I Can See Your House From Here - Archives
vol 2 number 38
I'm always amazed at the persistence of the human spirit. Really, we're a fascinating people: we create remote controls and microwaves, MTV, featherless chickens and smart bombs. You don't see monkeys or cats doing these sorts of things; in fact, outside of humans, the day's entertainment pretty much consists of eating, sleeping, playing, and making more things that eat, sleep, and play.
What is the meaning of life? Who cares? The X-Files is on...
I went to see a planned-at-the-last-minute show the other night, Verbena headlining at a local club after the night's entertainment went MIA. The guys in Verbena are a nice lot; the drummer, Les Nuby, and guitarist Scott Bondy are two of the funniest people I've ever met, and incredibly talented musically. They have chops, they write great music and biting lyrics, and watching them on stage on even a bad night puts their CDs to utter and humiliating shame and sends negative thoughts fleeing like rats from the Titanic.
And as I sat in the half-filled club (for a Monday night and no notice, the band drew a fair crowd), I realized that these guys are persistent. I don't think it's an issue of conscious determination -- I'd bet that these guys don't even think about what they're doing and what the alternatives are. It's more subconscious, like Nick Nolte says in New York Stories : "It's art. You give it up, you were never an artist in the first place." No matter what happens in the band, or with the record companies, or with tour managers or merchandising, they'll keep on playing, because they have no choice.
I know a guy who writes three hours every day, no matter what. If he works eight hours, then goes out for drinks with friends, then comes home to work on some project or another, and doesn't finish up until 3 AM, he writes until 6 AM, grabs an hour of sleep, and starts over. He's not published yet, nor does he have an agent who tells him that if he lives this ritual he will get a deal. This is simply what he does. He wants to be the best writer he can, and from what I've read, he has no limit to the stories he needs to tell. He wrote on his honeymoon, and through the pain of divorce. He wrote in the hospital by his mother's deathbed. I have a feeling he'd find a way to put in three hours daily through a coma. It's impressive.
This sort of behavior is not for everyone, and I realize that. I'm not trying to provoke those of you with artistic leanings into fanatical lifestyles certain to drive your loved ones insane (although admittedly, seeing such things on the evening news entertains me a little). It's just nice to know that people like that are out there, people so driven that for them not to succeed would be some sort of cosmic tragedy. It certainly helps balance out all the sloth and butt-shaped dents in sofas that I see all the time.
I spend a lot of my time trying to convince people to read comics. It's not a special mission that I'm on; I just like sharing things I enjoy with my friends. Just like you play your favorite new CD for everyone you know, or try to convince them to go see a great new movie, I try to get people hooked on comics. Rarely if ever do I pitch the superhero stuff; I love reading them myself, but everyone knows that you can buy comics about the Spandex Ballet crowd. No one needs me to convince my friends that they should check out the new Batman book... but they might need me to talk them in to giving Barry Ween or A Distant Soil a chance.
See, everyone knows that comics are about super-heroes with big powers and bigger breasts and little teensy ankles that should snap under the weight of the grotesquely proportioned super-bodies. Not everyone knows that comics are also about fantasy, history, love, comedy, horror, psychological drama, sex; the common perception is akin to thinking that movies are only about, say, Meg Ryan and Tom Cruise falling in love while they blow lots of ninjas up to the tune of Enya's latest hit. It's just not true. While the majority of most comic shop space is filled with Superman, Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Wonder Woman, that's no different than seeing that cinemas are filled mostly with Hollywood pap. Or more to the point, there are still plenty of brilliant and crafty movies that break the mold; ditto with comics.
I can sit here at my desk all week long, and give you a list of books you should try: Transmetropolitan , for a futuristic politically-fueled thriller twist on Hunter S. Thompson, or Jonny the Homicidal Maniac , for bleak and brutally violent humor, or 100 Bullets if you're into gripping crime with a street feel. And you either listen to me or you don't; whichever it is, I rarely hear back, so I don't know. And frankly, I can only shill these titles for so long before I start to feel slightly cheap (not to mention underappreciated). However...
I'm giving you all a task; a simple task it is, one that won't take any time or effort at all. Simply surf over to http://www.artbomb.net , and look around. Artbomb is a great idea, conceived and given form by Warren Ellis and Peter Rose; it's something that should have been done a long time ago. The beauty of it is that it's not just some bunch of elitist fanboys with webspace shooting off their mouths about how only these comics are worthwhile; instead, as stated in the Artbomb FAQ:
"ARTBOMB is about broadening the appeal of diverse comic books and graphic novels. We hope to demonstrate that comics can offer an entertainment value that many people currently enjoy in film or television or prose. This a storytelling medium that has a lot of dynamic voices with mainstream and adult appeal. It's our mission to help promote their works to new audiences."
Even better, having been spearheaded by Ellis, it has more appeal than a review site written by nobodies (*cough*). The more people that find out about Artbomb, the better off the industry is, both in quality and economic footing; just consider this me doing my part.
You may be wondering what makes Artbomb different than the other review sites out there (including the column that I write). Part of it, as you might have gleaned from the quote above, is the material reviewed. They skip straight past most of the mainstream stuff (and no matter how much mainstream press attention they get, I don't classify PREACHER or SANDMAN as mainstream) and go straight for the rest. These are the books that, first off, need the attention; they come from smaller publishers that can't afford the marketing of a DC or a Marvel, or deal with stories that get swallowed up in the testosterone-swollen field of the industry. More importantly, though, these books are those that have a more mundane appeal. Even if you're one of those sad, sad fool who insists that comics are for kids, Artbomb can aid you in finding a graphic novel you'll treasure. Name your interest, and it's probably there. You can search by creator or by book title, and most of the reviews also have a link allowing you to buy the books that sound interesting to you.
Another nice thing is the information they provide. You can find a few online comics (right now, just a few, but more should come in the future), so you can see some samples before you buy. The creator pages have quite a few bonuses, including creator bios, links to reviews of their books, email contact addresses, and home page links.
And then there are the reviews. You can tell me that you don't like the reviews (written by talented folk like Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick, as well as Rose and Ellis), but I'll remind you that your opinions are like a case of herpes: your's are no better than anyone else's, they don't go away for long, and I really don't want any part of them. Critics are critics, reviews are reviews, and crap smells bad in the summer sun. It's not what the reviewers think of the stories that is impressive -- I'll disagree with them as much as anyone else -- but the brunt of their work is intended to allow you to make up your own mind. This is largely by virtue of the works they cover; there's not a lot of crap for them to wade through. Instead of having to praise/condemn the brilliant/moronic dialogue and jaw-dropping/horrid-like-pulling-teeth artwork, they let the work speak for itself, for the most part. Here's the book, here're the answers to questions you probably have, and here's a link if you find yourself intrigued.
If it's the last thing I do (and I promise you that I'll have at least one more trick up my sleeve afterwards), you will each try a comic. It might be a serialized monthly, it might be a single graphic novel, but you will read a few. Hey, you wouldn't stop going to the cinema just because you saw a bad movie, would you? Or give up museum visits after a boring show? Then why haven't you tried some comics?
Go to Artbomb. Check things out. If you find something you think you like but can't get off the fence about it, mail me. I might have a copy, and if you promise to read it and pass it on to your friends, I might send it your way.
My own personal recommendations, as they stand this month:
The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius There are three volumes currently, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Split-your-gut humor, spot-on capturing of the adolescent male, loads of satire, and a fair amount of South Park lowbrow moments. Judd Winick puts it all on for show here, including his ability to photographically record the chemistry between people.
Transmetropolitan Warren Ellis' defining work for me, this series (finishing up it's serialized run in the next few months, and avilable in trade paperbacks) has science fiction, humor, political intrigue, guns, drugs, and Bowel Disruptors. Ellis' gift for cutting edge conceptualizing is nearly overwhelmed by a skewed perspective of the American/Western way. Darick Robertson provides the pencils, adding a gripping detail to the story.
The Invisibles This is visionary science fiction. Dense, intelligent, and cinematic. Among the best that the industry has ever had to offer.
The Watchmen Alan Moore's revolutionary book, a what if... tale for the Reagan years. Brilliant on all counts, from the dialogue to the pacing to the artwork. One of the only super-hero books to truly transcend the genre.
Further, if you want something historical, try Moore's and Eddie Campbell's From Hell or Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus ; for horror, there's Dan Jolley's and Tony Harris' Obergeist and Ellis' Strange Kiss ; for slice-of-life style books, Andi Watson's Breakfast After Noon or Brian Wood's and Steve Rolston's Pounded is what you seek; and Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber did a little book called Whiteout for all you people looking for thrillers.
This may all sound like I'm rehashing old territory, but remember this: I'll keep mentioning it until each and every one of you tells me you tried a comic book or two.
I'm persistent and driven, too.
Kenn McCracken will be driven everywhere he goes one day.