Never-Ending Battle

"With great power, comes great responsibility."− Uncle Ben, 1962

Since I wrote about the subject in such detail last year, I thought it made sense to give a nod to PBS's excellent new documentary on superheroes, which aired last week. Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle is a three-hour look at the origins of today's modern myths, and how they have mirrored the times they were created in. For a comic book and pop-culture fan, it's a fascinating and surprisingly thorough look at our favorite caped crusaders, kicking off with the creation of Superman by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in the 1930s: 

Siegel and Shuster were Jewish, and it is really interesting to consider that the history of immigrants coming to America inspired the concept of the "man from Krypton."

The documentary continues to have a wonderful flow, detailing how current events and pop culture served as the true origins of earth's mightiest heroes: World War II (Wonder Woman, Captain America); The Atomic Age (Fantastic Four, The Hulk); Civil Rights Era (Black Panther, X-Men); Post-Watergate (The Punisher, Wolverine, The Watchmen) and so on. The filmmakers obviously have a love for the genre, as they go on to include such seminal comic book stories as Green Lantern/Green Arrow, The Dark Knight Returns, and Marvel's Civil Wars... and interviews with such experts as Marvel Comics' Stan Lee, and historian William H. Foster III (who spoke at our Museum last year)... what's not to love?

Superheroes was produced by historian Laurence Maslon and director Michael Kantor, who has worked with documentarian Ken Burns. The well-researched tone makes it feel like something Burns himself might consider putting together... as Lee points out in the documentary, comics and supermen are "sort of like jazz... it's an American art form!"

Another bullseye... "Hawkeye #13"-
Aja and Fraction explore the topics of death 
and family relations. ©Marvel Comics.

But as we know, comic books are still fighting their way towards respectability− I have written about this before, so I hardly need to repeat it. Since the Alex Ross exhibit at Norman Rockwell Museum, I have found myself popping back into the comic book stores... but I must admit to being disappointed about the general quantity over quality of books produced. Having said that, like any art form I know that it can still produce true, creative work.

Last week they finally released the latest issue of Marvel Comics' Hawkeye. Written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by the Spanish artist David Aja, it continues to be a gorgeous series, certainly standing out from the typical superhero fare. It's been about three months since their last issue hit the stands, but I guess the time and care these creators put into their storytelling makes it worth the wait (the European, storyboard style is a winner).

Similar to Aja, I am drawn to the work of Italian comic book artist Francesco Francavilla, who illustrated one of the better fill-in issues of Hawkeye and is the creator of Dark Horse Comics' The Black Beetle. Francavilla has a brilliant, cinematic quality to his lines and layout, and he is obviously takes a cue from the daring style of Fraction/Aja. But I was hardly prepared for his latest book... a re-imagining of the Archie Comics' characters as a horror comic. Afterlife with Archie takes Archie, Veronica, Betty, Jughead and the rest of the gang, and merges them with the current zombie craze that has infested pop culture. Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has a background in horror as well as a love for Archie, and surprisingly this collaboration with Francavilla really seems to work. One of my big gripes about comics is that they tend to shy away from trying anything that different, so you can imagine my shock in looking forward to these new tales of the gang from Riverdale!



On that note, kudos to PBS for airing the Superheroes documentary. As a fan and creator of documentaries, I found a lot to learn from here. I'm actually in the midst of working on my next short video for the Museum and, as always, it's a struggle... but I remember that the love and care I put into my own superhero documentary for the Alex Ross exhibit last year, which resulted in some very favorable reviews and top awards... so like Ben Parker's nephew, I'll try and summon that old spider-strength once again.

Hey, I realize that PBS is where I first met Spidey back in the day (Electric Company), proving that it once again comes full-circle and anything is possible. Hell, maybe I'll even get the chance to create my own PBS documentary some day...

Well, halloween is right around the corner...
Photo ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights
reserved.

Related Links:

Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle 

Comic-Con 2013 Panel for "Superheroes," PBS Channel, YouTube, October 11, 2013

"'Superheroes' Interview: Filmmakers hold mirror up to American culture," Washington Post, October 15, 2013

"World War R: New Comic Pits Archie and Friends Against the Undead," NPR, October 18, 2013

The Art of Francesco Francavilla

David Aja's blog

The Final Chapter

Alex Ross, "Marvels #4" cover, 1994.
 Courtesy of the artist. SPIDER-MAN ™
& © 2013 Marvel and Subs.

Well, the day has finally arrived. It's the final hours for the exhibition, Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross at Norman Rockwell Museum. Long-time comics fan that I am, you know I'll be sorry to see this one go. 

This past week was school vacation week, and I spent it buzzing around the Museum dressed as Spider-Man and meeting the public. I was joined by several other caped crusaders... really, what other job lets you run around in your "pajamas" all day? 

I have said it before, but there was something sweet about having the chance to dress up as Spidey and entertain the kids... it's all come full-circle for me. It definitely gave me a chance to ham it up... you can view some photos from the past week on the Museum's Facebook page.

I also think we succeeded in attracting a whole new audience to the Museum with this exhibition. A photographer stopped in mid-week and was raving about all the marketing we had been doing... he was particularly impressed by the movie trailer we had playing at the local theaters... he went on and on, saying how it was as good as any trailer you see at the movies... until I mentioned that I was the one who created it. Funny how people sometimes find it harder to directly compliment someone on their work... I'm sure Spidey could relate, eh?

Avengers Assemble! Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

So... what now? Well, at the Museum we will be presenting an exhibition of the work of Hungarian-born illustrator Istvan Banyai--it's pretty interesting, expressive art, and seems like a good segue from Alex Ross' work (Banyai has also done graphic novel work, and it seems like a natural medium considering his style). As for me, well... I'm continuing with preparations for my play, and I have a couple other things in the works. So stay tuned true believer... you'll be sure to hear about it here... same Bat blog, same Bat channel!

Make Mine Marvel! Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Putting My Spin on It

...with a little help from the web, that is. 

www.nrm.org/alexross

A reminder that I'll be donning my Spider-Man threads again in the upcoming days for the final week of the exhibition, Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross at Norman Rockwell Museum. The Museum will be extending its hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for school vacation week, and you have the chance to meet a different superhero in-person every day from 1 to 3 p.m. So far, I'm on tap for Monday, February 18, and Thursday, February 21, but I might not be able to help myself from jumping in on other days to join my fellow caped crusaders... hell, it gets me out of the office! Anyway, I'm looking forward to more "hero worship"− the delight in kids' eyes makes it all worthwhile.

http://exit977.org

Speaking of delight, I'm also quite excited about the re-airing of my Chrysalis Dreams: 30 Years of A-ha radio special tomorrow night, February 18, starting at 6 p.m. EST on WEXT. It's been a long time coming to be able to hear more A-ha on North American radio, and apparently I wasn't the only one patiently waiting... here's hoping that all the national and international listeners don't overwhelm the online stream this time (just in case, I recommend that you download the station's iTunes app... or tune in a little earlier to reserve your space!). Of course listeners in the Albany, New York area will be able to tune in live on their radios... and I have to say, there is still nothing sweeter.

For more details on my endeavors this week, please visit the respective websites. Ok, off to the gym so I"ll be able to fit into my webslinger costume tomorrow... oof!

websites:

Norman Rockwell Museum

Exit 97.7 WEXT

Heart + Soul

Well-suited! Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Happy Valentines Day, dear readers (aka Mom)!

I'm getting ready to meet my girl out for a holiday dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. I have been so busy lately preparing for my upcoming show with Schenectady Civic Players (we just did promotional photos last night), that I haven't seen much of Sarah... it will be nice to spend some quality time this evening.

It sounds like my wife has had a pretty interesting afternoon, teaching a Heart Science Homeschool lab at the science museum where she teaches. I just saw a photo on the museum's Facebook page of her holding a real-life heart (huh... this time it's not mine! It's a cow's heart, I believe). Pretty wild. My day has been somewhat less exciting, although one of our volunteers (of Norwegian descent) brought in a delicious Norsk dessert that she had left over from Christmastime (krumkake). Next tasty Norwegian treat will be a rebroadcast of my Chrysalis Dreams: 30 Years of A-ha radio show next Monday, February 18, 6 p.m. EST on WEXT-FM.

Meanwhile, at my museum I'm gearing up for another week of donning my Spidey suit, in time for school vacation and the final week of Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross.  Yesterday I was interviewed at length by a graduate student about the exhibition for a review that will run in the International Journal of Comic Art— who knew I would become such a sought-after scholar on the topic of comic books? See Mom... all those years pouring over old Spider-Man books really did pay off!

♥ ♥ ♥ 

New Year, New Heroics

A "captive" audience enjoys my exhibition video for
Heroes & Villains at Norman Rockwell Museum.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Hi again. We're already at the middle of January... can you believe it? I've been keeping busy as usual. This month actually marks my twelfth year of working in the Communications/Marketing department at Norman Rockwell Museum... I know, that's a long time. 

So I have been continuing to give quite a few direct interviews lately. Last week saw me as a live guest on Kingston, New York's WKNY Radio, talking about the Museum's latest offerings; and this weekend YNN News in the Capital Region is airing a segment about the Heroes & Villains exhibition, which includes an interview with yours truly. You can find the link here, but I think you need a Time Warner account to pull up the video.

Speaking of video, without further ado... here is the short documentary I created for Norman Rockwell Museum's exhibition of Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross:



I'm happy with the way this one came out, and the way that I succeeded in working on it alongside other duties for the Museum. Being a one-man band, these productions usually take quite a bit of time to do right, and I don't always have that luxury while managing the press department. In the past I have nearly "killed" myself, working literally non-stop from work and outside work to produce such videos... but this time I followed the methods that seemed to work in the past, and simply made revisions along the way. Hence, you are finally seeing a version I consider "complete."

Another great kick for me the other day was to finally see the movie trailer I created for the exhibition. It is currently playing before all main features at both the Beacon and Triplex Cinemas in the Berkshires, and what a thrill it was to see it unfold on the big screen (I even heard a few gasps of excitement from the audience!). I think Ross' artwork really lends itself to the movies... very cinematic.



On the topic of comic books, I finally caught up with some recent copies I had lying around. I have to say, I am not a fan with what they are doing with Spider-Man (artwork or story). Last month they published the last few issues of the long-running Amazing Spider-Man title. Leading up to the final issue of #700 (spoiler alert) was the revelation that Spidey's old foe, Doctor Octopus, had actually switched bodies with the web-slinger. Doc Ock was actually on his deathbed... which meant that it was actually Peter Parker who was on life support (I know, only in comics). The whole story line was very intriguing, but ultimately disappointing as the last issue revealed that Parker had actually died. The new "superior" Spider-Man is a version of Peter Parker who actually has the mind of Otto Octavius... with all of Parker's memories, but essentially a new character... still with me? Meh. It's like New Coke... why tamper with perfection?

Hey you, get off of my wall!... Keeping Spidey real
at Norman Rockwell Museum.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Of course no one stays "dead" forever in comic books, so I'm sure if enough people disagree with the direction, the real Peter Parker will be back. However, I think they have harmed the overall story line for one of the seminal superhero characters... as if the Clone Saga, One More Day, and Brand New Day messes weren't bad enough! 

I remember talking with Alex Ross back in October about the challenges of sustaining comic book continuity. Played out in real-time (from the point of his first appearance), Spidey would be in his mid-60s by now... so unless you're going to write him as a much older character, you've got a problem. What is the solution... keep revising the history? Rebooting the series for new generations, or keeping the story line very much set in a particular time period? I might favor the latter. There is actually a comic book workshop coming up at a school in the area, which I'm thinking about signing up for... giving the old visual storytelling chops a workout. Whether you are working on ongoing stories in film or comics, I think that a clean narrative is essential, and there are probably smarter ways to work around such issues in a work of fiction (i.e. Terry Moore's books, which my wife loves).

Anyway, the Heroes & Villains exhibition continues at the Museum through February 24, and I am still finding new details in Ross' artwork that surprise me. As for the amazing Spider-Man, I am scheduled to don my Spidey suit once again for the Museum to accompany some upcoming programming... but believe me, I'll be portraying the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko version of "Peter Parker," not some cheap imposter... because ain't nothing like the "real thing!"

Related Links:

"Comics in the Classroom," YNN News, January 12, 2013

"Events in landmark 'Spider-Man' issue have fans in a frenzy," CNN, December 31, 2012

Back On The Boards!

I have some more vacation time to use before the end of the year, so I took the day off from work... but that doesn't mean I wasn't busy! More on that in a sec...

I did check into my work email during the day, and discovered that the Museum's new holiday billboards are up... and if you see them around the Berkshires, you may recognize a couple dedicated do-gooders!

Yep, that's me in the Spidey suit, along with my web-slinging nephew Ben! The Museum wanted to promote our latest exhibition (Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross), but we were having a heck of a time trying to get the copyright holders of Ross' artwork to agree to let us showcase his art on a promotion of that size... but me, I had no problem (they don't call me a wallcrawler for nuthin'!). 

Seriously, it's pretty cool... I'll have to take a better picture once I get back to the Berkshires (and find the locations of these displays). 

Minor earth, major sky...! Celebrating my "A-ha" moment at WEXT's
studios in Troy, NY. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Continuing my bid to be called the new "king of all media," I returned to radio station WEXT's studios today to finally record my tribute show on 

A-ha. Actually, it was a re-record... I had already given it a shot a couple years ago at the request of Program Director Chris Wienk, but it was decided to put it on hold... in the meantime, the band retired (2010), briefly reunited to perform during a memorial concert for the victims of that tragic shooting in Norway last year, and on a more joyous occasion... were actually knighted by their home country last month during a ceremony held in Oslo to honor the 30th anniversary of their founding and contributions to Norwegian culture... the least I could do was re-record my tribute, and pull out all the stops!

I'm happy with how the recording session went... I thought my delivery was even stronger than the MyExit show I recorded a few months back. Radio production assistant Katie G was wonderful as usual, and was encouraging during my hour-plus, reading my prepared notes. Now I just have to wait for her to produce it... I prepared a couple discs full of music and editing background themes, and she has my notes... make her job a little easier. There's a chance it might air before the end of the year, otherwise early next... hopefully. So cross fingers and Morten Harket's leather wristbands that it will finally see "the living daylights"... soon! 

I'm ending the day by continuing to organize our new home. We are supposed to host a night of Hanukkah for our family, but I'd feel better if we could straighten it up a bit more... having said that, we lit our own candles earlier... not a bad day at all today!

Related Link:

http://exit977.org

You Gotta Fight For Your Rights

Alex Ross, Marvels #2 cover, 1994,
courtesy of the artist, ANGEL and MAGGIE™
& © 2012 Marvel and Subs. From the exhibition
Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross

Sean Howe, the author of Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, has posted his top six favorite (or essential) Marvel comics on theweek.com. I think his list is spot on, including Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's Fantastic Four; Steve Ditko and Stan Lee's Amazing Spider-Man; Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's Daredevil; and Chris Claremont and John Byrne's Uncanny X-Men... Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek's Marvels is also included, which was nice to see!

I finished reading the book last week... literally tearing through the pages in a way that surprised my wife (not used to seeing me so absorbed in a regular book). Well, I grew up obsessed with Marvel comic books, and was fascinated by this revealing look at how creativity and business unfolded for the company. 

There was a current thread through the book about creator-owned rights... by the time I hit the 1990s period in the book, I got a little bummed. Marvel went Wall Street, and it seemed to open the door to owners who didn't really give a shit about comics. I guess I didn't really miss much in that decade, as the art and storytelling also began to slide... coincidence? I never liked the Image Comics crew (the band of popular artists who defected from Marvel to form their own company, where they owned the rights to their creations)... I mean, I appreciate their assertiveness, but there is also something kind of revolting in the way they turned their back so quickly on the publisher that made them household names... above all, I just didn't care for their overly detailed, homogeneous looking art... it set a really boring standard.

Luckily, things seem to be on an upswing for the company, perhaps bolstered by their recent movie successes (a long time coming). Last week I made the trek again to Earthworld Comics in Albany, and enjoyed catching up on comics--past and current--with the staff... it has become something of a new social outlet for me! There are some cool looking books I picked up (Hawkeye, FF, X-Men), and I look forward to reading them... Alex Ross even has a new fully painted interior book out... Masks looks at vintage pulp heroes (The Shadow, Green Hornet, etc.).

Speaking of Ross, the exhibition continues to attract press, and I'm rolling along on a new video... a trailer to promote the show. I may not own the rights to the images, but I am enjoying the chance to be creative....

Related Links:

"Sean Howe's 6 favorite Marvel comics," The Week.com, December 2, 2012

"Exclusive Preview: Roberson & Alex Ross' 'Masks' #1, Comic Book Resources.com, September 24, 2012

seanhowe.tumblr.com

'Nuff Said

Finally finished Marvel Comics: The Untold Story... phew, that was some ride. I'll have more thoughts later... right now, here's a song for everyone tired of me talking about superheroes:

My Own Spin

Supergirl and I headed back to Norman Rockwell Museum this afternoon to help out with their Superhero Family Festival Day. There was a lot of excitement in the air with the kids who came to check out Alex Ross' artwork as well as us costumed do-gooders... many came dressed in costume themselves! 

Web-slinging 101. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

I love the reaction of the kids... sometimes we got into such conversations as: "Hey, I know your real identity... Peter!" or  "Those aren't real webs!" Ok, some of these guys are already pretty skeptical... guess that's a good thing. My biggest fan must have been this one little boy who also showed up dressed as Spidey ...he kept following me around, so I asked him to help me look out for bad guys (we counted a few in the Alex Ross paintings). 

Another cute crime-fighter in training was my nephew... when told that I was actually Uncle Jeremy, he argued... "No... that's Spider-Man!" Both of our families made it over to the Museum today, which was fun... I think my Mom got a kick out me channeling the inner comic book fan from my childhood.

Me and comic book artist Bob McLeod... cool to meet
all these guys whose work I have admired over the years!
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Another treat for me was to meet comic book artist Bob McLeod, who has was on hand to give a talk about his new children's book called Superhero ABC. It looked like fun, but what I really enjoyed was having him sign my original copies of Marvel Comics' The New Mutants, which he illustrated and helped create back in the early 1980s (I used to love that book). Like the anecdotes in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, which I'm currently reading, it sounds like there were some creative disagreements with McLeod and writer Chris Claremont... but I'm beginning to think that's just the name of the game at Marvel!

We had a very busy, fun day at the Museum, meeting with many happy families... including our own.

Family Affair

Great Thanksgiving back at the family farm in Hudson... so nice that we can all keep the tradition going at my Grandma's old home. She was there in spirit, for sure...

One of the fun surprises was this old poster that my Mom brought... eat your heart out Alex Ross! I had totally forgotten about it... Mom also brought tons of my old comic magazines I created as a kid... ah, how free and easy the creativity flowed back then. I should hang this somewhere as a reminder...




Make Mine Marvel! (circa. 1977). Photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Your Friendly Neighborhood...

On my way to help out at Norman Rockwell Museum's Mini Comic Con. $2 off admission if you come dressed as your favorite superhero or villain... I'm just sayin'!

Photo courtesy of Walt Engels. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

"Norman Rockwell Museum To Present Superheroic Programs," 

Norman Rockwell Museum press release written by JC

Make Mine Marvel!

Ok, back to comics...

Alex Ross, "Marvels" hardcover dust jacket illustration, 1994, courtesy of the artist, ™ & © 2012 Marvel and Subs.

I have really been getting into this new book I picked up last week: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe, takes a detailed and revealing look at the entertainment company that I have loved since I was just a kid. Marvel Comics actually had its start back during World War II (Captain America, Human Torch, Submariner), then fell on some hard times during the 1950s (Senate subcommittee hearings about comics' supposed influence on juvenile delinquency didn't help), and then came into their own--in a big way--during the swinging '60s. Of course I started my journey in the 1970s... as long as I can remember, there's been a Spider-Man, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk... so many characters and books that filled my imagination. I even created my own series of comic books based on these heroes as young, crime-fighting kids (ask my Mom... she must still have some copies lying around!).

Anyway, it was with some trepidation that I picked up this book, since I had heard stories about disagreements between artists, writers, and businessmen over who owned what creations. There is sort of a dark (or poorly managed) side to early comic book history... in fact, I watched an interesting BBC documentary earlier in the week about Steve Ditko, the artist who first worked on and should probably be better credited with much of the creation of my all-time fave superhero, Spider-Man:




Anyway, the book is a fun read... I have made it through to the late sixties, when writer/editor/entertaining company man Stan Lee has already successfully introduced the world to a new gang of superheroes, full of everyday angst, real-world problems, and cross-over stories, filled with equal parts humor and pathos. It's fun to learn more about the humble and creative beginnings of the company that is just now finally producing blockbuster movies of its heroes. It is also interesting to learn all the behind-the-scenes... again, hope I don't get too upset learning about these artists' struggles... creative types not getting the credit they deserve... can't "imagine" what that's like (sarcasm intended).

On that note, I discovered a nice shout-out this morning on Alex Ross' website. Everyone I have talked to had such a great time at the Heroes & Villains opening last week, which managed to attract over 450 visitors! That's the largest I have seen at the Museum for one of these events. Tomorrow we continue the fun with a mini comic convention at the Museum. We will have several artists, collectors, and historians on-hand... and I'll be putting on my Spidey suit again. Should be fun.

Me and Joltin' Joe Sinnott at the 2012 Albany Comic Con.
Face front, true believers! Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

At the Albany Comic Con last week, I happened to run into artist Joe Sinnott, who actually worked at Marvel Comics for many years, inking over the legendary Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four, and nearly every other major title for the publisher... looking at his website, I realize I have many issues that he worked on that I owned at one time or another, as he had been with the Marvel Bullpen for 60 years! He continues to work on a weekly Spider-Man Sunday comic strip for the newspapers, and was just the nicest guy! He signed a couple pieces of art for me, and insisted that we get our picture taken together.

Joe also had a fun story about meeting Norman Rockwell, while the late illustrator was doing a book signing for his Willie Was Different children's book (even has a photo). I would love to get him out to Stockbridge to help out with a program during the run of the Heroes & Villains exhibition... maybe even a Q&A. I might be just the man to do it, as I brush up on my Marvel through these pages of The Untold Story... not quite into the 1970s yet, but that should be one I'm largely familiar with... yet another interesting decade for "The House of Ideas!"


Related Links:

www.joesinnott.com

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story: http://seanhowe.tumblr.com

www.alexrossart.com

http://marvel.com

Heroes, Villains, Countrymen...

I had an interesting day yesterday working the Albany Comic Con. I was there to represent Norman Rockwell Museum and its newest exhibition, Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross, setting up a booth to provide information and product related to the show. I was a little bleary-eyed at first (coming off of a late night for the Ross opening), but I was soon revived by the spirit and interest from comic book, science fiction, and fantasy fans in attendance.

I had been to this convention once before a few years back, and it was cool to see how much it has grown... comic book artists, collectors, vendors, gamers, and most fun of all... cosplayers! Here are a few photos:

All photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Related Links: 

www.albanycomicbookshow.com

Showtime!

Alex Ross, "Justice Vol. 1" paperback cover, 2006,
courtesy of the artist, ™ & © DC Comics. Used with
permission.

Getting ready for the opening of Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross tonight at Norman Rockwell Museum. Heading to the gym for one last round to build up my Spidey strength, and I can't wait to see my Supergirl in her costume.

Here's another interview I gave recently to Berkshire Family Focus regarding the exhibition (not sure I was really "mugging" for the camera, but what can you do... ).


"Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross" to open at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshire Family Focus, November 6, 2012

To The Inter-Webs... World-Wide!

Happy Halloween, True Believers!

Photo courtesy of Natalie. © + face front. 

The Justice League

Superman is my co-pilot.

Work on the Alex Ross exhibit continues... I'm trying to finish my video transcription (ugh), and Sarah and I stopped by the great Earthworld Comics in Albany last night to pick up a 6' Superman stand-up (featuring art by Ross) that they have loaned us for the duration of the show. Oh hell, it was also a great excuse to stop by the store again and peruse their latest books. Sarah is a big fan of artist/creator Terry Moore (who I interviewed back in 2007), and has been sinking her teeth into his latest book, Rachel Rising--she actually read a few issues right there in the store while I was busy looking around... ha ha... she never ceases to amaze me. 

My co-workers and I have also been looking into costumes for the exhibit opening and upcoming programs. Of course I made it clear that I have dibs on Spidey... but it can't be just any old costume. I have a proud tradition, initiated by my mother's amazing web-slinger costume that she designed for me so many Halloweens ago. Sarah is looking into Supergirl (one of her old favorites). My co-worker Sarah (who, coincidentally, is married to another Jeremy) surprised us all at work yesterday when she came through the offices dressed like Wonder Woman. I think she did a good job of pulling it off (here's a photo I took, as proof).

Alex Ross, "Mythology: Wonder Woman,"
2005, courtesy of the artist, ™ & ©
DC Comics. Used with permission.

Wonder Woman has an interesting history, which I was not aware of until I read the text for the exhibition. Apparently she was created back in 1941 by psychologist William Moulton Marston, who also happened to develop the lie detector (I guess that explains his character's golden lasso!). Utilizing equal parts physical strength, intelligence and kindness, Wonder Woman was created to serve as a positive role model for girls, and wound up becoming a feminist icon (pictured on the first issue of Ms. magazine, and their recent 40th anniversary issue, with a cover by the great Mike Allred). Many of us fellas also fell in love with the character, especially after seeing the beautiful Lynda Carter on the 1970s TV show. But looks aside, I also appreciate the concept of a strong, female hero... it's no stretch... many of the most influential people in my life have been women, and I am forever grateful.




I just got back from an awards dinner that was held by the Albany chapter of Veterans for Peace. My mother-in-law, Elaine, was honored as one of this year's Thomas Paine Winter Soldier Peace and Justice Awards. Coined during the Revolutionary War era, a winter solider is "any man or woman who stands firm in the face of extreme adversity and works towards a peaceful and civil society, respecting the inalienable rights provided for in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights." That's super-heroic, right?

Involved in peace efforts since the late 1960s, Elaine has joined anti-war groups, and is the coordinator for Schenectady Neighbors for Peace. She is also on the steering committee for Upper Hudson Peace Action; serves as the Secretary for Peace Action, New York State; and is active in J Street Albany Capital District. I appreciate her belief in the possibility of a more peaceful world... yes, this looks like a job for... us!

Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Spider-Sense

I spent the day today looking at my Alex Ross interview, transcribing some of the material to use for an upcoming article. Transcription isn't challenging, just time consuming... but it was interesting to revisit some of the discussion I had with the comic book artist about his work. 

One thing that stuck out again was his early love for Spider-Man, based on the comics and his appearances on the old children's TV show, The Electric Company. Ross described being amazed by this man running around in this colorful costume, fighting bad guys... and I would have to say I agree. Being the same age, I think that's where my love of comic books started as well. It was a magical sort of journey into fantastic lands... pitting right against wrong, and some really interesting characters... It certainly sparked my imagination. Anyway, I haven't seen those old Electric Company episodes in ages, but they are now available on DVD, and... yes, YouTube: 

What a groovy theme song, and yes... that's actor Morgan Freeman doing the narration... ha ha, love it! Transcription of this video sure would be easier, and I wonder who the actor playing the Spoiler was...

Speaking of "The Spoiler," the diabolical Mitt Romney was indeed stopped in his tracks during last night's debates by President Barack Obama. I'll share more of my thoughts when I have time, but who do you think Spidey would support for the next four years?... Mmm hmm... where are you coming from... Governor... nobody knows who YOU are!

Cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #583, 2009,
©Marvel Comics (image from Comic Book Resources).