Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Welcome to the year's end two-parter, where Mark London Williams and Rick Klaw each run
down the second part of their "top ten" out of all that they have read and written about this past year.
As Rick Klaw noted last time out, their lists diverge wildly. This isn't because they have diametrically
different tastes. It's more a function of them reading different
things throughout the year, in order to be able to write about different things… throughout the year.
There's usually a wee bit of overlap though, and as you will see, they were both quite impressed by
a "graphical recounting" of a key moment in America's recent history.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Welcome to the sixth annual foray into the best that Mark London Williams and Rick Klaw read this previous year. As been the trend of the past two years,
their reading choices have deviated wildly with only one book being mentioned on both of the top ten lists (it'll be revealed
in the second part of top 5 of the top ten selections).
Without further ado, here's selection 10 through 6.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Mark London Williams has been reading East of West, Vol 1: The Promise, a somewhat
Dark Tower-esque apocalyptic Western, The Fifth Beatle, purporting to be the untold story of the Beatles' legendary discoverer/manager, Brian
Epstein and Badlands, by writer Steven Grant, and artist Vince Giarrano.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
It's been a rough month at the Texas offices of Nexus Graphica, both personally and nationally.
Thankfully, graphic novels seems to help Rick Klaw alleviate some of the doldrums, especially titles such as March: Book One,
Thor: Season One and The Black Beetle Volume 1: No Way Out.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Gene Luen Yang's Boxers is the second part of his historical duo (a "diptych" as publisher First Second calls it) along
with Saints, which Mark London Williams reviewed in my last outing.
Like Saints, this is set during China's Boxer rebellion, though now we're following a male character, Bao, who is on the opposite
side of the conflict from Four-Girl, our protagonist in the other book.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
After a rare set of back-to-back guest columnists (thanks to Claude Lalumière
and Gary Phillips for their superior pinch hitting), Rick Klaw returns with a
selection of nothing but reviews of recent reads. He takes a look at
Steve Ditko's Monsters, Vol. 2: Konga, In the Days of the Mob, Robocop Volume 1
and Fashion Beast.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
In an unusual line-up of the cosmos, we now have our second straight guest-written column here
at Nexus Graphica. While Rick Klaw is busy with a book launch, Mark London Williams is busy with other life
stuff -- a sad farewell, and a 'change of venue' as they say in showbiz.
So stepping up to the plate this month is L.A.-based crime writer extraordinaire Gary Phillips,
who slings the noir in both prose and comics form, with a tribute to Elmore Leonard.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Guest columnist Claude Lalumière tells us about
two of his long-time dream projects have been published: the first, an anthology of all-new Canadian
superhero fiction, as Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super Stories (Tyche Books); the second ,
a retrospective of the best previously published superhero fiction,
as Super Stories of Heroes & Villains (Tachyon Publications). You can also win a copy of the latter
by answering a single question.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Instead of being at Comic Con this year Mark London Williams was in Israel. He was attending a conference for Jewish teachers that was
held in there, so that attendees could see first hand the terra firma where so much sacred (and
often contentious) Western and Monotheistic lore began, and what that land was like now.
He was up and down the country during the conference, from Tel Aviv and the Negev on one end, to a Kibbutz near the Golan
Heights, on the other. In the middle, was Jerusalem.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Paving the way for the modern multimedia superstars, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan appeared on film, TV, radio, and stage long
before most of his literary brethren. The Ape Man has enjoyed a particularly varied and fruitful comics
existence.
Over the past decade Dark Horse has reprinted many of these classic tales in handsome archival hardback editions. Rick Klaw looks at the most
recent additions which include a collection of arguably the most influential strip, a rare, illegally published series, and the first
solo adventures of "Boy."
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
After nearly five years after its initial French publication, the Steampunk/mystery graphic
novel Clockwerx finally makes an English language appearance. Originally written in English
by Jason Henderson and Tony Salvaggio and lavishly illustrated by Jean-Baptiste Hostache, the
story first appeared in two French graphic albums: Clockwerx, Tome 1: Genese (2008) and Clockwerx, Tome 2: Deluge (2009). Rick Klaw
sat down with the two to discuss the work's unusual publication history, translation,
the collaborative art, and of course Steampunk.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Last time Mark London Williams columnized here, he wrote about a re-delving into comic writing work, as hr finally did some script
breakdowns for the Barnstormers idea he's had since before they were a story-within-a-story in the Danger Boy books.
The conceit, as you may recall, was that a group of out-of-work movie monsters (in this world, the monsters
are real) band together to form a barnstorming baseball team in 1930s America. Difficulties ensue.
This column is something of a sequel to that one, though this time,
He's here instead to talk about the next part of this process, the selling of it.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
So this is one of those may-get-it-in-late columns, at the end of a busy week for Mark London Williams. The good kind of busy, as opposed to gathering
oneself -- and one's loved ones -- up after a tornado, say, like those poor folks in tornado alley, as the weather keeps reminding
us it will likely no longer remain cooperative, during most of the rest of our lives.
He has been busy working on the Danger Boy series, promo for his GhostDance title and
reading a few titles like Clive Barker's Next Testament as well as Mark Millar and Frank Quitely's Jupiter's Legacy.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Last year, Rick Klaw contributed a column highlighting some of the works on comics
history from his extensive collection. The piece turned out to be one of the most popular Nexus Graphica
installments. As promised then, he has returned with another selection of books. And don't worry, he still
has plenty more for yet another installment next year.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Mark London Williams catches up with Art Slade (Dust, The Hunchback Assignments) after he
announced a crowdfunding initiative for a new graphic novel, Modo: Ember's End, and the campaign around it.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Rick Klaw looks at a batch of new titles including How to Fake a Moon Landing: Exposing the Myths of Science Denial,
Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness and Fruit Ninja #1.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Last month, Mark London Williams mentioned how much he liked the James Vance / Dan Burr graphic novel On the Ropes,
a sequel to their two-decades past masterpiece, Kings in Disguise, which he said "reads like a
combination of Clifford Odets and James M. Cain." Or you can think of it as Carnivàle without the mysticism.
In the intervening month, he was lucky enough to catch up with Vance
and lob some interview questions his way, to which he gave considered and thoughtful replies.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Rick Klaw talks to Robert Boyd about his original comic art collection.
"The first piece I got was given to me back in 1993 by David Collier," Boyd said.
"I got it after sending him a fan letter." Since then he amassed some fifty pieces, a self-professed meager
collection, but impressive enough for Boyd's alma mater Rice University to open an exhibit.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
As you may have read, this year's Academy Award-winning visual effects shop, Rhythm and Hues,
which won the Oscar for their great work on Life of Pi is simultaneously going bankrupt. They
are "restructuring," as the saying goes. How does Hollywood reward a company while watching it go out
of business? There are lots of reasons, having to do with outsourcing of jobs, studios expecting "post" houses
to absorb the additional costs when visuals are changed, tax subsidies in other countries where governments
are willing to fund part of the cost to bring work to their shores. Mark London Williams looks at this situation.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
After three months of no new reviews, things have piled up a bit for Rick Klaw at
Nexus Graphica in Texas. In an attempt to catch up, he's providing us with nothing but reviews this month.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
So this is that time of year when Mark London Williams might be planning a tie-in with his "high season"
of film journalism, where he is off to award shows and
such (his tux is in for its annual dry cleaning), and would generally speak of the increasing overlap and tie-in between
the comics and film worlds.
Those overlaps mostly come with what Hollywood likes to call "tentpoles." Except, of course, studios don't make those films anymore.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
After a nearly decade since the publication of Geek Confidential, Rick Klaw's newest book hits the stands in February. The Apes of Wrath
delivers a collection of 17 simian-laden tales by many luminaries alongside four original essays on various aspects of apes in pop
culture and a foreword by Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt. This anthology is the first book
he has edited in 15 years. Pretty ironic since he initially established his reputation as an editor. Here's how it began.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
So where to begin this year? Does Mark London Williams need to start the year with a tradition, to bookend the
one(s) that ended 2012? Should he predict the ten books he will like best by year's end, and see how the actual final list
compares? (Actually, Mark thinks that could be kind of fun, if he really had the vaguest notion of all the things he'd wind up reading.)
Instead, he has several different columns in mind, and he decided to kick things off with not resolutions, exactly,
but "tidbits." Touching on themes he'd like to expand on in the months to come, ideas for future columns,
and short reviews of recently launched series.
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Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Seems like just yesterday when Mark and Rick started this column (April, 2008
in actuality) and later that year when they delivered the first best of column. These
annual events often featured atypical titles, mysteriously absent from other lists (though neither of them are
above including the "typical"). As evident by their choices in the first half
and this final installment of the 5th annual year's best of guide, Mark and Rick proudly continue that fine tradition.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Like children's birthdays, or graduation dates, or even election seasons,
it's time, once again for the Nexus Graphica Top Ten List which
means that a whole year has gone by since Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams did this last time.
And while things change, ebb, flow, fall and rise in the world at large, some things, still, are
immutable. At least, the basic caveats for this list. Which, if you need a reminder, means that neither
Rick nor Mark are claiming these are the "ten best" among all the comics work released last year -- on
paper, in digital form, on web sites, etc. -- but rather, of all the things they've read and reviewed in
this space, these are the ten that have stuck with them by year's end. So without further ado, here's the first half of the list.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
A bombastic ad of Thor #337 featuring a scary-looking alien destroying the Thor comics
logo littered Marvel comics throughout late summer 1983. As a young comics fan, Rick Klaw knew something of the
character. He had read the title for a brief period in the 70s and a smattering of the Lee/Kirby issues
from the 60s. Something about this cover image of a strange creature
that appeared similar to the Thunder God, really struck a chord. Rick picked up the issue the day it
came out, thus launching a life-long love affair with creator Walter Simonson whom he intervews.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
It's another all-in-one edition where we wax like columnists of
old (Mark London Williams is thinking "Herb Caen," for all the old Bay Area mediaphiles, in honor of both the Giants and the A's
winning their divisions this year) with an item-strewn comics column that mixes in reviews!
It'll be a marvel, true believers!
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Rick Klaw has a look at Heartless by Nina Bunjevac, The Hive by Charles Burns,
Monsieur Jean—The Singles Theory by Philippe Dupuy & Charles Berberian,
The Manhattan Projects Volume 1: Science. Bad. by Jonathan Hickman and The Essential Warlock Volume 1 by Jim Starlin.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
In Jewish tradition, fall represents a new year, which it also does on school calendars. So for this new year juncture, what
better than to contemplate a single book which also takes in the idea of seasons, their passage, and the sometimes-shattering
ways we find ourselves hard into autumn. Mark London Williams has a look at Year of the Beasts.
It's a hybrid, it's a comic, it's a YA novel...
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Purveyors of one of the least understood and respected aspect of comic book production, translators largely
remain anonymous and typically only garner attention under negative circumstances. In a hope to enhance an
understanding about the little understood skill, Rick Klaw interviewed Jerome Saincantin, the newly-minted Public
Relations Officer and main translator for CineBooks -- a UK-based, English language publisher of French and Belgian comics.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
This is one of those catch-all columns from NG Central, where we play with format a little bit.
Mark London Williams rolls the sidebar into the main column, talks up reviews and main subject all at once.
He begins by writing about Comic-con (it keeps getting bigger and more crowded), then
a review of The Dark Knight Rises which he
thought the film failed to fully cohere, and the motives weren't always clear and finishes up with a look at
three of the Before Watchmen books.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Did you ever wonder how some of the classics of sequential art came to be? Or perhaps who was
the person behind those drawings you so admire. Well, Rick Klaw does too. This time out, he looks at titles
such as Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero,
Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture and The Comic Book History of Comics.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Summer is one of those times when a lot of the topics covered here are mandated by
cultural and media events. There is the inevitable parade of summer tentpole films, more and more of them sourced
from comics. Sometimes those films can alarm people or amuse and beguile them to the tunes of hundreds of millions
dollars. When we're lucky, they can be rousing superhero adventures and still gives us a
filmmaker's view of the world. And sometimes, they're mostly just eye candy.
Mark London Williams has seen The Amazing Spiderman and has some thoughts.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
As a pop culture historian and critic, Rick Klaw owns a fairly large collection of prose works
on comics history. In what he hopes will be the subject of several more columns, Rick presents
some of the essential reads from his collection. This is by far not all there is but it's a start.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
This month's column is like a Giant-Sized Annual! The kind that used to be a whopping
twenty-five cents in the days when regular comics were twelve cents. Yes, this dates London Williams.
You may have noticed that at the top of this month, you have double the amount
of Nexus Graphica than you usually do. And while some might say it was
techno-gremlins that delayed the arrival of new material on this website, Mark prefers to
think of this as his and Rick's Summer Annual! offering you more reviews and column width than ever before!
Meanwhile, in compendium fashion, this column is a round-up of stray thoughts and
observations from the world of comic-dom.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Captain America: The First Avenger chronicles the initial
adventures of a character that first premiered over seven decades ago. Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
introduced Captain America in December 1940, one year before Pearl Harbor.
In 1940, war raged throughout Europe but most Americans saw Nazi Germany and the accompanying
atrocities as a strictly European problem. Though sympathetic to the plight, polls showed that
a vast majority of Americans stood against entering the war. Rick Klaw gives us a lesson
in Cap's media history.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Mark London Williams was lucky enough to see Avengers on the Disney lot somewhere in
early/mid- April.
The film's a lot of fun, the set pieces are terrific (the battle scenes have a nice logic
to them -- in, of course, a "superhero movie" way -- as well as a good sense of staging
and physical space, which is rare enough in action films these days), the banter between
superheroes is good and it's the best Hulk movie yet made.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Without Jack Kirby, the forthcoming The Avengers film simply would not exist. The Black
Widow and Hawkeye, both of whom Stan Lee created with Don Heck initially appeared as villains
in the pages of Iron Man, a concept conceived with Kirby. Kirby, alongside
his longtime collaborator Joe Simon, first introduced the world to Captain America
in 1941. The Lee-Kirby team were responsible for Hulk, Thor, Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D.,
and the first appearances of The Avengers. They were truly the McCartney-Lennon of
comics. Rick Klaw explores the work and legacy of Jack Kirby.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
WonderCon is -- for you cognoscenti -- the smaller, Northern California edition of "ComicCon," as it has been owned
and operated by the San Diego bunch for awhile now. Except that this year the Con wasn't
going to be -- or couldn't be -- held in its traditional Moscone Center setting, in San
Francisco, and so decided to test the waters south, and try out the Anaheim Convention Center for 2012.
Mark London Williams paid a visit to see how it fared.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
The legendary Jean "Mœbius" Giraud has died.
Like many of his generation, Rick Klaw first encountered his incredible works in the pages of Heavy Metal. A sharp
contrast to the inferior Kirby-clones that dominated American comics of the 70s and early 80s, Mœbius'
organic, elegant art promised a wide range of emotional experiences from wonder to despair; hope to terror; and
nearly everything in-between. Rick shares some of his personal "Mœbius" memories.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Mark London Williams has been going to award shows lately, and watching news of peoples' deaths. As
some of you know, one of his other lives is that of a showbiz journalist covering various award shows, including,
almost always, the VES Awards -- the accolades for the Visual Effects Society. And lately, he has
been going to the Oscars as well. The VES show is always fun and, each year, there is a lifetime achievement winner.
This year, the honoree was none other than Stan Lee.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Nearly one hundred years ago, Edgar Rice Burroughs, under the nom de plume of Norman Bean,
created the seminal planetary romance. "Under the Moons of Mars" from the February, 1912
All Story Magazine featured former Confederate Captain John Carter. Fleeing
Apaches, Carter hides in a cave where he is overcome by fumes. He awakens on Mars, Barsoom
to the natives. In the lighter gravity of the smaller planet, Carter achieves nearly superhuman
accomplishments. He can leap extraordinary distances, his strength increases dramatically, and
he develops telepathic abilities. Rick Klaw looks at the appearances of John Carter through the years.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
So as with his column about continuity -- which was engendered by a review of Stan Lee's
how-to-write-comics book last year -- Mark London Williams is embarking on another of his "meta" discussions
about comics, as he tries to figure what makes them tick as a medium, and how they're changing.
This is kind of a two-fer, like one of those Ace paperbacks with back-to-back covers
on each side (except, of course, those were prose and we're discussing
the four-color panel, ¿que no?).
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
After taking a month sabbatical from reviewing books for this column, Rick Klaw found himself with an abundance
of material. In fact so many titles to cover, that they squeezed out his typical Nexus Graphica
rantings. He'll be back in 30 with a more traditional piece.
Nexus Graphica
a column by Rick Klaw and Mark London Williams
Mark London Williams opines that comic shops can become pillars of their local retailing communities, the way book and record stores are -- or
were. But the mix of customers they attract are important for ancillary and neighboring
businesses, and vice versa. As we move to increasingly digital means of delivery
however, what happens to such public mercantile spaces?
On which note, just because something can be delivered digitally, it doesn't mean
there's an automatic audience aggregated for it. There's still the necessary "word of
mouth," even if those mouths are digital.
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