Hi all.

Sorry it's been a slow few weeks at The League. Work is hectic and I'm barely home, let alone enough to sit and dream up the nonsense which I post on these pages.

By the way, the League is thrilled to see that nobody much wanted to see the Elektra movie released by Marvel Studios.

Elektra was introduced by Frank Miller into Daredevil comics back when having hordes of ninjas in your comics seemed like a swell idea. Miller's Daredevil/ Elektra stories still hold up very well. THe trick is, at the end of these stories, Elektra pretty much took a dirt nap.

So long, Elektra.

Elektra's best appearance was in a spin-off limited series called "Elektra: Assassin", a comic which featured cyborgs, ninjas, shady government agents, blue alien dwarfs and massive government conspiracies.

(ed. note: It appears Marvel actually let Elektra: Assassin go out of print again prior to the release of the movie. Fearing, I guess, that somebody might find some interesting Elektra material out there.)

On top of this, the incomparable Bill Sienkiewicz illuistrated the comic, creating an 80's pop art masterpiece, the likes of which have barely been seen since.



it is important to note that Elektra's one big character trait in the Miller-scribed Elektra comics was that Elektra was completely nuts. She might kiss you, she might shove a sai through your ear. THe point in the Daredevil comics was that Daredevil falls for the wrong kind of dame. In the Elektra: Assassin comics, the point was that their was method to her madness.

Once Marvel Comics and Frank Miller had parted ways, Marvel decided Elektra was too hot of a property to pass up. Unfortunately, virtually nobody at Marvel seemed to know how to handle the character. In the late 90's, when Bill Jemas took over the reigns at Marvel, he decided to reinvigorate Elektra by hiring Greg Horn to do cheesecake Elektra covers on the lackluster comic series, and give lonely comic nerds a sort of fetish idol of their own.

Even more bizarre, Jemas tried to market Elektra as a sort of spokesmodel to the highest bidder. So, you know, if Guess Jeans wanted Greg Horn to paint Elektra in Guess Jeans, there she'd be. It seems as if the idea never took off.



Just to add to the bizarre-o universe which jemas was creating, Marvel had a spin-off company which would allow you to hire actors in their characters' costumes to come to your mall opening or birthday party or whatever. So, one of the characters you could invite was blood thirsty, S&M ninja Elektra. 'Cause that's always fun at your birthday party, right after you blow out the candles.

The Daredevil movie decided to capitalize upon the popularity of the Elektra storyline from the 80's Daredevil comics and included TV's only spy played by a Peep, Jennifer Garner.

The Daredevil movie, of course, managed to utilize the important plot points from the Daredevil comics while managing to drain any life from the story. Meanwhile, it managed to ham & cheese up what parts it did keep, making Elektra both unbelievalby boring and kind of a dullard.

I am pleased to see that the rest of the country also seemed to believe an Elektra spin-off film was a terrible idea (it grossed a whopping $12.5 million, comin in #5 this weekend at the box office). Funny how people aren't that interested in a story which is apparently pulled from patchwork bits of Marvel Comics' B and C list of characters.

Unfortunately, from what I hear, the Marvel movie I was looking forward to, The Fantastic Four, released it's first trailer with Elektra and is looking to be a big old stinker along the lines of Daredevil. Maybe rushing these things out wasn't the best option for anybody.

I would have loved to have seen somebody try to tackle the Elektra: Assassin story into a movie, but that's not going to happen. So, until then, I'll just hold onto my comics and enjoy them all the more.

Just popping my head up once again to prove that The League still has a pulse.

This week has been a rough one. I'm not quite done and from Monday to today, will have logged somewhere over 110 hours at the office this week. I am feeling sort of tired.

I more or less completely missed a visit by Mrs. League's folks, and am only now beginning to remember what the light of day looks like.

One of the oddest parts of what I'm up to is that, if all goes well, there won't be much to show for my work. A few pieces of hardware will be added in, but the idea is to make as seamless an environment at possible for the faculty and students using the classrooms we've been outfitting. They SHOULDN'T see the miles of wire laid, the thousands of connections, nor the place in the wall where I stood banging my head for two hours when my DVRs STILL didn't show up.

I'm not feeling terribly confident that I'll still be employed this time next month, but, hey, at least we sort of finished. Now I'm off to do the work which I SHOULD have normally been doing over the past two weeks, and try and get it done before Tuesday when classes begin.

Apocalypse Watch!

Hey, it's yet another sign of the apocalypse!


Now if the beast would just crawl forth from the sea...

btw, I did rip off the tsunami relief link from Maxwell. Consider buying a few less MP3s and see if you can't help some folks out.

Take a look at the shiny box on the left side-bar.

Hi.

Just popping in.

Lately I've been watching a lot of Suns basketball. I've given up on the idea that they will suddenly start showing Spurs games on Phoenix TV.

Lucky for me, it turns out the Phoenix Suns are having a banner year. They've got a great team put together and the best record in the Western Conference. I'm becoming a big fan of Amare and the gang. Tonight the Suns beat the highly ranked Miami Heat by 15 points.

In Austin I was able to catch Spurs games on a channel called Fox Sports Southwest. Here in Phoenix I watch the Suns on Fox Sports Network. Not a bad channel, I might add. But here's the deal...

One of the announcers has decided he needs a catch phrase. And his catch phrase of choice? "Holla!" Right. Like, "Holler!" only he's saying "Hallah!" And awkwardly, too.

I am familiar with the phrase "Holla" (thanks to Laura D.), but it's not a phrase a I use. I am still stuck "Jinkies!" and "Groovy."

Anyhoo, this commentator will be cruising along in his usual sports announcer baritone, you know: And the Spurs beat the Heat by 15. And then he decides to interject his new phrase. Sort of, just tacking it on at the end. And all I can say is "Holla!"

I don't know. it sort of leaves me feeling sort of hollow and embarassed for the guy.

or: Quentin scores again, and the audience says "Holla!"

It's making me very uncomfortable for some reason.

And jusy FYI:

It sounds like Kevin Spacey is playing Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman film. I'd love to know what the script is like, and if this is Hackman Lex (not really one from the comics), seemingly benevolent (but secretly evil) tycoon Lex, crazy green armor Lex, gray prison suit scientific mastermind Lex, or funky pink and green power-suit Lex.

Man, so many options. And even more confusing... will Lex have hair? Both Hackman and John Shea had hair as Lex... but Spacey seems like the kind of cat who wouldn't have any trouble shaving his head for a good role.

Personally, I'd love to see the green power armor, but that's just me.

And they've cast Lois. No idea who this Kate Bosworth person is, but she's Lois, I guess.

I'll be honest, I was hoping for older casting for Superman and Lois, but I assume the story will carry it all off fine.

When I hear their casting for Mxyzptlk, I'll start getting really excited.