Gather ‘round ye mongrels of media as we attempt to satisfy our primal urge to consume!

TV

I started watching Steven Universe and these tasty 10 -12 minute episodes are like candy for my soul. Fun and light and happy.

Warrior Nun - Three episodes in and it’s a bit slow paced and I’m not a fan at all of the narration, but the action is very well done and it seems to be getting better.  I do love how seriously they’re taking a seriously ridiculous concept.

Game of Thrones is on rewatch. Not sure if I’m doing this to try to gain a new respect for some of the show’s lowest moments or just to relive the dragon fights and bastard fights and girl fights and wight fights and Tormund making goofy lusty eyes at Brienne. Also, can we get a GOT X-Files type of spin off with these two please? The first episode can be them figuring out whatever happened to Daario Naharis.

MOVIES

Take Shelter - This is an oldie that I was recently reminded about. Directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Take Shelter is a lazy snake that you’re not quite sure if it’s poisonous or not. Nothing in this film happens fast and everything feels cramped. Whenever Shannon’s Curtis LaForche is on screen he feels ill fit to the world around him. Like he’s wearing clothes that are too big for him and indeed in some scenes he looks that way as well. Chastain as Samantha, displays a weary tension throughout, but has a steady mid-western constitution that allows her to maintain her sanity when things get weird. Watch it, but not if you’re the least bit sleepy.

Life of Pi - In one of my bouts of insomnia I decided to rewatch this. It was as good as I remember and I even teared up. After it was over I found my blessed pillow and drifted of to a dreamland filled with tigers and boats and monkeys.

MUSIC

Crushing - Julie Jacklin (2019)- If you believe a song can have a hauntingly danceable groove look for me at the edge of the dance floor hoping Julia Jacklin will pick me. Body, the opening song to her album Crushing is like walking the hallways of your high school at 2am in the morning. Everything is stuffed with an adult melancholy that the kids only mime in broken hearted text messages. The soft plodding bass and spare drums plucked at my emo heart strings so deftly that my first listen turned into a second third and a then a fourth when I watched the video. Now I’m off to listen to the rest of the album.

Oh My God - Kevin Morby (2019)- Oh my god indeed. I recently stumbled across Kevin Morby and I’m so glad I did. There’s a yearning religiousness that runs through this album, but don’t let that burden you. The music here is haunting, beautiful and vividly illustrative of those parts of America that feel sleepy, dark and a few years behind.

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015) - When this album dropped I remember being slightly disappointed as I was expecting something more in the realm of good kid, m.A.A.d city. After several listens I realized it is very much in the same realm. It’s just that the realm is Kendrick Lamar’s and he roams large. I’ve returned to this album lately as a salve for what’s happening now. It’s a salve and also a guiding light. How can it not be with songs like, Alright and the self realization of Momma and I?

The simple fact is Kendrick is a storyteller from a different time, the future perhaps, or maybe the past. Alternate dimensions are not out of the question. In a time where we are careening wildly from fear to hopelessness to hate to the unknown, Kendrick’s lyrics are the guideposts leading us home.

Tobe Nwigwe - I mentioned him in a WIC recently and was pleasantly surprised when a friend posted a video of him on a track with a guest verse by Paul Wall. The track Juice is a banger through and through with my favorite verse being when Paul calls Tobe, “Too real. True and real. Trill.”

Love What Survives - Mount Kimbie (2017)- Sometimes an album digs deep into your ear like Dig Dig and you can’t shake it no matter what. This is a good good thing. I’d heard a couple of songs from this album (Blue Train Lines with King Krule and Marilyn with Michau), but never gave it a full listen. I finally did and it’s like a lazy drive with the windows down on a cool day that ends with a sweet makeout session at night in a parking lot. Soft, electronic music with a deep soulfulness.

COMICS/BOOKS

Silver Surfer - Parable - This old classic by Stan Lee and Moebius is an interesting ride. It moves at a brisk pace and some of the story feels a bit dated, but it’s always a joy to see work by Moebius.

I re-read Jupiter’s Legacy Part 2 recently and was just as immediately enthralled as I was in my first read. The art from Frank Quitley is as gorgeous as ever and while the story by Mark Millar rushes a bit too fast to the end it’s still a great read.

The History of the Marvel Universe - This plucks all my Marvel nerd boy heart chords. The art is beautiful and while the writing feels a bit cramped as it struggles to fit in all the bits and pieces it’s a must have for any Marvel fan. (Add artist and writer names)

GAMES- I’m still driving with Mario Kart. It’s just too good.

RANDOM NOTES

I have re-discovered candy from my childhood. Obleas Mini Wafers and Gloria’s Goats Milk! I used to get these when I was a kid when my mom went to Mexico and brought them back for me. The Obleas are like tiny tortillas, about the size of a silver dollar, with a caramel filing in the middle. The outside is this super thin wafer that always reminded me of the wafers you get when you take communion. You can eat these without having to admit your sins so that’s great!

The Glorias are like mini sausages, but have nothing to do with meat. They’re made from goats milk and often come with pecans. As a kid I used to eat these by the handful, but now I savor them and take a half a bite and then come back later for the other half. Andalé!

What I’m Consuming 02/27/20

Books/Comics

Finished the Singer’s Gun by Emily St. John Mandel - A lovely somewhat dark story. Her prose is just so seductive and leads so well to the next page the next idea and on and on and on.

Finished the Court of Owls TPB by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullpo and Jonathan Glapion. A good Batman tale that adds to the mythos of Gotham nicely. I’m not the biggest fan of Greg Capullo’s art, but he is a solid artist. He sometimes seems to have difficulty drawing different looking people and relies on highly characterized versions of others.

FinishedGive Me Liberty TPB by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons. This kicked off the Martha Washington series published by Dark Horse Comics. I had actually read Martha Washington Goes to War as a kid, but never followed up to find the rest of the series. I do remember at the time being struck by seeing a main character that was black AND a woman on the front cover of a comic. It just wasn’t something that you saw back then. This was probably around the early 1990’s. This story is great and I highly recommend it. Some story elements are a bit trite and there are some things that happen just to move the story along, but it’s a great read with fantastic art.

Music

DiscoveredBeach House recently and have been loving their 2018 album 7. I also like Bloom, their album from 2012.

Also,Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys is a very good album. I had given it a brief listen in the past and disliked it, but in returning to it now I appreciate it much more. I gave AM another listen too and this along with Tranquility Base has reminded me of why I loved this band so much when they first came out. Their sound has grown and changed, but still remains identifiable as them. A great band that is getting better with age.

Movies/TV

Nocturnal Animals - Beautifully filmed and dark with noirish touches. It’s a simple story with a yearning to be something more. Michael Shannon’s performance really stuck out for me. He’s a supporting actor, but really brings a wonderfully odd touch to the movie.

FinishedSuccession S2. The season ended with glorious mad dash off a cliff. That is a good thing as all the characters were rushing towards said cliff and it was enthralling to see them all cutting each other down even though they were all doomed.

The Outsider is still dark and creepy. Can’t wait till the end.

Started watching Counterpart on Amazon. A detective sci-fi story with J.K. Simmons in the lead role. He is his usual great self and moves the series along with his expressive and sometimes depressive face. It’s shot with a wonderful muted color pallet that helps define the nature of the story and the world it exists in. Not quite done with it yet, as it’s a bit slow moving and doesn’t really lead me to binge watch it. This could be a good thing in actuality as I do sit down and savor it when I watch it.

Video Games

Besides a few Mario Kart races not too much was spent playing games this month.

Work

Finished two huge 5’x3’ portraits I’ve been working on and off on for the past several months. Still need to build the frames for them, but I’m happy to see them done and ready to get them out the door soon.

Been working on my Los Demonios series more.

Also, nearly done with a zine on hand emojis that I’ll put out in the next week or so.

Weather

It’s been fucking cold. I’m over it.

Random Notes

I’ll be at C2E2 in Chicago this weekend, 2/28-3/1