Freddie and me : Mike Dawson

Reviews from verbal issue 19. This one was rejected months ago, but the tune was changed once i took out some....errr.....sailor talk.

Ciaran Flanagan assures us, this comic really will ‘rock you’.

Queen and I

Freddie & Me, Mike Dawson (Jonathan Cape)

Even at the best of times, autobiographical comics are a funny wee beastie. It might just be me, but there’s something quite disturbing about an anthropomorphic version of a real life person pouring their heart and soul onto the page for the benefit of the fan boys (who can then, presumably, enjoy the vicarious thrills of having a social life or perhaps even a girlfriend). But to tell ones life-story in comic form, using the career arc of prog-rock/opera, super group Queen, as inspiration and reference point; that takes a special kind of bravery or mania. Mike Dawson is one such courageous madman.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that there is anything wrong, per se, with slavish fan-boy devotion to either music or comics (given that I have a Rolling Stones tattoo and review graphic novels), but it seemed to me that it would be bit of a stretch to match up the events of one’s life with the career of a band like Queen - especially given that their front man snuffed it in 1991. Not so. From his humble beginnings as a child in Leighton Buzard all the way to his later life as a struggling artist in New York, Dawson is able to use Freddie Mercury and the boys (and also, curiously, George Michael’s Wham) as a point of reference, a point of discussion and, interestingly, a point of view (literally in some cases). Although there’s a little childhood trauma and teen angst, in the main its all either pleasant nonsense or George Michael based flights of fancy. The art is nice enough. Nothing flashy, just good solid work. What makes it stand out is his use of partial frames, extreme close ups and darkness; to create a sense of suspense around what is essentially mundane.

At times the ‘Queen Love’ becomes a little nauseating (especially when referring to the Ben Elton penned musical ‘sensation’ We Will Rock You) and ultimately you have to learn to live with it. But dear me, don’t say you love Queen as much as this man.

If you’re a fan of the hard rocking, apartheid cultural embargo breaking, Wayne’s World inspiring, hair/teeth pop combo - you will LOVE this. If you are indifferent to them (as I am) you will still really enjoy it. Go out of your way to find it.

Never published review

I thought this one was funny as fuck

The Beatles : A Diary

Omnibus Press

Barry Miles

There must be at least a million books about The Beatles. Seriously. One Million. In fact I’ve just checked on Amazon, and there are exactly a million, covering everything from their music and lyrics, to charting Ringos beard growth (an underrated classic). This makes one million and one. The Beatles: A Diary charts the story of the Beatles on a day by day basis from 1934 through to 1970. Day by Day. For thirty-six years. Who needs that? Who needs to know that on February the 3^rd 1972 Ring visited the American embassy in Paris to get a work visa? A pedant perhaps or a maniac that’s who. Still as it’s a pretty good resource as far as track and set lists go, and there are some nice photos, i'm going to say this book is the ideal Christmas gift for any Beatles fan. Can’t say fairer than that now can I.

Death Of WCW Review .

The next issue of Verbal was to feature my review of The Death Of WCW . But sadly because god hates me it was cut from 500 words down to 100. For fucks sake. Anyway. Heres what it should have looked like.

The Death of WCW.

Bryan Alvarez and R.D Reynolds

ECW Press,Canada

ISBN-10: 1550226614

Wrestling With Disaster.

Right, let’s get this out of the way: I KNOW ITS FAKE! My interest in the pseudo sport of pro wrestling lies firmly within the realms of backstage drama and political machinations. OK? GOOD!

This is the true story of the rise and fall of a family run business that sat at the edge of bankruptcy for decades and was saved by a benevolent billionaire and ultimately rendered useless by mismanagement over ambition, stupidity and the rock band KISS

In 1998 the Ted Turner Owned World Championship Wrestling became the most successful Pro-Wrestling company ever, IN THE WORLD,EVER, turning a profit in excess of $ 80 million dollars, and attracting over six million viewers for its flagship weekly television show Monday Nitro. Three years later the company was dead, having lost over 80 million dollars and 95% of its viewing audience. How could this have happened? How could a publicly traded company be so mismanaged as to be rendered less than worthless in such a short space of time?

In many ways The Death of WCW is a whodunit although sadly one which is never resolved .Author Bryan Alvarez is well known in wrestling “insider” circles as a top journalist and approaches the subject as if it were a ‘real’ sport. His descriptions are both factual and hilarious, balancing in depth ratings information alongside descriptions of Hulk Hogan’s battle with an Egyptian mummy that has escaped from a block of ice. Really

He is not afraid to point the finger at those he sees as responsible for the companies’ destruction. . The key culprits ( some of them well known individuals like Hulk Hogan and Ted Turner ), take it in turns to point fingers at each other , never once admitting any culpability in the destruction of thousands of peoples livelihoods. Sadly Alvarez’s account comes too little too late, and the lessons learned from this book are still being ignored today by wrestling companies the world over.

Professional wrestling has been run for years by carnival hustlers, shysters, and money hungry hicks, out to trick their punters (known affectionately as marks) out of every penny they can get, all the while acting in the manner of a secret fraternity or quasi Masonic brotherhood Some of the business practices described in this book are just unbelievable. Like setting moon shine swilling hillbillies loose in the New York Stock Exchange.

For fans of the mat game Death of WCW serves as a depressing, frustrating and yet hilarious reminder of what was and what still could be. For non fans it will save as a case study in rank stupidity.

This is essential reading for anyone who wishes to know how not to run a business.

Picture worth a million zillion billion words

What The fuck is going on here?

A History of Bullshit......

Jesus, I love the Internet


a history of internet Memes!!!!




See if you can spot your faveorite flash in the pan!!!!!!

what what , in the butt!!!

Bernie Brillstien RIP

Couldn't let the day pass without commenting on the death of Bernie Brillstien, one of the unsung heroes of late seventies and early eighties comedy. Without him we would have no Muppets, Sarurday Night Live, Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters, or It's a Gary Shandling Show. Of course we have him to thank for ALF, but he's dead so i think we can let bygones be bygones.
He was the manager of not only John Belushi, but John Candy , and also Chris Farelly. Upon hearing of the latters death he famously quipped " I wish my fat clients would stop dieing"
Classy!!!!
Theres a great obit here. I recomend you check it out

cfx

A Change is Gonna Come..........

Words fail me for some of the shit on this list of the most racist toys ever made. Still , i have to admit that i would do anything, up to and including anything, for Hitlers Limo. Check that motherfucker out.

I wonder if i could get a David Bowie Figure and stick that in too!!!!