See the black dots around the Silver Surfer in the image above? Those dots are called the “Kirby Krackle.” To the uninitiated twenty-first century observer, the dots may seem like a minor artistic embellishment used on a quaint periodical from half a century ago. In actuality these little dots were a kind of minor revolution; a technique employed by a master artist that showcases his … Continue reading REVIEW: KING KIRBY
It is with great pride that I share this rare gem from my childhood, which I recently unearthed on a trip back to my parents’ house in Georgia: “The Gathering of the C-Men” Issue #1! This comic that I made circa 1991 has all kinds of CRAZY stuff going on in it and is, after a considered rereading, actually pretty brilliant in it’s total lack … Continue reading THIS COMIC I MADE IN 5TH GRADE IS KIND OF A DADA MASTERPIECE
I really don’t want to be a hater two years in advance of the Batman vs. Superman movie — which we learned yesterday will be a courtroom drama called Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — but the “Sad Batman” meme that has emerged in wake of that first look at Ben Affleck as Batman has been pretty hilarious. It began when director Zack Snyder … Continue reading WHY SO SAD, BATMAN?
At the top of Buran Theatre’s Magic Bullets, the cast enters singing in a serene choral processional. It’s a brightly composed number that somewhere down the line probably owes a debt to Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell; it’s all about being the “light of the world.” This pious tone continues for a while. But then the register shifts, the music transitions abruptly, and all of a damn … Continue reading A FEW THOUGHTS ON BURAN THEATRE’S MAGIC BULLETS
I’m going to level with you guys. There’s a good chance that I will NOT be reviewing the actual production of Buran Theater Company’s new production Magic Bullets – one of the final performances at the venerable Incubator Arts Project at St. Marks Church, before they close up shop this July. My wife gave birth to our second baby a few days ago so I … Continue reading MAGIC BULLETS PRE-GAME
The WordPress Spam filter deprived us of the following comment from reader Shannan, which was left on my Pre-Game post for #Coriolanus: The mansion is located on the edge of flood plains that keeps him trapped whenever the tides are up. nothing whatsoever to interfere with their clean, harsh, rectilinear design. Directed by Chris Gorak the organisation of this wrap is in the keeping of … Continue reading SPAM COMMENT SHOWCASE: THEIR CLEAN, HARSH, RECTILINEAR DESIGN
In four days Season 6 of AMC’s Mad Men will be released on Netflix Instant. Fifteen days after that, Season 7 will begin airing. My wife and I have just consumed the show’s first 5 seasons at a relentless, insatiable clip over the past three months, so we decided to use the opportunity to take a short break, rather than buying each episode on Amazon. … Continue reading Nothing and Everything – Reflections on the Unsynopsizable Beauty of Mad Men
An Origin story: When I was a little kid, maybe six years old, my dad’s brother and his family moved in with us temporarily. All told it was only a period of about nine months, but my memory has stretched this visit out into something far more mythic. Along with close quarters bonding time with my extended family, something else important happened during that period – … Continue reading REVIEW: KILL SHAKESPEARE
My Pre-Gaming for Gideon Productions’ staging of Kill Shakespeare continues with this post about the IDW comic. The comic Kill Shakespeare attempts to do for the iconic Shakespearean characters what the Avengers and Justice League comics have always done for the iconic super hero characters: establish a shared continuity and execute a massive team-up. I should say upfront that I feel it’s an attempt that … Continue reading KILL SHAKESPEARE PRE-GAME: THE COMIC
As a longtime Shakespeare guy and comic book guy, the IDW comic Kill Shakespeare has been on my radar for a while. Even so, I didn’t make time for it until I stumbled across a small blip on the internet saying that a theatrical production was to be mounted at HERE Arts Center by the fine folks over at Gideon Productions – the daring Brooklyn … Continue reading KILL SHAKESPEARE PRE-GAME: GIDEON PRODUCTIONS
Surreal Time Press 