CD Giveaway - 33Miles, "One Life"
Ends Aug 4, 2010
The country-pop sound established in their eponymous debut is a mainstay for this album as well, and even adds a little more southern flavor.
CD Giveaway - Phil Wickham, "Cannons"
Ends Aug 3, 2010
With an opening shot that hits the sonic pinnacle, this collection of spiritual Brit pop/rock is heavily influenced by Keane, Travis, Coldplay, and U2.
Publication Date: September 1, 2009 Publisher: Graphix Author: · Frank Cammuso Grade: A
Young Artie King is far from ruling Camelot Middle School. He and his friends, Wayne and Percy, are far too nerdy to be considered royalty, as they shuffle along under the oppressive influences of Morgan (Artie's big sister), Mrs. Dagger (the school principal), and the misshapen bullies who comprise... The Horde.
In The Dragon Players, Artie and his friends find themselves coerced into entering the annual Dragon Days robotics competition. The problem with this is that the Horde has a tradition of always winning, because they always force some other nerd to build them the best robot. And this year they've chosen Percy to be their victim.
Given few options, Artie and company seek out the help of Evo, a former competitor who won the competition. He has a sure-fire way for Artie to claim victory -- but following Evo's route might mean compromising Artie's ideals.
There's something else you should know about Artie: He has a magic school locker that, whenever he opens it, has a mystery item in it. It's never quite what Artie wants, but it's always exactly what he needs whenever he enters the combination:
If your heart be true and fine, turn the dial left to 9.
27 to the right, gives the owner strength and might.
Left again to number 3, a king to all the students be.
Artie is also given to having information imparted to him by way of riddles from the three Ladies of the Lunch, as well as moral guidance from the science teacher, Mr. Merlyn, who always seems to know exactly what's going on without letting on that he knows.
Eisner-nominee Frank Cammuso has a flair for the extended setup. He's a master at creating a domino effect of events that topple like a well-designed Rube Goldberg machine, and he uses comic panels expertly to control the timing of these events. Fans of Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules and Jeff Mallett's Frazz will feel right at home with Knights of the Lunch Table.
