Heroes Are Easy To Find In Charlotte

I cannot and should not undersell how important comic books have been to my development as a person and as a writer, whatever good and bad that may entail.  As a kid, I liked comics more than cartoons and picture books, and as I grew up and realized that the super-heroes I liked shared a world with each other, and that stories built on themselves over time, I was hooked.  I certainly enjoyed novels and movies and whatnot, but the impetus to hear and tell stories really blossomed for me through comic books.

I could go on about how complex the comic book marketplace is right now, from Warner Bros. and Disney using DC and Marvel, respectively, as R&D labs for film and television (where the real money is), to creators publishing their work independently more and more often, some for the creative control it allows them, and others hoping to score a development deal. It would be easy to be somewhat cynical about some of these trends, but the fact is there is greater diversity of story types, character types, and gender and ethnicity among creators than at any time in history; Even a good portion of the super-hero output is infinitely more sophisticated than the stuff I read as a kid.

I have been to Comic-Con International in San Diego a few times, but that circus has become grating to attend as a fan and seems less interested than previously in comics and their creators unless perhaps those comics have recently been turned into a film or television show. And with so many smaller "comic con" shows cropping up around the country, filling out their guest rosters with a dude who was once a zombie on The Walking Dead rather than an actual comic book creator, finding a show primarily dedicated to comic books and the people who make them is getting harder to do. I have heard fantastic things about the Baltimore Comic-Con, as well as Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, but for my money, the best show in the country, the one most enjoyable to attend as someone who enjoys comic books, is Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, brought to life every summer by comic retailer Heroes Aren't Hard to Find.

One month ago, Heroes Con concluded what I believe was its 32nd annual show during the weekend of June 20-22, and although I was not able to stay for the entire thing, I'm going to estimate that it was my tenth time in attendance.  I went determined to spend my alloted funds carefully (which is easier to do when you're not seeking out sketches and original art), see what fun stuff might be on display, and chat with some friends I may only see once a year or so.

I began by scouting out the former Gaijin Studios crew, staring with Laura Martin, to see what books she's coloring these days and marvel at the depth and nuance of her work. Then, proceeding around the table, I caught up with inker extraordinaire Karl Story and ninja penciler Georges Jeanty, happily checking out their art from the final issue of Serenity: Leaves on the Wind.  I glanced at Brian Stelfreeze making some watercolors dance, and got zero intel from Cully Hamner about his super-secret upcoming projects.  I also chatted with Tony Shasteen, a former Gaijin member who I didn't know every well because his stint in the studio coincided with some time I was largely stepping away from comic books.  My first purchase of the con was Tony's book "Stealing the Scene Vol. 1," a collection of his illustrations of iconic or memorable frames from a wide variety of movies.  I had not intended to spend any cash on Friday, but after circulating around, the book stayed in my head. Not fooling myself, I picked up a copy just before the show floor closed down. (You can see plenty of these illustrations & order a copy yourself at Tony's website.)

With the show ending, I went to the Drink & Draw event, essentially a sketch party for charity, and met up with a guy I only knew from Twitter, the irascible Bobby Simpson. He's a helluva guy, an artist with a lot of potential, and damn funny, to boot. Afterward, I cut out to drive to my hotel and to see if a hoped-for trip to the Banshee set might be in the offing.  Unfortunately, Banshee was in the midst of a grueling series of all-night shoots, and I didn't want to bother an unfortunate production assistant who was likely tired and irritable with one more person to look after, so I'll hope the visit works out for a date in the future.

I slept in and checked out of my hotel, then made my way back to the show in time to catch a conversation with one of the best writers in comics for the past 20+ years, Mark Waid.  Even if you don't like his stories (and I do), he speaks so well about comics and storytelling that I take any opportunity I can to hear him. Now, I am not a fan of reading comics on my computer, so digital comics are not my thing (this is only one confession I'm going to admit that will make me seem a premature fuddy-duddy), but Mark's website Thrillbent clearly has some great material from a variety of writers and artists.  I actually pitched some Lovecraft-esque anthology stories to Mark a few years ago when he was an editor at Boom! Studios, and though it didn't work out I still have a couple of stories I like in my hip pocket I believe will express themselves in one form or another some day. The moral: pitch your ideas; a no can one day be a yes.

Heroes Con has expanded its space since last I attended, and moving through the convention center was easier than I remembered it being in years past. Among the many things that Heroes Con does right (and this is where I shall again seem prematurely fuddy-duddyish) is giving a big section of the room to the growing contingent of cosplayers. Cosplay is such an influence on conventions that some shows (I'm looking at you, DragonCon) largely seem to exist for cosplayers to show out.  Cosplay has its place, and I would never attempt to stop people from enjoying the things they enjoy in the way they want to enjoy them, but, again, the thing that interests me are the actual books wherein many of these cosplay characters originated in the first place; I just wouldn't want that to get overshadowed. Anyway, hats off to Heroes Con for providing a cosplay space. No show can ever completely do away with people in costume walking the aisles at peak hours, stopping to pose for pictures and impeding the flow of traffic, but the fact that an attempt is being made to manage a potential problem is fantastic.

I usually spend most of my time at shows circulating through Artist Alley, so actually being able to move about is important to me. It's great to scope out art, chat with friends both old and new, and catch teases for work that hasn't been released yet. I often don't spend time actually going through the dealer's space, but this year I made a concerted effort to stop by every booth to see what books were in demand and whether or not it might be time to sell a portion of my own collection (I will probably not sell it for a good long while, but it's fun to consider).  Here's the stuff I picked up:

Southern Bastards #1 (Heroes Con variant cover): No new book of the last couple of months has me more excited than Southern Bastards. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Jason Latour simmer a bunch of chicken fried Deep South influences (most notably Walking Tall, the original, NOT the one starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) into a Brunswick Stew of whoop-ass and dark inevitability. I freakin' love this book.

Fearless Dawn: I love it when one person takes an inventory of all the stuff they like, then writes and draws the sum total of their influences into a comic book. It may be good, it may be bad, but at least it's distinctive and unique and idiosyncratic. Steve Mannion clearly loves attractive women, crazy monsters, rockabilly culture, Nazis as bad guys, and all sorts of other psychotronic goodness.  I was terribly excited to meet Steve, and was sad I had not budgeted money for commissions. These books are a hell of a lot of fun, though, so I have that.

Big Trouble in Little China #1 (Frank Cho variant): If you didn't know, Boom! Studios is publishing a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China in comic book form.  A FREAKIN' SEQUEL TO BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. Co-written by John freakin' Carpenter. Of course I'm going to buy it. And even though I already own a copy, I found a great deal on this beautiful variant cover. Sold.

Harley Quinn #2 (Second Print cover): As someone who doesn't tend to care about variant covers, I sure bought a lot of variants at Heroes Con. I really just bought this because I love cover artist Amanda Conner so damn much. Amanda is warm, funny, and kind, and her mastery of facial expression and body language is second to none. The Harley Quinn book, co-written by Amanda and her husband Jimmy Palmiotti, is one of the most purely enjoyable things coming from a major comic publisher right now.

Rocket Raccoon #1: I could have bought multiple copies of this book for a buck or so over the years, but now that the insane little rodent is going to be a movie star, I don't want to get caught flat-footed. This is strictly an investment, but the early artwork by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola is notable.

Seduction of the Innocent 3-D: Like most anyone who enjoys comic art, I love the work of the late, great Dave Stevens. You just don't see many copies of this particular title, so I happily scooped it up.

Phil Noto Mad Men print: I remember attending Heroes Con several years ago, and almost every artist I stopped to chat with was whispering about this new guy, Phil Noto. Phil got a lot of work after that, and is now killing it every month on Marvel's new Black Widow comic. This print is clearly a great interpretation of the show's characters, but what sold me on it was the SCDP logo in the bottom left corner.  Just a cool, thoughtful touch that put this over the edge for me.

I had to catch up with a few more people before I left. Craig Rousseau is one of the nicest guys around, a fellow Red Sox fan, and a man who shares more than a few of my TV viewing habits.  It hurt to discuss this season for the Sawx, so we mainly chatted about television and his recent work in Batman '66 #9, which is, as always, beautiful. Then I checked in on Tom Fowler and saw some of the amazing commissions he was turning out. When I was actively trying to break into comics as a writer a few years ago, I always made a point of finding Tom and chatting him up. I love when an artist brings a personality and a unique sense of storytelling to their work, and few do that better than Tom.

I was also ecstatic to meet Meghan Hetrick, an artist on the rise whose work I am just beginning to enjoy. She was readying a gorgeous Elektra painting for the Heroes Con art auction on the centrally-located stage where people could sit and rest and watch amazing artists doing their thing for hours, if they wished. I officially met her a little later as she walked the aisles with one of her collaborators, Marguerite Bennett (They worked together on DC's Joker's Daughter one-shot), a promising writer whose workload is about to increase exponentially, with announced projects from DC, Marvel, and some of the big independent publishers, too. They were both funny and thoughtful and I hope to see more collaborations from them in the future.

With that, not quite two full days of Heroes Con were over and done with, so I pointed my car towards home. I before mentioned the plethora of smaller shows popping up around the country, some of which are fantastic, and some of them less so. With the huge San Diego show not going anywhere, and other huge cons growing in New York and elsewhere, we are approaching Peak Comic Convention. As such, it is worthwhile recognizing a show that not only does it right, but has been doing it right for a long time.

Thanks Heroes Con. I will be back.

-Follow me on Twitter @TheOneWhoKnox

Harold Ramis R.I.P.

I am always looking for things to write about, but this time I wish I weren't inspired.

I was rocked today to learn that Harold Ramis has passed away, at age 69,  of complications from autoimmune imflammatory vasculitis.

Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters

I would be upset anyway, but a few years ago I actually met the man, and was so thoroughly impressed in my brief time around him that today is suddenly shadowed with an extra patina of grief.

I am sometimes employed in the film industry, and I was spending some time in Shreveport, Louisiana, trying to break in. My attempts at getting hired as a crew member were coming to naught at the time, so I had to fall back on a job I had hoped to not have to do again, work as an extra or, as some like to call it, "background artist." Fortunately, the film Year One was nearing the end of its principal photography, and a few scenes near the beginning of the film, before Jack Black and Michael Cera's characters are banished from their village, remained to be shot.  Production was looking for people who had not yet worked on the movie to play these primitive tribespeople for several days of work, and fortunately I got the booking.

Me, in full costume and make-up, on the set of Year One

Now, Year One, in hindsight, is far from a masterpiece, but I was excited to be working with Black and Cera, a pre-Stefon Bill Hader was on set for his small role in the film, and HAROLD RAMIS was the director.

As a writer, director, producer, and actor, Ramis touched so many great projects that there is a good chance at least one of them ranks among your favorite films or television shows: Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack, Animal House, Groundhog Day, Knocked Up, SCTV, The Office and so many more. As a performer, he mixed a casual yet sharp intellect with a regular-guy affability that also characterized the films in which you never saw his face. You just liked Harold Ramis and the movies he made. Though he was never the guy who got the most laughs as a performer, he certainly took his share, and Bill Murray wouldn't be half as funny in Stripes or Ghostbusters without Ramis' steady presence to boomerang around.

Harold Ramis directs Michael Cera & Jack Black in Year One

When I met him, he was strolling around set, enjoying the extensive work the set builders and decorators had achieved, clearly loving his job and the accomplishments of his crew. He was so approachable that people did approach him, and he didn't care if you were the star of the film, the first assistant director or a lowly extra like me. He had a smile on his face, actually engaged with anyone who talked to him, and left a lot of people in Shreveport, Louisiana discussing how freaking great Harold Ramis was.

It is no secret that talented people are not necessarily pleasant, or even decent human beings, but Harold Ramis was easily among the most warm and thoughtful of the famous people I've ever met or worked with. At age 69, he should still be creating, but tragically that is not the case.

Thank you, Mr. Ramis, for taking a couple of minutes to talk to an enthusiastic extra who enjoyed your work and your sense of humor. Once I've processed the sadness of your loss, I will undoubtedly laugh again, probably at something you made.

Rest in peace.

Banshee: The Truth About The Midpoint

I have written about the Cinemax show Banshee before, and since I've already summarized season one, I'm going to get right into writing about the show's second season at its halfway point. I will try to avoid many overt spoilers, but be forewarned, anyway.

Key art for Banshee season 2

I started watching Banshee as a lark.  I expected it to be full of sex and violence in entertaining amounts, and it certainly fulfilled those criteria. But by the eighth episode, I began to understand that this wasn't just a show about T&A and gunplay. There was actually nuance to a show that had little business being nuanced. Banshee had all the pulpy goodness my adolescent id desired, and all the shades of gray and thoughtful performances my super-ego required. It's not a show constructed for everyone, but the creative team is clearly busting its hump to be different, to be entertaining, and to make every hour count. If it occasionally flirts with camp, well, why not? When you also cast a lot of relatively unknown up and coming actors who are all committed to the insanity and who have genuine chemistry, you get something special.

I, for one, am hooked.

Zeljko Ivanek as Jim Racine

Season one ended with the primary outside antagonist, the gangster Rabbit (the squirrelly Ben Cross) seemingly killed by the hands of his own daughter, Ana aka Carrie Hopewell (the conflicted Ivana Milicevic). Season two picks up the aftermath mainly by stacking a lot of new dominoes which will surely come crashing down again. The Banshee PD is largely given a slap on the wrist for their "every weapon in town" response to Rabbit's invasion by Rabbit-hating FBI Agent Jim Racine (the always fantastic Zeljko Ivanek). Needing some sort of scapegoat, Carrie is incarcerated, which only detonates her already-broken relationship with her husband Gordon Hopewell (the soulful Rus Blackwell) and daughter Deva (the coltish Ryann Shane). The tensions between new Kinaho tribe leader Alex Longshadow (the assured Anthony Ruivivar) and shunned Amish crime boss Kai Proctor (the icily confident Ulrich Thomsen) are paralleled by outrage in both communities when a young Kinaho girl is murdered and the Amish boy who was her secret paramour goes missing.  Also brought into the story's fold with this arc is Chayton Littlestone (dramatic find of the year Geno Segers), a Kinaho gang leader with equal measures of guile, brute strength, intellect, charisma, and a strangely dulcet voice. To say nothing of leading man, faux-Sheriff Lucas Hood (the chisled yet compellingly human Antony Starr), who finally pulls off a long-planned armored car heist, has to head up the aforementoned murder investigation despite not being a real cop, must bed two of the most attractive women on television, sister of Alex and Kinaho enforcer Nola Longshadow (the otherworldly Odette Annable) and deputy Siobhan Kelly (the grounded yet luminous Trieste Kelly Dunn) with whom he has exhibited obvious chemistry, and, oh yeah, deal with the arrival of the REAL Lucas Hood's son, Jason (the fresh-faced Harrison Thomas) who needs a favor from Lucas.

Geno Segers as Chayton Littlestone

Damn that's a good bit of story. And it's not even all of it! As I've said, Banshee packs in a lot.

Some further observations:

Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman and Ulrich Thomsen as Kai Proctor

-The murder storyline underscores the complex pull/push Kai Proctor has with his Amish heritage while also illustrating the widening familial gulf Proctor's niece, Rebecca Bowman (the dangerously attractive Lili Simmons) is forced to navigate. This is clearly another conflicted central duo in the show going forward, and the Kai/Rebecca relationship is rich and troubling in all the amazing premium cable ways. Though Proctor is one hell of a villain, and this season's action has greatly added to his shading, I can see Rebecca unseating him by the time Banshee finishes its run. When you add the unreadable menace that is Proctor aide/bodyguard Clay Burton (the mysterious and bow-tie bedecked Matthew Rauch), the ex-Amish organized crime contingent becomes all the more volatile.

Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly

-Once again, I love Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly. In season two's second episode, "The Thunder Man," she finally gets the signature moment the character has needed.  Siobhan's shitbag ex-husband Breece (the joyfully scuzzy Peter Scanavino) returns to town. After a promising overture, he reveals his true colors and, rather than rolling over or sending a concerned Hood to solve her problem, Siobhan goes to Breece's hotel room, destroys the place in the ensuing fight, and utilizes a finishing move I hope makes it into the eventual Banshee video game when she uses the bedside Gideon Bible to absolutely beat the hell out of her abusive dickface ex. Siobhan's bristly exterior over the entirety of season one was made flesh, and she overcame her demons with a bare-knuckled exorcism.

Demetrius Grosse as Emmett Yawners

-No starring cast member has been given less to do in fifteen episodes than Demetrius Grosse as Deputy Emmett Yawners. I fully expect that to soon not be the case. Chayton Littlestone, while incarcerated, showed a particular disdain for Emmett, essentially calling him a slave and throwing discarded chains at him. First, Demetrius Grosse is great. I took notice of him as Errol in the third season of Justified, and if I took Banshee to task for not giving Brock Lotus (wiseacre Matt Servitto) more to do the last time I wrote about the show, this time I'm going to call for more Demetrius Grosse. Second, I'm going to be happy when, during one of the most epic fight scenes yet filmed in a show known for its fight scenes, Emmett Yawners kicks Chayton Littlestone's ass. Calling it here first, folks.

Greg Yaitanes directing Antony Starr

-Speaking of exclusions, the last time I wrote about the show, I edited out a brief mention of executive producer/director/showrunner Greg Yaitanes from an early draft. I was a fool. Not to slight any of the other producers of the show, but Yaitanes' many hats should not be ignored. His use of Twitter to whip up enthusiasm for Banshee and to drop salient production facts during his livetweets is nothing short of amazing. This guy is a HUGE reason I find Banshee so enjoyable, from the show itself to the way cast and crew openly interact with viewers to the supplemental material the show generates, like the coded, ever-morphing opening credits and the Banshee Origins short films which add layers to the primary action if you choose to view them. Many shows generate additional material which tends to be incidental at best, but Banshee's is utterly compelling.

Hoon Lee as Job. Just Job.

-It admittedly took me a while to wrap my head around fan-favorite character Job, the cross-dressing hacker assayed flamboyantly by Hoon Lee.  Job is probably the most eccentric character on an eccentric show, and Lee's dramatic line readings sometimes seemed out of place to my ears. Either the show has done a better job (no pun intended) of modulating the scenes in which he appears or I finally drank the Kool-Aid, but I am loving Job much more now. Significantly more. Job is frequently near the center of the action as he is one of the few people Hood implicitly trusts, but I would love to see more of him aside from being the computer-savvy guy who can conveniently help out the plot. Although any character paired with Job immediately becomes part of a comedy duo, I firmly believe Job can be far more than the wittiest, bitchiest guy in the room.

Odetta Annable as Nola Longshadow

-The character with the highest batting average this year is Nola Longshadow: Breaking up the armored car heist on a motorcycle, effortlessly seducing Hood (though it doesn't take much), saving Rebecca from a drunken assault before kidnapping her herself, tomahawking the murderer of the Kinaho girl in his prison cell, then disagreeing with Alex's handling of the conflict with Proctor and possibly becoming the wildest card in the show. I imagine anything significant that happens from here on out will somehow involve Nola.

Antony Starr as Lucas Hood and Ivana Milicevic as Carrie Hopewell

-I have to make special mention of the episode that marked the halfway point of season two, the fifth episode titled "The Truth About Unicorns." This episode deeply divided fans online, because, by Banshee standards, it's slow. Yes, an episode that features Carrie screaming in the shower, Carrie getting out of jail, Zeljko Ivanek killing it as usual, two deaths, a visually stunning stalking/shootout in tall grass, and a burning house is "slow". Not to cast aspersions, but fans of the show who didn't like this episode are idiots. I rank it as my second favorite episode behind season one's "We Shall Live Forever," not coincidentally another Carrie-heavy episode (no actor has been better served by Banshee's twists, turns, and tourniquets than Milicevic, and she hugs those story corners like a high performance race car).  Banshee has to serve so many characters and, with Carrie sequestered for a couple of episodes, the show's central Lucas/Carrie relationship was in danger of getting short shrift. Dedicating an hour to letting Starr and Milicevic open their interior lives to each other was a bold, yet wise, choice.  This relationship full of fire and lust and danger and promises for the future is now a trusting, thoughtful, respecting...friendship. That these two love each other enough to acknowledge their distance is what I hope I can find in a partner if I ever pull 15 years in prison to shield her from the consequences of a jewel heist, then return to her unexpectedly and help wreck both the cover keeping her safe as well as her marriage. It is almost heartbreaking to think of this episode as an elegy to the hopes and dreams of Lucas and Carrie, but that's exactly what it is. It's beautiful, though the show characteristically undercuts the melodrama with Lucas' "Fuck that" after Sugar Bates' (the world-weary Frankie Faison) heartfelt speech at the end of the episode.

-If Ivana Milicevic, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Lili Simmons, and Odette Annable aren't toplining significant feature films within the next five years, I just don't know what.

-Antony Starr, too.

-I imagine that Banshee is brutal to shoot.They film in a fairly humid part of country during the summer. They do a lot of fight scenes and other stunts, as well as complex shots requiring discrete special effects A fair amount of the action happens in the dark, necessitating tiring night shoots. Add it all up, and it's a grind. From what I can tell, the cast and crew seem to genuinely get along despite, or perhaps because of, the difficulties of production. This has very little to do with anything, really, except that it makes me happy to see.

Yeah, happy. A TV show makes me happy. I'm cool with that. Here's to the final five of Banshee season two.

Follow me on Twitter @TheOneWhoKnox

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)