The "Star Wars" stories by Moore and Gibbons

Article about the "Star Wars" stories by "Watchmen" creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

New "Watchmen" book covers.

Look at the cover above. That's the best and most startling of the original covers for the "Watchmen" graphic novel edition. Now look at the two covers below - these are the covers Dave Gibbons have created - 20 years after the book was orignally published - for the new mass market editions of the book that tie in with the movie.

Well, I think it's a bit depressing. I really don't mind Dave Gibbons making money off the Watchmen movie, but I'm upset that he ruins the original book in this way. "It's just the cover of the book", some people might say - "It doesn't matter". Yes, but Watchmen was always a special case. Back from the days when "Watchmen" was published as 12 seperate issues, the cover design was always a part of the story inside. The story would actually start with the image on the cover and then zoom out.

These new covers ruins the original concept for the book. Also, they're just plain ugly. They look like ugly third rate school reunion photos from Facebook. "Hey people... nice to be back together. Let's put costumes on and have a photo session shall we? Oh, and the end of the world is nigh, right, so just for fun let's stand below a doomsdays clock."

Well, I hate to sound like a 19 year old fan of an obscure band that has just signed to a major label... but man, Dave Gibbons is a bit of a sellout these days. :-(

Oh well, at least Alan Moore is 100% uncompromising, and refusing all money from the movie. Ha!

Edit: after writing this post it occurs to me that Gibbons might actually be completely innocent - that these two sub-par images might be used on the cover against his will. Well, shame on DC then. Watchmen's covers were always some of the best looking out there.... well, no more.

"...There's a ship, The Black Freighter...."

The complete track listing for the Watchmen soundtrack has been revealed. It looks like this:

1. Desolation Row (My Chemical Romance)

2. Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)

3. The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan)

4. The Sound Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)

5. Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)

6. I'm Your Boogie Man (KC & The Sunshine Band)

7. You're My Thrill (Billie Holiday)

8. Pruit Igoe & Prophecies (Philip Glass)

9. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

10. All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)

11. Ride of the Valkyries (Budapest Symphony Orchestra)

12. Pirate Jenny (Nina Simone)

Now, sidestepping that unfortunate My Chemical Romance Dylan-cover (see previous post), there's actually some really good stuff on it. It's particularly nice to see Brecht and Weill's "Pirate Jenny" on the soundtrack. Of course "Pirate Jenny", with it's harrowing tale of a "Black Freighter", inspired the "Tales of the Black Freighter" comic book being read by a character in the Watchmen graphic novel. And song's storyline, about killing all inhabitants of a town, also thematically mirrors the climax of the story in "Watchmen".

But interesting enough the original German lyric by Brecht doesn't actually refer to a "Black Freighter" - it refers to "ein Schiff mit acht Segeln" - a ship with eight sails. The term The Black Freighter was invented for the - rather excellent - English translation of the song used by Nina Simone. In her version the word 'black' was probably deliberately meant to connect the song with American civil rights issues of the time, symbolizing the coming black revolution.

Here's Kurt Weill's wife Lotte Lenya singing the song in German with literal English subtitles:

Couldn't find the Nina Simone version from the soundtrack on Youtube, but never mind. Here's a great version - Anne Kerry Ford is singing the same translation as Simone - with its Black Freighter bit:

"You people can watch while Im scrubbing these floors
And Im scrubbin the floors while youre gawking
Maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell
In this crummy southern town

In this crummy old hotel
But youll never guess to who youre talkin.
No. you couldnt ever guess to who youre talkin.

Then one night theres a scream in the night
And youll wonder who could that have been
And you see me kinda grinnin while Im scrubbin
And you say, whats she got to grin?
Ill tell you.

Theres a ship
The black freighter
With a skull on its masthead
Will be coming in

You gentlemen can say, hey gal, finish them floors!
Get upstairs! whats wrong with you! earn your keep here!
You toss me your tips
And look out to the ships
But Im counting your heads
As Im making the beds
Cuz theres nobody gonna sleep here, honey
Nobody
Nobody!

Then one night theres a scream in the night
And you say, whos that kicking up a row?
And ya see me kinda starin out the winda
And you say, whats she got to stare at now?
Ill tell ya.

Theres a ship
The black freighter
Turns around in the harbor
Shootin guns from her bow

Now
You gentlemen can wipe off that smile off your face
Cause every building in town is a flat one
This whole frickin place will be down to the ground
Only this cheap hotel standing up safe and sound
And you yell, why do they spare that one?
Yes.
Thats what you say.
Why do they spare that one?

All the night through, through the noise and to-do
You wonder who is that person that lives up there?
And you see me stepping out in the morning
Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair

And the ship
The black freighter
Runs a flag up its masthead
And a cheer rings the air

By noontime the dock
Is a-swarmin with men
Comin out from the ghostly freighter
They move in the shadows
Where no one can see
And theyre chainin up people
And theyre bringin em to me
Askin me,
Kill them now, or later?
Askin me!
Kill them now, or later?

Noon by the clock
And so still by the dock
You can hear a foghorn miles away
And in that quiet of death
Ill say, right now.
Right now!

Then theyll pile up the bodies
And Ill say,
Thatll learn ya!

And the ship
The black freighter
Disappears out to sea
And
On
It
Is
Me"

(This blog-post was part two in an infrequent series about 'ship songs'. Part one here.)

update: as a footnote, here's a link to a post on another blog discussing the English translation. He concludes that it's not a very good translation. I disagree, but interesting analysis nonetheless.

Japanese "Watchmen" trailer....

...with new footage and lots of political background stuff.

I know I'm supposed to despise Philip Glass as being a no-good hack now I've turned into a wannabe classical music snob, but I have to admit that hearing Glass' "Koyaanisqatsi" music in those Watchmen trailers is quite chilling. I Wish they'd keep it there for the movie.



I wonder if this can turn the Watchmen graphic novel into a bestseller in Japan.

Corto Maltese and Watchmen

A few bits of comics news.

• Apparently there are now rumours that Hugo Pratt's "Corto Maltese" will once again be translated into English. This time hopefully in complete form. Read a great article about it and about the series here.
• There's been a screening of 25 minutes of the Watchmen movie, and apparently it's good stuff. CHUD report here.

"Watchmen" the bestseller

So "Watchmen" the book has now sold close to 900.000 copies in the last few weeks, all because of that trailer. I remain a sceptic who's somewhat concerned about the movie, but still... damn impressive.

This page has a comparison between the original comic book promotion posters and the new movie promotion posters.

and the trailer, in case there are a few people left who havent seen it yet: