General

Shipping April 1st, 2009

The following comics and graphic novels are scheduled to ship The Beguiling Books & Art on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009. All Prices listed in U.S. Funds, variant prices may not be accurate (but probably are).

Click here for the complete list: /090401shipping.txt

The Beguiling Recommends…
Don’t have a lot of time for write-ups right now, I’ll probably fill-in more info on these books over the weekend.

FEB092505 Agents Of Atlas #3 Dkr 2.99
FEB090102 Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24 Chen Cvr 2.99
JAN094067 Cars Rookie #1 (Of 4) 2.99
FEB090263 Seaguy The Slaves Of Mickey Eye #1 (Of 3) 3.99
NOV084060 Boody Bizare Comics Of Boody Rogers Gn 19.99
JAN094230 Ho Hc 19.99
NOV084062 Mother Come Home Hc 22.99
OCT073262 Mouse Guard Hc Vol 01 Ltd Ed B&W 99.95
NOV084059 Supermen First Wave Of Heroes (1939-41) Gn 24.99
JAN094161 Negima Neo Gn Vol 01 Magister Negi Magi 10.99
JAN094164 Samurai 7 Gn Vol 01 10.99
FEB090002 Marvel Previews April 2009 Extras (Net) 1.25
FEB090001 Previews #247 April 2009 (Net) 4.50
FEB090004 Previews #247 April 2009 Customer Order Form Extra PI

General

Shipping March 25th, 2009

The following comics and graphic novels are scheduled to ship The Beguiling Books & Art on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009. All Prices listed in U.S. Funds, variant prices may not be accurate.

Click Here for shipping list: /090325shipping.txt

The Beguiling Recommends…

FEB094254 A Drifting Life TP 29.95
This is an absolutely essential new book, from master manga-ka Yoshihiro Tatsumi, a guest of honour of the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Here’s my review:

A Drifting Life
By Yoshihiro Tatsumi
856 Pages, Softcover, $29.99/$39.99
Published by Drawn & Quarterly

I have no doubt that much will be written about this book when it is officially released this spring. There’s a deceptive density to A Drifting Life, Tatsumi Yoshihiro’s arms’ length autobiography. It’s a story told very directly, switching between the first and third person to describe a young man’s passion and struggle, set against a larger picture of a nation looking to rebuild after World War II. The 800+ pages of the book read quickly, but the ideas expressed are potent and the history chronicled Important (and largely unkown); the effect of completing the book is disorienting. At one point I flipped to the back looking for footnotes to try and match my own understanding of the origins of Japanese comics to the incredible amount of information Tatsumi dolls out in a few key chapters (though the entire birth of the manga industry, and Tatsumi’s own Gekiga can be found in these pages). At its heart A Drifting Life is a memoir, filled with a density of details to give it a setting and place that will be immediately familiar to Japanese readers of the last generation but that will largely evade North American ones. This is not a bad thing, if anything the unfamiliarity of the time and place of this story will add to the experience of the lead drifting through his life, tied only to the comic that I hope you’ll be holding in your hands.

JAN094262 The Beats: A Graphic History HC 22.00
Harvey Pekar, Ed Piskor, and Paul Buhle put together a non-fiction graphic novel about The Beats. Sounds like a solid read.

JAN094195 Bun Field GN 12.95
Amanda Vahamaki provided the cover and a great short story to this year’s Drawn & Quarterly Showcase, and this graphic novella of early work looks really interesting.

FEB094601 Secret Identity Fetish Art Of Joe Shuster HC 24.95
Superman’s co-creator Joe Shuster had a career doing fetish art, mostly bondage. Now you can see the work for yourself!

JAN094534 Tezukas Black Jack TP Vol 04 16.95
This is the first of the (excellent!) Black Jack volumes that won’t have an accompanying hard cover release. Hopefully everyone keeps picking these up, as they’ve been really, surprisingly great… surprising because Pinoko annoyed me so much I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get through the whole series with her in it. Luckily she is pushed much farther into the background in the subsequent volumes.

JUN084286 Reading Club GN Vol 01 11.95
This is the first volume of a sort of strange Korean girls’ horror manwha, from UDON of all people. I’m really curious about it, I like my horror comics.

JAN094069 Muppet Show #1 (of 4) 2.99
Roger Landridge is doing new Muppet stories. Consider this a guilty pleasure… Also this week is a new INCREDIBLES comic, which looks pretty solid too and has an inexplicable Mike Mignola variant cover.

Other Items of Note:

JAN094556 Back Issue #33 6.95 – We didn’t get this due to a shipping problem. Probably next week.

DEC084048 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide HC Vol 39 All Select 35.00
DEC084046 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide HC Vol 39 Avengers 35.00
DEC084049 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide SC Vol 39 All Select 29.95
DEC084047 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide SC Vol 39 Avengers 29.95
It’s Overstreet Time!

– Chris

General

Graphic Novels & Anime @ Keep Toronto Reading

The Beguiling and The Toronto Comic Arts Festival are once again proud to partner with Toronto Public Library for Keep Toronto Reading Month, a month-long celebration of reading and library services. For more on Keep Toronto Reading, please visit http://www.keeptorontoreading.ca.

This year The Beguiling is participating in three programs as part of the month of events. We hope you’ll be able to make it out to some of them:

Graphically Speaking
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
@ North York Central Library
http://www.keeptorontoreading.ca/events/graphically-speaking

Ever wondered how to publish your comics online? Top Toronto graphic novelists discuss web comics, from developing an idea to publishing and distribution.

Featuring:
• Kate Beaton (History Comics)
• Willow Dawson (100 Mile House)
• Emily Horne (A Softer World)
• Brian McLachlan (The Princess Planet)
• Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics)

• Moderated by Christopher Butcher (Comics212.net, The Beguiling)

—

Graphically Speaking for Kids Saturday, April 25, 2009 2:00pm – 3:30pm North York Central Library, Room 1 http://www.keeptorontoreading.ca/events/ktr-for-kids/graphically-speaking-for-kids

Julie Faulkner from Udon Entertainment (Street Fighter comics) leads a workshop where kids learn the basics of creating comics. For kids ages 9 to 12. To register, call 416-395-5630 – or drop in on the day of.

—

Anime Bash: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Saturday, April 18, 2009 2:00pm – 5:00pm North York Central Library, Auditorium http://www.keeptorontoreading.ca/events/books-art-and-fashion/anime-bash

Come in costume and cosplay with other fans. World-class costume designer Jacqueline M. Ward gives tips to designing jaw-dropping costumes. Then catch a screening of acclaimed anime film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Film synopsis:
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to “leap” backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn’t as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

—

– Chris @ The Beguiling

General

Shipping March 18, 2009

The following comics and graphic novels are scheduled to ship The Beguiling Books & Art on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009. All Prices listed in U.S. Funds, variant prices may not be accurate.

Here’s the complete list, because we’re a little late and I don’t have time to reformat it as an attachment:

New Comics
JAN092388 Age Of Bronze #28 3.50!
DEC080207 Air #7 1.00!
JAN092493 Amazing Spider-girl #30 3.99
JAN092460 Amazing Spider-man #588 3.99
JAN092463 Amazing Spider-man Extra #3 3.99
JAN094298 Angel #19 3.99
JAN094298 Angel #19 3.99
JAN094299 Angel #19 10 Copy Runge Virgin Cvr Incv
JAN090184 Azrael Deaths Dark Knight #1 (of 3) 2.99
JAN092391 Bad Dog #2 (note Price) 3.5
JAN093985 Betty & Veronica Spectacular #88 2.5
DEC083747 Black Coat & Athena Voltaire One-shot Black Cvr 2
JAN090197 Black Lightning Year One #6 (of 6) 2.99
AUG082273 Bomb Queen V #6 (of 6) 3.5
NOV083839 Church Of Hell #1 3.99
JAN094023 Crossed #2 (of 9) Auxiliary Ed 3.99
JAN092468 Dark Avengers #3 Acuna Var Dkr 3.99
JAN092467 Dark Avengers #3 Dkr 3.99
NOV083841 Dead #3 Kingdom Of Flies 3.95
NOV083842 Dead #3 Kingdom Of Flies Incv Cvr 0
JAN092543 Deadpool Games Of Death 3.99
AUG080030 End League #7 2.99
JAN092445 Enders Game Battle School #4 (of 5) 3.99
JAN092496 Eternals #9 2.99
DEC083840 Eureka #3 (of 4) 3.99
DEC083846 Fall Of Cthulhu Apocalypse #4 (of 4) 3.99
DEC083780 Fathom #6 Garza Cvr 2.99
DEC083781 Fathom #6 Takeda Cvr 2.99
JAN092355 Frank Frazettas Freedom Frazetta Cvr A 3.99
JAN094324 Ghost Whisperer The Muse #4 3.99
JAN094286 GI Joe Cobra #1 3.99
JAN094287 GI Joe Cobra #1 10 Copy Chaykin Virgin Cvr Incv 0
DEC083736 Gold Digger Maidens Of Twilight #2 (of 4) 3.5
NOV083769 Greatest American Hero #2 (of 3) 3.95
JAN098103 Green Lantern Corps #33 (origins) 2nd Ptg 2.99
JAN094293 Groom Lake #1 3.99
JAN098085 Gwai #1 (of 4) 0.99
JAN090283 Hellblazer #253 2.99
JAN094397 Hotwire #2 (of 5) Brooks Cvr C 2.99
JAN094395 Hotwire #2 (of 5) Pugh Cvr A 2.99
JAN094396 Hotwire #2 (of 5) Sejic Cvr B 2.99
JAN092362 Invincible #60 3.99
JAN092413 Johnny Monster #2 (of 3) 3.5
NOV083732 Johnny The Homicidal Maniac #3 New Ptg 2.95
NOV083733 Johnny The Homicidal Maniac #4 New Ptg 2.95
JAN093988 Jughead #194 (note Price) 2.5
JAN090087 Kull #5 (of 6) 2.99
JAN092361 Lillim #1 (of 5) 2.99
JAN092517 Marvel Adventures Avengers #34 2.99
NOV083844 Maura #1 3.95
JAN092519 Moon Knight #28 2.99
JAN090263 Mysterius The Unfathomable #3 (of 6) 2.99
NOV083825 Night o/t Living Dead New York One-shot 4.99
NOV083827 Night o/t Living Dead New York One-shot Painted Cvr 4.99
NOV083829 Night o/t Living Dead New York One-shot Rotting Cvr 4.99
NOV083830 Night o/t Living Dead New York One-shot Wrap Cvr 4.99
NOV083755 Ninja High School #168 2.99
JAN090188 Outsiders #16 2.99
JAN094061 Potters Field Stone Cold One-shot 3.99
JAN092479 Punisher #3 Dkr 2.99
JAN094036 Rawbone #1 3.99
JAN094037 Rawbone #1 Wrap Cvr 3.99
NOV083944 Red Sonja #42 2.99
JAN092447 Scourge Of Gods #3 (of 3) 5.99
JAN094057 Simpsons Comics #152 2.99
JAN094004 Soulfire #8 Benitez Cvr 2.99
JAN094003 Soulfire #8 Turner Cvr 2.99
JAN092456 Spider-man Noir #4 (of 4) 3.99
JAN092457 Spider-man Noir #4 (of 4) Calero Var 3.99
JAN094305 Star Trek Countdown #3 3.99
JAN094305 Star Trek Countdown #3 3.99
JAN094306 Star Trek Countdown #3 10 Copy Photo Var Incv 0
JAN094302 Star Trek Crew #1 3.99
JAN090143 Star Wars Knights o/t Old Republic #39 Dueling Ambitions Par 2.99
JAN090251 Stormwatch Phd #20 2.99
JAN094476 Street Fighter Legends Chun Li #2 (of 4) Cruz Cvr B 3.95
JAN094475 Street Fighter Legends Chun Li #2 (of 4) Dogan Cvr A 3.95
JAN090242 Super Friends #13 2.5
JAN090194 Supergirl #39 2.99
JAN094364 Tales Of TMNT #56 3.25
JAN090244 Tiny Titans #14 2.5
JAN094280 Transformers Revenge Fallen Movie Prq Defiance #3 3.99
JAN098010 Transmetropolitan # 1 Special Edition 1
JAN090177 Trinity #42 2.99
DEC084182 True Tales o/t Roller Derby Doppelganger A/t Hanger 4.99
DEC082346 Ultimate X-men #100 3.99
OCT082376 Ultimatum #3 (of 5) 3.99
JAN098134 Ultimatum #3 (of 5) Mcguinness Sketch Var 0
OCT082377 Ultimatum #3 (of 5) Mcguinness Var 3.99
JAN092537 Uncanny X-men #507 2.99
DEC088016 Uncanny X-men #507 Golden Var 2.99
JAN090221 Vigilante #4 2.99
NOV083851 Vincent Price Presents #5 3.99
DEC083833 Vincent Price Presents #6 3.99
JAN094081 Watchmensch 3.99
JAN092415 Witchblade #125 Bachalo Dani Cvr A 3.99
JAN092416 Witchblade #125 Bachalo Sara Cvr B 3.99
JAN092417 Witchblade #125 Sejic Cvr C 3.99
JAN092546 Wolverine #71 2.99
JAN092486 Wolverine Origins #34 Dkr 2.99
JAN090273 World Of Warcraft #17 2.99
JAN092554 X-factor #41 2.99
JAN090272 X-files #5 (of 6) 3.5
JAN092542 X-force #13 2.99
JAN092538 X-men Legacy #222 2.99
JAN092555 Young X-men #12 2.99
JAN094066 Zombie Tales #12 3.99
JAN094101 Zombies That Ate The World #2 3.5
NOV083949 Zorro #11 3.5

New Magazine
JAN094597 Geek Monthly Apr 2009 5.99
JAN094616 Heroes Magazine #9 Px Ed 9.99
SEP084424 Illustration Magazine #2 2nd Ptg 15
OCT084507 Illustration Magazine #25 15
DEC084405 Juxtapoz Vol 16 #3 Mar 2009 5.99
DEC084407 Otaku Usa Magazine Mar Apr 2009 5.99
JAN093913 Wizard Anime Insider #67 Videogame Cvr 4.99
DEC084348 Yen Plus Magazine Vol 02 #4 Apr 2009 8.99

New Books
DEC080032 Adventures Of Blanche HC 15.95
DEC080208 Air TP Vol 01 Letters From Lost Countries 9.99
NOV083804 Alan Moore Light Of Thy Countenance GN 7.99
JAN092371 American Flagg Definitive Coll TP Vol 02 19.99
JAN092570 Avengers Disassembled HC Iron Man Thor Capt America 49.99
DEC080154 Batman Chronicles TP Vol 07 14.99
DEC080155 Batman Haunted Gotham TP 19.99
DEC083869 Cest Bon Anthology GN Vol 06 17.95
OCT084032 Complete Just A Pilgrim Hc 29.99
JAN094380 Courtney Crumrin TP Vol 04 Monstrous Holiday 11.95
JAN092586 Deadpool Prem HC Vol 01 Secret Invasion 19.99
JAN094319 Fallen Angel Omnibus TP Vol 01 24.99
DEC083788 Future Lovers GN Vol 02 12.95
JUN083871 Golden Age Sheena Queen o/t Jungle TP 02 18.99
OCT083994 Hack Slash TP Vol 05 18.99
DEC084025 Humbug Ltd Ed Hc 100
FEB071894 Invincible TP Vol 03 Perfect Strangers 12.99
DEC084217 Judge Dredd Complete Case Files TP Vol 12 33.5
NOV084170 Jungle Book Hc 14.99
APR082337 Kabuki HC Alchemy 29.99
DEC083874 Largo Winch TP Vol 03 Dutch Connection 19.95
DEC080027 Lost Constellations The Art Of Tara Mcpherson 22.95
DEC083875 Lucky Luke TP Vol 15 Daltons In The Blizzard 11.95
JAN092593 Marvel Illus TP Picture Of Dorian Gray 14.99
JAN092599 Mighty Avengers TP Vol 03 Secret Invasion Book 01 14.99
JAN092600 Mighty Avengers TP Vol 03 Secret Invasion Book 01 Dm Ed 14.99
JAN092574 Ms Marvel Prem HC Vol 06 Ascension 19.99
JAN094222 My Mommy Is In America & She Met Buffalo Bill HC 25
DEC083789 Naughty But Nice GN Vol 01 (of 3) 12.95
DEC083853 Necronomicon TP 15.99
JAN092610 New Mutants Classic TP Vol 04 24.99
JAN092411 Platinum Grit TP Vol 01 14.99
OCT082490 Powers TP Vol 12 Coolest Dead Superheroes 24.99
JAN092606 Punisher War Journal TP Vol 04 16.99
SEP084469 Reynold Brown Life In Pictures HC 39.95
JAN092575 Runaways Prem HC Dead Wrong 19.99
JAN092576 Runaways Prem HC Dead Wrong Dm Ed 19.99
JAN092585 Soleil Samurai HC Vol 01 Legend 24.99
JAN092577 Spider-man Loves Mary Jane Prem HC Vol 01 Jinx 19.99
JAN092578 Spider-man Loves Mary Jane Prem HC Vol 01 Jinx Dm Ed 19.99
JAN092608 Squadron Supreme TP Pre War Years 16.99
JAN092609 Squadron Supreme TP Vol 01 Power To The People 16.99
OCT080178 Starman Omnibus HC Vol 02 49.99
DEC080228 Tears Of A Lamb Vol 05 9.99
DEC080167 Teen Titans Spotlight Cyborg TP 19.99
NOV084474 Teenagers From The Future Sc 26.95
NOV080186 Tor A Prehistoric Odyssey Hc 24.99
DEC080043 Turok Son Of Stone Archives HC Vol 01 49.95
OCT084110 Wonderland HC 19.99
JAN092611 X-men First Class TP Wonder Years 19.99

New Manga
NOV084093 07 Ghost GN Vol 02 10.99
DEC084349 An Ideal World GN Vol 01 12.99
DEC084315 Case Closed GN Vol 28 9.99
NOV084308 Dragon Ball The Movie Sticker Book -1) 6.99
DEC084252 Fruits Basket GN Vol 22 (of 23) 10.99
DEC084252 Fruits Basket GN Vol 22 (of 23) 10.99
DEC084343 Hot Gimmick Vizbig Ed GN Vol 01 17.99
DEC083987 Lunar Legend Tsukihime TP Vol 06 9.95
DEC084263 Ng Life GN Vol 01 (of 4) 10.99
DEC084306 Oishinbo GN Vol 02 Sake 12.99
DEC084307 Pluto Urasawa X Tezuka GN Vol 02 12.99
DEC084327 Rurouni Kenshin Vizbig Ed GN Vol 05 (of 9) -0) 17.99
DEC084253 Star Trek Ultimate Ed Hc 19.99
DEC084251 Tsubasa GN Vol 01 (of 3) Those With Wings (tkp) 14.99
NOV084095 Ultimate Venus GN Vol 04 (of 5) 10.99
DEC084257 Warcraft Legends GN Vol 03 (of 5) 10.99
DEC084335 We Were There GN Vol 03 8.99

General

Release Party: Jeremy Tankard’s BOO-HOO BIRD

Jeremy Tankard’s BOO HOO BIRD Launch Party
Monday, March 16th, 5pm-9pm
Ten Feet Tall (Restaurant), 1381 Danforth Ave.
http://www.jeremytankard.com
FREE, for All Ages

Please join our friend Jeremy Tankard as he launches his third children’s book, Boo Hoo Bird. The follow-up to the phenomenally successful Grumpy Bird, this book features our lead getting an ouchie and all of the animals in the forest trying to cheer him up.

Kids and families are welcome to this launch, which will feature activities and fun! Also, there is a full bar for grownups.

Heh.

– Chris @ The Beguiling

General

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK – At The Royal

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK
March 6th-12th
at the Royal Cinema, 608 College Street
Directors Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire; France, 2008
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54412228036 

If you’ve been following The Comics Journal or Comic Art Magazine, you’re probably familiar with this striking new animated French film which features some of the most talented comics talents in the world. We’re really fortunate to get an extended screening of this in Toronto, and I hope everyone reading this gets a chance to check it out. 

Screening Times:
Friday March 6th @9:30pm
Saturday March 7th @ 9:30pm
Sunday March 8th @5:30pm & 7:30pm
Monday March 9th @9:15pm
Tuesday March 10th @7pm
Wednesday March 11th @7pm
Thursday March 12th @9:15pm

Here’s the description:

“A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists – Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, FEAR(S) has a story strand to trouble every sleep – not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense.”

Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809947440/trailer

General

Shipping March 11th, 2009

The following comics and graphic novels are scheduled to ship The Beguiling Books & Art on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009. All Prices listed in U.S. Funds.

Click Here For The Full List: /090311shipping.txt

The Beguiling Recommends:

NOV084453 Be A Nose – Art Spiegelman Sketchbook Set 29.00
McSweeney’s is printing a collection of three of Art Spiegelman’s sketchbooks. So, there’s something you’ll have to buy.

MAY080063 Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack Hc 24.95
This is the vastly expanded edition of last year’s Perry Bible Fellowship book, now with every strip, and hundreds (yes, hundreds) of pages of extra and new material. Hil-lar-ious.

DEC080220 Transmetropolitan Tp Vol 01 Back On The Street 14.99
Warren Ellis’ modern classic has been reformated into these new editions. If you’ve never read it, it’s the perfect time to jump on board. The first two trades are so dense with ideas, humour, and humanity, that I can recommend them more-or-less unreservedly.

DEC084513 Neil Gaiman Blueberry Girl Hc 17.99
Recent Newberry Award-winner Neil Gaiman has teamed with Charles Vess to produce a brand new children’s book. It’s quite lovely looking.

JAN098111 After Watchmen Promotional Booklet PI
If you saw Watchmen and you’re looking for something else to read, check out this sampler of 6 or 7 different series that will whet your appetite. It’s free!

– Christopher

General

TORONTO THIS WEEK: Anime Seminar! Charles Burns Film! Book Launch!

Hey folks! We just sent out a mailing Friday night with all of the great stuff going on in Toronto this week. In case you missed it or aren’t signed up for our mailing list yet, check out all of the great events!

‘Stripmalling’ Book Launch Monday March 2nd!

Launch party for ‘Stripmalling’
Presented by ECW Press and This Is Not A Reading Series
Monday, March 2nd, 7:30pm
The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St. West
$5 Cover (Free with book purchase)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44003449363

Toronto author Jon Paul Fiorentino brought our good friend Evan Mundy on board to do extensive illustrations and comics sequences for his new novel, ‘Stripmalling!’ Then they made a short movie about how the book was made, “The Way of the Smock: The Making of Stripmalling”. Catch the trailer here:

This Monday, they’re launching the book, showing the film, doing a reading, an interview, and more. ‘Stripmalling’ looks great and Evan is a wonderful guy. See you at the Gladstone tonight!

—

2. Seminar: Anime and Contemporary Japanese Society

Anime and Contemporary Japanese Society
Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 6pm-8:30pm (doors at 5:45) Ryerson University, 245 Church Street
George Vari Engineering & Computing Centre, ENG 103

Admission FREE – Reservation recommended for guaranteed seating RSVP at www.jftor.org/whatson/rsvp OR anime@jftor.org OR 416.966.1600 x600

Digital Value Lap Ryerson University, The Japan Foundation, and Consulate General of Japan in Toronto present two important lectures that will be of interest to Beguiling customers and friends, on Anime and Contemporary Japanese Society.

—

POSTCRITICAL ANIME: OBSERVATIONS ON ITS ‘IDENTITY’ WITHIN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN
While anime is being watched on a global scale, there are significant differences in its contemporary reception. The gap between regular consumers and critical spectators, sometimes appearing in the form of Japanese audiences vs. foreign Japanologists, deserves special attention since it raises a number of questions, such as what sort of animated film is identified as ‘anime’; who relates anime to politics, history and society; what kind of meaning is at play in anime’s performative images, and to what extent one can read ‘Japanese society’, or even ‘culture’, out of anime. Comparing Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” (1954) and Gonzo’s “Samurai 7” (2004) as well as touching upon anime’s history, this lecture focuses on aesthetic and cultural identities ascribed to anime in modern Japan and their contemporary relevance.
Jaqueline Berndt is Associate Professor of Art and Media Studies, Yokohama National University. She specializes in aesthetics/art theory, anime, visual cultural and Japanese studies, aesthetics of comics, art in modern Japan and animation.

OTAKU CULTURE: PERSONALITY, SPACE & CITY OF ANIME FANS IN JAPAN
Optimism about an ever-progressing technological future ran out in the 1970’s. It was in the mid-1980’s that the term otaku was coined to signify a new personality that had emerged as a reaction to the loss of ’future’.The term evokes a stereotyped image of a geeky computer nerd, long past adolescence but still obsessed with games and anime. The presentation shall explore how this otaku personality became a geographical phenomenon in a district called Akihabara, together with its role in the development of Japanese anime.
Kaichiro Morikawa is Associate Professor of Contemporary Culture in the School of Global Japanese Studies at Meiji University. His research interests include design and architectural theory. Prof. Morikawa served as commissioner of the Japanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale 9th International Architecture Exhibition in 2004.

This sounds pretty amazing, and although this will be a VERY busy week, this will be one lecture series worth attending…!

—

3. MARCH 6-12: FEAR(S) OF THE DARK – Film featuring Charles Burns – CONTEST!

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK
March 6th-12th
at the Royal Cinema, 608 College Street
Directors Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire; France, 2008

If you’ve been following The Comics Journal or Comic Art Magazine, you’re probably familiar with this striking new animated French film which features some of the most talented comics talents in the world. We’re really fortunate to get an extended screening of this in Toronto, and I hope everyone reading this gets a chance to check it out. Here’s the description:

“A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world’s most renowned comic and graphic artists – Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, and Richard McGuire. From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, FEAR(S) has a story strand to trouble every sleep – not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense.”

Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809947440/trailer

*****CONTEST*****

Want to win a pair of tickets to see FEAR(S) OF THE DARK, good for any showing during the film’s run at The Royal Cinema? Here’s what you need to do: E-mail chris@beguiling.com with “BLACK HOLE” & your name & your phone number in the subject line of the message, before Tuesday, March 3rd 2009 at 12:01am. One entry per household. Winners will be notified on Tuesday March 3rd. You must be subscribed to The Beguiling Mailing List to be eligible to win.

—

4. The (Edgar) Wright Stuff at the Bloor Cinema! Starts February 28th!

The lovely and talented Edgar Wright (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ) is in town to direct the big-screen adaptation of SCOTT PILGRIM, and we couldn’t be happier. Espescially because he’s going to be programming a full slate of his favourite films at The Bloor Cinema for the month of March! The first two screenings were this weekend, and they were great fun. The next few will no doubt be awesome as well… Check this out:

SUNDAY, MARCH 8
7:00 The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman, 1979)
9:30 The Warriors (Walter Hill, 1979)

SATURDAY, MARCH 14
9:45 Head (Bob Rafelson, 1968)

SUNDAY, MARCH 15
7:00 Dames (Ray Enright & Busby Berkeley, 1934)
9:00 Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma, 1974)

SUNDAY, MARCH 22
5:00 Spaced Marathon (Edgar Wright, 1999-2001)

SUNDAY, APRIL 5
7:00 Kung Fu film TBA
9:30: Drunken Master 2 (Chia-Liang Liu, 1994)

SUNDAY, APRIL 12
7:00 The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979)
9:00 Last Night (Don McKellar, 1998)

Single movie tickets are $8 for Bloor Cinema members and $11 for non-members. Double bills are $14 for members and $17 for non-members. (Non-member prices include a six-month Bloor membership.) A pass for all screenings is $90, or $75 if not including Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Complete Bloor Cinema info and schedule at its website: http://www.bloorcinema.com/

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– Chris @ The Beguiling