Friday, April 30, 2004
at
9:47 a.m.
|
The order of the colors of the rainbow is always the same. Have you ever heard of Roy G. Biv? That’s the standard mnemonic device for remembering the proper order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. That’s always the order . . . almost, anyway. If you look slightly above the rainbow, you may see a second, faint rainbow. Notice the order of the colors of rainbow number two. They’re the reverse of the colors in the first rainbow—Vib G. Yor.
***ON AVERAGE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE ASTHMA HEAR BETTER THAN PEOPLE WHO DON’T. NOBODY KNOWS WHY.***
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
at
8:42 p.m.
|
Yes, it's true... I bought the movie for Catherine. And why not? She's a pretty good girlfriend. Just don't tell her I said that.
And sweet thing that she is, she bought me a new book. And that's just an essential. I can't think of a time when I didn't have a book I was reading, and if I ever did find myself in such dire circumstances I'd rush out and buy or borrow a book as soon as I could. I feel almost naked without the weight of one in my pocket.
Other than that the week has gone by in a blur of layout for the magazine. It looks amazing and we printed it in color today, but I can't help but feel with every step forward the inevitability of finishing and having nothing to do. Pushee is freaking out, but this is the first time he's come to such a crossroads. It's not a pretty thing. I suddenly find myself concerned with such things as a future and financial stability.
I miss the days of summer, the safety of home, and the hoarding of money for trinkets like video games and action figures.
Oh wait, I still buy those things.
You get what I'm trying to say, though.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
at
11:28 p.m.
|
The reload is almost upon us.
No, not the Matrix, but rather the X-Men. Marvel has been pushing for a big redesign/relaunch of their flagship group of titles and while I must admit that getting Chris Claremont back on Uncanny X-Men and a couple of other nice surprises is great, I'm more than a little worried as most of these changes are almost exactly the way things were ten years ago.
For more on my theory of the evolution of the super hero, ask to read my University thesis.
In essence, it describes the superhero as a cultural icon built for the times in which the reader lives. For instance, Superman was a creation of the depression and a symbol of strength for a country going to war. Spider-Man was born out of the sixties and the self-awareness that came with new eyes and understanding. Spider-Man was a real person most of the time and his problems and his life set him apart from every other hero of the time.
Now it's an age of terrorists, poverty rates and the threat of over-population and technological expansion. Some might argue that ten years is a drop in a bucket, but in terms of super-hero growth and evolution it is an age or more. Therefore reverting, even as a decision on a marketing level, could be disaster.
And I've been there. I realize that most of the plots and stories that I read and enjoy are re-hashed and well worn paths that have been going on for years. But I missed out on all of that stuff years ago when it first happened. Now everything is coming full circle, and there's more than one cancer both editorially and creatively at Marvel.
Maybe it's time to pull the plug?
Or do I have faith that my heroes will endure and decide to see where evolution will take its course?
Monday, April 19, 2004
at
6:06 p.m.
|
The Winchester House, San Jose, Calif. Sarah Winchester, heir to the Winchester rifle fortune, believed she was haunted by the ghosts of people killed with Winchester rifles. A spiritualist told her that the only way she could escape the spirits was to build a home for them. And construction had to go on day and night . . . or she would die.
So, in 1885, Sarah bought an eight-room house and started building. The house eventually rose to a height of seven stories and covered six acres, with 160 rooms, 40 staircases, 10,000 windows, and 2,000 doors. Work was still going strong when she died in 1923, at age 81.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
at
8:53 p.m.
|
Don't you love irony?
I went to see both Kill Bill Vol. 2 and The Punisher today. I expected to love the Tarantino flick and find some glimmer of enjoyment from my Marvel comic offering.
Things went in the opposite direction. I LOVED The Punisher. Sure, it had it's flaws, but overall the film pleased me quite a bit. Color me shocked.
Uma and Quentin, on the other hand, lacked the lustre and shine that the first half of this big movie had. It's almost too different from the first half. Though I knew and expected things to slow down and go in a bit of a different direction, it was just too... western, I suppose.
Still, a good flick. I'll be interested in seeing the two put back together later this year on DVD.
Both are good flicks worthy of checking out. But man-o-man... Frank Castle kicks ass.
Saturday, April 17, 2004
at
9:01 p.m.
|
What kind of a moron gets up early on a Saturday, heads in for school to be there by 10 and stays until 7 at night?
Well, I do. I'm the moron.
But it's for a good cause. As the art director for our little mag I have a ton of work and responsibility. Unfortunately this means I also get the bulk of the work put on my shoulders. Pushee and Manni help out quite a bit but the rest of the group is... lacking a little.
But even if they were there, I don't know what I'd ask them to do. With a vision, especially tunnel-vision when it comes to layout, it's so tough for me to assign tasks when I don't know what's going on until I put it right in front of me. One layout took me completely by surprise today and I must say it's the best yet.
Go figure.
I'm taking the day off tomorrow to go see those movies. I need the break. Pushee, with his chipmunk cheeks after having several back teeth removed, wholeheartedly agrees.
He's probably being lazy.
Friday, April 16, 2004
at
11:25 p.m.
|
Went out and bought the complete Firefly series. For those of you unfamiliar with the now-cancelled TV show, it's the brainchild of Joss Whedon who is behind series like Angel and Buffy and who will soon be writing The Astonishing X-Men for Marvel.
This show rocks. I'm so mad it was cancelled before it ever really got a chance to shine. The cast is fantastic, the action intense and the effects rival that of any big budget movie I've ever seen.
And it's funny. Not a comedy by any stretch, but there's something much more real and interesting about this show than all the Star Trek series and everything else we're used to from space.
So whenever you come by, make sure to ask to see and episode or two. Be warned, it's quite addictive.
Thanks to the huge popularity of the show on DVD and its incredible sales, Universal has greenlit a Firefly feature film... which Whedon hopes will in turn lead to a tv series. Seems like a backwards way to go about it, but this cast is magic together and we need more... lots more... and we need it now.
Trust me.
Tomorrow it's back to school for more work. At least there my comp isn't fucked in the head. This one needs a major tune-up. I'm going to try to work in time in the afternoon to go see Kill Bill Vol.2 or maybe The Punisher. I have to support Marvel after all...
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
at
11:11 p.m.
|
God I hate journalists.
This is an alarming statement considering I am one, but if you ever try and deal with a journalist, especially one that's been in the business for a decent number of years, this can be a taxing chore.
One columnist at the Globe and Mail that I've had dealings with has been particularly troublesome. She's been cooperative, of that you can be sure, but at the same time she takes nearly every opportunity to point out some flaw or error in something that I've done. The first time it was taking too long to follow her words while writing notes. This time, it was the sin of neglecting to include a time frame.
This was partially intentional. After all, I'm trying to gather some notable journalists together for a cover photo shoot for Convergence. Not an easy task both in terms of manpower, time available, and space to fit in the egos. But I'm trying.
And it may kill me.
Will she help? Well, she says she's up for it. First she... well... read and decide:
"am confused. you don't give me a clue, i don't think, when you might
want to do this? don't even have a hint. i know where, i know why, i know
what to wear even, but no idea of a rough time frame.
the murder trial i'm covering is in its last stages, and the case will
go to the jury next tuesday, so my time is dicey and can't possibly say
i can be there, though i would try, until i have some idea of what
you're looking at here."
It ended with a little 'cheers' to make my day sunny and bright. At least I have confirmation from Manni that Ben Chin is interested, and another name is popping by the school tomorrow.
Life could be easier, but who knows how much? Schedules, schedules, schedules....
And why am I organizing all this shit? I'm just the bloody art director....
Thursday, April 08, 2004
at
10:47 p.m.
|
I can feel it in my bones.
My hand aches tonight for some reason. Feels like arthritis setting in. I don't know why this would be the case... I probably smacked it good and hard at karate last night. My hip is also sore, though I don't know why it hurts either.
Little by little more and more of me is fading away. The only good news about this is that some of it is leaving my middle. I come home drenched in sweat after a tough workout at karate three times a week... if it doesn't kill me, I'm pretty sure I can keep it up.
But my mind is another matter. With only weeks (days, really) left to go before school is over I know that I need to make job searching a priority. I'm trained, confident and prepared but the only thing holding me back is that terrible full entry into that territory called 'real life'.
I don't wanna.
Well, I do and I don't. I do because if I hesitate I'll run out of money and wind up living on the street, or worse, with one of my parents. They don't want it, and frankly neither do I. I'm not really worried as a job is at the tip of your fingers all the time in this biz, you just have to be willing to travel to it. With Catherine and I living together with a strong desire to keep doing so, sometimes you just have to look harder.
My brain hurts as well. This magazine is turning into one major pain in the ass. I can do the layout, I can gather the art, but it's the little things... like adjusting the picture files, tweaking the size, formatting the copy and dealing with Carey... that are driving me insane. And those are the things that are going to delay this book from going out.
While I don't really want to be there in May still working on this thing, I admittedly don't have anything else to do at this point.
Can you tell I'm motivated?
Seriously, though, looking at the layout I've done so far, the plans in motion for the rest it comes down to copy editing and the ability of the editors to get their shit in gear that will determine when this thing comes out.
I just need the art and the text.... and pardon my french, but the rest can just fuck off.
I think I'm going todash.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
at
12:25 p.m.
|
I once saw a movie about the end of the world...
It was twelve seconds long and it didn't have a plot...
It just happens.
And that's why it's in black and white...
The characters don't talk or move around...
They just stare up at the sky... frozen.
The light... the light is numb... the light is off.
The light is just a thumbnail sketch of God.
God...
Somewhere, someone is crying...
The camera sweeps over a desolate street...
Holding on a mother and her child...
The kid is calm and she is shaking...
The camera passes into the sun...
And we come at last to be undone...
Panicking, she tries to run...
The kid is calm.
The kid is calm.
Then the credits role...
and every name is my name.
and every name is my name.
and every name is my name.
wake up sunshine, it's time to go...
it's time to go...
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
at
11:35 a.m.
|
• The Dairy Association. Taking their “Got Milk?” campaign to Mexico, they translated their slogan into Spanish. Unfortunately, it came out as “Are you lactating?”
• Johnson Wax. When Johnson introduced their furniture cleaner Pledge in the Netherlands, they didn’t know that, in Dutch, “pledge” means “piss.”
• Gerber Baby Food. When Gerber used the same packaging strategy in Africa that they used in America—a picture of the Gerber baby on the label—they apparently didn’t realize that since many Africans don’t read, it’s standard practice to put pictures of the contents on jar labels.
It becomes harder and harder to root for the home team when they lose as badly as the Blue Jays did yesterday. Catherine, Nick, Pushee and I wandered down to the Skydome to take in the home opener only to watch them lose. Badly.
Still, it's not enough to keep us away. We're heading back tonight. After all, the tickets are only $2 each. You can't really knock that. Truthfully, while I'm not really a sports fan, you can't deny how enjoyable it is to get out and take in a game. Lots of fans (a few hecklers) and an atmosphere of fun can really bring up your spirits, even if you don't realize they're down.
Other than that, things are kosher. I'm listening to Finley Quaye a little these days. 'Dice' in particular works well for me even though its clearly made to go with a number of movie soundtracks. Still, I like those kinds of songs. They have a larger than life feel rather than just a uniform beat that works well driving in a car or walking down the street.
But that's just the poet in me screaming to get out. I already told it 'no' twice.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
at
7:29 p.m.
|
It's a reference to the latest issue of The Ultimates, a fantastic comic too rarely put out by Marvel. It deals with a team of Avengers for today with greats like Captain America, The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man. How can you not love a comic wherein Hulk loudly claims that he isn't a sissy boy, but is straight?
It's beyond me.
Today was an ordeal. Not a bad one, just a busy one. Tomorrow sets a new personal record as the most number of stories going into the Sun. Most of the time it's two... one byline, one blurb. Tomorrow it's five. Two stories, two blurbs, and a dreaded streeter on the Maple Leafs.
I don't mind streeters anymore. Not that they aren't still odious and difficult tasks, but because I found out today that I get paid for every photo that the Sun uses. All I have to do is bring in my past work, lay it at the photo desk and politely ask to be paid. It's not much at $5 a photo, but it's better than a kick in the ass.
And to date, I have more than one photo. I have 10 streeter pics, two parade pics and tomorrow another six streeter picks. That brings the total to 18 photos and a nice little check of $90. This does little more than pay a few bills or buy a TTC pass for the month, or if I'm feeling lucky I'll pick up the Firefly DVD box set, but money is money.
And I need some of that in order to live. So soon and I'll be out of school, out of money and lacking a job. Oh well. No one ever said life was dull.
Saturday, April 03, 2004
at
10:50 p.m.
|
Yes, it goes against my instincts as a staunch follower of Marvel Comics... I am the dread Marvel Zombie... but I must say that this was a pretty good movie. Not just a good comic book movie, either, but a good movie in of itself.
That said I think Catherine is going to have a nightmare or two. It's a bit creepier and darker than I thought it would be, but the effects, the cast and the story are all very well rounded. There's a lot of fun in there as well.
Heck, I'm tempted to go out and pick up a Hellboy comic. That scares me as I already spend too much on the comics medium.
Oh well, I still have The Punisher and Spider-Man 2 to watch this summer.
Getting past that, Catherine and I had a really good 'date night' tonight thanks to my mom. She slipped us a bit of cash as an easter treat, so we went out to dinner at this great place called Moxie's over at Fairview Mall (Don Mills Station) then headed to Rainbow for the movie. I have to admit, paying $7.50 for a brand new movie at a decent theatre is much more realistic than $15 each for most other places.
Ah, but the Bloor Cinema still captures my heart with $4 features...
It was just a good night, overall. Catherine and I don't get many chances to spend relaxing days together and then get to go out at night. Lately I've been at the Sun every weekend (I may have... forgotten... to go in today) so any chance we get for a day off together is good. It's been pretty rare.
Also, she's one heck of a good date.
|
MARVEL and SPIDER-MAN: TM & 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. Motion Picture © 2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2007 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved. blogger template by blog forum |
