You just-ust-ust don’t fu-uck with klaw-aw-aw

I started watching the show Entourage again and am endlessly facinated by the character Johnny Drama. He’s the movie star Vinny Chase’s older brother, a D-List actor and just freaking makes the show.

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific golden scene with him, but I picked this one simply for the Bob Sagat factor. Here’s a bunch more Drama clips too

I’m taking off to Toronto tonight to see Maiden, and as excited as I am about the show itself, I’m also delighted that that I’ll have the opportunity to just wander around town. The most recent Hulk trailer has only increased my desire to explore some of my favourite haunts, particularly along Yonge Street. As the world’s longest road, Yonge Street is perfect for any activity, from shopping to smashing. Come, let The Hulk and The Abomination be your guides.

First, there’s The Big Slice, which some people claim makes Toronto’s best pizza. Apparently The Hulk is a fan.

Here we have The Abomination visiting Zanzibar, a popular Yonge St. strip club. Like many tourists, The Abomination has his heart set on our completely nude dancers and

OH GOD, NO!

Finally, we see the sadly defunct Sam The Record Man, whose giant neon turntables have ruined the chance for shot-in-Toronto films to pass themselves off as American for decades.

Frank Quitely is one of the first artists I specifically remember digging. There’s nothing I like more in a cat’s art than good storytelling and Quitely has this in spades. Seeing a well-known (or not) character drawn by him is always a real treat for me.

He made me start collecting New X-men after years of avoiding comics and made burned me with his beautiful, tardy hand after three issues. Regardless, nobody can draw wicked lumpy people and lazy eyes like you, Frank.

“Second, the court heard further testimony about a gentleman with a fake bear seen near the retail establishment before the murders.”

- Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter.

My lifelong interest the DC Universe and its infinite Earths was sparked by two comics published during its demise; Who’s Who in the DC Universe and Ambush Bug #3. Here are the other drawings contributed by Dave Stevens as published in the former, completing the set started yesterday.

I still remember how startling it was to run across the work of cartoonist and pin up-artist Dave Stevens for the first time, appearing fully realized, seemingly from out of nowhere, as a back-up feature of all things. To those of us who didn’t know him personally, and were unaware of his battle with leukemia, his untimely passing comes as an even greater shock.

Stevens main claim to fame was The Rocketeer, which appeared in a smattering of different titles under a myriad of publishers and without a concrete schedule. It’s to Stevens’ credit that his artistic prowess was strong enough to smooth over these difficulties, attracting a large group of fans who were happy to follow him wherever he decided to hang his hat. I wouldn’t doubt that today’s tendency in mainstream comics toward quality over quantity can be attributed to his example, at least in part.

Rest in peace, Mr. Stevens.

Sometimes modern comics can be overwhelming. I get so involved that it’s hard to separate any particular piece of work from everything that has gone on before it, making it difficult to focus on any one thing. That’s why I love comics from the Golden Age. Sure, they had their own influences to draw on or rip-off, but the creation of comics was in its infancy at this point and these knock-offs were usually only one step removed from the source. Reading Golden Age comics puts me in a Zen-like state, allowing me to regain my balance and see all comics with a fresh pair of eyes.

The picture to the left is of Johnny Canuck, one of Canada’s first superheroes, and can be found in Dime Comics #1 alongside the adventures of Rex Baxter and Kenneth Scotty McDonald.