NOTE: Tho this is a Reader staff blog, below is strictly my personal opinion, on a matter that has become increasingly relevant. The Reader site encourages members of the general public to submit "News from Stringers," in return for some nominal payments and with the very best posts getting published in the next printed edition.

Back in May, a stringer uploaded a report of a murder victim in OB, along with a photo of the deceased. Comments posted after the stringer's post blamed the Reader for "publishing" the photo.

I posted clarification stating that a stringer who uploads a photo is NOT a Reader reporter, and merely uploading a photo to a website does not constitute "publishing."

To my surprise, several readers expressed the opinion that "News from Stringers" IS the same as news from Reader staff reporters. I find this disturbing - the original Stringer post and comment thread is here (but be warned about the murder victim photo, if you're not of a mind to see something like that) - http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/may/03/who-killed-richard-swink/#c40662

I'm posting my thoughts on this, including quotes from posts by username "CuddleFish" and "refriedgringo" - because the thread dates back to May '09 and I want more people to hear about and think about the issue at hand - I'm putting it on a staff blog because our blogs ARE our forums for opinion, as opposed to the articles I write for the paper itself, which are held to an altogether different standard of journalistic balance ----

QUESTION: IS "News from Stringers" THE SAME AS NEWS PUBLISHED IN THE READER THAT IS WRITTEN BY STAFFERS AND FREELANCERS?

In my opinion - HELL NO!

The comment thread below the photo of a murder victim includes this from site username CuddleFish: "This picture should not have been published, it was not necessary, in poor taste, and surely offensive to friends and family."

I/JAS posted in reply: "My condolences to all involved - however, does this really count as "publishing" the photo? A "Stringer" is just some guy or girl who doesn't work for the Reader and has nothing to do with the newspaper - it's just somebody out there sitting at home and uploading to a website that allows them to. If some guy posts a comment to your MySpace page that includes a pic, does that mean the guy has now been "published"? Stringers are not reporters - uploading a pic to a site is not publishing."

Refriedgringo replied "Jay, you might want to re-think that statement. Stringers are reporters. While they are not "staff", they certainly are reporters, as they are paid for their contributions. Also note that publishing, by its very definition, includes the internet, paid or not. Most book and magazine publishers consider anything previously posted on the internet as having been previously published."

Then CuddleFish weighed in: "If I were the family, or even a member of the general public coming to this website, I'd think it was published. The terms stringers implies a part-time reporter, doesn't it? I mean, how would I know the technicalities involved? Not speaking of the blogs, but of articles published on the home page. That's what those are, news articles and stories. One would assume. And one would assume they couldn't get on the home page without being seen by someone on the staff. May be wrong assumptions, but how would a reader know that, and why would they distinguish, anyway? I'm asking."

CuddleFish followed up with "How would a family member, or a friend, know the difference, and why would it matter? The picture is there, they presume it's put there by someone attached to the Reader. Martagee amply demonstrates this simple principle. The title of the section doesn't say Someone Walking Along The Street Wrote This Report And Posted This Picture. It says Stories: Neighborhood News From Stringers. The word "news" implies, well, news. A news article or report."

My reply to all this?

RE the enormous difference between a reporter and a stringer -

CuddleFish says "If I were the family, or even a member of the general public coming to this website, I'd think it [a stringer report and photo] was published. The terms stringers implies a part-time reporter, doesn't it?"

CuddleFish also says "How would a family member, or a friend, know the difference [between staff-written articles and "news from stringers"], and why would it matter? The picture is there, they presume it's put there by someone attached to the Reader...The word "news" implies, well, news. A news article or report."

That's exactly the problem!

A REPORTER is held to a number of professional guidelines and obligations by our publisher and editors - every story a staff reporter submits requires us to substantiate, and then confirm, each and every detail, from how the proper names are spelled all the way down to the veracity and truth of the report itself.

Quotes from interviewees must be checked, usually by going over every word with the person being quoted, and offering a chance to correct or clarify. If multiple interviewees are involved who express differing opinions and/or accounts, opportunities must be given for reply and rebuttal.

A level of balance must be maintained, as well as a level of journalistic integrity that guarantees accuracy, while still managing to inform, engage, and - pending topic - perhaps to entertain as well.

A STRINGER? A guy or gal (or transgendered person?) who types whatever he/she wants on a keyboard, uploads it, and hopes the Reader will cut them a check.

Even if the check is NOT the motivation, it's very disturbing to think CuddleFish is correct, that someone coming to the Reader site will automatically assume News From Stringers is no different from staff-written reports.

Just because the word "News" appears in "News from stringers," that doesn't make the stringer a reporter, any more than enrolling in grade school makes you a college graduate.

I read most every post that goes onto the Reader site, since - in addition to reporting and cartooning for the Reader - I also do daily work on the website. Some of the stringer reports are indeed very informative, containing actual news and presented in a very professional manner.

Even better, stringers have been known to cover topics and events the Reader may have otherwise never been aware of, let alone covered in report(s). Those are the stringer posts that deserve and receive the paychecks, and I personally welcome and encourage more ---

However, in my opinion, such stringer entries account for maybe five percent of all stringer posts to appear on the Reader site. At most. THOSE are the ones you see appear the following week in the printed newspaper editions - THOSE are the "PUBLISHED" stringer reports.

The stuff that appears on the Reader site is NOT "published," not by the actual journalistic definition anyway. Just because some people have adopted the word "published" as akin to merely uploading, that does not make it true!

The very act of accepting "uploading" as the same as "publishing" demonstrates the lack of accuracy in language, interpretation, and intent that I decry.

I feel my position is actually proven by the dissenting comments - the thread started with someone assuming the Reader "published" a disturbing photo of a murder victim, when in actuality someone unconnected to the paper uploaded it, the same as they would a MySpace comment or a Facebook wall post.

For site visitors to automatically assume the stringer is a Reader reporter, and that the Reader is responsible for whatever they upload, is a PROBLEM.

Real reporters must wring their work thru a system of checks and balances that (ideally, anyway) assures a level of accuracy and consistency, with an editorial staff examining each and every detail of each and every article, to assure this high level is maintained.

A stringer? The only requirement is to avoid slander, libel, and/or incendiary rhetoric. The only time editing is done to stringer posts (or to comments, or to neighborhood blog posts for that matter) is when those most basic rules aren't followed.

I'm glad we have stringer reports on the Reader site. A small percentage read as if from actual reporters, and those are the ones getting paid and - in some cases - being offered actual assignments, or even a job on staff.

But for site visitors to assume stringers are Reader reporters, and/or that the Reader is behind and approves of whatever some yahoo feels like uploading, well, that's a huge problem. One I will continue to correct and educate people about at every given opportunity - it's a problem in my own back yard (the Reader workplace) that is endemic to the overall blog-ification of "news" all over the internet.

Just cuz someone with internet access says something, doesn't make it news. Doesn't even make it TRUE, especially when - like a stringer post - it lacks the rigid editorial process of checks and balances that REAL career reporters work thru every day.

Now then, I know "Rock Around the Town" is normally formatted very similar to actual Reader news columns like Blurt and Club Crawler - but in this instance I'd like to invite comment and opinion on what I admit is a fairly subjective matter.

Do YOU read "News from Stringers" and give those posts the same weight and veracity as you would a staff-written report that appears in the printed edition?

Would YOU assume the Reader is responsible for - and liable over - whatever is said or depicted in "News From Stringers"?

ARE stringers no different from reporters in this new world of electronic news delivery?

I've expressed my take on the matter - feel free to discuss ----

Jay Allen Sanford

Reader Reporter

 MEGADETH RADIO NOW BROADCASTING

Megadeth are set to be the latest act to go A.P.E. on the virtual airwaves. Listeners everywhere should prepare for the debut of the band's "predictably unpredictable" Artist Personal Experience radio station, Megadeth Radio.

Band founder and frontman Dave Mustaine has complete creative control in the programming of his 24-hour channel, which features interviews, news, personal commentary, and playlists of his favorite music. The multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rockers follow hot on the heels of A.P.E. stations: Radio Weezer, Christina Aguilera Radio and Eagles Radio Hosted by Joe Walsh as Megadeth Radio, debuted on October 22 at 11:00 am EST.

Megadeth Radio is set to become the destination of choice for both the band's fans as well as anyone who appreciates hard-rocking radio, and will be distributed across Clear Channel Radio's iheartradio network, which includes hundreds of local radio websites; the popular iheartradio mobile app, which has been downloaded by 3.5 million people; widgets; and megadeth.com. Just like the other A.P.E. stations, fans can participate in Megadeth Radio by emailing their comments to [email protected] or calling 1-866-686-1010. - more on this story

Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine was born September 13, 1961, at Grossmont Hospital in San Diego. His parents split when he was young and his mom raised him as a Jehova's Witness. He left her La Mesa home as a teen.

In 1981, he quit his first band Panic to become Metallica’s original lead guitarist, before getting replaced by Kirk Hammett in 1983. Mustaine moved to Rolling HillsEstates in Fallbrook in late 2004, along with his wife Pamela, their kids, and their horses.

Mustaine filed a petition for divorce in San Diego Superior Court in 2006, seeking dissolution of his marriage to Pamela Anne Casselberry, whom he wed in April 1991 before the couple movied into their $1.2 million house in Fallbrook's Rolling Hills Estates.

The couple had a son in 1992 (Justis David), a daughter in 1998 (Electra Nicole), and another son in 2002 (Victor Gar). Victor Gar was named after Megadeth mascot Vic Rattlehead and former band drummer Gar Samuelsson, who died in 1998. Justis plays guitar and has appeared in several local theatrical productions, including one in which he played Elvis Presley.

Megadeth's DVD Blood in the Water: Live in San Diego, filmed in May 2008 at Cox Arena, premiered on HDNet television in early November '08.

The recording process for Megadeth's twelfth studio album began on January 7, 2009, at the band's own Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos. Released by Roadrunner Records and produced by Andy Sneap (Sabbat), it's the group's first with album guitarist Chris Broderick, who replaced Glen Drover at the end of 2007.

Related links

• Blurt "Heavy Metal Taxi"
• "Mad at Dave Mustaine"
• Blurt "Dave Supports Sports"
• Blurt "Birth of Gigantour"
• Blurt "Metal in the Grooves"
• Blurt "Megaproblems"
• Blurt "Dave Hearts Christ"
• Blurt "Megadivorce"
• Blurt "More Gigantour Problems"
• Blurt "Heavy Metal Taxi"

LOCAL TAYLOR GUITARS TEAMS UP WITH TAYLOR SWIFT FOR SIGNATURE MODEL AXE

Taylor Guitars and Taylor Swift announce the arrival of the Taylor Swift Baby Taylor guitar (TSBT), a model that is sure to inspire players of all skill levels with its compact size, full-voiced tone and a top that features Swift's design touches.

 Based on the best-selling Baby Taylor guitar, the TSBT is ideal for both promising players and accomplished pickers. At three-quarters the size of a standard dreadnought, with a slim 1 11/16-inch neck and a comfortably compact shape, the guitar is just right for both the littlest player's hands and anyone who likes to pick up and play on the go. With the new model, Swift hopes to inspire others to express themselves through music. "I wanted to share my passion for playing guitar with my fans," she says. "For a beginner, finding the right guitar can be intimidating, but this guitar, it's the perfect size. Even if you've been playing for years, it's a great size to travel with."

The TSBT is crafted from a resilient sapele laminate body with a solid Sitka spruce top. Swift's design, which encircles the guitar's soundhole, features her well-known expression "Love, Love, Love" among delicate vines. The design also commemorates the songwriting spirit and success of her latest album, Fearless, whose title is inscribed above the bridge along with her signature.

 Swift, who shares a close relationship with Taylor Guitars and regularly uses a variety of Taylor guitars when both performing and recording, fondly remembers her own Baby Taylor as a go-to guitar during her early days of touring. "I used to sit in the back seat of the rental car while I was on my radio tour at 16, writing songs on my Baby Taylor guitar," she reflects. "I love the sound, and I love those memories."

It's not just Swift who is excited about this guitar. Taylor dealers everywhere are also eagerly anticipating its arrival, like Bryan Rankins from Fazio's Frets and Friends in St. Louis, Missouri. "It's not often that I get excited about another 'signature' guitar, but when I heard about the Taylor Swift Baby Taylor, my reaction was much different," Rankins says. "Here you have an incredibly gifted young woman who is inspiring young people through her words and music. When I first saw a picture of the guitar, I knew right away that it would help spawn a whole new breed of young musicians and give them something positive that will stay with them for the rest of their lives."

 In addition to Taylor's global network of dealers, the Taylor Swift Baby Taylor is available now for pre-orders at Amazon.com. "We're thrilled to work with Taylor Guitars to make the new Taylor Swift Baby Taylor available to our customers," said Noah Herschman, director of Home Electronics and Musical Instruments for Amazon.com. "Taylor Swift is one of the hottest stars in country and pop music, and her collaboration with Taylor Guitars has resulted in a product that we think our customers will love. Now they can pre-order it and ensure they'll get it in time for the holidays."

Introduced in 1996, the Baby Taylor was designed to be the ultimate musical travel companion and set the standard for how good a small guitar could sound. Delivering impressive volume and tone for its compact dimensions, the Baby Taylor quickly became the favorite "road guitar" for many professional musicians, including rock legends Bono (U2) and Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), pop artist Katy Perry, and country music hitmakers Clint Black and Tim McGraw.

The TSBT will be offered at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $398 and comes ready to rock in a cushioned Taylor Guitars gig bag. The Taylor Swift Baby Taylor guitar is available for purchase at authorized Taylor Guitars dealers, Amazon.com and soon, at TaylorSwift.com.

To view more pictures of the Taylor Swift Baby Taylor, please visit http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/limiteds/signature/TaylorSwift

LOCAL PLAYER RAY SUEN NOT ALLOWED TO INDIE-BLOG WHILE ON TOUR WITH THE KILLERS?????

 Local multi-instrumentalist Ray Suen has spent the better part of two years on the road as a touring member of the Killers, even turning up with them on Saturday Night Live. For awhile, he was contributing blog reports from the road to www.sddialedin.com.

Now, site operator Rosey Bystrak has posted a report indicating the Killers put a stop to Suen's Dialed-In blogs.

"You might recall he was blogging for us for a while until that huge band he's been on tour with told him all his blogs had to go through their fan boards. Bummer because we loved those posts."

 Violinist, violist, keyboardist, guitarist, and harmony singer Suen has also been a member of Louis XIV and The Exfriends with Gregory Page. He's apparently also in the newer Louis spin-off group The Nervous Wreckords. He goes back on the road with the Killers the first week of November.

Rosey also posts a video of Suen performing "Watching the Planets" with the Flaming Lips on the Conan O'Brien show earlier this week (whacking a Bonhamesque gong!) - www.sddialedin.com  

Tonight (Thursday October 15) Suen will play with the Flaming Lips tat a (not-so)Secret MySpace Show in Hollywood --

Related links

• Plugged In
• You're Fired! (thanks for the ratings) - ... Rosey Bystrak, who has written "Locals Only" since September 2007, blogs, "The column had been cut a couple times in the last few weeks ...
• For the Little People - ...Attendee Rosey Bystrak at sddialedin.com posted her theory as to why the Interpol drummer arrived so late. "Apparently back ...
• The Homeless Sexuals - ... Local blogger Rosey Bystrak at www.sddialedin.com says "Anytime the Homeless Sexuals play is pretty nuts, but the first time I saw them at the Zombie Lounge ...
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - ... “I don’t really like to call people out,” blogs Rosey Bystrak at sddialedin.com, “but, to the drunk girl who thought she was so cute by getting onstage ...
• Whiny Foal - Rosey Bystrak's blog (sddialedin.com) has fueled the debate over fans shooting concert videos to post online. After a July ...
• The Tiara Chronicles - ... 'I wanted an organized way to document the music I see," says Rosey Bystrak, who chronicles, lists, and discusses all things music and San Diego on her blog ...

FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBOR FRANK ZAPPA WAS FRIENDS WITH COMIC BOOK KING JACK KIRBY?!

Now there's a headline that catches your eye. Yes it turns out that late Frank Zappa, the restless musical genius who may have been the most committed inconoclast in the history of rock, was a pal to the late Jack Kirby, the cosmic dreamer who is arguably the most essential artist in the history of the American comic book....

(More Jack Kirby and Frank Zappa, a cosmic friendship )

ALSO SEE: Frank Zappa Comics And Stories, Famous Former Neighbors part 1, Neighbors part 2

Pacific Comics: The Inside Story of Jack Kirby's locally-published comic books

 GUNS N' ROSES - A BABY LULLABYE ALBUM?!?!?

www.antimusic.com reports: Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions Of Guns N' Roses – lands in stores November 10th via Baby Rock Records An excerpt from a press release reads: "Is a sweet child o' yours trying your patience at bedtime? Do you have an appetite for noise reduction? Don't you cry tonight. Fire up these gentle renditions of GNR's metal classics to rock your little devil to a peaceful sleep. Welcome to the nursery, baby. It's paradise city." You know you're curious

ALSO SEE: Sex With Axl Rose , Rocket Queen , Rock 'N' Roll Comics: The Inside Story , and Worst Celebrity Interviews

---- And, what the heck, here’s a song spoof from Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics, “Welcome to McDonalds” ---------------

 WEILAND TANGLES WITH YOUR MIND

antiMusic reports: Scott Weiland has released a new video off his latest solo album. The video is for the track "Tangle With Your Mind," where the Stone Temple Pilots frontman turned to film students to craft the video.

Blabbermouth is streaming the video but also has this info: "I had watched this movie called 'The Science of Sleep' about a year ago and I fell in love with the film," Weiland told Spinner.com. "I thought it was such a cool and interesting approach and I wanted to use that in a video sometime."

Weiland also had the idea that he wanted to reach out to film students and see if he could give someone a big break. So when relative newcomer Dennis Roberts came up with a treatment that was surprisingly close to what Weiland had already envisioned, he got the go-ahead. "I was really impressed," Weiland told Spinner.com. "I've worked with huge video directors and [Roberts] and his crew were just as professional as anyone I've ever worked with." - Learn more and check out the video here

 Punknews.org had this news for Blink fans: blink-182's 1999 full-length,  Enema of the State, will be released on vinyl for the first time by independent punk/hardcore label Mightier Than Sword Records.

The album will be the first in a 10 Year Anniversary series by the label, with each release involving a limited pressing of 500 on 180-gram vinyl. They will also feature a gold seal to commemorate the release. In addition to the 500 180-gram copies, Mightier Than Sword will also press 500 each on clear red, clear blue and clear colors.

The release date is December 1, but MTS will begin taking pre-orders on Monday, October 19. photos and more details

 A few comments from www.punknews.org:

onegirlarmy : ...for a small, independent label that's basically a one man operation, this is a HUGE release to obtain the rights to. Congrats to RJ and MTS Records for this!

TheOneTrueBill :  Coming to a store near you for $27 a pop.

KidDangerCat :  I bet Mightier than the Sword sh-t their pants when they got this opportunity. They're going to make so much d-mn money.

Indecay :  Good luck finding 2000 Blink182 fans who know what an LP is.

Related links

• http://www.blink182.com
• blink-182 Blurt collection

BLACK HEART PROCESSION RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM, VIDEO, AND TOUR!

With the emergence of Mr. Tube & the Flying Objects, the rebirth of Three Mile Pilot, and almost three years of radio silence casting a...pall over Pall Jenkins’s soul-wrecked rock act The Black Heart Procession, hometown fans of the band can’t help but wonder, wherefore art thou saw songs and blinking bauble? Other than a couple of fest sets last year for the international indie hits (Adams Ave. and the Melvins-curated All Tomorrows Parties in Minehead, England), the BHP camp has been pretty quiet since 2006’s rock-steady return The Spell .

Well, The Black Heart Procession are gearing up to hit the road in support of their adventurous and macabre new album, Six, out this week on Temporary Residence Ltd. This is the band’s first world tour in three years. To celebrate the release of their record and imminent tour, The Black Heart Procession proudly unveil the second video from Six. Once again directed and starring the band, "Drugs" is a slow-motion narcotic montage perfectly befitting the laconic piano ballad.

View/embed/share The Black Heart Procession’s “Drugs” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5rpdnt0v3s

View/embed/share The Black Heart Procession’s “Witching Stone” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN8_B5SBMiM

You can listen to/download BHP's "Rats" here: http://temporaryresidence.com/descriptions/trr157.php.

The tour starts right here in San Diego - Oct 17 @ Casbah, San Diego, CA w/ The Mumlers.

The Black Heart Procession was launched in 1997 by Pall Jenkins (Ugly Casanova) and Tobias Nathanial, both from Three Mile Pilot. Other frequent members include violinist Matt Resovich (the Album Leaf), James LaValle (the Album Leaf and ex-Tristeza), and others.

Resovich is one of those musicians who keeps busy and often commits to many projects at a time. He’s performed with the Black Heart Procession, the Album Leaf, Mung, and Battling Maxo over the past decade, carving a niche with fans of eclectic and electronic music.

Upcoming Shows

• The Casbah, Saturday, October 17

Related links

• MySpace page
• Blurt: "Surprise, Surprise"
• Musician Interviews Matt Resovich
• Matt Resovich page
• Blurt: "Sad Times"

 

Also see: Black Heart Procession by Dave Good Sit down and pour yourself a big cup of melancholy, and while you're at it, set some extra places at the table tonight for panic, desolation, and a dark and hellish nightmare or two. That noise coming from the basement? ...

 NAM CHI VU GOES BEATLE (AND SO DO THE ALPHABEATLES...)

“Imagine the Spice Girls singing Beatles songs,” says bass phenom Nam Chi Vu of The Penny Lanes, an all-female Fab Four tribute that also includes singer/guitarist Vanja James. “I based the name after the Beatles song, of course, but also after Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous. I have replicas of the Sergeant Pepper uniforms in short dress form, which the ladies will be wearing with mod go-go boots…We’ll play all the hit Beatles songs, but that includes covers the Beatles did, such as ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘Please Mr. Postman.’” 

While their look is customized per gender, The Penny Lanes shoot for straight note-for-note renditions. “My goal is to get it as close to the real thing as possible. When doing a tribute, I feel like it’s important, because everyone knows these songs and will know if something is tampered with, or when someone messes up or forgets a lyric.”

If you prefer your Beatles naked, the Alphabeatles still perform for tips at Black’s Beach on the first Saturday of every month. The middle-aged married duo plays acoustic versions of around two dozen Beatles songs, unaccompanied by clothing and always performed in alphabetical order, a discipline they refuse to alter. I once saw a (naked) woman request that they do “Rocky Raccoon.”

“We can’t,” the (naked) husband said, “we’re only on the Gs,” and they launched into “Good Day, Sunshine.”

WHO GETS ALL THAT MONEY FROM THE BEATLES ROCK BAND AND DIGITAL ALBUM SALES????

$$$$: So Michael Jackson once bought most of the Beatles song publishing - does that mean his estate is now raking in the bucks from the newest round of Fab Four marketing, including the Rock Band game and digital album releases? (more at http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/15/who-gets-all-the-money-from-beatles-rock-band-digi/ )

One Model Nation, the first cinematic, action packed, graphic novel of its kind, was released by Image Comics on October 28, 2009, in book-stores nationwide.

Donovan Leitch, C. Allbritton Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and Street Angel illustrator Jim Rugg piece together the complete story of the political art-noise band One Model Nation, revealing just how they kick started the revolution that revitalized a country, the final dark days of the Baader-Meinhof Gang and the band's mysterious disappearance a few months later.
The story is set in Germany in 1977, when the country is still shattered from the devastation of war and the harsh realities of communism. The country's youth are fighting back against a repressed nation with their only figurehead for this violent, well dressed revolution, a band, later to be forever lost in time, One Model Nation.

With stunning graphics and Scorsese-esque electricity, One Model Nation captures the arts and politics of an era whose influence can not be measured.

"This is a life's work for me," says C. Allbritton Taylor. "From the Munich Olympics to the heyday of raves, hip hop to state-of-the-art handguns, this era has informed modern culture, fashion, politics, technology, you name it. But this dark time has been a relative German secret which only recently has begun to be revealed, mostly due to the birth of the internet. On a personal level I needed to see this time and place fleshed out into people and events that make sense yet maintain heroic proportions. Donovan spent years researching the multitude of bizarre and overwhelming events in which these people lived their lives and made their noble, everyman decisions. This story needed to be told."

"I have always been fascinated by post-war Germany, the counter-culture revolutionaries and their violent upheaval against the rise of capitalism in a Communist country. The fact that One Model Nation, four musicians who helped to create electronica, was unwittingly pulled into the battle being waged between these two forces makes their story all the more compelling. This is the equivalent to a Syd Barrett German epic," says Donovan Leitch.

Robert is no stranger to comics. He studied cartooning under Walter Simonson (The Mighty Thor) at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he attended on scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Best known for being the primary songwriter behind Life of Agony's critically acclaimed River Runs Red concept album, Robert is also an accomplished artist. His illustrations and designs have appeared on merchandise, ad campaigns and websites for multi-platinum rock acts such as 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd and Shinedown.

In Wire Hangers, which will debut with a 32-page, ad-free first issue, a series of abductions are plaguing New York, leaving no one safe. When Anna Davis, a feisty young female reporter, goes undercover to try and snag the big exclusive, she stumbles upon clues that give us a glimpse into what could be the most disturbing government conspiracy of our time. Pill-popping detectives, corrupt secret agents and a mysterious, disfigured homeless man are all inter-connected in this horrific tale of revenge and redemption.

Robert states, "I've wanted to tell this story for as long as I can remember. I came up with the Wire Hangers concept a few years back, when Life of Agony was on the road supporting Ozzy Osbourne It has haunted me ever since! Whenever we were touring or in the recording studio, I would find myself sketching out characters on the back of lyric sheets and leaving myself voicemail messages with scene dialogue. By the time I presented the idea to IDW earlier this year, the story was completely fleshed out. Visually, it's dark and gritty with tons of textures and atmosphere. The artwork really sets a tone for the series and plays an equal part in telling the story.

"I really can't express how excited I am to finally see this idea come to life. I've been a huge comic book fan since I was just a kid and went to art college in the hopes of becoming a penciler one day. During my graduation year, LOA landed the record contract with Roadrunner to record River Runs Red and, once it came out, I found myself touring full-time and focusing on my music career. So, for me, all these years later - to finally create my own original comic series is a dream come true. Releasing it through IDW is the icing on the cake. They've put out some of my favorite books, like 30 Days of Night and Welcome to Hoxford. It's a real honor to have Wire Hangers appear alongside those titles."

"Wire Hangers is going to hold its own up against the IDW titles that Alan has long admired," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Publisher/Editor-in-Chief. "When he brought me the story, both his storytelling sense and artistic skills were fully formed and ready to roll on a comic series. In much the same way Alan went from playing bass for one band to fronting another, his talents will be front and center on his comic, too."

Wire Hangers will make its debut with a 4-issue miniseries in March 2010.

MOWER GUITARIST QUITS, SKINLAB TOUR CANCELLED

The just-announced SkinLab/Mower tour is already minus a Mower. Here's what the band said on their MySpace page in early October:

"A decision made by a departing member yesterday has forced the band to relinquish our spot on the bill. We are beyond disappointed. Sometime between sound check and set time last night in Denver, CO, our guitarist Greg Russell decided to book a flight and leave the tour without alerting anyone in the band of his intentions."

"The fact that he decided that his issues were more important than the fans, friends, band, crew, agents, club owners, promoters, record labels, sponsors, press, Skinlab, and all the local support acts is something that we can't even begin to understand or condone. The four remaining members of Mower looked into every possible replacement option to continue on the tour, but none of those options would have been viable in time." - more on this story

Free Mower MP3 downloads

HELL BENT FOR SANTA - HALFORD'S CHRISTMAS ALBUM?!?

Hell Bent for Santa? You will be this year as Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford drops his version of a Christmas album on fans (more at www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/hellbent-for-christmas---rob-halford-plans-christm/ )

 PATHOLOGY SEEKS NEW COOKIE MONSTER

Cookie Monster-sound-a-like vocalist Matti Way has quit the death metal/grindcore band Pathology. The group states, "We are extremely disappointed and bummed over this. Matti has other stuff going on right now and we wish him the best. Because of this we are canceling a few upcoming shows." (more at  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/pathology-seeks-new-cookie-monster/  )

WAVVES SAYS "IT'S WRETCHED PLAYING SHOWS IN SAN DIEGO"

Wavves frontguy Nathan Williams is quoted in the new Denver Decider saying "Generally speaking, it's wretched playing shows in San Diego. The people think they're too cool to move around, they don't come out if it's not a party, and there aren't enough places to play besiedes bars, which is a real bummer...but Wavves happened, and I think it sort of shed a light on San Diego."

Asked if he's planning to stick around SD, he says "I'm moving to LA next month. I've had plans to leave San Diego for longer than I can remember, so it's about time that I finally do it." ( more at  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/wavves-says-its-wretched-playing-san-diego-and-pla/  )

• Related links

  • Blurt: "More Ink for Psychedlic Horse(expletive)" (April 22, 2009)
  • Of Note: "Anyone With Equipment and a Smidgen of Talent" (April 15, 2009)
  • Blurt: "Injured Reserves" (Aug. 12, 2009)

2009 SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS – IT’S A (FISH)WRAP

Jimmy Powers (half of the Clasy Pigeons duo) says of his Best Hip-Hop nomination “I don’t feel I should have been nominated for the award. I have only released a limited press EP [200 copies]…I think local artists like Blame One, who hit the top 40 on iTunes this year, should be the ones getting a nomination.” ( more www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/2009-san-diego-music-awards---post-show-report-its/   )

 WHAT I'M WATCHING:

LIFE ON MARS season 1 

I remember not being that impressed with the first Life on Mars episode - seemed like no more than a "reverse" Dirty Harry, ie instead of a rogue cop operating amidst PC bureaucracy, the show had a PC future cop in pre-PC 1973. The premise seemed to have possibilities, but that first ep was all stereotypes and occasional inexplicable sci-fi flashes explaining less than nothing about what the hell was going on ---- However, I stuck with it, and I'm absolutely astounded at how it paid off....

MORE LIFE ON MARS - PLUS "WHAT I'M WATCHING" DVD AND MOVIE REVIEWS, 1970 THRU 2009 - Including S Darko, Futurama: Bender's Game, the Sentinel, Andy Warhol's Bad, Night Gallery: Brenda, Star Trek 2009, Stranger Than Fiction, Cloverfield, Black Ceasar, Forbidden Zone, Cover Me Babe, Final Destination, Wicked Wicked, Watchmen, Coraline, Land of the Lost TV show, more = http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/sep/02/what-im-watching-dvd-and-movie-reviews-1970s-thru-/

DOG TALKER

“I haven’t done too much playing in concert as of late,” says singer/guitarist Dave Gilbert, “so I started the OB Happy Dog Walking Service.” He says the doggie duty requires walking from six to twelve miles each day, making the job more consistent than musician work, despite playing in three local bands at the moment...  (more  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/dog-walker---ob-musician-runs-successful-biz-doing/  ) 

GUITAR WHIZ WAYNE RIKER TURNS HIS BACK ON PRIVATE TEACHING, TO HEAD UP WORKSHOPS INSTEAD

"The final curtain has come down for me as a private guitar teacher, after thirty seven years of lessons," says local guitarist Wayne Riker. "However, I'll be starting an exciting series of on going four hour workshops,every fifth to sixth Sunday,at Old Time Music in North Park"... ( more  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/guitarist-wayne-riker-gives-up-guitar-lessons-for-/   )      

Related links

• Hometown CD Review
• As I Hear It
• Musician Interviews: "Lick Vocbulary"

Recent Blog now only found in the "archive" section: Comic-Con 2009 - Final Wrapup, with more costumes, costumes, costumes!

THE RETURN OF RIP MAGAZINE (or "Why I Got Fired By Larry Flynt")

 Rock writer Lonn Friend, former MTV host and publisher of the terrific '90s music mag Rip, is launching an online archive of the magazine! Rip is where I first created the Rock Tales comic strip before it ended up at Spin Magazine. After around a year of the two-page Rock Tales strips, I turned one in mocking Courtney Love called "12 Steps to Stardom" - little did I know that Rip publisher Larry Flynt had just arranged for Love to play his wife in the movie The People VS Larry Flynt. ... ( more  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/the-return-of-rip-magazine-or-why-i-got-fired-by-l/  )

 HANDS FREE - TROPHY WIFE WILL MARKET ANYTHING FOR A BUCK!

From producing Viewmaster reels to scratch-N-sniff flyers and custom Wheaties boxes, the self-marketing requirements of today’s music biz can result in some offbeat promo endeavors. “We sell what we call a ‘hands-free cell phone device’ on eBay,” says Trophy Wife singer/guitarist Joe MacAskill, “which are really just headbands to hold the phone against your ear, with our band logo hand-drawn onto it.” The “devices” sell for $5 to $8.... ( more  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/trophy-wife-says-well-market-anything-for-a-buck/   )

Related links

• As I Hear It: Trophy Wife
• www.myspace.com/trophywifemusic

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HAPPY RON'S HAREM - LOVING SAN DIEGO'S MUSICAL LADIES

“Most of the women were involved with someone else, so I had to behave appropriately,” says Happy Ron Hill of the video shoot for his song “Pitter Patter,” which featured nine different San Diego women singers playing potential love interests. “Sometimes, I hate behaving appropriately.”

 

Dressed in a pimp-like purple suit and porkpie hat, Hill is seen in the video professing his love to all nine women, including Marcia Claire (as MC Bassalicious), Cathryn Beeks (Catastic Beats), Laura Kuebel (Laura Fab), Brooke Mackintosh (Brooklyn), Marie Haddad (The Marrying Type), Elizabeth Abbott (Tipsi Holiday), Alyssa Jacey (Alyssa Jacey Blue), Nancy McCartney Mestyanek (Sister Linkun), and  Jenene Lambert (Neener). “All the women were at the shoot at the same time,” says Hill, “though many were late.”

 

 (more  www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/happy-rons-hormonal-harem---loving-san-diegos-musi/  )

 

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Related links

• Blurt: "Happylicious" (Jan. 14, 2009)
• Blurt: "Record Release Roundup" (Feb. 18, 2009)
• MySpace page
• www.happyron.com
• Blurt: "In the Woods" (Sept. 3, 2008)
• Happy Ron on YouTube

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Exclusive preview and new interview with one of the creators/performers behind the new internet Trek series - click for more ---http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/oct/04/happy-rons-hormonal-harem---loving-san-diegos-musi/#

READER EXCLUSIVE - For the first time anywhere on the web, here's the promo trailer for Star Trek: The Continuing Mission, episode six: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/audioclips/66/

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The Twilight Zone made it's TV debut 50 years ago this week, on 10-2-59 - we asked local musicos to tell us their own favorite Zone episodes --- (more "What's Your Favorite Twilight Zone?" )

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THE ROCKETEER AND OTHER FAMOUS '80S COMICS BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN SAN DIEGO - Here's a detailed history of local Pacific Comics, who recruited comic superstars like Jack Kirby to create one of the first successful indie comic book lines. Pioneers in the fight for comic creators' rights and royalties, former employees and operators reveal how they did it, and what went so terribly wrong...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/08/pacific-comics-the-inside-story-jay-allen-sanford

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THE KOMPLETE KISS KOMIX KRONICLES - Comprehensive collection of stuff I’ve done about working with Kiss on a comic book series in San Diego, along with a bunch of never-before-seen artifacts from the Kiss Komix archives AND an article by Kiss comic author Spike Steffenhagen, offering his own very-different take, ala Rashomon, on the same events I describe in my essay...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/12/komplete-kiss-komix-kronicles

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ROCK 'N' ROLL COMICS: THE INSIDE STORY - In 1989, San Diego's Revolutionary Comics ("Unauthorized And Proud Of It") launched Rock 'N' Roll Comics, featuring unlicensed biographies of rock stars, most of which I wrote. Some performers, like Frank Zappa and Kiss, were supportive, while others like New Kids On The Block considered our comics akin to bootlegs and sued. In June 1992, publisher Todd Loren was found dead in his San Diego condo, brutally murdered...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/12/rock-n-roll-comics-the-inside-story

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK VS REVOLUTIONARY COMICS - The inside story of how a hugely successful boy band tried to sue local-based Rock 'N' Roll Comics over an unauthorized biography of the group, sparking a court case that established, for the very first time, first amendment rights for comic books. Illustrated by comic superstar Stuart Immonen (Superman, etc.)...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/13/new-kids-on-the-block-versus-revolutionary-comics

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OVER A MILLION CARNAL COMICS ARE IN PRINT - Here's how and why we made some of the top-selling erotic comics of all time, right here in San Diego, including what Gene Simmons has to do with it all, backstage tales of porn stars, and more confessions of a comic pornographer...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/08/carnal-comics-the-inside-story-jay-allen-sanfor

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COMICS AND CENSORSHIP - DON'T BE AFRAID, IT'S ONLY A COMIC BOOK - A local-centric history of comic book censorship, and the fight for the rights of comic creators...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/06/comics-and-censorship-a-local-centric-illustrated

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TWILIGHT ZONE AND STAR TREK WRITER GEORGE CLAYTON JOHNSON PRESENTS - The inside story of a local horror comic book series featuring Robert Bloch, author of Psycho, plus sci-fi king Larry Niven, Zap Comix co-founder Spain Rodriguez, Matthew Alice artist Rick Geary, Vampire Lestat painter Daerick Gross, yours truly JAS, and many more...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/05/deepest-dimension-terror-anthology-twilight-zone

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THE BIRTH OF IMAGE COMICS: INSIDE STORY OF A LOCAL PUBLISHING POWERHOUSE - Illustrated tale revealing how Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and local comic artist Jim Lee (the Punisher, etc.) conspired to create the ultimate creator-owned comic books...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/03/the-birth-of-image-comics-an-illustrated-history

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 Down the Slippery Slope - Arrested For the Crime of Viewing Manga

On March 30, 2004, when Dwight Whorley found the Japanese website of Fractal Underground Studio via Yahoo and clicked on a couple of the thumbnail images... ( http://comipress.com/special/miscellaneous/down-the-slippery-slope-the-crime-of-viewing-manga )

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"Before It Was The Gaslamp: Balboa's Last Stand" - Cover story 6-21-07: In the late 70s/early 80s, I worked at downtown San Diego's grindhouse all-night movie theaters, for the owner of the Pussycat Theatre chain, Vince Miranda - this detailed feature recalls those dayz, the death of the Balboa Theatre, etc.

More Before It Was the Gaslamp

 

"Battle Of The Peeps" - feature article about a weird gig I had in the mid-'80s, running a strip club called Jolar, for the nation's second biggest pornographer, Harry Mohney (Deja Vu Showgirls founder).

More Battle of the Peeps - An Insider History of San Diego Porn Shops

"Field Of Screens" - Cover story 7-6-06: Complete theater-by-theater history of San Diego drive-ins thru the years, including a few which screened X-rated fare for awhile.

More Drive-In Theaters in San Diego: Complete Illustrated History 1947 thru 2008

  

"Pussycat Theaters - When 'Cathouses Ruled California" -- for the first time, the detailed inside story of the west coast Pussycat Theater chain of adult moviehouses, which peaked in the '70s but later died out. Told by those who actually ran the theaters!

More Pussycat Theater History: When Cathouses Ruled CA

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• Bill Travis - 4 Hands
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**************************************************** San Diego Music Encyclopedia & Database Online Now

 Press illo to play the Overheard song!

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NEW COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL MUSIC DATABASE IS LAUNCHED

IT'S DONE!!!! And growing every hour....

If you wanna see a list of over 1,800 San Diego bands, with links to full profiles, photos, discographies, articles, MP3s, etc, checkout http://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/search/

Believe it or not, you can click on ANY LOCAL MUSICIAN'S NAME (around 4,800 musicos listed!) and bring up bios of every notable band they've ever been in! Try it here with Rob Crow ---

AND, if that wasn't cool 'nuff, click on an instrument, say like this here link to "Drums" - BAM, a list of EVERY DRUMMER IN SAN DIEGO!!!

We've been working on this massively cross-linked Local Music Database for over two years now, covering a century of San Diego history --- if you're a local performer who wants to add or edit a page, go to http://www.sandiegoreader.com/band/edit/

More soon!!!! JAS

 

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Like this blog? Here are some related links:

OVERHEARD IN SAN DIEGO - Several years' worth of this comic strip, which debuted in the Reader in 1996: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/overheard-san-diego/

FAMOUS FORMER NEIGHBORS - Over 100 comic strips online, with mini-bios of famous San Diegans: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/photos/galleries/famous-former-neighbors/

SAN DIEGO READER MUSIC MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/sandiegoreadermusic

JAY ALLEN SANFORD MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jayallensanford