More NonSense: 10th Anniversary Edition

The Pixel Project

February marks ten years of this blog's existence. Unfortunately, I won't be able to sustain it for much longer. Computers cost money, which is in short supply right now. And my present machine is in desperate need of repairs I can't afford. So I don't know how long before I can get things sorted out. This could be the occasion where I decide it's just not worth the effort to carry on. But let's get on with this month's news before I go, for now.

DMG Entertainment has purchased Valiant. Strangely, I can't seem to care given the publisher's relatively small profile.

Forbes has an article on longtime Marvel scribe Brian Michael Bendis and his move to DC, a deal which also includes the transfer of his creator-owned titles to the new publisher.

"It just so happened I was back in Cleveland for the first time in years for my brother's wedding, when the offer was put forth [by DC]. I went to visit my friend John [Skrtic] who runs the Cleveland public library — we grew up together — and he had a Superman exhibition. And I walked in there and it was like the universe was speaking to me, telling me 'Oh you've got to do this!' And it flooded back to me in the biggest way possible, and here we are." ... 

"Number one, DC is going to be hosting Jinxworld as a whole," he said, "so everything I've ever done in the creator-owned world will be coming to DC. And on top of that, we’ll be debuting brand new material, brand new series that I think will be exciting for the marketplace and for fans, stuff I haven't tried before and stuff people have been begging us for. We'll be debuting that all this year." 

"And number two," Bendis continued, "separate from Jinxworld, is that I will be hosting and curating an imprint, a custom imprint not unlike what Gerard Way is doing with [DC imprint] Young Animal. It's going to be a select series of special comics, and we'll debut what those are later in the year. I'll be writing some of those and curating the others, but they'll all be under this imprint and add a very special flavor to the DC Universe. I'm happy to say it will star some of my all-time favorite DC characters in unique situations, and that I could not be more excited for."

Jules Feiffer profiled by Michael Cavna.

The Dora Milaje, from Black Panther (2018).

As the latest entry from a Marvel Cinematic Universe currently celebrating its first decade, Black Panther is more than just a superhero film. Its impressive box office numbers have shattered Hollywood conventional wisdom that blockbusters staring people of color can't succeed financially.

But as the first film in a successful franchise fronted by a powerful black man and a phalanx of formidable and inspiring women, Black Panther came in with higher expectations than simply making back its expenses. And in this regard, it also succeeded. The MCU has dealt with politics before, notably with terrorism and imperialism. However, politics is at the heart of this film. Black Panther tackles an array of issues with surprising poignancy: Pan Africanism, the African diaspora, slavery, racism, isolationism, Afrofuturism, even as it leans hard into Stan Lee's and Jack Kirby's goofy sci-fi ideas. This results in a film where the primary antagonist Erik Killmonger isn't your standard world-conquering villain, but a revolutionary backed by justifiable grievances, even as his toxic masculinity obviously undermines the very legitimacy of his extremist methods. Given that Wakanda, a fictional nation possessing the most advanced technology in the world, chose self-imposed isolation when it had the power to stop the colonization and enslavement of Africa at its very inception, he has a point.

Black Panther's emotional impact is reminiscent of last year's Wonder Woman in its presentation of an empowering tale when the communities it addresses are under renewed assault from longstanding reactionary forces. But as befits an MCU film, the final product is funnier and more generous.

An interview with Reginald Hudlin.

Evan Narcisse recommends 30 Comics You Should Read for Black History Month (including Black Panther).

Abraham Reisman on Don McGregor's run on Black Panther.

Tucker Stone and David Brothers on McGregor's classic Black Panther arc "Panther's Rage".

James Whitbrook lists Black Panther's most memorable comic book moments. But including the annulment of his marriage of Storm? That's cold.

Abraham Reisman recommends 5 Black Panther Comics to Read.

Tegan O'Niel explains how Green Arrow became a jerk.

Heidi MacDonald praises the top 20 selling graphic novels of 2017 for its diversity.

DC unveils new imprints aimed at younger readers.

A guide to the work of the late Ursula K. Le Guin. Neil Gaiman payed tribute to her during the 2014 National Book Awards. The rest of the literary world reacts to her passing.

A profile on the late Marc Campos on TCJ.

RIP Mort Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018), best known as the creator of Beetle Bailey.

Cartoon: Magic Forest

Go to: Study Group Comics, by Ansis Purins

Cartoon: Black and Red

Go to: The Nib, by Tanna Tucker and Nestor Castillo

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Graphic Novel Adaptation

Story Adaptation: Alessandro Ferrari
Layout: Simone Buofontino
Inks/Clean Up: Igor Chimisso
Character Studies: Igor Chimisso
Background/Settings: Massimo Rocca, Davide Turotti
Characters: Kawaii Creative Studio
Cover: Eric Jones

Star Wars created by George Lucas.

IDW Publishing’s graphic novel adaptation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes in at a compact length of under 80 pages. It’s a mostly faithful shot for shot recreation of the 2015 film in comic book form. A few scenes are omitted or their order is occasionally flipped to move things along. No new material is inserted into the film’s story. There is a price to pay for such economy. The comic adds nothing of note to the source material, other than the novelty of seeing it in the hands of an alternative set of artistic sensibilities. And the book’s directive to tone down the violence results in an anemic reading experience. The supposably high stakes (the fate of entire worlds hang in the balance) don’t come across as dire enough to possess any urgency on the page.

For anyone just looking for a printed version of the film to carry around, the half-dozen illustrators listed at the back of the book do a good enough job with the film’s futuristic technology and exotic locales. But everything feels cramped, which is a big problem for a narrative dependent on enchanting the reader with its fantastic setting. Events move briskly without allowing for some breathing room to admire what's taking place. Comics is a medium that manipulates the reader’s sense of time, but this comic’s pacing feels disjointed as it races from scene to scene.

And when some scenes or lines of dialogue are streamlined, this has a negative impact on the story’s character beats. The whole plot is basically a race to find the last jedi Luke Skywalker. But that objective seems to get lost as former stormtrooper Finn and scavenger Rey stumble from place to place. When they finally run into infamous smuggler (or is he a Rebel Alliance hero) Han Solo and copilot Chewbacca, the emotional impact of the meeting is so deeply underplayed that Han seems remarkably unconcerned considering that these two strangers he just met might be holding the key to finding Luke.

But the book isn’t really interested in adult comic book nerds. The pseudo-Disneyfied cartoon designs for the characters indicate IDW is trying to corner a younger demographic for the Star Wars franchise. So key elements like elaborate dogfights with spaceships or whatever implied sexual tension that would launch a thousand ships are put aside for “BEEBEE-ATE” and Rey behaving like the plucky hero. In this respect, she’s an acceptable role model.

Cartoon: The NFL’s White Supremacy Problem

Go to: The Nib, by Mike Dawson

Cartoon: The Dictator or the Emperor?

Go to: The Nib, by Ghadi Ghosn and Yazan Al-Saadi

Cartoon: It Doesn’t Have to Be Man vs. Machine

Go to: The Nib, by John McNamee

Cartoon: Arlington is More Than a Cemetery

Go to: The Nib, by Jackie Roche

Cartoon: I Said I Was Done With Dieting

Go to: The Nib, by Meghan Lands

Flying Witch Vol. 1

By Chihiro Ishizuka
Translation: Melissa Tanaka

On first hearing of its premise, Flying Witch sounded like secondhand Hayao Miyazaki. A teenage witch in training “packs up her belongings (including a black cat familiar) and moves in with her distant cousins in rural Aomori to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch.” But the manga is actually closer to the popular Yotsuba&!, with the lead character Makoto Kowata as the oddball outsider inserted into the lives of a nondescript family. The magic she occasionally demonstrates is mostly played for comedic effect. Every mundane thing is a source of wonder to her. Creator Chihiro Ishizuka even draws in a streamlined style reminiscent of Kiyohiko Azuma.

With a story like this, a lot depends on the lead character. This is where Flying Witch falls short. As mentioned above, Makoto doesn’t perform a lot of magic. She’s actually not supposed to talk about her abilities to the uninitiated. But the irrepressible Makoto immediately babbles to a classmate she only just met. And her one act of flying in this volume occurs when she puts a broom through its paces at the local market. Those particular scenes make an impact early on. But Makoto isn’t eccentric enough a personality to pull it off every time. Her primary character trait is that she easily gets lost. This plays to diminishing returns every time its used. And it doesn’t help that the people around her, especially most of the members of her host family, can be a little blasé about Makoto’s novice witch status.

Thankfully, the story picks up steam later when members of the magical community show up. A creature called the Harbinger of Spring looks like someone who came out of a Miyazaki feature. And a much more experienced witch drops by to demonstrate how to pull off an ancient spell to Makoto.

It's still not enough to enliven the ordinary setting. Ishizuka is sparing with the use of hyper-detailed backgrounds. The page layouts are pretty boring: rectangular panels composed mostly of talking heads, arranged in two or three tiers. The main characters are very similar in appearance and facial expression. Only Makoto’s ten year old cousin exhibits more varied reactions than the rest of her family. That’s because she’s the only one young enough to be still astonished by the revelation that witches are real, and one of them is now living under the same roof. As far as these opening chapters are concerned, Ishizuka still seems to be working out how to achieve the proper balance between the supernatural and the mundane.

Cartoon Essay: An Equal Opportunity Lie

Go to: Splinter, by Anna Clark and Josh Kramer

Cartoon: Reading ‘Catcher in the Rye’ Today

Go to: The New York Times, by Gilbert Hernandez

Cartoon: Young and Dumb Inside

Go to: The New Yorker, by Emily Flake

More NonSense: Election 2016

Go to: xkcd

Alan Cole loves Randall Munroe's visualisation of the 2016 electoral map.

TCJ has an interview with NBM founder Terry Nantier.

The late Annie Goetzinger profiled by TCJ.

Christopher Priest and his work on Black Panther is profiled by Abraham Riesman.

An unnamed nursing company has accused Stan Lee of repeated sexual harassment; Lee has in turn claimed that he is the victim of a shakedown.

In the latest chapter of DC's deteriorating relationship with Alan Moore, his creation Promethea will be incorporated into the DC Universe. Neither Moore or co-creator J.H. Williams III were consulted:

So, this is without affording me the dignity hearing about it from proper channels. I've not brought this to Alan's attention, doubt he knew, until now. Besides that, I can't in good conscience condone this happening in any form at all.

Lea Hernandez has repeatedly apologised for her work on the defunct Marvel Mangaverse, calling it racist. Lea was the artist for the Mangaverse version of the Punisher. She the urged the publisher to stop reprinting the comics:

Speaking of being a casually racist asshole, I did art for the Marvel Mangaverse Punisher, written by Peter David. It’s racist, and I was uncomfortable when I drew it, but it had been written by Peter, a friend, and approved by an editor.

The main characters, Japanese-Caucasian sisters, were named Hashi Brown and Sosumi Brown. (Update: there’s also a female villain named “Skan Kee Ho.” There was exotification of Asians. I depicted Sosumi, the Punisher, in a sexy kimono alá manga art of “bad” women even as I was careful to dress Hashi in a “schoolgirl” uniform that was mid-thigh length shorts and a jacket, alá Utena. Because I was sick of the sexualization of children, but didn’t grasp that exotification needed to be off the table, too...  

To anyone who was hurt by the racism in Marvel Mangaverse Punisher, of which I was the artist, I offer my deepest apologies. I can’t change the circumstances that led me to be afraid of pushing back, but I am changing how I conduct myself going forward.
I also apologize for taking 17 years to fully comprehend an apology and being accountable for the work was in order... 

Since it’s been reprinted recently, it’s too late to ask Marvel to stop this reprinting Mangaverse Punisher. It’s not to late to ask them to quit reprinting it, though. Marvel, please quit reprinting Mangaverse Punisher. It’s racist.

Apparently, none of the major corporate interests are moving to extend copyrights, despite their imminent expiration as soon as next year.

Iceland

By Yuichi Yokoyama
Translation: Ryan Holmberg

Like audiences of other popular media, comic book readers have been conditioned to expect certain storytelling conventions. This makes reading the manga of Yuichi Yokoyama a unique experience. Yokoyama is an oil painter who exhibited no interest in comics during his youth, whether native or foreign. Yet he’s gone on to create several comics that are gorgeous to look at. At first glance, they contain all the basic vocabulary of the medium: picture panels, word captions, speech balloons, speed lines, etc. But the accompanying genre elements are missing, or at least being suppressed: plot, setting, character development, dramatic conflict, have been drained of their comforting familiarity. Instead, they’re usurped by an uncompromising sensual assault that will leave the reader reeling. Other comic creators have brought their own idiosyncratic design sensibilities to their stories. But Yokoyama’s work feels like an alien lifeform imitating human behaviour.

Take the plot of Iceland. Three strange looking men (at least I think they’re men) show up in the frozen North searching for a fourth individual. They enter a seedy bar to enquire about his whereabouts. Once they find him out back, the four leave town. None of the characters exhibit an inner life. No one offers an explanation for their individual actions. Their speech patterns betray no emotion or personality. They all speak in flat tones. In the end, the reader has no more idea as what just happened in the story. The only thing that indicates any emotional content is an undercurrent of aggression with their interactions, as if every person is sizing up everyone they encounter. The taut atmosphere is a concession to the plot’s pulp influences. Only, there’s no cathartic release in the form of physical violence.

But Yokoyama’s visual aesthetic immediately distinguishes him from more traditional mangaka. Leaning on his fine art background, Yokoyama resorts to modernist figurative abstraction combined with Pop Art typography. His characters look and move as if they were part machine, and wear elaborate patterns on their oddly shaped heads and bodies which obscure recognizable facial features, like a Cubist-inspired squad of extraterrestrial superheroes. This artificiality extends to the unnatural geometry of the icy setting. There’s nothing subtle about Yokoyama’s gaudy structures and bold compositions. And the bombastic nature of the action might vaguely remind Japanese fans of classic manga aimed at young adult males, though filtered through a very different set of artistic sensibilities.

The action, as such, is most evident when the trio enters the bar. They detect a loud repeating noise (DODODODO) as they approach the building,. Once inside, they’re immediately overwhelmed with an audiovisual spectacle. A large television monitor dominates one side of the room, playing nonstop military footage: guns blazing, tanks rolling, planes dropping bombs, soldiers shooting with their firearms, explosions booming. None of the patrons are bothered by the commotion. On the contrary, they seem to thrive in it.

Yokoyama’s ability to convey the sensation of sound is most impressive. The onomatopoeia are displayed as bold, mechanically reproduced Japanese text, spread across each panel. They practically block the reader from viewing the rest of the panel. And this goes on for several pages as double page spreads. Even in a purely visual medium, the noise is deafening. And in a story where very little happens, this is weirdly the climactic scene of the story. It’s a relief (if only a temporary one) when the trio finally leaves the bar.

That is what makes Iceland puzzling even as it is energizes. The book is so loud it denies introspection for even the reader. How can one think with all the noise going on? All one can do is immerse themselves in Yokoyama’s audiovisual pleasures.

Cartoon: The Good War

Go to: The Nib, by Mike Dawson and Chris Hayes

Cartoon: The Man with a Discman

Go to: The New Yorker, by Leslie Stein

Cartoon: Where College Is Free

Go to: The Nib, by Sarah Mirk and Mary Shyne

Cartoon: A Part of Me is Still Unknown

Go to: The Nib, by Meg O'Shea

Cartoon: We Know Why Men Start Fires

Go to: The Nib, by Chris Kindred

Cartoon: Adventures in Geriatric Dogsitting

Go to: The New Yorker, by Gabrielle Bell

Cartoon: An Education in Fear

Go to: The Nib, by Lina Ghaibeh

Webcomic: Year in Review

Go to: How Are You I'm Fine Thanks, by Noelle Stevenson (via Heidi MacDonald)

Cartoon: Being Illegal is Unbearable

Go to: The Nib, by Rawand Issa