On HU

Kinukitty was underwhelmed by much yaoi.

Sean Michael Robinson discussed Manga! Manga! and interviewed its writer, Frederik Schodt.

Ng Suat Tong introduced the awards for the Best Online Comics Criticism.

The final list of Best Online Comics Criticism.

Bill Randall, one of the judges of the Best Online Comics Criticism, discussed the list and his choices.

I talked about two of my favorite pieces of comics criticism from last year.

Vom Marlowe discussed the use of ink in Kouga’s Loveless.

Caroline Small talked about sequence (or the lack thereof) in Saul Steinberg’s Passport.

Alex Buchet looked at the influence of editorial and panel cartoons on the English language.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Splice Today I explain why Michael Chabon is not necessarily more thoughtful than Barack Obama.

This, indeed, seems to be the cause of part of Chabon’s dyspepsia. Artists, especially successful artists like Chabon, receive such fulsome praise that I think they can occasionally mistake themselves for priests. Which is maybe why he felt qualified to proclaim with such certainty that heaven isn’t real and that death is just absence. To suggest otherwise is a stylistic error—rectifiable only by transforming the clumsy words of the President through the magical gifts of a real writer.

Also at Splice, I discuss the Meads of Asphodel’s anti-Christian Broadway black metal.

I do have a hideous attraction/repulsion for show tunes, and I think it makes sense to think of them as the music of the Antichrist. Especially if the show tunes are written by Andrew Lloyd Weber. And I dare anyone to listen to the second half of the song “Addicted to Christ” without having major Jesus Christ Superstar flashbacks. There’s a lonely horn that wanted to be jazz but had its soul stolen by music theater, and then a choral refugee starts singing like a chipper thespian—“Who is God? I am God? Are you God? But what God? I’m no God, it’s my God.” Soon enough we’ve got contrapuntal voices reciting bitter lyrics in an uplifting back and forth (First cheerful voice: “God hates you all!” Cheerful choral response: “Circumcise!”) And after not too long, again like Lloyd Weber, we launch into some classic rocky concept-album strut. Even the end, with a more traditional metal vocalist and a heavier roar, still has the busy crescendos and prog-rock shifts that strongly suggest Vegas.

Other Links

Sean T. Collins argues that Dirk Deppey’s column ran out of gas at the end, and that tcj.com is an embarrassment. It’s a thoughtful piece; if you scroll down you can see me doing some arguing in comments.

This made me want to try those old Rachel Pollack Doom Patrol issues again.

I liked Ariel Schrag’s column on Patricia Highsmith.

On HU

I wrote about films and self-reflexivity in Tarkovsky’s Solaris

James Romberger discussed the beginnings of his love for Alex toth and Jack Kirby.

Richard Cook looked at the gay hijinks in the 1992 Marvel Swimsuit Special.

Jason Michelitch discussed Face/Off, The Death of Superman, and the pointless inevitability of hero fiction.

Ng Suat Tong reviewed Mezzo and Pirus’ King of the Flies.

I try to remember a panel from Peanuts.

I talk about class in the Big Bang Theory.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Metabunker, Matthias Wivel happily anticipates the Fantagraphics edition of Carl Barks.

At Comixology, I compare the Iron Man movie and Bataille’s poetry.

In another poem Bataille declares, “I fill the sky with my presence.” And that does seem to be the point for ecstatic modernity, whether pop dreck or snooty highbrow philosophizing. Presumably it’s Nietzsche’s fault that God is dead and all we’re left with is the will to power of arms traders and self-proclaimed radicals. Or maybe Jung’s right and it’s just a mythopoetical heroic something — though it seems telling that we’ve only recently decided that we require one hysterically hyperbolic hero with a thousand faces rather than making do with all the dinky little heroes with one face each.

At Splice Today I tell Matt Yglesias not to bore the children.

Far from having a job in which discipline is necessary, Yglesias has one of the least disciplined jobs one could imagine. If being bored in school had any effect on him, it was not to instill an ability to focus on trivial, mindless tasks. Instead, it’s apparently convinced him to have nothing whatsoever to do with those tasks. He’s not going to spell. He’s not going to write about only economics and policy. He’s not going to work at a job he doesn’t want to. Such drudgery is for those school kids who need to be trained for lives of data entry and/or stupid paperwork. Matt Yglesias? He’s going to pat those little suckers on the head and go off and write a post about the Washington Wizerdds.

Other Links

I may have made fun of Matt Yglesias this week, but his diss of Sarah Palin is really funny.

And Jonathan Scalzi’s made me laugh too. She’s a good punchline, damn it.

Shaenon Garrity’s essay on Sandman is great.

On HU

Erica Friedman talked about her love of manga audio drama CDs.

Robert Boyd tried to figure out why Jaime Hernandez’s original art sells for the prices it sells at.

The mysterious internet troll Cough Syrup talked about Jason Overby and the Cocaine Modem.

Caroline Small and I discussed Gilbert Hernandez’s Human Diastrophism.

I looked at one panel from Ariel Schrag’s Likewise.

Vom Marlowe wished there weren’t so many zombies.

I talked about philosophy and film.

Next week: James Romberger looks at the personal reasons he is so drawn to the work of Alex Toth and Jack Kirby; Ng Suat Tong looks at Mezzo and Pirius’ King of the Flies; I look at the films in Solaris; Kinukitty on yaoi and more.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Splice Today I the Lovers and the tyranny of best of lists.

Not that I’ve anything against Kanye; I still haven’t heard that album, but “Monster” is a great song. More power to him and Nicki. It’s churlish to sneer at late capitalism when you’re mired up to your neck in late capitalism. The Internet that lets me instantly download albums by Sarah Vaughn or Esoteric is the Internet that makes it possible for everyone on earth to simultaneously speak Robyn’s name at the end of the year. For that matter, I love Robyn, just like I’m supposed to. If the world’s at your fingertips, then you shouldn’t be upset if you can’t detach your fingertips from the world.

At the Chicago Reader I have a brief blurb about an MCA exhibit focused on Chicago comics artists.

At Madeloud I review a new album by French black metal group Murmuure.

Other Links

The big news around these parts is the big new blog at tcj.com. The Panelists include Jared Gardner, Isaac Cates, Derik Badman, Charles Hatfield, Craig Fischer and Alex Boney. They’ve had a great first week, so go over there and check them out if you haven’t already.

Tom Spurgeon has a fascinating interview with Dirk Deppey over at the Comics Reporter.

Michelle Smith and Melinda Beasi have a fun column about visual duds.

On HU

First I wanted to highlight this lovely comment by composer and artist Diamanda Galas, responding to James Romberger’s essay about David Wojnarowicz. The thread actually has a ton of thoughtful and heartfelt responses from Wojanrowicz’s associates and others. It, and the original article, are well worth reading if you missed them.

We started the week with a post by Domingos Isabelinho on Mat Brinkman.

Stephanie Folse continued her Elfquest reread with issue #2.

Sean Michael Robinson argued that the concept of talent is not helpful in teaching art.

I didn’t much like Hitchcock’s 39 Steps.

Ng Suat Tong discussed Tobias Tycho Schalken’s “Folkore.”

Alex Buchet provided a comics New Year gallery.

And Alex Buchet continued his series on language and comics, focusing on Batman, Smurfs, Mad magazine, and more.

Next week we should have posts on manga drama CDs; the pricing of original Jaime Hernandez art; Jason Overby, cocaine, and the internets; Gilbert Hernandez’s Human Diastrophism, and more.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Splice Today I discuss a book by John Mullarkey about philosophy and film.

Mullarkey is insistent on the “aesthetical properties” of film. He notes that philosophers who discuss film often focus on narrative and theme and ignore mise-en-scene, editing, sound, music, etc., to say nothing of extra-aesthetic issues such as distribution, consumption and audience. Yet he’s so intent on listening to what this wonderful heterogeneity of film has to say to philosophy that he misses the most obvious point, which is that philosophy is aesthetic and heterogeneous as well. Just as film is not just it’s narrative and theme, so philosophy is not just its thought and theme.

Also at Splice I discuss a new comp of Bollywood psychedelia.

But such is the Columbus-like experience of world music crate diving, in which you compulsively pat yourself on the back for discovering that obscure fruit off which some significant proportion of the world’s population was already living.

At Madeloud I highlight some great Muppet music.

Other Links

Robert Stanley Martin on Lilli Carre’s The Carnival.

Been looking at a bunch of essays about The Wire. Interesting pieces by Marc Singer here and here/

Jonah Goldberg says the Wire is conservative here.

And a long profile of David Simon here.

Xmas A to Z

Avaricious bambinos covet Disney-detritus. Elders’ Fallopian genitals, heaving immaculately, jaculate kenosis-knickknacks. Levittowners merrily nurse organized pedophilia. Quasi-riant revenue-ravenous Santa Taws uncoil. Vultures watch Xt.’s yummy zygote.

On HU

Kinukitty started the week out with a review of the yaoi maga Stray Cat.

I explained why Moto Hagio is not just genre fiction for girls.

James Romberger discussed his long association with David Wojnarowicz and explained how the Smithsonian altered Wojnarowicz’s work even before they censored it.

I wrote a short farewell to TCJ.com blogger and editor Dirk Deppey, who has been laid off by Fantagraphics.

Ng Suat Tong discussed the work of manga-ka Hinako Sugiura.

I reviewed Terry Eagleton’s book On Evil.

Alex Buchet discussed how Superman and Shazam have affected the English Language.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Madleloud I review The Best Music Writing 2010.

“Music itself is a call that demands response,” editor Ann Powers writes in her introduction to Best Music Writing 2010. That may be true, but it’s not exactly the message of the book she’s put together. She might have been more accurate if she had said, “Musicians are a call that demands response.” Or even, “the music industry is a call that demands response.”

Also at Madeloud, I review the new album by Ukrainian black metal group Drudkh.

At Splice Today I talk about R&B star Ciara’s career and her new album.

Other Links

This article sneering at any and all pop and rock is pretty entertaining.

I’m obsessed with the Wire at the moment. This essay about it is okay. Anybody find any better reviews online?

On HU

We started the week off with Eric Berlatsky’s guest post on space, time, comics, and modernity.

Caroline Small reviewed an exhibit of Vorticist art.

I reviewed Reinhard Kleist’s graphic autobiography of Johnny Cash.

I discussed Christianity, humor, and cartoonist Art Young.

Artist and editor Ryan Standfest replied to my essay about Art Young.

Vom Marlowe discussed art resources for drawing the human figure.

Richard Cook provided a gallery of Santa’s appearances on comics covers.

I provided an electronica mix for download.

And Alex Buchet continued his series on language and comics with word and phrases from Al Capp, Walt Kelly, and more.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Splice Today I explain why lefties against the compromise tax bill are idiots.

I’m a liberal pinko commie. I get up on the left side of the bed, and while I brush my teeth I blame America first. The only person I think should be waterboarded is Marc Thiessen. When I hear stories of rabid Brits trashing the royal limo to protest tuition hikes, I wonder why our cajone-less electorate can’t summon the courage and basic decency to kneecap some hedge fund managers. I’m in favor of abortion rights, single-payer healthcare, and unremitting class warfare. The rich got where they are mostly by luck and subterfuge, and at least 50 percent of what they’ve got should be taken from them and put into saving Social Security or fixing Medicaid or, hell, just taken from them on general principles because income inequality corrupts the political process and also because fuck them.

Also at Splice Today, I talk about Chuck Berry’s 1987 autobiography.

It’s maybe fitting, then, that Berry’s last great artistic effort wasn’t a hit but a personal testament. His 1987 autobiography was, according to the man himself, “raw in form, rare in feat, but real in fact. No ghost but no guilt or gimmicks, just me,” and you can hear the truth in the rock of the phrase and the roll of the alliteration. Berry says he’s only read six hardbacks in his life, and that the dozens of paperbacks he’s paged through were “only for the stimulation.”

Other Links

This isn’t something I find myself thinking very often, but I agree with Megan McCardle.

Tim Hodler does the AV Club a huge favor and is mostly pilloried for it. (You need to scroll through comics to see the full extent of the fracas.)

On HU

Busy week this time out.

Erica Friedman started the week out with a post on fashion, fighting, literature and Hana No Asuka-gumi.

Alex Buchet began a massive series on comics contribution to language, looking at Tad, Rube Goldberg, and other early strip artists.

Richard Cook evaluated some hobbit questing tunes.

I explained why I don’t like Pauline Kael.

I reviewed Arie Kaplan’s From Krakow to Krypton about Jews in the comic book industry.

Jason Overby guest posted about the relationship between comics history and comics.

Caroline Small had a follow up comment to Jason’s post.

Sean Michael Robinson discussed the difficulties of marketing Mitsuru Adachi’s sports comics in America.

Alex Buchet continued his series on the effects of comics on language with examples from Popeye, Milt Gross, and more.

Next week we’ve got posts on comics, modernism, and time; Art Young, faith, and humor; Vorticist art, and more.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Comixology I talk about the weirdness of the superhero Katana.

Female super-heroes can be many things: Amazon warrior, out-of-control telepath, deadly ninja assassin. But whether in swimsuit, bodysuit, fishnets or boob window, they’re almost always cheesecake.

There’s no particular mystery as to why this is. Super-hero comics are male genre literature. Guys like to look at cheesecake. QED. There are some exceptions to the rule — but they’re usually built around genre exceptions as well. For example, the Claremont/Byrne X-Men made some effort to appeal to YA girl readers through the character of Kitty Pryde. Thus, Kitty got to mostly wear civies, rather than the skintight and/or improbably cut-out costumes that were the lot of her distaff teammates. (Not that the internets are above a certain amount of Kitty Pryde cheesecake of course.)

At Splice Today I review a new video anthology of Sid and Marty Kroft’s children’s television shows.

For the Kroffts, childhood is often a suffocating sweetness, a threatening plenitude. In both H.R. Pufnstuf and Lidsville, a boy is trapped in a magical realm from which he spends almost all his time trying (and failing) to escape. The child’s plight is especially unsettling in Lidsville, where the boy in question isn’t really a child. Butch Patrick, who played the protagonist Mark, was 18 when he picked up the role and close to 20 by the time he finished. When he wanders through the magic world of sentient hats, tyrannical patriarchal magicians, and evil doppelgangers, therefore, it doesn’t come across as a child’s adorable game of make-believe. Instead, it looks disturbingly like a young man’s schizophrenic fugue.Jazmine Sullivan neo-soul album.

At Madeloud I review a mediocre techno comp.

Other Links

Karen Green has an interesting discussion of Frank Miller’s 300.

Michelle Smith and Melinda Beasi have a good discussion of the formal qualities of some wordless manga.

R. Fiore on why the Green Hornet movie will suck.

And sometimes commenter Jason Michelitch has his first Splice Today article up about the glory and the limitations of experimental film online.