Thursday, February 2, 2012

Listen, Whitey! Fantagraphics Bookstore Kicks Off Black History Month

Listen, Whitey!

Celebrate Black History Month on February 4 at Fantagraphics Bookstore with two new books on the Civil Rights movement.

Fantagraphics Bookstore kicks off Black History Month on Saturday, February 4 with the debut of two diverse books. Seattle-based music scholar Pat Thomas, author of Listen, Whitey!: The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965 – 1975, will be joined by Seattle authors Mark Long and Jim Demonakos, who together with cartoonist Nate Powell created the graphic novel The Silence of Our Friends.

While researching this book project in Oakland, archivist Pat Thomas discovered rare recordings of speeches, interviews, and music by noted activists Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Elaine Brown, and others that form the framework of this definitive retrospective. Listen, Whitey! also chronicles the forgotten history of Motown Records’ Black Power subsidiary label, Black Forum, which released politically charged albums by Stokely Carmichael, Langston Hughes, Bill Cosby and Ossie Davis, among others. Obscure records produced by African-American sociopolitical organizations of the period are examined, along with the Isley Brothers, Nina Simone, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Watts Prophets, Roland Kirk, Horace Silver, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, Stanley Crouch, and others that spoke out against oppression.

Thomas will give a slide and music presentation, and limited number of advance copies of the book will be available to the public. Also making its debut is a companion CD of the same title from Seattle- based Light in the Attic records. The album features rare tracks from African-American activists like Dick Gregory, Eldridge Cleaver, Last Poets, and others, with protest music by Bob Dylan, John and Yoko Ono, Gil Scott-Heron, Roy Harper, and more.

The Silence of Our Friends is the semi-autobiographical tale of Mark Long. Set in 1967 Texas against the backdrop of the civil rights struggle, a white family from a notoriously racist suburb and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston’s color line, overcoming fear and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman. Co-authored by Jim Demonakos (founder of Seattle’s Emerald City Comicon), and drawn by award-winning cartoonist Nate Powell, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.

Saturday, February 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.)
In Seattle’s colorful Georgetown neighborhood.
Phone 206.658.0110.


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

"Before Watchmen" - Watchmen Prequel Comic Books Announced

The following was taken from a DC Comics blog post written by David Hyde:

DC ENTERTAINMENT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES “BEFORE WATCHMEN”

This summer, DC Entertainment will publish all-new stories expanding on the acclaimed WATCHMEN universe. As highly anticipated as they are controversial, the seven inter-connected prequel mini-series will build on the foundation of the original WATCHMEN, the bestselling graphic novel of all time. BEFORE WATCHMEN will be the collective banner for all seven titles, from DC Comics.

“It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”

Stepping up to the challenge is a group of the comic book industry’s most iconoclastic writers and artists – including Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS), Lee Bermejo (JOKER), Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL), Darwyn Cooke (JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER), John Higgins (WATCHMEN), Adam Hughes (CATWOMAN), J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS), Andy Kubert (FLASHPOINT), Joe Kubert (SGT. ROCK), Jae Lee (BATMAN: JEKYLL AND HYDE), J. Michael Straczynski (SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE) and Len Wein (SWAMP THING).

BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:

RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo

MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke

COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones

DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes

NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert

OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee

SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.

“The original series of WATCHMEN is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” said Dave Gibbons, WATCHMEN co-creator and original series artist.

“Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction,” said DiDio and Lee. “Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”

I Reads February 2012

Welcome to I Reads You, my blog about the comic books and books I Read. Sometimes I’ll comment on other things.  I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I have another blog: http://www.negromancer.com/. I also write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps and comics).

All images and text appearing on this blog are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 1 2012

DC COMICS

DEC110209 ACTION COMICS #6 $3.99

DEC110212 ACTION COMICS #6 COMBO PACK $4.99

NOV110252 AME COMI WHITE CANARY PVC FIGURE (RES) $70.00

NOV110248 AME COMI WONDER WOMAN AS STAR SAPPHIRE FIGURE (RES) $70.00

OCT110282 AMERICAN VAMPIRE HC VOL 03 (MR) $24.99

DEC110250 ANIMAL MAN #6 $2.99

NOV110194 BATMAN GATES OF GOTHAM TP $14.99

DEC110226 BATWING #6 $2.99

DEC110222 DETECTIVE COMICS #6 $2.99

DEC110203 GREEN ARROW #6 $2.99

SEP110182 GREEN ARROW SALVATION HC $22.99

DEC110272 HAWK AND DOVE #6 $2.99

DEC110320 IZOMBIE #22 (MR) $2.99

DEC110192 JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #6 $2.99

DEC110264 MEN OF WAR #6 $3.99

DEC110266 OMAC #6 $2.99

NOV110234 RAT CATCHER TP (MR) $12.99

DEC110245 RED LANTERNS #6 $2.99

DEC110305 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #18 $2.99

DEC110270 STATIC SHOCK #6 $2.99

DEC110256 STORMWATCH #6 $2.99

OCT110252 SUPERMAN REIGN OF DOOMSDAY HC $22.99

DEC110310 SUPERNATURAL #5 (OF 6) $2.99

DEC110248 SWAMP THING #6 $2.99

DEC110326 SWEET TOOTH #30 (MR) $2.99

NOV110209 XOMBI TP $14.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 1 2012

MARVEL COMICS

DEC110644 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #679 $3.99

DEC110602 AVENGERS ACADEMY #25 $2.99

NOV110651 AVENGERS ASSEMBLE TP VOL 02 $34.99

NOV110628 AVENGERS HAWKEYE TP $19.99

DEC110616 AVENGERS X-SANCTION #3 (OF 4) $3.99

NOV118101 CARNAGE USA #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG CRAIN VAR (PP #1003) $3.99

DEC110595 DEFENDERS #3 $3.99

NOV110657 ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR TP VOL 06 NEW ED $19.99

DEC110598 FEAR ITSELF FEARLESS #8 (OF 12) $2.99

NOV110615 FEAR ITSELF HEROES FOR HIRE PREM HC $24.99

DEC110655 HULK #48 $2.99

SEP110649 INCREDIBLE HULKS FALL OF HULKS HC $39.99

NOV110661 JOHN CARTER A PRINCESS OF MARS GN TP $14.99

NOV110662 JOHN CARTER WORLD OF MARS TP $14.99

DEC110648 PUNISHER #8 $2.99

DEC110656 THOR DEVIANTS SAGA #4 (OF 5) $3.99

DEC110663 TWELVE #9 (OF 12) (RES) $2.99

DEC110662 TWELVE MUST HAVE #1 $3.99

DEC110672 UNCANNY X-FORCE #21 XREGG $3.99

DEC110669 UNCANNY X-MEN #6 $3.99

DEC110636 VENOM #13 $3.99

DEC110658 VILLAINS FOR HIRE #3 (OF 4) $2.99

DEC110588 WINTER SOLDIER #1 $2.99

NOV118122 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #3 2ND PTG BACHALO VAR XREGG (PP #1004) $3.99

DEC110682 X-CLUB #3 (OF 5) $2.99

DEC110674 X-FACTOR #231 XREGG $2.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 1 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV110294 ANNE RICE SERVANT OF THE BONES #6 (OF 6) $3.99
DEC110415 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #14 $3.99
DEC110432 ETERNAL DESCENT VOL 2 #3 (OF 6) $3.99
DEC110400 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #175 $3.99
DEC110383 GI JOE V2 ONGOING TP VOL 02 COBRA CIVIL WAR $17.99
DEC110394 GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #10 $3.99
DEC110344 INFESTATION 2 TRANSFORMERS #1 (OF 2) $3.99
OCT110341 JOHN ROMITA AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ARTIST ED HC PI
OCT110388 LOCKE & KEY CLOCKWORKS #4 (OF 6) $3.99
NOV118076 LOCKE & KEY GUIDE TO KNOWN KEYS ONE SHOT 2ND PTG (PP #1002) $3.99
JUL110329 LOCKE & KEY SPEC ED HC VOL 01 WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT $100.00
OCT110356 MAGIC THE GATHERING #1 $3.99
DEC110349 TRANSFORMERS EVOLUTIONS HEARTS OF STEEL TP (NEW PTG) $19.99