April's Record You Should Own

(Yes, I'm quite aware that I am posting this in March, and I say that it's going out on April Fool's Day - I have a doozy of an idea for an April 1st post that isn't a prank. Honest).


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EDIT: No, this is not an April Fool's Prank - somehow, a note I had posted as part of Bahlactus' Friday Night Fights got converted into this post. I take full responsibility - I must have assumed that I wasn't linked to. If you clicked on a link there, it's not his fault, but mine. My humble apologies.

Big Version of New Doctor Who Trailer

Thanks to a friend, here is the new season four Doctor Who trailer - the official series begins on April 5th on BBC One.

(And if the BBC has problems with this, it will be deleted)

Offered Without Comment. Or Apology.

Sorry, guys, but this is strangely.....fascinating.



P.S. Because of stuff like this, I am strengthening my support of Greg for dictator. Just don't expect me to make a video of me singing "Burgas Keeps Falling on My Head" to be shown on YouTube.

Hi Ho, Silver Age, Away!

I was going through my various notes and old Moleskine scribbles for blog ideas when I came across a post by fellow comics blogger/Twitter pal/all around cool guy Rich, who was discussing the current back-to-the-Silver-Age trend of DC Comics. To quote my esteemed colleague,

"Sometimes it feels like DC is going backwards instead of forwards and this frustrates the hell out of me as a reader - because it's going backwards to a time that I think simply wasn't that good."

To be honest, I slightly disagree with him - for its time, those books were good, but the fact that they are worshipped almost 40 years later shows that DC is mistaking the imagination behind those concepts...for the actual concepts themselves, which really have not stood the test of time.

(Except Krypto. Like Rich, I believe Krypto is awesome)

Recently, I've been rereading all four volumes of Crisis On Infinite Earths, which reprints the first few JLA/JSA crossovers. (If Marvel had a more personal/soap opera approach to comics, DC went for more iconic/epic/blockbuster storylines). The approach, by our standards, is rather hackneyed - you get more emotional depth and better dialogue in an average episode of Super Friends.

But there was a willingness to push it further - I mean, earths vibrating at a different rate? Different earths with different sets of heroes? And even a willingness to kill off the loved one of a hero? Different colors of Kryptonite? Much of the reason why the Silver Age is so loved is not those (and other) concepts specifically...

...but the willingness to create those concepts,to try ideas no matter how silly or goofy. Some of what seemed so cutting edge in the 1960s now seems quaint, tinted with nostalgia, with little sense of discovery or wonder. It all began (he says with a slight hint of fannish entitlement) with Green Lantern: Rebirth - I still, to this day, do not see why Hal Jordan had to come back. Yes, I'm enjoying the book a lot...but what makes him a better GL than any other character - or better yet, why not create a character that reflects the qualities that Green Lantern had in the 1960s?

Recently, I was reading Tangent: Superman's Reign, featuring characters from DC's Tangent line. Much like Amalgam, it was an enjoyable limited run for one simple reason: the old rules did not apply. Were they cutting edge graphic literature? No. But they were willing to "mess with the formula", to at least try different things and if they stuck, fine - but DC (and most mainstream) comics are slowly, but surely, becoming more like Star Trek - so dependent on harvesting its past (and fan nostalgia) that it forgets that the newness of comics, that sense that we're reading or seeing something we've never seen before - or even recontextualizing old concepts in modern sensibilities - is what really keeps people coming back for more.

Like Rich, I was finding myself also becoming slightly negative about current comics...so much so that I'm risking (as my esteemed colleague Roger points out) focusing on snark. But maybe, just maybe, it's not so much dwelling on the negative...as taking a little time out to find those comics, no matter what genre*, which will hit the old button and help me continue to fall in love with comics again.

EDIT - Although, in all honesty, I am looking forward to the return of DC's classic Earth 2. Some links plagiarized, er, I mean, "borrowed" from Heidi Meeley.

---

*Except manga. I've tried it, and it's just not my thing. Sorry, Internet.

One Year Ago This Week

I had made the decision way back in January, but as I sat in my apartment, waiting for the movers, it was hard to believe that it was going to soon be over...and that I would be moving back to Chicago.

Much of my decision back then was motivated by my mother's health - as a complication of her diabetes, she had developed non-alcoholic cirrhosis, and needed care. (My aunt - who would be arriving by plane that morning - had moved from downstate Illinois to help care for Mom). It was extremely difficult - the last major move had been in December 1998 from Eugene, Oregon, and was motivated primarily by wanting to escape the aftermath of a painful romantic breakup.

Since then, I had worked towards building a life in St. Louis - developing a great professional network, a strong network of friends (including pal Brian), and building a life. The kind of life I had always wanted - to move elsewhere, to develop my own life independent of my family, of old ties - in short, to become my own person in some McGoohan-esque way.

(Heck, I had even developed a good relationship with my local comic shop in St. Louis - when does that ever happen to a guy?)

But soon, I would be leaving it - boxes and furniture strewn across my large, I-can't-believe-I'm-getting-this-inexpensively apartment, my cat locked in my bedroom. After picking up my rented minivan - and my aunt from Lambert Airport - we waited for the movers to arrive. After packing up everything, my aunt and I began driving from my apartment, through downtown St. Louis, and headed home, my cat silent except to "sing along" to this tune. Eight hours later - after stopping to visit Mom - we headed for my new apartment, a modest two-bedroom behind some storefront businesses. (Originally built so that a family could live behind their business).

In the past year, things have been...well, mixed. I've depended mostly on the kindness of temporary employment (although I was able to join an organization similar to one I was involved with in St. Louis). I've caught up with old friends and touched base with new ones. Even got to meet some fellow bloggers - not just those visiting from own of town (yes, I'm talking about you, RF), but a group of local Chicago bloggers. It's been a tough year, and I'm not quite where I would like to be, but I'm getting there. But I realized that, although I love St. Louis - I had missed Chicago. Maybe this is a rebound/reconciliation, where I realize that I never knew how good I had it...or where I realize it can be better. But one step at a time, as some people would say.

The best lesson I've learned this past year - sometimes, life doesn't progress vertically, but horizontally.

And if you understand that...you're one up on me.

Laying Several Easter Eggs

First, I wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy Easter holiday, no matter what faith tradition, or of none.

There's been a ton of stuff that I've wanted to post about - mostly on the "blogging-about-blogging-is-a-sin" tip, so consider this some really brief pieces/sticky notes that don't necessarily warrant a full blog post. Enjoy!

• Re: the recently announced DC Trinity weekly series with Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley - do we really need another weekly series? Even catching up with Countdown at this late date, it's really not hanging together as well as 52 did (and even that was relatively spotty in the middle)...
  
• For the immediate future, I'll be moving the non-Record You Should Own podcasts to my Vocalo page. It has many of good features, and more importantly - it will allow me to focus my podcasts (there's a time limit), and will provide some comic-related content which will be broadcast in the area.
• Can someone please explain the brouhaha over Wonder Woman 18 to me? I don't see what the big deal is. Honestly.
• Dear Mike - We really should do what Lefty Brown suggests. Come on, dude.
• If anyone has experience integrating Share This into a Blogger Classic template, please e-mail me. I don't like the widget-y new Blogger template, but will consider a good alternative for forwarding posts (and can anyone recommend Add This?)
• I'm looking forward to Marvel's Secret Invasion, but for all the wrong reasons.
• Good news: had two job interviews last week. Bad news: the cushy temp assignment will soon be ending. Going to work up the enthusiasm to go all out later this morning.
• Your better-than-you-would-expect public domain movie recommendation.
• Reason to be cheerful: Mythbusters will be taking on the moon landing "hoax". (And don't even get me started on alleged 9/11 "conspiracies")
• Finally, the latest TV Party is up, and it's all about The New Frontier. Enjoy!

Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to catch up on sleep. It's Sunday, you know.

Originally Posted on Twitter...

...I'm posting it here since I'll be working on my tax return.

When I'm not watching Lost.

Enjoy!

But That's Midnight to You

Like many young men in their 20's, my reading tastes had gravitated towards the hard-boiled school of writing. Part of it was that, in that time, I had some ideal of being a knight errant - a noble loner who took on a corrupt system but would not become corrupt himself.

As many readers of this blog may be aware, I have championed Raymond Chandler's work - unlike many hard-boiled writers, Chandler's craft was just as strong as his atmospherics. His ability to write sharp one-liners while simultaneously creating a Los Angeles that could only in prose was remarkable. (So much so that I visited the city - twice - but was never able to track down what is now known as Raymond Chandler Square). It's a style of writing that seems deceptively simple...until you try to do it yourself. (And believe me, I did. Badly.)

So, heartened as I was after finishing some Robert B. Parker novels given by a fellow comics blogger (hint: he's a cute little stuffed bull), I was surprised to see that the Chicago Public Library's "One Book, One Chicago" selection as The Long Goodbye, Chander's last great novel. (Not coincidentally, several Chicago area crime writers will be blogging about the book during April as well). It's been awhile since I read it - in fact, the last time I encountered the piece was through Robert Altman's film adaptation (which I absolutely enjoy - and I do not like Altman's movies).

It's one of the many things that are an excellent reminder of why I moved back to Chicago - in fact, it's coming on my first anniversary back. An excellent book by an excellent author in a great city...but here's what I would like to encourage anyone reading to do:

• If you live in Chicago, and read this blog, and want to do one of the many discussion groups about the book, let me know. More than willing to meet more cool people.
• If you are new to Chandler, I would suggest starting with The Big Sleep and follow it with Farewell, My Lovely before tackling The Long Goodbye.
• Finally, support your local public library - not only are they great places to find good reads, but several librarians are also extremely cool bloggers.

But all in all, I'm extremely enthusiastic - it's not every day one gets to revisit one's youth.

I only hope I'm up to the challenge.

5 Fake Doctor Who Spoilers

Recently, the BBC announced that they were planning on releasing the cinema-only trailer for Season 4 via the web and television. (For many of you, you caught your first glimpse here, via YouTube).

So, in that spirit (and because, well, I can't think of anything else to blog about right now), I'm providing my top five obviously fake spoilers.

(Warning - those who are without a sense of humor will be offended. And if I hear these on a Who podcast - and they're given as gospel truth - then it's a sad day indeed).

1. The Big Bad Returning Menace from the Past - Dark Adric, as written by Pip & Jane Baker
2. Stephen Moffatt's two parter consists mainly of the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness debating the merits of two podcasts. Not surprisingly, this one wins.
3. The Doctor-less episode with Rose, Martha, and Donna? They defeat the enemy by singing this song.
4. The Internet will crack in half as the Doctor makes a casual aside about once being married to Zsa Zsa Gabor.
5. Finally - at least one fan will complain about how the new Who isn't like the classic series, about how Torchwood shouldn't be aligned with Who because it's too adult (meaning: it includes too much same-sex snogging), and cursing Michael Grade because, if he hadn't canceled/interrupted the show in 1985, it would still be on.

Thanks for reading!

He Can't Be Wounded 'Cause He's Got No Heart

Many of my fellow bloggers have their own particular unusual likes - those things that make them quite unique. Dorian has Wildcat. Greg has Abba. Polite Scott has House, MD. Chris Sims has the cheerleading classic Bring It On. Mike Sterling has Swamp Thing.

And now, I have my own, unique thing that makes me distinctive...that goes beyond my obsessive love of Doctor Who and Mythbusters.

That, dear readers and close personal friends, is an appreciation for the unique genius of Ironside.

Making my way through Ironside: Season 1 on DVD, it's easy to think of this as another run-of-the-mill detective show. In fact, the early 70s seemed to have a ton of detectives on television. I think that it might have been a reaction to lawless times...but I think it's just more that they wanted to do contemporary Western-style shoot-em-ups. In fact, if this show were made today, it would be a high concept show - House, MD meets the Mod Squad with a bit of Law & Order ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling. A former chief of detectives, disabled by a sniper's bullet, forms a crack team that consults on special cases with the San Francisco Police Department...and this was created in 1967.

Even though Shout Factory! (or, the people who helped make Rhino cool before it became a reissue arm for Time Warner) is touting the series for its storylines and before-they-were-famous appearances, there's one reason why this show works, why - despite the somewhat formulaic writing - it has a little bit of a snap.

Raymond Burr.

It would have been easy to make Ironside a gentle-hearted man, made cynical by an accident of fate, and then move towards redemption. However, Burr makes Ironside hard-boiled from the pilot. He drinks bourbon. Out of coffee mugs. In the afternoon. He uses the word "flaming" as a substitute for a harder obscenity. He also provides the right mix of emotions, serving as the driver of the narrative...but gives some softness where appropriate. It speaks volumes that crime writer Jim Thompson novelized the pilot episode.

The other killer factor (please pardon the pun) is Quincy Jones' theme for the show. His first season arrangement is, I think, a little stronger than the later Dick-Dale-meets-Isaac-Hayes version. With an intro later cribbed by Quentin Tarantino, this is one of the most distinctive title sequences...where the lead actor gets shot 15 seconds into the sequence.

Is this one of the most cutting-edge shows ever created? Well, no...but it's pretty solid entertainment. The focus on more deductive reasoning - rather than car chases and fist fights - makes it a notch above typical television fare of that era. I would suggest renting the discs on Netflix...but for an initial taste, thanks to Hulu.com, I'll be posting two episodes online. The first, "The Past is Prologue", features some young actor who never did anything after this episode. The second, "A Force of Arms", is kind of unique...and if JJ Abrams or Joss Whedon wrote it, the Internet would be gushing over it.

Recommended.
(Note - since Hulu is moving towards a subscription-only model, no embedded video....but you're more than welcome to find it streaming online elsewhere. That's why Google was invented).

Your Ides of March Present

Alan Moore - Simpsons
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

You know, everyone's railing on tomorrow being Palm Sunday, and Monday being St. Patrick's Day...but nobody really celebrates the Ides of March anymore.

So, in that spirit, I'm presenting the blogosphere with a gift - a series of interviews with Alan Moore originally presented on BBC's Comics Britannia series. (I've featured at least another BBC entry on the blog). They're actually pretty cool - and rather than embed them, I'll provide direct links. That way, you can watch at your leisure...and learn a little something about it as well.

Plus, as a bonus, Alan Moore sings! (Kind of).

V For Vendetta

Watchmen (with Rorschach scary voice!)

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Lost Girls

Alan Moore Sings! - Bonus Video

Happy Birthday, Mike Sterling!

Dear Mike,

First, congratulations on celebrating your 39th birthday - having recently celebrated my fourth consecutive 39th birthday, I truly understand the challenges of someone your age. It's only the beginning of bigger and brighter things in one's life. However, I not only wanted to pay public tribute, but to give you a gift, of sorts.

Knowing your astute love of comics - and politics - I thought I would post some pictures of a candidate who is running for public office. Recently, his staff made their way to the Windy City, and I was fortunate enough to take some pictures. I think he has a slight Nick Naylor-esque quality, and know you would appreciate seeing these pictures.

And by the way, I agree to the terms you set forth in a possible podcast as suggested by Mr. Lefty Brown, since the comics blogosphere could use a good laugh. I suggest, as a title, we call it "The Thrilla in Vanilla"

Thanks again, and keep up the good work on the blog!

Your pal,

Gordon

RIP Dave Stevens

Heard this last night on Twitter...oh, man...

More details here.

A Video That Says A Lot

For those who knew me in my glory years in St. Louis from 2000 - 2006....a song that may speak volumes, metaphorically and literally.



(Yes, there was a Julie. No, she and I did not date, but were strictly "in the friend zone". I guess you had to be there)

March's Record You Should Own

Yes, my voice is OK enough to do a podcast. If you can't use the player here, download it here.


Click here to get your own player.

More Information Than You Needed to Know About Me

- March 6 -
You are kind hearted and very friendly. You love attention, and you are always daydreaming in your own world. People gravitate towards you.
Positive Traits: kind, generous, honest, trustworthy, responsible
Negative Traits: manipulative, a gossip, presumptive, codependency, controlling
'What does your Birthdate mean?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Powered By TheirToys

And finally....they just had to open this on this day next year.

The Doctor In Print

Although I enjoyed the Doctor's adventures on television, my first real exposure to the character came in Marvel Premiere # 57, which launched a tale (drawn by some guy who never worked in comics again) about the Doctor in an alternate-world Roman empire. The Iron Legion tale is extremely impressive - so much so that, throughout high school, I had an exclusive subscription to Doctor Who Weekly, which provided a consistent flood of Doctor Who comics. So, of course, I was looking forward to IDW's new "official" Doctor Who comic.

Unfortunately, at best, this is an OK comic. It's not too terrible...but also not too excellent either. It's a good, done-in-one issue.

The first two or three pages are an excellent summary of the premise of the program...but the tale itself is really not all that impressive. Even the premise - a "collector" of last-of-their-kind species - is a staple of science fiction. It's a shame to see Gary Russell - who last oversaw Doctor Who on audio - do such a pedestrian job. (And I'm not a big fan of his writing anyway - it tends to be a little too fannish - but I was open to seeing what he could do in the comics realm.) It seems to hedge its bets - various factors are supposed to appeal to, in no particular order, children, fans of the show, potential new viewers, comic book readers, and others. The truth is that the story is too much of a hodgepodge to really engage anyone.

Nick Roche's art - personally, I'm not a big fan of the Japanese/animated style of art. It's good, don't get me wrong - but it's not something I would seek out. Consider it more a matter of taste on my part than quality on Mr. Roche's. It doesn't quite "fit" the material...but then again, it could just be me.

Personally, if you want to learn more about the Doctor, your money is best spent renting or Netflixing one of the many DVDs that are available. Or, if you must enjoy the Doctor in comic form, hunt down IDW's Doctor Who Classics, which is reprinting - ironically enough - the Iron Legion tale. At the very least, you'll read a crackling good story with Iron Legion, and see what Gibbons did before learning that Rorschach was more than a psychological inventory.

Not recommended.

Measuring My Life in Coffee Mugs

...with apologies to T.S. Eliot - a little photo essay I've been meaning to do for the blog.

(My personal favorite mug)

Has it really been almost one year since I moved from St. Louis?

The coffee mug version of this poster - and current second choice mug.

My dad's favorite mugs, proving that he was no child of the Cold War.

Falling Back in Love With Comics

I gotta admit, I've been really cranky about contemporary comics.

So much so that - thanks to a Twitter post by a fellow comics blogger, not necessarily directed at me - I feel as if the only comics-related content I've posted is basically insulting Mike Sterling for his tastes. But that's changing - part of it is, despite being a cheater pants, Mike is a pretty decent guy. Much of it is that I'm feeling better despite some personal setbacks, including a nasty upper respiratory thing, and losing out on a job opportunity thanks to misdirection by a human resources person.

But part of it is, thanks to my local library, I've come across trades of two stories I missed the first time around that have, well, warmed my heart. I absolutely love these stories, and want to let the world know that my heart is finally thawing, and that I'm happier about comics than I have been in awhile.

The first is the collected Common Grounds, a series which has a great premise, combing an Astro City-esque vibe with a more intimate tone, almost James Robinson-esque tone. The premise is simple - a chain of donut shops where superheroes, supervillians, and regular people can get together to talk. A series of short stories - such as a reporter talking to a speedster; a super-hero team reuniting; and a hero and villian having a long conversation - Common Grounds is the kind of book that gives a great humanity to typical superhero cliches. It's well worth tracking down.

The other, more overtly fun, book, is the first Buzzboy compilation, Trouble in Paradise.

God, this book was fun. So much fun, I can't believe that I missed out on this series first time round.

Yes, the plot is simple - a heroic sidekick returns, and there's a hero gone bad...but the sharp writing, the consistent pop culture references, and the art (a mix of Bruce Timm, Dan DeCarlo, and Mike Parobeck) make this a really cool book. I mean...any book that features a super-villain who retires because he finds baking much more of a challenge? It's that kind of take - the usual fannish take that takes on a life of its own - that makes Buzzboy and Common Grounds a cut above typical fare....and which have me getting excited (again) about comics

These are two books that provide a fresh perspective on superheroes....and are a lot of fun to boot. Both of these books have me falling back in love with comics.

As well as apologetic to Mr. Sterling - who'da thunk it?