The places I'll Be Going Traveling 60 Words Per Minute

I previously mentioned I'd be taking a little time away from this blog to contribute to another blog that concentrates on the music scene of my local area, Philadelphia. My contributions don't really get in the way of my updating to this blog, since I never used it to discuss matters I cover at Radio Static. Well, dear readers, I'm afraid this blog has just turned second fiddle.

As of a few days ago, I became a contributing writer to the pop culture website Pop Matters. I never knew if the site's name was a declarative statement or adjective and noun, but they get 1,000,000 unique visitors a month and I'm going to be submitting 2 articles a month for their comics page, and possibly random contributions to other pages. My first two will be the pieces where I wrote about Vertigo Comics and war comics, both originally published on a friend's blog before I decided to break out my web design knowledge and make this bad boy. Fear not, you will still be able to find those articles here. I'll also be retaining ownership of everything I write and posting them to this website a couple days after they go live on Popmatters.

As for the longer piece on comics I hinted at and am still writing / researching (yeah, I know I've been working on that a while, but I'm working a lot and in the middle of moving blah blah blah), it's about religion in comics and I'll probably be submitting it to Pop Matters because it's going to be a doozy.

Until then, keep an eye on Pop Matters and stick around here to see what my editors don't want you to see, you know, the true grit.

Grant Morrison & The Aftershock of Comics, or The World of Comic Books Is Exploding & A New Universe Is Blooming

A lot has been going in the word recently. There's wars going on overseas. Gay marriage became legal countrywide and the threat level went up on July 4th for the U.S. Google and Apple are spitting on each other for some new bout of nonsense that will most likely be settled in an overly long legal dispute.  But, none of that matters anymore because it's only two days old and this week is one of the most exciting things to happen to comics in a long time. The bad news is that on both counts, you're going to have to wait a while before any of it actually happens. Still, the news is very exciting! Yesterday, it was announced that Grant Morrison (yes, that Grant Morrison) will be the new editor-in-chief for Heavy Metal Magazine (yes, that Heavy Metal). If that isn't equal part exciting and wonderful, let me make it even weirder than Morrison's mind could conjure up by telling you Entertainment Weekly (yes, that Entertainment Weekly) broke the story. It will be very interesting to see what Morrison does with the magazine, considering how the publication has evolved into something that has many stories that focus on either a tone of heavy violence, elements of softcore pornography, or a mix thereof, and Morrison's stories are usually weird yarns that make you feel like you've been shooting up heroin with the ghost of Buddha and listening to the Dalai Lama divulge the secrets of the universe. Or maybe they're just incoherent gibberish. Either way, Morrison's stories are a rollercoaster ride that everyone should take the time to enjoy, while many Heavy Metal stories past the mid 80's are more action/adventure and T&A sensationalism. For that reason, it's hard to place Morrison in the world of contemporary Heavy Metal, but that may not be what will happen when you consider what the man has to say:

We’re trying to bring back some of that ’70s punk energy of Heavy Metal, but update it and make it new again. One of the things I like to do in my job is revamp properties and really get into the aesthetic of something, dig into the roots of what makes it work, then tinker with the engine and play around with it. So for me, it’s an aesthetic thing first and foremost. The idea of immersing myself in the aesthetic of Heavy Metal is exciting. It’s going to change the clothes I wear, the way I create; it’s like a performance for me. Beyond that, just the idea of being able to curate stories, decide the direction of the magazine, and work with great talent and develop new talent is an exciting opportunity.

The idea of digging into the roots of Heavy Metal, a place where artists like Moebius, Bilal, Loustal, Boucq and Crepax enriched the soil, may be one of the things that is missing from comics today. While the prime usual suspects of Heavy Metal didn't shy away from sex and violence, they brought american audiences styles of art that hadn't been seen in comics and told stories that no U.S. publisher would dare tell (they had the comics code). The roots of Heavy Metal didn't just bud glorified smut and violence, they sprouted original comics stories and highbrow erotica. To revamp that plant as e-i-c might be one way to fertilize minds that Morrison hasn't pollinated yet, it may go up in smoke, but knowing morrison, it'll be one hell of a burning bush if it does. (Yes, I intentionally kept that metaphor going that long to juxt-a-pose Morrisons mixed one).

On the other end of comics news is Aftershock Comics. While Image Comics has been showing Vertigo that they've been in a bit of a dizzy spell for about a decade when it comes to creator-owned work, Aftershock has announced that it will be coming to comic shops in a big way by publishing creator-owned work from writers like Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Paul Jenkins, Garth Ennis, Justin Jordan, Phil Hester, Neil Gaiman, Frank Barbiere and Marguerite Bennett. If you haven't heard of Aftershock, that may be because they haven't released anything yet or because their site isn't fully developed. One great thing about Aftershock also involves its editor-in-chief. Mike Marts, former executive of the X-Men line will be taking the helm of e-i-c for Aftershock and explains, "When we launched AfterShock, our mission was to attract the best comic book creators in the business, and we're beyond excited to develop original projects with these industry leaders, but it’s only the beginning." With Gaiman, Ennis and Palmiotti, it's hard to imagine Aftershock not doing well. It's even harder to imagine their panel at San Diego Comic Con not being flooded with that name recognition. What makes them most interesting is the mission statement on their Facebook page, which reads, "Aftershock is a comic book company that combines the creative edge of an independent comic book publisher with the strengths of a traditional one." While this statement is vague, it hints at some promising possibilities like the idea of world building through serial titles that may have finite runs, but begin, middle and end like proper stories. With a mission statement like this, it echoes the idea of what CrossGen set out to do while mixing in the sensibility of classic Vertigo. Making a statement on his participation with the new publisher, Ennis offers some insight saying, “AfterShock looks to be making all the right moves. I’m delighted by the arrival of a new home for independent, creator-­owned comics.”

Comic Con may shed more light on these projects and answer questions, but Morrison's Heavy Metal and Aftershock sound like they will shake up the world of comics by doing what no one expected and the big two will regret not doing in the first place, giving fans what they already like and presenting it them in a way they never knew they'd love. 

I'm Expanding, Like The Universe

For those of you out there that like what I'm doing (I use Google Analytics and know I've got repeat readers out there), I'd like you to know that I'll be contributing to another blog: Radio Static Philly. With Radio Static, I'll be focusing on bands and live events around the scene in Philadelphia, my current physical territory.

At Radio Static, we're not out for the money. We're just a group of people that are passionate about music, love the Philly scene and want to help it grow by giving more exposure to the acts and venues that help develop the modern sound vibing through the streets in the City of Brotherly Love. If this sounds like something you'd like to know more about, check it out.

I've said my peace and will hopefully return to long-form essays with-in a week, bringing you a piece dealing with comics. I've got a lot of things on my end and also have some reading to do because my research has given me more than I originally planned to work with. Who knows, I may come back tomorrow with a short something or other if I get inspiration or insomnia. Stay tuned and beautiful, world.

Spoon Covers The Cramps, Oh The Lack Of Horror

The Cramps: Rock & Roll Spook Show

The Cramps came on to the music scene with songs that obviously and unapologetically ripped off riffs from classic gems of the 50's/60's era garage rock, surf rock and rockabilly. This has been well documented with the 3 volume compilation set "Songs The Cramp Taught Us," which brings the original songs together. What distinguished the songs The Cramps put to tape from the original source material is lyrics that came from the pits of hell and describe scenes of horror. While The Misfits did something similar, Danzig would scream and croon many of his lyrics while Jerry Only played his guitar at the speed of punk rock. Not striking as deeply into the punk sound as The Misfits, The Cramps kept a toe-tapping rhythm under lyrics that were spoken/sung with Lux Interior's performative vibrato in a way that exaggerated the elements of paranoia and creepiness of the lyrics in songs like "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," "Human Fly," "Green Door," and "Voodoo Idol." These songs don't only narrate spooky tales, but attempt to make the audience just as unsettled as the characters in them. It wasn't just the effects on the guitar, but the way Lux Interior sang that gave The Cramps a distinct sound and made the horror movie aspects of their music work so well. 

If you've never heard of The Cramps, you may not alone. They were nowhere near mainstream and probably make a few people uncomfortable. When songs like "TV Set," describe homicide and dismemberment, The Cramps weren't exactly radio friendly. Since the movie Poltergeist is being remade, it makes sense that the soundtrack could use a cover or two. One cover that will be on it is Spoon's version of The Cramps classic "TV Set." While Spoon's cover of The Cramps is actually very good, it is absent of the creepiness that makes the original unsettling. Spoon's version is so clean that it comes off as The Cramps if they were produced by Phil Spector. Britt Daniel does a great job of transcribing the jittery cadence Lux Interior first performed it with, but the frightening tones present in Lux's voice is not in Daniel's. While the cover is well worth listening to, it only make me wonder how great it would be to watch a scene in a horror movie where the original version plays as people are running scared.

The Sandman Movie Is Going To Be An Action-Packed Joyride, or Joseph Gordon Levitt Doesn't Watch Television

I have feelings and stuff

For those that don't know, actor and musician Joseph Gordon Levitt is adapting Neil Gaiman's Sandman for the big screen. It's likely no stretch to bet both Sandman and Gaiman fans are excited for this project since it has been in development hell for over a decade and the books have been one of Vertigo Comics biggest sellers for over two decades.

Still, the begged question of "why a movie and not a tv show" is even more present in a time where shows like Game of Thrones have become international successes. While movies are still big projects that gain popularity in many countries, Game of Thrones hit a level of popularity so high that its piracy is its own story. With creative sets, costumes with beautiful detail , very good acting, and visually astounding special effects and lush cinematography, Game of Thrones is pushing the boundaries of what to expect from television. And it's not alone. 

Before Game of Thrones, HBO, AMC and other channels produced shows like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Tudors and many others that brought television audiences stories that were more often delivered through movies. With great plot lines, writing and acting, a show like True Detective attracts movie actors (Woody Harrelson, Matthew Mcconaughey, Collin Farrel, Rachel McAdams) to the small screen for quality roles. It also tells a whole story that could easily suffer the pitfalls of truncation which so often happens in film. With this renaissance of television goin on, it's confusing that Levitt would say the following while trying to explain why he's making Sandman into a movie:

I think a big screen adaptation is a better idea and here’s why. If you did the episodic version, I think it could very well end up as a not-as-good-version of what is already brilliant in the comics. But by reworking the material into a big movie, Gaiman’s brilliant characters and ideas get to take shape in a way they never have before. Also, I think Sandman deserves to look absolutely mind-blowingly awesome, just on a visual level, and as cinematic as some tv shows are becoming these days, they still can’t compete with big movies visually, just because they can’t afford to.

This isn't to say Sandman shouldn't be a movie. (I don't think it should be, but that's not what I'm getting at here). However, looking at a show like Game of Thrones, the budget averaged 6 million per episode in season 4, and 8 million in season 5. With ten episodes, a season costs 60 -80 million dollars. To put this into perspective, the new Terminator movie has an estimated budget of 155 million. The new Terminator movie costed just under twice as much as the last season of Game of Thrones. While Terminator Genysis isn't the adaptation of a comic book, Kick-Ass is, and it cost 30 million, half as much as season 4 of Game of Thrones. While the budgets of these two movies factor in a great deal of action and explosions, Sandman's source material has none of that. Sandman, like Game of Thrones, is a plot based epic that will need a nice amount of CGI. Unlike, Game of Throne, Sandman doesn't have action. For this reason, it seems hard to imagine that HBO "can't afford to" adapt Sandman. However, when reading his quote, it seems easy to imagine that either Levitt doesn't watch television, know much about arithmetic, or is turning Sandman into the Terminator.

Oh no he didn't!!!!!!