New pulp by Stephen King plus two other great reads

I've started and abandoned a few books and comics recently, but these three were terrific:



1.  Joyland by Stephen King: Probably the best Hard Case Crime book to date.  How should I describe it?  The dull official description is:

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.  

This book deserves something a little more sensational.  How about,

It's the team-up you've been waiting for!  Can a group of meddling kids help a (sexy) gunslinger, a telepath, and a dog unravel the mystery of a haunted amusement park before the killer strikes again?!

Joyland showcases King's considerable gifts for suspense, supernatural horror, and touching coming of age stories.  There's an unmasking straight out of Scooby-Doo.  Yet it can easily fit alongside the Dark Tower series.  The regular version, featuring a cover by Glen Orbik, is $7 at Amazon.  There's also signed and unsigned limited editions featuring a cover and interior illustrations by Robert McGinnins.  Highly recommended.  (By comparison, I did not enjoy King's other novel for Hard Case Crime.)

2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi: I loved the first three quarters of this book.  Imagine William Gibson's Neuromancer with just a touch of China Mieville's bizarre world building - -  in a richly imagined future world, a thief with a damaged memory teams up with a mysterious warrior woman to steal a poorly defined but incredibly valuable item.  My only complaint about the book is that it's so overfilled with ideas and twists that the last quarter of the book feels rushed.  Not much of a complaint.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. $7 at Amazon.

3. Prophet, Volume 1: Remission by Simon Roy, Farel Dalrymple, Giannis Milogiannis, and Brandon Graham: This is a comic where you're better off knowing as little as possible.  Suffice to say that it's a terrifically-illustrated post-apocalyptic thriller.  Like Saga, every page seems to present a brand new inventive character, or design, or planet, but you never feel lost.  $8 at Amazon.  I could even say, "If you loved Thundarr the Barbarian, you'll love Prophet."

Great deals on DC closeouts

The BBTS has some good deals on Justice League Unlimited and DC Universe limited edition sets, including $18 for a 7-pack.

New character posters for The Wolverine

New posters for The Wolverine.  Via.

*Buy Marvel Universe figures at Amazon.

Link roundup

1.  John Martz decided to end art blog Drawn:

In a 2013-era Internet that allows artists to share their work easier than ever and to a bigger audience than ever, and for anyone to start a Tumblr or a Pinterest account to collect and curate their own inspirations and influences, a 2005-era link blog like Drawn grows increasingly irrelevant.

I wonder if his decision is any way motivated by a difficulty in finding illustration that truly inspired him and made it feel worth continuing the blog.

2.  A tour of NECA's studio with glimpses of upcoming toys.

3.  $60 million of the Mets' $100 payroll is going to players on the disabled list or no longer with the team.

4.  Tetris pieces as magnets and a desk set.

Keystone Design Union's chimera

Keystone Design Union's chimera.

Free copies of Penny Arcade's On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3

Penny Arcade is giving away free copies of On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3.  Relatedly, I encourage you to back their Downloadable Content Kickstarter.

New Star Wars cartoon to focus on old concepts

The new Disney Star Wars animated series will be more of the old - - "Rebels", set before Episode IV and apparently relying heavily on McQuarrie's designs and the team that made the canceled Clone Wars cartoon:

Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animated television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Executive producer Greg Weisman brings with him a wealth of animation experience with credits such as Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, "The entire team at Lucasfilm has provided extraordinary creativity and innovation for over three decades, and we're thrilled to be bringing the expansive and imaginative world of Star Wars to Disney XD's viewers."

"I couldn't be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe," said Kathleen Kennedy, president, Lucasfilm. "I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars."

The action-filled series is set between the events of Episode III and IV -- an era spanning almost two decades never-before explored on-screen. Star Wars Rebels takes place in a time where the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape. Details about the show are a closely guarded secret at this point.

Star Wars Rebels will be produced by Lucasfilm Animation, featuring many of the key talents that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Link roundup

1.  Mark Cuban asked designers to redesign the Dallas Mavericks uniform for free:

If we really like your design and you, I may even throw in some tickets.

2.  Neil Gaiman's How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a free download at Amazon and comes with the first few chapters of The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

3.  "At One High School, There's Gym Class, And Then There's 'Fat Gym' Class."

Link roundup

1.  A troll talks about his time on Metafilter:

there was a group of people who used the site for earnest discussion because they were having their emotional needs met by reality, and then the rest of us.

Via.

2.  Le Matos.  Via.

3.  Dirty play by Cristiano Ronaldo.

4.  Studio Ghibli movies are half off at Amazon today (for example, Mononoke is $10).  (With any luck this move indicates the movies will finally be available as digital downloads.)

Benedict Cumberbatch is terrific in Star Trek

I've seen some negative reviews criticizing the movie as dumb, but I'm not sure what movie those people were expecting.  The plot of the first JJ Abrams Star Trek was incredibly stupid, and certainly far worse than this.

Into Darkness is a solid, entertaining movie - - kind of like Wrath of Khan crossed with 24.  And Cumberbatch is an alltime terrific villain. (Not sure what was up with Pike's ridiculous sideburns, though.)

Link roundup

1.  Marrying your cousin: good for you and your family, bad for the world?

2.  "Rich Families Cutting Lines at Disney World By Hiring Disabled Guides."  (What does it take to get rich?  An ability to spot loopholes and the willingness to take advantage of them.)

3.  Another one:

Army officials say the manager of the sexual assault response program at Fort Campbell has been arrested in a domestic dispute and relieved of his post.

Lt. Col. Darin Haas turned himself in to police late Wednesday on charges of violating an order of protection and stalking.

4. Doctor Who 3.7" action figures available for preorder.

Art roundup

Skrulls by James Brouwer for a cancelled video game.



Locke & Key: Alpha #1 cover by Gabriel Rodriguez.  Via.



The Colour out of Space (by Lovecraft) available at Amazon. Via.



How to make glowing Converse All-Stars.  Via.