Through the clear darkness
That consumes me
A faint glimmer gives me hope,
Of reassurance,
A desire,
That I am not alone
That no single star
Is ever truly alone
But they’re surrounded by their
Significant other
Their brethren
Together they could glisten
The sky with light
Imagine when I look into
Your eyes –
That glimmer like Rigel or
Orion’s Belt or
Saturn with it’s many rings;
A desire
Overcomes me and like
The stars in Heaven
You will shine!
Brighter than the North Star
Or all the stars of the Big Dipper
It may seem that we
are as far apart
as the Sun to Pluto –
it’s warm rays never
reaching Pluto’s cold surface.
Whereas in reality
we are as close
together as a
mother to her child;
two interlocking
warm bodies
forever en raptured
Distinguishing
Your shining star
from those other
faint glimmers
in the sky –
and I will
continue to
dream of the day
when I am up there
with You.
CITY GARDEN - "The Old Woman & The Park"
On the set of the short film "A Gift"
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE - A Book of Adapted Stories by Edgar Allan Poe!
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: NEVERMORE: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION OF EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SHORT STORIES
This collected volume of illustrated Edgar Allan Poe short’s is a great addition to lover’s of the great writer’s works. Some of the stories featured in Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories include The Raven, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Each story is tackled by a different creative team and the only unifying agent is that they are all adapted from Poe’s work.
Some are more satisfying then others as The Raven (by Dan Whitehead & Stuart Tipples; art by Stuart Tipples) was easily one of my favorites, but The Oval Portrait (by David Berner; art by Natalie Sandells), which I had never read before in any form, and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Jeremy Slater; art by Alice Duke) were also very good additions.
The great thing about this collection is the fact that it brings to life some of Poe’s greatest works for a new generation to appreciate. Poe’s work has been adapted throughout the ages in many different forms from comics to movies to television and audio books but it never ceases to amaze me how many emerging artists still find his work so inspirational. I grew up reading Poe at an early age and his work has been a great influence on me (even if I haven’t read everything he wrote). Another great addition to this collection is the Edgar Allan Poe’s Biography segment at the end of the collection with art & script by Laura Howell, which gives a few key insights about the man to new readers. Also, the book gives historical context for each of the stories just prior to their presentations, which is great knowledge for the young readers who have only a passing knowledge of the man & his work.
This collected volume of illustrated Edgar Allan Poe short’s is a great addition to lover’s of the great writer’s works. Some of the stories featured in Nevermore: A Graphic Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories include The Raven, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, The Oval Portrait, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Masque of the Red Death. Each story is tackled by a different creative team and the only unifying agent is that they are all adapted from Poe’s work.
Some are more satisfying then others as The Raven (by Dan Whitehead & Stuart Tipples; art by Stuart Tipples) was easily one of my favorites, but The Oval Portrait (by David Berner; art by Natalie Sandells), which I had never read before in any form, and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Jeremy Slater; art by Alice Duke) were also very good additions.
The great thing about this collection is the fact that it brings to life some of Poe’s greatest works for a new generation to appreciate. Poe’s work has been adapted throughout the ages in many different forms from comics to movies to television and audio books but it never ceases to amaze me how many emerging artists still find his work so inspirational. I grew up reading Poe at an early age and his work has been a great influence on me (even if I haven’t read everything he wrote). Another great addition to this collection is the Edgar Allan Poe’s Biography segment at the end of the collection with art & script by Laura Howell, which gives a few key insights about the man to new readers. Also, the book gives historical context for each of the stories just prior to their presentations, which is great knowledge for the young readers who have only a passing knowledge of the man & his work.
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: CORALINE Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russell
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: CORALINE Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Neil Gaiman’s glorious novel Coraline has been adapted & illustrated by Harvey and Eisner Award winner P. Craig Russell who goes out of his way to present a faithful adaptation to the celebrated fantasy novel.
Now a major motion picture Coraline (whether you read the original novel or the graphic novel) follows the exploits of a young girl Coraline who moves into a new house where her self absorbed parents want nothing more then for their child to find something to do with her time then to pester them when they are trying to work. Coraline is an adventurous young girl whose life is turned upside down when a door that opens to a bricked in apartment next door suddenly opens up to a wondrous new world inhabited by people claiming to be her Other Mother and her Other Father. Coraline finds this new world strange but wonderful even if her Other Mother & Father do have buttons for eyes and cats can speak.
When Coraline wants to leave to be with her real parents she realizes that her Other Mother has other plans and kidnaps her parents forcing young Coraline to stay in the other world. Now Coraline must find a way to save her real parents and out smart her Other Mother before she has buttons sewed where her eyes are.
Coraline is a story filled with signature Gaiman motifs of fantasy and adventure like many of his stories in Smoke & Mirrors not to mention his novels Stardust and Neverwhere. Russell does a great job at bringing Gaiman’s world to life on the page. His character designs are realistic yet retain all the visual flair of Gaiman’s prose. Since this is not a very dark story (say like Gaiman’s Sandman series) Russell uses a lot of light colors to his palette and doesn’t crowd the paneling with unneeded details (a testament to his reserved style with compliments the work perfectly).
Coming in at just 186 pages Coraline is a fast yet enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more (or at least wanting to read it again) and is perfect for reading to younger children for that slightly scary yet fantastic bed time story.
Neil Gaiman’s glorious novel Coraline has been adapted & illustrated by Harvey and Eisner Award winner P. Craig Russell who goes out of his way to present a faithful adaptation to the celebrated fantasy novel.
Now a major motion picture Coraline (whether you read the original novel or the graphic novel) follows the exploits of a young girl Coraline who moves into a new house where her self absorbed parents want nothing more then for their child to find something to do with her time then to pester them when they are trying to work. Coraline is an adventurous young girl whose life is turned upside down when a door that opens to a bricked in apartment next door suddenly opens up to a wondrous new world inhabited by people claiming to be her Other Mother and her Other Father. Coraline finds this new world strange but wonderful even if her Other Mother & Father do have buttons for eyes and cats can speak.
When Coraline wants to leave to be with her real parents she realizes that her Other Mother has other plans and kidnaps her parents forcing young Coraline to stay in the other world. Now Coraline must find a way to save her real parents and out smart her Other Mother before she has buttons sewed where her eyes are.
Coraline is a story filled with signature Gaiman motifs of fantasy and adventure like many of his stories in Smoke & Mirrors not to mention his novels Stardust and Neverwhere. Russell does a great job at bringing Gaiman’s world to life on the page. His character designs are realistic yet retain all the visual flair of Gaiman’s prose. Since this is not a very dark story (say like Gaiman’s Sandman series) Russell uses a lot of light colors to his palette and doesn’t crowd the paneling with unneeded details (a testament to his reserved style with compliments the work perfectly).
Coming in at just 186 pages Coraline is a fast yet enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more (or at least wanting to read it again) and is perfect for reading to younger children for that slightly scary yet fantastic bed time story.
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (FantaCo) #1-4 & Prequel
COMIC BOOK REVIEW: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (FantaCo) #1-4 & Prequel
I rarely ever do reviews of individual comic books but this one warrant’s it since it has yet to be gathered into a graphic novel or trade paperback form. FantaCo’s official adaptation of the original 1968 film Night of the Living Dead is a testament to how a film adaption can go so right instead of so wrong (which is the norm). Having read many comic book adaptations of films (i.e. Batman, Willow, Darkman, Arachnophobia, Star Trek 6, and the list goes on and on) very few strive to be more then the film itself. This four issue prestige format series debuted in 1991 (even though I just recently got my hands on all the issues) from writers Tim Skulan & Eric Stanway, artist Carlos Kastro (with Eric Meheu), and letterer Mary Kelleher. Based on the original screenplay by George A. Romero & John Russo this comic book adaptation is a testament to great storytelling not only through words but through pictures and art.
Anyone who has seen the original film will know that there are many instances where very little dialogue is spoken as you watch the characters go through there personal revelations of a world plunged into the darkness of the undead. The film is everything from the film (most of the dialogue is lifted straight from the film) but the film also goes to a lot of the back story of the characters that is just hinted at in the film. When Ben tells Barbara his first encounter at the diner you see the events unfold in the comic and the Prequel issue shows you everything that happens to the Tom & Judy characters and the Coopers just before they arrive at the house.
Katro’s artwork is haunting at times and perfect for the unsettling imagery of the undead killing the living and the black & white artwork is a perfect compliment to the film. Some of the images are even more haunting on the page then in the film. I was reminiscing about the great artwork from the EC Comics era and how much Katro’s work mirrors that. And for those wanting to see a little color to their horror, the four covers to the issues are rendered in contrasting color tones (although the Prequel issue is still in black & white).
This is truly a great series to have in any collection, which is why it is a shame it hasn’t been collected as yet. FantaCo also produced only (non-related) issues in this series but it is Avatar that picked up the mantel by doing sequels to the landmark film (so be on the look out for those). Great film to comic book adaptations are rarely done right so it would be in your best interest to pick up this one.
I rarely ever do reviews of individual comic books but this one warrant’s it since it has yet to be gathered into a graphic novel or trade paperback form. FantaCo’s official adaptation of the original 1968 film Night of the Living Dead is a testament to how a film adaption can go so right instead of so wrong (which is the norm). Having read many comic book adaptations of films (i.e. Batman, Willow, Darkman, Arachnophobia, Star Trek 6, and the list goes on and on) very few strive to be more then the film itself. This four issue prestige format series debuted in 1991 (even though I just recently got my hands on all the issues) from writers Tim Skulan & Eric Stanway, artist Carlos Kastro (with Eric Meheu), and letterer Mary Kelleher. Based on the original screenplay by George A. Romero & John Russo this comic book adaptation is a testament to great storytelling not only through words but through pictures and art.
Anyone who has seen the original film will know that there are many instances where very little dialogue is spoken as you watch the characters go through there personal revelations of a world plunged into the darkness of the undead. The film is everything from the film (most of the dialogue is lifted straight from the film) but the film also goes to a lot of the back story of the characters that is just hinted at in the film. When Ben tells Barbara his first encounter at the diner you see the events unfold in the comic and the Prequel issue shows you everything that happens to the Tom & Judy characters and the Coopers just before they arrive at the house.
Katro’s artwork is haunting at times and perfect for the unsettling imagery of the undead killing the living and the black & white artwork is a perfect compliment to the film. Some of the images are even more haunting on the page then in the film. I was reminiscing about the great artwork from the EC Comics era and how much Katro’s work mirrors that. And for those wanting to see a little color to their horror, the four covers to the issues are rendered in contrasting color tones (although the Prequel issue is still in black & white).
This is truly a great series to have in any collection, which is why it is a shame it hasn’t been collected as yet. FantaCo also produced only (non-related) issues in this series but it is Avatar that picked up the mantel by doing sequels to the landmark film (so be on the look out for those). Great film to comic book adaptations are rarely done right so it would be in your best interest to pick up this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
