Gina Kaufmann writes:

we have even more scary things on tuesday's ballot than i realized. i know that the election is becoming overwhelming at this point, but in case anyone didn't read yesterday's metropolitan section in the star, here is a link to the Missouri Bar web site to explain the issue of judge retention that is on our ballot. basically, vote in favor of retaining judge Teitelman, who is facing really nasty opposition from a group called - i shit you not -- Missourians Against Liberal Judges. the group opposes teitelman's liberal views, and not his credentials.

http://www.mobar.org/newsrelease1027.htm

star articles on the issue:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/10013364.htm

info on teitelman:

http://www.osca.state.mo.us/SUP/index.nsf/0/d8184e6cc40a55ce86256c400055c733?OpenDocument

to see the kind of crap being put out there by the opposition group, check this out:

http://www.stopliberalmissourijudges.org/

yikes.

Yikes, indeed. What has *happened* to our country?! What's happened to our fucking constitution?? Have people lost their minds?

If Bush gets re-elected we're going to have a serious conversation about writing this insanity off and finding out exactly what is involved in emigrating overseas.

Check out Tom Spurgeon's new digs!

I'm choosing to link to the Top 100 Comics list page because, um, I like lists. Duh.

NEED, I say:

Oddly, these are more expensive and not as cute:

Work Log updated.

Remember those glorious 10 days or so during which I was actually caught up? Well, SLAYERS 3: THE GHOST OF SAIRAAG happened, and so much for the good times.

Recently Turned In:

SENSUAL PHRASE VOL. 7's end column on T.M. Revolution
SENSUAL PHRASE VOL. 8, part 1 script adaptation
KARE FIRST LOVE VOL. 4, part 2 script adaptation

Currently Working On:

SLAYERS 3: THE GHOST OF SAIRAAG (My last SLAYERS book, thank god. I love my editor and I enjoy the book, but I cannot handle the workload. It is the elephant that not only broke the camel's back but reduced him to a smudge of goo, alas.)
UNANNOUNCED VIZ PROJECT

Due Very Soon:

GIRL GOT GAME VOL. 9

_____

New Reviews:

DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS VOL. 1 on Animeondvd.com
KARE FIRST LOVE VOL. 1 on Animeondvd.com

_____

There is, of course, an original project I'm dying to work on, but no time right now. Alas.

Previews Review has tapped BLUE SPRING as their Pick of the Month. (Hurrah! Matsumoto is one of my favorite creators of any nationality and BLUE SPRING, easily the best book I've ever had the opportunity to work on.)

BLUE SPRING GN VOL 1
By Taiyo Matsumoto
$9.99, 218 pages, VIZ LLC, PAGE 356
OCT04 3067

Despite the continued absence of NO. 5 VOLUME 3 (and despite the fact that the third volume is scheduled to be published in French ANY DAY NOW), Viz have seen fit to release a brand new stand-alone graphic novel from NO.5 and BLACK & WHITE creator Taiyo Matsumoto! BLUE SPRING, a violent, kinetic story of a boys' school in Japan was adapted into a film (much like another of Matsumoto's comics that's doing gangbusters in France and Japan and remains unreleased here, PING PONG) thanks to its unflinching look at the realities of being a teenager in Japan. After a crushing loss at the school, the leader of the school's upper-echelon gives up on life, tearing down the last illusions of stability for a group of aimless teens. Dark and introspective, the film was very good and, I can only imagine, Matsumoto's outstanding storytelling will be a welcome addition to the story. At $10 and created by one of the best storytellers in Japan today, this is an absolutely essential purchase whether you're a "manga fan" or not. This is just plain great comics. Do Not Miss This One. Preorder It Today.

Remember when my CLIENTS folder disappeared off my desktop and was no where to be found? I had a back up -- thank god -- and only ended up losing a handful of documents.

This time it's my CORRESPONDENCE folder. We just did a complete back up the other night, so hopefully it's in there. Fingers: crossed.

With 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales, everyone knows what Steve and Ben can do - they’re doing it separately on that book, with Steve writing one tale and Ben illustrating another, but Kody Chamberlain’s art and Matt Fraction’s writing is really going to go over big, I think. And there’s a good chance there will be some other Matt Fraction/IDW news coming soon, too. I’m really excited about the guys we’re working with. Well, not in that way, but Matt does have a great smile, even over e-mail.

Incidentally, Matt’s wife, Kelly [Sue] DeConnick, turned in a fantastic short prose story that’s gonna show up in the first issue of BST, too. Lots of good writin’ going on in that Fraction household. I know some people don’t think prose has any place in comics — I’ve seen grumbling about it here, in fact—but we like to give a little extra in our books. If you don’t want to read them, you still get a complete story in every issue, but if you do want a bit more than just house ads, well, we’re there for you with some interesting prose stories. The short-story market is basically in the dumper right now, so if we can help some new writers get some work out in the world, we’re gonna do just that. Hang on, let me step off Stan’s my [sic] soapbox before continuing.

My story actually runs in issue #2, but yay, Chris. And the emphasis in the first paragraph is mine...

Read the rest of the interview here.

Too spendy for me, alas - but cute, cute, cute.

Thanks, Craig.

If the Queen Bee wallets weren't enough to trigger your covetousness (shut up, it's a word: I checked), then this oughta do it for sure:

I already have a wallet (two, actually) that I dearly love, and yet I am filled with desire.

The Ogi wallets on the poketo site are lovely, too.

And manga wallets -- ah!

Andy Heidel and Bill Morton are looking for NYC-based burlesque performers for a show on Saturday the 27th of November. (That's the Saturday right after Thanksgiving.)

Last I heard, they were talking to The Pontani Sisters about headlining.

If you're interested or you know someone who might be, contact Bill at mortco@mindspring.com

If you're an Uberlist player: http://www.livejournal.com/community/uberlists/.

I don't know too much about LJ yet (and I don't have time to learn right now) but I laid down the basics. We'll figure it out from there.

Sinclair Broadcasting is using its television stations to disguise right-wing smears against John Kerry as news. The Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission to protest this illegal corporate contribution to the Bush campaign.

But we need your help to stop this right-wing attack on John Kerry. An overwhelming outcry from the public may be the only way to stop Sinclair from forcing these smears onto the airwaves. There are two ways that we need to take action immediately:

Call Sinclair's affiliates. Click here for a list of phone numbers for Sinclair stations. Call them to let them know what you think about their decision to air untrue smears about John Kerry just before Election Day.

Sign our petition. Click here to sign our petition demanding that Sinclair take their negative smears off the air.

I did both.

Anybody know anything about Takanori Nishikawa of TM Revolution? Or where I might be able to find English resources?

Drop me a line, please: kellysue@kellysue.com

I've got:
http://www.tofurecords.com/artists/tmr.php
http://www.tm-revolution.com/

Bubble. Skirt. (There's a pouf skirt in the same show.)

(That said, I confess I really like this show. We've been talking about renting Picnic At Hanging Rock for a while now and well, and there's some Equus and some...what? The Mikado in there, too? Whatever it was, it never bored me.)

And on this I think the president and the last questioner gave the Democrats a real opportunity. The fiscal health of the country is a wreck. The country faces an unfolding disaster in Iraq. And numerous examples emerge day after day showing how that disaster grew directly from bad decisions the president made. And faced with a questioner who asked for just three mistakes he thinks he's made over four years, he couldn't come up with one. His answer was to say that on each of the big issues he's gotten everything exactly right.

If the Democrats and the Kerry campaign are smart they can use that to cut right to the president's greatest vulnerability -- the sense that he's out of touch, won't face what's happening and more than anything else won't level with the American people.

Since Delphi's been on the blink, I've come to the conclusion I don't really need it. The two things I'd like to preserve are the Uberlists from MLF and S&S&P.

If you were on S&S&P, e-mail me or Merry and we'll give you an update on the plan. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then it doesn't concern you - move along.

If you're an Uber-lister: I'm thinking about setting it up as a LiveJournal Community. Thoughts/Suggestions/Alternatives?

EDITED TO ADD: The Dancecard! You're absolutely right, Douglas.

Ready to wear?

The spring shows haven't done much for me this year, but today's shows are worth a look, anyway.

Love the neckline; hate the weird belly lips.

Oddly, I couldn't find a Balencia look in particular that I really loved, but I loved the show as a whole. The jackets are especially wonderful.

It's also one of the few shows that hasn't declared orange and white the new pink and green.

He just needs ten more commissions to meet his goal, folks.

Thanks, Terry.