Project Runway Looses its Way

Not since Jason Jones (now of the Daily show, husband of fellow corespondent the brilliantly ballsy Samantha Bee) and Craft Corner Death Match has there been a better opportunity on television to witness the artistic process, then on Bravo and now Lifetimes Project Runway(perhaps its tied with So You Think You Can Dance?).  I use to defend this "reality" TV valiantly.  No more, I say, no more.  It will switch over to that category and growing group of shows I watch out of idiotic tradition and mindless meditation (along with Survivor, Big Brother, The Real World, RW/RR Challenge, American Idol ect...).  I watch these in guilt and/or protest.

There have always been times where I have disagreed with the panel of judges.  I have often looked at the work being made and wondered, why is that person still around, or why isn't this person still here.  But there is almost always one or two contestants and at least one judge (the Simon) who I have faith in making sense.  Then the show moved to LA (I thought it would be refreshing) and the most talented designer won (but I hated her attitude).  Two of the regular judges were not regular do to scheduling (which I guess was the over all issue) and suddenly I found myself feeling like I did about the last season of So You Think You Can Dance? (which now hangs on as the only show worth watching for artistic process...but it to is frustratingly falling apart).

So the show regrouped and returned to NYC.  All the principle players were back and the schedule was working...but somehow the show had become a hot mess and even Tim Gunn (you have seen him in Marvel Comics Milly the Model) could not "Make it Work" (I use this phrasing with my students...it works).

In fact the show became offensive to artist/art teachers and to women, their principle audience out side of some gay circles (I would say they were sportive of our offense).

The most mind blowing example of stupidity on the shows part was airing a guest judge in critiquing an Designer from Oakland say, "I don't think orange and blue are very complimentary colors.  Do you?"  The other judges (all regulars) respond, "No," in unison.  Was this a case of east coast or cultural bias.? Well, NO.  This is a case of a judge of art and design not understanding color theory and the color wheel...something we learn in grad school, middle school, high school and college.  This is a basic lesson that illustrates how dumb these people are.  BLUE and ORANGE by definition ARE COMPLIMENTARY.  On top of it this palette and design which landed the designer in the bottom two was a very contemporary, palatable in almost all areas of the design world...apparently outside of fashion.

However intellectually offensive that was, it was nothing compared to the three-time champion (in other word at least in three different episodes this propaganda was spewed), the anti-big butt argument.  It culminated in last episode, with principle offender Micheal Corse (who I normally really admire) saying, "No women on the planet would want their butt to look bigger."  On a previous episode a designer actually went home for this offense specifically.  I am here to testify, Sir Mix A Lot is not the only one who likes big butts.  But more objectively Corse's statement is factually wrong.  Many women and many cultures value the naturally attractive female forms that are pear and hourglass (30% of women have these shapes).  Ironically, They are wonderfully support of the busty forms on the show; perhaps they learned to appreciate the female form "the Marvel Way."  This aesthetic perception is not only isolated and inaccurate, it comes with an air of elitism.  That the aesthetic cultivated in a small circle of aristocracy is projected, propagandized and marketed in order to keep women (the serfs) trapped in a cycle of dieting and self criticism.  It also encourages their partners and suitors to suppress their feelings of natural attraction and go underground in pursuit of their instinctual attractions...the results are health and psychological risks for both males and females in our society.  It really illustrates who bizarrely isolated these people are and how bigoted their aesthetics are.

Parenthood a Berkeley perspective?

In Parenthood we are presented with a transformed Berkeley, CA, in which due to trade mark law I guess, Pete's coffee becomes Berkeley Coffee and Berkeley High becomes Roosevelt.  My wife and I began watching it last night, seeing the 2nd and 3rd episodes.

From the age of almost 2 to the age of 12 I was a resident of Berkeley, CA.  Every summer of my childhood there after, having left my hart there, I would work there.  I still have an aunt who lives there, one of a myriad of excuses I have to go back and visit.  So I consider myself a reasonable judge (if not up to date and fully informed) of a show about raising kids in Berkeley.  First cautionary disclaimer would be, Berkeley is possibly the most diverse place on the planet...so no one story or one opinion will fill you in.  Still I find Parenthood to be an odd duck, even for Berkeley.

There have been hundreds of stories presented on San Francisco, you know, that city across the bay.  However, Berkeley seems to be lacking in the story department.  It is in this way, unfairly, unlike an equally unique place I have lived in and love, Savannah, GA.  Savannah has often now been the subject of plots in film and comics.  It is a dynamic character and has its share of storyteller.  Especially now with a school that houses some of the brightest new stars in comics and film.  Berkeley has its share of storytellers, Al Young, Robert Hass, Ayelet Weldman and her husband Micheal Chabon are all well respected local writers.  Two of America's greatest cartoonist, Dan Clowes and Adrian Tomine have spent a sizable portion of their carrier in Berkeley.  Sure I can flip through pages of Eightball or Optic Nerve and find moments where I feel homesick.  But I don't have the sense that Berkeley is explicitly a character.  It was more so, in my comic Ordinary Betty and Ted the Milkman (although I am no Clowes or Tomine).  Berkeley has been portrayed in a number of fine documentaries,  for the epicenter it was in American culture.   Iconic apearences for the city have come in the form of; driftwood art in Harold and Maude, a college scene in the Graduate, Multicultural family dynamics in Made in America, the ghetto in Spirit Link, the title and more in Berkeley (which I only heard of when researching this post), through the lives of students in Boys and Girls and a pool scene at the Claremont in Mrs. Doubtfire.

Parenthood is the first time I am aware of that a TV series (still the most accessible of mediums) specifically states it is taking place in Berkeley and attempts to present Berkeley through the eyes of a fictional family. I was surprised to find out it IS filmed in Berkeley...and Mill Valley (where I grew up after moving), and Oakland (right next door to Berkeley) and a Universal Studio lot.  So far I have not had that moment of..."oh, I know that place," but I do confess architecturally it obviously is constant.

The casting is really the most interesting part of the production to me, but the characters are perhaps the reason I am not ecstatic about it. "Six Feet Under's" Peter Krause gives the cast credibility. While Dax Shepard (from Punk'd) would seem to be the warning flag going in.  The dropping in of an ex-lover and Shepard's bi-racial 5 year old son is actually interesting and fun, although predictable.  Apparently they did not partake in the well publicized School Nurse condom campaign at Berkeley HS (We at Tam had one that made the news too...but because we had to fight for it).  In reality I find Shepard's performance and character far more palatable and believable, so far he may be the reason I am watching still.  Monica Potter from Boston Legal so far is constantly just as annoying as Krause, in their dealing with having potentially a child with Autism.  From the perspective of a teacher and a psychologists son, I just want to reach into the screen and shake some sense of reality into them and shake their self obsession out (which is the point of the character...but it falls short of me caring about them). I usually feel Erica Christensen's performances are competent, and unlike her broth and sister in law, I am pissed at what she is pissed at.  Perhaps, because I have this insane busy American life, and feel that is a reality for most competent parents.  We struggle to find time with our kids.  Her TV husband Sam Jeager on the other hand plays the nice home husband...but the character is far to naive and again I find myself reaching for the screen when he is on camera...I really do not want to see another infidelity story.  The main issue facing Jeager and Christensen is Erin Hayes's Buddhist, wealthy, white mother with Asian or half-Asian kid, super flirty, super obnoxious....just pile on the stereotypes of progressive women who annoy the crap out of you...I know this character is more accurate a stereotype then some...I also understand its association with Berkeley...but man, do I hate being hit over the head with it.  If she brakes up their marriage, I will be annoyed by the transparency. I have some close friends that fit the good part this couple dynamic, and I just don't think they would act with quite the same stupidity. Bonnie Bedelia so far plays a bland "progressive" mom.  Which is disappointing, because most mom's I know of in Berkeley are very dynamic figures.  Ironically she was in the film Berkeley. On a great note, Craig T. Nelson continues the role he played in The Family Stone (a film I love and identify as a very Berkeley type family story)...but he is not as pure of hart in Parenthood...which is a good thing.  Gone are the days of Coach.  Lauren Graham from the Gilmore Girls, seems to be predictable and is another character I could do without.  Which is shame, because she is the reason we are watching their lives at this point, she has just moved back into her parents with her two kids.  Believable is that she is a bar tender from Fresno (a lot of bars there in comparison to grocery stores).  Her daughter is struck with dilemma of being held back a year after transferring to "Roosevelt" (which is much whiter then Berkeley High)...(my sister would be the authority here having lived in Berkeley too and teaches in Fresno now)...but my sense of this student struggling at a Berkeley HS not being a stretch. Graham's job interview scene made me super frustrated with my own interview process...if I could act that lame and be as close to getting the position as her...well it just was not realistic in this market.  Her struggles with her car are authentically Berkeley (lot of old clunkers there).  But you would eventually just give up and take the abundance of public transports (buses, bikes, BART)....it is so easy to get around cheaply in Berkeley and with her family dynamics...she would be aware of this solution right off.  The plot use of a twin bed seemed really lame.  I actually looked at the screen as she and her daughter struggle over room on the mattress...I said, "get another mattress...there is space right there." These basic solutions that down on you constantly, make it hard to believe these people.  The kids seem OK, so far and I would prefer to give them time to get into the characters.  But who has time for the kids when you are so annoyed by their parents.

One very genuine and accurate feature was Krause's battle with a possum.  They are common pests or neighbors (depending on your politics) in Berkeley.  That brought back "real" childhood memories for me.

Moon

The first time I saw Sam Rockwell, I fell in love.  And it is not just that he is fellow product of the Bay Area acting scene, just a kid from Daily City.  It was like seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo or Indiana Jones for the first time.  In Box of Moonlight as The Kid you saw all the quirky charms Rockwell brings.  With John Turturro's complimentary character and the surprising circular tale it is still one of my favorite films.  That very same night I saw Glory Daze not a great movie, but one that is nostalgic for people with a connection to Santa Cruz.  Illustrating his ability to transform I didn't even realize Rockwell was also Rob in that movie until weeks latter.

Since that night I have seen him live up to my admiration, only limited by opportunity and the quality of the film he is in. It is hard to beat his performance in The Green Mile...its hard to be anyone's performance in that film.  In Confessions of a Dangerous Mind he plays one of America's most interesting persona, Chuck Barris and saves the film for me.  He makes Matchstick Men and The Hitchhikes Guide to The Galaxy for me.  He is a welcome ensemble piece in Frost/Nixon.


In Moon what you get is a lot of Sam Rockwell.  This film has four things things going for it, Rockwell, its take on our energy future, its hart and its pithy length (1hr 37min).  In fact without this it would be just another 2001: A Space Odyssey, long, depressing and seen before.

On a Personal Note: Up In The Air

This may be the strangest review you read this year. I just got back from seeing Jason Reitman’s Up In The Air staring George Clooney as Ryan Bingham. A man who is hired to fire people and who has constructed a lifestyle and philosophy that is based in the seamless existence one can live when free of stuff and people. Sometimes a piece of art hits the right tanner and fits into the rhythm of that moment in your life. This film has already been doing that for weeks as it is focused on job loss, and we are emerging from one of the worst economic down terns in our nations history, and job loss as a lagging indicator still sharply focuses how far we have to go, and how this environment has effected us daily in very personal ways. That broader note that this film strikes while still relevant to mine (anyone looking for an Art Teacher) is not precisely the same note that hit me at this time and place.

Last week I had facial bone surgery as part of a permanent solution for my TMJ issues. Pre-Op, I had made a mix for me during the week, for my daughter perhaps when she sleeps and for my future students to help them work efficiently; it is called the Pacify Lullaby. I had also seen this surgery as part of a recent upswing in being a better person, husband and father (there is always room for improvement). The surgery was conducted by friends and went just about perfect, the night over in the hospital was not even close to as bad as the ones my wife had when our daughter was born, so it was beyond expectations. Post-Op I have spent this time coming down from steroids and dilaudid, watching my faces inflammation change into something not quite what it was before. I have not been able to smile, and talking has been intolerable for much of this time, I am on a liquid diet which makes it difficult to stomach the nutrition you need to keep yourself healing well. The toll this has taken on me, my wife and our daughter has taken us a bit by surprise, despite us working in this field. To top it all off they both have both had a severe illnesses this week. Despite them being home more then we had thought, I have felt very isolated during my transformation. As have they. Things have been so bad that I have not drawn a single panel of the pages upon pages of comics I had planed on cranking out pre-op. Yesterday was for some odd reason the worst of it (my pain is non existent and my inflammation is nearly gone). However, the highlight of my day, and really the highlight of all of my days, was being with my exhausted wife and our daughter who has uncanny abilities to bounce back with optimism. I lay there nearly dead with depression unable to control the muscles to even fake a smile and I was enjoying it as much as one could. It was certainly a welcomed change to my day alone.

Seeing Up In The Air helped me process this sense that I have had, and have from time to time; what it would be like without my wife and daughter. This week plus has sharpened the sense of how lonely that would be. In Reitman’s Juno my wife and I identified with

Juno MacGuff and Paulie Bleeker’s characters. Particularly when we think of ourselves in high school and/or our friends in high school. We are not high school sweet harts, so in a way Juno was a glimpse into what might have been. In Bingham I see another, “what if?” There are aspects of my life that are seamless, or designed to be so. I have always been enamored with Japanese culture and idealized it with this seamless design aesthetic. A purity of purpose and the world to go with it. Many of the comics I love depict sad cases, which I secretly admire for their rituals. When I worked in the coffee industry, I was Bingham (or perhaps his apprentice…my pal Donald totally fit this bill). The way in which Bingham approaches security in an airport is precisely how I aspire to approach it…this IS more difficult with a 2 year old. If my wife and I are not lucky enough to be struck dead at the same time and I am the one who caries on (lucky for me the statistics are not in favor of that) I am almost sure I will live the retired cartoonist/art teacher version of a man living out of a carryon and enjoying the burden less illusion.

Up In The Air in quality falls close to Juno (just not as lovable), but it falls close Reitman's Thank You For Smoking in feel. That said it really is its own animal. The opening sequences is pitch perfect (amazing how comics iconic gutters help sell a story about America). The palette visually fist the tone of the film. There is a nice pace to the film that is not jarring, a challenge considering the introduction of documentary style medium shots of people reacting to being fired. Clooney’s performance as it has said plays on all his strengths. And yes the character grows, but not outside reason. Vera Farmiga does compliment Clooney as, much as Anna Kendrick makes his character have to really grow to appreciate her. His hometown pulls on a thin strand with surprising results only catalyst by the relationships he has maintained under business duress and while up in the air.  The pieces all fit. The tapestry of story for fills the tapestry of visuals that make up the film and America’s amazing landscape when viewed from the air.

Now I feel a fog has lifted and am motivated to make comics tomorrow, the snow on the ground helps too.

Why I can't say I don't like Country Music!

My introduction to Country came through the two most unlikely vessels, my Jewish Rock ‘n Roll and Motown loving father and my love for comics.  Without the blues and country (folk, bluegrass) we would not have Rock ‘n Roll.  Now Chicago is a home for the blues (and my dad is from there).  Comics also have maintained a close connection with the blues (for common artistic historical paths in American culture) through the testament of Robert Cumb, Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes.  I certainly could have circled back through my introduction to noise in Post Modernist Art History class (via John Cage), or through John Zorn via Mike Patton (my biggest musical history vestal).  The obvious introduction would have been seeing who influenced Buddy Holly, one of my first musical memories, let alone the Beatles.  Skipped over was the most likely, my family history in Okalahoma, Texas and Georgia.  There was no mention of country music in these family dynamics, despite being one generation from growing up in Normand.  I would even say that my seven years living in Savannah, did little to inform me, it was a year or so earlier watching Crumb the documentary that opened me up to the Blues and then Country…well sort of.  My dad had exposed me to Johnny Winter (covering Bob Dylan) and Michelle Shocked (one of the over played tapes in commutes across the Bay).  I recognized Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams I as part of the background sound at my Oklahoman grandparents house.

But the big influences that have created my country and blues aesthetics, my foundation is currently in the music of Robert Johnson (my dad tried on this one), Skip James (Dan Clowes’s Ghost World) and Memphis Minnie (some light digging), Johnny Cash (despite their issues with comics creators), Johnny Cash (Walk the Line helped), Hank Williams (Hank III and the Melvin’s lead me here) and Patsy Cline (Natural Born Killers), Billy Holliday (she has been a staple for a long time) and yes Buddy Holly (who has always been there for me).

So why do I still struggle with defending country and blues, with the foundation finally being solid.  Well have you listened to what passes for country these days…what has made Country “popular.”  Rock has its own problems, but Country has it even worse.  Although, my daughter Savannah, loves it…but she is 2, she loves to dance, its accessible, its fun and she is so cute it melts my stone cold hart when we go to the Texas Road House.

So whatever happened to country music “I could love,” is that dream dead.  Heck no.  As with all good underground, fringe, quality music…it aren’t happening in the corporate tower.  There is a quite revolution.  So after Buddy Holly, did anything new come around worth listening to from those earlier influences of blues and country.  Has there been evolution or has it all been poor carbon copies and over produced hacks.

 
Here are seven to consider:

 Tom Waits is not Country music, but despite a heavy influence in urban and alternative culture, it is the Blues.  Now there are many more that can speak to the man and the music, so I will be brief.  Simply no one quite performs like he does and none of his cotemporaries embodies the Blues more so.  For those two reasons and his broad influence in my lifetime I would be remise in not mentioning him as a highlight and perhaps the most recognizable on this list.  







Michelle Shocked as previously mentioned was one that was on my fathers radar.  I can’t even begin to explain why.  My dad was the authority on cool music growing up until he went through a strange faze.  A combination of tapes became regular circulation in the commute from my Mom’s house to his across the Bay Area.  None were disastrous on their own.  But the combination made you wonder what had happened to the man who preached the Beatles, Neil Young, The Zombies and Motown. We had The Fine Young Cannibals, ZZ Top, Robert Cray and Michelle Shocked.  It was just odd.  Her strait forward Texas country music was balanced by an alternative leaning progressive activism, that worked for these Berkeley ears.  There was a naivety on my part to perceived a paradox, that as I age seems less real.  Her work  
still stands up as accessible, not over produced and honest country music.


House of Freaks are not really a country band, but they are folks music with a strong 80’s alternative foundation with stories that seem strait out of To Kill a Mocking Bird.  Knowing people from Richmond now I can see how this coalesced.  But when I was giving this demo tape along with a demo of Black Sabbaths Eternal Idol and demo by a band called The Name (not the European one…and if anyone knows how to get this let me know) by my step uncle (who I am still pulling for as he faces some tragic health issues this year), it was ironically the closest to my tastes at the time (see 80’s alternative).  When I play this album it brings worlds colliding for me, but it is really just a solid American music album with a great story in each song.

 Dieslhed is the easiest for me to explain.  I am from northern California, they are from Northern California (Eureka, along with Mr. Bungle).  The drummer is from my favorite band (Mr. Bungle…which features my only true obsession…Mike Patton).  So just like John Zorn it was inevitable that I come across it, and make the effort to try it.  The thing is though, partly because I have connections to mountain towns in California, VT and Colorado and partly because of my strong foundation in Blues and Country, this is the perfect country music to me.  The brilliant song writing, the strait forward content, the ironic fun stories (very Northern Californian), the strong percussion, the bare it all guitar and that perfect voice…well I just love it more then any other on this list.

Like Dieslhed, Mike Patton is to blame for Hank III (although if I had been paying closer attention in Savannah I would have made the connection…plus there is the Melvin’s, Helmet ect…)  Basically Hank Williams III is a good as his Dad is bad for country…and his dad knows it.  He channels his grandfather for the first half of his set and then channels Slayer for the second.  There is not much more authentically metal or country out there in the south.

Lucky Stars is purely a Mike Patton find (they were on his label and I saw them open up for Kid 606 and Melvins Fantomas Big Band).  You should have seen how these Southern California’s turned the harts and minds of these San Francisco Hardcore, Metal, Punk, Electronics, Experimental, Noise, Grunge fans…they soothed us into submission with their southern California charm.  No other band out there sounds more Tennessee produced then these LA kids.  You could see them on tour with Hank, Johnny and Patsy, but then the lyrics type their hand.

 Anyone knowledgeable about the history of Punk Rock and hardcore in the 1970’s and 80’s is aware of the strange influence Buddy Holly and Rock ‘a Billy had on it, via John Doe and the band X.  Now you can go back and find songs written and performed by John and Exaine that fit precisely this country model.  But just recently John Doe came out of the shadows accompanied by the Canadian band the Sadies (who come with their own strong Canadian country music roots) and they have produced a polished country music that I can actually tolerate.  In fact, I like it.  I would say the punk rock and the rock ‘a billy street cred gives them the pass, but it maybe my ageing mind that has helped me enjoy them.  I am here merely to mention, this may be another evolutionary step in the right direction.

Pixies and the State of Fasion Part II of II

We walked out of the W, turned right, went across the street and into the Wang Theater.  The ornate classic city theater is actually impressive.  The juxtaposition of the environment that catalysts this moment 20 years ago with this arrival are somehow fitting.  The high sealing was accompanied by an appropriate sound track of looped sequence.  All music fitting for influencing the Pixies.  The crowed was diverse, which made for interesting seating arraignments (seating being the only issue that night).  Erin and I were sandwiched between; sell out drunk frat boys (that may have been trying to regain shreds of their progressive childhood) and two snotty music shique girls dressed in black.  I only mention theme, because they were equally annoying from opposite ends of the spectrum.  One two drunk to participate (or add your DK euphemism) and one two cool for school.  Who knows what they thought of us.  The diversity in all its cross-sections were present and really spoke to the amount of influence the Pixies had grown over the decades.  The opening act was preformed by the obtusely enthused Rain Machine (side project for one of TV on the Radio band members…you might recognize their songs Wolf Like Me and DLZ, two of my favorites from the last 5 years).  The girls next to us were quite rude about what was an amazing moment for Rain Machine… which basically started off with potential and then never left the ground with dorky luster, but no reason not to be happy for them.

20 years ago in this area of Boston, in some dank space the Pixies recorded Doolittle their junior effort.  The thing about the Pixies is that their best album depends on when you entered into the mix (for me it has been hard to shake my Bossanova bias).  However, Doolittle while it may not have my favorite songs (see Surfer Rosa), it is arguably the most solid start to finish album. With the B-Sides added in (much better live then on the recording) the show was not missing much, but just in case they still snuck in Where is My Mind? (from Surfer Rosa) in the end.  It was the ultimate in Fight Club and it was the ultimate in person.  Add in some amazing videography that conceptualized the albums themes in an eye opening way, you almost didn’t need the band there to have an amazing performing arts experience.  Then again, these are some of the world’s best stage performers (yeah I know, you wouldn’t think it looking at them…but trust me, they are).  It was absolutely a special anniversary experience, with historical context that elevated the moment.  It was wonderful having Kim Deal play bass and curator.  For Erin and I as parents and Vermonters we do not get to experience these types of events like we have in our youth, so it was really wonderful to be there and to have everything go so well, with such convenience.

The show ended and we left with the massive crowed.  Out front were a fire truck and two ambulances.  As we noticed this, a man on a gurney was being ushered through past us.  Too much show, I guess.  Just after that was an 8 foot green figure strapped to the back of pick up (he couldn’t have fit in the ambulance)…it was the Hulk.  We waived our way through stalled traffic and pasted the long line waiting to get into the W’s electric dance bar.  We were laughing at this point (at the Hulk and the line to get into the W, not at the man on gurney).  These drunk “girls” dressed ridiculously entered the elevator along with us and another “older couple.”  They were piping the DJ into the elevator.  The girls got off and the four of us laughed.  I commented that we had a bar in our rooms.  We could pull some drinks in the elevator instead of paying and standing in line down stairs…but hay we were all to old to pull off such a spontaneous idea.  Therefore, Erin and I had a good night instead.

Pixies and the State of Fashion Part I of II

I grew up outside San Francisco (lived there for 6 months) and am very familiar with Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego and Los Angels. Also, last year I took a trip to NYC for the first time. Since 2003 the closest cities geographically have been Montreal and Boston; neither is close. Last time I was in Montreal was for an opening for Typhon. Each time is an adventure, but other then anecdotal, I leave less then impressed. Boston is more of trek. The time before last that Erin and I had a big trip to Boston went down as one of our classic misadventures. It cost us hundreds of dollars we did not have to spend, due to traffic into the city we missed most of Peeping Tom's performance which is why we went there; it was just a bonus seeing Gnarls Barkley. We left our hotel early, because one of our cats back home went missing. It will all make SHAME someday. . So this last trip into the most confusing city to drive in, was planed well, but also taken with skepticism.
 

The W:

 A few days after Thanksgiving, our GPS went out in the tunnel's but somehow the Force guided us perfectly to the W.  When we travel if we can afford it we stay at the W.  We had stayed at one in SF and NYC.  Boston's may be our favorite.  Definitely fits our travel style.

Newbury St. and the State of Fashion:

We were within walking distance of Newbury St.so off we walked into the state of fashion.  Erin was excited to go into Burberry, and for full disclosure she has impeccable taste, a Metals and Jewelery Degree and liked the clothing and accessories.  So her opinion should sway you away from my assessment.  However, I do have a couple art degrees too, went to school with Fashion, Metals' and Jewelry majors, have designed a costume or two.  We both watch and analyze Project Run Way.  We tend to agree about 70%.  As an artists, designer and art teacher I love watching their progression.  I love yelling at the TV when the wrong person is kicked off.  And only a hand full of times have I wanted someone kicked off because they were jerks, despite their designs being superior.  Anyway back to Burberry, our first stop on Newbury.  You walk in and the line to me was stale. As we discus here often there is a cyclical aspect to art and a reinvention that happens (basically the entire point of this Blog is to analyze this new art movement we are in).  The current line at Burberry takes from a 70's British aesthetic found in films like The Ice Storm and Royal Tenenbaums, and reminiscent of the Rolling Stones album Between The Button, with a touch of DK hardcore scene and Interpol NYC.  All great aesthetic references.  In fact as a child of the 70's and 80's the nostalgia is enticing to me.  But I still prefer an isolated reference enclosed in a clean design focused on innovative complementary form.  The most important thing when referencing this time period is the pallet.  Above all the pallet was off putting, in a muddled brassy tint.  In addition there are only so many variations of plaid before you get annoyed with it.  The functional side of each item was not horrid and I would hope the quality would stand the test of time.  Nevertheless, the forms in general left me unimpressed and even repulsed me at times.  I did not see a seamless relationship between form and function in the least.  There were four floors of this. Now I sincerely wish that artist/designers could get paid as much as possible for the work we do.  It is a fact, that the amount of time, risk, intellect, innovation and resources that go into quality form and functional art is grossly under appreciated and valued.  That said, the price of a handbag between $250 and $1500 seems ludicrous, when you take into consideration that these are multiples...not originals.  I wish we could get that kind of cash in comics for multiples.  What truly made me wright this is what Erin said while we were in the store.  As we enter the elevator she tells me, "How embarrassing, I hope they don't notice what I am waring."  In other words, because she wares affordable, attractive clothing in a down economy, somehow she should be embarrassed to simply walk through their aesthetically pathetic, over priced egotist costume shop.  I responded, "they're the ones who should be embarrassed."

Newburry Street it self was nice with the holidays and all, but nothing seemed to stick out positively, fashion wise.  The second most memorable fashion experience was Felines Basement: to sum up, imagine entering a cluttered hell, with names perched as if they saw so power, but then they are perched up by disorganized rags.  And it was a packed Mad house.

Honestly there was so much for me scrutinize on Newbury St.  I was having a great time; and Erin was too, from perhaps the opposite perspective.  So, I didn't even need to find an aesthetic gem, but we did. At the Arden Gallery they had an exhibit of Robert Jackson's paintings.  He ended up making my art of the decade list.

Next...The Pixies.

Fall 2009 Comics Readings Reviews

It is within the pages of W.K. Brown's fictional fiction by Chris Ware that we finally get more then the predictable creep/nostalgia and "oh look what he did here" revelations (always brilliantly done, but now almost never living up to our expectations…the price of success for Ware).  The irony is it is a Science Fiction story that makes this the best comic I have read recently without the necessity of comparing it with its contemporaries.  It is this story that the Rusty Brown story expands enough to make me enjoy it, as I did the Jimmy Corigan plot.  Its all fantasy, although Mr. Ware appears in Rusty’s school in previous issues.  The explanation provided for W.K. and Rusty’s pathetics are provided skillfully in this issue.  However, all of that plays a secondary role to the introductory story about a Mars colonization.  It quite literally is everything comics should be.  Not because it is science fiction based, but because not an ink stroke, a word, a panel, a color is wasted.  Each is necessary and each supplants itself as a storytelling mechanism that provides revelations and reflections.  It is a well contained piece of fine art encapsulate in sci-fi nostalgia, the type you would suspect W.K. might have written, but also be paralyzed by.  While ACME Novelty Library No. 19 continues the dissection of people who deserve no sympathy, you are sympathetic to the Pulp art one of them creates as a dissection of people who deserve no sympathy.  It is redemption without appeasement. Grade: A

I don’t love Humbug, but I don’t have to.  It is rewardingly strange to look into this time capsule so precisely capsulated. In it you find explanations for context lost in time.  Nevertheless, the truth is you are seeing an artistry whose context can never be fully conceptualized because of that lost time.  You simply gaze at it with wonder and reverence for the influence it represents and the qualities you can pull from the depths of your nostalgia.  Harvey Kurtzman’s influence on American culture is legendary.  His band of skilled misfits, Will Elder, Arnold Roth, Al Jaffee and Jack Davis are all brilliantly displayed.  But for me packaging, joke nick knack adds, cleverness and influence aside.  I hold onto it with awe, because of Jack Davis’s line work.  I could just simply stare forever. Grade:A-

George Sprott is huge, the book is physically, making it hard to read in bed, but easy to enjoy.  Seth’s graphic design skills have been evident in his collections of Charles Shultz’s Peanuts; they continue here.  Apologetic nature of the storytelling fits the protagonist and his charming flaws.  This mystery lays out naturally awkward and meticulously refreshing.  There is nothing left secret beyond any storytellers knowledge, but there is no moment where you feel his era of muted exploitation and crassness is betrayed.  It is a book that is honest to the era in both revelations and social convention, despite being fiction.  Very Seth. Grade:  A-

J.H. Williams III’s work with Alan Moore has been inspiring, and occasionally bewildering.  With Greg Rucka it is has surprising clarity. Your mind is captured into Batwomen’s world with a innovative two-page layout, and you are not let go of the intense insanity she is subjected to. You catch onto what all the buzz is about. And just like that the dreaded words…”to be continued.”  Followed by a less then satisfactory story about and equally interesting character The Question…and once again you are reading the plight of superhero comics for the past 20 years.  You question why you have ventured back into the mainstream.  Grade:B

I realize Matt Madden, Jessica Abel and their guest Charles Burns have a new book out of The Best American Comics for 2009…but I will not be reading that till mid 2010.  In 2008, however, guest Lynda Barry pieced together a collection that ultimately left me critical of her selections.  But included much of my favorites, Ware, Seth, Jamie Hernandez, Alison Bechdel, Matt Groening ect… (of course I already had most of that already).  I pick this collection up to find that which I was unaware of.  Only one immerged from this, a story by Shawn Cheng and Sara Edward-Corbett.  Even more disappointing is there were many stories by cartoonists I admired that I just couldn’t get into and much by people I had not heard of, that I detested.  Then there is the list of notables not making the collection, people you are friends with and/or comics you loved.  Nevertheless, such is the way with art.  Don’t take my word for it, check it out.  Barry took on a thankless task and I can only hope I make the notables list myself someday. Grade: B-

I prefer to make silent comics.  I would also prefer that there were more of them.  It is more intimate.  The Goon by Eric Powell is a City of Lost Children meets On the Waterfront.  It exploits typical cartooning ventures, humor, violence, and sex.  However, it does not really matter that you have read or seen this story many times before.  It is fundamentally sound and well presented; so its fun.  So what?! Grade:  B-

This Fantastic Four story has two things going for it; being self contained and Bryan Hitch.  Not the best story, but it is well told.  Given the state of endless cross overs and hacks in comics, it is hard to not appreciate the quality here.  Just don’t get use to it.  You are setting yourself up for disappointment. Grade: B-  

Somehow, Williams channels Mazzuchelli in the flashback sequences in this issue of Detective Comics.  It is nice to have the time in this tale to explore her character more and balance of honor and sexuality.  Honestly though I could do without the Wolf Man…she does seem to be making a reluctant power play like Storm did with the Morlocks.  Which is always cool...but then more Question. Grade:  B-

At some point Burbaker and Hitch lost my interest…I think it was the always over acted final/to be continued splash page.  John Cassaday’s cover is brilliant and there is really beauty in Hitch’s work almost always.  I was surprised to enjoy the loosens of the inking. Grade: C+

As people I love Amanda Connor and Jimmy Plamiatti, so I picked up Power Girl with high hopes.  It was ok in many respects, but ultimately I felt Connor’s style suited the story best when it was light and campy.  Which is actually a great thing if we are marketing towards a younger crowed.  But it is hard to make that case when you have useless panty shots and you do not fix Power Girls window issue (see other blogs).  So I walk away respectful, but kind of eh. Grade:  C+

Longshot is my favorite superhero, so naturally I have an affinity for Chris Claremont and Art Adams’ X-Babies and Mojo’s world. Jacob Chabot’s drawings are pitch perfect for a comic for kids about child versions of the X-Men.  The story doesn’t take itself seriously…its fun.  But I was disappointed by the introduction of another villain beyond Mojo…he was weekly designed and annoying.  I was even more disappointed at the sort of bla bla bla approach they took to one of my favorite villains ever, Spiral.  But hay its for kids. Grade: C+

Arkham Reborn in a vacuum might be a good book.  But just in contrast with Batwomen in Detective Comics you get the sense that they story, art and dialogue is forced.  That the idea was good in some meeting, but should have been pulled well before inks were added to the pages. Grade: C- 

When your favorite parts of the comic are the cover and six pages of a well acted talking head, you know you just aren’t digging the comic.  Honestly, I just read it and I can’t remember much about it.  I know the villains were not that compelling…also another sign that it’s not the book for you.  Sorry Tony…once again, I don’t get you.  You were great on the big screen. Grade:  C-

I hart Legion and have a soft spot for the New Mutant’s.  This was not the worst drawn book, nor was the writing always predictable.  Nevertheless, the over all story and storytelling just left me wondering, why are they wasting away such great characters with over done approaches. Grade: C-

 The cool thing about this book is the Joker’s line to Batman after watching him kick the crap out of some villain; “I know we have our differences, but I must admit it’s a pleasure to watch you work! Seriously.” There now you don’t have to buy this disappointment.  Thank goodness, things pick up in this series when Batwomen arrives. Grade: D

Honestly, I think I read this Astonishing X-Men story before, but enjoyed it.  It is a poorly tapestried collage of nostalgia, that is literally airbrushed into fooling you to think it is somehow more hip, because it looks so less cartooney.  We it is not, it is muddled and all that I love is washed away with this approach.  And I thought plot when the Uncanny X-Men moved to Oakland was bad…and I am from the East Bay. Grade: D-

The Amazing Spider-Man is Marvel’s flagship.  A cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG is absolutely deserving.  So why oh why is the inside about Expletives Deleted, emaciated spaghetti sex kittens, dead pool at his least funny, and spider-man drawn like plastic man gone on crack…and don’t get me started on the inking.  The entire comics is basically the cartoonist version of illegible.  This should be the highest quality and most accessible book…your owned by Disney now…would they do this to Mickey? Grade: F