Jack Purcell's smile. That is all.

I think Gary let me do the interview because he knew Mike would go on and on with very little prompting. Very interesting guy, though. I also got to ride back from the San Diego Comic Con one year with Steve Rude.

I don't suppose there's a copy of that interview online somewhere?

I just had an epiphany which I must share. "Honky-tonkin'" is a gay-boyfriend song!

when you and your baby/have fallin-out/just call me up sweet darlin'/and we'll go steppin' out ...

Now I seriously want a disco version.

"Honky-tonkin'" is a gay-boyfriend song!

Of course it is. It's the favorite song of gay astronauts!

I don't suppose there's a copy of that interview online somewhere?

I sincerely doubt it. But I've got a copy of it buried somewhere in my magazines and comic book boxes. Next time I go through those, I'll pull it and make a copy for you if you like. It's mostly (intelligent) ranting about the nature of the comic book business back in the mid-80s, though there's a fair amount about his writing process which is interesting. To paraphrase: "When I was creating Nexus I knew I needed an instant hook. People love characters that kill, so I knew immediately he'd be a killer. But then I had to figure out a way to make that narratively interesting. So I added the idea of a man compelled to kill out an alien's twisted sense of justice."

He was also a huge fan of Carl Barks as a storyteller and referred to Scrooge McDuck a lot.

He was a very interesting guy. He'd been working in alternative journalism (Boston Phoenix etc.) for years before he switched over to comics. It was a very conscious decision on his part and he had real strategy for making it in that world.

It bugs me that so many of the great genre comics of that era are forgotten because they don't belong to DC or Marvel continuity. Nexus was a great, great comic. Had probably the best superhero artist of the age working on it in Rude. And Baron took Whedon-like risks and consequences with his storylines. And the characters were spectacularly cool and interesting. Where are the Judah Maccabee fans of today?!?

"Honky-tonkin'" is a gay-boyfriend song!

Little known fact: "Lefty" Frizzell got his nickname from his reacharound technique.

Nexus was a great, great comic. Had probably the best superhero artist of the age working on it in Rude. And Baron took Whedon-like risks and consequences with his storylines.

I think we've elsewhere shared admiration of Nexus before. I'm glad I was exposed to a wide array of indy comics early. It meant I caught a lot of good stuff while it was happening.

Where are the Judah Maccabee fans of today?!?

t performs secret Judah Maccabee fan handshake.

No access? Why not?

Er, just that I don't have login what-have-you?

shrift, I can enthusiastically second Hec's recommendation of Kelly Hogan. Her album Because It Feel Good is killer. And you've got to have some Emmylou Harris

Thank you kindly, Kate!

This is so funny, especially for music geeks: Nick Sylvester pretending to be Robert Christgau doing an overview history of Pazz and Jop over Trapped in the Closet.

[link]

Love it. New tag!