Tag Archives: Utilitarian Review

Utilitarian Review 11/16/12

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HU News

I’m pleased to announce that Isaac Butler is joining the regular HU roster as a contributing writer. Welcome aboard Isaac!

In other news…next week is Thanksgiving, and I’m traveling, so HU will have a shortened schedule. Not sure exactly how it’ll work, but probably we’ll be off Thursday and Friday and possible Wednesday, Saturday, and/or Sunday as well. Whatever happens, though, have a good holiday if your celebrating it, and we’ll be back to normal the Monday after, if the good lord is willing and the creek doesn’t rise.
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: I talk about Wonder Woman vs. Twilight and vampires vs. seal men.

Me on the film I found more terrifying and repulsive than Audition or Hostel.

Me reviewing the Twilight Graphic novel (which sparks a long thread contrasting Bella and James Bond, of all things.)

Me on Junji Ito’s Tomie stories and the feminine proliferation of capitalism.

Rober Stanley Martin reviews Sean Howe’s “Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.

Kinukitty on Heart’s biography, “Kicking and Dreaming.”

Nicolas Labarre on Descent and choosing the horror road more traveled.

Jason Thompson and me talk about Junji Ito’s Tomie stories, progressive horror, and misogyny.

Subdee on Saiunkoku Monogatari and feminist fantasy.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Atlantic I reviewed Skyfall (and pissed people off in comments.)

At Splice I note that the GOP is considering maybe treating Hispanics like human beings.

At Splice I wrote about Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage. I was pretty happy with this one.

At Splice I am surprised and heartened by the apparent existence of GOP moderates.
 
Other Links

Bert Stabler on Chris Hedges and moral climbing.

Glenn Greenwald on out of control government invasions of privacy and the Petraeus scandal.

DG Myers,who I had a really nice interaction with once, was shockingly fired from Commentary, apparently for supporting gay marriage.

Nicky Smith rags on my alma mater.

Monika Bartyzel compares Hunger Games and Twilight, being a hero first or last.

Alyssa Rosenberg on geek sexism.
 
This Week’s Reading

Not sure I remember everything, but…I finished Junji Ito’s first volume of Tomie stories, and read Lilli Carre’s Heads or Tails, and the fourth volume of Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit. Also read my friend Ilana Gershon’s book The Break-up 2.0 about new media and relationship break-ups, and started Stanley Hauerwas’ book God, Medicine, and Suffering.
 

Utilitarian Review 11/9/12

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HU News

Joe McCulloch (aka Jog) is going to be joining HU with a monthly column on first-run Bollywood films. Don’t have a bio for him yet (send me a bio, Jog, damn it!) but you can read his past posts for us here.
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: Domingos Isabelinho on Otto Dix.

Me on nice guys and rape in Audition and Clint Eastwood’s Tightrope.

Me on how Lee and Ditko tilted Spider-Man against pacifism.

Me on why Axe Cop and Johnny Ryan are alike (hint: poop.)

Alex Buchet presents the cartoons of Enrico Caruso.

Voices from the Archive: kinukitty on politics and statistics.

Jog on how nobody likes Bollywood and a closeful of candyfloss.

Me on why there is no first comic, and what is a comic anyway?

Andreas Stoehr on the pain and pleasure of slasher movie sequels.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere
At the Atlantic, I talk about Phillip Pullman’s Grimm Fairy Tales and pandering to huamnity’s worst desires since 1812.

At Splice today I talk about:

Stefan Goldmann’s delightful electronica for robotic children.

Sneering at sneering at Romney voters.

Why liberals can still be depressed about an Obama election.
 
Other Links

Tim Callahan belatedly replies to the HU 10 best comics poll.

Mette Ivie Harrison has some thoughtful questions about Twilight (scroll down a bit to see them on her home page.)
 
This Week’s Reading

I read John Rieder’s excellent book Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction, and read a preview for review of Justin Hart’s book about public diplomacy Empire of Ideas. Also reread some Axe Cop and Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit #3, and started Junji Ito’s Museum of Terror volume 1.
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Harry Clarke illustration for Cinderella.

Utilitarian Review 11/3/12

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News

I’m pleased to announce that Jacob Canfield is joining HU as a regular columnist. His bio is here. Welcome aboard Jacob!
 
On HU

From the Archives: Sean Michael Robinson interview Gerhard.

From the Archives: Jog on the Drifting Classroom without children.

Me on how Julia Roberts had to get old to get her best role.

Me on how Wonder Woman’s costume is booby-trapped.

RM Rhodes expresses skepticism about the storytelling in Heavy Metal magazine (prompting a really long thread.)

Domingos Isabelinho on Matt Marriott, one of the great comics westerns.

Matthew Brady on Hellraiser and Cloud Atlas.

Bert Stabler on Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Audition, vengeance and despair.

Me on the supposed feminism of Diablo Cody’s Jennifer’s Body.

Robert Stanley Martin argues that DC treated Siegel and Shuster fairly.

Sarah Horrocks on sci-fi, horror, and Richard Corben.

Subdee on why Gangnam style rather than some other Kpop ditty.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Loyola Center for Digital Ethics, Violentacrez, Amanda Todd and sexism online and off.

Two at Splice Today:

David Brooks is an awful Republican partisan hack.

Jonathan Chait is an awful Democratic partisan hack.
 
Other Links

Roseanne Barr vs. trans women.
 
This Week’s Reading

Finished rereading Phillip Pullman’s forthcoming Brothers Grimm book of fairty tales; also finished Ronald Firbank’s Vainglory. Started “Ward Six,” a fantastic collection of Chekhov short stories/novellas which I bought in college more than 20 years ago and somehow never read. Better than many things I’ve read instead over those 20 years….
 

Utilitarian Review 10/27/12

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On HU

Me on some unexpected facts about penises.

Me on Pretty Woman and hating Richard Gere rather than Julia Roberts.

Me on pulp and genius in Joe Sacco, and on whether that’s a good reason for comics journalism.

Richard Cook and I liveblog the last Presidential debate, and are depressed.

Jacob Canfield on the lazy criticism directed at Johnny Ryan and Benjamin Marra.

Ethan on the advantages of comics journalism.

Kailyn Kent on the unconvincing gimmickry of Chris Ware’s Building Stories.

Me on Clark Kent becoming a blogger and the virtues of mainstream comics pandering.

Sarah Horrocks on Druillet’s Salaambo.

Me on the different sizes of the Stepford Wives.

Vom Marlowe on Worsted, a webcomic about knitting.

Me on how atheists can be sexist assholes too.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

Bunch of pieces at Splice:

On undecided voters maybe not mattering.

On NPR being useless on the election.

On Marty Robbins and nice cowboys who shoot you.

On Richard Moudock, power, and rape.

 
Other Links

Craig Fischer on Building Stories.

Emma Woolley on being constantly harassed as a teen girl.

Mary Williams on the war on 12-year-old girls.
 
This Week’s Reading

Finished Henry James’ The Golden Bowl, started Ronald Firbank’s “Vainglory”, and am rereading Phillip Pullman’s Grimm Fairy Tales for a review.
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Below is a puggle, which is apparently what you call a baby echidna. Cute!

Utilitarian Review 10/19/12

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News

On Monday, Richard Cook and I are going to liveblog the final Presidential debate. Can comics critics be as ignorant and irritating as political pundits? Direct your browsers this-a-way on Monday October 22, at 9 PM Eastern and find out for yourself.
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: Caroline Small on the prose of Eddie Campbell’s Pants.

Nicolas Labarre with a comics summary of horror film Redneck Zombies.

Me criticizing Ben Schwartz’s Best American Comics Criticism.

Rory D. on the ultraviolence of Go Nagai’s Devilman.

Oliver Ristau on Blexbolex’s No Man’s Land.

Me on Geoff Johns’ godawful Teen Titans.

Richard Cook expresses skepticism about David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas.

Russ Maheras on Steve Ditko and the greatest Spider-Man arc ever.

Me with a look at Fantagraphics early Ditko anthology.

My incredibly talented eight-year-old gives you pictures of dragons behaving like cats.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At the Atlantic, I talk about Brandy’s new album and the sad fate of the pop star auteur.

At Splice I talk about America’s terror that their kids might learn something at school.

Also at Splice I argue that America needs fewer political visionaries.
 
Other Links

Ben Saunders on the Peanuts exhibit at the University of Oregon.

Salon on the deceptive biography of an education reformer.

The Atlantic on Violentacrez and trolls; also a great comment from that Atlantic article about mainstreaming sexism and other matters. Millicent Somer on Violentacrez’s ruined life and gendered privacy and identity; Zeynap on Violentacrez and (related) Salon on Anonymous tracking down Amanda Todd’s harasser.
 
This Week’s Reading

Read the Geoff Johns Teen Titans volume I reviewed this week, Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza, and started Henry James’ The Golden Bowl.
 

Utilitarian Review 10/13/12

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HU News

I’m pleased to announce that we have two new columnist joining HU. Michael Arthur is going to be writing monthly about all things anthropomorphic and furry. Subdee is going to write monthly about whatever strikes her fancy. Both have written for HU before, but we’re looking forward to seeing them here on a regular basis. Welcome aboard!
 
On HU

Featured Archive Post: Charles Reece on pop culture and alienation in Ghost World.

A complete index of everything hated in our hatefest.

Me on how Van Halen, Ke$ha, and Ina Unt Ina are all hot for teacher.

Me on the end of our festival of hate.

Kritian Williams on the moral costs of heroism for Mad Max, Lisbeth Salandar, and Rorschach.

Jeet Heer on the underground literary tradition of hating Shakespeare.

Michael Arthur discusses race in Blacksad from a furry perspective.

Ng Suat Tong lists this quarters nominations for Best Online Comics Criticism. Nominate your own selections in comments.

Voices from the Archive: Matt Thorn on how he selected the stories for the Moto Hagio anthology A Drunken Dream.

Me on meat, money and Eli Roth’s Hostel films.

Utilitarians Everywhere

At Reason I reviewed Michael J. Klarman on the pluses and minuses of pushing for gay marriage as a strategy for the gay rights movement.

At Splice Today I talk about pols like Claire McCaskill who put party before country.

Also at Splice Today I got to write about Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours, an album I’ve been obsessed with this week.

Other Links

Jessica Abel and Mike Madden have up a list of notable mentions from this year’s Best American Comics anthology. Our own Derik Badman is on there…as is this James Romberger contribution to our Wallace Stevens roundtable.

Lesbian parents don’t ruin your life, in case you were wondering.

Matthias Wivel on Fabrice Neaud and Galactus.

Sean Michael Robinson is blogging as he busks his way through Europe.

A recreation of sorts of the 1920s Krazy Kat ballet.

This Week’s Reading

Finished Kate Soper’s Humanism and Anti-Humanism, which was a little disappointing (too far into the weeds on Marxist theory — my patience for that stuff has pretty strict limits.) Read a short Everyman Library volume of Swinburne’s poetry. Also read Fanta’s forthcoming edition of Moto Hagio’s Heart of Thomas, which I hope to review somewhere or other. Finally have been reading Ax Cop #1.

From Wallace Stevens and James Romberger’s Madame Le Fleurie

 

Utilitarian Review 12/6/12

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HU News

James Romberger’s awesome collaboration with Wallace Stevens from HU’s illustrated Wallace Stevens roundtable was selected as a notable comic of the year in this year’s Best American Comics anthology. Regular contributor Derik Badman also was selected for his comic Badman’s Cave. Congratulations to both of them!
 
On HU

Subdee on how she would love Bakuman except for that one thing.

Conseula Francis on why she hates Watchmen.

Vom Marlowe on the misguided craft of Alex Ross.

Melinda Beasi on why she hates the Kim Dong Hwa’s Color Trilogy.

Sean Michael Robinson on hating the collection, not the collector.

Matthias Wivel on the New Yorker’s legacy of mediocre cartoons.

Jones, One of the Jones Boys explains why there can’t be a worst comic ever — and points out many comics that are nonetheless quite bad.

By popular demand (more or less) we have an ongoing thread on whether Cerebus is the worst comic ever.

Me on Nana #22 and the worst comic being the one that doesn’t exist.
 
Utilitarians Everywhere

At Splice I talk about Chris Connelly and nostalgia for cassettes.

At Splice I make fun of the Economist’s vapid knee-jerk bipartisanship.

At Splice, I urge panicking Obama supporters to chill the fuck out.
 
Other Links

Martyn Pedlar on Theo Ellsworth’s The Understanding Monster.

This Week’s Reading

Lilli Carre’s Nine Ways to Disappear, which wasn’t bad, but a little disappointing; Jeffrey Brown’s Darth Vader and Son, which wasn’t great, but more enjoyable than I expected; Philip Core’s Camp: the Lie That Tells the Truth, which is amazing; Aubrey Beardsley’s “Under the Hill”, and started Kate Soper’s “Humanism and Anti-Humanism”.