Reviewed by Jamie Marriage

As a kid born around the end of the Cold War I was exposed to a lot of different influences and styles. I missed the 80’s but took the blast of the 90’s full in the chest. Some of my media heroes are far more of my father’s generation and sadly missed, some I got to grow up with as they rose to power in my own generation. One of those that falls between the two though was the musical group the Doug Anthony All Stars (DAAS for short), a comedy trio starring Tim Ferguson (the good) Paul McDermott (the bad) and Richard Fidler (the guitarist).

DAAS was one of those musical comedy groups that was as true to Australian culture as you could get; self deprecating, abusive, obscene and hilarious. This relatively short lived group, at least compared to many that are still touring decades later, was picking up creative steam when I was born and unfortunately scattered upon the winds by the time I was old enough to get my first glimpse of their material.

Over the last decade and a half I have been one of the many cult worshipers of everything that was DAAS; they were a musical force, creative gods (in the Greek Pantheon, getting up to all kinds of trouble kind of way), and had personalities that etched themselves upon the psyche forever.

All that being said there were a lot of questions awaiting answers regarding the fate of DAAS. Most of the stories they themselves planted in the media about their formation and disassembly were false, half out of mischief, half out of mistrust of the media. And who are we to deny them this form of entertainment.

So when I was given the chance to read Tim Ferguson’s new Autobiography, Carry A Big Stick, I put my hand up so fast I’m surprised I didn’t dislocate my shoulder.

Following one individual from birth to middle age is tricky for people that have never read an autobiography before; the only storyline is that of the individual themselves, every scene usually only gets a brief mention, and the supporting characters tend not to get much of a back-story. This isn’t dense space opera, nor is it a grand epic, but it is able to rub emotions raw and draw you in just the same.

Laid out in acts and split into scenes, much like that of a traditional play, Carry A Big Stick follows the life of one gorgeous man from childhood in the 1960s to the present day. With each successive act a Monty Python style separation of one stage of life to another. And throughout the narrative the silent antagonist follows our hero until he can deny its presence no longer.

The rise and fall of the Doug Anthony All Stars, Tim’s television acting and production career, and his later work as a comedy teacher and author are all covered throughout this four act play. Some of it will make you laugh so hard you’ll have to put the book aside, some has the power to drag tears from your eyes, but every scene is memorable. A precious story of its own to be treasured.

This is the book of one of Australia’s true comedic masterminds. His story told his way, and with all the truth a comedian can muster. What more could be asked from such a man?

Reviewed by Krista McKeeth

by Jose Malaga, Dynamite Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors

WELCOME TO THE END OF DAYS! 

A mysterious hijacking — by an undetectable force which leaves only death in its wake — lures Vampirella to Russia, and deeper into a deadly conspiracy where nothing is what it seems. At the request of Vampirella’s allies — the Vatican’s paranormal covert strike force, Cestus Dei — the blood-drinking scourge of the supernatural travels to Russia, on the hunt for a terrifying killer with a gift for murder.

But there’s more at play than a simple search-and-destroy mission. Complicating matters is the return of the King of the Vampires, Dracula — more powerful than ever before, and determined to consecrate an unholy pact with ancient, unknowable forces that even the lords of Chaos and Order wisely fear.

War is on the horizon, and only one who has worn the Crown of Worms can sit upon a Throne of Skulls. Old foes are reborn, alliances are broken, and nothing in Vampirella’s world will ever be the same!

Collecting issues #12-20 of the popular ongoing Vampirella series, with a complete cover gallery.

A scantily clad vampire detective is looking into the mystery of a plane full of humans cut into pieces and hidden in the cabin. It’s total chaos. Vampirella heads to Russia to find the answers to what kind of creature would perpetrate such a massacre, and why …  

Traveling in underground caves as well as through the ruins of an old village, Vampirella must battle the evil Von Kriest, demons, as well as save a friend Sofia who has been possessed. There are many different layers to this story and intense and colorful graphics. Several different characters and demons come into play for a non-stop action packed story.

This is one of the most detailed graphic novels that I have read. So many things happen with well-rounded layering of stories that it would be a hard to convince anybody that this is not worth it’s value. It’s intense, bloody, fast paced and suspenseful.

As Vampirella is busy doing detective work, the people who have accompanied her on the trip get into situations of their own, adding to the drama.

Vampirella must endure an internal battle as well as the physical challenges she faces throughout the story, and with the return of Dracula, her vampire side is calling.

Marianne’s comment: I haven’t read this one, but I just wish they didn’t have to portray female characters half naked. Why can’t you be a sexy heroine with clothes on?

Among a plethora of great contemporary TV shows Scott and Bailey is one of the best. A brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT cop show about two female detectives and their female boss.

As I mentioned in a previous post, some criticism has been levelled at the show for portraying the male characters as either useless or devious. Although I can see why some viewers might react that way, it seems to me that all the characters are shown to be flawed and that female leads are no exception. We just sped more time getting to know them. Rachel (Suranne Jones) is prickly and defensive and inclined to be self-destructive with booze. Janet (Lesley Sharp) is compassionate and reasonable but bored with her husband who she takes for granted and ultimately cheats on. Jill (Amelia Bullemore) is a tough, unsympathetic, no-nonsense but brilliant detective. The three women experience their highs and lows together and have their true selves exposed in moments of great weakness. What makes them appealing and compelling is the strength of their friendships and their ability to forgive and support each other. In Scott and Bailey, a spade is most definitely called a spade.

The Daily Telegraph describes the show as “a beautifully engineered programme: it’s both pleasingly sudsy and deliciously grisly but manages to transcend both the soap and detective genres.”

I’ve found it so much more realistic, funny, interesting and engaging than many of the shallow, formulaic cop shows being churned out. We’re still waiting for series 3 here in Australia, and I’ve had to join the Scott and Bailey Twitter fans to keep up with the news – @S&BTV

The theme music is the bomb! Check it out below.