tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:36:00 +0000Graphic Novelist <a href="mailto:ding@candlelightpress.com">John Ira Thomas</a> writes about comics, the relative ballpoint traction of napkins, and other matters of import. <a href="http://www.candlelightpress.com/john.htm">Here's more about him.</a>http://www.johnirathomas.com/noreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)Blogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-1617897053261919992Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:36:00 +00002010-02-01T14:36:00.341-08:00Went in for the last day and they tell me that they've been asked to stay open two more weeks. Damn!Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - THE SCARECROWKip Winger - SONGS FROM THE OCEAN FLOORVarious - DON'T TOUCH MY 45s: GREAT LOST SINGLES OF THE 80sProject: Failing Flesh - A BEAUTIFUL SICKNESSObscenity - DEMO - NIACMorifade - DOMI-NATIONHagalaz Runedance - FRIGGA'S WEBEndo - EVOLVECarmine Appice's Guitar http://www.johnirathomas.com/2010/02/funny-thing-happened-at-mall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-5184464720736440779Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:00:00 +00002010-01-31T14:35:43.853-08:00Billy May - JOHNNY COOL OSTBritny Fox - BITE DOWN HARDBattered - s/tSqueeze - BABYLON AND ONItzhak Perlman and John Williams - CINEMA SERENADE 2 THE GOLDEN AGEBeautiful Creatures - DEUCEU.S. Roughnecks - s/tRalph Burns - LENNY OSTKenny Rogers - THE GAMBLER (this is actually one of the first albums I ever owned. I got it for Christmas as a cassette with my first tape player--I just spent 10 http://www.johnirathomas.com/2010/01/im-researching-so-it-only-looks-like.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-1621632944664381008Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:41:00 +00002010-01-24T12:52:03.134-08:00Johnny Mandel -- I WANT TO LIVE OSTVarious -- 12 MONKEYS OSTRobert Johnson -- THE COMPLETE RECORDINGSVarious -- THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OST Chris Coco -- CHILLIN AT THE PLAYBOY MANSIONKim Richey -- s/tLair Of The Minotaur -- WAR METAL BATTLE MASTERThe [Notorious] Cherry Bombs -- s/tFreddy Fender -- EL MEJOR DE FREDDY FENDER V1Ignitor -- THE SPIDER QUEENLiz Phair -- EXILE IN GUYVILLE (2 disc reissue)http://www.johnirathomas.com/2010/01/cantstopgoingtofye.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-4653384260989442683Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:16:00 +00002010-01-09T15:22:59.639-08:00Pop and Rock time:CAITLIN CARY - I'm Staying Out THE GRIFTERS - Ain't My LookoutGEORGE MICHAEL - Listen Without Prejudice PARIS HILTON - s/tTHE HARDSHIP POST - Somebody SpokeGRAHAM CENTRAL STATION - s/tPETER CASE - Six-Pack Of LoveMADELINE BELL - Bell's A Poppin'AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED - Frozen Corpse Stuffed With DopeLOUDON WAINWRIGHT III - Here Come The ChoppersDANIEL LANOIS - Shinehttp://www.johnirathomas.com/2010/01/okay-so-i-went-back-to-fye.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-215341612169436310Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:42:00 +00002010-01-06T13:50:22.565-08:00Cheap Metal! 50% off! I looted the used stuff.SHUVEL - Set It Off PRESSURE 4-5 - Burning the Process OF GRAVES AND GODS - Slitthroat Andromeda FUELED - In The House Of The Enemy ABSENCE - From Your Grave AETURNUS - ...And So The Night Became TO MY SURPRISE - s/t ANGEL BLAKE - s/t DOKKEN - From Cenception Live 1981 ALASTIS - The Other Side DEMIRICIOUS - One (Hellbound) AUDREY HORNE - No Hay Banda http://www.johnirathomas.com/2010/01/another-round-of-grave-robbing-at-coral.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-5603335243604835088Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:49:00 +00002009-12-27T11:52:37.232-08:00RAVAGE - The End of TomorrowSANDRA BERNHARD - Everything Bad and BeautifulSHIRLEY BASSEY - Kiss Me Honey Honey Kiss MeAGATHODAIMON - PhoenixKELLY PARDEKOOPER - Brand New BagThe guy checking me out looked at these and said "Um, you know these aren't returnable."http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/12/loof-from-decaying-corpse-of-fye-coral.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-596034106266736832Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:17:00 +00002009-12-22T16:20:20.885-08:00The Silos--LASER BEAM NEXT DOORDiamanda Galas--THE SINGERThe Barracudas--THE COMPLETE EMI RECORDINGSGirls In Trouble--GIRLS IN TROUBLESex Mob--SOLID SENDERSex Pistols--SPIRIT OF '76Sex Pistols--CHAOSThe Amazing Jimmy Smith Trio--LIVE AT THE VILLAGE GATEhttp://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/12/record-collector-loot-122209.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-600903813337926174Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:23:00 +00002009-12-17T14:02:33.235-08:00...had me as a virtual guest via Skype today. 20 minutes for a club meeting reminded me of how rigorously subdivided the schoolday is. If I had bells and a schedule at home, I think the Hawkeye Football project would be done already.Jim Calkins invited me and led the questioning. The atmosphere was fast-paced, even scrappy at times. These kids want to learn. Here is something of a re-enactment, http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/12/graphic-novel-club-of-west-branch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-2901445524518244977Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:25:00 +00002009-11-07T11:27:26.849-08:00Was the little girl who saw copies of Organelle and begged her grandma for it. Alas, she'd spent her allotment and the look from grandma said "Don't just give it to her; let her learn something." At least I think that's what that look was....http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/11/my-current-favorite-moment-of-comic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-7813058710931999063Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:12:00 +00002009-11-04T17:15:11.497-08:00MAILORDER IS FUN--Asian Man RecordsLIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD AGAIN--John Coltrane (until I find disc 3 of LIVE IN JAPAN, this version of My Favorite Things will have to do)MARS VOLTA--The Bedlam In GoliathED WOOD (Soundtrack)--Howard ShoreGANG WAR--Wayne Kramer and Johnny ThundersCOUPLES IN TROUBLE--Robbie FulksEASTERN TWIN--Martin TillmanSPACE & TIME--Miss Alex White & The Orchestrahttp://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/11/loot-from-record-collector-11409.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-8174273552688151771Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:18:00 +00002009-10-30T13:20:35.933-07:00Ah, well. It makes April more manageable. So where should we go instead? Hmmm.http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/10/wait-listed-for-c2e2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-6236177336823077750Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:38:00 +00002009-10-21T18:40:05.298-07:00I was just talking with my mother about this today. She's very Republican, a Fox watcher. But she went through the same stuff I did when Dad got sick and passed away and she has lots of friends who have been put in financial dire straits by an ill loved one. She'd expressed her reservations about the government getting into Health Care and this popped out of my mouth.Imagine The Government didn'thttp://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/10/thought-experiment-on-health-care.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-2413500144096068774Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:53:00 +00002009-10-20T04:53:00.093-07:00Here are some random pics from my Colorado trip.http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/10/catching-up-colorado-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-4377332795793085279Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:15:00 +00002009-11-17T17:19:16.983-08:00It's a week out from the Minnesota Fallcon and here's the report and pics.Will G and I drove to Des Moines to meet up with Carter, who had rented a rather nice Ford Edge for the journey north. We'd been to Fallcon a few times earlier in the decade, but we'd been absent for the last four or so. We're stepping up our con presence now, and this seemed an obvious choice. Tables are free and they're http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/10/catching-up-fallcon-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-6985454937599997897Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +00002009-10-18T09:00:00.244-07:00Every month or so, either Will and I go up to Des Moines or Carter comes back to Iowa City/Coralville and we strategize, work on stuff together, or, um, go watch the Hawkeyes beat Penn State at a tiki bar.The following video is not Bigfoot. Yes, we're wearing flight helmets. Watching this, you know what I know about the night. http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/10/catching-up-september-clp-summit-in-des.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-6002253171999402994Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:08:00 +00002009-09-22T07:58:02.816-07:00Spent the other weekend visiting family in SE Colorado. As promised, pics.Wiley, taken from the step of my sister's house. The rental car I got in Pueblo can be seen at right. Somehow ended up with the exact same make model and color car that Tracy has. Crazy. The shifter was supposed to be automatic, but in the "D" slot there was a + and a -. Every 20mph the engine went RRRRRRRRRRR like it was http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/09/colorado-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-6483339516819316633Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:56:00 +00002009-09-16T09:57:59.155-07:00We're confirmed for the Minnesota Fallcon (the new to me web address: http://midwestcomicbook.com/ ), so all systems are go! Was in Colorado to see the family for several days. Stories and pics and movies to come.http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/09/this-just-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-9175411740873598472Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:06:00 +00002009-09-02T20:35:09.017-07:00Last year I self-released an hour-long bit of reductive sonic madness called Organelle (wearing my There Goes Neutro hat). It was originally an installment of a radio show on Iowa City Free Radio several years ago (when it was still over by Dirty John's), and it was a fun challenge. Every two weeks I had to produce an hour of original noise; it was a great way to hunker down and just make http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/09/i-make-noise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-4854708916325987926Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:39:00 +00002009-09-01T16:46:41.903-07:00Got an email today from the folks who run the Des Moines I-Con confirming we're good to go for a table Nov 7. Carter, meself and Wills Beard and Grant will be appearing.Also am attempting what is either a genius idea or a genius idea that's too damn hard to do with my family tree research. There's a county of some interest for Thomas research and there's a bit of a wall there. I've doped out all http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/09/i-con-confirmed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-9081977354609446600Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:55:00 +00002009-08-29T20:08:32.257-07:00I'm working on a crime series with Will Beard right now. We somehow always kept doing cowboy ideas, so we worked to break the cycle for now. I asked what I always ask the artist--"What do you want to draw?"Will's answer: crime. We're both great admirers of Eduardo Risso's work, so we knew it would look noir. But was it going to be noir? Well, it's going to be a pretty modern tale of theft and http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/new-script-whatever-its-called.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-4297296163874326431Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:47:00 +00002009-11-17T17:35:17.238-08:00Came home from a dinner out with Lonnie to celebrate his son Sam's 17th Birthday (Sam and his pals sat at another table, chillin'), and saw the neighbor's sump output blasting away and didn't see mine going. Came inside, made a joke to Mom about the basement being flooded, hit the last step to the basement, and squish.One hour at time and a half later, Robert from Professional Plumbing (http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/jesus-hopping-christ-more-flooding.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-7891973785441448333Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:03:00 +00002009-09-22T08:20:56.346-07:00Carter tells me he found out last weekend was the last weekend before school in Orange County started. Another factor dampening things? Could be. All the same, I think we're coming to the big Megacon anyways. We met some good folks and I think we can build on what we've started there.Okay, pics and video.Went to the Ripley's believe It Or Not Museum on Friday and saw the genuine Vampire killing http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/visuals-and-more-theory.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-4370736990558370793Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:47:00 +00002009-08-24T09:50:06.312-07:00Well, that's not promising. We were sent cards to provide info about ourselves and to confirm we're coming and need a table and they all came back in the mail as RETURN TO SENDER UNLCAIMED UNABLE TO FORWARD. I even sent them in a certified mail envelope--the last time we went they said the never received my email conformation (When presented with a copy of the correspondence they found us space, http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/just-got-our-fallcon-confirmation-cards.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-2685107778676018228Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:12:00 +00002009-11-17T17:30:31.984-08:00Well I'm back in Iowa. Carter shouldered the load today since Allegiant Air was only gonna take me back to CR today. We finally got some books sales on top of Carter's commissions (a Starscream, a Leeja Clane and a magic soldier) after I left, but overall the first MiniMegaCon seemed a bit hamstrung. Lots of Artist Alley spaces were empty this morning and the exodus came fast, according to Carterhttp://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/minimegacon-day-2-and-conclusions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8320402551832319119.post-2523080109286119333Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:50:00 +00002009-11-17T17:32:51.828-08:00This is an interesting show. Books aren't moving, but Carter has taken several commissions. The bent of MiniMegaCon seems more toward art pieces than books. We chatted up many folks, gave them the rap on stuff like Sprocket...art book of movies that never got made...they look, the laugh, they say thanks and ask if Carter's drawing.It's just what they want. The requests are even cool. One fellow http://www.johnirathomas.com/2009/08/late-late-late-day-one-capper.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John Ira Thomas)0