Light week this week with only five new comics for me! Let's see if I can find something to say about each one.
Amazing Spider-Man #620 provides the wrap-up to the Mysterio storyline of this month. One of the things I really enjoyed about this story, and indeed about how Mysterio has been treated of late, is that he's no longer a goofy joke character, he's a serious threat. Mysterio is a special effects master that turned to crime. For a long period of time he was a joke, a relic of 1960s comic silliness as it was unclear how the character should evolve with the times. Mysterio is once again Master of Illusion and you can't be sure what is truth and what is lies. Pete's friend Carlie sees her dead father return. Was his death an illusion to go undercover or is this a robot claiming to be her father? The story keeps you guessing who is what. Fun art, silly Spidey wisecracks, some character building moments, a tease for another story - this was a good book and a good storyline.
Walt Disney Comics #703 does not feature the next part of the Ultraheroes storyline as they've been spun off into their own book. To this I say boo and hiss. Launching a storyline in one book and not having it finish there is bad form I say. Thankfully, this replacement storyline looks interesting: 'Mickey Mouse and the World to Come'. The cover is a homage to the movie 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow'. Doc Static's past inventions come back to haunt him and it's up to Mickey and Minnie to save the day! This story starts out in Antarctica, there are some spy-like passwords and double passwords, and once the story starts running after a comedy double-act opening, it just picks up the pace. This looks like it'll be a lot of fun.
Groo - The Hogs of Horder #3 featured no cheese dip. It does feature cheap imported goods, unemployment, banks looking for loans, and other financial perils. While sounding like the business section of the local newspaper, this is intentionally funny. There is also much vanquishing. 'Froo likes a real war! Not that there is anything wrong with the other kind!' Always good stuff.
Muppet King Arthur #1 starts the next 'movie'. The art is very wacky and cartoony, not by any means bad, but does jar slightly after the 'realistic' art of Muppet Peter Pan. The writing style feels a bit light, with frequent 'this is a comic and we're making jokes about it being a comic', similar to Muppet Robin Hood but to the next degree. Miss Piggy is cast as Morgane Le Fey which just seems weird. All in all, this is still funny, but seems a little more out there. If Muppet Robin Hood didn't do it for you, you might want to skip this one and reread Muppet Peter Pan again.
The Muppet Show Comic Book #2 gives me TWO Muppet Comics in one week! Can my heart stand the excitement? The Muppets are still on the road, touring while the Theatre is rebuilt. As Fozzie stayed behind to test himself on his own, the group picks up a temporary comedian who works the Don Rickles style of insult humor. This doesn't go down well with the gang but the audience doesn't mind. To lift the tone, the Muppets try to get him out of that style or, barring that, get him out of the show. The story takes some twists and turns from there. I won't spoil it. A good issue with a 'musical number' page that isn't a musical number but is at the same time. Writer/Artist Roger Langridge uses Rowlf so perfectly for these types of things. It's seems so effortless that it's magical. That's Muppety.
12 February 2010
11 February 2010
It's Nice to Be Known
I was told this today and it seems unlikely but not impossible and I see no reason to not trust the source so here we go.
I and a couple of my friends went to the Milwaukee Public Museum today. We saw the new 'Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible' and it was interesting. We wandered around for a bit and then it was time to go but not before visiting the gift shop. There was an igloo of furry doggies that needed to be collected by my friend. Fair enough. I wandered over to the books as normal.
According to my friend, she went to purchase her items. The gal at the register asked if she had a membership, as there's a discount. No, my friend noted honestly, but she pointed to me and asked if she could use my membership discount.
This is the part I want to believe.
The museum employee looked at me and reportedly said 'Oh yeah, he's here all the time.'
That's awesome.
I and a couple of my friends went to the Milwaukee Public Museum today. We saw the new 'Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible' and it was interesting. We wandered around for a bit and then it was time to go but not before visiting the gift shop. There was an igloo of furry doggies that needed to be collected by my friend. Fair enough. I wandered over to the books as normal.
According to my friend, she went to purchase her items. The gal at the register asked if she had a membership, as there's a discount. No, my friend noted honestly, but she pointed to me and asked if she could use my membership discount.
This is the part I want to believe.
The museum employee looked at me and reportedly said 'Oh yeah, he's here all the time.'
That's awesome.
10 February 2010
Let's Talk About the Formerly Secret Project a Bit Then
Some years ago, I created a storyline, a universe really, where I could tell whatever kind of story I wanted. In short, the concept was that the world's myths and legends, even those that exist today that wouldn't be considered myths and legends, were real in some way or another. In jest, I refer to this as the 'Steve-verse' and the bulk of my fiction since then is set there, whether obviously or not.
The original piece that started all this was an idea for a novel told in the first person, from the point-of-view of a young man named Patrick Thompson. He reads a lot, knows a few people of interest, but has no abilities beyond that of a normal human. The hope is that the general audience will identify with him as he gets into the occasional bit of trouble that's far over his head. The novel took years to finish as I wrote it in chronological order from Patrick's POV and sometimes I'd get stuck. Once it was done, I realized it needed a lot of work to be finished and needed a certain...something. The something eluded me and the manuscript sat waiting for inspiration.
The character and the universe he inhabits didn't wait idle. Patrick is in the thick of one of El Hombre de Silla's adventures but that story is currently unfinished as well. This is also the situation of another idea for a novel with other characters but set in that universe. 'Unfinished' is a trend of sorts at the moment.
A few months ago while pondering the original Patrick novel, I considered the writing style I'd used and the goals associated with it. The file names are titled 'Daily' because my original goal was to write about a page a day for the story. Hmm, first person storytelling, on a regular basis, with short updates that could tell a longer story when put all together?
Lightning bolt of an idea! That's a blog!
Patrick's been blogging since December of 2009. Some weeks are a bit mundane, some more exciting. My current goal is for him to update at least four times a week and we've hit that, most weeks anyway. The unfinished novel did happen to him, in some form or another, and I do plan to use bits of it as time goes on. He might even tell some stories he hears from his friends, if any occur to me. Overall, the goal is to give you something you can catch up with while on a coffee break but not so much at once that it feels like homework.
http://talesofnormality.blogspot.com/
I hope you like it.
And that's my excuse for not blogging much last week as I was writing a lot of Patrick's story. Wasn't lazy just otherwise busy.
The original piece that started all this was an idea for a novel told in the first person, from the point-of-view of a young man named Patrick Thompson. He reads a lot, knows a few people of interest, but has no abilities beyond that of a normal human. The hope is that the general audience will identify with him as he gets into the occasional bit of trouble that's far over his head. The novel took years to finish as I wrote it in chronological order from Patrick's POV and sometimes I'd get stuck. Once it was done, I realized it needed a lot of work to be finished and needed a certain...something. The something eluded me and the manuscript sat waiting for inspiration.
The character and the universe he inhabits didn't wait idle. Patrick is in the thick of one of El Hombre de Silla's adventures but that story is currently unfinished as well. This is also the situation of another idea for a novel with other characters but set in that universe. 'Unfinished' is a trend of sorts at the moment.
A few months ago while pondering the original Patrick novel, I considered the writing style I'd used and the goals associated with it. The file names are titled 'Daily' because my original goal was to write about a page a day for the story. Hmm, first person storytelling, on a regular basis, with short updates that could tell a longer story when put all together?
Lightning bolt of an idea! That's a blog!
Patrick's been blogging since December of 2009. Some weeks are a bit mundane, some more exciting. My current goal is for him to update at least four times a week and we've hit that, most weeks anyway. The unfinished novel did happen to him, in some form or another, and I do plan to use bits of it as time goes on. He might even tell some stories he hears from his friends, if any occur to me. Overall, the goal is to give you something you can catch up with while on a coffee break but not so much at once that it feels like homework.
http://talesofnormality.blogspot.com/
I hope you like it.
And that's my excuse for not blogging much last week as I was writing a lot of Patrick's story. Wasn't lazy just otherwise busy.
08 February 2010
Music Monday - Macnee
Patrick Macnee that is! The gentleman of gentlemen turned 88 last week and it occurred to me that his connection with music, slight as it may be, should be celebrated along with the man. Huzzah!
Mr. Macnee is perhaps best known for his role as Mr. John Steed in the 1960s television programme 'The Avengers'. As part of that programme, he and Honor Blackman, who also appeared on the programme at that time, recorded a rather... strange song. Thankfully someone was clever enough to match it up to some footage from 'The Avengers' to create a video!
As I enjoy the theme music to the show, I have to include it as well.
Make you want a proper umbrella just to be able to slug people with it!
Patrick Macnee would go onto all sorts of other great roles, he's in 'The Howling', he's been Dr. Watson to Christopher Lee's Sherlock Holmes, he's in 'A View to a Kill', he's in 'This is Spinal Tap', he's even the voice of the evil Imperious Leader of the Cylons in the original 1970's version of 'Battlestar Galactica' for goodness sake! But he can't escape Steed and I don't think that bothers him too much. If it did, would he appear in music videos as the character?
Okay, so he appeared in clips in the Pretenders video. It's still Steed!
To Patrick Macnee, may you live a long healthy existence yet. Hurrah!
Mr. Macnee is perhaps best known for his role as Mr. John Steed in the 1960s television programme 'The Avengers'. As part of that programme, he and Honor Blackman, who also appeared on the programme at that time, recorded a rather... strange song. Thankfully someone was clever enough to match it up to some footage from 'The Avengers' to create a video!
As I enjoy the theme music to the show, I have to include it as well.
Make you want a proper umbrella just to be able to slug people with it!
Patrick Macnee would go onto all sorts of other great roles, he's in 'The Howling', he's been Dr. Watson to Christopher Lee's Sherlock Holmes, he's in 'A View to a Kill', he's in 'This is Spinal Tap', he's even the voice of the evil Imperious Leader of the Cylons in the original 1970's version of 'Battlestar Galactica' for goodness sake! But he can't escape Steed and I don't think that bothers him too much. If it did, would he appear in music videos as the character?
Okay, so he appeared in clips in the Pretenders video. It's still Steed!
To Patrick Macnee, may you live a long healthy existence yet. Hurrah!
07 February 2010
Some Thoughts on the about-to-start Super Bowl
I'm not planning to watch it.
Instead I will watch television programmes nearly as old as myself or put music on in order to facilitate the writing that continues to pour from me this week.
I would probably cheer for the Saints, as the 'underdog' if nothing else.
I already watched the Who mime once today, on a programme called 'Pop Goes the Sixties' and all four fellows were still alive there.
The Colts will probably win.
Tomorrow I'll go online and see all the 'interesting' ads. The only one I know about that I'm interested in features Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo as the Griswolds from the 'Vacation' movies. It doesn't seem worth it to sit through what's likely to be a lousy football game just to see that brief item.
It's nothing against either team that makes me say that the game is likely to be lousy. That's just odds. It seems like many Super Bowls are blowouts.
There is work yet to be done.
Instead I will watch television programmes nearly as old as myself or put music on in order to facilitate the writing that continues to pour from me this week.
I would probably cheer for the Saints, as the 'underdog' if nothing else.
I already watched the Who mime once today, on a programme called 'Pop Goes the Sixties' and all four fellows were still alive there.
The Colts will probably win.
Tomorrow I'll go online and see all the 'interesting' ads. The only one I know about that I'm interested in features Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo as the Griswolds from the 'Vacation' movies. It doesn't seem worth it to sit through what's likely to be a lousy football game just to see that brief item.
It's nothing against either team that makes me say that the game is likely to be lousy. That's just odds. It seems like many Super Bowls are blowouts.
There is work yet to be done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)