· entertainment

#86 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

February 21, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, movie reviews, movies | 6 comments

If any of you reading here recommended it you should die. Just kidding, the film was recommended to me by a pretty wide swath of people and general reviews, so I’m not blaming anyone. I should have just trusted my instincts, but y’know, sometimes you lose faith in yourself in a little bit and you waver. This was a nice reminder that I know what I like and I can spot what I’m probably not gonna like with fairly good accuracy. It didn’t help of course that by the time we watched it, Adam and I were both pretty convinced it was going to be great. Raised expectations can ruin even a good movie. Not this one since it’s not a good film, but it didn’t help matters.

As for Gone Baby Gone, that was a good movie. I really liked Casey Affleck. I’ve liked him ever since I saw him in Gerry, a film that made many people – including my roommate Kyle that I dragged with me to see it on Valentine’s day years and years ago- want to kill themselves – but I liked it – and I particularly liked Casey Affleck and Matt Damon’s performances in it. Affleck has a nice very real quality about him that appeals to me and even when he’s doing accents the performance is nice and subtle. Gone Baby Gone was a pretty tight film and the direction was surprisingly well handed by Ben Affleck. He’s less distracting behind the camera I have to say, than in front of it. I had a couple minor problems with the end, but overall it was good. I gave it three netflix stars, but I wanted to give it three and a half. Damn you Netflix and your inability to let me use half stars…!

#84 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

February 19, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, i'm a jerk, music | 8 comments

Yeah, you can see how fun it can be.

Anyone who calls a terrible Poison jam as my jam, then they’re gonna deserve some serious payback. And calling someone’s known favorite song as your jam, is pretty much the ultimate My Jam Game revenge. Ah, it’s so sweet. Adam has called plenty of my favorite songs for himself, so don’t be feeling too bad for him. Though I confess as I think about this that I don’t know that he’s ever called my all time favorite song as his jam…hmmm…maybe an apology is in order…

#83 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

February 18, 2008 in awesomeness, cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, music, savannah college of art and design | 8 comments

Okay, Rabid Lamb Comic #83 needs some explanation. I know, that is cheesy and lame, but I’m dealing with only four panels here and very little ability, so let’s cut me some slack shall we? Thanks.

Years ago…six? seven? I don’t really know for sure since I wasn’t there, Adam and two friends of his, James and Andrew, fellow co-workers at an infamous pizza joint in Savannah named Vinnie Van Go Go’s invented a now somewhat famous game called the My Jam Game. The rules are simple.

!. You hear a song you love, a song that is ‘your jam’ so to speak, and you claim it by calling out My Jam. Anyone beats you to it then it is not your Jam, it is theirs. You’d be surprised what competitive fun this is, and how much it jacks you into the music you’re listening to.

2. You want to piss people off? Is there a horrible song on? Well, go ahead and call Your Jam for the song and point to them (or say Kelly’s Jam) whatever. See comic strip for a detailed illustration of this.

3. There are no other rules. People are often trying to add on additional rules and expand the game, which kind of pisses the creators off quite frankly. Things like calling songs as “my ultimate jam” or “my jam of all time” things like that. My friend Kyle and I created an offshoot of the My Jam Game, based on the original, but that is a story for another time.

The end result is that this game is awesome. Adam and I play it basically every day as it has just become a part of our relationship. Great song on? My Jam. Horrible song on? Your Jam. It’s good fun.

Sidenote: I’m sure Adam will be happy to correct me in the comments section if I’ve gotten anything wrong.

Editors Note: I know you all probably think my proportions are WAY off in this cartoon, but sadly that is about how we fit in the freaking cartoon clown car that we recently rented for some errand running. Shoulder to shoulder and with Adam’s head jammed into the ceiling. Good times!

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#79 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

February 12, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, movies | 8 comments

So I guess she meant did we want someone to carry it out for us, or have it delivered to our house or something, but man did her delivery leave a lot to be desired.

It reminds me of a time that my good friend Kyle and I went to see a movie in LA years ago, I think it was Brotherhood Of The Wolf, which is a subtitled film. We were buying our tickets at separate windows right next to each other and my teller said something to the effect of, “Miss, are you aware that this film is foreign, which means that it is subtitled, and it will be necessary to read the words on the screen in order to understand the film?” I said yes, I was aware, and just as I finished saying this I heard Kyle’s teller say to him, “Ya gotta read it.” To which Kyle looked at her like she was insane and said, “uh. okay”.

It was pretty hilarious in retrospect, but pretty sad in reality. It’s obvious that since having that film (or any foreign film?) at that theater the staff had a lot of complaints from people who didn’t understand subtitling, and were insulted to have to read while they watched their precious movie (having worked in a video store for years during college I am sadly too familiar with this phenomenon) but the difference in delivery was also pretty sad. I think my teller, the one with the accurate, polite, and well worded explanation was perhaps the last of her kind…she was probably shot down shortly thereafter so she could be replaced by an idiot that would only say, “Ya gotta read it.”

#73 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

February 4, 2008 in blogging, cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, sports | 7 comments

Adam and I often talk about the Universe being constructed in our minds because of crazy things that happen. We’re not rich, or famous, or particularly lucky though, so we must just be arrogant and creative…but as stated, the Universe generally seeks to take control back immediately after I make such bold statements…

Everyone have a good weekend? Are you very very happy or very very sad about that crazy Superbowl win/loss. It was a pretty boring game for a while there, but it did pick up. I was reading Planetary (an amazing comic book) for most of the game so I suspect I missed quite a bit, but I didn’t see any commercials that really impressed…anyone?

Best of 2007, Part One of Four ~ Television

February 1, 2008 in entertainment, lists, television reviews | 11 comments

I know it’s getting well into 2008 at this point, but my 2007 somehow felt unfinished without a blogg-y recap of my “Best of 2007’s”.

So I’ve broken my “best of” up into four parts and it will all be released within the next week or so.

Part one is Best of 2007 – Television (let’s get the least impressive one out of the way first, right?).

This will be followed by Best Films of 2007 and then Best Books READ in 2007. Unfortunately I’d have trouble picking a top 10 books read in 2007 that were also released in 2007, so I’m just going to do my top 10 read in 2007, regardless of their release date. Best Albums of 2007, will be last, though certainly not least.

Anyway, onto television…

The 1979 Semi-Finalist’s Best Television of 2007:

10. Life

This is a pretty good show. It has let me down occasionally, but overall I like the fact that it has a storyline that solves itself within an hour (always more engaging and smarter than your average L&O episode) and also a larger story arch about the main character – Detective Crews, on his quest to discover who framed him and sent him to prison for 12 years. I think most of the actors are working at a really high level here and the character relationships are well developed. Detective Crews is one of the most interesting characters to come around in a long time. The quirkiness of the character would probably be annoying in the hands of a lesser actor, but it mostly works here. I hated the two-part episode that took Crews character quirks to a whole new level by making the entire episodes about that, but it seemed to be a one time slip up.

09. Extras

I’ve loved this show all along, even though uncomfortable comedy makes me, well, uncomfortable. I was sorry to see this show end, but I understand why they may have felt it had run its course. Additionally, the final series episode almost had me in tears it was so good. I can’t remember the last time I felt so rewarded by a finale. It was pitch perfect.

08. Top Chef

This is a show I would LOVE to hate, but I just can’t. It’s engaging and well edited and I always find I just can’t stop watching, like all reality television, but in a good way, like almost NO reality television. Padma has also proved to be an eminently watchable host, which I never would have guessed. I feel pressured to say something horribly cheesy like, “I refuse to pack up my knives and go, where this show is concerned!”. I’ll resist…oh wait, too late.

07. Damages

I talked about this show frequently while it was on this year, it was a great show and I’m delighted it got picked up. I can’t wait to see what the writers have in store for these characters. With the exception of Katie, these characters were incredibly well crafted, and the actors were absolute top of the line (again, with the notable exception of Katie). There was a blip around episode five or so where my interest waned (again, I blame Katie) but it picked right back up and delivered HUGE.

06. Project Runway

This show is AWESOME. No way around it. I never really thought I could say I love a reality show with no shame as I do with this show, but it is just brilliantly executed. And Heidi Klume has proved herself to be one hell of a smart supermodel. She’s likeable, funny, engaging, and comes off as pretty freaking intelligent. I love this show. My only complaint is that it takes so damn long to get it back on the air, unlike every other reality show on earth. But if I have to wait in order to have quality, then I’ll learn patience. In other words, “I’m in!” (sorry, could not resist cheesy quote this time either apparently). Also, Chris M. for president of the world!

05. Pushing Daises

The BEST new show of the year. Brilliant, creative, constantly engaging, and by far the most rich and beautiful set I’ve ever seen on television. There is just not a damn thing wrong with this show…and I’m not going to look for anything. If you’re not watching it, you are totally screwing up. Of course it, like everything, is on hiatus with the writer’s strike, but it was definitely performing prior to the strike, so hopefully it will be able to come back in full force when Hollywood returns to normal.

04. The Office

I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks, I love what they’ve done with Jim and Pam. I think the writer’s have pulled off a miracle here and done what has always been impossible on television – gotten the “it” couple together and kept it funny and engaging. I find it infinitely more interesting to be done with the cat and mouse of “will they or won’t they” and onto, “what in the hell are they going to get into now that we’ve broken down barriers”. Other characters have had a chance to shine as well, the Ryan transformation has been hilarious, as has Kelly’s. Dwight has been through hell and they’ve made me feel SO bad for him…and Angela…something I would never have thought possible.

03. Flight of the Conchords

I adore this freaking show. Every time I watch it it gets funnier. Every time I think I’m going to be sick of the quirky hilarious songs, I’m dead wrong. The show is totally brilliant and I absolutely cannot wait for next season. I love this show so much I actually bought the cd (it was cheap – like five bucks) and as expected IT was hilarious as well, almost as good as seeing Bret & Jemaine in living color inside my ears. That didn’t make sense, but if you watch this show you know what I’m talking about. As a sidenote, I totally feel like Bret & Jemainr are my friends, and I’m aware this makes me seem like a crazy stalker person…I don’t know what to do about that, but I feel like we’ve hung out before, and we got along famously, what can I say?

02. 30 Rock

Wow. I am an idiot. I wasn’t watching 30 Rock religiously last year. Biggest mistake of my life (and there have been lots – trust me), and there is just no way to go back in time and correct this horrendous error in my judgement. This show just rocks (no pun). When you can’t decide who stole all the scenes…because everyone had awesome lines delivered awesomely and they all stole all the scenes then you know you’re watching some freaking brilliance. I have to go with Alec Baldwin as the “regular” scene stealer, but Tracy Morgan has really given him a run for his money this season, and Jane Krakowski is no slouch either. And what is up with Tina Fey being some kind of multi-tasking mastermind that can create a show, star in it, write it, and produce it…AND it actually be awesome. That’s some kind of jedi mind shit. I’ll leave you with the immortal words of Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donagy, “I like you. You have the boldness of a much younger woman”.

01. Big Love

Greatest show on television, without a doubt. I never in a bagillion (yes I’m using bagillion instead of bazillion…I’ve really never been a fan of bazillion) years would I have thought my favorite television show would be about Mormon Polygamists living in Utah, but it freaking is. I also never would have thought a show about this would be the most feminist centered, female focused show on television, but it freaking is. Love it, waiting with bated breath until it’s back. It is totally worth getting HBO just to watch this show alone…plus then you can watch Flight of the Conchords too…it’s really win win…

Honorable Mentions: The Last One Standing (Discovery Channel) and Studio 60 (this is easily technically in the top 5 of 2007 for me, but since it’s dead with no chance for renewal, I didn’t want to waste a spot on it).

Wanted to watch, it just didn’t happen, but I still intend to watch and expect I’ll love: Mad Men

Worst Show of 2007: Bionic Woman- by miles and miles!

#71 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

January 31, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, graphic novels, new york city | 4 comments

I want to go on the record as saying that this girl is not nearly as cute as how I have drawn her. I kind of just love drawing cute girls – so I do it before I even realize what’s happening. The girl who “waited” on me, was cute-ish, but not super cute as drawn above. I really do hate St. Mark’s Comics. I’m going to try not to go in there anymore, it drives me crazy, and I always end up buying something lame in there anyway. I wish Jim Hanley’s was on St. Marks instead of up where it is near the Empire State building…I never have any reason to be near the Empire State building, but I can always find lots of reasons to be on St. Marks…

#69 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

January 29, 2008 in comic of the day, comics, entertainment, movie reviews, movies, new york city | 7 comments

Yeah, I don’t know what this is about. Adam gets very motion sick with something like a handheld shakey cam but I’m totally fine, and I get sick almost the instant I sit in a cab (I don’t think the way they drive helps) and Adam is totally fine. Also airplanes, turbulent or not, don’t affect me, but Adam gets really sick on those too. So odd the way someone’s body…and maybe brain works.

As for Cloverfield, it was pretty good. It was interesting and well done across the board, however I never felt any connection with any of the characters, perhaps because you know from the beginning what is going to happen to most of them. I also didn’t feel any fear at all. There was nothing remotely scary about the whole movie. Despite the fact that the way it was shot should have made it very real, I just couldn’t connect with it on any important or emotional way. In the end, it gets three stars. I enjoyed it and it was well done, but it didn’t leave much of an impression.

#67 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

January 25, 2008 in back pain, cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, jokes | 13 comments

Sorry guys. I wouldn’t really say I was as much out of ideas this week as time. I was sick Monday and Tuesday (and another minor back injury – yea!) and then I’ve been doing some work at home, including today, so I had to hurry up and finish this comic and get it up while I had access to a scanner (long story). End of story, it’s rushed and I apologize. But I liked the joke, and we all know that my comics are more about the words than the pictures anyway, so just read it with your eyes closed or something…um, no, that probably won’t work out either.

Also, what do we think of “Rabid Lamb Comics”. It’s an image I’ve always liked, the mean and the sweet tangled together in a gross little picture of, well, probably gross…which is kinda like me when I think about it…mean and sweet, hopefully not gross, although to some probably I’m gross…okay, WAY off topic at this point. Anyway, Adam’s pretty into it, but I’m not sold yet.

Thoughts?

#66 The 1979 Semi-Finalist: The Comic

January 24, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment, movie reviews, movies | 7 comments

Okay, okay, it wasn’t really THIS dramatic, it wasn’t the end of the world, but it sure was a bummer. We only missed probably the last 60 seconds or so, but it was a pretty intense ending and it’s lame to have to rent it just to watch 60 seconds or download it or whatever. Annoying. You know what was also super annoying about this movie? The “relationship” between Redford and Dunaway. LAME! The whole movie was pretty good and interesting, but I just hate it when movies try to wedge in a romance where none belongs. This was one of the most unbelievable “romances” I’ve ever seen in a movie. If not for that factor I think I really would have enjoyed the movie, instead it gets a barely 3 stars.

Onto more important issues. I need a name for this strip. As you can see in my title I’m playing with some ideas, but I’m not loving anything I’ve thought of. Anyone have any great ideas? I’d kind of like to keep the words “journal comic” out of the title but otherwise I’m pretty open to anything…bring on the suggestions!

Thanks!

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