Oly Comics Fest

Ah, the comic convention. The phrase brings to mind so many images: sweaty middle-aged men in superhero logo shirts selling longboxes full of meticulously bagged comic books, lines of fans with stacks of books waiting to be signed (and later sold on eBay), young women paid to dress up in Wonder Woman suits and entice the throngs of passersby into booths of collectibles...

Unfair preconceptions, perhaps, but not without a grain of truth. In a hobby that's increasingly the province of long-time fans and companies trying their hands and multimedia cross-promotion in the worlds of Hollywood and video games, the large conventions must obviously reflect these trends.

The exceptions, and the respite from superhero monoculture, come from smaller conventions, the ones oriented not at the so-called mainstream of the hobby, but the ones that elevate artistry above commerce and celebrate the craft as opposed to it's marketing.

Enter Olympia Comics Festival. You could not ask for a more grassroots, diverse, non-commercial (to the degree that any convention can be) event. You probably couldn't ask for a smaller event, either. Hosted by Olympia's Danger Room Comics, the May 20th festival encompassed events at several venues in downtown Olympia.

The festival kicked off with a stage show at the Capitol Theatre. We arrived a little bit late, but still managed to catch most of it. We walked in in the middle of a slideshow, featuring the event hosts (the staff of Danger Room) narrating a slideshow of panels from typically silly Golden Age DC Comics stories. This segment included dramatic readings of the tale of Batman Jones and a story about Jimmy Olsen trying to eat a submarine.

Next up was, for us at least, one of the main events. Guests of honor Jessica Abel and Matt Madden did a Q&A session with the event's MC, talking about everything from their recent books (La Perdida and 99 Ways To Tell A Story, respectively), the process of getting those books published, and their current work as teachers and textbook authors.

The main stage show was rounded out by a series of sketches based on the idea of a "comic book news show" (ranging from amusing to perplexing, with the overall air of a middle school talent show), and a comic character impersonation contest, with attendees giving their best versions of Mary Jane Watson, Charlie Brown, any Adrian Tomine character, etc, etc.

We took a lunch break at Cafe La Voyeur, an excellent lunch spot and bar with a healthy selection of vegan food, and made our way back to the Olympia Center, where the artist's expo portion of the festival took place. I can safely say that this was one of the smallest events I've attended. The entire expo consisted of a ring of tables around the outside of the room, and a half-dozen tables clustered in the center. The entire place was slightly larger than a high school classroom. Not that this was a bad thing, though. After feeling overwhelmed at the constantly expanding APE convention, an event of this size was sort of refreshing. It made it possible to get a good look at every table and chat with any of the attendants without feeling like you missed out on anything, or overlooked anybody you were interested in.

The biggest "name" there, other than the guests of honor, was Roberta Gregory, of Naughty Bits fame, but most of the cartoonists represented there were part of the burgeoning minicomics scene, and most of the material for sale was small-run, photocopied, or hand-printed type of works. I ended up spending around $20 and walked away with a few minis of varying sizes and prices, from the $3 Hate Me gag book by Jonathon David Hanh Vu Hill, to the $6 book Paralysis, by Hellen Jo.

We ended up leaving after a shopping trip at event sponsor Danger Room Comics, due to an onset of inexplicable exhaustion. This meant we had to skip out on the panel discussion, signing, and other events later that afternoon. But it was a worthwhile trip, and very healthy to see an small event like this, focused on the type of work that most people will never see. It's sort of encouraging to know that there are people out there making events like this happen, and attending them, and getting excited about stapled and photocopied books of cartoons.

Mixed Bag #4 Reviews

Chris "Lefty" Brown, being the super awesome person he is, challenged fellow bloggers to a mix cd challenge. See my director's notes post if you wish, but here is what I thought of the discs I received from the other participants of the Mixed Bag #4: Death and Taxes.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:

Chris "Lefty" Brown - DISC #1 ROCKIN' LIKE DOKKEN
Highlights: I loved the Ben Folds song "Get Your Hands Off My Woman", The Police to Prince transition, and the inclusion of my super secret (though not so much anymore) favorites, the Beastie Boys. There was a nice variety in tempo and styles throughout the mix.
Constructive Criticism: I am a fan of odd transitions - as long as the music flows into each other. But the Sufjan Steven's "John Wayne Gacy Jr." movement into Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" wasn't my cup of tea.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Chris "Lefty" Brown - DISC #2 I SEE DEAD PEOPLE
Highlights: I was so excited to see this mix, because I was thinking of using this same theme for my mix. But I had problems trying to go from Otis Redding to Elvis to Notorious B.I.G., so Chris proves far superior in this talent than I. The enclosed list of birth and death dates is a nice nerdy touch.
Constructive Criticism: I would have liked enclosure of some other musical genres, like rap, but that's just me. I know I have ecclectic taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs

Eddie - SOUNDS ED-CLECTIC
Highlights: Apparently everyone got together to discuss my love of The Clash, as this is one of a few mixes to include the iconic band. But seriously, how could one go wrong starting off a mix with "Know Your Rights"? I also liked the fact that Eddie used his entire disc. It's nice to know there are other neurotics out there. And thanks to my Grandpa I have a deep rooted love for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, so that was a nice sentimental touch (even if it was unintentional).
Constructive Criticism: When I complained about lack of variety in some mixes, apparently Eddie read my mind and went running off in the other direction. At times, this mix feels really disjointed and unfocused. But I guess that supports his theme, so more power to him. It just made me feel like a crazy person. Nice hidden track too.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs

Gordon - ...THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS
Highlights: I love, love, love, love the mid-section starting with The Breeders and ending with Television. It's like a Serene's favorite music sandwich. This feels like a good soundtrack to a beer party with political friends. I'm not sure what that means, other than this is a very smart mix, while still being low-brow.
Constructive Criticism: The U2 song didn't fit very well in the last half of the mix, but that's just my opinion. I liked the variety of generations represented on the mix, but most of the songs had the same feel and tone. It would've been nice to reach out a little further, but I liked the sound, so it didn't bother me much.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs

Greg - THE TOTALLY UNSAFE FOR WORK CD
Highlights: Any mix that includes Prince, the Magnetic Fields, Scissor Sisters, and the Beastie Boys is alright in my book. While I am admittedly lukewarm on Cinderella and the entire genre it is in (hair metal gone ugly), I appreciated it on the mix for tapping into my inner fourteen year old who finds dirty words and loud guitars funny.
Constructive Criticism: There are some questionable transitions (ie. From the Magnetic Fields to Suicidal Tendencies) that feel really abrupt, but considering the variety there really isn't room for gentle movement.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Kelly Brown - MAN VS WOMAN
Highlights: I really liked this mix for two very different reasons: her dedication to the theme throughout the mix and the use of Motley Crue. The use of a washed up rock band from the 80's may seem to be a silly reason to like the mix, but it's used in an unironic way. And it's fun.
Constructive Criticism: Since it was a gender defined mix, I would have liked to see more females on the mix. It feels a little masculinated, so apparently the men win this time around. But you best watch your backs.....
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs

Kevin - (FOCUS)
Highlights: I was lukewarm on Saint Etienne until this mix. Perhaps I should give them another chance. This mix deserves to be listened to in a stark, hip martini bar with sexy people dancing around. Fantastic music choices paired up with a nice spring-jazz feel to the mix made me feel very sophisticated and worldly just listening to it.
Constructive Criticism: There isn't anything sticking out at me, other than the fact that Kevin obviously is a snob and thinks he is better than everyone else by using such a high-brown theme with his arty photograph cover and hoity-toity music. Pfft.
Requisite Grading Scale: 10/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #1 - THE GOOD
Highlights: Opening with a quote from Mystery Men is a way to get in on my good side. In addition, the theme being clearer on this disc and a wider variety of music made it my favorite of his bunch. Also, though I hate Rollins Band, I appreciated the nod to The Crow with the inclusion of the song.
Constructive Criticism: There is never an excuse to use Creed on a mix - in my world, anyway. They are nails on a chalkboard for me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #2 - THE BAD
Highlights: I really liked the Prince track "Partyman" in this mix and the inclusion of Green Day's "Nice Guys Finish Last" (random trivia: this reminded me of my brief stint as the bass player in an all-girl pop punk band which was basically a Green Day cover band). I enjoyed the wide WIDE variety of 'bad guys' on this mix.
Constructive Criticism: I previously mentioned two of my mix cd cardinal rules: odd transitions okay if music matches up and no repeats of an artist. Both were violated on this mix (Green Jelly to Prince - riddle me this and two GNR tracks - though it's a tough one to call since both tracks were covers).
Requisite Grading Scale: 6/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #3 - THE UGLY
Highlights: This was the first of his three discs I listened to because I love the MC Chris song "White Kids Love Hip-Hop" and I really really love Rocky Horror Picture Show. Plus, I liked the Dangerdoom album, which tapped into the eternal Adult Swim fan in me. Looking over the rest of the list, I was startled by the sheer variety of songs on this mix. In such a good way.
Constructive Criticism: It was hard for me to follow the theme because there wasn't a lot of "ugly" in this mix for me, other than the Bubba Sparxxx "Ugly" track. I thought maybe it was implied that the artists are ugly, but then I thought maybe it was that the songs were ugly or about ugly people. And as far as I'm concerned, this could have included at least one female artist .
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Mike - DO NOT BRING YOUR EVIL HERE
Highlights: I was told to expect crazy from his mix, so I was sort of prepared. Even with the warning, I was still startled by the opening track being a soundbite from The Swamp Thing television show. Overall, the mix has fun and unpredictable, which made it entertaining to listen to. My favorite off the mix was the Devo track, which delivered a punch only the awesomely costumed men of the synth-pop 80's can deliver.
Constructive Criticism: One of my cardinal rules is to never use a band more than once on a mix. In Mike's defense, Young Fresh Fellows are pretty awesome. But three times was too much for my taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7/10 awww-yeahs

Roger - IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN
Highlights: The Nick Cave and Johnny Cash song is phenomenal and I'm so happy to hear it on this mix. I was also happy with the variety, from Talking Heads to Etta James (both great musical touchstones). Also, knowing that most of this mix is a autobiographical exercise makes this mix awesome by default.
Constructive Criticism: The Jeopardy theme seemed to be a bit much and not really needed, but I would probably brag a bit too if I were on the show. And in my final display of nitpicking, I really didn't like listing of "Drive My Car" by the Fab Four rather than The Beatles - even if we all knew who it was.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs

Thom - IN ONE EAR: MY OWN CHAPTER
Highlights: The cover caught my attentions and the track listing kept it. I really liked the Elbow song "Forget Myself" and I know I cannot be alone in loving the Welmore Mile's "The Bee Song". My overall impression of this disc is that it was well put together and fluid.
Constructive Criticism: I wasn't sure what the Eric B. & Rakim song was doing on this mix. I enjoyed it for a change of tempo and flavor, but both the transitioning song in (Elvis Costello's "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror") and out (a very awesome "Under the Sun" by Sound Transmission) made it stick out like a sore thumb to me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs

A Free Comic Review

Dave over at Yet Another Comics Blog has been so kind and generous to send out some free comics to his readership, so I figured it would only be polite to review what he sent me.

Hummingbird by Gregory Benton, SLG, $4.95

Since I was appropriately labeled an "indy comix" fan, Dave definitely scores a high mark for sending this comic. This comic can definitely be considered indie; partly because of the publisher and partly because of the whacked-out story line and art. Gregory Benton art is sloppy and creepy and weird. And it works perfectly with the story line that from the very beginning is shocking and disturbing. Within the first four pages we see the mother eating the insides of the family cat and gnawing on her boyfriend. And to clarify, this is not a zombie comic. The namesake of the book is a little girl, smart and wise beyond her years, who is forced to deal with her psychotic family and re-establish a relationship with her father to survive. If I were to pick this up at the store, I'm not sure I would buy it, so I am grateful that Dave sent me this copy (signed, no less).

The Goon 25 Cent Issue by Eric Powell, Dark Horse, 25¢

I have heard about this story and have seen the trades of it, but I have never been inclined to pick it up and read it. And it's actually pretty cool - if you are into the whole fighting zombies and other creatures that go bump in the night storyline. The art is awesome and the story is funny at times, so this was a nice bonus addition to my free comics package from Dave. I don't know if I am convinced enough to go catch up with the series, but this was certainly a nice palate cleanser.

SPAZ!

Some of you may remember my previous post that mentioned Kaz Strzepek's minicomic series The Mourning Star, a sci-fi fantasy epic that I continue to recommend highly. Well, the book pictured above is Spaz, another Strzepek book that shares many of the same qualities that makes The Mourning Star such an excellent read.

The book itself is produced in a similar manner, with a heavy cardstock cover in a light, cool, gray tone, with three-color screened artwork. The binding is a piece of colored thread looped through the pages and cover, color-coordinated with the green of the cover art, and tied in a neat little knot in the center. This clean, attractive presentation is what initially caught my eye about his work, as it's several notches above the typical Xerox and staples production values of the minicomics world. The attention to detail is striking.

But where Spaz truly shines is inside. This book collects a series of gag cartoons about a trio of roommates. One of whom is a mute, anthropomorphic cat, and the other two are an odd-couplesque pair of college buddies, one straight-laced and put-upon, the other rather lacking in social graces. Not an especially original concept, but the execution is spot on. Each page is typically a complete "scene," from setup to punchline, but the scenes are strung together in a larger narrative. Not really a plot, as there's no overarching storyline in any grand sense, but there is in internal continuity to the strips, and several of the one-page scenes connect into longer storylines.

The characters are rather broad, but well-thought-out, and their interactions are the source of the humor here. Booie, the wild roommate, is the instigator of almost all the hijinks, which range from harmless pranks and drinking mishaps to stealing cars from crackheads and exposing children to hentai. There's also an incredibly funny sequence detailing the pitfalls of trying to combine nerdy pastimes with sexual fantasy.

There's an infectious rhythm to the book, with solid laughs coming at the end of every page, and usually smaller gags filling in the space between setup and payoff. In a lot of cases, the jokes build on top of each other, making each page progressively funnier and leaving few comic possibilities unexploited. There were a few times I had to stop reading to wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes.

Spaz would be completely at home in one of the many alt-weekly newspapers that run comics like Maakies or Red Meat. It's a dark yet lighthearted sort of humor for adults that functions well in small doses, but pays off even higher laugh dividends in concentrated doses. I'm not sure if there are more episodes of this series in the works, but apparently there is some more Mourning Star coming sometime this summer.

I've Been Let Down Again

Oh Hollywood, why do you take my favorite things, shove them in your mouth, and then after you've had your way with her toss some grotesque garbage not even resembling the original product out of your mechanical orifice?

Yes, I watched Art School Confidential this weekend. Yes, of course I love Daniel Clowes. Yes, I loved Ghost World and other flicks Zwigoff did (shut up - Bad Santa is funny). And yes, I've been waiting for months and months for this release because I am a big nerd for Mr. Clowes.

That being said, this movie was total crap.

First, the movie felt like a high school comedy flick. All the requisite elements were there: cute blond muse with pert breasts, the viriginal, misunderstood yet charming and handsome lead teen, the funny side-kick friend that is borderline perverse without being too disturbing, the suburban parents with the prissy sister, and the coming-of-age milestone of being dropped off at college for the first time.

Then, the movie suddenly took a dark turn with a sinister Jim Broadbent (Jimmy) playing confidant to a distraught, heartbroken Max Minghella (Jerome). With no one to turn to and no woman's breast pillow to rest his weary head on, he hits the bottom. Good thing for him, there is a prize at the bottom of this pity well, which moves us to the last of the Hollywood movie cliches...

Cue the birdies singing loop and the bright lights, for we've entered romantic comedy territory. You can come to your own conclusions here, for I strictly adhere to the no spoilers policy. I may have hated the movie, but I still want Daniel Clowes to have pockets lined in sweet, glorious cash.

POST-SCRIPT:
Dan Clowes, you still own my heart. I'm sorry you have co-producing credits on this heaping, steamy pile of proof that Hollywood is run by a bunch of dip shits. I am sympathetic that they were working with little source material and I am sure having you write the script was a great effort in preserving artistic intent. But there was nothing in this movie that I will associate with your genius.

Dyke Watch

The Book(s): Dykes to Watch Out For: Split-Level and Dykes and Sundry Other Carbon Based Lifeforms
Author: Alison Bechdel
Publisher: Firebrand Books

TMI Alert: I have a vested investment in the appreciation and acceptance of the GBLT community, partially for my belief in basic human rights but also in the form of my very awesome and brave Grandfather and many awesome friends. I won't turn this into a political entry, as we here all love our comics. But why I felt inclined to explain my reasons to read these books makes me sad. As Alison addressed in her introduction to Dykes and Sundry Other Carbon Based Lifeforms, she shouldn't be narrowed down as an artist catering to the queer community or limiting her readership because she writes stories including lesbians. It's a story, regardless of who it is about. And I totally agree.

The Story: The two (out of eleven) DTWOF books I read followed the tightly interwoven lives of a group of friends consisting of men and women in both home and work environments. The characters vary from cocky and confident Lois at Madwimmin Books to Stuart, a non-profit working man whose dating history shows a man falling for lesbians. The colorful cast of this story reads much like everyday modern adult life dealing with politics, debt, family, work, sex, love, and everything in between.

The Art: Alison has a very clean and consistent style that is laid out in a traditional strip format. It relays emotion without being messy, which can be difficult to accomplish. I particularly enjoyed the way she draws hair, which may be a weird thing to appreciate. But this is my blog entry, not yours, so stuff it.

Overall: If you are into character stories that are engaging to read, check out these books. If you want a preview, check out Alison's blog which is updated with new stories. If you want to read more about the cast, order her books, or learn more about Alison, check out her website.

Cause we all like free stuff....

Yay for Free Comic Book Day 2006! We'll be spending our Saturday at Zanadu Comics in lovely downtown Seattle fighting my way to the front to get the Scott Pilgrim freebie.

And in more free loving cheers, yay for Dave at Yet Another Comics Blog! He's giving away free stuff. Check it out.

Seeing all this free-lovin going around makes feel a little misty eyed. Or maybe that's an allergic reaction to this nice sunny day. Either way, it's nice to see folks getting to know each other a bit and getting free stuff in the process.