Catch Up

As I stated so eloquently yesterday, I've got a mess of stuff to talk about, so here it is:

James Jean. If you read my recent post about Fables, you might recognize James' work from the covers of the collections. But he's also done some great work for Spin lately (pictured here), as well as some excellent stuff for other magazines and comics. I'm especially digging his cover for Green Arrow 50. But my favorite part of James' site is his blog, which gives the reader insight into how he works. Very cool stuff. I'd love to hire him, although I'm not exactly sure "Top Doctors" or "12 Hot Neighborhoods" is really his thing.

The Weathered Look. I'm always looking for new ways to make my layouts interesting, and lately I've been playing with different ways to antique or weather objects artificially. I've tried a lot of different things, both hand-crafted and digital, but recently I came across a handy little set of Photoshop filters that might make life a little easier. MisterRetro has created some very cool effects with his Machine Wash Filters which seem like they could be a massive step down the road towards getting that weather-beaten look. And for only $32 per disc, what a bargain!

...and the #1 song in the nation is... Here's a fun thing. You can select any day of the year (ideally your birthday) and find out what the #1 song was on that date every year since Billboard has been keeping its charts. The day I was born, the top song was "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips. But my favorite birthday #1 is definitely 1990: "Ice Ice Baby". Word to your mother.

And finally, Füssball. The Nats take on Poland tomorrow in Kaiserslautern, Germany (TV coverage on ESPN2 at 2 pm eastern). This will be a good chance for the US to see one of the stadiums where they'll play this summer (they face Italy in the same stadium on June 17), but more importantly, it's a chance to work European players into the squad. Barring injuries or big surprises over the next two months, tomorrow's lineup should be very similar to the starting 11 who line up for the first match of the World Cup. The Yanks traditionally don't play well in Europe, so it will be interesting to see how they do tomorrow. Surprisingly, there should be a strong American presence in the crowd due to nearby Ramstein Air Force Base. After playing in front of so many hostile crowds in the US, it might be nice to play in front of a friendly crowd across the pond.

Like it or not, soccer is working its way into the American conciousness. Here's two articles from This Is American Soccer and The Sports Network that take two different angles but both suggest the same thing: soccer is already here, and it's just around the corner from huge popularity. Thanks to Todd and my dad for the links.