There are big spoilers in this post for the second season of “Fargo,” as well as the films “Magnolia” and “Short Cuts.” I strongly recommend watching two of the three, but I don’t want to cut the readership of this post down to the slim Venn diagram for the overlapping audiences of the three. First… Read More Fargo: UFOS, Frogs & Earthquakes
Here’s my reading list for November. It’s a bit shorter than my October list and very Donald Duck heavy. I burned through a lot of Carl Barks and Don Rosa books. The December reading challenge is holiday books, but I discovered last year that’s a tougher challenge to find material for. I have one or… Read More My November comics reading list
Last Thanksgiving I watched some of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day Marathon with my then almost there-year-old daughter, Ava. It went OK, so a year later I decided to revisit the idea with my almost four-year-old, taking notes while it happened. Her reaction to the Shout Factory logo: “That’s a pattern! Do I… Read More Ava reviews daddy stuff: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Ava is obsessed with “Frozen.” Even before she had seen the movie, she was very familiar with the story thanks to kids at her day care. The school’s Halloween party could have just been a “Batman & Elsa” party. Every day she asks if she can listen to “Elsa songs” on my phone. My Spotify… Read More My two big issues with ‘Frozen’
This weekend Jim Steranko will be the guest of honor at the first Midwest Comic Con, which is a continuation of the former Comic Book I-Con. Steranko is arguably the biggest comic name the Iowa Comic Book Club has ever brought to town. He’s without a doubt the most interesting. Sure, there’s his art, a… Read More Jim Steranko: Agent of Awesome
A few weeks back I sat in on Brian Campos’ Pants Off Podcast. I view it as my exit interview from my time as music writer for Juice and the Des Moines Register. Brian has been doing the podcast for a few years now, interviewing people like Clint Curtis, Patrick Tape Fleming, Brandon Darner and… Read More My interview on Pants Off Podcast
When the phone rang at work, I wasn’t expecting to hear a friend’s mother on the line. My pleasant surprise quickly faded. The police were at my friend Jamey’s apartment building. There had been a murder. Could I check around the newsroom to find out more? I called an editor, she didn’t have any names,… Read More Remembering Jamey
A little over a year ago I started participating in monthly comic book reading challenges on a website I visit regularly. Each month has a different theme, like sci-fi, fantasy, award-winning comics and nine other categories, In the first year of the challenges I read 1,017 comics, though that’s not counting any comics that didn’t… Read More My October comics reading list
Last week Dan (I know his real last name, but he’s managed to trick Facebook with his fake name, so I’ll respect his privacy) Oldermusicgeek put together a playlist dedicated to me for the Iowa Music Showcase podcast. I’m honored, especially because he put got quotes and suggestions from people around the music scene to… Read More Joe Lawler: The playlist
This is just a short entry to post this week’s Critical Mass, a radio show I co-host on KFMG. Normally I co-host with Chad Taylor, or more rarely with Brian Campos, but this week it was just me. Luckily, I had two guests in the studio, Alllison Fegley of Hoyt Sherman Place and Finn Andersen,… Read More Joe’s solo Critical Mass show
Live Local Man 