Saturday, February 18, 2006
Aquaman's Missing Blue Suit Found
Figure Skater Johnny Weir of the USA
Note: This is a repeat from the Aquaman Website
Update: As David points out in comments, he also looks a bit like this guy:
Friday, February 17, 2006
Some Thoughts
Here's an excellent suggestion for a new TV show. I have to admit, looked at from that perspective, I think I'd almost prefer seeing this show to Mercy Reef.
More Comics Urban Legends! Including, yes, Green Lantern lost the cover image to his dog!
AiT/Planet Lar celebrates 500 posts. Congrats. Bloggity just passed 2500.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund...because I don’t want to be stoned to death for blasphemy...
Kurt Busiek is pushing this story so we know that the comic must be good. Go and check it out, at least.
The Beat looks into the San Diego Hotel situation. Suddenly I realize I don't have any real desire to attend Nerd Prom anymore. I can't handle huge crowds, and I HATE having to deal with annoying hotel clerks.
Favorite new word: quailtard. It makes me sad that Wikipedia folks keep redirecting the page.
Ask Yahoo tackles a very pressing question.
More Comics Urban Legends! Including, yes, Green Lantern lost the cover image to his dog!
AiT/Planet Lar celebrates 500 posts. Congrats. Bloggity just passed 2500.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund...because I don’t want to be stoned to death for blasphemy...
Kurt Busiek is pushing this story so we know that the comic must be good. Go and check it out, at least.
The Beat looks into the San Diego Hotel situation. Suddenly I realize I don't have any real desire to attend Nerd Prom anymore. I can't handle huge crowds, and I HATE having to deal with annoying hotel clerks.
Favorite new word: quailtard. It makes me sad that Wikipedia folks keep redirecting the page.
Ask Yahoo tackles a very pressing question.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
More on the Danish Cartoons
Somebody must've linked to my What It's Really About post, as I've gotten some very odd comments about it, which isn't really normal for a non-comic book post on this blog. Still, it has been interesting to see the various viewpoints.
I was at a dinner the other night with some friends, and when the subject of the cartoons came up, one of them mentioned that he was in Denmark during 9/11. The reaction there was considerably different than in the United States in many ways, and very much the same in other ways. He said that some of the Muslim minority did go out into the streets and celebrate. That turned the Danish press against the Muslims, and led to what he thinks has been several years of oppression. Keep in mind, this is the viewpoint of a single American citizen who spent time in Denmark. But I trust his judgement, and in his opinion, complaints by Danish Muslims about being hated and oppressed are probably correct.
I don't know about anyone else, but this certainly added a level to my understanding of the whole thing. Stupidity escalating into stupidity. Mob mentality, all the way.
I still tend to think this is less an issue about free speech than it is about people being manipulated. The Danish Imams were desperate to get the world to see what they considered massive racism and oppression, so desperate that they added images to the mildly offensive Danish cartoons. The Saudis were delighted to have something else to occupy people's minds than the deaths at the Hajj. And who knows what exactly motivated other folks to pile on? But pile on they did, until what should've been a "roll your eyes at the disbelievers" turned into a "let's kill each other to show how serious we are about this".
The thing is, nobody is impressed.
Oh, we're impressed enough by the violence. In the same way we'd be impressed by a rabid dog.
But impressed by their religion? This degrades their religion. Every act of violence meant to show how serious Muslims are only works to convince the world that the criticisms of their religion are correct, that it's a violent and hateful religion.
Every death is an insult to Muhammed more serious than the original cartoons.
I have to wonder if the rioters know what they are doing. Do they know that they are dragging Muhammed's name through the mud with their actions? Every Muslim who really believes their religion should be condemning the rioters. They can condemn the cartoons, too, but the cartoons aren't jumping off the page and killing people. The rioters are the ones who have made all of Islam look bad to the rest of the world. The cartoons were mildly offensive and boring, but the drawings of a Dane can't make the world hate Muslims. But when Muslims riot, burn, and murder, THAT makes the world think less of Muhammed and Islam.
I know that every day that goes by with more news of riots and deaths is another day I think less of the supposedly peaceful and beautiful religion. How strong is a religion if a drawing is a threat to it? How peaceful is a religion if members of it kill innocent bystanders over a mild insult? How beautiful can a religion be if artwork causes riots?
Update: So I write this long, rambling note, and Peter David writes something that makes even more sense. Go read.
I was at a dinner the other night with some friends, and when the subject of the cartoons came up, one of them mentioned that he was in Denmark during 9/11. The reaction there was considerably different than in the United States in many ways, and very much the same in other ways. He said that some of the Muslim minority did go out into the streets and celebrate. That turned the Danish press against the Muslims, and led to what he thinks has been several years of oppression. Keep in mind, this is the viewpoint of a single American citizen who spent time in Denmark. But I trust his judgement, and in his opinion, complaints by Danish Muslims about being hated and oppressed are probably correct.
I don't know about anyone else, but this certainly added a level to my understanding of the whole thing. Stupidity escalating into stupidity. Mob mentality, all the way.
I still tend to think this is less an issue about free speech than it is about people being manipulated. The Danish Imams were desperate to get the world to see what they considered massive racism and oppression, so desperate that they added images to the mildly offensive Danish cartoons. The Saudis were delighted to have something else to occupy people's minds than the deaths at the Hajj. And who knows what exactly motivated other folks to pile on? But pile on they did, until what should've been a "roll your eyes at the disbelievers" turned into a "let's kill each other to show how serious we are about this".
The thing is, nobody is impressed.
Oh, we're impressed enough by the violence. In the same way we'd be impressed by a rabid dog.
But impressed by their religion? This degrades their religion. Every act of violence meant to show how serious Muslims are only works to convince the world that the criticisms of their religion are correct, that it's a violent and hateful religion.
Every death is an insult to Muhammed more serious than the original cartoons.
I have to wonder if the rioters know what they are doing. Do they know that they are dragging Muhammed's name through the mud with their actions? Every Muslim who really believes their religion should be condemning the rioters. They can condemn the cartoons, too, but the cartoons aren't jumping off the page and killing people. The rioters are the ones who have made all of Islam look bad to the rest of the world. The cartoons were mildly offensive and boring, but the drawings of a Dane can't make the world hate Muslims. But when Muslims riot, burn, and murder, THAT makes the world think less of Muhammed and Islam.
I know that every day that goes by with more news of riots and deaths is another day I think less of the supposedly peaceful and beautiful religion. How strong is a religion if a drawing is a threat to it? How peaceful is a religion if members of it kill innocent bystanders over a mild insult? How beautiful can a religion be if artwork causes riots?
Update: So I write this long, rambling note, and Peter David writes something that makes even more sense. Go read.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Linkdump
What really happened to the Black Cauldron, and why it turned out so much less than it should have been. Via Garrett.
Another reason to ask for no ice when you order drinks from a fast-food place.
The 10 Best Sci-Fi Films That Never Existed.
Dorothy V is off to the printers.
Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoons Contest. Why let Iran have all the fun?
A timeline and roundup of the whole Sony debacle.
Indian Congress Leader shot by police trying to save him from a bear.
Washington State moves towards biodiesel. Meanwhile, Honda is working on a car that runs on hydrogen. And Joel Makower over on the Huffington Post discusses why hybrids are being ignored and pooh-pooh'ed. I personally want a hybrid that can run on ethanol.
Another reason to ask for no ice when you order drinks from a fast-food place.
The 10 Best Sci-Fi Films That Never Existed.
Dorothy V is off to the printers.
Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoons Contest. Why let Iran have all the fun?
A timeline and roundup of the whole Sony debacle.
Indian Congress Leader shot by police trying to save him from a bear.
Washington State moves towards biodiesel. Meanwhile, Honda is working on a car that runs on hydrogen. And Joel Makower over on the Huffington Post discusses why hybrids are being ignored and pooh-pooh'ed. I personally want a hybrid that can run on ethanol.
This One is for Kurt
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Good Night, G'Kar
Rest In Peace, Andreas Katsulas.
Happy Valentine's Day
Rapid Reviews - 1 February 2006 - Part III
Beowulf #6: Whoa, there was still one more issue we'd ordered but didn't get? I didn't like the last issue, didn't like this one. The character is mildly interesting, but the art is poor and the story doesn't grab me. 
Powers #16: More and more intriguing. I wonder what Christian will do now. You never know where this book will go.
Nodwick #31: Oooh, I like Aaron Williams work. This guy really has it. I love the "guest appearances" by various fantasy characters like Harry Potter, Xena, and Glinda. Lovely. This is a great book, second only to PS238 in its unlikely humor. Go, read.
Conan & The Demons of Khitai #4: Not too bad for a last issue of a mini. The fables that was told to Pallantides was nice filler to make the issue fill the whole book. I can't say it was the best, but it was certainly ok.
Angel: Old Friends #3: Wow, everyone is showing up. Though I'm guessing that meeting Wes and Fred after what happened in the TV series had to be difficult for the gang. The very end was telegraphed, but in a good way. I was looking forward to it. And I'm glad it happened. Part of me still wishes I'd waited for the trade on this one, but part of me is glad I got it.
Powers #16: More and more intriguing. I wonder what Christian will do now. You never know where this book will go.
Nodwick #31: Oooh, I like Aaron Williams work. This guy really has it. I love the "guest appearances" by various fantasy characters like Harry Potter, Xena, and Glinda. Lovely. This is a great book, second only to PS238 in its unlikely humor. Go, read.
Conan & The Demons of Khitai #4: Not too bad for a last issue of a mini. The fables that was told to Pallantides was nice filler to make the issue fill the whole book. I can't say it was the best, but it was certainly ok.
Angel: Old Friends #3: Wow, everyone is showing up. Though I'm guessing that meeting Wes and Fred after what happened in the TV series had to be difficult for the gang. The very end was telegraphed, but in a good way. I was looking forward to it. And I'm glad it happened. Part of me still wishes I'd waited for the trade on this one, but part of me is glad I got it.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Random Thoughts
First, a couple of "can you help" links:
Wil Wheaton is asking for help in finding a potential bone marrow donor for a Fillipino. If you know anyone who is ethnically Fillipino, please ask them to join the registry for bone marrow donation. They just might save a life.
And second, my friend and co-worker Amberkiah is doing the March of Dimes this year. She's a high school student who is trying to make a difference. She's set a very modest goal of $200 to raise. Eric and I have donated $20... if anyone out there has a spare fiver to give, please donate to help her out. I know firsthand how incredibly gratifying it is when anyone at all donates. A five dollar donation makes you feel like you are on top of the world.
On that note... I still haven't sent out the "prizes" for my own walk. I know, I know, it's been months. I feel really guilty. But they are here, almost ready to go. Soon. I promise....
Right, on to the fun stuff.
The fact that Seattle is clearly in the bottom zone of the weather map is oh-so-true. I love Aaron Williams' work.
Strong words for the recent JLA arc from Comic Treadmill. Very perceptive words, too.
The Dorothy folks celebrate the morning after the con. Considering their upcoming schedule, it's good they survived Wondercon.
The Beat has pictures from Toy Fair!!! I see the Batman/Penguin LEGO set, and I MUST HAVE THEM. Penguins with guns...
The Museum of Hoaxes looks at the great list of Comic Book Urban Legends from Comics Should Be Good. Excellent job all around. I still need to find myself those copies of Eerie that featured the reworked Aquaman tales by Steve Skeates.
Via Warren Ellis, the First Few Microseconds of an Atomic Blast. Wow.
In a moment of sick insanity, An Aussie Tourist is Charged with Assault in Texas for trying to Shush a rude Moviegoer. What is it about Texas? At least the police were polite.
Apparently the government considers bloggers to be dangerous terrorists. At least, we're important enough to shut down if there's a case of domestic terrorism. Hmmm.
And lastly: DC for May. I'll post some commentary on the solicits soon-ish.
Wil Wheaton is asking for help in finding a potential bone marrow donor for a Fillipino. If you know anyone who is ethnically Fillipino, please ask them to join the registry for bone marrow donation. They just might save a life.
And second, my friend and co-worker Amberkiah is doing the March of Dimes this year. She's a high school student who is trying to make a difference. She's set a very modest goal of $200 to raise. Eric and I have donated $20... if anyone out there has a spare fiver to give, please donate to help her out. I know firsthand how incredibly gratifying it is when anyone at all donates. A five dollar donation makes you feel like you are on top of the world.
On that note... I still haven't sent out the "prizes" for my own walk. I know, I know, it's been months. I feel really guilty. But they are here, almost ready to go. Soon. I promise....
Right, on to the fun stuff.
The fact that Seattle is clearly in the bottom zone of the weather map is oh-so-true. I love Aaron Williams' work.
Strong words for the recent JLA arc from Comic Treadmill. Very perceptive words, too.
The Dorothy folks celebrate the morning after the con. Considering their upcoming schedule, it's good they survived Wondercon.
The Beat has pictures from Toy Fair!!! I see the Batman/Penguin LEGO set, and I MUST HAVE THEM. Penguins with guns...
The Museum of Hoaxes looks at the great list of Comic Book Urban Legends from Comics Should Be Good. Excellent job all around. I still need to find myself those copies of Eerie that featured the reworked Aquaman tales by Steve Skeates.
Via Warren Ellis, the First Few Microseconds of an Atomic Blast. Wow.
In a moment of sick insanity, An Aussie Tourist is Charged with Assault in Texas for trying to Shush a rude Moviegoer. What is it about Texas? At least the police were polite.
Apparently the government considers bloggers to be dangerous terrorists. At least, we're important enough to shut down if there's a case of domestic terrorism. Hmmm.
And lastly: DC for May. I'll post some commentary on the solicits soon-ish.
Manga Thoughts
I stopped reading the on-line previews from Tokyopop because it was a pain to navigate the site. I enjoyed some of the books, but they kept changing the site around and they limited access even to subscribers so you could only read the current chapter. If I'd been able to reread the previous chapter, a lot of the books would have come out looking a lot better. Add to that the small size of the print, making some of the stories nearly impossible to read on-line, and it just wasn't worth it. So I just gave it up. It was fun for a bit and I did end up getting a number of books from it, but it was too much of a pain to deal with.
I did buy one last book, based on the on-line previews, and here's some rapid thoughts on it.
Psy-Comm Vol 1: This book holds together MUCH better read all at once. In chapters, it's hard to remember what is happening, but as a single story, the characters come to life and the whole thing suddenly clicks into focus. The storytelling could use a little work, to make things a bit more clear for the reader, but that's not so much an issue with it collected into a single volume. The concepts of the book are great... war is an industrial entertainment system and the psychics are the stars. At the end of the first volume, the world is established along with the main characters. The second volume promises more adventure, as well as commentary on the nature of the leadership in this world. Good stuff, worth checking out if you like the war/tech genre.
I did buy one last book, based on the on-line previews, and here's some rapid thoughts on it.
Psy-Comm Vol 1: This book holds together MUCH better read all at once. In chapters, it's hard to remember what is happening, but as a single story, the characters come to life and the whole thing suddenly clicks into focus. The storytelling could use a little work, to make things a bit more clear for the reader, but that's not so much an issue with it collected into a single volume. The concepts of the book are great... war is an industrial entertainment system and the psychics are the stars. At the end of the first volume, the world is established along with the main characters. The second volume promises more adventure, as well as commentary on the nature of the leadership in this world. Good stuff, worth checking out if you like the war/tech genre.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Random Linkdump
Here's a Fantastic Blogaround by Delenda Est Carthago aka Greg Burgas.
YAY! Kirk Jarvinen is going to attend the Emerald City Comicon! I get to meet another Aquaman artist (and maybe ask for a sketch).
Speaking of cons, the Dorothy crew is at Wondercon, and they've got pictures. I've been grateful to this group ever since they cheered up hubby-Eric at last year's ECC.
Silver Age Comics has The Worst Swipe Ever. And no, it's not artwork, it's a story swipe. Go read about it.
Check out this cover as seen on eBay: Superboy playing against Superman. What the...? They are the same person! But wait, that's actually a redrawn cover... the original: World's Finest #45.
Colleen Doran updates the computer situation. As you may recall, her cat managed to destroy her computer. Me-Ow!
The Legion of Valentine Cards by Polite Scott.
A very VERY good article in Slate about the Danish Cartoon Controversy. There are also links to other opinions about the subject at the bottom of the article. Again, I tend to believe this is less about free speech than it is about manipulating people, but it's still a good article.
Just in case you were wondering, well, of course I am... I found this to be just about the funniest thing I've read about "evil liberals" in a long time. Via Dryad.
YAY! Kirk Jarvinen is going to attend the Emerald City Comicon! I get to meet another Aquaman artist (and maybe ask for a sketch).
Speaking of cons, the Dorothy crew is at Wondercon, and they've got pictures. I've been grateful to this group ever since they cheered up hubby-Eric at last year's ECC.
Silver Age Comics has The Worst Swipe Ever. And no, it's not artwork, it's a story swipe. Go read about it.
Check out this cover as seen on eBay: Superboy playing against Superman. What the...? They are the same person! But wait, that's actually a redrawn cover... the original: World's Finest #45.
Colleen Doran updates the computer situation. As you may recall, her cat managed to destroy her computer. Me-Ow!
The Legion of Valentine Cards by Polite Scott.
A very VERY good article in Slate about the Danish Cartoon Controversy. There are also links to other opinions about the subject at the bottom of the article. Again, I tend to believe this is less about free speech than it is about manipulating people, but it's still a good article.
Just in case you were wondering, well, of course I am... I found this to be just about the funniest thing I've read about "evil liberals" in a long time. Via Dryad.
Cover to Aquaman #42
