But what fans forget is the damage is always contained. The worst that happens is a missed opportunity. "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider" fans will always have to live with the probability that they will never see a great movie of that character. I live with that fact as a "Fantastic Four" fan.

No character was ever destroyed by a bad movie. The book still exists and is most of the time better than the filmed adaptation. Even "Spawn" is still publishing! Fans cling to their favorite characters to the point where they feel they have to be protected. That leads to fans complaining about every new creative team and costume change. And keeps comics insular, stagnant and dated.

Here's the greatest consolation. If the movie is truly bad, it will be forgotten. I mentioned to a friend that I was re-watching "Blade" and he said, "Ugh. That third movie is terrible". Yes, it is. But I can't remember it. I just remember it was bad. And that keeps me enjoying the good one.

David Brent Meets Michael Scott

Yes, it's as gimmicky as you can get. Yes, it's a desperate move for an aging show. Yes, it's a consolation prize for Gervais' refusal to replace the departing Steve Carell. And yet it works in that Laff-a-Lympics kind of way.



Direct link.

Oscar Nominations Are In!

Here they are.

The saddest thing about this is knowing I'll miss Elaine's annual Oscar party.

Bane in "Dark Knight Rises"

And Tom Hardy's playing him, finally washing away the stink of Star Trek: Nemesis. Anne Hathaway is Catwoman, as well. But chances are you know all this.

What iO9 thinks you don't know is who Bane is. Maybe I'm too big a nerd to find that odd but they do a great job explaining the character.


Here.


So does Comic Alliance.

McGarryBowen Is No. 2 on the Ad Age Agency A-List

Slipping from no. 1 to no. 2 ain't bad. Especially when most drop off the list entirely.

And yes, they mention my work again.

Yay me.

Who Wants the Actual Batmobile?

The actual Batmobile. From "Batman Returns". With a Chevy engine. On ebay.

And it's Buy It Now for only half a million.

Why wouldn't you get one?

Stress officially causes grey hair

This explains a lot of my current shaving habits. What it doesn't explain is why I don't already look like Steve Martin.

Check it out.

Long Trip

It's been awhile since I posted. I've been in NY since the last post and it's been a blizzard of activity until it was a blizzard of snow.

Some things I noticed, remembered or stated the obvious:

1. The commute from Rockaway to Manhattan is the very reason I left Rockaway.

2. Playing with Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape reminds me why it's called playing.

3. Dave Charles is laid back.

4. Tim Warner is intense.

5. Working off site gives you all of the work and none of the drama.

6. According to the owner of Bulletproof Comics, I have not aged in 13 years.

7. 2 beers a day is as bad for your gut as getting really drunk the first day.

8. I love blizzards. Mostly because I love giving up without guilt.

9. A snow day means the kids go outside for 17 minutes.

10. "True Grit" is the perfect movie for you and your Dad.

Going back to Chicago tomorrow.

Paul Stanley Says Things to Richmond

Here's Paul Stanley's crowd work. Some of it sounds like his blog. God, it's hilarious.

Please please please listen.

Thanks, Joe DeVito.

BONUS: Here's four videos of Pat Francis' impression of Paul. I first heard him on Jimmy Pardo's "Never Not Funny" and thought it was hilarious. Now that I hear how close it is to the truth, it's pure genius.

1:

Direct link.

2.

Direct link.



3.

Direct link.



4.

Direct link.

Jon Favreau Not Directing "Iron Man 3"

Inevitable after Iron Man 2 was bad in the exact same way that most of the Marvel sequels have been bad.

What is it with Marvel Studios? Do they not see the pattern they develop?

All of their successful franchise have run the same way.

1. Get talented director (Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau)
2. Leave them alone
3. Release movie embraced by both comic fans and general audiences (X-Men, Spider-Man, Iron Man)
4. Start messing with director on sequel by shoving numerous b-list characters into it
5. Run off original director (X-Men 3, Spider-Man reboot, Iron Man 3)
6. Release bad movie (X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3, tbd)
7. Reboot franchise

This is only marginally better than their other pattern:

1. Hire bad director (Mark Steven Johnson, Ang Lee, Tim Story, Gavin Hood)
2. Mess with director by shoving numerous b-list characters into it
3. Release bad movie (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Wolverine: Origins)
4. Reboot franchise

It seems that Marvel only has the interest of their characters at heart. Their goal seems to be to get as many characters into the public eye as possible so sales of books, toys and t-shirts go up. The movie is nothing more than a vehicle for their properties. Whether or not the movie is good on its own is irrelevant.

Sure, they want to make that first film good. Favreau himself proved that a good movie can make a b list character a list for years to come. But once he did that job, they wanted him out of the way as soon as possible. Directors like Raimi and Favreau understand story. Marvel understands crossovers. That's bound to create conflicts.

Think they will learn their lesson? Just wait until Avengers 2 when Joss Whedon walks off because they want it to star Jack of Hearts and Jocasta.

10 ways "Moonlighting" Really Screwed Me Up

Wal-Mart has the season sets for ten bucks each. This is not the second time I've seen these episodes. I rented them on Netflix four years ago and I found it was an an interesting show that got better with each episode until it was the best thing that had ever appeared on television. Then, with one infamous decision, it turned to complete crap.

Watching it again, I now see it as completely dangerous. I watched these episodes as they aired as an impressionable teen. It may have directly been responsible for my troubled romantic history.

These are the life lessons I should have known watching this show during puberty:

1. The perfect girl for you is not one you fight with all the time.
2. Everything that comes out of David Addison's mouth is a sexual harassment suit.
3. Nobody likes singing in the office.
4. Limbo contests even less.
5. No woman is going to wait for you to make a move for three years.
6. Murder is actually traumatic.
7. Never doing your job can hurt your career.
8. When you walk out on her, she's not following you on the next plane.
9. All-night benders in your 30's don't work.
10.The minute you get together, it shouldn't ruin everything.

Guthrie Govan

Ron Zabrocki is back to posting guitar players that make me feel bad about me.

This is Guthrie Govan. The fact that he's playing simple blues changes makes it hurt that much more.

Conan Meets Bruce Timm

Thank God Conan is back on the air.



Direct link.

Chuck Klosterman is Talking Zombies

For at least two pages.

Lennon

I've usually written about John Lennon at this time and I don't think I'll do it any better than I did five years ago. So instead of going through those motions again I think I just want to get my hands on the newly remastered signature box. If it's anything like the Beatles set last year, it will have me discovering his solo work all over again.

John would have been 70 years old today. That makes me think less about the tragedy and more that Paul McCartney should stop dying his hair.

CryBaby

God bless HD cameras. I'm still waiting on that Lemmy documentary but now there's a full feature on the wah wah.

Keith

Reading Keith Richards autobiography, "Life". It's every bit as good as you'd think it is. So good that I'm restringing my Tele to open G which I haven't done in years.

And so good I found this MTV interview from his first solo album "Talk is Cheap". I had this on tape in high school and watched it over and over again and dream about the future. And while I never got to hang out with the man as I'd hoped I did get to walk those hallways of SNL. And that ain't bad.



Direct link.

Pee-Wee Herman Tells You Not to Do Crack

Happy Thanksgiving.

Buffy Remake Without Whedon

Cause it worked so well when he wasn't in charge. Like the original movie.

I'm guessing Joss Whedon's reaction will be better than the actual movie.

Thanks to Ann-Marie Kirby-Payne for the chilling news.

Star Wars Drunk Driving PSA

That's right.





Direct link.

56 Worst Analogies of High School Students

Every one of them. Hopelessly brilliant. Like a MAD magazine.

For example:

He was as tall as a 6′3″ tree.

Read them all.

Green Lantern Trailer

It's up.

30 Rock Sesame Street

It seems most of you haven't seen the modern Sesame Street parodies. And you love them. Then you'll like this 30 Rock parody from a couple of years ago. There's a certain kind of genius in the fact that Liz Lemon is played by a lemon.

Spider-Man: Turn Out the Lights

The Spider-Man musical has been held up for years and gave me one of my best topical jokes:

"You hear about the Spider-Man musical? Bono's writing it. In it Spider-Man will fight the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and Africa's foreign debt."

But now it seems to be happening. There are now images out there like this:



I was mildly curious. Now I'm very nervous.

1977 Guitar Catalog

There are at least 72 things wrong with this picture. And they're all hilarious.

TimePiece

If you're a hardcore Muppet fan, you've heard of Jim Henson's original short film, "Timepiece". If you're a hardcore Muppet fan like me, you've never seen it.

Dave Wasklewicz just sent it to me. It's experimental, funny, musical and very Sixties. Just like most of his best work.



Direct link.

Return of the Living Dead

Thanks to "The Walking Dead" my zombie phase is not ending any time soon. I've been going through the Romero films, "Shaun of the Dead" and moaning that no one's optioned my zombie script.

And I've been searching out "Return of the Living Dead". This movie was on HBO constantly in the 80's but I was so scared of it I had Mike O'Shea tell me the entire plot before I watched it in three minute chunks. I don't know that I ever saw the whole thing.

And I couldn't find it now. Netflix didn't have it on watch instantly and the disc was a long wait. It didn't appear on demand either. best Buy didn't stock it until last week. So once they did, I bought it sight unseen.

And it is crazy, ugly, loud, stupid, violent and goofy. Exactly what I was hoping. It's got Mr. Path Mark. It's got a barking split dog. It's got a woman completely naked for no reason. And when she turns into a zombie, she has no reason to put her clothes back on. Anyone that complains about Zach Snyder's fast zombies should watch these creatures sprint out of the grave.

And it has two big things going for it. It's the first zombie movie to focus on the brains of its victims. Even if you've never heard of this movie, if you've said "braaains", you've quoted it. Amnd it's got the Tarman. Half guy in suit half muppet, he's the coolest and silliest looking monster outside of "Tales From the Crypt". I can't beleive NECA hasn't made a figure of this guy. See?



In a very weird way, I'm glad I bought this movie. Of course, looking for this clip, I found the whole thing for free on imdb and youtube.

Jon Favreau Likes Minimates!

Speaking of Iron Man I'm rewatching the documentary on the Iron Man 1 blu-ray. Every time I see this moment, I am very proud of Robert Yee.

Walking Dead Pilot

Missed the episode I've been annoying you about? Well, you can watch the whole thing online right now. Down here.



Direct link.

New Hot Toys Iron Man

I don't care how many they make. I don't care how much it is. I don't care how weak the second movie was. I need to get this.

Ozzy Interview

I am hip deep in uncertainty at the moment so it's great to know Ozzy is still the same. Cursing, crazy and hilarious.

See?

Happy birthday, Howie.

Walking Dead

That was as awesome as I've been plugging it to be.

Last night's 90 minute premiere managed to combine George Romero's sense of tension with Cormac MacCarthy's sense of holding together in the face of utter hopelessness. The terror in every is even more pronounced when you realize we hardly saw a zombie do anything. Just their existence tightened the air in every scene.

The original comic is fantastic and this episode manged to outdo it in pacing, suspense and human moments. It made me realize how rarely I put myself in a character's position in this genre. In "Walking Dead" I did it every five minutes.

This is one of the best zombie movies ever made and it's not even a movie. Of course with the high television budget more than matching the low b-movie budget of most zombies it was easy to judge.

The best review I've heard came from my wife every ten minutes: "I think I'm going to throw up." She'll be back next week.

Depressed Cat

Liz Miele posted this on Facebook. About sums it up.

Zombie Zombie

I post nearly every thing Ed Murray sends me.

Do you want to see vintage G.I. Joe figures reenact "The Thing"? Cause Ed new I did.

Shaved, sorta.

Here is the part of my beard that is not gray.



I thought it had a Tony Stark/Frank Zappa look to it but thanks to Dave Wasklewicz for setting me straight. I do look like Kraven the Hunter.

Welcome Blogspot!

It's come to my attention that after five years, I no longer own www.notinmybook.com. My account was linked to an old address and I never got a renewal notice. I tried to buy it but it was already gone. No one is doing anything with it.

But that doesn't mean this blog is dead. I still update almost every day. It feeds straight into my Facebook where over 500 more people can see it. And once Bill tells me how it will link into my Twitter feed over a whopping 42 people could see it.

So if you're typing for this blog, you'll need to go to www.notinmybook.blogspot.com The URL isn't important. The content is.

Droid Does on the FWA Shortlist!

I'm no egotist but I do like recognition. Oh, here's some now.

Check it out.

Disney Making 'Iron Man 3'

The box office success of the first "Iron Man" is precisely what drew Disney to Marvel. So it's only natural that they would get that license away from Paramount. Even if they have to pay $115 million to get it.

So while Paramount is still set to release "Thor" and "Captain America" Disney gets Joss Whedon's "Avengers" and the next "Iron Man" (with or without Favreau who wasn't happy with the finished Iron Man 2). Marvel (and therefore Disney) already got "Hulk" from Universal and "Fantastic Four" from Fox. How long before they try to get "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" back?

Read the press release here.

Sesame Street "Mad Men"

Because Steve Klausner asked for it. This played last season and another reason I wanted to write for "Sesame Street" until the had that last round of layoffs.



Direct Link.

Conan and Andy

Conan O'Brien has been making quick web videos to prepare for the new TBS show. This has been the best so far.

Grover for Old Spice

Some people hate it when "Sesame Street" is topical. Me, I live for it. Remind me to post their parody of "Mad Men".

17 minutes about "Walking Dead"

Bad Superman Movies You Didn't Have to See

To date, there have been seven 'Superman" movies, including "Supergirl" and the George Reeves "Superman Vs. the Mole man". Of these seven, one is very good, one is okay, and five are bad. As they prep another reboot only four years after "Superman returns", Rotten Tomatoes shows us the Superman movies that died in development hell.

None of these sound any good.

Check it out.

Eric Johnson Gear

Yay! More gear videos! For me and maybe someone else. I listened to Ah Via Musicom over and over and over and then nothing else. Still have massive respect for Eric Johnson and anyone else that makes a strat their #1. Although it sounds like a lot of his pedals are centered on making his strat not sound like a strat.

Part 1:


Part 2: