But as I said few details other than the project being a stage musical – not quite West End/Broadway style musical, we are told, but not at the opera end of stage music either, perhaps somewhere between, a three-act operetta type piece. There are hints that an old and much admired collaborator has been working with Neil on designing the stage layout and artistic look for the production and it is hard not to suspect this can only be P Craig Russell, who was worked so well with Neil before and, as we know, has a passion for music and opera. Given Craig’s love of Wagner-esque productions it does make me wonder if this new work could perhaps be based on Neil’s American Gods novel? I could easily imagine Craig creating set designs and concept art for such a production.

More details are promised soon, although we are told that the idea is not to go down the traditional Broadway and London West End route of giant production, but to have something which will tour so more fans can enjoy it without having to travel to only one city where it is running; after enjoying several weeks in my beloved Edinburgh during the Festival Fringe and Book Festival last summer Neil is also hinting that we may see the production at the world’s biggest arts bash, the Edinburgh Festival. But subject matter, well that is still wide open to guesswork – based on some of his existing material or something totally new? Much as many of us might enjoy seeing some of our favourite work of Neil’s adapted into a new production I strongly suspect if he is penning his first stage musical then knowing Neil he will come up with something totally original, story-wise. Whatever it is I can easily imagine that it will end up drawing in fans all dressed up for the occasion and singing along, a la Rocky Horror Show style performances. More as and when we hear it.

(Simpsons (c) Fox)

For some unknown reason I had a song from the Simpsons stuck in my head all day yesterday – Mister Burns singing “see my vest” (in a pastiche of a classic musical scene whose name escapes me at the moment) as he shows off his wardrobe full of handmade garments fashioned from animals “see my vest, made from real gorilla chest… Like my loafers? Former gophers, it was that or skin my chauffers…” As with many folks when I get an earworm lodged in the brain like that I had a look online for it to play it out my system and instead I came across this – a ‘dramatic’ reading of the See My Vest song, which is just pure, cracked genius…

Phil Hebblethwaite, Editor. Mickey Gibbons, Designer.

Featuring comics and cartoons by Paul O’Connell, Lawrence Elwick, Tom Brass, Lindsay Pollock, Krent Able, JC & APK, Richard Cowdry, David Ziggy Greene.

“Yes indeed, 40 of your all-time favourite musicians and writers got together to tell you a story in the Exquisite Corpse-style. It’s… potty.
Interviewed! Trevor Horn, A$AP Rocky, The Maccabees, Beth Jeans Houghton, Pusha T… and many, many others. Comics! Loads of them! A jumbo prize Christmas crossword! A thing to behold. And, oh my Christ, so much more besides in this, a special Yuletide edition.”

That’s how The Stool Pigeon describes its festive frolic edition – and it’s lots of what we’ve all come to expect by now – good writing, nice, snappy design, and full of musicians I may have known about if I was; a) younger, b) cooler, c) both.

Still, know the music or not, the writing’s good, and this time round there’s the addition of that Exquisite Corpse; with this beautiful bit of honesty in the intro:

“We initially insisted that contributions be kept to a single sentence. That didn’t work out, because we didn’t have the balls to tell Ian Rankin to re-submit his entry.”

On top of that, there’s a short, but typically good, punchy interview with Buggles himself; Trevor Horn about all things music, electronic, Frankie, Paul Morley, the sound and the romance. Like I say, typically great.

But enough with the music, The Stool Pigeon continues with its comics as well, here’s what’s on offer this time round….

Tom Brass and Lindsay Pollock’s pop superstar returns this issue – still good, but all a little less enjoyable than the debut last issue. Just didn’t quite click with me like it did before. And too full of grey, meaning it just scans as a bit of a muddy mess – take my word for it eh? No such problems with Krent Able’s strip though. His usual hypercolours are gone, but it’s not missed, especially as the subject for his invective is The Man In Black himself…. yes, here’s Johnny Cash:

And yes, there are words, angry, nasty, idol toppling words later.

One day ‘ll come up with a definitive for whether or not I actually like it or not. But here, Hipster Hitler, dropped to a single gag panel, actually worked for me this time – go figure….

Martin Kellerman’s Rocky takes place in a smoothie booth, taking in music evolution and moving through to fish ‘n’ chip flavoured smoothies and feeding tubes in the workplace. And all done in super laconic, conversational style.

Highlight of the issue would have been O’Connell and Elwick’s A Charlie Parker Christmas, except you’ve all gone out and read that in comic form like I told you to haven’t you? Because although it’s really good here, it’s better, bigger and more detailed over in the comic. Yet again, I find myself wishing for a proper, large format Charlie Parker collection. You should as well.

Also in the seen it already department is Richard Cowdry’s Down Town featuring Fat Charlie Chaplin, as seen here, here, and here on this very blog – but unlike Charlie Parker, this time The Stool Pigeon wins as it’s good to see all three parts there on one page, letting Cowdry’s work flow so well.

But absolutely, without doubt, the best bit of the whole issue is my delight on seeing David Ziggy Greene’s music review – and actually knowing the damn band he’s talking about. He’s reviewing a gig by US math rock band Battles, who may or many not have already made the best album they possibly could in Mirrored, may or may not have already made the best song they’ll ever make in Atlas. But whatever, Greene nails them, perfect, in just 8 images, you have the band, the venue and just a feel of what they sound like….. and my god they sound incredible.

So yes, yet again, good comics, good writing, good design, a good read. And all for free. Get out there and support it – you can find a full list of stockists at The Stool Pigeon website.

Now, special treat…. Battles; Atlas, 2007:

…. and Sundome, 2011

By Dan Berry (words by Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family)

Okay. So, Dan Berry decides, just like that, to transcribe a song by alt-country band The Handsome Family into comic form. Comic folk can be strange, impetuous folk. Or, like Berry says on his website, October 5th:

“I began an impulse project yesterday that I hope to have finished in time for thought bubble next month. Here’s a sneak look at the titular first page. I’m rather enjoying it. I’m using the palomino blacking pencils with an ink wash. I want to keep this as simple as possible for efficiency’s sake.”

So, just over a month later, it’s done. Complete, finished.

“Based on the song of the same name by The Handsome Family, After We Shot The Grizzly is a sorrowful tale of loss, life and love. 32 pages printed on recycled paper.”

Here’s the first 8 pages…..

That’s the first verse covered. And a tale of love and loss set out quite beautifully. Lucky you, you’ve got the rest of the song to luxuriate in. Because that’s what you need to do here, luxuriate in the pages. Linger over the words, play them over and over. It’s a simple tale, as lyrical as you’d expect, seeing as it’s a song lyric, and you don’t get much more lyrical than that.

But what my scanner can’t get, sadly, no matter how many times I tried scanning, is the subtlety and textures on each page, and they really are quite lovely pages.

Here’s page 1 a little bigger…. about full size on a 20″ monitor….

For a whim, Dan Berry sure makes a gorgeous comic.

And of course, you will be wanting to read it alongside the music…. I know I did. Sing along….

After the airship crashed
After we lost the compass
After the radio went dead

We shot and ate the horses
We marched through deadly swamps
Inside a limestone cave
I found a human skull
Yes, Mary, I found a human skull.

The rest you can discover yourself. The video is below, but Dan Berry has made a beautiful accompaniment that add to the words, embelishes the music, gives it vision.

After We Shot The Grizzly is available to buy from Berry’s webstore.

Seattle is the place to be this Friday – the awesomeness that is Peter Bagge will be in the Fantagraphics (1201 S. Vale Street) store Friday November 25th from 7pm – comics, signings, chat and brews will be the order of the evening, followed by decamping to next door club Mix where Bagge’s “power pop combo”  Can You Imagine? will be rockin’ it. Comics, brews, music and an excuse to post up some Peter Bagge art, that sounds like a damned fine Friday night…

We do like a bit of Amanda Palmer around here and there is some lovely animation in her Evelyn Evelyn music video; the Evelyn Evelyn book by Amanda, Jason Wbley and Cynthia Von Buller was released just recently by Dark Horse.