Felipe Gone Wild!

peep this video of MBQ artist Felipe Smith tryin'a sell his book to a comicshop owner in Argentina. for more on MBQ go here, or here.


holla!
samax.

Youngest In Charge...

on myspace, i get "friend requests" pretty much every day. sometimes i just accept 'em all. other times, i go look at them, and try to discern why they requested me. so anyways, i was looking at the friends of friends of one of my would-be-friends and found Emonifela.
she's just fourteen years old, but her music and poetry are embarrassingly good.

somebody give this kid a record deal!!! i have no idea where she's from, but some of the things she says in her songs and on her blog mirror conversations i've been having lately (and i'm only twenty years older than her...). it's encouraging that somebody that young is out there making mature-sounding music. hip hop is in good hands, people! now if we can just get her some shine...

holla!
samax.

the (junior) Gong show...

i have a few friends who are always asking me who i recommend in the way of reggae artists. Damian "Junior Gong" Marley (son of the legendary Bob Marley) is a great place to start!

Catch him TONIGHT on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (check local listings for the time, cousin!!!!!)! Don't miss it ...
meanwhile, check out "Welcome To Jamrock" on his myspace.


holla!
samax.

Wasted...

Oni Press is doing a new ongoing series called
WASTELAND.
One hundred years after a world changing apocolypse called "the Big Wet", Earth has been left a broken, infertile world of rock and sand. The town of Providence is like many others on the post-Big Wet planet - small, mostly illiterate, and struggling for survival.

it looks pretty freakin' hard, people! go here to peep the first 22 pages for free (that's a price that fits ANY budget!).
peace.
samax.

speaking of 100 bullets...

they've made one of the best comics on earth (Vertigo's noirish, gangster/revenge/conspiracy thriller 100Bullets)into a video game for you game-playas.

i know nothing about it, but you can learn more here

holla!
samax

Drawing While Intoxicated

DRINK AND DRAW is the brainchild (or brain fart,, depending on how you look at it) of the potentate you love to hate, 100Bullets cover artist and all-around ill mo-fo Dave Johnson. the M.O. is as follows: Dave (and whatever other comic book artists, animators, and other assorted drawing fools he can talk into it) go to a local pub/bar/ waterin' hole and do sketches while also drinking themselves silly!

check here for the booze-stained results!

holla!
samax.

the Hell you say!

for all you non-comics-readin' cats who may have seen that crappy daredevil movie and think you know what's up...
you.don't.

Daredevil has been one of the best comics on the planet for a few years now. under the watchful eye of writer Brian Michael Bendis (you gotta say all three names...) and artist Alex Maleev, the Kingpin was assasinated, DD's secret I.D. was outted in the tabloids, he (as blind lawyer Matt Murdock) denied it, and sued the tabloids, crushed his enemies and, oh yeah: Daredevil took over as the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen!

if you think that spoils the book, YOU'RE WRONG!!
that's the tip of the iceberg...
Daredevil/matt murdock is the biggest badass in comics (yeah, even more than batman)! if you don't believe me, cop the DD graphic novels by Bendis and Maleev (start with "Out")...

now the bad news is, Bendis and Maleev have left the comic... the good news is Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark are in the house(fresh off their award-winning run on DC's Gotham Central), and if you think they are letting up on the Man Without Fear, you're wrong (again!). don't believe me? how's this: Foggy Nelson, Matt's law partner and best friend? Dead. Matt is locked up in Ryker's with all the scumbags he locked up... and he's still denying he's daredevil, and he hasn't even broke a freakin' sweat!

artist michael lark lives here in dallas, so i'ma try and get an interview... try to read up on daredevil by then...

holla!
samax.

on the low...

i've been laboring over the cover design for Beat Rabbi's new record, Deepspace5oul, for a minute. here's the front-runner so far (the artist has not gotten back to me yet...). i am still cooking up new iterations, since Rabbi might say he doesn't like this one, but i just loved the pictures he sent me of his dog!

for those who don't know, Rabbi makes beats for my favorite underground crew, Deepspace5 (hence the curious spelling of "Soul" in the album title...), and they're all over this record! once he gives me permission, i'll leak some tracks for ya'll...

anywho, just lettin' ya'll know where i was on this.
stay tuned...
arf!
samax.

my favorite emcee...

okay. i know. he's white.
so anyways, playdough is the illest!
i used to apologize for the fact that he's white and why is your favorite rapper a white dude, first eminem is hailed by XXL as the greatest rapper alive (to which i say "whatever..."), and now samax's favorite rapper isn't most def or common, it's some white dude!

yeah, but he sure can flow...

like many white rappers who don't try extra hard to "sound black" (for best results, picture me rolling my eyes), playdough has been tagged by some of his critics as having a voice that is "annoying at times", but i'm giving props here because i cut for this cat's rhymes. that makes him sound cool to me...

whether rhyming 'longside any one of the several groups he's in (ill harmonics, phonetic composition, and the mighty deepspace5... i think that's it...), guesting on other cats' records, or flyin' solo, this man is the real deal! even when he does a song i don't like (can't make an omelet without breakin' some eggs), he always spits nice!

so for what it's worth, he's been my favorite, for a while now (it was mos def before that... he needs to do some new stuff if he wants his spot back!). his only real competition for my top spot right now is Bavu Blakes... but that's a whole 'nother blog... so if you're watching playdough, bask in the glory!

go here and peep a samplin' off his unrealisticly dope debut solo joint, Lonely Superstar. that record is crrrraaaaazy! also, go to his mySpace page and listen to joints from his new record, Don't Drink The Water.

anyways, that's it. happy hipHop fam'ly...
holla!
samax.

DangerDoom 2?

ehhhh, not quite. but the next best thing!

Adult Swim Pairs Up with Stones Throw Records to Produce New Album
Hip Hop Album with Contributing Artists Madvillain, J Dilla and others to Debut in September
Following up on the successful release of DANGERDOOM: The Mouse and the Mask in October 2005, Adult Swim will collaborate on a second hip hop album, this time with indie label Stones Throw Records. The album, slated to debut September 19, will celebrate Stones Throw..s ten-year anniversary and feature all of the artists on the label. Stones Throw's roster includes artists Madlib, MF DOOM, the late J. Dilla and others who are considered some of the most creative artists in hip hop today. (more on this here)

okay, where do i sign? i CUT for Dangerdoom (read my DD review here), so i'm excited to hear more of that crazy ish...

peace, fam'ly...

samax.

Rock the Vote!!!

so yesterday i got a copy of the new MBQ... YIKES!!! that mess is the illest comic ever!
it's as irreverant and funny a comic as i've read in years, and Felipe Smith reps hipHop (and LosAngeles) to the fullest!!!

the cast of characters is to die for: whether it's arrogant (yet still starving) artist Omario, his supersized roomate and aspiring filmmaker Jeff, superthug Dee, or the ultimate fighting champ (not to mention evil bastard) Big Bro (on the cover at left), and that doesn't even scratch the surface (i didn't mention the girls)...

like his star Omario, Smith doesn't wanna draw superheroes, giant robots, cute furry animals, or fantasy, he draws real life. BUT he injects so much anime action style storytelling, exagerrated gestures and design, you'll never notice there's no hero swooping in to save the day.

he brings hipHop style excess to the pages that'll satisfy just about anybody. I DARE YOU TO pick up the book. open it. you WILL keep reading!

anyways, the publisher, TokyoPop, does a people's choice award. so go to TokyoPop and vote for MBQ this month in every category!!! (i already did!)
oh yeah, and order the book while you're there, or go to a comicshop or bookstore and cop it!

holla!
peace.
samax.

DENTON IS CALLIN'...

i'll be here tonight:

holla!
samax.

R.I.P Proof of D-12

Eminem's boy, Proof (he played the first battle rapper, L'il Tip, in 8 Mile) of the rap group D-12 was killed Tuesday...
Respect and Best wishes to his family.
read the full report on Yahoo! entertainment news:


peace,
samax.
www.samaxAmen.com

EMPIRE strikes...

as i write this, i'm at Borders (free Wi-Fi weekends this month for T-mobile customers... woo-hoo!)reading the April issue of british entertainment mag EMPIRE (hey, it has the X3 cast on the cover!)... it has an interview with comics god Alan Moore, discussing why he not only wanted his name taken off
V for Vendetta (the mostly DOPE adaptation of the comic he did in the 80's with artist David Lloyd), but he refused to take any money for it! the interview is unbelievable (unless you're familiar with Moore, in which case it makes perfect sense...)!

Also in this issue:
*an interview with my future Wife, Rosario Dawson

*a layout with super-fresh movie themed Kubricks action figures

*an interview of Harrison Ford that is "the longest interview [Empire has] ever done" with a list of his Top 10 performances

*an article on the "selfish neuroses" of Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther); a great analytical article about A History Of Violence

* Props for the directoral debut (i think!) of my favorite screen writer, Shane Black(Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight): the noirish Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (which i haven't reviewed 'cause i haven't seen it... somebody buy me the DVD!!)

*a list of the 20 best comicbook movies ever, which did not include The Crow (feh! the fools!) but did include Popeye (nice!)...

definitely the most fun i've had reading a magazine in years! no really!

cheers!
samax.

Thor For President?

Mark Millar (Ultimates, The Authority) Strikes again!
i just finished reading Ultimate Fantastic Four #28, part 2 (of 3) in a storyline called "President Thor"... Reed Richards, the big brain of the FF, has succumbed to his guilt over not being able to cure Ben Grimm being turned into the rocky, monstrous Thing. his new solution is to travel back in time and prevent the accident that gave the FF their powers, (which would include curing Ben!). if you think that solution sounds good, you'll be pleased to find out it worked... with the little added side effect of changing the course of history!

but hey, don't be sad! now every person on earth has been transformed into a superhuman (except Ben Grimm, the last human...), Thor is president of the United States (Reed is VeePee), and the emperor of the most benevoloent race in the universe is paying his first visit to the planet. that's right, Washington DC plays host to the Super Skrull this issue (if you thought the Skrulls were supposed to be evil, you must have been brainwashed by racist, anti-skrull propaganda...).

i won't give any more away, and even if i tried, i doubt i could do justice to Millar's beautifully psychopathic writing, nor substitute for the lovely art of Greg Land (Sojourn)!

i haven't been reading this book, so i couldn't recommend it to you... i'm so sorry! go to a comic shop or bookstore and COP Millar's Ultimate Fantastic Four!!!

holla!
samax.

It's the RoughneckTha Inspecta!

okay, children... hope you're havin' a good weekend...
apologies to all the haters out there, but i'm on a wu-tang binge.
yeah, yeah, i heard you "but wu ain't runnin' it no more..."

the hell you say!
for my money, there ain't too many flyer rappers on the planet than the illustrious inspectah deck!

i ran up on an interview on HipHopGame.com and Deck dropped a couple well-worded bombs, which i will shoot your way:

"[Hip Hop] i grew up on made me wanna rhyme. If i grew up in this era and heard half of these dudes, it wouldn't inspire me to rhyme. it would inspire me to feel like i'm better than them, but i wouldn't want to live breathe and shit Hip Hop like the first time i saw 'The Message'..."

"Understand what Hip Hop is. if you're 'laffy taffying' it up, don't stop, but go back to Black Moon... Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane... i'll tell niggas to take a Hip Hop test. go back and listen to some classic shit, and then come back and listen to the shit out now..."

aaaaaaaaaah finally! somebody said it!
nah, for real, though... for more news and views from the Rebel I.N.S. check the interview in its full glory here.

holla!
samax.

ghostface/MF DOOM Collabo!

Peep MF DOOM production on four tracks from Ghostface's new joint FISHSCALE: 9 Milli Bros, Clipse of Doom, Jellyfish, and Underwater.
www.myspace.com/ghostface

Ghost's album also features two tracks produced by the legendary J DILLA (R.I.P.) - Beauty Jackson and Whip You with a Strip. Both tracks are taken off his instrumental joint DONUTS which dropped last month. Take a bite off that:
www.myspace.com/jdilla

Also: the GHOSTFACE/DOOM collab debut: Angeles. Available now on the comp NATURAL SELECTION, a preview of the upcoming Ghostface/Doom album SWIFT & CHANGEABLE. Listen to it now at:
www.myspace.com/naturesounds

Yo .. last but not least: Your boy MADLIB dropped 35 instrumentals that you'll check out of you got any sense in you - BEAT KONDUCTA VOL. 1-2: MOVIE SCENES. A couple of these beats might even show up on the next MADVILLAIN project.
www.myspace.com/madlib

the villain has left the buildin'...
samax.

We Call Him da Griz!!

check out the work of my man Kelsey Shannon. his stuff is so good, it'll make you cry!
well, maybe not you... you look pretty tough... but it IS really, really good... after years of drawing comics, illustrating, and making all manner of artsy crap, he has really nailed form, composition, and color!

like most of the artists i know, he's constantly dodging any attempts to get in contact with him (at least mine anyway)...

but we've learned not to take it personal... after all, he's artsy! OH! and the reason we call him Da Griz, is because of his bushy, grizzly-adams-style beard. GRUFF!
anyways, check his blog, and tell him samax says "hi!"

holla!
samax.

must love monkeys...

banana sunday is about being the new kid in town, fitting in, and being the guardian for talking monkeys...

see? something anybody can relate to!
the trade paperback by Root Nibot and Colleen Coover is out now, from Oni Press. i don't guess you HAVE to love monkeys to enjoy this book, but it helps!

if you cop it, lemme know how you like it!

peace.
samax.
www.samaxAmen.com

just a touch of Tre Deezee...

for all you toy-headz out there, get a gander of my blog on Tre Deezee :
toy designer, illustrator and artiste extraodinaire! there will be more soon, but peep the blog, for now...A'IGHT?!!

holla.
samax.

Astronautilus...

real quick:
the surprisingly dope emcee Astronautilus will be in Dallas/Denton on the dates below

this dude is so fresh, he has a walk on role in one of my upcoming comics!
Apr 6 2006 7:00P GOOD RECORDS in store dallas, TX
Apr 8 2006 10:00P Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios Denton, TX

anyways, check 'im out at one o' these dates (he's got more listed on his website, non-DFW residents!)

HOLLA!
samax.

ofloda!

real quick! check this cat out! Ofloda's a young cat out in cali, doing lots of fun art (and i hear he makes comics, too!) i don't really know him, but i have exchanges with him online fairly often and i really enjoy what i've seen.

get at him and tell him i said he's dope!

ya'll have a happy monday!
peace.
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com

the Gold Standard...

i just did a telephone/email interview yesterday with my online compadre and current favorite artist, Goldi. he creates work so fresh, that you would think somebody would be paying him major figgas by now! but he's doin' his indie grind right now, and i'm happy to shine some light on his stuff. it'll blow your mind!

the New Jersey bred art-hopper now rests in Atlanta. while promoting my own little art carreer, i came across Goldi on mySpace... not only is he maaaad productive (several new joints per week, regular art shows, teeshirt hustle, etc...), but he's one of the nicest cats i've run into. there is so much passion, pride, and personality in his work (even in his freakin' FLYERS) that i never get tired of lookin'' at it!

i'm still putting together the interview for my magazine (if you didn't already know, ghettoManga will be printed quarterly starting this summer...HOLLA!), and i'll at least post excerpts for ya'll here when it's done, but i wanted to shout him out now.

go check him out on mySpace now, and throw some money his way (brotha got BILLS)!!

peace, love, etc.
samax.