Berni(e) Wrightson's FRANKENSTEIN

Roamed an antique mall yesterday and, in one of the packed booths, saw the left side of a book that said “Frank” and “Ber”. Key-bearer opened the case, and there it was: an original edition of Bernie Wrightson’s 1983 “Marvel Illustrated Novel” labor-of-love version of Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN:

"I've always had a thing for Frankenstein, and it was a labor of love," the artist said. "It was not an assignment, it was not a job. I would do the drawings in between paying gigs, when I had enough to be caught up with bills and groceries and what-not. I would take three days here, a week there, to work on the Frankenstein volume. It took about seven years." ... Wrightson was influenced by the pen and ink masters of the early 20th and late 19th centurie,s and Wrightson named artists like Franklin Booth, Jason Cole and Edwin Abbey."I wanted the book to look like an antique; to have the feeling of woodcuts or steel engravings, something of that era," said Wrightson.

https://www.cbr.com/spotlight-on-bernie-wrightson/

Thrilled to have this beauty in The Collection (not only of comics, but of Frankenstein). If you haven’t read it, Bernie’s collaboration (along with Kelley Jones, who finished the project after Bernie’s death) with Steve Niles, FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE, ALIVE, is considered a sequel to this piece of comics passion unleashed.

Finished Eleanor Catton's BIRNAM WOOD and it'll take a bit to process just how deep my disappointment with the book runs. Stuck with it because I love her writing (THE LUMINARIES is brilliant), but I'm questioning the wisdom of that decision; the ending read like she was questioning it too.

The SPIDER-PUNK minis are so much fun that Cody Ziglar’s got my vote to be the next AMAZING SPIDER-MAN writer. Should probably get around to picking up his MILES MORALES run, too.

TSBMR/0001 :: WHITEOUT No. 1 (Rucka / Lieber, 1998/2007)

First episode of a new, audio take on my erstwhile Wednesday Randoms of eras past: welcome to THE SHORTBOX MEMORY REVUE, in which I pick a comic from the 32 shortboxes that constitute the comics bit of The Collection at random, re-read it, and talk about it - and my sordid history with it - here. Very much ironing out the kinks, but I think I’ll enjoy myself. New episodes probably every Friday. Let me know what you think in the comments!

earbliss/20240405

TOKYO VICE, s2 (2024)

If the narrative and temporal catch-up to Jake and Katagiri's meeting with Tozawa's right hand from the (MIchael Mann-directed) pilot in one of the last episodes of this season is any indication, I'll be more surprised if there's a third season than if there isn't – but what a fantastic ending to a great, underrated show and/or season: more amped up than the first, a steady, pulpier unfolding with great characters (this season belonged to Show Kasamatu's Sato and Rinko Kincuchi's – still one of my favorite actors, her role in Rian Johnson's THE BROTHERS BLOOM being a favorite – Emi and, to a slightly lesser extent, Rachel Keller's Samantha) whom I'll miss – yes, even Engelgort's Jake, whom, like nearly every other character at one point in the show, I wanted to punch (Engelgort's still the weak point of the show; I wish they had kept Daniel Radcliffe in the role from the unproduced film version) – dearly. Great show: if you didn't watch it, give it a binge. (**** / *****)