Support STRIPPED: THE COMICS DOCUMENTARY

Longtime readers of this site will know how much I love Dave Kellett’s excellent webcomic, Sheldon. You may not, however, be aware that Kellett is also working on a much bigger project about comics itself, Stripped: The Comics Documentary. Kellett and his partner, filmmaker Fred Schroeder, have spent the last year or two travelling the country interviewing as many of the world’s greatest living comic strip cartoonists as they can about their craft. Jim Davis (Garfield), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Stephan Patsis (Pearls Before Swine), Scott Kurtz (PVP), Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik (Penny Arcade), Greg Evans (Luann), Kristofer Straub (Starslip and Chainsawsuit) and Brad Guigar (Evil, Inc.) are among the many, many people they’ve sat down with.

Kellett and Schroeder are in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to finish the movie. They’ve already reached their goal of $58,000 with more than 20 days to go, but they’ve decided to keep pushing ahead in the hopes of raising enough money to hit a few more goals, adding more bells and whistles to the DVD, and eventually make the all of their video interviews — over 230 hours — available as iTunes downloads. It’s quite a project, but if you love comics, it’s worth supporting. Check out the trailer and their Kickstarter page, and considering chipping in.

 

What I’m Reading: 2009 Edition

In the past, I’ve always compiled a year-end list of the books I’ve read during the past year. However, I’ve noticed that my good pal Walt Kneeland, on his awesome Comic Reviews By Walt blog, keeps a running list on his website throughout the year. It’s something that never occurred to me before, but I like it. So therefore, I’m going to keep this post updated frequently, whenever I’ve got something to add to the list. I’ve also added the links to the right-hand column of the page, right beneath my Twitter Feed, so you’ll be able to access it easily if that sort of thing floats your boat. I’ll do the same with my movie lists. And y’know what? If it’s a book I’ve reviewed, I’ll even link to the review. I’m all about service, friends.

So without further ado, here’s what I’ve read so far in 2009:

1. Speaker For the Dead; Orson Scott Card, 1987-A
2. Look at My Striped Shirt; Phat Phree, 2006-B-
3. You’ll All Be Sorry; Gail Simone, 2008-B+
4. Tales of Beedle the Bard; J.K. Rowling, 2008-B
5. Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street; Michael Davis, 2008-A
6. Tales From Outer Suburbia; Shaun Tan, 2008-B+*
7. Kingdom Come; Mark Waid &; Alex Ross, 1996-A+*
8. Infected; Scott Sigler, 2008-B+
9. Archer & Armstrong: First Impressions; Jim Shooter, Barry Windsor-Smith, 2008-A-*
10. Sheldon: Nerds on Parade; Dave Kellett, 2008-A-*
11. Mini-Marvels: Secret Invasion; Chris Giarrusso, 2009-A*
12. Tiny Titans: Welcome to the Treehouse; Art Baltazar, Franco, 2008-A-*
13. Fool; Christopher Moore, 2009-B-
14. A Slobbering Love Affair; Bernard Goldberg, 2009-B-
15. It’s Not Easy Being Green; Jim Henson, 2005-B
16. Love and Capes Vol. 1: Do You Want to Know a Secret?; Thom Zahler, 2008-A+*
17. Starman Omnibus Vol. 2; James Robinson & Tony Harris, 2009-A*
18. Before You Leap; Jim Lewis, (as Kermit the Frog), 2004-B
19. The Graveyard Book; Neil Gaiman, 2008-A
20. Transmetropolitan Vol. 1: Back on the Street; Warren Ellis &; Darick Robertson, 1998-B*
21. Tales of the Green Lantern Corps; Len Wein and others, 2009-A*
22. JLA/Avengers; Kurt Busiek & George Perez, 2003-B+*
23. Enemies and Allies; Kevin J. Anderson, 2009-B+
24. Breathers: A Zombie’s Lament; S.G. Browne, 2009-B
25. Shade’s Children; Garth Nix, 1997-B+
26. Superman: Panic in the Sky; Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson & Roger Stern, 1993-A*
27. JLA: Salvation Run; Matthew Sturges & Bill Willingham, 2008-B*
28. Contagious; Scott Sigler, 2008-A-
29. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; Douglas Adams, 1979-A
30. The Complete Peanuts: 1969 to 1970; Charles M. Schulz, 2008-A*
31. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet; William Shakespeare (probably), 1597(ish)-B+
32. 3 Geeks: Going to the Con; Rich Koslowski, 1997-B+*
33. 3 Geeks: An Eclectic Potpourri of Reading Pleasure; Rich Koslowski, 1999-B*
34. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Douglas Adams, 1980-B+
35. Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs; Molly Harper, 2009-B+
36. The Complete Peanuts: 1971 to 1972; Charles M. Schulz, 2009-A*
37. Star Trek: Countdown; Mike Johnson & Tim Jones, 2009-B+*
38. Life, the Universe, and Everything; Douglas Adams, 1982-B
39. So Long and Thanks For All the Fish; Douglas Adams, 1984-B
40. “Young Zaphod Plays it Safe”; Douglas Adams, 1986-C
41. Sheldon: Pure Ducky Goodness; Dave Kellett, 2006, B+*
42. Dust and Shadow; Lyndsay Faye, 2009-B+
43. The Lightning Thief; Rick Riordan, 2005-A-
44. Nina Kimberly the Merciless; Christiana Ellis, 2009-B+
45. The Sea of Monsters; Rick Riordan, 2006, B+
46. The Big Book of Barry Ween, Boy Genius; Judd Winnick, 2009, B+*
47. The Titan’s Curse; Rick Riordan, 2007, A-
48. The Battle of the Labyrinth; Rick Riordan, 2008, A-
49. Sheldon: The Good, the Bad, and the Pugly; Dave Kellett, 2007, B+*
50. The Last Olympian; Rick Riordan, 2009, A+
51. Personal Effects: Dark Art; J.C. Hutchins & Jordan Weisman, 2009, A-
52. Was Superman a Spy?; Brian Cronin, 2009, A-
53. “All You Zombies”; Robert A. Heinlein, 1958, A
54. The Strain; Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan, 2009, B+
55. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Demigod Files; Rick Riordan, 2009, B
56. G.I. Joe; Chuck Dixon, 2009, A-*
57. The Dark Half; Stephen King, 1989, B
58. The Long Walk; Stephen King (as Richard Bachman), 1979, B-
59. Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (Deluxe Edition); Alan Moore, 2009, A*
60. Franklin Richards: Not-So-Secret Invasion; Marc Sumerak & Chris Eliopoulos, 2009, B+*
61. Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Deluxe Edition); Neil Gaiman, 2009, A*
62. Starman Omnibus Volume 3; James Robinson, 2009, A*
63. ABC Warriors: The Meknificent Seven; Pat Mills, 1978, B*
64. Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death; John Wagner & Alan Grant, 2005, B*
65. Preacher: Gone to Texas; Garth Ennis, 1996, B*
66. Preacher: Until the End of the World; Garth Ennis, 1997, A*
67. Preacher: Proud Americans; Garth Ennis, 1998, B+*
68. Earthcore; Scott Sigler, 2005, B+@
69. Personal Effects: Sword of Blood; J.C. Hutchins, 2009, B@
70. Dark Entries; Ian Rankin, 2009, B*
71. G-Man: Learning to Fly; Chris Giarrusso, 2009, A*
72. Drood; Dan Simmons, 2009, A-
73. FlashForward; Rober J. Sawyer, 1999, B+
74. Danse Macabre; Stephen King, 1980, B+
75. Peter and Max: A Fables Novel; Bill Willingham, 2009, A
76. Kabumpo in Oz; Ruth Plumly Thompson, 1922, B-
77. UR; Stephen King, 2009, B+
78. It’s Hard Out Here For a Shrimp; Pepe the King Prawn, 2008, B
79. Kronos; Jeremy Robinson, 2008, B+@
80. “The Red-Headed League;” Arthur Conan Doyle, 1891, A
81. 7th Son: Descent; J.C. Hutchins, 2009, B+
82. Cakewrecks; Jen Yates, 2009, B+
83. The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks; Max Brooks, 2009, B*
84. Batman: The Long Halloween; Jeph Loeb, 1997, A*
85. The Monstrumologist; Rick Yancy, 2009, B
86. Half-Minute Horrors; Susan Rich (ed.), 2009, B
87. Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men; Molly Harper, 2009, B
88. Animal Farm; George Orwell, 1945, A
89. The Colour of Magic; Terry Pratchett, 1983, B
90. Living Dangerously With Saturated Fats; Dave Kellett, 2009, A
91. Just After Sunset; Stephen King, 2008, B+
92. Abducted to Oz; 2003, Bob Evans & Chris Dulabone, F
93. The Dude Abides; 2009, Cathleen Falsami, B+
94. Nocturnal; 2007, Scott Sigler, A-@
95. Title Fight; 2009, Scott Sigler & Matt Wallace, B+@
96. Lost; 2001, Gregory Maguire, D
97. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus; 1902, L. Frank Baum, A
98. “A Kidnapped Santa Claus;” 1904, L. Frank Baum, A
99. A Kidnapped Santa Claus; 2009, Alex Robinson (based on the story by L. Frank Baum), A*
100. The Gift of the Magi; 2009, Joel Priddy (based on the story by O. Henry), B+*
101. The Fir-Tree; 2009, Lilli Carré (based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen), B-*
102. Haunted Christmas; 2009, Mary Beth Crain, B
103. “Scrooge & Cratchit;” 2002, Matt McHugh, B+
104. More Holmes For the Holidays; 1999, Martin H. Greenberg (ed.), B
105. North Pole Lost and Other Holiday Stories; 2007, William H. Cooke, D
106. The True Gift; 2009, Patricia MacLachlan, B
107. The Night Before the Christmas Before I Was Married; 2009, Adam Maxwell, B-
108. Purgatory; 2009, Tim Dodge, B@
109. Archie New Look Series Vol. 3: Moose and Midge in Break-Up Blues; 2009, Melanie J. Morgan, B*
110. Mini-Marvels Ultimate Collection; 2009, Chris Giarrusso and others, A*

*-Graphic novel or comic strip collection
“”-Short Story
@-Audiobook

Last updated on December 31, 2009