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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Four different things
First, if you come here and are told the server is "forbidden" or some such bullshit just reload the page or click on the link to this place again. That should work while I bother Blogger about what's going on. Luckily I can tell them of my dissatisfaction at their home offices now.
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Newsarama has preview images of Godland #4 and talks to co-creator Joe Casey about how the book is doing. He's worrying about book because it's in this period of a comic’s run that decides whether retailers will keep orders at a healthy number.
If it's any worth to you I can tell you that I feel Godland is just about the best superhero book you can buy today. I enjoyed the first issue after finding I was at first skeptical of how anybody could pull off creating a superhero book like it’s still the 1970’s. It’s no secret I am one of the many who enjoy that period of superhero books but couldn’t a book trying to recreate those times seem like some kind of rehash? Godland doesn’t feel like a rehash, it genuinely does have the fun sense of adventure you get from reading some of the cosmic epics Jim Starlin, Steve Englehart and others were creating for Marvel in the wake of Jack Kirby’s influence. The book also examines those comics with an interesting subtext a reader can infer from the books. It’s not a cynical kind of deconstruction a ‘80s superhero comic would have. It has that kind of sophistication the creators I listed above brought to their love of the ‘60s superhero books. The book stands its ground against other modern superhero book due to the fact that it is written in a style far superior to this era’s while paying tribute, a smart and not slavish tribute that is, to those past books.
The Godland webpage is a worthy companion to the comic book. I was pleased to see this article on Englehart’s Avengers work by Casey. He points out that stories like “Celestial Madonna” and others were trying to work out these immense questions of existence while staying true to the demands of a mass marketed adventure story. It makes for thought-provoking reading on a few levels. I’m glad to see Godland keep that spirit alive.
You can find the order codes for Godland issues one through five in this Image press release.
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My explorations of San Francisco continues as I visited the Castro Theater for the first time. They had a Jean-Luc Godard double feature I wanted to go to.
I’ve never seen such an impressive movie house. It was more like a movie mansion. With the high ceilings, lush wall designs and giant curtains I felt I should be seeing an opera there. Hearing the organ player performing before the screenings reminded of a time of moving-going I was never alive for but has heard others speak of in romantic recollections. This is why people were once very respectful of going to the movies, not just seeing it as a glorified place to baby-sit or chat with friends.
I was lucky to have two great films to enjoy on my trip. I had seen Masculin Feminin before but it was still a joy to see it the big screen. Seeing it with an audience reminded me of how funny it can be even though it was dealing with disaffected French youths who have nothing in their lives. My emotions alternated between humorous and horror as I saw a lot of myself and the people around me at school in the children in the film.
I didn’t quite see much of myself in Band of Outsiders but I still enjoyed it. Anyone who takes a pulp plot and plays up the characterization gets my admiration. I completely understood why Godard was obsessed with Anna Karina (they were married when the film was made). She’s one of those actresses that can illuminate the screen with a beauty like no other. Like the previous film Godard injected plenty of style into the movies, my favorite way of directing. The diner scene has “one minute of silence” and then that wonderful dance scene with the main players’ worries on display. Brilliant filmmaking.
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I’m always glad to see cartoonists I like get more exposure, hopefully leading to more sales.
Rolling Stone took time from coming up with boring articles about equally boring bands like U2 to give some proper attention to a true artist: Johnny Ryan. His Angry Youth Comics is a “hot comic” according to the magazine. I just call it heart warming. The ninth issue came out last week and featured giant robot hookers, Retarded Hitler, Retarded Hitler declaring “exterminate the juice” as well other nuggets of comedy goodness. I honestly can’t think of a book that makes me laugh more than this one. Ryan just gives you everything in a raw and uncensored package. It’s either irresistible or very resistible. I’m in the first boat.
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