As a horror writer, I don't ask for much. I just hope I've changed then way you think about life.

[thehefner]

I continue to be frustrated beyond all belief at my utter inability to comprehend to appeal of SCOTT PILGRIM.

These comics are constantly met with critical praise and a passionate devotion from fans that is somewhere just above Paul Pope, around Alan Moore, and with an intensity that is increasingly matching Joss Whedon's followers. I keep giving it a fair read every few months or so, trying yet again to see what the big deal is, how is this so brilliant, what am I missing?

It wouldn't be driving me this nuts if it weren't for the fans and reviewers who constantly say things like, "If you don't like this, there's something wrong with you. You have no soul. You're from Mars." etc. A customer, upon learning my inability, said, with disappointment, "There's no hope for you."

You're. Not. Helping.

This is just going to continue to drive me nuts as long as I work in the comic shop and rabid hipster-geek hybrid customers come in, foaming at the mouth as they ask "IS IT IN, YET?! HAS IT SHIPPED?!?! TELL ME SO THAT MY LIFE MAY BE COMPLETE!!!!"

Then again, I am the one and only person in the entire world to be left cold by Homestar Runner. It's a very sad thing, realizing that you're losing touch with your own generation, much less the next.



In similar news, who in the name of God keeps giving Tim & Eric TV shows? Who watches this, and who the hell finds it funny? I mean, while unstoned? I don't want to out myself as terminally unhip with, twenty years from now, Tim & Eric are hailed as bold comedy pioneers, but god DAMN, I am sick and tired of this lame-ass anti-comedy bullcrap! This show is an assault on all forms of good taste. It curdles my soul.

On the other hand, thank God [adult swim] has finally imported Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Halfway through the second episode, I fell deeply and thoroughly in love, particularly with everything about this show. Particularly Dr. Lucien Sanchez. Gotta love a man who packs two guns, in case one turns on him.

Comments

[aeonata.livejournal.com]

Hey, I feel your pain- I am and always have been woefully out of touch with my own generational delights. It took me years to decide I liked the Simpsons, and even then, not always. Seinfeld was annoying, dumb and dumber, anything Adam Sandler did/does should be thrown from a high window into the sea, I haven't seen 99% of the movies that supposedly define my generational experience. But we all muddle through. Next time your rabid fans start hounding you about it, just tell them that you tried it and honestly, anyone with an ounce of brainfluid would see beyond the images and discern the exisential commercialism inherent in the reigning status quo. Whatever that means, it sure sounds nice. :)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Hehehehe, I should remember that. But if they ask me for a follow-up as to what the hell I'm talking about, I'm screwed. I'll just start quoting random (oh, let's say) Nietzsche, that'll end the arguments but quick.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Then again, I am the one and only person in the entire world to be left cold by Homestar Runner.

No, you're not. *waves hand* And I have friends making YuGiOh cards off of Trogdor the Burninator, so I can't completely avoid exposure, either.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the problem with universally-beloved things that we don't get; many of our friends are fans as well. We just roll with it and try not to be too judgmental. ;p

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Also, I have no idea what SCOTT PILGRIM may be. I am assuming from your post that it is a comic, and I am assuming from a comment below that it is Canadian. But I am a Canadian comic geek who has never heard of it. *shrug*

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Indeed, it's an comic series from Oni, put out as manga-sized graphic novels. All the cool kids are reading it, apparently.

[kali921.livejournal.com]

I can't stand Homestar Runner and Scott Pilgrim can bite me, because aside from the occasional very clever bon mot, it's mostly juvenile bullshit. Ooooh, it's so edgy, someone got hit in the face with a guitar, ooooh EDGY.

Now, you tell me that you think Gabriele Dell'Otto can't paint, and we're gonna have to step outside.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It's just a shame Gabriele Dell'Otto's only major interiors work was saddled by a Bendis script where Nick Fury is disgraced after trying to drop a castle on someone. Or something like that.

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

The only thing I know about Scott Pilgrim is that vegans have special powers in it. To be honest though, from the symptoms you describe, it sounds like you're experiencing a severe lack of indy-oxidants. You'll want to increase your daily dietary Scene supplement, as that could lead to dangerously low levels of Hipstertonin.

-Dr Tomboner DDS

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

My utter lack of interest in indie (music) culture might well help explain this.

Although the editor in chief at Oni got all smug when someone decried SCOTT PILGRIM as hipster trash, saying, "It's actually a parody of the hipster culture" or "it's actually anti-Hipster!" or something like that.

Either way, I can do indie movie and indie comics, but indie music... well, I have my own tastes in music, and we'll leave it at that.

... Tomboner?

[civilbloodshed.livejournal.com]

See, I don't even know what qualifies as indie music. Defining music into genres is tricky. I mean, what the hell is "transient doom-core" anyway? And what the fuck's it even supposed to mean? I tend to classify all music that isn't top of the charts (or on a major label) as indie, regardless of who's listening to it.

But if this is all just about those twenty-something, pseudo-literate automatons in Geekface being dicks again, well, that's just par for the course. And besides, a hipster is basically just a poorly executed parody of a trend setter anyway.

Yessiree, that's the name on the diploma I got after sending in my three UPC's and $9.99! It's a shame it's nothing like Martinez. :(

[angrylemur.livejournal.com]

You know how Tank Girl was to people from Australia?

That's Scott Pilgrim to people from Canada.

I wouldn't say it's 'edgy', but I don't think things have to be edgy to be good. I don't think it tries to be edgy, or even particularly deep. I think it's fun, I think it's silly, I think it's excellently done for what it is, as long as you're only looking for what it is and not looking for, say, an Alan Moore story.

Obviously, I've already told you that I like Scott Pilgrim. I do think that it's kind of rushed sometimes, which doesn't work so well with the whole absurdist humor thing, but it's nothing that wrecks the books for me.

Then again, I don't like Wet Moon, so obviously I have no appreciation of subtlety whatsoever. What can I say, sometimes I just want to read a comic where a chick pulls a giant hammer out of her purse and attacks her boyfriend's ex with it and not have anyone judge me.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

But... but I like KIDS IN THE HALL! And SLINGS & ARROWS!

Yes, well, Wet Moon... the guy sure does love his chubby goth lesbians, doesn't he? I'm not certain I'd call any of that subtlety.

See, NEXTWAVE gives me all the glorious and well-written action crack I need!

[angrylemur.livejournal.com]

Mm... Nextwave.

People who like Wet Moon keep telling me that I just don't grasp the subtlety, and then I laugh at them, and then they get all irked and walk away and tell their friends that I'm a total bitch in the face. But it's still funny.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

... subtlety? I suppose it's not fair of me to criticize, as I couldn't really care to read the book that deeply. But really? Ohhhkay.

I think I'm not in love with "you're a total bitch in the face." Never heard that before. hehehe.

[angrylemur.livejournal.com]

I tried to read Wet Moon deeply. I really did. But, uh... yeah. It's pretty much all just pretty girls looking pouty for various stupid reasons, and maybe eventually monsters, but that's not happening soon enough to keep my attention.

And, um, when I say that, understand that... yeah, I have OCD. Dust motes can hold my attention for excruciating amounts of time. If I can't finish your comic? You're in trouble.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

All that said, I finally went and posted the thing I was hinting about earlier. It's a modest bit of geekery, but there it is.

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

"Then again, I am the one and only person in the entire world to be left cold by Homestar Runner. It's a very sad thing, realizing that you're losing touch with your own generation, much less the next."

No, you're not. I'm right there with you on that.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Well, now, that is actually nice to hear! Huzzah!

But then, I suppose we'll always have Joss to squabble over. ;)

[adaptor.livejournal.com]

I think you would love some Joss moments, but I was rewatching the Thanksgiving ep of Buffy and am now starting to watch Angel and I can see your point about the whole Wheadon package being hard to take. Thankfully, I fell for it when I was still young and feckless. :-)

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

On Scott Pilgrim-it's a funny, wacky comic, totally geektastic, I love it...but I don't think it's the greatest thing ever in comic-dom; I am a bit confused that it's provoking such strident reactions. Is it one of the comics that attracts alot of non-usual comic readers, who would generally poo poo every other comic given to them?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

There's not the usual superhero crowd, that's for sure; not the sort of people to come in and buy CIVIL WAR and WORLD WAR HULK. Then again, they show far more passion to SP than the superhero fans seem to do for anything these days (save for Sinestro Corps, which is so very totally worth the passion).

I think it mainly appeals to the indie crowd, whatever that is. But as said before, I just don't quite get the indie mentality. Whatever that is.

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Oh Indie fervor! I'd like to read Sinestro Corps, but I'm going to wait till they package it all in one trade paperback. And I'm not much of a Green Lantern follower, but Greg Berlanti directing the movie, wha..? As avid a Dawson's Creek watcher as I was back in the day, suddenly I see: Green Lantern: The Movie-"One man is given the most powerful weapon in the universe. Admidst the threat of galactic amargeddon by an enemy his equal in evil (Sinestro), he learns tragically that even the greatest weapon in the universe can not change the evils of humanity...(the gay intern getting gaybashed)-coming in 2010, kickass galaxy spanning action and a feel good lesson in tolerance from the executive producers of The Matrix and The Broken Hearts Club :cue Paula Cole music:

Any word on if they're making it Hal Jordan or a different one?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

It will indeed be Hal. John Stewart will be GL in the Justice League movie.

No solid word on how the strike is affecting the progress of these, though.

[dryponder.livejournal.com]

Scott Pilgrim is just fun, John! :D

I still need to read the latest two, but I'm quite sure the fun level is retained. They're not deep or meaningful really, just fun times. I think for most of us, it's a good break from the I-wish-I-was-as-clever-as-Alan-Moore-and-his-deconstructionist-80's-comics-so-I'll-just-rip-off-his-most-famous-works bullshit coming out of 90% of comicdom lately.

Hell, Alan Moore joined the reconstructionist side ten years ago! :P

Anyway fun comics, fun times. Everybody needs a break from the ultra important crossovers of the year now and then.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Even the fun is beyond me! Like, for comics fun, I go to... lessee... WHAT'S MICHAEL? or DOCTOR THIRTEEN or NEXTWAVE. I get fun! I can be fun! I just... don't understand that particular level of fun!

Or TOP TEN! Even Alan Moore is capable of fun, and I like his brand of fun!

*sigh* I just don't know.

[dryponder.livejournal.com]

its funny you should mention nextwave...because scott pilgrim was a big inspiration for it. ellis talked about it back when he was just starting to work it out. ;)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

GAHHHHH!!!!!!!

[skalja.livejournal.com]

Okay, now imagine you hate Homestar Runner and one of your best friends just LOVES to imitate - and can do a very accurate impression of - Homestar's voice --

Hell on Earth, I tell ya. Hell. On. Earth.

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

I feel that way about Paul Pope's stuff; a lot of people rave about it, but I find his art almost physically unpleasant to look at. I've never looked at Scott Pilgrim, but I figured that I knew all I needed to know about Tim & Eric when the promos for the show featured what looked to me like a midget with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Homestar Runner, I sort of get, but really, the only reason that I go to that site is to watch the Trogdor bits over again.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I frankly don't get the appeal of Pope's art either. I think it particularly speaks to a certain cultural outlook, much like SP does.