Comic Re-Read: Astro City

Recently coming home from a trip I took the opportunity to re-read Astro City written by Kurt Busiek.  This is an original series, but the characters are clearly steeped in those comic archetypes that we all know and love.  It’s so apparent that Good Samiritan is based on Superman; Winged Victory a more feminist Wonder Woman.  These are not simply retreads though.  Each issue demonstrates a spin on these characters that brings a more human aspect to their existence.  Rather than go the Frank Miller route, Busiek chooses keep the series relatively light and hopeful.  This is also helped by the wonderful art of Alex Ross and Brent Anderson.  Personally, I like Ross’s use of poses and iconography to indicate the statuesque awe which these heroes are granted by the non-powered residents of the city that they protect.  I highly recommend checking this series out.

It is available for checkout at the SLCPL here.

Also check out other works by Kurt Busiek here.

Check out more of the work of Alex Ross here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

For those of us in the US today is Thanksgiving! (Or as I refer to it…Pie-giving, because really that’s all I want.) However we wanted to post a little note saying THANK YOU.  We are so grateful to you who take a look at our little blog here.  It reminds us that the world can be awesome.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! or if you are not in the USA, then HAPPY THURSDAY!

Darth Vader and Son

 

I love Jeffrey Brown.  Typically he’s known for writing angsty, relationship books about the women that he’s lost.  But lately he’s been changing it up a bit.  His book Darth Vader and Son started out as a web comic, written and drawn by Brown over the course of a year.  This comic is typically single panel and hilarious.  It works off the premise of Darth Vader as a single dad to a young Luke Skywalker. Their interactions serve as a reminder that we don’t always have to be so serious about our iconic characters.  The hardcover is a quick read but a wholesome delight that you can share with all ages.  Highly recommend.

Darth Vader and Son is available at the Salt Lake City Public Library here.

You can also find more of Jeffrey Brown’s delightful work here.

 

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

Written and illustrated by manga legend Shigeru Mizuki back in 1973, this book is the mostly autobiographical account of a detachment of Japanese soldiers attempting to occupy New Britain (Papau New Guinea) near the end of the second World War.  The protagonist, Maruyama, is a version of Mizuki who lost one of his arms fighting a hopeless and meaningless last stand against the Americans.  Deals with many of the same themes that Will Eisner addressed in his Vietnam comics and in Full Metal Jacket, though with considerably less detachment than a characteristic Kubrick film.  For more information on the book, there’s an excellent review at The Comics Journal: http://www.tcj.com/reviews/onward-towards-our-noble-deaths/

Available for check-out.

Get Up, Get Out & Go Vote!

Tomorrow will be the most important day in your life!  It’s the day you help decide who will be defeated in this year’s most epic battle!  It reminds me of The Incredible Hulk #340 when Wolverine gutted the Hulk in one of the greatest comic superhero fights of all time.  Like the Hulk, will the United States healing factor kick in just in time to continue the fight?  “HULK SMASH!”  Or like Hulk in part 8 of Old Man Logan, will the United States fall to the ground holding it’s guts in it’s hands after swallowing Wolverine only to have him rip the Hulk open from the inside with his adamantium claws?!?!  Only you can decide!

*Disclaimer: Wolverine did not ruin our economy or cause the economic / social inequality between the 1 and 99%.  But the Bush administration did help gut the United States like Wolverine gutted the Hulk…so you get the idea.

For voting locations and other important voting info click here.

-Strange

November Local Zine Spotlight: The Leaders of the Revolution Have Arrived

 

With Election Day right around the corner (GO Vote!), we are spotlighting this local zine which features political activism.  This is the transcontinental daily journal of Maggie Giles, who set off to Washington DC on 4/15/02 from Salt Lake City, Utah to participate in the A-20 Demonstrations for Peace.

Learn more about these demonstrations here.

This zine along with many other zines can be found and checked out in the Zine Collection at the Main Library.

 

Natural Leaf Prints

So I know its been a while but don’t you think your latest alternative press creation needs some of this sweet leaf printing action?

I went searching for a tutorial like this after I got the inkling that something of this nature was possible when I noticed autumn leaves depositing their images on concrete side walks after the rain. While the tutorial above doesn’t specifically use autumn leaves it does have some great tips and techniques as well as mid process shots!

I hope it inspires some seasonal printing on your part, and if you do give it a shot let us know how it went in the comments!

Bonnie Kaye

200 Posts! Yeah!

GNZAP and SLCPLALTPRESS launched this blog in March 2012 because we wanted to talk about the things we love: comics, sequential art, zines, and alternative press.  Thanks for sticking with us.  Like Captain America, we don’t plan on going away anytime soon.