The Totally Awesome Secret About Today’s The Rack
Today signals the arrival of an all new, Holidayical installment for The Rack, yes. But if you just read it, there’s one totally awesome thing about it you might have missed.
That little bit of the banner looks TOTALLY like Dave Sim lettered it in the 1980′s. Or whenever the second half of Church & State was going down. Can’t you just see it bursting out of the mouth of a Fleagle Brother?
Can’t you?
Happy Holidays.
Now Get Down From There!
So, Burn After Reading.
It’s weird, because after Ladykillers, even No Country For Old Men seemed like a strange anomaly, beamed in from another dimension where the Coen Brothers weren’t sort of just on cruise control. I didn’t even buy that on DVD a la pronto the way I normally would have instantly done so for a typical movie by the Coens.
Thus, I was kind of in no rush to see this film. Missed it in the theaters, but now finally caught it on DVD, and *deep exhale* man, that was a way solid return to form. Smart, funny, great performances, the whole nine. That strangeness that even NCFOM couldn’t really recapture is back 100% and, for the first time in a while, is aligned with the modern day. Usually a Coen Brothers movie has some kind of detachment of time working for it, helping ensconce it in its own little universe, so it’s nice to see them working in such an easily recognizable setting.
What’s really crazy about George Clooney and Brad Pitt and how deceptively talented they are, it didn’t occur to me until they were in the same room together that they were both the top billed stars of Ocean’s 11, 12, and 13. Wild.
So, yeah, it’s nice to have Joel and Ethan, the dudes I totally and unabashedly idolized in my younger days, back making movies I love.
Staff Picks For The Week Of December 24th, 2008
It’s that time of the year (and week!) again. Staff picks are here, just in time for the Festival of Lights. Also, support your local me, and get a commissioned sketch for the holiday season!
Happy Hanukkah, Everyone!
My buddy Dave Campbell completely rocked the pants off of this holiday season with a homemade cyclorama telling the Story of Hanukkah. A must see.
The CBR Review: Ex Machina #40
I have a whole recap post of reviews brewing since my last, sadly distant, update to the site, but I just submitted this review of Ex Machina #40 and I’m so darn pleased with it (both the issue and the review), so here it is.
Because in so many ways, this issue was directly about comics and the city that so many of its stories have taken place in. And the final pages, as clever, truly surprising, and beautiful as they are, nail that convergence in so many ways. They illustrate so many things in such a small span of time. How fantastic a creative space modern comics is, how simple and singular a character Mayor Hundred is, what an extraordinary city Manhattan is; and how fundamentally captivated by all three Brian K. Vaughan remains.
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Benjamin Birdie
Suddenly kind of aged, Benjamin lives in Queens with his cat. His Master's Degree in Creative Writing has helped him immensely with his primary responsibilities of drawing things.
He can be reached at benjaminbirdie (at) gmail (dot) com.
And do feel free to follow him on Twitter.
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His Comics
Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, this charming comic strip by myself and Kevin Church receives a sparkling new installment. A Comic Strip About A Comic Shop.