Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank has been a literary staple throughout middle schools across America, if not the world. This is mostly because it’s one of the most heart-wrenching biographical stories ever known and it’s from a young girl‘s perspective. Now the Anne Frank House Museum is hoping to bring Frank’s tragic story beginning with her 13th birthday and ending with her death in a Nazi concentration camp to an even wider audience by launching it in the graphic novel medium.

Spokeswoman Annemarie Bekker is saying that the publication is aimed at teenagers that might not read Anne Frank’s diary.

Let’s not get confused. This isn’t an exact version of The Diary of Anne Frank in graphic novel form. This is more of a biography of Anne Frank being told through the graphic novel medium. American author Sid Jacobson and artist Ernest Colón were at the helm in its creation. Both Jacobson and Colón were co-producers of the best-selling graphic novel The 9/11 Commission Report.

The book has already published a Dutch edition in the Netherlands, which makes sense, seeing as how the Anne Frank House is in Amsterdam. But don’t worry, publisher Hill & Wang will launch the graphic novel in the U.S. later this July. Copies for Great Britain will be published through MacMillan in the fall. German, French and Italian translations are also planned to be released as soon as possible.

Personally, I’m very interested to see a final version and how it compares to the diary. But since I’m in the U.S., I’m just going to have to wait.

For more information head on over to the official Anne Frank House website for more details.

[via Associated Press]

Related Posts:

• Last Saturday: 2010 Locus Award Winners Announced
• Whoops: I’ve Only Read 24 of the 100 Greatest Books of All Time
• Libraries Put Themselves in Consumers’ Paths with Mall Locations
• New Study Suggests It Takes Longer to Read on iPad Than on Paper
• 15 Year Old Publishes Book, Causes Me to Weep for Myself

The Beats: A Graphic History edited by Paul Buhle

Illiterate? I know I am. This post’s text is generated through a new voice-activated text-creation program called Jerkifier™. It works by having the user say what they want typed into their computer’s microphone and then the program does the rest. Jerkifier’s™ distinction from other voice-activated text-creation software comes from its uncanny ability to turn whatever you say into text that makes you sound like an ass. Since the creation of Jerkifier™ I’ve lost $700,000, but have gained infinite wisdom in the art of seduction. See? The program works, you clod!

And since your illiteracy has affected your ability to read great works of literature, the AIGA (The Professional Association for Design, originally known as the American Institute of Graphic Arts) gathered a jury and decided to hold a competition where 800 book submissions got whittled down to be chosen as the Top 50 Book Covers of 2009. The AIGA selected books from the entire literary spectrum, from fiction to non-fiction, graphic novels to poetry, science fiction to craft manuals, etc. The selections will be mounted as a public exhibition at the AIGA National Design Center in New York in December 2010. I’ve displayed a few of my favorites below, but each cover has artwork that is certainly worth giving a gander, so check out the Top 50 link to view the list in its entirety.

The Craftsman by Richard Sennett

The Four Fingers of Death by Rick Moody

Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan

Can you think of any books that didn’t make the cut? If so, shout ‘em out in the comments section. If not, just shout.

[via EW's Shelf Life]

Related Posts:

• Anne Frank Story Is Now A Graphic Novel
• Libraries Put Themselves in Consumers’ Paths with Mall Locations
• New Study Suggests It Takes Longer to Read on iPad Than on Paper
• 15 Year Old Publishes Book, Causes Me to Weep for Myself
• All Books Need Warm, Safe Homes!

You pour that sweet, sweet mind-juice so well, Hemingway.

Ah, drugs and alcohol. Man’s best friend through all of the good times (“Got a 7¢ raise at work! Yippee! Celebration ahoy!”) and all of those bad times (“Can’t believe my damn wife ditched me for my truck.”). For most of us, they’re even there for you in between those times (Timmy’s little league championship game).

But apparently my 8th grade English teacher was wrong. Neither make you a better writer.

According The Independent, drunk writers were better writers when they were sober. Many of the greatest artists and writers were famous for their substance abuse, but their greatest works weren’t created under the influence. Dr. Iain Smith, an addiction expert from Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow said, “The reason why this myth is so popular is the allure of the substances, and the fact that many artists need drugs to cope with their emotions. Artists are, in general, more emotional people.”

“The idea that drugs and alcohol give artists unique insights and powerful experiences is an illusion,” Dr. Smith adds. “When you try to capture the experiences [drugs and alcohol induce] they are often nonsense.” He goes on to say that when drugs and alcohol are used, one’s memory is often wiped, making it hard to remember anything that occurred while in that state of mind.

For example, some of mankind’s greatest artists and writers were addicted to various substances. Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner had three things in common: (1) They were great writers. (2) They all received the Nobel Prize in Literature. (3) They all were alcoholics. Pablo Picasso did opium! Vincent van Gogh drank absinthe profusely!

Well, Dr. Iain Smith, if that even is your real name, it’s time for me to prove you wrong!

Later, after eight beers and two shots of whiskey…

Eye dunnoh whut thaht docter is about! He jellus of…alllll…*hiccup*…talents eye got. See?! Eye drink good and right good!

Related Posts:

• 15 Year Old Publishes Book, Causes Me to Weep for Myself
• Last Saturday: 2010 Locus Award Winners Announced
• Authors Who Happened To Be Birthed In March
• Anne Frank Story Is Now A Graphic Novel
• Terry Pratchett Prize Offers Publishing Deal, £20,000

I will be out of town and away from computer-kind (other than my iPhone, but who writes blog posts on that thing? Sadists?!)

To compensate, I will leave you with a piece of art that should fill the void left by my absent posts:

Rocket Milkshake: Waffles' Great Journey

A cat on a delicious rocket milkshake. There’s nothing greater this universe could offer you. The artwork is done by my friend and excellent artist, OlasNich. Go check out the rest of his great work over on his Flickr account.

Regular posting should resume as usual tomorrow.

I bid you adieu!

Related Posts:

• Gorillaz and Alan Moore Are Set To Collaborate
• Anne Frank Story Is Now A Graphic Novel
• Truman Capote Balls ‘Til He Falls
• The AIGA Judges Books By Their Covers
• Being Drunk Don’t Make Good Words Get Writed

Giving You All the Vitamins Needed to Slay an Entire Undead Skeleton Army!

…FOUR NEW FLAVORS!!!

After seeing it from SCI FI Wire, I thought it was pretty cool, so I couldn’t go without re-posting.

But apparently, yesterday was Bruce Campbell‘s birthday. This is relevant to me because my teenage years were chock-full of Bruce Campbell’s films and TV shows. Strangely enough, most people still know him as Ash from the Evil Dead trilogy, but the man has done a great deal of film and television work, most recently playing Sam on USA’s Burn Notice. (Dude’s even written two books, which are both hilarious!). So you’ve probably at least seen him or heard his voice in something else, not paying any mind to the fact that there’s an exceptional seasoned vet on the screen (He’s been acting since the seventies!).

And as a little birthday treat, some people over at SCI FI Wire cooked up a few well done faux-Campbell’s soup can labels, tailoring them to fit the non-existent Bruce Campbell’s Soup Company’s needs:

Cream of Darkness Soup and Bisque o' County Jr. Soup

Autolycus Cheese Soup and Gumbo Ho-Tep Soup

Head over to the link to SCI-FI Wire posted above to print out the full-sized versions so that you can slap ‘em on some soup cans and pretend to live in an alternate reality where Bruce Campbell’s acting career didn’t pan out, leaving him to try his hand at opening up a soup company. And let’s not forget a happy bangin’ boomstick-belated birthday to you, Bruce!

Any suggestions for additional flavors that the Bruce Campbell’s Soup Company could use? I got nothin’. I guess I’m just not punny enough.

Related Posts:

• Anna Hurley Wants To Help Publish Your Novel
• Avatar: The Last Cameron Bender
• Terry Pratchett Prize Offers Publishing Deal, £20,000
• Last Saturday: 2010 Locus Award Winners Announced
• Tor.com Doles Out Free Science Fiction for the iPad

I Guess That Most Nightmares Are Typically Spawned In Dark, Creepy Woodland Areas

The guys over at ComicsAlliance (one of my favorite blogs), came across this awesome one page comic mashup featuring killer extraordinaire characters Dexter (from Showtime’s Dexter television series), Jason (from Friday the 13th fame) and Cassie and Vlad (from Tim Seeley’s Hack/Slash comic series). With writer Scott Allie, artist Tim Seeley, colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Nate Piekos combining their talents, its only obvious that they would have concocted a concept that’s this kooky and fun.

Unfortunately, all signs point to this project being nothing more than a fun foray in collaborating with one another. For starters, mixing these intellectual properties would probably result in the loss of valuable time what with all of the litigation everyone would have to wade through just to start work on the official project. Plus this group of guys probably have personal projects that take up the majority of their time anyhow. But it’s always fun to dream the impossible.

And if you’ve got that cheddah, pick up a copy of Scott Allie’s “Solomon Kane: Death’s Black Riders #4″ and Tim Seeley’s “Hack/Slash: My First Maniac #1″ which both were released yesterday on June 9.

Such Murderous Fun!

Related Posts:

• Panelfly Shaping Up To Possibly Give iPad A Definitive Purpose
• Gorillaz and Alan Moore Are Set To Collaborate
• Awww Chit! DC Comics Has Gone Digital!
• The Walking Dead To Be Adapted For AMC
• Marvel Comics Partners With Panelfly To Distribute Comics on iPhone

Gorillaz' frontman, 2-D, apparently can see the slice of pizza that I'm holding.

Did you ever wonder, “Hey, why don’t Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz explore gnostic themes?” Definitely a potent question that I’ve never thought to ask, myself. Well, now they are more than likely to touch on gnostic ideas and explore some aspect of humanity that plagues us all now that Alan Moore is on board to help with Gorillaz’ new opera project. According to NME.com, Moore, writer of such brilliant graphic novels (Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell – all of which were turned into shitty, bombastic Hollywood films), will work on the yet-to-be-titled opera’s libretto.

With Albarn having written 70 new songs for the project, it is looking to be more ambitious than Albarn and Hewlett’s 2008 release, Monkey: Journey to the West, as the new opera will appear in both film and stage upon completion. Moore seems rather excited by the project, which in turn excites me. He said “We’ve hopefully got Gorillaz on board [to appear in a forthcoming issue of Dodgem Logic].”

I'm very excited to get my hands on a copy of this, if I can.

Dodgem Logic is Alan Moore’s new underground magazine which contains artwork from Kevin O’Neill (the artist for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and even some writing of Graham Linehan (writer/director/creator of The IT Crowd and Father Ted) just to name a couple. The zine is said to be part entertainment, part grassroots activism/advice on all sorts of subjects from guerilla gardening to making your own clothes, living on no cash, steampunk guides to rebuilding collapsed civilization, and basically anything that comes out of the mind of the Bearded Wonder, of whom they call Alan Moore.

Moore’s daughter, Leah Moore, and her husband, John Reppion, (both top-notch comic book/script writers, themselves) announce over on their blog Moore & Reppion that the zine should be expected out sometime this month.

The Gorillaz/Moore opera collaboration is more than likely not due out until sometime next year.

Related Posts:

• Panelfly Shaping Up To Possibly Give iPad A Definitive Purpose
• Comic Creators Collaborate for Unofficial “Dexter vs. Jason vs. Hack/Slash” Comic Mashup
• Anne Frank Story Is Now A Graphic Novel
• Awww Chit! DC Comics Has Gone Digital!
• How This Post Was One

The robots from Daft Punk probably wouldn't condone the usage of Styrofoam.

With the disposal of Styrofoam being an environmental health concern, it’s always hard to determine what to do with your Styrofoam cups, materials, what have you. But, if you’re extremely self-conscious about your life affecting Earth (such as my, smugly liberal, yet good-looking, Earth-friendly self *turns to Camera 2 to reveal a casual grin and a wink*), you more than likely don’t even deal with Styrofoam products. Though, there are those cases like when you get take-out where the only thing they have to send it in is Styrofoam or when you simply just can’t finish your meal because you ordered too much damn food and all they have is Styrofoam to-go boxes. I digress.

This is certainly a dream that I've had once or twice.

So, instead of worrying about whether or not you’re going to pollute the planet with Styrofoam, simply go pick up some Sharpies and get to drawing all over those Styrofoam plates, boxes, cups, and brassieres (exclusively available in Greenland). I StumbleUpon’ed some really cool drawings on Styrofoam cups over at Acid Cow (Grammatically correct version: “stumbled upon,” but using the StumbleUpon in reference, the grammar much change, I say!). Click on the link in the post to check out the whole slew of them. Acid Cow doesn’t list the artist, otherwise I would say who they are.  And since there is no artist listed in these pictures, I will simply take credit for them. Though, I won’t take credit for the cups that have the samurai drawings on them that some bro wearing Ed Hardy shirts probably has tattooed on his inner forearm.

Related Posts:

• Hyper-Realistic Sculptures Invade My Mind
• The AIGA Judges Books By Their Covers
• Gorillaz and Alan Moore Are Set To Collaborate
• If Only My Spare Time Would Result In A Starting Point For A Theme-Park

This represents modern man as a mindless zombie that doesn't speak out against the world's wrongs. (Nailed it!)

Sam Jinks is a sculptor. What does he sculpt? Well, usually, it’s either a surrealist’s moment of clarity or the vivid, intense corners of your nightmares. Jinks has a background in film and television effects, sculpting commercially for 11 years, but for the last 5 years he’s been working on his art full time. His silicon-based sculptures make for potent visuals, creating powerful thoughts about humanity in general. Well, for me, at least.

This represents modern man being reduced to nothing more than a coat on a coat rack (I'm wayyy off).

Austrailian Edge has an interview with Sam Jinks, discussing his artistic background and his current work. The link is NSFW due to some more pictures of Jinks’ sculptures that could be viewed as graphic or offensive, but if you feel as if today is the day to give your boss his/her come-uppance, then head on over to the link and leave the picture of the naked man with a fox’s head up on the screen. Then, call your boss in and say, “You see. This guy does incredible sculptures, while YOU play Spider Solitaire and scratch your crotch.” Then you should say, “I stirred one of my turds in your cup of coffee this morning. I used a glove to hold it while I did it, in case you were wondering.” Then shout, “And this one’s for Paul in the mail room!” before you swiftly kick the computer monitor’s screen in with your foot. Say it even if there is no Paul in the mail room. Say it even if your office doesn’t have a mail room. Then you should grab all of your things (make sure all of your stuff is packed neatly into a box before completing these actions) and run out of the office shouting “YOU ESS A!” You won’t get sued for any of this. Trust me.*

*You’ll probably be sued for the turd-stirring remark and destroying that monitor.

Related Posts:

• This Is One Way To Avoid Throwing Away Styrofoam
• Being Drunk Don’t Make Good Words Get Writed
• The AIGA Judges Books By Their Covers
• Gorillaz and Alan Moore Are Set To Collaborate

Worst Blog Rant Ever!

Love comic books, but hate all of that tedious labor it requires to turn the pages? And don’t you wish that comic books’ pesky, easy to read print was a lot smaller and digitized? Well, Panelfly is here to help by partnering with Marvel Comics to help slowly and methodically eliminate the existence of printed copies of comics by offering an application available for download on the iPhone.

The application to download is free, but each issue will cost you $0.99 to download into the Panelfly reader. The current Marvel issues set up on Panelfly are the original Spider-Man series, X-Men, X23, Age Apocalypse and Iron Man. And if the Marvel issues aren’t enough to float your boat or find your lost remote, then Panelfly offers lots of different comic publishers like Blurred Books, Dare Comics and NBM Publishing, along with others.

I know that this should be seen as good news, because it opens the door to more comic book readers, but with practically everything that’s tangible in our world being summed up into an iPhone app, I am slowly becoming jaded on what can actually be seen as a legitimate advancement of technology when it could possibly just be a cheap ploy to merge anything and everything into the Apple universe (I say this semi-hypocritically as I type this on an Apple computer).

So call me a print purist, party pooper, prissy pussy, lame asshole, or whatever you wish. I will always enjoy a printed copy of a work. And with all of the new advances in technology merging the printed word into expensive, electronic luxury devices such as Kindle, it surprises me how many people wish to spend hundreds of extra dollars to read the same words on a digital screen that you would be able to in an inexpensive printed book. I suppose it’s just become a part of our culture to be driven to buy expensive, technological goodies in order define ourselves and give us some semblance of status in society.

So exalt me, o’ blog of mine! Take my opinion and deliver it to the masses!

Jerkburger Blog: But, no one reads me.
Me: Oh. Well…At least I have the smug, self-satisfaction of expressing my ideas!
Jerkburger Blog: But crazy, homeless men on street corners can express ideas.
Me: Yes, but I can put my ideas on the Internet!
Jerkburger Blog: What makes the concept different other than the medium of expression?
Me: Well…the Internet let’s ANYONE share their…yeah, you’re right.

Jerkburger Blog: 1 Jerkburger Blog Writer: 0

Related Posts:

• Panelfly Shaping Up To Possibly Give iPad A Definitive Purpose
• Awww Chit! DC Comics Has Gone Digital!
• Expect the E-Reader Market to Expand After Price Cuts
• How Does He Even Use That Fourth Claw?