Happy Birthday Act-i-Vate!
Another birthday being celebrated today is the web collective ACT-I-VATE which launched six years ago. Meaning a baby born that day would now be in school. Yikes. Founder Dean Haspiel celebrates here. It's been six years of some outstanding comics and memorable parties; THE ACT-I-VATE PRIMER is a really gorgeous book well worth tracking down if you don't have a copy.
Continue ReadingPreview: GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AFRICAN-AMERICAN CLASSICS
In the spirit of the holiday, here are some pages from AFRICAN-AMERICAN CLASSICS, an anthology of stories and poem by early African-American writers, famed and obscure, into comics by a similarly talented range of cartoonists. A few sample pages:
Continue ReadingHappy 2012 to all!
Well, we made it to another year. Amazing! Thanks to my fine writers and editors: Torsten, Todd, Jen, Shannon, Kate, Marc-Oliver, Paul O., Paul M. and Bruce for all their hard work. Thanks to Synsidar for the copy-editing help. Thanks to all my wonderful friends and pals who kept me sane: Zena, Nisha, Amy, Charlene, Desi, Trish, Sara, Elim, Dave B., Frank B., Charles, Calvin, Suzu, and everyone else who helped out. Special thanks to Ben McCool, for living up to his name. But the biggest thanks of all to all of you who make The Beat a part of your daily ritual. I'm entering my 10th year of running a daily website and to say that it isn't a lot of work, would be inaccurate. But knowing that so many people enjoy coming here every day is what inspires me to keep going and to improve things. Bigger and better things are coming for The Beat in 2012...and hopefully for each and every one of you reading this.
Continue ReadingHoliday viewing: The Star Wars Holiday Special
Nothing tops off a holiday like a nice slice of cheese. The Star Wars Holiday Special, in case you missed the briefing, aired for the first and only legitimate time on November 17, 1978. It was the very first filmed Star Wars spin-off and introduced to the Star Wars mythos Boba Fett, the planet of the Wookies, and Life Day. It also introduced to the Star Wars universe characters played by Art Carney, Harvey Korman and Beatrice Arthur -- all sitcom stars of the era. In case you haven't figured it out, it was a mystically horrific comedy/musical that was, if not the worst thing ever associated with Star Wars, then at least the most ludicrously inappropriate.
Continue ReadingHoliday reading: Dave Roman’s Christmas Cartoon Timeline!
Cartoonist/writer/editor Dave Roman has created a Christmas Classic:
Continue ReadingHoliday reading: “…And All Through The House…”
An EC classic by Johnny Craig for some holiday ho ho horror.
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Merry Christmas from THE BEAT!
From all of us to all of you -- the very happiest and safest of holidays.
Continue Reading20 Days of Christmas: Next Media Animation
Those Taiwanese animators are at it again with a Christmas scandal...and wishes.
Continue Reading20 Days of Christmas: Alexis Frederick-Frost
We'll take this occasion of reprinting this year's Center for Cartoon Studies holiday card by Alexis Frederick-Frost to note that thanks to a 12 hour cable outage on my block I've had to repair to the local Not Starbucks for internet. Dear god, this place is a madhouse of men in business suits yapping about plans along with three plucky students from nearby Baruch who looked to have pitched a tent amid empty yogurt containers and one Unabomber type in the back corner typing on a seedy black netbook.
Continue Reading20 days of Christmas: The Yule Log
This is no comics content, but many folks have some of their fondest Christmas Eve and Christmas Day memories of staring at a film loop of a burning Yule Log on TV while seasonal tunes gently play in the background. Yes, the video Yule Log has burned its way into the hearts of America. Happily, you can watch and listen to the Yule Log any time just by going to this link, which is new for 2011. Its also available in SD, HD and 3D via free Video On Demand (VOD), and also on many cable systems—check your systems free on demand listings to find it.
Continue ReadingGift Guide: Secret Headquarters
The Secret Headquarters comics shop in LA has been posting some gift suggestions from staffers, and Malachi's are excellent, but so are Part Two and Part 1. Some great ideas there. Go down to Secret Headquarters in you're near or your favorite comics shop or indie bookstore if you're not and support a small business! I did a lot of my holiday shopping as a craft show this weekend and not only got a) unique items you won't see at old Navy at a similar price and b) supported artists and craftspeople. Your giftees will appreciate it!
Continue Reading20 Days of Christmas: Officer Downe by Joe Casey and Chris Burnham
An ultra violent blend of Paul Blart, the Village People, Robocop and Axe Cop (although it came first), Joe Casey and Chris Burnham's Officer Downe wishes us happy holidays in preparation for this week's debut of the Officer Downe: Bigger Better Bastard Edition. Artist Burnham has since gained fame as a Batman artist, so there's that, too.
Continue Reading21 Days of Christmas: Diana Tamblyn
Have a Silver Surfin' Christmas with Diana Tamblyn's Marvel holiday cards.
Continue Reading20 Days of Christmas: The Angry Birds Christmas Comic
Did you think I was going to miss this one? The noisy birds from the world's most popular mobile game are back with a new Christmas comic which is rolling out a page a day. See how the blue bird functions as the triplicate chorus, a la Huey Dewey and Louie?
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