ART MUSEUMS? My favorite kind of Museum

ART FOR ALL
By Alex Ness
September 29, 2023

A SHORT PIECE ABOUT A
FAVORITE THING TO DO

It isn't a secret, I've had a love of art for my entire life.  I wanted to be an artist, and tried, but I don't have the talent to have merited the expense and time, spending my youth and adulthood upon a skill I did not possess.  As an adult I've lost what little I ability I had learned, and what little born talent I possessed.  However...

My best friend Rich Chapell and I chat Fine Art quite a bit, and we enjoyed visiting the Walker Art Center when he visited back in 2017. It made me realize how in Minnesota, in the vicinity of the Twin cities of Saint Paul/Minneapolis we are blessed with all sorts of Art, and other sorts of Museums.  I've not been out and about since dealing with a lot of health issues, but I follow the new exhibits virtually. I have tried to financially contribute to museums in the past, but more recently that has gone to Animal Shelters. I am going to try by this article to show the readers here a wonderful list of places to visit, and why, and point to why this region is so special. 

I suspect you might well find many in your home region, and you should do what I am not currently doing, go to them, be awash in the amazing new worlds art can present. As a historian I am moved by mummies, dinosaur bones, and the history of technological evolution too. But for me that was found in Chicago, hometown of another best friend, Steve Olle (Steve-O for short). The Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry were great places to visit. Chicago isn't like the metro of StP/MPLS at all, and I had some unpleasant experiences there as well, but I am not going to ruin this piece with bad memories. Steve-O, Lys Fulda, James Whitlock & more people are reasons for trying to focus upon my good thoughts about Chicago.

THE WALKER ART CENTER

If I were to call this museum my favorite, it wouldn't be wrong. Physically, it has a vast freedom and openness, with open spaces, multi sensory presentations and valuable exhibits that lead you to engage the art it shares. It feels less institutional, less formal, but it is well designed, feels open and has a way of presentation that other museums lack. It isn't huge in terms of number of pieces shared, but it is huge in terms of how it affects my mind.

THE WEISMAN ART MUSEUM

A favorite place to visit, the Weisman is a place to engage art in a different way than looking at it. It was created as a place to experience art, to feel it, to perceive it not from the ground floor, or other angles but to feel it, to be moved by it. The building housing the art is unique, a piece of art in itself, so when one enters, they are already in the presence of art.

THE MINNESOTA INSTITUTE OF ART

This is a wonderful place, with many exhibits and attempts to curate the viewers experience with a ordered, thoughtful, deep dive into what is art. It is more formal than the previous two discussed here, and you definitely feel yourself in a building that holds art, rather than feeling yourself in a work of art, but it is a wonderful place, and for me, at least one visit contained a mummy's tomb, and it reminds one, that art is life, and reflects our being.

MINNESOTA MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

Found in Saint Paul, the MMAA is a celebration of American art, across generations, and throughout the ethnic collection of humanity that we are. It strives to present a world that reflects our experience, and celebrate art that goes beyond being pretty or fun, it creates a visual experience that remembers where we've been, and offers a suggestion of where we are going.

TWEED MUSEUM OF ART

I spent hours at a time in the Tweed museum. Found in the University of Minnesota-Duluth, it beckoned me to see all the new exhibits. A part of the university, so not only not in its own building, but part of a greater institution, it can't help but possess a more formal presentation. But, acknowledging that, I am moved by how it changed my perception of art, and fed my mind at a time when everything was going to hell in my life. It was a center of calm in the tornado of life I found myself living in.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

I am writing more than ever, and I am looking for people to work with, in terms of artists for comics, editors for anthologies and more. If you long to work on projects for little in money but product to sell, and future opportunities, hit me here. 

I was asked why I don't share more of my work here.  It seems to be an all Alex Ness affair, but it really isn't. I began with various writers helping out, Kurt Wilcken, Marc Kleinhenz, Martin Giadrosich, Rich Chapell, Ted Kilvington and more. If you want a venue to write your views and experiences, your reviews or interviews, hit me up. I try to keep this place all about the popular culture and not about politics. If you can deal with that, please send an email and chat.

Regarding my own work, that people discuss, I have many copies of various works, some rare, others in print, that are for sale.  I can give you a price far cheaper than on Amazon or Ebay.  Inquire by email and see. For books sets for sale, by other authors, read once or less, find me at my facebook page, my corner of the asylum.  *I really hate Facebook. But I still post there as my friends and family are there.

REVIEWS AND STUFF

FINALLY...  I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog         AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published works   AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter
Facebook

All images are copyright © their respective owners, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights asserted.

IDEAS ABOUT THE PRESENT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
By Alex Ness
September 25, 2023

HOT COMICS IS MY HERO

My son and I tabled at Crypticon Minneapolis under the umbrella of Hot Comics booth. They were there to sell, so giving me and my son or Joe Monks had he not passed away, table space was giving up some of their space so we could sell our own works. It was an act of generosity and kindness that I'll never forget. And more than that, Hot Comics from the start was my first corporate sponsor. They had a banner ad on my earliest web presence, and throughout my time having a website and wherever I went.  It is of enormous value for a creative artist or a journalist about the comics world to have connections with retailers, and Hot Comics in Mn is the best.

I am not worthy of such kindness, and I wish to pay it forward by sharing my gratitude towards Hot.  Thank so much.

IS FOOD A CULTURAL EVENT OR A BIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT

I used to write food reviews and restaurant specific reviews for a site back in the very early days of 2000 AD and an a bit over 500 reviews. That all ended badly, so let's not dwell upon that. But, I did want to consider is it possible to review food shows, chefs as a means of discussing the importance that food has taken in modern culture. Ancient Romans and Egyptians at the heights of their greatness sought out unusual foods, they wanted to taste whatever the world had in store for the adventurous, those who seek perfect combinations of tastes and variety of and quality of foods. The gourmands, elite food critics and eaters of all that is offered is sometimes seen as gluttony. That desire to eat everything is seen by some as a celebration of wealth and excess. But is it? The concept of celebrating food adventures as decadence along with blood sports and dangerous sport comes from Roman poet Juvenal who used the concept to show how our wavering from reality, can be had with temptations of food "pleasure" and exciting and dangerous sports "a blood lust".

"Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses."

I am uncertain. I used to consider becoming a chef, as my 1990s saw me experimenting with and learning different food preparation style. One wealthy contact I had from years in Grad school, was going to create a restaurant, like a speak easy, and said he wanted to use some of my recipes. He said he'd pay me a royalty for use, rather than buying them outright.  I'd fed him twice in Fargo during Grad school and he was blown away. Using royalties rather than buying the recipes technically could work but practically it was a nightmare as I was certain, along the line, my trust in the numbers of sales just seemed unlikely to be continually upgraded and fairly counted. But, going into that, I spent a couple months alone choosing what 10 dishes to write the recipes for, since I never followed other people's recipes and writing them out. It would be my means of creation of new and different product to be shared with the public. When I wrote out the recipes and the restaurant never came to be, it turns out, wealthy people have so many options, they lose interest at some point if the effort doesn't seem to reward enough financially. I was not altogether destroyed by it not happening. I saw it, actually as a change in my future.

I would be a writer, a stay at home father, and who knows what else.  Along with my cooking, my art and writing. I went to operas and classical music performances, I drank top shelf vodka martinis, and enjoyed, rarely, smoking cigars. I thought it was all part of what being a creative genius was about. But that was hollow. No, it wasn't bad, it was enjoyable, but, it was the trappings of higher dreams or being of exalted taste, not reality.  Now I drink beer when I drink, which isn't often, and I smoke nothing.

Being a father taught me about life, what is truly important. I learned that partaking of the trappings of excellence do not make you excellent. They make you a poser. Or a fool. But I did write many reviews, of restaurants, food items newly released, and more. I received a box of food items from a seller after I wrote a positive piece about his establishment, which was great.  But, I knew, I was not a foodie, and not trained in being a chef.  I could cook, but, ultimately, it was meaningless to me, as it had no real reward.  I had to move in a different creative direction, and with the arrival of blogs and websites focused on comics, books, stuff I liked culturally, I knew I could make an inroad and see where it took me.

So that doesn't answer whether I should focus at all upon food as a product of culture, rather than viewing foodie culture as being decadence. I think there are cooking shows of excellence. I think there are food trends to consider. But I wonder if I am the person worthy of doing this undertaking. Anyone out there want to write about the food industry, restaurants, and tv shows about food?

FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD OUT THERE

I have books and tpbs for sale on my facebook.  They are inexpensive as I can make them, but available to US residents, since postage elsewhere is mind blowing. But if you are not in the USA and want to read my poetry books, I can send you ebooks, and if you send me an inquiry about it, I can do 5 ebooks for 10 bucks. AlexanderNess63@gmail.com is my address.

SOME WORKS I'VE CREATED

I get scolded by folks who write for not telling my readers what books I have out.  Everything I have done is found at my published works link below. But here are some images of works and suggestions of what they offer.

Horror

Comics & Pulp Fiction

History

Reflection

Upon Contact with Me, buying my work and/or getting reviews

FINALLY...  I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog         AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published works   AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

All images are copyright © their respective owners, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights asserted.

The secret project premiering at Crypticon all weekend...

Thanks to Joe Monks, I am involved with a chapbook released, featuring horror and winter cold in Minnesota.  Premiered at Crypticon Minneapolis, 2023... On a table sponsored for us by Hot Comics, Minneapolis, Richfield and Jordan, we've presented a work that was the first posthumous release of Joe Monks. Joe changed my life, and was a best friend.  Hot Comics was my very first sponsor in my 23  year long career of Comic book and popular media journalism. So from beginning to end, to new beginnings, I am very grateful to Joe, his wife Pamela, and Mike Harmon and Hot Comics.

Reader Q&A, a Movie Series to scare you, Books and TPBs worth a read

APPROACHING HORROR MONTH and More
By Alex Ness
September 15, 2023

Today, I'll be at Crypticon Minneapolis. It is a 3 day event, and begins at 4 pm on Friday the 15th, that is, today. If all turns out, I'll have my first book in years to sell. Find me at the Hot Comics table. My son will be selling some excellent prints too. Check us out.

MUMMY MUMMY I LIKE THE MUMMY

Hammer Films made some amazing films. In particular, the Dracula films, the first Mummy film with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, Dr. Who in film form, and perhaps not as amazing, the three other Mummy films, which were quite fun. I loved the Karloff Universal film The Mummy, and the follow ups with other actors as the mummy. I prepared for my upcoming Halloween month, by watching four Hammer Mummy movies.

THE Q&A

Q1- I've had enough. I don't get why you call yourself a Christian. You don't believe in the principles of the bible, you don't have a denomination, you write dark stuff. You seem to be an anti Christian more than a Christian. I don't even have to mention the recent interview subject.

A1- Please blow all of that out your ass. Christians don't come in cookie cutter shapes, with cookie cutter views, and monolithic ideas. Whatever you believe is your business, but I've spent 55 years expressing my views, and believing in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I'm a Christian. Who I interview are many interesting people who are involved in the arts. Your comment suggests the orientation of the person (*) has pissed you off.

I'd be willing to guess the most interesting creative activity you enjoy has been procreation, whereas many others create from thin air and inspiration far more interesting and life affirming products and ideas. Sorry if that is too dark for you, it is simply the truth.

Q2- What are you going to do now, with Joe Monks having passed? I ask because I know you spoke about him all the time, and had something of a creative onward forward plan together. I am sorry for your loss, and wonder, are you able to replace what you lost creatively with Joe?

A2- I can honestly tell you, I don't know.  I will complete the works he was on, with me, and I will aim at keeping the momentum moving forward. But I am a bad planner, bad businessman. I don't do well on the phone with people... I am a poet, a blogger, a prose writer, none of those descriptions mean good at business. All of the people on the books are very talented, so maybe I'll find a person to format the books and a publisher interested in our works.

Q3- I am not trying to shit on you. I know you've been through a lot. In fact, I am interested in your updates. But, why don't you do a go fund me, or do a patreon, or even kickstart all your books? You've got to have a clue about how many read your blogs, wouldn't you be able to translate that to your work and efforts and get paid for your labors?

A3- I hate the idea of patreon. If people don't buy my books, I need to accept that loss. I don't need a go fund me, however little money I make, I am fortunate to live with a partner who does make money.  Maybe not bajillions of dollars, but enough to survive. If people want books they can order, if they want to "donate"... I can compile a mystery box for $25 postage paid in the US, you'll get books and stuff and help me out. If you ask for a box with a certain kind of books, I'll work something around that. Or I can work with more funds or less. Whatever works.

INCREDIBLE COMICS TO PURSUE

Give Me Liberty by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons speaks to a world gone to hell, but, with an unlikely hero fighting, for various reasons, but mostly to find peace for her own life.  But the story goes from a jail like housing project all the way into space and wars over resources.  It isn't a work that a Conservative Republican would adore, but tough shit.

Sanctum by Xavier Dorison, Christophe Bec and Justin Kelly created a work that combines horror of the deepest oceans, Lovecraft, ancient temples, and liminal spaces. It is mostly excellent. And I've been told there are many follow up graphic novels. But I have very little money, so have not had the opportunity to find them.

The Masterworks Series of Great Comic Book Artists focuses upon Frank Frazetta and Bernie Wrightson. They are/were great artists, but the series ended too soon. Jeffrey Catherine Jones did art that was classic for comics. Mac Raboy and dozens of other classically great artists could have been featured, and should have been featured. But... for what it was, it was a gem to behold. Great art and wonderful presentation.

STRANGE HISTORY IN SCI FI

Some spoilers but buy these books.  This set of books is about history, and told in ways that change the past, and by that, greatly changes the future. In one book Hitler is an author, and he tells a story similar to the story he himself created as a leader. But the problem comes, when the society says, hey, that seems to be a theory that would work.  In another, the Axis won the world wars. But can they then learn to live with their former allies?  Lastly, the British fight with Napoleon France can only be fully won with magic, and fantasy means of victory.

Norman Spinrad     Philip K. Dick    Susanna Clarke

NO ORDINARY MEMOIRS

Imagine being settled and needing to move at a moment's notice.  Or that your world is physical changed and you have to fight or die, or change or die. A distant colony has outlived its usefulness in the empire of space's theory of function and worth. And one of the planet's numbers decides to stay behind. All of these books offer new looks at long thought understood concepts, the perspective is new and interesting, and the response of the main character or characters, makes the reader more aware of how we look at home, life and worth of our time. Each of these books are worth exploring, they are truly different, and explore the concept of who and what makes life worth living.

Zenna Henderson   Elizabeth Moon    Clifford D Simak

 
REVIEWS AND STUFF

FINALLY...  I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

My Creative Blogs:

5k poem blog         AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published works   AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

All images are copyright © their respective owners, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights asserted.

An Interview with Artist Jim Keefe

AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST JIM KEEFE By Alex Ness
September 13, 2023

I've been fortunate to know Jim Keefe since about 2007 or 2008 first on the comicon.com untamed message board, where he dove in and brought expertise to the few serious discussions, and later he visited and ended up guesting at Minnesota's Fall and Spring Con's. He'd often buy my latest work, and that of course makes him an extra special friend. I was humbled that he'd do so. For years I badgered him for an interview, and am happy to present this collection of my questions and his answers.

For those few who don't know your work, please share with my readers how you entered the comic world, and where you went in the beginning.

Growing up in Minneapolis I tried some of the local art schools, but it just wasn't a good fit. This was the early 1980s when comic art and cartooning were generally looked down upon at an academic level. What gave me some hope was an interview in the Comics Journal with comic book artists Steve Bissette and John Totleben who were working on Swamp Thing (with writer Alan Moore). They mentioned a new school for cartooning that had opened a decade prior called the Joe Kubert School. That they had gone there was all the recommendation I needed. I applied and ended up being accepted.

At the same time I graduated from the Kubert School, King Features was shopping around for a colorist for their Comic Art Department. They called around for applicants to neighboring art schools and the Joe Kubert School was one of them. Joe Kubert recommended me and two other graduates for the position, and long story short I got the job.

I worked there for about a decade honing my skills and submitting my work whenever an opportunity arose. I ended up doing everything from syndicated fashion illustrations to ghosting the Secret Agent Corrigan comic strip. This eventually lead, after numerous rejections, to getting the Flash Gordon gig. That was the first job I had with some real name recognition. Didn't pay well but it got my foot in the door.

I love Flash Gordon, as you know, and loved your work on it, did the original move you particularly?

As a kid I was pretty much unaware of the cartoonists from the Golden Age. It wasn't until the Kubert School that I was introduced to them. The comic book artists I grew up on and admired all looked back to the big three of adventure strips from when they were kids. Milton Caniff doing Terry and the Pirates, Hal Foster on Prince Valiant, and Alex Raymond on Flash Gordon.

The first few years of Flash Gordon particularly attracted me as it as just nonstop action, then of course the lush line work he developed. It also showed Raymond's amazing growth as an artist - Just incredible.

You worked with legend Al Williamson, and with his work, in particular perhaps. How does that affect your work? Tim Truman said his art on Hawkworld was especially sharp because he was working with Alcatena, a fine inker and famous artist, he suggested it raised the bar for his energy and efforts.

Agree with Tim Truman 100%. Artists of Williamson's caliber just make you push the envelope and work harder to improve. Along with Al Williamson I had a number of other iconic cartoonists do art assists on Flash Gordon. I’ll quickly name drop Joe Kubert, George Evans and John Romita just for the fun of it. In each example I would send a script and a rough layout of the page with explicit directions NOT to follow the layout, but to just use it as a jumping off point. In each case their layouts were a vast improvement and an incredible teaching moment for me.

Tell me about your upcoming project featuring Charles Schultz, Peanuts cartoonist and creator.  Was he a particular inspiration to you, and if so, have you chosen your current work (Sally Forth) as means of telling similar real world truths in a humorous fashion?

Saturday September 30th I'll be giving a lecture on the world of comic strips at the Minnesota Historical Society, in conjunction with their fantastic Charles Schulz exhibit they currently have running. As a 30+ year veteran of comic strip syndication I have the unique experience of having worked on staff during the transition to digital (back in the 90s) in addition to working on two different comic strips, Flash Gordon and Sally Forth. So lots of fun stuff to go over.

Charles Schulz was an inspiration as he was a Minnesota native. Someone from my neck of the woods who went out into the bigger world and became a cartoonist. And he wasn’t just any cartoonist, but one of the greatest.

Regarding Sally Forth, writer Francesco Marciuliano and I are big Peanuts fans and have done multiple homages to Charles Schulz in the strip. Francesco even does a recurring premise of Hil and her friends looking up in the clouds daydreaming reminiscent of a classic Peanuts strip where Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus do the same thing.

In reference to an artistic inspiration Peanuts has on my current job, Charles Schulz had mentioned in an interview once that if you're not drawing something funny, then what’s the point? Always have that in the back of my head when drawing Sally Forth.

You had a lovely article featuring Schultz recently. If you are able, if anyone is, what would you suggest is the deepest reason for his greatness? Where can folks find the article?

As with any great cartoonist, the trick is to get the reader not to see the drawing but the characters. Schulz was a master at this in how people could relate to his characters and identify with them - laugh and cry with them. That it was ink lines on paper affecting them so is the magic of the medium.

And Here’s a link to the article in the fall 2023 Minnesota History magazine.

https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesotahistory/articles/v68i06.html

I am curious about your thoughts about AI regarding art, writing, music and what not. Is it a threat, is it a boost to creative life? In the most distinct manner, what is the art world's problem with AI? As I've said in interviews, if AI copies my work, people would think, AI writes shitty poetry. What's the problem there? But for a Neal Adams, or Ernest Hemingway, or Mozart, are there any threats to the art world?

AI isn't bad in and of itself. It's how it's used. Also, a lot of these programs are strip-mining other artists work as part of their algorithms.

I’m going to hand the mike over to Sarah Anderson (Sarah’s Scribbles) and quote excerpts from her guest essay for the New York Times for this one. She succinctly points out the iceberg we're heading for.

“I was sent via Twitter an image generated by A.I. from a random fan who had used my name as a prompt. It wasn’t perfect, but the contours of my style were there. The notion that someone could type my name into a generator and produce an image in my style immediately disturbed me. This was not a human creating fan art or even a malicious troll copying my style; this was a generator that could spit out several images in seconds. With some technical improvement, I could see how the process of imitating my work would soon become fast and streamlined, and the many dark potentials bubbled to the forefront of my mind.”

“I felt violated. The way I draw is the complex culmination of my education, the comics I devoured as a child and the many small choices that make up the sum of my life. The details are often more personal than people realize — the striped shirt my character wears, for instance, is a direct nod to the protagonist of “Calvin and Hobbes,” my favorite newspaper comic. Even when a person copies me, the many variations and nuances in things like line weight make exact reproductions difficult. Humans cannot help bringing their own humanity into art. Art is deeply personal, and A.I. had just erased the humanity from it by reducing my life’s work to an algorithm.”

“So what makes up these data sets? Well, pretty much everything. For artists, many of us had what amounted to our entire portfolios fed into the data set without our consent. This means that A.I. generators were built on the backs of our copyrighted work, and through a legal loophole, they were able to produce copies of varying levels of sophistication.”

“Many artists are not completely against the technology but felt blindsided by the lack of consideration for our craft. Being able to imitate a living artist has obvious implications for our careers, and some artists are already dealing with real challenges to their livelihood.”
“I see a monster forming.”

-Sarah Anderson  New York Times 12/31/2022

I've been waiting forever for your personal work featuring your beloved father and his service in WWII.  Is that still in progress? Or has it come out and during one of my moments of memory loss or health issues, I've missed it?

That's been on the back burner for the longest time. Having a freelancer’s seven day a week work schedule isn’t tenable to getting a a lot of personal projects done.

That said, though, I've been working hard on carving out time for personal projects, and will be starting a Patreon within the next month as a catch basin for that and other projects.

Will comics in floppy form, survive post modern culture, or will they be consigned to online?  If not, how might they survive with paper price increases, piracy, and the resistance to cost increases?

First off, I abhor when comic books are referred to as “floppies.” When the h*ll was that decided?! I hear the word all the time in certain comic book circles and I'm just glad it hasn't taken off in the general public.

But I digress…

I don't see comic books disappearing anytime soon, but they sure aren’t the powerhouse they used to be, and haven’t been for some time. Case in point, most kids today are introduced to superheroes from the movies, not the comics. It's the analogy of movies and TV superseding radio back in the day. Radio didn't go away, it just changed and became streaming services and podcasts.

As times changes, so does the comics biz. As comic book sales have shrunk over the years graphic novels (especially YA books and manga) have increased in popularity. To zoom out a bit… In the early 1900s onwards comic strips reigned supreme. By the 1940s comic books had taken off. In the 1960s indie comics/undergrounds entered the fray. In the 1980s self-published/alternative comics joined in at the same time graphic novels were just getting their sea legs. In the 1990s online content joined the mix. And now in the 21st century graphic novels and manga have taken flight.

Cartoons, comics, graphic novels – whatever you want to call it (but not floppies) – the packaging keeps changing, but sequential art is just as popular now as it’s ever been. And as long as the stories are strong and the artwork delivers, the art form will continue to have an audience.

And that’s my two cents.

For those interested in more info on me and what I’m up to:
here’s my Linktree https://linktr.ee/jimkeefe

All images are copyright © their respective owners, use is simply as fair use and no ownership rights asserted.

Atlas Comics Celebrates 35 Years in Business

Former Comic Artist Creates Comic Institution 

Atlas Comics Celebrates 35 Years in Business  (Norridge, IL) John Stangeland has been a free-lance comic book artist for Marvel, DC, Image, Comico, Malibu and Now Comics and 35 years ago he opened Atlas Comics in Norridge, IL. With his background as a creator he has an extensive knowledge of all things comics and his shop has become known for it’s extensive vintage back issue selection. Comic fans all over Chicago have stopped in to find that elusive back issue as well as that hard to find collectible and enjoy shop talk with a professional. This weekend Sept 15-17th Stangeland will be having a 20% off sale to give back to the community that has supported him through a brief store closing and relocation. Atlas Comics is located at 5251 N Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL 60656. Stangeland remarked, “I’d love to say I don’t know where the time went, but I do.  New comic day comes each week and some of our subscribers have been with us from the start.  We offer a FREE subscription service for as little as one title because part of a good comic shop is the community. For 35 years,  I have made friends and family one issue at a time. I’m a lucky guy!” Customers can take advantage of the subscription service by stopping in to the shop. Customers who buy more than 20 or more titles a month will receive 10% off the cover price of every new comic purchased. Back issues start at one dollar and Atlas Comics has the largest vintage comics inventory in the Chicagoland area. Visit www.acomics.com for more information.

ART MALIK ARRIVES IN LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT

ART MALIK ARRIVES IN LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT Acclaimed international Film and TV actor ART MALIK, last seen in cinemas in Disney’s remake of THE LITTLE MERMAID, takes on the iconic role of DETECTIVE EDWARD BURKE, originated by movie legend LON CHANEY, in the audio movie reimagining of silent horror classic LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. Scripted Audio Drama producers LANCE ROGER AXT (Audible’s THE X-FILES, EC COMICS PRESENTS… THE VAULT OF HORROR), JACK BOWMAN (Audible’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, the forthcoming UNSINKABLE with SUCCESSION’s BRIAN COX) and KENTON HALL (A DOZEN SUMMERS, GETTING BETTER: THE FIGHT FOR THE NHS) have meticulously adapted the original screenplay by Waldemar Young and Tod Browning as an immersive Dolby Atmos aural experience, with the recording taking place over two days at London’s iconic The Soundhouse. LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT is part murder mystery, part vampire thriller and part gothic ghost story as businessman Sir James Hamlin seeks to uncover the identities of the tenants living in the Balfour mansion, long neglected since the suicide of Roger Balfour five years earlier. But when all indications point to the tenants being vampires connected with that horrible night, family friend and Scotland Yard detective Edward Burke arrives to uncover the truth… which leads to a mystery of a very different kind… The last known copy of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT was destroyed in the 1965 MGM Vault Fire and remains the Holy Grail of missing feature films. The original silent movie, released in 1927, was a box office smash grossing over $1 million at the box office while the infamous “monster” of the piece, THE MAN IN THE BEAVER HAT, became a horror icon inspiring creature and villain designs for modern horror hits The BABADOOK (2014) and THE BLACK PHONE (2021). Axt, Bowman and Hall, under their banners POCKET UNIVERSE PRODUCTIONS (US), AUDIOMARVELS® (UK) and MONKEY BASKET ENTERTAINMENT (UK) respectively, have meticulously reimagined the lost horror classic in audio movie form with 21st-century production standards including Dolby Atmos mixing by RORY O’SHEA (New York Times best-seller EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: HOMEFRONT). For an exclusive period, a double-gatefold vinyl edition with the original soundtrack score, along with a digital download of the Dolby Atmos audio movie, will be available, strictly limited to 301 copies worldwide. This package will be accompanied by contributions from JED SHEPHERD (HOST, DASHCAM, and a forthcoming feature with SAM RAIMI), alongside one of the BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE’s leading missing media experts, and another A-List Hollywood horror creative, to be announced. LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT also stars DAN STARKEY (Doctor Who) as Sir James, BETH EYRE (Wooden Overcoats, Circles) as Lucy Balfour, KENTON HALL (A Dozen Summers, Les Miserables) as Hibbs, DAVID BICKERSTAFF (Lost At Christmas) as Roger Balfour with DAVID K. BARNES (showrunner of Wooden Overcoats, Cry Havoc: Ask Questions Later), SARAH DORSETT, KARIM KRONFLI, ABI MCLOUGHLIN (Audible’s THE SANDMAN), CLIFF CHAPMAN and JACK BOWMAN. It will also premiere in episodic form on the FABLE & FOLLY network in Fall 2023 in podcast stereo, as part of the audio anthology series MIDNIGHT MATINEES. This Halloween, the audio movie of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT finally allows horror fans globally to experience this lost Hollywood classic in the greatest cinema known to the world: the human mind. LEGAL DISCLAIMER: All script duties were completed before the WGA Strike, and the UK producers of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, while working as an independent production outside of Equity UK jurisdictions, have also extended the cast the right to not undertake promotion of this audio movie during the SAG-AFTRA strike period. Review Copy Requests: londonaftermidnightaudio@gmail.com, available from 30th Sept 2023. Sound Design and Dolby Atmos Mixing: Rory O'Shea. Original music: Kenton Hall & Brett Richardson. Production recorded at The Soundhouse, London. The Studio Manager: Freddie Sledge, Studio Engineering: Wilfredo Acosta.Associate Producer: Liis Mikk Directors: Jack Bowman & Kenton Hall Publicity: Mar Garcia, TBM Horror Digital Marketing, and Lys Fulda, The Sphinx Group. Podcast Network: Fable and Folly, Sean Howard Vinyl & Digital Audio Movie Distribution: Monkey Basket Entertainment Producers: Lance Roger Axt for Pocket Universe Productions, Jack Bowman for AudioMarvels®, & Kenton Hall for Monkey Basket Entertainment. SOCIAL MEDIA: Website www.londonaftermidnight.co.uk Facebook londonaftermidnightaudio Twitter londonaftermidnightaudio Instagram londonaftermidnightaudio TikTok Londonaftermidnightaudio IMDB www.imdb.com/title/tt28995978/ FURTHER ASSETS: The complete Press Pack is available here. Visual Media Assets are available here. Poster Art Assets are available here. Audio Media and Trailers Assets are available here.