still thinking of that Harvey-centric blog rather than actually doing anything either way...

[thehefner]

... then again, it occurs to me that people on scans_daily are starting to anticipate me showing up every time there's a Harvey-related post. I seem to be earning a reputation, all right. Hopefully that reputation is shaping up to be something more like "the authority on all things Harvey Dent" rather than "that loser obsessed with Two-Face."

One way to cultivate the former (while still risking the latter) would be to finally bite the bullet and start up that blog where I would devote to analysis, criticism, and discussion of all things Harvey-related. If I could keep it from being the ultimate shrine to my time-wasting fanwank and manage to create thoughtful and witty essays (while still getting writing and Fringing done IRL), it would be awesome.

I just wish I had some basic knowledge of customizing LJ layouts and/or photoshop capabilities. I keep thinking how I'd like to have one side showing several images of Harvey's good side over the years, and on the other side, just have one huge single image of the bad side. I'm thinking that one from Matt Wagner's FACES,* where he's in darkness; only the bulging eye and exposed teeth are visible. Something like that. But then, I sadly have little sense of style in such matters, as my current LJ layout will attest (gotta get me a new one soon.)

I'm thinking of calling it about_faces. Unless anyone can think of anything slighty witty that hasn't already been taken.






*You know what the problem with Matt Wagner's FACES is? It should really have been a Penguin story. And it would have been awesome. Seriously, poor Ozzie hasn't had a single truly *great* story in over thirty years, but instead, Wagner uses Two-Face, and everyone loses. Sigh.

Comments

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Oh, just do it. Just set up bastard mod rules at the start and enforce them with an iron will.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Aw, but that seems like a dick move. Or at least, inviting trouble from trouble-making sorts. In either case, Imma hold off till 3.0 gets rolling for a bit, as it sounds like a certain troll in particular won't be around there.

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

It doesn't have to be a dick move. There's nothing wrong with starting a Harvey-centric community. It wouldn't have to take anything away from any other community. But you should establish some rules and enforce them. That is what keeps communities alive. I think even ONTD has to do that, and they're pretty rude on principle. :)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry, I thought you were referring to the part where I was hesitant to post stuff to scans_daily. My bad! Yes indeedy, enforcing rules is important! I can even fashion my own mod hat icon and everything!

Now I just need to find an image of Harvey in a hat. Preferably not the top hat from BATMAN FOREVER...

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Top hat? NO WAY, Harvey needs to be in a FEDORA for chrissakes. The top hat is Penguin's signature, just like Joker's panama.

...god I just realised that most of the rogues are sharp dressers. No wonder I have such enormous crushes on them.

I'm still waiting for someone to point out that Joker is a fop. Just a scene of him with his tailor, SOMETHING.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Agreed! I just need to find a particularly good image of Harvey sporting a snazzy fedora. In a pinch, I could always go for an image from the Elseworlds Victorian era story where he wore a snazzy bowler!

I fear Harvey is (at least generally considered to be) the least sharp of the whole rogues gallery. He's pretty renowned for his bad suits, with exceptions like the wonderful black-and-white animated series suit. If I had my way, I'd have him wear a sensible regular suit with a split tie, with touches of symmetry and asymmetry all over his outfit.

Does the Joker have a tailor? Or does he make his own outfits?

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Tch, Joker isn't patient enough to make his own suits. He's totally got a tailor. You do realise the bespoke industry in Gotham is probably booming, right? XD What with all the custom suits and costumes running around... someone has to make them!

[shadowlongknife.livejournal.com]

Maybe Joker has the nephew of the guy who tailors the Rogues locked up in a factory someplace, carefully stitching him a hundred custom suits on pain of never seeing his family again.

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

(I am also working on a comics comm slowly but surely. :) You probably know the one. And one of the rules is that all discussion is going to focus on the comics, not the creators. Not because that is a bad thing, but because there are already a lot of places online where that happens, and this space is for something different. It's not meant to be a dick move. It's just meant to establish a topic and stay on it.)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I know you are, I know which one, and I greatly look forward to you getting it off the ground!

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Seriously, poor Ozzie hasn't had a single truly *great* story in over thirty years

DUDE YES. WTF IS UP WITH THAT ANYWAY?

So much potential.

*pouts* He's onna my favourites, too....

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

If you ever find a copy of FACES, check it out and try to imagine Ozzie in the role! Harvey even *sounds* more like Ozzie than Harvey with his dramatic, flowery, poetic ways of speech!

Actually, Henchgirl reminded me that Ozzie has had *one* actual story of note in recent years: JOKER'S ASYLUM: THE PENGUIN. Not perfect, but well worth checking out. The JA Scarecrow story is great too. The rest (Joker, Ivy, Harvey) stink on ice, though.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, oh yes yes yes I love JA. That was the story that made me start LIKING Ivy, actually. What's your problem with it? I think it's perfect.

I didn't much like that version of Penguin, but I did think the story was very good, very thoughtful. And oh god, the Scarecrow one was--MM. Damn. Damnit, why is that man so sexy?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the Ivy one is better than I recall. I hadn't read it since it came out, but I recall being unimpressed. If I get the chance, I'll revisit it.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

I love most of the stories in there; even the Joker one is pretty good. And honestly I loved the Harvey one--it was something no one else has done that I've seen, and I love that. All of them were a great, original take on some aspect of the character that was hitherto (if that's the word I want) unexplored. And that is the kind of writing I absolutely love. It's so hard to find writers that really explore the rogues as human beings.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Eh, I found the Harvey one far too gimmicky, more like a SAW movie than anything else. My biggest problem was that Harvey essentially rigged the game, did he not? In that, there was no way for the guy to win. I hate Two-Face stories like that, where he's going to do evil no matter what.

But then, perhaps I'm remembering the story wrong. I do need to get a copy of that and revisit it properly. I should ask, what was original about that story? How was this story more of a human perspective into Harvey than others?

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

I've never seen a writer address that Harvey's condition as a disfigured burn victim isn't all that rare. I didn't get the feeling he rigged his game at all, though it had that very, very classic self-defeating tragedy that I like to see in Harvey stories, because to me it's the ultimate tragedy about him--that he unconsciously sabotages his every attempt at 'testing' the arbitrary nature of justice. He can't help it, just like Crane can't help destroying people, and Nygma can't help leaving clues.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Oh and I can help you with things like colour schemes and styles, though I no longer have photoshop or my font collection. But I do offer my services, as I am very into layouts. I even designed a colour scheme for Dreamwidth!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Hey, thankya! Huzzah! Okay, now I just need to find someone with photoshop (or figure out how the hell to use GIMP, which still makes so little sense to me), so I can arrange those Harvey faces, and then I'll drop you a line! Unless, of course, my Henchgirl insists on helping me out with this. I'll keep you posted!

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Right on! I can even look for fonts, for ya. Despite the fact that I've lost my fonts etc, I still have all the resources to get them back, so don't worry about that.

Let me know and we can start talking colour schemes and fonts and things.

[swimpenguin.livejournal.com]

Is it a crime against nature that I still love the Penguin in Batman Returns?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I might have said yes a couple months ago (not really... okay, maybe a little), but Henchgirl insisted she show me BATMAN RETURNS--while I insisted we watch it in black and white--and between the two, she convinced me it's a worthwhile film on its own merits, with a semi-legitimate take on Pengers. It's still not at ALL how I'd write him, but it works better than I used to think.

[shadowlongknife.livejournal.com]

Never cared for Cobblepot.

Also, if you need an enforcer to stalk about_faces and calmly pummel warn and escort out the trollish, I'm game.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Aw, not even Burgess Meredith? Or Paul Williams III! He's so classy and theatrical! He has an actual Aviary of Doom (er, rather, "Big Birdhouse") and everything!

The problem with Ozzie is that no one seems to have a solid bead on his character. Some treat him as a poor man's Kingpin or a lame freak-villain or even just a bullying thug. I wish we could see more of him as the theatrical master criminal, the cruel villain freak who fancies himself a cultured bon vivant, and who always commits even the vilest of crimes in the most dapper of manners.

And ROCK! I'll take you up on that offer!

[candidgamera.livejournal.com]

split_decision? flippant_da? dent_of_thieves?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I'm still leaning toward about_faces, but split_decision is actually really tempting.

[candidgamera.livejournal.com]

I love titling.