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[Victoria, BC] The Perogy Cat Gets a Hangin’ Art Show

15036379_10153897397401300_9073716455813381903_n By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The Perogy Cat is a fixture in Victoria, BC and this comic book character is going to be roasted, no “hanged” at Trounce Alley Gallery come November 23rd. This art show starts at 5pm and will feature pieces from her 14 year history with artist Gareth K. Gaudin present. Many original pieces of his work will become available for sale for the first time. Ever since she came into being 2003, her popularity has only grown. Gaudin created this character as a way to help raise money for his girlfriend’s diabetic cat’s insulin, and for reasons unexplained, the popularity only skyrocketed.

This cat has appeared in many comic strips, sandwich boards (Walk by Street Level Espresso on 714 Fort Street, and you’ll spot her), books, videos and art projects. Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson (to which she has a crush on) composed a single (available in vinyl) dedicated to this cat, and what’s next is anybody’s guess. Maybe we can see a cartoon? The Perogy Cat frequents Legends Comics & Books, and if you can’t make it to this show, you can see her antics at the store and at http://www.magicteeth.ca (when it’s back online, the website is currently down at time of writing).

Photos from the Exhibit:

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Powfolio Wants to Netflix Up the Comic Book World

David By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Powfolio is a mobile app for iOS and Android looking to change how people look at comic books. This software has been out since early 2016 and they are making a new push to be known throughout the industry. Back in a different century, when printed versions could be found nearly everywhere, at corner stores and supermarkets, this era is distinguished by being able to find digital content very easily. While some towns may see a few supermarkets carry Archie paperbacks, to find that is very few and far between. CEO David Campiti (pictured top right) of Glass House Graphics (a talent agency / studio of artists who are hired to produce work for comic book companies like Dark Horse) fondly recalls those days when they were far more accessible. Today, the only place these rags can be found are at speciality operations.

“There was a McNamara’s drugstore right up the street from where I lived that carried almost everything, From Marvel, DC, Classics Illustrated, Gold Key, Harvey, Warren … If you name it, they had it,” recalled Campiti. “Skip forward to now, [the distribution of] comics have been shrunk down into a very niche market of 1800 shops scattered across the US. This means an entire generation of children has never held a comic book in their hands.”

As a father who delivered presentations at his young daughter’s school, talking about his job in the comic book industry, he’s seen the result of the times. In today’s digital age, he sees more children tuned to their mobiles than a paper product. As he was handing out free products (Marvel Comic’s X-Men) to the kids, he was astounded to hear one boy say, “You mean there’s a comic book too?”

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Dark Horse Comics, Ed’s Picks of Oct and Nov 2016

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Autumn is here, and Winter is near. Just what can a kid like me do? Read comics of course! When my interest with Pokémon GO has waned, and I have thoughts about what can be played, well here’s my list of Dark Horse Comics picks for the cold nights ahead. I say it is time to pull out my colouring pencils!

Adult colouring books is a phenomenon, and when Dark Horse is one of the leaders of the pack, I can also try out the water-soluble leads I have on trying to mimic the style found in some Asian prints.

On top of my list is the Avatar: The Last Airbender trade paperback. There are 45 pages to paint up, and the art is done by Jed Henry. This book is out now.

Either now available or soon will be are my bi-monthly picks:

Chimichanga:
Sorrow of the
World’s Worse Face #1
October 12

Wrinkle’s Traveling Circus’ most adorable bearded girl and her savory-named beast are back, and there is a new act in store! Come one, come all to the Sorrow of the World’s Worst Face! But beware: those who look behind the curtain are in for an awful treat, and it’s not just his face we’re talkin’ about!

Featuring art by Stephanie Buscema!

“Chimichanga is full of that youthful vigor that makes The Goon such a delight.” —Broken Frontier

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The Future is “Compromised” in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

Plenty of fun and character development can be found with “Compromised.” This week’s episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow shows the series works better when further developing the season’s story arc than making one-offs. When considering that The CW has ordered an additional four episodes, the board of writers have extra room to make the finale go out with a bang. Let’s hope an increase in budget will help. Teases about the mega crossover event suggests a lot of cash is being invested in cutting edge computer animation technology to bring to life space age wonders, but which show will see the most improvement?

This series sees more space-faring action than the other three (Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl) and as for guest stars, who else might make an appearance? The appearance of Lance Henriksen as the older Obsidian is welcoming and Dean Cain is slated to be in Supergirl. This week’s episode lays the tribute thick with more Back to the Future time-travel science and 80’s style wardrobe (Miami Vice) to boot. But in a politically charged Reagan era, I’m surprised there was no deeper look into the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), aka Star Wars, program. The narrative is certainly making allusions to it.

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The Only “Abomination” with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is no Jonah Hex (Yet)!

legendsoftomorrow-204-abominations-t1320004-cw-stereo_b39992b02_cwtv_720x400 By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow celebrated Halloween a week late and will fans be “civil” about it hardly being a tale of terror? I was mildly disappointed. This episode could have easily brought back Jonah Hex sooner than later (he’s confirmed to be back), and dig into the supernatural with ease. Instead, the “Abomination” begins by starting the episode with another time travelling agent out to dispose of a chemical agent developed for war … but after his spaceship get damaged, just where he crash-lands is at the height of a certain American conflict circa 1863.

While this episode is a fun period romp almost akin to Exit Humanity (2011), at least it has an ounce of real scares built in. Jackson and Stein are worried about the future, as they struggle to understand the older Barry Allen’s message. They also discuss if telling the rest of their teammates about it will erode their thoughts in what the future holds. In another front, Sara’s confidence as a leader of this ragtag group of heroes is eroding. The reason why the Legends team meets Ulysses S. Grant is more for her than an accidental encounter. After she demonstrates her ability to command the troops during a zombie outbreak, Grant gives her his seal of approval.

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What Kind of Strange Magic Can Be Found in Doctor Strange (2016)?

Doctor Strange is a hugely rewarding and richly textured film that’ll be sure to satisfy even wannabe practising mages on what’s good and bad about magik.

Anyone who has followed Marvel Comic’s attempts to bring Doctor Strange to life will recall not only the made-for TV 1978 pilot but also the knock-off Doctor Mordrid (1992). But when you flash forward to 2016, this definitive version by Marvel Studios will certainly bury the past and have more people swoon at the possibility of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston share the same space on the big screen sometime in the future! I can not say when, but I went into this movie thinking of this possibility minutes after the introductions and seeing just how perfect Cumberbatch is for the role.

After all the pre-requisite introductions and set up, including an explanation why Strange went to Nepal (not Tibet) which the advance preview did not reveal, I became enthralled with the real world tie-ins to books of occult lore that the good doctor had to study. In the list is, of course, the Lesser Key of Solomon. Other tomes were named, but I’m not as familiar with them and I’m by no means a sorcerer myself. In what I do know, spell casting requires a combination (or one) of verbal and somatic gestures, a detail this film gets right, and other invocations require special ingredients.

The philosophy can be considered by some occultists to be mixed up. The soul is generally regarded as eternal. Upon death, it is released from the prime material plane and is free to move on to the next emanation of life. The soul is also visible in the Astral Plane, and in traditional lore, there is a silver cord connecting it to the physical body. This type of detail is missed and not explored in Doctor Strange. Too much would have detracted from the hero’s journey. Strange’s arrogance defines him for most of the first act and his faith hinges on science providing all the answers. The irony of him losing stable control of his fingers is that he looks towards experimental procedures and pseudo-science to repair the muscles in his fingers.

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