“ART”
When I talk about art I don’t mean whatever magazine considers high brow. I mean the low brow, mid brow, unibrow, all of it. It tends to sound kinda nonsensical, but I’d argue that that there’s art in every human creation. There’s a thought and process to creating something from nothing. And there’s a pride to it all, the same pride a stone mason or graffiti artists gets when they stand back and take in their finished product. I’ll continue to champion anyone who is brave enough to create and build something from their imagination. And we don’t need to like every style or art, or watch every movie, or argue a song is the best of all time. But we should acknowledge and respect the grit, time, and effort that goes into getting something off the ground and plopping it up on a stool for all to see.
I’ve spent much time in my past in rooms full of writers and it was sometimes nerve wrecking because there were always people in there who tried to make your stuff better and would tear your piece up and make you feel bad for your decisions as a storyteller/writer. But I remember what a friend in my cohort once told me after giving me notes. He said, “ But ultimately, it’s your story, and you don’t have to listen to anyone if that’s not what you want to do with your story”. And holy crap it was like a veil was peeled from my face! All these fear of expectations and pleasing others just vanished! I had to create what I wanted to. He was right! Thanks Seth if you’re reading this!
To boil it down, I’m not one of those harsh critic types, who shit on everything in existence just to discredit or devalue something they don’t like. Because I find that the harshest critics tend to be the individuals who don’t have the courage to share anything they’ve created. But that doesn’t mean I can’t nitpick and argue things don’t work or could have been better, or give explanations to why a certain piece of work wasn’t my cup of tea. I have the education and background to at least have some validation there, like the elitist POS I am.
But I like to give artists the benefit of the doubt. I know how hard it is to create something and present it to the world. I love to see people attempt art, and I’m always going to support artists creating their art. Especially when they complete it. I used to be a wee lad and start a ton of projects and never finish but eventually I sat my ass down and did the work (a tip I offer anyone is you have to do the work and build discipline to the craft). And when you finally finish something and hold it up to the light and reflect on your accomplishment, well it feels amazing. So I never want to minimize that feeling for anyone.
In other words, I try not to say something is bad. I tend to look for the merit in someones vision and attempt at creating something. I applaud any artist who creates a thing and finishes said thing. It’s really difficult to do that.
That was a long intro…
Yeah sorry about that I got carried away.
Anyways, without further ado here is my “BEST OF 2022”!
Pretty much all of these things I liked. Movies, TV, music, books, comics, et al. types of media I enjoyed immensely and did what it was set out to do. Whether it be to entertain, educate, make us question, or a bit of everything, these things did just that in MY opinion. There’s a ton more I wish I could add on here but I didn’t have the space or time to fit everything in.
Also most of these things came out in 2022, but there are some that may be old books and films I read or watched for the first time this year.
So really this “list” is not ranked or in order, because it’s not much of a list at all, it’s just stuff I really enjoyed. Not throwing shade anywhere just all praise, cuz that’s what we should be doing homies!
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Supergirl covered in blood staring off into the distance This one is a miniseries that started in 2021 and ended 2022 so it counts for sure! This gem is written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely. The art is gorgeous is just amazing. Bilquis is a Brazilian artist who draws this crazy cosmic backgrounds and rural planets, that feels like a space western but still has the scope of a Moebius Sci-fi. And Tom King writes Supergirl like she’s Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. It’s no secret he used ideas from True Grit for this short series, he mentioned it on several podcasts, but it doesn’t feel redundant here and the superhero genre really lends to the narrative. She has her own child sidekick who swore revenge on Krem, a criminal alien who murdered her father, and now has hired Kara Zor-EL to deliver that justice. The best part is that it’s all told in this wonderful prose in the POV of th sidekick, Ruthye. It’s a great ride that hits the familiar beats but also hits the emotion of a coming of age story. My favorite issue was #3, which King masterfully used to unfold a tragic tail of bigotry with dramatic art by Bilquis. Amazing book.
The Yakuza
Poster for The Yakuza This new-noir from 1974 stars the great Robert Mitchum and is directed by Sidney Pollack. It also stars Ken Takakura as a total badass. Let me just tell you, this is one hell of a ride. It might feel dated to some, might have some white savior complex stuff in there, but when you boil it down this is an immersive crime thriller. Essential Mitchum plays a Private Eye, which fits because he’s one of the classic noir actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. It fits so well, and to top it off, Ken Takakura plays an ex-Yakuza captain. Mitchum goes to Japan to help a friend retrieve his daughter who was kidnapped and everything goes crazy. If I say anymore I’ll spoil it’s many plot twists and turns, and I don’t want that because that’s the fun of this film, and every noir film for that matter. What makes me a huge fan of the genre is that it plays with one of my fave drops which is a morally ambiguous protagonist who makes bad decisions with good intentions and causes the plot to spiral out of control. Also the samurai action from Ken Takakura! Holy Shit! That guy can swing a katana! WATCH!
Human Target
Cover to issue 1 of the series by Greg Smallwood This one is technically still going! So it def is a 2022 book! Another Tom King limited series! This one is a 12 issue maxi, and surprise it’s a noir! But the spectacular part of it is that the backdrop of this noir is the DC universe. It’s got the aesthetic of Mad Men nostalgia with amazing art and colors by Greg Smallwood, who cannot get enough credit for this gorgeous series. The way he uses the colors and the iconography of the DC universe heroes works so well with the story that King tells. The gist is that Christopher Chance, Human Target, gets poisoned because his job is to disguise himself and get “killed” to find the real killers that suspicious folk hire him to find. This time he dressed as LEx Luthor because Lex knew someone was going to attempt to assonate him but not sure who or how. Well Christopher Chance is good at his job, so good that he actually gets poisoned. Now it’s a race for him to solve who poisoned him. Each issue showcases a different JLI member, and it’s a hell of a ride. This one is great for comic lovers of the lighthearted “Bwa-ha-ha” era of Justice League and classic noirs like D.O.A., which it borrows heavily from. A vibrant art book about a private eye trying to survive in a superhero universe. Perfect for all nerds.
Dandelion Wine
Cover of the 1977 paperback edition of Dandelion Wine This is one charming book. It’s based off several interconnecting short stories which were all previously published individually, something which Ray Bradbury is no stranger to considering his other short story cycles like Martin Chronicles and the Illustrated Man are as well. But whereas those other novels are populated with Sci-fi shorts, this one is about a small midwestern town from yesteryear, and it’s about the small intimate moments of its citizens. IT has a lot of heart, but also has a lot of great twists, like a story about a witch who may or may not be cursing her neighbor, or a man who creates a happiness machine in his garage and the whole town comes to see. There is even a murderer on the loose! Bradbury writes about his childhood in an America that is no longer here, and uses the novel’s character Douglas Spaulding, a 12 year old boy, to be his avatar in what feels like a recollection of Bradbury’s imaginative childhood. It’s a sweet book and I would say that anyone who wants to write short fiction should study Bradbury and his craft.
WESTLAKE: POEMS BY WAYNE KAUMUALII WESTLAKE (1947-1984)
Portrait of Wayne Kaumualii Westlake I’ve written about this poet before on this here Substack, and am happy to mention him again. Wayne Kaumualii Westlake lived a short life but was a prolific poet who produced a large body of work. His poetry was influenced by the Toaism he translated and has a simplicity and natualsitc feeling like the Japanese haiku. His Hawaiian heritage shines throughout his work and is in every facet of his unique writing and art. This collection, which you can get here is amazing. It gave me so much creative inspiration, and i’m glad I stumbled upon his work at an art exhibit on Oahu, where his work on display really spoke to me. There’s few times where you get that sense that what you’re seeing is going to influence you immediately, and this was one of those times. I can’t recommend this poetry enough.
Andor
Promo art for Andor It’s the Star Wars show I always wanted, meaning it’s sophisticated, mature, and deals with real world problems and not space wizards like the films. Andor follows the titular character Cassian Andor, and his ascent into the Rebellion. We see how he grows from an indigenous child stripped from his planet, to the adoptive son of thieves, then a fugitive, a mercenary, a prisoner, and ultimately a revolutionary. It’s a show that delves deep into the philosophy of revolution, and how to rally and organize a society into supporting a just cause. And not all of it is beautiful, there is a lot of sacrifices to be made, for the proto-rebels, and we see that they have to get their hands dirty just as much as the Empire and its oppressive officers. It’s well done in the way that it really shows the human element of the Star Wars franchise, which I feel was much needed after saturating it with fan favorite characters and Jedis. It shows the banality of evil, and the horrors of war. It’s Star Wars for the fans who grew up and don’t want t “War” part of Star Wars dumbed down. The political thriller in space works so well to not Darth Vader or the emperor, but plain officers and storm troopers became actual threats again, thanks to the tense atmosphere this show conveyed throughout the season. The Empire in this first season feels like a stones throw away of were our society could be headed, and it made me genuinely afraid for the characters because the Empire had become terrifying for me once again.
Public Domain
Cover to issue 1 of Public Domain by Chip Zdarsky A comic book about people who make comic books. It’s so damn meta and satirical, I immediately gravitated toward it. Cartooned by Chip Zdarksy, which means he wrote, drew, colored, inked and lettered each issue all by himself. A really crazy feat to do considering he does this monthly! Most comics are a collaborative effort with a professional doing one part of the process, but not Chip! He’s an overachiever! What makes this indie comic special is its humor. It pokes fun at the Marvel universe and it’s long, interconnected franchise that now seems impentetrable if you have not been watching their films since 2008. It’s about creator rights, which in comics is still a huge debacle, considering it wasn’t until recent years that many creators finally got the credit they deserved, such as Jack Kirby and Bill Finger, who now have their names on the big screen next to the characters they created. This comic is about one particular creator, an artist named Syd Dallas who is responsible for his world’s most popular superhero: THE DOMAIN! His sons Miles and David have a complicated relationship with their father because of his absence in their childhood making comics to put food on the table, but when their lives take a turn for the worse, they find an old contract that states their father owns the character rights, not the evil corporation who over mines their IP. Now Dallas family fights for their family’s legacy, which is more than just comics. It’s a family drama that has a lot of heart and humor to balance the depiction of shady media conglomerates. This is a for any fan of comics, superior movies, or just a good family comedy/drama.
This Place Rules
Illustrated promo art for This Place Rules Documentary Holy Shit, This one just dropped 12/30/2022 so it’s a 2022 production by technicality, barely making it, but hot damn this was fucking hilarious! This is a documentary that shows all the tension in the USA that lead up toe the Insurrection of January 6th. It’s directed by Andrew Callaghan in his directorial debut. Some of you may recognize Callaghan from Youtube or social media, he is the presenter and co-founder of Channel 5, a digital media company and web channel known for its gonzo journalism and interviews which he conducts across the US of A at various conventions and protests. It highlights the huge divide in political ideology in the US nation, and who is profiting from it. Spoiler alert, it’s the people causing the divide. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in politics, current affairs, and comedy. I wish I was being ironic, but this had generally funny bits in it, but it makes you reflect on the absurdity you just laughed at from both left and right extremists spewing stupid rhetoric. And you realize, “Holy shit our country is fucked.”
The Sandman
Once thought to be be impossible to adapt for screen or film because of its multilayered and interweaving narrative that jumps throughout time and focuses on numerous characters, it was in development hell for decades. But Neil Gaiman and Netflix have finally teamed up to give us one of the best comic book adaptions ever. Thanks to the serialized format of Netflix's shows, this first season was a fantastic. It has just enough changes from the source material to keep it fresh and relevant to contemporary times, while also building on the mythology and letting this universe stand on its own. See, the original comic series was tied to the DC universe, but Netflix wanted this series to be separate from that, and the writing staff did a great job knowing what characters or scenes to switch up a little to still translate well on screen. It has the eerie gothic vibe form the comics, and has some great recreation of famous panels from Gaiman’s run that will have comic fans do the Leo meme where he snaps at the TV. I look forward to future seasons of the show.