This blog post by the ubiquitous political blogger called "hilzoy" summarizes the problems that the al-Maliki statement presents for John McCain and the whole argument for him as a candidate.
Are you following what's been going on with Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and his interview in the German magazine, Der Spiegel? You may not have been because most of the American press is treating it with all the importance of Dog Bites Man. Basically, al-Maliki said in the conversation that Barack Obama's sixteen month timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq made sense to him. The White House then called to demand that al-Maliki "clarify" (i.e., retract) his remarks...and a spokesguy for Iraq issued a half-assed statement that said al-Maliki had been misunderstood, though he didn't say about what.
I won't say much more about it. You should go to whatever news sources you trust and see what they're saying about it...and if they're not saying anything, you should trust them a lot less. Speigel is standing by its story and there's apparently tape...and the statements attributed to al-Maliki are pretty unambiguous. So either the magazine just fabricated quotes — which the Iraq rep is not charging — or the prime minister of Iraq is laying out an exit strategy for the U.S. that happens to more or less mirror the Barack Obama proposal that John McCain keeps saying is not workable and not in Iraq's best interests.
But go read up about it. Whatever happened there, it's a much bigger story than the press is admitting. Then again, the Washington Post has more pressing, important news to cover. They're only up to Chapter 8 of a 12-part front page series on the disappearance of Chandra Levy.
Hey, how about some tips for Comic-Con? I have some general convention tips on this page. "Professor" Scott Tipton has some advice over on this page. And Tom Spurgeon has the Encyclopedia Britannica of San Diego Convention Tips over on this page. Listen to what Scott and Tom say except that both are seriously deficient in recommending attendance at my panels.
Speaking of which: I get a lot of e-mails asking me why there isn't a memorial/tribute panel for so-and-so, who died this past year. There are two answers to that, both pretty simple ones. One is that too many people in comics have died in the last twelve months. Maggie Thompson's going to get up at the Eisner Awards ceremony Friday evening and read the list...and with luck, we'll be outta there in time for Saturday Night Live.
The other reason — and maybe I shouldn't say this but I say a lot of things I shouldn't say — is that a lot of these memorial panels don't get much of a turnout. I've hosted a great many of them and I'd say with half (or thereabouts), I look out at far too many empty seats, wondering where the people are who'd told me how important it was that the con — whatever con it was — have some sort of remembrance of their dear, departed pal. But they're not there. They're down in the Dealers Room selling stuff at their table or promoting product or whatever.
So we don't do a lot of these. This year, I'm hosting the annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel because...well, he was Jack Kirby. Reason enough. Immediately following it, allowing for back-to-back memorials, I'm hosting an hour devoted to the late Dave Stevens.
The Kirby panels are by now more than eulogies. They're historical records of an important guy, and we also have a lot to discuss each year in terms of upcoming Kirby reprints. Even deceased, Jack has more stuff coming out than most artists who are alive.
This year, I've asked Joe Ruby and Ken Spears to be on the panel to discuss a period in Jack's career about which most of his fans know little. In the late seventies, Jack felt distanced and in some ways a prisoner of the comic book industry. To stay in it at that point would have meant doing some things he really didn't want to do...so he got into animation, instead. Contrary to a spectacularly uninformed article that a prominent person in the cartoon biz wrote many years ago, Jack was enormously happy working on Saturday morn cartoon shows and he later said that, for a number of reasons, the change saved his life. Most of this work was done for the Ruby-Spears Studio on shows that included Thundarr the Barbarian, Mr. T, Chuck Norris's Karate Kommandos and many that did not make it to air. Joe and Ken will be telling us all about those days.
I've also asked the great comic book artist Jerry Robinson to be on the panel...and you may have seen Larry Lieber listed. Larry was going to be on it and wanted to be on it...but he has to catch an early flight Sunday morning. So I'll be surprising you (and possibly, myself) with someone else.
Dave Stevens was, of course, a good friend and a good guy and (of least importance) a good artist. I do expect a good turnout for the tribute to him. I'm not sure who all will be speaking. I'm going to just let anyone who wants to say something have three minutes at the microphone. We've only got an hour, which means more like 45-50 minutes, so it won't be nearly enough time. We also have a lovely slide show and a few other treats.
Here are the listings for these events...
Sunday, July 27
10:00-11:00 Jack Kirby Tribute — As we do every year, friend and family of the great Jack Kirby to remember the man some call The King. Participating this year are animation producers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, and comic book legend Jerry Robinson. And it's all hosted by — who else? — Mark Evanier, author of the recent book, Kirby: King of Comics. Room 7AB.
11:00-12:00 Remembering Dave Stevens — The industry was shocked and saddened at the loss this year of one of our great creative talents. Emcee Mark Evanier chairs an hour of remembrance by Dave's fans and friends as they talk about the creator of The Rocketeer...a great artist who left us much too early. Room 7AB.
And since I mentioned Ruby and Spears, I should note that Earl Kress and I will be interviewing them on Friday about their work...first at Hanna-Barbera where they went from being film editors to writers to producers to practically running the studio. These are the guys who started Scooby Doo and dozens of other hit shows, plus they created shows for other studios (like Bigfoot & Wildboy and Electra-Woman and Dynagirl for the Kroffts) before founding their own studio. Here's the official description for that panel...
Friday, July 25
2:00-3:00 That ’70s (Animation) Panel — Comic-Con special guest Mark Evanier talks to animation legends Joe Ruby and Ken Spears — of Ruby-Spears Productions — about their amazing output of television cartoon shows in the '70s, '80s, and beyond. Meet the men who gave you Thundarr the Barbarian, Scooby Doo, Dynomutt, Fangface, Jabberjaw and so many more. Room 8.
More panel previews tomorrow. (I can't believe the convention is so soon. Each year, I wonder if there isn't some way to get it postponed for a couple weeks...)
We were talking here the other day about lyrics. Here's a few minutes with the master.
This is a tease for the full video, which runs an hour and costs forty bucks to view online. I've decided not to spring for the forty bucks but if anyone does, let me know if it's truly extraordinary. At that price, it would have to be.
There are, to me, many fine reasons why John McCain should not be president. One biggie is that he has been a tireless advocate for the belief that the government should never interfere with anything that big investment entities want to do to try to get bigger, but that it should stand at the ready to bail them out — with billions of our tax bucks — whenever they crash and burn. To them, our government is like a demented insurance company that says, "Take whatever risks you like and if it doesn't work, we'll pay for it." McCain proclaims something quite different in many of his speeches but when it comes down to voting and using his position to advance causes, he always sides with the Enron crowd.
Robert Scheer calls him on it. The notion that Phil Gramm could be advising McCain, let alone be considered his probable Secretary of the Treasury, says it all. Gramm is to fiscal responsibility what Andy Dick is to manners.
July 21, 2008
