Friday, July 31, 2015

Is Atticus Finch a Racist?

I cannot say for sure yet, I do how ever hear the same arguments today from people that lived back in that day.  I have been slowly been reading Harper Lee's sequel to "To Kill A Mockingbird," "Go Set A Watchman."  It is like the first book in that this is the story of Scout.  Jean Louise Finch is a grown woman that has come home to find the things she knew and grew up with are alongside feelings and prejudices she is and was blind to growing up.

This book could have been easily finished by me in a day.  I have been processing chapters and moments.  Each has been familiar in terms of my own growing up in rural Western North Carolina.  It is a dual look for me, as I understand the other side presented in terms of sometimes sitting with people I disagree with to accomplish things.  I do this often when in the presence of fundamentalist and conservative Christians.  

I will write a complete review soon, but for now realize that the critics focused on a part of the book that is not the whole.  I have laughed and almost cried as I read this novel.  Whatever is said, Harper Lee is a great author and writer.

BDS

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Heroes Convention 2015 part 2: Sketches and Prints


So I am attempting for a second time to upload and write about HeroesCon that happened almost a month ago now.  I tried last week and had a trifecta of problems that just made me give up.  I am now going to attempt to post a bit on my commissioned sketches and some small prints I bought.  I hope this works because I believe I am passing another Kidney Stone.  


I will first try and display the work of Mike Maihack.  He is the creator of the excellent Cleopatra in Space series.  He did the sketch of Huntress in my Sketch Book last year.  This year I decided to ask about my Word Girl/Captain Huggyface idea.  He was doing these watercolor commissions and I had to choose, so Captain Huggyface now is immortalized in my collection.  I am putting a scan of a print from him as well.  He is awesome and I bought other large prints, but the little Batgirl is nice.

 


Next we have the Kevin Sharpe and the sketch I had done for my book.  I saw and then later that day bought a large Lion-O print from him.  It was that print that had me ask for Panthro.  I am sorry it does not show up well in the book.  The scan did not capture it all either.  So you get only the partial glory of this part of my collected sketches.
 
During one of Things From Another Universe's sales I picked up a sketch cover issue of The All New Captain America #1.  I also bought the regular cover.  I have not collected Marvel in current form for around ten years now.  I did know Sam Wilson, aka. The Falcon had been tapped to be the new Cap.  I sought out an artist to do my cover.  I always try and have at least one woman in my grouping of sketch requests.  Sometimes it is almost always women creators who I pick.  I saw Bridgett Connell and knew I had found my artist.  She had renderings of birds and wings in her art that was for sale.  That was perfect as I had planned on requesting Redwing and the Shield to be my cover image.  I did not realize this was a color commission.  The results are OUTSTANDING.  I mean this is just gorgeous.  The even cooler part is that just near her was Stuart Immonen who did the interior art for the book.  So it has an original cover and it is sign by the artist.  Pretty sweet huh?


Last is the small work I bought from an artist who I have just fallen in love with their work.  Her name is Laura Truxillo.  She has developed a look for the characters she does.  I bought Richard's either Birthday or Christmas present from her.  I couldn't resist buying this Guy Gardner print.  She did a Mera Sketch for my book a couple of years back.



So that is the art project part of HeroesCon.  I still have more to write.  Just working it in between summer work and passing kidney stones.
BDS