Schlägerfotos aus Kopenhagen: Spiegelfotostrecke

Und noch der Medientip für den 4.Advent: Wo die wilden Kerle Wohnen

Beides unkommentiert.

Bis bald, ich zieh mich jetzt wieder zurück und arbeite hinter den Trailerkulissen weiter. Auf das die brodelnden Töpfe mal fertig gekocht werden.

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Pi-Pro

Like Hunter S. Thompson? Like crazy ass dudes doing crazy ass shit? Like thoughts of what our future may hold? Well you’ll love TRANSMETROPOLITAN. It is a graphic novel staring Spider Jerusalem, a Journalist quite like our very own Hunter S. Thompson. He thinks outside the box and he is way on the strange side. He’s filled with drugs, cigarettes, and carries his very own Bowel disruptor, and if your curious of what that might be? You’ll have to read on.

I have almost finished all there is to read with Transmetropolitan, which is really kind of sad because I love it so. If you have any interest in crazy adaptations of what our future holds, then for sure pick up a copy. This book will show you what our world will probably (semi) look like in so many years from now. Junkies littering the streets, politicians still being evil, and crazy shit on tv 24/7.  It is filled with amazing writing and will knock you off your seat with insane laughter. It’s a great comic, check it out!

sasypoo misses you, spider.

Warren Ellis is the writer behind many great comic books (Transmetropolitan, Black Summer, Freak Angels, NextWave, The Authority, Global Frequency, Gravel, and many more) including the mini-series Red with Cully Hamner.

It is a great little read and the plot goes like this:

Paul Moses is a retired Agent of the CIA, formerly working in “foreign acquisitions”. Living in a secluded area, his human contacts are limited to pleasant phone calls to his handler (who desires what she believes to have been Moses’ type of work) and letters to his niece that lives in England.

Michael Beesley, the newly politically appointed Director of the CIA, is taken to Room R as part of his initiation, where he learns of Moses’ existence and the full extent of his activities. Disgusted by what he has seen, and fearing public reaction should any of those secrets leak out, he orders the assassination of Moses.

A three man hit-team is sent to Moses’ residence, and he kills them, recognizing the pattern of the attack and realizing his death has been sanctioned. He calls his handler only to learn that she has been transferred. He informs the Agency that his status has changed from Green to Red before leaving his house and going on the hunt.

As previously reported it is being turned into a film and so far all we know is that Bruce Willis will play the lead and many other big names are involved.

Not surprisingly it will be a bit different to the source material. Now Warren Ellis has had a look at the script and posted his thoughts on the changes that have had to be made. Basically, I don’t think we need to be worried too much. Here’s what he had to say about it:

RED, the book, is 66 pages long. If you were to film 66 pages of comics, you might, might just about get 40 minutes of film out of it. If you added a musical number. The comics-page to film-minute ratio is pretty bad. A straight adaptation of a 150-page graphic novel might, if you squint at it, get you a 100-minute film. But it’s unlikely, because comics and films use time so differently.

It is in fact best to consider RED as a short story being adapted into film.

The mini-series reads very much like a prologue to a much bigger story so this should work out quite well. This also means that there will have to be a lot more characters than a handful in the comic book.

The new characters are all in theme, all in the same line of work as (Paul in the book, Frank in the film) Moses. The theme being, in part (and also poked at in my other books GLOBAL FREQUENCY and RELOAD) the unexploded bombs of the 20th Century.

I don’t think any of them are bad. Also, did you see the goddamn cast list that’s signed on for those characters? Bruce Willis as Moses, yes. But also: Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, John C Reilly, Helen Mirren, Julian McMahon, Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfus. It reminds me a bit of those 70s films like THE TOWERING INFERNO, that had in them everyone you wanted to see in a film, all at once. RED is a bit like that, only with more automatic weapons.

What does Ellis think about the actual film itself?

The film isn’t as grim as the book. The book is pretty grim. But it’s also pretty small. When I sell the rights to a book, they buy the right to adapt it in whatever way they see fit. I can accept that they wanted a lighter film, and, as I’ve said before, the script is very enjoyable and tight as a drum. They haven’t adapted it badly, by any means. People who’ve enjoyed the graphic novel will have to accept that it’s an adaptation and that by definition means that it’s going to be a different beast from the book. The film has the same DNA. It retains bits that are very clearly from the book, as well as, of course, the overall plotline. But it is, yes, lighter, and funnier. And if anyone has a real problem with that, I say to you once again:

Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle.

I mean, if you don’t want to see a film with Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle, I’m not sure I want to know you.

Works for me. Are you looking forward to the adaption?

Last week I spent a goodly chunk of my paycheque on the second volume of The Absolute Sandman by Neil Gaiman (and artists). I did this for a few reasons. First, I don’t want Xmas presents this year (and am not buying them for anyone). These Absolute Sandman books are mainstays on the Xmas list, but now I could get it for myself. Second, for some reason it’s not available on Amazon.ca at a reasonable cost right now so I noticed it at McNally Robinson. Third, I wanted to read something in a big-ass tome, to feel like I was plumbing the depths of arcanity and such. That this volume of Sandman tales involves the lord of dreams coming into possession of hell makes it a good fit for that “reading a tome” experience.

Sandman comics are things I’ve known about through my entire comic-reading life (which isn’t actually that long). I may have only started reading comics when the original run was ending. I remember the spines of the trade paperbacks in the comic shop. I remember flipping through issues and not really being dragged in. One time at Campaign we were given a trade paperback by one of our book suppliers. I read it (it had the Midsummer Night’s Dream story in it) and I didn’t mind it, but I had other things to spend my money on like Transmetropolitan. So yes, I wasn’t a long-time fan or anything.

And then I started learning how influential it was, beyond the coolness of Neil Gaiman himself. How this was sort of a gothy bible, an artifact of the 1990s that I missed out on. But now I’m reading it. In Absolute form. While I would love to own books like Absolute Watchmen or the giant volumes of Sin CIty or Hellboy, I’ve read those stories, in many cases I on those stories already. But Sandman is this pristine land I’m walking through on these massive pages with their beautiful colouring et al.

Reading this doesn’t bring back memories of the first time reading these stories because this is my first time. I don’t know if this is forming the same kinds of memories for when I reread them in the future. Of being wrapped up in a blanket on my couch in my underheated condo, sipping tea and shooing away a cat. It’s not the same as if I’d been 17. Damned fine stories though.

Hier.

Unser investigativer Journalist hat keine Gefahren und Mühen gescheut euch das erste Bild vom Trailer auf euren Bildschirm zu bringen. Hoffentlich überlebt er es wenn die Trailer3Trupps herausfinden, das man das Material nicht ewig vor dem sehnenden und drohenden Publikum geheimhalten kann…

Er hat sich auf jeden Fall schon mal mit einem Darmdisruptor, ner Menge Jumpstart und nem Dutzend Dosen ID-Trashcan auf dem Berg verschanzt, bereit wieder loszuschlagen wo man ihn ruft.

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SPIder Jerusalem

Ps: und wehe es gefällt euch net, dann kommt er mit dem Stuhlbein der Wahrheit auch bei euch vorbei (^^^,)

Pps: wem das nichts sagt, der sollte mal Transmetropolitan lesen!

Lamentándolo mucho, tengo que dejar de publicar post durante un tiempo, así que este post va dedicado a todos aquellos que suelen leer mis posts.

BLEACH

Bleach va regular, ¿para qué vamos a engañarnos? Kubo Tite se ha emocionado contando las batallitas entre los miembros del Gotei 13 y Aizen y sus esbirros. Cuando se le estaba pasando un poco la fiebre, hizo aparecer a los Vizards y le dieron más mecha para que siguiera con las interminables luchas. Creo que está perdiendo un poco el norte, si eso es posible en Kubo Tite, y voy a explicar el por qué.

El protagonista es Ichigo, ¿verdad? Que yo recuerde, cuando cualquier hace una introducción a Bleach (y con “cualquiera” me refiero a las editoriales o a las compañías de merchandising), empiezan con aquello de “Kurosaki Ichigo es un chico de 15 años que…” Si esto es así… ¿dónde está Ichigo? ¿Perdido en las profundidades de Hueco Mundo, anteriormente conocido como el reino del Espada de la Muerte?

Realmente echo de menos personajes. Y es que con Ichigo están algunos de los grandes: Rukia, Orihime, Renji, Ishida, Chad, Byakuya, Mayuri y algún que otro personaje más. ¿Dónde están? Batallando lejos de la acción principal. Y faltan también, por meterlos en la categoría de “los grandes”, Urahara, Yoruichi y sus acompañantes.

También echo de menos argumentos abiertos. ¿Qué sucedió con que el padre de Ichigo haya sido capitán del Gotei 13? Quedó en el pasado. ¿Qué hay del padre de Ishida que conoce al padre de Ichigo? Nunca más se supo. ¿Por qué estos personajes no aparecieron en la saga del péndulo? Sólo Kubo Tite lo sabe.

Lo que me gustaría realmente serían dos cosas:

a) Que Kubo Tite vaya cerrando tramas. Si abrió hace muchos capítulos algo tan interesante como la relación entre el padre de Ichigo y el de Ishida… ¿por qué aún está en el aire?

b) Que Kubo Tite nos sorprenda con otras de sus genialidades. Soy consciente de que cuando digo que Bleach está de capa caída, el autor le da un giro sorprendente a la serie, mis ganas por seguir leyendo aumentan y me inclino a los pies de la serie. Pero hace ya bastante tiempo que algo así no ocurre.

Con una de las dos opciones me conformo, aunque prefiero la segunda.

NARUTO

No anda mejor que Bleach. Naruto sigue en su papel de “soy un adolescente desdichado”, Sasuke en su papel de “tengo que vengarme de alguien pero ahora que he matado a Itachi no sé de quién hacerlo”, Akatsuki en su papel de “si gano tanto dinero con una discoteca en mitad del desierto, ¿para qué narices voy a esforzarme en hacer algo más interesante?”, y el resto de personajes secundarios en su papel de “a ver cuándo Kishimoto se acuerda de nosotros y nos mete de relleno en alguna viñeta”.

Así que también creo que está de capa caída. Pero esta serie tiene peor solución que Bleach, porque Kubo Tite al menos se ha molestado en dejar tramas interesantes abiertas. A Kishimoto apenas le quedan cosas interesantes que contar después de que Naruto haya conocido a su padre, ¿no creéis?

Aunque hay varias cosas que sí me gustaría ver en Naruto y para hacerlo, debería meterme yo en la historia. ¿Que no? Si pudiera, me metería en la serie, reuniría a todos los personajes en una sala donde estuvieran sellados sus poderes (para no asistir a más luchas interminables) y haría un poco de terapia de grupo. Sería genial poder coger de las orejas a Naruto e ir poniéndolo delante de cada uno de los personajes diciéndoles cosas como “si Shikamaru te recomienda algo… ¡Hazle caso! (pescozón al canto). Y si Sasuke te ha hecho tanto daño en el pasado… ¡Díselo! (pescozón al canto). Y si Hinata te ha dicho que te ama… ¡Afróntalo! (pescozón al canto)”. Aunque seguro que eso iba a ser más maltrato infantil que otra cosa, porque claro, después de Naruto irían Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, todos los Akatsukis y hasta Danzou. Creo que los únicos que se librarían de los pescozones serían Gaara, Temari y Shikamaru, aunque los dos últimos sólo si hacen pública su relación.

20th CENTURY BOYS

De esta no puedo decir nada más que me encantaría seguir leyéndola si tuviera tiempo. Es una serie genial de la que deberían aprender Kishimoto o Kubo Tite (en ese orden). Prometo que si puedo seguirla, volveré con mis recordatorios de los tomos.

LAS DEMÁS

Y por lo demás, no tengo nada que decir, salvo que me pongo de rodillas para que Azuma siga con Yotsuba (señor Azuma, creo que un año y medio de espera bien podría verse recompensado con un tomo de más aventuras de esta niña absolutamente genial), y que agradezco que se le haya ocurrido ampliar Azumanga aunque sea sólo en unos pocos capítulos (esperemos que la calidad no haya decaído en todos estos años).

Y a todos vosotros, que no perdáis el tiempo y que leáis Fábulas… que os va a gustar… y que releáis las grandes series: V de Vendetta (unos días después del 5 de noviembre), Transmetropolitan o cualquier cosa de Neil Gaiman (pero cómo echo de menos leer algo de este hombre).

Nos vemos pronto (espero), a ver si mientras tanto surgen series nuevas que merezcan la pena o mejoran las que deben mejorar.

Un saludo, Laura.

If you’re an avid comic-book reader odds are that there will be writers or artists that you have a preference for, one of my favourite writers is undoubtedly; Warren Ellis.

I won’t go into detail about his childhood and whatnot, I’m just going to talk about why I like Warren Ellis.  If I recall, Transmetropolitan was the first work of Ellis that I came into contact with and it remains to this day one of my all-time favourite science-fiction stories in comics.  Transmetropolitan is perhaps Ellis’s most renown work; set in a cyberpunk future world where a foul-mouthed ‘renegade gonzo journalist’ named Spider Jerusalem takes on two successive United States presidents in an effort to stamp out corruption and the abuse of power for fear of turning the world into a horrid dystopia, together with his two ‘filthy assistants’ and armed with his ‘bowel-disrupter’ Jerusalem gets up to some of the most darkly humourous things I’ve ever seen.  Transmetropolitan was a limited series consisting of sixty issues and ran from 1997 – 2002.  Warren Ellis did a fantastic job crafting the characters for Transmetropolitan, Spider Jerusalem has an awesome presence in the story and is filled with so much attitude and blatant disregard for petty rules, that he’d do anything to make himself heard, which he does in his infamous column entitled ‘I hate it here’.  Spider Jerusalem has so much depth and character and it’s thanks to the superior story-telling of Ellis.  The other thing to note about Warren Ellis, is that invariably his stories are filled with plenty of swearing, sex and violence but he manages to pull it off without it ever becoming overly excessive or forced. Warren Ellis proves that not all comics have to be about brightly coloured, spandex-wearing superheroes and that despite what some people may think, the whole ‘dark thing’ (as one idiot that I have the misfortune to know, once said) does indeed work.

Only Spider Jerusalem would assault singing beggers.

Other notable works of Ellis include; Black Summer, No Hero, Ignition City and FreakAngels.  FreakAngels is actually a web-comic that as far as I know has already been made into two volumes available for purchase.  FreakAngels falls under the steam-punk genre about a time where London has been flooded and a group calling themselves the FreakAngels occupy ‘Whitechapel’.  The characters are rich and fleshed out and all seem to display some sort of telepathic ability (Ellis is known for incorporating such things as telepathy, human-enhancement, cryonics and nanotechnology into his work).

Amazing character development and plot are two key factors that I think make Warren Ellis standout from the pack and the fact that most of his works fall under the ‘limited series’ category means that his work never becomes stale as the stories have a beginning and an end, once he’s done with a particular project he moves on to something else.  When I see ‘Warren ellis’ printed on the cover of a comic-book I know that I can look forward to reading something off-beat, humourous and gritty.

A lot of Ellis’ more recent work falls under the Avatar Press label, it’s quite obvious that the company is the optimum choice for Ellis as they allow him to get away with far more risque themes, such as sex and vulgarity, two things that are usually unseen in most mainstream comic-books, Sure Marvel Comics has its Icon subsidiary & Marvel Knights label but they don’t really compare.  Besides, how long do you honestly think Marvel will be able to use the aforementioned labels before Disney turns around and objects as it’s not ‘family friendly’.  I’m not saying you have to be an elitist who only reads indy comics, or comics from lesser-known, smaller companies to enjoy Ellis’ work, if you’re a comic-book fan and you’re looking for a different kind of read, give Warren Ellis a shot.

Came across this wicked jack-o-lantern carved by a Warren Ellis fan and just had to share. Is there anything more creepy and awesome than a Spider Jerusalem pumpkinhead? And the fans love it. (Who wouldn’t?)

Posted on Starpulse.com

As a comic fan, I’m often asked by non-comic geeks what series they should try out to get started in the vast world of comic awesomeness. This is a pretty general question, since it all depends on your personal taste.

There are comics for just about anyone of any age, although there are some more critically acclaimed than others. It’s also difficult to encourage people to start in the major comic books because of the hundreds of thousands of issues they’ve missed already. Sure Spider-Man is pretty much the same character he was a few decades ago, especially after “One More Day,” but occasionally a villain or character will pop up and you’ll go, “Who is that?” Then you have to wikipedia them and that links you to another storyline, which links you to another character and a few hours later you’re still just confused.

Anyway, trying to get started in an old comic title is a story for another column, but this one is about independent storylines that are either complete or easy to pick up on. They don’t require you to read the entire scope of DC or Marvel comics to follow, and while none of these have been made into movies (yet), they probably will be sooner or later. It’s good to read them now so in a few years when the movie comes out you can sniff and go, “Well it was fine, but the comics are soooo much better.”

Y The Last Man – You can find the entire “Y The Last Man” on trade paperbacks now in ten volumes. This will make it very easy to read this engaging and entertaining story from start to finish. It’s about Yorick Brown, an oddball young man who favors magic and escape artists tricks. Just as he’s about to propose to his long-time girlfriend Beth, who is abroad in Australia, a calamity hits the earth. At once, every single male human and animal on the planet dies gruesomely with no warning. Every man except for Yorick and every male animal but his pet monkey Ampersand. Yorick just wants to find Beth and make sure she’s okay, but as the last man he gets drawn into an important mission to find out the truth of what happened to the earth. With Agent 355, a government agent who acts as Yorick’s bodyguard, and Doctor Alison Mann, a geneticist who could learn the answers to the plague, Yorick travels the world looking for the truth and his one true love. It’s a fairly dramatic story but with plenty of humor. The characters are all engaging and the situation is fascinating to say the least. This comic is somewhat adult with sexual situations and language, but most ages and genders should enjoy it.

Fables – “Fables” is the only series on this list that is still being published, but you’ll soon see why. It’s a reinterpretation of very famous and well-known fairy tale characters into the modern day. The Fables lived in their own mythical Homelands until a horrible creature called The Adversary conquered it and drove them out. They now live amongst us in New York City, although those Fables who cannot appear to be normal humans are hidden at “The Farm” in upstate New York. The series is a mixture of fantasy and storytelling of the highest degree, and then it blends some mystery, romance, tragedy, and drama in there for good measure. The main characters are Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf, for example, and Prince Charming is a womanizing jerk, Beauty and the Beast are in couples therapy, and Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk) is a con artist. How could you possibly go wrong taking something nostalgic and beloved and putting a new modern twist on it?

Transmetropolitan – Okay, first things first, “Transmetropolitan” is not appropriate for children or young teenagers in any way. It’s a very adult comic, so if you’re a bit squeamish about language, violence, or sex it’s probably not for you. If you’ve got a cast iron stomach and a spine made of stone, this comic was made for your enjoyment. Fans of Hunter S. Thompson will loooove it. Based in a cyberpunk future world, the comic surrounds the life and work of Spider Jerusalem, a gonzo journalist who reluctantly comes out of retirement. Spider owes two more books to his publisher so he comes back into The City to find a proper story. He decides to take on the President, his former nemesis, and the newest rival to the Presidency in a no-holds barred journalistic piece ripping them to shreds. Spider is ruthless, disgusting, insane, and strangely admirable in his obsessive need for truth and honesty in a decadent world. The world of “Transmetropolitan” is dangerous and a little depressing, but it’s like a car crash: almost impossible to look away from once your interest is peaked.

Preacher – Here’s another rather adult comic; the best ones often are because they openly deal with the more serious issues. This one deals specifically with religion, the South, death and life, and power. The main character is a miserable preacher named Jesse Custer with a sordid and tragic past who is possessed by a supernatural being named Genesis. The possession causes his church and everyone in it to die instantly. Genesis gives him the power to force anyone to do what he wants, using “the Word of God.” Jesse decides to go on a search for God to get some answers about Genesis and where his life is going from there, but God has abandoned Heaven and is in hiding. With his ex girlfriend Tulip and his new best friend Cassidy, both with secrets of their own, Jesse wanders the United States looking for God and answers. This is a great series to pick up if you’re a fan of westerns, for its style in both art and dialogue is very reminiscent of old western films. It does have some blasphemous elements to it so some people might get offended, but in general the original story and the memorable characters are worth trying out.

The Sandman – Neil Gaiman is something of a celebrity in geek culture, since he’s a writer of one of the best graphic novel series of all time and regularly publishes wonderful fantasy novels. Several of his stories were made into movies (“Stardust,” “Coraline“), but his most noticeable and famous piece of work was the series “The Sandman” for Vertigo Comics. This series was on the New York Times Bestseller List, it won the World Fantasy Award, and it’s highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike. The series is about The Endless, a group of supernatural beings who represent several major parts of human existence: Death, Destiny, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. The story mainly features the story of Dream who starts the series being kidnapped and held prisoner for years. After he escapes he returns to his destroyed kingdom to pick up the pieces. “The Sandman” heavily features mythological stories, fables, and tales from all different cultures, and usually embraces the fantastical as true and real. It jumps from Ancient Greece to the Crusades to modern day all in one chapter, but it’s organic and fractured, almost like a dream itself. The series is also well known for having some of the best art in the industry, with several big name comic artists trying their hand at the issues and making their own marks. This is a very long and complicated story, but it’s worth trying out. The journey is painful and beautiful and like nothing else you’ve read.

I recently got to speak with Randy Williams of Legends Comics in Towson, MD,

about which comic series out today would be a good entry point into comics for people with no experience. I wanted to find series that were from independent publishers because I feel that people already like DC and Marvel characters.

“In independent titles, almost anything can happen, Williams said. “Marvel and DC, its almost in their nature to keep things the way they are always.”

I also wanted independent publishers because they have books not so many people know.

#1-Invincible:

Invincible Volume 1: Family Matters written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Cory Walker from Image Comics

Simply put, its the story of the son of the world’s greatest superhero. Williams put it best though when he said, “There’s a big twist though that you have to see for yourself.

“There is a lot of character development in this book, lots of secondary characters. For example: early on you see these two random thugs who look identical. Then, later on, they come back and are doing there own thing and you realize, wow, they’re not just thugs, they’re really smart. And not only that, they look the same because they’re clones. The original was really smart and made a clone of himself to have around. But they don’t remember which one’s the original.”

I agree with Williams on this choice. I’ve been a fan of Invincible for a while now. This is the book that got me into superhero stories. (before I was more into horror comics like Hellboy and the Goon).

What makes Invincible so good is like Williams said: the characters.  Just about every individual is fleshed out in their own way at some point.

“The main character is actually a part of a team, and you learn about all of his team members,” Williams said. And it’s true, everyone gets to take the spotlight at one point or another. Whether its an superhero who may or may not be an immortal Abraham Lincoln, or, one of my favorites, Rex Splode, a young, reckless superhero who starts off in the series as a major jerk but develops into a more caring and likable character.

This book is recommended not only for its characters, but also the fact that its relatively young in its publication. The series has only about 70 issues now (relatively few for a superhero comic), and all the issues are collected in graphic novel format. There is no prior information you need to know to understand the series if you start at number one.

#2-The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Tony Moore, published by Image Comics

“It gives you something you won’t see anywhere else,” Williams said as he handed me the trade paperback for The Walking Dead volume 1. He couldn’t be more right.

“It’s what happens in a zombie movie after the credits role.” That’s the premise of The Walking Dead in a nutshell. The story follows a group of survivors after the zombie apocalypse.

What’s interesting is the fact that the main threat to the survivors isn’t the hordes of the undead, but rather the other people who have managed to survive.

“It does things you don’t expect with characters., Williams continued. And shock seems to be the name of the game, Kirkman has made it clear that no one is safe in this book, anyone could die or be seriously injured at any time.

I personally have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand it is fresh and different from just about any book on the market.

“I reccommend this book to everyone, even people who are only interested in superhero books, because its so good,” Williams said.

A word of warning though, and this is why I don’t read the book, but as mentioned before anything can happen to the characters at any time, and I’m not into getting depressed by a book. But if you or someone you know is interested in a story with well written characters in very trying situations, this is a good choice.

#4-Transmetropolitan

Transmetropolitan Volume 1: Back On The Street written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Eric Robertson. Published by Vertigo Comics.

“It’s kind of an acquired taste, I read it the first time and didn’t like it,” Williams said. “The second time I read it though I started to get into it. It’s hard to introduce people to because its just so bizarre and out there.”

Transmetropolitan is a difficult story to classify. It is about gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem (as seen on the cover) as he lives and works in the far future in a city only identified as “The City.” Jerusalem himself is a homage to such real life journalists as Hunter S. Thompson, as identified by the character’s social commentary, crass nature, and appreciate of drugs and firearms. According to the Wikipedia page for the character, he once accidentally received a bandoleer of grenades at a party, which he interpreted as a sign that “There is a God.”

The series deals with things like political and social corruption while also examining the writer’s own interest in futurism, with such concepts as media conveyed through psychotropic drugs.

Like Williams said, an acquired taste. But, if you are interested in the weird and like social commentary, at least give it one read. Maybe you’ll go back for a second.

#4-The Authority

The Authority Volume 1: Relentless written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Bryan Hitch. From Wildstorm Comics

Williams said: “It’s kind of like the Justice League. The difference is though that while the League found a planet small micro-organisms where they had to fight someone, they would try their hardest to make sure none of them were killed. The Authority is different in that they are like: ‘If we save the world with only minimal casualties, its a good day.”

The Authority is best thought as a more mature version of the Justice League form DC comics. In fact, all the characters on the team are based on those in DC comics who have been on the Justice League team. The characters are altered though in order to make them more significant and unique.

The best examples of this are the two characters Apollo and Midnighter, based off of Superman and Batman respectively. They are two of the most recognized heroes in their world, but what makes them unique to comics is the fact that they are homosexual and married. Ellis, and later Mark Millar who took over writing duties on the series, treat the character’s relationship maturely by avoiding stereotypes.The pairing is humorous though considering that the characters that they are based on are such polar opposites.

This is the kind of series recommended for those who like their classic heroes but want to know what they would be like in a more mature scenario.

#5-The Sword

The Sword Volume 1: Fire by the Luna Brothers. Published by Image Comics

This is a series even I didn’t know about until Williams told me about it.

“I don’t want to use the analogy, but the main character is like a female Wolverine. She can just take so much physical damage but keep going,” Williams said.

The series is about Dara Brighton, a paraplegic college student who embarks on a path of revenge against three strangers with powers over the elements who kill her family while seeking the sword of the title. Dara finds the sword benith here home when here attackers leave her for dead in the burning house.

I found the series interesting because it is able to balance both a unique character with an interesting scenario and powers. The sword itself is a magical item that endows the user with superhuman abilities and the ability to heal from any wound (she regained the use of her legs when she first touched the sword), but only so long as the user is in physical contact with the sword. This means that the powers belong to the weapon Dara is using, and can be taken from her at any moment, so it is up to her to maintain her abilities.

At the same time, Dara is unique in that she is able to overcome tremendous hardships both physically and mentally. This is due to the fact

“It’s like she’ll be having a fight and she’ll have a flashback to a time when she couldn’t use her legs that she had to overcome a challenge and that will influence how she wins the fight,” Williams said. “She grew up in a wheel chair so she has so much strength that few people ever achieve.

One instance involved Dara having both her legs cut  off (WARNING: this book is gory) during a fight with one of the people who killed her parents. She recalled a time when her mother forced her to pull herself back into her wheelchair when she fell out so that she could learn to take care of herself.

Dara recovers the sword and her legs begin to heal over the wound, leaving just stumps. Dara realized how the sword works (It just speeds up normal healing) and rips off the newly formed flesh WITH HER BARE HANDS and recovers her missing legs, putting them back on the stumps, and reattaching them with the sword.

You don’t find many male characters anywhere who are that tough.

“The only thing is that the book is a little show,” Williams said, “It’s like there will be a lot of talking and not as many action scenes. But when you do have an action scene, it’s really good.”

This is the kind of book for people who like strong characters, don’t mind a lot of violence, and want to see some spectacular fight scenes.

#6-Flight

Flight: Volume 1. An anthology series created by various writers and artists. Published by Image comics

“I can sell a lot of these,” Williams said. “Great artwork, great stories. I think it’s one of the first viable comics anthologies.

Flight is a collection of short comic stories by various writers and artists that vary in theme and setting. It’s interesting to see the various types of styles and stories that are collected in these trade paperbacks, numbering up to five since the series started back in 2004. The series is only released in trade format, no individual issues.

“I think the reason its so successful is because of its quality,” Williams said. “The people that contibute to it are in fields like animation, they have other jobs besides this, its a side project. They care deeply about it and it shows through in their work.

Flight is the kind of series for people who like short stories and different art styles

What do you folks think? Do any of these series interest you? Are you a fan already? Know of any other series that are good entry points for people interested in comics? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Tranmetropolitan tuvo su origen en el año 1997, escrita por Warren Ellis y dibujada por Darick Robertson, fue publicada originalmente por Hellix (sello perteneciente a DC Comics) pero debido a su cierre, la serie quedo en manos de Vertigo Comics. Finalmente, luego de 5 años de éxito, Tranmetropolitan concluyo en el año 2002 sumando un total de 60 números que fueron reimpresos en 10 tomos recopilatorios, que la disfruten =).

Transmetropolitan

La historia transcurre en un futuro lejano, mas precisamente en el siglo 23, donde conoceremos a Spider Jerusalén, un periodista gonzo que lucha, junto a sus dos ayudantes, contra el abuso de poder y la corrupción, para evitar que todo lo que lo rodea se vuelva aun mas distopico de lo que ya es y a su vez deben enfrentar la fama y el poder que obtienen gracias a la popularidad de Spider y sus artículos.

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 01  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 02  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 03  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 04  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 05  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 06  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 07  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 08  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 09  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Tomo 10  [RS]

———————————————————————————-

Transmetropolitan: Especiales

Además de la serie regular, se realizaron 2 especiales que fueron escritos por el personaje de Spider Jerusalén y dibujados por una amplia gama de artistas pertenecientes al mundo del comic.

Transmetropolitan – Especial – Odio este Lugar  [RS]

Transmetropolitan – Especial – Basura de la Ciudad  [RS]

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Saludos =).

Por qué el ser humano es tan penoso?, por qué da tanto asco?, no podriamos evolucionar de una vez y pasar al siguiente nivel de consciencia y sabiduría en cual no necesitariamos más ser mezquinos, cobardes y en definitiva…

…humanos.

Nos ahogamos en un vaso de agua.

Ya lo dijo Thomas Hobbes “Homo Homini Lupus”, El hombre es un lobo para el hombre. Y desgraciadamente estaba totalmente en lo cierto.

No me apetece enumerar todas las atrocidades que ha cometido, comete y cometerá el ser humano, son demasiadas, y no siempre con lavado de cerebro incluido, a veces por el mero hecho de hacerlo y ser feliz?.

Que asco.

Y se que debo mirar el lado positivo y quedarme con los buenos momentos, pero hay veces que todo eso me supera… y decaigo y me planteo como será el futuro, pero lo único que veo es una negrura insondable, nada por lo que merezca la pena seguir aqui.

Los que hayan leído la obra de Darick Robertson y Warren Ellis, me comprenderán, el que no, se lo recomiendo encarecidamente, aunque no sea amante de los comics, merece darle un oportunidad – Transmetropolitan -.

Acabaremos así de idiotizados.

Que asco.

Pues menudo mensaje emo-fatalista me ha salido. Vaya.

Saludos Gorgonitas.

Legendary Pictures is developing a feature adaptation of the Warren Ellis comic book Gravel according to Heat Vision. Plus Ellis himself is meant to be writing the screenplay according to Bleeding Cool.

Avatar Press publishes the ongoing series, which blends espionage and dark fantasy in tracking the modern-day exploits of British “combat magician” William Gravel. Ellis (Planetary, Transmetropolitan, and so much more) first introduced the character in a 1999 limited series of graphic novels entitled “Strange Kiss.”

Ellis, who is repped by the Cheng Caplan Co. and Nelson Davis Wetzstein LLP, also has “Red” in development at Summit, “Ocean” in development at Warner Bros. and “Global Frequency” in development at Warner Bros. TV. That news about Global Frequency is a bit of a surprise as I know there was a pilot a few years ago, but as far as I was aware it had been killed stone dead. Does this mean they are giving it a go or has someone somewhere got there facts a bit muddled?

It all sounds very promising as Legendary also has “Warcraft,” with Sam Raimi, in development, and it is in production on “Inception,” “Clash of the Titans,” “Sucker Punch” and “Jonah Hex.” It will next have “Where the Wild Things Are” in theaters later this month. They have a great, or potentially great, set of films due out so fingers crossed we get to see some Ellis magic on the big screen.

Oh and other cool news you may have missed – Planetary #27 (the final issue as far as I am aware) went on sale a couple of days ago.

Back when Warren Ellis was writing Transmetropolitan, he was fond of saying that nobody ever expects investigative journalism, because hardly anybody does investigative journalism any more.

I took that advice to heart – when an article came through about a politician affecting shock and outrage that sexuality appeared in Dragonball Z (really only to be joked at – the theme of it is, “look at all the absurd hangups we have about sex”) I thought long and hard about going down there and checking things out in person.

The problem is, Anime Diet does not have a history of doing these things.  Anime Diet does not have a budget for these things.  Anime Diet is to mainstream journalism what a roadside falafel stand is to Essex House.  I really couldn’t do it the way that a journalist working for a big paper would have – feet on the ground, pounding rubber.  I had to settle for digging around online and asking the few friends I had in politics.

I’m a writer.  I primarily review things.  My colleagues in entertainment reporting continually remind me of this fact.  So why is it that all the accredited journalists who got journalism degrees and did proper internships at major news organizations completely neglected to look behind the story on this matter and took everything at face value, while I spent two hours digging through the minutes of the Wicomico County Council?

I don’t know.  At the end of the day, Warren Ellis was right (Michael Pinto was right behind him, pointing out that even before technology supposedly made us lazy, people still didn’t want to do investigative journalism.)  While this was hardly a scandal that I unearthed – just a case of politics as usual – it is astonishing to me how many people read the situation the easiest way it could be read: politician sees something unusual and goes berserk.  Cue moral panic.  Cue blaming everything wrong with society on games, or anime, or in this case manga.  Not that this all didn’t happen – but why did it happen?  Nobody knew; nobody cared.  They had their explanation and would sleep easy.

I was curious.  I looked.  I found.  It was simple.  I’m aware that this is hardly a real example of the difficulties of investigative journalism, but given how easy it was for me, I refuse to believe that the others – the ones trained to nail down a hard story – actually tried.  If they had, they would have found what I found.

The moral of the story?  Always look for yourself.  Always ask questions.  Always wonder why your elected officials are doing what they’re doing – even when it seems obvious.

 I recently purchased 3 long boxes from a comic store that is closing.  While sorting through the boxes I came across a run of issues from #50-60 of Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s DC/Helix/Vertigo series, TRANSMETROPOLITAN. The covers really caught my eye and I soon found myself re-immersed in the adventures of Spider Jerusalem and his friends (and enemies).

One thing that I had either forgotten about or (more than likely) just taken for granted was the quality of the series’ cover artists. Check out this all-star roster:

Geof Darrow #1-3, 22-24
Frank Quitely #4-6
Darick Robertson #7-12, 19-21, 34-36, 58-60
Jae Lee #13-15
Dave Gibbons #16-18
Jim Lee #25-27
Tony Harris w/Ray Snyder #28
Tony Harris w/Jim Royal #29
Tony Harris w/Drew Geraci #30
Jaime Hernandez #31-33
Tim Bradstreet #37-39
Matt Wagner #40-42
John Cassaday #43-45
J.G. Jones #46-48
Moebius (aka Jean Giraud) #49-51
Glenn Fabry #52-54
Gene Ha #55-57

Quitely and Darrow and Moebius, oh my! It was tough to choose just 10 favourite covers let alone rank them so I’ve posted them by issue number.

Transmetropolitan #1 (Sept ‘97) Geof Darrow

Transmetropolitan #4 (Dec ‘97) Frank Quitely

Transmetropolitan #9 (May ‘98) Darick Robertson

Transmetropolitan #19 (Feb ‘99) Dave Gibbons

Transmetropolitan #25 (Nov ‘99) Jim Lee

Transmetropolitan #32 (April ‘00) Jaime Hernandez

Transmetropolitan #39 (Dec ‘00) Tim Bradstreet

Transmetropolitan #41 (May ‘01) Matt Wagner

Transmetropolitan #47 (Sept ‘01) J.G. Jones

Transmetropolitan #49 (Nov ‘01) Moebius aka Jean Giraud

*Transmetropolitan #55 (June ‘02) Gene Ha

BONUS Last issue cover: Transmetropolitan #60 (Nov ‘02) Darick Robertson

A full gallery of TRANSMETROPOLITAN covers can be found at comicbookdb.com.

*Yes, I know there are 11 covers in this list but I just could not cut the winking anime nun cover.  Catholic school programming I guess.

Dokonce už i v češtině vyšla valná část z komiksového fondu posledních dvaceti let, které se říká kultovní. Chybí nám zde už jen pár komiksů a nakladatelství bb/Art právě zaplnilo další díru. Vydalo totiž legendární novinářský komiks Warrena Ellise Transmetropolitan. Čekali jsme tu na něj dlouho. A vyplatilo se to.

Transmetropolitana nemůže překládat jen tak někdo. Chce to někoho, kdo se pohybuje v novinářském prostředí, kdo alespoň z naprosté většiny chápe, o čem že to Spider Jerusalem, hlavní hrdina komiksu, neustále žvaní. Darek Šmíd je novinář, který se pohybuje v tom správném mediálním mezisvětě, aby mohl podobně ujetý komiks do češtiny transformovat se ctí. Pár drobných chyb se dá přejít, to hlavní, tedy novinářské sdělení, je zachováno. Hurá do města.

Spider Jerusalem býval slavný novinář. Pak se jednou dostal takříkajíc za vodu a město, které mu bylo vším, opustil. Pět let se ukrýval v domě v horách, chráněn inteligentními zbraňovými systémy před jakýmkoli narušením. Jenže pak mu zavolal nakladatel a oznámil mu, že pokud neodevzdá dvě knihy, na které s ním má kontrakt, vysoudí z něj úplně všechno. Pokud se něčeho Spider Jerusalem bojí, je to nakladatel s platnou smlouvou.

Není zbytí, neurotik, úchyl, nejlepší novinář a maniak v jedné osobě se musí vrátit tam dolů, kde páchnou deodoranty, a napsat svoje knihy. To mu ovšem nebrání v tom, aby cestou tam a zase zpátky nezprudil pěkných pár set lidí, a to včetně celé policie, všemožných církví a prezidenta Spojených států.

Proč se podobný příběh stane hitem? Protože Ellis má smysl pro nadsázku a zná novinářské prostředí. Postupy, které Spider používá, jsou sice trošku přitažené za vlasy, ale mají reálný podklad ve světě médií, který funguje na poněkud jiných principech než obyčejný svět.

Je sice fakt, že ani Ellisova planeta Země se příliš nepodobá té naší. Hemží se podivnými kulty, lidmi měnícími se na mimozemšťany, závislostmi nejrůznějších kalibrů a podstaty, ale v jádru je všechno tak jak má být, protože lidi jsou stále lidi. A dokud jimi zůstanou, bude je zajímat, co se o nich a o těch ostatních píše. Je jedno, jestli to bude na internetu nebo na jiných mediálních kanálech, je jedno, jaké bude jádro sdělení, jen aby to znělo dost senzačně a aby se něco dělo.

Ellis proto stvořil hrdinu, který akci nevyhledává, ale sám ji tvoří. Kde se Spider objeví, začnou se totiž dít věci. Slovními urážkami to začíná, vraždou, smrtí, zabitím pak končí. V lepším případě. Spider je typický novinář, který má to štěstí, že lidstvo už se dostalo dál než jen ke kafi a cigárům. Cigarety pochopitelně pořád frčí, ale k nim si můžete dát i pár pilulí proti rakovině a frčet vesele dál.

Věřte tomu, že se Spiderem to půjde snadno. Hned v prvním díle se dostane do epicentra vzpoury polovičních mimozemšťanů a znovuzíská ztracenou slávu (a k tomu přijde o pár zubů). Netradiční vulgarismy mezitím prýští z komiksových stránek stejně jako nejroztodivnější Ellisovy nápady, které jsou zakomponované do obrázků.

Město je pestré a Transmetropolitan za ním nezaostává. Kreslíř Darick Robertson se „udělal“ právě na kreslení novináře Spidera balancujícího na hranici příčetnosti a naprostého šílenství. Podobně muselo vypadat i ztvárnění komiksu. Zdařilo se to výborně a hláškami i kreslenými gagy nabitý Transmetropolitan dobyl nejen svoje město, ale celý komiksový svět.

To velké mraveniště, ve kterém se Jerusalem pohybuje, je totiž „skvostně zkažené“, jak píše Garth Ennis ve své předmluvě. Je zkažené přesně tou správnou měrou, aby lákalo i odpuzovalo. A podobně je na tom i hlavní hrdina komiksu. Někoho, jako je on, byste rádi viděli na šibenici. Novinářská bestie, která udělá všechno proto, jen aby našla pravdu. To zní fajn, že ano? Potíž je v tom, že tyhle novinářské bestie uznávají jen jednu pravdu (čímž se neliší od ostatních bestií) – tu svoji. A většinou ji ani nemusejí nikde hledat. Na rozdíl od jiných ji ale mají zapotřebí šířit daleko agresivněji, než by se možná hodilo. Ale vzhledem k tomu, že právě za tohle jsou placeni…

Jednoduše řečeno Transmetropolitan je díky ději ze světa médií zcela výjimečný a má schopnost – podobně jako média samotná – strhnout, podrazit nohy a srazit do proudu příběhu, který je naprosto šílený a se kterým vy ale naprosto nic neuděláte. Takže si pohodlně sedněte a po přečtení tohohle si dejte další sloupek. Ten Spiderův.

WE ARE LEGAL NOW! Kicking the 21st episode, the boys have not 1, but 2  special guests for the first part of this 2-Episode special on the topic of Journalism in the comic-book world. The guests, Carolyn (the Not-at-all-Mild-Mannered-Girlfriend to Music Man Mike) and newcomer Matt Koenig (Mild-Mannered-Rapist)  join the boys for a review of Warren Ellis’s Transmetropolitan Volumes  1-3, and yes, Sam will be batshit excited the entire time. Also, we hear about a scheme involving Hulk and Broadway, not to mention the fate of Alex’s Marvel Comics alter-ego in Savage She-Hulk. All this along with the usual (and often unusual) antics this week on the Mild Mannered Podcast!

Plus! Matt Koenig and Sam contribute a piece of Spider-Man: Brand New Day for this week’s Masterpiece Comic Book Theatre!

Listen Here!

Dans un futur proche, où les humains peuvent faire modifier leur code génétique afin de devenir des aliens, où des médicaments contre le cancer permettent de fumer trois paquets de clopes par jour sans conséquences, où la télévision rend fou (…), Spider Jerusalem est un journaliste “gonzo” vivant en ermite dans une maison surprotégée de  la Montagne. Voila cinq ans qu’il a décidé de laisser la Ville de côté. Chroniqueur adulé par les foules, auteur à succès, il s’est extrait de la société pour se livrer à sa paranoïa existentielle. Mais on ne peut jamais vivre tranquille dans un scénario de Warren Ellis. Spider est rattrapé par des créanciers à qui il doit deux livres. Et voilà donc le Come-Back du siècle …

Transmetropolitan est une BD dure, violente, vulgaire, qui suinte la haine de l’humanité, la colère contre les pouvoirs en place quels qu’ils soient, qui exhorte à utiliser son cerveau plutôt que de regarder la télé. C’est une oeuvre dense, immense qui recèle des trésors de détails minutieux pour imprégner le lecteur d’une ambiance particulière, lui faire ressentir la moiteur de cette Ville, son odeur âcre et enivrante, la magnifique déchéance du genre humain.

Spider Jerusalem est le personnage ultime. Celui que chaque scénariste rêve de voir sortir de sa planche. Celui qui te permet de dire tout ce qui te passe par la tête et pour lesquels n’importe quel éditeur sain d’esprit te scalperait la tronche. Il est trash, il fume et il boit et il se drogue, il est exhibo, il est frustré, il est d’une misanthropie inqualifiable, d’un cynisme sans borne. Mais il est honnête. Il ne cherche que la Vérité. Quitte à défoncer le crane de ces lecteurs pour qu’ils la comprennent bien.

Warren Ellis est un génie dans la création d’un univers. Il n’y rien d’autre à ajouter. Il maitrise à la perfection les règles de la narration et nous livre plusieurs arcs aussi jouissifs qu’haletants. Le dessin est assiré par un Darick Robertson inspiré qui réussi non seulement à faire passer cette fameuse ambiance, mais qui truffe également chaque image de références et de petits clins d’oeil au lecteur attentif. Il assure ainsi deux choses : l’accroche initiale, qui fait que lorsque tu lis le premier chapitre tu ne peux plus t’arrêter ; et la pérennité de l’oeuvre, qui permettra de pouvoir s’y replonger avec facilité pour voir tous ces détails qui t’avaient échappé à la première lecture.

C’est grand. C’est traumatisant. C’est perturbant. C’est génial. Lisez-le, c’est un ordre !

Transmetropolitan vol. 1 à 4 (vol. 5 à paraître en novembre)

Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Panini Comics, 2007

“Everything is becoming science fiction. From the margins of an almost invisible literature has sprung the intact reality of the 20th century.”

J G Ballard

Vi har altid underholdt os selv med spekulative historier om dagen imorgen. Det er ofte kontroversielle visioner hvor fiktive rumligheder i en nær fremtid, indrettes med genstande og idéer. Og mange er selvmodsigelser, mangler og svagheder vi idag oplever i det daglige. Det er fantasme opstillinger imellem det virkelige og det forestillede, hvori vi kan undersøge konsekvenserne i forskellige sociale, miljømæssige og teknologiske scenarier.

I dette symposium afholdet den 29. maj 2009 af AA School Of Architecture i London, præsenterer flere kreative praktikere der til dagligt arbejder med spil, film, tegneserier, animation, litteratur og kunst, alternative modeller der fungerer som test sites for de vidunderlige muligheder – eller varslene mørke historier – i vores arkitektoniske forestillinger.

SYMPOSIUM FILM

Det er Liam Young fra Tomorrows Thoughts Todays, og Geoff Manaugh fra BLDGBLOG der har kurateret symposiet.

Foredrag 1  (65 min) Se online
Brett Steele – Welcome
Liam Young og Geoff Manaugh – Introduction
Peter Cook – ArchigramA

Foredrag 2  (51 min) Se online
Viktor Antonov – Art Direc. for Half Life 2 og Prod.Des. for filmen Rennaissance
Jim Rossignol – Author of This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities

Foredrag 3  (93 min) Se online
Ian Macleod – Novelist, winner of 2009 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction
Nic Clear – Architect, Diploma Tutor at the Bartlett
Squint Opera – Film and media production studio

Foredrag 4  (73 min) Se online
François Roche and Stéphanie Lavaux – R&Sie architects.
Warren Ellis – Comic author, creator of ‘Transmetropolitan’ and ‘Fell’, writer for Marvel and DC comic