Maine Comics Arts Festival Maine-ia!

Though the true highlight of my weekend was, in fact, my awesome lil' brother's college graduation, the Maine Comics Arts Festival in Portland was next on the list. I met some amazingly talented artists, scooped some soda freebies, and copped some customized swag.

You can check out my short-but-sweet recap and photos of the Fest here at The Daily Cross Hatch.

Meanwhile, I had to share some of the goodies I grabbed/really wanted to grab (my budget was $20, peoples!) - click "Read More"...for more!

SEEDS: An Anthology of Comics About Food

Created by Colin Tedford and Dan Barlow

PIXU II

By Becky Cloonan, Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Vasilis Lolos

WINDY CORNER MAGAZINE #2

Edited by Austin English

SALT MINES

By Dane Martin

SHORTSTACK: The Journal Comic Card Game

By Jon Chad

OUTBOUND Sci-Fi Comics Anthology

By the Boston Comics Roundtable (David Marshall, Roho, Josh Mills, Michael Paoloni, Alexandra Mills, Erik Heumiller and more, cover by Marcelo Buchelli)

NIGHT TRIPPERS

By Mark Ricketts and Micah Farritor

I WILL BITE YOU

By Joseph Lambert

SQUARECAT COMICS VOLUME TWO

By Jennifer Omand

FRENCH MILK

By Lucy Knisley

HARVEST IS WHEN I NEED YOU THE MOST: A Star Wars Fanbook

An Anthology including Box Brown, Jacob Chabot, John Green, Zack Giallongo, Braden D. Lamb, Fish McGill, Shelli Paroline, Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier

NATHAN THE CAVEMAN

By Ben Bishop

SUPERIOR SHOWCASE #2

By Maris Wicks, Farel Dalrymple and Joey Weise

COELACANTHUS Comics
By Michael Connor

PIXEL HERO Poster

By Mark Gonyea

SET OF 6 Assorted Art Postcards
By Christina Siravo

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I Just Read: "The Unwritten" #1

It's the first issue of Vertigo's The Unwritten by Mike Carey and Peter Gross - the same team behind Lucifer - and I'm hooked. The story of a Harry Potter-esque tale come-to-life in modern day UK is funny, entertaining and smart, and makes an interesting commentary on social/literary phenomenon. Can't wait for the second installment!

What are YOUR thoughts?

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This Weekend: The Maine Comics Arts Festival

This Sunday, you can catch me in Portland, Maine at the Maine Comics Arts Festival, getting the scoop on over 70 comic artists and writers in attendance, including special guests: Kean Soo (Jellababy), Becky Cloonan (Demo), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Gabrielle Bell (Cecil and Jordan New York Stories) and more.

I'll have a full report for the folks at The Daily Cross Hatch, which I'll of course link to when it's up.

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Thrift Store Adventures: "Reflections" by Virginia Clarke

I love old books - maybe because I believe that The Neverending Story was a documentary, maybe because I just love the mystery of them - but I always get this rush of excitement whenever I find a beat-up, wrinkled old book. I love imagining the hands they've passed through, whose lives these words have maybe influenced, the stories behind the stories themselves - which is why I flipped when I found this one, Reflections collected by Virginia Clarke, at my favorite Brooklyn shop.

This small book was published in 1914, and is a collection of poems written by the likes of Shakespeare, Poe, Browning, Tennyson, Longfellow, and others. I'm not sure if this was a personal publication of poems that Virginia Clarke just seemed to enjoy - but either way, it's pretty freakin' cool. There are also handwritten notes inside by a mystery hand, with a short scribbled intro on the first page:

"These Reflections I've read for the last time. I return them - now- together with the clippings attached to this page that were enclosed. I've taken the liberty to make a few marginal notations to sort of supplement yours marked, so..."

The notes must have continued onto the page that was originally clipped to the book, which clearly lost its way along its travels. If anyone knows anything about the old Virginia Clarke (not the current living editor of the same name, coincidentally), please do share!

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Must...Have...This T-Shirt!

TopatoCo has some hilarious tees - but this one takes the cake. Buy it here. For me.

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All Nerdy in Mah Air Force Ones

Inspired by Laura Hudson's coverage on Comics Alliance of the Van Wolverine Air Forces below, I did a lil' sneaker shopping of my own.



Nike Dunk - TMNT Custom Sneakers. Someone PLEASE buy these for me.



Vans Sk8 Hi model by R. Crumb!



ADIDAS Hellboy II Plan Pack.



My main man Paul Pope's line of Chuck-like sneaks for DKNY Jeans - new colors out, too!



Click "Read More" to see the rest of my geek-sneak picks! And if you have your own awesome nerdwear submission that I missed, send it on over!


Flawless Victory hooked up some Nike Vandals with a neon Venom theme.



Puma Basket 68 Comic Book Print.



Nike Air Force 1 Playstation Edition Sneakers



Comic Book SB Dunks by Mache.



These Nike Assault and Vandals were part of an official Comic Book Pack launch (last year, I believe?) - and even though they're legit, I would still totally rock them.



Nike Dark Victory Dunk Hi Customs by Shadir.



Aaand more Batman (obvs) - the official Limited-Edition DC Comics Air Force Ones.



Custom Hand-Painted Dr. Seuss "The Lorax" Chucks.



TooNice from TN Customs'Adidas "Silver Surfer" Sneakers.



Suzumiya Haruhi Custom Nike Sneakers.



Nike Nintendo Wii Air Force II High.



Errr. Can't wear these Nike Transformers Marine Convoys...but d-d-d-d-damn!




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Tiny Happy Joy!

My favorite shelf in the bedroom - holds just a few of the little guys I hold dear, mostly Bandai. Check out my favorite Rock n' Roll TMNT - Leo lost his ninjaken, so he's demonstrating his skills with chopsticks. And what's that? You like that ninja print that Paul Pope made for me? I know.

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The "Power" of POWER GIRL?

The portrayal of women in comics has obviously been a hot topic since comics' inception - the question is, how far have we come since? I'm a rational member of the comic book reader community - and I admit that artwork like this gets attention from the demographic. I'm not naive or blind - I'm aware of women's stance in entertainment and our society, especially with the presence of other media outlets perpetuating these ever-lingering conventions. There are certain stereotypes and even archetypes that women, no matter how hard we try to deflect it, seem doomed to be deemed.

I posted this new Power Girl Issue 1 cover on my Facebook and Twitter, to gather some feedback from my friends and followers, and that's what I got. I got some good stuff, too, and now I want to share it, to maybe spark an even larger conversation.

As I receive more comments throughout the day, I'll update and post them here - anonymously, of course, unless otherwise requested!

The Convo / Comments from Facebook & Twitter:

• Stuff like that's one of the reasons comics don't get taken seriously by a buncha people.
• Theres a fine line isn't there? I don't mind art of sexy, beautiful women- but can't stand the cartoon/comic melon chested hats-off to porn star creepy sad male fantasy art..the difference is purely my personal taste. comic bimbos offend me way less than 'celebrity' pop fashion media portrayal of women though.
• Sadly we have to consider the "audience" to which comics are geared towards (well, mainstream comics at least). I know that there's been kinda-sorta a down trend in this kind of imagery (or maybe it's just me and the comics I choose to read (fan of BPRD, Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina)), but this kind of stuff just holds the medium back and continues to trap it with the "juvenile" context everyone associates it with.
• Its a post modern, ironic, self referential humorous in-joke comment on PG's ever expanding cleavage, which makes it okay to perv over it. I mean, to nod our heads and say how we get all those levels and layers...
  
• Lighten up. Nothing wrong with blatant misogyny and exploitation.
• But why is big tits funny? i don't get it. as a comedian once said why arent women rolling around laughing every time they look in the mirror... ooo look breasts !
• Good point. But still - I'm pretty sure there's another way to invoke parody without overemphasizing her bazooms.
• I guess I just don't expect any better from comics anymore.
• getting offended by that sort of thing is an exhausting pursuit. i've sorta given up--comics=chauvinism.
• It looks like they took a Superman pose and used it for Powergirl. Just think of it as equality in the work place.
• Its because of her character design. It's harder to draw her in a non-offensive way than not.


Click "Read More" for the rest of the convo!


• *facepalm*
• Is she on her way to a Playboy shoot or to perform a super deed of goodness? You're non-lame. That cover is über-boobified. I expect that kind of puberty smash-n-grab from Dynamite but not from @Marvel.
• Sometimes it's almost like the '90s never ended. Where's my shotgun?
• I gotta be honest... I think it's a great cover. The looks on the faces in the background are classic!
• They kind of over do it sometimes, Power Girl especially. its really pretty silly.
• If you don't like the human body please send a letter of complaint to God for creating it in the form it is in now.
• I think it depends why you find it offensive. To me, it's almost like she's a drunk college girl on spring break.
• I see nothing wrong with Power Girl letting the world know that her gravity (and physicality) defying breasts can smother a fire.
• Too much overthinking on this. funny, guys dont complain when male heros are protrayed with huge members bulging in their costumes, but women see the boobs and outrage reigns. just grin and bear it. i've definetly seen worse art than this. this one is very tame in comparison.
• The thing is, guys do complain about penises; remember the outcry that resulted when DC solicited an image that Alex Ross drew in which some guy named Commander Steel had a revealing bulge? Here are the details: http://comics212.net/2007/04/19/afraid-of-cock/
• One cover image of a chick is not a real concern. Males are over staurated in comics all the time yet no one complains. Will power Women show her boobs in this issue? Will she have sex with one the characters? No she just has a nice cleavage and look how Americans are all getting worked up as if they have never seen that before. 
  I must remind people that the male teen market is long gone for comic buyers, They are playing Video Games. Only people 20 and over buy and read comics.
  
• Unfortunately in this society women are constantly objectified. It's just sad that this structure in world culture is so rigid that you can't really see how much we've progressed from the T & A days of old because those days are still pretty much here intact. All we can do as individual human beings is know the difference between what is exploitation and what is human... and read more Margaret Atwood!
  
• HULK not have shirt and hardly any pants either.
  
• Know thy demographics.
• Comic book sellers are seeing more Teen and older female buyers in the MANGA market because they offer a different kind of story than costumed heros. Yet Manga are far more sexual than many American comics. Why is the Japanese product doing so well in attracting teen girl buyers than are publishers in the U.S.? Often the main female lead is Boy hungery and is chasing a Shy male that is far more interested in building a giant robot in his high school science class. The young male is often Objectified as a GIRLY looking youth (metrosexual) and that just drives these teen girls wild. Objectifing a gender is not always coming from male comic artists.
  

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The Happy Blogtime! Brief Bulleted Review: "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

I know everyone's pretty darn sick of reading reviews/hearing about the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie, and I'm with you, folks. So as not to exacerbate that emotion, but to still share my opinion, I'll give you a brief, bulleted review - Happy Blogtime! style.

*SPOILER ALERT*

       Pros 

1. Great casting: Taylor Kitsch as Gambit, Will.i.am as Kestrel/John Wraith, Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth and Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson (pre-Deadpool transformation). 
2. Naked Wolverine.
3. The opening credits of the movie - Watchmen-esque and explained a lot in just a few minutes, especially the progression of Sabretooth's growing bloodthirst.
4. Admittedly sweet action scenes. The movie consisted of MOSTLY action scenes; this, more than anything else, was an ACTION movie that happened to cast comic book characters.
5. Naked Wolverine, naked Gambit, naked Wade Wilson and naked Sabretooth. Oh wait, that was a dream I had.
6. No real CGI abuse.

       Cons 

1. Blatant story arc/factual inconsistencies with the comics: Silver Fox and Emma Frost are sisters? Sabretooth and Wolverine are DEFINITELY brothers? Deadpool has claws and optic blasts? Wolverine's memory loss was....when? The Blob had an EATING DISORDER?? Bitch plz!
   UPDATE from Angie (Batgirl): Apparently "Deadpool" wasn't even really Deadpool - Weapon XI was a clone, which is cleared up in a secret ending as a prep/lead-in to the upcoming Deadpool movie. This does (kinda) explain some things. 
   
   
2. Although Kitsch looked great as Gambit, Remy's signature, nearly-incomprehensible New Orleans accent was non-existent. And where's that adorable little fedorah-thing he wears?
   
3. The Gambit and Wolverine team-up is cool, but would never happen in "real life." Both mutants are rebels and stand-alone fighters. For the movie's sake, I guess it was necessary/cool....but not believable.
4. Silver Fox is boring. And we don't even really know it's Silver Fox until the end credits.
5. The dialogue was cheddar. I know they were trying to sound "comic-book-y," but it came off real cheesy.
6. There's more. But I'm done complaining...honest.

Overall rating? 3 out of 5 SNIKTS!

Synopsis: This was an ACTION movie more than anything else. If you've never read the comics or don't have a viable working knowledge of the characters, I think you'll enjoy it. However, X-Men aficionados be warned - there are so many inconsistencies with the story and the characters in this film, you will most likely leave the theater seething.

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Mutant Mania!

This weekend has been filled with mutant goodness - first, a viewing of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (you best believe there's a blog post coming up about THAT), then...THIS:



Yeah. Giant mutant strawberry. I'm thinking of placing it conspicuously around the house in little hats or outfits. Its mutant power? Deliciousness.

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