Panel Discussion

NAMM Announces Best in Show Winners

By Brandon Ferguson Mon., Jan. 28 2013 at 6:00 AM
Categories: Panel Discussion
NAMM_Best_in_Show.jpg
Brandon Ferguson
Panelist Mike Guillot shows off the new Level 360 drum head from Evans Sunday at NAMM

The fact that NAMM's Sunday Best in Show event, featuring a panel discussion of the week's  coolest gadgets and companies, happened at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m.and was still packed speaks volumes about the allure of this epic trade show and its ability to inspire musical gear heads and retailers. Though many of the folks hunched over plates of scrambled eggs  spent the previous night getting debauched at NAMM parties, yet they awoke at zero dark thirty to flood the massive Pacific Ballroom at the Anaheim Hilton to watch six panelists announce their picks for cool NAMM products in four categories: Best Add On/Accessory, Gotta Stock item, Company to Watch and Best in Show. 

The panel was made up of music store owners from across the country (many rocking long "O" Southern accents), who engaged with one another in good-natured ribbing as they referenced the previous night's parties. At one point panelist Donavan Bankhead of Springfield Music presented panelist Alan Friedman with a pair of Brazilian leather underwear sporting pink tassels. Most of the humor though would have made Krusty the Klown cringe, especially Friedman's lamentations regarding his kid's taste in music, which involved obsessions with the bands Sum 41, 311, and Avenged Sevenfold. One had to wonder if the kid is in his mid 30s. 

Here's an abridged list of some of the niftier finds at this year's show according to the panel:


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Panel Discussion

Uprising: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots Panel Discussion - Grammy Museum - 4/26/12

By Ryan Ritchie Fri., Apr. 27 2012 at 10:00 AM
Categories: Hip-Hop, Panel Discussion, The Weekly Suggests, Things That Make You Go Hmmm, snoop dogg

SnoopDoggPR140711.jpg
Press
Snoop was not in the building

Maybe it was the fact that we had to sit in downtown rush-hour Los Angeles traffic before we got to the Grammy Museum. But probably, it was the fact that we pressed through such a long, shitty day because the light at the end of the tunnel was the knowledge that after trying for so many damn years, we were finally going to get to meet Snoop Dogg -- and had just learned that tha Doggfather wouldn't be sitting on the panel discussing the new VH1 documentary titled Uprising: Hip Hop and the L.A. Riots.

Whatever the case, we was pissed when the woman next to us asked if we would stop taking pictures because the beeping on our camera was preventing her from hearing.

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Panel Discussion

The Best and Worst Best of 2010 Comic Lists

By Joe Vince Wed., Dec. 29 2010 at 1:54 PM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, lists, stuff we like
54426.jpg
​Over the course of a year I read a lot of comic books. I'm talking about a lot of fucking comic books. That's not a boast. If anything, it's an admission of guilt or a cry for help. At the very least, it should be a sign that I should mix in a magazine, a Blu-ray player instruction manual or the side of a Halcion bottle. To my credit, I have just finished William Gibson's Zero History, which I highly recommend.

Although I read the weight of Rush Limbaugh's OxyContin supply in comics, the books aren't always from the current year. Sometimes, I'm catching up on old comics I've never gotten around to reading, like Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy's run on Master of Kung Fu. And sometimes, I get a hankering to re-read Grant Morrison's The Invisibles for the hundredth time. That means many of the current year's comics get backlogged, set aside to be read at another time. By mid-2011, I should be able to tell you the best comics that came out in 2010. 

But until it does, check out my list of lists--in no particular order--after the jump.


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Afrodisiac, Comics Comics, Daily Cross Hatch, Darwyn Cooke, Doug Moench, Grant Morrison, Heeb Magazine, IGN, King City, Love and Rockets, Master of Kung Fu, New York Times, Patton Oswalt, Paul Gulacy, Pop Matters, Salon, The Invisibles, The Outfit, William Gibson, Zero History
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Panel Discussion

Comics Writer Charles Soule Talks About '27' and Death, You Know

By Joe Vince Wed., Dec. 1 2010 at 8:10 AM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, interview, music
27jv1.jpg
Renzo Podesta; Inset: W. Scott Forbes
​​There's a perverse romance to the rock 'n' roll aesthetic of living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse. The fatalistic edict is both empowering and life-affirming, even if it's ultimately just an over-the-top, immature "fuck you" to one's mortality. It's an idea that has so attached itself to the rock star lifestyle it's spawned fascinating artifacts like the 27 Club, the running list of talented, charismatic musicians who never made it past the age of 27.  

This is the jumping off point for 27, a four-issue Image Comics miniseries from writer Charles Soule and artist Renzo Podesta that hits stores next week. The series focuses on Will Garland, a guitarist who is setting the music world on fire. He's just turned 27, and strange things are starting to happen. Is he about to become an unwilling member of the 27 Club?

In an e-mail interview, Soule talks about his music background and the mythology surrounding the live fast, die young mantra of rock 'n' roll. He also discusses the challenges of portraying the power of music in the soundless medium of comic books. 
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Tags:

27, Brian Jones, Charles Soule, Image Comics, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Renzo Podesta, Richey James Edwards, Robert Johnson
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Panel Discussion

Under Bieber Achiever: Bio's Biggest Crime Isn't That It's Bad But That It's So Damn Boring

By Joe Vince Wed., Oct. 27 2010 at 8:00 AM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, wtf
Justin Bieber cover.jpg
Bluewater Comics/Michal Szyksznian
To preview ​tonight's concert at Honda Center, Heard Mentality reviews the bio comic Fame: Justin Bieber Unauthorized so you don't have to read it.

It's a common and universally agreed-upon idea among critics that there's nothing easier--and in most cases, more fun--than writing a negative review. Your fingertips become razor talons dipped in vitriol as each keystroke becomes a savage cut into whatever it is that has offended your artistic sensibilities. 

But sometimes when a critic encounters the proverbial steaming turd, he can't help but just feel sad for everyone involved. He can't imagine that any creative individual would intentionally set out to make something so inferior and so banal.

This is how I felt after reading Bluewater Comics unauthorized bio comic Fame: Justin Bieber Unauthorized. 

I take that back; my first reaction was, "What did I expect?" There's no fun in criticizing a work for not being the print equivalent of Raging Bull when all the creators intended to do was please the lowest common denominator--Bieber fans--and do so in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. It's like blaming a bed bug for sucking your blood while you sleep. That's just what bed bugs do.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that sometimes you shouldn't crush that bed bug when you have the chance. And let me tell you, Fame: Justin Bieber definitely deserves some heel grinding.

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Adam Hine, Bluewater Comics, Captain America, Claudio Avella, Ed Brubaker, Evan Dorkin, Hellboy, Incognito, J. Michael Straczynski, Jill Thompson, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Mike Mignola, Renee French, Sean Phillips, Shane Davis, Superman
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Panel Discussion

Stranger Than Fiction: Nonfiction Writers Who Would Create Awesome Comics

By Joe Vince Mon., Oct. 18 2010 at 8:05 AM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, stuff we like
Nonfiction comics.jpg
​Comic books have a nasty habit of forever being associated with superheroes. Even among people who should know better: regular comic book readers. 

But tying the medium of comics and graphic novels to just stories about Spider-Man and Batman is a bit like saying the novel simply exists to showcase the works of Jane Austen. And who wants that?

Take this week, for instance. The three most exciting works being released aren't even fiction, let alone have anything to do with fighting crime, fighting space aliens or fighting a spandex costume that rides up the crotch. Check out this variety:

  • Make Me a Woman, Vanessa Davis A collection of Davis's wonderful autobiographical strips, illustrated in beautiful watercolors. 
  • Footnotes in Gaza, Joe Sacco Reportage in graphic novel form isn't as widespread as I'd like, but no one does it better than Sacco. This new softcover edition looks at the bloody and heartbreaking 50-year history of Rafah, a small town on the Gaza Strip.
  • Everybody Is Stupid Except Me and Other Astute Observations, Peter Bagge He might be most known for his seminal late 1990s series Hate, Bagge has reinvented himself as commentator thanks to a regular gig with Reason magazine. This collects many of his opinion strips.

With such a savory selection of nonfiction comics, it got me thinking: Which nonfiction writers would I like to see on a comic book? I've put together a list of journalists, bloggers and commentators and paired them with an artist. Find out the combinations I came up with after the jump.


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Ana Marie Cox, Bill Simmons, Christopher Hitchens, Colleen Coover, Dan Savage, David Malki !, Frank Miller, Fug Girls, Greg Land, Heather Cox, Jessica Morgan, Joe Sacco, Jonathan Hickman, Malcolm Gladwell, Peter Bagge, Takehiko Inoue, Vanessa Davis
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Panel Discussion

Breaking Into the Boys Club: The New Crop of Female Comics Creators (Part 2)

By Joe Vince Thu., Oct. 7 2010 at 1:57 PM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, lists, stuff we like
Hopeless Savages.jpg
Oni Press/Terry Dodson
​The portrayal of fictional female characters took it on the chin this week. And that chin happened to belong to The Facebook Movie Social Network.

Anyone who had ever hidden a friend's Farmville update dog-piled on the movie's negative depiction of women, claiming the filmmakers were either being sexist or simply finding a new way to stretch the truth in order to slam Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, the world's youngest billionaire martyr, whose reputation died so that we may status update for our sins.

This week, thankfully, the world of comic books--per usual--was the one oasis of sexual equality in the desert of mass media. New issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Gail Simone-written Secret Six join IDW's new reprint collection of early Blondie comic strips that don't show the ragged signs of age the current incarnation does. The pick of the litter, though, is Jen Van Meter's Hopeless Savages Greatest Hits, a collection of all the stories detailing the life of punk rock's first family. 

So was this just a long-winded way to introduce part two of my list of some of the best female comics creators who should be getting more recognition? Pretty much. If you haven't read part one, check it out here. Otherwise, head to the jump for the rest of the group.

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Colleen Coover, Darwyn Cooke, Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Eleanor Davis, Emma Rios, Hopeless Savages, Jen Van Meter, Jennifer Hayden, Jillian Tamaki, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Lucy Knisley, Molly Crabapple, Nikki Cook, Palookaville, Parker: The Outfit, Rebecca Dart, Sara Pichelli, Seth, Stacey Garratt, Warren Ellis
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Panel Discussion

Breaking Into the Boys Club: The New Crop of Female Comic Creators (Part 1)

By Joe Vince Fri., Sep. 24 2010 at 3:53 PM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, lists, stuff we like
Girl Comics.jpg
Marvel Comics/Amanda Conner
​One of the many cliches about the comic book community is that it's not female friendly. And that doesn't just include the fans. I'm talking about the creative community as well. 

The catch-22 of the matter, though, is that when a comic book company tries to open up the doors of its boys club to include a more feminine perspective--like Marvel's Girl Comics miniseries, which gets a collection as a hardcover this week--it ends up getting its nose slapped (albeit slightly deservedly) with a rolled up newspaper. 

Now gender is no guarantee of high quality work, but it is a fairly good gauge of finding comics that represent a different aesthetic or world view. So how do you find that talent without going broke (and trudging through a morass of subpar work)? Sure, if you're even a casual comic book fan, you've heard of big-name vets like Gail Simone, Alison Bechdel, Colleen Doran and Jill Thompson. And more educated fans probably know about established creators deserving more recognition, such as Becky Cloonan, Colleen Coover, Jessica Abel and Nicola Scott. But who are the up-and-comers? Where can someone find the next wave of top female creators?

You're looking at it. I've put together a two-part list (part two will run next week) of women artists and writers who I think are worth checking out and who I also hope can make big names for themselves in the field. 

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Amy Reeder Hadley, Batwoman, Bill Everett, Cages, Dave McKean, DC Comics, Fantastic Four, G. Willow Wilson, Joelle Jones, Jonathan Hickman, Julia Gfrorer, Julia Wertz, Kate Beaton, Marvel Comics, The Simpsons, WildCATS
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TV on the Comics Page: Six Strangest Series Based on Television Shows

By Joe Vince Fri., Sep. 17 2010 at 3:57 PM
Categories: Panel Discussion, TV, comic books, lists, wtf
True Blood.jpg
IDW, HBO/David Messina
​Last Sunday, True Blood closed out another bug-fuck crazy season. Fans are forced to wait until next year to find out what's next for Sookie, Bill, Eric and company. 

Of course, if you're as addicted to the True Blood universe as a were-panther strung out on meth, you probably are going to need a fix before 2011. 

That's where IDW comes in with its True Blood series (the third issue hits stores this week). The first storyline focuses on an evil supernatural entity feeding off the emotions of a trapped group of patrons at Merlotte's.

Comic books have a long, illustrious history of adapting TV series, with varying results. Here's a look at six of the strangest comics based on TV shows.



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Gilbert Hernandez, Honey West, Jaime Hernandez, Johnny Ryan, Love and Rockets, Man From Atlantis, Prison Pit, Sledge Hammer!, Superboy, The Rifleman
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Panel Discussion

Go to Hell: Five Favorite Comic Book Visits to the Devil's Playground

By Joe Vince Tue., Sep. 7 2010 at 8:39 AM
Categories: Panel Discussion, comic books, lists, stuff we like
Wolverine in Hell.jpg
Marvel Comics/Jae Lee
​Hell is different things to different people. For me, it's trying to juggle--unsuccessfully, I might add--blogging, a recent move and a new full-time job.

The same idea applies in comic books. Creators love to send characters to Hell for all variety of reasons, and almost everyone of those trips shows Hell in a unique, deplorable, disgusting way.

Last week, writer Jason Aaron and artist Renato Guedes kicked off a new Wolverine series (with the original and snappy title of Wolverine #1) by sending the feral mutant's soul to Hell but leaving his possessed body to wreak all types of havoc (not that Havok) on Earth. And what does Satan/the Devil/Lucifer/Tim Curry-from-Legend lookalike want with Wolvie's soul? Apparently, he just wants to have a little fun and play with it.

Given Hell's ubiquity in comics, I came up with a collection of some of my favorite visits to the netherworld. Check them out after the jump and feel free to suggest your own entries.

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Batman, Dr. Doom, Fabio Moon, Fantastic Four, Gabriel Ba, Greg Rucka, Hellblazer, Jack Chick, John Constantine, Kevin Huizenga, Neil Gaiman, Sandman, Satan, Spider-Man, Swamp Thing, Thor, Wolverine
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