Hump Day Fever!

Golden Age Sandman
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

I'm still working through this nasty cold/upper respiratory viral thingie, but unlike some bloggers, I do not believe blogging about blogging is a sin.

So on that note, just a bunch of various little bits of interest - enjoy!

• First, I've added some new blogs to the blogroll, including Comic Book Weekness, Ill Doctrine (which I learned about through Roger, if I'm not mistaken) and Clifford Meth's blog. Enjoy!
• Self-promotion # 1: New TV Party! Yay!
• Instead of watching the Oscars, here were my video choices. Why these two actors did not receive Academy Award nominations is beyond me.
  
• I've been working a lot with Vocalo, which is a local public radio station that both broadcasts traditionally and through the internet. I have been asked to be their unofficial "comic" guy (meaning - they would really like me to do graphic novel type commentaries). I've already done some blog entry readings for the service, and may use it for the non-Record You Should Own podcasts.
  
• Self promotion # 2: you can reach me on Skype, Twitter, Digg, and Vocalo at the amazingly creative name "GordonDym". Two of the three can be found at the sidebar.
• If anyone has any advice/tips on using ShareThis with Blogger classic templates, please e-mail me.
  
• Coming soon to the blog - Help! What I Did Last Weekend! Comic related stuff!
• Finally, since my voice is slightly haggard, sounding like Jack Klugman, March's Record You Should Own will probably not happen until the middle of the month. Please accept this video as a nice preview.

Moe's Monday Movie Meme - Answers

Last week, I challenged all readers to identify various movie quotes. Of course, in the spirit of Moe Howard, I am going to give you the answers...as well as identify those grand souls who were able to make accurate guesses.

Plus, I'll give some free points, just because. Click on the quote, and you'll be whisked to the IMDB entry (or maybe, even a mystery site!).

Let's begin!

• Chicolini may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot. [score one to Johnny Bacardi]
• He's very fussy about his drums, you know. They loom large in his legend [Now, Mr. Bacardi, you're just showing off]
  
• Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance.[I'm giving this one to the Redhead Fangirl, who quoted the first half on her site]
• Oh, you're losing your arm! You used to be able to pitch better than that. [Sorry, Roger, but maybe next time....]
• He's not the Messiah - he's a very naughty boy! [Thanks to the lovely, talented Golfwidow for getting this one]
• I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.[For Chris "Lefty" Brown and Mike "Cheater Pants" Sterling - they didn't play, but who would appreciate this quote]
• You are in a position to demand nothing. I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant nothing. [Sims and Campbell - you don't watch this movie enough]
• To make life worth living a man or woman has to have a great love or a great cause... I have neither. [I've blogged about this movie before]
  
• You know the guy who can pick up any girl? I'm him. On crack. [Andy, please make this your mantra]
• It doesn't take a great actor to recognize a bad one. (Special thanks to Stephen from Comic Book Weekness for getting this one. Well played, Stephen, well played)

Now, if you will all excuse me, I'm going to get some hot tea and suffer through this nasty cold thing I seem to have caught.

Risking Eternal Darnation

Just a little rant about religion - chances are, NSFW.

If you can't make the player work, download here.

Also, if you would like to hear more about my ranting - especially about Doctor Who - head down to Lefty Brown's blog and give a listen.


Click here to get your own player.

Monday Movie Meme Madness With Moe!

Since today is President's Day - and I have, really, nothing major worth blogging about - I am stealing a page from the Redhead Fangirl's blog.

Basically, it's a meme, and the rules are thus:

1. Pick 10 of your favourite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Fill in the film title once it's guessed.
5. NO Googling/using IMDb search functions.

(Feel free to stick your guesses in the comments section)

• Chicolini may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot.
• He's very fussy about his drums, you know. They loom large in his legend.
• Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance.
• Oh, you're losing your arm! You used to be able to pitch better than that.
• He's not the Messiah - he's a very naughty boy!
• I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
• You are in a position to demand nothing. I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant nothing.
• To make life worth living a man or woman has to have a great love or a great cause... I have neither.
• You know the guy who can pick up any girl? I'm him. On crack.
• It doesn't take a great actor to recognize a bad one.

Enjoy! (I'll have the answers in the comments by the end of the week)

Happy Birthday, Doc Savage!

Almost forgot, but thankfully, the mighty Johnny Bacardi and Mark Evanier never fail...today is the 75th anniversary of a character from whom all contemporary comics/pop culture derives...the mighty Doc Savage.

My initiation to Doc came with a dog-eared copy of Man of Bronze checked out of my local library at eight years old. I followed him with Marvel (both the color & black and white series), DC (well, kind of - Denny O'Neill's mini-series made me go back to the pulps), and Milennium's as-close-as-you're-gonna-get series.

However, for those who would like to learn more, start here and here.

And also, you, too, can write like Doc's author!

Or, if you want to buy some to sample for yourself, check out Nostalgia Ventures' reprints


Thanks, Doc, for corrupting my youth.

Not A Mashup - Not Photoshopped - Actual Screencaps!

These are not Photoshopped or faked in any way, but are actual screen captures from the new 2-DVD re release of Help!



Hmmm....no wonder these guys pretty much owned the 1960s. They avoided Adam West like the plague.

My Hard Boiled Valentine

Things were going relatively nastily for me these past few days, and I was feeling in a bad way. A cold had began working its way into my system, and I spent most of yesterday at a temp assignment with an elephant trompling my sinuses. Thanks to misinformation by a semi-competent government worker back in November, I found out that I was screwed over for my 'dream job'. My heart was as dark and gray as an accountant's cheap suit.

So I spent today, riding the CTA train back and forth to work, with Deadly Beloved, the first "Ms. Tree" novel published by Hard Case Crime, aka, her first non-comic appearance.

If Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski is analogous to Chandler's Phillip Marlowe, then Ms. Tree is Max Allan Collins' version of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. This is the kind of get-to-the-point pulp fiction that Frank Miller would sell his soul to write. It's also the prose debut of a character who made her debut in comics. (Like Mike Barr's Maze Agency and Mark Evanier's Crossfire, it's a personal favorite of mine). Think of it (as Collins himself states) as a kind of reboot of the character....

...as well as a crackling good read.

It's more than just pastiche; it's a great, clever plot which involves a unique way of handling professional killings, Ms. Tree's backstory, and...well, let's just say that, like Spillane, Collins keeps you going until the final page, with unexpected (but satisfying) plot twists. It is definitely for the above 18 set (with some frank sexual scenes)...and the cover makes it seem a lot more lurid than it is...but it's a pretty good translation.

Now, if only we could get Terry Beatty to draw the graphic novel version....

Roy Scheider & Steve Gerber, RIP

Like many people of my generation, I was a big fan of Roy Scheider. Oh, sure, it's easy to focus on Jaws, or even Seaquest DSV, but let's look at his career, shall we?

This is a guy who worked in a variety of genres, including:

• action, such as The French Connection and The Seven-Ups
• noir pieces like 52 Pick-Up (doing Elmore Leonard before doing Elmore Leonard was cool)
• Blue Thunder, possibly the greatest helicopter movie ever made
  
• musicals like All That Jazz
• Television - he did a episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent that proved that, although he was seriously ill, he sure didn't go down without a fight.

But don't take my word for it - check out his IMDB entry. At the very least, you'll see some great movies.

Ave atque vale, Mr. Scheider. You will be missed.

EDIT - just found out that Steve Gerber also passed away. Please feel free to check out the Wikipedia entry for an overview of his career.

Two guys. Two distinct talents. It just ain't fair, folks.

Wibbley-Wobbley, Timey Wimey

Fifth Doctor - Castrovalva
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

It's hard for me to admit, but even with a childhood spent with Pertwee and Baker, Peter Davison was....well, my Doctor.

Much of it is that, in those early 80s fandom days, when I began attending local DW conventions, I became enraptured. I don't know what my more treasured memory was - some guy hitting on Sarah Sutton opening in a Q & A, or Anthony Ainley wearing a Cubs hat. But after watching the New Beginnings boxed set - featured Tom Baker's final two stories and Peter Davison's debut as the Fifth Doctor - I can also see why there was such a buzz.

In fact, I'm even going to go out on a limb and say that this ranks with the 2005 revival of the series as the best reboot/restart.

The set begins with The Keeper of Traken - pretty much a nicely-designed, but very routine serpent-in-the-garden story. Of course, it is notable for a few things - first, the introduction of teenage crush du jour Ms. Sutton. It also provides a great reintroduction for Geoffrey Beevers...as the Master. (gee, why does that seem so familiar). Although initially "appearing" in voiceover, Beevers' Master dominates in part four, where the story kicks into gear...so much so that it was disappointing when the Master "took over" Ainley's Tremas. (Which was a masterstroke of acting - Ainley's character serves as a great foil for the Doctor, and Baker's later irascibility at the Master is palpable - a man he respected is now his worst enemy).

But it's Logopolis with its talk of block transfer computations, entropy, and use of past Doctor Who imagery that serve as maybe the best regeneration story (up until Caves of Androzani. It's ideas appealed to the teenage intellectual in me, but in many ways, it served as a great coda to Tom Baker's era. (Ironically, both Logopolis and Keeper show that Adric was a much better Fourth Doctor companion than he was Fifth Doctor - as Steven Moffat once stated, we don't like boy geniuses). After several years of not taking itself so seriously, Baker's then ill-health and impending departure (did he quit or was he pushed? Watch the DVD documentaries for more details) help give this story a weight that it didn't have before. In fact, this story is a better iteration of the Buddhist themes of Pertwee's Planet Of the Spiders. There was a great sense of potential in Logopolis...

...which was soon realized in Castrovalva. (Hey, an MC Escher reference!) Although written several months apart by the same person, the two stories blend almost effortlessly. (In fact, unlike much of classic DW before - or since - both stories are just rich with plot. In fact, several times I could not believe I had watched an entire half-hour episode - and that's a compliment). It's also good to see Ainley's take on the Master. Before he took on more of a Snidely Whiplash-esque quality, the Master uses his "new lease on life" to become more antagonistic. If Roger Delgado's Master was a Bond villain, Ainley's is a little more sociopathic, a little more malevolent...and a much stronger adversary for Davison's less-manic Doctor.

But that's the great advantage to this boxed set - it's a nice, almost nostalgic look at my early love of Doctor Who. But more importantly - it set a great tone for the series, and Davison's first season is almost point-for-point brilliant. (I'll let you decide about Time-Flight). Even though John Nathan-Turner later gave into his worst impulses to appeal to fandom, this is a great, almost textbook example of how to turn a flailing franchise around.

A worthy addition to the DIY DVD Guide.

Highly recommended.



Buy the New Beginnings Boxed Set & Support the Blog!

This Is My Time In A Five O'Clock World

Breaking Legs and Avoiding The Facts

It all started, innocently enough, with an offhand drawing in Batman # 673. A dream sequence, where Batman views a display case with three Robin costumes - two male, one female. One of the talking points of Girl Wonder seems to have come true...and of course, victory was declared.

Or was it? Dirk Deppey of Journalista countered with his opinion, which was to patronizingly dismiss the "Girl Wonder crowd"...and then state that, since children were the driving force behind comic sales, that reinstating the Comics Code Authority - and making comics "for kids" again - would help save comics.

Personally, I think both sides...could use a little shot of rationality.

(Disclaimer - yes, I have been linked to by When Fangirls Attack, and I am sympathetic to their thinking. But I would not consider myself part of the "Girl Wonder" crowd, nor - I honestly believe - would they)

First, about the display case - although it was a nice gesture on DC's part, it was - let's face it - superficial. One can imagine Dan DiDio mocking Girl Wonder, saying out loud, "Are you happy now?" (Of course, rumored plans to bring back the Spoiler character seem to make this... well, more a gesture of rudeness and contempt than generosity).

But Mr. Dippey's argument...It would be easy to call him backwards-thinking, dismissive of the growing influence of graphic literature. (And yes, I am ironically doing so by saying how easy it is). Rather than focus on making comics more women-friendly, or even child-friendly, I propose a radical idea:

Make comics better. Promote good comics. Avoid and openly criticize bad ones. Invest in a diverse range of comics.

It's easy, on the comics blogosphere, to rant and rave about everything that's wrong. Heck, I've done it myself - I can't remember the last time I openly mocked Joe Quesada (who seems to approach Colbert-ian levels of self-parody). But when was the last time anyone openly said, "Hey, here's a great alternative - it's not as well known, but deserves your love and attention". It's not easy - it's simpler to be cynical, and cast stones at the Big Two simply because they're there.

But let's face it - right now, we're in the midst of a changing media world. Comics that deserve our attention...should get our attention. The Big Two will always go for their main demographic - 25 to 35 year olds. Attempting to get them to cater to women...well, it would be much like a DVD I tried to watch, which was titled Comics Women Pajama Party (Since I am trying to forget that DVD, I may be misremembering the title). It trafficked in typical female-comics-fan stereotypes, and had the pretension of "appealing" to those who could not believe girls could be comics fans. I would hate to see how the Big Two would appeal to kids.

It also means a shift in economics - the only way the Big Two will be affected is in their pocketbooks. (And by "affected", I don't mean "illegal downloading" - that's wasting bandwidth on bad books). It means that, for smaller companies, the difference between self-sufficiency and closing its doors early. It means a possible next issue of a book that someone might like. It might even mean (gasp) a comic being referred to someone who typically wouldn't like comics.

However, I am sure that Mr. Dippey will post a rebuttal, telling me how wrong I am, and how comics are a dying art form. The Big Two may be dying...but graphic literature has taken some major strides. To impose creative limits at this stage does a great disservice to actual mature storytelling. (And in all honesty, most of what DC and Marvel do is adolescent pandering. So I'll agree with Mr. Dippey on that point).

But the best thing anyone can do - help move comics forward. Not take steps backward.

Your Mandatory Pre-Election Documentary

In celebration of tomorrow's election in Illinois and 21 other states....

EDIT - in sad Doctor Who news, Kevin Stoney has passed away. Looks like I'm watching this tonight.

Blatantly Violating Copyright Laws

Someone posted this cinema-exclusive trailer for series 4 of Doctor Who. I'm posting it - watch it before it's pulled!

In The Blackout, They Danced

Personal, possibly not-too-shocking revelation: in high school, I was a mod for about fifteen minutes.

It came about through listening to the Jam; eventually, I made my way through vintage R & B, the Small Faces...and to The Who. Eventually, The Who became my band du jour in high school, and I listened to their first six albums quite religiously. In fact, I ended up renting - and nearly destroying - a then-new copy of The Kids Are Alright on videotape upon its first release. (It's one of my top three rock movies of all time). But I always had mixed feelings about the band - their post-83 breakup behavior seemed to indicate a movement being towards an "oldies" band - in fact, moving increasingly towards irrelevancy (in my opinion)

It was with slight trepidation that I approached watching Amazing Journey - after all, in my mind, Kids was the definitive Who documentary. Although Journey doesn't quite reach that height...it is, possibly, the most necessary, providing a great overview of the past 40-some year history of the band.

Colored by the recent death of bassist John Entwistle, Amazing Journey provides the opportunity to get things "on the record", the spectre of mortality haunting both Pete Townshend and (more obviously) Roger Daltrey. It covers a critical piece that Kids does not - the post-Keith Moon years, after the drummer perished from a drug overdose. It even includes material that most documentaries might gloss over, including Townshend's recent run-in with the law in England. Even the bonus material is revelatory - a 1964 film when the Who were at their mod peak; "Six Quick Ones" and a "Scrapbook" including pieces that were not included in the film - as a historical document, it is essential.

Yet, it is also very flawed in many ways - at times, Daltrey and Townshend seem to castigate Entwistle's behavior (but not to the point of, say, former Monty Python members recalling the late Graham Chapman). At certain times, Entwistle's bass is slightly overmixed, making it overpower songs where it is more subtle (such as a televised clip of "I Can See For Miles"). There's also, curiously, an almost palpable sense of nostalgia - at one point, Townshend even claims that he'll "never" surpass his previous work...which is a shame. At any given moment, a band prays for a defining song like "My Generation"...or solid rockers like "I Can See for Miles" or "Won't Get Fooled Again"...or a ballad like "Behind Blue Eyes". They might even wish for a solid album like Who Sell Out, or Quadrophenia. The genius of the Who was that, for a little over a decade, they delivered a solid body of work. To see both Daltrey and Townshend claim that "they're all they've got", and to seem unwilling to shoot for those heights...is tragic and saddening. It's not asking for rehashes or new versions, but songs that give the same down-the-neck chill as their best work.

At the end, Daltrey and Townshend sing "Tea and Theater" which...well, shows that even some amazing journeys don't have a wonderful end.

Recommended.

February's Record You Should Own

Yes, it's that time once again - February's "Record You Should Own" is a hidden classic.

(And yes, I am talking to you, Mr. Brown)

If the player acts dodgy, you can download it here.


Click here to get your own player.