Headline from The Telegraph: “Taekwondo monkeys attack trainer”

I’m not one of those people who thinks that anything involving monkeys is automatically hilarious, but I laughed so hard at this that I was in tears before I finished the article.  I mean, look at the form on that monkey!  The dude trained them well…too well.

(Thanks for the link, Doug G.!)

- JEP

• Fashion designers need to quit tryin' to sneak big shoulder pads back in. #
• Can't vote twice from the same URL so need all WOH fans to help. #webcomic#blaxploitation http://bit.ly/8ZI8bQ #
• Funk The Vote! Vote now for WORLD OF HURT in #Webcomics Critique's "Pick O' The Year" Poll! http://tinyurl.com/yly99bu http://bit.ly/7AWx84 #
• @freshalina You are DEAD wrong for that Halle Berry joke! (Real talk: I laughed, though.) in reply to freshalina #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #columbia_sc #webcomics #blaxploitation #comicbookartist #comicbo #
• World_Of_Hurt

  Vote now for WORLD OF HURT in the #Webcomics Critique "Pick O' The Year" Poll! http://tinyurl.com/yly99bu #

• Vote now for WORLD OF HURT in the Webcomics Critique "Pick O' The Year" Poll! http://tinyurl.com/yly99bu #
• Blog@Newsarama reviews "Rip Kirby: Vol. I." I know something that better be under my Christmas tree this year! http://tinyurl.com/yakuk8p #
• @tbtjuice Easy enough case to resolve. Was the book funny and NOT embarassing to Black folks? Then the Wayans didn't write it. in reply to tbtjuice #
• @MeisterJ Congratulations! You're the winner of the Unsung BMF drawing! #
• MeisterJ wins World of Hurt's Twitter/Carl Weathers contest. #blaxploitation #webcomic http://bit.ly/8kdpWI #
• I came up with the most vicious twist for the story this morning. It's not just mean, but it showcases Pastor's… http://bit.ly/8k2XNb #
• Evan Shaner drawing Captain Marvel like he should be. DC Comics, make it so! http://www.evanshaner.com/2009/12/shazam.html #
• @dave_flora Let's hear it for the Southern gals! in reply to dave_flora #
• Not too late to enjoy a little holiday mayhem with "Black Santa's Revenge." http://badazzmofo.com/?p=1792 #
• @theronnieharris Joining @Black_Dynamite in the "new age" of #Blaxploitation: http://www.WorldOfHurtOnline.com! in reply to theronnieharris #
• @Uniscorn If you're a #Blaxploitation fan, then might I recommend http://www.WorldOfHurtOnline.com? #
• Because I've been in a Vampirella mood and, because we could all use a little more Joe Jusko in our lives. http://joejusko.deviantart.com/ #
• @DocShaner Any writer on any character or book: Howard Chaykin on "Green Arrow." in reply to DocShaner #
• @theisb This should be right up your alley. Dead at the photo of the monkey kicking that dude in the head! http://tinyurl.com/yckbgwm #
• "Taekwondo monkeys attack trainer" http://tinyurl.com/yckbgwm – I laughed so hard at this, I started crying! (via @douggrossCNN) #
• @gdwessel Congratulations! in reply to gdwessel #
• @mcopeman23 Nothing in particular. Any newspaper headline will do the job of tapping into my rage. #
• Preview of Cameron Stewart's run on "Batman & Robin." He channels Quitely well, but still makes it his own. http://tinyurl.com/yk9ncwh #
• Someone is in for a big, bad surprise. #blaxploitation #webcomic http://bit.ly/6jjPo4 #
• In 2008, you BEGGED us for a magic, filibuster-proof 60 Democratic Senate votes. You got it and you get punked or sell-out every time. #
• Why the HELL should liberals bother to keep Democrats in power! I'd rather fight the GOP on a single front than keep fighting you too. #
• At least with the GOP, we know where they stand, because they TAKE a stand, right or (more often than not) wrong. #
• Dear Congressional Democrats- Fuck you very much, you spineless, ball-less cowards! Don't come to me for SHIT in 2010! #
• @douggrossCNN "Bernanke is @Time Person of the Year." If you're a banker! in reply to douggrossCNN #
• @ChrisSamnee keeps blowing the curve for the rest of us. http://www.chrissamnee.com/2009/12/chamber.html #
• Perhaps a little TOO on point? http://livingbetweenwednesdays.com/?p=2834 #comics #
• @vinyl4giants I was up late/early, but not THAT late/early I had WordPress automatically publish it, but a little earlier than usual. in reply to vinyl4giants #
• But rest assured, that won't happen. #
• If y'all don't get a strip this week, you can blame the bacchanalia of tonight's oyster/tequila shooters, Boudin balls, and peach moonshine. #
• @teamsmithy You warned us about the impending end of the Madeline Smith expression series, but that doesn't make it any easier to take. #
• @ghettoManga Yeaahh, I'm inclined to agree. So far, it's hitting all those (wrong) notes, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. #
• Article about "Vatican Hustle" with link to previews. Strong art that reminds me a bit of the show "Duckman." http://tinyurl.com/ycwx4wy #
• Blaxploitation OGN "Vatican Hustle" w/ lead named "Boss Karate Black Guy Jones?" Hmm, not sure how I feel about this, but I'll try it. #
• Added reviews from Rich Watson and Vince Moore to the "Word On The Streets" section: http://worldofhurtonline.com/word-on-the-streets/ #

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WORLD OF HURT – The Internet’s #1 Blaxploitation Webcomic is in the running to be 2009’s best webcomic period in Webcomic Critique’s End O’ Year Poll.  If you have the chance, please drop by and cast your vote.

Voting ends on December 31st, and the competition is stiff, so I certainly appreciate your help.

- JEP

Just in time for the holidays, I thought I’d talk about a little Christmas-themed Blaxploitation.

Long before WORLD OF HURT came along, David Walker was keeping the Blaxploitation flame alive with his Blaxploitation-centric magazine BadAzz Mofo.  David is a tremendously talented writer with a wicked sense of humor.  Although BadAzz Mofo is no longer being published, he now runs a website of the same name, which features reviews of new films, movies and DVD releases, and occasionally, he will post some of the content that was originally published in the magazine.  The often-hilarious Blaxploitation film reviews alone are enough to make Walker’s site a regular online destination.

I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with David and his wonderfully sweet mother, Bonnie, and I’ve come to realize that David is apparently one of those restless creative souls, because in 2007, he also funded, wrote and directed the self-described “mini-epic” Black Santa’s Revenge.  The film stars Ken (The Devil’s Rejects) Foree as the titular hero who embarks on a bloody path of vengeance against a gang of crooks to recover a cache of stolen toys that were intended for impoverished kids.  Clocking in at about twenty minutes,the movie delivers exactly what you’d expect from a film called Black Santa’s Revenge, and a lot more.  Although little backstory is given for Ken Foree’s Black Santa, the veteran actor invests his character with a haunted quality.  Foree’s large physical presence and the thundering bass of his voice make him seem like a viable threat for any gang of crooks, but his sad, tired eyes suggest that there’s a lot more at stake than principle or a bunch of action figures and stuffed animals.  Black Santa is a guy who will go through Hell and back, and dish out a lot of pain,  to make sure that children don’t have to do without for the holidays.  Walker, who directed the film, obviously didn’t have a big budget, but he gets a lot of literal, and figurative, bang for his buck.  The action is well-staged, and Walker makes strong use of his night-time locations, from the seedy strip club where Black Santa spends his down time to the industrial hideout of the crooks.

In the interest of full disclosure, David contacted me earlier this year to collaborate on turning Black Santa’s Revenge into a longer feature.  Although external circumstances beyond the control of David or myself prevented that from becoming a reality at this time, in a way I’m glad, because the request posed such a difficult challenge.  The original featurette did a strong job of establishing everything you needed to know about Black Santa’s world, in such an effective and economical way, that I feared my meddling might undercut what Walker had done so well in this version.  David’s offering a digital download on BadAzzMofo.com, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the short trailer of Black Santa’s Revenge, above.

Have a safe, wonderful, and blessed Christmas, everyone!

- JEP

• Kidney donor 'home' for holiday – Local / Metro – TheState.com: http://bit.ly/83t15G via @addthis #
• @BamnCan Dang, too late to add the book to my Christmas list, but there's always Amazon. Thanks for the recommend. in reply to BamnCan #
• We've been visited by The Ghost Of Christmas Past in the form of Ivan Dixon's "The Spook Who Sat By The Door" from Netflix. #blaxploitation #
• In case you forgot in holiday rush, there's a new strip today! #webcomics #blaxploitation http://bit.ly/8mLuGP #
• @vinyl4giants Nerds of a feather… in reply to vinyl4giants #
• @DocShaner sent me the original illo he did of Pastor, which came in a package with this awesome envelope art! http://twitpic.com/utks0 #
• http://twitpic.com/utks0 – Cool Luke Cage envelope art courtesy of Evan "Doc" Shaner. #
• One of the most gorgeouse Steve Rude pin-ups I've ever seen! http://tinyurl.com/y8bnnsc #
• Marvel should let Mike Baron and Steve Rude run wild with a non-continuity Fantastic Four story. My only caveat: Rude can't ape Kirby. #
• From the "GI Joe" movie http://tinyurl.com/y9q8c7b to Brittany Murphy http://tinyurl.com/yb23f73 ,@ohsuperheroine been ON FIRE lately! #
• @francisvallejo Thank you so much! You're work is REALLY impressive, so that means a lot. #
• @vinyl4giants You're too kind! in reply to vinyl4giants #
• Also seriously influential. After my interview with @SiDEBARPodcast, I got mad traffic. I mean, Warren Ellis-level traffic. Thanks, guys! #
• Love Chris Brunner's description of Dwight & Swain from @SiDEBARPodcast as comics' version of NPR's Terry Gross. Insightful and informed. #
• @eurocinema While you're scopin' out #Blaxploitation sounds and sights, why not check out @BlkDynmteSndOrc and http://www.WorldOfHurtOnline.com? in reply to eurocinema #
• @chadbowers Congratulations, Chad! What a great Christmas giftyou received this year. in reply to chadbowers #
• @theisb Congratulations to Chad! (But "Danger" would really make a nice middle name for the kid.) in reply to theisb #
• @vinyl4giants D'oh! Can't download Rapidshare files, but I'm really curious about this "Starkiller" sound. in reply to vinyl4giants #
• From the makers of @Black_Dynamite: The 12 Essentials of #Blaxploitation. http://tinyurl.com/dgs4qy So far, I've… http://bit.ly/5UzxXV #
• @DocShaner I like that you included the Lucy Van Pelt stand-up in the picture. All these years later and she's still aghast about the tree. #
• Deleted, fixed and re-Tweeted my last post due to a gramatical error, 'cause that's how I roll! #
• Let your voice be heard in this new survey from the University of Chicago for comic book fans – http://tinyurl.com/ygv98vz #
• Let your voice be heard in this new survey for comic book fans from the University of Chicago – http://tinyurl.com/ygv98vz #
• My interview with the fellas at SiDEBAR has been posted. Had a great time talking to Dwight and Swain, who are… http://bit.ly/6O76EP #

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What a great way to end the year.  Thanks to your efforts, WORLD OF HURT won Webcomic Critique’s Pick O’ The Year 2009 Award with a whopping 76% of the vote! 

Wow, you guys are the greatest, especially considering the caliber of the competition, namely Raine Dog by Dana Claire Simpson;  Tails by Ethan Young; Pajama Forest by Evan Diaz; and Edmund Finney’s Quest to Find the Meaning of Life by D. Long.   

What a fantastic way to end the year. Make sure to check in tomorrow.  I’ve got a brand, spanking new blog post for the brand, spanking new year…plus recipes.

- JEP