Thursday, April 09, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison Talks Brainy Comics, Sexy Apocalypse | The Underwire from Wired.com
Wired.com: He seems to be one of the pure heroes left standing in the 21st century.
Morrison: We've deconstructed all our icons. We know politicians are lying assholes, we know soap stars are coke freaks, handsome actors are tranny weirdos and gorgeous supermodels are bulimic, neurotic wretches. We know our favorite comedians will turn out to be alcoholic perverts or suicidal depressives. Our reality shows have held up a scalding mirror to our yapping baboon faces and cheesy, obvious obsessions, our trashy, gossipy love of trivia and dirt.
We know we've fucked up the atmosphere and doomed the lovely polar bears and we can't even summon up the energy to feel guilty anymore. Let the pedophiles have the kids. There's nowhere left to turn and no one left to blame except, paradoxically, those slightly medieval guys without the industrial base. What's left to believe in? The only truly moral, truly goodhearted man left is a made-up comic book character! The only secular role models for a progressive, responsible, scientific-rational Enlightenment culture are … Kal-El of Krypton, aka Superman and his multicolored descendants!
So we chose not to deconstruct the superhero but to take him at face value, as a fiction that was trying to tell us something wonderful about ourselves. Somewhere, in our darkest night, we made up the story of a man who will never let us down and that seemed worth investigating.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
One
I lay awake in bed and dread the next day wishing I were someone else. I've become so tired of being me and of doing what I have to do, day after day, and some of the people I have to put up with. And being so afraid of doing anything else. I'm so locked in to what I call my life I feel trapped. I hate feeling trapped even though there is a certain sense of security in "the devil you know".
Getting drunk never helps, it makes the moods seem worse. Sex would help take the edge off, but not having a partner makes that impossible. My meds would just keep me awake this time of night. No one I know is up this late to talk to.
Any other alternative, well, would be too permanent to mention here. Not that the thoughts don't cross my mind more than once.
The lyric from that old Metallica song "One" comes to mind.
"Hold my breath as I wish for death"
Real cheery, no?
(That was a rhetorical question)
I'll get back to the funny cartoon when I have time.
D-
Getting drunk never helps, it makes the moods seem worse. Sex would help take the edge off, but not having a partner makes that impossible. My meds would just keep me awake this time of night. No one I know is up this late to talk to.
Any other alternative, well, would be too permanent to mention here. Not that the thoughts don't cross my mind more than once.
The lyric from that old Metallica song "One" comes to mind.
"Hold my breath as I wish for death"
Real cheery, no?
(That was a rhetorical question)
I'll get back to the funny cartoon when I have time.
D-
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Why? Because it's MF'in Star Trek Man!
Star Trek Space 1969
Star Trek 11 Trailer - The NEW one (March) and in FULL HDTV!!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Greg Rucka and Mary Sue - A Comics Geek Lament
Authors, no matter what media they work in, has a "tell".
Meaning in Poker parlance a nervous tick that ultimately do's them in. It might even be called a style. Grant Morrison tries to put as many mind blowing ideas on the paper as he can. Go no further than "Final Crisis" for evidence of this. Warren Ellis has an ear for sophisticated dialog and high concept ideas. Garth Ennis earthy dialog and gross out humor.
Some writers are reviled for their tells, the thing they always include when they write a comic book title. The fans eyes roll at the thought of a writer they hate is put on their favorite book. Judd Winnick polarizes fans for his tells, a "supposed" liberal bias and gay positive story-lines. Chris Claremont for overly wordy stories, convaluded plots, and bad European accents. Some writers are just considered hacks.
The first time I had heard of Greg Rucka was when I was a customer at Adventure Comics. The owner John had known him when he worked there briefly. John had always been looking for an 'in' with the comic companies and was always looking for contacts. He even colored a few pieces for George Perez when he was working on WonderWoman back in the day.
I read his run on Detective and I began to notice something, he wasn't writing about Batman so much as other characters. Whether it was Ra's al Ghul's female assasin or Bruce Wayne's new female body guard (who ended up finding out his secret identity). It was annoying, a decent writer who doesn't want to write about the main character.
Why write about a body guard when you can write Batman for pete's sake?
I watched his progression from title to title and a pattern arose. Strong female characters taking a front seat to the main character, created by him. More than half were lesbians.
If he landed at a title, be it Action Comics (Superman) or Detective Comics (Batman) they took a backseat to whoever female character he chose to bring with him. Lois Lane and a female Metropolis Cop became the stars of Action Comics, etc. Checkmate and Gotham Central was full of "Mary Sue" characters brought to the party by Greg Rucka.
Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to Sue, is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character who plays a major role in the plot and is particularly characterized by overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, or having too many, and primarily functioning as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors or readers. Perhaps the single underlying feature of all characters described as "Mary Sues" is that they are too ostentatious for the audience's taste, or that the author seems to favor the character too highly. The author may seem to push how exceptional and wonderful the "Mary Sue" character is on his or her audience, sometimes leading the audience to dislike or even resent the character fairly quickly; such a character could be described as an "author's pet".
I usually avoid his stuff, being burned a few times before. Don't get me wrong he's a good writer. It's just this tick, this tell, that keeps me from enjoying his work. It was all well and good until recently he took over two of my favorite books Action Comics and Detective Comics, again.
You can guess who the main characters aren't, can't you?
The Kryptonian versions of Nightwing and (the female and probably lesbian) Flamebird in Action and the Rucka co-created Batwoman in Detective Comics.
Now, I've lived with lesbians when I was living with my ex-gf back in Baltimore and I can tell you that I've never met lesbians like Batwoman or Rene Montoya. My ex's sister and her partner are awesome people and helped me feel at home so far from home.
I don't have a problem with gay people in general. It's when a writer chooses to suplant my favorite character with their own when comics are getting more and more costly. Mary Sue won't be getting my money even if I have boxes and boxes of Detective Comics.
Maybe it's just a petty, geek-fanboy complaint. How dare I question the professionals and their choices? One of the 'gaping maw' that prowls the internet spewing venom?
No so much.
D-
Meaning in Poker parlance a nervous tick that ultimately do's them in. It might even be called a style. Grant Morrison tries to put as many mind blowing ideas on the paper as he can. Go no further than "Final Crisis" for evidence of this. Warren Ellis has an ear for sophisticated dialog and high concept ideas. Garth Ennis earthy dialog and gross out humor.
Some writers are reviled for their tells, the thing they always include when they write a comic book title. The fans eyes roll at the thought of a writer they hate is put on their favorite book. Judd Winnick polarizes fans for his tells, a "supposed" liberal bias and gay positive story-lines. Chris Claremont for overly wordy stories, convaluded plots, and bad European accents. Some writers are just considered hacks.
The first time I had heard of Greg Rucka was when I was a customer at Adventure Comics. The owner John had known him when he worked there briefly. John had always been looking for an 'in' with the comic companies and was always looking for contacts. He even colored a few pieces for George Perez when he was working on WonderWoman back in the day.
I read his run on Detective and I began to notice something, he wasn't writing about Batman so much as other characters. Whether it was Ra's al Ghul's female assasin or Bruce Wayne's new female body guard (who ended up finding out his secret identity). It was annoying, a decent writer who doesn't want to write about the main character.
Why write about a body guard when you can write Batman for pete's sake?
I watched his progression from title to title and a pattern arose. Strong female characters taking a front seat to the main character, created by him. More than half were lesbians.
If he landed at a title, be it Action Comics (Superman) or Detective Comics (Batman) they took a backseat to whoever female character he chose to bring with him. Lois Lane and a female Metropolis Cop became the stars of Action Comics, etc. Checkmate and Gotham Central was full of "Mary Sue" characters brought to the party by Greg Rucka.
Mary Sue, sometimes shortened simply to Sue, is a pejorative term used to describe a fictional character who plays a major role in the plot and is particularly characterized by overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, or having too many, and primarily functioning as wish-fulfillment fantasies for their authors or readers. Perhaps the single underlying feature of all characters described as "Mary Sues" is that they are too ostentatious for the audience's taste, or that the author seems to favor the character too highly. The author may seem to push how exceptional and wonderful the "Mary Sue" character is on his or her audience, sometimes leading the audience to dislike or even resent the character fairly quickly; such a character could be described as an "author's pet".
I usually avoid his stuff, being burned a few times before. Don't get me wrong he's a good writer. It's just this tick, this tell, that keeps me from enjoying his work. It was all well and good until recently he took over two of my favorite books Action Comics and Detective Comics, again.
You can guess who the main characters aren't, can't you?
The Kryptonian versions of Nightwing and (the female and probably lesbian) Flamebird in Action and the Rucka co-created Batwoman in Detective Comics.
Now, I've lived with lesbians when I was living with my ex-gf back in Baltimore and I can tell you that I've never met lesbians like Batwoman or Rene Montoya. My ex's sister and her partner are awesome people and helped me feel at home so far from home.
I don't have a problem with gay people in general. It's when a writer chooses to suplant my favorite character with their own when comics are getting more and more costly. Mary Sue won't be getting my money even if I have boxes and boxes of Detective Comics.
Maybe it's just a petty, geek-fanboy complaint. How dare I question the professionals and their choices? One of the 'gaping maw' that prowls the internet spewing venom?
No so much.
D-
Monday, March 02, 2009
"do you like pina coladas and comics on wednesday?"
So, I'm signing up for one of those online dating sites. You know the type. Everyone loves long walks on the beach, spending time with their family, walking their dog, etc. The pictures are too small.
I get to the part where I'm supposed to describe myself, and I never know what to say. There should be a rule about this, "never let someone with low self esteem describe himself or sell himself at job interviews".
I mean, why the hell do you think I'm still working retail?
When I try to put all the facts of my life down on paper it just sounds depressing. So I go on the the next part of it "who are looking for?"
To some guys, this is pretty much a no brainer. They have a whole shopping list. A male friend of mine once told me "beggars can't be choosers". I wondered if I'm the one with hat in hand and I'd be lucky to find someone. Anyone.
I fell into that trap once before, made a bad decision out of desperation. Basically sold myself short and paid for it in all the misery that happened afterward. I've told myself I won't let it happen again.
'Course this doesn't help me fill out this goddamn form now does it?
Hmmm, let's try this:
"Wanted: Geeky, Smart Female.
Preferably sane (or reasonably so) and emotionally stable (or reasonably so). Neither morbidly obese nor anorexic (Someone who looks better than I do in a bikini). Sense of humor a must. Must love comics, movies, scifi, and sex."
It's a little rough, but it just might work. As for who I am? I'm still working on it...
D-
I get to the part where I'm supposed to describe myself, and I never know what to say. There should be a rule about this, "never let someone with low self esteem describe himself or sell himself at job interviews".
I mean, why the hell do you think I'm still working retail?
When I try to put all the facts of my life down on paper it just sounds depressing. So I go on the the next part of it "who are looking for?"
To some guys, this is pretty much a no brainer. They have a whole shopping list. A male friend of mine once told me "beggars can't be choosers". I wondered if I'm the one with hat in hand and I'd be lucky to find someone. Anyone.
I fell into that trap once before, made a bad decision out of desperation. Basically sold myself short and paid for it in all the misery that happened afterward. I've told myself I won't let it happen again.
'Course this doesn't help me fill out this goddamn form now does it?
Hmmm, let's try this:
"Wanted: Geeky, Smart Female.
Preferably sane (or reasonably so) and emotionally stable (or reasonably so). Neither morbidly obese nor anorexic (Someone who looks better than I do in a bikini). Sense of humor a must. Must love comics, movies, scifi, and sex."
It's a little rough, but it just might work. As for who I am? I'm still working on it...
D-
Friday, February 20, 2009
Bled White
I have a bottle of Jack Daniels Irish whiskey in the drawer of my desk. I got it this last Christmas and I haven't opened it yet.
I'd down the whole thing if I could wipe this feeling out of my head, my chest, my being.
I know it wouldn't do any good, I'd just get real dizzy and throw up all over my carpet. Or make this feeling even worse. That feeling that I'm gripping myself trying to hold it all together and there's no end on the horizon. I'd hate my life if I had the energy to hate anyone other than myself.
I'm so sick and tired of certain people in my life expecting more out of me than I have to give. I'm having trouble as it is keeping myself going in this... existence I've made for myself. Much less trying to make other people play step and fetch it for a machine that eats it's young.
My overall self loathing has made me a target of people furthering their own agendas. Parts of me have died inside because of where I am and what I have to do. I can't give anymore, I'm so tired of being a joke, of being unworthy of love, I don't know what to do.
I've never been a religious man, nothing has shown me otherwise. Hope is a wishing well that never delivers anything but empty pockets.
Sorry to bother you, move along, nothing to see here.
D-
I'd down the whole thing if I could wipe this feeling out of my head, my chest, my being.
I know it wouldn't do any good, I'd just get real dizzy and throw up all over my carpet. Or make this feeling even worse. That feeling that I'm gripping myself trying to hold it all together and there's no end on the horizon. I'd hate my life if I had the energy to hate anyone other than myself.
I'm so sick and tired of certain people in my life expecting more out of me than I have to give. I'm having trouble as it is keeping myself going in this... existence I've made for myself. Much less trying to make other people play step and fetch it for a machine that eats it's young.
My overall self loathing has made me a target of people furthering their own agendas. Parts of me have died inside because of where I am and what I have to do. I can't give anymore, I'm so tired of being a joke, of being unworthy of love, I don't know what to do.
I've never been a religious man, nothing has shown me otherwise. Hope is a wishing well that never delivers anything but empty pockets.
Sorry to bother you, move along, nothing to see here.
D-
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