Free Comic Book Day

Saturday 1st May is Free Comic Book Day, yay! Comic stores all around the world hand out free comics to anyone who wants one. Make sure you get down to your local comic book shop, those of you in London have no excuse not to as Forbidden Planet is one of the biggest and best stores in the world and is just 5 minutes walk from Tottenham Court Road station.

It's a great way to get into comics and also a great way to encourage younger kids to start to enjoy reading in general. Comics are much more mainstream now since films like Watchmen and Iron Man have come out but a lot of people still wouldn't dream of setting foot inside their local store. More fool them.

I got into comics when I was about 13 or 14 after seeing The Crow. It was an adaptation of the James O'Barr graphic novel of the same name and in my opinion is still one of the best comics out there. When Gerard Way unveiled The Umbrella Academy to the world it was through Free Comic Day and I thought it was such a cool concept and nice way to give something back to the comic community.

Kevin Smith (director and comic geek extraordinaire) and the gorgeous Milo Ventimiglia have made these little videos for your viewing pleasure about the day.

So go get involved, pick up one of everything and take a chance. You never know, you might like it and everyone loves a freebie.

My Tats

I'm a tattoo freak. I love getting them, looking at other peoples, reading books about them, anything. I just got a new one today and so I thought I'd post up some pictures of each of my tattoos and write a little about each one.

The Crow - Let this be a lesson to you all on bad tattooing!

This was the first tattoo I ever got when I was 18. It's pretty tiny and sits at the top of my back on my spine. My mum actually came with me to the tattoo shop and it cost me £25. That should have been a warning right there - cheap, cheap, cheap. The other warning should have been that I got it done in Cheshunt and, trust me, Cheshunt is not known for it's tattoo artists...or much else actually, other than spawning Cliff Richard and the Goss brothers of Bros. fame....again, a sign.

It's meant to be the crow from the film The Crow, it is now, thanks to terrible tattooing in the first place, a black blob. The Crow was one of my first major obsessions and had a huge effect on me when I was a teenager. I can't watch it much and I have to be in a very specific mood to put it on, very few films have that effect on me. I knew this had to be the first tattoo I ever got and at the time thought it would be the only one I'd ever have.

I now need to get it covered because it's so terrible, I still love the film so maybe I'll just get it tidied up with a larger version but to be honest I think a new cover up might be a better idea. God knows what I'll end up with. So let this tattoo be a lesson to you all, go to a decent tattoo artist, pay that bit extra and do your research. An ugly tattoo is with you forever. In theory this tattoo should have been cute and simple, in practise it's a disaster!

Brandon Lee - One of my favourites

Staying with The Crow my next tattoo is inspired by its leading man, Brandon Lee and is on the inside of my wrist. Brandon was Bruce Lee's son and like his father died tragically young. I obviously got into Brandon Lee through The Crow but quickly tracked down his other films and started reading up about him. He's a real cult hero of mine and for years I wanted his name on me.

Now I hate Chinese symbols, having peace or love written on you in another language just because it looks pretty is just not appealing to me and I think it looks tacky. People probably think this tattoo is tacky for that very reason but let me explain a little about it. Because Brandon was half Chinese he was given an English and a Cantonese name. Sometimes I don't think people get that my wrist doesn't say 'Brandon Lee', it says 'Lee Kwok Ho' which translates to 'National Hero Lee', just like Bruce Lee's Cantonese name was 'Little Dragon'.

When I got this tattoo I was so happy. It's still one of my favourites because Brandon was a big part of my teenage years, huge in fact, and although it's not the most impressive or even well done of my tattoos it really does mean a lot to me.

MCR and Stars - Fandom to the extreme?

Anyone who knows me knows that My Chemical Romance are my life. They are a band I would die for, they're all amazing musicians and people and Gerard Way is my ultimate hero for a number of reasons. I was late getting into them but man did I get into them. Within two weeks of hearing their music I was booked in for this tattoo. It sits on the front of my wrist, on the same arm as my Brandon Lee tattoo.

It was originally done in Birmingham when I was living up in Coventry and it was done pretty badly to be honest so when I moved back down to London I got my tattoo guy to tidy it up and later he added some stars. There are meant to be more stars actually but I never got round to going back so it'll get finished when that arm eventually becomes a sleeve. I quite like this tattoo but my boyfriend isn't so keen, he loves MCR but just thinks the tattoo is a little weak. Maybe it is. It says a lot about me though....mainly that I'm an MCR fan who isn't afraid to show their love despite the often negative feelings people have towards the band.

Bats - Vampires, Batman, MCR...and just bats!

This was my first big tattoo and is in fact a rather extreme cover up. I used to have some barbed wire around my wrist. Barbed wire has no relevance in my life, I always like Pamela Anderson's tattoo but to be fair I'm no Pamela Anderson and at the time I did not have the cash to spend on decent tattoos like Pammy. So I was stuck with a rather wonky, slightly blue, pretty ugly tattoo and I needed it covered. By this time I had just started working in Camden, I had some cash, so I spent out.

Now I'm a vampire addict and a Batman fan so bats have always seemed pretty cool to me. On top of that MCR's first and second albums are vampire related and the first even states 'Unleash the fucking bats' so bats it was....up my arm. It wasn't the most pleasant experience. It took a good few hours because it's solid black but I was quite proud that I sat through it fairly comfortably while the huge bloke getting the top of his arm done next to me had to have a break because he felt light headed...twice.

The healing was a nightmare though. My arm was swollen for about a week and I couldn't put it down or the pressure would cause pain. The thick black around my wrist turned into a kind of cuff that would not expand so the rest of my arm ached. Plus it itched like a bitch!

I get a lot of compliments about this tattoo and thanks to it I've met one of my best mates so it means a lot. It's not terribly feminine but neither am I really so it kind of works.

MCR Face- I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

This is another MCR tattoo. It's on the inside of my arm, above the Brandon Lee one. I actually did it on a complete whim which was risky and not advised. I had some cash (oh those were the days) and wanted some lyrics on my arm but couldn't find a decent font. In the end I just pulled out all of my MCR stuff and decided that the face from the I'm Not Okay (I Promise) single would make a good tattoo.

My tattooist is great and did a really good job. It was my first tattoo in colour, something I thought I'd never have, so felt like a big step but I was so pleased with the result. It healed up nice and quick which is always a bonus too. It's really hard to get a good photo of this one and it really does look better in the flesh.

Lyrics - Ouch my poor ribs

This one hurt a lot! It was only an hour and a half but my word it was uncomfortable. The worst bit wasn't even my ribs, it was the little bit of fat on my hip. I swore to myself I'd never have my ribs done again but you soon forget that when you're all healed up so who knows.

This is an MCR lyric, surprise surprise, and says "This hole you put me in wasn't deep enough and I'm climbing out right now, you're running out of places to hide from me." It's probably got the most meaning to me out of all of my tattoos. It represents that fact that I've not always been the strongest person in the world, I've suffered depression, been on meds, self harmed and not had a very healthy relationship with food but I've never stayed down, I've tried to fight back to be where I am today...a reasonably stable, content place. It's also a little 'fuck you' to all of the people that made snide comments about the way I looked or dressed at school, the people who said I was going through a phase. It's to show everyone and most of all myself that I am who I am, I'm not ashamed and I've actually done okay for myself.

It needs a touch up, it's a little patchy because the ribs are a hard place to heal without peeling, but I've been putting it off. Haha, I'm a wimp!

Swallows - Family

This tattoo is quite obviously on my chest. Getting something there was a big decision but actually one I made fairly quickly, it just felt right. I'd been watching Miami Ink and seen Ami James do two swallow tattoos, one I loved the shape of, it was very traditional but I hated the colour, blue, the other was a less attractive shape but an amazing green, it was less traditional but just stunning. So I tracked down an image of both and got my tattoo guy to combine the two.

Originally I wanted text between them, it was was going to say 'Thank You For The Venom'. I'm so glad he never got the email I sent containing the text. I decided I'd come back another day to have it added but I got home and loved the simplicity of them and I never went back.

They hurt. They took three hours and my tattoo guy said, "Are you ready for the pain?" as I sat down. This guy is huge and covered in tats so if he says somethings going to hurt then it probably will. I'm not saying it was unbearable but definitely not comfortable. They healed up so quickly and nicely though, no need for touch ups and I get a lot of compliments on them too.

Swallows are traditional sailor tattoos, they represent family and home. I've always been very close to my family and my grandfather died in WW2 fighting in the navy so they seemed quite fitting. Both of my grandmothers passed away, one just before I got this tattoo, so I think of each of the swallows as representing them.

Rumor - The new one

My newest tattoo I got today. It's just behind my ear/ top of my neck. My tattoo shop wouldn't normally do this tattoo as it's classed as a neck tattoo and they can be frowned upon but since I'm a little older and a regular customer (and I'm pretty covered in tats anyway) they agreed to do it.

It's from The Umbrella Academy, Gerard Way's award winning comic book. It's Rumor's logo, her emblem, like Superman's 'S'. Rumor is my favourite character and when I met Gerard he asked me who my favourite character was. I told him and he said, "Mine too!" So that's my reason for getting it. It's small and cute and was a pleasure to get. It took 5 minutes and I didn't even feel it, not at all, it was heaven!

I'm already planning my next one but need to save some pennies. I have a fair few ideas, some gypsy heads on my feet, a zombie pin-up, but first some traditional roses with a Gallows lyric and some artwork. Who knows how I'll turn out.

My Top 10 Films...well 10 and a half...Okay 11!

I thought that since I'll be writing a lot about film here I should make it clear what sort of thing I'm into. I studied film at uni but, trust me, I'm well aware that a good film and an enjoyable film aren't always the same thing. So here are my favourite films, ones that make me feel good when I watch them as opposed to give me a headache as I try to over analyse them, although some of these films are amazing and are really critically acclaimed.

In no particular order.

1) The Crow
This film was one of my first obsessions. I covered my walls in posters and photos from it and still have some really rare merchandise. I also have a tattoo of the crow from the film poster on my back and Brandon Lee's Chinese name on my wrist, so it really is very important to me. It was the first film that ever 'spoke' to me. I was around 14 when I first saw it and at the time felt like a complete outsider and freak. To find a film that was dark, not really mainstream and based on a comic book that in itself was influenced by bands like Joy Division, felt like a huge wake up call, it was what I had been waiting my whole life for! I wouldn't feel like that again for another 10 years and I heard the music of My Chemical Romance.


Brandon Lee died making the movie and there's certainly an eerie feel to the whole film, it's about a guy who comes back from the dead to get revenge for the rape and murder of his fiancee and since Lee was due to get married a few weeks after he died it colours the way you watch the film.

I really recommend you see this film but first you should read the graphic novel. James O'Barr tells the most hearbreaking love story in those pages and gives you an education in music and poetry at the same time.

2) Sunset Boulevard
Made by Billy Wilder in 1950 this may be my all time number 1. It tells the story of Norma Desmond, a forgotten about silent movie star and her tragic relationship with a screenwriter. Hedda Hopper and Cecile B De.Mille play themselves, Erich Von Stroheim has a supporting role and Buster Keaton has a cameo. If more than one of these names mean nothing to you then this might not be your sort of film. They were key players in the Hollywood that I dream of, the glamorous, golden years that spanned from the 1920's to the 1950's, where scandals were hushed up but an everyday occurance for these wild, tragic beauties.


Gloria Swanson plays Norma. She's our deluded, unstable heroine and I'm sure the character was a little to close for comfort for one or two Hollywood has-beens and the industry as a whole, why else would Lois B. Mayer declare to Wilder, "You have disgraced the industry that made and fed you. You should be tarred and feathered and run out of Hollywood."

For anyone that loves the tragedy of Hollywood this film is a must see. It's a darkly beautiful American classic.

3) The Departed
The newest film on my list. What a cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg (in the role he was born to play), Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin (he is unbelievable in this film) and of course, the coolest man alive, Jack Nicholson. Even without this cast it would still have been amazing because it was directed by Martin Scorsese.



A remake of the Japanese film 'Infernal Affairs', which I'm ashamed to say I still haven't watched, The Departed tells the story of the police versus the mob and the two moles from each side that have to infiltrate the other. There are twists throughout and the ending is a real surprise and VERY un-Hollywood. I'll say no more though.

Winning Scorsese his long awaited and much deserved Oscar it's a gangster movie for today. I'm a gangster film freak, I adore 'Scarface', 'Goodfellas', of course 'The Godfather' and I even fell in love with 'Casino' (I want to be Ginger, what can I say?!) but this is something different, it's a new style gangster film that both people new to the genre and die-hard gangster fans can embrace.

4) LA Confidential
Another film about Hollywood scandal! Set in 1950's L.A the film was based on the James Ellroy book of the same name, part of his L.A Quartet that also includes 'The Black Dahlia'. Dealing with a corrupt police department, scandal magazines, racism, prostitution.....the list goes on, it shows Russell Crowe at his best, and one of my least favourite actresses, Kim Basinger, give an outstanding, Oscar winning, performance.


Make sure you read the book, and while you're there read the rest of the L.A. Quartet (especially 'The Black Dahlia'), there are quite a few changes so for once it doesn't really matter if you read it after you've seen the film.

5) Hostel/Dawn of The Dead
I'm torn! I've got an older brother (9 years older) so I was bought up on horror. We used to rent a video every Friday night in my house and I'd always get some U rated crap and he'd get the good stuff, the 18's. I'd sneak into his room after mine had finished and always catch the arse-end of his gore-packed film. I was never scared, I just loved it! He bought me a box set of 'Halloween' and 'Halloween 2' when I was about 8 for my birthday and there was no going back.


Now I'm normally one for Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, they're just classic horror icons and both the original 'Halloween' and 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' film are amazing horrors BUT the film student in me has reared her ugly head and to make matters worse she can't make up her mind!

'Hostel' was something new when it came out, yes there had been torture movies like this before but never on this scale, never in mainstream cinema. Everyone saw 'Hostel', it did so well it spawned a terrible sequel but also a whole new genre of film, Goreography or gore for gore's sake. With a cast of unknowns and a director with nothing but a passion for horror 'Hostel' became something special after post-modern horror films like 'Scream' took over the cinemas for far too long. Out with the all knowing winks and nods to horrors past and in with the blood and guts! There's nothing better.

On the other hand I love a zombie. Anyone that knows me will tell you I'm actually a vampire girl but vampires aren't scary, vampires are cool. Now a zombie is scary and the king of the zombie film is George A. Romero. With make-up from Tom Savini (he served in Vietnam and used what he saw over there as reference material) Romero's zombies look pretty damn sick. You can read into the film and see it as a social commentary, how society is so consumer driven (it's set in a shopping mall) that we're nothing but zombies to capitalism OR you can just sit back and enjoy the guts and brains. I do a bit of both I must admit.

So new or old? Torture or zombies? I really don't know.....at a push I think 'Dawn of The Dead', what do you think?

6) Cabaret
If you don't love Liza Minelli I can't be your friend, sorry but she's brilliant. Okay, so Judy Garland was better but the fact that she was once inside Judy Garland makes her uber-cool if nothing else does. When I heard her sing on the MCR song 'Mama' I nearly wet myself! It just so happens that Liza played Sally Bowles in one of the best musicals EVER, the only musical to feature Nazis, abortion, a bisexual millionaire and love, 'Cabaret'.



The fact that it was directed by Bob Fosse and stars Michael York and Joel Grey just adds to everything else it has going for it. Fantastic costumes, great dancing and witty songs sung with pure class. There's only one word to describe this film and it's a word I use far too much but here it is - Dark. I could also use a Sally Bowles word actually - Decadent. I'll call it darkly decadent I think.

*Sings* '...life is a cabaret old chum, come to the cabaret...'!

7) Gattaca
I don't think I know anyone else that likes this film let alone loves it. It was received well by critics but never really took off with the general public. The film centers on the Ethan Hawke character of Vincent. In a time of genetic engineering, some time in the not to distant future, Vincent is an invalid who, with the help of Jude Law's valid Jerome, fakes his identity to become an astronaut.



There are two things I love about this film, the first is the production design. Although set in the future there is a classic retro (often 1950's sometimes 1920's) feel to the whole design. Sleek and clean but warm at the same time. I know nothing about design but I know what I like when I see it and this film just looks nice. I think it's the lighting but I probably need to watch it again to be sure.

The second thing I love is Jude Law....actually it's the character he plays, Jerome. I'm not going to give the plot away but the character of Jerome is so well written. He's flawed and troubled but essentially a good man. The last shot we see of this character is perfect and so moving.

8) Great Expectations
This is the second Ethan Hawke film on my list and I don't even like him that much to tell the truth, however this film is great, well I say great, I adore it, everybody else hates it and it received pretty rubbish reviews. Despite a really strong cast, a gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow (I normally find her very plain), a brooding Ethan Hawke, a crazy Anne Bancroft and the always outstanding Robert De Niro, as well as one of my favourite directors, Alfonso Cuaron, at the helm it just didn't work for a lot of people.


You've probably noticed I like overly visual film, the script can be rubbish and the acting terrible but if it looks good I fall in love. Score is also so important to me. This film just appeals to all my senses, in a similar way to 'Gattaca' actually. Plus it's a love story and I'm a sucker for a love story. I'd really love to know what other people think of this film.

9) The Breakfast Club
I love the 80's. I love the fashion, the music and most of all the films. Nothing sums up 80's film like John Hughes and the brat-pack....well maybe high concept but no high concept film I know of had Molly Ringwald in it and she was Queen of the 80's!


I could have chosen 'Pretty in Pink' and I'm still tempted to change this but I won't and that's because although 'Pretty in Pink' has Andrew McCarthy and James Spader (even at about 6 or 7 when I first saw it I was in love) 'The Breakfast Club' has Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and of course Molly Ringwald. That's nearly all of the brat-pack!

It's a great teen movie that knocks down the stereotype, or maybe it reinforces it, I've never quite decided but more importantly they all dance for no reason in the middle of it! Classic. It went on to influence films like 'The Faculty' and if you threw a modern soundtrack over it it would work just as well today as it did then. It also contains the worst make-over moment in movie history. Ally Sheedy should steer clear of Alice bands and eye-make-up remover at all costs.

10) Edward Scissorhands
I could never compile a list of favourite films with including a Tim Burton film. He's my favourite director and I was lucky enough to meet him and tell him he was my idol a few years back at the 'Planet of the Apes' premiere. I could have put 'Sleepy Hollow' in here, or even 'Sweeney Todd' or 'Beetlejuice' but no other Burton film makes me cry like 'Edward Scissorhands', no other Burton film has quite as much magic.....no other Burton film has Vincent Price!


When I started at uni they asked us to write an essay on any film we wanted just to see how much we knew about film, I choose 'Edward Scissorhands' and I realized how much effort had gone into set and costume design, how colour is used so cleverly and how much of a fairy tale it really is.

To any teenager the character of Edward is appealling, the outsider who is thrust into the world and no matter how hard he tries just can't connect. Of course it's love that is all that matters in the end and I still sob at the end of the film everytime I see it. The soundtrack is so pretty and enchanting and trust me, one you've seen this film, you'll never look at snow the same way again.
So I've got this far and realized I've missed off a real favourite of mine so I've had to include a number 11! Sorry, I know this is the worlds longest blog entry but I just can't miss it off.

11) Marie Antoinette
This film was slated by the French and I think it was a real love or hate thing for most people. Personally I think it's a masterpiece. It doesn't show Marie Antoinette's death but that's not to say that you're not made very aware that her life is about to end near the end of the film. As the mob storm Versailles I actually had goosebumps and a lump in my throat.


The costumes and set pieces are breathe-taking (and Oscar winning in the case of the former). The sneaky shot of a Converse and of course the modern soundtrack just hightlight how Marie is really just like any teenager, it's just she's also a Queen. Sofia Coppola has a very cold feel to all of her films that I can't really put my finger on, it's very evident here but that's not to say that you can't emerce yourself in this world.

I really think in a few years this film will have a lot more fans. I also recommend you watch 'Lost in Translation' and 'The Virgin Suicides' they follow similar themes of isolation and coming of age that make them a perfect trilogy.