The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:33 AM PDT Comics Are Cool! aims to show Malaysians that comics are, well, cool again. WHY comics? "Why not?" shrugs Angelia Ong. "Comics are amazing things – there are so many different genres and stories for readers of all ages," she adds. "For adults and kids who are not so comfortable with reading books with a lot of words, comics are a great way to get into reading. (Game Of Thrones creator) George R.R. Martin said before that he got interested in reading through comics, as opposed to usual books." Ong is the driving force behind Comics are Cool! (CAC!, complete with exclamation mark), a series of events striving to build a stronger local community of comic fans, artists and writers, as well as the Malaysian Games and Comics Convention (MGCC) that was held May last year at Kolej Damansara Utama. Comics Are Cool! and Borders Malaysia recently held the Let's Nerd Out Weekend event at Borders The Curve on May 11 and 12, in conjunction with Free Comic Book Day & Star Wars Day. The event featured appearances and signings by top Malaysian comic book artists such as Tan Eng Huat, Michael Chuah, Sheldon Goh and Zid, and other comics and Star Wars-related activities. Ong, who runs creative studio Banshee Creative, always had an interest in comics, but her interest grew greater after she married Goh (who currently draws for Zenescope). The idea for MGCC and CAC! came about after she visited the Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention in 2009, and came home wondering why there wasn't something similar in Malaysia. After all, Malaysia has produced its share of internationally-known comic artists who have drawn for comics superpowers like DC Comics, Marvel and Image, and there is also a growing community of independent comic creators and fans. "We do have a comics event here, but it tends to focus a lot on manga and anime. We wanted to organise something that was more than just that, and with a greater focus on Western comics," says Ong, while emphasising that she doesn't really draw any lines between Western or Asian comics. "The lines (between the two) are blurred anyway – you can have Western comics in a manga setting and vice versa. As long as there is a good story and people enjoy it, it doesn't matter (which medium it is in)." Before starting work on the Malaysian Games and Comics Convention, however, Ong wanted to see how well a comic-related event would be received, so she organised the first ever CAC! event at local comic book store Earth 638 in October 2011 to see what sort of response she would get. "We had over 200 people in one afternoon, which was pretty decent for an event that small!" she recalls. "That's when we started working on organising the convention itself, and eventually got more than 2,000 attendees." According to her, the CAC! events are sort of like a subset of the bigger MGCC, which she based on US comic conventions like the massive San Diego Comic-Con. "The response (to MGCC) was really positive, and we plan to have one more next year," she says, adding that the plan is to hold MGCC every two years. "In the meantime, we'll be doing smaller CAC! events like the one in Borders recently, which was really nice. "Events like that help to create awareness about comics, and let people know that you can get this geeky, nerdy type stuff here as well!" She also reckons that the popularity of recent comic-based movies has helped to attract new fans and rekindled the comic-loving flame in many older fans. "The recent event at Borders had participants of all ages, from really young kids to adults. It's a good way for like-minded people to get together and have a good time, for the younger ones to be exposed to a different genre of comics, and if you're an adult, to not feel judged that you are still reading comics or collecting stuff at that age!" Ultimately, Ong hopes to build a bigger local community of comic book fans, creators and publishers through these events. "Many people don't know that there is a small pool of artists who actually draw for major comic publishers," she says. "We've also got a decent community of local indie artists with some great stuff, so we want to provide a place for them to show their work, sell their work, and reach out to new and existing fans. "When you have a thriving community, your industry tends to grow along with it as well. I don't have big plans (for CAC!) – we just want to try and grow the community. We just want to show Malaysians that comics are cool again, in our country at least." For updates about future Comics Are Cool! events, join their Facebook page at facebook.com/comicsarecoolnow. |
| Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:30 AM PDT Geoff Johns ends his epic, near-decade-long run on Green Lantern with a blockbusting final issue. "In brightest day, in blackest night, GEOFF Johns was a writer who perfectly captured the essence of the Green Lantern Corps' oath, as proven by his almost-10-year stint on Sector 2814 (the space sector where Earth and 18 other planets reside), which ended last week with Green Lantern #20. While many writers tend to rely on their artists to breathe life into their tales, Johns is one of those rare exceptions whose stories always occupy centre stage. Take, for example, his six-year stint on The Flash (#164-#225), where he was paired with able but low-profile artists such as Scott Kolins, Angel Unzieta, Josue Rivera and Howard Porter. During his adrenaline-pumping tenure, Geoff's main achievements included establishing Wally West as THE Flash (winning over a significant number of die-hard Barry Allen fans in the process), making sense of the Speed Force, and pumping up the dastardliness of the Rogues. Instead of taking the shortcut of pitting heroes against their arch-enemies, Johns did it differently, via a character-building approach. In the majority of his works (The Flash, Teen Titans, Justice Society Of America, Action Comics, Hawkman, Aquaman and even Booster Gold), Johns' secret ingredient has always been his penchant for character development. From the obvious to the most obscure detail, the man's got all the bases covered thanks to his research skills (the man owns every single issue of The Flash!), and his strong connection to the fans (he also co-owns a comic shop called Earth 2 in California). With such a proven track record, it's no surprise that DC Comics appointed him chief creative officer in February 2010, enabling him to spread his magic throughout the company's output. With his increased responsibilities, something had to give, and this month's Green Lantern #20 marks his swansong on that book and all its related titles. Green Lantern #20 THIS issue has been nine years in the making, though fortunately you don't need to read every single story since the beginning of Johns' run to appreciate it. Back in 2004 when Johns and Ethan Van Sciver reinstated Hal Jordan as this sector's Emerald Guardian back in Green Lantern Rebirth, it ignited an exciting journey that would produce major milestones such as The Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night, Brightest Day, War Of The Green Lanterns, Rise Of The Third Army and finally, Wrath Of The First Lantern. In the course of these epic events, Johns' knack for character development went into overdrive with the reaffirmation of Hal as the greatest ring-bearer ever; the redefinition of Sinestro's villainous role; the injection of (literally) more colour into the mythos; the creation of a Muslim Green Lantern, Simon Baz; and providing a new dimension to Parallax as well as introducing the First Lantern! Johns and long-time Green Lantern collaborator Mahnke are not the only ones leaving the title on a high note, as this comprehensive "oversized" anniversary issue also delivers in terms of giving the main characters some deserved closure. Aptly entitled The End, Johns' final story neatly wraps up more than nine years of plotting, while serving as the final issue of the epic Wrath Of The First Lantern story arc. The First Lantern, Volthoom, is a relatively new face in the mythos, making his debut during the War Of The Green Lanterns event before taking on a more prominent role in Rise Of The Third Army and this final storyline. A formidable villain with the power to manipulate reality, his roots date back to an early point in the universe's history; he was a time-traveller whose inquisitiveness threatened the Guardians, who then imprisoned him in a lantern-shaped construct located within a black hole. Johns certainly goes out with a bang here, as he has Hal Jordan, Sinestro, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Carol Ferris and every ring-wielder from all the different colours of the emotional spectrum (green, red, yellow, violet, indigo, blue, orange, black and white) going up against Volthoom! Spoiler alert! This is essentially a tale of three lanterns – Hall, Sinestro and Volthoom. At the start of the issue, Hal is still stuck in the Dead Zone and trying to get out, Sinestro is incensed over the destruction of his home planet Korugar, and Volthoom is considering the best way to kill off the Guardians of Oa. Meanwhile, the other Lanterns from across the emotional spectrum launch an all-out attack on Volthoom, but their combined might doesn't even faze him. Even the arrival of Sinestro and Hal can't turn the tide. In the end, it takes two major wild cards to stop Volthoom – Parallax and Nekron! This act of "taming" them to use against Volthoom seemed illogical, mainly because past encounters with these two powerful villains were nothing short of cataclysmic. However, such a high-stakes gamble was definitely required to defeat a villain like Volthoom. With Sinestro absorbing Parallax, and Hal releasing Nekron from the Dead Zone, the risks pay off as the addition of the two major entities' powers overwhelms the First Lantern's defences and he is eradicated. But wait! The story is not over yet, as Sinestro still has a bone to pick with the Guardians for their role in Korugar's destruction. Using his Sinestro Corps as a distraction, he avenges his people and ends the Guardians' reign! While such an act would normally result in the compulsory duel to the death between Sinestro and Hal, Johns adds another twist to the mix, with the two eternal rivals finally coming to terms and admitting their friendship. "That's the tragedy of all of this, Jordan. Hal. We'll always be friends," are Sinestro's parting words to Hal. It wasn't the last sentence that caught my attention, but Sinestro referring to his greatest nemesis simply as "Hal". Apart from the numerous milestones he has implanted in Green Lantern mythology, Johns' final issue is made even more memorable by this redefinition of the Jordan-Sinestro rivalry. To complement this emotional farewell, we also get to see how the other main characters end up, with almost everyone getting a happy ending! I had mixed emotions about this issue; while it offers the perfect closure for Hal and the others, Johns' departure certainly takes some of the shine off. His emphasis on character development always had a powerful effect on the reader, making you feel for them – which I certainly did with Hal and Wally West. While I am still reluctant to embrace Johns' successor Robert Venditti, at least the presence of fellow Malaysian Billy Tan as the series' new regular artist (starting with issue #21) offers some cheer. Still, Sector 2814 will never be the same again. Thank you, Geoff Johns, for 10 eventful years, and may all be well for you in your future endeavours! Comic courtesy of Earth 638 (2nd Floor, Kelana Mall, Jalan SS6/12, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-7804 8380, e-mail: Earth638@yahoo.com |
| Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:30 AM PDT THE Force is strong with the Star Wars Malaysia Fan Club (SWMFC), which will be organising the first ever Star Wars Weekend Celebration this weekend (June 8 and 9) from 11am to 6pm at the Kuala Lumpur Library, next to Dataran Merdeka. There will be lots of fun activities for the entire family, with booths selling Star Wars merchandise and toys (where you might find the droids you're looking for); a colouring competition for children; a Star Wars diorama and custom toy competition (tip: always let the Wookie win); an exhibition of toys and memorabilia; and also a charity auction. Yup, we've got a good feeling about this one. So dust off your old Jedi robes, polish up those lightsabers and come feel the Force with your fellow Star Wars fans this weekend! For more information, check out the SWMFC's Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/swmfc). Remember, come, or do not come. There is no try. |
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