SwanShadow Thinks Out Loud

Comic Art Friday: Somebody scream!

Posted January 20, 2012 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

You ever have one of those days when you just wanna scream?

Tyroc and Songbird have those all the time.

A hypersonic scream seems like such a bizarre superpower that it’s actually rather amazing how many comic book characters possess it. In addition to the subjects of the dazzling panel above — commissioned from the pencil of Brazilian artist Peter Vale, whose work has graced such series as Superman, She-Hulk, and X-Men Forever — I can think of several others off the top of my head: Banshee, Silver Banshee (no relation), Angar the Screamer, and at least one version of Black Canary.

Of course, Tyroc had ample reason to scream. The creation of writer Cary Bates and artist Mike Grell, Tyroc’s 1976 debut in Legion of Super-Heroes marked one of the earliest introductions of a black superhero into the DC Comics pantheon. Both Grell and longtime Legion scribe Jim Shooter had lobbied to add a black character to the Legion for several years previously, but DC’s notoriously conservative editorial staff had prevented them from doing so. When DC management finally greenlighted a Legionnaire of African descent, “they did it in the worst way possible,” according to Shooter. Tyroc was assigned a lame superpower, a code name straight out of a blaxploitation film, a racially insensitive origin (a descendant of a black isolationist sect, Tyroc carved a niche as the Marcus Garvey of comics), a stereotypical “angry black man” persona (his debut story was entitled “The Hero Who Hated the Legion”), and (courtesy of Grell, who designed it in protest of everything else he didn’t like about DC’s vision for the character) one of the most ludicrous costumes of the time period — “somewhere between Elvis’s Las Vegas costume and something you would imagine a pimp on the street corner wearing,” as Grell bluntly described it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), Tyroc’s tenure in the Legion proved relatively brief. He resurfaced only on rare occasion in the Legion’s periodic rebootings over the next several decades. Although I haven’t sampled the current version of the Legion, I understand that Tyroc is back as a full-fledged member. Hopefully, with a more competent tailor.

Songbird began her career on the wrong side of justice. Originally code-named Screaming Mimi, she debuted as a member of the Grapplers, a cadre of female wrestlers turned supervillains. Mimi and her cohorts battled Ben Grimm — a.k.a. The Thing — in a couple of fondly remembered issues of Marvel Two-in-One. After a subsequent stint in another team of criminals, the Masters of Evil, Mimi joined yet a third sinister enterprise, the Thunderbolts, and adopted her new fighting identity as Songbird. Over time, the Thunderbolts transitioned from bad guys to underground heroes, and they remain on the straight and narrow (more or less) to this day.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

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Comic Art Friday: Heavenly creatures

Posted January 13, 2012 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

We’re not fully two weeks into 2012, and already it’s been an exciting art year at the new Casa de Swan.

Here’s the first of several reasons why.

I frequently discuss with other comic art collectors our approaches to our theme commissions. Many of my fellow hobbyists present elaborately detailed scenarios to the artists they commission, to ensure that the end result matches the collector’s vision. I know of at least one collector who actually writes a script for each piece he commissions.

There’s nothing at all wrong with that approach. In fact, it greatly appeals to the obsessive control freak in me. Over the years, however, I’ve developed a far more laissez-faire tactic toward my commissioning. I generally prefer to simply give the artist reference images of the character(s) to be drawn, then stand back and turn the artist loose.

This works well on a number of fronts:

Since I don’t know in advance what the artist will draw, there’s an element of anticipation and mystery while I wait for the commission to be completed.
It eliminates back-and-forth argument with the artist: “No, that’s not what I wanted; do it this way.”
Creative people in general — and I consider myself one — dislike having their imaginative impulses constrained by someone else’s vision. (Imagine a patron standing over Picasso’s shoulder and kibitzing, “Shouldn’t her eyes be on opposite sides of her head? Why is everything blue? That looks like my five-year-old nephew painted it.”) Allowing the artist more freedom usually means that he or she enjoys the creative process more, which in turn means that he or she feels more inspired toward excellent work.
I’m not a visual thinker, so inventing pictures in my head doesn’t come easily to me. Artists being visual thinkers means that the pictures they dream up will invariably be better than my clumsy attempts.

The artwork above, drawn by the insanely talented Sean Chen — best known for his work on such comics as Iron Man and Wolverine — illustrates the advantages of my commission philosophy. (As always, you can click on the image — or on this link — for a larger, more detailed view. Go ahead. You know you want to.)

When I assigned Sean the Common Elements pairing of Angel (from Marvel’s original X-Men lineup) and Halo (from DC’s Batman and the Outsiders), I had no clue how he would utilize these two characters. In fact, our initial discussion about a possible layout revolved around a completely different scenario. Thus, when I first saw this beautifully executed riff on Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, I was blown away. It would never have occurred to me to suggest this concept. Furthermore, had I gone into the project with a tightly defined idea already in mind, Sean might never have presented this one.

Best of all, Sean had fun coming up with this scenario and bringing it to fruition, so both artist and patron love the result. I like it when the artists I commission are happy.

Again, there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with taking a more hands-on approach to this commission. I’d have still gotten a terrific piece of art from Sean had I instructed him exactly what to draw.

But I wouldn’t have gotten this.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

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Comic Art Friday: The best of 2011

Posted December 30, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday, Reminiscing, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

2011 was another light year on the commission front, due to economic circumstances with which I’m certain many of you could identify. It was, however, what the late film star Spencer Tracy might have termed a Katharine Hepburn kind of year — there wasn’t a lot of meat on its bones, but what there was, was choice. (Okay, Tracy would have said “cherce,” but it’s not as funny in print.)

So, let’s inspect the meat, shall we? The following are my favorite commission acquisitions of the past 12 months. As always, you can click on any of the images to get a better look. (I’d invite you over to the house, but I’m not that big on company.)

FAVORITE COMMON ELEMENTS COMMISSION
Bob Budiansky, “Bats Out of Hell”

When assessing my favorite addition to my Common Elements theme, it would be tough to outshine Bob Budiansky’s spectacular motorcycle race between Ghost Rider and Batgirl. Not only did Bob outdo his talented self with this knockout scenario, but the fact that Bob’s work brought closure to a commission originally assigned to the late Dave Simons — Bob’s onetime artistic collaborator on the Ghost Rider series — took this to an entirely new level.

FAVORITE COMMON ELEMENTS COMMISSION (Honorable Mention #1)
Darryl Banks, “Preying Mantises”

Darryl Banks can draw anything and make it look awesome, and his well-researched teamup of the Avengers’ Mantis with nearly forgotten ’90s TV hero M.A.N.T.I.S. proves this fact once again.

FAVORITE COMMON ELEMENTS COMMISSION (Honorable Mention #2)
Ernie Chan, “Howard’s End”

His style is immediately recognizable, and he wields the fastest pen this side of Barry Allen. Longtime Conan artist Ernie Chan seized this opportunity to revisit his favorite character, and slammed a home run with the execution.

FAVORITE COMMON ELEMENTS COMMISSION (Honorable Mention #3)
MC Wyman, “Three is a Magic Number”

It’s only fitting that our third honorable mention goes to this triad-themed tableau by the great MC Wyman, bringing together the triple threat of 3-D Man, Triathlon, and Triplicate Girl. If I had three hands, I’d clap them all.

FAVORITE BOMBSHELLS! COMMISSION
Mike DeCarlo, “Command Performance”

I only commissioned one new Bombshell! this year, and she was a doozy. (I also received a real gem as a gift from fellow collector Damon Owens.) Veteran Mike DeCarlo turned in a brilliant rendering of little-known Golden Age heroine Commandette, combining his trademark sense of fun with a perfect nose art pinup.

FAVORITE WONDER WOMAN COMMISSION
Gene Gonzales

There are artists whose talents I turn to time and again, because I can always depend on something special. Gene Gonzales, who does more with simplicity and grace than almost any artist I could name, created this beautiful portrait of the Amazon Princess. I don’t know why I didn’t commission Gene to draw Wonder Woman before now, but I’m thrilled that we finally got around to her.

FAVORITE SUPERGIRL COMMISSION
Brian Stelfreeze

Brian Stelfreeze might be the most underrated artist working in comics today. His name rarely gets mentioned with the upper echelon of industry talent — and let’s not talk about the people who get mentioned all the time in that arena, who shouldn’t be — but when I look at Brian’s work, I see the hand of a true genius.

FAVORITE PERFORMANCE BY THE KING OF INKING
Bob Almond, over pencils by Val Semeiks

Over these many years, Bob Almond — the man who put the “King” in “inking” — has delivered more stupendous finishes than I could shake Mr. Fantastic at. Bob kicked his already lofty game up a few stunning new levels with his work over the power-packed pencils of Val Semeiks.

FAVORITE SPECIAL TREAT
Al Gordon, over pencils by Jeffrey Moy

Not only did Al Gordon — a man who’s inked more great comics than I’ve read — completely transform one of the very first Common Elements pieces I ever commissioned, but he also spent a total of nearly two hours, at WonderCon 2011 and in his downtown San Francisco studio a few weeks later, chatting with me about comics and art and everything else under the sun. I’ve met a ton of cool people by way of comics, and Al Gordon ranks among the coolest.

To all Friend Readers who stop by SSTOL from time to time, please accept my apologies that Comic Art Fridays were few and sometimes embarrassingly far between in 2011. I promise to fill this space more regularly in the coming year. (I will, I will, I will.) Thank you for your continued support. May each of you enjoy the happiest, healthiest, and most memorable year ever in 2012.

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Comic Art Friday: Nice people rock!

Posted December 23, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday, Reminiscing, SwanStuff, That's Cool!

As most of you are aware, I celebrated yet another anniversary of my birth on Monday of this week. (That’s December 19, for the calendar-impaired.) That very day, I arrived home from a fun time touring the holiday sights of downtown San Francisco with The Daughter only to discover this beauty of a birthday gift resting on my doorstep.

It’s a surprise addition to my Bombshells! commission theme, drawn by the highly skilled Howard Simpson (no relation to Homer… I think) and commissioned by my friend and fellow comic art collector, Damon Owens. Yes, the same Damon Owens who was the “O” on my Thanksgiving list this year. And that was before I knew this was coming.

As I was pondering my half-century on this planet, it occurred to me how many nice people I’ve met during my 50 years. It’s easy to complain about the absolute jerks that one encounters — and yes, one does encounter them — but it’s equally easy to overlook the fact that most of the people one meets are actually pretty cool.

I’ve met a lot of nice people through my comic art collecting hobby — fellow collectors such as Damon, and comic creators, both artists and writers. I’ve commissioned nearly three hundred original pieces of comic art during the past decade — the 127 pieces that currently comprise my signature themes, Common Elements and Bombshells!, are merely the tip of a ginormous iceberg, as a quick perusal of my online galleries will attest — and perhaps another fifty or sixty inking jobs. I can count on the fingers of one hand the unpleasant experiences I’ve had in dealing with artists. I’d run out of space if I tried to list all of the positive ones.

A few artists — Bob Almond, Geof Isherwood, and Darryl Banks come immediately to mind — have become long-distance friends. I’ve had artists send me free drawings, sketchbooks, cards, and other gifts, just because they appreciated my custom. A couple — Scott Rosema and the aforementioned Mr Almond — have called me on the phone out of the blue, just to see how I liked the work they did for me. I’ve had great chats at conventions with legends of the business like Ernie Chan, Tony DeZuniga, Keith Knight, Ron Lim, Aaron Lopresti, and Bob Layton, and shared engaging correspondence with folks like Gene Gonzales, Val Semeiks, Bob Budiansky, and Luke McDonnell. Al Gordon gave me a personal tour of his studio. I treasure a wonderful letter that the late Jim Mooney included with some art I purchased from him. Guys like Mitch Foust and Michael Dooney send me little notes or sketches of appreciation every time I get new art from them.

There are countless more that I can’t bring to my aging mind at the moment. That doesn’t mean any of them aren’t important.

I’ve met nice people in every aspect of my life. I’ve met a ton of nice people through my voiceover work. I’ve met nice people singing barbershop over the past 15 years. I met some incredibly nice people by way of Jeopardy! – including such folks as Grace Veach, Eugene Finerman, Kate Waits, Leslie Frates, Beverly Spurs, Bob Blake, Bob Verini, Dave Traini, and the nonpareil Ken Jennings, all of whom are among the nicest people I’ve ever met. I’ve met nice people at church… though you kind of expect that. I’ve worked with nice people during both my freelance and corporate careers. I’ve met nice people at the supermarket, at restaurants, and in hospitals. I’ve even met nice people online — one of whom now shares my life.

I’ve been truly blessed by knowing so many nice people in my 50 years. I hope that in the next 50, I’ll meet even more.

And, I hope that I’ll do a better job of being one of them.

Oh, before I forget… the Bombshell! above features the original Black Widow — that’s the Golden Age character, not the catsuit-clad superspy who arrived in the 1960s and is portrayed in the movies by Scarlett Johansson. This Black Widow holds the singular distinction of being the first costumed, superpowered female character in comics history. Other costumed heroines preceded her (the Woman in Red comes immediately to mind), as did other superpowered women (i.e., Fantomah), but the Black Widow was the first comics female to combine both superhuman abilities and a recognizable uniform. She must have known that trend would take off. Perhaps that’s why her civilian name was Claire Voyant. (No kidding.)

In case I don’t get back here in the next few days, I wish all of you nice people a happy holiday season, whichever holidays you choose to celebrate.

Be nice to each other in 2012.

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SwanShadow Gives Thanks: Eight Is Never Enough

Posted November 24, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Aimless Riffing, Listology, SwanStuff, Thanksgiving

Welcome to the eighth (count ‘em, eight!) edition of my annual A-to-Z Thanksgiving post. After the darkness and loss that characterized much of 2010 — as most of the regulars here know, my wife KJ lost her decade-long battle with breast cancer in July of that year — 2011 has been another year of sweeping change. A brighter one in several ways, but again with more than its share of tragedy and challenge.

We lost my father-in-law, who had been in ill health for many years, in February. Shortly thereafter, we bid our last goodbyes to my dutiful personal assistant Abby. Add in a new life partnership, a career redirection, a new residence for the first time in nearly 20 years… well, you get the idea.

Enough recap, already. Let’s get on with the gratitude. On this fourth Thursday in November, I’m thankful for…

Audacity, the free audio recording and editing tool I use every day. One of these days, I’ll invest in some pricey software that does everything Audacity does, only for hundreds of dollars more. Yeah… in your dreams. Remember Uncle Swan’s motto: If it’s free, it’s for me.

Bravo, because who doesn’t love Top Chef? And Millionaire Matchmaker? And yes, even Project Runway? Okay, sure, they put on all that dreadful Real Housewives crap. That’s what the channel button on your remote is for. Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.

The City by the Bay — always my favorite city, once my alma mater, now my home. I’ve enjoyed a love affair with San Francisco for the better part of four decades, but I would never have envisioned living here. Where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars. Where Mark Twain spent his coldest winter one summer. Home of the 2010 World Series Champion Giants; the Team of the ’80s, the 49ers; and naked dudes wandering the streets of the Castro. Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

The Daughter, whom I love more than life itself. Smart, funny, perceptive, and the world’s greatest horsewoman. You should have a daughter so awesome. But you can’t. She’s the only one.

Eggs Benedict. How can you go wrong with eggs, pork, and hollandaise? Don’t believe the people at Denny’s when they tell you they can do it with melted Velveeta. They lie.

Facebook, which keeps me in constant touch with my voice actor colleagues, my chorus buddies, people I knew in high school, and friends, comrades, and associates of every stripe. If that brat Zuckerberg hadn’t stolen this gem from the Winklevii, Facebook would be the exclusive province of snooty preppies in cardigans and Top-Siders, and you and I would never know what the other is eating for breakfast.

Goorin Brothers, makers of stylish hats. I’m wearing my black Cash Canyon right now.

Hope, because if you don’t have that, you have nothing. Keep it alive, as Jesse used to say, back when people actually cared what Jesse said.

iTunes — without it, we’d still be stockpiling eight-tracks. Isn’t it wicked cool that I can punch up Meat Loaf, or the House Jacks, or Sir Mix-A-Lot, or Journey, anytime I want, with just a keystroke or two? Why, yes, it is.

Jim Harbaugh, the man who turned Alex “Sow’s Ear” Smith into a rayon purse overnight, thereby restoring the 49ers not merely to respectability, but to darn near invincibility. If you’d told me in August that the Niners would be 9-1 going into Thanksgiving, I’d have laughed in your face, and recommended a good therapist.

KJ… gone home, but never forgotten.

The Legion of Super-Heroes, or as we used to call them in my comics-reading youth, the Legion of Stupid Heroes. Where else could characters like Bouncing Boy and Matter-Eater Lad find stardom? It’s no surprise that many of the Legion’s best adventures sprang from the typewriter (go on, look it up… I’ll wait) of a brash kid named Jim Shooter, who began writing Legion stories when he was a mere stripling of 13. Nevertheless, the Legion always had the cutest girls in comics. Imra Ardeen… call me.

Maddie the German shorthaired pointer mix, who replaced our dear departed corgi Abby at The Daughter’s side, if not entirely in her heart. Maddie is in many ways the anti-Abby — long-legged, frenetic, and eager for affection to the point of clinginess, in contrast to her squat, chill, laissez-faire predecessor — but no less a character. I’m glad The Daughter found a new friend.

The house of the Naked Fish-Tailed Lady, home of hot, caffeinated, life-sustaining squeezings of the noble bean. Get yourself an eggnog latte this holiday season. You know you want one.

My fellow comic art collector Damon Owens, with whom I’ve shared countless e-mail conversations about comics, art, and life over these many years. Damon’s theme galleries — The Brotherhood, an all-star team of black superheroes; Dead Universes Project, featuring heroes from publishers who’ve vanished into the ether; and Cage Matches, recalling the greatest adventures of Luke Cage, Power Man — are the envy of every other commission collector, yours truly included. Beyond that, Damon’s just a really cool guy. You rock, amigo.

The Pirate Queen, who restored light to a world that had become horrifyingly bleak. All it took was a visit to Starbucks and a midnight at the asylum. Thank you for making me First Mate, Captain. I love you… and happy birthday.

Quotations. Gifted wordsmith though I am, I can’t be expected to pump out all the pithy sayings all by my lonesome. “Because remember, no matter where you go… there you are.” Buckaroo Banzai said that. See what I mean?

Rocketfish, my new favorite sushi joint. Have a Rocketfish Roll, brother. They’re fresh.

Stars, The Agency, simply the best talent agents in the whole wide world. Thanks for believing in me, Nate and Kristin. One of these first days, I’m going to make you guys a fortune. Not that you need it, or anything.

Trader Joe’s. Okay, so it’s owned by this mysterious, creepy, reclusive German family who probably have Anne Frank locked up in their attic or something. But I get a giddy thrill every time their Fearless Flyer lands in my mailbox. How TJ’s crams so much exotic yet tasty stuff into one little grocery store is beyond me. Must be the Hawaiian shirts.

The United States of America. Yes, we’ve had our problems. Yes, we have more than our share of lunatics, lowlifes, miscreants, and Tea Partiers… but then, I repeat myself. Still, we’re the place everyone else wants to be. The big dog on the block. The coolest kid in class. The land of milk, honey, Barack Obama, and Filet-O-Fish. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. And I have, so I’d know.

Virgin America. We flew to Vegas with these folks in July, and I have to give them credit, they make flying about as much fun as an airline can in these post-9/11 times. Nice to see a company doing a serious business not taking itself entirely too seriously. Besides, you have to admire the chutzpah in the name alone. I’m not sure what they call it the second time you fly, though.

West Portal, our little neighborhood downtown. Feel like Mexican tonight? Check out El Toreador. Indian? Try Roti. Peruvian? Fresca will hook you up. Breakfast? There’s a branch of Squat and Gobble on the corner. Want to catch a movie? The CineArts at the Empire shows the latest blockbusters. Need hardware? Legal pharmaceuticals? A glass of fine wine? A crab melt? An ATM? It’s all here for you, in the space of three short blocks. And of course, there’s a Starbucks. Where isn’t there a Starbucks?

Xfinity from Comcast. A bazillion cable TV channels, lightning-fast Internet access, even land-line telephone service if you’re all old school like that.

Yin and yang. Because there are two sides to everything. Male and female. Light and dark. Bitter and sweet. Ebony and ivory, together in perfect harmony. Just like life.

Zazzle. You can create T-shirts, mugs, and every conceivable other kind of novelty item and sell them to people. Or buy the stuff other people came up with. I picked up a nifty pair of Bettie Page mugs there just recently.

Did I mention that I’m thankful for you, friend reader? I am. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad you’re you. Have a happy, thoughtful, and reflective Thanksgiving.

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Comic Art Friday: Three Vals and a Bob

Posted October 28, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday

Seeing that we have only three days left in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it appropriate to feature an all-female image today.

As regular readers know, I’m fond of creating obscure concepts for my Common Elements commission series. Sometimes, though, it’s just as successful when the connection between the characters is obvious — as in this instance, where both of our lovely ladies share the same nom de guerre: Valkyrie.

The Valkyrie on your left enjoyed a storied history as the sometime-villainous, sometime-heroic femme fatale in the adventure series Airboy, first published in 1941 by Hillman Periodicals as the lead feature in Air Fighters Comics. The Valkyrie on your right is of slightly more modern vintage, having first appeared in Marvel Comics’ Avengers in 1970, and having spent much of her career as a key character in the Defenders, Marvel’s on-again, off-again team of misfit superheroes.

This artwork sprang originally from the pencil of Val Semeiks, a talented artist renowned for his contributions to such series as Conan the Barbarian and Wolverine, and DC’s Lobo and The Demon. You can read the full story of Val’s development of this commission here. I chose Val for this project because… well… I figured that a guy named Val would be the perfect artist to draw two women named Val. Because sometimes, I just roll all Captain Prosaic like that.

Alas, I was compelled to break the pattern when it came time to have the piece inked. Bob Almond, my most frequent go-to inking specialist — my friend and fellow comics art collector Damon Owens rightly dubbed Bob “the man who put the King in inking” — got the assignment, despite his stubborn refusal to change his first name to Val for the sake of consistency. Mr. Semeiks’s pencil creation long ago earned its place as one of my favorite commissions of all time. Mr. Almond’s skillful embellishment only makes me love it even more.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

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You can still rock in America, even if you need a rocking chair

Posted October 6, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Celebritiana, My Home Town, Reminiscing, Soundtrack of My Life, That's Cool!

Way back in America’s bicentennial year (1976, for those of you who are either too young to recall or lousy at math), Jethro Tull recorded a concept album entitled Too Old to Rock and Roll; Too Young to Die. The record’s theme reinforced the notion that rock music is a young person’s game. (Remember The Who’s “My Generation” — “Hope I die before I get old”?)

Last evening, the Pirate Queen and I — along with several thousand fellow members of our chronological demographic — spent four blissful hours testing that theory, as ’80s rock fossils Night Ranger, Foreigner, and Journey cut loose with the hits at Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord.

The last time I attended a show at the aforementioned venue, it was a cold, stormy night almost exactly 20 years ago, when KJ and I huddled on the lawn in a pouring rain to hear local favorites Huey Lewis and the News. (Rock historians will recall that as the night music impresario Bill Graham died in a helicopter crash, on his way home from that very concert.) I don’t even think Sleep Train, the furniture chain that’s now the name sponsor of what used to be called simply Concord Pavilion, even existed then. I know this for sure — the long uphill trek from the parking lot to the amphitheater seemed less steep and distant when I was in my late 30s.

By the time we found our seats at ten minutes before the scheduled showtime, opening act Night Ranger had already taken the stage. (Apparently they neglected to make allowances for their now slower-moving target audience.) Still, we managed to hear 95% of a sharp-edged set that included the band’s most familiar tunes — “When You Close Your Eyes,” “Sing Me Away,” “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” and prom-night legend “Sister Christian.” The band also busted out a credible cover of Damn Yankees’ “Coming of Age,” a nod to the band bassist and singer Jack Blades co-founded while on hiatus from Night Ranger in the early 1990s. The set concluded with “(You Can Still) Rock in America,” complete with flags and red-white-and-blue graphics.

Of the evening’s three acts, Night Ranger most resembled the lineup most famous under the name. All three of the band’s founding members — Blades, drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy, and lead guitarist Brad Gillis — were on stage, and in top form. Keagy even stepped out from behind his kit for the opening of “Sister Christian” (which he wrote for his younger sister). Blades remains the energetic frontman he’s always been, and Gillis’s powerful riffs found a worthy match in those of relative newcomer Joel Hoekstra.

Night Ranger’s kickoff performance earned an enthusiastic three-and-a-half tailfeathers out of a possible five from your Uncle Swan, even though I’ve never really been a huge fan of the band. The Pirate Queen’s assessment was more subdued — “too rock and roll for me,” she opined as the stage was being reset for Foreigner. (Yes, “too rock and roll” sounds oxymoronic to me, too.)

When Foreigner launched into their set with “Double Vision,” I whispered to the Pirate Queen, “There’s not a single member of the Foreigner I remember on stage.” (“I wish you hadn’t told me that,” came the terse reply.) Indeed, the only original member who’s still with the band — guitarist Mick Jones — has missed much of the group’s current tour due to health problems, leaving what basically amounts to a flashy cover band performing under the Foreigner logo.

Not that Faux-reigner doesn’t put on one heck of a show — they certainly do. Former Hurricane lead singer Kelly Hansen represents a total departure in both vocal quality and stage presence from Foreigner’s original vocalist Lou Gramm (to my sensibilities, Hansen both looks and sounds a lot like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While he trades Gramm’s sweet tenor for a husky heavy-metal growl, Hansen’s a lot more fun to watch than the relatively laid-back Gramm ever was. (He also deftly handled a technical glitch when his wireless microphone went dead during the opening verse of “Head Games.” He probably thought someone was playing… oh, you’ll figure it out.) Hansen’s favorite foil, multi-instrumentalist and Tom Jones doppelganger Thom Gimbel, seemed to have a blast bouncing from rhythm guitar to saxophone (mostly notably for a ripping solo on “Urgent”). Mick Jones’s stand-in on lead guitar, Bruce Watson (formerly of Rod Stewart’s backup band), did a nice job handling the familiar Foreigner repertoire.

And familiar it was. I don’t think there was a single number in the entire Foreigner set that’s not still in heavy rotation on classic-rock radio stations everywhere. From “Cold As Ice” and “Dirty White Boy” to “Feels Like the First Time” and “Hot Blooded,” the Foreigner soundalikes tore through hit after hit in fine style. The only weak points came with the lush ballads “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which simply aren’t well suited to Hansen’s vocal style, or vice versa. As is the band’s custom, they brought on a local choir — in this case, from a Concord high school — to back up the latter song. The kids were… well… cute.

The band saved my all-time favorite Foreigner number for the encore: “Juke Box Hero.” Hansen was back in his element for this crowd-pleasing crusher, which left the audience shouting for more — despite the cheesy computer graphics that looked like they’d been cribbed from an ancient Commodore 64 video game.

Uncle Swan gave Kelly Hansen and Faux-reigner a solid four tailfeathers out of a possible five for their rousingly entertaining set. The Pirate Queen enjoyed them too, despite the disappointing lack of original Foreigner personnel.

After waiting in interminable lines for the restrooms, we were ready for the night’s headliner. Journey grabbed the audience from jump street with the pounding, soaring “Separate Ways.” I was especially curious to hear how the band’s current lead singer, Arnel Pineda, would sound live. Any doubts I might have harbored vanished during the opening number.

Pineda, the Philippine native famously hired after guitarist Neal Schon discovered him singing Journey covers on YouTube — is the real deal. His phrasing isn’t as nuanced as that of Journey’s legendary former vocalist, Steve Perry (probably because English is Arnel’s second language), but Pineda has the same power and pure clarion tone. He’s also a nonstop dynamo on stage — running, dancing, leaping. I couldn’t believe the guy is in his mid-40s. I’m only five years older, and if I cavorted like Arnel for just two songs, I’d need a good night’s sleep and half a bottle of ibuprofen.

Schon blazed through his trademark solos in rare form. I’d swear he’s a tighter player now than when I last saw Journey live 30 years ago. Keyboardist, singer, and occasional guitarist Jonathan Cain and veteran bassist Ross Valory held down their roles as musical backbone and elder statesmen flawlessly. The band’s secret weapon is drummer Deen Castronovo, who’s played with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Steve Vai. Castronovo brings a heavy-metal thunder to Journey’s pop-rock sound, lending their concert sound more punch and depth than I remembered.

I liked that Journey surrounded the expected hits — “Lights,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Faithfully,” “Open Arms” — with some of their lesser-known songs from the band’s classic period, specifically “Stone in Love,” “Only the Young,” and “La Do Da.” I was okay with them salting in a couple of numbers from their new album (“City of Hope,” the first single from Eclipse, is a pretty decent song that compares favorably with the band’s vintage material), because you’ve always gotta be promoting. I longed for a few old favorites — “Anytime,” “Just the Same Way,” “Line of Fire,” and “Who’s Crying Now?” in particular — but by the time Journey plowed into its roof-raising two-song encore (“Any Way You Want It” and the inevitable “Don’t Stop Believin’”), I’d forgotten that I’d missed anything.

Journey scores a whopping four and one-half tailfeathers out of five for kicking it old school, but with Arnel Pineda’s fresh energy. (Uncle Swan docks Neal Schon half a tailfeather for that whole Michaele Salahi business. Y’know, just for the tacky factor.) The Pirate Queen proclaimed the entire show the best concert she’s seen in years, outside of Madonna. It’s tough to argue with Madonna.

Not all of the music from three decades ago holds up today — listen to any Kim Carnes lately? — but the arena rock of Night Ranger, Foreigner, and Journey still brings joy to my middle-aged ears. We had a great time reliving the glory days with this trio of iconic ensembles. It was well worth the interminable hike to and from the Sleep Train Pavilion parking lot, and a night of short sleep.

You can, in fact, still rock in America. Even if your lead singer is from the Philippines.

Comments: 1 Comment

This one’s for the boobies

Posted October 3, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Breast Cancer Awareness, Dead People Got No Reason to Live, Ripped From the Headlines, Taking Umbrage, That's Cool!

It hardly seems as though it’s been a year, but it’s October again. You know what that means: It’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Those of you who’ve visited here and at our previous location know that I’m not big on causes, but I champion this one for a powerful personal reason: KJ, my wife of 25 years — and life partner of 29 years total — lost her decade-long battle with breast cancer in July 2010. This disease cost KJ’s parents their only remaining child (KJ’s brother died from Ewing’s sarcoma 22 years ago), my daughter her mother, and me the woman I’d loved my entire adult life.

So yeah — breast cancer made itself a lifelong enemy here.

If you’re a woman, know your risk factors. Talk with your doctor about those risks. Learn to examine your own breasts, and conduct those exams religiously. Don’t think that breast cancer is just a disease for older women — KJ was 34 when she was first diagnosed. If you’re 40 or older, by all means get annual mammograms.

If you’re not a woman, pass the preceding paragraph along to every woman you know.

Regardless of your gender, if you have a few spare dollars in your pocket or purse this month, consider making a contribution to the breast cancer awareness/research nonprofit of your choice. (KJ’s favorite was Susan G. Komen for the Cure.) I know things are tough economically for a lot of you, but every little contribution helps.

Breast cancer will affect one woman in eight — too many precious lives. That’s your wife or partner, your daughter, your sister, your mother, your grandmother, your aunt, your neighbor… maybe you.

Let’s hunt this beast down, and kill it for good.

Comments: 1 Comment

Comic Art Friday: In which Uncle Swan does you a patriotic solid

Posted July 22, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Cinemania, Comic Art Friday, Hero of the Day, Random Acts of Patriotism, Ripped From the Headlines

In case you were planning to see Captain America: The First Avenger, which premieres in theaters nationwide today…

Here’s how it ends.

I just saved you the price of a ticket.

You’re welcome.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

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Comic Art Friday: Beware all enterprises that require new clothes

Posted June 10, 2011 by swanshadow
Categories: Comic Art Friday, Teleholics Anonymous

So, yeah, I’m a little bit bummed that NBC didn’t pick up David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman pilot as a series.

Adrianne Palicki, erstwhile Wonder Woman

As a WW fanatic of some 40 years’ seniority, I’d welcome any chance to see my favorite Amazon back on the airwaves. I thought Kelley’s concept — what I heard and saw of it, anyway — looked interesting, and Adrianne Palicki was a decent, if not perfect, casting choice for the title role.

But it was not to be.

Much of the buzz around the Kelley version of Wonder Woman revolved around the heroine’s redesigned costume. This conversation followed closely on the heels of the revamping of Diana’s classic togs that recently began appearing in her monthly comic book.

Why is it that when it comes to women, we always end up talking about clothes?

Two months ago at WonderCon (no relation), artist Oliver Nome was displaying a series of concept drawings he’d developed featuring alternative costumes for everyone’s favorite Amazon. I liked this one so much that I purchased it from Oliver.

It’s a nice riff on the classic design — especially the eagle bustier — with a slick, armor-like twist. I’m not sure why a heroine boasting Diana’s powers needs a spear, but it sure looks cool, doesn’t it?

Then again, as this dazzling drawing by Diego Bernard reminds us…

It’s tough to improve on perfection.

And that’s your Comic Art Friday.

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SwanShadow Thinks Out Loud

Comic Art Friday: Somebody scream!

Comic Art Friday: Heavenly creatures

Comic Art Friday: The best of 2011

Comic Art Friday: Nice people rock!

SwanShadow Gives Thanks: Eight Is Never Enough

Comic Art Friday: Three Vals and a Bob

You can still rock in America, even if you need a rocking chair

This one’s for the boobies

Comic Art Friday: In which Uncle Swan does you a patriotic solid

Comic Art Friday: Beware all enterprises that require new clothes

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