One man's journey...

It's nice to be recognized.

2009-11-29T16:43:50Z

Check out the credits box of this image:

Apparently this comes out Wednesday. I had no idea I'd get a mention.

Pretty cool.

(By the way, my site is under reconstruction right now, I am taking suggestions)

My uncle was on the Colbert Report

2009-07-23T06:26:14Z

Huh... well it seems my uncle Bob Park was on the Colbert Report yesterday... and I missed it.

I didn't even realize it until I was talking to a friend of mine about him and he said he'd heard of him - from Stephen Colbert! Funny thing is, I was watching part of that episode but changed it right before he introduced his guest! Freaky.

As a reporter I utilized his expertise once or twice.

Cool guy... and not mentioned on his Wikipedia page is the fact that the guy is a triathlon competitor. Even at his age, he's healthier than me.

One of my few family members on Wikipedia. Useful site for it's purposes, but I still don't trust it as far as I can throw it...

My dogs had kittens (and other cute animal photos)

2009-05-20T04:39:51Z

Since I'm putting cute kittens on Monomyhthic.com, I figure I'll put some cute animals here.

A few weeks ago the wife and I went out of town, and the morning after we came back we were awoken by strange howling from our smallest dog. I went to go see what the problem was, and this is what I saw:

Knew we should've gotten her fixed already.

Of course, the other two are fixed, and they are all girls... and dogs don't normally have kittens.

To be honest, I have no idea how four kittens ended up with my three dogs, but they lived fine together for a few days before I dropped them off at the pound. They're probably adopted by now.

While I'm on the topic of animals, here's a walk in the (wildlife) park I took with my long-missing dog. No, that's not how she disappeared.

Here's a frog I found in the backyard.

Cute, huh?

And on the less cute side (depending on your point of view), my cat likes take out as well as home cooking.

That's not ketchup.

Japanese Spider-man, now (officially) available online!

2009-05-18T02:28:00Z

Holy nutballs! I can't believe this... the Japanese Spider-man series (or at least an episode or so) is available on Marvel.com!

Now, if only I could get my friend to give me back my bootleg DVD copy he "borrowed" four years ago...

Introducing Monomythic.com

2009-04-07T02:17:44Z

I know I hardly post on my own journal, but to be honest, I hate writing about myself. A few years ago I wrote reviews for PopMatters.com, and I loved it, but my offline life took up too much of my time, and my work there suffered. A year ago I was writing pop culture columns at SciFiObserver, but that site - sadly - is no more.

Needing an outlet, I went ahead and created one. Monomythic.com is (for now) a blog about the science and nature of heroes, in the broadest sense of the term. Superman, Gilgamesh, Indiana Jones, Samus Aran and Arthur Dent are all fair game for commentary, analysis and review.

I don't plan to update multiple times a day, or even necessarily on a daily basis, but I do plan to have regular features.

Every Monday I'll spotlight a different obscure Marvel character.

Evey Wednesday I plan to look at an aspect of mythology or history not usually touched upon by others.

Every Thursday (for at least the next several weeks) I'll repost the robot-based spotlights that used to be up at SciFiObserver. If so inclined, I may continue this after the inventory articles run dry.

Every Friday I want to re-examine some little known aspect of science fiction or fantasy, or try to raise awareness for a classic book, radio play or movie that might be overlooked by popular culture.

The site is fairly blog-like (for now), but I'm hoping that changes overtime.

Oh, and as for why I'm doing this: the wife made me.

(I'll still post on LiveJournal as much as I ever did)

Time to update your Googles

2009-03-01T04:36:11Z

Paul Harvey passed away today. Sad to see him go, but he had a good long run. He was one of the last old-time radio personalities, from back in the day when news and advertisements blurred into on presentation from a faceless, fatherly voice.

I listened to him (and his son, who sat in for him often and could take over for him) all the time, but I'll always remember a line I heard from him about three years ago:

"It's time to update your Googles."

I have no idea what it means, but it seemed like pure genius.

If print dies, where will will the real news be?

2009-01-12T08:08:05Z

Spending eight years of my life as a reporter, and now teaching journalism in high school, it breaks my heart to see what's happening to the print medium.

americanbeetles mentioned on her journal that one of Seatle's papers could be shutting down. And, of course, they aren't alone.

They say print is dead, and it does seem to be inevitable, but the phrase "evolve or die" keeps popping in my head. I know newspaper-style reporting, editorial, and yes, cartoons, has a place in our world, but it needs to adapt in order to survive.

Blogs are not the answer. They are a new beast, just as television and radio are similar but very different.

I keep thinking of the Austin Chronicle. Here is a weekly paper that could just be another tabloid or indie rag, but along with all of the commentary and sarcasm are real news stories and in-depth features.

And yet... it's a free paper.

So how can they possibly survive? Simple, the advertisers are guaranteed an audience as the free paper is often the first thing people pick up when they enter a restaurant or stop at a gas station.

Admittedly, this kind of reputation needs to be earned and cannot be gained overnight, but that's where quality comes in, and to be honest, a lot of news outlets just aren't trying as hard as they should be.

Case in point, the Power Rangers murderer.

Here's a guy who's accused of killing three people on a yacht.

As a child he walked through a scene in one episode of Power Rangers, just a background character. And yet, I'll bet that moment defined his life. The Power Rangers were the bee's knees (that's right, I said it) in the 90's, so as a kid, he probably told everyone "I was on Power Rangers." As a young adult, failing to find success in acting or anywhere else, he probably continued with "I was a Power Ranger." And when the cop's arrested him, he probably said something along the line's of "You can't arrest me, I was a Power Ranger!"

I say this, because as a reporter, this was just the sort of thing I would read in police reports.

Now, it's not the police officer's job to fact check the ravings of a suspect (unless it's relevant to the case), but I imagine some reporter was reading that police report and said, "Hey, this guy was on Power Rangers!"

If I had been said reporter, I'd have checked this out. In fact, when I heard about the story I immediately did a quick web search and found out about this guy's "cameo." In fact, I'll bet the only reason it was on IMDB was because he put it there himself. It took me all of 30 seconds to learn he wasn't a Power Ranger or even a "child actor."

Apparently, the actual reporter did not fact check, so he turned in the story.

The editor (or editors, as most papers have stories go through several editors before they hit the page), could have done the same, but they did not. In fact, it's usually the editors that write the headlines, so I'll bet it was an editor that put "Power Ranger" and "Murder" in the same headline.

One of the editors sent the story to a news wire.

The news wires, like the Associated Press or Reuters, sift through thousands of stories a day and send them out to news outlets across the nation. Apparently no one at the wire bothered to fact check it.

Then someone at CNN saw the story. They put it on their website and even reported on it at Headline News (I'm sorry, HLN). They did not fact check it either.

Very quickly, a mountain was made out of a molehill.

What should never have been more than a local story got national attention.

Sure, the next day they had a "follow up" that described his "cameo" on Power Rangers, but the damage was done.

I'd link to the original story, but somehow, magically, there is no reference to any "power rangers" "murder" on CNN's database... they seem to have removed all related stories.

How hard is it, really, for reporters and editors to be as tech savvy as their readers? How difficult would it be to adapt to the changing technology of the world?

Pretty dang hard, I'm sure, but it needs to be done.

Newspapers have been an institution since the printing press was developed, and I do not believe it should die on our watch.

If you want newspapers to survive, make better newspapers.

Already television news has changed, although not entirely for the better.

I mentioned before how cable news went from reporting to commenting, but the epidemic has only gotten worse. Now even the regular achors are putting their uninformed opinions where they don't belong. Other than Chuck, can anyone on cable news give an unbiased report without adding their personal perspective?

The internet, as a whole, is not the answer. Yes, it is a new medium. Like radio and television before it, it has become and will remain a form of news and entertainment. But there are no filters on the internet, no way to tell a reporter from a guy-on-the-street. Just ask Steve Jobs.

I realize this has been a rambling rant, but I'm just a bit frustrated that a) people aren't allowed to make their own decisions about the news, and b) the one place where unbiased news is supposed to exist is now heading to extinction.

Someone should do something about this...

Dear lord.

2008-12-04T07:10:52Z

I make it a practice to (almost) never post videos for their own sake, but dear lord...

Ah. Can't wait till the new movie comes out.

My Twilight connection.

2008-11-24T02:34:02Z

I just had a strange revelation.

I'm not a fan of Twilight. I tried a few chapters and found it uninspired. My students love it - and anything that encourages people to read can't be all bad - but I didn't realize I had a minor connection to it.

I Interviewed the director.

It was a few years ago when she did Lords of Dogtown, but there ya go.

History Time: More fun stories from Japan

2008-11-21T04:43:20Z

Posted again at History Time. This one covers the first car (crash) in Japan and some other little known facts of Japanese history.

A last minute endorsement no one cares about.

2008-11-04T05:54:25Z

Before I begin, I should establish a few things.

First, I keep this journal to speak my mind on a variety of subjects, none of them consequential in the grand scheme of things. I don't talk about that funny thing my cat did, I don't complain about domestic disputes, I don't dish about co-workers or gripe about life.

Second, I have trained myself not to publicly talk about my political leanings over the past decade. First, as a reporter, I felt it was inappropriate to show bias by talking about my own leanings. I applied this when writing about politics and religion. I never said what my religious leanings were and I never, ever said who I would vote for. I have continued this trend as a teacher. I refuse to tell my students who to vote for and who I would vote for. When they ask who I'm casting my ballot for, I always have the same response: "The president." If they press further I add: "The one who wins." I do, however, encourage them to vote and said any student with a valid voter registration card could leave my classroom to vote in the lobby. I've also done my best to keep them apprised of the current political climate, the pros and cons of both candidates and the major economic, military and educational concerns of the country. And yes, I do all this in the context of an English class.

Now, that said, I have been fighting the urge to talk about my political leanings, though in private I have done so now and again.

This being the eve of probably the most historic election of past half-century (regardless of who wins), I feel the time is right for me to talk about my thoughts on the presidential race. Ironically, it was Colin Powell's last minute endorsement that encouraged me to do this - I say ironic because his endorsement was a coup for Obama's campaign and no one really cares what I have to say, but I'll say it anyway.

I voted for Barrack Obama.

This should be no surprise as I have many Liberal-leaning philosophies, but what many may not so obvious is that, had McCain been the Republican candidate in 2000, I would have voted for him at that time.

You see, I traditionally vote as a Democrat, but I've long believed that any good president should be above partisan labels and slanted decision-making. Sounds like a lot to ask, I'll grant you, but look back at some of the most respected presidents of history. Clinton made decisions, or approved decisions, that might go against liberal ideals, but he did so when the country needed it and he spun it in such a way that it sounded good at the time. The same could be said for Reagan, Bush Sr., Kennedy, FDR and, yes, even Nixon (when he had to).

I maintained this belief until George W. Bush took office. Within months of taking the oath, he had approved religious, environmental and health-related decisions that I would have thought completely against the "middle of the road" politics a person would need to maintain in order to be re-elected. I even said to my friends, "they only way this guy could get re-elected is if there was a war." Then there was a war.

My personal belief is, a good president needs to do two things: inspire confidence within America and respect from without. I fully believe McCain could have done this in 2000. I voted for Gore, and I knew he was technically capable and could gain the respect of other nations, but I didn't think he could inspire confidence. Bush, I felt, had the confidence of the people, but could not easily earn the respect of other nations.

That was then, this is now.

Now, for the first time in a long time, I feel we have two candidates that, on their own, could easily be adequate presidents and have the potential to be great presidents. They can inspire both confidence and respect, both within and without.

I feel the same could have been said of primary front-runners Hilary Clinton and Guliani, but unlike McCain and Obama, I do not feel they can put their own beliefs aside enough to listen to dissenting voices in the worst of times, because honestly, when the times are harshest, it is your critics you need to listen to. I wish Bush understood that.

However, what seporates these two candidates, aside from the fact that I agree with a lot more of Obama's platforms than McCain's, is that McCain is not the "maverick" he once was. Over the past several years he has worked hard to gain the support of the Republican base, something that helped him win the nomination but damaged the image of integrity he had, up to that point personified.

I still feel, as president, McCain would make the decisions that need to be made for the country, but they would come at the cost of hardline base Republican beliefs, like those promoted by his running mate.

This is not so much a condemnation of McCain as it is a call for the Republican Party to take a good, long look at itself. What does it mean to be Conservative? The term once meant sticking to what it says in the Constitution and not trying to read between the lines. Liberal, by contrast, meant assuming what was implied by the wording of the constitution. In that respect, assuming marriage needs defined or how religion is implimented in science class have nothing whatsoever to do with Conservativism (indeed, that's a rather liberal reading of the Constitution), yet, there they are as major concerns for base Republicans. Or so we are lead to believe.

By contrast, Obama is everything I've been hoping for in a president.

To get the race issue out of the way: yes, I would like to see a black president. Not because I feel it is a long time coming, but because I fully believe that any American can be president (as it says in the Constitution). In fact, I wish Colin Powell had run in 2000. He was a Republican in name, Liberal in beliefs and an honorable, respected man at heart. Apparently his wife asked him not to run, possibly out of the very real fear that, as "the first black president" he would be a target for the marginal fringe of our society that would see such a person as a target. Now Obama, often described as "well spoken" when he first hit the national scene, is black (despite what some Hilary supporters had said, see Colbert v. Dickerson). But the truth of the matter is, he is also white. In fact, he is as much a white Kansan as he is a black Kenyan. As the product of a bi-racial family myself, I understand what it is like to have different labels depending on the group labeling you. I don't like it, I would rather have nothing to do with it. I would much prefer Obama be considered just another human being as president than as the "first black president," but that isn't going to happen.

More important than race, much more important, is the fact that he is "well spoken." More than that, he is a damn good speaker. Think about it, when was the last time we had a president that we could quote without doing so sarcastically? Reagan? Kennedy? I want a president who not only inspires confidence, but inspires me. Obama does that, and I do not consider myself easily inspired.

A word on experience: lack of experience does not mean lack of ability. I do not know of Obama will be a great president, but I do know he is every bit as qualified as the next candidate. He has legal experience, legislative experience and he knows how to handle himself under pressure. McCain has that, Bush did not.

Much has been made of religion, and like Powell I believe it shouldn't matter if he was a Muslim. A few weeks ago I talked with two elderly Mexican immigrants who wanted to vote for Hilary and were, to be honest, scared of Obama because "he's Muslim." I could have argued with them, but instead I deflected their statement and responded to it. "Well, he is Christian, but he was raised with Muslims. He spent his formative childhood years surrounded by predominantly Muslim neighbors and playing with Muslim children. Who better to deal with people who are seen as 'our enemies' than someone who understands them?" They agreed with me. He grew up surrounded by people of every conceivable ethnic and religious group. For Obama, Muslims are not a strange novelty, they are human beings. McCain believes this as well, of course, but I can't think of someone better qualified to represent America on the world stage in today's political climate than a person who grew up exposed to and surrounded by the beliefs and traditions of other countries.

Then there's the economic issue. I am no economist. I'm not even good with numbers. I am, however, a student of history. Based on my knowledge of history and the state of the country following the invasion of Iraq, I said repeatedly that the country was headed for a major economic down turn. I compared it to the Great Depression, though I never believed, and I still don't that we could reach that exact level of crisis. This will, however, be a bad one. I said then that the cost of the war, the excessive spending, the unchecked market - yes I even brought up the housing market (I was buying a house and noticed the ridiculous number of houses foreclosed ranging from $60,000 to $4 million in value) - all meant a major downturn in the economy was coming. I figured it would come just before or after 2009. If it came before, the next president would need to step up and meet the challenge in much the way FDR did in the 30's. If it came before, the next president, regardless of culpability, would be blamed for it just as Hoover was the Depression. I honestly expected intelligent candidates like Obama and McCain to avoid this election for that reason, but I'm glad they did not. I also believe that Obama's Liberal leanings are best for the economy at this time.

The next crisis to hit the nation - barring some unforeseen event like 9/11 - will be education. Right now we are headed toward a major crisis in education, but this is a silent crisis. Teachers see it, students feel it, parents are understanding it, but until the entire educational system collapses in 2013, it might go unnoticed. I can only hope the next president acts before that happens. This is not some magical prediction by the way, it is written into the current educational system, and it is a ticking clock.

On top of all this, the nation seems to realize this is a historic election (no matter who wins). In my own county, nearly twice as many people participated in early voting, and in the next county over the number was more than double. Nationwide people are turning out to the polls in record numbers - so much so I would not be surprised if the results surprise the pundits. Not because the results will be different from what is predicted, but by how different the changes are. People who have never voted, or thought they would never vote, are voting. Many of these people are likely voting "straight ticket" rather than examining each of the candidates in each non-presidential race. I would not be surprised if several traditionally red states turn blue. If this is the case, I can only hope people are encouraged to continue voting - bot because people should always vote for Democrats, but because the more people stay informed and involved with the workings of our country, the better off we will all be.

Earlier today Obama received some shocking news. His grandmother, the one who raised him for much of his adolescence, passed away. He was supposed to speak in the evening to encourage supporters to turn out to the voting booths. I fully expected him to pass the speech off to a surrogate, a Clinton or Bidden, even his wife. But, he showed up on time and as scheduled - a politically smart move to remind voters he means what he says, but an emotionally taxing one. Regardless of tomorrows events, I'm sure he wanted his grandmother to be there to see him reach this milestone in his life.

He went on anyway.

I'm glad I voted for him.

(I wonder if anyone will bother to read all of that)

History Time: Frankenstein, vampires and ghosts

2008-11-01T02:54:42Z

Posted another history_time entry, this one about the origins of Frankenstein, vampires and local ghost stories.

I also included an update on the unfortunate Sgt. Weigert, should anyone care.

It's fun investigating the strange nooks and crannies of history.

All Hallow's Eve isn't what it used to be.

2008-10-31T13:02:18Z

I had less desire to celebrate Halloween this year - my favorite holiday - because costumes were banned at work. The announcement was sudden and meant the cancelation of a costume contest I was running.

Ah well.

Halloween isn't what it used to be.

(Had to turn off autostart. To play the video, click the words at the bottom)

I've been drawn!

2008-10-19T18:21:16Z

americanbeetles drew me!

Personally I think it's pretty cool... plus it shows me navigating the Tokyo Metro, which was, to be honest, a blast.

And because turnabout's fair play...

I drew her, based on her graduation photos, complete with lollipop of achievement and what I'm told is a Kabuto-mushi rhinoceros beetle.

kevingarcia @ 2008-10-05T12:11:00

2008-10-05T17:15:59Z

Reading mugenhunt's amazing post on history_time reminded me that I promised to give more information on the history of kabuki as told by Mark Oshima.

As he explained it, the female performers were a problem, because samurai watching the play would "call dibs" on who they got to have after the show - then fight over it when more than one man wanted the same girl.

Then they had adolescent boys with youthful long hair styles performing kabuki, but samurai watching the play would "call dibs" on who they got to have after the show - then fight over it when more than one man wanted the same boy.

Eventually the performances were outlawed for a time, then they could be performed, but the performers had to be adult males, shaved to look ugly.

Gives a whole new perspective on the beautiful tradition, doesn't it?

New podcast... subscribe already.

2008-10-04T01:37:12Z

I just did another podcast, working with the same guys as before (y mas) for ScreenPunk.net.

This one's all about super-heroes on film and politics. The perfect combination.

Check it out.

History time: How Brownsville got its name

2008-09-27T05:56:59Z

I just posted to the history aficionados group history_time about how Brownsville got its name. It's not as straight-forward as you might think...

Check it out.

This isn't my first post for the community - the last one, about the first on-the-scene hurricane reporter was posted when Ike was baring down on Galveston - but since that first post was out-of-order, I figured I'd wait till this post to mention anything.

All this is thanks to Kate Beaton, who was spotlighted by LiveJournal just a week or so ago.

Comic book rant: combine Runaways, Young Avengers and Secret Warriors into one book.

2008-09-18T05:07:30Z

I just finished reading Young Avengers/Runaways Secret Invasion.. no spoilers here, but this series was better than most of the Young Avengers mini-series from earlier this year and better than the first issue of the new Runaways.

Self-indulgent digression: I'm particularly disheartened by how uninteresting the new Runaways series is since it's written by Terry Moore and drawn by Humberto Ramos. There are only two comic series my wife has read every issue of: Strangers in Paradise and Crimson. This combo should've been perfect for her... yet both of us found it unreadably boring (she also found it very unfriendly to new readers, since she had no idea who the individual Runaways were)... okay, back to the point...

It's been said time and again how similar the Runaways and Young Avengers are, but I'll go ahead and repeat it:

Android teen created by Ultron - check.
Gay couple including at least two alien species (one of them Skrull and at least one royalty) - check.
Magician with vaguely defined plot-device powers - check.
One hero seen as a normal human trying to prove him/herself by cleverly using gadgets - check.

Both teams are legacy characters trying to either prove themselves as the next generation or two make up for the sins of the past.

Now let's look at the Secret Warriors.

We have a magician with vaguely defined plot-device powers (as with Runaways and Young Avengers).
We have a speedster (similar to the Young Avengers).
We have a small child with ridiculous omega-level power (like Runaways).

Once again we have a team of legacy characters, but unlike either of the previous teams, the members of this one couldn't care less about the legacy of their parents. (I guess the name Generation X was taken)

Okay, now here's what I'm getting at.. what's the point?

I mean, the current Runaways series, as much as I love the creators, isn't all that amazing.

Young Avengers has been on indeffinate hold since the series creator returned to Hollywood and the tidbits we've recieved since then have been hit or miss. Admittedly, the Secret Warriors haven't been published as a series yet, but (as much as I respect Bendis), so far I haven't been impressed with any of their appearances - no originality and no real point.
All that said... I like the idea of a team of young legacy heroes in the Marvel Universe (back in the 40s, Marvel's first super-team was just that, but they were called the Young Allies).

Why not, blasphemy of blasphemies... we just combine the three books (and heck, Avengers: Initiative while were at it,although I love that series) into one.

Sure, some characters would be lost in the shuffle, but like any good team book, members would leave, new ones would join and former members could rejoin later.
Either find one really good creative team (writer suggestions: Yost, Parker, Slott, Wells) and pick a plot: heroes on the run, heroes in training or heroes underground (or better yet, have their status quo be determined by the circumstances of the story: be in the Initiative one arc, on the run from it the next).

If they really need to be separate books, there should be a clearer difference. Half of the first two teams are connected to space in some way - have a space-faring team of teen heroes. That'd be different (at least for Marvel).

My point is... I want more from less, rather than less from more. A bunch of poorly done teen hero books vs. one book with a good creative team (or rotating teams).

Am I alone in this thought?

Looking forward to Fable II, but... am I getting my hopes too high?

2008-09-06T05:56:56Z

I love Fable one, I've even replayed the whole thing a few times, but no matter how much I want to "try things different," my final character always looks basically the same.

To be attractive, you need certain clothes, haircuts and tattoos.

To be well defended, you need a certain armor.

To be good or evil you just pick the properly aligned version of either.

The end result: you always look the same, either tinted gold/white or black/purple.

To top it off, your character aged decades in a matter of hours (despite the "in-game" days only passing in the dozens), so by the time I reach the half-way point my hair is white and face wrinkled.

Here's all I want to know about Fable II.... can I change my appearance without defeating the point of the game?

I don't think that's too much to ask... I mean the game includes an apparently innovative death mechanic, a fun (but potentially costly and probably seldom-used?) online co-op system and a dog... can I get a haircut without severely limiting the character's potential? Can I have a big nose or high cheekbones or a mole on my eyelid... and still be socially acceptable?

And for that matter, where's the bear suit we were promised in Fable one?

I want my bear suit.

The eyes have it.

2008-09-02T07:26:42Z

Ah, the things that can be found on LiveJournal. Try it. It's fun.

“Build a man a fire, and he’s warm for a day. ..."

2008-08-11T05:21:50Z

“... Light a man on fire, and he’s warm for the rest of his life.”

Man, who knew Corey Feldman could be this cool?

Just saw Lost Boys: The Tribe, a horrible movie with a few really funny scenes and inventive ideas (I particularly liked how a vampire could cruise around during the day, even if it was in a deleted scene). A smattering of chuckles (mostly unintentional, I'm sure) isn't enough to make a film a cult classic, but Corey Feldman, vampire slayer, is something I'd like to see more of.

Every scene featuring Edgar "Don't call me Eddie" Frog makes the otherwise awful film worth watching. Few actors can deliver such cheesy lines without a hint of irony, yet with such devotion that it makes fans want to cheer.

Like Bruce Campbell's Ashley Williams, I would love to see more of Corey Feldman's Edgar Frog. What's more, I would love to see a series of Frog films - just move past the vampires. They are the most mind-numbingly boring parts of "The Tribe" and they weren't that interesting in the first Lost Boys film. Let's have Frog take on zombies, werewolves, aliens, fairies, demons and whatever-the-hell-else he wants.

I would watch those films.

Marvel: Why can't you use what you've got?

2008-07-28T00:40:12Z

DC is integrating..

Civil Rights related pun aside, DC is finally taking proper advantage of the fact that it owns Milestone Comics and incorporating the characters of this multi-ethnic super-hero universe into the DC Universe-proper. Now, aside from the fact that, if utilized right, these characters could give the fairly homogeneous DCU a much needed diversity shot in the arm, this move illustrates one area that DC has, time and again, shown an aptitude above and beyond that of Marvel.

DC is willing to incorporate characters that began outside of DC.

This goes all the way back to the original Justice Society when National Allied and All-American worked together in what would ultimately become DC. The integration was seamless. Much later this was continued as Captain Marvel, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle and others purchased by DC over the years were brought into the fold. Sure, these weren't always instant transitions - it took a damn long time for the Power of Shazam to get properly recognized - but now these characters are vital parts of the DCU.

Why hasn't Marvel done the same?

First off, what exactly does Marvel own?

The most obvious and well known answer is simple: The Ultraverse.

Essentially another attempt to leech off the popularity of super-hero comics in the collectors' market of the early 1990s, the Ultraverse included several critically acclaimed and well-produced comics, including Prime, Strangers and Night Man. The comic line even spawned a Night Man live action TV series and an animated Ultraforce, not to mention a few video game and toy licenses.

Marvel earned these properties with the purchase of Malibu Comics in 1994. Immediately Marvel set out on the right path by linking the Ultraverse to Marvel with crossovers and limited cross pollination (Marvel heroes joined Ultra teams, but I don't believe anyone came the other direction), but as sales dropped, the venture was abandoned.

However, as interesting as the Ultraverse was, it wasn't all Marvel got in the deal. They may have gotten Dave Cockrum's Futurians, the Dinosaurs for Hire, the Marvel-appropriately titled Ex-Mutants and it does include the extremely commercially successful Men in Black.

Then there are the Marvel imprints that have gone by the wayside, never to be used again. Marvel's Curtis Magazines was used to publish censorship-free black-and-white mags (what ever happened to Pussycat?), Clive Barker's Razoline and the Star Comics originals like Wally the Wizard, Planet Terry, Royal Roy and Top Dog (not to mention Timely's line of funny animals). Not to mention the pre-Marvel line of pulp fiction.

So given all that, why has Marvel not properly utilized these properties?

The most common response given is legal reasons, but that can fly for all the characters (as far as I know, no one's sued to get more money out of the MiB franchise for example) and it doesn't apply to those originally created for Marvel imprints.

It's not like Marvel hasn't incorporated non-Marvel characters before. They make good fodder and are easily turned into villains, but these have usually been copyright free, public domain characters.

Utilizing these characters could mean anything from movie franchises based on commercially viable and timely properties like those in the Ultraverse (Prime, Rune) or Razorline, to cartoons based on the Star titles.

It could also mean, as it often does of DC, reintroducing the characters in the main universe. I'd prefer this be a clean introduction, with none of that "alternate reality" stuff. Imagine Prime looking up to Sentry, the Protectors as an initiative team, Dinosaurs of Hire helping the Fantastic Four, or the Men in Black as a division of S.W.O.R.D.? I know I'd love to see Lord Pumpkin vs. the Avengers.

And if that's not too much trouble, why not make money off reprints? I'd love to see an Essential Rune, or a series of Ultraverse trades. Heck, why stop there, the pulps could be reprinted in genre-specific square-bound volumes (sci-fi, westerns, what have you). There's certainly a niche market for them and besides, since copyrights have lapsed, others have jumped on the bandwagon. Why not take advantage of the history and the Marvel name and do it right? Throw in a commentaries by well known writers and I'd buy it. (This would be fairly similar to Night of the Living Dead DVDs. There are a lot of versions out there, but the one to get is the one George Romero does the commentary on).

Alright Marvel, here's your mission... get something done!

Dazzler should be an Avenger!

2008-07-18T07:34:55Z

As long as I'm posting about nothing important...

Seriously... Dazzler.

The super-hero created by committee for a movie and record deal that never happened, designed to be Marvel's answer to the disco sensation (just as the fad was ending), the only super-hero to wear a mirrored ball into battle - Dazzler!

Alright, she seems embarrassing now, but let's look back at it:

She was created as part of a failed record deal intended to launch Marvel into the multimedia business years before Marvel Studios could become a success.

Although the record never happened (I love the idea of studios creating a singer without anyone that can actually sing), Marvel wasn't stopping there: there was talk of a Saturday morning cartoon, an animated film (co-starring KISS and the Village People) and a live action feature film! Film or no, she did get a graphic novelization of the script.

While she never became a media darling and disco died before her time, Dazzler did get her own comic, and lasted a more-than-respectable 42 issues. The last issue has something I don't think I've ever seen on a comic: it announced the series was ending "because you demanded it"!

Reader demands or not, Dazzler continued. She got her own mini-series with the Beast (why they never became a couple, I'll never know). After that she was almost a founding member of X-Factor.

Sure she went on to date Longshot and conceive a baby with him only to have the pregnancy never directly addressed again... but leaving that behind for a moment, let's look at her qualifications:

• Almost had a movie, TV series and record.

• Member of the X-men.

• Defeated the likes of Dr. Doom and Galactus (No really. She could give Squirrel Girl a run for her money).

• Her original costume included (aside from disco ball) mirrored roller skates.

(Okay, the last one's just funny)

And then there's her powers.

Initially presented as rather goofy - she could create blinding light if sound was present - she has upped her powers over the years to include lasers and concussive blasts. In an alternate reality she learned to create "solid light" constructs and intense heat, and her sister (also a mutant), has similar-light based powers but can melt anything she touches. Clearly Dazzler has more potential.

And why on the Avengers? Well, she got no attention in the recently cancelled Excalibur series (not that many people read it anyway), she would be lost among the swarm of other X-Men (only 198 mutants, and most are X-Men) and Marvel is constantly saying they want more strong female icons. It'd be nice to have one that wasn't just the female analogue of a male hero.

How to revive the Predator (solo) franchise...

2008-07-16T18:29:10Z

I've been saying for a while that if I could write or produce Predator films, this is what I would do with it.

Sure, we could have Predators show up in Afghanistan, but what's the point of that? One more film that trivializes a prolonged struggle?

They could also put it in the far future, but this was done in Aliens, and to be honest, I have no interest in seeing humans use make believe technology to defeat the (admittedly make believe) Predators.

Predator 2 made it pretty clear the hunters have been using Earth for sport over the centuries, and this was explicitly stated in both AvP 1 and 2, so why not go with that?

I would love to see a movie set in the height of the Crusades with two armies charging into a dust-filled nighttime battlefield only to have shining lights descend from the sky. Both sides would wonder if God has chosen to send a messenger to aid their side - but both would face the devil. By the time the first battle's over, you are left with a handful of survivors: an old knight, a young squire, a Muslim warrior and an innocent bystander who happened to live in the area.

It'd be great.

Or how about my favorite era, the Age of Conquest? It's already been established that the Predators have a connection to Mesoamerica, why not have the Spanish arrive, look for El Dorado or Cibola or some other lost treasure only to encounter local legends about beasts that stalk the forests in the name of the gods. Ideally the heroes of this battle should be a pair of twins... just for myth's sake.

What about Edo Japan? Can you imagine 47 samurai vs. one bad-ass Predator?

Hmmm... enough distractions... I should probably get back to work...

Google's Second Life isn't very Lively... but it is interesting.

2008-07-09T06:36:44Z

Never tried World of Warcraft or Second Life or any other online world... but what the heck, Google's free and I already have an account.

That is Infinite Improbabilities, my own little corner of this fake world. Tried to make a peaceful place without dance music and with places to sit... dang, does that make me boring?

At least you can sit on the ceiling if you want to.