† NillaMora †

 

1. "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
This is the first graphic novel I tell people to read if they are slightly unfamiliar with comics, and it is the graphic novel that changed the way I thought about superheroes and mainstream comics.  I often refer to 'Watchmen' as a gateway drug because that’s exactly what I think about it. It’s the one graphic novel that leads you to more cerebral, “outside-thinking” works. In suggesting this first to people, I realized that it actually does help to have an understanding or nostalgia for traditional superhero works, because that’s exactly what it deconstructs.

2. "The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller
The other work that comes to mind from the '80s that pushed what you thought about traditional superhero comics, specifically Batman. A total deconstruction of the character, altering everything you thought about the character, his supporting cast, and even Superman, who is portrayed as a government tool. This is Batman past 50 years old, at his grittiest, his darkest, and it paved the way for a whole generation of “darker heroes.”

3. "The Doom Patrol: The Painting That Ate Paris” by Grant Morrison
This is the 2nd collection of Doom Patrol stories by Grant Morrison, and you should definitely pick up the first volume before reading this one, but this is the one where it really cements itself as the first “post modern superhero comic.” There are insane concepts and wild ideas on every page, from sleepwalking super-villains to sentient streets. This was the main influence in starting "The Umbrella Academy" and Grant Morrison is my favorite writer of all time for the sheer volume of ideas on every page, and the wit and style in which he presents them. Way more than deconstruction of the hero, Grant actually loves superheroes and writes with a nostalgia for the Silver Age of comics while at the same time creating something entirely new.

4. "The Sandman: Preludes And Nocturnes" by Neil Gaiman.

I remember this being the first comic where the best way to describe it was "literary." Drawing upon folklore, mythology, mysticism, and Shakespeare, Neil Gaiman created one of the most original comics of our time, using a very simple concept as a vessel for imaginative and thought-provoking stories. This is the kind of idea and storytelling you are jealous of as a creator, because you will always wish you had dreamed it up.

5. "The Invisibles: Say You Want A Revolution,” by Grant Morrison:
I could make a Top 10 list of graphic novels of Grant Morrison’s work on its own, telling you to read "We3," "The Filth," "Seaguy" and others, but I realize I need to make this list more broad. I am including "The Invisibles" because of its volume, ambition and scope. Drawing upon everything from “The Prisoner” (the old British sci-fi/spy show) to the Beatles, this series contained some of the craziest concepts ever put into a comic. At times you question if you are even reading a comic and that’s why this work is so important. Visionary and wonderfully experimental.

6. "Blankets," by Craig Thompson:
Moving away from breakthrough work within the mainstream, this is one of the best autobiographical comics I have ever read, being able to relate to it in a number of ways, including the wonderfully rendered relationship between Craig and his younger brother. A story about faith, love, loss and coming of age, it’s also one of the best drawn graphic novels of all time.

7. "Stray Bullets: The Innocence of Nihilism,” by David Lapham:
This collects the first issues of Dave Lapham’s crime/drama comics of the same name. One of the more interesting aspects of the book, aside from its all-too-human way of portraying everything from cold-hearted killers to traumatized little girls, is the fact that this comic exploded onto the scene seemingly from nowhere. Dave Lapham created a book, from the previous confines of work for hire, that was better than anything he had done and better than any other book at the time. This book will scare you and the only monsters in it are the ones you can find hanging out in the alleys of the city you live in.

8. "Hellboy: Seed of Destruction," by Mike Mignola
This book was an inspiration in the format I chose to do 'The Umbrella Academy' in, as well as the publisher, Dark Horse. This comic is extremely pure, it is the opposite of pretentious, and an exercise in storytelling. Combining elements of old-school E.C. Comics horror, adventure, and the occasional history or mythology lesson, it also frees itself from the confines of continuity typically found in mainstream comics. It has a continuity but does not remain chained to it, hopping around the many years an[d] aspects of the main character's life, telling the stories Mike Mignola wants to tell.

9. "Akira, Vol. 1," by Katsuhiro Otomo
I do enjoy manga but would not consider myself a "super-fan," only really connecting with certain works such as Lone Wolf and Cub, or Tekkon Kinkreet, the more breakthrough works, and Akira, to me, is the daddy of them all. This book collects the serialized comic originally found in 'Young Magazine' in Japan, which must have been very exciting coming out weekly and serialized, and also must have taken a lot of time, as the series is massive. It takes place in a futuristic version of Tokyo, which has rebuilt after another seemingly atomic explosion, and deals with a corrupt government, psychic children, and motorcycle gangs. Some of the best characters I have ever encountered in a comic.

10. "Wanted," by Mark Millar

I love this book. It came out of nowhere for me, and literally forced me to read it in one sitting. It has a way of tapping into that nihilism of "Fight Club" without being redundant and is a great example of a great modern comic with original ideas. The concept is another brilliant one that makes you jealous you didn't come up with it first, but in reading it you realize that Mark Millar is the only person that could have written it. I haven't seen the film but I imagine, if they at least kept the narration intact, that it is probably an excellent translation, as the main character's inner monologue is what really keeps you hooked, especially from the opening line.

source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/the_essential_shelf/index.html

by Geoff Boucher

 

I ran into one of my favorite people in comics and music, Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame, backstage at the Spike TV Scream 2008 Awards. We wandered around a bit, and I was fortunate enough to introduce him to both Frank Miller and Tim Burton (I do love my job). Way was in such a good mood that he gave me the major lowdown on "The Umbrella Academy" ramping up as a film project at Universal. He talked about his hopes to bring in people such as "Children of Men" director Alfonso Cuarón, Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood ("Chicago," "Sweeney Todd") and perhaps screenwriter Diablo Cody, who picked up an Academy Award for "Juno."

GB: So what's the good word on "The Umbrella Academy"?

Way: "We just had our first meeting at Universal, and it went great. The hardest thing was finding the right building and the right gate. Nah, the meeting was great, really, really great. The book was optioned before [International Comic-Con in] San Diego, and now it's been green-lighted. Now we're talking screenwriters and directors, obviously. There's no director attached yet."

GB: What can you tell us about the process so far and your priorities?

Way: "They want me to be very involved in it. I'm interested in co-scoring it with somebody too. Something like RJ-D2. Something completely different. Do you know what I mean? I think everything he does has an interesting '60s vibe. It almost has that dystopian 'The Prisoner' feel to it."

GB: You would almost want a "Harold & Maude" meets "X-Men" sensibility to an "Umbrella" movie, if that doesn't sound too odd.

Way: "No, basically that's it. Yeah, 'Harold & Maude' meets the 'X-Men.' The soundtrack can't be a straight score. It has to have some kind of quirk to it. I want to make the music super, super interesting."

GB: What do you know about the timetable for the film?

Way: "I've heard 2010 and 2011. I think 2010 is the big Marvel year, right? So maybe 2011. Not that this is going to be like those movies, really. I said going into the meetings that this film has to be really progressive. It can't simply be the next opportunity for a video game. In the way that 'The Dark Knight' made its own rules, it needs to have its own energy. One of the names I was really interested in as far as screenwriters was Diablo Cody. I think it's an unexpected choice. Everything about this book has been making the less-obvious choices."

EVANSCENCE singer Amy Lee, who is busy writing new material, recently talked with SPIN.com about the group's messy split with guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, writing a solo album, scoring films, and "Sally's Song", her contribution to "Nightmare Revisited", the new collection of covers from Tim Burton's 1993 film, "The Nightmare Before Christmas". A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the split with LeCompt and Gray:

"It's a difficult situation, as is every dramatic situation our band has gone through. John [LeCompt, guitar], Rocky [Gray, drums] — we outgrew each other. When they joined the band, Fallen was just completed and they were excited to be a part of something really big. From the beginning, their musical styles were very different from EVANESCENCE. I think, to a degree, they got bored or frustrated. They weren't part of the creative process and were like, 'Why are we doing this?' Their writing just didn't work for EVANESCENCE, and I have to do what's best for the band. I've had a little bit of contact with John since and it was positive. Very few bands have been able to maintain their original members forever."

On new songs and a solo album:

"I need to show that I'm more than a one trick pony. I'm writing here at the house by myself and it's been really good. But I'd really like to do something different next. [The new songs] are definitely different. I feel like I'm going back to my really old roots. They have more of my folky and Celtic influence than ever before. And it's not all sad — it's nothing I would categorize as EVANESCENCE."

Read the entire interview at SPIN.com.

Video footage of EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee performing "Sally's Song", her contribution to the recently released CD collection "Nightmare Revisited", on the October 13 episode of NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" can be viewed below.

With news of My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way’s “Umbrella Academy” headed for development over at Universal, Splash Page looked back to a recent interview we did with the fanboy-turned-rock star-turned-comic writer on what he hopes happens with a potential “Umbrella Academy” film.

“It’s a pretty recent development,” explained Way from an interview from the floor of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. “Mike Richardson, who runs Dark Horse and owns it, just signed a three picture deal with Universal because he has a great relationship with them from ‘Hellboy,’ and the first film that he wanted to get made – that they wanted to option – was ‘Umbrella Academy.’”

For those of you in need of a refresher course, Way describes “Umbrella Academy” as, “A post-modern superhero story – not a ’superhero comic.’ It’s the story of seven extraordinary individuals adopted and raised by a closet space alien [named Sir Reginald Hargreeves] – poorly – to save the world from nobody knows what.”

Yet as excited as Way is for an “Umbrella Academy” film, the unabashed comic geek who was once an intern at DC Comics and graduated from New York’s School of Visual Arts with a degree in cartooning, is quick to say that he hopes that a few more volumes of “Umbrella Academy” can hit shelves before a film hits theaters.

“You know how it goes, you wanna see it happen so you get really excited, but you gotta kinda be patient,” said Way. “By the time the film comes out, I think we’ll be on series four [of 'Umbrella Academy'] which I think is important. I think if a movie came out right now, we only have one series under our belt, and it’s not enough mythology out there.”

As far as the aforementioned “mythology” Way mentions, it could mean scenes that he wanted to work into “Umbrella Academy” stories but couldn’t due to the limited amount of space on a monthly comic.

“There’re scenes that couldn’t make it into the comic because we didn’t have enough room that actually would be perfect for film, scenes that really open it up a bit more,” said Way. “Not like Hollywood explain-o stuff – like literally scenes that should’ve been in there.”

For example?

“There was supposed to be a whole end scene where there was supposed to be a funeral for Dr. Pogo and that’s actually where you meet The Rumor’s daughter for the first time, she’s there with her daughter at the hospital, [but we] couldn’t fit it. So there’s things like that I’d love to see in the film.”

There are just over 23 days to get your votes in for the 2008 MTV European Music Awards!  Let's all join forces and make our voices heard in the "ROCK OUT" and "VIDEO STAR" categories the only way we know how: until our fingers bleed!

Vote for 30 Seconds to Mars by clicking here, or on the banner below.

The fourth Helldone Festival in Helsinki, Finland will be as warm, loose and easygoing as it's always been. There's one new thing though, more of a sort of added bonus as Helldone Festival does a road trip.

This time around HIM, KYPCK (pronounced ..Kursk') and 45 Degree Woman take the festival on the road, to the cities of Oulu and Tampere. While this fearless trio shares some good vibes with the rest of the country, Helldone HQ in Helsinki is rocking to the sounds of Stam1na, Diablo and Godsplague on Monday 29th , and The 69 Eyes, Negative and Sara on Tuesday 30th . New Year's Eve marks the eagerly awaited return of the road warriors. 

During the past couple of years, the Helldone Festival has also been proud to present some cool bands from overseas but you have politely pointed out that the thing you really want to see and hear are Finnish bands. Finnish bands in the dark heart of the Finnish winter.

Your wishes are our commands! Besides, you've got it spot on: it's these bands that are the true essence of the Spirit of Helldone, the very thing that makes our festival one of a kind. These bands, this venue, and - last but far from least - this audience.

It's a family affair. Always has been, always will be.

Some of this year's bands have played at the festival before but none has been invited back purely for old times sake. Each and every band in the Helldone 2008 line-up has recently reached important milestones in their careers: be it a killer album, a breakthrough in new territories or a big tour. They all are alive, hungry, fast and furious. And definitely as cool as a December night in downtown Hellsinki.

Helldone 2008 marks the tenth anniversary of HIM's New Year's Eve shows at Tavastia Club - the tradition out of which the Helldone Festival was born. Each night there will be top bands on the Tavastia stage, while the neighbouring venue Semifinal serves as a chill out zone with some familiar faces spinning records. HIM will traditionally start their set at midnight on New Year's Eve.

TICKETS ON SALE STARTING OCTOBER 15th, 2008 @ 09.00am (EET)

Dec 29, 2008
Tavastia & Semifinal, Helsinki             
Stam1na
Diablo
Godsplague

Club Teatria, Oulu
HIM
KYPCK
45 Degree Woman

---------------------------------------------

Dec 30, 2008
Tavastia & Semifinal, Helsinki           
The 69 Eyes
Negative
Sara

Pakkahuone & Klubi, Tampere
HIM
KYPCK
45 Degree Woman

---------------------------------------------

Dec 31, 2008
Tavastia & Semifinal, Helsinki           
HIM
KYPCK
45 Degree Woman

--------------------------------------------

At Semifinal there will be DJs everyday:
Mon. Dec. 29th TBA
Tue. Dec. 30th TBA
Wed. Dec. 31st:  Jussi69



Where to get tickets:

Oulu and Tampere: www.lippupalvelu.fi and www.tiketti.fi (limit 4 per customer)

Helsinki: www.tiketti.fi (limitation 2 per customer)

Helsinki 3 day pass is available through www.tiketti.fi. Price 100€. (limit 2 per customer)

Age Limits:  18 and over for all shows except for Pakkahuone the age limit is 15 and over.

Links:
Helldone Festival www.myspace.com/helldone
Tavastia www.tavastiaklubi.fi
Teatria www.teatria.com
Pakkahuone www.tullikamari.net
KYPCK www.kypck-doom.com
45 Degree Woman www.myspace.com/45dw
Stam1na www.stam1na.com
Diablo www.myspace.com/diablometal
Godsplague www.myspace.com/thegodsplague
The 69 Eyes www.69eyes.com
Negative www.negative.fi
Sara www.saranhuone.com

Transportation Options:
www.vr.fi (Finnish national railway company)
www.blue1.fi (airline)
www.finnair.fi (airline)
www.fc.fi (airline)
www.expressbus.com (busline)

Hotel Options:
www.restel.fi
www.sokoshotels.fi
www.scandichotels.com
www.radissonsas.com

 

sources:

 http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4739583&blogID=439636915

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=6141291&blogID=439637388