MONDOmagazine

Storytelling and Mainstream Success

By Miles Baker

When I go to any kind of comic event, I have two things I want to do: buy things and listen to creators talk about creating. On those two fronts TCAF was a huge success for me. As TCAF was housed in the old Victoria College building at U of T, the panels felt like a mixture of school and church. The workshops were in a classroom with half desks and blackboards, while the panel discussions happened at the Chapel.

The three workshops at TCAF were interesting. Going backwards chronologically, Darwyn Cooke’s storytelling panel focused on solid three-act story structure. It wasn’t mind blowing, but storytelling isn’t. After giving the basics, Cooke took questions from the audience, though smartly dodged questions from the not-as-cute-as-he-thinks-he-is kid who asked whether Cooke preferred superhero comics or movies and why he wears that silly hat. The rest of the time was spent going over examples from popular culture and how pacing in comics has changed. As I said, not mind blowing, but it was interesting to hear candid advice from a great storyteller.

The digital comics workshop was more like a Photoshop colouring demonstration. The panels of creators (Jose Vilarrubia, Attila Adorjany, James Jean and Jim Zubkavich) weren’t extremely technical, but showed the magic that is — to me — the basic structure behind colouring in Photoshop. James Jean’s process demonstration was exciting because he also went into detail about his source materials and the different kinds of feel he was going for in his work.

Mark Siegel’s storytelling workshop was a somewhat backwards but compelling approach to the topic. He talked more about quality of writing and where, in terms of personality, writers and cartoonists get stuck. He stressed the need for a high internal awareness in creators, and a constant striving to do better. The way this effected storytelling was that if you have these desires, that if you are a self-aware person with a mission and style and craft people will follow you into whatever you’re doing — that the audience will follow you into your storytelling.

The three panels I went to all had a theme of the subversive comics culture and medium rubbing against the mainstream. The general message of these talks was that things are getting better for comics. The library panel talked about how teachers who thought that giving young boys — who generally drop off from reading around the age of 10 — comics to read would help keep their literacy up has spread to “normal” kids and at more levels of education. However, it was mentioned that this could be a double-edged sword, as comics could be ghettoized as being intended for poor readers. The academia panel talked about how open the field is for comic scholars and now they will be able to create the lexicon that will be used to talk about comics. Finally, the mainstream publishing panel could just have well been any other author’s panel: complaints about deadlines, pay, agents, and other regular author things. Turns out, maybe we aren’t geeks anymore.

Two Way Monologues Showcase #3
with Roflcopter, Key Witness, and Beth In Battle Mode
at Rancho Relaxo
August 10th, 2007

By Sal Hassanpour

Two Way Monologues is, strictly speaking, a competition. Not only do they feature music reviews galore, mostly of the newest-of-the-new Canadian indie bands, but for most of summer 2007 they’ve also held a monthly showcase of up-and-coming bands at Rancho Relaxo.

When I say “up-and-coming” I don’t mean just-about-to-release-their-EP, already-done-two-Wavelengths, I mean very new and raw – with, in this case, one exception.

Roflcopter, presumably named after the ASCII web-game as if that were an excuse (sorry, I have to say it: terrible band name), are a perfect example of the above. While their recorded material to date is well-mastered (the nice way of saying “polished”), their live show displayed tons of new-wave energy colliding with noisy, mathy indie and was all the better for it. Both live and recorded, the band shines best when they’re playing their instrumental jams, like the one where the Korg keyboard and the guitar played the same chords. Lead singer Mike fared very well when it came to his vocals (keyboardist Efehan comes off as way too emo for my tastes) but given that at least one of their songs this night was written mere hours before the show, the practically non-existent, place-holder lyrics will, in time, develop.

Key Witness buck the perceived Two Way Monologues Showcase rule by being “established” in terms of their live act, as well as having already released a few records and EPs to date. No complaining, however, as their well-deserved live reputation was only solidified this night. J.M. McNab is easily one of the city’s most sincere and confident front-men; he may spit like a deadly snake when he’s not (Elliott) brood-ing, but like most great acts, Key Witness sound only like themselves. However, the band does share at least two things with the closest comparison I could think of – namely, Television Personalities – and those are (1) punk energy and drive mixed with a folk core, and (2) a commitment to songcraft. The guitars (two electric and one acoustic) blend perfectly together, and at other times you can distinguish what each is doing. It’s a damn shame violinist Jacques Mindreau is leaving the band: if his solo on the last track of the Key Witness set tonight was any indication, the band will have a hell of a time filling those shoes. In sum, a band to start going to see now, while the gettin’ is good, especially if they still have free copies of their latest EP to give away.

Beth In Battle Mode were the night’s biggest surprise. Here’s a trio that’s got a synthesizer but isn’t interested in being electro. Their bio describes them as “garage-prog-disco,” and that’s a good starting point. Imagine a band that’s inspired by new wave but totally uninterested in carbon-copying any of the trendy 80s groups, opting instead for, say, Huey Lewis and The News. Now, and here’s the surprise, Beth In Battle Mode make it work, in part by diluting big, mainstream 80s pop with a hefty mix of 60s West Coast garage by way of Weezer. Excellent lyrics and melodies emerge, with an energetic and compelling front-man in Edward Maher. Their songs display humour and wit – “Everyone Is In A Band,” “Fanta,” and “IKEA Sangria,” the latter which, at least melodically, reminded me for some reason of Madness’ excellent mid-80s material like “Tomorrow’s Just Another Day.” Not giving a toss about being trendy goes a long way, then.

Toronto is not lacking in curated weekly/monthly music nights. Before Two Way Monologues there was Wavelength, Pitter Patter Nights, ALL CAPS! and Poor Pilgrim to name but a very few in walking distance. Nevertheless, Dan Wolovick and co. really have their ear to the ground and have proven that there is reason yet for the newest and most under-exposed groups to have another venue to display their auditory wares, and one less excuse, dear reader, to stay indoors (playing web-games).

Tiny Vipers, the Climax Golden Twins and 2% Majesty
at The Triple Door in Seattle
August 3rd, 2007

By Allana Mayer

After three months in the torturous isolation of the Rocky Mountain region, I decided to go for sensory overload and tour the West Coast. One bus stopover in Seattle resulted in my attendance at a club called the Triple Door. Many of you might know that the Triple Door ain’t exactly Lee’s Palace – no duct-taped railings or scuffed dance floor here.

Upon arrival, they took my name and escorted me to my “seat” - a dinner place set for one, a place setting away from a couple along a long bar perpendicular to the stage. Another row was behind us, two lined the opposite wall, and in between were semi-circular booths in descending rows. All seats faced the first performers, 2% Majesty. Kyla Cech, a peasant-dress-clad Rhode Islander with a violin, and Ryan Sullivan, a flannel-shirted beardnik on guitar, serenaded us with alternating lullaby vocals. Some choruses seemed downright acoustic-rock, until she screeched her violin bow up two full octaves and pulled us from our perusals of the drink menus.

After several pleasing but unremarkable numbers, the lights went up for intermission. I received a shock not unlike what an attic mouse must feel when a flashlight blinds it after months of solitude. Families of four occupied booths next to perfectly coiffed hipster twentysomethings. Record store employees in Red Stars Theory t-shirts downed Coronas while underage couples snacked on pricey appetizers. Black-clad servers were in abundance, leading showgoers to “their seats,” pouring water from decanters at each place setting, serving vegetable rolls and stuffed shiitake mushrooms. But apparently scene girls are still doing that black-leggings-under-everything thing, so maybe I wasn’t so out of my element, after all.

As stagehands set up for Climax Golden Twins, a projector inside the incredibly swank AV booth (more like a two-story fortress, really) lit the stage white, save for two black torso illustrations. I ordered a “Cracked Coconut Martini” and marvelled at its icy tartness. Is it really so impossible to imagine an impeccably decorated, anally kept up supper club hosting ten-dollar all-ages gigs in Toronto? Is it?

Climax Golden Twins were a Nick Cave/Calexico-tinged rock trio, heavy on that ridin’-through-the-desert guitar and missin’-my-woman lyric base. Vocalist Robert Millis wasn’t very inspiring, but the lead guitarist, Jeffrey Taylor, took him into balls-out jam mode a few times, so that was nice. The band’s recordings are more along the wandering psych-rock side, but the performance itself was tame at the start.

The projected torsos turned out to be the precursor to a short film that the Twins scored; they performed their compositions, and we were all treated to a screening. Unfortunately, this meant that the guitarist twinkled a few bells and percussionist Dave Abramson vacated the stage entirely, to hit a few chimes off stage left while the obnoxious front-man looped some soft chords. The film was abstract – wine glasses clinking together? Water droplets in extreme close-up? White arcs reflecting into the camera lens, moving and mirroring for five minutes, while slow stills of swirls flashed intermittently? Then the musicians assumed their places, and the singer did his best eerie-Jim-Morrison impression. I absolutely refused to take him seriously. Yet somehow Taylor was charming even when smashing a keyboard with wild abandon. It’s all about demeanour. The youngest son of the family of four was tapping his foot something fierce, though.

Tiny Vipers was an instant swell of noise, a two-chord switch strummed endlessly by Jesy Fortino, a petite brunette who broke into delicate minors and began a gritty wail, as non-Viper accompaniment Ben Cissner finger-picked and foot-tapped. Though the audience was silent and attentive, somehow (maybe because we were physically spaced out instead of crammed into a pit) it seemed too scattered, not focused. There were too many details to attend to besides the performance, too many candles flickering on each table, distracting from the powerful stage lights.

The chanteuse had a certain elfin beauty; seemingly frail, her heavy strumming actually drowned out her sidekick’s electric guitar to nought but a faint hum of static. Maybe she just needed the moral support. I would, reduced to mere dinner entertainment in front of such an audience. The spreading warmth of Tiny Vipers’ melodies would have enveloped the room if it weren’t for waitresses handing out cheques – sorry, Seattle, checks – to the patrons behind me, and bustling past with desserts for the front row. By the final song, though, some echoing pedal effects really blew me away. Could be that the servers were finally getting out of the way, but the music suddenly achieved that lonely-cavern, empty-canyon, desolate-mountaintop depth and expansion that it had striven for during the rest of the set. The Triple Door felt less of a dinner theatre and more of a venue at that moment, a place to be inspired instead of merely amused.

Maybe I was just too thankful to be seeing live music again. I’ve lost my jaded indie cynicism somewhere, and though the Triple Door crowd was setting a good example, I realized how much work it will take to get it back. I suppose, even if showgoers prefer to stand when given the chance to dance, it’s at least nice to be offered the opportunity.

Not an adaptation of that Red Hot Chilli Peppers album

By Owen K. Craig

If I was to boil down the pilot episode of Californication to the bare essentials, it would be trying to say that David Duchovny is not a nerd anymore. He has sex with many hot ladies, mistreats his friends and is a famous writer. After all, that’s what you do when you want a career renaissance — you play a damaged, hyper-masculine lead. It worked for Dennis Leary, why can’t it work for Fox Mulder — I mean, David Duchovny?

The main problem here is that things aren’t introduced properly. Take the example of the supporting team. If you’re going to play the unlikable-lead angle, as the show does with Duchovny’s character Hank Moody, then you’d better make sure that your supporting cast is likeable. Unfortunately for Californication they’re not.

We get Hank’s ex-girlfriend (and mother of his child, played by Natascha McElhone) Karen, who we’re told he wants to win back with no real hint as to why; a best friend (Charlie, played by Evan Handler) who doesn’t seem to even like him; and a long line of women paraded around onscreen expressly to take their shirts off. In fact, if the show had cut down on the screen time of Hank’s sexual conquests and built it back up with more of Karen and Charlie, we might have had a better understanding of why they’re friends with him anyway.

The story suffers from the same lack of introduction. In the 40 minutes or so of Californication’s pilot we got thrown too many ideas, too quickly, without any decent development. We’re told that Hank has writer’s block, that his daughter is learning bad things from his sexual deviancy, that he wants his Karen back, and another major plot point that I won’t spoil for you. None of these developments interested me much, probably because none of them received much more than five minutes of screen time. In fact, the only plot point that seemed to warrant more than two scenes (besides the sexual deviancy and aforementioned topless women) was the one that ends the show, which was the only one that felt developed, and therefore was the only one that commanded any attention. It is also the only one I won’t shamelessly out on the internet.

Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot to recommend about this show. The pilot episode of Californication seemed more intent on showing us a whole lot of David Duchovny having sex than telling a good story, and until the show can move on from that there’s really not much to talk about here.

By Miles Baker and Owen K. Craig

Owen’s Book

Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #33
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Dennis Calero
DC Comics, 2007

Sometimes when I jump into a book mid-storyline I can pick up what’s going on. There will be clues, senses of what a character is like or at least an amusing line or two. This time I got none of that. I had no bloody clue what was going on. I understand that it’s rare for a reader to enter a book mid-storyline, but usually an editor and/or publisher will put forth the effort to make the book at least slightly welcoming. With this, my first issue of Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes, I felt like I was trying to hang with a new gang of friends who didn’t want me around.

I gather this issue was part of a storyline in which the Legion is searching for Cosmic Boy (who that is or why they were searching for him is not mentioned in this issue), and one of the teams is diverted by Mekt Ranzz (Lighting Lad?)’s family acting strangely. I think there was an evil Brainiac 5-esque guy who betrayed them. Honestly, I really didn’t get much of what was going on. I hate to harp on this (it came up in my last random review, too), but much if not all of this could be avoided if DC started including recap pages. Then there wouldn’t be any of the awkward catch-new-readers-up dialogue that brings down some books or the impossible-for-new-readers storytelling that drives away potential fans. I didn’t realize what a big deal these recap pages are until I started writing these random reviews, but it turns out they really are. If DC wants to mire themselves in continuity as they have been these days (Countdown, anyone?) these recap pages are going from helpful to necessary very fast.

I’d get more into what I thought of Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes, but honestly, there’s nothing more to say. After I finished the issue my only thought was “what the %&@? I didn’t understand any of that. Too bad there wasn’t a recap page. If there was I might have actually enjoyed what I read instead of spending the entire 22 pages playing catchup.” (And, yes, I said “percent-ampersand-at” instead of an actual curse word.) So there you have it. I’ve wasted a whole review column complaining about this because it pissed me off so much. I apologize to any readers who came here looking for an actual review, but to be fair I went to Supergirl Legion of Superheroes looking to be embraced as a new reader and not driven away.

Miles’ Book

Marvel Adventures Avengers #15
Written by Jeff Parker
Pencils by Cafu
Inks by Terry Pallot
Marvel Comics, 2007

Other, possibly more legitimate, comic review sights have been constant in a few things, but primarily they all feature bitchy message boards and praise for the Marvel Adventure series from Marvel comics. These are comics that are targeted towards children, but have found a large cult following in aging fanboys who miss the done-in-one pace of silver age comics.

The series features a smattering of popular Marvel characters and, for un-obvious reasons, a giant girl named Giant-Girl, who form a unique team of Avengers. Now, I don’t really want to get into a fight about whether or not Spider-man or Wolverine should be in the New Avengers (I think it works in theory), but in this book it makes more sense. All the characters are tweaked in minor ways to make them more like team players who would belong on the world’s premier hero team.

And it is fun. This book isn’t compelling or deep, but it is a lot of fun. The dialogue is funny, the action quips are particularly good, and the action is non-stop. Not a single character moment or sad turn, this book is about punching giants in mystic realm of Norse gods. And I’m couldn’t be more pleased with it.

Look, there’s a scene where Spider-man yells at some falling enemy soliders “Don’t worry, I’ve got you — oops. Maybe you — oh darn.” That’s worth at least $10 — which it would have been if this story was set in the regular Marvel universe where a trip to Asgard would take at least three issues.

Sunshine
Directed by Danny Boyle
Paramount Vantage, 2007

By Doug Nayler

When one decides to make a film about flying into the sun in a ship named the Icarus, themes become apparent rather quickly. Human insignificance stacked against the incomprehensible volume of space; hubris in the face of natural forces that can’t be controlled or altered. However, Sunshine’s viewers eventually begin to develop the same nagging worries about the filmmakers as they have for the characters: how long can these people play with such large ideas before it all starts to go wrong?

In the near future, the sun is dying. In a last ditch effort to restart it, a spacecraft loaded with a massive payload of nuclear explosives is being flown into the heart of the sun. The movie follows the small crew (including Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, and Michelle Yeoh to name a few) of the Icarus II en route. The space is claustrophobic, relations are getting frayed, and the sun grows larger and more unfathomable each day. The pressure of the mission and the scope of the task at hand are always in the back of everyone’s minds, and it all keeps building. The film has a wonderful tension, almost as terrifying in its own way as that of 28 Days Later, director Danny Boyle’s last outing.

One of the film’s best choices is to focus intently on the isolated, subjective nature of the mission. The story starts years after the crew has left home, and just as they are about to lose any contact with earth. All that the crew has to go on are their own experiences of something that nobody has ever experienced before. Nobody except the crew of the Icarus I who were sent on the same mission, but they disappeared mysteriously. Spooky!

Unfortunately, in the end Sunshine seems unable to sustain its own weight. All its earlier, deeper meditations on our place in the universe and our own limitations are abandoned in exchange for a very conventional (yet completely out of the blue) suspenseful climax as the Icarus II finds the wreck of the Icarus I and continues on to the sun. It’s as if the scriptwriter got bored right around the beginning of the third act and decided to hire some slick script-doctor to “amp it up” and “take it to the limit.” This sudden left turn is all the more disappointing for the high expectations the film has earned up to that point.

However, despite the disappointing ending, Sunshine is still worth the effort. It’s a valiant attempt; an intelligent, emotionally arresting, and (most extraordinarily) believable sci-fi film that simply runs out of steam too early. As long as you don’t let the ending spoil the film, which it almost certainly will, you won’t be disappointed.

Architecture In Helsinki
Places Like This,
Polyvinyl Record Co., 2007

By Sal Hassanpour

My guess is that most reviewers will pan the third Architecture In Helsinki album, Places Like This. So let’s go over what the most obvious charges against it and then try and rebut them and see how things stand.

Charge

— People who loved the band because of their affinity for twee pop are going to be turned off by the loud synths and big beats, which come off as filtered Prince. In other words, the two female members who left Architecture in Helsinki in 2006 seemingly took the flutes, acoustic guitars and wood-blocks with them.
— Most songs on Places Like This clock in just shy of three minutes but feel longer, mostly because the whole band yells these annoying choruses ad nauseam at the end of most songs.
— Band leader Cameron Bird’s new vocal style: whereas before he would whisper, croon and falsetto, Places Like This sees him growling at us, rounded off with an even-more-noticeable-than-before American accent.

Rebuttal

— The tendency towards synth-funk should come as no surprise to anyone listening to Architecture In Helsinki: It was in the background of the “Do The Whirlwind” single and in the foreground of the band’s cover of B[if]tek’s “Hi Fi”. So really, it was only a matter of time before they would record their synth funk album.
— The choruses ARE annoying for the most part. But let’s be honest, Architecture In Helsinki themselves can be annoying as fuck when you’re not in the mood for them, and there’s no end to the amount of potential pet peeves about the band given that every one of their songs up to now has had about one new thing thrown into the mix roughly every ten seconds or so.
— Um, about the vocals… Kellie Sutherland takes over for most of “Nothing’s Wrong” and it’s an album highlight because of it? OK, this brings me to my big point about Place Like This: It’s a “grower” — A term that’s disappearing in a world where more bands are creating more music from more places for people who have more access to it, a world where people don’t really have a reason to stick with an album that doesn’t immediately reveal its merits to them.
For the most part, I feel that way as well. However, certain albums — The Beta Band’s self-titled LP comes to mind immediately — sound at first like a band playing around with a big studio rather than writing songs (or anything particularly interesting at all, really). But on repeated playback, an admirable if at times misguided ambition slowly emerges and finally, once its perceived challenges are conquered, the album receives its due and proper recognition.

So maybe Places Like This is not as good as the other stuff before. It certainly doesn’t sound like it, but that’s OK, since there are a lot of great moments waiting to be discovered here and I’m probably not done finding them all. Even if we come to terms with the fact that this is Architecture in Helsinki Mark II, Places Like This might well end up being an album one respects or admires more than one likes in the end, faint praise though that may be.

No holds barred!

By Matt Blair

To his friends and his momma, he was Elvis Aaron Presley. But to fans all over the world, he was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Thursday marked the 30th anniversary of Elvis’ death in 1977, and yet his contributions to music and culture still live on – which is why we at MONDO decided to take a little time this week to pay tribute to the King.

Unfortunately, it turns out that a decent tribute takes a lot of work. And the thing is, we’ve had a lot on our plate, and it’s been really hot out, and the fact of the matter is that anything you could say about Elvis has probably already been said. So we’ve decided to take a look at ten existing tributes to Elvis, in the hope that it’ll make up for not doing anything original. Oh, and we’re also happy to confirm that he didn’t die on the toilet, if that helps.

1) Mojo Nixon’s “Elvis is Everywhere”

Who built the pyramids? Who built Stonehenge? These questions and more are explored in a strange, uptempo single released in 1987 by psychobilly artist Mojo Nixon. Punctuated by a catchy guitar riff and a charmingly low-budget video, “Elvis is Everywhere” taught us all that there’s a little Elvis in everyone – except, of course, for the evil opposite of Elvis.

2) Tiny Elvis

Speaking of a little Elvis, Nicholas Cage played perhaps the littlest Elvis of all when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 1992. Like many SNL sketches, “Tiny Elvis” was basically one long joke, but Cage played it well. No explanation or context is provided, other than the late Phil Hartman shouting “Tiny Elvis!” over a title card. At the end of the day, that’s really all you need to know.

3) The Elvis Stamp

1992 was also the year that the US Postal Service asked the American public to decide whether they’d rather see young Elvis or old Elvis on a stamp. More than 75 percent of the voters preferred young Elvis, who officially “went postal” on January 8th, 1993 – just twelve days before Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States. Apparently, 1992 was a great year for charming young southerners who still had a few good years to go before everything went horribly, horribly wrong.

4) Paul Simon’s Graceland

In 1986, Paul Simon revived his lagging solo career by releasing one of the most successful albums in history. Named after Presley’s estate, Graceland spawned three hit singles, won two Grammy awards, and made an excellent Father’s Day present. Much like the King himself, Simon was accused of exploiting black musical traditions – the album was recorded in South Africa and featured many local performers, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo. However, none of those performers have had to spend more than two decades dealing with complete strangers calling them Al, as if nobody else had ever thought of that joke before.

5) Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”

We can’t mention apartheid without bringing up Public Enemy, who famously declared that “Elvis was a hero to most / but he never meant shit to me / you see, straight up racist that sucker was / simple and plain / motherfuck him and John Wayne.” Because when it comes to Elvis, that’s… um… Actually, you know what? Let’s not do this one. It’s a great song, and it mentions Elvis, but… Well, it’s not really much of a tribute, is it?

6) Junkie XL’s Remix of “A Little Less Conversation”

Presley’s ode to girls who wouldn’t shut up and have sex with him didn’t do very well in 1968. But Junkie XL’s remix, released 34 years later, shot to Number One in over 20 countries. Terry Gilliam put the remix to use in a series of Nike commercials that looked cooler than the actual video. Oh, and Howard Dean chose the song for his official campaign theme, which…uh…

7) Val Kilmer in True Romance

If you’re a character in a Quentin Tarantino film, and you hear a voice in your head that tells you to kill a pimp, then that voice might as well be Elvis Presley’s. And if somebody’s got to play your psychotic hallucination of Elvis in that film, then it might as well be veteran actor and oddball Val Kilmer. Unless he’s tiny, in which case, yeah, get Nicholas Cage.

8 ) Living Colour’s “Elvis is Dead”

The second single from Living Colour’s sophomore album references Paul Simon and Public Enemy, along with featuring an excellent rant by Little Richard. Here, the band takes aim at those who exploit Elvis in death – and those who exploited him in life – with as much irreverence as they can muster. If nothing else, it reminds us that Elvis was pretty damned good at what he did – and so were Living Colour, come to think of it.

9) Celine Dion’s American Idol Duet

One can only wonder what Little Richard would have thought about Celine Dion’s “duet” with Elvis on American Idol earlier this year. During a charity episode in March, Dion sang “If I Can Dream” with a rotoscoped Elvis, who some schmuck in a suit introduced as “the world’s greatest Idol.” If you haven’t seen it, then don’t, because it’s basically just the worst thing you could possibly imagine. Short of featuring a digital recreation of Muhammad Ali in his prime punching your mother, this clip could not be more difficult to watch.

10) Every Other White Person Who Has Ever Played Rock and Roll

All other tributes aside, the greatest testament to Elvis’ cultural impact is the 50 years that white people have spent playing rock ‘n’ roll. Elvis is the one who made the genre safe for uptight white folks, for better or for worse. He can take a little credit for the Beatles, for example, but he’d also have to take a little blame for… Well, the Killers have nobody to blame but themselves and possibly New Order, but you know what we mean.

By Owen K. Craig and Tom Kerr

Owen’s Book

World War Hulk: Front Line #3
Written by Paul Jenkins
Art by Ramon Bachs, Shawn Martinbrough and Chris Moreno
Marvel Comics, 2007

Civil War: Front Line launched as a tie-in to Marvel’s big crossover extravaganza Civil War (ever heard of it?) last year. Much to my surprise it was actually pretty good. It fleshed out a lot of the more interesting ideas that were brought up in the main series and then left hanging. So when Marvel introduced their next big crossover – World War Hulk - another Front Line series seemed to make sense. Here’s the problem, though: World War Hulk is NOT Civil War. I don’t mean that as a knock to World War Hulk. In fact, Civil War left me quite underwhelmed while WWH is currently making the comic book nerd in me quite giddy. What I mean is that Front Line works best as a political intrigue book, so to expand on the ideas and implications of a book like Civil War was a natural fit. When no such ideas and implications exist you’re simply stuck with an old lady who refuses to leave her house when she’s told to. You’re stuck with a murder mystery about one of the Hulk’s robot buddies. You’re stuck with finding deeper meaning in a summer blockbuster.

The issue features three stories. Paul Jenkins wrote all of them, with various artists working on each. Ramon Bachs pencils the first of them (which follows the reporters we remember from the last Front Line book) and does a great job with the characters. Despite my not really feeling this issue, I will grant that he helped me care about the characters more than I thought I would. The down side is that he doesn’t do a good job capturing the scope of the titular “War”. At no point did he get across how much this battle was affecting the city. One page in particular where a character states that New York looks “like a movie” from the outside really stands out, as I remember distinctly thinking that the illustrations did not reflect the line. The artwork on the second piece (Shawn Martinbrough, artist and Matt Milla, colorist) did a wonderful job matching the noire buddy-cop feel that Jenkins goes for in the story. In fact, here I feel that the art carries the story very nicely. The images of smoking craters, screaming thugs and looted stores add a haunting feel that helped add the sense of devastation and danger I feel was missing in the first story. Lastly, Chris Moreno’s work as the artist of the final, two-page comedy story was suitably hilarious. His image of Iron Man with a triangle made me laugh.

Jenkins does his best. It’s no easy task being asked to deliver what you delivered before when what you’re given is completely different. He tries to adapt (his ridiculous comparisons between the superhero civil war and real-life wars from the last Front Line series are replaced with rather cute comedy strips), but in the end it doesn’t work for me. The reason why is simple: this time around, I don’t want deeper meaning or further thematic examination of the main series.

Tom’s Book

Army of Darkness – From the Ashes #1
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Fernando Blanco
Dynamite Entertainment, 2007

Have I really gotten so old that rampant demon slaughter, corny jokes and cheesy pop culture references are no longer enough to make me giddy with excitement? Have I really gotten so pretentious that I expect interesting plots and compelling character moments out of every comic I read? Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave…

Admittedly, my only experience with the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness world to date has been a couple issues of Marvel Zombies vs. AOD and Evil Dead: The Musical, so there may well be references or specific implications in this book that I’m missing, but let’s face it: this is pretty much an exercise in puns, splattering blood, and one badass protagonist with a huge…chainsaw. Please note: these are good things. They won’t make you a better person for reading them, but they ought to be a good laugh and a lot of fun. So…why don’t I care?

The trouble I have with Army of Darkness: From the Ashes is that, while writer James Kuhoric seems to be having fun delving in to all the stereotypes of the subject matter and genre, they are used with too much self-awareness to be taken seriously, but not enough bombast to be very funny. The result simply seems by-the-numbers, and smacks of tons of things we’ve seen before. Fernando Blanco’s art, on the other hand, makes the best possible use of the opportunity to indulge in gore, violence and dramatic imagery, and is extremely well-crafted; there is a tremendous sense of motion here that does justice to the material’s cinematic roots, and the opening sequence of the images being painted in blood is pretty awesome.

Still, while I can’t really say “nothing to see here”, I can absolutely say “nothing new to see here”. Fans of the AOD mythos will probably have fun, but those who aren’t fans going in likely won’t have become fans coming out.

Owen’s Second Book

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #55
Written by Tad Williams
Art by Shawn McManus
DC Comics, 2007

It’s a bit of a strange experience for me, reading a DC comic and not recognizing most of the characters. Nevertheless, that’s what I was doing as I sat down with my random book for this week. I know very little about Aquaman, especially when it comes to anything related to his rule over Atlantis. I gather there’s a new Aquaman, and he may or may not have links to the old one. I think they’re both named Arthur Curry…it’s all very hazy for me. Since there was no recap page (seriously DC, get on this if you want to attract new readers to your books) I did my best to soak in every piece of information dropped in this issue. For the most part it was an uphill battle.

This is the third-last issue before this title is cancelled. At this point getting a new reader is pretty much impossible; I wouldn’t be surprised if I were the only one (or the only one not simply drawn in by Kevin Maguire’s snazzy if misleading cover). So taking the time to introduce me to each character wasn’t worth the writer (Tad Williams)’s time, but even though I had no idea who the characters were I liked them. This is due to Williams’ excellent characterization. His hero, despite not being featured all that much in this issue, was charismatic and interesting. The mad scientist guy was pretty nifty as well — I enjoyed his proclamation that “I am tanked. It’s…it’s a little more difficult than I thought it would be…to destroy the world.” I also enjoyed the Zoidberg-esque character who brought back fond memories of Futurama.

Speaking of character design, Shawn McManus’ cartoony style fits the whimsical nature of Williams’ world to a tee. It’s fun, engaging and every bit as entertaining as it should be. It’s a real shame that I approached this wonderful world too late, as I would love to see this team explore the possibilities more. It’s also a shame that I started mid-storyline, as I really didn’t know what the hell was going on. But, as usual, DC promises that the end of this series won’t be the last we see of the character! I just hope it’s in a book I like.

By Lyndsie Bourgon

MONDO: How and when did you become interested in art?

Jean-Marc Raymond: That is such a loaded question… I don’t remember ever not being interested in art. I had great parents who always had a ton of supplies for us to work with whenever we wanted. My interest in part likely stemmed from two places: my family (I am the youngest of three who were all interested in art, and my parents were always interested in it — my Dad was into drafting as a youngster, and my mom still putts around painting, digital art, and photography), and our “Pack-O-Fun” magazine subscription— I used to go into back issues to find projects to do at home.

In high school I got into [art] as a hobby, and I had no clue what to study when it came time for post secondary. I figured it was something I loved, so I could surely work something out…. And so I did.

MONDO: How would you explain your art?

JMR: There are many ways in which I explain my art; it all depends on the contextual setting for the explanation. When I speak of my painting, I most often refer to memories, because in terms of content, I always use nostalgic anecdotes to start me off. A lot of what I do is inspired by my youth and characters that have influenced me one way or another. I find history very interesting, so I like incorporating facts into my work, as well as telling a story that has likely never been heard (and certainly never recorded in text books), which always helps me speak about each piece individually.

My work is often concerned with the human figure; however, straight portraiture is not necessarily my thing. I don’t usually look to try to reproduce picture perfect silhouettes or features; I like barely roughing them in and then letting my mind create the rest of the portrait.

Some of my paintings are on a bas-relief base made of Medium Density Fibreboard. In my portrait of my great-grandfather, William Woodruff, who was a telegraph operator for the railroads in Northern Ontario, I drilled the dots and dashes that spell out “Vulnérable”. In its companion piece, La Cuillère (which refers to Woodruff’s wife, Edouardina), the dots and dashes spell “Symbols”. Each piece is slightly biographical in that I tried to use symbols appropriate to their stories.

To touch on some of the formal elements of my work, I have a very specific palette from which I like to work, which is very strong on browns and earth tones accompanied by cool colors such as turquoises, purples and so on. My work is also very painterly: I love the look of a stroke left by a paintbrush, so I never attempt to hide the evidence of my brushwork, rather I embrace it and try to use it to create patterns and design elements in themselves.

MONDO: Who are some of your influences, both artistically and not?

JMR: I have never been easily influenced, nor have I ever been really into admiration. There are plenty of people whose works I respect, but it’s hard to say that I have had great artistic influences. I guess to an extent, my Nipissing University art professors at all had an influence. Mostly I would say that one of them stands out as having played a significant role in my artistic development. Denis Geden is now the head of the Fine Art/Visual Art Department at the university, and he always supported my decision to work figuratively, and encouraged me to explore other aspects of my painting.

I would also say that my uncle Denis has always influenced me. He was one of those characters in my childhood that I always admired. He was a traveller and an artist, and always had something interesting to talk about; although we rarely saw him growing up, I always admired his work.

In terms of non-artistic influences, people on a day-to-day basis influence me. I really don’t know how to answer that. The people I work with, my circles of friends, my family; they do it for me, but I just don’t know what “it” is.

MONDO: In the summer of 2006, you participated in the World University’s Services of Canada International Seminar Botswana. You travelled with 21 other Canadians across Botswana for six weeks working on various projects, volunteering, and conducting research work. How did this trip influence your work?

JMR: As flaky as it may sound, that whole experience has had an affect on my work. I went two months without touching a pencil or paintbrush, and by depriving myself I realized that I was committed to my work, thus supporting my decision (which I spontaneously made before leaving) to withdraw from teachers college in favour of a career more immersed in the arts. While in Botswana, I decided that I would eventually pursue a masters and all that junk, but it also just influenced me to work when I got back — to paint, and to continue figurative work (in less traditional brushwork, however), and to play more with my supports and so on.

MONDO: What do you have planned for now and in the future?

JMR: Right now, I am working at the WKP Kennedy Gallery in North Bay, Ontario, so I plan on working till my contract ends. My job is mainly concerned with media-based arts, so when I finish, I want to work on some video.

I have some plans brewing—I want to continue painting, and hopefully travel more. This time around, I would like to have some supplies with me to produce work while abroad, so that I can work instinctively. I like getting an idea and following through right away: it seems to be truer to what I get inspired by and less stale, and I don’t have to worry about over-thinking the concept. So I think that is all I can say that I haven’t already said, without jinxing myself.

MONDO: Anything else you’d like to add?

JMR: I think I might bore people if I go on any longer about myself.

Trusting in the Truth

Trust issues are abounding this week; women are freaking out everywhere it seems. I get it ladies, with women such as my tempting self out there, there is reason to feel the need to sink the claws in. But give your men a break, and relax, as long as you’re still giving BJs you’ll be fine. You know I love you ladies, but I’ve got to say, I’ve been talkin’ to the fellas down at the Alpha Alpha Frat-Frat, and honey, if you’re not on your knees yet, get there quick, or there will be a bigger kitten to scoop �em up. Trust me.

Dear Mz. Goldie,
I am in ex-girlfriend hell! I recently got a new boyfriend, who was a challenge to nail down as he was trying to be sensitive to his ex. He still wants to be friends with her, which normally I am fine with. However, this woman is crazy! She is constantly calling and talking to him online and trying to pull him back into the game she is playing. I am sick of it. She is obviously jealous and trying to keep him under her spell, but it is hard for us to start something real with her always butting in. Help me!!!!

New Girl in Newmarket

Dear NGN:
Girrrlll, you have to kick that bitch in the butt. Seriously, I know it’s probably hard on her, because your man seems like a good one, but she has to know it is O-V-E-R. Now, this is tough to do, and you must tread lightly. You must never look petty or bitchy in front of this woman. She is looking for any reason to badmouth you to him, so you have to kill her with kindness. Be the bigger woman — the next time you must be at a mutual party or some such place with her, go on over and introduce yourself, saying something casual, like:

“Hi, I’m NGN, I know this must be really awkward, but I thought I would just say hi, and let you know that I hope one day we can all be friends, because (enter man’s name here) really values you. Breakups are tough, but I know you are the type of person to handle this maturely. Have a great night.”

She cannot say you are heinous or a terrible person after that, and you know what? That will bug her even more! I know it’s bad to be vindictive, but it feels soooo good sometimes, right?

As for your man, I suggest you tell him he has to cut her off, and not for your good, but for hers. This girl clearly is not over him, and never will be if he keeps feeding her attention. She needs to know what life is like without him, and how to be her own woman again. If he really values a friendship with her then he’ll cut her free, like the cotton in the fields at home.

Good luck with it, Sugar.

Until next time, keep it fierce, darlings!

Spoons
Stick Figure Neighbourhood
Ready Records, 1981

Arias & Symphonies
Ready Records, 1982

By Sal Hassanpour

Canadian new wave was a pretty shallow pool. Martha And The Muffins, Men Without Hats, Gowan and yes, Rush were the cream of the crop in the field. Burlington, Ontario’s Spoons, stuck in a state of perpetual rediscovery, were always just a notch shy from receiving the kind of acclaim the above have or had enjoyed and remain best-known for the “Nova Heart” music video which was, production-wise, one of the best at the time from a Canadian band.

Their first album, Stick Figure Neighbourhood, misfires as often as it hits its mark, the mark being a synth-enhanced update of late 70s, time-signature shifting prog-rock. Songs are either trying to be cynical, odd and witty like Devo or Adam and The Ants in the titular track and “Dropped Dishes” (failing for the most part) or trying to be topical, as in “Friends In The Media” and “Capitol Hill” (faring better at these). Unfotunately, lead singer/guitarist Gordon Deppe’s lyrics are mostly fluff and at worst, on “Red Light” are simply excruciating: “Red light/Free man’s world/Green liiiiiiiight/Woman/WOMAN!!” Rob Preuss’ synths are really good, however, and there are some nice melodies, especially on the eurotrashtic “For Tran” that remind me of the Mega Man 3 soundtrack – albeit slowed down.

In sum, Stick Figure Neighbourhood is a disappointment and its obscurity is somewhat deserved, frankly. Fun trivia fact: While Graeme Pole produced it, Stick Figure Neighbourhood was one of the first albums to be recorded at Grant Avenue Studios in Hamilton by its founder, a certain Dan Lanois.

Arias & Symphonies is the one most people know Spoons by. In fact, it’s impossible to mention this album without referring to the title track or the aforementioned “Nova Heart,” the two big Spoons singles. But for now, I’ll try.

No sophomore slump here, kids. One of the first things one notices is that the lyrics are much more well-written and there’s none of that half-sung, half-spoken, “I’m so cynical and clever” vocal delivery that plagued album one. Musically, everything is faster and there’s always an electronic beat driving things further. This means very little of the Stick Figure Neighbourhood guitar solos that would have Daft Punk salivating actually carry over, but there are more pop hooks, like the sweet melody that makes up the chorus on the delightfully over-the-top “Arias & Symphonies.”

Meanwhile, the guitar on “South American Vacation” doesn’t sound too far removed from the sorely-missed John McGouch’s work, and around the same time, bassist Sandy Horne gets to sing more than a chorus line, best demonstrated by the convincing duet on “One In Ten Words”. The microscopic synth bubbles gurgling in the background of the otherwise loud “Walk The Plank” reminds one of “The Reflex”-era Duran Duran, if only for a couple of moments, and a stately synth melody on final track “Blow Away” – the only one with a time-signature shift here – casts Arias & Symphonies into the stratosphere. Phew.

Recorded in London and Toronto, John Punter’s production suffers somewhat from a throw-everything-at-the-wall mentality and is a bit overstuffed as a result – except for the subtle handclaps and bass synth stabs on “Nova Heart” that offers some reverb-drenched respite – but is nevertheless overdue for a remaster.

Spoons would go on to even bigger things: Their next album, Talkback, was actually even more successful and produced by legendary producer Nile Rodgers to boot, but that’s for another week (maybe the next time MONDOmusic reviews something Spoons-related?)