Art

News that this or that “famous person” reads comics isn’t exactly a headline-maker (unless you’re running for president, of course). With all the success of comics-based media in the last few years, it’s more newsworthy when some actress or sports figure proclaims they DON’T like comics. However, there are still a few nerdlebrities whose involvement with graphic literature goes above and beyond a few trips to the comics shop.

Such a figure is Eddie Argos, (above, far right) lead singer of Art Brut, an energetic British “Art Wave” band much beloved by The Beat‘s music-listening pals. Argos is a sometime-painter and a huge DC Comics fan. Even further, buried in the news that Pixies legend Frank Black will produce their new album, is the title of one of their songs: “D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshake.” Could this be a new anthem? A chocolate milkshake goes well with anything, including comics!

Now, we know what you are thinking: What does Argos think of UMBRELLA ACADEMY, penned by fellow music/comics crossover star Gerard Way? Well, it turns out that Argos pens an occasional column for the St Louis Playback, and in one, he gives us the skinny:

I’m not really a fan of My Chemical Romance, and Grant Morrison’s pretentious ramblings in the introduction to the book claiming that the band is spearheading some sort of “necrodelic” counter-culture revolution makes me dislike them even more. Personally, I’m more into Fall-Out Boy. Also, as a singer in a band myself who also maintains fantasies of one day writing a comic of my own, there was probably a little bit of jealousy sneaking into my psyche as I started to read this book. I am, after all, a Scorpio with a rampant ego who sees himself in competition with absolutely everybody, so consequently, I was pre-disposed to dislike this book from the start. The cover to the collected Umbrella Academy by Gabriel Ba. I was wrong though. The Umbrella Academy is a pretty decent book. Most new books take a while to set the scene, and this book being no exception is a bit of a muddle at the beginning. Actually, thinking about it now, I started reading it the morning after my birthday, so it’s possible that it was my mind that was a bit of a muddle and the book is actually pretty straight-forward. Anyway, whoever was at fault – me or the book — I was really into it by the second chapter.


Call it a forced — but powerful — endorsement.

We’re sure all of this is old news to Brian Heater, and indeed, he recently interviewed Argos, who proves that his comics reading is not just a flash in the pan:

This time next year, I hope to be working on the soundtrack to major motion picture adaptation of which comic:

All three Essex County books by Jeff Lemire. They are a trilogy of books about the same small Canadian town. It’s a real place, but they’re fictional stories. Really, totally amazing. I can’t recommend these books enough. There on an independent called Top Shelf. I might write the songs anyway and release some sort of concept album so when it does inevitably turn into a film, I have a head start on everybody else.

1 COMMENT

  1. “D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshake”

    Ah… when I would make my weekly sojourn to Bethesda, Maryland, to pick up my weekly allotment of comics from Big Planet (Hi, Joel!), I would stop at either Ben & Jerry’s or the local Greek diner, and peruse the two or three titles I couldn’t wait to read. Yup… sometimes I’d be noshing on a juicy Ouzo burger while reading the latest Preacher! (But never gumbo!)

  2. I’m pretty indifferent to MCR, but The Umbrella Academy is a pretty damn good book. Of course, with James Jean covers and Gabriel Ba interiors, it could be written by Milli Vanillli and I’d still pick it up, if only to ogle the pretty pretty art.

  3. Thanks for the link-age, Heidi! Eddie Argos has been writing for us for about 4 months now, and his columns are always entertaining. There’s been a bit of a break as he’s recording a new record, but he should be back in full force soon.

    And as for DC Comics and milkshakes, he actually wrote a column about that very topic, in this case the pairing of Booster Gold and Yazoo:

    http://www.playbackstl.com/content/view/8145/167/

    Jason Green
    Comics Editor
    PLAYBACK:stl

  4. I like the song because a choc. milkshake and a good comic on a Sunday afternoon is just about the nicest way to veg-out that I know of…aside from watching football with the guys…or about 100 other things just as nice. ;)