Giving Them Wood: My 5th Anniversary Tribute to Salome Cabaret

Modern burlesque often features satire, irony, and sociopolitical subtext alongside the choreography, sequins, and disrobing. I've used humor when writing about burlesque in the past, but today I mainly want to be earnest.

I love Salome Cabaret.

If you don't know, Salome Cabaret is a burlesque troupe in my hometown of Knoxville, TN. The troupe is five years old and it celebrates its anniversary this Friday, September 20.  I hope to be at their show, but since I suspect I will be very late if I can attend at all, I wanted to take a few minutes to say some nice things about them.

Kisa Von Teasa

Siren Santina

Siren Santina & Kisa Von Teasa: My life is better than it was five years ago because you two decided to band together to take your clothes off to music onstage. I continue to be inspired and driven to pursue my own creativity because of what you do. You have assembled a fine troupe of men and women, and even the newest students who are making their way into the group have presented memorable routines that speak well to your tutelage and vision. You have assembled a management team (Hi, John and Dustin) and anointed an assured emcee (Hi, Big Gay James) who all keep things running smoothly and professionally so that your audience never sees the hiccups that inevitably happen backstage. You are among the smartest and most interesting people I know and I am insanely proud to call you, and so many people who perform with you, my friends. I could single out many of them with happy memories and alcohol-infused laughter, but I haven't the words to do them all justice. That they share the stage with you says enough.

Salome Cabaret's most recent official cast photo

Salome Cabaret is something special. Knoxville is relatively small, as cities go, but having seen some of the best burlesque dancers and troupes in the country, Salome ranks near the top of any "best" lists both objective and subjective. Between the powerful homegrown performers generating new routines every month to their frequent and inspiring guests to their visiting all-star headliners, a Salome show is frequently the highlight of any given week to those in the know. They take the ridiculous and make it sublime, all while making hearts beat faster.

Salome Cabaret at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend 2013

So thank you Beelzabetty, Tiger Tangerine, Delinda d'Rabbit, Cougar Cantrell, Rosey Lady, Nipsy Tussle, Duchess Dakini, Peppy Schlongstocking, Foxey Sarcasm, Lydia Thorne, Pan d'Orable, Bunny Wigglebottom, Beary ManA-Tease, Starry DeLight, Georgia Sweetjuggs, Honey Demure, Ivana Rocket, Passion Pillows, Theda Van der Koil, and stage kittens Meowy Wowee and Cunty Brewster. You are amazing in all the colors of the spectrum. Just like glitter.

Follow me on Twitter @TheOneWhoKnox

Rise, Lazarus!

I don't write nearly enough about comic books, largely because I am often weeks or months behind on my reading, but some books I make a priority. I'm going to read them immediately, be it because of a trusted writer, a favorite artist, or a concept that intrigues me.

Sometime I get all of that stuff in one book, which is why Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's creator-owned opus Lazarus, published by Image Comics, has gone right to the top of the "to-read" pile.

Lazarus issue #1

I will admittedly buy almost anything Greg Rucka writes. He's a hell of a novelist, penning politically complex, socially-astute thrillers that still keeping the blood pumping, but he's also written Batman, Wonder Woman, The Question, and a variety of other super-heroes, and his takes on those characters have often been among the most creative and thoughtful iterations a reader could find. Artist Michael Lark, who previously collaborated with Rucka on the brilliant "Cops in Gotham City" comic Gotham Central, is a rare artist who can clearly tell a story peopled with characters who look distinct and real, make it visually appealing, and still have moments of POP when the story calls for it. They're something of a dream team, and I didn't even need to hear a premise to want to buy the book.

Lazarus issue #2

Lazarus happens in a near future when governments are all but extinct and power is held by families. These ultra-wealthy groups essentially control all the world's resources and employ a handful of people as the last vestiges of a middle class. Everyone else, well over 99% of the population, is considered "waste," to be ignored or kept down. Each family has a champion who is given every technological and biological advantage, making them exceptionally difficult to kill, and this enforcer is given the title of Lazarus. The Lazarus of the Family Carlyle is Forever, or Eve.

Lazarus issue #3

Eve begins the story as a loyal right arm for her family, but in the three issues of the comic that have been released, she is sensing that things aren't right, that there could be factions within her own family, and that even the people she likes and trusts may see her as little more than a means to an end. It is tough to review the beginnings of a book that will take years to complete, that has only hinted at its long-form potential, but I am thoroughly enjoying the elements that are in play: a legitimately strong female lead ("strong female character" can sadly often mean "unrealistically pneumatic woman who kills people and gets naked to illustrate her empowerment" in comic book parlance), a near-future dystopia that feels all-too gut-churningly possible, utterly credible forward-looking science fiction, and even hints of epic Shakespearean character interplay.

I will keep buying this book until the creators finish telling their story, and I will tell as many people as I can how enjoyable it is.

Now, one of the games fans play is the casting game, stoked in this case by the announcement that Ellen Page is in talks to topline Queen and Country as Tara Chace, one of Rucka's iconic creations.  Forever has the makings of another great character: tough, fair, moral, and conflicted. That said, as I've tossed this around in my head for the last couple of days, I simply cannot think of anyone else except Ivana Milicevic for the role in an extremely hypothetical Lazarus adaptation.  I continue to be blown away by the level of power, commitment, and nuance she shows in Banshee, particularly in the episode "We Shall Live Forever," where she both gives and takes one of the most epic beatdowns I've ever seen on a television screen. I certainly can't speak to any templates Michael Lark may have in his mind for Forever's creation, but when I read the comic every month, I'm going to see Forever looking something like this:

Ivana Milicevic, badass

Find me on Twitter: @TheOneWhoKnox

Oh, BHoF! (To Be Spoken Aloud In An Austin Powersesque Voice)

It's time again for the rundown of my visit to Las Vegas for the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend (May 30 - June 2, 2013 at The Orleans hotel and casino)! I loved writing about my 2012 trip, and as I am (hopefully) a more informed and less awestruck correspondent this go-around, I hope I can not only spread some love for this fantastic event, but the Burlesque Hall of Fame which throws the whole damn soiree in the first place.

Which brings me to the point with which I've been wrestling, the reason this is being posted after a three month delay.  As time goes on, as I see more performances, meet more performers, and in some cases, befriend some performers, I am mindful that making a list of favorite performances can be skewed by perspectives beyond my appreciation of the act itself. That said, I am attempting to be objective, and claim these opinions as strictly my own. If nothing else, I hope to work to understand my own attraction to the art form (beyond seeing attractive ladies take their clothes off) and what acts I like or dislike and why. "Dislike" is not really appropriate for this particular weekend, though, as every act has been vetted and belongs on the stage for a variety of reasons.  The crazy thing to me is knowing the many amazing performers who do not make the BHoF stage. The long and short of it is that if you are interested in burlesque, there's a lot of good stuff to see in the world right now, and that's only a good thing.

Photo by Robert Paul Lewis

Once again, I have to disqualify some acts from consideration. Certain numbers, like the final night's act anchored by the amazing Stage Door Johnnies, or Jo "Boobs" Weldon's tribute to Sparkly Devil, are special because they're the sort of epic things that could ONLY happen at the Weekender and would sit at the top of the list by default.  I wanted to only consider acts that someone could conceivably read about, then go see at a local show if they are so geographically fortunate. Also, despite my growing appreciation for the art of boylesque (I spent some time hanging out with the aforementioned Stage Door Johnnies recently, and they can make disciples out of heretics), I decided to strictly stick with the ladies again. If you wish to appreciate the men, Trixie Little has you covered (while also making thoughtful points about homogenization in burlesque). I made this list more than once, and performers like Lada Redstar, Elektra Cute, Jessabelle Thunder, Coco Lectric, Sydni Devereaux, new Queen LouLou D'Vil, and the reigning Queen herself, Imogen Kelly, were brutally difficult to omit. So, with no further preamble:

MY FIVE FAVORITE BHOF 2013 PERFORMANCES 

Iva Handfull -Photo courtesy of Derek Jackson

IVA HANDFULL: I am going to start my top five with an act towards which I admittedly may be biased. Iva Handfull is one of the best people I know in burlesque. She just is. She is a such a badass onstage, but I have never seen her be less than gracious and even soft-spoken off it. She doesn't really have to say much, because her numbers are so damn strong that words have little effect in describing just how great they are. I love dressing up for shows and over the past three years have collected a number of Iva's custom "Haute Under The Collar" rhinestoned neckties. As a regular customer I've struck up a friendship with Iva, and she actually asked me to help her be sure the fans for this routine were show-ready before her call time (my day job sometimes deals with with putting things together and/or assuring they don't fall apart). I'll not say things went swimmingly, but in the interest of moving on I will say that when I left, Iva was happy that the fans were secure.  And they need to be secure, because unlike most fan dances, which are meant to be flowing and graceful almost exclusively, Iva Handfull makes a fan dance very ROCK AND ROLL. This one, set to Ministry's "Psalm 69," is a balls-out power performance highlighted by a creative reveal (as pictured above). There is a lot of talk about performers other than musicians being "rock stars," but if burlesque truly has rock stars then Iva Handfull is right at the top of the list.

Sizzling Sirens Burlesque - Photo courtesy of Richard Just

SIZZLING SIRENS BURLESQUE: I admittedly tend to gravitate to solo acts, but occasionally a duo or group will blow me away. Such was the case this year with Sizzling Sirens Burlesque and their classic, patriotic-themed, well-orchestrated romp to "Here Comes The Navy" by The Andrews Sisters giving way to a song I never thought I'd see translated in a burlesque show, the underground club banger by Prestige Worldwide, "Boats And Hoes." This was just so perfect and so pleasantly exuberant I was smiling and laughing the whole way through while being presented with burlesque in both its classic and its neo forms within the span of minutes. If we're just talking sheer enjoyment of a number, this simply hit every note I was looking for, perhaps only surpassed by the next performer.

Roxi D'Lite - Photo courtesy of Derek Jackson

ROXI D'LITE: I wrote in last year's wrap-up, "It is impossible to not fall a little bit in love with Roxi D'Lite." Between seeing Roxi headline the 2013 Southern Fried Burlesque Festival, finally watching the exceptionally fun film Burlesque Assassins in which she stars, and then getting knocked out with her "Midnight Cyrenade" act this year, I am now fully smitten. Not only is Roxi a bright ball of joy and positivity offstage, but "Midnight Cyrenade" is one of the most pure damn graceful and athletic numbers I have ever seen from a performer, and Roxi demolished it. Roxi was crowned Miss Exotic World, aka Reigning Queen of Burlesque, in 2010, and despite having attained the top title in the profession at a young age, she still pushes and tasks herself with being an even better performer every year. It is no accident that you never see a Cyr Wheel on a burlesque stage, because they're not easy to master, but Roxi brought one out and enslaved it. Roxi D'Lite is almost too much sexy and aspirational to be included in one human body, so I'm going to keep looking at her until she is proven to be a mirage or a fever dream.

Lola Frost - Photo courtesy of Harman House Productions

LOLA FROST: I have learned that, while I certainly enjoy the performers competing for the Queen title, the performances in that category are not always the most thrilling for me. In trying to hit certain technical marks and do it all within a short period of time, they don't always have the feeling of spontaneity I tend to enjoy in many acts. If I knew more about the complex aspects of performance I might well feel differently, but for the moment I just want to talk about Lola Frost.  She was all over the stage this year, with a Sweet Soul Burlesque group act and a duo act with Melody Mangler and she probably would have stage kittened if they had needed someone in a pinch.  She had my personal favorite routine among the Queen contestants, largely because, having seen a few of her acts this year, everything she does feels as if it could only be done by her. She combines technical acuity with a languorous sensuality, making everything feel vivid and alive while also blissfully post-coital. I believe Lola is a singular performer reaching an apex, and I am thrilled to have been around to witness this act, set to Massive Attack's "Paradise Circus" and lovingly costumed by Misty Greer. If Lola can continue to strike that balance between the freedom of life and the surrender to the so-called "Little Death," I'll be writing these musings about her for years to come.

Laurie Hagen - Photo courtesy of Richard Just

LAURIE HAGEN: Without a doubt, my favorite act this year was Laurie Hagen's now-infamous "Reverse Striptease" set to a version of Keep It Hid by Dan Auerbach . I keep coming back to burlesque because it genuinely shows me things I haven't seen before, or at least things I have seen before done in a new, brain-pleasing way. I've seen reverse stripteases, and I appreciate them for changing up the game a little bit, but they're relatively rare and they need a good concept or narrative to justify them. Normally, my favorite acts do involve narrative, as I just enjoy a good story. Laurie's act, though, is all concept and execution, and to say it is flawless is the only way to do it justice. Even though there was a technical miss involving a hat thrown from the rafters, I don't think anyone in the room cared. This act was so good and, yes, flawless, that people could choose to silently sit and genuflect or rise up in a wave of thunderous applause. We chose applause. Laurie won "Most Innovative" for this act, which for my money as an attendee is the most significant award of the competition. Now, months later, I still get a chill thinking about how Laurie Hagen made a whole room hold its breath for three minutes in Las Vegas in June.

There was a lot more to the weekend, and I could certainly fill up space with a tale about being trapped in a hotel elevator one night, or how much I enjoyed my time as a courtesan for the "7-10 Slits" bowling team at the Barecats Invitational even though we were nigh-unforgivably shut out of the major awards. So I'll just share a few more photos. Hopefully they will illustrate how much fun I had better than I can describe with another paragraph.

Until BHoF 2014, you can find me on Twitter @TheOneWhoKnox.

The 7-10 Slits: (L to R) Me, Tiger Tangerine, Bourgeois Betty, Lola LeSoleil, Bunny Wigglebottom, Siren Santina.

Horsing around in the Shops at Caesar's

Meeting Lola Frost. I highly recommend it.

There's more than enough of me to go around! I heart Salome Cabaret.

The Halo Effect: Hanging out with Roxi D'Lite

Post-Zumanity haze

My Day With Dead

One of my favorite horror films is The Evil Dead, the 1981 "cabin in the woods" classic that was also shot approximately an hour away from my hometown.  I came to horror a little late in the game, but being a movie freak and knowing that a significant bit of cinema history happened just up the road made the idea of filmmaking accessible to some kid in semi-rural Tennessee whose family could fix a fleet of pick-up trucks but would look at a grip stand with incredulity. I even tried to wrangle an interview with director Sam Raimi years ago, prior to his career-changing involvement with the Spider-Man movies (I did meet him briefly, years ago at Comic-Con AFTER the Spider-Man announcement, where he was dressed as always in a suit and tie, and I got his attention by yelling "Tennessee still loves ya, Sam!" He smiled, came over to where I was sitting near the Marvel Comics booth, and we had a great chat that I will always remember and he likely soon forgot). I even tracked down leading man and current Burn Notice badass Bruce Campbell at what is likely a long-defunct e-mail address, and he answered some questions for me for the retrospective article that never materialized. So, yes, I'm a fan of The Evil Dead.

I had every intention of seeing the remake/reboot/reimagining on opening weekend, hopefully in a full auditorium with a crowd ready to have a good time the way you can only have a good time at a horror show, but I was actually crewing on a television pilot during those weeks (yay getting paid to work in the industry you always hoped to!) and my weekends were spent recuperating, not going to see movies. So I regrettably missed it. I hated that I would most likely have to wait for home video, but that's the way I saw the original, so it would have to do.

I have been bombing around Atlanta, GA these past few weeks, and had been meaning to check out the local discount cinema, the Venture Cinema 12 in Duluth. On a whim, I checked the listings and there I saw it: though just out on Blu-Ray, Evil Dead (you can tell the movies apart because the new one skips using the stuffy ol' article The) was showing at the bargain house. I rushed out to catch the first show.

The Venture Cinema 12 has seen better days. Not to say it's a bad joint, but it's no Arclight on Sunset. It's cash-only, and not terribly busy, at least not for the first show on a weekday. The box office clerk was drawing quite the well-rendered eyeball on an envelope as I approached, and I was reminded that I used to work in a movie theater as a teenager, and though illustration wasn't my art, I was always thinking about the movies I would make one day that might be shown on the screens in front of the seats off of which I dusted popcorn kernels between shows.

I sat down. There was already a young couple in the theater. We were soon joined by another three teenagers, and some straggling singles popped in as the flick started up. I soon became worried, because the sound in the auditorium was not the best (calling it "mono" might do an injustice to a well-mixed mono track), and I expected these raucous teenagers would probably not have much care for a movie they only paid a couple of bucks to see.  I was wrong. Other than a couple of glances at a cell phone (if you're reading this and check your cell phones during movie screenings, please stop doing that), it was actually one of the most respectful audiences with which I've seen a movie in a long time. Maybe they also were trying to concentrate on the bad sound, but I don't really care why they were a good crowd, just that they were.

All told, the bad sound helped the experience. Though a new film, Evil Dead is a throwback to weird, classic horror, and the scratched print and the sound and the creaky seats and the not-newness of the auditorium made me almost believe I was watching this movie at midnight in a theater that waved me in despite my being too young to see it. It also made me pay attention, and paying careful attention to a horror film, trying to heighten all your senses so as not to miss anything, also primordially makes you worry that you'll see something you absolutely DO NOT want to see. It keeps the adrenaline in the red, exactly where you want it.

Now, unless you have witnessed no truly scary horror, or just happen to catch it at the proper moment in your formative years, Evil Dead is not "the most terrifying film you will ever experience." But it is a lot of fun. Maybe I'm predisposed to like it, but I don't care. The notion of using a secluded cabin to kick a drug habit is a bit of genius from co-writer/director Fede Alvarez, and helps cover the always-crucial question in horror films, "Why don't they just leave?" by grounding it in character.  Of course, by the time everyone determines that leaving would be a really good idea, it's too late.

I am admittedly a big Shiloh Fernandez fan and hoped for a big showing from him here. He's strong as always, but is saddled with the oft-thankless straight man role as David.  That's fine, horror films need a steady presence upon which to anchor the drama, and Shiloh can certainly play soulful, stoic, and resourceful. The revelation in this movie, however, is Jane Levy, who runs the gamut of emotions and sells every one like she needs to feed her family. I knew she was cute as hell and starred in a network sitcom, but you can say that about dozens of actors. Granted, she has the showcase role as Mia, the drying-out junkie, but if that part is played by a lesser actor, the movie crumbles. Levy seemingly cares not a whit about glamor or being sure she looks attractive for at least one publicity still. She begins the movie in a baggy, frumpy sweatshirt and is literally covered in blood by the end, and in between she suffers all manner of hell (I was never truly scared by Evil Dead, but the knife-licking bit still sticks with me, and Levy even emerges from the infamous tree rape scene with her dignity intact). It is the sort of commitment to a role that gets overlooked because it's in a horror film filled with young adult characters, but Jane Levy as Mia will undoubtedly be one of my favorite performances of 2013 when it's all said and done, and I can't wait to see what she does next. One more time: Jane Levy owns, and it is absolutely worth seeing Evil Dead for her alone.

I walked out into the sharp daylight after staying for all the credits ("Groovy!") and had that great post-show moment of feeling affirmed, sun shining and humidity embracing after all the dark and air conditioning of the auditorium. I'm not saying I like horror because it allows you to face your fears, then go on with your life, but that's as good a reason as any. But I'd rather watch a horror movie than fight Atlanta traffic. There's your horror.

(Follow me on Twitter @TheOneWhoKnox)

Esprit de Banshee

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite television show is Twin Peaks. I give it that weight for a lot of reasons, not only the metaphysically eye-opening effect it had on my youthful mind, but because I believe it to be the most influential show of its generation, a portal that allowed the cinematic and the experimental to coexist in much of the great television that has followed.  I enjoyed that the town of Twin Peaks was the fulcrum of the show, and that the place itself as vital to the story being told as the characters and the central mystery. Twin Peaks was the central mystery.

Based on my love for Twin Peaks, I find myself predisposed to enjoy storytelling about a place. And when I heard about a show called Banshee which had nothing to do with a vengeful, screaming Irish spirit, I decided to give it a try.

Although Cinemax has Strike Back and Hunted, Banshee is clearly being set up as the network's signature drama series. It has more of a dramatic pedigree, with the involvement of executive producer Alan Ball and writer/producers Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler, and its high concept is clearly reaching a bit higher than "action show." And what a concept it is: an ex-con thief (Antony Starr) finishes his bit and tries to find his ex-partner and lover (Ivana Milicevic), the daughter of the crimelord who employed him (Ben Cross as Mr. Rabbit). He locates her, living under an assumed name and in a steady marriage, and in a plot twist that requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, he assumes the identity of the incoming sheriff of her new hometown of Banshee, PA. Too much indigenous corruption has led the town to hire an outsider to wrangle the local criminal element, and apparently Sheriff Lucas Hood refused to do a Skype interview, because no one knows what he looks like. And that's just the first episode! To quote City Correspondent Stefon, this show has everything: violence, sex, heists, MMA, an ex-boxer named "Sugar," bikers, school shootings, barn raves, Native American casinos, crossdressing Asian hackers, bowtie-wearing henchmen, horny Amish gangsters, horny Amish Lolitas, and raw albino bodybuilder schlong. Although I still feel the show is finding its creative voice, which is pretty common early in the life of a show, it is so damn audacious that I cannot look away.

Antony Starr as Lucas Hood

Banshee could not exist on network television and be anywhere near the same show. It seems every episode has a bone-shattering, vicious fight scene or two, there are frequent foot and car chase scenes shot with a compelling on-edge virtuosity, and the level of sexuality and nudity is well into the graphic range (this, after all, is a network commonly referred to as "Skinemax.") Not every story hung together as well as I would have liked, and the central plot engine, the fact that Rabbit is trying to track down Hood and his daughter and gain revenge, was often the least interesting thing going on for me. I was far more interested in Hood's barely attempting to blend into the town's structure while continuing his criminal pursuits in the background and screwing any willing female in the county, all while still usually doing something approaching the right thing with little tact or patience for bureaucracy.  The idea that the mantle of law and order may inevitably turn a bad man good, or at least good-ish, is a powerful idea to play with.

Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell

So, I like Lucas Hood just fine, but I am simply more interested in some of the other characters on this show. Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell may well be the show's true MVP. More than just a leading lady for Hood to pine over, the emotional and physical nakedness she displays is raw & sometimes difficult to look at for a woman so beautiful. She also suffers some of the most brutal violence on the show, which I might consider misogynistic were she not usually giving better than she gets. Even if a double is doing a good chunk of the work, I have worked with enough stunt performers to know Ivana probably walked away from episode 8, "We Shall Live Forever," with substantial bruising.The producers hired a gamer in Ivana Milicevic.

The Amish are so hot right now! Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman

If we're talking about potential misogyny or sexism, it would again be easy to chalk up the horny Amish Lolita (Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman) as some writer's perverse fantasy. And one of the local deputies (Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly) might be regarded as sheer eye candy. But I love Rebecca and Siobhan, because, other than their physical beauty (this is a television show, c'mon!) they are such metaphorical opposites, I hope some excuse is found to get them into scenes together very soon. Rebecca is young and angel-faced, seemingly as innocent as the day is long. But, besides her sexual hunger, she has a darkness and a worldliness that causes tension with her traditional family. Rebecca is far older than she appears. She ends up in a place that will allow her darkness to spread, if she so chooses, and her arc is one I will be especially curious about in season 2. Siobhan, on the other hand, wears a uniform and a rank of responsibility in Banshee, but she is wounded at her core and can be aggressive and defensive in the way a child might. Despite her outward appearance, Siobhan is far younger than she appears. In Episode 5, "The Kindred," Siobhan's childhood home burns, and I believe that is entirely symbolic. Siobhan must stop identifying with whatever has damaged her and become the woman her station requires (she parallels Hood in this way, as well.) Will she succeed? Will she try and fail? I suspect the latter, at least at first, because this is a premium cable television show, but there's no character I'm rooting for more than Siobhan Kelly.

Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly

On to my favorite male supporting character: not Hoon Lee's crossdressing Asian hacker, Job, nor Ulrich Thomsen's horny Amish gangster, Kai Proctor, not Frankie Faison's ex-boxer named "Sugar," but Matt Servitto's Deputy Brock Lotus. Servitto is a great character actor probably best known as F.B.I Agent Harris, who could never quite catch up to Tony Soprano, and who is currently killing it as Satan on Adult Swim's Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell. In Banshee, Lucas Hood is hired as sheriff because Kai Proctor has his hooks in too many people. Brock Lotus, however, would have been next in line for the job. Though Brock has some distaste for Hood, overall he seems a very competent lawman and is not obviously corrupt. Why wasn't he chosen, then?  Something in his past? A heretofore unknown connection to Proctor? Machinations against him at higher levels of power? Or is he more self-serving than we have been led to believe? Regardless of the answers, I hope this thread is explored and Servitto given some complex beats to play in the future.

Matt Servitto, Frankie Faison, and Hoon Lee in Banshee

Anthony Ruivivar as Alex Longshadow

Another reason I happily anticipate the second season of Banshee is the expansion of Anthony Ruivivar's role as Alex Longshadow, the new head of the tribe which runs the nearby Native American casino. I was unfamiliar with Ruivivar until Banshee, where he didn't do much during the first season, but his role on a handful of Southland episodes this spring, in which he built a complex, interesting character in just a few episodes, has me excited for potentially more meaty material in season two. We also have Odette Annable as Alex's sister Nola Longshadow. We know little about her, other than she's gorgeous, she hates her father, and she can throw a knife rather accurately, but if Banshee's writers keep up their streak of interesting female characters, Nola will be one to watch.  There are other fine characters as well, and well-acted, but if I were to hit every character in this large ensemble, I'd be writing and editing for another month. Know you're not forgotten Rus Blackwell, Demetrius Grosse, Ryann Shane, Matthew Rauch, Daniel Ross Owens, Christos Vasilopoulos, and Gabriel Suttle.

Odette Annable as Nola Longshadow

I love that the show is named Banshee, not The Two Faces of Lucas Hood, or Hot Sheriff Goes A'Boning.  I doubt Antony Starr is going anywhere, but the title doesn't promise that. The mythology of the banshee is a female spirit who portends death, and Banshee wouldn't have a lot of internal logic were it not to kill off a person or two, or at least lose a central character in an interesting way. I just hope it makes us care about them first. I joke about how the show has a LOT of spinning plates in the air, and I have no idea if all the ideas can be properly served, but it will be a lot of fun to see this team try.

This show has everything...

One more thing...

If I'm going to compare this show in any way to Twin Peaks, I have to recall the fantastic Rolling Stone cover which featured Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilynn Fenn,and Madchen Amick. Someone get Rolling Stone on the line and let's recreate that cover with Ivana Milicevic, Trieste Kelly Dunn and Lili Simmons. It's the right thing to do.

Here's Some Shizz 'Bout Comic Books, Y'All (Spoilers Included Free of Charge)

I always intended to make comic books one of the things I would occasionally touch upon in this rarely-updated blog, but there is so much comic book content on the webs, I frequently felt that I had little to add to the discourse. But in the last month or so, there has been something of a perfect storm that made me want to add some thoughts to the world, so here we are.

One reason I love comics is the ability for new or established creators to bring fresh concepts and characters into the world with relative ease and immediacy. Image Comics is frequently the publisher bringing a good number of these creator-owned properties into the world these days.  Creators have to put up a good story and art if they want their books to sell, of course, but in the current marketplace, having a #1 issue from Image is as good a place to start as any for a flashfire of initial exposure.

BlackAcre #1, cover art by Mike Avon Oeming

A new book I was excited about which is happily living up to my expectataions is BlackAcre, written by newcomer Duffy Boudreau with art by Wendell Cavalcanti. The second issue was just released a week ago, and though I've only seen a sliver of this dystopian future, I want to see more.  Set roughly 100 years in the future, the titular BlackAcre is a walled city built by the wealthy and privileged who foresaw a societal collapse and, ensconced securely away, proceeded to live well as the world around them went to hell. Though the plot is a bit of a slow burn, the main character thus far is a BlackAcre soldier sent into the wild to retrieve a fellow soldier who has been running an operation outside the city walls.  Told he is to bring this man back to a hero's welcome, Hull is handed a "tracking device," which, unbeknowst to him, is an explosive meant to kill both his target and himself. I have to believe any Hearts of Darkness/Apocalypse Now echoes are intentional.

Admittedly, I dig dystopian stories, particularly ones in which said societal decay is realistic and understandable, and BlackAcre provides such a hook, juxtaposing a well-heeled community with the savage surroundings. I hope for more shading and nuance in the lead character, Hull, but a young girl, Lee, captured by religious zealots in the world outside BlackAcre, shows a lot of promise and I suspect is on her way to being a co-lead of some sort. All told, I am as excited about this book as any recent comic book launch in memory, and I hope it has a long life ahead of it. A tiny voice in my head whispers that this could be akin to the early days of The Walking Dead, but I am just enjoying the story for the moment.

I Love Trouble #1, cover art by Mark A. Robinson

Another book from Image I ordered, though almost strictly based on the art in the solicitation catalog, is I Love Trouble, written by Kel Symons with art by Mark A. Robinson. BlackAcre got me excited because of some early praise from creators I like, but Trouble hooked me strictly by the immediate retina burn-in I got from Robinson's art. Initial information about the book played coy about the subject: in the midst of a plane crash Felicia Castillo, a young grifter, realizes she has a super power (spoiler: it's teleportation). She heads back to New Orleans (I am admittedly wired to like stories using NoLa as a setting) to pay off the people she was running from while using her new abilities to commit crimes.

A great thing about Trouble is that we get a good sense of Felicia as a character in the first issue. She's impetuous, a risk-taker, and is devious but not really evil. The best bit in the book is Felicia walking through an art gallery, cutting up a canvas, and disappearing as security rushes her. Cut to her living room, where above the couch hang dozens of stolen art pieces (including a Jack Kirby Thor cover...that as much as anything sold copies of the book when I pointed it out to customers at my local comic shop).  And, hey, Mark Robinson's art is just thrilling. A lot of the story is told graphically, so Robinson does a lot of heavy lifting and is not always clear, but the sheer energy of the art keeps me going. I believe this book is intended to have a limited run, but as long as this creative team keeps it up, I'll be there.

Amazing Spider-Man #700, cover art by Mr Garcin

Another thing I dig about comics is the long-form storytelling opportunities inherent in the medium. Spider-Man, aka my favorite comic book character, has been around for fifty years, and though he has barely aged thanks to a glacially-paced continuity and numerous retcons, his alter ego, Peter Parker, was killed off in last month's Amazing Spider-Man #700, written by Dan Slott. Except that he wasn't.  Though Otto "Dr. Octopus" Octavius switched his mind with Parker's, trapping his foe in his own dying brain, an aspect of Peter still cohabitates his body, preventing Octavius from killing his enemies and tempering other nasty aspects of his personality.

Even though it felt very silly typing that paragraph o' spoilers, there are comic book fans who are taking this very seriously indeed. People want their familiar hero in a familiar setting, just as he was in issue #192 when they started reading the book. They are not enjoying the ride, they are forcing the roller coaster operator to stop at the top of the hill, just before they either get legitimately sick or have one of the best thrills of their year. Either way, they deny themselves the experience of the whole thing, of learning on their own if they will be sick or have a blast. God forbid they enjoy something unexpected.

I love the idea of Dr. Octopus taking up residence in Spider-Man's body, unbeknownst to his friends and his foes. Here's the thing about Peter Parker, and why I believe he has been such a successful character: Unlike most other fantastical heroes, he is basically us. Smarter, perhaps, with a life more like unto a soap opera, but he struggles to pay the rent, help his family and friends, and inevitably screws up in those regards while he is busy saving innocent lives. Peter Parker is largely defined by his failures and his hard luck: dead friends, dead girlfriends, dead uncle. Nothing is more hard luck than dying, then living on as a shadow of yourself while your nemesis lives in your body, vowing to be better at your life than you ever were. It's one more entertaining kick in the nuts to a guy we pull for while secretly reveling in the schadenfreude, and a clever way of exploring the fundamental aspects of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, and Otto Octavius. I don't know if Dan Slott and his artistic collaborators Ryan Stegman, Guiseppi Camuncoli, and Humberto Ramos (who has become, in my estimation, one of the top five Spider-Man artists in history) will continue to  keep the continuum entertaining in the new Superior Spider-Man title, but they have earned my curiosity and trust. Here's hoping.

Superior Spider-Man #1, cover art by Ryan Stegman