The Home of the Creative Mind

Welcome to PooBahSpiel, the online voice and home of the creative mind of Mark Monlux, Illustrator Extraordinaire. Prepare yourself for an endless regaling of art directly from the hand of this stellar artist. And brace yourself against his mighty wind of pontification. Updates are kinda weekly and show daily sketches, current projects, and other really nifty stuff.

Monday, March 23, 2015

The Comic Critic reviews The Grey



Amongst wilderness-survival films, The Grey is unique. The genre’s formula includes a journey of self-discovery for the cast. This is superbly done in The Grey by the clever use of literal metaphors crafted so well into scenes that audiences are not bludgeoned with their meaning during the action. Viewers do catch up, but by then another action sequence with more hidden metaphors is underway. By the end of the film, audiences are coming to grips with the experience. They are left mulling what they discover with what might still be hidden. Any survival film that makes you think that much is well worth seeing.

Only four more days to Emerald City Comic Con. Woo Hoo!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

“The Comic Critic Presents Blockbusters” will make its official debut at Emerald City Comic Con.


Click to enlarge
Since the release of my first book, “The Comic Critic Presents Seldom Seen Films,” I’ve received numerous requests for a collection of movie reviews featuring big hit films. I’m proud to say that said book is finally here. For my second, and newest book, I picked not only top grossing films, but also films the public loved. Not all of these blockbusters are Oscars, but nearly all of them are, and many received nominations.

I also listened to my fans and added new features to “Blockbusters.” I still rate the movies on a scale of one-to-ten, but now these ratings can be found in the index as well as in the review. The commentary for each cartoon will let you know how many Oscars the movie won, and if it won best picture. I made a few other improvements as well. But I want you to see them for yourself when you pick up a copy.


My table at Emerald City Comic Con is B-04. Once you go up the escalators turn left and enter via the Atrium Lobby. Once you’re through the doors turn left you will find me almost immediately along the wall on the left. I’m situated equal distance between the Ladies and the Mens, so I’m sure you will be visiting me more than once.

Click to enlarge

Monday, March 16, 2015

The Comic Critic reviews Killing Them Softly




The theme of Killing Them Softly is economic collapse. Various radio and television clips provide a stream of politician giving their spin on the economic crisis. These broadcasts are aired in beater cars, back alley restaurants and bars that were dives when they were built. Even the airport and hotel rooms leave us feeling drab, as they are barren of any human warmth. It’s all a landscape for a dark comedy; too bad we never feel any sympathy for the larceny filled creatures that inhabit this landscape. Right off the bat we are introduced to two of the sleaziest. Regrettably these scumbags are going to be the only characters the audience can build a connection. But they’re such repulsive losers that nobody wants to put in the effort. As a result it’s hard to feel anything for anyone is this bleak world. When their lives collapse-just like the economy-we’re left hoping for better days.