A chilling apokolyptic future

If you haven't been following the controversy regarding DC Comics' decision to hire Orson Scott Card to write Superman comic books, please do catch up, and sign all the petitions you can. Long story short, he's anti-gay and fans and retailers are beginning to band together in opposition.

Sadly, I haven't read a Superman comic in years, so I can only voice my opinion rather than vote with my economic dollar.

I can also draw some fun sketches. Here's an OSC-inspired image of Superman saving his pal Jimmy Olsen, his girlfriend Lois Lane, and his boss, Perry White from gay pedophiles. 

Later I will share what I do best for your delight. And, perhaps preview my Superman outfit I will wear to Comic Con if I'm brave enough.

Trend for winter

Boston's winter can be 50° one day, 5° the next, with rain turning to blizzard then sun and rainbows. Before it got frigidly cold a few weeks back, I noticed an exciting new trend among gay and straight guys alike: wear a super deep V shirt under your pea coat so you can expose your sexy chest.

It’s Bandwagon Season!

I like cult things. I like obscure things. I like “best kept secrets.”  I rarely jump on bandwagons. It’s Ok if you do (Miriam relishes hopping on bandwagons for the energy and camaraderie), and it’s Ok if the things you like happen to be the bandwagon du jour (such as my love for Downton Abbey).

Here’s how to recognize if you are prone to the bandwagons effect:

• Would you continue this activity/participate in it if you and your significant other parted ways? 
•  Have you ever enjoyed this activity sober? 
•  If you had some alone time (traveling for business, etc.), would you participate in this activity alone? 
• Is your enjoyment due to irony?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, you, my friend, are a bandwagoneer.

I actually dislike—to the point of dread—this, the bandwagon high season. I do not jump on the following bandwagons:

• Professional sports (including series, playoffs, or bowls) 
• Boston franchises (yes, “local” is its own category—Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins) 
• College sports (including bowls and madnesses) 
• Award shows (including Grammys, Emmys, Oscars) and their parties
• Television programs du jour (especially reality TV)

I admit I am fully susceptible to the bandwagon effect when it comes to:

• The Saint Louis Cardinals

I live in an artist loft building. In October, I hosted the building’s first ever LGBT gathering. I made the poster for the next one, which I am attending in support of the building’s community, and of course, irony.

Alt Legion—the conversion of Ayla Ranzz

I can't stop thinking about alt versions of classic Legion tales, which would totally change the direction of certain characters. Yes, I admit it, fanfic. Here we have Dream Girl, Brainiac 5, and Mon-El...let's say curing Ayla of a deadly electrical fever—similar to the one Garth had during the great darkness saga—by evolving her powers to the light-based ones she had in the Alan Davis Legion. That would make her much more powerful, and Dream Girl far less duplicitous, and allow the reader to see her hold her own with Brainiac due to her knowledge of advanced Naltorian science. 

I'm not sure what the other one is, but Mon-El is stripped naked for examination. And on both pages, you get Lyle and Condo. Left, in Condo's space car he acquired in Action Comics #381, and the next, flying side-by-side utilizing Legion flight rings.

Alt Legion—the end of Lyle Norg

I hadn't known of SECRET ORIGINS #47 (1989), featuring dead Legionnaires. I was able to get my hands on my copy to great disappointment! First, the art. I am a fan of Ty Templeton, but he and Chris Sprouse drew the characters like they were 25-40 years old...not 14-17. The script even says Condo is 14, so therefore Lyle couldn't have been more than 16 at that time?

Oh well...aside from the art, it was an interesting take on Condo and Lyle...one which I must discard as a post-CRISIS retcon, rather than an "untold story" of Silver Age canon. In the first 30+ years of the Legion's history, they had one continuity. In the past 25 years, they've had at least 3-5 reboots, new timelines, etc. etc. etc. I can't keep up. My ideas all swirl around pre-CRISIS Legion.

Long story short, in SUPERBOY #176 (1971), Invisible Kid's interaction with Chemical King is that of acquainted colleague and not that of intimate friend as the 1989 origin tale suggests (looks like they lived together, and Lyle got Condo in to the Legion Academy). Therefore, I ignore it. :-)

Above, alt sketches if Invisible Kid smashed Tharok's brain just 1 second sooner than he did in SUPERBOY #203, followed by being tormented by the demonic/ghostly Myla once he realizes that no, he isn't in love with her, he was just a little bonkers after his latest break-up with Condo.

Snoozefest

Each year, my day job has a 2 day conference in January. It's usually pretty boring, but I get some good sketches in. This year, I won the individual award for excellence. Comes with a cash prize and it's not bad out of an office of 90 people to be selected. Yay!

New Year's Resolution: end my hypocrisy

Sounds serious, eh? 

It's been my general practice to not be a hypocrite. I generally succeed. Sometimes, I fail. 

In Oct 2011, my stance on comics hypocrisy was pointed out to me. After some reflection, I recognized it, but it helped me realign my actions with my truest feelings, and step away comics for a bit. 

A few months back, more potential hypocrisy was pointed out to me regarding people from my past. After some reflection, I decided no, the observation was not accurate...but that another observation—that was I was guilty about comparing myself to others (specific others) with negative effects—was spot on. It helped flush it out of my system.

So, after reading 2 pretty good articles about resolutions and being a better person* I decided to eliminate my final known spot of hypocrisy: using the stairs.

I use the stairs at work unless inappropriate (i.e., I need to talk to my boss on the way to a meeting). At home, I always take them down when solo, and the elevator with the dog. But, using the elevator to take the dog up 5 flights lulled me into taking the elevator more often then not solo. Which continued even after the dog became dead. 

And yet, I've always mildly criticized those who wish they could lose weight but don't take the stairs when they are able (e.g., their knees are fine). Hence, I vowed to take the stairs as much as possible moving forward. So far so good.

* the first article was basically "stop being so vapid" with tips like "don't check your phone during dinner with friends" and "don't take a gay cruise, get your fag friends to go camping." I agree with the sentiments of most, though I'm not exactly guilty of the flaws. I've lived by "improve your home" for years now, and certainly agree with it. And, a few months back I started living "don't compare yourself to others." The other, from Cracked.com was 6 harsh things you need to know to be a better person. Along the lines of "who you are on the inside doesn't mean anything, it's what you do and how you live your life. But, what you do and how you live spring directly from who you are on the inside, so it does matter in that way." Read it. It was great. I've learned new things and done things and have been value-added to others for many years now. And, even in my year from comics and drawing, I learned to refinish furniture and learned to use the table saw, router, chop saw, etc., while I was designing and building furniture. The Cracked article was stronger for me than the other thing, but both were good to put me as a person into perspective. 

Yay, new years!