Patrick Macnee: A Tribute

To say that Patrick Macnee had a significant effect on my life would be....an understatement. 

Like many of my peers, I was a tv/movie brat who spent numerous hours late at night scanning for obscure things to watch on a small, portable black & white television.

(Yes, I lived during a time when tv sets were available in black and white. And there were only three networks - four including PBS. Don't be so ageist!)

One night, eight years old, I came across something called Murdersville late on a Friday night. That was my introduction to a show called The Avengers (which I knew automatically had no connection to the Marvel comic)....and to a man who was a kind of masculine role model.

Most boys idolized sports stars, action heroes, and GI Joe. My role models growing up were Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, Jon Pertwee, and Patrick Macnee...and Macnee was the most influential.

See, most of the men in my family....OK, my father loved four things: Sherlock Holmes, war movies (especially World War II), westerns, and mafia dramas. Most of the other men in my family....well, let's just say that I was deemed as "strange" because I could sew. And didn't date up a storm in high school (low self-esteem will do that to a man, but that's a blog post for another day).

But Macnee as Steed was not only attainable - he was ideal. Witty, urbane, well-read, intelligent - I could be all of those things. His dress sense was something I could also reflect (my father had plenty of nice suits - after all, he was an attorney), and there was a confidence about him that never seemed overdone.

But the thing that really impressed me was how he related to Emma Peel. It was friendly, flirtatious, and yet with a strong sense of equality. There wasn't the kind of will-they-won't-they that permeated many shows that came after (I'm looking at you, Moonlighting), nor was it the application of easy "action babe/sidekick" tropes prevalent in modern shows (I'm looking at you, collective works of Joss Whedon). You knew that Steed liked Mrs. Peel - even if only professionally - and there was always an undercurrent of class about the man.

(Watching the very early episodes of The Avengers, Steed started as a harder-edged character and grew into an Edwardian gentleman. Ironically, only two months ago I wrote about The Avengers for Comic Related. As I noted on Facebook, I might want to reconsider what I write about for the site).

In fact, he's one of the few "role models" I have met in real life - years ago, when Macnee released his autobiography Blind In One Ear , I attended a signing at a downtown bookstore. Cutting class, I was one of the first in line to purchase and have it signed. Waited about half an hour before Macnee came - on time - wearing (if memory serves) an impeccably tailored white suit (which was never advised in Chicago back then - we were a rather dingy, dirty city).

Moving towards the front of the line, I handed my book to Macnee eagerly. He asked my name, and as he signed the book, I mentioned how much of an influence he had on me...in that eager, earnest way that many do when meeting "celebrities." Flashing a smile, he handed me the book and simply said, "Thank you - you're too kind."

He was every bit as charming, urbane, and self-assured as I expected. And yes, he will be missed.

Brian Clemens: A Retrospective

Without dating myself too much, I can say that I grew up in an era where televisions were portable, made of plastic, and had black & white screens.

As a child, it was on that television that I began my love affair with several television shows - both Benny Hill and Monty Python (defying my mother's scolding that I was too young for both), scrambled movies via On-TV (a very early form of pay television), and CBS's late night lineup.

It was one evening when I couldn't sleep and turned on something called "Murdersville", later discovered to be an episode of The Avengers. The show had such an impact on me that I once claimed to have two childhood role models: Jon Pertwee as the Doctor and Patrick MacNee as John Steed.

So it was with great sadness that I read about the passing of Brian Clemens, who was the main writer on The Avengers.

Now, keep in mind - I was kind of a weird child. Most kids would watch to see who played their favorite parts - I was always more interested in the behind-the-scenes information. I was more curious about people like Gene Roddenberry & Rod Serling more than I was about William Shatner. But for a show like The Avengers - a show with a very unique tone - I was even more curious to explore the works of Brian Clemens....and boy, was the guy prolific.

But it's with his passing that I feel....well, even more uncomfortable in our current media climate. We live in a time when experiencing media - television shows, films, books, comics - are more focused on the emotional experience rather than enjoying the craft. In short, we are so used to having "the feels" that we almost expect our media to be tailored to our particular tastes....rather than enjoy them for the craft they provide.

One of Clemens' greatest assets was that he wrote a lot for television - and movies. In our current age, he would have put-upon bloggers (like me) berating him for any failures. In short, "You're failing because you're not doing what I think you should be doing...."

...and he didn't. In the war between art and commerce, Clemens straddled both. Watching episodes of The Avengers now via Cosi-TV,  I'm struck by the wit, the craft, and more importantly, by Diana Rigg. (OK, some things didn't change since childhood)....

But in true testimony to Brian Clemens, let me offer this - the next time you want to criticize a showrunner (let's say one whose name rhymes with Heathen Stuffhat)....put pen to paper yourself. Try putting together a decent script or story.

It's tough. Trust me, I know. But to deliver the kind of volume any writer delivers - even absolute dreck - requires a certain amount of discipline and hard work.

Brian Clemens inspired me in my youth....and quite honestly, he did so in ways I didn't realize until now. 

I Should Blog About THE AVENGERS More....

...you know, Steed and Peel, especially inspired by this video (possibly NSFW):



(via the Agony Booth)

Open Letter to Joe Quesada

Dear Joe,

First, I know you have other things to worry about, especially since your publicity department dropped the ball in terms of spoiling Captain America # 25. I'm also sure that you are catching up on reading the comics blogosphere, when you're not doing...well...whatever it is the editor-in-chief of Marvel does. But I wanted to talk about some concerns.

I'm not too upset about Captain America's "death" - not because I dislike the character, but in comics, death is nothing more than an inconvenience. I'm sure there are big plans for Cap to come back in a mega-ultra-crossover, "Captain America: Back from the Dead And Not Happy About It". It will feature 20 issues of Mark Millar writing Cap verbally abusing Iron Man.

But what I am concerned about is your contempt not only for the character, but for comic fans in general.

I'm sure you've seen this post on Kevin's site - the one where Paul Jenkins essentially claims that Captain America is "out of touch" with the common man. You yourself have said that Captain America has not "caught up" with modern times. However, I'm going to make a radical suggestion - that not only are you out of touch, but also that you don't understand what makes Captain America tick.

Captain America is the ultimate soldier - a "Super-Soldier", if you will - who sacrifices himself time and again for the ideals of this great nation. He's not about ideology (I don't think he's either Democrat or Republican), but an ideal - the belief in American principles of freedom and democracy. For Steve Rogers to care about the hip-and-now is irrelevant; he is a character who encompasses both the best of traditional "patriotism" and who tries to apply it to a nation that could use it. Plus, Joe, if you look at your archives, you will note that Cap has dealt with a national crisis of confidence in the past.

Now, I may be taking this way too personally - after all, both of my grandfathers served in World War II. One of my best friends served in the first Gulf War. My cousin served in the Marines. My great-grandparents brought my grandparents to this country years ago because of a promise...and Captain America fights for that promise. Although having a "Death of Captain America" story in itself might not be a bad thing, coming so soon after Civil War...well, it reeks of plot contrivance.

In fairness, I also bought Mighty Avengers and Avengers: The Initiative, and I can honestly say that these books are just flat-out boring and unrealistic. For example - in one of the books, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman fight, and it ends with one character telling the other "Tony Stark was so going to ask you out." I'm no expert on female psychology, but that just doesn't quite seem right.

Maybe you're trying to court a certain segment of the reading audience, Joe, and that's OK. However, may I suggest taking a cue from your Distinguished Competition - no matter what their faults, they are trying to reestablish a sense of wonder. Of treating its characters like human beings, and reestablishing their heroes as beacons of light and hope in dark times.

Unfortunately, you're slowly, but surely, snuffing them out.