11 O'Clock Comics Episode 17

[Steve Raker]

Great 'cast as usual, guys!  You're my favorite

David, I know exactly what you mean by the Jack Davis influence in J. Scott Campbell's lines.  As soon as Vince scoffed at the notion, I thought, "well, not Davis' earlier work, more like that old Rick Barry/Dr.J ad"....  and then you went there! Nice! Karma to you!

[Equinox]

My money is going to Final Crisis firstly because its DC's current "event" book.  Secondary reasons are that Morrison's writing it, followed by JG Jones providing the art.  Come to think of it, I think this is the same reason I was "duped" into buying all the issues of "Millennium" when at the time I couldn't have given two shits for the art of Joe Staton.  Jones is definitely not the reason I'm getting the book, so I'd have no problem if he wasn't on the book.

I'm with David and Wood on the choice of artist; personally, I think that Jones was given the assignment as a "thank you" for the ass-kicking work he put into the covers of "52".  Given my druthers, I'd have given the story to either Justiniano, Ivan Reis, Van Sciver, or Carlos Pacheco.

[VinceB]

Three Feet High and Rising is a De La Soul album

PM Dawn's big album was 3 a.m. Eternal

De La Soul it is, then...

[VinceB]

As soon as Vince scoffed at the notion...

That was not scoffing. Scoffing is much louder and loaded with expletives!

[Chris]

I can bring the pain either way.

Persuaded, paraded, enebriated, and down
Still aware of everything life carries on without
'Cause there's one too many faces
with dollar sign smiles
Got to find the shortest path to the bar for a while

A long way from happiness
In a three-hour-away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now


Uncle Tupelo

MAJOR KARMA!

Here's my favorite Tupelo tune.

Still Be Around -

I don't see you through the windshield
I don't see you in faces looking back at me
alcohol doesn't have much that matters to say
can't imagine where you and time to kill will stay

when the bible is a bottle
and the hardwood floor is home
when morning comes twice a day or not at all
if I break in two will you put me back together
when this puzzle's figured out will you still be around
to say you've just been there
walking the line upside down

walked and breathed many a cancerous mile
where the bat of an eye is too slow to beat the coffin
they won't tell it on the TV
they can't say it on the radio
they pay to move it off the shelf and into our minds
until you can't tell the truth
when it's right in front of your eyes

when the bible is a bottle
and the hardwood floor is home
when morning comes twice a day or not at all
if I break in two will you put me back together
when this puzzle's figured out will you still be around
to say you've just been there
walking the line upside down

[clever_username]

Karma for you too, Chris. I was going to post those lyrics, but chose Whiskey Bottle instead.

[David]

Great 'cast as usual, guys!  You're my favorite

     

David, I know exactly what you mean by the Jack Davis influence in J. Scott Campbell's lines.  As soon as Vince scoffed at the notion, I thought, "well, not Davis' earlier work, more like that old Rick Barry/Dr.J ad"....  and then you went there! Nice! Karma to you!

There you go!  You are THE MAN, Steve Raker!  I knew you'd get me.

[Wood]

The art and artist discussions are one of the best aspects of the show, guys.

Next week I'm focusing on my Big Three: Rob Liefeld, Ian Churchill and Ale Garza.

 

[VinceB]

Next week I'm focusing on my Big Three: Rob Liefeld, Ian Churchill and Ale Garza.

Are you being facetious or do you really like Churchill's stuff?

[David]

I have to say that one of my favorite personal moments in the 16 episodes came this week when I quizzed by buddies about Ryan Reynolds best effort to date. 

I think I'd pass over Johansson for Alanis Morissette.

[clever_username]

Next week I'm focusing on my Big Three: Rob Liefeld, Ian Churchill and Ale Garza.

 

That's funny. I just finished the Supergirl Identity trade I got from the library. With art by Churchill and Garza.

Churchill falls into a camp of artists that appeal to the cheesecake lover in me. That cheesy, IMage-y art is a guilty pleasure for me. Ed Benes falls into that category, too.

[Wood]

Are you being facetious or do you really like Churchill's stuff?

I don't mind them as much as some other people, but those were the three most Image-y Cheesecakey guys I could think of as I typed my last response.

[Matt Kramer]

Good episode, my listening of this one was delayed by season 5 of The Wire.

I don't know if I'd like that manga Vince was talking about.  It sounded interesting until he brought up the stuff with kids.  I can't deal with reading that stuff on my free time.  I can't.  I spend 40 hours a week reading real accounts of abuse and neglect, I don't want to spend 10 minutes reading fictional accounts in my free time.

[Peter]

I love that someone mentioned Troll #1 in this thread. Ha!

I'm also in the camp of "get over your expectations" when it comes to any comic or movie or book, etc.

About JG Jones on Final Crisis: I think there's definitely an "art" to translating Morrison's words into pictures. And not every artist can do it. Igor Korday on New X-Men flopped. Tony Daniel on the current Batman stuff just feels wrong. Even A.Kubert on Batman wasn't completely all there for lack of better wording. But people like Quitely, Jimenez, Stewart, etc. - they "get" Morrison. I'm not sure Justiano, as much as I like the guy, would be up for the challenge just yet.

JG Jones gets Morrison very well (just look at Marvel Boy). I think he's hitting that event wall that every artist has hit over the years on big events from Perez to Jimenez, from McNiven to JR JR. As the issues go on, the work gets less and less detailed or the pace is picked up by the colorist or a new inker. But I feel that Jones' 52 work actually makes him a great choice for the job. A picture is worth a thousand words - and his covers were just that - Jones is able to capture some amazing stuff in the panels. For all we know, he may be trying something new or different visually to match Morrison's scripts (there are some unusual choices in camera angles going on). #3 wasn't as clean as the other issues and it seems like perhaps he wasn't as detailed in his pencil/line work, thinking that he could make up for it in the inking - which comes across rougher than the first two issues.

But I do have to say, if someone is having issues with inconsistent faces and figures, then you must be hating Secret Invasion right now. lol.

[Equinox]

Great 'cast as usual, guys!  You're my favorite

David, I know exactly what you mean by the Jack Davis influence in J. Scott Campbell's lines.  As soon as Vince scoffed at the notion, I thought, "well, not Davis' earlier work, more like that old Rick Barry/Dr.J ad"....  and then you went there! Nice! Karma to you!

If you want to see the art of a modern day "Jack Davis", go check out the art of LoopyDave (from the CGS forums of yore) at http://loopydave.com/.  Really top notch work! 

[Equinox]

I think I'd pass over Johansson for Alanis Morissette.

Wrong!!!




I would be all over Scarlett instead of the skater chick in nothing flat! 

[David]

Johansson doesn't do a damn thing for me.  I don't see it, actually.

[VinceB]

I don't know if I'd like that manga Vince was talking about.  It sounded interesting until he brought up the stuff with kids.  I can't deal with reading that stuff on my free time.  I can't.  I spend 40 hours a week reading real accounts of abuse and neglect, I don't want to spend 10 minutes reading fictional accounts in my free time.

I hear you, my friend.

There's one scene where the ghost of the 2 year-old girl hugs the leg of her flesh-and-blood teenage Aunt (the only one to survive the ordeal). It's heartbreaking and disturbing in ways I'm not sure I like to feel. On the one hand, it was reassuring to learn that in the reality of the manga, personal identity and love survive death, but on the other...it's just damn sad. 

[Equinox]

JG Jones gets Morrison very well (just look at Marvel Boy). I think he's hitting that event wall that every artist has hit over the years on big events from Perez to Jimenez, from McNiven to JR JR. As the issues go on, the work gets less and less detailed or the pace is picked up by the colorist or a new inker. But I feel that Jones' 52 work actually makes him a great choice for the job. A picture is worth a thousand words - and his covers were just that - Jones is able to capture some amazing stuff in the panels.

All things considered equal then, JG would have been the best choice had the book been formatted like this one:



I don't think that the current art in this book is inconsistent as far as the linework, I just don't feel like the art is serving the story well enough; its not contributing to a sense of dread.  To be fair, the story is not finished yet and maybe after rereading the entire thing from start to finish, I'll be of a different mind-set.  For now though, I'm just not satisfied.

[Equinox]

Johansson doesn't do a damn thing for me.  I don't see it, actually.

Let me try to clear it up then.  This

vs 

Well, okay she is kinda cute, but remember, most of the time she looks like this