“PORTLANDIA,” that quirky show about Portland on IFC, as Portland natives might call it, continues to do very well. It has got to be a challenge to step into Season 2 of any show, especially one that suddenly had people talking who are now all too ready to expect the unexpected. When you have folks happily repeating lines from the show (“Portland, that’s where young people go to retire!”) you’ve got something special. It is sort of like what happened with “Seinfeld” although on a much more low-key level. I mean, that’s like comparing New York City to Portland, Oregon, don’t you think? Very different and yet both sharing a similar urbane and neurotic vibe. On “Portlandia,” the natives seem very mellow but they suffer from an excessive need to be in the know and be right mixed with an excessive need to be polite and sensitive. All this adds up to the stereotypical, although pretty real, passive-agressive “charm” of the Pacific Northwest. Season 1 had the element of surprise in dissecting this charm. Season 2 gets to further refine the show’s vision.

The marketing behind this season has picked up on “relationships” as being the overarching theme. But, at the end of the day, the biggest theme is what gave this show legs in the first place: human excess. The fact that the show is set in a hipsterdom like Portland just makes things all the better. And here’s the thing that can confuse some people. This show is not about hating Portland by any means. Look, I love the show and I also love Portland. I’m from Seattle. I’m liberal. I’m creative. I’m just one step away from stepping out of an episode of the show. But I don’t care for the Pacific Northwest “charm.” So, if you’re too close to the “Portlandia” lifestyle, that’s one reason you may fail to understand the show. Another reason is this thing about humor. This show has its particular sense of humor. If you were to just jump in, you may not get the show unless you’re already a fan of sketch comedy. Of course, people can find endless reasons not to get something. That’s a big point of this show!

Looking at the last three episodes, I have to admit, the relationship theme is there. It’s always been there in the sense that the show is inextricably linked to Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen’s collaborative work. But there seems to be more of a focus on it. The first episode, “Mixologist,” had Carrie swooning over a bartender who made the most amazing drinks. The most recent episode, “Cool Wedding,” had the annoyingly self-righteous bicycle messenger  getting married. There was also a hilarious sketch with Carrie dating Eddie Vedder. Maybe, with the second season, it’s time to refine the show’s course. That said, its absurdist satire is still intact. There’s that little gem of a sketch with Jeff Goldblum, the owner of a gallery that sells knots made by local artists. There’s a very cool and artful bit with Carrie as an enamored owner of an iPhone. Of course, we have the new catchphrase for this season: “I can pickle that!” which replaces last season’s “Put a bird on it!” And “A-O River!” might prove the replacement for “Cacao.” Oh, and then there’s the postman with a sinister connection to the classic film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” And this is only three episodes in. What is not to like, really?

Arguably the best segment yet, has Carrie and Fred as a couple who happen to fall into watching a DVD of the first season of “Battlestar Gallactica” only to find themselves so absorbed by the show that they can’t do anything else but watch season after season, destroying their lives in the process. But then it goes one step further and then another. I will only tell you that it is utterly hilarious.

So, even if you don’t think sketch comedy is quite for you, you’ll likely enjoy this show. Or maybe you find yourself being that person who chastises others when they forget to bring their own bag to the grocery store. Well, give the show a try. Or maybe you are one of those people who demands, in a very polite way, for the other driver to go ahead at a four way stop. Hey, live a little. Give the show a try.

Well, a little snow, even a lot of snow, doesn’t stop Comics Dungeon from opening for business. Just checked in with the store, and customers are grateful that the comics shop is open. If you’re in Seattle, you know what excellent service you can expect from them. And, mark your calendar, because this upcoming Saturday, January 21, from 1-4pm, cartoonist Erika Moen, known for her DAR comics, will be in for a signing. The press release follows:

Our celebration of the store’s 20th Anniversary continues as we host creator Erica Moen on Saturday 21st!

Erika Moen is a comic artist and illustrator working in Portland, OR as a member of Periscope Studio. She’s best known for her award winning self-published comic series, DAR!, A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary that explorers her life, career, and relationships. She is also currently working on the webcomic Bucko, a Comical-Murder Mystery with writer Jeff Parker.

Check out more at her website http://erikamoen.com/, and check out Bucko at thttp://www.buckocomic.com/

Erika will be at the Comics Dungeon signing copies of her books and other material from 1-4pm on Saturday the 21st! RSVP on Facebook! 

The Artist Trust Benefit Art Auction is right around the corner: February 25, 2012, Seattle, Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, from 4 to 9 PM. More details can be found here.

For those of you in Seattle, mark your calendars now for Artist Trust’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Your participation helps Artist Trust with its vital grant-making and career training programs for Washington State artists of all disciplines. And, while you’re there, consider a bid for a piece of art of mine that was accepted for this auction. It is my honor to donate an original work of art, a page from a comic I created for the annual 24 Hour Comics Day event that I put together here in Seattle. This piece is entitled, “The Dog Who Would Be King, #12.” The number refers to the page in the 24-page piece. You can read it here. And you can read my graphic novel, “Alice in New York,” here.

You can purchase a print of this work as well as the 24-page comic book directly from me. The print is a limited edition on archival paper for $40. The 24 Hour Comics Day comic is 24 pages and goes for $3. Just go to CONTACT if you’re interested. And also feel free to contact me anytime. As a writer and artist, there are any number of reasons you may want to reach me. Artwork to buy? Illustration or writing gig? Publisher interested in my work? The list goes on. Thank you.

Newspapers are dying. They will never be the same again. Our two biggest superheroes, Spider-Man and Superman, must deal with change at The Daily Bugle and The Daily Planet. In both titles, the venerable buildings that were home to these papers have been blown up! We see Peter Parker and Clark Kent embracing one tech gadget after another. All this is very symbolic of change but we rarely, if ever, get much of a sense of what’s it’s really like to work in the news business, from either Spidey or Supes, much less take a serious look at any of the issues that newspeople grapple with. What if a veteran reporter, with a lot to say, were to give us a firsthand look inside the newsroom? That’s what we get in “GREEN HORNET ANNUAL #2,” written by former Seattle Times reporter, Mark Rahner. 

The inside look we get at The Daily Sentinel made me think of “Page One: Inside The New York Times,” a 2010 documentary mixing fly-on-the-wall observations with interviews. Much like this doc, we get a taste, a very bitter taste, of how under the gun newspapers are today. Rahner does a great job of filling out Britt Ried, the newspaperman by day/Green Hornet by night, and the intense pressure he’s under to keep his paper relevant. As “Page One” makes clear, the downward spiral has been many years in the making, way before the assumed culprit, the internet. The source of the shift to a lower status for newspapers began with Gannet Publishing in the late ‘70s and its USA Today that set the standard for soft, easily digestible, news as opposed to challenging, deeper, hard news. Well, that’s exactly what Britt is battling. He demands that his newspaper get back to creating work they can be proud of instead of vanity pieces in hopes of winning news industry awards.

With the pressure of attempting to live up to his father’s legacy as head of a major newspaper and as the Green Hornet, Britt Reid is mad as hell. His mentor, Kato, has no problem with stoking the fires. Kato is there to put a even finer point on the mess: newspapers have essentially given up and taken to parroting whatever corporate and government interests want to promote. It was different back when Britt’s dad and Kato ruled the night. But all Britt can seem to do at first is let his anger get the better of him. At the start of our story, Britt confronts a couple of brutes in a bar who were making fun of the demise of The Daily Sentinel. Given that these crude fellas were even bothering to discuss media, it seems like Britt could have at least tried to engage them in conversation. Instead, he beats the crap out of them.

What propels the action is the discovery by Britt, during a newsroom meeting, that there’s at least one truly compelling story that’s being worked on, an expose on human trafficking. But the story is being worked on by “Baron” a prima donna who seeks perfection and so it will be weeks, maybe months, before that series of articles will see print. This becomes the catalyst for Britt to return to the ideals of his father: make the newspaper work to get information on the all the corruption and wrongdoing to make the Green Hornet’s job that much more efficient. The story runs at a quick pace and is served well with bold artwork by Ronan Cliquet. He certainly has a good sense for capturing the various facial expressions of someone who could really benefit from some anger management.

“Green Hornet Annual #2″ gives us an angrier and grittier Green Hornet ready to get the job done. Rahner’s take on the Green Hornet gives us a more realistic crime fighter that makes for a thrilling story. Here’s to seeing more of Rahner’s Green Hornet. Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Script by Mark Rahner. Pencils by Ronan Cliquet. Colors by Impacto Studios. Letters by Marshall Dillon. Cover by Phil Hester. 42 pages, $4.99. Visit Dynamite Entertainment.

Dalton Webb, a graphic designer and illustrator, is a good friend. He invited me to take part in an art show he was putting together at one of Seattle’s leading salons, Tart, in the Ballard neighborhood. It was an honor to join him. Tart is quite a lovely place. It has an inviting charm about it, very elegant and easygoing.

Passionate artists are constantly creating work. I know Dalton and I enjoy art on many levels, from drawing and painting to art history. I focus on drawing and writing. His focus is illustration and graphic design. Other interests will come into play too. This show is a display of the joy of creating artwork, particularly revealing something about our inner selves. There are signs of the allure of mystery, nostalgia, childhood, a need to connect back with the past and make sense of the present.

Through it all, the search for self and subject matter, one prime source that has sustained us both is the comics medium. We’re both cartoonists. It brings out the inner child. It brings out professional work ethics. While we pursue many different things in our lives, I believe, it is that grounding in comics, all the comics read and all the hours of setting ink brush to paper, that inform much of what we do. The world of comics is both a creature of a bygone era as well as one of the hottest art mediums imaginable, still growing, still challenging, artists and enthusiasts alike.

Well, with that said, if you’re in Seattle, make sure to visit Tart. Come enjoy their beauty services and come enjoy the art! Tart is located at 2221 NW 56th Street in Ballard. The phone is 206 706 5220. The show is up now and will run through April. The painting of the cat catching a big fish is by Dalton Webb and he has prints of that for sale. The painting of a winter scene is from my graphic novel, “Alice in New York,” which is in search of a publisher.

RICKY GERVAIS

There was a time, not that long ago, when Gervais was utterly unknown in America. He was where Steve Coogan is now. Actually, it would be quite a treat to have Coogan host! It may still happen. You will become an instant fan if you see him in “The Trip” but I horribly digress. Ah, a perfect time to mention the new Gervais project, “Life’s Too Short,” which begins on February 17 on HBO. The opening line from Gervais: “So, where was I?” And, later on, the greatest line: “And now for the queen of pop…not you Elton,” which brings up this…

SIR JOHN v. MADONNA

This was a great moment not only for Madonna winning for Best Original Score but for that glare from Sir Elton! Both artists were up for the award, Madonna for original music to her own movie and Elton John for a retread effort in a kid movie. On the red carpet, Sir John said that Madonna “did not have a f***ing chance of winning.” And, on the red carpet, Madonna described her coming to write the score as divine inspiration. When she learned about Sir John’s bitchy remark, she joking said that “those were fighting words” and then went on to win the award.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS WINNING FOR BEST ACTRESS

What a charming moment when Williams thanked her daughter for all the weeks she read bedtime stories to her in the voice of Marilyn Monroe.

KELSEY GRAMMER FOR BEST ACTOR IN A TV SHOW

Critics didn’t like this show, “Boss.” Maybe worth a second look or maybe the Hollywood Foreign Press got it wrong.

BEST SCREENPLAY FOR A MOVIE

Woody Allen! The Woodman is back.

JESSIC LANGE FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

For another show that critics didn’t like, “American Horror Story.” And, again, the Hollywood Foreign Press just wants to support a show that may not be up to the task.

BRIDESMAIDS REVISITED

Now, I want to see this movie after getting a full understanding there’s a pooping in the sink scene.

MATT LeBLANC IS A WINNER

LeBlanc is back…on Showtime with “Episodes!” I don’t get cable but I should. This is a good note-to-self.  Which leads me to another note-to-self:

HBO IS THE WAY TO GO FOR STUFF LIKE “BORED TO DEATH.”

I was just looking at the offerings on HBO and I need to finally see “Bored To Death” which is explained quite nicely here.

BEST COMEDY: “THE ARTIST”

Alright already, I need to get my ass over to see this movie.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN IS “THE PUNISHER”

Everyone calls him that and he seems to like it. Or maybe you need to be someone as big and powerful as Madonna or Meryl Streep to call him that. Anyway, all in fun.

THE DESCENDANTS

Wins George Clooney a Best Actor award and wins for Best Movie. Gotta see that too.

I was just making a point about the magic of comics, wasn’t I? Well, how about this for something that only comics can do…

CONAN/GROO CROSSOVER!

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!

January 13, MILWAUKIE, OR—What was rumored as an April Fools’ joke has turned into a full-blown miniseries sure to bring laughs and excitement. Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce Groo vs. Conan!

It had to happen: The most heroic warrior in history meets the stupidest, as Robert E. Howard’s immortal Conan the Barbarian crosses swords with Sergio Aragonés’s Groo the Wanderer in Groo vs. Conan #1! 

This four-issue miniseries was concocted by the Eisner Award–winning team of Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés, aided by master illustrator Thomas Yeates and master colorist Tom Luth. Will Conan annihilate Groo? Will Groo turn out to be the man who can defeat Conan? We’ll see.

Groo vs. Conan is on sale April 18, 2012! 

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists.  In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry’s leading publisher of licensed material.

This is brilliant. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” will soon become a graphic novel. DC Comics is slated to release a six book mini-series based on Stieg Larsson’s Millennim Trilogy, as reported by The Guardian. Here is the DC Comics Press Release focusing on the first book in the series set to release this November:

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO GRAPHIC NOVELTO

HIT SHELVES IN NOVEMBER 2012

DC Entertainment Announces Top-Notch Creative Team Including

Denise Mina, Lee Bermejo, Leonardo Manco and Andrea Mutti

NEW YORK, NY, January 11, 2012 – Best-selling comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Entertainment announced today the creative team for the highly-anticipated new graphic novel based on Stieg Larsson’s international sensation THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.  Crime author Denise Mina will write the book, with the cover image created by Lee Bermejo and art from Leonardo Manco and Andrea Mutti.   DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint is working closely with the estate of Stieg Larsson and Hedlund Literary Agency to adapt the book, which will be released in November 2012. 

 “We’re thrilled to be adapting this incredible story into a series of graphic novels,” stated Karen Berger, executive editor, Vertigo. “Denise, Lee, Leonardo and Andrea have such great passion for the material and stylistically they’re a perfect match to bring it to comics life. Their beautifully dark and visceral work will certainly blow us all away.”

 Scottish writer Denise Mina is the acclaimed author of DECEPTION and FIELD OF BLOOD, and is considered a leading international crime fiction novelist. Mina has also written for Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER series and most recently, she wrote A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY graphic novel, also for Vertigo. 

 Lee Bermejo is fresh off the critical and sales success of graphic novel BATMAN: NOEL, a New York Times best-seller and follow-up to the 2008 hit JOKER. Bermejo has also worked numerous comic series including Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER and the Vertigo Crime graphic novels, among others.

 Argentinean artist Leonardo Manco has worked extensively on Vertigo’s HELLBLAZER comic, while Italian artist Andrea Mutti first worked with Vertigo on graphic novel THE EXECUTOR, and then worked on the imprint’s popular DMZ comic series.   

 DC Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing best-selling graphic novels and comic books, including best-selling Vertigo titles SANDMAN, FABLES, 100 BULLETS and ROAD TO PERDITION.

 Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is an international publishing juggernaut, with more than 60 million books sold worldwide and reaching the top of numerous best seller lists. Published by Knopf in the U.S., sales for all three books exceed 17 million copies, including digital sales of 3.5 million copies. Since September 2008, when THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was published in hardcover, Larsson’s books have been a constant presence on bestseller lists across America.

 The various storylines in Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy revolve around enigmatic and dangerous computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games.  Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

“WORLD’S FINEST” will be relaunched in the second wave of  “The New 52″ DC Comics titles. You can read all the details over at The Source. Of course I’m thrilled to see the return of “Batman Incorporated.” But I was immediately curious about “World’s Finest.” When I think of this title, it brings to mind numerous Batman and Superman smackdowns, often quite funny, or odd buddy moments. I love that campy fun. Is there no room for one DC Comics title that pokes fun at its star superheroes? Granted, by the ’80s, this title had kicked that sort of satire to the curb. But, in the spirit of rediscovering the magic of comics, I’d have gone back to this title’s roots. The teaser for the new “World’s Finest” coming out in May left me scratching my head:

• WORLDS’ FINEST – Writer: Paul Levitz. Artists: George Perez and Kevin Maguire. Stranded on our world from a parallel reality, Huntress and Power Girl struggle to find their way back to Earth 2. Perez and Maguire will be the artists on alternating story arcs.

Paul Levitz is one of the guardians of superhero tradition so, sure, his story will not disappoint fans. And those will be fans of everything to do with Earth 2, which is a hell of a lot of fans.

But there’s already “Earth 2″ as part of the next wave of The New 52:

• EARTH 2 – Writer: James Robinson. Artist: Nicola Scott. The greatest heroes on a parallel Earth, the Justice Society combats threats that will set them on a collision course with other worlds.

Not enough, huh? Is irony dead? No, but there’s no room for it in this latest version of “World’s Finest.” I know, I know, it’s all about the Dark Knight but it’s healthy to lighten up a bit. Isn’t it? The fans don’t think Batman is real, do they? Well, maybe some do.