Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Al Jaffee Podcast Interview on Boing!
Over the past several years, animation and comics fan Todd Dolce has been interviewing artists from those disciplines on his free podcast, Boing! Most of these creators have toiled in the entertainment industry all their lives and their recollections of their struggles and triumphs are candid and inspiring.
His latest interview is with Mad Magazine fold-in artist Al Jaffee. It is fascinating and well worth your time!
Check out the Jaffee interview and interviews with June Foray, Don Bluth, Gene Deitch and more here: http://boing.libsyn.com/
You'll be glad you did.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Deathwalker, Written by R.A. Jones and Illustrated by Michael Neno, Out Now
"TOUCHED BY DEATH While on his vision quest, the young Cheyenne brave High Bird encounters the sprit of Death. The powerful wraith recruits the boy as his new agent in the world and High Bird returns to his tribe altered forever as Deathwalker. When the Cheyenne become the target of a vengeful Pawnee Shaman, Stands Alone, only Deathwalker can stand between this evil sorcerer and the total destruction of his people. Featuring stunning cover art by Laura Givens with interior illustrations by Michael Neno, Airship 27 is proud to present R.A. Jones’ DEATHWALKER, another original and quality title in the New Pulp movement.
Writer R.A. Jones has woven a new and exciting fantasy set against a background authentic Native American lore and culture. He dares to imagine what this wild untamed land would have become had there been no conquests by outside civilizations beyond the great waters. Here is an old world re-envisioned in a bold new action packed adventure worthy of pulp writers such as Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs."
Order your copy here: http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6681
Monday, February 27, 2012
HR Watson, by Paul Pope
Paul drew this for me in 1995.
I love THB!
No definitive news (that I can find) on the release date of Paul's new Battling Boy graphic novel.
Here's a link to a much larger HR Watson file: http://www.nenoworld.com/Paul%20Pope's%20HR%20Watson.html
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Secret World of Arriety's Leftist Agenda
I don't usually post links to other blogs, but in this case I think it's my responsibility to bring to your attention the conjecture that Studio Ghibli's recent feature film release, The Secret World of Arriety, is a subversive work of leftist propaganda indoctrinating our children - according to Lou Dobbs, on the Fox News network.
For my money, Dobb's penetrating expose doesn't go far enough in ferreting out the truth.
It's essential for parents to know the covert connections between Studio Ghibli and Occupy Wall Street. Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, the author and producer of The Secret of World of Arriety, has visited the United States, where he met with the producers of the similarly indoctrinist children's film, Wall-E. Should he have been bugged for national security reasons? For that matter, has anyone really seen Miyazaki's birth certificate? Was the author of the movie's source material, The Borrowers, Mary Norton, a card-carrying commie? Is it true that activist singer Woody Guthrie was reading The Borrowers on his deathbed?
Watch this video, posted on Cartoon Brew: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/lou-dobbs-declares-that-the-lorax-and-arrietty-indoctrinate-children.html
It's fair and balanced.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thelonious Monk Comes Back to the Airwaves
Columbus, Ohio has some jazz broadcasting again - real jazz, not watered-down, wishy-washy, Kenny G-ish, non-swinging, non-jazz.
Jazz 102.1 WCRXLP is now broadcasting to the Bexley and Columbus, Ohio area.
From their website: "Jazz music programming dominates our music format, enhancing our local community programming that is second to none and includes local news, community and government affairs programming, including a gardening program called "The Noontime Gardener", Sports Talk Show, a Wall Street update program, a "consumer price index feature", a jazz and classic R&B show that also features music from local musicians called "Mid Afternoon Music Showcase", two Saturday entertainment programs, one called "Take Your Places!", another called "Fun with Phoetics", classic jazz shows on Saturdays and Sundays, called "Jazz Overdue" and "The Captain's Quarters", and a special live music remote entertainment show on Saturday afternoon called "Sax's Live Music Showcase", plus local business news and financial market reports."
Check out their site here: http://www.wcrxlp.com/intro
And, a Columbus Dispatch article about the station here: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2012/02/21/dialed-into-jazz.html
Bird lives in C-Bus!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Recently Read: The Hunger Games
The first book in Suzanne Collins' mega-popular trilogy has no poetry in its sparse, minimalist prose. What it does have is the capacity to create unrelenting suspense involving characters the reader quickly cares about.
The influences on The Hunger Games are many, including: Battle Royale, Tunnel in the Sky, The Running Man, Logan's Run, Gladiator, Lord of the Flies, Rollerball and elements from American Idol and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Again, the derivative nature of The Hunger Games can't pierce its armor, so to speak, for two reasons:
1. The target audience for The Hunger Games isn't familiar with many of its influences; it's new to them.
2. The book is sustained by its strong characters. The story is expertly equally divided by plotting and character. We care what happens next because we care about the characters.
I know I want to read the next two books to find out what happens next. On that level, it's easy to understand why Collins' book is a huge success.
Hollywood: please don't mess it up.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Recommended: Moon High's Six Suns LP
Highly recommended: Moon High's Six Suns LP, one of the best albums I've heard in some time.
I purchased a vinyl copy (with free digital download) at Yeah, Me Too coffee shop, but you can order your own copy here: http://moonhighmusic.com
I describe their music as a cross between Elvis Costello's King of America (but better!) and The Fleet Foxes.
omgvinyl.com wrote of them: "“...the band plays beautiful Americana-tinged folk music, sure to dampen the eyes of any god-fearing Neil Young fan."
I agree!
My New Quacky's Fortune Cookie Messages Micro Comic Gets a PayPal Button...
Quacky's Fortune Cookie Messages is my second Micro Comic. It's a teeny tiny book.
Quacky's Fortune Cookie Messages contains twelve guides to the unknown unsurpassed for oddity and inventiveness, written and drawn as a divertisement designed to make your trudge through the day a bit lighter and mirth-filled.
And, it's only a dollar.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Currently Selling on eBay
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check out the following items I have for sale on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/mrneno/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3686
Modern Movie Poster Design Part II
A few weeks ago, I posted some examples of the limited color palette - and limited aesthetic imagination - used in modern movie poster design.
Here's another example: romantic comedy posters from the last several years. Notice the common, cliched, design element employed in every example. Romantic comedy posters from fifty years ago were much more imaginative.
Here's another example: romantic comedy posters from the last several years. Notice the common, cliched, design element employed in every example. Romantic comedy posters from fifty years ago were much more imaginative.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Pics from SPACE 2011, Part II
Monday, February 20, 2012
Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra 1948 Pop Concert Program
The concert took place in Memorial Hall, later used as the Center of Science and Industry (COSI).
$1.00 for an adult ticket to the concert!
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