Spider's Web

9/11 6th Anniversary

2007-09-11T13:53:00.000+03:00

THE MINDSCAPE OF ALAN MOORE

2007-03-26T02:19:00.000+03:00

Ok. Alan Moore.You know the guy, or else you don't belong here :p
You might have even seen or heard of a documentary film about him, directed by Dez Vylenz.
Well, if you didn't catch it anywhere, worry not anymore.
After several months of hard work dedicated to presenting a unique wealth of material, Dez finally completed the DVD version of the movie for release.
For more info and preorders, visit the shadowsnake site.
Enjoy!

Angouleme

2007-02-07T14:20:00.000+02:00

And here are some photos from the Angouleme Festival.One of these days I will propably be making a 3 page piece cartoon-style,which will be rather more informative.

Τhe Greek Way

2007-02-07T00:58:00.000+02:00

Just started a greek-speaking blog for posting domestic stuff.(No, I don't have too much free time in my hands.I just know how to misuse my long working hours :p)

Yes!

2007-01-24T23:16:00.000+02:00

It's that time of the year again!

We are not amused

2007-01-24T15:41:00.000+02:00

I miss having a king and queen in Greece-makes a cartoonist's life easier and all.Still, the former royalty still manages to provide a few laughs from time to time.
The current goverment pretends to be amazed by the fact that several items that the same goverment people allowed the former royalty to export from the palace -following of course the appropriate protocol (in the dead of the night,in plastic bags thrown in unmarked containers by beefy guys named Vito),surfaced currently in auction houses.
Fingers are being pointed about "great loss of significant cultural treasures" and such*, but i think they are all missing the point:
Former royalty having to sell their tea cups in order to make next month's rent? Hey,I would pay handsomely to read such news!
(*several lower people have already circulated cheap jokes about the "Royal Vibrator",a low kind of humour which I happily reproduce).

Cover-up

2007-01-12T13:30:00.000+02:00

Working 24/7 for the completion of the new "Photographer" album, due for an early March release.While playing around with cover ideas, I thought it might be interesting to post the process of one idea, from concect sketches to a presentable state.It will propably change significantly later.

Beginnings and Ends

2006-12-31T12:08:00.000+02:00

It's an unwritten male tradition to listen to ol' Sinatra tunes during the xmas holidays.I suspect every one of us would like to listen to "It was a very good year" and "My Way" and check whether he feels like this one year it was written just for him.

Never Happens :-)

It was not a year of victories.But it was, more than any year I can remember, a year of balance.Nobody wins, nobody is clearly defeated, none retreats.Exit Saddam, but exit Rumsfeld as well.Everyone is counting their losses,and everything balances.

On the personal level, the same pattern appears.What appeared to be an average year up till September, culminated in a roller-coaster ride that left me completely trasnformed, while still absolutely the same.
For those hating cryptic remarks (myself included), this means that the grand events of my life this year served as the wake-up calls that make one want to become the most of what he can become.
A beloved presence left forever(and I mean the bad kind of "forever").An already beloved presence entered (for what looks like the good kind of "forever").Exits and Entries.Scars and medals of honour.Everything Balances.

A toast to the 007 Year.

And the growing army of new entries thanks to friendly couples who take reproducing the species somewhat more seriously than me :-)

...And Justice For All

2006-12-30T13:17:00.000+02:00

Imagine No Religion

2006-12-24T13:44:00.000+02:00

Hardly the time for this post, you say? I beg to differ! Plus,I got some good news, too:You can still enjoy Xmas even if you convert to atheism:most parts of the traditions and rituals of Christmas can be traced back to older traditions and religions, so why pretend anyway?
But what do I know?I am but a humble cartoonist, and this lot often has a tendency of undermining higher authorities.Why not hear "the case for atheism" straight from the writings of an established scientist?
Enter Richard Dawkins, author of "the God Delusion",an outright polemic against any and all religion.Mr. Dawkins pulls no punches:he is lately of the opinion that it's not enough anymore to just mind your own business,but urges instead every atheist to "come out of the closet",clear the smear that society currently puts on anyone who can't just accept "Divine Will",(whatever the warring fractions inside each religion decide it is), and fight the good fight of genuine Free Will.
You can take a glimpse in his site, and decide for yourself if atheism is the thing for you, if you prefer milder middle grounds like "agnosticism",or if you prefer to honor baby Jesus through mostly Pagan traditions.
Whatever you choose,try not to force it on your fellow man at gunpoint,and maybe we'll find some common ground!

Season's Greetings

2006-12-22T18:09:00.000+02:00

Don't Let the Door Hit You

2006-12-12T09:20:00.000+02:00

Invitation

2006-12-02T11:19:00.000+02:00

Love You,Girl!

2006-11-20T15:48:00.000+02:00

Will they hang him, or not?

2006-11-07T12:01:00.000+02:00

Place your bets for Saddam's fate.I'm putting my money on a sudden "heart attack" due to "harsh conditions of his imprisonment".Who else wanna place a bet?

The Devil is on the Details

2006-10-29T16:46:00.000+02:00

The "Comics Reporter" reports on the legal aftermath of the "Muhammed cartoons" controversy.You can find in several of my old posts (February 2005 is the place to dig) where I stand on this subject, but that doesn't stop me from agreeing all the way with the last paragraph of the report.

"Based on a True Story"

2006-10-23T21:41:00.000+03:00

Bone With The Wind

2006-10-12T15:05:00.000+03:00

As I may have said before, I keep my links list short in order to show how much I value each person (or organization) featured there.
So I don't really have to look for adjectives to describe my imemnse (there we go!) pleasure for the good news that: Jeff Smith's landmark series "Bone" is being published in the Greek language by "Jemma Press", and b):the creator himself will be here in person, for the "Babel" comics festival which will exchibit his original artwork.

Provlita 2006: the pics

2006-10-10T19:14:00.000+03:00

Some random pics from the succesfully completed "Provlita 2006" festival:

Magic Fingers

2006-10-06T15:18:00.000+03:00

The "Provlita" excibition opening, held a genuine surprise:A Dorit Chrysler concert.
Musician,composer, and one mean Theremin player, Dorit is also a global citizen if I ever saw one.Born in Austria and currently Located in the Big Apple,Dorit is travelling all over the world performing in a diverse variety of events.Any attempt to describe her performance cannot do her enough credit, so I'll suggest instead that you check her schedule and see if she will perform anywhere near you in the future.
(Oh,fuck...what a dry and boring presentation.Ok...here is the proper version: Dorit is a Lady with capital "L",smart and witty and open minded,goddamn sexy even in a plain pair of jeans,(and no doubt even dressed in garbage bags), and graced with a voice that sends shivers down your spine even when she sais "coud you pass me the salt,please?".There.That's a bit more accurate).

24 Hours Comics Day

2006-10-06T15:14:00.000+03:00

Tomorrow is the worldwide "24hour comics day".What is this?It's "an international celebration of comics creation. Cartoonists all over take the challenge of trying to create a 24 page comic story in 24 straight hours".This year,a hosted event is organized in Greece.I'll be there.

Provlita 2006

2006-09-22T09:34:00.000+03:00

Woo-hoo! I'm packing my suitcase for Thessalonikh-for the inernational comics festival hosted by the "Galera" magazine.Come Tuesday,I'll be posting pics and stuff.

Doggie style

2006-09-20T14:17:00.000+03:00

Ralf Koenig has been for a long time one of my favourite artists.He climbed directly to my no1 spot for this month with his "Roy and Al" album, chronicling the story of two dogs who live with their gay masters.His translation of doggie barks and his spot-on portrayal of canine behaviour made me read it several times, trying jealously to figure out how he did it.Best fun i had with a comic in a long time!

9/11 24/7

2006-09-11T13:12:00.000+03:00

Five years, two invasions and minus several freedoms later, the mastermind behind 9/11 is still at large.You can argue all you want about "who" exactly is said mastermind.There's a conspiracy theory for every flavor.Today is your chance to review them all, since every piece in every kind of media summarizes the lot of them as some kind of harmless memorabilia.
But that doesn't change the fact in the slightest.Someone who could do that,is still out there,invisible, unreachable an unaccountable.

And the winner is...

2006-09-08T19:57:00.000+03:00

Thanks to everyone for the contributions (especially mantalena for the impressive last minute brainstorm).I already have another "interactive" thingy planned, and this time more than one will see their suggestions printed.(I'll post it somewhere around monday propably).Cheers all!

Looking For Title

2006-09-07T02:24:00.000+03:00

This is going to be the cover of a new album, the fifth in a series of collected comic strips about the relationships between men and women.The working title, "Bad Timing" doesn't satisfy me.
Any ideas?
In theory, the title has to strike two goals: fit like a glove to the illustration, while making a general comment about relationships.
But don't constrain yourselves: a strong title could even make me change the illustration.
Fire away!

Self inflicted wounds

2006-09-05T12:52:00.000+03:00

Much has been written in the...um...newspapers about the "Economist's" "Who killed the Newspaper" piece.Well, they needn't bother writing the upteenth piece on the "new media".The answer is brief: It was a suicide.The newspaper's people chocked to death the "news" part of the title.The "paper" just happens to survive a little longer.

"United 93"

2006-09-04T12:29:00.000+03:00

The first "big" film on 9/11 seems to have satisfied everyone.So, how do you accomplish a 90% "freshness" in the "rotten tomatoes" tomatometer?
The easy response is that Paul Greengrass's artistic approach was neither artistic nor approach.But that's not really true.The "reconstructed" pseudo-documentaristic style served to hide the fact that every step of the way, Greengrass was making choices,from the subject matter to small details like the pic of the Capitol the terrorist was displaying in the cockpit, as a subliminal wink to the audience that "that's where they were heading".
The fact that all these choices were surrounded by tons of trivial "real time" air-control details, (acted out for extra realism by several of the actual staff playing "themselves"),kinda makes this approach a tiny bit weasely.
But given what was at stake with this subject matter and the fact that he gave me the "Bourne Supremacy", I am letting Paul walk free with this one, and join the collective mantra (all together now):"Gosh!What a respectful and touching film!Look, I'm still shaking!"
(Paul, promise me you 'll direct the "Bourne Ultimatum", and I'll even cut the sarcasm)

Lie By Lie

2006-08-31T19:54:00.000+03:00

Τhe "Mother Jones" magazine unveils "Lie by Lie", an interactive map/archive/tool chronicling the march towards the Iraq war.Immerse yourselves in it, refresh your memory, fill your gaps, despair at the unavoidable of predetermined wars and generally have a jolly rotten time.I know I did.

...And now, for something completely different...

2006-08-27T21:07:00.000+03:00

How to Succesfully Debate a War

2006-08-07T12:14:00.000+03:00

They say that war is the continuation of politics using other means.I 'd argue it's rather the other way around.The homo sapiens is a lazy species, concetrating his efforts in devising ways to make life easier for him.Since we all know that blowing your opponent to kingdom come is easier (and more satisfying) than endless negotiations, we can safely assume that war is the normal condition of mankind, with times of peace as the intervals between wars.
Although this argument can be backed up by ages of experience, one has still a hard time explaining this in casual conversation.(Lots of female faces "horrified by the very idea" and so on).So you have break it gently.
Since we have a current war as an ideal example, let's cut to specifics:

a.You always (ALWAYS) start with strong condemnation of war as a brutal practise, and loudly (and i mean LOUDLY) express your heartbreak over "all those innocent women and children"...oh, the horror, how my heart bleeds,I can hardly sleep at nights (there's no overdoing this...everyone will go along with as far as you wanna go with this one).
b.You go to extra lengths to convince you audience that you condemn equally both participants in the conflict: History,geography and economics are left out of the equation.You erase all past (which "feeds the endless cycle of violence") thus equatting killer and victim in their "reluctance to solve this through diplomacy and restraint".
c.Now, the tricky part.We all know deep inside that "b" is for "bullshit".Of course you have a favourite side in the war, and of course you cheer when they turn the opponent's country into a pulp.The secret is NOT to root openly for your favourite team.The proper way is through a long but safer detour: you attack the opponent's defenders!It can go like this" Of course, the Islamofascist defenders/Zionist pigs will want you to think that they are the poor victims".You can enlist "voices from the inside" to score extra points: the "irsaeli who condemns his country's aggresion" and the "lebaneze friend who told me he secretly wants Israel to rid him of Hezzbolah" are a dime a dozen these days.Let them do your dirty work for you.
d.The rest is easy: you weaseled your way into supporting your favourite team, all the while gaining the sympathy of the ladies as a "champion for peace".You can now safely label anyone disagreeing with you as "partisan" and "part of the problem and not the solution",and anything other you can think of that begins with "pa-"(patriotic, pacifist,paternalistic, the list is endless).
Enjoy your war!

The Weapon That Defeated Castro

2006-08-03T20:25:00.000+03:00

Hey, Trendy Boy!

2006-07-31T17:58:00.000+03:00

Yeah, I'm talking to you.
You, who, while the planet is ablaze, your only concern is to download your "Lost" episodes and whether the new "Superman" scored high enough in your hip-o-meter.
I hate you.
Actually, I don't.
I envy you.
I wish I was like that, safe in a sweet pink bubble of little nothings.
There is a war going on, you know.It has been going on for most of the last century, flickering on and off in distant countries where the people are so miserable they must look to you like Klingons or something.
To make a long story short, they are miserable so that you can be happy.
Are you to blame for this? Well, my nerd friend, here is where you and I are alike: we are to blame by doing nothing about it.And here is where I am worse than you, because I should and I don't.I am mostly pretty words, comfy in my free press and my micrsoft windows telling people what is "right" and what is "wrong".Having the luxury of time while searching for a new moral compass to guide me through a new landscape, while the simple truth is that merely by inaction we both allow the circumstances to grow to the point that we won't have the benefit of dilemmas.
We will be forced to take arms, your sweet bubble will burst, my cherished safety will crumble, you might become a hero because you don't know any better than to obey orders and go with the norm, and I might be lebelled a coward because I won't die so that a few can become super rich.
But your sweet bubble will burst.And the irony is that all this war, (a class war above all) is taking place so that you can retain that same bubble intact.
Stop me when I start sounding like an old fart.
Oh, all right...sorry...

Terminatrix

2006-07-26T16:41:00.000+03:00

This is Information

2006-07-24T19:12:00.000+03:00

This is from Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's excellent comic "This is Information" (it was created for a 9/11 comic collection).

This is from today's newspapers.

One cannot miss the irony that this is perhaps the only Alan Moore work that was so faithfully translated in another medium.

2006-07-21T20:45:00.000+03:00

Ummm...sorry, no pics of dead children and ruined houses here.No close ups on tearful eyes with a big "why" in their pupils.No amputated civilians, no "little Tsariya" or something looking for her parents among the remains of their village.If you are into that kind of thing, just pick a blog at random, chances are it will be full of such images.
No,sir.This is a place for jokes.Which means you are in the appropriate place.This whole situation is about a joke of a nation attacking a joke of a militant organization, using a joke of an excuse, ignoring a joke of an interference by a joke of a U.N.
So grab a beer and make yourself comfy while we wait to see who will have the last laugh.Weren't that your plans for the rest of your life anyway?

Think Tanks

2006-07-17T13:08:00.000+03:00

Have a cigar

2006-07-10T11:50:00.000+03:00

Every time I publish something, I become a father.No,it's not how I feel, the similarities are far too many: It all starts with the "pre-birth" anxiety: will the baby be delivered all right?Will some clumsy doctor/printer do something in the process that will scar the infant for life?
Then you have the social obligations: inform distant relatives and acquaintences of the "happy event": press releases, signings,posts in forums, the works.
And then there is the constant care the newborn needs:Frequent visits to the bookstores (preferably in the company of a huge, scarred guy named "Vitto") to make sure it is in stock.Frequent phones to the publisher to make sure he still hasn't left country for some obscure offshore tax haven.
And finally the unavoidable process of losing all your friends, as, one after another, they all become sick of hearing you obsessing about "how cute the little devil is" and what new extraordinary accomplishment it performed this day.("hey...a guy was reading it in a bus and laughing all by himself...can you believe that?").
Sick of it already? Τοugh luck: Ι have two more coming in September!

I, Robot

2006-07-04T13:46:00.000+03:00

Storms and rainfall in the middle of the summer.In Greece.No matter how certain "analysts" try to argue that all this climate peculiarities we experience first hand are "not uncommon through history" or even "not unusual at all" (how much money do you have to receive to risk sounding like an idiot to anyone with half a brain?), the fact is the climate is changing."For the worse" the ecologists say.Maybe-for the homo sapiens species.But what kind of planet needs this polluting weakling anyway?Let him become obsolete for all we (God-like-minded-sentient-beings) care.Or better still-if the homo is as smart as he things he is, let him bring about his replacement: bring in the Cyborgs :-)

(ok-maybe I made my coffee too strong today).

Parallel Universe

2006-06-28T11:55:00.000+03:00

If you go to this adress, you will find the whole of this blog in-what is it?Italian? I have no idea who did this and why-propably an automatic translation machine thingie is involved, cause it gets translated in real time.Flattering or spooky?

Untitled (there's always the danger someone will find the title "smart")

2006-06-26T20:42:00.000+03:00

The guy they had just introduced me to was one of an apparently large percentage of newspaper reporters that keep a blog under a pseudonym.("It is only natural" was his explanation."This way we can write the stuff our bosses never let us write"-ignoring the fact that noone actually does-unless pseudopoetic bitching and "how I spent my day" diaries is somehow the "censored activist journalism" the Media Barons keep us from discovering).
Anyway, we soon engaged in a conversation about the Greek comic artists. "You know who is, of course, my favorite" he told me. "Ilias Kiriazis".
(for those unfamiliar with the Greek comic scene, Kiriazis is one of the most promising talents that have appeared in recent years, with an already huge funbase-a large percentage of it being teenage girls,that holy grail of comic book audience).
"You see, Kiriazis done something that I find very smart", the guy continued."He took familiar settings, everyday people and situations we are all familiar with, and made this huge success".
Well, I know the guy thought he was paying a compliment, but boy, did that remark rubbed me the wrong way!
"Smart"?As in "there he was, scratching his head, thinking "now, what would bring me a huge following and mega success" smart? As in "ok-I want a best-seller, let's put in rhe right elements and the rest is easy" smart?As in "hey,boss, this baby is a sure-winner" smart?
I may be reading to much into it, but gut feeling tells me I do not.The unmistakable "business mentality" was all there in this remark.As far as I know, Kiriazis draws for fun,puts in his work whatever amuses him at the moment, plus (the magic element:) a large and sincere part of himself in it.Yes, that IS a recipe for success.But it's an insult to call that "smart".You just can't do that using your mind.You do that using your heart.No committee-approved, brainstorming-conceived,survey-based-targeted "project" ever achieved that.In fact, if there IS a point to pursuing a "creative career" in any medium, it is to put YOUR vision out there, CONTRARY to whatever parasitic "managers" of every kind want to dilute your message with.
THAT is smart.
And the "smart" guys, like Kiriazis, go on and do it and rip the benefits.
The rest can always resort to "undercover blogging"...

From Dusk till Dawn

2006-06-26T13:22:00.000+03:00

More and more of the recent hot summer days i find myself outdoors till that gorgeous but creepy (or creepy but gorgeous) hour when black turns to blue, than white.Usually that is a sure sign that I'll have to spend the whole of the next day in maintenance, but the philosophical question is ever persistant: am I about to lose a day,or did i just took a full advantage of one?

Feels Like Summer (2)

2006-06-22T13:31:00.000+03:00

Feels Like Summer

2006-06-16T21:09:00.000+03:00

Seriously...You can't come up with this stuff!

2006-06-12T22:57:00.000+03:00

With special thanks to the U.S. officials who provided the actual captions for this cartoon.Good work, guys! Keep 'em coming.

Iranian Cartoonist in Jail

2006-06-10T12:40:00.000+03:00

Here is the who,how and why

Completely Random Thought #342

2006-06-06T12:15:00.000+03:00

Looking from a safe distance,I have formed the opinion that the boldest political statement I've seen in the movies the last ten years was when Lucas passed briefly what was essentially an army of stormtroopers as the good guys that save the day.

Happy 20th!

2006-06-02T12:40:00.000+03:00

Last month marked the 20th anniversary of my first published appearance.In a profession where age matters as much as in modeling, this makes me something like a dinosaur-at 37.
Creating comics in Greece has had its up and down seasons-mostly down,frankly, strictly economically speaking.Somehow,a comparatively large collection of heroes were created during those 20 years for a variety of publications,most of which you can see in the illustration above.
Some of them completed their adventures, some keep popping up from time to time or awaiting revisiting, some deserve a deluxe collection and some of them are just beginning their paper life.
To all of them I have this to say:
Guys and girls, I don't know if I have been a good father,but judging from your adventures,you must have figured out by now that I am a cold hearted bastard, so don't expect to guilt me into giving you bigger allowance.

Go forth and multiply!

The Photographer: the Site

2006-05-29T12:33:00.000+03:00

The site of "the Photographer" is up and running.Extra goodies like deleted scenes, alternate takes and cast interviews await those of you fortunate enough to speak fluent Greek! (I always wanted to say that).Do check it out from time to time, as it will be frequently updated.

Partners in Crime

2006-05-24T10:51:00.000+03:00

I always found the thought fascinating: Whenever an artist gets the "ewwww,gross!" response for his subject matter,the "blame" lies equally to both the artist and the viewer.Whenever a mind reads "guts,blood,gore,slime,slit wrists,fingernails extracted",you-name-it, all the artist did was take some pens, markers, watercolors and pencils and scribble some lines on paper.It doesn't even matter if it looks realistic: a shaky, black $ white sketch pretty much yields the same effect.The mind of the reader goes to "suspension of disbelief" mode, and a whole series of experiences past,present,real,imagined or traumatic are called in to do the dirty work of transforming the few lines in a nice, complete "ewwww, gross!" experience.
Thanx, guys! Remind me to pay you a modest sum for your efforts ;-)

"Take My Breath Away"

2006-05-24T01:13:00.000+03:00

It was just a matter of time before something like this happened.
After almost three decades of aerial dogfights on a daily basis meant to test the opponent's weak spots,today's collision and destruction of a Greek and a Turkish fighter can be considered a statistical certainty of an accident "waiting to happen".
The local version of "Top Gun" has already resulted in numerous other deaths of overworked pilots flying undermaintenanced deathtraps.I hope both goverments feel proud in their continuous efforts to take under control another few miles of a deep blue sea which, as the saying goes, after all "belongs to its fish".

The Photographer

2006-05-18T13:46:00.000+03:00

In less than half a month, it will at last be in the bookstores.The "Photographer", the Athenian hero created by Antonis Vavayiannis will hit the selves despite my efforts to ruin him through bad artwork and missing deadlines.A website will soon be online which will be full of extra goodies like "deleted scenes","bloopers" and "behind the scenes footage".
Hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

(The notorious Turtleman,the Photographer's arch-nemesis is once again defeated by our hero's superior knowledge of framing and shooting techniques)

When Keychains Go Wild

2006-05-04T20:08:00.000+03:00

Maternity Leave

2006-04-21T01:09:00.000+03:00

Yes, i know...couple more days without posting, and this blog will trully honour its name...i need your patience and understanding, though...I am preparing something good and I'm working on it 24/7...so, consider this as "maternity leave", and stay tuned...I'll be posting more frequently from now on!

Thought for food

2006-03-18T14:44:00.000+02:00

Avian Flu

2006-03-12T15:45:00.000+02:00

And the rest 364 days are what exactly???

2006-03-08T18:58:00.000+02:00

This was my response one year ago when a magazine asked me and several other artists to draw our version of the "Anti-Valentine".But i guess it's suitable for "Woman's Day also".

"I'd like to thank the Academy"...

2006-03-03T09:24:00.000+02:00

I think it's only fair a gay oriented movie should win the Oscar: after all, the prize IS the statue of a man dressed in gold from head to toe.(but then again that would make Bill Gates an equally suitable candidate...hmmm....

The Last Man

2006-03-01T15:46:00.000+02:00

I just finished reading the latest installment of the "Y, The Last Man" comic series.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan and drawn by Pia Querra and Jose Marzan, Jr., the comic is based on the utterly interesting idea of all men on the planet dying instantly, victims to a plague of uknown origin,which curiously left unaffected only one man and his pet monkey.
The writing itself is something of a missed opportunity,with way too many "pop references" and unbelievable plot points, the idea itself though is extremely interesting, and is beautifully summarized in the preface of the second volume of the series, "Cycles":
"The "gendercide" instantaneously exterminated 48% of the global population, or approximately 2,9 billion men.495 of the Fortune and 500 CEOs are now dead, as are 99% of the world's landowners.
In the United States alone, more than 95% of all commercial pilots, truck drivers, and ship captains died...as did 92% of all violent felons.Internationally, 99% of all mechanics,electricians, and constructyion workers ane now deceased...though 51% of the planet's agricultural labor force is still alive.
14 nations including Spain and Germany, have women soldiers who have served in ground combat units.None of the United State's nearly 200.000 female troops have ever participated in ground combat.Australia,Norway and Sweden are the only countries that have women serving on board submarines.
In Israel, all women between the ages of 18 and 26 have performed compulsory military service in the Israeli Defence Force for at least one year and nine months.
Before the Plague,at least three Palestinian suicide bombers have been women.
Worldwide, 85% of all goverment representatives are now dead...as are 100% of Catholic Priests, Muslim Imams and Orthodox Jewish Rabbis."

Well, foof for thought, huh?

What fuel problem?

2006-02-27T17:11:00.000+02:00

Guest of honor

2006-02-23T17:14:00.000+02:00

Beloved fellow artist Felipe (Feggo) Feggo has sent me this superb cartoon (which first appeared in the Inxart.com site) about the controversy surrounding the Mohammed Cartoons.Well done, Felipe-louder than words ;-)

"Straight Shooter"

2006-02-22T17:40:00.000+02:00

From "Brokeback Mountain" to Dick Cheney's "hunting accident", both terms mentioned in the title of this post suffer mortal wounds these days...

(This post is part of the "cheap remarks i just couldn't resist making" book i plan on publishing in case of a severe "writer's block").

Enlightment

2006-02-22T01:33:00.000+02:00

Never be Rude to an Arab

2006-02-20T18:48:00.000+02:00

Never be rude to an Arab,
An Isreali, or Saudi, or Jew.
Never be rude to an Irishman,
No matter what you do.

Never poke fun at a Nigger,
A Spic, or a Wop, or Kraut.
And never poke fun at at...

KABOOM!!!

(This Monty Python song, written decades ago is quite relevant today, as is everything the talented group written over the years)

Just don't say I didn't warn you!

2006-02-19T17:40:00.000+02:00

Yes, I know the whole issue of the Mohammed cartoons is not really about God,it's about a wide range of social/political factors.And that is why it's about God: because no human conflict about God was EVER about God.

Just to set the record straight:I am an agnostic.This means I don't deny the existence of God, neither confirm it.I simply declare myself open to every possibility and get on with my life.
Much to the disappointment of Those Charging themselves Interpreters of the Will of God, I haven't yet killed any significant amount of people (in fact, I miserably failed to kill even one),which rather robes said individuals of their excuse for acquiring power over our lives: that without the moral compass provided by Organized Religion,we would get at each other's throats at no time flat.
In the process of persuading us towards appointing them in that position, any and all of clergy encouraged, applauded or participated in countless bloodshed throughout history, which would rather undermine the whole notion of Moral Guidance to any sane human being, but conveniently they all say that in order to embrace God, one has to abandon sanity and embrace faith, which in turn undermines the Regulator Factor, but this again is an observation based on the use of the accursed Logic.
Now, where was I? Oh,yeah...setting the Record straight:
I am in the same business as God: that of creating. The Clergy, on the other side, is totally inadequate for the position as they never created anything, and the fact that most of them denounce the process of creating Life (up to the point of denying even their deities of being born through that process or any process at all),rather makes them even more inadequate to understand, much more communicate the Wills of someone in the business of creating Life.
The next Logical step is to appoint Me and other creators as regulators of Social interactions and every aspect of your life in general.
Of course, being a sane and logical person, I would instantly refuse the position.
The Faithful, due to their inclination to shut down their logic functions at will, would refuse me this position as well.
And so the world will continue to be in the same mess it already is.

Worlds Apart

2006-02-18T12:48:00.000+02:00

This brilliant two-page comic was Frank Miller's response to 9/11. Short,sharp and laying blame where it belongs, and all this amidst the confusion of the moment.
Whatever made him several years and one crusade later to suddenly develop tunnel vision and decide that he should make a "propaganda piece" (his words) where the Batman "kicks Al-Qaida's ass?". We will wait until "Holly Terror,Batman!" is finished and published and see.Meanwhile, we can ponder whether the answer lies within "Dark Knight Returns", his landmark Batman work and just one of suspiciously too many starring a psychotic vigilante hero.

Thankfully, not all talented comic book creators leave you with mixed feelings about their projected ideology.Neil Gaiman, the Dream King, offers a far better take on the "War of Civilizations" back when the term was at its infancy, in his brilliant story "Ramadan", part of the "Fables and Reflections" volume of the "Sandman" series: that of understanding and embracing a foreign culture instead of chosing to become part of the problem:

EXCLUSIVE: Τhe 12 portraits of Freedom of Expression!

2006-02-15T13:36:00.000+02:00

Valentine's Day 2006

2006-02-14T13:46:00.000+02:00

Hell of a way to start the week

2006-02-13T10:24:00.000+02:00

He he he...I've been waiting for this piece for days! Wouldn't you want to read what the woman who wrote after 9/11 "we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity" had to say about the Mohammed Cartoons case?
Ann Coulter, dear readers, the "reigning diva of the hysterical right, or rather, the hysterical diva of the reigning right" as Al Franken aptly describet her, strikes again

(I should put a permanent link to her page.Love her or hate her, she is a riot-pun intented).

Always look at the bright side of Life!

2006-02-12T12:49:00.000+02:00

Who deserves the Credit?

2006-02-10T14:37:00.000+02:00

Several people ask me these days if i feel proud that at last cartooning has been promoted to first page news.
Oh,I'd love to, once i make up my mind whether this uproar would happen even if the cartoons in discussion were "serious", even flattering illustrations.
I think it's a lose/lose scenario.Either the whole thing is orchestrated, in which case the Muslim uprising would be fueled anyway by the fact that "they gave a face to the Unpresentable",
OR
The whole thing can be attributed to the thourougly satiric properties of the cartoons (the 12 originals plus 3 which were added afterwards for extra provocation),in which case the cartooning which made front page news was the WRONG kind of cartooning.(the reasons why i explained in the "drawing the line" post).
Careful navigation is needed in these troubled waters.

And of course, everyone has a secret agenda

2006-02-09T20:01:00.000+02:00

Αs is the norm in big events, conspiracy theories begin to circulate. The "cartoon provocation" serves the neocon agenda. The riots are orchestrated rather than spontaneous! Secret funds, sinister agendas, orchestrating hands, insidious masterminds! Groovy!
One thing bothers me: some of these theories are accompanied by "explanations" that stink themselves of biased agendas: how else can i read the "analysis" that the increasing number of immigrants in Europe and elsewhere is orchestrated by the same "masters", so that civilizations will clash since "multiculturism won't and would never work"?

Splendid! Now we have martyrs,too

2006-02-09T14:04:00.000+02:00

I will resist the temptation to underline the irony, but I can't help but observe that the side that cries "death to the infidels" is so far the side suffering the only deaths this sad story resulted to.
To balance this observation, I will remind to the Enlightened Western Citizen who will automatically think himself above such barbaric mentality, the numerous times a football event resulted in riots, beatings and the occasional stampede.
Given the correct circumstances,(and always a very wrong reason) every society can alarmingly quickly revert to mob ruling.

Headhunting

2006-02-09T13:55:00.000+02:00

It is a much too often proven fact that those in the business of Religious Zealoting accumulate an abundance of wordly riches (all in the name of "promoting the course" of course).To put it in simple words, they have money to spare.That explains why some of them are already announcing a bounty for the heads of the Danish cartoonists. That is a total waste of money.The gentlemen in question certainly used their hands, some quite propably used their hearts, and some nitpickers will observe that a few use their feet to draw.
But it is quite apparent none of them used their heads.

Sharpen your Pencils!

2006-02-08T14:14:00.000+02:00

10 more hilarious cartoon subjects that will help "confirm the tolerance of our free society":

-Interior decoration ideas for the homeless
-Same Sex Cannibalism
-Armless Veteran's masturbation
-"what-if" ideas for face transplant
-Democracy-building carpet-bombing
-Japanese solitary suicidal teens
-The poor, sick and elderly (always handy for a good laugh)
-One parent families
-Mentally Institutinalized family members
-Wife beating

"With great power..."

2006-02-07T12:16:00.000+02:00

...i know this isn't the time for this cartoon (i explain why in the big post about the subject).But it was an itch i was dying to scratch.

Freedom of Siege

2006-02-06T12:15:00.000+02:00

Drawing the Line

2006-02-03T16:09:00.000+02:00

The story of the Danish cartoons blew out of proportion. This would be a good thing, in the best tradition of the cartoonist profession (take the subject to the extremes; highlight your subject matter through magnification of its characteristics) if human lives weren't suddenly at stake.
And that's where i draw the line.
Every coin has two sides, and sometimes oversimplification can obscure significant parts of the subject matter.Cartooning at its best is aggresive polemic.And any good general will attest that when fighting a war,things like timing,target picking, battleground chosing and good estimation of the opponent's intentions are the factors that can win or lose a war.And these are things that every artist, in every cartoon should take into consideration, including the Danish colleaques.
But.
This is a discussion for a quieter time and a safer setting. For now,the important thing, the target where i would choose to concetrate my firepower, is protection of the right to free expression.No asterisks, no "yes but" and no neutrality is allowed here.
This right must be protected at all costs.For everyone.This is not as simple as it sounds.It means also the right of someone to print any crazy thing he likes about the Holocaust.It means the right to cartoon pedophile Catholic Priests when the situation needs it.It means my right to schedule my viewing of "the Last Temptation" according to the theater's timetable, not the religious mob's whims.
And it also means that everybody, big or small, in the news business, will see to it that views opposite to ours will be given equal opportunity to challenge our certainties.Are we so sure that we can be subjected to the same acid test we put others trhrough?
We can talk the talk, can we walk the walk?

Class of Civilizations

2006-01-30T21:48:00.000+02:00

Τhe Word of the Prophet vs. the Word of the Profit.That's what WWIII is about.And for both sides,there is only room for the Preachers in the Paradise (and they don't even have to wait for the afterlife).The rest are cannon fodder.
Write it down, kids, this is a sure winner for history exams 20 years from now.

Implants

2006-01-28T14:22:00.000+02:00

Women desperate enough to go through the process of surgically enhancing their natural gifts,should at least take the time to make a market survey so that they can install the extra components that would REALLY put them ahead in the competition:

Truth be told

2006-01-24T18:14:00.000+02:00

Why Snowmen Are Stinkin' Capitalists

2006-01-22T20:05:00.000+02:00

-They wear a tall hat.
-They are frozen inside.
-They use a carrot to do their job
-They feel right at home at the Swiss Alps
-What is considered gloomy conditions for normal people, is good news for them.

A New Hero

2006-01-21T20:16:00.000+02:00

Details soon.Just a pinup for now:

This is a collaboration project,so most credit belongs to the mastermind behind this project.As i said, details soon ;-)

The power of Blogs

2006-01-20T14:31:00.000+02:00

Suddenly, there's Osama all over the media.Wow, Osama, didn't know you were reading my blog!(but I have to warn you, before you become all chummy, that I am considered an infidel for at least 36 religions I know of, plus 12 I haven't heard of, 3 of which are doubting my terrestrial origin).

Where the Sun Doesn't Shine

2006-01-17T12:22:00.000+02:00

I'm not a summer person. Gimme a long, dark, Icelandic winter night and I'm a happy puppy.
Today it is the first sunny day after a two long period of extremely cold weather.Everyone is cheerful, energetic and somehow optimistic that there is a bright future ahead.
Poor, misguided creatures...
Someone should tell them that the fact that light affects their lives is the first (or the last) sign that they have been turned into vegetables.
We should fight all this misconception.We should write articles, papers and blogs that will tear down this fog of lies (or should I say "sunbath of lies?").
We should talk writers and journalists into presenting a cloudy sky as a protective blanket, and casting the Sun as a villainous sneaky bastard full of eye-destroying properties and cancer-inducing radiations.
We should bankroll thriller films casting the Sun as an evil presence.An individual buried up to the neck in the desert sand waiting for the sun to cook his scull is an excellent idea, but even a sun-worshipping Incas Cult sacrificing virgins to the "great eye in the sky", will do.

Or maybe we should nuke the thing and be done with it.

Phases of the moon

2006-01-15T14:09:00.000+02:00

By the way...

2006-01-12T13:23:00.000+02:00

Has anyone (anywhere) known of any progress towards finding that Osama guy about whom a whole "war on terror" started, a war i might add that currently seems to be enjoying a permanent vacation in Iraq?

Just asking, thankyouverymuch.

Class of '82

2006-01-11T13:35:00.000+02:00

There's a special section in my DVD collection called "class of '82". For some reason, that film season (82-83) produced an impressive line-up of some of the best sci-fi & fantasy films ever! "Blade Runner*."Tron"."E.T." "The Dark Crystal"."Star Trek II: "The Wrath of Khan".I even throw in the mix "Conan the Barbarian". Man, THAT was a good year and I was JUST the right age!
apparently, after that, the industry was so spent that it took until "Terminator II" for a really good fantasy movie to come out again.(And after that we had to wait until "Gattaka" and "Dark City".

(* actually I "blade runner" is not yet in my collection due to "doublepurchasephobia": that's the completely rational fear that the "no-extra-features" DVD you bought will be followed in the foreseeable feature by a deluxe 4 disc megaset you just gotta have!).
(*One of the things I certainly would like to be erased from my memory, is the "geek-debate" with a friend of mine, about which movie was more "realistic": "Blade Runner" or "the Temple of Doom"? Flying Police cars existing only in a designer's fantasy, or mine cars that we know exist but defy gravity nonetheless? Yeah,I know:pathetic!)

Narnia (yet more nastiness against):

2006-01-10T16:15:00.000+02:00

I guess early persecuted Christians must be really proud that some 2000 years later their fellow-minded descendants pack a theatre to cheer for the lion...

Typical Greek News Panel

2006-01-09T16:06:00.000+02:00

How moving!

2006-01-08T14:49:00.000+02:00

The recent earthquake that was felt throughout all Greece found me in the john, reading a stupid TV magazine.Any and all of the above facts have more to say about the insignificance of human existence than all the volumes of Philosophy in the world.
(Or at least that would hopefully be the angle of coverage the reporters would choose in case i was found buried in debris: "therein lies a great philosopher who even in his death had something to teach us about the human condition.")

Narnia(rniar!)

2006-01-06T15:29:00.000+02:00

I hear that the movie "Narnia" is becoming the favorite flick of hardcore Christian groups, who organize grouped visits in theaters showing the movie.Much to their surprise, hordes of godless/agnostics/unfaithful freaks do NOT boycott the movie, as they seem to believe is the norm to treat works of art one does not like.

Exercise your Spook Muscle

2006-01-03T18:54:00.000+02:00

I only post this quiz because nowadays there is an abundance of direct or implied threads from certain leaders of the "free world" directed at anyone who dares uncover anyone from their ring of spies.A death threat was enough to skyrocket the carreer of Shalman Rushdie, why not mine? (yeah, i know the answer: talent!)

Just trying to save your New Year's Eve!

2005-12-28T17:34:00.000+02:00

Season's Greetings II

2005-12-25T19:12:00.000+02:00

This one is for the poster who so kindly asked for it in the previous post.Eleni, hope you are satisfied that you made me target for elimination by Christian Zealots who can use the Internet:p

Season's Greetings!

2005-12-23T16:03:00.000+02:00

Gay Marriage

2005-12-19T11:58:00.000+02:00

Uh, no, this is not a post about Gay Marriage, just thought I should check if there's a crowd out there attracted by the title.

Now then, where was I?
Oh, yeah:

Always two steps ahead in the field of entertainment,U.S.A. always knows how to spice things up amidst all these saccharine festivities.
FOX News apparently decided there's a war against Christianity because some shopkeepers who don't want to scare away non-Christian customers greet you with "Happy Holidays" and decorate a "Season Tree".
"Politically correct" hypocrites against Christian Jihadists who don't even know they are actually defending Pagan customs?
Persons who don't know what they are talking about against persons who dare not talk about it?
Pass me the Pop Corn!

Oh, and by the way:

If the "Season Spirit" isn't something that is forced down our throats, why do its initials spell "S.S."?

Direct Descendant of Pericles

2005-12-16T12:16:00.000+02:00

A brief history of Status

2005-12-14T13:23:00.000+02:00

2005-12-11T11:37:00.000+02:00

Going to the seaside city of Volos for this event

See you Tuesday!