There are many reasons I wish I lived in San Francisco/ The Bay Area. Its prominence as a world hub of innovation and technology. The amazing mix of cultures. Sea lions. So many sea lions. Architecture and history. Increased opportunity to pop in on Steven and Lauren and eat all their food. Could secretly live in Dug and K's basement for weeks before they'd notice. Local law-enforcement's encouragement of recreation of scenes from "Bullit". All the sourdough and Rice-a-Roni one could eat. Would see it on local news when Mythbusters finally accidentally blow themselves up.
But today: I wish I could be in town for the Noir City Cruel Yule and back again in January for the Noir City Film Festival.
What better way to ring in the holidays than with dangerous dames, pistols and tough talk?* If you're in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking out the programs Eddie Muller and co. have put together to keep one of the great cinematic traditions alive.
*actually, this may be my Christmas with Jamie, anyway
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Happy Birthday to The Dug/ Pearl Harbor Day
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| feliz cumpleanous, a ti |
Well, here's to another fantastic year for Dug and to the heartbreaking loss we faced on this day. Let's celebrate/ mourn!
Monday, December 6, 2010
You're on your own.
I'm tired and I think I'll go read and whatnot. You're on your own. The remote turns on the cable and the TV and there's diet soda in the fridge.
Also: Jon Hamm has a good job. I think he knows that.
Also: Jon Hamm has a good job. I think he knows that.
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| Shut up, Jon Hamm |
I am pretty sure you won't finish reading this meandering blog post
It would be bad form to not have a post ready for a Monday, but I'm kind of running dry at the moment. Bear with me.
The weekend
The holidays are here, and that meant Saturday we were able to attend a lovely get together at Matt and Nicole's place. Sweaters were worn, cocktails embibed, and a cold front hit just before the party, so it didn't feel odd or unseasonal.
I learned a lesson in trying to be a safe driver: if you're planning to cab it around town - do not decide its time to call a cab at 2:00 AM on Saturday night/ Sunday morning during the middle of holiday revelry. They will never, ever show up. And you will spend an ugly hour regretting that last cocktail with SyFy Channel on mute showing some horrendous movie with Alan Cumming painted blue, and Jamie just staring at the window and repeating "where are they?", only to give up and force a sober Nicole to drive you all the way back to your house at 3:10 AM.
Today was fairly lazy. Played with the dogs. Read. Cleaned up a bit. Walked the dogs. Fixed the fence. Slept for a while in the afternoon, facedown on the sofa. Denied the fact that I need to go to Lowe's and do a few last bits of Christmas shopping (I am way, way out ahead on Christmas shopping). Met up with Matt and Nicole at a sort of Italian bistro near Nau's, ran into Keora and Laura (wife of SimonUK).
And now I'm sitting in front of the fake fire with sleepy dogs.
Big 12 and Longhorn Football
OU won the Big 12 Championship, which is secretly good news to me (as OU is my second favorite college team, but we do not say such things in Austin).
And it looks like UT's long-bemoaned Offensive Coordinator, Greg Davis, will be leaving UT's coaching staff by hook or by crook early this week.
I don't know much about Davis. He doesn't get in front of the mics or cameras very often, but I know that in a city that screeches to a halt on game days, I have never heard one person who didn't second-guess or immediately leap to chip in to question Davis's coaching and play calling. That's not an exaggeration for dramatic effect, that's a fact. And it seems that UT's great recruiting of the past 10 years finally wasn't able to overcome the deficit in offensive coordination. At some point, you can't have 100K people in the stadium all slapping their foreheads, and everybody but the Offensive Coordinator knowing that the play called was not going to work.
That's not to say people aren't warily eyeing Will Muschamp (UT's Defensive Coordinator), his millions per year and the fact that UT oddly already anointed him Mack Brown's successor despite the fact that Brown isn't scheduled to retire or leave Texas. I don't think Muschamp is on the chopping block quite yet, but if UT is giving up as many touchdowns next year as they did this season? That sweetheart deal is going to dry up pretty fast.
Anyway, strange days for Texas football.
On the positive side: Looks like Oregon will challenge Auburn for the National title spot! Very happy for our man in Oregon, Fantomenos. The Ducks have been building to this point for a while, and I'm personally planning to dress in green and watch that one.
Jackie Chiles returns
Back in the 1990's Seinfeld was (and still remains) one of my favorite shows. Many will remember the OJ-case inspired character, Jackie Chiles, loosely based on now-deceased showboating attorney Johnny Cochrane.
A colleague of The Signal Watch is a contributor to award-winning legal blog Abnormal Use, which recently swung an interview with the actor who portrayed Jackie Chiles, Phil Morris. We encourage you to read the interview.
I confess that, yes, I do still watch Smallville on the CW (I'm quite a fan of Ms. Durance who plays Lois. Rowr.). For the past few years, Morris has guest-spotted on the program as J'onn J'onzz/ John Jones (aka: The Martian Manhunter), and he's been a real highlight in a show that I usually enjoy semi-ironically (because, man, Smallville...). I figured it was too much to ask that they spin the character off into his own, better show, so I take what I can get.
You can also see Morris in new clips as Jackie Chiles on Funny or Die!
Congrats to Abnormal Use for a great 2010!
Spider-Man play suffers another injury
An actress playing a major role as a villain suffered a concussion when a rope smacked her in the head. This same actress has to sit in her harness 6 hours per day.
I really do think people will turn up to watch the show, but its for the same reason you go to NASCAR races: horrendous accidents.
Never Assume
You people can enjoy the malarkey that is The League in small, bite sized chunks and opt in or out of dealing with me as you please. Even Jamie has the option to tell me to shut it, and/ or leave the room. But there is a person who does not have any options. 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, my officemate (who also reports to me in the org chart) has to sit and listen to whatever I say. And I kind of just talk. And talk. And talk and talk and talk and talk and talk all day every day.
And its kind of unfair. Literally nobody else on the planet has to put up with my monologuing or fear for their livelihood. And so it came to pass that I was completely under the impression that my officemate and I were on the same page that KANYE WEST IS THE GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED, EVER.
Apparently, not so. So, if anyone else has some ideas for what to get an officemate for Christmas that isn't the new Kanye West album, please let me know.
The weekend
The holidays are here, and that meant Saturday we were able to attend a lovely get together at Matt and Nicole's place. Sweaters were worn, cocktails embibed, and a cold front hit just before the party, so it didn't feel odd or unseasonal.
I learned a lesson in trying to be a safe driver: if you're planning to cab it around town - do not decide its time to call a cab at 2:00 AM on Saturday night/ Sunday morning during the middle of holiday revelry. They will never, ever show up. And you will spend an ugly hour regretting that last cocktail with SyFy Channel on mute showing some horrendous movie with Alan Cumming painted blue, and Jamie just staring at the window and repeating "where are they?", only to give up and force a sober Nicole to drive you all the way back to your house at 3:10 AM.
Today was fairly lazy. Played with the dogs. Read. Cleaned up a bit. Walked the dogs. Fixed the fence. Slept for a while in the afternoon, facedown on the sofa. Denied the fact that I need to go to Lowe's and do a few last bits of Christmas shopping (I am way, way out ahead on Christmas shopping). Met up with Matt and Nicole at a sort of Italian bistro near Nau's, ran into Keora and Laura (wife of SimonUK).
And now I'm sitting in front of the fake fire with sleepy dogs.
Big 12 and Longhorn Football
OU won the Big 12 Championship, which is secretly good news to me (as OU is my second favorite college team, but we do not say such things in Austin).
And it looks like UT's long-bemoaned Offensive Coordinator, Greg Davis, will be leaving UT's coaching staff by hook or by crook early this week.
I don't know much about Davis. He doesn't get in front of the mics or cameras very often, but I know that in a city that screeches to a halt on game days, I have never heard one person who didn't second-guess or immediately leap to chip in to question Davis's coaching and play calling. That's not an exaggeration for dramatic effect, that's a fact. And it seems that UT's great recruiting of the past 10 years finally wasn't able to overcome the deficit in offensive coordination. At some point, you can't have 100K people in the stadium all slapping their foreheads, and everybody but the Offensive Coordinator knowing that the play called was not going to work.
That's not to say people aren't warily eyeing Will Muschamp (UT's Defensive Coordinator), his millions per year and the fact that UT oddly already anointed him Mack Brown's successor despite the fact that Brown isn't scheduled to retire or leave Texas. I don't think Muschamp is on the chopping block quite yet, but if UT is giving up as many touchdowns next year as they did this season? That sweetheart deal is going to dry up pretty fast.
Anyway, strange days for Texas football.
On the positive side: Looks like Oregon will challenge Auburn for the National title spot! Very happy for our man in Oregon, Fantomenos. The Ducks have been building to this point for a while, and I'm personally planning to dress in green and watch that one.
Jackie Chiles returns
Back in the 1990's Seinfeld was (and still remains) one of my favorite shows. Many will remember the OJ-case inspired character, Jackie Chiles, loosely based on now-deceased showboating attorney Johnny Cochrane.
A colleague of The Signal Watch is a contributor to award-winning legal blog Abnormal Use, which recently swung an interview with the actor who portrayed Jackie Chiles, Phil Morris. We encourage you to read the interview.
I confess that, yes, I do still watch Smallville on the CW (I'm quite a fan of Ms. Durance who plays Lois. Rowr.). For the past few years, Morris has guest-spotted on the program as J'onn J'onzz/ John Jones (aka: The Martian Manhunter), and he's been a real highlight in a show that I usually enjoy semi-ironically (because, man, Smallville...). I figured it was too much to ask that they spin the character off into his own, better show, so I take what I can get.
You can also see Morris in new clips as Jackie Chiles on Funny or Die!
Congrats to Abnormal Use for a great 2010!
Spider-Man play suffers another injury
An actress playing a major role as a villain suffered a concussion when a rope smacked her in the head. This same actress has to sit in her harness 6 hours per day.
I really do think people will turn up to watch the show, but its for the same reason you go to NASCAR races: horrendous accidents.
Never Assume
You people can enjoy the malarkey that is The League in small, bite sized chunks and opt in or out of dealing with me as you please. Even Jamie has the option to tell me to shut it, and/ or leave the room. But there is a person who does not have any options. 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, my officemate (who also reports to me in the org chart) has to sit and listen to whatever I say. And I kind of just talk. And talk. And talk and talk and talk and talk and talk all day every day.
And its kind of unfair. Literally nobody else on the planet has to put up with my monologuing or fear for their livelihood. And so it came to pass that I was completely under the impression that my officemate and I were on the same page that KANYE WEST IS THE GREATEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED, EVER.
Apparently, not so. So, if anyone else has some ideas for what to get an officemate for Christmas that isn't the new Kanye West album, please let me know.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
I Heart All Star Superman
I recently got my hands on a copy of the Absolute Edition of DC's All Star Superman.
Man, I love this comic.
Written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely and inked & colored by Jamie Grant (all from Scotland, btw), this book sums up so much of what I love about Superman comics. To see it in DC's deluxe Absolute format, with the pages blown up to almost the size of the original art, and to really soak in Grant's exquisite colors... its just a huge pleasure to see story, art, form and function come together.
If you come to the book skeptical of Superman, there's nothing here to convince you away from your opinion. But if you do like what's in the book, the important thing to know is that this isn't some wild departure Morrison has envisioned. He's seamlessly echoing the types of stories you could read from the 50's - mid 80's (before the Byrne/ Wolfman "everyman" reinvention that also works, just differently), and adding very Morrison-ish bits that, on reflection, aren't so different from the wild stories that spawned Superman walking around with a lion's head, Bizarro, as king of the ant aliens, etc... Morrison even has down Silver-Age Superman's always-understated way of dealing with the uncanny and bizarre.
The plot is basically this: Superman learns that a recent trip to the sun is leading to his death. And the events that lead up to his last moments.
I often actually wonder if modern readers who picked up the series understood what Morrison was doing. I suspect most didn't get the careful blend of new and old, the asides (like Lois wondering if Superman was playing yet another massively elaborate prank on her), characters like Samson and Atlas showing up to woo Lois... and all done with a mostly straight face.
A lot of people ask "who is the mask? Superman or Clark?" And we know the 1980's told us Superman was just an outfit a farmboy from Kansas put on, but we also know that prior to 1985, this wasn't so much the case. It was Superman in a disguise, an alien wanting to be human, to fit in and have friends in a way that nobody would question if he were green and had antennas as "the alien".
Like all outsiders, Superman is an observer and does comment upon us. But when he's himself, and is confident in his Superman-ness (and not given to plodding, heaped upon "flaws" and "insecurities") its not that he's too perfect, its that he can be... alien. "Yes, I will fly into the corona of the sun and save the space crew" is something Superman and no other character can say, and there's something amazing about that certainty when you see it done up right. But at that point, you kind of have to forget about Superman as a man, or as a character one relates to, and look at him as something else entirely.
Certainly, that complicates the character. But its also something, I suppose, a reader is either comfortable with or not. Alien-ness does not preclude character, nor does it preclude character interaction, development, etc...
Clark isn't, as Tarantino would suggest, what Superman thinks of us. But as Clark he does appear so very human, and in Quitely's depiction, its the best argument for how nobody would ever guess, that we can see the value of the Kent identity, all the more shocking when its stripped away to reveal the "S" beneath. And, of course, Morrison and Quitely work in site gag after sight gag as "Clark" saves people without them noticing, and shouting at Clark for his oafishness. Its a brilliant little addition from the spirit of the Donner movies more than the comics.
This book doesn't address the question of "can you relate?", which I find a loaded question. But the characterization returns to form with the stoicism of the 1950's and 60's (and which Reeves and Routh portray in the movies), and I actually quite like that granite stillness in the face of chaos.
Which is why Morrison's Lex, and his monologuing in episode 5, "The Gospel According to Lex", flips the tables and is so compelling (and why Lex becomes increasingly fascinating for adult readers, leading to his role as the featured character in the current run of Action Comics). What's more compelling to the reader once labels of "good guy" and "bad guy" are stripped away? The self-made genius billionaire with endless ambition, or the alien with the true moral compass and bullet-proof skin?
In many ways, to me, and I realize this is only me... If I'm looking for someone to observe through, its the alien who is watching and trying to help, not the unbridled ambition blaming some outside force for his failures. At the end of issue 5, Superman/ Clark breaks and pleas with Lex for sanity, and is dismissed (the story also suggests Lex likes Clark, which is... interesting). Lex could have been so much more (Superman is, after all, good friends with Batman).
I haven't finished re-reading the book, but it did strike me how much the success of All Star Superman paved the way for today's post-Infinite Crisis continuity interpretation of the character. Lex as both mad scientist and billionaire, the return of the whimsy and "anything goes" attitude of the books, reintegration of the Legion... all these things.
And, of course, Morrison gives us a Lois that a Superman, an alien who can see his own cellular mitosis and burn holes in mountains by peering at them, can love. Its up there with Kidder and Neil as live action Lois, with Waid's firebrand Lois...
And, of course, Morrison saved Jimmy Olsen. With issue #4's tribute to the best Jimmy Olsen stories... man.
The book is out as two paperbacks, and I can't really recommend them enough.
Now that DC sounds like they're wrapping up Superman's cross-country trek a bit early (or differently), and the New Krypton story is done, maybe its time to return to Metropolis and take a page directly from Morrison. Its hard not to believe Paul Cornell, handling Lex in Action, isn't already headed this direction.
Man, I love this comic.
Written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely and inked & colored by Jamie Grant (all from Scotland, btw), this book sums up so much of what I love about Superman comics. To see it in DC's deluxe Absolute format, with the pages blown up to almost the size of the original art, and to really soak in Grant's exquisite colors... its just a huge pleasure to see story, art, form and function come together.
If you come to the book skeptical of Superman, there's nothing here to convince you away from your opinion. But if you do like what's in the book, the important thing to know is that this isn't some wild departure Morrison has envisioned. He's seamlessly echoing the types of stories you could read from the 50's - mid 80's (before the Byrne/ Wolfman "everyman" reinvention that also works, just differently), and adding very Morrison-ish bits that, on reflection, aren't so different from the wild stories that spawned Superman walking around with a lion's head, Bizarro, as king of the ant aliens, etc... Morrison even has down Silver-Age Superman's always-understated way of dealing with the uncanny and bizarre.
The plot is basically this: Superman learns that a recent trip to the sun is leading to his death. And the events that lead up to his last moments.
I often actually wonder if modern readers who picked up the series understood what Morrison was doing. I suspect most didn't get the careful blend of new and old, the asides (like Lois wondering if Superman was playing yet another massively elaborate prank on her), characters like Samson and Atlas showing up to woo Lois... and all done with a mostly straight face.
A lot of people ask "who is the mask? Superman or Clark?" And we know the 1980's told us Superman was just an outfit a farmboy from Kansas put on, but we also know that prior to 1985, this wasn't so much the case. It was Superman in a disguise, an alien wanting to be human, to fit in and have friends in a way that nobody would question if he were green and had antennas as "the alien".
Like all outsiders, Superman is an observer and does comment upon us. But when he's himself, and is confident in his Superman-ness (and not given to plodding, heaped upon "flaws" and "insecurities") its not that he's too perfect, its that he can be... alien. "Yes, I will fly into the corona of the sun and save the space crew" is something Superman and no other character can say, and there's something amazing about that certainty when you see it done up right. But at that point, you kind of have to forget about Superman as a man, or as a character one relates to, and look at him as something else entirely.
Certainly, that complicates the character. But its also something, I suppose, a reader is either comfortable with or not. Alien-ness does not preclude character, nor does it preclude character interaction, development, etc...
Clark isn't, as Tarantino would suggest, what Superman thinks of us. But as Clark he does appear so very human, and in Quitely's depiction, its the best argument for how nobody would ever guess, that we can see the value of the Kent identity, all the more shocking when its stripped away to reveal the "S" beneath. And, of course, Morrison and Quitely work in site gag after sight gag as "Clark" saves people without them noticing, and shouting at Clark for his oafishness. Its a brilliant little addition from the spirit of the Donner movies more than the comics.
This book doesn't address the question of "can you relate?", which I find a loaded question. But the characterization returns to form with the stoicism of the 1950's and 60's (and which Reeves and Routh portray in the movies), and I actually quite like that granite stillness in the face of chaos.
Which is why Morrison's Lex, and his monologuing in episode 5, "The Gospel According to Lex", flips the tables and is so compelling (and why Lex becomes increasingly fascinating for adult readers, leading to his role as the featured character in the current run of Action Comics). What's more compelling to the reader once labels of "good guy" and "bad guy" are stripped away? The self-made genius billionaire with endless ambition, or the alien with the true moral compass and bullet-proof skin?
In many ways, to me, and I realize this is only me... If I'm looking for someone to observe through, its the alien who is watching and trying to help, not the unbridled ambition blaming some outside force for his failures. At the end of issue 5, Superman/ Clark breaks and pleas with Lex for sanity, and is dismissed (the story also suggests Lex likes Clark, which is... interesting). Lex could have been so much more (Superman is, after all, good friends with Batman).
I haven't finished re-reading the book, but it did strike me how much the success of All Star Superman paved the way for today's post-Infinite Crisis continuity interpretation of the character. Lex as both mad scientist and billionaire, the return of the whimsy and "anything goes" attitude of the books, reintegration of the Legion... all these things.
And, of course, Morrison gives us a Lois that a Superman, an alien who can see his own cellular mitosis and burn holes in mountains by peering at them, can love. Its up there with Kidder and Neil as live action Lois, with Waid's firebrand Lois...
And, of course, Morrison saved Jimmy Olsen. With issue #4's tribute to the best Jimmy Olsen stories... man.
The book is out as two paperbacks, and I can't really recommend them enough.
Now that DC sounds like they're wrapping up Superman's cross-country trek a bit early (or differently), and the New Krypton story is done, maybe its time to return to Metropolis and take a page directly from Morrison. Its hard not to believe Paul Cornell, handling Lex in Action, isn't already headed this direction.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sort of what I'm Up to
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| In my head, this just improved Santa 1,000,000 percent |
I'm doing my last bit of traveling for 2010 and am attending a conference in Houston. Lots of nice folks doing interesting stuff in libraries.
In a lot of ways, traditional public and academic libraries are likely behind corporate entities who have been struggling with business needs issues for decades in data management and deep storage. In an institution such as a library that is asked to store literally anything that it is handed (and make it available to the world on demand), that management becomes a complex issue. Its not enough just to have the item, but that item has metadata around it that describes the item. The web's half-baked manner of tagging, keywords, etc... kind of works, but its not useful for preservation, curation, true findability and longterm use and storage. Ie: Its not enough to just have the thing and have it sitting on a server where Google might find it anymore than a traditional library would be terribly useful without a card catalog.
So. Anyway, that's some of what I work on most days. And its pretty focused at this conference.
The big challenge (not one that really falls into my jurisdiction) will be the mad scramble for the next few decades to turn paper into 0's and 1's, describe it and make it available. Its one thing to have... stuff in a library, just sitting in a box or on a shelf. Its quite another to imagine actually dealing with every page, every picture, every... everything that can be in even the smallest library. Not to mention trying to wrangle the brand new stuff created everyday and all the stuff that's deteriorating on shut-down hard drives, etc.. that never really existed as paper created in the past 20 years.
Its... a big task. So be nice to your local archivist, digital librarian, metadata librarian, what-have-you.
My part is the fun part, and that's working with these folks and trying to provide them with solutions, support, tools, etc... And finding new opportunities for researchers to work together and find one another's work thanks to TECHNOLOGY.
Also, the catering at this thing was really good. I confess to liking prosciutto more than I ought.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Here's Some Dapper Folks Enjoying the Holidays
I'm off in Houston and busy, so here's some pics of the office holiday party at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
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| Don and Peggy ponder the meaning of the holidays |
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| This makes me weep for myself when I ponder the office parties and lack thereof at my different employers |
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Parents! Don't Forget! December 5th is Krampus Day!
Parents, we all knows kids become a bit wily around the Holidays. The lights, the sugar, the TV specials, the promise of presents... Really, who can blame them?
But that doesn't mean you can't use a little good old fashioned Old School Eastern European terror to keep the tykes focused.
And that's why I'm encouraging you: hey, this year, why not try Krampus?
I covered Krampus a bit last year at LoM, but as the Holidays approach, it occured to me that I had some ideas about how Krampus could fit into the Yuletide season. Originating out of Austria and Hungary (I guess), Krampus is a traditional holiday character who arrives in tandem with St. Nick before the holidays as a reminder of the horrific fate that befalls the kids on the naughty list. Not a lot of shades of gray in Eastern European Christmas.
I'm just saying, when it comes time for encouraging good vs. bad behavior, sometimes kids need as much stick as they need carrot. And sometimes that incentive for good behavior is the promise of getting smacked with chains and birch branches should your moody twerp of a kid act up.
But that doesn't mean you can't use a little good old fashioned Old School Eastern European terror to keep the tykes focused.
And that's why I'm encouraging you: hey, this year, why not try Krampus?
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| Ah, the rattling of chains, the frightened screams of children... It must be Christmas! |
I'm just saying, when it comes time for encouraging good vs. bad behavior, sometimes kids need as much stick as they need carrot. And sometimes that incentive for good behavior is the promise of getting smacked with chains and birch branches should your moody twerp of a kid act up.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Weird World of Jimmy Olsen: And then there was that time Olsen was responsible for the death of thousands
edit note: special apologies to Mike Sterling of Progressive Ruin, who I belive is the originator of the "And then there was that time..." series of comics posts.
Holy smokes.
So over the Thanksgiving holiday I ran by Austin Books' Sidekick Store. The ABC Sidekick Store is an outlet that opens only when the Comic Gods (Brad, I guess, who would look sharp in Sun God robes), consult the star charts and tea leaves and make decrees such as "Yea, in the days following the eating of the Turkey, we shall open the doors and release upon the public a torrent of $1 back issues". Fortunately for me, some kids of days-of-yore didn't take good care of their Jimmy Olsen comics, and there's often some issues that I don't have, or if I do have them they ones here are sort of in "dollar" shape, so I'll grab a "reader" copy while I'm picking up Superman back issues (usually from the Bronze Age).
Yes, I am the guy buying those comics.
And so it was that I found myself reading Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #120 over the weekend.
The feature story was about how Superman, for no particular reason, propagated a misconception that Jimmy had obtained "Hyper-Strength", which led to Jimmy believing he had accidentally killed Perry White (who wasn't really Perry, but Superman in disguise. Back in the day, it was all about disguises. I have no idea what issues editor Mort Weisinger was working through, but they were many). And, as always, Jimmy refused to learn anything from Superman's chicanery.
In the 8 page back-up story? Jimmy kills 2200 people and calls it a "boo-boo". I am totally not kidding.
In this tale, Superman is duped into looking in other eras, but Jimmy tracks The Climate King to 1889 (yes, the year), where the Climate King is wreaking general mayhem. Olsen and the Climate King tussle, Jimmy steals a "Sun Wand" from CK (basically a laser), the beam of which goes astray, knocking over a dam.
Which leads to the following:
For those of you who didn't bother to read the panels, what's been clearly stated is that Jimmy Olsen caused the Johnstown Flood of 1889. According to Wikipedia (that has no real motivation to lie), the flood killed 2200 people and did untold damage. The place even has its own National Park. And here's an article.
And here, gentle readers, is where our story ends.
That's it. That's all she wrote. After that is an ad for a toy car, some fan letters, a half-baked humor strip called "Ollie", ads for Sgt. Rock and Batman in Brave and the Bold, an ad for a submarine toy, an ad for fake mustaches (I have no idea), and the back cover selling you 100 Toy Soldiers for $1.25 (which, even in 1969 dollars, seems like a steal).
By today's standards, that page alone would be a summer cross-over and three-year-in-the-making event, with the scenes of the 4 panels above spreading out over at least three issues. But back in the day, you could kill 2200 people and be reasonably certain that it just wasn't going to be mentioned ever again. I assume Jimmy was home by supper and slept like a baby.
I know the Comics Code Authority had their hands full and likely didn't keep a World Book Encyclopedia handy, but the mind boggles.
Most curious is that there's no reaction seen by Superman to the news that his "Pal" has been uncovered the the source of a terrific tragedy. Is he giving an "aw shucks" smile? Is he staring on in horror, knowing that he has no ability to change the course of history? Was life really that cheap in Metropolis in 1969? Was Superman covering Jimmy's tracks? Was there a philosophical "no fault if you're in the past, sorry about that butterfly" rule in effect?
Just when I think I'll see nothing new in a Jimmy Olsen comic...
Holy smokes.
So over the Thanksgiving holiday I ran by Austin Books' Sidekick Store. The ABC Sidekick Store is an outlet that opens only when the Comic Gods (Brad, I guess, who would look sharp in Sun God robes), consult the star charts and tea leaves and make decrees such as "Yea, in the days following the eating of the Turkey, we shall open the doors and release upon the public a torrent of $1 back issues". Fortunately for me, some kids of days-of-yore didn't take good care of their Jimmy Olsen comics, and there's often some issues that I don't have, or if I do have them they ones here are sort of in "dollar" shape, so I'll grab a "reader" copy while I'm picking up Superman back issues (usually from the Bronze Age).
Yes, I am the guy buying those comics.
And so it was that I found myself reading Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #120 over the weekend.
The feature story was about how Superman, for no particular reason, propagated a misconception that Jimmy had obtained "Hyper-Strength", which led to Jimmy believing he had accidentally killed Perry White (who wasn't really Perry, but Superman in disguise. Back in the day, it was all about disguises. I have no idea what issues editor Mort Weisinger was working through, but they were many). And, as always, Jimmy refused to learn anything from Superman's chicanery.
In the 8 page back-up story? Jimmy kills 2200 people and calls it a "boo-boo". I am totally not kidding.
In this tale, Superman is duped into looking in other eras, but Jimmy tracks The Climate King to 1889 (yes, the year), where the Climate King is wreaking general mayhem. Olsen and the Climate King tussle, Jimmy steals a "Sun Wand" from CK (basically a laser), the beam of which goes astray, knocking over a dam.
Which leads to the following:
 |
| Oops, Jimmy! Ha ha ha! ...hey, wait a minute... |
For those of you who didn't bother to read the panels, what's been clearly stated is that Jimmy Olsen caused the Johnstown Flood of 1889. According to Wikipedia (that has no real motivation to lie), the flood killed 2200 people and did untold damage. The place even has its own National Park. And here's an article.
And here, gentle readers, is where our story ends.
That's it. That's all she wrote. After that is an ad for a toy car, some fan letters, a half-baked humor strip called "Ollie", ads for Sgt. Rock and Batman in Brave and the Bold, an ad for a submarine toy, an ad for fake mustaches (I have no idea), and the back cover selling you 100 Toy Soldiers for $1.25 (which, even in 1969 dollars, seems like a steal).
By today's standards, that page alone would be a summer cross-over and three-year-in-the-making event, with the scenes of the 4 panels above spreading out over at least three issues. But back in the day, you could kill 2200 people and be reasonably certain that it just wasn't going to be mentioned ever again. I assume Jimmy was home by supper and slept like a baby.
I know the Comics Code Authority had their hands full and likely didn't keep a World Book Encyclopedia handy, but the mind boggles.
Most curious is that there's no reaction seen by Superman to the news that his "Pal" has been uncovered the the source of a terrific tragedy. Is he giving an "aw shucks" smile? Is he staring on in horror, knowing that he has no ability to change the course of history? Was life really that cheap in Metropolis in 1969? Was Superman covering Jimmy's tracks? Was there a philosophical "no fault if you're in the past, sorry about that butterfly" rule in effect?
Just when I think I'll see nothing new in a Jimmy Olsen comic...
My Spidey is on Broadway
Things I think are an okay idea:
1) Broadway musicals
2) The music of U2 up to Zooropa (but, really, not much since then. Sorry, Bono)
3) Spider-Man
4) Magic tricks on stage
The combination of these things...?
In the case of the soon-to-premiere Spider-Man themed live-action stage musical Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, we're getting a singing, dancing Wall Crawler and Mary Jane Watson led by a director with what seems like an increasingly Ahab-esque desire to recreate special effects usually seen only in movies (and thanks to CG, at that), and who, apparently, is figuring out that in order to do the things Spider-Man does in the comics and movies, one would need the proportionate strength, speed and agility of a spider. Us mere mortals tend to break.
Our own Horus Kemwer suggested this NYT article as blog fodder, and its an interesting read.
I'll be honest: I don't care if the Spider-Man musical succeeds of fails. I do want it to succeed, because, hey... I like for people to have jobs and whatnot. But... I don't really have a dog in this fight.
Here's that commercial:
As a side bar, after growing up reading Spidey, my first thought when I hear "lavish Broadway musical" is the inevitable jab they would have done in the comics showing Peter Parker unable to afford getting into see a musical based on a fictionalized version of his own story, and, should he get in, being fairly embarrassed of a singing, dancing version of himself. I can almost see the "Oh, brother!" thought bubble now.
The play has had a widely publicized and troubled past, including cast injuries, a complete lack of money, dead producers, very public rehearsals that went supposedly pretty badly, reportedly complicated and oft-failing wire work, a spot on the Today Show that went over like a lead balloon, and costumes that left many scratching their heads (not Spidey, btw. He looks like Spidey).
Its not that the costumes are, as my officemate pointed out, any sillier than the original Green Goblin costume. But as has always been the case with the movie and television adaptations, there's a certain... irregard for the source material that's just part and parcel of people who aren't fans adapting the comics to other media.
And there's this:
Oooooookay.
"Making it dreamlike", "mythic" and "fantastical" is (a) not what Spider-Man is about as a character -but, hey, its your show, (b) I assure you, they've gone there already dozens of times before in comics, cartoons, etc... and (c) be careful that "dreamlike" isn't a dodge for "wow, this is a muddled, goofy-looking mess".
According to early reviews of the show from preview night, unfortunately,the show may tilt toward option C. The notes suggest that the show is far from ready and that the vaunted flying FX? Pretty much what you see at Cirque (which... I saw one Cirque show but my memories are hazy).
What's funny about Broadway is that as much as comics have fanboys, so too does the Great White Way. Surely they don't think of it as such, anymore than Fantasy Football fans think of themselves as playing Dungeons & Dragons with football stats, but there's also an appreciation for the specialties of the theater, a differing perspective, etc... and I foresee a lot of rationalizing and posturing around the "magic" of the show and the uncultured masses who can't appreciate legitimate theater (which has varying levels of truth).
Spider-Man is bigger than any single piece here in a way that's going to be treading into new territory for all involved (possibly even U2). In some odd ways, its going to be two geek audiences going head-to-head. Spidey fans and the general audience don't care if Julie Taymor made Lion King a puppet show or not, just as its not on the docket for theater-lovers to care about 40-odd years of Spider-Man comics.
So, look... I'm never going to get to Broadway to see this show. Even if I were in NYC, there's nothing that says I can afford to see a show at $100 a ticket. As of today, its unlikely the show can travel, given the technical challenges. So let's call it a draw.
Frankly, I choose to invest my excitement in the Batman Live Arena Show. Sure, its a show aimed at 5-year-olds and their parents, but its also most definitely going to be BATMAN, its likely to come to Texas, and nobody will care if I'm eating an enormous pretzel and drinking a Coke while watching Batman punch the Penguin in his smug little face***. I can expect a Batmobile, explosions, Bat-villains and all other forms of Bat-Malarkey. Not what Bono and Julie Taymor decided to do after seeing the movie poster for the 3rd movie and catching part of the first movie on an airplane.
But, you know, I also genuinely hope that this Spider-Man play will be good and make a fortune. Because, seriously, that would be the greatest stunt of all.
Bonus Link: A Quick Look at Previous Attempts at Superhero Musicals
*and there's a whole other post in here somewhere about how Spider-Man has succeeded in reaching the cyclical state of icon-hood that DC deals with every day and how Marvel is fumbling that ball
**I have only seen one musical actually on Broadway, and only a handful of touring productions
*** this same scenario involves Jamie buying a glow necklace and a giant foam finger reading "Batman #1!"
1) Broadway musicals
2) The music of U2 up to Zooropa (but, really, not much since then. Sorry, Bono)
3) Spider-Man
4) Magic tricks on stage
The combination of these things...?
 |
| I cannot say if this is either really great or really terrible |
In the case of the soon-to-premiere Spider-Man themed live-action stage musical Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, we're getting a singing, dancing Wall Crawler and Mary Jane Watson led by a director with what seems like an increasingly Ahab-esque desire to recreate special effects usually seen only in movies (and thanks to CG, at that), and who, apparently, is figuring out that in order to do the things Spider-Man does in the comics and movies, one would need the proportionate strength, speed and agility of a spider. Us mere mortals tend to break.
Our own Horus Kemwer suggested this NYT article as blog fodder, and its an interesting read.
I'll be honest: I don't care if the Spider-Man musical succeeds of fails. I do want it to succeed, because, hey... I like for people to have jobs and whatnot. But... I don't really have a dog in this fight.
- I like Spider-Man in general, but have been off the character since the 1-2 punch of Spider-Man 3 and One More Day.*
- I like movie musicals and the (better staged) musicals I've seen on stage**.
- I am not enamored of U2 in the way the producers seem to have bought into.
- And, frankly, I've found the early looks at the costumes of the villains that I've seen (they kept Spidey's classic reds and blues), pretty much exactly why comic fans cringe when they hear the phrase "re-imagining". But the fact that the Sinister Six seems to at least get alluded to in the commercial for the show wins me over a bit.
- It would be sort of interesting to see Spidey beat back the doom-sayers
Here's that commercial:
As a side bar, after growing up reading Spidey, my first thought when I hear "lavish Broadway musical" is the inevitable jab they would have done in the comics showing Peter Parker unable to afford getting into see a musical based on a fictionalized version of his own story, and, should he get in, being fairly embarrassed of a singing, dancing version of himself. I can almost see the "Oh, brother!" thought bubble now.
The play has had a widely publicized and troubled past, including cast injuries, a complete lack of money, dead producers, very public rehearsals that went supposedly pretty badly, reportedly complicated and oft-failing wire work, a spot on the Today Show that went over like a lead balloon, and costumes that left many scratching their heads (not Spidey, btw. He looks like Spidey).
Its not that the costumes are, as my officemate pointed out, any sillier than the original Green Goblin costume. But as has always been the case with the movie and television adaptations, there's a certain... irregard for the source material that's just part and parcel of people who aren't fans adapting the comics to other media.
 |
| oh boy |
(cough) (crickets)
“What I really wanted to do, and what the ‘Spider-Man’ movies and comics haven’t done, is go to this absolutely fantastical, mythic place that is out of time, somewhere between reality and the dream world,” she said.
Oooooookay.
"Making it dreamlike", "mythic" and "fantastical" is (a) not what Spider-Man is about as a character -but, hey, its your show, (b) I assure you, they've gone there already dozens of times before in comics, cartoons, etc... and (c) be careful that "dreamlike" isn't a dodge for "wow, this is a muddled, goofy-looking mess".
According to early reviews of the show from preview night, unfortunately,the show may tilt toward option C. The notes suggest that the show is far from ready and that the vaunted flying FX? Pretty much what you see at Cirque (which... I saw one Cirque show but my memories are hazy).
- Comics Alliance artfully breaks down the NYT's review so you don't have to.
- iO9 loves the living hell out of the thing (although trying to win your argument by citing evidence that its no worse than the stuff that made me quit reading Spidey comics is a pyrrhic victory, at best).
What's funny about Broadway is that as much as comics have fanboys, so too does the Great White Way. Surely they don't think of it as such, anymore than Fantasy Football fans think of themselves as playing Dungeons & Dragons with football stats, but there's also an appreciation for the specialties of the theater, a differing perspective, etc... and I foresee a lot of rationalizing and posturing around the "magic" of the show and the uncultured masses who can't appreciate legitimate theater (which has varying levels of truth).
Spider-Man is bigger than any single piece here in a way that's going to be treading into new territory for all involved (possibly even U2). In some odd ways, its going to be two geek audiences going head-to-head. Spidey fans and the general audience don't care if Julie Taymor made Lion King a puppet show or not, just as its not on the docket for theater-lovers to care about 40-odd years of Spider-Man comics.
So, look... I'm never going to get to Broadway to see this show. Even if I were in NYC, there's nothing that says I can afford to see a show at $100 a ticket. As of today, its unlikely the show can travel, given the technical challenges. So let's call it a draw.
Frankly, I choose to invest my excitement in the Batman Live Arena Show. Sure, its a show aimed at 5-year-olds and their parents, but its also most definitely going to be BATMAN, its likely to come to Texas, and nobody will care if I'm eating an enormous pretzel and drinking a Coke while watching Batman punch the Penguin in his smug little face***. I can expect a Batmobile, explosions, Bat-villains and all other forms of Bat-Malarkey. Not what Bono and Julie Taymor decided to do after seeing the movie poster for the 3rd movie and catching part of the first movie on an airplane.
But, you know, I also genuinely hope that this Spider-Man play will be good and make a fortune. Because, seriously, that would be the greatest stunt of all.
Bonus Link: A Quick Look at Previous Attempts at Superhero Musicals
*and there's a whole other post in here somewhere about how Spider-Man has succeeded in reaching the cyclical state of icon-hood that DC deals with every day and how Marvel is fumbling that ball
**I have only seen one musical actually on Broadway, and only a handful of touring productions
*** this same scenario involves Jamie buying a glow necklace and a giant foam finger reading "Batman #1!"
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