boop! 300 pts!

[thehefner]

If, God willing, I am ever fortunate enough to write superhero comics, I would likely piss off editors and readers alike by writing stories about superheroes just sitting down and chatting over punch and pie.

Honestly. I'm a total sucker for stories where the superheroes are just being people. I mean, yeah, I absolutely love a good old-fashioned knock-down drag-out battle with supervillains, but maybe, like, 40-60% of the time? I just as eagerly want to see the character-driven quieter moments, what the people are like under the mask without any great melodrama.

Some of my favorite comic stories are the little ones like that. Stories like Batman calls Aquaman for a favor, What Happens When Peter Parker is Bored Out of his Mind, or "Spidey Gets Antsy", and the lovely, sweet, and low-key Supergirl and Mary Marvel Go to a Cafe.

Yeah, that's the sort of thing I'd do. Like, every six or so months between world-spanning epics, or as the occasional subplot. And that's why DC and Marvel would probably never hire me. I'm more interested in telling stories about Green Lantern and Green Arrow going to Six Flags than stories like how Alfred secretly molested little Bruce.



I am consistently amazed by how much I am enjoying THE RICHES (or THE RI¢HE$, for anal and pretentious people who spell SE7EN that way) and DEXTER. I mean, how the hell do I care about these characters as much as I do? I mean, the latter alone is surprising enough, as I hate con artists. Seriously, I can't even enjoy THE STING.

But this show is just damn good so far. Eddie Izzard is very much himself, even with his non-accent accent, and he's very lucky that Eddie Izzard is naturally an interesting guy. As for Minnie Driver, it must be some great cosmic paradox that an actress I've never liked, using a horridly grating accent, has suddenly resulted in the best damn thing I've ever seen her in. And the villain is one of the nastiest fucking baddies I've seen on TV in a while (but then, I don't watch much TV anymore).

Also, can I just espouse on the wonder and joy that is Gregg Henry? The man managed to steal the show from the great Nathan Fillion in SLITHER, and threatens to do the same to Eddie Izzard every time he appears on screen.

As for DEXTER... wow. I've only seen two episodes so far, and I am totally hooked. I don't know why; the main character should not be this compelling. I majorly hesitate to say "likable," mind you. Not much else to add to that for now. I'll be very interested to see where this is going.





Times like this I wish I read VG Cats more often, but unfortunately, as I don't play modern video games, I only get the jokes about 1/10th of the time. But dear lord, that is brilliant.

Comments

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

Word on The Riches. I haven't watched tonight's episode yet, but it's an incredibly gripping show. And I'm just as shocked as you are about Minnie Driver!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but have you been watching DEXTER, though? I'd have figured you, of all people here, might be following Michael C. Hall's new show!

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

I want to, but I don't have Showtime and don't otherwise have access to the episodes. I've heard great things about it, though, and will do my best to find DVDs!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm guessing that's why NO ONE has responded about that show. Definitely do when it comes out. I'm amazed by how invested I am in this (self-professed, but part of the fun is watching to see how he might be fooling himself) manipulative sociopath.

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

I will, for sure!

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

That amused me greatly :) And now I want to hear the jazzy redo of the Mario theme, from the underground levels.
Loving The Riches too, even if I'm still wondering why Izzard's character is so obssesed with stealing the American Dream when the rest of his family aren't thrilled with it on a good day and absolutely loathing, hating it, every other day. For some reason it feels like he may have not been born into the Traveler way of life, or I'm just wrong.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Go to www.ocremix.org and browse the remixes (under "s" for Super Mario). That one listed above is a brilliant remix of the underwater level.

[kmousie.livejournal.com]

For some reason it feels like he may have not been born into the Traveler way of life, or I'm just wrong.

I think you're right, although I don't know the details. Dahlia called Wayne a "half-breed" a few episodes ago when they were talking about sending the kids to school.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Gregg Henry.
Ah, the man who heavied up PAYBACK and BODY DOUBLE with such skill.
Underrated to the point of criminality. When he was a bit younger, I thought he'd make a better Two-Face than Tommy Lee Jones...although, now that I think about it, the casting wasn't the problem.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

No shit, he was in BODY DOUBLE?? Man, that's one of the only DePalma films I tolerate (besides PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, and I only really do so for both because of the musical numbers...) Oh my God, he was the "Indian"? Wow.

Well, better than Tommy Lee wouldn't be hard. And I love me some Tommy Lee, but holy crap, no. When you can't tell which side of Harvey is supposed to be scarred, you need another actor (above and beyond the horrid camp-ifying).

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Yep.
As far as DePalma goes, I liked BLOW OUT...when I first saw it. In 1982.
With every year that passes, I wonder who the woman was that did him SO wrong.
I originally watched BODY DOUBLE for one reason and one reason only:
Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Oh. Yeah.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That Frankie scene is one of my single favorite scenes from any movie ever. More movies need to just randomly burst into a musical number. Most all other DePalma movies can suck it, as far as I can see.

Also, I'll never forgive DePalma for giving his dick-toy Nancy Allen a career. Guhh.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

But she was awesome in...
...in...
...nope. You're right.
F him.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I recently caught POLTERGEIST III on TV, starring the charisma-vacuum power-couple of Nancy Allen and Tom Skerritt. *shudder*

(not that I ever had anything against Skettitt before, but good god, together they created a black hole of presence and chemistry)

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Oh, come ON. What did he have to work with?
That'd be like a production of THE LION IN WINTER with Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, and ME.

Also a Riches fan

[frumple.livejournal.com]

(Actually Mrs. Frumple here, borrowing husband's handle.)

I can absolutely see the flaws in The Riches. Besides Izzard's bizarre non-accent, I find some of his scams to be truly implausible. E.g. when he confronted the protesters, I felt like he won them over because the stage directions read "look confused and then decide to believe Wayne."

But I just love these people. Dahlia is finally starting to show some skill as a con artist, and the kids are clever without being smarmy.

But I think the show really resonates with me because I totally identify with the feeling of being a phony and living with the fear of being exposed. Ever since we got married and moved to Pleasantville, I've been occasionally haunted by the thought that I don't belong and am just faking it as a buffer, dolling up as a housewife and staggering across the street with a plate of cookies. Same thing at work: I'm always spinning a line of BS to keep the boss from finding me out. When Wayne woke up on the curb and said to his neighbor, "I'm a fraud," I thought, "Yes, exactly."

And then there's the Robitussin habit and needle tracks I'm constantly hiding from J. But that's more of a Lifetime feature.

-K

Re: Also a Riches fan

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

YEW STOLE HIS IDENTITY OMG

Izzard's non-accent is now just below Clive Owen in SIN CITY for most entertaining bizarre accent.

Me, I especially liked the line (and the actor's understanding, frank delivery of), "Hell... we're *all* frauds here, Doug."

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

The Riches is *such* a good show! Glad someone else on my f'list is feelin' the love. Last night's ep had me laughing, cringing, and wondering out loud what the hell could happen next.

And, Gregg Henry plays uberasshole perfectly.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

But now I simply must ask, did you see SLITHER? If not, you must!

[wendywoowho.livejournal.com]

I have not! Must remedy...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Also starring the great Michael Rooker (of HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER and MALLRATS, among many, many other things you'd likely recognize better) and J.D.'s really, really hot recent girlfriend, the one who got pregnant. Hoo.

Not to mention Nathan Fillion, of course. Proving that (and remember, I'm no huge FIREFLY fan either) this guy needs to be a leading man like yesterday.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

AND BACK TO BACK: AMERICAN YAKUZA 2.
Hee.
I poisoned your Internet.
NYARGHAHAHAHAHA!

[ortugatay.livejournal.com]

Boothe and I watched the first episode on a whim, and I just can't stop watching it now! I haven't been this into a new show in a while (obviously I love Scrubs, but it's been around for 6 years now). Mary Lide and I are both in love with Eddie, and also his littlest son. D'awwww Sam.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Me, I got a shame crush on the daughter. Not quite the level of shame crush as I had on Natalie Portman in LEON, but a shame crush nonetheless.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Crrrrree-PY!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Dude, you're saying you didn't (don't) find her a little hot in that movie? The fact of the matter is that she's only grown, like, two inches since then! And also, most guys I know who've seen LEON all share the same shame.

My 30-something female friends have Daniel Radcliffe. I have Natalie Portman. And both are legal now, so go us.

*SHAME*

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Nope. I didn't find her all that hot until GARDEN STATE.
I like grownup women.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

... I can see this is a situation where I've hit rock bottom, and by trying to say anything else, I'll only be digging even further.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Nah. We just have different tastes. Yours are sick and demand voltage, but let's just agree to disagree.
>8)X

[kwsapphire.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see more of the other side of heroes too. I think that's the most fun, really, the character development, learning how they live and love. I'd buy your comics. And that's an awesome icon, btw.

Also, I'm seriously loving the Riches too. I don't hate Minnie Driver (I duno why so many people do, I loved her in High Heels and Low Lifes) and I think she's doing an amazing job. She actually has an authentic sounding southern accent (as a southerner, can I just tell you how FRIGGING SICK AND TIRED I am of all the fake-sounding southern accents in Hollywood? OH MY GOD GET AN ACCENT COACH.) And I think the acting all around is great. I'm really enjoying it.

And I love VGcats. I don't always get the jokes either, but it's always at least somewhat amusing.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Didja read the comics I linked to up above? Man, I love those.

And thanks for the icon love! I didn't make it, but I raise and love it as if it were my own.

And seriously, accent coaches, very much needed. But then again, I have a special love in my heart reserved for whatever the hell bizarre accent Clive Owen had in SIN CITY. If I had to give Aquaman an accent, since he supposedly speaks with an Atlantian accent that no one recognizes, I'd give him Clive's.

Ooh, Clive Owen as Aquaman...!

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

Definitely. "Mutant baseball" stories are way better than all these world-spanning year-long crossorgies where NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME and then someone gets raped just so we know they're not fucking around. All these compelling and weird characters are wasted on books and books of them hitting things and spouting terrible one-liners.
There was a story awhile back when Colossus dumped Shadowcat for being way underage, in which Colossus then gets drunk and picks a fight with the Juggernaut in a bar and Wolverine and Nightcrawler just watch him lose and laugh because they're kind of annoyed with him. It was brilliant.

Also, what? Eddie Izzard on a TV show? What is this crazyness? I imagine he's not in heels? And Gregg Henry too! Will he be in heels?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I've never read any of these mutant baseball stories! Are there scans?

Oh yeah, I've totally read the Juggernaut bar issue! That's a perfect example!

It's called THE RICHES, about a family of fookin' pikeys (like a naive fool, I never realized that so many were still so active here in the States... white trash hick Irish Travelers) who steal from the "family" vault and, through circumstance, end up impersonating a wealthy family in suburbia. So Wayne (Eddie), impersonating "Doug Rich," has to fake his way into being a lawyer, while his kids fail to stay out of trouble, and his on-parole wife Minnie Driver is fighting suburban boredom and various drug addictions.

As Eddie is a con artist and Gregg plays his lovably morally corrupt boss, who's the say EITHER of them won't?

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just give the "superheroes are people too" stories the collective title of "Mutant baseball" because most of my superhero experience has been in X-Men and they had a stretch where the writers would have them play hilarious, relaxing, cheating baseball after big fight issues. And there was the one food fight too.
Yeah, those three are my favourite "buddies".

Intriguing. Eddie Izzard's great in makeup or not and Gregg Henry does an excellent Authority Figure.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That's not a bad general term. But yeah, I thought you specifically meant the baseball issues of X-Men, which I'd never read.

Didja read the scans I liked to up above? I just love those. The Batman one's the weakest, easily... but I still like it a great deal.

Gregg Henry plays a fantastic and complex bastard, a fascinating study in watchable moral corruption. I get the distinct impression that if/when he finds out while "Doug" really is, he'll be tickled pink and even commend him.

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

You should, if you can find any. They're pretty good until the inevitable Sentinel or clan of ninja or alien brood crashes the party six pages in to "spice things up" so they don't lose the "idiot" demographic with too many talky-words. Plus it seems to have become a recurring gag that Gambit wears short-shorts in practically every off-the-clock appearance during that time.
I don't know of any specific scans or issue numbers off the top of my head, but if I come across any I'll let you know.

Pre-Gambit:

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Annual #7. Impossible Man crashes the game.

Re: Pre-Gambit:

[little-dinosaur.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was a special one.

Re: Pre-Gambit:

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

That was my first X-Men comic, I think.

Bar fight info.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

Uncanny.
183 or 184.
Post-Caliban wedding scam, post-Secret War (Zsaji the healer-ho actually figures into Petey's spiel, if memory serves), but pre-LifeDeath.
1984, if memory serves.
Claremont, Romita Jr, Orzechowski.

Re: Bar fight info.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I have no opportunities for back issues. What trades are they in? Or have they been posted on s_d?

Re: Bar fight info.

[suburbfabulous.livejournal.com]

It's Essential Vol. 6, I believe. The one with Thunderbird II on the cover.
(Actual quote from the comic shop, back when we all discovered Thunderbird:
"If Roy Thomas had written this, he'd have a sidekick named Ripple and the car would be called Night Train.")

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

h yes, those are the best. Do you remember the one where Ted Kord goes on a date and a few of the other JLAers are in the same restaurant? That was made of awesome. It had a distinct Seinfeld vibe, which as great because I loved Seinfeld, and that just proves your point because Seinfeld was really a show about nothing.

My favorite VG Cats strip.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

God, yes. Honestly, the majority of the whole JLI run was like that. Character-based! Fun, but never parody!

That issue, not to mention Guy Gardner and Ice's second date? Brilliance.

Yes, superhero comics do need a dash bit more of Seinfeld. Not too much, but definitely a dash.

So do you go around saying, "Oh, I am going to liberate the SHIT out of you?" Because lord knows I would.

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

So do you go around saying, "Oh, I am going to liberate the SHIT out of you?"

Only every chance I get! TASTE FREEDOM!!!*biff* *pow* *karate-chop*