Archive | December, 2008

The Sands of Sarasvati

16. December 2008

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The Sands of Sarasvati Based on the novel by Risto Isomäki, Adapted by Petri Tolppanen, illustrated by Jussi Kaakinen, Translated from Finnish by Lola Rogers and Owen F Witesman, Published by Tammi Until recently I hadn’t exactly read an abundance of comics material from Scandinavia, apart from Jason, then I find two very different works [...]

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Animated ladies and dead bats

15. December 2008

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(Wonder Woman by Terry Dodson, (c) DC Comics) I missed this last week, but comedian Jenny Eclair has a programme on BBC Radio 4 looking at “the world of outrageous animated ladies and considers why certain creations have upset censors and infuriated moralists over the years. Popular characters such as Betty Boop, Minnie the Minx [...]

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Beardsley drawings go for £240, 000

15. December 2008

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The BBC reports that two illustrations by the famous Victorian artists Aubrey Beardsley have sold for £240, 000 at auction – significantly more than their pre-sale estimates of £15 – 20, 000. The two works, The Climax and A Platonic Lament (created to accompany Oscar Wilde’s play Salome) were spotted by an auctioneer who was [...]

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Propaganda back with Team Edginton/D’Israeli – Stickleback

15. December 2008

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Stickleback: England’s Glory by Ian Edginton & D’Israeli Rebellion / 2000AD Edginton and D’Israeli have become one of the most dependable writer and artist teams in comics at the moment. It’s obviously a good, rewarding collaboration, as the results of their combined labours has seen some of the best comic work of both of their [...]

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Best of the Year – Dan Goldman

15. December 2008

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Today’s Best of the Year choices come from Dan Goldman; I first encountered Dan’s work via Smithmag’s online serialisation of Shooting War (which on its print release became my favourite graphic novel of 2007, Anthony’s story carried the ring of authenticity, drawn on personal experience and Dan’s mix of media for the artwork was brilliant). [...]

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Star Wars on stage

15. December 2008

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The BBC reports that Star Wars is heading for the stage – Star Wars: a Musical Journey will see the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing music from the films with specially edited excerpts from the six movies appearing on large screens. The one and only John Williams has substantially reworked his famous music for the live [...]

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Wolverine star to host Oscars

14. December 2008

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Hugh Jackman, currently highly visible on the PR machine for Australia and soon to be seen in Wolverine’s solo movie outing, has been announced as the host for the 2009 Academy Awards where the great and the good of celluloid land compete for a little golden man called Oscar (not to be confused with Oscar [...]

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The Devil is Epic. Propaganda takes a look back at Grendel.

14. December 2008

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Matt Wagner’s Grendel is over 25 years old this year. It’s had a long and rather troubled publishing history, but now, thanks to Dark Horse Comics, the whole series is being reprinted. Initially I was just going to review the latest reprint; Grendel: God And The Devil, but after reading it and thinking about it [...]

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DFC News: Mirabilis – The Year Of Wonders

14. December 2008

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Interesting news from the DFC. Next week is the Christmas issue and one of the highlights looks like it will be the debut of Mirabilis; The Year Of Wonders. It looks rather like a strip that would have found a place in the pages of Epic Illustrated, helped no doubt by the fact that the [...]

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C’est Bon!

13. December 2008

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Looking at the cover to the sixth volume of the acclaimed international C’est Bon Anthology (due in February) I’m thinking I really like this art. In fact I think I recognise that style, but where from? Then I see Knut Larsson’s name on the bottom corner and then remember that Knut was one of the [...]

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Larry Marder’s Beanworld is coming back…..

13. December 2008

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Beanworld really is one of those books I will obsessively go on about. I loved it when I first saw it and I love it today. And of course, just like I wrote back here, Larry Marder is bringing it back, courtesy of those folks at Dark Horse. The original series is being reprinted starting [...]

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Drawn! – Graphic Art Exhibition

13. December 2008

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Marc Ellerbybrings news that there’s an exhibition called Drawn! running from Sunday 6th December to Sunday 8th February at the Brent museum: Meanwhile Marc’s excellent Ellerbisms webcomic just gets better and better – he’s going much darker and personal with it lately and to great effect. Definitely worth checking over. (From Marc Elleby’s webcomic Ellerbisms. [...]

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Golden Globes shortlist

12. December 2008

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The Golden Globes (stop tittering, its not really rude, you just think it is) nominees were announced last night; I found the Best Animated Film category pretty disappointing – Bolt, Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E and that’s it. Bolt I haven’t seen, Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda I enjoyed, but its such a predictable mainstream [...]

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Bettie Page passes away

12. December 2008

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It seems to be a week for sad news – Forrest Ackerman and Oliver Postgate left us and Bettie Page collapsed with a heart attack and slipped into a coma, ironically as the 85 year old was about to leave hospital following treatment for pneumonia. Unfortunately the BBC and others are reporting this morning that [...]

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Jenny and Johnny Ryan’s plush 9-11

12. December 2008

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Jenny Ryan has made these soft, plush 9-11 figures of the Twin Towers (complete with aircraft striking them) based on a sketch by her husband Johnny and currently to be seen on Johnny ‘s LiveJournal. What’s that you say? Johnny Ryan and Bad Taste??? Now surely those are words which never belong together! And as [...]

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