an anecdote that occured to me when I posted things comics-related on Facebook today

[thehefner]

Back when I was a teenager and I first started working at the comic shop, I knew a customer named Brad. It was only years later than I realized he was the same Brad Meltzer whose name I saw in the metro, adorned on huge ads for bestselling legal thrillers.

What I did know was that he was college friends (roommates? I don't recall) with Judd Winick, a comic writer who might still be more well-known as the guy from The Read World, the season with Puck. Brad once told me that Judd had a trick for whenever he wanted a private moment away from the every-prying eyes of the cameras, there to film virtually every aspect of their lives.

According to Brad, Judd would just start talking about comics. After a minute or so, the red light on the camera would shut off. Because even in The Real World, no one cared.

I laughed, just as it makes me laugh now. But the laugh is one of weary recognition for the invisible passion of comics fandom.

Comments

In semi-related news

[yaseen101.livejournal.com]

The recent casting of Anne Hathaway in 'TDK Rises' is the first time someone I had in mind for a role got the part. I was pushing for (Tamara) Taylor. I feel extremely happy about that.

Re: In semi-related news

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Hathaway act in anything but Alice in Wonderland, so I have no idea what to expect of her casting either way. But Nolan's impressed me with unorthodox choices in the past, so we'll see.

[yaseen101.livejournal.com]

I liked her in Get Smart with Steve Carell. It's what convinced that she would work as Catwoman.

Though; Jesus I feel like I'm the only one who saw Get Smart since from all the reactions I've seen people are either cautiously optimistic or having a melt down.

I am worried that given Nolan's track record with female characters, that Selina is just a part of the movies so that Bane can kill her off thus pushing Bruce to his emotional and physical limits ala Knightfall without having to resort to the Mass Break out of Arkham.

Oh god, I can see it now...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh, wait. Yeah, I've seen that! I don't remember her performance, or anything else about the film other than that I liked it more than I thought I would.

The difference with Selina is that she's not a character invented for Nolan's purposes, all of which are to fit into his plot, and thus to be destroyed to further said plot. So I'd be very disappointed if he actually misused her the same way. Very fucking disappointed. I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

[yaseen101.livejournal.com]

I should re-watch it one of these days. I love spy thrillers and comedy and I'm practically a sucker for heroes who use their brains instead of their brawn.

Though as a rule I always like to maintain the stance of 'oh man this is gonna suck' until the trailer comes out and if the stars don't end up aligning; until the movie comes out. There are so many things that could go wrong with Selina other than just possible-fridging. I'm hoping that we get more 'Pepper Potts' and 'Pfeiffer' rather than another 'RACHOL' or 'faux!MJ'.

Re: In semi-related news

[jellied.livejournal.com]

Maybe for his male actors but his taste in women always leaves me feeling underwhelmed.

Re: In semi-related news

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That's a whole other point I hadn't considered. His best might have been Carrie Anne Moss in Memento, which--perhaps not coincidentally--is the only Nolan film I love without reservation.

Re: In semi-related news

[jellied.livejournal.com]

I could see Moss being a closer fit than Hathaway at this point. I'm just worried because Selina's one of my favorite characters, and arguably one of the more complex ones in the Batverse.

I had to stop myself from eviscerating some dude on my flist who was like "Catwoman's a whore. That's pretty much her thing, being a whore."

Re: In semi-related news

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ugh, those people. I dunno how you actually feel about the post-Crisis whore origin, but I actually prefer it to the "amnesiac stewardess" origin, but I don't think it defines her character. I hate the people who think it does, but I'm also frustrated at the hardcore Selina fans who hate that background because it makes her "street trash," as if prostitutes are less than people, or that Selina overcoming that doesn't make her a stronger character.

Henchgirl actually started a Catwoman fanblog, dr_von_fangirl, and she was working on a complete history of Selina's post-Crisis origin, contradictions and all, but lord knows if she's ever gonna complete it. I think she's afraid of stirring shit with the anti-whore Selina fans, many of whom can be quite fanatical.

Re: In semi-related news

[jellied.livejournal.com]

I actually like the sex worker origin story. It makes more sense in modern day Gotham City, and yes it's grim and gritty, and yes Frank Miller wrote it-- but it's good writing. And there were great writers who took over with her self-titled series.

It actually grounds her to a specific locale in Gotham. And I like that because of her working class, sex worker background, she's become a patron saint of the East End. She protects those who are weak, and shows great wells of compassion and strength for having overcome that. She's a feminist icon (and not in the faux sort of way that Poison Ivy is painted every now and then).

I just think it's shallow and two-dimensional to write her off based on that one thing.

Re: In semi-related news

[punishermax.livejournal.com]

I'm curious, considering what you just said and based on bitmetechie!s and your opinions on female characters in comics and other mediums, what you think of this show Www.YouTube.com/watch?v=6Et8N9THHrk . It's easily the biggest anime of last year and it's pretty amazing that it tok this long for a strong female character to appear in an anime who isn't the magical virgin who longs for the main male's dong.

Re: In semi-related news

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of that! I tried watching the first few minutes, and my brain shut down, so I'm afraid I personally can't offer a stronger opinion than general approval at the use of a stronger female character. Even if it's in crack, from what I saw there.

Are they animating with Flash? So weird to see actual anime look like Danny Phantom.

[morganashkevron.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the latest "Hark! A Vagrant" comic? I think you'll get a kick out of it.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Just caught it. Now I really am sad that I didn't get up the nerve to ask for a Two-Face drawing from her from the two opportunities I've had so far (WAC and SPX).

I wanted an icon of that first Penguin image about "doing some crimes," but alas, I couldn't make one that looked legible. Bah.

[punishermax.livejournal.com]

(Superman)This is the true story (Diana)of eight heroes (Dinah) who get picked to live in a house (Ollie) to find out what happens (Hal) when people stop being nice (Bruce) and start getting real. (All) THE REAL WORLD: DC

~slow zoom in on house~

"Okay Clark, we need to have a discussions bout this whole ' Watching me shower with X-ray vision thing'. It needs to stop or I shove my lasso up your ass. Okay good discussion. I think we all learned something about ourselves today."

"Look, just because I have -ray vision doesn't mean I use it. For God's sakes, Ollie and Hal live in this house and you blame me because you somehow sensed someone was watching your ass. Is this some kind of innate super power? The power to know when guys want to bang you? Because I'm pretty sure that must make hanging out with Ollie an exercise in power overload."

~Suddenly Dinah walks by~

"Hey if you and Clark are done beating each other off-"

"Must you say that to enter every single conversation?"

"Only the ones with mutual beating off present. Anyway, house meeting. Hal's pissed about something or whatever. I was gonna listen but, you know, it was Hal talking."

~at the meeting~

"Okay so we have a major problem guys."

~flash cut to confessional with Clark~

"This was like, the ninth meeting he called. So we were all prepared for something profoundly dumb. I was actually in the process of putting that Kryptonite ring on to knock myself out when it happened."

~flash cut back~

"Someone -"

~Hal is cut off when Ollie bursts in, utterly wasted, and punches him in the face~

"AW YEAH REAL WORLD YEAH WOOOOOOOOO"

~Flash cut to the confessional where Dinah drinks a bottle of vodka~

"When he fell I could see his ass. I have seen him naked before but when he was drunk...it was like his ass transformed. I have no idea what happened between drunk and sober but it was not good. I'm drinking until it all goes away. ~glug glug~. Plus we have hot tub scene quotas to meet"

~flash cut to Diana~

"If anyone needed to know why my island had no men? I hope what you just saw answered your questions."

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the late reply, but I want you to know that the fact that you've done one of these here has made my day. Or it did on the day when I saw it, several days ago. :)

While I love Hal, I also love when you write other characters looking down on Hal, or--even better--drunkenly punching him in the face.