Saturday, February 14, 2004

The story of this sketch is told in my con report from the day I got it.

AQUAMAN
by Siya Oum
16 November 2003
(permission to post given 16 November 2003 in person)
www.hyrogliphix.com

Siya is a model. If the link to her page isn't working, it's easy enough to do a search on her name and find pictures of her. Amazingly, she's a pretty decent artist, too. This sketch just has the look for a Valentine's day post, and so it's this week's Saturday Sketch.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

by Tegan at 8:54 PM Seattle time

Not much to say today. I'm actually kind of busy for once. I'll post the Saturday Sketch later tonight, and that'll be it until sometime tomorrow.

by Tegan at 5:01 PM Seattle time

Friday, February 13, 2004

I got a list of the Sportsclix... actually, it's a poster of all the first wave. So of course had to hunt down which ones I think are Mariners, though I'm not positive despite the pictures with all of them. It looks like there are eight Mariners represented, with both Bret Boone and Ichiro also getting second sculpts, for a total of 10 Mariners figures.

Regardless of how the game actually plays, I intend to get as many of the Mariners figures as possible. I'm glad Edgar, who is my favorite player, is represented. Kazu Sasaki is also in the set, and I hope they don't try to pull him now that he's decided to stay in Japan. The other Mariners are Randy Winn, Carlos Guillen, Jamie Moyer, and John Olerud.

One thing I've heard about this game is that there are some "ultra-rare" figures, but unlike Heroclix where you can only get the LE's (limited editions) in tournaments, all figures are in the boosters. So you might get lucky and pull a tournament prize from a booster.

by Tegan at 9:00 PM Seattle time

Well well well. I haven't exactly recovered from my bout of fibromyalgia-induced agony, but I think I'm responding to treatments. Last night I couldn't sleep. I usually plan on around 10 hours of sleep a night, and still feel exhausted even when I do sleep that long. But I slept about six hours the night before and last night I just couldn't get to sleep. So I wandered around in insomnia until 5 am, at which point I crashed completely. Then I woke up at 10:30 feeling bright, cheerful, and better than I have in months. I think I may be getting better.

Anyway, I thought it might be time for another Random Thoughts post. So here I go.

First off, the scan of Julius Schwartz's autograph I posted on Sunday is from my Green Book 'o Autographs. I don't exactly remember which San Diego con I got it at, from its location in the book I'd say 2001. I saw him in the DC booth, and they were about to start a session of some sort but were delayed in setting up some sound equipment. I dived into the opening, and snuck up to Julie with my book open and a pen in my hand, and after he signed, I thanked him for everything he'd done for comics. He smiled at me, and thanked me for reading, and shook my hand firmly before I left. In my heart I knew it would be my only chance to meet him, and I'm glad I was bold enough to do it. I may not have any truly interesting story about him, but I did get to say the most important words I needed to say: "Thank You."

Ok, on to the more trivial stuff.

Elayne's cat Datsa is now a part of The Infinite Cat Project. You can see Datsa here.

Neil Gaiman has a long post that talks a bit about being an embarrassment to his daughter but also mentions the latest trick of Captain Morgan the-cat-who-likes-to-insert-himself-up-people's-noses-while-they-sleep. He also mentions Vitamin Q, which is an odd and cool blog of lists.

Dirk Deppey has answered the call to become Managing Editor of The Comics Journal.... which will limit the time he has to work on ¡Journalista! So ¡Journalista! is going on indefinite hiatus. Dang. Best news source for comic and cartoon fans on the internet is shutting down for a bit. Yeah, I've already signed up for his update list so I'll know when he comes back. Probably won't stop me from looking at a dead page everyday anyway.

John Jakala's sarcasm is cutting. I know my review of Previews is better than the one he links to (at least for variety of books), but I am a superhero fan and I do list the DC and Marvel stuff I get...

H at The Comic Treadmill discusses HeroClix, particularly the playability of the game. As a former player, I found that your team was more important than who hit first... In any case, it looks like there won't be an Aquaman in the next DC expansion, so I can probably skip it.

Bill Sherman still likes Plastic Man. So does my hubby-Eric, so it stays on my pull list despite my opinion. Oddly enough, I think my husband reads more comics than I do, despite me being the person who introduced him to regular reading of comics.

Via Mah Two Cents, John Kovalic is now blogging: Dork Tower Tidings.

Doc Shazam is writing a Role Playing Game in the OB. Start with this post and read up. If you dare. (Inger, I dare ya!)

He had to climb the Great Wall to do it, but Olsen Ross has adopted. Go congratulate him on his daughter.

by Tegan at 2:46 PM Seattle time

Hawkman #25: Battle battle battle. Talk Talk. Battle Battle. Desecrate. Talk Talk. Battle. Talk. No More Battle. *sigh* I wish there was more to this book, but there just wasn't enough for me to enjoy. At least we're at the end of the crossover. I won't be buying Hawkman anymore.

Green Arrow #35: The Riddler, combined with a little heart-to-heart between Green Arrow and his latest ward. And, did I mention the Riddler? Nice cliff-hanger. Better than the last issue.

H-E-R-O #13: Eeeeeuwwww... Joe, you didn't! Gross. I have to wonder if Joe will find the device or if he's stuck as a superpowered woman for the rest of his life. That and how his wife will deal with the new reality she's been hit with have me nearly on the edge of my seat.

Still to review: Fallen Angel, 1602, and Thor.

by Tegan at 11:36 AM Seattle time

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Ok, I've given in to this one:

I did, at least, copy the gif file into my usual pictures directory. I would say this makes me look better-traveled than I really am, except I have visited an awful lot of these places in a car/van/bus. So I have seen a lot of most of the states I've visited. Indeed, I've pretty much traveled the entire Western coastline in a car, from the Canadian border in Blaine down to San Diego. I guess that counts for something.

Anyway, I decided to go ahead and do this meme because Johnny B's Map shocked me a little. I know, in my head, that people haven't visited Washington. But it's sometimes difficult for my heart to accept that.

by Tegan at 9:17 PM Seattle time

Smallville: Velocity [3-13]: The set-up to the dilemma was good, and the dilemma itself was pretty strong, but overall I wasn't that impressed with the episode. I can't quite put my finger on what was lacking, but it felt like a filler episode. Nothing special. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. It's like Pete is still being held at a distance. This didn't really reveal anything new about him, at least not to me. At least the ending of the show held true... Clark refusing to play hoops with the guy who put him into that horrible situation.

Angel: Why We Fight: Angel is one of those strange shows that can be deadly serious one week, then incredibly funny the next. This one was mostly dead serious, and was also a nice homage to countless thrillers set on submarines. I'm sure I'll learn more about the details of the show once I read Peter David's opinion on the episode, but I liked this one. It accomplished the feel of a WWII submarine movie while not removing the normal slightly campy silliness of the show. And, c'mon, it's just too much fun to say "Nazi Vampires on a Submarine!"

And after seeing the promos for next week, I'm looking forward to watching Angel more than Smallville. Clark gets seduced (yawn) versus Angel turning into a puppet. I'll take the puppet, thanks.

And lastly, I don't plan on seeking out either Angel or Buffy. But if someone were to go to my wishlist and buy me the first season of either Angel or Buffy, I promise I would watch and review them. Yeah, not much of a promise, but I'm not likely to get any of the DVD sets as it stands. I figure if anyone is actually curious enough to see my opinion, they'll put their money where their mouth is. Note that I'm not holding my breath.

by Tegan at 7:53 PM Seattle time

In the brain fog of yesterday I forgot to wish my niece Jenna a happy Birthday. So, um, happy belated birthday, Jenna!

by Tegan at 2:21 PM Seattle time

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

I'm here, I'm alive. I'm in pain. I haven't been writing. Mostly playing an old C64 game on my emulator and feeling miserable. My brain can barely handle that much, but at least it's something. More later.

by Tegan at 7:41 PM Seattle time

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Superman: Birthright #7: It started out ok... and the bit with the bridge was excellent, but the flashbacks were confusing, and I'm not entirely sure what the issue was trying to tell me.

Supreme Power #7: Ok, that little twist on Amphibian was not one I expected. I made a little assumption, and I was wrong. But I think I'm going to enjoy seeing more of this twist. Oh yeah, and the main plot was ok, too.

Aquaman #15: I wasn't sure. Yeah, I go on and on about not prejudging a book. And I try. But this was a pretty radical change, and I just wasn't sure. My biggest concern, honestly, was the artwork. I've read enough H-E-R-O that I figured I would enjoy the story overall. I shouldn't have worried. From the cover to the end, this is a solid story with solid art. It may not be quite at the "fantastic" level, but the story has that potential. I'd say it's a solid four starfish, leaning towards four plus. Only the next issue will tell.

Coming tomorrow (according to the shipping list): Fallen Angel, Green Arrow, H-E-R-O, Hawkman, 1602, and Thor.

by Tegan at 1:19 PM Seattle time

Monday, February 09, 2004

Blankets by Craig Thompson: Another book I checked out from the library to try. Unlike Palomar, this one hit close to home. The themes of religion versus the real world were something I also dealt with growing up, though my adult mentors were considerably less scary and more informed than the ones in the book. This is not for everyone, but it was an incredible coming of age story, and I'm glad I read it.

Good-Bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson: This one is quite critically acclaimed, and I was especially interested in reading it after reading and enjoying Blankets. It didn't live up to expectations. I wouldn't call it bad, but if I had read this first, I would never have picked up Blankets. I guess it's just another case of a book that isn't for me.

by Tegan at 6:51 AM Seattle time

Sunday, February 08, 2004

Futurama Comics #16: Nobody is making me read this book. But every time, I wonder why I read it. This one was particularly annoying, as it ends on a cliff-hanger.

Justice League Adventures #28: Pretty nice overall. I like the way the Legion solved the problem. It's always nice to see more of the DCU in the animated-based books.

Usagi Yojimbo #72: The cover is mildly misleading. That's ok, I really wasn't expecting the events within, and the cover had something to do with that. It's nice to see Usagi talking over his dilemma with Tomoe. I wondered when it would come up in the book again.

Still to review: Birthright and Supreme Power.

by Tegan at 5:15 PM Seattle time

by Tegan at 11:15 AM Seattle time