The Comic Critic Reviews Crank

I didn’t really become a fan of Jason Statham until I saw Transporter. Up until then the only other movie I’d seen him in was Ghosts of Mars, in which he was great. So, after seeing him a second time in what I thought was a pretty decent film, I went looking for other films in which he appeared. I’ve seen nearly all of them now. And I saw him just last week in the remake of The Mechanic. So you might be wondering why I’m reviewing Crank instead The Mechanic. Not because it’s better. I’d rate both movies about the same, though I did laugh more during Crank. No, I drew this review first because the script for it popped up in my head almost instantly while I was looking over my notes at the end of the movie. I drew this strip first because I’m a lazy, lazy man. But Jason Stratham’s character in this film is not. Enjoy the ride.

Under the column: What did I do the weekend?
I was proud to be the moderator this last Saturday for the SPGA/Seattle Chapter of the Graphic Artist Guild's Graphic Novel panel. The panelists were
http://www.peterbagge.com – Hate and its precursor Neat Stuff.
Phil Foglio - Hugo Award Nominee – Buck Godot, Myth Adventures, Girl Genius.
Mike Grell – Jon Sable Freelance, The Warlord, Green Arrow.
Jason Janicki – Writer with Wayfarer’s Moon.
Leigh Kellogg – Artist with Wayfarer’s Moon.
Michael Oeming - Eisner Award Winner – Mice Templar, Quixote, and Powers.
I'm a big fan off all of these guy's work, as my bookshelf will attest. It was the first time I got to meet some of them. The audience got a lot of information from them and I hope to get some of the video footage up on the web soon.

The Return of Stickman #1254

This strip was inspired by a news article where two men were arrested for knocking over vases in a cemetery and then loading them into the back of a truck. They had a huge quantity loaded up. The quantity almost made me take this strip in a different direction.

The Return of Stickman #1253

Ask Mark - Purpose of a Kill Fee

I've been writing and advice column for some years now called "Ask Mark." I answer questions about contracts, copyright, ethics and standard business practices for creative professionals. I've been thinking it might be a good idea to create some short videos and see how folks like them. This is my first one. I'm hoping my production values will improve as I do more. If you want to read some of my older article you can find them at the Graphic Artists Guild website.

I think I need some better lighting. And maybe a less goofy expression.

The Comic Critic Reviews The Green Hornet 2011

My love for the Green Hornet television show was always based on the  car and the gadgets. I always waited for that moment when those green headlights would be turned on or the gas gun would come out. The Green Hornet himself was more accessible to me than, say, Batman or Spiderman. He hadn’t spent years training in hand-to-hand combat. He hadn’t been bitten by a spider. Oh, sure, he fought, but he was basically a well-dressed guy wearing a mask who used his brains and gadgets to take down the bad guys. And while the gadgets are present in this Green Hornet, the brains are missing. I can see this one as a setup for another movie when smarts come into play. I can also see that folks who aren’t familiar with the franchise won’t be making any of these comparisons–they’ll just have a good ol’ shoot-and-blast fun time watching.

The Return of Stickman #1251

The Return of Stickman #1249

Yes, I have picked the First Circle of Hell as my theme this week. Again.