New Year's Eve

Gone to a friend's wedding - enjoy the eve!

2010 Year in Review

BLOGGING: Well, I manged to get in an average of one post per day, even if it was just a single poster. That's not too bad - but at the same time, it's probably not something I'm going to continue to do because I expect things to pick up for me in real life in the coming year, so I won't have as much time to devote to making and posting posters.

REAL LIFE: It's going pretty well and I'm happy, but I'm also going to be very busy in the coming year, and I'm looking forward to that.

COMICS AND FANDOM: Bleh. I'm sorry, but I can't be the only to have found this year to be pretty boring as far as that's concerned. Yes, there have been islands of good stuff in the "Big Two", but I think more than anything else, it's convinced me to start really weening myself off of that and devote more time to the action/adventure and superhero comics OUTSIDE Marvel and DC - because Marvel and DC don't OWN the concepts (much as they would like us all to think otherwise). Not that I won't continue to use the material for posters or to talk about it, but I think maybe it's time to start really looking at getting myself off this train in the next year. What do you think, would you like to see me refocus this blog to all the good super and action stuff outside the Marvel/DC ranches?

So, what were your thoughts on the year?

What if we lived in a comic book universe? 100!

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 99

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 98

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 97

See, it's funny because it's Boxing Day.

I'm so sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to Neill Cameron for the source material! You rock!

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 96

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 95

Edited: Blame the holidays, got my posters mixed up - have some cake

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 94

What if we lived in a comic book universe? Part 93

What If we lived in a comic book universe? Part 92

What If we lived in a comic book universe? Part 91

What If we lived in a comic book universe? Part 90

Due to the holidays, I'm going to be doing light posting - so, I'm going to get us to #100 on "What if We Lived in a comic book universe? " Series. Come enjoy the fun!

Your Moment of Funny

Pick the Best Caption

Super-Tech Analysis

ITEM: Goblin Glider

DESIGN FLAW: Impales user in the Chest.

SUGGESTED SOLUTION: RFID chip on person to slow glider down in near proximity.

This work for you people as a possible new series?

Paths I have Chosen

OK, here's my biggest problem with "Superman: Earth One". Straczynski screws up, not because the origin isn't important, but because the concept is sort of backwards, at least to me. And it's kind of personal.

When I was a kid, and well into my teens, I gave serious consideration towards becoming a writer. Common enough, but I was fairly good at it, and had an idea of how to go about it. I'm not saying I would have made it or anything (in fact, I'm fairly certain I would not have) but the idea was certainly there.

But I chose engineering instead. Why might you ask?

I took a look around, and made a hard and sober assessment of myself. Yeah, I could write, and that's a great thing - a good talent that could be honed into something that hey, who knows? Might have been professional quality.

But I also knew I had a real talent for science and math, and that's something a fair bit rarer, in my experience.

Alright, so we're on the right track, but not quite to "Engineer" yet. After all, I could have gone into a theoretical or academic branch of science or math or computer programming. All great career choices I do not disparage in any way, shape or form, except that they weren't MY choice.

Again, it comes down to my experiences and beliefs. I looked at the world, and I felt then, as I feel now, that I want to make a difference - to make a direct and immediate impact on people using the gifts I was given, and that I was fortunate enough, by birth and fate, to have the opportunity to develop.

Now, where do you suppose I got that idea from?

Oh, right.

And that's the problem with Superman: Earth One. Sure, Clark could, COULD become an exceptional, even legendary scientist or athlete or businessman. He could do anything.

But only Clark Kent can be Superman. Anything else is hiding and denying his talents and where they are most needed. And that's something that really didn't require much exploration.

Of Fans and Friends

A few people I know online occassionally ask why I don't post my opinions on such and such a forum/message board/community chat/whatever on a regular basis. This is flattering, but to me, it's not a big concern for a couple reasons.

The first is that I realize that some of my opinions are polarizing and deeply unpopular among the message board poster crowd - so be it. While this bothers me not in the least, I have neither the urge nor the disposable time in my life to spend arguing with people on the internet. Just getting posters made and semi-regular posts up is going to be a challenge in the coming months, nevermind trying to change people's opinions using only words on the internet - which has proven to be a path with very low likelihood of success on any given subject.

More importantly, it's because I've never really gotten a sense of community out of many of my fellow fans. I never had a click of my fellow nerds and geeks in school, so I'm rather used to sharing my fandoms very very selectively, if at all. The fact that you and another person like the same TV show or comic or movies or whatever doesn't make you friends or even mean you like each other that much - it's just a shared interest. It doesn't really matter that much because relationships of any endurance or quality are built on shared values and experience. The fact that you helped me moved into an apartment, or you really care about an issue that's important to me in the real world matters a hell of a lot more to me than the fact that we both really think Superman is Awesome. I'm increasingly disturbed that people seem to get mixed up by all this, both online and in real life.

We are all fellow fans, but it takes time and effort to become friends.

Let's work on that together, shall we?

Quick Links post

Short and sweet for today, with more for tomorrow.

Jens Altmann, friend of the blog and author of The Coldest Blood and Cowboys and Barbarians (hit the "Fellow bloggers" tag and go find the Amazon links!) has a really cool idea for a Doctor Doom story here. Check it out.

In the "Someone had way too much time on their hands" dept: The Marvel Universe relationship chart. Just try and follow it as best you can.

What If we lived in a comic book universe? Part 89

The countdown to #100 begins...

Your Moment of Funny

Pick the Best Caption

Sorry for the light posting the last few weeks. I'm hoping to catch up and put up some longer stuff soon.

Oh, and again...the kid heroes and Mr. Kills-a-Lot there...I know we're supposed to get that Wolverine has a softer side and actually wants to improve, but you know? There actually have to be stories where he does that, and there should be a much more even ratio between those stories and "Wolverine kills a whole bunch of people" stories for that to work. It would also help if at some point Wolverine made a comment about not being that crazy about being on the Avengers just because he'll kill. I mean, that's kind of insulting to him if you think about it.

Ponder This

If Jack Kirby were a young and hungry artist today, do you really think he would go into comics?

Let's think about this for a moment - the pay is...so/so, unless you're a "hot" artist or a legend, you're working freelance no matter where you work in the industry, and your career length is fairly arbitrary. And let's not talk about the whole "creator's rights" issues.

Forgive me for thinking so, but I think part of the reason that storytelling and composition skills among "Big Two" comic artists has so degraded over the last 10-15 years is because those people all left the industry for the greener pastures of video games and web animation, where they'd likely get a better chance of making a long time living.

Just a thought. Maybe someone can enlighten me if I'm wrong here.

Quick Hits

-I cannot for the life of me imagine anything more pointless or unneccessary than another dystopic X-men alternate timeline.

-Except for maybe another Wolverine title.

-Or another Deadpool title.

-Although, come to think of it, the current status quo for the X-franchise is a not-bad metaphor for the mentality of the big two comics - a group of people who have chosen to isolate themselves from the larger world and no longer even try to interact with it on equal terms. They dream of glory days that they helped to end with short-sightedness and petty grudges.

- I miss fiendish deathtraps in comics. It's just something that isn't done anymore, and it's kind of a sad loss if you ask me.

-Calling comic writers "Architects" is silly for a whole host of reasons. For the most part, they don't actually design anything as opposed to maintain an existing structure - that's not design, that maintenance. But as I've stated before "Corporate copyright Maintenance men" doesn't have quite that ring to it, you know?

-Another "This is something we don't need to see again" - a replacement Fantastic Four member.

-I feel sorry for the writers who have to fill in for JMS on Superman and Wonder Woman. Imagine spending all those years striving to work on your craft, climbing the rungs of the corporate field, with your dream of getting to work on one of the biggest franchises in history. Then, when you finally get there, you're hired to be a glorified ghostwriter. That's got to sting.

-Does anybody remember when superheroes actually fought each other because they...actually didn't like each other that much? As opposed to fighting each other because of some disagreements about a vague political debate?

-OK, let me get this straight - in the Captain America series right now, Bucky (the current Cap) is being put on trial for a few murders he committed over the course of about six decades, but Wolverine, who probably has a body count that would put him in the Hague for a war crimes tribunial and spends nearly half his time as a member of a group of untrusted mutants is a full-fledged Avenger who goes out in public and no one even bats an eye? How does that work?