Can a white guy get down and funky with the best of them? Before you answer that, give a listen to "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Then tell me what you think.
I latched onto instrumental rock and soul during 2010 as something worth further investigation, and "Scorpio" was one of the discoveries I made during the process. I'd never heard of Dennis Coffey, and didn't realize he had been a session musician for Motown. I sure didn't know that he had done the theme song for the movie BLACK BELT JONES, and I've actually seen it. But you can bet I know that stuff now.
Like "Scorpio"? Why not check out Dennis Coffey's website? The man has a new album due out in a few months! I'll just bet it will smokin'!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Return of Return of Jetman
It returns! Yes, the site with the almost-living brain, Return of Jetman, has updated once again to amuse you!
But seriously, this minor news post is the first new post on the site for 2011. Contrary to appearances, I really am working on tying up the loose ends over there. Unfortunately, it has been slow going due to other factors.
I am targeting this month as the debut of ROJ Episode 13's Notes. Beyond that, I may roll out the latest revision of the History next while I decide to whether to dive into Episode 14 or post revised Notes for the first six Episodes of NROJ. Decisions, decisions!
If none of this makes any sense to you, you are probably coming in late to the Return of Jetman Experience. Why not take a look and see it for yourself?
But seriously, this minor news post is the first new post on the site for 2011. Contrary to appearances, I really am working on tying up the loose ends over there. Unfortunately, it has been slow going due to other factors.
I am targeting this month as the debut of ROJ Episode 13's Notes. Beyond that, I may roll out the latest revision of the History next while I decide to whether to dive into Episode 14 or post revised Notes for the first six Episodes of NROJ. Decisions, decisions!
If none of this makes any sense to you, you are probably coming in late to the Return of Jetman Experience. Why not take a look and see it for yourself?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ishinomori Week
That man among men, the one and only Igadevil, has done it again! Not content merely to be the genius of Kamen Rider, he has launched a series examining some of the OTHER famous creations of Shotaro Ishinomori. He's currently covered HENSHIN NINJA ARASHI and JINZO NINGEN KIKAIDA, with more slated to come in "Ishinomori Week."
There have been some delays, so this "week" may turn out to run a week and a half to two weeks. No matter! It is still going to be required reading.
Check out Ishinomori Week @ Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page! And tell him OWARI sent ya!
There have been some delays, so this "week" may turn out to run a week and a half to two weeks. No matter! It is still going to be required reading.
Check out Ishinomori Week @ Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page! And tell him OWARI sent ya!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Why Willie Dixon Gets Led Zeppelin Royalty Money
I do not link to my friend Kabuki Katze's travel blog, Wandering Kotka, nearly as often as her art blog, and that's a shame. It is loaded with plenty of insights about Bulgaria that you probably never even knew you wanted to learn. Her most recent post there discusses chalga music, and points out that music gets recycled in new and different songs, apparently completely legitimately. As I mentioned in the comments, this phenomenon has been going on for decades - though not always legitimately. (In fact, I suspect it dates back to the creation of music itself.)
As I also noted in the comments, there is a very famous example of this in popular music. So famous, in fact, that there was a lawsuit over it.
As I also noted in the comments, there is a very famous example of this in popular music. So famous, in fact, that there was a lawsuit over it.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
My World : The Volcano Monsters
No one is quite sure how the Volcano Monsters exist in the first place. They are apparently a small tribe of semi-intelligent, rock-based humanoids that live within certain volcanoes scattered around the globe. The logistics of how this works are mind-bending.
When the Invincible Alliance journeyed to Japan to investigate suspicious activity originating from Mt. Aso, they had no idea that the case would change one of their members forever. But that is exactly what happened when the Volcano Monsters emerged from the simmering crater. Firegirl took the full brunt of a blast of magma from a Volcano Monster and tumbled into the boiling lava below.
Not only did Firegirl miraculously survive this experience, but she somehow gained the ability to manipulate heat and fire through her body rather than her Pyro Pistol. Blue Behemoth and Drone Man would later theorize that the Volcano Monsters’ magma possesses special properties that interacted with innate alterations in Firegirl’s body chemistry due to prolonged exposure to the Pyro Pistol. Firegirl sort of nodded silently at that explanation.
Using her newfound flame powers, Firegirl aided the rest of the Alliance in turning back the threat of a Volcano Monster rampage, and the creatures retreated back into the earth. There have been no subsequent sightings of the Volcano Monsters since that incident. However, it just seems like a matter of time until they crawl out of another venthole somewhere.
The Volcano Monsters are an awesome example of the good that input from others can provide you.
To backtrack, I introduced the idea of the Volcano Monsters in the "Firegirl's Internet Diary" story. They were given as the reason for her previously unexplained acquisition of fire powers, but nothing was revealed about them in this context. The name "Volcano Monsters" was inspired by an unmade film that would have used footage from the first Godzilla sequel in the context of an American-produced movie. That project never came to be, and instead we got GIGANTIS THE FIRE MONSTER (GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN). But I liked the term and decided to use it for myself.
I finished a previous picture exploring this concept, but ultimately scrapped it as a representation of the Volcano Monsters. You can see it here. I was offered some valuable suggestions by Kabuki & Sara regarding that guy, and they made me rethink both my approach and my decision to go in a different direction (possibly with dinosaurs or dragons) with the name.
One thing that is important to remember is that influences are great, but they can also chain your imagination. I was sort of stuck on the Lava Men (Marvel Comics) and Moltar and the Magma Men (from Crystar toys & comics), and that limited where I could take the Volcano Monsters. It took two people unfamiliar with either to free my thinking.
Conceptually, the Volcano Monsters are no longer straight magma men, but rather living and walking humanoid volcanoes! I went in a slightly different direction from the suggestions, but they were my springboard. I did, however, make the Volcano Monsters both rocky AND goopy.
The Volcano Monsters have rock-based bodies, fueled by a fiery "heart" at their core. That isn't an insignia on the chest, but rather a hole through their body to lessen the internal pressure. (Pseudo-science!) Their extremities are formed by magma which they can manipulate. That includes their heads, though I couldn't resist giving them li'l rock hats.
I kept some elements of the old design and applied them to this guy. I might tweak it further eventually, but I like where we are so far. Thanks for the assistance in making it happen, folks!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My Essential Avengers
My pal David McRobie over at Xenorama has mentioned his favorite run on the book Avengers several times, most recently here. Well, I have my own favorite run of the book, too. Not only is it different from David's, but it actually precedes my birth!
Part of why I was so disappointed in the old edition of Essential Avengers Vol. 3, and so jazzed about the upgraded current edition, is because it contains issues #55-#68, plus Annual #2. Those are MOST of the issues from that favorite run of mine. Go through to #76, and there you go. My favorite run of The Avengers is #55-#76.
Only why this particular run of issues? Those are the issues that were reprinted in the pages of Marvel Super Action in the late-1970s/early-1980s. Beginning with #14 (second part of the Masters of Evil/Crimson Cowl story) through the title's cancellation with #37 (conclusion of an Arkon story that brought Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch back into the fold), MSA was the Avengers book I preferred over the regular title. It was fun to be up-to-date, but there was something about the older stories that appealed to me.
I know now that it was the work of Roy Thomas and a talented array of my artists that swayed me. John & Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, and even Barry (not yet Windsor) Smith pencilled the book during that stretch. There was also the thrill of discovery in buying a new issue. I mean, I was familiar with characters like the Vision, Yellowjacket, and Nighthawk from then-contemporary Marvels, but it was special to read their first appearances myself. It was sort of like getting a key to the Secret Knowledge.
Speaking of which, one of the assets of the Essential collection is that many of those old reprint comics had to be edited in some way. Not so the Essential! While it may be in black & white, it contains the full story as originally intended. In many ways, it will be like learning new things about old favorites. I can't wait!
Part of why I was so disappointed in the old edition of Essential Avengers Vol. 3, and so jazzed about the upgraded current edition, is because it contains issues #55-#68, plus Annual #2. Those are MOST of the issues from that favorite run of mine. Go through to #76, and there you go. My favorite run of The Avengers is #55-#76.
Only why this particular run of issues? Those are the issues that were reprinted in the pages of Marvel Super Action in the late-1970s/early-1980s. Beginning with #14 (second part of the Masters of Evil/Crimson Cowl story) through the title's cancellation with #37 (conclusion of an Arkon story that brought Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch back into the fold), MSA was the Avengers book I preferred over the regular title. It was fun to be up-to-date, but there was something about the older stories that appealed to me.
I know now that it was the work of Roy Thomas and a talented array of my artists that swayed me. John & Sal Buscema, Gene Colan, and even Barry (not yet Windsor) Smith pencilled the book during that stretch. There was also the thrill of discovery in buying a new issue. I mean, I was familiar with characters like the Vision, Yellowjacket, and Nighthawk from then-contemporary Marvels, but it was special to read their first appearances myself. It was sort of like getting a key to the Secret Knowledge.
Speaking of which, one of the assets of the Essential collection is that many of those old reprint comics had to be edited in some way. Not so the Essential! While it may be in black & white, it contains the full story as originally intended. In many ways, it will be like learning new things about old favorites. I can't wait!
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