Coast-to-Coast Comicdom: An Update

I have downtime today! I slept 9 hours and gave myself 10 hours to take a 4 hour trip! I needed this slight break, I'm beat to fuck.

The road trip's been great. I'm in Grants, New Mexico now and driving out to Flagstaff today.I get to see the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and Meteor Crater on the way - nice!  I'm going to see The Dark Knight today, too. There's been two articles posted on DCist so far so far and the third's going up today.

Everything's fine, I'm re-energized, I'm meeting tons of cool people, and I have no regrets.

Grounds-eye view of comics coast-to-coast

So I have enough encouragement and interest in an article or a series of articles that feature a grounds-eye view of comics from coast-to-coast. I’m going to be doing it while on my San Diego road trip, making stops along the way to chat with fans, creators, and retailers to talk to them about how (and if) the comics’ boom is effecting them. Get a feel for how comics’ growth and mainstream acceptance is perceived outside of the East/West coast.

I can’t talk specifics about where this is going to be published, yet, I do have some interest and I need to start casting a wider net to bring folks in so I’m not doing it last minute. So here’re the major cities I’ll be cutting through:

Roanoke, VA
Knoxville, TN (Spending the night – July 15th)
Nashville, TN
Memphis, TN (Spending two nights – July 16th and 17th)
Little Rock, AR
Oklahoma City, OK (Spending the night – July 18th)
(Time Permitting) Tulsa, OK
Albuquerque, NM (Spending the night – July 19th)
Santa Fe, NM (Spending the night – July 20th)
Flagstaff, AZ (Spending the night – July 21st)
Phoenix, AZ (Spending the night – July 22nd)
Yuma, AZ
San Diego, CA (Spending four nights (July 23rd – July 26th)

If you know someone in those cities or situated between those cities, I’d love to see if I can squeeze them in. A little talk, grab a bite to eat with them, have a drink, take a tour of their comic shop, go see Dark Knight Returns (I’ll probably be in OK City the night it comes out), hook me up with some internet access, reading session…I’m open for suggestions. I already have some appointments in some of those cities but, as stated, I’m going to try to squeeze in as much as I can.

Road Trippin’: Albuquerque to Flagstaff

Three weeks from today I’ll be driving from Albuquerque to Flagstaff. I have it in my head that this will be the prettiest segment of the road trip since I’m taking a slight detour to cut through the petrified forest and the painted desert.

I used to go to Arizona as a kid to visit my Uncle Alex. I’ve been to Old Tucson, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon but the petrified forest and the painted desert were two places I never got to visit because they were always kind of out of the way. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited to finally get to check them out.

There are other great sites along the way, but I have the meteor crater pretty high on my list of must-sees. Then there’s “Standing on the Corner” Park in Winslow, Arizona that celebrates the Eagle’s catchy pop-tune “Take it Easy.”

I’m staying at a hostel in Flagstaff, my final hostel of the trip, I believe.

Road Trippin’: Santa Fe to Albuquerque

Three weeks from day and I’ll be going from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. I’ll probably be leaving Santa Fe a little on the earlier side. I’ve always wanted to see Albuquerque and along the way the Bonezone, the Tinkertown Museum, Chevy on a Stick and the Atomic Canyon. I think, for the most part, I just want to get down there for dinner, hang around a little while in the AM, and then take the ultra-scenic portion of the drive. Looking forward to it.

Road Trippin': Oklahoma City, OK to Santa Fe, NM

Three weeks from today I'll be driving from OK City to Santa Fe where my friends Bram and Monica will be putting my up for the evening. It's my longest leg at 8 hours and probably the one leg with the most stuff to stop of and see. I'll need to leave OK City early on Saturday, try to get on the road at 7AM or so, and just start driving.

What am I most excited about? Elvis Stayed Here Hotel? The Blarney Stone? The Devil's Rope Museum? The 19-story Cross? The Swimming Pool Shaped Like Texas? The Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument? Cadillac Ranch? Some of Route 66's best scenes? Or something that I'm not even aware of?

It'll be a long, incredibly fun, day of driving. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Road Trippin’: Memphis to Oklahoma City

Three weeks from today I’ll be driving from Memphis to Oklahoma City, the third-longest leg of my trip at seven hours. Three weeks from today The Dark Knight is released. I’m sure you can see my dilemma.

The way I see it, I have three options. I can catch an IMAX screening in Little Rock. The only problem with that plan is that I planned on grabbing lunch with my friend Elton Pruitt while in Little Rock. That, combined with a movie, would be a hug chunk of my day and there’s some great scenic driving en route to Oklahoma I don’t want to miss.

So the IMAX thing is probably out. Oh, what’s that? See the IMAX screening in Oklahoma City? I would do that but, you see, there apparently isn’t an IMAX theater in the ENTIRE STATE OF OKLAHOMA. Oh well.

There is a pretty cool-looking drive-in, however, that seems to play recent movies. I’m really hoping they have The Dark Knight showing since I’ve never been to a drive-in before. If they’re not showing it, it looks like I’ll be seeing it in some plain-ole Movie Theater. You may call it a wasted night for the road trip but, come on, we’re talking The Dark Fucking Knight here.

So, that dilemma aside, what else do I have to look forward to three weeks from today? The William J. Clinton Library in Little Rock, of course. I still have a soft-spot for that old pervert. A statue of Popeye in Alma. The home of Woodie Guthrie in Okemah. A whole lot of scenic driving. And, of course, some OK City attractions such as Flaming Lips Alley where I have to imagine I’ll be able to pick up some LSD.

Road Trippin’: Memphis

Three weeks from today I’ll be spending my second day in Memphis.

I’m trying not to set-up too much of an agenda for Memphis, honestly. I know I’ll be spending my evening on Beale Street and I know I’ll be going to the Stax Museum and Graceland. I’ll probably spend as much time as needed at the Public Library’s Music Collection and try to dig through articles from the 50s and 60s to help get a feel for the growing soul community down there.

I’m mainly trying to get a backdrop for the Sam Cooke book I’m working on.

And then there’s the barbeque, of course. Every meal will likely be pig slathered in barbeque sauce.

I’m really looking forward to Memphis. I’ll probably find myself going back down there sometime this winter so I’m just getting a little taste for now.

Road Trippin’: Knoxville to Memphis

Three weeks from today I’ll be making the trip from Knoxville to Memphis. I’m actually spending two nights in Memphis; there’s way too much to do there to simply spend one evening. Barbeque, soul music, and Elvis – Memphis is the city I’m most excited about.

Before getting to Memphis, however, I have to pass through Nashville. I want to have a picnic in front of the Parthenon, a replica of the Parthenon in Rome housed in the southwest corner of the city. If I make good time I’m going to stop at the Country Music Hall of Fame before lunch and wander the halls a bit. I’m not a hugs country music fan but, you know, when in Nashville.

Before getting to Memphis I’d like to stop off at the Rock-a-Billy Hall of Fame – a bit more my speed. That’s in Jackson, Tennessee. From there it’s a quick trip down to Memphis where I’ll be spending two nights in a hostel and my daytimes and evenings eating and touring. I’ll write more about my Memphis plans tomorrow.

Road Trippin’: DC to Knoxville

In three weeks I’ll be making the trip from Washington DC to Knoxville, Tennessee. According to Google Maps the trip should take a little under eight hours.

I’ll be stopping in Roanoke for lunch – I’d like to have a little picnic at Center In the Square before going over to see Mini-Graceland. I’m kind of psyched to see Mini-Graceland since I’ll be seeing the real one when I get to Memphis. It seems the landmark was in disarray for a while but it’s slowly getting put back together. I’m not sure what state it’ll be in when I get there.

Continuing on there’s the Big Pencil in Wytheville, Virginia. I figure that since this is a writing pilgrimage/research trip stopping off to pick up some new supplies at the Wytheville Office Supply shop that houses the Big Pencil would be a good idea.

A little passed Wytheville is the grave of Dr. Pepper. There’s really not much of a reason to stop there except to say I stopped at Dr. Pepper’s grave. I don’t even really like Dr. Pepper all that much.

That’s really all I have planned as far as the first leg of my trip goes. Time permitting I’d like to stop at some wineries on the way. I’m more excited about the view – it’s a pretty scenic route all the way down. I’ll be staying at a hostel in Knoxville for the night and some point before leaving Knoxville I’ll be sure to check out the Sunsphere because, according to The Simpsons, that’s all Knoxville has. I’ll also be checking out the world’s largest Rubic’s Cube, of course.

1986 Revisited

Back in 2005, I wrote about my undying love for the New York Mets that started in the fall of 1986. I was an 8-year-old kid, the city was on fire, and the way the World Series played out made me understand what baseball was all about. It was more than hero-worship through baseball cards - I fell in love with the sport on that day.

I cleaned out the apartment this past weekend and came across a video produced in 1986 - it was the "Let's Go Mets" music video along with a making-of feature. I remember getting this as a kid - I'm actually pretty sure I got it at one of those Mets' kids club things at Shea where we got to listen to the rookies give pointers on how to hit a ball. I watched the video and, not seeing much about it online, new it had to be archived for a new generation. So, without further ado, the 1986 Let's Go Mets video in six parts:









Rick Aguilera's ball tricks at about 1:50 on Part 5 mesmerized me as a kid. I still try to do that to this day whenever I have a baseball in my hand:

Incognegro

An excellent read from Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. The story about a black journalist that passes for white, going undercover in the deep south mid-1900s under the penname Incognegro. The story has him investigating a murder that his brother has been accused of but didn't commit. Fast-paced read, in fact...

It was lacking some quieter moments - the whole thing just seemed to move and move and move. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it was such a powerful story that I would have loved a couple of moments of reflection; especially considering Warren Pleece's fantastic artwork. But beyond that little nitpick I'd have to say this was a great piece.

Buy Incognegro.
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Summer Reading
Read So Far:
Incognegro
The Men Who Stare at Goats
War Fix
The Yiddish Policeman's Union
Shortcomings
Cairo
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Up Next:
Lives of the Popes
The Left Bank Gang

The Men Who Stare At Goats & War Fix

Summer reading continues...

I finished two books yesterday. The Men Who Stare At Goats was funny 50% of the time and frightening the other 50%. It's the (supposedly) true story about a US military division that's been around since the 70s exploring different avenues of psychological warfare. One of the programs believed men could be trained to be super soldiers; the fifth level of that program try to teach people how to stop a goats heart by simply staring at it. Apparently only one person ever got to that level. The rest of the book is equally odd - subliminal messages and psychic spying and the program's ties to fuck-ups like the Koresh Branch Davidians and Heaven's Gate. On the whole it was an entertaining read but sometimes the story seemed to lack cohesion. Other than that it's a fantastic summer read.

Buy The Men Who Stare At Goats

War Fix was gorgeous but I think it was the result of an inexperienced comic writer with an inexperienced comic artist. Layouts were confusing and the writing sometimes seemed detached from the incredible visuals. I got to read a sample of the follow-up book and that's looking much better already.

Buy War Fix

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Summer Reading
Read So Far:
The Men Who Stare at Goats
War Fix
The Yiddish Policeman's Union
Shortcomings
Cairo
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Up Next:
Incognegro
(I need to make a library run - out of books)

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Well, it's summer time. During the summer is when I do the bulk of my reading, averaging around 2 books a week (including graphic novels). I usually track what I'm reading on Good Reads but I think I'll do it on this blog as well as well, just to get some stuff posted. Of course, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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I finished The Yiddish Policemen's Union yesterday. It was a fantastic book but I think it suffers from being Chabon's follow-up to Kavalier & Clay, one of my all-time favorite books. It seems like a lot of the themes from Kavalier & Clay were reexplored in a new environment and genre. It was still fanciful and heart-wrenching and clever as all hell, it just felt like it went back to the well a couple of times. Does that mean it's a bad book? Of course not. If this book was written by anyone else I think I would have been praising it to no end. I guess I just wanted a little but more.

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Read This Summer:
The Yiddish Policeman's Union
Cairo
Shortcomings
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Currently Reading:
The Men Who Stare At Goats
War Fix

It's Eisner Voting Time

Comics professionals should head over to http://www.eisnervote.com and vote for this year’s Eisner recipients. I’m not going to beat around the bush – my book Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened has been nominated for Best Anthology and any votes that can be thrown my way would be appreciated. I really don’t want folks to blindly vote for the book, however – I want you to know what it’s about, see if it’s your thing, and, if so, give it a vote. Therefore I’m reposting all of the reviews and features with artwork or full-stories from the book. Give it a look if you have the time, pick up the book at your local comic shop, bookstore, or library if you feel so inclined, and then make up your mind.

1 – The first page of every story in Postcards
2 – Publisher’s Weekly preview of Stuart Moore and Michael Gaydos’ Tic-Tac-Bang-Bang
3 – Comic Book Resources’ preview of Tom Beland’s Time

And in case you wanted to see some of our bigger reviews, head on over to USA Today, Daily Candy, Ain’t it Cool News, Bookslut , Washington Post, and the 2007 Kirkus Reviews’ Graphic Spotlight.

And then go vote in the Eisner’s. Even if you don’t vote for Postcards there are a still a lot of nominees that deserve your love.

Young Liars

Ok, so here's the deal. Anyone who knows me knows that I am deeply in love with the work of Dave Lapham. He wants people to try out his new Vertigo series, Young Liars (which so far has been on par with Stray Bullets, one of the best continuous series comics has ever seen) and he's offering up a cool promotion to get the word out. Below:

Yes it is a Vertigo book, and I'm trying my G#$damn hardest to make sure it's not cancelled. I'm putting my heart and soul into this thing and I'm trying to spread the word. Details below...

I just wanted to thank anyone spreading the word about Young Liars and everyone who will give it a try. It would mean everything to me to make this book a success. Not only because it's my living and my passion but also because it would allow me the freedom to get back to Stray Bullet, if even only on a limited basis.

Anyone who tries out Young Liars and sends it to me with a SASE will have the comic returned signed (personalized or not) along with a headshot sketch of any character you choose. Could be a Young Liars character, Stray Bullets character, Your favorite Valiant character, etc.

Spread the word on this. I'll do this for anyone who tries out YL.

Send all comics to:

David Lapham
P.O. Box 3911
Glendale, CA 91221-0911

Germany: Checking In

I have lots of pictures and lots of stories and I've only been here for one day...

Real quick: I got back to the hotel at 6PM to power nap and accidentally slept until midnight. Thinking my night was fucked I went out for a quick bite and a beer. I met some awesome locals and ended up stumbling home at 6AM. Good times, now I'm trying to wake up so I can go see some museums today.