Coming Soon: Karaoke Comics!

Or, why I haven't blogged in awhile. Just a few more pages to go . . .

Vs. Current Events #3: The Plastic Wars

Last week, Michael Jackson announced his "final return" to the stage, presumably an attempt to raise the money he needs to buy back his estate, currently slated for auction, which includes life-sized statues of Superman, Batman, and Spider-man. In unrelated toy news, on Monday, Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday. So, I couldn't resist the opportunity to pit these two plastic icons against each other in a comic. The parallels are vivid, and it seems overdue.

FACT! Last year, Mattel released "Space Barbie." FACT! Michael Jackson invented the Moonwalk. Need I say more?

I reformatted this "Vs. Current Events" to exclude a title at the top, because I didn't want to give away my plastic punchline. Also, I've been drawing these strips on comic book backing boards, so when I scan them, the light reflects off of their shiny surface, which is why the shading isn't always solid. I kind of like the effect. I imagine that both Barbie and Jacko would reflect the light in real life, anyway.

Taxation With Plenty of Retaliation

I love protests. In fact, I so love protests that I self-published a photo journal of the protests I’ve attended in the past several years, and I still have some copies available if you’d like to purchase one for the cost of reproduction and shipping. Anyway, I love protests because they inspire people to be seen and heard -- hence, the chant, and the picket sign. These simple expressions are often so thoughtfully executed, bringing a camera is critical to any demonstration. A well-executed protest is also an art exhibition, free of charge and in your face, which if often the best kind.

I also love living in Fullerton. I haven’t much mentioned this on-line, but I’ve attended school, lived, and worked in Fullerton, California for twelve years. Fullerton is a relatively small town in many ways; its longtime citizens are also its politicians and teachers, and community events are often held monthly, or even weekly during the spring and summertime Farmer’s Market. Yet, as a college town, Fullerton strives to reach its big city potential, with a renovated downtown that the Los Angeles Times once dubbed “Hollywood East” for its thriving nightlife. On many levels, it’s a happenin’ town.

So you could imagine my excitement when I heard that an anti-tax rally was coming to my town. Protests of this caliber are usually reserved for Los Angeles or Hollywood, presumably for the media’s convenience since they’re headquartered there anyway. In this case, KFI 640 AM’s John & Ken Show sought a more central location, and their weeks’ worth of promotion for this “Tax Revolt” brought a staggering 15,000 people to my little college town. I think they’ve padded those numbers a bit, but my girlfriend, my old friend John, and I braved the crowd, and in their midst the people easily numbered into the thousands. If Fullerton ever needed a tourist board . . .!

Like usual, I snapped away at every sign or crowd-driven quirk I could find, with the intention of cropping and editing the pictures to emphasize my targeted details later. No time for worries like framing and focusing in the heat of the moment, after all. When my old pal Eric and I would attend the old anti-war rallies in Hollywood, I’d always marvel at the raw cityscape in the background, its building’s grays and landscape’s green a stark contrast to the red, white, and blue of the patriotic picket sign. These pictures strike the same cord, yet . . . it’s where I live and work. Particularly in the brick, and the winter worn trees -- surrounded by rampant activism, I’m gripped by the stillness of my city. I’ve loved it for a long time, and in many ways it’s both the most persistent and frail place I know. I can appreciate that.

Of course, the crowd and its signs are the stars of this show, and as a fanboy with Arnold Schwarzenegger as its governor, I can also appreciate the geek factor implemented in this protest. With imagery from the Terminator franchise and Total Recall and Predator, with effigies including action figures . . . with folks dressing up like Jack Sparrow (?) and the anti-hero from V for Vendetta . . . this protest could’ve been an extension of Comic Con. Some of the posters were definitely small press worthy, in either their embrace of caricature or graphic design. My favorite was the kid and his lemonade stand, complete with a sign adorned with his mascot, the Lemonader! An entrepreneur and an artist! The next Stan Lee, ladies and gentlemen!

This protest was particularly family friendly, even with carnival booth games. I won a T-shirt on my first attempt to keep the bowling ball over the hump, lest its momentum roll it back toward me, symbolic of getting over the impending statewide tax hump. John and Ken also encouraged attendees to bring Arnold merchandise for destruction, and to put his and other local politicians’ heads on a stick, which despite any other illusion made the whole event Shakespearean in scope to me. For all of the obvious quips involving True Lies, Total Recall, and even Last Action Hero (i.e. Tax Action Zero), I regret not seeing anything about Kindergarten Cop or Jingle All the Way. How about Arnold and impeached governor Gray Davis are now like Twins? Eh? Eh? If you’re bringing the family, remember the PG flicks, too!

Ah, but who knows if protests like this really produce results? They definitely rally the troops, but if the call to action isn’t a lifestyle, then these exhibitions are just that -- mere bursts of raw, reactive emotion. You know, I’m actually fine with that. Most art is really just a quick burst of raw, reactive emotion -- purging the demon from the artist while capturing it on a canvas for others to relate. I’m happy to be a part of the latter end of that equation, in some ways a blank slate myself until impressed with the emotions of an impassioned protestor. After all, how can it be a protest if someone’s worldview isn’t put to the test?

I've posted plenty more pictures on my Flickr, but I wanted to include these last two here because they spotlight topics I've addressed in my first two "Vs. Current Events" comics!

Vs. Current Events #2: Rush to Judgment!

Last weekend, Rush Limbaugh gave a speech that has sparked controversy about his role as the voice of the Republican party. In short, Rush has publicly expressed that he hopes President Obama fails -- pretty much at everything. The thing is, however you feel about Obama, the anomaly of his race and his well spoken demeanor has brought the kind of celebrity to politics that has attracted the interest and excitement of younger, presumably previously apathetic voters. You can disagree with him, but to hope for outright failure? Nothing will alienate that generation more than partisan politics as usual. Three years ago, Republican pundits were claiming that the Democratic party was dead in the water; now that the roles are reversed, the GOP should follow the Dems' example and find some fresh blood. Ironically, Rush threatens to slow their resurrection down.

Incidentally, I feel compelled to explain this comic, as the few people that read it before this post failed to grasp the punchline without some conversation. Basically, Rush realizes that having a deadline inspires him to produce his best work yet, coincidentally about a speech against Obama's withdrawal from Iraq deadline. I know Republicans have expressed concern with publicizing a withdrawal date, because it empowers terrorists to think ahead, like, "America's out of here August 21? Let's attack on August 22!" Yet, any procrastinating college student knows how one can produce their best work against a deadline. If our military marketed this pull-out plan effectively, it would exude the kind of confidence that elicits fear. The message shouldn't be, "We're out by August 21," rather, "We'll be done with you by August 21 -- and we're going to leave some troops behind to make sure you stay down."

From an artistic standpoint, this "Vs. Current Events" series is fun, because its reactionary tone toward news demands an immediacy in production. If I don't finish it within a day of its inspiration, it's outdated, so I'm forced to draw it, post it, and be done with it. I'm enjoying the use of shading, too, which is something I've never tried before. It distracts from some of my imperfect inking and adds an independent quality I dig. Of course, I think I overindulged in this sophomore effort (resulting in poor resolution on my lettering), so we'll see what the next headline brings. Rush would attest -- projects like this are about finding your voice. Fortunately, in this case, I can speak for myself.

Octomom and the Nickname Syndicate

I thought that Nadya Suleman had started a trend with the media's willingness to call her "Octomom," but, if you think about it, the news and pop culture commentators in general have embraced "the nickname" for a long time, making our reality that much closer to the worlds depicted in comic books. Consider the following aliases for prominent public figures; you know exactly who I'm talking about, and most legitimate news outlets have no problem using these monikers.

A-Rod
Brangelina
Dubya
The Gipper
The Governator
J-Lo
The Juice
Magic
Sir Charles
Wacko Jacko

Tell me that doesn't sound like a superhero's rogues gallery -- and I haven't even considered the self-proclaimed stage names for rappers! "Ice Cube?" "Slim Shady?" If only these people used their powers to annoy for good instead of evil . . .

That list was just off the top of my head. Who did I forget?