What I'm looking forward to in 2016

High-RiseGod only knows if this movie will ever play in Rockford, but whether it's on the big screen or on Blu-ray, I'm dying to see this adaptation of the surreal, violent novel by J.G. Ballard. Set inside an apartment/total living complex where society breaks down and insanity erupts, the novel is full of wonderfully conceived bits of disturbing horror (the opening sentence has our hero eating a dog) and I can't wait to see them brought to life. One reason I'm especially excited about the movie is that its directed by Ben Wheatley, who also helmed "Kill List," a surprising and unnerving little thriller I wrote about here. Plus, Tom Hiddleston seems like the perfect actor to play our narrator, and Jeremy Irons is always good for creepy support. Best of all, it's a period piece, set smack in the mid 1970s. Just check out this trailer, which makes the most of Tangerine Dream's synth theme for "Risky Business"...



Comics as Art: We Told You So
How long have I been looking forward to this history of Fantagraphics (publisher of Love & Rockets, Eightball, Hate, The Comics Journal and many other magazines and comics)? So long that I mentioned it on a similar list nine years ago. Every other book has appeared except that one (some many years ago), but apparently a threatened lawsuit on the part of the ever litigious Harlan Ellison kept this one from hitting the press. Thankfully, whatever problems Fantagraphics was dealing with have been solved, and the book (a massive 500-page hardcover) is due out in July. I've waited this long; what's another six months?
Patience
Speaking of Fantagraphics, Dan Clowes, creator of the aforementioned Eightball, is returning to the publisher with his latest work, a "psychedelic science fiction love story." Clocking in at 180 page and in full color, the book is hyped as offering "Clowes the opportunity to draw some of the most exuberant and breathtaking pages of his life." Hype or not, Clowes is one of the greatest cartoonists working today, and anything he does is worth checking out. This seems like it could be among his best work, and it's due in just over two months.

Beat Girls, Love Tribes and Real Cool Cats: Pulp Fiction and Youth Culture from the 1950s to the 1980sI admit I don't know much about this book, but it looks completely up my alley. An extensive (and extensively illustrated) history of paperback culture, it's described by co-author Andrew Nette as the "first comprehensive account of the rise of youth culture and mass-market paperback fiction in the postwar period in the US, UK and Australia. It is not just a comprehensive selection of covers, but an in-depth look at the authors, how they worked and what influenced them. It is a must-read for anyone interested in retro and subcultural style and popular fiction." Hell, I'm in! Out this spring.