Saturday, June 18, 2005

I think this is my first jam piece, though I could be forgetting some other... No, I think this is the first one. Kevin Hanna drew Aquaman and his daughter Kendra drew the fish.

AQUAMAN
by Kevin & Kendra Hanna
6 February 2005
(permission to post given 6 February 2005 in person)
frogchildren.com

by Tegan at 9:56 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

It's hard to follow up my last post, which is why I tried to stop politiblogging in the first place. I think my preoccupation with politics hasn't helped me when I try to blog about comic books or movies or whatever. I sometimes feel like I shouldn't be enjoying life when so many American soldiers are fighting two different wars. At times it feels incredibly disrespectful to write about comic books when there are things so much more important going on. At times.

Other times I remember that living is the best thing we can do to honor the dead, and that enjoying our freedom is how we keep it. With that in mind, I'm going to attempt to catch up with my comic book reviews starting tomorrow... and I'm also going to write a wrap-up of Doctor Who 2005 and a review of Howl's Moving Castle (thanks for taking us, Jim). And maybe I'll also cover some of the Manga I've been reading, including the first issue of the all-new Shojo Beat. I'll also post one of my last sketches tonight. I think I'm down to just two left. And I also intend to eventually review the Rosen publishing biographies of comic book creators. The library had five of the six volumes, and I'm almost finished with Neil Gaiman (don't tell him that).

by Tegan at 6:40 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Friday, June 17, 2005

This is so incredibly important, so vital for people to understand, that I can't stay silent about it. The following rant is only directed at my fellow citizens of the United States of America.

When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here — I almost hesitate to put them in the record, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report:

"On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold... On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor."

If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners.

This is the statement that Senator Durbin of Illinois made recently on the floor. The full statement is here (pdf).

Look at what the Senator said. He did NOT say that our guards are Nazis or Stalinists. He did NOT say that Gitmo is a death camp. He said that if you read the account of the torture that prisoners are being put through at Gitmo without knowing who was committing it, or where it was taking place, you would not believe that Americans had done it. This is because such torture is so completely unAmerican that it is nearly unthinkable, and yet IT IS HAPPENING. And worst of all, AMERICANS ARE COMMITTING THIS TORTURE.

Think about it. People are being tortured in our name. In your name. In my name. People are being tortured and the current government not only isn't condemning it, they condone it and are even making excuses for it. We, as Americans, should not be allowing this to happen.

Senator Durbin was speaking out of pure disbelief and disgust, and if you aren't just as disgusted and angry as Durbin is that these acts are being committed in your name, I find it hard to accept that you were raised in the same free country that I was raised in.

Torture is wrong. If you believe that torture is wrong, then stand with Senator Durbin. Call your senators and representative and let them know that Senator Durbin speaks for you, that you are every bit as disgusted and horrified at the torture being committed as he is. I just did. And I wrote to Durbin to let him know that I fully support his statement.

If you think that torture is good, then I pray that you never fall into the hands of someone who thinks the same way you do, because I don't wish such a fate even on people who deserve it.

There is no excuse for torture. It does not yield reliable results. It makes people resent the torturers even more, leading to more terrorists. It creates a culture of fear and hate. It is demeaning to both the tortured and the torturers. Torture is wrong.

I stand with Senator Durbin.

Update: Here (pdf) is the FBI memo that Durbin read to Congress. Here are a bunch of other documents pertaining to the torture that our government is committing around the world. So, do you support torture, or do you stand with Durbin as well?

Other blogs commenting on this: Making Light, Bradford Plumer, Billmon, Balloon Juice, more Balloon Juice, Slacktivist, more TalkLeft, and Andrew Sullivan. And, huzzah, there are Republicans who oppose torture. And here are Republicans who use Nazi references all the time, only they are comparing Democrats and Nazis. Where's the outrage from the Republicans over their casual use of such inflammatory language? Nowhere to be found.

Another thought from another blog (can't remember where): "Durbin DID NOT say that we are like Nazis. In fact, he said EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. And to go on from there, if Americans are not like Nazis, then why are we imitating them? Perhaps Durbin was WARNING us to stop what we are doing in Gitmo and Abu Ghraib lest we become them."

by Tegan at 11:32 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Thursday, June 16, 2005

The Seattle Times claims that if you mention Chris Pirillo on your blog, he'll turn up and comment. I somehow doubt that.

Speaking of comments, I have been getting a TON of poker related spam comments lately. Every time I check my comments I have half a dozen pieces of spam in there. Anyone else suffering from this, or is it just some side-effect of having comment moderation turned on?

Go check out the Mirrormask trailer as linked from Neil Gaiman's journal. I suddenly want to see it.

The new Doctor Who has been so successful, a THIRD SEASON has already been announced. Rock on! NOTE: Do NOT read the end of the article I've linked to unless you want the last episode of the first season spoiled. No, I didn't read the spoilers.

Shane is linkblogging again.

Trash Heap says always turn off autoplay.

New webcomic Starting Point is worth checking out, if only to giggle at the audacity of using mostly stick figures in a webcomic... on the other hand, the backgrounds are surprisingly good, and there is a penguin.

Dark Horse comics for September, Image comics for September.

Dark, But Shining gets Grimm.

The folks at Dorothy start teasing.

Astronomy Picture of the Day is ten years old.

The Tsunami Scare (see Holy Frak!) exposed flaws in the system. And I thought I'd just mention that I like saying "Holy Frak!" Frak Frak Frak Frak!

Ever wanted to perform an autopsy? There's a Virual Autopsy page available. No, it won't show you anything really gross, just the stats of the case so you can determine the cause of death, and images of the organs.

Interesting irony: "Two middle school students who spent months working on a science project to prove how dangerous BB guns can be were disqualified from the state middle school science fair -- because BB guns are too dangerous." Sigh. The kids do all that work and then are told they can't compete. As the article points out, somebody should have nipped this one in the bud rather than let them do all the work then tell them to stop. Via Boing Boing

Republicans hate Sesame Street. (and even Snopes weighs in)

Meanwhile, the BBC's free Beethoven downloads are proving popular.

Remix some pictures, get a visit from the SS. Hey, free speech isn't a right anymore, you know. You could be a terrorist who remixes pictures! Via Boing Boing.

God Bless Senator Durbin, for telling it like it is. Anyone who criticizes his statement clearly feels guilty about something. As for myself, I just have to keep reading this article and reminding myself that those who criticize Durbin for speaking the truth, no matter how odious their behavior, are still human.

by Tegan at 12:44 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

With a group as large as my extended family, odds are that a couple of them will share the same birthday. That happened with my brother David and my niece Morgan. A very happy birthday to both of you!

by Tegan at 10:13 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The only reports I've gotten indicate that Liam got through his surgery ok. No word yet on how his super-stressed family came through.

by Tegan at 10:41 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

As you go into surgery, our prayers and best wishes are with you.

by Tegan at 8:55 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

I must admit that this is one severe weather alert I've never see. There's a freakin' Tsunami warning all up and down the West Coast!

Update: from the Weather Channel "Get off the beach!!!"

Update: It was a strike/slip earthquake, which doesn't generate Tsunamis, so the alarm has been called off.

by Tegan at 8:48 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Missing Dalek found on Glastonbury Tor. While I tend to believe the facts of the article, it is the Register, so take everything else with a heap o' salt.

And on a completely different topic, this is the last day to mail in donations to the Breast Cancer 3-Day in Seattle. If you want to donate after today, you'll need to use a credit card.

Hmmm. Not enough? Ok...

Great list of Starter Comics. This reminds me a bit of the Eleven List.

Stuart Hughes reports on a fantastic idea on how to get rid of land mines in places where they are actually a danger, as opposed to places where they are just a minor nuisance.

The Avian Influenza Wiki has tons of information on what the bird flu is and why it's a danger. If you aren't scared, you aren't paying attention. Via Boing Boing.

Cell phones on airplanes can drown out radio signals from space, thus destroying SETI's chances of finding intelligent life outside our solar system.

Europe's oldest known civilization discovered. "More than 150 gigantic monuments have been located beneath the fields and cities of modern-day Germany, Austria and Slovakia. They were built 7,000 years ago, between 4800BC and 4600BC. Their discovery, revealed today by The Independent, will revolutionise the study of prehistoric Europe, where an appetite for monumental architecture was thought to have developed later than in Mesopotamia and Egypt."

DRM is stupid.

Terrifying article about what it takes to get people to be willing to commit mob murder. In short, as soon as you stop thinking of your opponents as fellow humans, you lose the moral high ground and slide into the realm of Nazis, Hutus, and other genocidal groups.

by Tegan at 9:58 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Monday, June 13, 2005

Yes, it's that time again... time for "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". I'm going to start with the bulk of the book, and then come back and cover the "big four" at the end. Please remember, I'm listing what looks interesting. My actual purchase list is going to be much smaller. The numbers after each title are usually the page number in Previews Magazine, so you can follow along at home.

Let's start with the covers. I'm naturally way more interested in the back cover, as it features Aquaman. The front cover is intriguing, with a mosaic pattern that lends a lot of style to it.

Moving on, let's hit the Splash Page (8-9). There's actually nothing that jumps out and grabs me from these pages. So I think I'll just move on.

Wizard (190-197) has the usual junk. Nothing new here.

So into the Featured Items (198-201) I wander. After reading the 25 cent Red Sonja, I have no interest whatsoever in the Red Sonja book from Dynamite Entertainment. There's a book of "Dr. Seuss"'s early work, and that sure looks tempting. If I had the cash to spare, I'd certainly snag the Dennis The Menace book and the Uncle Scrooge book. I think I'd probably get Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards as well. I'm not sure I'd want the new Star Trek collection, but I think I'm glad they are being collected.

Moving into the bulk of the comics...

Nothing of interest for me until I hit AiT/Planet Lar (210). Electric Girl vol 3 is definitely on my wish list, and I like the sound of Full Moon Fever. I mean... werewolves on the moon? Definitely something to look out for. So that one goes on the wish list as well.

Next up is Alias (210-220), which will be a force to be reckoned with if it keeps its books out on time. For hubby-Eric and I, it looks like Opposite Forces is a likely buy, and maybe Pakkin's Land, although I didn't really enjoy the first issue.

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor hits me over the head with Rex Libris (221, 223) which sounds almost funny enough to try out sight unseen. Alas, money problems will keep me from seeing this book.

Antarctic Press (224-229) will keep getting some of out money every month as long as they keep publishing Oz: The Manga. I'm actually looking forward to seeing this one, as I'm curious to see the old familiar story in a new style.

I'm being a wee bit picky this month on who I even mention, which is why the next publisher I'm hitting is Checker Book Publishing (254-255). Not only do they have the Seuss book I previously mentioned: Theodor Seuss Geisel: Early Works Vol 1, they also have Star Trek: The Key Collection Vol 4, which hubby-Eric and I have been getting from the start.

Ooooh... I see Quicken Forbidden (257) from Cryptic Press. I'd really like to get this one... if only I knew which issues were in the trades, I might consider it.

Moving ever onward... Dork Storm Press (277) is next with Nodwick #30. Once I discovered how much I enjoy Aaron Williams work, it became a no-brainer that I should keep getting his stuff.

Skipping over some stuff that will get attention from other folks, the next book I'm going to mention is Thieves & Kings from I Box Publishing (292).

I suspect I won't get IDW Publishing's book Spike: Old Times (296) even though it's written by Peter David, but I think I'll continue to get Angel: The Curse (299).

Whoa... I almost missed it. There's another Wizard of Oz adaptation, coming from Penguin Group's Puffin Graphics (312). I'll have to see if hubby-Eric wants to snag this one.

Amelia Rules is apparently back with issue #14 (314). We'll see if it makes it to the shelves this time.

Speakeasy Comics (318-324) is up for review again. I'm not really enjoying The Grimoire much, so I'm not sure we'll continue with it. We're likely to keep getting Beowulf, though.

And that actually brings me to the end of this month's regular comics. Not much in the merchandise sections. There's a Green Lantern statue that hubby-Eric probably won't get on page 486, and I'm interested in Eco Fluxx on page 505, because Fluxx is a cool game. I admit that the searchable CD of the Overstreet Price Guide (533) looks like a useful tool to have as well. But there's not much else of interest back there.

And so, back to the front of the book.

Dark Horse is up first. Revelations looks intriguing, but due to money concerns, it's not gonna happen this month. So back to the usual... Conan #19, maybe Clone Wars Adventures vol 4, and Usagi Yojimbo #86.

Ok, here's a new twist. My Previews magazine this month jumps from page 32 to page 97. There's nothing in between and no sign that there are pages missing. For part of my Dark Horse hunting and much of DC books I'm going to have to rely on on-line sources.

Image Comics (129-175) has the return of Ant in a new on-going series that apparently picks up where the mini left off. I have mixed feelings on this one. A large part of me wants to get it, but there's the small part of me that's all too aware of our money issues... and so it probably won't make the list. We will be getting Noble Causes #13, Hero Camp #4, and The Pact #4.

Marvel Comics (178). Let's see... Amazing Spider-Man #523, Shanna, The She Devil #7, Wha... Huh?, Powers #14, and Supreme Power #18. That's quite a list, actually.

So let's finish with DC Comics, mostly missing from my copy of this month's Previews.

Batman: Gotham Central looks slightly interesting, with a Teen Titans crossover. It looks like it will explore the concept of what happens when a vigilante with an unknown identity dies. Other than that, nothing of interest.

Superman: There's a new Supergirl title in town, but I certainly won't be getting it.

DC Universe: Aquaman #33, love the cover, HATE the solicit. Hopefully the solicit was written to be very misleading. Other probables: Birds of Prey #85, Day of Vengeance #5, DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy #3, DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy #4, Green Arrow #53 (though we might drop GA), Green Lantern #4, Justice #1, JLA #117, JLA Classified #11, JSA #76, Legion of Super-Heroes #9, JSA Classified #2, Outsiders #27, Rann-Thanagar War #4, Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #3, Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight #4, Solo #6, Teen Titans #27, Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files 2005, and Villians United #4. I'd love to get DC's Greatest Imaginary Stories, but money matters might make that impossible.

Johnny DC: The Batman Strikes! #12 and Justice League Unlimited #12.

Other: Astro City: The Dark Age #3 and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere #3.

And that's the lot. All of this month's "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". Comments? Questions? Did I miss any really cool books that you know about and would like to point out? Do you disagree with something I wrote, and want to correct me? There's the comments, right below. Post something. And, yes, I accept review copies. I'm willing to give almost anything a try.

by Tegan at 8:23 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Hrm. Something happened in the Jackson trial, but I've mostly managed to avoid all news of it so far.

Perishable Art. Wow. Via The Modulator.

Legends of the Superheroes. Thank goodness Aquaman wasn't in it, or I'd feel obliged to hunt it down.

Yes, you too can watch the Snack Fairy, also known as Colin Mochrie, on your computer.

Whoa, way cool picture of a twister and a rainbow.

There's now a Legal Guide For Bloggers.

Trash Heap is evil to send me to those games.

Jim Henley compares Shark Boy and Lava Girl to The Wizard of Oz.

Cat Blogging, Nerd Style.

Cats are very patient creatures.

Ooops. What happens when a train sets the tracks on fire.

Rest in Peace, Dana Elcar. I was a big fan of MacGyver as a kid.

Rest in Peace, Mary Frohman, anarchist and filker.

Withholding a diploma should be for something stupid, like getting drunk or failing your classes, not for wearing a different kind of tie.

Washington rep Jay Inslee has introduced a great energy project that will never be adopted by the current pro-polluter, pro-foreign oil government.

Writing condolance letters has made a Republican Congress-critter do a U-Turn on Iraq.

by Tegan at 5:39 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

I'm under $300 to go now... so close... In fact, I think I have, if I'm counting right, just $260 to go until I can walk. But the reason I'm posting this today is that the deadline for sending in donations via snailmail is TOMORROW. So if you don't want to donate via Credit Card, but want to donate, you'd better get it in today or tomorrow.

And if you want to donate but aren't sure how much you ought to contribute, Polite Scott has made a handy reference list.

• This will be a basic drawing. I will put the names in a hat and get a friend to draw them out.
  
• For every $15 that you donate to the Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day for me I'll give you one entry.
  
• Mailed-in donations must be postmarked by June 14th, Online donations must be made by July 7th.
  
• In addition to your donation, you must E-Mail me (tegan@eskimo.com) with a subject line of "3-Day Drawing" and indicate that you want to be included in the drawing.
  
• There will be multiple prize packages, which haven't been set in stone yet.
  
• You can win multiple times (up to three times per person).
  
• I will be paying for all shipping charges within the United States. If you do not live in the US, please contact me before entering.
  
• The drawing will be held AFTER the 3-Day walk, probably on July 31st, to give me time to recover from The Walk.
  
• The decisions of the judge (me) are final and cannot be disputed.

Prizes so far (will be combined into prize packages):

• Street Angel 1-5, including an autographed copy of the mini-comic
  
• Egg Story
  
• Ninety Candles (thank you Erin!)
  
• Abadazad 1-3 Set
  
• Bricktop A1 Special
  
• The Dave Johnson Sketchbook
  
• Codeflesh
  
• Last of the Independents
  
• The Couriers 02: Dirtbike Manifesto
  
• Channel Zero: Jennie One
  
• The Annotated Mantooth
  
• Filler
  
• Brath 7-13
  
• Doctor Who #1 (Oct-84) and some other Doctor Who goodies
  
• Some Superman books
  
• A variety of Heroclix

The goal of this project is to get enough donations that I can participate in the Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. I will still do the drawing even if I do not get enough contributions, but I'll certainly be happier about it if I do make my goal.

Please feel free to promote this drawing elsewhere, on blogs or message boards (as long as it's on-topic, darnit. No spamming!). The more donations I get, obviously the more happy I'll be.

by Tegan at 2:13 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Sunday, June 12, 2005

I mentioned this a bit ago, but I just have to share more information about it, including the DVD box design:

Note: should you click on the picture and go to Amazon.com and order this, a small percentage will go to me so I can afford my own copy. If you'd rather just get me a copy, go visit my wishlist.

by Tegan at 10:11 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

My adorable nephew, Liam, is going to have surgery on Wednesday. He was born with a isolated cleft palate... I'm not going to say much more about it except that he's a beautiful baby who makes the most fascinating sounds. This blog is to wish the kid best of luck, as well as his family who are going through quite a bit... surgery of a baby who is less than a year old is pretty stressful for the parents. Not to mention his big sister and brother...

Good luck, Liam.

by Tegan at 9:05 PM Seattle time - Permalink