Humbug

At the beginning of the month, Robert Pope asked me which version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL is my favorite and why?

My absolute favorite version is the book by Charles Dickens, but I know that's not what you meant. Most of the versions, even the ones that I don't find to be rewarding overall have at least some element to them I that I like a lot, and often times better than the way that same element is presented in a superior adaptation.

Overall though, the movie version of A Christmas Carol that I like best is Scrooge, the 1951 adaptation starring Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. I haven't seen it (or any other version of A Christmas Carol) in a number of years, but this is the one I turn to most often. Sim is great as Scrooge, and the whole film has a feel to it that seems like it comes from an earlier age. It also has Ernest Thesiger precisely cast as the undertaker and Patrick Macnee, surprisingly, as the young version of Jacob Marley. The whole cast is good and so are the ghosts.

I'm also very fond of Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962), which when you eliminate the songs, the razzleberry dressing, and the songs about razzleberry dressing is a very serious and stirring adaptation and the ghosts -- all of the ghosts are really creepy.

Finally, I also really loved the Doctor Who "A Christmas Carol" from 2011, which is a very loose adaptation which still hits all of the main plot points of the Dickens story even though it's set on another planet, features suspended animation, sharks that swim through the air and Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. It's a very moving story with Michael Gambon as the Scrooge character and is also one of my two favorite episodes of the current Doctor Who series. 

I'm curious to know what Robert Pope's favorite adaptation is (or anyone else who might want to chime in in the comments below). 

From the Archives - 16

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last posted a "From the Archives" entry. Here's a little something from the mid-late 1990s.

This is presentation material for a proposed graphic novel written by me with art by J. J. Birch, my artist from the first incarnation of Xombi.

The project began as a multi-part serial story for a proposed comics magazine along the lines of Heavy Metal, which never came to be. The first ten page installment was completely written, drawn and lettered. The material was then used as a starting point for a potential graphic novel being shopped around to investors by the same individual behind the magazine. Nothing wound up coming of it, but the material is still relevant, and if I can ever locate J. J. Birch, I may still try and do something with it, which is why I'm not including the actual story material here.

Instead, here is some more of the presentation material.

Opening Tonight

"Gadgets and Gizmos" opens tonight at the Bottleneck Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The group show honors various pieces of hardware and technology found in pop culture. The opening is from 7pm - 10pm and the show itself runs through February 3. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society.

I have two pieces in the show which can be viewed by scrolling down to the previous post.

Gadgets and Gizmos

This Friday, "Gadgets and Gizmos" opens at the Bottleneck Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The show is devoted to various bits of tech and hardware from pop culture. 

I've contributed two pieces to the show. "Robby the Robot" from Forbidden Planet, as seen above, and "Imperial Probe Droid" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, below. Both are cut paper collage assemblages. Robby has some dimension to him, but the Imperial Probe Droid is a full 3-D piece. 

The opening reception is Friday, January 18, from 7pm - 10pm, and the show runs through February 3rd. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society. 

Help Save Metro Comics

For over two decades, Metro Entertainment has been the center of pop culture in the beautiful oceanside town of Santa Barbara, CA. Promoting comic books with its strong media presence, holding countless creator signings, and giving away thousands of free comics, it's done everything it can to keep the medium alive by bringing in new readers.

But now, due to owner Bob Ficarra's medical problems and the ensuing bills not covered by insurance, Metro is in danger of closing.

To help prevent this from happening, Simpsons artist/writer BILL MORRISON has organized this and many more original art auctions to come in an effort to save the store. Comic book greats such as Neal Adams, Dave Gibbons, Bruce Timm, Geof Darrow, Paul Smith and more have already contributed art to the cause. 

There is still a lot of great artwork available with more to come. Visit the ebay listings here. I've contributed two pieces of art with will be put up for auction at a later date. 

Ask Me Anything #26

It's the first Monday of the month, and the new year, and time for "Ask Me Anything."  I'll field any questions and try and answer them throughout the month.

Questions can be about anything at all; my work, my influences, my opinions, stuff I've watched, read, looked at, eaten, or listened to, or anything else you might want to know, and that I might have an answer for. Head down to the comment section and post your question. I'll either post my answer in the comment section as well, or answer it in a special post all its own sometime later in the month.

Please take the time to view the previous questions so that we don't wind up with a lot of repetition. I've been asked a lot of good, thought provoking questions in the past as well as some really banal ones, all of which I tried to answer. You can see the previous questions by visiting Ask Me Anything  #1, #2 ,  #3, #4, #5, #6 , #7 , #8, #9,  #10,  #11,  #12 , #13, #14,  #15 , #16, #17 , #18 , #19,  #20,  #21, #22,  #23, #24, and #25.  Answers not found following the questions can be found in the archives section for each associated month under Ask Me Anything.

Now ask away. 

Some End of the Year Accolades for Xombi

Topless Robot has selected the trade paperback collection of Xombi as one of the ten best graphic novels of 2012.

It was also one of the best of 2012 at Armzrace Comics.

Here's a recent review from The Salt Lake City Public Library Alternative Press Blog.

Six-Hundred Monsters

If you like monsters be sure to visit my side blog, The Grim Gallery, where I've been sharing my vast collection of monster images at the rate of one per day. Today marks The Grim Gallery's 600th post, so there are a lot of monsters to look at and many, many more to come.

Judd Apatow Show Video

The Judd Apatow Tribute Show at Gallery 1988 ended a couple of days ago, but for those of you who missed it, you can experience it through this video.  You can view my pieces for the show here.