SamCostello.net http://www.samcostello.net Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 en I’m No Longer at RIHLD http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/07/im-no-longer-at-rihld/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/07/im-no-longer-at-rihld/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:55:22 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=155 Just a houskeeping note: I’ve stepped down as the editor of Rhode Island Home, Living & Design magazine. I had a great 18 months in the position and am sorry to be moving on, but my workload has been so substantial this year that I needed to free up more time for my own writing, to say nothing of rest and relaxation. So, the issue on the stands now is the last one I edited. Elisabeth Herschbach, one of the magazine’s writers, has taken over as editor. I wish her, and Paul Anselmo, the publisher, nothing but good luck and look forward to seeing where they take the magazine next. I’m sure it will be great places.

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/07/im-no-longer-at-rihld/feed/ The Dain Curse, by Dashiell Hammett http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/05/the-dain-curse-by-dashiell-hammett/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/05/the-dain-curse-by-dashiell-hammett/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:09:17 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=151 The Dain Curse

Hammett’s second novel; I liked the first, Red Harvest, better. Though the prose and dialogue are a lot of fun, the plot felt too driven by the need for the book to continue and less by the characters. Perhaps the book was overplotted – I just didn’t want to continue after a while.

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Book: 52/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/05/the-dain-curse-by-dashiell-hammett/feed/ Blue, by Elizabeth Genco and Sami Makkonen http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/03/blue-by-elizabeth-genco-and-sami-makkonen/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/03/blue-by-elizabeth-genco-and-sami-makkonen/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:07:20 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=150 Blue

A modern retelling of the Bluebeard legend (I did my own version at Split Lip), with art by my collaborator Sami Makkonen. A great debut for Genco, who updates the story well while retaining a dreamy sense of fairy tale. I’d love to see more comics adapting fairy tales and folk ballads.

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Book: 51/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/03/blue-by-elizabeth-genco-and-sami-makkonen/feed/ The Drifting Classroom, Vols. 10-12, by Kazuo Umezu http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/01/the-drifting-classroom-vols-10-12-by-kazuo-umezu/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/01/the-drifting-classroom-vols-10-12-by-kazuo-umezu/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:05:41 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=149 The Drifting Classroom Vol. 11

The conclusion to Umezu’s 1970s kids apocalypse story in which a full schoolhouse is sent into the future after a disaster. Every volume has some “oh my god,” Lord of the Files-style moment, making each installment awfully, disturbingly pleasurable. The series ends on a downbeat note, which was both surprising and appealing.

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Books: 48-50/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/10/01/the-drifting-classroom-vols-10-12-by-kazuo-umezu/feed/ The Dreaming, Vol. 3, by Queenie Chan http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/30/the-dreaming-vol-3-by-queenie-chan/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/30/the-dreaming-vol-3-by-queenie-chan/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:04:38 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=148 The Dreaming vol. 3

The conclusion to the Australian horror/thriller comic whose first volume I loved. This was OK – heavy on exposition, as horror sometimes is. It makes me wonder if there’s a way to do a good horror story that has less exposition and more atmosphere/scares. Something to try in my own work, I think.

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Book: 47/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/30/the-dreaming-vol-3-by-queenie-chan/feed/ The Raw Shark Texts, by Steven Hall http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/28/the-raw-shark-texts-by-steven-hall/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/28/the-raw-shark-texts-by-steven-hall/#comments Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:04:36 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=147 The Raw Shark Texts

An experimental novel a la House of Leaves, which I loved. This, less so. The experimental stuff seemed unnecessary; the story dragged in places. The bare minimum of text in the last 50 or so pages was a gift – I might not have finished the book otherwise. Just no momentum for it.

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Book: 46/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/28/the-raw-shark-texts-by-steven-hall/feed/ Can I Keep My Jersey?, by Paul Shirley http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/18/can-i-keep-my-jersey-by-paul-shirley/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/18/can-i-keep-my-jersey-by-paul-shirley/#comments Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:15:45 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=146 Can I Keep My Jersey

Christine lent me this amusing memoir about the life of a marginal professional basketball player (11 teams in 4 years isn’t a successful track record). Though Shirley’s insight into higher-achieving players in fascinating and he’s definitely not your average pro athlete, he’s not quite as beyond them as he seems to think.

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Book: 45/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/18/can-i-keep-my-jersey-by-paul-shirley/feed/ Age of Bronze, Vol. 3: Betrayal, by Eric Shanower http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/14/age-of-bronze-vol-3-betrayal-by-eric-shanower/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/14/age-of-bronze-vol-3-betrayal-by-eric-shanower/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:42:37 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=144 Age

The third installment of Shanower’s epic graphic novel of the history of the Trojan War. An impressive technical achievement, in that strictly speaking very little happens (a lot of sailing and talking, really), yet it manages to be gripping. His focus on character, nuance, and a gods-free narrative makes a great story.

Buy Age of Bronze Vol. 3 at Amazon

Book: 43/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/14/age-of-bronze-vol-3-betrayal-by-eric-shanower/feed/ Acme Novelty Library 18, by Chris Ware http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/12/acme-novelty-library-18-by-chris-ware/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/12/acme-novelty-library-18-by-chris-ware/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:41:27 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=143 Acme Novelty Library 18

A typically beautiful and high-design comic focusing on the life story of one resident of a Chicago apartment building; part of Ware’s Building Stories series. Good stuff, but I wonder: does anyone ever laugh in Chris Ware comics? Writing funny is hard, but these comics, great as they are, can be bummers.

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Book: 42/52

]]> http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/12/acme-novelty-library-18-by-chris-ware/feed/ Found II, by Davy Rothbart http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/10/found-ii-by-davy-rothbart/ http://www.samcostello.net/2008/09/10/found-ii-by-davy-rothbart/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:38:44 +0000 admin http://www.samcostello.net/?p=142 Found

The second book-length collection of found notes, letters, journals, and ephemera. The novelty is wearing off a bit, or maybe the finds just aren’t as high quality, since more of them are needed to support the magazine and the books. Still, I was proud to have a find in the first volume.

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Book: 41/52

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