Bülent Ecevit Osman Yusuf

Advance Review: “Saga” By Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples | The Beat

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:55:00 +0100

Advance Review: “Saga” By Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples | The Beat:

Just finished reading the first two issues of Saga, and I really really liked it. Review from The Beat by Todd Allen sums it up rather nicely:

What we have here, as you’ve found if you’ve read any press about Saga, is a couple from opposite sides and species of an armed conflict falling in love and having a baby. Unfortunately, they’re army deserters, so the powers that be would like to have them in front of a firing squad for that and that’s before they’re horrified by the relationship.

What’s going on in the first issue is world building and establishing the personalities of the players. You have a bewildered new father who’d really like to just stay low to the ground. You have a mother who may be less of a pacifist now that she has a child to protect. You have a mercenary pursuing them who’s disgusted by the entire situation. You have a royal chasing them who’d much prefer to be having his own child. As all this goes on, the story is narrated by the child born in the opening pages from sometime in the unspecified future.

The motivations are there and, perhaps more strikingly, the world created is immersive. A lot of the immersion credit should go to [Artist Fiona] Staples. At the Image Expo, she described her art process and going back to animation cells and thinking about figure and backgrounds. The result has the landscape playing as much a part as the foreground in some places. There appears to be a conflict between a race of magicians and a race of technologists (there’s also a race of robot people, but I’m not entirely sure how they fit in the hierarchy). Our heroes are stumbling around in a world where the rayguns and magic wands converge and neither seems out of place. Where styles could clash, sense of wonder and surrealism are invoked. Not an easy trick, but one that’s pulled off well. I think my favorite oddity of the book was something called a “lying cat.” There are plenty of oddities in this book and most of them are glorious in their strangeness.

It’s not hyperbole – this is one of the most engaging new comics to be released in many years. Whilst the influences are obvious (Romeo & Juliet, Star Wars, Chronicles of Narnia), both writer and artist have set out their stall with swaggering confidence. They clearly have their own story to tell.

[Footnote: The Hollywood Reporter has comments by writer Brian K. Vaughan that Saga is not intended to be adapted for TV or film. Unlikely, if the comic is successful enough, but a fantastic mini-manifesto to be working from.]

Gravestone, David Shrigley (2008)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:28:08 +0100

Gravestone, David Shrigley (2008)

Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes “Hunting Trilogy”: See Every Time Daffy Gets Shot in the Face

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:04:00 +0100

Chuck Jones’ Looney Tunes “Hunting Trilogy”: See Every Time Daffy Gets Shot in the Face:

It’s time for a montage:

Between 1951 and 1953, legendary animator Chuck Jones directed his “Hunting Trilogy,” three short Looney Tunes that are among the classics of the form. The premise of each short is simple: (1) The dimwitted Elmer Fudd tiptoes his way into the forest, (2) Daffy Duck tries to persuade Elmer that it’s wabbit season, while Bugs Bunny tries to persuade Elmer that it’sreally duck season, (3) Daffy is outmaneuvered and takes some lead to the face.

The formula is simple, but what makes the cartoons classics are the small variations in execution—particularly the sundry results when Daffy gets shot in the face. While Daffy gets shot in the face no less than eighteen times over the course of the three shorts (six times in Rabbit Fire, five times in Rabbit Seasoning, and seven times in Duck! Rabbit, Duck!—or about once per minute), when the smoke clears each result is different, with the latter two toons leaving Daffy’s bill in a new location after nearly* every single fire.

Happy 75th Birthday, Daffy.

Rear Window Timelapse (by Jeff Desom)

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:49:02 +0100

Rear Window Timelapse (by Jeff Desom)

Photo

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:57:08 +0000

New resonance - FT.com

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:50:32 +0000

New resonance - FT.com:

Amazing article about a new instrument, the hang, and the impact it’s making on modern music. Unfortunately, the people who invented it aren’t happy with the way it’s being used:

All this would suggest that a hang revolution is under way. In fact, the future direction of the instrument is mired in controversy. In a bizarre reaction to its success, the hang’s Bernese inventors ceased to produce the type of “commissioned” hang that Delago plays, making his current set-up unique.

The new “free integral hang”, launched in 2008, is tuned to its own naturally occurring pitches, which do not necessarily fit with western scales or concert pitch, and is intended only to be played solo. The process of obtaining one is tortuous: applications must be made in writing; those judged to be suitable owners (criteria are vague) will eventually receive notification that their hang will be made. Many months later, new owners will be summoned to collect the hang, in person, from the Hangbauhaus at a cost of SFr2,000 (£1,375).

Such rigid proscription of how an instrument should be played is utterly insane. It’s like saying “here’s a bicycle, but you can’t buy one unless you promise not to ride it”.

After 244 Years, Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops the Presses - NYTimes.com

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:39:39 +0000

After 244 Years, Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops the Presses - NYTimes.com:

Sad, but inevitable:

In an acknowledgment of the realities of the digital age — and of competition from the Web site Wikipedia — Encyclopaedia Britannica will focus primarily on its online encyclopedias and educational curriculum for schools. The last print version is the 32-volume 2010 edition, which weighs 129 pounds and includes new entries on global warming and the Human Genome Project.

“It’s a rite of passage in this new era,” Jorge Cauz, the president of Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., a company based in Chicago, said in an interview. “Some people will feel sad about it and nostalgic about it. But we have a better tool now. The Web site is continuously updated, it’s much more expansive and it has multimedia.”

We had these books in my house growing up, way back in the 1980s. A door-to-door salesman convinced my dad to part with £1,500 for the set, which was a major chunk of change for a kebab shop owner. Really glad he did it, though.

WRECKING CREW ORCHESTRA 20120208EL (by wizartsjp)

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:45:46 +0000

WRECKING CREW ORCHESTRA 20120208EL (by wizartsjp)

laurakirsop: I downloaded the book Tower Block by Miles...

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:24:03 +0000

laurakirsop:

I downloaded the book Tower Block by Miles Glendinning and Stefan Muthesius, thanks to a link on the 20th Century Society blog. So far I’ve only looked at the photographs and plans but it’s a super detailed analysis of the politics and economics that led to the widespread building of tower blocks last century; definitely worth a download!

Completely irrelevant, but I grew up in the London Borough of Enfield.

Martin Scorsese's Film School: The 85 Films You Need To See To Know Anything About Film | Co.Create: Creativity \ Culture \ Commerce

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Martin Scorsese's Film School: The 85 Films You Need To See To Know Anything About Film | Co.Create: Creativity \ Culture \ Commerce:

The title says it all:

Interviewing Martin Scorsese is like taking a master class in film. Fast Company’s four-hour interview with the director for the December-January cover story was ostensibly about his career, and how he had been able to stay so creative through years of battling studios. But the Hugo director punctuated everything he said with references to movies: 85 of them, in fact, all listed below.

Some of the movies he discussed (note: the descriptions for these are below in quotes, denoting his own words). Others he just mentioned (noted below with short plot descriptions and no quotes.) But the cumulative total reflects a life lived entirely within the confines of movie making, from his days as a young asthmatic child watching a tiny screen in Queens, New York to today, when Scorsese is as productive as he’s ever been in his career—and more revered than ever by the industry that once regarded him as a troublesome outsider.

There’s plenty of crossover in this list with a BFI documentary/book that Scorsese made in 1997, A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies. The man is consistent in his influences and obsessions, not least with the films of Vincent Minnelli.

“Belongs in the home of anyone who is serious about...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:47:00 +0000

“Belongs in the home of anyone who is serious about investigating this boundlessly fertile art form.” - The Guardian

10 reasons to love Copenhagen - travel tips and articles - Lonely Planet

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:38:00 +0000

10 reasons to love Copenhagen - travel tips and articles - Lonely Planet:

A new word to add to my vocabulary (and a new place to visit):

7. Hygge: the Danish way Falling somewhere between cosy, friendly and chilled out, hygge is a word that’s difficult to translate. The best way to get your head around hygge is to see it in action. Copenhagen’s harbour district, Nyhavn, makes an ideal place to start. On sunny days, Copenhageners can be seen sprawling along the waterfront, sharing snacks at one of the bistros on the cobbled quayside. As dusk falls, they huddle together under patio heaters to escape the chill evening air, or duck into basement bars, with quintessentially hygge combinations of low ceilings, tightly-packed tables and crackling fires.

The Millions : The Arcades Project: Martin Amis’ Guide to Classic Video Games

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:14:38 +0000

The Millions : The Arcades Project: Martin Amis’ Guide to Classic Video Games:

Journalist finds an early work of Martin Amis, long out of print and disavowed by the author, which is all about video games:

Invasion of the Space Invaders, then, is the madwoman in the attic of Amis’ house of nonfiction; many have heard rumors of its shameful presence, but few have seen it with their own eyes. I recently discovered a copy in the library of the university where I work, and I don’t think the librarian knew quite what to make of my obvious excitement at this coup. (“Wow,” I said, giving a low, respectful whistle as she handed it across the counter. “Would you look at that?”) It’s a deeply strange artifact: an A4-sized, full color glossy affair, abundantly illustrated with captioned photographs, screen shots, and lavish illustrations of exploding space ships and lunar landscapes. It boasts a perfunctory introduction by Steven Spielberg (“read this book and learn from young Martin’s horrific odyssey round the world’s arcades before you too become a video-junkie”), complete with full-page portrait of the Hollywood Boy Wonder leaning awkwardly against an arcade machine like some sort of geeky, high-waisted Fonz. We’re not even into the text proper, and already its cup runneth over with 100-proof WTF.

Just imagine, if Mart’s literary career hadn’t worked out, he’d have been a slam dunk for a games journalist. Then again, perhaps the ranks of game journalism are already overstuffed with failed Martin Amises.

Werner Herzog on Chickens (by Tom Streithorst)

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:09:49 +0000

Werner Herzog on Chickens (by Tom Streithorst)

Death Proof (2007)

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:07:37 +0000

Kim: Now, what did you say after the last time?
Zoë: I know what I said.
Kim: What did you say?
Zoë: I know I said we shouldn't do this again.
Kim: No, you didn't say we shouldn't, you said we ain't EVER gonna do that again!
Zoë: Yeah, but...
Kim: But my ass! You said, not only are we never gonna play ship's mast again, but you also said, if you ever do what you're trying to do now, to not only refuse, but that I had permission to physically restrain your ass if necessary. Now, did you or did you not say that?
Zoë: Well...
Kim: No, no no no, answer the question mother fucker, did you or did you not say that?
Zoë: Yes, I said that, however...
Kim: Whatever with your however.

Unreal Estate: Artist Tim Doyle Re-Imagines Pop Culture Locales.

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:25:56 +0000

Unreal Estate: Artist Tim Doyle Re-Imagines Pop Culture Locales.

Culture Desk: Seven Decades of Desert Island Discs : The New Yorker

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:20:00 +0000

Culture Desk: Seven Decades of Desert Island Discs : The New Yorker:

The New Yorker reviews the Desert Island Discs retrospective which was broadcast yesterday (and resists the temptation to use the US spelling of the word “Disks”):

If some castaways couldn’t resist the temptation to be clever—Alfred Hitchcock’s luxury item was a Continental railway timetable—and others surrendered to predictability (Philip Larkin chose a typewriter), a few gave their choices more soulful thought. Paul McCartney, who was the castaway thirty years ago, on the fortieth anniversary of the show, eschewed any Beatles hits, but included a track by John Lennon, from “Double Fantasy”—“Beautiful Boy.” Yoko Ono chose Gracie Fields’s sentimental favorite “When I Grow Too Old to Dream,” because she had sung it with her aged mother. Daniel Barenboim, the conductor, who was married to the cellist Jacqueline du Pré, spoke of their discovery that she suffered from multiple sclerorsis. She had to stop playing when she could no longer feel her bow, and he chose one of the pieces she had loved most, Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Ronald Searle, the cartoonist, who died last month, at ninety-one, spent much of the Second World War as a prisoner of the Japanese in the Kwai jungle. He wanted to be cast away with the four last songs of Richard Strauss, he said, because they give you the courage to face death.

If you’d like to hear these snippets for yourself, the BBC is in the process of putting up a massive archive on the official site, with individual episodes available as podcasts. Yay for the TV Licence.

Breaking Bad Remix // POV Compilation (by kogonada)

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:39:35 +0000

Breaking Bad Remix // POV Compilation (by kogonada)

Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 211, William Gibson

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:29:17 +0000

Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 211, William Gibson:

Wonderful interview with William Gibson (Neuromancer, Pattern Recognition), not least of which is this tidbit on how he approaches the craft of writing:

INTERVIEWER

How do you begin a novel?

GIBSON

I have to write an opening sentence. I think with one exception I’ve never changed an opening sentence after a book was completed.

INTERVIEWER

You won’t have planned beyond that one sentence?

GIBSON

No. I don’t begin a novel with a shopping list—the novel becomes my shopping list as I write it. It’s like that joke about the violin maker who was asked how he made a violin and answered that he started with a piece of wood and removed everything that wasn’t a violin. That’s what I do when I’m writing a novel, except somehow I’m simultaneously generating the wood as I’m carving it.

E. M. Forster’s idea has always stuck with me—that a writer who’s fully in control of the characters hasn’t even started to do the work. I’ve never had any direct fictional input, that I know of, from dreams, but when I’m working optimally I’m in the equivalent of an ongoing lucid dream. That gives me my story, but it also leaves me devoid of much theoretical or philosophical rationale for why the story winds up as it does on the page. The sort of narratives I don’t trust, as a reader, smell of homework.

There’s no three act structure, or noticeboards with post-it notes mapping out the course of the story. Merely the first sentence.

They don’t teach that in creative writing classes. If they did, the course wouldn’t last much longer than an hour.

“Love and Affection” – Joan Armatrading, Show Some...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:36:00 +0000

“Love and Affection” – Joan Armatrading, Show Some Emotion (1977)