Stray Toasters by Bill Sienkiewicz

I usually go to Midtown Comics every Wednesday and rummage through old graphics novels while everyone else pour over the new comics of the week. From my frequent visits I have come across and forgotten this title repeatedly. The images enticed me, but what was going on here? At first glance it seemed so cluttered and dense. I finally hunkered down and shelled out the 25 bucks, fearing I'd forget it again. Glad I got this gem.

Stray Toasters is a fever dream. A bizarre story about a washed up detective named Egon Rustemagick recently released from a mental institution in order to capture a serial killer that targets young boys and mutilates house-wives. The boys are completely drained of fluid and are left with strange ritualistic markings all over their body. Egon must plunge through the muck and dirt of the city, find answers, meet an old flame and all the while keep his sanity.

Set in grimy quasi futuristic New York City, this is a sadistic mystery that leads you down the rabbit hole. When you finish, you're not exactly sure you "get it" but you sure liked getting lost in it.

If I had to point this to anything else I'd say Blade Runner, in that, at its heart its a noir , femme fatales and all. However, layered on top is a beaten down futuristic back drop and some seriously deranged antagonists. As a bonus, intermittently throughout are post cards from "The Devil" himself. Messages sent to hell to his lover, describing a trip in our mortal world. Reading these made me feel like I was raving mad.

The images in this are absolutely jaw dropping. Colors pour off the page as your eyes fall into a dizzying maze of shadows and lines. The hues of blue with thin gold lines are what first caught my eye. Seinkiewicz does an excellent job of mixing mediums. Within the paint, chalk, and ink pieces, you'll see real circuitry, bubble wrap, and perhaps a plastic fly or two.

Get this. It's worth your time, trust me. One of the best graphic novels my eyes have ever gazed upon. Just don't come crying back to me when you want your sanity back.

Breathtaker

Found this awesome graphic novel in The Strand a little while back. Breathtaker written by Mark Wheatley and drawn fantastically by Marc Hempel was originally published by DC comics in the early 90's.  

The plot revolves around government experiments and a pretty girl named Chase Darrow who is addicted to finding true love. She has guys falling all over her, unfortunately for the guys, loving her means death. Kissing her is kind like kissing Rogue from X-Men. She sucks the life right out of them and they age rapidly.  I think everybody can kinda relate to that...

I won't give anymore away but lets just say there's a reality show government super hero called aptly, The Man, a devoted, love crazy, group of ex lovers, and a hilarious scene with a moose. 

The story and the art just make this collection. The warm colors surround your eye and you just wanna fall in! Ahhh the colors duke, the colors! I can't recommend this more! 

REVIEW: PTA's: A Long Goodbye

My favorite music blog site Mutant Sounds posted this little 2-song-8inch record a months back and I've been in love ever since.

The first song "Woo-guy After Dark" I'm not to keen on. Its slow and wafts around to a Jah Wobble like bassline. Not a bad song, but not particularly interesting either. The song goes through all the post-punk motions you would expect it to albeit with Japanese vocals.

The second song "The Little Sister" is where it's at my friends. With kraut rock beats and lovely melancholy drenched post-punk guitar work, PTA builds emotion higher and higher with each and ever guitar stroke, ultimately spiraling down to leave you in a gray mist, contemplating, like at the end of a bitter sweet romance. Kraftwerk like electronic whispering and monotone singing, speaking god knows what into your ear, evoke images of lovers passing like ships through the night, staring at the sea, not knowing whats to happen next. Yea, it's that good.

The dizzying guitar work reminds me of another foggy, hazy, band My Bloody Valentine. Upon investigation the guitar work is fairly similar to MBV's "What you Want" off the Loveless album. Almost as if you could drop the two songs on top of each other and they'd fit perfectly.

If it wasn't for the first song this would be the crown jewel of rare 8inch Japanese records. PTA were ahead of their time and I would love to hear any other outings by this somber group as I saunter down a rainy Manhattan day.

GRADE: B

REVIEW: Nachtmystium- Assasins: Black Meddle Part I

I have been out of the world of metal for a while now. Nothing has really striked my metallic core what with all the bland clones of Pelican and Isis that have littered the scene for a while now. Thankfully I picked up this little nugget of awesomeness: Nachtmystium's Assassins: Black Meddle Part I. Equal parts Black Metal, Experimental and Psychedelic! I've had this for a while now but only listened to one or two songs, promising myself to listen to the entire album. Glad I made the plunge!

Wow what a trip these guys take you on! Their music is the sonic equivalent of getting lost in a swamp, discovering ruins, and then running from something ominous. The album is very varied for a black metal album. Synths gurgle in the background as they chug along with the metal only to leave you lost and creeped out with some spindly, spidery guitar work that reminds me of something off of Il Balletto Di Bronzo's Ys" album. Even a saxophone makes an appearance and takes their sound into more of a free jazz sound than a black metal one. The only draw back is that a couple of songs drag a bit in the middle but as soon as that happens they blast back into form.
Impressive, expansive, and definitely worth your time. Even if you're not a fan of the genre.
GRADE: A-

Disturbing Movies and TV shows i saw as a kid that warped me forever

Here are some intensely scary things i saw as a kid that are a little too scary. These images still frighten me even to this day. Why oh why oh why were 80's kids movies and TV so fucking scary?

1. LEGEND

This movie is kinda like if your unicorn trapper keeper from grade school became a film and Tangerine Dream did the soundtrack. It has fantastic sets and special effects and wow Tim Curry is fucking brilliant in it as what... the devil? However i remember seeing this on the ole USA network back in the day and being freaked the fuck out by MEG MUCKLEBONES see below

When i first saw this : Ran to my room crying, pants filled with poop.

2. RETURN TO OZ

Ok Lets make a sequel to The Wizard of Oz based on the original books. Oh by the way this one is going to make you want to hide behind the couch because there is a witch who can change heads , scary wheelers, Tick Tock, and  a rock man thing that eats people. Did i mention Dorthy's electro shock therapy? What the hell is going on here?  As a side note Henry Selick ,director of The Nightmare before Christmas, did the character designs for this movie. Can you tell?  Take a close look at the pumpkin head. Exactly the same as Jack Skeleton  in the beginning TNBC...

3. COUNT DUCKULA

This isnt so much scary but it was strange. A duck vampire that eats vegetables instead of drinking blood. Genius. I love the animation in this show. I always thought it should be made into a kids animated movie... Listen to the ending credits song. So fucking badass!





4. DAVID THE GNOME

Last episode... they die! Well turn into trees? This is soooo creepy/sad/ poetic? Look how sad the fox is!!!! This is were my love of orchestra/synth comes from...





5.TIME BANDITS

Oh Terry Gilliam what you did to my childhood just ain't right but it was fun....er.... um. Yeah this movie is weirder than weird but i lurve it. Its dark and involves time travel. Dont forget the ultimate evil. 



6. THE NEVERENDING STORY

You are never going to tell me that rock creature wasn't scary. Look at those googly eyes! I love the sets in this movie. Forests done a studio. Gotta love it. But yet again very dark looking?



7. LABYRINTH

Besides the fact that this movie is David and his "Bowie" its also a great kids movie that has some frightening imagery. Yet another film entirely done in a studio and It shows. What the fuck are these things??????



And this???



8. DARK CRYSTAL

The name says it all. This whole movie feels like one big scary acid dream. Those little evil chicken/raptor things are soooo freaky! They just makes me want to rip off my face.




9. WIZARDS

I used to watch this movie all the time when i was a kid. Its so strange and highly inappropriate for children ( crazy nazi references,and atomic war!) . Yet i watched this when i was 6 and have loved Bakshi's films ever since.



10. FERNGULLY
I know you want to tell me to save the rain forest from pollution but please dont do it this way...

Snakefinger

Snakefinger

Ah yes! The brilliant Snakefinger the mastermind behind The Residents guitar work. He's been called an "avant garde guitarist"  and you'll never be able to play like him. 

He worked with The Residents for a majority of their work in the 70's and 80's and has several excellent solo albums. Most notably Chewing Hides The Sound that has the best cover of Kraftwerks "The Model" ever slapped on vinyl.  

He unfortunately  suffered a fatal heart attack in 1987 on stage the same day he released the single "There's no Justice in Life"

I still get chills listening to the guitar solo(?) in  "Moisture" off The Residents "Commercial Album". The video to this song is one of THEE best things I have ever seen. I can watch it any day, any time, anywhere. The image of Snakefinger popping up on the moon playing guitar like a deranged Artie, The worlds strongest man , from Pete & Pete fills my blessed ears and eyes with supreme nacho chalupa joy. err....ew....

Santa Sangre

Santa Sangre, is a movie by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and one of my all time favorite. I make it a point to watch this movie at least once a year.  

Originally Jodorowsky was supposed to make this movie about a famous Mexican serial killer. He scrapped that idea for parts and made this surrealist masterpiece that closely resembles Psycho . From tattooed vixens to an elephant funeral that has to be seen to be believed this movie is fucking brilliant. 

Oh la la

I am a bit peeved that i have to hold on to my battered video cassette from the early 90's to watch this baby. There is a DVD but I don't feel like shelling down the bucks for an all region DVD player just to watch the import edition. 

So come on Jodorowsky! Whats keeping this one out of  us yanks hands? I know it has nothing to do with The Beatles, John Lennon, or  Alan Klein. So wheres the beef

Enki Bilal

Enki Bilal is an amazing comic book artist from France. I discovered his work hidden away in midtown comics in a graphic novel called "The Beast Trilogy 1&2". The artwork just floored me.
However, trying to find more of this guys work in the states is a little bit difficult. Some of his work has been brought over by DC comics but even then they are still hard to find. His masterwork the The Nikopol Trilogy has completely vanished except for some pretty expensive imports via amazon.com. Thank god my friend Agethe ( who has told me that Bilal is a comic book superstar in her native France) scored me one. Although it is in french, its still fun skimming through the unbelievable artwork and well worth the time painstakingly translating it.
You can still see The Nikopol here in the states albeit film form via Immortal, a film Mr. Bilal directed himself. I've heard this film is god awful and by the looks of the trailer, the extensive use of CGI is sickening. I'd stick to his fantastic comics.
Happy Hunting :)

Chrisma!

Chrisma is one of my favorite bands from Italy. Formed in 1976, husband and wife  duo, Maurizio Arcieri and Christina Moser, caused quite a stir with a trick Maurizio used to do by pretending to cut off his finger onstage. They had an international hit with "Lola" then changed their name to Krisma in the 80's, and became lame. 

So are they electroclash? maybe 

Goth? ehhh 

Punk? somewhat...

Badass & Sexy?  Fuck Yes!

"Black Silk Stockings" sounds like the soundtrack to the giallo you've always wanted to see... 

Ubik speaks

New blog. Why? cause i cant change my old blog. DEAL WIT IT YO!