Wednesday, April 02, 2008

bookshelves, zen, Johnny Clambake's

Hey Leaguers. Not much to report. As Steanso might say, its been an uneventful week.

Over the weekend Jamie and I began my long-dreamt-of plan to get shelving up in the hallway/ open area at the top of the stairs. The League is actually very excited about this turn of events as it means: organization. Based on evidence of my life, ages 12-18, KareBear would probably not believe I actually really, really like self-imposed organization. I like knowing exactly where things are, and setting up organizational systems. In a way, what i really wanted to do was build my own "built-in" bookshelves, but if I wanted to do that, it would take weeks, and I couldn't guarantee the shelves would be, oh... flush to the wall and all sit level. I am no carpenter.

So we've Ikea'd it. We're putting in shelves from the Billy system. The system which is going to look much better with books on it, than sitting empty.

We also sort of screwed up, and I neglected to pick up the "corner hardware" which would actually make the whole "corner" bookshelf thing work. There's also an additional, small bookshelf I think i need to make it work, but... anyway.

Tonight I intended to continue on with the great bookshelf build, but we wound up going to Austin Asian-style-food-bistro, "Zen". Which has good food, but it's claims to being "Japanese" are pretty dubious. The reality is, if the food is okay, I could care less about its authenticity or pedigree.

What struck me was how utterly unrelaxing "Zen" is as an environment. There are TV screens with 3D animations flying around, they aren't shy with the volume of music, and the art design, while interesting, is sort of aggressive. Not exactly like a stone garden.

But, again, the food is good and priced reasonably.

Speaking of reastaurants, it's been almost a year, so I thought I'd repost the Johnny Clambake's post from last year, with names removed to protect the innocent.

Johnny Clambake's 1

Johnny Clambake's 2

Johnny Clambake's 3

Johnny Clambake's 4

And Steanso's raging response to me pulling down the post.

For those of you who weren't around this time last year, the Johnny Clambake's incident was the oddest, most controversial escapade of all the escapades at League of Melbotis. Not only was I contacted at home by a business owner, some Loyal Leaguers felt my deicison to remove my post was highly questionable. Just check out the comments sections for the free-for-all that ensues.

I guess The League had strayed too far from its punk-rock roots, but hell, I was a little sensitive to unemployment issues at the time, and I stand by those crazy kids and their meatball manufacturing ways. And, hey, Johnny Clambake's has wound up making a go of it in spite of anything I thought. Bully for them.

In the end, the woner of the place extended an olive branch. Heck, a whole olive tree, but I was too tired of dealing with the issue to take him up on his offer.
Thus, we never did claim that free meal. Nor have I been back, pretty sure that I would be taken out back by guys named "Tiny" and "Chuckles" who would see how far backward my knees would bend.

Honestly, it was a pretty unhappy event for me at the time. But if you can't look back and laugh, well, hell... you shouldn't be writing inflammatory restaurant reviews or keeping a blog at all.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

DITMTLOD: Like a virus

In a single 24 hour period, two bloggers of note have picked up the banner of discussing their celebrity crushes of yesteryear.

Over at Stevengharms.com, Steven G. Harms has finally made good on his promise to produce a list of Dames in the Media he Once Dug. You can check it out here.

Steven's list in quite comprehensive, going so far as to include one entirely fictional persona. And I think he does a great job of identifying ladies of considerable interest of the 1990's, including the cartoon character.

Completely unrelated to The League, over at comic blog "Occasional Superheroine", Valerie has listed a chronological accounting of her celeb crushes. I'm fairly certain Valerie has never stumbled upon, nor read LoM, so its interesting to see the concept materialize on other blogs, especially in list format. It must be in the zeitgeist.

Somehow its more telling when you see the list rather than individual DITMTLOD, I think.

So I challenge all Leaguers to either publish your own list, or send me yours. Make it specific. Ladies of the 90's? Dudes of Glam Rock? I don't care. Send 'em in.

Comic Book Make League Cry

I know it doesn't really matter if I beg or plead with my good Leaguers... You're unlikely to pick up a comics just becasue I say so.

But if the League may recommend: All-Star Superman #10

The League is not made of stone, and every once in a while we're also particularly tired and/ or not feeling well. And in those moments, well, we confess a tear or two might creep to the edges of our otherwise manly, manly eye.

Things in comics that made me cry:

-The death of Hippolyta in Wonder Woman. Poor, poor Diana. For the love of God, comic nerds, be good to your mother. You never know when an evil space tyrant is going to take her away.

-We3. Pretty much every panel of every page of We3 had me sort of teary. It's partially due to something about how Frank Quitely draws, and partly because I'm a sucker for animal stories.

-Lois's face when she sees Superman again at the end of New Frontier. Sometimes someone actually understands Lois and Superman, and Cooke knocked it out of the park. Sadly, the movie didn't really capture the moment in quite the same way.

-Promethea. When Promethea turns to the reader and speaks to them in the penultimate issue of the series. This series was so underrated and under-appreciated in its time, its a crime. Moore truly succeeded with pushing the boundaries of reality on this one, and his collaboration with JH Williams is one of the finest examples of art and words mixing as they can only in comics that I've had the privilege to see. What Buddy Baker began with his "I can see you" business reaches a new apex.

Also, maybe one day Jamie will let me hang my two Promethea prints.

Amazing Spider-Man #36
- It's tough to imagine with a few years of separation, but in the wake of 9-11, Marvel Comics interrupted the storyline of the Spider-Man comics to tell a story devoid of cynicism, and which captured some small aspect of the tragedy of 9-11. And just as it uses the eyes of Spider-Man to capture the helplessness of the day, we also see the determination of the real heroes of 9-11 reflected in the story.

Had this story been printed now, it would seem odd, manipulative, and in questionable taste to use the very real tragedy of 9-11 as a backdrop for a tale of the wall-crawler. But at the time... And even today as the tragedy of 9-11 fades from view with the passage of time, it will be a time capsule of how we reacted in the days, weeks and months following. No doubt some readers will feel it absurd, even insulting that Marvel would have dared to tell a Spider-Man story, but that is now. This was then.

There are also stories of how quickly this comic was produced, hitting the shelves by November, 2001. Indeed, you can feel the urgency of the story, and the raw feelings of a true moment in history and how Marvel tried to come to grips with what was the only thing on everyone's mind.


Laika - Is there anything more likely to make you cry than shooting a puppy into space with no plans to bring it back? Reall, you could probably get my lower lip trembling just asking me to tell you what our Russian friends did to get something alive into space before the US of A.

This is, also, a great comic. I highly recommend.

First in Space - America's inability to treat its own non-human astronauts with John Glen-like-respect gets its own treatment in this true story of the US's first chimp in space, Ham. Suffice it to say, The League's feelings regarding poor treatment of chimps, especially when its a true story, are perhaps stronger than we care to admit.

Anyhoo...


All-Star Superman #10 managed to fall somewhere in there. And for Superman fans, Morrison and All-Star Superman have been nothing less than a gift. Each panel reflects more understanding of who Superman is and what that should mean rather than the mere caped do-gooder too many writers have fallen back on. The essence of what fans find in the character is omnipresent in each of Quitely's perfectly composed pages.


As with We3, and parts of new X-Men, Morrison and Quitely seem to have a synergy few other writer/ artist teams seem able to capture. Quitely manages to convey the quiet magic of Superman's world in a manner that seems to have been lost since the days of Curt Swan, with broad expanses necessary to contain the Man of Steel. His renderings of each character's expressions rival Kevin MacGuire for internal monologue.

The ideas and understanding of what a Superman would mean to the world, and what responsibilities that Superman would feel pervade the issue. But to tell it is to give the moments away.

Perhaps when the series is completed and collected, I can recommend the trade collection. In the meantime, you're missing out on one of the best comics on the stands. If we get a little misty when reading All-Star Superman, we hope you'll forgive us. The same thing happens whenever I watch Superman and they do that pan over the Kryptonian landscape.



The League doesn't mind shedding a few tears now and then. We're sensitive like that.

As much as I love getting a good laugh out of a Jimmy Olsen comic, every once in a while, its nice to know comics can be a powerful enough medium to involve us enough in the characters, in their worlds, to maybe do a bit more than tell another tale of fisticuffs and heat vision.

Monday, March 31, 2008

My Favorite Force for Evil: Part 1

I won't bother to get into the context of why we were talking about it, but I was asked Sunday evening: I don't think there's any question regarding your favorite hero, but who is your favorite villain?

I'm going to assume that what was meant was Comic Book Villain.

If you believe movie critics, superheroes are only as good as their villains. Now, anyone who actually reads superhero comics knows that statement is suspect, and should really read: a superhero is only as interesting as the challenge put to them. And in the movies, superheroes tend to run into their more colorful villains, usually pared down for a 2-hour action adventure, and cast with colorful actors who get to have fun with it.

Because the DCU and Marvel U are somewhat unending, and villains recur, its not the same, neat package one gets in a movie. Believe it or not, the occasional story doesn't even feature a villain (it's true!). So my criteria may be a bit different from what one sees in the movies.

It's also worth noting that superhero comics are respectively full of a multitude of villains for every hero (after all, Batman can't fight the Joker every issue, and Superman can't try to arrest Luthor every issue). Some appear once or twice, and then disappear. Others appear as an afterthought, and through the magic of re-use and popularity with fans, they can become as central to a company's entire line of comics as any superhero (ex: Lex Luthor).

So... yeah.

There are various criteria one can use for a good villain. Costume. Motivation. General characterization. Initial vision for the the villain. How that vision has expanded over the years. And some may like villains for their somehow noble nature, such as Magneto or the occasional turn by Dr. Doom.

DC is littered with great villains, and I think the past two decades have seen DC really embrace and understand how to turn a villain from a cardboard cut-out to a three-dimensional character, all on their own. In a lot of ways, Marvel has been ahead of DC in this area since their inception. But, lately... Perhaps its pop-psychology, but villains now have rich pasts, goals, etc... just like their heroic counterparts. Hell, I'm a big fan of Geoff Johns' Flash thanks to his treatment of some of DC's second-string villains.

As classic as his heroes have become, I'm also a huge fan of several of Kirby's villains (which include several Marvel staples, from Mole-Man to Galactus. From Magneto to Doom). There's vision there from Kirby, and while it may not have always shone as brightly at DC as at marvel when it came to establishing a line of villains, he did some amazing work.

At the end of the day, my favorite villain (often copied, but never equaled) is Kirby's creation, Darkseid.



You might actually remember Darkseid from the 1980's version of Superfriends, "Galactic Guardians", which took an interdimensional/ interplanetary despot and made him safe for the kids. I assure you, he's not all about trying to make Wonder Woman his ladyfriend.

Darkseid's single desire: attain The Anti-Life Equation, which, once mastered, would give Darkseid complete dominion over all life.

If that doesn't give you a pretty good challenge for your resident heroes, I don't know what will.

Already without the Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid is massively powerful, perhaps more so than Superman, with whom he has gone toe-to-toe. He's obtained the power of the Omega Force (which he stole from his brother, seemingly killing him). He poisoned his own mother to become master of the planet Apokolips. He keeps several fiefdoms of power, constantly struggling for his favor, and the citizens of his planet are known as The Hunger Dogs, and are treated as nothing more than expendable slave labor to tend the fire pits of Apokolips, which fuel his engines of destruction.

With all that going for him, Green Goblin doesn't seem like that big of a deal.



Darkseid's intervention on Earth began in, of all places, the pages of Jimmy Olsen, when Kirby took over the title in the 1970's. It was part of Kirby's four-sided storyline of the Fourth World, featuring a pantheon of celestial beings who had brought their conflict to our backyard. From shadowy figure to fully realized despot, Darkseid would repaint the landscape of the DCU and provide the villain of villains, the final threat which Earth would always have to keep in the back of its mind.

Wonder Woman and Superman are two of his least favorite Earthlings, and there's significant history with other heroes as well. This is not to mention the ongoing feud with the peaceful counterpart to Apokolips, New Genesis, where his son, Orion, was raised and turned into a weapon against Apokolips. In fact, a treaty with new Genesis (mutually beneficial, lest the two planets destroy one another), is kept intact only if Darkseid never shows outward aggression toward Earth.



Darkseid, by the way, believes that portions and/ or all of the Anti-Life Equation exists within the human genome. And he's tried to harvest many times before.

Darkseid is infrequently hands-on, and prefers to allow his various minions, from Kanto the Assassin, to Granny Goodness, do his bidding. He also has a sychophant sidekick in the malicious DeSaad, who takes pleasure in pain (Darkseid is simply unmoved by suffering). When Darkseid finally does get involved, the earth tends to shake, walls crumble, etc...

In addition to the comics and Superfriends, Darkseid has appeared in the Superman and Justice League cartoons. Rumors also circle as to whether Lucas drew some of his inspiration for Darth Vader and the Death Star from Darkseid and Apokolips. That's a judgment call, but there are certainly similarities.



What Darkseid would actually do with the Anti-Life Equation is unknown. Unlike Mongul, his cheese-colored counterpart, Darkseid is not about suffering. He's far more about control, and would likely squeeze free will from every last being within his reach.

As a "god" (little "g"), Darkseid has time on his hands, and so he's as much a schemer and planner as anything. He plays games for power with beings like Eclipso and Brainiac, and thinks little of forming alliances with Earth heroes when the occasion calls for it (Our Worlds at War).

In short, he's a big, spooky dude. Who can also atomize you with the red Omega Beams which fire from his eyes. You can't distract him to save yourself, as he is single minded about the Anti-Life Equation. You can't offer him anything he doesn't have as ruler of a planet, but the knowledge of the Anti-Life Equation and what might lie beyond the Source Wall. While not containing the flawed nobility of a Magneto, Darkseid is almost difficult to label as twisted and bent like so many other heroes. Instead, he's a single-minded force of destruction, like a force of nature in the DCU.

In many ways, of all the villains in the DCU, none has carved out their own mythology to such a degree without relying on a co-dependent relationship with a superhero to define them. That's a respect the writers and artists seem willing to give Darkseid, recognizing the place in the DC pantheon which Kirby created for him. And I've always found that more fascinating than, say... Sportsmaster.

And, yes, Thanos is interesting, but he's sort of the poor man's Darkseid.

Hope that answers your question.

I'm going to spotlight a few more villains over the next few weeks. This has been kind of fun.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

5th Anniversary of League of Melbotis

Well, holy $#!%.

The League of Melbotis turns 5 on Sunday. Our first post went out on Sunday March 30th, 2003. I had no plans for League of Melbotis at the time, short of keeping up with JimD and this Randy fellow.

In many ways, League of Melbotis has become a chronicle of my life that I never really anticipated. And while possibly originally conceived as some soapbox, its become a doorway into a community/ family of its very own in a way that on March 30th, 2003, I never would have expected.

In the past five years I've been able to find folks who dropped off my radar, have met new people, made new friends, been able to announce births, celebrate birthdays, ring in the Holidays, share our little victories, announce the arrival of our own little puppy, track our move back to Austin, tracked relationships into marriage, and, sadly, had to wish a few good people good-bye.

We've had some weird moments, like when Meco showed up in the comments section. We've had some fun contests, entirely too much about Superman, enjoyed UT's National Championship, and all kinds of stuff.


The League of Melbotis welcomes all like-minded individuals willing to use their unique abilities for the betterment of mankind.

The blog has changed, I am sure, since I left Arizona. I've changed in the past five years, too, I'd guess. I see things in older posts I miss doing. I see things I think that maybe work a little better now. It's no longer a tool to keep me attached with friends and family back home, but it now lets me keep tabs on friends and family all over the place.

And, hey, I've had an opportunity to get on my little soapbox and talk about the comics, movies, cartoons and stuff that I love, and love to hate. Thanks for being a part of that discussion.

So... Thanks again for making this worth doing. We've enjoyed it. We hope you've enjoyed it.

In the next week few weeks, I should be hitting 2500 posts. 2500. That's kind of unreal.

And God help you if you read them all.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your life. Jamie and I thank you. Mel thanks you. And Lucy and Jeff, too.

Don't forget, the party for Mel's birthday is April 19th, sometime in the afternoon after 2:00. We'd love it if you could be there. E-mail me if you need directions.

If you can't make that... April 27th, The Alamo Drafthouse at LakeCreek is showing Superman at 1:00 and 7:30. You know the League of Melbotis will be there. We're going to the 1:00 show.

Thanks to all of you once again. Here's to five more.

Superman Rights go to Siegel Family

Hey Leaguers

I am going to try to wait this one out and see what happens, but this is of no small significance to DC Comics, Warner Bros., Superman fans and the future of the Man of Steel.

As you might know, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, very young men at the time, sold the rights to National Comics for Superman for about $130. Siegel's widow and daughter have apparently successfully sued for rights to the Superman property, plus money going back to 1999 or so.

I really, really do not understand the legality of the situation. Moreover, I have no idea what control this would give to the Siegels and/ or Shusters going forward in regards to control of the property from a creative standpoint. While Siegel might have gone in a different direction with Superman, its tough to say that National and DC have not been good stewards of the character. How many other pulp/ childrens/ sci-fi properties have survived for 70 years?

Unfortunately, WB's inability to share more in the profits from Superman merchandising and licensing may mean the Siegels have some bad blood. No idea what that could mean.

For more, read Heidi's report at The Beat.

In addition, read the story as covered by the New York Times.

The Siegels have everything to gain by playing well with DC/ Warner Bros, and it would be nice if they would be comfortable with a financial deal rather than a creative deal.

I believed Shuster's heirs may have had a stake in this as well, but it seems he might not have any heirs according to this article. So stay tuned...

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Light blogging

I apologize for the light blogging. It's been a busy week.

In the meantime, I leave you to ponder

SUPERMAN: Family Man







Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Happy Birthday, Peabo

It is true. Jamie and Peabo celebrate their birthdays just a few hours apart.

I haven't seen much of Peabo this year. Between his new kid, a busy family life, church and his shady law practice, it's tough to catch up with Peabo. And its been since Halloween since I've seen the guy, but I wish him all the best on his birthday.

I didn't buy him a present or anything, but, you know... you can wish a guy a happy birthday.

I've known Peabo since our arrival in Austin in 1984. We were in the same 4th grade class, lived down the block from one another, played sports together, attended college together (with one year as roommates) and the dude was in my wedding. So there's some history there.

Anyhoo, Happy B-Day, Peabo. Hope its a good one.

A DITMTLOD special report: Sarah Jessica Parker = Not Teh Sexy?

Apparently Maxim, the magazine for guys too cowardly to justgooutandbuysomepornfortheloveofmike, has put out a list of female celebrities who are assumed to be sexy in the media, but with whom Maxim begs to differ.

They've presented a list of the 5 Unsexiest Women Alive.

There are two gut reactions to this list:

1 - Oh, those poor women.
2 - HA ha ha ha ha ha. (pause) BWAH HA HA HA HA HA.

The League believes both reactions are appropriate. It can't be fun to be Sandra Oh and to wake up one morning to find out you've been deemed one of the 5 Unsexiest Women Alive. I would say she's never really tried for sexy, but I have cable, and I once stumbled across "Dancing at the Blue Iguana". And it was not the gritty slice of life picture it was trying to be. It was so dull, I made it only long enough to see Sandra Oh in it, say something negative about Arli$$, and move on.

What is interesting is that Sarah Jessica Parker tops the list. For many a year, fans of the show "Sex in the City" have insisted that SJP was everything that a sexy, independent, urban-chic woman should be.

Others on the list are a bit more obvious.

Coming in at #5 is trainwreck Britney Spears, the subject of last night's highly disturbing episode of South Park.

#4: Madonna. Who sort of quit being sexy right after "Express Yourself", just as she was gearing up to try to chastise America for not wanting to be sexy with her, leading to her eventual move to the UK, where she morphed into a Disney villain.

#3: Sandra Oh. Poor, sad, Sandra Oh. Who is just trying to be a working actress, for chrissake.

#2: Amy Winehouse. Because a crack-smoking 20-something burning away her talent with the crystal meth and deeply in need of an intervention in public is funny-sad, and in no way sexy.

So why does SJP hit #1? She's together. She's got a career that hasn't involved becoming a public nuisance. There are plenty of other actresses who are unconventional for TV and the big screen.

All of the women on the list are generally attractive, I suppose. But that's not really what Teh Sexy means.

In many ways, we have no idea who Sarah Jessica Parker is, but we do know who Carrie Bradshaw is. And, according to the editors of Maxim, is it possible that it is not SJP, but Carrie Bradshaw that has been found wanting? Is it possible that Carrie bradshaw, and not SJP, has been deemed the least sexy woman alive?

Is it a schizm between what fans of the program feel is sexy and fun versus what frat boys who can't work up the courage to buy real porn find sexy? Does SJP not fit within the mold of the typical Maxim girl? (20, in her underwear, and apparently just come in from out of the rain?) No doubt that's part of the case.

To some extent, sure... the women on the list don't really meet the imaginary standards of the girls in Maxim. Young, somewhat coltish and seemingly available to the kind of guy who might pick up Maxim, anyway. And different kinds of guys like different kinds of girls. I don't think Tina Fey would show up for a Maxim photoshoot.

I have gone on record, stating that I understand that Nicole Kidman is supposed to be gorgeous, but I have yet to find a dude who considers her a Dame in the Media they Might Dig. I see the high cheek bones, the huge eyes, the perfect skin... but what is there to hang onto? Perhaps a different case from Sarah Jessica Parker, who is a bit less conventional, but it is an example of someone that the Entertainment Tonight's and TMZ's of the world would insist that we all must be ga-ga over. But are we? Who made that decision?

Is it a case of what I shall call "The Julia Roberts Effect"? Where the press insists that we all find someone fascinating and beautiful, when, really... meh. That might be what women relate to, or even aspire to, but...

But, mostly, I sort of think Sex in the City, despite the promise of the name of the show, was a major turn-off.


Not Teh Sexy?

Fans of Sex in the City love Carrie Bradshaw because she wears cute outfits that are not office appropriate. She gets in daffy, messy romantic entanglements with sensitive guys who want to work things out. When they don't work out, she learns a little life lesson and/ or is able to re-assert the fabulousness that the show promises regarding her lifestyle. She has a big apartment in Manhattan and great shoes and seems to afford the cost of it all by writing one column a week where she talks about the thing she knows and loves best: herself. She has friends who she doesn't work with who can always make it for lunch, and nobody minds that they all get wrapped up in each other's very personal business (nor do the boyfriends seem to mind that every intimate detail is openly discussed). She goes out every night of the week. Through countless sexual and romantic entanglements in the show's run, nobody was ever really hurt. Nobody ever seemed to actually react in the kind of crazy ways people do when real entanglements come to an end. And, anyone who has seen as few episodes as I've seen would still know that at the end of the day Mr. Big was there as the safety net, the safe guy who would always be there when our heroine got done sowing her oats and decided she wanted for someone else to pay for her expensive shoes.

And they call superhero comics an escapist, adolescent fantasy...

To the point, what is attractive to any guy about Carrie Bradshaw?

Do you find someone sexy who is going to describe your romantic entanglements in a weekly column? Or who has a back-up plan in a rich, good looking guy who rides around in limos?

I don't think this is a question of gender inequality in programming. Could a show with the same basic premise, starring four men, have made it on the air with a title called "Sex in the City"? And if it did, it certainly wouldn't be heralded as empowering and glimpse into the world of urban sophisticate. Quite the contrary, I'd guess.

What little online reaction I've read seems to be women surprised to hear that men do not love SJP/ Carrie Bradshaw the way her fans do. They've pointed to SJP's inner beauty, the fact that maybe she is pretty, but not so pretty that she clearly wouldn't hang out with you... But most of what they're praising is not actually Sarah Jessica Parker, it's Carrie Bradshaw, plus the costuming department for her show.

Returning to "The Julia Roberts Effect"... Maybe this is sort of the same thing as when guys are baffled that women might not find their action hero of choice, the one they'd like to be like, to be the perfect male specimen. For example, I do not think Jamie wants for me to be:
-Jet Li from "Fist of Legend"
-Ash from "Army of Darkness"
-Clint Eastwood from "The Outlaw Josey Wales"
-Kareem Abdul Jabbar
-George Reeves.
But I think she'd appreciate it if I were more like Harrison Ford circa 1980 or so.

For the record, I think SJP is reasonably attractive. And I certainly believe Teh Sexy doesn't come in a certain Maxim-approved package. I'm not sure if my DITMTLOD columns have always reflected that belief, but there you are.

No matter how much SJP's defenders may wish it to be true:

-shoes are almost never that exciting to guys
-it takes a sepcial kind of guy to want to have his physical and personal shortcomings detailed in a weekly column. One that his folks could read.
-Making a career out of whining about your seemingly endless string of failed personal relationships when you're pushing 40 is in no way cool.
-(In fact, a little self reflection that isn't taking place in a weekly column might be good)
-Guys do not care what designer you are wearing. Consider how many guys you've ever heard of who watch the Oscars "just to see the dresses"
-that tutu? Kind of stupid.

I am not sure this was helpful.

Discuss.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Happy Birthday to Jamie


If Superman had known it was going to be this kind of party, well...

Hey, Leaguers!

March 25th is Jamie's birthday. This, of course, means the world to us at League of Melbotis. 33 times around El Sol is no small thing to salute.

I am afraid I have not done everything I could this year to make sure Jamie has the birthday she deserves. There will be no cake until the weekend. No balloons tomorrow. No dancing clown surprising her mid-day. It seems this year that the birthday may have gotten away from me.

So, I'm sorry, Pumpkin. Let's see what we can't do to make your birthday a good one over the weekend.

I have an anniversary coming up at the end of next month, so I'm going to refrain from putting feelings into words and whatnot for the time being.

Happy Birthday. I love you.


Batman hopes your birthday is 'da bomb!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter/ birthdays/ tomfoolery

Friday my folks came into Austin. They were supposed to be going to the design center for the hourse they're going to build in Steiner Ranch (a planned commnity/ suburban enclave off 620, sort of out by The Oasis). Apparently that didn't happen. I'm not really clear on the whole story.

I was wrapping up another week at the office, but managed to wrap up before 6:00, so I could join the family, plus Heather, plus the Neely family at Fado's, down off 4th. The area is much changed in the past few years. What was once a fine but not terribly upscale area has become a somewhat silly and cost-prohibitive area. For God's sake, there's a bar which may or may not have sharks living under the dance floor.

Austin is a changing town. Unfortunately, sometimes it seems like its changing to favor those with more money than brains. Yes, I am passing judgment.

Saturday we took the dogs to the park with Mom and Dad. Cousin Susan showed up with her dog, Pierre. Pierre is a tiny corgi, who most recently was saluted for his alerting Susan to an unwanted visitor of the rodent variety.

Saturday night we met up at Fonda San Miguel. I think we were all pretty impressed. I know I enjoyed my dinner and cocktails.

Today we went to church, then to lunch. In the afternoon, Jamie and I went to see "The Bank Job". The "Bank Job" is not a great movie. It is a better movie than i was expecting. The first quarter is pretty much what you'd expect: The Asphalt Jungle by way of Guy Ritchie. It's supposedly a true story, and if it is, its kind of exciting. If its not... well, it still makes for an interesting crime drama. Especially as the story is very wrapped up in concerns Americans might not have dreamt up (or handled differently) the movie is a bit off-kilter from what I expected.

Also, aside from the fact that it was identified as 1971 or so, the movie apparently didn't really have the budget to actually appear as if it took place in 1971. Especially with star Jason Stratham looking as if he walked off another cars & kung-fu epic.

I also don't understand why, when I got to the Westgate theater, all of the trailers are for post-J-Horror low budget slasher or horror flicks. There's nothing particularly horrific about The Bank Job, but it seemed that before the movie, that was all they advertised. including the almost ubiquitous trailer for The Ruins. Which people say is a good book, but... this looks like a typical horror movie, most likely fetauring gruesome deaths and the virginal heroine being the only one to escape at the end. Am I close? Who knows... I will most likely never see the movie.

The winner for best movie title of 2008 will have to go to "Midnight Meat Train". I don't know what its about. A guy killing people on the subway, I think, but the trailer was dark, loud and intended to scare me. But it sort of made me feel, instead, like I was sitting there with the sort of anticipation one feels when you're 8 and you and your friend agree to hit one another in the face, just to know what it feels like. And you already hit your friend, and it looked, just, really awful. So now you're sitting there with your eyes shut, waiting for him to pop you one... It's not a real sense of dread. It's a sense of the antiicpation of meaningless violence. And if I ever thought that was okay, old age and weariness with the torture-porn genre has made me numb to the whole thing. Even if they did stunt-cast Brooke Shields.

But, really, I am not sure you can beat that title.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Arden loves a good narwhal

If you're planning on watching some good TV in, oh, 2030 or so, I suggest you prepare yourself for the future endeavors of young Dr. Arden Hermann-Wilmarth.

Arden, you see, is a fan of all things sciency. And especially things which live below the waves.

So, yeah... I think you can expect our apple-cheeked science-nut here to soon be the next Jacque Cousteau. Look forward to his sea-faring adventures, just as soon as he finishes grad school.



This shirt is, by the way, made by Jill's mom. Which is pretty cool. Way to go, Hope!

Yes, Virginia... There is a GI Joe Movie



and here is Snake Eyes.

They got the tattoo right. Only it's on the inside of his right forearm, not on the shoulder of his ninja suit.

Discuss.


thanks to Nicole, who has grown to know me well

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Skills

I highly suggest reviewing this video. yeah, it's one of those optical illusion tests, but you know The League wouldn't post it unless it wasn't worth your time.

It helps to have audio, I might add.




Thanks to Jim for the link.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Firstly, I need to apologize to Simon. I have as of yet to send off the DVD. There are reasons, but they are largely excuses. I will take care of that post haste.

I have also been at work a lot. It's a new job, and I am still getting my head around a large organization with a lot of moving parts. My schedule has changed a bit, we've had daylight savings time, Jason's birthday, etc... and outside of seeing Doomsday, I haven't had a lot going on that usually sparks a blog post.

I was going to do a post about the weirdness of using the term "adult" to describe porn. But I sort of thought it sounded bloated, and I couldn't decide what my point was after a paragraph or two.

Honestly, I still haven't read my comics almost at all in two weeks. TWO WEEKS. I read Superman, Wonder Woman and Countdown. But that's about it. With my folks coming in this weekend, I suppose it will be a few more days.

So, I dunno. That's kind of where we're at. I suspect once my feet are under me at this new job, I will be back to the usual sort of nonsense on a regular basis.

Concert I wish I'd attended

Well, pretty clearly this is the best thing I've ever seen.



For an explanation, read here.

Thanks to Jeff Shoemaker for the link!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Melapalooza: April 19th, 2008

Mel's 10th birthday is April 22nd, 2008. However, we're celebrating on April 19th, 2008. And you (yes, you, Steven) are invited (also, others).


It's my birthday, ya'll

Doug and Kristen will be in town for the festivities, and Doug has promised that he will demonstrate his famous "Fire and Sword Swallowing Act". Blindfolded. While Kristen throws knives at him.

I am on strike as far as the BBQing goes. It always winds up that I spend the whole time over the grill, worried that I am charring someone's burger or hotdog. This year we'll figure something else out. Or I'll cook on our new grill pan.

There will be Wii, soda and a cake for Mel. This year, its all about Mr. Puppy Pants turning the big One-Oh.

More announcements soon.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Stolen from r.amblin.gs



more from r.amblin.gs here


Cover to the upcoming issue of Superman (I believe issue 677). Art by Alex Ross.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Happy Birthday to Jason

On Monday Jason turns the big 35.

It seems like just yesterday he was turning 16 and bought that @#$%ing Camaro.

Anyhow, he's my brother, and despite all evidence to the contrary, he's a great guy. I'm lucky enough to have a brother who is, really, one of my two best friends and who I can count on. Anyhow, I think the world of that guy.

So happy 35th, Jason. But I still don't forgive you for breaking the wing off my X-Wing in 1983.

And that soccer ball? I'm GLAD I lost it. Bwah ha ha ha ha ha.

The League sees DOOMSDAY (so you don't have to)

Holy @#$%.

Remember when you'd go to the movies and enjoy them? After seeing Doomsday, that all seems like a distant memory, as if a glimpse of a long-forgotten dream.

This is not to say that I did not enjoy watching Doomsday. I enjoyed the act of viewing Doomsday if I did not enjoy the movie itself.

Telling you Doomsday was awful may not come as a surprise. But to me, the depths of the awfulness... well, really Doomsday knew no bounds (nor shame) when it came to awfulness. Honestly, there was a minute there when I thought "oh, they're kidding. This is intentionally bad!" But, yeah... no.

Of late, it seems that many-a-sci-fi movie is but a deliberate, derivative knock off of a movie you've already seen (ie: Eragon = Star Wars). But Doomsday takes it one step farther by offering up a smorgasbord of stuff you've seen before in movies you kind of liked. The opening sort of lifts from any of a number of movies where a crowd is trying to escape an epidemic but is stopped by the military (most recently seen in I Am Legend). This is followed by some awkward expository scenes which kind of lift from the expository scenes from "Escape From New York". This is followed by a direct rip-off of scenes from "Aliens" (I mean, right down to the sort of vehicle being used), a minute or so of "Blackhawk Down", then into "Mad Max/ Beyond Thunderdome", which launches into a quick lift from... well, it's all stuff you've seen before. And when I say you've seen it before, I mean right down to editing, lighting, look and feel. It's... weird.



Also, star Rhona Mitra looks almost exactly like Kate Beckinsale. With hair and outfit styled after "Ghost in the Shell". Don't get me wrong, she's a good looking dame and all, but...

The dialog sounds like, maybe, it could have used an extra pair of eyes before the cameras rolled. However Director Neil Marshall is also, presumably, writer Neil Marshall. And, hence, nobody got between Mr. Marshall and Mr. Marshall when it came time to second guess uncreative and frequent use of the F-bomb, as well as the clunkiest exposition this side of "Monster A-Go-Go". Also, nobody seems to have told Mr. Marshall that showing every death (and method of death, of which the movie has innumerable and creative options) need not be shown in an extreme close-up. Sometimes cannibalism is also best suggested or mentioned to be something shown off-screen.

And I don't know how many of you have seen "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace", but the writing in the two has a lot (unintentionally) in common.

And, yes, I guessed they were about to eat someone by the odd use of the appearance of a Fine Young Cannibals' song. Really, this is that kind of movie. And then for some reason, they used Siouxsie's "Spellbound". Really the only pop music in the movie.

For a movie that includes car chases, knights in armor, gladiatorial combat, punk rock cannibals, plague zombies, a herd of cattle, a car chase and stuff I suppose I'm forgetting, its also kind of dull. Partially because after the initial exposition, the characters don't really talk to one another much, and a lot of stuff occurs, but not a lot happens.

Also, everything vaguely sciency that happens in the movie is wrong. A Bentley turns over after sitting in a box untouched after 20 years. The understanding of viruses is... hazy at best. And more!

There IS a plot, which is sort of messed up and ridiculous if you buy that a wall could be built in about 48 hours which would bi-sect the UK. Also, the issues between the UK and Scotland sort of run as a nasty undercurrent through the movie, making some not very flattering assumptions about what would happen in Scotland if push came to shove.

The truth is, I love me a bad movie. And this movie fits that bill on so, so many levels. We found ourselves throwing high-fives every once in a while when we were really, really feeling it.

I really don't know if movie directors/ producers are really that mercenary that they don't care if we already know this movie, and are willing to blatantly rip-off material wholesale and put it under a different label. I don't know if they THINK they're trying, or if they just have not a clue that they ARE ripping things off, or if they don't realize it, or what... There's certainly a certain video-gameness to the movie, if a video game were dreamed up by a hyperactive 8th grader. There's no payoff between our hero and a Big Boss, and, honestly, it could have used it for the trajectory of the movie. Honestly, almost nothing about the end of the movie makes sense, including an incriminating speech by one of the characters.

But, anyway, I've warned you. You're on your own from here. But, God bless it... Doomsday is here to tell us that the B movie is alive and well. And I don't mean how movies that used to be B movies are now, really, not B- movies but sheepishly claim to be so in order to bullet-proof themselves from critics who blanch at movies with superheroes, etc...

Dammit, I mean the cheap, lousy B movie with an iffy plot, clunky dialog, exploitative use of violence, ladies, car chases and shoddy science in the science fiction. You, B-Movie, are the real spirit of the silver screen.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Stand by your man...?

League pal and houseguest, Nicole and I wound up discussing the Elliot Spitzer debacle in the New York governor's offices over the past two nights or so. Like most, neither of us are surprised that a powerful official was spending inordinate amounts of money on hookers (I am trying to imagine a scenario in which someone would pay $4000 for an evening with The League, and, ya'll... I find myself feeling inadequate).

We've also become familiar with the wife of said scandalized officials coming to the pdoium to stand by their man in their hour of shame. To some extent, we're all familiar with the script.

  • Official is exposed.
  • Official sort of denies it.
  • Official realizes they are totally busted.
  • Official calls press conference where they state how they let down their representative region, the public trust, their God, their families, and, of course, themselves.
  • The wife stands dutifully beside the husband looking as if they haven't slept in four days, and the press restrains themselves from asking the question we're all wondering "So... we all know you're not going to leave him. Why not?"


  • What Nicole pointed out is that these spouses always/ often dress in a sensible Chanel suit. In some cases, virtually identical Chanel suits.

    Above: Ex-New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey and wife Dina. Below: Eliot Spitzer and Silda Spitzer


    A little weird, no?

    Husband looking serious in dark, somber suit? Wife in sensible, cheery looking suit like one might wear to a fund raiser, but not necessarily to work. Plus the pearls, as Nicole mentioned. You must have the pearls. Heck, Hillary Clinton's been wearing them out of habit on and off for years.

    How many other grown women do you see wearing pearls? Who aren't visiting church from the old folks' home?

    I imagine it's part of the script for the political handlers trying to manage the catastrophe.

    Step 1) Must obtain suit. Nothing too flashy, but must exude class and confidence. And money. Money is good. But not too much money.
    Step 2) Wife should look reserved, and to remind the press the spouse is a mother, have her add pearls.
    Step 3) Get the funeral suit out for the deposed politician. He can look stately and somewhat dignified in deep navy jacket and power tie as he fesses up to a weakness for $4000 hookers, young male interns, what have you...

    Honestly, I have no evidence to suggest this, but I kind of suspect most people feel the same about the private lives of elected officials as they do about celebrities. The quarterly outing of some politician for sex/drugs/murder/what-have-you and the circus that follows is usually forgotten in a month or two, and business proceeds as usual. It isn't going to affect your taxes, so... really...

    Personally, I sort of assume that powerful people with yes-men surrounding them forget that they're doing something they shouldn't when they take a few liberties with their personal lives.

    Far more mysterious to me (and to Nicole, in our discussion) are the wives who stand beside their husbands. I suppose there's political pressure to do so from handlers making suggestions when it seems your world is sort of being sucked into a deep, black well. There can be light at the end of the tunnel. Hillary put up with that business all the time, and, hey, look, that turned out pretty well for her...

    After all, at some point, you're hitching yourself to someone else's wagon when you fall in with a politician, etc... You're making that conscious decision to go along for the ride, and enjoy the fruits of what sitting in the Governor's mansion might bring you. So perhaps there's the unenviable task of having to also stand by the guy's side when the moron philanderer gets taken down.

    These wives can't be completely oblivious to the stereotypes of the politician running around with other women. I suppose you trust your spouse and all, but...
    Sometimes I wonder if the strain is coming from shock or if its coming from the many, many times the wives looked the other way and now its all coming out, and nobody ends up looking great.

    At least you'll get a sort of Jackie-O looking dress out of it, perhaps purchased by the party (a small price to pay if things go okay, right?).

    Perhaps in coming years as more women enter the political arena there's going to be husbands in pearls and a sensible suit from Chanel standing distraught beside their wives as the wives fess up to their "relationship" with some gigolo. Honestly, I can't wait for that day. On that day I'll know that the sexes have found true, disappointing equality.

    NASA assists in development of SkyNet

    Why not just paint a big, red target on humanity and put a countdown clock on every desktop?

    Here.

    Of course, as I often say, I welcome our coming robot masters.

    Wednesday, March 12, 2008

    Taking the night off

    I'm not sure what's up with my comments. They don't seem to be working on last night's Looney Tunes-centric post.

    Apparently Mary Ann was busted for weed. Little Bruce Wayne is out of print. Chronological Snobbery never updates. Or CBGblog. At least Jilly published.

    Also... I'm more than a week behind on comics, Lucy has gas, and I want to check out these pictures of Spitzer's hooker ($4000? Seriously? It seems getting a mistress would be more frugal and more legal).

    Ya'll discuss amongst yourselves.

    Tuesday, March 11, 2008

    Whatever Happened to Bugs Bunny?

    Do kids today have a concept of Bugs Bunny?

    I ask because, honestly, I don't know. I don't have kids. Several of you Leaguers do, in fact, have the small humans.


    Missing

    A quick glance up and down the TV dial suggests Bugs not only lacks the exposure he once enjoyed, but that, really, he's not on TV at all. The once-ubiquitous trumpets (under the mad direction of Carl Stalling) declaring that it was time for another appearance of Merrie Melodies have been silenced. The concentric circles greeting you with a leisurely looking Bugs munching on a carrot have gone dark. Both have been replaced by 15 years of Power Rangers, 10 years of Pokemon and the decimation of the Saturday morning cartoon block in the wake of the removal of cereal advertisments for children. Not to mention the insertion of "safe" cartoons. Kids now get Rugrats, Dora, Blues Clues and other characters who tend not to shove dynamite down one another's trousers and who always learn a little lesson.


    Aren't monsters in-ter-esting?

    Because Bugs was on each afternoon and on Saturday mornings, I was in high school before I quit taking Looney Tunes for granted and I realized how much I was a fan. Perhaps it was when Tiny Toons tried to emulate the old Bugs cartoons and came up short in pacing, in witticism, what have you... that I began to appreciate the madcap magic of I. Freleng, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones and others brought to their long-eared alter-ego.

    Really... looking back... I think I based my entire relationship with The Admiral from 1988-2000 somewhere along the lines of the typical Bugs and Yosemite Sam cartoon.




    Me, the Admiral and the Admiral trying to get me to do chores. Circa 1990.

    Mickey Mouse pre-dated Bugs, showing up in 1928, but quickly dropped the wise-guy routine to play straight-man to his friends Donald, Goofy and Pluto. Mickey was your pal, and the rest got to to go off the rails a bit. Bugs, though, never decided to play it straight. He was our secret, private vengeance at the frustrations of dealing with life's insurmountable obstacles.

    Also, Bugs taught us the value of the big kiss and hasty retreat. Which actually works pretty well if you can get out of the room in time.

    Bugs remained somewhat vain, raised the stakes in any confrontation to absurd and unnecessary levels, and liked to honk out a tune despite the fact he was a bit tone deaf. Also, he had little sense of direction (he SHOULD have taken that left turn at Albuquerque). What wasn't to like, or even to identify with? Under the direction of I. Freleng he was hysterical. Under Chuck Jones... cartoons were never funnier.


    Oh, yes. This one.

    In the 80's, parents groups decided that Bugs, Wile E. Coyote and Foghorn Leghorn were antisocial and dangerous to kids. It was determined that we kids might take a cue from the cartoon animals on the screen and attempt to drop an anvil on someone. Or stick our fingers in the nozzle of a shotgun to watch the barrel explode in a hunter's face. Or, worse yet, give a manicure to a giant, orange-haired monster in tennis shoes.

    I don't know.

    The argument did not make sense to me when I was 8. It has become no more clear in the ensuing decades.

    In the end, I suspect corporate conservatism ended up doing what the parents groups couldn't pull off. With Warner Bros. maintaining a legal stranglehold on the rights to Bugs and Co., the profits from cartoons as toy commercials became all the more appealing. Rainbow Bright was a 22 minute advertisement for a line of toys, as was GI Joe and Transformers. Bugs could maybe move a few stuffed animals, but... you couldn't move a Bugs Bunny fleet of spaceships.

    Add in WB wanting to make Bugs a vanilla mascot instead of the chaotic trickster he'd once been, and what good did it do WB to remind people that Bugs was usually a stinker?



    Your reminder that Chuck Jones is a god

    It is curious with two separate cable channels dedicated to cartoons and owned by Bugs' corporate proprietor that Bugs seems to get so little exposure. Short of the two feature films, both of questionable merit (Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action), Bugs has recently seemed more like a corporate schill. One wouldn't bat an eye to see the same rabbit who formerly was seen outrunning Hazel the Witch now acting as a pitchman for cell phones.

    Seeking to capitalize on the taste for action-adventure cartoons, WB attempted a sci-fi action adventure program with their Looney Tunes stars, Loonatics Unleashed. At least Paul Dini's "Duck Dodgers" revival was pretty funny.

    It's odd enough that WB seems unable to broadcast the decades' worth of Bugs cartoons. But the odder still that attempts to revive Bugs seem to fail. Perhaps its the shift in American animation from all-ages comedy to bloated features where celebrity voices are the only draw, or the fact that what animation does appear from domestic animation must be sanitized for the most nervous of parents groups, FCC overseers and WB standards and practices execs. Perhaps there was something to the old factory system of the WB cartoons.

    Or maybe the gifted and hilarious animators have moved on to their own projects, from "Foster's Home" to "Venture Bros.". After all, trying to convince the WB that they should use their corporate mascot to shove dynamite down a pirate's trousers probably seems like a professional dead end.



    Bugs' expression when working on Elmer in the chair just kills me



    In his own way, Bugs is the reminder that the little guy can always stick up for himself. That sometimes, in the face of imminent doom, a little zany chaos never hurt anybody. And it doesn't hurt to be smarter and one step ahead of the people trying to cook you up for their Sunday dinner.

    No doubt the cartoons kids are getting today are teaching them important lessons about self-esteem and the virtues of team work. And maybe Bugs' lessons on how to live a life free of constraint by way of cross-dressing and explosives isn't the message folks want their kids to pick up. I don't know. But I do know those cartoons aren't funny. Not remotely. I don't hear peels of laughter from Dora teaching kids the Spanish word for "mountain".


    Super Rabbit!

    A quick glance at IMDb suggests that Bugs is still working, but I'm not really sure if I've heard of any of these projects (aside from the cameo in the JL: New Frontier movie). If anyone knows where I can see any of these new projects, let me know. In the meantime, I need to start picking up more of the Looney Tunes Golden collections on DVD.

    I'm not sure what you people with kids do to ensure that they're getting the best of the best in their television viewing diets. I understand the gut desire to follow the parents' guide to nurturing healthy kids with non-offensive, focus group approved entertainment. And, hey... he was never really meant for little kids, anyway. Watcha few clips and see if you can't appreciate these cartoons all the more as an adult.

    Where are ya, Bugs? Some of us still love ya!

    RIP Dave Stevens

    I've just seen a report that Rocketeer creator, Dave Stevens, has passed after a long battle with leukemia.



    Most people will know Stevens through the movie adaptation of his creation, The Rocketeer, rather than through his phenomenal artwork. Unfortunately, its been a while since The Rocketeer has seen print.

    A few months ago I picked up The Rocketeer on DVD, and wondered why I didn't own any of the comics. I noticed Stevens' website didn't seem as if it was receiving maintenance. But it was a nice reminder of the quality of Stevens' good girl art and realistic, if romantic, style of rendering. Unfortunately, it provided no clues as to further printings of The Rocketeer, nor did it suggest anything about his Stevens' health. In short, I had assumed Stevens had moved on in the art world, and was not aware of any health issues.

    It would be a nice move for Image or Darkhorse to ensure that Stevens' work saw print again in order to preserve his memory and legacy.

    Monday, March 10, 2008

    New Frontier Contest-o-rama!

    Hey, Leaguers!

    The contest for winning a copy of the DCU Animated Movie "Justice League: New Frontier" has drawn to a close.

    I appreciate everyone who entered, except for Jason, who chose to go middle-school on me. Also, he is wrong.




    Jamie - Martian Manhunter
    This may surprise you as I have never before disclosed this information, but my favorite Justice Leaguer is Martian Manhunter. The guy has some awesome powers comparable to Superman, yet I believe he is underrated. His plight as an outsider, too, is compelling and sympathetic.

    JAL - Green Lantern
    Member of the JLA I'd most like to be, and thus, my favorite: Green Lantern, badass costume and not a jerk, as far as I know. One accomplished dude before his superpowers, so he doesn't have some inferiority complex when it comes to Superman, again, as far as I know.

    Bunny Box - Batman
    my baby loves Batman cos he's intelligent, fit and a natural leader of the group. Plus, he's just a normal human being with lots of cool gadget. All that makes him try to improve himself daily.

    Jason - Batman
    My name is Jason Steans, and Batman is my favorite Leaguer, mostly because he's not wimpy and gay like Superman.

    Michael - Flash
    I'm never too proud to sign up for a free giveaway. Put my name in batman's cowl when March 7th rolls around.

    As to my favorite league member... That is difficult, but as to the core members I must go with Flash.

    Flash embodies what I like in a superhero. Carefree, powerful, nimble, capable and clever. Consider my Marvel favorites, Nightcrawler and Longshot, and it becomes clear that I like the guy who knows how to laugh, the conscience of the group, the one who has to remind everyone that, yes, we must stop Darkseid, but let us get to video games afterward.

    simon macdonald - Batman
    My favorite Leaguer has to be Batman. Anytime you face global threats with bat-a-rangs, intellect and peak condition as your only super powers, you're all right by me.

    theresa n. - Batman
    Batman is my favorite too. I even named my cat after him "Batman".

    Edit update: The League makes a mistake
    I forgot to include RHPT's entry.


    RHPT - Booster Gold
    My favorite Justice Leaguer is Booster Gold (does he count?). I like him because, if I had the power to travel back in time, I would use it to profit - and certainly not fight evil. Plus, he's got a robot sidekick.

    And time travel is cool.

    RHPT will receive a special bonus prize as he was overlooked when I made my entries for the drawing.





    THE WINNER!!!


    I literally put the names in my cowboy hat and stirred them around.

    and I am proud to announce that the winner is...
    Simon Mac Donald!

    Simon, you can claim your prize either by booking a flight to Austin and swinging by my house, or...

    Look over there on the left and click where it says "View my complete profile".
    And then look under the Contact section where it says "Email".

    Send me your e-mail and where you'd like the DVD sent.

    Sunday, March 09, 2008

    New Frontier: One Last Chance

    We were so busy over the weekend, I more or less forgot about the New Frontier DVD contest. My amnesia is your opportunity.

    If you'd like to submit an entry to the DVD give away for "Justice League: New Frontier", try to submit an entry before 7:00PM CST, March 10th. I'll be coming up with my random drawing technique this evening and making an announcement ASAP.

    In order to submit and entry, contact me via e-mail or comments section. If you want to double your chances, let me know the identity of your favorite Justice Leaguer, along with a sentence or two as to why.

    It doesn't need to be fancy.

    League weekend

    Hey ya'll

    This weekend was surprisingly busy. And it doesn't look like things are going to slow down any time soon.

    Friday night we went to Juan "Beta Juan" Garcia's birthday get-to-together at the Flying Saucer. Basically like a less-dark Gingerman, and apparently part of a chain, it's located in the nuevo-hipster locale of the Triangle, just north of 45th street on Lamar (just before Austin Books).

    Saturday we jumped out of bed and straightened some for the somewhat surprise arrival of Doug. Wednesday or so Doug decided to come to town, so... come to town he did. Saturday we hung out with Doug, went to Rudy's BBQ, and then I gave in to my allergy attack and passed out for an hour or so.

    Saturday night was Mandy's Fiesta. Honestly, I was expecting decent food, but the food was really, really good. Add in seeing all kinds of folks, from Kraber to JenShaw, and it was a nice night.

    I don't know if you guys are familiar with RiffTrax, but it's a web project by the former MST3K guys. Anyhow, Doug and some of his friends had submitted to part of a fan-competition to submit jokes for 1997's "Batman and Robin". Which is, maybe, the worst movie ever. It's... Anyway, Doug & Pals gota few jokes in. And while I enjoyed watching what of the movie I caught with he and Jamie... man... that's just not a good movie.

    Today we got up, fed Doug, took him to the airport, and Jamie got pulled over by a cop. Of course, cops look at Jamie and refuse to actually ever ticket her lest she burst into tears. And NOBODY wants Jamie to cry. So, Jamie once again got a warning.

    That's not really fair. Jamie rarely gets pulled over, and today was kind of a fluke. But, again, she never gets a ticket.

    This evening Leaguer Nathan C. is in town for SXSW, so he's staying at our house for two nights. Its great to see him again.

    Anyhow, I'm tired and am off to bed.

    Thursday, March 06, 2008

    Howdy, AC!

    So yesterday after work I hit my local comic shoppe, Funny Papers. I have a fairly standard routine when I go down there.

    Park outside in 15 minute parking
    Run in
    Walk past the Marvel comics to see comics marked "New this week" for anything interesting
    Same for DC
    Get my comics from behind teh desk where they've been "pulled" for me for the week
    Check against the new comics of the week to see if I missed anything
    Check the Virgin Comics and Indie comics for possibilities
    Check out

    Yesterday, however, they had a discount table set up. Apparently they're clearing inventory of overstocked items, items that never moved, etc... And it was 99% stuff I'd already decided against at some other point in my life.

    I was rifling through the discount pile when a gentleman addressed me and said "You're that Melbotis guy."
    Indeed.

    Anyhow, it turns out he's a bit of a lurker on the site (though he was one of the folks who checked in on my "Say Howdy" reader inventory post). AC seemed like a nice guy, but, honestly, I was so baffled by being recognized from the site that I was possibly not as conversational as I might otheerwise have been. So, apologies, AC.

    He recognized me, btw, from the photo at the Olive Garden. A was not, however, making that same face when looking at the comics. I think.

    I've only had a single instance before of being recognized from the Blog, and that was Austin Books shopkeep Brad Bankston knowing me by the pile of 70's era Superman comics I was buying at their back issue bananza this summer. But we'd also exchanged a few e-mails on a topic, and he'd had reason to swing by LoM, if you recall.

    The internet is a funny thing. It seems that the ripple effects of keeping up the blog continue to surprise me. After all, its how I've met many of the readers, and kept up with many folks with whom I don't chat as often as I'd like. It's led, indirectly, to employment for one Leaguer. It's meant trips to the BMT, stacks of comics from folk's old collections.

    Sitemeter is great, and so is Google Analytics. But I've always appreciated the conversations that pop up in the comments, the e-mails, and feeling of our own little clubhouse we've managed to build, first and foremost. You might recall that I used to put up a monthly free-form comments section. That was mostly to give readers a sandbox. I've thought about doing it again since, but... you know, I'm not sure what I'd do. And I wouldn't want to have to police it. So there you are.

    So, thanks, ya'll. It's no fun to post just for myself.

    And thanks, AC, for saying "howdy" when you caught me at the discount table, wondering why they had so many copies of Marvel's "Bring on the Bad Guys" collection from about a decade ago. I hope we'll be able to run into each other again.

    And don't be a stranger. Feel free to drop in and comment any time. We'll be expecting you at the LudiChristmas 2008 Party.

    Say Howdy

    hey Leaguers and non-Leaguers alike!

    I'm looking to see who the heck is still reading. If you pop by the site over the next few days, please leave a comment, even anonymously.

    Thanks,

    The Mgmt. (The League)

    Watchmen: Now younger and sexier!

    Here's a link to the official Watchmen movie site.

    Pretty clearly, the producers and director decided that audiences were not going to come out for a middle-aged, paunchy Night-Owl, or a past-her-prime Silk Spectre.

    Which kind of leaves me scratching my head. I'm not really sure what to make of the pics from this site, but if Ozymandias isn't old enough to ponder his legacy, then what's the point, really?

    Yes, younger heroes will bring in the kiddies, but that was never really the point of Watchmen, was it? I am increasingly skeptical. V for Vendetta looked right, too, but missed the mark. And, perhaps because it came so close and then missed, it was all the more disappointing. Watchmen looks like more of the same.

    Tuesday, March 04, 2008

    Chabon on Superhero costumes

    If you haven't ever read any Michael Chabon, I suggest it for some interesting summer reading. In particular, I suggest pairing "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" with a book NOT by Chabon, Men of Tomorrow, Gerard Jones's look at the growth of the superhero comic. And a cautionary tale which many/ most comic creators don't ever learn to take to heart.

    But that's for another day. Today, for some light reading, I suggest Chabon's article in The New Yorker.

    Chabon on Superhero costumes.

    RIP Gary Gygax

    At first I was merely horrified when Jason chose to out me as a former RPG'er. And, no, kids... RPG did not always mean "World of Warcraft". At one point, it meant cloistering yourself with neighborhood kids, a set of books, a pile of dice, and a Dungeon Master's screen.

    Then I found out Gary Gygax died, and, you know... I would not have hesitated to tell Mr. Gygax all about my former RPGing, no matter what crowd I was in. And so today I salute Mr. Gygax and his creation, Dungeons & Dragons. And would tell him, thanks for making my life a bit richer. I salute you, and Zack the 25th Level Elven Thief (Chaotic Good) salutes you from whatever Avalon of forgotten RPG characters he sailed to long ago.

    read Steanso's tribute here.

    why does saying "caucus" make me giggle?

    Well, I don't think this will be too shocking to know I voted Democrat in the Texas primary. Which means I also got off my duff and went to my local polling place for the caucus this evening.

    We showed up about 6:50ish, and wandered into a fairly crowded room. We were to begin caucusing after the polls officially closed. Not when they closed the doors at 7:00, but after the people running the poll down the hall decided they were done. So from 7:00 until 7:30, the room filled. And filled. And filled.

    Apparently the last time they did this, they had around a dozen people show up. I think we had, and this is sort of a guess... but I would guess around 500 people in the room. It was hot and sweaty.

    I had the passing thought about leaving. I was pretty sure my vote wasn't going to matter much in the grand scheme of things. But then I thought... Hey, I like me some democracy. I thought about the stories of people in other countries who get shot at on their way to vote, and who die for voting, and, well.. standing in a crowded room next to an annoying girl didn't seem like such a big deal.

    So I caucused. Tee hee!

    And while I am not sure my political apathy is completely gone, it seems voters in Travis County district 355 are all about the Democracy. And the chance to vote twice. Legally.

    Anyway, I will be curious to see the results in the morning, or whenever they shake out. Apparently Texas is still too close to call.

    Monday, March 03, 2008

    Happy Birthday to Mom

    Hey, Leaguers! 03/04 is the KareBear's birthday, and far be it from me to let this magical day pass without mention.

    The League could not have asked for a better mom. If I have only one regret, it is the time she made me practice handwriting lessons while everyone else was inside watching A-Team. Aside from that, I have no room to complain.

    And, Mom... Darth wants you to have a good birthday. He feels...



    Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you got my card. Jamie and I had planned to give you a nice present when you came into town later this month, if that's okay. Alsom I hope Dad did something good for you.

    Best,

    Ryan and Jamie

    Jamie at the OG



    This picture was taken, like, six months ago. At Olive Garden. But I think its my new favorite pic of Jamie.

    Thanks, Jason!

    Sunday, March 02, 2008

    The League Watches: Confessions of a Superhero

    I had planned to try to see "Confessions of a Superhero" a while back. I think we'd planned to go with CB, but something came up.

    Anyhoo... It showed up from Netflix today, and as I'm a bit under the weather, I popped it in and watched.

    A long time ago, I recall some joke about the best way to get the respect of your peers in film school was to go shoot footgae of a neighborhood hobo in black and white for a few hours, get the person to tell you a sad story and then call it "Umbrellas Under Sadness". Or something of the sort. If anyone knows the exact quote, please share. But, ultimately, the idea kind of describes how I feel about a lot of "character" based documentary. Up close, everyone comes off as bizarre, and so its kind of an easy trick, especially when you can get someone living outside of normal expectations to talk to you, and a director and editor making a narrative from the whole cloth of a life.

    It goes without saying that people who make a living by standing in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater dressed as Superman, etc... have, at some point, taken the path less traveled. Yes, these subjects have a story to tell, but it's never really clear if this is a new story we haven't heard before, even without the superhero angle. The documentary points out somewhat unintentionally "Going to Hollywood and maintaining a delusion of impending stardom when all Signs Point to No makes for a kind of pathetic story". And it's a story most people already know or we'd all be in LA wondering when we were going to get our break as a leading man or lady.

    The movie is mostly about the shattered lives of four Hollywood wanna-be's, and seems to be trying to use the costumes of superheroes as a symbol of their hope, but only occasionally. Unfortunately, the movie fails to answer too many questions, and so whatever message they were trying to say, what the movie winds up conveying is "these people are off their nut, and they have no marketable skills. Also, 3 of 4 of these people is certifiable, and number 4 is working her way toward some bitter disappointment."

    Folks who see the movie and who know me will, no doubt, wonder about my reaction to Christopher Dennis, the movie's Superman. Mr. Dennis seems like an affable enough guy. And while I admire his collection of Superman memoribilia (which easily dwarfs my own), he's a fan who has chosen to follow his obsession to the exclusion of everything else. The fact that he has found love is, to this viewer, not a surprise. He's found someone who finds him endlessly fascinating and who has accepted him as he's accepted her (she seems to have her own quirks). The Dennis segments are an unintentional cautionary tale for folks like myself, I guess. I did appreciate the advice he gave "Ghost Rider" about what behavior is acceptable when in costume/ character. But the film also demonstrates why I never want to go to the Superman Festival in Metropolis, Illinois.

    The biggest issue was that the movie raised literally dozens of serious questions about the subjects of the film, and then does nothing to resolve those questions. In effect, you feel almost as if you know less about the subjects at the conclusion of the film than you did at the beginning, and its a frustrating way to view a documentary.

    The film's subjects somewhat casually tell stories which demand follow up, but the film never does the work for the viewer. Our Batman tells tales of working in the Italian mob, killing the family of a former lover, and acting as an enforcer. Superman claims to be the child of actress Sandy Dennis, while Ms. Dennis's family claims she never had any children. Our Hulk discusses being homeless, but we're never told why. And Wonder Woman isn't much of a mystery, but we never get why she and her husband split, but the fact that they married two weeks after meeting sort of suggests what may have happened.

    The film's creators spend entirely too much time on cinematography and still photos and almost none actually crafting the story. They mostly take the folks involved at their word, even when their spouses are saying "you can only believe 50% of what he says." The fact that the producers didn't chase these clues down (possibly to reveal that the guy playing Batman was responsible for the deaths of many people) goes beyond laziness and into outright irresponsibility. If Batman was lying or believes what he says, he needs help. And so they send him to the shrink in a full Batman outfit.

    There's never a question of where the money came from for the costumes in the first place. There's never a question of why the subjetcs chose the character they did, or what they actually know about the character (pretty clearly in the case of Dennis: a lot). Heck, there's never even a question of "is dressing as a superhero on Hollywood Boulevard the best investment of your time if you want to be a serious actor?" Like so many Hollywood producers who've generated so many bad, bad super-hero movies, to the documentarians, the costumes are just a prop on the way to a paycheck. But I suspect that's a complaint only a comic nerd like myself might have.

    The documentary seems to want for the audience to root for and support the characters, but there's simply no reason given as to "why"? If they aren't putting on the costumes to make the world a better place, but for self-promotion, and this is the step they've taken toward their goals of money and power, why should I care if they fail or succeed?

    Part of this, I suspect, is that the filmmakers are in line with the platitudes provided by the film's subjects regarding the movie industry's placement of value on fame and money. Perhaps the film is intended to indict this idea, but it seems to be cheerleading the subjects.

    The omissions of the film act as a huge distraction and mostly point out that, aside from long, lingering views of Dennis's Superman memoribilia-rich apartment, they just don't have much to show. A quick trip to Wonder Woman's hometown suggest she had a mother who indulged her every whim and may hvae chosen poorly when she gave up an iron grip on a town of 2000 for asking for tips for dressing as Wonder Woman.

    Interesting characters, perhaps... but perhaps the movie could have spent less time on musical interludes of the Hulk in litter strewn alleys and more asking him "Hey, four years on the street? How did that happen? And why didn't you just go home to North Carolina?"

    The sad answer to a lot of these questions is probably: the person is crazy or not-all-there. And absolutely no evidence is given to the contrary.

    In short, I can't really recommend the film. My hope was that it would be more about the histories of the subjects, but instead the producers chose to just focus on the present tense of the situation, half of which seems to be a steady stream of fabrications.