No. 40: Fell in love with a drummer
A few facts for your files:
a) I don't own a pair of shorts.
b) I've never seen Jurassic Park.
c) I detest the look, texture and taste of scallops.
d) I just posted a big list of 99 graphic novel recommendations on Patreon.
Wow, my stealthy marketing techniques are unstoppable! Huge thanks to those of you who support me over there. (I also posted a 10-minute podcast on Patreon the other day. Shhhh.)
Moving on ...
What I'm into right now:
TV: I've been trying to watch YEARS AND YEARS on HBO, but despite the A+ cast, it's so anxiety-inducing I may have to stop. There's no way we're in for a happy ending. ... And perhaps by the time you read this I've dipped into the new season of STRANGER THINGS, but as of today (Thursday), I haven't had time. Take a drink or a puff or [insert vice here] every time Winona gasps.
MOVIES: My daughter and I saw TOY STORY 4, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. Wish I had a heads-up about the creepy new characters, though my 6-year-old was undisturbed. And Keanu's Duke Caboom is just, you know, the glitter on the Etch-A-Sketch. ... Speaking of Keanu, I'm soaking up every detail of BILL & TED 3, though the lack of patchy beard is throwing me off a bit.
BOOKS: Did you know there's a new graphic novel about Jean-Michel Basquiat? Written and illustrated by Italian author Paolo Parisi, the English translation of BASQUIAT is now available. Parisi's previous books include graphic biographies of John Coltrane and Billie Holiday. BASQUIAT isn't a super-revelatory biography, but I'm enjoying it so far.
TRAILERS: The preview for Rian Johnson's KNIVES OUT arrived this week. Looks fun, though I'd stick Michael Shannon in every single scene.
THEATER: Last weekend I saw a workshop performance of Drew Droege's new one-man show, and my face still hurts from laughter. In HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG, Drew takes on the personae of friends, acquaintances, exes, neighbors and others who attend one man's 41st birthday party. It's smart and engaging, and, unsurprisingly, Drew puts every ounce of energy into it. If you're unfamiliar with his work, delve into some of his podcasts and videos, particularly the ones where he impersonates Chloe Sevigny and the short film THE DISGUSTINGS.
MUSIC: Honestly, I've been listening to a lot of Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Bros. lately. And not to beat the Patreon promos into the ground, but on my latest audio clip I mention Parsons and play some of my fave cover songs. (I'm working on a big Spotify playlist of covers; I'll share it here soon.)
READING: Rob Sheffield wrote a lovely appreciation of drummer Janet Weiss, who left Sleater-Kinney this week. Weiss is the kind of drummer who not only makes you leave a rock show with that indescribable feeling you can only get at a rock show, there's no doubt she has inspired countless fans to pick up the sticks themselves. Good for her for knowing when it's time to move on -- but I can only hope "moving on" means continuing to make amazing music.
MISCELLANY: There's a new poster museum in New York, and I'm gonna get there as soon as I can. This fall/winter they'll feature an exhibition of hand-painted movie posters from Ghana, and they look stunning! ... And Sean Solomon's illustrations are pretty spot-on. This week he posted a good one: "What kind of noise musician are you?"
If you wanna sing out, sing out -- and if you wanna get my exclusive video, audio and pop-culture lists (like my 99 comics recommendations and forthcoming favorite cover songs), support this newsletter on Patreon!
Below are five graphic novel picks from the list:
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast. Truth be told, I postponed reading Chast’s memoir because the topic is, well, kinda unpleasant: dealing with aging parents. Once I read it, though, I realized how rare it is that someone writes so openly about the subject (and with humor, too).
The Flintstones written by Mark Russell with art by Steve Pugh. Please don’t skip this because you just saw the word “Flintstones” and you have a mortgage. This DC Comics series “modernizes” the world of the cartoon with stellar illustrations and characters, and it’s 1,000 times cleverer and deeper than you’d expect (or than it needs to be).
Night Business by Benjamin Marra. These comics are violent, rude, unrelenting and sleazy, and, I must admit, I’m a fan. Recommended if you have a soft spot for ‘80s movies with bikini girls and machine guns.
The Oishinbo series written by Tetsu Kariya with art by Akira Hanasaki. I’ve gifted this food-themed manga to so many people over the years, even if they aren’t super-passionate about food or manga. Each volume focuses on some aspect of Japanese cuisine (like “Sake” or “Ramen” or “The Joy of Rice”), and the result is savory and brilliant.
Syllabus by Lynda Barry. When I taught college journalism, I used to keep this book in my office for inspiration. Not only is Barry a gift to the medium who spills wisdom and memory on every page, she’s a beloved teacher who fills her courses with creativity and warmth. Here, she shares some of her techniques through fantastic illustrations, text, schoolwork and other images.
And YOU recommend:
MOVIES/MUSIC: Brad B. digs the new Liam Gallagher documentary, AS IT WAS. "It's a really intimate portrait of how Liam overcame Noel, the reputation and the lack of songs to have a No. 1 record," he says. "Second, his new track 'Shockwave' is a banger. Feels like mid-'90s proper rock all over again."
MUSIC: Mike V. is into Lukas Nelson's new album, TURN OFF THE NEWS (BUILD A GARDEN). And yep, Lukas is Willie's son! ... Herman digs the UK band Anteros, which has a new album and released this catchy video for "Drive On" earlier this year.
TV: "I needed to get my Jodie Comer fix, so I checked out THIRTEEN on Amazon Prime," Nancy says. "I watched all eight episodes this week ... worth checking out."
YOUTUBE: Shane pointed me to this video, in which the band Ride (which I love) talks about how they're influenced by Jean-Michel Basquiat (whom I also love). "Not only does it explain the '///' iconography that’s all over their new record, but you also get to hear about 20 seconds of the title track of the new album, and it is pure shoegaze fire," he says. "Supposedly this new record is the 'heaviest thing they’ve ever done,' whatever the Ride version of THAT means. Can’t wait."
BOOKS: Chris (aka BIG BUSINESS) is reading JUST PEACHY: COMICS ABOUT DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, LOVE AND FINDING THE HUMOR IN BEING SAD by Holly Chisholm. Learn more over at justpeachycomics.com.
MISCELLANY: And finally, Mel just saw the Maurice Sendak exhibit at the Morgan Library here in New York, and it sounds wonderful: "The focus is the stage sets and costumes he designed for operas and ballets," she says. "The storyboards he created FOR HIMSELF are beautiful — so detailed and whimsical. And the amount of work he put into what were, essentially, internal notes is staggering. ... Plus, the Morgan Library itself is a place I could spend all day, everyday. The audio tour includes so many insider stories."
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Share your pop-culture recs via email (just hit reply) or text/voicemail via my hotline, 929-515-1988. Leave your name, and I'll put you in a future newsletter!
Releases worth noting:
TV/STREAMING:
- Aziz Ansari delivers a standup special, RIGHT NOW (Netflix, July 9);
- David Hasselhoff hosts BATTLE OF THE 80S SUPERCARS (History, July 10).
IN THEATERS (OUT JULY 5:
- Directed by Nick Broomfield, MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE tells the love story between Leonard Cohen and his muse, Marianne Ihlen.
BOOKS:
- Fantagraphics just released the anticipated comics anthology KRAMERS ERGOT 10. This time around, it features work by Robert Crumb, Dash Shaw, Ivan Brunetti, Simon Hanselmann, Anna Hafisch and others.
RAD BIRTHDAYS:
July 5: Huey Lewis, Bill Watterson, Edie Falco, Jenji Kohan, RZA
July 6: Jeannie Seely, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Saunders
July 7: Ringo Starr, Shelley Duvall (pictured)
July 8: Anjelica Huston, Kevin Bacon, Billy Crudup, Beck
July 9: David Hockney, Richard Roundtree, Jimmy Smits, Tom Hanks, Courtney Love, Isaac Brock, Jack White, Fred Savage
July 10: Mavis Staples, Neil Tennant, Bela Fleck
July 11: Peter Murphy, Suzanne Vega, Jhumpa Lahiri, Lil' Kim
La-la love you,
Don't be shy! Say hi via email (whitmath@gmail) and text/voicemail (929-515-1988). Please email if you wanna send me stuff or hire me as a writer/editor/speaker. , and follow/tag me on Twitter and Instagram. (If this email is landing in spam/junk, try this.)
Oh, you've got the darkest eyes,
Frank the Bunny
"I went from weirdo teenager to pixie waif to them not knowing what the hell to do with me."
- Winona Ryder
"I don't think I've tried to be anything other than a weirdo."
- Martin Gore
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Also, check out my humor essay in the book MOVING FOREWORD, and see me read from it July 21 at Quimby's Bookstore in Brooklyn. Come say hi!