What If…FOX hosted the debate?
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63SRpGXBHE] It's like a mash-up of so many of my favorite things! PS: I'll be back on a regular posting schedule, here and on Spindle, very soon. Seriously.
I’m Not Dead
…but I certainly feel like I’ve been buried alive lately!
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdnljEV7MP4]Speaking, tangentially, of being careful what you wish for*, I’d totally understand if Obama was really close to just saying “screw y’all” and handing the nomination to Clinton. Hunter S. Thompson’s sentiment — paraprashing someone else, I believe — “In a democracy, people usually get the kind of government they deserve, and they deserve what they get.” has never felt truer than the past month or so. Thanks to the new job, I’ve successfully taken a break from the Democratic primary and avoided last night’s debate, but Andrew Sullivan’s on-the-fly take and IllDoctrine’s parody (above) confirmed that it was even worse than I expected it to be. Say what you want about Clinton’s “right” to continue her campaign, when your only hope is to carpet bomb your opponent and hope he doesn’t survive the assault, I’d say that’s akin to one’s First Amendment rights stopping at yelling “Fire!” in a movie theater.
On Comics, Pokémon and Storm Hawks
Other than the occasional review at Amazon — or even less frequently, at PopCultureShock — it’s been a while since I’ve written about comics. After 2.5 years of being ankle-deep in the industry, writing reviews, interviews, commentary and the occasional news piece, I really don’t miss it at all. While I’m still reading comics, my weekly trips to Midtown Comics have become monthly trips, at best, and my pull list has shrunk considerably to the point where I barely meet their 10-title minimum. Last time I was there, right before New Year’s Eve, I picked up six weeks worth of comics, including the Satchel Paige graphic novel (review coming soon), and spent less than $25 with my discount, which my wallet definitely appreciated. (My liver, which is bearing the brunt of that redistributed cash flow, not so much.)
One thing I really don’t miss is tracking the 150+ comic book websites and blogs I used to read regularly to stay in the loop. Some of the best/worst highlights were the times when comics “professionals” would get caught up in some ridiculous flame war with a fan or pundit, usually over something incredibly petty and stupid. For instance, the apparently revived and reconceived MurderShow.net, tipped me off to a post at NEWSarama where notoriously thin-skinned Marvel Comics writer Dan Slott reveals he has a bit too much time on his hands.
As these things typically go, it’s a relatively minor dust-up, but it’s the kind of thing that certainly doesn’t win a creator any new fans and could prove off-putting to existing fans who are already frustrated with Marvel for myriad reasons. It’s also not the best approach for a B-list writer like Slott who has a small, rabidly loyal fanbase but is still looking for a breakout run on a top-selling series to push him onto the A-list. The thrice-monthly Amazing Spider-Man will presumably offer him that chance, but as one of four B-list writers who’ll be churning out editorially mandated storylines, partnering with much higher profile artists, that’s not really the best recipe for a breakout performance.
Other random thoughts on comic-related stuff:
Sometimes, absence makes the heart go wander…
[x-posted from PopCultureShock] What happens when the "maybe we just need a little space" trial separation makes you realize you're actually happier apart and have no interest in getting back together? Well, if you're me and writing about and reviewing comics on a semi-regular basis is what you needed a break from, you stall one more month hoping for the good feelings to return before finally acknowledging the truth and writing the requisite farewell post for the 3-5 people who might still care. In other words, it's officially "adios" for good this time! To the comics internet, at least. I'm…
CBC On the Move
Over the past couple of weeks, I've gotten a clearer vision of what I want to do with this site and where it fits in the bigger picture of my own writing, and now that I can see it, I'm ready to move towards it. Quickly! First things first, the "Comic Book Commentary" blog will be moving over to PopCultureShock, effective immediately. Here, to be exact: http://cbc.popcultureshock.com NOTE: The new direct RSS feed can be found here: http://popcultureshock.com/pcs/blogs/cbc/feed/ ...or you can sign up for the entire PCS feed here: http://www.popcultureshock.com/feed/ LiveJournalers can "friend" this one: http://syndicated.livejournal.com/popcshock/ I'll be posting my…
On the Shelves: 3/7/07
Reading is fundamental. Read what you like; don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 3/7/07. The full shipping list, as always, is available at ComicList. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE WEEK The Living and the DeadDARK HORSE COMICS Star Wars Legacy #9, $2.99 Legacy has replaced Conan, which I still enjoy, as my…
Hater Blog: Levitz or Quesada?
Dick Hyacinth of the entertaining guilty pleasure and recent addition to the Blogs of Note, Dick Hates Your Blog, has been running a series of "Hate Polls", pitting the likes of Mark Millar, Geoff Johns, Brad Meltzer and Joe Quesada against each other for the title of Most Hated in Comics. Last week, after Quesada soundly thumped previous reigning champ, Millar, he asked who else might be a worthy challenger to the formidable DaQ and my comment was one of my favorite ever, as succinct a description of the "Big Two" as I could imagine:Yes, Levitz is whom I'd put…