hawkeye vol. 1: my life as a weapon

I am probably the only girl in the universe who doesn’t swoon over hawkeye, but after reading hawkeye volume 1: my life as a weapon, I think I may be a bit of a swooner. A semi-swooner to say the least. hawkeye, volume 1: my life as a weapon written by matt fraction and illustrated by david aja and javier pulido collects the first 5 issues. This story arc focuses on clint barton, a.k.a. hawkeye, on his life when he is not throwing punches with captain America and the avengers. The story begins with an adrenalin rush with hawkeye falling out of building with his bow and arrow in hand. Matt fraction’s writing is impeccable as always (have you read Casanova? Enough said). Fraction's writing shows us a side of Clint Barton that we don’t see in the Avengers.

Reading this comic, I found myself really liking Clint. I liked his compassion as he rescues a wounded dog from a bunch of degenerates. I laughed out loud at his sarcastic banter with Kate Bishop (future hawkeye). Fraction’s Clint Barton is a guy I wanna hang out with and get to know (and not because he knows captain america). He is personable with a bit of inner angst and the underdog. Fraction reminds us that Clint may be an avenger, but he is an ordinary guy so to speak but with an extraordinary ability to aim and to attract trouble. This storyline is a fun ride that takes us with Clint as he fights slumlords and the like on his time off from the avengers.

The art in this is amazing. David Aja’s line work and subtle facial expressions are divine. His talent lies in his use of a few pen strokes to convey a vast array of emotions. Javier Pulido’s artwork is also strong, although I am more keen to Aja’s work, Pulido’s style holds its own next to Aja’s.

Pulido maintains the less is more approach. His fight scenes in this are nothing short of brilliant. If you still have doubts about this hawkeye, just take a look at the cover.  Pretty bad ass. You can’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you can. let me know what my fellow readers think. give me a holla! xo, pearly  

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pearlypearle

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Premium Rush: A Seriously Fun Ride!

If you know me then you know my knees go weak for Joseph Gordon Levitt (who I affectionately call "JGL." Yeah, we are that tight).  Anyhow, when I first saw the preview for Premium Rush in the theaters, I was needless to say, totally giddy.  Bikers. NYC. Beardos. JGL. Who could ask for more?

Upon glance, I thought this movie was going to be a total rip off of Quicksilver.  If you need to google that movie, then you are not as nerdy as I.  Quicksilver was a movie that came out during the mid 1980s and stars a very young Kevin Bacon.  Bacon plays a big time stock market finance wizard.  After he makes a wrong choice and loses all his money (boohoo), he decides to leave the yuppie world and be a bike courier.  Totally realistic right? I know. Just bear with me.  Quicksilver is the bible for a lot of bikers.  One cannot help but drool over Bacon's white fixed gear bike that he proudly hangs in his loft.  Watch the preview for Quicksilver here.  I love this movie Quicksilver and although my heart pitter patters for JGL, I couldn't help but think, hey this is some sacred ground here for Premium Rush to mess with.  Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed Premium Rush.  It isn't Quicksilver, nor should it be, but it does glorify being a courier in one of the coolest cities around.

JGL plays Wiley, a bike messenger, who works with his ex GF, who is also a bike messenger (ah, young love).  Wiley picks up a package that contains something that a dirty cop, played by Michael Shannon tries to retrieve from Wiley.  The movie combines a weak love story with high bike action scenes.  The camera work was great.  I recommend seeing this film on the big screen so you can experience the high octane bike scenes weaving in and out of traffic.  At least these couriers all wear helmets. Safety first, kiddies.  The map and alternate route sequences were neat and I liked it.  The acting by Michael Shannon as the dirty NYC cop was rad.  He made the film. Oh and yes, JGL looked adorable in the movie. Sigh.

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pearlypearle

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my JOHN LAYMAN interview! hellz yeah!

My fellow geeks, if you don't know who JOHN LAYMAN is, you are not the geeks i hoped you would be. His current work is CHEW, a series published by Image. CHEW follows the anti-hero, Tony Chu, a philly cop who is cibopathic. A cibopath gets pyschic impressions from anything he eats. Cool, no? CHEW is one of my favorite reads due to Layman's quirky and witty writing. CHEW reveals the dark world of government, poultry, vampires, and more all with smart, likeable characters and good storytelling.

With all that said, I pretty much forced John Layman to be my twitter best friend and he was kind of enough not to block me. :) Anyhow, he is a gracious and funny dude and below are his answers to my 10 questions. So open a can of beets and read on. xo, pearly

You have very strong opinions on government and the republicans. Do you feel when you write your stories that there is an inner struggle with your anti-government view and writing and creating a character, such as Tony Chu who is a government agent and plays by the rules?

I don't really think of myself as anti-goverment. I'm very pro-goverment. I am anti oligarchy. Anti plutocracy. Anti republican, because they stand of those things, and America is not really a democracy, as much as it likes to pretend it is. My version of the government is not real, though aspects of it are. But it has a lot of fantastically elements to it, and is every bit as fictional as the idea that we are a true democracy.


Do you have a particular childhood memory which influenced the interesting family dynamic depicted in CHEW?

Nope. I was an only child. My wife comes from a big family, and they are very into food. So it's been interesting and enlightening to be a fly-on-the-wall for those things. My wife is Vietnamese, too. Do you know any Vietnamese people, Pearly?

I have enjoyed your books, Puffed, now CHEW, Do you pick the artists for your stories or are they assigned? I think you and Rob Guillory are a pretty dynamic duo.

Yeah, Rob is the perfect collaborator. One of the benefits of creator-owned books is you do find your own artist. As opposed to company-owned book, where you don't necessarily have a say in who you work with. You just cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Tony Chu is a cibopath. Amelia is a saboscrivner. Do you have some gastrological fetish or a fear and love of food or some bad dining experience at a local chinese place that resulted in the creation of Tony Chu and Amelia Mintz? (should us readers be afraid of your cooking skills?!)

I have no cooking skills. My wife does, and I think part of the genesis of CHEW was watching her get together with her foodie friends and be every bit as geeky and enthusiastic as comic book fans are when they get together. It's an entirely different nerd world, and it fascinates me.

Your writing is very, very funny. I often am sitting on the bus with headphones on, reading and snorting outloud and getting nasty glares from other passengers. Do you ever read your writing and laugh and think, wow, I am one funny guy?

Not often. Most of the time I may be amused, or recognize something is funny, but not really laugh at it. Then again, occasionally I DO write a scene which cracks me up, and that often surprises me. I have a big one of these in my upcoming Deadpool annual. And another in CHEW either 23 or 24 (I have not decided which issue yet.)


Often when I read comic books, I have music in my head playing. Theme songs if you will. If CHEW had a soundtrack, what bands would you want to be on it and let’s say mike patton is retired, so you can’t ask him!

Well, I listen to The Cramps and Alice Donut primarily, so it would probably be one of those. I find lyrics distracting, though, when I write, so I usually listen to Secret Agent Radio on SOMA FM (internet radio) when I write. Groovy spy-themed lounge music that is all instrumental. It's my perfect writing music, so perhaps I would serve equally well as a soundtrack.

I hear from the grapevine that CHEW is being made into a tv series? Do you have any dream actors you wish to be cast and a director who you are smitten with who you would love to see develop CHEW into the television series?

Well, we've long said the Ken Leung would be perfect, and we have others. Now that the TV show is actually moving, though (pilot script bought by SHOWTIME and director and writers attached) I don't know how realistic that is. Right now it's just wait and see. I don't know precisely what my involvement in the show will be, though obviously I'd like to be as involved as possible.

As a writer, do you find it more of challenge to create a character from scratch or to continue the story development on an already established iconic character?

Depends on the character, but there are pluses and minuses to each. Nobody can tell me "Tony Chu would not do that," in the same way they could say "Spider-Man would not say or do that." You get to play god with your own characters, and are ultimate arbitrator of what they say and can do. You sorta have to work within boundaries when it comes to characters who are more established, or not your own.

Do fans at comic con bring you cans of beets? Or mylanta? Wait, you do have fans right? ;)

Somebody brought me a jar of eggs pickled in beet juice to a signing in San Francisco. I was pretty drunk, but still sober enough to recognize it's possibly a bad idea to accept purple eggs from total strangers.

There are a lot of legendary forces in the comic industry. When I met jim steranko at comic con, I was in awe. I wanted to say all these witty things, but instead, I blurted, “I’m pearl!” and did some lame high five thing. (hangs head) have you met one of your faves and came off as a dreamy eyed school girl?

Yeah, I have met many super-stars. Talked to Alan Moore on the phone. Communicated regularly with Alex Ross. Talked on multiple occasions to Neil Gaiman. But I went to dinner once with Dave Gibbons and I just couldn't even talk the entire meal I was so star struck.

Thank you so much for taking time and answering these questions. Now I can write in my diary that today I got to interview john layman!

Your poor diary!



This post was written by:
pearlypearle

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DAYTRIPPER what an asian girl thinks of it. holla.

Yellow from philly! Just giving a holla to all the readers of comics and dakine. I’m happy to be part of this posse, courtesy of Big O.

Before we start, let me introduce myself. key things about me: I’m asian. I’m a girl. I dig comics. I rule at any fighting game. Tekken, Soul Calibre and Street Fighter are my jawn. The Hulk is my least favorite super hero. To this day, I am still a Batman kind of girl. I love Nintendo and Sega Dreamcast. I also look good in hoodies. Just remember: little. yellow. different. pearl. Any questions? Send a holla and I’ll answer.

Every Wednesday, I go to my local comic book store and pick up issues, trades, magic cards and with my newly bought treasures, grab some frozen yogurt and sit under a tree to read.

Here is one of the series I follow: Vertigo’s Daytripper by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. The brazilian twin dynamic duo who made their presence known with "De:Tales - Stories from Urban Brazil" and Ba working with Gerard Way on “The Umbrella Academy” ( a personal favorite of mine), these twins are an artistic force.

Picking up Daytripper, I had no idea what to expect. The artwork is beautiful. But that is to be expected. The storyline is different from their past works, but not different in a bad way. The story takes place in Brazil and my friend Marc, a fellow Brazilian native tells me that the brothers capture the city, its locals, the sights, the flavor so to speak perfectly. It makes me want to visit Brazil and learn Portugeuse. I am not sure if this work is translated or not. Anyways, the story focuses on a Brazilian man, Bras: his life, his loves, his family, his job. Bras is the main character, but it is the energetic city, the locals and the dynamic Sao Paulo that is second and enhances the authenticity of Bras as a real person. Bras’ life is unfolded with each issue. Each issue is a reminder that life is not about the length of moments, but the journey to the moments themselves.

The narration of Bras life is told in a nonlinear manner. His story is narrated out of order. Picture a diary and all the pages loose and someone throwing all the entries in the air. As the pages land, gather them into stacks of 20 pages and those would be your issues. Time in this storyline is flexible. It moves forward and backwards, to the past, to the present. Bras isn’t a time traveler. He’s no doctor, mind you. There is no talk about a wrinkle in time. This isn’t really a sci fi comic series. Instead it is a comic that plays around with the notion of time by focusing on an ordinary man. This is more a character development driven comic. The pace of Daytripper is deliberate. Some may say slow. It doesn’t punch you in the face with violence and crazy action scenes. Instead, it coyly invites you in for hot tea and scones and once you are comfortable and friends, proceeds to divulge to you all its family secrets. It is a story that slowly unveils itself and takes you on a cool trip, if you are patient and willing to swallow that red pill. My advice? Swallow.

This post was written by:
pearlypearle

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C&D collective

 
We talk story on comicbooks, music, flicks and all the creative expressions that influence and inspire. Urban-nerds hailin from the SF Bay and Hawaii-- we rightfully scribe to represent our locales.

CONTRIBUTORS

Who am I Started this urban-nerd centric thang in 2009 and have since been reppin at filmfests, comiccons, local artspots, and everywhere else where real creative shit merge, intersect and explode. 

Thankfully, I have fellow imaginauts in this thang that augments my flow through their very different viewpoints but similar passion for things that go BOOM and POW both visually and mentally.  Like many of my fanboy-fam I ate up all things Marvel as a youth but have since grown up to become a hardcore DC-head.  There are no barriers to art and the many vehicles it chooses to travel through...oh, and I ain't your average ninja.
What I like * comicbooks * cosplay  *heroclix  * supporting global communities * cool design aspects * funny people * metahumans and mortals with an imagination that can create other worlds to live in and share
What I listen to * exaggerated enunciation * east coast rap roots * jazz influences * danceable beats * lyrics that tell a story * headphonic beats * radio friendly stylings * r&b samples * subtle use of pianos
What I read  *GL * Uncanny X-Force * Batman & Robin * Batman * Daredevil * FF *Secret Avengers * Batwoman * Birds of Prey *Wonderwoman * Booster Gold * JSA * Flash *JLI * Sirens of Gotham * Secret Six * Songs of Fire & Ice  *Haruki Murakami  *Charles Barkley  * Phil Jackson  *David Sedaris
Sex Power Move: Speed Force

Who am I: Trey. I am scared of heights, slow to open mail and have been asked if I am Chris Martin from Coldplay.

Wot I like: Oakland, Hondas, guacamole, 40s, sweatshirts

Wot I listen to: '60s/'70s soul, hip hop, freestyle, oldies, the occasional rock band

Wot I read: Cormac McCarthy, Kurt Vonnegut, books about football, film, soul and hip hop

Sex Power Move: Perception manipulation

Who am I Life time budget gamer (Since 1989). Long time internet addict (since 1995). Long time blogger (2001 represent). Grew up a slightly awkward tomboy and despite now dressing more like a woman these days, I never quite grew out of all my awkward tomboy ways.

What I like Video games, Mass Effect, Ghostbusters, comics, apocalyptic & post-apocalyptic fiction, sci-fi, zombies, design, lowbrow art, illustration, technology, horror, b-movies, music, fashion, food and  fitness.

What I listen to  Prince, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Peaches, Avenue D, OutKast, A Tribe Called Quest, The Beatles, Beastie Boys, Sia, The Rapture, Spank Rock, Thunderheist, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Yann Tiersen, Basement Jaxx.

What I read Anything Vonnegut, World War Z, The Walking Dead, Shopgirl

Sex Power Move are you they keymaster?




Who am I  My name is Bucky, straight from Kentucky. Actually it's Indiana, but that didn't rhyme. My good friend Omar invited me pontificate about all things comics in his lil' blog sandbox, so here I am. *doffs hat to Omar & JJ* Right off the bat, I am white and I don't have a clue what Dakine means. So there's that.

What I like Dolly Grips & Gaffers

What I listen to Everything

Sex Power Move: Invisible to technology, 3rd smartest man on the planet

Who Am I:  My name is Betty aka Darksithcupcake. I am a geek.

Wot I like: *Star Wars * video games * bake * travel * zombies * comics        * mid century chairs* art* food* vodka * high heels

Wot I listen to: *hip hop  * trance  * jazz  * dub  * bossa nova  

Wot I read: *Steinbeck* Hemingway* Faulkner

Sex Power Move: Hadouken

                     ALUMNI

Who am I I'm a melange of simple, random, complicated, loyal, genuine, observant, aloof & weird... I have multiple alias' & personalities (but they are under control, so don't fret, i'm not insane)... I like words, from simple to multi-syllabic, their meanings/synonyms/antonyms. One of my favorite websites is merriam-webster.com... big O recently got me back into the comic book game after a 15+ year hiatus. Thanks bro... I started collecting comic books in the mid-80's for about 10 years.

Back then comic books cost $0.60/book. When they started to cost $2.00/book I stopped. Coincidentally, this is the same time female relations were high on my social priority list... Back then, I only paid attention to the artwork in comic books with no regard to the story or writer. Now I feel that the writer/story is equally as important as the artwork... Tim & O, so it begins..oh and I am Co-Founder / Resident-Photographer

Wot I like * Comic Books * music * art * dance * sports * random references * humor * sarcasm * laughter * languages & culture * making my muscles burn & lungs explode * gummy bears * spinach * brussel sprouts * ramen * sashimi * uni * witty banter * well placed moles * imperfections - the perfect ones

Wot I listen to * hip hop (underground breakbeats / late 80's/early 90's) * 70's soul/r&b psychedelic soul classic rock * dance / electronic hard drum beats funky slap-happy bass lines * basically all kinds of sounds from the stripped down raw ones to complex productions

Wot I read * Chew * Sweet Tooth * Powers * Cowboy Ninja Viking * Deadpool * Invincible Iron Man * DareDevil * Vengeance of the Moon Knight * Ultimate X * Ultimate Avengers * The Ultimates * X-Force * Batman & Robin (Reborn) * Green Lantern/Blackest Night * The Flash * Secret Six * Jim Butcher - Dresden Files series * Rob Rogers - Devil's Cape * Brett Battles - Jonathan Quinn series * J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings series * MC Foley - The Ice Hotel

Sex Power Move: Multiplicity

Who am I my bangs are straight. i have elf-ears that stick out. i am tiny and i like to wear hoodies and furry hats. i am a rad gamer, collect records, comic books and i make comics and adventures. i keep things in my pockets, such as pear jellybeans, macaroons, and sometimes a token. i mix up my metaphors. i snort when i laugh

Wot I like * causing mischief * deejaying with my bffs
* wii * gamers * graphic novels *new books *hot cocoa *making my own dance moves *kickin ass and takin names

Wot I listen to * old twang * tropicalia * soul* motown *blues * pop

Wot I read * anything by alan moore * grant morrison *brian k. vaughn * garth ennis * neil gaiman * banana yoshimoto and the list goes on...

Sex Power Move: up up down down left right left right B A start

Who am I  Started collecting at the age of 10 and never stopped. Throughout sports, marriage and career, I checked in periodically with Leifeld and Lee to favorites Madureira and Nord. Passion never died as stories and art continue to strive while Optimus, Hulk and more are brought to life on the big screen. O and I would rush home from school to catch Voltron, Snake Eyes and Panthro. All while grinding a fat bowl of Golden Grahams, shoes off and eyes wide open.

We hope to capture all things nostalgic, unseen, unheard, blown up, Hawaii, Sho Kosugi, deflected, laser blasted, mind tricked, dropped kicked, sword driven, gun toting, sexually charged, chi-harnessed, politically smart, musically gifted and fashionably updated. Once again it’s on!

Wot I like * Comics * writing * political essays * biographies * music * comedians * collaboration
* eureka moments * essays * health * fantasy sports * college football * mixed plates and poke'

Wot I listen to * Hip-Hop * Indie Pop * Hawaiian * Sludge Rock * Reggae * DJ Battles * 70 & 80's R&B * Classic Rock * Jazz * Acoustic Rock * Legends of Guitar

Sex Power Move: Growth Generation



  Who am I in the name of love and war took my shield and sword from the pit of the bottom, that knows no floor like the rain to the dirt, from the vine to the wine. from the alpha to creation, to the end of all time.

Wot I like * math *photography

Wot I listen to * sade adu

Wot I watch *wild combinations
Wot I read * intelligent investor

Sex Power Move: Tactile Telekinesis

Who am I:  I’m Batman! I fight crime. And I really hate the bad guys!
(chuckles) In the real world, I’m a modern day astronaut- supply,
repair, assemble, research and develop.  However, I hold Bill Clinton
responsible for directing the CIA to withhold payment for being the
star of something called "The Richest Family" during the presidency of
George H.W. Bush. My protests called for the impeachment of Clinton
even after Clinton was no longer in office. Bill Clinton and various
other US presidents are frequently accused of cooperating with the 12
Galaxies to commit crimes and treasons. -Sorry Frank Chu, I couldn’t
resist.

Wot I like:  Marvel, DC, Image, Pixar, Disney, Criterion Collection
and Palm Films. Dark Comedies, Sci-Fi, Action, Indie, and Foreign are
my favs. Baseball, Collegiate Sports, Football, Basketball, Golf,
Architecture, American Author, Poet, Naturalist, Tax resister,
Development Critic, Surveyor, Historian, Philosopher, Brilliant Minded
People, Personal Pan Pizzas , Symbolic Meanings, Business-to-Business,
Lovefest, History, Cultures, Sweets, Organic farming, Social Media
Networking, Beer, Spirits, Audi, Bootcamp, Yoga, Pilates, Ice cream,
Pizza, Burning Man, Coachella, Kayaking, Traveling, Bianchi Fixies,
and many many more…

Wot I listen to: Pandora and am dial.
Wot I read: Comics, what else could be better?  Maxim, please…

Sex Power Move: Austin Powers. Yeah, baby, yeah.

Who am I:  A proud graduate of Handsome Boy Modeling School and a known associate of Big O since drop kicking was in style. Old enough to remember that "Golden Era Hip Hop" was played either from a cassette a turntable or college radio show. That Must see TV was Transformer b/w G.I Joe on ch.2 @ 4. Learned hand checking, fouling and rebounding from watching the NY Knicks.  Still have the disgusting habit of buying cds from the record store, buying newspapers with nickles and dimes (cause they still don't accept pennies) and magazines from newsstands.


Wot I like: My Kidz, Hoops, B Ball Sneaks, Real Hip Hop,
Movies and TV Shows without Vampires...I'll take things that don't suck for 100 please. When I have time NBA LiveMadden and Resident Evil.
O yeah almost forgot Comics!!

Wot I watch:  The Midichlorian Count Saga, Royal Wid Cheese, The Dude Abides

Wot I listen to:  Too much to list but if you turn on the radio you wont find it.
Wot I read:  Anything by Elmore Leonard, Jim Swain, Don Winslow..basically anything with a gun..a dame..and a plan.

Sex Power Move: Sonic-scream

What I like: Ono grinds, anything –silog, analogies, wordplay, nostalgia, spongeboarding, cafes, philosophy, prose, soul searching, spinning vinyl, talking story...

Wot I watch: Departures, Planet B-Boy, Princess Kaiulani, Copyright Criminals, Dogtown and the Z-Boys, Scratch

Wot I listen to: Donny Hathaway (1945-1979), Jets to Brazil, Raashan Ahmad, DJ Jazzy Jeff, ♥ Jill Scott ♥, J Dilla, Cut Chemist, Red Hot Chili Peppers, freshkimos, Roc Raida, Elastica, BlackStar, Nina Simone, The CounterParts Crew, Jake Shimabukuro, Jazmine Sullivan, Pink Floyd, Foo Fighters, Jamie Foxx, Lyrics Born, DJ Enki, DJ Spair, Latyrx, Vienna Teng, Amad-Jamal, Slayers Club, Talib Kweli, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Skitz The Samurida, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Eluvium, A Tribe Called Quest, Sade Adu, Moriyama Naotaro, Weather Pending, Jazz Mafia, Nocturnal Sound Krew,FingerFaderFunk, Goh Nakamura, J-Live, Sublime, Lenny Kravitz, Kid Koala, Raphael Saadiq, Bonobo, A-Trak, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Gorillaz, Kanye West, Jack Johnson, DJ Shadow, The Gift of Gab, GangStarr, Invisibl Skratch Piklz

Wot I read: Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me, Gaijin Yokozuna, Mercy Mercy Me, Eddie Would Go, Chinese Playground, Parable of Talents, Nufonia Must Fall, Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Turntable Timmy

Sex Power Move: Unusual dexterity and teleportation with a faint scent of burning brimstone

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