I don't know about you, but 'I Am Bruce Lee'

"If someone says that they can't watch a Bruce Lee film, then I can't talk to 'em."
- Reginald Hudlin

Word, Reggie. And 'nuff said... 'cause I can barely think...or speak...or write after seeing this trailer. To get more information on this amazing-looking film, visit the I Am Bruce Lee website.



P.S. I just popped by the Bruce Lee Facebook page and according Shannon (his daughter), the film will air on March 7th on Spike TV. Additional information about limited theatrical screenings are available at the I Am Bruce Lee website.

The Blackest Terror #1

Remember that scene in the movie Chasing Amy where the leather-clad black militant comic book creator whips out a fake pistol while he's on the stage at a comic book convention? And remember how he fires a blank round at a heckling audience member (his buddy Banksy), and then continues to fire off a few more rounds to the cackle-inducing call of "Black rage! Black rage!" Well, the debut issue of The Blackest Terror is a lot like that scene–except that when this guy's gat goes off, somebody catches a bad one.

Written by Eric M. Equivel and illustrated by Ander Sarabia, The Blackest Terror is a cool-looking book that I mostly just spotted on the rack at the local comic book shop some weeks ago. Unfortunately, that particular copy was the very last one on the rack and had been so manhandled by curious customers that I wasn't gonna fork over my hard-earned ducats for something that looked like sloppy seconds, or worse.

To my fanboy surprise, when I stopped in to visit the shop again yesterday there was a dozen or so new copies of The Blackest Terror on the rack. Right on. I promptly added one of the minty fresh copies to the short stack that I was carrying and made way for the cash register. When I got back to the lab, The Blackest Terror was the first book that I pulled from the pile.

Now, since I'm not one for spoilers you're just gonna have to do what I did and judge this handsome book by its cover: It's called The Blackest Terror, for Pete's sake, and boasts a mask-wearing brotha' with a skull and crossbones on his chest, passin' out knuckle sandwiches and free-toes at a Klu Klux Klan rally. (Well, I will actually say there aren't any Klansmen in the story, but do not let that keep you away from this righteously written and illustrated comic book.

Verdict: The Blackest Terror's kung fu does NOT suck.

St. Paco
Kung Fu Grip! zine

"There's no place like..."

"It's just about 12:30 in the morning and I'm on my way home from work. Great peaceful quiet walk to the Metra. Thought it was worth taking a picture. "



My new homie dirt_dog sent me this sweet snapshot from Chicago's downtown area. It's a great nighttime capture that almost makes me homesick–which is something I haven't felt in a while.

[Sigh]

Happy 'Subway Art' to Me

Image from Subway Art, 2009. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

At Barnes & Noble today, I chanced upon the 25th Anniversary Edition of Subway Art sellin' for the discounted price of $9.99. That's right, true believers, the super-sized version of Subway Art (original SRP $40.00) is sellin' for the low, low price of $9.99.

Well, the book had actually been in the virtual discount bins at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com since last year, if not even earlier. But it was still really cool to see it in the discount section of a brick-n-mortar store. This is especially true when considering that I've been draggin' my shell-toes about buying a copy since its release in 2009.

I know, I know. Blasphemous, right?

Well, after 'oohing and ahhing' through the copy that my homeboy Mikey picked up back when it first came out, I wasn't in any rush to get my own copy. Maybe it was stubborn sentimentality that just kept me referencing the original copy that I purchased way back in the 1980s, beat to utter crap though it may be.

With my birthday coming up (on Friday), and for the price, I figured it was finally time to make my move. But I still haven't cracked the cover yet. In fact, the book is still in the B&N bag. Like I said, my b-day is just around the corner and since I've waited nearly three years for it, I can wait another 48 hours, can't I?

NOW SHOWING...

Your Kung Fu Sucks! Desktop Cinemas proudly presents Return of the Kung-Fu Dragon (1976), starring the beautiful-but-deadly Sun-Kuan Rin-Feng, aka Polly Kuon (Dragon Gate Inn).



Free MP4 downloads of this film available courtesy of Archive.org.

The Art of Biting (What's Your Style?)

Enter the Dragon (1973)


Enter the Dragon (Production Still)


Fury of the Dragon (1979)


Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)


The Empire Strikes Back (1980)


The Dragon Strikes Back (1972)


Return of the Jedi (1983)


Return of the Dragon (1972)

Jim Jarmusch on originality.

The RZA & Jim Jarmusch

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) with be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery–celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: 'It's not where you take things from–it's where you take them to.'"

–Jim Jarmusch

Circa 1975 - The Fantastic Four Radio Show

Before reaching adolescence, the age when I 'mutated' into something of an X-Men fanatic, I was a fierce fan of the Fantastic Four. In addition to their monthly comic book exploits, the FF had a Saturday morning cartoon that I used to like to watch–despite a really annoying half-sized robot named Herbie who served in place of The Human Torch. (Were the show's producers really concerned that some dumb kid would drench himself in lighter fluid and strike a match in imitation of Johnny Storm?)

Well, I didn't know it back then, but in addition to the print and TV adventures of the Fantastic Four, co-creator "Smiling" Stan Lee had also made a considerable effort to bring Marvel's first family to kid's radio programming. His little known 1975 production of The Fantastic Four Radio Show featured the nearly word-for-word adaptations of some of the Fantastic Four's first adventures, with narration by Lee himself.

In addition to the voice of Stan Lee, also featured in the production were the voices of Bill Murray (yup, that Bill Murray) as the Human Torch, Cynthia Adler as the Invisible Girl, Bob Maxwell as Mr. Fantastic and Jim Pappas as the Thing. A few of the heroes, and villains, who appeared in these audio adaptations were Namor the Sub-Mariner, Ant-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Moleman and Dr. Viktor Von Doom.

Oh...and speaking of Doctor Doom. Hardcore fans of rap artist MF Doom may recognize at least one segment that was sampled from one of the episodes that bears the metal faced super-villain's name.

Apparently, less than a dozen episodes were produced before the plug on the show was pulled due to anemic ratings. Having been largely forgotten about in the interim years, the copyright protections have lapsed, and these lost bronze age productions are now in the public domain. 

That's right, True Believers, you can own 'em for the pulse-pounding price of free-ninety-nine!

It was well over a year ago that I found the ten known episodes over at archive.org, but I didn't get around to actually playing 'em until recently.

After giving 'em all a thorough listen, and because it felt like the naturally nerdy thing to do, I scanned the covers of two 1970s FF comics and banged out a retro-ish 'album cover' for a proper presentation in iTunes (or whichever digital player you use).

Submitted for your approval, The Fantastic Four Radio Show.

Click here to download.
Click here to sample.

Thanks, Zine World

My previous January posting related to the most recent reviews of KFG zines in Zine World #30.5 (Nov 2011) has been deleted in favor of this revised post. The supplement edition of ZW that came out in the fall actually contains three reviews of my publications (well, four...technically), and it seemed like a good idea to go ahead and share 'em all. I'm not even certain as to why, but last time around I only shared Clint's review, even though the one written by e.war preceded it. The third review, I should point out, caught me unawares.

Since Zine World posts their critiques in alphabetical order, I'm just gonna come right out and confess that I flicked through to the page where publications starting with the letter K could be found and absorbed the reviews of KFG 4 & 5. After that, I flicked back to page one and began reading the reviews of all the other publications. A little more than midway through my reading, I got a jolt from the unexpected realization that an additional review of Octopussy #1 was also contained.

Since publishing the aforementioned, I've been curious as to whether it's as accessible to chicks as it seems to be for dudes. I say this because the majority of orders (and perspectives) have come from guys, including a few from love-starved fucks behind bars. Well, one of my ex's started blowin' up my Facebook after she got her eyes on a copy, and I did take that as a positive sign (haha). But the review of Octopussy turned in by P5! offers a feminine perspective that has snugly tucked my curiosity into bed with a smile on its face.

Thanks, Zine World

–––––

Kung Fu Grip! #4
Historical writings personal and otherwise, touching story about a dying father. A very interesting article titled "Black East" about dark-skinned or even African-looking Phillipinos. Paco discusses [human] origins frankly and with good foundations. Retro ads are splashed throughout, appealing to the kung-fu afro in you.
– e.war

Kung Fu Grip! #4 and #5
Perhaps it's unfair to hand me these, since I gave #3 such a glowing review last time. But I have them and that's that; I have no choice! Everything I said last time about the marvelous mix of pop-culture obsessions and storytelling remains true. Issue #4 includes the moving "A Year to Say Goodbye," Paco's account of his father's passing. Issue #5, twice as big, features an extensive survey of sticker art and a terrific, in-depth feature on Shiro, one of the few high-profile female graffiti artists, including lots of flicks of her work. Money and time well spent here.
– Clint

Kung Fu Grip! Special #1: Octopussy
This zine has a sexy look that immediately draws you in! An intriguing mix of hot girls, octopi, stripper haikus with great accompanying footwear photos, a smutty graffiti gallery, the (incredibly inspiring) art of Katsushika Hokusai (I love that centerfold!), pictures from India's Kama Sutra temple, and more! This zine is original and beautiful. Recommended!
– P5!

Who in blue blazes is the Golden Blaze?!?!

Last summer I posted the soul-shocking "Crisis in Electric Ladyland" editorial here on the YKFS blog. That particular piece – many of you may recall – was a playful criticism of the double-digit number of African-American super-powered characters whose names and/or powers are redundantly related to electricity. (Those of you who missed out on that electrifying read can find it here.)

Well, despite my encyclopedic knowledge and my additional research into the subject, I was recently hit with the jaw-jolting realization that there is yet another name that could have been included on that already too-long list of ten. Our shocking eleventh addition to the list comes to us from of the 2005 animated film The Golden Blaze.

While doing some last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve, I chanced upon a copy of The Golden Blaze at the local Big Lots store. Prior to that unexpected encounter, I had never heard a single whisper about the film's existence. And despite the $3 bargain price, I could NOT bring myself to add it to the handful of cheap DVDs that I was already carrying. Not even in the endless pursuit of editorial purpose.

Suffice it to say that I was probably more annoyed than curious about the until-then-unheard-of super guy garbed in the regurgitated color scheme of navy blue and gold (à la Black Lightning, Black Vulcan, Static), with an obligatory lightning bolt insignia on his chest. How in the God of Thunder's name could there be another friggin' character like this?, I wondered as I eyed the cover in a mild state of shock and awe.

Quickly adding to my dismay was an iconic movie studio logo that I spotted on the back of the DVD, revealing that Warner Brothers – of all movie studios – was the film's distributor. Hadn't the WB already cornered the friggin' market on electro-powered minorities? Could having characters such as Static Shock, Soul Power, Sparky and Juice in its big corporate toy box somehow not have been enough? I mean...really?

With my eyes rolling towards the white stucco ceiling, I put the movie back in the DVD bin and made way for the checkout counter. I was determined to learn the Golden Blaze's story not by watching the movie, but by reading about it on the interwebs later that night–or sometime after the holiday. Three nights later, I went ahead did my due diligence. What I learned online that evening sent me back to Big Lots the next day.

The Golden Blaze is a kid-friendly feature that boasts the voice acting talents of Blair Underwood (Gattaca, Deep Impact), Michael Clarke Duncan (Daredevil, Sin City), Sanaa Latham (Blade, Alien vs. Predator), and Neil Patrick Harris (Starship Troopers, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along). This G-rated flick is so friggin' kid friendly that it was awarded the Children’s Jury Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2005 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.

And so, an hour after my aforementioned shopping excursion, I clicked off the lights, plopped down on the couch, and gave The Golden Blaze 90-minutes of my undivided attention. And – in full spite of that well-worded complaint against with the redundancy of the electricity theme and black super-powered characters – I was quickly disarmed by the film's faithful and amusing approach to caped crusader mythos and comic book culture.

Like many schoolboys his age, Jason Fletcher (voiced by Khleo Thomas) gets bullied by a kid five times his size and daydreams about having the power of his hero, Golden Blaze. In a kooky twist of fate, Jason's dad, the bumbling scientist Mr. Fletcher (Underwood), gets caught up in a scientific demonstration gone-awry and gains the abilities of the Golden Blaze. But the accident also has a similar effect on his megalomaniacal ex-boss (Duncan), transmogrifying him into Golden Blaze's arch-nemesis, Quake.

With the exception of M. Knight Shyamalan's Unbreakable, which The Golden Blaze brings to mind for me in subtle ways, I really can't think of another motion picture that so earnestly manages to pay homage to comic book concepts–and does so from both sides of the multi-paneled page; from the sloppy comic book shop owner with less-than-zero customer service skills to the Green Lantern-like mantra "Let the light of truth show the wayyyy!," this animated feature doesn't miss a beat.

Now, this isn't to say that The Golden Blaze is a flawless production, because it's not. Directed by Bryon E. Carson (by way of Flash computer animation), it's somewhat apparent that the filmmaker was ballin' on a budget. Nevertheless, a cast of recognizable actors (including Harris as the sloppy shop owner), super clean character design, and some diabolically clever story-telling make up ground for any of the visual deficits.

It's probably also worth noting that this movie was not made with the nit-picky comic-con demographic with two or more decades of fandom under their utility belts–like me! To (badly) paraphrase the ODB, Golden Blaze is for the children. As such, it's something that I would whole-heartedly recommend to the parents of the comic-con attendees of tomorrow.

St. Paco's Verdict: The Golden Blaze's kung fu does not suck.

P.S. I'm still gonna pray to the Mighty Thor and the gods of Billy Batson (Shazam!) that there isn't yet another lightning bolt bearing character out there waiting to be added to the "Crisis in Electric Ladyland" list.

You Can't Hack the Gee Wiz Tactics

Gee Wiz – The Wu-Fanatic
While the beat-makers of hip-hop have made quite a distinct mark on the music listeners of the past two decades, I don't know of anyone who has inspired more actual music-making disciples than RZA of the Wu-Tang clan. And it would appear that this kid called Gee Wiz, the self-proclaimed "Wu-Fanatic," may well be the sharpest dagger in the velvet sash of RZA beat emulators. I got hipped to this radiant jewel by way of those funk monks at Word Is Bond and simply had to share it. This collection of Wu-inspired instrumentals is so dead-on musically that the "Abbot" had better be protectin' his own neck, 'cause Gee Wiz is one student who seems to not only have studied the soulful styles of the 36 Chambers, but mastered them too.

"You can't hack the tactics..."

KFG! in Narcolepsy Press Review #7

Click to enlarge

Superman: First Son of Fanzines

One of my favorite zines from the last few years is one that was published in the winter of 2008 called My Time Annihilator: A Brief History of 1930's Science Fiction Fanzines. As a not-so-closet history geek, it was the kind of zine that made me wish that I had been the editor responsible for its creation. In addition to its cool antiquarian vibe, My Time Annihilator was super informative. In fact, it was by way of its pages that I came to discover that a large part of the modern zine-making tradition is steeped in fanzines that were published by science fiction fanatics in the 1930s.

While doing some seemingly unrelated reading on the interwebs a year or so ago, I had another chance to discover something else that really surprised me. When they were just high school students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, were also a part of that 1930s fanzine movement. Even more surprisingly, I also learned that the foundation for the Man of Steel was laid not in a comic book, but in the pages of their 1933 fanzine Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization.

During that chance discovery, I also came to learn that the early Superman stuff produced by Siegel and Shuster a few years before their character's first appearance in Action Comics #1 were no longer under copyright. (Wha-wha?) This included not only the short story "The Reign of the Superman," but a series of twenty-four Superman comic strips that the writer/artist duo had spent a few unsuccessful years pitching to unreceptive newspaper editors.

As I pored over the preliminary Superman material that I had found online (in digitized pdf form), the first thing I thought was how cool it would be to see that vintage stuff on paper. That is, if only someone would take the time to clean-up and reformat it for publication. I certainly had no intention of taking up the challenge myself, but somewhere along the way (circa about a week ago), I decided to give it a shot. Superman: First Son of Fanzines is the swell-looking end result.

And so, in honor of the last son of Krypton's largely unknown underground lineage, Superman: First Son of Fanzines returns this iconic character to his humble fanzine roots. Contained within is a smaller reproduction of the "The Reign of the Superman" story which shows the famously named title character in his original incarnation––as a bald bad guy (yes, bad guy) with even stronger telepathic power than that other guy who would establish the X-Men three decades later. Also contained are the twenty-four early comic strips that would pave the way to Superman's first appearance in the June 1938 edition of Action Comics #1.

It has been a great big thrill for me to find myself archiving a mostly discarded portion of Superman's history, even if only in a small way. Yet it was from the primordial pages of a fanzine that one of America's most popular fictional characters evolved, and I considered it something of a responsibility to preserve its legacy in the pages of Superman: First Son of Fanzines.

– St. Paco

Click to enlarge

Nick Cage’s Action Comics #1 fetches $2.16M

A near-mint copy of Action Comics #1 owned by actor Nicolas Cage sold at auction tonight for a record $2.16 million.

Graded at 9.0, the rare 1938 comic easily surpassed the previous record of $1.5 million set in March 2010 for the same issue, featuring the first appearance of Superman.

That copy was graded slightly lower, at 8.5. Vincent Zurzolo, chief operating officer of ComicConnect/Metropolis Collectibles, told Comic Riffs that the issue that sold this evening — bidding closed at 7:25 p.m. ET — is the best copy of Action Comics he’s ever seen.

“The buyer was extremely excited about the prospect of bidding on this,” he said. “I think he had an adrenalin rush for the last two hours.”

The comic was stolen from Cage’s Los Angeles home in 2000, and discovered in April by an unidentified man who claims to have bought the contents of an abandoned San Fernando Valley, California, storage locker. Although Zurzolo wouldn’t reveal the comic’s previous owner, he did confirm that his company played a role in its recovery.

About 100 copies of Action Comics #1 are believed to exist, but only a handful of those are in good condition.

Source: Robot 6

Peeled, Pasted & Posted, Nov 26th - Dec 20th

Thirty Fingers of Death (Vinyl Killah Remix)
Digital Mash-Up Sticker on 12" Vinyl
St. Paco, 2011

If you're in San Jose (or within drivin' distance), you are cordially invited to the Peeled, Pasted & Posted sticker and street art show at the Gift 2 Gab Gallery. This is an event dedicated specifically to the adhesive arts, featuring works by more than 100 bombers, slap-taggers and street artists from across the globe. And, as you can see from the photo posted above, the mighty St. Paco will also have a piece hanging amongst the gallery's senses-shattering offerings. In addition to some fantastic art, you can bet that there will also be massive amounts of stickers on hand for trading (including some of my own), so do remember to bring along your black book...as well as your checkbook.

Peeled, Pasted & Posted
A Sticky Situations Art Show
Opening Reception – November 25th, 6PM to Midnight
Show Runs from November 26th – December 20th

Gift 2 Gab Gallery
190 Martha St. Studio D
San Jose, CA 95112

For more information, check out Gift 2 Gab wall on Facebook.

Shibuya or Bust (Attn : Library)

If you're in Tokyo (or within driving distance), The Kosmos Lane Gallery cordially invites you to attened ATTN : LIBRARY, a Booklet Library exhibition at Kosmos Lane Gallery in Shibuya (Tokyo, Japan). This extremely limited event runs from November 8th to the 13th, and features 300+ art related, small-press publications and zines contributed to the Booklet Library in 2011 by 200+ artists/authors, from 16 countries. Copies of Kung Fu Grip! #3B, #4 & #5 are on hand for the show, so be sure to check 'em out! For more information on this as well as other pop-up shows and events in Tokyo, visit the Booklet Zine Library website.

ATTN: LIBRARY

Kosmos Lane Gallery
2–29-6-1F Uehara,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 〒151‑0064
November 8th - 13th, 2011

Heavy D - Final Bow

Through the years, I have managed to keep hold of only two two ticket stubs from my early days as a hip-hop junkie: Eric B & Rakim headlining at the Chicago Amphitheater in 1990, and Dana Dane co-headlining with Heavy D at the historic Regal Theater in 1988. As might be expected, each of these little mementos carries with them a sizable memory. Especially the latter.

Heavy D would effortlessly live up to his growing reputation as a consummate showman that night in March of '88: he powered through rhymes with style, leapt in and out of dance routines with finesse, and delivered roses like a plus-sized pimp during the Al B. Sure chorused "Don't You know." The Overweight Lover was in the house that night, showing fans what it really meant to be large and in charge.

Years before other emcee heavyweights like Fat Joe, Notorious B.I.G., Big Pun or Rick Ross would come to play the role of "big papa," there was Heavy D. He was the first rapper to throw his weight around not as a goofy gimmick (a la The Fat Boys), but to show-and-prove that bigger could also be better. He was one of the best to ever rock a mic, and his place in the pantheon of hip-hop greats is remembered.

Dwight Arrington Myers (aka Heavy D)
May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011

Download: Mr. Cee's Heavy D Tribute Mix (Courtesy of the HOT 97 “Throwback at Noon” and Strawberryblunt.com)

Smokin' Joe Frazier - Exit the Champion

Joseph William Frazier
January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011

There's a saying that goes, "to be the best you gotta beat the best." In 1971, Smokin' Joe Frazier shocked the boxing world by handing Muhammad Ali his first loss in the ring. In the process, Frazier would become a heavyweight champion, as well as the much-heralded other half of one of boxing's most memorable rivalries. Thanks, Champ.

Kiyoshi Nakazawa - Drunken Master

When I read over my interview with Dadá Mini before posting it to the web some weeks back, I winced when I got the question where Coco Muro asked for the names of some of the publications that were amongst my favorites. Though I remembered to give Giant Robot and some others a shout, I completely spaced on Kiyoshi Nakazawa's Drunken Master zine. It sucked too, because I know Kiyoshi and DM is really one of my favorite zines.

Well, to add insult to injury, Kiyoshi was interviewed last month by one of the guys at the Ain't It Cool News website. And when that intrepid interviewer asked Kiyoshi to name some of the zines that he enjoys, did Kiyoshi have the class to remember to mention Kung Fu Grip! amongst his favorites? Yep, he sure did.

As if I wasn't already beatin' myself up enough for forgetting to give Drunken Master a shout, I really started to feel bad when I considered the fact that Your Kung Fu Sucks! (the newish name of this blog) was directly inspired by Kiyoshi. I don't even know if he's aware that I bit/borrowed the slogan that he used on a t-shirt some years back. But, as the great Pablo Picasso once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

Truthfully, for the first five or so minutes after re-naming the blog, I actually didn't remember that Kiyoshi had used it as a t-shirt slogan. But this is my chance to give credit where credit is due. B'sides, we all know that great minds do think alike, right?

Anyway, check out the interview, by visiting Ain't It Cool News. And if you decide that cha wanna add Drunken Master zine to your reading pile, visit Kiyoshi's Etsy shop and order copies of #11 and #12. (And check out my half-page ad in issue #12, which came out in time for the San Diego Comic Con this past July.)

I should prolly mention that after you read those two issues, you're gonna wanna order the others that are still available...whenever he remembers to update his stock, that is. And be warned, 'cuz Kiyoshi Nakazawa's kung-fu does NOT suck. In fact, the guy's a master.