Donnerstag, 28. April 2011

Killing Field

Here is the Chihuahua standing over the carnage of his favorite toys. He has about 10 of these cat toys scattered around the house. The toy bird chirps when moved so it keeps him occupied from time to time with something to play with.

Since the pooch isn't a chewer we don't worry about him ripping the toys open and swallowing the motion activated chirping device from the inside. He really prefers this toy over all the others.

On occasion he goes on a little Chihuahua rampage and stalks, attacks, "kills" and brings his victims home to the living room. To his little doggy brain these birds are representative of actual captured prey and in his view a really impressive ten minutes work. After his "kills" are gathered up and placed into a grouping he stands protectively over them and howls, proclaiming his victory and alpha-status as a provider for the pack.

It's a lot less amusing and cute at 3 a.m. in the morning.

Steve Dressler covers Herbie 23

























Original cover by Kurt Schaffenberger; American Comics Group 1967. Steve Dressler's website is here.

Mittwoch, 27. April 2011

Sleestak, thy name is vanity

Thinking about buying a vanity plate for the car even though I'm not a tool bag. 'Slestak' is obvious and I like it, though 'LOSTROR' and 'LSTROAR' has an appeal. The 2nd and 3rd being the last word and action from the Land of the Lost theme where Wesley Eure sings "...Living in the Land of the Lost Lost Lost" and Grumpy the T-Rex attacks the camera and roars. I like the 3rd example better than the 2nd because 'LOSTROR' can read as LOS TERROR and I don't want that.

The third style of plate would be difficult for anyone to figure out but part of the fun of an obscure license plate is explaining to confused people what it means. Good thing I'm already married for life because that much geek displayed in public would ensure I'd never have a relationship with a woman that didn't first require funds being handed over to her.

'HLYRULZ' is the Hayley Mills gag plate I put in photos to conceal real license plates and while I think it would be great to have I don't think my wife would appreciate it. She doesn't get the whole Hayley Mills obsession. Some people are just born broken that way.

some Ninjasday rap isht from MarQ Spekt & Huey P Capone

At my urging, President Obama issued an executive order changing Wednesday to Ninjasday when he first took office, but then niggas figured out he wasn't gonna be able to make it rain or whatever and stopped listening to him and Ninjasday lost steam... But then that dude Marq Spekt sent me this Snake Eyes Vs Storm Shadow Volume 1 tape, single-handedly bringing Ninjasday back on some grass roots shit... See? You CAN make a difference!

School Of Sharks Presents: MarQ Spekt & Huey P Capone - Snake Eyes Vs Storm Shadow by Steadybloggin
yep. Have a nice day, Ninjas...
holla!
-samax.

Marcel Ruijters covers Isabelle en het Monster
























Original cover by Jacques Tardi; Casterman 1984 (cover reprinted from Adèle et la bête; Casterman 1976). Marcel Ruijters's website is here.

Start the day off Right w/ MED

peep the latest vid from Oxnard's favorite son...


MED drops a few verses to whet the pallet or whatever...
IN THE STORE
MED - BANG YA HEAD 3 (SPECIAL EDITION)

MED's just dropped Bang Ya Head 3, Special Edition.  Comes with a download card. We have this available now.

Track List & (Producer Credit)

1. Intro
2. Ain’t Bragging feat. Guilty Simpson (Waajeed)
3. Candlelight (Georgia Anne Muldrow)
4. Your Life feat. Blu (Exile)
5. Superman (J. Rocc)
6. Head Banger (Dem Beatz)
7. 50,000 (Soul Professa)
8. Highs & Lows (Georgia Anne Muldrow)
9. The Cypher (Two & Pass) feat. & LMNO (Madlib)
10. Skeet’s House
11. R.E.M. feat. Epsilon (Oddisee)
12. Bounce Back (Alchemist)
13. Misunderstood (Medicine Man)
14. Dedication (Dem Beatz)
15. Purest feat. Pok (House Shoes)
16. One Two’s (Dibiase)
17. Eaze Off feat. Marvwon (J. Rocc)
18. Outro (Daru Jones)
Bang Ya Head III by MED
Bang Ya Head III, Part 2 by MED
son is being generous, so after you pay some bills, cop that joint from the Stonesthrow Store.
say word...
holla!
samax.

Dienstag, 26. April 2011

Nabuto covers Popbot 8























Original cover by Ashley Wood; IDW 2008. Nabuto's website is here.

start the day off RIGHT w/Xzibit

If you're one of my Facebook friends (or maybe a nosy co-worker), you may already know I was bumping the hell out of Xzibit's classic video for his equally classic banger What U See is What U Get all damn day at work yesterday...


This video is a freaking problem! Besides the fact that Xzibit spits like a volcano on this track, this video does a great job of approximating the way that good rappers create mental collages with words... My Facebook bredren were chiming in about how dope this piece was back in the day, and we pretty much all agreed that we lost it when X stagedives after the last verse... One cat was like "I remember I saw this video for the first time - I jumped up, ran to the store and bought all his albums.." and I believe it, because this joint definitely makes me think I need to cop  40 Dayz & 40 Nightz the classic album this came off of... but anyways, I figured I'd drop this here, since most of y'all probably need to wake up...
holla!
samax.

Montag, 25. April 2011

Thomas Boatwright covers Avengers 4

























Original cover by Jack Kirby and George Roussos; Marvel 1964. Thomas Boatwright's website is here.

Introducing: Hayley Mills

While every day is Hayley Mills Day at the HMCC, a new continuing feature of Lady, That's My Skull is Monday with Hayley, featuring Hayley Mills the star of stage, screens both big and small and the dreams of millions.

And what better way to start this feature by showcasing the screen debut of America's eternal sweetheart from the 1947 film So Well Remembered, the British class warfare story of a progressive newspaper man fighting the uncaring industrial and social system that exploited and ravaged his hometown. Actor John Mills, known for making his movies a family affair, brought along daughters Hayley and Juliet for parts in the film. Hayley Mills receives an uncredited appearance as an orphaned infant, adopted by Trevor Howard who plays the drunken town doctor who may have botched the delivery and caused the death of her mother.

If anyone watching the film is unsure which of the many infants in this classic movie is Hayley all doubt is removed in this scene shared by Trevor Howard and father John Mills. Her striking eyes are unmistakable and in her face you can clearly see the features that would soon light up the screen.


Adorable!

Sonntag, 24. April 2011

Have a Happy Iron Age Cult of Suffering Day!

Death would be a mercy

Marijuanaman- Behind the Scenes video with Food, Joe Casey and Ziggy Marley

Here's a bit of Youtubery featuring Ziggy Marley, Joe Casey and Jim Mahfood discussing the process growth of their coffee-table-ready hardcover Marijuanaman...


Food is such a hustler in this indie comics art shit... it's dope to see a little of his process creative flow and a blessing that he's able to work with someone of the caliber of Ziggy Marley. It's the kind of opportunity that comes to you by staying on top of your shit and maintaining your truth creatively. I'm definitely scraping together my pennies to cop Marijuanaman myself, and I know a few other art cats who have their eyes on it, too... you can click here to order the 48 page hardcover on Amazon, or have your comicshop snag you one, but that's one for the living room table (or at least the book shelf). Also, feel free to check out some preview pages I posted on Friday.
holla!
samax.
ghettoManga.com

Happy Easter, Scum!!!

I drew this years ago. It never gets old...
To read the backstory, click here.

Samstag, 23. April 2011

Now Playing: Childhood Skyline by Methuzulah

This here's some good music to sit back and drink a Dr. Pepper to... that's how I do it anyways... you do you! but peep this!


This joint is off Methuzulah's upcoming EP Long Story Short, which is due out in July. Can't wait til then? Get a listen at the 2010 bangedora Kemetic Aha, which features the Zulu National spitting over mad DJ Premier tracks  and a star-studded guest list (LONS alum Dinco D, Punchlyne, Akil of Jurassic 5, Boog Brown, BINKIS Recs & more)...

yeah, you're welcome.
holla!
samax.

FREE Hotdoggin' Wallpaper anyone?

I've been rocking this wallpaper above on my computer ever since Playdough approved the drawing below as a teeshirt design for his limited edition promo to his new album Hotdoggin...

I'll be getting my teeshirt in the mail soon, in time to rock it at the album release party on April 29th. Until then, I'll have some more prints, magazines, comics and other such things at the party and will also be creating live art solo, and with the mighty Just-Us League, so if you can make it out, please do! Until then, feel free to preview the album below, which releases on April 26th.

jeauh!

holla!
samax.

Freitag, 22. April 2011

This is DOPE! yeah, I got puns...

Ziggy Marley. Jim Mahfood. Joe Casey.
Here's the sales pitch:
A new hero for our times — from the fertile imagination of music superstar, ZIGGY MARLEY! A noble champion has arrived on Earth, and he brings an important message even as he struggles to save his own planet. JOE CASEY (GØDLAND, BUTCHER BAKER) and JIM MAHFOOD (KICK DRUM COMIX, MIX TAPE) join forces to bring you this all-new jam, telling a tale of high adventure! We guarantee: This is not the comic you think it is!




yeah, I'm feeling this like fingers... this joint (hee) is a 48 page hardcover coffee table classic! Looks like that dude Jim Mahfood pulled out the stops and called in the favors on this one! Marijuanaman is in stores now, so look for it next time you go to the comicshop, or click here to cop it on Amazon.
ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Confessions

Confessions (2010), a harrowing tale of psychosis, child murder, AIDS, parricide and revenge, is currently winning awards. It just won Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards and previously received Best Film, Screenplay and Director at the 34th Japanese Film Awards. It was also Japan's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at last month's Oscars. So who am I to dispute such accolades? I'm Pat Galloway, that's who, and I just will. For while there are some great things in this film, ultimately, in my opinion, the fundamental flaw of its execution is what defeats it.

And what might that be? Confessions is an adaptation of a novel by Kanae Minato, and moves from one first-person confession to another of a group of people brought together by a murder. Narratively, this concatenation of personal admissions works fine in a novel; film-wise -- not so much. What results is a near nonstop voiceover throughout the film. Blah, blah, blah, the chatter never ends. After awhile it gets to be somewhat unnerving. Film is a visual medium, and telling a story with images is its primary strength. Ironically, filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls, Memories of Matsuko) does a fine job in this department. Unfortunately, he ruins the striking visual dimension of his film by covering it in a thick layer of verbal diarrhea. I can understand his dedication to the source material, but common film sense should have dictated a more sporadic use of voiceover. The way he's done it might seem daring to some, but for me it just doesn't work.

The story revolves around the murder of a school teacher's young daughter and the revelations that result from her frank disclosure to her class that two of their fellow students committed the murder. The path of her revenge takes various twists and turns, and the fallout from the initial murder leads to madness and more killing for the two young perps. Takako Matsu (who played the lovely Kie in Yoji Yamada's The Hidden Blade) delivers a slow-burn performance that culminates in a (literally) explosive grand finale. This comes, however, at the cost of a tedious 30-minute speech at the opening of the film which nearly put me off the whole picture.

So yeah, clearly my opinion is in the minority, but I do encourage you to see this film and decide for yourself. As I said before, there are a number of things to recommend it. The dual themes of the nature of evil and the essence of grief are compelling, complimented as they are by a sombre soundtrack that features songs by Radiohead (I kept thinking, "That singer's doing a Thom Yorke impression …"). Superbly shot and idiosyncratically edited, it is visually challenging and innovative. A shame about all that yakking. In the end, it all comes down to the old adage: Show, don't tell.

Russell Dauterman covers Catwoman 2


























Original cover by Darwyn Cooke; DC 2002. Russel Dauterman's website is here.

Torn from today's headlines!

Personal Love - Teenager's Rage (Mar-Apr 1959)

I wonder how carefully they vetted that newsprint? I could just see Sally obliviously wearing a jacket displaying the headlines "BRAVE ALABAMANS HALT DE-SEGREGATION", "COMMIES INFILTRATE DAIRY INDUSTRY" or "RELEASED ATOM CLOUD HARMLESS, SAYS OFFICIALS. MAY ACTUALLY CURE ILLNESS"or some other propagandistic horror common to the media. Imagine what a jacket like that would look like today.
  • "GULF OIL LEAK BENEFICIAL TO ENVIRONMENT, REVERSES GLOBAL WARMING"
  • "NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG, SAYS GOVERNMENT"
  • "JUSTIN BIEBER #1 ENTERTAINER ON EARTH"
Brrr...

From Personal Love #4 (Mar-Apr 1959).

Donnerstag, 21. April 2011

May Poison Food

Enough customers commented that these decorative "coffee lovers" planters in the form of over-sized cups would be great for soup or drinks that I finally just turned them all over on the display case so the warning on the underside could be seen. I also cautioned that raising herbs for cooking in the planter may result in poisonous herbs.

May Poison Food

This is a warning label that makes sense, unlike those ones that state batteries or soap are not for consumption.

Josh Bayer covers Swamp Thing 58
























Original cover by Stephen R. Bissette; DC 1987. Josh Bayer's website is here.

Mittwoch, 20. April 2011

Start the Day off Right w/the Co-Op

Get ready to rock to the sounds of Conscious Operations, the husband-and-wife duo of The Rapture and Money Stax, who blessed my inbox with their brand new joint, Rap Money.


I don't know what brought these two down to Dallas from New Jersey, but they are a fixture in the hip hop scene here: Stax is currently charbroiling emcees as the not- Neeky- Devero half of the mighty Vicious Cycle (peep VeeCee's video You People and catch a listen at their dope ass debut album The Vagina Chronologue here), and The Rapture has a new EP out with M Slago, Word Life and Dow Jonez (another favorite here in Dallas) called RAMPAGE, as well as his solo record The Point.
Rap Money will be on The Co-Op's self-titled EP which they are putting together as we speak, but you can download the track free right now, 'cause I guess they're feeling generous.
holla!
samax.
ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Daniel Garber covers Tintin in America





























Original cover by Hergé; Little, Brown & Co. 1979 (Originally published in French by Le Petit Vingtième in 1932). Daniel Garber's website is here.

David King covers Web of Mystery 6





















Original cover artist is unknown; Ace Magazines 1951. David King's website is here.