This site is updated Thursday at noon with a new article about an artistic pursuit generally considered to be beneath consideration. James Schellenberg probes science-fiction, Carol Borden draws out the best in comics, Chris Szego dallies with romance and Ian Driscoll stares deeply into the screen. Click here for the writers' bios and their individual takes on the gutter.
While the writers have considerable enthusiasm for their subjects, they don't let it numb their critical faculties. Tossing away the shield of journalistic objectivity and refusing the shovel of fannish boosterism, they write in the hopes of starting honest and intelligent discussions about these oft-enjoyed but rarely examined artforms.
Recent Features
All I Want For Christmas Is A Few Good Books
In the spirit of the season, here are ten, in alphabetical order by author.
1. Overture Island On December 4, 2008, the future ended. The event that marked its end was the death of a 92-year old man from the not uncommon cause of heart failure. It would not have been an epoch-ending event save for one detail: the man’s name was Forest J Ackerman.
I've written before that I was put off
superhero comics by all the dying and resurrected X-Men—the eternal
return and the attempts to escape it. You might have noticed that DC
and Marvel's superhero titles have become a bloodbath. Sure, it
started it with big crossovers and the death of Superman. Captain
America's death at least seemed story-driven. But Blue Beetle, The
Question, Martian Manhunter and maybe Bruce Wayne? In the midst of
all the slaughter, it's a good thing we have a hero who never dies,
LEGO Batman.
Sequential Tart interviews Erika Moen (Girly Queer Vibrating Comics), who gives this advice: "Don't wait. Do it now. You can't call yourself an artist and then only do art when you're 'in the right mood' or 'have the time.'"
The Shadow wouldn't have been The Shadow and pulp wouldn't have been pulp without Edd Cartier, who died at 94 on Christmas Day. People at Penciljack have posted art and links to his art.
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Surrounded on all sides by awesome monsters, monstruos and kaiju, Eegah, Tabonga and Rodan do the only thing they can. They make groovy mp3's sampling monster movie soundtracks from all over including Hammer, Toho, American International and anything a go-go or defeated by Santo.
1. Overture Island
I've written before that I was put off
superhero comics by