You Have Killed Me

Mmm hardboiled detective fiction.

One of my major projects of the last week has been searching through the entire Multnomah County Library database of comic books and graphic novels to cull which books I would like to put on hold for future reviews. Our library boasts about 9500 comics. I’ve currently only about 2,000 left to sift through. The process has been made much easier by the fact that at least 60% of them are Manga series, which I have virtually no interest in reading. Sad story, but true.

The great news is that half of my holds were processed over the weekend and arrived today (which means I get to start queueing up even more this afternoon). And the first book of the stack which piqued my interest was You Have Killed Me by Jamie S. Rich and Joelle Jones, a duo you might remember from this earlier post. It’s another Oni Press publication.

The cover was enough to warrant  a coo of complacency from me. I’m very much attracted to Jones’ artistic style, and the splashes of color were thrilling. While she works wonders with black and white, it’s unfortunate that she doesn’t seem to get the chance to work with color in most of her art, because her lines translate well. Do yourself a favor and visit her flickr collection. It was there I discovered she’d inked the Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog comic book of which I knew absolutely nothing about until today. Because I’m lame and have been out of touch. Obviously that’s going on the to-read list. :) But as you can see – she is greatly expressive with faces, rendering an especially well done Neil Patrick Harris.

Her artwork does not fail in this book either - the women are sumptious and curvy, evoking a Jessica Rabbit feel which is appropriate for a detective story. The men are hard lines and rigid brows. The scenery is dark, the shadows are deep and ominous. The vibe is perfectly pitched and there are no real complaints from me – save a few scenes where the character’s expressions didn’t really seem to match with the dialogue. Overall, artistically speaking, the book was pretty flawless.

Sexy dames and glowering detectives.

The writing fit the noir mood excellently – though there were a few times when the metaphors of Jazz and Almonds seemed strained and out-of-place. Clearly, Rich did his homework and richly peppered the dialogue with vocabulary of the day (twist has always been my favorite noir word for women), and with it’s minimal use – it didn’t stand out as being affected or cheesy.

The story itself was pretty standard noir detective fair with plot twists and turns that I didn’t always catch. I did find myself intrigued with the detective character – Anthony Mercer – and wanted to know a bit more about his past, as well as Julie Roman, the woman he is hired to locate. We could have spent a bit more time with them during their summers, and I wanted to know why Mercer had decided to give up the good life and become a detective – as it was indicated he was from high society.

While I won’t divulge the ending here for those who are interested in reading it – it was equally surprising and a bit of a let down. While I love the angst of noir, I can never quite get over it’s treatment of women, so it’s conclusions rarely sit well with me.

Overall – it was a delightful and entertaining second entry into the collaborative works of Rich and Jones. I’m definitely a fan, and therefore looking forward to future works penned and inked by these folks. While we wait, here is an interview of Jones, along with information about her upcoming independent projects. And one of Rich.

Excited to hear about their series Spell Checkers being debuted this Spring, and perhaps getting to meet and greet with them at the San Diego Comic Con.

Oscar Nominations 2010

You know it’s been a weird year in movies when the Academy inflates it’s Best Picture list to 10 and at least five of them probably don’t deserve to be listed.

It’s also been a rather dry Oscar season – as is evidence by at least half of the list having been in the theatres almost 6 months ago. It boasts TWO sci-fi flicks, TWO war pics, and TWO films with the word “up” in the title. Confusion reigns, eh? Personally, I’m rather excited to see a variety of titles make the best picture list (even if the list had to be bulked up in order to accomodate them). It’s not often a science fiction film makes the cut (and NEVER a horror film) and for two in one year to grace the list, why – it’s almost unheard of.

For my picks this year – I’m going with my assertions that Avatar really wasn’t the mind-altering film that it’s been purported to be. In fact, I’m ignoring it in most categories except for those that are strictly visual. There was nothing else endearing about that film except for it’s seamless integration of 3D into it’s storytelling. And it’s storytelling was crap. Sorry. It had to be said…don’t act like you weren’t thinking it.

Alrighty – more analysis after the list:

Best Picture: In my heart of hearts I would love for District 9 to win. It was by far the movie that had the most impact on me all year long. I’ve been pretty consistent telling friends and family it was my favorite of the year, and am therefore *giddy* to see it’s made the cut. Do I think it will win an Oscar? Probably not. But it’s an honor, right?

Therefore, it’s a toss up between Inglourious Basterds and The Hurt Locker. I think these films each have a strong case to present, and if the Academy is not made up of tools and troglodytes – either of these films is in a great spot to win the golden statue. Any other serious competition will be provided by Precious  and Up in the Air. Since I thought  Air was crap (and you should too) – Precious could pull it out this year.

Best Director: The woman in me wants Kathryn Bigelow  to win this and nail all the male-centric Hollywood bullcrap to the wall with a shit-eating grin on her face. But – I also have a soft spot for Quentin Tarantino’s massive body of work and all of the Oscar snubs for his continually improving hand as a director. He is poised to take it, and I am happy for him. Kathryn Bigelow needs a few more films under her belt before she gets that honor. It’s the way of the Oscars.

Best Actor: Because I know Bigelow will only come in second as Best Director, I am really gunning for Jeremy Renner. But up against George Clooney and Jeff Bridges…that’s a tough place to be. I’m going to say they hand it off to Clooney, who has never scored a Lead Actor Oscar before and is definitely in a fine position to do so now. Hollywood seems smugly satisfied with Up in the Air and will no doubt pat Clooney on the head…even though he’s been a far better actor in far better films. Bridges is the only real competition in this category, methinks. Sorry Renner.

Best Actress: Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren? Come on. The Academy gets an F- for originality. I love Meryl Streep…but I’m really tired of her. Nominating her for an Oscar is like saying gravity works. Redundant and unthrilling. She is the best actress alive – we get it. I’m actually going to put my money (yes, real money even!) on Sandra Bullock in this category. As I mentioned earlier – the Academy loves an actor/actress with a lot of work on their resume. This could be her year – she’s really been pimping it.

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz. Nuff said.

Best Support Actress: In the entire Twilight series – Anna Kendrick was the one bright spot. In the entire film Up in the Air – Anna Kendrick was the one bright spot. Kinda lame they have her going up against the more seasoned and poised Vera Farmiga, then. She could be the dark horse in this category. If Penelope Cruz wins – I might vomit.

Best Animated Feature Film: Up. This is the category it deserves to win in.

Best Foreign Film: Having not actually watched any of these films, I’m choosing solely based on the name and country of origin - Un Prophete.  Either that, or The White Ribbon.

Best Original Screenplay: This will be the category that Tarantino wins, if nothing else. But I’m really thinking he’s a sure thing for the Director Oscar. REALLY. He could manage both.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious is the highest bidder for this – with District 9 (my personal favorite) coming a close second.

Best Documentary Feature: Food, Inc. It’s the only documentary that even sounds remotely familiar.

Best Original Score: Most likely it will be Up (since I don’t see Nine on the list)…but I really dug the Sherlock Holmes  soundtrack, especially the end credits.

Skipping a few categories for which I don’t care (song and costume).

Best Film Editing: District 9 and Hurt Locker have a strong chance in this category. For me – incredibly difficult to judge as I don’t really get off on the technical aspects of film. Assuming that Avatar will take this though. And Special Effects. And Art Direction. Anything visual should go to this film and rightly so.

Best Cinematography: Hurt Locker has a chance – but I’m thinking Avatar. Damn.

And that’s about it. Yet again, it’s not been a very stellar year for women in film. Sure, there was Precious and Julie and Julia…and…Precious and Julie and Julia. Most of the Best Picture nominations are for films with strictly male leads, or exclusively male casts. Even the film directed by a woman (but I should be grateful that a woman was EVEN nominated for a directing Oscar) features only two or three scenes with a woman even present. And Nine? It’s about a dude. Women in this film are akin to the pretty 3D background in Avatar. Oooh – aaah. But lacking substance. Who else agrees that Melanie Laurent was robbed of even a nomination?

So of course, I find myself in a position that many in the male gender will never experience – rooting for art that is not at all reflective of my gender. But by no means does my gender define what art I shall root for. I wish many others could say the same.

Phoenix Sleeve: An Update

Money Changes Hands

Met with London Bellman of Atomic Art tattoo this afternoon and got great and positive vibes. He was very laid back, put me at ease, and straight forward about what would happen. He asked a lot of questions – listened to my input – and started drawing stuff out right away. LOVED that he freaking measured and used scale to determine the layout. Absolutely freaking professional.

I don’t even feel like I need to visit anyone else at this point (which I was contemplating before the appointment) – he’s definitely my guy. I put down a deposit and am waiting to hear back from him to set up a date and time to start the work. It’s going to be a lot of hours in the chair – and we’ll probably have to break it up into more than one session.

Much Love,

Mindy Crouchley

Phoenix Tattoo: The Second Installment

So – just to get you all psyched for some up and coming content – I will be meeting with a tattoo artist this afternoon to go over ideas for finishing off my Phoenix 3/4 sleeve tattoo. I will be adding space designs – and have spent the last two months searching

The Phoenix Tattoo in it's current state

high and low for an artist who could render those designs on my flesh with the most accuracy and beauty.

This is that guy: London Bellman of Atomic Art Tattoo here in good old Portland, Oregon.

My concepts include adding a half-earth towards the bend of my elbow – along with inky blue/purple space, stars, a spiral galaxy and maybe a ringed Saturn like planet. Also hoping to get some touch-up work done on the original piece.

I’m feeling really confident about this man – he seems like a genuine artist and someone who will be easy to communicate my ideas to and get a gorgeous looking piece. I scouted him out through word-of-mouth from a trusted friend, scouring his portfolio and the shop reviews.

What I discovered in my searching is that there is a wealth of tattoo talent here in Portland. You can EASILY find at least five or six shops in town with impressive reviews and the chops to back them up. Some others I considered before finally choosing Atomic include:

- Infinity Tattoo: Alice Kendall specifically

- Optic Nerve Art: Pedro Dorsey probably does the best portrait work in town

- Imperial Tattoo: Todd J. originally created the Phoenix

- Raven Ink Tattoo: Been inked here before – seen artwork done on friends. Will most likely be back up if Atomic falls through.

- Atlas Tattoo: Great old school flash arty stuff. Not right for my style

While I was mostly sold on the artwork and the vibe from the shop (custom pieces only – setting is a zen kind of Japanese garden) – what finally did it for me was locating this interview with London Bellman on youtube yesterday. This is the kind of calm, respectful person I feel most comfortable letting near my skin:

Gonna find out in a few hours if my hopes and dreams for tattoo-age with this character will come true.

Much Love,

Mindy Crouchley

Dollhouse: The End

It seems fitting that I should start the New Year (and my new intention to blog more regularly) off with a review of a series that I previously foretold would be cancelled…in it’s first season.

Well, it was cancelled, about a quarter of the way into Season 2, and last night was the final episode, a sequel to Epitaph 1. Now that the show is forever off the air, and there will be no other Dollhouse comic books or webisodes or any other media element to tantalize, I feel it’s only right to express my full sentiments about the show.

It wasn’t great. It had great promise but I found myself only moderately attracted to it’s premise.  And several times had to force my way stubbornly through many episodes when I simply wanted to turn the TV off. The writing was spotty at times, and some dialogue felt absolutely grating – especially in the episode last night with the utter terrible example of future speak, “Log off!” Ouch, that one elicited a pained chuckle.

What really sells a Whedon show is the relationships between characters, and how they interact and grow together/apart. So what was ultimately very disappointing about the last half of Season 2 was the pacing. OK – I get that he was trying to tell the story with only six or eight episodes. I don’t begrudge the creators, writers, actors that need and desire, but I’m not sure it worked.

I’ve never really seen a series DO what Dollhouse did – tell the whole story in such a short time span. And now that I”ve seen it done…I’m not sure I want it. I’m not sure I like it.

At what point does the desire to see what becomes of the characters – their transformations over time – start to un-tether you from the characters? And when you see what awesomeness you are missing  because of the rushed story lines (as you realize that each episode is like a full season of amazing) – there is definitely a painful pang.

It’s a bit of S&M from the writers to the hardcore audience – and almost feels like rubbing it in our faces that we are missing so much. It’s like we’re the delinquent parent that is only dropping in on our kids once every year or so – learning about everything we missed, and checking out again.

Confessions of a Superhero

Just finished watching the documentary about costumed folks making a living posing at the Chinese Mann Theatre in LA – “Confessions of a Superhero.” The film focuses on four particular characters – Superman, Batman, The Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman, but the actual meat of the story is delving into the pasts of these folks and what drives them to this particular career choice.

As a comic book nerd, I felt a missing ingredient of the film was in WHY these people gravitated towards their characters. I would have been interested in a little more psycho-analyzing of the personas they put on every day and how they decided to become these people. Especially more details about how and why they chose their costumes. That kinda stuff is interesting – there is an entire cosplay community out there built around the shared experience of putting together a really fantastic costume. None of that was explored or even mentioned here. It’s a shame.

There was probably some wonderful insight to be had by exploring each persons connection to their costumed character, but it seemed squandered by a documentary film-making team more interested in the cheese factor of comic book characters and the desperation of “performance pan-handling” on the streets.

Sure, don’t get me wrong, there were some amusing sequences, and a few even aimed for uplifting. Mostly – I feel humbled by peering in on these insanely different lives. And not really in the mood to laugh at people who are TRYING to make their dreams a reality. Who are getting by the best they can.

There was also an implied message that these folks should feel ashamed about what they do. Maybe not overtly stated, but it seemed a covert message of the piece. As if dressing up like fictional characters on the street for the entertainment of tourists is a humiliating human low. People do worse things for money.

Which is funny, because on good days the performers make more money than the poor costumed suckers at Disneyland…and these independent contractors can swear, take a break or leave for the day when the spirit moves them. Hardly anyone talks about the humiliation of dressing up like Cinderella when it’s condoned by a theme park. No, it’s glamorous and adventurous then. Hmph.

As someone who attends comic cons – half the fun is in scouting out the few souls brave enough to put on a costume. It barely matters if the costume itself is crappy or amazing.

The documentary is worth viewing, if only to come to your own conclusions about it’s intentions. If you don’t believe me, check out the trailer:

Here are a few ladies, the “Sidewalk Superheroes” willing to document their experience on their own terms, which might give a different perspective.

Much Love, Mindy C

The Dollhouse Conflicts: Cancellation Rumors Fly

Poor, troubled Joss Whedon. He’s had off years, and great successes where no one expected (turning a failed movie into a TV series, and a failed TV series into a movie) so expectations were high for Dollhouse, and let’s be honest  – the first four episodes did not deliver.

If I wasn’t a Whedon junky, I would have probably skipped off Dollhouse following episode 3 (as I did with Fringe). But the tenacity of wanting to see this show succeed where Firefly failed kept me watching. Things have picked up. Things have gotten good. Though I’m still not in love with any of the characters, and feel the humor is rocky at best…there is more to this than sheer entertainment value at this point. It’s getting Joss back on track doing what he does best – television. And if it takes a season or two to make that happen…I want to put him there. He’s delivered exciting content on three different TV shows, with my favorite mutants, and in a musical blog. What more could a nerd heart desire?

Also – I promised Tahmoh Penikett I would keep him in a job.

But a Twitter from Felicia Day picked up by Dr. Horrible and spread out to the Whedonverse has unleashed the storm which has no doubt been quietly building there for several weeks.

It doesn’t confirm that the show is canceled – merely a Season Two bridge episode #13 in which Felicia Day and Alan Tudyk were supposed to guest star is *possibly* not going to be aired. Hence – no Season Two, without an airing of the much touted Episode 13.

UPDATE: Tim Minear explains the situation here and soothes some of the savage beasties salivating at the keyboard. It’s incredibly helpful when the writers of a show watch the fan boards and respond. Why are these people so eerily accessible?

Right now – Dollhouse and Fox are the top trending searches on Twitter. I’ve even been prompted to tweet my fourth update in the last month about it, just to add my tiny push to the wave that is no doubt cresting at Fox’s door this very moment. All this started about 1 hour ago, btw. Hah!

So – I’m going to do my part and reserve a copy of the Season One DVD.  I’m going to ignore the conflicting info flying around the net at present:

- Dollhouse FTW!

- Dollhouse EPIC FAIL!

For some reason – as with X-Men Origins: Wolverine…I just can’t shake the feeling that the internets have been duped by bizarre FOX PR stunts as of late. Or maybe it is just the inability of old media to play nicely with new media creating circumstances which feed fan frenzy. Who knows?

Maybe you want to join in the twittering fun – to save Dollhouse?

Much Love, Mindy C

Emerald City ComiCon: A Recap

This image was the front page of the convention program.

Dan and I hit the road around noon yesterday, on our way up to the Seattle Comic Con – otherwise known as Emerald City ComiCon. We had tentatively planned this trip a few months ago, dependent upon funds and time and the aligning of the fates.

Well, at some point last week, on the verge of deciding not to go, I checked their site to see what exciting guests might peak my interest and swing the vote. Turns out – a few, including:

- Jewel Staite (Kaylee from Firefly)

- Tahmoh Penikett (Helo from BSG and Paul Ballard from Dollhouse)

- Ray Park (Darth Maul, Toad)

- Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol from BSG)

- Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh from BSG)

and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher from ST: Next Generation)

Pretty kick ass line up. Then I spotted in the artist/writer’s tables Mike Mignola and Greg Rucka, and was sold even further. So – Dan and I debated up until Friday evening about whether or not we would attend. Saturday morning, we decided yes.

We didn’t arrive in Seattle until around 2:30pm, and felt discouraged about attending the Con with only a few short hours on the docket. Also we were fairly sure we’d missed an opportunity to take pics with Tahmoh (my goal for the event). Instead, we secured some wireless internet – located lodging close by (a stunning Motel 6 in SeaTac) and tucked in for the night.

We hit up the awesome Pyramid Brewery, got tipsy – stopped at the store and grabbed some champagne – got even more tipsy and spent the night watching Starship Troopers until we passed out.

After a fitful night of sleep, we checked out of our motel, hit up a Denny’s and arrived at the con a mere 1.5 hours later than we had intended. Oh – not to mention that whole day we missed too. More madness behind the link…

Wolverine: Origins Movie Leak

Can’t say that I’m quite shocked about this. But as a fan of watching action-movies on the big screen, with sound effects and explosions and audience response…I decided to pass on the opportunity to see a crappy screener version of this flick on my lap-top. Especially since it lacks a proper score and visual effects. Really? Are people that desperate?

If folks can’t stand to wait another month, it’s on them. But I don’t support Fox, the FBI and MPAA going balls out to prosecute someone about this. And I’m pretty leery about the response from a geek site like Ain’t it Cool News  although I do agree with quite a bit of what it has to say about the incident and it’s casting a negative-light on comic fans. You don’t see other genre films getting early-leaked and peddled around the net. Right? Am I right?

As a fan, I want to support X-Men films, and the best way to do that is throw my dollars behind them.

I am however, amused that this happened to Fox. After they pulled the crap move and leeched profit from Watchmen, this seems an appropriate kick in the balls to them. But in all other instances, where folks are claiming this was a PR stunt by Fox…I don’t see how or why. They don’t stand to gain much from the fake-release of an incomplete product, unless it’s really that good and they anticipate word of mouth and early reviews will generate buzz.

Frankly, I’m confused by their advertisement stunts for this film. I was seeing pretty long trailers for this movie on Fox about a month ago. Usually you don’t see TV ads until two or three weeks before opening. Are they really so concerned about this product that they would pre-leak it?

But the real question is – why would you watch an unfinished version of a film, anyway? And similarly, why would you read the incomplete, first draft version of Midnight Sun? Granted, I did the latter, but only because Meyer herself had posted it, claiming there would be no more versions.

Frankly – first drafts and rough cuts SUCK. I would rather pay money to see a crappy completed project than download a free version with all the wires and grammatical errors showing. To me, it’s not about piracy, it’s about common damn sense. Which apparently quite a few folks lack.

Much Love, Mindy C

Teen Response to Celebrity Violence

I haven’t been following the Rihanna/Chris Brown beating very closely – but a blog I follow recently posted an article about teen response to the incident. Which is important to me – because teens are the market for Rihanna and Brown, and their reaction to these Pop idols violent interaction tells me something about what’s going on in the world. How our future is shaping.

And folks – it doesn’t look good.

On a personal note – I’ve experienced male violence in my life – from a trusted family member. The escalation was not necessarily provoked by myself, but I understand that something I said resulted in this important male figure choking me.

But I don’t EXCUSE that behavior. Violence is NOT the necessary result of a verbal altercation. Domestic violence is certainly not excusable in my book. I don’t excuse this person’s behavior, and I don’t believe that I brought it on, or that I need to take responsibility for his actions. He’s a grown ass man – just like Chris Brown. He can be forgiven, but he will not easily regain trust. Trust is earned, like respect. And physical violence, for me, shattered those elements of our relationship and it has taken years for us to get back on good ground.

Certainly – I see where teens understand that verbal fights CAN turn violent. But it doesn’t mean they SHOULD. And it doesn’t mean Rihanna deserves to be beaten.

Who does, really?

Ultimately – hitting someone, choking them, slapping them, kicking them…well now, that’s a choice. Many people get through life without ever making the choice to resort to violence with loved ones. If you make a choice to beat someone, to hurt them physically – you have to live with that. You can’t deny your choice. You can’t BLAME someone else for your own actions. No one MAKES you hit them – no matter what they say. It’s your fist, your arm, for body. So – live with that, and deal with it.

But the tendency for those young men and women in the article to deny that Chris Brown made a choice – that disturbs me most of all. As if the details of the beating aren’t horrific enough:

This links to the written affidavit of the incident.

Here’s a video with visual interpretation of the affidavit:

It’s hard to piece together what someone might say which would stimulate the response of another rational human being biting their ears and fingers. That’s pretty fucked, no matter how you look at it. I will be interested to see the April 6th proceedings for Mr. Brown. Unfortunately for him – upholders of the law probably aren’t in his listening demographic.

Much Love, Mindy C