Mobtown Shank

Shank Year End Wrap-Up 011!: Miscellany

TOP I TOLD-YA SO'S OF 2011
by Benn Ray

1. 25th St. Station Lowes Pull-Out
One of many concerns I and other critics of the 25th St. Station development in Remington had when the project was first announced was we did not want, in the heart of North Baltimore, another Port Covington - the failing retail concrete bunker in South Baltimore that now houses only a Wal-Mart despite the promise of retail activity and jobs, jobs, jobs. If the developers were able to break ground when they wanted, back in 2010, it now really looks like the chances are pretty good we'd have another Port Covington as Lowes, due to its own financial issues, pulled out of the development. So, to supporters of the project I say, "I told ya so."

2. Belinda Conaway Ouster
This is also tied in with the controversial 25th Street Station development. Before then-City Council Representative Belinda Conaway introduced the PUD legislation to the Baltimore City Council to begin the process of the 25th St. Station development, I said that if she introduced the PUD, she would get a primary challenge and I would do as much as I could to make sure she is no longer our city council rep. I was even considering running against her until I was redistricted out of her area. Well, Belinda got that primary challenge and lost the primary, and then lost her write-in attempt in the general election. My point was that if an elected official is going to support developments that, as I see it, are detrimental to the greater community's interests, there needs to be a political cost for that. To those who supported Belinda and her backing of this development, I told ya so.

3. Baltimore Grand Prix Fiasco
Baltimore was pretty divided over this Grand Prix nonsense. Many of us saw this as an unwelcome intrusion in our lives for the entertainment of out-of-towners at the expense of Baltimore city. Supporters of the Grand Prix thought it was going to be a fun party and argued that the city was going to get rich. And while it may have been fun, financially, it sure looks like things didn't pan out the way the Grand Prix boosters promised. In fact, it's devolved into a fiscal fiasco, with, it seems, Baltimore City getting the short end of the stick. To those supporters of the Baltimore Grand Prix, I told ya so.

4. E-Books Price Gouging
Fans of electronic "books" like to argue convenience and affordability. I have argued that e-books are not going to be affordable and are only subjectively convenient. Supporters say, "Oh but look at how much cheaper they are than books." And I have argued they won't stay that way. In fact, I said, that e-books will end up costing you just as much as a real book very soon. Why? Remember how CD prices were supposed to go down but never did because labels saw that the retail price threshold was much higher? It's the same thing here, only worse. It's worse because not only are you going to be paying the same price for an ebook as you would a real book in most cases in 2012 (according to this Wall Street Journal report), but there's no reason for it. Publishers are cutting out distributors and even booksellers, so they are getting a higher percentage of that cover price (which also makes it in their interest to pursue ebooks at the cost of regular books). Plus, unlike a real book, you're left with a product that has no resale value in the used (or collectible) book market. So ebook users, you're dooming yourself, and I told you so. 

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A GENERAL BEST OF 2011
by Joseph Kang

Here's my list. It's in no particular order and it's not restricted to any particular subject. It's basically just a list of the things that I really enjoyed from this past year.

1. The Smiths "The Complete Smiths" (Rhino)
I still remember the first time I heard the album "The Queen is Dead". It was some time in 1986. My first year of high school. It was my introduction to The Smiths. I fell instantly for that album and there was really no looking back. I had managed to get my hands on the 2008 vinyl remasters and they sounded great compared to the original CD versions released back in the day. The versions contained in this box set sound even better than the 2008 versions. They don't sound louder (though they are). They also sound more expansive. This set also includes what I believe are the first remasters of  the live album "Rank" as well as the compilations "Louder than Bombs" and "The World Won't Listen". Plus, a newly remastered edition of "Hatful of Hollow". It's a stellar set of material all packaged in CD-sized reproductions of the original LPs including any printed liner notes, lyrics, and, in the case of "Rank", the originally included poster.

2. Elderscrolls: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks; 360)
The latest chapter in the Elderscrolls RPG saga is the first I've played since "Morrowind" on the original Xbox console. I didn't really enjoy that game so I passed on "Oblivion" (probably to my detriment). Skyrim is a gorgeous expansive game. It's got its issues (various minor glitches), but they're easily overlooked once you start playing. I think I'm about 60 to 70 hours in and I still haven't seen or done everything. Much like the recent Fallout 3 (also from Bethesda), I expect I will lose a sizable amount of my free time to this game.

3. Rocksmith (Ubisoft; 360)
Rocksmith may be the closest to what I'd dreamed would happen when I first played Guitar Hero 2. A game that would be more like playing a real guitar than what GH and Rock Band could ever accomplish. Though I will say that RB3 in pro mode with the specialized Fender Squier Strat came awfully close, too. Unfortunately, that implementation prevented you from actually playing a guitar along with the music without fiddling with how the Squier Strat is set up out of the box. Rocksmith is not a rhythm game. It is as close to guitar instruction software as I've had the chance to experience. It has its  imperfections. The dynamic ramping difficulty can lean toward the punishing in some instances. But, actually playing, say, Queens of the Stone Ages' "Go with the Flow" with my PRS Hollowbody 2 instead of with a shrunken plastic facsimile makes it all worthwhile.

4. Krallice "Diotima" (Profound Lore)
5. Wolvhammer "The Obsidian Plane" (Profound Lore)
6. Disma "Toward the Megalith" (Profound Lore)
Profound Lore continues to be one of my favorite labels in recent days. The  bove three albums are all worthwhile for those interested in metal. Plus,  there was that completely unexpected new album by Leviathan.

 

7. Negative Plane "Stained Glass Revelations" (AJNA Offensive)
Reverb-drenched US black metal.

 

 

 

8. Kuedo "Severent" (Planet Mu)
I was a huge fan of dubstep duo Vex'd and their album "Degenerate". It's definitely one of my top faves of that genre. When I got into metal and started exploring that more, I kind of lost interest in where dubstep was heading. So, I was surprised to hear that half of that duo were coming out with an album that was influenced by Vangelis' soundtrack to "Bladerunner". For whatever reason, it caught my interest. After reading Pitchfork's review, I was sold. It's a gorgeous album.

9. "Assassins Creed: Brotherhood" (Ubisoft; PS3) "Batman: Arkham Asylum" (Eidos; PS3); "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" (SCE; PS3)
These were by no means new games but they were games that were on my "must play (eventually)" list and, while attempting to use a store credit from an attempted Xbox 360 repair, I found all three used for pretty cheap. It just so happened that they were all for the PS3, too, which wasn't a bad thing since my PS3 doesn't get as much use as my 360. All three were stellar games in their own ways. If I had to pick a favorite from this trio, I would have to go with the Batman title. In the past, I'd avoided most licensed super hero video games as they never seemed to live up to the character(s) as you would imagine them. Not so with this title. Playing as Batman is exactly the way you would expect it to be. I loved being able to silently repel upside-down over an enemy and silently, yank them up and take them out of the game. I couldn't get enough of that. When fighting seemed unavoidable, it was responsive and "felt" right. The AC and Batman titles are also available for the 360 and if you haven't played them, they would most likely be worth your while. The entire "Uncharted" series remains a PS3 exclusive.

10. A$SAP Rocky "LiveLoveA$AP"
Quite possibly the only new rap/hip-hop release that got repeated listens from me this year (aside from "Gucci-Gucci"). "Peso" is probably the standout track for me. Second favorite would be "Purple Swag".

 

 

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2011 THINGS
by Matt Selander

I could easily write a best of list for the categories of....new music, record reissues, concerts, movies, tv shows, meals, protests, craft beer, bourbon, books, naps, rainbows, internet memes, youtube cats, local earthquakes, animated gifs... etc etc. So instead here is a random list of things 2011 “related” that made the year slightly less crushing.

BEST BIZARRE YOUTUBE CLOWNING OF HERMAN CAIN


The funny thing is, that dude could say any of those things at any moment.

BEST NEW BAND OF 2011
Doomsday Student! ¾ of Arab on Radar making a racket that is equal parts early AoR and late AoR.

BEST ENTERTAINMENT NEWS!
Party Down movie to begin filming in the summer of 2012. If you have not seen party down DO SO NOW! Its online,its on DVD...NO EXCUSES! If you have been stoned at your shitty day job while dreaming of taking your electro funk band on a world tour this show is for you. Also, recommended for fans of laughter, drug abuse and Steve Guttenberg.

runner up...news of the return of Arrested Development

BEST REVIVAL!
The return of the '90s! So I was away ahead on this on. All you flannel wearers... STOP SWEATING MY STYLE! Anyway, it's good to hear some grungy guitar bands getting some attention in this era of whimpy, ethereal indie rock. Also, the return of Beavis and Butthead! and HFS (wtf!) Not to mention a bunch of 20 year olds running out to buy Doc Martens is kinda crazy. Not sure if I should feel old or feel flattered. Now if I could only find my 10 hole Cherries to put on eBay.

please check out the following bands...Roomrunner, Broken Water, Purling Hiss

BEST BALTIMORE NEWS: FUN EDITION
A craft brewery is opening in Woodberry and a pinball museum/arcade is opening in downtown! Really is there anything better than beer and pinballl?

BEST NON-BALTIMORE MUSIC FESTIVAL: HOPSCOTCH IN RALEIGH, N.C.
Didn't have really high expectations for this and was completely floored. I was skeptical that a sophomore festival could pull off 100+ bands in 12+ venues without it turning into a complete clusterfuck. These guys delivered! Bands played on time, everybody was friendly and the line up was varied and amazing. Also, everything was walkable. Seeing The Necks, Swans and Rhys Chatham in an opera hall was impressive (and very,very loud). Oxbow played in an awesome set at a great little dive bar on 2 hrs of sleep (in 3 days) and absolutely destroyed the audience. Also, Guided By Voices and Superchunk played outside, in the middle of town under beautiful late summer skies. I cant recommend this fest enough.

BEST NON-BALTIMORE MUSIC FESTIVAL STONED EDITION :VOICE OF THE VALLEY NOISE RALLY IN PENTRESS,WV
Though this fest was more synth heavy then noisy it really was all about the energy of the place. Tucked back in the foothills northern WV (near Morgantown) and surrounded by trees, VotV brought together a great assortment of noise freaks,performance artist and general weirdos for 3 days of camping and music and...um...psychic voyages. Though the event was small (probably no more than 200 in attendance) the energy was more positive and exciting than most other music festivals I have been to.

BEST BAND I’M GLAD I SAW BEFORE THEY BECOME THE BIGGEST BAND ON THE PLANET: WILD FLAG
Wild Flag played there first tour last March before they even had a record out. Most of the dates sold out well in advance.We were lucky/smart to have purchased tickets in advance. I’m usually leery of “supergroups”, I’d rather have a root canal then hear a “Them Crooked Vultures” song. That said, the ladies of Wild Flag have quite a resume...Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, Helium, The Minders...how could this not be awesome? Not only was I not let down...I was blown away! WF has more energy that most of the 20 something indie bands. Plus the songs are great! I’m pretty sure by this time in a year they will have conquered the world.

THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
I was in the streets of D.C. January 20th, 2001 protesting the stolen election, I was back to protest the invasion of Afghanistan later that year. I took it to the streets when baby Bush started dropping bombs on Baghdad and I was in NYC for the G.O.P freakshow/convention in 2004. After the 8 years the W. disaster and 2 ½ years of the Obama letdown I had almost given up hope. And then OWS happened! For the first time in my life there is a pissed off, sustainable grassroots movement in this country willing to stand up and say enough! Here is to hoping 2012 is the year things finally change and we wrestle the country back....we’ll see.

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TOP 10 STAR WARS TOYS OF 2011
by Rich Dolinger

1. Tusken Raider 12” action figure produced by Gentle Giant. The Tusken Raiders or Sand People were always my favorite characters from the original movie and I loved the OG figures so having it blown up to 12 inches tall is that much better.

2.  Jawa 8” action figure produced by Gentle Giant. Like the Tusken Raider at #1, the Jawa is actually just as awesome and it comes packaged with a cloth cape or a limited edition vinyl cape.

3.  Landspeeder vehicle produced by Hasbro. This latest version of Luke’s Landspeeder comes in a “vintage” style box and the shape and paint colors are way superior to previous releases.

4. Landspeeder action figure set DX Series 3 produced by Kubrick. Kubricks are the cute little Lego-inspired versions of the standard sized Hasbro figures. Very charming.

5. Bom Vimdim standard sized action figure produced by Hasbro. This is actually the best looking figure released this year by Hasbro but this Cantina scene character is so random that I can’t say it’s my favorite.

6. Rebel Fleet Trooper standard sized action figure produced by Hasbro. I always wished Kenner made these guys in the 70s and now they are released on vintage-style cardbacks 34 years later!

7. Han Solo in Bespin Gear standard sized action figure produced by Hasbro. Not that exciting of a figure but I’ve waited a long time to get a decent looking version of this one. All the previous ones stunk.

8. Rebel Transport Speeder vehicle produced by Hasbro. Another toy that should have been made 34 years ago; not that exciting but it looks great in my dioramas. Yes, I have dioramas.

9. Luke Skywalker 12” action figure produced by Gentle Giant. Like the Bespin Han, this is not the most exciting figure but it is all nostalgia and the packaging is striking!

10. Stormtrooper standard sized action figure produced by Hasbro. Nothing special, just the most accurately sculpted Stormtrooper ever. Now I have to throw all my outdated Troopers away.

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10 OBSERVATIONS FROM FAMILY TRIP TO FLA
by Steve Messick

1. MIB ride at Univeral gave Kricfalusi work (yay!)

2. The Simpsons ride is the coolest ride I've been on but all the virtual rides I've been on are cool.  They are the future of amusement parks, (from the last to say this department)

3. You can't jog or shop on Citiwalk, (only eat, drink, shop, and/or take a lot of stupid photos)

4. Amusement Parks can really suck if your kids is tired and/or cranky, also, the kids that work at the park seem to really enjoy seeing you have a lousy time

5. I was dragged to Margaritaville, where as I waiting to be seated I walked around the gift shop, they have blenders that they sell for $500-no shit, if I ever finally snap, this place would be a good candidate for my jihad

6. Dora has an entourage, and they will kick your ass if you get too friendly-no, it wasn't me that got too friendly

7. I was really impressed by  the Hard Rock Cafe in that it has still remained the most inappropriately named place in the world, guys, cool gimmick you could offer, a decent bowl of chili advertised as always being exactly half of the minimum hourly wage, oh but that might draw the riff-raff and freaks, otherwise known as the people that most likely have ever written a decent rock song

8. The corporate line/inside joke was "ha ha, we're not like Disney" which is annoying and more false than true, and definitely not regarding the whole "racket", for example: They soak you on the water rides, (fine), but then charge people $5 to stand in a "dryer"

9. I'd rather walk around the rest of the day in wet denim than pay $5 for a bullshit stand-up dryer

10. you travel from the hotel to the park via river transport, always remember: Never get off the boat!

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And this concludes The Shank's 2011 Year End Wrap Up. Thanks for reading, and thanks to all those who were kind enough to take the time to compile lists for us.

American Standard: Ending The Corporatists' Tax Rate Argument

by Benn Ray

I have long argued that those who say taxes are inherently prohibitive and have a dampening effect on business don't understand the nature of business. Where there is the potential for profit to occur, there will always be enterprise.

Corporate, Republican and Libertarian talking points have long held that only lower tax rates will result in enterprise and only that will generate more jobs and a healthy economy.

We even see this in local economies where special tax breaks are offered to entice large corporate entities to open big box developments which have a destructive and depleting effect on local business communities. If anyone can more easily afford the tax rates, it is the very same corporations who insist on them being waived before they'll even begin to consider bringing their wage-dampening, social safety-net straining jobs to an area.

But as the past few years of  historically low tax rates and record breaking corporate profits and CEO salaries have shown, lower tax rates and big earnings do not result in a trickle down effect.

How many times to we have to keep proving that Trickle Down Economics don't work for those waiting for the trickle?

And those who continue to argue for this type of trickle down, free market, predatory corporate capitalism do not understand the nature of corporate capitalism - which is to maximize profits (or they are being disingenuous).

In this regard, corporate capitalism's interests can be at odds with creating a healthy economy as those at the top of the corporate chain are rewarded while those at the bottom - the weakest, the most replaceable, the most vulnerable - are exploited.

More people with a little more money make for a healthier economy. Fewer people with a lot more money do not. And we've been seeing the latter during the Great Recession.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Take Bill Gates and Warren Buffet's words instead.

Bill Gates: If something is a profitable activity, you're going to engage in it. Yes there are tax rates that are so high that people may work less, but you have to get up to the 50%-60% range before that's the case. ... Even as the economy improves and you end the wars, you're going to have to raise taxes and certainly whatever form it takes, and I'm not an expert on this, the rich should bear a larger increase than the rest. (on FOX News)

Warren Buffet: People like to make money investing. And they make it if the tax rate is 15% each year or if the tax rate is 30% each year. (ABC News)

Newt's Ponderings: Atheists And Socialists Are Like Nazis

“The secular socialist machine represents as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union once did.”

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Many conservatives are under the falty impression that Newt Gingrich is a particularly bright fellow.

Newt's own statements suggest otherwise.

Ron Paul Poetry: FEMA

by Rep. Ron Paul, Republican

FEMA is now
an integral part
of Washington’s
bureaucratic maze,
and it stands ready
to take full control
of the country
at the president’s
request.

FEMA intends
to wipe out
state jurisdictions
by setting up
the ten federal regions
so beloved
of the Council
on Foreign Relations.

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This poem was originally published as an article by Ron Paul in his own newsletter in the 1980s/1990s.

PolitiFact Commits Suicide

PolitiFact fancies itself a "non-partisan" fact-checker.

I've been highly suspect of them for years (I may have used them a few times, but it has alawys been very discriminate and I've verified via other sources when doing so), and a recent controversy over their "fact-checking" of President Obama's State of The Union seems to suggest my suspicions were well-founded.

They rated two things he said as about jobs as true but ranked the statement as half-true. Then, under outcry and controversy, they backtracked and upgraded both Obama's absolutely true jobs statements as mostly true.

Again, they found both his statements as quantifiably true, but they still ranked the statement as mostly true.

Rachel Maddow responded to PolitiFact's bullshit thusly:

"PolitiFact, you are fired. You are a mess. You are fired. You are undermining the definition of the word 'fact' in the English langauge by pretending to it in your name. The English language wants its word back. You are an embarrassment. You sully the reputation of anyone who cites you as an authority on factishness let alone facts. You are fired."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Newt's Ponderings: Wrong On Foodstamps Again

"More people have been put on foodstamps by Barack Obama than any president in American History."

Sam Seder's transcript:

"So says the professional historian who gets $1.6 million just to go over the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and explain to them history. It turns out he was wrong.
 
"It turns out, surprisingly enough, that more were added under George Bush than under President Obama, according to the most recent figures. Which of course... ha-ha... [are the result of] the liberal press, probably.  Liberal media. ...

"The number of recipients rose by 14.7 million people under George Bush. Under Obama the increase so far has been 14.2 million, and the trend is going down. The number of people getting food stamps declined last October by almost 45,000 people. Now of course, President Obama had to deal with the impact of the recession which hit in 2008 after the financial crisis, but the bottom line is Newt Gingrich - you're wrong."

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Many conservatives are under the falty impression that Newt Gingrich is a particularly bright fellow.

Newt's own statements suggest otherwise.

Ron Paul Poetry: The State Of The World

by Rep. Ron Paul, Republican

Abortion
is rampant,

race war
is heating up,

AIDS
is spreading,

and inflation
is wiping out
the middle class.

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This poem was originally published as an article by Ron Paul in his own newsletter in the 1980s/1990s.

Shank Year End Wrap-Up 011!: Readings (Books and Comics)

ATOMIC BOOKS BEST COMICS OF 2011 LISTS
This year, Atomic Books asked a bunch of cartoonist friends to pick their favorite comics of 2011. These are their lists.

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TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2011
by Benn Ray

1. THE INDIE CRED TEST by Henry H. Owings/The Chunklet Staff
Billed as "Everything you need to know about everything you need to know." And it's true. This book from the Chunklet folks (full disclosure - I'm a proud contributing editor), is like the Indie Cred SAT. Page after page of tests for you to take. Each quiz question is, in Chunklet fashion, a joke. This may be the perfect bathroom reading. I've already been through the book 4 times, and I still find new jokes, stuff  I missed before, etc.

The Indie Cred Test takes the piss out of all facets of Indie Culture - music, movies, literature, fashion... hell just writing this makes me want to pick my well-worn copy back up and start thumbing through it again.

2. OUT OF THE VINYL DEEPS by Ellen Willis
Originally, I thought this book was going to be just another collection of self-important, Boomer-era rock criticism, with a slightly more pretentious edge since Willis was a writer for the New Yorker. I love being wrong. It's a collection of insightful essays by someone who is genuinely excited about music and the role it used to play in culture. And it's especially interesting to look back and see how certain godlike bands were seen at the time of their peak. Willis gave me the vocabulary to address a problem I see in modern music (clearly it's not a new problem) - Songs of Me versus Songs of We. And I don't recall ever reading, for example, a more perfect take on one of my favorite bands, The Velvet Undergound:

"In the midst of all this euphoria the Velvet Underground began performing in New York's East Village with Andy Warhol's mixed media show, The Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Their publicity, which ran to phrases like "a total bombardment of the sense," suggested that the Velvets were yet another psychedelic band - and in a way they were. But their brand of sensory bombardment could not have been more at odds with the era of good feeling. Their terrain was the city at its hardest and sleaziest. Their music was as painful as it was compelling, assaulting the ear with excruciating distortion and chaotic noise barely contained by the repetitive rhythms of rock and roll. Their themes were perversity, desperation and death. Instead of celebrating psychedelic trips, they showed us the devastating power, horror, and false transcendence of heroin addiction; they dared to intimate that sadomasochism might have more to do with their - and our - reality than universal love. Musically, as well as verbally, they insisted that the possibility, far from being limitless, was continually being stifled and foreclosed. At a time when hippie rock musicians were infatuated with the spontaneous jam, the Velvets' music was cerebral, stylized. They maintained a poignant ironic tension between the tight, formal structure of the songs and their bursts of raw noise, between their high artfulness and their street-level content, between fatalism and rebellion."

See? Doesn't it make you fall in love with the Velvet Underground all over again? And that's one thing that good rock criticism (like Greil Marcus) does, it makes you excited for music. But the other thing it does is it puts the music of a time into a cultural context, and we need critics who do more than say something is good or bad - we need critics to help us understand the significance of what we're listening to, and few did it as well as Willis.

As she explained, "I was interested in writing about rock and roll as an expression of a radical cultural and political force. To be honest, it became divorced from all those things for me in the eighties. I moved on to feminism and politics."

In the end, rock music broke Willis' heart. And it can, and will, only do that to those who love it.

3. WHY DO WE KILL? by Kelvin Sewell/Stephen Janis
This book doesn't succeed so much in answering the title's question (and works better when it doesn't try to), but what it does do is present a lot of fascinating cop stories from Sewell's time with the Baltimore Police. In the first half of the book, each chapter is criminal case study that speaks to the issues Baltimore city residents face. For the longest time I've felt relatively safe in Baltimore. I'm not involved with the drug game, so I figured I was less likely to be in danger. Sewell's book reveals the delusion I've been under - much of the crime shown here was conducted by pyschopaths - and no matter where we go, suburbs, cities, farms, there are always psychopaths - and at this point, there's very little that can be done about them.

4. THE PSYCHOPATH TEST by JON RONSON
This book kept me up a night. 1 percent of the population is a psychopath. So that means 1 out every 100 of my friends is a psychopath. But which ones? I have some ideas about a few, but what about the others? Am I a psychopath? Well, the good news is, if you're worried you might be a psychopath, you're not one. Psychopaths have different brains than most of us, and they can't feel empathy - so they learn how to mimick it in order to manipulate. Ronson goes on a fascinating adventure, meeting psychopaths and trained psychopath detectors, dealing with Scientologists, etc. 80% of most of the violence and chaos in prisons are created by a small percentage of psychopaths. Psychopaths see the world as a game they must win. As a result, they are attracted to positions of power. In fact, it's believed that the concentration of psychopaths in Wall Street, governemnet, big corporate business and church heirarchy is 5 times greater than the general population. If such a small percentage can create so much chaos in prisons - imagine what they're doing to the economy, politics, ect. See? It'll keep you up at night too.

5. SELECTED UNPUBLISHED BLOG POSTS OF A MEXIAN PANDA EXPRESS EMPLOYEE by MEGAN BOYLE
More than one of my favorite books of poetry in years, this is one of my favorite books. Funny. Dark. Personal. Boyle's book is about what it means to be alive. Right now. Boyle displays a voice that is as fresh and relevant as any I recall hearing.

 

6. THE PDT COCKTAIL BOOK by JIM MEEHAN / CHRIS GALL
This is more than a cocktail book. This book is a revolution. Exquisitely designed. Beautifully packaged. Impeccably researched. Now you too can make cocktails as perfect as those served in the famed PDT bar. Easy to follow recipes, loads of great advice - and this book is still super-difficult to find. And for good reason. PDT is the cocktail recipe book that all others should aspire to be.

7. THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME by DONALD RAY POLLOCK
Brutal, bleak, startling, loaded with oddball characters. Imagine Katherine Dunn writing an Elmore Leonard novel set in Appalachia, toss in a smidge of Harry Crews, and you sort of get the idea here. A solid read, and Pollock's fictional Knockemstiff brings to mind a modern, gritty version of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County. This is Pollock's second book and his first novel. He's definitely a talent to watch.

8. STUCK UP! by RICH E. DREBEN M.D. / MURDOC KNIGHT M.D. / MARTY A. SINDHIAN M.D.
Really, it's a simple concept for a book - a collection of xrays of people who have managed to shove all sorts of objects up inside their bodies. But it really is meserizing. Each xray is accompanied by an explanation of how this could happen (no, not instructions), the commonality of this type of incident, etc. It'll haunt you.

9. LUCKY PEACH by MCSWEEENEY'S
Okay, not a book - a series of periodicals (two so far) - but so, so good. Who say magazines are dead? McSweeney's teams up with David Chang (Momofuku) to create the best food publication. Insights into cooking, fun with chef's, recipes, theory, you name it. All uniquely designed.

 

10. I WANT MY HAT BACK by Jon Klassen
Yes, yes, it's a kid's book. But damn it's a good kid's book. I don't know a single adult who has read this book and not loved it. It's the story of a bear, looking for his hat. And the moral to the story? Being an asshole is contagious.

 

 

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TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2011
by Benn Ray

1. LOVE & ROCKETS: NEW STORIES #4 by LOS BROS HERNANDEZ
Jaime's return to his Maggie character is masterful. His story carries the emotional weight of catching up with old friends. His artwork has never been more perfect. In fact, "perfect" is the only word I can think of to use to describe Jaime's work here. I've long had respect for Jaime, and I feel like his Maggie and Hopey characters came of age with me in the '90s every bit as much as Peter Bagge's Buddy Bradley. But this issue has made me a convert. I've never seen such perfect cartooning. There it is again, that word. "Perfect".

2. THE DEATH-RAY by DANIEL CLOWES
A pretty reworking of the last issue of Clowes landmark comic series Eightball, into an over-sized graphic novel. This is a superhero comic by someone who doesn't care for superheroes, and it's better than any superhero comic has been in years. Cynical, dark, it's total Clowes!

 

 

3. MISTER WONDERFUL by DANIEL CLOWES
On the flipside of Clowes' Death-Ray is Mister Wonderful. Not only can Clowes be sharp, biting and cynical - here he shows he can be sweet, funny and play with our expectations as well as anyone. Mister Wonderful, the story of a trying blind date is shockingly, yes I say "shockingly" optimisitic, utterly charming and completely Clowes.

 

4. PAYING FOR IT by CHESTER BROWN
Brown's Paying For It has two things going on. One is a borderline-journalistic, biographical comic on the life of Johns and prostitutes. The other is a sort of a manifesto for the decriminalization of prostitution. The autobiographical side is masterful and engaging. The manifesto side allows rational thought to be clouded by impractical libertarian ideology. Regardless, Brown's nugget of a book stokes an intersting conversation worth having.

5. SCENES FROM AN IMPENDING MARRIAGE by ADRIAN TOMINE
Originally produced as a gift for wedding attendees, what superficially seems like a novelty is actualy one of Tomine's most accomplished books.  Here his art is more Peanuts-eqsue cartoony, and his story is more personal. I want to see more of this Tomine.

 

6. LIFE WITH MR. DANGEROUS by PAUL HORNSCHEMEIER
Paul tells the story of Amy - an aimless twentysomething with a pointless retail job, a mother who doesn't seem to realize she's grown-up, a boyfriend who doesn't seem to care that she breaks up with him and a fixation for a cartoon called Mr. Dangerous. Paul's art is as confident and stylized as ever, and his story speaks to an age many of us have shared.

 

7. DAYBREAK by BRIAN RALPH
This collection of Brian's Daybreak series is a gorgeous package. The story reads like a indie art-house zombie film, told from the first person perspective. It's a one-of-a-kind zombie book.

 

 

8. BLACK EYE #1 by RYAN STANDFEST (ed.)
My rule about anthologies is that they are only ever as good as the weakest story in the collection. Well, there isn't a stinker in the lot here. I've long fantasized about constructing my perfect anthology book, in the spirit of Raw, Zap, etc. And goddamn it Standfest's Black Eye doesn't look a helluva a lot like something I wish I had done. This book fills me with envy. And I love it.

 

9. POGO VOL. 1 by WALT KELLY
When Fantagraphics began their series of Peanuts archival releases, I was surprised at how many of my favorite cartoonists took the opportunity to wax nostalgic for the formulaic genius that was Charles M. Schulz. This year I was also shocked at how quiet many of those very same cartoonists were about Fantagraphics finally getting around to releasing the first volume of Kelly's Pogo. What the hell? This is epic, profoundly influential masterpiece material here. I guess there's just no substitute for the predictability of Charlie Brown not being able to kick that football. Good grief!

10. BIG QUESTIONS by ANDERS NILSEN
This huge tome collects the meditative, cerebral and wonderfully illustrated Big Questions series by Nilsen. Just beautiful.

 

 

 

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BEST COMICS OF 2011
by Eric Allen Hatch

Blammo # 7 by Noah Van Sciver
Blammo channels the great “indie” (ugh) “comix” (argh) of the 1990s. If you miss the wit and variety of Eightball, the unrelenting miserablism of Schizo, and the nakedly frank letters columns of both, Blammo is here for you. With each issue, Van Sciver has also refined his own style and voice, and this issue is both his most generous and his most creatively realized yet.

Hate Annual# 9 by Peter Bagge
What did we do to deserve new full issues of both Hate and Optic Nerve this year? Those of you who gave up checking the “H” shelf at Atomic years ago, take this as a head’s up that the longest new Buddy story in a decade is also quite good.

 

Ishi’s Brain by Eamon Espey
Much like our music scene, Baltimore has seen an explosion of first-rate comic artists over the last decade.  Espey may well be my favorite, with work that manages to exude classical and lysergic vibes at once. Ishi’s Brain blends mystical and sci-fi elements into a tour-de-force narrative that also happens to be almost completely non-verbal.

I Want You # 2 by Lisa Hanawalt
Lisa Hanawalt’s work puts a new spin on the human-body-as-inscrutable-festering-organism visuals of early Lynch or Cronenberg. I caught up with this late-2010 release early in 2011 and went back to it several times throughout the year; like Espey’s work, Hanawalt’s can feel as much like an art object as it does a comic book.
 

Lose # 3 by Michael Deforge
I can’t help but notice that a lot of the best young comics are coming from Koyama Press. Lose has been a particular revelation, with a visual style not unlike Chris Ware and narratives flirting with the anthropomorphized dada of 1-800-MICE, but a feverish imagination all its own.

 

Optic Nerve # 12 by Adrian Tomine
I’m obviously a big fan of classic '90s titles like this one, but I also wouldn’t want Tomine to revive this series after a long absence if the results felt dated or redundant.  Well, he emphatically hasn’t. This struck me as a drastically different Optic Nerve, with very fresh characters and a new, very welcome dark tone to its humor.

Reich #8 by Elijah Brubaker
An ever-fascinating, well-researched biography of Wilhelm Reich in a visual style very befitting its subject; new issues of Reich remain one of the first things I look for when I enter Atomic. Eager for this one to come together as a complete graphic novel so I can gift it to unsuspecting friends each December.

 

Snake Oil # 6, aka The Ground Is Soft by Chuck Forsman
This one snuck under the radar as a mini with a new title--very appropriate for such an expectation-confounding comic. With its silkscreened covers and challenging storylines that sometimes threaten to atomize into infinity, Snake Oil has always been one to treasure; this issue presents one of its tightest narratives yet, set in a deranged fantasy culture/kingdom. Imagine Dan Clowes in collision with Brian Chippendale, and you’re not far off.

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TOP 5 COMICS - SINGLE ISSUES/SERIES OF 2011
by Benn Ray

Optic Nerve #12 by Adrian Tomine
A lot of productivity from Tomine this year. His new issue of Optic Nerve is his most accomplished one yet. While his fiction and style experiments are still Clowesian, the final story is his best and it's also his most autobiographical and cartoony. In the digital age and an era of graphic novel collections, Optic Nerve #12 is a love letter to an endangered format - and it stands as an example of what will be missed if we lose the magazine-format comic. On the bright side, it was a best seller at Atomic - suggesting there are still plenty of people who love comic books.

Blammo #7 by Noah Van Sciver
Blammo is one of my favorite comic series. And for the longest time, I couldn't tell if Van Sciver was a welcome throwback to now-lost era of '90s alterna-comix, or if he was the vanguard of a new comics movement, and I'm happy to report that Noah these days seems more like the latter. Blammo is an anthology-style comic - a collection of stories, some ongoing, some not, with an array of characters and themes and even tones. Noah's style is has a Crumbian neurotic line, a Baggesian rounded angle, and a lot of halftones, zipatone, and crosshatching. (I prefer the last two moreso than the halftones). If this was 1995, Blammo would reside in the same pantheon as Hate, Eightball, Optic Nerve, Peep Show, Dirty Plotte, etc. But it's not, it's now. And as a result, it exists at a level other cartoonists should aspire to achieve.

Hate Annual #9 by Peter Bagge
For years, it seemed like Bagge didn't really know where to go or what to do with his best known, iconic character, Buddy Bradley. As a result, Hate Annual became bogged down with a lot of other cartoony ephemera which wasn't bad, but it just wasn't Hate. Bagge is now back on story with Buddy and he has once again turned in a great issue of Hate. If you were a fan of Hate but haven't picked up an issue in years, or you were always curious what the big deal was about, I strongly suggest you pick up this issue.
  
Animal Man by Jeff Lemire/various
DC Comics rebooted and revamped all its titles this year to varying degrees of success. This is one of the two best reworkings of the reboot. Animal Man has always been an oddball character. And years ago, Grant Morrison did some strange things with him in the Vertigo universe. But here Animal Man is back in the normal DC Universe. When DC did their reboot, and brought over Animal Man, Swamp Thing and even brought John Constantine (Justice League Dark) into the regular superhero continuity, I thought it might have exposed these characers as corny. Instead, with talents like Lemire, who builds upon the quirkiness of Morrison's Animal Man, it's added some grit to the regular superhero-verse.

 

Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder / Yanick Paquette
I've loved the swamp god ever since Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing (for my money, it is hands down Moore's best work). But maybe because those were hard shoes to fill, or maybe because the character had certain limitations, DC has never really been able to do much with the character since. Until now. Like Lemire's revamp of Animal Man, Snyder's take on Swamp Thing builds upon Moore's and gives a fascinating character a much-welcomed revival. These two titles sort of work together, with some crossovers happening (there seems to be a lot of that in the new DC reboot, and by and large, I like it), but Swamp Thing and Animal Man both also read like horror titles.

 

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BEST BOOKS OF 2011
by Sarah Pinsker

I read a ton of books this year, but not many published in 2011. Several of those that I did read wouldn't make my top ten so it's only a top eight. The best:

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
Very funny, very Canadian strip comics about historical and literary figures and events. My favorite parts were the section in which the plots of Nancy Drew novels were deduced based on the cover illustrations, and the section in which she extrapolates the plots of classic books based on the Edward Gorey covers. She also has a particularly deft hand when gently skewering the nature of Canadian patriotism and heroism.


Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories (edited by Kelly Link & Gavin Grant)
I invariably like steampunk more when it is taken out of its expected context. Kelly Link and Gavin Grant went out of their way to do that with this delightful YA anthology. I love that the stories are set in Appalachia and Canada and Australia and ancient Rome, and that they intersect with the tropes of time travel and alternate world fiction, among other subgenres. The YA protagonists also provide a refreshing perspective on the genre. My favorite pieces in the book were Cory Doctorow's "Clockwork Fagin," Cassandra Clare's "Some Fortunate Future Day," Shawn Cheng's "Seven Days Beset by Demons," Kelly Link's "The Summer People," Christopher Rowe's "Nowhere Fast," and Dylan Horrocks' "Steam Girl." I think I've just named half the book. I should also add that this is an absolutely gorgeous hardcover.

Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson
I'm going to quote Nnedi Okafor's review of Say You're One of Them, in which she wrote "I can stand the dark but I need light so that I can see where I need to go."

Christie Watson realizes that need for light. This book, set in a small community in the Nigerian Delta, does not shy away from the hot topics: oil, religion, poverty, female genital mutilation, violence. Despite all of that, Watson manages to paint a larger picture that is very much a tribute to the beauty of the land and its people. Her book is poignant, funny, and deeply moving. She shows real people, real problems and real solutions within a compelling fictional narrative.
This is a wonderful debut novel.

Among Others by Joe Walton
I enjoyed everything about this book, though it felt a little slight. I'm not sure that's a fair demand of a book about a damaged teenager trying to make her way in the world, but I was surprised when I realized I was only a few pages from the end. That said, I appreciated Morwenna's love of books and SF, and her logic and her heart. I loved the sense of discovery that came with every book that was recommended to her or that she found on a thrift store shelf. This is truly a reader's book.

 

 

Embassytown by China Mieville
China Mieville is a hard guy to pin down. Each of his novels probes a different cranny of genre writing. The only commonality is his use of the word "chitinous" as early and often as possible. Each of his novels that I've read layers idea upon idea, novelty upon novelty. A couple have defeated me, the ugliness of his descriptive passages outweighing the brilliance. I can't remember him depicting any place or creature that wasn't in some way grotesque. Some of those hallmarks are still in place here, but they are muted. The descriptions in Embassytown are of creatures and landscape that is utterly, brilliantly foreign. There are dozens of terms that need to be internalized and twisted until they give up their intent. The aliens are truly alien. It's a scorcher of an answer to anyone who has ever complained about Star Trek aliens that look like humans with headbumps.

America's Best Nonrequired Reading 2011
The best in this series in quite some time. First time ever that I liked the longer pieces better than the fun rapid-fire shorts that make up the first section, which have become a bit predictable. Best new band names was funny once, but if you repeat it every year it becomes a shtick. In any case, the longer essays and stories were well curated by this year's batch of students.

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman
A fascinating novel that draws on details of Lippman's childhood in Dickeyville. The characters are all likable to a point, but also distressingly human. They fail, they make human choices, they acknowledge their mistakes and frailties. And sure, they succeed too, in their own way. Every relationship feels real and possible, and all the more heartbreaking for it.

I also enjoyed the unusual structure: present tense, two different time periods, and multiple narrators, including one that I think is not a human at all, but merely the center of a five pointed star, "we" come to life as a separate entity from any of the individuals that make up the group. Solid stuff.

Fables 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham
At this point, 100 issues and fifteen collections in, I only measure Fables against itself. I think this was a solid addition to the series, if a little scattered. The current plot has not been my favorite, but I'm willing to follow it and see where it goes. I'm still interested in the characters and the world that Willingham has created.

 

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THE 5 BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2011
by Max Robinson

Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon
Ba and Moon's meditation on death as seen through the life of an obituary writer is not only beautifully drawn (with powerful splashes of color from Dave Stewart), but narratively complex; the end result is surreal and moving.

 

 

Infinite Kung Fu by Kagan McLeod
The Shaw Brothers-esque tale of betrayal, black magic and cool fight scenes (Seriously, a guy punches people and they cough up centipedes) was basically the best Kung Fu movie of the year.

 

 

Criminal: The Last Of The Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Brubaker and Phillip's Criminal has been a consistently good read, but this year's mini-series (Wherein thinly-veiled, grown up versions of characters like the Archie Comics gang and Encyclopedia Brown get mixed up in blackmail and murder) was an outstanding, darkly humorous thriller.

Parker: The Martini Edition by Richard Stark and Darwyn Cooke
Forget that the two Parker adaptations included in this (2008's The Hunter and 2010's The Outfit) aren't exactly new. This oversized hardcover is a must-have for the supplemental material that includes a previously unseen Parker adaptation from Cooke and enlightening insight into Parker creator and novelist Donald Westlake (alias "Richard Stark").

Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder III, Jock,  Franco Francavilla
What is essentially a spiritual sequel to Batman: Year One saw Dick Grayson (still struggling with the newly acquired Batman mantle) and Commissioner Jim Gordon facing off against a group of frightening new villains, including Gordon's own estranged son. Jock and Francavilla's art perfectly complements each other as Snyder tells two interconnected stories of good vs. evil in Gotham City.
 

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BOOKS
by John Nagle, Rant 'N' Rave

Note: Most of the books I read this year came out a long time ago, which is why I didn’t rank them.

•    I Want My MTV: An Oral History of the Music Video Revolution by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum
•    Underworld USA Trilogy by James Ellroy
•    Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain
•    Choke Hold by Christa Faust
•    Drinking With Strangers by Butch Walker
•    Hard Times by Studs Terkel
•    The Good War by Studs Terkel

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READS OF 2011
by Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail

Five months of my year was swallowed up by finally conquering INFINITE JEST, so my reading tally was dramatically smaller than usual. I will say that my revelation of the year was Gary Shteyngart, whose ABSURDISTAN wowed me with its relentless hilarity, and whose SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY is currently wowing me with its hilariously astute vision of our near-future (let's hope he's wrong, but I kinda doubt it).

 

Newt's Ponderings: Misunderstanding Defense Spending

"We spend less on defense today as % of GDP than at any time since Pearl Harbor."

The truth.

---------------------------------------------
Many conservatives are under the falty impression that Newt Gingrich is a particularly bright fellow.

Newt's own statements suggest otherwise.

Ron Paul Poetry: Upon Admission Of The Homosexual

by Rep. Ron Paul, Republican

Homosexuals,
if admitted,
should be put
in a special category
and not allowed
in close physical contact
with heterosexuals.

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This poem was originally published as an article by Ron Paul in his own newsletter in the 1980s/1990s.