Geek CV: Johanna Draper Carlson
May 21It’s sort of weird to call someone a “veteran of the internet,” like what does that even mean? That they’ve somehow managed to maintain their damn blog for at least a year? But Johanna Draper Carlson is totally (here it comes, deep breath!) a veteran of the internet. She started her site, Comics Worth Reading, back in ’99 and was hanging out online way before that.
CWR features an array of reviews, commentary and other tidbits, all delivered in Johanna’s distinctive voice — there’s a thoughtfulness to her writing that I greatly admire, a willingness to dig thoroughly into the work she’s discussing. Take, for instance, her review of the Amanda Bynes flick Sydney White. I think a lot of the Snarky O’Bloggertons out there would be pretty quick to couch their liking of this film with all kinds of hipper-than-thou qualifers or merely dismiss it all together because of its teen-y sheen. Johanna looks at it like she’d look at any other review subject and finds that it’s pretty dang charming (and she’s right, you guys! I loved every geek girl minute!).
Anyway, in order to learn more about lovely Johanna, we asked her a few burning nerdly questions…
Go Girl, Please Destroy Go Girl
May 20There’s a radio commercial running right now that makes my brain and guts wilt every single time it airs. It features a focus group-y type gathering of ladies sitting around and discussing the sheer awesomeness of a new energy drink “for women” called Go Girl, which apparently boasts the following desirable attributes:
1) It’s sugar free
2) It only has a few calories
3) It comes in a bright pink can!
No, really. At the end, they make a point of saying “look for it in the BRIGHT PINK CAN!” The whole thing sounds dated and dumb and like someone put together a simplified-to-the-point-of-mental-impairment matrix for “how to sell stuff to girls.”
Anyway, after my brain and guts have somehow righted themselves a tiny bit, I always wonder what Trina Robbins would think. Because, if you’ll recall, she penned a comic that bears the same name. I never completely fell in love with this series (I did fall a little in love with Go Girl’s kicky mod outfit, but that’s probably a discussion we should have some other time), but it seemed like something that might appeal to younger readers, particularly girl readers, and I’m all grossed out that this dumb-ass product decided to name itself that as well. (And by the way? There might not be any sugar, but there’s apparently as much caffeine as there is in a cup of coffee, so I guess the goal is to hype you the fuck up without, you know, making you fat. Yay?)
I would like to request that Go Girl — the real Go Girl, not the pink drink — maybe team up with U-Go Girl and take this shit DOWN. Or at least make them stop airing the commercials.
JMS=Oscar Bait?!
May 20I’m just sorta stunned at the buzz that J. Michael Straczynski’s upcoming flick The Changeling is drumming up. He wrote the screenplay, based on a true story…and Clint Eastwood is directing it, with Angelina Jolie starring.
I like JMS’ writing well enough, often enough, but still–this is the Babylon 5 guy we’re talking about, right? The One More Day writer?
It’s like finding out Alex Ross will be exhibiting his paintings in the Louvre.
Four-Color Critiques #4: Love and Death
May 16Who is the greatest Marvel character?
(That’s a rhetorical question.)
Sorta depends on how you define “greatest.” Is it the character with the most appearances in print, or the best stories told about him/her? Is it the one who’s made the deepest penetration into the popular culture at large? Is it the character with the coolest powers, or the most interesting personality, or the strongest supporting cast?
For me, the greatest Marvel character is the one who best epitomizes exactly what the Marvel style of storytelling and characterization is all about. That character is Thanos.
That’s right–Thanos.
Play-Doh for everyone!
May 14
I’ll tell you a little secret – I love packaging. Even shipping boxes, like these Play-Doh cartons, that have a certain amount of design… I just love it. Just the thought of a box, or maybe thousands of boxes of mint toys and products and my brain is happy.
Play-Doh, Cincinnati
Originally uploaded by bayswater97.
