It's been a few weeks, sorry, been very busy. This in itself isn't a return to full flurry as I'm here to dump but one track on. But it's an important one!
I have been crawling towards the final days of the edit on my second book and so have had a hard time getting my brain to stay on track, it just wants to run off and start the next one! Still, I have to have thinking time, planning time, time spent just sitting, and when I'm doing that I form the story so that when it comes to putting it down I have it there on my fingertips.
Music has always been a huge key for me, able to open doors in my mind to see places I don't necessarily want to go. This piece of music, this soundtrack, has been a companion for a good few months now but soon, very soon, it will form a writing switch. It's from the film The Fountain, a film I've never seen and don't want to, not because I think it will suck, nope, more because I've placed my own narrative over this music now. I don't want someone else's jamming up my brain when I hear it.
Below is the full soundtrack, I have it on c.d and the greater sound quality makes all the difference. As you may gathered, my next project isn't likely to be too happy at it's core...
I love this music, I hope it works as I want it too in the coming months.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Monday, 29 July 2013
A Graphic Novel Guide: Part Two.
Graphic Novels are varied in subject, style and excellence. This is the second part in what will probably turn out to be a long series of posts, but I'm not going to try and tell you every Graphic Novel you should read, these are suggestions meant to cover as many different many styles and visit some recognised greats and some less famous beauties.
So, without further waffle....
GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT - A long time ago a company called D.C decided to take some of their famous, beloved characters, and tell stories about them not set in their standard universe. They decided these stories would be stand alone events and they called this series 'Elseworlds.' The Elseworlds series had some great ideas and the greatest in my opinion was the near perfect 'Gotham By Gaslight.'
Gotham By Gaslight set Batman back to the late nineteenth century, where he decided to police the violent streets of Gotham City following the death of his parents. Young Bruce Wayne has studied under some of the greatest minds of that Victorian age but what chance does he have when the world's most famous serial killer comes to Gotham? It's Batman vs Jack The Ripper.
The streets and docks of Gotham are incredibly realised through the art and the stories so tight you don't look at paper, you're eyes rift across sheets of diamond.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 - Paul Cornell is an awesome Comic book writer, as so many of the modern guys he's also a writer of books and television. His work on a little known British television show called Doctor Who is brilliant and right here Cornell does something truly memorable. He gets the British Isles into the Marvel Universe, injecting importance, interest and takes Captain Britain, portrayed as a stereotypical drunk in the past, and gives him a make over.
MI13 is a whole new ballgame! Led by Captain Britain the British Isles fight off a Skrull invasion while swelling the ranks of the heroes attached to Britain. It's an odd group at first glance but if you take Captain Britain, The Black Knight (ex Avenger), Blade, Fazia Hussain, Spitfire, Pete Wisdom and some great supporting characters and you get a slice of Marvel you don't normally get to see; something outside of North America.
It's a criminally short run, only three graphic novels, but it's so worth your time.
THE AUTHORITY: RELENTLESS - Not one who wants their heroes to be following the comic book code to the letter? This could be for you. An unlikely team form to protect the Earth from threats of a truly terrifying nature. The action is violent, the content is mature, the dialogue is enthralling, filthy, sweary, irreverent and the story very wide in scope. If you want to see your heroes crush their enemies, smoke and swear, fuck and fight, then The Authority is for you. It's written by Warren Ellis (Brilliant) and you can tell; it's funny, touching, on the taste edge and damn it, if you like your characters different, original and gay, then pick it up!
X-MEN: THE MUTANT MASSACRE - Legendary comic book writer Chris Claremont wrote an incredible run on the X-men that started before the Phoenix burst onto the scene, saw many of the all time favourite X-Men and women make their first appearance, and he saw this team of mutants become a staggeringly powerful force in the market.
.jpg)
He built a family of X-Men that stayed together for many years and a support cast that fans came to love. Here we see Claremont guide a storyline that would sweep away some of the most famous and loved of those characters and show the world wasn't just afraid of mutants, there were forces moving to wipe them out.
Deep in the tunnels under New York City Mutants had made a home for themselves in their thousands, living deep beneath the city they called themselves The Morlocks and came to be entangled in the X-men's lives. But there came a day when a group of powered assassins entered the tunnels with the sole goal of killing every single Morlock.
There was blood, tears and it marked the end of an era as the more innocent of the X-Men were put to the sword.
V FOR VENDETTA - Alan Moore's brilliant story that saw itself lifted to the heights of the silver screen. I won't bang on, but it is a fabulous work and deserves to be read again and again and again.
THE PHOENIX SAGA - Chris Claremont brings Jean Grey ultimate power, a power that threatens to be too much over time, but when she is manipulated by the Hellfire Club her control slips and the X-Men are pulled into a spiral of destruction that will tear them apart and seal the fate, and death of an Original team member.
Yes, it's a classic. You like the X-Men, head here and enjoy.
MAUS - The telling of the holocaust casting the Jews as mice and the Nazi's as Cats. Incredibly powerful and heartbreaking as the uniforms are real, the events are real, the horror is real. Brilliant and moving.
PLANET HULK - Grek Pak changes the Hulk forever as Bruce Banner is tricked into helping Nick Fury with a problem off planet, only to be told by video link that he has been deemed to be too dangerous to stay on Earth he is exiled by his fellow heroes Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Blackbolt, Stephen Strange and Professor Xavier.
His pod is fired through a warp gate and sent to a place where he can find peace, on a planet deep in space, sadly his pod lands somewhere not very peaceful, a world torn by war and cruelty and The Hulk must fight for his life...
KINGDOM COME - Artistically stunning take on the future of the D.C universe, where all the characters are there, and many new ones. Basically the old heroes become tired, they stop their quests for justice and retire, but their replacements are not heroic and dashing, they are violent and dangerous powerhouses.
Someone has to step in to stop the madness and when the old guard do, war with powers bursts forth. Well worth ya eyeballs. It's incredibly beautiful.
BAD COMPANY: KRULL WORLD - 2000AD was something I grew up with and I loved the tangle of stories and strips that flowed through the comic. You had Dredd and Rogue Trooper, Slaine and The A.B.C Warriors, and the list goes on and on. I read this storyline from start to finish, and loved it, do when these stories were collected into Graphic Novel form I couldn't resist!
There are plenty of other Graphic Novels that first appeared in 2000AD that are now available including collections of Judge Dredd that start from the first stories and move through chronologically. Which is utterly brilliant!
I've been asked where I get my Graphic Novels? Where can we pick this stuff up?! Right, here's some advice for you; go to the library and check there first because you really may not know if the art, writing or style of story is really your cup of tea. If you can't do that then that's fine, you can hit a Waterstones, they have an excellent selection normally and will stock many of the famous titles and the ones adapted to film as well. You can go to Amazon and get used copies that are normally good quality too.
I would also suggest second hand book shops. There are plenty that turn up in house clearances or are being shifted out when the kids move on or are being flogged in there because the old owner feels they are way to grown up now to read comics.
E-bay and other second hand online sites are good of course and I would have thought car boot sales too. My point would be that, yes, you could go and get yourself an incredibly new graphic novel, but you could also increase your collection cheaply knowing that the thing you are holding was loved by someone else. It has a history already and you are just carrying on that legacy by being the next person to be entertained by them.That and the money you save can go to buying yet more Graphic Novels. :-)
That's your lot for this instalment, but next time we see Dalek Killers and Frank Miller's Sin City explode onto the list!
So, without further waffle....
GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT - A long time ago a company called D.C decided to take some of their famous, beloved characters, and tell stories about them not set in their standard universe. They decided these stories would be stand alone events and they called this series 'Elseworlds.' The Elseworlds series had some great ideas and the greatest in my opinion was the near perfect 'Gotham By Gaslight.'Gotham By Gaslight set Batman back to the late nineteenth century, where he decided to police the violent streets of Gotham City following the death of his parents. Young Bruce Wayne has studied under some of the greatest minds of that Victorian age but what chance does he have when the world's most famous serial killer comes to Gotham? It's Batman vs Jack The Ripper.
The streets and docks of Gotham are incredibly realised through the art and the stories so tight you don't look at paper, you're eyes rift across sheets of diamond.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 - Paul Cornell is an awesome Comic book writer, as so many of the modern guys he's also a writer of books and television. His work on a little known British television show called Doctor Who is brilliant and right here Cornell does something truly memorable. He gets the British Isles into the Marvel Universe, injecting importance, interest and takes Captain Britain, portrayed as a stereotypical drunk in the past, and gives him a make over.
MI13 is a whole new ballgame! Led by Captain Britain the British Isles fight off a Skrull invasion while swelling the ranks of the heroes attached to Britain. It's an odd group at first glance but if you take Captain Britain, The Black Knight (ex Avenger), Blade, Fazia Hussain, Spitfire, Pete Wisdom and some great supporting characters and you get a slice of Marvel you don't normally get to see; something outside of North America.It's a criminally short run, only three graphic novels, but it's so worth your time.
THE AUTHORITY: RELENTLESS - Not one who wants their heroes to be following the comic book code to the letter? This could be for you. An unlikely team form to protect the Earth from threats of a truly terrifying nature. The action is violent, the content is mature, the dialogue is enthralling, filthy, sweary, irreverent and the story very wide in scope. If you want to see your heroes crush their enemies, smoke and swear, fuck and fight, then The Authority is for you. It's written by Warren Ellis (Brilliant) and you can tell; it's funny, touching, on the taste edge and damn it, if you like your characters different, original and gay, then pick it up!
X-MEN: THE MUTANT MASSACRE - Legendary comic book writer Chris Claremont wrote an incredible run on the X-men that started before the Phoenix burst onto the scene, saw many of the all time favourite X-Men and women make their first appearance, and he saw this team of mutants become a staggeringly powerful force in the market.
.jpg)
He built a family of X-Men that stayed together for many years and a support cast that fans came to love. Here we see Claremont guide a storyline that would sweep away some of the most famous and loved of those characters and show the world wasn't just afraid of mutants, there were forces moving to wipe them out.Deep in the tunnels under New York City Mutants had made a home for themselves in their thousands, living deep beneath the city they called themselves The Morlocks and came to be entangled in the X-men's lives. But there came a day when a group of powered assassins entered the tunnels with the sole goal of killing every single Morlock.
There was blood, tears and it marked the end of an era as the more innocent of the X-Men were put to the sword.
V FOR VENDETTA - Alan Moore's brilliant story that saw itself lifted to the heights of the silver screen. I won't bang on, but it is a fabulous work and deserves to be read again and again and again.
THE PHOENIX SAGA - Chris Claremont brings Jean Grey ultimate power, a power that threatens to be too much over time, but when she is manipulated by the Hellfire Club her control slips and the X-Men are pulled into a spiral of destruction that will tear them apart and seal the fate, and death of an Original team member.
Yes, it's a classic. You like the X-Men, head here and enjoy.
MAUS - The telling of the holocaust casting the Jews as mice and the Nazi's as Cats. Incredibly powerful and heartbreaking as the uniforms are real, the events are real, the horror is real. Brilliant and moving.
PLANET HULK - Grek Pak changes the Hulk forever as Bruce Banner is tricked into helping Nick Fury with a problem off planet, only to be told by video link that he has been deemed to be too dangerous to stay on Earth he is exiled by his fellow heroes Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Blackbolt, Stephen Strange and Professor Xavier.
His pod is fired through a warp gate and sent to a place where he can find peace, on a planet deep in space, sadly his pod lands somewhere not very peaceful, a world torn by war and cruelty and The Hulk must fight for his life...
KINGDOM COME - Artistically stunning take on the future of the D.C universe, where all the characters are there, and many new ones. Basically the old heroes become tired, they stop their quests for justice and retire, but their replacements are not heroic and dashing, they are violent and dangerous powerhouses.
Someone has to step in to stop the madness and when the old guard do, war with powers bursts forth. Well worth ya eyeballs. It's incredibly beautiful.
BAD COMPANY: KRULL WORLD - 2000AD was something I grew up with and I loved the tangle of stories and strips that flowed through the comic. You had Dredd and Rogue Trooper, Slaine and The A.B.C Warriors, and the list goes on and on. I read this storyline from start to finish, and loved it, do when these stories were collected into Graphic Novel form I couldn't resist!
There are plenty of other Graphic Novels that first appeared in 2000AD that are now available including collections of Judge Dredd that start from the first stories and move through chronologically. Which is utterly brilliant!
I've been asked where I get my Graphic Novels? Where can we pick this stuff up?! Right, here's some advice for you; go to the library and check there first because you really may not know if the art, writing or style of story is really your cup of tea. If you can't do that then that's fine, you can hit a Waterstones, they have an excellent selection normally and will stock many of the famous titles and the ones adapted to film as well. You can go to Amazon and get used copies that are normally good quality too.
I would also suggest second hand book shops. There are plenty that turn up in house clearances or are being shifted out when the kids move on or are being flogged in there because the old owner feels they are way to grown up now to read comics.
E-bay and other second hand online sites are good of course and I would have thought car boot sales too. My point would be that, yes, you could go and get yourself an incredibly new graphic novel, but you could also increase your collection cheaply knowing that the thing you are holding was loved by someone else. It has a history already and you are just carrying on that legacy by being the next person to be entertained by them.That and the money you save can go to buying yet more Graphic Novels. :-)
That's your lot for this instalment, but next time we see Dalek Killers and Frank Miller's Sin City explode onto the list!
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Friday, 26 July 2013
A Graphic Novel Guide: Part one.
There isn't just one type of comicbook or one type of character. There isn't just one company or one setting that everyone ad-hears to. There isn't, to labour a point, just one type of story and on outcome. Heroes don't always win, don't always triumph and don't always shag off screen. In fact there is a graphic novel for everyone!
Wait, I was talking about Comicbooks right? Well a Graphic Novel is just a collection of comics, all bound together to form a self contained story. If you're lucky that story is so good you can't wait to read the next one! Some Graphic Novels are part of an on going story featuring a long standing character/characters and some are mini series that start and end within those few hundreds of pages.
Below are a selection of Graphic Novels I would recommend to you. Some are for more mature readers, some are mainstream, some are violent and some exist as an attempt to bring knowledge and instruction of past events; illustrated dramatisations of historical events.
I've drawn up a List and I'll take you through some of these awesome collections. There are too many to focus on each and every one in the following list but I'll try to smack out a line for each one.
KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT By J.M. DeMattesis and Mike Zeck
Spiderman is an iconic character, he's one of the big boys, of that there is no doubt. In 1989/90 there came an event, a time, when one of Spidey's greatest foes would come to teach webhead the true meaning of their struggle and just what would happen if they stopped playing by the comic rules and Kraven came after Spidey for real.
The result was simply put one of the finest storylines every written in the long history of Spiderman. Over six issues Kraven attacked Peter Parker's life, systematically trying to prove that he; Kraven The Hunter, was Spiderman's clear better.
What you get from this story is the real cost of Peter's life as Spiderman, the heart breaking danger and lonely nights of his loved ones and the knowledge that when he slips out of that window to face the dangers of New York he may actually not make it back. Kraven's madness and ego drives him to extremes as a superpowered killer is praying on the population of New York City and it builds into a conflict so personal that each page aches with the tension.
It's simply put a masterpiece of comicbook writing and is something everyone should read. Not just comic fans.
GOTHAM CENTRAL - Stories set with-in the Gotham City Police Department. Fab writing, gritty art and story lines and cop action all the way. Several brilliant writers have hit this book including Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker. DEAD ROBINS is a high point, but it's all brilliant.
TRANSMETROPOLITAN - Written by Warren Ellis. He is brilliant as well. This is basically a futuristic take on Hunter S Thompson. The main character 'Spider Jerusalem' is a gonzo journalist that is thrust into the world after a long period of drug induced exhile. He arrives, exposes arseholes and is an arsehole himself. If you love Hunter S. Thompson's work then you'll love this.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GIFTED - Joss Whedon did a brilliant stint as the writer of the X-Men. Personally I think he's one of the only modern writers that has shown any love to some of the core characters that long needed work including Scott Summers and Kitty Pryde. Brilliant.
300 By Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
The Battle of Thermopylae, told through the medium of art and story. Yes, you probably have seen the film, yes, it is a visually faithful adaptation that really does understand the core material. This is a beautifully realised dramatisation of the battle and deserves to be on anyone shelf, but more so, just open and look inside and it will stun you. Fabulous art and wonderfully realised it is also directly transported on to screen for the film. You'll wonder how long it took to get the images and angles just right!
I did.
Miller and Varley are a dynamic duo in themselves. Their work here is amazing, but what they did on the Dark Knight Returns? Even better!
BATMAN - A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - Jason Todd was the Robin of the era and there was much decent throughout the fan base as he seemed to be universally despised. D.C ran a vote, asking the fans if Robin should live or die. This decision would shape Batman for many years to come and forge a period in Bruce Wayne's story that would take him to the edge of despair.
THE WATCHMEN - Thought to be unfilmable until someone finally took it on this Graphic Novel is one of the greatest Graphic Novels ever written. It's by the powerhouse of comics Alan Moore and illustrated by Alan Davis, a brilliant artistic visionary. You can find out about this anywhere, go get a copy! It's brilliant.
THE CROW - James O'bar's heart breaking classic. Compelling, depressing, thought provoking and emotionally draining. Simply amazing.
POWERS: WHO KILLED RETRO GIRL By Brian Michael Bendis
Powers centres around a pair of cops that work on the cases that involve superhuman activity. It's aimed at a more mature reader, featuring sex, drugs, violence, gore and swearing. All these things rock!
I won't say much I wouldn't want to spoil anything but I can tell you that Bendis is one of the best writers ever to work in comics and this is some of his best work. To be sure Powers: Supergroup is the best of the Powers graphic novels, but it's number 5 in the series and it's too good for you to spoil this incredibly special story by jumping in half way.
Read Who Killed Retro Girl and the other Graphic Novels. They are outstanding!
WOLVERINE - Chris Claremont and Frank Miller got together and hit this out in 1982/83. It's THE Wolverine story, the one the 2013 film is based on and you should read it. Fantastic.
THE WALKING DEAD By Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead follows the story of Rick, a small town sheriff who wakes up in hospital after he's been shot to find the world he knew is gone, and now all that remain are the zombies... Or are there survivors out there for him to travel with?
Yes, there is a big television series but the events are quite different from Graphic Novel to screen. It's fabulously written and I urge you to follow this story for a long as it runs.
BATMAN: YEAR ONE By Frank Miller.
In the mid eighties Frank Miller rewrote the origin of Batman. He made the decision to bring an edgy and dark value to the Dark Knight. Hell! He brought more than an edge, he swung that sharpened instrument and slaughtered the old, camp, and crap caped crusader and brought an obsessional, violent, dangerous man to the streets of Gotham and set him lose.
Miller understood the character; a violent vigilante interested in cleaning up the streets and removing the institutionally corruption that choked the city he was born in. The city that took his parents from him.
This short series made sense of the Batman mythology and brought a realistic touch to the caped crusader, he was now the Dark Knight, and if you bumped into him on a bad day he'd have you taking your meals through a straw for the next six months... But he wasn't a killer.
Brilliant, mature, utterly compelling.
Now you may be thinking 'I can't buy all these Graphic Novels,' well that's cool. Here's a tip. If you live in Britain then pop down to your library (while it's still there) and you should find in the youth fiction section a graphic novel shelf.
Some of these will be on there and if they aren't then walk up to someone and say 'hi, do you have, or can you get these?' The answer should be 'yes, we can and I'll just fetch it.'
Seriously. This stuff is out there to grab and devour and if you hate what I'll thrown down then don't worry - part two will have plenty more and there is something for everyone out there!
I hope you find something you love.
Part two will feature Hulk, Classic Avengers, Mutants Massacred, Fables and a bunch of other stuff...
Wait, I was talking about Comicbooks right? Well a Graphic Novel is just a collection of comics, all bound together to form a self contained story. If you're lucky that story is so good you can't wait to read the next one! Some Graphic Novels are part of an on going story featuring a long standing character/characters and some are mini series that start and end within those few hundreds of pages.
Below are a selection of Graphic Novels I would recommend to you. Some are for more mature readers, some are mainstream, some are violent and some exist as an attempt to bring knowledge and instruction of past events; illustrated dramatisations of historical events.
I've drawn up a List and I'll take you through some of these awesome collections. There are too many to focus on each and every one in the following list but I'll try to smack out a line for each one.
KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT By J.M. DeMattesis and Mike Zeck
Spiderman is an iconic character, he's one of the big boys, of that there is no doubt. In 1989/90 there came an event, a time, when one of Spidey's greatest foes would come to teach webhead the true meaning of their struggle and just what would happen if they stopped playing by the comic rules and Kraven came after Spidey for real.The result was simply put one of the finest storylines every written in the long history of Spiderman. Over six issues Kraven attacked Peter Parker's life, systematically trying to prove that he; Kraven The Hunter, was Spiderman's clear better.
What you get from this story is the real cost of Peter's life as Spiderman, the heart breaking danger and lonely nights of his loved ones and the knowledge that when he slips out of that window to face the dangers of New York he may actually not make it back. Kraven's madness and ego drives him to extremes as a superpowered killer is praying on the population of New York City and it builds into a conflict so personal that each page aches with the tension.
It's simply put a masterpiece of comicbook writing and is something everyone should read. Not just comic fans.
GOTHAM CENTRAL - Stories set with-in the Gotham City Police Department. Fab writing, gritty art and story lines and cop action all the way. Several brilliant writers have hit this book including Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker. DEAD ROBINS is a high point, but it's all brilliant.
TRANSMETROPOLITAN - Written by Warren Ellis. He is brilliant as well. This is basically a futuristic take on Hunter S Thompson. The main character 'Spider Jerusalem' is a gonzo journalist that is thrust into the world after a long period of drug induced exhile. He arrives, exposes arseholes and is an arsehole himself. If you love Hunter S. Thompson's work then you'll love this.
ASTONISHING X-MEN: GIFTED - Joss Whedon did a brilliant stint as the writer of the X-Men. Personally I think he's one of the only modern writers that has shown any love to some of the core characters that long needed work including Scott Summers and Kitty Pryde. Brilliant.
300 By Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
The Battle of Thermopylae, told through the medium of art and story. Yes, you probably have seen the film, yes, it is a visually faithful adaptation that really does understand the core material. This is a beautifully realised dramatisation of the battle and deserves to be on anyone shelf, but more so, just open and look inside and it will stun you. Fabulous art and wonderfully realised it is also directly transported on to screen for the film. You'll wonder how long it took to get the images and angles just right!I did.
Miller and Varley are a dynamic duo in themselves. Their work here is amazing, but what they did on the Dark Knight Returns? Even better!
BATMAN - A DEATH IN THE FAMILY - Jason Todd was the Robin of the era and there was much decent throughout the fan base as he seemed to be universally despised. D.C ran a vote, asking the fans if Robin should live or die. This decision would shape Batman for many years to come and forge a period in Bruce Wayne's story that would take him to the edge of despair.
THE WATCHMEN - Thought to be unfilmable until someone finally took it on this Graphic Novel is one of the greatest Graphic Novels ever written. It's by the powerhouse of comics Alan Moore and illustrated by Alan Davis, a brilliant artistic visionary. You can find out about this anywhere, go get a copy! It's brilliant.
THE CROW - James O'bar's heart breaking classic. Compelling, depressing, thought provoking and emotionally draining. Simply amazing.
POWERS: WHO KILLED RETRO GIRL By Brian Michael Bendis
Powers centres around a pair of cops that work on the cases that involve superhuman activity. It's aimed at a more mature reader, featuring sex, drugs, violence, gore and swearing. All these things rock!
I won't say much I wouldn't want to spoil anything but I can tell you that Bendis is one of the best writers ever to work in comics and this is some of his best work. To be sure Powers: Supergroup is the best of the Powers graphic novels, but it's number 5 in the series and it's too good for you to spoil this incredibly special story by jumping in half way.
Read Who Killed Retro Girl and the other Graphic Novels. They are outstanding!
WOLVERINE - Chris Claremont and Frank Miller got together and hit this out in 1982/83. It's THE Wolverine story, the one the 2013 film is based on and you should read it. Fantastic.
THE WALKING DEAD By Robert KirkmanThe Walking Dead follows the story of Rick, a small town sheriff who wakes up in hospital after he's been shot to find the world he knew is gone, and now all that remain are the zombies... Or are there survivors out there for him to travel with?
Yes, there is a big television series but the events are quite different from Graphic Novel to screen. It's fabulously written and I urge you to follow this story for a long as it runs.
BATMAN: YEAR ONE By Frank Miller.
In the mid eighties Frank Miller rewrote the origin of Batman. He made the decision to bring an edgy and dark value to the Dark Knight. Hell! He brought more than an edge, he swung that sharpened instrument and slaughtered the old, camp, and crap caped crusader and brought an obsessional, violent, dangerous man to the streets of Gotham and set him lose.
Miller understood the character; a violent vigilante interested in cleaning up the streets and removing the institutionally corruption that choked the city he was born in. The city that took his parents from him.
This short series made sense of the Batman mythology and brought a realistic touch to the caped crusader, he was now the Dark Knight, and if you bumped into him on a bad day he'd have you taking your meals through a straw for the next six months... But he wasn't a killer.
Brilliant, mature, utterly compelling.
Now you may be thinking 'I can't buy all these Graphic Novels,' well that's cool. Here's a tip. If you live in Britain then pop down to your library (while it's still there) and you should find in the youth fiction section a graphic novel shelf.
Some of these will be on there and if they aren't then walk up to someone and say 'hi, do you have, or can you get these?' The answer should be 'yes, we can and I'll just fetch it.'
Seriously. This stuff is out there to grab and devour and if you hate what I'll thrown down then don't worry - part two will have plenty more and there is something for everyone out there!
I hope you find something you love.
Part two will feature Hulk, Classic Avengers, Mutants Massacred, Fables and a bunch of other stuff...
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Saturday, 20 July 2013
A Letter From The Past
I had occasion to visit Facebook two weeks ago; something I try and avoid most of the time, and there was a message for me. With interest I clicked on it and it turned out to be from an old friend that used to date one of my best mates. We were good mates for years ourselves and so I figured it was a hello.
Nope.
Some fifteen years ago my mate died of Meningitis on the first of January 1998, it was a shock to say the least. We were young and it was indeed a terrible time. We drifted out of touch with many people from that time and so when she told me she had a letter to me, from him, written just before he died, I was pretty confused.
Why was I confused? Well it wasn't why the letter was still with her. He had gone very suddenly, in fact he fell sick New Years Eve and was dead the next day at five O clock pm. I didn't know it was anything serious till I was phoned at work (my local cinema) and was told he'd died by a distraught Mary. So she held on to anything she could, makes sense. He was a stoker on a British naval ship and the letter was just in his locker, the one she collected after the funeral. It all went into a box because facing that world breaking reality was more than she could bear.
That box was left in her attic, waiting, finally she came to clearing some stuff and found 'that' box. She opened it and there were probably some tears, and then she found the letter.
A letter she offered to pass on to me.
I picked up the letter yesterday. I had a great chat with her and she is doing great! Life is good, things are moving for her and we laughed like old times. I promised to bring some of the kids in to see her and I left feeling lifted, the letter burning a hole in my pocket.
I got home and left it for a few hours, then finally, I opened it. What was in the letter? He said hi, said he felt like crap and that he was soon going to be at sea and in a new section and so was hoping I'd write to him? It was a funny feeling, knowing these were the last words I'd ever read that were truly, genuinely his. I didn't weep or perhaps feel robbed of the time we could have had and the general life we could have enjoyed together. I felt sad and yet happy, gloriously, wonderfully happy, because I was blessed enough to have been given a last chance to chat.
That's what I decided to do. Just simply chat, and write the first letter I should have written to him. I'll try to write it now, say what's been up and down. It may not make sense to you, but it's here...
Dude,
Man, I got your letter! Cheers for writing dude. Been an age and you've been watching anyway but I figured ...
No, that's not right. Sorry. Allow me to try again.
Blue,
Been an age and I figure as you had written to me, so I should write to you. So it's been fifteen years, a long time right? Totally. Sooo much has happened! You know when we chatted about how crazy it was I was a dad? Now I'm a dad seven times over! It's mental! Mary's great and we really are this brilliant big family unit that rocks about the place.
Looking at how things are now I can't imagine how we used to knock about so free and easy, but I don't miss those days you know? We were into everything and it got pretty odd sometimes, always people around, always something to smoke or drink, always someone to chat to, laugh with or take the piss out of. It was great, but it's not me now. Now I'm quieter, I chose my words a little better, I'm older, but I hope I still have that spark of fun!
We talked about what I was going to do right? Well I did talk about writing and yeah, it took me a long, long time. I started in 2002. I found a lot of barriers, became aware that I was so far away from being where I wanted to be that I put it down again. I was a house husband for five years, did a whole load of crappy jobs and came out the other end and tried again. It was better second time around :-)
That's all unimportant stuff really though. What's important is that me and Mary are still together, still making our way, surrounded by the kids and it's good. Really good. Better than I ever could have imagined it being. Yeah, we have no money, fewer job opportunities and perhaps things are too tight for comfort, but what is life right? Is it just money? Is it just material shite and fucking acquisitions? I don't think so. Sure, I'd love to have a pile of cash but it's not important when matched to stuff like love, fulfillment and that weird soaring feeling I get whenever someone says they liked what I've written. So screw it! Life is stunning dude! That's the fact I wanted to impart.
In truth I have to say I miss you, or rather I miss the days we could have had. I figure you'd be out of the navy by now and doing something awesome and that we'd still be in touch. I can't say I know what you'd be doing but I figure you'd be doing it well and if you didn't like it you would have kicked it to the curb and be started on something new an hour afterwards.
I know we didn't always get on, not when we first met, but we had a total blast when we did finally click. Those times were great and you had my back. Thank you. I know we'd never say much more than this and so I'll just say I miss ya still, that whenever Hotel California or Wish You Were Here, or Sweet Child Of Mine and Paradise City comes on then I cast a thought to you. We wave when we drive past the graveyard and Sauraus was told all about you and knows that you would have been a part of his life as his Godfather.
Thank you for writing to me dude. I'm more glad that you did than words can ever really express.
Edd.
Nope.
Some fifteen years ago my mate died of Meningitis on the first of January 1998, it was a shock to say the least. We were young and it was indeed a terrible time. We drifted out of touch with many people from that time and so when she told me she had a letter to me, from him, written just before he died, I was pretty confused.
Why was I confused? Well it wasn't why the letter was still with her. He had gone very suddenly, in fact he fell sick New Years Eve and was dead the next day at five O clock pm. I didn't know it was anything serious till I was phoned at work (my local cinema) and was told he'd died by a distraught Mary. So she held on to anything she could, makes sense. He was a stoker on a British naval ship and the letter was just in his locker, the one she collected after the funeral. It all went into a box because facing that world breaking reality was more than she could bear.
That box was left in her attic, waiting, finally she came to clearing some stuff and found 'that' box. She opened it and there were probably some tears, and then she found the letter.
A letter she offered to pass on to me.
I picked up the letter yesterday. I had a great chat with her and she is doing great! Life is good, things are moving for her and we laughed like old times. I promised to bring some of the kids in to see her and I left feeling lifted, the letter burning a hole in my pocket.
I got home and left it for a few hours, then finally, I opened it. What was in the letter? He said hi, said he felt like crap and that he was soon going to be at sea and in a new section and so was hoping I'd write to him? It was a funny feeling, knowing these were the last words I'd ever read that were truly, genuinely his. I didn't weep or perhaps feel robbed of the time we could have had and the general life we could have enjoyed together. I felt sad and yet happy, gloriously, wonderfully happy, because I was blessed enough to have been given a last chance to chat.
That's what I decided to do. Just simply chat, and write the first letter I should have written to him. I'll try to write it now, say what's been up and down. It may not make sense to you, but it's here...
Dude,
Man, I got your letter! Cheers for writing dude. Been an age and you've been watching anyway but I figured ...
No, that's not right. Sorry. Allow me to try again.
Blue,
Been an age and I figure as you had written to me, so I should write to you. So it's been fifteen years, a long time right? Totally. Sooo much has happened! You know when we chatted about how crazy it was I was a dad? Now I'm a dad seven times over! It's mental! Mary's great and we really are this brilliant big family unit that rocks about the place.
Looking at how things are now I can't imagine how we used to knock about so free and easy, but I don't miss those days you know? We were into everything and it got pretty odd sometimes, always people around, always something to smoke or drink, always someone to chat to, laugh with or take the piss out of. It was great, but it's not me now. Now I'm quieter, I chose my words a little better, I'm older, but I hope I still have that spark of fun!
We talked about what I was going to do right? Well I did talk about writing and yeah, it took me a long, long time. I started in 2002. I found a lot of barriers, became aware that I was so far away from being where I wanted to be that I put it down again. I was a house husband for five years, did a whole load of crappy jobs and came out the other end and tried again. It was better second time around :-)
That's all unimportant stuff really though. What's important is that me and Mary are still together, still making our way, surrounded by the kids and it's good. Really good. Better than I ever could have imagined it being. Yeah, we have no money, fewer job opportunities and perhaps things are too tight for comfort, but what is life right? Is it just money? Is it just material shite and fucking acquisitions? I don't think so. Sure, I'd love to have a pile of cash but it's not important when matched to stuff like love, fulfillment and that weird soaring feeling I get whenever someone says they liked what I've written. So screw it! Life is stunning dude! That's the fact I wanted to impart.
In truth I have to say I miss you, or rather I miss the days we could have had. I figure you'd be out of the navy by now and doing something awesome and that we'd still be in touch. I can't say I know what you'd be doing but I figure you'd be doing it well and if you didn't like it you would have kicked it to the curb and be started on something new an hour afterwards.
I know we didn't always get on, not when we first met, but we had a total blast when we did finally click. Those times were great and you had my back. Thank you. I know we'd never say much more than this and so I'll just say I miss ya still, that whenever Hotel California or Wish You Were Here, or Sweet Child Of Mine and Paradise City comes on then I cast a thought to you. We wave when we drive past the graveyard and Sauraus was told all about you and knows that you would have been a part of his life as his Godfather.
Thank you for writing to me dude. I'm more glad that you did than words can ever really express.
Edd.
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Tigger's Dead.
Today is the last day of my wife's thirty-sixth year. I was working with a local plastering outfit and so she decided to go somewhere cool with the kids and make the most of the day. She elected to take all the kids she could fit in the car to Ashdown forest, the place where Christopher Robin played; the home of Winnie The Pooh. I was at work, Sauruas (16) was left at home to 'be' and off they set.
I returned home shortly before they did and when they staggered through the door they were all very happy, they'd had a wonderful time! Awesome! Everyone was chatting away, telling me about Pooh and the 'Pooh sticks' bridge and Eyore's house and all the great stuff they'd seen when Dot (3) leaned in and started whispering in my ear.
DOT: *Whispers* Pooh's dead.
ME: Pardon?
DOT: *Whispers* Dead. Very dead. Dead Pooh.
ME: Are you sure Pooh's dead?
@Mamacrow: A.A.Milne is dead. Yes he is. Pooh? I don't think Pooh's dead.
DOT:*Whispers* Pooh's dead.
ME: Oh dear.
DOT: *Whispers* Owl's dead too... And Rabbit.
ME: Erm...
DOT: *Whispers* Piglet too. Pig
let's dead. And Kanga and Roo.
ME: I don't think they're dead if we remember them and still read their stories sweetie.
Dot stares at me for a short while and then leans in again.
DOT: *Whispers* Tiggers dead. All dead now.
Dot wanders off to watch t.v, I'm left traumatised on the stairs.
TIGGER'S NOT DEAD!
Is he...?
I returned home shortly before they did and when they staggered through the door they were all very happy, they'd had a wonderful time! Awesome! Everyone was chatting away, telling me about Pooh and the 'Pooh sticks' bridge and Eyore's house and all the great stuff they'd seen when Dot (3) leaned in and started whispering in my ear.
DOT: *Whispers* Pooh's dead.ME: Pardon?
DOT: *Whispers* Dead. Very dead. Dead Pooh.
ME: Are you sure Pooh's dead?
@Mamacrow: A.A.Milne is dead. Yes he is. Pooh? I don't think Pooh's dead.
DOT:*Whispers* Pooh's dead.
ME: Oh dear.
DOT: *Whispers* Owl's dead too... And Rabbit.
ME: Erm...
DOT: *Whispers* Piglet too. Pig
let's dead. And Kanga and Roo.
ME: I don't think they're dead if we remember them and still read their stories sweetie.
Dot stares at me for a short while and then leans in again.
DOT: *Whispers* Tiggers dead. All dead now.
Dot wanders off to watch t.v, I'm left traumatised on the stairs.
TIGGER'S NOT DEAD!
Is he...?
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
SWIMMING! #TrojanHero Makes A Splash!
#TrojanHero is nearly six months old and is feeling all robust and adventurous and so we decided to take up our swimming lessons again. As we home school we normally do them throughout the warmer months and then stop over winter as everyone seems to get colds and its generally a bit crappy walking home in the freezing cold after a long swim.
We were organised and excited; the last lessons we had for the kids were almost six moths ago and at that point Sauraus (16) was swimmingly with ease, Roo (12) had gotten over his co-ordination issues and was able to do a length or so and Wig (9) was a strong beginner.
Fluff (7), Petal (5) and Dot (3) were all still getting to grips with the swimming thing and so have to be considered as non swimmers.
Leaving the house wasn't too bad, en-route Sauraus picked a number of arguments which saw us fall out and so we arrived late and moody. Great. Our wonderful CARAVAN OF COURAGE (sorry, didn't mean to remind you of that Ewok brain punch but whenever I say it in my head it's done in bold, terrifying letters sooooo... ) split at that point. @mamacrow took Petal, Dot and #TrojanHero into the ladies changing room while us MEN went into the... well, the men's.
(FAST FORWARDS THE NAKED BITS)
In the pool we saw some surprising things! It had been six months since we'd gotten to a pool, funds have been very tight, getting tighter, but with some sport money from one of the grandparents we could afford this trip! I was expecting a large amount of sinking, floundering, shouting and arm band wearing. What actually happened was that Sauruas got straight over his baseless grumps and started doing laps cheerfully, Roo and Wig flew around the water, swimming under, on the surface and around without touching the floor at all and Fluff, Petal and Dot were super confident in the water!
But how did #TrojanHero do you ask? Small, chubby little lump of love in a massive big blue wobbly thing? Well, he loved it! Fluff was all 'sinky' when a baby, Petal and Dot were very buoyant, so I was expecting him to be quite heavy in the water but instead he floated beautifully! Obviously he is far more like @mamacrow than me. :-)
We were in for an hour and the teen worked out his problems in the water and then turned up to play with the little ones and give them piggy backs around the shallow end. Roo spent as much time as possible swimming under the surface and got a good bit of time with the lovely local teacher we have lessons with.Petal, Fluff and Wig also got a good amount of time with her and Petal in particular seemed to really enjoy herself. Our teachers not just lovely, not just very much in love with the kids but she was also very surprised by how much the kids had come on and asked if we'd been coming a bit before.
That was cool.
Obviously we'd love to be down the pool every week, pursuing a physical education to the fullest but sadly, as noted earlier, we are really unflush and so have to keep the visits to the pool infrequent. Bummer.
@mamacrow got out and changed with #TrojanHero and then returned for Petal and Dot. They headed off to the ladies and the kids got out and walked around the edge of the pool while I swam down the length underwater. I haven't been able to swim for such a long time and normally I'd just walk round with the kids but I enjoyed the freedom of the water, felt the pressure of the minimal depth and had a good look about.
I loved it.
In future I want to make sure we all get to the pool and get the lessons and the confidence flowing... But I want to get there alone or even better, with @mamacrow. Probably be a few years till we can but it's something to look forward to. For now, I'll enjoy going with the kids.
Oh and #TrojanHero? He is looking forward to his next visit :-)
We were organised and excited; the last lessons we had for the kids were almost six moths ago and at that point Sauraus (16) was swimmingly with ease, Roo (12) had gotten over his co-ordination issues and was able to do a length or so and Wig (9) was a strong beginner.
Fluff (7), Petal (5) and Dot (3) were all still getting to grips with the swimming thing and so have to be considered as non swimmers.
Leaving the house wasn't too bad, en-route Sauraus picked a number of arguments which saw us fall out and so we arrived late and moody. Great. Our wonderful CARAVAN OF COURAGE (sorry, didn't mean to remind you of that Ewok brain punch but whenever I say it in my head it's done in bold, terrifying letters sooooo... ) split at that point. @mamacrow took Petal, Dot and #TrojanHero into the ladies changing room while us MEN went into the... well, the men's.
(FAST FORWARDS THE NAKED BITS)
In the pool we saw some surprising things! It had been six months since we'd gotten to a pool, funds have been very tight, getting tighter, but with some sport money from one of the grandparents we could afford this trip! I was expecting a large amount of sinking, floundering, shouting and arm band wearing. What actually happened was that Sauruas got straight over his baseless grumps and started doing laps cheerfully, Roo and Wig flew around the water, swimming under, on the surface and around without touching the floor at all and Fluff, Petal and Dot were super confident in the water!
But how did #TrojanHero do you ask? Small, chubby little lump of love in a massive big blue wobbly thing? Well, he loved it! Fluff was all 'sinky' when a baby, Petal and Dot were very buoyant, so I was expecting him to be quite heavy in the water but instead he floated beautifully! Obviously he is far more like @mamacrow than me. :-)
We were in for an hour and the teen worked out his problems in the water and then turned up to play with the little ones and give them piggy backs around the shallow end. Roo spent as much time as possible swimming under the surface and got a good bit of time with the lovely local teacher we have lessons with.Petal, Fluff and Wig also got a good amount of time with her and Petal in particular seemed to really enjoy herself. Our teachers not just lovely, not just very much in love with the kids but she was also very surprised by how much the kids had come on and asked if we'd been coming a bit before.
That was cool.
Obviously we'd love to be down the pool every week, pursuing a physical education to the fullest but sadly, as noted earlier, we are really unflush and so have to keep the visits to the pool infrequent. Bummer.
@mamacrow got out and changed with #TrojanHero and then returned for Petal and Dot. They headed off to the ladies and the kids got out and walked around the edge of the pool while I swam down the length underwater. I haven't been able to swim for such a long time and normally I'd just walk round with the kids but I enjoyed the freedom of the water, felt the pressure of the minimal depth and had a good look about.
I loved it.
In future I want to make sure we all get to the pool and get the lessons and the confidence flowing... But I want to get there alone or even better, with @mamacrow. Probably be a few years till we can but it's something to look forward to. For now, I'll enjoy going with the kids.
Oh and #TrojanHero? He is looking forward to his next visit :-)
WORLD WAR Z (THE MOVIE); A Review
To start with I need to point out that I am a huge fan of Max Brook's book entitled 'World War Z'. It's one of those books that enthralled me from the very first page and kept it's magic working through my brain long after I'd read the final words and placed it down. I personally think it's a work of utter brilliance.Now when the word came out that an adaptation of this towering book was to be made I felt the fear, knowing that this would be one of those times when Hollywood rocked up, didn't like the fact that a 'cure' was found by the end reel or that they didn't all die in a shack in Alabama, and so change it completely. It took a very short time for us (the fans) to find out that was indeed the case and Max was going to have his book crapped on and Brad Pitt would deliver the world from disaster while always having perfect hair...
(GUN SHOT RINGS OUT, MY ENTHUSIASM FOR THE FILM DIES)
 |
| If you look hard you can see a cat :-) |
Having said all that I have to tell you that I LOVE IT!
I know, that should be impossible but it's really not. You see I'd come to accept that this was not going to be the film I wanted to see and so was indeed expecting a terrifyingly muddled hunk of crap. Not so! What I watched was a tight, tense, well shot movie that pushed all the right panic buttons.
We start right at the point of 'outbreak' and we get to see the zombie disease spread, there's plenty of urban panic, society fracturing, hiding from the zoms and screaming. It continues to investigation and takes you round the world and with each location we are led to a logical ending that avoids huge set piece battles for a far more tense and personal battle for survival.
Yes, there are things about Pitts character and the decisions he makes that are a bit shoddy, but on the whole this is an excellent high budget zombie flick that's bigger than the rest and for most of the time smarter too.
By widening the scope to global conflict and attitudes you avoid retreads of the usual survivors in the cabin, you also get a feeling of greater threat, more intense action sequences and a mission that may be doomed in most films but still follows all the clues to a good ending point.
I was dead against World War Z before I'd even seen it, but once I had I honestly hope we get more. There is so much more of the story to tell, that can be done so much better!
World War Z is the best Zombie film you'll see this year. I'll wager it's one of the best Zombie films you'll ever see. Leave your baggage at the door and get some!
WORLD WAR Z 8/10!
 |
| Pitt runs from the Zombies. Give him a sequel please! |
Monday, 8 July 2013
Music Monday: What's Funny?
What do you classify as funny? What makes something funny anyway? Is something repetitive and silly funny? To some people, yes, but then others love their humour sophisticated and wordy, with knowing nods to multiple sources.
Here we have five very silly tracks that may tickle, though each one has a chance to annoy, irritate or enrage.
Lets do this shit shall we?
THEY'RE TAKING THE HOBBITS TO ISENGARD!
You may feel the need to punch me after hearing this but I'm willing to take the risk. The idea that someone has taken the time to do this is, well, somewhere between crap and awesome. I've shown it to several people and the mix of reactions is hilarious, from horror to laughter.
See for yourself.
MAD WORLD covered by Smeagol
This is a cover, of a cover, by a man pretending to be a fictitious character, that was a computer generated image using an actors movements. It works on a number of levels and I can't watch it without laughing till I turn red. Is it just me?
THIS IS SPARTA
Yes, another Youtube dude, yes another repetitive sound bite, techno hell.... And yet this always makes me smile. Why? I have no idea, but it does.
PREJUDICE by Tim Minchin
I'm not the world's biggest fan of Tim Minchin, I mean yeah, he is funny but I'm not his biggest fan. This song however? Inspired! Brilliant, witty, funny, knowingly on the edge but never quite crossing it. A touching subject eluded to, then swings to give you something else that still hits the mark but does it in a gloriously comedic way.
Well done sir.
THIRD REICH by Frank Sanazi
This is complicated act, both to perform and watch. I've shown one of Frank's tracks before but this is a bit closer to the knuckle.
Why do I laugh at Nazi's? Simple, they are the bigoted, evil, single minded bastards that they are and anything... anything that takes the piss is good! This dude works my funny bone because I should be shouting at him, it should press my buttons so that I go nuclear straight away, but it doesn't and I don't. I think it's the blatantly controversial style that makes me laugh, at first in shock and then? Then its still the shock. :-)
He obviously is very good at what he does, the act is damn confrontational and it invites rage and disapproval, and he has to be stupid or very brave to walk on and think people are going to be on his side. I love Sinatra, I also love what this guy does.
So sue me, I think he's brilliant! (I fucking hate Nazi's though, just to clarify)
Next time we'll have great songs, by great artists.
Thanks for listening and reading.
Here we have five very silly tracks that may tickle, though each one has a chance to annoy, irritate or enrage.
Lets do this shit shall we?
THEY'RE TAKING THE HOBBITS TO ISENGARD!
You may feel the need to punch me after hearing this but I'm willing to take the risk. The idea that someone has taken the time to do this is, well, somewhere between crap and awesome. I've shown it to several people and the mix of reactions is hilarious, from horror to laughter.
See for yourself.
MAD WORLD covered by Smeagol
This is a cover, of a cover, by a man pretending to be a fictitious character, that was a computer generated image using an actors movements. It works on a number of levels and I can't watch it without laughing till I turn red. Is it just me?
THIS IS SPARTA
Yes, another Youtube dude, yes another repetitive sound bite, techno hell.... And yet this always makes me smile. Why? I have no idea, but it does.
PREJUDICE by Tim Minchin
I'm not the world's biggest fan of Tim Minchin, I mean yeah, he is funny but I'm not his biggest fan. This song however? Inspired! Brilliant, witty, funny, knowingly on the edge but never quite crossing it. A touching subject eluded to, then swings to give you something else that still hits the mark but does it in a gloriously comedic way.
Well done sir.
THIRD REICH by Frank Sanazi
This is complicated act, both to perform and watch. I've shown one of Frank's tracks before but this is a bit closer to the knuckle.
Why do I laugh at Nazi's? Simple, they are the bigoted, evil, single minded bastards that they are and anything... anything that takes the piss is good! This dude works my funny bone because I should be shouting at him, it should press my buttons so that I go nuclear straight away, but it doesn't and I don't. I think it's the blatantly controversial style that makes me laugh, at first in shock and then? Then its still the shock. :-)
He obviously is very good at what he does, the act is damn confrontational and it invites rage and disapproval, and he has to be stupid or very brave to walk on and think people are going to be on his side. I love Sinatra, I also love what this guy does.
So sue me, I think he's brilliant! (I fucking hate Nazi's though, just to clarify)
Next time we'll have great songs, by great artists.
Thanks for listening and reading.
Saturday, 6 July 2013
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