APE 2005

I spent a lot of time and way too much money at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco yesterday. But it was oh so worth it.

Highlights:

A Becky Cloonan Original, page 10 of Demo #11. My first piece of original comic artwork.

2 Color guides by Steve Oliff from the Epic edition of Akira. Pages 309 and 310 from Volume 6. These will be framed and hung next to each other soon.

And the rest of the haul: From top to bottom, left to right: Berlin #9 and 10, by Jason Lutes; Street Angel #5 by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca; Slow News Day #3 and 6, by Andi Watson; A promotional print by Jeffrey Brown; Cerebus: Latter Days, the Last Day, and Rick’s Story by Dave Sim and Gerhard; Acme Novelty Library #6 and 12, by Chris Ware; Sparkle, a beautifully printed mini-comic by Frank Stockton; My Love is Dead/Long Live My Love by Paul Hornschemeier; I Am Going to Be Small and Miniature Sulk by Jeffrey Brown, both customized with small sketches; Hey 4 Eyes!, an amazingly detailed zine about all things glasses related (with cover by Derek Kirk Kim); the Snakepit Book by Ben Snakepit; and Daisy Kutter: the Last Train, by Kazu Kibuishi.

Sweet Jesus…breathe in….

Also, I got signatures from all three Hernandez Bros. on my copy of Love and Rockets Vol. 2 #10, from Daniel Clowes on my copy of David Boring (including some art customization), and on my copy of Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown (with more art customization).

Goddamn, that was a trip. I also picked up assorted pins and stickers, and saw sooooo much eye candy it was unbelievable. As fun as APE is, I’m glad it’s only once a year. My bank account couldn’t handle any more than that.

More later…

Asplode

Explosions in the Sky at Cafe du Nord on Friday was pretty awesome, even if I was subjected to some pretty boring self-help-core by the opening act, Lazarus. Explosions are one of the crispest sounding live bands I’ve heard, just really beautiful and clear and together. Absolutely gorgeous. I couldn’t see them at all, what with the low stage, and the jam-packed crowd, but I didn’t really need to.

By the way, this is my first post from my new laptop. It’s about time. The clicking noises my hard drive was making have been really bugging me, and they were especially worse this morning, so I decided to a quick back-up…and I’m glad I did, since I got my favorite error message (Operating System Not Found) shortly thereafter. Oh me oh my.

Finished reading From Hell yesterday, and couldn’t help but think of Libra, another fictional tale based on actual events that I recently finished. Both are fictional “what-ifs” centered around historically significant murders (the Jack the Ripper killings, and the JFK assassination, respectively), that stay very close to historical records, while introducing elements of narrative invention to fill in the gaps in our knowledge. From Hell includes some extensive annotations, detailing departures from historical record and the author’s speculation, as well as a short epilogue describing the evolution of our knowledge of the events as filtered through successive generations of theorists, and the inevitable distortion and loss of the primary sources, through time, distance, and misplaced authority. That short read was almost as interesting as the story proper. I wish there was a set of annotations or meta-narrative for Libra as well. Maybe there is….I’ll have to track it down….

More later…

My Exciting Life, mk. 182

I’ve been a bad boy and downloaded more music than I can listen to for a while. I think I’m pretty set for tunes, as I’ve been grabbing a wide variety of stuff off of slsk. Highlights: Make Believe, Explosions in the Sky, Do Make Say Think (playing at Bottom of the Hill soon…hmmmm), the Minus 5, the new Venetian Snares album, Giant Sand, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, and tons more. I’ve also been trying out Tag & Rename, which has quickly become an indispensable program. I love it.

Been reading a lot of Daniel Clowes comics too. I found a copy of Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron at Tree Horn a while ago, and I downloaded Eightball #22 (the Ice Haven issue, which I haven’t been able to find a physical copy of), and picked up Twentieth Century Eightball at Clark’s. Since I’ve read so much of his stuff lately, I’m pondering a big ol’ post with thoughts/interpretations/impressions of all of it. But of course, that woudl require time and motivation. So chances may be slim.

Went to another Left of the Dial show at the Last Record Store, this time with Life in Braille, Hanalei, Santiago, and the New Trust. I’m shocked that Life in Braille is still around, although somewhat changed, but they sounded pretty good tonight. Still living up to their glammed-out math rock heritage. Santiago was great also; it was my first time seeing them, and apparently, their last time playing. Nothing like being the last one to the party, hmm? The New Trust was the New Trust. They’re good. I skipped out on their set last weekend, to spend some quality time at Volpi’s, since I knew I’d get to see them again soon anyways. And tonight I did. Yay me.

I’m supposed to fix my parents’ computer tomorrow. I think I’m going to have to quarantine them from using Internet Explorer from now on. I already removed tons of viruses and spyware a few months ago, and apparently it’s already in bad shape again. Thinking about going to see Donnie Darko in the evening too…we’ll see how that works out.

More blah de blah coming soon kids….

Dizzle Fo Shizzle

Sweet Jeezy Chreezy, it’s back in the Hizzy, yo! Broadband in the Hizzouse, G!

Ahem.

So yes, I’m back from dial-up purgatory, and once again basking in the sweet nurturing nectar-y goodness of broadband. Which means that now I can blame my sad state of internet addiction for my lack of any productive activities, and not just my own lack of motivation. See, I’m a victim! It’s not my fault now!

So yeah. I did roughly jack shit for the past couple weeks. Sue me. I tinkered away with Buzz, but didn’t really get anything going to far. I read some comics. I read more of Libra. I played some music. I started learning how to do the ultra math-rockin’ two-handed tapping stuff that I like so much (except when done by wanky hair-metal guitarists).

But yeah, other than that, noting. I read Eightball #23 a few times, and feel like I should read it a few more. Next time I’m in Berkeley, I’m going to make sure to pick up as much Dan Clowes as I can carry. I already had Ghost World and David Boring, and already loved both of them, but this cements my love for him. If I feel real ambitious I’ll post some thoughts. I’ve been entertaining the notion of returning to some sort of regular review format here, but we’ll see how I do with that. There are impending and continuing distractions that will probably kick that idea to the curb.

More later, suckas.

A Severed Lifeline

Our DSL connection at the new place is going to be going off on Monday, and won’t be back up until about the 23rd. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself! maybe this’ll give me more of an excuse to work on music. Hopefully I’ll be roarin’ back onto the internet on the 23rd with a completed release for Em411. We’ll see. Our phone line will also be down for a few days, but that’s a little less of an inconvenience right now…at least for me.

I will still have DSL at work of course, so I’ll be checking my e-mail and such regularly, but I won’t be on any IM services or anything for a while. And no music downloading! Grrr!

Last week was a great week for comics. Lots of good, arts-y trades and graphic novels out, including Craig Thompson’s illustrated travel diary, Carnet de Voyage. I can’t believe this guy can draw that much and that well while travelling. It’s incredible. Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Datebook also came out in hardcover, which I might get next week. It’s a beautiful looking sketchbook, with his trademark busy cover style going on.

Speaking of comics, I watched American Splendor, the adaptation of Harvey Pekar’s autobiographical comic series of the same name, with Joey last night. Damn funny, very odd little film, and the integration of the real Harvey Pekar and his real friends and family in the narration and “interview” scenes was really well done, and really unique.

More later, and this time, when I say later, I mean way later, most likely.

Page Turners

I’m quickly drawing near the end of Love in the Time of Cholera, which I’ve been making slow, somewhat steady progress in for the last few months. It’s a great book, but it’s not a book you can just pick up and read in bits and pieces. There are very few easy break points to set it down, and every event and thought in the story flows easily into the next, implications and emotions unfolding in slow arcs across large chunks of pages. You can’t just read a little bit, because a little bit isn’t enough.

And of course, I’ve had a shitload of comics to read lately. I even went so far as to avoid picking up this week’s batch (100 Bullets #51 and Love Fights #11, a good haul, quality wise). But, I finally finished reading the Maxx, which i thought ended really appropriately. It’s a shame that Kieth’s Friends of the Maxx series didnt’ stick around as long as it could have. But really, Zero Girl and it’s sequel fit so well in that vein that it might as well have been part of that series. Different characters, similar themes (especially the bit about shame), and since the Maxx ended with one of many possible universes ending and splitting off into variations, then it could be seen as a new “bubble-universe”. Hmmm.

So Transmetropolitan was pretty disappointing. I like the idea of a comic series centered around a journalist, as it gives the series a real freedom to find different milieu in which to explore, but so much about this book was really uninteresting. The suppporting characters are all pretty wooden, and there’s no insight into anyone’s motivation, except for the occaisional superficial plot device (Spider’s editor likes money! Deep!). The plot had very little tension. I really couldn’t bring myself to care what was going to happen, and didn’t feel like the level of conflict built very convincingly. And the setting was pretty cliche Blade Runner/Neuromancer sci-fi drek. I don’t think I’ll be looking much further into this series.

Played some music with Josh tonight. We kicked around some funk, played a little Radiohead, and chatted about 4-tracking for a while. I haven’t been making music outside of my laptop much lately, so it’s nice to play with someone else every once in a while.

A Ghost is Born is really growing on me. I thought there were a few good tracks at first, and the rest of it didn’t grab me right off the bat, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. “I’m a Wheel” is the only song I don’t think is absolutely great at this point. The dynamics on this album are really wide, which is great i this age of overcompressed LOUD ROCK ALBUMS. Makes it hard to listen to in the car, but my car speakers are blown anyways. I hope they plan a US tour soon, because I’d love a chance to see them live.

I’ll be off to see the New Trust and the Polar Bears at the Phoenix tomorrow night. Haven’t been there in a while. Should be interesting….

More later….

Unabashed Consumerist Frenzy

Yay, the weekend arrives. I don’t know what I’ll be doing with mine exactly, other than washing some dishes, perhaps playing some music, perhaps seeing a movie, and undoubtedly watching some Kids in the Hall. Good times. Certainly better times than working late on super busy days at the sign shop. Whoooooooeeeeeee.

I’ve got a lot of comics to read too. I just tore through the Sleeper: All False Moves trade, and the first issue of Sleeper: Season Two, which were both excellent, excellent, and excellent. I spent too much on comics on Thursday (after some enthusiastic upselling from my friendly neighborhood comics clerk), and I have a package of stuff coming from Mile High comics in the next few days. I’ll finally have the last issue of the Maxx! Hooray and rejoice! I also have or will have shortly: Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street, Powers Vol. 2 #1, Scratch #1-2, a bunch of Jamie Hernandez’s Penny Century comics, a couple issues each of Street Angel and Bi-Polar, Y: the Last Man #24, and X-Statix #24 (the penultimate issue?).

I also did a lot of piracy this weekend, swapping music and movies and software via firewire drives with Keith. My Mp3 albums folder is becoming pretty bloated, and that can only be a good thing. I also acquired some albums the old fashioned, retail-based way (Squarepusher’s Hard Normal Daddy, Son Volt’s Wide Swing Tremolo and Morrissey’s Viva Hate).

Yay consumerism.

I missed another From Monument to Masses show, which sucks quite a bit. I haven’t seen them play in soooooo damn long, and they’re gonna be jetting off to the Old World this summer, so I probably won’t have another chance until the fall. Ah well. Next time (he says again)…

More later, when I have something of interest to talk about.

Nothing Nice!

the Nothing Nice to Say archives are back! This is truly a glorious day!

Comics, Books, Oregon, Features, and More!

Lots of good comics out today, although I’m a little pissed that a copy of Love and Rockets Vol. 2 #10 didn’t show up in my subscription box. I thought I added that to my list? Hmm….Anyways….I did get Demo #7, 100 Bullets #50, Bone #55 (the big finale!), Y: the Last Man #23, Love Fights #10, and PVP #7. I’ll write a little bit about some of that, along with Blankets, which I recently finished.

I’m off to Oregon on Friday for Lindsay’s graduation. It’ll be nice to hang out in Eugene for a couple of days, and miss out on a couple of days of work. Especially nice since work has been super-busy lately. Always a perfect time to take a couple days off, although I feel a bit bad about leaving my co-workers to fend for themselves!

This week’s Bohemian has a really interesting article about Santa Rosa author Robert Heinberg’s new book, The Party’s Over, which is about an idea called “peak oil theory” that’s gaining some attention since it was formed in the 70s (if I’m not mistaken). Sounds like a really interesting book, and I was thinking about picking it up at Border’s tonight (went there with Michelle for a few this evening). I couldn’t find it, unfortunately, but that may be a good thing. I’d probably end up reading it ont he way to Oregon and getting even less reading of Love in the Time of Cholera done. I’m slacking on that book. I took about a week off reading it to read my huge stacks of comics from Mile High from last week. But I will probably end up picking up either that book or The End of Oil, a similar book I saw at Borders that was a bit too expensive for an impulse purchase.

I’m thinking about adding a new feture or two to this website: one would be a monthly mixtape, a downloadable playlist of 8-12 or so MP3s that would rotate every month. Sometimes it would be a themed mix, sometimes, just what I happen to be listening to at the time. The other feature would be a weekly wallpaper graphic. I’ve got a serious backlog of fun desktops I’ve made, and I’m always looking for a good graphic to use to make a new one, so maybe I should give myself a public outlet for that. That way all 3 of my readers could download them. Har Har….

More later….

Eternal Sunshine

I’ve been excited about this movie for about as long as I’ve known about it. Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, a serious Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo….How much better can it get? Answer: not much. The story was incredible, the visual style was brilliant, the performances were excellent, the music was beautiful. I don’t think there was anything in this movie that didn’t work for me. I’m trying to find the soundtrack on Soulseek right now, mainly for the new Beck song from the ending. His voice is just getting better and more assured with every release, and this one is so moody and memorable.

The premise behind the movie (that there is a pseudo-medical procedure that can erase the memory of certain people or events from your mind, while leaving the rest of your memories intact) ties in really well with the book I just finished, Godel, Escher & Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. The book deals a lot with the various levels of abstraction in the brain, and how the “mind” relates to the brain’s physical substrate of neurons and electrical charges. There is some consideration of how concepts and memories in our mind relate to the physical structures of the brain itself….like, can you point to a specific neuron, or group of neurons, and say “this neuron here represents this specific memory or idea”? food for thought, about thought.

Anyways….so Cerebus is over. I haven’t been following the series since Guys, several years ago, so I’ve missed almost the entire final third of the series, but the ending still struck me as oddly appropriate. It’s somewhat open to interpretation, I suppose, but it does seem to relate to the general themes that have consumed Dave Sim lately.

I’ve also finally managed to pick up THB #4, and a handful of the Maxx issues I was missing. I still need THB #2, and the Maxx #’s 29, 30, and 35, to have both complete series’. But I’m much closer!

Looks like band practice is happening later today. Once Joey gets back from rehearsal, it’ll be time to rock out. We don’t do this often enough. Ah well….we do what we can.

More later….