Yippee! Mr Findley has produced a few more new pages of Tex Arcana, for his fourth as-yet unpublished book. After a couple years of inactivity, this is the second addition in several months, and I hope it means he'll keep working on it.
www.texarcana.com
They're another terrific installment of his "now-quadfurcated tale" that I highly recommend you go see right now. Mr Findley's style of finely hatched line drawing and otherworldly doings in an Old-West setting was some of my favorite work to appear in Heavy Metal. I'll even link right to the new page, though I really think you should navigate the whole site and read through all of it:
http://www.texarcana.com/texa347.html
I'm very grateful to Mr Findley for continuing this story and sharing it with us. I hope he keeps at it, but even if he doesn't he still has my gratitude and admiration. My only lament is that I don't expect to ever see these in print. Sometimes Tex Arcana was published in the mag on lesser-quality paper, but it's still better seeing it on paper than on my crappy screen. I would like for HM's new owners to bring Mr Findley back in and publish the new Tex Arcana serially, in hopes that it would be worth his while to continue, and to give me something to look forward to in the mag besides Animal'z. I'm not holding my breath.
Thanks again Mr Findley. Hope to see more soon.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Heavy Metal #267
Heavy Metal #267
Cover by David Millgate - 6 - a nice looking cover with a scene that's interesting on the surface, an explorer dude encountering giant tiger women, but loses depth the closer you look. Looking for interesting detail I only find afterthoughts, and lower resolution than I'd wish for in a cover.
We are gifted with a Publisher's Note, from Mr Eastman himself. It's been a while, a couple years he says. He makes references to the times good and not so good the mag has experienced, has a mention of the new ownership, and offers praise for the staff. He promises more from himself and the new owners in the coming months. It's a statement about upcoming changes with hints of goodbyes. Like all things HM, especially from Mr Eastman, I'll believe it when I see it. Mostly I hope for the print mag's continued existence, and continue to wish for the spark of imagination and mystery that brought me to Heavy Metal fanhood in the first place, and keeps me buying the damn thing. Perhaps the occasional glimmer we've seen in recent years can grow to a gleam or even a glow.
Animal'z by Bilal - 8 - Part 6, it's actually a continuing series, a story seems to actually be developing. It's still obtuse and sketchy, but some "good" guys come together and fight some "bad" guys. There's butchery and action. I'm amused by a translation of a semiautomatic pistol as a "revolver". It might go on forever, and that might be fantastic.
Deviant Strain by Jim Webb - 7 - I guess we can't have an issue go by without some zombies. An ex-cop takes out some zombies in a church, one of them brings back horrible memories. She's so shaken she makes a prayer to a god she stopped believing in long ago, and inconveniently forgets to free some victims. Stylish art and a decent story.
E.V.A. by Marco Turini - 7 - This feels like it could have been in the magazine 30+ years ago. A dystopian techno-future shown with nicely composed art and a sometimes incomprehensible story. Electromechanically augmented humans fight, characters appear and disappear, rebellion against the established order, this and more. I wanted to like this more than I did, I wanted it to be more intriguing than confusing. I still enjoyed it though, and it says to be continued.
Gallery by DPI Studios - 5 - Not bad for a couple "self-taught artist" guys doing game cards, but not so interesting to me. Some neat technique but poses for cards can be kind of static. I'd bet they could do some neat stuff in a story format, but why should they bother if they like what they're doing?
Heaven's Inferno by Scott O Brown and Ferran Xalabarder - 8 - Continued from the previous issue, this is also the story's conclusion. The protagonist searches for his lost son and endures scrutiny from inside and outside himself. There are references to gods and the heavens, and I'm even more intrigued by the depictions of seraphs and wheels upon wheels. This is a touch better than the previous installment, and makes me wish all the more that the whole of the story was available. I did some exploring and found no indication that's it's been produced, though I did come across what looks like Xalabarder's website, www.westwindcomics.com.
Thracius the Seeker by James Hudnall and Mark Vigouroux - 6 - A slave of the Romans is a scout sent to investigate the slaughter of Roman soldiers. He encounters a conjurer and his demon, and with wit and luck escapes. The art's pretty nice, the story is told well but it's not very substantial.
Mia by Fabio Ruotolo - 7 - Wordlessly told in style and tone very reminiscent of a Mobius or Caza. A traveller encounters a floating rock and reacts poorly to its entreaties. Another visits the rock in a more friendly manner and fares better. We're left to imagine much of what's actually happening, and that's part of the fun.
Artist's Studio by Frank Turco - 6 - a few digitally composed images of models in spacescapes, nicely done. Some may like them more than me.
Drifting Wolves by Jonathan Jay Lee - 6 - A man and a boy traverse some sort of wasteland. They encounter corpses, jungles, and ... babes (!) by a stream. The man hits on the babes, the boy goes swimming, a giant fish eats the boy, man fights fish, babes leave. The art looks pretty nice with an interesting and colorful style, the story is barely there and doesn't match the art.
Cover by David Millgate - 6 - a nice looking cover with a scene that's interesting on the surface, an explorer dude encountering giant tiger women, but loses depth the closer you look. Looking for interesting detail I only find afterthoughts, and lower resolution than I'd wish for in a cover.
We are gifted with a Publisher's Note, from Mr Eastman himself. It's been a while, a couple years he says. He makes references to the times good and not so good the mag has experienced, has a mention of the new ownership, and offers praise for the staff. He promises more from himself and the new owners in the coming months. It's a statement about upcoming changes with hints of goodbyes. Like all things HM, especially from Mr Eastman, I'll believe it when I see it. Mostly I hope for the print mag's continued existence, and continue to wish for the spark of imagination and mystery that brought me to Heavy Metal fanhood in the first place, and keeps me buying the damn thing. Perhaps the occasional glimmer we've seen in recent years can grow to a gleam or even a glow.
Animal'z by Bilal - 8 - Part 6, it's actually a continuing series, a story seems to actually be developing. It's still obtuse and sketchy, but some "good" guys come together and fight some "bad" guys. There's butchery and action. I'm amused by a translation of a semiautomatic pistol as a "revolver". It might go on forever, and that might be fantastic.
Deviant Strain by Jim Webb - 7 - I guess we can't have an issue go by without some zombies. An ex-cop takes out some zombies in a church, one of them brings back horrible memories. She's so shaken she makes a prayer to a god she stopped believing in long ago, and inconveniently forgets to free some victims. Stylish art and a decent story.
E.V.A. by Marco Turini - 7 - This feels like it could have been in the magazine 30+ years ago. A dystopian techno-future shown with nicely composed art and a sometimes incomprehensible story. Electromechanically augmented humans fight, characters appear and disappear, rebellion against the established order, this and more. I wanted to like this more than I did, I wanted it to be more intriguing than confusing. I still enjoyed it though, and it says to be continued.
Gallery by DPI Studios - 5 - Not bad for a couple "self-taught artist" guys doing game cards, but not so interesting to me. Some neat technique but poses for cards can be kind of static. I'd bet they could do some neat stuff in a story format, but why should they bother if they like what they're doing?
Heaven's Inferno by Scott O Brown and Ferran Xalabarder - 8 - Continued from the previous issue, this is also the story's conclusion. The protagonist searches for his lost son and endures scrutiny from inside and outside himself. There are references to gods and the heavens, and I'm even more intrigued by the depictions of seraphs and wheels upon wheels. This is a touch better than the previous installment, and makes me wish all the more that the whole of the story was available. I did some exploring and found no indication that's it's been produced, though I did come across what looks like Xalabarder's website, www.westwindcomics.com.
Thracius the Seeker by James Hudnall and Mark Vigouroux - 6 - A slave of the Romans is a scout sent to investigate the slaughter of Roman soldiers. He encounters a conjurer and his demon, and with wit and luck escapes. The art's pretty nice, the story is told well but it's not very substantial.
Mia by Fabio Ruotolo - 7 - Wordlessly told in style and tone very reminiscent of a Mobius or Caza. A traveller encounters a floating rock and reacts poorly to its entreaties. Another visits the rock in a more friendly manner and fares better. We're left to imagine much of what's actually happening, and that's part of the fun.
Artist's Studio by Frank Turco - 6 - a few digitally composed images of models in spacescapes, nicely done. Some may like them more than me.
Drifting Wolves by Jonathan Jay Lee - 6 - A man and a boy traverse some sort of wasteland. They encounter corpses, jungles, and ... babes (!) by a stream. The man hits on the babes, the boy goes swimming, a giant fish eats the boy, man fights fish, babes leave. The art looks pretty nice with an interesting and colorful style, the story is barely there and doesn't match the art.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Kranburn #8
Well, I thought I'd finally get around to putting up something for Kranburn #8. I've had it in digital for a few months, and I've even been stalling while I waited for #9 to come out (it's running a bit late according to feccomics.com). Mostly I'm just not in a hurry since the webcomic is falling so far behind the issues that it seems what I could actually review would be limited without spoiling it, not that I get into detail so much.
The webcomic is more than 3/4 into #7. There's a bit more to go, but the main story of the Berrik slave trade is out, and the twist, that the slavers missed a victim, has been shown. At this rate, #7 won't be done on the webcomic for a couple months. #8 wouldn't complete for more than a year from now. I've been trying to review the issues as they came out, and I guess my hesitation is since I try to write to the perspective of someone who has read it and wants to comment, as opposed to telling someone what I think they would like about it. Maybe I could try to add a bit of fluffing ....
So, let's try #8.
If you're reading this, you probably like Kranburn for its vicious portrayal of a post apocalyptic wasteland and the stories of the degeneration of humankind. Years after nearly all humans are killed in a horrifying plague of disease and violence, bands of survivors struggle with bands of marauders. Lead character Brand is one of the "good guys" who also uses murderous violence to inspire fear in his enemies.
I really enjoy the black and white art with some graytones, and how it's so well suited to starkly portray the violence humans are capable to "other" humans. I also enjoy the story's telling, it's pretty straightforward, with a few twists and turns, but not too much convolution or confusing sub-stories.
#8 has another rather detailed cover, this time with some color, some yellow, and lots of red. Smears and splashes and puddles of blood, on the tiled walls, the floor, and an almost naked guy with another enormous knife. Looks like break time in the torture chamber. This may or not be part of any of the story we're told, but it does fit in with the world it's created.
Inside, the story departs from the Berrik slave trade, to the Nong. The Nong leader Lord is annoyed at Brand killing his troops. Along the way we see examples of Lord's brutality but not so much about why he got that way, besides Brand having taken his leg and nose already.
We see back at Kranburn, the Nong deliver another message of body parts. Sylvia is overcome with grief. And that's all. Maybe we'll see more of her in another issue.
Brand re-enters the story and sees (another) example of the Nong demonstrating how inhumane people can be. A chance encounter leaves him overcome with grief. And that's all.
This issue is at once superficial in its portrayal of the horrible violence people can do to their fellow humans, and obtuse in how it tries to show introspection. Enticing gratuitous violence, and morose despair, don't mix as well here as I might like.
I still like it. I like what BMB does with this B&W style, and how the story explores the darker reaches of man's desperation. In general I try to be optimistic about humankind's achievement and potential, but also be aware of our frailties and shortcomings, and how our life of webcomics and blogs, and food and shelter and safety even, can disintegrate rapidly. We're our own worst enemies.
I recommend getting Kranburn, all of them. I might even order the print #8 and #9 soon.
The webcomic is more than 3/4 into #7. There's a bit more to go, but the main story of the Berrik slave trade is out, and the twist, that the slavers missed a victim, has been shown. At this rate, #7 won't be done on the webcomic for a couple months. #8 wouldn't complete for more than a year from now. I've been trying to review the issues as they came out, and I guess my hesitation is since I try to write to the perspective of someone who has read it and wants to comment, as opposed to telling someone what I think they would like about it. Maybe I could try to add a bit of fluffing ....
So, let's try #8.
If you're reading this, you probably like Kranburn for its vicious portrayal of a post apocalyptic wasteland and the stories of the degeneration of humankind. Years after nearly all humans are killed in a horrifying plague of disease and violence, bands of survivors struggle with bands of marauders. Lead character Brand is one of the "good guys" who also uses murderous violence to inspire fear in his enemies.
I really enjoy the black and white art with some graytones, and how it's so well suited to starkly portray the violence humans are capable to "other" humans. I also enjoy the story's telling, it's pretty straightforward, with a few twists and turns, but not too much convolution or confusing sub-stories.
#8 has another rather detailed cover, this time with some color, some yellow, and lots of red. Smears and splashes and puddles of blood, on the tiled walls, the floor, and an almost naked guy with another enormous knife. Looks like break time in the torture chamber. This may or not be part of any of the story we're told, but it does fit in with the world it's created.
Inside, the story departs from the Berrik slave trade, to the Nong. The Nong leader Lord is annoyed at Brand killing his troops. Along the way we see examples of Lord's brutality but not so much about why he got that way, besides Brand having taken his leg and nose already.
We see back at Kranburn, the Nong deliver another message of body parts. Sylvia is overcome with grief. And that's all. Maybe we'll see more of her in another issue.
Brand re-enters the story and sees (another) example of the Nong demonstrating how inhumane people can be. A chance encounter leaves him overcome with grief. And that's all.
This issue is at once superficial in its portrayal of the horrible violence people can do to their fellow humans, and obtuse in how it tries to show introspection. Enticing gratuitous violence, and morose despair, don't mix as well here as I might like.
I still like it. I like what BMB does with this B&W style, and how the story explores the darker reaches of man's desperation. In general I try to be optimistic about humankind's achievement and potential, but also be aware of our frailties and shortcomings, and how our life of webcomics and blogs, and food and shelter and safety even, can disintegrate rapidly. We're our own worst enemies.
I recommend getting Kranburn, all of them. I might even order the print #8 and #9 soon.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Heavy Metal #266
Cover by Dave Seeley - 6 - The art is pretty nice looking and well-composed, the jetbike is pretty cool even though the windshield placement and some proportion issues are annoying to a nerd like me. The sidebar list of contents is interesting but detracts from the art's impact on the cover.
Animal'z by Enki Bilal - 7 - The art may be getting a bit more refined, and the story might be getting a bit more wordy, and I am getting more confused by the number of guys in wide-brimmed hats. More story details about what may have happened and what might be for lunch are provided. This may already be the kind of convoluted tale that will never get all the loose ends neatly tied up by the end, if it ever even ends. I'm still interested to find out.
The Pugilist by Greg-Michael Follender, Rick J. Bryant, and Wilson Ramos Jr - 7 - A story that brings an ancient myth of a golem to a dystopian future with exploitation video. Art that is mostly good and sometimes spectacular, with furious action scenes putting great expressions together with some neat digital type effects. The story is quite horrifying, holding only the slightest hope. This appears to be the first story in a series, with no indication of it showing up in HM again.
Gallery by Dave Seeley - 6 - While certainly miles better that I could ever do, the art is only sometimes interesting to me. Often stiff poses over fuzzy backgrounds, there are a few points that I like, and more I don't care for. It looks like he has more on his website but I didn't look.
Space Rats by Gonzalo Ruggieri - 4 - Not bad but not so good.
Fate by Homero Rios, Joe Sanchez, and Renato Guerra - 5 - Art and story both ambitious and underachieving, though I do like lines like "We've taken control of the Mega-Arc and destroyed its Patriarchate."
The Age by Tayyar Ozkan - 5 - At least this remake of a story he's already done is different enough to generate a bit more interest.
Artist's Studio by Alicia Hollinger - 6 - For CG pinups, there's a fair amount of personality in these. There's some unfortunate photoshopping and some figures seem hollow, but there's much to like about her work.
Heaven's Inferno by Scott O. Brown and Ferran Xalabarder - 7 - Much of this is merely good, and some of it is quite fantastic, especially near the end. I often enjoy Xalabarder's art and its ability to inspire imagination, and the story is able to put this ability to use once the character enters another world. This installment appears to be in the middle of a story, but at least it says "to be continued."
Water Hat by Spyros Verykios - 8 - A very well-told story of the fate of a Conquistador, with a fine twist and some very nice looking art. It may even be actually painted. I think this is my favorite in the whole issue.
in the end was the word by Mauro Balloni - 6 - Short with simple art. It tries to ask what would happen if all the letters left, but doesn't come up with much of an answer.
A couple ads that weren't selling HM mags, were for a resin cast bust of the 60s TV series Batman (seriously? someone makes this and someone might actually buy it? Does Adam West know about this?), and a public service spot for boostup.org trying to keep kids in school (nice gesture).
Overall getting and reading this issue was nice and not too difficult, and a few stories I quite liked made it enjoyable. Advance notices about #'s 267 and 268 on tfaw.com make me think there will be more of the same coming, for the next couple issues anyway.
Some interesting news about Mr Eastman selling HM and staying the publisher appeared on Variety a while ago:
http://variety.com/2014/biz/news
(comments about this on CBR are amusing: forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread. )
I get the feeling Mr Eastman got some guys to pay him to make HM into the mega-media conglomerate he always wanted. But what do I know.
I do hope the future plans of continuing the print magazine, albeit quarterly, will hold true. I won't hold my breath for movies or anything, so much has been said before that didn't happen to get hopes up (Fistful of Blood movie anyone? and what ever happened to War of the Worlds - Goliath anyway?). I will wait to see what really happens.
Animal'z by Enki Bilal - 7 - The art may be getting a bit more refined, and the story might be getting a bit more wordy, and I am getting more confused by the number of guys in wide-brimmed hats. More story details about what may have happened and what might be for lunch are provided. This may already be the kind of convoluted tale that will never get all the loose ends neatly tied up by the end, if it ever even ends. I'm still interested to find out.
The Pugilist by Greg-Michael Follender, Rick J. Bryant, and Wilson Ramos Jr - 7 - A story that brings an ancient myth of a golem to a dystopian future with exploitation video. Art that is mostly good and sometimes spectacular, with furious action scenes putting great expressions together with some neat digital type effects. The story is quite horrifying, holding only the slightest hope. This appears to be the first story in a series, with no indication of it showing up in HM again.
Gallery by Dave Seeley - 6 - While certainly miles better that I could ever do, the art is only sometimes interesting to me. Often stiff poses over fuzzy backgrounds, there are a few points that I like, and more I don't care for. It looks like he has more on his website but I didn't look.
Space Rats by Gonzalo Ruggieri - 4 - Not bad but not so good.
Fate by Homero Rios, Joe Sanchez, and Renato Guerra - 5 - Art and story both ambitious and underachieving, though I do like lines like "We've taken control of the Mega-Arc and destroyed its Patriarchate."
The Age by Tayyar Ozkan - 5 - At least this remake of a story he's already done is different enough to generate a bit more interest.
Artist's Studio by Alicia Hollinger - 6 - For CG pinups, there's a fair amount of personality in these. There's some unfortunate photoshopping and some figures seem hollow, but there's much to like about her work.
Heaven's Inferno by Scott O. Brown and Ferran Xalabarder - 7 - Much of this is merely good, and some of it is quite fantastic, especially near the end. I often enjoy Xalabarder's art and its ability to inspire imagination, and the story is able to put this ability to use once the character enters another world. This installment appears to be in the middle of a story, but at least it says "to be continued."
Water Hat by Spyros Verykios - 8 - A very well-told story of the fate of a Conquistador, with a fine twist and some very nice looking art. It may even be actually painted. I think this is my favorite in the whole issue.
in the end was the word by Mauro Balloni - 6 - Short with simple art. It tries to ask what would happen if all the letters left, but doesn't come up with much of an answer.
A couple ads that weren't selling HM mags, were for a resin cast bust of the 60s TV series Batman (seriously? someone makes this and someone might actually buy it? Does Adam West know about this?), and a public service spot for boostup.org trying to keep kids in school (nice gesture).
Overall getting and reading this issue was nice and not too difficult, and a few stories I quite liked made it enjoyable. Advance notices about #'s 267 and 268 on tfaw.com make me think there will be more of the same coming, for the next couple issues anyway.
Some interesting news about Mr Eastman selling HM and staying the publisher appeared on Variety a while ago:
http://variety.com/2014/biz/news
(comments about this on CBR are amusing: forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread. )
I get the feeling Mr Eastman got some guys to pay him to make HM into the mega-media conglomerate he always wanted. But what do I know.
I do hope the future plans of continuing the print magazine, albeit quarterly, will hold true. I won't hold my breath for movies or anything, so much has been said before that didn't happen to get hopes up (Fistful of Blood movie anyone? and what ever happened to War of the Worlds - Goliath anyway?). I will wait to see what really happens.
Monday, January 13, 2014
You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone is a comic anthology from GrayHaven Comics. GrayHaven Comics gives budding creators an avenue to publishing with its The Gathering anthologies and other comics. You Are Not Alone was created in a response to the recent mass shootings in Colorado and Connecticut, as a way to address bullying and alienation experienced by kids. It was presented as a Kickstarter project in 2012 to generate funds to publish copies to distribute in schools. Advance copies were made available late last year, and it's planned to be published soon.
http://www.grayhavencomics.com/2014/01/02/happy-new-year/
It's a noble and worthwhile effort. With over 40 stories by dozens of creators, I won't try to review them all. As a contribution based anthology, there is a wide range of style, content, and quality. They are grouped in topics of Depression/Suicide, Homophobia, Racism, Abuse, Violence, and Bullying. Each section is followed by a list of support resources.
The stories and art vary widely, from simplistic or incomprehensible, to rich and evocative, but it covers so much ground in topics that growing kids can relate to, and use to integrate their experiences into their growing lives, that I must recommend it. I have high hopes that this will be a continuing effort to raise consciousness of people to the needs of young people, and indeed all people.
A couple stories I liked stand out. Elaine's Story by Elaine Will is a deeply personal account of the author's struggles with depression, and her success. Story from the Desert by Ronald Montgomery and illustrated by Lars Kramhoft was a frightening story of flight from abuse, with barely a happy ending. Here's Looking at You by Ebersole/Gable was nice to see and read, with a more nuanced look at its topic than many others. Forward was a well-crafted story spanning decades linking good deeds.
Many more stories are good, and all of them have valuable qualities. This deserves more attention than I give it. I hope my simple words can encourage others to seek this out and use it to help themselves and others to grow as individuals and societies. We have come so far and have so far to go.
YANA was brought to my attention by Intone Flux, like myself a former denizen of the departed HM website message boards. Thanks for the tip IF.
http://www.grayhavencomics.com/2014/01/02/happy-new-year/
It's a noble and worthwhile effort. With over 40 stories by dozens of creators, I won't try to review them all. As a contribution based anthology, there is a wide range of style, content, and quality. They are grouped in topics of Depression/Suicide, Homophobia, Racism, Abuse, Violence, and Bullying. Each section is followed by a list of support resources.
The stories and art vary widely, from simplistic or incomprehensible, to rich and evocative, but it covers so much ground in topics that growing kids can relate to, and use to integrate their experiences into their growing lives, that I must recommend it. I have high hopes that this will be a continuing effort to raise consciousness of people to the needs of young people, and indeed all people.
A couple stories I liked stand out. Elaine's Story by Elaine Will is a deeply personal account of the author's struggles with depression, and her success. Story from the Desert by Ronald Montgomery and illustrated by Lars Kramhoft was a frightening story of flight from abuse, with barely a happy ending. Here's Looking at You by Ebersole/Gable was nice to see and read, with a more nuanced look at its topic than many others. Forward was a well-crafted story spanning decades linking good deeds.
Many more stories are good, and all of them have valuable qualities. This deserves more attention than I give it. I hope my simple words can encourage others to seek this out and use it to help themselves and others to grow as individuals and societies. We have come so far and have so far to go.
YANA was brought to my attention by Intone Flux, like myself a former denizen of the departed HM website message boards. Thanks for the tip IF.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Heavy Metal #265
This one showed up at the bookstore a couple weeks after release, but I got it easy enough, and now I'm just getting to the review.
This is another Dave Elliot Monster Massacre Special, as announced on the table of contents rather than the cover. There are actually monsters inside. I haven't been too excited about the Dave E issues, though in this case I liked having a couple returning comics and artists; the familiarity with style and characters let me look past first impressions and find things to enjoy. I also like serials in this way, so I'd be happy to see a bit more of this.
Cover by Dave Wilkins - 5 - It looks ok, the babe-posing-in-some-getup is nice enough, but the dull tones and plain white logo keep it subdued. The swords from somewhere else and use of this imagery inside detracted from my impressions. The tagline is back to The World's Greatest Illustrated Magazine.
Gallery - The Other Dead by many including Mr Eastman - 5 - I'd read some bits about this but didn't look too far. I'm not so keen on zombies and I'm still kind of baffled about why they're so popular, and zombie animals are less intriguing. The images and the puffery displayed here don't change my mind much, but I suppose I can see how it could be fun to do. It is nice to see something from Mr Eastman even if it is still turtles (or are those tortoises?).
Carpe Diem by Rauf, Marcellius, and Yuwono - 6 - This is an example of being able to enjoy this more by being familiar with the, um, franchise. If I understand that the cartoony look and hokey storytelling are part of its charm I can be less annoyed. If anything, this story is the cheesiest of all these I've seen, but it's nice to look at, I like creative panel arrangements, and it's a fun read.
The Lottery Party by Richard Caldwell - 7 - An interesting essay on Gladiator, by Philip Wylie. Mr Caldwell states that the 1930 novel's protagonist Hugo Danner has superhuman strength and is the basis for superhero characters, but that Hugo also differs from them in all-too-human ways. An intriguing discussion here touching roots of science fiction and pop culture history and myth. I may need to read this.
Tales of the Buddha (before he got enlightened) by Alan Grant and Jon Haward - 4 - I can imagine this is an idea that could have some humor in it, but I didn't care for this one, to me it was not witty and barely funny. This is from a book offered at renegadeartsentertainment.com. In the sales pitch it mentions a Bisely pinup in it. I'll probably never see it.
Gallery by Mark A Nelson - 7 - a handful of richly detailed pinups, with pretty women and mystical themes, and a couple enormous headdresses.
the Garden by Marc A Nelson (syc) - 7 - (not sure what the syc in the credit means) a sample of very different work from the Gallery from Mr Nelson. In a strange desert wasteland, a small band tracks, wounds, tortures, and kills a woman. Then that night, she melds to the odd stone pillar she's tied to, and emerges as a warrior goddess, with a giant headdress, and slaughters the band. She then plucks mushrooms from her body, plants them on their corpses, and they grow into more odd stone pillars. She then disintegrates and disperses in the wind. I liked the colored line art, it very much reminded me of Caza's work in style and imagery, and while the story and its telling were less than intriguing to me, I enjoyed seeing it a great deal.
We Are LEGION by Elliot, Gastonny, and Yuwono - 6 - More returning creators. Every now and then the art has something I'll enjoy, but mostly I don't care for it. The line drawing is sometimes misproportioned, the coloring and shadowing seems to clash rather than complement the lines. The backgrounds are spare, and the bits of misaligned pasted-onto-it stuff, like store signs and t-shirt logos, are pretty annoying. However, I liked the story, so I dealt with it. Though a couple parts were kind of thin, I liked the storytelling and the way it finished with something of a twist.
Dravn 1805: From the Depths by Negron, Elliot, Prasetrya, Putch, Aji - 6 - I wanted to like this more, I had a feel for the franchise from previous Dravn installments. The story has some depth and the telling is dramatic and fast-paced, but there are also thin characterizations and erratic jumps in time. And I'm letting it bug me that he leaves his mother on the floor as he goes to seek his revenge, I think that could have been done better. I have similar feelings about the art. The composition and creative panel arrangement are appealing, but the detail is sometimes sparse and the technique can seem sketchy and unrefined at times. I did like the last page, after the end, with the montage of old maps and weapons, the change in style helped my overall impression.
Fenris by Elliot and Wilkins - 6 - I liked the story's attempt to mix myths, if I knew more about the myths I might enjoy it more. There's some good action and mayhem in the art. I had to read through it a few times to appreciate it as much as I did though. The art was uneven, it had some spots that lacked detail and perhaps effort, and a few images crafted so lovingly, they were used a couple times (including the cover) that diminished the overall impact for me. I get some encouragement from the implication of more installments, but I don't know that we'll see them.
depthRadius - Sunstone - 5 - a review/press release about a BDSM comic. The couple pinups showed some skill, but the text was just fluffing the comic, and this didn't increase my meager interest in the subject.
Maximum Force by Elliot, Firmansyah, Mashuri - 6 - A couple washed-up superheroes watch a superhero movie. A lighthearted and slight story, with pretty good art.
Gallery - Zombie War by Eastman, Talbot, Pattison - 5 - a promo for a Zombie War comic. A couple quotes from Mr Eastman, hinting at this being a re-released color version of something from a couple decades back, are the most interesting parts of this for me.
Back Cover by Mark A Nelson - 7 - another pinup with a large headdress and fine detail. Nicer than many.
So not much here that will stand out in my memories of Heavy Metal, but overall a pretty solid issue. Keep 'em coming. Looking forward to #266.
This is another Dave Elliot Monster Massacre Special, as announced on the table of contents rather than the cover. There are actually monsters inside. I haven't been too excited about the Dave E issues, though in this case I liked having a couple returning comics and artists; the familiarity with style and characters let me look past first impressions and find things to enjoy. I also like serials in this way, so I'd be happy to see a bit more of this.
Cover by Dave Wilkins - 5 - It looks ok, the babe-posing-in-some-getup is nice enough, but the dull tones and plain white logo keep it subdued. The swords from somewhere else and use of this imagery inside detracted from my impressions. The tagline is back to The World's Greatest Illustrated Magazine.
Gallery - The Other Dead by many including Mr Eastman - 5 - I'd read some bits about this but didn't look too far. I'm not so keen on zombies and I'm still kind of baffled about why they're so popular, and zombie animals are less intriguing. The images and the puffery displayed here don't change my mind much, but I suppose I can see how it could be fun to do. It is nice to see something from Mr Eastman even if it is still turtles (or are those tortoises?).
Carpe Diem by Rauf, Marcellius, and Yuwono - 6 - This is an example of being able to enjoy this more by being familiar with the, um, franchise. If I understand that the cartoony look and hokey storytelling are part of its charm I can be less annoyed. If anything, this story is the cheesiest of all these I've seen, but it's nice to look at, I like creative panel arrangements, and it's a fun read.
The Lottery Party by Richard Caldwell - 7 - An interesting essay on Gladiator, by Philip Wylie. Mr Caldwell states that the 1930 novel's protagonist Hugo Danner has superhuman strength and is the basis for superhero characters, but that Hugo also differs from them in all-too-human ways. An intriguing discussion here touching roots of science fiction and pop culture history and myth. I may need to read this.
Tales of the Buddha (before he got enlightened) by Alan Grant and Jon Haward - 4 - I can imagine this is an idea that could have some humor in it, but I didn't care for this one, to me it was not witty and barely funny. This is from a book offered at renegadeartsentertainment.com. In the sales pitch it mentions a Bisely pinup in it. I'll probably never see it.
Gallery by Mark A Nelson - 7 - a handful of richly detailed pinups, with pretty women and mystical themes, and a couple enormous headdresses.
the Garden by Marc A Nelson (syc) - 7 - (not sure what the syc in the credit means) a sample of very different work from the Gallery from Mr Nelson. In a strange desert wasteland, a small band tracks, wounds, tortures, and kills a woman. Then that night, she melds to the odd stone pillar she's tied to, and emerges as a warrior goddess, with a giant headdress, and slaughters the band. She then plucks mushrooms from her body, plants them on their corpses, and they grow into more odd stone pillars. She then disintegrates and disperses in the wind. I liked the colored line art, it very much reminded me of Caza's work in style and imagery, and while the story and its telling were less than intriguing to me, I enjoyed seeing it a great deal.
We Are LEGION by Elliot, Gastonny, and Yuwono - 6 - More returning creators. Every now and then the art has something I'll enjoy, but mostly I don't care for it. The line drawing is sometimes misproportioned, the coloring and shadowing seems to clash rather than complement the lines. The backgrounds are spare, and the bits of misaligned pasted-onto-it stuff, like store signs and t-shirt logos, are pretty annoying. However, I liked the story, so I dealt with it. Though a couple parts were kind of thin, I liked the storytelling and the way it finished with something of a twist.
Dravn 1805: From the Depths by Negron, Elliot, Prasetrya, Putch, Aji - 6 - I wanted to like this more, I had a feel for the franchise from previous Dravn installments. The story has some depth and the telling is dramatic and fast-paced, but there are also thin characterizations and erratic jumps in time. And I'm letting it bug me that he leaves his mother on the floor as he goes to seek his revenge, I think that could have been done better. I have similar feelings about the art. The composition and creative panel arrangement are appealing, but the detail is sometimes sparse and the technique can seem sketchy and unrefined at times. I did like the last page, after the end, with the montage of old maps and weapons, the change in style helped my overall impression.
Fenris by Elliot and Wilkins - 6 - I liked the story's attempt to mix myths, if I knew more about the myths I might enjoy it more. There's some good action and mayhem in the art. I had to read through it a few times to appreciate it as much as I did though. The art was uneven, it had some spots that lacked detail and perhaps effort, and a few images crafted so lovingly, they were used a couple times (including the cover) that diminished the overall impact for me. I get some encouragement from the implication of more installments, but I don't know that we'll see them.
depthRadius - Sunstone - 5 - a review/press release about a BDSM comic. The couple pinups showed some skill, but the text was just fluffing the comic, and this didn't increase my meager interest in the subject.
Maximum Force by Elliot, Firmansyah, Mashuri - 6 - A couple washed-up superheroes watch a superhero movie. A lighthearted and slight story, with pretty good art.
Gallery - Zombie War by Eastman, Talbot, Pattison - 5 - a promo for a Zombie War comic. A couple quotes from Mr Eastman, hinting at this being a re-released color version of something from a couple decades back, are the most interesting parts of this for me.
Back Cover by Mark A Nelson - 7 - another pinup with a large headdress and fine detail. Nicer than many.
So not much here that will stand out in my memories of Heavy Metal, but overall a pretty solid issue. Keep 'em coming. Looking forward to #266.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Heavy Metal dot com
I noticed a couple recent changes to the official HM website (maybe not so recent, but I just noticed).
The obvious development is the offer for all available back issues, 222 magazines, for $890. Since the current issue is #265, it's apparent this wouldn't get you a complete set. A quick look shows that there are 3 issues from the 1970s available, of the 33 issues that were produced then. This would seem to be the biggest gap in this offering. A few others I can think of are some of the specials like the Best Ofs and the first Erotic Special. I was glad to see they have all the numbered issues, including #263 which I thought had sold out.
Still, if someone wanted to start a collection, and had the means, this would be a good start. Some of those early issues are pretty expensive on the open market though. (while I was lucky to find an almost complete 1977-1985 set in a resale shop for $200 when I started, I still probably came close to the $890 to complete it. And of course I'm spending $8 each at the bookstore every couple months.)
There are also offers of recent issues as digital downloads. Perhaps this is "the wave of the future" but it's not something I will pursue. The paper magazine, the fact that it still exists, and that I can hold 30+ year old paper in my hands to read, is a big part of the appeal for me, as well as the high quality print and imagery it offers. If HM ever goes all-digital it'll lose me. I'm not old-school, I'm just old.
I did notice that the archives have been removed, so all the old Biz and Buzz, I Shot my Wife, broken links to Eyebrow Tuna videos, the long interview with Mr Eastman from the 90s, are lost to us. I'm sure they got little traffic. Also, I'd seen the link to Gates had dropped off the front page, but it's now in the Just for Fun. Of course, nothing's happened there for almost a year.
So, things change, some will be missed, some new things will be enjoyed, some will be disdained. F-book? pffft. While the shutdown of the old HM website forums pissed me off enough to start this blog (and what a miserable little thing this is) I know that nothing lasts forever. Part of my interest in HM, besides the memories of my misspent youth it brings back, is how it still exists, thanks to Mr Eastman, and wondering if it will continue. Here's hoping, and looking forward to #266 and more Animal'z.
The obvious development is the offer for all available back issues, 222 magazines, for $890. Since the current issue is #265, it's apparent this wouldn't get you a complete set. A quick look shows that there are 3 issues from the 1970s available, of the 33 issues that were produced then. This would seem to be the biggest gap in this offering. A few others I can think of are some of the specials like the Best Ofs and the first Erotic Special. I was glad to see they have all the numbered issues, including #263 which I thought had sold out.
Still, if someone wanted to start a collection, and had the means, this would be a good start. Some of those early issues are pretty expensive on the open market though. (while I was lucky to find an almost complete 1977-1985 set in a resale shop for $200 when I started, I still probably came close to the $890 to complete it. And of course I'm spending $8 each at the bookstore every couple months.)
There are also offers of recent issues as digital downloads. Perhaps this is "the wave of the future" but it's not something I will pursue. The paper magazine, the fact that it still exists, and that I can hold 30+ year old paper in my hands to read, is a big part of the appeal for me, as well as the high quality print and imagery it offers. If HM ever goes all-digital it'll lose me. I'm not old-school, I'm just old.
I did notice that the archives have been removed, so all the old Biz and Buzz, I Shot my Wife, broken links to Eyebrow Tuna videos, the long interview with Mr Eastman from the 90s, are lost to us. I'm sure they got little traffic. Also, I'd seen the link to Gates had dropped off the front page, but it's now in the Just for Fun. Of course, nothing's happened there for almost a year.
So, things change, some will be missed, some new things will be enjoyed, some will be disdained. F-book? pffft. While the shutdown of the old HM website forums pissed me off enough to start this blog (and what a miserable little thing this is) I know that nothing lasts forever. Part of my interest in HM, besides the memories of my misspent youth it brings back, is how it still exists, thanks to Mr Eastman, and wondering if it will continue. Here's hoping, and looking forward to #266 and more Animal'z.
Friday, November 22, 2013
XTIN again
Jeremy Ray has started again on XTIN. This is apparently to be a sequel to XTIN: The Dragon's Dream World, which I thought was inscrutable and terrific:
jrxtin.deviantart.com
It's just a few pages in, but it looks neat and interesting. It's in color, mostly blues and blacks so far. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the previous TDDW was the black and white art, which was at once stark and dramatic. In this case the color makes it look quite different than the previous installment. I think it demonstrates that Mr Ray has some artistic range to work with, and I'm happy he's sharing it with us.
A disadvantage to being on deviantart is that sign-in is required to view get past the mature content filter. I'm not sure if I will sign up just to see a couple images. Besides this minor annoyance, I'm glad Mr Ray has started this again and I hope that deviantart is a good platform that helps provide the exposure his work deserves. Go take a look.
jrxtin.deviantart.com
It's just a few pages in, but it looks neat and interesting. It's in color, mostly blues and blacks so far. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the previous TDDW was the black and white art, which was at once stark and dramatic. In this case the color makes it look quite different than the previous installment. I think it demonstrates that Mr Ray has some artistic range to work with, and I'm happy he's sharing it with us.
A disadvantage to being on deviantart is that sign-in is required to view get past the mature content filter. I'm not sure if I will sign up just to see a couple images. Besides this minor annoyance, I'm glad Mr Ray has started this again and I hope that deviantart is a good platform that helps provide the exposure his work deserves. Go take a look.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Heavy Metal #264
So this time was easier, I found the new Heavy Metal a week before I even thought it was coming out. Hope it's so easy the next time.
Cover by Sperlonga - 4 - This may be my least favorite cover ever. The cheesiest pose, the lamest outfit, the poorest execution, it was embarrassing to bring it to the checkout counter. The crotch-wide pose and the goofy straps-and-bullets getup with a cattle skull belt buckle is bad enough, but she's wearing a wristwatch fer cryin' out loud. I can't imagine how that fits in a Western themed cover. Sperlonga is such a good artist it's depressing that I've disliked so many of his covers. The logo has an interesting treatment, with a larger faded shadow behind the fiery orange letters, and the tagline now reads The World's Foremost Adult Illustrated Magazine, a couple interesting differences this time.
Inside the front cover is a public service ad "Reckless Driving is a Road to Nowhere" which has art that's better than some I've seen in HM. Fortunately, this issue has much higher quality inside than the beginning might suggest.
Animal'z, by Bilal - 9 - It says this is Part 4, hinting that the last three we saw are actually in sequence. Again the blue-gray and black sketch art entices me. The storytelling is still opaque but links to previous installments. Characters interact in mysterious ways but start coming into clearer focus. It ends with "continued in Issue # 266". Having a continuing story from one of the titans of Heavy Metal's history is a delight.
Milk Run, by Burnham and Englert - 4 - The art isn't too bad, and there's lots of death and dismemberment (that's ok, they're just Steezers). The story is about space pirates who attack a drug-running freighter and kill all the Steezer crew, and find the source of the drug is - women! Naked women hanging from weird contraptions sucking their bodily fluids. Naturally they convince the women to reward their rescuers with sex, so they never get any clothes on. Cripes, what dreck. I thought this kind of juvenile and vacuous objectification went out of style in the 80s. It reminds me of the HM 2000 movie, and some of the reasons that it stunk as well.
Gallery, by Sperlonga - 6 - Here Sperlonga's ability shows through. The pinup poses with fantastical outfits are not so interesting to me, but his technique and skill are clear to see. The Odalisque is the most lovely to look at.
Trial and Punishment of Nathan Bort, by Xalabarder - 7 - Xalabarder uses his ability and imagination to tell a story of sexual abuse and retribution. I'm not sure how to view this, I need to rethink my perception of his work. The bad guys get their punishment, but using the images and themes of sexuality and domination in this story of abuse makes me wonder what I really like about Xalabarder. A full page with an insect-woman hybrid sucking the soul from an evildoer in engrossing but disturbing. Kind of like some H.R. Giger I've seen. The ending panel with notable World War I themes indicates, something? Plenty of evil and inhumanity then too, that's for sure. Some characters may recur from previous installments, but I still think we are seeing a fraction of this story.
Agent 88, by Millgate and Millgate - 6 - Perhaps a promo of Mr Mesch's creation, a film apparently. I've seen some f-book chatter about it. Adequate art with a mindless story. Hope the film is better.
Iron First, by Cardoselli - 7 - A bit better than last time. The furious mayhem is a little less pointless and is enhanced by the addition of a couple interesting portraits of the Queen and another pretty woman, and it ends with a fantastical destruction of the world. I like Cardoselli's art and I hope he continues exploring emotions in his stories.
The Age, by Ozkan - 6 - Another mail-order robot wife story, ending with a cave man looking at a cave woman's butt. If it was that easy everyone would be doing it.
Tales of Dead Earth: Helvete, by Christian Krank - 7 - Well whaddya know, another Cthulhu reference in HM. And zombies! It's kind of neat, and it's hard to beat a line like "oily black semen wandered through colon". Maybe it's a series we won't see again, again.
Titan Grave, by Sharam and Woodhead - 7 - I like the CG graphics, but it's hard to see the detail this medium provides when it's so dark. The story rescues a princess, and wonders who is using whom. It says Fragment A, makes me want to think there's more, that I don't think we'll see in HM. It'd be great to be wrong here.
Battlefield X, by Forte - 5 - Lots of guys getting blown up, and an attempt at a statement about the futility of war.
Fiendy, by Becks - 7 - It's such a thin and contrived story, but the telling is so much fun. Cam-roaches coming soon to a foodstand near you. It's nice to see this again, wouldn't mind seeing more again and again.
Artist's Studio, by White - 6 - It's just a pile of fantasy pinups, but they're done well enough to be nice to look at.
The Vapor Cloud, by Terry - 6 - Zombies, but this time, they're space zombies. Perhaps not an imaginative premise, but there's a lot of effort in the story. It's worth seeing.
Orcland, by Calle - 7 - A monster fantasy cooking show, but no zombies. Energetic storytelling and stylish art make this an enjoyable read.
An enjoyable issue with more inside than the cover indicates.
Cover by Sperlonga - 4 - This may be my least favorite cover ever. The cheesiest pose, the lamest outfit, the poorest execution, it was embarrassing to bring it to the checkout counter. The crotch-wide pose and the goofy straps-and-bullets getup with a cattle skull belt buckle is bad enough, but she's wearing a wristwatch fer cryin' out loud. I can't imagine how that fits in a Western themed cover. Sperlonga is such a good artist it's depressing that I've disliked so many of his covers. The logo has an interesting treatment, with a larger faded shadow behind the fiery orange letters, and the tagline now reads The World's Foremost Adult Illustrated Magazine, a couple interesting differences this time.
Inside the front cover is a public service ad "Reckless Driving is a Road to Nowhere" which has art that's better than some I've seen in HM. Fortunately, this issue has much higher quality inside than the beginning might suggest.
Animal'z, by Bilal - 9 - It says this is Part 4, hinting that the last three we saw are actually in sequence. Again the blue-gray and black sketch art entices me. The storytelling is still opaque but links to previous installments. Characters interact in mysterious ways but start coming into clearer focus. It ends with "continued in Issue # 266". Having a continuing story from one of the titans of Heavy Metal's history is a delight.
Milk Run, by Burnham and Englert - 4 - The art isn't too bad, and there's lots of death and dismemberment (that's ok, they're just Steezers). The story is about space pirates who attack a drug-running freighter and kill all the Steezer crew, and find the source of the drug is - women! Naked women hanging from weird contraptions sucking their bodily fluids. Naturally they convince the women to reward their rescuers with sex, so they never get any clothes on. Cripes, what dreck. I thought this kind of juvenile and vacuous objectification went out of style in the 80s. It reminds me of the HM 2000 movie, and some of the reasons that it stunk as well.
Gallery, by Sperlonga - 6 - Here Sperlonga's ability shows through. The pinup poses with fantastical outfits are not so interesting to me, but his technique and skill are clear to see. The Odalisque is the most lovely to look at.
Trial and Punishment of Nathan Bort, by Xalabarder - 7 - Xalabarder uses his ability and imagination to tell a story of sexual abuse and retribution. I'm not sure how to view this, I need to rethink my perception of his work. The bad guys get their punishment, but using the images and themes of sexuality and domination in this story of abuse makes me wonder what I really like about Xalabarder. A full page with an insect-woman hybrid sucking the soul from an evildoer in engrossing but disturbing. Kind of like some H.R. Giger I've seen. The ending panel with notable World War I themes indicates, something? Plenty of evil and inhumanity then too, that's for sure. Some characters may recur from previous installments, but I still think we are seeing a fraction of this story.
Agent 88, by Millgate and Millgate - 6 - Perhaps a promo of Mr Mesch's creation, a film apparently. I've seen some f-book chatter about it. Adequate art with a mindless story. Hope the film is better.
Iron First, by Cardoselli - 7 - A bit better than last time. The furious mayhem is a little less pointless and is enhanced by the addition of a couple interesting portraits of the Queen and another pretty woman, and it ends with a fantastical destruction of the world. I like Cardoselli's art and I hope he continues exploring emotions in his stories.
The Age, by Ozkan - 6 - Another mail-order robot wife story, ending with a cave man looking at a cave woman's butt. If it was that easy everyone would be doing it.
Tales of Dead Earth: Helvete, by Christian Krank - 7 - Well whaddya know, another Cthulhu reference in HM. And zombies! It's kind of neat, and it's hard to beat a line like "oily black semen wandered through colon". Maybe it's a series we won't see again, again.
Titan Grave, by Sharam and Woodhead - 7 - I like the CG graphics, but it's hard to see the detail this medium provides when it's so dark. The story rescues a princess, and wonders who is using whom. It says Fragment A, makes me want to think there's more, that I don't think we'll see in HM. It'd be great to be wrong here.
Battlefield X, by Forte - 5 - Lots of guys getting blown up, and an attempt at a statement about the futility of war.
Fiendy, by Becks - 7 - It's such a thin and contrived story, but the telling is so much fun. Cam-roaches coming soon to a foodstand near you. It's nice to see this again, wouldn't mind seeing more again and again.
Artist's Studio, by White - 6 - It's just a pile of fantasy pinups, but they're done well enough to be nice to look at.
The Vapor Cloud, by Terry - 6 - Zombies, but this time, they're space zombies. Perhaps not an imaginative premise, but there's a lot of effort in the story. It's worth seeing.
Orcland, by Calle - 7 - A monster fantasy cooking show, but no zombies. Energetic storytelling and stylish art make this an enjoyable read.
An enjoyable issue with more inside than the cover indicates.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Walking with Cthulhu
In HM #262, Richard Caldwell's The Lottery Party mentions this book, "Walking with Cthulhu - H.P. Lovecraft as Psychogeographer" by David Haden. I sought it out and found the author offered it for free in a secured .pdf on his website. I got it and read through it and thought I'd mention it here.
The book discusses H.P. Lovecraft's time in New York City. I only know Lovecraft from HM references, such as the H.P. Lovecraft themed issue October 1979, and a couple other stories like "Rats in the Walls" by Corben in March 1999, (and the deified monster Uhluhtc in Den). I was aware of his reputation as a writer, but I don't know his work well.
The book is written for those with a much deeper interest in Lovecraft and his history. It makes plain its focus on his time in New York and speculation on how the environment affected his work. It presumes a depth of interest and knowledge of Lovecraft in the reader that I don't have, and I was often lost in the references to other work and other studies of his life and letters, and the footnotes upon footnotes, sometimes taking more of the page than the text itself. I admit it's a bit amusing to me the level of devotion demonstrated by the author and other Lovecraftian scholars, but my interest in the even more obscure and trivial Heavy Metal is certainly no more noteworthy.
David Haden has produced several other works, including others about Lovecraft. I did admire his effort and diligence in seeking his resources and researching his subject. There are many interesting connections he attempts with the field of "psychogeography", apparently the study of effects of location on the psyche, as well as other work and movements. Frank Boas, surrealism, the Situationalists, the occult, and comic books, are all wound in.
What interested me most was descriptions of New York in Lovecraft's time. NYC only became more interesting to me when someone I know moved there. I've visited a few times since. Having grown up in a big city I'm less than excited about the crowded dirty smelly aspects, but I know that a big city has a lot to offer. It's so active and kinetic that it's easy to forget it hasn't always been so modern. Knowing that NYC has been big and getting bigger for a couple hundred years, and the frankly amazing way millions of people have existed in such a small area, learning a bit about its history was interesting to me. The transportation was transitioning away from horses, and the car had not taken over. The subways are often nasty but fantastically effective at moving many people at all hours. Learning they were only more crowded and dark and disturbing adds to my perceptions.
Also interesting were description of his night walks, the basis for the discussion of psychogeography. Apparently Lovecraft and some groupies would wander the city and gather impressions of mystery and fear. Some of these impressions are believed to have been digested into some of his work. The thought of wandering the streets of NYC at all hours may seen ridiculous, but even in Lovecraft's time, as now, there are parts of the city that are active and bustling at any hour.
So I enjoyed reading through this and learned a few interesting things. The piles of footnotes and references to other research were excess scholarship to me, but I'm sure there are many who would find this valuable and insightful. People with interest in Lovecraft and some of the back alleys of history of New York may find it enjoyable as well.
The book discusses H.P. Lovecraft's time in New York City. I only know Lovecraft from HM references, such as the H.P. Lovecraft themed issue October 1979, and a couple other stories like "Rats in the Walls" by Corben in March 1999, (and the deified monster Uhluhtc in Den). I was aware of his reputation as a writer, but I don't know his work well.
The book is written for those with a much deeper interest in Lovecraft and his history. It makes plain its focus on his time in New York and speculation on how the environment affected his work. It presumes a depth of interest and knowledge of Lovecraft in the reader that I don't have, and I was often lost in the references to other work and other studies of his life and letters, and the footnotes upon footnotes, sometimes taking more of the page than the text itself. I admit it's a bit amusing to me the level of devotion demonstrated by the author and other Lovecraftian scholars, but my interest in the even more obscure and trivial Heavy Metal is certainly no more noteworthy.
David Haden has produced several other works, including others about Lovecraft. I did admire his effort and diligence in seeking his resources and researching his subject. There are many interesting connections he attempts with the field of "psychogeography", apparently the study of effects of location on the psyche, as well as other work and movements. Frank Boas, surrealism, the Situationalists, the occult, and comic books, are all wound in.
What interested me most was descriptions of New York in Lovecraft's time. NYC only became more interesting to me when someone I know moved there. I've visited a few times since. Having grown up in a big city I'm less than excited about the crowded dirty smelly aspects, but I know that a big city has a lot to offer. It's so active and kinetic that it's easy to forget it hasn't always been so modern. Knowing that NYC has been big and getting bigger for a couple hundred years, and the frankly amazing way millions of people have existed in such a small area, learning a bit about its history was interesting to me. The transportation was transitioning away from horses, and the car had not taken over. The subways are often nasty but fantastically effective at moving many people at all hours. Learning they were only more crowded and dark and disturbing adds to my perceptions.
Also interesting were description of his night walks, the basis for the discussion of psychogeography. Apparently Lovecraft and some groupies would wander the city and gather impressions of mystery and fear. Some of these impressions are believed to have been digested into some of his work. The thought of wandering the streets of NYC at all hours may seen ridiculous, but even in Lovecraft's time, as now, there are parts of the city that are active and bustling at any hour.
So I enjoyed reading through this and learned a few interesting things. The piles of footnotes and references to other research were excess scholarship to me, but I'm sure there are many who would find this valuable and insightful. People with interest in Lovecraft and some of the back alleys of history of New York may find it enjoyable as well.
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