Princesses of Mars, Part 44

On this trip to Mars, we find the Princesses relaxing, just hanging around and letting it all hang out.

In Preparation for 31 Nights of Halloween!

For a number of years now, there has been at least one post every day during October at our sister blog Terror Titans for the 31 Nights of Halloween! This year, the 31 Nights of Halloween will also be taking place here at Shades of Gray! There will be at least one post every day shortly after Midnight... and you can then check out Terror Titans later after darkness has fallen again around 5pm! (Shades of Gray is on Pacific Standard Time, by the way.)

As a warm-up/preview to the creepy festivities, here's the evolution of a drawing, which shows Vampirella meeting Simon Garth the Zombie, from sketch to final. The artwork is by the great Pablo Marcos.

What will the dancers do now that Fall is here?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

But as the night-air begins to chill and winter is approaching, what will the ballerinas in the great outdoors do?

Well, most are putting on more clothes to stay warm.

Some are even wearing coats...

... and carrying umbrellas to stay dry when it rains.

Others are taking shelter underground, in the subways...

 

 

... or finding caves in which to hibernate until the warm weather returns.

A titanic struggle for them... fun for us!

The Bench (2014)
Starring: Daniel Rock and Josh Tichauer
Director: Melody Rock
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A man's (Rock) relaxing moment on a lake-side bench is interrupted when a stranger (Tichauer) sits down next to him.

"The Bench" is a short silent movie pastiche that is far more effective at capturing the spirit of silent comedies than the vast majority of other efforts out there. The filmmakers didn't so much try to mimic the cliches of silent movie acting as they went for pacing and the physicality of the comedy. As such, they delivered a fun two minutes that should appeal equally to lovers of silent movies and all who appreciate well-crafted comedy.

Even more impressive: "The Bench" delivers a very timely message, and it does so in a gentle way that few filmmakers have the ability to do, or are unwilling to do. The core issue that causes conflict between the two characters in the film--and the simple way it's ultimately resolved--is a reflection of what's causing many social conflicts these days. The fact this film is almost ten years old, and still feels fresh in its message, is either a strong indictment of the state of American culture, or a strong indication of the film's high quality and timelessness. (However you choose to look at it, though, there is no doubt that "The Bench" is a superior piece of filmmaking.)

I invite you to take a couple minutes to check out this fine little film... and please let me know if you think I've steered you wrong with my praise for it. 

Julia Roberts is dead...

... dead tired that is. Dead tired of being declared dead.

Actress Julia Roberts was recently the subject of another Internet Death Hoax--the third such one in as many years. As I type these words, she is very much alive and probably looking forward to receiving a lot of praise for her upcoming film, "Ticket to Paradise" (2022), in which she co-stars with George Clooney.

Or she will be looking forward to the praise, once she's done mourning her own tragic passing.

It's a Mohammed Monday!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

This fine portrait of Mohammed was done by Karl M.
(And we hope it will ensure our continued ban in Pakistan.)

A great collection of early work by Richard Sala

Black Cat Crossing (Kitchen Sink Press, 1993)
Writers: Richard Sala and Tom De Haven 

Artist: Richard Sala

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

"Black Cat Crossing" collects 17 short stories done by Richard Sala during from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. There are also a pair of Sala's intrigue- and mystery-drenched "pin-up pages" that serve as endpapers for the book, a table of contents that is executed in the style of an illuminated manuscript; and another Sala's activity-packed one-pagers serving as a frontis-piece. So, it's like we're being treated to a few opening acts before the main event! 

Many of the stories had previously appeared in comics anthologies (which were, sadly, dying out once and for all during the period Sala was contributing to them), and a few were original to this book. Most are examples of Sala's ability to capture the feel of randomness that permeated many pulp short stories of the 1930s while crossing them with a 1940s and 1950s B-movie or film noir sensibility. A few also shows how he can masterfully he can use the "unreliable narrator" in his stories.

The rating I give this book is an average of the stories within it.

The collection opens with three long stories (each more than ten pages). The first two, "The Fellowship of the Creeping Cat" and "The Big Dark Zero" feature equal parts mystery, drama, and humor. They are loving spoofs of pulp-fiction and film noir mystery tales with ludicrous set-ups and overly tangled dark secrets that nonetheless are executed every bit as serious as "The Maltese Falcon". And this is why they work. Both stories also sport genre-appropriate endings that are a satisfying mix of tragic and justice that will leave even the most critical reader satisfied.

"The Fellowship of the Black Cat" focuses a writer of limited success who finds himself at the center of a string of murders related to a long-defunct secret society of vigilantes. It is full of goofy elements, but it is also features escalating tension, because the reader clues into the trouble the protagonist is getting himself into before he does. The mystery of who is behind the plot is also an interesting one. The only complaint I have about the story is that the ending could have been a little stronger, so it rates an 8 of 10 Stars.

"The Big Dark Zero" is a pulp-fiction, film-noir style mystery tale about an amnesiac who has to rediscover his forgotten past to discover why people are suddenly trying to kill him. As the mystery unravels, the facts become increasingly ridiculous, but the story is played perfectly straight throughout, with even a touch of tragedy, which makes this a very effective tale. This is a solid 9 of 10 Stars.

The third and final of the longish stories in "Black Cat Crossing" is also one of the very best in the book. It may even be the best short story Sala wrote and illustrated, period. (It also has an amusing bit of crossover with another story in the book, perhaps the earliest example of the Salaverse, which is hinted at in some of the Peculia and Bloody Cardinal stories, and elsewhere.)

"Where is Christine Broder?" is one of the finest examples of how Richard Sala was an expert of the unreliable narrator. Throughout this whole film-noirish mystery tale involving a burned-out investigator looking for a missing woman the reader has the sense that something is off. It's a sense that keeps growing, but you're never quite sure WHAT is off about the first person narrative that's unfolding and when Sala finally reveals the truth of what's going on, in a perfectly timed and executed fashion, readers feel a mixture of  empathy for the narrator and a twinge of horror about his situation. It's a 10 of 10 Stars without question.

In the middle of the book are six one- and two-page stories in color. They are generally the weakest of what is collected in this volume, with four of them feeling more like story sketches or outlines than full-fledged works; I give most of these collective 6 of 10. The only two that are worth commenting on are a chilling spoof of romance comics titled "A Newlywed's Heartache" (in which the bride discovers chilling facts about her husband) and "Night Delivery which is a pun-based one-page story that I probably found more amusing than any adult should. Both of those rate 8 of 10 Stars.

The black-and-white stories resume with "Another Mad Doktor", which you can read in its entirety, here at Shades of Gray; and "Psychorama", which is the earliest of at least three spoofs of the kids' "alphabet primers" that Sala did. Each letter of the alphabet stands for a deadly lunatic in a psychologist's casebook, and each of these one-panel, rhyming gags are a mixture of cute and creepy. Both of these earn a solid 8 out of 10 Stars.

Next up, we have "The Proxy", a story drawn by Sala but written by . I'm not sure what to make of this one. I read it four times, carefully, and I am still not certain what's going on or what the point it. I am not even sure if there is a point, beyond telling a story about a guy who is is drawn back into the web of deceit and lies and manipulations that exists around his shady kinda-sorta friend, Doc. By the end of the story, I had the sense that the protagonist is screwed and that Doc... well, I really don't know about Doc. Still, it was an engaging story, so it's getting a 7 of 10 Stars.

 With "The Peculiar Case of Dr. V", Sala presents a mystery tale that features his trademark mix of suspense and goofiness, blended with a twist ending that elevates the take from average Sala to excellent Sala. It's another 7-Star effort!

Next is one of the weaker efforts in the book, "Hypnorama", which is a comics summary/dramatization of a tell-all book about how subliminal messages were/are concealed in advertising art and logos. While Sala did a good job of both summarizing the topic of the book and infusing his adaptation with a sense of insanity, it just didn't grab me. Maybe it's because I am already very familiar with the topic, or because it's been done to death over the 35 or so years that have passed since Sala delivered his take on it? Whatever the reason, this one gets 6 of 10 Stars.

The last story in the book, "Judy Drood, Girl Detective", is a Sala milestone. It marked the first appearance of one of Sala's signature characters, Judy Drood. Over the space of two pages, Sala delivers a fun spoof of classic kid/young adult adventure fiction (specifically the novels starring teenaged amateur detective Nancy Drew) as well as bringing us a great example of his ability to tell complete stories in single panels--or, even better, feed the readers' imaginations with summaries of great stories . All-in-all, it's clear why this, which was initially conceived as a one-off by Sala ws something that his friends encouraged him to expand into something bigger. This tale is a solid 10 of 10 Stars, and it's another one of those that you can read here at the Shades of Gray blog.

Rounding out the anthology is the expected author's bio--although Sala delivers one that is not at all one would expect... and in perfect keeping with his forever tongue-in-cheek approach to his storytelling, one final single panel cartoon, and another of his one-page pin-up style pictures--the endpaper I mentioned at the top. These all get a solid 8 of 10 ratings.

 "Black Cat Crossing" is a spectacular collection of Richard Sala's early work, which remains as fresh and exciting as it was when it was first created three decades ago. That shouldn't be surprising, since he drew his inspiration from pop-culture and artistic evergreens.

When I average out the ratings, this anthology is a solid Eight of Ten Stars... and one that I think is well worth checking out by anyone who enjoys well done comics, film-noir, silent movies, and mystery fiction. I think you'll have a great time while in the Salaverse. (It's still in print, but it's impossible to say for how long. Sala is rapidly joining the ranks for unjustly forgotten comics creators.)

A silent movie that Stan Lee would approve of!

Excelsior (aka "The Magician and the Human Pump" and "The Prince of Magicians") (1901)
Starring: Georges Méliès

Director: Georges Méliès

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

A noble wizard (Méliès) turns his manservant into the main prop in a magic act.

"Excelsior" is one of stage magician-turned-filmmaker many pioneering special effects films that are basically a magic show on film. This is one of the better ones, not only because of the impressive effects, but also because of the impish sense of humor of display throughout. 

Click below and enjoy. It's will only take you a couple of minutes to watch this little film, and I think you'll find that the sense of fun and joy that permeates this film will brighten your spirits for the rest of your day.

Yvonne DeCarlo bids you welcome...

 ... to the first day of Autumn!

When East Meets West on NCIS

The new seasons of two NCIS series premiered this week--Season 20 for the Washington D.C.-based flagship series NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigations Service, and Season 2 for NCIS: Hawai'i. The crossover between the two series that began at the end of the last season carries into the openers in this season... and we're celebrating with a crossover photo gallery featuring Katrina Law and Yasmine Al-Bustami.

KATRINA LAW

The Character She Portrays: Special Agent Jessica Knight is a seasoned Federal agent who joined the investigative branch of NCIS after a stint as a ranking agent and explosives expert with the service's tactical response team.

 

YASMINE AL-BUSTAMI

The Character She Portrays: Lucy Tara is a young NCIS Special Agent that has recently been assigned to the Hawaii office. The youngest of three siblings, she disappointed her parents when she chose to pursue a career in law enforcement rather than join the family's Texas-based oil business.