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Blues Poetry: Rough-And-Raw, by Michael H. Price

  • News
  • March 16, 2008

<span style=”mso-bookmark:

OLE_LINK1″>race-wes-cd-cover-9303079Fort Worth, Texas’ Wesley Race is a businessman in much the same way that the Chicago blues singer Little Walter Jacobs once proclaimed himself a businessman: “I’m a business<span style=”mso-bookmark:

OLE_LINK2″> man,” Jacobs growls on a 1964 recording called (what else?) “I’m a Business Man,” allowing songwriter Willie Dixon’s lyric to leave the nature of the business open to suggestion but permitting no doubt of a businesslike attitude.

<span style=”mso-bookmark:

OLE_LINK1″>Walter Jacobs had died, a casualty of a busy sideline in street-fighting, a year before Wes Race’s arrival in 1969 on Chicago’s blues-club scene in search of raw emotive authenticity. Jacobs, among such others as the singer-guitarists Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, had embodied the urbanized and electrified Deep Blues style that had drawn Race to Chicago – perhaps less for the raucous nightlife, than for the poetic ferocity that Race had long perceived in the blues.

<span style=”mso-bookmark:

OLE_LINK1″>Race’s path, winding but decisive, has led to the release this month of a début CD-album of his original poetry, recited with real-time spontaneity against a blues-rooted musical backdrop. The recording, Cryptic Whalin’ (Cool Groove Records), is a production of the guitarist and engineer Jim Colegrove, with instrumental contributions from such additional mainstays of Fort Worth’s roots-music scene as saxophonists Johnny Reno and René Ozuna, guitarists Sumter Bruton and James Hinkle, drummers Steve Springer and Larry Reynolds, steel guitarist David McMillan and keyboard artists Jeff Gutcheon and Ruf Rufner.

(more…)

Not-Quite-Random Video: The Muppets Do ‘Danny Boy’

  • News
  • March 16, 2008

So there I was, sitting around LunaCon today, wondering when Jameson’s Irish Whiskey became the universal drink of science-fiction fans.

When ComicMix VP Glenn Hauman informed me that Saint Patrick’s Day had been officially moved to today’s date for 2008 instead of March 17, I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical.

"Sure," I told him, "and Christmas is now in July. I’ll have you know I associate with a very dedicated, hard-drinking, allegedly Irish crew, so I would know about this sort of thing. You’ve clearly been drinking too much of that home-brewed booze sold by the costumed Klingon in room 424."

I stand corrected.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, folks.

 

 

 

On This Day: Dan Adkins

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

Born on March 15, 1937, in Midkiff, West Virginia, Dan Adkins grew up in rural areas where he could indulge his love of wandering and exploring. When he was 11, however, rheumatic fever left him paralyzed from the waist down for six months.

He passed the time by reading comics books and became fascinated with the artwork in particular. Adkins joined the Air Force after high school and became a draftsman, then an illustrator. It was during that time that he started the fanzine Sata, in 1956.

After leaving the Air Force Adkins moved to New York, where he did freelance illustration for several years before joining Wally Wood Studio in 1965, which gave him his start in comics. Since then he’s worked for DC, Marvel, Eclipse, and others, and done many magazine covers as well. Adkins is probably best known for his work on T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Strange Tales, and Doctor Strange.

New ‘Iron Man’ Game Trailer: Air Battle

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

Sick of all the Iron Man videogame news yet? If so, don’t bother reading this post… but we’re willing to bet that you’ll read it anyways. We’re diabolical like that.

For those of you who are interested in more news about the upcoming videogame adaptation of the film, or for anyone who’s simply impressed by the fact that Sega has defied expectations and made a movie-based game that actually looks good, we have you covered. (By the way, click here to see how movie-based games can go horribly wrong.)

Sega has released a new trailer for the upcoming game highlighting the golden Avenger’s aerial combat. And if that wasn’t enough to get you pumped, they scored it with Black Sabbath’s "Iron Man."

 

ComicMix Radio: Darwyn Cooke Looks Back at ‘The Spirit’

It was the job everyone admired, but no one wanted to try: following in the footsteps of Will Eisner on The Spirit. For over a year, Darwyn Cooke stepped up to take on the task and in an exclusive ComicMix Radio interview, he talks about the good — and bad — moments, plus:

— DC finally makes a move with Manhunter

— Spectacular Spider-Man blows up the ratings

—  Dark Horse partners with Universal

—  Sure – there’s another trivia question  and another chance to grab an exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variant by e-mailing us at: podcast [at] comicmix.com

It’s a click away – so just press the button:

 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-5437125 or RSS!

David Fincher Onboard for New ‘Heavy Metal’

  • Uncategorized
  • March 15, 2008

fincher-1618680According to Variety, director David Fincher, whose credits include some of the most visually innovative and interesting films of the last 20 years (Fight Club, Zodiac and Se7en), has signed on to direct a segment of Paramount’s updated and re-imagined version of the cult-classic Heavy Metal.

The new film is inspired, as was the earlier ’80s version, by the erotic and violent magazine of the same name, which first came to our shores in 1977 and billed itself as "The Adult Illustrated Fantasy Magazine." It will consist of eight or nine individual animated segments, each helmed by a different director.

In addtion to Fincher, some of the other directors taking on segments include Kevin Eastman, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame, and effects specialist Tim Miller, whose Blur Studios will handle the new feature’s animation. Fincher, Miller and Eastman will also produce the film which, according to Variety, was conceived from the outset as an adult-oriented, R-Rated project.

As I mentioned previously, in addtion to Heavy Metal, Fincher is a busy man, having just completed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, again starring Brad Pitt, and developing a film based on the Charles Burns graphic novel Black Hole. He’s also working on several other projects including The Devil in the White City, The Killer and Torso — which is based on the Brian Bendis graphic novel. 

‘Manhunter’ to Return in June

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

DC Comics’ Manhunter was originally cancelled with issue #25 in 2006. After an outpouring of protest from fans, DC resurrected the series for five more issues with the promise of more if the five were successful.

The series did well enough to extend its life, but the hiatus between issue #30 and #31 has been prolonged to say the least. In the meantime, Kate Spencer has been hanging out with the girls from Birds of Prey.

Following up on our DC Nation panel report, the long wait for Manhunter fans is finally over, as the title will resume shipping in June. Marc Andreyko returns as writer with Michael Gaydos serving as artist.

The recent solicitation for the first issue hints at a few of the new situations Kate Spencer will be getting into when Manhunter resumes:

Los Angeles is Manhunter’s town — so when Kate Spencer learns of the disappearance of hundreds of women along the Mexican border, she’s on the case both as law-breaking D.A. and costumed vigilante.

Meanwhile, Kate’s bloodline tie to the JSA returns to haunt her — and it looks like her sidekick’s most notorious supervillain ex-boss is doing the same to him.

Exclusive pages from the forthcoming issue can be viewed at Newsarama.

 

ComicMix at WWLA: The DC Nation Panel

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

Day one at Wizard World LA and we’re in the Mike Wieringo room for the DC Nation Panel featuring DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio, VP of Sales Bob Wayne and writer Adam Beechen.

Getting right to it, DiDio introduced the other members of the panel and then, as is his style at events like these, launched right into the Q&A, taking question from the eager fans in attendance.

First question out of the gate was about the "New Gods" and their story. Specifically, the fan wanted to know about their deaths.

To answer, DiDio explained that the stories originally created by Jack Kirby during his DC period were great but subsequently some of the later writers were trying to hard to honor his creations and execute what they thought Kirby would want.

Consequently, according to DiDio, "the Fourth World and the DCU never really fit together harmoniously."

"And now you’re killing the New Gods off?" another fan chimed in.

"Yes, but they’ll get better," DiDio answered. "Death of the New Gods is about closure to that story."

Pushing further on the Fourth World questions, another fan asked about Batman’s potential involvement, citing rumors on the Internet to that effect.

"You can’t react to rumors," answered DiDio. "They’re often misinterpretations of information or personal agendas. The rumor involving Batman is a silly idea." (more…)

Money changes everything, by Martha Thomases

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

So, what did your governor do this week?

Mine, Eliot Spitzer, got caught spending thousands of dollars to have sex with women to whom he was not married. In particular, he paid over $4000 an hour for one woman named “Kristen,” who was described as being five feet, five inches tall, brunette, and 105 pounds, a size two. His wife, seen standing stoically next to him at his press conference, is also a petite, attractive woman (although the news stories have not included her height nor her weight).

There have been a lot of sex scandals in politics lately. The scenario is predictable and satisfying: a man insists that American society is based on the sanctity of the family, and all threats (usually meaning allowing gays to marry and women to control their own bodies) must be overcome. Then he gets caught with a hooker while wearing diapers, or with an under-age boy, or moving his feet to some crazy rhythm in a men’s room. There’s a defiant and/or repentant press conference, with the previously mentioned stoic wife, and he slinks away, hoping never to be noticed again.

Our governor was not quite to that mold. Like McGreevy from neighboring New Jersey, he was not a “family values” scold. No, Spitzer was a crusader, smiting the greedy criminals who threatened the good people of Gotham, I mean, New York State. As Attorney General, he went after white-collar criminals with the same zeal as a superhero. Among his targets were escort services, such as the one he used to arrange for his liaison with “Kristen.” That’s a long way to go to get the satisfaction from his hypocrisy, but we’ll take what we can get.

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Dark Horse and Universal Announce Production Deal

  • News
  • March 15, 2008

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures and Dark Horse Entertainment today announced an exclusive production and distribution agreement which effectively makes Universal the new home for all of Dark Horse’s film, television and comics properties for the next three years.

Specifically, this deal gives Universal the rights to all of the properties currently held by Dark Horse as well as anything that the company may want to aquire or develop in the future. It’s not a one-way street, however, as Dark Horse is able to tap into Universal’s vast financial and development resources to develop, finance and distribute projects of its own.

Of course, many of Dark Horse’s properties have already been made into films including The Mask, Barb Wire, Timecop and Mystery Men. In addition, Universal is currently behind the latest Dark Horse comic book project: Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

Given this new deal one wonders if we might end up seeing feature film version of some of the most popular Dark Horse titles like Angel: After the Fall or or even Buffy: Season Eight? As a fan of both of those comics, I hope so.

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