Re-watching RUN LOLA RUN for the first time in over 20 years. So much stranger than I remember, with many odd narrative choices. Its cool factor is still very cool, but it's also incredibly ridiculous. The fact that the entire premise of the film stems from the anxiety of not being on time, makes it funnier than its meant to be, and also very German.
Still a lot of fun to watch, and oddly refreshing somehow.
On a completely different note, I recently discovered that before landing on BLADE RUNNER for a title, Ridley Scott considered calling his movie ANDROID. While not as inventive a title, it would've been particularly cool after having just come off a movie called ALIEN.
#journal #watches #film
Andrew Huang and Rob Scallon make a song using only their left hands. Watching the gears in their minds at work as they arrive at solutions and encounter revelations is such a joy to observe.
Newsletter dispatched, email zero, RSS feed at 285.
It is lethally hot out (“35C, feels like 42C”), so I will stay in and tend to this unruly RSS feed with AC on full blast and many cold beverages consumed.
Watched DUNE 2 last night, it is awesome.
Inks on one TSG page remain before moving on to letters, compilation, and colors/tones where necessary. After which, all that will remain shall be one chapter only before the book is finally complete.
#journal
Syrian Cassette Archives.
Wild “cover art”. Not good-wild, more like wtf-wild.
#music #research
In celebration of ten years since the release of THE CURE, a single by musician, collaborator, and dear friend N Vs. A (AKA N Slash A), I have created new cover-art for the song's re-release:
The lyrics are as relevant to the current moment as they were 10 years ago, and the music is a glorious nod to the rock sounds of the late 90s/early aughts, which as I understand it, is making a comeback. Give it a listen here.
#work #music #coverart #illo #object #photography
Early on in my work on THE SOLAR GRID, I used to pencil pretty tight, with the inking process constituting little more than tracing. Now, I pencil very loosely.
And then work in much of the drawing directly in ink:
Also, this panel right here:
I definitely wouldn't have had the confidence to put that in there early on. I've always loved Godard's rear-view driving sequence in BREATHLESS though. How I'd love to several pages of that sort of thing in comix.
#work #comix #TSG
Despite being taunted by both a half-inked page on my table and an unfinished human-sized painting out front, I have decided to spend the day tending to my inboxes (combined at 89) and my RSS catcher (388), but also cook a bunch (Madras-spiced meatballs and spinach-rice so far, hopefully still enough time to make a big batch of granola and also fish-balls).
Should also start thinking about next week's newsletter.
Current background listening is the Theory of Everything Podcast's excellent Not All Propaganda is Art series.
Finally got around to watching OPPENHEIMER the other night btw. It was fine.
#journal
Almost can't believe I'm this close to the finish line. But then again, it's only been 9 years.
Unwise to get distracted by the big picture at this stage though. Moving along, methodically, one page at a time is all that needs to be done right now.
#work #comix #TSG
“The Velvet Underground and Nico officially debuted on January 10, 1966, in an unlikely setting. Dr. Robert Campbell had invited Warhol to speak to the New York Society for Clinical Psychiatry at its annual black-tie banquet at Delmonico's. When asked about his odd choice, Dr. Campbell rhetorically asked, 'How can you be immune to art and the creative process? Surely you're aware of the barely visible line between genius and madness.' Warhol decided that his 'lecture,' 'The Chic Mystique of Andy Warhol,' would consist of films for visuals and the Velvet Underground for sound. That way Andy wouldn't have to talk.
“When the guests arrived in the gold-and-white grand ballroom at six-thirty, they found the Warhol entourage... As soon as the group of three hundred doctors and spouses started their roast beef entree, bedlam broke out. The Velvet Underground played full volume as Nico began singing in her unearthly voice. Gerard Melanga started his whip dance.”
From FACTORY MADE by Steven Watson.
#reads
Realized I've only mentioned this in my newsletter, but not yet here or the main dot com (another thing I ought to tend to this weekend), so here it is:
Forthcoming from MIT press and currently available for preorder, DEEP DREAM presents new science fiction stories about the future of art. Contributors include Samit Basu, Vajra Chandrasekera, Neil Clarke, Aliette de Bodard, Cassandra Khaw, Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Archita Mittra, Sloane Leong, Bruce Sterling, Wole Talabi, Lavie Tidhar and myself.
From the intro by Indrapramit Das:
“Renowned Egyptian artist Ganzeer gives us a vision of a USA where the production of art is forbidden in 'Unauthorized (Or, the Liberated Collectors Commune),' bringing his vibrantly playful countercultural sensibilities to the beloved science-fictional story of robots given to identity crises by the existence of their human creators.”
Pretty much sums it up. I recall writing it between Texas and Mexico shortly after separating from my now ex-wife, all of which seeps into the story somewhat. I've also come to notice that artists seem to make an appearance in most everything I write. Granted, this particular anthology's theme is the future of art. But still, I've got an artist in CRISPR THAN YOU (the story that appeared in THE BIG BOOK OF CYBERPUNK) and another in CHARLIE AND THE ALIENS which appears in WHO WILL SPEAK FOR AMERICA?. I've also got more than one in THE SOLAR GRID.
Oops.
#work #writing
Illustrated/designed a cover for a thing and inked in a page of TSG. Also made a post office run and picked up groceries, only to realize upon my return that I'm out of frozen fruit (essential for my daily smoothies). Combined inboxes at 155 and RSS catcher at 387! Looks like I have my weekend cut out for me.
Cannot unsee the sight of my baby boy's little hands flapping through water's surface trying to grab hold of a kickboard shortly after his swimming class. Not sure how long his head was under for, but the fright on his face when I pulled him out was like nothing I'd ever seen before. No crying, just terrible fear. You compare that to the unspeakable atrocities lived by the children of Gaza and their parents, and you can't help but feel a real hard pang in your chest.
#journal