Fare thee well!
This, my friends, will be the last Your It List post from the keyboard of Jeremy. I’ve had a blast helping to build our blog from scratch, as both writer and co-editor, and I’ll miss the chance to share my strange obsessions with you as I depart for new opportunities. My talented and courageous colleagues will take the reins from here, which only means great things for YIL going forward.
As a final salute, I leave you with a collection of some of my favorite Your It List posts. Thanks for reading, and gobble, gobble!:
In a year when brassy women ruled the TV world, Pam celebrated the Year of Sues:
While it may have been ahead of its time (based on traffic numbers) I’ll always have a soft spot for the short-lived Mork & Darwin series:
You may be asking yourself, “What’s all the fuss about this Joseph fellow?”: your answer is here:
no joke
Michael artfully deconstructs Adam Lambert’s album cover:
Taking on the under-appreciated world on men-in-spandex, Kateri explores Weir vs. Lysacek.
Exhibit A: Evan Lysacek wears feathers
From the Aestheticism archives, Theodore tells a tale of two important photography shows:
Cowboys & Aliens: The Book
Before it was the most anticipated summer movie of 2011 (watch the just-released trailer here), Cowboys & Aliens was a hit graphic novel. We’ll be re-issuing the book in its entirety on March 22, but until then, check out the page spreads below, then pre-order a copy:
Book images © 2006 Platinum Studios, Inc.
The ’90s–Alternative goes mainstream
With the last few weeks of 2010 in front of us, Your It List is looking back – way back to the 1990s with The ’90s: Inside Stories from the Decade that Rocked by the Editors of Rolling Stone.
Each week we will bring you back into the ’90s through photos from the biggest names in music from Metal to Pop, Hip-Hop to Jam Bands.
This week we remember when “alternative” still meant something:
The Alternative chapter includes a provocative intro by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, as well as essays and interviews covering the Smashing Pumpkins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and the Beastie Boys, among others.
Buy your copy of The ’90s today.
Enter for a chance to win a spectacular IMAX Harry Potter Experience
*****Contest is closed; all winners have been chosen*****
YourItList.com and IMAX have teamed up to offer you the chance to enjoy a spectacular Harry Potter film experience.
Read in Harry Potter Film Wizardry how the Warner Bros. creative team brought these beloved stories to life, and marvel at their concept art, behind-the scenes photos, and removable printed prop replicas from the movies themselves. Then experience Harry Potter’s world for yourself with passes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience, and bring the excitement home with the movie poster.
To enter for a chance to win, just send an email to filmwizardry@harpercollins.com with your mailing address before 1:00PM (EST) on Thursday, November 18th. We will randomly select 1 First Prize winner, 3 Second Prize winners, and 6 Third Prize winners from the emails received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted at 1:00 PM (EST) on November 18th, 2010.
1st Prize (1): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 4 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $125.99)
2nd Prize (3): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 2 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $87.99)
3rd Prize (6): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $49.99)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience. Visit www.IMAX.com for more information and to find a theater near you!
Click here to view the official rules. Open to U.S. residents only.
How to Infuse Booze
This month, we bring you step-by-step instructions for infusing booze, pulled straight from the pages of More Show Me How. As the chill sets in, you’ll want to take on all kinds of new hobbies and projects, so why not start with a tippling tip to help you forget your cares during the long winter months?
Volume two of the Show Me How series contains brand-new instructions that show readers how to amaze, trick, create, style, and love, among other endeavors. Ideas range from the practical (hang a ceiling fixture; hem a pair of pants) to the outrageous (boobytrap a bathroom; forge an antiquity) to the romantic (ace a school crush; send a saucy cell phone pic).
“This book is a gold mind…If I could only pack two books to take with me on a deserted island, this one would be at the top of that list.”
–Amy Sedaris
Learn more about the book here.
Party with Neil Strauss and Ben Greenman in NY this Thursday
Join It Books and our friends at Harper Perennial this Thursday, November 4th at Brooklyn’s powerHouse Arena for a party and reading featuring Neil Strauss (Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead, Mötley Crüe’s The Dirt) and Ben Greenman (Celebrity Chekhov and Gene Simmons’ Kiss and Make-up). The evening will feature a performance by the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, on-site memoir ghost-writing, alcohol, and more!
RSVP here.
Learn more about the event here.
Brett Favre open fly jeans
In honor of the cathartic Green Bay Packers win last night, a little light humor at the expense of #4.
Russell Brand finally gets around to teaching manners
Emily Post has nothing on manners expert Russell Brand (especially in the man/man kissing department):
(via MTV News)
An It Halloween
For some publishers, it might not be all that fun to play author dress-up on Halloween. I guess one could arrive as Salman Rushdie (with newest ingenue in-tow), or go for the conceptual “Jonathan Franzen’s $100k eye glasses” costume. For us, however, our eclectic and fabulous authors offer many opportunities for clever Halloween attire.
A few suggestions from the It Books team:
Our fearless leader Carrie says she’d go as Isabella Blow. “For the fashion. The fashion.”
Dearest Joseph would like to dress as Russell Brand, and provides a helpful hair-styling lesson from Mr. Brand’s Booky Wook 2.
Editor extraordinaire Kate takes a cue from one of her own projects. She’d choose Alison Arngrim, “because it would be fun to wear Nellie Oleson’s infamous blonde ringlet wig, though (if you read Alison’s book you’ll know that) it was extremely painful for Alison to put on every day and often made her scalp bleed!”
In these recessionary times, I’ll opt for a budget-friendly Judah Friedlander costume. A t-shirt and trucker cap are easy enough to procure at a reasonable price.
The real World Champion vanquishes all imposters.
Which author would you channel for this year’s trick-or-treat ensemble?
Written in indelible Ink
In case you haven’t noticed, we have a thing for books, and for tattoos. We just had to share this great video featuring THE WORD MADE FLESH: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide by Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor. Just released by our friends at Harper Perennial, this book is a beautifully packaged full-color collection of literary tattoos and short personal essays.
Our weekend at New York Comic Con
We had a great time this weekend at New York Comic Con. Thanks to everyone who swung by the booth to check out our books and meet authors like Al Jaffee, Judah Friedlander, Jo Weldon and Ryan Buell. With over 90,000 ticket pre-sales, this was a massive event–look out San Diego, we’re gaining on you!
Some photo memories from the weekend:
Judah Friedlander demonstrates why he is The World Champion
Our beloved authors, Judah Friedlander, Al Jaffee and Mary-Lou Weisman discuss strategy before their book signings
Big Foot and the Abominable Snowman square off in a neighboring booth. As soon as Judah--with his reputation for beating up Bigfoots--showed up, they made themselves scarce.
Gumby busts a move at the Ubisoft "Michael Jackson Experience" booth
Visit It Books at New York Comic Con this weekend
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday (October 8-10), It Books will be holding it down at booth #2235 at New York Comic Con. Here’s why you should stop by our booth:
- We’ll be selling signed books by authors like Judah Friedlander, Al Jaffee, and Bon Jovi.
- The “busties” from BUST magazine are sharing a booth with us and will be doing their thing all weekend.
- You can find out about our in-booth author signings, official show signings, and author panels.
- We’ve teamed with Royal Flush magazine, A&E and Eos Books to create a scavenger hunt. Pick up a card, get it stamped at all 4 booths, and return to us for your choice of an exclusive Al Jaffee fold-in poster or a DVD of A&E’s hit show Paranormal State.
- Jo Weldon, author of The Burlesque Handbook, will be spending time at our booth with some of her burlesque-y friends. Use your imagination.
- You’ll get a tote bag from Ice Cream & Sadness, Judah Friedlander, Kat Von D or Camille Rose Garcia with book purchases.
- We’re giving away lots of great stuff like a Simpsons Comic Book Guy collectible fan–#5 in our annual series.
- You can enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a copy of the SIMPSONS WORLD The Ultimate Episode Guide Seasons 1-20
Judah Friedlander, The World Champion, will teach you karate
THE WORLD CHAMPION gives out his phone number so that he can teach people karate.
How to Pitch a Curveball
On October 5th, MORE SHOW ME HOW, the sequel to the popular visual how-to book SHOW ME HOW, will hit store shelves.
Volume two of the Show Me How series contains brand-new instructions that show readers how to amaze, trick, create, style, and love, among other endeavors. Ideas range from the practical (hang a ceiling fixture; hem a pair of pants) to the outrageous (boobytrap a bathroom; forge an antiquity) to the romantic (ace a school crush; send a saucy cell phone pic).
Each month we’ll be bringing you a sample of one of the 400+ instructional illustrations from the book. This month, in honor of playoff baseball, we offer you a chance to develop your own wicked curveball.
“This book is a gold mind…If I could only pack two books to take with me on a deserted island, this one would be at the top of that list.”
–Amy Sedaris
Learn more about the book here.
Guilty Pleasure Report: Castle
There’s nothing like guilty pleasure TV. Sure I love cerebral, adult shows like Mad Men and East Coast-elitist comedies like 30 Rock, but one of the most formulaic, middle-market shows on the air has won my heart on Monday nights: ABC’s Castle. It was simply a lack of competition–the networks don’t really bring out the big guns on Monday nights–that lured me in to my first Castle viewing last year. I figured it would pass the time for an hour, and I’d likely never tune in again.
Then a funny thing happened–especially for a guy who doesn’t really care for cop shows–I fell victim to Nathan Fillion’s charming mystery writer-cum-assistant detective Richard Castle. Then I found myself hooked on the push and pull flirtation of Castle and Detective Beckett. I even started to enjoy the syrupy single dad/teenage daughter dynamic between Castle and Alexis. Borderline cliches all, but solid acting and a little charisma can turn even the most cookie-cutter of shows in to addictive TV.
Of course each episode, with a few exceptions, plays on the same formula: homicide followed by pursuing 2-3 potential suspects, then a deus ex machina that nails one of the short list of suspects dead to rights. Phone records are miraculously revealing, credit card statements contain incontrovertible links, both victims shared the same dark secret. If you’ve watched any variation of Law & Order, you know the drill. But just like on House–an excellent show that also follows a general pattern from week to week–good acting and a few well-timed bon mots elevate Castle above the genre standard.
My clandestine appreciation for this feel good show started halfway through the first season, and this past week’s season 3 premier felt like a leap in plotting and writing quality that suggests growth for an already good series. Even if you’re a TV snob–which, with a few exceptions I consider myself–and you’re turned off by the somewhat ham-fisted marketing and broad appeal of the Castle brand, give the show a shot. Sure the X-Files could have been just another paranormal mediocrity, but there was just something about Mulder and Scully that kept you coming back. I think Castle and Beckett will do the same.
Fat-bottomed Kazakhstani girls
Sacha Baron Cohen, of Ali G/Borat/Bruno fame, has reportedly signed on to play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic (via the Laugh Button). Rarely has there been such a perfect match of actor and subject. Casting directors must have a term for this these sort of slam-dunk lookalike casting jobs, but alas, I don’t know any casting directors. Apparently it’s still up in the air whether Cohen will actually sing on camera (the Reese Witherspoon) or lip-sync (the Jamie Foxx), but having heard Borat’s rendition of “Throw the Jew down the well,” I’m hoping for the latter.
In honor of this flawless casting, we bring you a few more pairings that are ripe for the picking:
Michael Sheen and Tony Hayward
This one is almost too easy. The second the BP oil spill scandal broke, it was clear who would play villainous CEO Tony Hayward when the eventual film version hits theaters: British actor Michael Sheen. If he’s too busy, or expensive, maybe Tony Blair–whom Sheen played in The Queen–could step in.
Jeffrey Tambor and Dr. Phil
It’s quite unlikely that they’ll ever make a Dr. Phil “The Movie,” (I pray), but when they announce the Oprah Winfrey story, I imagine casting directors will be lining up on George Bluth, Sr.’s doorstep.
Middle-aged Adam Sandler and Middle-aged Bob Dylan
This one doesn’t sound like a slam dunk at first first, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Of course, Sandler’s pretty much the only person who didn’t play Dylan in Todd Haynes’ post-modern biopic I’M NOT THERE. It would also be the first time in musician biopic history that the actor has to sing worse in order to bring authenticity to the role.
Al Jaffee’s Mad Life
We’re incredibly excited for the September 28th publication of AL JAFFEE’S MAD LIFE by Mary-Lou Weisman with color illustrations by Al Jaffee.
| “At last the inventor of the Mad Fold-In offers us a panoramic fold-out: what first looks like the genial bearded self-caricature seen in lots of Al Jaffee Mad cartoons opens up into a vast tableau of survival, trauma and family dysfunction that spans from Old World to New and from tears born of laughter to laughter born from tears. It’s an unnerving biography with a moving graphic novel hidden inside it.” — Art Spiegelman, author of MAUS |
Jaffee’s inventive work has enlivened the pages of MAD since 1955. To date he has pickled three generations of American kids in the brine of satire, and continues to bring millions of childhoods to untimely ends with the knowledge that parents are hypocrites, teachers are dummies, politicians are liars, and life isn’t fair.
Jaffee’s work for MAD has made him a cultural icon, but the compelling and at times bizarre story of his life has yet to be told. A synopsis of Jaffee’s formative years alone reads like a comic strip of traumatic cliff-hangers with cartoons by Jaffee and captions by Freud. Six-year-old Jaffee was separated from his father, uprooted from his home in Savannah, Georgia, and transplanted by his mother to a shtetl in Lithuania, a nineteenth-century world of kerosene lamps, outhouses, physical abuse, and near starvation. He would be rescued by his father, returned to America, taken yet again by his mother back to the shtetl, and once again rescued by his father, even as Hitler was on the march.
When he finally settled back in America as a twelve-year-old wearing cobbled shoes and speaking his native English with a Yiddish accent, schoolmates called him “greenhorn.” He struggled with challenges at least as great as those he had met in Europe. His luck changed, however, when he was chosen to be a member of the first class to attend New York City’s High School of Music and Art. There his artistic ability saved him.
He would go on to forge relationships with Stan Lee, Harvey Kurtzman, and Will Elder, launching a career that would bring him to MAD magazine. There he found himself at the forefront of a movement that would change the face of humor and cartooning in America.
A cliff-hanger of a life deserves a page-turner of a biography, and that is what Mary-Lou Weisman and Al Jaffee have delivered.
It’s Friday
A collection of amusing diversions to finish the week:
Friend of Your It List, and all-around great guy, Jeff Newelt (aka Jah Furry), participates in a meta-interview with the protagonist of web comic Red Light Properties over at Comics Alliance.
The Khan Academy continues to pump out excellent, free videos in their effort to educate the masses. I assume that you, like I, remember everything there is to know about the Calvin Cycle, but what can you recall about Napoleon’s peninsular campaigns?:
Lastly, if you haven’t watched the following video, you haven’t really lived. As the Huffington Post reports, “Councilman Phil Davison of Minerva, Ohio made a fiery speech at Wednesday evening’s Stark County Republican Party’s executive committee meeting to select a nominee to run for Stark County treasurer.” As I report, Phil Davison somehow managed to channel the late Chris Farley’s Matt “Van Down by the River” Foley character, as interpreted by Bill Murray. Prepare to have your world rocked.
Uniqlo Fifth Avenue: September 9, 2010 Edition
As promised, we’re keeping you apprised of every development in the Uniqlo Fifth Avenue saga. As you can see from the photos below, the official logo is now in place, assuring that this really will be the gigantic Uniqlo store we were promised. Until now, all we could do was hope that this wasn’t just another ruse perpetrated by the mainstream media. Time for a deep sigh of relief.
Uniqlo Fifth Avenue: September 3, 2010 Edition
Ever since the news broke that Uniqlo was taking over the huge former Brooks Brothers flagship store at 666 Fifth Avenue, the Your It List office has been eagerly anticipating any and all progress. Since we’re less than a quarter block away from the new location, we’re all trying to find ways to finagle a big raise before it opens. Running out for a soup at lunch will now turn in to a soup and a pair of selvedge jeans (and probably a pair of HeatTech long johns, too).
There doesn’t seem to be an official opening date set, but at a reported $20 million a year lease, I’m guessing the Uniqlo folks will want to start moving product out the door before too long.
Until then, we promise to bring you all the latest construction developments as soon as we see them (and we’ll be watching closely). For now, enjoy these glamor shots from the corner of Fifth Ave and 55th Street.
Writing with a Real Clown
We asked Thomas Scott McKenzie, co-author of the just-released THE MAN BEHIND THE NOSE by Larry “Bozo” Harmon, what it was like to work side-by-side with the legendary entertainer. McKenzie, unsurprisingly, had some amusing tales from his collaboration with the late Harmon.
I got a call from a writer friend.
“I’ve just heard the most amazing, most outrageous story ever,” he said. “This tops anything an interview subject has told me.”
My buddy built a career on writing about notorious rock stars and porn performers. All of his subjects were self-admitted drug abusers of legendary proportions. And this tale topped them all? What kind of degenerate, axe-wielding, master of mayhem was he going to tell me about?
“I have three words for you: Bozo. The. Clown.”
And with that began my time in the big top universe of the world’s most famous clown and Larry Harmon, the driving force behind the icon.
At first, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. As a country boy who grew up in the boonies, I was lucky to see any television at all, and that was if the weather was just right and you delicately grasped the antennae at a precarious angle. So I didn’t watch The Bozo Show during my childhood years. I remember seeing the WGN version of the show broadcast on their nationwide superstation when I would visit relatives lucky enough to have cable television. But I didn’t know much more about him than the obvious characteristics of a big red wig, big floppy shoes, and so forth.
In spite of my ignorance of the character, there was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to co-author Larry Harmon’s book. Bozo is as pure a piece of Americana as baseball or apple pie or hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Any writer would be thrilled at such an opportunity.
In real life, Larry was as you might expect the world’s most famous clown to be: funny, amusing, and full of energy. But there were surprises. For example, he was intensely detail-oriented. On one version of the manuscript, I formatted some text to appear in red font.
“That’s the wrong shade of red,” he said. “It needs to be deeper, and yet more bright.” (more…)
All the news that’s fit to animate
When I received my first link to the Steven Slater CGI animation, a day after the new broke, I was impressed and intrigued by the quick turnaround time. Sure it wasn’t Pixar-worthy, but it wasn’t half bad, either. There was something satisfying about seeing a relatively realistic recreation of the working man’s Chesley Sullenberger grabbing two beers, dramatically exiting via the emergency slide, and arriving home to the loving arms of his shirtless boyfriend.
After sending the video to a few friends, it didn’t really cross my mind again until I opened the newest issue of Wired magazine. There, in substantial detail, was the story of Jimmy Lai–the tabloid king of China–and his newest venture: Next Media. The studio’s mission is to give us the thrill of video re-enactment when no live tape exists. Apparently I missed one of the studio’s first international hits, an unpolished rendering of the Tiger Woods car-crash incident. Since that rudimentary effort, however, Next Media has refined their skills, and the more recent offerings are quite sleek considering their less-than-24-hour turnaround time.
Here’s the video that launched Next Media onto the world stage: Tiger’s trials and tribulations:
Visit their official YouTube page for the full collection. May I recommend the hilarious Snookie vid, featuring a fantasy sequence of our favorite Jersey Shore cast member assaulting the the President over the tanning tax?
If he dares wear short shorts
As a straight man who enjoys the freedom of a pair of high and tight swimming trunks, I was heartened by recent news that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick favors Speedos over “the surfer ones.” I have no problem with baggy surfer trunks, as long as you’re actually catching waves in Oahu or Malibu; but if the only thing you’re catching is sun poisoning at the Soho House pool deck, ditch the cargo-trunks. Somewhere along the line American men abandoned the more flattering trunks that prototypical manly men like Paul Newman (you know, the guy who, at age 80, could drive a car faster, pick up more women, and make better salad dressing than you in your prime) used to sport in their day, in exchange for the current crop of amorphous bathing sacks.
There’s still time to reverse the trend this summer. Check out these alternatives to the modern American monstrosities:
These Apolis Classic swim trunks ($99) are a good gateway for guys who aren’t ready to jump straight from those roomy board shorts into the world of the banana hammock. They have a slim, above-the-knee cut, but you’ll still feel fully-covered enough to play a vigorous game of paddle ball.
Once you’ve gotten accustomed to the slimmer look of your new Apolis, these retro trunks from LA-based Lightning Bolt are a logical next step. Their designs are still surf-inspired, but the 1970s cut is more Hawai’i Five-O than Jersey shore-style bro-trunks:
When you’re ready to take the plunge into full-on Daniel Craig territory, this square cut trunk from Tulio will send a message that you’re confident in your manhood, without landing you in Borat-territory.
Special Offer: Judah Friedlander signed bookplate
On October 5, 2010, Judah Friedlander’s magnum opus: HOW TO BEAT UP ANYBODY: An Instructional and Inspirational Karate Book by The World Champion will finally be available wherever books are sold. Until then, you’ll have to use your own methods of self-preservation when confronted with assailants with 3 arms, subway gangs, ninjas, Bigfoots, and dinosaurs.
If you value your personal safety, you certainly won’t want to be the last chump on your block to get your hands on this indispensable manual. That’s why we’ve created this limited-time offer for anyone who pre-orders a copy of HOW TO BEAT UP ANYBODY.
Here’s how it works:
The first 1,000 people to email a copy of their pre-order confirmation for HOW TO BEAT UP ANYBODY from any U.S. based online retailer to Judah@HarperCollins.com will receive a free bookplate signed by The World Champion, Judah Friedlander.
Here are the two easy steps:
1.) Visit this link and place a pre-order of HOW TO BEAT UP ANYBODY from any of the listed online retailers, or any other U.S.-based online retailer of your choice.
2) Forward your book order confirmation email to Judah@HarperCollins.com by 12:00 pm (Eastern) November 5, 2010.
At the top of the email, include your full name, email address, phone number (for shipping purposes) and the mailing address to where the free signed bookplate should be shipped. The bookplate will be sent only to a valid United States mailing address. No bookplates will be shipped outside the United States. Offer valid only for orders placed before the official on-sale date of October 5, 2010.
To hold you over until you can get Judah’s book in your hands, enjoy this inspirational video:
This offer is valid though November 5, 2010 at 5:00 PM EST, while supplies last. No requests will be accepted after this time. Limited to one free bookplate per customer. Void wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Signed book plates are not available for purchase, but their estimated value is approximately $0.01.
