What True Love Is All About

BF calls me: "Hey baby, I'm down to my last $10, but would you like me to pick up anything for you before I come home?"

Me: "Could you please stop by the comic store and pick up The Sinestro Corps #1?"

BF responds: "Sure, baby, no problem."

And that's what true love is all about, Charlie Brown.
BF comes home: "You know, that Sinestro Corps cost $5."

Custom MJ With Spidey-Panties

Unfortunately, the eBay auction for this unlicensed Mary Jane "Comiquette" is over; but since it didn't sell, I'm sure you will have another opportunity to purchase. The artist claimed that Cameron Diaz dancing around in her Spider-man Underoos was his/her inspiration for the piece; which, of course, means that Adam Hughes is off the hook.

OS Nation:
Dateline June 29
(a.k.a. "A Cup Of Me")

As I'm on the road again for work, here's some odds and ends, wrapped in one easy-to-digest low-fat sugar-free post:

* My blog has tripled in hits over the last two weeks, and I'm not exactly sure why -- but I'm encouraged and grateful.

* There have been some interesting developments regarding my blog and opportunities to expand aspects of it into other media. That's all I can say at the moment, but I'm a busy little bee right now.

* I'm of the opinion that making boob jokes about solicitation covers may only get me so far in my career. As such, I've decided to expand the scope of this blog to include REVIEWS and INTERVIEWS. These should start next week.

* My "Goodbye To Comics" memoir has sort of mutated. Right now I have a completed manuscript. Half of that original manuscript is going to be used for a work with a distinctly historical slant. Given my background in academics (you wouldn't know it from my boob jokes but I do have one), I'm rather looking forward to this.

The other half of the memoir -- the half with all the sturm und drang -- is something I really need to ponder about. It was, at one point, going to go in a very "Oprah" direction. But I'm not sure if that is how I wish to frame the story of my life. I would rather do something more creative and not as "black-and white" and tear-jerkery.

I have other considerations about it, mainly that I'm not sure if I wish to open this can of worms again. On one hand, maybe doing so would "shine the spotlight" and help "fix" things for women in comics. On the other hand, this is not what I wish to be solely remembered for as my contribution to the industry. On the third hand, (three whole hands!) I have a story with a lot of important feminist issues besides those relating to comics.

So that part of the memoir is still under development. Hey, maybe I could submit it as a graphic novel proposal to "Vertigo" (insert laughter here).

* It looks like I'm going to the San Diego Comic Con this summer. This is my first time attending, and I'm pretty psyched.

As a whole, I'm also pretty psyched about developments in mainstream comics in general, if only to say that I'm enjoying reading my weekly stack. The news of McDuffie scripting "JLA" is exciting. I am very pleased with the "World War Hulk" and "Annihilation: Conquest" events, and between the two my bank account shall be quite drained. I'm on the fence about "Spiderman" developments. "Countdown" is an odd series that seems to be stuck in the early-to-mid 1990s and I've dropped it. The whole "Flash" debacle was a mess and it would take a lot for me to regain trust in this title again. "Sinestro Corps" sounds interesting, but it certainly seems as if Kyle is getting set up for another fall.

And the comics I continue to enjoy the most tend to be the kid stuff: "Marvel Adventures," "Spider-Girl," and the cartoon "Legion of the Superheroes." Why is this? Sometimes, I just want to read good, self-contained stories about superheroes.

Sometimes, I just want to read good self-contained stories about superheroes.

That's all for this week's "OS Nation." Next week: why I can't get my books out on schedule (oh wait, that topic has been taken...)

Transformers Movie Early Review: "Kind Of Sucks"???

via BoingBoing

"I went to a media screening of Transformers last night, and I'll give it a full set of 10 shiny, golden stars for the most brilliant design and amazing effects I think I've ever seen. Now I'll quickly take them all back because the script, direction and editing were perhaps the worst I've ever endured."

For easy reference, here is the link to the Rotten Tomatoes page for the movie so you can watch the official reviews come in.

Oh, and nothing beats "Street Fighter" with Jean Claude Van Damme. That is all.

The First Comic Book I've Ever Read...

I was just surfing the internet and came across this.

And, well, I did read a few oversized Batman/Superman "Treasury Editions" before this, but this is the first book off the stands. Does anybody render a group shot quite like Perez?

As I'm now also a tarot card reader, the ish probably influenced me in more ways than one...

Familiarity Breeds Excuses: Misogyny & Pop Culture

I'm going to talk about something that I have no fast-and-easy answers for. It's just something I've noticed in regards to how I have been thinking about the recent Chris Benoit murder/suicide.

I'll start by saying that I've loved pro wrestling, like comics, since I was a wee lass. I grew up watching the antics of these performers. I know who "Hillbilly Jim," "Big Bad Boss Man," "King Kong Bundy," are. I'm a fan.

But also, I tend it get up-in-arms about stories concerning the abuse of women and children. I mean, it's pretty much a knee-jerk reaction with me.

Reading more and more about the Benoit case, the old depressing pattern of domestic abuse and restraining orders emerge. Wife is scared of husband, files order, later drops it, dies at hands (literally) of said husband.

Chris Benoit's wife was found bound hand-and-foot with blood under her head. The most likely scenario, according to the cops, is that Benoit hit her on the head, tied her up, strangled her to death.

Pretty henious, right?

And yet, because I am so familiar with Benoit's work, because I enjoyed his matches on WCW in the 1990s, because I respected him so much as a performer, I find myself more likely to make excuses for him.

Here is my reaction to a recent news story regarding a man who killed his pregnant girlfriend: "monster!"

Here is my reaction to Chris Benoit:
"he was a poor sick man bowled over by the pressures of his profession."

And yet they are/were *both* monsters.

And they are/were *both* sick men.

And their acts? Yes, both born, to an extent, out of misogyny -- misogyny in its most primal, wordless, vicious form.

Not to mention child-murder.

But I still find myself making excuses for Chris Benoit.

I make excuses because Benoit is familiar to me, a beloved entertainer.

And I make excuses because, to an extent, to condemn Benoit is to condemn the culture of pro wresting -- a culture which, in terms of its treatment and presentation of women, I have not nor want to examine. Because to examine it -- to really examine it -- might destroy some of the love I have for this "sport."

This is just an observation.

Mike Wieringo
On The Death Of Bart Allen

On Wieringo's blog, found via Journalista:

"This one hits a bit closer to home since I was in on his very beginnings, having been asked to design his IMPULSE persona when Mark Waid created the character in FLASH (which granted me the title of ‘co-creator’…"

"My feeling is that in recent years, the quality of writing in comics has diminished. Maybe it’s not the writers’ fault… maybe it’s editorial edict that has replaced good story, plot and character development with the stunt… the event… to sell comics."

"What do the rest of you think? Am I that far off base….? Anyone read FLASH #13…? Did you find it to be a good story? Feel free to leave your thoughts on any of this."

and the responses...

"I also felt weird reading a comic that featured a bunch of middle-aged men in bright costumes kicking a teen-ager to death. It just strikes me as the kind of thing that I don’t want to pay $3 for."

"So many characters at both Marvel and DC have died that the events lose its impact. I personally don ‘t care about a character dying unless its for a good reason or there ’s a great story / a good motivation for it. Comics seem to be completely event-driven now."

"Honestly, the character who died had little in common with Bart Allen/Impulse, and really hadn’t for years."

"This whole “a Flash must die” bit is pretty stupid. Barry’s death was about something and instead of moving the characters, they try to rehash the same thing. Magic usually works only once, time these companies learned that."

"So who is this famous
Frank Miller fan working for Circe?"

-- from "Wonder Woman" #10

"Um, what? I know I haven’t been following the series, but does that make any sense to anyone? It’s wrong for the story, wrong for the character, and doesn’t even work on the meta-level, since it’s so confusing."
-- "Comics Worth Reading"

So Frank Miller exists in the DCU? Kinda like those classic storylines from the 70s where the comic creators existed with the superheroes and such?

But a bigger question is:

Does "Wonder Woman" currently have an editor? Or does Jodi Picoult's script go immediately to the letterer?

Between this and Miller's recent "All-Star Batman" issue with WW saying "sperm dumpster" or whatever...geez, no wonder there is no Wonder Woman movie made yet.

"Gwen Stacy-Style"

From Diamond's piece on the Spider-man "One More Day" storyline:

“HEADED FOR THE CHOPPING BLOCK?

Black Cat, Mary Jane, and Aunt May?

Is it one of these ladies that take a dirt nap in the upcoming storyline ‘One More Day’? You heard it here, folks. A re-assuring voice and shoulder-to-lean-on is going to be taken out permanent-style in this four-issue storyline, which kicks off in Amazing Spider-Man #544 and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24. This body check is whipped up by war horses J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada. Pain is promised. No tissues will be issued!

Who next gets thrown under the bus like the long-lost Gwen Stacy? Details are hard to come by, but what we do know is that there ain’t much joy in Mudville. Spidey’s gonna get left out in the rain again, and oh, how the tears will flow.”


Holy crap.

"Who next gets thrown under the bus like the long-lost Gwen Stacy"?

“Is it one of these ladies that take a dirt nap"?

Who writes this stuff? Diamond?

I...

It's not a joke. Which woman that is important to Spider-man that gets killed -- that's not a contest.

I know I sound like a nerd right now, but show these characters a modicum of respect.

Also, I've just found out that the "Gwen Corpse" action figure that I posted is indeed a real figure.

...

eh...

I'm a little disgusted right now, in ways I'm unable to articulate.

I Spent All My Comic Book Money
For This Week At MoCCA

But if I did buy any new comics this Wednesday, they'd be World War Hulk related. Because I run that way.

The Chris Benoit Action Figure"Ruthless Aggression," indeed.
The more I read about this the more it sounds like
a combo of 'roid rage and domestic violence.

Supergirl, Power Girl, Girl Wonder:
Want To Make It 3-For-3?

via Lying In The Gutters:

Old PG Boobage:

New PG Boobage:
Ah, the wonders of Photoshop on a tight printing deadline!

So, did "fangirl" (and fangirl-friendly fanboy) online pressure get these Turner mammaries pulled back?

If so, can they get Stephanie's trophy case put in and make it, in addition to PG and the Supergirl switch, "3 for 3?"

Hint: You will have better luck with your "Stephanie" letter/e-mail writing campaigns if you write to the Top first. Your letter-writing order should be as follows:
1. Heads of corporate offices (for example, Time Warner)
2. Heads of comic book publishing offices
3. Editors

Editors alone are pretty powerless to implement such changes on their own even if they wanted to. These changes are made either by the top guns of the publisher or by the top guns of the publisher under direct pressure from the corporate office.

Postscript: PG's breasts still look like a butt on that cover.

Is This "Opus" Cartoon Male-Bashing?

The Advocate reports on a recent "Opus" cartoon that has some people up-in-arms regarding "male-bashing" and "father-bashing."

In the cartoon, two boys are discussing a classmate that has "two mommies." One boy questions whether the child will be okay without a male role-model in the house. Enter Steve Dallas, resident "Opus"/"Bloom County" uber-male idiot, who throws a TV out the window to protest a sports play.

Is the message of the cartoon that children would be better off without male role-models, that men are beer-guzzling football-fanatical troglodytes?

Some conservatives have seized on this issue to condemn perceived "male-bashing."

My thoughts? It is just a cartoon, but I do see how some men/fathers might take offense. I think that sometimes we take it for granted that men don't get offended by things like this, that it is all in "good fun" to "balance" the injustices men have visited upon women over the years.

That said, I also see this issue as a way that ultra-conservatives can cast their sly digs at same-sex parenting -- creating an exaggerated "conspiracy" in their minds of gays/feminists targeting heterosexuals, fathers, apple pie, Wonder Bread, etc.

There is no "gay/feminist" conspiracy to "do away with" fathers or heterosexual marriages/parenting. And a cartoon about a neurotic penguin and his neurotic pals is not part of that imaginary conspiracy. That said, I do think the cartoon in question just isn't that funny because it lacks subtlety. "Opus" cartoonist Berke Breathed could have found a better representative of the male gender than womanizing troll Steve Dallas. Straw man, anyone?

As an aside, I used to be a huge fan of Breathed's first comic strip, "Bloom Country," in the 1980s. But looking back at my collected editions, it just hasn't aged well.

"Supergirls Gone Wild" --
Article in the July/August issue of "Mother Jones"

The headline?

"Female fans take revenge on the boys of DC Comics."

You should all check out this article in the entertainment section of "Mother Jones" magazine, on stands at the beginning of July and for which I was interviewed. It's written by Speakeasy.org's Charlie Anders, no stranger to the female comics blogging community.

It starts with Stephanie Brown, careens into "Women in Refrigerators," wades into the "Supergirl" mess, and ends with a hopeful note regarding Gail Simone and her tenure on "Wonder Woman." You've got "When Fangirls Attack," Spiderman's radioactive sperm, "porn face," Eddie Berganza's infamous "DC Nation" column, and even a quote from yours truly.

I think it is significant that such an article has shown up in a print format as opposed to the hundreds of online pieces on the same subject. I think this story has legs...if you would excuse the expression.

And for all my rants on why I feel that DC will never give Stephanie Brown her own trophy case -- they're really starting to look, in the media at any rate, like creeps for their stance. "Mother Jones" may be more on the liberal side of the pub spectrum, but you know this article is going to be bookmarked, quoted, and reproduced everywhere from message board forums to feminist term papers from now until doomsday.

WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit Found Dead --
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
Suddenly Found "Alive"

Oh crap, WWE (and WCW) pro wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead today -- as well as his wife & kids.

I had a post a few weeks back about WWE chairman Vince McMahon's "death stunt." Well apparently, in the interest of good taste, the ruse is over and all references to the stunt have been taken off the WWE site.

You would have to be a professional wrestling fan to appreciate what a shock Benoit's death is. His wife was also a pro-wrestling personality, who performed under the stage name "Woman."

Countdown's Jump The Shark Moment:
The Return of Monarch

No, tell me this isn't true --

Monarch returns?

Monarch?

Monarch was played out the first time they trotted him out for "Armaggedon 2001"

Oooh, a crazy, power-mad Hank Hall! It's comic-book gold, I tell you! Almost as exciting as a crazy, power-mad Jean Loring!

The only hope?

Perhaps this is a play to put these corny characters to bed once-and-for-all.

...

Since "Countdown" is going down the memory lane of the terrific early-90s years, could we get one of those covers with the fake plastic jewel glued on it like that "Eclipso" special?

Kill Bill 3 & 4: Actually Coming To A Theater Near You

"Executive producer Bennett Walsh has revealed it is possible Quentin Tarantino will return to China to shoot "Kill Bill" parts 3 and 4."

Also mentioned in the Earth Times article are the possible plotlines for the two movies:

1) "The third film tells the story of the revenge of two killers whose arms and eyes Uma Thurman hacked off in the first stories..." -- ah, this would be Sofie & Elle. Nice.

2) "...and the fourth is said to concern a cycle of reprisals and daughters who avenge their mothers' deaths." -- Most likely scenario being that Vernita's daughter offs Beatrix Kiddo and then Beatrix's daughter BeBe goes after her.

Could the lackluster box-office perfomance of "Grindhouse" have pressured Tarantino to get these babies made sooner rather than later?

Whatever the case, "Occasional Superheroine" is excited.

Still no "Wonder Woman" movie, though.

Wonder Woman: Not Coming To A Theater Near You

The bloggers Tom and Lorenzo, referencing a Premiere Magazine article on the non-existent "Wonder Woman" movie and other celluloid M.I.A.s, comment:

"Since Lynda Carter last wore the bustier, there have been five Superman movies, five Batman movies, three Spider-Man movies, three X-Men movies, two Fantastic Four movies and a slew of low-level, crappy, no-one-cares superhero movies like Daredevil and Ghost Rider. In all that time, they can't put together ONE film about the First Lady of Superheroes? We want our ass-kicking femme in 4-inch heels and we want her now!"

They also feel that the inability to drag WW out of development hell "smacks of sexism."

What exactly is the deal with getting this movie made? Is part of the problem the fact that she is a female character? Have big-budget bombs like "Elektra" and "Catwoman" spooked Warner Brothers?

My feeling is that the latter is the culprit, specifically the dismal performance of "Catwoman."

But I also think the problem with the movie is the same problem DC has had with the comics -- an inability to really nail down the character. The last time I really thought WW was done right was in the 80s (although Chris Moeller's "A League of One" and Darwyn Cooke's take on her in "New Frontier" were interesting, and Phil Jimenez's version had a lot of heart).

Maybe with Gail Simone on the book, the right tone for Wonder Woman will be set, and perhaps this will "leak" over into the movie plans.

As for now, we will have to have our thirst for cinematic superheroines to be filled by Jessica Alba.

Please, WB hurry!

(with thanks to the always-alert David Le G)

MoCCA 2007: Thoughts & Reactions

As I settle down to write this I've just received a call from Doug Bratton of the comic strip "Pop Culture Shock Therapy" that I've just won his raffle. This is good. I spent a long time debating whether or not to purchase one of his books at the Con, as $ was a little tight at Casa Del Superheroine this month. But now I've got all 3. I got good swag karma. Swag. I'm up to my ankles here, typing this, swag from MoCCA all over my floor.

The MoCCA Comics Festival (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) was a two-day event that featured the best of the independent comic scene. It was held the same weekend as The Big Apple Comic Con. I heard that a bus would shuttle people between both shows. I would think MoCCA would have cut in a bit on Big Apple's business. To be fair, Big Apple has professional wrestlers. But I've never been to MoCCA, so I decided to give it a try.

First thing I noticed, there were no people dressed as Captain America there. It was disorienting.

Then there were all the female comic book creators. I would say that the gender breakdown at the show was 50/50.

I wondered how many of these talented women had any inclination to work for mainstream comics at some point. There isn't that much of a place for them at the moment, outside of Minx/Vertigo & Marvel's assorted indie projects. But it seems that this is where all those female comic creators -- the ones that some blog pundits (me included?) sometimes complain there is not enough of. They do exist. In numbers. They were at this show.

There were two DC tables -- Minx & Vertigo. Chatted with Vertigo editor Bob Schreck. He has new stuff a-brewin' but nothing that can be announced before San Diego. With his experience at Oni, Comico, & Dark Horse, I would expect indie books that fit the general Vertigo framework but with a twist. I've enjoyed various Vertigo titles over the years but I think that twist would really spice up the line.

Next was pumping Vertigo assistant editor Brandon Montclare for news on the Minx line. I asked him about the ratio of female talent as opposed to male talent in the Minx line. He said that actually, women make up roughly half the talent working for the line -- which is apparently going full-speed ahead in terms of pub plans. A "Plain Janes" sequel in the works? Maybe. Some serialized, multi-volume works? A possibility.

This Minx book "Confessions of a Blabbermouth," about a female blogger, sounds interesting.

I chatted with Tim Leong, editor-of-chief of the new magazine Comic Foundry (debuting in September) -- which looks awesome. Gushed to Rick Veitch over his Vertigo book "Can't Get No" -- which I rarely do to any comic creator: "it's literature, man...it's $%*^$# literature. it moved me man..." Thankfully there was no one to witness said geekery. There was also Dean Trippe (who drew that awesome Supergirl piece I've ran in an earlier post), Tim Fish (from the webcomic/anthology "Young Bottoms in Love,"), artist/burlesque dancer Bonnie Voyage, Papercutz editor-in-chief Jim Salicrup, "Fishtown" creator Kevin Colden, Eisner-nominated "Onion Head Monster" Paul Friedrich, Christine Norrie ("Breaking Up"), "Soon I Will Be Invincible" author Austin Grossman, Pop Image co-editor-in-chief Ed Matthews, and Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf's "Essex County" series).

Bumped into The Beat's Heidi MacDonald, who hadn't seen me in at least three years. She looked really awesome, and she said I looked very awesome...I'm thinking that there is some link to blogging/looking awesome.

But the highlight of MoCCA?

Bacon-Man.

Heroes For Hire -- Unemployed?!

From Comic Book Resources:

"CBR News received from Marvel Comics this morning the following image and text, accompanied only with the subject line, "Heroes For Hire Are Out Of Business. And Out Of Time."

World War Hulk has arrived

and The Heroes For Hire will be no more.

Some will die.

Some will live.

The only thing certain is that the future just got a lot DEADLIER!"

Out of curiosity, does this mean the title is cancelled? Is this another "Flash #13?" Did the "Heroes For Hentai" controversy help give Misty Knight & crew their pinkslips? Or is this another case of getting me to buy this damn book through a clever if misleading marking strategy. If it's the latter, I was going to get sucked into it anyway because it was a "World War Hulk" crossover.<---geek

But the bigger question is: Will this cover spark its own controversy, showing women with skull faces? Is this another "Marvel Zombies MJ" cover, equating sex with death? Does this cover advocate violence against women? Or is it merely a nod to these guys:

Thor Cast In New Avengers MovieNo, actually it's a dude at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade
I have other shots here

She's SATAN'S DAUGHTER --
She's Supposed To Be Bad

Is this cover to "Satana" #1 too sexy?

You know what, screw it, it's a really nice cover. Screw it.

Yeah, her waist is too narrow and her breasts are too big. But the cover isn't ugly. It works. And it's not like a book for little kids. It's frickin' Satana. Satana. If she can't be "bad," who can?

Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury In
"Iron Man" Movie?

News via AICN.

If this really happens, I will plotz.

I think it's really happening.

Commence plotzing.

First "Indiana Jones 4" On-Set Pic!

"The new "Indiana Jones" movie is set in the 1950s and stars Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent. The Lucasfilm Ltd. production will be released by Paramount Pictures worldwide on May 22, 2008. The photo was taken by Spielberg!"
--Comingsoon.net

I think he still looks pretty hot. A dust-beaten fedora does so much.

My Blog Referenced On
Wikipedia's "Identity Crisis" Entry

Well, they spelled my name wrong, but still I thought it was kinda interesting.

I didn't go into Wikipedia and write this in or my own entry, by the way. But whoever wrote these things up I think did a pretty good job.

How Quickly We Change...

While having a nightmare last night where The Hulk was rampaging thru Midtown, causing massive damage & mayhem, I turned to a friend in the dream and said:

"Iron Man has to send his #@%*&$ ass into space!"

Now, I've been totally on the side of The Hulk during "World War Hulk." But when faced with a situation in my dream where the Hulk was actually a menace -- when it seemed real to me, a real, immediate threat -- I supported Iron Man.

Was Tony Stark & Co. really justified in how he handled the Hulk situation? How could he have handled things differently and yet still protect citizens?

If we were suddenly faced with certain issues that impacted our lives personally, would we flip-flop on our stances on those issues? Or are those moments of crisis the true testing ground for the sincerity of our beliefs?

I'll Say It One More Time About Spoiler...

Does Spoiler/Stephanie/Girl-Robin not have her own case in the Batcave because DC hates women?

She doesn't have a case in the Batcave because DC screwed the pooch and used a female Robin as a quick cheap promotional stunt instead of milking the character for all it was $$worth$$.

A female Robin would have been a perfect subject for the DC promotions dept. to blast press releases up and down the mainstream media.

Picture the headlines:

"Bang! Zow! Robin A Woman!"

"Holy Gender-Switch, Batman!"

etc.

It would have been the perfect story for the media to pick up.

It also would have resulted in a bump in sales, some interesting storylines, and lots of licensed product.

But instead, the "Girl Wonder" was conceived as a finite entity, a gimmick, something to be used for several issues and thrown out.

It was an editorial blunder, a wa$ted opportunity. And to have a case for Stephanie in the Batcave would not only remind everyone of the waste, but it would overshadow any future attempts to have a female Robin.

Because say DC decided to do it right. They couldn't damn well have press releases touting: "first girl Robin!" Because they had already screwed it up with Stephanie.

I have no doubt that one day, when sales are low, when pressure to have more female characters increase, when Bats is in another slump, there will be a female Robin. If and when that happens, will there be a female Robin for more than a few years tops?

No.

I'm cynical.

Post inspired far too early in the morning by this post.

What Is On My YouTube Playlist

I'll be on the road for work, and my posting is over for today. But I thought I would post some links to some of the vids on my YouTube playlist. You know, because it's self-indulgent.

Giraffe -- the best clip ever
Dueling Daffy & Donald -- when I saw this as a kid it absolutely blew my mind
Nicolas Cage Punches Woman In Bear Suit -- I try to watch this every week or so, it cleanses my palette
Usagi Is the God Warrior -- this is pretty funny
I like this Kill Bill vid
And I like this "Grindhouse" vid
I've played this "Waking Life" clip a lot, but it's long
Easy Rider: "what you represent to them is freedom"
Selina goes batshit. Well, you know, it happens
Tootsie: "for I am not Emily Kimberly..."

Family Guy Clips:

ipecac
stewie gets glass in his head
where's my money
Lois! Lois!
brian's novel
rock lobster
ecstasy
stewie drunk
stewie drunk again
upside down face

More clips:
Classic "Dark Willow" fan vid (vid quality terrible, very emo)
This "Popeye" clip is good to watch if you're recovering from a cervical tear
Bruce Campbell is a honey
Fake Mulder
Donnie Darko tells it like it is
Moulin Rouge Mushery

Say Anything Clips:
Music Video
Why Is John Cusack Always In the Rain?

And this clip is like an audio-video imprint of the deepest recesses of my brain. It tells you everything you need to know about me, my personality, my wants, desires, and goals. Plus, it has Goonies:

Do Gay People Read Comic Books?

I'm just wondering. I think they do. So there is an audience there.

"No one really knows the number of gay comics fans, but I think there are more than DC and Marvel believe there may be. I also think there’s a much larger number of potential readers with money to spend if the Big Two and other publishers allow, maybe force is a better word, themselves to think outside of the box in terms of content, marketing and outreach."
-- Joe Palmer, Gay League

I think the audience and the money are there. But will mainstream comic book companies take the money if it means potentially alienating other readers? Or does the media play a role in creating more tolerance in the world by going ahead with these more diverse characters in spite of that potentiality?

Take the original "Star Trek," for example. When Kirk & Uhura kissed. The producers & the network had everything to lose by showing an interracial kiss. But they went ahead with it anyway. Ellen Degeneres had everything to lose by coming out on her TV sitcom, but she came out (please forgive the pun) a winner.

I think sometimes you just need a pair of balls (or ovaries of steel, take your pick) and just push the boundaries.

What else is this life good for than to be yourself, to express how you really are, and not live your life in a friggin' closet? I just finished listening to this NPR interview with a former interpreter for the U.S. Military, a gay male. How he lived for years hiding who he was, not being allowed to formally reference it. And it sucked.

We play our roles in daily life. Some of our roles are close to who we really are, and a lot of them are not. We justify it all by referencing our need to succeed in business, to support our families, to be faithful to our Higher Power.

But I think the true source of our own personal power is to express ourselves as we really are. I think what is suppressed, oppressed -- whether within ourselves, in society, or in our media -- comes back to haunt us.

Anyway, I think having good, strong, visible gay superheroes in comic books is important. Not botched ones, like "Rawhide Kid" & "Batwoman." But really good ones. Because there is a gay & bi audience reading comics, and they deserve something more than a broad stereotype or invisibilty.

Who Really Writes These Comics?

These words spoken by Mark Waid in this "Wizard" interview caught my attention:

"The other thing is that when the pitch was first made to me by DiDio..."

This is in reference to the new "Flash" series, by the way...

Anyway, let me get this straight.

The editor (or editor-in-chief, or some other such entity) pitches the story to the writer.

The writer doesn't pitch the story to the editor.

The editor pitches the story to the writer.

I suppose this shouldn't surprise me. I guess this is the way things are done.

"Editorially driven" comics.

How much of the mainstream comics we read are the product of the writer, and how much of the editorial team?

On the other end of the spectrum we have writers like Frank Miller who do whatever they want with little or no editorial interference. They have "earned" this privilege by virtue of the $$$$ they have earned the company.

I dunno. Was "World War Hulk" editorially driven? I'm enjoying that event.

I guess it depends on who on the publisher's side is doing the pitching.

My Thoughts On "The Flash" #13

SPOILERS AHEAD (yeah, like you haven't heard of this news already)

Has there ever been a more hasty backtracking and killing-off of a character like what has happened in "The Flash" #13? What a total mess. The only moment of genuine emotion in this issue was Robin dropping the cell phone at the end when he got the news.

Bart's death seemed so rushed, so ill-planned, so totally scattered that by the time I saw his monument on the last page, I felt nothing. Because it wasn't even Bart. It wasn't the Bart from "Impulse" -- all the joy and uniqueness of that particular version of the character had been slowly drained away since the cancelation of his solo title.

The Bart Allen of this issue was a cypher, utterly generic, and his death was just as generic. It is obvious that this ending was rushed from idea to execution, presumably to clear the way for Waid's turn on the book.

I think ending the book so soon in its new run and restarting it is not as smart as perhaps changing Flashes within the run itself; it doesn't engender trust from the retailers or the fans. It's just another launch of the "Flash," another beginning, another "special collector's item issue" to hype. I hope this is not a trend.

R.I.P., El Barto.

Music To Read "The Flash" #13 To

Suggested by Chris

(nope, I'm not spoiling this issue...yet)

Fan Feedback On
"The Lesbian Scene"
In "Annihilation: Conquest"

On the Newsarama forums...

"Wow, a lesbian scene with lame porno-esque dialogue. "I like it when you watch my back." Poor taste IMO."

"Does anyone think that DC and Marvel are really over doing the lesbian couple thing?
Moondragon & New Quasar (was Moondragon shown as a lesbian before this pairing?)
Thunder & Grace in Outsiders
Scandal & Knockout in Secret Six
I have nothing against lesbian couples (nor am I a tongue wagging lech over them), but it almost seems like they are using lesbian couples as a "safe" way to handle gay relationships in comics."

"How is it poor taste? The characters have been clearly established previously as lesbians, and the dialogue is only lame or porno-esque if you read that into it. Taken at face value, it reads as normal, couple conversation for superheroes. She might just as well be saying "I like it when you make scrambled eggs," or, "I like it when you take the day off with me." Except in their world, what they do is watch each others' back, because they're fighting hordes of angry, malevolent aliens."

"I agree with with your last line a lot about it being the "safe way." Like, you really don't see a lot gay male couples ( Young Avengers, and Ultimate X-men, and some others being an exception). I would like to see all varieties of couples and sexualities in comics...it adds texture and substance, makes people that much more interesting, and appealing to a bigger audience. I like how Chuck Austen handled Northstar and Icemans friendship, and Northstar and the nurse Annie (i think was her name) in Uncanny X-men a bunch of years ago, I really enjoyed those scenes., and thought they added a lot in the book."

"WHO complains about attractively drawn lesbians. ..seriously. thats like saying "i dont like oxygen, or pizza" or other such beautiful things."

A few notes:

"lame porno-esque dialogue" -- oh, come on. You can totally see Black Canary saying that to Green Arrow and vice-versa.

"they are using lesbian couples as a safe way to handle gay relationships in comics" -- well...yes. But you have to start somewhere.

"you really don't see a lot gay male couples"(in comics) -- this is true.

"WHO complains about attractively drawn lesbians. ..seriously. thats like saying "i dont like oxygen, or pizza" or other such beautiful things." -- oy, vey.

with thanks to David the G. who virtually puts posts like this together for me with space enough for me to give it my rant.

The Lost Jimmy/Lois Sex Tapes?

Courtesy of Sleez the friendly neighborhood DC Universe pornographer, alluded to in "Countdown" #46.

How old is Jimmy now, anyway? 34, 35? I mean, he's older than Fred Savage at this point isn't he?

Study Finds That Women Like
Looking At Dirty Pictures Too

"Men are more likely to look at a female's face before gazing at other body parts, according to a new study by researchers at Emory University. And when men and women look at pictures of heterosexual sex, women look longer at the photos than men do, according to the study published in the journal Hormones and Behavior."

The basic gist of it is that according to the study, females look more at the male's body to see if he is, as they say, "in the mood." Whereas with wimmins, a cursory look at her form will not so easily reveal this information. Thus, men look longer at a woman's face. Except when she has really big ones, apparently.

Iron Man: "I Was Justified, You Whiners!"

Here is an awesome funny take on "Civil War" from "Shortpacked" (via Journalista)

Which brings us the question --

Is Tony Stark an analogue for this man:
And were Tony's actions not as unjustified as they've been presented?

What do you do when you are faced with a world full of super-powered beings, some of whom might be out-of-control and a threat? Is this an analogue for dealing with terrorists? How *should* have Tony handled the situation?

You know what we need to bring us all together, to stop this partisan bickering?

Skrulls.

Lots of frickin' skrulls.

Doesn't It Look Like They're Smiling On This Cover?

Also, at first I thought they were wrestling under a Christmas tree.

...

ok, I need some more coffee now. Coffee and a donut.

Two Women Discussing
Working In The Comic Industry

No, of course not -- it is just a panel from DC's "Uncle Sam" #1, via Comic Book Commentary. I'm just doing that "blogging the first thing that spontaneously pops into my mind" thing again.

I don't gulp my martinis down like that, really.

Giant Hoohah Eats Flash Alive, News At Eleven

Somebody put a pair of underpants on this alien...I mean really.

Geez.

"Heroes For Hentai" -- or "Heroes For Hoohah"? You decide.

Bridezilla.

Yes, she's faced off against the most fearsome superheroes in the DCU.

But one wedding and she's all fahklumpt.

Broads.

"Feminine Hygiene Products
Don't Work For Contraception,
Mr. Harper."

Mr. Harper: "You can say that again."

Panels from Planned Parenthood's 1956/1962 edu-comic, "Escape From Fear", found on the "Comics With Problems" site via BoingBoing

'Ho, 'Ho, 'Ho
From McFarlane Toys' new "Twisted Christmas" Line.
Get it?
'Ho?
'Ho 'ho 'ho?

"Can anybody tell me what Christmas is all about?"
"I can tell you, Charlie Brown. It's about action figures that look like strippers."

Black Adam: EMO!

Top 20 Comic Books For May
(with my notes)

1. FALLEN SON: DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA (cool, but getting a little played out)

2. DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BORN #4 (Of 7) (didn't read)

3. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9 (eh)

4. CAPTAIN AMERICA #26 (cool)

5. NEW AVENGERS #30 (ok)

6. ASTONISHING X-MEN #21 (didn't read)

7. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #540 (didn't read)

8. MIGHTY AVENGERS #3 (cool)

9. ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN #5 (good god)

10. WORLD WAR HULK PROLOGUE WORLD BREAKER (awesome)

11. INCREDIBLE HULK #106 (World War Hulk) (awesome)

12. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #3 (ok)

13. ULTIMATES 2 #13 (cool)

14. AVENGERS INITIATIVE #2 (cool)

15. 52 WEEK #52 (didn't read)

16. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #6 (eh)

17. WOLVERINE #54 (didn't read)

18. NEW AVENGERS ILLUMINATI #3 (Of 5) (didn't read)

19. COUNTDOWN 51 (didn't read)

20. COUNTDOWN 50 (didn't read)

I find the promotional push for Hulk and Cap rocketing them to the top of the chart to be impressive; awesome way to revitalize these "warhorses."

TV/Movie/Book adaptations historically tend not to do so well, but I eye Stephen King in the #2 slot & Buffy at #12 with some interest. These are both properties that extend far beyond the comic fan audience and cross over to both genders.

I find the JLA/JSA crossover, 52/Countdown, and All-Star Batman to not be "core" books but more gimmicky. DC needs more "core" non-gimmicky books in the top 20. They need to build long-term fans and not coast them on one "event" after another, one "stunt writer/artist" after another.

I haven't read Wolverine since I was 18. They still put this out? They rebooted it too? Where was I?

A Tale Of Two Lesbian Superheroines

1. Batwoman: I gots nothing other than: stabbed, bound to a table, smoochies with new Question. Where is she now? Where is her series?

2. Quasar (Phylla-Vell): Has a four-issue limited series coming out.

Phylla who? Quasar gay what?

As I said in an earlier post, the the differences are:

* Quasar is not a top tier character -- she is second/third tier, like other gay characters such as Pied Piper, Hulkling, Holly Robinson, Moondragon, etc. So there is a feeling of more freedom to be bold, to be creative, to be more diverse. Batwoman, as "Wikipedia" describes her, is "the female counterpart to DC Comics' popular superhero Batman."

* Quasar is not "marketed" as a gay character. That is to say, there is not a publicity campaign focusing specifically on her sexuality. Like Hulkling & Wiccan from "Young Avengers," the sexual preference of the character is just one facet of a multi-layered character. In contrast, Batwoman was specifically "pushed" in the media as a lesbian character first, superheroine second.

But I think since DC initially traded off of the publicity surrounding Batwoman's sexuality, I would hope that they have a series starring her in the works soon and are ready to promote it. Yes, there may be fears that having a character so "close" to the Batman brand (if only by name and design) be gay might spark controversy -- might set off the "Boycott Tinky Winky" contingent.

On the other hand, America loves "Ellen." If the networks were chicken-shits they never would have found this out and made lots of money.

So grow a pair and give "Batwoman" the spotlight again. And give her good stories. If I want to read slash fan-fiction with a liberal dose of girl-on-girl bondage scenes I can get that for free online.

The Battle Of The Sexes,
World War Hulk Style

This is awesome stuff.

All things being equal, could Jen really beat Hulk's ass?

Top Ten Reasons Bart Allen Is Toast

10. That Bart Simpson reference is sooo 1994.
9. Yeah, he gots lotsa book learning, but nobody loves a know-it-all
8. Stupid hair
7. Stupid big puffy feet
6. That pseudo-manga look is sooo 2001
5. His book kinda sucked
4. That "Young Justice" thing is sooo 1999
3. With Hal back, the all bets are off and the door is really left open for Barry to return
2. His book is being cancelled at #13 despite solicits for #s 14-15
1. Death sells, baby!

She Has A Suction-Cup Arrow On Her Ass

She Has A Suction-Cup Arrow
On Her Ass

No commentary, I'm just trying to capture what I spontaneously think

Doing It Right: Dwayne McDuffie New Writer of JLA

Maybe McDuffie's name initially might not carry the same "marquee" value as Brad Meltzer, but with a proven track record both in comic books and the "Justice League Unlimited" animated series, the book finally has somebody that can make it truly great again.

It's about the long term shepherding of a title, not the short-term gimmicks -- building a fan-base, not slash-and-burn guerrilla marketing tactics.

And team titles like "JLA" & "X-Men" benefit most from this approach.

Silver Surfer In The Latest FF Movie...

Didn't it seem like the Silver Surfer was too good for the film? Like when they hire Christopher Lee for "Gremlins 2" or John Hurt/William Hurt for most of the films they do. It's like between all the goofy Mr. Fantastic stretch scenes and Julian McMahon pouting evilly at the camera you dropped down the comic book equivalent of Jesus and he's like in a completely different film. Surfer's in a Ingmar Bergman film, everybody else is in "The Goonies 6."

You can picture some high-brow interviewer like that "Inside The Actors Studio" guy or NPR chatting with Surfer about his career in film. And when they get to "FF 2" Surfer just flashes an apologetic smile and says, "well, I did it for the money." He did it for the money. So he can have the luxury to do those smaller indie films.

Norrin Radd -- he did it for the money. But for the Art as well.