Woody Gutherie has to be the most important lyrist in the history of music. His words have weight if you study the man and the times he grew up in. Kung-fu introduced me indirectly to Woody Guthrie through David Carradine's "Bound for Glory." Carradine channeled Gutherie's life as no other actor has done for a musical artist. Nora Guthrie the daughter of Woody with the help of Robert Santelli has brilliantly captured the essence of one greatest musician. Woody Guthrie: Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom by Nora Guthrie and Robert Santelli collects some of Gutherie's personal writings and scribbles. The book is graced with original Woody drawings and copies from the various copybooks of his lyrics that he jotted when he was alive. This is the most personal book on Woody Guthrie in book form. You get the see a passionate human fighting corruption in politics and big business with his music and various artistic extensions of his core believes. You don't have to love Woody's music. This testament to his legacy will surprise both and new and old fans. You can't be more personal than this unless you talked to the man himself.
Sandbox World
But Inked is more than a book of cartoons. Dator also dives into the creative process, offering bonus commentary on how ideas have come to fruition, how one idea has led to another, and the various attempts to get an idea right. Along the way, he shows how a spark of imagination has turned into a laugh-out-loud moment with only a single image and caption, and how other attempts have found themselves on the cutting-room floor.
That question has haunted Jeff Finn since 1985 when he first researched the infamous vocalist and lyricist of the legendary 1960s rock band, The Doors. Finn is the writer, director and narrator of Before the End: Searching for Jim Morrison, a forthcoming limited film series that rips the hinges off Morrison's purported official story. Indie film production company Z-Machine has released a new extended preview of this hard-boiled but empathic documystery. What If everything we think we know about Jim Morrison is wrong?
Everything old is new again. Argle Bargle Books is onto something special. Their winning formula is quite simple. They take public domain comic books and repurpose them with new pertinent dialogue. I love the old comic book feel. This is a winning formula for the Ottawa-based independent publisher. The Canuck publisher supports Canadian and international underground comic creators who exhibit something new to say in the 4-color medium. Argle Bargle Books' new offering is called, GREENIE JOSEPHENIE. Just think of it as a rap song with loops and mixes cobbled together with new lyrics.
In the 70s it was a thing to gather a whole bunch of musicians to create a concept/rock opera album. Albums as Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, and The Wiz are perfect examples of rock operas that cobbled some up and coming talent of the time. Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf is another record released in 1975 with rock icons such as Manfred Mann, Gary Moore, Brian Eno, Phil Collins, and Cozy Powell.
Scary for Halloween or every day of the year: The officially licensed Super7 Universal Monsters retro monster masks! A collaboration with Retro-a-go-go and designed by artist Doug P'gosh. Made of high-quality plastic with an elastic headband and with retro packaging that will remind you of being a child before the Internet.
You can't keep a good book down. Even if it's a children's book. Vote For Me! by Ben Clanton is enjoying a resurgence due to his Narwhal and Jelly fame. Vote For Me! was Clanton's first published book. It was re-issued a year ago. It is so apropos for today's political divide so Tundra Books decided to reprint the book. The whole notion of the book is silly but rooted in reality at many times. Since the book's first printing in 2012, politics has grown to new shameful heights and Vote for Me! parodies the opposite polarities in both political parties. There is no right or wrong, and blue or red. They just want your vote.
The U.S. Postal Service commemorates the Day of the Dead, an increasingly popular holiday in the United States, with the release of four new Forever stamps. A dedication ceremony for the stamps was held today at the El Paso Museum of Art.
AllHorror.com, a movie database like IMDb but only for horror, was created by Adrian DeGus along with a team of fellow horror fans as a way to help others find new movies based on the exact types of movies they already love. Horror seekers can browse through over 8,725 movies organized into over 150 different horror sub-genres, 25 different styles, 107 different years and the streaming platforms they can be watched on. Seekers can also find new horror movies similar to movies they already know using AllHorror's "Movies Like" system that is curated manually by horror fans who have personally seen all movies mentioned. All movies are rated, have hand-picked screengrabs, trailers, critic reviews, spoiler-free "What to Expect" write-ups and similar movie recommendations. Horror fans can also browse through hundreds of top lists curated by AllHorror staff as well as lists curated by fellow fans.
Black Sabbath's Technical Ecstasy was a bitter pill for fans to swallow. The band was no longer hungry, most of them had nothing left in the can. Drugs had taken over the band and the music suffered. Sabbath strayed away from their roots and gave us perhaps the worst album in their recording catalog. However, a song like "She's Gone" is a polished gem that stood out from the lot. “It’s Alright,” is the first time we hear Bill Ward sing on a Sabbath album. There was nothing technical or ecstatic about this album. It was a train wreck from the beginning. It is rare if ever any songs are played live from this album. Time can be forgiving, Rhino has given us an extremely extended version of the album with new live songs and 90 minutes of new studio outtakes and alternate versions of the songs recorded. This deep dive is a welcome addition and perhaps salvation to a greatly misunderstood album. This offering is meant for the true Black Sabbath super-fan.
Keep home closer with Astro, the household robot for home monitoring, with Alexa. When you're away, use the Astro app to see a live view of your home, check in on specific rooms and viewpoints, and get activity alerts. When you're home, Astro can follow you from room to room playing your favorite music, podcasts, or shows, and find you to deliver calls, reminders, alarms, and timers set with Alexa.
Fisher-Price has released an officially licensed set of Little People collectibles featuring the Rolling Stones. Fans can live out their rock n’ roll dreams and get some "Satisfaction" with this special edition Little People Collector Rolling Stones figure set from Fisher-Price. This rockin' gift set features four members of the iconic band brought down to Little People toy size, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood. This must-have figure set is a great gift for music fans of all ages.
Ritchie Blackmore by Ross Halfin is an intimate portrait of Blackmore both on and off stage and captures the brilliance and madness of Rainbow during those years. Ross had unparalleled access for several years and the images in this book often show Ritchie as you’ve never seen him before. It finishes with shots of early Blackmore’s Night in action.
Atari has announced Centipede: Recharged, a re-imagining of the original arcade classic. The original bug-blasting arcade game is back! Centipede: Recharged has been reimagined for modern gameplay, with vibrant visuals designed for modern screens, a 16:9 field of play, and an original soundtrack from award-winning video game composer Megan McDuffee.
I read the French version of Leonard Cohen: On a Wire by Philippe Girard. For those unaware, Leonard Cohen is Canada's version of Bob Dylan. I am sure if he would be alive, he would not like that comparison. When it comes to poetry, Cohen beats Bob Dylan hands down. Philippe Girard brings grace to Montreal's modern-day poetic bard. Cohen's music is weaved in his personality. He is a fabric of the diversity that makes Montreal unique. Leonard Cohen has wandered throughout the world but Montreal was always his home. Philippe Girard captures the man and the myth through flashbacks of the best and worst in his storied life. Philippe's art is a blend of Quebec and European influences that come into his own. You will love reading and marvel at the lush art. It's about time the rest of the world gets to read this amazing book from Drawn & Quarterly. Leonard Cohen: On a Wire is translated by Helge Dascher and Karen Houle.
Each year I treat myself to a Peanuts calendar. This year there is an exceptional calendar from Andrews McMeel Publishing. Take Care of the Earth is sure to be a hit with Peanuts fans. Peanuts have always been at the forefront in caring for many important causes. Peanuts are global ambassadors to worthy causes that matter each day for young and old at heart.
Hot Toys has been taking steps towards collaborating with renowned artists and designers to bring diversity into the figure collectibles. Working with Hiroto Ohkubo together, Hot Toys is thrilled to unveil Venom (Carnage Red Version) Artist Mix Figure Designed by INSTINCTOY that captures Carnage’s malice and violent instincts in one display! Available only in selected markets.
Director, writer, composer, actor, and one-man creative revolutionary Melvin Van Peebles jolted American independent cinema to new life with his explosive stylistic energy and unfiltered expression of Black consciousness. Though he undeniably altered the course of film history with the anarchic Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, that pop-culture bombshell is just one piece of a remarkably varied career that has also encompassed forays into European art cinema (The Story of a Three Day Pass), mainstream Hollywood comedy (Watermelon Man), and Broadway musicals (Don’t Play Us Cheap).
On November 19, UMe and Eagles Of Death Metal’s Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes join forces to gift us all with Eagles of Death Metal Presents A Boots Electric Christmas, a six-track EP sure to bring much needed holiday cheer to the ears and hearts of every little girl and boy. The EP will be available on CD and in all digital formats.
I am really pumped for the 50th Anniversary of the L.A. Woman special collection. I own The Doors LA Woman: The Workshop Sessions (2012). This is a welcome extension to that release. 2021 is a big year for The Doors with a lot of new material coming out from Robby Kreiger's first book and the complete writings of Jim Morrison. Unfortunately, it is also the anniversary of Jim Morrison's death. There is a lot to celebrate. 1971 marked a turbulent time for Jim Morrison personally with his trouble with the law. Contractually the band owed Elektra Records one more record and boy did it payback in spades. For the next 50 years, “Love Her Madly,” “Riders On The Storm,” and "L.A. Woman" would grace the airwaves. Nobody knew at the time that this was their swan song. Maybe Jim Morrison had an inkling it was his last record but did not share that information with anybody including the band.
October is my favorite time of the year. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has a special place in my heart. Super7 celebrates the event with four unique action figures. This is a must for all Peanuts collectors.
An inventive pair of advertising pros who were part of the group of geniuses at the agency behind the Burger King, Dominos, Microsoft and VW campaigns, has created a customized "selfie" wrapping paper company that is loved and used by Oprah, Khloe Kardashian and boasting sales that would make Hallmark jealous. Featuring maskless face photos of people and pets, Gift Wrap My Face, #GiftWrapMyFace adds them to the body of elves, snowmen, superheroes, astronauts, iconic statues, lamas or dancing with dreidels or menorahs. Gift Wrap My Face even created two Smart Wrapping Papers: one using augmented reality to enliven a face making a snow angel, a dancing elf and a Video Paper that uses a personalized and private QR code for gift-givers to share a video message with loved ones.
Usually, I do not do desktop reviews. As a creative individual, the HP ENVY 34-inch All-in-One Desktop caught my attention. The web camera is very unique. It can capture digital scans of hand-drawn art or text on your desk. The webcam supports a 16-megapixel resolution with an IR sensor and dual-array digital microphones. You can move it all around the screen's outer frame. You will love working with this system, you will never leave your post.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 returns on Friday, October 1 with the launch of the highly-anticipated soundtrack featuring: a new collab from Megan Thee Stallion, Maluma and Rock Mafia; Christina Aguilera's new rendition of the famous theme song that will have you snapping your fingers; as well as Snoop Dogg (who also voices Cousin IT!), October London, DJ Battlecat, Oplus & Yoshi dropping new music!