We carry all the best of the sounds, writing, filmmaking, comicking and designing of the city in an easy to peruse format (if we're missing anything, don't fret because we're still working on this category).
But my true love is pie. And my wish has come true! Dangerously Delicious Pies is opening a location in Hampden. Right off the Ave, on Chestnut, in the the now closed Finnerteas location.
I didn't realize how much I missed Cramhole until this second issue came in (here's hoping Billups increases his frequency). This is the sort of comic/zine that used to be common at punk record stores but has, sadly, largely vanished (sort of like record stores). As a result, Cramhole feels downright refreshing as the main character Frank shows how he is difficult to live with, talks about old jobs, struggles with his resume, and generally, grumpily goes about life. The art is tackled by several people, including Amy Shapiro and Dorothy Gambrell (Cat And Girl), and it's all deft. But you don't read these sorts of comics for the art alone - the real charm of Cramhole is the character of Frank, the aging punk, and his life.
This is a collection of comics that were originally published in Boston's alt-weekly, The Phoenix. The subject matter focuses on a group of city-dwelling twentysomethings as they complain …
But it's actually a fun thing to think about. What got me hooked?
It was the Rose of Versailles. Originally published in Japan, a friend of mine had copies in Korean when we were kids and lent them to me. I couldn't read it though, so she told me the basic plot, which was about a woman who was raised as a man and became a Palace officer during the French Revolution, and I tried to make out what was going on just from the illustrations.
I fell in love with the artwork which was all black and white and beautiful line work. Most of the comics I'd read back then were in color.
And I never got to read all the volumes...so it became this illusive comic holy grail that always kept me searching in every comic shop/book store I could find for the impossible get.
By the end of this first issue, we're not sure of a lot of things in this well-crafted, self-published comic. We don't know why the buffalo men kidnapped Tim in the bathroom. We're not sure what Bob's kid and his friend were smoking. We're not sure where Tim goes when he's unconscious. And we're not sure why the man took Mickey's kid while he was in the bathroom (nor are we sure why Mickey seems to randomly turn into a bird). There are a lot of uncertainties in this comic, presented as a series of short stories (more accurately chapters to a larger whole). But the oddity is engaging in that Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron sort of way. Snake Oil promises to be a lot of fun to follow as the narrative elements come together. The screened cover, heavy stock paper, and Forsman's deft illustrations all just add to an already engaging mix.
Tonight, Buffy reading club at the Hon Bar, 7pm! There's a new Angel, too.
For April's Shank Reading Club pick we're reading Bust #50 and Bitch #39 (10% off for the month). Compare and contrast session happens the last Wednesday of the month over at POP, 7pm.