Megan Fox: Maybe not so bad?

Up until the past few months with the publicity blitz for Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen, I honestly had not given Megan Fox much thought. Well, ok, I had given her some thought, but nothing really beyond what most guys (and many girls) think: she is a very good-looking girl (in most cases, not all).

However, these past few weeks/months, as I've seemingly not been able to pick up a magazine, click on a web site or throw a rock (law suit pending) without seeing Megan Fox, I've been forced to think about her more. Many of those thoughts have not been flattering.

In many of her recent public appearances, most notably at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, she's come off as snotty, rude and a bit too full of herself to the common oberver (that would be me). At times it seems like she's almost too hot and she knows it. Sam actually pointed this out in her awesome post about lady crushes last week, so I'm not alone here.

Imagine my epic eye roll then when the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived at my doorstep this week sporting a Megan Fox/Optimus Prime cover. More with this chick? Ugh.

But then I read her interview.

Honestly, it didn't bring me around to thinking Megan Fox isn't any of the kinda nasty things I wrote about her three paragraphs back, but she seems to be so self-aware of her shortcomings, unapologetic for them and brutally honest that I can't help but have gained quite a bit of respect for her. Most of young Hollywood seem like they vacillate weekly between acting like prima donnas and then doing spin to claim they're not, so it's a bit refreshing to read an interview with a 20-something "hot" actress who does not seem to give a fuck.

Allow me to share some excerpts...

EW: Transformers turned you into an overnight star. Looking back, how do you feel about the movie?
Fox: I'm terrible in it. It's my first real movie and it's not honest and not realistic. The movie wasn't bad, I just wasn't proud about what I did.
EW: What percentage of your range have people seen so far?
Fox: Seven percent. On the new one, I tried. But unless you're a seasoned veteran, working with Michael Bay is not about an acting experience.

Kudos to her there for not only being candid about her own weaknesses as an actress, but not bagging on the flick that made her a star; the dig at Michael Bay is gravy. Those themes continue here...

EW: You don't sound convinced that [Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen] is the greatest movie on earth.
Fox: It's not trying to be the greatest movie on earth. It's going to be the best action movie of the summer. Hands down, it will win that. But it's not trying to be a Golden Globe-nominated film. It's a badass popcorn summer movie.

Impressive healthy display of confidence/arrogance but also the opposite of pretentiousness. Anybody else find it weird she went with a Golden Globes reference over an Oscars one though?

EW: You up for a third Transformers?
Fox: Sure. I mean, I can't s--- on this movie because it did give me a career and open all these doors for me. But I don't want to blow smoke up people's ass. People are well aware that this is not a movie about acting. And once you realize that, it becomes almost fun because you can be in the moment and go, "All right, I know when he calls Action! I'm either going to be running or screaming or both."

Ok, that last quote cracked me up.

EW: Do you think you're a good actress?
Fox: I think I could be. If I really buckle down, I think one day I could be a very good actress. But so far, I haven't done anything yet.

Again, that struck me as a very honest answer, and one that many of her contemporaries wouldn't give.

EW: Do you think you're good-looking?
Fox: Well, I'm clearly not ugly.

Ha!

EW: You've got a lot of confidence.
Fox: I think most people are extremely insecure. As far as girls go, I have a really badass personality. I'm smart and I can be really funny and interesting and I can go toe-to-toe with anybody in a conversation. So I'm not afraid to speak, and I think that's what some people read as this uberconfidence. I have a mouth and I'm not afraid to use it.

Putting that wonderful concluding entendre aside for a moment, I'm not sure I buy her, "Oh, I'm not arrogant, I'm just outspoken" rap, but at least she has some sort of rationale.

And then, the coup de grace...

Fox: I don't understand why people don't have a f---ing sense of humor. Always assume that I'm being sarcastic. Like when I said those things about High School Musical. I didn't really mean that it's about pedophilia. But if you get high and you watch it, that is what that f---ing movie is about!
EW: Did you watch that high?
Fox: Yes, and it blew my mind.

How can I top that?

So anyways, Megan Fox, if you're reading this blog, I want you to know that while it may be wrong for me to pre-judge you one way or another given that we've never actually spent any time together, you seem pretty ok. If you want to get high and watch High School Musical some time, I would not be totally opposed.

Oh, and the full interview is online here, as well as this follow-up where she admits to liking comics!

Pimping My Stuff: Cup O Joe

NOTE: This is a verbatim repost from Four Color Forum, which I almost never do, but this time I kinda thought it appropriate. Sorry if you don't like reading my crappy prose twice. - KP

So, I'm not 100% sure how this happened to me, but a little while back Jonah Weiland (AKA Mr. CBR, AKA My Boss, AKA Captain Moneytrain) called me up and asked me to participate in CBR's new Cup O Joe feature, a weekly Q&A with Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. After a few weeks of being copied on e-mails and other unspectacular planning type stuff, the feature launched today over at CBR, and it's pretty nifty.

I encourage all six of my regular readers to bookmark the Cup O Joe mainpage where new interviews will go up at least on a weekly basis (and almost daily for this first week) and where Joe will be posting some fun sketch material like his process for drafting the above Spider-Man cover.

In the meantime, check out the first interview where Jonah and I ask Joe about the possible resurrection of Captain America, Marvel's renumbering to 600 madness and the controversial topic of changing comic prices.

Linko! X

Holy Lord. Have I been doing this ten weeks? I've got to find a better way to use my time.


* So yeah, MoCCA. I can't even begin to describe how great a time I had last weekend in NYC for that show. Like, a life-affirming, sanity-saving, outlook-altering great time. My comics friends are some of the coolest, funniest, most beautiful people I know, and it's a total bummer that I don't see them more often. That said, it's crazy how little of my enjoyment over the weekend came from the show itself. I mean, it's not like I had as many complaints against the festival as some others (though I had one big complaint that no one else in all the writing on the show has hit upon), but overall this was the first MoCCA I went to where I didn't feel super excited about returning next year. I may not go back. Anyway, I'm putting some of this here because after writing my CBR report on the show and contributing to the PW report, I didn't have time to do a personal round up for the blog and am now feeling I'm behind the times to write one here.

* In any event, there's plenty of people whose write-ups you should read that aren't me, including Sean's first big post, Rickey's rundown, Heidi MacDonald's personal report, Heidi's link-o-rama and for everything else just go to Tom Spurgeon's mega post. Oh, and there were some fun reviews I saw hitting the sites too like these from Matthew Brady and this from Sarah Jaffe. And yeah, I posted the least awful of my terrible photos on CBR's Live! blog (scroll down a bit).

* My buddy Chris Ward is writing an Obama comic for Blue Water Productions. I'm sure you've already decided whether or not you're at all interested based only on the words "Obama" and "comic," but I think we can all agree that his run in the local press is hilarious including this local paper profile and ESPECIALLY this video.

* In other "my friends do cooler things than me" news: new music project from Pauly Doerr: Chasing Dinosaurs

* Via Alejandro: apparently Namor is a gay icon:



* Another Onion bit via Michael Kupperman: One of the better opinions I've seen there in a while.

* Two Sides of the Same Coin Link #1: According to The Wall Street Journal, Baby Boomers are coming out in force at this year's college commencements to apologize to young people for fucking up America. No shit, you guys.

* Two Sides of the Same Coin Link #2: According to The New York Times, trust fund hipsters in Williamsburg can't survive without their parents. Jesus, my generation sucks too, don't we? We're all doomed.

* Brian Warmoth has discovered the most expensive book for the Kindle.

* Back to comics, I saw my first Twitter fight break out this week. It was crazy. Laura Hudson and Chip Zdarsky called Rich Johnston out for this post, the ins and outs of which are explained here. And look, I know that I'm friends with Hudson and friendly (I think?) with Chip and that I don't know Rich from Adam in real life, but looking at all this objectively, does anyone think that Rich isn't implying intellectual theft with his Swipe File feature? I don't really care what The Comics Journal used to say or what disclaimer he runs with it, when 90% of your column is comparing photos to the artwork of Greg Land for humor effect, I think even the most well-read and reasonable people are going to assume that you're always implying one artist steals from another when you post two images together with dates on them. Am I crazy in thinking that?

* Coincidentally, writer Mark Waid is offering to give $10 to the Hero Initiative for every person who blocks Rich on Twitter.

* What's that? You want more depressing comics news? OK, how about this laughable "Girl's Guide to Comic-Con" from the L.A. Times?

* Back to fun: Is "30 Rock" a "Muppet Show" rip off? (Via Brian Bendis)

* Whoa. A website that can identify the color in any image for you.


* I'm not sure what led to my discovering this cache of reviews of infamous box office flops at the AV Club, but I enjoyed what I've read so far, including this one on the Super Mario Bros. movie and this one about "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, the book of which I just read last year and thoroughly hated.

* Finally, I'm actually really bummed about how the digital TV transition means the Death of TV on the Radio. I used to listen to soap operas with my grandma every day when she'd pick me up from school and always thought it was so awesome. Tonight, I plan on hooking up my rabbit ears one more time and watching the signal go out. Does anyone else hope they'll show a cheesy "We now conclude our broadcast day" montage like in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch"?

Make These Action Figures II

I had a good time with this the first time around, so let's give it another go...

USAgent
As he was customizing a USAgent figure for the latest Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?!, Alex Kropinak made me aware of something I did not know: there is no existing USAgent figure (hence, y'know, why he had to customize one). That is of course madness, as despite being an off-kilter Republican and the favorite character of Arune Singh, USAgent is a brutally cool looking character. Captain America's iconic costume is one of comics' true classics (there's a reason it wasn't updated for nearly sixty years), but when Steve Rogers temporarily became The Captain, his togs got a slick redesign that was more a coat of black paint and some tweaks than a full reinvention. When Steve went back to being Cap proper, John Walker inherited the new gear as USAgent and I would love to be able to pose those two side-by-side on my shelf.

The Golden Age
One of my favorite stories of all-time, James Robinson's classic Elseworlds epic The Golden Age had a sprawling, colorful cast of characters who could support a whole series of action figures for several years. While Robinson's encyclopedic knowledge of those great 40's characters and his ability to drag them into the modern day as three-dimensional, complicated characters were a big part of what made Golden Age work, another key component was Smith doing the finest work of his career, taking classic designs and breathing new life into them with craftsmanship and flair. Just like there have been DC Direct lines specifically modeled after art done by artists from Jack Kirby to Ed McGuinness to Shane Davis over the past few years, a Golden Age line based on Smith's work would be just keen; for the first line I'll take Green Lantern, Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle, Dynaman and Manhunter.

Drax
The cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe is a source of vast untapped potential that I'm sure makes toy and statue designers salivate. While I've certainly got my fingers crossed for a modern Nova figure somewhere down the line, the updated Drax designed by the awesome Mitch Breitweiser would also be a great place to start. It would be a neat-looking figure that would stand out in most collections and could also come with some fairly badass accessories considering the cool knives Drax carries around to do his business. If we're looking at a line, alongside Drax include Star-Lord, Gamora, cosmic Ultron and Rocket Raccoon.

Prometheus
Given the popularity of Grant Morrison's JLA run, I'm honestly surprised one of his coolest creations, the villainous Prometheus, has never gotten any merchandise. I mean look at the guy: it's like Howard Porter designed him thinking, "Hey, this would be a cool action figure" (and maybe he was). He's got a quirky costume with a neat weapon and the potential for rad extras like making the helmet removable or giving it a "port" to put little fighting skills discs in. Prometheus had a bit of a rough spell for the last few years, getting treated more or less as a joke, which probably hurt his chances to get that elusive figure, but now he's back on top and seemingly positioned for big things ahead, so let's make this happen.

MI13
I was initially thinking about how I just wanted a figure of Captain Britain in his new costume, but then I realized there really aren't any members of MI13 I don't think I'd at least consider buying. I'd love a modern Blade, Pete Wisdom is such an offbeat choice I'd dig it, Spitfire has a simple but great look, Faiza is somewhere along the same lines as Pete, and I think the Black Knight may already have a figure, but I've always been a fan of his visuals and would gladly take another. Heck, toss in Meggan and Dracula and you've got a sweet box set!

Underrated/Overlooked: Arsenal by Grayson & Mays

I'm not sure he'd make the cut on any sort of list I'd put together of favorite characters, but I'm definitely a fan of Roy Harper (aka Speedy I, aka Arsenal, aka Red Arrow). He's got the whole reformed bad boy deal going, he's got wit, he's an archer (and as a former certified archery instructor myself, though I sucked at hitting the target, I can still fool myself into thinking that's a common thread) and he's got a rich history in the DC Universe. He's been in some series and stories I hold great affection for, from New Teen Titans to Suicide Squad to Green Arrow and onward.

Given all the characteristics I rifled off above, you'd think Roy would be a writer's dream, but I get the hunch he's actually quite challenging to handle, in part because he's almost too good to be true...if that makes sense.

Let me elaborate by listing all the stuff Roy has going on in addition to the core personality I already outlined:

-He was raised by Green Arrow.

-He was a junkie.

-He was a government agent.

-He had an affair with a super villain/terrorist that produced a daughter.

-He now raises said daughter as one of (if not the only) single father characters in comics.

-He's a known ladies man who has knocked boots with the aforementioned Cheshire, Donna Troy, Grace, the Huntress and Hawkgirl just to name a few.

So right there I just threw out half a dozen things that could easily define a character and give writers plenty of fodder for many many stories; the trick with Roy is he's got all of those things going on. I've seen plenty of stories starring Roy Harper that try to cram in that he's an ex-junkie single father who carries a torch for his super villain former lover while flirting with other chicks and trying to use his government agent skills to cut through his daddy issues because he was raised by Green Arrow all into the same plot.

Oh, and he was also in a band.

So because Roy has such tremendous potential but at the same time so much baggage to overcome in writing good stories in which he is featured, I have tremendous respect for writers who can accomplish that task, and for my money, Devin Grayson has pulled it off more than once.

Devin Grayson wrote the excellent Phil Jimenez-illustrated JLA/Titans three-issue mini, which prominentaly featured Roy (then Arsenal) and also led into a new Titans ongoing book, again written by Grayson (for the first 20 issues) and again with Arsenal taking a major role. Over the course of those 23 issues, Grayson did some great stuff with Roy's character, but prior to that, she wrote a four-issue Arsenal limited series that I guess you could consider a trial run for what came next.

What I find nice about Grayson's approach to Roy Harper is that she acknowledges that all those things I mentioned earlier are ingredients in what makes him such an appealing character, but she knows how to use them in moderation and also doesn't let any of his "gimmick" hooks overwhelm his personality; in other words, she makes him being a recovering heroin addict or single dad part of his story, but not define him and make him an afterschool special.

In the case of the Arsenal mini, Grayson actually makes some light of all the cliches Roy has racked up over the years and makes it work for the story. A big part of the plot is Roy trying to balance his life between being a super hero and trying to raise his daughter, doing his best he doesn't let one life bleed over into the other and put people he cares about in jeopardy. Grayson makes Roy almost manic as he cycles between hero and dad as well as horndog, spy, addict, etc. She shows that these are all facets of what makes Roy Roy, but pokes a little fun by piling them all one on the other; she also gets it all in there up front and then narrows her focus to telling a story with the character that isn't predicated on him suffering withdrawl or pining for Cheshire, recognizing that those are each stories that need their own space.

Out of that set-up, we get a fun adventure that highlights the swashbuckling Green Arrow protege side of Roy, but also points out how different he is from his "dad" (who was "dead" at the time) in that he's committed to the family he has (his daughter, Lian) and has grown up to be a very responsible man despite the facade he may present to the world.

Grayson milks the Green Arrow connection further by having Black Canary and then-GA Connor Hawke as featured guest stars. I've always enjoyed the Roy-Canary dynamic when done right (which it is here) because it's so unique: she's a beautiful woman who's really not that much older than him, but she's also the closest thing he has to a mother and he is immensely respectul of her; on the flip side, Dinah is far more protective of Roy than she would be even of Ollie. It's a nice relationship and Grayson writes it well. She also gets good stuff out of one of Roy's first encounters with Connor, Ollie's actual son and our hero's polar opposite, disciplined perhaps to a fault. I enjoy the bickering brother routine and, on a more base level, that even though Connor is one of the best fighters in the DCU, Roy can still one-up him with a bow and arrow and also shows off that he has surpassed even his "dad" by becoming a master of many weapons, not just one.

The plot is a little wacky, but it's fun: immortal villain Vandal Savage has discovered that Roy is one of his descendants, so he kidnaps Lian in order to extort Arsenal as possible heir, but more likely to use his organs at some point down the line. It makes for good action and provides high stakes, but really it's all secondary to the character stuff and Roy's ongoing evolution as a hero, a father, and a man.

Rick Mays provides the art for this series, and he's a guy I really wish we saw more of. I love his Manga-influenced style, the fun energy it has and his awesome action sequences. His work on the dearly departed Ultimate Marvel Team-Up where he drew a two-parter teaming Spider-Man and Shang Chi was simply poetry, as he was born to draw fight scenes, which he demonstrates again here, but another thing he proves on this assignment is that he excels at bringing out genuine emotion in his characters.

This book is definitely a hidden gem and one of the best examples of what a blue chip leading man Roy Harper can be if done right. If Devin Grayson has a Red Arrow pitch, I hope somebody over at DC has the time to listen and perhaps Rick Mays on speed dial.

How I Would Remake Star Wars

There used to be a running gag at Wizard about how I had never seen Star Wars. Obviously for a professional chronicler of geek culture, not having seen the holy grail of sci fi was considered an unforgivable sin, so my colleagues got plenty of mileage and outrage out of telling fans at conventions of my little omission. Folks would come up to the Wizard Wheel of Doom, ask for a Star Wars question, I'd shrug my shoulder, everybody had a good laugh and whoever I was working with asked the kid something about Ewoks or whatever.

I have actually seen Star Wars, of course. I saw the original trilogy a bit later in life than a lot of my peers (high school if I recall correctly), but I watched 'em all. I even saw all the prequels in the theater. And it was all good; I like Star Wars well enough.

I just don't love Star Wars, and believe me, I've gotten no small amount of grief over it (don't even get me started on Lord of the Rings, which I don't even like...)

Recently though, I got to thinking: I liked Star Trek well enough when it was a TV show/series of movies starring old dudes, but I really liked J.J. Abrams' remake, leading me to ask myself...if a Star Wars got remade with some younger, sexier actors and a more modern sensibility, could I dig it? And I'm not talking doing new Star Wars flicks with different characters or stories, because I think there's like a zillion books, video games and stuff that have done that. Nah, I'm saying remake those original three movies with the plots more or less intact but with a nip here, a tuck there, and a new cast.

Is that sacrilege? Well, no point in stopping now (besides, they're remaking Buffy and I'm cranky)...here's who I would cast!

Matt Damon as Han Solo
To be fair, my answer to who should star in pretty much every hypothetical movie ever is Matt Damon, but seriously, he'd be gold here! The Bourne movies showed that he's a total badass as an action hero, but if you think back to Good Will Hunting, he can also do the smirking rogue better than just about anybody. What I really like about Damon in this part though is that he's sort of a chameleon when it comes to how old he is, as in actuality he's pushing forty and can seem it, but can also be convincing as a character ten years younger; in other words, he could be the older brother figure to Luke and the love interest for Leia and it's not weird. Finally, Matt Damon is a bonafide movie star as well as a capital "A" Actor not unlike Harrison Ford who brings instant credibility and some box office appeal to boot.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Luke Skywalker
Unlike many of my friends (including my blogmates), I'm not a big devotee of the movie Brick, but I was pretty impressed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has certainly come a long way since 3rd Rock From the Sun. He's got presence and though I've admittedly read more interviews with him than I've seen movies he's appeared in, he seems to really have a devotion to his craft that you gotta respect. I think he has the range and capability to start a character arc as an upstart punk and grow naturally into a hero you want to cheer for.

Rachel McAdams as Princess Leia
I actually had Anne Hathaway here, but Megan convinced me that Rachel McAdams is a better choice. No question she's a great actress, but the kicker for me would be her ability to pull off the duality of this character, who has to be one part classy dame and the other part ballbuster; she did the former in Wedding Crashers and the latter in stuff like Mean Girls and The Family Stone. For all the success she has had in Hollywood and all the acclaim she has garnered, I still feel like Rachel McAdams is kinda looking for a breakthrough and this could be it. And yes, she's extremely easy on the eyes--how hot a couple would her and Matt Damon be?!

Taye Diggs as Lando Calrissian
As I understand it, what you really need here is a smooth operator, and Mr. Diggs can do that and more, son. This is a guy who I constantly feel bad for despite his fame, wealth and gorgeous wife, because I truly believe he's a phenomenal actor who only ever gets mediocre parts at best. He shines in whatever he does, making the most out of what he gets, but if he could just land a role in a true mainstream showcase, I really think Taye Diggs could be one of the biggest stars going today. He can hold his own with anybody else in this cast and look good doing it; Billy Dee would be proud.

Terry O'Quinn as Obi-Wan Kenobi
Fucking Locke training Luke Skywalker to be a Jedi? Fucking Locke swordfighting with Darth Vader?! Who can't get behind this?!! In all seriousness though, one of the aforementioned "nips" I would make is having Obi-Wan be a little harder-edged in that first movie, but retaining his zen cool, so I'd say Terry O'Quinn would have this on lock down. First person to bitch that he's not British gets a prize.

Sir Ian McKellan as The Emperor
So this is a creepy old British guy, right? Well, I'd never call Sir Ian old to his face, but he kinda is, he can play creepy easy, and he is very very British. Bonuses: nerds love him, he can act real good and he knows how to wave his arms around so CGI can be added thanks to X-Men and Lord of the Rings. This one was easy.

Some UFC guy as Boba Fett
Takes his mask off one time, gets a couple hundred thousand jocks to buy tickets.

Darth Vader as Darth Vader
No, I'm not going to cast some big name to dress up in the helmet and play Vader for two and three-quarter movies when I could just have a stunt guy do it and pony the cash up to James Earl Jones to keep doing the voice. When he has to pull the mask off at the end, we'll just CGI Arnold in.

Lo and behold, as I was writing this I learned that I'm not alone here. I look forward to George Lucas calling me and my forthcoming millions.

My MoCCA 2009

Oh, man, it's been a while since I last posted.

But screw all that noise, cause I'm back with a report on my adventures at MoCCA 2009!

The show was hosted at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan this year instead of the Puck Building as it had been in the past. It was easy to find and after a coffee at Penn Station and a quick stop at the doggie park in Madison Square Park, my girlfriend and I arrived at 11:15 because doors were supposed to open at 11. But there was some sort of mix-up and we had to stand in a line that wrapped the entire block! We stayed in the sun until we got in at 12:15! Blah.

But while in line, we were joined by our great friends Sean T. Collins and Kiel Phegley! Kiel made the trip in from Chicago specifically for the show, too. We got inside and they only charged us $5 instead of $10 because of the wait. Which was nice.

The inside of the armory has this MASSIVE arc-ceiling arena that reminded me of the kinds of civic centers made out of wood I grew up with in Oklahoma where 4H shows and rodeos took place. Imagine the court the team played on in Hoosiers. You get it.

PANORAMIC VIEW FROM ENTRANCE

Bazookas in display cases and mosaics of old American military battles were spread across the venue and it was fun randomly spotting men in Army fatigues slowly creeping through the crowd with bewildered looks on their faces as they came out of their offices to check out the show. Otherwise, it was comics comics COMICS! MoCCA has always been the show that reminded me most why I love comics and this year was the same. And despite the complete LACK of air conditioning or any semblance of a breeze inside the building, I happily hunted down new books and additions to my Watchmen sketchbook. I'd been saving for a LONG while to spend like I could. So, here's what I got:

FIRST PICTURE:

PICTURED:

• The MoCCA program - sports a beautiful cover by Molly Crabapple. And I didn't open it once.
• I finally found a copy of Jin & Jam #1 from Hellen Jo! I love the way she draws people like they're etched.
  
• Calvin & Hellen's Bogus Journey Instruction Booklet - Hellen also had copies of this mini that reads like one of those old booklets that came with Nintendo games where the weapons and enemies and stuff are all outlined with illustrations. Only this is for their new game (which they had on playable display at their table!).
• And I grabbed two of her postcards with her art on them because I am in love with them.

At the Buenaventura booth I snagged (also pictured above):

• Rumbling Chapter Two - the second part of the story Kevin Huizenga started in Or Else #5. I hope a #6 comes out...
• Mistakes We Made - new mini from Lisa Hanawalt that ends with a pretty BRAVE sketch if that is, indeed, her that she is sketching.
• It's Sexy When People Know Your Name - Little random sketchbook/humorous anecdotes collection from Lisa.

NEXT PICTURE:

WHAT YOU SEE:

• Snake Pit 2008 - I can't believe I didn't know this was coming out! I've been reading this diary comic as a mini for about 5 years. It's great to see it still coming out in book form. It's even better to see it when I didn't expect it!
• The nice ladies at the Microcosm booth where I bought Snake Pit gave me a sticker and their 2009 Publishing catalogue filled with neat stuff I now want. Dammit.
• Ten Thousand Things To Do #2 and #3 - Jesse Reklaw's diary comic keeps surprising me with its quality. I've never read his dream comics, but this stuff is GREAT.
• Pixu II - The second and final installment of the horror book by Becky Cloonan, Vasilis Lolos, Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. yes yes YES! Dark Horse is collecting this self-published book sometime soon (I saw a proof copy on Becky's table) but since I bought issue #1, I figured I'd get issue #2 instead of the upcoming hardcover.
  
• Featherweight - a wordless little story about a snowman in danger from Jamil Mani who was there as part of the Swedish collective of artists at the show. It's pretty and I felt great buying a book from a guy who flew so far for people like me to see it.
• Phase 7 #14 - European roadtrip issue! Creator Alec Longstreth's beard has become epic, by the way.

NEXT NEXT NEXT:

One of my great pleasures at these shows is picking up what's new from the people who have graduated from CCS. This year, they were all clustered together for the most part against the back wall. So I grabbed:

• Prune Hands - It's the newest book from Mario van Buren, the man who brought you Girls Don't Poop. Mario's stories in The Marsh and a recent CCS anthology book were both pretty emotionally shocking/stunning and Girls Don't Poop was clever, so I'm psyched to read this and see where it goes. And dig that baby blue cover!
• Simple Routines #10 and #11 - Two new diary comics from JP Coovert! Once JP started knocking out minis with non-autobio stories, I thought the diary was gonna go away. I'm glad to see it's still kicking. And both these covers are thrilling in their simplicity.
• A Fall A Part - JP's story about his experience with his mother's cancer. From the creativity of the book's construction to the touching moments within the story itself, this is exciting to read as a fan of JP's because his work is just getting better and better.
  
• CCS Guide - Written and drawn by both Alex Longstreth and JP Coovert, this brochure is a fun read about the virtues of the school they both attended (Alec as a fellow; JP as a graduate) and it's in a nice family alongside this bad boy.
• Sundays Three - The newest edition of the CCS anthology is actually three tiny books bound together by a band instead of the over-sized gargantua the group did the past 2 years. It's screen-printed heaven with stellar work from everybody involved.
• Snake Oil #3 - Chuck McBuck does another issue filled with oddness and surreal, delicate lines. I picked the black cover.
• Food/Fall - Joe Lambert does another colorful cornucopia comic filled with fun. Please go check out his site.

AND ANOTHER:

PICTURED ABOVE:

• My girlfriend, Sam, bought some great stickers from Tara McPherson including a little vampire one for me.
• Crooked Teeth #4 - I accidentally discovered Nate Doyle while browsing the mini section of Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan one week. I nabbed issues #2 and #3 of this series that looks like a chunky cartoon version of Paul Pope and Nate Powell. I dunno why this guy doesn't have a full-length book from Oni or some other company. And when I asked if he had any issues of issue #1, he smiled and said, "No...issue #1 wasn't very good." I respect a self-evaluating dude.
• Crooked Teeth #4 print - When I complimented Nate on the screen-printing job done on the cover to Crooked Teeth #4, he said he had trouble the first go-round and the white didn't line up like he wanted. So he brought along the printed mis-haps and handed them out. It'll make a cool framed piece of art.
• Paul #1 - another new mini from Nate Doyle.
• Papercutter #9 and #10 - I love this little anthology! Greg Means, the editor of the book, described it to a friend of mine who asked him what it was as, "A book I put out filled with creators I like to read so that other people can read them, too."
  
• Bird Hurdler - Another anthology I grabbed from Greg Means that was FREE (!) and published by Tugboat Press, Spark Plug Comics and Teenage Dinosaur. Filled with great artists like Farel Dalrymple, Theo Ellsworth, some lady I've never heard of named Lisa Rosalie Elsenberg but whose art I now love, and many others. And this thing is FREE in an effort to spread the word about comics. Man...

LAST PICTURE:

ABOVE:

• The Mighty Skullboy Army #11: Skullboy's Nemesis Mod Dog - The newest from the mighty talented and clever Jacob Chabot!
• And Don't Forget the Droids / Only What You Take With You - Two new Star Wars fanbook anthologies from the people who brought you the cutey-puhtootie Harvest Is When I need You The Most! I had no idea these were out!
• The Mourning Star vol. 2 - ANOTHER book I had no idea was out. Alec Longstreth told me while I was at his table. Guh! The cover is so gorgeous! I can't wait to read this.
• Cooking with Food - This is the first book I bought at the show. It stars the creator Evan Palmer cooking cute foods with cute faces. And they don't want to be cooked.
  
• The Ashen Cat - Another book from Evan Palmer, this one, though, features more experimental graphic story-telling techniques than Cooking With Food and stars a cat on an adventure. Again, Nate Powell-esque.
• Kingwood Himself - This is the second book I bought. Creator Reynold Kissing introduces a weird world explored by a curious little girl.
  

And that's it as far as my bought items. Next it's my Watchmen Sketchbook additions!

SETH does Golden Age Nite Owl!

The first one I got was from the very talented (very dapper) creator Seth. Sam and I were doing our first walk of the floor when I spotted him at the Drawn & Quarterly table signing for only one fan. So I jumped right in line, asked him if he was doings sketches, and got this beauty from him. Usually it takes me hours before I gather the courage to ask for a sketch. Something about Seth made me comfortable jumping right in before I'd even made a single purchase. He actually wanted to do one of the Golden Age characters, so after flipping through my copy of the trade I bring for reference, I found the group shot of the Minutemen before The Comedian attacks Silk Spectre. He was polite and very friendly and talked about the virtues of moving to Canada (I'd mentioned I thought about moving there). He said something along the lines of "I sometimes think I want more in a place where I live, but then I realize where I am is all I'll need and I change my mind." I think that's actually pretty perfect coming from him.

Fun tidbit: Seth said he hadn't seen the movie and hasn't read the book since it came out in single issue comic form back in the '80s!

JACOB CHABOT does present Nite Owl!

I'm a big fan of Chabot's work and I see him at a lot of shows, so when I spotted him sitting at MoCCA, I decided to finally ask him if he could sketch for me. What I got back is probably the most dynamic piece anyone's done for me! And look at Nite Owl's belly! Chabot's another guy whose lack of mainstream work baffles me. And he's nice as crap to boot!

Fun tidbit: Chabot drew the wraparound story for the Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular miniseries that came out this year and featured my buddy Alejandro Arbona, who I happened to see at MoCCA this year!

TOM GAULD does Rorschach!!!

HOLY BUTT CRACKS! Tom Gauld isn't an artist I could never catch. He was at MoCCA a couple years ago while, say, Seth hasn't been to America in FOUR YEARS. Even still, he was at the top of my list of artists to tap for a sketch this year...and I got him! I'd even gone over to the Buenaventura line where he was signing and JUST missed his time slot. They said he'd be back shortly, so later in the day, I stopped by to see if he was around and there he was! He even seemed excited when I brought up the sketchbook! We chatted for a bit about his trip to the states and he seemed happy despite both of us melting in the severe heat of the show near hour six.

Fun tidbit: Gauld is now the third cutest man in comics as far as I'm concerned.

Scott C. does a whole damn scene!!!

Here's another dude I didn't know was gonna be at the show! Scott C. has become one of my favorite creators thanks to his hilarious work in Hickee and his numerous gallery showings that feature pop culture-centric paintings. He was SUPER-nice when I asked him if I could get a sketch, and he was the creator I gabbed with the most at the show. And the piece he churned out is one of my favorites so far! I'm glad he included the pebis. I can't get over how nice and happy to talk he was!

Fun tidbit: Scott C. did a David Bowie piece recently and Sean loves Bowie and Sean made me a Bowie mix album last week and I put it on my iPhone and I used the Bowie image Scott C. made as the "cover image" in my phone when the mix album plays. So I showed Scott and he was excited!

After we left the show, we grabbed dinner across the street at the vegetarian Indian place where Kiel had the largest single piece of food I've ever seen in my life.

He ate the whole thing.

And then we headed to the CBLDF karaoke party.

Kiel searches for a song.

And then we searched for a bar after hitting the ATM.

money money money

Before we called it quits and headed home.


And that's that. There was plenty I couldn't pick up or forgot to get like Asterios Polyp, The Gigantic Robot (I thought it was a minicomic and not a $20 book, so I ran out of money by the time I got there), this Jim Rugg Afrodisiac book I found at the AdHouse table randomly (I meant to ask about it, but there was a line and I forgot to go back!), the new Syncopated Comics (I don't own any of these at all!!), Awesome 2: Awesomer, Woman King, Doing Time, Rocket Superb, Flashlight (I picked it up and meant to go back, but forgot!), Remake, Johnny Hiro vol. 1, Far Arden, a whole slew of books I'd never seen before from Lucy Knisley, and Love is a Peculiar Type of Thing.

I also missed out on meeting up with Jon Adams and Dustin Harbin (were you there this year, man?). I almost met Nathan Stapley, but he walked away. Sigh.

I want to say it was great to run into so many friends at the show like Darren, Heather, Adam, Aubrey, Pornsak, Sal, Joe, Laura, Paul, Rick, and anybody else I forgot.

And as I always feel the day after MoCCA every year, I can't wait for the next one. :)