Saturday, June 26, 2004

Another sketch from Emerald City Comicon 2004, this artist really doesn't need an introduction, does he? His website is a good place to visit in the unlikely event that you aren't familiar with his work. In any case, this one is excellent!

AQUAMAN
by Dave Johnson
29 Feb 2004
(permission to post given 29 Feb 2004 in person)
Studio Devil Pig

by Tegan at 11:04 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Oh, I'll be sketch-blogging later. But there isn't much to blog about at the moment. Here's a couple of random thoughts...

Scott has finally flipped: Klingon Karbs diet aids.

Query: Should I start posting my Rapid Reviews of the Free Comic Book Day comics now, as I'm reading them, or should I wait until the actual day has hit? On the one hand, if I wait, then there's less chance of a spoiler. On the other hand, if I start posting now, it'll give some folks a better idea of which ones to try to get. I'm mixed on it. What do YOU want? (Note: I got a bunch of the books early because I have an awesome comic shop owner who is aware that I do on-line reviews).

by Tegan at 12:04 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Friday, June 25, 2004

Neat Heroes Con 2004 report from Jeff "Interman" Parker. Don't miss the Land of the Lost commission... it's for someone's Krofft Superstars sketchbook!

There's a security risk so dangerous that users are being warned not to use MS Internet Explorer until the problem has been fixed. Ouch. Glad I use Mozilla. Version 1.7 is working quite nicely so far. Other people swear by Firefox and Opera. Whichever, just stop using MS.

You can check out TokyoPop's latest ads on their download page. Thanks to Shawn for the link.

Near Mint Heroes is link-blogging again, go check it out.

I may not be willing to put the full name of his blog here, but go check out Ringwood's reviews if you are a comic book fan. Some real good thoughts there.

And here's a lovely cover that you must check out. Many, many thanks to Postmodern Barney for sharing that with us.

Here's a fascinating entry on an Iraqi blog, comparing Iraqi freedoms now to the rest of the Arab world. Some people seem to forget that Iraq is a big country, and that there are good things happening there as well as bad. It's nice to read about the good once in awhile, while keeping in mind the bigger picture.

I love The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and I hope he keeps up the pressure on the government no matter who is in power. Anyway, Over/Spun has a clip from the Daily Show of Jon Stewart catching Cheney in a bald-faced lie. Considering that Cheney used the F-word on the floor of the Senate the other day, I think he's not long for the world of politics. He seems to be self-destructing.

Yet more Republican Values. Via Elayne.

One last thought on Jack Ryan and I'm through with the topic. As nice as it is to know for sure that he is a hypocrite and bully, the divorce papers should have never been released to the public. Both Jack and his ex-wife did not want them released, and there is more than a small possibility that their son will be hurt by the information being out there. I'm not sure why the papers were unsealed, but I don't think they ought to have been.

Would you read a blog by Bill Gates?

Hit and Run directs us to the most untranslatable word in the world: ilunga, a word in the Bantu language of Tshiluba for a person who is ready to forgive any abuse for the first time; to tolerate it a second time; but never a third time.

Snopes has updated with a couple of interesting stories. First off, don't get swindled by the offer of cheap gas coupons. Sounds like a nasty scam that some desperate folks would be all to willing to fall for. Also check out the basketball fish, complete with photos.

Boing Boing points us to Alice in Wonderland Pop Up Book in Flash. Eeek. Be sure to move your mouse all over each page. Boing Boing also points us to a Star Wars/Office Space fan vid.

Don't forget. July 3rd is the third annual Free Comic Book Day. Visit a comic shop, just about ANY comic shop, and ask (politely) for a free comic book.

In addition, many shops are holding special events. Check with your local shop for details. The shop I buy my comics at is going to have a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. By spreading the news I might be lessening my chances at winning, but if it brings more people into Corner Comics on July 3rd, it's worth it. You have to physically go to the shop on July 3rd to enter the contest, although you don't have to be present during the drawing to win. No purchases are necessary to enter the drawing, but you can get an extra entry for every $50 you spend! So everyone in the Seattle area needs to plan a visit to Kenmore on July 3rd.

As long as we're talking about Free Comic Book Day, I should mention that the comic books are NOT free to the retailers. The books cost anywhere from 10 cents to 75 cents per book for the retailers. So don't expect to get a lot of books unless you go to a generous retailer.

by Tegan at 8:12 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Common Grounds #6: I liked the first story, but I wasn't terribly pleased with the artwork. It just didn't do anything for me. The second story was ok, but it only worked in the context of the series as a whole. And, frankly, I want MORE. I hope to see a lot more of Common Grounds in the future. Recommended.

Witchblade #76: As I said, I bought this solely because the writer of "Common Grounds", Troy Hickman, is writing this two-issue arc. I don't have anything against Witchblade, but the art generally turns me off... in fact I was a bit embarrassed buying this issue with the mostly naked woman on the cover. Anyway. The story is strong, too bad the artwork was a little on the weak side at times. Everybody in the entire book has the same eyebrows, and most of them have similar faces. I may be overstating it a bit, but it is annoying. This one is worth a look, despite some minor art problems. Mildly recommended.

Java! #1: This is from local company Committed Comics, Neo Dawn, and it's set in Seattle after the coffee riots of 2054. You may be able to tell from the description that this isn't a very serious book. It's a nice little farce, actually. It's amusing and goofy. Mildly recommended.

Next week's books: Green Lantern, JLA, Harley and Ivy, and Colonia. And starting July 3rd, my rapid reviews of the Free Comics. Of the original 32 books, two were cancelled before reaching stores, and it appears that two didn't ship to my shop. We'll see as the day gets closer and all the sorting gets done.

by Tegan at 2:38 PM Seattle time - Permalink

• Weight = X-5
  
• Change From Last Week = 0
  
• Met Exercise Goal? Yes
  Goal was ten minutes a day (walk/bike/swim) at least six days.
  
• Current Exercise Goal = ten minutes a day (walk/bike/swim) at least six days.
  
• Kept food diary? Yes.

I was mildly surprised to see that my weight hadn't changed at all from last week's weigh-in. I've felt like I've been slipping over the last week. I've been hungry all the time and although I did plenty of exercise, it wasn't the same as all the walking I did at the pugless house. And yet, I somehow maintained instead of gained. That made me feel pretty good.

The next step is to figure out how to tackle the craving problem. I think it's all in my head, since I'm not feeling any physical hunger. In fact, one of the worst ones hit right after I'd finished a decent-sized dinner. Having dessert usually takes care of it, but I'd like to reduce the number of desserts I have. The water trick doesn't seem to work on a full stomach (get out a bottle of water and tell myself that I can eat what I'm craving after I finish the water) or with the unspecific craving. Something is signalling my brain saying "I'm hungry!" when I'm not really. If I can figure out how to fool/suppress/bypass/endure that obnoxious signal, then staying on the diet will be much easier.

by Tegan at 11:40 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Thursday, June 24, 2004

The round 3 voting for Comic Book Idol was a real nail-biter! Carlos Rodriguez had the lead from the get-go, but the other five were neck and neck pretty much throughout. An amazing 926 people voted (745 in the second round, 700 in the first). The second through fifth places had 151, 150, 149, and 148 votes respectively! That's seriously about as close as it gets. In any case, Billy Penn, who got the GL ring on the wrong finger but drew a wonderful crowd of bees, didn't make the next round with 125 votes. And Micah Gunnell, who had the best looking bees and by far the best "drugged" panel, was on the wrong end of the tight race with 148 votes. So Jason, Carlos, Larry, and John move on to the next round: a cover for Green Lantern #178.

For anyone who was wondering about my mentioning of Republican Family Values, here's a really good summary of just why I think Jack Ryan's perversion ought to be pointed out. Hypocrisy and bullying don't make for a good leader.

And, as long as I'm talking about politics, go look at the current Electoral Votes Map. Interesting, eh? Ok, click on "Previous report"... and again... go back a few days. I went back a couple of weeks. This election is insane already, and getting moreso. Watching the votes bounce around as new polls are taken is fascinating and more than a little scary.

A nice mystery collected for us on-line: The Mayday Mystery, involving ads placed in the Arizona Wildcat, the school newspaper of the University of Arizona, every May 1st since 1981. Via MetaFilter.

A cool page on the 2004 Summer Olympics, designed for children. I'll bet my husband can win every quiz... Or you can look up Medal Winners from past games. And Daryl Cagle has put together a bunch of Political Cartoons about Olympic Scandals. These links, and a whole bunch more are from the Librarians' Index to the Internet.

The Modulator kindly points us to a wonderful practical joke site: Blinded By The Light. I particularly like the results of the follow-up, when the boss comes back.

Don't forget. July 3rd is the third annual Free Comic Book Day. Visit a comic shop, just about ANY comic shop, and ask (politely) for a free comic book.

In addition, many shops are holding special events. Check with your local shop for details. The shop I buy my comics at is going to have a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. By spreading the news I might be lessening my chances at winning, but if it brings more people into Corner Comics on July 3rd, it's worth it. You have to physically go to the shop on July 3rd to enter the contest, although you don't have to be present during the drawing to win. No purchases are necessary to enter the drawing, but you can get an extra entry for every $50 you spend! So everyone in the Seattle area needs to plan a visit to Kenmore on July 3rd.

As long as we're talking about Free Comic Book Day, I should mention that the comic books are NOT free to the retailers. The books cost anywhere from 10 cents to 75 cents per book for the retailers. So don't expect to get a lot of books unless you go to a generous retailer.

by Tegan at 5:32 PM Seattle time - Permalink

I have another nephew! Liam Thomas was born this morning, less than an hour ago... my big brother just called to let me know.

Funny thing about the name. I've been idly thinking over boy names for when I someday have children, and about two weeks ago I came to the conclusion that Liam was a really cool name and that I might just have to use that. I was thinking through combinations that would work, and tumbling it over in my head. Then I went to my brother's birthday party on June 16th, and he told me the name they were planning to use. My jaw hit the floor. The sheer synchronicity of it stunned me. Needless to say, I think my new nephew has a very cool name.

David called again to let me know that Liam weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. He's a big 'un.

by Tegan at 12:24 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Batman Adventures #15: This one throws the sympathy of the reader firmly on the side of the villain, and makes Batman look like a cad. In fact, Batman's actions in this one are a bit obnoxious, of the shoot first and ask questions later variety. In the end, despite how foolish she may be, you end up rooting for Nora. Mildly recommended.

Amazing Spider-Man #68/509: Ok, is it just me, or does the Spidey on the cover look like he's suffering from a bumpy rash on his shoulders? His back looks genuinely diseased. The interior artwork is going to take some getting used to, also. I can't yet decide if I like it. The writing on this one seemed off, also, but I suspect it had more to do with the art than the actual story itself. I'm pretty much undecided on this issue... mildly recommended.

Still to review: Common Grounds, Witchblade, and Java!

by Tegan at 7:24 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

The Goon #7: I don't buy Hellboy. I don't buy The Goon. So why did I buy this issue? I'm not sure, but it was a fun little tale. I'm afraid it didn't make me any more likely to buy The Goon, but I liked it. Hellboy is thrown into another universe by a lucky hit meets up with The Goon and gets involved in what appears to be a long-standing dispute. Heh. This is fun, but not really my style. Mildly recommended.

Conan #5: The story doesn't move forward nearly as quickly as I'd like, but other than that this is a strong installment. There are a couple of nice info dump flashbacks in this one. As always, the art is simply amazing. Worth a look if you like epic fantasy.

Still to review: Batman Adventures, Amazing Spider-Man, Common Grounds, Witchblade (!), and Java!

by Tegan at 9:32 PM Seattle time - Permalink

The voting for round 3 of Comic Book Idol has started. Yes, I voted for Rodriguez.

Hubby-Eric watched AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. Ok, yeah, I watched it too. The first Oz song came up at number 82, with "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead". "The Rainbow Connection" was at 74. As expected, "Suicide Is Painless" aka The Theme from MASH was on the list, at 66. A song I like a lot for no good reason: "Fame" was at 51. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" was at 47. Release the movie already, Disney. It's not nearly as bad as you think it is. The oh so classic "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" was at 12. "Sound of Music" was at 10... by then I had realized there was no chance of seeing anything from Seven Brides From Seven Brothers on the list. "When You Wish Upon A Star" popped up at 7... "Singin' In The Rain" at 3, with Kermit commenting on it... "As Time Goes By" at 2... "Over The Rainbow" was, just as we really expected, at number 1. Hubby-Eric wasn't even slightly antsy when number 2 was announced, because he knew it would be on the list, and therefore it would be number one.

If you have a Gmail account, and want to get rid of the free accounts they give you every once in awhile, there's an effort to get those accounts to the troops via Gmail4Troops.com. In case you want to send me Gmail, my address is realtegan@gmail.com. I finally got my first piece of spam yesterday, two days after activating the account.

Here's a really odd movie that gives a new definition to "hand gun". Warning: fake violence and 15 MB download. Via MetaFilter.

Speaking of fake... here's another example of Republican Family Values. I didn't connect the name "Jeri Ryan" to the Star Trek actress until hubby-Eric pointed it out.

Cool design for Canada Day Commemorative Quarter was created by an 11-year-old BC boy. I want one. Via Boing Boing.

Don't forget. July 3rd is the third annual Free Comic Book Day. Visit a comic shop, just about ANY comic shop, and ask (politely) for a free comic book.

In addition, many shops are holding special events. Check with your local shop for details. The shop I buy my comics at is going to have a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. By spreading the news I might be lessening my chances at winning, but if it brings more people into Corner Comics on July 3rd, it's worth it. You have to physically go to the shop on July 3rd to enter the contest, although you don't have to be present during the drawing to win. No purchases are necessary to enter the drawing, but you can get an extra entry for every $50 you spend! So everyone in the Seattle area needs to plan a visit to Kenmore on July 3rd.

As long as we're talking about Free Comic Book Day, I should mention that the comic books are NOT free to the retailers. The books cost anywhere from 10 cents to 75 cents per book for the retailers. So don't expect to get a lot of books unless you go to a generous retailer or you chipped in to support the effort (like I did). I hope to get all 31 books, but there is no guarantee that all of them came (or even that my shop owner (hi Paige!) even ordered the more expensive ones).

I visited my shop today and saw the huge pile of boxes of "free" comics waiting to be opened, sorted, and counted. This is not going to be a small effort on the part of comic shops. I also picked up this week's books, which include Previews (I'll do my Flipping Through post sometime this week), The Lizard of Oz (can't promise I'll review it, I'm not even sure I'll read it), The Goon #7 (I don't even buy Hellboy, but I got this for the Hellboy appearance... go figure), Amazing Spider-Man #68/509, Common Grounds #6, Batman Adventures #15, Conan #5, Java! #1 (from local company Committed Comics), and Witchblade #76 (entirely because Troy "Common Grounds" Hickman wrote it). I also snagged Green Lantern and JLA from the sneak peek pile, but I won't post reviews of those until they come out. I had to see how the three Green Lantern pages from Comic Book Idol were done in the actual book.

by Tegan at 4:02 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Conqueror Fantastic edited by Pamela Sargent: This is not an anthology of alternate histories. Let's get that out of the way right off. There are some alternate histories in it, but it's more about adding an elemental of fantasy to a historical tale. Some of the stories are true, in the loose sense of the word. Unfortunately, I was really hoping for alternate histories.

There are thirteen stories in the book. Two deal with Hitler. Two deal with Genghis Khan. Two deal with Alexander and his father Philip of Macedon. There are a handful of other notables, including Robert Kennedy, Napoleon, and Lyndon Johnson. The story that impressed me the most was probably the last one, which dealt with an Aztec princess. None of the stories were outstanding, though, and there were more than a few I didn't enjoy much. Overall, a mild disappointment for someone who usually enjoys anthologies a lot.

by Tegan at 11:20 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Don't forget. July 3rd is the third annual Free Comic Book Day. Visit a comic shop, just about ANY comic shop, and ask (politely) for a free comic book.

In addition, many shops are holding special events. Check with your local shop for details, but I can tell you right now that the shop I buy my comics at is going to have a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. By spreading the news I might be lessening my chances at winning, but if it brings more people into Corner Comics on July 3rd, it's worth it. By the way, you have to physically go to the shop on July 3rd to enter the contest, although you don't have to be present during the drawing to win. So everyone in the Seattle area needs to plan a visit to Kenmore on July 3rd.

There are nine Gold Sponsors, and twenty-two Silver Sponsors... for the rare person who paid for their free comics (like me), that's 31 books if everything actually comes (unfortunately, a big if. I got 19 of the 21 Gold and Silver books from last year, but Transformers Armada and Keenspace dot com never showed). Most people will get one or two books, and you are most likely to get a Gold Sponsor book.

In 2003, Free Comic Book Day was held on May 3rd to coincide with the release of X-Men 2. In 2002, it was held on May 4th to coincide with the release of the first Spider-Man. This year it was moved to July 3rd to line up with the release of Spider-Man 2.

I'm going to warn you now that I'll be pushing this just about every day on my blog from here until the event. Expect to see a lot of this banner on this blog in the next couple of weeks.

by Tegan at 3:49 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Happy Birthday to Bill the brother-in-law.

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Going back to True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories by Tom Beland (go buy it), there were several mentions of Aquaman in the book, which might be why Larry thought I would enjoy it so much. If so, he was right, but not just due to Aquaman. The one I liked the best, in fact, was "Gettin' My Kling On" about meeting some Klingons at San Diego comicon. There were also a number of stories about families, which I identified with despite my different kind of family. I also liked the "Dancing Crab" story, and his sunburn tale (which I also identified with strongly for some strange reason).

Anyway, I thought I'd provide one small image (which is not representative of the book by any means) to show how absolutely cool this book is. Now, go get it. No really. Now. I mean it. I don't give just anything four and a half starfish.

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The assignments for Comic Book Idol 2 round 3 have been posted in the forum, and it's clear which artists actually had references to Fatality and which ones didn't. Here's my thoughts on it (now that it's down to six competitors, I'm following it more closely). You can read the assignment before reading my comments.

Billy Penn: got Fatality wrong... the ring is definitely on the wrong finger at the top of page two... I don't like his figures much. It's servicable, but I don't think I'd be a big fan of this guy.

Micah Gunnell: also got Fatality wrong, but his bees are COOL! This is a simpler art style, which I like. The layouts have some problems, and the samurai doesn't have enough movement. It should be attacking.

Jason Masters: His Fatality is COMPLETELY wrong. Wronger than wrong. His bees look lovestruck, not angry. The composition is ok, but it's not inspiring. I like his art, but this isn't what the script called for.

Carlos Rodriguez: I'm already a little biased toward this guy, so beware. He's the first one to get the look of Fatality right. I love his layouts, he seems to have mastered the storytelling, which is high praise from me. He also makes this look like a fight, on-going happening NOW, rather than a bunch of panels. I like his "drugged" panel, with Fatality crouching on the bodies of the GL Corps. Very nice touch. This guy knows his stuff. This is the best of the bunch.

Larry Chy: Good action, but yet another wrong Fatality. Didn't any of them have reference materials? This one is ... I don't know, missing something. The layouts are decent, the action is good, but something is wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but this just feels like going through the paces.

John Rubio: Ah! Another one who knows what Fatality looks like! Not enough bees in the first panel (common with others), but the layout is very different! I like the "in your face" bit there. Overall, this is probably the second best one, in my opinion.

It's very neat to see six different artist interpretations of the same scenes. Seven, actually, when the regular book comes out. I'm really glad I'm not the one having to choose which two artists get dropped. I can tell you my two faves, but the other four all seem on a level to me. It'll be interesting to see which ones make it.

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Driving me absolutely bonkers lately have been the obnoxious sounds of ice cream trucks all piping the melody of Daisy Daisy to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, despite having seen people singing the song on Doctor Who recently, I didn't know the words to the chorus. And there are few things more irritating than hearing a song and remembering only some of the words. So I had to look it up, and here they are. Driving me bonkers:

Daisy Daisy, give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy, all for the love of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage,
But you'll look sweet on the seat of a bicycle built for two!

Why is this song in particular being used by every ice cream vendor in Seattle?

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Yet another reason to not live in an apartment building.

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To be honest, I would have been suspicious if nothing had gone wrong... but there were problems with SpaceShipOne's first foray into space. Enough problems to ground the vehicle until the crew can figure out what went wrong. As I was listening to one of the many broadcasts of the flight, one reporter mentioned that pilot Michael Melvill had heard several loud bangs during the flight up. I haven't seen any other mention of that, but it reminded me at the time that this was a test flight.

---

I was just thinking some more about the kids in Marysville School District, who are protesting the "loss" of their summer after the longest strike in state history by walking out of classrooms. And picketing.

I was thinking how wonderful it is of the kids to remove the worst trouble-makers and least respectful children from the classrooms, thus reducing the stress on the teachers. I was thinking about how their ill-timed publicity stunt will solve nothing at all, and maybe even force some of them into summer school. Ha! In fact, the only people the walk-out really hurts are the students themselves.

I really hope they stay out of school. It would lighten the load of the teachers and increase the chances that their fellow students will get a decent education despite the late date because all the whiners who can't handle the heat, literally, are gone. If it puts a burden on any part of the district, it would be on the administration, which will have to figure out how to punish the kids. I say summer school for the lot of them, or hold them back a grade for failing to complete the school year.

The thing is, the time to protest the strike was back when it was happening. Protesting now is utterly useless. They claim to be emulating the teachers, but the teachers were striking with the possibility of a change happening (a change that eventually did happen, thus validating their position). There is no possibility that the students can change anything. What are their demands? That the district let out early? The district can't change state law. So the children are protesting pointlessly.

And the parents who are supporting this effort ought to be held responsible for their kids truancy. Maybe a couple of stiff fines for violating state law would get them to understand that they aren't helping their children, just hurting them even more.

Ah well, the children will probably return to class, more is the pity, and continue to make life horrible for the teachers. It would be nice if they stayed away, but I'll bet they won't be willing to actually face any consequences. As soon as they are threatened with repeating a grade or having to attend summer school, they'll be back in class causing headaches. Too bad.

by Tegan at 10:44 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Monday, June 21, 2004

Hubby-Eric's new comic book version of Oz has arrived, and I think it's worth reviewing...

Dorothy: As I mentioned when I first brought this up, it's a dark version of "The Wizard of Oz". A very dark version. Dorothy is a sixteen year-old girl with a slightly goth look who hotwires a truck in the first few pages. This is not Baum's vision, but that's ok. It's a vision all its own, and I actually like it quite a bit. The comic is made up of studio photos enhanced and turned into artwork, which is jarring in some places at first. The model playing Dorothy fits the role nicely. Once you get used to the style, the art works very nicely and enhances the mood of the story better than traditional art might. It's got a very slick, very cool look to it. All of that wouldn't be worth a nickel if the story wasn't also strong... which isn't a problem. The story is a nice twist on the original tale, with the whole tornado thing happening and everything. But there's no good witch awaiting Dorothy's arrival, and things in Oz seem a bit amiss. I can't recommend this to hardcore Oz traditionalists, but any Oz fan with an open mind and just about any regular comic book fan ought to enjoy this book. If you're on the hunt for something different, try it. Recommended.

A couple more notes: the comic book has a warning label on the cover, "Contains Strong Language and Drug References". I like that the label is on the cover. It makes it pretty clear off the bat that despite the setting, this is no children's book.

I mentioned hardcore Oz fans would not like this. I mean it. I know of at least one hardcore Oz fan who would likely have a hissy fit if he saw this. That's his problem. I liked it. But don't get it for your favorite Oz fan unless you know ahead of time that they don't mind alternate versions of Oz.

I know there's a word for the use of photos in a comic book form, but I can't for the life of me remember it. This isn't simply photos, though, the photos are enhanced with backgrounds added. I particularly like the enhancement of the color on Dorothy's eyes. Very nicely done.

I absolutely love the next line after the good old I-don't-think-we're-in-Kansas type line. That and another scene got a good laugh out of me.

If you want to see a good page on Oz, go visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Website, aka hubby-Eric's passion.

by Tegan at 10:00 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Local Blogger Gathering: If any of my readers are from Bothell, come to the Lyon's Den on Tuesday, July 6, at 7:00 for the first ever Bothell Blogger Bash.

Ah, Polite Dissent, that master of medicine and comic books. He's come up with two "can't miss 'em" entries. First off is the The Reading Habits of Cats, in which he matches his cats' reading habits to the reading habits of Lucy the Cat at Lexapropriate Ramblings. I must say, for the most part, Sammy and Molly have much more... um... intellectual reading habits than Lucy. Scott also comments on Decompression in comic books and has some very nice points to make about six-issue arcs and the lack of action in said arcs. I tend to think that if you can summarize a comic book easily in two sentences without leaving out any major plot point, the arc is going WAY too slow.

A hearty comics blogosphere welcome to The Comic Queen!

ICv2 posts comic book sales for May 2004. Aquaman is holding steady.

Newsarama weighs in on the CrossGen situation, and gets a list of creditors along with the filing. *sigh* It just drags on and on.

Slashdot is reporting that Hotmail is blocking Gmail. Interesting. Update: I just checked my Excite account, and it says they will be upgrading to 125 MB of free storage with a 10 MB limit on e-mails soon. Heh. Let the free e-mail wars begin! I have five e-mail addresses, three of which I check daily. I just checked my Yahoo account (which isn't one I normally check every day) and it's offering 100 MB free storage with 10 MB limit on e-mails. Now if I could only get Eskimo to offer 125 free megs, I could safely expand my website...

Neat little coverage of a nasty scam perpetrated through spam mail on people who are a little too paranoid.

A very cool explanation of Jizo Bodhisattva Statues in Japan. Not only did the statues play a major role in Lone Wolf and Cub, a statue made an appearance in one of the more awesome Usagi Yojimbo stories. The references make a bit more sense to me now, thanks to Sampo for the link.

Some of the students in Marysville School District are walking out (KING 5 News) claiming that "The teachers set the example so it's all right for them to be out here," said one mother. As long as they understand that there are consequences for their actions, as there were for the teachers, I don't have a problem with the kids walking out. I mean, if their summer is so important that they are willing to repeat a grade, more power to them. I hope they enjoy failing all their classes due to non-attendance. And if the mother who thinks it's ok for the kids to "strike" complains when her precious little brats fail their classes, well maybe she ought to go back to school herself. State law requires 180 days of school between two dates, it never once says school days can't happen in the summer.

Regarding Ray Bradbury's whining about Moore "using his title", Boing Boing has the best response I've seen yet. It's pointed out that Bradbury took the title of I Sing The Body Electric direct from a Walt Whitman poem. Shame! He should "give the title back" to Whitman! But that's not all, no! Something Wicked This Way Comes was lifted straight from Shakespeare! My goodness, Bradbury is as bad as Moore! But that's not all! Many more examples of Bradbury's shameless title stealing can be found here. Either Bradbury is pulling a "Moore" to get attention for upcoming reissues of Fahrenheit 451, or, if he's serious, he's a freaking hypocrite. I really hope it's the former, as it would be nice to see Moore hoist by his own petard.

CNN's coverage of the launch of SpaceShipOne was utterly useless. They kept showing file footage, then were so busy talking about other things during the actual lift-off that they didn't indicate it was live. I finally got smart and turned over to MSNBC and got actual coverage. I went back to CNN for the touchdown, though, as they had Bert Rutan there on camera. Michael Melvill is the first non-government sponsored astronaut. Here's a little coverage from space.com.

by Tegan at 2:23 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Although I haven't finished off everything in the original AIT/Planet Lar box that was sent to me ages ago by Larry Young, I've read these two more recent offerings that Larry sent along so I'll share my thoughts on them now: Hench and True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories.

Hench by Adam Beechen: This is the story of a normal enough guy who gets into the sometimes lucrative but always thrilling job of being a henchman. The motives for getting into a job as a criminal seem understandable, and the results are pretty predictable. The artwork is servicable but uninspiring... but the story is so strong as to make up for a lot more faults than that. The story is all about the type of people who become heroes and villians, despite appearing to be about henchmen. We get to see them all through the eyes of a person who gets to experience both sides of the battle. And while the good guys might fight the bad guys, they aren't always good. Well, the artwork is the only thing wrong with the book, really. And that's not a bad problem... this one is definitely worth checking out.

True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories by Tom Beland: This one... get this. I mean, go out and buy this RIGHT NOW. Don't hesitate. Just go get it. It's wonderful. The art style is simple and classic, and the stories are hilarious. Each page is a tale on its own, so it's a book you can read in easy chunks. While some of the stories are a wee bit adult... overall the quality is so high I loved it completely. Go get it.

by Tegan at 7:49 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Sunday, June 20, 2004

JLA: Another Nail #2: It's so pretty, you hardly notice that the story isn't very strong. I just don't like stories involving Darkseid/Parademons/New Gods that much. It's not horrible, but I haven't felt a hook yet, nothing has pulled me into this tale besides the artwork.

JSA #62: Something's really wrong with The Spectre, and this will no doubt lead into the Green Lantern relaunch somehow. Oddly enough, I enjoyed this issue more than I have been enjoying this book lately. It seems to hold together better despite the crowded cast. Maybe I'm finally getting used to having a plethora of main characters?

Still to review: Hench, and True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories.

by Tegan at 10:13 PM Seattle time - Permalink

CrossGen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, thus keeping the death throes up for a bit longer. It doesn't look like the folks who are owed money should plan on getting paid anytime. I was going to say anytime soon, but it really appears that those who were hit first and hardest are out of luck. Link via Grotesque Anatomy.

Mark Evanier also weighs in on the CrossGen situation.

Thanks to Garrett, I now have a Gmail account. If you feel like writing to it, I'm at realtegan@gmail.com. Keep in mind the privacy concerns that have been brought up about Gmail, though. And yeah, I know I'm opening myself up to spam by posting the e-mail. As much as I hate spam, it's either that or hide away. I'm not inclined to hide.

Augie De Blieck Jr. has a bit on hybrid cars, particularly how they aren't living up to the promise right now due to low production and high demand.

Hubby-Eric wants me to link to these Quizes so he can take the "What Classic Movie Are You?" quiz. No matter how many questions I use, I always come out as Apocalypse Now. In the "What Famous Leader Are You?" quiz, I come out different every time... most often I'm Einstein, but I've also shown up as Gandhi and Che Guevara.

And hey, Happy Father's Day to my daddy and Eric's daddy too.

by Tegan at 3:44 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Birds of Prey #68: After the confusing storyline (that will probably read better in one sitting) we needed a break. Well, this issue gives us a break. It's a done-in-one issue that ties up a loose end from the long arc, and sets up a new status quo. Considering that we're about to enter an annoying two-a-month arc, this is a nice breather.

Outsiders #13: I suppose I've heard of the Fearsome Five, but I don't really know who they are. Still, this story is pretty strong, with a good set-up for what looks to be a nasty fight. I still have issues with how this series started, but this is a pretty good story on its own merits. I'm actually kind of looking forward to the rest of the storyline.

Still to review: Another Nail, JSA, Hench, and True Story, Swear to God: 100 Stories.

by Tegan at 10:41 AM Seattle time - Permalink