Daily news and updates by Proprietor James Sime & the Isotope Staff
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Whitney Matheson & Tim Sale USAToday & Isotope Present: San Francisco Pop Candy Meet-Up w/ Featured Celebrity Guest... Tim Sale, Artist of Heroes!
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The Isotope Communique
James Sime's Mobile Twitter Feed - click here for more Twitter Feed Loading... Labels: culture, movies, noir, San Francisco
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
 Gus Van Sant Now Open Casting Milk: The Harvey Milk Story I'm sure many of you San Franciscans already know that director Gus Van Sant is doing a new film about the glorious life and tragic death of politician and activist Harvey Milk. We here at the Isotope certainly approve of a big Hollywood production dedicated to one of SF's most well-loved sons and have liked several of this director's flicks in the past... but what's even more exciting is they are holding an open casting call for local folks who want to be part of the movie!  click to enlarge Get your 8-by-10 headshots ready and read more about this open casting call over at Yelp and on Craigslist here. Best of luck! Labels: culture, Harvey Milk, movies, San Francisco
Thursday, November 08, 2007
 Cool Shirts, Kooky Vinyl Toys, Crazy Pillows, & MoreThe Rickshaw Stop Hosts Gama-Go's Annual Sale Hooray, it's that time of year already! Right down the street from the Isotope front door, The Rickshaw Stop is once again hosting the glorious Gama-Go super annual sale this coming Saturday. The Gama-Go company is responsible for wonderful things like Deathbot Shiva t-shirts, Ninja Kitty wristbands, Panda-monium hoodies, wiener dog purses, designer vinyl toys, and cool utterly ridiculous pillows like this and this and this (you can tell I like those pillows, can't you?). No doubt you've seen many of these nifty Japanophile shirts on sexy nerds and nerdettes out and about the SF day-and-night life, and here's your chance to scoop up all sorts of hot nerdy fashions for yourselves. After you're done stocking up, swing by the Isotope and show us what you scored, won't you? Gama-Go Shop Till You Drop @ The Rickshaw Stop 155 Fell St @ Van Ness Saturday, November 10th more info here Labels: culture, fashion, San Francisco
Saturday, November 03, 2007
 The Monsters of Electro-PopAmazing Freezepop Hits SF Drop everything you are doing, throw away your evening plans, and prepare to deep-fry your brain in the hot electro-pop oil of one of the greatest live music acts ever, San Francisco! Detonate the fuse on your internal ecstasy detector when the vocorder hits and twin keytar playing dynamos stalk the stage, quiver in undiluted joy as sub-zero thumping rhythm machines vibrate your body in that dirty, dirty way you secretly love so much, fill your childlike glee cup over-flowing and beyond as you piston pogo bounce and centrifuge spin your way through a crowd of grinning, fabulously stylish nerds... you won't soon forget as Freezepop beep boops and clicks uncut pleasure down into dilithium crystals of pure happiness. And all for you. Freezepop for ever. And ever. And ever. And ever.  Freezepop @ 12 Galaxies 2565 Mission Street Saturday, November 3rd www.freezepop.com Labels: culture, Freezepop, music, shows
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Instead of going to the Castro and getting hauled off to jail this year, why not spend your Halloween in high Isotope style? click to enlarge This year we've teamed up with our friends at the world's greatest newspaper The Onion, the best band in the entire city Triple Cobra, the non-speaking order of the Grande Chartreuse monastery who make the fabulous Chartreuse Liquor, the crazy gentlemen behind B-Minus Comics, and our all-time favorite cable access horror hostess Ms. Monster! This is going to be absolutely legendary. Monster Mosh 2007 @ 12 Galaxies 2565 Mission St (@ 21st) Wednesday, October 31st. Doors at 8:30pm Labels: Aaron Farmer, contests, costumes, culture, events, Halloween, Marc Nordstrom, Ms Monster, San Francisco, shows, The Onion, Triple Cobra
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
 Enslaving Television, The Media, The City...The Lovely Ms. Monster Conquers All! Ah, yes. We do love our Ms. Monster here at the Isotope! Many of you already know our favorite blue-skinned beauty who has been a multi-time featured Isotope guest star during our Eric Powell's Monster Mash-Up party and from our world premiere Hel On Ice screening or from hosting her annual Shock It To Me filmfests at the Castro Theatre. For those of you who don't already know this vivacious vixen, well... that's about to change. Like the hundreds of hungry TV execs, cigar-chomping Hollywood producers, and garden-variety barflys before you, you too will soon fall under the intoxicating spell this captivating cadaver of inescapable enchantment weaves. Of course, we here at the Isotope are going to do our part by throwing a Halloween party with her, the best band in the city, our friends at The Onion, and B-Minus Comics... which is shaping up to look like the SF Bay Area Halloween event of 2007. Mark your calendars! But even more exciting is how Ms. Monster is laughing all the way to the blood bank recently as a contestant on the not-yet-aired Search for the Next Elvira TV show. Will the blue-hued horror hostess take the crown or will she flame-out along with the other hopefuls? Not even we know! But what we do know is that the first episode of this show is available in advanced form on iTunes, right now before this show's premiere on the 13th... and it's absolutely 100% free of charge! Go, download now, people! Ms. Monster on Search for the Next Elvira www.msmonster.com Labels: Aaron Farmer, culture, Elvira, horror, Marc Nordstrom, Ms Monster, Triple Cobra, tv
Monday, October 01, 2007
 The Isotope proudly presents a one-night film fest featuring the legendary cinematic historian, b-movie poster curator, exploitation auteur director, and trash film connoisseur Jacques Boyreau! Author of two of the swingin' sexiest must-have coffee table books ever printed, Trash: The Graphic Genius of Xploitation Movie Posters and the stunning The Male Mystique: Men's Magazine Ads of the 1960s and '70s as well as the cinematic whitesploitation visionary behind the anti-classics Planet Manson, I Do, I Die, and the science fiction LSD epic Candy Von Dewd, Boyreau is invading the Isotope with a 13 foot movie screen and hundreds of reels of lost b-movie exploitation cinema gems. You'd better believe I am looking forward to this! Also be sure to also check out Boyreau's Super Trash Peepshow slideshowing and talk featuring vintage artwork from trash films and other forms of disreputable pop culture at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts the following night. You know where I'll be! Labels: culture, events, exploitation, Jacques Boyreau, movies, ridiculous
Thursday, September 27, 2007
 The Best Weekend All Year LongSo Much To Do, So Little Time! Wow, what a phenomenal weekend we're going into here in SF! I've seen a whole lot of folks in from out of town in the past two days so if you're in from out of town... "welcome" and I'm giving you all a high-five for having excellent timing! So, what's going down during the best weekend all year long in the greatest city on Earth? SF Love Parade & After-Party - We all know that San Francisco is without a doubt America's most open-minded city, so it was naturally the first choice to host the American version of Berlin's world-famous Love Parade. This massive parade and street party down the city's main thoroughfare of Market Street and culminates in a gigantic outdoor festival at the end of the route. Right out in front of city hall (that's how we do it in San Francisco, baby)! Not to be missed. ArtCar Fest 2007 - The largest congregation of crazy, beautiful, goofy, and brain-meltingly outrageous ArtCars on the entire coast! You haven't truly lived until you've cast your peepers on jaw-dropping automotive glories like Ripper the Friendly Shark, Cowasaki, The Mirror Image, and the gothic majesty of the you-have-got-to-see-it-to-believe-it Carthedral. There just isn't anything more wonderful than seeing these beauties rolling down SF streets. 6th Annual Docfest - San Francisco's famed documentary film fest is one of my favorite reasons to snuggle down into a movie theater seat, scarf popcorn by the handful, and get hypnotized by the silver screen. This year's flicks include American Scary which answers all those burning questions you have about great TV horror hosts and hostesses of yesteryear, Luchando a flick about sex-working hustlers in Cuba's gay underground, What Would Jesus Buy? a cross country anti-consummerism bus ride with Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, El Mechanico Loco the highly praised look at a punk rock hotrod racing team, and the downright awful sounding Absolute Zero, a flick about a railway worker freezing to death trapped inside a refrigerated cooler car full of animal carcasses. I'll definitely be checking out a few of these! Folsom Street Fair - The quintessential San Francisco street fair! This event is always one of the most fun of all of the crazy events we have here in SF, and this year the organizers have upped the ante with the addition of an "erotic artists' alley" full of some of our favorite local comic creators including Justin Hall, Steve MacIssac, and Drub. I've gotta give the Folsom Street Fair a standing ovation for showing so much appreciation to the art form of cartooning this year. Nice! And lest we forget the very best thing happening all weekend... JH Williams III @ the Isotope - Oh, I'm completely biased, I know! But seriously, who wouldn't want to come to the world's sexiest comic book store to meet one of the greatest living masters of the comics artform? One look at Mister Williams work on Promethea, Desolation Jones or his current run on Batman will get you just as mouth-foamingly manic about his art as we all are! Labels: culture, events, JH Williams III, movies, music, ridiculous, San Francisco, shows
Thursday, August 30, 2007
 Peaches Christ Happy Hour Madnessand Barbarella on the Big Screen I honestly can't think of a more wonderful way to indulge in utter fabulousness than tonight's double-feature of entirely unrelated camp nightlife content... Peaches Christ's Hellraiser Happy Hour at Mix Bar in celebration of a decade of the diva's decadence as hostess to SF's legendary Midnight Mass movie series and Barbarella playing at the Red Vic! What more needs to be said about Barbarella that hasn't already been said? 1968's high-camp schlock magnum opus is perhaps the greatest comic-to-movie-adaptation ever made and is essential viewing for those who love their sci-fi on the sexy, un-intellectual side. Starring a bubble-headed fur-feather-and-leather covered Jane Fonda (pulse racing! knees getting weak!), the ultra-potent combination of this flick and Alex Raymond's gorgeous Flash Gordon comics made quite the impression on me as a young lad... and what a sweet zero-gravity mind-warping for my young brain to get! Indulge thyself in these many scenes from the original comic by Jean-Claude Forest, sneak over to YouTube to check out the original movie trailer, or feast your eyes on this ultimate psychedelic sci-fi sex comedy on the big screen later tonight. And don't forget to go show Peaches your happy hour love too! Barbarella @ Red Vic Theater 1727 Haight Street @ Shrader St Thursday, August 30th redvicmoviehouse.com Labels: Barbarella, comics, culture, movies, Peaches Christ, ray guns, ridiculous, San Francisco
Monday, August 27, 2007
Croquet, champagne, little sandwiches, cupcakes, pate... what a nice weekend!      The 2007 All-Star Sutro Heights Park Croquet Invitational organized by the wonderful Kate McMillan. See the photos and championship results here UPDATE: "Comic Nerd All-Star Game of Croquet" - it's the news that's sweeping the nation! Labels: croquet, culture, ridiculous, San Francisco
Thursday, August 16, 2007
 Yes, I really did want to go see the Dead Channels screening of The Devil Dared Me To, the nearly semi-true movie of New Zealand's most dangerous stuntman. Because honestly, the trailers make that look like one of the greatest movies ever made!But as good as that admittedly looks, tonight we celebrate 30th anniversary of the passing of The King with Will the Thrill, Monica Tiki Goddess, Cari Lee & the Saddle-Ites, fried peanut butter and nanner sammiches, and a showing of a brilliant, classic flick starring two of the sexiest stars ever to grace the silver screen. That's right, I'm talking about Thrillville's 30th Anniversary Elvis D-Day Party! Featuring the crown jewel of 1964 cinema... Viva Las Vegas. Oh, Elvis and Ann-Margret, watching you two dance together makes my heart go pitter-patter!  click to enlarge www.thrillville.net Labels: Ann-Margret, culture, Elvis, movies, Thrillville
Friday, August 10, 2007
 Jupiter Love, Spider Baby, Crimes of the FutureThe Devil Dared Me To, & Zero Population Growth One only has to peek into the future of Isotope events to get an idea how much my staff and I appreciate the low-rent trashy b-movie flicks that bring out the freaks and fill the screens with horror, sci-fi, and experimental oddities at midnight movie festivals. So you can imagine how much we're looking forward to Dead Channels - the San Francisco Festival of Fantastic Film starting this weekend. Dystopian future worlds, Albert Einstein's lost journal, hypnotic seductive powers in a drug-infested underworld, flesh-munching undead, New Zealand's greatest living stuntman, supernatural terrors on the loose, strange hallucinations and bodily manipulations, hormone-charged teenagers, an extralegal Gaijin Attack Team, men-in-rubber-suit monster mayhem, high-octane races through classic American car culture, mad dermatologists unleashing cosmetic-spread epidemics that kill every post-pubertal women. the US premiere of notoriously hated director Uwe Boll's latest stinker, and the classic television movie that scared the living Hell out of an entire generation of impressionable latch-key kids... there's something for everybody in this mix of classics and fresh flicks! G'wan and check out the movie trailers, show times, celebrity special guests, and other high-weirdness hitting silver screens citywide. You know you want to! I'll be at several of these screenings myself (Z.P.G. is a must-see) and so should you. Dead Channels Film Fest Labels: cartoons, culture, movies, San Francisco, zombies
Monday, July 09, 2007
 The Batmobile Limo, Japanese TV, Jane Wiedlin, SDCC, Energy Drink BBQ, & Eric Powell's Face! Wow, I had no idea it had been that long since I last posted up one of these... bad James, bad! For those of you who like trolling the strange and unlikely corners of the internet, the Isotope Mailbag Link-a-Palooza is a collection of information superhighway roadside detritus sent in by our readers for your exploring pleasure. Be sure to pack plenty of emergency rations in case you get lost! Isotope amigo Steve Nelson has gone completely bats for the Batmobile! First up are these three gorgeous pictures of The Bat Limo, then a link to an article about a three-way Batmobile lawsuit, and Steve also shares with us a link to the Batmobile Customizers Forum where car and Batman geeks show off their very own homemade Batmobiles. Holy hot wheels, Batman! Heavy in Minneapolis points our browsers back to the amazing world of Bevnet, where the beverage industry turns to get their daily news, gossip, and reviews. "The fourth of July always gets America's grills cooking, and I know you guys know about Beer Can Chicken already. But do you know about Bevnet's taste test of Energy Drinks up-the-ass BBQ chicken?" Heavy, baby, you crack me up! Shannon always makes sure we're up on the comic industry goodstuff, and just today she wrote in to give a heads-up that the full San Diego Comic Con schedule is finally up. Thanks Shannon! And while we're talking about comic industry goodness, I loved reading fellow retailer Lee Hester's write up on the early years of his shop Lee's Comics. Lee is one of my favorite people in all of comics and his look back on 25 years of retailing is great reading. Read Part One and also check out Part Two. Reader Steven B once again rocks my in-box with the oddly wonderful. This time he's got clips from some of the greatest Japanese tv shows I've ever seen... with almost no groin damage (thanks for that Steven)! First up is the wonderful Japanese Rube Goldberg Championships, followed up by a nifty show that showcases mind-blowing creativity and more mind-blowing creativity. For those of you who like your shows a bit more physical, I absolutely loved watching this one. Television this fun makes me want to runaway to Tokyo! I suppose some folks might think it's odd the things people send in for the Isotope Mailbag Link-a-Palooza, but me, I love the "more than just comics" stuff we get! And this one goes out to J who I gave my Big Book O' Beer to and I know will appreciate it. Reader Catherine C thinks we all should learn more about small-batch Bourbon and how it's made. She points us to a really great series of Bourbon-making videos from the Heaven Hill Distillery and a beginner's guide to Bourbon whiskey. Just in case you always liked leather be-pants Han Solo more than Princess Leia, now R2-D2 can project anything you want. Seriously, who doesn't love some leather pants? Thanks for the link Mark! Knowing how much my staff and I love all those slightly obscure silly characters in comics (especially the ones with gigantic heads), Isotope amigo Brian C writes in "Why haven't you linked to the M.O.D.O.K. blog yet? And where's that picture of you guys dressed up like Advanced Idea Mechanics agents?" Here you go complete with the Cosmic Cube, Brian... and for as bonus howabout A.I.M. shows Galactus where to get a snack? Joel Gausten, who I started a correspondence with thanking him for a great little book on the Misfits I really enjoyed and has also just published a book about Prong's early years which I recently ordered, writes in to let me know he's got interviews up with Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, Public Image Limited bassest Pete Jones, and Ministry second-in-command Chris Connelly. Joel's interviews are always wonderfully informative and fascinating, so I definitely think you should check 'em out. And let's end this massive trip around the internet by talking once more about the wonderful world of comics, shall we...? Our South bay amigo Jeremy points us to the cost of 100 Bullets cover artist Dave Johnson's gallbladder removal, wow! Thank god he has insurance! And on a more amusing note, Isotope Enforcer Jared Guenther points out that comic artist Tony Moore has made a mask of Eric Powell's face and is telling the industry to "download, print, snip and start taking your very own pictures of THE GOON's Eric Powell in compromising positions!" And last but certainly not least... from the you-heard-it-here-first department: the oh-so glamorous Jane Wiedlin is going to be doing the Eisner Awards ceremony this year! Seriously, what could be better? Want to be part of a future Isotope Mailing Bag Link-a-Palooza? Send those crazy links to my address! For those who are still hungry to dig even deeper on these internet backroads, check out previous mailbag installments here, here, here, and here.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Did someone say Autobots vs. Decepticons Transformers Beer Pong? Oh, I think they might have! No way in hell am I going to miss that! Click flyer for more details. Labels: culture, ridiculous, Transformers
Saturday, June 30, 2007
  Bumperboy & Bumperpup Shirt by Debbie Huey. Sequential art accessories by Little Lit. Foodstains by Crepe House. Smile by Isotope.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
 I took a well-deserved couple days off from information superhighwaying so this news is a couple days old, but the Isotope would like to send out our congratulations to Larry & Mimi for the newest addition to the AIT/PlanetLar family... Walker Douglas Young!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
 Pride weekend hits San Francisco! If you're here in the city you are going to want to see Pansy Division play and check out some of the many happenings. And for your listening pleasure, our amigo DJ Bearzbub is podcasting a Pride weekend mix to get your backside shaking (check it out here). www.sfpride.org Labels: Bearzbub, culture, podcasts, San Francisco
Monday, June 18, 2007
 Get Your Votes In Today& Let Your Voice Be Heard It's common knowledge that we here at the Isotope we're big supporters of the democratic process. Along with our friends at Rock The Vote we launched the Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris series Ex Machina with a voter registration drive and followed it up with a very cool get out and vote campaign to reward those who are doing their part to make their voices heard. Because taking time to vote is something we truly believe in. With that in mind, today I'm giving you this reminder to get your votes in for the SF Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay Reader's Poll. In a city as teeming with wonderful businesses like SF is, it is truly an huge honor to be recognised by your customers and colleagues. The Isotope has been lucky enough to have been honored as SF's "Best Comic Book Store" for four years running, thanks to people like you who took the time to fill out a ballot and show us your love for what we do. Honestly, it's brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion and I couldn't thank you all more. But filling out that massive on-line form can be a bit daunting, so for those folks who need some suggestions of other folks to vote for my staff and I kindly suggest considering the following small businesses that we feel strongly offer a beyond-the-exceptional experience and help make the Bay Area the unique and appealing place that it is: Food & Drink "Best Small Plates" Limon "Best Late-Night Restaurant" Sauce "Best Splurge Restaurant" Sauce "Best Independent Coffeehouse" Blue Bottle Coffee "Best Selection of Beers" Speakeasy Brewery Entertainment & Nightlife "Best Museum" Cartoon Art Museum "Best Rock Club" Bottom of the Hill "Best Happy Hour" Jade Bar "Best Dive Bar" The Expansion "Best Indie Band" Triple Cobra "Best DJ" DJ Bearzbub "Best Burlesque Act" Glitzkrieg Burlesque Shopping "Best Independent Bookstore" Borderlands Books "Best Used Bookstore" Green Apple Books "Best Clothing Store (Men's)" Harry O. Menswear "Best Local Designer" Dark Garden "Best Furniture Store" Inside Modern "Best Independent Toy Store" Kid Robot "Best Quirky Specialty Store" The Pirate Store @ 826 Valencia City Living "Best Local Blog" SFist "Best Tattoo Artist" Tex "Best Tattoo Shop" Body Manipulations "Best Place for a Haircut" Hair of the Gods "Best Local Record Label" Fat Wreck Chrods My staff and I encourage all our friends and family to get their voices heard for 2007. Voting ends on June 27th at 5pm so don't delay, get those votes in people! SF Bay Guardian 2007 Reader's Poll Labels: culture, San Francisco, SF Bay Guardian
Friday, June 15, 2007
 Seen A Million Faces & Scooped 'Em All! Regular readers of the Isotope Communique will know that here at the Isotope information soda fountain when we put on our paper hats and reach into the deep freeze, we're going scoop hard to fill your cone overflowing with that which you can't find anywhere else. Remember how your taste buds jumped with chocolate sprinkle delight when we showed you pictures of Japan's Sin City hotel weeks before anyone in the comic industry even noticed? Or how about the surprise wafflecone of Cartoon Network Mexico's return of El Santo? Or the whipped cream topped scoop of rockstar Pink ripping off comic artist Martin Emond? Or the jumbo rootbeer float of Dave Johnson's Secret Sketchbook? Or what about the supersized multiscoop sundaes of all those great exclusive comic sneak peeks we always do? We say, let the others snooze with their runny vanilla softserve worlds... we'll keep scoopin! While it does indeed take other folks time to catch up sometimes, we wouldn't want the rest of the funnybook industry to feel bad about it. Even the most popular megamedia sites on the entire internet are scrambling to keep up with our ice cream dishing prowess... as seen here when Pitchfork finally picks up on a story we broke last month.  Don't worry comic industry, I'm sure the Newsaramas, the Lying In The Gutters, The Beats, the Journalistas, the Beaucoup Kevins, and the Boing Boings will be filling your cones with this news eventually! Van Halen - "Ice Cream Man" (Live) Labels: culture, glory, Jamie Hewlett
Saturday, June 09, 2007
 SF's Super Sexy Art Gallery Plays HostTo Zombie Marionettes & Babies in Jars I'm pretty sure most of you already know this, but Isotope Enforcer Jared Guenther's other job is doing special effects and make-up for indy films. Between assisting SFX legend Bob Keene (Hellraiser, Alien, Star Wars), bloodying up soldiers in the WW2 epic Brother's War, making dead-babies-in-jars for Carnies (as well as legions of fans around the world), mutilating crime scene investigators with burning devil-children in Fallen Angels, and his many other acts of random SFX like turning me ugly/beautiful... Mister Guenther always seems to have his hands full making disgusting things.  This last Thursday SF's ultra-hip Space Gallery played host to the Toil & Trouble art exhibition featuring the props, costumes, creepy puppets, and production art from Jared's latest indy flick Story About A Witch (watch the trailer here). Jared wowed the assembled throngs with his siamese twin babies in jars and a really wonderful zombie marionette. I drank a bunch of mojitos, ate some fantastic cheesecake, skipped the kissing booth, and took a ton of pictures which are now up for your viewing enjoyment at Flickr. Fantastic times! Go ahead and check out the pictures from the Toil & Trouble show Labels: culture, glory, Jared Guenther, San Francisco
Friday, June 01, 2007
 An Amusing Tale of Hair & ComicsFrom My Morning Commute I know some folks hate those short train or bus or car rides that most of us have to make in order to get to work each day, but not me. I couldn't enjoy my morning and evening-time commutes more. My car might be gorgeous and true bliss out on the open road, but in terms of the daily commute it's not something I want to just wear out driving in rush hour traffic, so even on those occasions that it's running perfectly I prefer to take the train. The people-watching is fun, but even better, I tend to get a lot of funnybook reading done on those trips. And it's public transportation, amusing stories and public transportation go hand-in-hand! This morning as I was boarding the belly of the beast and walking to an open seat a young boy began bouncing in his chair waving his finger at me in that excitable way that ten year old boys do. "Mom! Mom! Ohmygod, lookit! Lookit the hair! The hair!" Trying not to laugh, I sat down in the seat behind this youngster and his mom. He quickly spun around to get a better look... and to get to the bottom of the mystery of the hair. "Oh, hi! How do you get your hair to look like that?" He asked with wide eyes and as fast as humanly possible. "I want... I want mine to look just like that!" I cracked a grin and replied "Well, you need to read a lot of comic books." "COOL!" he shouted, "Mom, didja hear that? Didja?! I have to read comic books, I HAVE TO READ COMIC BOOKS!" Labels: comics, culture, San Francisco
Friday, May 25, 2007
 A quick head-up to all my Isotope amigos:I'll be down in LA this weekend, rubbing shoulders with thousands of droids, sandpeople, wookies, and slave princess Leias for the biggest jedi-con the world has ever known... the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Birthday Bash. I'll be hanging out with my friends Rock & Roll Marc and Whitney Matheson, and if you're there too dressed up as one of my favorite robots, aliens, or sexy space chicks stop and say "hi"... that is, unless you're Homeless Chewbacca I saw and smelled enough of that guy at San Diego Comic Con last year to last a lifetime! I'm coming home with lots of pictures!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
 The Hewlett's Gone From Tank Girl to GorillazAnd Now That You're Warmed Up, Baby... Since the first issue of Deadline magazine hit the stands I've been a big fan of artist/designer Jamie Hewlett. You'll know Hewlett from his awesome work on Tank Girl or for the supersexy virtual band Gorillaz. But with the Gorillaz on hiatus and Tank Girl getting a relaunch with a new artist we couldn't help but wonder what Mister Hewlett has been up to these days. Turns out, he's been up to more than you might suspect! There's Monkey: Journey to the West, a re-working of the ancient Chinese legend into a massive performance combining Cirque Du Solei acrobatics and animated film. This show reunites Hewlett and his Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn, with Albarn providing the score while Hewlett will design the set, animations and costumes. The show also promises 45 Chinese circus acrobats, Shaolin monks and Chinese vocalists! If you're thinking about catching the world premiere next month and making me incredibly jealous, check out more details here. Hewlett art also popped up and on the walls of one of London's most popular new night/sexclubs Kabaret Prophecy. For those Hewlett fans who either live too far away to pop in or those who are afraid of such places here's some interior shots of the club for your viewing pleasure. But perhaps the most interesting place to find Mister Hewlett's art showing up these days is on a series of ultraswanky limited-edition sex toys made in conjunction with Kabaret Prophecy. Yep, you read that right... Jamie Hewlett vibrators! Check 'em out, but be warned you might be exposed to some cartoon naughty bits!        (click to *ahem* enlarge) From the brochure The Ultimate Member Collection distills the ethos of this renowned luxury nightclub into charismatic objects of desire. Each Ultimate Member Limited is part of a limited edition of 1500 pieces. There's been some disagreement among the IsoStaff about whether we think any Hewlett fan should actually use a limited-to-1500 $275 sex toy. Personally, I think Jared's in the wrong on this one... life is short, Jamie Hewlett would want you to indulge yourself in your objects of desire! Find out more information about these here Labels: culture, Jamie Hewlett
Sunday, May 20, 2007
 We Do Just About Everything& SFist Does Brubaker @ Isotope Members of the IsoStaff and I kicked off the weekend with big fat mouth-watering plates of Senegalese food at The Little Boabab, some very stiff drinks at The Make-Out Room, and just a pinch of boogie at the always-cheesy Beauty Bar, followed it up quite nicely with a terrific in-store event with Ed Brubaker, and rounded out the weekend with an early morning Bay To Breakers walk across the city with sleazy Elvises, sexy stewardesses, Stormtroopers in drag, and our pink-adorned ass-shaking amigos of The Deep End and their amazing Porta-Party. And if my Sunday couldn't get sweeter, our friends at San Francisco's best culture/entertainment/news/politics blog SFist dealt my weekend out a straight flush with a massive write-up on our in-store event with Ed Brubaker. Nice!  Cocktails With The Man Who Killed America (er, Captain America) on SFist Labels: culture, Ed Brubaker, San Francisco, SFist
Friday, May 18, 2007
 Asian Art Museum Hangs The Art Of TezukaFeaturing the Undisputed God of Manga It's no secret that we here at the Isotope consider San Francisco the greatest city on Earth. When there's so darn many interesting things happening all the time, it's a pretty easy case to make. But just in case those reasons aren't enough to feel the love for San Francisco, here's one more... The SF Asian Art Museum is holding an exclusive exhibition of work by Osamu Tezuka. Known as the "god of manga" and the creative genius behind Buddha< Astro Boy, Metropolis, Belladonna, and even that one book that Disney blatantly ripped off. With over 150,000 pages of manga in the course of his career, it's impossible not to be impressed by the man's career and legacy. Here's your first chance to see this major exhibition of more than 200 original drawings and paintings outside of Japan! The Art of Tezuka @ Asian Art Museum 200 Larkin Street (@ Fulton) June 2nd - September 9th More info here Labels: Asian Art Museum, comics, culture, Tezuka
Saturday, May 05, 2007
 He's Bringing Back the Stupidest Batmen EverAnother Post About Why We Love Grant Morrison The most common day-after question we heard from those lucky few hundred of you who had the opportunity to drink screwdrivers with Grant Morrison at the Isotope last year was "Could Grant Morrison be cooler?" If there was any doubt, today we can with supreme confidence tell you the answer to that question is "No, he couldn't." While we certainly adore Mister Morrison as a comic book author and personality for his mind-blowing ideas, deep understanding of the human condition, literary strengths, and the many experiments with the medium that his writing famously reflects. The thing we appreciate most about Morrison is his unabashed fearlessness when it comes to celebrating comics' greatest asset... One look around the Isotope shop or this very website and it's pretty apparant that we're enthralled with the single most wonderful thing about the comics medium and American comic industry as a whole, and that's the manic culture-jam of both high and low art. While some might foolishly think otherwise (as fools are often known to do), comics are snobbery's pure, undiluted Kryptonite in true everyman form. Capable of withering even the mightiest of down-nose-lookers with the tiniest reveal that glorious morsels of unashamed pulp (e.g. Spider-Man) plays in the same sandbox alongside heady works of social importance (e.g. Joe Sacco's Palestine) on a daily basis. This is comics' most superheroic power, and no other writer working in comics today knows and celebrates this more than Grant Morrison. Which is why instead of sweeping them under the rug like the silly mis-shapen things they are, he's bringing back the stupidest D-List Batman also-rans of all time, and commemorating the nexus point of the lowest of pulp and highest of arts combined. And it is this very act of celebration that we think makes Morrison so significant in the world of comic books today. Read about Morrison's up-coming take on those funnybook losers of yesteryear Bat-Hombre, El Gaucho, Chief Man-Of-Bats, Wingman, and more from the man himself over on Wizard's website here. Labels: comics, culture, Grant Morrison, ridiculous
Friday, May 04, 2007
 I Like Food, Food Tastes GoodCrazy Cookbook by Fave Bands I'm not sure whether it's the beautiful San Francisco weather we're having or it's that trio of wonderfully sweet shows the staff just went to... but whatever it is, I've been thinking about ice cream and dessert-y treats all day long. And what better timing could there be than that of an email in my in-box telling me about I Like Food, Food Tastes Good a cool new rock and roll cookbook from Hyperion Books with recipes inspired by songs in 100 different bands' repertoires or real-life road experiences. Named after the classic Descendents song, this book features true works of food preparation art by bands that know how to eat on the road (including NOFX, Death Cab For Cutie, They Might Be Giants, the Violent Femmes, and Shonen Knife). Either this book is very, very cool... or I'm just very hungry! I Like Food, Food Tastes Good: In The Kitchen With Your Favorite Bands by Kara Zuaro. Labels: culture, ridiculous, shows
Friday, April 20, 2007
 Web2.0/Web2Open ConferencePlugging In with the Big Brains The ever-changing landscape of the web has been studied, monetized, experiemnted with, and theorized upon by cutting edge business big brains since the dawn of the internet. And latest holy grail for these folks is what the cool kids are calling "Web 2.0." Don't worry, you won't have to go out and buy a new computer to access this new world of the web, Web2.0 is just a sexy way of describing those socially interactive virally-spreading websites (MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, LiveJournal, etc) that have been eating up all your free time recently. What does this have to do with the Isotope, you might be asking? Imagine, if you will, a convergence of these tech taste makers into the Moscone Center for a week-long Oolong Island human think tank straight out of an issue of DC's 52 comic. That's exactly what the Web2Open and Web 2.0 Expo was. And although your friends at the Isotope aren't exactly Will Magnuses, Web2Open organizers Tara Hunt and Chris Messina thought it might be interesting to put James Sime under the tech industry heat lamp hosting a seminar called "How I Use Web2.0 to Make My Offline Business Kick Ass." The best part? It was the day after he got back from judging the Eisners!  Apparently Sime at least has the hair to hang with these mad scientists of technology... because the talk was very well attended and apparently quite popular. Here's a excerpt from WebProNews.com's report on the event. if it wasn't for Web 2.0 Expo trying a hybrid open source business model with Web2Open, I wouldn't have found it or a way to contribute. One person told me that a session by a guy who runs a comic book store was the best he saw in the event overall. Wouldn't it be interesting if it became a feeder for the big stage. UPDATE: Who'da thunk? Looks like people enjoyed more than just the hair and the suit! The Yahoo Publisher Network Blog has another Web2.0 Expo report which features the talk pretty heavily, calling it "a real breath of fresh air." Sure they got the name wrong, but as long as folks got something out of it all (and spelled the shop's name right), we're happy! Labels: culture, glory, San Francisco, web2.0
Thursday, April 19, 2007
 The Isotope Recommends:An APE Weekend-A-Go-Go Can you feel that? It's your heart racing with the knowledge that we're right on the edge of the best weekend all year here in San Francisco... the weekend of the Alternative Press Expo. We here at the Isotope love APE for far too many reasons to list, but most of all we love APE weekend because it's the weekend that's all about the love for comics. As usual, there's a ton of things going on during APE weekend, as the convention spirit always spreads through the city offering comic creators and fans an excuse to launch gallery shows, set up workshops, and throw parties in celebration of comics. It's easy to fill up your schedule with so much going on, so allow us to select out a few events to recommend. There's some stuff going on at other shops and at a few galleries and cool spots we like as well... but a body can't do everything, so here's our suggestions:  Jeffrey Brown @ Giant RobotOur amigos at Giant Robot kick off APE weekend right with a in-store signing with alt-comix giant Jeffrey Brown. Who would want to miss that? Friday, April 20th Giant Robot Store 618 Shrader @ Haight 6:30pm - 8:30pm  Going Ape!Readings by queer cartoonists Paige Braddock, Abby Denson, Tim Fish, Robert Kirby, and the hilarious Justin Hall. We suggest grabbing yourself some dinner while you're there! Saturday, April 21st 3 Dollar Bill Cafe 1800 Market St @ Octavia 7:00pm - 10:00pm You didn't think we were going to forget to mention our very own APE AFTERMATH, did you?  This event also features the Top Shelf Happy Hour with publisher Brett Warnock, hot tunes from one of our favorite sonic engineers DJ Bearzbub, and two of our former mini-comic award winners... the brilliant Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, and the Eisner Award nominated Danica Novgorodoff. Ah yes... APE weekend! What could be better! Labels: Alternative Press Expo, Bearzbub, Brett Warnock, comics, culture, Danica Novgorodoff, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, events, Isotope Award, Justin Hall, minis, music, San Francisco, Top Shelf Productions
Friday, April 06, 2007
 It's a Big Wheel Time of Year AgainDownhill Danger on Easter Sunday Here at the Isotope we like folks who break out from the pack of do-nothings to throw caution to the wind to embrace the white-hot dangerous stuff of living. Whether they be life's glorified champions or the spectacular crash-and-burners we celebrate the true beauty that is those rare daredevil individuals who steel themselves against the terror of the unknown to blaze down cobblestone trails of their own dangerous making.  Which is why you'll find us this Sunday at one of our favorite annual San Francisco events, BYO Big Wheel. Like a mini Burning Man on the coolest of 80's children's toys, BYO Big Wheel is a reckless white-knuckle high speed race down SF's famous Lombard Street. Watch the video, feel the glory, taste the danger... see you there! More on BYO Big Wheel here Labels: BYO Big Wheel, culture, ridiculous, San Francisco
Thursday, March 15, 2007
 One Evening + Five Tiki Bars = Hilarious Video Footage Ladies and gentlemen, now you can witness with your own two eyes recently declassified footage from the Isotope's WonderCon weekend Tiki Tour with Adam Beechen and iFanboy. Perhaps out best tour of SF tiki bars yet, we packed every island themed retreat we hit, made dozens of new friends and compatriots, and burned through the city streets with a crew of cool comic nerds and nerdettes running 40 deep. Check out the footage from the evening too see some hilarious fruity drink enhanced freudian slips, lots of great Polynesian drinking joints, and your friends from Isotope and iFanboy having one hell of a great time! The boys were also kind enough to jam-pack their WonderCon report with interviews with David Mack, Matt Wagner, Matt Silady, Phil Jimenez, Judd Winick, Mindy Owens, and our featured Tiki Tour guest Adam Beechen. But trust us... you're going to want to watch this video for our Cultural Attaché Josh Richardson's Captain America rant alone.  click to play Brilliant, Mister Richardson. Simply brilliant. Labels: Adam Beechen, culture, iFanboy, Josh Richardson, tiki bars, video, WonderCon
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
 Erotic Electronic AutomatonsFreezepop's Sexy Nerd Pop Freshly popped from electro-pop beat cooker straight to your cerebral cortex, Freezepop fuels up hip dancefloors with boogie inducing whisps of beautiful vibrophonic grooves. Plug into the vocoder voices and bubbling synths backed up by thumping post-punk rhythms and cool new wave beats. The people shall rejoice. Dose your evening with ultra-freshness tonight! Freezepop w/ Sutro & Subimage @ Elbo Room 647 Valencia Street @ 17th St March 7th. Doors at 9:00pm www.freezepop.com
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
No doubt you already know all about the Isotope's plans for WonderCon weekend. So let us introduce you to the creator you'll be touring tiki bars with this Friday night...  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Adam Beechen! Labels: Adam Beechen, culture, events, ridiculous, tiki bars, WonderCon
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
 Tiki Tour w/ Adam BeechenFriday, March 2nd Break out your finest Hawaiian shirts, by extremely popular demand, the Isotope is once again hosting the perfect event for out-of-towners looking to find the coolest spots to drink in SF... our world famous tour of San Francisco tiki bars! Since the ancient days of yore, the great tiki gods above made blessed the beautiful city of San Francisco with such an over-abundance of watering holes of the tiki variety that it makes others weep with fruity cocktail and indoor rainfall envy. And so for half a decade the Isotope honors the great Island Lords by paying tribute upon the bar stools of the city's many tiki bars. Legend tells that those who can complete the tour are granted the wonderous gift of never-hangover. But no man or woman has ever managed to master the great tour of tiki. The brave still try... Our featured guest superstar for this event is comic author Adam Beechen! Beechen is rocking the DCU recently with a smokingly good run on Robin, taking over Teen Titans, and he's one of the architects of the massively hyped and oh-so secret Countdown. Mister Beechen swears to us us that he's not going to reveal the covert details only he and a few others know about DC's massive Countdown mini-series. But can he resist letting those classified secrets slip when the intoxicating power of the Tiki Tour begins flowing through his veins and clouding his judgement? We think not! Enlarge the flyer here. See last year's Tiki Tour here.  J.M. DeMatteis @ IsotopeSaturday, March 3rd The Isotope couldn't be more proud to be flying in Mister DeMatteis especially for this event! Last year's WonderCon celebrations here at the Isotope included the great Grant Morrison, and there is only one man in the entire comic industry who has made a similar career out of defying those same kind of high art/high pulp boundaries of typical comics classifications as Mister Morrison. And that's J.M. DeMatteis. Author of seminal works that redefined what American comics were and are, Mister DeMatteis is one of the industry's only creators who effortlessly walks back and forth across the line between high art and high pulp comics. Among his hundreds of credits DeMatteis is the writer of Moonshadow, Justice League International, Blood: A Tale, Stardust Kid, Dr. Strange: Shamballa, Abadazad, and the incredible Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt. We're thrilled to be celebrating this industry giant who was not only was doing Vertigo a full ten years before there even was a Vertigo, but was also writing the best Spider-Man comic of our lifetimes... at the same time! Enlarge the flyer here. See last year's WonderCon Bash here. For you hundreds of folks in from out of town who want to swing by the shop while you're here, either to attend our Saturday night bash or just to check out the digs, we're always happy to see you. And don't sweat the city driving, WonderCon is a mere 6 blocks from our front door. Click here for the map The Isotope's huge WonderCon Weekend celebrations are co-sponsored by our pod-and-video-casting amigos at iFanboy. Slip on your sexiest gear, fix your hair, and try not to sleep with the staff... your wild weekend is about to be broadcast worldwide! Labels: Adam Beechen, culture, events, JM DeMatteis, podcasts, tiki bars, WonderCon  Labels: Adam Beechen, culture, events, iFanboy, podcasts, tiki bars, WonderCon
Saturday, February 24, 2007
 The Waiting is OverWonderCon 2007 With the way new comic cons have started multiplying like rabbits the past few years deciding which ones to skip and which to attend get more difficult all the time. But we'll always wear our hearts on our sleeves for WonderCon, which has brought us a tremendous amount of fun and joy over the years here at the Isotope. This year's WonderCon boasts a great line-up of creators, including the legendary Gene Colan, Mike Mignola, Matt Wagner, Phil Jimenez, Jim Silke, Pia Guerra, and our amigos Tony Harris, Steve Lieber, JH Williams III, Brian K. Vaughan. As is tradition, we'll once again be hosting a couple of huge after con bashes, which we will be announcing in the next few days. We couldn't be more excited about this year's line up of special guests, and think you'll be very surprised at who they are! For those of you in from out of town, the Isotope is just a short walk from the Moscone Center.  click to enlarge For more information about this convention saunter on over to the official website. Labels: comics, culture, events, WonderCon
Friday, February 23, 2007
 All Female Zeppelin Cover Band?Yeah, Sign Us Up for Zepparella Here's the perfect synchonicity of news item and event. Today's Vail Daily News tells the grim, grim tale of music industry stupidity as Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page & Robert Plant sue a bar for copyright violations for having cover bands play! Wow... we just don't even know what to say. Instead we're cancelling all our previous plans to go see the mighty Zepparella, the all-female Led Zeppelin cover band tonight. If you feel like we do about bands dropping lawsuits on venues that let cover bands like Zepparella play, come join us, won't you? Zepparella with Triple Cobra @ 12 Galaxies 2565 Mission Street @ 22nd St February 23rd. Doors at 9:00pm www.zepparella.com UPDATE: Apparently we're the stupid ones! We've been informed by one our readers that the above story we linked to is nothing but pure sensationalism with big names attached to get people reading the Colorado paper and score some free publicity for the club owners who failed to get a proper ASCAP license. If so... let us offer our apologies out to Misters Plant and Page and a thanks to Tytlane for keeping us on our toes. That'll teach us to drink and blog! Also great show last night!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
 Miller's Science Fiction Samurai EpicNext Up for the Big Screen Treatment With the launch of Frank Miller's 300 imminent it seems logical that we'd be hearing about the next huge comic movie adaptation about now to get us all excited about what's next for those fine Hollywood folks out there. And wouldn't you know it? News of the next Frank Miller adaptation has been leaked... Ronin goes to the big screen. Labels: comics, culture, movies
Friday, February 16, 2007
 You Can Get With This...Or You Can Get With That Before you run out to catch the opening night of Ghost Rider you might want to check the reviews first. Now don't get us wrong, we're definitely going to see this trainwreck if for nothing more than the love of fire, chains, funnybooks, and brilliantly crazy motorcycle stuntmen. But not on opening night, and certainly not when you can see a great movie on the silver screen getting it's world premiere right here at the Isotope!  You can get with this or you can get with that. I think you'll get with this... cause this is where its at. Popcorn's on us! Labels: Bruce Parsons, culture, events, Jeffrey Brown, movies  The Lucha Libre Legend ReturnsCartoon Network Goes Santo Just this week Cartoon Network announced their new line-up for 2007 which includes a new show based on the life and legend of El Santo, the greatest Mexican wrestler of all time! Immortalized in the ring and out, Santo was the star of television, comic books, and more than 50 gloriously trashy films (check out some clips here). One part Elvis, one part Harrison Ford, one part Evel Knievel, and one hundred percent folk hero, Santo's worldwide fame and popularity have made his silver mask synonymous with everything cool everywhere. Working closely with series creator and producers is the legend's real-life son and true Isotope amigo El Hijo del Santo (ask us about the Lucha Libre Switchblade Incident that almost landed us in jail sometime) which will ensure the show has all the heroics, high flying action, and weird mystical powers we've come to expect from the legend. Can't wait to see animated Santo? Neither could we, that's why we were poking around on Cartoon Network Mexico's website where we found this page with downloadable Santo cartoons. Nice! El Santo @ Cartoon Network Mexico Labels: cartoons, culture, lucha, santo
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
 Drawing Between The LinesThe Story of Indy Comics' Jeffrey Brown Author/artist Jeffrey Brown of Clumsy, I Am Going to be Small, and Every Girl is the End of the World for Me has established himself as one of independent comics' most unique voices. Autobiographical in nature, his exploration of the minutae of everyday life and life's common experiences have struck a chord both inside and beyond the comic industry. This acclaim has seen Brown featured on NPR's This American Life and his work brought to animated life as a music video for the band Death Cab For Cutie. The recently completed film documentary Drawing Between the Lines explores Brown's unconventional style and his unique approach to storytelling in both the mundane and the spectacular. Providing insight from friends, fans and fellow cartoonists, the film carefully documents the sketchbook-filling Brown as he works at home, rides the L-train, and travels cross-continent to meet his fans at conventions. Not unlike Terry Zwigoff's brilliant Crumb in both subject matter and approach, film-maker Bruce Parsons takes the viewer on a candid trip through the working world of one of indy comics' most iconoclastic cartoonists. The Isotope is proud to be hosting Chicago film-maker Bruce Parsons for the World Premiere of Drawing Between the Lines this Friday. Join us, won't you? Drawing Between The Lines @ The Isotope 326 Fell Street @ Gough February 16th. Doors at 8:00pm View the event flyer here www.angryheartproductions.com Labels: Bruce Parsons, culture, events, Jeffrey Brown, movies
Friday, February 09, 2007
 Premiering on the Isotope's Silver ScreenBetween The Lines: The Jeffrey Brown Story We've been saving our next movie night here at the Isotope for something really special. We're puffing up our chests with pride to tell you that we're throwing the star-studded world premiere of Drawing Between The Lines: The Jeffrey Brown Story featuring indy film-maker Bruce Parsons in directly from Chicago! Check out Mister Parson's website, and watch this space for more details... Labels: Bruce Parsons, culture, events, Jeffrey Brown, movies |
Let It Rain That Cold SF Rain...
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