COMICS in 2006
a DC Comics heavy retrospective of the year in tights
Overall, this has been a good, if not watershed, year for fans of superhero comic books. Both DC and Marvel seem to be on the same page that they are now writing for an adult/ young adult audience. Big events occured which appear to have actually had an impact in the universes of the Big 2. Creators seem to be the driving force in a way which bodes well for the next generation of the industry. And superheroics seem to have crossed from the comic page into the American zeitgeist in a way we haven't seen in a long time.
MARVEL
I'd given up on Marvel in early 2006. As some may know, I don't pick up too many Marvel titles except in collected editions. I wasn't even able to pick up much in the way of Spider-Man early in the year as the Spidey Cross-over event "The Other" hasn't been collected in softcover. The "House of M" storyline, which was then wrapping up, didn't appeal to me, and I still can't get myself used to the idea that Cap's sidekick has been chilling in Russia for sixty years. I don't care who is writing it.
New Avengers has, honestly, left me cold since issue #1. I don't get it. I love Bendis, and I love the art. There was just something about the "All-Star Avengers" which didn't click. Especially since they had to include their Superman/Supreme/Mr. Majestic/Hyperion/Prime-sixth generation super-dude knock-off in the mix.
So, aside from BOTH Bendis and Brubaker's runs on "Daredevil", I didn't feel like I was getting much out of DC's Marvel-ous competition.
Luckily I picked up an issue of Civil War, and some additional issues of Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Black Panther. Whether I think the series has hit on all cylinders or not from a logical point of view, or whether I thought characters acted in character, the series is good, comicky reading. Tough questions (for the Marvel U) are asked, harsh lessons are learned and not everyone in a white hat ends up smelling like roses.
I understand Marvel readers are infuriated at late production from Marvel, and delayed shipping. Given the rate of delivery by Marvel during the Jemas-era, Marvel's books practically seem like they're coming out early.
What I can't envision is Marvel's ability to pull their universe back together in the aftermath. Should be a neat trick.
Looking to 2007, I am far more concerned about the rumored "Onslaught: Reborn!" series, when the original idea was so hokey, not to mention the "Heroes: Reborn!" fiasco to which it was tied, but which pre-saged the Ultimate line. Marvel also needs to learn to NOT have three "events" in a year. "Annihilation" and "Beyond" were completely forgotten amongst the "Civil War" hype.
Some Other stuff
Dark Horse rereleased all of the "Concrete" work to date in 7 volumes. It's no wonder I passed by the book at age 13 when I remember seeng it on the shelf, but it's also no wonder that as an adult, it's some darn-good reading.
Gemstone seems to be suffering some financial hardship with the cancellation of a good chunk of the Disney line of comics. Fortunately, Uncle Scrooge appears to have survived the first axe to fall. In 2006 I delved a little further into Uncle Scrooge and picked up both "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" and "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion". Some darn fine comics by Don Rosa, modestly priced, and truly all-ages fun, not just kid stuff. Highly recommended. the ongoing "Uncle Scrooge" collections are fairly fun, too, but at their best when Rosa or Bark's work is reprinted.
Image Comic's loveletter to Jack Kirby "GodLand" continues to surprise.
"The Mouse Guard" was fun to look at, if a little light on plot. Wish I could find the most recent issues. or figure out how to store them. Maybe it's a good item to wait for the trade.
And, technically, it's DC's Vertigo... but I'm glad to see Harvey Pekar with access to better distribution. I didn't start picking up his stuff until this year, and it's, as Harv would say "real interesting."
DC COMICS
It's one year later in the world of comics, and, in fact, One Year Later at DC Comics.
Superman had a huge year this year, enjoying success in movies, DVD, video games and even in the pages of DC Comics. "Superman Returns" didn't meet industry expectations (which were insanely high), but made over $200 million at the domestic box-office, and came in as the top seller and renter in its home video release. Superman merchandise, both cheap and crummy, as well as high end and pricy not only hit the shelves, but seems to be selling at a fairly brisk pace.
In the comics, Superman dropped from 3 monthly-ongoing titles to 2, but picked up "All-Star Superman" and "Superman: Classified", as well as continuing with reprints of Silver-Age goodness through the Showcase Presents line. From a creative stand-point, Infinite Crisis provided Superman with a nice high point, resolved some fan complaints, all while the One Year Later event introduced a whole new bundle of questions and complaints from the Super-Fan community.
I've not been shy about saying that I enjoyed the heck out of "Up, Up and Away" by Kurt Busiek and Johns, "Superman: This is Your Life" across all three Superman monthlies during IC, and the post IC work within both Busiek's "Superman" and Johns/Donner's "Action". Cooke and Sale's "Superman: Classified" has been off to a good start, although I, personally, am not surprised. Of this period, however, I believe "All Star Superman" by Morrison and Quitely will be the most enduring of the Super works.
Overall, a revitalizing year for DC's original franchise.
Unfortunately, the return of Kara Zor-El to the DCU has been an unmitigated disaster. Fans' calls to DC to return Supergirl ("the one, true" Supergirl, as many maintained as various substitutes were introduced) to the Super-titles resulted in a convoluted mess which, 12 issues into her series, has shown only the faintest signs of quality or coherence. As of a week and a half-ago, I officially gave up on the series, voting with my dollars and declining to purchase the latest issue. Simply, the character is unsympathetic and messy, and is being upstaged by other creator's portrayal of her in everything from "Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes" to single-panels of her in IC, etc...
To the chagrin of black t-shirt wearing sixteen year old comic fans, Batman came out of IC as a character who, for the time in 15 years, isn't making his trademark simply by acting like a paranoid/psychotic loner. The post Dark Knight Returns misinterpretation of Batman's mentality was wiped away with a new editorial line-up and creative force. Curiously, "Robin" is actually very readable at the moment, Dini is tearing things up in a good way in "Detective", and Grant Morrison's "Batman" (although on an Ostrander/ Mandrake hiatus) is taking turns I didn't expect, but which I'm enjoying. The first issue of "Batman: Classified" was okay, but didn't blow me away.
I confess to not thinking too much of Bruce Jones' run on the final issues of "Legends of the Dark Knight". His Batman was fine, but the story felt like a vintage single-issue Batman mystery spread out over far too many pages. A waste of Olivetti's considerable talent.
I think that, in the long run, the decision to bring back Jason Todd will haunt DC far more than Jason Todd is haunting Batman. There are a dozen different ways they could have had a similar character to Todd running around, and I just can't get behind this decision or excited about "The Red Hood".
I have given up on Nightwing.
"Justice League of America" is the sort of team-book DC has traditionally struggled to produce. As most members of the team are from the offices of other editors (even Aquaman), the JLA has usually been all plot, no character. So it takes a special kind of writer to simply use the characters as they are, and not feel the need to radically alter or damage a character in order to explore that character. Does that make sense?
The first issue of "Justice Society of America" was very promising. I enjoyed about 65% of the final issues of the predeceding title, "JSA". I think this reinvigorated take is exactly what's needed for the team, if not the title, to receive the attention it deserves. Further, I'm enjoying the two-to-three issue character focused runs on "JSA: Classified".
"Teen Titans", meanwhile, feels as if it is headed somewhere good, but just hasn't touched down quite yet, post OYL. I don't think you can argue the quality of the art, and DC's new insistence on character as well as plot is being felt in this book as well. Glad there was no new #1.
The three big stories, of course, were "Infinite Crisis", "One Year Later" and "52".
"Infinite Crisis" was absolutely fascinating from a DC reader's perspective as the creative team essentially took ownership of the sins of the actual editorial choices DC has made not just in the past 20 years, but going back longer than some of the creators have been alive. The art, even by multiple artists, was top notch, and the story, itself, very good for a "big summer event" type-series. However, DC wasn't up front about all of the cross-over material you would have to read in order to follow the flow of the comic. The fall-out is painfully clear when returning to the collected edition, and see characters seemingly die on one page and then re-appear forty pages later. The future reader of collected editions will never know what happened to, say, Firestorm, which brought him back.
In addition, the four "Countdown" titles didn't appear to all have a similar effect on the outcome or the main plot. Further, the "Infinite Crisis Special"s, which were really the fifth issue of all four series WERE important to following the "Infinite Crisis", and should have been included as chapters in Infinite Crisis. I've spoken to folks at my comic shop who are unclear as to events in IC as they believed DC when they were told that reading the "countdown" titles wasn't necessary for following the mini-series.
My recommendation? Bite the bullet and have the "collected editions" department put together a few volumes which actually tell the whole story, as they did with "Our Worlds at War".
"One Year Later" was the literal jump in the DCU from the final panels of Infinite Crisis to One year Later for every character in the DCU. Senior VP and Executive Editor Dad DiDio recently candidly discussed successes and failures of the year in publishing at Newsarama. Among the "could'a done it better" items was the OYL editorial launch. While all of the DCU comics were given an opportunity at a fresh start, few editors seemed to embrace the idea as fully as they could have, instead treating OYL like a minor cold best forgotten after the first three issues post IC.
Some titles seemed to arrive stillborn, including the much hyped "Wonder Woman" relaunch by Allan Heinberg and the Dodsons. Almost eight months after the initial launch, we're only 3 issues in, and still know nothing more today than we did in the time before issue 1 of this new series hit the stands. Further, Wonder Woman has been appearing in titles from Justice League America to Manhunter, without missing a beat. There have been hints that Wonder Woman would NOT be Diana (or Diana Prince), but those plans have either been scrapped or are taking an unfortunate amount of time in coming to fruition, while these other comics seem to suggest that the change isn't permanent, anyway.
The Bart Allen "Flash: Fastest Man Alive" relaunch has been met with deservedly harsh criticism. It's not that readers would have been completely unwilling to accept Bart as The Flash, but... man, the series reads like an 80's time bomb. Plus, I still can't get over the idea that Bart is something like 6 or 7 years-old in reality, no matter what they want to push on us with VR and the Speed Force. Bart's immaturity was, after all, the whole point of Bart's original series, "Impulse". I don't care what happened in one or two issues of Teen Titans.
"Aquaman" is interesting, to a point. I'm still not sure what Busiek hopes to gain by not only introducing a new Aquaman, but keeping the former Aquaman nearby, looking like an oxygen deprived Davey Jones. We're several issues in, and there's been no pay-off.
In short, DC needs to seriously reconsider it's post-Lost concept of stringing the reader along. Unlike TV, the comics aren't free. While I appreciate a little mystery, I also appreciate a little resolution. I also liek to know who it is I'm supposed to be reading about.
I am two issues shy of the end of the "Martian Manhunter" limited series. That will be all the Martian Manhunter I can take from that creative team, thanks. I probably won't even finish the actual 8 issue run. I don't know who is floating what ideas at DC for limited series, but this thing is just deadly dull.
"OMAC" is, uhmmm... it's not horrible, but it should have been a 4-issue series. It's great to have a continuing plot-thread with the OMACs, but... yeah.
"The All-New Atom" is, conversely, a good all-ages read (I think). The main character's greatest power may be his completely unbelievable level of Americanization when fresh off the plane from Hong Kong, but the story is so weird and fun and funny, that I'm able to forgive some of the elements that don't really work. Also, while a mystery remains re: Ray Palmer, it doesn't feel like the core of the story is empty.
Another surprise came in the form of "Mystery in Space", which is beautiful to look at, and is surprisingly energetic for a Jim Starlin book.
As I mentioned either here or at the now-defunct "nanostalgia.com", I gave up on "IC Aftermath: Bludhaven whatever". I am told I missed the re-entry of Captain Atom to the DCU. The series was bad. I am disappointed that I missed one of my favorite C-Lister's shining moments, but...
"Hawkman"'s titular (he he) change and focal change to "Hawkgirl" was an amazing misfire. I've never been a huge Walt Simonson fan (oh, crap... Thor fans will hate me), but his story seemed mired in unfocused, 80's style, low-level nonsensical villainy. Chaykin seemed mostly interested in drawing a chilly Hawkgirl, which should have been okay... but was just sort of boring with no story behind it.
"52" stands out as a narrative and commercial success. It goes against any workable model I thought I'd ever see for a comic (I always thought a singular, monthly Bat Phone-book of comics would be great), and has kept readers engaged for months without ever showing its hand. Following a TV-style, multi-character arc, featuring soem of my OTHER favorite B and C-Listers, "52" will be missed in week 53. I can't wait to see how DC follows it up. Hopefully not by skipping a year ahead and filling us in on the missing 52 weeks again.
In the meantime, I'm getting regular doses of The Question, Steel, Natasha Irons, Animal Man, Adam Strange, Black Adam, Dr. Fate and others. They tell me it will all tie together. Eventually. I guess in week 51 or 52. I'm a sucker for a good magic trick, so I'm on board.
I do feel like DC's OYL plan was probably a misfire due in large part to the fact that only the barest of details of "52" could be revealed across the board, and so charatcers basically had to come out of the year-long ordeal behaving as if nothing were wrong. Obviously a catch-22 when trying to drum up a high level of importance for the drama of "52". Meanwhile, hints about the events of 52 have been littered across DC titles from Green Lantern to "Mystery in Space". Chronologically, it's odd to have a build-up of drama occur, knowing there's a few months in there that don't translate to much of anything.
DC FORMATS
DC has done a phenomenal job with stepping up the "collections" side of the business.
Finally keeping pace with Marvel, DC now makes most story-arcs available in a Trade Paperback Format (tpb) from their comics within a short time of their initial release. Fans wishing to follow Seven Soldiers or IC were able to do so within a few months of the floppy comic's publication. And that ain't all bad.
The Archives format continues to cause me woe and sorrow. I simply can't afford to buy $50 collections when there are up to 20 volumes (see: The Spirit). Sure, it's great to see comics printed on this quality of paper, hardbound, etc... but I also haven't had an opportunity to learn whether I like, say, THUNDER Agents, and $50 is a pretty steep entry fee. Unfortunately, this is also the only way to currently pick up "Enemy Ace" and "The Spirit" collections.
I think DC is trying to give us an "Archives for Dummies" (or tightwads) format with the Chronicles series. Unlike "Showcase", which is 500+ pages of black and white reprints on newsprint of Silver-Age goodness (for around $16), the "Chronicles" format uses better paper and color. But has only released a few volumes, so it's tough to get too excited.
Nonetheless, I hope DC considers those of us who have to choose what falls within a certain budget and can find a way to offer some of their more obscure back-catalog to those of us who will try anything once. After all, I was a huge fan of DC's recent release of "The Best of the Spirit". Mayhaps sales didn't dictate this was a huge success.
The "Absolute Edition"s from DC are an attempt to provide fans with the equivalent of a DVD Criterion Edition, with oversized pages, re-coloring when necessary, extra notes, well-bound hardcovers, a slip case and entire compendiums when the spirit moves them. At their MSRP, the books outpace even the Archive editions on price, ranging all the way to $100. Deeply discounted at places like www.dcbservice.com, the comics are a little more attractive, but still steeply priced. For the time being, DC is only putting material in the format which deserves such high-end treatment. My concern for the line is that the list of books I'm willing to pay that chunk of change for has already been largely delved into, including "Watchmen", "Dark Knight" and Kingdom Come". Not too many more where those came from if Absolute will continue as a meaningful (and not merely pricey) imprint.
That said, we'll see what 2007 brings. Already we know of "New Gods Omnibus Vol. 1" (yes, I am picking that one up). We'll see what else DC has up it's sleeve. They've already put out the first 20 issues of "Sandman" in the format, and immediately priced it out of my range at the high-end. The idea of collecting the next two volumes at that price, and most likely Gaiman's "Death" limited series, quickly aids you in making these sorts of decisions, no matter how much you like the work.
Alternative Comics Media:
Back in January I got into an online tussel with comic creator Lea Hernandez when I made several absolutely brilliant points (over at nanostalgia.com) about how I didn't see online comics being a viable business model or medium.
Well, since that time I haven't seen a sea-change in the current industry's approach to the possibilities, but DC's Vertigo line is posting whole 1st issues online to build reader interest in collected material, etc... I never could get my credit card to work with PayPal, so I can't say word one about Girl-a-Matic online comics, which proves nothing but that PayPal and I have never gotten along.
2007 may be a better year for online comics, depending on marketing schemes, etc... Lea and Kurt's (from Return to Comics) comments made me hopeful for the future of online comics, and it would be nice to see the idea grow.
Superheroes appeared in a few movies, including "Superman Returns", "X3", both of which did fairly well (even if X3 was, let's be honest, a pretty bad movie). However, "Zoom's Academy" not only received a law suit from Marvel, but failed at the box office and was voted a nominee for "worst movie" on one list I saw. "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" put an unnecessary nail in the coffin of Luke Wilson's acting career.
The "Donner Cut" of Superman II saw the light of day and went from being a Supermanhomepage late night speculative fantasy to something you could buy at Target. Which is kind of weird when you think about it.
NBC's prime-time drama "Heroes" is the big break-out hit. And although only the Cheerleader ever did anything remotely heroic, people seem suckered into the mystery of the whole thing. I tried it. It's all right.
"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" for console video games looked really neat. I don't play video games, so...
The Conclusion:
There is no conclusion. It was a big year for a few companies. I still didn't feel like I managed to branch out to enough indie stuff, partially due to lack of access, and then the harsh price-point when I did have the access.
DC seems to be learning some tough-love lessons on the editorial side. I say "seems to be" as I think 2007 will see how it really plays out.
The new status quo at the big two publishers seems to be that it's okay for books to be late, as long as they're going to sell like crazy (see: All-Star Batman on issue 4 in year 2). And if it's going to be really late, have a fill in story by your B-List guys ready.
I hope you picked up a comic or two this year. I hope I didn't succeed in only making comics sound like an impenetrable morass of primary colors and steroid-freaks that one must obsess over to enjoy.
If you read this far, RHPT will send you an iPod.
Here's to 2007.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Comic Creator Kookiness: Vaughan and Cooke
Every once in a while I get into a little tizzy about this comic or that. The League reads a big stack of comics every week, and so it's always a pleasure to read something, and then really want to pick it up again and read it all over.
But at 22 pages, usually that's not like a huge time investment or anything.
Since Siegel and Shuster were canned by National Comics and no longer were making dime one off Superman (a post for another day, or go read the heart-breaking Men of Tomorrow), comics have struggled with the business side of keeping a franchise alive without the original creators, vs. producing and nurturing new talent and new ideas.
The DC or Marvel Comics' universes wouldn't exist as a concept if, when Steve Ditko put down his pencil and walked away from Marvel, Marvel had shuttered "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic. Nor would DC (National then) have lasted too long had they decided only Siegel and Shuster had what it took to tell a Superman story.
However, dozens, if not hundreds, of new comics hit the shelf every year between the big publishers, international reprints, and small press. Very few ideas take off beyond the first issue or six. A few dedicated folks continue to put out their independent comics which lose money, or move them online. But these days, even Mickey Mouse can't get a break. Gemstone is cancelling four of their Disney titles (once the best selling comics in the US) as, somehow, the Mickey comics aren't doing it anymore.
A lot of folks have read the Pulitzer prize winning novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" (and if you haven't, go read it. No, seriously. Now. Then come back). The book was released a few years ago to much critical acclaim, but, as these things tend to do, that didn't translate much into the way of comic sales. Mostly because there had never been an actual comic called "The Escapist", just as Kavalier and Clay were fictional characters in the novel.
A few years after the novel was released, the novel's author, Michael Chabon, worked out a deal with Dark Horse comics to publish "The Escapist" comics. Unfortunately, the comics-reading world and the book-reading world once again failed to intersect, and sales suggested that "Kavalier and Clay" had been largely ignored by the comic reading audience (anecdotal evidence would suggest it was, as I think I've spoken to one other person in a comic shop who had actually read the novel. And didn't think much of it. But all of the Star Wars universe books? Boy, howdy... no problem finding folks who've read those...).
Long story short, despite Dark Horse putting nothing but all-star talent on the "Escapist" comics, sales that probably weren't any better or worse than any other Dark Horse title, not to mention a running gag of the stories presented being being reprints (with the gag only understandable if one read the novel...), and other gags that required one know a bit about the publishing history of comics, "The Escapist" didn't stay in print all that long. Fortunately, several issues were collected by Dark Horse.
However, with the final issue, the last story in the anthology was not aout the Escapist, Luna Moth or Mr. Machinegun, but a young guy in Cleveland who inherits a large sum of money and uses it to buy the rights to the dormant Escapist franchise. The story was spun off into a 6-issue limited series entitled "The Escapists".
And thus, one of my two spotlighted creators.
Brian K. Vaughan (Ex Machina, Y: The Last Man) weaves a great tale of young, starry-eyed ambition, corporate greed, surprising derring-do, unlikely friendships and the creative impulse. It's not enough that Vaughn is writing Ex Machina (surely one of the smartest comics you're not reading, JimD), he also manages to work with multiple artists to tell a wonderful story that perfectly fits the medium and works in a self-reflexive mode that I haven't seen done that well ever before.
Today saw the release of the final issue of "The Escapists", and has been the case in the previous five issues, the story failed to conform to many of the comic (and, indeed, American pop-media) norms.
This evening's Creator Kookiness is a two part doozy as the final pages of "The Escapists" #6 seem to be a plea to the comics community itself to generate new and better ideas, and an indictment of corporate control and hegemony on the comic page. A worthy goal, and one that Vaughan, in his own career, has ably championed with deeds rather than words.
But then along comes Darwyn Cooke, laying two comics on me that, in anyone else's hands but Cooke or Miller, I doubt I would have given the time of day.
I am, of course, referring to DC Comic's incredibly gutsy revival of "The Spirit".
The Spirit was a never a comic book. Or, at least, it mostly was never a comic book. The title existed mostly as a newspaper insert for several years, beginning during the WWII era, and extending for decades. Each insert was usually a self-contained short story, featuring the title character, a former policeman who, after crooks believed him dead, decided to put on a domino mask and fight the weird, Dick Tracy-like criminals of Central City. The strip had several repeating characters, but is known within comic circles not just for wit of The Spirit's sometimes ham-handed attempts at justice, but also for being the playground for Will Eisner's medium-bending innovations in the sequential arts.
And if you have anything bad to say about Will Eisner, you and I shall go to pistols.
For decades The Spirit was associated with a single creative force in Mr. Eisner (some strips like "Garfield" have reportedly not been done by their original creators in quite some time). And so, any revival SHOULD be looked upon with no small amount of skepticism.
Before his passing, "The Spirit" had been collected by DC in it's high-end "Archives" format, which pretty much put it out of my price range at around $45 a collection (I believe there are 20 archive collections). DC's dedication to Eisner's legacy had also made them the publisher of reprints of Eisner's other works, such as "A Contract with God", "The Building" and "Invisible People".
At some point, Eisner must have known his legacy could continue beyond his semi-retirement, even as he was still publishing new work fairly regularly until the time of his death.
I can't be sure it was Darwyn Cooke's work on "New Frontier", that earned him the assignment, but in the last month Cooke has released two Spirit comics that I can't help but recommend.
The first is last month's "Batman/ The Spirit", which featured an imaginary meeting by Batman and The Spirit as their rogues' galleries decide to cause trouble in a neutral location. Jeph Loeb teams with Cooke on writing chores, and his knack for big, big ideas works pretty darn well in the context of such a momentous occasion.
Cooke's take on The Spirit maintains Eisner's "skin-of-his-teeth" luck and chipper attitude that made what little "The Spirit" work I've lucked into reading such a pleasure. (I am familair with eisner by way of some of his Graphic Novels, such as "The Building" and "A Contract with God").
Further, when possible, Cooke is able to pull off some of the same visual trickery of Eisner's work.
Whether he is able to make the stories of the citizens of The Spirit's world the key to the success of the newly debuted "The Spirit" title as Eisner was able to do is still out for the jury to decide. But, I think the first issue, which hit stands on Dec. 13th, is a pretty good sign that as long as Cooke sticks with the title, The Spirit is in good hands.
Circling back to my point, Vaughn may have been 100% correct in asking the comic community to honor the work that had gone before by creating new ideas. Jack Kirby asked, pretty specifically, that be how his fans honor him not by endlessly repeating the stories he'd set before (and God knows Jack was never shy that he was going to do HIS own thing), but by coming up with their own, original ideas and remaining true to them.
It is true that most attempts at a revival of a series do not hold the same fire as the original concept, and I think "The Escapists" tragically and accurately illustrates this point. Many "franchise" characters go through some difficult periods as creative teams come aboard that simply are not up to the task. (ie: anything Elektra without Miller's by-line).
And, had you asked me should anyone attempt to bring back The Spirit, I think I probably would have laughed.
Surely there will be The Spirit purists out there who will never accept Cooke's work, and, honestly, I don't blame them. He isn't Eisner. His work WILL be different. But I enjoyed the first two glimpses of his Spirit more than enough to see how long he can stay on before DC can't keep him there anymore.
Or until Frank Miller gets his hands on it. Then God help us all.
Every once in a while I get into a little tizzy about this comic or that. The League reads a big stack of comics every week, and so it's always a pleasure to read something, and then really want to pick it up again and read it all over.
But at 22 pages, usually that's not like a huge time investment or anything.
Since Siegel and Shuster were canned by National Comics and no longer were making dime one off Superman (a post for another day, or go read the heart-breaking Men of Tomorrow), comics have struggled with the business side of keeping a franchise alive without the original creators, vs. producing and nurturing new talent and new ideas.
The DC or Marvel Comics' universes wouldn't exist as a concept if, when Steve Ditko put down his pencil and walked away from Marvel, Marvel had shuttered "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic. Nor would DC (National then) have lasted too long had they decided only Siegel and Shuster had what it took to tell a Superman story.
However, dozens, if not hundreds, of new comics hit the shelf every year between the big publishers, international reprints, and small press. Very few ideas take off beyond the first issue or six. A few dedicated folks continue to put out their independent comics which lose money, or move them online. But these days, even Mickey Mouse can't get a break. Gemstone is cancelling four of their Disney titles (once the best selling comics in the US) as, somehow, the Mickey comics aren't doing it anymore.
A lot of folks have read the Pulitzer prize winning novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" (and if you haven't, go read it. No, seriously. Now. Then come back). The book was released a few years ago to much critical acclaim, but, as these things tend to do, that didn't translate much into the way of comic sales. Mostly because there had never been an actual comic called "The Escapist", just as Kavalier and Clay were fictional characters in the novel.
A few years after the novel was released, the novel's author, Michael Chabon, worked out a deal with Dark Horse comics to publish "The Escapist" comics. Unfortunately, the comics-reading world and the book-reading world once again failed to intersect, and sales suggested that "Kavalier and Clay" had been largely ignored by the comic reading audience (anecdotal evidence would suggest it was, as I think I've spoken to one other person in a comic shop who had actually read the novel. And didn't think much of it. But all of the Star Wars universe books? Boy, howdy... no problem finding folks who've read those...).
Long story short, despite Dark Horse putting nothing but all-star talent on the "Escapist" comics, sales that probably weren't any better or worse than any other Dark Horse title, not to mention a running gag of the stories presented being being reprints (with the gag only understandable if one read the novel...), and other gags that required one know a bit about the publishing history of comics, "The Escapist" didn't stay in print all that long. Fortunately, several issues were collected by Dark Horse.However, with the final issue, the last story in the anthology was not aout the Escapist, Luna Moth or Mr. Machinegun, but a young guy in Cleveland who inherits a large sum of money and uses it to buy the rights to the dormant Escapist franchise. The story was spun off into a 6-issue limited series entitled "The Escapists".
And thus, one of my two spotlighted creators.
Brian K. Vaughan (Ex Machina, Y: The Last Man) weaves a great tale of young, starry-eyed ambition, corporate greed, surprising derring-do, unlikely friendships and the creative impulse. It's not enough that Vaughn is writing Ex Machina (surely one of the smartest comics you're not reading, JimD), he also manages to work with multiple artists to tell a wonderful story that perfectly fits the medium and works in a self-reflexive mode that I haven't seen done that well ever before.
Today saw the release of the final issue of "The Escapists", and has been the case in the previous five issues, the story failed to conform to many of the comic (and, indeed, American pop-media) norms.This evening's Creator Kookiness is a two part doozy as the final pages of "The Escapists" #6 seem to be a plea to the comics community itself to generate new and better ideas, and an indictment of corporate control and hegemony on the comic page. A worthy goal, and one that Vaughan, in his own career, has ably championed with deeds rather than words.
But then along comes Darwyn Cooke, laying two comics on me that, in anyone else's hands but Cooke or Miller, I doubt I would have given the time of day.
I am, of course, referring to DC Comic's incredibly gutsy revival of "The Spirit".
The Spirit was a never a comic book. Or, at least, it mostly was never a comic book. The title existed mostly as a newspaper insert for several years, beginning during the WWII era, and extending for decades. Each insert was usually a self-contained short story, featuring the title character, a former policeman who, after crooks believed him dead, decided to put on a domino mask and fight the weird, Dick Tracy-like criminals of Central City. The strip had several repeating characters, but is known within comic circles not just for wit of The Spirit's sometimes ham-handed attempts at justice, but also for being the playground for Will Eisner's medium-bending innovations in the sequential arts.
And if you have anything bad to say about Will Eisner, you and I shall go to pistols.
For decades The Spirit was associated with a single creative force in Mr. Eisner (some strips like "Garfield" have reportedly not been done by their original creators in quite some time). And so, any revival SHOULD be looked upon with no small amount of skepticism.
Before his passing, "The Spirit" had been collected by DC in it's high-end "Archives" format, which pretty much put it out of my price range at around $45 a collection (I believe there are 20 archive collections). DC's dedication to Eisner's legacy had also made them the publisher of reprints of Eisner's other works, such as "A Contract with God", "The Building" and "Invisible People".At some point, Eisner must have known his legacy could continue beyond his semi-retirement, even as he was still publishing new work fairly regularly until the time of his death.
I can't be sure it was Darwyn Cooke's work on "New Frontier", that earned him the assignment, but in the last month Cooke has released two Spirit comics that I can't help but recommend.
The first is last month's "Batman/ The Spirit", which featured an imaginary meeting by Batman and The Spirit as their rogues' galleries decide to cause trouble in a neutral location. Jeph Loeb teams with Cooke on writing chores, and his knack for big, big ideas works pretty darn well in the context of such a momentous occasion.
Cooke's take on The Spirit maintains Eisner's "skin-of-his-teeth" luck and chipper attitude that made what little "The Spirit" work I've lucked into reading such a pleasure. (I am familair with eisner by way of some of his Graphic Novels, such as "The Building" and "A Contract with God").
Further, when possible, Cooke is able to pull off some of the same visual trickery of Eisner's work.
Whether he is able to make the stories of the citizens of The Spirit's world the key to the success of the newly debuted "The Spirit" title as Eisner was able to do is still out for the jury to decide. But, I think the first issue, which hit stands on Dec. 13th, is a pretty good sign that as long as Cooke sticks with the title, The Spirit is in good hands.
Circling back to my point, Vaughn may have been 100% correct in asking the comic community to honor the work that had gone before by creating new ideas. Jack Kirby asked, pretty specifically, that be how his fans honor him not by endlessly repeating the stories he'd set before (and God knows Jack was never shy that he was going to do HIS own thing), but by coming up with their own, original ideas and remaining true to them.
It is true that most attempts at a revival of a series do not hold the same fire as the original concept, and I think "The Escapists" tragically and accurately illustrates this point. Many "franchise" characters go through some difficult periods as creative teams come aboard that simply are not up to the task. (ie: anything Elektra without Miller's by-line).And, had you asked me should anyone attempt to bring back The Spirit, I think I probably would have laughed.
Surely there will be The Spirit purists out there who will never accept Cooke's work, and, honestly, I don't blame them. He isn't Eisner. His work WILL be different. But I enjoyed the first two glimpses of his Spirit more than enough to see how long he can stay on before DC can't keep him there anymore.
Or until Frank Miller gets his hands on it. Then God help us all.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Not much to report and Mary Poppins
This week has been amazingly lazy and unproductive.
Although we were miles apart last night, apparently both Jason and I watched the Disney classic "Mary Poppins" on ABC Family.
I was struck by the similarities in reference to magic that one could see in "Mary Poppins" (which has some odd bits surely intended for the adults), and the portrayal of magic in much of Neil Gaiman's work. Specifically in his work that includes his anthropomorphization of Death. Even more telling was Gaiman's introduction of Death in the cult Sandman comics, wherein Death immediately quotes "Mary Poppins", extoling the virtues of the movie to her brother, Dream.
Gaiman's definition of magic, as a realm just touching our world, but one which we rarely notice, was prevalent in his Sandman series, as well as his limited series "Books of Magic", and the two "Death" limited series. Is Mad Hettie the pigeon woman? Is it that unlikely that a character line Burt or Mary Poppins, or Uncle Albert might have appeared somewhere in the Sandman series?
I had not seen "Mary Poppins" in years, and may not have seen it in its entirety since my parents took me to the theater for a screening circa 1980. As a child, I think, you expect magic in movies, but I was impressed as an adult viewer at the handling of wonderment through the eyes of the Banks children. Other things seemed far more interesting, including the odd melancholy of Burt and Mary's relationship, as well as the creator's clever separation between the magic and mundane in such an acute fashion.
Nor did I note the source of Mrs. Banks' distraction as a mother was her involvement in the women's suffrage movement (which took far nastier turns in the UK than in the US). There's probably some insidious message there about the addle-headed suffragist not able to pay attention to her own children, but that's a discussion for another time.
Kids today have Harry Potter, who is a far more relatable character than the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins, and probably even more so than Michael and Jane, two perfectly behaved English children (children without video games, cell phones, or an X-TREME, in-your-face attitude). For my dollar (or tuppance), what is made even more mysterious than Hogwart's dungeons and catacombs are the odd comments made by Burt regarding the world we catch mostly only glimpses of, and a history of Mary Poppins which, properly, never reveals itself.
That's the trick of magic, though, I think. Keep them guessing how it's done, and always leave them wanting more.
Gaiman, you owe us one. But you'd hidden it in plain sight all along.
This week has been amazingly lazy and unproductive.
Although we were miles apart last night, apparently both Jason and I watched the Disney classic "Mary Poppins" on ABC Family.
I was struck by the similarities in reference to magic that one could see in "Mary Poppins" (which has some odd bits surely intended for the adults), and the portrayal of magic in much of Neil Gaiman's work. Specifically in his work that includes his anthropomorphization of Death. Even more telling was Gaiman's introduction of Death in the cult Sandman comics, wherein Death immediately quotes "Mary Poppins", extoling the virtues of the movie to her brother, Dream.
Gaiman's definition of magic, as a realm just touching our world, but one which we rarely notice, was prevalent in his Sandman series, as well as his limited series "Books of Magic", and the two "Death" limited series. Is Mad Hettie the pigeon woman? Is it that unlikely that a character line Burt or Mary Poppins, or Uncle Albert might have appeared somewhere in the Sandman series?
I had not seen "Mary Poppins" in years, and may not have seen it in its entirety since my parents took me to the theater for a screening circa 1980. As a child, I think, you expect magic in movies, but I was impressed as an adult viewer at the handling of wonderment through the eyes of the Banks children. Other things seemed far more interesting, including the odd melancholy of Burt and Mary's relationship, as well as the creator's clever separation between the magic and mundane in such an acute fashion.
Nor did I note the source of Mrs. Banks' distraction as a mother was her involvement in the women's suffrage movement (which took far nastier turns in the UK than in the US). There's probably some insidious message there about the addle-headed suffragist not able to pay attention to her own children, but that's a discussion for another time.
Kids today have Harry Potter, who is a far more relatable character than the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins, and probably even more so than Michael and Jane, two perfectly behaved English children (children without video games, cell phones, or an X-TREME, in-your-face attitude). For my dollar (or tuppance), what is made even more mysterious than Hogwart's dungeons and catacombs are the odd comments made by Burt regarding the world we catch mostly only glimpses of, and a history of Mary Poppins which, properly, never reveals itself.
That's the trick of magic, though, I think. Keep them guessing how it's done, and always leave them wanting more.
Gaiman, you owe us one. But you'd hidden it in plain sight all along.
ALEXANDER BOONE GOODMAN HAS ENTERED THE ATMOPSHERE
Let's all give mad props to little Alexander Boone, who stepped foot on terra firma for the first time on December 8th at 5:48am. CBG sent me the announcement yesterday. I guess all that birthing really wore her out, as she then foolishly agreed to let me post upon her new arrival.
a young Alexander Goodman poses for what is sure to be the first of many mug shots
Lex (as I shall call him, even if Carla does not) weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces upon arrival. He came in at an impressive 21 and 1/4 inches, which, I am sure, meant he was totally dominating all the other kids on the neo-natal unit's basketball court.
So congrats to Carla and David, and let's all welcome the newest Leaguer to Planet Earth.
Little Lex, you're in good hands. Now get out there and enjoy the future.
Let's all give mad props to little Alexander Boone, who stepped foot on terra firma for the first time on December 8th at 5:48am. CBG sent me the announcement yesterday. I guess all that birthing really wore her out, as she then foolishly agreed to let me post upon her new arrival.
a young Alexander Goodman poses for what is sure to be the first of many mug shots
Lex (as I shall call him, even if Carla does not) weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces upon arrival. He came in at an impressive 21 and 1/4 inches, which, I am sure, meant he was totally dominating all the other kids on the neo-natal unit's basketball court.
So congrats to Carla and David, and let's all welcome the newest Leaguer to Planet Earth.
Little Lex, you're in good hands. Now get out there and enjoy the future.
Monday, December 11, 2006
HIGH SCHOOL MOVIE POST
This evening I watched a movie I was fairly certain I would never see in this lifetime when Jamie unleashed "Mean Girls" from the DVR. This makes it (I believe) three Lindsay Lohan movies I have seen in my life.
I recently read a Time Magazine interview with Frank Portman, the former front-man of 90's alt-punk band "The Mr. T Experience" (and current successful young-adult author of "King Dork") who said something along the lines of "Our entire popular culture's about high school. It's this thing that most people suffered through terribly or like to think they did."
If "Mean Girls" is any indication of the small, untreatable pettiness we're all carrying around, I have little hope for the human race.
Ostensibly, the movie was for tween-girls, or, possibly, teen-age girls. Actually, when I think of some of the content, I hope it was intended for teen-age girls and not those 5-8th grade girls. But, let's be honest, it's the tweens who will buy it on DVD.
The movie came out during the "Hilary Duff is Everywhere" phase of movie-making between 2003 and 2004 (which you may not have noticed, but as there seemed to be two or three of the same movie running at all times at my local cinema, I took note). I think I probably lumped this one in with those movies in my mind. What I DO remember was that adult reviewers were suggesting that, maybe, you know, THIS one was okay... I also recall hearing how this movie was surprisingly good, how the zoological observations of the protagonist reflected the absurdities of American high-school culture, blah blah blah...
The movie is far better than most for the first thirty minutes, then sputters as it falls into a predictable "beat the snob girl at her own game" pattern which these movies seem to thrive on, and, of course, pretty much finds it's denouement by telling not just our protagonist, but every character, to love themself (an unsatisfying message as Tina Fey's character admits aloud that none of these girls seem to have any problems with self-esteem). Tucked in there is a rare shoutout to also love the girl next to you, and I guess that's what they're hoping to sow.
If the first third of the movie seemed to be giving me hope by stealing from anything, the first reel actually seemed to mirror 1989's "Heathers", right up to "the lunch time poll" (which made me wonder aloud if that wasn't a wink and a nod of an homage). In a post-Columbine-era, it's impossible to imagine a film like "Heathers" receiving funding, and it may be best not to consider how many pipe bombs and trench coats Christian Slater may be tangentially responsible for. But in a post-Columbine world, the ending of "Mean Girls"seemed like a cop out. It was far more fluffy bunnies and rainbows, as if there was line the producers finally settled upon which they would not cross before having the guts to be a black comedy. We discover our alt-rock disaffected girl just needed the love of a good Mathlete, and it really is all about how big your ass is in high school, even when the movie is trying to say otherwise.
Aside from a few funny moments (mostly brought by adult players, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows) I didn't find much to latch on to. All of this, in part, because the "high school is hell" model of cumpolsory education doesn't jive terribly well with personal experience.
If Frank Portman is right, and we are all still hung up on a locker-room wedgie or some girl pointing out our acne on the bus ride home, it's a pretty sad indictment of pop culture and culture in general. How many adults are walking around with unresolved vendettas and revenge fantasies that should have been swept up with the mortar boards from the gymnasium floor?
Really? That many?
Wow.
At least in the entertainment industry, I am led to believe it's a hell of a lot of people.
Tina Fey, screenwriter for the project, has dovetailed a bit of the insecurity of her character from this movie with her work on "30 Rock", and one almost wonders about the Jack Donaghy/ Regina George paradigm of Fey's worry about alpha-dogs. Or maybe that's just the well-spring of comedy. I don't know. But she seems hard-wired into the idea of "I was such a geek back then", and "what a loser I am now... despite my success".
These days, I am sadly hard pressed to remember names of teachers, administrators, and especially fellow-students, although a few clues can usually set me straight. I am inclined to remember myself as a "nice guy", but, heck, I don't know. I might just not remember giving some poor freshman noogies everyday, for which, even now, he's plotting his revenge. (Actually, that seems entirely plausible.)
The stuff that sticks out in my mind about that era is how aware I was that because I had not graduated, I was never to be trusted. I do not remember anyone making fun of me (perhaps I was blissfully ignorant), but I have very firm memories of hitting three bathrooms before I found one that was unlocked during a particular potty emergency in English my senior year. When I asked about it, I was told that they always locked the bathrooms on the first floor during periods that coincided with lunchtime, because they'd once caught a kid smoking in the bathroom. So, you know, your bladder be damned.
"Mean Girls" actually has a montage, including the "why do you have to use the restroom?" dilemma of public ed, and this was where I connected. The prison mentality of lowest-common-denominator rule application is a good bit, and is one of the stronger segments in the film. This is the high school that I remember.
Or that you had to leave class and stand in line for twenty minutes in the office to collect a "tardy" pass if you were ten seconds after the bell. Or being told to sell cakes out of a catalog to raise money for prom. Or the monitor refusing to let you go to your locker to get your own textbooks to work on assignments or study, because it was before the first bell (and you could see your locker from where you were standing, and you'd gone to school forty-five minutes early, just for this).
Perhaps "3 O'Clock High" utilized some of the bureaucratic insanity to best advantage, but was that was certainly not the central conflict.
There are high school movies I like. When I was of the right age, and before it was marred by outbreaks of genuine school violence, I found "Heathers'" black humor and deadly pragmatism to the "Mean Girls'" central issues to be pretty funny, but understood that this was a hyper-reality of Archie-Comics-like parody of high school. At the time I'd also liked "the Chocolate War" and "Heaven Help Us" (which I give myself a pass on if it's bad as I haven't seen it in 16 years), perhaps because they skewed male-centric. "Election" was frustratingly fun. "The River's Edge", while morbid and depressing, had a certain reality to it, that if you heard it had happened at another nearby school, you wouldn't bat an eye. "American Grafitti" captured some of the freedom and opportunity of summer nights in high school.
However, these days few movies seem to be willing to do much but find some variation on the "serve uppity snob girl her comeuppance". Which is kind of silly, especially when nothing can top John Waters' "Hairspray".
These days, for me, the high school character that reminds me most of an actual high school kid is Zach Gilford's portrayal of Matt Saracen on NBC's Friday Night Lights. Where other storylines on the show have already spun off into hour-long prime-time soap opera territory, and kids have mostly fallen into the parentless world of TV high schoolers, Gilford's Saracen is somehow still grounded in some sort of reality. Not presneted as a macho jock stereotype, nor the well-coiffed bad boy/ artist, he's the guy trying to figure out how to be the best man he can be, while trying to figure out what that means.
Anyway, this went on way longer than I meant for it to, so I guess I'm curious:
Interactivity time:
What "high school" movies or TV do you like? What "high school" movies or TV do you feel are ridiculous? Which ones do you think cut closer to the truth than they let on? Am I completely full of it?
Your opinions, please...
This evening I watched a movie I was fairly certain I would never see in this lifetime when Jamie unleashed "Mean Girls" from the DVR. This makes it (I believe) three Lindsay Lohan movies I have seen in my life.
I recently read a Time Magazine interview with Frank Portman, the former front-man of 90's alt-punk band "The Mr. T Experience" (and current successful young-adult author of "King Dork") who said something along the lines of "Our entire popular culture's about high school. It's this thing that most people suffered through terribly or like to think they did."
If "Mean Girls" is any indication of the small, untreatable pettiness we're all carrying around, I have little hope for the human race.
Ostensibly, the movie was for tween-girls, or, possibly, teen-age girls. Actually, when I think of some of the content, I hope it was intended for teen-age girls and not those 5-8th grade girls. But, let's be honest, it's the tweens who will buy it on DVD.
The movie came out during the "Hilary Duff is Everywhere" phase of movie-making between 2003 and 2004 (which you may not have noticed, but as there seemed to be two or three of the same movie running at all times at my local cinema, I took note). I think I probably lumped this one in with those movies in my mind. What I DO remember was that adult reviewers were suggesting that, maybe, you know, THIS one was okay... I also recall hearing how this movie was surprisingly good, how the zoological observations of the protagonist reflected the absurdities of American high-school culture, blah blah blah...
The movie is far better than most for the first thirty minutes, then sputters as it falls into a predictable "beat the snob girl at her own game" pattern which these movies seem to thrive on, and, of course, pretty much finds it's denouement by telling not just our protagonist, but every character, to love themself (an unsatisfying message as Tina Fey's character admits aloud that none of these girls seem to have any problems with self-esteem). Tucked in there is a rare shoutout to also love the girl next to you, and I guess that's what they're hoping to sow.
If the first third of the movie seemed to be giving me hope by stealing from anything, the first reel actually seemed to mirror 1989's "Heathers", right up to "the lunch time poll" (which made me wonder aloud if that wasn't a wink and a nod of an homage). In a post-Columbine-era, it's impossible to imagine a film like "Heathers" receiving funding, and it may be best not to consider how many pipe bombs and trench coats Christian Slater may be tangentially responsible for. But in a post-Columbine world, the ending of "Mean Girls"seemed like a cop out. It was far more fluffy bunnies and rainbows, as if there was line the producers finally settled upon which they would not cross before having the guts to be a black comedy. We discover our alt-rock disaffected girl just needed the love of a good Mathlete, and it really is all about how big your ass is in high school, even when the movie is trying to say otherwise.
Aside from a few funny moments (mostly brought by adult players, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows) I didn't find much to latch on to. All of this, in part, because the "high school is hell" model of cumpolsory education doesn't jive terribly well with personal experience.
If Frank Portman is right, and we are all still hung up on a locker-room wedgie or some girl pointing out our acne on the bus ride home, it's a pretty sad indictment of pop culture and culture in general. How many adults are walking around with unresolved vendettas and revenge fantasies that should have been swept up with the mortar boards from the gymnasium floor?
Really? That many?
Wow.
At least in the entertainment industry, I am led to believe it's a hell of a lot of people.
Tina Fey, screenwriter for the project, has dovetailed a bit of the insecurity of her character from this movie with her work on "30 Rock", and one almost wonders about the Jack Donaghy/ Regina George paradigm of Fey's worry about alpha-dogs. Or maybe that's just the well-spring of comedy. I don't know. But she seems hard-wired into the idea of "I was such a geek back then", and "what a loser I am now... despite my success".
These days, I am sadly hard pressed to remember names of teachers, administrators, and especially fellow-students, although a few clues can usually set me straight. I am inclined to remember myself as a "nice guy", but, heck, I don't know. I might just not remember giving some poor freshman noogies everyday, for which, even now, he's plotting his revenge. (Actually, that seems entirely plausible.)
The stuff that sticks out in my mind about that era is how aware I was that because I had not graduated, I was never to be trusted. I do not remember anyone making fun of me (perhaps I was blissfully ignorant), but I have very firm memories of hitting three bathrooms before I found one that was unlocked during a particular potty emergency in English my senior year. When I asked about it, I was told that they always locked the bathrooms on the first floor during periods that coincided with lunchtime, because they'd once caught a kid smoking in the bathroom. So, you know, your bladder be damned.
"Mean Girls" actually has a montage, including the "why do you have to use the restroom?" dilemma of public ed, and this was where I connected. The prison mentality of lowest-common-denominator rule application is a good bit, and is one of the stronger segments in the film. This is the high school that I remember.
Or that you had to leave class and stand in line for twenty minutes in the office to collect a "tardy" pass if you were ten seconds after the bell. Or being told to sell cakes out of a catalog to raise money for prom. Or the monitor refusing to let you go to your locker to get your own textbooks to work on assignments or study, because it was before the first bell (and you could see your locker from where you were standing, and you'd gone to school forty-five minutes early, just for this).
Perhaps "3 O'Clock High" utilized some of the bureaucratic insanity to best advantage, but was that was certainly not the central conflict.
There are high school movies I like. When I was of the right age, and before it was marred by outbreaks of genuine school violence, I found "Heathers'" black humor and deadly pragmatism to the "Mean Girls'" central issues to be pretty funny, but understood that this was a hyper-reality of Archie-Comics-like parody of high school. At the time I'd also liked "the Chocolate War" and "Heaven Help Us" (which I give myself a pass on if it's bad as I haven't seen it in 16 years), perhaps because they skewed male-centric. "Election" was frustratingly fun. "The River's Edge", while morbid and depressing, had a certain reality to it, that if you heard it had happened at another nearby school, you wouldn't bat an eye. "American Grafitti" captured some of the freedom and opportunity of summer nights in high school.
However, these days few movies seem to be willing to do much but find some variation on the "serve uppity snob girl her comeuppance". Which is kind of silly, especially when nothing can top John Waters' "Hairspray".
These days, for me, the high school character that reminds me most of an actual high school kid is Zach Gilford's portrayal of Matt Saracen on NBC's Friday Night Lights. Where other storylines on the show have already spun off into hour-long prime-time soap opera territory, and kids have mostly fallen into the parentless world of TV high schoolers, Gilford's Saracen is somehow still grounded in some sort of reality. Not presneted as a macho jock stereotype, nor the well-coiffed bad boy/ artist, he's the guy trying to figure out how to be the best man he can be, while trying to figure out what that means.
Anyway, this went on way longer than I meant for it to, so I guess I'm curious:
Interactivity time:
What "high school" movies or TV do you like? What "high school" movies or TV do you feel are ridiculous? Which ones do you think cut closer to the truth than they let on? Am I completely full of it?
Your opinions, please...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR: A SUPER EVENING
Well, I'm feeling a little tired and foggy today (it's nowhere close to morning anymore). I didn't really drink that much egg nog, but I also didn't eat anything between lunch and about 12:30 AM. We received our first guests around 7:40 when Stuart and Hilary made an appearance, and Shoemaker drifted out the door sometime around quarter to three.
The evening was full of old and new friends, Loyal Leaguers, olives, dogs, elves and lots of good cheer. There were surprise guests, surprise turns of events, heartfelt moments and Andy S. wearing an oven mit.
You have to understand, The League of Melbotis last hosted a big party as a mid-day sort of affair about six years ago. Prior to that, we did some bar-b-q's, and that's about it. We, traditionally, don't do a lot of entertaining. So, yes, mistakes were made. But when we moved back to Austin, I was not about to let the Holidays go by without some demonstration of our appreciation for our pals.
We also have an insane amount of booze still left at our house, so if you can send over about eight frat-boys, have we got a treat for them... Otherwise, Jamie and I are just going to have to drink all this stuff before it goes bad.
Next year, a more focused BYOB.
Stuart and Hilary appeared first, and we scarcely had a few minutes to chat (ask Hilary about the Budweiser room at SeaWorld) before the flood gates opened and my house became full of all sorts of guests. Zoomy. Jason and Elena from down the street. Justin and Tanya from back in the day (Monarch Soccer '84 rules!), Peabo and Adriana, to name just a few.
We handed out some door prizes. Several attendees won bottles from the Jones Soda 2006 Holiday Dessert Pack. We sampled some of Tanya's Cherry Pie Soda, and it was surprisingly good. A marked change from last year's debacle with Jones Soda. Pez dispensers, M&M's and other Holiday surprises were handed out to a lucky few.
"It's not just a party," remarked Steanso, "It's a game show."
Winner for surprise guest of the evening: Well, I sort of knew they might come, but John and Julie B. drove in all the way from the N. Houston area. Julie said they were a definite maybe, but Julie's in school and John works a lot of hours, so, you know, if they didn't come, nobody was going to get bent out of shape. Anyhow, I have no idea what time it was, but I looked up and said in my head, "Oh, there's Julie." And then it sort of clicked "Julie lives in Houston". So, anyway, kudos to the B's.
Winner for surprise info of the evening: It took a minute to click thanks to Mr. Eggnog, but Mr. Shoemaker described his lovely girlfriend as his "fiancee"... so Shoemaker is getting married. I can scarce believe it. Sadly, Keora wasn't there for reasons which Mr. Eggnog has wiped from my memory bank.
Winner for heart-tugging reunion: The League and Mr. Eggnog. No, Mel's original owner, Jenny, came by with her husband. Mel freaked out and went all puppyish for a while, and proceeded to follow Jenny around for a good chunk of the evening. Jenny informed me that she is now going to write a Lifetime movie about women who give up their dogs, only to be reunited with them.
Winner for defeating The League and Steanso's best efforts: The firepit. John B. gets an ingenuity award for finally getting the fire started with an emergency run to the store and the purchase of a Duraflame log. Kudos to John B.
Winner for best food item: Goes to Cousin Sue's pumpkin dip. When I asked, "Was this good?" upon seeing the empty dish (when I finally got a chance to go try some), was met with a resounding response in the affirmative. So, Susan, you need to make more.
No Win: I could not get Peabo and Adriana to name their soon-to-arrive child "Lil' Ryan". Apparently, it does not translate well into Spanish. They claim that, phonetically, it sounds a bit like "to laugh at" or something along those lines.
Endurance Award: Steven and Lauren may have clocked the most minutes at the party. Arriving with the first herd and departing with the second, we enjoyed the heck out of having these cats at our house.
Winner for name I caught, but failed to pronounce correctly all evening: Elena? Helena? She lives three houses down, so I sort of better figure this out.
Most ignored: The two ice-cream cakes (which are really cool and look like Yule Logs) we bought and promptly forgot about that are now sitting in the freezer.
Most-discussed: The League's "shrine" (as many called it). I had many people come to me after visiting upstairs to say "I have never seen anything like that before". I am not certain that is good or bad.
Best Elf: Rami. Hands down.
Best-effort: to Pat for, reportedly, knocking down several of my action figures and then trying to get them standing again. Only to knock down several more plastic heroes. Repeat.
Best footwear: Jamie, for giving up on her skirt and boots and switching to jeans and her sock-monkey slippers around 11:30.
Overall thank you: To the many party-goers who worked so hard to wear out the dogs. From Justin's initial game of fetch, to Shoemaker tossing the ball for Lucy at 2:30, the dogs are totally crashed out today. That's a rare treat, and we thank you.
All in all, a grand evening. I forgot to take pictures. I think Jason snapped some pics. If I can get some photos to post, or can link over to his site at some point, I shall do so.
We want to send out a thank you to everyone who attended and even those folks who couldn't attend. It's tough to demonstrate your appreciation for your friends, en masse, so this is my best effort. Sure, we may not have loved every moment of our time in Arizona, but it really led us to appreciate the value of good folks like you Leaguers.
We plan to repeat in the second Saturday of December, 2007. Mark your calendars now.
Well, I'm feeling a little tired and foggy today (it's nowhere close to morning anymore). I didn't really drink that much egg nog, but I also didn't eat anything between lunch and about 12:30 AM. We received our first guests around 7:40 when Stuart and Hilary made an appearance, and Shoemaker drifted out the door sometime around quarter to three.
The evening was full of old and new friends, Loyal Leaguers, olives, dogs, elves and lots of good cheer. There were surprise guests, surprise turns of events, heartfelt moments and Andy S. wearing an oven mit.
You have to understand, The League of Melbotis last hosted a big party as a mid-day sort of affair about six years ago. Prior to that, we did some bar-b-q's, and that's about it. We, traditionally, don't do a lot of entertaining. So, yes, mistakes were made. But when we moved back to Austin, I was not about to let the Holidays go by without some demonstration of our appreciation for our pals.
We also have an insane amount of booze still left at our house, so if you can send over about eight frat-boys, have we got a treat for them... Otherwise, Jamie and I are just going to have to drink all this stuff before it goes bad.
Next year, a more focused BYOB.
Stuart and Hilary appeared first, and we scarcely had a few minutes to chat (ask Hilary about the Budweiser room at SeaWorld) before the flood gates opened and my house became full of all sorts of guests. Zoomy. Jason and Elena from down the street. Justin and Tanya from back in the day (Monarch Soccer '84 rules!), Peabo and Adriana, to name just a few.
We handed out some door prizes. Several attendees won bottles from the Jones Soda 2006 Holiday Dessert Pack. We sampled some of Tanya's Cherry Pie Soda, and it was surprisingly good. A marked change from last year's debacle with Jones Soda. Pez dispensers, M&M's and other Holiday surprises were handed out to a lucky few.
"It's not just a party," remarked Steanso, "It's a game show."
Winner for surprise guest of the evening: Well, I sort of knew they might come, but John and Julie B. drove in all the way from the N. Houston area. Julie said they were a definite maybe, but Julie's in school and John works a lot of hours, so, you know, if they didn't come, nobody was going to get bent out of shape. Anyhow, I have no idea what time it was, but I looked up and said in my head, "Oh, there's Julie." And then it sort of clicked "Julie lives in Houston". So, anyway, kudos to the B's.
Winner for surprise info of the evening: It took a minute to click thanks to Mr. Eggnog, but Mr. Shoemaker described his lovely girlfriend as his "fiancee"... so Shoemaker is getting married. I can scarce believe it. Sadly, Keora wasn't there for reasons which Mr. Eggnog has wiped from my memory bank.
Winner for heart-tugging reunion: The League and Mr. Eggnog. No, Mel's original owner, Jenny, came by with her husband. Mel freaked out and went all puppyish for a while, and proceeded to follow Jenny around for a good chunk of the evening. Jenny informed me that she is now going to write a Lifetime movie about women who give up their dogs, only to be reunited with them.
Winner for defeating The League and Steanso's best efforts: The firepit. John B. gets an ingenuity award for finally getting the fire started with an emergency run to the store and the purchase of a Duraflame log. Kudos to John B.
Winner for best food item: Goes to Cousin Sue's pumpkin dip. When I asked, "Was this good?" upon seeing the empty dish (when I finally got a chance to go try some), was met with a resounding response in the affirmative. So, Susan, you need to make more.
No Win: I could not get Peabo and Adriana to name their soon-to-arrive child "Lil' Ryan". Apparently, it does not translate well into Spanish. They claim that, phonetically, it sounds a bit like "to laugh at" or something along those lines.
Endurance Award: Steven and Lauren may have clocked the most minutes at the party. Arriving with the first herd and departing with the second, we enjoyed the heck out of having these cats at our house.
Winner for name I caught, but failed to pronounce correctly all evening: Elena? Helena? She lives three houses down, so I sort of better figure this out.
Most ignored: The two ice-cream cakes (which are really cool and look like Yule Logs) we bought and promptly forgot about that are now sitting in the freezer.
Most-discussed: The League's "shrine" (as many called it). I had many people come to me after visiting upstairs to say "I have never seen anything like that before". I am not certain that is good or bad.
Best Elf: Rami. Hands down.
Best-effort: to Pat for, reportedly, knocking down several of my action figures and then trying to get them standing again. Only to knock down several more plastic heroes. Repeat.
Best footwear: Jamie, for giving up on her skirt and boots and switching to jeans and her sock-monkey slippers around 11:30.
Overall thank you: To the many party-goers who worked so hard to wear out the dogs. From Justin's initial game of fetch, to Shoemaker tossing the ball for Lucy at 2:30, the dogs are totally crashed out today. That's a rare treat, and we thank you.
All in all, a grand evening. I forgot to take pictures. I think Jason snapped some pics. If I can get some photos to post, or can link over to his site at some point, I shall do so.
We want to send out a thank you to everyone who attended and even those folks who couldn't attend. It's tough to demonstrate your appreciation for your friends, en masse, so this is my best effort. Sure, we may not have loved every moment of our time in Arizona, but it really led us to appreciate the value of good folks like you Leaguers.
We plan to repeat in the second Saturday of December, 2007. Mark your calendars now.
Friday, December 08, 2006
DEAR SANTA
Dear Santa,
I feel funny writing to an illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving. But then again, I once voted Green Party.
You know, when I was a kid, I remember writing letters to you and feeling absolutely paralyzed at the beginning of each letter, knowing I had to make with the idle chatter and dream up some chit-chat before getting to my greedy-little-kid wish list of the gimme-gimme’s. Now, Santa, I’ve grown up some, but not a whole lot, so you know I’ve still got a list. But, up until recently, I also had an income, so now I mostly go ahead and pick up the items I’d like, rather than making a list and hoping you, Mom and the Sears Wish Book come through for me. Them’s the facts. And it goes a long way to explaining why Dad always got so many ties and socks for Christmas.
One of the things I remember asking about in that preamble to my wish list was something about the welfare of Mrs. Claus and the reindeer. I don’t recall worrying too much about the elves.
I also remember (with 35mm quality image and Dolby sound) the conversation I had with The Admiral vis-Ã -vis the likelihood of your existence, back when I was a wee kid in flannel pajamas. Quite an evening, that. And I credit The Admiral with handling our conversation regarding the nature of illusion, the spirit versus corporeal reality, and the disappointment of deconstructed fairy tales better than he handled dating advice (which boiled down to: hold the door and chew with your mouth closed).
So we’re now 2006 solar cycles Anno Domini. Christmas has more or less been celebrated for a good chunk of the last 1000 cycles, with no signs of slowing, so I have to think that’s good for business up at The North Pole. Hope the reindeer and Mrs. Clause are doing real well.
I confess, Christmas this year has reminded me what a contradiction the Holiday can be. All signs point to League HQ having their merriest Christmas in years, but we’re also acutely aware of what this year has taken, not just from us, but from friends and family. And although there are lights in abundance and carols playing through every PA in town, sometimes it hits us like a tidal wave that some friends are bravely fighting sickness. And some are just working toward making it to tomorrow.
But that’s what Christmas is, I think, when you pass from being the kid in the flannel pajamas to the guy in his boxers, paying the mortgage.
You bundle up and sing a few carols, and try not to think too hard about who we're missing, and what it might have been in years past. And you look up at the tree and try not to ponder too hard on what a whacked out world we've carved out for ourselves. So, I try to remember: no matter your creed, the spirit of the season is giving. And that giving is done out of hope for a better tomorrow.
You’ll pardon me, Santa, if I don’t mind terribly much if you skip my house this year. You know, even though I sort of think of you as that illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving, sometimes, this year I'm reminded that I may count on you to take it a step beyond merely existing as an ideological construct, and instead ask you to physically manifest and take care of those things which I should probably do.
Wow. That really wasn’t the direction I meant to go, Santa. But as you’re an omniscient spectator of sorts (like Uatu, the Watcher!), I guess you would have figured it out sooner or later.
I’m going to leave the ball in your court whether I’ve been a good boy this year. I paid my taxes. I voted. I helped old ladies pull items off the shelf in the grocery aisle. I tried to keep the evil to a minimum. So if you're not going to skip my house...
This year, I would like the following:
1) Continued livelihood of my car’s air conditioning system
2) Socks. Mine are all old.
3) To find my green shirt (which is probably in the same dimensional vortex in our house as Lucy’s collar and the old coffee pot)
4) To see a Rockets or Spurs game
5) Size 14, outdoor quad roller skates
6) Action Comics #252 in VF+ condition or better
7) Jamie’s continued patience
8) A red cape, tall size (uh… no special reason)
9) Caterina Murino
10) A complete run of Vol. 1 of New Gods and Forever People
11) A better year for my friends and family in 2007
12) the usual for Jamie. Thanks.
So, thanks, Santa. I know some of these are tall orders. Especially that run on Forever People. But you’re Santa, and I know you’ll do your best.
Merry Christmas, Sir. We’ll leave out some nog and cookies for you.
Best,
Ryan (aka: The League)
Dear Santa,
I feel funny writing to an illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving. But then again, I once voted Green Party.
You know, when I was a kid, I remember writing letters to you and feeling absolutely paralyzed at the beginning of each letter, knowing I had to make with the idle chatter and dream up some chit-chat before getting to my greedy-little-kid wish list of the gimme-gimme’s. Now, Santa, I’ve grown up some, but not a whole lot, so you know I’ve still got a list. But, up until recently, I also had an income, so now I mostly go ahead and pick up the items I’d like, rather than making a list and hoping you, Mom and the Sears Wish Book come through for me. Them’s the facts. And it goes a long way to explaining why Dad always got so many ties and socks for Christmas.
One of the things I remember asking about in that preamble to my wish list was something about the welfare of Mrs. Claus and the reindeer. I don’t recall worrying too much about the elves.
I also remember (with 35mm quality image and Dolby sound) the conversation I had with The Admiral vis-Ã -vis the likelihood of your existence, back when I was a wee kid in flannel pajamas. Quite an evening, that. And I credit The Admiral with handling our conversation regarding the nature of illusion, the spirit versus corporeal reality, and the disappointment of deconstructed fairy tales better than he handled dating advice (which boiled down to: hold the door and chew with your mouth closed).
So we’re now 2006 solar cycles Anno Domini. Christmas has more or less been celebrated for a good chunk of the last 1000 cycles, with no signs of slowing, so I have to think that’s good for business up at The North Pole. Hope the reindeer and Mrs. Clause are doing real well.
I confess, Christmas this year has reminded me what a contradiction the Holiday can be. All signs point to League HQ having their merriest Christmas in years, but we’re also acutely aware of what this year has taken, not just from us, but from friends and family. And although there are lights in abundance and carols playing through every PA in town, sometimes it hits us like a tidal wave that some friends are bravely fighting sickness. And some are just working toward making it to tomorrow.
But that’s what Christmas is, I think, when you pass from being the kid in the flannel pajamas to the guy in his boxers, paying the mortgage.
You bundle up and sing a few carols, and try not to think too hard about who we're missing, and what it might have been in years past. And you look up at the tree and try not to ponder too hard on what a whacked out world we've carved out for ourselves. So, I try to remember: no matter your creed, the spirit of the season is giving. And that giving is done out of hope for a better tomorrow.
You’ll pardon me, Santa, if I don’t mind terribly much if you skip my house this year. You know, even though I sort of think of you as that illusory idyllic personification of the spirit of giving, sometimes, this year I'm reminded that I may count on you to take it a step beyond merely existing as an ideological construct, and instead ask you to physically manifest and take care of those things which I should probably do.
Wow. That really wasn’t the direction I meant to go, Santa. But as you’re an omniscient spectator of sorts (like Uatu, the Watcher!), I guess you would have figured it out sooner or later.
I’m going to leave the ball in your court whether I’ve been a good boy this year. I paid my taxes. I voted. I helped old ladies pull items off the shelf in the grocery aisle. I tried to keep the evil to a minimum. So if you're not going to skip my house...
This year, I would like the following:
1) Continued livelihood of my car’s air conditioning system
2) Socks. Mine are all old.
3) To find my green shirt (which is probably in the same dimensional vortex in our house as Lucy’s collar and the old coffee pot)
4) To see a Rockets or Spurs game
5) Size 14, outdoor quad roller skates
6) Action Comics #252 in VF+ condition or better
7) Jamie’s continued patience
8) A red cape, tall size (uh… no special reason)
9) Caterina Murino
10) A complete run of Vol. 1 of New Gods and Forever People
11) A better year for my friends and family in 2007
12) the usual for Jamie. Thanks.
So, thanks, Santa. I know some of these are tall orders. Especially that run on Forever People. But you’re Santa, and I know you’ll do your best.
Merry Christmas, Sir. We’ll leave out some nog and cookies for you.
Best,
Ryan (aka: The League)
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Comic Stuff
JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA #1
I don't have much blogworthy at the moment. But I did want to recommend Justice Society of America #1. If you haven't hit a comic shop this week, or if you have and DIDN'T pick up Justice Society of America... anyway, this relaunch is a perfect opportunity to start reading a new book by a terrific creative team.
Plus, this is The League's second favorite superhero team (no points to whomever guesses my first favorite super-team, but my third favorite... there's a good question. Answer it, and you get a Mellie)
Justice Society of America #1
Also, while I'm bugging you...
Absolute DC: The New Frontier
I just received DC's "New Frontier Absolute Edition" in the mail. One of the most underappreciated comics in years. Obviously DC knew what it had, and set about getting an Absolute Edition on the shelves.
I understand a lot of readers dismissed the series when it was initially released as "too cartoony". I was actually shocked at my LCS in Phoenix that the guys behind the counter had never even HEARD of the series (way to keep up with product, fellas). The folks who dismissed Darwyn Cooke's art as cartoony missed the point. Cooke was doing retro-stylized stuff well before The Incredibles brought it to the big screen, utilizing the stylistic trappings to capture the essence of an era.
One heck of a book.
More here...
For folks looking for a Right Stuff meets superheroes...
Absolute DC: The New Frontier
Superman Classified #2
And because I'm feeling good about Darwyn Cooke, why not mention the Superman comic he's currently writing (and the amazing Tim Sale is drawing). This new series tells tales from any period in Superman's career prior to whatever qualifies as The Present.
Cooke and Sale absolutely nail an early-career Superman and the Planet staff. Also, their depiction of Lois is the rarely glimpsed version which reminds readers what sort of person would interest The Man of Steel.
here
JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA #1
I don't have much blogworthy at the moment. But I did want to recommend Justice Society of America #1. If you haven't hit a comic shop this week, or if you have and DIDN'T pick up Justice Society of America... anyway, this relaunch is a perfect opportunity to start reading a new book by a terrific creative team.
Plus, this is The League's second favorite superhero team (no points to whomever guesses my first favorite super-team, but my third favorite... there's a good question. Answer it, and you get a Mellie)
Justice Society of America #1
Also, while I'm bugging you...
Absolute DC: The New Frontier
I just received DC's "New Frontier Absolute Edition" in the mail. One of the most underappreciated comics in years. Obviously DC knew what it had, and set about getting an Absolute Edition on the shelves.
I understand a lot of readers dismissed the series when it was initially released as "too cartoony". I was actually shocked at my LCS in Phoenix that the guys behind the counter had never even HEARD of the series (way to keep up with product, fellas). The folks who dismissed Darwyn Cooke's art as cartoony missed the point. Cooke was doing retro-stylized stuff well before The Incredibles brought it to the big screen, utilizing the stylistic trappings to capture the essence of an era.
One heck of a book.
More here...
For folks looking for a Right Stuff meets superheroes...
Absolute DC: The New Frontier
Superman Classified #2
And because I'm feeling good about Darwyn Cooke, why not mention the Superman comic he's currently writing (and the amazing Tim Sale is drawing). This new series tells tales from any period in Superman's career prior to whatever qualifies as The Present.
Cooke and Sale absolutely nail an early-career Superman and the Planet staff. Also, their depiction of Lois is the rarely glimpsed version which reminds readers what sort of person would interest The Man of Steel.
here
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
SEVERAL ITEMS IN BRIEF:
I do not post everything that comes my way. People who send me links know this. I don't even post a lot of the really funny and good stuff that comes my way. Sometimes I mean to post something and forget.
Anyway, RHPT sent me something the other day that just really stuck with me.
Tokyo should design a skyskraper in the shape of Godzilla: HERE
Truly an idea of unrivaled genius. And, I tell you this: as much as I've always wanted to do a multie-week trip to the Pacific Rim, this would be a deal-closer for me. To stay in the hotel in Godzilla's belly or leg would rival any other experience of my life.
Nathan Cone of TPR San Antonio has sent me his review (upon my request, though I also take unsolicited reviews, Leaguers) of the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.
Nathan is a connoisseur of all kinds of film, so I take his opinion very seriously. That said, Jamie, Jason and I watched the movie the other day, and I am in almost 100% agreement with Nathan.
Super News for Super Fans
by Nathan Cone
Director's cuts are a dime a dozen on DVD these days. Packaging boasts of "five extra minutes" of footage or "uncensored scenes." More often than not, the extra footage inserted into a film is unnecessary. But occasionally there is a DVD with extra footage that stands out as something special, and "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" fits that description.
READ THE REST HERE
No, really. Go read it and then you can come back.
I confess to finding the Jor-El scenes far more powerful in the Donner version, and especially the manner in which Superman must make his choice to "become mortal" (which doesn't have a clearly stated logic in the Lester version). The scene is far more heart-breaking, as is the follow-up scene when Clark returns to the fortress.
I need to review the movie again with the director's commentary before I say much more.
Jim D, what hast though wrought...?
This evening Steven Harms (whom I met through JimD) invited Jamie and I out for a night of trivia competition at Mother Egan's. In the mix were Alfredo Garcia, a gentlemen I did not know, but who, apparently knows Jason from the Travis County Courthouse (where he works as a prosecutor, not because he's frequently arrested). Later, a young woman and gentleman sat down at the table, and after introductions, I learned this was Molly of the now defunct "Osakatomebaby.com", one of the earliest blogs of the now defunct JimD blogring.
Go figure.
So, despite Steven's early departure, I ended up having a great deal of fun with four people I didn't really know. Such is the nature of a good beer and trivia (the answer was Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, not Sunny Dale Puppy Farm. My apologies.).
It turns out Molly's beau (Andy, I think. It was loud in there, and I'm totally deaf thanks to NIN, circa 1991) works at Channel 8 here in Austin. I LOVE Channel 8 and watch it constantly. And as we spoke, I realized I'd seen Andy on TV doing on of Channel 8's "Web Sightings" segments just a few days ago. Also, he was with Amy Hadley (the hardest working woman in the news business) when Amy was forced to stand in the cold the other day when it was like 20 degrees out and windy.
He also promised to slip my name in next time he has to host the "Web Sightings" segment. Whoo-hoo! It's the little things.
So I've invited all the folks from Trivia to the Holiday Party.
If that doesn't work out, post-Christmas we'll do something. In the menatime, I need to get my head cleared so I'm ready for Trivia Night once again. Oh, and NEVER fold the paper. That's a 1-point deduction.
Anyway, all of this got me thinking: JimD, move to Austin. What are you doing? Why are you so far away? Move to Austin. We'll buy you a beer. This night never would have happened without JimD. So where is he? He's not at trivia night. I tell you that much.
2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR PARTY STATUS UPDATE
We have napkins. I think I have 60 napkins. I probably need to buy more. I also have paper plates. But, for some reason, no cups. I need to buy booze and egg nog.
We have put in orders for the following:
-2 Baskin Robbin Yule Log Ice Cream Cake Rolls. 1 Mint, 1 Chocolate Chip.
-1 Cheeses platter. Apparently one of the cheeses comes in the shape of border outline of the Great State of Texas. We shall also buy crackers to go with that
-1 tray of small sandwiches.
-Jamie will be providing cookies. Delicious cookies.
-We will probably have out some chips
-I will buy some olives at the HEB, because I learned the expensive way at Central Market that I like olives.
If you would like to provide any additional food, please feel free to do so. BYOB is not required, but HIGHLY recommended.
I have also obtained a stainless steel firepit, for which I need to obtain some fuel. Smokers banished to the back porch will now have a heat source. And a very large lighter.
Also, all signs point to an appearance by Rami. And that's just good news for everyone.
Hope to see you there.
I do not post everything that comes my way. People who send me links know this. I don't even post a lot of the really funny and good stuff that comes my way. Sometimes I mean to post something and forget.
Anyway, RHPT sent me something the other day that just really stuck with me.
Tokyo should design a skyskraper in the shape of Godzilla: HERE
Truly an idea of unrivaled genius. And, I tell you this: as much as I've always wanted to do a multie-week trip to the Pacific Rim, this would be a deal-closer for me. To stay in the hotel in Godzilla's belly or leg would rival any other experience of my life.
Nathan Cone of TPR San Antonio has sent me his review (upon my request, though I also take unsolicited reviews, Leaguers) of the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.
Nathan is a connoisseur of all kinds of film, so I take his opinion very seriously. That said, Jamie, Jason and I watched the movie the other day, and I am in almost 100% agreement with Nathan.
Super News for Super Fans
by Nathan Cone
Director's cuts are a dime a dozen on DVD these days. Packaging boasts of "five extra minutes" of footage or "uncensored scenes." More often than not, the extra footage inserted into a film is unnecessary. But occasionally there is a DVD with extra footage that stands out as something special, and "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" fits that description.
READ THE REST HERE
No, really. Go read it and then you can come back.
I confess to finding the Jor-El scenes far more powerful in the Donner version, and especially the manner in which Superman must make his choice to "become mortal" (which doesn't have a clearly stated logic in the Lester version). The scene is far more heart-breaking, as is the follow-up scene when Clark returns to the fortress.
I need to review the movie again with the director's commentary before I say much more.
Jim D, what hast though wrought...?
This evening Steven Harms (whom I met through JimD) invited Jamie and I out for a night of trivia competition at Mother Egan's. In the mix were Alfredo Garcia, a gentlemen I did not know, but who, apparently knows Jason from the Travis County Courthouse (where he works as a prosecutor, not because he's frequently arrested). Later, a young woman and gentleman sat down at the table, and after introductions, I learned this was Molly of the now defunct "Osakatomebaby.com", one of the earliest blogs of the now defunct JimD blogring.
Go figure.
So, despite Steven's early departure, I ended up having a great deal of fun with four people I didn't really know. Such is the nature of a good beer and trivia (the answer was Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, not Sunny Dale Puppy Farm. My apologies.).
It turns out Molly's beau (Andy, I think. It was loud in there, and I'm totally deaf thanks to NIN, circa 1991) works at Channel 8 here in Austin. I LOVE Channel 8 and watch it constantly. And as we spoke, I realized I'd seen Andy on TV doing on of Channel 8's "Web Sightings" segments just a few days ago. Also, he was with Amy Hadley (the hardest working woman in the news business) when Amy was forced to stand in the cold the other day when it was like 20 degrees out and windy.
He also promised to slip my name in next time he has to host the "Web Sightings" segment. Whoo-hoo! It's the little things.
So I've invited all the folks from Trivia to the Holiday Party.
If that doesn't work out, post-Christmas we'll do something. In the menatime, I need to get my head cleared so I'm ready for Trivia Night once again. Oh, and NEVER fold the paper. That's a 1-point deduction.
Anyway, all of this got me thinking: JimD, move to Austin. What are you doing? Why are you so far away? Move to Austin. We'll buy you a beer. This night never would have happened without JimD. So where is he? He's not at trivia night. I tell you that much.
2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR PARTY STATUS UPDATE
We have napkins. I think I have 60 napkins. I probably need to buy more. I also have paper plates. But, for some reason, no cups. I need to buy booze and egg nog.
We have put in orders for the following:
-2 Baskin Robbin Yule Log Ice Cream Cake Rolls. 1 Mint, 1 Chocolate Chip.
-1 Cheeses platter. Apparently one of the cheeses comes in the shape of border outline of the Great State of Texas. We shall also buy crackers to go with that
-1 tray of small sandwiches.
-Jamie will be providing cookies. Delicious cookies.
-We will probably have out some chips
-I will buy some olives at the HEB, because I learned the expensive way at Central Market that I like olives.
If you would like to provide any additional food, please feel free to do so. BYOB is not required, but HIGHLY recommended.
I have also obtained a stainless steel firepit, for which I need to obtain some fuel. Smokers banished to the back porch will now have a heat source. And a very large lighter.
Also, all signs point to an appearance by Rami. And that's just good news for everyone.
Hope to see you there.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Weekend
Weekends are meaningless when you're unemployed. We fill our days with little things to do, an endless list of tasks that, were we employed, I suspect we'd wrap up in a few hours on the weekend, then sit, looking at one another at 5:00 on Sunday, wondering where had the weekend gone?
I have three boxes of toys that will find their way to a worth charity. The illusion of re-selling your "collectibles" has been burst. I had planned to have a mixed "cartoon-themed" office, throwing in my Marvel, DC, Disney, etc... stuff all in one place. It didn't work out. I'm clearing out the Spider-Man Rogues Gallery of little 6" plastic men and women. I'm ditching a handful of Spideys. The Fantastic Four won't be blankly staring at me from my shelf any longer.
This is the first in what will, most likely, be several attempts to clear my closets, so to speak.
I found a shop in the farthest reaches of N. Austin which would buy back toys, or so their advertisement said. On Friday, I tried to go trade-in four boxes of toys, but the owner wouldn't be around until 5:00. That equated to, roughly, a 4 hour round trip with Austin traffic, so I called back on Saturday.
"What do you have in boxes?"
"Not much," I confessed. "Most of it's loose."
"Well, only bring what you have in boxes."
I hung up. And cursed loudly.
I took some items I had purchased a long time ago (but which never left the closet) all the way to Lake Creek, and traded them in. The guy was actually honest about what he was doing and gave me far more than I actually dreamt of getting. Unfortunately, it had to be in store credit. So I am now three die-cast Batmobiles richer, but far wiser.
These items, they are not an investment. And, I think, in the clear light of Austin (where it's not just crazy me living in my crazy head), I know that. And that's also what's convincing me it's a good idea to get rid of some of this stuff. But I'm also no longer trying to push out the desert and the boredom.
Saturday night we headed down to the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Capitol grounds. Thousands had turned out for the event, mostly families with small kids, but also some curiously well-dressed graying couples, and some very sweet, silver-haired folks as well.
We dropped off our canned goods, sang some tunes along with KUT's own John Ailey, then counted down the lighting of the tree. Sang some more while perched on the Capitol's wall (John Ailey seemed baffled by "Feliz Navidad"), then walked Congress.
At some point in college, the decorations on Congress became one of the things I feel obliged to tick off my list of to-do's during Christmas. There's nothing spectacular about garland and lights stretched across the street, but it's an image I have frozen in my mind of a few quiet nights, just as finals ended and the city so quiet it seemed frozen in time.
Congress was not quiet on Saturday. Ballet Folklorico from St. Ed's performed on one corner, a group of young ballerinas (dressed in odd outfits intended to make them look like ornaments) handed out flyers about the Ballet Austin performance of the Nutcracker while a jazz-band played tunes from the ballet. A perfomance artist/mime dressed as an angel and came to life to have her picture taken with children. Kids were everywhere (an oddity downtown at night). And, of course, Santa rode in the back of a convertible Yellow Cab, circling the block and waving.
I missed all of this in Arizona. There were the lights, but somehow Arizona Avenue and its "tumbleweed tree" just wasn't the same as Congress at night with all the folks out walking.
The tree lighting and caroling was fun. We will be recruiting others for this task next year.
Jamie has been at her piano almost relentlessly, preparing for the party. She is very concerned her piano-skills will not be up to snuff. She is more than ready. And she's even learned the Peanuts' "Christmas Time is Here".
Tonight we headed out to Opal Divine's to celebrate the birthday of Andy S. We're starting to merge with Jason's group of pals. Fun folks, these kids. Hope they show for our Holiday Party.
The weekend was quiet. This week we will be preparing for the party on Saturday. We hope you will come.
Weekends are meaningless when you're unemployed. We fill our days with little things to do, an endless list of tasks that, were we employed, I suspect we'd wrap up in a few hours on the weekend, then sit, looking at one another at 5:00 on Sunday, wondering where had the weekend gone?
I have three boxes of toys that will find their way to a worth charity. The illusion of re-selling your "collectibles" has been burst. I had planned to have a mixed "cartoon-themed" office, throwing in my Marvel, DC, Disney, etc... stuff all in one place. It didn't work out. I'm clearing out the Spider-Man Rogues Gallery of little 6" plastic men and women. I'm ditching a handful of Spideys. The Fantastic Four won't be blankly staring at me from my shelf any longer.
This is the first in what will, most likely, be several attempts to clear my closets, so to speak.
I found a shop in the farthest reaches of N. Austin which would buy back toys, or so their advertisement said. On Friday, I tried to go trade-in four boxes of toys, but the owner wouldn't be around until 5:00. That equated to, roughly, a 4 hour round trip with Austin traffic, so I called back on Saturday.
"What do you have in boxes?"
"Not much," I confessed. "Most of it's loose."
"Well, only bring what you have in boxes."
I hung up. And cursed loudly.
I took some items I had purchased a long time ago (but which never left the closet) all the way to Lake Creek, and traded them in. The guy was actually honest about what he was doing and gave me far more than I actually dreamt of getting. Unfortunately, it had to be in store credit. So I am now three die-cast Batmobiles richer, but far wiser.
These items, they are not an investment. And, I think, in the clear light of Austin (where it's not just crazy me living in my crazy head), I know that. And that's also what's convincing me it's a good idea to get rid of some of this stuff. But I'm also no longer trying to push out the desert and the boredom.
Saturday night we headed down to the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Capitol grounds. Thousands had turned out for the event, mostly families with small kids, but also some curiously well-dressed graying couples, and some very sweet, silver-haired folks as well.
We dropped off our canned goods, sang some tunes along with KUT's own John Ailey, then counted down the lighting of the tree. Sang some more while perched on the Capitol's wall (John Ailey seemed baffled by "Feliz Navidad"), then walked Congress.
At some point in college, the decorations on Congress became one of the things I feel obliged to tick off my list of to-do's during Christmas. There's nothing spectacular about garland and lights stretched across the street, but it's an image I have frozen in my mind of a few quiet nights, just as finals ended and the city so quiet it seemed frozen in time.
Congress was not quiet on Saturday. Ballet Folklorico from St. Ed's performed on one corner, a group of young ballerinas (dressed in odd outfits intended to make them look like ornaments) handed out flyers about the Ballet Austin performance of the Nutcracker while a jazz-band played tunes from the ballet. A perfomance artist/mime dressed as an angel and came to life to have her picture taken with children. Kids were everywhere (an oddity downtown at night). And, of course, Santa rode in the back of a convertible Yellow Cab, circling the block and waving.
I missed all of this in Arizona. There were the lights, but somehow Arizona Avenue and its "tumbleweed tree" just wasn't the same as Congress at night with all the folks out walking.
The tree lighting and caroling was fun. We will be recruiting others for this task next year.
Jamie has been at her piano almost relentlessly, preparing for the party. She is very concerned her piano-skills will not be up to snuff. She is more than ready. And she's even learned the Peanuts' "Christmas Time is Here".
Tonight we headed out to Opal Divine's to celebrate the birthday of Andy S. We're starting to merge with Jason's group of pals. Fun folks, these kids. Hope they show for our Holiday Party.
The weekend was quiet. This week we will be preparing for the party on Saturday. We hope you will come.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
POLL POSITION
Turkey Day is almost upon us. This year I shall do my part to make the Holidays totally rad for all. This year, I pledge not to:
-consume an entire 23 lb. turkey by myself
6% 1-vote
-collect a $7 cover charge at the door
0% 0 -votes
-keep asking if we can watch something other than football
6% 1-vote
-mention a single, solitary time how much Katie Couric bugs me if she hosts the Thanksgiving Day Parade for CBS
6% 1-vote
-hold Doug hostage
0% 0-votes
-teach the young ones about the circle of life by killing the turkey with my bare hands before their terrified eyes
19% 3-votes
-let Mel serve dinner
19% 3-votes
-force Jamie to dress as a turkey
6% 1-votes
-insist we pray for the success and safety of the Justice League of America as they protect our shores and skies from the Legion of Doom
13% 2-votes
-stay sober through dinner
25% 4-votes
16 votes total
Turkey Day is almost upon us. This year I shall do my part to make the Holidays totally rad for all. This year, I pledge not to:
-consume an entire 23 lb. turkey by myself
6% 1-vote
-collect a $7 cover charge at the door
0% 0 -votes
-keep asking if we can watch something other than football
6% 1-vote
-mention a single, solitary time how much Katie Couric bugs me if she hosts the Thanksgiving Day Parade for CBS
6% 1-vote
-hold Doug hostage
0% 0-votes
-teach the young ones about the circle of life by killing the turkey with my bare hands before their terrified eyes
19% 3-votes
-let Mel serve dinner
19% 3-votes
-force Jamie to dress as a turkey
6% 1-votes
-insist we pray for the success and safety of the Justice League of America as they protect our shores and skies from the Legion of Doom
13% 2-votes
-stay sober through dinner
25% 4-votes
16 votes total
Friday, December 01, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
It is cold
It is cold in Austin. We were something like the 2nd to last place in the contiguous 48 to get the cold front, but there you are. I headed to the Target today to buy a hat, gloves and a scarf. In Phoenix you don't need those items (or an umbrella) so much, so I'm having to purchase cold weather gear all over again.
The dogs are nuts. They don't want to go out in the cold (although they were happy to go for a brisk afternoon walk), but they also don't want to remain inside and calmly behave. So there's been a lot of following us around the house and attacking one another. I had to hide Lucy's ball so she would quit dropping it on me. It's kind of sad.
We hung out and talked to the neighbors last night for a while. It's sort of nice knowing our neighbors, versus our recent experience in Phoenix where we sort of guessed at who everyone was. We had "The Kansas People" who moved away and were replaced by "Successful Single Mom" and her BMW. Flag Guy. Arizona-Reed. Weekend Dad. The Crazy Nemesis Nurse, and "The House with an Indeterminate Number of Residents".
Here, we actually know some people's names, and even talked to Steve (with the stroller) for a while, finding out he's a bit of a recovering comic-geek, and he wants to set up a community rental system for DVD's on our block. Neighbor-Jason feels we've one-upped his Christmas deer as our deer lights up and is quite large. And then Chris apparently bought me a deeply discounted Superman Halloween Candy pail and gave it to me last night. I was shocked.
Grand Oaks isn't as weird a place to live as you'd believe when initially driving through.
Last night I just didn't have much to mention, and I was neck deep in new and old comics, so forgive me for taking a night off to catch up on my titles a little. (I need to start pushing comic reviews again. Go read Ex Machina.)
The weather yesterday was a mild high-70's with winds from the south. When the artic air hit, we got a heck of a storm. Jamie was already in bed when we lost power for a few seconds. The short popped the GFCI outlets where we have the Christmas lights plugged in. I, of course, had just entered our tiny hall bathroom when the lights went out, and was fairly certain there was no way this was going to end well vis-a-vis me exiting the restroom succesfully, when the lights came back on. I emerged into the living room, and proceeded to scream like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween upon seeing Jamie standing on the stairs. Usually I hear her moving around, but this time, no such luck, what with the buckets of rain and howling wind rattling the windows.
Yesterday evening we went to see "For Your Consideration", the latest from Christopher Guest and his troupe of improvisors. It's okay. It's NOT in the faux-documentary format which is the basis of most of Guest's movies, but it sticks with the same sort of bitter-sweet narrative arc that you've seen in the past two or three movies. Make no mistake, Catherine O'Hara is at her best in this movie, but the movie seems too full of unnecessary elements, and the actors don't share enough screen time to decide whether they're making a wacky movie or a movie on a bit more pensive note.
My personal feelings aside, every person considering acting for a living should be given a copy of this DVD and be forced to watch it once a year for the duration of their career.
I finally saw "Rocky" on Spike TV. It was pretty good, and I can see it winning awards in the 70's. As I suspected, the movie has been copied so many times (including the five sequels) that, like many films that launch a stylistic genre, the movie no longer is appealing simply for its too-often repeated story. It's the performances and details which remind you why this movie was thought of so highly that why it's been infinitely imitated, but rarely matched.
Oh, and I watched JimD's film "Pleadings". JimD wrote and produced the film (with his friend Alistair directing). You know, it's not easy telling your friends they've made a colossal mistake. Luckily, in this case, I don't have to do that. Jim's film is a tight, taught drama with well developed characters. Ah, hell, you need to just see it. I could talk it up, but it's going to be silly as I don't want to give much away and I don't want to sit here blowing sunchine up Jim's skirt. Well, I will say the space battles were impressive and the 23-minute homage to "Willow" was totally sweet, but I still don't understand the bit with Jim dressed as a penguin walking through the desert "pleading" for a sno-cone. Anyway, well done. Professionally executed. Worth seeing at your local multi-plex.
Short bits:
4 year old Power Ranger foils crime
Someone else YouTube's their Jones Soda Holiday Soda experience
Some awesome animation
Bad Superhero Names (yes, they are all actual characters)
It is cold in Austin. We were something like the 2nd to last place in the contiguous 48 to get the cold front, but there you are. I headed to the Target today to buy a hat, gloves and a scarf. In Phoenix you don't need those items (or an umbrella) so much, so I'm having to purchase cold weather gear all over again.
The dogs are nuts. They don't want to go out in the cold (although they were happy to go for a brisk afternoon walk), but they also don't want to remain inside and calmly behave. So there's been a lot of following us around the house and attacking one another. I had to hide Lucy's ball so she would quit dropping it on me. It's kind of sad.
We hung out and talked to the neighbors last night for a while. It's sort of nice knowing our neighbors, versus our recent experience in Phoenix where we sort of guessed at who everyone was. We had "The Kansas People" who moved away and were replaced by "Successful Single Mom" and her BMW. Flag Guy. Arizona-Reed. Weekend Dad. The Crazy Nemesis Nurse, and "The House with an Indeterminate Number of Residents".
Here, we actually know some people's names, and even talked to Steve (with the stroller) for a while, finding out he's a bit of a recovering comic-geek, and he wants to set up a community rental system for DVD's on our block. Neighbor-Jason feels we've one-upped his Christmas deer as our deer lights up and is quite large. And then Chris apparently bought me a deeply discounted Superman Halloween Candy pail and gave it to me last night. I was shocked.
Grand Oaks isn't as weird a place to live as you'd believe when initially driving through.
Last night I just didn't have much to mention, and I was neck deep in new and old comics, so forgive me for taking a night off to catch up on my titles a little. (I need to start pushing comic reviews again. Go read Ex Machina.)
The weather yesterday was a mild high-70's with winds from the south. When the artic air hit, we got a heck of a storm. Jamie was already in bed when we lost power for a few seconds. The short popped the GFCI outlets where we have the Christmas lights plugged in. I, of course, had just entered our tiny hall bathroom when the lights went out, and was fairly certain there was no way this was going to end well vis-a-vis me exiting the restroom succesfully, when the lights came back on. I emerged into the living room, and proceeded to scream like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween upon seeing Jamie standing on the stairs. Usually I hear her moving around, but this time, no such luck, what with the buckets of rain and howling wind rattling the windows.
Yesterday evening we went to see "For Your Consideration", the latest from Christopher Guest and his troupe of improvisors. It's okay. It's NOT in the faux-documentary format which is the basis of most of Guest's movies, but it sticks with the same sort of bitter-sweet narrative arc that you've seen in the past two or three movies. Make no mistake, Catherine O'Hara is at her best in this movie, but the movie seems too full of unnecessary elements, and the actors don't share enough screen time to decide whether they're making a wacky movie or a movie on a bit more pensive note.
My personal feelings aside, every person considering acting for a living should be given a copy of this DVD and be forced to watch it once a year for the duration of their career.
I finally saw "Rocky" on Spike TV. It was pretty good, and I can see it winning awards in the 70's. As I suspected, the movie has been copied so many times (including the five sequels) that, like many films that launch a stylistic genre, the movie no longer is appealing simply for its too-often repeated story. It's the performances and details which remind you why this movie was thought of so highly that why it's been infinitely imitated, but rarely matched.
Oh, and I watched JimD's film "Pleadings". JimD wrote and produced the film (with his friend Alistair directing). You know, it's not easy telling your friends they've made a colossal mistake. Luckily, in this case, I don't have to do that. Jim's film is a tight, taught drama with well developed characters. Ah, hell, you need to just see it. I could talk it up, but it's going to be silly as I don't want to give much away and I don't want to sit here blowing sunchine up Jim's skirt. Well, I will say the space battles were impressive and the 23-minute homage to "Willow" was totally sweet, but I still don't understand the bit with Jim dressed as a penguin walking through the desert "pleading" for a sno-cone. Anyway, well done. Professionally executed. Worth seeing at your local multi-plex.
Short bits:
4 year old Power Ranger foils crime
Someone else YouTube's their Jones Soda Holiday Soda experience
Some awesome animation
Bad Superhero Names (yes, they are all actual characters)
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
More on Dave Cockrum
I hope I have some Superman jammies when it's my turn to merge with the infinite...
heck, I think I'd like some now...
here
I hope I have some Superman jammies when it's my turn to merge with the infinite...
heck, I think I'd like some now...
here
2006 LEAGUE OF MELBOTIS HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR
second announcement
Hey, Leaguers!
This here is your second announcement regarding the 2006 Holiday Spectacular.
The tree is up. The lights are bright. We're filled with Christmas Fever. It's time for me to re-announce the 2006 Holiday Spectacular. We're begging for RSVP's, so please send one by clicking on the Justice League image at the top-left of this website or posting to the comments section. (definite "no's" are also welcome)
Where: League HQ (if you need directions, send me an e-mail and RSVP by clicking on the picture of the Justice League at the top, left-hand corner of the website)
When: December 9th. We open the doors at 7:00.
What: A festive holiday gathering.
What to bring: It's not a requirement, but we're suggesting that you BYOB. Sorry. I think we have a healthy number of people coming, and I can't afford to fill all of you with the Holiday Spirit. We will have some stuff on hand, but we appreciate a little extra help.
If you want to bring a snacky thing (as some have mentioned), go nuts. It's a party. Nobody is turning down any food.
What to wear: The temptation for Holiday parties is to get a little dolled up. I am not going to stop you, but if I have to guess, I think I'll be wearing jeans, a novelty t-shirt under a button down cotton shirt, and some sneakers. If you want to look fabulous, that's your call.
What not to do: Burn my house down, do anything to draw the attention of the authorities (such as burning my house down), declare S. Austin an independent state, pick a fight, let Mel drive. We will also be happy to call cabs for anyone who needs one.
Who should come: You. You're reading this, so I'd like for you to come. Maybe. And we're kinda-sorta cool with a friend in tow, but inviting the whole accounting team from your office is generally discouraged. The whole accounting team tends to draw the cops.
Some extra incentives for showing up:
-Jamie has been practicing some carols, so we hope folks will join her in singing some Christmas ditties. If you have requests, send them in now. Keep it clean.
-Door prizes! We will hit the "Dollar General" and have a drawing at some point in the evening
-Firelogs on DVD
-my iPod will have a rockin' Holiday-themed playlist
-It will be Cousin Susan's 29th Birthday
-If we're lucky, it may be Ellie Gamble's Birthday
-There is the possibility of a pair of extra special guests from out of town
-See Mel and Lucy in their Holiday Finery
-Steven Harms performs 1-Man, 8-Act version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
-We can even conference call in RHPT
-After too many eggnogs, Jason will make an awkward pass at a yet-to-be-selected girl, but give up half-way through
So RSVP!!! Let us know if we can expect to see you joining in the merriment and festivities. It's the @#$%ing Holidays! Let's get together and have some fun.
second announcement
Hey, Leaguers!
This here is your second announcement regarding the 2006 Holiday Spectacular.
The tree is up. The lights are bright. We're filled with Christmas Fever. It's time for me to re-announce the 2006 Holiday Spectacular. We're begging for RSVP's, so please send one by clicking on the Justice League image at the top-left of this website or posting to the comments section. (definite "no's" are also welcome)
Where: League HQ (if you need directions, send me an e-mail and RSVP by clicking on the picture of the Justice League at the top, left-hand corner of the website)
When: December 9th. We open the doors at 7:00.
What: A festive holiday gathering.
What to bring: It's not a requirement, but we're suggesting that you BYOB. Sorry. I think we have a healthy number of people coming, and I can't afford to fill all of you with the Holiday Spirit. We will have some stuff on hand, but we appreciate a little extra help.
If you want to bring a snacky thing (as some have mentioned), go nuts. It's a party. Nobody is turning down any food.
What to wear: The temptation for Holiday parties is to get a little dolled up. I am not going to stop you, but if I have to guess, I think I'll be wearing jeans, a novelty t-shirt under a button down cotton shirt, and some sneakers. If you want to look fabulous, that's your call.
What not to do: Burn my house down, do anything to draw the attention of the authorities (such as burning my house down), declare S. Austin an independent state, pick a fight, let Mel drive. We will also be happy to call cabs for anyone who needs one.
Who should come: You. You're reading this, so I'd like for you to come. Maybe. And we're kinda-sorta cool with a friend in tow, but inviting the whole accounting team from your office is generally discouraged. The whole accounting team tends to draw the cops.
Some extra incentives for showing up:
-Jamie has been practicing some carols, so we hope folks will join her in singing some Christmas ditties. If you have requests, send them in now. Keep it clean.
-Door prizes! We will hit the "Dollar General" and have a drawing at some point in the evening
-Firelogs on DVD
-my iPod will have a rockin' Holiday-themed playlist
-It will be Cousin Susan's 29th Birthday
-If we're lucky, it may be Ellie Gamble's Birthday
-There is the possibility of a pair of extra special guests from out of town
-See Mel and Lucy in their Holiday Finery
-Steven Harms performs 1-Man, 8-Act version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
-We can even conference call in RHPT
-After too many eggnogs, Jason will make an awkward pass at a yet-to-be-selected girl, but give up half-way through
So RSVP!!! Let us know if we can expect to see you joining in the merriment and festivities. It's the @#$%ing Holidays! Let's get together and have some fun.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Super Lit Up
The house is about 65-70% done for Christmas. However, we are experiencing a Christmas Light gap. It seems our house, though well covered in lights, may be a bit dull by Grand Oaks standards. In my walk this evening, I noted that the traditionally "classy" plain white lights (with which we have wrapped the mighty columns of League HQ) have been supplanted in our neighborhood with color, strobing, chaser lights, changing colors, shapes, and all manner of lit nonsense. Sure, I still have to add the "snow globe" and our newly obtained animated deer to the yard, and perhaps that will give us a bit more character. But we have a Christmas Light gap.
As I understand it, we can expect the slow-driving light-peepers in our neighborhood. I suspect the war of the Christmas lights is just beginning. I am choosing to lose the battle this year.
Well, I am betting nobody else has as many Superman decorations on THEIR tree...
Normally The League is a big supporter of giving the gift of Superman, as well as decorating your home with the bold visage of The Man of Steel. However, Nathan sends this along.
From the article: Incredibly, families are further instructed to "[un]plug the product when leaving the house, when retiring for the night, or if left unattended."
I don't like to speak for The Last Son of Krypton, but I assume he'd be upset if he knew there was a product on the shelf sporting his face which not only MIGHT burn your house down, but pretty much promises it's going to leave your home a smoking cinder.
Hey, here's a Superman fan in the news that we can all feel proud of.
A ton of Superman stuff will be released on DVD on Tuesday. This will include the Donner Cut of Superman II and Superman Returns. Be a Loyal Leaguer. Pick up a copy. Or pick up the 14-disc uber-collection. I have been given instructions NOT to pick up any Reeves or Routh Superman stuff, and, thusly, shall wait until Christmas.
I, personally, am awaiting the arrival of the Kirk Alyn Superman serials (with a young Noel Neill) and the final seasons of The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves in glorious color (and a slightly more seasoned, if no less fabulous Noel Neill). I had forgotten that a very tired League had purchased these items on Amazon long ago, and was reminded with a "your package has shipped" e-mail.
Oh, and Action Comics #845 was really good. Actually, it was very, very good. Hope you're picking up this run.
The house is about 65-70% done for Christmas. However, we are experiencing a Christmas Light gap. It seems our house, though well covered in lights, may be a bit dull by Grand Oaks standards. In my walk this evening, I noted that the traditionally "classy" plain white lights (with which we have wrapped the mighty columns of League HQ) have been supplanted in our neighborhood with color, strobing, chaser lights, changing colors, shapes, and all manner of lit nonsense. Sure, I still have to add the "snow globe" and our newly obtained animated deer to the yard, and perhaps that will give us a bit more character. But we have a Christmas Light gap.
As I understand it, we can expect the slow-driving light-peepers in our neighborhood. I suspect the war of the Christmas lights is just beginning. I am choosing to lose the battle this year.
Well, I am betting nobody else has as many Superman decorations on THEIR tree...
Normally The League is a big supporter of giving the gift of Superman, as well as decorating your home with the bold visage of The Man of Steel. However, Nathan sends this along.
From the article: Incredibly, families are further instructed to "[un]plug the product when leaving the house, when retiring for the night, or if left unattended."
I don't like to speak for The Last Son of Krypton, but I assume he'd be upset if he knew there was a product on the shelf sporting his face which not only MIGHT burn your house down, but pretty much promises it's going to leave your home a smoking cinder.
Hey, here's a Superman fan in the news that we can all feel proud of.
A ton of Superman stuff will be released on DVD on Tuesday. This will include the Donner Cut of Superman II and Superman Returns. Be a Loyal Leaguer. Pick up a copy. Or pick up the 14-disc uber-collection. I have been given instructions NOT to pick up any Reeves or Routh Superman stuff, and, thusly, shall wait until Christmas.
I, personally, am awaiting the arrival of the Kirk Alyn Superman serials (with a young Noel Neill) and the final seasons of The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves in glorious color (and a slightly more seasoned, if no less fabulous Noel Neill). I had forgotten that a very tired League had purchased these items on Amazon long ago, and was reminded with a "your package has shipped" e-mail.
Oh, and Action Comics #845 was really good. Actually, it was very, very good. Hope you're picking up this run.
Hey, fellow, KO Panthers!
Apparently the Klein Oak Panthers are making a go of it with the football team this semester. It seems that the football team is no longer a source of shame!
The KO Panthers have entered into the state play-offs. If you went to KO in the 90's, then you know that just batting a .500 for the season is a victory in and of itself.
Read some here.
more here
Apparently the Klein Oak Panthers are making a go of it with the football team this semester. It seems that the football team is no longer a source of shame!
The KO Panthers have entered into the state play-offs. If you went to KO in the 90's, then you know that just batting a .500 for the season is a victory in and of itself.
Read some here.
more here
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Christmas time is here...
Thanksgiving fell early, and traditionally, in the days after Thanksgiving, one must start thinking about Christmas (well, if you are of the Christian or secular-present swapping Christmas variety). So, I guess we're sort of stretching the Holidays a bit this year, but that's okay, provided I am not totally sick of Christmas by the 24th.
WE ARE STILL HAVING THE 2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR. So come by. BYOB.
So today I made some Kirby Lane gingerbread pancakes for breakfast, then we inventoried a bit as to our Christmas Decoration stash. I tell you, Leaguers, it is hard to maintain my war on Christmas, what with my love of the season.
Anyhoo, we were just supposed to head to Lowe's and pick up some lights, but after living in Austin for close to decades, I decided to finally head to The Famous Christmas Store. The FCS was pretty neat, but I was surprised how limited the merchandise was at a store which had dedicated itself to Christmas decorating. There was just a lot of repetition of themes and a lot of stuff that was surprisingly expensive. We did, however, find several bulb ornaments which will live on our tree.
We then went to Hoover's Cooking for our big meal of the day. Some people love snails or fish eggs. Some people love a fine cheese or an elaborately prepared sushi dinner. Not The League. Give me Hoover's Cooking any day. Half of a perfectly smoked chicken, green beans, okra and delicious sweet potato pie... Sure, I didn't need all that coming off Thanksgiving, but it was my first trip back to Hoover's since getting back to Austin.
Unfit to do much more, I headed to Lowe's, picked up several strings of lights, a garland/light combination, a red bow and headed home.
We've got the tree up, undecorated. The garland is hung on the stair-rail. We've got stockings over the fireplace (including Jason's stocking), but we still have quite a bit to do, especially outside.
Seem early? A lot of houses in the neighborhood already have lights on (including three on my street) and several had lights partially or fully up, but not on. I am hoping we are NOT a neighborhood that people will drive through to see all of the lights, but I am not planning to be a house-light slacker. At the same time, despite the weak effort put in during Halloween, these folks are stepping up to the plate in a way I am not sure I am ready to go bankrupt outdoing.
Jamie's been practicing some carols, so hopefully all who attend the Holiday Spectacular will be able to gather round the 'ol piano and sing along (JAL will be solo'ing with "Christmas in Holis").
Thanksgiving fell early, and traditionally, in the days after Thanksgiving, one must start thinking about Christmas (well, if you are of the Christian or secular-present swapping Christmas variety). So, I guess we're sort of stretching the Holidays a bit this year, but that's okay, provided I am not totally sick of Christmas by the 24th.
WE ARE STILL HAVING THE 2006 HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR. So come by. BYOB.
So today I made some Kirby Lane gingerbread pancakes for breakfast, then we inventoried a bit as to our Christmas Decoration stash. I tell you, Leaguers, it is hard to maintain my war on Christmas, what with my love of the season.
Anyhoo, we were just supposed to head to Lowe's and pick up some lights, but after living in Austin for close to decades, I decided to finally head to The Famous Christmas Store. The FCS was pretty neat, but I was surprised how limited the merchandise was at a store which had dedicated itself to Christmas decorating. There was just a lot of repetition of themes and a lot of stuff that was surprisingly expensive. We did, however, find several bulb ornaments which will live on our tree.
We then went to Hoover's Cooking for our big meal of the day. Some people love snails or fish eggs. Some people love a fine cheese or an elaborately prepared sushi dinner. Not The League. Give me Hoover's Cooking any day. Half of a perfectly smoked chicken, green beans, okra and delicious sweet potato pie... Sure, I didn't need all that coming off Thanksgiving, but it was my first trip back to Hoover's since getting back to Austin.
Unfit to do much more, I headed to Lowe's, picked up several strings of lights, a garland/light combination, a red bow and headed home.
We've got the tree up, undecorated. The garland is hung on the stair-rail. We've got stockings over the fireplace (including Jason's stocking), but we still have quite a bit to do, especially outside.
Seem early? A lot of houses in the neighborhood already have lights on (including three on my street) and several had lights partially or fully up, but not on. I am hoping we are NOT a neighborhood that people will drive through to see all of the lights, but I am not planning to be a house-light slacker. At the same time, despite the weak effort put in during Halloween, these folks are stepping up to the plate in a way I am not sure I am ready to go bankrupt outdoing.
Jamie's been practicing some carols, so hopefully all who attend the Holiday Spectacular will be able to gather round the 'ol piano and sing along (JAL will be solo'ing with "Christmas in Holis").
Lt. Larry Lee (atty. at law) Reports Out From the American Music Awards
Hey, Leaguers. Larry Lee is an old friend of Jason's and Steans' in general. He's a former Marine, a lawyer, a father of three, a husband and a coach of some sort. In short, he's already done more with himself than The League shall probably ever accomplish.
LL loves him some music, and somehow scored seats at the American Music Awards (an achievement as I don't think he's been involved with music since quitting the trombone in 9th grade). When word of this opportunity came to light, Lt. LL suggested he take the opportunity to share. An opportunity I jumped on.
Reposted from the comments section (Lee, I have e-mail, man...)
Hey, Leaguers. Larry Lee is an old friend of Jason's and Steans' in general. He's a former Marine, a lawyer, a father of three, a husband and a coach of some sort. In short, he's already done more with himself than The League shall probably ever accomplish.
LL loves him some music, and somehow scored seats at the American Music Awards (an achievement as I don't think he's been involved with music since quitting the trombone in 9th grade). When word of this opportunity came to light, Lt. LL suggested he take the opportunity to share. An opportunity I jumped on.
Reposted from the comments section (Lee, I have e-mail, man...)
Still waiting for Reed Shaw's report on the final Phish tour from three years ago.
Here is my report from the American Music Awards:
1) The seats: I was fourth row, center stage. They were phenomenal. Face value of $750 each, though nobody pays for them, so who knows how much they really cost. Most of the show I sat two rows directly behind the dudes from Nickelback, who seemed genuinely happy to be there and to win an award for best something or other. To my left, only a couple seats away, was William Shatner and his wife. In front of him was Mario Lopez (Saved By The Bell/Dancing with the Stars) and in front of him, Snoop Dogg. That's right...the D.O. double G himself. Odd to me that Mario Lopez had better seats than William Shatner, but good to see things were corrected with Snoop Dogg's seating. I sat in front of Tori Spelling (she's five months pregnant) and a few seats to the left of Paris Hilton, who was text messaging furiously for most of the time that I saw her. At one point, Nelly Furtado sat immediately in front of me. The stars rotate seats depending on their performances and if they win, etc. The coolest celebrity sighting was Beyonce (she sat front row), who I saw walk in on the red carpet and then later, when she and her entourage nearly ran me over backstage on her way to the stage for the opening act. She was amazingly beautiful to see in person. She seemed to be a star in every sense of the word. Only her and Jamie Foxx were like that out of every celeb I saw. They just had something about them that nobody else had in terms of sizzle.
2) The live performances: Mary J. Blige was the best, hands down. She was amazing. I've never heard a better voice live. Next, Jamie Foxx. He's got the chops, man. Honoring the history of the AMA's was Lionel Richie, who sang All Night Long and the crowd went absolutely nuts for him, including yours truly (I was on t.v. briefly shaking my booty during Lionel's performance). He's still got it and looks great, too. Another throwback artist was Barry Manilow. His voice was still good, but he's had waaaaaaay too much plastic surgery. Jay Z was good. I got a big kick out of watching Beyonce dance to her man's music while he was onstage and she was in the audience. Also very good and extremely pretty was American Idol Carrie Underwood. Dixie Chicks couldn't have looked less interested to be there, but the biggest letdown was probably Tenacious D, though Dave Grohl gave them a sweet introduction. They just didn't rock like I thought they would. They did have lots of fireball effects in their show and said their song was about their battle with Satan, so they were kinda funny.
3) The venue. Held at the nearly falling down Shriner Auditorium in Los Angeles, near the campus of USC (which is basically in the middle of Compton). A total dump. It was filthy and disgusting inside. Probably sat 5,000 or so, with a balcony. I understand that next year they are holding the AMA's in a new theater being constructed across the street from
Man, I guess I wrote too much. The only other cool story is that I met Weird Al Yankovic at the after party. He was walking by with a plate of food, stuffing his face, when I saw him and said, "Loved what you did with 'Eat It'". He stopped, paused for a moment, got the joke, and then laughed genuinely, saying, "That's pretty funny, man". Somebody with us asked for his picture and he happily agreed, but our camera battery died an extremely untimely death, so Al scooted off to finish his food and alas, no photo was had. Such a bummer. It would have made for a great Christmas card.
All in all, good times. If you ever get a chance to go to a music award show, don't miss it. And wear a jacket. With the exception of the musicians, all the men wear jackets to award shows, even in Los Angeles. But don't wear a tie. Only the body guards wear ties.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Where we're at
I'd post on the Thanksgiving weekend a little more, but Steanso is doing a terrific job over at his site.
Here.
I'm still reeling from the UT game. They just looked awful, like the whole team came down with the flu but felt like they had to go out there and put on a game, what with all the people who showed up. As unhappy as I was with the offense, the defense just couldn't wrap it's head around A&M's admittedly spirited offense.
The late hit on McCoy at the end of the game, and the helmet-to-helmet hit he took before being carried off did quite a bit to sow some ill-will in what has become a lackluster rivalry.
A&M fans may be sad to hear this, but one of the revelations I had coming to UT from A&M-centric North Houston is that UT doesn't consider A&M to be it's primary rivalry. Sure, they want to win, but the OU game is the big kahuna of football rivalries. When I both went to and worked at UT, the A&M thing was great if we could win it, but mostly the lead up to the weekend involved being a bit mortified at A&M's pathological behavior as the game approached.
This year, of course, was a HUGE exception with bowl games still in UT's grasp. That said, a loss was unexpected, and hardly desirable. In a way, though, I think a lot of UT fans were just waiting for the other post-Vince Young foot to drop.
It's my impression from the post-game coverage that the consensus after the game was that the real concern wasn't over the score, but over McCoy's health (he's apparently okay and expected to recover). When your QB leaves the game on a stretcher, it takes whatever fun was left in the game and makes it all seem sort of dumb.
McCoy wasn't supposed to be this year's hero... he was our red-shirt promise for two years from now... Plus, you know, people seem to genuinely like the little guy.
Congrats, A&M. It's too bad your two cheap shots stained an otherwise impressive win. And it's too bad UT's entire team was apparently suffering from a massive turkey overdose.
I have to start decorating for Christmas.
I know this, because we have a Holiday party coming soon. Even JAL is coming. And he might even bring his long-suffering wife.
I also know this because (a) one house in our neighborhood already has up lights, (b) when I bought a pair of jeans today the store was blasting Holiday tunes, (c) News 8 has launched a new feature called "Sounds of the Season" where they show local bands playing Christmas songs, (d) the grocery has made the full conversion to festive Christmas mode, and (e) I've begun to crave nog. Nog is not something I seek out in July.
I suppose by next weekend, the house may be fully decorated. And that will be weird.
I took The Admiral to the comic shop today. There's nothing like bringing your old man to the comic shop to remind you how completely off-their-nut most comic shop patrons really are (grammar). Sure, I occasionally get irritated with the "it's our clubhouse, not a store" mentality some patrons seem to have, and the inevitable crude and crass conversations some folks seem willing to have without actually knowing the other patrons... But there's a whole subsection of the comic-shop audience that is a few more degrees skewed from the center than the average bear... the good folks who get involved in Cosplay, the sweet natured geeks who go to the parks and dress up as wizards and throws tennis balls/ "spells" at one another on the weekend, ...and the staple of the comic shop: the guy who believes he's a bad-ass because he reads titles like "Wolverine" and "Ghost Rider".
This guy ALWAYS knows more about EVERYTHING than ANYONE around him. Usually harmless, he physically cannot turn his voice down below 80 db's, and usually will ignore anything said by store managers, other patrons, or police officers who bring up any point which might contradict the reality he has carved out for himself. This might include topics as far reaching as the origin of an obscure comic character or the inner-workings of the NSA.
You never know what you're going to get in a comic-shop, and today we had The Expert, and "the Role-Player" (a lady wizard, I believe). Luckily, The Admiral is a pretty open minded guy, plus he was mostly interested in finding out why they don't publish Sergeant Rock anymore... so I don't know how much he actually had to listen to the two conversations going on in the shop, but it was all I could do to get the heck out of there my comics safely in tow.
I am fascinated with folks who voluntarily separate themselves from reality by creating elaborate scenarios that do not just exist within their heads. The folks who dress up as elves and wizards and run around in the woods are doing something that I have about fifteen mental signal lights warning me not to get involved with, and I think I've fallen pretty far down the rabbit-hole when it comes to aberrant social/fantasy behavior. I literally CANNOT imagine making the leap from bags and boards to "This weekend, I am going to buy this red material, make a cape, and go fling tennis balls at my friend at Pease Park". Yet I could watch these folks for hours if Jamie would let me.
I don't honestly see a lot of difference between the geeks in the home-made wizard capes and the folks who dress up as a soldier on the weekend to "re-enact" Civil War battles, people who build elaborate dioramas of long-ago fought battles, the guys who know waaaayyy to much about Japanese feudal society, folks who become "serious" Beatles collectors, the ladies who collect thousands of porcelain cats, guys who spend weeks of their lives managing their "fantasy" sports teams, and the millions of people who spend energy keeping up with the lives of celebrities as a hobby through magazines and by keeping Mary Hart of the air. It's all about cutting up reality and pasting it back in a way that works for you.
Heck, in a lot of ways, I sort of think that at least those folks are doing something that they probably know doesn't really jive with "reality" rather that being a stick in the mud who assumes their way is THE way.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the inhabitants of my LCS, I constantly waver between trying to be a "live and let live" sort of guy , and wanting to shake them and say "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE NSA OPERATES! YOU ARE A BUS BOY AT EL POLLO LOCO!!!".
And that, Leaguers, is why I will never own or manage a comic shop.
I'd post on the Thanksgiving weekend a little more, but Steanso is doing a terrific job over at his site.
Here.
I'm still reeling from the UT game. They just looked awful, like the whole team came down with the flu but felt like they had to go out there and put on a game, what with all the people who showed up. As unhappy as I was with the offense, the defense just couldn't wrap it's head around A&M's admittedly spirited offense.
The late hit on McCoy at the end of the game, and the helmet-to-helmet hit he took before being carried off did quite a bit to sow some ill-will in what has become a lackluster rivalry.
A&M fans may be sad to hear this, but one of the revelations I had coming to UT from A&M-centric North Houston is that UT doesn't consider A&M to be it's primary rivalry. Sure, they want to win, but the OU game is the big kahuna of football rivalries. When I both went to and worked at UT, the A&M thing was great if we could win it, but mostly the lead up to the weekend involved being a bit mortified at A&M's pathological behavior as the game approached.
This year, of course, was a HUGE exception with bowl games still in UT's grasp. That said, a loss was unexpected, and hardly desirable. In a way, though, I think a lot of UT fans were just waiting for the other post-Vince Young foot to drop.
It's my impression from the post-game coverage that the consensus after the game was that the real concern wasn't over the score, but over McCoy's health (he's apparently okay and expected to recover). When your QB leaves the game on a stretcher, it takes whatever fun was left in the game and makes it all seem sort of dumb.
McCoy wasn't supposed to be this year's hero... he was our red-shirt promise for two years from now... Plus, you know, people seem to genuinely like the little guy.
Congrats, A&M. It's too bad your two cheap shots stained an otherwise impressive win. And it's too bad UT's entire team was apparently suffering from a massive turkey overdose.
I have to start decorating for Christmas.
I know this, because we have a Holiday party coming soon. Even JAL is coming. And he might even bring his long-suffering wife.
I also know this because (a) one house in our neighborhood already has up lights, (b) when I bought a pair of jeans today the store was blasting Holiday tunes, (c) News 8 has launched a new feature called "Sounds of the Season" where they show local bands playing Christmas songs, (d) the grocery has made the full conversion to festive Christmas mode, and (e) I've begun to crave nog. Nog is not something I seek out in July.
I suppose by next weekend, the house may be fully decorated. And that will be weird.
I took The Admiral to the comic shop today. There's nothing like bringing your old man to the comic shop to remind you how completely off-their-nut most comic shop patrons really are (grammar). Sure, I occasionally get irritated with the "it's our clubhouse, not a store" mentality some patrons seem to have, and the inevitable crude and crass conversations some folks seem willing to have without actually knowing the other patrons... But there's a whole subsection of the comic-shop audience that is a few more degrees skewed from the center than the average bear... the good folks who get involved in Cosplay, the sweet natured geeks who go to the parks and dress up as wizards and throws tennis balls/ "spells" at one another on the weekend, ...and the staple of the comic shop: the guy who believes he's a bad-ass because he reads titles like "Wolverine" and "Ghost Rider".
This guy ALWAYS knows more about EVERYTHING than ANYONE around him. Usually harmless, he physically cannot turn his voice down below 80 db's, and usually will ignore anything said by store managers, other patrons, or police officers who bring up any point which might contradict the reality he has carved out for himself. This might include topics as far reaching as the origin of an obscure comic character or the inner-workings of the NSA.
You never know what you're going to get in a comic-shop, and today we had The Expert, and "the Role-Player" (a lady wizard, I believe). Luckily, The Admiral is a pretty open minded guy, plus he was mostly interested in finding out why they don't publish Sergeant Rock anymore... so I don't know how much he actually had to listen to the two conversations going on in the shop, but it was all I could do to get the heck out of there my comics safely in tow.
I am fascinated with folks who voluntarily separate themselves from reality by creating elaborate scenarios that do not just exist within their heads. The folks who dress up as elves and wizards and run around in the woods are doing something that I have about fifteen mental signal lights warning me not to get involved with, and I think I've fallen pretty far down the rabbit-hole when it comes to aberrant social/fantasy behavior. I literally CANNOT imagine making the leap from bags and boards to "This weekend, I am going to buy this red material, make a cape, and go fling tennis balls at my friend at Pease Park". Yet I could watch these folks for hours if Jamie would let me.
I don't honestly see a lot of difference between the geeks in the home-made wizard capes and the folks who dress up as a soldier on the weekend to "re-enact" Civil War battles, people who build elaborate dioramas of long-ago fought battles, the guys who know waaaayyy to much about Japanese feudal society, folks who become "serious" Beatles collectors, the ladies who collect thousands of porcelain cats, guys who spend weeks of their lives managing their "fantasy" sports teams, and the millions of people who spend energy keeping up with the lives of celebrities as a hobby through magazines and by keeping Mary Hart of the air. It's all about cutting up reality and pasting it back in a way that works for you.
Heck, in a lot of ways, I sort of think that at least those folks are doing something that they probably know doesn't really jive with "reality" rather that being a stick in the mud who assumes their way is THE way.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the inhabitants of my LCS, I constantly waver between trying to be a "live and let live" sort of guy , and wanting to shake them and say "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE NSA OPERATES! YOU ARE A BUS BOY AT EL POLLO LOCO!!!".
And that, Leaguers, is why I will never own or manage a comic shop.
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