Kibbles ‘n’ Bits, 11/27/13: Boreas, how I fear thee

This fellow here is Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind. Today he is going to make a lot of people very very unhappy; I hope I’m not one of them.

§ Following up on some of yesterday’s chitter chatter, here’s another young cartoonists writing some criticism, in this case Jack Turnbull Studios on LIFE ZONE by Simon Hanselmann which he calls Comic Book of the Year. It’s a long, informative piece:

Hanselmann starts where these artists left off and goes a step further, thus forwarding the medium of comic books. While his work is comical, it is less ironic and casual than CF or Jones. There are very few rendering mistakes in Life Zone, if any. Visible eraser marks are not in it and the character’s proportions are consistent. This is either an advancement or a set back depending on what you are looking for in art; while Hanselmann’s illustrations are less DIY in aesthetic than the handmade triumphs of the Golden Age of Fort Thunder, his end result is the illusion of a self contained universe ready to be picked up by Adult Swim. Hanselmann’s illustrations are also watercolored on bristol as opposed to Jone’s digital coloring or CF’s paint on computer paper that are more often than not engulfed by large portions of white surface. Hanselmann’s color job hits all four corners of the panel and the effect makes all the difference, putting him in a league of his own. Hanselmann barely uses a computer, which adds to the intimate nature of the object.

§ I was a little confused, like everyone, by them canceling the Waid/Samnee Daredevil, but now all has been revealed! It was just an excuse for a new #1! 20 comics marketing ideas that always work. Anyway, who can resist Chris Samnee’s cover?

§ Samuel Sattin on how Man of Steel neglects Superman’s well-confirmed roots as an avatar of Jewish immigrant culture:

The latest film incarnation of Superman, Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” stirred in me a deep, distressing sense of unease. Not due only to the pallid and insensate pacing of the story, or the uncharacteristically disaffected treatment given to Kal-El’s self-discovery as a defender of mankind, but because the most famous of all American superheroes had fallen out of touch with his roots. Notably, his Jewish, immigrant roots.

§ Comics Alliance is rolling out The Best Comic Book Cover Artists of 2013, and here’s one by Declan Shalvey.

§ Alex Dueben interviews Zeina Abirached, whose A Game for Swallows depicts her youth in Beirut.

When I was a child my parents had a lot of Franco-Belgian comic books at home I used to read a lot. We had a lot of time to read during war! I realize now I learned to read French by trying to decipher the words of Tintin, Asterix, Gaston and Lucky Luke. Later, I discovered, in the only comicbook store we had in Beirut in the late 90‘s–unfortunately it doesn’t exist anymore, as you may now Beirut is in constant mutation and the bookstore is now a trendy cafe–the books of David B., Tardi, Gotlib, Dupuy and Berberian, Art Spiegelman, Chris Ware, Munoz, etc.

§ Shannon Wheeler’s Too Much Coffee Man opera is being staged again, for one night, in Berkeley. That thing has legs!

§ New graphic novel prize in the UK:

Award-winning novelist Meg Rosoff, critic and blogger Andy Oliver, and cartoonists Woodrow Phoenix and Nicola Streeten are among the judges of the 2014 First Fictions First Graphic Novel Competition, launched today by Brighton-based independent publisher Myriad Editions in its mission to provide opportunities for cartoonists, writers and artists who have not previously published a full-length graphic work. The biennial competition, founded in 2012, offers the winner the chance to develop their work with Myriad’s creative and editorial team, with a view to contract and publication. The winner of the inaugural competition was the much-acclaimed The Black Project by Gareth Brookes, whose work was created entirely by embroidery and lino-cuts.

§ Spike Lee gives some terse insights into the comic book origins of his new Oldboy film;

And in some ways he felt that this – because of the heightened reality – this was your, Spike Lee’s, comic book movie. Would you agree with that sentiment?

Spike Lee: I would have to think about that! Me and Michael have to have a conversation why he thought that, but I never thought of that. That might be a good analogy, maybe, but that never crossed my mind.

§ Some excellent, well-sourced Kremlinology on Marvel Studios by Adam B. Vary at, of all places, BuzzFeed. Well, they did say they were going to do long-form pieces.