Outstanding Artist
Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)
Outstanding Anthology or Collection
Kramer's Ergot 7, ed. Sammy Harkham (Buenaventure)
Outstanding Graphic Novel
Acme Novelty Library#19, Chris Ware (Drawn & Quarterly)
Outstanding Story
"Willy" Papercutter #10, Amien Jay (Tugboat)
Promising New Talent
Colleen Frakes, Woman King (self-published)
Outstanding Series
Uptight, Jordan Crane (Fantagraphics)
Outstanding Comic
Uptight #3, Jordan Crane
Outstanding Minicomic
Just Stay Away From Other People, Lisa Hanawalt
Outstanding Online Comic
Year of the Rat, Cayetano Garza (www.magicinkwell.com)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Be Our Guest
[Q| Checkin at the hostel was quick, noticed some new buildings in the neighborhood, then took the Metro to White Flint.
The Metro has strip lighting on the platform edge which flash when a train is approaching. What was once white is now a cherry red, and with the subdued lighting gives the underground an ominous atmosphere.
My mischievous mind then concocted a tale to tell gullible tourists: The color denotes the current terrorist threat levels. With the arrests in Denver and Dallas, it is currently RED. If the lights begin to flash, then an emergency has been declared, and we should listen for an announcement!
Tonight, it is raining, so I am dining at the Marriott restaurant. I just noticed that the burgundy napkin is an exact duplicate of the napkins I once folded at the Omaha Marriot back in '87.
Just finished some babyback ribs. The menu advertised fork-tender meat, yet I had to perform major surgery with a fork and knife. Not worth the trouble or price. Nice restaurant otherwise... spacious, lively, nice decor.
More soon... need to share my discoveries...
The Metro has strip lighting on the platform edge which flash when a train is approaching. What was once white is now a cherry red, and with the subdued lighting gives the underground an ominous atmosphere.
My mischievous mind then concocted a tale to tell gullible tourists: The color denotes the current terrorist threat levels. With the arrests in Denver and Dallas, it is currently RED. If the lights begin to flash, then an emergency has been declared, and we should listen for an announcement!
Tonight, it is raining, so I am dining at the Marriott restaurant. I just noticed that the burgundy napkin is an exact duplicate of the napkins I once folded at the Omaha Marriot back in '87.
Just finished some babyback ribs. The menu advertised fork-tender meat, yet I had to perform major surgery with a fork and knife. Not worth the trouble or price. Nice restaurant otherwise... spacious, lively, nice decor.
More soon... need to share my discoveries...
On The Road Again
Well, we just left the rest area located just inside the Maryland border (exit 94?). Starbucks, Cinnabon, Popeye's, Burger King, and a convenience store which had no DC or Baltimore newspapers.
Grabbed a Cherry Coke Zero for $1.90 (vending machine costs $2). Finished the sandwich I bought in the Bronx. Wasn't hungry, but I didn't want to bother people on the bus.
Near the entrance is the ubiquitous souvenir penny mangler. It caught my eye because one of the dies commemorates Frank Zappa, a native son of Baltimore!
Had a fitful nap (lower back stayed awake), rest break, now trying to read Mill's On Liberty. It has clear writing, but my mind keeps wandering. (Exit 85)
Heh... coincidence that I'm reading that on the way to DC...
Grabbed a Cherry Coke Zero for $1.90 (vending machine costs $2). Finished the sandwich I bought in the Bronx. Wasn't hungry, but I didn't want to bother people on the bus.
Near the entrance is the ubiquitous souvenir penny mangler. It caught my eye because one of the dies commemorates Frank Zappa, a native son of Baltimore!
Had a fitful nap (lower back stayed awake), rest break, now trying to read Mill's On Liberty. It has clear writing, but my mind keeps wandering. (Exit 85)
Heh... coincidence that I'm reading that on the way to DC...
I'll Be On My Way...
[Q| It's been more than a month since my last post, and realize I need an entry for September.
So... I am on the 7 AM Bolt Bus ($19) to DC. We just entered the Lincoln Tunnel, and should arrive in my nation's capital in 4.5 hours.
I booked the 7:30 bus, but they let me on early. (Just left the tunnel, on the helix.) Found an aisle seat, fourth row back, the window seat occupied by an attractive brunette who I will politely not bother.
So... why D.C.? Isn't the (toll plaza) New York Anime Festival this weekend? Yes, it is, but the Small Press Expo is also this weekend. I missed MoCCA Fest this year (was in Italy), I haven't been in years, and I'm not that big a fan of anime. $38 for the bus, $33 for a bed at the youth hostel, and payday yesterday makes it all possible. (Exit 15E)
I bought The Year's Best American Comics 2009 yesterday, and read a few selections... I dunno... I like the series, am glad it exists, but so much is just...blah. I love good comics, but these stories just don't resonate. Maybe I never developed that literary criticism skill. (Exit 13A) Maybe I like more story, more plot.
No corporate comics in this volume. Not even in the Honorary Mentions. (The book is not on the bus, so I may be mistaken.) No Minx, and I wonder if many "Best of" stories made the book. And how many award winners?
R. Crumb's The Book of Genesis is engaging, and, well, reverent towards the source material. He does include the genealogies, I think partly because the Bible does, and he needs to pad the book. The naughty bits are tastefully rendered with the occasional breast, and Crumb practices his trademark pulchritude with a bit of restraint. I have read up to the death of Sarah, and learned some things not usually covered in Bible study.
Will Crumb do more? Uncertain. I do hope he will at least adapt specific stories, as his everyday style and storytelling talent is ideally suited to the subject matter. (buffer reached, just passed Milboro water tower)
So... I am on the 7 AM Bolt Bus ($19) to DC. We just entered the Lincoln Tunnel, and should arrive in my nation's capital in 4.5 hours.
I booked the 7:30 bus, but they let me on early. (Just left the tunnel, on the helix.) Found an aisle seat, fourth row back, the window seat occupied by an attractive brunette who I will politely not bother.
So... why D.C.? Isn't the (toll plaza) New York Anime Festival this weekend? Yes, it is, but the Small Press Expo is also this weekend. I missed MoCCA Fest this year (was in Italy), I haven't been in years, and I'm not that big a fan of anime. $38 for the bus, $33 for a bed at the youth hostel, and payday yesterday makes it all possible. (Exit 15E)
I bought The Year's Best American Comics 2009 yesterday, and read a few selections... I dunno... I like the series, am glad it exists, but so much is just...blah. I love good comics, but these stories just don't resonate. Maybe I never developed that literary criticism skill. (Exit 13A) Maybe I like more story, more plot.
No corporate comics in this volume. Not even in the Honorary Mentions. (The book is not on the bus, so I may be mistaken.) No Minx, and I wonder if many "Best of" stories made the book. And how many award winners?
R. Crumb's The Book of Genesis is engaging, and, well, reverent towards the source material. He does include the genealogies, I think partly because the Bible does, and he needs to pad the book. The naughty bits are tastefully rendered with the occasional breast, and Crumb practices his trademark pulchritude with a bit of restraint. I have read up to the death of Sarah, and learned some things not usually covered in Bible study.
Will Crumb do more? Uncertain. I do hope he will at least adapt specific stories, as his everyday style and storytelling talent is ideally suited to the subject matter. (buffer reached, just passed Milboro water tower)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Six Degrees of Geeks
Okay... last part.
Susan Sarandon can link to Speed Racer, or Witches of Eastwick to Jack Nicholson to Mars Attacks (nexus) or to Batman...
Puzzles: what is the shortest link containing all seven Batman movies? (Adam West to the present) No direct linkage allowed.
All Star Trek movies? Star Wars? All Marvel movies? Lord of the Rings?
Enjoy.
Susan Sarandon can link to Speed Racer, or Witches of Eastwick to Jack Nicholson to Mars Attacks (nexus) or to Batman...
Puzzles: what is the shortest link containing all seven Batman movies? (Adam West to the present) No direct linkage allowed.
All Star Trek movies? Star Wars? All Marvel movies? Lord of the Rings?
Enjoy.
Six Degrees of Geeks, continued
Actors must be well known, if not for the role in a movie, then for another role in another movie or television show. (Kevin Bacon's appearance in Animal House is brief, but it does count.)
Any challenges will be settled by IMDB.com, or an agreed upon paper source if the internet is not availble, such as Video Hound. If those do not exist, majority rule will suffice. The victor gains a point (either for using an obscure role, or for challenging the error). One point is subtracted from the loser.
In the course of each game, a player may use a wild card. The player can link via a non-actor such as Director (Terry Gilliam), Composer (John Williams) or writer (Harlan Ellison). The next player can nullify that link by using an actor, thus gaining a point.
Players can link back to a player already used, but cannot use the movies already linked to the actor. (If V for Vendetta and Star Wars I were already used to link to Natalie Portman, they cannot be used if one links back to her later.) Also, if an actor costars with an actor in two or more movies in a series, a player cannot use any other movies in that series as a link. (Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart can be linked via any of their Star Trek movies, but only once.)
Now, back to my link... Robinson on one end, Portman or Smith on the other... Smith links to Men In Black to Rip Torn to The Man Who Fell to Earth to David Bowie to Labyrinth to Jennifer Connelly to Hulk to Eric Bana to Star Trek (nexus) to Rachel Nichols to GI Joe (nexus) to Ray Park (nexus) to Star Wars I (nexus) to Samuel Jackson to Unbreakable to Fifth Element to Bruce Willis to Gary Oldman to Batman Begins to Liam Neeson (nexus) (Star Wars I = shortcut) to Natalie Portman (SW I) to Dustin Hoffman to Hook (nexus) to Robin Williams (nexus) to Jumanji to Kirsten Dunst (nexus) to Interview With a Vampire (nexus) to Tom Cruise to Legend to Tom Curry to Annie (dead ends with Peters, Finney, Burnett?) or Rocky Horror to Susan Sarandon to...?
continued...
Any challenges will be settled by IMDB.com, or an agreed upon paper source if the internet is not availble, such as Video Hound. If those do not exist, majority rule will suffice. The victor gains a point (either for using an obscure role, or for challenging the error). One point is subtracted from the loser.
In the course of each game, a player may use a wild card. The player can link via a non-actor such as Director (Terry Gilliam), Composer (John Williams) or writer (Harlan Ellison). The next player can nullify that link by using an actor, thus gaining a point.
Players can link back to a player already used, but cannot use the movies already linked to the actor. (If V for Vendetta and Star Wars I were already used to link to Natalie Portman, they cannot be used if one links back to her later.) Also, if an actor costars with an actor in two or more movies in a series, a player cannot use any other movies in that series as a link. (Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart can be linked via any of their Star Trek movies, but only once.)
Now, back to my link... Robinson on one end, Portman or Smith on the other... Smith links to Men In Black to Rip Torn to The Man Who Fell to Earth to David Bowie to Labyrinth to Jennifer Connelly to Hulk to Eric Bana to Star Trek (nexus) to Rachel Nichols to GI Joe (nexus) to Ray Park (nexus) to Star Wars I (nexus) to Samuel Jackson to Unbreakable to Fifth Element to Bruce Willis to Gary Oldman to Batman Begins to Liam Neeson (nexus) (Star Wars I = shortcut) to Natalie Portman (SW I) to Dustin Hoffman to Hook (nexus) to Robin Williams (nexus) to Jumanji to Kirsten Dunst (nexus) to Interview With a Vampire (nexus) to Tom Cruise to Legend to Tom Curry to Annie (dead ends with Peters, Finney, Burnett?) or Rocky Horror to Susan Sarandon to...?
continued...
Six Degrees of Geeks
[Q| Anyways, a few weeks ago, I finally saw "Spaceballs" at a midight screening at the Landmark Sunshine movie theater. Towards the end of the movie, John Hurt, playing himself, suffers another Alien heartburn attack.
As I watched the credits, my mind got to thinking... Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, using only sci-fi, fantasy, and comics movies! (Horror only counts if it falls into the above three categories... vampires, yes; slashers, no; Freddy Kruger, yes, because of dreams.)
Bill Pullman was also in Independence Day with Jeff Goldblum, who was in The Fly with Geena Davis, who... (darn, couldn't remember a link!)
But John Hurt was in Alien with Sigourney Weaver who was in Galaxy Quest with Alan Rickman who was in Excalibur with Patrick Stewart who was in...Wow... PS has been in a lot of geek movies! Star Trek, Excalibur, Dune, Life Force, X-Men... I selected ST:Generations, for some big star power... Roddy McDowell, who was in Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston, who was in Soylent Green with Edgar G. Robinson.
This was all in my head as I walked to the subway. Then I pulled out my notebook and started working on the nexi (nexuses?). Star Trek 7 has a link to Independence Day via Brent Spiner. X-Men links via Cyclops to Superman Returns which links to Kevin Spacey which leads to Moon and the lead (which I can't remember). Alan Rickman links to Excalibur, Galaxy Quest, Harry Potter (and John Cleese!). Then there are other actors, like Natalie Portman and Will Smith who link to all sorts of stuff. Portman links to Smith via Jason Bateman. Using that same movie, P links to Dustin Hoffman, Hook, Robin Williams (nexus!) which links back to P (Jumanji) to Mars Attacks (nexus) to Jack Nicholson (!) to Batman to Michael Keaton to Beatlejuice to Geena Davis to The Fly...)
Now, if you want to make a game of it... Each linked Oscar nominee or winner gets a point. If a person cannot continue a link, she or he loses a point. A person continuing that link earns a point.
To Be Continued...
As I watched the credits, my mind got to thinking... Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, using only sci-fi, fantasy, and comics movies! (Horror only counts if it falls into the above three categories... vampires, yes; slashers, no; Freddy Kruger, yes, because of dreams.)
Bill Pullman was also in Independence Day with Jeff Goldblum, who was in The Fly with Geena Davis, who... (darn, couldn't remember a link!)
But John Hurt was in Alien with Sigourney Weaver who was in Galaxy Quest with Alan Rickman who was in Excalibur with Patrick Stewart who was in...Wow... PS has been in a lot of geek movies! Star Trek, Excalibur, Dune, Life Force, X-Men... I selected ST:Generations, for some big star power... Roddy McDowell, who was in Planet of the Apes with Charlton Heston, who was in Soylent Green with Edgar G. Robinson.
This was all in my head as I walked to the subway. Then I pulled out my notebook and started working on the nexi (nexuses?). Star Trek 7 has a link to Independence Day via Brent Spiner. X-Men links via Cyclops to Superman Returns which links to Kevin Spacey which leads to Moon and the lead (which I can't remember). Alan Rickman links to Excalibur, Galaxy Quest, Harry Potter (and John Cleese!). Then there are other actors, like Natalie Portman and Will Smith who link to all sorts of stuff. Portman links to Smith via Jason Bateman. Using that same movie, P links to Dustin Hoffman, Hook, Robin Williams (nexus!) which links back to P (Jumanji) to Mars Attacks (nexus) to Jack Nicholson (!) to Batman to Michael Keaton to Beatlejuice to Geena Davis to The Fly...)
Now, if you want to make a game of it... Each linked Oscar nominee or winner gets a point. If a person cannot continue a link, she or he loses a point. A person continuing that link earns a point.
To Be Continued...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)