Alert Nerd @ MegaCon 2009
Feb 27
I’ll be spending some quality time on Sunday at MegaCon, the southeast’s finest comic book and pop culture show. It’s my first time, so be gentle.
I’ll be tweeting from the floor frequently, so come and follow me if you want instant updates on what Mark Waid is wearing and Twitpics of bad cosplay. Dustin from For The Love of Comics is also tweeting from the con, and I’ll be meeting him for lunch on Sunday as part of an impromptu “geek tweetup” that I think will consist of Dustin and I swapping back issue hunting stories. Which is fine by me.
We’ll also have a special MegaCon edition of the Alert Nerdian available at the freebie table. Here’s the PDF for your viewing pleasure. It’s just a repackage of my Scott Pilgrim review, because I love myself THAT MUCH.
Four-Color Critiques #7: Alan Moore and Dengar’s Best Man
Feb 24Hearing that Alan Moore once wrote Star Wars stories was like hearing about a long-lost collaboration between Dylan, McCartney, Lennon, Jagger, and Pat Boone. It blew my fragile little mind.
So yes, that’s the shocker, if you didn’t know already–over the course of late 1981 and much of 1982, Moore had a handful of short comics stories published in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Monthly, produced by Marvel UK. I believe one of them represents his first published collaboration with Alan Davis, but I could be wrong on that.
Today, the prospect of Alan Moore dipping his wrinkly toes into the Lucasfilm sandbox would be occasion for much marketing fanfare, tantamount to Spielberg directing a prequel or Georgie boy himself penning a sequel to Watchmen. (I can’t even imagine what such a thing would constitute.)
Back then, Moore was a newbie starting in comics, and Marvel UK had a hungry maw to feed each month with stories from a galaxy far, far away, and so these stories were born.
Rearranging Toys
Feb 23I’ve been possessed by a crazy cleanliness and neatness streak at work, and this morning, with my boss out of the office and a quiet few minutes, it finally spilled over to the arrangement of my various desk toys.
I have a relatively random assortment of toys scattered around my desk; most of them made their way to this office from previous offices, and a few have been more recent additions. Here’s what I finally settled on, basically two staging areas:
Staging Area One is my poor man’s shrine to the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire era of Justice League, consisting mostly of DC MiniMates (Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Power Girl, Dr. Fate, blue/gold Batman, Superman, and the Blue Beetle/Booster Gold team) and a few JLU figures (Elongated Man, Rocket Red, Mr. Miracle).
When this obsession first hit full-scale, I became so fixated that I bought random figs just to create my own custom Maxwell Lord. He’s the guy on the right in the back row, complete with stogie in his hand. Next to him is a crappy “custom” Oberon that needs a lot of work.
Just sorta “hanging out” are my X-Wing, BSG new-era Viper, and 1989 Batmobile; you can see part of my Snoopy typing statue, and next to that but off-camera is my 1966 Batmobile, an Xmas gift from a pal here at work. To the far left, off-camera and just in random spots, are my old Super Powers Batman and a 7” Iron Giant.
This is Staging Area Two, and looking at it now, I’m less satisfied with it; it seems cramped. It’s mostly my collection of Star Wars Bust-Ups, another brief obsession that I actually hope to return to someday, as I think they’re really cool and relatively inexpensive. My favorite is the Obi-Wan animated, even though it’s not from my favorite Star Wars era; I also have one at a different spot on my desk that’s OT Han in his classic “holding blaster, looking badass” pose from that famous promo still of him and Chewie. Standing guard over them is the current JLU Superman and Bats, with a foppish Han holding his medal from A New Hope between them.
Now…I’m thinking about doing some actual work.
Great Moments in Theme Park Attraction Marketing: Universal Studios Florida
Feb 20Because I am Just That Cool, I was sent an “early preview” link for the official website for the new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster at Universal Studios here in sunny Orlando, Florida (“Jamlando” to you locals).
I was surprised to see that standard navigation options are now being trumpeted as cutting-edge benefits to website visitors:
Yeah, dude-surf the way YOU want, because we’re hip AND edgy! Use the navigation “up top,” or if you’re feeling really saucy, do it “on the side” style! None of those square “Oh, hey, we’re web designers, we know how a site SHOULD work, you have to use OUR navigation or nothing” vibes. That’s bullshit. Fuck “the man.” Fight the power.
Thank you, Universal Studios Florida, for this…
Great Moment In Theme Park Attraction Marketing.
"Scott 5"
Feb 18I finally received and read my copy of Scott Pilgrim Vs. the Universe yesterday. Just as I was with Harry Potter, or as I am with a new episode of Lost or BSG, I find it almost impossible to do anything more than straight-up devour the new installment of Scott Pilgrim when it arrives. I’m a starving man slinging delicious comics down my throat, barely taking time to observe the clever design, artwork, and dialogue of Bryan Lee O’Malley.
Still, this one hit me pretty hard, especially that double-page spread of…well, how about some spoiler space, eh?
