As witness the image above, my last minute gift guide is peculiar, idiosyncratic and incomplete. So far, as far as I’m concerned there’s one concert I must go to that is this Bauhaus show. One of rock’s darkest of the dark, this English band roiled the early ’80s scene both in England and the world.
But, I’ll admit it I created this guide not for you or anyone else; it’s a list of things i missed getting during the year and want to revisit, or are things I know of but need to follow up on, so here’s a list you can get for other sure, but for me, these are some goodies that would make ME happy!
Marvel’s 1983 Frankenstein
Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Artist — Bernie Wrightson
Given that I didn’t have a loose million bucks, I didn’t get the original art for the late artist Bernie Wrightson’s original wrap-around cover artwork for Marvel’s 1983 Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. In pencil and ink on large 20 x 30 in. heavy weight art board, the actual art was sold in auction this month. Wrightson’s been called, “the greatest horror artist of our time.” I knew him and am sad I never interviewed but his work achieved a level of influence on many of the world’s most acclaimed writers, artists, and filmmakers of today. Grab a copy of the graphic novel online if you want to see a brilliant example of graphic story telling.
Also wanted for my Santa (or Satan) stocking are a few other graphic story books. Two from Image Comics are really intriguing to m,e and based on the following descriptions, I bet they are equally engaging.
SFSX: Safe Sex
(Image Comics)
Writer: Tina Horn
Artist: Michael Dowling
From notorious kink writer Tina Horn (Why Are People Into That?! podcast host) and fan-favorite artist Michael Dowling (Unfollow, Death Sentence) comes a new series, SFSX: Safe Sex, a social thriller about sex, love, and torture. “Set in a draconian America where sexuality is bureaucratized and policed, a group of queer sex workers keep the magic alive in an underground club called the Dirty Mind. Using their unique bondage skills, they infiltrate the mysterious government Pleasure Center, free their friends, and fight the power.” Thanks to those cogent words from the publisher, I am dying to get a copy — or have it land under my Chanukah bush.
Undiscovered Country
(Image Comics)
writers Scott Snyder, Charles Soule
artist Giuseppe Camuncoli
New York Times bestselling writers Scott Snyder (Batman, Justice League, American Vampire, Wytches) and Charles Soule (Curse Words, novels The Oracle Year, Anyone) and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli’s (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer) new ongoing series Undiscovered Country tells of an ongoing science fiction/adventure pegged as the next Walking Dead because of its similarly sweeping dystopia. Entertainment Weekly likens the story to that of Mad Max and predicts, that many more twists are coming, and it promises to a story with be a future worth exploring.
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined A Generation
American Experience
1 disc DVD, Digital
When PBS’s American Experience issued the 96-minute “Woodstock: Three Days That Defined A Generation” it gave viewers a chance to experience one of the most influential concerts ever seen. Award-winning filmmaker Barak Goodman’s doc revisits the 1969 concert for its 50th Anniversary. In August of that year, half a million people from journeyed to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in upstate New York for a unprecedented concert. The film examines the tumultuous decade that led to those three historic days — through the voices of those who were present for the event that would become the defining moment of the counterculture revolution. Focusing on concert goers, security guards, performers, and local residents, “Woodstock” expands an understanding of this unparalleled musical milestone, and how it was a once-in-a-century cultural phenomena.
Polaroid Originals Festive Collection for the Holidays
Thirdman Records
/Polaroid Originals
Thirdman Photo Studio
Long before cell phones, digital cameras or touch capture of video and still images, everything was analog. Digital recording and desktop publishing were another decade away. So the only mode for capturing images with an instant viewing experience and response was the Polaroid camera, specifically the SX-70 at the time. It had a soupy chemical emulsion that squeezed out between two plastic sheets to yield a picture that settled quickly so the maker or subject got instant gratification.As digital photography took hold, analog stuff like Polaroid lost the audience. Or so it seems. Now that what’s old is new again, Polaroid Originals was launched (or relaunched) and has made a deal with Jack White’s Third Man Records to develop a festive collection for the holidays — now available in the #Nashville and #Detroit storefronts. The set includes color film for 600 Gold Dust edition and Festive Red edition along with a limited red One-Step 2 Viewfinder Camera. Available through this holiday season.