Dodging Bullets and Learning to Fly

Free Comic Book DayResearch shows that reading and collecting comic books:
Conclusion: a hobby that includes comic books is the surest way to world peace through cultural understanding.

The first two might not be true, but why not join in the Fourth Annual Free Comic Book Day festivities. I used to read comic books, and now I know what the heck's going on with the X-Men movies. You just never know when hobbies become cultural phenomena!

tags: ...
another point of view ...

Blogger Barbara aka Yooni


I could never really get into comics..i dont want to sound like a feminist...but could it be a *guy* thing?
 

Blogger Julie


I've always wanted to talk like Boy Wonder, but was never as slick as him..."Holy upside down umbrella filled with popcorn that's hot enough to burn you so you'll need first aid, Batman!!"
And how does someone like me, a non-Amazon, get a lasso of truth? I've always wondered...
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


amerazn: it's definately a boy thing - most comic books of the early years (pre-90's) were testosterone-ladden, with most of the female characters just a foil for the superheroes to rescue them; i think my highschool english would have been proud of me for using the word 'foil'!

but the all-male cast was replaced with a more multicultural, gender-balanced crop of superheroes. i won't bore you with the african-american (re: storm, cloak), asian (re: sunfire, karma, mantis), old (re: destiny), native american (re: moonstar, warpath, talisman), and loads of others that broke some racial stereotypes.

go here to check my previous entry on comics.

jadedmaniac: yeah, i actually thought boy wonder's camp chattering was fun. i could never keep up with it, or connect the references because i was still learning english when the tv series was running. now, when i watch it, i have a much greater appreciation for the writers who come up with those lines!

remember, wonder woman came from an island where they were technologically advanced -- paradise island! just because she was wearing a skimpy outfit instead of a space-age leotard doesn't mean she was clueless! i hear there may be a live-action wonder woman movie. i want sandra bullock or julia roberts to play the feminist -- but they might be too short for the role.

well, if there's no plans for a live-action wonder woman movie, then let us start the rumour and hope it circulates around hollywood!
 

Blogger Lester T.


Perhaps in N. America it is a "guy" thing but in Japan it's definitely not just a "guy" thing to read comics. Boys AND girls read manga as do older teenagers and business people (on commuter trains). Besides, it's always a good thing to read! The difference with N. America is the socio-cultural thing and that the comic book industry has already decided for you that certain segments of the general population do not want to read comic books. That's an untapped market!

And I think I heard Jennifer Lopez's name thrown in with the Wonder Woman movie project.
 

Anonymous Anonymous


I've never been a comic man. The men were huge and bulging. I am neither, not for a lack of trying. The women's breasts could kill a small child, or a poodle, if they became detached. I do like the aspects of story telling. The conquests of good over evil, always a good thing as Martha would say. Hey...that’s what I want, a Martha Stewart comic.
k
 

Blogger Julie


I think Julia and Sandra are too "girl next door" ish for my taste and not quite as exotic looking as Lynda Carter (as an Amazon princess). My choice would be Charlize Theron (as a brunette, of course...and a tan)

KB: Martha Stewart? Conquering the evils of improper party hosting? ha ha ha...
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


lester t: you're so right about equal-gender reading of "manga" - and the unexpected part is that loads of business people read that. i used to work with the international group at a company, and one of my colleagues always had a briefcase full of mangas whenever she was visiting the mothership.

i asked why she carried so much of it. her answer, "would you rather pretend to be a superhero during a long flight, or read about fault tolerance and server redundancy?" i got her point!

hmmm, that would be interesting to see JLo as the amazon princess. but, i do not want to see affleck anywhere near that movie, or i'll protest like a lunatic and start a letter-writing campaign!

... untapped market that sounds so corporate! you should be on trump's next apprentice show; go here for the application.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


knottyboy: what? you're not a comic man, that seems so surreal. you should make up for it with a dose of it now! yeah, they always seem to draw the female heroes with huge boobs running around in highheels. how the hell do you run through manhattan in highheels and manage not to get stuck in the gutter grids?

oh, don't give martha's horde ideas for a martha comic series -- who knows, there might already be one out there. i'll have to look into it. i can see it now: marvelous martha takes on the mother-of-all dust bunnies. and who will be her sidekick? all heroes had a sidekick. batman had the boy wonder. wonder woman had steve trevor. superman had jimmy (but really wanted louis lane).

incidentally, there is a pope john paul ii comic book. thank you sojourning crow.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


jadedmaniac: i think you got a point there (re: julia/sandra), that might lead to a miscasting of wonder woman -- just like the miscasting of grace jones as grace adler in 'will & grace'. i'm not sure about charlize, either. but she would make an awesome little sister to whoever plays wonder woman!

let's vote for the outspoken margaret cho or drag diva rupaul to play wonder woman! either will break all barriers and taboos!
 

Blogger Julie


Love the idea or Margaret Cho! I can imagine her in her Wonder Woman stance...."Stick it in!!!" heh heh
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


perhaps margaret cho can be some sort of evil (but not dragon lady! too much of a cliche!) villainess -- that would be so her part! but with the way movies are being done, she might as well be casted as wonder woman.

i saw the trailer for the new batman, and was horrified that the butler "alfred" was played by freeman morgan. he's a fine actor, but i think he just took the black community back some 50+ years with that role. hattie mcdaniel in "gone with the wind" should have been the last vistage of that stereotype. i guess hollywood makes use of historial accuracies on its terms.
 

Anonymous Anonymous


I bet Elton John wants to play Wonder Woman!
 

Anonymous Anonymous


What about Angelina Jolie as Wonder Woman? I think she could be the perfect cast for the role! - Dion Williams
 

Blogger Julie


Geez...Morgan should have been Batman!
 

Blogger Jaja


So what are Batman pickup line ? Heheh...

Me not much of a comic reader.. but I do occasionally read local ones though.

Jolie as WW ? I dont think so, maybe the can cast somebody who is less.. pouty ? Hehhee..
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


anonymous: well, with the way he's been spending money (i hear he's almost bankrupted now!), he'll probably take any role he can! maybe there's a funny-hat man he can play.

dion williams: that would be good to see her as WW. she can tomb raid, and then get into her invisible jet!

jadedmaniac: not sure if that would work. the new batman movie is really about how bruce wayne becomes batman. so they need someone young, and christian bale was perfect for it (nice bod, decent acting skill, no scandal, etc). ever see chritian in 'american psycho'? he was really good in it.

the whole double identity of batman and his alter ego bruce wayne needed to be played by someone who can show distinct internal turmoil. christian works for me.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


jaja: hmmm, batman pickup lines, how about these:

"hi! i'm batman."
"your underground cave or mine?"
"i'm a close personal friend of superman."
"i see robin and i aren't the only dynamic duo in town."
"i swore on my parents' grave to protect the innocent. take off your bra."
"just shine the light... i'll see it."

 

Anonymous Anonymous


I always loved superheroes - they get to wear those form-fitting outfits!
 

Blogger Lester T.


Hmmm, an Apprentice...although I haven't watched that show, I think I'd probably laugh at his do too much to win. In fact, I'd probably do better on Branson's show (and not because I used to work at a Virgin Megastore.)
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


anonymous: well, you can wear those tight outfits (and not just on halloween night!)

lester t: seriously, i think you should put in an application, what would you have to loose! i don't really watch the show, but i have friends who do and i catch an episode or two whenever i'm over at their place. it's a fun show, but i think it's too much of a long commercial for me to really enjoy it.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


UPDATE: i did get some fun comic books this weekend, but they will probably end up in my sister's collection (as I don't collect comic books anymore). doubt if she'll actually keep them, as they don't look like 'collector-quality' books.
 

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