Gossip Should Have No Friends

[August 1st, 2007]

"CITY OF ROSES" DOESN'T SOUND HARDBOILED ENOUGH At the San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, Portland crime author and comics writer Greg Rucka announced his new detective comic Stumptown from Stumptown's own Oni Press. More in the vein of P.I. TV shows like The Rockford Files than in the true noir tradition, Stumptown will start in the fall of 2008 and features a lady detective and lots of recognizable scenery drawn by Seattle's Matt Southworth . Rucka and Oni have sent Southworth reams of photo references for the St. Johns Bridge (somebody gets shot under it), Alameda (the protagonist's neighborhood), the New Seasons Market in NoPo and Powell's City of Books (inevitably, there'll be a scene there early on).

RE-EGG-IMATOR ripe's Gotham Building Coffee Shop may be long dead, but its famously addictive egg sandwich will live again on the brunch menu at Naomi Pomeroy 's forthcoming restaurant, Beast , next door to Yakuza on Northeast 30th Avenue and Killingsworth Street. Though seemingly easy to replicate—two over-medium eggs, two slices of Nueske's bacon, Grafton white cheddar and ketchup on an onion bun—the homemade version just ain't the same . Beast, Pomeroy's French-inspired neighborhood bistro, is slated to open in early September.

IS SHE HERE? While hubby Heath Ledger heats up the streets of Chicago as "the Joker" while filming the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight , it looks like his wife, actress Michelle Williams , and daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger, have landed in Portland for a while, at least according to a Scoop spy who spied her arriving (with nanny in tow) at PDX International Airport on Saturday. Perhaps she's here to see her film director, Todd Haynes , who just wrapped up I'm Not There , the Bob Dylan biopic which features Williams as "Coco Rivington," a model who catches the eye of Mr. Dylan—who is portrayed by several actors, including Ledger.

FROM THE DEPT. OF SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION WW's turning First Thursday's art walk into art rock this week when it presents the MusicfestNW 2007 Poster Show at the downtown branch of Stumptown Coffee (128 SW 3rd Ave.) 6-9 pm Thursday, Aug. 2. Gawk in wonder at the cataclysmic paper unions of bands like Spoon and SubPop art director Jeff Kleinsmith, and Wolf Parade and local poster czar Mike King—not to mention a bonanza of MusicfestNW posters crafted by WW's very own production squad. Bonus: Free wine, beer and snacks to go with all that sweet eye candy. Remember, MusicfestNW's more than 140 bands are taking over PDX Sept. 6-9. Get details and your $40 fest wristband at musicfestnw.com.