BPM tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008-06-12:/bpm//2 2009-09-15T01:35:37Z Movable Type 4.1 Killer B.P.M. review from BlogCritics.Org tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.214 2009-09-15T01:32:21Z 2009-09-15T01:35:37Z Wow. Here's a stunner of a review from the one of the grumpiest men in blogging (and a great supporter of mine) Dan Traeger, posted at BlogCritics.org (Note: the juxtaposition of letters in the title of the review are not Dan's fault) B.P.M. REVIEW AT BLOGCRITICS.ORG ******* Or if you prefer to read it here: "Every person on Earth, every man, woman and child has a soundtrack. We all have that personal set-list that sparks memory triggers both good and bad, and these memories mark different places and events in our lives. Music is with us constantly, from the time our ears develop and we are able to process signal in utero, to the time when we breathe our final rattle. Humanity has one constant in life, music. It's one of the most important concepts we share as a species, and it has proven itself time and again as a better communication tool than language or mathematics. It's no wonder that we measure music and the rhythm of the human heart in beats per minute. Let me narrow this down a bit, by spilling a not-so-secret confidence. Every writer I know, and I highly suspect that you can comfortably make the blanket statement, "every writer", either hears a soundtrack in his head while he's writing, or simply listens to music as he writes. Whenever I get the chance to meet a writer one of the questions I always ask is, "Do you listen to music while you write, and if so what?" The answer is always yes. Stephen King listens to rock n roll, the great comics creator Brian Wood listens to indie rock (and is really good about publishing his set lists.) Both Harlan Ellison and Roger Zelazny told me they listen to jazz while they write. When I asked Harlan Ellison the music question, he told me he listens to jazz cranked to 11. He then proceeded to argue with me for about forty-five minutes or so, when I stubbornly refused to admit that Django Reinhardt was a better guitarist than Les Paul. That one ended with him bonking his signing pen off my noggin and cursing me out in Yiddish, great fun. (And just to prove what a mensch Harlan is, he not only let me keep the pen, but he signed for an extra hour so that everybody got their books autographed.) I digress, but it proves my point that music is inexorably tied to the human soul. Paul Sizer knows this as well as any of us, and with his newest graphic novel he has tapped into that ever-present soundtrack of humanity. Herein, he presents a story of music and how it penetrates the human heart. B.P.M. is the tale of Roxy, a twentysomething working as a DJ on the New York City club scene. When we first pick up her story, Roxy is at that most dangerous and exciting point in any artist's career where she's dancing across the razor's edge of either breaking big, or giving up for good. We get to follow her through the transition from gifted amateur to professional, as she learns what it takes to become a star DJ. Sizer lays out the track that all young artists must follow to make this transition. As an artist himself he knows all-too-well what you have to give up to succeed, and as readers, we are left with the lingering question of "was it worth it?" The characters in this story are the most spot-on, fully realized people that Sizer has written to date. Even minor characters who don't rate much panel time are intriguing to the point that you find yourself wondering about their back stories. The protagonist Roxy is alive on the page, warts and all, as Sizer masterfully weaves her story. The relationships she shares with her friends, her lovers, even her mentors, have the ring of truth. Roxy, like all of us, sometimes makes bad choices. She's occasionally unfair, and she's filled with self doubt, but she's honest, loyal, and a great student. Like the wonderful storyteller he is, Sizer sucks you in to the story, and keeps you dancing with these people until the music finally stops and you walk out into the night, humming a tune and feeling fulfilled for having known these people. B.P.M. is something increasingly rare in the world of comics. It is a story told with passion and fire, filled with the absolute joy of being alive, and an affirmation of how important music is to the human soul. The artwork on B.P.M. is a bit of a change from Sizer's usual visuals. He brings his prodigious talents as a graphic designer full force, deftly combining computer enhanced photographs with detailed hand drawn backgrounds. Sizer uses a computerized palette of coloring and visual presentation techniques that are new to his stories. Light smears signify the passing of time, lens flashes in the clubs add depth and realism to his hand drawn artwork. His use of computer drawing techniques enhances his artwork, and detracts not one bit from the story. It's the first time he's really cut loose with his graphic design skills, and the pay-off is huge. B.P.M. is a sexy package with a running soundtrack (available on I-tunes, by the way), and it's wrapped in one of the coolest covers to ever grace a graphic novel. Sizer has never been one to skimp on extras with his graphic packages, and B.P.M. is no exception. With the addition of his I-tunes set list, he's created an extended dance mix complete with liner notes, promotional artwork, sketches and research drawings. The whole graphic novel is a delicious feast for the eyes and ears of anyone lucky enough to lose themselves within this world of neon, chrome and concrete. The music tracks aren't necessary to enjoy the story, but if you listen to them while reading it, taking time to let the songs play through before moving on to the next scene, the... Paul Sizer Wow. Here's a stunner of a review from the one of the grumpiest men in blogging (and a great supporter of mine) Dan Traeger, posted at BlogCritics.org
(Note: the juxtaposition of letters in the title of the review are not Dan's fault)
B.P.M. REVIEW AT BLOGCRITICS.ORG
*******
Or if you prefer to read it here:
"Every person on Earth, every man, woman and child has a soundtrack. We all have that personal set-list that sparks memory triggers both good and bad, and these memories mark different places and events in our lives. Music is with us constantly, from the time our ears develop and we are able to process signal in utero, to the time when we breathe our final rattle. Humanity has one constant in life, music. It's one of the most important concepts we share as a species, and it has proven itself time and again as a better communication tool than language or mathematics. It's no wonder that we measure music and the rhythm of the human heart in beats per minute.

Let me narrow this down a bit, by spilling a not-so-secret confidence. Every writer I know, and I highly suspect that you can comfortably make the blanket statement, "every writer", either hears a soundtrack in his head while he's writing, or simply listens to music as he writes. Whenever I get the chance to meet a writer one of the questions I always ask is, "Do you listen to music while you write, and if so what?" The answer is always yes. Stephen King listens to rock n roll, the great comics creator Brian Wood listens to indie rock (and is really good about publishing his set lists.) Both Harlan Ellison and Roger Zelazny told me they listen to jazz while they write. When I asked Harlan Ellison the music question, he told me he listens to jazz cranked to 11. He then proceeded to argue with me for about forty-five minutes or so, when I stubbornly refused to admit that Django Reinhardt was a better guitarist than Les Paul. That one ended with him bonking his signing pen off my noggin and cursing me out in Yiddish, great fun. (And just to prove what a mensch Harlan is, he not only let me keep the pen, but he signed for an extra hour so that everybody got their books autographed.) I digress, but it proves my point that music is inexorably tied to the human soul.

Paul Sizer knows this as well as any of us, and with his newest graphic novel he has tapped into that ever-present soundtrack of humanity. Herein, he presents a story of music and how it penetrates the human heart. B.P.M. is the tale of Roxy, a twentysomething working as a DJ on the New York City club scene.

When we first pick up her story, Roxy is at that most dangerous and exciting point in any artist's career where she's dancing across the razor's edge of either breaking big, or giving up for good. We get to follow her through the transition from gifted amateur to professional, as she learns what it takes to become a star DJ. Sizer lays out the track that all young artists must follow to make this transition. As an artist himself he knows all-too-well what you have to give up to succeed, and as readers, we are left with the lingering question of "was it worth it?"

The characters in this story are the most spot-on, fully realized people that Sizer has written to date. Even minor characters who don't rate much panel time are intriguing to the point that you find yourself wondering about their back stories. The protagonist Roxy is alive on the page, warts and all, as Sizer masterfully weaves her story. The relationships she shares with her friends, her lovers, even her mentors, have the ring of truth. Roxy, like all of us, sometimes makes bad choices. She's occasionally unfair, and she's filled with self doubt, but she's honest, loyal, and a great student. Like the wonderful storyteller he is, Sizer sucks you in to the story, and keeps you dancing with these people until the music finally stops and you walk out into the night, humming a tune and feeling fulfilled for having known these people. B.P.M. is something increasingly rare in the world of comics. It is a story told with passion and fire, filled with the absolute joy of being alive, and an affirmation of how important music is to the human soul.

The artwork on B.P.M. is a bit of a change from Sizer's usual visuals. He brings his prodigious talents as a graphic designer full force, deftly combining computer enhanced photographs with detailed hand drawn backgrounds. Sizer uses a computerized palette of coloring and visual presentation techniques that are new to his stories. Light smears signify the passing of time, lens flashes in the clubs add depth and realism to his hand drawn artwork. His use of computer drawing techniques enhances his artwork, and detracts not one bit from the story. It's the first time he's really cut loose with his graphic design skills, and the pay-off is huge. B.P.M. is a sexy package with a running soundtrack (available on I-tunes, by the way), and it's wrapped in one of the coolest covers to ever grace a graphic novel.

Sizer has never been one to skimp on extras with his graphic packages, and B.P.M. is no exception. With the addition of his I-tunes set list, he's created an extended dance mix complete with liner notes, promotional artwork, sketches and research drawings. The whole graphic novel is a delicious feast for the eyes and ears of anyone lucky enough to lose themselves within this world of neon, chrome and concrete. The music tracks aren't necessary to enjoy the story, but if you listen to them while reading it, taking time to let the songs play through before moving on to the next scene, the story rises to a new level, revealing layers to the narrative that you miss the first time you read it through.

B.P.M. is a unique audio visual package that entertains on every level imaginable. Like the perfect beat underlying a night spent lost within the mixes of a master DJ, the book sticks with you long after you've finished reading it. It's a great read that will appeal to anyone who has ever heard the siren call of music, and that's everyone on the planet. The perfect beat runs through the hearts and minds of all of us, and it's measured in Beats Per Minute."

Here to see the online B.P.M. Preview? Go HERE

]]> Amazon customer review of B.P.M. tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.206 2009-05-29T21:29:20Z 2009-05-29T21:29:58Z OK, this is freaking me out a little... Check out THIS review also: "5 STARS Beautiful and uplifting, May 11, 2009 By Paul (London, UK) Beautifully illustrated, this is a truly uplifting story about Roxy, a DJ who makes sacrifices to break into the big-time. It's an inspirational comic book, based in the NYC club scene and presented as a high quality blend of drawing, photos and computer graphics. The author is a fan of both comics and music and this combination of his two loves is a real gift from Paul Sizer's heart. The accompanying playlist of music tracks is a real treat too. Any day you feel you could use some motivation is a great day to read B.P.M. (again). [...] LINK TO REVIEW... Paul Sizer OK, this is freaking me out a little...
Check out THIS review also:

"5 STARS Beautiful and uplifting, May 11, 2009
By Paul (London, UK)
Beautifully illustrated, this is a truly uplifting story about Roxy, a DJ who makes sacrifices to break into the big-time. It's an inspirational comic book, based in the NYC club scene and presented as a high quality blend of drawing, photos and computer graphics. The author is a fan of both comics and music and this combination of his two loves is a real gift from Paul Sizer's heart. The accompanying playlist of music tracks is a real treat too.

Any day you feel you could use some motivation is a great day to read B.P.M. (again). [...]
LINK TO REVIEW


]]> BOOKLIST review of B.P.M. tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.205 2009-05-29T21:14:49Z 2009-05-29T21:15:51Z Holy Cow! Just wanted to share this new review from BOOKLIST for B.P.M.: "From Booklist: In his note to the reader, Sizer says his dual love for music and comics left little time for anything else. So it goes with his heroine DJ Roxy, slave to the rhythm, who gives up a girlfriend, sleep, and a social life in pursuit of her dream throughout this gorgeous graphic novel. Sizer infuses digital images into his drawings, amping up the hyper energy of New York's nightclub underworld. Roxy's renaissance opens with a caffeine jolt of light and sound coursing readers into Plush, a gay nightclub under the spell of DJ Atsuko, where Roxy merely observes in awe. She quickly comes off the sidelines, though, and we are introduced to her other DJ friend, Dom, and her Yoda-like mentor, Robie. Dubbed the "Café Digital Extended House mix," this edition comes complete with liner notes and suggested tracks to play softly in the background or to supplement the sets Roxy plays during her gigs. This one's a keeper. Grades 10-12. --Courtney Jones" LINK TO REVIEW Now THAT'S how I like to finish off a Friday. A virtual round for the house!... Paul Sizer Holy Cow! Just wanted to share this new review from BOOKLIST for B.P.M.:

"From Booklist:
In his note to the reader, Sizer says his dual love for music and comics left little time for anything else. So it goes with his heroine DJ Roxy, slave to the rhythm, who gives up a girlfriend, sleep, and a social life in pursuit of her dream throughout this gorgeous graphic novel. Sizer infuses digital images into his drawings, amping up the hyper energy of New York's nightclub underworld. Roxy's renaissance opens with a caffeine jolt of light and sound coursing readers into Plush, a gay nightclub under the spell of DJ Atsuko, where Roxy merely observes in awe. She quickly comes off the sidelines, though, and we are introduced to her other DJ friend, Dom, and her Yoda-like mentor, Robie. Dubbed the "Café Digital Extended House mix," this edition comes complete with liner notes and suggested tracks to play softly in the background or to supplement the sets Roxy plays during her gigs. This one's a keeper. Grades 10-12. --Courtney Jones"
LINK TO REVIEW


Now THAT'S how I like to finish off a Friday. A virtual round for the house!

]]> Warren Ellis thinks I "own"... tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.204 2009-05-22T13:10:18Z 2009-05-22T13:12:36Z In my "pride" moment of the day, check out what Warren Ellis said about me in his blog: "REMAKE/REMODEL: The Spider Queen May 22nd, 2009 | brainjuice This week's Remake/Remodel thread at Whitechapel was chugging along happily, trying to make sense out of a tiny description of an obscure 1940s character: Sharon Kane is the sworn enemy of all criminals. Her specially designed bracelets eject spider webbing. Her boyfriend is a detective named Mike O'Bell. And then Ryan Kelly, Pia Guerra and Paul Sizer came in overnight and just owned pretty much everybody." WARREN ELLIS' BLOG I believe a "squee" is in order. Although I do somewhat feel like the "One of these things is not like the others" guy in this listing, but eh... Here's my picture of the Spider Queen, in all her cross-dressing glory: (Sharp-eyed viewers will notice I ripped off my own poster designs and people from posters I designed for B.P.M.)... Paul Sizer In my "pride" moment of the day, check out what Warren Ellis said about me in his blog:

"REMAKE/REMODEL: The Spider Queen
May 22nd, 2009 | brainjuice
This week's Remake/Remodel thread at Whitechapel was chugging along happily, trying to make sense out of a tiny description of an obscure 1940s character:

Sharon Kane is the sworn enemy of all criminals. Her specially designed bracelets eject spider webbing. Her boyfriend is a detective named Mike O'Bell.

And then Ryan Kelly, Pia Guerra and Paul Sizer came in overnight and just owned pretty much everybody."

WARREN ELLIS' BLOG

I believe a "squee" is in order. Although I do somewhat feel like the "One of these things is not like the others" guy in this listing, but eh...

Here's my picture of the Spider Queen, in all her cross-dressing glory:
spider-queen_poster_by_sizer.jpg

(Sharp-eyed viewers will notice I ripped off my own poster designs and people from posters I designed for B.P.M.)

]]> B.P.M. on Solipsistic Nation Podcast/Summer Tour Dates tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.198 2009-03-27T14:40:14Z 2009-03-27T14:42:03Z Hello friends, fans and retailers. Good weather means good news, I guess. Here's a few nice tidbits of info from the Cafe Digital Studios News Service: B.P.M. ON SOLIPSISTIC NATION PODCAST THIS WEEK A cool interview about B.P.M. with Bazooka Joe of SOLIPSISTIC NATION this week. LINK The podcast also features a great talk with Gary Bredow, the director of "High Tech Soul", a great documentary about Detroit techno. "High Tech Soul" is the first documentary to tackle the deep roots of techno music alongside the cultural history of it's Detroit birthplace. "High Tech Soul" features interview with legends such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Well worth checking out! PAUL SIZER ANNOUNCES B.P.M. "BEAT THE SUMMER" CONVENTION TOUR Which is just a dorky way of announcing the summer conventions I will be attending this spring and summer to promote B.P.M. Please feel free to stop by and say hello (or throw fruit or garbge at me, whatever works!) Here's the schedule: ANIME CENTRAL (ACEN), May 8-10, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL LINK MOTOR CITY COMICON, May 15-17, Rock Financial Show Place, Novi, MI (I will only be attending on Saturday and Sunday of this convention) LINK KIDS READ COMICS CONVENTION, June 12-13, Chelsea, MI LINK WIZARD WORLD/CHICAGO COMICON, August 7-9, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL LINK... Paul Sizer Hello friends, fans and retailers.
Good weather means good news, I guess. Here's a few nice tidbits of info from the Cafe Digital Studios News Service:

B.P.M. ON SOLIPSISTIC NATION PODCAST THIS WEEK
A cool interview about B.P.M. with Bazooka Joe of SOLIPSISTIC NATION this week.
LINK
The podcast also features a great talk with Gary Bredow, the director of "High Tech Soul", a great documentary about Detroit techno. "High Tech Soul" is the first documentary to tackle the deep roots of techno music alongside the cultural history of it's Detroit birthplace. "High Tech Soul" features interview with legends such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Well worth checking out!

PAUL SIZER ANNOUNCES B.P.M. "BEAT THE SUMMER" CONVENTION TOUR
Which is just a dorky way of announcing the summer conventions I will be attending this spring and summer to promote B.P.M.
Please feel free to stop by and say hello (or throw fruit or garbge at me, whatever works!)
Here's the schedule:

ANIME CENTRAL (ACEN), May 8-10, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
LINK

MOTOR CITY COMICON, May 15-17, Rock Financial Show Place, Novi, MI (I will only be attending on Saturday and Sunday of this convention)
LINK

KIDS READ COMICS CONVENTION, June 12-13, Chelsea, MI
LINK

WIZARD WORLD/CHICAGO COMICON, August 7-9, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
LINK

]]> B.P.M. in OSLO tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.193 2009-02-25T19:11:03Z 2009-02-25T19:16:16Z Photo taken by the ever cool DJ Jackalope, over in Oslo, Norway, spinning at Hackcon 2009. Proof that my books do indeed make it overseas! Thanks, 'Lope. Just here to check out the BPM 50 page preview? CLICK HERE!... Paul Sizer bpm_in_oslo_500.jpg

Photo taken by the ever cool DJ Jackalope, over in Oslo, Norway, spinning at Hackcon 2009. Proof that my books do indeed make it overseas!
Thanks, 'Lope.

Just here to check out the BPM 50 page preview? CLICK HERE!

]]> B.P.M. via INFINITE CANVAS tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.192 2009-02-01T17:29:57Z 2009-02-01T17:37:35Z "Infinite Canvas" was a term comic genius Scott McCloud coined to imagine being able to view comics online in an environment that allowed you to navigate through the panels in a variety of directions and sequences. Now, some nice tech folks have made an Alpha application site called "Infinite Canvas" that is the beginning stages of realizing this vision. I've uploaded a small portion of "B.P.M." into the site, and it looks pretty cool. Check it out! B.P.M. INFINITE CANVAS PREVIEW Just here to see the 50 page preview? CLICK HERE!... Paul Sizer "Infinite Canvas" was a term comic genius Scott McCloud coined to imagine being able to view comics online in an environment that allowed you to navigate through the panels in a variety of directions and sequences. Now, some nice tech folks have made an Alpha application site called "Infinite Canvas" that is the beginning stages of realizing this vision.
I've uploaded a small portion of "B.P.M." into the site, and it looks pretty cool.
Check it out!
B.P.M. INFINITE CANVAS PREVIEW

Just here to see the 50 page preview? CLICK HERE!

]]> B.P.M. Review on GOODREADS website tag:www.paulsizer.com,2009:/bpm//2.190 2009-01-25T17:34:36Z 2009-01-25T17:53:17Z Good review for B.P.M. from high-volume reviewer Monk on the GoodReads website: Monk rated it: 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/09 bookshelves: graphicnovel Read in January, 2009 "I finally got around to bringing in the newest Paul Sizer book into the (ever growing) collection of books piling up. With Graphic Novels, I can always at least manage to fit them in between the epic bug-smashing books, and they're very seldom lacking in reward. B.P.M. is a definite departure from a lot of the previous works that Sizer's released. There's no galaxy-spanning civilization, abandoned mining platworms or under-dwelling gangs. This one's backdrop is NYC, present day, present time. It covers the aspirations of Roxy, a DJ with promise, struggling to make a name for herself. After an evening of squeaking by yet again to a bored college crowd, she meets a former DJ whose rise to stardom threw him back in the gutter when the lifestyle got to be too much for him. As Roxy speaks with him more and more, she finds her old life slipping away, but in its place begins to find new opportunities in her new-found musical advancement. It's a pretty established theme: young up-and-comer meets forgotten-master willing to pass on his skills. However, rarely is this seen applied to music. Having an experience with both music and art myself (and having followed neither very successfully) it grabbed my interest. Paul had put out some single images out for BPM that piqued my interest before the book went out. If it had single issue releases I never saw them, but Cafe Press and Amazon came to the rescue so that I could finally get a shot at reading it. I recommend it for music lovers and fans of Paul's art style, and just for anyone in general. Support your indie artists - music or visual!..." LINK TO GOODREADS... Paul Sizer Good review for B.P.M. from high-volume reviewer Monk on the GoodReads website:

Monk rated it: 4 out of 5 stars
01/24/09
bookshelves: graphicnovel
Read in January, 2009
"I finally got around to bringing in the newest Paul Sizer book into the (ever growing) collection of books piling up. With Graphic Novels, I can always at least manage to fit them in between the epic bug-smashing books, and they're very seldom lacking in reward.

B.P.M. is a definite departure from a lot of the previous works that Sizer's released. There's no galaxy-spanning civilization, abandoned mining platworms or under-dwelling gangs. This one's backdrop is NYC, present day, present time. It covers the aspirations of Roxy, a DJ with promise, struggling to make a name for herself. After an evening of squeaking by yet again to a bored college crowd, she meets a former DJ whose rise to stardom threw him back in the gutter when the lifestyle got to be too much for him. As Roxy speaks with him more and more, she finds her old life slipping away, but in its place begins to find new opportunities in her new-found musical advancement.

It's a pretty established theme: young up-and-comer meets forgotten-master willing to pass on his skills. However, rarely is this seen applied to music. Having an experience with both music and art myself (and having followed neither very successfully) it grabbed my interest. Paul had put out some single images out for BPM that piqued my interest before the book went out. If it had single issue releases I never saw them, but Cafe Press and Amazon came to the rescue so that I could finally get a shot at reading it. I recommend it for music lovers and fans of Paul's art style, and just for anyone in general. Support your indie artists - music or visual!..."

LINK TO GOODREADS

]]> New reviews for B.P.M. tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.179 2008-12-13T19:11:46Z 2008-12-13T19:15:52Z Nice online review from Iain Jackson, via LiveJournal:LINK B.P.M. (Paul Sizer; Cafe Digital) $15.99, 94p. 50 page preview online at paulsizer.com "Roxy wants to be a DJ. In fact, she is a DJ, but she wants to be a great one, not just a good one. She starts investing more of herself in finding out just how to do this, spending more time with her friend Atsuko, who is a very good DJ, with her friend Dominic who is both a DJ and a recording engineer. This causes conflict in her romantic relationship with her girlfriend Hannah, who wants Roxy to spend more time with her. At the same time, Roxy gets some unsolicited but very good advice from this guy whom she's never met before. After doing a little research, she discovers that he's Philippe Robicheau, a one-time luminary on the club DJ scene who self-destructed in a haze of drugs and sex, among other things. She starts working with him, absorbing his knowledge to make herself a better DJ. In the meantime, her relationship with Hannah pretty much implodes, and Roxy's forced to make hard decisions about her life. How much does she want to give to her work? How much to a relationship? Where does she want her priorities to lie? Just how much does she want this, anyway? Sizer does a very good job of depicting how it feels to be a young adult, just beginning to take your work seriously, deciding just how driven you are and how successful you want to be, and what sorts of sacrifices it takes to get where you want to be. Roxy gets portrayed a bit inconsistently -- in most of her life, she's forthright and assertive, but when it comes to the breakup of her relationship with Hannah, she just takes the hits without pointing out that Hannah's doing the same thing that she's doing, prioritizing her career over the relationship. That really is the one character quibble I do have about the story. Sizer's New York is also very inclusive -- it takes place in a New York with all sorts of people, as opposed to the "Friends" New York, for example. The colors are strong and vibrant throughout, with a playlist running along the bottom of the book for evocative music. The one place where the artwork has a few -- a very few -- problems comes in his depiction of faces; there's something about a few of the faces where he's drawing them full-face or close to it where they look clunky and squished; a perspective issue of some sort. Again, that's in a very few places; otherwise, the faces are very expressive and distinct. BPM is a very enjoyable read. Older teens and adults who like stories about music and the people who work in that world might like it very much. Highly recommended." And B.P.M. is also the featured review for Diamond Bookshelf, based on the Publishers Weekly review from a few weeks back: LINK... Paul Sizer Nice online review from Iain Jackson, via LiveJournal:LINK

B.P.M. (Paul Sizer; Cafe Digital)
$15.99, 94p.
50 page preview online at paulsizer.com

"Roxy wants to be a DJ. In fact, she is a DJ, but she wants to be a great one, not just a good one. She starts investing more of herself in finding out just how to do this, spending more time with her friend Atsuko, who is a very good DJ, with her friend Dominic who is both a DJ and a recording engineer. This causes conflict in her romantic relationship with her girlfriend Hannah, who wants Roxy to spend more time with her. At the same time, Roxy gets some unsolicited but very good advice from this guy whom she's never met before. After doing a little research, she discovers that he's Philippe Robicheau, a one-time luminary on the club DJ scene who self-destructed in a haze of drugs and sex, among other things. She starts working with him, absorbing his knowledge to make herself a better DJ. In the meantime, her relationship with Hannah pretty much implodes, and Roxy's forced to make hard decisions about her life. How much does she want to give to her work? How much to a relationship? Where does she want her priorities to lie? Just how much does she want this, anyway?

Sizer does a very good job of depicting how it feels to be a young adult, just beginning to take your work seriously, deciding just how driven you are and how successful you want to be, and what sorts of sacrifices it takes to get where you want to be. Roxy gets portrayed a bit inconsistently -- in most of her life, she's forthright and assertive, but when it comes to the breakup of her relationship with Hannah, she just takes the hits without pointing out that Hannah's doing the same thing that she's doing, prioritizing her career over the relationship. That really is the one character quibble I do have about the story. Sizer's New York is also very inclusive -- it takes place in a New York with all sorts of people, as opposed to the "Friends" New York, for example. The colors are strong and vibrant throughout, with a playlist running along the bottom of the book for evocative music. The one place where the artwork has a few -- a very few -- problems comes in his depiction of faces; there's something about a few of the faces where he's drawing them full-face or close to it where they look clunky and squished; a perspective issue of some sort. Again, that's in a very few places; otherwise, the faces are very expressive and distinct.

BPM is a very enjoyable read. Older teens and adults who like stories about music and the people who work in that world might like it very much. Highly recommended."

And B.P.M. is also the featured review for Diamond Bookshelf, based on the Publishers Weekly review from a few weeks back:
LINK

]]> IN-STORE SIGNING at GREEN BRAIN COMICS tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.177 2008-12-04T15:16:41Z 2008-12-04T15:55:12Z IN-STORE SIGNING at GREEN BRAIN COMICS in Dearborn, MI on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 Yup, it's confirmed; I'll be signing copies of "B.P.M." at one of my all-time favorite comic stores on Earth, Green Brain Comics! PLUS, loud techno music courtesy of local turntable prodigy DJ Konspiracy on the wheels of steel! Followed by Green Brain's (in)famous Monthly Comics Jam! A day to remember (or at least regret). Here's a link to Green Brain's site for more info: GREEN BRAIN COMICS... Paul Sizer bpm_greenbrain_poster_2008.jpg
IN-STORE SIGNING at GREEN BRAIN COMICS in Dearborn, MI on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
Yup, it's confirmed; I'll be signing copies of "B.P.M." at one of my all-time favorite comic stores on Earth, Green Brain Comics! PLUS, loud techno music courtesy of local turntable prodigy DJ Konspiracy on the wheels of steel! Followed by Green Brain's (in)famous Monthly Comics Jam! A day to remember (or at least regret).
Here's a link to Green Brain's site for more info: GREEN BRAIN COMICS

]]> B.P.M. makes final nomination list for ALA 2009 tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.176 2008-12-04T14:33:06Z 2008-12-04T14:33:32Z It's now official; "B.P.M." is a nomination for the American Library Association's "Great Graphic Novels for Teens" list, winners to be announced at the ALA Winter Conference in January. "Great Graphic Novels for Teens" 2009 Nominations Fingers are crossed for "B.P.M." to make the Top Ten list this year!... Paul Sizer It's now official; "B.P.M." is a nomination for the American Library Association's "Great Graphic Novels for Teens" list, winners to be announced at the ALA Winter Conference in January.
"Great Graphic Novels for Teens" 2009 Nominations
Fingers are crossed for "B.P.M." to make the Top Ten list this year!

]]> "B.P.M." REVIEW AT BROKEN FRONTIER tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.171 2008-11-26T13:13:47Z 2008-11-26T13:17:34Z Someone must know it's my birthday this Friday; here's another good "B.P.M." review, this time at BROKEN FRONTIER: LINK B.P.M.: Review by Lee Newman, posted November 19, 2008 Roxy is an up and coming DJ in the New York dance club scene. When a local legend takes her under his wing, she finds herself on the precipice of greatness. Is she brave enough to allow that to happen? BPM is a work by an artist who loves his subject. It is easy to see this in Paul Sizer's script. It brims with a respect and awe for the music and the profession of DJing. Even without the knowledge presented in the forwords, it is obvious from the feeling of authenticity that Sizer is of the world presented. The passion of the author is infused in the lead character, Roxy. She is a girl trying to find herself. She is torn by her profession. What does it mean to her? How serious is she in its pursuit? Meanwhile, she has to do some significant soul searching. What does a relationship mean to her? Which is more important, her career or love? What exactly does the future hold for her? She does not have ready answers to these questions, but she knows that the music makes her happy. When a legendary DJ, record shop entrepreneur and producer starts to mentor her, she begins to realize the dedication her path will demand. It becomes time to make some tough life decisions. Some choices she will regret, but as she learns to challenge herself in the booth, she is rewarded in her personal life as well. As her passion begins to surface, suddenly she is not struggling to get by and her life takes direction. She starts to live for the first time in her life. It is an amazing transformation that unfolds for the reader. Starting slowly, tentatively, Sizer brings the story to a feverish pitch and when the graphic novel is over, the reader is energized, wanting more. Like a good techno set (and yes, they do exist), Sizer elicits the emotions that he wants. To further cement the experience to its real life counterpart, the author provides a soundtrack as footnotes (and at I-Tunes for download). The length of the soundtrack would mean a very laborious and attentive read. Its staggering length seems overwhelming, but from the songs that this writer knows, the list is deliberate. The songs are chosen to be complimentary to the moods of the scenes they are meant to accompany. Beyond the insightfulness of the choices, there is a broad cross section of popular music represented. This means that there should be a little something for most everybody. The art is a bit of a prickly subject. The faces of many of the characters in the book are just plain awkward. However, there is a consistency and strong line present that negates any feelings of it being the work of a lesser artist. Sizer's consistency shows that the design is a stylistic choice. It is certainly something that will be a deciding factor for some readers, but it is solid. The design of Roxy in particular is genius. She evokes an edgy style that is timeless and her cute look helps to convey the exuberance of life that she embraces. There are also very interesting elements in the background. The book starts with several over exposed shots of New York at night. Street lights look like glow sticks at a rave. The mood is set. However, the photographs aren't just a neat introduction taking you into the cartoon world. They are present throughout the book, morphed pixellation and a rotoscope-like coloring effect. This allows them to be used as set dressing in various panels, making for a distinctive look. BPM is a book that is lovingly conceived and executed. The joy that inspired the book eventually infects the reader. Sizer has created a unique blend of two mediums. Both are known for strong emotional reactions from their audience. He skillfully affects the reader with a powerful affirmation of life, despite its challenges. It is testimony to the power of passionate creation."... Paul Sizer Someone must know it's my birthday this Friday; here's another good "B.P.M." review, this time at BROKEN FRONTIER: LINK

B.P.M.: Review by Lee Newman, posted November 19, 2008
Roxy is an up and coming DJ in the New York dance club scene. When a local legend takes her under his wing, she finds herself on the precipice of greatness. Is she brave enough to allow that to happen?

BPM is a work by an artist who loves his subject. It is easy to see this in Paul Sizer's script. It brims with a respect and awe for the music and the profession of DJing. Even without the knowledge presented in the forwords, it is obvious from the feeling of authenticity that Sizer is of the world presented.

The passion of the author is infused in the lead character, Roxy. She is a girl trying to find herself. She is torn by her profession. What does it mean to her? How serious is she in its pursuit? Meanwhile, she has to do some significant soul searching. What does a relationship mean to her? Which is more important, her career or love? What exactly does the future hold for her? She does not have ready answers to these questions, but she knows that the music makes her happy.

When a legendary DJ, record shop entrepreneur and producer starts to mentor her, she begins to realize the dedication her path will demand. It becomes time to make some tough life decisions. Some choices she will regret, but as she learns to challenge herself in the booth, she is rewarded in her personal life as well. As her passion begins to surface, suddenly she is not struggling to get by and her life takes direction. She starts to live for the first time in her life.

It is an amazing transformation that unfolds for the reader. Starting slowly, tentatively, Sizer brings the story to a feverish pitch and when the graphic novel is over, the reader is energized, wanting more. Like a good techno set (and yes, they do exist), Sizer elicits the emotions that he wants.

To further cement the experience to its real life counterpart, the author provides a soundtrack as footnotes (and at I-Tunes for download). The length of the soundtrack would mean a very laborious and attentive read. Its staggering length seems overwhelming, but from the songs that this writer knows, the list is deliberate. The songs are chosen to be complimentary to the moods of the scenes they are meant to accompany. Beyond the insightfulness of the choices, there is a broad cross section of popular music represented. This means that there should be a little something for most everybody.

The art is a bit of a prickly subject. The faces of many of the characters in the book are just plain awkward. However, there is a consistency and strong line present that negates any feelings of it being the work of a lesser artist. Sizer's consistency shows that the design is a stylistic choice. It is certainly something that will be a deciding factor for some readers, but it is solid. The design of Roxy in particular is genius. She evokes an edgy style that is timeless and her cute look helps to convey the exuberance of life that she embraces.

There are also very interesting elements in the background. The book starts with several over exposed shots of New York at night. Street lights look like glow sticks at a rave. The mood is set. However, the photographs aren't just a neat introduction taking you into the cartoon world. They are present throughout the book, morphed pixellation and a rotoscope-like coloring effect. This allows them to be used as set dressing in various panels, making for a distinctive look.

BPM is a book that is lovingly conceived and executed. The joy that inspired the book eventually infects the reader. Sizer has created a unique blend of two mediums. Both are known for strong emotional reactions from their audience. He skillfully affects the reader with a powerful affirmation of life, despite its challenges. It is testimony to the power of passionate creation."

]]> "B.P.M." REVIEW AT PUBLISHERS WEEKLY tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.170 2008-11-24T20:30:35Z 2008-11-24T21:26:11Z Hot damn, another good review for "B.P.M.", this time from Publisher's Weekly: BPM REVIEW AT PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY B.P.M. Paul Sizer. Cafe Digital (Diamond, dist.), $15.99 paper (92p) ISBN 978-0-9768565-6-6 Roxy is a club kid and aspiring DJ in New York City. Loud, opinionated and a little scattered, she's the kind of girl who keeps her life--including calendar--on her iPod. When Robie, a "semi-legend" who now runs a used-record store, offers to take her under his wing, she gets the chance to play the big clubs and maybe even to cut a record. But to make her dreams of DJ stardom come true, she must choose between the records and her girlfriend Hannah. The "Portrait of the Artist as a Club Kid" plot is standard issue, but Sizer (Moped Army; Little White Mouse) adds distinctive, nicely observed details. He ramps up the art as well: bold ink lines, day-glo background colors, even neon-bordered speech balloons add to the impression that the reader is raving right along with the characters. A soundtrack--referencing songs by Talking Heads, They Might Be Giants and Everything but the Girl--runs at the bottom of each page, bringing the reader as close as possible to a multimedia experience. Call it a mashup, call it a remix, call it a day-glo pop love letter to a misspent youth: B.P.M. is brain candy in the best sense of the word. (Nov.)... Paul Sizer Hot damn, another good review for "B.P.M.", this time from Publisher's Weekly:
BPM REVIEW AT PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

B.P.M. Paul Sizer. Cafe Digital (Diamond, dist.), $15.99 paper (92p) ISBN 978-0-9768565-6-6
Roxy is a club kid and aspiring DJ in New York City. Loud, opinionated and a little scattered, she's the kind of girl who keeps her life--including calendar--on her iPod. When Robie, a "semi-legend" who now runs a used-record store, offers to take her under his wing, she gets the chance to play the big clubs and maybe even to cut a record. But to make her dreams of DJ stardom come true, she must choose between the records and her girlfriend Hannah. The "Portrait of the Artist as a Club Kid" plot is standard issue, but Sizer (Moped Army; Little White Mouse) adds distinctive, nicely observed details. He ramps up the art as well: bold ink lines, day-glo background colors, even neon-bordered speech balloons add to the impression that the reader is raving right along with the characters. A soundtrack--referencing songs by Talking Heads, They Might Be Giants and Everything but the Girl--runs at the bottom of each page, bringing the reader as close as possible to a multimedia experience. Call it a mashup, call it a remix, call it a day-glo pop love letter to a misspent youth: B.P.M. is brain candy in the best sense of the word. (Nov.)

]]> Most People Are DJs "BPM MEDIA" podcast #8 tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.168 2008-11-21T12:54:47Z 2008-11-21T13:05:55Z Here it is, the final episode of "BPM MEDIA" from the MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs podcast! "The Perfect Beat" looks at the full inspiration behind all the parts of BPM coming together into one concept. Music, history, clubs, creative dreams, DJ culture; all these things combined to become the story of BPM, and hopefully keep you, the reader, wanting to know more about all of them. Thanks once more to all the hard work from Mikel OD from the MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs podcast project, for his work on making this macro-interview come into being, and for pushing my to create the videos to accompany his interviews, making it all easier to bear (rather than just listening to me blather on and on!) Here's the direct link for the MP4 file: BPM MEDIA #8 Check out the rest of Mike's great work at his main site: MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs If you're here to see the first 50 pages of the BPM graphic novel, you can click the "First" double left arrow button below and go to the beginning of the preview pages!... Paul Sizer
Here it is, the final episode of "BPM MEDIA" from the MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs podcast!
"The Perfect Beat" looks at the full inspiration behind all the parts of BPM coming together into one concept. Music, history, clubs, creative dreams, DJ culture; all these things combined to become the story of BPM, and hopefully keep you, the reader, wanting to know more about all of them.

Thanks once more to all the hard work from Mikel OD from the MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs podcast project, for his work on making this macro-interview come into being, and for pushing my to create the videos to accompany his interviews, making it all easier to bear (rather than just listening to me blather on and on!)

Here's the direct link for the MP4 file: BPM MEDIA #8

Check out the rest of Mike's great work at his main site: MOST PEOPLE ARE DJs

If you're here to see the first 50 pages of the BPM graphic novel, you can click the "First" double left arrow button below and go to the beginning of the preview pages!

]]> BPM "Perfect Beat Tour" Media Update tag:www.paulsizer.com,2008:/bpm//2.166 2008-11-18T01:41:01Z 2008-11-18T01:47:50Z A few new newsbytes from the ongoing BPM Perfect Beat Promotional Tour! 1. B.P.M. ON THIS WEEK'S "COMIC GEEK SPEAK" PODCAST "B.P.M." gets the star treatment on the latest episode of the Comic Geek Speak podcast series Man, these guys work fast! I just did the interview over the phone last night, and the podcast is already up and ready to download! Here's the show page link: COMIC GEEK SPEAK Episode 545 2. NEW PHOTOS FROM THE AUTHOR TALK Good friend and amazing photographer Thomas Deater took some killer shots of me during my author talk/DJ demo/book signing/reading at the Kalamazoo Public Library in September. Tom has been teaching himself black and white digital photography over the last few years and has developed a killer eye, so I asked if he would shoot the event. I finally got my lazy butt around, picked out the best of nearly 300 (!) shots and posted them as a Flickr album that you can check out: TOM DEATER B.P.M. PHOTOS Check out more of Tom's work at his home site: LINK 3. "B.P.M." HITS THE SHELVES NOVEMBER 19 Cross your fingers; "B.P.M." is set to hit the shelves of your local comic book stores in the US this Wednesday, November 19 if all goes according to plan. More soon. Thanks to everyone for the tons of support you've given. As always, it is appreciated!... Paul Sizer bpm_3d_cover_shot.jpg

A few new newsbytes from the ongoing BPM Perfect Beat Promotional Tour!

1. B.P.M. ON THIS WEEK'S "COMIC GEEK SPEAK" PODCAST
"B.P.M." gets the star treatment on the latest episode of the Comic Geek Speak podcast series
Man, these guys work fast! I just did the interview over the phone last night, and the podcast is already up and ready to download!
Here's the show page link:
COMIC GEEK SPEAK Episode 545

2. NEW PHOTOS FROM THE AUTHOR TALK
Good friend and amazing photographer Thomas Deater took some killer shots of me during my author talk/DJ demo/book signing/reading at the Kalamazoo Public Library in September.
Tom has been teaching himself black and white digital photography over the last few years and has developed a killer eye, so I asked if he would shoot the event.
I finally got my lazy butt around, picked out the best of nearly 300 (!) shots and posted them as a Flickr album that you can check out:
TOM DEATER B.P.M. PHOTOS
Check out more of Tom's work at his home site: LINK

3. "B.P.M." HITS THE SHELVES NOVEMBER 19
Cross your fingers; "B.P.M." is set to hit the shelves of your local comic book stores in the US this Wednesday, November 19 if all goes according to plan.

More soon. Thanks to everyone for the tons of support you've given. As always, it is appreciated!

]]>