The Holy Mountain (trailer)

'The Holy Mountain' by Alejandro Jodorowsky
movie trailer, 1973

'The Holy Mountain' (in Spanish, La Montana Sacra) was intended to be a surrealist treatment of 'heavy themes' and a further exploration of the experimental (some might say ultra-pretentious) style of film-making Alejandro Jodorowsky pioneered in his 1970 film 'El Topo'.

'Mountain' caused a stir at its premiere at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. It thereafter had a limited circulation in 'art house' theatres in the U.S., mainly because it was considered too avant-garde (and sacrilegious) to be picked up by the establishment film distributors of that era. 

Jodorowsky wrote, produced, and directed the film, as well as playing the role of 'The Alchemist'. Jodorowsky is of course best known to sci-fi and Heavy Metal magazine fans for his scripting of the comics The Incal and The Metabarons (among others).

I remember seeing 'El Topo' once, back at college in the early 80s, and finding it dull. I haven't seen 'The Holy Mountain', but the trailer seems to give a pretty good sense of its vintage, early 70's Weirdness. 

Jodorowsky (who now is 90 years old) has a reputation for being a professional bullshitter, so I don't have an overwhelming desire to watch the DVD of 'The Holy Mountain'. But if you have, feel free to Comment on your reaction to it.............?!

Ax by Ernie Colon

Ax
by Ernie Colon
Marvel Graphic Novel No. 44
1988

'Ax' (48 pp) is Marvel Graphic Novel No. 44, published in 1988. Veteran comics artist Ernie Colon (1931 - 2019) did both the story and art.

As the book opens, an emissary of Prince Hafton has come to the medieval village wherein our hero, Ax, lives. The emissary seeks a poacher named Alia Cruz, and upon finding him, makes arrangements to have Cruz executed. When Ax intervenes, it sets in motion a series of events, some involving a tribe of Africans, others, the residents of a far-future sci-fi world. 

All of these events somehow are linked to Ax, who may be the Savior........the One predicted to save the world.

Of the more than ten Marvel Graphic Novels I have read to date, 'Ax' is the worst. 

It's hard not to conclude that Colon 'leaped before he looked' with this effort. I imagine that, having gotten the green light from Marvel editor Tom DeFalco, Colon found himself obliged to deliver a book......and rather than devoting time and care to its execution, perhaps due to deadline pressures, he made it up as he went along.

Colon was capable of producing quality artwork for his comic book assignments, but in 'Ax' his drawing has a cartoony, makeshift quality. And the plotting is utterly incoherent. Its main goal seems to have been communicating a humanistic message about redemption and the Brotherhood of Man, but that's just a guess on my part................

Even the most die-hard fans of Colon and his artwork are going to find this effort to be a disappointment. 'Ax' is a Marvel Graphic Novel that can safely be passed by. 

Book Review: The Dragonriders of Pern

Book Review: 'The Dragonriders of Pern' by Anne McCaffrey

3 / 5 Stars

This hardcover Omnibus (751 pp) was published by Doubleday under the Science Fiction Book Club imprint in October of 1978. The cover illustration is by Ron Dilg. It contains 'Dragonflight' (1968), 'Dragonquest' (1971) and 'The White Dragon' (1978).

The 'Pern' franchise now consists of over 25 novels and short story collections, some of which have been written by McCaffrey's son Todd, and her daughter Gigi (Anne McCaffrey died in 2011).

I never read any of the Pern novels when they first appeared, because I thought they were cheesy - I mean, people riding around on pet dragons ? Weren't dragons supposed to be menaces to health and welfare ?

(For a less-than-complimentary review by sci-fi blogger M. Porcius of 'Dragonflight', the first entry in the Pern series, readers are directed here. Pern enthusiasts may be offended.) 

But, after the passage of 50 years, what with the Pern novels falling within the period of time (1968 - 1988) that this blog covers, I thought that I was obliged to sit down and read through at least the first three volumes in the series.........a task that took me a good seven weeks to accomplish.

The books have an interesting premise: over the centuries, the Terran colony on the planet Pern has regressed to a medieval level of civilization. But Pern remains threatened by its twinned planet, known as the Red Star, whose orbit periodically (every 200 years or so) brings it close to Pern. At such times, a fungus known as the Thread launches its spores from the Red Star, across interplanetary space, to Pern. As the spores descend through the atmosphere of Pern they convert to hyphae; should these land in the soil, they will consume all organic matter. If left unchecked, the Thread can convert an entire continent into a sterile wasteland.

Fortunately, the colonizers of Pern bioengineered the planet's small, indigenous flying lizards into 'dragons' capable of breathing fire and teleportation, as well as telepathic contact with their human riders. With the advent of Thread, together the dragonriders of Pern and their mounts rise to the skies and immolate the hyphae before they can land and take root. This is a struggle (the 'Pass') that lasts for as long as fifty years, before the Red Star's orbit moves the planet too far a distance for the spores to reach Pern.

The 'Dragonriders' trilogy recounts how, in the centuries with an absence of the Thread, the landholders of Pern have become increasingly resentful of having to support the dragonriders. The landholders have come to see the dragonriders as a caste of parasitic aristocrats who have outlived their usefulness. 

F'lar, a young and ambitious dragonrider, chafes at the indifference to the threat of the Thread exhibited by his caste's leadership. But when ancient astronomical sites reveal the approach of the Red Star and the advent of the Thread, F'lar and his supporters realize that the fate of the planet now rests in their hands......but will they and their depleted forces of dragons be able to stop the onslaught ?

It's difficult to provide an in-depth, critical review of an Omnibus without disclosing spoilers, so I'll simply say that 'The Dragonriders of Pern' has its strengths and weaknesses. 

Strengths: although writing during the heyday of the New Wave movement, McCaffrey keeps her prose direct and unencumbered by the myriad literary devices that many authors of that era were fond of indulging in. 

For example, when the dragons and their riders teleport from one location to another, a procedure known as going between, McCaffrey avoids recounting these events in lengthy passages of figurative prose designed to communicate the psychological and physical turmoil associated with displacement in time and space (as Roger Zelazny was fond of doing with his 'Amber' novels).

Another strength of the trilogy are the characters of the dragons themselves; McCaffrey succeeds in giving these reptiles personalities and behaviors (that often make them more appealing than the human characters).

The Pern trilogy suffers from a major weakness: the concept of dragons flying around and burning up a fungus isn't exactly conducive to an action-packed narrative. Accordingly, 90% of the narrative in the trilogy is devoted to chronicling inter- and intra- group melodramas between the dragonriders and the landholders. These melodramas often are presented through lengthy passages of dialogue, and within the first few chapters of 'Dragonflight', become both tedious and unavoidable, as they are the main features of all three novels. 

My eyes often glazed over with the effort of trying to keep track of yet another passage in which F'lar and Lessa (or was it F'nor and Brekke ?) are debating yet another political crisis involving T'ron and T'gor and Kylara, during which they are joined by N'ton and Lytol and Jaxom, who are aggravated by another transgression on the part of Lord Fax or Lord Meron or Lord Toronas................mix in telepathic observations on the part of the nearby dragons (rendered in italic font), and you can see how trying to follow these rhetorical excursions can be troublesome.

However, in summing up, there's no getting around the fact that 'The Dragonriders of Pern' compiles three of the most successful sci-fi novels of the decade between 1968 - 1978 and no survey of the genre is complete without acknowledging this. Given that other trilogies from the same period that were given a favorable critical reception - and here Asimov's 'Foundation' books comes readily to mind - were pretty mediocre in comparison, a three-star score for the 'Dragonriders' is appropriate.

Arts Unknown: the Life and Art of Lee Brown Coye

Arts Unknown
The Life and Art of Lee Brown Coye
by Luis Ortiz
Nonstop Press, 2005

'Arts Unknown' (176 pp) is one of a number of overviews of fantasy / sci-fi art edited by Luis Ortiz and published by the Greenwood, Delaware publisher Nonstop Press.

Like many devotees of sci-fi and fantasy literature and art, I was aware to some extent of Lee Brown Coye (1907 - 1981), mainly though his distinctive artwork for the classic Weird Tales pulp magazine, his cover art for Arkham House hardbound books, and, in the late 70s and early 80s, his collaboration with Whispers magazine writer Karl Edward Wagner and editor Stuart David Schiff.

'Arts Unknown' provides an in-depth overview of the artist, his works, and his times.

Coye was born in the small town of Tully and spent most of his life in upstate New York, in locales such as Syracuse, Cazenovia, and Hamilton; anyone who lived or lives in that area will find many informative anecdotes in 'Arts Unknown' about the region in the days when it was prosperous and thriving (as opposed to nowadays being a depressing landscape emblematic of the Rust Belt).

'Arts Unknown' chronicles Coye's life and art in chronological order, assessing his work within the trends and fashions of the art world during the pre- and post- WWII eras. As a self-taught artist, without a network of contacts and patrons, Coye nonetheless was able to gain a degree of appreciation in his homeland of Central New York and, as his career progressed, a measure of notice among the established art community of New York City.

One thing that emerges from 'Arts Unknown' is that Coye was something of an erratic personality, which, when combined with a poor business sense, regularly left him in a state of financial insecurity. 

Also revealed in the pages of 'Arts Unknown' is the breadth of Coye's artistic skills, which included the assembly of meticulously crafted dioramas; metalsmithing; and medical illustration.

Although much of the pieces Coye created have been lost over the years, author Ortiz does a commendable job in compiling as much material as could be found. Readers hoping to see Coye's works for Weird Tales and Arkham House will find examples here.

Ortiz does relate some interesting anecdotes behind Coye's famous illustrative motif of crossed sticks, and how this motif came to the attention of Karl Edward Wagner and Stuart Schiff, and the memorable short story 'Sticks' by the former that appeared in Whispers magazine in the March, 1974 issue. 

If you're not familiar with this phenomenon of late 70's horror fiction, and its referencing in the 1999 'found footage' film The Blair Witch Project, then this blog has some details (but beware - it also has Spoilers). Another, more lengthy, examination of 'Sticks', Wagner, and Coye is available here.

Summing up, 'Arts Unknown: The Life and Art of Lee Brown Coye' will be of interest to fans of horror and fantasy literature; graphic art; American art of the early 20th century; and even those with an interest in the history and culture of the arts scene in upstate New York in that same time interval. Copies, priced at about $40, can be had from your usual online vendors. 

Swords of the Swashbucklers

Swords of the Swashbucklers
by Bill Mantlo (story) and Jackson Guice (art)
Marvel Graphic Novel No. 14 (1984)

'Swords of the Swashbucklers' (64 pp.) is Marvel Graphic Novel No. 14, and was released in 1984.

As 'Swords' opens, it's the morning after a major storm off the South Carolina coast. A teen-aged girl named Domino is wandering the beach to see what has washed ashore.

Among the dunes, Domino comes across a strange piece of machinery that has become uncovered by the storm. The machinery emits a signal pulse.

The action then shifts to another part of the galaxy, where ships 'sail' the depths of space thanks to enwrapping force-fields that retain a bubble of breathable air for the crew.

We are introduced to the pirate ship 'Starshadow', her crew of alien scum, and the captain, a red-headed woman with horns (?!) named Raader. 

Without giving away spoilers, I'll simply say that Raader and her ship are the scourge of the spaceways, and the sole opponent of the rapacious Colonizers. And there is a connection between Raader and Domino, a connection that stretches back hundreds of years and across light-years of space.......

'Swords of the Swashbucklers', needless to say, is an attempt to infuse a sci-fi adventure narrative with the theme of the pirates of historical fact. In this, Mantlo's script does a reasonably adequate job, although the presence of a lot of hanging plot threads at the book's conclusion signals that the creators were hoping to launch a franchise from this Graphic Novel. This of course came to pass, with the 'Swords' series of 12 comic books that were released, under Marvel's Epic imprint, from March 1985 to March 1987.

Jackson Guice's artwork is the major selling point for this Graphic Novel, as it represents his customary level of high quality. Alfred Ramirez's colors at times overwhelm Guice's penciling, but this is simply a reflection of the limitations of the color reproduction processes Marvel employed for its Graphic Novels in the early 80s.

Summing up, 'Swords of the Swashbucklers' is another of those 80s sci-fi Graphic Novels that sets out to be a fun and entertaining read, no more, no less. It has a lighter quality than the overwritten, weighty sci-fi comics one sees nowadays (like Saga, Descender, Bitch Planet, and Invisible Republic) and if this is appealing to you, then acquiring a copy is recommended (used copies of 'Swords' can be found for under $10).

Robert Palmer: You Are In My System

Robert Palmer
'You Are In My System'
October 1983

'You Are In My System' first was released in August 1982 as a single by the U.S. band The System. 

English singer Robert Palmer heard the song and was eager to record his own version, which in turn became a track on his 1983 album Pride. Palmer released a single of 'You Are In My System' in October 1983; the single reached number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Like the version released by The System, Palmer's take on the song stayed true to its New Wave / Electropop aesthetic, with an emphasis on synthesizer and electronic drums. The accompanying video is noteworthy for its proto-Cyberpunk imagery: Palmer dons a leather trench coat; there are computers; Tron-style vector graphics; neon lights; and noir-style lighting.

Moving Fortress by Barreiro and Alcatena

Moving Fortress
by Ricardo Barreiro (story) and Enrique Alcatena (art)
adapted by Chuck Dixon and Tim Truman
4Winds Publishing Group, 1988

'Moving Fortress' first was published in 1987 as a serial (La Fortress Movil) in the magazine Skorpio (which circulated in South American and Italy from 1974 to 1996). A sequel, titled El Mundo Subterranea, came later in 1987. 'Bundled' versions of the two comics are available in Spanish editions.

[For an in-depth article, in Spanish, on these comics, readers are directed here.]

In the U.S., veteran comics artist Tim Truman and writer Chuck Dixon formed 4Winds Publishing Group to obtain the rights to issue English translations of comics published in South America and Europe. English translations of 'Moving Fortress' and 'Subterra' (El Mundo Subterranea) were published by 4Winds in 1988 as black-and-white trade paperbacks.

'Moving Fortress' (58 pp) features as its hero the adventurer Bask de Avregaut, who, in the opening pages, is flying in a dirigible over the wasteland. de Avregaut has the misfortune to fly over an extraordinary vehicle: the Moving Fortress, an entire city on wheels. 

Shot down by the Fortress's cannoneers, Bask is forced to work as a slave in the engine room, where the eldritch energies used to power the vehicle take their toll on the labor force.

But as luck would have it, a battle with Yathroian airships gives Bask a chance to escape certain death in the engine room. Thanks to his coolness under fire, Bask is instated as a member of the Fortress's crew..........and comes to learn the purpose behind the creation of the Fortress and the single-minded obsession driving its cruel leader, Emir Basileo.............

'Moving Fortress' is one of those comics in which everything comes together so well that it stands as one of the best graphic novels of the 1980s. 

Ricardo Barreiro's script has its twists and turns, but never becomes so complicated that it can't be effectively communicated within its 55 pages.

But it's Alcatena's art that really makes 'Moving Fortress' a unique comic. The artwork calls to mind the lithography-based illustration of the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly the artistry of Aubrey Beardsley and Harry Clarke, along with a pinch of Art Deco. The designs of the uniforms and clothing of the characters, the dirigibles, the cities, the ruined statues in the desert, and the weapons and mounts of the combatants all are imaginative and unlike nothing seen in most standard-issue 'sword and sorcery' comics.

You can get copies of the 4Winds version of 'Moving Fortress' for under $15 from your usual online vendors. Fans of graphic art and fantasy comics definitely will want to have one in their personal library.

Book Review: Lord of Dark Places

Celebrating Black History Month 2020

Book Review: 'Lord of Dark Places' by Hal Bennett

2 / 5 Stars

Here at the PorPor Books Blog, we observe Black History Month by reading and reviewing a book - fiction or nonfiction - that illuminates the Black Experience. For Black History Month 2020, we are featuring the novel 'Lord of Dark Places', which first was published in 1970. This Bantam Books edition (310 pp) was released in June 1971. The artist who provided the striking cover illustration is uncredited.

George Harold Bennett (1936 - 2004) was a black author who published several mainstream novels as Hal Bennett, as well as the 'Justin Perry' men's adventure fiction series (using the pseudonym John D. Revere) in the 1960s and 1970s. His short story 'Also Known As Cassius', published in the August, 1971 issue of Playboy magazine, gave him membership in the small cohort of authors who supplied material to the so-called 'slick' magazines at the top of the writers' market.

'Lord' is the story of Joe Market, from his days as a child in rural Virginia in the late 1940s, to his adulthood in the ghetto of Newark, New Jersey during the late 1960s. Joe is the embodiment of the black superstud: athletic, good-looking, and Always Ready. Even as a child, Joe's physical gifts lead him to being exploited by his father Titus, who displays an unclad Joe to gullible audiences of poor southern blacks as part of a 'Church of the Naked Disciple' religious road show. A calculating Titus allows anyone - anyone who is willing to pay, that is- some personal time alone with Joe.

Needless to say, these experiences take their psychological toll, and Joe matures into a man consumed with self-interest, and indifferent to the welfare of others. Men and women of all races and ages find Joe so irresistible that they are willing to overlook his faults. But Joe's circle of friends and acquaintances, including Tony, the white cop; Pee Wee, the taxicab driver and marijuana purveyor; China, the prostitute; the Down Low Lamont; and long-suffering wife Odessa and her hectoring mother Lavinia, can only forgive and overlook his transgressions for so long, before a reckoning must be made...........

'Lord of Dark Places' is an awkward blend of softcore pornography, melodrama, and political discourse. Too often the narrative will address injustice and oppression within one segment, before veering into a recounting of some sort of eye-rolling Grotesquerie designed to be both satirical, and an outrage to Bourgeoisie Sensibilities.This continual shifting in tone and theme gives the novel a disjointed quality, and lessens its impact as an observation of one black man's efforts to negotiate the social turmoil of the 60s.

Summing up, 'Lord of Dark Places' is, unfortunately, not an overlooked gem of Black American Fiction from the early 70s. Given that copies of the hardbound and mass market paperback versions have steep asking prices, I would say that only ardent collectors of Bennett's works will want to have this in their personal library.