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

THIS IS HALLOWEEN [Image Fantome]

Happy Halloween everybody!

Nico continues his tradition of drawing a new Spell Checkers pin-up for the holiday. This should tide you over while we all anxiously await vol. 3's release. (It's in the can, we're just waiting for Oni Press to schedule it -- you have the first two, yes?)

You can also listen to my "Haunted Jukebox 2012" mix on Spotify. Get yourself in the mood.

Also, check out the costume Joëlle and I wore for a Halloween party this past weekend, in a little photo I like to call "Death Comes to Ned Flanders." (picture by Jeremy Pool)

Current Soundtrack: The Sonics, "The Witch"

(I'M) THE END OF THE FAMILY LINE

It's been a little slow around here in terms of theatrical releases, but I've been keeping up with my home viewing. Here is what I've covered in the last two weeks:

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* The Forgiveness of Blood, this Albania-set drama is the second feature from the director of Maria Full of Grace. (Also at DVD Talk.)

* Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polasnki's spooky nightmare about a child from hell.

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS...

* Chained, Jennifer Lynch's psychological horror movie doesn't quite link up.

* Mad Men: Season Five, the best show on television keeps getting better.

* The Penalty, a potent silent film starring Lon Chaney as a double-amputee bent on revenge.

* Shut Up and Play the Hits, the documentary about LCD Soundsystem's last gig; features the full three-hour concert.

* Three Secrets, Robert Wise's 1950 melodrama about a trio of women who may or may not be the mother of a young boy stranded on a mountain.

* The Woodmans, a moving documentary about late photographer Francesca Woodman and the effect her suicide has had on her family.

Current Soundtrack: The Daily Show from October 24, 2012

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

MAKE ME A MIRACLE MAN

It's Sunday, and Mike Norton has performed all kinds of miracles in finishing up It Girl and the Atomics #7!

Current Soundtrack: Kendrick Lamar & Dr. Dre, "Compton," Orbital, "Wonky (Japanese Popstars Mix)"

DO YA THING: It Girl & the Atomics #3 reviews

A few reviews of It Girl and the Atomics #3 have surfaced. Here is what I have seen so far:

* Blue Raven Comics

* Every Day is Like Wednesday <--- not very positive

* Interested in Sophisticated Fun? <--- lives up to the name!

* Multiversity

* Unleash the Fanboy

Third issues are always kind of a hump, so it's good to read that, for the most part, people think we have gotten over it and settled into what we came here to do. Mike Norton has been turning in the last pages for #7, and I'm beyond excited for what comes next.

Speaking of Norton, he also had another book out this way, the pug horror comedy The Curse. Check out this preview.

Current Soundtrack: Placebo, B3 EP


 

HIS SPACE HOLIDAY: IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #6

Image Comics have released their January solicitations, and I am excited to have the official announcement of our first fill-in on It Girl and the Atomics, and to have that artist be my old nemesis Chynna Clugston Flores!

We have put together a fun issue for you guys, and I am arranging with Image to release the first five pages to give folks a taste of what's to come. In the meantime, here is the cover and info...

IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #6
story JAMIE S. RICH
art CHYNNA CLUGSTON FLORES
cover MICHAEL & LAURA ALLRED
JANUARY 23
32 PAGES / FC / E
$2.99

“HIS SPACE HOLIDAY”
It’s a solo Mr. Gum adventure! The rubbery Atomic has the day off on a distant planet. He’s met a cute alien girl and is about to get a glimpse of the local wildlife. Prepare for giant space-monster action with guest art by Blue Monday creator CHYNNA CLUGSTON FLORES!

*** 

And what the hell. Here's a tease of the interiors.

Current Soundtrack: the concert discs from the LCD Soundsystem DVD, Shut Up and Play the Hits.

ON SALE TODAY: IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #3

Both in comic book stores as a physical comic and on Comixology as a digital download.

In this one, the story ramps up, with big action and even bigger revelations.

"DARK STREETS, SNAP CITY," Part Three

The Skunk's old gang is up to trouble, and It Girl has a few choice words for the man who killed her sister. But who's the shadowy presence that follows her wherever she goes, and can she and the rest of the Atomics stop a crime spree before it starts?

Cover by Michael & Laura Allred
Art by Mike Norton, Colors by Allen Passalaqua, lettering by Crank!
Published by Image Comics

Current Soundtrack: A Place to Bury Strangers, "And I'm Up b/w Don't Stop"

IN A FUTURE WORLD, WITH AN ASTROGIRL

Today at New York Comic Con, Oni Press held a panel to present details on upcoming projects. In amongst the announcements were new specifics regarding the company's online comic initiative and the book Natalie Nourigat and I are doing for it, A Boy and a Girl.

Read all the details here at Robot 6 and check out all the previews. There's new Sixth Gun material, and comics by Wook Jin-Clark and the team of Ananth Panagariya and Tessa Stone, and lots more.

The new OniPress.com
The publisher also announced the January debut of a totally new OniPress.com that’ll be loaded up with webcomics by a host of creators.

“We saw the transformation of the music industry over the last decade, and we see comics experiencing a comparable metamorphosis,” said Oni Publisher Joe Nozemack. “We believe there’s opportunities for new models to emerge alongside the existing ones giving both established and new readers comics that engage and entertain.” 

The new OniPress.com will initially offer two new serials a week, along side three additional serials pulled from the publisher’s 15-years worth of backlist material. The first of these new series, A Boy & A Girl by Jamie S. Rich and Natalie Nourigat and Buzz by Ananth Panagariya and Tessa Stone, were initially teased at Comic-Con International in July.

Per the release, A Boy & A Girl explores a future where real people are rapidly being supplanted by life-like androids, the need for that emotional connection can become even more desperate, and Travis will go to great lengths to find out where that amazing girl he met last night, Charley, lives, so that he can convince her to go on a date with him. What Travis doesn’t know yet is that it’s Charley’s last night in town, and she’s in a mood to really tear things up. If they’re going to go on a date, it’s almost guaranteed to be one that neither of them will ever forget.

That describes it pretty well, I think. The comic will go online starting in January. It's been in the can for a while, so Natalie and I are both very excited to see it emerging into the light of day.

Lettering was done by Ed Brisson, who is also a writer. Check out Murder Book and the rest of his website.

By the way, did you also see this wicked Joëlle Jones page from Helheim in the preview material? Day-um!

Current Soundtrack: The Divine Fits, A Thing Called Divine Fits

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 HAUNTED MAN

NEW IN THEATRES...

* Argo, Ben Affleck takes a true story about a fake movie and turns it into genuine cinema.

* Seven Pyschopaths, the comedy is dark and funny, the action appropriately visceral, but the second film from the director of In Bruges isn't as smart as it thinks it is.

* Sinister, half a good horror movie, half a bad one, and the better half doesn't make it worth the time.

UPDATED TO CRITERION CONFESSIONS...

* In the Mood for Love, the beautiful tribute to unfulfilled romance by Wong Kar-Wai is now on Blu-Ray. (Also at DVD Talk.)

* Street of Shame, the final film in Kenji Mizoguchi's Lost Women also happens to be the Japanese director's last.

THIS WEEK IN BD/DVD REVIEWS:

* Confessions of an Opium Eater, in which Vincent Price goes on a trip through Chinatown.

* Detachment, an arty drama about teachers overstuffs the lesson plan, but Adrien Brody and thre rest of the cast are great.

* The English Beat: Live at the US Festival '82 & '83, two concert from the band's classic line-up

* Fear and Desire, the "lost" first film of Stanley Kubrick.

Current Soundtrack: How to Destroy Angels, "Keep it Together;" INXS, Kick (25 Anniversary Deluxe Edition) CD2

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

I STAND RIGHT UP IN THE HEART OF HEL

My best friend and valued collaborator Joëlle Jones has a new Oni Press series on the horizon, a grisly horror comic called Helheim, written by Sixth Gun-scribe Cullen Bunn, colored by Nick Filardi, and lettered by Ed Brisson (who also lettered A Boy and a Girl, my comic with Natalie Nourigat).

Comic Book Resources has the exclusive lowdown on the March 6 release of the book.

Joëlle and I have been working on our next project while she has been drawing Helheim, and it's going to be good to go shortly after she completes this series. 2013 is going to be massive!

Also, it's my understanding that if you attend the Oni Press panel at NYCC this weekend, or stop by their booth, you should be able to see more of the first issue.

And hey, if you aren't at NYCC (or even if you are), you still have time to order signed books and sketches from us this weekend. Details right here.

Current Soundtrack: Solange, "Losing You"

WITHOUT WORDS, YOU HAVE NOTHING

While New York hosts their Comic Con this weekend, Portland is having its annual literary festival.

I have done previous Wordstock events, and it's always cool to see a different crowd then one is used to. This year I am setting up at the Oni Press Booth alongside creators Brendan Hay, writer of Rascal Raccoon's Raging Revenge, and Sketch Monsters artist Vinny Navarete.

Here is the Wordstock site so you can see everything they've got going on.

I'll be there both Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 4pm.

Oni is bringing books to sell and I'll also have the first two issues of It Girl and the Atomics. Swing by if you're coming to the show.

And don't forget, you can still participate in my "Virtual Con" with Joëlle Jones from wherever you are! Sketch slots still available...

Current Soundtrack: Mogwai, "George Square Thatcher Death Party (Justin K Broadrick Reshape);" Christina Aguilera, "Too Beautiful for Words"