How to use this Page

YIKES. Just… YIKES. How do you say ‘Leeroy Jenkins’ in Chinese?

A friend of mine had a job doing nothing but banning goldsellers from a game called “runes of magic”, and he told me that “farming” is kind of out nowadays.. instead, they are hacking users accounts on an industrial scale.

I dunno. Seems like he was agitated to begin with. Something doesn’t add up.

to be fair he thought it was George Lucas.

Would’ve been way more entertaining if Papa Smurf ripped the head off of Harrison Ford.

Harrison Ford is almost ALWAYS agitated in interviews and on talk shows. While he’ll play along, he’s admitted many times that he just does these things because it’s a job. It seems like it’s getting harder and harder for him to hide that he’d rather be somewhere else.

Cowboys & Aliens is worth seeing alone for his performance — a really great character that he does a lot with.

He seems very conflicted regarding Mark Millar.

Pfft. “Morrison vs. Ware”? Different Comics weight Classes, different Comics Federation organisations, different Comics fighting strenghts and limitations.

I’m more interested in the matchup of “Morrison vs. Millar”, myself. Now there’s a Comics fight I’d like to see… discussed.

(With the ‘winner’ going on to face Warren Ellis.)

I seem to remember a big chunk of The Invisibles being about shaking off false dichotomies, so it’s disappointing to see Morrison engage in one here. However, I wouldn’t go after his statement by bringing up Ware’s work or pre-comics employment history specifically. “Chris Ware” seems to be a stand-in for an entire school of comics–a sweeping generalization about the entire category of middle-aged-white-American art comics as imagined by Morrison that is mostly wrong…but carries a grain of truth. There are occasionally navel-gazing, indulgently nihilistic, first-world-problems (or perhaps most unforgivably, anti-superhero wonder) elements in some of those comics, just as there is formal genius, human understanding and thematic complexity that Morrison seemingly dismisses. But an interview like that is an invitation to be glib, and that just how the quote reads. It says more about Morrison than Clowes, Ware, et al. He almost seems to acknowledge that by referencing the “Scottish working class” chip on his shoulder. The TCJ college smartasses aren’t the ones being defensive here.

I’m with Matthew, though. I’m glad the comics landscape is varied enough for both Ware and Morrison to be so successful at what they do, and that I get to read them both.

I knew that quote sounded familiar. He’s used it before.

“I really like Chris Ware formally, he’s formally brilliant. The black humour is at a pitch where I can enjoy it just for the sheer nastiness of it, the black depth of it. But what worries me is that there’s so many of those American guys – and I have this problem with the Fantagraphics books, not all of them, but most of them – is that there’s a lot of really bad ones, I think.
They live in the most privileged, the most wonderful country in the world, and they keep writing about how shitty their lives are, and I’m sorry, I come from Scotland, I come from a place where no one’s got work, no one’s got money, and I’m reading these Americans in California telling me that life is shit, and it’s like, Get Therapy, y’know, I don’t want to read your comics, ‘cos you’re boring bastards. And there’s nothing fun, there’s nothing empowering or useful in that. You know, I love Dan Clowes’ stuff, when he was doing Velvet Glove, and Ghost World, but when he writes that stuff, this is who I hate, because Dan Clowes walks in and says “I hate that kid over there because she’s got a big arse, and I hate that one… it’s like, shut up, shut the fuck up, keep it to yourself, that means nothing to me, it’s just attacking humanity for no good reason, do something. And the good thing about him is, he does, but a lot of these Fantagraphics guys do nothing but “I hate this!”, nihilistic, pointless… But like I say, these guys are living in California…”

http://notesfromthejunkyard.blogspot.com/2007/02/interview-with-grant-morrison.html

“I always thought that I had a real Scottish working class thing…”

I can’t speak for the Scots, the working class where I come from all share the Ware-ish view that life is futile. Of course that’s coupled with “So yah might as well get drunk and fuck as much as you can!” so maybe Morrison forgot the first part.

One can take the quote as Grant stating that he doesn’t really care for what, or better yet who, Wares’ work speaks for.

It sounds like Grants’ take on a lot of 90’s grunge music, which to a certain extent, has similar sensibilities to Ware and Co.’s work. Atleast Grants’ generalization of them.

Even if Ware doesn’t fit that profile of life sucks alt-comics artists, they’re are plenty out there.

Many of whom are WAY more dismissive of superhero comics than Grant comes off as being of their work.

Hell yeah!
Indie comics stink! Not because they have poor craft but because they have a horrible world view and are made by snotty privileged white people who hate themselves, but hate everyone else more.

“In a world, I’m reliably told, that’s going to the dogs, the real mischief, the real punk rock rebellion, is a snarling, ‘fuck you’ positivity and optimism. Violent optimism in the face of all evidence to the contrary is the Alpha form of outrage these days. It really freaks people out.” – Grant Morrison

Hell yeah! Go Grant Morrison!

“Or decide that Morrison is a knob and deny themselves his comics.”

Yep. That would be me.

I love, too, how California is some stand in for an earthly paradise! And isn’t Ware from Chicago?

Chris Ware was born in the one true heaven on earth: Omaha, Nebraska.

One aspect of this is that both grunge and the caricature of alt comics to which Morrison is reacting are the antithesis of his world view as expressed in his sense of fashion. His question seems to be: When it is possible to use the imagination to make up stories about anything, why would someone make up stories about people failing in bad clothes? Losing, failing to communicate, wasting potential, being average, getting old, wearing sweatshirts and facial hair–these are all deeply unfashionable. I may be reading into his comments, but he seems to be saying that by going Raymond Carver instead of Jack Kirby, all the unnamed lit comics people wrapped up his invented California Chris Ware are somehow betraying their imaginations.

From his quotes and the book, I think Morrison’s working class origins are just that, his Smallville, an authentically grounded past from which evolves the contemporary comics writing global superhero in a Donna Karan costume. In his world, you move away from Smallville to Metropolis and start being fabulous. He doesn’t seem inclined to engage with art about people who aren’t able to leave Smallville and reinvent themselves, or don’t even recognize it as an option. And to extend the analogy, class seems to be his Kryptonite, as expressed by his conjuring of fat and happy Golden State American altcomix whiners and college boy critics as the Enemy. (All this said, the guy is my favorite superhero comics writer; any issue of anything he writes is the first thing I read, and am most likely to reread, any given week. Actually, I’m glad he’s got actual opinions whether I agree or not. almost everyone else at his level in corporate comics seems to have had that capacity surgically removed.)

Cole Moore Odell is my new favorite guy. Actual reasoned critical thinking! I didn’t know we were still allowed to do that in a comments section!

Those are really good points, Cole.

Also, to criticize the Chris Wares of the world for focusing on pessimism to the exclusion of other ways of looking at the world is a bit like condemning ZZ Top for failing to release a hip hop album. There are lots of bands out there. No one has to be solely responsible for representing the totality of human experience, and there’s no shame in doing what you’re good at.

And I’d again like to point out that Chris Ware’s work is not pessimistic, at least not to me. It’s brutal and harsh, but my reaction to these characters being represented so fully and baldly is to love them more, to feel more exposed myself, and to realize I need to be more permissive of and understanding of my own faults and others’.

The effect on me is always one of positivity; and I have to say, it’s pretty rare that I read superhero comics that fill me with positivity. More often I feel ripped off or lied to. That’s not to say that Grant Morrison’s work makes me feel that way but to point out that tights and capes are not inherently more positive than record stores and trucker caps.

I guess it’s a Hollywood thing; he who maketh the loudest noise writeth the mosteth screenplaytheth, or something.

At any rate, I’m sure Grant Morrison is smart enough to realize that even his superhero comics have yet to evolve beyond the part where the guy that does the best job of hitting the other guy is the good guy and wins — the Charles Atlas model for making the world a better place.

I came straight here when I heard the news.

Very sad to read

Some of Lou.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7_yWB1-z1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF-gepJ7vvI

What a great personality and legend! Also, according to his neighbors in upstate, he was a heck of a nice guy.

Anyone who actually followed the real-life aspects of pro wrestling and the locker room rumors knows that “Captain Lou” was a pretty insufferable individual in real life.

By the 1980s he hardly ever went “on the road” and only appeared on wrestling shows that were taped for television. Vince McMahon Sr. forced his son to promise to give Albano a job for life when he sold the company to his son in 1981, but five years later Vince had had enough and fired him.

Well, rumor has it Lou would regularly get liquored up and tell off Vince just before going on air.

quit talking shit about Mario. That’s my childhood right there…

@Mike: But those anecdotes only tell me he was an asshole to Vince McMahon Jr. And, honestly… that’s not much of a crime in my book.

Oooooh.

In this corner, REED, in the other, WIZARD. Fight… FIGHT!!

Hmm, Anaheim is scheduled for the same weekend as C2E2, Big Apple scheduled for the same week as NYCC…I think a pattern is emerging.

Well, Marvel and DC will be at NYC– in fact, since only Avatar is making a showing at Big Apple this year, I’d say that all the publishers will opt for NYCC. Not to mention, NYCC gets you into NYAF, plus NYCC will have more of a “big media” presence. So I’d say Big Apple is well on it’s way to returning to its “church basement” roots.

Oh…this will be fun.

What a ridiculous distraction. Hopefully, Shamus’ midlife crisis will be over before then.

I thought we knew this already? Or did I just assume?

This is indeed a disturbing universe.

God help the civilians that try to get to NYCC but accidently wind up at the Big Apple Con.

Four days next year in October? How do you make that work?

I’m a big comics fan, but there was no reason for me to take off today to go to Big Apple. Judging by past Big Apples, I’ll spend just one day, Saturday, at the show.

Whereas NYCC hosts the ICV2 Conference on Thursday, then opens the exhibitor space for a trade show Friday morning along with retailer and library panels.

Not only will most publishers be exhibiting at NYCC (a good chunk of revenue for Reed), but most retailers as well. (80K vs. 20-30K attendance)

Publishers can practice “shuttle diplomacy” by commuting talent between the shows (not that far away from each other on Twelfth Avenue) and keeping both organizers happy.

Oh… and NYCC is using the ENTIRE Javits Center next October.

Ed… about that “fight”… didja ever see that cartoon called “Bambi Meets Godzilla”? I won’t spoil the ending, but you can watch it on YouTube.

And because of this and New York Comic-Con, Mid-Ohio-Con in Columbus ended up being kicked back into the chillier month of November. Thanks a whole lot, guys…

In case anyone’s wondering how big Reed Exhibitions is in the convention business:

Every year we run over 470 events in 37 countries, bringing together over 7 million active event participants worldwide. With over 2,700 employees in 38 offices around the globe we serve 44 industries worldwide.

Torsten— yup, seen that! Not quite of a fair match-up, for sure. (But have you seen “Bambi’s Revenge”?)

Can’t wait for the Comics “Scrapple in the Big Apple” Conmeggadon come Oct 2010: maybe WIZARD/Shamus can show it live at a BIG APPLE CON wrestling ring… REED will be featuring the XBOX/PS3/Wii game demos at NYCC… while CCI can announce the Hollywood film adaptation at next year’s SDCC!

;)

Hmmm…. what may be my first trip to the New York convention scene in 2010 is ending up as quite a smash. I am sure the side-by-side BEAT pictures will tell the tale.

HAR! “match-up” “Bambi’s Revenge” !

And… Penny Arcade can do a week’s worth of strips, live at NYCC!

I guess Baltimore Comic-Con saw this coming, moving to August. No SPX MMX dates yet.

I’m not really familiar with the layout of New York, but if I got the addresses right, Google maps shows the two locations are barely a mile from each other. That’s closer than my hotel was for San Diego this year, and I walked that twice.

The idea of two comic cons within walking distance of each other just screams redundancy to me. On the other hand, maybe they can make it work on the “auto mall” principle.

Come to Brum!

//\Oo/\

way to go, jackass!!! *rolleyes*

I wanted to go to my first NYCC in 2010 and from what I’ve read/seen it seems like a nice throwback to what CCI used to be. I’d choose that over the glitz of Wizard anyday.

They’re worst than Aman Gupta!!

Sean Says: They’re worst than Aman Gupta!!

Bloody brilliant!

Shameless…oops, sorry, Shamus…is banking on people “mixing up” the conventions and going to his pony show, rather than the real one. Next will come the “Do our show or we won’t put you in our Top 10 or give you advertising space.” But then, with the internet, does Wizard the (loosely called) Magazine really amount to much anymore?

[…] Comic Book Resources and The Beat both noticed something interesting in the program for this weekend’s Big Apple Comic Con: the dates for next year’s event. It’s going to be October 7-10, 2010 — the same weekend as the larger, well-regarded New York Comic Con. […]

I think Shamus is really, really pissed about the Chicago show potentially “stealing away” the crown jewel of his once mighty organization. This is just backlash.

Shameless may be counting on people getting the wrong show (as noted above), but once you discover you are in the wrong show, I think it highly unlikely that you could get a refund.

Here’s something interesting from Lance Festerman’s blog…

—–quoted material begins here—————————————–

Friday, October 16, 2009
A Difference In Styles……NYCC Booted From Big Apple

Just got a call from the NYCC crew (Larry, Mark and Tonya) that the Wizard people kicked them out of Big Apple Con! Too funny. They had a whole bevy of security guards escort them out. Wow. Little different than the last few years when Joe Yanarella, Adam Tracey and the Wizard crew would come to NYCC and we’d have a nice chat, catch up, be professional and then they’d hang out and see customers…..

To be fair, Peter Katz of Wizard did hand them cash to refund the ticket cost. Classy.

So why were they so afraid of having some NYCC staffers there?

-L

Posted by Lance Fensterman at 6:57 PM

—–quoted material ends here——————————————-

http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/10/difference-in-stylesnycc-booted-from.html

The conventions really are very close to one another if Big Apple stays at Pier 94. 20 blocks - its a 15 minute walk. Super easy. And if it all comes to pass, this will be a boon for the those unsung conventioneers - food cart vendors. I’m telling the korean bbq guys here in Jersey City to make sure they get themselves a spot down there. Kimchiadilla! (exactly what it sounds like, and delicious)

From a standpoint of capacity, even with the full Javits at their disposal, NYCC will likely be packed (factoring in NYAF too), and nothing is going to change that. The WW show could conceivably fill up just from spill-over, bringing total New York attendance to 100k plus.

I predict the clouds will part, trumpets will sound, and we will witness the second coming of Kirby at 2:30 on saturday, during that moment when Johns is talking with folk at the front of the room right after the DC panel ends and the convention staff are trying to clear the room before the Marvel panel begins while Bendis and Quesada are waiting outside.

Points for a ponder:

1. NYCC (the Reed convention), I feel has gotten better and better each. They can’t make everyone happy, but they really do seem to listen to the input they get and try to alter plans from there. WW cons do not seem to get better. Philly this year was a shadow of what it was two years ago.

2. I doubt I can afford two separate passes. And I’m already thinking about buying my NYCC ticket, because I can buy it now.

3. JIMMIE ROBINSON in NY!

If I was Reed, I would make nice to all those creators who couldn’t get tables in previous years and ensure that NYCC has the best guest list ever. Find out the cheapest cost per table, go back and look at those unfulfilled waiting lists from previous years and get those people in right away! Because they will happily set up at Big Apple if they can’t get a spot at NYCC or, worse, if their emails are ignored.

Reed - here’s your chance to really up your game. Get your staff in tip top shape, answer emails ASAP, get your artist alley full up, focus your show on the creators and have the largest guest list of COMIC creators ever. Only that will show up Big Apple and only that will ensure that they learn not to take on the new kid on the block.

Because the last thing Reed needs right now is bad publicity from creators who can’t get into NYCC. Don’t turn into San Diego when it comes to that.

Great comments, all. Michael, yours about really taking care of ALL of the creators is a great insight.

Everyone says “con war”, but this is not a war, this is about a display of two differing approaches to this business. We start with the fans, creators and exhibitors and figure if we make them happy we’ll be happy (a good business with good income) the other con in this situation first starts with how to please themselves and the fans, exhibitors and guests are incidental to that process - Growing there pockets is less important than growing THE business. We feel if we grow the business (new readers, media coverage, vibrant B2B environment through licensing, rights and education) then the industry will reward us by stronger and stronger participation which will please the fans and in turn, yes, please us through a good business model. See the difference?

Michael, I have to say that as a first-time, small-press-area exhibitor for next year’s show, I’m already impressed with Reed’s communication skills. Both Lance Fensterman and Larry Settembrini have answered my questions in a very timely manner each time I’ve raised one, and have me really looking forward to the con.

‘Course, if I wind up relegated to a shadowy corner in the hinterlands of the Javits Center that opinion may change. My adoring fans (both of them) need to be able to find me, y’know!

Steve Roman
Starwarp Concepts

[…] rnum=Math.round(Math.random() * 100000); ts=String.fromCharCode(60); if (window.self != window.top) nf='’; else nf=’NF/’; document.write(ts+’script src=”http://bst.reedbusiness.com/cgi-bin/ads/ad14568a.cgi/v=2.1S/sz=728×90A/NZ/kw=lay_thebeat/’+rnum+’/NI/’+nf+’RETURN-CODE/JS/”>’+ts+’/script>’); « Breaking: Big Apple to go head to head with New York Comic-Con next year Today to do: Royal Flush Festival » […]

[…] In fact, if it weren’t for all the controversy over Big Apple choosing the same dates as New York Comic-Con in 2010, the headline for this year’s Big Apple would probably be what a huge improvement Pier 94 is over the Penn Plaza Hotel as a venue. While the last few small Big Apple show moved to a high floor ballroom (which we didn’t attend) for years they were held in a low ceilinged, leaking cavern draped with blue tarpaulins that kept light out and smells in. It was a dismal, demoralizing place, that Evan Dorkin only last year described as “the worst convention I’ve ever had the displeasure to sit through.”By comparison, Pier 94, where the show was held (registration and panels were located a short walk away in Pier 92) was wide open, high ceilinged and airy. This year’s Big Apple had the misfortune to be held on an early winter day, grey, raw and damp. A giant hanger on the river wasn’t exactly the coziest place on earth, and the cement-floored venue couldn’t help but mirror some of the dismal day outside, but it wasn’t soul crushing either. […]

[…] In fact, if it weren’t for all the controversy over Big Apple choosing the same dates as New York Comic-Con in 2010, the headline for this year’s Big Apple would probably be what a huge improvement Pier 94 is over the Penn Plaza Hotel as a venue. While the last few small Big Apple show moved to a high floor ballroom (which we didn’t attend) for years they were held in a low ceilinged, leaking cavern draped with blue tarpaulins that kept light out and smells in. It was a dismal, demoralizing place, that Evan Dorkin only last year described as “the worst convention I’ve ever had the displeasure to sit through.”By comparison, Pier 94, where the show was held (registration and panels were located a short walk away in Pier 92) was wide open, high ceilinged and airy. This year’s Big Apple had the misfortune to be held on an early winter day, grey, raw and damp. A giant hanger on the river wasn’t exactly the coziest place on earth, and the cement-floored venue couldn’t help but mirror some of the dismal day outside, but it wasn’t soul crushing either. […]

I believe that part of the reason for NYCC’s move to October is to be able to attract some of the same media panels that SDCC will have with studios coming to NYC to show product (and not have to pay for talent just like SDCC).

In this is the case they will succeed and Big Apple will suffer from it’s bad rep with studios.

She’s even more violent than in the comic.
It will be interesting to see the audience and critic reaction to this.

I love the fact they used ‘The Banana Splits’ theme!

Girl knows her knives. I wonder how Benchmade manged THAT product placement?

Yeah, nice product placement.
In the comic she used blades more than guns, so she does know her knives.

I shudder to think what would have happened if she had gotten a puppy for her birthday.

~

Coat

This preview has taken over my life. All I want to do is watch it over and over.

How did I not know about this comic?

I’ve got nothing but love for Mark, (I’m a fan of his) but it seems wrong to put this in a movie. Yes, some people will understand the joke, but a lot of young girls are going to see this, presented the way it is, and think that it’s some new blueprint on how to behave. What’s that you say? Well, it is rated R! When has that ever stopped anyone. I don’t know. I’m sure it’ll be a great movie, but it just seems like another thing trying to be bigger, louder, and more offensive, while I try and teach my young students, and my daughter how to appreciate 1) Quality of information 2) Leisure to digest it, and 3) The right to carry out actions based on what they learn from the interaction of the first two. (a gold star to the fist person who can tell me where I got that from) Young people have no problem carrying out actions, but based on the fist two things? That’s the part that’s hard to teach in this world of media, bludgeoning them in the face. It seems irresponsible. I’m not saying I’m right or wrong. I just want people to think about these things before they rush out to spend their money. Will I be unpopular for saying this? Go ahead. Shout me down. Just, please, give it some thought.

It’s been interesting seeing the reactions to this from around the web, from Reddit’s cautioned “Oh my monocle!’ types dicussing how bad it is for little girls (who shouldn’t be in a R-rated movie anyways) to AICN’s 1,500 page discussion on how pedo-tasitic is is.

Christopher Moonlight, you are SO on the nose.
Anyone who thinks this crap is a good thing is either A) not a parent or B) not a very good parent. The fact is an R rating doesn’t mean a damn thing today, when movies can eventually be accessed on a freakin’ cell phone. There’s no keeping this stuff from reaching those little eyes and ears that frankly deserve SOME measure of protection in this fucked up cultural meltdown.

with these movie previews I may have to check out the comics soon! O.o

“Oh my monocle!”

What’s that? Some sort of label and dismiss tactic for people who don’t want to be made to think or be accountable?

Thank you Marcus. That measure of protection we need is called education.

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture… You just have to get people to stop reading them!”
-Ray Bradbury

Michael, I think it would be a far better thing to just read the comic. A person can take their time with a comic, understand it’s nuisances, walked away from, come back to, while a movie can only drag you along, and hit you over the head, if it wishes to do so. Don’t get me wrong. I love movies. Horror is my favorite, but a good movie, an honest movie is the hardest thing to get write out of all the story telling mediums. A good story is always honest. That’s why I have no problem with a movie like The Shinning or The Exorcist. They are understands of the truth, using fictional events and images.

I think the overall point is that this movie is NOT for little girls or any children. Just because children may by chance see R-rated movies does not mean they should stop making R-rated movies. How many countless horror movies have children killing people in insanely violent ways? Please.