Links in the chain

* Did you know that video game genius Hideo Kojima ("Metal Gear Solid," for those of you not in the know) has his own blog? Well, I didn't. And apparently it's in English now. For those seeking a special comics crossover, he talks in one recent post about meeting Frank Miller, who he clearly admires. (Note to Mr. Kojima: Miller does comics in color too, well worth checking out.)

* The new issue of Entertainment Weekly (the one with Charlize Theron on the cover) has a rather nice feature story on Watchmen. It's one of their first person jobs, where they get people like Gibbons and editor Len Wein to talk about their memories of making the book and their reaction to it success. They even got Alan Moore to talk, which is a damn sight better than DC did for their new "Absolute Watchmen" edition.

I particularily love this exchange:

Moore: When I started writing comics, "comics writer" was the most obscure job in the world! If I wanted to be a celebrity, I would have become a moody English screen actor.
Jude Law (moody English screen actor): I was an am a huge comics fan. Watchmen changed my life. I collected every issue.

Of course, this being Entertainment Weekly, the lay the on the hype with a trowel. The opening paragraphs describe the series as "representing the apex of artistry in its respective medium." You hear that Robert Crumb, Chris Ware and Joe Sacco? You can go home now. "Lost" creator Damon Lindelof calls the book "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced." To which I say, oh shut up.

And apparently I'm not the only one. Fantagraphics' Eric Reynolds offers his thoughts on the piece here. And Tom over at the Comics Reporter points to a piece at mediabistro.com that questions whether the book might be just a wee bit overhyped and notes the coincidence of a Time Warner magazine doing a big feature story on a Time Warner graphic novel.

EW also does some comics reviews in their Books section in this issue. Infinite Crisis gets an A-, Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards gets a B, Black Hole gets a B+ and Pyonyang gets an A-. Let me repeat that in case you missed it: The first issue of Infinite Crisis got A HIGHER SCORE than Charles Burns' 10-year masterwork. Now, I admit, I haven't read either book yet (I've only read bits and pieces of Hole so far) but unless Crisis is as good as, say, Watchmen, then I think they folks at EW might just be, well, laying it on a bit thick. But then, that's what EW is all about, isn't it?