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Vote 2012 The polls opened at 6:30 in central Ohio.
Delaware County, Ohio Board of Elections
Take your voting sticker to Tim Horton's for a free donut. Coupon on the Tim Horton's website,
"DUBLIN, OH, Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop is expanding its Election Day offer of a free donut to all customers who order a beverage and present a coupon, available at timhortons.com.
The Election Day coupon is valid at participating U.S. restaurants on November 6 only."
NBCi4.com said Einstein Bros. Bagels is giving free bagel and cream cheese today for those with a voting sticker. I can not find that news on the Einsteing Bros. Bagel site.
Both companies have events later this week? Sunday for veterans.
I voted last week and lost my sticker sometime over the weekend.
The image is a Real Living ecard. I am an agent with HER REALTORS - Real Living HER
This post provided by Maureen McCabe HER Realtors*
Contact Maureen McCabe of HER Realtors* - 614.388.8249
email: MaureenatMaureenMcCabe.com at = @
*Real Living HER
Information is deemed to be accurate but should be verified to your satisfaction. Information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Opinions expressed are solely those of Maureen McCabe.


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Minnesota companies revolt over call to end tax-free business transactions
Minnesota businesses are blasting a plan by Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton to make the North Star State one of the few that taxes companies for business they do with other businesses.
Firms in the state say the plan to tax such business services as advertising, legal advice and even printer fees will dull their competitive edge, in addition to adding perhaps thousands in extra costs a year.
The proposed 5.5 percent tax would be imposed on business-to-business services. It's just part of a larger package of increases that Dayton has proposed to help trim the state's $1.1 billion budget deficit.
Dayton supporters say the governor's plan to also lower the corporate rate would help offset the new tax and stimulate economic growth.
But companies, particularly smaller businesses, think they'll get hit in several ways.
They say larger companies can sidestep the tax by using in-house lawyers or marketing staff, instead of having to pay a nearly 6 percent premium on the money they would pay an outside firm. The smaller businesses say they don't have that option and cannot absorb the additional costs as easily.
"We think it's a horrible idea," Dave Olson, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, told FoxNews.com.
Opponents have also argued that companies bidding on a New York company's ad campaign, for example, could lose because the tax would add significantly to the price of their bids.
The Dayton administration said last week the tax would not apply to goods or services sold outside of Minnesota.
But the state Chamber of Commerce, which representing roughly 2,400 business, remains opposed to the tax and wary of the clarification.
"We're still looking for the details," Olson said.
Dayton originally projected the tax would raise an additional $2.2 billion, but his administration purportedly has acknowledged critics' arguments that the number fails to take into account some companies figuring out how to avoid paying.
When announcing the broader tax plan – which also includes taxing the investment income of part-time residents – Dayton acknowledged the increases would sting.
"No one likes paying more taxes, even when necessary to make them fair," he said during his State of the State speech this month.
However, the changes -- which include lowering the state sales tax -- would make the system fairer, provide extra revenue to cut the deficit, fund education and provide homeowners with a tax rebate, he said.
Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota have been collecting sales taxes on professional services for decades. But the tax is rare. Florida passed similar legislation in 1987 but repealed it six months later amid a hail of criticism, according to The Star Tribune.
Olson said a state report due out next week is supposed to show better-than-expected revenue forecasts, which has some people thinking Dayton might pull back on the business tax.
"But I've been in this business a long time, so I don't take anything for granted," he said. "I think the governor has shown us the direction he wants to go."

subset: commoncrawl


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Best definition
lick the copper penny
to toss the salad of; to lick the chocolate starfish of, to grant a rim job to; to lick or suck the A-hole.
After earning my red wings, I flipped her over and licked the copper penny. Man, did it ever leave a shitty taste in my mouth.


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Page 1 of 3Next
If Comic Conventions Had Warning Signs
By Susanna Wolff and Caldwell Tanner
If Comic Conventions Had Warning Signs GENERAL NOTE: These signs should be placed in backgrounds that somewhat resemble a convention space, kind of like in Rosie's "If College Was a Zoo" article. - Bathroom Sign - A Male / Female / Handicap bathroom sign, but the male is wearing a utilikilt and glasses, and instead of a person in a wheelchair it's a dude wearing a giant Gundam / Evangelion costume. - A beware of falling rocks sign, but the rocks have been replaced with generic con swag falling out of a bag, sign reads "BEWARE OF SWAG AVALANCHE" - A children at play sign, but the child is playing a DS. sign reads "LAZY CHILDREN AT PLAY." - A "Safe Place" sign, but the instead of holding a child, it's an adult holding a magazine. Below the current words the sign reads "FOR ADULTS TO HANG OUT WHILE WAITING TO PICK UP THEIR NERDY KIDS." - An elevator warning sign that reads" THIS CONVENTION HAS A MAXIMUM DOCTOR WHO COSPLAY CAPACITY OF 42. There should be a bathroom picture style of the 11th doctor wearing a fez and bowtie, but crossed out like with a no smoking-style circle with a line throught it. - A first aid kit that reads "COSPLAY FIRST AID KIT INSIDE" The picture shows a person reattaching a horn to their head. - A reserved parking sign that reads "RESERVED PARKING FOR TEENS IN SCHOOLGIRL OUTFITS WHO WANT TO SIT DOWN AND TEXT OTHER TEENS WITH THEIR BEDAZZLED PHONES." - A notice sign that reads "NOTICE: CON NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS: BEDAZZLED PHONES, TAILS, EARS, FRIENDS,STAFFS, CAPES, DIGNITY. - A no smoking sign, but with a person talking loudly and excitedly. People next to him are covering their ears. The sign reads "NO SPOILERS." - A biohazard sign that reads "WARNING: BAD SMELLS AHEAD. In smaller font below it reads "IT'S NO ONE'S FAULT, THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS MANY PEOPLE GATHER IN AN OVERLY WARM WAREHOUSE IN THE DEAD OF SUMMER." - A high voltage sign that reads "DANGER: HENTAI!" The high voltage bolt has been replaced with a tentacle. - A Don't Tread on Me sign, but with a Furry's tail instead of a snake. - A Don't Feed the Bears sign that reads "DON'T FEEL THE BOOTH BABES." In smaller font it reads "SERIOUSLY THAT'S ILLEGAL, DON'T." - A security guard on duty sign that reads "BORED SECURITY GUARD ON DUTY: WARNING! HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE DRESSED AS AND DOESN'T CARE." - A stop sign that reads "Do not STOP to read your phone in the middle of the con floor."


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Graduation Card
Here is this weeks Little Scraps of Heaven Designs . It is using Elephant Graduate cut files from LSHD.
- Cutting Machine (Sizzix, Cricut, Pazzles, Boss Kut, etc) with Software
- OR Vector Viewing/Editing Software, a Printer, and Scissors
- Desktop Publishing Software
Other Products Used
- Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue
- White Cardstock
- Cream Cardstock
- Red Cardstock
- Black Cardstock
- Gray Cardstock
- Pink Cardstock
- Faber-Castell pens
- Copics
- Water Based Dye Ink
I hope you will enjoy making this project. As always I hope you will make your own embellishments and unique tweaks to make it your own. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the comments.
Have a great day!
- Leslie


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jill.gehring123 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 69 designs submitted by 26 freelance designers.
This is a supplement to reduce stress. The target market is women, ages 35-65.
I'd like to explore the following colors:
Blues: Knowledge, trust, calm and honesty.
Aquas: Empathy, compassion, clarity and precision.
Greens: Growth, harmony and success.
Please provide file in Adobe Illustrator.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Or continue shopping
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Walnuts or
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The power of soy is here in our isolated soy protein powder! Fuel your workouts with this non-dairy, non-GMO alternative to whey protein. Use isolated soy protein powder in beverages, energy bars, and more!
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Our gluten free soy protein powder is a nourishing source of vegetable protein which is highly digestible. Sprinkle this powder over cereals, soups, or use to make a delightful, high-protein drink.


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I am sitting in the hospital room with my dad this New Year's Eve. He was admitted to the hospital on Thursday with several health issues. He is diabetic, he has congestive heart failure, he has pneumonia……In short, his body is wearing out. Sitting in the chair next to his bed, I listen to him breathe. My mind slips back to my childhood, and I see the man he once was. So strong, so capable. Rarely complaining, and tackling life head on.
In my reflection, as I look back on 2011, and I am filled with wonder. Where did this past year go, and how do so many things happen in only one year? There have been a whirlwind of events, to say the least. My son, Joshua was married, and our family was blessed with a new daughter in law / sister in law. Our first grandchild was born, a beautiful baby girl. Jonathan moved out and has met a wonderful girl. Jenni graduated from high- school. And through it all, through this life, Jillian has continued to battle melanoma with strength and courage. As I watch my dad, I know exactly where this strength comes from. Thank you dad, for giving us the gift of strength, perseverance, faith, courage, and LOVE.
The prime rib dinner we were planning to serve tonight with our dear friends has been postponed. There is no place I'd rather be.
Looking forward to all the wonderful, magical things waiting for us in 2012!
Much love~


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S4 E03 Episode 403
ENTREPRENEUR: Liz & Dan Holtz
PITCH: Liz Lovely Cookies
ASKING FOR: $200k for a 10% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Liz is the amazing baker and Dan is the creative marketing guy who overcame great obstacles to create a brand of cookies that omits traditional ingredients to make them gluten-free and vegan. They present the sharks with a tasty cowgirl and a scrumptious cowboy cookie. The cowboy cookie is the one with nuts. They did just under a million dollars in sales last year.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin doesn't like the taste of the cookie. He's out. Three other sharks follow his lead. Mark, who is a gluten-free mogul, thinks the cookies are tasty, but knows the market is very competitive. He's not crazy about the evaluation of the company and wants Dan and Liz to make him an offer. He'll then reverse his 24-second clock gimmick by giving himself that amount of time to say yes or no. Liz and Dan offer him 20% equity.
THE RESULT Mark ponders the offer for a moment, but then politely declines. After the entrepreneurs leave the tank, Mark admits to the other sharks that he wanted 33%. Hopefully, Liz and Dan will find sweet success with their cookies outside the tank.
Last season, Stephan Aarstol, the maker of Tower Paddle Boards, made a deal with Mark Cuban for 30% of his company. Since then, the company has gone from 100,000 in lifetime sales to 800,000 in just a few months. The company is on pace to do $1.5 million in sales through their website alone. Stephan feels his experience in the tank has truly jump-started his career and this is just the beginning.
ENTREPRENEUR: Lee Dahlberg
PITCH: Rock Bands
ASKING FOR: $100k for a 20% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Lee has developed a product that puts stones with a healing element onto bands that you can wear on your wrist. Each rock band is hand-carved and comes in a cool rock star-style case. He's been able to get into four top retailers but took some hits due to the politics of dealing with the retail world. Special guest Robin Leach comes into the tank to rattle off a list of celebrities who wear rock bands. Lee has done $300k in sales over five years.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin wants to buy Rock Band from him for $100k for 100% of the company and give him a 7% royalty in perpetuity. He wants to license the brand name. Barbara wants to join in on Kevin's deal. Daymond wants to partner with Mark for 40% of the company. It's a feeding frenzy!
THE RESULT When all the negotiations are done, Lee opts to rock on with Daymond and Mark.
LEARN MORE: Visit www.LeatherRockBands.com
ENTREPRENEUR: Tereson Dupuy
PITCH: FuzziBunz
ASKING FOR: $500k for a 15% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Tereson has created 100% reusable diaper product. It's easy to use and easy to wash at home. It's a pocket-style diaper that holds a microfiber pad. The lining keeps the diaper dry. She even has a creative way to dispose of any poo-poo. She's been doing this for 12 years and had $3.9 million in sales last year. She's sold $24 million with no advertising over the Internet. The bad news is that she only made $20,000 profit on that $3.9 million last year. She's had manufacturing issues where her former distributor stole her patented idea. Others are squatting on her business by breaching her patent.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin wants to sue all these people who have ripped her off. Mark doesn't want to be in the pooper-scooper business to clean up this mess, so he's out. Barbara doesn't trust Tereson's judgment, so she's out. Daymond also can't invest. Robert also doesn't want to invest in a business that isn't on an upswing. He's out. Kevin admires Tereson's tenacity, but he doesn't want to join her on this ride. He's out, too. Hopefully, Tereson will someday get revenge on all those people who poo-pooed on her business by stealing her idea.
ENTREPRENEUR: Mike Lane & Mark Franklin
PITCH: Posture Now
ASKING FOR: $100k for a 15% stake
BEST PART OF THE PITCH: Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts of Dancing with the Stars fame sashay their way into the tank to help Mike and Mark demonstrate the benefits of proper posture. The guys have created a strap that keeps your posture perfect. Jonathan is even wearing it as he dances with his lovely wife, Anna. They've sold about $330,000 to date over the Internet. They have a patent pending and a lot of support from chiropractors and HR folks in big companies.
DO THE SHARKS BITE? Kevin offers $100k for 50% and he wants a 10% royalty. That offer is rejected immediately. Daymond believes these guys shouldn't be in the tank. Mike says he's not begging for something, he's offering something. Daymond goes out because he feels Mike ran his mouth too much. Barbara likes these guys, but she still goes out. Robert offers $100k for 40% but pulls it almost immediately because he feels like the guys are just working the room to find better offers. That leaves Mark.
THE RESULT: Mark offers $100k for a 30% and wants a $5 royalty on each sale only until he gets his money back. The guys take the deal and Mike quits his day job on national TV so he can work on this business fulltime. He also shares a celebratory dance with Anna as they exit the tank.
LEARN MORE: Visit http://www.posturenow.com


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Topic: Nganung kasagaran sa mga members saTUBAGBOHOL,let's say,mature(edaran)? (Read 29495 times)
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is no fan of former Monday Night Football announcer and ESPN personality Tony Kornheiser.
Talking to ESPN Radio in Milwaukee, the frozen tundra's heir apparent to Bret Favre called Kornheiser, a former Washington Post columnist and host of "Pardon the Interruption," "stupid," "dumb" and "terrible." He based his opinions on work they did together in 2008, when Kornheiser and the rest of the MNF crew met with key players to prepare for a telecast.
"You know who was better than Tony Kornheiser? Dennis Miller was ten times better," Rodgers said. "Dennis Miller was a great comedian, but one of the worst Monday Night Football guys ever. And he was ten times better than Tony Kornheiser. His stuff was actually funny. Tony wasn't funny at all. He did absolutely no research. We'd sit in those production meetings and he would add absolutely nothing to the conversation. I'd be like, 'What are we doing here? This is stupid.'"
Rodgers didn't even have good things to say about Ron Jaworski, the well-regarded analyst who once quarterbacked the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl.
"I like him, but, when I was coming out, he did the worst segment in the history of TV about me talking about my fundamentals," Rodgers said of Jaworski. "It was not even close to anywhere near my fundamentals. The first time I met him, someone introduced me to him and I said, 'Yeah I know him. He's the guy who ripped me before the draft.' The rest of the night he told me how great I was. I was like, 'I know your song and dance.' And now he loves me."


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Campayn + Reamaze Integrations
In a matter of minutes and without a single line of code, Zapier allows you to connect Campayn and Reamaze, with as many as 8 possible integrations. Are you ready to find your productivity superpowers?
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Huawei Mate 9 full in-depth smartphone review
Here's a phone we've looked forward to reviewing. The Mate 7 was our phone of 2014 and the Mate 8 was in our Top 5 best phones of 2016. We've reviewed many middling phones of late so we've been hoping that Huawei's new flagship would impress us. It didn't get off to a great start. We've associated the Mate range with outstanding value but the Mate 9's price has inflated to into premium territory to match the market rather than undercut it. So did it bring anything new to the table to justify the inflated price? Yes it did.


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Published: Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 17:36 PM.
During the activities of the 33rd Annual BBQ Festival on the Neuse on Saturday, two Kinston residents were honored by the city's mayor.
B.J. Murphy honored John Jones and Shirley Herring during the "Key to the City" ceremony at Pearson Park, where each was presented with a ceremonial key to Kinston and a dedication.
Murphy said he didn't make his decision alone on honoring the two.
"I asked for Mayor Pro Tem Joe Tyson to assist me in the deciding process," Murphy said. "Certainly, the two people we're recognizing have gone above and beyond what a citizen is asked to do in Kinston."
Jones, a 1968 graduate of Adkin High School, was an active member of Kinston public schools, serving as a teacher, guidance counselor or principal at several schools, including Rochelle Middle School and Kinston Charter Academy.
"It is indeed a pleasure to receive this award," Jones said, addressing the crowd in attendance. "I accept this award on behalf of my family members, community and everyone who has impacted my life — positively or negatively."
Herring is currently the chairman of Pride of Kinston and has worked with the organization for 28 years.
"This is truly an honor and I never dreamed of this," Herring said. "I want to thank everyone who has been working on downtown Kinston. It brings me pride and joy to help in the beauty and progress of the city."
Tyson said Jones and Herring deserved the recognition.
"When you look throughout the community and look at individuals who serve the community, there are several in the city who would qualify, but we can't elect everyone," Tyson said. "We recognize those who don't get awards every day, but are great citizens who represent Kinston well. John Jones is someone who was committed to mentoring, helping young people, coaching and was a highly respected citizen.
"Ms. Herring is someone who dedicated her time to help improve the city of Kinston. She is an outstanding leader, and when it comes to volunteering and services, she gives and asks for nothing in return. She exemplifies a good citizen of Kinston."
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.


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Smash Cars coming to US PSN on August 20
TikGames and Creat Studios has announced that Smash Cars will land on PSN August 20. The single and multiplayer online RC toy car racing title has real-time physics simulation and customization for vehicles. It will run you $14.99 and has Trophies, and the futire possibility of downloadable content. A video is posted after the break, […]
Tikgames headlines
Magic Ball available from US PSN today
Creat Studios and TikGames' Magic Ball will be available to download from the US PSN for $9.99, writes the PSBlog. Magic Ball is s a unique twist on the ball-breaker type of game and promises fast action, great humour and "giggle-inducing fun." Gameplay video after the break. Last week, Creat and TikGames announced puzzler Cuboid […]
Interpol on XBLA this week
The Major's announced that this week's Xbox Live Arcade game will be Interpol: The Trial of Dr. Chaos. The TikGames puzzler will costs 800 MS Points and should be live tomorrow morning. Official blurb here. By Mike Bowden


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Schwab Advisor Services released Tuesday the results of a survey of independent broker-dealer and insurance company reps that found that a large majority of respondents liked the idea of starting or joining an RIA firm.
Specifically, when asked, "How appealing is the idea of becoming an independent registered investment advisor at some point in the future?" 86% of the 157 respondents answered by saying they found the idea "very" (28%) or "somewhat" (58%) appealing.
The online survey was conducted on Schwab's behalf by an independent survey firm, Koski Research, between Jan. 5 and Jan. 21, 2011. Respondents came from a wide range of different sizes and business models of independent BDs and insurance companies, a Schwab spokesperson said.
In a pre-release interview on March 24 discussing the survey's findings, Bernie Clark, head of Schwab Advisor Services, argued that brokers who "migrated to IBD models, long ago or in the last two years, now they're saying it's time to go independent."
That goes for wirehouse advisors as well, Clark (left) said. "In 2008," he said, when wirehouse advisors were thinking of leaving due to the troubles with the big firms, "it was natural to gravitate to an existing platform where they could bring their books of business." Once they got to an independent BD, however, Clark believed " they became students of the independent model."
In the statement accompanying the survey's findings, Nick Georgis, a VP with Schwab Advisor Services, the largest RIA custodian with some 6,000 affiliated advisors, said that Schwab "saw a 45% increase in the number of advisor teams transitioning to independence from IBD firms in 2010 compared to 2009."
When asked in the survey which "environmental factors" would make those BD reps more likely to move to an RIA model, a "friendlier economic and tax environment for small business owners" was the top factor—at 45% of respondent—followed by "an improved overall market and economic environment," at 43%.
Some wirehouse brokers may be prompted to leave by the changing ownership of the big
wirehouses, according to Clark, who prediced that "we're not done with the movement of accounts, which is very embarrassing" to those wirehouse brokers, who have to explain to their clients why their brokerage statements have yet another new name appearing on the top of their statement.
Moreover, Clark says that "Even the brokers now are starting to talk about the simplicity of fees versus commissions," with some of that new realization "rooted in distrust" of their parent company. The brokers know that their firms are "making money on products," he said, but worry that they "may not even know about it."
When asked in the survey if they were to choose the RIA model whether they would prefer to join an existing firm or run their own, 58% said they would join an existing RIA firm, and 34% said they would start their own firm (see chart below). "When an individual joins an existing firm," Clark commented on this finding, "you're partnering with someone, there's more more synergistic value."
Clark wondered in the interview about the appropriateness of the independent BD model. "if I'm entrepreneurial," he said, referring to a broker considering independence, "why go with an LPL—to a halfway house?" With the improvements in the "technical programs to run their own businesses," offered by custodians, he said, "maybe you don't need the interim step any longer."
Clark suggested that "this movement toward independence" is still in its "early days," but it represents a "sea change" not just in advisor affiliation models but in how consumers will invest in the future. Those investors, he says, want their brokers to move toward the independent model.
He also warned, however, that we haven't seen the last of the wirehouses, and thinks it's possible that one or more wirehouses will "declare that they're independent" taking a "join us rather than beat us" approach. "I don't know if they can ever unravel themselves," Clark concludes, "but the trend is in that direction."
The survey also found that IBD advisors see a number of benefits to joining or starting an independent RIA firm, including a greater ability to develop and grow their own business (43%), deliver more customized solutions (42%) and hand pick their own team (41%).


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Every week we'll break down the movers, shakers, winners and losers in fantasy football, and keep an eye out for the players you should be eyeing for your fantasy rosters.
With any luck, by the time you read this column we'll know who our President will be come January (assuming we don't get bogged down in run-offs and legal manueverings), and in the spirit of picking a winner, it's time to us to wrap up our campaign for Week 10 and decide on the difference-makers in fantasy this week. Before we consult with the polls, let's have a recount for Week 9...
The Week 9 Debrief:
1. MFFF's picks last week = one golden pick, the rest scrap metal. Seattle WR Golden Tate lived up to his name as he racked up a nifty 2 TDs, but the rest of our picks were startlingly unproductive, starting with Jacksonville WR Cecil Shorts, whose team was never in the game. Miami RB Daniel Thomas didn't do badly if you needed a fill-in RB, but 62 total yards isn't going to set pulses racing.
2. Winners vs. Losers. With only a couple of exceptions, the good teams further separated themselves from the bad teams in league standings last week. The trend should continue in Week 10 as only two games out of 15 featuring two teams with winning records going head-to-head. Will this have an effect on your fantasy team? indications are mixed. The free-falling Vikings can still trust in RB Adrian Peterson to put up huge numbers, while the 6-3 NY Giants are winning but are MIA on offense these last three weeks (only 1 TD pass).
3. Running Back Revenge. A few short weeks ago we were trumpeting the ascendency of QBs in fantasy, but a few RBs such as Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin have had something to say about that. Fueling by Martin's eye-popping 272 total yards and 4 TDs last week, RBs are making a big move up in fantasy rankings. And don't count out underrated starters like Marshawn Lynch and Ray Rice, who face favorable schedules and likely increased workloads down the stretch.
4. Andrew Luck = Spread the fantasy wealth. MFFF should have seen this coming a few weeks back -- a smart, poised rookie QB with an offensive coordinator (Bruce Arians) who likes to chuck the ball, on a team playing inspired football for their ailing head coach Chuck Pagano. With Luck's maturation and Indianapolis emerging as a playoff contender, it's time to jump on board with the Colts' young receivers T.Y. Hilton and Donnie Avery as viable fantasy targets.
Week 10 Fantasy Pick-ups: Election Edition
1. The Comeback Kid: Seattle QB Russell Wilson
We backed him in Week 1, and his campaign ran off the rails after some miserable early performances, but with great numbers the past two weeks, the rookie QB has his offense humming. He also benefits by having 4 games down the stretch at home, where the Seahawks are virtually unbeatable.
2. The Surprise Candidate: Oakland TE Brandon Myers
The Raiders haven't been winning, but their passing attack has been putting up gargantuan numbers. Last week Myers had his best game yet, snagging 8 passes for 59 yards and 2 TDs, which comfortably vaulted him into the upper echelon of TEs for the season.
3. The Darkhorse: Pittsburgh WR Emmanuel Sanders
He's had middling stats this year, but with fellow WR Antonio Brown nursing injuries, Sanders has a chance to step up to the plate these next few weeks, as the Steelers face three mediocre pass defenses (Chiefs, Ravens, Browns) in a row.
4. The Independent: Denver TE Joel Dreessen
Like a candidate who shares some of the viewpoints of his opponents, Dreessen shares playing time and targets with TE Jacob Tamme, which makes him a risky play, but he's also been outperforming Tamme thus far, and will get favorable matchups against weak teams over the next month.
5. The Sympathy Vote: Indianapolis RB Vick Ballard
He's best remembered for his soaring, video-game-like winning TD dive against Tennessee in OT a few weeks ago, but starting RB Donald Brown continues to be gimpy, and with a short week of rest before Thursday night's game against Jacksonville, Ballard is poised to once again receive a bunch of touches. And remember, the Colts are doing it all for Coach Chuck.
6. The Long-shot: Green Bay RB James Starks
Green Bay continues to tinker with their rushing attack, with Starks getting increased carries last week in a time-share with Alex Green, but the Packers went with Starks exclusively down the stretch. If he follows up with another decent performance this week he could ensure himself starting-RB numbers moving forward.
Best Offensive Matchup of the Week:
San Diego at Tampa Bay: Don't look now, but the Bucs might have the most explosive offense in football with rejuvenated QB Josh Freeman and rookie sensation Doug Martin. Against a San Diego team that has been up and down this season, we're counting on a high scoring tally from the Bucs.
Best Defensive Matchup of the Week:
NY Jets at Seattle: The Seahawks are only vulnerable against teams with good running games -- unfortunately for the Jets, they don't have one. How long before the clarion call for Tim Tebow gets answered?
Got a specific question or need advice on fantasy football this week? Sound off in the comments section below.


text:
English Teacher
I was paying little attention to a movie that my wife was watching, but then I heard and noticed an example of what I think is called zeugma.
A character was saying to a hitchhiker that she and her husband had picked up that "You look like...(and the viewers expected "our son"). But, instead, she said "You look like (after a pause) you need a ride".
How to diagram the second choice?
Any ideas? Treat is as "You appear as if you need a ride" vs "You appear as if you were our son"? Does "like" have to be a conjunction vs a preposition here?
In any case, I found it a clever bit of writing.
Makes sense.
I have been away for a while, but I hope to do better.


text:
Thanks my bro,that is what I'm looking for
Thanks again and great tutorial
XNA Animated Sprite
Posted 16 December 2011 - 06:54 AM
Posted 26 December 2011 - 07:11 AM
now thats what i call helpful...thanku soooooooo much..
Posted 01 January 2012 - 06:36 AM
Thanks for this tutorial. However, I can't see my sprite on screen. I'm using the sprite that you provided, and I copied the code exactly, but it refuses to show up. Do you know why that would be?
Posted 01 January 2012 - 12:04 PM
It's hard to say without seeing your code, so please post your code in this thread inside code tags and I'll take a look.
Posted 02 January 2012 - 04:25 AM
I really appreciate you taking time out to help, but I'm afraid it was just me being stupid. I left out this line:
I double checked, but still managed to miss it; soz. But thanks again for the tutorial. It's really helpful.
I double checked, but still managed to miss it; soz. But thanks again for the tutorial. It's really helpful.
Posted 02 January 2012 - 10:12 AM
I'm glad you were able to figure out the issue. Let me know if you have any other questions or issues. Good luck with your future XNA projects.


text:
Like a lot of the members and visitors that come to Dragoart, I too am an avid fan of plushies that are not likely to be found in some stores because of their design, and because of the company that makes them. Today I am going to show you "how to draw Mamegoma", step by step. For those of you that are asking what the heck a Mamegoma is, I will let you know. They are a series of plushy toys that take the form of seals. They where developed and created by a company named San-X which is based out of Japan. These adorable little beanie toys are available in a variety of colors consisting of black, pink, blue, and of course white. Each seal is made the same way which means there is no different sizes just designs. Sometimes they even look like little goldfish because that is how small they are. Like a lot of beanie character designs, Mamegoma's can also be found on paper with your favorite stationary products, calendars, mugs, and so on and so forth. No matter how you look at it there is one thing that is certain, this plushy line is without a doubt one of the cutest toys selling. I will teach you to ",em>draw Mamegoma" very simply using the steps and instructions you will find with this tutorial. When you are done drawing your own seal, you can choose the color to shade them in with. Have fun gang, and don't forget to stay put because I'm coming back shortly with more drawing fun!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
Matthew Lickona and the Reader
San Diego wine and Porsche fans, Janet Flanner, Antiochian Orthodox church, Charger fans
Matthew Lickona 8:30 a.m., Oct. 20
I told Todd Loren in 1988 that I thought his newest brainstorm was the dumbest idea I'd ever heard
Comic books about rock and roll bands? I'd seen it already. In the Seventies, Marvel Comics released two magazine-sized Marvel Super Specials featuring the band Kiss as cosmic powered superheroes. Alice Cooper played a character somewhat closer to his real self in a 1979 issue of Marvel Premiere, and I even remembered an unauthorized Beatles comic from years back.
None of those titles ever came close capturing any sort of rock and roll spirit. All were illustrated in the same stiff and characterless style as any issue of the Uncanny X-Men, and none ran more than a couple of issues.
Todd's idea was Rock 'N' Roll Comics. Each issue would be about a different band, with straight biographies and Mad magazine styled parodies. A freelance writer at the time, I owned an extensive archive of research material, and Todd wanted me to research scripts for the line. I was a little confused about how he planned to pull off his proposed venture.
Todd was a longtime comic book collector who'd run a series of related fan conventions, but he knew virtually nothing about publishing comics. Plus, he already had a full time job running his mail order rock memorabilia business, Musicade (with a retail outlet near the Sports Arena), where I worked for him part time.
In a self-penned bio, Todd described how he got into the business of selling T-shirts, patches, backstage passes and pop culture clutter. He was still called Stuart Shapiro then, living near Detroit and promoting comic conventions and record collector shows. "[I] printed up a few thousand black and white eight page catalogs and within six months (mid-1984) I was just barely making enough money to walk away from the convention business. Actually, I drove away. To San Diego...I changed my name to Todd Loren. I guess I thought it was a rebellious thing to do, and I always liked the name Todd."
He also once admitted that he thought the cadence of the new name, and the single hard consonant, made it sound like a name thought up by Ayn Rand, one of his favorite authors.
I was amazed when that first issue of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, on Guns N' Roses, sold almost 10,000 copies in just a few short weeks. Those were big numbers, even in those days of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Todd would call me every time a big order came in, and then he'd call to tell me every time the comic was mentioned in some major mag or newspaper, which was happening almost every day. "Someday, we'll be selling millions of comics," he'd say. I was doubtful, but I allowed room for the possibility.
It sure seemed like a long shot, however. The comic was black and white, on cheap newsprint and crudely drawn, with several factual errors and misspellings. The flimsy publication felt like a Home Depot mailer than a comic book, but collectors were snapping it up. Especially after Rolling Stone mentioned that GNR's lawyer Peter Paterno sent Todd a cease and desist order. Todd's comic biographies were strictly unauthorized, or unbiased as Todd would say, which made his publications sound more like journalism and less like crass exploitation (as they were already being called by critics).
Todd wasn't interested in publishing illustrated press releases. He wanted Revolutionary's writers to feel free to call it like we saw it, to talk about the heroin and the illegitimate kids and the backstage gangbangs or whatever. GNR's lawyer never filed their lawsuit, but comic collector magazines like Comics Value Monthly were already calling Rock 'N' Roll Comics revolutionary. Which is what Todd named his company, Revolutionary Comics.
"I wanted to do a comic that had all the sex and drugs that is rock and roll," Todd wrote. "Rock and roll is bigger than life. The stage presence these bands have...they don't need superpowers because they're already hero worshipped by their fans. And those fans love to spend money on anything featuring the bands they love."
The second RNR issue, on Metallica, was a little more readable and had improved artwork, and suddenly the comics were selling in the same quantities as mainstream superhero titles.
Each RevComic featured an editorial written by Todd. Many of the columns were antagonistic, some bordered on outright slander, but Todd was genuinely worked up over the topics he wrote about. His essays gave each issue an actual editorial voice, and a convincing patina of rebellion. "I helped spread the word about censorship by distributing Jello (Dead Kennedys) Biafra's No More Censorship newsletter," he later wrote. "But it wasn't enough. I needed a creative outlet."
Todd ran things from his Musicade office in Sorrento Valley, and then downtown in the heart of Hillcrest, from the entire top floor of what was then a bank building on University and Fourth.
We began filling stacks of milk crates full of articles and newspaper clippings from decade's worth of rock magazines that we were buying in bulk at swap meets and record stores. We hunted down every book we could find on music and talked about how great it would be to chronicle the entire history of pop music in comic book form. About how some day our comics could be used in schools, and sold in bookstores.
(Todd's corner office overlooking heart of Hillcrest, story conference with Spike)
Looming as large as our artistic hope, however, was the fact that Rock 'N' Roll Comics was a meal ticket that would last as long as people loved rock and roll and loved comics (which, back then, seemed like a long time indeed). He didn't talk much about the money, but it was easy to do the math. Revolutionary was fast becoming one of the top selling independent comics. The first GNR issue would sell over 175,000 copies, over multiple printings, with the second issue on Metallica doing nearly as well.
Issues number three and four, on Bon Jovi and Motley Crue, brought the momentum to a halt. The bands had exclusive merchandising deals with Great Southern/Winterland Productions. To their lawyer, Ken Feinswog (a very Ayn Rand-like name for an adversary), Todd's comics were bootleg merchandise, akin to an unauthorized T-shirt.
"He managed to scare most of the major comic book distributors into dropping all of our books," Todd wrote after distribution of the Bon Jovi comic was halted. "Never mind that he had no legal grounds to make his threats, never mind that licensing rights such as those which Great Southern owns do not entitle anyone to censor First Amendment protected free speech."
Todd was ecstatic to have been targeted. He wanted to go public, in a Jello Biafra-inspired blaze of rage and indignation, to rally against the fascist corporations. He did get quoted in quite a few magazines, but meanwhile the publishing machine (and the income) stopped cold. Virtually all of the major comic distributors refused to carry the Bon Jovi issue, and they were threatening to boycott the entire line for fear of performer lawsuits.
Todd's argument was simple and eloquent. If Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone don't have to pay someone every time they write about them (and show a picture), why should Rock 'N' Roll Comics? Todd was sure that his own unauthorized bios, like any tome by Kitty Kelly or any magazine article, were First Amendment protected free speech. "We keep hearing words like authorized, permission, sanction, approval. [I] yearn for the day when we can hear these words replaced by quality, integrity, truthfulness and objectivity. We're not merchandise. We're a communications medium just like newspapers. We shouldn't have to have permission to write about someone."
One rival publisher, Gary Groth at Fantagraphics, saw it differently. "Actually, Loren's legal problems (and losses) have nothing to do with First Amendment freedoms," he wrote in an editorial. "They are civil suits based upon property rights such as copyright and trademarks. The First Amendment theoretically protects the freedom to publish something as long as someone else doesn't own it - a fine distinction that has escaped Loren's brilliant legal mind."
Slowly, shops began calling the Revolutionary to get the comics that were no longer available through their distributors. "It turns out that it was a very lucky thing that I had Musicade," Todd said. "Using Musicade's shipping facilities, we quickly set up our own comic book distribution system." Todd felt he could win against Great Southern in court, but there was a wrinkle to contend with. He already had an adversarial history with Great Southern.
Musicade had carried unauthorized merchandise related to bands on Great Southern's roster. Todd, to avoid a lawsuit he'd likely lose, signed an agreement that his comic books would not feature any bands on that roster. Thousands of remaining copies of the Bon Jovi and Motley Crue comics were destroyed, creating somewhat scarce collectibles. Even the upcoming issue number eight, on Skid Row, was summarily canceled, though Todd chose not to feature an alternate band in that issue. Instead, he moved right on to number nine.
Rock 'N' Roll Comics number 8 on Skid Row was never published, a fact which continues to perplex catalogers and collectors. Few know that it was actually completed. I have a Xerox of the art and it's no great loss to the line, believe me. So those of you who thought you still needeed number 8 for a complete set of RnR Comics, sorry - number 8 doesn't exist (despite it being listed for sale on several clearly specious websites).
(Motorhead comic page, along with my original thumbnail sketch the artist worked from…hey, it was 1989, and I hadn't drawn any comics since my old high school newspaper! Note that the final comic was the first artwork ever published by Stuart Immonen, who later became very well known for his work on DC's flagship Superman comic)
Eventually, comic distributors began carrying our comics again. The demand - and profit - must have been difficult to ignore. With the income pumped up again, Todd decided to expand the line with more titles, to try publishing color comics, and even to bump RNR Comics up to twice-monthly.
(AC/DC comic, along with my own original thumbnail sketch)
I took over writing Rock 'N' Roll Comics, as Todd focused on new titles and closed down the mail order business (embroiling himself in another legal battle, this time against former employee Gary Whitehead, who alleged that Todd hid company assets before filing bankruptcy for Musicade in 1991).
(Queen comic cover, with working sketches)
"I had to focus my concentration on one project so Musicade had to go," Todd wrote, and he invited his father, Herb Shapiro, to work as Vice President for the growing Revolutionary Comics.
"I hadn't lived with him since I was seventeen, so I'd had enough time to come to terms with him as more than just a father, but as a friend as well. I knew there'd be complications, hiring my dad and all. How often do you hear of a son and father team, in that order?"
Todd branched off from bio comics and launched a dramatic horror anthology, Tipper Gores Comics And Stories. As to its title, he wrote "We just wanted to make fun of a ridiculous person." Todd sent Mrs. Gore copies of the comic, hoping for a PR coup by provoking public condemnation from her, but she never took the bait. The stories read like venerable EC Tales From The Crypt comics, only with contemporary and even political themes (pollution, hero worship, addiction, crooked government, etc.). Painter Robert Williams - whose work graces the cover of Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction - provided artwork for the Tipper title.
One Tipper Gore writer was Spike Steffenhagen, who'd met Todd at a San Diego Comic Convention. Among his earliest Gore stories was one about child abuse. "Todd surprised me by asking if a child was being raped behind closed doors in a particular panel," he says. "I had originally shown the actual rape happening. No penetration or anything like that, just a few panels with the kid crying out with the perpetrators large hand holding the child's smaller hand down. I changed to the closed door because I thought the scene was too much. Todd told me that if I was going to have the balls to take that subject on, then I needed to have the balls to put it right in the readers face and leave them no room for denial. He assured me that he wouldn't censor me, and that I shouldn't censor myself."
"Then," says Spike, "he did something very Todd-like. He didn't actually censor me, but he did keep bugging me for a happy ending. I killed the main character and he just didn't like it. He said it was too depressing. Todd also insisted on telling people I was seventeen for some reason. I was twenty or twenty-one at the time."
Artist Mike Clift has drawn gory, zombie-heavy record covers for bands like GutRot, Nocturnus, DiamondHead, and Skinlab. He's probably best known for his sleeve artwork for long-gone locals Psychotic Waltz. "I used to put my phone number on my flyers, and I got a call about doing [Psychotic Waltz] artwork. They also contacted the infamous artist Pushead, but luckily my design beat his out."
Clift describes how he went from Psychotic Waltz covers to drawing the comic book Tipper Gore's Comics and Stories. "I met Todd in 1989 through a guy named Vinnie, who worked in Todd's rock merchandise mail order business, and Todd and I hit it off. His sexual orientation may've played a part in this, as I was young and cute at the time, but he showed a real enthusiasm for my art and told me about his upcoming horror comics that he planned to do, specifically to piss off Tipper Gore."
"I was all for it, man. I was stoked, because all this was hitting at the same time as Psychotic Waltz for me. He offered me 80 dollars per page, and we wrote the stories together and met quite a bit at his place, or he'd take me out to eat and stuff. He was living in the UTC area back then, and he got kinda weird at home, showing me his safe. He was paying me cash as I turned in each page of artwork, and one time he tricked me into watching a porno tape - yikes! - but please do not think I'm trying to disparage Todd. He was one of the sweetest guys, and very polite and apologetic when he noticed my discomfort. I am so grateful to Providence that he and I connected and had that time. He had a huge hand in launching my career; He licensed a line of t-shirts of my work, he let me do the horror comics, and he brokered a couple painting sales for me. He was awesome."
In early 1990, RNR issue number twelve, on New Kids On The Block, got us sued again by Great Southern/Winterland.
Todd set up a 900 # Nuke the New Kids to raise money for our defense ($10.00 per call, billed by the phone company). Famed Boston attorney Robert Dushman commented "It's a fascinating case that fits in between the cracks of a lot of other cases. You clearly cannot prohibit an unauthorized biography even if it has some pictures. But is it primarily the pictures that are being sold? It comes down to this question: is a comic more like a statue of Elvis, or more like an unauthorized book? That's what the judge will have to decide."
Todd: "Comics are an expression that is a form of speech. Look...if I wanted to make money, I would have become a lawyer, not a comic book publisher. But...I want to document the history of rock and roll in comics. What's wrong with that?"
In mid-April 1990, U.S. District Judge John S. Rhoades declared that RNR #12 could legally be distributed, because it was part biography and part satire. His twelve page ruling stated "Bookstores are filled with biographies - both authorized and unauthorized - of public figures. And, while the subjects of such biographies may be offended by the publication of their life stories, they generally have no claim for trademark infringement." He added that "It appears that the First Amendment may trump any claim that the plaintiffs have for trademark infringement."
The order stated that Winterland Concessions failed to show that the case met the standards required to issue a preliminary injunction. This dissolved the temporary restraining order issued in early April 1990. The New Kids respond by filing suit for trademark infringement, since their logo appeared in the comic.
With the help of longtime RevCom lawyer Andy Verne, a settlement between The New Kids and Revolutionary was reached in August. It permanently enjoined Revolutionary from advertising, manufacturing, distributing and/or selling or otherwise commercially exploiting any publication displaying the trademark and/or logo of the New Kids On The Block, either as a group or individually. In other words, Todd was found to have (ab)used the band's logo, with the rest of the comic being deemed as permissible.
Todd had to destroy 12,000 copies of the original comic printing, creating a rare collectible which now goes for around $20.00 in comic shops. He spent over $18,000.00 in legal fees.
He promptly reprinted the New Kids story in magazine format, without depicting the bands logo anywhere in the story. The Kids lawyer, David Phillips, was mad. "My clients are absolutely furious about this," he said in a press statement. "We're considering whether or not we're actually going to go through with this agreement [to settle for destruction of RNR #12 and not seek monetary damages]."
Todd on the New Kids settlement: "It has never been proven that I violated the New Kids property rights by using their logos, nor did I admit that I had violated them. I was willing to stop using their logos in order to settle the case. This does not mean that what I was doing was illegal...we did not get a chance to argue that point in court because it never got that far."
Several months later, Todd decided to poke the bear again by announcing a New Kids Hate Comic. Sales came in startlingly low, so he put out a press release claiming the art had been stolen from his car, hinting that the culprits were agents of the New Kids. Some of the unpublished material later turned up a Rock 'N' Roll Comics issue called Fall Of The New Kids, which I wrote.
Capital City Distribution, one of the two main comic distributors, refused to carry The Fall Of The New Kids, sight unseen. Spokesman John Davis said "Whenever there is litigation, we like to back off and let the parties settle their dispute."
Todd's reply: "Capital should be supporting us and saying 'Here's somebody who stood up for comic books as literature and as communication. Instead, they're acting like we lost. To me, that's a totalitarian attitude."
You can imagine my surprise when I read that Capital was already calling the comic "inflammatory and incendiary," given that I hadn't written one word of the script yet.
Competitor Gary Groth at Fantagraphics Publishing wasn't happy with Revolutionary Comics. "Todd Loren is the latest in a long line of vulgar, self-promoting buffoons that makes the comics profession such a sinkhole of shoddiness and opportunism," he wrote in an editorial. "Since Loren and his ilk are an inexhaustible and permanent part of American life - indeed, the very definition of American life – it's worth wasting little space documenting the wide-ranging immensity of his delusions and cupidity."
(Robert Smith meets Death in the Cure comic)
In October 1990, The Comics Journal, a critical magazine published by Groth, ran an article entitled Todd Loren: First Amendment Or Lying Sack Of [expletive]? In it, Groth complained about "Loren's deranged communiqués - filled with paranoid conspiracy theories and testimonials to his grandeur."
Another rival publisher, Denis Kitchen, had an even more specific reason to grouse. His company, Kitchen Sink Press, had purchased an official license to publish comic books featuring the Grateful Dead. His series mostly featured illustrated lyrics and short fictions. He was decidedly unhappy with the unauthorized three issue Dead biography which I wrote and Canadian cult artist Blackwell illustrated. By most distributor accounts, Revolutionary's Dead comics far outsold Kitchen's.
(Unpublished Grateful Dead comic art, by original Dead album cover painter Phil Garris, famed for his skeleton fiddler on "Blues For Allah")
In February 1992, Grateful Dead Merchandising Corporation attorney Joseph A. Yanni sent us a cease and desist letter. The Dead had the same merchandising agent as New Kids - MCA/Winterland Productions. Denis Kitchen: "Weve gotten a lot of good publicity and reviews for our Grateful Dead Comix. The argument is going to come down to confusion in the marketplace...were not saying he can't do unauthorized biographies. He just can't do it with the band's name so dominant on the cover that it's creating confusion with our series." Winterland was also cracking down on other producers of unlicensed Dead merchandise, like T-shirts and jewelry.
Todd wrote a letter to Comics Journal, stating "What will it take before you acknowledge that comic books have the same rights as any other form of communication? What will it take before you realize that integrity and credibility cannot be bought for the price of a licensing fee?"
In a faxed letter to Todd (later published in one of our own Dead comics), Kitchen said that Todd had shown himself to be "at best, an ill-informed jerk. Everything I hear about you from other professionals is negative. My opinion of your product I've seen is negative. You appear to be an arrogant, confrontational loudmouth...I think you were smart enough to see a vacuum in the market for rock comics and filled the void with quantity at least, and so there's something to be said for your business acumen. And you certainly have enough chutzpah, if that's a favorable observation. I guess, in summary, I think of you as the comics counterpart to Larry Flint: he also has, thankfully, a First Amendment right to produce Hustler and is often the one obnoxious enough to be on the visible cutting edge of the law, but no one respects him or his product or takes him seriously."
Todd loved the Flynt comparison. "Just about every innovator, every visionary since the dawn of time experienced this," he said. "The man who discovered fire was probably burned at the stake. Did you see the movie Tucker? Have you read The Fountainhead? In fact, I would go as far to say, show me a man who is hated by his peers, and Ill show you a fearless innovator."
Spin Magazine accused us of "ripping of rock and rollers with relative ease...selling standard biography material in the form of cheesy comics."
Todd wrote in reply "How can Spin be objective? They depend on the record companies to provide them with the materials, the information, the access and the advertising which keeps Spin in business."
I was meeting a lot of band members and talking to their managers and press people. More and more performers were making positive comments about the comics, and even asking when we'd be covering them. It was becoming a sort of status symbol, being immortalized in a comic book!
Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top raved about their issue, and both Ice-T and NWA called the office to compliment the research done on their respective comics.
Anthrax offered our comic about them through their fan club. Frank Zappa's wife Gail mentioned that her husband had a copy of the cover of his comic mounted on his office wall, and we even began getting positive notices and media coverage (Entertainment Tonight, numerous MTV News spots, etc.).
(From my personal archive – fax from Noel Redding complimenting our Jimi Hendrix comic book at Revolutionary Comics, and a signed page from the comic)
Todd was ecstatic when he called to tell me that the Metallica comic had been used as a prop on Married...With Children, and he was really dancing on air when Kiss Gene Simmons turned up in several published photos and on the cover of "Kiss Alive III" wearing a Revolutionary Comics t-shirt!
(Revolutionary Kiss comics autographed by Kiss)
Others were singing our praises. Professor Deena Weinstein began using the comics in her sociology class at De Paul University. "The history of the bands is detailed very accurately in the books, even though they are in comic form. They are really well researched and insightful." She feels unauthorized is the way to go. "Every rock group has an image they want to project or protect and they have a whole staff of people working on that. An authorized biography can never get beyond that."
(De Paul University Professor Deena Weinstein, with Revolutionary's Megadeth/Motorhead comic poster in background)
June 18, 1992: "I called the office in Hillcrest," says Spike, "and the secretary told me he hadn't come in all day and that his father went over to check on him. I knew something was way out of line."
Herb drove over and found the door to Todd's Canyon Woods condo was locked. Concerned, he called a locksmith to open the door. He found Todd upstairs, dead, in his own bed. He'd been repeatedly stabbed. He was 32, the same age as me.
When I got the phone call, I thought it was another of Todd's jokes. It would be just like him, to circulate a press release faking his own death. However, when homicide detectives called to ask me questions about who might want to kill him (yes, Axl Rose and all the New Kids had alibis), the reality began to hit me.
Both Herb and Todd's mom, Marylin, were devastated. I assumed the company would be closing. I was surprised when Herb told me that there would be an office staff meeting after the funeral, to discuss upcoming plans. What upcoming plans, I wondered?
"At the funeral," remembers Spike, "Elvis Costello's What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding was played over and over. It was Todd's favorite song. Herb read an editorial of Todd's...it was a history of Todd's founding of Revolutionary and everything that led up to it. He had shown it to me and I'd said it was a bit self-congratulatory. He said no one else was tooting his horn so he might as well do it."
The fact that Todd had been gay had never really affected the way Spike and I interacted with Todd. I soon found out that few others seemed to know about it, however, including his immediate office staff. At the wake, the first thing I was asked by all three woman employees (none of whom I'd met before) was "Is it true Todd was gay?"
The murder investigation never seemed to go anywhere. They only interviewed a few of Todd's friends and associates. His car, a convertible Chrysler Le Baron, had been stolen from the condo parking lot and was found a few days later in parking lot at a junior college in Hayward CA.
Homicide Lt. John Welter said "Whomever took the car is probably the one who killed him." Since Todd's house keys were on same keychain as car keys, Police think his killer walked out front door, locked it and went to take the car. "There was nothing taken that we could tell. Stereo and VCR equipment and a big screen TV were still there. As of yet, there is nothing that links any one person to the crime."
Gary Groth at Fantagraphics had a theory. "I don't think anyone in our industry hated him enough to kill him...but it wouldn't surprise me if someone in the music industry did. There is a lot more money at stake in the music business, and he was publishing all those unlicensed biographies."
Denis Kitchen of Kitchen Sink Press says he immediately announced to friends and comic biz associates that "I have an alibi." Kitchen's company has since gone out of business, reportedly due in part to losses related to their license to produce authorized Grateful Dead comics.
A week after the funeral, the office reopened. Herb announced that he'd decided to keep Revolutionary open. "Todd had indicated to me with some sort of prescience that if anything ever happened to him, that he would like his dream fulfilled," he said in a press release, "and that is what we are going to do."
I took over Todd's job as Managing Editor, while Herb would continue on as company President.
The logistics of taking over the operation were hard enough. I literally lived in Todd's office for the first few weeks, sleeping on the couch, reading all his files, and calling everyone in his phone book while piecing together where we were and where Todd had planned on taking us. Dozens of people's livelihoods depended on me keeping the machine humming and well oiled. Longtime contributors like cover artist Scott Jackson made a substantial part of their living doing work for Revolutionary ---
The most difficult thing, though, was sitting behind Todd's desk. The job was getting done and we barely missed a beat with our publication schedule, but the psychic toll on myself and on the staff was enormous.
We ended up moving our office from Hillcrest to Miramar. There was just far too much Todd in the old office, and at various turns every one of us felt haunted there. Not too mention the murderer was still on the loose and nobody knew the motivation for the killing. You can imagine how jumpy I'd be, sitting alone in his office at ten p.m., and suddenly hearing a scritching noise outside the balcony window ("It's only a pigeon, only a pigeon...")
(Me with Tom Potts at the then-new Miramar office)
We put out over a hundred comics over the next two years. More than Revolutionary had released during Todd's lifetime. We hired a slew of well-known illustrators and improved the quality and reputation of the entire line.
We were one of the first and only independent comic companies on newsstands, in places like 7-11 and in bookstores. We went full color on many titles and, for the first time, we began getting positive press coverage, on TV, in mainstream magazines and, shock of all shocks, even in the comic book trade press.
We worked directly with Kiss on an acclaimed three issue series called Kiss Pre-History, that became a top seller of the era. Jimi Hendrix bassist Noel Redding called me to compliment our Hendrix comic, and we struck up a friendship we maintained through his death a few years ago.
Doors drummer John Densmore favorably reviewed our two issue Doors series. King Diamond, Soundgarden, Prong, Mojo Nixon and others worked directly with us on various comic related projects, while Motley Crue licensed our Crue comic for their CD box set "Music To Crash Your Car To II."
(Comics autographed by Motley Crue, Paul McCartney, Queensryche, Slash, and Metallica)
We began publishing more music titles, covering everything from rap to punk to disco, plus we expanded the lines Todd had just launched featuring sports, film, and television figures as well.
This period, while rewarding and productive, was hard on Todd's parents, both of whom worked at the office full time. "The first six or seven months after Todd's death were a lot of chaos," says Herb. "It took me a good six months to get refocused so that I could fully concentrate on what was going on."
Many RevCom contribs, like Elvis Shrugged scripter Patrick McCray, were finding their talents in demand elsewhere - Patrick went to work on the Babylon 5 TV series, artists Stuart Immonen and Len Kirk got mainstream comic gigs like Superman and Star Trek, and Demi the Demoness creator SS Crompton signed a deal with Rip Off Press to publish his cult comic character.
Unfortunately, what was going on was that sales for all comics, from all publishers, began to drop in late 1993, including our own books. Dozens of new publishers had sprung up to flood the market with over six hundred titles per month, up from only a couple hundred in 1990.
The niche we'd pioneered - comics based on real people- become crowded with imitations from companies like Personality Comics, Rock Fantasy, and First Amendment press. Even the big mainstream publishers began publishing rock comics. Harvey (Casper, etc.) had an authorized New Kids comic (it quickly flopped). A press kit for Trixter had comic art by legendary illustrator Neal Adams. Marvel did a Cheap Trick comic that almost nobody seems to have seen.
DC Comics – home of Superman - put out two Prince comics, with fictional storylines about the musician's own super-powered alter-ego. DC's Andy Helfer said at the time that "Revolutionary is just making excuses because they don't want to go through the expense and time consuming process of authorization. That's why they were out there first. We had the idea [for rock comics] but we were still tied up in authorization."
Marvel later announced their own Marvel Rocks line, which was canceled after just a few issues. Malibu tried something called Rock-It Comics (also soon canceled), run by RevCom defector Rob Conte. All these poor sellers and failures made store owners reluctant to carry any biographical comics, and our own sales slipped further.
Behind the scenes at RevCom, a merger with a company in L.A. called Sportstime cost us a lot of time and money when the merger was called off after several unproductive, troubled months. The capital they promised never appeared and they racked up several sizable bills which were difficult to pay off after so many weeks of having things on hold.
(Unpublished cover for a Meatloaf/Lenny Kravitz issue)
Herb and his wife grew increasingly tired of the grind of putting out comics each and every month. Profits were down and the excitement and adrenaline we'd once been infused with had long since drained. With several production bills still outstanding, Herb declared bankruptcy for the company in June 1994, and we all moved on to other endeavors.
It was strange, in July 1997, as I began hearing the reports about Andrew Cunanan and his killing spree. He targeted well off gay businessmen who were prominent in their communities. Brutally murdering them. Sometimes stole their car. And he hung out in Hillcrest at the same places as Todd. Plus, Cunanan collected home-made voyeuristic videotapes, which Todd also bought and traded through local adult newspaper ads.
Could Todd have known Cunanan?
I got a call from Herb and Marylin, who were wondering the same thing. "Prior to his death," Herb told one reporter, "he talked to us about a fellow who sounds a lot like [Cunanan]. He said he met a younger man at a gay bar in Hillcrest and had a brief affair. He said he was very taken with him. He was young, with dark hair, active in financial circles and might have been living with an older guy in La Jolla."
Local police and the FBI were looking into the Todd/Cunanan link as well. All I could confirm for them was that Todd was an intensely private individual. He rarely told anyone where he lived, and only someone very close to him could get access to his condo, let alone his bedroom.
Since there were no signs of forced entry, and no evidence of kidnapping, Todd's killer would have to be a good friend or lover. Could Todd have been Cunanan's first victim?
Cunanan's suicide in a Florida houseboat effectively ended the investigation, as no physical evidence could ever be found linking the two. At the time, homicide Lt. Jim Collins held out very little hope for any resolution. "It's a real long shot. I don't want to get the [family's] hopes up. But we'd be remiss if we didn't compare the evidence."
Around 2001, Chicago-based BulletProof Film began production on a documentary film, "Unauthorized and Proud Of It: Todd Loren's Rock 'N' Roll Comics." They shot interviews with Todd's family and surviving Revolutionaries, comic book colleagues, adversaries and supporters, even past and present rock 'n' roll stars featured in Revolutionary Comics, as well as spending an afternoon at my place in La Mesa...
(World Premiere of "Unauthorized & Proud Of It" documentary, during 2005 San Diego Comic-Con: Me with Mojo Nixon, and with Revolutionary co-creators SS Crompton, Scott Jackson and Spike Speffenhagen kneeling)
Filmmakers also confronted San Diego police about their supposed "investigation" into Todd's murder, interspersed with clips of friends who say they weren't even interviewed, or who had to force feed evidence and information to investigators who seemed uninterested.
"They looked at it as just another fag murder," says local underground cartoonist Mary Fleener.
(With Spike at the Unauthorized premiere)
The documentary debuted in San Diego in 2005, in conjunction with that year's Comic-Con. The fact that "Unauthorized And Proud Of It" is told by those who lived it gives the docu the same kind of "You Were There" feel as Todd's own comics. Video footage of Todd from the late '80s shows him giving a tour of his office, just as he was forming the rock comic line. Outtakes show both his humor and his controlling presence ("It's my video and we'll shoot it my way").
(Rarity from the archives – unpublished Beatles cover! Tryin' to make this blog worth yer while, dontcha know…)
Edited alongside recollections of the few people who were close to him, it's a fascinating insight into a guy whose death, coming just a few days after Mad founder William Gaines, was overlooked by the comic industry that Todd helped Revolutionize.
Interviewees include Alice Cooper (who pitches a Keith Moon comic; "There could fifty issues") and others kindly disposed to Loren's unauthorized biographies. Cynthia Plaster Caster checks out a comic scene of her casting Jimi Hendrix's penis in plaster, and praises its accuracy.......
Gene Simmons refused to be interviewed on camera, saying he considered Loren's comics "bootlegs" even though he and Paul Stanley worked with Revolutionary on four true-life Kiss Comics.
However, Gene Simmons manages to get a film cameo via a recording of a phone conference, during which he both threatens us with a lawsuit over our earlier unauthorized comic AND praises us ("the work is excellent") with an offer to "do something together" (later resulting in the aforementioned Kiss bio comics).
When we're heard telling Simmons "and hopefully we'll all make some MONEY," and he cheerfully pipes in with "That's the MAIN thing!", it provides fascinating insight into exactly HOW comic books and rock and roll were intertwined by Todd's ingenious antics.
(After Simmons hangs up, you can hear us at RevCom all whooping and hollering, patting each other on the back for having apparently made a deal with the devil-tongue.)
(Another rarity: never-published Howard Stern Fartman comic page…someday, I'll write about our falling out with Howard, and why someone else ended up doing the comic insert for his second book…)
Publisher Gary Groth at Fantagraphics is interviewed, appearing clearly nonplussed as he discusses a rival whose "shoddy and exploitative" comics broke most sales records for indie comics. The fact that, so many years after his death, Todd Loren is the topic filmmakers are asking him about, seems to bemuse and pester Groth.
Artist Robert Williams - famed for his painting on the cover of Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction - says of working for Todd at Revolutionary "I warned him that he didn't really know what he was getting into."
"Stickboy" creator Dennis Worden balances the Todd-bashing by praising his former publisher, revealing that Todd paid him four times as much as Gary Groth at Fantagraphics. Mary Fleener and Rock 'N' Roll Comics creators Steve Crompton and Spike Steffenhagen share revealing and moving stories about what Todd was like behind-the-scenes.
Gonzo rocker Mojo Nixon - who helped create Todd's first AUTHORIZED rock comic – is shown explaining that Todd's outspoken willingness to be "outlaw" was not only the secret but the purpose of his success.
(Mojo Nixon playing at Revolutionary's San Diego Comic-Con booth)
The documentary later concentrates on Todd's unsolved murder, and the possible links to Andrew Cunanan. It makes a compelling case that Todd may have been Cunanan's first victim, years before the killing spree "officially" started.
San Diego police recently reopened the investigation into Todd Loren's murder. Evidence is being examined again, some of which could provide new clues via forensic technology unavailable in 1992. Details of the crime are posted on a new cold case website, in hopes that new leads may come in:
CBS News affiliate KFMB channel 8 ran a report on August 8, interviewing Todd's parents at their home. "It would mean a great deal to us to see the person who murdered our son…brought to justice," Herb Shapiro told the news crew.
Crimestoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the murder of Todd Loren.
"Todd was a visionary," says Spike Steffenhagen, "with a solid belief and a stubborn willingness to stick to that belief, when changing it would have been more convenient. He took a lot of [expletive], and he dished a lot out as well. They say that having a common enemy makes people closer. At Revolutionary, we had a lot of enemies. It was very much an us-against-the-world attitude. We were almost like family. A dysfunctional family, but family all the same."
(Bart Mendoza and the Shambles and Collage Menage performing at Revolutionary Comic-Con booths, and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee drops by the booth to sign the bio comic I wrote about him)
3-19-07: The Rock 'N' Roll Comics documentary screens at New York City's famed Pioneer Theater
(Ad for unpublished issues)
(Here's one of the very first published comic stories ever drawn by superstar artist Stuart Immonen, later famed for his work on Superman, Supergirl, etc.)
Film trailer for "Unauthorized & Proud Of It: Todd Loren's Rock 'N' Roll Comics"
IMDB.COM FILM REVIEW: Unauthorized and Proud Of It - Todd Loren's Rock 'N' Roll Comics
In 1989, Todd Loren's Revolutionary Comics ("Unauthorized And Proud Of It") launched Rock N Roll Comics to spin unlicensed biographies of rock stars. Some, like Frank Zappa and Kiss, were supportive, while others like The New Kids On The Block considered his comics akin to bootlegs and sued. Loren was convinced the First Amendment protected the journalistic rights of his "illustrated articles" and he took the matter to the California Supreme Court, who agreed.
In June 1992, at 32, Loren was found dead in his San Diego condo, brutally murdered --- the case remains unsolved, though recent clues researched by the FBI link his death to serial killer Andrew Cunanan.
BulletProof Film spent years interviewing Loren's family and surviving Revolutionaries, comic book colleagues, adversaries and supporters and even past and present rock 'n' roll stars featured in Revolutionary Comics.
The filmmakers also confront San Diego police about their supposed "investigation" into Loren's murder, in clips interspersed with those closest to Loren who say they weren't even interviewed and/or who had to forcefeed possibly vital evidence and information to investigators who seemed uninterested (police disinterest is explained in the film, tho I won't reveal here). A lot of people disliked Loren and his comics, with initial suspects including Axl Rose and members of the New Kids On The Block.
The fact that "Unauthorized And Proud Of It" is told by those who lived it gives the docu the same kind of "You Were There" feel as Loren's own comics. Video footage of Loren from the late 80s shows him giving a tour of his office, just as he was forming the rock comic line. Outtakes show both Loren's humor and his apparent controlling presence ("It's my video and we'll shoot it my way").
Edited alongside recollections of the few people who were close to the private Loren, it's a fascinating insight into a guy whose death, coming just a few days after Mad founder William Gaines, was overlooked by the comic industry that Loren helped Revolutionize (his win against the New Kids established, among other things, First Amendment rights for comics for the first time).
The film uses actual drawn scenes from Revolutionary's comics to illustrate some segments, animating pages to great comic effect (spit flying outta Axl Rose's mouth as he threatens to sue, Pete Rose angrily chasing Loren's minions from an autograph convention, backstage groupie foreplay, etc.)
Interviewees include Alice Cooper (who pitches a Keith Moon comic - "there could be 100 issues") and others who weren't as enthused about Loren's unauthorized biographies. Gene Simmons refused to be interviewed on camera, saying he considered Loren's comics "bootlegs" even though he and Paul Stanley worked with Revolutionary on four true-life Kiss Comics.
(Gene Simmons with "Unauthorized & Proud Of It" director Ilko)
However, Simmons manages a cameo via a recording of a phone conference with Revolutionary's crew, during which he both threatens them with a lawsuit over their earlier unauthorized comic AND praises them ("the work is excellent") with an offer to "do something together" (later resulting in the aforementioned Kiss bio comics).
When Revolutionary Managing Editor Jay Allen Sanford tells Simmons "and hopefully we'll all make some MONEY," and Simmons cheerfully pipes in with "That's the MAIN thing!", it provides a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of exactly HOW comic books and rock and roll were intertwined by Loren's ingenious antics. (after Simmons hangs up, you can hear the Revolutionary crew whooping and hollering and patting each other on the back for having apparently made a deal with the devil-tongue).
Comic biz celebs include underground publisher Denis Kitchen. The middle aged Kitchen comes across very professional compared to the shaggy looking, proudly DIY Revolutionary crew (none of whom look to have had a haircut in decades). However, we find Kitchen's disparaging comments about Loren ("I have to say I did not like the man...") are sour grapes when it's revealed that his own company Kitchen Sink had paid for the OFFICIAL rights to do Grateful Dead comics, while Loren's "bootleg" bios of the Dead pummeled Kitchen's in the marketplace.
Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth is clearly nonplussed over a rival whose "shoddy and exploitative" comics broke most sales records for indie comics in an era when Groth's own company had to launch a porno line just, by his own admission, in order to survive.
The fact that, so many years after his death, Todd Loren is the topic filmmakers are asking him about, seems to bemuse and pester Groth (who once wrote an editorial for Comics Journal entitled "Todd Loren: First Amendment Advocate Or Lying Sack Of S***?").
"Stickboy" creator Dennis Worden balances the Loren-bashing by praising his former publisher and saying Loren paid him four times as much as Gary Groth at Fantagraphics. Underground artist Mary Fleener and Rock 'N' Roll Comics creators Jay Allen Sanford, Steve Crompton and Spike Steffenhagen share revealing and moving stories about what Loren was like behind-the-scenes.
Gonzo San Diego rocker Mojo Nixon - who helped create Loren's first AUTHORIZED rock comic and was a guest at this film's world premier during the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con - stresses that Loren's outspoken willingness to be "outlaw" was not only the secret but the purpose of his success.
The documentary later concentrates on Loren's unsolved murder and growing links to Andrew Cunanan. It makes a compelling case for Loren possibly being Cunanan's first victim, years before the killing spree "officially" started.
The film never quite answers the question "Who Killed Todd Loren?" and it paints a picture that is clearly yet to be completed, but the story that unfolds is memorable. With an ending yet to be written - - - -
VARIETY MAGAZINE REVIEW - Unauthorized and Proud of It: Todd Loren's Rock 'N' Roll Comics, 6-5-06
"Unauthorized and Proud of It" chronicles the brief life of Todd Loren, whose San Diego-based Revolutionary Comics made a feisty early 1990s low-end cultural contribution while infuriating those mainstream comics and music industryites it thumbed its nose at. A clever if unscrupulous businessman, self-righteous First Amendment crusader, die-hard fanboy and oft-obnoxious personality, Loren is a problematic subject. Details of the private life he kept well-hidden seem to have died with him, and, since they likely factored in his (still unsolved) 1992 murder, docu suffers from their lack. Rep-house theatrical exposure is possible, boutique cable and DVD likelier.
In love with rock music and comics from an early age, Loren, nee Stuart Shapiro, the driven entrepreneur had bought a house from his profits in the comics convention trade by age 19. He later built up a successful storefront and mail-order biz hawking "import" (i.e. bootleg) rock memorabilia, then abandoned it to start the comics publishing label whose primary focus on rock star "biocomics" flaunted their "unauthorized" nature.
Recording companies, agents, managers and sometimes musicians themselves were not at all happy about these unaffiliated products; Revolutionary was hit with myriad lawsuits.
The often shrilly combative Loren cried censorship, but settled out of court -- until he decided to fight one case filed on behalf of boy-band New Kids on the Block. Surprising many, a federal judge ruled in his favor, basically saying that commenting on acts who'd permeated the greater public consciousness fell within freedom-of-speech guidelines.
While media corporations took exception to Loren's run-around merchandizing of their properties, musicians were often delighted at becoming "comic book heroes" --most notably KISS' Gene Simmons.
At the same time, Loren remained widely despised by the established comics industry. Many considered his artistic standards shoddy. Others saw his low-balling payments and hardball contracts for graphic artists and writers as exploitive. Opinions from former confreres run a very wide gamut.Old video clips where he jokingly plays the bad-boy bizman reveal less than the interviews with past collaborators both loyal and bitter. After an hour, the pic suddenly springs the fact that Todd was gay -- something he evidently kept from everyone, save "other friends" pointedly not interviewed here. Docu doesn't even address the irony of an attention-thirsty man who cashed in on the scandalous lives of celebrities while keeping his own life deep in the closet.
Sense of rich psychological veins passed up is furthered when it's noted that Loren's 1992 murder from 15 stab wounds -- which many feel was under-investigated as "just another homosexual murder" by San Diego police -- might well have been committed by free-traveling party boy Andrew Cunanan, who'd later notoriously killed Gianni Versace and other well-connected gay men.
As a result of these dangling threads, "Unauthorized" doesn't justify its feature length in terms of emotional and intellectual depth. Still, its plentiful visual energy is well-exploited in (occasionally animated) comic book imagery, and interviewees are a colorful lot.
Editing and use of music is a little too in-your-face snarky at times, but the approach undoubtedly echoes the subject's sensibility. A stronger directorial stamp would have been welcome.
The Pink Floyd Experience: All five issues of the Rock 'N' Roll Comics series The Pink Floyd Experience have been out of print and in demand for over fifteen years. As showcased in Pink Floyd's own official box CD set Shine On, the Floyd comics chronicle rock's most enigmatic psychedelic warriors, from their early dayz with stoner icon Syd Barrett, through their split (and later reformation). With art by Marvel and DC star Ken Landgraf (Wolverine, Hawkman, Nightwing & Flamebird, etc.), the collection also includes update material, bringing the saga up to 2010.
Hard Rock Heroes: What goes together better than comics and rock music? With almost 300 pages of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, Hard Rock Heroes goes WAY beyond Behind the Music, to tell the real life, behind-the-scenes stories of rock's most heavy hitters. Creators include Stuart Immonen (Superman: End of the Century), Ken Landgraf (Wolverine), Jay Allen Sanford (Overheard in San Diego..), Todd Loren (Beatles Experience), Scott Pentzer (Razor), Mike Sagara (Ninja High School), and many others.
Hard Rock Heroes is a book-length pictorial history, covering bands like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Poison, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Motorhead, Sammy Hagar, and more. The cinematic stories are realistically drawn, researched from countless photo and video archives, with an encyclopedic eye toward visual accuracy, dramatic flair, and journalistic depth.
Also includes the never-before published "missing" Rock 'N' Roll Comics #8 from 1990, on Skid Row. The lack of an eighth issue has vexed collectors and catalogers for years – exactly 20 years later, the story can finally be told, and collectors can finally own ALL the Rock 'N' Roll Comics!
As a bonus treat, Hard Rock Heroes also features the Motley Crue comic story from their official box CD set Music To Crash Your Car To II, released in 2004 and written and drawn by original Rock 'N' Roll Comics creators Lyndal Ferguson and Larry Nadolsky. Shipping February 2010.
"Great ideas, like the marriage of rock 'n' roll and comics, have the half-life of Uranium and will always be popular," says series co-creator Jay Allen Sanford, who has worked on over 200 reality-based comic books and thousands of similar cartoon strips for the San Diego Reader, as well as for magazines like Rip, Spin, and Oui. "The folks at Bluewater clearly have their fingers on the same pop culture pulse that enabled the original Rock 'N' Roll Comics to become one of the top-selling indie comics of the '90s. Truth is often stranger than fiction...and certainly much more interesting!"
The Beatles are bigger than ever, now available online for the first time digitally, on the Vegas stage in "Love," and in the new Beatles: Rock Band video game. Now comes the most comprehensive and encyclopedic illustrated Beatles story ever, the Beatles Experience! Over 200 pages, dramatizing one of the most compelling tales in pop culture history, drawn from thousands of photos and interviews, meticulously researched and featuring stunning art by Mike Sagara (Rock 'N' Roll Comics) and Stuart Immonen (Legion of Super Heroes, Ultimate X-Men).
Covering the Beatles' lives from birth and beyond their breakup, dramatized in dialogue and scene recreations more akin to a film bio than a mere documentary, the Beatles Experience also includes a Chronolog timeline going down each page, with encyclopedia background and footnotes detailing related events happening at the same time in the world, in music, and in the Beatles' own tumultuous and extraordinary lives.
The Led Zeppelin Experience:
The Led Zeppelin saga is one of the wildest in rock history, and this graphic novel pulls no punches in dramatizing the backstage, behind-the-scenes story. From their early days as the New Yardbirds on through their rise to superstardom (and controversy), all five issues of the original Rock 'N' Roll Comics series are collected in one rockin' volume, with art by Scott Pentzer (Razor), Marshall Ross (Deepest Dimension), David Neer (Sports Superstars), Francois Escalmel (Frank Zappa: Viva La Bizarre), and others. The collection also includes update material, bringing the saga up to 2010.
www.rocknrollcomics.com --- www.myspace.com/rocknrollcomics
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK VS REVOLUTIONARY COMICS - The inside story of how a hugely successful boy band tried to sue local-based Rock 'N' Roll Comics over an unauthorized biography of the group, sparking a court case that established, for the very first time, first amendment rights for comic books. Illustrated by comic superstar Stuart Immonen (Superman, etc.)...
THE KOMPLETE KISS KOMIX KRONICLES - Comprehensive collection of stuff I've done about working with Kiss on a comic book series, along with a bunch of never-before-seen artifacts from the Kiss Komix archives AND an article by Kiss comic author Spike Steffenhagen, offering his own very-different take, ala Rashomon, on the same events I describe in my essay...
OVER A MILLION CARNAL COMICS ARE IN PRINT - Here's how and why we made some of the top-selling erotic comics of all time, right here in San Diego, including what Gene Simmons has to do with it all, backstage tales of porn stars, and more confessions of a comic pornographer...
THE ROCKETEER AND OTHER FAMOUS '80S COMICS BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN SAN DIEGO - Here's a detailed history of local Pacific Comics, who recruited comic superstars like Jack Kirby to create one of the first successful indie comic book lines. Pioneers in the fight for comic creators' rights and royalties, former employees and operators reveal how they did it, and what went so terribly wrong...
COMICS AND CENSORSHIP - DON'T BE AFRAID, IT'S ONLY A COMIC BOOK - A local-centric history of comic book censorship, and the fight for the rights of comic creators...
TWILIGHT ZONE AND STAR TREK WRITER GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON PRESENTS - The inside story of a local horror comic book series featuring Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, plus sci-fi king Larry Niven, Zap Comix co-founder Spain Rodriguez, Matthew Alice artist Rick Geary, Vampire Lestat painter Daerick Gross, yours truly JAS, and many more...
THE BIRTH OF IMAGE COMICS: INSIDE STORY OF A LOCAL PUBLISHING POWERHOUSE - Illustrated tale revealing how Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and local comic artist Jim Lee (the Punisher, etc.) conspired to create the ultimate creator-owned comic books...
Like this blog? Here are some related links:
OVERHEARD IN SAN DIEGO - Several years' worth of this comic strip, which debuted in the Reader in 1996: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/overheard-san-diego/
FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS - Over 100 comic strips online, with mini-bios of famous San Diegans: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/famous-former-neighbors/
SAN DIEGO READER MUSIC MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sandiegoreadermusic
JAY ALLEN SANFORD MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jayallensanford
I was interviewed about Rock 'N' Roll Comics yesterday on Philadelphia's classic rock station WMMR, mainly promoting our Pink Floyd and Led Zep graphic novel compilations with Bluewater, but also talking about RevCom founder Todd Loren, the "Unauthorized and Proud of It" documentary film, etc --


text:
I really want to brag about these, but I won't. Brioche is first choice bead for this but challah would work too. (I did my shopping late, couldn't find brioche anywhere and didn't want to search anymore, so I ended up making a giant loaf using Mark Bittman's recipe from his book, How To Cook Everything.) Serve with a bit of maple syrup. Makes about 5 servings.
Ham + Cheese French Toast
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 loaf of brioche bread
about 5 oz ham, sliced
about 3 oz gruyere cheese, grated
1 tablespoon butter
In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk together to combine. set aside.
Slice bread in slices almost 1 inch thick. Carefully slice these slices in half, leaving on edge un-sliced. (like a book) Fill each one with a sprinkle of cheese, then 1 slice of ham and then a pinch more cheese. (so there's cheese on both sides of the ham.)
Heat skillet on medium high heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Dip each ham stuffed slice in egg mix and flip to coat other side. Transfer to hot skillet and cook each side about 3 minutes. Work in batches, using the other 1/2 tablespoon of butter, if needed.