with Jackson in the Golden Trinity, Warriors are dangerous!

The Golden State Warriors named Stephen Jackson as one of their team captains in early October even while the controversial swingman spent the first seven games of the season on suspension.
Jackson was given the ban after pleading guilty to firing a gun outside an Indianapolis strip club during a Warriors training camp.
However, coach Don Nelson said he had no hesitation in naming Jackson as a captain alongside Baron Davis and Matt Barnes.
"We have great confidence in him as a player and a leader, and I think you'd hear that from most people who have spent time to really get to know Jack," he said.
Jackson was twice ejected from playoff games last season, and was also given a 30 match-suspension back in 2004, when as an Indiana Pacer he infamously went into the stands at The Palace of Auburn Hills to fight with Detroit Pistons supporters.

all that infamy was eclipsed of course when the lanky forward played like a god in the biggest upset in NBA playoffs history against the Mavericks, virtually snatching MVP dirk nowitzki's heart out and showing it to him while it was still beating... now back in the lineup, Cap'n Jack makes the Warriors the team to watch right now! for the record, Jackson's 15.5 ppg last season (19.9 in the playoffs) is up to 21.8 (second behind baron davis) since his return. he' ll earn just over $6 million for his role with the Warriors this season. and he'll earn it... this season, the Golden State Warriors will show the league that they are for real.

Art Conspiracy benefit show

i'm part of a benefit show this sunday Dec 9 at The Door (2513 Main St in Dallas) called Art Conspiracy III ...

i'll be on deck from 6-9pm saturday painting. i'll do a freestyle piece, so i don't know what i'm gonna paint, but i'm taking suggestions all the way up to the time of, so lemme know your ideas!

cover is 10 bucks, proceeds go to St. Anthony's Community Center. it's fun for the whole fam! get at me, and i'll have other swag in my napsack for those that wanna cop somethin'... i'll bring paintings, prints and postcards, PLUS the work i create for the show will be auctioned off, so you can get it cheap, i'm sure!

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Holla Day Shopping...

greetings, Fam!

i have added a "Holla Day Cheer" Section to the Ziontific store, which features my christmas image "Ya Better Watch Out" and other designs for festive shoppers. i also added a Men's Wear section for those of you who are shopping for "that Dude" in your life, but wanna make it quick! these sections are STILL being updated, so suggestions are welcome...

peace, love, etc.

samax.

why 2008 is gonna rock #10

the heavily anticipated sequal to instant-classic Batman Begins will arrive in theatres next year, with Christian Bale (American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Prestige) returning as the masked spirit of revenge and justice masquerading as a billionaire playboy. Heathe Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, A Knight's Tale, 10 Things I Hate About You) will play Batman's nemesis, the Joker in The Dark Knight.
while i think it's kinda early to be trotting out Batman's Arch-Enemy (why do they always bring out the arch enemy so soon?), i expect a pretty good film. as always, we'll see!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Pimp C of UGK found dead in Los Angeles hotel...

i was shocked to hear about the sudden untimely death of Pimp C of legendary Texas rap duo UnderGround Kingz today, as were most southern hip hop fans.
The rapper was found dead in his bed in a sixth floor hotel room. Details are still emerging.
A representative of Pimp C confirmed his death and asked that, "Everyone please respect his family and those close to him at this time and refrain from rumors and innuendo."
"We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad," said Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss in a statement. "He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."
peace,
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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DC stands for Darwyn Cooke!

Robocop last year was the shot!

nah, this is not another of my pleas to get Chubb Rock into the Rock n Roll hall of fame, this is about the CNN report on the next step to futuristic tech like what we see in games like Halo and movies like ghettoManga faves Aliens, Terminator and of course, Robocop.

Mos Def in the Lab with Kanye?

ghettoManga fave-the mighty Mos Def is working on a new album: his debut release for indie label Downtown Recordings, after his major-label swan song Tru3 Magic came and went with no fanfare (86,000 U.S. copies sold) last december. dropping Tru3 Magic freed Mos from his obligation to evil step-label Geffen Records, who inherited Mos' contract after the demise of beloved Rawkus Records.
Downtown bigwig Josh Deutsch says West will produce tracks on the as-yet-untitled record. Mos Def recently appeared on the "Drunk and Hot Girls" from West's new album, "Graduation." Although he didn't appear in a film in 2007, Mos Def has no less than eight movies pending through 2009, including "Toussaint" (directed by Danny Glover) and "Be Kind, Rewind", so it's good to hear he hasn't forgotten his rap fans!
holla!
samax
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

get on tha BUSSA BUSS!

greetings fam! i'm geekin' cause there's a new mixtape out by mick boogie and Busta Rhymes, called DILLAGENCE where Bus blesses tracks from the late J.Dilla... listen to and download the tracks Dillagence and Step Up for FREE off 'a zshare. ah, what the hell! here's that N.O.R.E. remix Set It Off (f.Busta, Talib Kweli, Red Cafe, Cassidy, & Sho of Final Chapter), just for good measure!
enjoy!
[[UPDATE!!!! DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE RECORD FREE COMPLIMENTS OF BUSTA AND MICK BOOGIE or BUY A COLLECTOR'S EDITION COPY!!! JUST CLICK THE PICK TO GO TO WWW.MICKBOOGIE.COM!!!]]
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Dr. Seuss/Mr. Blakes Collabo

Living Proof

i was riding home from Thanksgivin' with the new Inlaws, and we drove past a comic shop i'd never seen before... so the wife says "hey! a comicshop... wanna stop there?"

that's love.
so anyways, i was walking down the wall o' comics they had, and aaaaall the way at the end one book caught my eye:
PROOF is the story of John Prufrock, agent of the international organization known as the Lodge, and his new partner ex-FBI agent Ginger Brown. oh, i probably should mention Proof is a sasquatch. y'know, a Bigfoot! but he dresses nice, so it doesn't really matter, right? PROOF #1 chronicles the very first meeting of the new partners, and launches them into the investigation for the Lodge, a group that chronicles and manages the co-existance of "Cryptids" (animals that science cannot find concrete evidence, of despite multiple sightings) with mankind.

i really loved this issue, and am looking forward to more!
so buy it, so it won't get cancelled...
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

(pronounced Bah VOO)...

i can't say enough about 35 south allstar Bavu Blakes (although i have really tried). in years of plowing through ceedees and watching shows by unknown local artists, Bavu is among the best (if not THE best) artists i've ever come across. the "garland globetrotter" (and 2006's ghettoManga Emcee of the Year) has done as many mixtape appearances and collabos as anyone could possibly ask, and many more than i can afford to keep track of!

anyways, i just heard "Orangutans"- a collab with Deejay and Dallas Indie hipHop fixture Rob Victum and Element 7d, who i never heard of (isn't indie rap GREAT?!?)- and it's HOT! listen to the track here and lemme know what you think!
also, you can cop a FREE download of this track and other mixtape goodies, watch vids and even (GASP!) buy something at www.mySpace.com/Bavu... i freakin' RECOMMEND it!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

putting the SICK in classic

one of the most under-appreciated artists ever: Special Ed.

new teeshirts

these and more styles for men and women are available in the store at Ziontific.com.

so, i'm in the process of getting my stores ready for the Holiday rush when yesterday, i changed my mySpace profile picture to the sketch "True and Living", and suddenly got a ton of friend requests, as well as a few messages and comments, including demands to make this available on tee-shirts.

so here they are!

feel free to look around the stores when you get there... and as always, if you take a picture with one of my products, i'll post the pics here!

happy shopping!

samax.

www.Ziontific.com

Reyzor Sharp!

click above for cool sharknife wallpapers by Corey Lewis!

At the intersection of underground hip hop, punk rock, anime, and video games, you’ll find the rising comics super star Corey “the Rey” Lewis (Peng, Rival Schools). so far, the Jewel in his indie comics Crown is the Ballad of Ceasar Hallelujah, better known as the show-stopping man-monster SHARKNIFE (one K please!). rather than pull a brain muscle trying to explain Sharknife, i'll point you at the Sharknife preview here!

all i will tell you is that Sharknife has one Original Graphic Novel out now(cover at left) , and another due in 2008 both published by ONI Press... but this cat is so freakin’ fresh, he is BOUND to get snapped up and taken away by one’a the majors, so catch the wave while you can...

get more sharknife at www.sharKnife.com or stay tuned here for more news when the new joint drops!

holla!

samax.

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

Obama at Google

Barack Obama: Q and A from Google employees Part 1

Add to My Profile More Videos


Barack Obama: Q and A from Google employees Part 2

Add to My Profile More Videos

www.ghettoManga.com
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the Phunky Feel One

Gab and Lateef are back as The Mighty Underdogs!

"The Prelude EP" from The Mighty Underdogs (Quannum Projects)
if you are a fan of hipHop lyricism, wonder what really smart california rappin' sounds like, and/or feel like you just HAFTA have more of Blackalicious/Gift of Gab... cop THE PRELUDE ep!
here, Gab partners with frequent sidekick Lateef the Truth Speaker and Headnodic (with guests like DJ Shadow, MF DOOM, Ladybug Mecca, and Rashaan Ahmad from the Crown City Rockers) to form The MIGHTY UNDERDOGS!
as they say on Dragon Ball Z "But enough Talk..." go check 'em out... and DOWNLOAD "Gunfight (f. MF Doom)" for FREE (that's in the budget homie!) at their mySpace!
holla!
samax
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

deeper than atlantis...

one of my favorite things is to pick up a comic, read the interior cover blurb, and buy it. Abyss #1 actually managed to sell me on the first issue without even giving away the premise of the series! all they gave away was that the series star Eric is coming home after the death of his multi-billionaire father. he is home for the reading of Dad's will, and... well, let's just say he left him more than alone!
if you haven't figured out what happens next, congratulate yourself by purchasing Abyss #1 from canadian publisher Red5 Comics!
next week i will get to all the spoilers i am holding in right now, but suffice to say, this comic was a lotta fun. I can't wait to read the next one!

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

according to Mark...

i went to the local Half-Price Books to dig for cheap graphic novels and came across (among other things) a book called PowerMark. i copped the PowerMark Series One TPB, which encapsulates issues 1-12 for $5 (the regular price is $9.95). Within the context of a futuristic adventure comic, PowerMark is a christian comic, so if you're one of those people that hates christians, pass on it!

that said, the book has the personality of classic sci-fi adventure shows like Land of the Lost, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, etc. it is action-packed, but the package is good for young children. like the comics from my youth, it uses big words and ideas in context, which will encourage kids to figure them out.
Another thing i really appreciate is the multi-cultural cast, starting with the alpha-male Mark, from Singapore. it has the feeling of shows like Bionic Six or the 80's X-men.
i haven't read the whole thing yet, so i can't speak to the overall quality of the book yet, but i certainly applaud the spirit of it so far. feel free to check them out at www.PowerMarkComics.com

peace, love, etc.
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

it had to be done...

Buffalo Soul ...

Buffalo Soul by samax. hand drawn, colored/finished with Illustrator

research sketch, ballpoint pen, sharpie

what's up fam!
here's an illustrator joint i finished recently called "Buffalo Soul", commisioned by one of my clients. "Buffalo Soul" is about the Buffalo Soldiers, the black division in the U.S. military before it was integrated. the term "buffalo soldier" was coined by native americans to describe these rawkus brown dudes they kept seeing on the battlefields...

original drawing for final design, pencil

in doing my research for this, i got into the subject! originally applied to the members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, the term Buffalo Soldier eventually encompassed the U.S. 9th Cavalry Regiment, U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment and the 25th Infantry Regiment

you can learn more about the buffalo Soldiers at http://www.buffalosoldier.net/

as always let me know what y'all think!

peace,

samax.

research drawing. pencil, sharpie

No Common Sense?

Since his silver-screen debut in Smokin' Aces has been followed by turns in American Gangster and the upcoming action flick Wanted, Common has decided to quit rapping to persue film full time.

"I need a new fulfillment as an artist. I feel like I can become a bigger actor than I am a rapper. It's scary thinking, 'Damn, if I don't sell no records, what am I going to do?' When you haven't made multi millions in this game, you got to think about what you want to be doing when you're 50 or 60. I found an art that I really love and it's infinite."

cash rules.
how this will effect that record he was supposedly doing with Qtip is not really clear, but we shall see how this ball bounces...
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Marvel v. DC

once again, back is the incredible...

coming (back) soon...

Real Nigga Quotes

A Few Words from RhymeFest
"Well, by now, some of you have heard it; most of you have not.
A song from my upcoming EL CHE album has leaked. So instead of complaining about it or continuing my futile attempts to hide its existence until my album's release date, I will share it with you: my comrades.The name of this song is REAL NIGGA QUOTES, produced by and featuring DJ Premier.

This song is filled with famous quotes from great people throughout history. If you listen close to my lyrics, I'm sure that you can pick out a few that you are familiar with. On the 3rd verse, I even allow Premo to let loose with a hot 16 of his favorite revolutionary quotes.On sites such as HipHopDx.com and Okayplayer.com [where the leak of the song first appeared], there were interesting debates between Black & White Hip-Hop fans about whether this song was necessary, divisive or flat-out Black racism.

In the defense of my work, I will say that we as a Hip-Hop audience feed ourselves with all kinds of cultural nonsense when it comes to rap music. No one ever complains about Black racism when we are calling each other hoes, niggaz or bitches in a way that promotes self-hate and violence. I rarely hear complaints from anyone when the d-boys glorify the spewing of poison (crack, coke, etc.) throughout our communities. My album EL CHE is not a Black power album; it is a PEOPLE power album. It will represent the taking back of our communities; the disenfranchised, no matter what race, color or creed they consist of.The first song I released was ANGRY BLACK MAN ON A ELEVATOR, where everybody got it; from the ignorant-ass gangbanger without a purpose to Anna Nicole Smith. I spared no one. As much wrath as you will feel from this album upon its release, you will also see elements of mercy and love. Not much, but a little bit.However, I will stand firm in my belief that a color-blind society is not in the best interest of Hip-Hop, America or the world. We must confront the disenfranchisement, the stereotypes and the lies that are perpetrated on us all. Black people are not inherent criminals. White people are not against all people of color. And not all Brown people are plotting on taking your job. Hip-Hop is our way... it's my way... of speaking truth to power. So as you listen, enjoy or disagree with my new song REAL NIGGA QUOTES, all I ask is that you hear it not with a critical ear but an insightful mind. By doing this, you will have the best listening experience.So with no further ado, head over to my profile for song number two: REAL NIGGA QUOTES.GET PLUGGED!

Peace,Fest"

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"Wanted" Movie trailer

Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Common.

based on the comic by Mark Millar and JG Jones

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

check out Bayou, by Jeremy Love

holla!
samax.

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

Operation: LOCKDOWN is a complete success!

for those who didn't know, i got married on October 20th, 2007... big thanks to all who attended or sent us cards and gifts. we dated in college, and sometimes it seemed like all of creation was holding its breath waiting for this to happen... so exhale, creation! this is compelling evidence (if only to me) that miracles really do happen!

anyways, i did this piece for the wedding. there will be pictures coming soon, so check this entry for updates... and of course follow this link for items you can purchase if you're feelin' 'em!

peace, Love, etc.

Mr. Right (aka samax).

Jean is Back from the Dead!

yeah, that's right! peep Jean Grae from the new Roots DVD

NICE!!!!!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

lights, camera, ACTION!

when i saw that Entertainment Weekly did a list of the 25 greatest action heroes of all time, i easily guessed who was #1 (they gave away that Arnold's return to the role he was born for in Terminator 2 did NOT grab top honors)... i will help you by telling you it wasn't the venerable Bruce Lee's genius in Enter The Dragon either.

sadly, no black people made the list of venerable butt-kickers, but they DID give a nod to Desperado's Antonio Bandares (for my brown people) and there are TWO women on the list. anyways, go check it out and let me know what YOU thought of the list (i can think of at least ONE noteworthy snub...)!

holla!

samax.

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

run go get that!!!!

i doubt if any book i've ever read exemplifies the spirit we stand for here at ghettoManga more than the Opus-like MBQ by fledgling comics superstar Felipe Smith. published by TokyoPop, MBQ is Felipe's semi-autobiographical slice of life comic about living in Los Angeles... WAIT!!! don't go to sleep fam'ly, 'cause felipe keeps it hot by using all the high-detail drawing, action manga storytelling techniques, and out-of-this world character design you would ever need in a comic.

Felipe's quiet mastery of the idioms of comics have won him all types of contests, been published on three continents, and will undoubtedly result in his becoming a big name in comics (or manga, if you prefer...).

anyways, MBQ #3 (in stores RIGHT NOW) closes the series out, presumably making room for new projects from Felipe... i will write a more proper review later, but i absoLUTEly recommend you pick up all three issues asap...

holla!

samax.

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

Hip Hop is Dead (for YOU!)

Blood and Bills...

when i flipped through REPO #1 at the comic shop, i had only picked it up because it had a black dude on the cover. Seriously! i wasn't all that impressed with it... so i put it back. as a result, i have no clue how good the first issue is... however, thankfully i actually read a little of #2 when that cover caught my eye... after reading the nifty little blurb on the inside cover and the first couple pages, i decided to buy it and see if it was any good.
it was.

Kanye/Lil Weezy Collabo!

Eardrum Lives Up To The Hype...

i finally got EARDRUM yesterday...
it's a nice record. a few joints ("Hostile Gospel [deliver us]", "Give 'Em Hell", "In The Mood", "Eat To Live", and "Country Cousins") stand out at the moment. in what his press release calls a "career defining album" with "hard hitting beats and inventive rhymes that serve to not only entertain, but also to educate" Kweli holds up his end of it, dropping a nice, classic record. critics will no doubt compare this record unfavorably to Reflection Eternal's Train Of Thought or the Blackstar album (that Kweli created with Hi-Tek and the mighty Mos Def, respectively), but i would say this record is a return to that kind of glory (not the height, but the type...). while Mos is conspicuously absent, Hi-Tek and a slew of other guests keep the balance, well BALANCED!

i like Kweli, and this record is what i've come to expect from him. like many of the artists i like, Kweli bashes christianity often. i don't get mad about it, because the church needs reform. i'm happy to elaborate if you wanna know how i feel about all that... on topic, i already have some of the songs on here (Talib gave away songs FREE on "LIBeration" w/MadLib and the "BlackSmith: The Movement" mixtape w/StongArmSteady, Jean Grae etc), and know many from mySpace promos...

with the bonus tracks, Eardrum weighs in at a slightly bloated 20 songs. if you cut 7 songs, it'd be a near-perfect outing... as is, a little long with little too much filler to be considered perfect. all said, a step in the right direction for an artist who constantly insists he is not a solo artist. instead, Kweli insists he is "a frontman for a group of artists, lovers, poets and regular everyday folk that make up my body of work." As a person who believes that most of today's solo hip hop artists belong in groups not on their own, i applaud Kweli's attitude... and as long as Kweli is unable to get together with co-conspirators like Mos and Tek, records like this one will do in a pinch.

holla!

samax.

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

"Iron Man" movie trailer

oh.
yeah.

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

"Eazy access, baby..."

the Associated Press is reporting that laws banning saggy pants are gaining popularity all over the nation. that's right: it is actually a freaking CRIME to wear pants hung low in several cities right now!
before you laugh, check your local paper, homie! such laws are in the works in places like Trenton, NJ and Atlanta, GA... so get ready to get rousted by the cops (again) when you're not even doing anything (again!)... because that steelo you have become accusomed to is about to make you public enemy number 1 (again...)

watch your back.
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Hip Hop Education: Scratch

Scratch (SKRACH) v. using the fader and rapid coordinated hand movements as part of a technique of hip hop dee jays (see also turntablist) that turns the turn tables into a true musical instrument. scratch, scratching. ex "What good's a deejay if he can't scratch?"

of the many tools of a good hipHop deejay, Scratching is definitely the most recognizable and, many say, the most difficult to master "You have lots of people who can mix and they think they are great DJs. However, ask them to scratch and they act like it is beneath them, but in actuality it is a lot harder than it looks..." comments a deejay on youTube...

but as this video shows, you CAN learn it:


holla!!!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture