Cousin Itt, Walton Goggins & MASH -- oh, my.
October spawned a monster ...
Well, aren't you a charmer! I hope the week has been treating you well; I've been just chugging coffee and trying to keep up with it all. Tonight I'm seeing JOKER, and I can't wait to either love or hate it. (I'll only be mad if I feel indifferent, because then it's just two hours of wasted time.)
Double-knot your boots and come along now ...
I spent many hours at New York Comic Con last weekend, and one highlight was saying hi to Brian Ralph, author of the twist-on-the-zombie-genre graphic novel DAYBREAK. Netflix premieres a DAYBREAK series on Oct. 24; it stars Matthew Broderick, has a kickin' soundtrack and is well worth your time. Congrats to Brian on all of his success!
Other stuff I'm into:
TV: I'm still watching THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES, and Walton Goggins is a gift to us all. (I also listened to his conversation with Marc Maron the other day, and now I dare to daydream of a Whit & Walt hangout down the line.) ... And yep, I saw the season premiere of MR. ROBOT, but I dare say that so much time had passed since the last episode that the stakes and plot twists didn't mean much to me. C'est la vie.
BOOKS: I'm still savoring Patti Smith's YEAR OF THE MONKEY, but my daughter sailed right through Raina Telgemeier's GUTS and then proceeded to read it again. I also have Debbie Harry's memoir on hold at the bookstore down the street, but I haven't had time to pick it up!
MUSIC: Do I dig Michael Stipe's new solo track? Of course, and here's the video directed by another person I'll adore forever, Sam Taylor-Johnson. ... And hey, the Big Ears lineup was announced this week. If I could only attend one music festival each year, it would be this one in Knoxville, Tenn. And tickets are NOW ON SALE! Gah!
READING: As I told someone the other day, these "findings" that comics readers are pivoting from superheroes aren't incredibly reveletory. ... And Nick Cave gives good advice.
Pete K. sent us a fantastic photo of himself in the '70s dressed as (as you can probably guess) Cousin Itt from THE ADDAMS FAMILY. "It was handmade by my mom with lots of crepe paper and lots of love," he says. "Looked amazing, but probably not the safest costume to walk around the neighborhood in!"
What you're into:
TV: Herman is enjoying the final seasons of THE DEUCE and THE GOOD PLACE ... Robin M. highly recommends PERPETUAL GRACE LTD, which somehow passed me by. "We watched it all in a couple weeks, and I'm absolutely stunned at how great it was," Robin says. "I feel like this little gem isn't getting a lot of viewers. ... It has sort of a FARGO/BREAKING BAD vibe and is beautifully shot. The cast is insane: Ben Kingsley, Jacki Weaver, Jimmi Simpson. Check it out!"
NETFLIX: A reader who identifies as "Inigo Montoya" is into NORSEMEN on Netflix, "a Monty Python-type comedy." ... Another reader recommends THE I-LAND on Netflix. "It starts out with people in a beach house with no memory ... and then it gets interesting."
MUSIC: Longtime reader Katie H. recommends The Robe, and not just because she's part of it! "Rollum Haas spent half his life playing drums in the Features, and after leaving the group a few years back, he finally had the time to put into making this record," she says. "He played all the instruments on the record, but the two of us have played a handful of live shows this year as a duo. As a 41-year-old with no prior live-band experience, it's been incredibly rewarding and fun for me." You're living the dream, Katie!
PODCASTS: Ryan Patrick called the hotline to tell me about his M*A*S*H MATTERS podcast, which celebrates what he (and many others) consider to be the greatest show of all time. He and co-host Jeff Maxwell have had some great guests, including Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Hunnicutt. Sounds like a winner to me; listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
I adore this vintage Halloween pic from longtime reader/supporter Kevin T. He says his mom made the costume, and man, he is WEARING IT like nobody's business.
(If you have a vintage Halloween photo, send it my way at whitmath@gmail.com. I may post it next week.)
Notable new releases:
TV: I'm on board for EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE (Netflix, Oct. 11) ... LITTLE MONSTERS pops up on Hulu (Oct. 11) ... THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE is actually an insane-looking horror film based on the Sid and Marty Krofft show (SYFY, Oct. 12) ... AMC airs HIP-HOP: THE SONGS THAT SHOOK AMERICA (OCT. 13) ... INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO returns without James Lipton (Ovation, Oct. 13) ... LETTERKENNY returns (Hulu, Oct. 14) ... LIMETOWN debuts on Facebook Watch (Oct. 16).
MOVIES: THE ADDAMS FAMILY gets animated ... Adam Devine and Rose Byrne star in JEXI ... FANTASTIC FUNGI gets shroomy.
MUSIC: This week brings new releases from Lightning Bolt, Kim Gordon, Cursive, Blood Orange, Elbow, The Allah Las, Starcrawler and Mark Kozelek & Petra Haden.
BIRTHDAYS:
Oct. 11: Daryl Hall, Joan Cusack, Jane Krakowski, MC Lyte, Matt Bomer, Cardi B
Oct. 12: Deborah Foreman (pictured), Hugh Jackman, Josh Hutcherson
Oct. 13: Paul Simon, Sacha Baron Cohen
Oct. 14: Ralph Lauren, Thomas Dolby, Isaac Mizrahi, Lori Petty, Steve Coogan
Oct. 15: Linda Lavin, Mira Nair, Stacy Peralta, Todd Solondz, Devon Gummersall
Oct. 16: Angela Lansbury, Suzanne Somers, Bob Weir, Tim Robbins, Bob Mould, Flea
Oct. 17: Michael McKean, George Wendt, Mae Jemison, Mike Judge, Ziggy Marley, Eminem
In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Week, this week I posted my top go-tos for getting me out of a dark place. (Shout-out to the reader who suggested a shower, because that's also a surefire way to improve my mood. Ditto for brushing my teeth!)
I just can't seem to drink you off my mind,
Email me anytime at whitmath@gmail.com and leave me a text/voicemail at 929-515-1988. Also email for my mailing address or if you want to hire me as a writer/editor/speaker/bike messenger. My spokes shine brighter than the sun.
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Actin' funny and spendin' money,
Chatty Cathy
"Wherever I go, I have an act and I'm going to make people laugh." - Rip Taylor
Don't forget to read my kids' book, WE MAKE COMICS, on getepic.com!