The Art of the Sell — Marvel’s New Cover Format
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. I would like to take this opportunity to admit anew that during the height of my comic … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Marvel’s New Cover Format
Then Playing — Cronos; Duel at Diablo; Time Without Pity
Cronos (Guillermo del Toro, 1993). If Guillermo del Toro isn’t exactly a fully formed filmmaker with his feature debut, Cronos, it’s still remarkable how much of his careerlong creative voice is present from the very beginning. Most distinctly, he brings … Continue reading Then Playing — Cronos; Duel at Diablo; Time Without Pity
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #131 to #129
131. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising (1985) Following their creative breakthrough with the double album Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü felt they were ready to produce their next album entirely on their own, something they hadn’t done since Land Speed Record, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #131 to #129
Outside Reading — Off the Menu edition
Hacked to Bits by Jaya Saxena Writer for Eater, Jaya Saxena explores the culture of creative tinkerers who use the online menus of chains restaurants and coffee shops to concoct wild variants of the businesses’ standard fare. Because they post … Continue reading Outside Reading — Off the Menu edition
This Week’s Model — Bleached, “Flip It”
An empowerment anthem about rejecting a personal tendency for diminishing self-judgment, “Flip It” is a prime blast of Bleached. The single is grounded in a chewy pop-punk and spins on the axis of an irresistible singalong chorus, siblings Jennifer and … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Bleached, “Flip It”
Golden Words — Barney Miller, “The Photographer”
Since great television comedy always begins with the script, this series of posts considers the individual episodes that have claimed the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series over the years. The folks who worked on the … Continue reading Golden Words — Barney Miller, “The Photographer”
My Misspent Youth — Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. Mark Waid claims he didn’t particularly want to write Fantastic Four. … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo
Medium Rotation — No Rules Sandy; In My Car
SYLVAN ESSO No Rules Sandy (Loma Vista) — On their prior albums, it was sometimes difficult to discern whether Sylvan Esso wanted to master or deconstruct pop. They decisively elide that question on their fourth studio full-length, No Rules Sandy, … Continue reading Medium Rotation — No Rules Sandy; In My Car
The Art of the Sell — Sammy Davis Jr. for Suntory Whisky
These posts celebrate the movie trailers, movie posters, commercials, print ads, and other promotional material that stand as their own works of art. If an advertisement is measured by how much it makes a person crave the product peddled, I … Continue reading The Art of the Sell — Sammy Davis Jr. for Suntory Whisky
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #134 to #132
134. Fine Young Cannibals, Fine Young Cannibals (1985) Guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele didn’t know their band the Beat was breaking up. Vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger had already decided they were moving and started recording their … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #134 to #132
Coffee for Two 