Charles Fort, the Grandfather of anomalous-research, really does have to be respected, if for nothing more his influence on alternative thinkers, and Paranormal researchers bearing even the minutest quantity of wit.

Fort gave an antiquarian middle-finger-salute to the almost cult-like scientific community of the time, by daring to docment that which was virtually ignored by the mainstream.

You may recognise his name, well, at least part of it from such great longstanding publications as The Fortean Times, which still exists today as a testament to the mans influence.

Fort, basically, took it upon himself to catalouge the weird happenings of his time, and publish them in a almanac-style . He occasionally injected his own opinions, though often preferred to remain impartial (much like the magazine of his namesake).

This book, a complete collection of Fort’s writings, makes it clear very early-on why Fort’s work has remained the staple of so many bookshelves. The man’s wit must be commended; whilst dedicating his life to such a bizarre topic must demand a degree of seriousness, Fort doesn’t forget to laugh at it from time to time.

Considering the vast compendium of strangeness on offer in the book, one of the oddest things on offer is the mans frankly baffling writing style. On several occasions Fort will run with an idea, probably added merely to challenge or annoy the popular (and sometimes clearly stupid) opinion of the time; he will then, however, discard the idea, only to pick it up again almost randomly and with little reference back to the original dismissing.

All in all this volume is a must for any fan that wants a handy all-in-one Fort reference guide. It’s well indexed and unabridged (unlike some other prints of this work), and affordable at only £12.99. The joy of a volume like this is the lastability. The book is huge, literally a thousand-plus pages, and in my opinion serves as the perfect strange coffee-table book, which can be dipped into when looking for bizzare inspiration.

5/5

Ken Eakins 

The Book of the Damned is availble on Amazon here … get it!

One of the greatly ignored mediums of our little corner of the web so far has been comics which, in my opinion, produce some of the most compelling, original and revolutionary concepts of our time. When I first thought of who to ‘pen’ a regular feature, it was imediatly obvious; Scott Carelli, one of the first guests on our podcast, has a passion for comics and all things ‘geek’ unlike anyone else I can think of, he’s also really good at expressing that passion in the written word…

When I was asked to begin writing reviews for comics with a counter-culture spin for Sitting Now, only one comic immediately came to mind: Preacher. Part Western, part Horror story, part Religious Epic, and a lot of weird, Preacher is as counter-culture as it gets.

Created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, Preacher is the story of a small town Texas minister, named Jesse Custer, slowly losing his faith in the god he’s devoted his life to. In one bizarre instant, his life is changed forever, and with his gun-toting ex Tulip and a hard-drink Irish vampire named Cassidy, he aims to find out why and who’s to blame. The story that Ennis and Dillon have crafted here is unlike any other, comics or otherwise. It’s done so masterfully well that as an aspiring writer myself, I find it both inspiring and discouraging, knowing full well that nothing I can ever do will be at the quality of storytelling that Preacher succeeded in being so effortlessly. 

Reverend Jesse Custer is the perfect protagonist. Confidant but not without his flaws, Jesse never ceases to be interesting, and regardless of the other worldly circumstances he may come against throughout the story, he continues to be an everyman who simply asked God what everyone has asked at some point, “Why me?” The difference is, this is a story about that everyman determined to find the answer, no matter the cost. Jesse is a man of principles, through and through, In his world, no one gets by without answering for the things they’ve done. Not even God.  

Jesse isn’t alone in his journey, either. Preacher is filled with a cast of characters that are just as well-rounded. Tulip, Jesse’s ex whom he left to pursue his life as a preacher (for reasons I won’t reveal here), is a damaged and mysterious woman who’s story is slowly told through late into the series. Tulip and Jesse’s connection is as believable as it is heartbreaking. It’s that  relationship that we’ve all found ourselves in at one time or another. The kind of love that never goes away, no matter how many time you hurt each other. Jesse and Tulip are two people who are absolutely fated to be together, and when its not taking Jesse across the world on his search for God, Preacher spends a lot of time focused on their trials and tribulations as a couple. 

Then of course there’s the fan-favorite, Cassidy. An Irish vampire who is about as complex a character as I’ve ever experienced in any medium. In a story like this, the sudden appearance of a supernatural being like a vampire should seem out of place, but Ennis makes it work in a way that is commendable. Cassidy, while being a bloodsucking abomination, is still relatable. He’s that guy who just can’t help but make bad decisions. He’s always fated to make the wrong choice, no matter what. It’s Jesse’s friendship that makes him decide to become a better person, the idea that someone believes in him gives him the strength to try, but it never seems like enough. This is his character’s constant struggle, and it makes for the most interesting progression of the series.

A man of God who has lost his faith. A demon who is trying to renounce his evil ways. A woman who just wants to get her life back on track. The kinship  of these three characters is the biggest strength of this series. Ennis writes a convincing portrayal of a modern friendship between three people who can barely get a handle on themselves, let alone be a good influence on each other. But they stick together, despite a few set backs, to the bitter end. And I do mean bitter.

Now, while Preacher is praised as one of the best (albeit, unquestionably adult) comics of the past 20 years, it isn’t without its critics. Most of which write it off as a perverted, ultra-violent illustration of blasphemy. Funny thing is, I can’t really argue with them as Preacher can be all of those things at times. Ennis is showing us, however exaggeratedly,  the evil and ugliness in the world, but is in no way condoning any of it. His constant commentary on religion and spirituality that soaks every page can very easily be construed as blasphemous, but it’s really just meant to be thought-provoking. At the end of the day, this is a work of fiction that should hold no bearing on your actual religious beliefs, and if it does, well I don’t think the comic is to blame for that.

I would also be remiss to not mention the artwork of Steve Dillon. Preacher is as much his story as it is  Ennis’. There is no one on the planet who could possibly draw this book any better. He brings a sort of ugly realism to the series that no other artist would have brought so well. Ennis and Dillon have a natural synergy when they work together. They compliment each other so well, that you wonder why they ever stop. It was like that on Hellblazer, it was like that on Punisher, but it was never any better than when they were on Preacher. I would love to see them work together again (and I hear they are soon with a sequel to their Punisher run), but I think that topping Preacher would be impossible to even attempt.

So, while I’ll admit that Preacher isn’t for everyone (the conservative and the religious spring to mind…), it will go down as one of my favorite series of all time. What Ennis and Dillon created is nothing short of genius, and they should be praised and envied. I know I’ll never have enough good things to say about it. I’ll never stop preaching about Preacher…

… until the end of the world.

Scott Carelli loves comics and other geek-related stuff. He talks about it weekly on his podcast Two Geeks a Mic and a Podcast on Geekshow.us. He also created and produces an audio series called Geek By Night also on Geekshow.us. Check them out!

NEXT TIME: Lucifer

Here at Sitting Now, we don’t claim to be Conspiracy theorists, Mystics or Counter Cultural experts (though, I am working on the latter), we just find it all really interesting and enjoy discussing, and exploring it. Now, i’ve gone on the record in one of our shows saying that, personally, I find the world of Magic/Magick (call it what you will) fascinating…but a bit too snobby. There are a few exceptions to this rule, and one of those is the author and magician Lon Milo Duquette.

In Enochian Vision Magic, Duquette attempts to not only document the fascinating story of Dr John Dee and Edward Kelly’s quest to make contact with spiritual entities, but also to instruct the reader in the practical application of their findings in the modern environment.

Readers not already familiar with Duquette’s writings will feel instantly at ease with this book, while regulars will appreciate his attention to detail/yet solid conveyance of the topic at hand.

What I feel separates this work from others on the subject, is the intensive research and notation of the original Dee texts. Duquette doesn’t just present the reader with a ‘how-to’ textbook, he painstakingly explains all the symbology and application of each element. At the same time he also provides the reader with a pretty concise historical document, which I think will also appeal to the more casual reader interested in simply understanding the topic.

This book is a great blueprint for those interested in becoming practitioner’s of Enochian magic, as well as being a well written, and hugely accessible text for those just wishing to study the subject at an arms-length.

5/5

Ken Eakins

Check our exclusive audio-interview with Lon Milo Duquette on episode 5 of our podcast here. Lon’s website is also a great resource for those wishing to check out the author.