Monday Links

Flying solo this week, so this is shorter and not really a "team-up"...

-New comics this week: The second issue of James Stokoe's mind-blowing Orc Stain. I finally say down and read the second volume of Won Ton Soup earlier in the week and so another release from Stokoe couldn't come at a better time. What's so great about his work is how it looks beautiful so you don't even have to read it, but the story's actually fairly complex and weird and so, you keep coming back to it. A big chunk of his work like Won Ton Soup is almost too much and it's really cool to receive monthly--or bi-monthly I guess--doses. Also: King City #6!

-The other day, Karen basically sat me down and told me to read this Josh Simmons story "Cock Bone" from issue three of the Robin Bougie-curated Sleazy Slice and wow, one of the best, most fucked-up reads ever. Like, it sticks with you and it randomly pops-up in your head days or weeks later. Sean T. Collins' review here pretty much nails it, especially this sentence: "And in the comic's most memorable, haunting effect, it doesn't so much end as give up--rather than actually showing what happens in the last two panels, Simmons superimposes simple caption boxes over the visuals that sum up their hidden contents in one or two words, as though the main character, Simmons, the world couldn't bear to endure the real thing." Word to Atomic Books for having a copy of Sleazy Slice which I promptly bought the day after reading "Cock Bone". Though it's hardly new, I'd like to direct everybody over to Simmons' website and read his unofficial Batman comic which is equally great and disturbing, if less explicit.

-Also, some real cool comics-related stuff added to NETFLIX 'Watch It Now' last week: Meteor Man and Harlan Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth! Meteor Man just plain rules and is at the tail-end of the mid-80s, early 90s politically-engaged black comedy boom that's all but nonexistent anymore. Also tons of cameos and small parts by dudes like Big Daddy Kane! The Harlan Ellison doc is pretty good, especially for not idealizing the lovable curmudgeon but also portraying him as this no-bullshit legend. I rewatched it last night and noticed that over the credits, there's a part that says "Harlan Ellison wishes to thank..." and it's followed not by friends or family but basically a cool list of influences. I screen-capped it below:



-Sorry, that's all the comics news I got. DJ Paul of Three-Six Mafia released a mixtape last week that's really good.

-Check out this study on dancing babies!!!.