Saturday, October 27, 2007

Happiness Meme

Tagged by my friend Beaupepys on LiveJournal, and I thought I'd cross-post here. We all need to focus on the brighter side from time to time...

The rules are simple. Just create a post about any number of things that have made you happy recently. Then tag any number of people and have them post this meme on their blogs.

1) The Red Sox getting to the World Series and winning 2 games out of the 4 needed to win. GO SOX!!!

2) The imminent end of the Bush administration. Honestly, even if we do get another Republican in office (crossing my fingers we don't), it'll still be better than the last seven years.

3) The "Sinestro Corps War" storyline in Green Lantern. I'm a sucker for overblown cosmic adventures with casts of hundreds where the fate of the universe -- nay, the multiverse! -- is at stake, and the top-notch art and writing is icing on the cake.

4) Speaking of cake, my dad's birthday earlier this week. Even if we had a bunch of unwanted visitors bursting in uninvited. :P

5) And speaking of my dad, if all goes well, within a month I'll be receiving a paycheck from the state for looking after him. It won't be a lot of money, but anything is something.

6) For the first time in my life, I don't hate algebra.

7) OMFG I got a hobbit deck for Magic. And it rocks! Joy!

8) '80s music. Specifically Electric Light Orchestra's "Twilight." And also Journey's "Don't Stop Believing."

9) Shortpacked!

10) Drawing, like usual. Too bad I don't have a scanner.

I tag Ami Angelwings, DJ Black Adam, and Zhinxy.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Fetch the Pestridder, Paka! There's Trolls in the Rutabagas!

Some guy called me a eunuch.

*checks* Oh my goodness, it must have fallen off while I was sleeping. I hate it when that happens.

I'm not sure if I should be insulted by this guy's insolence, or honored that someone actually took time to form an opinion of me.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

I feel dirty. Also: Shuggoths.

My first blog fight. Ugh. I managed to go for over a year with no drama whatsoever, and now this. I don't hold it against WFA 'cause it's not their fault who follows their links, but I think from now on I should moderate myself a little better when discussing feminism and other political topics in case I attract more trolls out to belittle my fanhood.

...my bulging, throbbing fanhood.

*snicker*

Okay, I'm done being juvenile. No ripping bodices here.

On a completely different note, here's Neil Gaiman talking about H. P. Lovecraft:





Damn straight. The thing about Lovecraft isn't that his stories were particularly scary (most were not), or that he was a particularly skilled writer (he really, really wasn't). In fact, he was a wordy, overly-sentimental bigot -- and that's what his fans have to say about him. The great thing about Lovecraft, though, was his ability to masterfully set a sense of mood, to convey his worldview, and to inflame the imagination. Say what you will about his writing ability ('cause it's all of it true), but he's still one of the greats in my book.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Gasp! Shock! Horror of Horrors! Dumbledore is--- GAY?!

A tip o' da hat to Thom Wade. May the hair on his toes never fall out!

...er, wait. Wrong fandom. Moving on...

ONOZ DUMBLEDORE IS TEH GAY!!!!11

At first I thought that was from CBS and I was all like, "You call this shit reporting? I expect this from Fox, but geez!" But then I realized, "Oho, it's CBN! Pat Robertson's guys! That makes perfect sense!" Ahh, I love the smell of Christofascist moral panic in the morning.

Seriously, there are too many broadcasting networks with "CB" in their name. CBS, CBN, CBC...

I also love how the "reporter" thinks that Fan Fiction is one specific website and that all the fanfic on the 'Net is located there.

Oh, and the "young fan" was nineteen.

On a more serious note, I think it's great that Rowling made the conscious decision to write such a popular character as gay, but I agree with Kalinara in that it would have been a lot more courageous on her part if she'd explicitly written that detail in the books instead of tossing it out as a sound bite months after the series ended. A casual reader 20 years from now will be none the wiser.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

OH NO YOU DID NOT

Massive SPOILERS for Death of the New Gods #1.

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They killed Big Barda.

Off-panel.

Without a fight.

To kick off her husband's quest for vengeance.

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WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, DC?!?!!?!?

We are talking about the character who is possibly the most empowering super-hero for female comics readers short of Wonder Woman. A consumate warrior -- the greatest warrior of all the New Gods -- who can stand to be second to no one, man or woman. A woman who can trade punches with SUPERMAN and stand a good chance of winning. One-half of the DCU's most celebrated married couple after Lois and Clark.

YOU DO NOT STUFF BIG BARDA IN A REFRIDGERATOR!!!!!!!!!

What the fuck were you thinking, Starlin?! The woman is a WARRIOR! She should at least go out swinging! If Barda should die, her death should mean something more than a "you touched my stuff" plot for her husband! Her death should have been nothing less than a blaze of fucking glory!

God fucking damn it, I am incensed. I am furious. This is unthinkable.

Oh, for the love of Jack Kirby, where's Gail Simone when you need her?

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Speaking of Greg Land...

I think these scans of his art from before he started tracing referencing porn photos perfectly encapsulate why Land is a far, far worse artist than Rob Liefeld could ever be:

Greg Land can draw well, but he chooses not to.

And that's absolutely disgraceful.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

In Defense of Rob Liefeld

I know I'm opening myself up to a lot of scorn here, but... I don't hate Rob Liefeld.

Now don't get me wrong! The stuff he draws is absolutely hideous. It pains me to so much as look at it. I never, ever want to own a single comic with his... "art"... in it.

And yet... and yet he's just so earnest and enthusiastic about what he does. "This guy's a big tough guy! I'm-a give him big muscles! Grrrrr!!! Ooh -- can't forget the cross-hatching!" And unlike some other hack artists (*coughgreglandcough*), he's actually fostered his own distinct style, no matter how awful it may be. And from what I've heard he's actually a very nice, pleasant guy.

I guess what I'm saying is that Rob Liefeld is the artistic equivalent of Florence Foster Jenkins. The man's a hack, but he's the best hack he can be.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Happy Birthday to Me

Well, I hit the big (?) Two-Three today. Another year older and nothing to show for it: Still unemployed, still living with my parents. Such a stereotypical nerd. *shrug* At least I'm doing well in college.

To celebrate I bought myself Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #1. And it was awesome. Go Zoo Crew!!!

Monday, October 08, 2007

You Learn Something New Every Day

Much to my surprise, I've just learned that fantasy artists Ron Spencer...

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

...and Terese Nielsen...

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

...are twin siblings.

Who'd'a thunk?

I have to say I like the latter a mite better. Mr. Spencer is great at depicting action-packed scenes, heroic figures, cool monsters, and attractive people of both sexes, but his artwork often comes off as far too busy, not to mention extremely "kitsch" -- like a poor man's Boris Vallejo, I think. Ms. Nielsen, on the other hand, is good at all those things as well, but her artwork also has a much more realistic, natural, and sometimes sensual feeling, conveying not just action but emotion.

Not that I know anything about real art. *shrug* Just a spontaneous thought.