Batman, Possible Power Shift, GL Promotion

Subject: Batman and Robin #3

Dear Rest of the Batman Books,

On the topic of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's "Batman and Robin #3".


decidedly not for kids

That is how you make a Batman comic.

Try harder.

That is all.

Hugs,

The League


Shifting Tides at DC Comics

Word on the street is that DC Comics, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., is shifting offices within the mega-corp that is Time-Warner. While remaining within the moive side of the business, rather than the print and publishing side of the business, it sounds as if DC will now be under Diane Nelson instead of Alan Horn.

I've not worked in Hollywood, but its my assumption that Ms. Nelson has got to be toughest of the sharks to have become head of a division at a company like Warner Bros.. This is all good news.

1) I don't know anything about Alan Horn, but I do know what DC Comics has been like as an entity under his watch, and the movie production schedule has been shoddy at best. As Marvel spits out 2 - 3 movies a year, DC is getting one every two years or so to the silver screen.

Not to mention WB's inability to exploit anyone but Batman for kids' entertainment. That is completely ridiculous.

2) Horn has said, under oath, that he doesn't think the character of Superman is worth anything. Ie: he doesn't know how to bring it to the big screen, so it must not be possible.

Hogwash, says I and a whole lot of other Super-fans.

3) DC is probably unaware of how contentious their relationship is with their female readership. What may pass unnoticed on comic covers, in the overt sexualizing of DC's female charatcers, etc... may get a very different read from Paul Levitz's new boss.

Anyway, I would not want to be the Publisher having to explain the Guillem March Power Girl covers to the new boss.

4) New bosses mean new blood. While I do like Paul Levitz, in so far as I can tell, it would be nice to know that complacency is not the go word at DC. At minimum, even with no risk of turn over, it seems likely that everyone will be trying a little harder, and maybe actually worry a bit about the new executive looking over their shoulder.

I do hope this news is true. DC could use someone from up top looking down on what they're up to. I don't want anyone in particular to lose their job, but it'd be nice to see DC try a little harder to make less of their line so easy to dismiss.


Blackest Night Ring Promotion

Okay, this tidbit of marketing news puts a smile on my face.

I'm enjoying the heck out of Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi's epic over in the Green Lantern books "Blackest Night". In fact, as I type this, I'm wearing my official Blue Lantern shirt. Why, because these dudes are my new favorite dudes in comics.

Thus far, two key things have happened:

1) A whole spectrum of new colored Corps have begun to appear. Red = Rage, Blue = Hope, Yellow = Fear, etc...
2) The Black Lanterns have appeared. From an unknown source (so far) black rings have crossed the DCU, finding dead superheroes and those significant to our living superheroes, and raising the dead. Only, you know, EVIL.

It's some messed up stuff.

At any rate, DC will soon have a give-away promotion in which you can collect what will be cheap, plastic versions of the rings.


insert amazed/ delighted gasp here

In high school, I still remember DC putting out a Green Lantern ring, and I'm STILL mad I lost that thing (I bought one at a comic shop for $3 years later). So, yes, this sounds like a great idea to me.

Rings, please.

I shall require, of course, a Blue Lantern ring for my everyday wear as well as one for display purposes.

Maybe when the new Flash ongoing materializes, we can see something similar for Barry's ring?

Patrick Henry Preddy Enters Existence

Congratulations to fellow KO alum Marshall, and his lovely wife, Jordan.

Today they welcomed their first child, Patrick Henry Preddy. He arrived a bit after 2:00 PM.

Welcome to the world, kid. You got a heck of a set of parents there.

Pics and more here.

Meth & Comics, Admiral in Africa, Desertification of Austin

Superman would punch you in the face for that

It appears that some losers in Denver were using a collectible comic business as a front for trafficking drugs and laundering the dough. I don't know. It's all shady, and the fact that these guys were most likely using comics about costumed do-gooders to do bad is upsetting, but not quite as upsetting as the rest of what they were up to.

Here's a blog post from the Denver paper.

I don't expect drug dealers to be classy folks, but what is it with meth? Everyone involved with meth always looks like 20 miles of bad road and they do such weird stuff.

Leaguers, Superman would not approve.

The thing is, these guys could have legally been trafficking in iffy merchandise with the whole vintage comics business and done just fine. The fuzz seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of comics in this deal. Why not just take advantage of the nerds on eBay and live the good life with the comic business you've got?

Now all these great comics are off the market and entered as evidence. And that's just wrong...

The Admiral in Africa

Got my first e-mail from The Old Man, as he globe trots once again. He's apparently shaking down folks in Nigeria this week.

Sounds like he's got plenty of folks around him that know how to use a gun, which is kind of kooky. Mostly he's freaked out by the lack of discipline when it comes to traffic, which sounds exactly like him.

The Admiral in African urban sprawl doesn't equate in my head, but I guess he's doing okay.

Monsoon Season?

It's hot in Austin this summer, and has been since June 1. We've had record breaking temperatures both in how high the mercury is rising and the sheer duration of the period of 100+ days.

I had beers last week with some folks I don't know, but they work in environmentally friendly landscaping. They mentioned that Austin is being re-zoned as being more "deserty", and one of these folks wasn't a transplant but a lifelong Austinite. She's seeing the changes, too.

Anyway, two days in a row isn't a pattern, exactly. But the past two days, in the hour before sunset, we've had rain. In Arizona (which I think we can all agree is a hot desert) in late summer, they have something called Monsoon season. Right around sunset, rain would blow in from the east. I guess it was some mix of wet air from that gulf east of the Baja Peninsula and the hot, still air that had been hanging around all day.

Again, its just been two days of similar weather, but its starting to freak me out a little...

Meme of Firsts

Well, this is easier than coming up with new, original content. Its time for another meme.

1. Who was your FIRST date?

Miss Shauna Cross, she of the "Whip It" feature film.

I was 14, KareBear drove us to the Showplace 6, and we saw the Kris Kristofferson/ Cheryl Ladd Sci-Fi epic, "Millennium". I had no idea what I was doing, or, pretty clearly, I wouldn't have pitched "Millennium". More than likely, I probably tried to make her pay for herself. I don't remember.

I do recall Jason and his pals thought it was hilarious that I was having the KareBear drive me around on dates. But it seemed uncool to make her sit on the handlebars of my Schwinn.

Also, I had a date and they did not.

Shauna was one of the first girls I ever met who could dish it out as well as take it, and at 14 or 15, that's a rare commodity. We went to Homecoming a few weeks later, and then I don't know what... I honestly have no recollection. But obviously it wasn't too traumatic as we remain chummy to this day. And that, Leaguers, was almost exactly 20 years ago.

I am old.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?

Uhhhhh... I don't know how to answer this question. Sure.


3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?

The Admiral, being a wise man, gave me a taste of his beer when I was five. I was a grabby, persistent kid, and since The Admiral seemed to enjoy having a cold can of Miller when he was cooking up some burgers. He must have decided to cut this off quickly and let me have a sip so he could just have a beer in peace. Can't blame a man works hard for a living when he shuts a kid down.

He must have known exactly what was going to happen, because I was completely horrified and didn't touch beer again until I was up to no good years and years later.

The first drink I ordered and finished was a margarita ordered at a restaurant in Cozumel called "The Fat Grouper" at 14 or 15. I was sort of non-plussed. And also under parental supervision.

4. What was your FIRST job?

The much discussed gig at Chuck E. Cheese.

As of this posting, the 6th hit one gets on Google when you search for "working at Chuck E. Cheese".

5. What was your FIRST car?

Ah... The Badger.

A 1983 red and maroon Honda Accord. 4 cylinders of justice, no power steering, and, in the end, no AC, either. The name was given to the car when we decided that it was "dangerous when cornered". It was a great little car.


Not "The Badger", but more or less the same thing

I loved that car the way you love a dog or cat, and had the cost of repairing the car not become a bit crazy, I would have gladly driven it for a lot longer.

6. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

I have no idea. My guess would be Marquette, Michigan from Dallas, Texas. But I don't know. It may have been from Michigan to Florida, too.

7. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?

We moved around a lot as kids. I don't know if I have any idea who my first best friend was. The answer is probably no.

8. Whose wedding did you attend the FIRST time?

My mother's sister, passed before I was born. Her husband, my Uncle D, re-married when I was little enough that I remember looking around in wonder at all the people in sport coats at the wedding. From about 3' high. I remember knowing the event wasn't aimed at kids, because people kept standing up, and then I couldn't see.

9. Tell us about your FIRST roommate.

Peabo!

Peabo and I had been buddies since 4th grade, when I moved to Austin, so maybe that answers that "best friend" question.

Anyway, we were terrible roommates. We'd known each other too long to try to be polite from day 1. I was messy, loud, constantly making coffee. He listened to Billy Joel's Greatest Hits on repeat for an entire semester.

We're still pals, and I don't recall more than a few arguments, but we wisely decided to be pals and not roommates when it came time to re-up. And because of that, we're still talking to one another today.

That was also the year that Peabo BECAME Peabo. Because, as we sat watching TV one evening, Peabo Bryson was on, and thinking out loud, my roommate said "I wish I had a cool name like PEABO. Peeeee-boh."

And I said, "All right, Peabo."

Thus, Peabo was born.

10. If you had one wish, what would it be (other than more wishes)?

An end to disease sounds great in theory, but I suspect that we'd create more problems than solve them all. An end to want?

A better hair cut? Maybe "The Kirk"?

11. What is something you would learn if you had the chance?

How is this a "first?" This meme has gone off the rails.

Fine. I'd learn Spanish. I don't know what half the people are saying 90% of the time.

Or else I'd learn accordian, because that would be awesome.

12. Did you marry the FIRST person you were in love with?

Sure. Dude, these memes are trouble.

13. What were the first lessons you ever took and why?

Tumbling. Man, I have no idea. Don't all kids take tumbling?

I also really remember swimming lessons.


14. What is the first thing you do when you get home?

Get assaulted by lovely dogs, put down my computer bag, say hello to the cat, find Jamie, get some smoochies, and say "How was your day?"

It's not a bad thing to come home to, I tell you.

Food Meme

The League loves a good meme.

Here's another from Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness. It's food-related.

What food makes you sick?

It depends how you mean. I have enjoyed Indian Food with disastrous results. I practically wept my way through a traditional Scandinavian meal of Lutefisk (cod soaked in lye. I @#$% you not).

But if I had to pick one thing that makes me cringe just to think on it, its brussel sprouts.

I also really don't like corn dogs.

What is a food habit that you can't stand?

Asking me to go "family style" after we've ordered. I ordered what I wanted to eat, and planned to eat all of it. I know people like to take small bites off each other's plates and make little happy sounds, etc...

I may not WANT ginger-soaked brussell sprouts or whatever you ordered. And then I'm down part of what I did want to eat.

You can either ask ahead of time or live with the choice you made when you ordered.

That said, all bets are off if you're talking BBQ. In fact, you may want to hide your hands under the table lest I mistake them for part of the meal.

What food habit did your sister/brother used to have growing up that you couldn't stand?

I'm sorry to reveal this, but Jason used to slurp when he ate his cereal. Every damn bite. God help me, it drove me nuts.

Apparently my tongue would occasionally appear when I ate. This I learned one dark morning when I broached the subject with a classy comment along the lines of "why don't you quit eating like a G-D troll and quit slurping your cereal?"

What food cracks you up?

Asparagus. It doesn't look like food at all. It looks like something out of a swamp. And its sort of is fun to wave around inappropriately. And yet, with lemon, oil, salt and pepper? Delicious.

What vegetable couldn't you live without?

I have no idea. Corn is a grain. Lettuce is more of a filler. I love broccoli, but I also only ever get it when we go out (Jamie can't eat it). So, maybe tomatoes? But they're technically a fruit...

I have no answer here.

Food gadgets you remember as a child?

For some reason, monkeying with The Admiral's egg poacher was verboten. But it was round and yellow and looked like fun.

I also recall the popcorn popper which was in odd shades of orange that disappeared from consumer goods with the close of the 1970's.

Later, I was a fan of a sandwich "maker". Basically, it fried your sandwich.

Food that was hidden, then discovered on the top shelf of your room?

I honestly don't think this ever happened. I did show enormous willpower in 7th grade by hanging onto my Halloween candy, eating only one piece per night so it would last.

This ended around Easter, when I realized a lot of candy was about to appear, and I just finished off the candy and threw some away.

Without mentioning robots, how do you think cooking in the future will be better?

Futurama introduced the idea of "Bachelor Chow", which seemed sort of like cereal, but maybe not. It was just a food-like substance one could pour in a bowl and eat with a spoon.

Sometimes you're hungry, and it would be nice to eat something without going to the trouble of having to add cereal AND milk to the bowl. Sometimes you're just hungry, and it would be nice to not think too, too much about what it was you were going to eat.

Anyway, I'm holding out for Bachelor Chow.

What is an annoying thing that bothers you about women and food?

I see no real way to answer this question without getting in trouble, and after years together, our habits are sort of invisible to me. But here's one thing:

If you insist on increasing your carbon footprint by taking a plastic or styrofoam container home, eat the food at lunch the next day. I might be wasting food by not taking home those pizza crusts, but I always doubt you're ever going to eat that left over chinese, and no matter what, you're creating extra trash.

Also, why did you order more than what you were going to eat to begin with?


Food you once projectile vomited after being wasted?

Well, goodness. Two standouts I remember are Doritos and Kerbey Lane pancakes.

Less said about that, the better.

What would be your last meal?

Well, geez. I guess I'd have finally really botched things to be in a position where I wasn't just getting food from a tube and know its my last meal and be able to write up a menu.

There used to be a site that listed last meals, and it was oddly fascinating. Several are in Texas. What do you know about that?

I think I'd seriously just ask for eggs, toast with butter, and a gallon of hot coffee. And the morning paper.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all.

What is your funniest family food memory?

Me laughing at Peabo at the dinner table while eating spicy tacos. Taco meat went up my nasal passage, the same way you usually see milk head out. Taco spices scorched my nasal passage as I rolled around on the floor, eyes watering. As I worked the ground beef out of my sinuses, my family just went back to talking and eating.

That, Leaguers, was growing up in the Steans House.

Kind of Bloop

Because its funny to see Nathan C. freak out.

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue as an 8-Bit

It may also sound like the only video game Nathan would be really motivated to play

from Dan G.

Wolfman Trailer

Well, they certainly expanded upon the original Wolfman movie. That's cool.

I've only seen the original twice, I think. But it's a good movie, and while the story looks mostly very different, it does look as if like they kept to the same spirit.

It also warms my heart that Universal loves its own monster movies enough that they don't blink at a re-make every once in a while.

Aren't we due for a "Bride of Frankenstein" remake?

Happy B-Day to The Admiral

Happy B-Day to The Admiral!

Today The Admiral turns 562. To be truthful, I just don't feel like doing the math. Anyway, he's a geezer.


The Admiral feels this birthday thing is a trap.

Next week, the Admiral is headed for Africa. It's a first for The Admiral, and we're hoping it goes swimmingly.


The Admiral (on left) makes a new pal

Anyway, I hope The Old Man has a good birthday weekend before heading off for adventure.

In Which I Talk About Some Comics

editor's note: I've seen a surprising spike in traffic thanks to the link from When Fangirls Attack. Welcome to all new visitors! Please feel free to poke around, ask questions, take off your shoes, etc...

Poe #2
Writer: J. Barton Mitchell
Art: Dean Kotz

Obviously I'm a bit biased, what with knowing JackBart and all, but I was very pleased with Poe #2. The story took a supernatural turn I wasn't expecting, there's elements of Poe's work peppering the comic without weighing it down or feeling like a wink, and, honestly, its got an intriguing mystery that's a page turner.

I am also happy to report that there's a "blink and you'll miss it" shout out to a Leaguer or two in the comic.

Dean Kotz's style suits the mood for this story very well.

The comic comes in two different covers, so keep your eyes peeled if you pick up issues #1 and #2, so you don't think you're picking up different comics.

But I can safely recommend the book as a smart, well-characterized, well-paced read. For JackBart's first comic on the shelves, he's outdoing many of his veteran counterparts, and certainly bringing his own perspective to the work.

Color me impressed!

Power Girl #4
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Conner

Power Girl has long been a point of contention in the comics-sphere. Her origin was a mess until 2006. She was sorta Supergirl/ sorta not. But mostly she became characterized as the poorly tempered hero with the cleavage-bearing costume.

Whether bloggers had actually ever read any comics featuring Power Girl or not, the character design was held up routinely as "what's wrong with comics". And given how many artists and writers handled the character, it was hard to argue the point.

However, the new series takes Power Girl in one of the two directions in which Power Girl seems to work best. Position 1 is: capable leader or the JSA, with a short fuse, but a decisive "let's take the fight to them" sort of attitude. It works in a team book, but in a solo project, Power Girl works well as Position #2: She's great at being a superhero, but is sort of sit-com-ish about everything else.


Power Girl takes on a big challenge

I adore Amanda Conner's work (also currently being seen in her Supergirl strip in "Wednesday Comics"), but have not not always been a fan of her writer-husband and his partner, Justin Gray. I'd initially skipped the first issue, but eventually decided to give the series a try.

I have to give kudos to Conner, Palmiotti and Gray. I wasn't sure how things would shake out on this series after the first three issues, but #4 tells me what this team wants to do with the book, and I'm in.

They're not resorting to an endless bunch of boob jokes, and there's a lot of love for the character they see as cranky, messy, and probably a lot unfocused. There's not an attempt to make the character a "bad ass", a la everything Warren Ellis ever wrote. Nor is she a Mary Sue, filling in for a 12 year-old's fantasy version of themselves.

"Fun" was a dirty word in superhero comics a few years ago, but I think when you see a project like "Power Girl", you can have a little hope that there's an audience out there for a different tone in their superhero reading.

Potential pitfalls include:
-Tying into grim'n'gritty storylines in which Power Girl might appear (see: JSA vs. Kobra)
-Deciding Power Girl doesn't have enough pathos and steering toward much of the rest of superherodom
-The current team leaving and a new writer going back to "Power Girl's boobs" jokes (ie: laugh at, not with)

I'm pleased to say I'm recommending the title.

Batgirl #1
Writer: Brain Q. Miller
Art: Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott

Spoilers below.

He he. Spoilers.

Dear DC: On your new Batgirl comic. No.

Let me confess, there's a certain drudgery to reading a certain percentage of Batman comics. At the end of the day, there are only so many things a Batman can actually do as he wages a war against colorful villains in what has got to be the worst @#$%ing place to live in the Western Hemisphere.

What separates the great writers from everyone else at DC Comics may be whether or not they can pull off an interesting Batman story in this day and age, while keeping the stories in an environment in which the most fantastic thing about Batman is that nobody in Gotham has pieced together that the traumatized billionaire with the technology company might also be the Bat-guy with all the crazy technology.

These days, I'm giving Morrison an "A" in this area, Dini a "B-" on Streets of Gotham, Rucka a "B", Winick a "C-" and everyone else, a solid "D".

There is absolutely no compelling reason to read the new Batgirl series.

Batgirl is the character formerly known as Spoiler, btw (if you read comics and didn't put that together, well, you need your nerd-card revoked). I still remember when Spoiler showed up the first time. She was the teen-aged daughter of Injustice League villain "Clue Master", a Riddler-like villain who occasionally annoyed Batman. To get back at her old man, Stephanie Brown put on a mask and tried to ruin his day. She became the girlfriend of the 3rd Robin.

Brown would later become famous as the "failed Robin", who was supposedly killed by Bat-villain Black Mask. DC, reacting to their fans calling shenanigans, brought Brown back. She was Spoiler again.

For a #1, this comic is so tied up in recent (post Silver-Age) Bat-Comics, it feels like what it is: another unnecessary splinter off the Batman franchise that absolutely nobody was asking for (see: Red Robin and Gotham Sirens). Were Stephanie Brown a new character and not tied up with what has to be almost 20 years of Batman history, I would be more enthusiastic (see: Rucka's current take on Batwoman in Detective Comics).

Miller, in the first issue, assumes we've all already been following Brown for two decades. There's no explanation of the all-important origin. The passing of costumes from Cassandra (The Batgirl who made fandom say 'Meh") Cain to Brown is contrived and nonsensical (she walks off, presumably, in her underwear?).

Little details also make no sense. In the first few pages, the all-new Batgirl lands, breaking a guy's knee without warning, after destroying his car, because people are racing for car titles?

Judd Winick's "Batman" shouldn't feel light years more competent than anyone's Batbook, but that's the case here.

Also, DC: Stop it with the blond teen-aged heroines.

Your three-main franchise teen-girl spin-offs will now all appear identical when handled by 50% of your pencillers. Not all teen-aged girls are blond. Many of them aren't even anglo. Just a little something to ponder.

Also, how many people's houses is a wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon really going to break into? There's got to be somebody tracking this.

Maintenance

I'm going to have to apologize for the short post. Again.

Former KO Leaguers (and others) may find it interesting that after work, I met up with former KO'er Andrea Goodson. It had been years and years.

Anyhoo... she's out in LA LA Land these days, so a sighting is a rarity.

Artifact: KLF and Miss Tammy Wynette

I had forgotten this existed until this evening. I don't know if I'd seen it before, but I seem to recall Shoemaker telling me about it at some point.

I find it baffling that I just blanked on this thing for what must have been the last 16 years, but, dang yo. Sometimes I miss the 90's.



Found at CCCofC

Turn Around Bright Eyes

So I spent a lot of today in Waco, where my organization holds training through our partner institution, Baylor University.

Its a short drive, and I like Baylor's campus, which is much more traditionally "campusy" than the white block of cement I work in as a state employee.

Anyhow, afterward we headed to Austin Books to meet up with Jackbart and support him during his signing. I also met Alan Porter, who is working on the Cars comic for Boom and Pixar, and who is a bit of a James Bond expert (I bought his James Bond book). And I met Paul Benjamin, the guy handling the Monsters, Inc. comic.

It was a lot of fun!

Hit Mandola's for dinner, and now I'm home. Ran the dogs, watered some trees, etc...

So its been a long day.

Going off to read and then sleep.

So here's a very important link sent to the League Priority Channel, via Randy.

A Total Eclipse of the Heart Flowchart.

Also received this link from one of the folks at Newsy. It's on Usain Bolt's amazing sprint, and looks at the size of today's athletes.

I think I have t-shirts older than the anchor in that clip.

Also, for Mad Men fans: Mad Libs.

The League's Guide to Starting High School

In the coming weeks, more than ten teenagers across our nation will be setting their foot onto a high school campus for the first time as freshmen.

My own freshmen year was an odd one, as our Freshman class (class of '93) was bused to a campus which had been built when projections indicated a school would be required in that area, but did not take a recession into account. Westwood was too large for all of us, so some of us wound up at The Freshman Annex (aka: McNeil High School).

My sophomore year I moved to Spring, where I had to, basically, start high school all over again.

So here are my tips:

1) I don't know what sexed-up, drugged-up high school the folks go to who write teenage dramas for the CW, but TV and movies are a complete fabrication. Do not expect for life to become glamorous and sexy.

Don't worry. The lack of perspective and tendency to romanticize your own life of the average high schooler will make it all seem a lot more glamorous and sexy than it actually is.

2) Get good grades. You may think you're the next Fifty Cent, but you're much more likely to be the next Ned Irwin, Middle Manager.

3) Join a club or find an activity for godsake.

4) Ask "why?" constantly.

5) Don't take classes because they'll be a blowoff. Save that for college.

6) Your friends are idiots.

7) Get your driver's permit as soon as you are legally able. Same with your driver's license.

8) Don't loan your car out.

9) Don't slide across the hood of your car like the Duke Boys. It will put a huge dent in the hood of your '83 Honda Accord which you will have to hammer out before The Admiral notices its there.

10) Find girls who are funny.

11) Have at least two friends who make you look good to your parents by comparison.

12) Have a few more who are more impressive than you, so they don't start worrying about you.

13) Go to shows as soon as you are able.

14) Stay friends with the kids who tell you they spent the weekend in jail, but reduce your "hangout time" with those kids.

15) Don't let small kids get picked on.

16) Call racist kids names and make fun of their families.

17) Never, ever make fun of truck drivers. Because both times you do, you will find out that you're making an American Truck Driving School joke to the child of a truck driver. Also, our economy would be crippled without the noble trucker.

18) Know how football and basketball work (baseball is optional).

19) Read books that you hear you aren't supposed to read.

20) Be nice to your mother.

21) Try not to embarrass The Old Man.

22) Chew gum.

23) You are not the first person to discover The Beatles, Jimi, The Who, whatever... but rock that shit.

24) Become an expert at figuring out the shelf-life of bands and popular music.

25) Keep a change of clothes handy.

26) Always keep $15 in cash. This is not to be spent unless absolutely necessary.

27) Know too much about one or two serial killers.

28) Know when to shut up and listen.

29) Be ready to walk away from friends.

30) Know that your friends will let you down.

31) Be ready to make friends your old friends don't like.

32) Watch movies from before the year you were born.

33) After 10:00 PM, it's a cliche, but Denny's is a perfectly acceptable destination.

33) Learn to drink coffee.

34) Figure out what food you can eat from a gas station.

35) Go to museums, free plays and concerts.

36) Take lots of pictures. Try to use film.

37) Think long and hard before deciding you're going to want to be seen as "an iconoclast"

38) Nobody is looking at you or thinking about you.

39) Drive around at night.

40) If anyone tells you these are the best days of your life, look upon them with pity.


So, Leaguers... what would you share?

JackBart and Boom Studios at Austin Books on Wednesday

Austin Area Leaguers will want to hit Austin Books on Wednesday between 4:30 and 7:00 PM.

The League's own JackBart (billed as "The Best Looking Man in Comics") will be signing copies of the newest issue of his runaway hit comic, "Poe", which is about the exploits of Edgar Allen Poe as he takes on mystics and criminals in the wake of personal tragedy.

From the Boom site:

BOOM! STUDIOS FAVORITES SIGNING THIS WEDNESDAY!

Posted using ShareThis

The creators of Boom/ Pixar's "Cars" and "Monster's Inc" comics will also be signing, so its a triple-header!

I'm excited for JackBart, Austin Books and Boom! Should be fun.

Anyone want an ACL Fest Ticket for Friday?

I'm looking to unload Friday ACL Fest ticket. No mark up. I'll sell it for what I paid for it.

Date is October 2nd, 2009. Here's the schedule for that day.

Usain Bolt: Fastest Man Alive

Usain Bolt is really, really fast

Last summer I watched a whole lot of the Olympics. Even synchronized swimming.

One highlight was Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, he of the chest-thumping and golden shoes.

Some people criticized Bolt for undue celebration, but... dude. Bolt is The Fastest Man Alive, and he proved it on the biggest stage imaginable.

Well, without so many cameras on him, Bolt just beat his old record in the 100m Dash.

Read about it here.

What can you say other than that the guy is absolutely amazing?

Movie Trailers

I complain a lot (I mean... A LOT) about how Hollywood doesn't put out many movies I'd like to see. But here's some stuff...

From the guys behind Napolean Dynamite: Gentlemen Broncos



That looks just like Pleadings. Its creepy.

And from the Coen Brothers, "A Serious Man".

The McRib, Donating to Medicine, Superman Rights, and... Really, America?

I was just looking through some e-mail, and realized I had not posted on any of the following items. Many of these things were sent my way by Randy.

The McRib Flowchart

I have taken some good old fashioned McRibbing over my annual pilgrimage to McDonald's for the McRib sandwich. The McRib is a sort of pressed pork patty which McDonald's decided, during the coked-up early 1980's, in a form which was actually rib shaped. For whatever reason, the circular nature of the hamburger (no doubt also from a press) is seen as the natural shape for all the parts of a cow you'd never consume normally. But forcing those same unspeakable parts into a shape resembling something from nature... draws the ire of both God and man.

But I like it. Really, its the sauce, onions and pickles I like, and maybe the big bun. And I am not alone. Apparently there are McRib fanatics who McDonald's appeases with the annual, month-long release of the McRib, usually right around the Holiday Season.

Anyhow, Cracked.com did a pretty good bit on The McRib. I invite you to check it out.

Sent by both Randy and Jamie

Glenn Beck is right!

Glenn Beck has founded his 912 Project, which I am just really enjoying.

Principle 7 is one I am really, really going to get behind.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

Which is why The League of Melbotis supports: MyFreeImplants.com

Leaguers, nothing makes me sadder than a stripper with low self-esteem. How can a sad-eyed stripper feel a sense of real worth in this world unless she's swinging some DD's?

MyFreeImplants.com bridges the gap between those unfortunate, modestly busty souls and the folks who really want to believe in a bustier world. Also, those same boob-lovin' folks can buy credits to get an opportunity to speak to the women whose boobs they are embiggening.

This is the free market at work, Leaguers, and why I say thee nay when it comes to healthcare reform in the U.S. If our penniless strippers can make it work, then so can YOU.* That is, if its not just girls doing the old mail-order bride scheme with twist.

By purchasing those credits, you're not just handing a stripper a pile of cash, they're sort of working for it. By maybe talking to you. Which, you know, they would normally never do.

All this right-thinking Americanism just brings me back to principle #1.

1. America Is Good.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Glenn Beck.

Thanks to Randy for the link. The "free implants" link, not Glenn Beck.


Superman Rights to Siegels


JimD, Nathan C. and Randy all sent me links to news regarding a recent ruling that decided that material in Action Comics up to issue #4 was not "work-for-hire" by Siegel and Shuster, and so rights to a few more elements of the Superman property are reverting to the widow of writer Jerry Siegel and his daughter.

By way of explanation, Joe Shuster was the artist who co-created Superman. He has passed, leaving one heir, who also subsequently passed, leaving the Shuster's possible portion of the rights unclaimed.

The decision is a pretty big deal, honestly. Short article here.

The court ruled, for the most part, that the Siegels successfully recaptured most of the works at issue, including those first two weeks of daily Superman strips, as well as key sections of early Action Comics and Superman comics. This means the Siegels, repped by Warners' nemesis Marc Toberoff, now control depictions of Superman's origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as an infant, the launching of the baby Superman into space and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.

But Krypto still belongs to DC, you conniving Siegels! And without him, you have nothing!!!

NOTHING!!!

(cough cough wheeeez)

I have very mixed feelings in regards to the entire issue. I do feel that National/ DC/ Warner Bros. didn't handle things as smoothly as they could have for decades. That's fairly well-documented. On the other hand, from a business standpoint, its not too hard to see how and why DC thought they were doing the right thing.

Unfortunately for Siegel and Shuster, they were kids with no legal expertise trying to get their foot in the door.

I recommend reading "Men of Tomorrow" for a much better account of the whole story. To keep it short, Siegel's wife and daughter have every reason to bear a grudge regarding what happened to Jerry.

It's not so much a big win for creators that Siegel's family won the rights, as the situation seems so unique, and lawyers became much smarter about this stuff as time passed. But it is a win for Siegel, even if it comes well after his death. Wherever Siegel and Shuster are, I have no doubt they're having a good laugh at Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz's expense.

My primary concern (and I've said this before) is that the Siegels are probably very good people, but they also haven't spent the past 70 years managing the business of Superman. As much as I hope my Superman purchases alone would put Joanne Siegel in ermine and diamonds (and they could), I think they'd be wise to find some deal to license Superman back to WB, and ensure they get to see the ledger sheets.

I have a sneaking suspicion that DC will find a way to make this work and everyone winds up happy.

The King of Pop at Target

I know that nobody ever proved that Michael Jackson actually molested any of the children he gave wine and had sleeping in his bed, but...

I was at Target today buying some cat food, and couldn't help but notice that (a) the record section had an endcap display full of Michael Jackson CD's, and (b) that the Junior's section had three separate Michael Jackson shirts available.

Sure, its tough talking to your kids about the unsavory business that took Michael Jackson from curiosity of a fading star to pariah. But, you know, we learn from tales such as these. Not by sweeping everything under the rug because a dude passed and your kids just found out about "Wanna Be Startin' Something".

I don't know how things work in Minneapolis, but I am failing to wrap my head around what occurred here at the highest corporate level. But, you know, whatever sells.




*Shake that booty, Jason.

The League sees: District 9

It's been a pretty lousy summer for movies.

In the wake of the superhero and teenaged wizard tentpole summers, Hollywood has once again misconstrued the obvious (people like movies that aren't stupid) and has now transmorgified the evidence to suggest that no movie should exist unless based upon an existing property, be it old movie, TV show, novel, comic book, back of a Wheaties box, etc...

I consider myself exactly the target audience for a summer movie. But perhaps now that I'm a male on the far end of the 18-35 age bracket, that's no longer so. I did not see:

Transformers 2
GI Joe: Rise of Cobra
Terminator: Salvation
Angels & Demons
Land of the Lost
Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
Public Enemies
Bruno
Funny People
G-Force

I also did not see: Moon, 500 Days of Summer, and a few others I'd consider seeing. I get out to the movies far less frequently, and find trips anywhere but The Alamo to be sort of nightmarish, so... Hollywood can count me as a casualty. I am not helping them.

And I do still want to see "Julie & Julia", "Zombieland", and "Inglourious Basterds". And Maybe "Ponyo", if the mood strikes me.

One movie that did not appear to be based on a toy, book, cartoon, or bar of soap had some trailer at The Alamo this spring. I'd also seen the posters for "District 9", and was pleased to see director/ producer Peter Jackson's name attached. I saw "Dead Alive" in the theater, thank you. And later, much to Jason's chagrin, "Meet the Feebles". Jackson was "presenting" District 9, and I figured even if all he was doingw as distributing the movie, it was worth a look-see.


if only this poster had existed for my bedroom in high school...

And then, not so long ago, JimD called me from his mountaintop lodge to instruct me to see the movie. So, of course, I did so.

It is not that the plot for District 9 isn't something that feels familiar from other films. Most definitely, there are elements of other sci-fi films and just other movies in general. And sort of like when I saw "The Host" a few summers back, I was anticipating that the twist of the film would have less to do with the plot than the filter of the film's country of origin. And in many way, that's true.

But where I felt that "The Host" simply didn't wind up telling a very compelling story (and there are some interesting parallels between "The Host" and "District 9" in regards to those in power, and a few other plotpoints I don't wish to spoil), I felt "District 9" told an engaging story, and absolutely did not skimp on action.

The story hinges largely upon the likely fallout if an alien species arrived in much the same manner of immigrants as we get reports of here in the US, but which is an uncommon practice as of the mid-20th Century. These are a labor class of immigrant, uneducated, inarticulate, and because they are unplanned visitors, the government of South Africa sets up a minimum standard of living and then all but abandons them to their slums. The slums, making the occupants of Johannesburg nervous, are to be leveled and the "Prawn" moved to a new location.



And here our troubles begin.

One sign of what we would have called in my college days "a foreign film", was usually that, in particular, FX were half-baked and were often more or a stage prop the audience had to use their willing suspension of disbelief to enjoy. The FX of "District 9" were absolutely phenomenal, with seamless CG and human interaction. If and when puppets were used for the film, I wouldn't have known.

Adding to the challenge is that much of the film is constructed to appear as if its part of a documentary and includes a large portion of "found footage". Shots are handheld, lighting uneven, etc... and it all still looks remarkable and seamless.

The DP, FX team and director wisely place the enormous alien mothership in many shots, simply floating over the city as something matter-of-fact, that the residents don't even look up at any more, its been there so long. Its a bizarre but necessary detail to the framing of the story.

The story movies at a rapid clip, and I give credit to both lead actor Sharlto Copley (this is, bizarrely, his only acting work to date) and the FX crew for still being able to develop the characters of Wikus and Christopher.

The world writer/ director Neill Blomkamp has created feels remarkably likely, much more so than what I'd consider to be District 9's American counter-part, "Alien Nation", which basically just boiled things down to a new, slightly unknown ethnic class living in the US. The very alienness of two cultures creates massive disturbance, and its not hard to believe that locals probably would want to resettle the "Prawn" out of their city, no matter how open minded.


Hey, Mr. Alien. You've been served!

But I did wonder, occasionally, what I might be missing allegorically from Blomkamp's perspective as a South African. Clearly the slum conditions and co-habitation of South Africans plays out in the movie, but it seems I might have missed some other elements.

From the set-up, the story does, as I mentioned, take a familiar turn, but I don't think its anything that feels overly contrived. Its well-structured. And if you're just looking for an action movie, here you go.

I should mention: The movie is rated "R" for a reason. Don't worry about seeing a boob or anything, but Blomkamp also doesn't shy away from finding new and inventive ways to demonstrate alien technology.

Anyhow, in an otherwise mostly disappointing summer (now I wait another year for Iron Man 2? Booooooooo), I recommend checking out "District 9".

If I were the producer's of NBC's new version of "V", I'd be very concerned right now.

Good call on a movie, JimD.

Too Many Questions.

I have nothing better to do, so you can suffer.

Found at Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness.


1. First thing you wash in the shower? Myself!
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Burnt Orange
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? I better. I'm married to her.
4. Do you plan outfits? I call them costumes, thank you...
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Meh. Sort of proud of Scout for getting on the couch.
6. Whats the closest thing to you that’s red? A dog toy.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Steven was learning archery as part of his initiation with the Freemasons. Also, I do not ever remember my dreams five minutes after I wake. Thwas weeks ago.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? No. Unless you count the new waitress, who kept calling our usual waitress "Ninja". It was weird.
9. What are you craving right now? Waking up on my own. No cats, dogs or alarms involved.
10. Do you floss? Not as often as recommended.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? A Bruce McCullough character from "Kids in the Hall" who had a cabbage for a head.
12. Are you emotional? I get hungry sometimes. Does that count? Sure. Why not.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? As a kid who could never fall asleep, I would break it up into sets of hundreds, but yes.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I don't eat ice cream. But lick, I guess.
15. Do you like your hair? No. Never could pull off the perfect Kirk Coif.
16. Do you like yourself? I don't know how to gauge this question. I like myself more than I like, say, Michael Vick.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?. Sure. he strikes me as a man who knows a good bBQ joint.
18.What are you listening to right now? My black lab snoring. And the Beverly Hillbillies Theme that plays in my head on a perpetual loop.
19. Are your parents strict? I'm 34. So not as much anymore. Mother often lets me choose my own pants now on weekdays.
20. Would you go sky diving? My mass at the standard acceleration for gravity is a mighty force, indeed. I do not wish to test the durability of any parachutes.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes. But not this awful "diet" Cottage Cheese I bought at HEB. Salt is not a substitute for delicious.
23. Do you rent movies often? No. OnDemand, movie channels, cable and some NetFlix at home, and we go to the theater regularly.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in? It's a fairly low-sheen sort of room.
25. How many countries have you visited? Four? Five? Not many.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? Not in the 21st Century. But we used to make up surveys and call people after my voice changed in middle school. Good times.
27. Ever been on a train? No.
28. Brown or white eggs? I'm no egg racist. Either is great.
29. Do you have a cellphone? Blackberry.
30. Do you use chap stick? No. It's habit forming. I have enough ridiculous habits.
32. Can you use chop sticks? On a 2nd grade level. But could not until JAL demo'd in Winter of 1993-94.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Dinner with Jason and Jamie. Visit Cassidy. Wind up with Lucy and Scout.
34. Are you too forgiving? I'm still talking to you, aren't I?
35. Ever been in love? Married 9.5 years.
36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Whatever she wants. I will probably drive.
37. Ever have cream puffs? I have to believe I have.
38. Last time you cried? Like a good jag? Not just a little weepy at "Up"? Off and on for a few weeks after we lost Melbotis.
39. What was the last question you were asked? What time should I wake you up to walk the dogs? Answer: Do not. Let a brother sleep in once in a while.
40. Favorite time of the year? Halloween - Thanksgiving.
41. Do you have any tattoos? Not on the outside of my skin.
42. Are you sarcastic? Great question.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? In action? Yes.
44. Ever walked into a wall? Define "wall".
45. Favorite color? A certain spectrum of blue.
46. Have you ever slapped someone? Sort of. It ended poorly.
47. Is your hair curly? Define "curly".
48. What was the last CD you bought? CD bought? Hurm. I have no idea. It's all iTunes and gift certificates in recent memory.
49. Do looks matter? This question is bull@#$%. I don't care how charming you are. If you have a squid head, I'm not into you.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Cheating on me? Unlikely. Cheating on others? Hilarious.
51. Is your phone bill sky high? Who has a high phone bill?
52. Do you like your life right now? It's pretty @#$%ing charmed, all things considered.
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No.
54. Can you handle the truth? I usually have to.
55. Do you have good vision? Awful.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Nobody I know. Just people on TV.
57. How often do you talk on the phone? At work, often. At home, rarely.
58. The last person you held hands with? Imaginary Superman is a person, right?
59. What are you wearing? Surprisingly: jeans, maroon t-shirt, socks, watch, boxer-briefs.
60.What is your favorite animal? The turkey. For it is delicious. And I guess I'm a "dog person"
61. Where was your default picture taken at? What?
62. Can you hula hoop? No, and its been requested I never try again in public.
63. Do you have a job? One for which they pay me, and many which I do for free.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Coffee.
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes.
66. When was the last time you’ve been to church? Its been a while. If I say how long, my mother will cry and we'll all end up in church when she's in town.
67. What’s your least favorite meal? Nosebleed Soup, Roasted Orphan, with a side of broken bottles.
68. Did you ever steal anything by mistake? An entire shelf from Ikea. Don't worry, they'd already made their money off of us.
69. Have you ever won anything? A Dirt Devil at Project Prom. Which I would not remember if the girl who got her raffle ticket in line in front of me hadn't won a cruise for 4.