Resident Evil 4 Has Swallowed My Soul

Of the few Birthday Presents I've received, so far the favorite has been Resident Evil 4. Holy Shit. It's suspenseful, manages to actually generates scares (I've jumped at least 4 or 5 times and I'm only on the 2nd chapter), and just beautifully done. Biggest problem is that you can't run and shoot, which while it's probably a pretty good approximation of my shooting skills, doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for a special ops-y type guy. Anyways, the really highlight of the game is that it's not just using bullshit zombie stuff. I'm about two hours into the game, and there's not a zombie in sight. The bulk of the bad guys thus far are more like possessed sick folk, almost akin to 28 Days Later, but a bit more perplexing. The game builds this wonderful sense of mystery, and it has me wanting to play it to find out what the fuck is going on and what the fuck is gonna happen next.

Aside from all of that, the game is proof that the Gamecube is actually a helluva machine. The game runs beautifully, the load times pretty decent (better than the load times on Katamari Damacy on the PS2, which is one of the simplest games graphically made since the 16 bit era.) The textures and lighting effects are top notch, the music and sound effects are even better. For any horror fan, this is the game that RE has always portrayed itself to be, and never quite succeeded. Until now.

Now, the trick is to finish these fucking scripts that are due.

Elk’s Run Forum

Here's the new Elk's Run forum over at Speakeasy's Website. Come. Join. Show the world who's boss.

Six Feet Under

After watching the finale tonight, it really says a lot for the future of the media. I can't remember the last movie that had even anywhere near the same emotional impact as the finale (nor the past 2 or 3 episodes.) It's just the power of Television. Everyone makes a big deal about "It's because they have 42 hours as opposed to 1 and a 1/2," which is valid, but, I think there's more to it. First, it's piped into your home. These people are a part of your life, and 'live' in your house. That of course is amplified by the regularity of the shows. Secondly, and maybe more importantly and less obviously, the stakes on TV manage to be much higher and much lower, creatively. They don't have the massive theatrical release movie advertising budgets to accomodate for, especially on HBO or to an extent on the cable channels. They are expected to make back their budgets through either ad revenue, or 'subscriber loyalty' in HBO's case, but, with the lucrative DVD market, it's becoming less and less of a concern to the networks to make 'money-makers' in the short term, and more valuable to them to make money in the long run. Just wait till the Lost DVD's come out, and you'll see just how much money there is to be made in the TV on DVD market. The other benefit that a show like Six Feet Under has is the idea that it's a limited series. Alan Ball and Co. knew that the show wasn't going to go on forever, so it made the cast a bit more disposable. Things were never set in stone, and no one was ever safe. The biggest challenge facing most network shows is that they want to go on forever, or at least till the 100 Episode mark for syndication, so, they fall back on formulaic plots with no real stakes.

That's why a show like Law & Order has been on for what... fifteen years now? It's a decent show, even having moments of excellence back in the early seasons. The cast 'revolved' pretty much from day one, which to its credit meant that the loss of actors here and there had little to no effect on the overall feel of the show. But, to it's detriment, the show ends up feeling like there's a plexi-glass screen between the viewer and the characters. There is no connection, in part due to The Orbach's dry delivery, but, again, in part because there's no sense of change, no sense of meaning. Shit, even within just about every episode, months pass between the cop part and the court part, and yet, there's no feeling of change. Orbach sits on the stand as though the crime was done yesterday. I don't know. It just doesn't jive with me.

And then there's Six Feet Under. No matter how ridiculous the twist, no matter how over-stated or under-stated the emotion, it still manages to grab you, and twist the knife just enough to make you cry, and still want to come back for more.

The show will be greatly missed.

Passing the Halfway Mark

Started getting art in on Elk's Run #5, officially putting us over the halfway mark. No matter how long I do this, that feeling of "Holy Shit. We're actually doing it!" never ceases to amaze me. It's just plain incredible that we've been able to more or less fight the odds (those being the ones the industry puts up) to make something so special and dear to me as this book. And it's just not a regular book. It's not like anything on the shelves today, and that to me is what's most rewarding. Having people fall in love with something that's such a departure from everything else that's being put out...

A lot of people complain that the industry is going the way of the 90's again, becoming bloated and filled with variant covers and crossover nightmares. And, that's true. To a point. Unlike the 90's, we're lucky to have an industry that has people willing to buck the trends and do something really and truly different, even if the audience we're doing it for is that much smaller. Guys like Rob Osborne, Rick Spears and Rob G, hell, even, guys at the big two like Warren Ellis, Brian K. Vaughan, and Ed Brubaker, are all making daring comics the likes of which has never been seen.

A lot of people say to me, "So, why are you working in comics if you aren't making any money?" After I scoff at them and remind them that in fact I'm losing money, too, I always say the same thing. There is no other art form that gives you so direct a line to your audience. Every other mass market medium is either to costly or too bloated for anyone with a different voice to get in. In comics, my audience might be small, but, I know that they're seeing the vision that my collaborators and I want, no filtering, no interference. That's what makes comics special.

Click Here for Full Size of Elk's Run #5 Page 1

Kidney Update

The peeing has slowed down to once every hour or two. This is a massive improvement. What a miserable life. Anyways, the pain's gone down, my back pain is nearly gone, and the antibiotics seem to be working. There's a good chance, claims my doctor, that the stone might've been small enough that it passed during one of my more painful pees earlier in the week.

You heard me. Painful. Pee.

The picture is of the contraption I pee into. It's AWESOME. Here's full instructions on how to use it.

More ER Love

From Peter Hensel:

"Elk's Run #2 by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon Hoars and Buggy Productions $3

Before I mention the actual book, I must say this, along with speakeasy titles, has the nicest production values of any independant book outside of IDW. It has even nicer paper than DC and Marvel's $3 books. The colors are vibrant, and they feel slick and fresh. So, enough gushing about the paper, what about what's on that delicious paper? Well, an incredibly decompressed comic book. Even moreso than Silent Dragon #1, the only plot advancement is the actual execution of the man who killed the boy(I'm really bad with names). The only thign taht happens is that. It's worse than Girls #3. But, you know what? I love this book. It has amazing cartoonish art that reminds me of Darwyn Cooke and Frank Espinosa from Rocketo. It's light and breezy, and conveys heavy topics and messages of,, well, I don't really know what. The town the book is named after doesn't have a strong identity. It's a military town where vets go and live, apparently. The roots of the town are vague, just as its rules. But I want to know more. The entire issue focused on one character's history and motivations, and I'm entranced by the characters. The father figure shows his determination to do his job of protecting the town and his son, and he fails in those regards by letting his son watch the execution. But I'm probably rambling incoherently to those who haven't read the book. Pick up the collected edition in this month's previews, and add it to your pull list. I can guarantee you'll like it. very Highly reccomended."

comiXtreme.com says…

Elk's Run #3Review: This whole issue is told from Sara’s point of view, John’s mother, and John Senior’s wife. In this closed society, it seems like women have no power at all, and you kind of wonder at the mindset of those who stick around, and this issue goes a long way in illuminating Sara’s belief system here. She loves her family and her husband, and she wants to see his dream and vision - which she has made her own - succeed. And she will go to any length to see that happen. It means she’ll look the other way when it comes to any sin, up to and including murder. It never seems anything but realistic.

Click here to read the rest...

For my Birthday

I'm requesting the rock lodged in my kidney evacuate my body. Somebody get on it, please.

The Ongoing Kidney Fun

Spent the afternoon at the urologists. With his hand up my ass. My prostate is swollen, and infected, plus the stones are still holding steady. This whole thing is costing me an arm and a leg (and not just the one that was up my ass.) Grumble.

AICN says….

AICN Comics: ELK’S RUN #3Joshua Hale Fialkov: Writer Noel Tuazon: Artist Hoarse and Buggy Productions : Publisher Vroom Socko: Just here to ask a few questions

Let’s get one thing straight right away. In a week where I picked up comics by Gail Simone, Geoff Johns, Brian Michael Bendis, and Matt Wagner, (to say nothing of the latest kickass issue of FABLES,) this issue was hands down the best book of the week.

I suppose a bit of background is in order. This story is about a kid named John who lives in an isolated community in West Virginia. John didn’t know just how isolated they were, or even that there was a purpose behind it, until one of his friends was killed by a drunk driver. The driver, John’s next door neighbor, was sentenced by a town vote to be dragged from his home in the middle of the night and have the rear tires of a Buick parked on his chest, after which the townspeople would do their best impression of Rubens Barichello. John, of course, sees all of this.

AAll of that was in the first issue, as seen from John’s point of view. Issue #2 was the same event, along with some backstory, as seen by his father, John Sr. Both of those issues were brutal, hard, and a hell of a lot of fun to read. In part three, we see the continuation from the point of view of Sara, the mother of this charming little family. And with that, we also see the story move from being a fun, creepy horror book to potentially cracking into my list of the 25 greatest comics stories of all time.

It’s been two days since the drunk was executed, and the latest shipment of supplies is on its way. Unfortunately, the truck is late. Also unfortunately, a pair of state troopers has just shown up on Main Street. It seems the out of town relatives of the drunk have declared him missing. So Sara takes it upon herself to show the two cops the town, while her husband figures out just what to do with them.

What makes this issue work is its minimalism. There’s no captions, no internal narration, just Noel Tuazon’s art telling the story. The tension just builds with each page, until the final two pages hit, with the nastiest moment to date. What I especially enjoyed was seeing how Sara reacts to her situation. Her facial expressions, her body language, all of it tell her story better than any narration could have.

If you can manage to get your hands on all three issues of this book, I say do it now. If, like most locations at this point, this series is sold out, then you’re in luck. Speakeasy, the book’s new publisher, has a solicitation this month for an omnibus edition of everything published so far, with a sweet looking Darwyn Cooke cover. This is one series you shouldn’t miss.

the kidney pain continues

Another sleepless night, and I've got a doctor's appointment for today... seeing a specialist. Which I can't afford. Now would be an opportune time to remind people that i have books for sale on my website, me thinks. www.hoarseandbuggy.com

Shout Out Louds

Stumbled on the cd. Really good mix of The Rentals and Polyphonic Spree. Recommended. Dig it.

goddammit

I have kidney stones, apparently. been up all night peeing, and wound up at the ER in the middle of the night. god. damn. it.

112406812327106403

TheFourthRail on ER #3

Randy Lander says...

ELK'S RUN #3 by Joshua Hale Fialkov & Noel Tuazon (Hoarse & Buggy Productions)

Elk's Run #3 Cover by Datsun Tran

And with the third issue, it all clicks. While the story of an isolated militia town was intriguing, the first two issues of Elk's Run seemed a little slow-paced, but I now see that Fialkov was building a foundation and using the slow pace for tension. In this third issue, when events from the first two begin to snowball and more cracks appear in the "perfect town" of Elk's Run, it becomes clear that establishing the mood and foundation was important. With that understood, the artwork of Noel Tuazon and colorist Scott Keating clicks with me more as well, and though I still find some of the specific storytelling a little fuzzy, the dull browns and yellows of the palettes and the somewhat oppressive mood in the art throughout begins to make more sense. Tuazon and Keating are showing the reader the illusion of the dull community, and it makes for an effective contrast with the sinister events that unfold in this issue.

The shifting point of view also becomes clearer now that we're three issues in, and this issue's look at how the "mother hen" of the community views the events going on is a fascinating look at maternal instinct as it applies in a community where isolation and the ever-present threat of violence are part of life. The most interesting moment, however, comes fairly late in the issue, as one of the community members makes a decision that puts the hidden community in a direct path with the society outside, and promises to speed the pace up considerably. Elk's Run has been all about mood up to this point, but with the mood now firmly established, the actual story has gotten underway in a big way with this issue, and in so doing, hooked me much more into the story. Those seeking a moody suspense piece should give the Elk's Run Collected Edition from Speakeasy a look when it hits.

Elk’s Run #5 — Cover Sneak Peek!

Click Here For Full Size

Art by Datsun Tran

Suggested Sequel for Elk’s Run

Ghost Town Research #1 (Calico, CA)

Click Here to View the Rest Starting work on a new project, focusing on a Ghost Town, so, I climbed in the old Subaru, picked up Greg Matiasevich, and headed up to Central California's Ghost Town capital, Calico.

It's a bit touristy, but we had lots of fun just the same. Enjoy the massive number of photos.

TheFourthRail.com says…

TheFourthRail.com - Snap Judgments:

WESTERN TALES OF TERROR #5 by various (Hoarse and Buggy Productions) Cover by Kieron Dwyer

Western Tales of Terror goes out with a bang, and while I'm sorry that the series ends with issue five, I can't say that I'm disappointed with the notion of going out on a high note. It's almost forty pages long, and it features contributions from Tom Mandrake, Steve Niles, Tony Moore, Scott Mills, Jason Rand, Juan Ferreyra and of course editor in chief Joshua Hale Fialkov. Mandrake's 'The Devil's Gate' is a great tale of post-Civil War witchcraft and insanity with the usual evocative artwork you expect from him. Rand and Ferreyra, creators of Small Gods, turn in 'The Tale of Chili Pete,' a fascinating story of a search for a magic chili recipe that is essentially a long setup for a weirdly off-kilter punchline, but while the ending left me a little cold, the rest of the story is the perfect weird old west tale. There was a similar disconnect for me in Niles and Mills' work on 'Gold Miners' Slaughter,' a zombie tale that was an odd fit for Mills' geometric shape-based style, but I liked the tale, even if I think that Mills would have been served better on another story and the story with another artist. 'Know When to Hold 'Em' by Matty Field, Tony Moore, Nate Bellegarde and Jacob Baakeis, like "Chili Pete," a long story setup for a punchline, but it's got gorgeous art and a nice tense poker sequence. "Six Shots" by Jason Rodriguez and Marco Magallanes and "The Wind" by Joseph Gauthier & R.H. Aidley are both quick and dirty horror pieces that get their point and get out, and while they may not have the punch of a longer story, they're a good example of how to tell good stories in short form. On the flipside of the coin, Fialkov finishes up another multi-part story with a miner facing down a dragon and it's as enjoyable as his previous tale of Indian zombies. Like all anthologies, Western Tales of Terror has featured some hit and miss storytelling, but there was at least one gem in every issue, and there were rarely any stories that out and out disappointed. Happy trails to you, Western Tales, and hopefully we'll see you again someday.

The Current Network

Just spent about two hours watching Al Gore's "Current" channel. Hurm.

It's pretty interesting in concept, not so much in execution. The general idea, for those who don't know, is to do sort of a 24 Hour News Magazine for twenty and thirty-somethings. The channel's divided up into programming 'pods' roughly equivalent to how Headline News is set up, with little 3-4 minute segments on one topic. The biggest disappointment is there's no actual... well.. news. It's mostly human interest, some of it quite interesting, but it, like it's creator, refuses to take any sort of stand.

Objective journalism is great, and should be the norm. The problem is that in doing preachy human interest stories, objectivity ends up making the thing feel... flat. For example, there's a segment about the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" guy. Interesting cat, who single-handedly built a counter-culture empire, simply to prove to his sociology teacher that he could. Instead of delving into the intersting social commentary side, or even the way he transitioned from doing super-cheap under the radar sticker attacks into a profitable design and marketing firm, we're treated to him slapping stickers on things and talking about the one time he was arrested for it.

It just... misses the point. It's like it's trying to be objective news, but with subjects that have no real inherent interest unless the reporter does take an interest.

I think once they get the home-submission stuff up and rolling, it'll improve greatly, as what they're running now feels much too stagey and preachy. Once you have assholes like me submitting, I think they'll hopefully lose some of the faux-political correct-stanceless-weak-kneed posturing.

Oh, and for christ sake, get those fucking hosts up off the floor... it's not a goddamn love in.

Although the oft-repeated segment with Deepak Chopra might disagree.

Find out more about the network here: http://www.current.tv.