Friday, April 30, 2010
Separated At Birth
Of all the people I visit and comment on their work there are a select few who I feel must have shared a womb or birthing tank with me because we often answer survey questions in similar ways or choose similar images to share when we are scouting around our favorite tumblrs. This picture showed up on Tumblefrog right after I had chosen it from this tumblr. I know someone who looks just like this and thought she would get a kick out of seeing this old painting of herself. Just was one of those weird moments.
Jules Frederic Ballavoine, 1855-1901
Portrait of a Young Woman
Jules Frederic Ballavoine, 1855-1901
Portrait of a Young Woman
Comic Questionairre.
1 Did you read comics as a kid?
I always had those 'Peanuts' treasuries for as long as I can remember. Just before moving to Europe my father started bringing me comics from the gas station so I was primed to like them. When we lived in Germany my mother worked at a hotel where soldiers stayed when they were leaving or first arrived to Germany. Every Friday she would bring me home a box of comics and magazines that had been left behind and collected by the cleaning staff. After I picked out what I liked I would go door to door to trade with other kids so I pretty much read everything for all those years. I loved to big 80 cent treasuries.
2 Who bought you your first comic?
My cousin had given me an old 'Batman' comic that I carried around with me and read to death. When my dad saw how much I liked it and how ratty is was he started bringing home new 'Spiderman' and 'Batman' comics most every day.
3 Did you take any time away from comics? Why?
Not really. Through high school and college the local comic store was close so you always stopped in. In University when comics started costing too much we found a second hand book store that sold them by the cost on the cover so I can't remember a time without comics.
4 What brought you back into comics?
Even when I started working full time I had them shipped to me from my favorite comic shop. He was great and knew what I liked or may like. Got lots of premiums and rare books just because I gave him alot of business.
5 Do you prefer getting comics monthly or in trades?
Now that I download most of my comics (after amassing 12000+ floppy collection) I will save most series until a story is done, to read it all at one time. It's often a more satisfying experience. However some titles like, 'Thunderbolts', 'X-men', or 'Guardians of the Galaxy' I will read right off - monthly.
6 Do you know the name of your Local Comic Shop (LCS)?
Yes - his name is Ramone
7 Does your LCS know your name?
Only to say it in hushed whispers.
8 Do you own any old number 1 comics (must date before 1980)?
Several - maybe 2 dozen and many first appearances like Wolverine's and the Punisher's.
9 Do you own any original comic art?
Some but I have a lot of non comic art done by students that include me in some way.
10 Do you bag and board your comics?
I spent one whole summer doing that and happy that I did now. All are bagged, boarded and organized by character/title if not numerically
11 Where do you store your comics?
In the vault room of the Cave of Cool
12 How many comics do you read right now, in either floppy or trade format?
I can download most everything so I would say 100 or so titles a month. Most all of DC, Marvel, Darkhorse, Dynamite and the oddities from other publishers.
13 What would be your number one, all-time desert island, favourite comic series?
I would say the new 'X-men' that were created after 'Giant Sized X-Men 1' (that introduced Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus) and 'Kingdom Come' the mini-series has so much good in there that I can read it over and over again.
14 Do you follow comic creators on Twitter?
I do no twitter, bitch.
15 Do you have a favourite comic creator?
Mike Mignola - love his art and his Gothic take on fairy tales. Love Art Adams and Mark Waid - his 'Irredeemable' is terrific to follow. Alex Ross is my favorite painter due to the photo realistic work he does.
16 Do you harbour any aspirations to create your own comics?
Who hasn't. I have four complete scripts with illustration - 'Time Lord', 'Spellbound', 'Monsters Inc' (BEFORE THE CARTOON) and 'Monster Island'. Should they ever see the light of day? Who knows. But I am proud of them.
17 Do you access comic news online, if so where?
Yes, I download weekly from bit torrent friendly site. 'Comic Vine' is good.
Time to pick sides…
Marvel or DC – I prefer Marvel for the nostalgia but prefer the DC Characters when they are done right. Marvel's 'big events' usually change nothing and take forever. DC knows how to destroy universes.
Superman or Batman – Superman
Spider-Man or Wolverine – Spider-Man as he was done in the old days but it is neat to see the two of them together. They have a really nice dynamic.
Iron Fist or Luke Cage – I would say Luke Cage at one time but the latest series of Iron Fist was very well done and redefined the character in an interesting way.
Nick Fury normal or Nick Fury Sam Jackson – It really makes no difference to me. The old Stan Lee Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD comics were pretty awesome. I don't really understand some of the fan hatred directed at Samuel L. Jackson playing Fury, honestly. The Marvel Ultimate version of Fury was kind of lame, but so was the Ultimate version of everybody. (agreed)
Spandex or real life stories – I don't care, as long as it's well-told. (agreed - story is everything)
Golden Age or Silver Age or Modern Age - The Golden Age can be all goofy but they are harmless. The Silver Age can be overly gimmicky and talky so I like the beginning of the Marvel Age (especially all those monster comics where the creatures have names like GOOOOM) - before the late eighties when everything went dark and all the fun was leached out of the adventures.
Digital or paper – Either one. Makes no difference to me.
Gotham or New York – It doesn't matter to me, actually.
Hero or villain – Depends who we're talking about. 'Thunderbolts' did some great work using villains pretending to be heroes.
Cape or no cape – Depends on the character; Superman would look silly without a cape, but Green Arrow would look silly with one. I still remember when Nightwing kicked Batman's ass while reminding him why he always hated wearing a cape as Robin.
Cowl or domino mask – Cowl at least gives you a chance that you can save your secret identity because domino mask is the worst disguise ever. Worse than wearing glasses even - that's looking at your Clark Kent.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I Don't Know Why I Love This Pictures So Much
But I do. It's like the right and proper crown for the 'King of the Kitties' to wear.
http://snuh.tumblr.com/
Jonah Hex - First Look.
'Jonah Hex' and the 'Losers' and 'The Unknown Solider' were three of my favorite comics growing up. Hell, the current run of "Jonah Hex' is excellent and does not include a cowboy with powers. He never needed them.
I have no love for the filmmakers who added a supernatural element to a character that was cool without any 'accessories' but I understand that they needed to find some way to include CGI in the old west. Now either it will work and be very cool or we will get another WILD WILD WEST. I can't tell from the trailer.
What is wrong with simple 'revenge' anymore. That worked when I was a boy and we were happy to have it. Everything this year has to be 3D or CGI heavy or we don't care. Good STORY will always make us care. When will they figure that out?
I Hate That This Is Fiction And Not Reality
“Monstering is, ultimately, about giving a shit. It’s about giving something back to these bastards, these people whom we somehow let run our goddamn lives for us. Giving them a taste of what it means to be us. Every law that curbs my basic freedoms; every lie about the things I care for; every crime committed against me by their politics—that’s what make me get up and hound these fuckers, and I’ll do that until the day I die, or until my brain dries up or something. That’s what we achieve. We show them they’re accountable. We show them that just as they try to herd us back into cages of quiet mediocrity, we can chase them back to fucking hell with the truth.
It’s the journalism of attachment. It’s caring about the world you report on. Some people say that’s bad journalism, that there should be a detached, cold, unbiased view of the world in our news media. And if that’s what you want, there are security cameras everywhere that you could watch tapes of. I want to see humans talking about human life, personally. I want to see people who give a shit about the world.”
Spider Jerusalem
http://phronk.tumblr.com/
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Dark Lurking
This Australian production is just the kind of movie that I like to watch. You take a group of individuals and place them in a situation that they can't possibly survive. For example - a genetic research station on another planet that has gone into lock down because whatever they were experimenting on went ape shit and now have a taste for anything moving.
A group of mercenaries sent down to the station team up with the few lab workers still alive and try to survive long enough to figure out what exactly is going on. I have to tell you that the explanation is pretty much the stupidest I have ever heard in any movie. And I have seen a lot of movies. I am tempted to tell you but I would rob you of the joy of yelling 'bullshit' at the TV if you ever see it pop up one late night.
The monsters are pretty well done as there is plenty of gore to satisfy fans of the genre. For a small budget they do a good job at creating an atmosphere of dread. However the script is really horrific as are the performances. The actors must have been related to the director because it appears they have had NO training.
I could forgive all that if not for that 'explanation'. It's really out of left field - no it's out of the field BEYOND left field. You have seen it all before in much better movies.
Powergirl by Becca
Another great pin-up by Becca. Now no one can tell me that Powergirl doesn't know EXACTLY what she is doing with her costume. As much to distract as to impress.
http://beccawsart.tumblr.com/
Tremoctopus Defense Mechanism
I am not impressed. So you take a bed sheet out of your ass and pretend you can fly. I tried the same things when I was ten. It was lucky there was a rose bush to catch me or I could have been killed. Thanks to Japanese television for keeping the youth of that country informed like they should be.
Oh and for those of you who think these creatures are cute and cuddly, I would like you to tell me the last time a puppy or a kitten had to change it's SHAPE. They say it's to avoid predators but I know it's to sneak up on our base by pretending to be something less scary and bloodthirsty. Is it any wonder I hate these things. THIS is another way that they GETCHA!
Oh and for those of you who think these creatures are cute and cuddly, I would like you to tell me the last time a puppy or a kitten had to change it's SHAPE. They say it's to avoid predators but I know it's to sneak up on our base by pretending to be something less scary and bloodthirsty. Is it any wonder I hate these things. THIS is another way that they GETCHA!
Oh No - I Have Been Found Out
I can't argue with this post when they show all the messed up people who share my choice of facial hair. I had a mustache in high school so any additional hair sculpting I do, I did long before any of these losers got in trouble. Or I have been pretty screwed up for 15 years which is more likely the truth.
"The Goatee: The Official Facial Hair of Guys Working Through Some Shit"
http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com/archives/2010/04/the_goatee_the.html
"The Goatee: The Official Facial Hair of Guys Working Through Some Shit"
http://www.yesbutnobutyes.com/archives/2010/04/the_goatee_the.html
"This Situation Will Get Out Of Control. It Will Get Out Of Control And We Will Be Lucky To Live Through It"
"Giant Baby of the Day: Spain’s big deal at this year’s Shanghai Expo will be an enormous animatronics infant named “Miguelín,” which was designed by the special-effects team that gave horrible, horrible life to Starship Troopers and Alien vs. Predator."
I hate dolls that are so realistic that they look like live babies. You know the ones. They are 'adopted' by women who no longer have children at home and are cared for just like they are alive. They creep me out more than circus clowns in a thunderstorm.
People laugh at me but even watching a clip about them on the news makes me want to stuff one is a pillow case then drive to the river. Their eyes follow you around the room but they are not alive. STOP PRETENDING THAT THEY ARE!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
So seeing this enormouse baby doll was enough to increase my heart rate. I refuse to see it in 'action' because if it looks anywhere NEAR real and alive when it's in motion, I will have to book a flight to Shanghai just to smash it for the good of us all.
http://thedailywh.at/
Why Can't I Get Pepsi In Glass Bottles Anymore?
A few summers ago our local corner store got a few cases of Pepsi in glass bottles by mistake, something never seen here in the tundra. I, of course, bought a case and rationed them jealously. Glass bottles make the pop taste so much better but so does cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. I so totally need a Mexican connection. (for pop, not weed - our province is next door to the best grown weed in the world) I can't stand that I am drinking Pepsi in the cans when I know there is better stuff out there. Some things you can't compromise over. Oh, how I suffer.
Someone Having A Worse Day Than You
My dad used to always say "Well, another day at the sardine factory" before he left for work and by a fluke I found a picture of someone actually having to work in the hated sardine factory. Not so bad as the salf mines because at least you get a chair to sit in but having to deal with sardines all day (which are really just a name for any fish a certain size) would suck.
"HEY! Is There Anyone There?"
"Do you think you could let me in? Not a big fan of the SNOW. Read the sign bitch. It says AFRICAN lion. A F R I C A N! COME ON! I am freezing my nunnies off here and the tigers in the next cage are laughing at me."
Sometimes I Like Minimalist Design And Sometimes I Like Busy Design
These busily designed posters by Tyler Stout and Mike Saputo (first two) and Jesse Phillips's (last one) are very cool. Gotta save that first one for the Wall of Cool when I get new color cartridges. This film is only a few weeks away and I am very excited to see it. The cast is great and I suspect so will be the effects. What more do you want for the start of the summer movie season?
Deadliest Catch
I am starting to feel like a ghoul for watching one of my favorite shows - 'Deadliest Catch' - knowing that Captain Phil died back in February as this season was almost finished being filmed. I also know they extensively covered the stroke that lead to his death and now I find myself just waiting for that to occur. It breaks my heart to hear him talking about how great it is to fish with his sons when you know the future. Human's shouldn't know the future.
These aren't normal reality show actors. They are real people who are doing a real fishing show who just happen to have the cameras on them. When you are that tired you can't fake emotion coming from you. That is what fascinates me about that program. Any one who doesn't believe that needs to be on the deck in high winds and 40 foot seas. That terrifies me from my couch.
I also love seeing those pots come up over the deck full of crabs. It's the same thrill I get seeing a sheep being sheered and seeing the wool come off in one piece.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Lake Louise - Most Beautiful Spot In The World
I may have a bias because I have been there many times but this is my choice.
http://neverstopquestioning.tumblr.com/
Favorite Sculpture
"The Lion of Lucerne is an allegorical memorial for 760 fallen and 350 surviving members of a regiment of Swiss guards who fought to defend the Tuileries Palace as it was being stormed by the people of Paris during the French Revolution.
Designed by sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and executed by Lukas Ahorn."
http://neverstopquestioning.tumblr.com/
Love This Photo
So many bad things are going on in this picture from 1948 in Saudi Arabia. I just wrote a whole story in my head. Nothing is where it should be and the five main elements just give me cause to be suspicious that the photographer was killed after taking this picture because it meant he knew too much already.
http://neverstopquestioning.tumblr.com/
Well That Is Just Perverse
I loved this movie as a kid. Dean Jones seemed to be in everything those days. No way this poster would pass corporate scrutiny in 2010. What that little car does to 'himself' should not be spoken of in polite company. I think I may need to wipe down the seats with a 'wet nap' before I get in.
http://samuraifrog.tumblr.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
%20(002).jpg)
%20SDTB.jpg)
.jpg)
