I am a bit of an online comic fan, and so I though I might share my favourites with you – not all of them suit everybody, but there should be something in there for everyone…
...in no particular order...
Questionable Content (quirky, humorous and painfully hip)
Wulffmorgenthaler (weird and wacky eurotrash)
xkcd (geeky, nerdy, techno-humour)
Girls with Slingshots (racy, close to the bone)
The Dreamer (lovely artwork and strange story)
The Phoenix Requiem (another beautifully drawn graphic novel with a disturbing story)
String Theory (edgy and fun in a weird way)
Menage a 3 (x-rated comic filth)
Dead Winter (zombie-tastic)
TX Comics (a collection of some of my favourite comics including:)
- Aardehn (beautifully inked drawings with a fantasy tale)
- Butternut Squash (irreverent attitude with great characters)
- Kukuburi (fabulous artwork and surreal story)
- The Abominable Charles Christopher (superbly drawn and beautifully written)
- Sin Titulo (quirky, strange story)
Dreamless (beautiful artwork and another unusual storyline)
Friday, June 18, 2010
South of England Show...
South of England Show
This is a grand agricultural show on a huge scale that has loads of things to see and do for just everyone. We were very lucky with the glorious weather and were happy to potter about and look at the stands, eat alfresco with friends as we listened to music, watch the entertainment in the arena and generally have a nice day out.
This is a grand agricultural show on a huge scale that has loads of things to see and do for just everyone. We were very lucky with the glorious weather and were happy to potter about and look at the stands, eat alfresco with friends as we listened to music, watch the entertainment in the arena and generally have a nice day out.
A walk in the park…
Summer has started to make itself felt in the UK and now people are taking the opportunity to spend time out in the open spaces. I too have enjoyed the felling of sun on my back as I explored Dulwich Park with a couple of friends who grew up in the area. Many other happy folk were also enjoying the green parkland, boating lake, sports fields, bikes for hire and various other attractions there. We too took to the water, perambulated around, used the open air gym equipment, had coffee and cake in the village and played Frisbee amongst the other happy visitors. It was a great day out – everybody should visit a park at least once a year.
More of wot I have heard…
Say I am You by The Weepies
The Weepies were another ‘recommendation’ in a similar vein to the other album I bought. They also have a similar sound and feel to them. Lovely.
‘Since they met in a Cambridge folk club 9 years ago, The Weepies have progressed from an indie duo playing house concerts, to ranks on the Billboard Charts. Though they now have sales in the hundreds of thousands, the Weepies have kept a surprisingly low profile; they haven’t toured at all since 2006.’
Goodnight by William Fitzsimmons
This was an album ‘recommended’ by a well known online retailer that I am glad I took a gamble on. It has a lovely gentle melancholic vibe that is very seductive.
‘William Fitzsimmons is one of the oddest people you will ever meet. Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William was raised in the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to the family's inability to communicate through normal visual means, William's childhood home was filled with a myriad of sounds to replace what eyes could not see. The house was suffused with pianos, guitars, trombones, talking birds, classical records, family sing-a-longs, bedtime stories, and the bellowing of a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands. When his father's orchestral records were not resonating through the walls, his mother would educate him on the folk stylings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. By the completion of his youth and schooling, Fitzsimmons had become well-versed at a variety of instruments, at the minor expense of social standing, interactional skills, and a knowledge of proper shaving technique.’
ABCDEFG by Chumbawamba
This is another top album from these politically sensitive musicians and artists. You can let the beautiful sounds wash over you or allow yourself to be drawn into the deeper underling messages in the lyrics, either way it is equally rewording.
‘Seven letters to hint at what Chumbawamba have spent their adult lives doing: fashioning something weird, funny, eccentric and challenging from a seven-note Do-re-mi of possibilities. Or by another name, music.
This, the band’s 17th album, is another concept album (‘concept’ as in ‘idea’. Above all, ideas is what Chumbawamba thrive on), an album full of ideas specifically about music. Music both good and bad, music celebrated and music ridiculed.’
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
I defy anyone not to watch this group perform and come out smiling like a loon. We were not too sure what to expect, though the few interviews and performances on the radio gave us a clue to their gentle subversive nature. We saw them at the local halls and were captivated from the first note through to the last. So much that we bought one of their albums which has been on high rotation at home. If they appear near you (and they are tour extensively through the world) then make sure you go and see them – you won’t be disappointed (unless you were expecting a George Formby concert).
‘The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is a group of all-singing, all-strumming Ukulele players, using instruments bought with loose change, which believes that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation, as long as they are played on the Ukulele.A concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is a funny, virtuosic, twanging, awesome, foot-stomping obituary of rock-n-roll and melodious light entertainment featuring only the “bonsai guitar” and a menagerie of voices in a collision of post-punk performance and toe-tapping oldies. There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery. Only an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and singing (and a bit of whistling). Audiences have a good time with the Ukulele Orchestra. Going from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks, the Orchestra takes us on “a world tour with only hand luggage” and gives the listener “One Plucking Thing After Another”.’
London Town by The Magic Theatre
From two of the original members of the indie band Ooberman comes a concept album with an intriguing story and wonderful ethereal tunes. Some tracks remind me of the delightful Black Box Recorder who also had a breathy female singer and are sadly no more a group.
The London Town album is very a lush and enveloping soundtrack to an entertaining story. The website has some interesting videos to accompany the tracks.
‘The album is a time-travel love story set in 1968 and 1888, where the young 60s hero falls through a hole in time in The Magic Theatre in the Old Victorian Steam fair, to find his one true love in 1880’s London’
The Weepies were another ‘recommendation’ in a similar vein to the other album I bought. They also have a similar sound and feel to them. Lovely.
‘Since they met in a Cambridge folk club 9 years ago, The Weepies have progressed from an indie duo playing house concerts, to ranks on the Billboard Charts. Though they now have sales in the hundreds of thousands, the Weepies have kept a surprisingly low profile; they haven’t toured at all since 2006.’
Goodnight by William Fitzsimmons
This was an album ‘recommended’ by a well known online retailer that I am glad I took a gamble on. It has a lovely gentle melancholic vibe that is very seductive.
‘William Fitzsimmons is one of the oddest people you will ever meet. Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William was raised in the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to the family's inability to communicate through normal visual means, William's childhood home was filled with a myriad of sounds to replace what eyes could not see. The house was suffused with pianos, guitars, trombones, talking birds, classical records, family sing-a-longs, bedtime stories, and the bellowing of a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands. When his father's orchestral records were not resonating through the walls, his mother would educate him on the folk stylings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. By the completion of his youth and schooling, Fitzsimmons had become well-versed at a variety of instruments, at the minor expense of social standing, interactional skills, and a knowledge of proper shaving technique.’
ABCDEFG by Chumbawamba
This is another top album from these politically sensitive musicians and artists. You can let the beautiful sounds wash over you or allow yourself to be drawn into the deeper underling messages in the lyrics, either way it is equally rewording.
‘Seven letters to hint at what Chumbawamba have spent their adult lives doing: fashioning something weird, funny, eccentric and challenging from a seven-note Do-re-mi of possibilities. Or by another name, music.
This, the band’s 17th album, is another concept album (‘concept’ as in ‘idea’. Above all, ideas is what Chumbawamba thrive on), an album full of ideas specifically about music. Music both good and bad, music celebrated and music ridiculed.’
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
I defy anyone not to watch this group perform and come out smiling like a loon. We were not too sure what to expect, though the few interviews and performances on the radio gave us a clue to their gentle subversive nature. We saw them at the local halls and were captivated from the first note through to the last. So much that we bought one of their albums which has been on high rotation at home. If they appear near you (and they are tour extensively through the world) then make sure you go and see them – you won’t be disappointed (unless you were expecting a George Formby concert).
‘The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is a group of all-singing, all-strumming Ukulele players, using instruments bought with loose change, which believes that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation, as long as they are played on the Ukulele.A concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is a funny, virtuosic, twanging, awesome, foot-stomping obituary of rock-n-roll and melodious light entertainment featuring only the “bonsai guitar” and a menagerie of voices in a collision of post-punk performance and toe-tapping oldies. There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery. Only an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and singing (and a bit of whistling). Audiences have a good time with the Ukulele Orchestra. Going from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks, the Orchestra takes us on “a world tour with only hand luggage” and gives the listener “One Plucking Thing After Another”.’
London Town by The Magic Theatre
From two of the original members of the indie band Ooberman comes a concept album with an intriguing story and wonderful ethereal tunes. Some tracks remind me of the delightful Black Box Recorder who also had a breathy female singer and are sadly no more a group.
The London Town album is very a lush and enveloping soundtrack to an entertaining story. The website has some interesting videos to accompany the tracks.
‘The album is a time-travel love story set in 1968 and 1888, where the young 60s hero falls through a hole in time in The Magic Theatre in the Old Victorian Steam fair, to find his one true love in 1880’s London’
More of wot I have read…
The Power of One by Bryce Courtney
This is a well known South African tale that past me by originally, but was recommended to me by a colleague from RSA. It is an interesting read for the illumination of a place and time that was hidden to many outsiders, though I was put off by the precocious and self assured lead character that I didn’t warm to.
‘First with your head and then with your heart. . .
So says Hoppie Groenewald, boxing champion, to a seven-year-old boy who dreams of being the welterweight champion of the world. For the young Peekay, it is a piece of advice he will carry with him throughout his life.
Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, young Peekay will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships, he gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, Peekay will fight to the death for justice…’
This is a well known South African tale that past me by originally, but was recommended to me by a colleague from RSA. It is an interesting read for the illumination of a place and time that was hidden to many outsiders, though I was put off by the precocious and self assured lead character that I didn’t warm to.
‘First with your head and then with your heart. . .
So says Hoppie Groenewald, boxing champion, to a seven-year-old boy who dreams of being the welterweight champion of the world. For the young Peekay, it is a piece of advice he will carry with him throughout his life.
Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, young Peekay will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships, he gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, Peekay will fight to the death for justice…’
Thursday, June 03, 2010
More of wot I have seen…
Alabama 3 at the HMV Forum
We have a couple of Alabama 3 albums, the best being their debut Exile on Coldharbour Lane.
Although the band doesn’t seem to take them selves too seriously, they do have some pretty deep messages to convey in their lyrics.
We were looking forward to seeing them and travelled up to North London, had a meal in an Italian Café and then went on to the venue, a superbly converted cinema. Once in the venue we suddenly felt old – it was very load and there was no seating downstairs. We were not however the oldest there and we soon realised that we could not pick out a typical audience member style as it varied from hip-hop homies, gay cowboys, heavy set rockers, top hat wearing Goths, indie chicks and boys and people more like us. It was a party atmosphere and the band had great energy, but we were glad to leave early to catch the train as our ears were ringing. The unfortunate side effect of playing their music so loud was that we missed most of the wonderful lyrics as our eardrums distorted at the volume.
They say…
‘We're the Alabama 3. We make Sweet Pretty Muthafuckin Country Acid House Music. All night long. We're not from Alabama, and there's not three of us. We're from Brixton, London. We're the fellas that did that Soprano's theme tune. That tune bought someone a swimming pool, but it sure wasn't any of us...’
‘…As ministers in the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine, we know the party ain't never over. Not till you're sitting on the toilet in a big nappy with a rancid quarter pounder in your, fat, cold, dead, dead, emerald-encrusted hand…’
We have a couple of Alabama 3 albums, the best being their debut Exile on Coldharbour Lane.
Although the band doesn’t seem to take them selves too seriously, they do have some pretty deep messages to convey in their lyrics.
We were looking forward to seeing them and travelled up to North London, had a meal in an Italian Café and then went on to the venue, a superbly converted cinema. Once in the venue we suddenly felt old – it was very load and there was no seating downstairs. We were not however the oldest there and we soon realised that we could not pick out a typical audience member style as it varied from hip-hop homies, gay cowboys, heavy set rockers, top hat wearing Goths, indie chicks and boys and people more like us. It was a party atmosphere and the band had great energy, but we were glad to leave early to catch the train as our ears were ringing. The unfortunate side effect of playing their music so loud was that we missed most of the wonderful lyrics as our eardrums distorted at the volume.
They say…
‘We're the Alabama 3. We make Sweet Pretty Muthafuckin Country Acid House Music. All night long. We're not from Alabama, and there's not three of us. We're from Brixton, London. We're the fellas that did that Soprano's theme tune. That tune bought someone a swimming pool, but it sure wasn't any of us...’
‘…As ministers in the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine, we know the party ain't never over. Not till you're sitting on the toilet in a big nappy with a rancid quarter pounder in your, fat, cold, dead, dead, emerald-encrusted hand…’
Tangerine Dream…
Blackpool Football Club goes up to the Premier League much to the delight of my father who has supported them since childhood.
'Blackpool will become the 44th team to play in the Premier League next season - and the players are already relishing the opportunity of facing the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Wembley triumph in the Play-offs against Cardiff City will go down as a career highlight for every player that stepped out on to the field and will long live in every Blackpool supporters' memory. '
'Blackpool will become the 44th team to play in the Premier League next season - and the players are already relishing the opportunity of facing the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Wembley triumph in the Play-offs against Cardiff City will go down as a career highlight for every player that stepped out on to the field and will long live in every Blackpool supporters' memory. '
More of wot I have read…
Gaunt’s Ghosts by Dan Abnett
These books are what they are; written representations of the table-top war-game Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop. But that said they are well written and give a great feel for the action pact nature of the game. The back story and characters development adds an extra dimension to the bloodletting.
Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding
This omnibus edition of the first three Gaunt's Ghosts novels follows the story of the Tanith First-and-Only regiment (nicknamed the Ghosts) and their charismatic commissar, Ibram Gaunt. As they travel from warzone to warzone in the Chaos-infested Sabbat Worlds system, the Ghosts must not only carry out the most dangerous of missions but also survive the deady politics of the Imperial Guard.
‘In the Chaos-infested Sabbat system, the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard stand shoulder to shoulder as they encounter an invasion by heretical forces
Amongst the Guard are the troops of the Tanith First-and-Only, a displaced army forced to flee their home planet before it succumbed to the unrelenting assault of Chaos. Nicknamed the Ghosts, their specialist scouting role has thrown them into the thickest of the fighting, trying to complete whatever desperate mission their uncaring commanders have volunteered them for!
Now Gaunt must evade the treacherous scheming of rival regiments and the lethal firepower of the enemy if he is to win through and lead his Ghosts to victory!’
Gaunt's Ghosts: The Saint
This omnibus edition follows the second cycle of the Gaunt's Ghost stories in a collection called, "The Saint". It includes the four novels, Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr. The story arc follows the First & Only from warzone to warzone of the Chaos-infested Sabbats World system fighting enemies in many guises and shapes.
‘In the blood-soaked Sabbat Worlds Crusade, the massed ranks of the Imperium battle the dark forces of Chaos for domination.
At the forefront of this conflict are the Imperial Guard – untold numbers of ordinary soldiers fighting to preserve the Emperor’s holy realm. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the men of the Tanith First-and-Only are at the heart of this struggle. Forced to flee their planet before it was destroyed by Chaos, their specialist scouting role has earned them the nickname the Ghosts, along with any dangerous mission their commanders deign to throw at them.
Follow Gaunt’s epic adventures as he and his men storm into battle with their warcry: Men of Tanith, do you want to live forever?’
These books are what they are; written representations of the table-top war-game Warhammer 40,000 from Games Workshop. But that said they are well written and give a great feel for the action pact nature of the game. The back story and characters development adds an extra dimension to the bloodletting.
Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding
This omnibus edition of the first three Gaunt's Ghosts novels follows the story of the Tanith First-and-Only regiment (nicknamed the Ghosts) and their charismatic commissar, Ibram Gaunt. As they travel from warzone to warzone in the Chaos-infested Sabbat Worlds system, the Ghosts must not only carry out the most dangerous of missions but also survive the deady politics of the Imperial Guard.
‘In the Chaos-infested Sabbat system, the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard stand shoulder to shoulder as they encounter an invasion by heretical forces
Amongst the Guard are the troops of the Tanith First-and-Only, a displaced army forced to flee their home planet before it succumbed to the unrelenting assault of Chaos. Nicknamed the Ghosts, their specialist scouting role has thrown them into the thickest of the fighting, trying to complete whatever desperate mission their uncaring commanders have volunteered them for!
Now Gaunt must evade the treacherous scheming of rival regiments and the lethal firepower of the enemy if he is to win through and lead his Ghosts to victory!’
Gaunt's Ghosts: The Saint
This omnibus edition follows the second cycle of the Gaunt's Ghost stories in a collection called, "The Saint". It includes the four novels, Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr. The story arc follows the First & Only from warzone to warzone of the Chaos-infested Sabbats World system fighting enemies in many guises and shapes.
‘In the blood-soaked Sabbat Worlds Crusade, the massed ranks of the Imperium battle the dark forces of Chaos for domination.
At the forefront of this conflict are the Imperial Guard – untold numbers of ordinary soldiers fighting to preserve the Emperor’s holy realm. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the men of the Tanith First-and-Only are at the heart of this struggle. Forced to flee their planet before it was destroyed by Chaos, their specialist scouting role has earned them the nickname the Ghosts, along with any dangerous mission their commanders deign to throw at them.
Follow Gaunt’s epic adventures as he and his men storm into battle with their warcry: Men of Tanith, do you want to live forever?’
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