Vote as if your life depends on it

Martin Luther King Jr.

Video and Text of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s

"I Have a Dream" Speech

Aug. 28, 1963







(transcribed directly from the video above)

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.



Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination.



One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languish in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land So we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.



In a sense we've come to our Nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.



This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.



It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."



But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.



We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.



Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.



Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.



Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.



Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.



It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.



There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.



But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.



Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.



The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.



And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.



We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.



We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.



We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for white only."



We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.



No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.



I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of your trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecutions and staggered by the winds of police brutality.



You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.



Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.



Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.



I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up... live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.



I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will they be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.



I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.



I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.



I have a dream today.



I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.



I have a dream today.



I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.



This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.



With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.



With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.



This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"



And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.



Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that, let freedom, ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tenneessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside.



Let freedom ring,



And when this happens,and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

Hil-frakking-arious

Best line: "We done here?" I laughed out loud. Wrong, wrong humor has that effect on me. :)

The Big Library Review

So I go to the Sno Isle Regional Library website a some weeks back and I capitalize on a discovery I made while researching graphic novels for my speech class. The library, realizing that kids are starting to gobble up the graphic medium has started adding significant numbers of them to their rolls. The graphic novel has begun bridging the gap between the visual and the written which in this day and age is essential to a literate society in the modern computer/internet/television/instant gratification era. I recommend as primer to this discussion Scott McClouds book, Understanding Comics. Oh yeah, best thing I found? Having anything you could find OR put on order for purchase on the sno isle website shipped to your home library. Ok so on to the reviews. :)


Nightwing: A Knight In Bludhaven. Written by Chuck Dixon, Pencilled by Scott McDaniel. This was a surprisingly good read. It begins with a journal entry by Barbara Gordon (fitting and well written). Funniest quote, "I'd like to think Master Grayson recognized my detective and martial arts skills. But I suspect he liked the way I filled out my costume." I'll admit the art style took some getting used to. Pony Tail Nightwing? Hm....no. But the panels that he's leaping and rappelling are dynamic and well drawn and appealing, and the near non stop action fits with the gritty storytelling Dixon lays down. Soames as the corrupt inspector is a slimy and compelling foil to Dick's grim crusade in Bludhaven and the ending with Blockbuster left me wanting more. So, recommends and continued reading in the subsequent arcs, yes.






Whiteout. Written by Greg Rucka, Pencilled by Matt Wagner, Mike Mignola, Dave Gibbons and Steve Lieber. (Cover by Frank Miller)This was another gritty read, fueled expertly by Greg Rucka's detective style noir crime storytelling. The main character Marshall Carrie Stetko is a compelling mix of hardcore badass and damaged goods. As her story unfolds you start to understand the person she's become. Her British counterpart, Sharpe plays her part in unfolding the mystery surrounding the deaths at Victoria and Amundsen-Scott stations and she's another compelling personality pulling you through the story. But really the character Rucka makes the most compelling is the Ice. Best quote, "In a place where a good day is when the mercury reaches minus 30 degrees Celcius without windchill...the most important question in the world is...how's your weather?" Antartica is a personality, a force throughout the story and stranger that would kill you as soon as take you in. For me, the ice is the lover and enemy of all of the characters, and Rucka writes like a man who's embraced it's mystery. So if you're a fan of noir crime fic or Rucka this is a graphic you'll want to take a pass at. The afterward Rucka writes at the end made me appreciate it all the more...check it. :)

JLA: Ultramarine Corps. Written by Grant Morrison, Pencilled by the ever Amazing Ed McGuinness and Val Semeiks this arc had me meh-ing at the story and LOVING the artwork of Mr.McGuinness. Semeiks was ok, but didn't jump off the page for me at all. First part of the story was pretty good, with Cannibal Grodd dripping blood on nearly every panel and NEH-BUH-LOH The Huntsmen radiating some cosmic style power and of course, looking to subject our Universe to his Queen of Terror (carpets of skulls, blah blah blah) you wonder how Batman can get this done with the rest of the JLA in another verse fighting evil. This is an Image crossover, and as soon as it goes to Imageville it loses me. No more great art, the character interactions are ok, but not terribly compelling. Grifter gets some of the best lines, smartassing his way through the last portion of the arc. So, a decent library read but nothing I'd puchase for the private collection.



Next set of reviews: Flash: The Return Of Barry Allen, Bone: By Jeff Smith, The Mighty Thor: The Eternals Saga.

Bernie Mac

"I see Hermes, unsuspected, dying, well-beloved, saying to the people, “Do not weep for me, This is not my true country, I have lived banished from my true country — I now go back there, I return to the celestial sphere where every one goes in his turn.” ~~Walt Witman

Goodbye Bernie, thank you for laughter you inspired and your light.

I always thought I'd like this poem read when I died, it seems fitting to share it here.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep

I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the early morning rain

Hush, when you wake in the morning
I am the swift uplifting rush of circling birds in flight
I am the soft starlight at night

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep

~~Author Unknown

Would That It Were Full Sized

All I want for Christmas is a Pony, an easy bake oven and a 1:6 scale model of the Batpod. It's only £299, which in American dollars probably amounts to $500 bucks (oh dollar, I remember when you had real value) I found this little gem on the Forbidden Planet website, and snagged the pic off the twitter they posted today. Yet another reason to travel to England (other than the fabulous cuisine *coughs* and the Queen), to hit comic book shops like FP. I wonder if anyone has cornered the market on comic shop tours of the world? *ponders*

Wanna Sit In My Lap?

Ok so late this afternoon my new laptop arrives via D.H.S (whom I hassled in the morning, nicely to tell me when it would arrive with it's bag) and waited most of the day for it to be delivered. It's here and I vill break down the particulars for the tech heads out there.

This is my Dell Inspiron 1525. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, 2.0GHz, 667Mhz, 2M L2 Cache. It is slated to become my big boy helper in school and go everywhere I go. I will get to unchain from my desk and STILL be productive. (I should mention I do a lot of my schooling online through a reputable community college) This is most excellent as I will actually get to have some sunlight on my face again, thus dispelling the rumor that I'm actually one of the pasty wan subjects of the Mole Man, a Moloid. And as this will also help me achieve my second goal, world domination I think that really, it's worth it. ;)~

Only 22?! C'mon!!

I could SO take more than this, curse my petite frame (aka-shorty shortbread)!!



22

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating Site

Joker does Geriatric

JSA Annual 1# (which I have yet to hold in my hot little hands) features a geriatric Joker, complete with oxygen mask and smiley faced ballons. Kirk Warren does moments of the week on his blog and this was one of them. I had to agree, if just to see an old Joker with a slight paunch on wheels. I don't know about you, but I always thought he'd live fast, die young and leave a creepy clown faced corpse. Buried of course in a Jack In The Box.

A Little Bat-Bondage?

In the spirit of the recent flurry of posts about suggestive art, I had to post this little beauty.

Marvel Mini's=ADORABLE

Another flicker find, and strangely I find myself loving the cute. Of course I do have an abiding obsession with Marvel Superhero Squad (called Squishy Guys by the truly discerning) so there could be a theme emerging....

DCU isn't ALL suck

Well it's official. Heath Ledgers performance in DK has started seeping into the artwork in the DCU (and I heartily approve) This pic is AMAZING and I'll admit, I have a thing for the Harley/Joker Romance. The twisted and insane need love too! ;)~

Kirk Warren (I'm going to get used to mentioning his name) posted a link to the full poster of the controversial (or blog worthy) pic of Supergirl and I found this little gem in the flickr photostream.

Because No One Noticed

My first (and thus far only) submission to the Friday Night Fights was this picture:


Look carefully at the bottom left corner, where I engaged in a little creative photoshoppery/DC sabotage....

Oh Venture Brothers, Don't Ever Change

San Deigo Comic Con Envy

So I follow Kirk Warren's link to pics from the San Diego Con and I'm immediately thinking about how I can wrangle my way there next year. Some of the costumes were noteworthy and I picked a few pics out to share, with commentary of course.

I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about Cap's costume. This guy nailed it, even with mods. He gets best costume award from me.

Skeletor has really let himself go since He-Man was cancelled back in the '80's. I sense two possible outcomes: a) an appearance on Robot Chicken or b)A new reality show that brings together the He-Man cast for fist fights, naked bbq'ing and xbox hooliganism. Skeletor's xbox nom de plume? Big_Boner. He IS a villain after all...(yes, I went there)

She gets sexy costume award and bonus points for cleavage artfully displayed. This was her Joker costume apparently and although I would normally haggle over the lack of similarities, I'm inclined to let her have this one on um...merit.

Venture Brothers villain 'The Monarch' makes an appearance. No doubt to recruit for his evil organization in a quest for world domination and a hot pastrami sandwich on rye.

I had to pick up this one because well....I'm such a big fan of Hello Kitty? *coughs* Emma Frost looks great, I wish her hand wasn't in the way of the pic though....

I'm going to give these girls points for picking two of my favorite fem vigilantes/crimefighters but I'm going to have to admonish Batgirl, seriously now as a role model you should lay off the ganja before a gig.

This concludes my pictorial commentary for today. Return to more productive pursuits. ;)~

Well, it made ME laugh!

Gulliver, did you forget something?

Times Like These

I am a one way motorway
I'm the one that drives away
Then follows you back home
I am a street light shining
I'm a wild light blinding bright
Burning off alone

It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising
I'm a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again

Pucca!!

Threadless T-Shirts = Awesome, Original, Artistic

I own this bad boy, and it's awesome!

You can buy original artwork, submit artwork (possibly get your work printed) and win prizes for most popular tee designs. Hell a slogan alone would net you $200 bucks plus $100 to spend on threadless. It's worth it, and if you have a good design give it a try! :)

Original content? I say thee nay!

My next movies (other than another screening of the Dark Knight) is Hellboy 2, Watchmen, and maybe just maybe...Max Payne (Starring Mark Wahlberg)

Free Kibble

If you go to this website and play the trivia game each day, 20 free kibble are donated to animal shelters in both Oregon and Washington State. Please, take a few minutes to help those in need.

Sonny Chiba, Street Fighter

Foo Fighters= Incroyable! Fabuleux !

Foo Fighters - The Pretender (Video Premiere)

So, I went with Juan, K, B and Quiz Boy Cranium™ to see the Foo Fighters at Key Arena last night and had some yummy Thai food at Racha Thai before we all strolled over to the Arena to see the show. SuperGrass (the second warm-up band) was pretty good (I'll have to check them out more throughly on Rhapsody soon). They had funky grooves and good energy coupled with pretty lights on their logo (O.B.=sucker for pretty pretty *grins*).

Then comes the main event, the Foo Fighters. They rocked for 2 hours and 40 minutes and shredded the entire time. Dave Grohl was funny, swore constantly, teased the crowd, told hilarious stories and banged his head like he was still a man of four and twenty. K and I were amazed he could headbang, run up and down the ramp leading to both stages, give a stellar performance on guitar and STILL sing without wheezing. They officially go on my list of top 10 live performances in the history of me. The whole band was amazing but take note, the drummer Taylor Hawkins was intensely and supremely talented and well worth watching.

If they come around again, and you don't despise the sound of their approaching footsteps...check it! OB has spoken!! :)

Fu%@ the Fu@#ing Fu#$*rs

Please, don't follow this link unless fowl (that's for you Juan...me spel gud) language occasionally makes you laugh. It's perportedly a Monty Python skit that was made into an audio which a clever gent then made into a video. Admittedly, this made me laugh so what does that say about me? :)

(see if you can spot the egregious spelling errors in aforementioned video!! Clearly animation and not spelling are his forte!)

Sidekick, Surprisingly Funny

Ok so I go to the Image website (for like, the first time ever. My geek cred falls slightly on the index) and check out Shark Man #1 as a free download and notice a comic titled, 'Sidekick'. I think, 'Eh, might be ok.' It's better than alright, especially for anyone who was a fan of the Tick (comic and/or animated series and/or the short lived and imho hilarious tv series). Written by Paul Sidekick (alter Ego, Paul Jenkins) and illustrated by Chris Moreno this first issue makes fun of superheroes, secret identities, the sidekick (the guy with the funniest lines in the issue and not incidentally the main character and narrator) Superior Boy (pizza boy by day, smart ass sidekick by night) and his hero/mentor(?) Mister Excellent. If the next issue is another like this first one, I'll be seriously considering putting it on my pull list.

Take That Fascist!!

Just when you thought Cap couldn't possibly be any more awesome...
He brings the pain, punching Hitler right in the chops!

Want more Classic Cap?

Edit: Somebody else took exception to Hitler this Saturday, ripping his waxy head off in a fit of rage!

The All New Classic Story Arc Review! This weeks review: Walter Simonson

Writer and Penciler: Walter Simonson
Inkers: Walter Simonson, Terry Austin and Bob Wiacek
Trade Paperback reprinting THOR #337-348
Published by Marvel Comics, 2001
$24.95

Now, as everyone knows...Walter Simonson had his finest moment as a writer and artist on his run with Thor. When Walter Simonson jumped onboard with issue #337, he had his new creation BETA RAY BILL shatter the logo design that had been around since 1966 - but - this was just the beginning. Simonson completely revitalized the Asgardian universe with his compelling tales and majestic illustrations. His ability to realistically mix old Norse legends with the Marvel Universe made his run on THOR one of the most popular titles of the '80s, as well as, one of my personal favorites. The intrigues of Loreli, the epic and foretold treachery of Sutur who desires to helps to bring Ragnarok, Baldur and Karnilla's romance (shhh...having a girly moment here). Thor first encounters Beta Ray Bill, loses his original human identity and develops a new one. It slowly builds up to a big battle over something called "The Twilight Sword," This to me encompasses the Simonson run. His storytelling here, in conjunction with his artwork is unique and well worth collecting. Please, if you get a chance check out his arc, do. This lush and sweeping saga takes on a mythic era in human history and gives it fresh appeal. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

To me, this story arc encompasses epic storytelling and fantastic artwork and Walter gives 110% to the mythology that is Asgard.

Watch as Walter Draws Thor at a Convention....

(and check out his shirt, the guy has good taste! *grins*)

Pastafarians Unite!

Yes, it's true. The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti monster embraces you with it's noodly arms of love wide open. Come and find out about the pastafarian belief system, and the truth about global warming and pirates (the truth the government is afraid to tell you!)

Carbo Diem,
OB

Ronald McDonald, Ninja

~~Best Ronald McDonald napkin in the history of EVER. And if you doubt the ninja skills of RM, check this video on Drunken Pumpkin. Word. ;) Edit: Elwood made the absolute best comment on this post today and I had to put the text on the post itself. Awesome...seriously.

I'll bet all of his signature moves are named after his products.

He starts off with the Quarter Pounder, and then he completely wrecks your shit with a Big Mac-Sausage Biscuit combo.

Then he lets you recover and get in a couple of shots, all the while setting you up for the McNugget double-tap (and you know where that lands).

While you're hunched over from that, he finishes you with the Hot Fudge McFlurry, so named for what it causes the victim to do after it's been applied to them.

Also, if you haven't rolled over to Chris's Invincible Super Blog today he has an awesome picture of snake eyes fighting....(wait for it)....a SHARK. Oh yeah, he rolls like that.

Cross posted for sheer laziness

So I posted on the comic stop blog about the Atari Label Maker 2600 and made an example of what you could do with it (fun stuff, ripe with potential for pranking, teasing, homages, ect). Here's another example of the goofy ways in which this nifty little program can be used. Enjoy irresponsibly! ;)

Oh and after spending obscene amounts of cash at the my favorite crack distributor (aka-comics), The Comic Stop, I had a random find. If you're not reading, 'Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius' you should be. Calvin and Hobbes style art/storytelling with the FF and company in tow...

Shut Yo Mouth!

For any fan of Genndy Tartakovsky (Of Dexters Labratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars) you'll be glad to know, he's taking one of Marvel's baddest mo fo's into a tongue in cheek mini series, due out this year. (Genndy talks about this project in an article last year at WW Chicago in 2007. ) Apparently it's slow to roll out because (the Wizard Universe forum board buzz was anyway...) Marvel wants the entire run completed before they publish the first issue. I personally can NOT wait as Luke Cage is one of my favorite 70's Marvel Heroes! :) And seriously, his outfit was the absolute best..only an ass kicker like Cage can wear a tiara and chain belt and make it work.

Friday Night Fights: Superman Brings The Noise!

Supes has finally had enough of Bizarro planet, but little does he know they groove on the rough stuff!

This is my very first, but certainly not my last attempt to knock out the competition in the Friday Night Fights!

Yes, I call this content!

Just when you thought it was safe to watch a 70's horror movie....I give you the academy award winning (*coughs*)

Blackula!!!

Check the review at the bottom, to quote:

"Blackula is the most horrifying film of the decade"

Sho Nuff

Emily the Strange

Have you read Emily The Strange? This title has an extremely cool website, an upcoming movie and scads of accessories. Rob Reger created Emily in 1993 and it’s taken off from there. I’m a recent convert to the title, but I have a feeling I’ll be back collecting as much as I can get my hands on. Besides, this is one of the better revenge lists I’ve seen (feel free to suggest any others, never let it be said I didn’t have an open mind!) Yes, Banana in the tailpipe has been done before...(Ah Beverly Hills Cop, thank you for the Eddie Murphy voice over every time I say, 'Don't be puttin' no banana in my tailpipe!') but the addition of the SUV gives it a timely update in a time of great terror for SUV manufacturer...banana in the tailpipe indeed...muha!

Superdickery.com

I have to give props to Superdickery.com...they have the most comprehensive listing of simian themed comic covers/panels that I've EVER seen. Well worth the stroll over to their blog if you share the monkeys make the world better philosophy. I know I do!

Edit: Evie, I found this link to the EW article about the Marvel project you mentioned (generously donated by Blag-h! de Wicked Juan). I can see the meeting minutes now, "C'mon, everybody LOVES monkey themes!" *cheering* "So let it be written, so let it be done." I'm unsure how this simian crossover will come across, one can hope it'll be hilarious...

Photoshop kickassery

I'd like to think I'm lawful good, but I'm prolly a more neutral to lawful mix. Saw the link on Blah-g! de Wicked Juan and had to mac it! *grins*

The Impossible Man annoys the FF

Yes, Marvel has the new FF cartoon on their website, and yes...this episode stars Marvels most obnoxious character The Impossible Man.

Admittedly, I've enjoyed his escapades in various comic adventures at times (one of my favorite being the issue of the X-men Annual #7 where he and Warlock battled for most talented shape changer, frakking hilarious).

The Indefensible (Defenders)

Kevin MacGuire does the Defenders. Not as dirty as it sounds, honestly.

A Defenders five-issue miniseries debuted in July 2005, done by one of the best teams in comics and I miss it?! Currently out in hardcover, I'm gonna have to bug the comic stop crew to order me one! :)

When Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire work together it's funny, wry, well drawn and most of all...worth reading.

Prove thy Geek Cred!

if you can tell me the orgins of these comic/sci fi-fantasy swears I will give you much props on Le Blog, in addition to a picture of me dressed as Batgirl! maybe, I mean really who could fill it out as well as the actual Barbara Gordon?

Grife!
Frak!
Blorg!
Fraggin Bastich! (yes, frak, frag...eerily similar?)
By the hoary hosts of Haggoth!
Odins Beard!
Crom!
Gorram it!
Zarking fardwarks!
E chu ta!
Feetal's Gizz!
Smeg! (also smeghead, smeg off, ect)
Holy (adjective, noun) ! (so easy, I know)
Great Scott! (not a swear so much, but the guy was squeaky clean for like, ever)
Poozer! (which Elwood gets double points for as he both had it on his latest post, AND I forgot it *blushes*)


Anything you add that's relevant to the list gives bonus points! ;)~

DC's pin up girl (Next to WW of course)

Does being a Kryptonian give you the power to defy ALL gravity?! I think you know what I mean....

Smith Magazine

Having been directed to this excellent webcomic on the Smith Magazine website, A.D.: New Orleans after the deluge I found myself surfing their other webcomics (it's more than that of course, stories, blogs, comics all tellling personal stories or using narrative to give a historical/personal perspective). Well worth a look over if you're interested in that sort of material. :) The Author and Illustrator of AD, Josh Neufeld also has his own website which details this and other projects and interests. Also worth a look imho.

Edit: I was reading the latest chapter in the New Orleans webcomic and it was incredible, heartbreaking truth. This quote in the responses to Chapter 12 really struck me, so I had to bring it here.

6.5.08—8:55 pm Mary in the Cemeteries

damn

bad enough my friends have all moved awayor never returned

the grocery store hasn’t reopened

nor the pharmacy

the library is in a tin can and don’t got no internet

post office only opened this week

and my neighbor got shot over his FEMA tin can

now I gotta be reminded how this crap all started?!

keep reminding me, josh keep reminding me don’t let me ever forget

sinn fein

Wow.

Booster Gold, Time Traveller

Batman reflected in one gauntlet. Robin in the other. And Booster actually looking badass? Jurgens and Rapmund did FINE work on this pic. Anyone who says an inker doesn't contribute to the quality of the artwork produced hasn't actually looked at every aspect of the piece, nor do they likely appreciate collaborative works in general. Norm Rapmund makes this piece pop with his finishes. This (imho) enhances and enriches Dan Jurgens pencils (much as bad inks can totally sabotage them). It's really too bad Dixon has had his recent woes with DC, with all of their talents together it could've been a longer lasting association that gave the fans something to look forward to in the DCU.

Chuck Dixon writes a two-part "Booster Gold" arc beginning in August's issue #11. Check it out.

You Know You Want To Say It Out Loud...Niiiiico Bellic

For those of you who've been sucked into the seedy underworld of Nico Bellic, The game reviewer 'Yahtzee' has given GTA IV his undivided attention and has broken it down in his usual off-color hilarious fashion. He also designs freeware (ostensibly in his spare time, which must be created with loads of speed and instant coffee considering he also writes for PC gamer and maintains a personal website.)

Here's the link to the review: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/48-Grand-Theft-Auto-IV

I can't wait till he does the review for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 as that's been one of my game crack favorites for over a month now...

Every Girl Vigilante Needs Her...Purse?

Now, as you've probably observed I have very little in my biography. Well, if you follow the link to the the Wikipedia entry for Barbara Gordon it's sure to provide fresh insights into a brief history and motivation for becoming a vigilante/librarian turned computer genuis.

*Attempts to look non-delusional and merely satirical...*

(daily dose of random, remember?!)

We named the dog Indiana!

Hi, welcome to xbox 360 crack, Indiana Jones style. This game is simple enough for a kid, but fun and engaging enough for an adult to play. I got my hands on it last night and had a blast. Oh yes, it will be mine...oh yes.

It's ALMOST as full of teh awesome as: Lego Batman

Sorry, but any game I can play Harley Quinn in...comes in first. ;)~

Justice League: New Frontier

So I watched a movie tonight on instant Netflix. Justice League: New Frontier

And it was AMAZING. I was so impressed by the story, the animation, the character shaping and the creation of the League that I had to blog about it. In fact I'll have to hit one of my absolute favorite comic stores to buy the graphic novel. One thing that really grabbed my attention was the speech by John F. Kennedy at the 1960 Democratic convention that they use at the end of the movie. Totally inspiring, and an awesome movie. High recommends here.

G.I. Joe tells it like it is

Ever been to Chris's Invincible Super-Blog? I found this sweet poster set there, an homage to GI Joe with an ever so slight twist. Gotta say, nicely done. :) However I do feel a need to post my favorite...

Sad Panda tonight....

2008 Stanley Cup Champions

And it's sadly not my boys, the Pens (despite the fact that Juan beats me badly in NHL Hockey with those selfsame boys).

*sighs*

I'd like to present, for approval the choices of my rap name

Jenny Diva a.k.a Sista Jewel
Jenny J Trixx (one more x and it'd be my porn name *lol*)
Jenny J Cheeks (What?!)
Delicious Jenny T Chili
DJ Jenny Ice Style
JJ Mix
Love Jenny T
J Jenny Cheeks
Slo JT

Give the gift of rampant disease!

http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/orderform.php

I'm going to say it, Ebola has NEVER been this cute and cuddly before! And look for the Chicken Pox, it's awwww cute! *grins*

Frank Miller brings Will Eisner's Spirit to the Big Screen!

It does have Eva Mendes as SanD Serif, one can only hope that he can make this as gritty and compelling as his other work thus far...

Frank Miller on Will Eisner (Myspace Interview)

For the complete interview follow this link : http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=92159514&blogID=387641412

HE WASN'T ALWAYS A RAY OF SUNSHINE, FOLKS

Since his death a couple of years ago, Will Eisner, creator of many things, including THE SPIRIT, has been the subject of many a well-deserved, well-intentioned eulogy. None of these eulogies, however, paint a completely accurate portrait of my mentor, the man I loved. Allow me to throw in my own two cents.

Will was a suave man, no doubt, and when he chose to be, a disarmingly charming fellow. Most who met him discovered this quickly. The rest saw only a grandfatherly figure on stage, exuding a Burl Ives level of grace and goodwill that turned the crowd into butter as he handed out the comic-book awards that bear his name. There's no doubt he cultivated that image as successfully as he achieved everything else he set his mind to. And he was, to back that up, a very good, generous man.

He also happened to be one tough son of a bitch.

If he hadn't been one tough son of a bitch, the comic-book industry would've swallowed him whole. And we'd all be much the poorer for it. There'd be no SPIRIT movie, just as a for instance—at least not one so bold.

It was behind closed doors that Will Eisner revealed the side of himself that made THE SPIRIT possible. That tenacious, scrappy street kid, that brass-balled Bronx Jew—that's the kind of man who could not only face a blank sheet of Bristol board with a sable brush and revolutionize an art form, but also, and almost as astonishingly, defy comic-book culture and maintain total ownership of his work.

That the same man would, some three decades later, reappear with A CONTRACT WITH GOD is only further testimony to Will's ruthless, unforgiving vision.

I maintain that A CONTRACT WITH GOD will prove Will's most influential moment in comic-book history. Out of nowhere, the master reappeared on the scene, stabbing his sword in the sand, declaring with format, content, and its self-description as a "graphic novel" (a term I don't like, but more on our disagreements later), that comic books need not be ephemeral things with a shelf life measured in weeks, but, if worthy of it, capable of literary permanence. It changed the way artists, then publishers, viewed comics. Back then, in the dog years of the early seventies, Will charted a map for the future that may have saved comic books from self-induced extinction.

A CONTRACT WITH GOD was not the work of a humble man. To say the least. Nor were any of his works to follow.

Nor was THE SPIRIT.

It sure as hell wasn't a humble man I first met, back in the late seventies. That was at a party held at the legendary Continuity Studios of the equally legendary comics artist Neal Adams. He introduced me to my idol with a typically gruff "this kid might make it, after all". (This, after Neal had spent several years telling me how much my work stunk, how I should give up—and teaching me, step by generous step, this very difficult craft. But there's no need to eulogize Neal, here. He's relatively young, still very much alive, and still knocking everybody's socks off with his own comics and enterprises. Leave us say mentors tend to be gruff.)

At his first glance at my comics, Will offered up gentle enough bromides and set about dazzling the room. I figured that was it, my first encounter with my idol was going to be a wash.

Then along came Jim Shooter to jump-start the whole conversation.

Jim Shooter was, back then, Marvel Comics' Editor In Chief, and had fomented an arresting change in the whole Marvel line. Jim's chief issue was visual storytelling itself: a primary passion of any comics (or movie) artist. I was one of his favorites.

Jim just wouldn't let up on Eisner, showing him page after page of my latest issue of Marvel's DAREDEVIL, proud as punch, until Eisner finally broke down and read the first page. Then he glared, first at the page, then at me.

"That caption down there is utterly redundant," I recall him growling, "You've already shown everybody where the hero is. Why beat them over the head with it?"

I offered some vague defense about the necessity of underscoring the blind hero's conclusion, but Will Eisner would have none of it. He excoriated me, and did it with a voice that, at will, could use a single word as a stiletto blade or a blunt lead pipe. Suddenly it was a street fight, one for whom this twenty-something was ill prepared.

His eyes showed a glint of interest. I pursued him, in the weeks and months to come, with a mix of vigor and existential fear. We talked a fair amount, in coffee shops and at his studio, as I produced each new comic and laid the poor baby bare to the scrutiny of a master. He was not kind to any of them.

Will Eisner was not a nice man, not when it came to comic book storytelling. He forgave no laziness, to traditional "outs", to easy solutions. His love of the art form was absolute, greater than politeness could allow. When it was a page of comic art in front of him, he had no charm—and showed not a stitch of mercy.

Will and I would argue about the function of gutters (those white spaces between panels) until both of us were reduced to exhaustion and not-occasional vulgarity.

He was tough. He was rude. When it came to telling a good comic-book story, his "Burl Ives" persona went south and one nasty taskmaster took over. I lived with that, and learned from that, and took my bruised artistic ego back to my drawing board where it belonged.

Then, while I was finishing my first original comic-book series, RONIN, he gave me the acid test—tour, or, more precisely, one mean twist of that stiletto of his: Will invited me to guest-teach his comic-book class at The Art Students League in New York. He was, of course, in attendance himself. How else to make his point? His sharp, sharp, serrated point…

At that class, which was filled with fans of mine, he interrupted a round of cheering for me to first praise a particularly bold two-page, mostly-black image I'd used. "This is the atom bomb," he said. He then went on to show how genre-driven—indeed, how borrowed from current popular culture—my dear RONIN was, to his eyes.

(I still disagree with him about that. Here his Humanism collided with my Romanticism, to unpleasant effect. What I saw as rumination on heroic fantasy-making, he saw as beside the point. I had similar complaints about his later works, most markedly INVISIBLE PEOPLE. But then, Will and I wore no gloves when we boxed.)

After that class, once he'd torn my RONIN a new asshole, Will and I sat down. He advised me to move to France, get my heart broken, and inform my work with real human experience. I didn't mention to him that I'd been married for several years. That didn't make him wrong.

Years later, after much life experience, I produced my SIN CITY series, and I honestly believe I gained his grudging respect. But we still had so very much to debate…

…the debate lasted many years ("Graphic novel? Sequential Art? What IS this pompous shit, Will?"), until a few weeks before we lost Will Eisner. He won most of the arguments: I'm proud to say, he won not each and every of them, but most.

What I must add here is that in his unguarded moments, when the crowd wasn't watching, I got to know a very angry man. Angry, because past publishers had screwed him financially, and most angry that the practitioners of his beloved art form seemed so lacking in creative ambition. But, like every soul I've ever cherished, Will Eisner would never express self-pity, nor countenance its presence. This remains my marker for a true mensch.

And a better word for Will Eisner than mensch, I will never find.

I miss our fights. God rest you, my dear friend.

More on the movie next time.

FM

Yes, another blog full of the awesome has been created. You will read it and like it! ;)