Q: I want to get my boyfriend back. We were only together for a short time, but I so want him back. He has another girlfriend. I love spending time with him. We were close friends before, so I thought we would make it as a couple. One day his grandpa died and he stopped talking to me altogether. I thought I had done something wrong. It hurt so bad, I cried so loud I woke my mom up. Is it normal for guys to just stop talking to you all at once?
[Above: Tommy Lee’s spectacularly silly ‘abusement ride’ drum solo aboard his custom 360 drum coaster during Mötley Crüe’s show.]
Following their triumphant June 14 Hollywood Bowl gig, Mötley Crüe have been confirmed as the headliners for the fourth annual Sunset Strip Music Festival. The three-day event will kick off on Thursday Aug 18 with a Mötley Crüe tribute concert at the House of Blues, which promises a star-studded lineup and one of a kind performances. The band will also be on hand to accept the Elmer Valentine Award for their contributions to The Sunset Strip’s history.
Trina Robbins is a legend among people who read and study comics. She’s a cartoonist who was active in the San Francisco underground in the ’70s and ’80s where she contributed to many publications including the East Village Other, It Ain’t Me Babe and Wimmen’s Comix. In recent decades she’s worked more as a writer on books including Go, Girl! and Chicagoland Detective Agency, in addition to working on Wonder Woman, Xena and The Spirit.
Robbins’ other claim to fame is that she is one of the great comics historians. In books like A Century of Women Cartoonists and From Girls to Grrrlz she writes not just thoughtfully and passionately about many cartoonists whose work has faded from consciousness, but she also reshapes our perception of comics past. In the book The Brinkley Girls, which she edited, the work of the artist Nell Brinkley was brought together, showing her incredible drafting skill and demonstrating why she was one of the most popular and important illustrators and cartoonists of her time.
With so much good new music from bands that incorporate a variety of styles into their sounds, sometimes I forget about a tried and true genre that for too long has been saturated with bands that seem to put style over substance – punk. Thankfully, The Taxpayers still embody the important D.I.Y. and iconoclastic spirit from which punk originated.
“I have to put the brakes on in my mind.”
– Perry Farrell
Since Perry Farrell broke into the music scene in the early ’80s few people have had such an impact on modern music. In fact, his co-creation, Lollapalooza changed the face of American music festivals forever. But it is really the impact of bands like Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros which has cemented Farrell into the world’s musical consciousness. His new collaboration, Satellite Party, is set to expand that world view.
Satellite Party unites Farrell with cohorts such as producer/guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and collaborators like Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fergie, Thievery Corporation and even a spoken word appearance by the still dead Jim Morrison. I got a chance to talk with Farrell about this exciting new work on the phone while he was in Hong Kong.
Mission Statement: I’m a comic artist, but feel more comfortable by making illustrations as opposed to comic books. One drawing tells more of the story than countless pages of comic strips. I hope my art inspires people to create their own stories…
Most of my work is dedicated to Miss Satan, a character I created few years ago. She’s circus and burlesque artist and she produces her show anywhere she can. I’m really influenced by folk tales and nonsense, which is why Miss Satan is surrounded by animals and characters from folk tales, and few human beings.
I love drawing freaks. Most of the time they look ugly, sad and defenseless, they some kind of Pokémon to me (one day I will create a collectible cards game with all of them).
I’m really influenced by my environment. I was born and raised in a little city in the countryside of France (far from big cities), the type of place where marriages are celebrated between cousins. I know that I have consanguinity in my genes – that’s certainly why I draw freaks — but I’m still very attached to this place.
Last week the comic world was rocked as DC announced they were rebooting their entire universe. DC has since released more details, as well as first edition covers. The Batman universe is getting a lot of coverage, with Batman getting three titles: Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Batman and Robin as well as appearing in the first issue of Detective Comics. Other Bat related titles include: Batgirl, Nightwing, Catwoman, Batwing, a long awaited Batwoman, and one of my personal favorites, Birds of Prey. Meanwhile Superman is starring in Action Comics first issue (wearing some farm boy getup) as well as getting his own reboot with Superman #1, both Superboy and Supergirl are getting renumbered in September as well. All of your favorite super teams including Justice League and Teen Titans are being released then as well. All the heroes are getting fashion updates, including Wonder Woman who finally gets a makeover and a pair of pants. [..]
