+ Libraries are expected to "weed" their collections on a regular basis, discarding outdated, useless books. Some of these books may be sent to special, historic or archival collections, but most of them are either sold at library sales or tossed. Unfortunately, some libraries don't practice regular weeding, either due to staff shortage, lack of know-how, or pure laziness. In those cases, books from those overgrown collections may just turn up on Awful Library Books, run by two librarians who hope that this blog will encourage libraries to weed regularly. They don't post the libraries the volumes were found at, to prevent embarrassment. Although the library who still has the 1993 handbook Exploring the World of Online Services still in the circulating collection could use a little shame.
+ The government makes funny books! An online archive of Government Comic Books hosted by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Not only do they have actual comic books like The Story of a Fish in Trouble (from 1992), Mail Moves the Country - Zip Code Moves the Mail (1968), and Rex Morgan, M.D. Talks About Your Unborn Child (date unknown), they also have copies of the "Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency" reports from 1955 (i.e., "The Ten-Cent Plague"). Technical Note: The PDFs take a while to load.
+ I have a sudden urge to dust off my dormant, unused library science degree and try to get a job in The Schulz Library of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT. Here's a tour of the library:
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
"Did I ever tell ya that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality, and my belief in personal freedom?"*
Original AVQ&A**: This question was prompted by a commenter in the post about Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore. He mentioned that Moore got a pass for doing Saved! In your case, which artist gets a lifetime pass from you, whatever else he/she may do?
SPCHQ A: Nicolas Cage gets a "lifetime pass" from me. Given that he's made many truly horrible movies, that's a monster-sized lifetime pass. Maybe it's because I saw him (and his odd, t-bone shaped chest hair at the time) in Valley Girl when I was at an especially impressionable age (trailer below), maybe it's because I don't mind watching big, dumb, explosion-y action movies, or maybe it's because occasionally (unfortunately, too occasionally these days) he makes an excellent movie, but I will never slag Nicolas Cage as an actor. For every Ghost Rider, City of Angels, 8MM, Gone in 60 Seconds, there's an Adaptation, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Bringing Out the Dead, Raising Arizona, or even a National Treasure (oh, hush, it was fun) to balance it out.
In addition, Nicolas Cage just has an appealing personality. With a combination of an off-screen perpetually half-asleep surfer dude voice, willingness to try any role (e.g., he's voicing a guinea pig in the upcoming G-Force and then Dr. Tenma in Astro Boy), and obsession with comic books (taking his stage name from comic book hero Luke Cage, and naming his son Kal-El), what's not to like?
If I'm channel surfing and come across one of Nic's films, I'll usually stop and watch a while, if not to the conclusion.*** That's the true sign that he's got a lifetime pass from me.
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* From Wild at Heart.
** This feature is cribbed from the AV Club, AVQ&A, where staffers answer a pop culture related question. Read who gets their lifetime passes.
***Except for the remake of The Wicker Man. Not even the sight of Nic stumbling around in a bear suit and attacked by bees could salvage that steaming pile of cinematic crap.
SPCHQ A: Nicolas Cage gets a "lifetime pass" from me. Given that he's made many truly horrible movies, that's a monster-sized lifetime pass. Maybe it's because I saw him (and his odd, t-bone shaped chest hair at the time) in Valley Girl when I was at an especially impressionable age (trailer below), maybe it's because I don't mind watching big, dumb, explosion-y action movies, or maybe it's because occasionally (unfortunately, too occasionally these days) he makes an excellent movie, but I will never slag Nicolas Cage as an actor. For every Ghost Rider, City of Angels, 8MM, Gone in 60 Seconds, there's an Adaptation, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Bringing Out the Dead, Raising Arizona, or even a National Treasure (oh, hush, it was fun) to balance it out.
In addition, Nicolas Cage just has an appealing personality. With a combination of an off-screen perpetually half-asleep surfer dude voice, willingness to try any role (e.g., he's voicing a guinea pig in the upcoming G-Force and then Dr. Tenma in Astro Boy), and obsession with comic books (taking his stage name from comic book hero Luke Cage, and naming his son Kal-El), what's not to like?
If I'm channel surfing and come across one of Nic's films, I'll usually stop and watch a while, if not to the conclusion.*** That's the true sign that he's got a lifetime pass from me.
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* From Wild at Heart.
** This feature is cribbed from the AV Club, AVQ&A, where staffers answer a pop culture related question. Read who gets their lifetime passes.
***Except for the remake of The Wicker Man. Not even the sight of Nic stumbling around in a bear suit and attacked by bees could salvage that steaming pile of cinematic crap.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
MoCCA Fest Pile 3.0
More MoCCA Fest reviews. (See the mocca2009 tag for all coverage.)
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The Boston Comics Roundtable just published INbound #3, another collection from Boston-area cartoonists. The happy dancing cover is by former Boston resident Matthew Reidsma of High Maintenance Machine, and there's lots of great contributions including "Fear" by Chris O'Neill, the quantum physics laced "From Afar" by Dan Mazur, and "An Afternoon Session" by Hyun Supul. However, I think I was most moved by the one page untitled comic by Franklin Einspruch. Good design, heavy paper, and again, that great cover make it an anthology to pick up.
One of the artists I liked in INbound #2 was Cathy Leamy. Her latest mini is Geraniums and Bacon #5, and includes the tale of attending the annual Filene's "Running of the Brides" wedding gown sale, just for the hell of it (pictured). Fun!
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Papercutter is an long-running (hey, 3+ years is eons in the small publishing scene) quarterly comic anthology out of Portland that continues to satisfy. Issues #9 and #10 have come out since last year's SPX. Issue #9 features Aron Nels Steinke, Elijah Brubaker, and Hellen Jo; Issue #10 has Damien Jay, Jesse Reklaw, and Minty Lewis.
Here's a few samples from the issues:
From Minty Lewis' "Hello Neighbor":
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From Aron Nels Steinke's "He Lives in Our Basement (I am Sure of It)":
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The Boston Comics Roundtable just published INbound #3, another collection from Boston-area cartoonists. The happy dancing cover is by former Boston resident Matthew Reidsma of High Maintenance Machine, and there's lots of great contributions including "Fear" by Chris O'Neill, the quantum physics laced "From Afar" by Dan Mazur, and "An Afternoon Session" by Hyun Supul. However, I think I was most moved by the one page untitled comic by Franklin Einspruch. Good design, heavy paper, and again, that great cover make it an anthology to pick up.One of the artists I liked in INbound #2 was Cathy Leamy. Her latest mini is Geraniums and Bacon #5, and includes the tale of attending the annual Filene's "Running of the Brides" wedding gown sale, just for the hell of it (pictured). Fun!
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Papercutter is an long-running (hey, 3+ years is eons in the small publishing scene) quarterly comic anthology out of Portland that continues to satisfy. Issues #9 and #10 have come out since last year's SPX. Issue #9 features Aron Nels Steinke, Elijah Brubaker, and Hellen Jo; Issue #10 has Damien Jay, Jesse Reklaw, and Minty Lewis.Here's a few samples from the issues:
From Minty Lewis' "Hello Neighbor":
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From Aron Nels Steinke's "He Lives in Our Basement (I am Sure of It)":
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Of Interest (Techie): 06.22.2009
+ 10 Pretty Computers!
+ Vintage Computer Festival: VCF East 6.0 is scheduled for September 12 & 13 at the InfoAge Science Center in Wall, NJ. InfoAge is located on the grounds of the historic Camp Evans, a geek paradise.
+ I want to go to there: Retro Arcade Museum, Beacon NY. While the collection of retro cabinet games is impressive, they also have displays of historic console games and early handheld games.
+ The site is Flash-heavy and somewhat annoying to navigate, but the Panasonic Design Museum provides a nice overview of some of their products, including the Radio Toot A Loop from 1972 (featured on the front page of the site).
+ Panasonic would benefit from browsing the IBM Archives, a fine example of how to display company history online. Besides online exhibits of products through the years, there's the history of IBM Music including sound clips of their anthems and rally songs(!), and a PDF of the official Songs of the IBM. Also includes exhibits of the IBM plants in Brooklyn, Rochester, Endicott, and Tuscon. There's even a photo album of IBM Attire through the years! (Pictured here: IBM Card-Programmed Electronic Calculator.)
+ Vintage Computer Festival: VCF East 6.0 is scheduled for September 12 & 13 at the InfoAge Science Center in Wall, NJ. InfoAge is located on the grounds of the historic Camp Evans, a geek paradise.
+ I want to go to there: Retro Arcade Museum, Beacon NY. While the collection of retro cabinet games is impressive, they also have displays of historic console games and early handheld games.
+ The site is Flash-heavy and somewhat annoying to navigate, but the Panasonic Design Museum provides a nice overview of some of their products, including the Radio Toot A Loop from 1972 (featured on the front page of the site).
+ Panasonic would benefit from browsing the IBM Archives, a fine example of how to display company history online. Besides online exhibits of products through the years, there's the history of IBM Music including sound clips of their anthems and rally songs(!), and a PDF of the official Songs of the IBM. Also includes exhibits of the IBM plants in Brooklyn, Rochester, Endicott, and Tuscon. There's even a photo album of IBM Attire through the years! (Pictured here: IBM Card-Programmed Electronic Calculator.)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wizard World Philly 2009 Review
Wizard World Philly (WWP) had the misfortune of receiving the short end of the convention stick this weekend, with the popular Heroes Con in North Carolina happening at the same time. While there were Marvel and DC panels at WWP, there was no exhibitor presence. In fact, the only larger (not indie/alternative) publishers that exhibited were Dynamite, Aspen, Avatar, Terminal Press (with their strange porno/horror comics set up right across from the celebrity photo booth for some strange reason) and locally-based Zenescope . The majority of the exhibit hall was populated by comic and toy vendors, many offering deep discounts on older comics. Seriously deep discounts.
While it's not uncommon to see $1 and $2 boxes at comic conventions and shows, there were many vendors at WWP with 3/$1, 50-cent, and even 25-cent longboxes of older comics. Serious collectors, armed with lists, were cleaning up. There were also a fair amount of trade paperbacks for half price or even less. I picked up Gilbert Hernandez's SLOTH for $3, indie TROUPYDOOPS and HEARTBREAK collections for only $4, and the POWERS #6 trade for $4. Many people were walking away with foot-high piles of floppies for $20. I can only imagine that the discounts got bigger as the show closed on Sunday. Besides declining sales figures for new comics, I think this is a sure sign that there is trouble in the comics market In This Economy.
Unfortunately, I really didn't attend many of the panels this year at WWP. I caught Max Brooks on Friday, who was witty, erudite, and completely charming. On Saturday I sat in the somewhat awkward Q&A with Emma Caufield . The Q&A wasn't awkward because of EC, but because she was kind of left to flounder up on the stage on her own, with no introduction or moderator. I bolted the con shortly after her Q&A because I had some sort of sinus-related allergic reaction to who-knows-what: bad body odor,patchouli oil, or possibly the clouds of AXE body spray that seemed to hang over the crowds. Blurgh . While I do prefer people to bathe when they go to these events, they also need to learn not to bathe in cologne either. I barely made it home upright, tore off my clothes, put on jammies, downed some Benedryl and passed out for the next 15 hours. I was totally out of commission for Sunday.
As was the case with WWP 08, my few purchases came from the Artists Alley, where individual artists, creators, and a few self-publishers sell their work. Here were my find this year.
First, a print of a Young Ones poster by illustrator Scott Derby. This appeared the recent 80s Pop Show! art exhibit at Brave New Worlds. I was so happy to find this, because I had planned on buying the original piece, but it sold before I could get it. Now at least I have a copy.
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I couldn't resist this print of Supergirl with Streaky the Supercat and Krypto the Superdog by Amanda Connor. I really like it when Supergirl is actually drawn as a girl (as in the limited-run Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade), not some sort of hoochie.
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Picked up some FanToon cards from illustrator Daniel Gorman - how could I pass up the 'bots from the Satellite of Love?
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Finally, one small press purchase: Joe Loves Crappy Movies, combination comics/movie reviews.
While it's not uncommon to see $1 and $2 boxes at comic conventions and shows, there were many vendors at WWP with 3/$1, 50-cent, and even 25-cent longboxes of older comics. Serious collectors, armed with lists, were cleaning up. There were also a fair amount of trade paperbacks for half price or even less. I picked up Gilbert Hernandez's SLOTH for $3, indie TROUPYDOOPS and HEARTBREAK collections for only $4, and the POWERS #6 trade for $4. Many people were walking away with foot-high piles of floppies for $20. I can only imagine that the discounts got bigger as the show closed on Sunday. Besides declining sales figures for new comics, I think this is a sure sign that there is trouble in the comics market In This Economy.
Unfortunately, I really didn't attend many of the panels this year at WWP. I caught Max Brooks on Friday, who was witty, erudite, and completely charming. On Saturday I sat in the somewhat awkward Q&A with Emma Caufield . The Q&A wasn't awkward because of EC, but because she was kind of left to flounder up on the stage on her own, with no introduction or moderator. I bolted the con shortly after her Q&A because I had some sort of sinus-related allergic reaction to who-knows-what: bad body odor,patchouli oil, or possibly the clouds of AXE body spray that seemed to hang over the crowds. Blurgh . While I do prefer people to bathe when they go to these events, they also need to learn not to bathe in cologne either. I barely made it home upright, tore off my clothes, put on jammies, downed some Benedryl and passed out for the next 15 hours. I was totally out of commission for Sunday.
As was the case with WWP 08, my few purchases came from the Artists Alley, where individual artists, creators, and a few self-publishers sell their work. Here were my find this year.
First, a print of a Young Ones poster by illustrator Scott Derby. This appeared the recent 80s Pop Show! art exhibit at Brave New Worlds. I was so happy to find this, because I had planned on buying the original piece, but it sold before I could get it. Now at least I have a copy.
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I couldn't resist this print of Supergirl with Streaky the Supercat and Krypto the Superdog by Amanda Connor. I really like it when Supergirl is actually drawn as a girl (as in the limited-run Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade), not some sort of hoochie.
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Picked up some FanToon cards from illustrator Daniel Gorman - how could I pass up the 'bots from the Satellite of Love?
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Finally, one small press purchase: Joe Loves Crappy Movies, combination comics/movie reviews.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Around Wizard World Philly: Friday
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Eric Maruscak working on this year's chalk art.
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Vintage video game cartridges for sale at the VGXPO part of the show. Amazing stuff!
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Get 'em while they're hot! I bought them for every member of my conservative family, a little gift from their favorite lil' leftist.
Dept. of Unnecessary Quotation Marks
Not just once, but twice!
(Spotted at F.Y.E. store in the Gallery mall, Philadelphia.)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wizard World Philly 2009 Preview
Unfortunately, I won't be attending San Diego Comic-Con this year. Instead, I've been attending smaller cons that aren't the crush that SDCC has become. For indie comics, there was MoCCA Fest a few weeks ago, the Small Press Expo in September, and possibly the Alternative Press Expo in October. To get my mainstream-y, popular culture fix, I'm attending Wizard World Philadelphia this weekend.
The Wizard World conventions are run by the publisher of Wizard, Toy Fare, and Anime magazines, and are usually held in several parts of the country. However, this year, due to The Economy, there will only be conventions in Philly and Chicago, and possibly Los Angeles (if re-scheduled). Wizard World Philly (henceforth abbreviated as WWP), is a mix of major comics publishers (i.e., DC and Marvel), toy companies, celebrities, comics vendors (back issues and other swag), writers, editors, artists, and other traditionally geeky types. There are also small press areas and an Artist's Alley, where I found some of my favorite purchases last year. In addition, WWP teamed up with the locally-based Video Game Expo, and will have a large gaming area on the convention floor.
This year's WWP programming is heavily undead, with many zombie-related panels scheduled during the weekend. Friday at 3PM is a discussion with effects legend Tom Savini. This is followed at 4PM with a panel featuring Max Brooks, author of the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. Saturday at 4PM there's a Zombie Costume Contest, and then at 5PM the panel "Writing the Undead" with Max Brooks, Fred Van Lente , and John Russo. Sunday has Max Brooks again at 1PM, discussing "Zombie Survival Plans", and a "How to Make a Zombie Demo" at 2PM. If you want to be be zombified during the convention (you know, without that part about dying), FearWerx will "deaden you up good" at their booth for $20. The Saturday night afterparty at the Trocadero will feature "Zombie Burlesque". Finally, unaffiliated with WWP, but still zombie-related, the Philly Zombie Beach Party is Sunday night at the Trocadero as well.
That's a lot of dead things. Guess there's a Zombie rage going on.
There are plenty of non-zombie events and such at WWP, including Q&A panels with Emma Caufield (Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now staring in the new SF movie TiMER); Doug Jones (Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies, and the creepy Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth); and cast members from Battlestar Galactica. There is an entire "Wizard School" track of panels and workshops about comics creation from concept to inking, and a separate set of classes for toy creation. There are multiple DC and Marvel panels, and an entire slate of kid-friendly programming as well. See the full programming schedule here.
The main convention floor will be full of publishers and vendors. (I plan on trying to find cheap copies of old Heavy Metal magazines, and half-price slightly dented graphic novels.) It also looks like Eric Michael Maruscak will be doing another huge chalk mural.
Look for blog posts and photos from the weekend on SPCHQ, and follow running commentary on the Twitter feed. Given I've been so low energy since... whenever it was the last time the sun was out here... don't know if I'll have super con stamina going, though.
The Wizard World conventions are run by the publisher of Wizard, Toy Fare, and Anime magazines, and are usually held in several parts of the country. However, this year, due to The Economy, there will only be conventions in Philly and Chicago, and possibly Los Angeles (if re-scheduled). Wizard World Philly (henceforth abbreviated as WWP), is a mix of major comics publishers (i.e., DC and Marvel), toy companies, celebrities, comics vendors (back issues and other swag), writers, editors, artists, and other traditionally geeky types. There are also small press areas and an Artist's Alley, where I found some of my favorite purchases last year. In addition, WWP teamed up with the locally-based Video Game Expo, and will have a large gaming area on the convention floor.
This year's WWP programming is heavily undead, with many zombie-related panels scheduled during the weekend. Friday at 3PM is a discussion with effects legend Tom Savini. This is followed at 4PM with a panel featuring Max Brooks, author of the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. Saturday at 4PM there's a Zombie Costume Contest, and then at 5PM the panel "Writing the Undead" with Max Brooks, Fred Van Lente , and John Russo. Sunday has Max Brooks again at 1PM, discussing "Zombie Survival Plans", and a "How to Make a Zombie Demo" at 2PM. If you want to be be zombified during the convention (you know, without that part about dying), FearWerx will "deaden you up good" at their booth for $20. The Saturday night afterparty at the Trocadero will feature "Zombie Burlesque". Finally, unaffiliated with WWP, but still zombie-related, the Philly Zombie Beach Party is Sunday night at the Trocadero as well.
That's a lot of dead things. Guess there's a Zombie rage going on.
There are plenty of non-zombie events and such at WWP, including Q&A panels with Emma Caufield (Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now staring in the new SF movie TiMER); Doug Jones (Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies, and the creepy Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth); and cast members from Battlestar Galactica. There is an entire "Wizard School" track of panels and workshops about comics creation from concept to inking, and a separate set of classes for toy creation. There are multiple DC and Marvel panels, and an entire slate of kid-friendly programming as well. See the full programming schedule here.
The main convention floor will be full of publishers and vendors. (I plan on trying to find cheap copies of old Heavy Metal magazines, and half-price slightly dented graphic novels.) It also looks like Eric Michael Maruscak will be doing another huge chalk mural.
Look for blog posts and photos from the weekend on SPCHQ, and follow running commentary on the Twitter feed. Given I've been so low energy since... whenever it was the last time the sun was out here... don't know if I'll have super con stamina going, though.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
MoCCA Fest Pile 2.0
Continuing commentary on comic purchases at MoCCA Fest 2009.
My Every Single Thought (What I think about being single) by Corinne Mucha.
Here's the beginning of the story "Anatomy of a Broken Heart". Such a sweet idea of a little tattoo artist living inside of us all.
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Don't Hate, Menstruate: A Menstruation Station Comic by Jen Vaughn.
Jen had a basket of tampons on her table, which probably attracted female attendees and confused (or frightened) male attendees. But the gimmick worked for me, and I picked up her her personal menstrual history mini, which includes her tale about getting it for the first (real) time at the drive-in movie (see illustration). I related to this comic quite a bit, obviously, and am looking forward to the next installment: Heavy Flow.
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Jewish Memoir Goes Pow! Zap! Oy! On autobiographical graphic novels, and why they are so jewy. A drawn essay by Miriam Libicki.
While there has been a lot written about Jewish comic book creators, it usually focuses on mainstream-y, superhero comics that have few autobiographical elements. This drawn essay takes on non-superhero Jewish-created comics and graphic novels, and was included in the academic book The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches. Miriam Libicki is the creator of the autobiographical graphic novel jobnik!, about her time spent in the Israeli Army, so she's quite equipped to study the use of personal experiences in comics by Jewish authors (Art Spiegelman, Harvey Pekar, Will Eisner, etc.). This is academic but accessible. Recommended for anyone interested in comics history, autobiography, and identity.
Bellen! by Box Brown.
Bellen!, the adventures of a couple named Ben and Ellen, is a web-published comic by Box Brown. Every so often, Box pulls together a collection of comics in print form. I picked up Bellen! #5 and the broadsheet Unsyndicated Press, composed of the "lost" strips that were going to be syndicated by United Features Syndicate, but weren't. Cute, mostly non-agnsty, but never cloying. New strips are available online Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. He also just published Love is a Peculiar Type of Thing, a square-bound Bellen! collection.
My Every Single Thought (What I think about being single) by Corinne Mucha.
"What is the opposite of single? Double, Unsingle, Coupled, "Taken", "In a Relationship", "Seeing Someone", Attached, "Involved in a complicated way you wouldn't understand"... all of the above?"Last year at SPX, I purchased SHITHOLE (The story of my first apartment), a great mini. If you read the Philadelphia Inquirer, every so often you're treated to Corinne's strip "Barnyard Etiquette", which explains proper social protocol with the help of lovable farm animals. So, I was happy to find Corinne's new mini at MoCCA Fest, and boy howdy do I relate to the subject matter.
Here's the beginning of the story "Anatomy of a Broken Heart". Such a sweet idea of a little tattoo artist living inside of us all.
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Don't Hate, Menstruate: A Menstruation Station Comic by Jen Vaughn.
Jen had a basket of tampons on her table, which probably attracted female attendees and confused (or frightened) male attendees. But the gimmick worked for me, and I picked up her her personal menstrual history mini, which includes her tale about getting it for the first (real) time at the drive-in movie (see illustration). I related to this comic quite a bit, obviously, and am looking forward to the next installment: Heavy Flow.
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Jewish Memoir Goes Pow! Zap! Oy! On autobiographical graphic novels, and why they are so jewy. A drawn essay by Miriam Libicki.While there has been a lot written about Jewish comic book creators, it usually focuses on mainstream-y, superhero comics that have few autobiographical elements. This drawn essay takes on non-superhero Jewish-created comics and graphic novels, and was included in the academic book The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches. Miriam Libicki is the creator of the autobiographical graphic novel jobnik!, about her time spent in the Israeli Army, so she's quite equipped to study the use of personal experiences in comics by Jewish authors (Art Spiegelman, Harvey Pekar, Will Eisner, etc.). This is academic but accessible. Recommended for anyone interested in comics history, autobiography, and identity.
Bellen! by Box Brown.
Bellen!, the adventures of a couple named Ben and Ellen, is a web-published comic by Box Brown. Every so often, Box pulls together a collection of comics in print form. I picked up Bellen! #5 and the broadsheet Unsyndicated Press, composed of the "lost" strips that were going to be syndicated by United Features Syndicate, but weren't. Cute, mostly non-agnsty, but never cloying. New strips are available online Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. He also just published Love is a Peculiar Type of Thing, a square-bound Bellen! collection.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Of Interest (Typornography): 06.14.2009
+ Another one for the Periodic Table Collection: The Periodic Table of Typefaces - also available for sale as prints, wall decals (so cool), and computer wallpaper (that's free).+ Instead of saying the label design on a product is really "confusing, smushed together, and ugly" call it Hyperbolic Bronnerism instead. (And while I know it violates every "rule" of graphic design, it's really tempting to design the cover of the next zine like this.)
+ A repository of typographic posters, great for reference and ideas.
+ The Harry Potter book covers re-imagined as classic Penguin softcovers.
+ The Art of Penguin Science Fiction: a beautiful project cataloging all the science fiction titles published by Penguin UK between 1935 and 1977. Click on any book cover to for information, or start by reading the accompanying essays.
+ The Journal of Urban Typography, a blog "dedicated to the documentation and study of signs, word fragments, and typography created with utilitarian intent in urban environments" featuring the good, the not so good, and downright ugly in type.
+ Finally, an instructional video demonstrating "How To Write Like an Architect".
Thursday, June 11, 2009
"The first improvement to toilet paper as we know it since the 1880s!"
"Think about it - toilet paper is really archaic and DISGUSTING!"
Yes, this is a REAL product. Sure, I can see it being helpful in some medical cases, but if you're too grossed out to use toilet paper in your hand to wipe, get thee on some Prozac for that OCD.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
MoCCA Fest Pile 1.0
Although I thought I had done a really thorough sweep of the Armory during MoCCA Fest, there were still many comics I just missed completely, most likely because there were too many people in front of their table at the time, and I forgot to stop back. Looking over Alex Robinson's haul from MoCCA Fest, I wondered if we had been at the same event! Still, I've got comics for the summer or maybe even all the way to the Small Press Expo (if I can make them last).
Also - many exhibitors were unhappy with how MoCCA Fest ran this year. Heidi MacDonald at The Beat blog has a meta-post about the controversy. Since it was my first year attending, and I also was just an attendee, not an exhibitor, the only problem I encountered was the late start on Saturday. (And the lack of trash cans and recycling bins. That was gross.) However, it's clear that exhibitors had many more problems during the weekend.
While Syndicate Consumption is now my reading/watching/listening blog, I'll be writing about MoCCA finds here at SPCHQ over the next few weeks. (But please, continue to visit Syndicate Consumption as well!)
First up, new issues of some favorite diary comics.
Ten Thousand Things To Do (#2, #3, and #4) by Jesse Reklaw.
Jesse's diary comics chronicle several months of (but certainly not limited to) creating comics, making music, organizing comic and art shows, readings and presentations, drinking, chronic pain, cat barf, vegan meals, parties, game nights, life in Portland, video games, being over-scheduled, friends, girlfriends, family, illness, and about ten thousand other topics. Somehow when you take the time to draw events of the day, they seem much less mundane. Jesse is also the artist behind the dream comic Slow Wave. Sure, you can read TTTTD via Jesse's Flickr stream (here are strips from MoCCA Saturday and MoCCA Sunday), but it's much more fun (and portable) to buy the issues. (Thanks for the price break, Jesse!) Pictured here is barfing cat Littles from issue #2.
Simple Routines (#10 and #11) by JP Coovert.
Two more issues from an artist I fell in love with at last year's SPX. JP and Jacie are finally reunited in Minneapolis (and married) after a year apart while he finished up school at Vermont's Center for Cartoon Studies. Sweet, simple, slice-o'-life strips that make me happy. Here, Jacie makes a house for their puppy London.
Lunch Hour Comix by Robert Ullman.
This dates from 2004, and I actually picked it up at the amazing Jim Hanley's Universe, located in the shadow of the Empire State Building (seriously). I met this artist at last year's SPX and enjoyed his comic Grand Gestures.
Jim Hanley's Universe was quite impressive. It did take me a while to dechiper how books and comics were arranged - more or less alphabetically, with indie and small press mixed in with all the mainstream-y material. (Art and (ahem) adult comics are sequestered in the back of the store.) Arranging the store alphabetically really forced me to look over ALL the shelves and racks, which uncovered some finds, such as Lunch Hour Comix.
Up next on the pile: Jewish Memoir Goes Pow! Zap! Oy! by Miriam Libicki, INbound #3 from the Boston Comics Collective, Sprockett: Gaps in Film and two issues of Nikki Harris from Candle Light Press, Don't Hate - Menstruate! by Jen Vaughn, and Corinne Mucha's My Every Single Thought.
Also - many exhibitors were unhappy with how MoCCA Fest ran this year. Heidi MacDonald at The Beat blog has a meta-post about the controversy. Since it was my first year attending, and I also was just an attendee, not an exhibitor, the only problem I encountered was the late start on Saturday. (And the lack of trash cans and recycling bins. That was gross.) However, it's clear that exhibitors had many more problems during the weekend.
While Syndicate Consumption is now my reading/watching/listening blog, I'll be writing about MoCCA finds here at SPCHQ over the next few weeks. (But please, continue to visit Syndicate Consumption as well!)
First up, new issues of some favorite diary comics.
Ten Thousand Things To Do (#2, #3, and #4) by Jesse Reklaw.Jesse's diary comics chronicle several months of (but certainly not limited to) creating comics, making music, organizing comic and art shows, readings and presentations, drinking, chronic pain, cat barf, vegan meals, parties, game nights, life in Portland, video games, being over-scheduled, friends, girlfriends, family, illness, and about ten thousand other topics. Somehow when you take the time to draw events of the day, they seem much less mundane. Jesse is also the artist behind the dream comic Slow Wave. Sure, you can read TTTTD via Jesse's Flickr stream (here are strips from MoCCA Saturday and MoCCA Sunday), but it's much more fun (and portable) to buy the issues. (Thanks for the price break, Jesse!) Pictured here is barfing cat Littles from issue #2.
Simple Routines (#10 and #11) by JP Coovert.
Two more issues from an artist I fell in love with at last year's SPX. JP and Jacie are finally reunited in Minneapolis (and married) after a year apart while he finished up school at Vermont's Center for Cartoon Studies. Sweet, simple, slice-o'-life strips that make me happy. Here, Jacie makes a house for their puppy London.
Lunch Hour Comix by Robert Ullman.
This dates from 2004, and I actually picked it up at the amazing Jim Hanley's Universe, located in the shadow of the Empire State Building (seriously). I met this artist at last year's SPX and enjoyed his comic Grand Gestures.
Jim Hanley's Universe was quite impressive. It did take me a while to dechiper how books and comics were arranged - more or less alphabetically, with indie and small press mixed in with all the mainstream-y material. (Art and (ahem) adult comics are sequestered in the back of the store.) Arranging the store alphabetically really forced me to look over ALL the shelves and racks, which uncovered some finds, such as Lunch Hour Comix.
Up next on the pile: Jewish Memoir Goes Pow! Zap! Oy! by Miriam Libicki, INbound #3 from the Boston Comics Collective, Sprockett: Gaps in Film and two issues of Nikki Harris from Candle Light Press, Don't Hate - Menstruate! by Jen Vaughn, and Corinne Mucha's My Every Single Thought.
Monday, June 08, 2009
MoCCA Art Fest Spoils
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This weekend I had a very nice time at the annual MoCCA Art Fest, an event for small and indie press comic makers to hawk their wares.
Although Saturday didn't start well - opening was delayed an hour due to delivery problems, leaving us early arrivals to stand out in the sun for an extra hour - in all it was a good small con. I've got a huge stack of comics to read and write about, and really enjoyed meeting new artists and seeing old buddies.
For better reports of MoCCA Fest, read The Beat's report on Saturday and Sunday, and a full wrap up from CBR News. I've got comics to read.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Half the music for twice the price.
Dear eMusic:
When I saw the news earlier this week that eMusic was adding the Sony back catalog, my initial reaction was, as a mainly independent label/alternative music listener, I'll hardly download any tracks from Sony, but if I'm really desperate for a song or two that happens to be on a Sony label, it will be there for me. The NY Times article also noted: "As part of the deal, eMusic says it will slightly raise prices and reduce the number of downloads for some of its monthly plans". I wasn't too concerned about a price increase because I have been a member of eMusic for nearly four years, and have been been treated very well when prices and plans changed previously, "grandfathered" in with respect.
Logging into eMusic last night, I saw exactly how my account would be changing.
Currently, I subscribe to the 75 downloads (DL)/month plan at the annual cost of $192. This works out to 900 songs at $0.21 each for an entire year, which is a fantastic deal that I have been extremely satisfied with.
Now I find that come renewal time, I will be switched to the eMusic Plus Annual plan, which is 35 DL/month at the annual cost of $172. This cuts annual downloads to 420 songs at a cost of $0.41 each.
To remain at 75 DL/month, there is an eMusic Connoisseur Plan for $31/month, which still $0.41 per track.
The per-track price is the same for the 35, 50, and 75 DL/month plans, so no quantity discounts anymore.
So, my download allowance is being slashed in more than half, and cost per track almost doubling.
As a four year, highly satisfied customer of eMusic, this is greatly irritating.
I signed up for eMusic in late 2005 because couldn't find the music I wanted even at my excellent indie record store. Browsing through the eMusic catalog I found Slender Means, The Boss Martians, Alexi Murdoch, the full Mountain Goats catalog, many old bands from my radio station days (Flight of Mavis, King Missile), and new bands who had songs featured on television shows I watched (Mates of State, The National, David Vandervelde). I first signed up for a 35 DL/mo plan, but a few months later paid for a year's subscription. Shortly after that I upgraded to 65 DL/mo, which then increased to 75 DL/mo during a price increase. I have never been less than happy with the eMusic selection and the DRM-free file quality. So many great labels, so much great music to explore. Plus, they have a deep soul and jazz catalog in addition to the vast indie rock roster.
I buy my music, or otherwise obtain it legally, and have never downloaded any music using a P2P network. Artist deserve to be paid for their work. I refuse to use the iTunes Store for digital music because I: (1) do not use an iPod; (2) do not want to use the iTunes software; (3) disagree with DRM. I was attracted to eMusic for its indie label focus and DRM-free policy. The rare times I want music released on a major label, I either (1) buy a used CD or (2) purchase it from Amazon MP3, which is also DRM-free. Other than that, it's been eMusic exclusively.
eMusic, may I suggest the following:
(1) Remember your long time customers, some of whom have been with the service since its inception in 2000. Many of these customers stayed with eMusic even when you converted to from the original "all-you-can-eat" plan to a monthly allowance in 2003. During a price increase a few years ago, you respected your customers and let them keep their current plans, even if they didn't "officially" exist anymore. Please consider your customers again before the Sony catalog arrives in July, and negotiate more reasonable "conversion" plans that don't slash downloads in half while doubling prices.
Also remember that it's easier to retain a current customer than it is to find a new customer. You have an interest in keeping current customers satisfied.
(2) Consider offering an "No Sony" plan for people who have absolutely NO interest in the Sony catalog, priced lower than a plan with access to the Sony catalog. It is obvious that the addition of the Sony catalog is driving up the eMusic prices. Why should users who will rarely, if ever, use it have to pay for the right to ignore it? If for some reason a "No Sony" subscriber absolutely HAS to download a Sony track, charge them $1 for it.
I have been a great booster of eMusic over the years, always recommending it to friends. Now however, I'm unsure if I'll renew my subscription come the fall unless the allowance and pricing structures change. I'm not the only one unhappy with the new pricing structures, either, as evidenced by the 535+ comments on the eMusic blog announcement about the new Sony catalog.
After discovering the eMusic downgrade last night, I can think of are the words of Johnny Rotten after the (original) Sex Pistols last show in 1978:
"Do you ever feel like you've been cheated?"
Yeah, eMusic, I do.
Regards,
Synd-e
When I saw the news earlier this week that eMusic was adding the Sony back catalog, my initial reaction was, as a mainly independent label/alternative music listener, I'll hardly download any tracks from Sony, but if I'm really desperate for a song or two that happens to be on a Sony label, it will be there for me. The NY Times article also noted: "As part of the deal, eMusic says it will slightly raise prices and reduce the number of downloads for some of its monthly plans". I wasn't too concerned about a price increase because I have been a member of eMusic for nearly four years, and have been been treated very well when prices and plans changed previously, "grandfathered" in with respect.
Logging into eMusic last night, I saw exactly how my account would be changing.
Currently, I subscribe to the 75 downloads (DL)/month plan at the annual cost of $192. This works out to 900 songs at $0.21 each for an entire year, which is a fantastic deal that I have been extremely satisfied with.
Now I find that come renewal time, I will be switched to the eMusic Plus Annual plan, which is 35 DL/month at the annual cost of $172. This cuts annual downloads to 420 songs at a cost of $0.41 each.
To remain at 75 DL/month, there is an eMusic Connoisseur Plan for $31/month, which still $0.41 per track.
The per-track price is the same for the 35, 50, and 75 DL/month plans, so no quantity discounts anymore.
So, my download allowance is being slashed in more than half, and cost per track almost doubling.
As a four year, highly satisfied customer of eMusic, this is greatly irritating.
I signed up for eMusic in late 2005 because couldn't find the music I wanted even at my excellent indie record store. Browsing through the eMusic catalog I found Slender Means, The Boss Martians, Alexi Murdoch, the full Mountain Goats catalog, many old bands from my radio station days (Flight of Mavis, King Missile), and new bands who had songs featured on television shows I watched (Mates of State, The National, David Vandervelde). I first signed up for a 35 DL/mo plan, but a few months later paid for a year's subscription. Shortly after that I upgraded to 65 DL/mo, which then increased to 75 DL/mo during a price increase. I have never been less than happy with the eMusic selection and the DRM-free file quality. So many great labels, so much great music to explore. Plus, they have a deep soul and jazz catalog in addition to the vast indie rock roster.
I buy my music, or otherwise obtain it legally, and have never downloaded any music using a P2P network. Artist deserve to be paid for their work. I refuse to use the iTunes Store for digital music because I: (1) do not use an iPod; (2) do not want to use the iTunes software; (3) disagree with DRM. I was attracted to eMusic for its indie label focus and DRM-free policy. The rare times I want music released on a major label, I either (1) buy a used CD or (2) purchase it from Amazon MP3, which is also DRM-free. Other than that, it's been eMusic exclusively.
eMusic, may I suggest the following:
(1) Remember your long time customers, some of whom have been with the service since its inception in 2000. Many of these customers stayed with eMusic even when you converted to from the original "all-you-can-eat" plan to a monthly allowance in 2003. During a price increase a few years ago, you respected your customers and let them keep their current plans, even if they didn't "officially" exist anymore. Please consider your customers again before the Sony catalog arrives in July, and negotiate more reasonable "conversion" plans that don't slash downloads in half while doubling prices.
Also remember that it's easier to retain a current customer than it is to find a new customer. You have an interest in keeping current customers satisfied.
(2) Consider offering an "No Sony" plan for people who have absolutely NO interest in the Sony catalog, priced lower than a plan with access to the Sony catalog. It is obvious that the addition of the Sony catalog is driving up the eMusic prices. Why should users who will rarely, if ever, use it have to pay for the right to ignore it? If for some reason a "No Sony" subscriber absolutely HAS to download a Sony track, charge them $1 for it.
I have been a great booster of eMusic over the years, always recommending it to friends. Now however, I'm unsure if I'll renew my subscription come the fall unless the allowance and pricing structures change. I'm not the only one unhappy with the new pricing structures, either, as evidenced by the 535+ comments on the eMusic blog announcement about the new Sony catalog.
After discovering the eMusic downgrade last night, I can think of are the words of Johnny Rotten after the (original) Sex Pistols last show in 1978:
"Do you ever feel like you've been cheated?"
Yeah, eMusic, I do.
Regards,
Synd-e
Monday, June 01, 2009
Happily Ever After (A trademark of the Walt Disney Company)
A few weeks ago, this e-mail from the excellent blogger (and friend) behind She Never Shuts Up dropped in my inbox:
Anyway for some reason I read this article and the first thing I thought was, "This is the kind of pop culture thing AJ covers so well! I wish she'd write about this so I can read it, then pretend those were all my thoughts!" Is it possible to make requests, like you're a DJ and I want you to play a certain song? I know you hate Disney and all (or maybe I just assume you hate Disney) but do you have any thoughts on Tiana, the first black Disney princess? Long time coming? Capitalizing shamelessly on popularity of Obama girls? Is it cringe-inducing that she's named Tiana, and that the villain is into voodoo, or does it reflect reality in a culturally appropriate way? What about a black Prince Charming?
As a long-recovered Cultural Studies grad student who can still dissect anything along race/class/gender lines if pressured to, I assure you, adults are going to complain, and complain loudly about this movie all over the internets. Really, you didn't hear so many people complaining loudly about Disney (and Pixar) productions ten years ago because not everyone had access to a message board or a blog. Back in the day, once a year cultural studies types would get together at a conference and present papers in sessions to audiences of four people (if we were lucky), and that was about it.
Now, however, whenever a new Disney, Pixar, or any animated film intended for a kid audience comes out, so do the analytic pitchforks on the internets.
Consider for example...
... the the conservatives, the fats, and the environmentalists all had problems with WALL-E
... Ratatouille is seen as a metaphor for Jewish assimilation in the 20th century
... and apparently, Remy, the lead rat/chef of Ratatouille is also gay, and the movie is a metaphor for coming out?
... the problem Pixar has with creating any lead female characters
I could go on and on and dig up many, many more examples across the Disney, Pixar, and other animated movies. Some of the criticism is entirely valid - for example, to date there hasn't been a Pixar film with a truly lead female character - but some seems to be... a reach. I enjoy reading the criticism and controversy that erupts around these movies, and there will be similar kerfuffle over The Princess and the Frog.
(NOTE: I started working on this post two weeks ago. Yesterday's NYT Styles section had this as the lead, above the fold article: Her prince has come. Critics, too. I really need to post in more timely fashion, I suppose.)
From the two trailers available and reviewing some of the preliminary press, I can say with near certainly the following items will be identified as problematic:
No matter how many critics, cultural studies types, pundits, parents, and scholars complain about The Princess and the Frog, it will still make a shitload of money, both through ticket sales and merchandising.
A veritable shitload.
Little girls are going to just lap this movie up, and very likely many, many older women will as well.
The entire Disney Princesses concept makes me queasy from both consumer and identity viewpoints. Obviously, the Disney Princesses is a brilliant marketing concept that isn't constrained by a single movie and can be marketed and sold infinite ways. It's estimated that the Disney Princesses brand will generate $4 billion for the company this year.
Four billion dollars spent on plastic, mass produced products likely made in sweatshops and further likely to never disintegrate in a landfill. Four billion dollars spent on force-feeding little girls, tween girls, teenage girls, and grown women completely unrealistic beliefs that "every girl can be a princess" and that there is a "happily every after" (of course, only in the most heteronormative sense) - both of which are completely false.
Now some sociologists are theorizing that princess mania, largely driven by Disney, is leading the development of a new generation of narcissistic girls, who will grow up to be narcissistic women. I find this troubling. No, not as troubling as global warming, North Korea testing nukes, or even more inconsequential events, but still queasy-inducing.
Aren't we enough of a self-centered, look at me, Look At Me, LOOK AT ME! society already with social networking sites, teenagers trading naked cameraphone pictures of themselves, famewhores like Julia Alison, BrittneyLindsayMiley, the "Hills" actors, and way too many "reality" shows? Aren't there enough people yelling "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY PAY ATTENTION TO ME" that little girls need to be told that they are super-special and are princesses?
Sure, it's fine if girls want to play "princess", but they need to know that they're just playing princess, they're not actually princesses. Not to be incredibly soul-crushing, but kids need to be told the truth: They're really not all that "special" to many people, mostly only family. Furthermore, no one really lives "happily every after", and they instead need to find satisfaction with "happy enough", or even "not miserable". Except for the select few, life is nasty, brutish, and short - get used to it and and learn how to work around it.
(Oh, and girls also need to know that wearing Disney Princess themed clothing after a certain age is disturbing and a Y-chromosome repellent.)
I never caught the Princess Syndrome as a young girl*. While I'd like to believe that it's because I was somehow born with an inherent sense of feminism and knew at age six or seven that "happily every after" didn't exist, there's a much more rational explanation why it didn't happen: I wasn't exposed to the "princess" meme, mainly because at the time Disney wasn't marketing the "princess" concept through new movies and merchandising.
Girls born around 1970 were raised in a much less Disney-infested culture than today. For example, while Disney would occasionally re-release their animated movies to theaters during that decade, I only saw a few of the "classic" films that way. I can remember seeing Bambi and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in the movie theater, possibly Cinderella but no others. In the 1970s, Disney was making more live-action kid movies, like The Shaggy D.A. and Freaky Friday. The Sunday evening Wonderful World of Disney television program showed nature films, more live action films, and old Donald Duck cartoons. There was no Disney Channel, no New Mickey Mouse Club, and few new animated Disney movies. Only the truly wealthy owned VCRs or Betamaxes, so it's not like anyone could watch a Disney movie at home, if they were even available on videotape. Because they were really in a fallow period (creatively and marketing-wise), Disney princess media or products didn't pollute my childhood.
Obviously, there were princess fairy tales and even Disney princesses in the 1970s, but there were not Disney Princesses, capital-P, copyrighted, trademarked, and merchandised. This was also the era of Free To Be You And Me, early Sesame Street, and other attempts at gender-neutral programming which negated the princess influence on me quite a bit.
It probably also helped that while my mom was constantly dealing with my two older drama queens-in-training sisters, my dad (engineer) and brother (gearhead) got stuck watching me. I liked playing in the dirt and mud and actively disliked anything traditionally "girly". I liked stuffed animals, not Barbie dolls. I hated getting "dressed up" and would have spent my entire childhood in jeans and t-shirts if allowed. Hell, I'd spend my entire adulthood in jeans and t-shirts if allowed. I also loved, loved, loved to read, and the Little House on the Prairie series was a favorite. None of the Ingalls' women were princesses or princess-like. (Heck, the entire family nearly starved in The Long Winter.) Neither were Harriet the Spy or Ramona Quimby or any of the kids in books by Betsy Byars, Ellen Conford, or S.E. Hinton.
There's a list that circulated around the intertubes lately asking Was 1971 the perfect time to be born a geek? After reading that first list item, I now realize that while I lacked the Disney Princesses in the 1970s, I instead had one of the most perfect, kick-ass, pretty, strong, brave princess of all to look up to: Princess Leia Organa. If a girl needed a cinematic princess as a role model, in 1977 there was no better choice.
Okay, Carrie Fisher was most likely drunk or coked out her mind while filming, but that didn't come out until much later. Still, at least Leia knew how to drive and was much less needy than Cinderella or Snow White.
* Thinking back, I didn't go through a "horse" phase either. If it weren't for all of my theoretical boyfirends, sometimes I really think I should get checked for a stray Y-chromosome.
Anyway for some reason I read this article and the first thing I thought was, "This is the kind of pop culture thing AJ covers so well! I wish she'd write about this so I can read it, then pretend those were all my thoughts!" Is it possible to make requests, like you're a DJ and I want you to play a certain song? I know you hate Disney and all (or maybe I just assume you hate Disney) but do you have any thoughts on Tiana, the first black Disney princess? Long time coming? Capitalizing shamelessly on popularity of Obama girls? Is it cringe-inducing that she's named Tiana, and that the villain is into voodoo, or does it reflect reality in a culturally appropriate way? What about a black Prince Charming?
As a long-recovered Cultural Studies grad student who can still dissect anything along race/class/gender lines if pressured to, I assure you, adults are going to complain, and complain loudly about this movie all over the internets. Really, you didn't hear so many people complaining loudly about Disney (and Pixar) productions ten years ago because not everyone had access to a message board or a blog. Back in the day, once a year cultural studies types would get together at a conference and present papers in sessions to audiences of four people (if we were lucky), and that was about it.
Now, however, whenever a new Disney, Pixar, or any animated film intended for a kid audience comes out, so do the analytic pitchforks on the internets.
Consider for example...
... the the conservatives, the fats, and the environmentalists all had problems with WALL-E
... Ratatouille is seen as a metaphor for Jewish assimilation in the 20th century
... and apparently, Remy, the lead rat/chef of Ratatouille is also gay, and the movie is a metaphor for coming out?
... the problem Pixar has with creating any lead female characters
I could go on and on and dig up many, many more examples across the Disney, Pixar, and other animated movies. Some of the criticism is entirely valid - for example, to date there hasn't been a Pixar film with a truly lead female character - but some seems to be... a reach. I enjoy reading the criticism and controversy that erupts around these movies, and there will be similar kerfuffle over The Princess and the Frog.
(NOTE: I started working on this post two weeks ago. Yesterday's NYT Styles section had this as the lead, above the fold article: Her prince has come. Critics, too. I really need to post in more timely fashion, I suppose.)
From the two trailers available and reviewing some of the preliminary press, I can say with near certainly the following items will be identified as problematic:
- The "step and fetch" vocal styling of the sidekick lightning bug (featured in the preview trailer), with missing teeth, and a ragged appearance (for a bug, anyway)
- The presence of voodoo priests and magic
- What looks to be like a jazz-playing swamp alligator
- That Prince Naveen has lighter skin than Princess Tiana
No matter how many critics, cultural studies types, pundits, parents, and scholars complain about The Princess and the Frog, it will still make a shitload of money, both through ticket sales and merchandising.
A veritable shitload.
Little girls are going to just lap this movie up, and very likely many, many older women will as well.
The entire Disney Princesses concept makes me queasy from both consumer and identity viewpoints. Obviously, the Disney Princesses is a brilliant marketing concept that isn't constrained by a single movie and can be marketed and sold infinite ways. It's estimated that the Disney Princesses brand will generate $4 billion for the company this year.
Four billion dollars spent on plastic, mass produced products likely made in sweatshops and further likely to never disintegrate in a landfill. Four billion dollars spent on force-feeding little girls, tween girls, teenage girls, and grown women completely unrealistic beliefs that "every girl can be a princess" and that there is a "happily every after" (of course, only in the most heteronormative sense) - both of which are completely false.
Now some sociologists are theorizing that princess mania, largely driven by Disney, is leading the development of a new generation of narcissistic girls, who will grow up to be narcissistic women. I find this troubling. No, not as troubling as global warming, North Korea testing nukes, or even more inconsequential events, but still queasy-inducing.
Aren't we enough of a self-centered, look at me, Look At Me, LOOK AT ME! society already with social networking sites, teenagers trading naked cameraphone pictures of themselves, famewhores like Julia Alison, BrittneyLindsayMiley, the "Hills" actors, and way too many "reality" shows? Aren't there enough people yelling "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY PAY ATTENTION TO ME" that little girls need to be told that they are super-special and are princesses?
Sure, it's fine if girls want to play "princess", but they need to know that they're just playing princess, they're not actually princesses. Not to be incredibly soul-crushing, but kids need to be told the truth: They're really not all that "special" to many people, mostly only family. Furthermore, no one really lives "happily every after", and they instead need to find satisfaction with "happy enough", or even "not miserable". Except for the select few, life is nasty, brutish, and short - get used to it and and learn how to work around it.
(Oh, and girls also need to know that wearing Disney Princess themed clothing after a certain age is disturbing and a Y-chromosome repellent.)
I never caught the Princess Syndrome as a young girl*. While I'd like to believe that it's because I was somehow born with an inherent sense of feminism and knew at age six or seven that "happily every after" didn't exist, there's a much more rational explanation why it didn't happen: I wasn't exposed to the "princess" meme, mainly because at the time Disney wasn't marketing the "princess" concept through new movies and merchandising.
Girls born around 1970 were raised in a much less Disney-infested culture than today. For example, while Disney would occasionally re-release their animated movies to theaters during that decade, I only saw a few of the "classic" films that way. I can remember seeing Bambi and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in the movie theater, possibly Cinderella but no others. In the 1970s, Disney was making more live-action kid movies, like The Shaggy D.A. and Freaky Friday. The Sunday evening Wonderful World of Disney television program showed nature films, more live action films, and old Donald Duck cartoons. There was no Disney Channel, no New Mickey Mouse Club, and few new animated Disney movies. Only the truly wealthy owned VCRs or Betamaxes, so it's not like anyone could watch a Disney movie at home, if they were even available on videotape. Because they were really in a fallow period (creatively and marketing-wise), Disney princess media or products didn't pollute my childhood.
Obviously, there were princess fairy tales and even Disney princesses in the 1970s, but there were not Disney Princesses, capital-P, copyrighted, trademarked, and merchandised. This was also the era of Free To Be You And Me, early Sesame Street, and other attempts at gender-neutral programming which negated the princess influence on me quite a bit.
It probably also helped that while my mom was constantly dealing with my two older drama queens-in-training sisters, my dad (engineer) and brother (gearhead) got stuck watching me. I liked playing in the dirt and mud and actively disliked anything traditionally "girly". I liked stuffed animals, not Barbie dolls. I hated getting "dressed up" and would have spent my entire childhood in jeans and t-shirts if allowed. Hell, I'd spend my entire adulthood in jeans and t-shirts if allowed. I also loved, loved, loved to read, and the Little House on the Prairie series was a favorite. None of the Ingalls' women were princesses or princess-like. (Heck, the entire family nearly starved in The Long Winter.) Neither were Harriet the Spy or Ramona Quimby or any of the kids in books by Betsy Byars, Ellen Conford, or S.E. Hinton.
There's a list that circulated around the intertubes lately asking Was 1971 the perfect time to be born a geek? After reading that first list item, I now realize that while I lacked the Disney Princesses in the 1970s, I instead had one of the most perfect, kick-ass, pretty, strong, brave princess of all to look up to: Princess Leia Organa. If a girl needed a cinematic princess as a role model, in 1977 there was no better choice.
Okay, Carrie Fisher was most likely drunk or coked out her mind while filming, but that didn't come out until much later. Still, at least Leia knew how to drive and was much less needy than Cinderella or Snow White.
* Thinking back, I didn't go through a "horse" phase either. If it weren't for all of my theoretical boyfirends, sometimes I really think I should get checked for a stray Y-chromosome.
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