I Didn't Write That!
19 June 2012
Vladrushka Sneak Peek: "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" w/Octobriana & Projunior (NSFW)
At Eros Art you will find today a 3-page look at the first segment of the upcoming and long-simmering Vladrushka story, "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart," which I'm coloring right now.
Color's a little weird to get used to--I'm far more comfortable with blacks, whites and greys. But in this part of the story it's supposed to look flashy and cosmic so I get to indulge my inner Epic Illustrated for a moment. Takes me back to when I used an airbrush in high school.
Wait; god I hope not, on second thought.
Anyway, it's coming soon, but in the meantime have a look at it(and other stuff Eros Art has posted of mine) here. And soon you will see the whole thing, online because print is still out of reach for Vladrushka thanks to POD content restrictions.
Which doesn't prevent LULU and MARTHA from being available in print, though. And in LULU's case, THIS SICKNESS 6-7 are available at that link in Kindle too. A collected version of LULU Book 1 will most likely come out later this year--check back for updates.
Note: This specific artwork and story (c) me. Octobriana and Projunior were designed as open-source characters and can be used by anyone(and I will be using others like them here and there in this story), but Projunior was originally created by Don Dohler, and Octobriana by Petr Sadecky. (or PPPP)
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At Eros Art you will find today a 3-page look at the first segment of the upcoming and long-simmering Vladrushka story, "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart," which I'm coloring right now.
Color's a little weird to get used to--I'm far more comfortable with blacks, whites and greys. But in this part of the story it's supposed to look flashy and cosmic so I get to indulge my inner Epic Illustrated for a moment. Takes me back to when I used an airbrush in high school.
Wait; god I hope not, on second thought.
Anyway, it's coming soon, but in the meantime have a look at it(and other stuff Eros Art has posted of mine) here. And soon you will see the whole thing, online because print is still out of reach for Vladrushka thanks to POD content restrictions.
Which doesn't prevent LULU and MARTHA from being available in print, though. And in LULU's case, THIS SICKNESS 6-7 are available at that link in Kindle too. A collected version of LULU Book 1 will most likely come out later this year--check back for updates.
Note: This specific artwork and story (c) me. Octobriana and Projunior were designed as open-source characters and can be used by anyone(and I will be using others like them here and there in this story), but Projunior was originally created by Don Dohler, and Octobriana by Petr Sadecky. (or PPPP)
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Labels: my comics, nsfw, octobriana, smut, vladrushka
¶ Tuesday, June 19, 2012 0 Comments
16 June 2012
In Honor of Grant Morrison's MBE! BIG DAVE: Monarchy in the UK (excerpt,1993)
Grant Morrison, you may have heard, received an MBE today. I'm really confused as to how I should react, but congrats to him, and I suppose that's good for comics, and I AM a Morrison fan of long standing but...still odd.
What I do know is that surely the patriotism he showed in this BIG DAVE story all those years ago(as well as this, shown at Bleeding Cool, plus much of THE INVISIBLES and Diana as depicted therein, which is to say she's raped by an interdimensional royal monster) must have played a crucial part. And if he managed to trick his way in without anyone knowing about these: AWESOME.
Oops.
Here are the highlights of everyone's favorite typical NEWS OF THE WORLD reader's defense of the nation.(click images to expand)
(c)1993 Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Steve Parkhouse.
Grant Morrison, you may have heard, received an MBE today. I'm really confused as to how I should react, but congrats to him, and I suppose that's good for comics, and I AM a Morrison fan of long standing but...still odd.
What I do know is that surely the patriotism he showed in this BIG DAVE story all those years ago(as well as this, shown at Bleeding Cool, plus much of THE INVISIBLES and Diana as depicted therein, which is to say she's raped by an interdimensional royal monster) must have played a crucial part. And if he managed to trick his way in without anyone knowing about these: AWESOME.
Oops.
Here are the highlights of everyone's favorite typical NEWS OF THE WORLD reader's defense of the nation.(click images to expand)
(c)1993 Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, and Steve Parkhouse.
Labels: comics, grant morrison, satire, UK
¶ Saturday, June 16, 2012 0 Comments
14 June 2012
Talk
You talk on the internet of politics. You debate, you discuss, you tweet, you flame. And it's all so cute, really. As if any of that matters. You spread information to educate others. The problem isn't that people are ignorant of these things. They're not.(and those that are have purposedly walled themselves in there and will not change; the purpose of Fox is not brainwashing but a fantasyland to enter) The problem is not that they lack the will.
The problem is that your opinion doesn't make a difference. The internet and places to comment are there to keep alive the illusion we can change anything important, but having a voice doesn't matter.
You can march in the streets, camp out in parks. Still doesn't matter. Being an inconvenience will not change anything. What exactly did Occupy change? You can vote. The government still does need at least the pretext of your consent, as though it were the trembly signature of a senile rich grandparent whose Social Security check you're stealing.
If someone who can make a difference does by chance get in, they will be prevented form actually doing so, but will be favorite guests on MSNBC.
So everyone talk amongst yourselves. You wouldn't be allowed to do it if it changed anything truly important or fundamental.
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You talk on the internet of politics. You debate, you discuss, you tweet, you flame. And it's all so cute, really. As if any of that matters. You spread information to educate others. The problem isn't that people are ignorant of these things. They're not.(and those that are have purposedly walled themselves in there and will not change; the purpose of Fox is not brainwashing but a fantasyland to enter) The problem is not that they lack the will.
The problem is that your opinion doesn't make a difference. The internet and places to comment are there to keep alive the illusion we can change anything important, but having a voice doesn't matter.
You can march in the streets, camp out in parks. Still doesn't matter. Being an inconvenience will not change anything. What exactly did Occupy change? You can vote. The government still does need at least the pretext of your consent, as though it were the trembly signature of a senile rich grandparent whose Social Security check you're stealing.
If someone who can make a difference does by chance get in, they will be prevented form actually doing so, but will be favorite guests on MSNBC.
So everyone talk amongst yourselves. You wouldn't be allowed to do it if it changed anything truly important or fundamental.
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Labels: politics
¶ Thursday, June 14, 2012 0 Comments
13 June 2012
A Few Notes on Wilderness Fantasies
Nothing really solid here, just a small thread of thought. Well, this is a blog.
I notice jungle stories were to the 30s what westerns were to the 50s. I wonder what psychological need that would have been serving.
There's the obvious idea of the jungle itself as an analogue to the stresses of the modern city in the Depression.
And a jungle is a place where--as in Tarzan--you might get away from it all, relying on your own wits, but not, like the West, a place where others might come and cities might be built, but rather a place to be alone or alone with your one true love or something. But also a place of fear, darkness and danger, and though "out there," also claustrophobic and hungry.
Whereas the West as thought of by the 50s--the roots of which in entertainment went back some ways but it was in the 50s it really dominated pop culture--as a fantasy of hope, mainly, of a country that thinks of itself as confidently going forward.
Both are "blank slate" fantasies in a way though, of civilization erased or made irrelevant so that one can write one's own destiny. (in that way LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is too this type of escapist narrative, though mostly true, as far as the viewer is concerned) One should then think of the post-ROAD WARRIOR type of apocalyptic-warrior fantasy that is now so ubiquitous and usually has zombies. Which we kill lots of. Fill in who fills that role in the previous iterations of the fantasy. It's all the same template, it's just the setting changes.
Escapist fantasies take the shape of their age.
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Nothing really solid here, just a small thread of thought. Well, this is a blog.
I notice jungle stories were to the 30s what westerns were to the 50s. I wonder what psychological need that would have been serving.
There's the obvious idea of the jungle itself as an analogue to the stresses of the modern city in the Depression.
And a jungle is a place where--as in Tarzan--you might get away from it all, relying on your own wits, but not, like the West, a place where others might come and cities might be built, but rather a place to be alone or alone with your one true love or something. But also a place of fear, darkness and danger, and though "out there," also claustrophobic and hungry.
Whereas the West as thought of by the 50s--the roots of which in entertainment went back some ways but it was in the 50s it really dominated pop culture--as a fantasy of hope, mainly, of a country that thinks of itself as confidently going forward.
Both are "blank slate" fantasies in a way though, of civilization erased or made irrelevant so that one can write one's own destiny. (in that way LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is too this type of escapist narrative, though mostly true, as far as the viewer is concerned) One should then think of the post-ROAD WARRIOR type of apocalyptic-warrior fantasy that is now so ubiquitous and usually has zombies. Which we kill lots of. Fill in who fills that role in the previous iterations of the fantasy. It's all the same template, it's just the setting changes.
Escapist fantasies take the shape of their age.
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Labels: comics, film, literature
¶ Wednesday, June 13, 2012 0 Comments
11 June 2012
New Illustration: CS DeWildt's "Just One Look" at MartianLit
New picture without words! Well, without my words anyway.
An illustration of mine accompanies this short story, which I am assuming will be controversial, . Have a look, but be warned: my illustration is probably safe for work, but I'm not so sure about the story, which deals with somewhat hazardous and neurotoxic material.
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¶ Monday, June 11, 2012 0 Comments
New picture without words! Well, without my words anyway.
An illustration of mine accompanies this short story, which I am assuming will be controversial, . Have a look, but be warned: my illustration is probably safe for work, but I'm not so sure about the story, which deals with somewhat hazardous and neurotoxic material.
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¶ Monday, June 11, 2012 0 Comments
10 June 2012
MURDER MYSTERIES + P. Craig Russell's GUIDE TO GRAPHIC STORYTELLING
Audio version of the Neil Gaiman/P. Craig Russell graphic novel. Also, you should check out P. Craig Russell's brand new video series GUIDE TO GRAPHIC STORYTELLING, funded via Kickstarter, right now. Learn from a true master.
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Audio version of the Neil Gaiman/P. Craig Russell graphic novel. Also, you should check out P. Craig Russell's brand new video series GUIDE TO GRAPHIC STORYTELLING, funded via Kickstarter, right now. Learn from a true master.
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Labels: art, comics, fiction, my influences
¶ Sunday, June 10, 2012 0 Comments
09 June 2012
David Lloyd Interview (2009)
An interesting interview with the great British comics artist.
I never knew Ditko was an influence on him, but now I can see it in a lot of his framing of characters and expressions.
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An interesting interview with the great British comics artist.
I never knew Ditko was an influence on him, but now I can see it in a lot of his framing of characters and expressions.
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Labels: art, comics, my influences, UK
¶ Saturday, June 09, 2012 0 Comments
John Cleese Was On the Muppet Show?
Man, they NEVER showed us the good episodes in 1970s Charleston.
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¶ Saturday, June 09, 2012 0 Comments
Man, they NEVER showed us the good episodes in 1970s Charleston.
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¶ Saturday, June 09, 2012 0 Comments
07 June 2012
Your Random UK Comedy For Today #7: Complete & Utter History of Britain (Jones/Palin, 1969)
Early work from Michael Palin & Terry Jones--actually, isn't this the same year Python debuted? Jones apparently doesn't think much of it, feeling the pacing--which was outside his control--was off. I disagree--this is really quite good. These are the only two known existing episodes of six--this is another the BBC stupidly wiped, like most of Cook & Moore's wonderful NOT ONLY BUT ALSO.
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Early work from Michael Palin & Terry Jones--actually, isn't this the same year Python debuted? Jones apparently doesn't think much of it, feeling the pacing--which was outside his control--was off. I disagree--this is really quite good. These are the only two known existing episodes of six--this is another the BBC stupidly wiped, like most of Cook & Moore's wonderful NOT ONLY BUT ALSO.
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Labels: 1960s, comedy, satire, TV, UK
¶ Thursday, June 07, 2012 0 Comments
Michael Cacoyannis: THE TROJAN WOMEN (1971)
From that most wonderful of film years ever, 1971, his all-star version of the Euripides(my favorite Greek tragedian; his version of IPHIGENIA is even better, one of the best films ever) tragedy, with Katherine Hepburn, Genevieve Bujold, Irene Pappas, Brian Blessed and a truly astounding Vanessa Redgrave.
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From that most wonderful of film years ever, 1971, his all-star version of the Euripides(my favorite Greek tragedian; his version of IPHIGENIA is even better, one of the best films ever) tragedy, with Katherine Hepburn, Genevieve Bujold, Irene Pappas, Brian Blessed and a truly astounding Vanessa Redgrave.
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Labels: 20th century, film, greece, theatre, tragedy
¶ Thursday, June 07, 2012 0 Comments
Vladrushka/Octobriana Mention
Yes, it's still coming, and if I can manage it I intend to present this project in the most confusing manner I can think of. And no, you can't see it yet. But when you do you will for free, because with present ridiculous content restrictions for POD I can't publish the smut in print, so stop complaining. You have outmoded censorship by outmoded media to thank for so much on the web. Like all the rest of the Vladrushka material to date being available right here, including all the pinups and others single art pieces as well. Obviously those links are NSFW, as if I have to even say that with Vladrushka by now. (note: there are originals, and I will sell them to you)
But you can see this little snippet and mention over at the Octobriana fansite. Enjoy. It may even be safe for work. (the whole page uncropped...no. It's not)
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Yes, it's still coming, and if I can manage it I intend to present this project in the most confusing manner I can think of. And no, you can't see it yet. But when you do you will for free, because with present ridiculous content restrictions for POD I can't publish the smut in print, so stop complaining. You have outmoded censorship by outmoded media to thank for so much on the web. Like all the rest of the Vladrushka material to date being available right here, including all the pinups and others single art pieces as well. Obviously those links are NSFW, as if I have to even say that with Vladrushka by now. (note: there are originals, and I will sell them to you)
But you can see this little snippet and mention over at the Octobriana fansite. Enjoy. It may even be safe for work. (the whole page uncropped...no. It's not)
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Labels: my comics, Russia, smut, vladrushka
¶ Thursday, June 07, 2012 0 Comments
06 June 2012
In Memoriam Ray Bradbury: An EC Sampling
Though there's a lot of science fiction I like, I am not a "sci-fi fan" as such and never have been. My interest in it has only ever been as it succeeds as literature, not any of the tropes of the genre itself. The more the sci-fi elements are downplayed the better I like it(for instance, GALACTICA won me over because they used bullets, not lasers). So my taste in that has always been toward people with more of a foot in literature than sci-fi, like Ellison(my taste in his work was always toward the more Twilight Zone-ish stories, and even more so the essays, not the space opera), Dick, Herbert, Burroughs, Vonnegut, and Ballard.
And it's all the doing of Ray Bradbury, the first one of that genre I read, and my model for what I speak of above. Anyone could read his work. There's nothing geeky about it. He is one of the great American writers of the 20th century, full-stop. He's the man who taught me genre is meaningless and that a good story can cross many at once. And he passed away last night.
I can't think how many times as a kid I read my little bashed-up copy of THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, still one of my favorite books ever. And I knew the TV version, adapted by Richard Matheson, wasn't quite it(Bradbury didn't like it), but damn did it try, and in my view still holds up, and is still some of the more intelligent science fiction ever put on TV, at least after OUTER LIMITS.
Bradbury was also very important in comics. EC adapted many of his stories. At first unauthorized, till he noticed, and then it turned out he was an EC fan, so the adaptations continued. Here at Scans Daily are excerpts from some of them:
The Small Assassin (art by George Evans)
The October Game (art by Jack Kamen, whose understated, tame style only makes it more horrifying)
The Lake (art by Joe Orlando)
And from MARTIAN CHRONICLES, probably my favorite Bradbury story and one that embodies all that was both beautiful and sinister in his work--two things it often was at the same time. "There Will Come Soft Rains," a story without any actual characters anywhere in it. (PDF)
Rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury, and thank you for making my childhood a bit bearable.
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Though there's a lot of science fiction I like, I am not a "sci-fi fan" as such and never have been. My interest in it has only ever been as it succeeds as literature, not any of the tropes of the genre itself. The more the sci-fi elements are downplayed the better I like it(for instance, GALACTICA won me over because they used bullets, not lasers). So my taste in that has always been toward people with more of a foot in literature than sci-fi, like Ellison(my taste in his work was always toward the more Twilight Zone-ish stories, and even more so the essays, not the space opera), Dick, Herbert, Burroughs, Vonnegut, and Ballard.
And it's all the doing of Ray Bradbury, the first one of that genre I read, and my model for what I speak of above. Anyone could read his work. There's nothing geeky about it. He is one of the great American writers of the 20th century, full-stop. He's the man who taught me genre is meaningless and that a good story can cross many at once. And he passed away last night.
I can't think how many times as a kid I read my little bashed-up copy of THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES
, still one of my favorite books ever. And I knew the TV version, adapted by Richard Matheson, wasn't quite it(Bradbury didn't like it), but damn did it try, and in my view still holds up, and is still some of the more intelligent science fiction ever put on TV, at least after OUTER LIMITS. Bradbury was also very important in comics. EC adapted many of his stories. At first unauthorized, till he noticed, and then it turned out he was an EC fan, so the adaptations continued. Here at Scans Daily are excerpts from some of them:
The Small Assassin (art by George Evans)
The October Game (art by Jack Kamen, whose understated, tame style only makes it more horrifying)
The Lake (art by Joe Orlando)
And from MARTIAN CHRONICLES, probably my favorite Bradbury story and one that embodies all that was both beautiful and sinister in his work--two things it often was at the same time. "There Will Come Soft Rains," a story without any actual characters anywhere in it. (PDF)
Rest in peace, Mr. Bradbury, and thank you for making my childhood a bit bearable.
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Labels: 1950s, 1970s, 20th century, comics, film, horror, literature, my influences, science fiction, TV
¶ Wednesday, June 06, 2012 0 Comments
04 June 2012
"The Magic Christian" (Joseph McGrath, 1969)
An excessively silly mess of an attempt to adapt the great Terry Southern's classic(though my favorite will always be CANDY, which I would absolutely love to either adapt or illustrate one day; but which was made into an even worse film, sadly) but still a lot of fun. This was Peter Sellers' favorite book and it had been an ambition of his for a while to be Guy Grand. Also: the script was rewritten from Southern's attempt to adapt it from his own book by none other than John Cleese(who did not think much of Southern) and Graham Chapman. You can see a lot of Cleese's peculiarly precise rage in it. And this has some of the weirdest cameos you're ever likely to see(including Cleese & Chapman, in fact).
It's too bad Terry Southern didn't have the will to make more solid finished works than he did. I love his work. I see a lot of sympathy of spirit between the way Terry Southern wrote and Robert Crumb cartooned.
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An excessively silly mess of an attempt to adapt the great Terry Southern's classic(though my favorite will always be CANDY
, which I would absolutely love to either adapt or illustrate one day; but which was made into an even worse film, sadly) but still a lot of fun. This was Peter Sellers' favorite book and it had been an ambition of his for a while to be Guy Grand. Also: the script was rewritten from Southern's attempt to adapt it from his own book by none other than John Cleese(who did not think much of Southern) and Graham Chapman. You can see a lot of Cleese's peculiarly precise rage in it. And this has some of the weirdest cameos you're ever likely to see(including Cleese & Chapman, in fact).It's too bad Terry Southern didn't have the will to make more solid finished works than he did. I love his work. I see a lot of sympathy of spirit between the way Terry Southern wrote and Robert Crumb cartooned.
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Labels: 1960s, film, satire, UK
¶ Monday, June 04, 2012 0 Comments
02 June 2012
Your Random UK Comedy For Today #6: Jennifer Saunders' THE LIFE AND TIMES OF VIVIENNE VYLE (2007)
With the ungodly brilliant Jennifer Saunders playing a Jerry Springer-type talk show host. (You may not be aware unless you also watch Peter Serafinowicz, but that kind of show is also quite popular in the UK) All of series 1. Enjoy. (sorry, embedding is apparently disabled for this one)
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With the ungodly brilliant Jennifer Saunders playing a Jerry Springer-type talk show host. (You may not be aware unless you also watch Peter Serafinowicz, but that kind of show is also quite popular in the UK) All of series 1. Enjoy. (sorry, embedding is apparently disabled for this one)
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Labels: comedy, satire, TV, UK
¶ Saturday, June 02, 2012 0 Comments
01 June 2012
Politics, Anger and Cowardice: On The Evil Piece of Shit Who Shot People in Cafe Racer
First: his name was "Ian?"
Second, why was this man allowed to have a gun? Because the fucking NRA wanted he should. And then there's the open-carry law here they love SO much. There are now several people who are dead because one man had a temper tantrum, and the NRA made sure he'd be able to carry a gun with him anywhere when he did. Dead people, just because of politics, anger and cowardice.
I believe guns should be banned from all major metropolitan areas. Please explain to me why I see gun shops all along Aurora for any criminal or lunatic or just plain evil bastard to buy, but they ruin the view of Lake Washington from the bridge with that barrier for suicides. Please explain why I can't smoke in a park, but someone like this can carry a gun there. Please explain to me what makes guns not an obvious danger and somehow a specially protected thing.
And do not say 2nd amendment to me, unless you're in some little volunteer army, chickenfuck.
I used to go to Cafe Racer every Wednesday for a short time when I first got to Seattle, to Jim Woodring's Friends of the Nib group. Also hung out there a few other times. I liked the place and probably would have kept going there if the bus trip wasn't such a hassle at night. It's a wonderful place with a great staff and nice people. And this evil bastard destroyed it. He murdered people and then went up to one and stole his hat. Why? He was mad.
I once was locked down on a floor in an office building near Christmas 2006 in Chicago because some maniac was murdering people upstairs. I partly left Chicago because of even being near something like that. It's sickening to see that come to this little city that is no more prepared for this than the snow. Already Seattle has passed the whole murder total for last year.
Fuck you, NRA. Burn in hell, Ian Stawicki.
And my deepest condolences to the friends and family of the people he murdered for no fucking reason at all.
And just think, as of today hard liquor can be bought in regular stores for the first time. PERFECT TIMING.
If this city does not ban guns very soon, then it's true Seattle talks a good game but never actually takes action to improve anything. Chicago and New York are grown-up cities and they did. Are you as courageous about lead as tobacco and soft drinks, Seattle? Let us see.
UPDATE: The owner of Cafe Racer plans to reopen. I expect anyone reading this in Seattle to be there to support them when they do.
View Larger Map
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First: his name was "Ian?"
Second, why was this man allowed to have a gun? Because the fucking NRA wanted he should. And then there's the open-carry law here they love SO much. There are now several people who are dead because one man had a temper tantrum, and the NRA made sure he'd be able to carry a gun with him anywhere when he did. Dead people, just because of politics, anger and cowardice.
I believe guns should be banned from all major metropolitan areas. Please explain to me why I see gun shops all along Aurora for any criminal or lunatic or just plain evil bastard to buy, but they ruin the view of Lake Washington from the bridge with that barrier for suicides. Please explain why I can't smoke in a park, but someone like this can carry a gun there. Please explain to me what makes guns not an obvious danger and somehow a specially protected thing.
And do not say 2nd amendment to me, unless you're in some little volunteer army, chickenfuck.
I used to go to Cafe Racer every Wednesday for a short time when I first got to Seattle, to Jim Woodring's Friends of the Nib group. Also hung out there a few other times. I liked the place and probably would have kept going there if the bus trip wasn't such a hassle at night. It's a wonderful place with a great staff and nice people. And this evil bastard destroyed it. He murdered people and then went up to one and stole his hat. Why? He was mad.
I once was locked down on a floor in an office building near Christmas 2006 in Chicago because some maniac was murdering people upstairs. I partly left Chicago because of even being near something like that. It's sickening to see that come to this little city that is no more prepared for this than the snow. Already Seattle has passed the whole murder total for last year.
Fuck you, NRA. Burn in hell, Ian Stawicki.
And my deepest condolences to the friends and family of the people he murdered for no fucking reason at all.
And just think, as of today hard liquor can be bought in regular stores for the first time. PERFECT TIMING.
If this city does not ban guns very soon, then it's true Seattle talks a good game but never actually takes action to improve anything. Chicago and New York are grown-up cities and they did. Are you as courageous about lead as tobacco and soft drinks, Seattle? Let us see.
UPDATE: The owner of Cafe Racer plans to reopen. I expect anyone reading this in Seattle to be there to support them when they do.
View Larger Map
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Labels: bastards, crime, guns, seattle
¶ Friday, June 01, 2012 0 Comments
