Pentatonix Reindeer-Vote Now! Last Day!

A lot of creative folks have turned out some nifty designs for an ugly sweater contest being held by the popular a cappella group, Pentatonix. I'm asking you to go today--the final day--and vote for the cuter than cute one above by my friend Dee whose artwork is growing by leaps and bounds! You have to have Facebook or Twitter to vote but then who doesn't these days. You can vote once each via each one.

Take a look at the others while you're there but please consider voting for THIS one!

Thanx!

https://www.talenthouse.com/i/531/submission/143051/5c2a6e09

Buster Keaton Blogathon

Just a quick note to announce that I will be participating along with a lot of other great blogs in an upcoming February 2015 Blogathon about Buster Keaton.

I first encountered Buster on television and in the Beach Party movies of the early 1960s. It wasn't until a decade and more later when I was able to discover his true classics--many in big screen revivals. He's been one of my very favorite comic actors as well as one of my favorite filmmakers ever since!

I'll be writing about some of that later period television work that still hinted of his true greatness to pre-schooler me. More details as things progress!

The Sculptor

This apparently won't be out until February but if you're a fan of comics as a storytelling medium and not just of guys in colorful costumes beating the heck out of each other, might I suggest you spend any Christmas money you might receive on it. Nearly 500 pages for under $25. I was privileged to read an advance copy recently and it blew me away. My in-depth review will be coming in an upcoming new publication to be announced soon but consider this my blanket recommendation for THE SCULPTOR.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sculptor-Scott-McCloud/dp/1596435739

Nebraska

As a Bruce Dern fan from way back in his OUTER LIMITS days, I wanted to see him take home the Oscar last year for what seemed like a marvelous, career-topping comeback performance in the black and white NEBRASKA. Sadly he did not. 

The film has recently turned up on NetFlix, however and I wanted to recommend it to all and sundry. It's long but never dull, slow moving but never boring, quiet but never tiring. It also offers up some impressively juicy performances by not just the amazing Dern but also Oscar-nominated June Squibb, Stacy Keach, Bob (He's everywhere these days) Odenkirk and the one that was, to me, the revelation--Will Forte. 

I only knew the latter from  his silly TV comedy performances which, while enjoyable, gave no indication of the depth he could bring to a performance that offers as much silent acting as it does dialogue. VERY impressed with this man.

The real kicker, though, that makes this not just a good, well-acted film, is the astounding black and white photography. This is not just one of those "crank down the color" productions. No, every scene offers imagery that makes even the most mundane subject looks like it should be hanging in a museum!

The story, dealing with an old man's delusions that he has won a million dollar sweepstakes, is mostly a McGuffin giving the excuse for the wonderful and scenic revisiting of the past but, at the end, the filmmakers, while staying realistic about it, actually twist it around to work for the benefit of a quietly lovely conclusion.

Rent it, buy it, or catch it right now on NetFlix. 

NEBRASKA.

Booksteve Recommends! 

Vintage Mickey and Minnie Ad-1938

Help Rebuild a Bookstore

I spotted this almost randomly online today, like it was meant to happen. I've never been to Sparta, TN and you probably haven't either. But that's not the point. There are a LOT of good causes screaming for assistance these days but this is not just an individual's cause--this was a small community's BOOKSTORE! Nobody gets away with burning BOOKS--even by accident-- while Booksteve can do something about it. I don't know these people. Never heard of them until 10 minutes ago. But this is now MY cause and I'm asking you to contribute what you can this season! Without books, we lose. It's as simple as that. We lose everything. 

Here's the text on the site where I found it:

"I was wondering if you would share a post that may be able to help re-built a bookstore that follows your page from Sparta, TN? It is the only bookstore around within 50 miles of Sparta, TN Thanks so much! ************************************************************************************ 

Please give support and aid to this small Independent bookstore that was destroyed when a neighboring business caught fire. Riverbank Books was a big supporter of indie authors and with your help,Tonya can start a new bookstore. Let share this post and help Sparta, TN get their bookstore back! 

Donations can be made via Paypal @ Sunshinetonya1973@yahoo.com or at http://www.gofundme.com/RebuildRiverbank 

Please share, Thank You !"

There's also a Facebook page--https://www.facebook.com/rebuildriverbankbooksdream?pnref=story

Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Let's show the world that books are IMPORTANT, damn it!

Charles Biro Bio

Now here was an interesting--if largely forgotten--guy in comic book history. Charlie Biro started out as a jack of all trades at the Harry Chelser "shop" that provided comic strips to various publishers. He wound up doing the same thing at the pre-Archie MLJ comics where he's credited with co-creating the venerable Steel Sterling. For Hillman, he co-created Airboy.

He finally settled in at Lev Gleason where he worked as writer, artist and editor on Crimebuster, Daredevil, The Little Wise Guys, Silver Streak, The Claw and CRIME DOES NOT PAY!

The latter was one of the first of the crime comics genre which--alongside the horror comics--dominated the industry in the 1950s. Despite its reputation for violence, it was also given a number of awards by various civic organizations.

As showrunner for Gleason, Biro was one of the first to attempt to establish a rapport with his readers via letters columns and info pages, pioneering Stan Lee's methodology that would popularize Marvel a decade later. Also like Stan, he tried to maintain a uniform look for the company's art styles and in fact did nearly all of the covers himself.

He hung on a little while after the 1950s comic book bust but ended up moving into graphic design in the television industry until his death in the early 1970s.