Drinking with Comics Half-Pint

New Half-Pint entry into our 'micro-series' where we discuss Eric Powell's The Goon, his collaboration with John Carpenter on the Big Trouble In Little China sequel book from BOOM! Studios and, er, social ills and how pouring beer on yourself can help them...?

Trailer: David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars

This looks nuts, but in a very restrained, new Cronenberg kind of way. Which is good.

My Suggestions for the Top 5 Graphic Novels Everyone Should Read

This week's Thee Comic Column over on Joup is the 100th edition! To celebrate I've compiled this list - it's not necessarily a list of my favorite five - though it's probably close - but the suggestions I would give to anyone - my mom, your sister, Sister Ray, Billy Joel - whoever on how to break in to comics. Because honestly, I feel these books transcend whatever anyone could expect of them and could all shatter whatever misconceptions keep people from giving the comics/GN's a fair shake.

Scratch Acid - Live Set in Austin, 1985

The sound quality isn't spectacular but it's from 19-freakin'-85 so what could we expect, eh? Mr. Brown sent this to me some time ago and I'm (criminally) just getting around to watching it now. Yow is in good form, although he doesn't seem quite as insane as his Lizard days. I should add I never had the chance to see Scratch Acid live but became a fan after reverse engineering from The Jesus Lizard. This is pure musical archeology here; for the record, as it were.

Serengeti - The Whip

Okay, I kind of feel as though I'm doing this song a disservice pulling it out of the context of Serengeti's breathtaking 2011 record Family and Friends but I just have to. If the album's a masterpiece - which it most assuredly is - then this song is the pinnacle of that masterpiece; the facet in which every theme reaches a harmonic crescendo of skill and emotion that vibrates at an occult frequency that affects the listener - or at least this listener - in a way that feels as though it confirms and encapsulates life and all its highs and lows in their entirety. This track makes me straight up cry.

Good show Serengeti. Once, long ago I was foolishly afraid you would always be Kenny Dennis, the "Dennehy" guy. You're not that guy anymore; by my count your just about the only person making rap music left that is still worth a damn and Family and Friends is a hip hop masterpiece that completely transforms and transcends the genre.
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I interviewed Serengeti back in 2010. You can find both parts to that here and here.

Drinking w/ Comics #12

Had a great time doing this one! Jessica was truly gracious, the Lost Coast Brewery Downtown Brown has replaced every other Brown Ale as my favorite and the Rick Remender drinking game is officially retired!

Stray Toasters!

Bill Sienkiewicz's Stray Toasters is the topic of discussion in this week's Thee Comic Column over on Joup. This book freaked me out as a kid and, honesty, still freaks me out to this day.