Todd Klein's Blog, page 324

And Then I Read: THE SOMEDAY FUNNIES

Images © Michel Choquette and the artists and writers.

With this very large and beautifully made book, publisher Abrams continues their foray into the comics arena in grand fashion. I'd heard rumors of this project over the years, but was as surprised as anyone to see it actually published, and apparently exactly as the compiler and editor, Michel Choquette had always dreamed, but never expected to see either. What began as a 20-page comics supplement for Rolling Stone magazine in the early 1970s kept growing and growing, gathering new material from across a wide spectrum of creators in mainstream comics, underground comics, international comics, illustration, literature, film, rock and roll, fashion, and probably more categories than you can shake a piece of art paper at. The subject, loosely, is the 1960s, but creators were pretty much allowed to do whatever they wanted from that starting point, and the results are extremely varied.

Okay, so how does it read? About half the strips I did not find entertaining reading. Frankly, many of them come across as something the artist or writer and artist just knocked out in spare moments. Few of the strips or pages tell an engaging story or make meaningful or insightful comments on the 1960s (at least to me, who lived through them). A lot of it is shallow gags or easy mockery. I believe there wasn't much money offered up front, if any, just promises for some later, whenever the project was published. Artists of any experience tend to be wary of such deals, and don't give them a lot of effort. Considering it took about 40 years to see print, that might have been wise! Of the strips or pages that I liked best, many are by mainstream comics creators or cartoonists whose work I like anyway, and was fun to see this small window into what they were doing way back then.

One of my favorites is by Jack Kirby (and Joe Sinnott inks), with great lettering by Gaspar Saladino. (Lettering is not credited anywhere, but Gaspar actually has an art credit for one strip which is only a title and empty panels!) This two-pager looks wonderful, though the story is nothing much, but I was impressed by Jack's verse captions. Didn't know he could do that…  Another one I found fascinating, but ultimately not successful, was a 3-page strip by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith featuring Conan teamed with Sherlock Holmes trying decipher the death of President Kennedy.

Other pages I liked are by Denny O'Neil and C.C. Beck and Don Newton, Vaughn Bodé, Frank Brunner, Harlan Ellison and Leo & Diane Dillon, Will Eisner, Steve Englehart, Archie Goodwin and Sal Amendola, Gahan Wilson, Don Martin, Wally Wood, Steve Skeates and Alan Weiss, Ralph Reese, Steve Parkhouse, Russ Heath, Herb Trimpe, Gray Morrow, Jeff Jones…well, there are more, but you get the idea. And if your taste runs to underground comics and fairly crude art, you might find some of that here you like more than I do. One thing I didn't like, and found detracted from some strips, is a product of something Choquette requested of all his artists: leave a small open space to be filled later by someone else. These spaces now tell the story in pantomime of Choquette's travels around the world for his project, but I think that would have been much better as a separate piece.

One of the most surprising things in this book for me was the biographical article about Choquette himself. Turns out he was half of the musical-comedy duo "The Times Square Two," whose silly songs I used to love when they appeared on TV talk shows and variety shows in the 60s. Look them up on YouTube. Then he became an early editor of "National Lampoon" for several years when I was reading it regularly, before getting sidetracked into this elephantine project.

As I said at the outset, this is a large and impressive book, and I'm glad to have read it, though it also contains quite a few pages I didn't really enjoy. Take that as a modified recommendation, and have a look for yourself!

And Then I Read: THE UNEXPECTED 1

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

This 80-page one-shot from Vertigo is a strange beast indeed, from the cover on. I can only guess that the reason for it is to keep the trademark on the title active, and that's merely a guess. There are some interesting stories within. What would you expect from the unexpected? Certainly twist endings, and there are a few, but there are also some stories that just tell a good tale with perhaps some creepy or science fictional overtones.

"The Great Karlini" by Dave Gibbons offers up the story of an escape artist with some unfortunate personality flaws that catch up with him in the end. Nicely done, both story and art, though I would have liked larger caption lettering.

"Dogs" by G. Willow Wilson and Robbi Rodriguez is an actual shaggy dog story with some amusing moments.

"Look Alive" by Alex Grecian and Jill Thompson is one of the oddest zombie stories I've seen in a while. Looks great, though!

"The Land" by Josh Dysart and Farel Darymple is a sad story of a Mexican worker on a Texas farm who becomes a victim of circumstances, and there are some effective folklore horror moments. The art is quite good.

"A Most Delicate Monster" by Jeffrey Rotter and Lelio Bonaccorso is about a scientist who has brought some Neanderthals to life from old DNA, and his odd relationship with them. Played very nicely with humor and a pretty good twist ending.

"Family First" by Mat Johnson and David Lapham is a post-apocalypse story of a grim sort with rather nasty characters. Not a bad read, and the art looks good, but not my kind of story.

"Alone" by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rahsan Ekedal is an unusual broken romance story with ghostly elements, and a quite innovative art style that I liked a lot. Good work by both writer and artist.

"Americana" by Brian Wood and Emily Carroll (sample above) is my favorite entry in this comic. Another post-apocalypse story, it breaks the mold of the entire issue by having an uplifting message about the strength of family in trying times, and it spans a long period of time in a few pages very effectively. Not an original concept, but very well done indeed.

"Blink" by Selyin Hinds and Denys Cowan is actually a prequel to an upcoming series, VOODOO CHILD, and treads familiar voodoo ground in New Orleans. I wasn't impressed with the story, but the art is quite nice.

Anthologies like this are rare these days, especially from DC, so this was a nice change of pace and I enjoyed reading it overall. Recommended.

 

My Jerry Robinson moment

Photo © Los Angeles Times.

It's been such a busy week for me that I haven't had time to reflect on the passing of one of the giants in the comics industry and beyond. I was enjoying the Batman comics Jerry helped create long before I ever knew of his involvement. (And as Mark Evanier said in his recent blog on this subject, even after Jerry left the strip, the style and direction he developed lasted for decades.) As a child, I enjoyed his one-panel comic in our Sunday newspaper, "Classroom Flubs and Fluffs." When I started working at DC, I got to meet Jerry and hear him talk a little about comics, but he was a modest guy who didn't blow his own horn, so it wasn't until I read the recent Abrams book, "Jerry Robinson, Ambassador of Comics" that I came to understand the vast and wide-ranging scope of his career, his talent, and his championing of human rights for artists and others.

In the fall of 2009 I was busy researching the creators of DC Comics logos, and came to the conclusion, from looking at the first Robin story, that Jerry must have created the original Robin logo, but of course I had no way of knowing for sure. I asked Paul Levitz, and he suggested a very simple solution: call Jerry and ask him! Now, I'd said hello to the man a few times over the years, but I didn't really know him, so the prospect was daunting, but I summoned my courage and called the number Paul gave me.

It was a business office, and after explaining what I wanted, I was put right through to Jerry, who took about 10 minutes out of his day to talk to me. He couldn't have been nicer or more helpful, and after he confirmed he'd designed that Robin logo, he dropped another bombshell on me: he'd also designed the iconic Batman logo that appeared on the book for decades! You can read more about this HERE.

After we discussed logos, he asked me about myself, and it happens he had a reason. Jerry had a childhood friend with the same last name as mine, and he wondered if there might be some connection. There wasn't, but I was happy to listen to him reminisce about his childhood in Trenton, New Jersey, not so very far from where I grew up. It was a nice moment.

That's my Jerry Robinson story. I have to admit, when Jerry used to speak at the Eisner Awards in some past years, and spin long tales about the winners of the Bill Finger Award he helped start, and Bill Finger himself, I used to think poorly of him. I feel bad about that now, and wish I'd listened more closely. A man of his importance to the field of comics and human rights (including the rights of comics writers who were overlooked or not credited for their work) deserved to be heard every time and for as long as he wanted to be heard. Thanks for everything, sir.

Ice on the pond

Temperatures finally went decidedly below freezing last night, into the mid 20s. There's still a thin sheet of ice on the pond this morning. Winter has finally arrived in earnest. The last of the flowers that were hanging on have given it up. (Don't think we've ever had any still blooming this late.) Now, on to the Christmas season! Cards are written. Shopping is about done. Ellen has begun wrapping presents. We're nearly ready…

Podworthy: Christmas favorites

Image © James Taylor.

Everyone's taste is music is personal and subjective, and probably never moreso than when it comes to holiday music. I've been loading my favorites on my iPod the past few weeks, so here's my list.

JAMES TAYLOR AT CHRISTMAS is the newest entry in my seasonal favorites. James waited a long time to release a Christmas album, and that seemed to work well for him. I find every track a delight, though his version of "Jingle Bells" is a bit too New Orleans for me. James has long been one of my favorite artists, and I can listen to this one over and over. And, has anyone else covered Joni Mitchell's "River"? I like James' version better than hers! Then there's the delightful duet with Natalie Cole, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Great stuff. JAMES TAYLOR AT CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CANADIAN BRASS teams them up with the massive pipe organ from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, a great combination. I like brass quintets, and this is one of the best, very creative arrangements, and they seem to be having a great time playing them. I also include some tracks from A CANADIAN BRASS CHRISTMAS, another album of theirs I like, but not quite as much. CHRISTMAS WITH THE CANADIAN BRASS

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, The Vince Guaraldi Trio. The soundtrack from the first Peanuts special has some of the best jazz arrangements of Christmas music ever, in my opinion, and it brings back happy memories of that great TV program too. There are a few cuts that didn't make it onto the show I like just as well. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING and THE JOHN RUTTER CHRISTMAS ALBUM, John Rutter conducts The Cambridge Singers. Two of my favorite collections of choral music and carols for the season. In addition to many fine arrangements, Rutter wrote several of his own Christmas-themed pieces that are possibly the best things on these albums. And his choir is superb. CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING

JOHN RUTTER CHRISTMAS ALBUM

A CHRISTMAS TOGETHER, John Denver and The Muppets. Even if you haven't seen the TV program that this material came from, if you like The Muppets or John Denver, you're bound to enjoy this album. John does a few of his own songs, a few were written for the show by others, and there are plenty of familiar tunes with a typical Muppets twist. My favorite bit is in "Christmas is Coming," when Miss Piggy questions the lyrics. "Piggy pudding?!" "No, FIGGY pudding, made with figs," Gonzo replies. Then adds, under his breath, "and bacon." A CHRISTMAS TOGETHER

A GUITAR FOR CHRISTMAS, Liona Boyd. This came out decades ago, but I still think it's the very best Christmas record featuring classical guitar and orchestra, including later ones by Boyd. The arrangements are great, and the playing impressive. A GUITAR FOR CHRISTMAS

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS, John Williams and the Boston Pops. The best all-around classical music take on Christmas music, with great arrangements and medleys by Leroy Anderson, Billy May and others. If you only know Williams for his film scores, this might be a nice surprise. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

COUNTERPOINT SINGS NOEL and CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT by Counterpoint, conducted by Robert DeCormier. These are fairly recent favorites, and I may be a bit biased as my old friend Linda Radtke sings with this small group of fantastic voices, a sort of all-pro madrigal group. DeCormier has had a long and illustrious career as an arranger and choral conductor, beginning with artists like Harry Belafonte and Peter, Paul and Mary. I went to a number of concerts he conducted in New York City when he headed the New York Choral Society that were wonderful. Then he retired to Vermont and started this group. If you're tired of the usual Christmas music, these recordings have lots that you may not have heard often or at all, collected from all over the world. "Christmas in Vermont" also includes Daniel Pinkham's "Christmas Cantata," which I think is an unsung modern classic, and one of my favorites. COUNTERPOINT SINGS NOEL

CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT

In addition to those complete albums, I have a few dozen other individual songs or pieces including:

Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite"

"Go Tell It On The Mountain," by Simon & Garfunkle

"A Christmas Carol" by Tom Lehrer

"My Favorite Things" by Julie Andrews from "The Sound of Music"

"I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" by Lucy and Carly Simon

"The Skaters' Waltz" by Waldteufel

"March of the Toys" by Victor Herbert from "Babes in Toyland"

"A'Soalin'" and "The Wonderful Toy" by Peter, Paul and Mary

"Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson

"Boston" and "The Shepherd's Carol" by William Billings, performed by the Gregg Smith Singers

"I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" by Toby Deane

"Frosty the Snowman" by Gene Autrey

"White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" by Bing Crosby

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from that Dr. Seuss animated special, sung by Thurlstone Ravenscroft

"A Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives from the Rudolph animated TV show

"The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" by Allan Sherman

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon

"I Believe in Father Christmas" by Emerson, Lake and Palmer

"The Chipmunk Song" by of course, The Chipmunks

"Santa and the Doodle-li-Boop," not the version by Art Carney, but another one from my childhood 45rpm collection by Sam Ulano

"Christmas for Cowboys" by John Denver

and a few other tracks from various choirs.

That's my list! I've been enjoying it all week. I'll probably add more next year, but this is plenty for now.

 

And Then I Read: JUSTICE LEAGUE 2 & 3

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

JUSTICE LEAGUE should be one of DC's best titles. It's features their best-known characters working together (more or less), one of the top art teams in super-heroic comics, and one of the top writers in the same genre. And you know what? It IS one of the best, perhaps THE best superhero comic I've read in some time! I'm not sure how they did it, but Geoff Johns,  Jim Lee and Scott Williams have made these characters fresh and fun for me in a way that no previous incarnation of this team has for decades. I'm sure it helps that I've been reading most of their relaunched solo titles as well, but that aside, this is still great comics. The leads seem young, uncertain of their roles in this sort-of alliance against common foes, but each of them quite sure of their own need to fight the menace spawned by the as-yet-unseen Darkseid…once they've stopped fighting with each other. (And even that familiar trope seems fresher here.)

Running as a sub-plot through these issues is the revamp of another character not previously in the Justice League: Cyborg. Victor Stone, once part of the New Teen Titans, is clearly going to become one of this gang of heavy hitters. We'll see how he does.

Issue 3 finally brings Wonder Woman to this boy's club, with predictable reactions that are still quite entertaining:

Perhaps this is because Diana seems the most different in personality to me from her previous versions: again, younger, somewhat innocent, full of fight, and ready for whatever adventure comes her way. The worldly-wise tactician and ambassador of previous eras worked in its own way, but this is a great new approach.

The art by Lee and Williams is, of course, top notch; they haven't lost the spark they brought to so many previous projects from X-Men to the WildStorm universe. I'm loving this title.

Highly recommended!

Thanks…

…to those who took advantage of my prints sale! I don't have time for a longer post this evening, but I wanted to get that said. You've made my holidays a little happier, and I'll be passing on the cheer to my print partners soon. Look for the next new print in January.

FINAL DAY: Buy 2 Klein Prints, get 3!

Images © Todd Klein and partners, all rights reserved.

I've decided to make a first ever special offer on all my signed prints this season,

BUY ANY TWO, GET A THIRD ONE FREE!

To take advantage of this offer and savings, simply order an EVEN number of prints from the BUY STUFF page of my website:

http://kleinletters.com/BuyStuffTop.html

Then EMAIL ME at this link:

http://kleinletters.com/ContactTop.html

and tell me which free print you'd like added to your order for every two you've purchased. Please use the same email address for both your order and your email so I know which free prints to include with your order.

This sale ends today, December 7. If you have holiday gifts to buy, please consider my prints as an option. My print partners and I thank you!

 

And Then I Read: SLEIGHT OF HAND

© Peter S. Beagle, cover design by Ann Monn.

I don't read many short story collections any more, but those by Peter S. Beagle are all must-reads that I savor. Beagle has been a writer I've enjoyed reading since I discovered his first book, "A Fine and Private Place" in the 1960s, and his writing still enchants me. If anything, he's gotten better with age, bringing his knowledge of life and human nature to every subject, and they are quite varied in this collection, as usual.

"The Rock in the Park" evokes the Bronx of Beagle's childhood, but with a strong fantasy element: centaurs in Van Cortlandt Park. The setup and the magical map are a bit hard to believe in, but the characters and the language are charming. "Sleight of Hand" is a story of tragedy and how magic might be a path through it. More New York City memories here. "The Children of the Shark God" reads like a handed-down folk tale from the Pacific islands, and looks deep into myth making, the uneasy role of gods, and the equally uneasy roles of parents and children. This one reminded me of Neil Gaiman somehow, not sure why.

"What Tune The Enchantress Plays" is set in a remote corner of the world from Beagle's "The Innkeeper's Song," and is one of the strongest pieces in the book for me. Once more the dangers of magic and how it might affect those who use it is explored in this wonderful and chilling story.  "La Lune T'Attend" is a Louisiana Cajun werewolf story. Not very much to my taste, but well written and authentically voiced I think. "The Rabbi's Hobby" is a sort of ghost story, but a very unusual one where the ghost only appears in photos for most of the story, and it's the people who see her that make for great reading: a Rabbi, his reluctant student, and someone who might know exactly who the ghost is. More great childhood remembrances here from Beagle as well.

"The Bridge Partner" is a chilling horror story with no fantasy element per se, and reads like something one might expect from Shirley Jackson if she were still around and writing. "Dirae" is a very different sort of horror story of an avenging spirit trying to come to grips with its own murky memories and strange existence. "Vanishing" is a sort of true-life horror story centered in Berlin during the Cold War days, or at least a place much like it with a few weird differences, like only three or four people in the city. Those people are all connected, as the tale spins out. This would have made a great hour-long "Twilight Zone" episode. Finally, "The Woman Who Married The Man In The Moon" revisits Shmendrick the Magician (From the novel "The Last Unicorn") at a much earlier time in his life. It's one of those stories where not a lot happens externally, but there's a deep emotional undercurrent that I sometimes got, and sometimes didn't quite. But it makes me want to read the novel again.

There are a few other very short stories as well that might take longer to describe than read, so I'll just wrap this up by saying, if you're a Beagle fan, get this book, and if you're not, you should be!

Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS 1 & 2

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

This new title is a slight departure from previous GL books, but has lots of familiar elements. Earthman Kyle Rayner is the anchor, and the story begins with a brief recap of his origin with no date indicated, so I'm not sure if it's intended as an actual revamp or not. Then we quickly get into a gathering of rings from all the different lantern colors. These rings seek out Kyle for no reason he's aware of, and their previous wearers are all hot on the trail right to him, too. Makes for an interesting group of encounters and interplay, though I could have done without the Red Lantern. Don't see anything interesting about them at all, personally, and the blood thing is still repulsive.

Issue 2 carries this angry dance right on to Oa, where the Guardians seem as baffled by the behavior of the rainbow of rings as anyone else, and in the final scene things get even more interesting. Tony Bedard is doing a good job of keeping things moving and presenting a storyline that has me curious to find out more. Kyle has never been a favorite character, but I'm willing to give him a chance here.

The majority of the pencils are by Tyler Kirkham, and the inks are by Batt. The art is generally fine, though Kyle does seem to have oddly variable facial features in a few places. Batt gives the inks that slick fine-line Image Comics look, which is okay. The visual depictions of the other Lanterns seems a challenge the artists are enjoying. I haven't warmed up to the characters much yet, but I'll give them some time, too.

Recommended.