Arts^Entertainment
UNL student publishes first comic book
“Tears” focuses
on the life of a
religious killer
By Anne Steyer
Staff Reporter
Comic books arc not just for kids.
Die-hard fans have been saying
this for years, but no one reflects that
better than University of Ncbraska
Lincoln student Bill Harms.
Harms, 23, a junior English major
from Beatrice, just had his first comic
book published.
“Tears” was released Thursday and
is available..at Cosmic Comics and
Trade-a-Tapc.
Harms said he answered an adver
tisement soliciting material in th<f’
Comics Buyers Guide. The indepen
dent company that placed the adver
tisement, Boneyard Press, responded
almost immediately, he said.
The result was a contract for a five
part mini-series—and Harms’foot in
the door in the comic-book industry.
“Tears” is a story that has been
brewing since Harms was in junior
high, he said. In that time, the main
character, Joshua Garraty, has cvol ved
from a cop to a vigilante to a con
victed killer.
Harms said his first submission,
with Garraty as the vigilante, was
returned by Eclipse comics with the
comment that it resembled “a bad
Julia Mikolajcik/DN
Bill Harms, a junior English major, is the author of a comic book, “Tears,” which was released
Thursday-. **
Charles Bronson movie.”
The original title, “The Hitman,”
merited that comparison, Harms said
with a laugh, butas the story evolved,
the title did also.
“I wanted a title that would convey
pain, but subtle pain,” Harms said,
“and tears can be of joy or of pain.”
The first issue of the story centers
on the capture, trial and incarceration
of serial killer Joshua Garraly, a reli
gious fanatic who talks to God. He
kills those who violate his ideas of
morality and family values.
Issue two shows top-echelon FBI
men obtaining Joshua’s release from
prison, to use him as a weapon against
crime and criminals they arc unable to
convict.
It’s pretty heavy stuff — espe
cially so if comics were just for kids.
“Tears” is illustrated by Harms’
friend and fellow UNL student Paul
Tisdale.
The art differs from the colorful
caricatures that fill other comics. In
stead, the images are dark and gritty,
much like the subject matter.
Joshua, while not portrayed sym
pathetically, is nevertheless notacom
plctcly heinous character. His back
ground is explored in some detail
within the book, and his childhood is
shown not to be of the storybook kind.
“Violence precipitates violence
al way s, at least in m y opin ion,” Harms
said.
He has done some research on
serial killers, he said, and believes
that oftentimes, people are a product
of their circumstances. Although not
excusing the action, it does give a
glimpse into the reasons for psychotic
behavior.
Harms said he was a little worried
about what people might think about
him after reading “Tears” and other
pieces of fiction he’s written. But he
stresses thal he is nothing like what he .
writes.
“I’m a total pacifist,” he said.
His first work of fiction was writ
ten with a friend in the fourth grade.
They called it “Terrors of the Rue
Morgue,” he said, and it was supposed
to be a sequel to Edgar Allen Poe’s
story, even though they had never
read it.
He said it reached nearly 200 pages
before they quit. He and his friend
would write about two pages each,
passing it back and forth during classes.
They had to stop though, he said,
because “we always got in trouble.”
Harms said he generally wrote
horror fiction, and thal is well suited
to his nature.
“My mind just works that way,” he
said.
Then he laughed.
“I don’t know how to say that
without making myself sound like
some kind of twisted psycho.”
Harms said his fiction was not
typical of the horror genre, such as
monsters or aliens, but “like the hor
rors of life, like homelessness or
George Bush.”
He smiles at his comment, but is
serious when he talks about things
thal light a fire under him, such as
politics, the university and comic
books.
“It sickens me that if a good gust of
wind came up it would blow Richards
See TEARS on H
l—-- ..—.....
' Courtesy of First Run Pictures
“Architecture of Doom,” a movie about Nazi aesthetics, will
be shown Sunday at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.
Film shows Nazi perspective
of art in propaganda footage
From Staff Reports
V
Nazi Germany will be presented
from a new perspective, the Nazi cult
of the beautiful, in “The Architecture
of Doom,” showing Sunday at the
Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.
The UPC-sponsored film is a re
working of propaganda and archival
footage and photographs that illumi
nate the Nazi aestheticism in art, ar
chitecture and popular culture.
Nazi ideals of beauty on the Aryan
physique and classical art, sculpture
and architecture that Hiller promoted
run parallel through the film with the
degenerate art and the genetically
degenerate specimens that were both
to be consigned to the waste heap.
“The Architecture of Doom” shows
at 2:30 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9
p.m.
Cost is $3 for UNL students and $5
for non-students.
Chuckii Booker’s ‘NiceN’Wild’
an impressive sophomore effort
“Nice N* Wild”
Chuckii Booker
Atlantic Records
Every now and then an artist comes
out with an LP on which everything is
good.
Chuckii Booker arrived on the
scene in 1989, with the No. 1 hit
“Turned Away,” from the album
“Chuckii,” and now he is back with
his follow-up effort, “Nice N ’ Wild.”
With “Nice N’ Wild,” Booker is
able to display his talents as an all
around performer— not only singing
but playing instruments as well.
“Love Is Medicine,” is an example
of Booker’s music ability. This song
boasts rocking guitar work, brooking
keyboards and socially aware lyrics,
which talk about the world needing
love. This cut m ight remind the listen
ers of the group Troop with its guitar
strains. This is because Booker helped
produce Troops’ last two LPs.
The thing about “Nice N’ Wild,”
that makes it so good is the fact that
Booker uses a lot of variation in the
music, so there is something here for
everyone. That includes all of the
James Brown fans out there.
“1 Giit Around” and “Deep C
Diivcr,” reflect the sound of the ’70s,
and serve as a prelude to the soul
trilogy section of “Nice N’ Wild.”
Inc section is one of the highlights
of“Nicc N’ Wild.’’“Soul Trilogy I, II,
III,” arc three songs done live in the
studio with Booker and his band,
University.
University backed up Booker on
his last lour with Janet Jackson.
“Soul Trilogy,” is a mix of James
Brown style and Bootsy Collins P
Funk. Booker has said that live music
is missing in today’s scene, but there
is not much anyone can do except to
keep pumping it.
Booker brings the listener back to
the ’90s sound with the title cut, “Nice
N’ Wild,” and its driving keyboards.
“Nice N ’ Wi Id,” ends on the smooth
tip with “I Should Have Loved You,”
a slow track that shows off the range
and power of Booker’s voice.
The album is an impressive second
effort by Booker, who is establishing
himself as a star in the music world.
A listener would be hard pressed to
find any weaknesses on “Nice N’
Wild.” Booker has done an excellent
job of pooling his talents as a vocalist
and a musician. His work pays off in
the finished product.
— Anthony D Speights
Courtesy of Atlantic Records
Chuckii Booker's second album, “Nice N Easy,” follows his
No. 1-hit producing album, “Chuckii."
