MURDER WAS THE CASE

THIS WEEK IN THEATRES...

Art by Rodolfo Reyes [source]

The big news is that the most recent digital restoration of Fritz Lang's M is starting to play around the country. I got to see a screening of it, and I wrote about the film for Criterion Confessions. It plays Portland's Cinema 21 starting tomorrow. Check their site for times.

In my Oregonian column, I cover the poker documentary Drawing Dead, an indie "trapped in a car" thriller called Detour, and the Faux Film Festival.

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

In addition to M, an almost appropriate double-feature (though it might be even better to watch this with Unfaithfully Yours)...

* Monsieur Verdoux, Charlie Chaplin's murderous black comedy. (Also at DVDTalk.)

Current Soundtracks: OMD, "Metroland;" Bowery Electric, Bowery Electric

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) 2013 Jamie S. Rich

EVERYBODY LOVES A WINNER

The winner of the It Girl and the Atomics, vol. 1 contest was R.C.  Schmidt of Omaha, NE.

R.C. correctly answered the trivia question.

In It Girl and the Atomics #s 7 & 8, there are two new characters who are named after two different writers whose most famous work had something to do with robots. Who are they and what are they famous for?

Correct response: Professor Osamu is, of course, named for Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. Mother von Harbou is a tribute to Thea von Harbou, writer of the original silent film Metropolis--which Tezuka also did a variation of, later to become an animated film.

I also accepted those of you who identified one of the robots, Fritz, as Fritz Lang, who was married to von Harbou and directed Metropolis, since that was technically correct.

Congrats, R.C.! I am mailing your book today. Thanks to all of you who responded. No one got it wrong, which is impressive.

It Girl and the Atomics, Round 1: Dark Streets, Snap City is in comic book stores this Wednesday, and will trickle out to other venues by April 9.

Current Soundtrack: Popstrangers, "A Girl Like You" (Troggs cover)

SWEEPSTAKES! YOU'RE A WINNER! Weekend Contest for a signed It Girl v1

As a reward for all you good people who have been buying It Girl and the Atomics in issue form, I have decided to run a contest this weekend to give one of you the first collected volume, a trade paperback with issues #1-6.

The contest is simple. You just have to e-mail me the answer to a trivia question by Monday morning, 8 a.m., PST. To answer that question, though, you'll have to have access to the recent issues!

The question:

In It Girl and the Atomics #s 7 & 8, there are two new characters who are named after two different writers whose most famous work had something to do with robots. Who are they and what are they famous for?

I'll give you a hint: only one of them worked in comics, and that person both wrote and drew.

E-mail your answer, along with your name and address, to golightly [a] gmail [dot] com. Title it "IT GIRL trivia."

I will then pick one random winner and send them an autographed book. I should be able to get to the post office on Monday and so can mail it to U.S. residents via priority mail and, USPS willing, you'll receive the book on release day, Wednesday. Anyone outside the U.S., you're on your own. Fast shipping like that is too expensive.

Get to it!

If you don't win, the book hits comic book shops on Wednesday, and everywhere else on April 9.

Current Soundtrack: Brett Anderson, "Savage Dance;" Suede, "So Young" and "He's Gone"

DARKER WITH THE DAY

THIS WEEK IN THEATRES...

* Spring Breakers, Harmony Korine's hotly debated, inconsistent subversion of Girls Gone Wild and thug life.

* The We and the I, Michel Gondry's social experiment following a group of Bronx high schoolers on their bus ride home.

* My Oregonian column for 3/22: horror-based documentary My Amityville Horror and war drama The Kill Hole. (Worst title of the year?)

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* Unfaithfully Yours, a Preston Sturges comedy with murder on its mind. (Alternate edition reviewed at DVD Talk.)

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* China Heavyweight, a documentary following three Chinese boxers on their way up and maybe on their way down.

* College: Ultimate Edition, the latest Buster Keaton reissue is predictably hilarious.

* Killing Them Softly, Andrew Dominik's crime film was my second favorite movie of 2012, and it's even better the second time. Starring Brad Pitt.

* This is Not a Film, the lauded political documentary from Iran turns out to be much ado about nothing.

Current Soundtracks: Short films for next week's Faux Film Festival

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) 2013 Jamie S. Rich

It Girl #8 w/ Aaron Conley Cover Out Tomorrow!

It Girl #8 w/ Aaron Conley Cover Out Tomorrow!

Check out writer Damon Gentry's blog for a comparison of the It Girl and the Atomics #8 cover pencils to the final inks. Aaron Conley, whom Damon is collaborating with on an awesome book (he showed me a whole bunch of it), did the initial drawing, and the Allreds finished it up.

Here is the final version, but see the other stages in the link:

Current Soundtrack: Low, The Invisible Way

SOFT TOUCH/RAW NERVE

It Girl and the Atomics #8 is in stores tomorrow, and the usual preview materials are doing the rounds.

Read the opening pages over at Hack/Slash Inc. and pick up the comic in stores tomorrow or online.

This is the end of a superheroic two-parter called "The World is Flat." Next month's issue, #9, is a stand-alone focusing on the Slug and Black Crystal with our regular team of Mike Norton, Crank!, and Allen Passalaqua. Then it's another two-parter in #10 and #11 with Natalie Nourigat joining us. And then a big surprise for #12, details coming soon!

Thanks for your continued support. I appreciate everyone who is reading along with us!

Current Soundtrack: Depeche Mode, "Heaven" remixes

GIT UP GET OUT 'N VOTE

It's Harvey Awards time again. Are you a comic book professional? Thinking of voting? You can get all the details here.

I'd like to humbly suggest a few items you can write in as nominations. It's all going to be terribly self-serving, but if you have a book you want considered yourself, please leave a comment on this post and we can create one list for people to reference when marking up the nominating ballot.

My main work this year was It Girl and the Atomics, so please consider it in any and all categories. I also have some talented colleagues who do other work.

Best Writer
Matt Fraction, FF, Fantastic Four, more
Jamie S. Rich, It Girl and the Atomics
Tim Seeley, Revival; others

Best Artist
Michael Allred, It Girl and the Atomics; iZombie; Daredevil; Wolverine & the X-Men; and FF
Joëlle Jones, House of Night; The Girl Who Owned a City
Mike Norton, Battlepug; It Girl and the Atomics; Revival

Best Letterer
Crank!, Battlepug; It Girl and the Atomics; Revival

Best Colorist
Laura Allred, iZombie; Daredevil; Wolverine & the X-Men; and FF
Allen Passalaqua, Battlepug; It Girl and the Atomics

Best Cover Artist
Michael & Laura Allred, iZombie; Daredevil; Wolverine & the X-Men; and FF
Jenny Frison, House of Night; Revival

Most Promising New Talent
Natalie Nourigat, Between Gears; My Boyfriend is a Monster: Wrapped Up in You

Best New Series
FF, Marvel Comics
It Girl and the Atomics, Image Comics
Revival, Image Comics

Best Continuing or Limited Series
FF, Marvel Comics
It Girl and the Atomics, Image Comics
Revival, Image Comics

Best Graphic Album - Original
The Girl Who Owned a City, Graphic Universe

Best Graphic Album - Previously Published
Battlepug, vol. 1, Dark Horse Comics
Between Gears, Image Comics

Best Single Issue or Story
Daredevil #17, Marvel Comics
It Girl and the Atomics #s 1-5, "Dark Streets, Snap City," Image Comics
Wolverine & the X-Men #17, Marvel Comics

Best Online Comics Work
Battlepug, www.battlepug.com

Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers
The Girl Who Owned a City, Graphic Universe
My Boyfriend is a Monster: Wrapped Up in You, Graphic Universe

 

 

 

Current Soundtrack: The Dream Academy, s/t; Richard Hawley, "Don't Stare Into the Sun/Run for Me (Version Two):

AMONGST BUTTERFLIES

Coming in June...

IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #11
story JAMIE S. RICH
art NATALIE NOURIGAT
cover MICHAEL & LAURA ALLRED
JUNE 19
32 PAGES / FC / E
$2.99
"TWEENAGE FBI" Part Two
The conclusion of a special two-parter brings It Girl face-to-face with an ancient evil, one now wielding unlimited power thanks to the technological secret stolen from Atomics HQ. It Girl's got the Kid Commandoes on her side, but will they be enough? Featuring art by BETWEEN GEARS creator NATALIE NOURIGAT!

***
And don't forget, It Girl and the Atomics #8 is out this coming Wednesday. It's the second part of a two-parter, as well, and while both stories stand alone, the #7-8 story actually sets up the #10-11 story by introducing the machine everyone is fighting over.

We're also only two weeks away from the first trade paperback! It'll be in comic book stores on March 27, everywhere else on April 9.

Current Soundtrack: Lulu James, "Be Safe / Stuck"

STOKE IT! (alt. STOKE ME, STOKE ME)

THIS WEEK IN THEATRES...

* Stoker, the weird, creepy, baffling English-language debut from Oldboy director Park Chan-wook.

* And in my Oregonian column: the documentaries A Place at the Table, about food distribution and poverty, and Turning, featuring a special performance piece by Antony & the Johnsons. Plus, Yossi, a sequel to the Israeli gay-themed love story Yossi & Jagger, picking up ten years after the events in the first film.

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* Badlands, the ever-stunning debut from Terrence Malick is even moreso in high-def. (Also at DVD Talk.)

* Diary of a Chambermaid, the 1964 French film with Jeanne Moreau, directed by Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel. Reviewed as a companion piece to my DVD Talk review of the 1946 Jean Renoir version.

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, a documentary about the legendary fashion editor, whose career spanned half a century.

* For Ellen, the third film from So Yong Kim is as emotionally wrought as her others, but lacking certain connections. Starring Paul Dano.

* Strangers in the Night, a middling early career melodrama from Anthony Mann.

Current Soundtrack: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, "Jubilee Street;" Lulu James, "Closer"

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

This pretty much says everything...

The trade is out in just a couple of weeks. Order it now!

Diamond ID: JAN130497
ISBN: 978-1607067252

Help spread the word. And if you have a library system in your area that allows patrons to request books, take a second and suggest they order this one. It could be a big help to us if we get on the radar of more librarians. It's a small and easy action you can take that could have a great impact on any comic's sales.

Current Soundtrack: The Joy Formidable, Wolf's Law

READ THE BLESSED PAGES

Michael May has written a really thoughtful analysis of It Girl and the Atomics #6 over at Robot 6.

"Why you should be reading It Girl and the Atomics."

I really like how he digs into the reasons the script and the art work so well together.

Also, massive congratulations to my #1 superfriend Joëlle Jones on her great success with Helheim #1. The book is getting great reviews and is already on its way back to press for a second printing. (It's still available for download at Comixology, of course.)

Here are some links just in case you need some convincing to pick up this awesome comic.

* A preview of the first issue

* Joëlle and Cullen on the Comixology podcast

* Talking to MTV Geek

Reviews at:

* Adventures in Poor Taste

* Alpha Comics

* The Beat

* Comic Bastards

* Comic Book Resources

* Comic Buzz

* Comicosity

* Eye on Comics

* Front Towards Gamer

* iFanboy

* Multiversity

* Nerdspan

* Newsarama and Newsarama again

* Onion AV Club

* Slack Jaw Punks

Current Soundtrack: Kavinsky, OutRun

THE MEN ALL PAUSE

Movie reviews? What movie reviews?

Been a long week, what with Emerald City and all, so I haven't been digging into the DVDs and Blu-Rays.

But I do have a new Oregonian column, featuring Tess, Roman Polanski's adaptation of Thomas Hardy; a climate change documentary called Greedy Lying Bastards; and an absolute waste-of-time horror anthology entitled The ABCs of Death.

The copy on this poster for Tess seems rather poorly considered for a Polanski film released in 1980, don't you think?

Current Soundtrack: The Black Angels, "Don't Play with Guns"

ACTION IS HIS MIDDLE NAME

Morrissey is coming to Portland on Friday. One hopes. He still has two days. The dude is cagey.

Morrissey's every effort these days is always to be met with cautious enthusiasm. I've seen shows where he's been amazing, I've seen others where he's really stiffed it and looks like he couldn't be bothered. I try not to pay attention to the talking head version of the man anymore. His views are far too calcified, and he plays the bully when faced with opposition. His latest antics with Jimmy Kimmel are all you need to to know to see he has pretty much lost all sense of humor and isn't even on point enough to realize that of course Kimmel wasn't going to be pushed around by him and of course he'd make fun of Moz for it the next day. The Morrissey of my youth would have gone on the show, performed "Meat is Murder," and rewritten the lyrics to apply to ducks.

That said...I am still pretty stoked for the concert. It was supposed to happen last fall, and we've literally been waiting months now.

Way back when, Ned Lannamann at the Portland Mercury suggested I write their preview for the show, but only if I could give him something about the singer he'd never read before. I thought he was nuts, but I decided to try.

This is what I came up with.

I'm pretty proud of it, I must say.

Current Soundtrack: Kate Nash, Girl Talk

ONWARD, TO THE CITY

Okay, so we're off to Emerald City.

For the duration of the show, find both myself and Joëlle Jones at the Oni Press booth, #902. We will be selling books, and she will be sketching. Oni will also have special variants of the first issue of her awesome Helheim project exclusively for the show. You can get all the details of the Oni-planned events here, including the info on their panel.

For the convention, I will be selling a pack of the first five issues of It Girl and the Atomics, all first prints, for $12. That's one issue for free! I will also have copies of #6 and #7, as well as the alternate covers for #2. (Each pack only has one, either the Michael Allred or the Darwyn Cooke variant.)

I have one time away from the table. That's on Sunday, when I am signing at the Image Comics booth, from 3 to 3:45, at the same time as the awesome Fiona Staples. To encourage my getting some attention while sitting next to Fiona, I will be giving away It Girl and the Atomics posters I have left over, featuring the cover to the first issue, available only to folks who come and see me there. I will not be giving them away during the rest of the show.

You can also buy the minicomic that Jung Hu Lee printed up of the story he drew from my script, ou Cross My Path. It's debuting at the show. Find him at Booth K-14, then bring it over, I'll sign it.

If you aren't going to Emerald City, Helheim #1 goes on sale next week. You want to go get it. It's awesome.

For you folks near Chicago, on Wednesday, March 6, Joëlle Jones will be going to Challengers Comics for a signing and art show to celebrate the release. Get the details on their site.

Current Soundtrack: Small Faces, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (stereo mix)