Posts by: Jono

Zogg

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Children’s books have always presented, in a sense, a kind of unique menace. They are among the first lengthy exposures that our children have which are dedicated to learning language. And yet, far more than most adult reading material, children’s books are also loaded with social programming. From Curious George to Dinosaurs Divorce to Daddy’s […]

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It’s No Bullshit!

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Although George Carlin is renowned for his standup comedy, a career more prolific than that of any other modern practitioner of the form, he had some fascinating detours along the way. He was Mr. Conductor in the old Shining Time Station shows, he had a few seasons of a sitcom, the George Carlin Show, on […]

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Hansi, the Girl Who Loved the Swastika

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Spire Christian Comics was an old comics company that, like many other publishers (including Marvel, in its early years), was distributed and printed by a larger company. Archie Comics, the publisher that got famous off of superheroes like The Shield and The Black Hood before changing their name and focusing on kiddie humor comics, distributed […]

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Shatner Unrepentant

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If you’re feeling a bit cloyed and put out by Vanilla Ice’s apology for “Ice Ice Baby,” wash it down with William Shatner’s stubborn refusal to concede any ground on history’s unkind judgment of his interpretation of “Rocket Man.” The Shat’s message to the vicious Internet: take a joke.

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Batman, Robin, and…Dostoevsky?

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Drawn and Quarterly is one of the premier anthology publications in the indie comics world. Although the caliber of work in the quarterly is almost always superb, the crossover appeal and sheer cleverness of their Crime & Punishment adaptation are, alone, worth the price of a copy.

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The Uncensored Tintin

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The importance of Tintin to the medium of comics can’t be overstated. Tintin anticipated creator-ownership, lengthier serial publications, and the globalization of comics, laying the groundwork for comics like American Flagg, Martha Washington, Scott Pilgrim, and even Astro Boy. The adventurous character has become a beloved icon. That’s part of what makes Tintin in Thailand, […]

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Lying in the Gutters

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Comic-book gossip column Lying in the Gutters, hosted at Comic Book Resources, is one of the things that makes the subculture of comics so fascinating and exciting. Unlike most comics journalists, Rich Johnston has the chops, the résumé, and the connections to do much more glamorous, well-paying work— and has, on several occasions. But he chooses to […]

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The Chaser

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The Chaser is Australia’s answer to Monty Python, the Frat Pack, the Kings of Comedy, and every other great comedy squadron. The Chaser began with a satirical newspaper, and has progressed to encompass two stage shows and numerous television programs, culminating in The War on Everything, their most controversial and successful work to date. This […]

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This Modern World

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This Modern World, Tom Tomorrow’s revolutionary, groundbreaking, relevant, and important newspaper strip is fully archived.  Since 1990, the strip has been experimenting in backgrounds, gutters, bleeds, panel shapes, content, and collage in ways that almost no other strips, and even very few comic books and graphic novels, ever have.

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The Tortuous Past of Flogging Molly

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Dave King sings for Flogging Molly, the punk band of choice for hipsters and hippies, green-beer Irish and real-life Dubliners, and party people everywhere.  But did you know that he used to sing for Fast Eddie Clarke’s 80s metal band, Fastway?  He seemed to really be into it.  This was no passing interest of Dave’s; […]

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Bootleg/Out of Print Comedy Records

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At the A Special Thing message board, users have devoted a thread to posting bootlegged standup comedy shows and out of print comedy records. Many of these shows feature familiar jokes and bits, recognizable to anyone who’s listened to the artists’ official releases, but they’re often in a more nascent, early form. Sometimes the jokes […]

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Woke Up Way Too Late

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The genius of Ben Folds is not just the albums he releases. You don’t understand the intense creativity and expression of the man until you see or hear him perform live. At his best, Folds improvises one or more songs as part of his set, often about banal, mundane subjects like buoyant force or the […]

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Porn Pirates 1, Disney Pirates 0

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When is porn better than mainstream Hollywood fare? When it’s Digital Playground’s (NSFW) Pirates 2: Stagnetti’s Revenge, billed as the biggest-budget porno ever made. The trailer alone puts it light years ahead of Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

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