Another year to wrap up and strangely 2012 seems memorable mostly for news events to me and not much else. I guess it's hard to top all of the Obama drama, storms and shootings, as far as lasting impressions go. Here are some of my notables for the year 2012:

Favourite New TV Show: Elementary
Just happy to have a mystery show where the mystery isn't solved by csi forensic computer magic.

Favourite Movie: 21 Jump Street
This was actually very funny. Though I haven't even seen Dark Knight Rises or The Hobbit so I'm not sure it's a fair win.

Favourite Graphic Novel: Jerusalem by Guy Delisle
An intriguing view of the Holy Land through the eyes of an outsider feauturing art with just the right amount of detail. Runner-up to Michael Cho for his art book, Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes.

Favourite Book: Not much of what I read this year jumped out at me, but I guess I enjoyed the final book of Tad Williams fantasy series Shadowmarch if I had to pick.

Favourite Album: Again not much stood out this year...mostly delving back further into the 90's, but the new Ben Folds Five album The Sound of the Life of the Mind was decent.

Favourite Restaurant: Rise Above
Good vegan eats in St.Catharines in an artsy setting at good prices.

Favourite New Drink: Vanilla Spiced Whiskey
Warm stroke of genuis.

If you're looking for some retro-inspired brush work sketches, check out the work of Toronto cartoonist Michael Cho. He throws down some serious two tone gouache and ink works with some really well planned out interplay between light and darks. His style looks great with comic book characters and action heroes, and also brings to mind illustrations for paperback novels in the 50's. His best work includes more detailed renderings of Toronto's back alleys, to be published as a collection in an upcoming book from D+Q later this year.