Uncle Bob: The same guy with the mean bat logo tee mentioned in the last post. He saw me lugging Kieth bats around and said he don't like the art. Said bats looks too cartooniistick. Whatever that means. Said uncle said he liked bats neat. Like Neal Adams neat. Told me to buy Dark Victory instead. "The one with the red cover". How can you not like this man? He took a neat look at me and summarized that I liked my comics funny. Lobo funy. How did he tell?! Man, I tell you this guy is a genius! From a time past, from a world neat, where Batman was Bob Kane, please to meet you Uncle Bob. (Now, do us all a favor and change that goddam fraggin undersized mean bat tee!)
PENDATANG spotting at Jeremiah.
Not sure if you heard that wolverines are very territorial animals. I mean anywhere where they have pooped or scented, is declareed terra exclusiva only for them who think they are best in what they do. So if for interstellar unknown reasons, this acid-veined, chinese eyed dude with shiny black suit happen to walk into wolverine territory - it's clobberin time! First the accusation: wolverines have been here since claremont so have an undeniable right to claim status. Next the judgedreddment: Aliens with chinese eyes and foul breath dripping with acid are from far and away and will not even be famous 'cept for the space stripping scene of Ms Weaver, therefore aliens are pendatang. Next after next, comes the denial: No, wolverines will not apologize for pooping all over and claiming territory. This is wolverine's unhygienick birthright! There's no arguing against such OXFORD logic.
another PENDATANG spotted
All exposed at Jeremiah. Even Bats. Just because you look mean and have red fur and have a cult following of a different kind in comics-dom, you are labelled. Pendatang. I mean holy leotards, furball here ain't gonna have a Dark series or a Dark movie or a Dark return. Heck, best furball can hope for a is a mini series with 8-pages that ends up forgotten. But you can only hope so much. Furball + sharp teeth + foul breath = Pendatang
ANOTHER PENDATANG SHORTS: Meanwhile down south in SIN-sin land. Another pendatang story. The serangoon gardens 'middle class' snobs sent a petition to the gahmen protesting the conversion of a school to housing for foreign workers. said this will endanger the wimen folks and daughters in the neighbourhood. (say what?!) Them 'middle class' folks swore the influx of pendatang-pendatang into the neighbourhood will devalue the property potential. (again what?!!) Them 'MIDDLE CLASS' folks at serangoon gardens are the powdered momma boys and the pentaksub with their B. Sc (honk!) with their driven cars and their engineered lives.
I stay in a gahmen subsidised flat. Matchbox houses not unlike old puchong. There are no pendatangs in this area. Only your friendly neighbourhood hard workin sunshine type with very tanned skins. Smile...
A danger to women & kids? Moi? Heck, I keep a pet hamster for Pete's sake!
SAM KIETH at Jeremiah. A damn fine bat artist. And don't let Uncle Bob tell you otherwise. Logan, Bats, Scratch, Alien (Part 2?), Venom - having a good time.
***
I am fraggin blasted but (thank-gawd-awfully) at peace with everything. ('cept Hamid & the tuition teacher)
2 comments:
Actually, you do read your comics funny. Art is only art if it's distorted beyond belief. You don't actually *read* the stuff so much as stare at them, do you?
Problem is, people like me (and Uncle Bob for that matter) actually read the stuff. Art is only art when it *TELLS* the story. Otherwise, we'll be better off buying coffee-table artbooks. It's Comics! It's SEQUENTIAL STORYTELLING. The art serves the story.
But the magic of the medium is that, once in a while, the story goes on a totally different tangent altogether with an experimental artist like Bill Sienkiewicz. Frank Miller was left panting chasing up to Bill and scripting over his *art*. The results are magical pieces like "Daredevil: Love & War" and "Elektra: Assassin" (or Claremont's "Demon Bear Saga").
Me? I'm a reader first and foremost who appreciate it when the artist is a storyteller first and a showy-artist second. In my world, Neal Adams is a god. So is John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Mike Zeck, John Romita Sr. and Jr.
Sam Keith? Ted McKeever? They're good for those "once-in-a-while" thing. Like I go for Vietnamese food once in a while. I loved Sam Keith's "The Maxx" - don't be mistaken. Even blokes like Jon J. Muth or Kent Williams. Once in a while.
I read comics for the soap-opera and the "continuity" (possibly your most hated word). In other words, the characters, the plots and the dialogues rule over showy-art.
I do READ comics.
I still have Stan the Man Silver Surfer. More words, less art even though it's Moebius.(Smug? you BET!)Yes, I read X-overs for the storyline/plots and was once very much a continuity follower. Then Frank Miller Sin City...After that ephipany experience, comics can never be the same. I sold off all my X-stories and the giant continuity. After frank miller/god what else is there?
When Kino first opened, or rather when the comics section first came to existence and all was well, I saw the snake in the garden tree. No way in heaven or hell was I ever going to run a marathon with continuity. Ever.
God kicked me out of the garden. I am left with a non-linear plot. Not once in a while. But the story of my life. Go figure.
There's god/miller and there are divines. Jeremiah is no shrine but just a pub where off duty divines hop in to screw the mind. Once in a while. I like the pub as much as Lobo like Al's Diner. You'll never know who will turn up. That's what comics does to me.
Soap opera? It oozes out like pus in every page of Sam Kieth Batman Secrets. Bet you've never seen Kieth's Joker. Joker's girl? The s&m with a lead pipe? The hypocrite in front of the camera - Bruce/Bat? The bigot when the camera is off - Bat/Bruce? Bats beating Joker to a pulp till bits of the Joker actually fell off the frames!!! Totally insane. Now that's soap opera. No rinsing needed. :)
There's no continuity left but commerce. There's no life but exhibition. There's moments of magic/insanity that grabs you, seize you by the throat and flinging you into the waves. Now, that's life. Why is that not a bad thing?
I am not complaining. I breathe still. Art is therapy.
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