Snob

by Megh Wright

2013 was an excellent year for sketch comedy on both television and across the web. Online venues like Funny or Die, UCB Comedy, and Above Average delivered a constant stream of funny content while Key and Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, Kroll Show, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and The Birthday Boys showed Comedy Central and IFC stepping up their sketch comedy game as well. On top of all that, 38-year stalwart Saturday Night Live underwent one of its biggest cast transitions in years, resulting in a surprisingly varied sketch selection from both the outgoing veterans and new hires. So with that, here are 36 of our favorite sketches from the year in alphabetical order.

"Abusive Couple" (Inside Amy Schumer)

A clever sketch about what different couples might consider "fighting."

"Aw Nuts! Mom's A Ghost!" (Saturday Night Live)

One of the highlights of Kristen Wiig's SNL hosting gig includes her crawling across the ceiling as a mom-turned-Korean water ghost.

"Clear History" (Key and Peele)

It's perfectly normal to have a few dark secrets in your internet search history just as long as it's not one of those dark secrets.

"Cold Dead Hand" (Funny or Die)

This sketch both riffed on one of the biggest current event controversies of 2013 and caused some of its own. Some outraged viewers threatened to boycott Jim Carrey's movies, and Fox News said Carrey "danced on the grave of Charlton Heston."

"Compliments" (Inside Amy Schumer)

This is sadly too true for a premise. Who hasn't looked like Susan Boyle's toothbrush at some point?

"Contemporary Family" (The Birthday Boys)

Worth it for the bicycle lesson at the end.

"Darrell's House Part 1 and 2" (Saturday Night Live)


While some might give SNL flak for relying more and more on pretaped segments this year, "Darrell's House" was a daring way to explore how the pretaped format can play with the show's traditionally live roots.

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Continuing an annual tradition of mine, I have solicited year-end top tens from readers of this blog. I always enjoy this project. It reminds me of records that I may have forgotten to write about and makes me aware of some bands that I should check out. I never think of myself as a "critic".  To me, F & L is more along the lines of social networking. I just like to spread the word about music I like. And today, you're telling me what you like. I think that's really cool. So let's get to it! 

Joe Keller's 2013 Top Tens

LPs
1. Culo - My Life Sucks and I Could Care Less
These thalidomide children sure make some racket. You know what you're getting into when the first track starts off with a sound clip lifted from The Truth About Devolution, the short film by Devo (yeah, yeah, I know it was originally in the song "Mechanical Man") and said song is titled "Gestapo Boots of a Mutant". This record is painfully dumb (see grammatically incorrect album title) and brilliant in the best ways possible. Musically, Culo alternates between mid-tempo Ramones-like rockers and full-bore hardcore thrashing. If they only did one of these styles throughout the an entire LP it might get old, but mixing them up really makes this long player cool and has thus earned many repeat spins on my turntable. The lyrics are filled with self loathing and humor and there is definitely at least one dick pic in the rather sizable lyrics zine that accompanies the record. My only gripe is that there is no bass. I HATE records and bands with no bass which means this record is so good, I am willing to overlook my hatred for no low end. Someone call up that guy in Redd Kross who overdubbed bass parts onto that White Stripes record.

2. Nervosas - self-titled
Columbus Ohio’s Nervosas are my new favorite band, and this 3-sided LP set (the fourth LP side is blank with a screen print) will tell you why. Nervosas are an amalgam of goth-y guitar riffs, complementary male-female vocals, and the classic Ohio raw punk tradition. Mickie Mocnik's guitar warbles and snarls with chorus effects, front-man Jeff Kleinman has a cool punchy, midrange bass tone as well as a distinct singing style, and drummer Nick Schuld thrashes with speed and precision. Check out "Uncanny" and "APAB" - both are ragers of the first order.

3. Pissed Jeans - Honeys
Without a doubt, the best record of 2013 in terms of submarine sandwich eating soundtracks. I could dine on many a #44 from Elsie's (turkey, salami, and provolone) to this superb record. This one is a banger on par with King of Jeans, their 2009 tour de force. Honeys also contains my favorite couplet of 2013: "Now you wanna say that I'm lazy/When it comes to sleeping I'm a talented man". Tracks such as "Bathroom Laughter", "Romanticize Me", "Vain in Costume", and "Cathouse" all deliver the goods in signature Pissed Jeans style.

4. Radioactivity - self-titled
Jeff Burke from the Marked Men returns and puts out a melodic pop punk record which puts everything else in the genre to shame. Nothing new going on here. While Jeff's trademark melodies, guitar riffs, and vocal style are there, the tunes have a feel that separates them from his other bands (Marked Men, Potential Johns, The Novice, etc). One song is partially in Japanese and there are some falsetto notes on another track. I cannot stop listening to the song "World of Pleasure". I am not exaggerating - I replay that damn song over and over again. Apparently, there is already a 2nd LP in the can. Come on, 2014.

5. Nuclear Santa Claust - Order of a New Age
Brooklyn's favorite slack jawed bozos deliver a crushing, riff-laden boat-load of histrionics tunes that will knock you on your ass. I don't need to say anything else about this one other than make sure you pick up a sixer of your favorite cheap brew on the way home from the record shop when you get this bad boy - you're going to need it!

6. Steve Adamyk Band - Third
The good ship Adamyk manages to put out a third LP without sounding sounding stale or messing up the formula. That is not an easy feat when you're in the power pop/pop punk/whatever-you-want-to-call-this-stuff business. "Katacombs" is easily my favorite tune here.

7. Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band - Promises to Deliver
...And deliver it does. Nato Coles has a pretty spotless track record by my count. Modern Machines, Used Kids, Radio Faces - all good stuff. His newest combo has been knocking around for a few years now so all of these jams at least feel as though they are road tested. Tracks 2 and 3 ("Julie" and "You Can Count on Me Tonight" respectively) are the jams. Great song arrangement and pacing throughout this fab debut record.

8. Vacation - Candy Waves
I got into this one just before the bell. Fuzzed out indie-ish pop punk that goes along well with contemporaries Tenement. I also have a soft spot for singing drummers. I dare you to listen to the opening and closing tracks of this record and not be hooked.

9. Iron Reagan -Worse Than Dead
Tony Foresta and Land Phil of Municipal Waste fame bust out with this new side project. Less metal, more punk, very sensual. More overtly political lyrics than the ‘Waste typically rocks. Kudos for calling out Harold Camping. Fuck that guy.

10. Big Eyes - Almost Famous
Kate Eldridge & co. (an all new "co." since their last LP, mind you) serve up another healthy dose of rocking, rolling, power pop-ish, punk jams. It's easy to rattle off the usual reference points when discussing Big Eyes such as The Muffs and The Fastbacks (I'm guilty of comparing Big Eyes to these two bands myself), but Big Eyes has their own sound. There is pop in the song structure, but there are some hard riffs to back it up, sorta like the Cheap Trick song that they took their band name from. GO FIGURE!

Other awesome LPs:Sugar Stems - Can't Wait, Rough Kids - The State I'm In, Dead Mechanical - OK Night, My Bloody Valentine - MBV, Robyn Hitchcock - Love from London, Drag the River - self-titled

Collections/Reissues
1. Copyrights - Shit's Fucked 2XLP
2. Neighborhood Brats - singles collection LP
3. New Bomb Turks - Destroy Oh Boy reissue LP
4. Dirt Bike Annie - Hit the Rock reissue LP
5. Replacements- All Shook Down reissue LP

EPs/singles
1. Rev Norb & The Onions - 707077 7"
2. Replacements - Songs for Slim impossible to find 10"/digital tracks
2. Sickoids - No Home 12"
3. Tenement - Cowabunga Records 7"
4. Whiff - "Warm"/"Left At Princess" 7"
5. Toys That Kill/Future Virgins split 7"
6. The Livids - "She Likes Zits" 7"
7. Sick Sick Birds - "All The Fins in the Sea" 7"
8. Neighborhood Brats - "Birthright" 7"
9. Red Dons - Notes from the Underground 7”
10. Tenement/Screaming Females split 7"

Peter Santa Maria's 13 for 2013
Not necessarily in any specific order, all of these albums are great and got many repeat plays from me over the past year (and surely will for many more years to come).

Night Birds - Born To Die In Suburbia
From the apocalyptic surf sounds of the first track "Escape From New York" (yes, the theme song from the cult classic John Carpenter film. BEST. COVER SONG. EVER!), Night Birds come bursting forth from the toxic suburban wastelands of NJ and set the tone for the next 30 minutes of shorter, louder, faster blasts of punk rock on Born To Die In Suburbia. Whether it's a minute and a half thrasher or a more mid-tempo hardcore stomp, each song is a sonic powder keg ready to explode. Night Birds take their influences from '80s punk and hardcore and mix in SoCal surf sounds with an East Coast "You talkin' to me?!" attitude to make their own original glorious racket. Born To Die in Suburbia could easily be the album of the year for this year or ANY year!

The Bamboo Kids - Safe City Blues
Real rock 'n' roll from the Big Apple! The Bamboo Kids unleashed Safe City Blues this past year--a whopping 30-song double LP--and it's really the only record you needed to pick up this year. The whole album is like a walk through of the last 50 years of rock 'n' roll music: '50s doo-wop and pop ("Privacy"), '60s garage punk stompers ("Digging A Grave", "No Fool No Care"), glitter and glam rock ("Batshit Crazy"), '70s NYC punk ("You Can't Trust Me", "Dumb For Life"), Stonsey rock 'n' roll swagger ("Ain't A Man", "The Way Things Are", "Wrecking Ball"), and Springsteen rave-ups ("Streets of New York City"). Hell, there are even two slower, veering on ballad territory numbers in "Don't Believe All You Hear" and "Back To Brooklyn". You'd be hard pressed to find a clunker in this whole collection of songs. I'll go even further and say this is The Bamboo Kids' London Calling. And if you aren't hip to the rock, then you best get hip, son!

Neighborhood Brats - No Sun No Tan
Don't you just hate when you get hipped to a band (thanks Mr. Rutledge!) and then seek out their music and find out that all of their releases are sold out? I do! Sure, I could go listen to the tracks on Bandcamp (and I did!), but I want to own the record! Thankfully this comp of all of Neighborhood Brats' sold out EPs came out this year, so I can get my fix anytime I want now. Vocalist Jenny Angelillo is a modern day Penelope Houston and propels each song with the utmost urgency and excitement, through every scream and wail, all the while never losing any melody. West Coast punk is alive and well with bands like Neighborhood Brats, whose razor sharp songs with stun gun guitar and breakneck speed will bowl you over as soon as the needle hits the record.

Ravagers - Living in Oblivion
Ravagers serve up some full-tilt, amps on 11, trashy punk rock 'n' roll straight outta the gutters of Charm City on Living In Oblivion. Snotty vox and big sing along choruses mix with dual guitar leads, like if Johnny Thunders fronted Hanoi Rocks. The title track here is the standout, with its big arena rock spell-out-the-chorus chorus! Collector scum alert: 1st pressing on glow in the dark vinyl already sold out!

Bad Sports - Bras
As I've said many times before in reviews, if a band is from Texas, they are worth a listen and are subsequently usually pretty great. Bad Sports confirms my statement once again on their newest album, Bras. A fusion of fuzzed out power pop, '70s NYC punk, and rifftastic guitar reminiscent of Buzzcocks at times, Bad Sports make their third album their best and most experimental songwriting-wise. Produced by Mark Ryan and Jeff Burke from Marked Men, sonically the record sounds great in a '70s tape saturated sorta way. The standout tracks here for me are the Bowery proto-punk of "Eddie Bender", the fast garage blast of "Washed Up", the melancholy guitar pop of "Free Spirit" and "Terrible Place", and the pure punk frenzy of "Hypothetical Girl". But really, there isn't one stinker on this whole album, a truly great listen from start to finish. Also, a shout out to Dirtnap, who continues to be one of the finest record labels releasing music nowadays!

Mind Spiders - Inhumanistic
Another great Dirtnap release this year was the newest record from Mind Spiders, which consisted of more DEVO worship filtered through Texas garage rock from Mark Ryan and cohorts. Each Mind Spiders record is better than the last, and Inhumanistic is the best to date, ratcheting up the melodic factor of the songs while still keeping a lo-fi vibe overall. The album starts with synthy doom that sounds like it is right out of a slasher flick, then careens into "Inside You", a pretty straight ahead garage punker. More straight ahead garage punk thrashers that veer close to Screamers territory are "They Lie" and "Pictures". Other standout tracks include the sad love song "City Stuff", with acoustic guitars and overlaid synth static, the electro-countrified "I Want You", "Oblivion", a song that sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to an '80s b-movie, and "Electric Things", about an actual b-movie, From Beyond!

v/a - Songs for Slim: Rockin' Here Tonight A Benefit Compilation for Slim Dunlap
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring the people you love the most back into your life. Or like The 'Mats lyric goes, "The ones who love us best are the ones we lay to rest, visit their graves on holidays at best. The ones who love us least, are the ones we're dying to please. If it's any consolation, I don't begin to to understand them." When Slim Dunlap had a debilitating stroke in 2012, the former guitarist and Minneapolis music staple could have never guessed the outpouring of support from his old bandmates, friends, and well-wishers. First up, The Replacements reformed (kinda, Paul and Tommy showed up, but Chris declined) and recorded a new EP with two Dunlap covers and some other choice covers as a benefit release to help raise funds for Dunlap's care. That then snowballed into other artists stepping up to record covers of Slim's songs, people like like Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, John Doe, Curtiss A, Craig Finn, Frank Black (w/ The Suicide Commandos!), You Am I, and Young Fresh Fellows, among others. I have to admit, I didn't really know any of Slim's solo stuff before this compilation. It's no surprise that his influences ranged from Americana to folk to blues and pub rock, and all of the songs on this comp are played with a ton of energy and soul. A great record and a great cause!

Obits - Bed and Bugs
Obits are a guitar rock band in the way that Television was a guitar rock band: weird chords, defiant strumming, chimey and crunchy all at the same time. On Obits' 3rd record, Bed and Bugs, they move away a bit from the garage rock slop and stomp and explore more surf, blues, and psychedelic sounds from the sonic palette. No matter the style of song, Rick Froberg can scream with the best of them, but can also croon when called upon. Bed and Bugs is drenched in reverb and soul and has a vibe that you don't find it most modern bands or records.

Man or Astro-man? - Defcon 5...4...3...2...1
A new Man or Astro-man? record?! What year is this again?! The sci-fi space surfers are back with a new record, and they thankfully haven't lost a beat. Dissonant reverbed-out chords and synthy surf licks collide with robotic voices and miscellaneous electronic interference and noise. As with any Man or Astro-man? record, it's best to experience it from beginning to end in one continuous listening session, so download this series of 0's and 1's from the digital cloud and program your stereophonic device for the speed of sound!

Night Marchers - Allez Allez
This record just snarls and rips from the first drop of the needle! Jon Reis and company (3/4 of Hot Snakes) are back with their 2nd full-length with a sound that is out for blood. There are more straight-ahead rockers and barn burners on this album ("Loud Dumb and Mean", "All Hits", "(Wasting Away In) Javalinaville", "I Wear The Horns", and "Fisting The Fan Base") than the previous. There's also some experimentation with more swampy and train-kept-a-rollin' sounds on "Tropical Depression" and "Ned Lud". "Pain" is a heartfelt and melancholy number with some great lyrics ("I think I'm falling in pain with you"). No matter the song, Reis belts out lyrics with dripping snot one minute and gruff croon the next. Rock 'n' fuckin' roll!

Broadcaster - A Million Hours
Super catchy and rockin' tunes from this power trio out of Long Island, NY. Musically, think of a more polished sounding Jawbreaker: more rock and power pop, less punk. A Million Hours was recorded by J. Robbins of Jawbox fame, and the album sounds very clean and big. 15 years ago, this band probably would have been all over alterna-radio (I'll let the reader decide whether that is a good or bad thing). 10 mid-tempo songs full of great songwriting with angst-ridden lyrics, solid melodies, and catchy hooks for days.

Oblivians - Desperation
The long awaited return of one of the most rockin' and influential bands of the past 20 years, Oblivions do not disappoint on their first new album in 16 years. The Oblivians' 2 guitars, no bass, stripped down drum kit rawk 'n' blooze sound is alive and unwell on the songs "Woke Up In A Police Car", "Fire Detector", and "Mama Guitar". Their revved up and fuzzed out cover of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's "Loving Cup" with Jack O. on vox is one of the better tracks on the album. Jack O. also shines on the relentless drum-machine backed "Run For Cover". A number of songs like "Em", "Pinball King", and the title track come off like Reigning Sound castoffs, but still

Lovesores - Bubblegum Riot
While technically an EP (a 10 inch slab of vinyl no less!), Scott Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse pack in enough rock action on this release for a double album! The former Humpers tear through six sick songs full of four-on-the-floor pounding drums as guitars slash 'n' burn 'n' crash into each other. "Bubblegum Riot" kicks things off into high gear, the guitar solo on "Flamethrower Chic" is indeed h-o-t, "82nd Avenue Breakdown" is attitude personified, "Her Majesty's Ass" will have you shaking yours, the boys invent a new dance craze with the "Chinese Twist", and "Theme to the Lovesores" is that special type of earworm song that will get stuck in your brain pan for daze!

Rob Sheley's 2013 Top 10ish 
1. Livids – 5 Singles 
One of the best things released in years. Leaner & more powerful than the New Bomb Turks if that is possible. A must-have, essential!

2. Savages – Silence Yourself 
A fully formed debut. You hope all bands set the bar this high for themselves. 

3. Lovesores – Bubblegum Riot/Formaldehyde EPs
After 20 years, Scott Deluxe Drake & Jeff Fieldhouse STILL show you how it's done. Thanks, I only wish there were more tracks. Thank God for The Humpers!

4. Shannon and the Clams - Dreams in the Rathouse 
Perfect mix of trash, girl groups, lo-fi, and bubblegum. Awesome indeed.

5. Dirtbombs – Consistency Is the Enemy & Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey 
It has Mick Collins. How could it not make my list?

6. Imperial State Electric – Radio Electric & Reptile Brain Music 
Sweden's own. From the ashes of the Hellacopters rise this incredible rock & roll band with more emphasis on the roll. Seek it all out.

7. King Khan – Idle No More 
Well worth the wait!

8. Night Birds – Born To Die In Suburbia 
What can you say that isn't already stated? They are the best thing in punk rock today. They always deliver, and this one is no different.

9. Big Eyes – Almost Famous 
Shows you that you can make a great racket with just a 3 piece. See 'em live- it's even better!

10. Spiders – Flash Point 
More rock from Sweden. It's great - more people should know about it.

Reissues 
1. Waldos- Rent Party 
Under-appreciated lost classic. It is a wonderful thought to consider that if he & Johnny could have made it, it might have sounded like this or better. Add this to your collection today. 

2. Johnny Thunders - Hurt Me/LAMF 
Masterpiece- the alpha and omega of what everyone strives to create.

3. Roky Erickson – Evil One, Gremlins & I Have Always Been Here Before 
Three gems that stand up to all the 13th Floor Elevators' stuff.

4. Nikki Sudden – The Boy From Nowhere Who Fell From The Sky 
If we all could only write songs this good.

5. Masters of Reality – self titled & How High The Moon 2 CD set
The same year Rick Rubin did Slayer & Danzig, he did this one. So far ahead of its time. 

Danny Dysentery's 2013 Top Ten 
1. Oblivians - Desperation 
Finally a reunion record that doesn't suck, disappoint, or annoy, but just flat out rocks. 

2. No Tomorrow Boys - Bad Luck Baby Put the Jinx on Me 
Like a firecracker in yr pants! 

3. Hunx and His Punx - Street Punk 
Everyone's a Pussy, Fuck you, dude! 

4. Kitten Forever - Pressure 
And forever and forever. Meow! 

5. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines 
Best song of the year: "Break It To You Gently". 

6. NERV - Life? EP 
I Don't Wanna Talk About It.

7. Lydia Loveless - Boy Crazy EP 
Love her big voice. 

8. Nobunny - Secret Songs: Reflections from the Ear Mirror 
When opportunity knocks, you gotta piss in its face.

9. Neighborhood Brats - No Sun No Tan 
Plays like a greatest hits collection. Wait, isn't it? 

10. Bad Sports - Bras 
All kinds of good. 

11. (Erika Ebola's extra choice) Video - (Join The) Hate Wave 
Hate! Hate! Hate! Love?

Schneck Tourniquet's 2013 Top Five
1. L.A. Drugz - Outside Place EP

Desde el primer día he dedicado atención inmediata a la divulgación de las geniales Reflexiones de Repronto. Esta temporada he fallado, y eso que suponía su regreso tras un año de ausencia. Tras anunciar el primer episodio, no hice lo suyo con los siguientes, básicamente porque estaba metido de lleno en otras cosas y este blog acusó el esfuerzo. Decidí esperar al siguiente para divulgar dos de golpe y quedé atrapado en un bucle diabólico, porque cada Repronto merece un comentario atinado y no encontraba el hueco. Como no estoy dispuesto a despedir el año de esta manera, ya es hora de cortar con lo sano y recuperar el tiempo perdido comentando, de repronto, las últimas entregas allá por donde las deje.

Capítulo 50 : Gatitos.

Antes que nada, véanlo.

Es quizá el más genial de los que llevamos de temporada. Esto lo digo ahora porque los estoy volviendo a ver cronológicamente y no dudo que cuando vea el siguiente piense lo mismo y haya un conflicto. Y no me refiero a ello porque tome una sorprendente señal de nuestro tiempo, los vídeos de gatitos, y para explicarlos acuda a algo tan asombrosamente equidistante como los… (EMPIEZAN LOS SPOILERS!) … dictadores. No, lo que me parece brillante de este Repronto es que lleva a los gatitos, epítome de Lo Mono, al terreno de Lo Monstruoso, que como saben es algo de mi máximo interés, uno de mis temas preferidos, entre otras cosas porque los monstruos encarnan, a su vez, los miedos del ser humano y al mismo tiempo le fascina (de ahí el éxito del terror como género) y porque toda sociedad tiene su monstruo. En la nuestra, hoy, el único rival de los gatitos serían los zombis. Muy monos ambos. Por acabar, está ese concepto de “nuestros monstruos” que no puedo dejar de relacionar con el “One of Us” de esa obra maestra de Lo Monstruoso que es el Freaks de Tod Browning.

Bola Extra: Edison, que era un villano, también se avanzó a su tiempo con sus gatitos boxeadores de 1894.

Capítulo 51 : La imagen real

Antes que nada, véanlo.

Aquí estamos ante otra pirueta de rabiosa actualidad con la Marca España, ese concepto que se torna irreal cuando choca con La Realidad. Esa existencia de realidades paralelas y contradictorias, ideales y verdaderas, es muy de Philip K. Dick y también muy de nuestro tiempo, con conceptos como la realidad virtual o el auge de la No Ficción, una etiqueta engañosa porque la No Ficción puede ser perfectamente una Ficción.

Más allá de este comentario, y entrando en lo que es la maquinaria con la que trabaja el Dr. Repronto, en esta ocasión el giro inesperado, aquello que irrumpe en mitad de su disertación como iluminación inaudita, y me refiero a los…. (EMPIEZAN LOS SPOILERS!) …musicales de los países del Este, tras el viejo Telón de Acero, era algo que estaba en manos del Doctor desde la primera temporada o casi. El tema salió repetidamente en los brainstorming a los que me somete y ahí estaba, dando vueltas buscando su Repronto, porque estaba claro que explicaban algo pero aún no sabíamos qué.

Capítulo 52: Dinero de Contienda

Antes que nada, véanlo.

En esta ocasión el Doctor se centra en el conflicto como elemento clave de la televisión moderna. El mal rollo es mediático y ocupa el prime time. El Doctor acude al fútbol como bisagra, pero desgraciadamente es dinámica faltona ha dado también el salto al debate ideológico, hoy inexistente porque utiliza las mismas monedas de cambio que se señalan en esta Reflexión de Repronto. Y luego está lo del Respeto, hoy tan en boga, un concepto que me hace mucha gracia porque yo lo descubrí con Aretha Franklin y los Blues Brothers.

Capítulo 53: Figuras y Princesas

Antes que nada, véanlo.

El Doctor Repronto se aproxima de nuevo a Lo Mediático y lo hace por la puerta grande, con su máximo exponente: Belén Esteban. Utilizando estas dos figuras dibuja un concepto que me resulta fascinante y que resume en la frase… (EMPIEZAN LOS SPOILERS!) … “porque si nuestro día a día es Tele 5, la reconstrucción de la historia tomará imágenes de La 2”. De ahí salta a lo que conocemos como Montaje del Director para desvelarnos eso que ya sabemos: que la Historia, como reconstrucción del pasado, es sólo reescritura, en una aplicación práctica del choque de realidades que vimos en el capítulo 51, comentado un poco más arriba. La grandeza del Doctor Repronto es que para explicarlo de manera clara acude a Belén Esteban y Marichalar, algo que ningún historiador se atreverá a hacer nunca.

Capítulo 54: Persona

Antes que nada, véanlo.

El gran hallazgo de este episodio es la exposición de lo que llama El conflicto Lois Lane y del uso de una figura de ficción y de la cultura pOp, la novia de Superman, para establecer un choque entre ética y moral que se resuelve por la vía del “todos somos humanos”, una idea que apela al sentido común pero que, ay, sirve para perdonarlo todo.

Especial Medieval

Antes que nada, véanlo.

Sobre este Repronto especial Navidad, con su violoncelo, su disfraz y el asombroso vínculo que traza solo puedo decir una cosa: ES UNA PUTA GENIALIDAD.

De los 25 concellos, solo la capital y Padrón superan la media de Galicia

Dedicamos un pequeño espacio a los historietistas o personalidades del cómic que fallecieron a lo largo del año pero que seguiremos recordando durante el resto de nuestra vida.

EMILIO FREJO

SCOTT CLARK

MAURICE ROSY

DIDIER COMÈS

TOREN SMITH

MANUEL GARCÍA FERRÉ

FRED

CARMINE INFANTINO

ROBERT MORALES

DAN ADKINS

RUBÉN LARA ROMERO

JORDI BAYONA

KIM THOMPSON

LOUIS GLANZMAN

JOSÉ RAMÓN LARRAZ

JUAN MANUEL CICUÉNDEZ

ANTONIO BERNAL

TRAN

NICK CARDY

JOAN NEBOT

AL PLASTINO

JOSÉ ORTIZ

Ya lo dije con toda la autoridad que me fue posible en la reseña correspondiente a su primer volumen: ‘Érase una vez en Francia’ no sólo se convertía por derecho propio en una de las lecturas más sorprendentes de cómic europeo que me había podido encontrar en los últimos años, sino que la calidad de lo planteado por Fabien Nury en los guiones y Sylvain Vallée en su maravillosa y ejemplar componente visual, terminaban por alzar al cómic a la categoría de Obra Maestra.

Así las cosas, no debería sorprender a nadie el que, ocho meses después, y con la segunda y tercera entregas ya publicadas y leídas con una extraña mezcla entre miedo y expectación (miedo por la posibilidad de que la serie bajara de nivel, expectación por que no lo hiciera), lo que los artistas franceses plantean en el nudo y el desenlace de la historia de Joseph Joanovici se convierta, sin atisbo de dudas, en el MEJOR CÓMIC EUROPEO que se ha editado durante 2013 en nuestro país, y muy de extrañar sería que, de cara a la próxima temporada de premios patrios, este apasionante acercamiento a la Francia ocupada durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial no termine alzándose con el más que merecido reconocimiento que se le debería rendir.

Habiendo dejado el relato en las últimas páginas del primer volumen en un punto álgido de inusitada intensidad (cualquiera que lo haya leído sabrá a qué me refiero), la continuación de esta “biografía” de un personaje polémico sobre el que la historia no llega a ponerse de acuerdo arranca con la decisión de Joanovici de auxiliar a la Resistencia francesa en su lucha contra el régimen nazi. Una decisión en la que hay muchas componentes a tener en cuenta más allá de la del deber por la patria y que llevará a extremos que no podría haber imaginado.

El relato de esos extremos, de las muchas vicisitudes por las que Joanivici pasará y las extremas medidas que llegará a adoptar para limpiar su nombre son objeto de particular análisis por parte de Nury, un guionista que sigue demostrando en los cuatro álbumes originales que componen los dos publicados por Norma estar en una forma como pocas (casi me atrevería a decir que ninguna) veces le hemos podido ver: dotando de voz propia a todos y cada uno de “sus personajes” y generando durante la lectura un semblante de realismo asombroso, la mirada del escritor, unida a la superlativa labor de Vallée en los dibujos (de la que poco más puedo añadir a lo ya afirmado en la reseña del primer tomo) conforma una aproximación fascinante, llena de matices y un ritmo espléndido capaces de cautivar hasta al más escéptico de los lectores.

Hagánme caso y, de cara a esos inminentes Reyes, regalen (o añadan a sus peticiones navideñas), lean, disfruten y déjense sorprender por ‘Érase una vez en Francia’. Ninguna lectura francobelga ha llegado a la altura que éste magnífico relato ha alcanzado, y muy pocas son las que se han quedado a punto de conseguirlo.

Meet Anna, a Ukrainian prostitute who is originally from Odessa but currently lives and thrives in the sex-for-money business in Holland. After I met her in an online porn chatroom, she started telling me all sorts of things about her life—like how she had got to Holland, what makes Russian clients worse than others, and why adorable puppies live in her cottage in Rotterdam.

VICE: Anna, how did you get into prostitution?
Anna: I've been working as a prostitute for over 30 years now. For the first 15 years I worked in Ukraine and then I migrated to Holland. Soon after we got married, my husband caught me in bed with another man. Realizing I was prone to this sort of behavior, he decided to use my body to further his own career. So I began to get intimate with his bosses and later with his business partners.  

Did you earn money this way?
It was my husband who got the money—I never laid eyes on it. His career development was rapid. I'm not with him any more, but to this day he's still involved in the illegal gun and petroleum trades. He’s a very well-to-do person in Ukraine.

When did you guys break up?
As soon as I left for Holland. The owner of the brothel I work for now used to have a stake in my ex-husband’s business. They exchanged me for the guy's part of my ex-husband's company.

So your husband sold you into sex slavery?
Yes, I suppose so, though I have no idea how much my value would be in Pound Sterling. I do know they both benefited greatly from this exchange. That's how my husband began signing arms contracts with the Arabs. And to think it all began as a joke. I had already had sex with my future owner and he had taken me to the East several times, as his escort. He let a throng of Arabs have sex with me—and they tend to like kinky sex, mostly anal. I also love it.

I didn't mind being traded, either. My husband got absorbed in his business and could hardly find any time to spend with me. My parents were aware of the situation and they stood by him. Friends of mine didn’t care much, they supported that decision too, some even joined our brothel later on.

It seems the women you work with are all of a certain age.
Yes, our club employs women who are from 40 to 57 years old. The owner says that adolescents cause too much trouble – we lack in morality, we never refuse and we are much more experienced.

How did you manage to immigrate? I would imagine writing down on your VISA application that you were intending to practice prostitution could have created some problems.
I had a VISA back then but now I’m a Dutch national. The procedure wasn’t really a big deal, we have powerful clients with ties everywhere. Also, prostitution in Holland is not illegal.

What are your duties?
The average client of our club is a VIP, lots are from television. It's fun to get to see what they are all worth. We have reckless four-hour, 16-people orgies. Sometimes I’m hired as a “bitch.” I have to stand on all fours and let dogs fuck me. I'm up for anything except for scat, which is just as well since my boss doesn't let clients do that any more.

I don't really know what to say.
I can give the job up any time I want, but I don’t intend to—I enjoy it. Sex with animals, BDSM, gang bangs, anything goes—I just like fucking.

About the dogs, where do you get them from? Do they live in the club? Are they especially trained to have sex with people?
There are special dog farms in many countries that train dogs to do just that. I know at least two of the kind in Russia. I personally work as a trainer in such farms in Germany, Belgium, and Sweden. They employ me to help the dogs get used to the human female. After about half a year of concentrated effort, the dogs fuck like devils and I love it. Of course these special dogs aren't cheap at all. I also have two dogs living in my cottage and they have never fucked with other dogs, only with humans. Often the clients will bring dogs of their own, these are of course trained dogs, too.

They bring the dogs to the brothel?
No, only talks and presentations take place in our club. The rest happens at the clients’. They all are well-heeled and have huge houses. There are dog enclosures and special basements for BDSM. They look like the basements Gestapo used to torture people in.

Do you ever work with Russians in Holland?
I don’t choose the clients, my boss does. But yes, former compatriots do visit. They are the worst when it comes to private parties. They always demand I do everything, even drink from a glass they have pissed in, for example. Of course they pay loads of money, even more than we ask.

Have you ever wished to become a mother?
I have children with my ex-husband, but they are all adults now with lives of their own. They work with my ex-husband, too. We get on well. They know that I live in the house with the dogs and visit me from time to time. My ex-husband visits me when he happens to be in the area as well.

Do you have any advice to pass on to Ukrainian women who are thinking of taking up prostitution?
I’ll advise them to keep cautious, be aware of their rights. Otherwise they are likely to be sold to Arabs as slaves. I’ve seen this happen a lot. Thank God my husband and my boss haven't let that happen to me.

More times humans have done gross stuff to animals:

The Government Wants to Stop This Guy from Boning His Dog

Conclusive Proof That There Is No God and Humans Are Essentially Evil

My Other Friend is Becoming a Prostitute

Portada: Mik Baro

Con cada nuevo disco, los Wau y los Arrrghs!!! expresan una necesidad imperiosa de compartir las canciones con ese público fiel, una legión de amantes del “garage” que, desde su tierra natal hasta cualquier recóndito lugar de la escena internacional, se mueren de ganas por bailar, vociferar y hacerse suyas todas y cada una de las nuevas creaciones. Esta carismática banda valenciana acaba de editar este 2013, con Slovenly Recordings, su tercer álbum con el nombre genérico de “Todo Roto”. Un disco en el que se aúnan con extraordinario desparpajo y convicción los mejores ingredientes del auténtico rock and roll, y que son diversión, creatividad y actitud.

Los doce temas que lo componen, entre versiones y canciones originales, fueron  presentados con enorme éxito durante una gira clamorosa  el pasado mes de octubre per varios escenarios españoles y del resto de la comunidad europea que culminó en el gran concierto del Funtastic 2003 del que te hablamos aquí. A nuestro humilde modo de ver, son muchas las razones para encumbrarlo entre los mejores trabajos de este 2013. Que aparezcan o no en esas listas dependerá del grado de inteligencia o valentía del medio de comunicación en cuestión. En un país como éste en que la cultura para ser valorada, incluso para la minoría llamémosle “underground”, tiene que emular necesariamente lo “arty”, cabe la posibilidad de que “Todo Roto” sea para el crítico refunfuñón de turno un disco para pasar un buen rato pero lejos de lo que se atrevería a calificar como verdaderamente sublime; consideración ésta que acaparan, por sistema, paupérrimos e ininteligibles proyectos que aburren más que la sopa boba porque o bien son raros de cojones o en su defecto copian los esquemas "indies" de moda.

Foto: La Nena Wapa Wapa

Magic Pop no hace listas de los mejores del año. En nuestro blog solo aparecen los discos que nos gustan y preferimos que seas tú quien decida, si te apetece, cuál te parece mejor, aunque no dejará de ser, por otra parte, un juego cansino con poco sentido que acaba por agotarse en sí mismo. Para muestra de lo insatisfactorias que nos resultan esas listas anuales, comprobamos que, año tras año, hay poco más de un par de discos que nosotros hayamos comentado en este blog. Por eso y porque es un disco que merece la pena que figure entre lo mejor de tu discografía personal, vamos a explicarte por qué creemos fervientemente que “Todo Roto” es un disco fabuloso. Nosotros también tenemos esa necesidad sana de compartir con todos vosotros, las razones por las que así nos lo parece.   

El grupo

Wau y los Arrrghs!!! es un grupo de Valencia formado por Juanito Wau (voz), Molongui (guitarra), Satu (bajo), Fletan (batería) y Beli (órgano). La banda se crea en 2003 con tres componentes de The Pissmakers, Bola (bajo), Ramón (guitarra) y Claudia (órgano), más Fletan (Fletanes, Ulan Bator Trio, Nigromantes, Los Cinco Ibericos, Pissmakers, Tail, Pendencieros, Traitors… ) a la batería y Juanito Wau (vocalista principal). Con esa formación presentan su primer disco, un EP editado por el sello Kawanga Records. Se incluyen los temas “Demolición” de los Los Saicos; “Busco” de The Omens; “Çe Ne Pas Importance”; y “Help Me Find My Self” de The Troyes. Desde 2003 hasta 2006 cambian de formación y se dan a conocer con enorme éxito en escenarios de aquí o mediante giras por el resto de Europa.

Foto: La Nena Wapa Wapa

Su primer álbum lo edita el sello suizo Voodoo Rhythm con el título de “Cantan en Español”. Contiene 13 potentes temas entre temas como “Momia Twist”, ”Te voy a odiar”, ”Te Puedes Quemar”, ”Nunca La Quise” o versiones como la mencionada canción “Demolición”, el “Rey de Tablistas“ (adaptación del “King Of The Surf” de The Trashmen), “Girl Coge Mi Cosa” ( cover de “Girl, You Captivate Me” de Question Mark & The Mysterians), “Niña” ( el “My Brother The man” de We the People). En 2009 también sale a la luz un single con los temas “It’s Great” de Jonah and The Whales, incluido en su segundo álbum, y la inédita “Carrera Espacial”, para Slovenly records. Tras su paso por el prestigioso Funtastic Dracula Carnival de Valencia, reaparecen con apasionados y multitudinarios directos. De nuevo entran en el estudio del Circo Perrotti de Gijón, para grabar su segundo álbum, titulado ¡¡¡Viven!!!, publicado por Munster Records a principios del 2009. Ese disco les consolida como una de las mejores bandas de “garage” a nivel internacional llegando a triunfar en América. El disco contiene 11 temas grabados por Satu al bajo y voces; Fletan a la percusión; Molongui a la guitarra; Isidro al órgano y voces; Juanito Wau, vocalista principal, con la producción y grabación de Jorge Explosion y Mike Mariconda. En esta ocasión se incluyen vibrantes temas propios como “Copa, Raya, Paliza”, “Viva Link Wray”, “Dicen”, “Bi,blu,bla (bla,bla,bla)”, “Donde están”, o “La Cueva”, más versiones de los Hatfields como su “Delincuente”; “Piedras” de los Lyrics; “Help My Find Myself” de los Troyes. En 2010 se toman un descanso, se edita un documental con el título de “Agáchate y mira mi corazón” (Slovenly) y en 2011, Isidro deja la banda. Le substituye Belinda “Dottie Danger” al Vox Continental.

Entre sus proyectos paralelos podemos mencionar los Tom Tom Macuts, banda que surgió de la escisión de los Espantos, en la que toca Belinda.  Fletan también toca la batería con el combo punk España y con los surfers Blue Marinos; o Molongui con los Molonguis o la Década Pordiosera.  Por otra parte están Loss Cesareas, en los que militan Satu,Fletan, Molongui, y Raul en la que covers de las bandas del  Medway Punk, Milkshakes, Mighty Caesars, Wildebeests o Headcoats. Juanito Wau  también ha sacado un par de singles. Uno de esos 7” lo grabó en solitario, exclusivamente interpretado con su voz acompañándose por ritmos guturales, con tres temas: “Reverb Pool”, “Porrón Beat”, y “Quiero un Pub”. Como él mismo dice: “Eso es un don que algún dios cósmico me dio, soy capaz de hacer solo con la boca bajo, batería y sección de vientos”. El otro single de 2010 fue grabado con Lost Acapulco en México. En la cara A canta Juanito el tema “Zombie” de los Sleepers, y en la otra, Sebastian Sailer aka Wild Evel de los Staggers canta “Tutatu”.

Foto: Ramón Jiménez

“Todo Roto” es su tercer disco, editado en vinilo y digipack por Slovenly. Ha sido  producido por Jorge Explosión, quien toca la pandereta y maracas en algunos cortes, en cuyos estudios, Circo Perrotti de Gijón (Asturias), se grabó y mezcló en febrero 2013. A destacar que las divertidas fotos de la carpeta son de Ramón Jiménez y Belinda Bono, y la ilustración de cubierta y diseño de Mik Baro con un descomunal dibujo en el que aparecen caricaturizados los cinco componentes con actitud belicosa. El disco contiene doce temas entre propios como “No me verás caer”, “La ciudad no es para mí”;  instrumentales como “Rescate griego”; y versiones de los Kinks, como el “Todo lo voy a romper” o “Es un buen día” de Dave Davies; “Fruta Podrida” de los Cuby and The Blizzards; “Tres cabezas” de Mike Berry;  o “Casa, trabajo, coche y mujer” de Jacques Dutronc. A destacar también que se incluye una hoja con las letras de las canciones.

Por otra parte cabe mencionar que el "Recopilata Vol. 2" del Magazine Club de Valencia editado este 2013 incluye una canción reciente del grupo con el título de "Busco" que es una versión del "Searching" de la banda de "garage" de Indiana, The Omens, grabada originalmente en 1966.

Logo: Mik Baro

Las canciones

El disco se abre con “Todo lo voy a Romper” que es una versión del “Time Will Tell” de los Kinks. Una canción de Ray Davies grabada en 1965 en los Pye Studios de Londres que no fue editada en su día. El tema en manos de los Arrrghs adquiere una fuerza inusitada gracias a ese riff tan contagioso de “garage” al que añaden una gran letra que empieza con su ya conocida sentencia: “Hoy, aquí se va a liar a base de bien”. Un tema en el que explota las ganas de “derribar paredes, destruir cosas del pasado para vivir sin mentiras sin que se repita la misma historia”. Le sigue “La ciudad no es para mí”, otra muestra excelente del buen humor de su letrista con rimas desternillantes entre brillantes recorridos rítmicos y guitarras obsesivas apoyadas por sensacionales pedales de órgano. La descarga de adrenalina se repite en el siguiente corte llamado “No puedo entender”, canto a la exclusión social que arranca con una potente sección rítmica a la que se incorporan  momentos envolventes de órgano y detalles de guitarra de R&B. Su siguiente tema “Fruta Podrida” es otra destacada versión de una canción de los holandeses Cuby and The Blizzards. El original se titula “Your Body Not Your Soul” y fue editado como cara B en un single de 1966 con “ L.S.D. (Got A Million Dollars)” en la cara A.  Sin duda, la fiereza que desprenden los valencianos supera con creces a la original.

“Tres cabezas” es el título del siguiente tema y en este caso se trata de otra versión con gran comienzo de bajo que da entrada a un ritmo de R&B. El original es un tema llamado “On My Mind”, que fue editado en 1964 por la banda Mike Berry and The Innocents. En la galleta de ese single consta que el autor es Mike Berry. Los Arrrghs! adaptaron una versión oída en un recopilatorio de “garage” australiano donde se atribuye a un grupo desconocido y original de Joe Meek, quien fue productor de Mike Berry antes de que éste grabara el tema con The Innocents y con su siguiente productor Robert Stigwood. Acaba la primera cara con otro fantástico himno a la superación personal con ese “No me verás caer” en el que su protagonista quiere volver a ser “un chico alegre con cierta admiración por las cosas pequeñas que hay a mi alrededor”.

La cara B arranca con el instrumental “Rescate Griego”, tema que se inicia con ese persuasivo órgano al que se le unen batería con un ritmo muy marcado más una guitarra de instro surf y algunos que otros incisos vocales con los que consiguen crear un fantástico tema perfecto para cualquier persecución de película o escena de terror de serie B. la sigue “No sé cantar” con otra brillante demostración de esa voz desgarrada que le “sale de dentro de las tripas, cuando estás a mi lado”. El tema también incluye otro buen solo de guitarra de pocos compases pero lo suficientemente hábiles para atestiguar el dominio de su responsable. Esos riffs de “garage punk” aparecen de nuevo entre coros femeninos en “Cuervos”, otro destacado tema original de autodeterminación frente a esos seres extraños que nos envuelven para fastidiar nuestras relaciones interpersonales.

Foto: Ramón Jiménez

“Es un buen dia” es una fantástica adaptación del tema “One fine day” de Dave Davies, otra canción que, pese a su autor, no fue grabada por los Kinks sino por Shel Naylor en 1964.  El tema incluye un toque de “aséate…ye ye español” que perfila su auténtico  ritmo bailable, ideal para oír un buen día mientras uno se arregla para ir a un concierto de los Arrrghs!!!. “Malditos Modales” es un tremendo tema que va creciendo entre “malditas mentiras con sus malditos modales” gracias al que “va a salir algo grande dentro de mi”. Mención especial para esos compases intermedios de guitarra blues y toques psicodélicos aportados por el órgano. Acaba el disco con un fabuloso cover del tema de Jacques Dutronc  “Sur Une Nappe De Restaurant” (1966) que ellos titulan como “Casa, trabajo, coche y mujer”, descripción de una vida acomodada con miedo a los que no siguen las reglas preestablecidas del egoísmo androcentrista en la vida familiar y social.  

Foto: Miriam Arranz. Gira 2013

El inconfundible estilo de esta banda valenciana debe mucho al enorme carisma de su cantante principal pero también a la energía devastadora de todos y cada uno de sus componentes. Sin lugar a dudas, su música podría enmarcarse dentro del llamado “garage punk” pero interpretado con un estilo que convierte su obra en género musical con patente original. En este tercer disco han vuelto a demostrarnos su enorme talento mediante  temas sensacionales, versiones incluidas. Canciones donde conjugan, con destreza y pasión, ritmo y melodía más letras por momentos desternillantes pero en otros, cargadas de profundos significados en tanto que recogen, proponen o analizan cambios existenciales en su modus vivendi que no nos pasan desapercibidos. Wau y los Arrrghs!!! ya son unos maestros con escuela propia pero no están dispuestos a dar la misma clase todos los días; así que si quieres aprender sus sabias lecciones repletas de rock and roll con mucha actitud, te aconsejamos que te hagas cuanto antes con este fabuloso álbum y no dejes pasar ninguna oportunidad de oírles en sus fascinantes directos porque sin duda esa ocasión será para ti “un buen dia” en el que no te harán falta los “malditos modales”, “ nadie te verá caer” y, por suypuesto,  “se va a liar a base de bien”.      

Nota: Puedes leer una gran entrevista en Ipunkrock con Juanito Wau aquí. El disco está a la venta en numerosas tiendas, entre las que te recomendamos Discos Monterey de Valencia. Algunos de los temas se pueden oír en el bandcamp. Por último, destacar que el próximo día 18 de enero de 2014 tocan en el Loco Club con los Obits (+ info).

Parque Jurásico —cuyo título original en inglés es Jurassic Park— es una película de ciencia ficción estadounidense, dirigida por Steven Spielberg, estrenada en 1993 y basada en la novela homónima de Michael Crichton.

El argumento nos presenta al multimillonario John Hammond que ha logrado construir una reserva biológica con un parque temático donde existen dinosaurios reales, creados a través de la ingeniería genética, en una isla cerca de Costa Rica.


Idioma: Español.
Editorial: Ediciones B 
Guion: Walter Simonson 
Dibujo: Gil Kane, George Perez 
Tradumaquetadores: Legard (CRG)
Archivos: 4
Formato: CBZ
Tamaño: 52.3 Mb




Descarga:

• Jurasicc Park

"Bilbo, it turns out, makes a terrific heroine. She's tough, resourceful, humble, funny, and uses her wits to make off with a spectacular piece of jewelry. Perhaps most importantly, she never makes an issue of her gender—and neither does anyone else."

La Broma Asesina (The Killing Joke) es uno de los cómics más populares de Batman. Fue publicado originalmente en 1988, cuando la Batmanía estaba a punto de inundar el planeta Tierra con la magnífica película de Tim Burton. Este tebeo de 44 páginas presenta una historia cerrada en la que Batman y el Joker se enfrentan en una historia bastante durilla. Hay desnudos, violencia muy gráfica, peleas cuerpo a cuerpo y drama psicológico. Se hace un retrato de el Joker como no se había hecho hasta entonces, contando su origen. A pesar de los ingredientes “adultos” de la trama, es un tebeo muy divertido y disfrutable, pues todos los elementos están equilibrados.

Escrita por Alan Moore, que probablemente ahora renegará de haberla escrito, y dibujada por Brian Bolland, la obra estaba coloreada por John Higgins, que hizo un magnífico trabajo que desgraciadamente ha sido modificado en las sucesivas ediciones que se han hecho del tebeo desde 2008, cuando Brian Bolland coloreó él mismo la obra.

Os mostramos unas imágenes en las que comparamos algunas de las viñetas de La Broma Asesina, a la izquierda vemos la obra original, con el esplendoroso color de John Higgins, y, a la derecha la revisión que hizo Brian Bolland, en nuestra opinión más sosa y fea. Cabe destacar el ATENTADO que cometen contra el logo de Batman en la nueva edición, ya que, con un par de huevos, han eliminado la elipse amarilla del logo que durante tantos años lució con orgullo el Batman más popero que conocemos.

Está claro que DC está empeñada en mantener la imagen adulta, seria y aburrida de Batman y borrar cualquier vestigio de luz y de color que puedo haber tenido el Hombre Murciélago años atrás.

Si tenéis alguna edición anterior a 2008 de La Broma Asesina, guardadla bien, porque no va a volver.

¿ A que Batman parece más cabreado en la primera viñeta?

La tonalidad roja de la primera viñeta se debe a que es el punto de vista de El Joker cuando era Capucha Roja. En la nueva versión este efecto se pierde.

UN PUTO DESASTRE

The post Cómo está destruyendo DC el legado de Batman appeared first on Teenage Thunder.

 

(for AGMinerals)

In the academic sphere, at least, the "Conflict Thesis" of a historical war between science and theology has been long since overturned. It is very odd that so many of my fellow atheists cling so desperately to a long-dead position that was only ever upheld by amateur Nineteenth Century polemicists and not the careful research of recent, objective, peer-reviewed historians. This is strange behavior for people who like to label themselves "rationalists".-- The Dark Age Myth: An Atheist Reviews "God's Philosophers"

Robert L May was a bit of an outcast as a child. He skipped a few grades and was younger and smaller than his classmates.

Robert L May dreamed of writing the great American novel, but instead, became a catalog writer at Montgomery Ward in Chicago. It was here in 1939 that he wrote Rudolph and 2 million copies were made and distributed to children.

The company later gave Robert L May the rights to the story.[NPR audio story]

See and hear the original sketches and story read by his daughter.

May managed the career of Rudolph in his later years, which included a song written by his brother-in-law Johnny Marks and sung by Gene Autry in 1949. (YT link).

The original Rudolph scrapbook was found in Dartmouth's archives..

Previously

Marie-Henri Beyle was a French novelist, better known by his pen name Stendhal. Though he is now known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology and he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism, during his lifetime his reputation was largely based on his books dealing with the arts and with tourism. He is also notable for personal experiences he recorded in Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio. There he wrote that his "heart was beating fast at the thought of entering Florence," then when in the Basilica of Santa Croce, he "experienced the most intense pleasure art has ever bestowed upon me ... a sort of ecstasy." Later, he "was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart;" he "walked in constant fear of falling to the ground." This was the first recorded case of hyperkulturemia, also known as the Stendhal or Florence Syndrome, a psychosomatic reaction to art and/or scenes of beauty. Similar psychosomatic experiences have been recorded in Paris and Jerusalem, though the former largely linked to cultural shock and disconnect at the imagined and real Paris, while the latter most often associated with evangelical Christian tourists who are overwhelmed by their experiences and come to believe they are the Chosen One. The good news for people who suffer from any of these syndromes: the symptoms generally diappear once the person leaves the location or region that set off the psychosomatic illness.

Segundo capítulo dedicado a la memoria de algunos nombres de música y rocknroll que nos dejaron en este 2013. En este episodio recordamos a Ray Manzarek (The Doors - The end), Jim Sundquist (The Fendermen - Mule skinner blues), Torr Skoog (Kings of Nuthin - If I were you), Alan Myers (Devo - Girl U want), Uri caballero (Els Surfin Sirles - Canso funeral), JJ Cale (Carry on), Gypie Mayo (Dr Feelgood - Milk and alcohol), Lou Reed (NYC man), Dick Dodd (The Standells - Sometimes good guys dont wear white), Cosme Parada (The Phantom Keys - In the summertime), Cesar Luquero (DDT - La chica del telecupón), Dave Higgs (Eddie and the Hot Rods - Do anything you wanna do) y Germán Coppini (Golped Bajos - No mires a los ojos de la gente). (27/12/13)

La presentadora de La Mañana de La 1 no consigue cosechar buenos resultados de audiencia, pero sí generar grandes dosis de polémica por sus constantes salidas de tono. Algunas veces soberbia, otras veces inconsciente, Mariló Montero es una generadora de instantes incómodos para la cadena pública: desde acorralar en una entrevista que debía ser simpática a Anne Igartiburu hasta afirmar que las almas se trasplantan con los órganos. Incluso, por esto último, cuando tuvo que pedir disculpas intentó justificarse diciendo que ella misma iba a investigar el caso para dar credibilidad a su declaración.

Pero, a pesar de tantas críticas, Montero sigue dejándose llevar por sus instintos más prepotentes en directo. El archivo de TVE lo demuestra. Y no es una inocentada. Rescatamos sus cinco instantes más polémicos de este 2013 que ya toca su fin.

A LA GRESCA CON PAQUIRRÍN

ENFRENTAMIENTO CON EL ALCALDE DE BORJA

SOBRE EL CASO ASUNTA
‘SI ACABA DE SER ASESINADA, TODAVÍA ESTÁ BLANDITA’

EL TORO DE LA VEGA, ‘UNA FIESTA MARAVILLOSA’

¿QUÉ HAY DENTRO DEL COCHE FÚNEBRE DE SARA MONTIEL?

Y ADEMÁS…

¿Son las redes sociales injustas con Mariló Montero?

I knew as far back as this past spring that my 2013 top ten was going to be my most formidable list since the early 2000s. And now that said list has been finalized after numerous revisions and a great amount of internal deliberation, I can say with certainty that this has been one of my all-time favorite years for new music. Several of my favorite bands released new albums this year, and none of them disappointed. There were also a number of releases that came out of nowhere to surprise me. Night Birds' Born To Die In Suburbia was a runaway winner for album of the year. And there were a lot of selections behind it that could have been album of the year winners in most other years. It was such a good year that I had to leave out exceptional LPs by Bad Sports, The No Tomorrow Boys, the Steve Adamyk Band, and Glitz. And that was not easy to do.

Alright, on to the list! For what it's worth, exactly half of these albums were sophomore releases. I suppose there's something to be said for going all out to top a great debut album. Most of these selections can be streamed for free, so you don't have to take my word for it that they're great! Read on and listen up!

10. The Sensibles - A Bunch of Animals
Female fronted pop-punk from Italy that will put a huge smile on your face. I feel like a jerk for not rating it even higher. 

9. Miss Chain & The Broken Heels - The Dawn
Proof that a "mature" pop record doesn't have to suck. Best song: "Little Boy".

8. Stiletto Boys- Liberator
The long-awaited third (and final?) installment of the Stiletto Boys' trilogy. If you loved the first two albums, you've got to have this one too. 

7. The Love Triangle - Clever Clever
This album could pass for a long lost classic of 1977 U.K. pop/punk.

6. The Connection- Let It Rock!
Adding touches of country rock and '70s Stones swagger to their throwback British Invasion sound, The Connection stepped up big-time on their sophomore LP. No wonder Little Steven loves 'em!

5. Big Eyes - Almost Famous
Long saddled with Muffs and Joan Jett comparisons, Seattle power trio Big Eyes solidified their own identity on this fantastic breakout release.

4. Missing Monuments - self titled
Point of trivia: Missing Monuments had my #4 album of 2011 as well. I like their chances to again be #4 in 2015.

3. Wyatt Funderburk - Novel and Profane
One of the power pop world's finest songwriters and producers finally gave us a solo album, and it was amazing as expected! "If I Ever Wanted Easier" is absolute perfection.

2. Radioactivity - self titled
It's not really a new Marked Men album, but it's the next best thing. Perhaps a little more power pop than the Marked Men - which is fine by me!

1. Night Birds- Born To Die In Suburbia
There are many things I love about Night Birds' sophomore LP. But perhaps the coolest is that the record takes inspiration from the melodic hardcore and surf-punk sounds of the early '80s and genuinely refashions them for our present times. While not quite a concept album, Born To Die In Suburbia paints a grim and remarkably on-point portrait of a modern society ravaged by dysfunction, despair, and endless enslavement to technology and consumerism. Great songs, great lyrics, great music. This isn't just my album of the year. It's my album of the decade so far!

And thus concludes part one of F & L's year-end festivities. I'll be posting our reader top tens on Monday, so feel free to email your list to me at fasterandlouderblog@gmail.com!

-L.R. 

Is it just me or does Instagram get boring very quickly? I don’t want to see another picture of your Starbucks cup, Sandra. No one does. That’s why my friends and I came up with a fun game that you too can play, to make Instagram more fun than you could ever imagine. It’s also completely harmless, unlike posting “LOL” on a picture of your sister with her new boyfriend.

What you do is, perform a search of a random hashtag. Make sure it’s not anything too common, because you want it to be an odd picture. For the one I’m about to show you, my friend Eireann searched for the hashtag #toiletcover. Here’s the picture she found:

We have no idea who posted this, which is the key part. Here’s what happens from there:

This bizarre conversation breaks out on a girl’s comments between two strangers who are apparently involved in some sort of almond manslaughter case. It keeps going:

After this one, I give it a little bit of time so the girl whose picture we’re posting on has the opportunity to read it and either delete it, or get emotionally invested in the story that’s unfolding. If it were me, I would have sent it to all of my friends and we would be trying to figure out what really killed Greg and if she’s the prime suspect. After a few minutes I post this:

Now things seemed to be patched up and start to descend into some weird vacation stories of some sort. Again, I give it a few minutes and then finish it off with this:

Now it’s just gotten absurd. There are too many questions here to even begin to answer, so I leave it overnight and check it the next day. It looks like our new friend was not impressed, as she deleted the whole conversation:

Is this completely idiotic? Absolutely! But for some reason the thought of a random person watching all of this unfold between two strangers on a picture of their Santa toilet seat cover makes me laugh way too hard. I know you’re going to say that we have too much time on our hands, but we laughed at this for hours while you scrolled through 200 pictures of sunsets on your Instagram feed. If you do it, please let me know. Also if you do it on one of my photos I will weigh in on your fictitious argument and take a side. I’ll probably make up bizarre backstories for you as well. Either way, have fun! 

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