ghettoManga

Graphic Novel review: "WORLD OF HURT: The Thrill Seekers"

2012-01-25T23:11:00.000-06:00

Yup. The World of Hurt: The Thrill Seekers" hardcover is every bit as awesome as you've dreamed it would be. And I got my copy last week...

No, I didn't get two copies... I vicked the pic off the World of Hurt website since the camera on my phone is gahbage. Anyways, for those who don't know, World of Hurt: The Thrill-Seekers stars Pastor Hurt, the problem solver who investigates the murder of a young girl when the sorry ass PO-lice didn't bother. Of course, this is blaxploitation, so Pastor also rocks a leisure suit, checks jaws and beds top-shelf chicks for sport, ya dig?

Jay Potts is not a household name in comics, but he should be. If there's any justice to this funnybook shit (and I'm not saying there is), he WILL be. Whatever the case, Jay is killing it with his webcomic, but this was really fun to read in print. Some webcomics read poorly in print, but Potts' writing is mad sharp, avoiding that herky-jerky feel poorly constructed webcomics can have.

So my point is The Thrill Seekers gets the thumbs up. Jay is obviously a huge fan of Blaxploitation AND a student of the medium of comics, creating the best amalgamation of the two I've ever seen in print. I got my copy because I was among those wise and insightful enough to help him raise money to print the thing, which is not in stores yet. Potts has said he will make the hardcover available in the World of Hurt online store soon, and I recommend you get your hands on it as soon as possible.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Start the day off Right with Mi(ni)ster Blakes

2012-01-25T22:10:00.000-06:00

Apparently things are looking up for one of my favorite emcees. "Since 2007, I've married, moved to Los Angeles and had a son..." Bavu announced in a cheerful email which also announced "a free 2012 anthem for you, your family and your friends called BIG Bright Future..." Check it out and cop the download below.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bavu.bandcamp.com/track/big-bright-future"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;BIG Bright Future by Bavu Blakes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
Bavu also teased his SANCT EP he's dropping next month. Having heard the unmastered version of the record, I'd say fans of Bavu's past work will be pleased with what they're gonna hear on SANCT. He's leaked the gracious and revealing track Eddie Long, one of my favorite songs of he's ever done.
Bavu Blakes - Eddie Long feat Easy Lee (unmastered) by mrblakes
He's also blessed married dudes with CSI. Like the best r&b songwriters, Bavu has the ability to simultaneously idealize and be realistic about romance, love, and marriage.

Bavu Blakes - CSI (demo) feat Ter'ell Shahid and S'ence [produced by Fire Winn] by mrblakes
Like Mos Def, Common or the original Todd, Bavu has the kind of vocal quality to make a career out rapping chicks to sleep if he wanted to, and that makes the choice not to that much more admirable. When he does do one of those "for tha ladies" joints, he always makes it dope so it's fun for the whole family, seen? Anyways, like I said, SANCT EP drops next month. Stay tuned...

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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On the Road w/Playdough

2012-01-25T08:12:00.000-06:00

Playdough released his latest album Hotdoggin last spring and has been on the road non-stop since. This video shows Playdough and Sean P(atrick) hitting the road after smashing the House of Blues in Dallas. Here's what it's like to be an indie rap star...

"With all the changes that have gone on in the music business, touring remains the most consistent way for an indie artist to survive and promote music." Playdough said in an entry of his newsletter. "All booking inquiries and everything else Playdough can be found at IamPlaydough.com."

Word. We are big advocates of independent art and music here at GhettoManga, and of Playdough in particular, so you can click here for more celebration of his work. And remember, you can cop Hotdoggin on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody or anywhere digital music is sold. Plus get a special version with bonus tracks, lyrics and instrumentals for $10! Exclusively at Playdough's Bandcamp.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW- Robocop: Road Trip

2012-01-24T11:01:00.000-06:00

Long-time GhettoManga readers know I'm pretty robophobic. However, since he's half-machine, half-man and all cop, Robocop is cool with me. Peep these previews from the first two issues of Officer Murphy's new mini, Robocop: Road Trip...

Here's the Sales Pitch
Continuing the story from Dynamite's Robocop series, America has fallen into a landscape of revolution and chaos and OCP has taken over Old Detroit from the authorities in a political coup. It's up to Robocop and what's left of the Old Detroit Police Department to try and make it out of the state in order to get help from the US military. But ED-309s patrol the streets and OCP has a new, deadly robot prototype to send after Murphy and co. Meanwhile, Robocop's sanity continues to crumble along with his country.

After spawning a trilogy of films, a pile of comics, a bunch of videogames, a 2013 relaunch in development, and a crowd-funded weatherized 7 foot tall iron piece of public art, the cautionary tale against rampant technology, corporate greed and privatization of government that is Robocop continues, and it's interesting to see where they're going with it here. The first issue of this new series Robocop: Road Trip is in stores now, and #2 drops on January 25th.

holla!

-samax.

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INTERVIEW- Kool G Rap & Necro on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio

2012-01-22T15:57:00.000-06:00

Kool G Rap is easily one of the most respected and iconic voices hip hop has ever seen. If you disagree with that, you're wack and it's all your fault. So anyways, G Rap and Necro sat down with CWR to fill the world in on the progress of their upcoming album The Godfathers set to drop this summer. In addition, they get real talking about SOPA and PIPA on some political shit, so you don't wanna miss this one...

A big shout out to Montana and Menace for another great show!

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW: Richard Corben's "Murky World"

2012-01-21T22:46:00.000-06:00

Here's a few preview pages from Richard Corben's fantasy comic Murky World, which originally ran in Dark Horse Presents.
Here's the Sales Pitch:
In a bizarre land populated by hungry deadlings, cruel necromancers, and buxom cyclops, Tugat the warrior sets out to retrieve his lost horse Frix.

I enjoy reading Richard Corben's comics. He always seems like he's getting away with something. I mean, where else but in a pitch for a Corben comic are you gonna find the term "buxom cyclops"? But it's not just his pervy tendencies... Corben's confident combination of cartoon proportions and naturalistic textures and lighting promotes the feel of a cartoon that's slowly becoming real. Whether creating his own sci-fi or fantasy worlds, or playing with other people's toys, Corben brings imbues his stories with an awareness of diverse cultures and ethnic detail.
Anyways, Richard Corben's Murky World hits stores February 8th from Dark Horse Comics.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW: Infestation 2 #1

2012-01-21T17:39:00.000-06:00

Y'all like event crossovers, right? Well Infestation 2 #1 has Raph from the Ninja Turtles, Optimus Prime, and Snake Eyes all on the same cover! Change your pants and peep the free preview below...

Here's the Sales Pitch:
Last year’s groundbreaking Infestation series, IDW’s first-ever event, saw many teams from multiple universes fight off a zombie invasion. Now, an even bigger threat has risen to threaten the growing IDW multiverse: Lovecraftian demons threaten to reach across time and space and destroy everyone everywhere and everywhen! Also featuring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this framing issue presents a threat that perhaps not even TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOEs, Danger Girl, and others can surmount!

Yup. You want it. Infestation 2 Infes2ation if you prefer... thanks Tr2n) #1 hits comic shops January 25th.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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The Museum of Uncut Funk presents a great Black Animation Exhibit!

2012-01-21T17:06:00.000-06:00

The fine folks over at the Museum of Uncut Funk have an impressive animation collection which includes original production cels and drawings, limited edition cels, publicity cels and collectibles featuring Black animation characters from 1970's Saturday morning cartoons, television shows, films and feature films. Peep this brief video that puts the 70's era black cartoon revolution in historical cultural context...

Artwork from the The Museum Of UnCut Funk collection is currently on tour as a part of the Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition. To learn more about this traveling exhibition, please click here. If you are interested in bringing this exhibit to your town, contact the curator here.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW: "Zombie Dickheads Are NOT Coming to Get You" by Chris Moreno

2012-01-20T23:52:00.000-06:00

I was excited to find out that my frequent cover artist Zees' brother Chris Morenowas going to be at STAPLE this year. So, I decided to go diving in his deviantArt gallery and found this SWEET 8 page preview of Chris's zombie comedy Zombie Dickheads are Not Coming to Get You. This one-shot features a quartet of constantly quarreling zombies who have managed to remain sentient despite their obvious post mortem condition because they... well, just read the preview...

Now that we have established the fact that mad skills run in the Moreno family AND that vegetarians really DO live forever, I'm happy to point out that you can actually purchase your very own copy of Zombie Dickheads are Not Coming To Get You by clicking here. As for me, I can't wait to meet Chris at STAPLE in March to buy my copy!

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com
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Damn... Brandon Graham made my day...

2012-01-20T16:34:00.000-06:00

I could make a full time job just writing posts geeking about Brandon Graham (if someone would pay me, that is), but I try not to come off as a total Stan... but then he posts a Devil In a Blue Dress comic page from his sketchbook, as if he is specifically TRYING to set me off...

yessir... Brandon is the gift that keeps on giving. Click here to peep the blog post wherein he dropped this (along with lots of other goodies) and made my day. Or if you wanna, click here to read my review of Devil In a Blue Dress.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

T'ing of the Week is back!

2012-01-15T00:26:00.001-06:00

Foo Bandana Print by Melita Curphy.

Am I the only person that NEEDS to have this bandana in his life?

Here's the Sales Pitch:
22" x 22" cotton bandana ( dimensions may vary due to washing/drying before shipping) The super detailed design is bleached into the fabric making the item retain it's softness. The design is IN the fabric not on top like with traditional ink printing. It is also completely washable, design will not fade or crack.The way the design is printed, the foo dog face can be worn to appear the wearer has gigantic fangs across their face.... or when worn across the head gives the appearance of having long ears/swirly bits on your head! Fun!
To get yours, click here.
So anyways, the T'ing of the Week can be a teeshirt or a toy or a fresh pair of shoes... just something I would buy if I had the money. I quit doing TOTW posts a long time ago, but this bandana was so fresh that it provided a good excuse to bring the T'ing back! Click here for more T'ing, and I'll hit you again next week, tough guy!

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com
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Interviews: Slaughterhouse, Copywrite, Apollo Brown, Homeboy Sandman and more on ConspiracyWorldwideRadio

2012-01-14T22:06:00.000-06:00

Slaughterhouse with some white dude...

Our friends across the pond continue to interview the hip hop personalities I'm interested in hearing from. This episode features the mighty Slaughterhouse crew, who are in the process of recording their new record with Eminem. They also got rap cats like Danny Brown and Copywrite on this week's show. Apollo Brown speaks on his upcoming record with venerated wordsmith OC. They also got underground hip hop luminary Homeboy Sandman on this one. A loaded show, to be sure since they also bump generous amounts of hip hop music for your consideration. This is hip hop radio as it was meant to be...

aaand... part two:

yep. Good stuff.

holla!

-samax

ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Start the day off Right w/ M. Slago, Homeboy Sandman, Senica Da Misfit, and Playdough

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dallas-area Nashvillain, beatsmith and new dad [SALUTE] the mighty M. Slago dropped his new joint Attack the Wack!! last month/year or whatever and I missed it because I am not glued to the rap blogs, but don't sweat it... it's still dope now. Anyways here's my favorite track from that joint: WACK featuring better-than-your-man's raps by Homeboy Sandman, Senica Da Misfit and PlayDOUGh...

<a href="http://producersiknow.bandcamp.com/track/wack-feat-homeboy-sandman-senica-da-misfit-playdough">WACK (feat. Homeboy Sandman, Senica Da Misfit & Playdough) by M Slago</a>
Yeah, you're welcome. So yeah, this EP or mixtape whatever Slago's calling it has a bunch of other nice songs on it: cuts starring the Co-Op, HeadKrack and Senor Kaos to continue with the favoritism, but what the hell, listen to it yourself and make up your own mind, tough guy!
<a href="http://producersiknow.bandcamp.com/album/m-slago-presents-attack-the-wack">M Slago presents Attack The Wack!! by M Slago</a>

holla!

-samax

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M.E.D's new track w/OhNo and European tour dates w/ Guilty Simpson

2012-01-10T21:30:00.000-06:00

Whaddup, fam! Here's the video for War & Love (featuring OhNo!) from your boy M.E.D.'s latest album, Classic...

Yessir. MED is onto something with this album, and he's on his way to Europe with that dude Guilty Simpson, so our friends on the other side of the pond can see when they'll be in town...
M.E.D. & GUILTY SIMPSON, JAN 2012 EUROPE TOUR
Wed, Jan 11: Trondheim at Familien
Thu, Jan 12: Linz at Kapu:
Sat, Jan 14: Münster at Skaters Palace
Tue, Jan 17: Prague at La Lucerna
Wed, Jan 18: Berlin at Cassio:
Fri, Jan 20: Paris at La Bellevoise
Sat, Jan 21: Wien at Roxy:
Tue, Jan 24: Hamburg at Stellwerk:
Wed, Jan 25: Leipzig at Conne Island Cafe
Thu, Jan 26: London (TBA)
Sat, Jan 28: Moscow at Cult Club

holla!

-samax

ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Two Words: BLADE! ANIME!

2012-01-10T00:16:00.000-06:00

Peep the new trailer for Marvel's new anime-style Blade cartoon that's making it's debut on cable this Friday...

I missed the memo about this, but that's cool. Saw an email about it tonight and figured I'd pass it on, in case any of you hadn't heard about it. As you know if you watched it, Blade appears January 14th.

While we're talking about Blade, I recently checked out the X-men: Curse of the Mutants-Mutants vs Vampires trade, collecting a series of X-men one-shots about a sect of vampires targeting the mutant community. It was pretty good... the best part of the Mutants vs Vampires book was the Blade story The Light at the End which is the best Blade story I've read in a long time. Well, it's the only Blade story I've read in a long time... but that's beside the point! It's AWESOME! That's the point! Peep this preview below...

It was well-written and drawn, and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the vampires were glitter-free. If you like Blad and the X-men (and the New Mutants, etc) X-men: Curse of the Mutants- Mutants vs Vampires is a no brainer. Click here to cop it!
holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Sir Charles was hilarious on SNL!

2012-01-08T13:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I accidentally watched Saturday Night Live while I was drawing last night... Charles Barkley was on, and a lot of it was surprisingly hilarious...

After a painful-yet-forgettable monologue, the show made good use of Charles's Southern drawl and his willingness to make fun of himself, his friends and pretty much everyone else. My favorite segment was the White People Problems sketch, a mock news magazine/interview show that made fun of yuppies and their little picadillos.

This Inside the NBA on TNT skit was funny too. Theeennn Kelly Clarkson came on and I willed up the strength to change the channel. So that's all I can tell you.

holla!

-samax

ghettoManga.com
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New Leonardo (TMNT) one-shot by Ross Campbell?!

2012-01-08T13:52:00.002-06:00

2012 may just be a tipping point year for Ross Campbell. In addition to presiding over his critically-acclaimed indie books Wet Moon and Shadoweyes, and drawing Glory for a newly rechristened Extreme Studios, Ross has been tapped to draw a one shot starring Leonardo of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame.

I don't have any preview art, but Ross is a huge fan of the mighty crime-fighting terrapins, so I have some turtle-powered art to show you anyways!

"Here's a just-for-fun page I did months ago, personal prep work for drawing TMNT comics." Ross said on his Deviant Art page... "The page started out as standard comic dimensions but i kept adding panels at the bottom...

A cool take on April O'neill

These last four are the covers Ross did for Mirage's Raphael: Bad Moon mini.

you know the name...

So anyways, I'm fired up! When I know more about the new Leonardo one shot, I'll pass on the info!

holla!

-samax

ghettoManga.com
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A message for Jean Grae. Plus, a song for you other people to listen to, or whatever...

2012-01-07T17:27:00.002-06:00

~~Yeah... I love you, Jean Grae. If we ever met, you would probably not like me back... so I hope we never meet.~~ Keep making dope music. ~~I will pretend you're dedicating it to me.~~ This here song you made, about some dude who was dumb enough to not love you right ~~like I would~~, is pretty dope.

U & Me & Everyone We Know by Jeangreasy

That'll learn 'im! I mean, what's his problem anyways? You're one of the illest, most versatile emcees ever ~~and I bet you smell good and everything too,~~ so what's not to like? You're better off without him. Success is the best revenge.

~~x♥x♥~~

holla!

-samax

ghettoManga.com
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PREVIEW- Black Panther #528

2012-01-06T12:59:00.000-06:00

Kingpin done effed up now! Yeah, now that he got his own ninjas. he's tryin'a do a Halliburton on Wakanda... Oh, and Oeming smashed the art on this one...

Yeah, Kingpin got drunk off'a the ninja kool-aid... an understandable mistake... I love to see a cartoon style like Oeming's on Black Panther. Mike Manley did a really cool job on his leg of the Priest-penned Black Panther: Enemy of the State back in the day, and I've never forgotten it! I hope they let Oeming do more Panther... Anyways, this issue comes out Januar11th...

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Start the Day off Right w/Napoleon Da Legend & Crazy Al Cayne

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

Peep the video for Young World, off The Sugar Cayne Experiment Vol 1: Napoleon Da Legend, the excellent EP I reviewed last week. Watch the new video, then download the joint free.

I can't say enough about The Sugar Cayne Experiment. Napoleon and Al Cayne delivered a hip hop record that delivers in every way. Click here to cop this track (and the whole record) via their bandcamp page.

have a nice day!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW- Shinku #4

2012-01-01T19:59:00.000-06:00

Did somebody say Shinku? Yeah, Ron Marz's Samurai/ vampire-killer smash continues! Peep the preview below...

Here's the Sales Pitch:

“THRONE OF BLOOD,” Part Four
As Shinku closes in upon an ultimate weapon to destroy the vampire clan, the vampires close in on her and her allies. There will be blood! But whose? The sellout monthly series from Ron Marz and Lee Moder races toward the climax of its first story arc!

umm... that was AWESOME! Shinku's crew showed up just in time!! So like I said earlier, I'm definitely thinking of using my gift card I got for Christmas to pre-order that Shinku: Throne of Blood trade so I can get that "Christmas in July" feeling when it drops this summer...As for this particular issue, Shinku #4 drops January 4th.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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More VOODOO previews...

2012-01-01T09:40:00.003-06:00

Worst. Lapdance. Ever!

Here's some more previews from the new adventures of everyone's favorite stripper/ alien superchick Voodoo, written by bad girl aficionado Ron Marz (Shinku, Witchblade). Peep samples from issues 3 (with Ron Marz creation Kyle Rayner) and 4...

I like Kyle's reference to the Little Engine That Could. I can also appreciate the fat half alien pimp... anyways here's some more...

Voodoo's New Year's Resolution: Cleavage on every cover!

Here's the Sales Pitch for number 4:
The mysterious Voodoo has left destruction in her wake since fleeing New Orleans. Her nemesis Special Agent Fallon remains hot on her trail as she heads for Metropolis…and Fallon isn't the only one, as a new, third player enters the hunt.

Basri and the colorist Jessica Kholinne are doing a nice job with the art here. I've never read it, but Ron Marz is good with female anti-hero books (I'm thinking about pre-ordering that Shinku TPB, and it doesn't come out until the summer). Obviously, they are going for the Maxim audience with Voodoo, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that... Anyways, Voodoo #3 & 4 are in stores now.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW- Thunderbolts #168

2011-12-31T10:30:00.001-06:00

I haven't read Thunderbolts for a while, but they put Luke Cage on the cover again, so I'm interested! See how easy that was, Marvel? Anyways, peep a quick preview...

The Sales Pitch:

• Luke Cage takes center stage with the ‘Bolts still at large!
• With the Raft still a shambles, Luke finds himself a prisoner of Mr. Fear!
• Meanwhile, Songbird discovers a vital clue to catching the FugitiveThunderbolts!

I'm sure some people will appreciate the anti-Southern tone more than I did, but I can let it slide in the name of Glasnost or whatever... This artist Matt Southworth isn't blowing me away, though either. Hopefully the Kev Walker/ Declan Shalvey tag team will be back on art chores soon. I still want to cop all the trades from Jeff Parker's run on Thunderbolts, but if the art takes a dive, I might hafta abort that mission... I'll give Southworth a fair shot if it turns out he's in as the "new guy" on art, and not just a fill in. If you been reading, let me know your thoughts on the current storyline! At any rate, Thunderbolts #168 hits stores January 4th.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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click here for a preview!

Did you get your copy of GhettoManga Quarterly's Luke Cage Tribute issue (better known as the Sweet Christmas Special)?

Here's the Sales Pitch:

The GhettoManga Sweet Christmas Special features a gallery of tribute art dedicated to Marvel's resident soul brother #1, with art by lots of underground talent that you need to get familiar with. There's also new comics from Zees Moreno (Mini Battle Men) and Dan Fu (The Retriever), plus articles by Jay Potts (World of Hurt), Corance Davis (GodBody) and more... Back issues of the 52 page full color magazine are already available on IndyPlanet. You can also order single issues below for ten bucks each (includes shipping), or subscribe and get 4 issues for the price of 3!

Napoleon Da Legend + Crazy Al Cayne = DOWNLOAD THIS!

2011-12-28T23:03:00.001-06:00

OH SHNAP! Napoleon Da Legend and Al Cayne have dropped a dose of medicinal grade hip hop for Free Download in the form of The Sugar Cayne Experiment Volume 1:Napoleon Da Legend.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sugarcayne.bandcamp.com/album/the-sugar-cayne-experiment-vol-1-napoleon-da-legend"&amp;amp;gt;The Sugar Cayne Experiment Vol#1: Napoleon Da Legend by Sugar Cayne&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

I get a lot of rap music in my inbox. Sometimes I forget that there's other stuff out there, I get so much. I couldn't possibly listen to all of it, as much as I appreciate it, I miss a lotta stuff. That said, seeing Al Cayne's name on the initial email I got about this EP piqued my interest... Cayne represents hip hop and comics culture equally well, so I had to treat it like a contact from a respected and trusted colleague, ya dig? Good thing too, because he introduced me to one of the illest cats ever... this dude Napoleon Da Legend blew me away from day one. He does not play around on the mic. The leaks and videos Cayne and Napoleon were dropping on me took me back to a time when emcees took pride in writing and producers provided jamming tracks with samples that sent me to the encyclopedia and the library to learn my history.

So anyways, I said all that to say that this record is fly as shit. The beats Cayne made ten plus years ago serve as a firm fucking foundation for a spitter worth his weight in the precious metal of your choice. The Crazy Cayne Experiment Vol #1: Napoleon Da Legend- feels like unearthing some early Nas or Pun before they were jaded by endless confirmations of Industry Rule #4080. Deep. Hungry. Confident. If you're one of these cats constantly complaining about the decline of fine lyricism (you know who you are) your ass need to download this joint, stat! Tell a friend. If you're a deejay, spin it at the club and put it on your mixtape. Hip hop needs this shit. People YOU KNOW need it.

I know I do.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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"My ego is Magneto, snatch your microphones and redirecting your guns..." -@7evenThirty

2011-12-28T11:27:00.000-06:00

Shout out to the homie 7even Thirty who spammed me this morning with this track he did with producer Gensu Dean.

<a href="http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/track/on-on-feat-7even-thirty">On & On (feat. 7even Thirty) by Gensu Dean</a>
My understanding is that this track won't be on Gensu Dean's upcoming album Standard Life, but don't quote me on that. The album's scheduled to drop February 28th from MelloMusic Group, if you keep a calendar of such things. Download this track free here.
Speaking of MelloMusic Group, here's The Brown Study Remixes, featuring the mighty Boog Brown and a slew of nice button pushers, including Georgia Muldrow, Apollo Brown, Illastrate and AmDex of ClanDestined...
<a href="http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/the-brown-study-remixes">The Brown Study Remixes by Boog Brown</a>
Yeah, you're welcome. So anyways, have a nice day.

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Word to @EdPiskor: The Hip Hop/ Comics Connection

2011-12-27T14:21:00.000-06:00

The Hip Hop/Comic Book Connection by Ed Piskor

This blog exists mostly because I think the connection between hip hop and comics is strong enough to draw like-minded individuals to my particular brand of art and blah blah. Besides all the references to hitting like Thor's hammer, smoking Kryptonite, and invoking the name of Johnny Blaze (or Johnny Storm for that matter) for poetic effect, the popularity of comicbook heroes (super and otherwise) outside of the medium is soaring as well, and hip hoppers continue to drop references for those that have an ear to hear.
A tip of the hat to Pittsburgh cartoonist Ed Piskor for this strip analyzing the connection (or at least correlation) between the two. Special shout out to Jamar Nicholas, whose post on Facebook/Tumblr sent me chasing after this particular wild goose.

holla!

-samax.

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Immortal Technique + Mela Machinko = HELLYES!

2011-12-25T21:48:00.000-06:00

Besides the fact that I adore Mela Machinko, this song (Natural Beauty, from his latest EP The Martyr) is a great introduction to Immortal Technique, for people who might not be able to dive into his sonic tirades head first, feel free to toe the water with this track...

Good stuff... Anyways, I gotta get back to my holla day cheer.
holla!

samax.

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Some Hilarious Humbuggery from Mela Machinko & Jean Grae (aka The @HellpitFaeries)

2011-12-25T13:32:00.000-06:00

Vocalist Mela Machinko and her BFF the mighty Jean Grae (collectively known as the Hellpit Faeries) having some ~~good clean~~ fun lampooning the Christmas song Its the Most Wonderful Time as only they can...
It's The Most Fucking Wonderful Time - Hellpit Faeries from W.A.R. Media on Vimeo.

uh-huh... There are no words. Just click here to download the Jingle Fuckin' Bells EP and, by all means, enjoy yourself...
holla!

-samax.

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"Gettin' older now, daughter three years old, plus the world's a little colder now..." -CientifiQ

2011-12-25T01:11:00.000-06:00

Those sons of guns at DVZN Media hit my inbox with the latest video from Central Texas emcee CientifiQ, and I was drawn in by the Wu-tang sample and the blue collar sensibility. Peep Steel produced by A Better Tomorrow...

If you're feeling this, check him out on his Reverbnation page. ABT hooked the track up on this one, but CientifiQ is nice with beats, too. Looks like dude is from my hometown (yeah, I grew up in Killeen). Good to see they're holding it down in my absence...
holla!
-samax.

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Wishlist: Strange Girl Omnibus

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

Here's something anybody would love to get for Christmas! And by "anybody" I mean ME!

Here's the Sales Pitch:

FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN ONE HARDCOVER VOLUME: RICK REMENDER'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED INDIE HIT, FROM START TO FINISH! Ten years after the Rapture, a beautiful occultist and her pet demon embark on a road trip to the last open gateway to heaven, in hopes of befriending God and escaping hell on earth. A bare-knuckle, action-driven series, peppered with social commentary and dark humor, STRANGE GIRL is a story about the bewildering nature of religion, what would happen if the dark future predicted by many came true, and what a good person would endure for not having faith in advance of it. Featuring story and art by a handful of today's hottest new talents including RICK REMENDER (Uncanny X-Force, Venom), ERIC NGUYEN (Halo, Sandman), JEROME OPENA (Uncanny X-Force, Punisher) and NICK STAKAL (Criminal Macabre). Collects STRANGE GIRL #1-18

While all the critics were busy acclaiming this or whatever, I was broke, so I read my boy Khalid's whenever I could, so I can confirm that this comic's awesome! I never got to read the later issues, but the Eric Nguyen issues were bananas... If you stop by your comic shop anytime soon, you should at least take a look at this. The Strange Girl Limited Edition Slipcase Collection is available now, and you can preorder the new Strange Girl Omnibus Hardcover, which comes out the first week of January.
holla!
-samax.

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start the day off Right w/Napoleon Da Legend

2011-12-20T10:04:00.000-06:00

Napoleon Da Legend is easily my favorite new emcee (new to me, anyways) of this year. I don't know how long he's been rhyming, but he instantly impressed me with his golden-age-worthy lyricism and the breadth of his subject matter...

This song Phoenix is the latest video from the Sugar Cayne Experiment EP series by Crazy Al Cayne, where Cayne digs up beats he made in 1995 and uses them to create a new record with a new emcee. Cayne's first subject is Napoleon, who sculpts in songs like Phoenix "a new beginning to a style of HipHop that most considered dead. The beat is a direct link to an era in HipHop that HipHop heads hold dear in their hearts." No release date for the Sugar Cayne Experiment has been given, other than "real soon," but peep the bandcamp for more.
Also, peep more Napoleon here.
Have a nice day!
-samax.

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start the day off Right w/ StaHHR

2011-12-19T09:27:00.002-06:00

More fire from the Empress...

yep. This is the first song on StaHHr's new mixtape That Was You? mixed by Dj Deliver. also peels your peepers for Mother NTR with a Molotov Vol.1 which soon comes... This video was filmed, directed and edited by our favorite ATLiens Goldi Gold and C.Flux.Sing, so act like you know!
Have a nice day!
-samax.

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PREVIEW: Saga #1 by Brian K Vaughn + Fiona Staples

2011-12-18T15:28:00.000-06:00

After creating two of the illest comics concepts of the new millenium (namely Y: the Last Man and Ex Machina), Brian K. Vaughn has earned his spot on the "Name You Can Trust" list. So when I saw that he had a new creator-owned sci-fi/fantasy series coming from Image, I thought you might wanna know...
Here's the Sales Pitch:
Y: THE LAST MAN writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN returns to comics with red-hot artist FIONA STAPLES for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Star Wars-style action collides with Game of Thrones-esque drama in this original sci-fi/fantasy epic for mature readers, as new parents Marko and Alana risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. The adventure begins in a spectacular DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with forty-four pages of story with no ads for the regular price of just $2.99!

I'm not all that familiar with Fiona Staples, whose skills have made her a DC/Vertigo/Wildstorm go-to girl for the last decade. Fiona Staples worked with some nice writers, but I don't think you're gonna beat a cat like Vaughn on a creator-owned book. But maybe that's just me. What I'm saying is that if you wanna get in on the ground floor of something big, put hands on Saga #1, ~~which is in stores now~~ [EDIT: This book isn't out yet! It drops March 14th, 2012. Sorry!]. I expect Vaughn and Staples to level up on this one.

holla!

samax.

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PREVIEW: "Sacrifice #1"

2011-12-17T08:55:00.000-06:00

This looks dope. That dude Sam Humphries (Our Love Is Real) and newbie Dalton Rose dropped and independently distributed this dope urban fantasy based in Aztec history/lore. There's a gang of covers, and this one (the "Shadow Edition") is my favorite. Peep...

Yeah, this dope. But the thing that REALLY turned me on to this is Sam Humphries' interview on CBR. He epitomizes the spirit of independent comics, and has had good success with his previous book Our Love Is Real. To read that interview on CBR, click here. Then jump over to his website and buy it!
holla!

samax.

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"It's all parts, all Heart and Soul. The red pill is irreversible..." -Playdough

2011-12-13T10:01:00.000-06:00

If you've been paying attention at all you had to know this was coming... yeah, I love Playdough, and he loves rapping. It all works out. Here's the video for the title track off his latest album Hotdoggin'...

I have probably heard this song over a thousand times but I'm still not tired of it (although my wife pro'lly is... sorry baby!). My three-year-old daughter Marley actually asks for it by name. Yep, the way your kid sweats bullets over Barney and Yo Gabba Gabba, mine rocks out to Playdough. Luckily for me, he's not on that Sanduski isht... he has a thing for your mom, though...

Okay, so anyways have a nice day!

samax.

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Deviant of the Day #112: Blunt Brown

2011-12-11T09:03:00.001-06:00

Painter, Illustrator, emcee, and who knows what else... I can't overstate the skills of Pomona, California based phenom Blunt Brown and I don't intend to try. Here's some art...

Dope right? He's on DeviantArt, Twitter, youTube, and Facebook, so get familiar!
holla!

samax.

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Some good news (and bad news) for my wife

2011-12-08T19:31:00.001-06:00

My wife loves Ross Campbell's genre-bending girl-centric OGN series Wet Moon, so she will be pleased to know that Ross has wrapped up volume 6. That's the good news... She won't like the bad news any more than I did, so I figure I'll soften the blow by showing some random artwork from the new joint first!

Okay, so the bad news is this issue isn't coming out any time soon...
"The book will be released October 2012." Ross revealed on Deviant Art. "I know it's a long wait but there's nothing I can do about it..." I would be inclined to tell you to write feverish angry letters to Wet Moon publisher Oni Press, if they weren't responsible for so many comics I like.
Anyways, Ross has indicated that he'll be leaking a chunk of Wet Moon 6 on the web, so stay tuned for more news about that. As an added pick-me-up, here's a page from Glory, the monthly Image/Extreme book Ross is drawing (which comes out in February2012)...

I wrote about the Extreme comics revival a while ago... click here for more about that.
holla!

samax.

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IN STORES NOW: CHEW #22

2011-12-07T19:00:00.000-06:00

Everybody already knows I love CHEW, the story of Tony Chu, a federal agent with the power to get psychic impressions from anything he eats. Here's a preview of the latest issue:

I didn't really pay attention to CHEW when it first came out, but once I got to read a couple previews, I went out and bought CHEW Volume 1: Taster's Choice. Since then, I have been loyally purchasing the CHEW trade paperbacks. The fear that the series would eventually jump the shark is just paranoia though... I recently purchased and read CHEW Volume 4: Flambe, and the award-winning team of John Layman and Rob Guillory are still killing it! Click here for more (p)reviews!
holla!

samax.

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"Rurouni Kenshin" Production Photos

2011-12-07T12:15:00.001-06:00

peep some production photos for the new Rurouni Kenshin movie!

When I was in college, my crew only turned the teevee on to watch sports, complain about music videos, and screen anime DVDs. One of our favorites series was Rurouni Kenshin, the story of a roaming redheaded samurai whose cheerful upbeat persona masked an invincible killing machine. Next year, Kenshin and his reverse- bladed katana hit the big screen in a live-action adaptation in Japan. Here's some production photos...

The movie drops on August 28th, 2012 all over Japan. Hopefully it will make the arthouse rounds or something stateside...

holla!
-samax.

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IN STORES NOW: Batwing #4

2011-12-07T10:15:00.000-06:00

I've been hearing really good things about Batwing, which chronicles the adventures of the so-called African Batman. Peep this preview of issue #4 by Judd Winnick, ChrisCross, and Ryan Winn...
Here's the Sales Pitch:
As Massacre's bloody reign of murder continues and more heroes fall, Batwing closes in on this mad villain. But with his memories stirring, Batwing's dark past begins to emerge... At last, the truth of his past will come to light.

I think this is ChrisCross's first issue on pencils, so that's a plus. I definitely plan on copping the trade for this book when it drops, but Batwing #4 is in stores now.

holla!
-samax.

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"When we form Voltron, I'm the Black Lion, so stop your bloodclot cryin'..." -Vast Aire

2011-12-06T20:43:00.001-06:00

Tryin'a get caught up on commissions and put together this magazine... I'm not sure why, but when I sat down to work, I really wanted to hear this song Battle of the Planets, where Vast Aire is mostly just beefing with Cage, for reasons I can't even get into right now... Anyways, I was tripping the first time I saw this G-force/Transformers the Movie mashup on youTube. Vast's LXG homie Genesis benefits from being the one on the mic when Unicron transforms and destroys Cybertron.
"You gonna need to reboot your computer, go grab you some buddah, and stop fucking with these Lions of Judah" -Genesis

I'm bumping Vast's album Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey right now... I've said this before, but Vast Aire epitomizes what GhettoManga is about: Comics, cartoons, kung fu movies, and hip hop blend effortlessly with philosophy and esoterica in Vast's mind, happily finding their way into his unique blend of hardbody nerdcore rap thuggery. Click here for more Vast Airealism or just cop Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey, which sports features by Karniege, Cappadonna, Guilty Simpson and more! Great stuff!

holla!
-samax.

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Preview- Villains for Hire #1

2011-12-04T19:39:00.001-06:00

This comic is populated by bad guys I know from Marvel Universe, Spiderman & His Amazing Friends and 80's X-men, this time as protagonists. So, y'know I HAD TO post it...Here's the Sales Pitch:Villain on villain action! Why has Misty Knight hired psychopaths like Tiger Shark and Speed Demon? Because the Purple Man is out to build a criminal empire with an army including Avalanche, Shocker and the all-new Scourge! Let the baddest man (or woman) win!

Even though Misty Knight's not in this preview, I'm hoping she'll appear in this. If not, it still might be fun to watch a good villain parade... We'll see. It'll be in shops December 7th.

holla!

samax.

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"But other than that, they long for me to go on, On my birth certificate it states A STAR IS BORN." -MC LYTE

2011-12-01T09:30:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid, MC Lyte was one of the flyest emcees out there. Here's a couple of my favorite joints real quick...

Survival of the Fittest by MC Lyte

Cha Cha Cha by MC Lyte
I don't have anything to add but feel free to wax long with me about it in the comments... I got to work and wanted to hear some classic isht.

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Ladies and gentlemen, we HAVE a winner!

2011-12-01T08:18:00.001-06:00

After all the votes were counted, this cover won with 58% of the vote, so this version will be the face of GhettoManga Quarterly: Undead Celebrities. Subscribe to GMQ now to get one of those signed and numbered Phoenix Jones prints FREE (while supplies last). Anyways, thanks again to everyone who voted, and to all my contributors (including Thriller artist Howard Russell) and sponsors.
Now I just gotta finish the damn thing...

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Start the day off Right w/@SkiBeatz, Stat Quo & Nicole Wray

2011-12-01T07:53:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was payday in our house, so I took my girls out to eat on some 2 for $20 type isht... even though that's nothing, it felt so good to just leave our worries behind, laugh, eat, and enjoy each other's company. Reminded me of this track Amnesia off Ski Beatz's triumphant 24 Hour Karate School Part 2...

"Now y'all some believers. Forgot my problems, cuz I'm paid, catchin' Amnesia..."
-Stat Quo

From what I know of him (which isn't much), Stat is a blue collar emcee with a decent flow and gab, but paired up with this Ski Beatz track and the Nicole Wray hook, his braggadocio takes on a 'Pac-like spiritual depth that I have been swimming in for days. Ski is a genius. I just hope he can stay in the pocket he was in on these 24 Hour Karate School tapes (that first one was FIRE!).
Anyways, have a nice day!
holla!
-samax.

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IN STORES NOW: "Pilot Season: Seraph #1"

2011-11-29T02:40:00.001-06:00

Chicago Bears Pro-Bowl linebacker and comics fan Lance Briggs teams up with Phil Hester to take a stab at making his own book...

Here's the Sales Pitch:

PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
The angelic warrior now known only as Seraph was once a sinner. After living a life of selfishness and sin, personal tragedy drove him to kill himself. Plucked on his way to Hell by Heaven, the man was made Heaven’s soldier in an endless battle. Charged with fighting an ancient war, but bound by God’s law, can Seraph triumph over opponents not restricted in the same way and regain his faith in the process?
Creator LANCE BRIGGS (Chicago Bears) and writer PHIL HESTER (THE DARKNESS, Wonder Woman) are joined by artist JOSE LUIS (Justice League of America) deliver a story of personal loss and redemption wrapped in a rich supernatural mythos.

I saw something about this while watching Football over my Thanksgiving grub. I know comics nerds get nervous anytime one of the cool kids dips their toe in our swimming pool, but Briggs is a hardcore comics fan who hands out comics to inner city young'uns in his spare time... He's probably not gonna come in your D 'n' D meeting and steal your girl, he's cool. Well, your girl might choose him, but that's not his fault, is it?

Anyways, Briggs's favorite book, Top Cow's flagship The Darkness, lent their house style to Seraph so hopefully Briggs's fellow Top Cow's fans base will dig it. The concept and art has that dark nineties appeal to it. I would be gonzo for this if Hester was drawing it... as it is, I find his role as co-writer encouraging. I'll put my debit card on the counter to support it, and hopefully it will reward me with a good story and a new tortured (anti) hero to follow.

holla!

-samax.

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Start the Day off Right w/Napolean the Legend and La Femme Nakita

2011-11-28T08:30:00.000-06:00

Texas is so full of rappers that I found one on a video for DMV'er Napolean Da Legend. He picked up La Femme Nakita for his "riding- around-the- hood-rapping" video Can't Help Myself, where she proceeds to earn the lift by dropping a few bars...

Since Napolean is on my list of new favorites, I'm gonna hafta sample more of Nakita's music and get back to you with some real info, but if you can't wait, click here to peep her Facebook page which has more tracks on it, and here to follow her on Twitter. Did I mention you can click here to download this track free? Well, yeah do that. Have a nice day...

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

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PREVIEW: Agents of WTF

2011-11-26T13:15:00.000-06:00

Here's the Sales Pitch:
From the Eisner & Harvey Award-winning pages of POPGUN volumes 3 & 4! Dervish McCallahan is a 300-year-old Scottish wizard trapped in his 8-year-old body! Princess Anpaytoo is a beautiful Native American sorceress from an alternate dimension! Together, this unlikely pair fight evil magic as... AGENTS OF THE W.T.F.!
Even if Dervish and Anpaytoo, aka AGENTS OF THE W.T.F., can stop Evil Bob the Evil Clown from ruining a kid's birthday party, they're still gonna have to defeat Dr. Appliance and Frigid Icebox before those baddies can use the dreaded Blender of Souls! It's a busy day.

To cop Agents of WTF, click here!

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Quick album (p)Review: "The Golden Age" by DPRTMNT

2011-11-26T07:38:00.001-06:00

The intro to Canadian hip hop duo DPRTMNT's 22 track album The Golden Age reveals that their name is based on the Canadian superscience agency that produced Wolverine and Alpha Flight. So the nerdcore code says I at LEAST had to give them a try and recommend some good tracks for your hard drive...

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://dprtmnt.bandcamp.com/album/the-golden-age"&amp;amp;gt;The Golden Age by DPRTMNT&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Before the internet, I used to go to local underground rap shows and spend call center paychecks on music and teeshirts by guys who rapped at night and worked at UPS and/or attended community college during the day, and this record makes me nostalgic for that time. Like a lot of shit I bumped out of my beat up Toyota pickup back in the day, Deadschool and Iron Samurai's laid back slacker rhymes are hit and miss on the early tracks, but by the time you make it to the middle of this record, they get pretty confident. Songs like Skipping Classes, Alloy Anniversary, the Lost Boys, The Bomb Squad, Retrospective, Shadow, 10th Cavalry and more span the gamut from a'ight to hella tight. Back in the cassette tape days, it would have hurt that I had to skip some of the early tracks, but The Golden Age makes the grade in the iPod era. It scores with healthy doses of comics references and true school hip hop beats and rhymes. Click here to download it free, give it at least one listen through, then delete the tracks you don't like. And with the money you save, go buy some Alpha Flight comics, bub!
holla!
-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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"It's Funny: People used to give my mother a hard time, now my President is Black and his name's as hard as mine." -Talib Kweli

2011-11-25T22:16:00.001-06:00

There's two brand new songs floating around by Black Star (just as famous individually as the mighty Mos Def and Talib Kweli), ostensibly off the long-awaited sophomore album they're promising us will come out in 2012. The first is Fix Up (below, produced by Madlib), followed by You Already Know, produced by Madlib's brother OhNo.

For the first time in years, I actually believe it when Mos and Kweli say they're coming out with a new record together. Fans have been crying out for it and now it actually looks like it's gonna happen... That's something to be thankful for!

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

#nsfw PREVIEW: Kemette: Sword of Pharoahs

2011-11-25T16:55:00.001-06:00

Wanna read a comic starring a naked Egyptian warrior chick? Who doesn't, right? Make sure your boss isn't looking, and peep these pages from Action Bunny Comix's Kemette. But then again, if you're working on Black Friday, eff your boss...

Here's the Sales Pitch:
Chosen by the ancient Gods of Kemet, One girl has been given the task of preparing the world for an inter-dimensional enemy. As the embodiment of the Egyptian deities, Kemette is the ultimate warrior, the true Sword of the Pharoahs.
While living and fighting on an alternate world, Kemette comes to the end of her mission. The Ophidian Empire has unleashed Their dreaded 'Dragonaught' which proves to be the ultimate evil. Will Kemette survive the onslaught and finally be allowed to return to Earth?

I remember reading Kemette in Gritz 'n' Gravy, a promising, but apparently short-lived anthology magazine with a decidedly adult bent (those censorship stars are only there in these preview pages to meet Indyplanet's general audience website guidelines), and I'm glad that the series creator Preston Skylar Owens continued with the character past the magazines untimely demise. There are currently two issues of Kemette: Sword of Pharoahs available on Indyplanet. Click here to order them.

holla!

-samax.

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#BlackFriday is #PhoenixJonesFriday at GhettoManga!

2011-11-25T12:12:00.001-06:00

Okay, I just decided... I'm offering prints of this Phoenix Jones piece I made! Get Dark Phoenix Jones FREE with a subscription to GhettoManga Quarterly or just $7 a la carte!

I will sign and number the prints, which will be limited to 100 copies. All of us here at GhettoManga are big fans of the recently unmasked masked crimefighter from the Rain City Superhero crew. To read more about Phoenix and the superhero movement, click here. If you already have a GhettoManga Quarterly subscription, email me today for a special subscribers-only offer!

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

PREVIEW- "BKLN BAD #2"

2011-11-24T21:14:00.001-06:00

The dark super-prison drama comic BKLN BAD is back, and this preview gives us a look at Devil Man, a second generation super ~~hero~~ thug locked up in the world's toughest prison: Brooklyn.

Like I said, this might mean more if you peep the preview to BKLN BAD #1, so click here to read it. You can cop the first issue here and this issue here.
holla!

-samax.

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PREVIEW- Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers

2011-11-23T09:40:00.001-06:00

Just read some online preview pages for this indie comic Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers by Writer Jeff Marsick and Artist Kirk Manley. Z-girl is an unkillable bad-ass in command of a quartet self-reincarnating soldiers charged to protect the world from things that go bump in the night. Looks preeeetty dope...

Here's the Sales Pitch:
In 300 BC, venerable Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, looked upon the evil ravaging China and set about finding ancient warrior spirits who would defend humanity and prevent the future zombie apocalypse as foretold in the ancient epic of Gilgamesh. These spirits, his Tigers, would be contained in human hosts. And to lead them, a fifth tiger, the center that commands the others, he selected a self aware female zombie with a conscience. If a Tiger is killed, the spirit seeks out a suitable replacement and is then drawn to Z-Girl through the sacred tattoos that bond the team to her. Z-Girl uses an ancient regenerative myst to repair herself as well as keep her more base instincts and hungers in check. Centuries after their creation, Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers currently operate as agents of the secretive Department of Irregular Warfare. Outfitted with the latest in high-tech weaponry and capable of engaging threats anywhere on the planet, Z-Girl and the Four Tigers are often called upon to be the last line of defense against unthinkable and unimaginable evils.

This premiere issue is numbered #0 and contains three separate tales that span three different time periods in the team’s history. Along with twenty-seven pages of story there are full page character bios and a generous guest artist pin-up gallery featuring works by Ron Salas, Rick Cortes, Euan Mactavish, Marc Lamming Scott Barnett and more. Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers #0 is forty-four pages of action, adventure, horror and military science fiction in one gorgeous comic book.   

Here's the Sales Pitch for Z-Girl #1:
This is the first issue in the five-issue story arc, "ODYSSEY". The mission for Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers was straightforward: battle gun-toting apes at the temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, prevent the emergence of the wrathful god, Shiva, and save a pregnant hostage. But the ancient scroll they find means this is just the beginning of something greater, a journey of discovery of who Z-Girl is and what part she is to play in the prophesied zombie apocalypse.

I love how the monster priest has drawn an x on the pregnant woman's belly, and covered up her breasts with a rag to keep it PG-13. Anyways, here's the Sales Pitch to #2...
The events of the first issue set Z-Girl and the Tigers in search of the 13th tablet of Gilgamesh in Nineveh, Iraq, where they unearth something far more sinister than they were expecting. Back in Chicago, Valerie Tardiff begins learning the way of the Red Tiger spirit. Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows is a mysterious cabal whose own quest for world-domination has put them on a collision course with our heroes. And witness the debut of...the bionic yeti!

Not bad. Not bad a'tall... If you're feeling this, you can click here to order Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers #0, 1 and 2 on Indyplanet. For more zombie-related crap, click here!
holla!

-samax.

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Album (p)Review: "Volume Control" by Vicious Cycle #nowPlaying

2011-11-22T13:36:00.000-06:00

The ladies of Vicious Cycle are back on that microphone bullyball shit with their sophomore offering Volume Contol...

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://viciouscycle.bandcamp.com/album/volume-control"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Volume Control by Vicious Cycle&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
Volume Control begins with an enthusiastic and sincere cosign from DJ Symphony, the deejay for Wu-tang's Raekwon the Chef. From there, the throwback rap duo of Money Stax and Neeky Devero launch into the prototypical crowd mover Goosebumps, and slides smoothly into the body of the record, whose moments of emotional vulnerability and chest-thumping aggression both feel equally sincere. The "I-can-do-better-on-my-own" anthem Sure Thing will be blasting out of many frustrated chicks' car stereos if they have better taste in music than men. In fact, songs like Caught Up and the transcendantly dope I Don't Know Anymore also transparently display the difficulty of being a strong-willed and independent woman in love with an equally strong-willed dude.

The larger-than-life rap personas show their humanity on this album, and yet stay true to the hard-rhyming action comedy vibe of the first album. They help bridge to the previous joint with a few slick remixes of Vagina Chronologue cuts by contest winners culled (I assume) from the internets. A hilarious sample from the Jim Carey comedy Me, Myself, and Irene launches into You People Again which marries the vocals to VC's hit You People to a beat that feels like a one-drop classic. The provocatively titled Tits and Ass is re-imagined as Devero Meets Stax. The best of the bunch of revisists is Phone Call Returned, produced by Nasa Playstation. These cuts don't feel like remixes. I only knew Phone Call Returned was a remix because I recognized the lyrics: "Get ignored cause you spit it poor, what you in it for? Devero and Stax stab your backs like a kitchen drawer..." which I must have chuckled out at my friends a hundred times when Neeky barked it out on the first record. A nice way to ensure there will be no sophomore jinx, these remixes are fresh enough to smuggle some proven dopeness from Vagina Chronologue onto this one without frustrating heads that already copped the first joint.

As it turns out, there's more than enough various forms of flambe on Volume Control to go around. The underground emcee anthem Never Enough (f. Alsace & The Rapture) is honestly worth the price of admission by itself. Rounded out by the quirky Recess (f. Showoff and 7even:Thirty) and the Stevie-sampling single Made To Love (f. Von Pea), I found Volume Control to be worth its weight. In the end, who knows if today's rap audience (conditioned to check for effeminate dudes in tight jeans and female rappers who would seemingly rather be singers or strippers) will be as turned on by the efforts of this pair of relentless mic stranglers as I am. I think there are heads out there who will pick up what VC is putting down. If you're reading this, maybe you're one of them. If so, click here to cop Volume Control on bandcamp, tough guy!

holla!

samax.

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Cyclops VS T'challa: FIGHT!!! (sorta)

2011-11-22T09:25:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I have no particular evidence that the Black Panther appears in Astonishing X-men #44, but I'm pretty sure that if T'challa walked into his local comic shop and saw this cover, Storm would have some serious 'splainin' to do...

Here's the Sales Pitch:
GREG PAK (World War Hulk) and MIKE MCKONE (Spider-Man: 24/7,Teen Titans: A Kid's Game) are here to put the ASTONISHING back in the X-Men. Storm needs Cyclops’ help with a special mission, but it ends up being much more than they bargained for. Oh, and they kiss. WHAT!?!? The biggest, most exciting X-Men story in years starts here!

This creative team is a good one, so I would expect some unexpected turns and lots of action. The new status quo on the X-books is intriguing: Cyclops as general of the mutant army and Wolverine as educator is an interesting-yet-plausible reversal of role expectations. Maybe it's just that I haven't been reading...
Anyways, this arc of Astonishing oughta be good... Astonishing X-men #44 drops November 23rd.

holla!

-samax.

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ILLTone + Shade Cobain = Blacktivity

2011-11-20T21:48:00.001-06:00

I've been a fan of Illtone for a minute (via the Detroit area crew the Lyricists), so when he dropped the link to Blacktivity, his new EP with beatsmith Shade Cobain, I HAD to check it out!

<a href="http://tonemusic.bandcamp.com/album/blacktivity">Blacktivity by Blacktivity</a>

On first listen I was drawn to Knuckle Sandwich, which actually served as the EP's lead single, but the second pass is what really reveals the nice stuff going on here. This EP is the self-titled introduction to Blacktivity, the moniker for the "he's the deejay, I'm the rapper" combo of Illtone and Pittsburgh area producer Shade Cobain. Illtone's no-nonsense raps advocate the kind of grass roots hip hop philosophy that lead me to start sharing rap shit in the first place, saying about hip hop "They say it's back, but we ain't go nowhere
but deeper underground, where we got more control there..." on hip hop blogger anthem Bobby A&R. Shade's beats encourage a healthy nostalgia on The Day Before Yesterday and Adaptation. The record has the kind of straight-talking wisdom that comes from living and learning "Politics, I'm not really that interested in, but if you know nothing, then you're as ignorant as them. Give me more on my return, don't have me convinced, People say its conscious, but it seems more like common sense..."
Anyways, it's good stuff. Click here to cop Blacktivity's self-titled EP via the miracle of bandcamp.

holla...
-samax

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Dreaming of @AlkhemiJones

2011-11-18T09:45:00.001-06:00

It's been a long while since I laid eyes on Alkhemi Jones, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Sigh... here's some youTubery ~~to tide me over~~ for your musical enjoyment ...

I first became aware of the lovely emcee/ vocalist/ songwriter/ musician as part of the venerated hip hop crew Skwod X, who were holding it down in the Dallas hip hop scene when I moved to the area. But alas, things fall apart, and the lovely Ms. Jones left the area, eventually landing where all Dallas emcees seem to go:

Atlanta! Like other dope Dallas talent like Headkrack and (fellow Skwod X alum) Massive, Alkhemi has been making it blend in the ATL for a hot minute (when she's not opening for Mos def or on tour with Nappy Roots, that is...). But she never forgets where she came from, and I like that about her.

photo by niki zoë vickers

Alkhemi came home to do some shows last year about this time, but I couldn't make it... so I'm hoping the next time her shadow falls a Dallas stage, I will be able to attend... Meanwhile, keep up with her on her Facebook page or Twitter.
have a great day!
-samax.

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Help us choose the cover to the next issue!

2011-11-17T23:06:00.001-06:00

Nah, you didn't miss it... I'm still putting together the Undead Celebs issue of GhettoManga Quarterly, and I could use your help. Vote on which of these versions of Howard Russell's Thriller cover you like better...

Dope, right? Howard smashed the art on this cover (as well as the Thriller short comic he did as a tribute to the late King of Pop that appears in this issue... but that's a whole 'nother thing), so I figure I can't miss... peep the poll on the blog sidebar and let your opinion be known.

Anyways, I promise the issue will be done soon. If you wanna buy a 4 issue subscription to GhettoManga Quarterly (and get 4 issues for the price of 3), just click here. Thanks for voting!
holla!

-samax.

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the King City Trade Paper Back is GO! (peep the cover & release date)

2011-11-15T21:38:00.001-06:00

yes... I have all twelve issues of Brandon Graham's urban fantasy King City. Yes, I am still buying the trade when it comes out...

Here's the cover to Image Comics' King City Collection...

"So the cat is out of the bag," Brandon announced in non-announcerly fashion... "the King City collection comes out from Image comics on February 22nd in black and white 424 pages. Same golden age size as the Image issues. for $19.99."

This will be the third time in print for half of the book. I first read the first six issues when they were published by Tokyopop as a teeny tiny digest-sized OGN in 2007. Just as I got all excited about it, Tokyopop imploded and scores of books were eightysixed... Fortunately, Brandon somehow managed to sweet-talk Tokyopop into allowing Image Comics to publish King City (including re-publishing the first book) as magazine-sized individual issues. After the way I've drooled over King City on this blog, I'm sure you know I was excited that the spirits of comicbook destiny were able to mesmerize TP one more time so I could get a paperback collection of King City as well.

holla!

-samax.

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"Being realistic is the fastest path to mediocrity" -LeSean Thomas

2011-11-14T20:55:00.001-06:00

For all my fellow LeSean Thomas fans, here's a teaser to the doc LeS has been promising us, chronicling his time building and destroying with his fellow animation savants in South Korea. If you think you're not a fan of LeSean Thomas, check the credits of the best American cartoons of the last decade, and you'll realize you were one of us all along...

SEOUL SESSIONS PRESENTS: MAKING ANIMATION PT 1 (TEASER) from LeSeanThomas on Vimeo.

Straight up, LeS is a director and producer on The Boondocks and Black Dynamite animated series,as well as Ben 10: Alien Force, and Batman: the Brave and the Bold. Besides being a groundbreaking animation hot shot, LeS cut his teeth on comics like Arkanium, and still has the gremlins here at GhettoManga checking the feeds regularly for news about his long-awaited CannonBusters graphic novel (by the way... there's an animated version in the works too...)

Anyways, word is SEOUL SESSIONS PRESENTS: MAKING ANIMATION PT 1 will be ready in January... in the meanwhile, click here tojoin LeSean's group on Facebook. When the news comes out on these projects, you can bet you'll hear it there first!

holla!

-samax.

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PREVIEW- X-factor #227

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

I gotta say, this preview of X-factor #227 is pretty educational. For one thing, the team looks as good as ever in the hands of veteran X-scribe Peter David and artist Leonard Kirk (Captain Britain and MI:13, World War Hulk - Warbound). I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Kirk actually makes Hangman look awesome, and he's particularly sympathetic in this preview as well... Y'know, for a walking symbol of hate crime...

yep. So, I had no idea that people routinely escaped from hell either... nor was I aware that souls had "puissance"... you CAN learn a lot from comics. See what other educational tidbits Peter David and company have on tap when X-Factor #227 drops November 16th.

holla!

samax.

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PREVIEW- Starborn #12 (Final Issue)

2011-11-12T17:38:00.001-06:00

Yeah, you missed it: Starborn #12 brings Stan Lee's little shared-universe science hero books to a close. But hey, peep the dope art in this preview by your man Khary Randolph and cop the trade...

FINAL ISSUE! Stan Lee, SUPERMAN’S Chris Roberson, and SPIDER-MAN’s Khary Randolph bring the sci-fi superhero scorcher to a close in this can’t-miss epic conclusion to the crossover that has everyone talking. With alien superpowers threatening Earth with annihilation, Starborn must step up, alongside Soldier Zero and the Traveler, to save civilization — but which civilization will Starborn fight for? Find out in Stan Lee’s grand finale that will change the way you read comics forever!

Looks like they're going out with a bang, huh? I haven't really been keeping up, but I read the first few issues of Starborn and really enjoyed it... I still need to cop the first trade, which collects the first half of the story, but for those buying the single issues, Starborn #12 drops November 16th.
holla!

samax.

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In Stores Now- Mr. Terrific # 3

2011-11-11T15:27:00.001-06:00

I've gotten lots of feedback about the new Mister Terrific reboot, and pretty much all of it was bad. Everyone who mentioned the art of Gianluca Gugliotta hated it... He's not drawing the art on #3 (no matter what this cover says), so I'm curious how people will like the new guy...

When this series was announced, it was one of the few reboot titles I wanted to check out... without a top tier writer or artist, there was no urgency, though. Anyways, I'm assuming the art team of Scott Clark and Dave Beatty represent a step in the right direction... maybe? Let me know what you think, especially if you bought this issue.

holla!

samax.

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PREVIEW- "Avengers Origins: Luke Cage" one-shot

2011-11-11T10:19:00.001-06:00

We love Luke Cage here at GhettoManga (I know I do!), so when I saw this preview on CBR, I knew I'd hafta swipe it for you to check out!

Here's the Sales Pitch:

EXPLODING FROM THE PAGES OF NEW AVENGERS…
What makes someone a hero? An Avenger? Is it super-powers? An indomitable will? An innate sense of right and wrong? For Luke Cage its one terrible mistake that has haunted him his entire life. But can a lifetime of good deeds make up for his years spent on the other side of the law? And will that past ever let him go, or will it tear him to pieces?

yeah, as you know if you checked out the Luke Cage tribute issue of GhettoManga Quarterly magazine, I bought a copy of that Essential Luke Cage joint, so I will be able to see exactly how they retcon Luke's origin in this one shot. I guess there's not a lot of reason they have to change it, but I'm betting they will. I actually enjoy rereading those early issues, but I know lots of hell has been raised over Cage's early blaxploitation-spawned roots. So anyways, Avengers Origins: Luke Cage drops November 16th.
holla!

samax.

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#NowPLAYING: Playdough + Heath McNease "Wed, White and Wu" #WuTangisForTheChildren

2011-11-07T23:41:00.000-06:00

If you like a little fun with your hip hop, catch a couple emcees who take it very seriously in Playdough and Heath Mc Nease.
Peep their new mixtape Wed, White and Wu below...
&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wedwhiteandwu.bandcamp.com/album/wed-white-and-wu"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Wed White and Wu by Wed White and Wu&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Okay, I can't stop laughing at the fact that they got a song called #CougarSwag on this joint... If you've been watching Playdough smash dudes at rap battles by talking about how he dates their moms, you would dig that song, too. This isht is fun, and humorous, with mad punchlines, but Playdough and Heath are serious about rhyming and give you an album's worth of rapping on this humble mixtape, which has lots of dope features (Guilty Simpson's sick on You Know My Steez as are Propaganda and DJ Sean P on The Ego Has Landed).

Anyways, you can cop this joint free, but they have slick Teeshirt packs available (which includes a physical copy of the ceedee with art by yours truly!), so bounce over to bandcamp and see what moves you!

holla!

samax.

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Moebius and Jodorowsky's "Incal" adapted into animated feature? Well, not exactly...

2011-11-06T15:58:00.003-06:00

The classic Moebius and Jodorowsky graphic novel series The Incal should be adapted for film by french animator Pascal Blais.

Snippet from Moebius' The Long Tomorrow

In The Incal, which first captured imaginations in the U.S. in the revered edgy sci-fi comics magazine Heavy Metal, filmmaker and author Alexandro Jodorowsky (The Holy Mountain, El Topo) and legendary comicbook artist Moebius created a great hard-boiled detective story turned softcore sci-fi joint. Classic material, to be sure... and this animated trailer by Pascal Blais looks like a labor of love. But earlier attempts by Blais to get the movie made didn't succeed... Blais actually got together some people and made this to make the case that The Incal needs to get the movie treatment.

"Two sequences from the original Heavy Metal movie were borrowed from Moebius's work: The Long Tomorrow story and Arzach." Blais explains. "Given that till this day, Moebius and Jodorowsky are heralded as some of the world's greatest Sci-Fi visionaries," Blais reasons, "it seems to me that a film, based on their work would be even more successful than one inspired by it."

Bringing these incredible artist's work to the big screen, I am convinced would be a great success...so much so that I animated and directed this piece with other like artists..."
I was disappointed to find that this was not from a movie about to come out, but just a project Blais and friends did for fun. Hopefully Blais will continue to beat the bushes and maybe get this film made! I know I wanna see it...
holla!

samax.

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