TPB of the Year, 2007

the Trade Paperback of the Year is Seven Soldiers of Victory, masterminded by british superscribe Grant Morrison (Shade, JLA, We3, All-Star Superman). there were many great OGNs and Trades this year, but no comic i read came close to the pure ambition of Seven Soldiers. Grant Morrision set out to revamp seven worn-out DC properties by reviving another, the Seven Soldiers of Victory (originally appearing in 1941). the idea is that seven heroes must save the human race from the ancient extradimensional the Sheeda. the twist: the Sheeda know this, and have been sytematically targeting and taking out hero groups with seven members, so the Seven must combine forces and defeat the Sheeda without ever meeting each other!

Morrison pulls this off by rolling out seven four-issue mini-series [Shining Knight (with art bySimone Bianchi & Nathan Eyring), The Manhattan Guardian (with Cameron Stewart & Moose Baumann, seen here), Zatanna (with Ryan Sook, Mick Gray & Nathan Eyring), Klarion the Witch Boy (with Frazer Irving), Mister Miracle (with Art by Pasqual Ferry & Dave McCaig), Bulleteer (with Yanick Paquette & Michael Bair), and Frankenstein (with Doug Mahnke)] bookended by wide screen intro and outro issues with art by the magnificent JH Williams.
Morrison insisted that a reader could choose buy only the series that interests them, not really needing to buy all seven minis to enjoy them, and he was right! i originally bought The Manhattan Guardian, Zatanna, Mister Miracle, and (my personal favorite) Frankenstein. the Guardian and Frankenstein pleased my Grant Morrison jones very well on their own (marvel ruined Mister Miracle for me by signing artist Pascual to an exclusive deal while he was working on the first issue... BOOO, Marvel!). that said, this joint is BEST read in TPB form. the stories are included in the order of their release, which actually shows a story progression THROUGH all the minis in a way i have never seen in what is essentially a crossover.
word.
samax.

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Manga of the Year 2007

even though i didn't want to, i HAD to create a new category:
the Manga of the the Year Award for 2007 goes to Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, which continues the saga of Alita, an amnesiac cyborg warrior girl. the sequal to Battle Angel Alita, by FAR my favorite manga series ever (yes, family... it's THAT good!), Last Order follows the nigh-invincible martial artist into space, as she seeks deeper knowledge of herself through meditation, flashbacks, and of course, mind-numbing violence!

Battle Angel creator Yukito Kishiro combines dizzying amounts of scientific jargon, eastern philosophy/mysticism, and martial arts ultraviolence into a heady, intoxicating mix that has had me returning faithfully for years. while Last Order is not quite as good as the original Battle Angel Alita OGN series, it is head and shoulders better than any other Manga i read this year. the 10 part Last Order is expected to wrap up in 2008, so cop and read as many of the first 9 volumes as you can digest...

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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Will Smith's next Movie

Jay-Z Quits Def Jam... Guess WHO wants the Job?

Friday, December 28, 2007
As Jay-Z vacates his post as Def Jam president, another Def Jam legend is vying for the high-level music industry position.
Chuck D of Public Enemy says he is the person for the job.
"After 10 years looking on the collapsing of the record industry, and upon hearing the news of Jay-Z stepping down from Def Jam, I would throw my name into the hat of somebody who understands how the hell Universal should establish the name-brands they acquire with stockholders money," Chuck D told AllHipHop.com.
Chuck D, real name Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, recorded under the Def Jam banner from 1987 to 1998 and churned out some of the label's biggest hits as the lead rapper of Public Enemy.
The rapper has always been a proponent of the internet and launched Rapstation.com in 1999 to offer readers free MP3 downloads and even downloadable ringtones, among other progressive elements.
Chuck D, who also runs his own Slam Jamz label, said that running Def Jam is a more viable option than tossing his hat into the political arena.
"So instead of me running for politics, this is an easier run into the world of influential culture," he continued. "I'm in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York on the regular as well as I [thoroughly understand] the international picture," Chuck said. "There would be some seismic changes, and I would be a little Huey Long-ish at it. If folks are clueless about this parallel that's precisely the problem." [Editor's note: Huey P. Long was a Great Depression-era politician that was hugely popular and successful. He was killed shortly after announcing a bid for the presidency.]
Chuck D also said that Jay-Z didn't quite have time to grow as the CEO, but cited what has been speculated that Jay will be with Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin at Sony Records.
"I think a person like Jay-Z needed a bit more time, but I could imagine his corporate limitations, and he's gonna be working alongside a true music cat R.R. [Rick Rubin] to do his thing."
The music business' chief concern these days is monetary return and Chuck D, who is renowned for his political and social consciousness, said he could generate revenue as well.
"I'd show them how to make a profit, if they care. I will bring the noise. It will be interesting to hear the requirements here [for the job]," he concluded.
No successor to Jay-Z has been named at Def Jam and there is speculation as to who will become the next president of the legendary label.
Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond and Damon Dash have all been mentioned as potential candidates for the position.
Chuck D outlined his plan for Def Jam, as seen below:
1) Being ahead of the technology curve; preparing for a thinned out industry; and managing budget efficient acts is very noteworthy of my resume which is simple. I told these cats the online revolution was coming and they needed big adjustments. They relied on lawyers, courts, and accountants only to now look upward at Apple, etc.
2) Their cost factors didn't fit the times, I come from a world where the $50,000 investments resulted into 6 - 7 figures. Now it's a business where 7 figures are invested to make 6.
3) I would run it like sports. These artists would be busting their tails on tour and on the stage to gain a fan. They would be coached on how to do their thing right. Braintrust will be high, and subcontracting to the right contributors will be comparable of the efficiency of these labels like Jazz and catalog departments. You cannot have people working, that haven't the slightest clue of what they are in the middle of.
4) Any criminal mindedness in artistry, and management would have sit this one out, go their own way. It's like bad apples the long run ain't got nothing to do with entertainment. You can't mix the stage and off stage parodies.

Michael Jackson and ... RHYMEFEST?

believe it Fam! that dude Mark Ronson and Rhymefest dropped a Michael Jackson Tribute Mixtape called Man in the Mirror that you can (and SHOULD!) download FREE courtousy of WigSplitter.com
through the miracle of modern science, 'Fest collabos with the King of Pop... and he's joined by Kweli, Ghostface, and More! click the pic for that FREE download!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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OGN/TPB of the Year Nominees

Original Graphic Novel/Trade Paper Back of the Year Rules: i should point out the difference between the two, to help you impress people at parties first, huh?

an OGN is a long-form comic (either part of a series, or one-shot) that has not been previously published in another form. a TPB is a book that collects previously published work into a volume. for my purposes, hardcover or paperbacks qualify, but collections of sold-out issues that do not comprise an entire story-arc do not. for example, Thor issues 1 and 2 were recollected and released at the same time as issue 3 so people who missed it them catch up. while i appreciate the love, that doesn't qualify for a TPB unless it is reeeeeally long (some stories are long enough to need to be broken up into incomplete segments, like DC's 52 and Seven Soldiers). i don't specify the issue of a TPB or OGN series, as multiple issues may have come out.

anyways, here's some nominees... they're all butter! if you wanna shout out some nominees, feel free.

gM comicbook/Manga of the year nominees

gM comicbook/Manga of the year rules:

any comic available in the US is eligible. it can be made anywhere in the world so long as it is available in english. it can be online or print, so long as it has a minimum of three issues out (60 "pages" for online books). i don't have seperate categories for seperate genres yet, so anything goes: kids' books, mature readers, superhero, slice of life, ongoing books, minis, whatever... i'll drop a few nominees off the dome, but expect the list to expand (especially if YOU contribute!).

the rich tradition of Iran preserved...

Check out this video: EXCLUSIVE PERSEPOLIS clip



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Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novels Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood (Pantheon, 2003, English version) and Persepolis 2: the Story of a Return (Pantheon, 2004, English version) won widespread acclaim in France, now her home, and around the world. Now, she has co-directed, with Vincent Paronnaud, the animated film version of her memoir. The title PERSEPOLIS comes from the Persian capital founded in the 6th century BC by Darius I, later destroyed by Alexander the Great. It’s a reminder that there’s an old and grand civilization, besieged by waves of invaders but carrying on through milennia, that is much deeper and more complex than the current-day view of Iran as a monoculture of fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. “I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists,” Satrapi says. “I also don’t want those Iranians who lost their lives in prisons defending freedom, who died in the war against Iraq, who suffered under various repressive regimes, or who were forced to leave their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.”
peace,
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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gM awards: eMCee of the Year nominees

gM eMCee of the Year award Rules:

write rhymes.

spit.

repeat.

any excessively dope emcee is eligible. male, female, underground, well-known, or unknown. doesn't matter... you don't even hafta have a record out! if you dropped 16 or so dope bars anywhere on the internet, you might win.

i am SO into dope rappin'... i welcome people to submit tracks, youTube Videos, or call me and spit 16 on my voicemail for this award! right now, i'm still takin' nominees... so recommend folks to me, okay (and emcees out there, don't be scared to nominate yourself)!

i only got three nominees on my own [EDITOR'S NOTE: Saul Williams was suggested by a voter, and i agreed, so he's listed now!]

gM awards: Cartoonist of the Year

gM Cartoonist of the Year Rules: this award is for comic book/manga artists, animation directors, or anybody that otherwise draws people/animals/aliens/etc. doin' stuff in sequence. as with other categories, make suggestions, and i'll add to this crop of nominees as the week goes by...

gM awards: Illustrator of the Year nominees

gM Illustrator of the Year Rules: this category is meant to showcase the dope artists-for-hire out there... there are varying levels of career stages here, from starvin' harlem to hollywood divorce, but each of these cats is off the chain! they all got Bills to pay, and they pay 'em (at least in part) from the art grind! whether they do comicbook covers, ceedee design, movie posters, or whatever, these cats got that drawin' for money thing workin' for 'em!

anyways, here's the nominees:

gM Rapper of the Year nominees

Rapper of the Year rules: Rapper of the year is for big-name cats. all these people have records in major stores nationwide (selling records is a whole 'nother matter...). i'm not all that into major-label hip hop... BUT i do like it when the level of discourse is raised by cats sneakin' a nice record through one of the Bigs! even if i didn't BUY their record, strong showings on guest shots, video shows, ring tones, youTube, or whatever can definitely get 'em the nod! in this category, i particularly welcome write-in votes! so if you think i snubbed your favorite, make a case by sending links to youTube joints, email me a mp3 or transcribe his/her illest 16!

anyways, here's the nominees:

frankly, i am not NEARLY as interested in "what's hot in the streets" as i used to be, so i picked these guys based on what i HEARD playing and responded to. people who have been reading my blog for a while know who is likely to win without anyone's input, so send me links to youTube joints, mySpace pages, or whatever...

anyways, vote-vote-vote! for more award nominees, go to ghettoManga.com

gM man of the Year

Man of the Year rules: if you held it down for the oh-siete, you are eligible for this award. okay, i'll elaborate: anyone who rises above his station, becoming THE story for a significant amount of time. it's got to be POSITIVE press (sorry, R.Kelly doesn't qualify...). generally, nominees have to make a discernable difference in the world beyond being fly in their sport, art, or industry. anyways, here are the nominees:

honestly, i already know who I think the winner should be, but i'm eager to see the votes. in fact, leave a brief statement about WHY you like the person you're voting for... you could change my mind!

on that note, if there is someone YOU think should'a been nominated this year, lemme know. after all, i may have just forgotten to list 'em. so get your VOTE on!

gM movie of the Year nominees

movie of the Year rules: if it was out this year, it qualifies. look, i don't check release dates, and i have a tendancy to get to things late... so i don't worry about none o' that! if i geeked on it this year, it qualifies! in fact, even movies that came out YEARS ago qualify, so that's what's up! so any movie (including animated features, if they are FLY enough!) that was out in theatres, on teevee, or on dvd qualifies...
anyways, here's the nominees:

if there is a film that came out that was dope enough to deserve to be nominated, lemme know and i'll consider it. the fact is, i don't have a committee hooking this up for me, i do it solo. i could'a just forgot!

vote on the ghettoManga Movie of the Year, and all the categories at ghettoManga.com. i'll try to be democratic about it, but i'll use my VETO power if i have to!

back on your Blok

in case you're among those who slept, peep the Blokhedz video!

Detroit Beats Celtics 87 to 85

the rise of the Boston Celtics is easily the story of the year so far in the NBA. from the boogah basement of the oh-so-soft east, Boston has risen to an NBA-best 20 wins so far this season with the arrival of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. with Paul Pierce rounding out the Boston Three Party, the Celtics have believers whispering NBA finals, but as my uncle always says, "if you wanna BE the man, you gotta BEAT the man..." and the Man in the east has been the Detroit Pistons, who have fought for the eastern conference title for each of the last five seasons. yesterday the unstoppable force and the immovable object collided, and when the smoke cleared, The Pistons walked away confident that they were still the team to beat in the East.

while i don't totally dismiss the Celtics 20-3 record, my people keep reminding me they have yet to go out west, where the team's rep will really get made. it would have helped the case of the Boston faithful to knock off these Pistons, the only contending team the Celtics have faced so far. even a cursory glance at the standings reminds us that the east is still weaker than the west, so if Garnett 'nem want respect, they'll wanna do big things on that upcoming western road trip!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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real Talk from the Original Short Dog...

Oakland EmCee/pioneer/pimp/pre-superThug-era badBoy Too$hort dropped MAJOR knowledge in a statement in Ozone, where he talks about the fallacies of gangsta/thug rap, and returning to his positive roots in 2008

"Some of our fathers and grandfathers were criminals and street thugs when they were young. I've always understood how the REAL drug dealers and gangbangers justified the homicides they were doing ...but somehow it doesn't settle the same way with me now that I'm 40 years old and my homeboy's sons are getting shot and murdered in the streets.

"I feel partially responsible for the state of mind these youngsters are in.
I can't 100% blame myself, Tupac, Master P, N.W.A., Scarface, any other rapper, or Hip Hop as a whole for the condition the streets are in now, but I know that if you look at the big picture, we all made thuggin', gangbangin', pimpin' and being a hardcore rapper look like fun..." short continues, "A lot of people in my generation eventually found out, after the judges started handing out 20-30 year sentences, that we were set up... "

"Earlier this year, I recorded a 10 song CD for Jive Records, the last thing I'll do with Jive as a solo artist... and this time I'm not celebrating my album release. I'm celebrating my release from a major label. I'm looking forward to being independent again. There are too many young homies getting killed for me to keep writing songs about bitches sucking my dick. I'm too intellegent to let my knowledge go to waste without passing down some of this real game to the youngsters. When I talk to politicians, teachers and parents, they all agree that rappers have a loud voice and we really don't use it to motivate the kids in a positive way."

This is the guy Pimp C was performing with in L.A. the night before Tuesday December 4th when Pimp C died and Too $hort's album dropped. thanks to ghettoManga award-winning emcee (and street reporter by nature!) Bavu Blakes for the heads up!
don't be hard, be easy...

samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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California Love

Golden State Warriors beat the Lakers 108, 106 in Oakland

in the most heavily attended basketball game in california history, Baron Davis and Al Harrington of the Warriors lead all scorers with 22 points apiece. for the Warriors, this victory ended a nine game losing streak to Los Angeles. Bynum and Odom played their best ball i've seen lately... but Lakers star Kobe Bryant injured his groin, yet still attempted to gaurd the Tazmanian Devil-lke Baron Davis. down by 8 points halfway through the fourth, Davis demanded the ball and dominated the hobbling Bryant (and everyone else they threw at him), much to the glee of the Oakland faithful in attendance.

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