From the Boston Globe
Interesting article from the Boston Globe yesterday. This story isn't just important to comics fans, but to book readers and anyone involved in the print medium.
Greg Nicholas and Douglas Toomer browsed new issues at Comicopia in Boston.… (Kayana Szymczak for the Boston Globe) |
Holy Internet, Batman! (Never gonna let that go are they? It's been 45 years since the Batman 60s TV show but to this day stories about comics involve reference to it usually in the form of Holy.. or POW! BAM!...)
Some retailers fear online sales of titles will strip them of revenue from print copies
FACEBOOK Meltdown
(AF) In what may be the first sign of the Apocalypse or an indicator that people are finally going to do some work while they're sitting in their employer's chair for the day Facebook Founder Potsy Zukenberg (sp?) announced that he can't explain why the social network lost nearly 8 million US and Canadian members during the last measured cycle.
"It could be that now that people have lost their jobs since they bankrupted their companies by wasting their whole day on Facebook and are now out of work-- and of course unemployment benefits don't last longer than five years, internet gets turned off and -- well, I don't know!" Zukenberg said before bursting into tears and running for his security blanket and a well worn stuffed bear he calls Pippy.
Other experts theorize that the days of stalking old flames or making your life seem more interesting than it really is-- or considering 2000 people you don't even know as friends--- may have worn out the luster that first attracted millions to the site.
Could this be a trend that Facebook is on the way out? Man, we can only hope.
With any luck, Twitter, Tumblr and Blogs (yes I said BLOGS) will follow suit and we'll all learn to talk to real people again.
You can read the Huffington Post's take on the story HERE. Mine is better.
Things to Do Thursday: Worcester Public Library
Lamenting the closing of Hollywood Video? Sad that Blockbuster edits it's film offerings?
There is a great resource here in the big Woo for DVD rentals-- the Worcester Public Library-- they have a huge catalog available and best of all they are FREE for a week's rental.
You do get the added bonus of thumbing through movies that a homeless guy may have been sleeping in earlier, but bring some hand sanitizer and everything will be okay.
Seriously though, the library (all libraries) are terrific resources and we all need to do more to both support and take advantage of those services offered.
Captain America; the First Avenger
Big year for comic book related movies-- and I have to say I don't care a whit.
Green Hornet, Thor, Green Lantern & Finally Captain America-- and I'm sure I missed one in there. Of all of them the only one that doesn't look like it's a heaping mess is Cap-- and I really like the retro poster Marvel did as a promotion for it (shown left).
I'll probably see this one-- but with movie ticket prices at $12-$15 it's hard to justify when I could BUY the Dvd just a few months later for the same price.
Next year we have the Dark Knight sequel and the Spider-Man relaunch-- two more movies I'm not all that excited about. I'm more interested in Morgan Spurlock's latest than any of these.
Green Hornet, Thor, Green Lantern & Finally Captain America-- and I'm sure I missed one in there. Of all of them the only one that doesn't look like it's a heaping mess is Cap-- and I really like the retro poster Marvel did as a promotion for it (shown left).
I'll probably see this one-- but with movie ticket prices at $12-$15 it's hard to justify when I could BUY the Dvd just a few months later for the same price.
Next year we have the Dark Knight sequel and the Spider-Man relaunch-- two more movies I'm not all that excited about. I'm more interested in Morgan Spurlock's latest than any of these.
Movie Monday: TCM This Week; Tarzan at the Grand Hotel
Tonight at 10:15 TCM is showing GRAND HOTEL which is a star-packed comedy from the early 30s. It takes a bit of patience for movies of this era but the acting and the production values are all top notch.
On Wednesday night at 8 they're running TARZAN'S SECRET TREASURE (1938) which is one of the best of the early Tarzan films-- if you think these are kiddie junk you'll be surprised-- while the entertainment is certainly more "wholesome" than today's Jack Black style films there is a lot of violence and treachery in this one which tells the story of the secret elephant graveyard loaded with Ivory in Tarzan's jungle.
Thursday night is monster movie night-- pop the popcorn and settle back for a lineup of underwater mayhem with IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD and THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS-- if you don't have to work Friday there are more after these three, but these will bring you back to the drive in age.
On Wednesday night at 8 they're running TARZAN'S SECRET TREASURE (1938) which is one of the best of the early Tarzan films-- if you think these are kiddie junk you'll be surprised-- while the entertainment is certainly more "wholesome" than today's Jack Black style films there is a lot of violence and treachery in this one which tells the story of the secret elephant graveyard loaded with Ivory in Tarzan's jungle.
Thursday night is monster movie night-- pop the popcorn and settle back for a lineup of underwater mayhem with IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD and THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS-- if you don't have to work Friday there are more after these three, but these will bring you back to the drive in age.
Happy Father's Day (and Suspicion follow up)
This is my first father's day since my pop passed away and it's a strange feeling-- in all honesty it used to be possibly the most stressed holiday for me since I would race around trying to find him a present he'd like or need, it wasn't because he was particularly picky or a bad gift receiver it's because it's impossible to find the right present for someone who means a lot to you but because you're both grown men you don't really show it. It's easier to give mom a hug than dad-- and that's why dad's are often put on the back of the bus when it comes to recognition.
Who do football players say hi to when they're on camera? Mom.
Who do little kids ask for when they get scared? Mom.
I could go on.
Dad is always the background character, but he's the guy who stands up for you when times are tough, the guy who is your corner man when you're in the ring, the guy who doesn't ask for thanks and will more often than not remind you to call or visit your mom never mentioning that he wouldn't mind a visit either.
So today, Father's Day, take a minute to really say thanks to your dad-- you never know if this might be your last chance.
Who do football players say hi to when they're on camera? Mom.
Who do little kids ask for when they get scared? Mom.
I could go on.
Dad is always the background character, but he's the guy who stands up for you when times are tough, the guy who is your corner man when you're in the ring, the guy who doesn't ask for thanks and will more often than not remind you to call or visit your mom never mentioning that he wouldn't mind a visit either.
So today, Father's Day, take a minute to really say thanks to your dad-- you never know if this might be your last chance.
____________________________________________________
Last week I suggested that some of you interested in learning some key elements to storytelling watch Hitchcock's SUSPICION so we could explore a misfire of a master storyteller-- if you haven't seen it, go and watch it and then come back here, I'll wait.
Major Spoilers ahead so if you haven't seen it you've been warned.
I'm not going to recap the story much, you've seen it, but essentially we have a meek and timid woman who is attracted to an outgoing and popular man who shows enough interest in her that they soon marry, only to discover that this man might just be planning to kill her to collect her inheritance.
Let's see what works in this film;
1. The casting of Joan Fontaine. No one could play this part better. She was (and is-- I believe she's still with us) a beautiful woman who was able to project a frailty which verges on near nervous breakdown throughout the film. You can believe that she would be shocked that someone as charming as Johnny would be interested in her.
2. The comedy relief of Nigel Bruce. Comedy relief gets a bad rap but sometimes it's needed. His character is warm with a bit of charm and he comes a sounding board for the Fontaine character as well as being able to demonstrate that Johnny can't be all bad if he is his friend.
The element Hitch is trying to get through the whole film is the doubt that Fontaine feels for Johnny, convinced he's a possible murderer, then dismissing her thoughts as crazy. When Johnny and Nigel Bruce leave on a business trip to the site of some dangerous cliff-side properties Fontaine is convinced (as they play a game like Scrabble) that something bad will happen when her tiles spell out Murder -- it's a clever and subtle way to show her growing concern.
When they return safely-- she is relieved, then Nigel begins to tell her how he was lucky to survive a near death experience and her relief changes back to doubt-- only to learn that Johnny actually saved his life and the weight is off her shoulders once again.
The film follows this consistent method of building up circumstantial evidence against Johnny and then revealing that maybe he's not quite as bad as he seems.
When Johnny and Nigel go to Paris to celebrate the life saving event, Fontaine is once again thrown a loop when she learns that Nigel died in a drinking accident at a pub while on vacation, in the company of a friend.
What doesn't work--
1. The casting of Cary Grant as Johnny. Grant is a versatile actor who could play comedy as well as drama, never given the credit he deserved as an actor, the studio would never allow him to play a murderer so if the film had played its course that could have worked to Hitchcock's advantage, but he relented and Grant is revealed to be just a misunderstood slightly tragic figure at the end of the film which seems hackneyed and thrown together.
The original ending Hitch wanted was for Grant to toss Fontaine out of the speeding car at the film's end and then mail the letter we saw her writing to her mother earlier in the scene. The letter stating emphatically that Grant is out to kill her.
The lesson here is if you are afraid to shock convention then you should rethink your casting-- and this goes for comic artists as well-- your characters should think and act like real people but they shouldn't be so conforming that the ending is spelled out right from the beginning. You should never tell a story the way you think someone wants it to be told, you should be true to yourself and tell it the way you want to.
Had Hitch stuck to his guns and kept his original ending this could have been a great film. As it stands it's a solid entry in his film legacy but far from the masterpiece it could have been.
For examples of Hitchcock films that absolutely work, both storewise and casting check out;
1. Shadow of a Doubt (1942) which I believe was Hitch's way of correcting Suspicion. It's essentially the same story.
2. Rear Window (1954)
3. Notorious (1946)
4. Vertigo (1958) Confusing as all get out-- but there's a lot of story in there
5. North by Northwest (1959) A bit too polished but a really good movie.
6. To Catch a Thief (1956) The best Batman film ever made that doesn't actually feature Batman.
7. Psycho
FREE Friday Art Piece
Last week's winner should be getting their package any day now.
This week, offering up a free piece of original art discovered when I cleaned out my studio. The piece could be anything, used in publication somewhere, you don't get to pick but I will fill you in as to what it is.
Email your name and address to andy@hebsandfish.com and I'll draw a random winner. No limit to the number of wins, so enter even if you've gotten something in the past-- you never know. It's all completely random with the names drawn out of a Batman cowl by my dog Allie who thinks we should do this more often.
Things to DO: Third Thursday at WAM
Tonight-- WAM Third Thursday
Third Thursdays LIVE: Music: Pueblo Nuevo Band, Tour: WAM Director, Jim Welu
Art - Party/Dance
Thursday, June 16, 2011
5:30 PM-8:00 PM
5:30 PM-8:00 PM
Outdoors, weather permitting/The Museum Cafe
Chill out to the Latin jazz/Spanish pop sounds of the Pueblo Nuevo Band and visit the galleries with WAM's very own Director, Jim Welu. Always great company, cash bar.
Cost: FREE for Members; $14 nonmembers
Director Jim Welu is retiring soon, so this is one of your last chances to hang with possibly the coolest museum director in North America.
It's a fun, relaxed time, and if the weather permits a great chance to sit in the courtyard and take in the splendor.
FLY; A TRUE STORY COMPLETELY MADE UP Now on The Nook
You can still get it in print via that Amazon link to the left, but my graphic novel FLY; A TRUE STORY COMPLETELY MADE UP is now on The Nook. They notified me just a couple of days ago and to be honest in the middle of working on WEREWOLVES and DRACULA I had completely forgotten about my old friend Fly.
It's the story of a little guy who wants to fly someday. Starting tomorrow I'm going to run a FLY Webcomic preview while DRACULA will continue to run on weekends.
Head on over to Barnes and Noble dot com and do a search for Andy Fish-- you'll find 8 of my titles over there. OR you can go direct.
It's the story of a little guy who wants to fly someday. Starting tomorrow I'm going to run a FLY Webcomic preview while DRACULA will continue to run on weekends.
Head on over to Barnes and Noble dot com and do a search for Andy Fish-- you'll find 8 of my titles over there. OR you can go direct.
MOVIE MONDAY: TCM This Week; Sherlock Holmes
Ben Cumberbatch? Meh.
Robert Downey Jr? Please.
Jeremy Brett? Hmm. Okay, Jeremy Brett is the best Sherlock Holmes but second to him is Basil Rathbone and you can catch a four pack of his movies today starting at 1:30pm-- set your DVR or call in to work.
On Wednesday night at 8 you can catch Robert Mitchum as a deranged serial killer in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER-- one of the greatest of all suspense films from director Charles Laughton.
While on Thursday night you can tune in for the monster movie lineup with ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN at 8. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially if she's fifty feet tall.
Finally on Saturday night on the Essentials you have 1938's BRINGING UP BABY-- anyone who hasn't seen this laugh out loud farce with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn should cancel plans and plop themselves in front of the TV and get ready for some really great moments.
SUSPICION: Hitchcock's Misfire
Many of my former students read this blog, as well as a great deal of upcoming writers who frequently ask questions about writing.
I think one of the best ways to examine effective storytelling is to look at the misfire of a master. In this case, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION (1941)-- get past the fact that it's in black and white. For those of you who are illustrators it will allow a chance to see some fabulous compositions.
We're going to pick apart this entry in the Hitchcock canon featuring Joan Fontaine as a woman who may or may not be in love with a murderer.
There is a lot to like about this one, but we can learn a lot from what went wrong here. There are many elements that work but some, not the least of which is the ending, that don't.
So I want you, the aspiring writer or even the writer who just wants to learn their craft-- to go out and rent this movie so we can talk about it together. It's available at most public libraries and through Netflix so rent it and then come back here next week and we'll start the examination.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely wife Veronica!
I think one of the best ways to examine effective storytelling is to look at the misfire of a master. In this case, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION (1941)-- get past the fact that it's in black and white. For those of you who are illustrators it will allow a chance to see some fabulous compositions.
We're going to pick apart this entry in the Hitchcock canon featuring Joan Fontaine as a woman who may or may not be in love with a murderer.
There is a lot to like about this one, but we can learn a lot from what went wrong here. There are many elements that work but some, not the least of which is the ending, that don't.
So I want you, the aspiring writer or even the writer who just wants to learn their craft-- to go out and rent this movie so we can talk about it together. It's available at most public libraries and through Netflix so rent it and then come back here next week and we'll start the examination.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely wife Veronica!
FREE FRIDAY Comics Care Package
Subscribe to my blog or follow me on Twitter and you'll be entered to win a cool comics care package.
Just Subscribe over on the right or follow AndyTFish on TWITTER and then Send your email and snail mail address over to me at andy@hebsandfish.com and I'll draw a name from the entries and send you your very own comics care package. It'll come loaded with a bunch of junk I don't want anymore but you might like as I desperately try and clean out my studio again.
It'll be a random drawing, and there will likely be some original art in there too-- so ENTER today-- I'll take names up to Midnight tonight Eastern Time and I'll announce the winner next Friday.
No paying for shipping, no nothing on your part.
Things Thursday; HERCULOIDS
THE HERCULOIDS was a show created during Hanna Barberra's superhero heyday-- around 1966 when the Batman TV Series was a monster hit. The studio jumped on the bandwagon and brought such shows at SPACE GHOST, Frankenstein Jr and a host of others-- but The Herculoids was one of the best. Designed by legendary comics artist and illustrator Alex Toth, it's available through WARNER ARCHIVES later this month.
It'll be in my collection.
The Journal of Artist and Writer Andy Fish. Expect a wide range of topics, but it'll be updated everyday so check on back. Tomorrow's might be better.
2025 APPEARANCES
OAX 2025 ORLANDO FLORIDA JAN 24-26
SC COMIC CON GREENVILLE, SC. APR 5-6
Contact Jack Mucciano to arrange Andy & Veronica Fish personal appearances
jackmucciano@gmail.com (774) 275-3023
Andy Fish is a freelance Comic Artist interested in Freelance Jobs.
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