Category: Comics

PUSH THE WALL: MY LIFE WRITING, DRAWING, AND THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Frank Miller is Coming!

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Frank Miller the genius behind Sin City, 300, The Dark Night Returns, Batman: Year One, Ronin and so many more great comic tales has a new book coming.  Here’s the lowdown…

From the all-time bestselling mind behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, 300, and Sin City, Push the Wall is part memoir, part master class for budding artists and writers by one of the greatest living creators whose work has influenced pop culture for decades.

Frank Miller is our greatest living comic book writer and artist.

Frank Miller shares his life, and through, his artistic process. Miller’s artistic influence is evident in so very much of our popular culture, perhaps most notably with Batman — every film adaptation from the past forty years has been influenced by Miller’s work with the Dark Knight.

Simply, Frank Miller has transformed the way comics are told.

Here, Frank’s mix of autobiographical lessons evokes Patti Smith’s Just Kids as it weaves his struggles as a seventeen-year-old kid fresh from Vermont into a seedy 1970s New York City with his eventual success on reimagining Daredevil and Wolverine. From there to Miller’s rescue and revitalization of Batman, to his time in Hollywood, the Sin City comics and film adaptations he would codirect, and the retelling of the Spartans’ last stand in 300. Miller, by constantly challenging himself as an artist and writer on his terms, built an iconoclastic career.

With over a dozen illustrations of Miller’s art, PUSH THE WALL is the work of his career—it is a masterclass as it encapsulates his life in sixteen lessons for the aspiring creative reader.

This will be a must-have for aspiring writers and artists, as well as die hard Miller fans.

PUSH THE WALL Hardcover
PUSH THE WALL Kindle

The Batman Who Strikes Fear Into the Hearts of Evil-Doers by Dustin Nguyen!

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Batman is a character that can work in just about any setting/genre.  Is your Batman the world’s greatest detective?  Do you prefer Batman when played as camp?  Or maybe you like Batman teamed with other superheroes?  Would you prefer as much time be given to Bruce Wayne?  Maybe you like Batman as a mentor to Robin?  Then again, maybe an old man Batman like Frank Miller cooked up is the one that resonates best for you?

While I’ve enjoyed all the versions of Batman described above (and many more), my favorite has always been the Batman that is a creature of the night.  The Batman who just being seen strikes fear into the hearts of evil-doers.  The Batman that is never seen in daylight and is thought by some to be an urban legend.  You know, the kind of Batman in the drawing above by Dustin Nguyen.

Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from “The Expendables” by Andrew Charipar!

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Andrew Charipar is a Florida artist that I met going to conventions throughout the state.  Andrew was always friendly.  Getting a sketch at any show Andrew attended was mandatory.

In addition to his work as an artist, Andrew owns and manages Misfit Corner Comics in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here we have Andrew’s take on Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from The Expendables!

Get Carter by Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist!

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Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist created the Jack Carter piece for pick-up at HeroesCon.  I’ve known Jarrod for years.  He’s a fun guy and an easy artist to deal with.

Jarrod calls himself The Yard Sale Artist because he uses materials that he finds at yard sales, thrift stores and so on. Jarrod passes those savings on to his customers with reasonable prices.

“Dredd” (2012) starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey / Z-View

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Dredd (2012)

Director:  Pete Travis

Screenplay:  Alex Garland; based on Judge Dredd by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra

Stars: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Jason Cope, Tamer Burjaq and Deobia Oparei.

Tagline: Judgment is coming

The Plot…

In a dystopian future law officers are given authority to become judge, jury and executioner (as needed).  These police are called Judges.  The bring law and order to the Mega-City One where 800 million residents eke out a living.

Judge Dredd, a veteran officer is tasked to assess Cassandra Anderson. If Anderson survives the day making appropriate decisions and leving correct setences, she will become a Judge.

Dredd and Anderson are called to the Peach Tree Towers.  There they find three murder victims who had been tortured and skinned before being tossed from one of the 200 storey towers.  The Peach Tree Towers are the home base of Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal.  Ma-Ma is head of a notorius drug cartel.  She was sending a message through the torture murders of the three victims.

Dredd and Anderson capture one of Ma-Ma’s soldiers and decide to take him in for questioning.  Ma-Ma is not going to let that happen.  Ma-Ma and her crew take control of the building’s security room.  They disrupt communications going in or out of the towers.  Ma-Ma then lowers the Tower’s nuclear blast shields.  No one is getting in or out.

Ma-Ma then announces over the Towers communication system that a bounty has been placed on the heads of Dredd and Anderson.  Anyone who kills them will be rewarded.  Anyone who helps them will, along with their families, be executed.

Alone and outnumbered, with no help coming, Dredd and Anderson decide to take the fight to Ma-Ma and her cartel.

Prepare to be judged.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In the comics that Judge Dredd is based on, Dredd is never seen without his helmet on.  Karl Urban refused to take his helmet off for any scenes.

Although Pete Travis is listed as the director of Dredd, many say that Alex Garland directed most of the movie.  Karl Urban has stated this as well.

Karl Urban is excellent as Judge Dredd.  The same for Lena Headey as Ma-Ma.

Dredd (2012) (1932) rates 4 of 5 stars.