But the waitress always serves a secret smile
I've gotten quite a few comments about Monday's strip, which is always nice! (Unless the comments are cruel and upsetting.) It's a strip I had been itching to draw for a long time, and I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it once I finally got the chance. Let me tell you, the downside of planning far in advance is knowing and anticipating things that are so far down the pipe. Just ask my man Brian Carroll, who probably has enough creative project ideas inside his head to take him to age 70.
I'm Communism and I'm Capitalism shirts return next week. And this time, the I'm Communism t-shirt is staying on as a permanent item, because I can afford to keep a backstock of it now! However, the next two weeks will be your only chance to grab the Capitalism t-shirts, as well as all hoodies and babydolls in both styles. Forewarned is forearmed!
Hee hee... four arms.
Sam Logan
Just another tab at Zanzibar
Newer readers may be unfamiliar with the mysterious and seldom mentioned Carlyle. Fortunately, on this particular subject, it is pretty easy to catch up!
There are doin's a transpirin' on the internets, friends. But if real television was even half as entertaining as Jeff Rowland's new webcomic, we'd forget all about the Info-Superhighway and go back to the Info-mercial. It looks like Jeff is going to be creating a lot of different "shows" for this project, which sounds interesting to me! I guess what I am really saying here is, in a world where mysterious crimes can only be solved using science, it takes a person who is good at science to solve these mysterious crimes. This is the world that Science Cop lives in.
Secondly, just look at this trailer for Tim Burton's Corpse Wife. Holy smokes! How is it even possible to have stop-motion animation that smooth? And look at that character design... taking the angular, solid style of The Nightmare Before Christmas and making it look fluid and rubbery in motion. Just look at the faces! This film looks, in the most literal sense of the word "look," amazing. I hope the story can live up to the fantastic art direction and technical execution.
Sam Logan
It's always better on holiday
Today, I'm wrapping up my favourite ten albums of the year. There are only three left to go!
Ratatat - Ratatat:
What was it about the music in old video games that made it so memorable? Limited to only a couple of channel's worth of clicks and beeps, guys like Koji Kondo were forced to rely on simple, incredibly catchy melodies and counter melodies to craft songs that you will carry with you to your deathbed. Ratatat fully embraces the spirit of that music, right down to the simple, square synth lines and sparse, almost symbol-free drum beats. Then they throw in the power guitar. It's like discovering a secret Mario soundtrack you somehow never knew of before... being covered by Daft Punk. Awesome.
Highlights: Seventeen Years, Breaking Away, El Pico.
The Living End - Modern Artillery:
This Australian band continues to rock my face off. In terms of genre, they lie somewhere between bands like Sloan and bands like Green Day... rock and roll with tweaks towards pop and pop-punk. In terms of songwriting chops and technical proficiency, they are light years ahead of most of the other bands playing this kind of music right now. Shout chorus! Guitar solo!
Highlights: Jimmy, One Said to the Other, What Would You Do?
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand:
So hey, apparently these guys have gotten pretty popular! I definitely did not see that one coming. But good for them -- they deserve it. I'm sure by now you have heard their energetic mix of Strokes-esque rock, Brit-pop and dance music on the radio. Well, take my word for it: every single track on this album lives up to the promise of its singles. This is the closest thing I have to an absolute favourite album of the year.
Highlights: Jacqueline, Michael, Dark of the Matinee.
Well, that's it for my ten favourite albums of 2004. Thanks for reading/tolerating!
Sam Logan
