Henchgirl and I saw this at the Safeway:





Okay, look, I understand the "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" stuff, I do. But "Team Bella"? She's not a team! She's the ball!

Eh, it's not worth worrying about. Not tonight, on this holiday's eve, which has somehow also become a holiday in its own right. It only today occurred to me how weird that was, as I realized that all the banks were closed. It's like how the college students in The Rules of Attraction throw a "Pre-Saturday-Night-Party Party."

Still, Henchgirl and I are getting into the spirit in our own way:





Now, in my defense... while the idea had certainly occurred to me while we were shopping for fake trees in the Target, it was my Henchgirl who suggested we actually do this.

Have I mentioned how supremely lucky I am to have found her? She actively encourages me to be as flagrantly geeky as I'd never allow myself to be in public. The decorations were her idea too. I love how the silver works on both sides. Really, all that's missing is a giant coin tree-topper.

Have a good one, folks. No matter what you do, no matter what you celebrate, stay safe and stay sane.




Well, at least until I pull together the Hugo Strange New Year's Eve post for about_faces. Funny how the next post in my series actually ties into the holiday. Go me, accidentally!

Note: I figure there are a couple people interested in the new Batman film here who also don't read about_faces, which is where I usually now post all my Bat-fan stuff. Just trying to make your skimming easier, my non-comic-reading friends!



So, a couple weeks ago, I finally started a fan project wherein I looked at every single appearance of Hugo Strange, Batman's first arch-nemesis and Moriarty equivalent.

In my first post, I expressed my belief that one of Hugo's most famous appearances--1990's Batman: Prey, by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy, one of the best Batman stories ever--would make an absolutely perfect basis for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. Just pump up Catwoman's role as an origin, and boom, you have a great film that is pure Batman while not being in the shadow of Heath. Pure fantasy on my part, you understand. I figured and still do figure that Nolan wouldn't do that, because Prey and Hugo are just not well known to anyone but the most hardcore Bat-fans. Far as I know, I'm the only one to have this idea.

Literally days after I said that, rumors started popping up saying that Prey actually WILL be the basis for TDKR. In fact, aintitcool.com, which usually avoids most of the 99%-bogus sea of Bat-rumors, just ran a story today with a source claiming that it'll be Prey plus Clayface (wha? How the hell would that work? And Clayface? This guy is so rigid in his "realism" that he can't imagine using the frickin' Penguin, much less someone like Mr. Freeze! No way would he use Clayface unless it was original Basil Karlo without powers), which still sounds bogus to me.

But damn, this is nuts. Did I inadvertently start this rumor by someone reading that scans_daily post and spreading that idea around as truth? With s_d's readership of a couple thousand people, I suppose it's not beyond the realm of internet possibility. More likely, I probably wasn't the only one to remember that beloved but little-known (and long out-of-print!) storyline, and make the connection to Nolan's films. Or, just as likely, it's just a weird damn coincidence.

Tangent: Heh, Henchgirl's actually hoping that Hugo won't be in it. Not because she doesn't like Hugo, but because she fears it'll ruin the character in fandom, much like Spider-Man 2 ruined Doctor Octopus in fandom. Seriously, try to find anything about Otto, and it's all Movie!Otto. And while I absolutely adore Movie!Otto as one of the best takes on the character, these fans clearly have never and will never read a comic in their lives. You can't talk with them about anything, because the adapted version dominates and obliterates all stories that created it. It's very frustrating.

Either way, hopefully it'll encourage people to get interested in the character of Hugo Strange. If you'd like, please feel free to check out the three Hugo posts I've done so far on about_faces:

Part 1: The original Golden Age Hugo Strange trilogy, wherein his Moriarty influence is very apparent, and the character lays the foundation for subsequent villains like the Joker and Scarecrow later on.


Part 2: Hugo's return subplot in Strange Apparitions, one of the greatest Batman stories ever. It kills me that I had to edit out all the other great stuff from that whole story, including most of the Joker epic, "The Laughing Fish."


Part 3: the obscure Bronze Age classic, Interlude on Earth-Two, by Alan Brennert, a writer who I'm increasingly read to consider one of the best DC authors of all time, even though he only wrote nine stories, most of them just single issues. He deserves the Alan Moore treatment of getting a Complete DC Stories collection for tales like this one.


I have about seven more Hugo stories to come, particularly Prey. That's the greatest of those to come, but I have to work my way up, as every single Hugo story is directly influenced by the ones that preceded it. He's a character who seems to get dusted off and brought back only by the most hardcore, dedicated Batman writers, the ones who've read and clearly remembered his every single appearance, which I think speaks to what makes this character so great and essential to Batman.

So yeah. I don't think the Prey-for-Dark-Knight-Rises rumor is true, and I don't know if I'd want it to be. I've kind of liked Hugo as being a private joy shared by a handful of Batman fans and writers. But if they can do him justice, hell, maybe he'll finally get the status that geeks like me have known he's deserved for... well, seventy years.

GOOD WILL HUNTING simulator. Best movie-to-game ever?

This is probably the best chance as any to finally use this gif:





In similar news, Nathan Rabin--the very best writer on The AV Club--has decided to review every SIMPSONS episode ever, starting with the Christmas pilot. I'd long ago written that pilot off with the first season as nearly unwatchable, a rough curiosity at best but more notable for who it offended than any quality itself. But Rabin makes an extremely compelling and eloquent analysis for "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," an episode I haven't seen in about ten years but remember vividly:

"The Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" derives much of its pathos and humor from Homer’s thwarted attempts to be a good provider. Homer can’t afford a tree so he steals one from a lot. He’s humiliated by the indignity of life as an easily-agitated Santa impersonator, especially when he learns that after costume, training and Christmas fund charges he’s netted exactly thirteen dollars for his labors. There’s a heartbreaking moment when Homer looks at neighbor Ned Flanders’ elaborate Christmas display—a gaudy exercise in empty spectacle that seems to mock Homer's poverty—and simply hangs his head in shame.

Being a Christmas special, albeit of the warped variety, the first full-length episode of The Simpsons is unusually sentimental and nakedly emotional. At one point Homer tells Bart, “Sometimes your faith is all that keeps me going.” It’s a line at once jarring and deeply powerful, jarring because subsequent episodes suggest Bart has no faith, in his father or anything else, and deeply powerful because it’s so incongruously tender and vulnerable and sad.

Early on, Rabin recounts how he made Matt Groening deeply uncomfortable by admitting how THE SIMPSONS "had brought more joy and happiness into my life than anything else." What's weird is, pound for pound, when you consider just how much influence that show has had into pop culture as a whole, not to mention the years and years and years of quote-sharing and rousing renditions of "See My Vest"... I think that might hold true for me as well. THE SIMPSONS was one of the few constant joys for me during my darkest pre-teen, teenage, and college years.

When my old pal berkolounger--who I'm still waiting to see finally explode as a bold new talent in comics--did a web(tragi)comic about two brothers who can only communicate through SIMPSONS quotes, it definitely hit some personal notes, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

It seems strange, perhaps even a little sad to consider this, but I literally cannot imagine the kind of person I'd be if that show hadn't shaped my outlook and sense of humor (along with LOONEY TUNES, Mel Brooks, the Zucker Bros, and FREAKAZOID).

...

Oh hell, one more SIMPSONS gif that I won't be able to use anywhere else!

How do you like your "Hefleeze" now, benchilada?



Similarly, via mellifluous_ink: BREAKFAST CEREAL CORPS COLOR WAR. My favorite is Trix Rabbit as Larfleeze, although I sooner see Cap'n Crunch as Ganthet than a Rage Lantern (along with the original three chefs for Cinnamon Toast Crunch). But for the life of me, I can't think of any breakfast cereal mascot capable of rage. Well, other than Trix Rabbit finally snapping...

By the way, as I helped unpack the comic shop's shipment for tomorrow, I've read the new GL and BLACKEST NIGHT issues. Let me say right now, I bloody love Larfleeze. I hope he sticks around for awhile.

Back to general nerdiness.

First, I should mention that I finally watched TRON last Friday for the express purpose of being able to watch the much-hyped trailer for TRON LEGACY, and holy sweet bejabbers, you folks weren't kidding. That is one sweet trailer. And maybe it's just me, but man, Bridges' delivery of "Not anymore" is downright goosebumps-inducing.

It actually made me like the film more than the film itself did, just to see Jeff Bridges' character seeming to take a bit of Obie Stane* to heart there. I hear tell that Flynn's apparently been in gameworld so long that he's gone full-on Col. Kurtz. Awesome. Between that and the prospect of more Boxleitner and that's one ticket fucking bought.

Man, Jeff Bridges is one of those actors who possesses the most double-edged kind of brilliance. He's so good that no one notices. He's just so natural, not showy at all. He deserves way more praise than he gets.




Now, for the main reason I called you all here today.

american_arcane posted this latest bit of utter and complete amazing awesomeness on his Facebook. To quote Ren Hoek: "I'M. SO. HAPPY!"



( Full cast behind the cut, just so all the awesome surprises aren't spoiled )

I've always had a strange love for G.I. JOE, just because of the characters. How they all had such rich backstories and personalities. I adore them all, no matter what form they come in, be it the cheesy show, the legitimately far-better-than-you'd-ever-expect Marvel Comics by Larry Hama, epically brain-breaking three-part Fringe musicals, god I'm STILL recovering from COBRA: THE MUSICAL, PART III... heck, I'm seriously tempted to see the film, which is either awful or awesomely stupid, depending on who you ask.

Hell, I almost can't even consider it a parody. Of course Cobra Commander loves 70's boogie and would force Three Dog Night to reunite. The guy was a used car salesman, for god's sake! Seriously! It's canon and everything!




EDIT OF JUSTICE:



Now I can truly go to bed happy and fulfilled until the crushing disappointment that always sinks in not long after waking in the morning. Yay!!!





*I wish I could remember who it was that noted how Stane in IRON MAN was just the nicest Marvel villain ever. "Tony! How're you doing, buddy? Hey, I have pizza! YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY! Nah, I'm just kiddin'! Hey, lookit me, I got a Segway, wheeeeeeee! Hey, is that your heart? Mind if I FUCKING RIP IT OUT K TNX HAHAHA IS EVIL."

Holy hell, am I becoming one of those people who has so much shit going on in their lives that they just don't have time for LJ anymore? FUCK THAT.

I've also just been majorly stressed for Winnipeg. This will be the biggest Fringe yet, where I'll either make some actual money or I'll be totally lost in the shuffle. To make matters worse, I've been increasingly worried about how culture clash, and how certain themes or styles of humor may mean rather less to a Canadian audience. One reason Montreal was so difficult for me was that they don't have the same culture of arms-flailing neurotic introspective angst humor. Unlike, say, New York City, where I got great reviews.

The problem with being a niche performer is that you have to get comfortable with the reality of performing for people who will not get what you're doing, in real time. I'm still trying to get comfortable with that. All that matters is that I find the people who do get it, that I find my audience and work to improve for their tastes in a way that's most fulfilling to myself as an artist.

...

Oh hell, this is getting too angsty. Let's shift gears to outright nerd rage, shall we?




I can only respond to this image with the following gif:




...

...

AUGH.

I could explain context, but it really, really wouldn't help. I need to end this post on a much more positive note, with the original art from BOOK OF FATE # 4 (the misbegotten 90's-tastic idea to turn Dr. Fate into a gritty Lobo style antihero), by a guy named Ron Wagner. I've never seen his art anywhere else, and it's a damn shame. His work is sorta like of Trevor Von Eeden and Klaus Janson had a kid. But more to the point, he draws one of my favorite Harvey Dent images ever:



God, I love it.

I ain't much better, but it's a start.

Speaking as...

1.) a comic geek, with a healthy fondness for Silver Age crackiness

2.) a lover of a certain brand of classic cartoons

and 3.) a fan of PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE back in the day

There are no words to describe the giddy delight aglow within me after watching this:



Yes, that's Paul Rubens as Bat-Mite doing a Dick-Sprang-flavored homage of THE GREAT PIGGY-BANK ROBBERY from an episode of BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD written by the modern master of Batman, the incomparable Paul Dini.

Let all that sink in your brain for a sec, lest your eyeballs to explode from an overdose of awesome.

You can watch the entire episode here, which I wholeheartedly recommend you do, but in case you need further persuading (really? You do? After all that?!), here's another magnificent highlight:



So much to love: Dini!Harley with Timm!Joker, alongside a Hank Venture's "The Bat" and a Kevin-Smith-based snotty Batman fan voicing concerns that even I foolishly shared once upon a time.

Between the almost-sacred status the 90's BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES has achieved in our eyes and the piece of crap that was the recent THE BATMAN cartoon, I too was hesitant about seeing a kid-friendly Batman cartoon. Well, not so much hesitant and apathetic. It clearly wasn't meant for *me*, so whatever.

Then leiacat started getting me to check out a couple episodes, as she was watching it but needed help with getting the references. And that's when I started to realize, holy shit, there are TONS of references. This show is downright riddled with classic DC geekery and goodness from every single era, almost more so than even B:TAS ever had! And when it's good, dear lord but it's fun, and frankly, we NEED more fun in DC Comics these days!

While the show's quality is on and off, with some less-stellar episodes out there that really do reflect the kiddie nature of the show, it's the episodes like the Green Lantern Corps team-up with Guy Gardner, G'Nort, and Sinestro, written by J.M. DeMatteis (!!!) and now this Bat-Mite episode...

Man, all we need now is to have Paul Rubens' Bat-Mite team up with Gilbert Gottfried's Mr. Mxyzptlk and have them adapt WORLD'S FUNNEST. But alas, I don't know if the world would ever be able to handle such a thing. It'd be like challenging Cthulhu to a staring contest, but in a good way.

When April Fool's Day backfires.

ThinkGeek jokingly offers a fake "Tauntaun Sleeping Bag" yesterday, discovers everyone really really wants one, and is now scrambling to figure out how to really make it real. Check out the red box on the right hand side.

It's the intestine-patterned lining that really seals the deal for me.

Remember back when I tried to start up a meme for who would be on your asskicking super-team, if you could assemble a group of anybody, fictional or real? Your ultimate dream team, ready to have quests in anywhere from Middle-Earth to the Uncharted Territories.

I still stand behind mine, if only so I could have Bill the Butcher duel (and then have a one-night-stand) with Kitty Pryde, show Oracle helping Bub the Zombie and Johnny Go disarm a bomb, and depict Doc Holiday eating nachos with Werner Herzog. They'd be good times, I tell you.

Well, it appears comic artist Sean Murphy has similar dreams, and has drawn up his own super-team of dream characters. Oh holy hell, it is a geeksplosion of dorktastic nerdery, in the very best way possible.

( There are no words to describe the asskickery behind the cut. )

I'm behind every single choice here except for Wolverine and Gambit, just because the former is so overused and the latter is Gambit. But the inclusion of Henry Rollins and the Gray Motherfuckin' Ghost easily makes up for it.

Now if I could just him to draw up my super-team of Hal Jordan, Bill the Butcher, Kitty Pryde, Doc Holiday, Oracle, Harvey Dent, Maxwell Lord, Bub the Zombie, and Johnny Go, we'll be golden. But it's just as well, because the universe would clearly implode from the awesome.

Gonna try to be home by Monday. I'm heading North via the Appalachian trail route through such towns as the ones where THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and DELIVERANCE were filmed. The full gamut of Appalachia culture, needless to say. So expect a more full report on life and whatnot next week, but for now, I had to post this before crashing for the night.

My eternal adoration to the ever-vigilant mirthical, who brought to my attention that someone finally, finally made this. Six months past its relevancy and freshness, but fuck it, at least now I can finally have this:



I'm not %100 satisfied with it, but after a couple hours of cropping and tinkering, fuck it, it'll do for now.

FYI, I think I'm gonna post the prologue of my Harvey Dent novel here sometime next week. Consider it a stand-alone bit and teaser trailer, ala how they screened the bank robbery opening of THE DARK KNIGHT as a trailer before I AM LEGEND.