Saturday, March 19, 2005

For years I spelled his name wrong. It's still wrong on my con report from 2000, but I'll fix that tonight. In any case, nearly five years after meeting him as San Diego, I met him again and asked permission to post his San Diego effort. He agreed, then I got him to do another sketch, which is considerably different than that first one. You tell me, which do you like better, Sadowski 2000 or this one?

AQUAMAN
by Steve Sadowski
6 February 2005
(permission to post given 6 February 2005 in person)
The Artist's Choice

As a reminder: Almost every sketch in my sketchbook was non-commissioned and done on the floor of a con. These are not the best works of the artists. These are only representative of what the artist can do under pressure in a loud, crowded, and often stressed-out environment. Most of them were done as quickly as possible, to prevent huge lines from forming. Don't judge any of these artists negatively by the artwork you see, instead be as impressed as I am by what they accomplished in far-from-ideal conditions.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

The Saturday Sketch ™ is brought to you by the letters "S", "S" and the number "89", and also courtesy the fine artists who pour their lives into producing wonderful comic books, then come to conventions only to get asked by geeky fangirls for a sketch of Aquaman. Support an artist, buy a comic book.

by Tegan at 8:31 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Friday, March 18, 2005

I'm too busy to blog. Tomorrow.

by Tegan at 8:48 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Ok, so I'm a wee bit behind on my reviewing. I'm working on it...

Nodwick #27: Someone has stolen the henchmen, except for Nodwick. And Nodwick disguises himself so he can be stolen too. Much fun ensues. I wasn't sure this strip would be as funny as a longer story, but it's great. If you don't like the weekly strip, you probably won't like this. If you do, check this book out.

Fallen Angel #19: "Sacred Cows" Part 1 of 2: I don't know who Sachs and Violens are, though I've heard of them somewhere. That doesn't really detract too much from the story, thank goodness. Angel's idea for letting off some steam is ridiculous, but funny. Next issue is the final one, and I'm still not sure if I like this book or not.

Justice League Unlimited #7: "Orphans": This story focuses on Supergirl's attempts to fit in on Earth, and compares her plight to Orion's. Not the best contrast, but it works for the story.

by Tegan at 7:46 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Once again, I was busy pretty much the entire day, and I didn't even get through my short list of blogs today. I don't know when I'll have time to blog again, but probably not tomorrow... and Friday doesn't look good either. And Saturday is right out. So go read another blog.

by Tegan at 8:15 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

I've had a really nice day today, and I just don't feel like reviewing anything for the blog, so I'm not going to. Hope you'll all forgive me. Maybe I'll start catching up with reviews tomorrow.

by Tegan at 9:40 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Today is the Ides of March, which was always a day to celebrate at our house, as it was my father's birthday. So Dad, I hope you'll enjoy this year's helping of corned beef and cabbage, and maybe I'll actually get some spare time to come see you soon.

by Eric at 5:26 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Monday, March 14, 2005

Still haven't reviewed last week's comics, but I'm getting through the pile of library books I had checked out:

Road To Perdition by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. Lone Wolf and Cub set in the Gangster Era. The author even acknowledges the source for some of the inspiration in the introduction to this book. It's solid. Nice art, compelling story. The pacing is excellent, and the way it ends is heartbreaking in many ways. I think my biggest problem with the book is that I don't know just how much is actually "true"... since the historical and the fictional have been blended so well. Well worth a look. I may even have to see the movie someday.

Palestine by Joe Sacco. Another uncomfortable look at people living in unimaginable conditions. As with Safe Area Gorazde, Sacco simply wants to tell the stories that the people tell him. He doesn't judge them, just reports what he's seen. And the result is that you feel deeply their pain, and wonder just how the heck this situation is supposed to be resolved. The book is about the Palestinians, and so tends to favor their side of the story over the Israeli side. I would guess that extremely pro-Israeli readers might find this book impossible to read or believe. I tend to believe it after reading other Sacco books... but as Sacco himself points out, this is hardly the entire story. I came away from this book with a sense of frustration, at the situation portrayed in the book and the leadership on both sides of the conflict that perpetuate the horror and pain. This book offers no solutions nor places any real blame, but it does give you a glimpse into lives that you cannot see any other way.

by Tegan at 7:51 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Cryptozoo Crew #1: "Little Swamp of Horrors" and "The Clan of the Cave Monkeys": Goofy, fun, but lacking the excitement of cryptozoology itself. I really wanted more about the feeling of discovery and hope that goes along with trying to find a cryptid. I wanted more about the search itself. I was looking for a sense of wonder. That left me feeling a bit down on the book, even though it really is a great book. The comedy is fresh and the situations promise to be bizarre and cool. Unfortunately I missed the second issue, which just came out this week, but I hope I'll be able to re-order it. I recommend you give it a try using the samples on the website.

by Tegan at 8:33 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Sunday, March 13, 2005

It is now confirmed that Tusky the Walrus will appear in the new Krypto Animated Series.

Slashdot has torrent links to the Episode 3 Trailer. I can't believe it. I'm actually excited about Star Wars again, for the first time since... since I saw Jar Jar.

Trash Heap reviews Colonia.

Aquaman is a paperweight. *sigh*

by Tegan at 5:29 PM Seattle time - Permalink