President Obama has just announced that he will lift a ban on oil drilling near Virginia’s shorelines. This is how we’re exploring alternate energy sources? By drilling fifty miles off the coast of Virginia?
Let’s hope some sort of mishap doesn’t result in the beaches being redecorated.
PAD
Haven’t done this in a while. What’d you get this week?
Also, I’ll be discussing “Lost” tomorrow, so if you’re watching it on DVR, now’s the time to get caught up.
PAD
Originally published November 27 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #993
Special short-text column, since I’m taking the liberty of running a number of photos this week. Two interesting events have prompted this:
Originally published November 20, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #992
Talk about your non-issues (which of course, never has stopped me before about talking about your non-issues).
When it was first announced that Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Dave Sim would be writing for Spawn, a number of people on various computer boards and at conventions came to me with attitudes ranging from simple curiosity to almost burning indignation–and asked what I thought of this development.
I’m going to be splitting my time this coming weekend between I-Con and Babylon Lanes where the PBA tour is coming through. I’ll be at I-Con Friday and most of Saturday, but then Saturday evening will be bowling on the 7 PM squad for the Pro/Am. Anyone who honestly doesn’t have anything better to do can swing by and watch, although there’s a $10 entry fee. I won’t be around at the convention much on Sunday, if at all, because Kathleen, Caroline and I will be attending the ESPN broadcast of the Sunday tournament which is at 2 PM EST. I figure I’ll be wearing the red and black Spider-Man jersey since that really popped on TV last time, although Caroline being sufficiently adorable, they’ll probably put the camera on her a few times.
PAD
…just as Social Security was rammed down people’s throats. And Medicare was rammed down people’s throats. And, for that matter, so were Civil Rights…which may come as a surprise to the people yelling racial epithets at politicians who apparently were unaware that that happened.
Fascinating that the Right, led by Fox, is howling what a douche bag Obama is for ignoring the will of the people, considering that, just a couple of years ago, those selfsame individuals declared that criticizing a president during times of war was unpatriotic and, furthermore, praised Bush for his refusal to be swayed by polls and protestors.
The Democrats got something done and the GOP is furious, because it removes the ability to campaign on the idea that the Democrats are getting nothing done. So now their plan is going to be campaigning on the basis of undoing it…so that they can return to the status quo of doing nothing about health care. It’ll be interesting to see if it works.
PAD
Originally published November 13, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #991
Well, thus far the response on the turn-of-the-century comics poll has been nothing short of phenomenal. The folks at the Bayport post office have to use a crowbar to jam all the mail into the box.
And I have been intrigued by the responses we’re getting. The most fascinating by far is the overwhelming consensus we’re getting on the identity of the likely Anti-Christ. I will admit that Bill Clinton has been putting on an impressive write-in campaign but, thus far, the vast majority of respondents are pointing the finger directly at…
Nah. Why spoil the suspense?
Several people, however, have expressed curiosity about the possibility of this column being written by Shana David, daughter of writer of stuff. A couple have actually asked to hear from my eldest child. And so I, always looking for an easy out, hereby turns this installment of BID over to eleven-year-old Shana David, award-winning writer and now columnist (and Don and Maggie have promised not to edit her column for spelling and grammar, so you get a true feel of her ability):
I’ve seen a number of stories focusing on the supposed curse surrounding winners of the Oscar for Best Actress since supposedly their marriages appear to go bust in short order. This has naturally been heightened with the horrific timing of allegations regarding Sandra Bullock’s husband, and her having been–of course–blind sided by them. The conventional wisdom seems to be that the husbands, feeling threatened, pull away from their wives out of jealousy.
But here’s another theory: What if the husbands were just dicks the entire time? What if the winning of such a major award is empowering to the wife and she realizes that she doesn’t have to put up with it any more? That it gives her a sense of validation that was lacking and she realizes she’s entitled to have someone in her life who makes her feel good about herself? In a number of instances, the woman walked out on the husband, not the other way around.
Why can’t it be viewed as a blessing instead of a curse?
PAD
They had a picture of Joe Straczynski up on CBR this morning and I did a double take because I thought it was me. Some years ago a British fan came up to me at a convention that Joe was also attending and started asking me where I got the ideas for creating “Babylon 5″ and apparently the resemblance has only become more pronounced. At this point Joe looks like a taller version of me and Chris Claremont is a thinner version of me. Perhaps the three of us should pose together in a police line-up setting.
PAD
Originally published November 6, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #990
First, an appreciation to Don and Maggie, who cut me some slack with the deadline on this column since I wanted to see Thursday’s presidential debate before I wrote it.
Second, an appreciation to the readers who tolerate my occasional semi-informed blathering on politics on the assumption that, well, I seem to think it’s important, and you can hope that I’ll write about something more entertaining next week. My feeling is that there’s no reason to assume that the readership of CBG is particularly immune from the statistics that report a relatively small percentage of citizens exercising their right to vote.
And if this column really does have any influence, as some claim, and I can influence anyone to get involved in the real world in general and elections in particular, then I’ll be satisfied.
One of my favorite programs if for no other reason than that they keep snarking on “The Mentalist” for being a rip-off (which it is). I happened to stumble over the information that Dule Hill is an accomplished tap dancer. They should totally work that into an episode next season.
PAD
The current plan is that I’ll be appearing at Golden Apple Comics in LA on Friday, April 9th, and at Brave New World on April 10th. More information as it becomes available.
PAD
Originally published October 30, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #989
When you look back at 1992 and are asked what movie best epitomizes what the literature of heroic fiction in general and comic books in specific is supposedly about…
What are you going to reply? The chances are that most people would kind of shrug their shoulders and say, “Batman Returns.” I mean, what’s the alternative? Captain America, newly released on videotape.
Hardly.
The thing is: There is a movie currently out that is far better exploration of the nature of heroes, which is what most super-hero comics are supposed to be in the first place.
Weather is fearsome outside. Pounding rains, dark skies, and winds as high as 35 mph. Tornadoes are rare on Long Island but not unprecedented. I’m watching the skies.
PAD
Originally published October 16, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #987
Ramblings about a couple of things:
Originally published October 9, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #986
Yes, I see a hand raised. You, over in Oh, So?
The Comics Code Authority? What do I think of the Comics Code Authority?
Heavens. It’s embarrassing to realize that I’ve been slogging through all manner of subject matter over the past two years and have never touched on the CCA–a truly hideous oversight which will now be corrected.
No, as of this writing, ABC and Cablevision haven’t come to terms. Instead I took Robert Fuller’s advice: I found a nearby hotel that has ABC and was charging a dirt cheap room rate since it was last minute and Sunday is a dead day for them. So the Davids decamped to the hotel and as of 8:30 PM I’ll be doing my running commentary for the Oscars. Even if they wind up sorting this out at the last possible second, screw it. At least I didn’t have to sit there watching the time tick down, feeling helpless in the crossfire of two huge corporations. Plus I took Caroline swimming, so it’s all good.
See you below the cutline of this post at 8:30 EST.
PAD
UPDATED 8:27–We’re three minutes away, and Cablevision is still gone. (more…)
Because I’m one of the lucky 3.1 million Cablevision customers who is caught in a high stakes pissing match between Cablevision and ABC. The alphabet network decided they wanted Cablevision to cough up an additional $40 million in order to keep carrying their programming; Cablevision said no, if for no other reason, I’d think, then they figure that every other network will come knocking next. And ABC naturally had to wait until they had some high profile TV program to air that isn’t easily watchable on line the next day. They chose today. Which means I’m going to miss seeing the Oscars for the first time in my adult life. We tried to compensate by getting a digital antenna, but it’s useless: The only thing it picked up was two Spanish channels and an infomercial.
So for those of you who had become accustomed to watching along with this blog, well…unless something big changes in the next six hours, corporate warfare is going to be kneecapping the Oscar’s NY ratings tonight.
If anyone knows a legal way to watch them on line, I’m all ears.
PAD
Senator Roy Ashburn, Republican from Prop 8-happy California, and a staunch opponent to gay rights, was arrested on a DUI while leaving a gay bar with an unidentified male companion.
People tend to say such things are ironic, but technically it’s not. It’s being caught in a display of hypocrisy, but there’s not an actual word to cover it. Maybe we should call it “hycronic.”
PAD
Originally published October 2, 1992, in Comics Buyer’s Guide #985
Front page news.
“The Death of Superman” has finally hit the media, landing with a very loud splash on the front page of Newsday. And since Newsday is a tabloid, front page means the whole page.
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