alright, it's been way too damn long with way too few excuses, so it's time to post. Because I am a lazy lazy person, how about we have some questions? My questions to you, that is.
1. Why can nobody write for Wonder Woman?
Ok, this is a little loaded, and there -are- some people who write beautifully for her (You know, those animated series' I never shut up about), but so many write her as inept (can't pump gas) or self-centered (thinks humans are inferior) when she really REALLY isn't. This is Wonder Woman! Spirit of truth! She's a princess with natural beauty and an interest in NOT just superman, but the male cast of her series. Which leads me to my next question.
2. Why is Wondy paired with Superman?
Is it the red-white-and-blue outfits? (and to be fair, both outfits have gold more than white). Is it because they're both physical equals? That's a horrible idea. I always liked the Batman/Wonderwoman romance from the animated series I refuse to shut up about, or -HERE'S A THOUGHT- how about the male cast members from Wondy's OWN series? YOu know, THE PEOPLE SHE'S BONDED WITH OVER TIME. Why do we never see these characters? And more importantly
3. Why did Wondy never get a Timmverse animated series, but Batman had its series, a reboot, a spot on the Justice League, Batman Beyond, and guest appearances EVERYWHERE?!
Don't get me wrong, I love Batman and the entire Bat-family more than one might believe, but I watched the Superman animated series, too. I watched Static shock, too. I watched the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited to pieces, WHERE'S WONDY'S SHOW? I didn't mean for all of these questions to be about Wonder Woman, but seriously now!
4. Why is Batman: Brave and the Bold (the cartoon series)still on the air?
Again, I love Batman, but this show is campy! I can't stand campy! I love how it shows off minor characters of the DC universe, but Justice League unlimited did that while taking kids seriously and being entertaining for all ages! It just fries me that the good cartoons of my youth have been replaced with shows I wouldn't let my housepets watch. It's such a shame when I see brilliant people working on these shows. I know they can do so much better than that.
5. Why did I have to wait until Batman the Brave and the Bold to learn about the Blue Beetle?
I haven't heard much at all about him but I read one comic and it looked good. How did I not see that in JLU? And why hasn't the Spirit gotten a show? (Actually, I'll answer that: It's because people watched that stupid movie Frank Miller wrote that I ranted about at One Cleric Short.)
6. Why did I see Supergirl pajamas at the store, but not Batgirl pajamas?
Erhm... Disregard that question. Forget I ever asked.
6. Why has it been taking so damn long to get my comicbook done?
...Did I forget to mention I'm making a comicbook? It's about a superhero called-... Well, I'll let you see it when I finish it. How's that? Anyways, I'll answer this one anyways. My comicbook is taking so long because it's really just -me- working on it. I haven't even finished the pencils and this thing has been years in the making (due to other things I had going, namely school, I haven't been able to get work done on it for much of that time, not to mention one or two complete re-writes). I'm not sure if this comic will get anywhere, but it might get me into the industry, and that's all I can ask.
I know I had some other questions, but I think this will suffice for now. Let's hope I can get my arse in gear and work on some real posts soon enough. For the moment, everyone remember to equip your utility belts.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A tribute to Alfred
The Batman's Batman; A best friend, father figure, and even mentor; A valued caretaker, worker, and an impromptu medic. These are just a few of many roles Alfred Pennyworth has played over the years he's worked with the Wayne Family.
Unfortunately, it appears that actor Michael Gough has passed away. Along with playing many other roles, he was quite famous for his many times playing the role of Alfred Pennyworth. In his honor, I will do a post -not on the man himself- but on his character, Alfred. For what does an actor want more than to make the world believe he or she -is- the very role they play?
Alfred's wiki page is fascinating in itself for all the traits he's had. Espionage in WWII as an Intelligence agent, skilled in Botany, able to handle himself with a shotgun (and, in fact, is the only member of the bat-family allowed to do so), skilled in CQC, medical skills, knowledge in computer programming,computer engineering, electrical engineering, chemical and mechanical engineering, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.
Never at a loss for the perfect piece of advice or the short -yet respectful- piece of sarcasm to lighten the Bat's spirits, Alfred has always been the first person the Bat goes to for advice or guidance.
Long live Alfred, in our favorite comics; and Long live Michael Gough in all of our memories.
Unfortunately, it appears that actor Michael Gough has passed away. Along with playing many other roles, he was quite famous for his many times playing the role of Alfred Pennyworth. In his honor, I will do a post -not on the man himself- but on his character, Alfred. For what does an actor want more than to make the world believe he or she -is- the very role they play?
Alfred's wiki page is fascinating in itself for all the traits he's had. Espionage in WWII as an Intelligence agent, skilled in Botany, able to handle himself with a shotgun (and, in fact, is the only member of the bat-family allowed to do so), skilled in CQC, medical skills, knowledge in computer programming,computer engineering, electrical engineering, chemical and mechanical engineering, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.
Never at a loss for the perfect piece of advice or the short -yet respectful- piece of sarcasm to lighten the Bat's spirits, Alfred has always been the first person the Bat goes to for advice or guidance.
Long live Alfred, in our favorite comics; and Long live Michael Gough in all of our memories.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sub-culture madness!
So with all this talk of Steampunk and other subcultures I do, how is one to choose which Subculture is right for them? There are so many!
...What, don't you know much about any subcultures? Just getting into Steampunk? Not sure if you want to expand to new subcultures? Experienced in a subculture, but looking to expand? Well here's the post for you! Subculture 101!
1. Steampunk
Steampunk is a culture of the handmade. Things that are handmade with a Victorian-era style, while not necessarily vintage. It's old look with new gadgetry. There's clocks, there's airships, goggles, Aether, difference engines, all that cool stuff! I post on it fairly regularly, so I'll keep this information short and let you read on about it yourself.
2. Clockpunk
Wait, not sure how this is different from Steampunk? Well, it's like Steampunk, but with more clocks instead of Steam. Clockpunk tends to be an earlier era to Steampunk, and can work through either said clockwork, or occasionally magic.
3. Dieselpunk
Set in the time of diesel trains and engines, it seems to be more often set in the wild west rather than London, though isn't exclusive. Clockpunk, Dieselpunk, and Steampunk are all easily confused and not necessarily exclusive.
4. Cyberpunk
While not exclusively so, Cyberpunk tends to be either post-apocalyptic or dystopian. It involves futuristic fashions that tend to involve gothicic or lolita-stylized basic outfits with neon and studs on top, dreadfalls, or other such things. Alternatively, it can be normal clothing with electronics or electronic parts/looks to them. (Example: A normal teenager wearing a gas mask and night-vision goggles with gloves that have wires on them.)A good deal of science-fiction could be classified as Cyberpunk if people paid it any mind. Blade Runner, Ghost in the shell, and the Matrix are good examples, just to mention a few.
5. Gothic-lolita/lolita
Don't get Gothic Lolita and Lolita confused. actually, there are quite a few kinds of Lolita. They emphasize the innocence and childlike wonder in a person. Unfortunately it is also easily fetishized (but I will NOT go into that). The common points of Gothic-lolita and lolita are that they all tend to start with lacy dresses (for the girls) or Victorian suits (for the gents). Depending on what kind of lolita they are, they will pick different styles and accessories. Sweet lolita tends toward white and pastel colors with candy or sweet-related acessories. Gothic lolita prefers black and metal studs, sometimes with a teddybear that has a button eye missing or some such.
6. Atomicpunk (not the Van Halen song.)
Atomic punk is in a very different time from its cousins, Atomicpunk is set around the 1940's, back when they thought hiding under your desk would protect you from a nuclear attack.
I heard this term at Steamcon II and a google image search doesn't tell me much about it, so I'll have to tell you how I perceive it. It's kind of like what the Jetsons was like, back when we had that sort of style on everything, we thought aliens and nuclear wars were our biggest problems, and people still used the term "keen" unironically. It's not exactly a common genre, but it's one that Dr. Steel fits into quite well, and that's enough to make me happy. (Check out Dr. Steel's music on Youtube. You'll like what you hear, I think.)
So that's some short input on Subcultures. If you want to hear more about any one of them, leave a comment in the comments section. I don't bite! (unless you deserve it, anyways.)
...What, don't you know much about any subcultures? Just getting into Steampunk? Not sure if you want to expand to new subcultures? Experienced in a subculture, but looking to expand? Well here's the post for you! Subculture 101!
1. Steampunk
Steampunk is a culture of the handmade. Things that are handmade with a Victorian-era style, while not necessarily vintage. It's old look with new gadgetry. There's clocks, there's airships, goggles, Aether, difference engines, all that cool stuff! I post on it fairly regularly, so I'll keep this information short and let you read on about it yourself.
2. Clockpunk
Wait, not sure how this is different from Steampunk? Well, it's like Steampunk, but with more clocks instead of Steam. Clockpunk tends to be an earlier era to Steampunk, and can work through either said clockwork, or occasionally magic.
3. Dieselpunk
Set in the time of diesel trains and engines, it seems to be more often set in the wild west rather than London, though isn't exclusive. Clockpunk, Dieselpunk, and Steampunk are all easily confused and not necessarily exclusive.
4. Cyberpunk
While not exclusively so, Cyberpunk tends to be either post-apocalyptic or dystopian. It involves futuristic fashions that tend to involve gothicic or lolita-stylized basic outfits with neon and studs on top, dreadfalls, or other such things. Alternatively, it can be normal clothing with electronics or electronic parts/looks to them. (Example: A normal teenager wearing a gas mask and night-vision goggles with gloves that have wires on them.)A good deal of science-fiction could be classified as Cyberpunk if people paid it any mind. Blade Runner, Ghost in the shell, and the Matrix are good examples, just to mention a few.
5. Gothic-lolita/lolita
Don't get Gothic Lolita and Lolita confused. actually, there are quite a few kinds of Lolita. They emphasize the innocence and childlike wonder in a person. Unfortunately it is also easily fetishized (but I will NOT go into that). The common points of Gothic-lolita and lolita are that they all tend to start with lacy dresses (for the girls) or Victorian suits (for the gents). Depending on what kind of lolita they are, they will pick different styles and accessories. Sweet lolita tends toward white and pastel colors with candy or sweet-related acessories. Gothic lolita prefers black and metal studs, sometimes with a teddybear that has a button eye missing or some such.
6. Atomicpunk (not the Van Halen song.)
Atomic punk is in a very different time from its cousins, Atomicpunk is set around the 1940's, back when they thought hiding under your desk would protect you from a nuclear attack.
I heard this term at Steamcon II and a google image search doesn't tell me much about it, so I'll have to tell you how I perceive it. It's kind of like what the Jetsons was like, back when we had that sort of style on everything, we thought aliens and nuclear wars were our biggest problems, and people still used the term "keen" unironically. It's not exactly a common genre, but it's one that Dr. Steel fits into quite well, and that's enough to make me happy. (Check out Dr. Steel's music on Youtube. You'll like what you hear, I think.)
So that's some short input on Subcultures. If you want to hear more about any one of them, leave a comment in the comments section. I don't bite! (unless you deserve it, anyways.)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Story Telling: No-nos.
As a bit of a writing critic (self-proclaimed, of course) There are a few things in literature, anime, cartoons, movies, comics, and of course fan-written things that just irk me to death. So here is a list of a few things that need to stop happening (barring mary-sues, whom I will address sometime when I have a lot of time and aspirin).
1. Flashbacks-within-flashbacks. I have seen this in cartoons executed quite well, and when it is done well you tend to not notice it. However I have also executed it poorly. Seeing it executed poorly is like seeing Inception within Lost within the Matrix. It will get confusing if you go deep enough. As a good rule it's best not to do that, but when it's done well it's great for a story. I've seen it done well twice, and both times by Batman cartoons. I'd like to think there's a correlation.
2. Extensive dialect. There's nothing wrong with dialect, of course. it's just that when it gets incredibly heavy it also gets incredibly unreadable. It's flow-breaking and painful. In auditory mediums it's not so bad, and can be really helpful, but in literature: Please. Moderate accents, not heavy dialect.
3. Predictable lines when I can sit and barely listen to a movie, but predict not only the plot, but the character's lines before they say them: SOMETHING IS WRONG. Dear media: PLEASE FIX THIS. It is funny the first few times, but after a while it's painful. AND NO I WILL NOT SEE "BEASTLY"! It's beauty and the beast! There's no change to it, that's WHAT IT IS. At least TRY to be creative! Avatar has NO excuse, it was in development since the Titanic, they should have had a GOOD story to release, not pretty drivel. PRETTY DRIVEL IS STILL DRIVEL. But that is a rant for another time.
4. Stock characters Tell me if you've heard this one before: The gun/muscle, the brains, the driver, and the sexy female all work together to plan a heist/save the world/ whatever adventure needs doing. Sometimes the characters pull double shifts (gun is also the driver, or brain is also girl, etc.) but it's usually pretty standard. And it's also usually pretty simple. It's standard, but it's going to get boring if it isn't already.
I'm combining cardboard romances here, too, because I've already done a post on them.
5. Computer-Generated Imagery. Dear movie makers: BY VICTORIA'S PINK PRADA CUT THIS CRAP OUT. CGI is only acceptable for Pixar. Representing humans in CGI looks terrible if it isn't cartoony, Mars Needs Moms looks terrible and has a pitiful premise, aliens aren't cool anymore, mixing CGI with real actors looks horrible, and the biggest thing: STOP RE-MAKING OLD SERIES' WITH CGI. Alvin and the Chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, Garfield, and a few others that slip my mind. It is always mortifying seeing my old favorite cartoons be BUTCHERED by bad CGI and worse writing. It needs to stop. RIGHT NOW.
So there's my evening rant for you all. Now for some slightly belated sleep.
1. Flashbacks-within-flashbacks. I have seen this in cartoons executed quite well, and when it is done well you tend to not notice it. However I have also executed it poorly. Seeing it executed poorly is like seeing Inception within Lost within the Matrix. It will get confusing if you go deep enough. As a good rule it's best not to do that, but when it's done well it's great for a story. I've seen it done well twice, and both times by Batman cartoons. I'd like to think there's a correlation.
2. Extensive dialect. There's nothing wrong with dialect, of course. it's just that when it gets incredibly heavy it also gets incredibly unreadable. It's flow-breaking and painful. In auditory mediums it's not so bad, and can be really helpful, but in literature: Please. Moderate accents, not heavy dialect.
3. Predictable lines when I can sit and barely listen to a movie, but predict not only the plot, but the character's lines before they say them: SOMETHING IS WRONG. Dear media: PLEASE FIX THIS. It is funny the first few times, but after a while it's painful. AND NO I WILL NOT SEE "BEASTLY"! It's beauty and the beast! There's no change to it, that's WHAT IT IS. At least TRY to be creative! Avatar has NO excuse, it was in development since the Titanic, they should have had a GOOD story to release, not pretty drivel. PRETTY DRIVEL IS STILL DRIVEL. But that is a rant for another time.
4. Stock characters Tell me if you've heard this one before: The gun/muscle, the brains, the driver, and the sexy female all work together to plan a heist/save the world/ whatever adventure needs doing. Sometimes the characters pull double shifts (gun is also the driver, or brain is also girl, etc.) but it's usually pretty standard. And it's also usually pretty simple. It's standard, but it's going to get boring if it isn't already.
I'm combining cardboard romances here, too, because I've already done a post on them.
5. Computer-Generated Imagery. Dear movie makers: BY VICTORIA'S PINK PRADA CUT THIS CRAP OUT. CGI is only acceptable for Pixar. Representing humans in CGI looks terrible if it isn't cartoony, Mars Needs Moms looks terrible and has a pitiful premise, aliens aren't cool anymore, mixing CGI with real actors looks horrible, and the biggest thing: STOP RE-MAKING OLD SERIES' WITH CGI. Alvin and the Chipmunks, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, Garfield, and a few others that slip my mind. It is always mortifying seeing my old favorite cartoons be BUTCHERED by bad CGI and worse writing. It needs to stop. RIGHT NOW.
So there's my evening rant for you all. Now for some slightly belated sleep.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Cosplayers: What.
So being somewhat new to this time stream, I have been sucked into all manner of geekdom, if only for brief stints. Steampunk is my long favorite (seeing as I have a very clear advantage), but I have also seen Dungeons and Dragons, film geekery, comicbooks, chess, computer programming, all kinds of things. The strangest thusfar, however, has been the Anime geeks. Not to say that they're -bad-, they are just... exceptionally unusual. Let me explain, of course.
Not really anime, but Jayne's hat. It's a costume, apparently.
Ignoring the lack of physics, bizarre clothing, gravity-defying hair, unusual writing, peculiar animation, and the like: What's with the fans?
The fans are nice people, they're fascinating, and they can be a lot of fun to be around, but they are rather bizarre. Case in point: Ask a fan of a series what character they hate the most in front of a group who like the same series. Then step back and watch the ensuing twenty-minute brawl as they all discuss the merits and follies of each-other's hated characters. They will buy and wear merchandise of their favorite shows to all occasions, do their hair in the same fashions, use the same phrases as the characters, and if given the chance they will even eat the same kinds of food as the characters. It's quite baffling to me how they attempt to disguise themselves as mere characters.
Now, I can see the joy in dressing up in new ways or pretending to be someone you're not (I am a steampunk geek now, and have snuck into the Cyberpunk genre before just for something new) but this goes beyond mere dressing up and playing pretend into the realm of psychotic copycatting similar in ways to that movie "The Roommate".
For example, look at the costumes. Some of the women's costumes defy gravity, animal-like creatures warrant mascot-like appearances, men and women playing opposing genders, men's costumes that require not only androgyny but absurd amounts of hair gel to make work. The costumes must have been difficult to make, especially since most of them do not look like they could feasibly stay on a person, much less function as clothes should (protecting skin and all of that)
Even more creepy are those who dress up for sexual reasons, but suffice it to say I will not go into that.
Yeah. This is apparently a thing. I don't know why. It just is.
It's kind of creepy all around, to be honest. People spend large amounts of money building props, buying/styling wigs, making good costumes, buying manga, buying food, buying convention tickets, and all for... what, exactly? Maybe to show off, but there are far better ways to show off sewing talent. For example: Design some clothes that don't look terrible. The clothing market seems to need help with that lately.
It's certainly not all bad...
It all just seems so pointless, But the important thing is: it's jolly good fun. These people are inviting themselves to have Halloween on more days than just one. Rather than trick-or-treating for candy, they hang out with friends, meet new people outside of the Internet, experience an unfamiliar culture while still being in their 'safe zone', and get to share in-jokes with people who will understand them. It's a socializing experience, and one we should encourage... so long as it stays within reason of course. To some of these people I would advise seeking mental help, but for the most part everyone seems to just be enjoying themselves and having a few laughs. There are bad cosplays and good cosplays, cute cosplays and creepy cosplays, reasonable cosplays and 'who-let-them-out-of-their-house-dressed-like-that' cosplays. So long as we can all laugh and have a good time, we should encourage it.
Now, where is my Dr. Who scarf? All this talk of cosplay has me wanting to join the fun!
Ignoring the lack of physics, bizarre clothing, gravity-defying hair, unusual writing, peculiar animation, and the like: What's with the fans?
The fans are nice people, they're fascinating, and they can be a lot of fun to be around, but they are rather bizarre. Case in point: Ask a fan of a series what character they hate the most in front of a group who like the same series. Then step back and watch the ensuing twenty-minute brawl as they all discuss the merits and follies of each-other's hated characters. They will buy and wear merchandise of their favorite shows to all occasions, do their hair in the same fashions, use the same phrases as the characters, and if given the chance they will even eat the same kinds of food as the characters. It's quite baffling to me how they attempt to disguise themselves as mere characters.
Now, I can see the joy in dressing up in new ways or pretending to be someone you're not (I am a steampunk geek now, and have snuck into the Cyberpunk genre before just for something new) but this goes beyond mere dressing up and playing pretend into the realm of psychotic copycatting similar in ways to that movie "The Roommate".
For example, look at the costumes. Some of the women's costumes defy gravity, animal-like creatures warrant mascot-like appearances, men and women playing opposing genders, men's costumes that require not only androgyny but absurd amounts of hair gel to make work. The costumes must have been difficult to make, especially since most of them do not look like they could feasibly stay on a person, much less function as clothes should (protecting skin and all of that)
Even more creepy are those who dress up for sexual reasons, but suffice it to say I will not go into that.
It's kind of creepy all around, to be honest. People spend large amounts of money building props, buying/styling wigs, making good costumes, buying manga, buying food, buying convention tickets, and all for... what, exactly? Maybe to show off, but there are far better ways to show off sewing talent. For example: Design some clothes that don't look terrible. The clothing market seems to need help with that lately.
It all just seems so pointless, But the important thing is: it's jolly good fun. These people are inviting themselves to have Halloween on more days than just one. Rather than trick-or-treating for candy, they hang out with friends, meet new people outside of the Internet, experience an unfamiliar culture while still being in their 'safe zone', and get to share in-jokes with people who will understand them. It's a socializing experience, and one we should encourage... so long as it stays within reason of course. To some of these people I would advise seeking mental help, but for the most part everyone seems to just be enjoying themselves and having a few laughs. There are bad cosplays and good cosplays, cute cosplays and creepy cosplays, reasonable cosplays and 'who-let-them-out-of-their-house-dressed-like-that' cosplays. So long as we can all laugh and have a good time, we should encourage it.
Now, where is my Dr. Who scarf? All this talk of cosplay has me wanting to join the fun!
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