MURDER BALLADS

NEW IN THEATRES...

* Killing Them Softly, the reteaming of Brad Pitt and his The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford director takes on and dismantles the crime genre the same way they did the Western.

* Also, if you live near Portland, you should stop by Cinema 21 for their three-film, weeklong Bogart celebration "You'll Take It and Like It." I wrote about it for the Mercury.

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* The Rise of Catherine the Great, my second dip into the Alexander Korda boxed set is not as impressive as the first. (Spoiler Alert: She doesn't go horse riding.)

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* Comic Book Confidential: 20th Anniversary Edition, an entertaining snapshot of the comics scene in the 1980s.

* The Day He Arrives, an existential quandary, and arthouse take on Groundhog Day, from Korean director Hong Sangsoo.

* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and 2: Ultimate Edition. Or how I spent my Thanksgiving.

* Lili, a clever but unsatisfying Carnival-based musical with Leslie Caron.

* Die Nibelungen, Fritz Lang's epic two-part silent adaptation of the Norse legend.

* Ramrod, a dark western with Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, the stars of Sullivan's Travels.

* We Can't Go Home Again & Don't Expect Too Much, the lost experimental film of Nicholas Ray paired with a documentary about its making.

Current Soundtrack: The Jam, The Gift; The Killers, "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)"




e-mail = golightly at confessions123.com * Midi-Confessions123 * Criterion Confessions * Last FM * GoodReads * The Blog Roll [old version] * DVDTalk reviews * My Books On Amazon

All text (c) 2012 Jamie S. Rich

THE BEAUTIFUL & DAMNED

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Age 2

Jamie S. Rich, Age 3

Great minds get humiliated alike. I think I've posted this photo before, but couldn't help doing it again when I stumbled on the photo of the young F. Scott on tumblr. For the Peanuts fans among you, not sure if you can see that's Snoopy and Woodstock on the toes of those sneakers.

Current Soundtrack: Kate Nash, My Best Friend is You

POWER FANTASTIC

Okay, you groovy people, this Wednesday is the super duper FF! release celebration in Eugene, OR. Come talk comics and sing karaoke with the Allreds, Matt Fraction, and myself.

The details from the Irritating Archery blog.

Don’t forget. This Wednesday at 6PM Nostalgia Collectibles in Eugene Oregon is having their first ever store signing/Karaoke party to celebrate the release of FF#1. Join, Mike and Laura Allred, Jamie S. Rich, and Matt Fraction four a fantastic good time. I know I’ll be there to make a fool out of myself and get some good new comics. Why don’t you all come out as well. It’s right downtown in the Smith Family Bookstore building (Accessed through the alley) Across the street from the post office and Eugene Electric Station. (There is a lot of good food here although none of it compares to Chief’s in Coburg just North on I-5) 

Come on out, have some fun and join in on the party.

Current Soundtrack: Christina Aguilera, Lotus

KIND OF A BIG DEAL: Buy Art for Cyber Monday

It's Cyber Monday, and I know of two big sales that I wholly endorse. Both are by awesome artists, both are on Etsy.

First is Joëlle Jones, who has added all kinds of cool stuff to her storefront. In addition to her sketches and her vintage ad prints, you can buy pages from You Have Killed Me and the line art for the cover of Spell Checkers volume 1.

Visit her store and enter the code CYBERPASS for 20% off all items.

Second, head over to Megan Levens' storefront and check out the artwork she has for sale.

Lots of cool pieces, like this fan art for The Artist.

Shop at Megan's Etsy store and use the code MONDAYSBLUE for 20% off.

YOU'RE WELCOME!

Current Soundtrack: Kate Nash, Death Proof EP

COVER ME

Forbidden Planet asked me to contribute to their "Best Cover Ever" column, and I obliged with a Bill Sienkiewicz piece from 1988 that has always been a real favorite of mine.

Read why I picked it over at Forbidden Planet International.

Current Soundtrack: Solange, "Losing You/Sleep In the Park" - single of the year, can't wait for this album! Produced by Blood Orange, no less!

ONI PRESS BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND SALE!

Oni Press is having a sale, Friday through Monday, and two of my books are part of the line-up.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE, SIDE A by myself and Marc Ellerby

I WAS SOMEONE DEAD, the prose novella with illustrations by Andi Watson.

Both are priced at $5.99. A steal! Check out the whole sale at OniPress.com.

Remember, you're buying direct, so I'm still probably gonna see more than if you bought it Amazon!

Have a great holiday.

Current Soundtrack: Massive Attack, "Be Thankful for What You Got"

SLEEPING TIGER AND THE GODS UNKNOWN

NEW IN THEATRES...

* Anna Karenina, in which Joe Wright goes as crazy as his heroine and throws cinema under the train. But in a good way!

* Life of Pi. The 3D or the tiger? Definitely worth seeing in the theater to see Ang Lee's beautiful adoption of the extra dimension, but expect to be underwhelmed by the story.

* Silver Linings Playbook, in which David O'Russell asks, "How is Bradley Cooper not himself?" You may need a tissue for this one. Either from crying or...er, um...Jennifer Lawrence. (Yeah, I went for that joke.)

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy of Life, come on and (try to) get happy as the notorious Italian director makes a film anthology of literature's most revered anthologies. (Also at DVD Talk.)

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* D.W. Griffith's Abraham Lincoln, a 1930 biopic in which the grandfather of cinema and the father of John Huston make the 16th President seem like a real dud.

* Die Nibelungen, Fritz Lang's epic silent film adaptation of the classic Nordic poem. From 1925.

Current Soundtrack: The Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds channel on Spotify (Noah & the Whale, Miles Kane, Elbow, etc.); the Factory Dance compilation





e-mail = golightly at confessions123.com * Midi-Confessions123 * Criterion Confessions * Last FM * GoodReads * The Blog Roll [old version] * DVDTalk reviews * My Books On Amazon

All text (c) 2012 Jamie S. Rich

RUBBER-BAND GIRL

It Girl and the Atomics #4 is on sale today, giving you plenty of reason to be thankful!

READ A FOUR-PAGE PREVIEW HERE.

I approved #5 for printing today, so you only have a couple of weeks to wait for the conclusion!

Current Soundtrack: Nicki Minaj, Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up

MUSICAL YOUTH

Found some photos of me meeting bands in the early '90s.

With Harriet Wheeler from the Sundays, Blind tour 1992.

Brett Anderson from Suede, just before their debut Hollywood show, 1993.

Adam Ant, Wonderful tour 1995.

Current Soundtrack: Silver Linings Playbook OST

THE WORLD IS FLAT AND WE ARE INSANE

February marks the start of the second story arc of It Girl and the Atomics, with the first of a two-parter.  Image Comics released solicitation info today.

IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS 7
story JAMIE S. RICH
art MIKE NORTON
cover MICHAEL & LAURA ALLRED
FEBRUARY 20
32 PAGES / FC / E
$2.99
"THE WORLD IS FLAT" Part 1 of 2
REVIVAL's MIKE NORTON returns for an It Girl solo adventure. Our heroine has gone to the Alps to rescue a kidnapped scientist and keep his game-changing secret invention out of the wrong hands. Prepare for super-powered spies, mechanical men, and international intrigue in the start of our second story arc.

Current Soundtrack: Fun., Some Nights

LINCOLN'S STINKIN' THINKIN'

"There's a competition in me..."

NEW IN THEATRES...

* A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman sounded like a good idea. In 3D, animated, built with audio recordings by the late comedian. Too bad it sucks.

* Lincoln. Day-Lewis. Spielberg. 'nuff said.

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* The Private Life of Henry VIII, Charles Laughton's star turn as the corpulent king, in a bawdy historical picture from Alexander Korda.

* Weekend, the end of cinema as envisioned by Jean-Luc Godard.

THE WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* Film Noir Collection, Volume One: Olive Films bundles together four of its noir and not-so-noir titles for a pretty solid collection of 1950s B-movies.

* John Cage: Journeys in Sound, an informative documentary about the avant-garde composer.


Current Soundtrack: People are listening to the Beatles somewhere over there...

e-mail = golightly at confessions123.com * Midi-Confessions123 * Criterion Confessions * Last FM * GoodReads * The Blog Roll [old version] * DVDTalk reviews * My Books On Amazon

All text (c) 2012 Jamie S. Rich

READER MEET AUTHOR: Signing at Heroes in Fresno, December 12!

IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS WRITER JAMIE S. RICH CELEBRATES THE FIRST STORY ARC AT AN EXCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA SIGNING

Image Comics launched the poppy superhero comic book series It Girl and the Atomics back in August to much acclaim and strong sales. The first printing of the debut issue sold out from the distributor almost immediately upon release. On December 12, Image will be release the fifth issue, ending the first story arc, “Dark Streets, Snap City.” To mark the event, the comic’s writer, Jamie S. Rich, will be signing at Heroes Comics in Fresno, CA.

“I have family in the area,” Rich said, “and I was a customer at Heroes back when they were a new store, almost 20 years ago, just before I left California to move to Oregon and work for Dark Horse Comics as an editor. It’s fitting that I would come back to commemorate this milestone in one of my favorite projects.”

It Girl and the Atomics is a spin-off from the popular indie comics series Madman, the brainchild of Michael Allred, the artist on Marvel Comics’ new FF! title. It Girl marks the first long-form extension of his world by other creators. Rich has been the editor of Madman since 1997 and has previously written short stories for the title. Joining him for It Girl and the Atomics are artist Mike Norton, colorist Allen Passalaqua, and letter Crank!, the Eisner-winning team behind Battlepug.

“The Atomics are a team of superheroes who got their powers from an alien goo that caused them to mutate,” Rich explained. “They all have weird abilities, and we’ve set out to make kooky comics to match. It Girl was always my favorite character. She has the ability to take on the physical properties of anything she touches. This presents a fun creative challenge. Just what are the limits of her abilities? What new function could she adopt today?”

Prior to It Girl and the Atomics, Rich had written a variety of comics and prose novels, including the quirky romance 12 Reasons Why I Love Her and the hardboiled detective story You Have Killed Me. In January, his futuristic adventure serial A Boy and a Girl, drawn by Natalie Nourigat (Between Gears), will premier on onipress.com.

Heroes Comics will have all four previous issues of It Girl and the Atomics on hand for the signing, as well as the fifth issue, set to go on sale that day. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12. Heroes is located at 110 East Shaw Ave. in Fresno, CA. Phone Number: 559-229-4376.

For interviews or review material, contact Jamie S. Rich at golightly[a]gmail[.]com. His website is http://www.confessions123.com.

You can also join the event's Facebook page here.

Current Soundtrack: The Wknd, Trilogy 

I FELL IN LOVE WITH A DEAD GIRL

Dark Horse Comics released their February 2013 solicitation text today, and with it the news that Joëlle Jones and I were asked to contribute to the next issue of Creepy Comics, alongside some other ridiculously talented folks (seriously, look at that roster!) for a Valentine's Day-themed issue. Our story is called "Someone to Watch," and we're really happy with how it's come together. Normally with anthologies there is some trepidation over how heavy to recommend them, no matter how proud of your story you are, but damn, I'm in a book with Gilbert Hernandez and Amy Reeder, the cover price is going to be worth it!

Plus, a Chrissie Zullo cover!

CREEPY COMICS #11
Gilbert Hernandez (W/A), Jamie S. Rich (W), J. Torres (W), Dan Braun (W), Peter Bagge (W/A), Joëlle Jones (A), Amy Reeder (A), and Chrissie Zullo (Cover)
On sale Feb 13
b&w, 48 pages
$4.99
Ongoing

February is when dear Uncle Creepy’s fancy turns toward . . . scaring the bejeezus out of readers! Prepare to swoon at the bouquet of terror offered up by our team: Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) weaves a tale of love gone horribly wrong, Jamie S. Rich (It Girl and the Atomics) and Joëlle Jones (Hourse of Night) provide a peek at voyeuristic ghosts, and J. Torres (Jinx) and Amy Reeder (Batwoman) make you afraid to go into the water—or near your beloved! Plus, the Creepys find romance in Dan Braun and Peter Bagge’s latest Creepy Family strips!
• New romantic scares from Gilbert Hernandez and Peter Bagge!
• Just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Current Soundtrack: How to Destroy Angels, An Omen

IF YOU'RE LONELY IN YOUR NIGHTMARE, LET ME IN

Work is continuing apace on my Oni Press graphic novel with Dan Christensen, and he posted another tease on his Facebook today.

It should be noted, these are four random panels, not an actual page. Like a cut-and-paste trailer. But to get a sense of how far along we are, my inbox had a pdf of pages 128 through 132 this morning. So, we're really close to the final chapter. I expect you'll start seeing more of this sometime next year.

Current Soundtrack: Rolling Stones, Live in England '65



e-mail = golightly at confessions123.com * Midi-Confessions123 * Criterion Confessions * Last FM * GoodReads * The Blog Roll [old version] * DVDTalk reviews * My Books On Amazon

All text (c) 2012 Jamie S. Rich

SKY FITS HEAVEN SO FLY IT

NEW IN THEATRES...

* Skyfall, Sam Mendes joins the Bond franchise, makes it legitimately good.

* Smashed, an underdeveloped but well-meaning tale of addiction with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul.

UDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* Three Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures, containing, as the title suggests, three wicked melodramas from WWII-era Britain. (Also at DVD Talk.)

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* Long Day's Journey Into Night, Sidney Lumet's masterful staging of the Eugene O'Neill drama, with Katharine Hepburn in the lead.

* People Like Us, a mainstream drama with surprising depth. Starring Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks.

Current Soundtrack: Robbie Williams, Take the Crown

e-mail = golightly at confessions123.com * Midi-Confessions123 * Criterion Confessions * Last FM * GoodReads * The Blog Roll [old version] * DVDTalk reviews * My Books On Amazon

All text (c) 2012 Jamie S. Rich

PREVIEW: IT GIRL AND THE ATOMICS #6

So, the Diamond Previews with the listing for It Girl and Atomics #6 came out last week. It's a special stand-alone issue. As previously announced, it's the issue featuring artwork by Chynna Clugston Flores. If you haven't been reading the series, it's a perfect place to give it a try, the story is designed to be read in one go. This means if you're also a Chynna fan and not even necessarily a superhero fan, you can buy it without fear. The style of the story fits her humor.

Not convinced? How about a peek at the first five pages?

It Girl and the Atomics #6 will be on sale January 23, 2013.

Tell your comics retailer that you want this issue when you go in to pick up your new comics this week.

Current Soundtrack: Tindersticks, "Chocolate (Live in San Sebastian)"

TURKEY CROSSING

NEW IN THEATRES...

I didn't get out to see many movies for this weekend's slate of new releases. Just one, and it was a stinker.

* Flight, starring Denzel Washington and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Apparently even turkeys can fly upside down.

The much better choice if you live in Portland is to attend the Alfred Hitchcock festival at Cinema 21. Here is what I wrote up for the Mercury. I mean, come on. Only one of these options has Kim Novak!

Current Soundtrack: Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city