The Detective in Winter: MR HOLMES

Let's make one thing perfectly clear: if you're expecting the kind of whiz-bang Sherlock Holmes that you get from the BBC's Sherlock or the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr films (which should be called Dr. Watson & His Crazy Detective Pal) you'll be very disappointed. Mr. Holmes is a thoughtful film about aging, mortality, and connection that deserves to be placed in that distinct Sherlockian genre that includes The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and CBS' Elementary.

(And as contributor to I Hear of Sherlock, I am very familiar with works about and around Sherlock Holmes)

Directed by Bill Condon (who also worked with the lead actor in Gods & Monsters), Mr. Holmes features Ian McKellen as a 93-year-old Holmes in the twilight of his life. Dr Watson and his brother Mycroft have since passed on, and Holmes now keeps bees in Sussex, with his live-in maid (Laura Linney) and her ten year old son for company. However, Holmes' greatest concern is not for the glory of the British Empire, but for his own fading powers....

Literally, Sherlock Holmes feels as if he's losing his mind.

But there's so much to love about this film, which develops Holmes as a rich and fully-developed character. (McKellen's Holmes spends much of the early film debunking his "myth", and the film fosters the notion that Holmes, for all his deductive genius, is still a regular human being). There is also - as with any Holmes movie - great moments of deduction, and part of the movie's charm is that one of Holmes' "lost" cases is the one that has the greatest impact....and which leads Holmes to a sterling realization.

But Condon does a masterful job in weaving and exploring a variety of themes: human connection, the frailties of the mind, our tendency to tell our own stories....this is a hard film to spoil, because anything I would disclose would not do the film justice.

The film may be running in secondary theatrical markets, with the impending DVD/Blu-Ray release. You really need to see this film. In a season of noisy, big-budget superhero/action films, Mr. Holmes has a quiet power that cannot - and should not - be ignored.

Join Me This Weekend for a Sherlockian Sunday!

As many of you know, I'm a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock...and as board member of Chicago Nerd Social Club, I find myself engaged in many opportunities to sit and discuss many of my favorite things.

So this Sunday, August 9th, I will be part of CNSC's Sherlock 101 panel, where we'll be discussing Holmes in his many incarnations: BBC's Sherlock, CBS' Elementary, the classic Jeremy Brett series...we might even throw in a mention of that silent Holmes movie that was recently discovered and restored.

Here are the event details, and we're grateful to Open Books for opening up their new facility to us.

Oh, and when you see me - please say hello!

Surviving Snowmaggeddon 2015: The First 48 Hours

My Reaction to Snowmageddon 2015

It was almost deceptive in its nature, falling as it did in the dead of night...rather than in the early evening, as various meteorologists had predicted.

Early on Sunday, waking up at an hour normally reserved for altar boys, I walked to my living room window and found that the ground had already been coated in white. Without reservation, I put on some worn, need-to-be-placed-in-the-hamper clothes and began shoveling. Within half an hour, I had dug myself a path out of my door, and went back inside.

Within two hours, I had returned to shoveling my path, for it had been covered. (A final resumption at 3:00 pm led to futility).

Sunday was filled with some cancellations (including a trip to Mom) and some must-dos (such as doing the laundry). Thankfully, thinking ahead I had used a vinyl - rather than cloth - laundry bag nestled in my shopping cart. On the way home, making my way through the piles of snow that resulted from city snowplows, an extremely fast driver decided to splash me....from head to toe....and drove off laughing.

(Before you tut - I was close enough to home to get into dry clothes. Except for an excursion to use WiFi at a close-to-empty (though newly built) McDonald's, I kept inside while the storm raged.)

Most of my time was spent watching Jeremy Brett in Granada's Sherlock Holmes, courtesy of my father's DVD collection. Although I had watched it off and on when I was younger, I found myself rather comforted - and impressed - with Brett's performance. (So much so that I continued my marathon into Monday). Writing and editing of various types took place, and thankfully, I was able to survive the storm.

My only other excursion into viewing was this documentary on YouTube. Yes, I watched the show on vacations & days off "back in the day"; it's a pretty interesting piece of viewing....

Optimize THIS, Pal!

Right now, my life is getting "crazy busy", as the teenager say - between handling a part time freelance gig, calls for potential future work, organizing for some upcoming events, and potential C2E2 news (don't worry, I'll make an announcement when details are conformed)....things have been happening.

However, in an effort to maintain the high quality of blog writing, and to work my search engine optimization mojo for "Gordon Dymowski" and "blog this pal" (because there's a cybersquatting blog with a similar domain - seriously - but more on that later), here are some recent writings in various other outlets that you might enjoy.

• Knowing how many of my fellow fans like to complain about works that they don't like, I decided to look in-depth at two of them for Comic Related - two works which, in retrospect, contain a very heavy emotional charge for me. This past month, I focused on reviewing Star Trek: Into Darkness (as well as two fan productions), and in February, I took on the task of examining Sherlock Series Three and Elementary. (Special thanks to BBC Home Entertainment for providing a complimentary copy of Sherlock for review). And speaking of Holmes & Watson....
• For I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, I wrote a really strong review of Fight Card: Sherlock Holmes. If you like Victorian-era Holmes, this one's a must-read. Seriously.
• A few weeks ago, I volunteered with some fellow Chicago Nerd Social Club members for Chiditarod, a "mobile food drive." Thankfully, fellow CNSC board member/pal Michi did a really cool write-up (with shout-out!) on Geek Melange. And there's nothing I can add except "Superman underwear"....and no, you don't want to know the context. 
• Prepping for some potential rewriting/editing on some soon-to-be projects; and
• Various and sundry other networking opportunities.

So if the devil truly makes work for idle hands....OK, Satan, I get it. Now, can I have some time off? 

Come, Watson! The Edit's Afoot!

As many of you know, I have been acting as associate editor for Zone 4 pal Ron's Airship 27 Productions....and my latest effort is a doozy.

You definitely want to pick up a copy of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Volume 5. It's one of the few Holmes pastiches that doesn't involve full-on mash ups with other franchises. (And yes, at some point I will be writing a more in-depth review for I Hear of Sherlock)

With some great, well-written tales that ring true, it's definitely worth it. I'm glad that although the job search is still ongoing (and I've taken on a potential freelance gig with a temp startup), that I have the time and effort to edit other people's work.

Oh, and I pitched a story for a really cool anthology - my take was "Robert B. Parker's Spenser meets Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective")

But until then, please feel free to purchase a copy of this fine volume....and thankfully, now that Amazon has come to its senses, if you purchase a copy from this site, you'll be supporting this very blog. Thanks!


 

A Rather Pulp-Toned Week....

This week has seen me attend two - count them, two - job interviews. (OK, so they were phone interviews, but they count). This has seen a jump-start in both my professional and writing life (after yesterday's news, heartened that another pitch was accepted, and have two stories "in the queue" for future publication)....but you're not here to read all that. In that spirit, here's my weekly summary of all my online shenanigans:

• This week's Zone 4 focuses on pulp stuff, whether it is Mark Waid's Rocketeer/Spirit crossover for IDW, his Green Hornet for Dynamite, or BBC's Sherlock. If you want to know more, download and listen....and please like us on Facebook if so inclined.
• Speaking of Sherlock Holmes (and I may have missed this last month), here's my latest post for the Baker Street Blog
• And for the social media "gurus" who read this blog - for the both of you, my latest from One Cause At A Time
• If you would like a chance to meet me up close and personal, please feel free to join me for this really cool Doctor Who-themed event (via Facebook);
• In addition, please come in October when franchises collide!

The Game is Awry, Watson!

 I have to admit, I take my Sherlock Holmes seriously...but not too seriously. (Just take a look at my various posts for The Baker Street Blog). So I ignored the online criticism, set aside my preference for BBC's Sherlock, and simply decided to check out CBS' Elementary.

In short, this is an unexceptional, by-the-book series...so much so that I wonder if the only reason Holmes was used was to generate publicity.

Admittedly, I like the concept - Holmes-as-recovering-addict - that House MD flirted with, but never really engaged head-on. I'll admit that a more hard boiled Holmes might just be what television needs (in start contrast to the updated Victoriana of Sherlock). I'll even grant you that for network TV, there really can't be too much deviation from formula.

But Elementary's biggest sin is that it's too workman-like, from Rob Doherty's script to Johnny Lee Miller's and Lucy Liu's performances. Nothing about this show crackles, engages, or even demonstrates a willingness to run freely with the source material. In fact, you could easily substitute different names for the main characters, and it wouldn't have any effect.

(Although I can honestly say, given Miller's performance as Holmes, that Elementary has allowed me to slightly appreciate Robert Downey Jr.'s performance more. Downey might be reminiscent of Hugh Laurie, but Miller seems to be superficially channeling Basil Rathbone....but Downey at least tries to make the role his own; Miller never really catches fire. And Lucy Liu's Watson is....just there. None of the performances really engage the viewer, nor is there any intriguing deductions to be made in the entire case. Ironically, the only striking thing about this first episode is the direction, which is visually engaging...but plot wise, it's rather dull).

In short, the game has gone painfully awry for CBS' Elementary - it's biggest sin isn't that it rips off another series (because it doesn't), but that it really doesn't quite stand out in a network full of police procedural shows.

In short, you don't need to be a Holmes - or a Watson - to deduce that there might be better uses of your time.

Friday Pie Time

Probably the biggest news in my life this week would have to be...the release of Wonderman #1 via Excalibur Webcomics. Here's a direct link, and they're posting one page at a time. If you like the strip, please feel free to leave your comments below. Would love to read if people like my writing, and (other than the recent commission for issue #2) there's room for more of my writing about Fred Duncan.

Speaking of which, if you know someone in Chicago who needs social media training, I'm putting on Sherlock Holmes & The Social Media Mystery on September 10th. Yes, there is a small fee, but it's a relative bargain. For more information, please visit the Dabble page (and forward this link - http://bit.ly/Ss6k0S - to your pals).

There's also a great episode of Zone 4, where we basically praise a great American hero and trash talk a national disgrace. Yes, friends, this week Captain Ron, Brant, John and I manage to talk about Neil Armstrong and Rob Liefeld in the same conversation, with various results. It's something you definitely need to hear.

Finally, I think I may have a new addition to the Job Stalker team (will need to follow up this weekend) and there's plenty to read at One Cause At A Time. (I've been asked why I don't have a Facebook page for it - given that I just started, and am running other FB pages professionally, I think it might be overkill - what do you think?)

It's A Wonder - I've Been Published!

Yes, after all this time, I can formally announce that the first page of Excelsior Comics' new Wonderman webcomic is up and running. It's a brilliant piece of comic writing and now nobody can push me around. I'm officially a "creator".

In addition, the new One Cause At A Time blog for Chicago Now is being launch. It's taking the place of my long, neglected Metroshrink blog, with a difference - slightly wider audience, as well as a greater incentive to post more frequently. I'll be gradually phasing out of Job Stalker in the next few weeks, and will post a very special "want ad" this coming Wednesday.

By the way, if you know someone who needs a great overview of social media, just found out that my Sherlock Holmes & the Social Media Mystery is scheduled for 9/10 via Dabble (For details, simply click the link and join us).

In addition, the latest episode of Zone 4 is up and running. Quite frankly, it's one of the better episodes, and it's because I had to take charge at the last minute. And please leave comments on our Facebook page, even if they are off-color.

Public Domain Drive-In: THE DORRINGTON DEED BOX

Sometimes, reading a certain strand of fiction can start to feel a little bit similar after awhile; as a reader, I start to almost predict when a certain cliche or storytelling device comes into play. I also begin to stereotype a particular strand of literature. I've been exploring Victorian detective literature as a result of watching The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes on DVD (a British anthology series from the 1970s focusing on other detectives) - partially out of enjoyment, partially for a comic idea that I plan to write - and one character in particular has had a very striking effect on me.

Ladies and gentleman, I bring you Horace Dorrington, featured in The Dorrington Deed-Box, a collection of short stories by Arthur Morrison, for your reading pleasure.

Originally published in 1897, and almost near impossible to find on sale (there's a Kindle version for about a buck), Dorrington Deed-Box is unique in that it completely subverts the reader's expectations of detective fiction. Normally, the tendency is to pit a righteous detective who is neither "tarnished nor afraid" (to quote Raymond Chandler) against a corrupt police force....and an even more corrupt society. Morrison, probably best known for A Child of the Jago and creating Martin Hewitt (aka, "the guy whose stories took over after The Final Problem), gives us a unique twist - a corrupt, almost criminal detective against a corrupt police force in an even more corrupt society.

Unlike Raffles of The Amateur Cracksman, there's no overt contempt for high society or even a sense that the people he is threatening deserve their treatment: for Horace Dorrington, a dishonest profit is still a profit. Although these stories can be a little uneven in quality, what's striking about the collection is how unrepentant Morrison is in showing Dorrington's behavior - it seems matter of fact in describing how, say, Dorrington attempts to outswindle a con artist, or even attempt to drown a client before uneasy truths are discovered.  It's a very intriguing book, and quite honestly, well worth reading for even a casual fan of Victorian literature.

In a strange way, Dorrington Deed-Box has me considering volunteering for Librivox. Oh, sure, I would have to work on a community project, but bringing this audiobook to life? It's worth putting on an already crowded schedule because this is quite an enjoyable tome. And definitely worthy of committing to mp3.

And it's freely available in a variety of formats via the Internet Archive. Download it. Tell your friends. You'll thank me later.

Post-C2E2 Podcast-O-Ganza

Yes, this is my moment of self-promotion, in which I encourage you to listen to the best podcast on the planet. This week's episode is all about Pulp Ark, which happened this weekend, and which I couldn't attend. (Sandwiched between C2E2 and next weekend's Windy City Pulp and Paper, I just couldn't swing it in terms of travel and time).

You'll also notice that I didn't use the photos that you may have seen featuring me and two of the hosts of Nerd Girls Eye View, another podcast on Comic Related that you should be listening to. I have a Flickr account; please Google me on Flick to check those out. (There's a fine line between cool and creepy, and I've already used those photos. Need to show my fellow podcasters some respect).

Along with pal Chuck and new(ish) pal Ginny, I recorded a brief segment for an episode of their Ginny Tonic Hour podcast. (And surprise! surprise! It's about Doctor Who.) You definitely want to give this one a listen, folks.

Speaking of Doctor Who, you may have heard that Egen.tv, the online home of Bar Tab of Rassilon, has had to move, necessitating a fundraiser to cover costs. You are more than welcome to join me at the Highball Lounge, 738 N. Clark, on Sunday, April 29th, from 6:00 pm to midnight. General Admission is $10; $25 gets you a drink voucher; $50 gets you a $25 voucher towards the silent auction. There will be films! Guests! Bands! Comedians! So thank you for allowing me this brief commercial message.

And to finish off, please feel free to check out my latest ramblings on both Job Stalker and the Baker Street Blog.

2012: A Year Off To A Sherlockian Start

First, this is a singular honor - recently, the Baker Street Blog did a year-end summary....and singled me out for my efforts.

That's what happens, folks, when you "donate" one of your blog posts to another blog. I'm very happy for the recognition, and I've allowed my Holmesian interested to bleed into my Job Stalker posting this week.

(It's also bled into my gift giving - I ended up giving my godson, pictured elsewhere, a copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes....which I read as a child. My uncle just received a copy of season one of BBC's Sherlock on DVD for his birthday. Go figure).

On the work-related front, I will be making some arrangements with one client to do some grant writing/fund raising work, and will be getting back into the whole networking/job search frame of mind. Although I have one corporate client, I do want to branch out and see what else I can take on (and possibly, let go). In that regard, I've changed my personal site (and will probably give some more time and work to it), and will revamp my long neglected non-profit social media blog within the next few weeks.

And of course, there is your regular weekly installment of Zone 4. We're sponsoring a contest where if you tell us why you listen, you can be a character in a comic book (And not in a trampled-with-several-others-by-a-giant-lizard kind of way). Please feel free to join us on Facebook and give us a heads up. Here's this week's trailer:




Oh, and one final thing - I'm kinda sorta dating again. Too early to tell, but looking good.

Until My Next Baker Street Blog Post Appears....

....please enjoy this collection of vintage Sherlock Holmes trailers.




(Which reminds me....better send BSB a note....)

What You Are About to View Is Highly Classified

Yes, friends, if it's Friday it's time once again for another episode of the Zone 4 Podcast. I have to admit - now that I'm part of a team, I'm actually considering "retiring" the old podcast (archiving, ending my libsyn account, etc) - it's not that I'm not proud; I just think that it's much easier for me to let go of a solo endeavor now that I have some cool pals to podcast with.

In addition, I'm also going to be cohosting the new Whoverse radio show on WGT Radio Sunday afternoons at 1 pm CST. It's an "internet radio" program (which will be archived), and I'm excited to be expanding my media presence. If you would like to listen, head to the Facebook invite and tell us you'll be listening; I'll be sure my co-host and I give you the proper shout out.

And of course, new stuff up on Baker Street Blog and Job Stalker.

Enjoy!

Into the Zone of Self-Promotion

If it's Friday, it must once again be time for another episode of Zone 4 from Comic Related, with Brant Fowler, Ron Fortier, and some dude who doesn't know when to shut up.

Enjoy a small sampler:






Trust me, kids, you'll dig this one. I get to use words like "lippy", "martial" and refer to a certain person currently in the public eye as "sweetcheeks".

And in Baker Street Blog news, here's my latest entry.

An Elementary Father's Day

First, I just want to say - I really hate the month of June.

It's an attitude I've only developed in the past few years since my father's passing, with his birthday in early June and Father's Day in mid-June. Ironically, for me to even say that out loud is incredibly ironic, because Dad and I were not the best of friends.

We fought. A lot. One of our final conflicts - where I asserted my own need to "grow up" and take responsibility for my actions - led to my father ceasing communication with me for the last five years of his life. I'm saying this not to play the victim, or to complain, but to be as rigorously honest without engaging in unconscious character assassination.

But in the past few years since my dad's death, I'm finding that I'm sharing many of his interests, including - ironically - a passion for Sherlock Holmes. Upon his passing, I inherited much of his DVD collection (commonality # 1 - we both loved movies), and found he had movies in four exclusive genres: war (which I sold - I have too many friends who are veterans to find pleasure in war); westerns (several classics, which I've kept), Mafia (gave those to Mom), and several Holmes movies, including the complete run of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.

As someone who grew up watching Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce movies on Sunday afternoons - and who discovered Holmes at the library when I was eight or nine - I was really resistant to watching Brett. However, watching selected episodes of the Brett series, my heart has softened - Brett is as much Holmes as Rathbone was, with Brett providing a layer of grandiosity and flair in contrast to Rathbone's much more controlled cool. (It also helped that David Drake - and later the late Edward Hardwicke - provided a much more sturdy Watson to meet Brett's challenge).

But the other way in which I'm finding that I'm like my father is....well, in the way I'm approaching interacting with my godson, Logan.

Granted, being a godfather is much different than being a father....after all, I don't have to worry about food, shelter, or any of the practical aspects of bringing up a child. (His father - my cousin's husband - does a far better job than I could). But in a way, knowing that I have some share in his character upbringing is...

Perhaps this story is best: back in May, I drove out to Indiana to visit Logan and get a general update. Turns out, he's studious and a high performer in his class. Likes reading, and wanted "chapter books" for his birthday. Thankfully, I had purchased some for him - a volume of Ben 10 comics, as well as a copy of Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (another of my childhood favorites). Although I cannot take credit (Logan's parents have far more of an influence on him than I do), I would like to think that I manage to have some influence on him....after all, he is beginning to take after me.

So much so that I'm seriously considering giving him the gift of Holmes this Christmas...

Upcoming Fun Stuff

Spending most of my time networking and job seeking means one of two things - one, that I have learned really good time management and have been effective in performing regular tasks; the other is that, now, more importantly, it's important for me to also focus on hanging with friends and, well, having a life.

Part of it means giving up some of my other activities (I'll be decreasing my involvement with Chicago Net Tuesday), but I have some other cool things happening....and here's your chance to have a close, personal interaction with me.

• On Saturday, June 18th, I'll be bringing some comics over to Third Coast (see the photo for the address) as part of the Chicago Nerd Social Club's Comic Donation Drive. I will more than likely be there between 5:30 and 7:00 pm, not only to attend the Comic Meetup in a timely manner, but also provide a great opportunity for me to barely miss my Comic Related colleague, Decapitated Dan Royer.
• Speaking of Comic Related, be sure to check out tomorrow's Zone 4 Podcast. Like last week's episode, I was honored to be asked to co-host; this week's show will be all about the DC reboot/reshuffle/brouhaha. It was a great show, and allowed me to, well, basically do more of what I do on this blog. Only live and with other people.
• I'll also be putting on a session at Learnapalooza, a day-long festival of learning held in Wicker Park on June 25th. (I'll be attending an orientation this weekend). I'll be doing an expanded - and updated - version of a presentation I did years ago. (I'll also cover online communication in this presentation as well) Further details are forthcoming, and will be on the blog, but please plan to come on out - even if you don't see me, there's plenty of cool sessions to attend. 
• Finally, as many of you know, I am now a semi-contributor to the Baker Street Blog, helping me build my media empire one piece at a time. My most recent piece are some expanded thoughts on one of my favorite neo-Holmes movies:

As always, thanks for reading!

Insert Gratuitous "Elementary" Reference Here

As many of you know, not only do I write for this blog (obviously), but you may know my work as class representative for my high school graduating class, as well as my cutting edge work on Comic Related.

However, I am proud to announce that I am adding another outlet to my ever-growing portfolio. And it's one that I am not only proud of, but am really eager to participate in.

I will be a semi-occurring contributor to the Baker Street Blog, which focuses on Sherlock Holmes in popular culture. Fortunately, I'll be focusing on the intersection of Holmes and entertainment - yes, there will be the occasional foray into comics, but I've started off writing about Holmes in the theater.

Also, this blog is affiliated with the quite excellent I Hear of Sherlock podcast, which also discusses Holmes and popular culture, but with a decidedly academic edge. I won't be involved in the podcast; just wanted to make that available.

It's funny that I'm getting involved with this - much of my recent interest in Holmes has been reawakened both by participating in this Stanford-sponsored reading experiment, as well as watching my father's collection of Jeremy Brett DVDs. Maybe part of it is recapturing my youth, but in short....there is something amazingly revitalizing about discovering that a part of that youth also resonates when one gets older.

Don't worry - I'm not leaving either this blog or Comic Related any time soon. Just expanding my parameters.

Dark Knight Vs. Gaslight

This morning, while perusing the feeds on my Google Reader account, I came across an item on the Baker Street Blog, which is the best blog about Sherlock Holmes on the planet.

(Seriously - it does for Holmes what Mike Sterling does for Swamp Thing)

But this item caught my attention because it discusses the comparison of Sherlock Holmes to Batman. Driven by a comic movie-based website poll comparing the two characters, the author was amazed that Holmes was...well, losing to Batman.

And I share that blogger's concern.

On the one hand, it would be tempting to counter that poll with snark - it's comparing the recent movie versions of both characters, and I've stated my dislike of the Robert Downey Jr. Holmes movie publicly. However, it does speak to something I had alluded to in talking about Holmes on my other blog - a tendency towards a lack of critical thinking, and that because someone doesn't like something, that it somehow makes it less valid.

Despite Downey's interpretation, the character of Holmes has greater staying power. Both Batman and Sherlock Holmes are about the ultimate "super power" of rationality and intelligence. Holmes has a greater edge in that...well, he came first. If it was not for him, Batman would just be an interestingly clad gentleman with a multitude of cool gadgets.

But even in a fannish discussion of prowess? I would have to say Holmes. Simply put, Holmes did not (seemingly) have the benefit of wealth, power, or a childhood trauma. For those who would argue in favor of the Downey version of Holmes, might I suggest first reading the original "canon", as it were - then, you might get a sense of how Downey could do better.

(And if you wanted to head to comicbookmovie.com's poll and flood it with Holmes answers, I won't stop you)

But for me, given recent events, a more accurate poll would be....Batman Vs. Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Who is the tougher character?

Now that is worth discussing.

Why Sherlock Holmes Matters....Especially Now

(One brief note - this entry is being cross-posted to my social media/civic engagement blog. Enjoy!)

Recently, while reading the many blogs that make part of my Google Reader feed, I came across this entry from The Baker Street Blog, brought to you by the fine people who also create the I Hear of Sherlock podcast. In this post, they mention the recent increase in Holmes-centered media, and finish by asking the question:

Why indeed is Sherlock back? And if he never went away, what's behind the current fascination with him again?

Personally, I would argue that he never went away - after all, he has been making a small - yet subtle - appearance in our popular culture, even showing up in subtle ways via television and comics.

However, given our current mystery-and-thriller-driven popular culture, I think that Holmes is becoming more popular because he is speaking to a really strong need.

Increasingly, we live in an age where information is plentiful, but the lines between opinion and fact are blurring. Look at any fan community - there, you will observe plenty of individuals who believe that because a particular filmmaker/artist/writer does not conform to their standards, that work - regardless of whether or not it has merit on its own - is either more or less valid.

Holmes, however, is a champion of rationality and insight - of making critical judgments based on observation. In a world where "critical thinking" is losing its meaning, and is usually meant to be a substitute for "you should have known better", Holmes and Watson remind us that what most people deem observing tends to be seeing - looking at the obvious rather than the hidden layers beneath. They also remind us that, ultimately, the world operates along rational principles...although human beings are less likely to do so.

One of the aspects of the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. Holmes movie that was emphasized in publicity was that Holmes was the first "superhero"....which is not the case. Holmes' "superpower" is rationality - a trait which anyone can aspire to, and which is something that Holmes, Watson, and Conan Doyle remind us is necessary in an ever-growing, media-saturated environment. If, as Steven Moffatt once observed, Holmes is "a man who wants to be a God", then Holmes reminds us that reason is the most divine gift of all.

Sherlock Holmes is becoming more popular, I believe, because he touches a very basic need in all of us - a need to feel as if we can understand the world, as well as have faith in our own intelligence.

And with this recent "revival", it is safe to say....the game is, once again, afoot