Road Crew Rocks!

(click picture to enlarge it so you can actually read it-
for some reason I couldn't get blogger to make it bigger)

Don't you love it when worlds collide creating perfect harmony?! Ok, maybe I'm little jacked on coffee this morning but really, this web comic is awesome!

Based in Ireland, Tommie Kelly posts a new comic every day chronicling the adventures and mishaps of a rock band from the perspective of a sound guy. A veteran sound guy himself, Kelly's experiences ring true in the comic and any one else who has ever been in a band can appreciate his humor.

Explore his website, roadcrewcomic.com and catch up on the back issues. Also check out this interview here or follow him on Twitter at @RoadCrew.

Wednesday Motivators: Jill "Nerdy Bird" Pantozzi

Meet Jill. aka The Nerdy Bird. She runs a fantastic blog called Has Boobs Reads Comics that entertains us with bits on comics, movies, gaming and all things geek in addition to contributing to Comic Book Resources and the Girls Entertainment Network. She's also a advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is raising money for this month's MDA Stride & Ride. Check out her cause here then help her out with a donation here or here.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

About three years now. I've always been a superhero fan but didn't actually start reading comics until then.

DT: What do you collect currently?

Most of DC's titles actually, though I've had to cut back recently to save money. Fables, House of Mystery, Mouse Guard, Locke & Key, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Wormwood. There's more, they're just not coming to me at the moment.

DT: Personal fav?

That's a really tough question. I guess I'd have to say Fables or Buffy because they've both been consistently good since they began in my opinion. Though anything with Batman in it is a constant contender.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

Damn, another tough one! I really can't pick just one. Geoff Johns, Gail Simone and Warren Ellis for authors. Adam Hughes, David Petersen, James Jean, and Ivan Reis for artists.

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

I used to, until my last comic shop closed. I have since found another regular place.

DT: Why/Why not?

I think it's important to have loyalty to your local shop. Plus, it's nice to have the Wednesday routine you know? I've found a great store with wonderful owners and employees so why would I go anywhere else? The quickest way for a store to lose customers is to have an attitude. I'd rather go out of my way to a store with nice people in it than to one around the corner with jerks. If I'm on vacation or in another store for whatever reason I'll usually pick up a trade to, you know, "support the team."

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

Monthlies, hands down. Besides the fact that I write about comics and need to keep up to date with what's happening, I don't think I could stand NOT knowing what's going on from week to week. At least in my superhero comics. I like the whole package that comes with continuity stories. I guess you can compare it to television shows now. There's no way I'd be able to wait for the DVD of Lost Season 5 to see what happened with the Oceanic 6 just like I can't wait to see who's going to survive Blackest Night.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for this one but, it's Supergirl. Yeah, 1984, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole. I was two years old when it came out but it was the first superhero I was exposed to and it branded me for life. It was frightening for me as a child too. The invisible monster, the witch and the Phantom Zone! Holy crap, I was so scared of accidentally finding myself there! I don't know how old I was when I actually saw it but I dressed as her for Halloween in Kindergarten and haven't looked back since. It was so great to see Helen Slater cast on Smallville.

DT: Why do you read?

It's a form of entertainment like anything else. Sure, I've been a superhero kind of kid forever and will always be but it's exciting to sink your teeth into this whole other world and escape for fifteen minutes at a time. I love to read and while I could read books like Harry Potter etc. over and over again, it's also great to have something new waiting for me to explore every week. It's fantastic seeing what creators' varying imaginations come up with.

DT: Why should I (or anyone) start reading again?

It's a great time to be a geek! For better or for worse, comic book movies have made it cool to like them. I remember in high school I didn't share my likes with many people because I thought I'd get made fun of. Now, forget about it! Comic conventions are all the rage and celebrities are praised for their comic "cred."

Besides that, they're just so much fun! And there's really something out there for everyone. I know a lot of people are intimidated by superhero comics because there is so much history there but it's really not that difficult to jump right in. If you already have a fondness for a certain character, Wikipedia can be a great resource for catching up on their past in just a few minutes. Or find a mini-series or trade that's not in continuity to help you get your feet wet.

If you aren't into superheroes there is so much out there. There's books based on tv or movies, books for little kids to enjoy and creator owned stories about people with no powers at all that are just, if not more, entertaining than the traditional heroes.

DT: And finally, who would win? Batman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Superman? Superman vs. Batman?

Batman for the first, but that would be a close one and I really wanted to say Wonder Woman. Have we ever actually seen a Batman vs. Wonder Woman fight? Batman is prepared for anything though so I'm sure he'd have shackles from Mount Olympus tucked away in his utility belt. For the record, I'm still waiting to see them get together. Second, definitely Wonder Woman. The third, Batman, no contest.

Jill as supergirl and a little older with Dan Didio.

Tiny Titans: Wonder Woman

by Joe Green

Via Amazon Princess.

Women, Refrigerators, and the Secret Six

Women are out of the refrigerator and joining them are every other gender-bending, cross-dressing, multi-colored, multi-oriented, so called "minority" of the comic book industry. At least as far as the newly ongoing Secret Six title by Gail Simone is concerned.

I definitely recognize that women have as of the last 10 years been one by one freed of their time sliced, diced, and stuffed in the refrigerator. I think the recent slew of strong, female characters in today's media is evidence of that. But it is also worth noting that following close on the coat tails of women's liberalization is that of the LGBT community. And this is in a large part thanks to writers such as Gail Simone who admit to not so much having a "gay rights" or "feminist" agenda in mind, but just writing what is true to each character without focusing on how the character is perceived.

Sigrid of FantasticFangirls.org expounds upon this in her recent essay "How to Kill a Refrigerator."

Secret Six has it all, then. Equal objectification of men and women. Violence, death, and maiming in equal measure. Gorgeous female antagonists, like Cheshire, and hideous ones such as Junior. Scheming male antagonists like Lex Luthor and weak, mad ones like the Hatter. When I, in 1993, envisioned feminist portrayals of women in popular culture, I must admit . . . this is just about what I had in mind. Variety. Good and bad, strong and weak, gorgeous and hideous, all in equal measure. Women as protagonists of their own stories in balance with supporting roles in the stories of others.

This is activism. Whether Ms. Simone wrote this in a deliberate attempt to foster gender equality or not — and, listening to interviews with her it’s not clear to me what her intentions were (other than to get Nicola Scott to draw a naked Catman) — really doesn’t matter. Activism, changing the world is not always done through manifestos and declamation. One can raise a question, one can take a stand, but once people agree that change is needed — well, people need to then make the change. Secret Six is, for my money, one of the best examples of a feminist vision of equality in mainstream superhero comics today. Script by script, panel by panel, Gail Simone is ending the dominant, hegemonic position of the Women in Refrigerators trope. This, this is how you kill a refrigerator.

Read the entire essay for detailed references, then read the comments where Gail herself posts a reply:

To me the answer to a lot of these questions is not so much promoting a feminist agenda, a gay agenda, or a ‘minority’ agenda…it is the promotion of a value neutral agenda, that where characters are given weight according to their story value, rather than perceived and tiresome axioms about ‘what the audience wants,’ due to decades-old assumptions.

If I write a character, I want it to be a character first, then the flavors second. I spend no time worrying about how a character might be perceived in regards to its gender, color and orientation, and that is intensely liberating. It’s why the current villain can be a cross-dressing female omnivorous sexual predator.

I think striving for equality in stories is a bit of a dead end. What works better for me is to not judge one character against another, and giving the characters the full potential they deserve (or lack thereof when they don’t). As a female myself, I don’t want women to all be super-capable and perfect, any more than most male readers want that of their own heroes. Even those who grouse and complain get bored pretty quickly when their heroes aren’t really challenged and tormented.

There's been a lot of talk about the importance of art especially in regards to funding, and lack thereof thanks to the current ecomomic crisis (and yes, I place the comic book industry into the arts column). There's been just as much talk about the rights of the LGBT community- the opposition to Prop 8, for one. This is when people need to recognize the importance of the arts! Art imitates life which imitates art. If we can't yet find a way to make a change in life, let's make it in art and wait for the inevitable life imitation. The more something becomes common, the less people are afraid of it, and the more likely a change can happen. Examples of the "minority" sect shown in an equal, or to use Simone's term, nuetral light within the arts can only encourage equality and neutralization in life. Even Sean Penn's Oscar can be considered in some small way a victory for the LGBT community in light of the role he played to earn the Oscar. And approaches to fiction such as Simone's are also a victory, and have not gone unnoticed.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentines Day by ~legiostudio on deviantART

Happy St. Valentine's Day

Last Kiss

John Lustig's Last Kiss Comics have been entertaining me for the past year. I came across his booth at NYCC last year and got the cutest tote bag adorned with one of his sassy, vintage comics. I signed up for the mailing list and once a week I crack a smile, or even laugh out loud when his comic graces my inbox.

"Last Kiss" was originally "First Kiss," a Charleton Comics romance series from the late 1950s. Lustig bought the rights to the series and in 2000 renamed the comic "Last Kiss," and started reproducing the series with updated punchy dialogue.

This week the franchise grows from merchandise and a newsletter, to a reformated website with blog and a syndication on GoComics.com. Take a minute and browse the archives, I guarantee they will bring a smile to your face.

Some of my past favorites:

Wednesday Motivators: K. D. Bryan

K. D. (center) with writer Judd Winnick (right) at Isotope Comics in San Francisco a few years back at a Warren Ellis Scotch Tasting and Signing Party.

K. D. Bryan is the first Wednesday Motivator that I do not know personally. Our relationship is restricted to the Internet, the blogosphere to be more precise. K.D. runs the popular comics blog, "Look Out! Here Comes A Comics Blog" and is a regular commenter here on Bottomless Cup.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

K. D.: God. Just doing the math to answer that makes me feel old. 23 freakin' years, as of now. Wow. I didn't even realize it had been that long.

DT: First comic you remember reading/owning?

K. D.: *Spectacular Spider-Man #106*, starring Spider-Man, The Wasp and Paladin. I was 8 years old and it confused the hell out of me, so I had to read more.

DT: What do you collect currently?

K. D.: I know I'm going to forget a bunch of titles. Arrgh. Well, when I actually have money to buy comics, I try to get everything Gail Simone, Adam Warren, Greg Rucka, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Brian K. Vaughan, Ed Brubaker and Joss Whedon write (usually in that order). I used to pick up the odd superhero title I loved out of sentimental value even if the writing itself isn't thrilling me - She-Hulk, Deadpool, Gen13, Invincible Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men and, God Help Me, Avengers - but not so much lately. That said, as much as I hate Bendis' current take on things, I do love the beejesus out of Powers. Indie titles I currently enjoy include (but are not limited to) Twilight Guardian, The Sword, Echo and I Hate Galant Girl. Due to crappy finances, I've been doing a *lot* of tradewaiting. Mind you,*100 Bullets * and *Empowered* are the two trades that I absolutely MUST BUY whenever they come out.

DT: Personal fav?

K. D.: Currently being published? *Secret Six*, hands down. Of all time? I know I should say Neil Gaiman's *Sandman* but the truth is that *Sandman: Brief Lives* ties with Joe Kelly's run on *Deadpool*. Yes, yes, I am a shallow fanboy.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

K. D.: Arrgh. Tough question. Adam Warren for combination of both - if you try to read *Dirty Pair: Fatal But Not Serious*, you'll get eyestrain counting all the little details and in-jokes on just a single page. As far as just writing goes, Neil Gaiman is boss. Artist-wise, John Cassaday's work on Planetary reminded me why I fell in love with comics to begin with (the lack of Absolute Planetary/finished Planetary makes me a Sad Panda).

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

K. D.: Sadly, no.

DT: Why?

K. D.: Partly, it's finances - I really can't keep up my previous $33 a week habit anymore. I'm lucky to have a $6 habit most weeks. Also, I tend to have an erratic schedule. I'll go to my local indie shop if they're actually open and my friendly neighborhood corporate behemoth comic shop, Mile High Comics when the indie shop's closed. If I could make it up to Boulder more regularly, I'd do most of my shopping at Time Warp the best independent comic book store in Colorado.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

K. D.: I love the rush of a good cliffhanger, so monthlies, definitely. There are crazy complex books I prefer to read as trades, however, like *100 Bullets*.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

K. D.: Ooh. Tough one. I have to preface my choice by saying that *Dark Knight* was the most stunning, nuanced superhero film ever made (and *Iron Man* was crazy fun). Still, out of pure, cheesy sentimentality, I'd have to say my favorite superhero movie of all time is Burton's *Batman.* Something about that film makes me happy every single time I watch it.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

K. D.: Well, there's an *insane *amount of good reads out there now, just waiting for you to discover them. Also, the more people putting their money into good comics, the better. If you buy good comics, you'll make sure they'll keep getting published and the talented people behind them will get more work. Plus, comics are fun, dang it, and I like to read your thoughts on them. :)

DT: Who would win: Superman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Batman? Batman vs. Superman?

K. D.: Hoo boy. That's practically daring me to make a blog post. Wonder Woman beats Superman - see Greg Rucka's awesome four-issue fight between the two for evidence of that. I know people argue that Supes wasn't in his right mind for that fight but even a clever, calm Superman wouldn't stand much of a chance against a magical warrior trained from birth (who's also immune to his heat vision). Wonder Woman vs. Batman? Hmmmm. Cover of The Hiketeia aside, I think that would really just depend on who struck first. The Tower of Babel JLA story illustrates that Batman is always ready to take down his friends but Wonder Woman's fast and strong enough to take Batman's head off with a punch. Batman Vs. Superman? Batman. (Yes, I know that, logically, everything I said for the WW Vs. Bats fight still applies but, well, I just like Batman better than Supes. :)

K. D. with Warren Ellis

Wednesday Motivators: Mike

Meet Mike. Mike is responsible for one of my top ten NY moments. When visiting his sister here in NY, Mike had the brilliant idea to take flowers to Steve Wacker (above) at the DC office in Midtown (this was before he left DC for Marvel) in consolation for the upcoming launch of 52. Amazingly, we were let in, and met Wacker in his office where he indulged us in conversation, a few free trades, and an eavesdrop on a phone convo with Mark Waid. It was AWESOME!

DT: How long have you been collecting?

I've been collecting since I was 7 so that makes it... 20 years. Shit. I'm old.

DT: What do you collect currently?

If you mean titles? Right now, Guardians of the Galaxy, Invincible Iron Man, JSA, Secret Six, Nova, Captain Britain, and MI: 13, Green Lantern, Captain America, DMZ, 100 Bullets, Ex Machina, X-Force and a lot of titles in trade format.

DT: Personal fav?

Right now, I'm really digging Invincible Iron Man and Nova and I'm sure that when it comes out, Agents of Atlas will be my new favorite.

DT: Fav author? Artist?

Authors: Brian K. Vaughan, Geoff Johns, Warren Ellis, and Matt Fraction. Artists: Salvador Larocca, Carlos Pacheco, Tony Harris, Peter Snejberg and Mark Bagley

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

Yup. I'm a loyal bastard to Floating World Comics.

DT: Why?

Jason, the owner, is an extremely responsible and professional owner who keeps his shop clean and inviting and well-stocked and is always welcoming to new customers with events and gallery shows.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

Trades, hand down. Monthlies are great in theory but the days of collecting them are gone. It feels like I'm collecting copies of Time Magazine at this point. I'd honestly rather read everything in trade format in my pajamas on my couch.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

Either Iron Man or Dark Knight. They're both great and neither is spot-on perfect.

DT: Why do you read?

I've always liked fiction with exciting visuals along with crisp and efficient dialogue. Movies and television supply this to a certain extent but in comics, there are NO budget restrictions so pretty much anything is possible.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

This is by far the best time to become a reader. I've been able to find a comic for any one of my friends because of the breadth of work out there from so many talented people. There is literally a comic for anyone at this point no matter what their interests.

DT: And finally, who would win? Batman vs. Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vs. Superman? Superman vs. Batman?

Batman. Always Batman.

(I can't resist. Here's me in the DC hallway, and me with Steve Wacker.)

Wednesday Motivators: James

Meet James. He wants to help me get back into comics. So two Wednesdays ago, on December 24, I followed James to his weekly comic haven, Old Town Comics in Fredericksburg, VA. This picture makes it look he's signing comics, but he's not.

DT: How long have you been collecting?

J: I started in Elementary school, collecting X-Men, other Marvel comics, and Archie. I took a break for awhile then returned about 5 years ago.

DT: What do you collect currently?

J: Consistently, I follow 5 stories: Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, and JLA. But I'll pick up lots of the miniseries like Final Crisis and anything else recommended to me by Ed, the owner of Old Town Comics.

DT: Personal fav?

J: Green Lantern

DT: Fav author? Artist?

J: Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver

DT: Do you shop at the same place every week?

J: I started going to Old Town Comics about 2 years ago after my other store closed, and yeah I'm very loyal.

DT: Why Old Town?

J: The personal attention. Ed knows what I like, we have a good rapport and he'll hold books for me when I'm out of town, even for months, as well as throw in recommendations based on my tastes.

DT: Do you prefer monthlies or trades?

J: Monthlies- I don't have the patience to wait for the trades.

DT: Fav superhero movie?

J: Dark Knight- on Blu-Ray. I like all my superhero movies on Blu-Ray.

[DT: I'm jealous.]

J: I'm also looking forward to Watchmen and Wolverine Origin.

DT: Why do you read?

J: I like the genre and the movies- it's my getaway.

DT: Why should I start reading again?

J: Do you miss it?

DT: Yes

J: That's why

(the above was entirely paraphrased based on an interview post Old Town visit)

Cold Invigoration

courtesy of the BBC

I can be fickle when asked what season or time of the year is my favorite.

I love the spices and nostalgia of fall. December is flush with celebration and colors.
Spring brings rebirth and the first warm day sans jacket. (I don't particularly care for the heat of summer unless I can be comfortable in a bathing suit sipping a cold drink by some water)

But I absolutely love the first few days of January.

The richness of the fall that I love so much, the holidays and the indulging are all over. January means back to work. The new year brings resolutions or non-resolutions; either way, there is a reexamination of life, work, and one's self. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, we are lucky enough to have the cold weather cheering us on.

For me, the harsh, unfeeling cold is the kick in the butt I need to take down the tree, close the cookie recipe book, tie on my running shoes, and get back to work. Sure, each first day of snow brings hot chocolate, old movies, and finding ways to staying warm on the couch, but as every New Yorker knows, its only the initial snowfall that holds the magic. A few hours after the last flake falls, the snow becomes dirty from snow plows and an overall hindrance to trudge through. May as well stay home and write music!

And thank goodness for these first days of inspiration- I have big plans for '09 that can use all the inspiration they can get! The BCJO has it's second show this April and there are new tunes to be written. There are plans for Bottomless Cup Music to go incorporated as well as a face-lift for this blog. Not to mention my return to (reading) comics!

With so much to do, I am grateful not to have any holidays or warm, sunny days to distract me!

Good luck to all of you who with the first full week of January are back to work and put to the task of actually full-filling your new year's resolutions.

Keep the bottomless cups of coffee flowing- we will need it!

Happy Holidays

Here's to holiday cookies, hot beverages, shiny packages, festive music, friends, family, and lots and lots of snow!

Happy Holidays.

The return of the Wednesday

Confession.

I have not been to Midtown Comics, or any comic book store, since Tuesday, September 23. I can't even remember the last time I went on a Wednesday. Until yesterday.

The decision to stop buying comics was not a conscious one. Not really. Not at first. I just found myself not going. I haven't had too much spare change lately, and frankly, I've been a bit disenchanted with the comic scene recently. Whereas Infinite Crisis tantalized me seductively into the DCU, Final Crisis rubbed me wrong, ushering me coldly back out.

But... I've never been one to hold grudges, not for too long at least, and I now feel ready to slip in the back door unnoticed and slowly start to feel my way back into the nerdy multiverse I've come to miss. Plus I've got some great titles for some new tunes (how does "Booster's Gold"and "Earth-11" sound?) and have some requests, but need to do the reading before I start the writing.

So, to test the waters, yesterday I timidly climbed the flight of stairs to Midtown's 7th Ave location, completely in the dark as to which titles released this week and how far behind I was in my former collections.

Stepping into the shop, I immediately remembered why I avoided Wednesdays, or at least Wednesdays after 5:00. The place was packed! Jammed full of over-grown boys eager to grab their bags and peruse the long boxes. I humbly made my way to the new release rack and stood back, taking in all the issues I hadn't heard of and trying to remember exactly where I left off.

Now I've been asked many times by my male friends what it's like to be a girl in a comic book store. Do I constantly get hit on? Is there obnoxious staring involved (what is that? a girl?)? And the truth is, I've never been hit on- I'm hardly ever noticed. I'm telling you, these boys want their comics, not to pick up some chick. Besides, at a place like Midtown, girls aren't really an anomaly. This, however, was not my experience yesterday.

Looking like crap (read: no make-up on, dirty hair pulled back, and large overcoat on in a failed attempt to cover my running clothes as the gym was my next stop) I was approached by an overzealous Midtown employee. No, I don't need any help, thank you, I politely told him, I'm just browsing. I couldn't dare admit to my ignorance of the past few months. After a bit of looking, I finally located the most recent WW and picked up a Tiny Titans. I was at a bit of a loss as I was expecting to pick up massive back issues and so didn't bring any cash; there is a $10 credit card minimum and my 2 books barely made $5. How should I make up the difference? I was contemplating this when the dude came back! I see you are buying for children, he states with a friendly smile.

...

Children?

*sigh*

No, I reply with slight impatience, I just really like Tiny Titans. They crack me up.

Oh yeah, they're great, he converses. My mind is screaming leave me alone! but I smile with as much politeness as I can muster. He points out the WW book and comments on how great that issue is. I again respond with a noncommittal smile. Honestly, I'd been shopping all day, was tired, no longer wanted to go to the gym, felt gross, was disappointingly uncomfortable in my grand return to comics, and just wanted to be left alone! You know Terra is a great book, he ventures. OMG!!! I DO NOT NEED F*CKING RECOMMENDATIONS!!!! That's cool, I reply.

After a few awkward jokes about superheroes dying and coming back, he leaves me be. I grab 2 issues of Birds of Prey, and beeline to the register. Moments later I sit back on the 1 train and open my WW for the ride home as has long been my tradition.

Ahhh... I smile. It's good to be back.

Bottomless Links: The Superchick Edition

I haven't bought a comic book in over a month.

It makes me sad and I miss them. But hey, times are tough and it's just too hard to go into Midtown and buy just one.

And then I hear news about cancellations and I get even sadder.

Word came out a few days ago that DC was canceling not only Batman spin-offs Nightwing and Robin, but also my beloved Birds of Prey. Reports are not sure whether these cancellations are in order to tie into Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P. or just a result of bad sales. Either way, I may have to dig through the couch cushions for enough change to buy the remaining few BOP issues.

Sad as I am, this commercial cheered me up:



Now I'm sure this commercial offended some people, but I make no apologies. I love Christina Aguilera and if any celeb was going to make a comic book reference, it may as well be her!

Speaking of celebs as superheroes, I learned from Occasional Superheroine that Beyonce is vying for the role of Wonder Woman. Matt Brady reports further at Newsarama.

My take? If the still unannounced movie is going to go the route of shiny PG superhero movie, then why the hell not? I still have my fingers crossed for a darker take on the Amazon Princess, more Batman Begins then Superman Returns. Personally, if we can't have Joss, I would love a WW movie directed by Quentin Tarantino!

Chocolate Superheroes!

Superheroes stormed the NYC Chocolate Show! Among the rooster were Wonder Woman, Bat Girl, Iron Man, and Xena.

Great pics by the City Sweet Tooth here.

Mingus in the New Frontier

The last couple of weeks have been good comic weeks for me.

I'm back on board with Birds of Prey. I've always loved Black Alice and wished Gail had used her more. I'm finally warming to Misfit and am over the ridiculous robot destruction of Metropolis.

I am also surprisingly enjoying Teen Titans: Year One. Okay, maybe that's not surprising as I am a sucker for all Year One stories.

More accurate is the kick I got out of Tiny Titans. Maybe I've been teaching elementary school too long now, but I found the little tykes adorable and the light story lines refreshing.

I am also psyched about the return of The Gunslinger. I love Jae Lee and Richard Isanove's art and don't think I could have imagined Hambry or it's inhabitants any better. I loved reading the Dark Tower and book 4, though a slower read then the last 3, was one of my favorite of King's worlds. I haven't started The Long Road Home yet, but look forward immensely to it.

However... the highlight of the past few Midtown trips has by far been Justice League: The New Frontier.

I became a huge fan of JLTNF a couple years ago when a friend loaned me the original singles. I am currently saving up for the $75 Absolute HC edition.

I thoroughly enjoyed the animated version that just came out and regret not springing for the extra bonus edition DVD. I thought the art stayed consistent with the original comics, and loved the opening music (though found some of the later scoring to be a little too cliche superhero fanfarish). The total running time was around an hour and half and so a lot of the supporting story lines were cut, which was the only real downfall.

In addition to the DVD, I picked up the supplemental Justice League: The New Frontier Special. I read this while in the laundromat and shared it with a little 4 or 5 year old that was hanging out while his mom was doing laundry. He was really into it and I considered giving him the comic, but then got really greedy and kept it for myself.

My favorite out of the three stories was the last one, featuring Wonder Woman and Black Canary (SPOILERS) infiltrating a Playboy type night club (will WW never be able to escape association with Playboy?!) It was my favorite only for the following two reasons:

Wonder Woman's Burning Breastplate

and

Charlie Mingus Cameo... sorta

Now, this is the Mingus Trio as drawn by J. Bone:


Here is a picture of the Mingus Trio circa 1951:

Notice a distinct difference in instruments and, um, race? The bass player in the comic definitely looks white to me, but if Cooke was in fact referencing Charles Mingus, then he should have been drawn to match Mingus's mixed heritage of Chinese, Swiss, and African-American decent (this according to Wikipedia.)

I did a cursory Internet search of trios that Mingus played with in the 50's and could find no instance of him playing in a trio with a pianist and trumpet. Not that he didn't. In fact, if anyone knows of such an ensemble, please let me know! The trio that I did come across most often is the one pictured above, with Tal Farlow (guitar) and Red Norvo (vibes) in 1950 and 1951.

While I appreciate the nod to one of my favorite jazz musicians, I do wish the proper research had been done to assure authenticity.

Superman Day

Happy Belated 70th Birthday, Superman!!

On February 29, in addition to Leap Year, many fangirls and boys celebrated the birth (sorta) of the Man of Steel. But as with, well everything in the DCU, there is controversy regarding Big Blue's b-day.

Supermanhomepage.com explains:

Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster designed the Man of Tomorrow around 1932 but it took six years of rejections for the pair to sell the character. Finally, in Action Comics #1, Superman debuted. The comic magazine, an anthology which included other stories including DC mage Zatara, was cover-dated June 1938. As anyone who reads comics today knows, comic books -- like magazines -- are post-dated several months so Action Comics #1 actually hit newsstands (remember there weren't any comic book stores back then) in April 1938. So naturally, with a first appearance in April of a comic dated June, we celebrate Superman's anniversary in February. Wait a second, that doesn't seem right.

The idea that Superman's birthday is February 29 initially began as a lark. DC editors explained tongue in cheek in comic book letter columns that Superman remained eternally youthful because he was born on Leap Day, February 29, which occurs only once every four years.

When DC celebrated Superman's 50th anniversary in 1988, they treated February 29 as the Man of Steel's birth date. Even a "TIME" magazine cover-story (March 14, 1988 cover dated magazine) commemorating the 50th anniversary (with a cover by John Byrne) declared for all of America that Superman's birthday is February 29.

DC even held a Leap Day birthday party for Superman's 50th in 1988 which I attended (and I cannot believe that was 20 years ago). The party was held at the Puck Building in downtown Manhattan. There were cheerleaders clad in Superman sweaters. Superman artist Curt Swan was there signing autographs. There was a Superman cake. Party goers got to walk through a room made of Kryptonite (actually green lights and cellophane). And of course there were truckloads of Superman merchandise for sale to those in attendance. I remember it well.

Except it was all a lie if comic book continuity had anything to say about it.

In 1950, Action Comics #149 claimed Superman was born on Krypton in October. However, in 1958's Action Comics #241, it's revealed that Superman celebrates both the date of his birth on Krypton and the date his rocket landed on Earth. The birth date given in this 1958 comic was June 10. Then in Superman #263, Clark Kent's birthday is revealed to be June 18 and it's explained that this is the day his rocket landed on Earth. Notwithstanding these stories, a 1976 calendar published by DC Comics listed February 29 as Superman's birthday.

None of these previous revelations mattered anymore after 1986. Writers John Byrne and Marv Wolfman rebooted Superman's continuity from scratch in the comics. In Byrne's "Man of Steel" miniseries, which introduced the rebooted Man of Tomorrow, Superman isn't born until he reaches Earth. His Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara, grew baby Kal-El in a genetic incubator of sorts. The Kryptonian escape rocket was essentially built around the matrix. When the rocket landed on Earth, the matrix opened up and the infant Kal-El was technically born on Earth when the Kents removed the baby from the ship.

In this post-"Crisis on Infinite Earths" rebooted DC Universe, Clark Kent's birthday is in November. Shortly after the Kents brought the baby back to their Smallville farm, there was an early snow storm which kept them isolated from their rural neighbors for several months. When Spring came, the Kents told the neighbors that Clark was their natural born son.

To confuse matters more, on episodes of TV's "Smallville", Clark celebrated several birthdays in episodes that aired in early May (and a season five episode declared Clark's birthday to be May 3). Except the first meteor shower which brought Clark's rocket to Earth in the first episode of Smallville" took place on October 16, 1989. This makes sense as Smallville High School was celebrating its homecoming the day of the meteor shower. Kal-El emerged from his rocket looking like a three-year old toddler. He even walked from the rocket to the Kents' truck which was overturned by the meteor shower. This is consistent with the origin story as it was told in 1978's "Superman: The Movie" where it was revealed the trip from Krypton to Earth took three years. In "Superman", Kal-El is an infant when he leaves Krypton and a toddler able to walk on his own on his arrival. This continuity is also embraced by 2006's "Superman Returns".

Whenever Clark Kent and/or Superman were "born", Superman the fictional character celebrates 70 years of fictional existence in 2008. DC Comics has not made any official pronouncement of Supes' birthday being February 29 this year as they did back in 1988. The city of Cleveland, Ohio -- hometown to Superman's creators Siegel and Shuster -- plans to celebrate the 70th anniversary in June.

Absent any consensus on when Superman and/or Clark Kent were born, the Superman Homepage honors the Leap Day tradition. Happy Birthday Superman!

I too, plan to pay my homage to Supes.

Today I work from home with a little lite copy-work. In honor of Superman I am currently wearing my favorite Superman PJs (ah, the joys of working from home!) and plan to watch (listen to) a random mix of Superman movies, Lois & Clark episodes, some old Max Fleischer cartoons, and maybe even a CD or two of the radio series, depending on how long it takes to enter this music.

Happy Birthday Superman!

Morning Cup: WW Flies!

Stolen from Andrew:

I totally want one!

Bottomless Links: The Premeire Edition

Taking a cue from Occasional Superheroine and her clever Occasional Links feature, I give you a brief list of links that have caught my attention recently:

Good Morning Captain America

This morning's edition of Good Morning America featured a cheeky interview with the new Captain America regarding his decision to carry a gun. The cool thing about this video is that it features short interviews with Joe Quesada and patrons at Midtown Comics!

Fair is Fair

Andrew Durkin from Jazz: The Music of Unemployment reports on a Craigslist posting regarding the continual audacity of Starbucks:

In response to this CL ad:

Beaverton Town Square Starbucks is reaching out to musicians and bands alike to come play for us. Gigs would be Fridays and Saturdays at 9pm, sorry but we can't offer reinbursment of any kind, but you can sell cd's and put out a tip jar. We don't
provide equipment, and we don't comp drinks. If interested E-mail Paul at
"blackbox098@gmail.com" for more information.Thank you and we hope to hear from you.

There was this:

Come make coffee for me at my home! I am reaching out to all Starbucks to come to my home and make coffee for me. The gig would be Fridays and Saturdays and sorry, I can't offer reimbursement of any kind, but you can put out your tip jar. I don't provide equipment, and I don't comp donuts. If interested email me for more information.Thank you and I hope to hear from you.

It's all here.

If you're unfamiliar with Durkin's Industrial Jazz Group, you really need to check them out!

Tourblogging: Latin America

Speaking of jazz... drummer John Wikan is on the road in Latin America. Check out his guest blogs on Darcy James Argue's Secret Society blog where he recounts his time in Nicaragua and Panama.

Some Serious Serialism

I've decided to make the opening statement of Blaine a 12 tone row. I haven't studied serialism in much depth so as I played catch up this morning, I came across this amazing scan of a Schoenberg tone row chart:

I suppose I should study and analyze it, but really, I just think it looks pretty!

Quickies! or... New Ways to Spend My Money

Temptation just got closer...

Magnolia Bakery, the famed NYC cupcake heaven just opened a second location! Instead of making the long trek down to the village, I can simply get off the 1 train at 72, and walk the few blocks to 69th and Columbus for sweet indulgence!

This area is getting very dangerous- Levain Bakery (home to the world's BEST cookies) and Buttercup Bake Shop have long since been forcing me to add extra miles to the workouts, and Alice's Tea Cup is a favorite for using up my hard earned cash. But with Jacque Torres opening at 73rd and Amsterdam a few months ago and now Magnolia, too? I'm gonna have to skip the mass transit and actually run there to make up for the amount of calories I foresee ingesting in the future!

A Buck for Starbucks?

Can it be true? A dollar menu coming to Starbucks? Not quite. More like a $1 "short" yet bottomless cup of coffee is now on the menu in select Seattle Starbucks. Apparently this purchase has been available for some time, just not publicized. My question is, do you have to remain in the shop in order to get the refill? Or can you come and go all day as you want? The former, I'm sure.

Interesting news, but I'll still be sticking with my beloved Hungarian Pastry Shop bottomless cups.

Speaking of coffee...

Came across this wonderful chart via Will Work For Food:

And finally,

They're a wonder:

I've always had quite a thing for bags, especially big ones! These "bustier handbags" take the cake! But alas, they are no longer for sale. Time to hit up Ebay!

aaaand, back to the writing!

Boys all think she's living kindness

Early artwork from the Tori Amos anthology, Comic Book Tattoo, courtesy of Undented:

I'm super excited! Now, back to the muck...