thehefner | Journeys and Destinations

There's an old Hollywood axiom that warns, "Movies are about their last twenty minutes," which is pretty much a direct rebuttal to the great writer's mantra, "It's the journey, not the destination."

So, questions, my lovely flisters:

Ever seen a brilliant movie or read an awesome book that was ruined by its shitty ending? For me, it was THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG. A magnificently moving tragedy utterly destroyed in the last fifteen minutes by the tacked-on subplot that served to do nothing but be an excuse to force everything to go to shit, because oooh, that's so literary!

Conversely, ever seen/read anything that was made--or even salvaged--by a great ending? Even if the first half or more was tedious, boring, awful, painful, did the ending at least make you forgive the story, if not outright love it? A couple examples of movies with much better second halves that come to mind for me are THE SPANISH PRISONER and KISS OF THE SPIDER-WOMAN. Has this ever happened to you? With what?

Your answers just might make it into the new monologue I'm composing. I'm actually considering maybe trying to do this as a podcast or a multi-part web video, trying to expand my creative horizons. Assuming I can find a sound/video editor to help me out.

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I have never heard the word "propagandistic" before. Still and all, is his work really less propaganda-tastic than, oh, the Green Lantern books, which are all about imposing a uniform system of laws and values and moral absolutes on vastly different cultures and societies? I feel like a lot of the time when an author is up front about their politics, people jump straight to "OMG PROPAGANDA", although Tobocman doesn't emphasize his own anarchism very much at all in his work and even makes it a point of talking about the different politics of all the people he meets. Which is more than most mainstream writers do. Think about all the weird sexual politics and shit that are in superhero comics - not to mention the moral absolutism in comics like Batman, the emphasis on American=Good that you get from Superman, and so on, and so on. It's still propaganda, it's just less honest about it.

I guess I get a little defensive of Tobocman's work, admittedly, because I really like it and it spoke to me on a lot of levels. I think that when it comes to the kind of politics that arise out of desperation, of being absolutely dehumanized at every turn like a lot of squatters were and are, you can... well, you can disagree, but it just rings hollow to me, because you don't actually know.

HOLY FUCK TANGENT. Perhaps e-mail would be better! And yay, some issues. There's a specific issue I'm thinking of, but I can't remember what number it was - it doesn't really matter, and we can talk more about it when you've read some because I don't want to completely spoil the series for you. But thanks!

OH, and re: Ostrander, SHIT. I hadn't heard that. That sucks. He's one of the best mainstream comics writers around, and one of the most decent, kind people in comics, period.

The likening of his work to propaganda hadn't occurred to me explicitly until I read a review of his latest work in the recent issue of The Comics Journal. He uses overt propaganda imagery, as activists would use in posters and whatnot, which makes since as he designs such things, does he not?

I knew this would be something of a minefield to bring up, since as you point out, more subtle forms of manipulation and propagranda are rampant. But I was speaking purely about his artistic style more than anything else, which can as bluntly unsubtle as it is powerful. But then there are things like drawing devil's horns on Koch, which strikes me as unnecessary when the villainy of his actions in those pieces is apparent enough. What I like about Tobocman's work is how complex and human he makes his characters, for the most part. They feel like real people, rather than flat symbols like many of the oppressors who sometimes feel like oppressors and nothing else. But then, it's not their story, I know.

Again, Laura, all I can say is that it has made me think, it still does, and it still will over the years. Because I do know that I don't know, but I'm trying to keep an open mind and work on my own self-awareness (and awareness of the world around me) one day at a time.

Heh, maybe I should have just said, "eh, it's pretty good." ;)

Rock, then I'll get the mini at least, plus maybe the first ten issues or something. They don't have a full set after that. Ooh, I should try to find some Suicide Squad issues too, to really get a full Ostrander experience. People like Warren Eliis have been spreading awareness of Ostrander's glaucoma, so hopefully he'll get the help for treatment he needs. What a horrible prospect for a writer, to lose your vision.

Oh please, like you would have been capable of "eh, it's pretty good". Dude, it's not like I dragged you into this conversation!

And I mean, if you'll recall, Tobocman also draw devil horns on himself. His work is heavy on visual symbolism because using signifiers like that is an effective way of portraying complex concepts in simple yet evocative ways - it's a propaganda tactic, but does that make it propaganda? The goal of propaganda is to tell people what to think, usually through oversimplifying things and obfuscating the truth. Tobocman's work does the opposite - it points out the complexities that are often overlooked by mainstream media sources, and brings attention to the realities of situations that we usually only see one side of - the side with enough money to get their side told.

Also, as to the role of the oppressors being simplified - well, you're right, it's not their story. If you want their story, you can turn on the news. You can see Tobocman's exclusion of it as propaganda - and that's a valid interpretation. But so is the interpretation that Tobocman is a prolific artist with limited resources and he's not interested in using those resources to tell stories that are already ingrained in most peoples' consciousness...es.

Blah. You seem a bit defensive, and that makes me sad, because I'm not trying to start a fight. I'm not even trying to be argumentative. I just honestly like Tobocman's work and I know precious few other people who both a) have ever read a comic of his ever and b) are totes up for in-depth analysis of work just because they think it's NEAT. So when that happens I am like "FUCK YES LET'S GO RIGHT NOW."

I don't mean to be confrontational. Just eager! And perhaps a bit contradictory, because that's how I roll.

Sorry, defensiveness is my general mode these days. Another thing I'm trying to work on. I just knew you liked Tobocman and was worried about an honest answer, considering some disagreements we've had in the past. Also, I am just plain hesitant to really discuss such things and express thoughts when, as you point out, I just don't know. ... Man, I'm being defensive about being defensive.

Also, that mmmmmmmay also have something to do with my emotional state out here in Winnipeg, where I'm in a very special state of being on edge spiked with exhaustion as the final weekend is ramping up.

So yes! No fighting! I like this plan. Especially if it can involve Hawkman comics and pie! By which I mean, I want some pie. But yeah, I totally get your eagerness, and don't wanna be a damper on that! If nothing else, it's interesting for me to hear your insight in the book, as I don't know ANYone else who's read it!

Aw. It's okay. Caaallllllm down, everyone's still friends.

I made some pie earlier this week, but it's all gone now. It wasn't that good, to be honest. I'd never made pie before.

Also, going to bed now, so I'll check back in online tomorrow afternoon or so!

Journeys and Destinations

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