A crazy person's prison cell . . .
Since Mulysa was so keen on seeing my Superman dollies, here's a quick snippet . . .
The huge one in the center is of course my favorite. Given by Wifey back in 98. A sign of **TRUE LOVE***. Looked all so lonesome by itself, so naturally I had to buy others to keep it company. To the left of this picture would be my other DC Superheroes. To the upper right are my Marvel and other associated figures. Space is always an issue. I might have to build some shelves on the wall with the paintings for more dolly space. Plus, the size of my graphic novel collection shows no sign of slowing down. So I have to account for that space. The life of a geek with money . . . ugh.
posted by Kilatzin @ 6:45 AM
21 comments
21 Comments:
K, I am relieved to see that you have not fallen into the ubergeek trap of keeping all of your dolls in their original packaging for pristine preservation.
IMO wierdo's who do keep everything in their original packaging are merely posers hoping to score a buck on ebay in the future rather than the truest of geeks who must have full and considerable tactile experience with their collection.
Thanx for the kind sentiment, mikshir, but that poser cash sometimes looks damn attractive. i must confess, i have some figures carded still. for example, i've got a junior seau and ladiamian tomilinson mcfarlane exclusive figures from the Super Bowl a while back. last time i checked they were grabbing about $100 bucks or more for the set.
Plus that "full and considerable tactile experience with their collection" can lead to some very wrong and disgusting actions.
superman on superman action anyone??
WOW...
All this blogging...
Has your schedule changed? Or are you intentionally devoting more time to it?
Y'know Clark... I think you should've been the next Superman, Superman. Just look at that collection. I am in awe.
Hey... I am just about to finish re-reading Watchmen. Such a comic makes me wonder what I've missed in the comic world all these years. I need some recommendations, Clark. What are the best epics, graphic novels, story-lines to come out over the past 10-15 years. For example, the Shadow mentioned over the holidays that they killed off Thor. Did you know about this? Is it in a graphic novel?
Screg,
I'm making a conscious effort to blog. I've let go of the idea to worry so much about what i'm spouting and just spout.
Yeah, they killed off Thor. There was a several yearlong storyline where Odin died again, but Thor did end up inheriting the Odinpower and his rule over Asgard eventually conflicted with his role as Earth's protector. He literally brought Asgard to Earth and was starting to accept worshippers. They took it as far as they could, but it did eventually end with Thor finally seeing the "big picture" behind Ragnarok and taking steps to correct it. How? Well, that would be telling. You can read the final saga in "Avengers Disassembled: Thor". It's an okay, not great but okay, read and it is in graphic novel form.
I'll just focus quickly on Marvel, since we're following this thread. If left unchecked, this will be a REAL LONG comment, so I'll just restrict it to one recommendation for now. I'll post others in upcoming entries.
Daredevil. The last decade of Daredevil stories have really been outstanding. The mythology have finally moved out of Frank Miller's heavy shadow, particularly in the last 4 years or so. Why? Well, cuz Matt Murdock has been outed as Daredevil. Well, you say . . . a hero's identity has been outed before . . . what makes this so different? Well, I say . . . the genie was not put into the bottle . . . the stakes and repercussions of this event are raised with each successive storyline. There's only one way it can end, and that is BADLY. I can't stress how much of a great read this is. There's a realistic feel to the art and story. The art is repurposed/photoshopped photographic sourced. The story deals with the FBI and the media frenzy surrounding Murdock's outing. It's been collected in about 13 paperbacks OR 4 hardbound collections.
The dude who write this storyline is Brian Michael Bendis. On the strength of this series, he's been given the keys to the Marvel Kingdom . . . he's now more or less the head Marvel writer.
Learn more about it through this link.
Thanks, Clark.
Keep the recommendations coming. Rediscovering/re-reading my comic books has re-awakened an interest in the comic genre. I'm slowly making my way through the Akira saga. I'm in Volume 4. Need to order 5 & 6 via Amazon.com when I get a chance. I have tons of printed books to read, too. But I'm really enjoying re-living my comics. Watchmen totally blew me away all over again...
And I remember... It was you who pushed Watchmen...
As a quick tide-me-over, screg, I highly recommend the Alex Ross graphics novels: Kingdom Come and Marvels. The former is clearly the superior but the latter is not far behind. I've been sorely tempted to get more of his stuff since he's a damm good painter and I like the format.. but have resisted (for now) as the others I've seen at the comic store don't look quite as good storywise. Well, I did get the JLA one.
Dude, you guys lost me. Let's hope none of your women read this blog. It made my pubic hairs grow two feet long, self braid across the opening, forming and inpenetrable barrier. Then the labia majora shriveled up and retreated into the vaginal opening. All mucosal functions ceased and desisted and my cervix constricted with greater force than that exerted by a boa constrictor. Thereby protecting the human race by not allowing the proliferation of any geeky seed.
hmmm. thanx for that very descriptive comment, lotus.
you have now made us geek guys gay. comics are definitely more enticing than your lyrical word painting of female genitaila.
okay, back to the comic books.
mikshir and screg -- alex ross is an amazing artist . . . paints realistically and uses extensive photo reference. If I have any criticism of his style, it's that he's sometimes not as dynamic as he could be . . . sometimes his figures seem a little stiff. But hey, he's done the most authoritative Superman rendition i've seen.
the Kingdom Come and Marvels stories are similar in that they're both about the passing of a certain age of comics . . . though Kingdom is definitely more hopeful and Marvels is very downbeat.
check out his website.
Also there's a wonderful retrospective of his DC comic art work called mythology you can pick it up at any major bookstore.
He's currently plotting and painting another DC project titled Justice which is basically his take on the Superfriends vs. the Legion of Doom.
Dearest Lotus... I believe... there are probably some guys... and gals... who might find your... description... most appealing... especially when you say "...constricted with greater force than that exerted by a boa constrictor" in conjunction with the vaginal area... [Boy, did I take that out of context or what?]
I'm sure there are those in the art world (or S & M world) who would love to paint, sculpt, or find another way to depict your... distaste for the comic world.
But I say thee, nay. Don't discount us geeks just yet. Comics are just another form of story-telling. I went back and re-read your blog on your favorite audio books to try to get a feel for what comic might suit you. But the majority of your books don't seem "story oriented".
Hmmmmmmmm... Clark, can you think of a "comic book" Lotus would enjoy? My personal favorite would be on the order of "Watchmen". Yes, Lotus, it's about "superheroes", but there's so much more to the story... so much more. I have the compilation. I'll loan it to you if you want. Suspend your disbelief and give it a chance. My favorite character was Rorschach (did I spell that right, Superman?). But you'd have to read it to see why.
Clark & TofU: Again, thanks for the recommendations and websites. I am making notes in my Moleskine for when I have some money to spend. So keep the recommendations coming!!
Alright, let me first say that you are all very upstanding men. You all have great qualities, very smart, funny, genuine, etc. The comic book talk, however, causes a brain cloud to appear, blocking the good impressions of you guys.
The difficulty I have with comic books is that there are so many heroic people who actually exist, it seems superfluous the read about fake ones. Which is not to say that they shouldn't be enjoyed. It's the die hard devotion that people seem to have to them. I doon't think I've ever seen someone with a Ghandi tattoo on his arm, or an action figure of Mother Teresa.
Looking back through my audiobook collection, I guess my favorite books are about plain people. Bryson's books are about his experiences, the people he meets when travelling. 'Takedown' was about the detective work of a regular police officer, the risks he and a small business owner took and how they were able to take down the mafia. They were plain people, doing powerful things without super powers. Death's Acre was about a plain doctor doing extraordinary research that has become invaluable. I just find that more compelling.
It doesn't seem like a nonfiction work that talks about plain people doing great things would sell that well.
Lotus, even though Watchmen is fictional, based on your prior comment, if you give it a chance, I think you'd like it. Like I said before, it is about "superheroes", but not in the traditional sense... not as you're defining them. Hmmmm... I think I'll just carry it around with me and give it to you the next time I see you.
Give it a chance... suspend disbelief...
Find out why Rorschach was my favorite character...
Better yet, should you decide to read it (and I hope you do), upon completion, I'd want to know who you thought were the true heroes of the story.
Clark, any comments?
Were I to recommend a comic type item for Lotus, I am thinking that it would have to be more in the realm of Manga, and not just the average cartoony robo or high-school-love-princess type but something with a bit of grit. Take for example the "Crying Freeman" series (Ryuichi Ikagami, who also illustrated "Mai: The Psychic Girl" that we all know and love). He also has a couple other series, illustrated more realistically, and are more along the HK ganster intrigue type stories, not the mutant-power type, though those can be done right as well (like Mai) in a more subdued and personal manner.
nah, you guys got it all wrong. Lotus wants NORMAL people in extraordinary situations. I don't think she'll like Watchmen. I gave a literary book lover friend of mine "Watchmen" to read. To my surprise, she hated it. Said she felt like she dropped in the middle of the story, which I guess was the point of the book.
But don't make the mistake Lotus of thinking comics are just superheroes or manga. There's a whole world of storytelling out there.
So here are 5 examples. I own all these Lotus, so if any of these interest you, feel free to borrow them (as long as you don't trash them.)
PalomarThe Heartbreak Soup Stories This is probably the best storytelling I've seen in an American adult comic. It centers around the denizens of a small South American town named Palomar. Poltiical, social, ethnic, religious and sexual intrigues abound in a story that spans several generations. I really can't stress this story enough. It' huge (about 500 pages), but I've got the two first books you can sample at your leisure. Here's a link with more about it.
Strangers In Paradise This ongoing series, due to end in 2007, follows the travails of two soul mates from early high school to at least their mid fifties. Yes both soulmates are female, and it is this love that binds the story, even when the question of reciprocating that love for each other tears them apart. Here's a hint . . . they spend most of their time apart than together. Stories run from the cute to the violent, the humorous to the heartbreaking. The website even states that this story is about "real life, kicked up a notch." Here's a link.
Mail Order Bride A story about a . . . well . . . mail order bride. This beautifully drawn story focusess on the mismatched couple and yes, I'm not spoiling anything, by saying that it's not a very happy story, but emotionally realistic. Here's a review.
Optic Nerve Nila's favorite comic. This is an anthology of people with one common thread . . . they're all isolated, lonely and pathetic. Everything else is different. Think of "This American Life" in comic form. The artist I believe is featured on the "This American Life" website. Here's a link.
Ghost World Yep, they made a movie out of this. Scarlett Johansen, Steve Buscemi and Thora Birch. Most of the movie follows the tone of the comic closely. Read it for yourself and see. Here's a link.
Oh and by the way . . . I found the Gandhi doll for ya!!
You know, it's almost as if there are 2 conversations in this blog thread. We got Lotus here screaming into the wind, like that mad anchorman in the movie "Network", about how women detest the geek seed, and us geek guys, in our own way, passively/aggressively placating/ignoring her with our own geek recommendations. Our geekdom so impenetrable, the voice of an actual "woman" would never have the chance to really sink in.
Hmmm. Interesting dynamic.
Guys, when it comes to women, we're our own worst enemies.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
off-topic:
Saw this guys site and his work reminded me of yours. Maybe there's an underlying consistent art meme in Pinoy DNA.
http://www.objectsandpixels.com/indy/main;jsessionid=6CB8F2E55A75C8CE18ADB7B9FC029787
well first off, kudos to you mikshir for using the word 'meme'. I've always thought of that as a cool word, but have only seen used about three times: once during a marketing seminar and the other two in an interview with a comic book writer.
saw some of the paintings in that dude's site you mentioned. we kinda share the same color palatte, but I think I tend to veer towards the more garish color choices; he seems to much more into modeling and i detect a clemente influence in his subject's eyes.
so when will u do a new post? and yes, optic nerve is my fave. too bad tomine's been a little slow in producing new issues...
a bit miffed since 'metalchik' was taken, so i used one of my fav movie phrases 'caninecologne' in lieu. i have not posted my first blog yet...not sure what to ramble about...
anyhoo
Isn't manga the feminine italian for, "lets eat"?
in your text, you need to replace "Superheros" with "super-hero(TM)" or "underwear perverts"
http://tinyurl.com/lxdvn
http://tinyurl.com/pvzc2
Post a Comment
<< Home