Month: August 2016

Canadian Sweethearts (Arkells, Morning Report review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

The Canadian Sweethearts were a Canadian rockabilly duo that were popular during the 1960s and played together almost 20 years. They are probably best known for their song Eeny Meeny Miney Moe, but the most important allusion I want to make between them and the musical act being considered today is that both group were metaphorical Canadian sweethearts too.

And while The Canadian Sweethearts did break out into the US markets with their fun and high-energy track, I hope these gents can do it proper too.

 

 

 

Arkells – Morning Report
released August 5, 2016
******** 8/10

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Arkells are a Canadian indie rock band that have roots in the eastern coast. Yay for Canadian content! They’ve signed with Dine Alone records, and are now also on the Universal Records Canada label as well. Morning Report is their 4th album-to-date, and by far the most adventurous album they’ve done thus far.

I’ve been a fan of them since that first single Oh, The Boss Is Coming! was released back in 2008, but I didn’t pick up any of their records until I saw them live in January of 2015 with my sister and her beau. After that fateful show, when I decided to start attending concerts on the regular again, I immediately picked up their back catalogue which at the time included the still somewhat fresh High Noon, now a Juno award winner.

These guys are from Hamilton, Ontario and they are a fucking national treasure, they should have the international market dead to rights by now, but somehow they haven’t broken through that US wall just yet. In the fine tradition of acts like The Tragically Hip, Sloan, Sam Roberts, and April Wine, these guys are Canadian rock stars who should be bigger than they are.

Morning Report takes quite a few notes from that previous album, exploring more of a pop-rock tone, to ensure continued strength and representation ALA tracks like A Little Rain and Savannah, but this is not why I love this band. It’s because in between those harmonies, you find that they are still exploring and making music that makes them happy.

The first two tracks, Drake’s Dad and Private School do a great job of this, but by far the sweetest and most emotionally wrought song of the whole record is Passenger Seat. It breaks my heart EVERY time I listen to it.

This of course is followed by another pop-rock ditty called Making Due, proving that this album is all over the place with it’s tone. Produced by Joe Chiccarelli , Tony Hoffer, Brian West and Gus van Go, Morning Report flows in and out, sampling from Arkells spectrum of songs, but somehow making this an even more enjoyable effort than High Noon.

I suspect that it’s because every song plays heavy on the lyrics and instantly likeable voice of lead singer Max Kerman.

And then there is Come Back Home, which is also quite rough to listen to. Two guesses of what it’s about. But that song is followed up by a song of friendship in the form of A Little Rain (A Song For Pete). As I mentioned, while the tone is all-over the place, lyrically this album does a great job of dealing with those post-college years, the ones that no musician really wants to deal with. When all your friends long-term relationships either turn into marriage and family or fall apart.

In the most simplest of terms, and the most authentic of emotions, Morning Report is an examination of the after effects of your early twenties.

 

 

 

It’s tough being a Canadian musical act. Sometimes you get all kinds of proper attention on a global scale, and sometimes you fight for decades but never get to the open seas. I know that Arkells have the ability to reach higher and higher, and by playing festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, they are sure to gain more attention, let’s just hope whatever happens, they remember they are Canadian sweethearts.

Tim!

 

A Short History of The World (Comics, Comic Strips, Comic Books)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I think I’ve gone too far this time, dear readers. I decided to write about a topic which is far more complex and grand then I could possibly fit into the space of these 1000 words or less. And I also feel that I’m too close to it really give you an objectively focused and emotionally restrained tone.

Now to be clear that does not mean I haven’t given 110% effort here, but this is something which is close to my heart and heavily influenced my childhood decision to pursue art. Rhyme not intentional, but convenient.

I’ve written topics before which have used this model of art making in their framework, but it’s a little bit real for me friends and how this medium is starting to show up everywhere. Hell, It’s a little too surreal.

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Comics were originally thought to be a form of escapism for youth and definitely not something that could become entrenched in popular culture. Yet here we are.

History of Comics

Twenty years ago, there was almost no interest in the academic community to look at comics, but colleges and universities are now making real efforts to work with people in the industry and to study the impact the medium has had on culture. With a format that asks us to consider both text and visual information simultaneously, comics are literally sequential art. They use panels to help with pacing, while speech balloons and captions help with dialogue, private thoughts, character background, and even sound effects.

And the history of comics has been varied in different cultures as well. For instance, in Europe, Japan, and the United States, comics got their start in newspaper publications and books as secondary entertainment, in what eventually was known as a strip.

But now we have an assortment of formats to choose from. Gag cartoons and political cartoons are often single panel pieces, followed in length by the comic strip. Comic books, also known as comics, are multi-page books that are bound with staples. Collected editions of comics can come in trade paper backs, in both softcover and hardcover, and graphic novels are self-contained stories that were published in a limited run or as a one-shot. Lastly, web comics. Web comics are stories that exist first on the internet, and have no size or page limitations. Some web comic artists even incorporate animation and sound into their work.

And of course when you travel overseas… you can see Japanese manga, European bandes dessinees and fumetti or Korean and Chinese manhwa and manhua. It’s a lot to wrap your head around.

Comics Terminology

Which reminds me, did you know that there is a whole language of terms for comics? The layout is made up of panels, and the panels contain spaces which are culled the gutter. Rows of panels can also be called a tier, while an image that takes up half the page or more is called a splash page. A splash page is usually set up to emphasize a story point and gain attention, while an image that takes up two pages is called a spread.

As already mentioned, the speech bubble is used to contain character dialogue and even it’s shape let’s the reader know whether thoughts are said aloud or internally AND can even be used to indicate tone. Captions on the other hand are separated from the rest of the page and often give narration or information about the story. Sound effects are demonstrated with words that sit in the panel, and are colourful for effect.

When we consider the concepts used to engage with the reader, we cannot forget that it is the reader’s responsibility to perform closure and combine all of the panels together in their head, which means that it is the responsibility of the comic creators to capture key moments in the story, also known as encapsulation.

Roles & Responsibilities

Comic creators can have a few roles, specializing in specific aspects of creation or depending on the scale of the production, they may take on everything. For instance, they could be a writer, who handles plot, dialogue, and pacing. Or they could be an artist/cartoonist, which can be further subdivided into roles of pencilling, inking, and colouring. Lastly, the letterer fills in the blanks for speech bubbles and sound effects.

Defining Comics

Much like film and it’s big sister, literature, the definition of comics is not perfectly linear. It is an ever-expanding form, and with the variations across culture and over history, we’ve not quite nailed down what comics should look like. I would say this though, it’s an important crossover medium, that allows the reader to explore a relationship with traditional mediums of both literature and visual art, and I personally believe that we can all gain a stronger appreciation of both forms by spending time with comics. If films serve as our global cultures version of the campfire story, then the comic is a cave painting set in isolation and used for reflection. It’s not something which is only for children, there are lots of great books adults should read – I’ve got a convenient list for your reference.

I’m definitely going to come back to comics from time to time, as I think this medium is rich and full of opportunity, after all, the cave paintings are starting to move over to the campfire, so why not spend some time in reflection, friends? It’s just a theory, but I bet you’ll get something from it.

Tim!

Reflection Injection (Positive Affirmations & Happiness)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Our days our filled with observations and analysis.

Whether it’s dealing with social hoops of family and friends, the inherent differences between the opposite sex or the tedium of the work week, we have to take in a ton of information and process it rather rapidly, so that we can then move onto the next thing.

As someone who is always thinking about things critically, this can be especially frustrating for me to personally deal with, and I know that we are all victims of our own over-analysis. What we really should be doing, is separating ourselves from our problems and reflecting on the week, REGULARLY, so that we can apply the critical model to ourselves.

But in order to get there, we have to be receptive to the process.

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That means looking into healing practices so that you can properly begin the process of self-reflection, and I just so happen to have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to make that happen for you without too much effort, and right out of the gate to boot!

Positive Affirmations and Mindful Meditations

Introspection is an amazing thing dear readers, but you don’t know what you don’t know, as they say. Who are they anyway? Well, let’s not get sidetracked, the word they is just a generalization to avoid citing sources.

So you want to be more introspective folks, because as you examine those negative thoughts, feelings, and insights, you’ll start to feel overwhelmed. And listening to pre-recored audio affirmations that you voice yourself will train your brain to listen to yourself in a different way. As you do this each day, when you wake up and then before you go to bed, your brain sub-consciously takes in these ideas and shifts away from negative self-talk to more positive self-talk.

This next part is important – You need to make declarations, especially ones that you don’t believe at the moment.

The reason for this is that these statements will slowly become things that you believe about yourself over time, and because it is as simple as listening to the statements, you aren’t working to accomplish anything. But they need to be statements that without an end or a goal. Statements of being, identity and purpose.

It’s kind of difficult to explain so rather than dwell on it, I’ll show you. For example, this is my list and it’ll help contextualize the purpose of the exercise.

I am a child of God with infinite worth.
I am always taken care of.
God loves me and accepts me.
I am always more than enough.
The worth of my soul is great.
I now fully accept myself.
My body is now in perfect balance.
I am always healthy and strong.
Everything I touch prospers.
Other people experience their worth when they are in my presence.
Everything works together for my good.

Now I don’t think you need any of the points around a spiritual purpose, but it is important to be balanced in terms of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. So if you have a belief system or you have no belief system, you can replace “God” with whatever works for you. If you are an atheist for instance turn “I am a child of God with infinite worth” into “I am child of humanity with infinite worth”, and “God loves me and accepts me” into “I am loved and accepted.”

Another key component to consider is that when you are recording these statements, you should replace I with you where appropriate so that you are saying these messages back to yourself, and it has been shown that classical music elevates the mind, so why not put some Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven as a backing track?

Next, loop the audio track so that it comes in at about 15 minutes, and export the mp3. You have the basis for your positivity. If you can commit to this process over a month, you’ll be shocked at how much of a difference it makes in your mood, and then see how you feel after three months.

Yes, I know that this wasn’t entirely a “timely” post friends, but this is routine something that I recently got back into myself, and coming off the heels of a break-up, I’ve felt significantly better following this protocol than I would’ve if I had just kept my thoughts to myself.

The results are truly staggering, but that’s just a theory.

Tim!

 

That Look (Your Wardrobe)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I’m a little bit nervous to write about this topic.

Mostly because I think that fashion is a personal choice. However, I am also terrified at the prospect of being overwhelmed with the paper cuts of the world, AKA all of the little trappings that go with life, and so I’m constantly thinking about ways to limit the amount of stupid minutia I spend my personal time on. Attire definitely factors into this. While you may think fashion’s your friend, my friends, fashion is danger.

I’d rather be posing a threat. If you know what I mean.

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Now let’s get into the thick of the hair gel. I think that setting up your personal style is important. You’ll never struggle with an outfit to wear or have a personal crisis before attending a beach themed cocktail party again if you consider the following key points.

How To Dress Like An Artist

Now you could go for the classic artist look, and dress comfortably, you probably would. Because the truth is, if you are an artist, you are very likely already doing something like that and it’s worked for you when it comes to your work. After all, your career is a messy one, full of emotions and material. There are definitely important considerations of practicality, creativity, common stereotypes, and professionalism at stake here.

Let’s start by addressing practical elements of wardrobe. No matter your personal tastes when you are out and about, when you are in the studio, rehearsal or on set, you need to dress comfortably so that you can get the work done. That means having the right clothes for the job. Clothes should fit your body, but not get in the way. And they definitely should not be clothes you want to keep in pristine shape – think thrift shops, especially if you are just starting out and operating on a limited budget.

Now if you are done for the day, you get to take your creativity with you.

That means you should do whatever you can come up with a wardrobe that highlights your personal interests without becoming a dumping ground. I highly recommend starting with the basics and building outwards from there. Get some plain white t-shirts/blouses, and a couple of pairs of black jeans. Jeans can be worn with almost any combination of tops, jackets, and shoes, and if you stick with black, they can almost double as dress pants without anyone knowing.

You can also invest in blue, grey, and black t-shirts, but you don’t need more than a pair of each of these. Then get some henley shirts, v-neck sweaters, cardigans, and some button down shirts. All of these should stay inside that tight-knit wheelhouse of colour. Remember, you are trying to build a base to work from, and because of the choices made you can turn these outfits into casual, semi-formal or dress outfits fairly easily. You should also get a dinner jacket, a quality leather jacket and a nice winter jacket, that way you are covered for all of the seasons. Shoes should be black, brown, white or grey – stick to common styles like heels, flats, sneakers, and desert boots. Noticing a pattern here? Keep it simple and you’ll see where creativity can start to come in.

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If you learn to sew your own clothes, you create some character pieces to inject into the mix, and accessorize your existing wardrobe. That means buttons, pins, and screen-printed graphics.

After you get used to the idea of pairing clothes you can begin the process of introducing some more unusual colours back into the mix, and leverage them for when you attending networking events. Before you know it you’ll be adding in cool jewellery and styling your hair in a way that actually makes sense with your unique tastes. The reason why creative people wear black is usually because they want to keep attention off of themselves and on their art, but if your aesthetic brand is on point, you won’t run into that issue any more.

I promise. Well, I have a theory at the very least.

Tim!

 

A Non-Comical Book, Err Film (Batman: The Killing Joke, review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Sexuality is a complicated thing, dear readers. People of all sexual orientations exist in this world – heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, polysexual, pansexual, and transexual. And those are just the baseline, it gets more intricate then that. Which is a difficult thing to address because we have so much cultural material out there that mostly address heterosexuals, and to a lesser extent, homosexuals.

Every other persuasion gets considerably less attention.

Now, I’m writing about this challenge as a straight white male, so I realize my opinion is pretty limited, and that I am quite privileged in my perspective, but I will mention this, I have no idea how the actual percentages shake out on this sexuality matter.

Regardless, when we are reduced to our sexual motivations, that sucks. And not in a good way. Especially when it comes to art.

 

 

 

Batman: The Killing Joke (2014)

Cast: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, Ray Wise
released on blu-ray August 2, 2016
***** 5/10

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IMDB: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 48%, Audience Score 56%
The Guardian: N/A

Sam Liu is a Chinese American animation director, artist, and designer. He has directed several animated superhero films at both Marvel Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. I could list the heavy CV of films he has had a hand in, but it’s rather exhausting to look at, so let’s just take my word for it, okay?

As Bob Dylan once sang, the times, they are a changin’.

And this story probably didn’t need to be retold, especially the way it did, but before I tell you about the story, I’ll give you a bit of background first.

Batman: The Killing Joke is an adaptation of a rather slim graphic novel of the same name, which was originally created by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland in 1988, and which was itself also an adaptation of another story from the 1950s called The Man Behind the Red Hood which originally served as an origin story for Batman’s greatest foe, The Joker.

It has been widely lauded as one of the greatest Batman stories of all time, and has been critically reviewed as the definitive Joker story. It is a story describing both how The Joker came to be and for him to prove that anyone can sink into madness.

The flashbacks show a failed comedian and his very pregnant wife, and the comedian eventually decides to work with criminals to steal from a playing card company. It’s adjacent to his former work, which is a chemical plant. But his wife dies in a household accident, and he is forced to help the criminals anyway. The criminals dress him up as The Red Hood to implicate him if cops arrive. Cops do arrive, and then Batman. The comedian escapes from Batman, but is flushed out the chemical was pound lock – this turns his skin white, his lips red, and his hair green. He loses his sanity.

In the current timeline, The Joker invades the Gordon’s home, shoots Barbara (Batgirl), and kidnaps Commissioner Gordon. He then subjects him to sexualized images of his naked and bloody daughter, ridiculing him, and parading him through an abandoned amusement park. His hope is that Gordon will go insane just as he did, but this does not happen. Then Batman arrives, fights The Joker and proves to The Joker that he is the only insane one. The comic closes with Batman attempting to rehabilitate his foe, and The Joker responding with a joke that insights laughter from both parties, then the comic ends with an empty panel. Leaving the question of what happened to the reader.

It was a powerful story for the time, and still an interesting read, but Alan Moore has admitted that it lead superheroes down a dark road, and that while he wanted to show that comic books could be anything, all it did was darken the industry, and it hasn’t really recovered since. He regrets having written the story.

Now, let’s get to the update. Without diving too much into it, the new animated movie adds a prologue to help introduce us to Batgirl, even showcasing her challenges with a villain of her own, and a strained relationship with her mentor. The villain is sexually attracted to her, and of course gets in her head, which has Batman take Batgirl off the case. The story eventually shifts to a sexual tryst between Batman and Batgirl. Then Batgirl intervenes in the case anyway, and she ultimately resigns from crimefighting. Thus setting up the rest of the movie, which is a beat for beat repeat of the original story.

And so the story shifts the motivations of Batman and Batgirl, while removeing the weight of both The Joker and Gordon’s role in it’s outcome.

Pros: When the story sticks to the source material, it is engaging and an interesting account of both The Joker and his role with Batman.

Cons: We didn’t need to see a sexualized Batgirl. And we definitely didn’t need to see a 30 minute prologue story, when Batgirl should have gotten her own feature length animated film. Also, the animation is quite bad in many places.

Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes

Points of Interest: Mark Hamill had retired from voicing The Joker, and would only come back if this story was adapted for film. The movie received a limited theatre release a week before it dropped in stores and online; the last time this happened was with the 1993 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

The fact that Alan Moore didn’t want his name on this adaptation might have been considered a sign that DC shouldn’t have green-lit this story, but that’s the perpetual struggle with comic book publishers, it’s a constantly dying industry, and they have to do something to inject life back into their business. And so an adaptation of an almost 30 year old Batman story was made into a movie. You can watch it, but I’m not sure that it’s worth it.

 

 

 

I really wish this movie didn’t turn out the way it did. I mean, the original story is interesting and noteworthy for a morality tale and cross-examination of Batman and The Joker as they relate to each other. And yes, Batgirl does plays a victim role in the original story, so it’s not like it’s the most brilliant piece of writing ever, but man did they screw up the adaptation with that prologue. It went from being an interesting story to something completely different. It just doesn’t mean the same thing with those changes. A story reduced to sexual motivations, and unnecessary sexualization of a female character.

Tim!