tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-278847882024-03-07T01:27:05.517-05:00Unattended Baggage 2.0Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-11977549671227182822013-09-13T07:23:00.000-05:002013-09-20T07:26:44.507-05:00Brighter Than You Think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFTnsNXZNK-j3gVT-KWMQ8RcSDD3fOMCdsMDa4PYswTUzeDMSquZu1y_HmvwGSCPhmhY5WyykEq-MsZWFqH_VUFTyCfi3_x9pIZdRgSvLVBG7ZVJMJ9fRpN4l0l9wNkg0WSY4/s1600/BrighterThan1-660x675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFTnsNXZNK-j3gVT-KWMQ8RcSDD3fOMCdsMDa4PYswTUzeDMSquZu1y_HmvwGSCPhmhY5WyykEq-MsZWFqH_VUFTyCfi3_x9pIZdRgSvLVBG7ZVJMJ9fRpN4l0l9wNkg0WSY4/s320/BrighterThan1-660x675.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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Over at <a href="http://sequart.org/" target="_blank">Sequart</a>, I wrote an in-depth analysis of Alan Moore's short story, "<a href="http://sequart.org/magazine/29763/alan-moores-brighter-than-you-think/" target="_blank">Brighter Than You Think</a>," from the anthology <i>Top Shelf Asks the Big Questions</i>. The story is a fascinating mini-biography of the magician, rocket scientist, and cult figure, John Whiteside Parsons.<br />
<br />Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-53094905088536528052013-09-08T22:13:00.001-05:002013-09-08T22:13:56.772-05:00The Ballad of Bo Carmels, III<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xpjlqSG0jHoArlFslBJfuobWTA9wbb7s4sHE4ESaMJArcKSElo4AqGYHRw8_1OlGcZH9EMVLk1FpdE7lTiTl6fGfSeR5w4eTSjLaQKPxYnYGtuIfH8h7FQByEQCuqQPPE7Jj/s1600/1+-+Cover+v3+Salinger+version+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xpjlqSG0jHoArlFslBJfuobWTA9wbb7s4sHE4ESaMJArcKSElo4AqGYHRw8_1OlGcZH9EMVLk1FpdE7lTiTl6fGfSeR5w4eTSjLaQKPxYnYGtuIfH8h7FQByEQCuqQPPE7Jj/s320/1+-+Cover+v3+Salinger+version+copy.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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Debuting at SPX 2013.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-6200377686715923962013-07-15T08:32:00.000-05:002013-07-24T08:33:42.776-05:00Robot 6 Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuPa2updnk3GjOp-ti30OqQiiTcU1fUN3EaroQOnceNO1mbr9Cdh4ZHe6UZNZEh2yyWIKQLrX0jGyTHIn0C0Nse1Pqqg80Oi5LmJckcRwOLnwKGPI_TQRYCP60sGD0wSs4OAL/s1600/tumblr_mq222t8jKZ1qhal0to3_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuPa2updnk3GjOp-ti30OqQiiTcU1fUN3EaroQOnceNO1mbr9Cdh4ZHe6UZNZEh2yyWIKQLrX0jGyTHIn0C0Nse1Pqqg80Oi5LmJckcRwOLnwKGPI_TQRYCP60sGD0wSs4OAL/s320/tumblr_mq222t8jKZ1qhal0to3_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had the pleasure of being interviewed about the <a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=2198&category_id=405&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=62" target="_blank"><i>Love & Rockets Companio</i>n</a> by one of my favorite writers about comics, Chris Mautner, for the <a href="http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/07/a-unique-american-success-story-celebrating-love-and-rockets-with-marc-sobel/" target="_blank">Robot 6 blog on Comic Book Resources</a>.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-16996822326890151422013-06-07T18:15:00.000-05:002013-06-07T18:16:11.997-05:00Rutu Modan Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzvq4z-Q78boSr6UU6k1_8c4Wz41KeySSGbroKsO_FySV1pay9fJWLa259SoTEbSmEvSHcvb_M73j24dfE3W3Eg-5T3o0WqWf4aw8erexKKUaODhnWcVAtduMNih6QAtl7miY/s1600/26_endpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzvq4z-Q78boSr6UU6k1_8c4Wz41KeySSGbroKsO_FySV1pay9fJWLa259SoTEbSmEvSHcvb_M73j24dfE3W3Eg-5T3o0WqWf4aw8erexKKUaODhnWcVAtduMNih6QAtl7miY/s320/26_endpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I did an in-depth interview with the cartoonist, <a href="http://www.tcj.com/rutu-modan/" target="_blank">Rutu Modan</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, creator of <i><a href="http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?st=art&art=a44be5c884adce" target="_blank">Exit Wounds </a></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?st=art&art=a44be5c884adce" target="_blank">and <i>The Property</i></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> for </span><a href="http://www.tcj.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>The Comics Journal</i></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">.</span><br />
<br />Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-49914969860625079582013-04-22T18:06:00.002-05:002013-04-22T18:09:25.707-05:00Coming Soon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/the-love-and-rockets-companion-30-years-and-counting-pre-order-5.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4AOk26RulZ9YTGwKtkRntcqbvRDqST1DGd-IU7RM8oinwSTe9ZbEx9vwAJX2QPXNwxJAlvY4eCJdKJ8Jt8dXFe4iRjZONE7e9ynPKY0tlxGeKZs8ebIGRPxosB4HkQfKQaD9/s320/Love+&+Rockets+Companion.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<br />Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-78832497342568215722013-01-31T17:38:00.003-05:002013-01-31T17:40:57.813-05:00Ed Piskor Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IFm4l1LS3hL2xhPxUIDZpJuqJFiSI0KImtdIkE7a-1Z1cUv-kQTzcf8GuFB_OP3bAbamob8oZNFl0deNUl5WQQetyPHhL9bBlvzZrJD6Ld_O882d_XAurb23McDrSaSGG7uD/s1600/artist-portrait-color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IFm4l1LS3hL2xhPxUIDZpJuqJFiSI0KImtdIkE7a-1Z1cUv-kQTzcf8GuFB_OP3bAbamob8oZNFl0deNUl5WQQetyPHhL9bBlvzZrJD6Ld_O882d_XAurb23McDrSaSGG7uD/s320/artist-portrait-color.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I did an in-depth interview with the cartoonist, <a href="http://www.tcj.com/the-ed-piskor-interview/" target="_blank">Ed Piskor</a>, creator of <i><a href="http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/wizzywig/764" target="_blank">Wizzywig</a></i> and <i><a href="http://boingboing.net/tag/hip-hop-family-tree" target="_blank">The Hip Hop Family Tree</a></i> for <a href="http://www.tcj.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Comics Journal</i></a>.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-18168103554933918922013-01-03T14:24:00.001-05:002013-07-23T20:35:22.158-05:00An Unwelcome RealizationHere's a depressing little poem in honor of my birthday yesterday:<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p><b><u>An Unwelcome Realization</u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p>Standing before the
shimmering mirror</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The cracks in my face
become clear</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And I feel my age, in a moment
of terror</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And I know that my
last breath is near</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Still I cling to the
notion that it’s all just a phase</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And that tomorrow
I’ll wake up renewed</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And nothing will
remain of this horrid malaise</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And I’ll have
recovered my young attitude</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1/2/2013</div>
Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-57859230167465193352012-12-27T09:12:00.001-05:002012-12-27T09:12:50.919-05:00Comics Reporter Inverview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-R9kEaPnM_ZZiJHru0Tf7HKFha6ZQHQbMZ0XjV_JDg8j_2YFBVixIgaa3C76wGepU9wTk2esZcow7sIVPT7hxMoFyq9_wAvJY7-MRPdI2ctD-nAuMfqqjJJqT-mpo1rfMLJ_/s1600/jaimegilberttogether_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-R9kEaPnM_ZZiJHru0Tf7HKFha6ZQHQbMZ0XjV_JDg8j_2YFBVixIgaa3C76wGepU9wTk2esZcow7sIVPT7hxMoFyq9_wAvJY7-MRPdI2ctD-nAuMfqqjJJqT-mpo1rfMLJ_/s320/jaimegilberttogether_thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I had the distinct honor of being <a href="http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_holiday_interview_26_marc_sobel/" target="_blank">interviewed by Tom Spurgeon of the Comics Reporter</a> as part of his 2012 holiday interview series. As you might expect, we talked a lot about <i>Love and Rockets</i>.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-16916042559910057382012-12-25T13:46:00.001-05:002012-12-29T22:45:03.820-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunZyK0q0PHu-zkY8iAO-BkRqy1Q4fC9It4Uc3nm9Bs4cPZe3rti3_vCokai7w7bI5Fm0Iul7GPwBEpI18YCclQSIfw_WrGrO9evy6tVqVGIh0TOIeBu7J4hv4lth1mCMXedyc/s1600/14+Days+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunZyK0q0PHu-zkY8iAO-BkRqy1Q4fC9It4Uc3nm9Bs4cPZe3rti3_vCokai7w7bI5Fm0Iul7GPwBEpI18YCclQSIfw_WrGrO9evy6tVqVGIh0TOIeBu7J4hv4lth1mCMXedyc/s320/14+Days+Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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I've finally finished posting <i><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5771334358605441730" target="_blank">14 Days in Sri Lanka</a></i>. You can now read the full 164 page book for free online.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-3954892948335281052012-11-14T13:35:00.002-05:002012-11-14T16:35:29.838-05:00Theo Ellsworth Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwxIsxVcSlfTMoYLl5lObqNk6baDokoPUxQ1_RCTnmPMW4G4i0LWm-_sXIaENEHrbUuXu6K17-AmxHdofXmiS07gBUzG_qKqpjdyhvhUeBBD_6XPzic9Lsx-gTAQxwZbP1vOo/s1600/Some+of+You+Shall+Not+Remain+Human.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwxIsxVcSlfTMoYLl5lObqNk6baDokoPUxQ1_RCTnmPMW4G4i0LWm-_sXIaENEHrbUuXu6K17-AmxHdofXmiS07gBUzG_qKqpjdyhvhUeBBD_6XPzic9Lsx-gTAQxwZbP1vOo/s320/Some+of+You+Shall+Not+Remain+Human.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
I did an in-depth interview with the cartoonist, <a href="http://www.tcj.com/the-theo-ellsworth-interview/" target="_blank">Theo Ellsworth</a> (author of <i>Capacity, Sleeper Car </i>and <i>The Understanding Monster</i>), for <i><a href="http://tcj.com/" target="_blank">The Comics Journal</a></i>.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-46669226260977322902012-10-23T10:07:00.001-05:002012-10-23T10:07:39.721-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka - Days 7-8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMaaPfRaels0LsEwSmcvww2vb4utgJGBBWIhrOEeg6Gr4h-oASw9BeRQtWeJ_OM3wIM1SynbjG-VRmGXO0suwR7hIMjv1wAgkJHrW_h_K3ZDKf-z1eus7-QJHa4yN-YQtI_5O/s1600/Page+69+-+Day7TitlePage+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMaaPfRaels0LsEwSmcvww2vb4utgJGBBWIhrOEeg6Gr4h-oASw9BeRQtWeJ_OM3wIM1SynbjG-VRmGXO0suwR7hIMjv1wAgkJHrW_h_K3ZDKf-z1eus7-QJHa4yN-YQtI_5O/s320/Page+69+-+Day7TitlePage+copy.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5802518204563463906" target="_blank">Days 7 and 8</a> are now posted. This part of our trip included an amazing hike to the top of Adam's Peak, one of the holiest sites in Sri Lanka. </div>
Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-24726059847267160702012-09-19T19:54:00.002-05:002012-09-20T09:40:12.255-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka - Day 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyVYs81kBTkvaOxv5_SiGCUa14n7ST3sgQQFtdnBx13YS0nlVpELnWNEi7KttkLdGs4TSr6s8B5eS-VaRgIeNMWRFUbvjgyLxAdSp7O-AhecG-088265q1jbdZbiYe7PIVCS4/s1600/Page+55+-+Day6TitlePage+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyVYs81kBTkvaOxv5_SiGCUa14n7ST3sgQQFtdnBx13YS0nlVpELnWNEi7KttkLdGs4TSr6s8B5eS-VaRgIeNMWRFUbvjgyLxAdSp7O-AhecG-088265q1jbdZbiYe7PIVCS4/s320/Page+55+-+Day6TitlePage+copy.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
After a brief hiatus for SPX, <i><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5771334358605441730" target="_blank">14 Days in Sri Lanka</a></i> continues with <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5790053853493035410" target="_blank">Day 6</a>, in which we learn a fair bit about my wife's fascinating family history.<br />
<br />Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-42147565810099838992012-09-18T21:53:00.000-05:002012-09-18T21:54:07.889-05:00Alan Moore's Lost Treasures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2aGIUuFYPK_JtzAWlVI8HEjgWX5UDJcXPJDQ0n3PgligycaNQOm8BSMwgdwYZybDeCIQbhEs2tQg0sxUdTgyvMErcsTIhX_2Gh0yTiH3rGRyowHSfyZE3Dxo5_pD50gNIiKF/s1600/HastySmear2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2aGIUuFYPK_JtzAWlVI8HEjgWX5UDJcXPJDQ0n3PgligycaNQOm8BSMwgdwYZybDeCIQbhEs2tQg0sxUdTgyvMErcsTIhX_2Gh0yTiH3rGRyowHSfyZE3Dxo5_pD50gNIiKF/s320/HastySmear2.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
I recently contributed two reviews to <a href="http://comicsforum.org/" target="_blank">Comics Forum's</a> online series, "Rummaging Around in Alan Moore's Shorts," an academic series of papers, edited by Dr. Maggie Gray, focused on Alan Moore's lesser known short works. I focused on two of my personal favorites: "<a href="http://comicsforum.org/2012/09/12/alan-moores-lost-treasures-the-bowing-machine-by-marc-sobel/" target="_blank">The Bowing Machine</a>," Moore's collaboration with Mark Beyer from <i>RAW </i>vol. 2 #3 and "<a href="http://comicsforum.org/2012/09/13/alan-moores-lost-treasures-the-hasty-smear-of-my-smile-by-marc-sobel/" target="_blank">The Hasty Smear of My Smile...</a>," a four-page backup story from <i>Hate </i>#30 by Moore, Peter Bagge and Eric Reynolds. Please check them out. I'm pretty happy with both pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZdquaqgkKuTuJp5q5Z3167mK27Q0Ga_hOpyEFz7ac6JTOeaRDbiWgLWENY3zwFuncEGY06pjdLooyIWkloEsHX7p1wWDS7Iaav4B26IipcfjPscg-kj-a-g69L68uC2uX_vg/s1600/BowingMachine2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZdquaqgkKuTuJp5q5Z3167mK27Q0Ga_hOpyEFz7ac6JTOeaRDbiWgLWENY3zwFuncEGY06pjdLooyIWkloEsHX7p1wWDS7Iaav4B26IipcfjPscg-kj-a-g69L68uC2uX_vg/s320/BowingMachine2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-30419762745177240642012-08-25T19:51:00.002-05:002012-08-25T19:51:37.193-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka - Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnmv7AFn-ACxG767yjZCujDJPduijw8n_KY-KL6kmDOReHZAcQQTwD5nDgb5oxyN9BXWrq97sxto6YOPeFlvAe6ey4_J-lJ2w0TdO1WzMSwvGXoSxFS2JMkDWrxkTGuZly4u/s1600/Page+43+-+Day5TitlePage+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCnmv7AFn-ACxG767yjZCujDJPduijw8n_KY-KL6kmDOReHZAcQQTwD5nDgb5oxyN9BXWrq97sxto6YOPeFlvAe6ey4_J-lJ2w0TdO1WzMSwvGXoSxFS2JMkDWrxkTGuZly4u/s320/Page+43+-+Day5TitlePage+copy.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5780776187357551810" target="_blank">14 Days in Sri Lanka - Day 5</a> is now posted. Enjoy.<br />
<br />Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-36522351778810293272012-08-17T17:42:00.001-05:002012-08-17T17:45:25.813-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka - Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvL96Scy1KxDRf78bnxWzYPInLWryKdcUw5ZNZqJcAEnD6tMm7mu9Y27Wk0u0T5rAV_Fvfji2erz8_PvFQ9tCdj1JYX1hf04rrFxPYztBrEWiaLKkkOMEko1jwHZOs1wlw0_1N/s1600/Page+32+-+Day+4TitlePage+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvL96Scy1KxDRf78bnxWzYPInLWryKdcUw5ZNZqJcAEnD6tMm7mu9Y27Wk0u0T5rAV_Fvfji2erz8_PvFQ9tCdj1JYX1hf04rrFxPYztBrEWiaLKkkOMEko1jwHZOs1wlw0_1N/s320/Page+32+-+Day+4TitlePage+copy.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka#5777772703355832530" target="_blank">Day 4</a> is now posted. It includes my reflections on the one year anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami, among other things. Click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka?locked=true#5771334358605441730" target="_blank">here</a> to read Days 1-4.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-29096020918563307872012-08-10T07:54:00.004-05:002012-08-10T09:12:59.705-05:0014 Days in Sri Lanka - Days 1-3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLFelc3NpSgGWqJOrVYfbRw3peNkcQebYDwz8q6ILv0jZ10sHUN0K9YHcDui_M5TrO6-lLY8EyEI2ZlV2iTe57h-T0TsisJFAnTW7ennoKLBKWZuRpmA5ImkHNPQ6oq5tPyyd/s1600/14+Days+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLFelc3NpSgGWqJOrVYfbRw3peNkcQebYDwz8q6ILv0jZ10sHUN0K9YHcDui_M5TrO6-lLY8EyEI2ZlV2iTe57h-T0TsisJFAnTW7ennoKLBKWZuRpmA5ImkHNPQ6oq5tPyyd/s320/14+Days+Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
Six years ago I wrote an extensive travel memoir about my trip to Sri Lanka with my wife. I had hoped to one day turn it into a graphic novel, but for various reasons, I never did anything with it. Anyway, I finally decided that since I did all this work, why not share it, so I've started posting it online. You can read about <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/MarcSobel/14DaysInSriLanka?locked=true#5771334358605441730" target="_blank">the first three days here</a>. I'll be posting the rest over the next month or two. It was such an amazing trip; I hope you'll enjoy reading about it (I highly recommend using "full screen" mode).Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-28347339777531349102011-12-22T14:14:00.003-05:002011-12-22T14:17:20.041-05:00Kevin Mutch Interview<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCRYB6Iu4l8ZgPrD5ZT0j_XH3nu0ZtAycnq-T0wLFdZJJrrgVlAY9qobJ2YIGRDKFmoFa5Y4FaAf0ENa_mdRIg4vrgENDWWGrqAl-XXu1VyRoAI7jVG2bi8khpOqa2ejrvxil/s1600/Fantastic+Life+Cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCRYB6Iu4l8ZgPrD5ZT0j_XH3nu0ZtAycnq-T0wLFdZJJrrgVlAY9qobJ2YIGRDKFmoFa5Y4FaAf0ENa_mdRIg4vrgENDWWGrqAl-XXu1VyRoAI7jVG2bi8khpOqa2ejrvxil/s400/Fantastic+Life+Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689033783818147954" /></a><br /><div>I have an in-depth interview with the cartoonist (<i>Fantastic Life</i>) and publisher (Blurred Books) Kevin Mutch up at <a href="http://www.graphic-e-y-e.com/2011/12/interview-kevin-mutch.html">Graphic Eye</a>. Please check it out.</div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-1157942977792196072011-09-10T21:47:00.000-05:002011-09-11T10:54:32.984-05:00REPOST: My 9/11 Story<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/1600/911_LincolnCenter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/400/911_LincolnCenter.jpg" border="1" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Memorial in Union Square, 9/14/01</span></p><div align="center"><em>"It is hoped that an 'optimism' for our future<br />may flow </em><em>from the lesson learned from our 'tragic' past."<br /><br /></div></em><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em>-- Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning<br /></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="left"><br />For several reasons, I’ve never been able to sit down and write about my own experiences on 9/11 - partly because it was such a painful day, but moreso because I just felt that it wasn’t necessary. Everyone has written about 9/11. I just reviewed four volumes of 9/11-inspired comics and not a day goes by where some television channel or newspaper doesn't mention 9/11. Still five years later, terrorism dominates the political discussion in this country. So when I decided to finally sit down and write about my own experiences, I kept asking myself: do I really have anything new to offer? I didn’t lose anyone close to me, nor had I suffered other than the shock of simply being so close to the actual events.<br /><br />I also felt like anything I would have written back then would have come off as an angry rant, rather than a coherent and thoughtful piece. For a long time, perhaps several years, I was furious. Furious at the utter senselessness of the act itself, and the terrorists who believed so strongly they were making a difference that they sacrificed their own lives for it. Furious at the hopelessness (not to mention cluelessness) of our government and it’s ill-conceived retaliations against Afghanistan and Iraq. Furious at the bloodthirsty bigots in this country who ignorantly targeted anybody they labeled as a foreigner, as if all immigrants were radical Muslim extremists. Furious at the mindless, knee-jerk patriotism that ran rampant throughout this country. Furious at the sensationalistic, opportunistic media who recycled footage of the Twin Towers burning and collapsing about every five minutes, ensuring that we remain in a permanent state of shock and horror. And I was furious because I knew that, on some level, the terrorists had succeeded in scaring us, and “filling our country with fear.”<br /><br />But now, five years later, it feels like the right time to finally chronicle not only what happened to Rachel and I that day, and the week that followed, but also to try to make sense of it all, to understand what it all meant. I don’t know that I’ll be able to offer any new and astounding revelations that haven’t already been written by far better writers than me, but I will, at the very least, preserve the memories of my experiences.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/1600/911_Smoke.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/400/911_Smoke.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The morning of 9/11, Rachel and I were on our way to meet a real estate agent about an apartment in the Lower East Side. We had only arrived in New York City two days before (from London, where we had lived for the last three years), and recently engaged, we were excited to start a new chapter in our lives together.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">When the first plane hit, we were on the downtown 6 train, between Union Square and Astor Place. <map>The subway trains stopped for a long time, and having only been in New York City for two days, I grew very impatient, cursing under my breath. The only announcement that was made was “due to an incident at the World Trade Center all trains are being held momentarily. We apologize for the unavoidable delay.” Finally, after about 10 minutes, the train pulled out of the tunnel and into the Astor Place station. The conductor announced that all train service was suspended, and we figured, since it was a nice day, we would just walk the rest of the way.<br /><br />The second we got up to street level, we could sense something was wrong. Even without any knowledge of the City (I had only been in NYC one other time) there was an uneasy feeling, a strange sort of quiet that you never see in NY. The first thing I noticed was that there seemed to be a lot of people walking uptown, and literally nobody, except us, walking downtown. the city was also eerily quiet. I remember even commenting to Rachel that there were no cars or taxis on the road. The usual chorus of car horns, sirens and motors was silenced. There were several city buses and taxis pulled over on the side of the road. Still, we didn’t really think much of it until I looked up and saw the huge plume of smoke streaked across the morning skyline.<br /><br />For a second we stopped. Frozen and silent, we just stared at the charcoal cloud streaked across the blue canvas. Because of the other buildings, we couldn't tell which building was on fire. </map></div><div align="left"><map></map></div><div align="left"><map>At this point, we were about 3-4 blocks from our appointment, though it was already a half hour past the time we were supposed to meet. As we rounded the corner on 1st Street, near the Bowery, I noticed a pay phone with a line of about 15-20 people queued up to use it. Again I thought to myself how unusual that was in the age of cell phones, but had not yet processed the events that were literally happening right before my eyes.<br /><br />Finally, as we came to the intersection of Great Jones St. and Broadway, we got our first glimpse of the Towers, at this point still standing. Being unfamiliar with New York, we still didn't immediately realize this was the World Trade Center, though it was clear that the building we could see (which turned out to be the South Tower), was on fire. For the first time we both became aware of the sirens swirling all around us from all directions.<br /><br />Finally, anxious, but still relatively calm, I stopped a woman on the street. She was perhaps in her late thirties, white, carrying a pair of high-heeled shoes in her hand and walking barefoot uptown. She was frantically punching at her cell phone keypad, trying to get it to work. “What’s going on?” I asked, and her panicked, hurried voice was unnerving. “Planes crashed into the World Trade Center.”<br /><br />I looked at Rachel, and didn’t say anything. I honestly didn't believe her, but I was too stunned to know how to respond. There was, and still is, a Tower Records on the corner and so we decided to try to find a TV and see what was really going on, but before we could move, the tower collapsed.<br /><br />I will never forget the collective gasp of horror, uttered in unison by the thousands of terrified New Yorkers who shared that particular intersection with us. It was a sound like the first breath after being punched in the stomach, amplified through stadium speakers. It was as deafening and terrifying a sound as I’ve ever heard. Stunned disbelief and silence followed as we watched the famous antenna on the roof tilt to the left, and, as we have all seen thousands of time in the now infamous footage, the tower disappeared behind the skyline.<br /><br />I felt numb, tiny, insignificant, scared, angry, confused and disgusted all at once. I was overwhelmed with emotions I couldn’t even put into words. Rachel was visibly upset, on the verge of tears, and I wasn’t sure what to say. Holding hands, we went into the Tower Records and watched the television screen in the entrance, huddled with dozens of other frightened New Yorkers.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/1600/911_TowerRecords.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/400/911_TowerRecords.jpg" border="0" /></a>Several images linger from that store. I remember a woman, an employee I think, was so overcome with grief she was shrieking on the second floor balcony looking down at us, and might have fallen over if not for her co-worker who pulled her back. </map><map>The footage, even as we watched it, seemed unbelievable. Had we really just witnessed, with our own eyes, the deaths of thousands of people? How do you even begin to process something like that? I shivered, and pulled Rachel close to me. I wanted to cry but, as always, tears seemed trapped behind my eyes. I whispered "I love you" and we hugged for what seemed like ten minutes, scared, but grateful to be together. I remember Rachel saying “this is going to change everything.” We stayed in the store until we could no longer take it, overcome with a emotions that ranged from anger to shock to grief to confusion to disbelief to nausea. Finally, we realized we had to get home. We were about 70 blocks (3.5 miles) from our hotel, and there was no way to get back but to walk, so we joined the miserable parade uptown.<br /><br />The walk was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Everywhere, people were crying, or staring in disbelief. Every time we passed a payphone, we overheard snippets of panicked conversations. Rachel had brought with her one of those cheap, disposable cameras (we had planned to see a site, perhaps even the WTC later that day) and was taking pictures as we went.<br />We walked up Broadway, and at one point, we stopped in a Radio Shack to see if we could catch a news update. The three employees were huddled in the corner near a tiny, handheld black and white TV. Nobody was paying the slightest bit of attention to the store. As I stood there, still in shock, I saw a man, black, about 30, possibly homeless, dressed in a long black trenchcoat, walk in and steal several packs of batteries. I remember feeling an overwhelming and very physical disgust at the complete lack of sensitivity for the magnitude of what was going on, but I was too shocked to mention it to the employees. What’s worse is that the man knew I saw him, and as he walked out, he made eye contact almost daring me to do anything about it.<br /><br />We walked a little further until we got Macy’s on 34th Street and decided to stop and use the bathrooms. This was also a surreal experience. I was horrified to see that people (albeit very few) were still shopping, as if nothing had happened. Didn’t they know? How could they go about their mundane consuming in the face of such shocking tragedy? After ten or fifteen very frustrating minutes of trying to find the bathrooms in that maze of departments, we finally found them in the basement and, of course, there was a long line. While we were standing there, a young, black teenager, with a handheld radio, came running out of the bathroom and announced that not only had another plane crashed into the White House, but that there were 3 more planes missing. Whether he had actually received this information from somewhere, or just made it up, I’ll never know, but he set off a whole new panic among the people waiting in line. It wasn’t until several hours later that we learned that this wasn’t true, and that such rumors were rampant all over the city, but it still freaked us out. I was grateful to finally get out of there and back on the street.<br /><br /></div><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/1600/911_TimesSquare.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/400/911_TimesSquare.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Walking through Times Square was also a surreal experience. Thousands of people stood in the streets mesmerized by the ceaseless news wires wrapping around the buildings with the latest updates. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me before, but until that moment, I hadn’t thought to try to call my family. I had only purchased my cell phone the day before, so no one had my number and I didn’t have any phone numbers programmed in yet, but I figured if I could get in touch with my parents, they would tell everyone we were OK. Of course, I tried about thirty or forty times with no luck. There was a signal, but the calls just weren’t going through. We kept walking and after about an hour of trying continually, I got through to my mom just long enough to have this conversation:<br /><br />“Hello.”<br /><br />“Hi mom, it’s me.”<br /><br />“Are you ok?”<br /><br />“We’re fine, we just…” and then the line dropped. But it was enough for her. She called Rachel’s parents and let them know we were ok.<br /><br />We finally made it back to the hotel around 2:00, and when we walked into the lobby, there were hotel security guards everywhere. Apparently as soon as the attacks happened, there was a rush on the hotel and people stranded in the city bought up all the rooms. The hotel lobby was completely overrun and the guards were only letting people in with a room key. Thankfully we had the room reserved for three more nights, or I’m not sure where we would have stayed. We went up to the room and like the rest of the world, watched the news. We didn’t know what else to do. </p><p>I would be lying if I said I didn’t have doubts about staying in New York after that. I started thinking about moving to other, safer cities, but in the end, we knew that this kind of thing could happen anywhere (remember Oklahoma City?) and that we couldn’t let the terrorists scare us into living our lives in fear. Besides, I had a job I was excited about. </p><p>That night, we walked up to visit one of my best friends who lives on the Upper West Side. He worked in the building literally right across the street from the World Trade Center and we were really worried about him. When we got there, his roommate was there, and let us in, but he was not back yet. We decided to hang out and wait and finally, he showed up, as visibly shaken and upset as I've ever seen him. He had arrived at work just after the planes hit, only to discover that his building was being evacuated, and he had to turn right around and walk home. He showed us a scorched business card of a woman who worked at American Express – 99th Floor of the North Tower, which had literally fallen from the sky onto his head. Though we all felt strange about it, we decided we had to eat, so we went out to dinner at a local restaurant, which strangely was packed. Of course, everyone was talking about the attacks, and there was a large screen TV which was playing the news. There was a lot of emotion in that restaurant and I remember feeling very uncomfortable there, though after such a long walk, we were all starving.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/1600/911_UnionSquare.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2950/2944/400/911_UnionSquare.jpg" border="0" /></a>The rest of the week was a whirlwind. I remember the stench of smoke and decay that enveloped the island for days. I remember thinking what a great leader Mayor Guiliani was. I remember attending a very moving candlelight vigil in Union Square that was literally packed with thousands of people, many screaming for retaliation, other praying and singing for peace. I remember the thousands upon thousands of missing person flyers that blanketed the city for weeks, and how painful it was to see them and think of the poor people waiting on the other end of the phone for a call that would never come. I remember Rachel and I going to the Red Cross blood center the following morning only to find a crowd of thousands waiting in line. Most were turned away as the Red Cross simply couldn’t process that many people. I remember getting e-mails of concern from people I had not spoken to since high school, asking if I was ok, and wondering how they even knew we were in New York.<br /><br />It’s incredible to me that it’s been five years already since all of this happened. These memories are still so powerfully vivid. I still have dreams about that antenna falling over and still to this day, I wake up wondering where such hatred comes from.<br /><br />I wonder a lot of other things, too. I wonder if there will be another terrorist attack in New York, and if the City could recover from a major attack in its subway system. I wonder if the Towers will, or should, ever be rebuilt. I wonder if the terrorists who organized the 9/11 attacks feel like they accomplished anything. I wonder if the world is a better, safer place now, or if we’re simply more scared and isolated than ever. I wonder if our government could have done something to prevent this, or if the cost of freedom is that we’ll always be vulnerable. I wonder if all our heightened security measures and amber alerts really do any good, or if they just remind people that our lives could end at any second. I wonder if people outside New York really get what happened, and how it transformed this city, or if it was just some really good TV show to them. I wonder if the families who lost loved ones have been able to come to terms at all, or if grief like that never heals.<br /><br />Still today, five years later, I have no answers.<br /><br />I wonder if I ever will.<br /><br /></p></map>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-52644810074276856792011-05-19T21:17:00.009-05:002011-05-20T07:23:48.059-05:00Jeffrey Catherine Jones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIFjceUIG8GYMwCyO1Rte5JVPyLpuokgbvXIncdODCFnQh0dOS_dkd5DiOPM_ci1r4i9L6fuoyInmeX6xNNec4bQ9PprVHbbMgPiIc1ubW99hZo60dJqVJpdNLOADXRffMsat/s1600/Heavy+Metal+%25232+-+Page+59.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIFjceUIG8GYMwCyO1Rte5JVPyLpuokgbvXIncdODCFnQh0dOS_dkd5DiOPM_ci1r4i9L6fuoyInmeX6xNNec4bQ9PprVHbbMgPiIc1ubW99hZo60dJqVJpdNLOADXRffMsat/s400/Heavy+Metal+%25232+-+Page+59.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608617953784418562" /></a>I'm sure by now you've heard that the artist Jeffrey Jones passed away today. I have always been fascinated by Jones' art ever since discovering his one-shot, <b>Ravens and Rainbows</b>, from Pacific Comics back in my junior high school days. I confess I barely kept up with Jones' work outside of comics, and am hardly the most knowledgeable or devoted fan, but I felt genuinely sad to hear of her death, as if I'd just heard that an old childhood friend I hadn't seen in two decades had died. <div><br /></div><div>At any rate, I thought this page from a longer interview with Jones that ran in the February 1981 issue of <b>Heavy Meta</b>l was worth sharing. The quote in particular strikes me as a fitting memory of the artist's daring individuality, and the page gives a great contrast of her versatility and willingness to challenge herself. And in the off chance you haven't seen it, Tom Spurgeon's detailed <a href="http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/jeffrey_catherine_jones_1944_2011/">obituary </a>of Jones is definitely worth checking out.</div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-28036161125037487192011-04-26T08:59:00.008-05:002011-04-26T18:09:28.098-05:00Tokyo, A Homecoming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMdRlmjuBHxXzXRZmmOM7TizRGBfdTql6TlHzEjaBFHk5lkhfhD5Xxhs_pP7QmU7ZN2DNRJfrhXFi-1pXQkZUVRyzEFiZwqDF84-cREwEqBrkynBWAVob9TmODePzk9kAlLxM/s1600/tokyo1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMdRlmjuBHxXzXRZmmOM7TizRGBfdTql6TlHzEjaBFHk5lkhfhD5Xxhs_pP7QmU7ZN2DNRJfrhXFi-1pXQkZUVRyzEFiZwqDF84-cREwEqBrkynBWAVob9TmODePzk9kAlLxM/s400/tokyo1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599895258786900418" /></a>If you haven't seen <b><a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/global/tokyo-graphic-novel-2011-4/">Tokyo, A Homecoming</a></b>, a four-page story about one man's return to Japan after the recent earthquake and tsunami, you should definitely check it out. <div><br /></div><div>A couple things struck me about this mini-graphic novel (it's more of a graphic <i>article</i>, really), which was written by Joe McCunney and illustrated by The Fates Crew. First was the timeliness of it. The tsunami occurred on March 11 and this feature was printed in the April 25 issue of <b>New York Magazine</b>, less than two months after the incident. While first person reportage like this is nothing new in comics (Joe Sacco and Josh Neufeld come immediately to mind), the timeliness of this comic is something new (at least to me). The subject is still fresh enough in people's minds to make this more relevant and emotionally engaging than a full graphic novel several years removed from the tragedy. The trade-off, of course, is length, but in this case, the shortness also works to its advantage. The article doesn't attempt to explore the incident from all angles, or put it in a broader historical context. It's simply a first person account of the situation as it stands today.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other thing that struck me was the artwork's combination of Eastern and Western styles. Again this is nothing particularly new, but the seamless blending of manga figures and effects with more American-influenced settings and digital coloring, enhanced the outsider's perspective of the story, which focuses on a Japanese-American returning home for the first time since the tragedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I personally would love to see more examples of the comics medium used in this kind of reportage capacity, and hope that more magazines embrace this format.</div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-64295864425824610012011-04-22T13:04:00.005-05:002011-04-22T13:15:54.259-05:00Music Review The Vaccines - What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAth9qembdMcV-DynP1-3egSpQSIRHIMkhJapctpsaxHzIqFu6Ts_QCUUo8caCWRmyfB6XNkHX8wS3VTXii9mS4JWHCH1j2E5BCm_DjqlrtdfEcoeeWs5_hyeKxwTWF5uI8zpj/s1600/vaccines.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAth9qembdMcV-DynP1-3egSpQSIRHIMkhJapctpsaxHzIqFu6Ts_QCUUo8caCWRmyfB6XNkHX8wS3VTXii9mS4JWHCH1j2E5BCm_DjqlrtdfEcoeeWs5_hyeKxwTWF5uI8zpj/s400/vaccines.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598470633979301186" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><i>A few months ago, I started participating in a private CD of the month club with a group of friends. Basically, the idea is that we each write a review of the CD to each other on an email list. These are pretty informal, but I thought, in the interest of keeping my blogging momentum up, I'd share a few here on Unattended Baggage. It's worth noting that of the six guys who participate in this group, I'm the only one who doesn't live in the UK. Thus, a lot of the music is British, although it's pretty much anything goes. This was my review of <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Did-You-Expect-Vaccines/dp/B004HYGF18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303495369&sr=8-2">The Vaccines' What Did You Expect from the Vaccines</a></b>:</i></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><div>This was my first exposure to the Vaccines and my first impression was they sound just like Coldplay. This was based on about 15 seconds of “All in White,” but still. Of course, this is only one of their many influences once you get into the album. On second and third listens, the album reminds me a lot of the high energy ‘80s punk albums like the Ramones, or even the more recent Strokes album. Lots of short, punchy songs to get you amped up and dancing, without dragging things out. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wreckin Bar</b> – Good opener, although it’s a blatant swipe of early punk songs. Still, these guys do justice to the old bands they’re imitating. The song is a rollicking sing-along, mosh pit power pop. Nothing original, but well-crafted and fun. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>If You Wanna</b> – Very catchy song, good guitar hook with what sounds like a synthesizer/keyboard? Definitely a highlight.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>A Lack of Understanding</b> – decent song, not a standout. This song also really sounds like a Coldplay track to me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Blow It Up</b> – another solid song, with great energy and a good hook. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wetsuit </b>– I really like the crashing cymbals in the chorus of this song, which is also probably the best showcase for the singer’s voice on the album. He sounds pretty good, although his voice doesn’t blow me out of the water. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Norgaard </b>– This is another old school punk song, with its speedy, looping guitar chords, fast-paced drums and high energy. Interesting how the background singers bring in a ‘60s doo-wop beach sound. A weird touch, but it works. Great song!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Post-Break Up Sex</b> – Anther song reminiscent of the Ramones. I can hear shades of "The KKK Took My Baby Away" in the opening minute or so. I love this song, another standout and the best lyrics (and title!) on the album.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Under Your Thumb</b> – Would have preferred a Stones cover of "Under MY Thumb," but this song’s not bad, although a little too whiny and bland compared to other tracks. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>All in White </b>– This was the song that immediately made me think of Coldplay, and it’s not just that the singer sounds like Chris Martin; the whole song has a Coldplay vibe. That said, it’s still a pretty good song. I can imagine this being the big breakout radio hit from the album, although it’s not my personal favorite. It has that mass appeal style, though. Very consumer-friendly.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wolf Pack</b> – Not much to say about this one. OK song, but not my favorite.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Family Friend</b> – I also get a Coldplay vibe from this song. Maybe it’s the slow, drawn out reverberating guitar chords and casual drumbeat. The song definitely builds toward a dramatic climax and I can imagine this as a good concert finale, with the band jamming for several minutes (a la MC5’s "Kick Out the Jams") before leaving the stage to cheering crowds. It would have been a solid closer for a solid album, except for the...</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hidden Track</b> – I personally find hidden tracks kind of tired by this point. Just add the song to the album or don’t, you know? The quiet piano ballad, which sounds almost like a done-in-one studio demo, is kind of an outlier from the rest of the album, which I guess is why it was buried. It’s not bad but I definitely don’t think it adds anything to the album and probably should have been cut. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I guess my feeling about this album is that it’s well above average, with some truly excellent rock songs, but there’s nothing particularly original or interesting that distinguishes The Vaccines from several other bands. The best part of this album is that the songs are short. I like these guys, but their lack of originality keeps me from calling the album a classic. Still, I’d rate it 8/10.</div></span></span></div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-57969094769129843022011-04-15T15:20:00.033-05:002011-04-16T14:30:30.629-05:00Saturday Morning Comics Ramble<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZBGMMwu-916iry7uDFggR46rCnZ0h6yInY0bEJ6XUq-GW7J02Wqut_Cf6zcEZd33o_G_QWxgvg2zIbeWae2-j4w1fHSaHSOYyN7DQ9jLlpHK4wVRPWf1456Kx5baaWue3YMz/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZBGMMwu-916iry7uDFggR46rCnZ0h6yInY0bEJ6XUq-GW7J02Wqut_Cf6zcEZd33o_G_QWxgvg2zIbeWae2-j4w1fHSaHSOYyN7DQ9jLlpHK4wVRPWf1456Kx5baaWue3YMz/s400/Buried+Treasure+3001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263427430557890" /></a><br />I haven't done one of these in a while but in the interest of blogging more, here goes nothing...<div><br /></div><div>* I had lots of fun at MoCCA last Saturday, although I have this nagging feeling that I missed out on a lot. I was only able to be there for 5 hours, which seems like a lot, but I missed some good books and a few people I had hoped to catch up with. Also, I wasn't able to get to any panels, although this is nothing new. It's always a little disconcerting seeing so many cartoonists huddled together under one roof, a reminder of how the alternative side of comics is no longer an exclusive club of insiders. I love all the creativity surrounding the medium, and certainly there is a wealth of interesting new voices and artists every year, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the old days a little.</div><div><br /></div><div>* On the plus side, I had a great time chatting with fellow writers Derik Badman, Matthias Wivel, Tim Callahan and especially Gary Groth. I also picked up a few interesting books, including <b>Liar's Kiss</b> (the slick new crime noir from Top Shelf), <b>Vietnamerica </b>by GB Tran (family memoir which looks outstanding!), <b>Fart Party</b> vol. 1 by Julia Wertz (I know this is not new, but after reading and loving <b>Drinking at the Movies</b>, several people I trust encouraged me to check this out), <b>Crickets </b>#3, <b>Reich </b>#8, <b>Pood </b>#3, Gabrielle Bell's new <b>Diary </b>mini, Lisa Hanawalt's <b>I Want You</b> #2, and a few other books that I can't recall off the top of my head. I also took a chance on an over-sized art book called <b>Carrier Pigeon</b> which labelled itself as a book of "illustrated fiction." There's no sequential art per se, but the graphic design and production values are incredible, and the eclectic illustrations are definitely striking. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKokvsuqGHQX1IHBSm0DIfk1cqZty_YOdq-KjL3hadQG-izWwUnGeAhYu9gxZoXDPo1YFRbg3bKveP8KSmhc_UhPV9ktBoocRIzhvW_QUHFrcqZYJibh8w5SdjALT-bg58gx88/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKokvsuqGHQX1IHBSm0DIfk1cqZty_YOdq-KjL3hadQG-izWwUnGeAhYu9gxZoXDPo1YFRbg3bKveP8KSmhc_UhPV9ktBoocRIzhvW_QUHFrcqZYJibh8w5SdjALT-bg58gx88/s400/Buried+Treasure+3002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263081858989538" /></a></div><div>* I did attend the <b>Comics Journal</b> panel discussion at the Strand on Friday night, which was actually really fascinating. I especially enjoyed hearing Gary Groth's reflections on interviewing Gil Kane and Burne Hogarth, two giant figures in the early <b>Comics Journal</b> years. Kim Dietch was also there to offer an artist's perspective on the Journal over the years, which I thought was a very nice touch. It was also exciting to hear that Fantagraphics is working on archiving the entire run of <b>Comics Journals</b> for free on the website. What a resource that will be!</div><div><br /></div><div>* I was also excited to see the new <b>Comics Journal</b> book (issue #301) which I am proud to say I have an essay in ("The Decade in Comics"). It's a massive brick of a book with an impressive lineup of writers. The design of the book (by Criterion DVD's Eric Skillman) is beautiful. </div><div><br /></div><div>* I'm eager to read Gary Groth's massive R. Crumb interview and see if he can convince me of the merit of his <b>Genesis </b>adaptation. My impression of it at this point is that it's beautifully illustrated (quite likely the best work in Crumb's illustrious career from a strictly aesthetic point of view), but that the project itself is not only flawed, but frustratingly devoid of purpose or critical thought. That being said, I am very open and curious to other points of view on the subject.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugC6uUUDaWQHgLJfPN__-N7iGhGvSw_s0tNpb7BtszyfBCe6ZkiiNdCb04b2V19x3yDEAWOioluwyOvCjNWvwdEvrnpbLSuVd5RcFrvDCx5ea5u74FporQ7YBRiwrYWnnO3ev/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugC6uUUDaWQHgLJfPN__-N7iGhGvSw_s0tNpb7BtszyfBCe6ZkiiNdCb04b2V19x3yDEAWOioluwyOvCjNWvwdEvrnpbLSuVd5RcFrvDCx5ea5u74FporQ7YBRiwrYWnnO3ev/s400/Buried+Treasure+3003.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263073663588402" /></a></div><div>* As much fun as MoCCA was, I have to admit that I may have enjoyed Jim Hanley's Universe's incredible back issue sale even more (this was on the same Sunday). They apparently do this periodically, although this was my first time, but essentially, to clear out back stock, they allow you to fill up a box for $20 (the boxes typically hold about 150-200 floppies). They basically set up a room in the basement with dozens of long boxes which are completely unsorted and let people go at it. For the first hour it was like a feeding frenzy as people practically climbed over each other to scour for treasures. Everyone was pretty nice though, and eventually the crowd thinned out until only us die-hards remained. I was there for almost 5 hours! In the end, I walked with almost 200 back issues for a measly $30, including all kinds of great stuff, mostly obscure alternatives from the '80s and '90s. Some highlights include six issues of <b>Graphic Story</b> <b>Monthly</b>, Jim Blanchard's <b>Cruel World</b> #1, lots of Eclipse books, several Harrier Comics by Phil Elliott (a very underrated artist), three issues of Star Reach's <b>Quack!</b>, some random issues of <b>Andrew Vacchs' Hard Looks</b> and <b>Ms. Tree</b>, etc. Despite my wife's faint protests, I'm very much looking forward to the next sale.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt05jSGRA6PskIh8iK1gXMR61P-dYtdGLlvi-LT2JpG30Ex9qtGjdq_xiAjNrlblSZtPOKEPUyBXmJLhnwqLxHNdXgEH9aHzhzpc7xDjRWI-W9R9eYcieqH7NNZmThj25JDUh/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3004.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt05jSGRA6PskIh8iK1gXMR61P-dYtdGLlvi-LT2JpG30Ex9qtGjdq_xiAjNrlblSZtPOKEPUyBXmJLhnwqLxHNdXgEH9aHzhzpc7xDjRWI-W9R9eYcieqH7NNZmThj25JDUh/s400/Buried+Treasure+3004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263072237318066" /></a></div><div>* I've read a ton of good comics lately, although my time to devote to reviewing/blogging has been severely limited. I do still plan to post a Best of 2010 list (hopefully before 2012!). </div><div><br /></div><div>* I've been particularly interested in older comics after reading Dan Nadel's <b>Art in Time</b>. I actually have a number of thoughts on that book, although I mostly enjoyed it. I did wish Nadel had chosen a better Glanzman story than <b>Kona</b>, which I thought was far inferior work to his war stories in <b>Combat </b>and also happened to be one of the worst comics scripts I have ever seen. The Harry Lucey crime stories that led off the book were incredible, a very different side of Lucey than most of us <b>Archie </b>fans are used to. Great stuff!</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZcMeFBMFAYw7BrRgNeuSGL8tU_xIBoNxm4IJa_8kYlLSc7WipxRp0-gvNRZOEqyhLE2bZL96kGfrrmetcInN3FtKYMyIsFfzmzlyoDjnUJzevt1sSI3wgixuQle2HUahc-Dj/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3005.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZcMeFBMFAYw7BrRgNeuSGL8tU_xIBoNxm4IJa_8kYlLSc7WipxRp0-gvNRZOEqyhLE2bZL96kGfrrmetcInN3FtKYMyIsFfzmzlyoDjnUJzevt1sSI3wgixuQle2HUahc-Dj/s400/Buried+Treasure+3005.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263063565781938" /></a></div><div>* Anyway, this interest in older comics prompted me to buy the three issue <b>Buried Treasure</b> series from Pure Imagination off eBay. In some ways, this was a similar project to Nadel's <b>Art in Time. </b>The magazine-sized series was compiled by Greg Theakston in the late 80s (apparently a follow-up series was published by Caliber Comics, although I have yet to see it). Theakston's selections were mostly excellent, focusing on classic, hard-to-find Frank Frazetta, Bob Powell, Mort Meskin and Alex Toth stories, among others. The Toth selections are particularly impressive, reproduced in over-sized black and white. In fact, the final issue consists solely of seven vintage Toth stories. Given the new attention Toth is about to get with the two upcoming biographies, this third issue is definitely worth tracking down.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHCFZ_685NW4ktFhSjrTh82nsRagi_hKHQFIkUBUgh5QHhEfJlfs9WFNBV-MK_cQ0eseHcctkNVyLu76y_cmKIpyHoXcgMEh-P7sWOiH7QdwdOWCtaUiZ-3h2RC_c8-8ckc03/s1600/Buried+Treasure+3006.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHCFZ_685NW4ktFhSjrTh82nsRagi_hKHQFIkUBUgh5QHhEfJlfs9WFNBV-MK_cQ0eseHcctkNVyLu76y_cmKIpyHoXcgMEh-P7sWOiH7QdwdOWCtaUiZ-3h2RC_c8-8ckc03/s400/Buried+Treasure+3006.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596263063586969138" /></a></div><div>* I also read the first trade of <b>Buffy Season 8</b> from the library and I don't know, even though it was Joss Whedon I wasn't crazy about it. Maybe Buffy just works better as a TV show, or maybe Georges Jeanty just isn't that great an artist, but I was pretty disappointed. I might still read another volume to see if it gets better, but I'm not excited about it anymore.</div><div><br /></div><div>* On the other hand, is it just me or has the <b>Walking Dead'</b>s recent "No Way Out" storyline been awesome? This is literally the only new monthly series I still buy anymore. I've completely lost touch with the Marvel and DC universes. </div><div><br /></div><div>OK, I guess that's enough for today. Take care out there, folks!</div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-73947791659554888072011-03-15T13:59:00.003-05:002011-03-15T14:04:01.386-05:00Johnny Cash: I See A Darkness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyiVSeHDp8svmXV6AvVU2FBFo2yBQns-6YJ7ot8E2Z_oGFy5qM_rEaF20IobTHpW06fJwLQw6vYUSPjHSs5neNLIBwosZT4FtHFUB_ffCNbQfstWFLRCptcI3Fjp3WMYfuXW4/s1600/Johnny-Cash-I-See-a-Darkness-Cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyiVSeHDp8svmXV6AvVU2FBFo2yBQns-6YJ7ot8E2Z_oGFy5qM_rEaF20IobTHpW06fJwLQw6vYUSPjHSs5neNLIBwosZT4FtHFUB_ffCNbQfstWFLRCptcI3Fjp3WMYfuXW4/s400/Johnny-Cash-I-See-a-Darkness-Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584384115250707986" /></a><br />Since it's being re-released this week, I thought I'd repost a link to my <a href="http://classic.tcj.com/review/johnny-cash-i-see-a-darkness-by-reinhard-kleist/">review of Reinhard Kleist's <b>Johnny Cash</b></a> that originally ran on the old <b>Comics Journal</b> website. It's not perfect, but still a pretty solid book, definitely worth a good flipping-through.Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-75177832204221925232011-02-21T10:29:00.014-05:002011-02-21T11:18:27.364-05:00Secrets of a Mind-Gamer<span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7FGD2Bg168crnhu3OG1ZZmmogaihS6TPAtFh_rv8KO2oSWv694LJmiQN3CrzwcZiYiux5HPqLIR9BnEKHJEOAMz58HEyGE5QDW5XPL-6GeANFVPY2df34r4c7A3fkOyN8u7I/s1600/capacity.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7FGD2Bg168crnhu3OG1ZZmmogaihS6TPAtFh_rv8KO2oSWv694LJmiQN3CrzwcZiYiux5HPqLIR9BnEKHJEOAMz58HEyGE5QDW5XPL-6GeANFVPY2df34r4c7A3fkOyN8u7I/s400/capacity.bmp" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576170399181286914" /></a><br />If you have a spare 15-20 minutes, I thought this NY Times Magazine article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/20/magazine/mind-secrets.html?ref=magazine">Secrets of a Mind-Gamer</a> by Joshua Feder, about enhancing memory capacity was fascinating.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Of particular interest to comic fans, was this quote from the article:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><i>"In his essay “First Steps Toward a History of Reading,” Robert Darnton describes a switch from “intensive” to “extensive” reading that occurred as printed books began to proliferate. Until relatively recently, people read “intensively,” Darnton says. “They had only a few books — the Bible, an almanac, a devotional work or two — and they read them over and over again, usually aloud and in groups, so that a narrow range of traditional literature became deeply impressed on their consciousness.” Today we read books “extensively,” often without sustained focus, and with rare exceptions we read each book only once. We value quantity of reading over quality of reading. We have no choice, if we want to keep up with the broader culture."</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">This, to me, is a perfect description of the conundrum facing the modern comic book geek, particularly those of us motivated to share our thoughts online. What resonated with me in particular is the "extensive" vs. "intensive" comparison. For years, I struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of new releases, rushing review after review to the web in order to be among the first opinion-leaders about which books were worth reading. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">However, over the last few years, I have shifted to what Feder would describe as an "intensive" reading of the first volume of<i> </i><b>Love & Rockets</b>. I have read the series probably a dozen times, and done considerable research as well. It's been a profoundly satisfying endeavor, but very time-consuming as well. I feel like I've gained a much deeper appreciation of the series than almost anyone I've come across (with the exception, perhaps, of Todd Hignite and Charles Hatfield), but as a result, I've also fallen way behind in the treadmill of new releases and online discourse.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; ">But I wonder if the overwhelming amount of "extensive" reading is at the heart of what's underlying the periodic outcry that there's very little quality writing about comics anymore. </span></span></span>As Feder implies, by trying rush through new works in order to hit the critical window, much of the quality of criticism has suffered. What we have now are loads of opinion-based criticism, where people with strong narrative voices simply blog about their reactions to whatever they happen to read. This is fine for a certain cursory level of analysis, but it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of more scholarly, academic, informed readings (of course, I'm thinking of the works which merit such reading, like Theo Ellsworth's <b>Capacity</b>, to cite just one example; obviously the latest issue of <b>Blackest Night</b> would not qualify).</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I guess it's just the old trade-off of quantity vs. quality, and of course, it's important to remember that blogging is ultimately more an act of self-definition than a scholarly endeavor, but I think the people who often complain that there is not enough good writing about comics are ultimately reacting to this inevitable shift from "intensive" to "extensive" as the industry has expanded. It's food for thought, anyway.</span></div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27884788.post-28575343906332225452011-02-14T21:27:00.028-05:002011-02-14T23:38:34.997-05:00Barefoot Gen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKluEjdBoAMnKhs5m8nhFz6ESLq42DS5dDZktfchuJhTho4XUmbcvwnYtMr7MM14aQRrvZY13qgDX7eJrP0nalzz-gq6zbBv19Kt6UzstBH63ghYxpaH9c3_Bnrmv0W0YquG9Q/s1600/BarefootGen001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKluEjdBoAMnKhs5m8nhFz6ESLq42DS5dDZktfchuJhTho4XUmbcvwnYtMr7MM14aQRrvZY13qgDX7eJrP0nalzz-gq6zbBv19Kt6UzstBH63ghYxpaH9c3_Bnrmv0W0YquG9Q/s400/BarefootGen001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573763962669931250" /></a>In a strange coincidence, both <a href="http://madinkbeard.com/">Derik Badman</a> and I happened to have recently read the first four volumes of Keiji Nakazawa's classic '70s manga, <b>Barefoot Gen</b>. While I have tremendous respect for Derik as a writer and friend (he's one of the few fellow comics bloggers I've met in person), I found myself at odds with his assessment of the series, and initially commented on his Facebook status to that effect (he wrote that <b>Gen </b>was "too didactic, too preachy, to the detriment of the story. Also, everyone is a jerk").<div><br /></div><div>More recently, as part of the <a href="http://alifeinpanels.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/barefoot-gen-about-the-books/">Manga Moveable Feast</a>, Badman posted <a href="http://madinkbeard.com/archives/mmf-barefoot-gen-by-keiji-nakazawa">a longer article</a> in which he described the reasons for his dislike of <b>Gen</b>. Although I initially resisted, this prompted me to draft a response. Since I had read library copies of <b>Gen</b>, my comments below are drawn from memory; however, this is not significant, as <b>Gen</b>, unlike just about any comic series I've ever read, including <b>Maus</b>, left an indelible impression. </div><div><br /></div><div>Still, wanting to have more of a rounded perspective before responding, I went back to read Nakazawa's <b>Comics Journal</b> interview (from issue #256 in October 2003). As an unexpected bonus, the same issue also included a detailed think piece on <b>Gen </b>by Japanese comics scholar, Bill Randall.</div><div><br /></div><div>With that perspective, here are some of my thoughts in response to Derik's criticisms of the series. </div><div><br /></div><div>1) Badman's biggest complaint is about the series' melodrama. Specifically, he writes:</div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 1.15em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 24px; ">"This is melodrama. Damn it is melodrama.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 1.15em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 24px; ">And it suffers for it. It’s too much; it’s over the top; it’s ridiculous. Even before the bomb it’s too much with the Japanese berating Gen and his family for being “traitors” because their father speaks out against the war. Apparently he is the only one, as he seems to have no sympathizers. He is the lone protester, victim exceptionalism. By the time the bomb hits it’s already too much. Over said, over shown, and over played. Get me out of here."</p></span></i></span></div><div>Now, I don't disagree that the story is melodramatic, but unlike Badman, it didn't bother me at all. Nor did it detract from the story's overall effectiveness. Rather, I agree with Randall, who wrote:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"(Gen) never shies from melodrama and never elicits effects so self-consciously 'powerful' as to spoil the internal consistency of the work. The melodrama emerges naturally from Gen and his life, the deaths of his loved ones and his struggle to survive."</i></div><div><br /></div><div>In other words, the story's melodrama was an artistic choice on Nakazawa's part, but that doesn't mean it undermines the story's message at all. In fact, I think the fact that Nakazawa recounts his memory of the events with some degree of melodrama makes the story more universal; it engages the reader and seers itself into their memory. It's hard to imagine anyone who reads these first four volumes forgetting the character of Gen. His sheer tenacity, positivity in the face of despair and spirit to survive is unforgettable, even if it's hammered home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regarding the fact that Gen's father was the only outspoken opponent of the war, Nakazawa recalled in the interview how speaking out of against the Japanese empire was dangerous. Unlike the United States, freedom of speech was not a right enjoyed by the Japanese citizens, particularly at the height of the war. In fact, Nakazawa's father was arrested and imprisoned for his political beliefs when Keiji was in first grade. "They took my father away and put him in jail for a year and a half. When I asked where he'd gone, my mother lied and said he'd been drafted into the Army. They held him in the Hiroshima Prefectural Prison. Apparently, they tortured him."</div><div><br /></div><div>Not only was his father the only person brave (or stupid) enough to speak out against the war, he was also likely the only adult that would speak of politics at all around a seven-year-old, so I don't think the portrayal is false. Rather, as I mentioned in my original comment on Badman's Facebook status, Nakazawa is being faithful to his memory, and telling the story from his childish perspective. Of course there were others against the war, but it's very unlikely a seven-year-old would have encountered them. This portrayal may still feel unbalanced, but I hope I have made clear the mitigating factors for this.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Derik's other issue with the series is that it seems overly fictionalized and the secondary characters seem one-dimensional. Again, he writes:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span">"The only decent person is the Korean neighbor. Korean’s were conquered and enslaved by the Japanese. The Korean neighbor is the one nice guy, despite how horrible he has been treated, he’s nice to Gen and his family. But not any of the Japanese. No one else is nice. God, was Nakazawa this pessimistic about his countrymen? Could it really have been that horrible? I don’t know, but it doesn’t work as fiction. This isn’t reportage or autobiography. It is fictionalized. And as fiction it doesn’t work. It overburdens. It paints with so broad a brush."</span></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I think Badman's assessment is overly harsh here. The TCJ interview was particularly enlightening in understanding what specific aspects of <b>Barefoot Gen</b> are actually fictionalized, and after reading it, it's clear that, while some parts are indeed embellished, the vast majority of the story, and particularly all of the events related to Gen and his mother, are based directly on Nakazawa's own experiences. </div><div><br /></div><div>After a lengthy passage in the interview in which Nakazawa describes his own memories of August 6, 1945, it's clear that Gen's story of the immediate aftermath is nearly identical to the artist's. Nakazawa even confirms that "I definitely based it on my own experiences growing up."</div><div><br /></div><div>However, Badman's chief issue seems to be with some of the secondary characters outside of Gen's immediate family. For example, after the bomb, Gen and his mother, with their newborn baby girl, travel to Eba to stay with friends. While they were there, they were treated horribly, subjected to little sympathy and much scorn by their unwelcoming hosts. Interviewer Alex Gleason pressed Nakazawa to commit to what extent his experiences were identical to those in the book. They were "exactly as I wrote about it Gen," he replied. "They let us stay in a storeroom they had, but they were really nasty to us." Of course, nobody can know definitively how much embellishing took place (certainly some), but we have to take Nakazawa at his word that this plotline was based on his own experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div>Badman is correct that other aspects of the story are more fictionalized, and perhaps these are somewhat flawed in their portrayal (it's more debatable, at any rate). For example Gleason asked Nakazawa about the subplot regarding Seiji, the young painter who lost the use of his hands in the bombing, and was ostracized by his family, only to be inspired to learn to paint using his teeth after meeting Gen. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>"It didn't happen to me, but it was a combination of true stories I heard and things that happened in my neighborhood. For example, there really was a young A-bomb victim who taught herself to paint with her teeth. And Seiji's household, which was treated like a pariah by the neighbors, is modeled after a house we kids called the haunted house because a badly injured victim lived there."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Thus, Nakazawa admits that he took liberties in his portrayal of Seiji, yet although the execution may have been somewhat heavy-handed, his intentions were nonetheless pure:</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"I wanted to tell the story of the artist to show how people can overcome the greatest adversity. If you can't use your hands, use your teeth. As I wrote at the beginning of <b>Gen</b>, the real theme of the story is symbolized by wheat, which springs back no matter how many times it's trampled."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Finally, one last point is worth considering. In order to get this series published, Nakazawa had to make concessions. In the manga market of the '50s and '60s, there was little to no support for an adult-targeted series about the A-bomb. Not only had Japan, as a society, yet to fully come to terms with the bombing (Nakazawa described how people never spoke of the incident publicly in Tokyo in those days), but, in order to get published, he had to use the manga anthologies geared toward children. Even Tezuka had yet to publish his more mature works at this point. Thus, it's important to see this work in its historical perspective when judging it. Barefoot Gen may not be the fully mature work that we're used to seeing in the alternative comics industry of 2011, but it was virtually unprecedented in its day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately, as I conveyed to Derik initially, I don't think his complaints about the series are all that important when compared to the real power of the work - its seering depictions of the horrors of the bomb. After reading these volumes, what will undoubtedly linger forever in my memory are the images of victims covered in glass, or with sheets of melted skin hanging from their bodies; the shocking depictions of starving orphans scavenging for food, or digging in the rubble for their loved one's bones. These meticulously rendered images are what makes <b>Barefoot Gen</b> a masterpiece worth reading. As Spiegelman pointed out in his Introduction, "this vivid and harrowing story will burn a radioactive crater in your memory that will never let you forget it."</div>Marc Sobelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11794558807120320127noreply@blogger.com3