So hard for a soul to survive
I am not the kind of person to say bad things about my fellow webcartoonists. But let me tell you something about Jeph Jacques. While I was walking down the street the other day, I came across a penniless little orphaned girl with a dirty pink dress and an ice cream cone. Just then, two men approached her and started laughing. The first man took the ice cream from her hand, while the second threw sample AOL CDs at her face until she ran away crying. The first man then proceeded to eat the poor girls ice cream, right there on the street. That first man, my friends, was Jeph Jacques. And the second man -- the man who threw those CDs so heartlessly -- was also Jeph Jacques. True story.
Thank you for all the nice words about the new reader's guide. It took much longer to make than it should have!
I think I may need to break down and get an Xbox. The idea makes me feel like a bit of a sucker, because there is almost certainly a price drop coming after Microsoft's new system launches later this year. But that Psychonauts looks damn tempting, and I just can't see myself playing a platformer on the PC, or an uglier version on the PS2. Plus, I've been wanting to play through Jet Set Radio Future again for some time now, and there are a handful of other titles I wouldn't mind having a look at. But maybe I can wait it out until that big black and green box comes down in price. Considering I've got both a big move and a trip to Comic-con in my near future, I should be at least reasonably thoughtful about my budget!
Sam Logan
Don't Panic
The planets have aligned, hell has frozen over and I have updated the Reader's Guide. My eventual intent is to have individual character profiles that are brought up by clicking the images. But for now, at least we have a guide that provides an up-to-date recap of what the heck is going on in this comic. Hopefully this will help new readers feel a little less confused.
Monday was a fine day for webcomics in a pair of ways. First, Wigu returned, and there was much rejoicing. I guess Jeff missed them as much as the rest of us did. Second, Tycho brought us a solo comic and accompanying rant. There is just something so delicious about how one of the most popular webcomics ever has some of the most literate, verbose, dictionally complex writing in the medium. I mean, where else does that happen? Television? Film?
My arch nemesis Jeph is trying to trick me by saying nice things about my comic today. But I am not fooled, Jeph! I may in turn tell my readers that QC is an imensely entertaining, must-read slice-of-life in webcomic form, but I am actually just lulling you into a false sense of security. WATCH YOUR BACK.
Sam Logan
Are we the last living souls
You may remember that I was a little worried about the soon-to-be-released, Dan-the-Automator-free Gorillaz album. But I had nothing to worry about: Demon Days is a worthy follow-up in nearly every way, though it took me a few listens to appreciate it. From the ponderous dub-styled opener "Are We the Last Living Souls" to the pure dance pop of "DARE"; from the stripped-back rhythm-and-bass rock of "Kids with Guns" to the gorgeous MF Doom-fronted hiphop ballad "November has Come"; from hooky radio-friendly "Feel Good Inc" to the to the sort-of-Velvet-Underground cover "White Light"; Demon Days juggles and mashes musical styles so expertly that when you listen to it, you'll feel compelled to write outrageously long comparative sentences about it.
And let me tell you, nothing can prepare you for the glorious weirdness of the final three tracks: Dennis Hopper's ridiculous spoken word piece gives way to a vocal pop number ripped right out of Brian Wilson's playbook, which then itself segues into a symphonic mess that builds to a giant, album-closing gospel/reggae choral hybrid. Maybe you have to be really nerdy to think that is awesome, but let me tell you... I am really nerdy and I think that is awesome!
Dangermouse does a fine job of filling Dan the Automator's shoes. Actually, on the whole the tone of Demon Days remains remarkably similar to the first album. But perhaps that's no surprise, considering that the still-involved Damon Albarn was responsible for much more of the original album's sound than I originally guessed... apparently, Dan didn't even get involved until Albarn was well into the recording process. I learned that by visiting this site, which reveals what various real-life people did to help bring this imaginary band to life. As you may have guessed, I find the entire project tremendously fascinating. I can't wait for this album to finally drop in stores next month!
Sam Logan
