Hey y’all. I’m close to finishing a two pager for this week. Back from the holidays and sort of ready to get back into my various art duties. I thought I’d just mention a few things that stuck out for me this year, in entertainment and in my own personal thoughts.
RECORD OF THE YEAR:
Survival Tactics by Normal Love
I’m friends with members of Normal Love, so that probably makes you think of all the people you are friends with who have shitty bands that you are obligated to go see at local stink holes. Every once in a while in your life, you might be lucky enough to be friends with some people who happen to be in an important band. Well, as of their 2nd record I am friends with an important band.
The world needs to stop being weak and get into groups like Normal Love and Zs. Charles Ives is still calling the world a bunch of wimps from his grave. Listen. I like Grizzly Bear okay? And I like Beach House. I get it, but come on guys. This kind of thing (composition oriented, abrasive rock music) has to cycle back again. I’ve been drowning in indie ukeleles and xylophones for what seems like a decade. Let’s get ambitious! GET THE NEW NORMAL LOVE ALBUM!
GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR:
Dungeon Quest 3 by Joe Daly
(real talk) I half-read a lot of comics by super talented people this year, but none of them seemed to want to tell a solid story or use word balloons. Someone gave me Chris Ware’s Building Stories. When I opened the box, my gut reaction was to throw the damn thing out the window like an angry child. Comics are made for lots of different people. So this was the year of comics being made for other people I guess. Here’s what I want from a comic: Great art, and attention to pacing and story. Most of all, please let it be fun to read. That is what Dungeon Quest is. I had such a good time reading this third volume. It’s so funny and well structured, and the depth to Daly’s thought keeps blossoming out in big surprising waves. After I finished reading DQ3 I jumped out of my chair for joy and told all my friends about it.
I also liked By This You Shall Know Him, by Jesse Jacobs.
PERSON I WISH I COULD DRAW AS GOOD AS OF THE YEAR
Connor Willumsen
Image courtesy of Comics Alliance
I’M NEVER GOING TO VOTE IN ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UNTIL THE HAND OF GOD STRIKES ME IN MY THIRD EYE WITH A FLAMING SWORD AND CHANGES MY MIND ABOUT THIS SHIT
Maybe I shouldn’t be posting this, but I like being open on the internet. I didn’t vote in the past election. I looked at all the people running: the Green Party, the Obama Party, the Romney Party, the Libertarian Party etc… and my heart felt like Gollum. The prospect of voting for any of these murderous and/or delusional bozos really bummed me out. The idea of voting made me feel like a coward. Maybe this is a weird line of logic, but for a long time I’ve felt like all artists should receive a “get-out-of-politics” card. I’m throwing as many colors as I can to the tapestry of our material existence. I hope I am having a positive effect on people within my reach. The last thing I want to do is give my nod to a stooge of the Military Industrial Complex. I understand the “Obama is better than Romney” argument, but as I get older I want to get closer to following what resonates and gives me courage and optimism. I want to live my life in harmony with the power of the indifferent Macrocosmos. Not like a sprawled out, desperate, scrambling mess: struggling for justice in a world that resembles a Cathy comic strip.
FAVORITE MOVIE OF THE YEAR
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
I really loved Resurrect Dead : The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles. But that came out in 2011 so, my favorite film of 2012 was probably Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Even though I don’t eat fish, I was moved by Jiro, and also sad for his kids. I hope to be an analog to Jiro someday: A shitty dad who won’t stop drawing. Just kidding, I don’t want kids. Typing this makes me want to see that Osamu Tezuka documentary I heard about.
FAVORITE TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Uhhh…. probably Game of Thrones, but really it was Buffy. I had never seen Buffy before and this year I watched all 7 seasons. I put it somewhere in my top 10 favorite tv shows of all time.
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR
Super Hexagon. It really helps me shit.
thanks for this post jesse, i’ll be looking into all this shit
I might make a part two. I was eating lunch today and thought of 4 other things I was really into this year.
“I’ve been drowning in indie ukeleles and xylophones for what seems like a decade. Let’s get ambitious!”
Yes!
Hello from the UK. I got Forming Vol 1 a while ago, looking forward to Vol 2, really dig your work. I agree about Joe Daly. I agree also that politics would benefit from the inclusion of some kind of third eye flaming sword mechanism.
In fact, that’s what I’m calling the band I’ve just formed. Again: yes!
Jesse - I don’t want to take a position here, but if you’re going to trash someone as talented as Chris Ware, I think you should elaborate a bit more. I’d be interested to know why you wanted to throw BS out the window.
I remember when you said you had just started Buffie. Not really surprised about your ultimate reaction. There’s a lot going on.
great to hear your words on voting, i didnt vote either (and got a lot of shit from people for it), and totally agree with the ‘artist get out of politics’ mentality.
i vote for art
@GZ - Yeah sure I can elaborate a little on Chris Ware. The dude is a titan. I respect his work and skill as a storyteller and designer. I also have no interest in reading his books. I find them oppressive and miserable. From the microscopic panels, to the depressing subject matter. His work is a fortress of sadness that I find repellant. When I pick up a Chris Ware book I feel like I’m being smothered by a pillow. My soul feels like it’s being drained of joy. In the early 90’s when I first encountered his comics, I was totally intrigued by them. As I’ve gotten older, and my life has steered towards the pursuit of positive/magical thought, his comics feel like the anchor that wants to drag me to the bottom of the ocean.
Well put. I thought i was alone in the dislike of Chris Ware. I could not do what he does, i mean that as a compliment.
i just see no uptake on his pov. Like choking then breathing deeply in a room full of smoke was the best analogy i always thought.
Jesse have you heard http://yesnowave.com/yesno067/ ?
I’m a big ‘ole fan of this album, thought you might be too. The dudes speak Indonesian (I think) so I’ve got no idea what it’s actually about but it still ripppps
Holy Fuck! Thanks for Normal Love, your friends sound like Melt-Banana American illegitimate children.
Yes, that’s a compliment if anybody was wondering.