Each day this column posts this week I am going to write a bit about my friends and people I respect in the comic book industry. The two comic industry people I am writing about today are not “creative” talents in the industry. They are people who work behind the scenes to get the word out about some very fine works. In some cases their help has been crucial in my landing an interview. I am speaking about Ian Feller and Brian Petkash. Ian has worked at Combo, Wizard, CrossGen, Comic Buyer’s Guide and now at the agency 813 Sands where he represents creative people and consults with publishers to help them establish their place in the comics industry. He is a very intelligent, ardent, loyal and energetic, advocate for the comics industry and I take my hat off to him. Brian Petkash works for Sphinx Group, a public relations agency and his work has brought the work of a number of creative people and studios to public awareness. In addition to this, he is a teacher in a Florida High School and an advocate for children in a Political Action Committee. The National Association to PROTECT Children organization serves to remind us that children need advocates, and protection and a voice. I hold Brian highly in my esteem. Both gentlemen represent the comic book industry very well, and I consider both of them key allies.
MY COLUMNS THIS WEEK
This week I am going to write four columns, and perhaps with one interview. As you might know, interviews are not always easy beasts to control, as no matter how well thought your questions, and quick or slow you are to send them via e-mail, the person answering the questions and returning their answers holds in their hands the ability to determine how successful the interview is. A great response to my poor questions can still be an interesting read. But poor responses to my best questions will likely not be. So who knows, and I hope to get in all my internet ether floating works.
ANAKIN SKYWALKER a.k.a. DARTH VADER IS A DUMBASS
Due to reports that Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith was a dark film my wife and I chose to wait until it was released on DVD to buy it and monitor it for the adult themes for our six year old son. And we mostly agreed on the quality of the film. Despite the header there I really did enjoy the Episode III of Star Wars. But unlike any of the other episodes in the saga I was left afterwards regarding the film with a nagging feeling that Anakin Skywalker made a horrible choice based upon faulty reasoning. The premise I entered the movie with, was that we were going to see the compelling reason for why a good person with wild still untapped potential talents turned evil, and committed horrible deeds. Instead I saw a person who did not have the mental ability to see through an evil argument. I was left not feeling sympathy for Vader as I have heard that other viewers have felt, because instead of that I felt like he made a choice that ultimately made no sense. If I was told my son and wife would die and I could avert it by killing all the officers of the law and installing an evil government, I’d have to suspect that the evil government would not uphold its own word, let alone the much greater evil of indiscriminant slaughter of innocents. His motives were primarily irrational fear of loss? I just do not see how toppling a republic and killing the moral guardians of it, in order to receive the help of someone with great power but is evil is a plausible choice. Ah well. Thumbs up but damn, Anakin Skywalker was a dumbass.
Various renditions of Sherlock Holmes have made the genius investigator into a boob, a drug addict, a bon vivant and insane-o. This story begins with a grave robbery and quickly moves on to using all those various aspect of the reimagined Holmes. This odd couple, enabler and dude, seek to solve a mystery. The parody is not altogether crisp, but it is fun. An aspect of parody is being able to leave enough recognizable traits in the piece, to make it more than just a rip off. The self referential nature of parody causes there to be a need for a knowledge of the root of the character. Otherwise the parody aspects of the story are off. I have to say that the art here is nice. Perez is going to be an industry great or die trying I think. He just needs a property that will present his work to a large audience. The writing is by no means bad, the story is fun, and telling humorous stories is not easy. But the art is where it excels.
Wherever the dark creatures of the night exist, humans fear and avoid. The 13th Son hunts the dark creatures though, and he causes a great deal of fear among them, and any human who spots his gleaming red eye and skull helm. The art here is easily some of the best on the stands right now. It is smooth, dark, moody and filled with energy. The writing is sparse with regards to dialogue, but a mystery is in the air, with a lot of creepy doings. I think that Jones here has managed to evoke Swamp Thing under Wein and Wrightson, or Man Thing with Gerber and Ploog. The story is has a great feel to it, and I would be lying if I did not say this is a wonderful book.
CALLING ALL READERS
Either upon message board or to me through e-mail please let me know who you think was the best writer, artist and writer/artist of 2005 and what work deserves the credit for the best of 2005. This is not a contest per se, as I do not have a great stack of give away material or special art pages or signed comics, I simply want to gain a feel for your picks of 2005. I think it is always important to know what others think because there is no way a person can afford to read all the titles that have come out, or works from even one of the big 6 of Dark Horse, DC, DDP, IDW, IMAGE & MARVEL. When sending your list, if you can, tell me what you thought were the best comics vis a vis publisher. Finally when you send an e-mail please send a mailing address so that I might place all the names in a pool and pick one for something fun. Thank you.
SEND REVIEW PRODUCTS TO: Alexander Ness
The Land Of Frost
Box 142
Rockford MN 55373-0142
Alexander@popthought.com
George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart “Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the ONE woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and they haul her fanny off to jail."
