C2E2 2013: My schedule is fairly open

The fourth annual Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo is coming up next weekend, and I'll be there, wandering around, buying stuff, badgering creators, seeing what new comics I can find out about, and just generally having a good time. As I try to do every year, here's what I find interesting and might consider checking out among the various programs and panels that are scheduled:

Friday, April 26

12:00 - 2:00: Boulet Sketching -  I really like the French artist Boulet's comics, so it's cool that he's going to be at C2E2, although it looks like he's just doing this autograph/sketching session rather than having a booth. I'm not sure if I'm willing to spring $12 for a sketch, but I wouldn't mind at least stopping by and letting him know I'm a fan.

3:15 - 4:15: Kill Shakespeare: Dramatic Reading - I haven't read any of the Kill Shakespeare series, but it's something that I might check out someday, and this looks like a neat taste, with people acting out scenes and performing music and sound effects. It could be fun.

6:30 - 7:30: Digital First Comics: The New Trend - Digital comics can be an interesting subject, so this could be an interesting panel, featuring Mark Waid and Comixology's John D. Roberts.

6:30 - 7:30: Beer & Comics - I'm not sure what there is to talk about regarding these two subjects, but maybe there will be some free samples?

7:00 - 8:00: Spotlight on Nick Spencer - I haven't been super-impressed by the Nick Spencer comics I've read, but he's one of those rising stars, and it might be interesting to hear him talk. The panel is being moderated by my friend Kiel Phegley, so I might try to make it to show some support.

7:45 - 8:45 - Dredd and Beyond: The Whole Wide World of 2000AD - I'm always interested in reading more 2000AD comics, so this might be an interesting panel, featuring Andy Diggle and Paul Cornell, moderated by Heidi MacDonald.

8:15 - 10:00 - Maniac Screening - I don't usually go to screenings at conventions, but this could be a good way to end the day, seeing a horror movie. It stars Elijah Wood, and it's described as a "gory and brutal first-person remake of William Lustig's 1980 slasher classic". Fun?

Saturday, April 27

11:00 - 12:00 - Comix Chix with Kate Kotler Live - I guess this is a podcast, but it's notable for the participation of Amy Reeder, Jenny Frison, Jill Pantozzi, and Heidi MacDonald, so it could be an interesting discussion of women in comics, and hopefully not just more talking about Fake Geek Girls.

11:30 - 12:30 - The Future of Graphic Novels and Motion Comics: A Look at the Not-So-Distant Future of Interactive Graphic Storytelling - The title and description of this panel are broad enough as to be nearly meaningless, but if this ends up being a discussion of digital comics and the use of technology to tell comics stories, I might be interested. If its about those awful motion comics where art from some existing comic is given limited animation and terrible voice acting, then no thanks.

12:15 - 1:15 - Spotlight on Brian Wood - I like Brian Wood's comics pretty well (although I haven't read a lot of his more recent stuff, like Conan and Star Wars), so this may be worth attending.

12:30 - 1:30 - Patton Oswalt Q&A - I really like Patton Oswalt; he's a hilarious comedian, and he's got some real geek cred, often offering smart commentary on science fiction, comics, and even crime fiction, so this will probably be a good time.

12:45 - 1:45 - Imaginative Sci-Fi Authors of C2E2 - I'm not sure what exactly this panel is about, aside from throwing some creators together and having them chat, but since it features David "Mouse Guard" Peterson, Jeffrey Brown, and Royden "Rust" Lepp, among others, it could be interesting.

2:00 - 3:00 - CBLDF Presents a History of Censorship in Comics - Here's a chance to learn about depressing events, but it's important to know about this sort of thing, and it's probably worth attending, if I have the chance.

4:00 - 5:00 - The Chew Panel - I enjoy Chew quite a bit, so this panel featuring the creators will probably be worth attending.

4:30 - 5:30 - Futuristic Fright: Science Fiction Novelists Imagine Far-Future Worlds - Some sci-fi authors, including John Scalzi, talk about their craft, which will probably be interesting.

5:15 - 6:15 - Dark Horse Spring Fever - One of those publisher "here's what we've got coming out soon" panels, which can be hit and miss, but Eric Powell is going to be included, and I'm sure there will be lots of interesting comics to hear about.

5:15 - 6:15 - Viz Media Panel - I don't know if Viz has been to C2E2 before, so this could be a panel to check out. I am sort of biased about one of their series...

7:00 - 8:00 - Chicago Comics from the Chicago Scene - This one is a can't-miss for me, since I love the Chicago comics scene. It features Tim Seeley, Jeremy Tinder, Paul Hornschemeier, and Jeffrey Brown, and is moderated by Kiel Phegley. I bet it will be great.

7:45 - 8:45 - Husbands: Television and Beyond - I've heard this show and the comics which have been spun off from it are pretty good, so this panel/screening might be worth checking out.

Sunday, April 28

11:00 - 12:00 - Derf Backderf on My Friend Dahmer - My Friend Dahmer was one of the best comics of 2012, so this is a can't-miss panel for me; I imagine it will be fascinating.

12:15 - 1:15 - Exorcising the Spectre of the Fake Geek Girl: Discussing Geek Culture, Gate-Keeping, and Sexism - Ah, here's the panel specifically devoted to the "fake geek girl" nonsense. It might be an interesting discussion (sponsored by some outfit called the "Chicago Nerd Social Club"), but I for one am sick of the entire thing, so I doubt I'll make the point of attending.

1:30 - 2:30 - Archaia Entertainment Presents: Comics Storytelling and the Lost Art of 3D - I guess this is related to an upcoming 3D comic from Archaia, but it's also a survey of the history of 3D comics, and I bet it will be interesting. I'll have to try to make it.

That's everything that caught my eye, but if anybody has anything they think I should check out (including off-site concerts, parties, or other activities), or if you would like to meet up with me at some point and say hi, feel free to drop me a line at mbrady325 at gmail. I'm expecting to have a great time; see you there!

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #30

One thing that Eiichiro Oda does in One Piece that I like is the way he serializes goofy stories on chapter title pages, with them often starring villains that have been defeated in the past as they wander through goofy adventures and run into other supporting characters that have been encountered throughout the Straw Hat Pirates' adventures. Of the various stories that have been done as of volume 36 of the series, I think I've enjoyed "Wapol's Omnivorous Rampage" and "Django's Dance Paradise" the best, but the current one, "Gedatsu's Unexpected Life on the Blue Sea", is pretty fun too, seeing one of the bad guys from Skypeia fall to earth and join a random guy as they capture a giant mole, build a hot spring bath, and dig an undersea  tunnel from their island to Alabasta, where they meet up with Princess Vivi and a bunch of other characters from that story arc:



I don't know why, but that scene warms my heart, perhaps because we can see the happiness of people who had suffered so much before overcoming their oppressors with the help of the Straw Hats. Look, there's the Supersonic Duck Squadron, Eyelashes the camel, and even Pell, who we thought had sacrificed himself when saving the kingdom from a giant bomb.

However, the series ends on a great gag, with this apparent revelation of Gedatsu's status:



Followed up by this switcheroo:



That's hilarious. Oda gets to include so much silly humor in this series, and he even manages to make it effective in single-panel moments like this that get spread across hundreds of pages. There's so much hilarity here, even when the drama is solemn and the stakes are high. I love it.

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #29

One thing Eiichiro Oda does so well in One Piece is the introduction of a threat, establishing that some new villain (or antagonist-and-future-ally) is a threat to be reckoned with, someone who can hold their own in the brutal battles that fill the series. In volume 36, there's a moment in which a mysterious masked fellow is seen to have defeated some powerful men who were guarding Iceberg, the mayor of Water Seven, and when some of Iceberg's other men confront him, this happens:





In just a few short panels, this guy shrugs off what should be a devastating blow, then slams his challenger's head through the floor. It's a shocking, awe-inspiring moment, and even though we don't know his actual identity, we're already excited to see him face off against our heroes. Oda definitely knows how to pique the interest, doesn't he?

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #28

The drama in manga (shonen or otherwise) is often pitched to the extreme, and while Eiichiro Oda's One Piece is no exception, the sincerity with which he approaches the big, dramatic confrontations makes sure they carry as much emotional impact as they do physical. Volume 35 has a great example, in an argument and fight between Luffy and Usopp that is so painfully emotional that it becomes hard to watch. Friendship is a key theme of shonen manga, and we've come to care about these characters, so seeing them come to blows over a disagreement is awful, and Oda makes us feel every bit of emotional and physical damage they do to each other.

The thing that makes this work so well is that neither character is in the wrong. Luffy had learned that their ship, the Merry Go, has been damaged beyond repair, and he made the tough decision to acquire a new ship, even if this means leaving their beloved vessel behind. But when Usopp finds out about this, he refuses to accept it and, fueled by frustration over recent events in which he was badly beaten while trying to stop some villains from stealing some money from the crew, he up and quits, challenging Luffy to a fight for ownership of the Merry Go:






As dramatic as this is, it's a painfully heartfelt scene, an example of how friends, due to being close enough to know each other really well, can cause so much more emotional damage than strangers. This isn't a petty squabble; it's a disagreement over the very soul of the Straw Hat Pirates, and Oda makes it feel like the punch in the gut that it is.

The actual physical fight is just as hard to watch; while Usopp doesn't stand a chance against the far more powerful Luffy, he doesn't hold anything back, using every trick at his disposal and demonstrating that he didn't make this challenge lightly. Here's the key moment of the fight:






Just look at Luffy's expression after he gets blown up; Oda manages to capture a combination of anger, sadness, and determination that perfectly conveys his mental state. He's going to win this fight, but he's definitely not happy about it. And that final panel, in which the water splattered onto the Merry Go makes it look like the ship is crying, could be corny, but it fits right in to the highly emotional scene, especially when seen alongside the panels that painfully flash back to earlier, happier times. This is operatically dramatic stuff, and a great example of what makes this series so great. I just hope they can all make up before I'm too emotionally devastated.

The Neverending Fray: Sometimes kids can be annoying

Groo the Wanderer #93
By Sergio Aragones, Mark Evanier, Stan Sakai (lettering), and Tom Luth (coloring)
Published by Epic Comics, 1992



Well, as enjoyable as the initial installment of this two-parter was, the fun apparently couldn't last, since this second half mostly consists of wheel-spinning and characters undergoing arbitrary transformations, culminating in a complete non-ending. There are amusing bits, and it's still fun to see Sergio's depictions of all the characters in kiddie form, but it ends up being an anticlimactic end to the enjoyable setup of part one. What a shame.

We left off with almost all the characters having been transformed into children, and this issue sees the Sage trying to figure out how to get them all back to normal. He sends Groo to get an antidote from Arba and Dakarba's lair, but he doesn't know which potion is the right one, so he brings a variety, which leads to other characters undergoing strange changes, such as Grooella, who, upon hearing of her brother's diminutive stature, showed up eager to give him a spanking:



Chakaal also joins the chaos, and Groo turns her into a child so she can be his size, and then he ends up using the entire size-increasing potion on himself, turning himself gigantic. And that's the end, leaving the more continuity-obsessed among us all wondering how things got back to normal by the next issue.

As a story, the issue ends up being kind of unsatisfying, but issues of Groo always have something to enjoy, and this is no exception. I especially like that Groo is no less dangerous as a kid than as an adult, as we see when King Senil has his men detain all the children so he can find out the secret of their youth:



This gives us a nicely subtle moment in which a soldier considers attacking Lil' Groo and immediately thinks better of it:



And along with the usual detail-packed settings and chaotic fights, the Groo becoming a giant makes for a nice moment:



One would think the concept of this storyline would provide guaranteed laughs, and while that was true with the first part, the Groo Crew surprisingly failed to stick the landing. I guess they can't all be winners, but I'll always find plenty to enjoy anyway. Better luck next time, I guess.

Next: "Water"

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This issue's stats:
Recurring characters: Taranto, Pal and Drumm, Arcadio, Minstrel, Arba and Dakarba, and Sage, and Chakaal and Grooella make it into the issue this time. Also, kiddie versions of the Groo Crew can be seen on the cover:



They also all show up in an amusing Groo-Grams header:



Moral: "As you search for youth, take care that it is not passing you by." And the moral of the Sage backup is "No matter how many times you explain the big problem, some people see only their small problem."

Spanish words: King Senil ("senile") shows up again.
Running jokes: The running joke for the issue is that when Groo is sent to fetch an antidote for the youth potion, he can't remember what he is supposed to get, and he substitutes a different sound-alike every time, including "anecdote", "artichoke", "antelope", and "antipasto". And Drumm doesn't ask "What pirates?" since he seems to have finally just started expecting them:



Finally, in the back-page puzzle, Rufferto bites a guy on the ass.
Intro follies: Sergio is still trying to be a superhero, and he says this is issue number one:



Value-added: The inside back cover has another classic puzzle: as spot-the-differences pair of images that has the potential to drive one insane (I spotted eight differences after looking for a couple minutes, but I'm sure there are many more):



Mark Evanier's job(s): Working With a Cold, Getting Better
Letter column jokes: I'm not sure if it's a weird reference to the repeated reprinting of the M. Wayne Williams letter (which Mark reprints again this month, claiming that it's the last time he'll do so), but this month's column repeats Bob Heer's letter about monkeys and typewriters. Aaron Belisle contributes a good "print my letter or else" threat, claiming that if his letter isn't printed, he'll lock himself in a padded room and watch C-Span until the 1992 election, basing his vote completely on the issues. Daniel DeWitt asks a numbered list of questions, including how many lute tops the Minstrel has and how fast they change (Mark says it's an infinite number, and they change as fast as Sergio can draw them, which is pretty fast), whether he can have the Groo Crew's autographs (No, because that would mean they would need to learn to write), whether Mark has another job besides reading all these letters (he works nights proofreading M&Ms), and if Mark is bothered by all these questions. Regarding the last question, Mark says he is only bothered by the occasional hate mail, and then he provides an example from "Hatey Haterson of Hatesville, Hateland" that just consists of the word "hate" over and over. John Tudek asks Mark to do his gym homework (75 pushups) so he has time to read Groo, and Mark accommodates with hilarious sound effects, although he can't do more than four. Philip "Steve" Stephens complains that Mark screwed up when he printed a previous letter of his, spelling his name as "Stevens", and he demands that Mark reprint his letter, this time in either Pig Latin or Urdu. Mark apologizes profusely, noting that his middle name is Stephen and he is always correcting people who spell it with a V, so he complies and prints Philip's original letter in Pig Latin, and notes in his Pig Latin response that he's glad to get to use a computer program that translates English into Pig Latin, even if it annoys the typesetter. Stephen Graham complains that by naming the letter page "Groo-Grams", the Groo Crew is defaming his last name, so Mark says he'll change it to Groo-Stephens, but has second thoughts because it would provoke more angry mail fro Philip "Steve" Stephens, and he would probably misspell it anyway.

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #27

I'm rarely less than impressed (and often awestruck and/or dumbfounded) by the design work in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece, and the city of Water Seven that the crew enters in volume 34 is a case in point. It's a city built on canals and waterways running in intricate, multi-level configurations, and it's quite a spectacle:



I often wonder just how much planning and architecture design Oda and his assistants do on settings like this, and whether they draw up full maps and mock up building designs, but at the very least, the illusion of a huge, populated city comes across on the page, making each new location we visit feel like a living entity full of people who just happen to get caught up in whatever high-stakes battle is going on around them.

Oda definitely seems to like this particular city design, so he jumps at the chance to demonstrate the scale of his creation in a scene in which a character traverses it via super-parkour:



The sudden aerial view if the buildings and streets is breathtaking, another in a series of examples of how well Oda can convey a sense of scale. Whatever adventures are to come in this place (and there will be plenty, since the storyline stretches through at least volume 45), they promise to be exciting.

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #26

In Eiichiro Oda's One Piece, Luffy and company get into plenty of fights, and while they occasionally suffer setbacks, one can pretty much guarantee that he's going to win the battles that really count. What this means is that much of the enjoyability of such fights comes from seeing how Oda delivers on the promise of victory, such that even when a win is assured, we still sit at the edge of our chairs to see how it's going to happen and stand up and cheer when it does. It's pretty incredible that he can manage to deliver on these expectations time after time, making the inevitable poundings as mind-blowing and heart-pounding as possible.

A case in point: in volume 34 of the series, Luffy (while wearing an giant afro wig, because why not?) is fighting a weirdo named Foxy the Silver Fox, and due to the latter's power to zap him with a beam that freezes him in place (it actually slows him down for thirty seconds, after which any punches he takes while he was frozen hit him all at once), he's taking a pounding. But he refuses to give up, of course, and it comes down to a slobberknocker of a punch-out that leads to an amazingly executed delayed reaction:








As soon as Foxy get hit with his own beam, the ending is all but assured, but Oda plays it out with perfect timing, giving Luffy a big windup and punch, and then just letting the audience and the characters wait until the effect is felt, ending on that awesome image of Luffy standing in triumph as Foxy is sent flying. It's so wonderfully done that I'm left in awe, even though you would think I would have gotten used to this sort of thing by now. That's what I love about this series; it never stops surprising and delighting me. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome(ly strange sometimes), Example #25

I love the goofy humor in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece; it can range from silly slapstick and wacky facial expressions to amusing wordplay. The latter is a common aspect of manga, and one that is often untranslateable into English due to the particularities of the Japanese language, but translators do their best to either make it make sense or find some equivalent gag that works. Here's an example (of a sort) from volume 32 of the series, in which the Straw Hat Pirates end up on an island called Long Ring Long Land, in which all the plants and animals are very, very long. This gives Oda a chance to play with some exaggerated artwork and perspective:



But the most amusing bit is when the island's sole inhabitant reveals the names of the animals, all of which are just stretched-out versions of their regular-size equivalents:



That's a silly gag, but it cracks me up. I'm curious as to how it works in Japanese and whether stretching out words by repeating characters is the same sort of joke, but whatever the case, it makes me laugh.

On the other hand, sometimes the language comes off as awkward and weird, and there's no way to translate it in a way that makes sense, so it's best to just leave it as is and let it seem bizarre. Later in this story, Luffy and company meet up with a crew of pirates who challenge them to a "Davy Back Fight", a game that pirates play in which the winners get to steal a member of the losers' crew and force them to permanently join the opponents' forces. Here's the explanation of where the term came from, from volume 33:



That makes very little sense, at least in English, demonstrating that sometimes it's just impossible to translate Japanese to English, so it's best to just leave something like this as is and let it seem strange. Actually, what's even more likely is that Oda chose some English words that sounded close enough to what he wanted to convey, making for an especially awkward second-generation loss of meaning when translated from English to Japanese and back again. But whatever the case, it's pretty enjoyably weird, and it fits into the bizarre, outsized, sometimes-nonsensical world that Oda has created. I wouldn't have it any other way.