Jeremy Hurtz

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Dive Recommends

By Jeremy Hurtz | December 6

-"Sullivan's Travels" DVD Screwball-comedy director Preston Sturges tells the story of fictional Hollywood director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea). Unhappy with his lighthearted smash hits, Sullivan plans to make a tragedy about the plight of the homeless, called "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" To find an authentic angle, he dresses as a bum and sets out for the heartland with a dime in his pocket. Sturges' film is a perfect mix of comedy and poignancy. Three of the best recent comedies overtly acknowledge their debt to "Sullivan" -- "Dr.

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Comic Relief

By Jeremy Hurtz | October 4

Most readers have heard about Art Spiegelman's "MAUS," Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" or Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' "Watchmen." And while those are all good places to begin exploring comics, many of the best introductions to comics aren't well-known. Here's a brief introduction to the most accessible of modern comics' great works.

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Local Retailers, Creators Survive In Weak Industry

By Jeremy Hurtz | October 4

"Comics aren't just for kids anymore." The phrase is so well-known that marketers for an anthology of child-friendly comics once twisted it, stating "comics aren't just for grown-ups anymore." So it might seem comics are for everyone, young and old alike. Sales figures suggest otherwise. Traditional comics like "Spider-Man" and "Batman" sell fewer copies today than they have in decades. In 1993, total sales of all comics reached $800 million -- that figure had dropped to $250 million six years later. Comics' visibility continues to shrink, too.

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Cahill Books Offer Alternative History

By Jeremy Hurtz | April 26

Bestselling author Thomas Cahill knows a lot.Staring at a Fearrington House Inn amuse-bouche involving eggplant and cold catfish, he said dryly, "This is the fall of the Roman Empire."And he should know.As the author of an enormously successful nonfiction series about ancient history, Cahill knows the Romans well -- not to mention the Greeks, the Jews and the Irish.He knows Americans, too.

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Reviewer Experiences Theater On the Other Side of the Stage

By Jeremy Hurtz | April 5

There is a saying: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. And those who can't even teach bitch in the PTA meetings."One could say the same of reviewers in newspapers. I should know -- I am one.I'd like to think my bitching always has been fair and just. Just as those teachers have an obligation to keep their pupils' parents happy, artists must entertain me, singing and dancing as I see fit like so many fleshy marionettes, schmoozing with me at galas and flirting with me and/or my date.Otherwise they get panned.This policy always seemed reasonable. Until now.

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`George Washington' Avoids Trite Poverty Clich

By Jeremy Hurtz | March 29

"George Washington"

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Chapel Hill's Hidden Comic Genius

By Jeremy Hurtz | February 2

With two major graphic novels to his name and a forthcoming miniseries starring one of comics' most popular characters, local artist and writer George Pratt is on top of his game.If only his game had more spectators."People are so limited in what they think of," Pratt said, sitting in his Chapel Hill studio. "They're like, 'It's a comic book -- it's for kids.' Well, it doesn't have to be for kids."With a fine arts background and a 15-year presence in the comic industry, Pratt creates both traditional art and comics.

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Uncertain Tone, Not Stake, Kills `Vampire'

By Jeremy Hurtz | February 1

1/2 In 1922, director F. W. Murnau crafted a great silent film, "Nosferatu," about the vampiric lust of undead Count Orlok for a beautiful, not-yet-dead woman.