There are a ton of stray cats in my neighborhood, has been ever since I moved here 5 years ago now. In those five years, not much has changed, as seeing these critters run around is pretty much commonplace. Then a couple weeks ago, one stray decided to make my front porch his home. I've had cats crash on my porch before, but this one was different...he just wouldn't go the hell away!
So what do I decide to do with this wayward kitty? I fed him, and naturally, he decided to make his stay on my porch permanent. I got attached to him, as did Trish, so the next idea that popped in my head was "why not keep the little fucker?" And that was the plan. Trish helped me out quite a bit, even though I was in all honesty a bit apprehensive about taking another cat in as a pet (the last one, Rocco, sadly died about two years ago after clawing his way into a rat poison trap that I forgot about in the basement...still hating myself over that), but there was something about this one. Maybe it was the fact that he was friendly and was more than likely a housecat at some point in the past. Maybe it was because so many times I sat outside to smoke a cigarette he decided to hop on my lap.
In any case, I made the trip to the vet to get him checked out after I decided I was going to keep him. The news wasn't good at all, as he was already progressing in FIV, the feline version of HIV, which is highly contagious among felines. His immune system would progressively get worse and worse over time, and he would end up dying a slow, painful death. So, I decided that it would be best for him to be put down. I won't lie and try to act like my usual hardass persona here, I admit I shed the first tear I've shed in quite some time, over this nameless stray cat. In my heart I know I did the right and humane thing, but that doesn't change the fact that he as an animal didn't deserve to be shuffled out on the street.
The point I'm trying to make here is that if you own an animal, whether it be a cat, dog, or even a fucking squirrel (hello hillbillies), cherish it, love it, and treat it like it should be treated: with care and respect.
Rest well gray stray cat, I wish I could have done more for you.
Back to dick & fart jokes in a few ;)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The 25 Albums That Didn't Make The Cut
The other day I posed a blog citing my personal top 25 albums. Condensing all the albums I love and have loved into one small list wasn't easy, especially when there were so many more that didn't make the final cut. So here, in no particular order, are 25 more albums that didn't (and perhaps should have) make the final cut, enjoy!
"Walk Among Us" - The Misfits
"Static Age" - The Misfits
"Reign in Blood" - Slayer
"Seasons in the Abyss" - Slayer
"Countdown to Extinction" - Megadeth
"...And Justice For All" - Metallica
"Facelift" - Alice in Chains
"Dirt" - Alice in Chains
"October Rust" - Type O Negative
"Purple" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Portrait of An American Family" - Marilyn Manson
"Smash" - The Offspring
"The Crow" Soundtrack
"Burn My Eyes" - Machine Head
"The Downward Spiral" - Nine Inch Nails
"Astro Creep 2000" - White Zombie
"Screaming For Vengeance" - Judas Priest
"Rage Against the Machine" - Rage Against the Machine
"The Marshall Mathers LP" - Eminem
"Beneath the Remains" - Sepultura
"Chaos A.D." - Sepultura
"Sublime" - Sublime
"Urban Discipline" - Biohazard
"Cleansing" - Prong
"Aenima" - Tool
There are certainly a few more that I could have included, but I think that this pretty much sums it all up for me in a nutshell...bitches!
"Walk Among Us" - The Misfits
"Static Age" - The Misfits
"Reign in Blood" - Slayer
"Seasons in the Abyss" - Slayer
"Countdown to Extinction" - Megadeth
"...And Justice For All" - Metallica
"Facelift" - Alice in Chains
"Dirt" - Alice in Chains
"October Rust" - Type O Negative
"Purple" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Portrait of An American Family" - Marilyn Manson
"Smash" - The Offspring
"The Crow" Soundtrack
"Burn My Eyes" - Machine Head
"The Downward Spiral" - Nine Inch Nails
"Astro Creep 2000" - White Zombie
"Screaming For Vengeance" - Judas Priest
"Rage Against the Machine" - Rage Against the Machine
"The Marshall Mathers LP" - Eminem
"Beneath the Remains" - Sepultura
"Chaos A.D." - Sepultura
"Sublime" - Sublime
"Urban Discipline" - Biohazard
"Cleansing" - Prong
"Aenima" - Tool
There are certainly a few more that I could have included, but I think that this pretty much sums it all up for me in a nutshell...bitches!
Monday, September 13, 2010
My 25 All-Time Favorite Albums
Recently (AKA last night) a friend of mine on Facebook wrote a note of her top 15 albums, which I have decided to semi-rip-off here for my own intents and purposes (sorry Steph :P). There is an eclectic mix here to be sure: metal, punk, hip/hop, industrial, goth, and some just plain old funky shit too...
So here's a countdown of my 25 all-time favorite albums that I still cherish today...
25. "In Utero" - Nirvana
24. "The Fragile" - Nine Inch Nails
23. The "Sid & Nancy: Love Kills" Soundtrack
22. "Mother's Milk" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
21. "The Chronic" - Dr. Dre
20. "Ten" - Pearl Jam
19. "Nothing Wrong/Blow" - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
18. "Melissa" - Mercyful Fate
17. "White Pony" - Deftones
16. "Bloody Kisses" - Type O Negative
15. "Badmotorfinger" - Soundgarden
14. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
13. "Far Beyond Driven" - Pantera
12. "The Colour and the Shape" - Foo Fighters
11. "Songs for the Deaf" - Queens of the Stone Age
10. "Deliverance" - Corrosion of Conformity
9. "Rust in Peace" - Megadeth
8. "Pretty Hate Machine" - Nine Inch Nails
7. "Master of Puppets" - Metallica
6. "Disintegration" - The Cure
5. "Superunknown" - Soundgarden
4. "OK Computer" - Radiohead
3. "NOLA" - Down
2. "Vulgar Display of Power" - Pantera
1. "Ride the Lightning" - Metallica
...and there you have it...
...fuckers! :)
So here's a countdown of my 25 all-time favorite albums that I still cherish today...
25. "In Utero" - Nirvana
24. "The Fragile" - Nine Inch Nails
23. The "Sid & Nancy: Love Kills" Soundtrack
22. "Mother's Milk" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
21. "The Chronic" - Dr. Dre
20. "Ten" - Pearl Jam
19. "Nothing Wrong/Blow" - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
18. "Melissa" - Mercyful Fate
17. "White Pony" - Deftones
16. "Bloody Kisses" - Type O Negative
15. "Badmotorfinger" - Soundgarden
14. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
13. "Far Beyond Driven" - Pantera
12. "The Colour and the Shape" - Foo Fighters
11. "Songs for the Deaf" - Queens of the Stone Age
10. "Deliverance" - Corrosion of Conformity
9. "Rust in Peace" - Megadeth
8. "Pretty Hate Machine" - Nine Inch Nails
7. "Master of Puppets" - Metallica
6. "Disintegration" - The Cure
5. "Superunknown" - Soundgarden
4. "OK Computer" - Radiohead
3. "NOLA" - Down
2. "Vulgar Display of Power" - Pantera
1. "Ride the Lightning" - Metallica
...and there you have it...
...fuckers! :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
9/11/01 - Nine Years Later
No matter how hard you may want to try, you can't forget where you were that day...
Personally I can't believe that it was nine years ago that I was a senior in high school, sitting in Journalism class waiting for the bell to ring to go to my next period Algebra class. It was towards the end of class that Mr. Swisher (one of the guidance counselors) came into the room and told our teacher Mr. Levan to turn on the TV. It took a while to sink in at just what I was seeing on the television screen that morning, something that still seems so unbelievable even to this day nine years later.
In the nine years since 9/11, what's really changed and what has really been accomplished? We went to war (which for all intents and purposes hasn't and won't end, regardless of whatever "official" declarations are made) and what did it solve? Nine years, a gasoline crisis, raging prices, and a shitty global economy...other than all that, nothing has changed.
The horror of 9/11 is something that by all rights and purposes should have united us as a people and brought us together, but instead all that it did was amplify racial and religious prejudices and further divide us as a country. Left wings, right wings, conservatives, liberals, Tea-Party douche bags, whatever...we always find a way to label a group of people, when what we should have done is attempt to achieve everything we can to overcome and abolish labels and unite regardless of any skin color or theological differences. Instead, here we are as a people getting pissed off over a mosque being built around Ground Zero (which in all honesty can be understood, but that's a topic for another day) and an asshole pastor in Florida wanting to burn Qurans to garner media attention.
Next year will be a decade since 9/11. A decade...let that sink in. It's hard to believe that it will be ten years next year since everything changed. Even harder to believe that after such a tragic event, we would be characterized by a presidency that only further crippled us as an economic power and a country as a whole, followed by a president who has been marketed as being a glimmer of hope and that has only thus far turned out to be a hype-heavy media magnet. Regardless of what side you classify yourself as, it can be agreed upon here that nine years ago today all those innocent people and the heroes who risked and sacrificed their lives trying to save them all died senselessly...and any honoring of their memory only gets shit on more and more each passing year that we continue not to truly unite and set our differences aside for the greater good, as cliche' as that may sound.
As it stands right now, united or divided, we fall.
In loving memory of all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Personally I can't believe that it was nine years ago that I was a senior in high school, sitting in Journalism class waiting for the bell to ring to go to my next period Algebra class. It was towards the end of class that Mr. Swisher (one of the guidance counselors) came into the room and told our teacher Mr. Levan to turn on the TV. It took a while to sink in at just what I was seeing on the television screen that morning, something that still seems so unbelievable even to this day nine years later.
In the nine years since 9/11, what's really changed and what has really been accomplished? We went to war (which for all intents and purposes hasn't and won't end, regardless of whatever "official" declarations are made) and what did it solve? Nine years, a gasoline crisis, raging prices, and a shitty global economy...other than all that, nothing has changed.
The horror of 9/11 is something that by all rights and purposes should have united us as a people and brought us together, but instead all that it did was amplify racial and religious prejudices and further divide us as a country. Left wings, right wings, conservatives, liberals, Tea-Party douche bags, whatever...we always find a way to label a group of people, when what we should have done is attempt to achieve everything we can to overcome and abolish labels and unite regardless of any skin color or theological differences. Instead, here we are as a people getting pissed off over a mosque being built around Ground Zero (which in all honesty can be understood, but that's a topic for another day) and an asshole pastor in Florida wanting to burn Qurans to garner media attention.
Next year will be a decade since 9/11. A decade...let that sink in. It's hard to believe that it will be ten years next year since everything changed. Even harder to believe that after such a tragic event, we would be characterized by a presidency that only further crippled us as an economic power and a country as a whole, followed by a president who has been marketed as being a glimmer of hope and that has only thus far turned out to be a hype-heavy media magnet. Regardless of what side you classify yourself as, it can be agreed upon here that nine years ago today all those innocent people and the heroes who risked and sacrificed their lives trying to save them all died senselessly...and any honoring of their memory only gets shit on more and more each passing year that we continue not to truly unite and set our differences aside for the greater good, as cliche' as that may sound.
As it stands right now, united or divided, we fall.
In loving memory of all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Things That Have Been Pissing Me Off Lately...
I've been in a bit of a pissy mood as of late. No personal drama going on or anything of that sort, but lately I've just found myself getting automatically pissed off at random times of the day over various things.
Things that have been pissing me off lately include, but are not limited to:
College freshmen
Douche bags that live in their parent's basements that have more PS3 trophies than I do
Douche bags with popped collars
Douche bags that cause other Italians to be labeled as "guidos" even when they're not (ahem)
Douche bags in general
Ultra-conservatives
Timothy Patrick Snyder
94 WYSP for playing the exact same shit for the past decade
AT&T for wanting to charge me out the ass for getting an iPhone
The job market
People who get drunk and feel the urge to sing
The kid who shot me in the ass tonight with a fucking Nerf gun
People who type on their laptops in coffee shops
The asshole who took my lighter
People who give me weird looks on the bus/subway when I'm playing Mario Kart on my DS. Go fuck yourself
Michael Bay for making another Transformers movie
Shia LaDouche for being in another Transformers movie
My comic book script for seeming a lot better as an idea in my head than it is when put to paper
...that's all for now, but I assure you that there will be more!
Suck it!
Things that have been pissing me off lately include, but are not limited to:
College freshmen
Douche bags that live in their parent's basements that have more PS3 trophies than I do
Douche bags with popped collars
Douche bags that cause other Italians to be labeled as "guidos" even when they're not (ahem)
Douche bags in general
Ultra-conservatives
Timothy Patrick Snyder
94 WYSP for playing the exact same shit for the past decade
AT&T for wanting to charge me out the ass for getting an iPhone
The job market
People who get drunk and feel the urge to sing
The kid who shot me in the ass tonight with a fucking Nerf gun
People who type on their laptops in coffee shops
The asshole who took my lighter
People who give me weird looks on the bus/subway when I'm playing Mario Kart on my DS. Go fuck yourself
Michael Bay for making another Transformers movie
Shia LaDouche for being in another Transformers movie
My comic book script for seeming a lot better as an idea in my head than it is when put to paper
...that's all for now, but I assure you that there will be more!
Suck it!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Comics That Deserve Your Time & Attention: The Mind Shattering Conclusion!
Well, here we are.
My last installment of Comics That Deserve Your Time & Attention.
Over the last five installments, I've included a bunch of titles that I feel worthy of your said attention, while also kissing the asses of industry legends Warren Ellis and Frank Miller, but for this concluding installment, I'm going to be doing something a little different...
...these are titles that I myself wasn't too fond of at first, and are perhaps more outside the realm of mainstream comics than just about anything I've included here before, so strap yourselves in folks, this may be a bit of a bumpy ride...
LOST GIRLS
Top Shelf Productions
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Melinda Gebbie
What may be considered practically pornography, Alan Moore's "Lost Girls" is something that he and artist/partner Melinda Gebbie have been laboring over since 1991. Like he did with his "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" series, Moore takes characters from classic literature (in this case, Dorothy of "Wizard of Oz", Wendy of "Peter Pan", and Alice of "Alice in Wonderland") and inserts them into a world unlike they respectively inhabit. In this case, it's a Swiss hotel shortly before World War I where all three meet one another, and provide each other with wildly different, and sexual, takes on the stories from which they are from. Saying "Lost Girls" isn't for everybody is saying it lightly, but "Watchmen" and "V For Vendetta" scribe Moore manages to lace the story with so many themes of love, passion, and even loss, that it's just too hard (no pun intended) to not feel somewhat moved...even when it seems like everybody's shagging everybody else for two and three page spreads.
ANGRY CHRIST COMIX
Image Comics
Writer/Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner
A horror anthology graphic novel featuring Linsner's "Cry For Dawn" stories first printed in the early 90s, albeit these horrors aren't such things as zombies and ghouls. Here, the monsters are human, and all too real as well while being shockingly poignant. Take a look at "Burns Brightest", in which a one night stand results in a young man contracting AIDS. Seeking revenge on the female population, he moves on from one girl to the next, infecting whomever he can on the way, with a shocker of an end result to boot. Other tales, involving lost love, obsession, and even a punk rock vampire, all end up being incredibly chilling.
Y: THE LAST MAN
DC/Vertigo Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Pia Guerra & various others
Yorick Brown is a dorky college kid who, alongside his pet monkey Ampersand, find themselves to be the only male mammals still inhabiting the planet after every other male mammal mysteriously and horrifically die. Soon after, Yorick and the mysterious female Agent 355 traverse the world as he searches for his lost girlfriend Beth and seek to learn just what happened, while dodging insane wanna-be Amazons and other obstacles along the way. A smash hit ongoing series during its entire run, "Y: The Last Man" is fairly well-known and revered, but the simple fact is that this is one comic series that should have attained an insane amount of popularity, simply due to the fact that it's just that damn good. Let's hope that movie adaptation with Shia LeBouf playing Yorick never ever materializes however...
WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE
Marvel/MAX
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Howard Chaykin
Other than having a knack for telling darkly comic and horrific stories, Garth Ennis also has a knack for telling some compelling war stories. With "War is Hell", Ennis re-invents a classic and forgotten Marvel character named Karl Kaufmann, an aviator for the French-based Royal Flying Corps. He's young, naive, and full of ridiculous ideals. As he takes flight in the heat of battle, Karl soon learns the horrors of war first hand. That, along with the horrors of prostitutes not loving you if you don't have the money up front. No, seriously.
FOOLKILLER: FOOL'S PARADISE
Marvel/MAX
Writer: Greg Hurwitz
Artist: Lan Medina
The Foolkiller is another forgotten Marvel character, this time revitalized by crime author Greg Hurwitz, who fashions him as being a Punisher-style vigilante. Bloody, bleak, and gritty, "Fool's Paradise" finds the Foolkiller being sought by a downtrodden gambling junkie whose family has just been butchered. Needless to say, things get pretty bloody pretty quickly. Entertaining and brutal, if you don't read this, you're a fool (sorry, I couldn't fucking help myself).
EL DIABLO
DC/Vertigo Comics
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Daniel Zezelj
Eisner-Award winning "100 Bullets" writer Brian Azzarello resurrects the western comic genre with "El Diablo", in which bounty hunter turned sheriff Moses Stone finds his relatively tranquil life interupted by the arrival of the demonic fugitive known as El Diablo comes to town and leaves a bloody path in his wake, and a message for Moses as well. Soon after, Moses and his posse track him to the town of Halo, which holds a special place in Moses' past, and when secrets get revealed, the shit really hits the fan. Azzarello pulls no punches a la "Deadwood" style, and even if western-themed things aren't really your thing, you should definitely check out "El Diablo".
THE GOON
Dark Horse Comics
Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Vulgar, hilarious, cynical, and incredibly enjoyable, Eric Powell's "The Goon" can't really be classified under any specific genre. Instead, Powell's "Goon" books are just a fun ride, in which the strongman known as the Goon gets into all sorts of mishaps and adventures, kicking ass the whole damn time. Practically frequently offensive, Powell makes no apologies, and that's what helps make "The Goon" so goddamn good.
That's all folks...thank me later :)
My last installment of Comics That Deserve Your Time & Attention.
Over the last five installments, I've included a bunch of titles that I feel worthy of your said attention, while also kissing the asses of industry legends Warren Ellis and Frank Miller, but for this concluding installment, I'm going to be doing something a little different...
...these are titles that I myself wasn't too fond of at first, and are perhaps more outside the realm of mainstream comics than just about anything I've included here before, so strap yourselves in folks, this may be a bit of a bumpy ride...
LOST GIRLS
Top Shelf Productions
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Melinda Gebbie
What may be considered practically pornography, Alan Moore's "Lost Girls" is something that he and artist/partner Melinda Gebbie have been laboring over since 1991. Like he did with his "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" series, Moore takes characters from classic literature (in this case, Dorothy of "Wizard of Oz", Wendy of "Peter Pan", and Alice of "Alice in Wonderland") and inserts them into a world unlike they respectively inhabit. In this case, it's a Swiss hotel shortly before World War I where all three meet one another, and provide each other with wildly different, and sexual, takes on the stories from which they are from. Saying "Lost Girls" isn't for everybody is saying it lightly, but "Watchmen" and "V For Vendetta" scribe Moore manages to lace the story with so many themes of love, passion, and even loss, that it's just too hard (no pun intended) to not feel somewhat moved...even when it seems like everybody's shagging everybody else for two and three page spreads.
ANGRY CHRIST COMIX
Image Comics
Writer/Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner
A horror anthology graphic novel featuring Linsner's "Cry For Dawn" stories first printed in the early 90s, albeit these horrors aren't such things as zombies and ghouls. Here, the monsters are human, and all too real as well while being shockingly poignant. Take a look at "Burns Brightest", in which a one night stand results in a young man contracting AIDS. Seeking revenge on the female population, he moves on from one girl to the next, infecting whomever he can on the way, with a shocker of an end result to boot. Other tales, involving lost love, obsession, and even a punk rock vampire, all end up being incredibly chilling.
Y: THE LAST MAN
DC/Vertigo Comics
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Pia Guerra & various others
Yorick Brown is a dorky college kid who, alongside his pet monkey Ampersand, find themselves to be the only male mammals still inhabiting the planet after every other male mammal mysteriously and horrifically die. Soon after, Yorick and the mysterious female Agent 355 traverse the world as he searches for his lost girlfriend Beth and seek to learn just what happened, while dodging insane wanna-be Amazons and other obstacles along the way. A smash hit ongoing series during its entire run, "Y: The Last Man" is fairly well-known and revered, but the simple fact is that this is one comic series that should have attained an insane amount of popularity, simply due to the fact that it's just that damn good. Let's hope that movie adaptation with Shia LeBouf playing Yorick never ever materializes however...
WAR IS HELL: THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE
Marvel/MAX
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Howard Chaykin
Other than having a knack for telling darkly comic and horrific stories, Garth Ennis also has a knack for telling some compelling war stories. With "War is Hell", Ennis re-invents a classic and forgotten Marvel character named Karl Kaufmann, an aviator for the French-based Royal Flying Corps. He's young, naive, and full of ridiculous ideals. As he takes flight in the heat of battle, Karl soon learns the horrors of war first hand. That, along with the horrors of prostitutes not loving you if you don't have the money up front. No, seriously.
FOOLKILLER: FOOL'S PARADISE
Marvel/MAX
Writer: Greg Hurwitz
Artist: Lan Medina
The Foolkiller is another forgotten Marvel character, this time revitalized by crime author Greg Hurwitz, who fashions him as being a Punisher-style vigilante. Bloody, bleak, and gritty, "Fool's Paradise" finds the Foolkiller being sought by a downtrodden gambling junkie whose family has just been butchered. Needless to say, things get pretty bloody pretty quickly. Entertaining and brutal, if you don't read this, you're a fool (sorry, I couldn't fucking help myself).
EL DIABLO
DC/Vertigo Comics
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Daniel Zezelj
Eisner-Award winning "100 Bullets" writer Brian Azzarello resurrects the western comic genre with "El Diablo", in which bounty hunter turned sheriff Moses Stone finds his relatively tranquil life interupted by the arrival of the demonic fugitive known as El Diablo comes to town and leaves a bloody path in his wake, and a message for Moses as well. Soon after, Moses and his posse track him to the town of Halo, which holds a special place in Moses' past, and when secrets get revealed, the shit really hits the fan. Azzarello pulls no punches a la "Deadwood" style, and even if western-themed things aren't really your thing, you should definitely check out "El Diablo".
THE GOON
Dark Horse Comics
Writer/Artist: Eric Powell
Vulgar, hilarious, cynical, and incredibly enjoyable, Eric Powell's "The Goon" can't really be classified under any specific genre. Instead, Powell's "Goon" books are just a fun ride, in which the strongman known as the Goon gets into all sorts of mishaps and adventures, kicking ass the whole damn time. Practically frequently offensive, Powell makes no apologies, and that's what helps make "The Goon" so goddamn good.
That's all folks...thank me later :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
Comics That Deserve Your Time & Attention, Part 5: The Frank Miller Edition
Even if you aren't a die-hard comic geek, chances are you've heard of Frank Miller in some capacity. Robert Ridriguez managed to successfully translate Miller's "Sin City" work to the film world, while eventual "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder tackled "300", all of which would set the stage for Miller himself to direct a take on his idol and mentor Will Eisner's "The Spirit" (the results of which are, well, not really worth mentioning...), even though years ago Frank had quite a bit of a falling out with the whole Hollywood scene.
It was in his mainstream superhero work that Miller really got noticed. After signing on as an artist for one of the "Spider-Man" titles, Miller eventually found himself writing and drawing "Daredevil". During his run on that title, Miller completely re-vitalized the character, as well as introducing the femme fatale Elektra, and came back a few years later to do it all over again with DD. In the meantime, Miller's real claim to fame came with his revitalization of Batman for DC Comics, with the classics "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Batman: Year One".
Though Miller's more recent work, namely "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" and "All-Star Batman & Robin" is far removed from his best material, the impact that Miller made not only in the superhero realm, but in the realm of crime, noir, and action-oriented works outside the mainstream, have cemented him as an industry icon.
Here's a best of list of some Frank Miller works that you may have missed...
RONIN
DC Comics
Co-Artist: Lynn Varley
A pet project of Miller's which he wrote and drew that pretty much defies any sort of description. A failed samurai and his demonic enemy are resurrected in the future New York City to wage war on another all over again, but that sentence really only scratches the surface of "Ronin". Part philosophical allegory and part science fiction thriller, "Ronin" wasn't too well received when first released in the early 80s, but in the years since has developed a loving following. Rumor has it that it's due to be made into a film directed by the guy who made "Stomp the Yard"...Christ almighty let's hope not.
FRANK MILLER'S ROBOCOP
Avatar Press
Artist: Juan Jose Ryp
Remember when I said that Frank Miller had a bit of a falling out with Hollywood some time ago? Flash back to the late 80s. "RoboCop" was a big hit at the box office, and a sequel was naturally green-lit soon after. Miller somehow got comissioned to pen a script for the sequel, which he did. The final script used for the film however bears little resemblance to his original take, which for the most part is presented here. An ultraviolent take on the cyborg policeman fighting a neverending war on crime as well as taking on the corporation-controlled police force in Detroit rarely lets up in its brutality, but it's the political satirization (which the first "Robocop" film did so well) which really makes things all the more compelling. That and the artwork of Juan Jose Ryp, who never ceases to impress.
HARD BOILED
Dark Horse Comics
Artist: Geof Darrow
A "Blade Runner" style sci-fi opus, only all the more violent and occasionally hilarious. The story revolves around insurance investigator Carl, who comes to learn that he's actually a cyborg and is the last hope of an enslaved race of robots. Besides the many parallels to "Blade Runner", Miller pays some wonderful homage to its creator and science fiction legend Philip K. Dick, while consistently upping the ante in terms of just how over the top things end up getting.
GIVE ME LIBERTY: AN AMERICAN DREAM
Dark Horse Comics
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Once again satirizing political and corporate America alike, Miller presents a tale set in the future where the United States is split into several extremist factions. In this time, a young African-American girl named Martha Washington is born and grows up to become a war hero and eventual revolutionary leader. One of the biggest selling independent comics of all time, "Give Me Liberty", along with Miller's "Sin City", helped make Dark Horse a big time comic book publisher to rival Marvel and DC.
That's all for now, with the final installment of this blog series will be up next time...
It was in his mainstream superhero work that Miller really got noticed. After signing on as an artist for one of the "Spider-Man" titles, Miller eventually found himself writing and drawing "Daredevil". During his run on that title, Miller completely re-vitalized the character, as well as introducing the femme fatale Elektra, and came back a few years later to do it all over again with DD. In the meantime, Miller's real claim to fame came with his revitalization of Batman for DC Comics, with the classics "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Batman: Year One".
Though Miller's more recent work, namely "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" and "All-Star Batman & Robin" is far removed from his best material, the impact that Miller made not only in the superhero realm, but in the realm of crime, noir, and action-oriented works outside the mainstream, have cemented him as an industry icon.
Here's a best of list of some Frank Miller works that you may have missed...
RONIN
DC Comics
Co-Artist: Lynn Varley
A pet project of Miller's which he wrote and drew that pretty much defies any sort of description. A failed samurai and his demonic enemy are resurrected in the future New York City to wage war on another all over again, but that sentence really only scratches the surface of "Ronin". Part philosophical allegory and part science fiction thriller, "Ronin" wasn't too well received when first released in the early 80s, but in the years since has developed a loving following. Rumor has it that it's due to be made into a film directed by the guy who made "Stomp the Yard"...Christ almighty let's hope not.
FRANK MILLER'S ROBOCOP
Avatar Press
Artist: Juan Jose Ryp
Remember when I said that Frank Miller had a bit of a falling out with Hollywood some time ago? Flash back to the late 80s. "RoboCop" was a big hit at the box office, and a sequel was naturally green-lit soon after. Miller somehow got comissioned to pen a script for the sequel, which he did. The final script used for the film however bears little resemblance to his original take, which for the most part is presented here. An ultraviolent take on the cyborg policeman fighting a neverending war on crime as well as taking on the corporation-controlled police force in Detroit rarely lets up in its brutality, but it's the political satirization (which the first "Robocop" film did so well) which really makes things all the more compelling. That and the artwork of Juan Jose Ryp, who never ceases to impress.
HARD BOILED
Dark Horse Comics
Artist: Geof Darrow
A "Blade Runner" style sci-fi opus, only all the more violent and occasionally hilarious. The story revolves around insurance investigator Carl, who comes to learn that he's actually a cyborg and is the last hope of an enslaved race of robots. Besides the many parallels to "Blade Runner", Miller pays some wonderful homage to its creator and science fiction legend Philip K. Dick, while consistently upping the ante in terms of just how over the top things end up getting.
GIVE ME LIBERTY: AN AMERICAN DREAM
Dark Horse Comics
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Once again satirizing political and corporate America alike, Miller presents a tale set in the future where the United States is split into several extremist factions. In this time, a young African-American girl named Martha Washington is born and grows up to become a war hero and eventual revolutionary leader. One of the biggest selling independent comics of all time, "Give Me Liberty", along with Miller's "Sin City", helped make Dark Horse a big time comic book publisher to rival Marvel and DC.
That's all for now, with the final installment of this blog series will be up next time...
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