Daily Life
Dreamwave Productions closes its doors.
This is another article that I was late on.
In early January of this year, Dreamwave Productions closed it’s doors for operation. There isn’t a lot to be had on this subject, other than the official posting, but if I would have to guess I would say that licensing killed them.
Co-Founded by Pat Lee, I can still remember just over four years ago when he did the pin-up of the Transformers in Wizard magazine. How that really grabbed everyone. Including Hasbro. He won the licensing rights, and away they went, taking the industry by storm. Topping the sales charts. Everyone wanted Transformers books in that nostalgia craze. But that has since subsided. The books were never very well written, and that is why good art never replaced the story, especially when Pat Lee stop drawing after the first couple of series. In such a short time he because my definitive artist for them, and I didn’t care to see anyone else draw the books.
Too many are going down. Who will be the next great casuality?
What I’ve been reading lately
I got some gentle nudge from Jeff this weekend about when I was going to write again. He reminded me that it doesn’t have to be an EPIC – which was a good wake-up call for me. I had set a dumb goal for myself. The very first thing I wanted to write about was Kingdom Come. I picked that partly because I loved it & also because I am currently borrowing it from Jeff & he might actually expect me to return it to him someday.
The problem with this is I want to do a quick re-read before I get started – this was the kiss of death for that idea. I just haven’t carved out the time to go back over it. I don’t know who else is like me but I always have a huge stack of things on my nightstand that I am reading. And you know how busy REAL life gets…
So instead of getting an ode to Kingdom Come, I’m just going to talk about a couple of recent things I’ve been reading – another excellent Jeff suggestion – Thank you Jeff! XOXO
One of the things keeping me away from my assigned reading is the commencement of Astonishing X-men with Joss “Buffy” Whedon. Yes, I KNOW he’s not just the “Buffy guy” but Buffy (most of the time – I still can’t get over whiny Dawn – ick) rocked. Now I am as much about fab artwork as anyone but what Joss brings to the book is the same thing that hooked me to Buffy & Co. – great, snappy, dialogue & – hallelujah – a little character development. I dearly LOVE my X-men, but they can easily get stagnant.
I feel that Wolverine finally sounds like himself again. Emma is SO wonderfully icy & bitchy & Beast has rarely been so pithy. Scott is such a tool (can I say that?) I’m glad at least now he has an interesting girlfriend. And I happily welcome the return of Kitty Pryde as a central character – I just love her & the character she’s grown into. The interaction of the team & their verbal sparring is so natural it makes for a delightful read.
Can I do SPOILERS now? Skip ahead if you don’t want or like details before you read. There were just a couple of cool moments that I wanted to mention so again I say – skip ahead if you like.
The first is not so much a spoiler – it’s just I love the way the first issue brings the team back together. There is no way I can do justice to the way the dialogue & storytelling builds up to the final reveal of the costumed team toward the end of the book. But when I turned the page to see that phenomenal two page spread of everyone in uniform & Cyclops saying “…we have to astonish them.” I am telling you – I got chills! I had one of my “happy girl” moments. *laughing* I know – could I BE a bigger freak?!?
Now this is TRUE SPOILER! But, to be fair, what are we on now – is issue 9 out? I get so out of touch… I’d be surprised if you haven’t at least seen a cover or two by now that would tip the book’s hand. Colossus is back! (Pausing for a moment to do a little happy dance). This gave me my other big “goose bump moment”.
Now being a squishy romantic girly-girl you might think I was going to talk about the Kitty/Colossus reunion. Sure, it is true I enjoyed every minute of it! I have a big soft spot for that particular coupling so I won’t pretend that I didn’t eat it up. And I’m woman enough to admit it – the cover of issue 6 where Kitty’s all melting into Colossus got me all hot & bothered. Migosh! I love that image!
So, aside from the obvious “jeez-won’t-anybody-stay-dead” factor I can’t see how Joss could have handled the big guy’s return more deftly. All the team member’s reactions to him were spot on.
Sorry! Wasn’t I supposed to be making a point about three paragraphs ago? Okay my other favorite moment was in issue 6. Ord is flying away & there’s no way to stop him, right? Oh no – in a beautiful moment that was a gift to those of us steeped in the X-men culture – it was a return of the “Fastball Special”! Yippee! The thing I love the most is that Joss, with his unique gift for finding the right words, for two pages, stepped back & let the pictures tell the story. The words “Fastball Special” were nowhere to be found in this issue – but WE knew. Perfect, I tell you….
Done with spoilers – you can come back now…. *grin*
I know I can’t be the only one who lets issues stack up for a few months then reads them all in a row for that continuity rush. Early issues of Astonishing X-men may be hard to find now (thank you Fritz for ALWAYS getting me a hook up! XOXO) but this is perfect for reading in the TPB format since the story has such a great flow.
Another title worth picking up is the re-launch of the Avengers. Since this seems to be “hugs & kisses day” *laughing* – Thank you David for the recommendation! XOXO This is a BIG turn-around for me because I have NEVER been able to get into the Avengers before.
I’ve read the “Essential Avengers” because, like all the other “Essential” TPBs I’ve picked up, I’m just interested in all the history & background I missed out on by not becoming a reader until my twenties. Ah, but it didn’t grab me. Neither did any of the random issues I tried.
This new version though has got me hooked! I think the team choices are neat and interesting (I know – I had to dig DEEP for those stellar descriptive adjective choices *grin*). The prison break set up was a great kick-off & again – I’m getting that good dialogue that I so earnestly crave.
They seem to be building a pretty attention-grabbing story – what’s going on with Jessica Drew, huh? I can’t wait to find out! I am sure that some, more clever than me, may have already figured it out. As much of a thinker as I am (or pretend to be *smile*) though – I STILL like to let the story tell itself. That’s the magic!
So, I look forward to good things from the new Avengers – I hope it stays strong. Oh, & for the uninitiated like me, it might be a good idea to pick up the Avengers Finale before jumping into the new series. It helps set the tone for where they pick up in issue one.
And last but not least – Good-bye She-Hulk! I’ll miss you. I see that after one year –it’s adios again for Jen Walters. Why won’t people read this title in any incarnation? Has it got “chick-book” stamped on it – is that is? Well, I don’t care what anybody says – I think She-Hulk is an outstanding superhero! Okay, well, not that Savage version – what was that all about?
You know what’s scary – I sat down with full intention of writing about a Batman TPB I just read – you can see how well that worked! But this is good news! Now I can jump straight into my next essay & there should be another one posted soon.
Uh-huh….and this is good news, WHY? *giggle*
As (I think) Oscar Wilde said – “Life is too important to be taken seriously”
Later!
Mr. Do! – Best revision on Pac-man?
The blog has always been about my interest, so I thought tonight maybe I would share what has been my release for the last two weeks, in the form of old stand alone arcade games. Here are some screenshots of “Mr. Do” which I happen to love, even though I haven’t found anyone else that feels that way.
It is kind of like Pac-man with a weapon and the opportunity for extra lives. I feel like I have more control on if I get to the next level instead of strictly basing it off whether I make the lucky turn or not to avoid the bad guy.
Mr. Do diggs around the board collecting Cherries and has a ball you can throw and explode the bad guys. Then if you get the “Magic Food” for the level, out come three cookie monster looking guys who are followed by a letter on legs. Trippy, I know. But you shoot the letter and eventually if you get all five to spell Extra, then you get an extra life and continue your game.
Click on the thumbnails below of Mr. Do screenshots to see larger photos.
Working on Photo Gallery – New House Indianapolis
I hadn’t even noticed it had been a week since I wrote. This past week I have tried to get caught up on all of the freelance updates I had on my plate. That is why I haven’t written anything in so long, and in my breaks between working at home, I was still playing a ton of arcade games, primarily Mr. Do. I was hoping to do something different over the weekend since we have been busy pretty much every one since the beginning of the year.
We got requests to see more photos of the house now that we have been moved in for over a month, yikes! Or any update at all for pete’s sake.
I decided that I would make a photo gallery of something like 30 photos that I have taken over the span of this month. But as I was getting into it, I decided to give my coworker a call and see if there was an easier way to make the gallery using some programming things. Basically his answer was yes, but I would have to learn some things and then I could reuse it faster later.
So that is where I am at. I am going to try to make this gallery very soon, but who knows how long it will actually take me.
As for what we have been up to. Yesterday we went to the north side of the city to hang out with the Buissons for Mardi Gras (John is from Louisiana) and play our new game, “Scene It”. (A DVD game that is all about answering movie trivia with movie clips and other cool little things.) The game was a lot of fun I thought, and Sarah would have thought so too if she knew a little more about movies.
Sarah has been sick this week quite a bit. I have to take a second look most of the time to make sure the kleenex isn’t attached to her nose. She is looking forward to Kim Etheridge visiting next weekend for a day. She’s been talking to friends on the phone for a good part of the day today.
I had some time to think through things earlier today and between phone time I have been trying to do some organizing. I have all of these notes about Web Design from when I was working at Spindel in GR and all sorts of notes from developing V 1.0 of Rothecreations.com. I tried to sort them out more logical then the order creep they are in right now. By doing so, hoping to start getting organized for a redesign of the site. But I don’t have an actual plan of attacking that yet so who knows when it will get done.
So for today, I am just going to add movie reviews, and hopefully by tomorrow, with some help from Chris, I can get that gallery up and working in the Photo Diary section.
Sections Updated: Movies H-J, Movies A-B, Movies S-T
So why do comics get the bad rap?
The first essay about “Why Comics?” got just too daggone long, so I broke it down into 2 parts (a la “Kill Bill” *chuckle*). But after this I’ve got to knock it off with this pseudo-scholarly junk. I can’t have people thinking I take myself too seriously. J Here we go – same song, different verse….
So why do comics get the bad rap? (Alternately titled: Why I feel sorry for others who think they are too good to pick up a comic book *smile*.) I think there are a couple stereotypes that hold people back. Okay, I’m sure there are a billion, but I’m sliding into my stream-of-consciousness thing now & that’s what popped into my head.
The first biggie (naturally) is that it’s a kid thing. Grown ups don’t read books with pictures & comics have nothing of significant value to say. And the second reason is “I don’t go for that science fiction/fantasy crap.”
The lazy one word “Duh” response to that is, of course,” Maus”. I read & was deeply moved by this Pulitzer Prize winner (and its sequel). So you tell a non-reader it’s about the horrifying time a man spent in a Nazi concentration camp & the lasting effects it had his life & on his future father/son relationship. Most people are still with you at this point. Now tell them that the main characters are mice.
Yep, we lost ‘em.
And what a shame for them. We’ve all read about the Holocaust. We have our ideas of what evils were perpetrated by one group of people against another. But by stripping labels the “Jew” and “Nazi” away from the people and re-casting them all as different species we can understand from a new perspective. Sheesh, nobody gets teased for reading Adams’ “Watership Down” or Orwell’s “Animal Farm” now do they?
I could do a whole freaking dissertation on this one alone, but this is the INTERNET folks so I’ll try to keep it snappy.
It doesn’t take much effort to prove that any kind of writing/media can take on important, mature topics. I believe it’s the “fantasy-phobia” that still bars potential readership. It’s probably safe to say that an affinity for science fiction is often the gateway drug that leads to comic book reading.
You may have gazed up in wonder as Star Wars flickered before you at 24 frames per second. Or you fought with your brother & sister that the one TV in the house should be on Justice League for Saturday cartoons (or the special 2 hour Buck Rogers movie – I cried to get my way on that one *laughing*). Or you devoured Asimov, Tolkien, or Herbert stories. Or you just found GI Joe & Barbie not nearly as interesting as Batman & Superman action figures.
I think I just SERIOUSLY dated myself with the list above.*grin* But I also think you get the point.
People who already have a certain proclivity for catching Star Trek reruns are more likely to be open to what a comic book has to offer.
I know I’m biased, but non-readers have no idea what they are missing. There’s a wealth of ideas & potential for growth of perspective that can be gleaned from being open to the “superhero” metaphor.
(I’m apologizing in advance – I cut my teeth on X-Men books, so I’m way more steeped in Marvel culture than any other. I’m afraid that makes a lot of my reference points from the Marvel Universe.)
I’ve already discussed Colossus’ symbolism & the idea of emotional armor. Peter Parker – the perfect conduit for thoughts on how we are torn between the pursuit of our personal desires & our need to serve the greater good (all the while being completely unappreciated for our efforts).
And let’s not forget one of my total faves; Rogue. I so relate to this gal. She’s a LITTLE too close to home for me to go into too much detail as to why. Let’s just say anyone who’s spent a good amount of time participating in this barbaric custom we refer to as “dating” could probably relate to the sense of isolation she embodies because she is untouchable.
It’s bigger than just characters too. Nothing like an alternate reality to create the perfect forum for discussion. I dated a man a few years back who overheard his pre-teen son making some pretty hateful & ignorant comments. I gave him a copy of “God Loves, Man Kills”. This Chris Claremont X-book is a powerful treatise on bigotry & tolerance. I lost touch with the guy, but I hope the son was left at least a little more enlightened.
I’d recommend “The Crow” to anyone grieving over lost love. I’d suggest “Bone” for family reading. Try “The Tick” is you love to laugh. Pick up “The Watchman” (another totally not for kids book) if you like political & social commentary mixed with questions about “playing god”. And you can always count on Batman (especially Frank Miller) for challenging moral & ethical quandaries.
It’s funny; I started writing this thinking it could be something that might convince a non-reader to pick up a book, any book. I feel pretty secure that I’ve failed in that respect. I’m not sure it’s even “doable” with any amount of words to persuade an uninterested faction with no predilection for, or openness to, Sci-Fi or fantasy to try out a book.
At the same time, I also puzzled over what to write about next – I was blank on ideas. Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone (I’ve dropped into clichés, better wrap up fast now *smile*).
I think I may have to go back through some of the books, issues or story arcs that had a big impact on me & write from a reviewer’s perspective. Maybe go more in-depth on some of the books listed above. Who knows, maybe it would pique someone’s interest. And, hey, if I got one person – whether they are an established reader or non reader – to pick up one of my favorite graphic novels, I’d say mission accomplished.
Look at me, assuming people read this stuff. All I have to say to that is “Quit it – You’ll never get that time back!” *laughing*
Later!
So Why Comics?
If someone put me in a line-up & asked you to pick out the comic book reader – I doubt you’d choose me first.
I mean c’mon…pick the gal in her 30’s in sling-backs & Ann Taylor? Choose the intellectual (look I said that with a straight face *giggle*) mother of two with the degree & the Dilbert-esque corporate career? Nah – it’s the big Goth girl or the little geek-guy – not main-stream-middle-class-church-going-little ol’ me, right?
And you are asking now, “What does this have to do with anything?” For years, people have been confounded that someone like me reads those COMIC BOOKS, so I get a lot of practice trying to explain. I’m not saying I actually succeed, but I try.
When I hear “Why comics?” the first thing I think is – Well, why movies? Why books? Why mythology? Heck, why storytelling at all?
Even the most Cro-Magnon members of our culture want to communicate & be understood (BE-lieve me I’ve dated them, I know *grin*). Fact based communication can take you so far. But when you’re ready to explore bigger ideas sometimes it helps to deliver that idea as metaphor, allegory, parable, etc.
So we tell stories. Books are perfectly acceptable – have been for centuries. The best ones inspire you to create your own vivid pictures in your imagination.
But let’s add pictures to help tell the story. Movies & television are still generally mainstream. These media allow the creators to tell a story but add their own vision of what the story “looks” like. Again, the best ones have the ability show you things outside your imagination. Or even when an already existing story is now told with pictures – you have the opportunity to see the same story in a whole new way.
And that’s all comics are, a story told with both words & pictures, right? Why choose this medium for entertainment when there are books to read and movies to watch?
Because it’s truly unique.
It takes the best of different media and creates a rich storytelling experience. It’s a marriage of original artwork & words. Then when it’s coupled with meaningful, iconic characters – it hardly gets better.
Think about the written word alone. The author’s imagination can be ablaze with colorful settings & characters, but the conveyance of his ideas can be restricted by the reader’s perceptions & limits to their imagination.
Words are powerful. They have amazing descriptive ability. But think of the capacity a picture has to covey a whole host of ideas at once.
I can think of the perfect example. I ripped up my collection looking for this issue so I could describe it, but couldn’t find it. (It was one of the X-men titles & they are always hopping around each others books.) But maybe it’s better to talk about it from memory so I can express the imprint it left behind.
It was a time when Colossus had left the X-men to join Magneto. Due to a serious head injury he received in his armored form he resolved to remain that way. The wound would probably be too severe to survive if he reverted to his human form.
His X-pals naturally still cared for him & figured out a way to repair the damage, but Colossus would not willingly submit to the procedure.
Because of Colossus’ unwavering trust in her, Xavier enlisted Kitty Pryde to ask him to return. The thought of deceiving him sickened her, but she wanted him to have the opportunity to heal, so she persuaded him to come to the mansion.
When he arrived & realized he was there under false pretenses he raged at the duplicity, but was quickly overpowered. The procedure to repair the damage was a success. Kitty was there when he woke up.
Here’s where the pictures turned this from an ordinary story to something I’ll never forget.
Kitty tries to convince him that he can return to his human form now. Colossus is angry, but more than that he is hurt by her betrayal. As they talk we learn the wound was really a convenient excuse. He wanted to stay armored up – it was “safer” that way. Not just physically, but emotionally.
As this already compelling conversation plays out we see him, literally SEE HIM, start to let go. Until the one picture that summed it up for me – a spent, vulnerable Colossus, now human again, is wrapped only in a sheet, clinging to an equally emotional Kitty.
The dialogue was moving, but when paired with the picture the message was perfectly communicated. It’s safer in the armor. How could people who loved him rob him of his reasons to stay protected & secure? He did NOT want to feel…to grieve…to forgive. But for that one moment, in the arms of safety, he let it all go.
Oh man I got to quit this – I’m getting teary all over again now. See – little pictures, big impact. And this is also a great example of the weight the mythology of these characters has. Colossus is such a great character. Who among us can say they haven’t had a time where we could relate to those feelings? C’mon – I think we all “armor-up” the minute we set foot out the door each day.
Okay this grows ridiculously long – I’ll try to wrap up with my last point. So if a “comic” is just storytelling with pictures – I can get that at the movies, right? Well, not exactly.
Where on earth are you going to find such a wealth of original artwork? Sure we all have different preferences & some of it is “out there” – but so much of it is fantastic!
Technology for making movies today is astounding, but it has limits. CG work can create almost anything now, but it’s a lengthy & expensive process. In a comic though a fantastic character, an exotic setting or an entire world can be just one sketch away. (I know, that’s waaaay oversimplified, but you get the point.) And those people & places can live on forever as long as there are artists to continue creating them.
I know, I just made mincemeat out of that last point trying to dash to the finish line. So I’ll wrap it up here. Unbelievably I had so much to say about “why comics” I lopped off half my thoughts here & put them on another essay. Look for it soon. Thanks for listening to the rant…..
Later!
Thoughts on the “value” of artwork.
Having grown up in a household where there was always just enough but never any extra & also having to put myself through college and THEN still start over from scratch a few years back I am keenly aware of where my money goes. Debt scares the heck out of me & I constantly scrap to live within my means and still make sure all the bills are paid & my girls are provided for.
With that said – I also understand that sometimes, so long as needs don’t suffer, you still need to find a way to spend a little on your soul. I understand that the “cost” of an item and the “value” of an item are different things. And, even more critically, that this cost/value relationship varies from person to person.
So with this background in my head I found myself immersed in much discussion about this the Mid-OH Con. I know that one thing that Jeff appreciated about me on this trip was my utter randomness. It didn’t take much to make me happy – I just found contentment in whatever we were doing.
But it’s that same randomness that drove him crazy when it came to my buying habits that weekend. I left the hotel that day thinking I must have a skewed view of what is valuable. Thankfully, a little time, a little perspective & finally laying my hands on a piece of artwork I loved convinced me otherwise.
Here’s how it happened:
I had small goals for our trip: 1. Meet John Byrne & have him sign my She-Hulk #1 (a wonderful series with clever, funny writing. Read it if you like genre deconstruction humor like I do). 2. Meet Jeff Smith & have him sign, Oh, something for the kids– I brought a couple things, I hadn’t made up my mind yet, and – 3. Have fun!
I quickly learned I was in little league with goals like that. I saw some people around me getting a dozen or more things signed – and not like a fan would as a memento, but clearly with designs on how valuable it would make the items. I heard over & over discussions of which sketches to buy that would probably be worth the most later.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no saint – I sure I have as many mercenary, materialistic thoughts as anyone else. But when it comes to art & other creative work, it kind of spoils the fun for me. Undeterred though, I was having too much fun so I just let it all roll off of me – it didn’t affect me, I didn’t care.
Ah, but then I fell in love.
On Sunday, at the very back of Stuart Sayger’s book I found THE coolest picture of my man Wolverine. I’d been toying with the idea of a Wolverine pic all weekend, but everything – though done in each artist’s unique style – was so much the same. This was truly different – the black & white, the texture, all the little details. This wasn’t just an image – it captured an idea. I could not stop thinking about it as we continued walking around.
Finally, though low on cash, I decided to see if I could cover the balance with a check – this picture needed to come home with me. My mistake was announcing this in a group. OMIGOSH! The lecturing did not stop. I should think of what else I could get with that $100. If I was going to spend that much I should really think about something, maybe by a name artist that might be worth something someday. And the big – I was making an emotional rather than a logical decision. As tired as I was by then I was easy to wear down & I went home empty handed.
I didn’t stop thinking about it though. I looked around my house. I already had a habit of surrounding myself with things I love: The 50’s deco kitchen table I couldn’t leave at the Bloomington antique mall (even though I had NO CONCEIVABLE WAY to get it to my house). The Pollack-looking painting my girls did together on beautiful spring day visiting my dear friend Laura (they didn’t believe me when I said I was going to frame it). My Batman that I agonized over spending money on at a time when there was none (until my daughter who was staring at it with me, literally took my hand & told me it was okay – I should get it). All those stupid little Tiffany-style candle lamps I’ve managed to collect. And all the other goofy stuff. It’s an eclectic riot, but it’s MY eclectic riot.
One of the things said in our discussion in Ohio was – “Sure you love it, but do you REALLY love it $100 worth?” It was a no-brainer. The answer was a resounding YES! It never WAS too much to spend. The value of being able to have that wonderful picture made $100 seem like nothing. I knew it was something I would cherish. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying art with your heart rather than your head.
I contacted Stuart & arranged to pick it up. When I saw it again it was even better than I remembered. The BEST part was when he gave me a “tour” of the drawing. Telling me about how he created it & pointing out all the details that I already loved. I was a happy, happy girl when I left that hotel.
So no, I didn’t get an Adam Hughes sketch or a John Byrne sketch or any other solid investment sketches from well known established artists to bring home with me, but that’s okay. I got to meet them & I get to keep the memory of the experience.
I don’t mean to pontificate. I’m a geek-girl – I KNOW there’s excitement in having a sketch from one of your heroes. I would have been thrilled to get a sketch from Mr. Byrne – but (to be truthful) I think I might have loved it because it was from him; not necessarily because it was as a beautiful picture.
So whether it excites you because it’s gorgeous or it excites you because of who signed it – I think we’re all out there because we admire all these amazing artists who take the time to share their talent with us.
I’m still a newbie at the whole Con thing. There’s nothing special about me – I could become more calculating as my experience grows. But who knows – maybe I’m the smart one. Later when Stuart is fabulously famous (and as talented & hard-working as he is, he deserves it) everyone will lament ‘Oh if only we’d listened to Christine! *laughing* Nah, that doesn’t matter a bit – I’ve already loved that picture more than the $100 spent within the first moment of owning it. That, my friends, is “value”.
As for me, I hope to remain blissfully random….
Later!
