Pleasures, Simple and Otherwise
Not a lot to talk about at this juncture. But a lot going on behind the scenes. Including prepping for the New York Comic-Con next month, which takes a surprising amount of time and energy to do it right. I'll talk more about that upcoming show, where you might find me during that con and what you can expect to see from me there, in a future installment.
Also, I'm hoping I'll be able to make that kinda major announcement I've hinted at in the near future. Some things take time, and considerable effort, to set up correctly. Yeah, it's fairly time-consuming and often frustrating for all involved, but if there's one truth I've learned over the years in this business, some things are more than worth the wait...and the work that no one hears about, much less should care about.
Regardless, I will talk about all kinds of very good and cool and exciting things to come as soon as I'm able [i.e. when certain individuals have signed off on certain projects, and the ink has dried on certain documents]. Until then, I'll do my best to keep you entertained and updated on things I can openly talk about. Things like...
What's Bill been reading the past few months? 9-20-06 to 12-31-06 [part two]
Unholy Kinship
by Naomi Nowak
NBM Comics Lit
www.NBMpublishing.com
Nowak is a young European painter whose love of comics has given rise to this, her first graphic novel. The result is a tale of two sisters, testing the boundaries of love and what we will do for those who we cannot live without. Enigmatic without being purposefully obscure, filled with realistic emotion and believable actions which lead into surreal visions of what might lie behind and beyond this world, this is a book which rewards repeated readings with newfound insights. A truly impressive debut by an artist who has only begun to explore the possibilities inherent to both the medium and her own abilities. Plus, the painted art--an elegant and evocative mixture of European and Asian sensibilities--is simply, utterly gorgeous.
Showcase Presents: House of Mystery
by various
DC Comics.
www.DCcomics.com
House of Mystery was one of the great horror anthologies of its day, and this volume serves up 500+ pages of prime material in black and white. At worst, this is decent comics, often with incredibly lush and evocative art by the likes of Alex Toth and a young Bernie Wrightson. An incredible entertainment bargain, and well worth the time and money spent on it.
Dynamic Duo Archives volume 1
by Carmine Infantino and various
DC Comics
www.DCcomics.com
Yeah, sharp-eyed readers of this blog will realize that I read the second volume in this series long before cracking the cover on this, the first collection of the "New Look" Batman. While it might not be obvious, these tales marked a fairly sharp departure from the previous, incredibly campy approach to the Dark Knight and his family. If you thought that the "grim and gritty" take on a character didn't appear until Frank Miller or Alan Moore arrived on the scene in the 80s, here's some proof that it existed, albeit in a much tamer version, much earlier. And this vision of Bats is also responsible, for good or ill, for inspiring the television series starring Adam West and company.
Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man volume 8
by Stan Lee, John Romita, et. al.
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
Having assimilated his predecessor's style, transmuting Steve Ditko's angular expressionism and incorporating Kirby's explosive storytelling into a sinewy and muscular style all his own, Romita proves the perfect foil for Lee's romantic adventure tales. This is where the team transcends their limitations, turning out one incredibly vital tale after another...often without any idea of where they were taking Spidey and his legion of fans. These stories are justifiably revered, and deliver on their promise even today, decades after they were conceived and committed to paper. In case you haven't guessed it yet, this is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in how to do superhero comics.
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense volume 1
by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and various
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
OK, this volume might not have some of the best stuff Lee wrote, but I really don't care. It might not be some of the best art that Kirby, Ditko, and other stalwarts who would eventually be inducted into the House of Ideas' fabled Bullpen. Again, it's a moot point. What this book provide the reader with, aside from bold, audacious and absolute fun, is a glimpse into the darker realms of America's psyche and inner demons, manifested in a variety of monstrous forms. And did I mention that this is a complete blast of fun?
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor volume 5
by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, et. al.
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
The Lee-Kirby team really hit their stride on this series, throwing aside more earthly concerns [along with the long-running frustrated love affair between the titular character and his alter ego's nurse, Jane Foster] in preparation of launching the Thunder God into previously unexplored regions of space and new realms of wonder. Talk about Shock and Awe...highly recommended.
Silver on the Tree [book 5 of The Dark is Rising sequence]
by Susan Cooper
Cooper wraps up this award winning and highly acclaimed fantasy series with equal dashes of aplomb, bravura and subtle twists of fate, trying together her re-imagined Arthurian saga in a wholly satisfying manner. Filled with memorable characters, intriguing situations and glimpses of several lost cultures spanning the centuries, this one has it all, and offers something worthwhile to any who enter its world. I honestly can't recommend this entire series highly enough. It is truly a modern classic, and one which should entertain generations to come.
The End [Book the Thirteenth in A Series of Unfortunate Events]
by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Harper Collins Publishers
www.lemonysnicket.com
The insanely popular, incredibly droll epic adventures of the Baudelaire children ends here, in precisely the way it had to end--on a down note. There's death, danger, more death, more danger, still more death and--surprisingly--a new beginning which are witnessed herein. And while there is some, albeit small, hope contained in this volume, we are given only a glimpse of what's to come before, like Moses leading his flock to the Promised Land's doorstep, everything draws to a close.
Little Lulu: Lulu Goes Shopping volume 1
Little Lulu: Lulu Takes a Trip volume 2
Little Lulu: My Dinner with Lulu volume 3
Little Lulu: Color Special
by John Stanley and Irving Tripp
Dark Horse Comics
www.DarkHorse.com
Like too many young fellas, I avoided this and similar "girly" comics while growing up...and for far too long afterwards. After all, what could a series about the daily adventures of Lulu, her buddy Tubby and their circle of friends around their town offer me? Well, how about laughter? Not enough? Then, how about real and truthful insight into not just human society, but the human condition itself? What's really noteworthy about these tales is how well they work, despite all of the changes, large and small, that time has wrought upon not just society as a whole, but the nature of childhood itself. This series of reprints should be on the shelves of every comic shop and in the library of every student of the medium, period. Absolutely essential reading. [And if the fact that the main series of reprint volumes are "only" in black and white, you can always grab the color special, which contains some of the best tales from throughout Lulu's incredibly long run.]
Not a lot to talk about at this juncture. But a lot going on behind the scenes. Including prepping for the New York Comic-Con next month, which takes a surprising amount of time and energy to do it right. I'll talk more about that upcoming show, where you might find me during that con and what you can expect to see from me there, in a future installment.
Also, I'm hoping I'll be able to make that kinda major announcement I've hinted at in the near future. Some things take time, and considerable effort, to set up correctly. Yeah, it's fairly time-consuming and often frustrating for all involved, but if there's one truth I've learned over the years in this business, some things are more than worth the wait...and the work that no one hears about, much less should care about.
Regardless, I will talk about all kinds of very good and cool and exciting things to come as soon as I'm able [i.e. when certain individuals have signed off on certain projects, and the ink has dried on certain documents]. Until then, I'll do my best to keep you entertained and updated on things I can openly talk about. Things like...
What's Bill been reading the past few months? 9-20-06 to 12-31-06 [part two]
Unholy Kinship
by Naomi Nowak
NBM Comics Lit
www.NBMpublishing.com
Nowak is a young European painter whose love of comics has given rise to this, her first graphic novel. The result is a tale of two sisters, testing the boundaries of love and what we will do for those who we cannot live without. Enigmatic without being purposefully obscure, filled with realistic emotion and believable actions which lead into surreal visions of what might lie behind and beyond this world, this is a book which rewards repeated readings with newfound insights. A truly impressive debut by an artist who has only begun to explore the possibilities inherent to both the medium and her own abilities. Plus, the painted art--an elegant and evocative mixture of European and Asian sensibilities--is simply, utterly gorgeous.
Showcase Presents: House of Mystery
by various
DC Comics.
www.DCcomics.com
House of Mystery was one of the great horror anthologies of its day, and this volume serves up 500+ pages of prime material in black and white. At worst, this is decent comics, often with incredibly lush and evocative art by the likes of Alex Toth and a young Bernie Wrightson. An incredible entertainment bargain, and well worth the time and money spent on it.
Dynamic Duo Archives volume 1
by Carmine Infantino and various
DC Comics
www.DCcomics.com
Yeah, sharp-eyed readers of this blog will realize that I read the second volume in this series long before cracking the cover on this, the first collection of the "New Look" Batman. While it might not be obvious, these tales marked a fairly sharp departure from the previous, incredibly campy approach to the Dark Knight and his family. If you thought that the "grim and gritty" take on a character didn't appear until Frank Miller or Alan Moore arrived on the scene in the 80s, here's some proof that it existed, albeit in a much tamer version, much earlier. And this vision of Bats is also responsible, for good or ill, for inspiring the television series starring Adam West and company.
Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man volume 8
by Stan Lee, John Romita, et. al.
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
Having assimilated his predecessor's style, transmuting Steve Ditko's angular expressionism and incorporating Kirby's explosive storytelling into a sinewy and muscular style all his own, Romita proves the perfect foil for Lee's romantic adventure tales. This is where the team transcends their limitations, turning out one incredibly vital tale after another...often without any idea of where they were taking Spidey and his legion of fans. These stories are justifiably revered, and deliver on their promise even today, decades after they were conceived and committed to paper. In case you haven't guessed it yet, this is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in how to do superhero comics.
Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales of Suspense volume 1
by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and various
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
OK, this volume might not have some of the best stuff Lee wrote, but I really don't care. It might not be some of the best art that Kirby, Ditko, and other stalwarts who would eventually be inducted into the House of Ideas' fabled Bullpen. Again, it's a moot point. What this book provide the reader with, aside from bold, audacious and absolute fun, is a glimpse into the darker realms of America's psyche and inner demons, manifested in a variety of monstrous forms. And did I mention that this is a complete blast of fun?
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor volume 5
by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, et. al.
Marvel Comics
www.Marvel.com
The Lee-Kirby team really hit their stride on this series, throwing aside more earthly concerns [along with the long-running frustrated love affair between the titular character and his alter ego's nurse, Jane Foster] in preparation of launching the Thunder God into previously unexplored regions of space and new realms of wonder. Talk about Shock and Awe...highly recommended.
Silver on the Tree [book 5 of The Dark is Rising sequence]
by Susan Cooper
Cooper wraps up this award winning and highly acclaimed fantasy series with equal dashes of aplomb, bravura and subtle twists of fate, trying together her re-imagined Arthurian saga in a wholly satisfying manner. Filled with memorable characters, intriguing situations and glimpses of several lost cultures spanning the centuries, this one has it all, and offers something worthwhile to any who enter its world. I honestly can't recommend this entire series highly enough. It is truly a modern classic, and one which should entertain generations to come.
The End [Book the Thirteenth in A Series of Unfortunate Events]
by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Harper Collins Publishers
www.lemonysnicket.com
The insanely popular, incredibly droll epic adventures of the Baudelaire children ends here, in precisely the way it had to end--on a down note. There's death, danger, more death, more danger, still more death and--surprisingly--a new beginning which are witnessed herein. And while there is some, albeit small, hope contained in this volume, we are given only a glimpse of what's to come before, like Moses leading his flock to the Promised Land's doorstep, everything draws to a close.
Little Lulu: Lulu Goes Shopping volume 1
Little Lulu: Lulu Takes a Trip volume 2
Little Lulu: My Dinner with Lulu volume 3
Little Lulu: Color Special
by John Stanley and Irving Tripp
Dark Horse Comics
www.DarkHorse.com
Like too many young fellas, I avoided this and similar "girly" comics while growing up...and for far too long afterwards. After all, what could a series about the daily adventures of Lulu, her buddy Tubby and their circle of friends around their town offer me? Well, how about laughter? Not enough? Then, how about real and truthful insight into not just human society, but the human condition itself? What's really noteworthy about these tales is how well they work, despite all of the changes, large and small, that time has wrought upon not just society as a whole, but the nature of childhood itself. This series of reprints should be on the shelves of every comic shop and in the library of every student of the medium, period. Absolutely essential reading. [And if the fact that the main series of reprint volumes are "only" in black and white, you can always grab the color special, which contains some of the best tales from throughout Lulu's incredibly long run.]
posted by Bill Baker at 1:47 PM
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