SAT 12/21 - EARLY EVENING SHOW - TT THE BEARS PLACE LeaguePodcast & RockOn! Concerts Present: A Chippunk Christmas

SAT 12/21 - EARLY EVENING SHOW 

TT THE BEARS PLACE

LeaguePodcast & RockOn! Concerts Present: 

A Chippunk Christmas 

Br1ght Pr1mate (Chiptune / Chipmusic / Futurepop) (8PM)

Control Group CD Release (featuring Darren Korb - Bastion) (7PM)

The Demographic featuring Sturgis from MC Frontalot) (6PM)

The World is Square (5PM)

18+ $10 Advance / $12 Day of Show 

*NOTE: 4:30 pm Doors

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3887134

TT THE BEARS PLACE

10 Brookline St

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4152

(617) 492-0082

http://www.ttthebears.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TTtheBears

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BRIGHT PRIMATE

Game Boy Symphony Orchestra Electro-beat Karaoke Death Metal For Your Mom

Night Animals is an album that was 3 years in the making. It is what we set out to do as BRIGHT PRIMATE, and we couldn’t be happier to be finally sharing it with you, our friends and fans and internet associates. Its been an effort of love and we believe that it represents another small step forward in the evolution of chip music from a basement hobbyists pursuit to what we all know it can become. 

There are so many people that have helped us shape this album, so many people who have inspired us or listened to rough mixes late at night or assisted us with their expertise in one way or another, and we would like to acknowledge some invaluable specifics: Carl AKA Radlib AKA Oxygenstar et al. for general solidness of character and always moving forward; Misfit Chris for many 5am chat sessions and lending me his ears on more than one occasion; Smiletron David for being a constant mellow optimist in the wee hours of the night; Disasterpeace Rich for setting the bar pretty high; Dan of the J. Arthur Keenes Band for showing us all just how great a vocal chiptune album can be. Boston8Bit, Toy Company, Bitmasters, 8Static, I/O, Chipwin, REboot, PAX and Magfest peeps; you know who you are. Nerd Rock Radio and Seaking’s Seaglass too. Probably most of all though, thanks to you for listening to this record, whoever you are, because music is just two animals communicating in the night.

https://www.facebook.com/br1ghtpr1mate

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alFhPUvhDlE

https://twitter.com/BRIGHTPRIMATE

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Control Group

Control Group is a new band comprised of three singer-musicians with

some impressive Indie cred: between them they have recorded three

BBC Peel Sessions, won Best Original Score at the Spike Video Game

Awards, sold 200,000 albums (Bastion), got NME’s Single Of The Week, won a

Rock Band® National Championship, had a Swirlies’ song named

after them, and toured with bands like Girls Against Boys, The Jon

Spencer Blues Explosion, and The Damned.  

Having left their previous projects behind with the other detritus in rock music’s roiling wake,

Control Group found each other in the creative petri dish of Brooklyn.

There they set about discovering their new style, expressing the spirit of

their surroundings.

https://www.facebook.com/CtrlGroupMusic

Control Group is a new rock combo made up of three lead singers: Darren Korb, Jeremy Parker, and Evan Reynolds. The band’s sound is a combination of nostalgic guitar punk, DIY indie rock, and 90s pop. Imagine early Dinosaur Jr crossed with Foo Fighters with a bit of The Smiths thrown in.

https://twitter.com/ctrlgroupmusic

http://www.controlgroupmusic.com/

https://soundcloud.com/Control-Group

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THE DEMOGRAPHIC - Guitar, drums, etc.

“…a noisy conglomeration of garage-rock and Neil Young-esque guitar work mixed with proto-grunge and alt-country.”—The Noise

“…ultra-fuzzed guitars playing great riffs and punky sonic hooks.”—Valley Advocate

“Listen Close has lowbrow cinemascope grandeur, with precision and economy.”—Jersey Beat

“Ornery and catchy.”—Hampshire Life

“[Verse Chorus Curse] showcases a love for both noise and melody.” —Noise Boston

“Rock served raw… Every song is solid.” —The Deli

“…straight-ahead Husker Du-esque rockers.” —Valley Advocate

“They can raise speedy hell.” —Daily Hampshire Gazette

The Demographic is a somewhat loud guitar/drum duo from Northampton, Massachusetts featuring Tom Pappalardo (guitar+vocal) and Sturgis Cunningham (drums+back vocal). We write short, concise rock songs with most of the bullshit cut out. We’ve been together since 2009.

RIYL: Kurt Vonnegut, The IT Crowd,Massachusetts, 1992.

http://www.the-dem.com/

https://www.facebook.com/demographic

http://thedemographic.bandcamp.com/album/listen-close

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The World Is Square

SquareSoft/Enix VGM Folk Band from Boston, Massachusetts. 

Description

The World is Square is a 5 Piece Video Game Tribute Band from Boston, MA; focusing on the Classic Years of SquareSoft/Enix Games. They perform songs from titles like Final Fantasy VII, and Chrono Trigger, using a variety of traditional, unconventional and modern instruments.

RIYL:

The Protomen, Those Who Fight, The X-Hunters, Descendants of Erdrick, Br1ght Pr1mate, Armcannon, Powerglove, Metriod Metal, VGO, The OneUps, Vanish Doom, Lords of Thunder, Diamond Machine, & so many more.

https://www.facebook.com/theworldissquareband

http://theworldissquare.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/twisband

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HOLIDAY GIFT TIME!

BOYS AND GIRLS - Stacey B. Rizoli will be selling her handcrafted flowers and jewelry at the show. We’ll take Square. Will post pictures soon!

*Flower Barrettes/Hair Accessories* *pins* *paintings* *original art* *handpainted birdhouses* *handpainted boxes*

Monsters are good. will also be there selling monster related items to fulfill all your holiday needs! And don’t miss your chance to get your photo with Frankenclaus! 

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https://www.facebook.com/events/349301125215186/

https://www.facebook.com/monstersaregood

http://www.rockonconcerts.com/

http://www.rockonconcerts.com/event/412743-chippunk-christmas-br1ght-cambridge/

PRESS: CLAYNFERNO [ at ] CLAYNFERNO.COM

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 11, 2013

COMICS

Harada’s team has 8-bit simulated taking down X-O Manowar in the digital prelude, but issue #1 got Ninjak locked up on Aric’s ship! The crossover event continues as The Eternal Warrior, Livewire and Harada go to rescue him in Valiant’s Unity #2! … Fred Van Lente’s time on G.I. Joe is almost over, but he gets to tell the cajun spiced gumbo origin of Roadblock in G.I. Joe #11. … Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMDatteis take the Justice League into the future in Justice League 3000 #1! Super cool future Trinity art by Howard Porter. … Picks from LeaguePodcast.com!

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MIGHTY Q&A: TIM GIBSON AND MOTH CITY - DEBUT AT 13TH DIMENSION

New Site! New Column! Same Great Comics Coverage!

Really stoked to be writing for these guys! Thanks for checking it out. - Clay

Tim Gibson’s murder mystery Moth City is a genre-spanning digital comic that draws from the Western, Kung Fu, zombies and historical fiction. The slippery ink line work and muted palette is combined with an instinctual approach to digital-native comics creation, made of hundreds of swipes per issue, animating and exposing sections of the page. The New Zealander, whose tale is based in a place similar to 1930s Hong Kong, joins us today to preview his latest issue.

Clay N. Ferno: Hi, Tim. Moth City returns to ComiXology today. When we last spoke in June, you said you wrote this first as a narrative piece. Issue #6 is bringing all of the story lines to a head. Is the pacing on point to end at issue #8?

Tim Gibson: Yes, the story is definitely ramping up. A lot of the characters are reaching breaking point, having already made some decisions that they can’t come back from. The last few pages of Issue #6 imply that the characters are going to be coming back together again. Last time they were in close proximity, a man got his throat cut. This time there’s a heck of a lot more teetering on the edge. Issues 7 and 8 are going to play that out, and not many characters are going to be happy with the result (evil grin).

Going through the issues, almost each added a new twist or an entirely new genre to the book. Can we expect genre exploration in the home stretch?

We’ve had mystery and crime/detective, a bit of thriller, some horror, this issue has some Western tones with the showdown on the roof, so yeah, it’s a nice little gumbo. The story dictates a lot of conflict and drama to wrap it all up so the remaining issues are moving towards all-in action. Which is great because previously we’ve only had moments interspersed here and there.

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION.COM]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: JACK TURNBULL SIGNING @ HUB COMICS

Local independent comic book creator Jack Turnbull teams up with MK Reed (The Cute Girl Network, First Second Books) for a reading and signing on Saturday, December 7 atHub Comics. Jack’s book, I Escaped a Satanic Ninja Cult will be available as well, and he joined us today to talk about it.


DIGBOSTON: What’s happening over at Hub on Saturday? It appears…you’ll not be appearing alone!
Jack Turnbull: On Saturday, Hub Comics is hosting three graphic novelists: MK Reed, who is from Brooklyn and currently on a book tour, yours truly, and Tim Finn, owner of Hub Comics. Each artist scans selections from their graphic novels panel by panel and publicly narrates them using Powerpoint.  Liz Prince, Dash Shaw, and Nichole J. Georges have done this in the past (to name a few) and the result is surprisingly effective. At the end of the reading there will be a signing and maybe time for a little Q &A. Let me emphasize–the event is free!

MK Reed’s new book seems amazing, Have you seen a preview of The Cute Girl Network?
Her newest book, The Cute Girl Network, is actually available now through Hub Comics (and wherever finer graphic novels are sold). I have purposely not read it so I may experience the full effect of her performance.  That being said, the synopsis presented sounds like it is a romantic comedy that is simultaneously relatable and eccentric (the best romantic comedies are). Jane, a charming, skateboarding new girl moves to town and quickly falls for Jack (not me; fictional Jack). Everything is right as rain until Jane finds out through what appears to be a a secret conspiracy called “the cute girl network” that Jack has a history and baggage. MK Reed’s newest work has a blurb on the back from the mighty, unstoppable Kate Beaton, author of “Hark! A Vagrant!”. She is high praise, so I’m very excited.

The Gute Girl Network – MK Reed (First Second Books)

And Mr. Finn is reading as well?
Tim Finn, owner of Hub Comics and all-around awesome guy, will be reading selections from the always off-beat and legendary cartoonist Fletcher Hanks. Hanks is well known for his odd and non-conventional super hero story structures, high fructose corn syrup color palette, and endlessly inventive imagination. Hanks worked primarily during the golden age of comics (’30s and ’40s). The Comics Journal crowned him the “Ed Wood” of comics. His stories are twisted and “lo-fi” in the best possible way.

I suggest not bringing milk to drink during his reading because the chances of it flying through your nose from laughing too hard are very high.

Check out Paul Karasak’s edited anthologies of his.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 4, 2013

 


COMICS

Get ready for a new chapter in Jack Boniface’s afterlife as Peter Milligan (Shade the Changing Man, Justice League Dark) takes over Shadowman at Issue #13. Looking to rid himself of the Shadowman Loa, he seeks the ‘Punk Mambo’ in a swamp. But the loa is not easy to get rid of. Points for the Babaloo (JP’s punk mambo band) reference! … Quantum and Woody #6 puts the boys on a suicide mission. Art by DigBoston pal Ming Doyle! … Glen Brunswick’s Reality Check comes to a close this week with Issue #4 - what happens when you superhero comes to life an asks for advice! Picks from LeaguePodcast.com!

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FOTOBOM: EARTH PRIME TIME @ SUPER MEGAFEST 2013

Yo Joe! Getting throttled by the drill Sergent of my childhood, Sgt. Slaughter, just minutes after meeting fellow Arashikage Clan Member Snake-Eyes Ray Park so that we can team up with Scarlett to take on the Baroness and some Cobra troopers before hoping in the TARDIS to escape the Daleks was not another pumpkin coffee induced daydream.

This happened IRL this past weekend at Supermega Fest in Framingham. As Con Season draws to a close and we will soon stop buying expensive variant action figures for ourselves so we treated ourselves to one last nerdout with cosplayers, comic and toy vendors, TV stars, Ron Jeremy, Christopher Lloyd and so much more at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel this past weekend. As a firstimer to Supermega, I recommend the trip next year to not just comic fans, but pop culture fans in general.

First impressions are that this is slightly more schizophrenic show than the previous cons we have attended this year, and less of a comic book focus. Also, the format seems to be crammed into the Sheraton in Framingham, leaving vendors to set up in hallways off of the main ballroom and signing area. Not that that is a complaint, it makes for more creative ways to adhere to the Prime Directive:

Keep Moving, And Get Out Of The Way.

Comic artists were there, including our friend Jamal Igle, who is hard at work telling everyone about his all ages young heroine, Molly Danger.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill: 'GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE' (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Marathoning shows, or binging, has become part of the parlance, and my most recent binge for television was the CW’s popular Arrow.

You might want to say the book was an influence on the series.

The story is written by Andy Diggle (Daredevil, The Losers) with art by Jock (Detective Comics) and serves as a great companion to the show—and great holiday gift for your Arrow fan.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 27, 2013

COMICS + TRIFECTA EDITIONS MASSHOLE PRINT GIVEAWAY

Celebrate the Doctor’s 50th this week with Vol. 3 #15 as the Doctor(s) and Clara visit Deadwood! … Jamal Igle and Chuck Dixon take Bildocker & Dial tone on G.I.Joe Special Missions #9! … Art & Franco take Itty Bitty Hellboy to heaven in Ish #4, Aw Yeah, Heckboy! … Inspired by geologic illustrations, David Buckley Borden’s clever Masshole print celebrates growing up in Massachusetts. What kind of rock is Plymouth Rock? Email us or sign up for the Trifecta Editions mailing list for a chance to win a limited edition poster and postcard pack from new local studio Trifecta Editions.

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"You'll poke your eye out" - DC Comics Releases First Look at FOREVER EVIL #4

Courtesy of - Alexander Nagorski, DC Entertainment

 

This Christmas Eve, see the Dark Knight like you’ve never seen him before.

In FOREVER EVIL #4, Batman must deal with the guilt of Nightwing’s identity being revealed. And even if Dick Grayson returns from the Crime Syndicate alive, will his life be forever ruined now that his deepest secret is out?

Meanwhile, Batman and Catwoman come face-to-face with Lex Luthor and his growing army in the halls of Wayne Enterprises. But what are these two teams doing there? And how does Bruce Wayne have a yellow ring?! Are Batman and Luthor fighting for the same thing or against one another?

“If the Crime Syndicate attacks — how would the villains react if they actually won? If the villains won, and they won in this way, would everyone go along with it? I don’t think they would, because everyone wants something different,” writer Geoff Johns recently said. “At first glance, Lex wants to be as beloved and respected as Superman, though there is a far greater secret in his life that pushes him to strive for success in everything he does, which we’ll learn more about as the series progresses. Lex Luthor is the main character of the whole thing, and that becomes more and more clear as we move forward. In particular with issue #4. So, like Lex, we’re exploring these villains and contrasting them against one another and asking — what would it take to put them in the role of good guy?”

“There’s a lot of fun to be had between Lex and Bizarro. There’s fun to be had between Batman and Catwoman, and when those characters collide,” Johns continued. “Some of the Syndicate members, as twisted as they are, they’ve been fun to write. Power Ring — trying to conceive a character that was everything that Green Lantern usually wasn’t, and amplifying that. There’s a mythology with his ring that we’re going to dive into that explores a very different look at what a Green Lantern could be — if it’s somebody that’s based on a weak will, and a weak sense of self. We see that with Power Ring and how he’s behaving, and we’ll see more of that as we reveal more about him, and the source of the ring.”

Attached for inclusion in your coverage, please find a sneak peek at some of David Finch’s interior art for FOREVER EVIL #4, which shows Batman revealing the Bat Cave to Catwoman for the first time, as well as Ethan Van Sciver’s variant cover for the issue, which depicts Batman using the powers of his yellow ring against the Crime Syndicate’s Power Ring. Please credit these images as courtesy of DC Entertainment in your coverage. For more information, please visit DC Comics’ official press blog.

    

"We Could Be..." THE ROYALS: MASTERS OF WAR - DC COMICS [ART PREVIEW]

Courtesy of

Pamela Mullin Horvath, DC Entertainment

Today, Vertigo announced THE ROYALS: MASTERS OF WAR, a new 6 issue limited comic book series written by Brit Rob Williams (ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, Low Life, Judge Dredd: Trifecta) and illustrated by Simon Colby (The Authority, Judge Dredd: Year One and Trifecta).

The year is 1940. As the War heats up and the Blitz destroys London and kills thousands, the Royal Family looks on. But in this reality, the Royalty of the day have special abilities and the purer the bloodline, the greater those abilities are—and history is about to be transformed when England’s Prince Henry decides to intervene.

“Imagine Downton Abbey crossed with the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan and you’re getting somewhere close to what THE ROYALS: MASTERS OF WAR offers,” says Williams. While Colby describes it as “an everyday tale of everyday squabbles, amongst everyday folk. Except the everyday folk are super-powered royalty, and their squabbles take place against the backdrop of the biggest conflict the world has ever seen.”

THE ROYALS: MASTERS OF WAR arrives in February 2014.

http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2013/11/22/the-royals-masters-of-war-art-reveal

    

New Client - Trifecta Editions

Happy to be working for Trifecta Editions and my good friend David Buckley Borden.

Here is a crosspost from the Trifecta Tumblr.

Interview with David Buckley Borden, Artist and Landscape Designer

Watershed Down Map, Digital Media, Fall 2013

David Buckley Borden is a graduate of the landscape architecture masters program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Until recently, he worked as a designer within the Urban Studio at Sasaki Associates and now works at Ground Inc, a boutique landscape architecture firm known for its artful landscapes. David is a landscape designer and artist, and recently worked with us to create a print and postcard pack.

Nurse Log Section, Mixed Media Series: Ink, graphite, colored pencil and carbon transfer on paper, 8.5 x 11”, Winter 2013.

How does your landscape architecture practice influence your art?

Most of the ideas behind my art stem from my landscape architecture practice. This includes the underlying ideas and concepts but also the drawing techniques. If landscape architecture is my work, art is my play and I often play by experimenting with landscape drawing conventions: the scaled map, contour lines, cross section, offsets, line weights, annotation, etc. More importantly, the artwork is a creative exploration of landscape architecture related interests: landscape history, ecology, geology, land use and just about anything related to “the great outdoors.” 

Granite Love Letter, Landscape Installation Proposal, 8 x 10”, Winter 2012.

Tell me about your recent artwork.

Some say I’m obsessed with New England…and its true! I love exploring North American landscapes, especially New England and Eastern Canada. Sure, I enjoy a road trip and hiking through the woods, but most of my explorations are on paper—in drawings I make in my Cambridge studio. And, many of these creative explorations start with books. I rely on an ever growing list of authors who write on the topic of landscape from a variety of perspectives: Howard Mansfield, John Stilgoe, Richard Forman, Peter Del Tredici, J.B. Jackson, and of course Eric Sloane. It’s actually shameful that I don’t spend more time outdoors, but I am working on that…

New England Camouflage Preference Map, Mixed Media, 9 x 12”, Winter 2013.

And your maps?

While in graduate school I was drilled with “rigorous map making.” The rigor almost killed maps for me but common sense and creativity prevailed. I now enjoy exploring and expressing ideas through making maps. In particular, what I call “NTS” (not-to-scale) mapping. These maps are for exploring places…but not in the spatial sense—more along the lines of cultural landscaping, the meaning of place, and regional identity, specifically the identity of New England. When asked where I’m from, I sometimes respond that I’m from the state of New England. New England is my home range and my favorite map-making muse.

Massachusetts’ Premier Ecological Engineer, Silkscreen Print, 8X10”, Fall 2013.

Tell me about Fort Buckley.

Fort Buckley, also known as Fort Chauncy, is what I jokingly call my live/work space. My wife and I live in an apartment on Chauncy Street in Cambridge where I have a small studio space. I also use the apartment as a place to display and sell my artwork. So, Fort Buckley is one part studio space, one part DIY gallery, one part creative cocoon, but all parts home. ‘Fort Buckley’ has also developed into my creative battle cry. I dig all sorts of creative ditches for other folks, but the Fort is really the space where I pursue my own creative interests…it’s a fort of creative self-indulgence. 

Battel for Boston Harbor, Digital Collage, 18“ X 18,” Fall 2010

As someone with both business and design experience, you have a unique background …what’s your take on the business of art?

I’m a big believer in the economics of sustainability. Sustaining art, like anything, requires resources. There’s time and money out there, you just need to develop the networks and the infrastructure to find and capture it. I am a believer in the practice of being a “working artist.” It’s not easy, but I love the whole experience of art: creating it, discussing it, sharing it and even selling it. Art and craftsmanship have some unique economics as well. For example, I am a big fan of giving art as gifts. When you purchase art as a gift for someone, you are really giving two gifts with your purchase. First, you are gifting the piece of art to the recipient, but you are also giving the gift of financial support to the artist. 

Masshole Classic, Silkscreen print, 9 x 12”, Fall 2013.

Tell me about your new prints available from Trifecta Editions.

The print, titled “Masshole Classic” stems from a long running drawing series in which I play with the derogative expression of “Masshole” and a variety of Massachusetts’ soil horizons, both real and fictitious.  This print features a generalized Cape Cod soil profile that includes almost nothing but sand and rock.  The original sketch can be found in my notebook for a soils class with Peter Del Tredici, but over the past couple of years it’s developed into a series of drawings. Now, thanks to Trifecta Editions, it’s a limited-edition print.

KICKSTARTER KORNER: 'Phileas Reid Knows We Are Not Alone' with Scott Fogg

Awoooogah! 

Sound that alarm kids and stop the Word-Presses!  

*Klanging noises *

We’re blowing that Fogg Horn today for our latest Kickstarter Korner to help out our new friend Scott Fogg with his all ages 60’s science family adventure bookeeking toward its campaign goal for December 1st.

Share the story, delight in its majesty, donate what you can but most importantly listen to what Scott has to say about Phileas Reid Knows We Are Not Alone  because he has insights into the future you cannot predict!

Forces of Geek!: Hi Scott! Thanks for joining us for our second Kickstarter Korner. We like to put the focus on some cool comics campaigns that might be ending soon with only a minimal amount of awesome alliteration! First off, tell us who you are and who else is working on Phileas Reid Knows We Are Not Alone? 

Scott Fogg: Thanks so much for having me! I’m Scott Fogg and I’m a writer based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Joining me on this project are Marc Thomas, Dean Trippe, and Vito Delsante. 

Have you worked with any of these talented gentlemen before? Vito was the inspiration for our very first Kickstarter Korner! And the art is amazing. We saw the first pages today!

That’s really cool, I didn’t know about that. Sounds like we have a lot in common. Vito is really the one responsible for Phileas Reid existing in this form and medium. We met at Heroes Con and I was telling him about this story I was wrestling with. “I’m having trouble finding my narrative voice,” I said. “I know the story and I know how it looks, but I’m struggling with how to tell this story.”

“You can’t force it,” he said simply. “If it’s a visual story, you need to tell it visually. Make it a comic book.” I had originally thought of this story as a graphic novel but since I can’t draw and don’t have the money to pay an artist, I didn’t think it was possible. I was in the middle of my second draft of Phileas Reid: The Prose Novelwhen Vito assured me, “we can make it happen.”

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

    

EARTH PRIME TIME TIME: GENE LEUN YANG [INTERVIEW]

This Thursday at the Brattle Theatre, Gene Luen Yang discusses Boxers and Saints, his latest two-volume work from First Second Books. Joining him for the discussion is author M.T. Anderson. The two books tell the story of the Boxer Rebellion from the different perspectives of Bao and Four-Girl. Boxers and Saints illustrates how how Eastern and Western spirits can color the experience of those growing up and getting involved in a conflict of different cultures. Gene was kind enough to tell us a bit about the book, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Green Turtle, and what we can expect on Thursday.

DIGBOSTON: Hi Gene! Thanks for joining us today to talk about Boxers & Saints. Why revisit The Boxer Rebellion in comic book form?
Gene Luen Yang: The Boxer Rebellion is a war fought on Chinese soil just over a hundred years ago, in the year 1900. It was the first global conflict involving both Western and Eastern nations. Many historians believe it to be a harbinger of the World Wars that followed.

It was also the first military conflict in the age of mass media, the first conflict that people all over the world followed through their newspapers.

On one side of the conflict were European and Japanese soldiers, Europeans missionaries, and Chinese Christians. On the other was an army of poor, uneducated young people from the Chinese farmlands. These Boxers, as they came to be known, believed that they could call the Chinese gods down from the heavens by performing a mystical ritual. The gods would possess their bodies and give them superpowers. Given the fact that superheroes have been the dominant genre in American comic books for decades, the Boxer Rebellion and comics are a great fit. To me as a comics fan, the Boxers seemed like a Chinese version of Shazam!

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

Gene Luen Yang

GENE LUEN YANG DISCUSSES BOXERS & SAINTS
IN CONVERSATION WITH M.T. ANDERSON

THURSDAY 11.21.13
BRATTLE THEATRE
40 BRATTLE ST.
CAMBRIDGE
6PM/$5
EVENT PAGE

HARVARD BOOKS: (617) 661-1515
BRATTLE THEATRE: (617) 876-6837
HARVARD BOOKS | LeaguePodcast | BRATTLE THEATRE
TICKETS | FACEBOOK EVENT

    

Cosmic Treadmill: 'Calamitous Black Devils' Questions with Joseph Schmalke at FORCES OF GEEK

Forces of Geek caught up with some amazing creators at the recent Rhode Island Comic Con, and one of our favorite books from ComiXology Submit was there!

Today we talk with Joseph Schmalke about Kickstarter secrets, his classic influences and the many reasons you should check out Calamitous Black Devils on ComiXology or wait for the trade in May of next year.

Forces of Geek!: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. How was your Rhode Island Comic Con?

Joseph Schmalke: Rhode Island was a lot fun it had a great crowd.  Also Rhode Island was one of the better set up conventions I had been to this year.  I’m definitely going back. 

Your book Calamitous Black Devils, issues #1 and # 2 are out now. There’s a ton going on in the book from war to zombies, magic and zombies! How can you describe the book to new readers?

It’s a World War II story where an elite brigade of army operatives go behind enemy lines to stop the Nazis from opening a doorway to another world where an ancient god lives that can raise an army of the dead.  They succeed in stopping the doorway from opening but get sucked into it and find themselves scattered about a planet at the center of the universe.  Now they have to find each other to get home but first they have to battle through hordes of the undead, aliens, mutants, and ancient gods.

Plus it’s got plant human hybrids, space vampires, werewolves, and Nazi zombies.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 20, 2013

COMICS

What do band managers do? Nothing! Just kidding! Read about Brian Epstein’s role in making The Beatles the world’s most influential Rock and Roll band! Dark Horse is proud to present The Fifth Beatle, the story of a man facing homophobia, Anti-Semitism and a someone who died all too young. … The countdown to issue #200 continues as Savage Dragon is strapped to the electric chair and is begging for the end! Savage Dragon #172 today!… Feel bad for poor Aric of Dacia because Unity is on his ass? Venditti & Nord return for X-O Manowar #19, a great jumping on point for new readers at the start of the huge Valiant Universe Unity Event as X-O defends his legacy, the land of the Visigoths aka Romania! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

Sign up for DAILY DIG HERE!

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: BATMAN #25, BATGIRL #25, VALIANT: UNITY #1 plus VALIANT 8-BIT ADVENTURE: UNITY #1

Alright, its time again for Triple Shot Plus and we’re sticking with a theme this week!

There were so many comics to sort through, but in the end Batbooks and Unitycaught our eye.  Zero Year continues in Batman #25 and Batgirl #25 and Harada assembles his best to defeat X-O Manowar in Valiant’s Unity #1 with a prequel of sorts only on ComiXology, Valiant 8-Bit Adventure: Unity! written by Ben McCool!

BATMAN #25
WRITER: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo
Publication Date: November 13, 2013
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194130640702511
Buy it HERE

We’ve been excited to see these pages hit the shelves since NYCC this year and of course the debut of The New 52 Gotham City Police Department Blimp.

There is even a history to the dirigibles, Bruce Wayne donated them to G.C.P.D. during the blackout! 

Riddler’s blacked out the city and all hell is breaking loose.

$4.99 is the price of admission for this thrill ride (last issue was $6.99, curiouser and curiouser) but worth every giant penny once again as Snyder and Capullo create an award winning modern origin for The Batman.

On the surface we are treated to a new PT Cruiser-like Batmobile (Mach I) that has a special ability never seen before, a tease that Jim Gordon was there the night Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, as well as the return of 1939 villain Doctor Death. There’s also Lucius Fox, proto-Poison Ivy and to be determined desert military action in Nigeria. Perhaps the 2004 version of Doctor Death from Batgirl is responsible for the Central African conflict. Stay tuned for more!

If you aren’t reading New 52 Batman, get to it. There’s no excuse at this point. Start with Court of Owls and work your way up. Seriously. Or start at issue #21 and see the origin of Batman like no one has ever imagined!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: DEAR MR. WATTERSON WITH DIRECTOR JOEL ALLEN SCHROEDER

Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes strip is 28 years old this week, and the impact and influence of Watterson’s cartoon about a boy and his stuffed tiger continue to touch the hearts and spark the imaginative bone in kids of all ages. No comic strip since then has not been touched or inspired by Calvin and Hobbes in some way. Fans of the strip span the globe, and one director Kickstarted a documentary about the impact of Calvin and Hobbes on these fans. Joel Allen Schroeder joins Earth Prime Time today to discuss Dear Mr. Watterson: An Exploration of Calvin and Hobbes.
The movie is touring the country and is available on demand starting November 15.

DIGBOSTON: Thanks for joining us, Joel. Care to tell us why you decided to make this movie?
Joel Allen Schroeder: Yeah, I was a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes. I was probably introduced to the strip at 7, 8, 9 years old and years later, in my late 20s I decided the strip still meant a lot to me and I had a crazy idea to make a documentary about it. It fascinated me that something could mean so much to me as an 8 year old and that it could really truly mean a lot to me as an adult. There are not a lot of things like that.

That’s amazing. And, as you go through in the movie, it did appeal to lots of different people all over the world. People our age, and older too. What is it about Calvin and Hobbes—the baseline that appeals to everybody?
I think Watterson’s artwork is something that really draws people in. It is so well drawn that in particular, the Sunday strips will draw people in. And then as you start to know Calvin and Hobbes as characters, there is so much humanity and depth there.

Calvin’s imagination makes this world. The strip is not just the walls of his home. It extends outside, to space, the jungles, to the distant past.

There is just so much there. At the bottom of it, there are wonderful characters that are easy to identify with.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill - 'ACTION PRESIDENTS' #1 with RYAN DUNLAVEY and FRED VAN LENTE at FORCES OF GEEK

While some might be inclined to be tongue-in-cheek about learning and American History, I am not!  I am unapologetically a nerd about the words of our forefathers.  What better way to celebrate and honor Veteran’s Day this week than to pay tribute to the ultimate veteran himself, the first President George Washington in the bombastic comic book stylings of our friends Ryan Dunlavey and Fred Van Lente (Action Philosophers!, Comic Book History of Comics).

These gentlemen were kind enough to give us a preview of their new series, Action Presidents! and Ryan joins us to tell us how the book got going!

The inimitable style and humor of Action Presidents is the first Evil Twin Comics venture to be released as a digital first and was originally commissioned by the nonprofit Reading with Pictures organization that advocates the use of comics and comic book storytelling to promote literacy. How many of us got excited about reading with Archie or The Avengers as a kid?

Consider reading up about what RWP is up to, especially if your child has trouble with traditional books.

Action Presidents: Washington will be released on Wednesday, November 13th on ComiXology. Ryan’s cartooning paired with Fred’s well research and oftentimes hilarious writing educates children of all ages about our first President and even Washington’s definition of ‘freedom’ which may surprise you!

There’s even a panel on the last page that references “Spider-Man No More!”.

What more can you ask for out of a text book, really?

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 13, 2013

COMICS!

Aric of Dacia has returned to Romania to conquer the world! Toyo Harada has assembled an army to defeat X-O Manowar in the epic crossover and Valiant Universe jumping on point, Unity #1! Valiant’s first super-team! … Boston Comic Con guest Amy Reeder has been impressing everyone with her Image title about time traveling teenage detective Rocket Girl, and Issue #2 is out today! … Following up the spectacular Star Trek: Into Darkness is the official origin of Khan from IDW. Issue #2 reveals the Eugenics Wars for the first time ever! A must read for Trek fans. Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

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THOR: THE DARK WORLD (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

The sequel to Thor and the eighth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Thor: The Dark World converges on the Nine Realms with Chris Helmsworth once again starring as the title character opposite a returning ensemble cast which includes Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and Natalie Portman as Earthly love interest and scientist Jane Foster.

Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander return as Marvel favorites The Warriors Three: Volstagg, Hogan and The Lady Sif (joining them in this installment is Zachary Levi as warrior Fandral).

Also returning is Stellan Skarsgård, as scientist Erik Selvig, now somewhat damaged from his participation in the events from The Avengers.

The stellar cast mixed with the fantastical elements of Asgard, the technological advances of the evil Dark Elves makes for a terrific sci-fi fantasy film. Fans of epic space battles as well as swords and hammer swinging are in for a raucous good time.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]