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Review: ‘Berlin: City of Smoke’ by Jason Lutes

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  • November 3, 2008

Berlin, Book Two: City of Smoke
By Jason Lutes
Drawn & Quarterly, September 2008, $19.95

More than ten years ago, Jason Lutes began serializing his long graphic novel [[[Berlin]]] in a comic of the same name. Making long-form comics is long, hard work – more like an ultramarathon than any other art form – and this year finally sees the publication of the second part of that story. Even now, the end is still probably four or five years away –although we can certainly know what will happen in Berlin, and guess what will happen to these people, as 1929 slides into ‘30 into ‘31.

Berlin is a dense, complicated story with a large cast of characters, told in a naturalistic, cinematic way, without identifying captions or explanatory notes. That keeps from slowing down the reading experience, and the characters are always recognizable – but it does make it hard to review the book, when I realize that “the Jewish orphan girl” was probably named twice in the entire two hundred pages. (And with two different names at that.)

Berlin takes place in the last days of the post-Great War Weimar Republic, and its implicit theme is the battle between fascism and communism. (Given the time and the place, one need not even pause a moment to guess which side Lutes comes down on. This is unfortunate, though – and more so the more a reader knows about history – since we all know the fascists will win, and that things aren’t going to get better for a long time. And even if the Communists flee to the Soviet Union, they won’t escape the Nazis that way – much less escape oppression, war, and mass death.) The characters are mostly at the lower end of middle-class, if not outright poor, with some secondary characters higher up the income ladder, and they also tend to be outcasts and bohemians of one sort or another: musicians, reporters, artists, lesbians, Jews, tramps, black Americans. Again, one notes that these are all people who will not fare well under Nazi rule.

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et-doonesbury

‘Doonesbury’ says Obama Won

  • News
  • November 3, 2008

et-doonesburyDoonesbury was the first media source to call tomorrow’s election for Barack Obama.  Garry Trudeau delivered strips via the Universal Press Syndicate last Wednesday including one for Wednesday where soldiers in Iraq are seen watching a television where the announcer calls the election for the Illinois Senator.

Newspaper editors around the country have been put in a difficult position considering the pages that normally run the strip tend to close long before the polls. There’s concern of looking silly should Arizona Senator John McCain be declared the victor.

When queried by the Los Angeles Times about this, the comic strip’s creator Garry Trudeau replied, “polling data gives McCain a 3.7% chance of victory. There’s a greater risk that their presses will break down on Election Day. So I’ve been encouraging editors to choose hope over fear. And reminding them that if I’m wrong, it’ll be my face that’ll be covered with egg, not theirs.

I’d be a lot more worried about the country than the strip. One reporter has already suggested I just carry on with an alternative universe in which Obama wins. It’s not a crazy idea . . . "

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds told the paper, "We hope the strip proves to be as predictive as it is consistently lame."

Nervous newspaper editors were offered repeats of August comic strips to run the remainder of the week.  Ther’s no knowing howmany of the 1400 clients will carry the strip or cave in and go with the repeat. Opinion among editors nationwide has been diverse although not as divisive as the opponents have been.

"I thought it was funny," said Michael Weinstein, features editor for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. "But it’s an accuracy issue. We won’t know the outcome of the election until Wednesday.

"It’s just a matter of humor. Is the strip funny if McCain wins? Satire humor is a real difficult subject."

The Chicago Tribune’s Tim Bannon said, "we are reserving the option of running the strip on Wednesday, but we of course would not typeset until we confirmed the result of the election." The Cleveland Plain-Dealer is running the strip as is. "If he’s wrong, he’s wrong," said Debbie Van Tassel, assistant managing editor/features.

Editor John Robinson agrees and wrote at the News and Record of Greensboro NC’s blog, “Risky? Reckless? Not for a cartoonist, but there’s some discussion on the journalism listservs that suggests that this assumed outcome of Tuesday’s election is a limb too far for newspapers.”

"I don’t understand that concern, given Trudeau’s cartooning history," he adds. "I’m thinking that if McCain wins, the embarrassment is Trudeau’s, not ours. Isn’t there anyone who doesn’t think he’s liberal? Besides, if McCain does win, just imagine how much fun it will be to watch how Trudeau handles the turnabout.”

The Los Angeles Times announced they were hedging their bets, not running the strip Wednesday but Thursday if Obama wins. Should McCain win, they will opt for the repeat strips through Friday.
 

patrick-stewart-ian-mckellen-x-men-001-5823444

‘X-Men’ Are ‘Waiting For Godot’

  • News
  • November 3, 2008

patrick-stewart-ian-mckellen-x-men-001-5823444If you’re not based in England but need a reason to travel to London, well, here you go. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are about to share the stage together.

That’s right, homeboys! Magneto and Professor Xavier have mutually knocked over their respective king pieces, deciding on a "gray" middle ground over a "black" or "white" dominant party, and are starring alongside one another for an on-stage production of Waiting For Godot.

Okay, yeah, before you leave, we’re talking about theater. No major shifts in the sociopolitical dynamics between mankind and mutantkind, but, hey, this is pretty close.

The two well known thespians, who shared the silver screen with each other as Erik Lansherr and Charles Xavier in the X-Men trilogy, will star alongside each other in Waiting For Godot on The West End, according to Variety.

The trade reports, "Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will topline a Brit production of Waiting for Godot that will launch a U.K. tour in March ahead of an April bow at the Theater Royal Haymarket."

American audiences will recognize the actors as having shared the screen as nemeses in X-Men, but Stewart and McKellen had previously costarred in Every Good Boy Deserves Favour in 1977.

Waiting For Godot focuses on two men waiting for a man whom they’ve never laid eyes upon before, but know that his presence is incredibly important to their own self-worth. McKellen and Stewart play the two men, Estragon and Vladimir, respectively. The play is written by Samuel Beckett, and despite multiple attempts, has never seen a film adaptation. Waiting for Guffman, filmed and written by Christopher Guest, plays on Godot‘s themes without being a direct knock-off.

If anyone has tickets to London, please direct yourself to ComicMix. We’ll trade you in beets and other various candies.

Two ‘Heroes’ Go Down

  • News
  • November 3, 2008

jeph-loeb-2007-1346170If you thought Uatu’s jaw dislocation was surprising, wait until you’ve heard this one… Jeph Loeb is no longer involved with Heroes.

The producer of NBC’s television epic and the frequent comic book writer has been axed from the daily ongoings of Heroes, according to Variety. Jesse Alexander of Alias fame is also off the series, says the trade. Both Loeb and Alexander were day-to-day managers of the show under the direction of creator/executive producer Tim Kring since season one.

No reasons are listed as to why the two producers have been kicked off the show, though it’s no secret that Heroes has been disparaged since the debut of its second season. The show, now in its third year, promised a departure from the formulaic nature of its sophomore season, and with consistent critical hammering, a hardcore decision was bound to be made to save the series’ financial future. The departures of Loeb and Alexander are likely seen as moves to fit that bill.

Jeph Loeb has made a career in the super-hero industry. His graphic novels Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, in particular, have gained him critical acclaim, as has his work on Superman: For All Seasons. He’s also known for his work on the "color-centric" comic books over at Marvel Comics, specifically Hulk: Gray, Spider-Man: Blue, Daredevil: Yellow and the forthcoming Captain America: White. Loeb, whose best known super-hero work may be his collaboration with artist Jim Lee on Batman: Hush, had been involved with Heroes from the show’s beginning.

Loeb’s frequent collaborator Tim Sale, who illustrated both much of Loeb’s comic output starting with Challengers of the Unknown, is the artist behind the show’s frequent "future-telling" paintings such as those by Isaac Mendes or the newly introduced African painter. Whether or not Loeb’s departure will influence Sale’s continued work remains to be seen.

Whether or not Heroes, which suffered poor ratings during its strike shortened second season, will be negatively effected by the apparent removal of Loeb and Alexander remains to be seen. However, given that the show should be "King of the Jungle" but has merely kept its head above water in the midst of poor ratings, a true reckoning for Heroes remains to be seen.

The Last Word, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • November 3, 2008

Norman Mingo’s iconic image of Alfred E. Neuman was first used by Mad Magazine back in 1956 as comment upon the Eisenhower / Stevenson election or, more to the point, in parody of the typical Time magazine cover of its time. Mingo’s Alf is still in use to this day; as is the struggle between the donkey and elephant also depicted on that cover.

We’ve had presidents and presidential elections in comics since the staple was first applied to cheap newsprint. Recently we’ve had Lex Luthor as president in the DC universe, and Stephen Colbert running for the same job in the Marvel universe. The president is one of the most important of the American icons, perhaps even moreso than Alfred E. Neuman.

Tomorrow is Election Day, and you will be asked to pick from at least two clear and distinctive voices. Whichever candidate wins, his impact on our future will be immense. Your voice is needed. As an American citizen, voting is your highest obligation.

I don’t care who you vote for (well, actually, I do, but that’s not the point right now), as long as you make your voice heard. You might think your state is already committed to one candidate or another. History shows us you are wrong. You might think your one vote doesn’t matter. History shows us you are wrong.

Even if your candidate has no chance of winning, make your voice heard. For example, let’s say you are a Libertarian interested in voting for Bob Barr. You probably think he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. You would probably be right. But if the Libertarian Party gets noticeable support at the polls, even 5% of the popular vote in your state, we will have taken a significant step towards freeing ourselves from the two party system that severely limits our choice and our future.

You might think all of the candidates are idiots; that none of them deserves your support. Fine. Make your voice heard. Vote for the person you think best represents your point of view, even if that’s a write-in. You might think Bun E. Carlos would be the best person for the job (he’s my #2 choice); fine. Make your voice heard. (more…)

‘Jew-Jitsu’ Promises to Keep you Safe

  • Uncategorized
  • November 3, 2008

jew-jitsucover-7679007Pop culture sees a plethora of imitators.  Chicken Soup’s endless variations comes to mind as beating a concept to death.  The ones that stand out, that beg for attention, are the ones at the head of the wave.

Will Jew-Jitsu: The Hebrew Hands of Fury be such a trend-setter?  We don’t know but we’re awfully amused to be seeing former DC Comics and Weekly World News exec Paul Kupperberg co-writing this tongue-in-cheek self-defense book.  Just out from Citadel Press, the 114-page illustrated volume is ostensibly written by Rabbi Daniel Eliezer and promises to show how the tefillin and Tallis can be used as defense weapons.

With clear images from photographer Robert Michael Simses, you can learn how to avoid trouble but when there’s no choice, you’re shown exactly how to find your chai and deliver deadly blows. (See if you can spot ComicMix contributor Ric Meyers in some shots.)

This step-by-step guide takes you through the "Eighteen Forms" of meditation to mastering complex martial arts moves such as "Receiving the Torah," "Throwing of the Star of David" and "The Deadly Punch in the Kishkes."

"The secret to humor," he told the Stamford Times, "is introducing an element of reality that people can relate to, and from there you branch off into crazy."

Kupperberg’s writing is breezy and he thoughtfully provides a glossary for people less than familiar with Yiddish. Heck, there’s even a recipe for Challah bread so what’s not to love. For $12.95, what’s not like?

Let’s wait and see if the Mormons offer up their own self-defense tome.

Vertigo/WildStorm at the Movies

  • News
  • November 3, 2008

y-the-last-man-9143133Since Dark Knight hit the screen, the world of superheroes in film may not be the same again. With the inevitable success of Watchmen in 2009 and many more non-cape-wearing heroes on the way to theaters, we’ve collected just where things lie on some of our favorite Vertigo and WildStorm franchises, and how far we could be to seeing them at the local multiplex. For the super-heroes, see yesterday’s report.

Y the Last Man

New Lien optioned the recently completed  Y the Last Man several years ago and creator Brian K. Vaughn wrote the initial screenplay. In 2007, New Line assigned the stalled project to the creative team behind Disturbia — director DJ Caruso and screenwriter Carl Ellsworth — with producer David Goyer.

In an interview with Caruso, he claimed that the story was too much for just one movie, and they decided to focus on making the first film primarily about issues 1-14 of the comic series. The entire series would be plotted into three films and rumors have been circulating that Shia LaBeouf was in line for the role at one point. Caruso and LaBeouf worked together of Disturbia and Eagle Eye and LaBeouf expressed interest in the role.

Caruso told Slash Film in July, “I was talking to Shia [LaBeouf] about this yesterday when we were looping him, because he really wants to do it as well, I would like to prep this movie in October, and start shooting it by January. Warner Bros keeps saying ‘We need movies for 2010′ I’m like ‘We’re the movie!’” said Caruso. “[Shia] wants to do it, I want to do it. I think we just need to worry about him being exhausted, so I told him, if I prep it in the fall and we start in January, that’s a nice big break.”
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ComicMix Columns and Features for the Week Ending November 2, 2008

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  • November 3, 2008

Well, it’s been fun, people!  Although we weekly columnists never got our own little tab in the ‘mix, we’ve always tried to entertain you, make you think, and just plain give you some good reading.  Here are the final columns (mixed in with our other regular features) that have appeared this past week:

Mike Gold’s above-mentioned column was his penultimate.  His final column will be tomorrow; it’s only fitting that our beloved editor-in-chief get in the last word!  Goodbye, everyone!

Columbo’s 1990 Cases Get Collected

  • News
  • November 2, 2008

Columbo is one of television’s most beloved characters thank to the sophisticated writing of Richard Levinson and William Link in addition to the performance from Peter Falk.  The rumpled detective appeared for seven seasons on the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie and then returned for a series of telefilms in the late 1980s.

All seven seasons were collected between 2004 and 2006 with the 1989 set of telefilms released in 2007.

Universal is finally releasing the 1990 set of telefilms on February 3 according to TV Shows on DVD. The set of six episodes will come on three discs and retail for $26.98.  The titles for the record are:

•    "Columbo Cries Wolf"
•    "Agenda for Murder"
•    "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo"
•    "Uneasy Lies the Crown"
•    "Murder in Malibu"
•    "Columbo Goes to College"

Guest performers include Deidre Hall (Days of our Lives), Ian Buchanan (The Bold and the Beautiful), Gigi Rice (The John Larroquette Show), Louis Zorich (Mad About You), Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner), Stanley Kamel (Monk), Denis Arndt (Picket Fences), Bruce Kirby (Kojak), Helen Shaver (Poltergeist: The Legacy), Ian McShane (Deadwood), Teresa Ganzel (Transylvania 6-5000), Nancy Walker (McMillan & Wife), Dick Sargent (Bewitched), baseball great Ron Cey, Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy), Andrew Stevens (Emerald Point N.A.S.), Katherine Cannon (Beverly Hills 90210) and Robert Culp (Greatest American Hero).
 

‘High School Musical 3’ First in Class

  • News
  • November 2, 2008

It proved to be a light weekend for the movies, hampered by Halloween being on a Friday.  Disney’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year repeated in the number one slot, with $15 million despite having very slow Friday numbers as the audience went trick or treating.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno, from Kevin Smith, opened to mostly positive reviews but just $10, 682,000 which rival studios say may be as much as one million over their own estimates.  Final numbers are due out on Monday. The other newcomer, The Haunting of Molly Hartley, scared up just $6,009,000, eclipsed by Saw V’s second weekend haul of $10,110,000.

Meantime, Changeling, written by J. Michael Straczynski, went into wide release and finished in fourth place with $9.4 million.

Disney’s surprise hit, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, slid to sixth place but still brought in $4,747,000, pushing its total to date to $84,061,000. The rest of the top ten were repeat performer with most seeing 40-50% declines from their previous week’s performance. Disappointing performers, such as Pride & Glory, continue to keep audiences at bay, meaning poor final numbers for the studios.  This includes the political film, W., which has just $22,398,000 to show after three weeks. 

Warner is doubly disappointed with Pride and the big budget dud Body of Lies, which has earned a mere $34,612,000 after four weeks – horrible showings for superstars Russell Crow and Leonardo DiPCaprio. Even though Guy Ritchie’s RockNRolla gained 804 screens and earned $1.75 million, its total earnings of $2,374,000 remain yet another failed release.

The mix of subject matter gives people plenty to choose from but clearly, people are electing to stay home.  All of that could change this month as highly anticipated films are ready to roll out starting with November 14’s Quantum of Solace.  Already opening around the world, Daniel Craig’s second go as James Bond has earned huge box office revenue and positive reviews.

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