Friday, November 26, 2010

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice Into the Woods 11/26/2010

Man, lots of crazy stuff going on.  Tis the Season for nuttiness to grind your ass down and make you ill.  Oh well, there were some cool things going on though...


Asterios Polyp - Written and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, published by Pantheon.  Again, I'm a little late to the party on this one, but then again, aren't I always?  Asterios Polyp was released in 2009 and won three Harvey awards (best lettering, best OGN, best single issue or story) among many others awards across the board. Oftentimes it was competing neck and neck with Darwyn Cooke's Parker: The Hunter for best release of the year, but the books are so vastly different that I can only say that they are both two of the best releases of 2009 and both deserve to be proudly displayed on peoples' shelves.
Asterios Polyp is the story of Asterios Polyp, a world-reknowned award-winning architect.  The problem is that he has never had a single one of his designs built, and he remains a "paper architect."  Asterios is arrogant, selfish and lost to the needs of others, primarily his good-hearted and brilliant sculptor wife, Hana, and as a fire destroys his apartment and belongings, he sets out on a journey to understand his life and what has led him to the events prior to the fire.
Beautifully written, and remarkably illustrated in an abundance of differing and oftentimes intentionally conflicting styles with a vast array of lettering, this book has it all.  I loved it.  You will love it.  Buy it.

Asterios Polyp
Asterios Polyp...just buy this amazingly beautiful book.



Comics Experience Comic Creators Workshop - Alrighty, I am well aware of the fact that I mention this workshop that I am involved with often enough, if not every single week that I post FSH/SIW, but the group continues to be an immensely inspiring venture.  Prior to this month's meeting I finished the first draft of my fourth short comic script and have received vital feedback I can apply to the second draft that will help me improve not just the script but my comics writing as a whole.  During the meeting, we listened to and commented on another writer's script, and listened to a critique of five beautifully drawn pages of pencils from an artist.  This was only the first hour.
The second hour was led by Panda Dog Press founder and Comic Creator Workshop moderator Rob Anderson for a question and answer session with Nathan Edmondson, writer of The Light, Olympus and the soon to be released Who Is Jake Ellis.  I personally found Edmondson's story immensely inspiring and he provided much to think about.  I cannot express enough the honesty and willingness of Edmondson to answer questions and provide a history of the steps he took to become noticed.  *note - Immediately after the workshop,  I downloaded all five issues of The Light from ComiXology.  The TPB should have a ton of extra info and will be available at the end of December...I just could not wait a month to get it.*
Overall a great night and if you are at all interested in creating comics from any aspect of the medium then you should give this a try or take one of the classes that will be offered next year.  Taking the writing course and signing up for the workshop are two of the best decisions that I have ever made.


Thanos Imperative #5 - Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda, pubished by Marvel Comics.  Finally!  I waited for two weeks for this series concluding issue that was left out of my pull to finally show up.  Good things come to those who wait.  I can't say anything about this without giving away anything, so let's just say the shit goes down in this issue.  I will be rereading the entire series again to see if I missed anything...primarily, what the hell happened to Adam Magus/Adam Warlock.  Huh...yeah, where did one of my favorite Marvel characters of all time go.  Weird.  In January, there will be an epilogue issue titled Thanos Imperative: Devastation that I cannot wait to get my hands on, and here's to hoping that I don't have to wait an excessive amount of time to get it.  I'm looking at you LCS!

Thanos Imperative #6 - Definitely worth the wait!

Secret Avengers # 7 - Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Mike Deodato, Jr., published by Marvel Comics.  Yup.  Still loving this series.  All it needs is for Iron Fist to show up and I will be a happy camper.  Shang-Chi, John Aman the Green Mist, Steve Rogers, Black Widow and another surprise--and effectively utilized--character try to research the reasoning for a mysterious groups' attempt to raise Shang-Chi's evil father from the dead.  Still a great book.

Secret Avengers #7 - Still great!


Slice Into the Woods


Getting Sick God Damnit - I really shouldn't be surprised that I'm sick.  For the past 30 years of living in Santa Barbara, every single Thanksgiving and/or Christmas I have been sick with the exception of one of those years.  Why should this year be any different?  For the past week, without fail, I have woken up between the hours of 2:30 AM and 3:15 AM.  The odd thing is that I don't wake up sneezing, or coughing, or in pain, or anything like that, I just wake up.  Then I lay there.  "Humpty hump, I'm a lump, why the fuck can't I go back to sleep?"  I then toss and turn until I finally pass out in a deep sleep...15 minutes before the damn alarm goes off.  *sigh*

Thanksgiving Day Ruckus - This year we stayed in town for Thanksgiving and avoided the whole busiest traveling day bullshit, but unfortunately we were unable to avoid some of the other bullshit that tends follow this "joyous time of year."  Amy and I met my mom, her husband, Grandma and Jeff at Harry's Plaza Cafe for Thanksgiving dinner and apparently so did everyone else in the city.  The place was packed, but after a half hour wait, despite our reservation, we were seated and having Blue Moon Martinis and dinner.  Everything was progressing along nicely and we had just paid our bill when we heard some sort of ruckus over near the entrance, and then the children started screaming.  Someone who looked to be in his sixties was physically fighting someone else.  I'm not sure if it was "Drunken asshole #1" vs. a family member or vs. the staff of Harry's, but the whole event was a nightmare for everyone else in the restaurant and doubly so for the poor children who will forever hate Thanksgiving going forward.  What happened exactly I do not know, but I did hear someone say, "...we have had problems with him in the past."
Here comes Donist's heartless side...I don't understand why people feel the need to put themselves, and in this case complete strangers, through crazy amounts of torment because we are told that Thanksgiving is the time of year to tear down walls and fences and reach out a helping hand to those less fortunate.  That's fine, but what about the rest of the fucking year?  "Oh they'll be fine, just be sure to invite them for Thanksgiving, that's when it matters most."  Last night, I suspect that Uncle Dickwad is an unpleasant person to be around and I am certain that he's sure to make everyones' lives as miserable as the life that he actively pushes upon himself.  "But what about Uncle Dickwad?  He's family!  You can't just leave him at home alone!  It's Thanksgiving for god's sake!"  Well, you leave Uncle Dickwad alone for most of the year because...well, because frankly he's a mean spirited dickwad who makes everyone miserable.  I can see this guy doing this kind of thing every year.  Simple solution, don't invite him back and tell him why.  He's the one who needs to make the effort not the family.
Such a mean, mean ol' Donist, but I did not need to see that, my family did not need to see that, and Uncle Dickwad's family did not see that, especially the children did not need to see that.  I hate what the holidays do to people.  Up next...Christmas, aka how to go broke in 30 days!  


Accidentally Hurting Tulip's Toe - Look...I'm sorry, alright.  Shit, it's not like I did it on purpose?  I love you, you know that right?  Seriously, it was totally an accident.  I would never knowingly hurt you.  Fuck!  Why don't you believe me?  I mean...I'm not mad or anything, but in case you forgot, I was sitting calmly on the couch when you came flying out of nowhere, with that...that...sopping wet plush bone that is as big as you are.  Do you remember landing on my nuts?  Twice for god's sake?!  You totally pushed that thing, what do you call it, "Fuzzby" right in my face.  Did I shoo you away?  Did I call you a bad dog?  No, no I didn't.  I stopped what I was doing, cupped a protective hand over the ol' twig and berries and got down to the tug of war.
Then you bumped your toenail on my hand and yelped.  Sure, I don't doubt that it hurt, I'm not saying that, but why would I ever do that on purpose?  I raised you from a puppy, losing massive amounts of sleep in the process.  I also feed you, come home everyday at lunch to be with you, and play with you.  It...was...an...accident, for fucks sake.  Now you skulk over to Amy and climbing into her lap grumbling the whole while, turning your back on me and only looking over your shoulder to be sure that I can see your ears routinely flattening against your head.  I get it, okay.
I'm sorry.  Please, forgive me.  What?  Well, yes I suppose I was giving you a bit of guilt trip, but I went on the defensive.  You know how I get.  Can, I give you a chicken Zukes?  Would that make you feel better?  Okay, FINE.  Sit there on Amy's lap looking all dejected.  See if I care...ummm...can I see your paw?  I'm sorry.  C'mon, let's go get those Zukes.

Donist, your a dick.
Whoa there, cowboy...did you say Zukes?!

Share/Bookmark

No comments:

Post a Comment