Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
New Signifiers Letterhead for 2013!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Booker T. and the MGs at Bicentennial Park
Monday, June 24, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Recently Read: Marvel Comics: the Untold Story, by Sean Howe
I recommend this compelling and well-researched overview of Marvel Comics' history. It wisely doesn't dwell on Marvel's earliest days, which is being covered in Michael Vassello and Blake Bell's The Secret History of Marvel Comics: Jack Kirby and the Moonlighting Artists at Martin Goodman's Empire. Nor does it dwell on the story of the Silver Age of the '60s, a period which has been described and dissected in numerous books and countless essays and articles.
Instead, Howe's book concentrates on the '70s when, after Stan Lee left the helm, a blur of editorships allowed for a brief flourishing of artistic freedom and experimentation, followed by what you might call the corporatization of the company, starting with the micro-managing of Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter. There's then a succession of corporate mergers and acquisitions, leading to comics that literally became less readable, if not unreadable, as the decades rolled on (though Marvel has pulled itself out of artistic purgatory over the last eight years or so).
Marvel Comics: the Untold Story is informed by a wealth of interviews with writers, artists, office personnel, editors and the like. If you lived through this era, as I did, and care about the rise and downfall of a great publishing company, you'll find this book hard to set down.
Instead, Howe's book concentrates on the '70s when, after Stan Lee left the helm, a blur of editorships allowed for a brief flourishing of artistic freedom and experimentation, followed by what you might call the corporatization of the company, starting with the micro-managing of Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter. There's then a succession of corporate mergers and acquisitions, leading to comics that literally became less readable, if not unreadable, as the decades rolled on (though Marvel has pulled itself out of artistic purgatory over the last eight years or so).
Marvel Comics: the Untold Story is informed by a wealth of interviews with writers, artists, office personnel, editors and the like. If you lived through this era, as I did, and care about the rise and downfall of a great publishing company, you'll find this book hard to set down.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Spaghetti Warehouse in Columbus, Ohio
Considering it's a national chain, I've had some pretty good meals at the Columbus Spaghetti Warehouse over the years.
I was disappointed at our most recent visit, though. My favorite meal, the Trolley Stop (flat sirloin steak with spaghetti) is no longer on the menu (replaced with an "upscale" thick steak w/risotto). Since that dish was the reason I went there, I may not be back. I was also disappointed that the Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga arcade game was out of order - another reason I went there. Bummer. The service, though, was very good.
Some pics from our recent visit:
I was disappointed at our most recent visit, though. My favorite meal, the Trolley Stop (flat sirloin steak with spaghetti) is no longer on the menu (replaced with an "upscale" thick steak w/risotto). Since that dish was the reason I went there, I may not be back. I was also disappointed that the Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga arcade game was out of order - another reason I went there. Bummer. The service, though, was very good.
Some pics from our recent visit:
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Lovey Dovey Puzzle Book Summer Special - Perfect for Lazy Summer Days!
"The whole family cracked up over every page." - A.M. Siriano, author of Nod and Current: http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/a-m-siriano/nod/paperback/product-6243095.html
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Art for Tales From the Motherland
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