Not only 35 years old- but it features a bloody lovely Mike McMahon cover: I actually started reading 2000AD with Prog 86 when another British comic called Starlord folded and merged with it. Around that same time I was reading Savage Sword of Conan and the Star Wars Weekly- with extra helpings of a lot of the British humour mags : Whoopee, Whizzer and Chips and the like...
Looking back I'm surprised that I didn't pick up on it for nearly a year and a half, especially as I was always picking up new comics in the local newsagents...how 2000AD passed me by for so long - I have no idea!
Most people in the industry of a certain age (whether it be in film or comics) always mention Star Wars as the defining moment when they decided "this" is the type of stuff that they want to do with their life! It's true for me also, to some extent-- but I think I would have to give that pride of place to 2000AD.
While Star Wars was definitely one of the many sparks; 2000AD was quite literally the 'blaze' that kept me engrossed with incredibly imaginative ideas, story content and characters for the longest time...
I must admit I do enjoy my digital tunes, they are immediate and compact- meaning I can have a ridiculous amount of music on my ipod at any given time.
In saying that, I do miss the days of going to record stores and picking up Vinyl - it just seemed you got a little more bang for your buck- gatefold sleeves for one, I mean in general the bloody size of them was impressive opposed to your little cassettes and then your CDs and now, well...there's nothing of any tangible value whatsoever...
There was just something more personal about owning an album or a record; even the scratches held distant memories (-usually being too pissed to place the needle on the record properly in my case...) The sound of the needle was a comforting sound in itself-- like the rumble of a train as it moved towards it's track 1 destination... (bit of a wanky metaphor- but bear with me...)
I do also remember my sister and myself as kids using a bunch of my dad's Beatles and old Elvis singles as stepping stones-- and the sound they made as they crunched under our feet...
Solicitation for DARK HORSE PRESENTS #10 went up early December...It would be a bit remiss of me not to give it a mention on the blog...
Hopefully you've all pre-ordered already;)
I've been working on UXB for quite some time now(as most of you know...) and to have it picked up by DH was really quite something, and now when I see the list of who I am going to be featured along side...well, that's just the icing on the cake.
I put a LOT of work into the UXB strip that's featured in this issue and think you'll all dig it!
...
If you do decide to pick it up I promise I'll never use the term 'dig it' again!
You cool cat cats you...
DETAILS BELOW (taken from CBR)
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #10 Brian Wood (W), Colin Lorimer (W/P), Carla Speed McNeil (W/P), Steve Niles (W), Evan Dorkin (W), Al Gordon (W), Steve Horton (W), Andrew Vachss (W), Neal Adams (W/P), M. J. Butler (W), Kristian Donaldson (P), Christopher Mitten (P), Thomas Yeates (P/Cover), Michael Dialynas (P), Geof Darrow (P), Mark Wheatley (P), and Fiona Staples (Variant cover)
On sale Mar 21
FC, 80 pages
$7.99 Ongoing Evan Dorkin is unleashed in House of Fun, and Steve Niles weaves another web of paranormal intrigue in Criminal Macabre: They Fight by Night. Three brothers in a grim, postwar England of the future are given experimental suits that could make them the saviors of mankind—that is, if they can ever get past their obsessions with film, violent video games, and porn in Colin Lorimer’s UXB! Brian Wood’s The Massive finishes up, Carla Speed McNeil begins an epic new arc of Finder: Third World, Al Gordon and Thomas Yeates’s centennial celebration of Tarzan concludes, and much more!
I didn't expect much of this movie and actually just stuck it on as background noise as I was working. Now having watched it three times (that's a rarity for me nowadays...) I would have to say it is one of the best horror movies I have seen in years! My hat is off to the director Ben Wheatley for delivering a movie that quite literally floored me.
I won't say anymore than that- highly recommended!
I also just heard about this:
A sequel to The Wicker Man...with Robin Hardy as writer /director- say it ain't so....!!!
The Wicker Man is one of my all time favourite movies- along with Night of the Demon and Village of the Damned ...and of course If, O Lucky Man, Through a Glass Darkly( Okay- don't get me started on my top movies or this will be a very long post)
...did I mention On the Buses?
Anyhow- looks interesting. I'll certainly be checking it out....
Break is a movie written, directed and, edited by Becky and Nick Sayers.
Reunited for the weekend, a group of friends are driven to violence when an unknown force seems to bring out the worst in them. Who will be the first to break?
I was sent a screener version of this movie some time ago and think it's about time I got my ass into gear and wrote a review.
The movie itself is reminiscent of old-school fare; early Raimi, Argento and Romero I feel would be a fair comparison. Comparisons could also be made to the movies The Signal and The Crazies but Break takes a much different direction once it gets going.
What struck me most was how well it was directed. It has a hand-held feel, almost documentary style and the constant motion of the camera only helps to add to the general feeling of unease that the movie is obviously trying to purport. The almost jump cut style of editing plays well too and they really know how to frame a shot and keep the story moving forward. The art direction in places is excellent; the use of colour to help imply a mood or scene change is clever and used to great effect.
The acting is quite good; serviceable in some areas whilst more effective in others. The scenes with Jonathan Bruno (Hector)and Melissa Fisher(Angela) in particular played very well- the confined one room set with only two actors to deal with seemed to help focus the director(s) both in story and visual and it's here where the film really shines. Bruno has a genuine screen presence and his rather calm demeanor, delivering his lines in an almost somnambulistic state only helped add to the creep factor. I wouldn't be surprised if we see this guy Bruno in a few years having been caught for some nefarious dirty deeds of his own....drowning dwarfs or experimenting on his own rat-chickens!
My only criticism would be that could do with another edit pass- I felt some sequences were a little on the long side and could be tightened up somewhat.
There is without a doubt some real talent involved here and that coupled with their obvious passion for the craft - it can only be onwards and upwards!
I look forward to their next venture.
It's not easy when your self financing while also trying to manage every aspect of the process along the way when trying to get something like this to final. It takes courage and great perseverance so I would urge you to get over to Becky's blog and give her your support.
I actually started reading 2000AD with Prog 86 when another British comic called Starlord folded and merged with it. Around that same time I was reading Savage Sword of Conan and the Star Wars Weekly- with extra helpings of a lot of the British humour mags : Whoopee, Whizzer and Chips and the like...
