I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: GARFUNKEL AND OATES-“Year End Letter” (2010).

Garfunkel and Oates are a wonderful comedy team.  I’ve enjoyed so many of their songs, but this was the first time I ‘ve heard this Christmastime ditty.

We always enjoy reading people’s year end letters with an eye towards the attitude in this song–slightly mocking and yet also thinking:

“You’re right, your family’s better than mine
And it seems you make a lot more money.”

But now with the advent of Facebook, people post their year end letter info every day.  And I am very sad to see that we got virtually no year end letters this year.  So even though we tease, now we miss what we once mocked.  At least G&O can remind us what they all contained.

And since I cannot figure out how to embed a vimeo video, you’ll have to click this link to watch it.

[READ: December 20, 2013] Legends of the Guard

This book is a collection of short pieces written and illustrated by some of the greats in independent comic books (with a shocking number of them being from Michigan).  Evidently many writers contacted Petersen and wanted to work with him.  He didn’t want to mess up the arc of his story so he devised this idea.  Set in June’s Ale House, all of the mice are tasked with telling a story.  The one who tells the best will have his bar tab erased (for some that is quite a deal).

And so, these stories or legends are set at any time in the past and do not impact the chronology of our Mouse Guards.  And man, are they good.

JEREMY BASTIAN-The Battle of the Hawk’s Mouse & The Fox’s Mouse
This was very stylized, write beautiful.  The story of how the matriarchy came to be with some helpful advice about standing up for yourself.

TED NAIFEH-A Bargain in the Dark
This hearkens back to the bat cave and the animosity between the bats and the mice.  But this bargain was a good one.

ALEX SHEIKMAN & SCOTT KEATING -Oleg the Wise
In this story a mouse is told that his steed will be the death of him.  All prophecies come true in ways you don’t expect.

SEAN RUIN and ALEX KAIN-Potential
This story was beautifully drawn but I felt a little hard to follow on the first read through.  It is essentially about the honor of the Mouse Guard in protecting everyone (even against bears).

TERRY MOORE-The Shrike and the Toad
So great to see Terry Moore in here!  I loved this story about the mice playing a practical joke on birds and toads alike.

LOWELL FRANCIS and GENE HA-Worley and the Mink
This story was very visual and I found it a bit confusing in the details, but the basic story, that a banker defeats a mink, was pretty fun.

KATIE COOK-A Mouse Named Fox
It’s a shame there was only one female writer/artist in the book (especially since the whole series is about matriarchies).  But she represents well, with this story of mercy and intelligence.

GUY DAVID  The Critic
This story had no words and was very funny. It is about the perception of visions and the critic’s lack of appreciation for it.

NATE PRIDE- The Ballad of Nettledown
This was a song.  A fantastic song about a mouse sucking up a flood (which reminded me of the seven Chinese brothers).

JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER-The Raven
Seems odd to include Edgar Allan Poe’s story in here, but the art was hauntingly awesome.

CRAIG ROUSSEAU-The Lion and the Mouse
This was a more sensible old story to include here, although Rousseau adds some sarcasm which is quite funny.  The illustrations are magnificent.

KARL KERSCHL-Bowen’s Tale
This was a very brief tale of the types of adversity that Mouse Guard must face–wordless but wonderfully drawn.

MARK SMYLIE-Crown of Silver Crown of Gold
Like the first story this one concerns warring factions.  I loved the way this story told a tale of deceit and revenge.  Although it was a pretty dark ending to the collection.

JOÃO M. O. LEMOS-Epilogue
At the end of a night’s drinking, someone is usually sleeping it off.  (Lemos’ author’s biography was outstanding).

I’m not going to reveal who wins the contest, but i will say that I really enjoyed this collection of stories.  It’s always fun when people enter a different realm and make a great job of it.  There is a second volume of Legends, although i haven’t seen it in the library.

For ease of searching I include: Joao M.O. Lemos