Dylan Williams Reporter

random...

2012-02-16T19:10:00.000-08:00

i just randomly found this in the sidebar while wasting time on facebook. i miss talking to him about music.

"Man!! Was she fine!"

2012-02-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

A five page comic from Filthy Habits #2. Originally published in November 1996 by Aeon. Click here to read it.

The Crime Clinic #1

2012-02-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Re-reading this comic now, the first thing that strikes me is how textually dense it is. But the main thing is really how singular and unique it is for its time. One must remember that the mid-90s comic book market was extremely dominated by superhero comics and that the tiny alternative scene was made up almost exclusively of humor, semi-autobiographical and autobiographical comics. I’m really struck that Dylan’s Crime Clinic comes out of a completely different tradition... the genre comics that had for the most part vanished at least thirty years before. While the Crime Clinic approach is obviously inspired by the crime genre comics of the mid-20th century (even taking its name from one!), it’s not an ironically hip retro revival of the approach. It seems to me Dylan just tried to make his own take on those comics. I think it was more an attempt at a continuation, where Dylan tried to add his own voice into a vanished era of comics that he wished still existed.

From what I remember, the original idea was to make many of these comics. Unfortunately sales were dismal and only two issues were ever published. CLICK HERE to read the first issue, published by Slave Labor Graphics in May 1995.

You Will Never Pull One Over On A Real Businessman, Son.

2012-01-24T23:58:00.001-08:00

Dylan's rant about comics and publishing from Skim Lizard #5, early-mid 1990's. Click Here to read or download it in pdf format.

While I was getting married... March 21, 2010

2012-01-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

The best decision my wife and I made for our wedding was to have a photo booth. (Pictured above are Greg Means, Allie Tiedeman Powell, Jeremy Tiedeman, Emily Nilsson, and Dylan) Thank you Dylan for being such a ham.

After the whole event was over we were given a CD with everyone's photos on it. (Above Dylan and Tim Goodyear share a mind. Teenage Dio-plug) Together they co-published Andrew Smith's Sausage Hand.

Being so busy during my wedding I am fortunate enough to have these pictures. (Above Dylan, Emily, and Shelly, Tim and Shea's daughter.)

Dylan and Greg. The brothers Sparkplug and Tugboat. Together I jokingly called them Tugplug. I don't think it caught on. Dylan and Greg at this time were co-publishing Rina Ayuyang's Whirlwind Wunderland and my book Neptune. I noticed Dylan reserved a certain level of sophistication only for Tim and Greg... The top button.

Stuff I Hate Is...

2012-01-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

From the inside cover of Dylan's Crime Clinic minicomic, 1994(?)

"Hi, and lots of thanks (a bunch) for buying my book. Comic Books are great fun for kids of all ages, and as such, I have designed this comic for both you an’ your fucking gran’mother to enjoy…

Stuff I hate is…

music and social elitism
hippy values
art school values
people who take too much fuckin’ speed
people who think they know more than me ‘bout copy machines
assholes
hypocricy" (sic)

I'm Like You

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an early four page comic by Dylan, from Destroy All Comics v.2 #1, originally published in 1994. Click here to read it.

I seem to recall Dylan saying he intended this strip as a parody of certain small press, navel-gazing, autobiographical comics that seemed to be getting a fair amount of attention at the time. Perhaps unfortunately, it reads a bit like just another one of those comics! Anyhow, I still like the rough, rushed appearing, cartoony art. It seems a little more like something out of the east-bay punk scene than some of his other comics. I'm also pretty sure it's set in a certain cafe just down the street from where Comic Relief Berkeley used to be on University, and where certain people used to meet before going to movies at the amazing UC Theater (which no longer exists).

The Five Cent Nickel

2012-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Dylan's short comic, The Five Cent Nickel, was originally published in April of 1996 in the 5th (and final issue) of Destroy All Comics v.2. Because the blogspot format doesn't play nice with large images, I've posted the five page story (originally printed at 8 1/2" x 11") to my website - you can read it by clicking here or on the image above.

Crime Clinic Advertisement

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Originally published in No Hope #6, September 1994

more book reviews.

2012-01-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

>
> Hi Tom,
> Happy New Year at the door!
>
> Perhaps the files I am sending might be interesting for the Dylan
> Williams Reporter blog.
> I had always been so taken by the Dylan's passion for books and even
> for the game offered by the Shelfari site (which is kind of visual
> sorting out of the participants' reading). I had a feeling that for
> Dylan, his favorite books were also "favorite things"; objects
> charged with immense significance; he shared them with a sense of
> wonder and serious sincerity, like the treasures from a kid's personal
> treasure box....
>
> best,
> Olga
>
>
> Some book reviews made by Dylan :
>
> A Model Kit by Julio Cortazar
>
> This is the book that made me rethink postmodern literature. I mean,
> that it made me appreciate the value of unconventional narrative. It is
> more of an immersion than most other books of this sort. It felt like I
> needed to read it again the minute I put it down.
> William F. Dylans wrote this review Wednesday, June 27, 2007.
> xxx
>
> The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (1956)
>
> I think I actually liked the Demolished Man more but this was one of
> the best books I've ever read. It never feel like Bester is pedantic
> about his worlds, unlike so many science fiction writers. It reminds me
> of the best of the turn of the century fantasies but with a pretty
> unique 1950s and Bester flavor. I got to the end and wanted to start
> reading it all over.
> William F. Dylans wrote this review Tuesday, June 5, 2007.
>
> xxx
>
> Summer of Love by Debbie Drechsler (2003)
>
> This is one of the best books I've ever read, let alone comic books. I
> think this is one of the few books that is actually a Graphic Novel, in
> the true sense of the word. It may actually be a novella but the story
> is so well thought out, the art works only in service of this complex
> and seemingly simple story. It is absolutely perfect. I'm a 37 year old
> guy and this story still affects me emotionally, it isn't simply about
> the subject matter it is about human nature. Anyway, I can't say enough
> about it, please read it and we can all fantasize about Debbie
> Dreschler doing more comics together.
> William F. Dylans wrote this review Sunday, November 25, 200
>
>
> xxx
>
> Filipino Martial Culture by Mark V. Wiley
>
> his book is really amazing, so far. I love the thorough approach it
> takes to history, religion and sociology. It may not be accurate and
> may be just one guys take on the FMA but I love reading what he has to
> say. Unlike so many martial arts books, this reads more like a history
> text. Well done! I think even people not interested in doing martial
> arts would get something out of it.
>
> xxx
> Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936) by George Orwell
>
> WOW! This book is so amazingly harsh in such a silly way. I can't get
> over how cynical but self-aware Orwell is when writing Gordon Comstock
> is. I keep on wishing I'd read this in my early 20s and I feel like I
> should be recommending this to all my self-absorbed artist friends who
> think the world is a horrible place and talk about money all the time
> William F. Dylans wrote this review Wednesday, June 6, 2007
>
>
> xx
>
> The Spider's House by Paul Bowles
>
> Pretty much the single best book I've ever read
> William F. Dylans wrote this review Sunday, June 17, 2007.

MORT MESKIN: May 1916 to April 1995

2012-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

by Dylan Williams

Without par was Mort Meskin. Perhaps one of the greatest artists of comic books died this year. As with many lesser talents his name and talent have received little to no recognition (and a horribly researched eulogy in the Comics Journal).

Born in 1916 in Brooklyn, New York to Max and Rose Meskin. At Tilden High School he became art editor of the school paper. As a kid he immersed himself in the world of the pulps, the Shadow was his mainstay. He was attracted to the pulp art of Ed Cartier and most specifically the great Herbert Morton Stoops (whose work appears in/on almost every issue of the magazine Blue Book in the twenties and thirties). Influences would also include Austin Briggs and comic strip greats Milton Caniff and Noel Sickles.

After graduating high school he attended the Art Students League of New York and the Pratt Institute from which he graduated in 1938. He immediately went to work as a comic artist (a booming industry at that point) for the Will Eisner/Jerry Iger comic shop. There he drew the Sheena strip which appeared in Jumbo Comics.

His next work was for $5.00 a page at MLJ / Archie in 1940 at the Chesler comic shop (comics were produced almost completely by studios or shops in the first fifteen years of comics). In 1940 he drew the hero stories of the likes of the Press Guardian, Ty-Gar son of Tiger and Dick Storm. His early work was inventive and unique, but most of its appeal lay (as with most of his work) in his storytelling ability. His careful selection of perfect shot to illustrate what is taking place. In 1941 Meskin quit MLJ to work for National/DC Comics.

He was now working for the biggest company in the business. He was given the character The Vigilante to draw. On this strip he began to shine and attract the attention of other artists. With story after story he invented a new language of visual dialog of stunning graphic storytelling.
"Citizen Kane (1941) influenced us a great deal, all of us. We were very excited about it and spent quite a bit of time discussing it, employing its elements in our work. There was a contest as to who saw it the most times ... " Meskin told Jim Steranko. Meskin saw it fifteen times.

Meskin soon took over the job of artist on Johnny Quick at DC. On this character he continued to push his storytelling. These stories aren't quite as splashy as the Vigilantes, but there is even more clarity of story and intent of the image. In Johnny Quick he would develop a way of illustrating speed simply by having the character appear many times in one panel. At this point he clearly demonstrated a distaste for any kind of stock shot. He also worked on Starman, Wildcat, Batman and many covers for DC.

As is the case with many artists in the field he didn't always have time to ink his own work, and so he worked with a number of inkers in his career. Meskin worked chiefly with three major inkers during his career who all started at DC with him. For the first couple of years at DC a teenage Joe Kubert would ink work well beyond his ability at that time. Meskin also worked with George Roussas and Jerry Robinson at the Bob Kane Batman studios.

It's there that he began his collaborative career with top Batman artist Robinson. Meskin and Robinson left DC after World War II and set up their own shop and produced some of each other's most famous work. The Black Terror, The Fighting Yank and Golden Lad (pictured) among others for companies like Harvey, Standard and Sparks. Meskin and Robinson took turns teaching at the Art Students League during this time. Meskin was sickly and during this time (pre 1950) he spent some time in the hospital.

Meskin's work at DC had caught the eye of Joe Simon (partner of Jack Kirby) who by the late forties had developed his own lucrative studio with Kirby. Simon quickly gave Meskin a job at the studio. It took some time for Meskin to feel at home drawing (after his time in the hospital) but Simon was willing to spend time coaching him and his partner Robinson and friend/inker Roussos who inked his first work for Simon. For the studio Meskin seemingly drew more stories than before or after in titles like Black Magic, Headline, Justice Traps the Guilty, Capt. 3D, Young Romance, Boys Ranch and The Strange World of Your Dreams (a title he came up with). Much of this work is still easy to find and quite good. All the time working for Simon and Kirby he would entertain fellow studio artists with tales of life and love in the hospital.

After the Comics Code was effected in the mid-fifties the Simon and Kirby studios went under and Meskin went back to DC with George Roussos (Robinson entered the world of newspaper strips). Along with Roussos, Meskin pumped out hundreds of stories for DC's House of Secrets, House of Mystery, My Greatest Adventure, and others (all still relatively common and cheap). He would sometimes ink his own work and sometimes work with Roussos. The self-inked work is some of his least splashy and greatest work in storytelling. He stopped using splashy inking techniques, stopped using splashy layouts and surpassed almost any comic storytelling ever done. He worked at DC the second time from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties.

After quitting comics he embarked on a long career as a storyboard artist for the advertising firm BBD&O. He retired in 1982 but kept drawing and painting.

He is survived by his wife Molly (whom he married in 1967), five children, five grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.

I've avoided devoting much space to my opinion of Mort Meskin's artistic merit simply because his work inspires me beyond words. His facility with this most difficult of mediums is enough to inspire us youngsters for the next millennium, so I'll shut up ... go buy some of his comics.

"Mort Meskin was a consummate professional, dedicated to his work. A great talent." - Jack Kirby

This essay was originally published in Destroy All Comics V.2 #4 in January of 1996. Many, many more examples of Mort Meskin's comics and artwork can be found on the website, http://mortmeskin.net/ - which was originally put together by Dylan.

Some emails I got from Dylan in 2005

2012-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here’s what I have left of the emails Dylan sent me in 2005. For whatever reason, my account only saved the emails where I quoted what he had written to me, so some stuff is no doubt missing. We didn’t often talk on the phone (I’m not a huge fan of making phone calls), so that is probably why there are so many emails. The year starts with the minimal business of getting the second issue of my comic book series published (for me, it was a pleasure to have Dylan publishing my comics - I wish we had been able to do many more), before mostly moving into a frenzy of cinema.

Re: pricing - ads – etc Monday, January 10, 2005 10:39 AM

Hey Jeff- Sorry to be so slow on getting back to you. I've been fighting with a cold, annoying people at work and all kinds of crap. I got the quote back for Watching Days 2 and it just leaves me with more questions. It is about the price where it seems like $4.50 would be a good cover but I kind of feel like that price was annoying to buyers and stores. I think $5 would be good but the problem is that the cover will be a little thinner. I wonder if people will look at the book and go "Why was #1 less than this?" I don't really have too much of a problem with $4 but then it makes any money back less quickly AND Diamond is more into higher priced books. I think $5 should be cool but I want to see what you think.

That is my work and less likely to get bent. So, now you could also send me a PDF of it.
I have some other ideas. too. I'd like to get it printed now, in time for APE but I'd like to solicit it through Diamond in May with the next Tales to Demolish. I'd like to buy an ad in the Diamond book for both of them. I am wondering if you'd be interested in drawing part of it with Eric? The ad would be due mid April to go in with the book. This would time it to sort of come out at San Diego. My other distros would get your book before Diamond, when it is printed.

Okay, enough biznuz, let me know what you think and if you have any ideas. Do you think a black and white ad in the Previews would be enough or is full color manditory these days? It is about Half the price.
-Dylan

Re: pdf Friday, January 14, 2005

Hey Jeff- Sure, no worries about a PDF. I use quark at work so it is on a PC. I can't remember if all you have to do is state that when you save it but that would be fine. You can send it to this address...scratch that...see below. I've been thinking over the price thing and $5 is what I think'd work best. Let's see if that works. So, I think we are ready to go right? I don't know how big the quark file will be (though Yahoo does have more storage now), maybe it would better if you just send it to me on a disk (for a PC) and I can print out a mock up, sign their quote and throw the disk in the mail to them. Usually it takes about 1 month to print the book.

Did I ask you about holding off on the Diamond solicitation till we have Eric's third issue in so that I can run an ad for both in the Previews? This would mean it would hit stores in June-July-ish through Diamond. It would be available through other distros before that of course.

COOL!
-D

Re: address Monday, January 31, 2005

Hey Jeff, I forgot to check on the disk but you put the price on the new issue, right? I love it by the way. It just went out to the printer and I'll make sure Proofs go to you. Do you want them to your work address (which I don't have) or home (which I do). Thanks
-Dylan

Re: Fwd: RE: Watching Days Become Years #2 Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Heya Jeff- Is it true that the book is only 44 pages. No worries about price but I want to make sure (this will make me feel better about the price). I just wanted to check that we aren't missing any pages. I was confused by the last page in the copies you sent.
Thanks
-Dylan

Re: proofs Thursday, February 10, 2005 12:30 PM

ARRRR! I think I will come down. I'm going to have to figure something out though cause I need to leave to go to Texas the next week. Hmm...I think I may come down on Friday and return on Sunday morning (those two I've seen enough for now). Thanks for the tip off.

btw, did you get the proofs yet? They should be in your hands by what the printer said last time I talked.

Re: printing news? Saturday, February 26, 2005
Hey Jeff- I've been working way too much overtime at work so I didn't get a chance to write. So much so that I now try and use the control key instead of the apple key every time at home UGH. I was expecting the books on Friday but they should be here next week. Hopefully before Thursday, since I'm going to Houston/Austin for a week then. I will rush you a pack...did you say 25? of them ASAP.
I found a dude with that Mizoguchi doc on ebay. ALSO, I found this dude, who has a copy of the Passenger as well as a ton of other stuff (burned off Japanes laserdisks):
http://www.superhappyfun.com/

I'll be at APE with a sparkplug table (only Sparkplug for once) and so you are more than welcome to stop by at any time. Your books "official debut" may be there.

I've got an idea of send it and Austin English's new book in at the same time to Diamond, so if they like it may be in stores quicker than I thought. I'll be sending them in in March.
Take care.
-D

Re: printing news? Monday, February 28, 2005

Jeff- The book is done and in my hands. I sent you a fedex box of them, should be there Wednesday. It is sent to your home (which is wrong I'm now thinking) but it should be okay. Let me know if it don't show up. I'll be checking email off an on during my trip to Texas next week. MAN! Does that book look good. Thank you so much for letting me print it. It made me really proud to be even remotely involved in something like that. I'm doing a book by Austin in time for MOCCA, so I'm just flippin' out over getting to publish comics that ain't "your mother's comics" and are so literate.

You rule (to use my best vocabulary).
-Dylan

Re: sales? APE plans? Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Hey Jeff- No real sales yet (2) but I haven't done an update in so long (and ugh does that jpeg show it) .

I'll be sending out a "We'll be at APE" thing this weekend. It will most likely be me, some Catmull and Eric Haven and you. The crowd will be next to us at the Global Hobo table. I don't really go in for any of "signing" jazz. I'll mention you'll be at the table, if you want to let me know hours, maybe you could front for me while I go "look at the field". Heh. Basically, your call. I'll be there both days, I may be leaving early on Sunday to catch a flight but I figure Jesse or Catmull can cover for me at the end. I could say maybe "Jeff will be at the table from X-Y on Saturday." That way some people who want to meet you could show up then.

I'm also going to use the email to do an official "NEW BOOKS" thing, that should drive some people our way. Ballgames are more fun than these things. I'll be showing up first thing on Saturday. You should have a badge, which I'll leave at the desk for you to check in with. I'll make em give you one if they don't have it ready. If you show up and there are any problems, you can call me or just tell them to let you come in to find me. OR just kick their asses and take their money.

Take care-
D

Thursday, April 14, 2005 9:26 AM

Hey Jeff- I had a blast hanging out with you dudes (Ben and Eric) at the show. I would love to hang out on Friday the 22 or something when I'm down there. I think Ben will take me to Japan and China town but I doubt he is gonna know the good bookstores.

So I found a review of both our books this morning: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:_JBhvOMIIEkJ:www.thefourthrail.com/features/0305/monitorduty24.shtml+dylan+williams+sparkplug+comic+books&hl=en I'm sending it to myself to so I can link to it. It isn't the best review of either book but no such thing as a bad review is a "truism". I really enjoyed talking book theory with you (the bit about the books not having an instant selling point). It was made more interesting by talking with the guy who did Proof magazine (and reading a bit in the magazine where he mentions that). I think a lot about that stuff. I think a strength of Sparkplug (since there are a lot of weaknesses) is that I'm not going to stop and am going to be unrelenting (though I won't always have the time to promote and that sort of thing). As more and more books get done, they sell the old ones. It is kind of cool. I'll be sending our books to stores/non-diamond distros/review mags all during the next two weeks.

More later...back to the saltmines.

-D

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Hey Jeff-
Sorry, busy weekend. Yeah, I'll be going to movies Thurs-Sunday. I'd love to go to the ones on Thursday. I've invited Ben to all of them but I don't know which ones he'll want to see the most. We can just hook up at the Theater or dinner or whatever, it starts at 7:30. I'm gonna be waiting for Ben to get back after work (like 6). Are there any must visit book/music stores around him? I'm completely in to publishing future issues of WDBY. I'll try and let you know if it becomes a financial problem (that would most likely only be if I get fired).

I'm actually looking forward to my first "real vacation" in years. It will be nice. The last one was September 11th when I stayed here for a week off from work since they cancelled SPX travel.

Thanks for the info too.

All is good.
-D

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

That is perfect. Yeah, Powells has it all but I'm a nut for just looking for that one book I've never seen before. These days, I don't even usually have a list. I just browse.
As for Amoeba, that is where I'll be all day. In Berkeley I had about 30 minutes in Amoeba before the APE.

Ben is talking about laming out for the movies. I think he wants to do art or something. I think he just doesn't want to like Noirs is all. Lame. Yeah, that is a lot. I know they'll all run together in my head by the end but...same old Dylan. I actually have a video (good print) of Border Incident and have seen the one with Lucy in it (Dark Corners..I think) but all the others I haven't. I think the thing that swung it for me was the Ida Lupino's. She is amazing to me, still.

Okay, more later. I'll give you a call on Thursday or just see you at the coffee shop.
-D

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Hi Jeff- Austin just sent me the ad for the Journal, it is wonderful. I can't wait to see it in there.
I think a while ago you mentioned going to San Diego, are you still thinking about going? I'm going to need to check on badges and all that, also we will have a sort of full table so if you are thinking about being at it, it may have to be that I'm gone during that time (and I could use breaks of course). Let me know what, if anything you are planning on. It would be cool to hang out more down there too, away from the comic books.

Austin's post about the movies people bought was really funny, esp. considering I cropped my actual list down for public consumtion (I'm also getting things like the movies by the guy who did Café Lumiere which I LOVED beyond words and the Orpheus collection). I find I want to return to movies I love over and over. I'm actually thinking about quiting Nicheflix at the moment, just because I have about 6 months worth of DVDs to watch.

The only reason I've been sort of lax about emailing you after going down there is over work. I had a lot of fun hanging out.

Take care.
-D

Re: san diego pass Tuesday, July 12, 2005

We will have a pass for you of one kind or another.
If it is a hassle (which I'm hoping it won't be) feel free to buy one but I'm going to do my best. We should go to lunch at someplace on Saturday.

This week I'm SUPER into dancehall roots rasta stuff.
Any suggestions?
Mr. D.

Re: Teenage Fanclub Wednesday, July 20, 2005

A BIG SIGHHHHHH....I had looked into tickets yester and was ready to get them. Then I looked into plane tickets ($300) and realized that it is on the weekend of the Portland Zine show which Andrice and Jesse are coming up to stay with us for. I don't think I should go. I, of course, really want to but I've decided to be a good business man for the next few months. I was so inspired by San Diego that I came home with a head full of dreams (including wanting to publish John Henk...the Tepid guy's stuff and really work on selling the existing books over the next few months. I am really into being a real publisher so I'm going to focus on that shit for a while. It is kind of a heartbreaking choice for me as they are one of my all time favorite bands. I think it is just bad timing all around. I do want to come down there again but I need to plan further in advance to get a better deal.

Thanks for hanging out at the table and frankly I'm quite honored that you, Eric, Austin and the others would ever want to have me as a publisher. One day I hope it can really do something for you.

I need to order that Val Lewton boxed set too, so I can have something to watch (hah) while I'm licking envelopes to send out. Take care.
-D

Re: portland ray Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Heya Jeff-
First, I have to work that Saturday but will be done sort of early in the day maybe (3ish?). I'd love to go for dinner. We'll talk more on it. Sat. night would be best.

WOW! Thank you for the Mizoguchi and Ray news! So happy. I just got Night Gallery set 1 for my birthday so I'm watching that instead of all the other 200 movies I should be watching.

I got the Story of a Love Affair but almost don't want to watch it. That will be one more Antonioni closer to having seen them all. I'm finding that is the hard part for me about Bresson and Dreyer too. I love having that one perfect moment to sit down and breath them in.

Okay, more later. Look forward to seeing you. Coffee is good too. Friday night after 8ish. Sunday after 4ish.

Take care.
-Dylan

Re: another one from your list? Thursday, September 15, 2005

Funny! I saw that listed somewhere else. I have really old videos of all the boettichers now. I'll be glad to get rid of them. I could watch those movies once a year and still love them. Hey, you seen Come and See. Sammy got me to see it. Well worth it. I wrote a little about it on the site. I want to watch that dudes Rasputin movie next. I'm watching Repulsion tonight. I've never seen it. I also decided I need to buy every Clouzot movie (Wages is coming out soon).

Hey, it was really fun to hang out with you. Sorry Tim was so talkative, that is his deal. I like him though. It was fun, filling and informational.

Hey, did you see Bak's new page. It totally looks like one of yours funny.

Take care and thanks for reminding me about 7 Men, I'm adding it to my basket.

Robert Wise....sigh.
-Dylan

Re: Feuillade vs. Franju Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Hey! I saw that on the SG12 board too, the day before you sent this and was like, "I should email Jeff." I forgot. French and Japanese names sort of blend in my head untill I've seen more than one movie by the person. Jacques Becker is still Jules Becker when I start to say it. Immamura and Shinoda took 10 years of liking their movies before I could straighten them out. Judex, the remake, is on my list of must see movies so I always think about it but never get a chance to hunt. watching the Mirror right now after having watched Come and See. Bak loved C&S as did I but I get tired of the sort of thing you see in the ending of it (film technique wise). The Mirror has recemented Tarkovsky (took 8 years to say that) as one of my all time favorites. I love the time he devotes to things. Come and See (by some guy whose name I don't know yet Ivan Korka or something) was just too fast in places. The Tenant, which I saw also thanks to Sammy who suggested C&S was good too but those doods are always so jumpy. It may be that I'm hyper or something and need to see slow movies but I also feel, like with Classical music that I'm just tired of everything being frantic and not building. We watched Heart of Glass (Emily for the first time) and I can't believe who awesome that movie is. Not that it was as good or as powerful as something like C&S but just the idea and execution Heart is amazing to me. It ends up being exactly like a dream, the slowness puts me to sleep almost every time but I've watched it enough to have seen the whole story.

I've watched the first two chapters of Judex (original) and need to sit down with the whole thing on a weekend. I'm still only two disks into the Batttles Fukusaku (took seeing three of his movies to get his name). I also just treated myself to Solaris. Which I have never seen. I've been getting mostly Criterion disks from Deep Discount lately. Casque D'or, the Clouzot movies (Wages is coming out next month) and Renoir (the River and Boudu(Sp?)). Watching Rules of the Game again has made me realize how much more I need to push my comics. Right now I feel like I'm 19 again and I just started drawing. I love that.

-Dylan

Re: bezerkley! Thursday, October 20, 2005

OOOOOHHHHH BOY! I'm going to go to some of those I think. I may call and see what the deal is, if it is travelling or not. Thank you so much!!!!!
-D

Re: TAISHO CHIC Friday, October 21, 2005
Okay, the ones I'm most interested in during Nov. are the 5th-6th and the 19th-20th. I would (of course) go to everyone but budget and time won't allow it (I'm going to Indiana for Thanksgiving. I may be up for one of the weekends in December. I'm going to call today and see if it is traveling. Thank you again.

You know, off hand I don't know if I've even seen a Naruse movie. I want to, of course. That one sounds like it is coming up the coast. There is a Louis Malle thing going on this month here.
-D

Re: naruse / bunel Friday, October 21, 2005
Whew! Should I start with Repast? I'll go see what they have at MM. I may have seen one called "A moment of Terror." Can't remember. For years I tended to rent any old Japanese movie but nowadays I can't keep up. He isn't one of those Suzuki guys, his stuff is more family drama types ...OH he is the dude who did Late Chrysanthemums and Mother. Yeah, I'm dyin' to see his movies.

Sadly, I just saw a Bunuel movie and I've begun to thing I need to work through all his movies too.
I'll get back to you on my plans but for now I'm down for the 20th. Ozu!
-D

Re: Berkeley Friday, November 4, 2005

Okay! I'm booked for a flight down there. I'm going down there tomorrow for the weekend too. It may be a bit hard but it should be fun. I'll be there on the 19th/20th. Leave on Monday AM at 7 am and then back to work. I'm a nerd.

Thanks for the Bunel link. I need to get back on that. We rented new movies this week. I picked up a bunch of stuff on DDDVD lately too.

See you in a couple weeks?

-Dylan

taisho report Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Whew! I'm up to my neck in work. Fun but exhausting. Going down to the bay was awesome. I can't believe how lucky I am to get to see those films. It was one of those things where I was sitting in the theaters going "Absorb every minute of this." Usually that isn't so smart but it is hard to stop. The winner was the Reconstruction of the Imperial City. It was down right amazing. I'm sad and frustrated that I can't be down there for the whole thing. This weekend Bak is coming to town and it just wouldn't make sense (I've seen the Lady and the Beard when it played up here). BUT I'm so looking forward to the 19th and 20th. Those movies look great. It was such an education. Actually it made me want to march right up here and quit my job and just work on comics forever. But, I love publishing too much.

Speaking of that. What is it looking like for your new book?

I'm working on the Mats book with Ben right now. I've begun the path to publishing a John Hankiewcz book.Eric working on his third book. Orchid is in the last death throws before we force it out. Reporter is 17 pages done of 36. I'm working on other stuff, I forget what at the moment.

So, I'll be there on Saturday at like 2ish. I may go up to get a good run through of the exhibit that goes along with the Taisho movies. It sounded really cool. I'm not sure but my mom may go to some/one (maybe the Ozu) of the movies but we'll see. I'll go to them all. I'm even missing the beginning of a Noir festival up here, on the 19th and 20th they are showing To the Ends of the Earth and Johnny Allegro, neither of which I've seen. I'm mulling over the Taisho movies on Dec 3+4th. I may have to do it. They look really good. On that Friday there are two noirs (one Boetticher and NIGHTFALL (which I totally fucking love)) so I'll be seeing movies all weekend if that is the case...sigh.

I just bought the lone wolf and cub set for super cheap from Digital Eyes. They sent me a discount code if you are interested. It is on backorder but I figure once they've committed to it they have to sell it at that price. I can't see paying full price for it but I want to see all those again.

Okay, take care...back to work....
-D

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Heya- I got there about 2 last time. I will be up for hanging out but I'd like to go to see the exhibit at the museum that goes with the movies. We could meet up for food or something in Berkeley and then go to the exhibit (don't feel obliged but I figured you'd be into it). I'm trying to think of a good place to eat up there. There is a bongo burger but I don't know if their food is still as good as it used to be... anyway, we'll figure it out.

I was planning to go up on the 2-3rd Dec. shows but now (thanks to a stupid work Christmas party) I may not be able to make it. I'm pissed. Jealous of the Naruse thing too, the more I read about him. I think I may have seen Late Chrysanthemums back in the day but that would be it. I've been ogling the Movie Madness copy of Mother since even before you told me about him but I'm never in the right mood. I'm gonna wait for DVD or a festival. Sounds like they need to be enjoyed right and I have a lot to keep me busy till then.

I watched Sword of the Beast last night. I had a bad copy of it, which I only watched a bit of and then stopped. The Criterion is awesome. Gosha always reminds me of a Japanese Boetticher.

The worst thing about the PFA is they don't let in Coffee so, esp. for any silent movies I always have to load up before. One dude (you know I thought this was funny) was in there and making fun of the mystery movie that showed (Silent, Golden Bullet) but about 5 minutes after laughing at the low budget silliness of it he was snoring and bobbing his head. Hilarious. I always think that no Coffee during silents rule is like some kind of weird torture ritual that they do. Anyway, I'm up for any kind of food before...as long as it is my kind of weird eating habit friendly.

As for Sunday...I'm not sure yet. I want to hang out but I may be not up for it. I have to call Landry. I was thinking about going over there but I'm really into running in the mornings and I don't want get up at like 11 or something after hanging out with them. Also, nah, I should hang out with my moms on Sunday so I'll have to bow out on that. My mom wants to go to the Ozu movie. She'll most likely just drive up there and I'll drive back with her after the show on Sunday. I'd be into hanging out on Sunday before the shows though. Same deal.

Okay, I'll call you on Saturday.
-D

more PFA movies / TV advice Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Hey Jeff- I'll be back down in the Bay Area for the two nights of Taisho movies on the 10 and 11th. I've seen at least one of the Ozu Mizoguchi ones but I had so much fun with the other weekends that I can't pass it up. I hope it was fun for you in spite of all the hassles. It was cool to get to hang out.
I have a question for you. I'm starting to feel I need a flat screen thin TV. I don't think I want a projector now but I'm wondering if you know of any reputable places to buy such a thing online?

Thanks
-D

Berkeley, the Return – Saturday Friday, December 9, 2005

Heya- I bit the bullet and got a panasonic plasma from Amazon. I can't wait but it is the single biggest purchase I've made aside from a used car and a computer. It will be interesting. I have to replace those projector bulds at my work and you are correct. They last about 2 years here (not used as often as I would) and they cost an ass load. I just don't have the space either. My plasma...they say they last about 40,000 hours or something. We'll see. I got the three year warranty so I figure in three years technology will have go to the next level and they'll be cheaper or something. I was watching Miami Blues with Bak last night, wishing I had a wider TV so I'm thinking I'll be happy.

Cool about Berkeley. I would totally be up for meeting up around the same time. I'll call you when I get in. I'd like to get something really good to eat that night. I'll see.

-D

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Oh man, I just sat down for all of On the Occasion [of Remembering the Turning Gate]. Thank you so much. I loved almost every single minute of that movie. It was perfect. I see there is a three pack set of other movies by that guy. Do you have that. What should I see next. I'm out of town for a few days but I'm gonna make Ems sit down with me and watch it when I get back. I'll look for other things by him then too. That was the kind of film I bought this new TV for and it was perfect.

I will be down in the Bay for the 12-15th movies. I'm taking a couple days off of work to hang out more with people.
Thanks
-Dylan

Amazon Reviews

2012-01-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Miracle Mile Movie Memories

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sometime in 1997 Dylan came down to LA to hang out when I was in town to work on a writing project (at that time I was actually living in Chapel Hill, NC and I believe Dylan was living in Olympia, WA). For maybe a week, we were both crashing on the floor of a movie producer’s apartment in Miracle Mile. One interesting thing I remember vividly from that week was on one of our walks around the neighborhood, we stumbled upon a small, mystery bookstore. What was amazing about this bookstore, was that they apparently also screened prints of rare film noir and mystery films after hours. We went back there later in the week to catch something, I don’t remember what - nothing special, but what was great was just the experience. Being in a little bookstore after hours, with shelves pushed away and watching some extremely obscure film with 20-30 strangers. It felt like being part of a secret world, a very unique experience.

A decade or more later, when Dylan opened his own store in Portland, Oregon with Tim Goodyear, The Bad Apple, he apparently ended up doing the same thing, showing movies, mostly to his friends, after hours in the store. I know he really enjoyed that, because when I saw him this July, he especially mentioned to me how much he missed doing the screenings (while he had been sick in the first half of 2011), and now that he was getting better (he was supposedly on the road to recovery when I saw him in July), he was really looking forward to being able to start up his screenings again. Being able to share his love of all kinds of movies with others was something that seemed to be a very pure pleasure. I thought it was really great, how he was able to take that weird experience we’d had in Miracle Mile all those years ago, and duplicate it, improve upon it (maybe), and share it with others. He was good at making things others just dreamed about, actually happen. I wish I’d been around Portland for some of those screenings too.

blog from reporter56.com

2011-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

Murder Can Be Fun (Revised)

2011-12-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

This is the original art, and the published version of the 5-page comic Dylan made for the Murder Can Be Fun comic book, published by Slave Labor in February 1996. It was based on a true story of The Great Train Wreck of 1918, the deadliest train accident in U.S. history.

He used an experimental approach on this one with loose (for him) inking, sgraffito (such as where he scratched out the words "Oh Jesus H. Christ," and using a thick application of pro-white to paint over certain areas. The areas of black and white were inverted before it was printed. I thought he was nuts when he was drawing this, and I still think it is not entirely successful. For example, we disagreed about his use of vernacular language for his characters here. But my opinion on it has changed through the years, and I have grown to really like this comic. The art is so expressive and beautifully loose. Sadly, though I have stored these pages well, the lettering has begun to fade and migrate through to the back of the bristol paper. Download a pdf of both the original and the published artwork here.

Blurry Bird

2011-12-28T01:38:00.001-08:00

I am quite sure he is flipping me off here.

FRANK ROBBINS 1917-1994 by Dylan Williams

2011-12-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

As a young kid growing up in the 70's I can think of only a hand full of comic artists who's styles I recognized and looked for ... Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Herb Trimpe, Alex Toth and most of all Frank Robbins. The Invaders, Captain America, Ghost Rider, and (above all) the Human Fly, were some of my favorite comics as a kid, and one man made them look the way they did.

Only in adulthood did I find out that this above average "superhero artist" had been one of the real, greats of the newspaper adventure strips and the comics medium in general. He began drawing strips instead of making money from serious artforms.

His first job, in 1939, was drawing Scorchy Smith (an aviation hero strip once drawn by Noel Sickles). At first Robbins didn't write it, but after eight months he was doing it all. He continued with Scorchy until 1944 when he was hired by a rival syndicate to draw his own version of Scorchy: Johnny Hazard.

At first Johnny Hazard did seem like just another clone in the world of strips (although the drawing was, of course, nearly without peer). Soon the story began to prove it's own though. The stories and art became intensely moody and subtle. Pictures of sad dead bodies lying in the bleak snows of Eurasia. To me, his pictures/words are like the best of German Expressionism.

His life from there seemed prosperous and healthy, but thanks to the messed up world we live in, Robbins art suffered. He was told by editors to tighten up his art to look more like the slicksters of the day. And like a good commercial artist, he did it. While his drawing ability was never (could never be) lost, his vitality was. The strip Johnny Hazard was drawn until 1977 by Robbins (and probably assistants). He began drawing comic books in the 1960's and continued until the late 70's. His comics are great (really great), but the run of Johnny Hazard from 1944 to the mid-50's are some of the greatest stuff ever done in comics. Setting a standard that the rest of us will aspire to, but only once in a lifetime (if we're lucky) achieve.

Thank you Frank Robbins. Rest in Peace.

And Dylan WIlliams as himself...

2011-12-25T23:35:00.001-08:00

A little video I made from APE 2008 while working at the Sparkplug booth. Dylan appears towards the end of it.

Crime Clinic Ad

2011-12-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

published in Destroy All Comics V.2 #2, February 1994

Mighty Samson Volume 1 and 3

2011-12-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

The recent Mighty Samson reprints Volume 1 and 3 from Dark Horse have introductions written by Dylan.

Banana Nanny

2011-12-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

A while back Dylan had the urge to write about a lot of things, but he was struggling with the idea of his public persona as a publisher vs his personal thoughts about comics, art, teaching, process, etc. So, we started a blog called Banana Nanny. It was kind of a free-form, personal blog where he and I would just post our thoughts about all of these things. Dylan wanted to keep it mostly secret, only letting a few close friends know about it. At some point he thought that too many people were reading it and he got uncomfortable and decided to delete the blog.

I thought it was gone forever, and unfortunately most of it is... but for some reason the first 5 lines of most of the entries is still on my blogger account's dashboard. I've been trying to deal with blogger about retrieving the lost information, but it seems hopeless. So, all I have are these screengrabs of the beginning of each entry.

Keep in mind these were pretty personal posts from Dylan. I think he expressed a bit more of his personal frustrations and anger with the comic industry and art world that he often felt at odds with, but cared about so deeply. We both did. My own posts were often about my frustrations with the art world at the time, but also random things like the spelling bee as a metaphor for the problems with popularity in the arts. Dylan's philosophy about promotion, production and popularity vs. art was a very good one. other stuff about time travel through art and Star Trek. His rants against the Portand Mercury's Comics section were in many ways an exercise of his humorous side - his frustration with that publication was that it ignores so many talented Portland cartoonists who deserve a slot on their local comics page. He channeled that frustration into comical rage directed at the talking dinosaur comic strip. Please keep in mind that this is only the opening thoughts of each entry, thoughts that were fleshed out and explained through lengthy posts, so please don't take offense of judgement to these incomplete posts.

We didn't expect a lot of eyes on this. I feel a little weird posting it here. But I miss this blog. I was sad when Dylan shut it down. I'm even sadder that I can't get to the rest of it. I think Dylan felt like a lot of his ideas needed to be out there somewhere, but he was still uncomfortable with the reality of having eyes on these thoughts. The post "Push Push" and "Links" both spoke about this.

Dylan wrote some really good things on Banana Nanny. He also wrote some angry rants. And some really funny stuff, too... Here's all that's left of it.

Jambalaya

2011-12-22T22:24:00.000-08:00

At some point in 1995 Dylan and I were completely geeking out on 1930's and 1940's pop culture, so we decided to make a minicomic/zine together in which everything was of or from that era. This became Jambalaya #1. Dylan's contributions to this were the front cover, his Hank Williams bio-comic (the first time it was published), and a charming article on the work of Garrett Price. On the inside front cover he wrote " If you want to talk about old comic strip/book artists, then just write me," which I love because, as you know, he absolutely meant it. We planned a second issue, and I still have the cover art I drew for it. But we broke up before it came together, and that was that.

Click here to download a pdf file of Dylan's work from Jambalaya.

Small aprt of long conversation

2011-12-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

Dylan and I were having this seemingly endless conversation after we both saw the commentary track on that movie The Limey. I dont think either of us loved that film---we both liekd it OK---but the commentary track features Soderbergh and the screenwriter havign a heated argument about what was left in/left out. Here is a tangent that came out of Dylan and I haggling about that stuff:

I think the problem for me with critiquing other people's methods for creating art is that I don't really have a conscious method any more. I mean, I know, I do have a method but I don't ever think about it and I change it at the drop of a hat when it isn't what I feel like doing. I cut out stuff you or other people might call "the good stuff" and leave in things people call bad drawing and unrealistic writing or whatever. Like you say, doing comics is easier than film but it requires less collaboration. Stubborn people who think they have comics figured out always get mad at me.

I do collaborate with people all the time and it involves having your plans dashed and your heart broken but it can create great stuff and it makes me smarter afterwords. I sort of view each book I do as a collaborative art project where I'm kind of the Producer and the artist is the Director. The problem is that everyone is completely different, so each collaboration is totally unique.

The problem with "good stuff" is that it is totally subjective for me. I don't share taste with almost anyone I've found. Even me and you or me and Tim or me and Emily or me and Andrice or anyone...I just never feel like I agree with people on "the good stuff". Left to my own devices, I would have put out a collection of John Hankiewicz's old comics at 6x9 size or something. But I'm the producer so I listen to the person whose job it is to create the art. I have some say but only as much as the person in charge lets me. Some people want me to be in charge, and I do it only as far as I can.

I don't think I've seen any films by Catherine Breillat. Lang is one director who was famous for breaking people down. I was just reading a part in Mike Leigh interviews where it says he liked Renoir and Lang. Clouzot. I LOVE Clouzot to death but he made his wife have a nervous breakdown on film. He was a dick and he could have gotten great performances out of people without that but the art he had in mind is what he wanted. And cut them up as he wanted. I think, if I didn't like the way somebody was acting like that I'd just leave the group or try and reach a concensous. I was pretty interested in the archetypal approach that Leigh took for Happy Go Lucky, or allowed his actors to take. It sort of deals with why people are the way they are, why we become these extremes. For me, there is this yin-yang mix of control and no-control in art. I love that feeling of letting it go the way it is going and working with people but I also exercise an extreme level of control over where things go. I love how Bresson movies feel more than almost any other movie. He worked with people who were models and he was a control freak but there is this perfect sense of art I get from his movies and it is ultimately because they are his movies first and foremost.

The problem is that the writer wants to leave in everything and not allow Soderbergh to play the conventional role of director. He wants to be the director. And he should. But, when he is collaborating with somebody else in the role of director/producer they get to cut stuff out (they did talk about it though) in most Hollywood agreements. It is frustrating but it is often part of working with other people. It is an interesting situation because it is affected by the conventions of the industry and the art. Watkins makes those choices to allow people working with him to have say on what gets put to film but he will not allow the people selling the stuff to have any say. He still carries bad reviews and bad distribution resentment around like a cross nailed to his back. I mean, in a way he is right, but it is a thing where I believe that complaining about Hollywood or the film industry treats you is kind of like complaining about a Greek restaurant for serving Greek food. That is what they do, they suck. Anytime that the didn't was the result of a few individuals struggle against it, but it never changed. You don't have to be involved in it, you can make your own art. Then a lot less people will see it, but it will be the way you want. Making art isn't what our world has made it into, into making entertainments for money. It can be but that isn't art. Art doesn't entitle you to do well or get what you want out of life. Neither does making entertainment though.

I do believe in the Mike Leigh way of making art, or Watkins too, where you find like minded people and try and work with them as much as possible. It is one way around that system (sorry) but it leads to having to make compromises, they are just less odious. But when you are making a Hollywood movie about the Record Industry with big Hollywood actors, studio backing, and a Hollywood director, that is going to happen. It is something in art that burns out or transforms a lot of artists. They start doing stuff because "they have to" or getting burned out with anger about how nobody respects/understands/allows them to produce their art. I completely sympathize with those people but I also feel like, hey man, try working a day job and then doing what you want. It is actually a more human way to live, less entitlement. Just because you call yourself an artist doesn't mean you have any more rights than anyone else does, and if you engage in a shitty system, then you have all the same rights that everyone else does under that system. You can complain about it and I do feel sympathy but I also feel like telling people "that is what you get."

2011-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

About two years ago, I sent DW an email asking if he could explain Rosicrutian alchemy to me, and define "philosophical mercury", and this was his response:

I can't pretend to know all the allegorical meanings of the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz. I've always understood it to be a metaphorical story about remaking one's self through a series of philosophical examinations/methods. I think that is one of the funniest things about the misinterpretations of alchemy as a literal pseudo science. Mercury (according to my books) represents the "volatile intellect" which is the polar opposite of sulphur which represents the soul.
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/p-philmr.html
I like this quote from a "famous rosicrucian" Julianus de Campis, "our material is of the spirit not of the body".
Just like in Taoism, and Sufism, the thing I love about alchemy is how every single fucking thing is allegory, how everything is a means of talking about something else. It is funny, because everyone I've ever encountered who is deep into this shit uses it as a means of differentiating themselves from the great unwashed masses through hidden knowledge that they've built up...to differentiate them from everyone else. My grandfather was a big fan of the Faire Queene which I've always been scared of reading because I feel like you'd have to have a book five times as big as it to explain it to you.
I'd recommend Yates' book on "the Rosicrucian Enlightenment" which has a chapter on the Wedding, she is much more level headed than all these internet alchemists.
http://books.google.com/books?id=MTvjkifGp04C&printsec=frontcover&dq=frances+yates+rosicrucian+enlightenment&source=bl&ots=nbeHkyMkKh&sig=hjHB7rmTWHtwApQLovCFpiJfTi4&hl=en&ei=puypS4fhIYi4swOrssz3BQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Will you guys shut up about old comics already?!

2011-12-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

SPX 2009

Jason T. Miles and Dylan talk about old comics
until about 4 am while I try to sleep on the floor of our hotel.

Rasa Theory

2011-12-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

From one of the last e-mails I got from him, after a long phone conversation about perceived audiences vs. making art:

On Jul 9, 2011, at 10:10 AM, dylan williams wrote:

This is that Indian theory I was talking bout:
Rasa Theory

Sometimes he seemed to know everything.
I wish I had transcripts of all the phone conversations.

Blood, Hot Dogs and Jesus

2011-12-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

"BLOOOOD!" he was giddy at the site of what might have been blood in the street.

It was so rare that he wasn't ducking out of camera's way, that I was surprised when he wanted to pose in front of this hot dog. It's one of my favorite photos of him.

acting like we're in a death metal band

Wandering around New York

June 3, 2009

Paging Dylan: Comic Books 1936-1950

2011-12-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

At one point Dylan was a very active participant on a private cartoonist's messageboard I ran. I thought I'd post some of his words there, many were lists or mini reviews and thoughts about comics and cartooning. The following is from a thread called "Paging Dylan: Comic Books 1936-1950" asking for Dylan's recommendations. I've collated a few posts into one entry here, but didn't change any of Dylan's text, so some of the references to fellow board members and the conversational nature of the discussion are still very much intact. - ZS

by dylan williams » 26 Feb 2005 05:51 pm
Okay, some of my favorite old comics (some for art, some for story and art):
-Genius Jones (in More Fun and All funny)
-Most of the Atlas Horror books (esp. with Bill Everett, Maneely, Kida, Romita, Jay Scott Pike, Meskin/Roussos, Russ Heath, Joe Sinott art)
-Heroic Comics (great art and real life stories)
-Juke Box (great art and stories about music)
-Big Shot Comics (stay away from these (heh)...I'm working on a collection...but they have Mart Baily's the Face and Skyman which are two of the best superhero comics ever made, writing and art)
-Funny Stuff and Leading Comics with Howie Post or Shelly Mayer Art
-the Sandman (nice archive book)
-Frankentsein (Dick Briefer...of course)
-Scribbly (Shelly Mayer...more of course)
-Bible Tales for Young Folks by Atlas
-Justice Traps the Guilty, Headline, Foxhole, Black Magic and Strange World of Your Dreams (most of the Crestwood stuff has great artists)
-Boy Loves Girl, Crime and Punishment, Crime Does Not Pay, Black Diamond Western, Uncle Charlie's Fables and more Lev Gleason books (I tend to think of Gleason books as really solid old style comics, they have better art and stories than most books from that time and they kept Fred Guardineer in fishing gear...anything he touched I love, hands down)
-The Ringo Kid (Maneely and Kida...and there are reprints in the 60s-70s, thank god)
-Wonder Woman (Peter, so great , I love his non WW stuff but can't afford any of it..Man O' Metal in Heroic and Fearless Flint in Famous Funnies)
-ACG (their writer (wasn't it one dude under all those names) makes silks purse weird stories in both the romance and "horror" books but a lot of the artists aren't my thing except for Emil Gershwin, Ditko, Ogden Whitney and Johnny Craig).
-Al Hartley, Dan DeCarlo, Stan G's Teen/Romance for Atlas
-Tarzan by Marsh (of course)
-The early DC romance books have wonderful art but UGH stories.
-Golden Lad by Meskin
-Black Knight and Speed Carter by Maneely/Kida
-Standard's war comics (really cool art)
-Herbie (of course)
-Plastic Man (of course...and anything by Jack Cole)
-I like a lot of those teen DC books (in the early days)
-Captain Marvel (I love reading CC Beck drawn stuff and even Mac Rayboy...that dude wasn't so bad before Flash Gordon ...which I don't really get)
-I love Dr. Fate (and anything Howard Sherman drew)
-Starman (Burnley is a favorite but the stories are cool too)
-The Ragedy Ann comics dude (CRAZY stories and awesome art)
-Ibis the invicible (Otto Binder writing and cool/stiff art)
That is enough for now. I'm sure there is a ton more.

Mostly, that stuff I enjoy for the art and a simple enjoyable story. Some of it had good solid funny or enjoyable writing but it is far between and often not reprinted. I just have to put that caveat on it cause I always here how comics aren't Madame Bovary or something (not from you Tom). Golden Age superhero writing is a cool thing of its own. More surreal than most any comics writing since then. Maybe it is solid drawing of dudes like Burnley, Sherman, Whitney and so on that make it seem so weird to me with these weird fairy tale/science fiction style stories. All in all Romance comics, Horror and funny comics always seem a little better from back then but I think that is because people go in to the superhero stuff with 60 years of bad superhero baggage. The only popular superhero stuff I really don't care fro from back then is the Marvel stuff and the quality Blackhawk Matt Baker style/non-Cole style stuff.

Big Shot was an anthology comic from the 40s that ran Skyman and the Face as well as Boody Rogers stuff and Dixie Dugan. Wait till I get them all to start buying them or I will hunt you down and kill you.
Skyman was in like 1-45 (or so) and then 49-105 or someting really close to that. It was started by Paul Reinman, mostly drawn by Whitney except when he went into the military (same unit as Fred Guardineer). By the late fourties those are definately him. His style got more open as he went on, the shots became more medium and less long. Also, if it has Hitler and Space Aliens then YES! That is Whitney.
I sent the first one to Toth and got his comments on it, they are up over on the Toth board.
The funniest thing about the comments are that he keeps on going "this isn't Whitney." or "This is an assistant." and then he gets to the autograph (which Whitney would always bury in the later pages of a story for obvious reason) and he goes "Well, maybe this is Whitney."
I tend to think, based on the sheer volume of work that is obviously by him (esp. at ACG) that dude was a workhorse who didn't use assistants but was trying different styles out.
Gardener Fox started Skyman but I'm betting Whitney had something to do with writing those Space/Hitler ones. Fox had left by that point. I don't think I've ever seen that one answered for sure. Bailey was writing the Face/Tony Trent after a while though. Bailey also filled in on some of those Skymans, I seem to remember.

Skyman is basically one of the top 3 or 4 golden age superheroes (I'd say the Face, Sandman and Plastic Man would be my other picks). He is so cool, and the stories are really fun to read. Also, as it goes on it gets so weird. Did you read the Face (Tony Trent) story in that Big Shot? Mart Bailey is so cool once you start reading the stories.

classic

2011-12-21T23:30:00.000-08:00

Dylan Williams and Jason Shiga

San Diego Comic Con 2007

The Publisher looks at the artist's work

2011-12-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

Austin English studio visit

Lower East Side of NY

June 11, 2006

Depiction of a man's butt in my face

2011-12-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

Dylan sent this in an email, it's a good example of him being able to turn a stinky situation into something better. - ZS

Seed and Sprout

2011-12-21T17:18:00.000-08:00

I knew of Dylan longer than I knew Dylan and over the past 3 years Dylan quickly became one of my closest friends, ever. The following emails represent the seed and sprouting of our friendship (as well as the same for my friendships with Zak Sally, Chris Cilla, and Tim Goodyear). Instead of running photos of Dylan (of which I don't have many) I've decided to run photos I think Dylan would've liked (I'll be forever impressed that one of the postcards Dylan made to promote Sparkplug was a photograph of a statue). – Jason T. Miles

From: Chris Cilla
Date: Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: short trunk town
To: JASON T MILES

Hello Jason,

I internet-chatted with Dylan Williams and he said you could sell yer stuff at his table(Sparkplug), he is already selling Dead Ringer, so it makes sense. I will be tabling there & at the Pony Club table, depending on what is going on.

OK I'll see you then!

bye,
Chris C.

From: JASON T MILES
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:16:03 PM
Subject: Hi
To: Dylan Williams

Dylan,

I just thought I'd email you. I've been emailing with Chris Cilla about Stumptown and Chris sez you're cool with me trying to sell my stuff at your table. I appreciate this very much. Also, I've been emailing with zak sally and he sez you've been representing La Mano at shows and that you have copies of Dead Ringer (again, much appreciated). I don't know if you have other people going in on the table with you...? Is there a flat rate? If so please let me know and I can paypal you the money. Or is the cost determined by space? If it's determined by space I guess you should know that I'll have 2 standard sized zines and 1 quarter sized zine. If space is tight I can easily remove the quarter sized zine. I'm down for working the booth or spotting folks for breaks etc. the only thing I have to do time commitment-wise is represent Fantagraphics (my day job) on a panel about submitting work to publishers.

Alright... I think that's it, I'm excited about coming down for the show. I think I'll be driving down from Seattle the morning of Friday the 25th.

Hopefully we can get to know each other better. I first met you a long time ago at the Danger Room in Olympia, and then we met again on the beach in San Diego 4 or 5 years ago - we were both shitfaced and we were drinking a bottle of Maker's Mark whisky together - at one point you were having a hard time standing and you were trying to keep yourself upright and you sort of fell into me and almost pulled my pants down – it was pretty funny. I think it was later that night I drove drunk up the coast and pulled off into a parking lot to pass out. The next morning when I came to, the parking lot had been taped off with that yellow police tape and there were two cops "guarding" the entry/exit of the parking lot. I was pretty scared because I couldn't remember how I got there and I was worried I'd hurt someone. I started up my truck and drove to the exit, rolled my window down and asked the cops which way it was to San Diego and they told me "that way" and I drove off! I was pretty lucky. Anyway, miraculously, I don't drink anymore.

... I didn't know this was going to turn into story time! I hope you don't mind.

Thanks again,
Jason T. Miles.

From: dylan williams
Date: Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Subject: Marker's Make
To: JASON T MILES

Oy! I'm looking forward to having you squat at our tables. There should be plenty of room. I'll work up a schedule depending on who shows up but I'd, of course, love your help with sales or whatever. Hopefully I'll run into you at the Friday party.

Now, as for this whole drinking 5 years ago thing... I quit shortly after that too. I kind of remember your story, so I think we talked about it after that but to be honest, I was completely blacked out well before I was sinking into the sand. That was the first time Tim Goodyear and I hung out too. Ah memories. Anyway, I loved your story about that night though, since I can only reconstruct it from various recording devices and the memories of other drunken idiots. In short, NO MORE DRINKING for me.

I also like the idea of meeting you at the "Danger Room." Sadly I'm old and have alzheimer's or something.

Looking forward to this show for some reason,
Dylan

Some emails I got from Dylan in 2004

2011-12-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

These are emails I still had that Dylan sent me in 2004. Topics covered include publishing, comics, movies, music, health and mutual friends. I think the emails provide a nice, small glimpse of how wide ranging his interests could be and the way we tried to encourage each other to keep digging deeper. I’ve edited them very slightly, just fixing some obviously unintended spelling errors, removing a phone number and one negative trash-talking comment that I doubt Dylan would have wanted public. Sadly, I seem to have lost all our earlier correspondence, which would have dated back at least until 1996, when I moved away from San Francisco. I do have more emails from 2005/6, which I’ll try to post at a later date.
- Jeff LeVine

Thursday, March 11, 2004

Jeez- I've been meaning to write for a while but I'm doing too much shit as always. I'm sorry. Landry was up here for a week and a half too. It was fun. I miss that guy. We talk a lot but I love hanging out with old friends. I have a few good friends here but none that I've known for longer than 5 years.

I'm totally interested in publishing #2. I think, it is obvious, that I'm steering sprkplg in the direction of a comic book publisher and not a book one like TS or Highwater or those guys. I don't know if this is the smartest thing to do in today's market but I feel like it is the thing that makes the most sense to me and it feels genuine. I've still got a lot to learn about how to do this right though. It feels good to publish stuff like yours that I like though so that is what I'll continue with. I think the smaller format thing would work fine. I'm fine with that. Bigger is okay too. I think we could do it around x-mas. I'm thinking we could solicit it a couple months earlier for a December release? So that would mean having it on disk in like Sept/October to send in to Diamond. Then it would get printed in Dec. and sent to the stores in January? Would that work for you? We could even start earlier in August/Sept too. Thanks for the tip off about the jpg too. I'm a slouch on the websites some times. I'm really into Paypal. I get a couple orders a week even now on the old stuff. It helps a bunch and the more I have up the more likely I am to sell the other stuff. I like it cause is a really easy way to track orders. Can't wait to see that new thing you do. I'll write back to the other email from my other address. Thanks for giving me a chance at #2.

-D

Re: san diego / sparkplug Sunday, April 11, 2004

Yo Jeff- Welcome back. I hear from bak that you met him out there. He is a good cat.

I won't be at the table at SD this year but I will send stuff down and it will be a split table with Jesse Reklaw, Thien and Tom Neely. If you want to show up and push the book, I'll check with them but it should be cool. I can also promote it if you want. I'm really jazzed about publishing stuff this year but have NO energy to do shows so I may not go to any and just use the money to do books. I'll be going to stuff next year though. I'll be at the Portland Zine thing and something up in Oly this year though. Thanks for the tip off on some movies on DVD on your site btw. All is dope. I'm back at work in a couple weeks. I'm doing well healthwise.

Let me know if you come up here. I'll be gone one week at the start of June. Take care.

-D

Sunday, April 18, 2004

--- dylan williams <dylan86@earthlink.net> wrote:

Hey, Thank you so much for the zine. GREAT stuff. Me and Ems both were ogling it on the way back from the PO box. Yeah, bak is funny, he pops up everywhere.

So, I just splurged and bought the 200 buck all region player on sale at HKflix at the moment. I loaded up on a ton of kung fu movies (my current re-fetish). I was looking at the new Zatoichi by Takeshi on this site: http://aznfilms.com/default.php/manufacturers_id/80 as recommended by somebody here: http://b16.ezboard.com/bkungfufandom As you know, I'm sure, this is gonna be a BIG problem for me. SO much stuff I can now see. I'm having to go with the best of the best to begin with. I'm thinking of which Shaw Bros movies to see and I remembered you got a set. I'm interested in Eighteen Diagram Pole Fighter and Heroes Two. Would you rate those two well. Also, I was gonna get that Mizoguchi doc from here: http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1002787710/section-videos/code-j/d id-6926/ but it sold out. Is there a place you'd go to find it and other Mizoguchi movies. Also, Bresson? Aww...you know what I'm like, where do you go?

I'm doing really well and go back to work in a few weeks. So it means I'll have more all region money...sadly.

Thanks again.

-DFW

Monday, April 19, 2004

WOW! Thanks for all the info. It helps so much to know all that stuff is out there. 36th Chamber is said to be great so, that is at the top of my list and I'll find Come Drink with me. Thanks for the tip off about Bresson and Mizoguchi. Tonight I found this place, I'm in hog-heaven with this thing but I bet I'll burn out: http://www.calcuttaweb.com/cgi-bin/shop.php?s=USDVD the other Bengali directors are the ones I really can't believe they have.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Yeah, thanks man. It is nice to be free of the monster for a while. My condition is chronic so it may or may not come back. Either way, I'm just enjoying all I can. I haven't told everyone yet (you were on my list) cause I've sort of been in shock about it.

I'm back on work fulltime and publishing is all go for the time being SO...hurry up and finish...heh. Nah, take your time and do what you want. I can't wait to see it either way. I'm knee deep in Kung Fu movies these days thanks to that all region player, though I did just get the two new Bresson DVDs. Life is good, but there is still never enough time.

Take care.

-Dylan

Friday, July 2, 2004

Hey Jeff- Man, I'm back at work and back up to my kneck in shit. Okay, I think it is awesome that Balzac sparked the interest. Only you...or maybe Austin...and me.

Okay, so, it turns out that Longbox was dead until about a week before you wrote when I agreed to work on it with Zack Soto. He and I are sort of co-editing it. We would LOVE to have you involved (of course DAC was my inspiration..duh) and basically doing whatever you'd like. It will have a sort of nerdy bent. The thing we REALLY want to run are reviews. The first issue is packed up with everything else. The second issue is a special issue (on Chinese comics...if you are interested...mostly the Jademan stuff) but after that it is wide open. Let me know what you think? And if you have other ideas. I'm sort of intent on well written articles and so on. I've been kind of picky about the other people involved. Trying to make something about comics that I would actually read. As I barely read the Journal anymore and much prefer Alter Ego (though it is REALLY fannish...). I want a mix of old and new.

Thanks...okay...have to run...ugh. No time...must slow down.

Monday, July 19, 2004

Hey Jeff- I'm sorry to take so long to thank you for the Mizoguchi list. It seems like I never have enough time to do what I want and TOO much time to post stupid shit on the internet. We would love to print anything you feel like writing about comics. After all, honestly DAC is the only real model I've ever had for a good magazine about comics (no BS). Our first issue aims to be done in August to come out at SPX but that may or may not happen. Second issue is going to be all about Chinese comics so if you a have any inclination to learn or write about any Chinese comics (I'm doing it to learn more, the only reason I write about stuff these days...a big excuse to learn shit)....oops I read your email below and I see I already told you that. I think we should expand it to include some of the other cool Chinese stuff.

So, I've been meaning to say, thanks for the push on the all region player. It is the best investment I've made in a while. Seeing those classic Shaw Bros movies and new Japanese, Korean, Indian, European stuff (and classics) is WONDERFUL. I always felt like I'd run out of movies to watch some day, now I know that will never happen. I've had to cut back on buying stuff (spent too much already) and am using that Nicheflix a bunch. But, thanks for the Mizoguchi thing cause I kinda think I'm gonna get it. Have you ever tried to return stuff to Yesasia? They have another CRAZY movie called Chasing Girls that I'm most likely gonna get too. Kevin H. is big into Chekov. I like him but am not overly into what I've read (just short stories and seen the play Cherry Orchard). I'm reading American Tragedy right now by Dreiser and LOVING it. Dude is like the source of so much of my favorite kind of writing. The best of turn of the century Journalism added to 19th century writers like Crane. POIFECT for me. I keep on getting interrupted with other books (research for comics and stuff) and things like that wonderful new 8ball. When I get annoyed by things like that Graphic Novel Manifesto I have only to prop open an issue of 8ball and feel my love for comics return. Thank God.

Take care. Let me know if you need anything for SD. If you feel like going? I've sent some extras of the first issue with Jesse. I can't wait to do number two.

-Dylan

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Hey, sorry I've been flakey. My mom was in the hospital this time. All is good now though and she seems to be out of harms way. I will be at SPX and I'll bring enough WD to hook Mr. Pittsburgh up. Any word on #2? Look forward to it is all, no rush. But as your publisher "Get it done now!"

Hey, I've been so all region crazy lately. I went to the bay and Ben took me to some stores in Chinatown that ROCK, on the main strip there. I found one movie in this Cathay Classics series and am now getting more: http://us.yesasia.com/en/prdGrpDept.aspx?pid=1002493063&code=j§ion=videos& It was a VCD and seemed fine.

I've been loading up on the Shaw Bros movies at Yesasia too, but did manage to find (thanks to Ben) a couple for even cheaper at one store. I figure those Cathay non-kungfu films sort of even out, and I bought the Murnau collection. Have you seen Sunrise? Wasn't in the collection but I rented it through Nicheflix. That was one hell of a movie. I also got Napoleon but turned it off after the Snowball scene. I just didn't care for all that camera work. Murnau does it but it seems more tasteful to me somehow, rather than just being flash. Speaking of that I got a Kino Harold Lloyd collection that is awesome. Really great camera work too. I didn't even realize.

Okay, take care.

-D

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Hey Jeff! I'm super happy to see that cover! It looks great. I was looking at all the comics you have for sale on the site and thinking how much I enjoy publishing your stuff. Hey, can I sell any of those at the SPX show? I could buy like 10 of each just for the show or something? If you are interested. If not, no worries. I could use a PDF of the cover to make a promo or something but we can do that after SPX (in a couple weeks). I figure on having both your book and Eric's new book premier at APE this year. New Reporter will be out for SPX, I'm hoping.

I like the cover. I have an idea, just an idea, see what you think: what if the text were all in a row at the bottom and smaller, like a quarter of an inch to a half an inch tall. I just like the art enough to want to really see it. I'm totally cool with it the way it is though, the colors are GREAT, like last time too. I can't wait to do it. I will give you UPC code. What are the specs for the book: page count, size (smaller still right?), grey tones?, same stock cover/guts?, made out of gold?

Super into girl singers from the sixties these days, saw a show on John Lennon's Juke Box that blew me away.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Hey Jeff- Sorry I've been kind of rude, I've just had a ton of crap going on. Writing, drawing, publishing and more. I'm excited to hear you are coming up and would love to hang out. Saturday is always good for me. Sunday and Monday are a little harder. Ah, but I read your email and it sounds like those are the days. I think lunch on Monday would be cool or something before 3pm on Sunday.

I did get your books and sold them at the show. Thanks so much. There are a few left which I may sell at future shows if that is okay. I also got your email about the site. That was just a temp thing that quickly came down after the show. Hopefully future ones won't be so cut and paste as that one.

So, yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you. Give me a call. Friday nights I'm usually around no problem. Other nights are sort of irregular.

-D

Thursday, December 9, 2004

Hi- Just checking in. I just realized that I never heard from you when you came up here AND I forgot when it was. I'm sorry. Ben Catmull may move down your way so I may come down there some time. I still have fond memories of the movies down there. I think I had more fun on that trip with Frank to LA than I did living in LA. Although I'm sure it wasn't fun at the time (nothing ever is...heh). So anyway, I have a new comic out which I should be send your way one of these days. I've been watching movies, going to work, drawing and more. Life is at its most sublime when it is boring and mundane (for me). Just saw the Swimmer thanks to Sammy's plug, think you'd like that one, I didn't even know of it. All my cancer shit seems to be in remission so I'm cool on that front too.

I hope everything is cool down there. How are you doing? How is the art? Are you still interested in doing something for APE? I will have 1 table there, at which you are welcome. It will be a Sparkplug only table with me manning the helm. Got more plans for world domination in 05.

Take care

-DFW

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

No problem. I'm sure you mentioned this earlier but it is 6x9 too, right? Less heavy paper if I can? I'm thinking that bar code idea is a waste on non-books, so if you think so too we can leave it off. Let me know if I'm right about the other info and I can ask for the quote. I'm sort of thinking around 4 bucks but we'll see.

I got Yakuza Papers this week but have no time to watch it. My mom got me the Marx bros set with all the good ones (most of the good ones). I watched Animal Crackers (the school one..I think that is the name). I hadn't seen that in years and was so happy...so SO happy to watch it. I also finally watched Gertrude (the Dreyer movie) which was a movie made for me. I loved it. With all the horror in the world I'm trying to remember to enjoy any little moment I can.

Take care, happy Holidays and all that shit...

Oh yeah, the piece about the Egyptian theater on Black Rose Mansion made me want to come down there BIG time.

-D

Dogs!

2011-12-15T19:23:00.001-08:00

somewhere in New York City

June 3, 2009