tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37674111810338636172024-03-05T06:29:36.546-08:00Dave of ApocalypseComic Books, Video Games, Wrestling, Bad Movies, and Other Important Things.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-9597925634468387102022-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:002022-03-01T15:59:35.728-08:00Freewrite from early November (rough)<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I remember you,</span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">rapt by the details of the sculptor's work,</span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">lost in wonder at the way he'd chiseled feathers from the marble,</span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">amazed by the details, the fingertips, the toenails,</span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">the little things most people would not see.</span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I remember you.
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98w2enJnVzC_iw_FAKmSgXM_MDCV7JQh3twxxOQOIPyimuKw9QLIStRUTmK5OfJHiIKdH30VGLo6GFNtGhIW68I_93XthgDG4HIe0VExT1u0fklfg5TG3tQ2Yqss6N__S4EaLj2dxARY/s1600/RebelAngels.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98w2enJnVzC_iw_FAKmSgXM_MDCV7JQh3twxxOQOIPyimuKw9QLIStRUTmK5OfJHiIKdH30VGLo6GFNtGhIW68I_93XthgDG4HIe0VExT1u0fklfg5TG3tQ2Yqss6N__S4EaLj2dxARY/s320/RebelAngels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677570710652230882" border="0" /></a>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
</span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-52046565075695739092012-03-17T19:41:00.006-07:002012-03-18T12:11:37.459-07:00Gangsterism: Me vs Lil WayneHello folks! I am spending St. Patrick's Day, like most other days, reflecting on how awesome I am. However, in what is bound to become an annual event, I am focusing on my level of gangsterness, or gangsterism if you will, as held up against an actual gangster rapper.<br /><br />Lil Wayne and I have some things in common. We both have first names that start with D. We both had fathers who didn't really come through for us and who we both want nothing to do with. We were both recognized as being bright as kids. We both really like candy. We both have what it takes to rock the mic right. Neither of us are actually named Wayne. Now that we've established some common ground....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE GANGSTERISM FACE-OFF SHOWDOWN!!!!!!!!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwyDxrssFhqdLHBnIkigtDA72jH_fGWwiUt6BIEkHJ4aU7svCeySX6nx3cPGvSJNyUzq-1EftFvuhAjJOnYCdTXWrmrK9y5vbixgExjBYzymByLEsd5lP94SohlIQM_HEc2IAOPgvYvY/s1600/WeezyVsPacaleezy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwyDxrssFhqdLHBnIkigtDA72jH_fGWwiUt6BIEkHJ4aU7svCeySX6nx3cPGvSJNyUzq-1EftFvuhAjJOnYCdTXWrmrK9y5vbixgExjBYzymByLEsd5lP94SohlIQM_HEc2IAOPgvYvY/s400/WeezyVsPacaleezy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721081723011755826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Lil Wayne grew up in New Orleans. I grew up in Flint. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne was in a gifted program in elementary school. I was roped into tutoring other kids in my regular-ass elementary school. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne met the owner of Cash Money Records in 1991. In 1991, I was working under the table at a comic book store moving heavy boxes while underage. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne accidentally shot himself at age 13. A lot of people would think this makes him more gangster than me because he's been shot, but those people would be wrong. Real gangsters don't accidentally shoot themselves. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne was an honor student at a magnet school. My school district didn't have a magnet school, likely because they couldn't afford one. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne got taken to the hospital (when he shot himself) by an off-duty police officer. Not only would a real gangster not shoot himself, but on the off-chance he did shoot himself, he would probably not go to the hospital, and definitely would not go there with the police unless he was being taken there in handcuffs. Also, a real gangster would not trust the police. I'm issuing myself a minimum of 2 points on this one.<br /><br />(Score so far: Lil Wayne 0, Me 7 or more)<br /><br />In 1999 Lil Wayne was featured on Juvenile's Back That Azz Up. In 1999, I was trying to get chicks to back that azz up onto me while dancing to Back That Azz Up and various songs by Bootleg and The Dayton Family in Churchill's in Flint, Michigan. DRAW.<br /><br />In 2005 Lil Wayne started wearing dreadlocks. I cannot grow dreadlocks. Point - Lil Wayne.<br /><br />In 2007 Lil Wayne was named Rapper of the Year by The New Yorker and Workaholic of the Year by GQ magazine. Real Gangsters do not get complimentary write-ups in The New Yorker. And since the G in GQ does not stand for Gangster - that's Two Points - me.<br /><br />(Score so far: Lil Wayne 1, me 9 or more)<br /><br />In 2009 Lil Wayne was on tracks with Madonna and Weezer. I wasn't. Two Points - me.<br /><br />In 2011, Fred Durst said Lil Wayne will be on Limp Bizkit's new album. Point - me.<br /><br />The label Lil Wayne is on has Drake on it. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne is a practicing Christian. Point - me.<br /><br />(Score so far: Lil Wayne 1, me 13 or more)<br /><br />Lil Wayne is involved in philanthropy. Real gangsters do not give hard earned money away. Point - me.<br /><br />In 2007 Lil Wayne was arrested for getting high in NYC. I am currently contesting a ticket with the NYPD - DRAW.<br /><br />In 2010 Lil Wayne was doing a term on Rikers Island. Real gangsters don't get caught. If they do, they buy their way out, or pay their lawyers to get them out of it. Point - me.<br /><br />He then got let out early for good behavior. How many gangsters do you know who are known for their good behavior? Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne didn't show up to another hearing because he was already doing time at Rikers. Point - Lil Wayne.<br /><br />(Score so far: Lil Wayne 2, me 16 or more)<br /><br />Lil Wayne has been sued many times for things like copyright infringement and unpaid royalties. That's got to be some of the least gangster stuff there is to get sued for. Point - me.<br /><br />Lil Wayne had a beef with 50 Cent. 50 Cent is also not gangster. Point - me.<br /><br />So, all-in-all, that brings us to a tally of me being statistically proven as being 9 TIMES AS GANGSTER as Lil Wayne. I'd thank you for reading, but that would not be very gangster of me.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-55836966452010155542012-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:002012-01-14T12:09:23.617-08:00A Little Writing Exercise (Trust Me, This is Dumb)Well, something got stuck in my head (as is a somewhat regular occurrence) and I wanted to see if I could flesh it out, just as a sort of writing exercise. I wanted to see what sort of result I could come up with if I "translated" Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" into bastardized old-timey English. <br /><br />Keep in mind, this is coming from the guy who wrote the country song "Tell Me if You Love Me 'fore I Spend $400 on Cheap Whiskey Again." <a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/2008/08/professor-x-fake-psychic-psychic-dick.html">I also rewrote 50 Cent's "In Da Club" as though the paraplegic leader of the X-Men was rapping about his material wealth and sexual proficiency (WITH rhyme scheme, thank you very much!).</a> My brain just likes to stretch out and play sometimes. I didn't go for rhyme scheme here at all - this was just a one-off and I wanted it to be overall clunky but generally singable to the original melody. Here goes!<br /><br />(Also, please note I could do much better with the photo below if I had anything but just MSPaint on this computer.)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GHrxHkdBDMO_2wVohA5vJUBWPfKHGuWC0xDLKi8sWflGzOASDxSwoo8H3ppVi7hSMRsRtTcUy50osKL6-F4Wyc5IPZ5DD0zlLef_cSM3Cm2cCjH9yL2Y3nLCB5kJZO99OGl1YCmEsNQ/s1600/YeOldeKurt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GHrxHkdBDMO_2wVohA5vJUBWPfKHGuWC0xDLKi8sWflGzOASDxSwoo8H3ppVi7hSMRsRtTcUy50osKL6-F4Wyc5IPZ5DD0zlLef_cSM3Cm2cCjH9yL2Y3nLCB5kJZO99OGl1YCmEsNQ/s320/YeOldeKurt.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697580844481759394" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sir Curtis of Aberdeen</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />SCENTED IN A MANNER OF PUBESCENT 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height:normal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Hold fast to thine armaments, rally thine fellows.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">‘tis joyous to suffer loss and masquerade.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">The lady’s listless and rather cocksure.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Egads!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve knowledge of filthy designation.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">With yon candles snuffed, ‘tis less frightful!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Perchance I am a transmissible cretin!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">A half-breed!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One devoid of pigmentation!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Sanguinary insect!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My nether urges!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Yea!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yea!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yea!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">I’m least proficient in that which I excel.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">‘tis as if I were anointed on high.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Our bantam band has existed eternal,</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">and will continue until things cease.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">With yon candles snuffed, ‘tis less frightful!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Perchance I am a transmissible cretin!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">A half-breed!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One devoid of pigmentation!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Sanguinary insect!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My nether urges!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Yea!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yea!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yea!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal"><br />I fail to recall my rationale for savoring.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Eureka!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It draws my mouth open in a winsome gesture.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Observing stiffness, stiffness observes.</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Anyhow, whatsoever, pay it no heed.<br /><br />Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Fairly contemptible.)</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Greetings!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">With yon candles snuffed, ‘tis less frightful!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Perchance I am a transmissible cretin!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">Where we are presently located, make us merry!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">A half-breed!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One devoid of pigmentation!</p> <p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Sanguinary insect!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My nether urges!</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Yea!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height:normal">A negation! (x9)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span><br style="mso-special-character:line-break"></p><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:11.0pt;" > <br style="mso-special-character:line-break"> </span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-88817843380245725722011-12-30T19:27:00.000-08:002012-01-11T11:56:21.580-08:00Please note:The scorpion has more than just eight legs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdl65MjWaj7Dgk6it5erFbuA6TB1SNh9ZD-gXrHGWzmcVAVOUVh2afBLuYTjCXItk7P4UZujAdqxh5EZoBeYSeRxNL0mysrNUmjvzWPgHerdqM7csRyad2EW3vQTjgADO59iIpfzcsYQ/s1600/fluorescent-scorpion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdl65MjWaj7Dgk6it5erFbuA6TB1SNh9ZD-gXrHGWzmcVAVOUVh2afBLuYTjCXItk7P4UZujAdqxh5EZoBeYSeRxNL0mysrNUmjvzWPgHerdqM7csRyad2EW3vQTjgADO59iIpfzcsYQ/s320/fluorescent-scorpion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694355955319203154" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><br /></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-73259837542852001932011-11-11T06:46:00.001-08:002011-11-11T06:48:37.892-08:00Freewrite from July (rough)The man at the coffeebar hovers his touchscreen.
No click-clack of the keyboard necessary,
just fluid motion, smooth, over glass, skimming this digital skin -
that wraps the new machines that guide us
through our electronic surrogate lives.
We stroke the inbox, caress the message, trace the photo's edge.
There are no contours, but it is safe.
And we need to touch something.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-33571087229124664022011-11-02T17:04:00.000-07:002012-01-11T12:03:56.142-08:00"Comic Book Guy?" Not So Much<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you talk to me for even like 15 minutes at a party, you'll probably find out I know some stuff about comic books. But if you've talked to me in the last couple months, you'll probably know that I'm also realizing "comic books" are not <span style="font-style: italic;">exactly</span> my thing.<br /><br />"Blasphemy!" said the nerds and the geeks! But I don't mean it like <span style="font-weight: bold;">that</span>. Let me explain.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />For a very long time, one of the shortcut qualities that people would use to introduce me was that I was a comic book guy. Not THE comic book guy, but A comic book guy. Was this somewhat accurate? Definitely. I own comic books. I own comic book t-shirts. I go to comic book conventions. Hell, I've been known to collect comic book artwork. But was I, am I, a "comic book guy?" No. This was not entirely accurate for quite some time.</span> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4dnJJOiqCnPyhukpKgyfrYR2EFvfDwezaTEeTqQYiZ_ofPfb8gxjb7ZetLrnEw8pMw6GUHAZlru3xwHGogV-0SYuVnI5AGDmyDWVUEbzlkRpb4r9aA0Sqvw6KUiw7Fj1Fd0T_tIiADU/s1600/ComicBookGuy4.GIF"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRExEB9Med_Cfrz1C6H8mxaicrxwppcTu_1lIvzthBk1Q0neoMVdZUN_y_EkggABkgAYFgJ4iQ2x9qzoQ8ol49J8sv2-C7L4g9ffPNCRq_6Ll9hv960oGOBtoTIL_7dxjZ8Rg0Dc1LhE/s1600/ComicBookGuy3.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRExEB9Med_Cfrz1C6H8mxaicrxwppcTu_1lIvzthBk1Q0neoMVdZUN_y_EkggABkgAYFgJ4iQ2x9qzoQ8ol49J8sv2-C7L4g9ffPNCRq_6Ll9hv960oGOBtoTIL_7dxjZ8Rg0Dc1LhE/s320/ComicBookGuy3.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667821974149947506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">THIS IS NOT ME.</span></span><br /></div> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Comic books and their fandom in the modern day have a lot to do with blind loyalty. They have a lot to do with buying into hype. They have a lot to do with undying favoritism. They have a lot to do with 20 and 30 and 40 year old fans (and older) arguing with others over what books and publishers and creative teams are better. It's almost like watching a political debate, where no matter what decision anybody makes, there's someone to say it's great even if it's incredibly stupid. It's almost like a religion in some ways. Blind loyalty and "spin" do not appeal to me in any way.<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdEBqLPS1fzFDK2I0NeUIIUzXThXfNKkb88LzaiwKhbasZlhsmJ2x-yrTjTNq23LYGtzTaGPOCFt3DBx44CDhSMwjycfk7nHbTeWmHPRMO3WVTOYtLxJ6TGHzrNuTShSwdfO0Z2WiTLA/s1600/ComicCon.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdEBqLPS1fzFDK2I0NeUIIUzXThXfNKkb88LzaiwKhbasZlhsmJ2x-yrTjTNq23LYGtzTaGPOCFt3DBx44CDhSMwjycfk7nHbTeWmHPRMO3WVTOYtLxJ6TGHzrNuTShSwdfO0Z2WiTLA/s320/ComicCon.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667823191501442962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A SCENE FROM THE FIRST EVER COMIC CON.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Furthermore, comic books in the modern day have often become more about shock value and getting a blurb on a newsreel or creating a fervor with the fans with hyper-violence or hyper-sexuality. It comes down to, "Let's kill a hero. Let's make a super-heroine a super-slut - again." These are NOT things that I love.</span> Often, it feels like comic books have become little more than fan-fiction for the folks who grew up reading them. That, and proving grounds for comic book movies. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />I, generally, do not love the comic book movie. The last comic book movie I saw that I really thought was good was Batman with Michael Keaton in 1989. And I was 9 years old.<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6N5euS643pTNqmaO7aJX2qAMYZW-xhqT2pKZjguq_lij6VgIZRm-TYTWixB7PneOOFfyNXdgKHYxnx3e6VQhghp0VcKMImUJJyb5ykTU8FXTyMba0iSSEKjewB6QKQQ34T0z23dc894/s1600/Batman1989.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6N5euS643pTNqmaO7aJX2qAMYZW-xhqT2pKZjguq_lij6VgIZRm-TYTWixB7PneOOFfyNXdgKHYxnx3e6VQhghp0VcKMImUJJyb5ykTU8FXTyMba0iSSEKjewB6QKQQ34T0z23dc894/s320/Batman1989.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667822703915935378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">YEAH.</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">To me, movies are to comic books (quite often) the same thing that they are to fans of fiction. Ruiners. <a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/1046/Movies_Ruining_the_Book_Since_1920">Someone I know has (or at least had) a shirt that said, "Movies, Ruining the Book since 1920," </a>and the general sentiment of that sums up my feelings on comic book movies pretty well.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I DO love what comic books were to me growing up. Namely, stories that encourage kids to try, to persevere, to believe in themselves, that can give kids a progressive counterpoint to the smalltown worlds they grow up in, that can help get them through hard times, that can help tell them to hope. Namely, stories where the good people win every time if they try hard enough and believe in themselves - because that's what's supposed to happen in the real world even though it often doesn't, and it's nice to remember it CAN happen at least in a fake world on paper. If that starts being what comic books are again, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">that's</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> when I'll love them. But it still wouldn't make me a "comic book guy."</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />See, we are all much more than the shortcut qualities we know each other (and ourselves) by. We are more complex. We are not just bowlers or karaoke lovers, writers or sisters, jazz dancers or experts in wine. We are not just uncles or people who quote Monty Python, not just guys who are good with a grill or people who might drink too much socially. We are people. Incredibly complex people, with layers of depth and gravity we often have no idea are inside us.<br /><br />Over time, if we're not careful, we can come to see ourselves by the qualities and limitations that others (and we ourselves) put upon us - but we do ourselves and each other injustices by choosing to be so simple about it.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That's not to say we're bad people. The ability to make snap judgments or general guesses is part of how we get to know people - but when we forget to stop learning and we simply see them, or ourselves, as those generalizations we already know or accept, we make both ourselves and them something lesser. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I think that everyone needs to let themselves really get to know themselves. I believe it's only then that you can ever really get to know others.<br /><br />So no. I'm not a comic book guy. I worked at a comic book store for eight years growing up, and comic books got me through some hard times. But I'm not a comic book guy. I AM a guy who knows a lot about comic books - and that's something I can live with.<br /></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-8743314542767914792011-10-30T18:57:00.000-07:002012-01-11T12:05:08.504-08:00Thinking of Spock, or Logic Isn't Everything<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OrzQGhCuJi3v5_1QYOVwXvPAKfraH4QTDvrsIlNLZO9v7awWAC2sFgFOeGKgDG25Sso6DFQNdTZBZjx370G03Vn3DXK00rvHJyEQIQH-ti63kG0NFolqVsRWCvy9WdQpxkVtvMnTNbs/s1600/Success.jpg"><br /></a><br />Me and my Mom watched a lot of TV when I was growing up. One of the shows we watched a lot was the original Star Trek. I don't remember all that much of the plots or whatever, but I remember the characters.<br /><br />Star Trek had Spock -- the pointy-eared and kind-but-awkward Vulcan who often commented on things being either logical or illogical. I found myself thinking about Spock tonight.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFJGStqERGXBF4iyb-fMWrZwovyLBt7jCpYNUZRzBHouLl3-1AWqH4vPkXaz8EZJQUyg6vnGnqUCGZLjzeMLDT4GwOeTI0NY2MdbdCw-o33hyQsbC2jOjDkW0XFTiTEer0n5Houmredc/s1600/spock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFJGStqERGXBF4iyb-fMWrZwovyLBt7jCpYNUZRzBHouLl3-1AWqH4vPkXaz8EZJQUyg6vnGnqUCGZLjzeMLDT4GwOeTI0NY2MdbdCw-o33hyQsbC2jOjDkW0XFTiTEer0n5Houmredc/s320/spock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669474732963188786" border="0" /></a><br />I remember asking my Mom what "logical" meant, and she told me something like, "Logic is when you make decisions without letting your heart get in the way." As maybe a four-year-old, I thought this was the smartest thing I'd <span style="font-weight: bold;">ever heard</span>. What I heard was, "Logic is making intelligent decisions. Don't let your feelings cloud that." Remember, I was around four -- but to me, Spock was the template that all humans should aspire to.<br /><br />The thing that nobody bothered to tell four-year-old me - is that logic isn't everything. Your life will not play out in a predisposed A-B-C-D event list with checkpoints and logical progression -- no matter how much you hope for it, fight for it, or how well you plan it to happen that way. The path to success is not a straight line. (It probably isn't even a line.) And the path to knowing one's self, and therefore making the best decisions, isn't going to come about by following a rubric, or a syllabus, or a checklist, or a five-year plan. Sometimes you have to say, "I know I shouldn't want this, but I do." Sometimes you have to say, "I know I should want this, but I don't." I could give other examples, but you get the idea. What it ultimately comes down to is a need to figure out what is right to the self, what is right to the individual.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OrzQGhCuJi3v5_1QYOVwXvPAKfraH4QTDvrsIlNLZO9v7awWAC2sFgFOeGKgDG25Sso6DFQNdTZBZjx370G03Vn3DXK00rvHJyEQIQH-ti63kG0NFolqVsRWCvy9WdQpxkVtvMnTNbs/s1600/Success.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OrzQGhCuJi3v5_1QYOVwXvPAKfraH4QTDvrsIlNLZO9v7awWAC2sFgFOeGKgDG25Sso6DFQNdTZBZjx370G03Vn3DXK00rvHJyEQIQH-ti63kG0NFolqVsRWCvy9WdQpxkVtvMnTNbs/s320/Success.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671663626573012562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As I grew older, I realized Spock was played as a counterpoint to show human qualities in others. But it took over 25 years for me to realize that Spock should never have been a template.<br /><br />Logic has its place. People who live 100% heart and 0% logic are probably tough to deal with (and possibly homeless, though probably very nice). But the mind has to be able to figure out not only whether something is a logically good idea but whether or not something is a personally good idea. And when it comes to the personal? Well, logic's got nothing on that.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-66588469570180764932011-06-09T09:15:00.001-07:002011-06-21T07:06:10.414-07:00The "End" of Uncanny X-Men<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->As DC recently announced new #1’s for nearly all their titles, I suppose it should come as no surprise that <a href="http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/06/09/uncanny-x-men-end/">Marvel’s killing its book with the longest-running history behind it.</a> (We all know the Big Two love to attempt to keep neck-and-neck with whatever various stratagems the other has going on.) As a guy who fancies himself as a <span style="font-style: italic;">bit</span> of an X-Men fan, I have some thoughts on this.<br /><p class="MsoNormal">Put simply - history, even oft-revised and amended history, has recently become viewed as a negative thing in terms of comics' saleability, because it’s believed to limit new readers’ access.<span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">To speak to that point, </span>I started reading comics in 1986.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I didn’t start reading Uncanny until 1989.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>By that time there were nearly 250 issues out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> ***</span>This didn’t stop me from picking up the books and figuring out what was going on – and this was before the internet, so you couldn’t go online and look up scans or plot points or covers (or straight download full issues).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> They didn't even really have trades then! </span>Instead, you had to read the editor’s notes, you had to buy back issues, and you had to talk to other fans who knew more than you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Put simply, you had to do more work – which I was still glad to do, and so were TONS of other people.<span style=""><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">To me, the “we've been making these books so long now it’s impenetrable” argument is incredibly weak.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People still read incredibly long (previously published) series of books.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Last I checked, books in the Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings series were selling pretty well, despite their having a huge page count of material. The argument could be made that these both have recent movies to draw new attention - BUT SO DOES THE X-MEN. Besides, I'm fairly certain that Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle works are still selling pretty well - which again involve serial characters with a lot of previously existing material. So I really feel like this is just a scapegoat argument. It's inarguable at face value - but if you stop and think about it, it really falls apart.</p>Don't get me wrong. I think the idea of writing comics for guys who are 30-60, to cater to what they remember reading when they were 5-15 is an incredibly bad idea which I am really against. I just feel like a key point comics is missing, is that comics attracted a vast amount of readers from the Silver Age through the late 80s with very little multimedia support or application - there were no quality films, there was minimal television exposure -- relatively minimal action figure availability, and next-to-no video games. But people were attracted to the books nonetheless - and this is because -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">comics were cool when they were cutting-edge and/or counter-culture.</span><span style=""><br /><br />Every "big" thing Marvel's done from Civil War on has been very status quo in terms of its underlying message. And DC, I don't even know where to begin. Grant Morrison's been scrawling one big love letter to Alan Moore across the entire DC universe for years while Geoff Johns is simultaneously writing a love letter to 1982. In the meantime, guys like Dwayne McDuffie (R.I.P) weren't being remotely utilized properly.<br /><br />There are guys who get it. Dwayne McDuffie was one of them. Chris Claremont still has it in him. Scott Lobdell gets it. Mark Waid gets it. I think Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost get it.<br /><br />I know this is an unpopular opinion as it applies to the average 30s-ish comic reader of today, but I believe <a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/2009/09/secret-publishing-crisis-wars-of.html">"</a></span><a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/2009/09/secret-publishing-crisis-wars-of.html">comics by-and-large should be for children. They should be tales about looking outside of your own opinions and worldview and about questioning authority – <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">things that entertain kids while teaching them how to read and teaching them how to think.</span></span>"</a><br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><br />But I digress.<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal">Don’t get me wrong, I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The comics industry is working to position themselves as the itunes of comics.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They want to pull the attention and readership (and money) of the “I never bought a CD, let alone a cassette or a record” generation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A business has to make money to stay alive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I get that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I just feel like if they were telling good stories by writers who understood the source material and drawn by artists whose strengths suited those writers, the books would sell themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Especially in terms of the X-Men.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve said before, <a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-nutshell-one-guys-take-on-where-x.html">“When I was a kid, the X-Men were hated by a world that didn’t understand them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I understood them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Railed against for being different.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Trying to figure out their purpose(s), who to trust and where they fit in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The story kernel of ‘the outsider’ is relatable.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span></a> I'd think you'd have to try pretty hard to screw that up.</p><span style="color:black;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Yet, I’ll live with<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>it.<span style=""> And not just in the sense of the sound-and-fury aspect that so many comics fans bring to their fandom, but rather in - well, let me let you in on a little secret, and this is coming from a guy who absolutely LOVES the X-Men --- I HAVEN'T BOUGHT AN ISSUE OF UNCANNY FOR NEARLY 150 ISSUES.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;"><span style="">I look at the art and the stories, and more often than not, I'm like "what?" </span></span><span style="color:black;"><span style="">Ever since around 2000 it seemed like things were going downhill for the X-Men to me. </span></span><span style="color:black;"><span style="">Please note that <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm NOT insulting the work of anyone </span>who's worked on the titles in the interim - I'm just saying that from what I know of it, more often than not - it's not for me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">I don’t want to read about Wolverine’s “edgy” son, or how Mr. Sinister ended up as a lady, or why the X-Men are fighting vampires or living in San Francisco.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That all sounds dumb. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Granted, the stuff I love often sounds dumb in a simple sense as well.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/X-Men-X-Cutioners-Song-Scott-Lobdell/dp/0785156100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307638460&sr=8-1">“His son from the future is fighting his own clone on the moon!”</a> could straight be lifted from an episode of <a href="http://www.axecop.com/">Axe Cop.</a>)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve tried to read this newer stuff though.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Really I have.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I tried reading Grant Morrison’s run and was only able to get slightly behind one story, “Here Comes Tomorrow.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> (Pretty sure that Marc Silvestri's art helped, btw.) </span>I tried really hard to get into the Kia Asamiya stories.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And don’t get me started on Chuck Austen's Juggernaut-sex and friggin' Azazel. I LOVE some of the artists. Bachalo and Townsend's are comic book rockstars. But the stories. I have zero interest in stories about any incarnation of the Phoenix, or in Cyclops' secret evil brother who goes to space. I have zero interest in reading an X-Men comic that looks like pin-up art.<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">Side note: I thought 100 issue run of Exiles was (largely) excellent. As was a lot of the 2004-2005 Excalibur series - man, I really dug that Excalibur series (Thanks Aaron Lopresti and Chris Claremont!).<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">So, I may well have a bit of rose-colored-glasses as we all do, but I don't hate everything that's new - I like some of it, and I WANT to like more of it. Where I’m going with this is, I have no investment in most of the stories they’re telling now.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">I’m marginally interested in seeing a super-powered Juggernaut going buck wild, and I’m neither pro-or-con the writers or artists (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Superman-Dan-Jurgens/dp/9990006520/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307638700&sr=1-1">though it sounds like it might be similar to the original Doomsday story</a>), but I just don’t have the interest I had in the Chris Claremont Uncanny X-Men era.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t have the interest I had in the Scott Lobdell Uncanny X-Men era.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, in a sense they’re killing something that maybe wasn’t already dead, but largely was already dead to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They’re getting around to putting a toe tag on a body I’ve barely seen move in a decade.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">And obviously, nothing in comics is forever.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There will be a multi-headed X-Men franchise as long as someone will buy it – no matter what format(s) that’s in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But if, and this is a big if, they are able to make wherever they pick things up from BE GOOD, then it will have been worth it. Then I'll say, "Yes - this was a good idea, because the stories are good again."<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;">See, numbers are numbers and stories are stories.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Numbers are what we use to count by, but stories are the things that actually count. </span></p>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-45906519967154699122011-05-20T19:32:00.000-07:002012-05-10T21:16:00.329-07:00R.I.P. Macho Man<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5dc846k5xSWsyzS2kNqG9uK3WtfvNFVw6tEIpuUppF1blizuTIiGWlrwrMa4r1w-OXkREjF8bCeI_hD-MriLhW1bizFmd6ocuOoINf1Q_UiBA-kdbxKBxbx6JidOyVvuZVviBcys9xU/s1600/Savage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608992317787896578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5dc846k5xSWsyzS2kNqG9uK3WtfvNFVw6tEIpuUppF1blizuTIiGWlrwrMa4r1w-OXkREjF8bCeI_hD-MriLhW1bizFmd6ocuOoINf1Q_UiBA-kdbxKBxbx6JidOyVvuZVviBcys9xU/s320/Savage.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 259px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 252px;" /></a>I've been taking the loss of the Macho Man today pretty hard. Not, "day off of work" hard, but harder than it might make sense to the casual observer.<br />
<br />
Randy "Macho Man" Savage (later "Macho King") was arguably the most popular heel of the mid 80s WWF, and that means he holds an incredibly special place in the hearts of many, now adults, who were kids during that era.<br />
<br />
As a kid who went to house shows in Mid-Michigan, it was a HUGE deal when Macho Man was on the card. HUGE. Somewhere in my Mom's house, I have a giant orange foam finger for Macho Man. I could've bought Hogan's, but I bought Macho's.<br />
<br />
The wrestling toys in the 80s (made by LJN) didn't move, and were bigger and therefore more expensive than most other toys of the day - meaning you didn't get too many of them. You had to prioritize. Growing up, I had the LJN toys for Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. You just didn't need anybody else.<br />
<br />
As I grew up, I joined the school band -- which I hated -- and the only thing that got me to practice was teaching myself to play wrestler's theme songs. Especially Macho's - which came in handy since we were expected to play it every year. (I don't think I've ever heard Pomp and Circumstance being played and not thought it would be awesome if Macho Man just ran out in neon leather fringe with big 80s sunglasses on and totally elbow dropped the Dean.)<br />
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One of my few original Game Boy games was WWF Superstars - and I LOVED hitting that elbow drop time after time.<br />
<br />
Those who know me know that, to put it mildly, I didn't exactly have a great childhood. But the one I had is filled with fond vivid memories of the Macho Man.<br />
<br />
Later, when the 80s wrestlers moved to WCW (and Macho Man was selling Slim Jims) I was at the Monday Nitro when Macho Man told Miss Elizabeth that things had been through with them for a long time. Even as a high schooler, there was just something magical about being a part of that. It felt like I was a part of history. (Wrestling history, which is the best kind of history I think.)<br />
<br />
As an older guy, I've come to realize how Macho was in a way really one of the first high-fliers. Guys like Jeff Hardy and John Morrison (who I love), owe a debt to guys like Macho Man. Macho Man, in a sense, was the Jeff Hardy of 1985. Besides, I've just always dug bad guys - their ability to make an entrance, to make an impression - and nobody in wrestling could do that like the Macho Man. He was the first name wrestler I can remember to really successfully (and fluidly) alternate between a face and heel persona.<br />
<br />
And all these years later, Macho Man died of a heart attack down in Seminole, FL - not a 5 minute drive away from a pizza place I regularly ate at when I lived back in Tampa. I own things I bought at a second-hand shop just down the street from the crash site. It's just weird to me. Granted, wrestlers tend not to live to be 100 - but to have one of the field's very best die like this feels not only sad, but perhaps too ordinary.<br />
<br />
It's so easy to forget that the men (and women) in the squared circle really are just ordinary folks -- and it's a testament to the quality of the work they do that it's so easy to forget it.<br />
<br />
Macho Man - you will be missed.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-84891862133195217682011-03-01T19:01:00.000-08:002012-01-19T10:10:53.387-08:00The Search...<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This is stuff I'm looking for. Even if it's not for sale, just knowing where it is would still be a big help!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR52tnCFYAK8251TkbVaPL7NIYE2J9GEfn64VXfvXc3EFFRBx_uYJASTP9ssMQJyL7yidrsuLUZbny2MyfeeilwvZtNG2vFwd8_xbBhWRfRX3qRhtEExV9SmYisFGD7P0rJmZcr8mw1Q/s1600/lordpumpkin.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR52tnCFYAK8251TkbVaPL7NIYE2J9GEfn64VXfvXc3EFFRBx_uYJASTP9ssMQJyL7yidrsuLUZbny2MyfeeilwvZtNG2vFwd8_xbBhWRfRX3qRhtEExV9SmYisFGD7P0rJmZcr8mw1Q/s320/lordpumpkin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579315265365245506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I was lucky enough to get a sketch from Kyle Hotz at a 1995 con when I was just a kid. I got him to draw Lord Pumpkin. I have always dug things with pumpkins for heads, and have thought it would be cool to own this cover since I was like 14 years old.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SrxhLDduizKXABfRWwsm8vNT7Mk5mHHX0XouMEkcM0Q51v5E8SDffO3-BjTS8ujMaCUoi5hgdIiglD-rRC9MRBZVGdFAJB4IsshAnOWa53-0wTatINFdIGj5bmBx0xItrtOSw_ouo00/s1600/Scarecrow.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SrxhLDduizKXABfRWwsm8vNT7Mk5mHHX0XouMEkcM0Q51v5E8SDffO3-BjTS8ujMaCUoi5hgdIiglD-rRC9MRBZVGdFAJB4IsshAnOWa53-0wTatINFdIGj5bmBx0xItrtOSw_ouo00/s320/Scarecrow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579313730883054962" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Some artists just nail the essence of certain characters. This is THE Scarecrow to me. I love Jason's work, but I liked this before I even knew who he was. (Back then the books didn't list cover art credits much, and his stuff was just signed "Jason" back then.) I'd love to see this up on my wall someday.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_QpmVOTx5XZhi5d3k-pZ5Gk2m_lc7Vjq0BmyC-Or4H3V2mKVTwRMrCljS8jRvjaL-Awc6nwdACccejvdcKgp6TTl4ggDmqHR0hygY6LGazhASU_2PbapnA6VAjUwJoRPNjzCAcOJ_xE/s1600/carnage.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_QpmVOTx5XZhi5d3k-pZ5Gk2m_lc7Vjq0BmyC-Or4H3V2mKVTwRMrCljS8jRvjaL-Awc6nwdACccejvdcKgp6TTl4ggDmqHR0hygY6LGazhASU_2PbapnA6VAjUwJoRPNjzCAcOJ_xE/s320/carnage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579314388673689554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_QpmVOTx5XZhi5d3k-pZ5Gk2m_lc7Vjq0BmyC-Or4H3V2mKVTwRMrCljS8jRvjaL-Awc6nwdACccejvdcKgp6TTl4ggDmqHR0hygY6LGazhASU_2PbapnA6VAjUwJoRPNjzCAcOJ_xE/s1600/carnage.jpg"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_QpmVOTx5XZhi5d3k-pZ5Gk2m_lc7Vjq0BmyC-Or4H3V2mKVTwRMrCljS8jRvjaL-Awc6nwdACccejvdcKgp6TTl4ggDmqHR0hygY6LGazhASU_2PbapnA6VAjUwJoRPNjzCAcOJ_xE/s1600/carnage.jpg"> </a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The first interior appearance of Carnage. This image was everywhere back in the 90s. If I remember right, it was even featured as a screen of the Maximum Carnage video game. Another top-notch example of comic book evil that burned into my mind back in the 90s.<br /></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-65674525348841448282011-01-30T10:32:00.000-08:002011-01-30T10:38:25.764-08:00Super-Wha?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQuPjm13d4ApV86xJI4wGtFCsAdMSwP9Yz1Pb-uQarcciqKoVISGC93QK0IuiidC5EitLtVRrLTtO_OekD4m28b-N4c1ndtrQe5jUMX41urv5-n4iTPV4oW_HInsSK4fjDAJobJsyBwE/s1600/EvilBatmen1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQuPjm13d4ApV86xJI4wGtFCsAdMSwP9Yz1Pb-uQarcciqKoVISGC93QK0IuiidC5EitLtVRrLTtO_OekD4m28b-N4c1ndtrQe5jUMX41urv5-n4iTPV4oW_HInsSK4fjDAJobJsyBwE/s320/EvilBatmen1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568049541164715890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">While I wait to see if another blogger I emailed picks up this ball and runs with it, enjoy an excerpt of my email to him.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">/----------------------/</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I felt like you should see these. Concept art for alternate/evil versions of several DC superheroes, in "high-tech," "road warrior," and "robotic" styles.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Road Warrior" in this context is basically code for "leather bondage fantasy."</span><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Yes, that means Batman wearing a hockey mask outfitted with knives over a slave collar, all while sporting a wrist crossbow and a loincloth.</b><br /><br /><u style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">These were almost toys.</u><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Judging by the roman numeral date of 1985 and the word "Kenner," - these were almost Super Powers toys.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">/----------------------/</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Really, you owe it to yourselves to check these out.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2Fauctions%2Fpreview.asp%3Fcode%3D2011feb%26itemtype%3D1%26pg%3D2%23Item_876111&id=876111" target="_blank">http://www.comiclink.com/<wbr>auctions/item.asp?back=%<wbr>2Fauctions%2Fpreview.asp%<wbr>3Fcode%3D2011feb%26itemtype%<wbr>3D1%26pg%3D2%23Item_876111&id=<wbr>876111</a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-53525509881951945912010-10-12T10:51:00.000-07:002010-10-12T11:07:19.857-07:00As the Kids Say.... "OMFG, Epic, FTW" or as I Say - AWESOME.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cCOee62LY_IGoqYwGx4hKKqtNtFOjcPpM5u_BU-Cqccclea1-0cqR7prTcGLm_ep-nTJfaCmeVusjUT_D0lUgC6uTdpzG8WTg7oNMTHSXUAyCgqq2T9pARZ0xLBBtWTFxexG8kxJYrk/s1600/XmenGame.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cCOee62LY_IGoqYwGx4hKKqtNtFOjcPpM5u_BU-Cqccclea1-0cqR7prTcGLm_ep-nTJfaCmeVusjUT_D0lUgC6uTdpzG8WTg7oNMTHSXUAyCgqq2T9pARZ0xLBBtWTFxexG8kxJYrk/s320/XmenGame.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527221447372622386" border="0" /></a><br />That's right, after years of me talking about it, the X-Men Arcade Game (which was never ported to any home system) is going to be available as a download title.<br /><br />This game's art style was based on the Byrne/Zeck/Cockrum-ness of the 1980s Pryde of the X-Men pilot. It was the first game ever (to my knowledge) to have a DOUBLE SCREEN, which meant that it was the videogame equivalent of a double-wide (in a good way), which enabled space for you and 5 OTHER FRIENDS to play the game all at once.<br /><br />A lot of people might remember it for the bad voice acting/translation, but I remember it as being my favorite way to spend a roll of quarters. This had "80s/90s arcade/pizza place birthday party" written all over it. When you're 10, kicking the crap out of bad guys with 5 other dudes, and by the way - YOU'RE ALL X-MEN - that's seriously about the awesomest thing there is to do.<br /><br />I was usually Colossus. Nightcrawler as a backup. Wolverine if I was lucky. (Because Storm and Dazzler were girls and Cyclops was Cyclops.)<br /><br />This is one of those few rare games (like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out) that I can just play, beat, and want to play all over again.<br /><br />Quite honestly, I'm thinking about taking whatever day this comes out off of work as a personal day. This is just really awesome news for me.<br /><br />Link to the original article is below<br />http://destructoid.com/nycc-x-men-arcade-welcomes-you-to-die-on-psn-xbla-soon--186007.phtmlDave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-30651518448800314342010-10-01T11:55:00.000-07:002012-02-01T12:07:32.825-08:00AoA Reference Pics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf789xgNeSMA3625Wsg7tsxXNDSWtDwDDqb4BLYv6xqoEp026eQrOLQr4oV2L7ffXF18ZH-gzuIOfM1CLqsprj5rQw33dWZjdZ3UH7fztg1GZ9RWd80rCdjckCZLNd3d67yba9BxEmiNM/s1600/Holo1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf789xgNeSMA3625Wsg7tsxXNDSWtDwDDqb4BLYv6xqoEp026eQrOLQr4oV2L7ffXF18ZH-gzuIOfM1CLqsprj5rQw33dWZjdZ3UH7fztg1GZ9RWd80rCdjckCZLNd3d67yba9BxEmiNM/s320/Holo1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704260731326347186" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8SPe-strPEDLA3dlbMRyNR1j0FiiyR0u7oN8uYbmUo-thsCCbfReAS0CgnRtBIJHNqXFHrwEevOHwA6FW5uEVJ9UBK0QJfc00CkqLZIm2rgran9piWATVwx1rG1qY1ryWJ-wd6cBA4k/s1600/Holo2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8SPe-strPEDLA3dlbMRyNR1j0FiiyR0u7oN8uYbmUo-thsCCbfReAS0CgnRtBIJHNqXFHrwEevOHwA6FW5uEVJ9UBK0QJfc00CkqLZIm2rgran9piWATVwx1rG1qY1ryWJ-wd6cBA4k/s320/Holo2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704260786927712850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC0KxecpIwGEdct85KDn1By3OYgLZKQ5tUqFoS4D7SkuZUAO3QdyhJke2hXwrhc-KRHJI9oUmM7OjJ4oDdB3BIpMCbjEJWokj-9eLWU_oJOyD5xmuAKx-nkM7dRGWCNggEP6W4gwYLHM/s1600/Holo5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYC0KxecpIwGEdct85KDn1By3OYgLZKQ5tUqFoS4D7SkuZUAO3QdyhJke2hXwrhc-KRHJI9oUmM7OjJ4oDdB3BIpMCbjEJWokj-9eLWU_oJOyD5xmuAKx-nkM7dRGWCNggEP6W4gwYLHM/s320/Holo5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704260967636821842" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitj6MxIIgMqGKcfmeJbafLJNhOwt-r4m7220Gf_X1i7j6QFiSe3sStffdKaA0JKnCVKSJv7waK9AQfIwCq6nFcuD6jFze8Zgk_jhtqoSL3-II69hZulzsWP7GLZ4F5f5rFQafBsEanv0/s1600/Holo3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitj6MxIIgMqGKcfmeJbafLJNhOwt-r4m7220Gf_X1i7j6QFiSe3sStffdKaA0JKnCVKSJv7waK9AQfIwCq6nFcuD6jFze8Zgk_jhtqoSL3-II69hZulzsWP7GLZ4F5f5rFQafBsEanv0/s320/Holo3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704260832501330562" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkee-AaN1D942s1nCcSy_NgHCZknqaSa5e6t6Qrm9jelxwhD6ntYRtRp23IUqBlN2mtJsGGQ3eadlTT4I_FK0wMBt6GmVVPPCCUzkp7PFrRzssR5c4AvvfwpaRnjGDNBAWMuNxhjL3GM/s1600/Holo4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkee-AaN1D942s1nCcSy_NgHCZknqaSa5e6t6Qrm9jelxwhD6ntYRtRp23IUqBlN2mtJsGGQ3eadlTT4I_FK0wMBt6GmVVPPCCUzkp7PFrRzssR5c4AvvfwpaRnjGDNBAWMuNxhjL3GM/s320/Holo4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704260900543244994" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheurfWQtKlf6ExmB0Q2Y8SU0yEgzOm2X5hmAqcXN-buwR7hlXYqMHZcNO66jhQI7YnyEukwggrC7y1K2OjekZxQVgCuNlyojAFhYEVzL4KLpKgPjml58IyErEUwAVLma7dlzo6MJajW6Q/s1600/Holo6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheurfWQtKlf6ExmB0Q2Y8SU0yEgzOm2X5hmAqcXN-buwR7hlXYqMHZcNO66jhQI7YnyEukwggrC7y1K2OjekZxQVgCuNlyojAFhYEVzL4KLpKgPjml58IyErEUwAVLma7dlzo6MJajW6Q/s320/Holo6.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704261018981017858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBMPUfMIoxWWhWMw4kkYcvlY6IW7EWRspFhYMgUDt_JlR0hq3VhvL0orFPz5r9P_Bf9hyjARk-plegKduNDWnb5xnc_qc5CSZFyVVpO_veR2tSrRPehJ4BEyeqDDxmJ6V7GSBlq2YvtM/s1600/Holo7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBMPUfMIoxWWhWMw4kkYcvlY6IW7EWRspFhYMgUDt_JlR0hq3VhvL0orFPz5r9P_Bf9hyjARk-plegKduNDWnb5xnc_qc5CSZFyVVpO_veR2tSrRPehJ4BEyeqDDxmJ6V7GSBlq2YvtM/s320/Holo7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704261070998263634" border="0" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-35163720301838038882010-09-28T10:42:00.000-07:002011-05-28T15:20:25.636-07:00Madureira/Townsend Reminiscing...<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pages are listed chronologically.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men 334, p.19. </span>I especially love the panel with Juggernaut screaming in Jean's face, and the last one where J's removed his helmet. Lots of emotion and vulnerability here. Definitely a strong memory of my comics reading as a kid!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJV8J4Rzqoeep0pAomkHuZSg4Q_VyBS7TdeGfQnLDL4-Trx1aOAjzt2vNuUIxdGFn9b8rB26sfiAcLgu_dsV6d2SiZZy71gn0Ug6Vu-Y_vADDHjy7qMo8QJDPXYCEuGoNW2XT9gKit2A/s1600/UXM334p19.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJV8J4Rzqoeep0pAomkHuZSg4Q_VyBS7TdeGfQnLDL4-Trx1aOAjzt2vNuUIxdGFn9b8rB26sfiAcLgu_dsV6d2SiZZy71gn0Ug6Vu-Y_vADDHjy7qMo8QJDPXYCEuGoNW2XT9gKit2A/s320/UXM334p19.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522021466510934466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men 336, p. 17.</span> There's a lot of nostalgia for me in Onslaught baring Xavier to the heroes (I think they made a toy that re-enacted this?). This was just a great scene, and I love the nice Onslaught headshot to the right, but what really delivers this page for me is Cyclops in the lower-right corner with his gritting pointed teeth. You can't get much more "it's about to go down," than that! (Unless...)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57C1CzxKL59uYAuuGbNLJEMYMEIdIDW7FLcv_EEMXn19b4r8FxAY7TjSKVw2HkEJ2IjQRenXG3NUIWtjdoWQp2NsrjYVUgOQQ24qREXv0eu03yNiJYVPBoQVXSuRM3gpAoIY8ytMlLOA/s1600/UXM336p17.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57C1CzxKL59uYAuuGbNLJEMYMEIdIDW7FLcv_EEMXn19b4r8FxAY7TjSKVw2HkEJ2IjQRenXG3NUIWtjdoWQp2NsrjYVUgOQQ24qREXv0eu03yNiJYVPBoQVXSuRM3gpAoIY8ytMlLOA/s320/UXM336p17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522021654764552322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men 340, p.17.</span> OK. So you CAN get more "it's about to go down." A super-angry Wolverine about to let loose on some mutant-haters. This is bone claws Wolverine, somewhere between his animalistic/bandana time and being back to normal. That's pretty awesome.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibGS3rYwf7RxQwRTrpY69QQWrz6wte7K0P-nOrHajtS78ytwyj7-xy8_qeHL5sMdzU_IUFnbY68341ZxOFm1D9IyTMuDxudzbSEDxX5DLhlvCIP1tOnIDCfSS59oelTr9o4eWYIrcbhE/s1600/UXM340p17.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibGS3rYwf7RxQwRTrpY69QQWrz6wte7K0P-nOrHajtS78ytwyj7-xy8_qeHL5sMdzU_IUFnbY68341ZxOFm1D9IyTMuDxudzbSEDxX5DLhlvCIP1tOnIDCfSS59oelTr9o4eWYIrcbhE/s320/UXM340p17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522021753759823122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncanny X-Men 346, p. 7. </span>In the bottom panel, this is THE image I see in my head when I think of Marrow. Definitely a favorite.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUOTPq_ctYS7ZUmN-TWKC3r7YTvYoIPsZZv6AsVZ-TVDb-tP9hpU47jPlq9IRbSVXtCfG5N_y_uvj80oQZCrbDj4YaMnPaCsiLNlb3EbMra0m1OwAxPc3hrWuqCGJrU_B3kn-nZ2LEGM/s1600/UXM346p7.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUOTPq_ctYS7ZUmN-TWKC3r7YTvYoIPsZZv6AsVZ-TVDb-tP9hpU47jPlq9IRbSVXtCfG5N_y_uvj80oQZCrbDj4YaMnPaCsiLNlb3EbMra0m1OwAxPc3hrWuqCGJrU_B3kn-nZ2LEGM/s320/UXM346p7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522021883464473186" border="0" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-34109858561168140392010-08-11T11:50:00.000-07:002012-01-23T11:22:24.810-08:00The Omega Question...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xwHuLMKk9DJ1sBNwOWyibjI_AuFgbgr-go2m2CQLANo7pSoZzhB6R_t_cjP27EoK4fmbXEkza4o4YZF_sy6IK58rQZCevbsJKLabdQ8qNcD9au9P9JefYWTjza11s7AbDYg-jltS1ok/s1600/XMenOmegap46query.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xwHuLMKk9DJ1sBNwOWyibjI_AuFgbgr-go2m2CQLANo7pSoZzhB6R_t_cjP27EoK4fmbXEkza4o4YZF_sy6IK58rQZCevbsJKLabdQ8qNcD9au9P9JefYWTjza11s7AbDYg-jltS1ok/s320/XMenOmegap46query.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504226989617922034" border="0" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-10570706069281898292010-06-15T08:08:00.000-07:002010-06-15T10:29:38.178-07:00Similar Character Design: Bald Bull and Dr. PhilMaybe it's just because I'd like to punch Dr. Phil in the stomach, but...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccXR4txzaY3VAOtxxfbwBM7lc4la_Z4wdWIvYEnz-GdgwrA2xUtxOjERQMdSFRVq7u3hpBkc5vhASyb8Vb-jelKG0cbF_7YrH6ehKj370jKlLYBGq7xfE71X3qW3J66TytOXZQoxMJK0/s1600/DrBaldPhilBull.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccXR4txzaY3VAOtxxfbwBM7lc4la_Z4wdWIvYEnz-GdgwrA2xUtxOjERQMdSFRVq7u3hpBkc5vhASyb8Vb-jelKG0cbF_7YrH6ehKj370jKlLYBGq7xfE71X3qW3J66TytOXZQoxMJK0/s320/DrBaldPhilBull.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483017949577617762" /></a><br /><br />I'm just saying.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-19800852773731171442010-06-14T08:11:00.000-07:002010-06-15T10:28:58.278-07:00Similar Character Names2 Characters, both from the X-Men universe, both villains.<br />D'Ken. And Daken.<p><br />These guys' names differ solely in an A taking the place of an apostrophe.<br /><p>And they BOTH suck.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NO3yp3v8Qhk3VLGMOwlOSPiuIKsq0B1g5KTOOaiRlZzJfon_1z3o11U0XJhZI5HtfZiZ2AtX4iwGxZgp7rqc2YB8LYbFkyjDVdr3UB7Ga5fAWVsYsgmQRWrUn8VJF_bxeb9s6m9MJ1s/s1600/DakenDKen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NO3yp3v8Qhk3VLGMOwlOSPiuIKsq0B1g5KTOOaiRlZzJfon_1z3o11U0XJhZI5HtfZiZ2AtX4iwGxZgp7rqc2YB8LYbFkyjDVdr3UB7Ga5fAWVsYsgmQRWrUn8VJF_bxeb9s6m9MJ1s/s320/DakenDKen.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483019095837199122" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-68354899826495942472010-06-05T13:33:00.000-07:002011-06-05T13:38:16.042-07:00Silvestri questionDoes anybody know where this one is? Would love to get my hands on it if I could!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyYDF4JbxAXu7cdRtMXT7uw7kK14R5UvGnu6_McYXIIzDYnfP_T05M5wSlOtotizXQPjT1wQ92IqR65H_JIoVuwa5cwTiaZJjcpq2FTiv3ciXcfPo9C8Sf4JUtcKW1VenE18RwURpHno/s1600/BroodPage.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614837466792600338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyYDF4JbxAXu7cdRtMXT7uw7kK14R5UvGnu6_McYXIIzDYnfP_T05M5wSlOtotizXQPjT1wQ92IqR65H_JIoVuwa5cwTiaZJjcpq2FTiv3ciXcfPo9C8Sf4JUtcKW1VenE18RwURpHno/s320/BroodPage.jpg" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-44127392781108529552010-02-18T06:31:00.000-08:002010-02-18T07:37:33.119-08:00Comic book character spotting! The Joker<span class="post-labels">You may remember <a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/2009/08/comic-book-character-spotting-ras-al.html">my previous post confirming the existence of Batman via that of Ra's Al Ghul</a>. Imagine my surprise when I inadvertently found further proof in Philadelphia's Rodin Museum.<br /><br /><a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/?action=view&current=JokerSmall2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/JokerSmall2.jpg" alt="JokerSmall2" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span><span class="post-labels">Those sunken, angular cheekbones. That crazy-as-balls hairline.</span><span class="post-labels"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rodin sculpted The Joker.</span><br /><br />You doubt me? Check the larger version.<br /><br /><a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/?action=view&current=JokerBig1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 391px; height: 801px;" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/JokerBig1.jpg" alt="JokerBig1" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's complete with Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez-esque little bolo/cape-tie tassles and everything!<br /><br />That's right, Rodin sculpted The Joker.<br /><br />These busts were erroneously labeled as being a 19th century French-Canadian priest and canonized saint, but seeing as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Family-Comics-Classic-Library/dp/1401225160/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266504859&sr=8-1">The Joker once held diplomatic immunity as representative of a middle-eastern country</a>, (in the 80's) I don't find this all that hard to reconcile. He's The<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Joker.</span><br /></span><br /><span class="post-labels"><a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/?action=view&current=JokerBig2Color.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 373px; height: 650px;" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/JokerBig2Color.jpg" alt="JokerBig2Color" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">And don't you forget it.</span></span><br /><a href="http://daveofapocalypse.blogspot.com/search/label/ra%27s%20al%20ghul" rel="tag"></a></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-34742301193219495922010-02-05T08:22:00.000-08:002010-02-05T08:30:51.839-08:00Huh?<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I just noticed that Green Lantern villain Sinestro and Incredible Hulk villain The Leader tend to look an awful lot alike in black and white.</span> Check it out.<br /><br /><a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/?action=view&current=Leadestro.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 359px; height: 271px;" src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/juxtapozthrifter/Leadestro.jpg" alt="Leadestro" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Giant waterhead? Check. Pencilly mustache? Check. Overdone brow furrows and widows peak? That's a big double-check.<br /><br />PS -- Sinestro pre-dated The Leader as a character by roughly 3 years. (Eat it Marvel!!)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Furthermore, yes, I'm still alive.</span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-39141712735040027082009-10-01T08:34:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:39:18.828-07:00A Little Something to Celebrate Halloween...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1qk7vLH6dg9GbQcSXNf2cdHxDJOmGylPxHlwKFMtmql1CsaYTaFVzXya8CW2QQK6D1Z-HkbbG9iCuCGU6wlz69TrQW_TPem-pJHdWLQwdUa2SP0KD_Oy4A4GwWs5xSnzoORTuPkWDSk/s1600-h/Crunkenstein.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 366px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1qk7vLH6dg9GbQcSXNf2cdHxDJOmGylPxHlwKFMtmql1CsaYTaFVzXya8CW2QQK6D1Z-HkbbG9iCuCGU6wlz69TrQW_TPem-pJHdWLQwdUa2SP0KD_Oy4A4GwWs5xSnzoORTuPkWDSk/s320/Crunkenstein.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386728464009970306" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Crunkenstein.</span></span><br /></div>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-49748284051568278142009-09-10T08:09:00.000-07:002009-09-10T08:55:08.170-07:00Secret Publishing Crisis Wars of VengeanceAugust 31, 2009: <br />Disney buys Marvel Publishing Inc (aka Marvel Comics)<br /><br />September 9, 2009: <br />DC Comics hires new President and becomes DC Entertainment<br /><br />The future: <br />Anybody’s guess.<br /><br />First things first: <br />Disney buys Marvel. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOeETN2XKPFGOUGwkXNKpvsuBoCUmbARgh1UpKLqj4lS3SNXSqh98_WddOuu3APlk9JXA_ERcPzv7ZrT8T_LSBIiiA9ETnfR6KEs3OGzWFmisZLYwpDhEJuRDHi7NE27g83iZaE2N9fM/s1600-h/Ultron.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOeETN2XKPFGOUGwkXNKpvsuBoCUmbARgh1UpKLqj4lS3SNXSqh98_WddOuu3APlk9JXA_ERcPzv7ZrT8T_LSBIiiA9ETnfR6KEs3OGzWFmisZLYwpDhEJuRDHi7NE27g83iZaE2N9fM/s320/Ultron.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379866024047176418" /></a><br /><br />Anybody who knows me (see: nobody) knows that I despise pretty much any product Disney makes. Incredibly. (Their last good film was Sleeping Beauty, and that's only because Maleficent is kinda hot. So yeah, I'm a Disney-hater.) But, I also recognize that they do a lot of animation work within US borders paying US animators reasonable wages. Yet I also blame them (and Pixar, which they bought) for the uprising of computer animation which seems to be by-and-large leaving traditional cel-style animation in the dust. To me, things just look better when actually DRAWN. Regardless of data, I just feel like the Disney of my lifetime is the perfect representation of everything that's wrong with American culture. It's decadent, fake, and ultimately empty - overpriced and self-assured. Back on point.<br /><br />Things could go either way. Could Disney ruin Marvel’s characters? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoTVR-EPv6oJk8wj-HXCQVTACmHO1UV3iD8v0aCiTafT5BT1KmQMf2eGr-Re5rorNzSFeIFO47h6W0SMZDAxxNNpyDqHwWWZVAnl5UPgxgginWtLrLLgeOcw0v6dviCdSr0vfQUfPAPw/s1600-h/WTF.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoTVR-EPv6oJk8wj-HXCQVTACmHO1UV3iD8v0aCiTafT5BT1KmQMf2eGr-Re5rorNzSFeIFO47h6W0SMZDAxxNNpyDqHwWWZVAnl5UPgxgginWtLrLLgeOcw0v6dviCdSr0vfQUfPAPw/s320/WTF.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379865355866822738" /></a><br /><br />Sure, if they tried to – which would be incredibly stupid from an investment standpoint, and I’m still not sure they could do better than Marvel’s done of sullying respectable characters. (Gimmick covers? Beast is still a cat? Captain America a complete and total sellout? Spider-Man a reboot? Ultimate a reboot? Ultimatum? No Cable/Deadpool? Daken exists? Greg Land on X-Men? Oh how I long for the DeFalco and Harras days.) Back to Disney.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17egeRiydDjiMmQkQBGoNkIRJDybsID2X1R7RrJjUFYL3mIuxz0qJnvNVTLeBFao27HtPFEmYoeCRKQ51cDDcxSU0MxFASmG15z6vQR9lGVl7wNU85_k4GGWvQb9NmgfncoCJRVRxesU/s1600-h/Jackpot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17egeRiydDjiMmQkQBGoNkIRJDybsID2X1R7RrJjUFYL3mIuxz0qJnvNVTLeBFao27HtPFEmYoeCRKQ51cDDcxSU0MxFASmG15z6vQR9lGVl7wNU85_k4GGWvQb9NmgfncoCJRVRxesU/s320/Jackpot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379865871365098466" /></a><br /><br />See, Disney doesn’t appeal to guys. They know this. They're pH balanced for women, much like Secret deodorant and Mario Kart. Disney already monopolizes girl-money, they want guy-money. But when they try to make something to get guy-money they fail again and again. In buying Marvel, Disney doesn’t have to create something that appeals to guys to get their dollars, as they've bought something guys already buy. I feel like that's a smart move. So, things at Marvel might not get tremendously better, but I feel like they won’t get much worse.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjQNSdgElXtZqiZRFgOi3g9WV97Mf2UH74g7VGS4d_FrJemhCYOuYuI2xVyIudKdNMrlfM3c7CIY1ToBtPCTeGjMVlgnYoczWHxPcUgOmJ8pPP2eT5IhUb378h8YgJbEZ6Nd70da-Epk/s1600-h/Revoltin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjQNSdgElXtZqiZRFgOi3g9WV97Mf2UH74g7VGS4d_FrJemhCYOuYuI2xVyIudKdNMrlfM3c7CIY1ToBtPCTeGjMVlgnYoczWHxPcUgOmJ8pPP2eT5IhUb378h8YgJbEZ6Nd70da-Epk/s320/Revoltin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379865645542410210" /></a><br /><br />Too, I always say that comics by-and-large should be for children. They should be tales about looking outside of your own opinions and worldview and about questioning authority – <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">things that entertain kids while teaching them how to read and teaching them how to think.</span></span> Will Disney do that? I don’t know. But I bet damn well there’ll be more Marvel cartoons on TV – and increased visibility to young children is what ensures the future stability of the medium. That's plus marks all over the place.<br /><br />DC Entertainment? This seems to be coming in response to Disney’s buy, but really I’m not so sure of that. Between the continuity reboots and tossing out the bullet logo, I feel like DC’s been trying to figure out where they’re going for the past 4-5 years now – and when it comes to movies they’ve been nowhere near as successful as Marvel has been. DC really hasn’t been able to keep a one together. Superman Super-Sucked. Watchmen did well, but there was so much legal trouble over it I doubt DC views it as the financial success it could’ve been. The most-recent Batman did well, but I believe that was largely due to the buzz that a certain actor’s death attached to it. Whatever the case, there’s no sequel in sight, which I view as a positive, but again, I’m getting off-point. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76Xp63YJfdizBqaWri5RfUTXZe-R_odQV-0fLQ7Y_YfG08FmE8pLUy-P8QX1vJCNPyVugRcNtv3s4SU1BUBvG9agpDJ44XSzW45d_yKle3x8D2A273L9AAaclx-NgJqiU8vbNrDlnRPk/s1600-h/DC.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76Xp63YJfdizBqaWri5RfUTXZe-R_odQV-0fLQ7Y_YfG08FmE8pLUy-P8QX1vJCNPyVugRcNtv3s4SU1BUBvG9agpDJ44XSzW45d_yKle3x8D2A273L9AAaclx-NgJqiU8vbNrDlnRPk/s320/DC.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379867844564695234" /></a><br /><br />You know what has done well and has stayed fairly in-line with the characters’ origins and personas? The DC straight-to-video animated flicks. Wonder Woman, GL: First Flight, the upcoming S/B Public Enemies. The NEW DC President was largely involved in these when out in Hollywood. So, while she’s Hollywood, and obviously looking for stuff to please WB that they can churn into more money – she’s got a track record of doing that WITH RESPECT TO THE CHARACTERS. So, it’s not like she’s the anti-christ or something.<br /><br />I am choosing to look at both of these scenarios (Disney-Marvel and DC Entertainment) with a “the glass that does not yet exist might well be at least half full” mentality. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Could it suck? Yes. Would it be easy to say it will suck? Yes. But that’s only because it HAS sucked for SO long. </span> Maybe some changes (to what ISN’T working) is just what the genre needs. And maybe we’ll be looking back 20 years from now as the present being when things in comic books didn’t just change, but changed for the better.Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-74341017546923658482009-09-09T09:49:00.000-07:002009-09-23T08:52:12.921-07:00This is Pretty Awesome...<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I've owned this original art for about 3 years now, originally from the 1982 DC style guide, and used all over the place, including posters/signs/action figure images, etc. Cool enough, right?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink7pzLT_95bqGfL011cjeh3AuDfFAN-6GlUkxYNWK7Z61XPrBX955evZmo9Jz_VbAVtQZmOydV-mCAX5pco7t3ioBnorZR-vvxVt4SQauZbXK1SiPmvKAOEwO1AwhJn3d9PZRuEN5Q3w/s1600-h/JLGL+Bat+Villains.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink7pzLT_95bqGfL011cjeh3AuDfFAN-6GlUkxYNWK7Z61XPrBX955evZmo9Jz_VbAVtQZmOydV-mCAX5pco7t3ioBnorZR-vvxVt4SQauZbXK1SiPmvKAOEwO1AwhJn3d9PZRuEN5Q3w/s320/JLGL+Bat+Villains.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382109119051005346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But I only JUST found out it was, at least in part, used in making commemorative coins back in 1987.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie06cTXSupHjTsogg5MxBiN_VuAgXQ06DZGep6320YX-8pYj3_YS4Z5klBudWjhkH2Hkl77uEADTzlYlF-JyoEt6b9fWd506vw-1ci3S7v2VQhA0T_2PDMDvZpj4XLeqZ3eK8cBMC-ZIo/s1600-h/Penguin+Coin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie06cTXSupHjTsogg5MxBiN_VuAgXQ06DZGep6320YX-8pYj3_YS4Z5klBudWjhkH2Hkl77uEADTzlYlF-JyoEt6b9fWd506vw-1ci3S7v2VQhA0T_2PDMDvZpj4XLeqZ3eK8cBMC-ZIo/s320/Penguin+Coin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382109255047359842" border="0" /></a><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIOktQc2l793gRASjZoZBKkYCEm39r3bGWC7UVmX7qht3RPKRIjGQYkJ-tN9qFvRyNUzj4FQSF7_Idn7F_9UPEOvj77SmVsMDUWsX7nQV8RT4dDdBD-VhXv1F-ZWl9ejWXch0VMlBw8Q/s1600-h/JokerCoin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIOktQc2l793gRASjZoZBKkYCEm39r3bGWC7UVmX7qht3RPKRIjGQYkJ-tN9qFvRyNUzj4FQSF7_Idn7F_9UPEOvj77SmVsMDUWsX7nQV8RT4dDdBD-VhXv1F-ZWl9ejWXch0VMlBw8Q/s320/JokerCoin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384691192347732274" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">YEAH!<br /><br /><br /></span>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-52143155076721995692009-08-05T06:33:00.000-07:002009-08-05T07:22:21.032-07:00Spider-wha?Eventually it had to happen. Take the emo of Spider-Man and the emo of musical theatre and you have this. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7-5z0MWbF00gxURHMMSZBzXXFUEgzOUygliY11d7lBky88Ok5fFr0gLby-v7FpwCcZd8x2g32zjiTA7NIhBukiIUn4lyFdjl-xyxrDbhg8uEQDSKwh3u-lYgqyVdiLS9yqXScX6QyQ8/s1600-h/Really.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7-5z0MWbF00gxURHMMSZBzXXFUEgzOUygliY11d7lBky88Ok5fFr0gLby-v7FpwCcZd8x2g32zjiTA7NIhBukiIUn4lyFdjl-xyxrDbhg8uEQDSKwh3u-lYgqyVdiLS9yqXScX6QyQ8/s320/Really.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366473193582578994" /></a><br /><br />If there's something lacking in Spider-Man, CLEARLY it's dramatic monologues that went UNSUNG.<br /><br />Maybe with great power comes great choreography?<br />And how does one "turn off the dark?"<br /><br />To quote a wiser man than me, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebI8H5nq5L4">"It's schwarbage."</a><br /><br />(It's stuff like this that makes me think of Joe Quesada as the Mr. Pinciotti of comics.)Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3767411181033863617.post-33768763369048554652009-08-03T18:47:00.000-07:002009-08-03T19:10:54.958-07:00Comic book character spotting! Ra's al GhulPROOF!<br /><br />I inadvertently found indisputable proof that Batman exists - in the form of this statue of Ra’s Al Ghul in Tribeca.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGUwHe-VHqpt4iFiEIdlsUJ8ug80Rjz1aQ1cdeVbrouWBOMpCbq7i69qOaIpTrDGUz09R5yfMYqE5RmwyM3EII1kmiImAqJXdAa2GPGAb5dPZvSejCVjWMWX6TwgGfHHX6pUr4w234DM/s1600-h/Ras1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGUwHe-VHqpt4iFiEIdlsUJ8ug80Rjz1aQ1cdeVbrouWBOMpCbq7i69qOaIpTrDGUz09R5yfMYqE5RmwyM3EII1kmiImAqJXdAa2GPGAb5dPZvSejCVjWMWX6TwgGfHHX6pUr4w234DM/s320/Ras1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365924452334735874" /></a><br /><br />The statue has been erroneously engraved as being a figure from Uruguayan history who supposedly died over 150 years ago. But technically Ra's could've been a figure in Uruguay's history. See, Ra’s has never let a little thing like mortality get in his way.<br /><br />This is Ra's al Ghul. The Demon's Head.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9qfuEg_dzcNzvJ2O3khhH7KxgLvqn2Gs9IP__XOK3pTX-3zkYOX-j8sPh0SylNmJKvolIY9ygQh-LelO9SGWa93XLOwf3THKTrIMPLUEvf6fAcPQV6xgPQjpwsZbBzzqEYn1Ibye3uw/s1600-h/Ras3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9qfuEg_dzcNzvJ2O3khhH7KxgLvqn2Gs9IP__XOK3pTX-3zkYOX-j8sPh0SylNmJKvolIY9ygQh-LelO9SGWa93XLOwf3THKTrIMPLUEvf6fAcPQV6xgPQjpwsZbBzzqEYn1Ibye3uw/s320/Ras3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365924284177109778" /></a><br /><br /><br />And he's REAL.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpxMr17_IyoinfSYDJPdAGpjVFJwOZAc7M2Zw6vUxMstFu3jacTY9OOZeVmPJJeQLQB_jJXI4NloWt_-PFF02n8dQLg67OMFQTo_vA_C0UzxrKre4mpNZ9hVPLBSVwPoGtQBR6FycMuc/s1600-h/Ras2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpxMr17_IyoinfSYDJPdAGpjVFJwOZAc7M2Zw6vUxMstFu3jacTY9OOZeVmPJJeQLQB_jJXI4NloWt_-PFF02n8dQLg67OMFQTo_vA_C0UzxrKre4mpNZ9hVPLBSVwPoGtQBR6FycMuc/s320/Ras2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365924563397304514" /></a><br /><br />And if Ra’s al Ghul is real, and I am both living and not enslaved, then I have to believe Batman is real. Because no other force on Earth could keep us safe from a man who's lived for centuries and wakes up every day continuing to choose this crazy of a hair/facial hair combo.<br /><br />Please note this closeup of my amazed face.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A8Hf7C2ooHQ530yGdgZi6zTKaKDnRereOvMHHqS_ulnmNDUEt48huEyRj2EbeXsaBWn-76Uzdoe0gZN5kq7W1mhpVNRAk8w8sHZln2HJlOBmy28qglvO554r0vryjKQ3L9wAa41VtJg/s1600-h/Ras4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A8Hf7C2ooHQ530yGdgZi6zTKaKDnRereOvMHHqS_ulnmNDUEt48huEyRj2EbeXsaBWn-76Uzdoe0gZN5kq7W1mhpVNRAk8w8sHZln2HJlOBmy28qglvO554r0vryjKQ3L9wAa41VtJg/s320/Ras4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365924670885812338" /></a>Dave of Apocalypsehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134114379773342092noreply@blogger.com3