Fangirl Fridays: The Road To Me

First, I wanted to apologize for not posting that often this week. I feel really creatively blocked. I feel as if I am in a transitional point in my life (though I know I've been saying this for a while -- well, it's been a bunch of transitions). Plus -- it's really really hot in my apartment, and it's not helping. I'm a big fan of Fall weather, weather that has yet to appear in my neck of the woods. The heat irritates me, it attracts bugs, and the numerous fans positioned around the apartment are not helping.

Part of the creative block is the result of a decades-long struggle I have with being truly, truly myself. When I see artists, or even regular folk, dress and write and paint and act the way they completely want to -- I'm jealous. Sometimes I also think they're nuts. But overlapping that is jealousy.


Because I just can't risk the embarrassment. I can't risk not being loved. I can't risk losing everything. I mean, "Goodbye To Comics" was easy. I had absolutely nothing. The only thing they had to take away from me was nothing.

It's like bringing my vampire novel to a publisher and them wanting to turn it into a porno and me going along with it against my better judgment. Or taking my memoir to an agency and them wanting to turn it into a tell-all about sex in the comic book industry and me going along with it against my better judgment. Or going into the hair salon and wanting a short cut but not getting it because I'm afraid people will like me less if I look less feminine. Or going through the trouble of uploading 400+ pieces of artwork on Flickr and then setting the privacy preferences so only I can see them. Or leaving out elements of who I fundamentally am so I can be a "good" leader of a feminist organization.


Fuck it, I can't take that any more.

I want to be liked, I want to be adored, I want people to say "nice job, Val," and yes, I want gigs, but I cannot cannot cannot cannot cannot be anyone other than myself.

And when I'm myself -- when I'm myself, trust me, I'll be a more mellow and happy person to know.

Fangirl Fridays: Heroes and Villains

Four important things:

1. I'll respect the public crusades some people have against the "freaks and losers" when they crusade equally as publicly against those in power who fuck up in the same way.

2. Anybody who says that black-and-white thinking is superior to shades-of-gray thinking should never criticize George W. Bush and his cronies again. Similar mentality. You don't get a free pass to apply black-or-white thinking to feminism. You don't get a free pass to criticize Bush for classifying everybody as either patriots or terrorists, and then go and apply the same thinking to males. And you don't get a free pass to classify yourself as a liberal and then have a fucking meltdown because somebody interpreted "Onionhead Man" in a way different than you did.

3. When I used to hear a story about sexual harassment, I would automatically assume that the man was at fault, and that it was a black-and-white story. Knee-jerk reaction. And I would get mad -- furiously, furiously mad. I acted this way out of emotion, out of identification. And you know what? Sometimes, I was right. And sometimes? I was dead wrong. And sometimes it was just far more complicated than I had envisioned. But all that didn't matter. Because I just made a public statement to "hang this motherfucker and cut off his nuts." And if I was wrong -- or just didn't have the full picture -- I looked like a goddamn moron.

4. My insistence in shades-of-gray thinking in everything from feminism to the latest fandom obsession seems to really piss some people off. Good. I enjoy watching people with infantile ways of classifying reality roar and stew in their own self-righteous outrage. It's like candy for me, it's the fuel for my car. Keep pissing, keep moaning, keep crying, stay bitter, write screeds, invite friends, and keep viewing your truncated world as a realm of heroes and villains.

You know what? Even the comic book writers aren't seeing superhero stories as simply tales of heroes and villains anymore. Maybe some people should learn to grow the fuck up, throw open the door, and crack open their minds. Or, if they insist on being dogmatic and close-minded, at least stop making fun of the religious fundamentalists. In fact, you might just want to try one of their fine systems of theological thought. It might be even easier if you had a book to follow. Heaven, hell, good, bad, right, wrong. Black, white. Heroes and villains.

Fangirl Fridays: Comic Book Junction

I'm a compulsive blog creator. Okay, that made me sound like I also compulsively purchase figurines of pigs and hedgehogs to crowd my house and bedevil my guests.

But I like to create blogs. I do it for a living for other people. And every once in a while I find some topic I like and want to create another blog for myself.

I started Comic Book Junction on a whim, and the desire to do a more "general interest" comic book site. I held off launching it for weeks, as I was quite a perfectionist about things, but I figure I should just get off the pot and get it up there. This was originally supposed to be the "Comics Spirit" blog I mentioned earlier.

The design, widgets, etc. are not finished. But I have one review up. I have a lot of material "in the queue" that needs to be typed up and formatted. Regular updating will probably not happen until next week.

The substance of the blog would be longer-form features and reviews interspersed with shorter bits on cool comic stuff. Many of the posts will still have an edge to them, but the material on Comic Book Junction is meant to be one step less personal. If "Occasional Superheroine" is 11 on scale of 1 to 10 in terms of personalness, then Comic Book Junction is a 6 or a 7. Which means I probably won't grouse about things I hate on this new site. That, childrens, is what the OS is for.

But also, "Occasional Superheroine" is sort of my home-base blog -- about me as well as comics. A lot of people who haven't talked to me in a while will check the OS to see what's new in my life. Which, depending on the blog post in question, could be inspiring or slightly alarming.

So there you have it -- Comic Book Junction. I'm open to your thoughts and suggestions. And, if something like the comments function doesn't work, or a link leads to Rick Astley, I trust you will let me know.

Best,
Val

Fangirl Fridays: The Proust Questionnaire

(Read about the Proust Questionnaire here)

1. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being overqualified for a task and yet still feeling like a complete moron.

2. Where would you like to live?
In my mom's beach house in Cape Cod with no worries.

3. What is your idea of earthly happiness?
A stack of old Peanuts paperbacks.


4. To which faults do you feel most indulgent?
Procrastination.

5. Who is/are your favorite hero/heroes of fiction?
Those girls at the end of Deathproof who kicked that guy's ass.

6. Who are your favorite characters in history?
Hunter S. Thompson, Helen Keller, and John the Baptist. Keller wrote nastier op/ed pieces than I do. And John because I think he had a totally different religion going, and history just shoe-horned him into the standard Christian narrative (in the process completely undermining him); which just shows you the power of the press, and why you need a good publicist.

7. Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
The women from Friends of Lulu.

8. Who is/are your favorite heroine/heroines of fiction?
I always liked Tippi Hedren's character in The Birds. I want to run down the street with fake birds glued to my hair (though actually I think Hitchcock attached at least some real birds to Hedren, because he was a freak).

9. Your favorite painters?
Mark Ryden and Eric Powell.

10. Your favorite composers or musicians?
The Monkees and the Sex Pistols. And the Foo Fighters. Yeah I'm banal, but happy.


11. Which qualities do you most value in a man?
Sensitivity, a sense of humor, and brainnnnnnnssssss.

12. Which qualities do you most value in a woman?
The ability to be nurturing.

13. Your favorite virtue?
Following through with one's bright ideas.

14. Your favorite occupation?
Meditation.

15. Who would you have liked to be?
A teenager in the 1960s so I could watch Batman & The Monkees first-run.

16. Your most marked characteristic?
Me and my big mouth.

17. What do you most value in your friends?
That they know the real me and are cool with it.

18. What is your principle defect?
God, didn't we cover this already?

19. What is your favorite color?
Red.

20. What is your favorite flower?
Real ones.

21. What is your favorite bird?
Chicken at Cosi <-----insensitive

22. Who are your favorite prose writers?
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Philip K. Dick, Charles M. Schulz.

23. Who are your favorite poets?
I could tell you, but you're gonna laugh at me and call me a nerd.

24. What are your favorite names?
Two words: Chachi Arcola. And Potsie.


25. What is it you most dislike?
Assholes.

26. What historical figures do you most despise?
George W. Bush. Because I gave him another chance, and he blew it.

27. What event in military history do you most admire?
The one where the Nazis were beaten.

28. What reform do you most admire?
I admire the reform that led to substantially less dogshit on my sidewalk than ten years ago.

29. What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Ninja skills.

30. How would you like to die?
Of natural causes, in a thick jungle or forest undisturbed by humankind. Like one of those explorers with the funny hats. I would like to just fall over in a thicket or unruly pile of grass and just be allowed to slowly return to the ecology, with Disney squirrels and deer demurely stepping out of the green to take a look.

31. What is your present state of mind?
My present state of mind is that I think I seriously need to have a party to get rid of all the Rolling Rock and Bud Light in the fridge leftover from the last party.

32. What is your motto?
"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

Fangirl Fridays for May 2, 2008

An Iron Man movie poster mashup found in a Japanese subway, via Neatorama

What, No "Iron Woman"?
So the BF used a bit of foresight and ingenuity and scored tickets for us to see "Iron Man" yesterday. This makes the fourth superhero movie we've seen together in the movie theater, the others being "Ghost Rider," "Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer," and "Spider-Man 3."

What frustrates me about movies like "Iron Man" -- despite the fact that I did enjoy it on many levels -- is that there is no real female role-model for me to latch on to. Certainly I think Pepper Potts is an improvement on such cinematic comic book heroines as Mary Jane and Vicki Vale (and whoever the hell Katie Holmes played in "Batman Begins"). But, she is, in the end, an assistant -- an "invaluable helpmeet" to be sure, but in the end just a glorified Miss Moneypenny.

I know what it's like being the faithful assistant to a wunderkind. And, you know, it's great to be told "if you didn't do these monthly reports, I don't know where I would be!" But at some point in my life, it was very clear to me that this was not what I wanted (even though the pay is great). I wanted to be the one creating and expressing myself. And so I see movies like "Iron Man" and I identify with the male lead character instead of the female.

And I think the movie can certainly be enjoyed by women; but I found it very "male." You may disagree, which is fine. I find the Batman films, with the exception of "Batman Returns," very much in the same vein. I think the original Superman film boasted a far more independent and proactive character in Lois Lane. And gender & sexuality in the X-Men films were far more balanced & fluid.

Stumble This!
I've been maintaining a StumbleUpon account for some time now under the name Bytetopia. It was just a place I put all my bookmarks and interesting photos. Well, it has turned into somewhat of a (obsessively updated) blog on its own, with a heavy accent on images. Feel free to check it out and become a fan or add it to your RSS feed. I will sometimes put stuff to blog at a future time on there so I don't forget, so you might find some interesting bits.

San Diego, Here I Come?
Maybe.

That's it! Have a great weekend, peoples.

Fangirl Fridays

RE: Indiana Jones IV


Aliens? Really?

What the hell?


Countdown To Change, Part 58, "The Final Chapter," Electric Boogaloo

Donna Troy: The next Sarah Silverman?

So I won't have Countdown to kick around anymore. Whatever shall I write about?

52 issues of Countdown populating the quarter bins of this fine country.

Are Harley & Holly doing it, or what? Is it because their names sound similar?

And so is it safe to say Jason Todd learned nothing from this experience? Could somebody sue DC for the rights to this character so he can be killed off?

Between Countdown & last night's "Smallville," I think it is safe to say that the intrinsic appeal of Jimmy Olsen has been greatly overestimated. It's like if we did a whole TV show based off of that holographic doctor from "Star Trek: Voyager."

Mary Marvel discovers the many pleasures of the
"personal massage" department at Walgreens.

I actually purchased Countdown #1. I figured at the very least, it would be a good lead-in to Final Crisis. What does Harley say at the end of it? Her philosophy on how to deal with problems?

"A positive attitude and lots of denial."

That about sums up Titans #1

Lest it be said (and it has been said) that I am unfairly dumping on DC for Countdown, I should remind you that I had a similar reaction to Marvel's House of M.

My honest-to-god reaction to House of M #1: "What the f**k?"

I read House of M at a time when I was trying to make an effort to actually read comics again. The first issue of that mini-series almost stopped me cold. Countdown had the same effect.

I do agree with some of the commenters on Brian Hibbs' post "Count This!" that the responsibility for this series needs to be spread a little further out than it has been. I'm figuring Dan DiDio had a lot to do with the general thrust of Countdown, but he was not its ultimate mastermind or main scribe. Nor did he personally edit it.

But there's no use crying over spilled milkshake, is there?


New York Comic Con: Not Enough Giant Hulk Statues

Comic Baker Marion Vitus re-enacts that
Sarah Douglas scene from Superman II
at the New York Comic Con

I see there has been some criticism regarding New York Comic Con on teh internets.

My assessment?

It wasn't the big bomb-diggity San Diego was last year. But I don't think it was terrible. And it should be remembered that SDCC is not a convention, it is a gigantic freak of nature, some sort of high-holy event where pilgrims are trampled and flagellate themselves with their badge lanyards in the blazing heat.

Was it anti-indy? I didn't get that feeling. I had plenty of independent press books to choose from. And I bought a lot of them.

Were certain exhibitors placed in obscure places & ignored? Maybe. I dunno. Some of that is about dressing up your booth to attract the right amount of attention. I mean, The Comics Bakery booth was not huge, nor was it placed in some yummy sweet-spot right off of the Marvel section. But it had a clear, visually-appealing banner, it had a "brand," it had fresh scones (playing off the "bakery" brand), a great set-up so all the comics were displayed properly, and a good sales pitch. Comics Bakery maximized their space potential.

Was it too much mainstream capes & cowls? The manga/Japanese culture aspect was pretty pronounced. There were, of course, the monster DC & Marvel booths, but I think that's standard. Giant Hulk statue? Standard. Hey, I need to see a giant Hulk statue at my comic book conventions. I know it's gauche. But there you are.

If there is a problem with New York Comic Con, or any large-scale comic con, it's that it tried to be all things to all people. That's not so much a problem -- because I think it needs to appeal to that broad base -- as it is a formula that will inevitably lead to some people being unhappy:

"It had too much manga."

"It didn't have enough manga."

"It had too many superhero comics."

"It had all those weird Japanese stuff instead of enough of my superhero comics."

"It didn't have enough independent comics."

"It had too many of those comics I've never heard of and not enough DC & Marvel."

So I wasn't unhappy with NYCC. But I am still exhausted.


Ain't It Cool Occasional Superheroine News
I thought I would mention that "Occasional Superheroine 2.0" is still on. I mean, "on" in the sense that there is an actual chain of events underway that will lead to OS 2.0.

I'm hoping by the end of the Summer, maybe a little bit before.

I keep talking to the BF about Occasional Superheroine limited-edition vinyl figurines, keep getting this eye-roll in response.


Occasional Ball-Buster?
I had one person from a comics publisher comment to me at NYCC that he was really relieved I liked their particular offerings, because apparently I have the reputation of being a "major ball-buster."

Ball-buster? Me?



Have a good weekend, all!

Fangirl Fridays

I'm getting ready for I-Con on this Saturday, where the New York Chapter of Friends of Lulu and myself will be attending. For those who don't know, I-Con is a Science-Fiction & Fantasy convention held in Long Island.

See, I always like those conventions with tons of classic TV & movie guests, and at this con you get the likes of Winston from Ghostbusters, the Reanimator dude, Darth Maul, and Tracy Scoggins. I mean: Tracy Scoggins!

Anyway, I will only be there Saturday. I can autograph a Friends of Lulu trifold brochure for you, if you'd like. (I asked my boyfriend if autographing print-outs of the home page of my blog was gauche. He just sort of shook his head and sighed.)

Rich's Comic By Comic has a neat ongoing examination of the "Returnees" from Secret Invasion #1. Who's really coming back? Here is your place to speculate.

Kudos to OS regular Angry Zen Master on getting his webcomic NPR covered by Erfworld...er, I mean, Erfworld covered by NPR. It's still early; at least for me.

Be also sure to check out OS reader Brady Russell's Beanstockd blog for the latest in Britney's jowls and so much more!

Oh noes! Comics Are Expensive will be delayed today -- only to bring you (we hope) A Very Special CAE/OS Review of Secret Invasion #1 at the beginning of next week!

This coming Monday starts another month and a new slate for Zuda's webcomic competition. In the meantime, I'm sure you will find something there to read.

And please read Karen Green's column in Comixology, "Comic Adventures in Academia." This week Karen takes a look at Nick Bertozzi's "The Salon."

Have a good weekend, folks! I will say hello to Tracy Scoggins for you!

Fangirl Fridays: 1000 Posts! (And Counting)

It occurred to me the other day that this week I've surpassed 1000 posts on this blog. Not bad for a year and a few months.

Little did I know when I first stepped foot on DC Comics' blue-and-red carpet eight years ago what a vista of adventure and excitement awaited me in the world of mainstream comic books.

And when I look back on my life and career many years from now, I guess I'm really going to have to point to DC as the place that provided me with the clarity and direction to find my true calling in life. Thanks, guys. You are teh awesome. Feel free to drop review copies of CMX books in my mailbox for Manga Mondays anytime.

Well, to celebrate my 1,000th post -- and to help me go on vacation so I can focus on crucial Friends of Lulu biz -- all next week will be a retrospective on the highlights (and, maybe, a few lowlights) from OCCASIONAL SUPERHEROINE so far.

The way I would like to work it is to pick several of my posts on certain topics & provide links and perhaps some brief commentary. If you have any suggestions on topics, let me know.

Each day will have one retrospective post. Then regular blogging will resume March 10 (with perhaps a few posts the weekend before).

As always, thank you so much for the support and patronage. If this was a store, I would give you one of those vinyl wallets with my name on it, or perhaps even a small clock in a wooden box. Or a plate of cookies.

PS: My e-mail is still backed up, but I'm going to be working on it this coming week. So if I haven't written back, it's not that I'm ignoring you. It's because I'm a little bit of a goober. But don't worry, I've read one of those posts on "how to go through your inbox like an e-mail ninja."

Fangirl Fridays: Announcementz

So here I am, a new month. Last week was crazy. Computer broke down, went away to Virginia, got a new job, bought bootleg Super Buddies action figure collection featuring Spider-Man, Buzz Lightyear, Batman, Superman, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (in the same package, it was awesome).

Still adjusting to the new schedule of the job, and how that fits in with my blogging schedule. Hoping to have that straightened-out by Monday. It involves doing a lot of planning in advance for the week's posts on the weekends.

But far from diminishing the scope of the blog, I only plan to expand it.

My dream is to set up an "Ain't It Cool News" type thing for comics. I realize there are a lot of comic sites like that out there. I never said I was practical. But this is what, ultimately, I would like to do.

Towards that goal, I will have selection of guest-bloggers and columnists. These are writers, commentators, ordinary readers who e-mail me to to kvetch about "Countdown," and industry professionals. It should be interesting, and is already in the works; stay tuned.

I am also far more actively seeking out interviews, and am planning out my content with my copy of Previews in front of me. So what you will see is far more topical comic stuff. There is already a bunch of stuff like that lined up.

By the end of the year I will be taking steps to turn this blog into a full-service Website. I will either do this with financial backing or I will finance my own back.

Through it all, I will make sure that whatever made this blog special will still be there. So no lack of snark from me. And, of course, the occasional anecdote.

As always, I appreciate feedback & suggestions.

Enjoy your weekend,
Valerie

Fangirl Fridays: Ten Things You Didn't Know About Me

In no particular order:

1. I was granted an interview for a Marvel Comics internship based on a "Punisher" story I wrote and sent in. But I was turned down because I was only 12 years old. I thought my career in comics was over and cried into my pillow. And so the saga began.

2. Some of the characters depicted in the semi-biographical Bob Fingerman series "Minimum Wage" were people I hung out with when I was a teenager. (However, I never actually met Bob.)

3. I once had dinner with comedian Eddie Izzard and his entourage but didn't appreciate it at the time because I didn't know who he was.
4. The Steve Winwood song "Valerie" was not inspired by me.


5. When I was in England I sat through an entire production of a Shakspeare play with Prince Charles sitting directly in back of me. Some people had come up to me during the intermission to tell me the Prince was behind me but I thought they were pulling my leg because I was a stupid tourist.

6. My mom named me after actress Valerie Harper because she was watching the TV show "Rhoda" while she was pregnant with me, and thought that it would be cool if I grew up to be like the character. Which means I suppose I should wear headscarves
.
7. When I was 14, I announced to my mother that I would become a professional philosopher when I grew up. She convinced me to become a paralegal instead.

8. My great-grandmother was a medicine woman in Brazil.


9. The Monkees song "Valeri" was also not inspired by me, but in certain quiet moments when nobody is looking I like to pretend that it was.



10. I'm the distant relative of boxing great Rocky Marciano.

Fangirl Fridays: State-Of-The-Blog Address

(pictures courtesy of my bloated "past blog posts" image folder. Try and spot your faves!)

Readers, friends, associates, lurkers, assorted dignitaries,

E-mail and Comments Back-Up
I just spent four hours last night sorting through the e-mail on my Google account alone. There has to be a system. I've hit upon one that incorporates labels, daily reminders, filters, and designated daily "e-mail time." Related to that last point, I've also had to hide the Blackberry.

Keep in mind that I welcome all e-mails, etc., but sometimes it takes me a while to get to everything because I've got this blog, regular work, writing work, Friends of Lulu, etc to do.

If I haven't responded yet to your message or comment, I'm really really sorry. I'm backed up. But know that I've got this awesome system in place and I should be up-to-date and ready to roll by the end of the weekend. If that fails, I will be under my bed reading old issues of "Captain Carrot" with a flashlight.

As always, I really do appreciate your support and participation. As I've said before, blogs are only as good as its regular readers (though irregular readers and just the plain fickle are also welcome).
Where do I see this blog going?
After speaking to several "entities" about the future of the blog and possible support/backing/acquiring, I have really come to the conclusion that unless I can do exactly what I'm doing now -- just like this, just like what you've been reading -- I don't want to mess with the blog or make any deals. Though the tone of the blog has its ebbs and flows of warm fuzziness and snark (curiously but not conclusively linked to my hormonal cycle), it has a general "voice." I'd like to maintain that.


"Reader of the Week"
Okay, here is a feature I talked about but didn't implement yet. Basically, you fill out this questionnaire, add a photo or avatar, e-mail it back, and then become "reader of the week" (or day). Actually, there is a scientific selection process involved. Actually, there is no selection process. Actually, just don't include anything that is going to offend and we should be fine.


"Reader of the Week" Questionnaire:

Name:
Location: (optional)
Occupation: (optional)
Website/blog: (optional)
Comics you read:
Fave artist:
Fave writer:
Fave character:
First comic you ever read:
Your favorite comic book "memory": (either related to comics or actually in a comic)
Most frustrating comic book "moment":
Where/how do you buy your comics?:
Floppies or trades?:
Marvel or DC?:
Star Wars or Star Trek?:
Non-comic book hobbies:
Personal motto:
How did you start reading "Occasional Superheroine?":


The "Occasional Previews" Section
Some people have been asking to bring back the section where I talk about what books I will be buying this week. Suggestion noted, and I will try to bring this section back.


Review Copies/Previews
I spend about 15-30 bucks on comics a week. A portion of that has been buying books that I either know I will probably hate but feel I must review for topicality's sake, or simply sampling new titles that I feel are "relevant." I'm debating whether to discontinue this practice and just stick to the titles I know and love. The problem is, this makes for a boring review section. That said, I am open to receiving review copies/PDFs/previews. Please inquire at this e-mail regarding this.


"Occasional Interviews"
Conducting interviews take up a lot of time, and I do them at my discretion. E-mail interviews are easier, in-person are more effective but the transcribing is a long process. I can't promise a regular interview section, especially as I start my full-time job. That said, I am open to suggestions for interviews and will try to get them in when I have time.



Any Other Suggestions For The Site
I'm like Dumbo: all ears. :-)



...that's all I can think of at the moment. I gotta go back to catchin' up after the holidays. At least I took down the tree!

Fangirl Fridays: Down With Marriage?

In part 3 of the "One More Day" Spider-Man event, Mephisto tells Peter Parker: "I want your marriage."

That's a strange request. Wouldn't it make more sense to just kill Spidey himself and thus open the door to more unchecked evildoing? Why is Peter's marriage to MJ such a precious commodity?

To say that "OMD" is merely part of an anti-marriage agenda in comics is simplifying things way too much. I think the predicament presented by "OMD" illustrates the tug-of-war in the hearts of many married people in this society.

This society largely informs us, through its popular culture, that the personal responsibilty and self-sacrifice involved in the insititution of marriage is a cultural dinosaur and the extension of a Christian guilt-trip. Pop-psychology books and New Age gurus stress the importance of tending to the needs of the Self above all else. Aging celebrities regularly dump their spouses and "trade up." And God isn't even dead, because he doesn't exist at all.

But despite all this, "OMD" has curiously religious overtones. Mephisto is, after all, a representation of the Devil. The Devil is largely a Christian concept. Through attacking Peter & MJ's marriage, he is attacking the very institution of marriage.

And rumor is, he wins.

And Peter will get a chance to date again -- to have many adventures in crime-fighting and romance. And who wouldn't envy the choices available to him? Maybe Gwen will make a comeback. There's always Black Cat. Maybe he can date one of the X-Men -- if Black Panther can do it, I'm sure he can.

And when it's all over, in several years, maybe Peter will get lonely, sentimental. Maybe he will want to settle down again. Maybe he will crave some sort of stability. Maybe that biological need to continue his arachnid-infected DNA will crop up. Who knows? And then he'll think about it and think about it and then he'll break down and once again marry MJ. Or maybe the "reset" button will simply get hit again.

And then, in a few more years, the whole marriage thing will be "boring" again.

This is a common cycle. Many marriages don't survive it. Many more will continue on with some form of infidelity. Pop-culture is not at fault, but it also isn't completely off-the-hook. Values -- considered another "dinosaur" concept by many -- plays a big part. When you're standing at the precipice of a big decision that will impact the rest of your life -- and maybe that of those closest to you -- it's funny what stray thoughts or memories will be crucial.

Should superhero comics reflect the actual or ideal values of a society? By presenting these characters as "heroes," does that necessarily mean that they should convey some sort of values that might be considered "heroic" by society?


Is the idea of a man or woman who sacrifices some of his or her needs to put towards the greater good of their family considered heroic? Is that sort of self-sacrifice necessary for the greater good of society? Or if, as Christopher Hitchens and so many other authors write, God is merely a delusion -- why should these people sacrifice anything at all? For what?

When we die, is that it? Do we have an accounting at all for our actions? If there is no God, and no afterlife, shouldn't we get what's good right now? If the sex isn't great in your marriage, shouldn't you just move on and get some better sex so that you don't "miss out" before you die? Do you want to be like Sally Brown in the pumpkin patch and miss Halloween and candy and games and stuff?

Wouldn't it be great to have a "reset" button?

I believe that the core value of sacrificing of one's wants for the greater good of one's spouse and child to be very heroic. I believe that the parent who goes into their 9 to 5 every day with the monkeysuit and the briefcase so their children can have proper health insurance is very heroic. I think withstanding the temptation to stray in order to keep stability in the family is very heroic. I think these are the everyday heroic things that go unnoticed by society -- and not only goes unnoticed but is often sneered at.

Who will champion these people? If comics is a part of our present-day secular mythology/religion -- a substitute for the organized religion that is so much under attack and "shown" to be quaint and irrelevant -- where are the role models for the adults who have to raise families and try to balance budgets in this rotten economy and struggle daily with their own sexual temptations?

I don't believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, I don't believe that homosexuality is wrong, I don't believe that good people go to a "hell" because they don't follow the same religion as somebody else. But I do believe in some basic values -- like trust in relationships, devotion, and sacrifice in order for the next generation to survive. I also believe in a God. And I believe that there is an accounting of some sort for our actions in this life.

Is marriage coming under attack in comic books? Is this a good thing? Does this help? Is it entertaining? Is the function of superhero comic books to present an idealized view of a fantasy world where we get everything we want -- a place for sheer escape? Does the inclusion of marriage spoil that? Or does entertainment hold any social responsibility at all? Or is the idea of "social responsibility" gauche to even mention in the same breath as "entertainment?"


Did the family-affirming message of the movie The Incredibles spoil an otherwise entertaining film? Was Mr. Incredible a chump for not sleeping with Mirage? In a finite, godless world, wouldn't it have benefitted him to have a bit of fresh meat? Look how fat he got as a dad and husband. Marriage ruined everything. He couldn't be a hero anymore.

But the point was, he was a hero even before he put on the capes and tights again. He was a hero when he worked at that damn health insurance company -- because he was trying to support his family. It's an important message. People need to hear messages like that...at least as much as hearing messages about newly-single playboy superheroes.

Fangirl Fridays: The "Goodbye To Comics" One-Year Anniversary

It has been pointed out to me that it's been exactly one year since I wrote "Goodbye To Comics."

What a difference a year makes, huh?

The fact that I am more active, integrated, and successful in the comics world now than I ever was when I was officially "in" the comics world kind of baffles me a little bit.

It's like, some people can play within the confines of a very set group of said and unsaid rules and really be successful at it. In my twenties, I tried to do that and succeed in the comic book industry. I failed. The more I tried to follow the "rules," the more I tried not to make any waves, the more I tried to follow DECORUM -- the worse my life became.

And when I finally busted out and expressed myself and did the very thing I was not "supposed" to do -- my life got radically better.

You know who my idols are? Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Margaret Cho, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock. My biggest fault in life was that I didn't embrace the true part of myself who looked up to these people. Instead, I was that chick with the little voice in "Police Academy." I lost a lot of time.

Thankfully, with this blog and Friends of Lulu, I really feel as if I have been granted another chance. A lot has changed. I am very happy.

And thanks to the majority of you for reacting as kind and understanding and empathetic as you did to "Goodbye To Comics." After the blog hit, I spent a few days avoiding the Internet entirely because, quite frankly, I was afraid I was just going to get laughed at or hated or whatnot. Writing those posts was a very out-of-character thing for me to do.

I'm glad I did it.

PS: The irony of The Comic Reporter's interview with ex-Wizard staffer Rick Marshall running today is not lost on me.

Fangirl Fridays: The New Kitchen Edition

Hi-ho. I'm stuck for the greater part of this day at home while my kitchen is being torn out and replaced. I didn't think that in a small space like an apartment you could "dig up" things and find artifacts like old newspapers from the 1960s and queerly-shaped metal hooks but apparently you can.

This seems like a good time to talk about Change. I think I've talked about it before. But I feel strongly that there is Change afoot in Comics and figured it's as good a topic as any to chat about on a Friday afternoon as the rubble of a 50-year-old structure floats about me in a nice splintery haze.

The last time I think things were "normal" in comics -- the way "they have always been" -- was 2000, 2001. Things seemed still predictable. The phrase "oh, women don't really read comics" still had some currency. Manga was still very off-the-radar of the mainstream, though Marvel gave it an early shot with their brief "Marvel Mangaverse" and DC editor Andy Helfer was crying in the wilderness about these strange books he got in Japan that he swore were going to take over the industry. Sure, Andy. "Soon everybody will be reading manga." Right.

Back in 2000, Vertigo Comics was still synonymous with "comic books that adults read," and "Preacher" and "Sandman" had a dead-lock on the bookstore market. The Internet was mainly a place to engage in flame wars and read episode spoilers; the apparent failure of the e-book helped ease our fears that print was in any danger from the digital format. We were sure that "people want to read on paper."

And comic book movies, after a brief respite with Tim Burton at the beginning of the 90s, still sucked.

I'm not sure I can pinpoint when everything exactly changed. It might have been the success of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man." It might have been when a big crater was blown into my city. Who knows? The important thing is, things changed.


Events like "House of M," "Identity Crisis," "Civil War," "Infinite Crisis," "World War Hulk," and "Countdown" are all responses to this change. It certainly seems as if nothing has been stable in either the Marvel or DC Universes in quite some time, hasn't it? It sometimes feels like as readers we are in danger of having the floors pulled out from the narratives and structures of our favorite comics at any second.


By next Summer, more than likely the structures of at least some of our most beloved characters are going to get a massive facelift. Whether those facelifts will be permanent, merely flash-in-the-pan gimmicks, or changes that receive early abortions when the public balks remains to be seen.

But I think, on the part of the publishers, the desire to change and present heroes that are not so much "legacies" as "peers" is strong. I think the publishers want to change. I think they are making active efforts to "keep with the times," even though there might not be a consensus as to what those times are and where they are leading us.

2008 will be a very key year for comics. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd predict major changes of status quo in the Marvel, Marvel Ultimates, DC, Vertigo, and Wildstorm Universes. I'd predict the Spring and Summer comic book conventions as the major staging areas for rolling announcements of relaunches, reboots, and "universe integrations."

I know sometimes we bitch about this comic creator and that, this editor and that. But in the end, for better or for worse, they are the mythmakers and "world-shapers." They are, most likely, furiously laboring away at the future plans and reshapings of many of our favorite characters right at this very second.

I, for one, am very curious as to what's in store.

Well, it looks like they're just about done with my kitchen. Cherry oak on particle-board...very nice. But the fridge and the stove really need to go.

Oh...and I need a floor.

Fangirl Fridays

Fangirl Fridays Ten-Point Agenda:

1) Facebook is MySpace crack for the intellectual set.

2) Is Super-Poking on Facebook sort of dirty? It's like I want to use it to say "hello," but I'm afraid it will be misinterpreted.

3) I missed what happened in the latest issue of "Countdown." I'm depending on Dan Bizzle to fill me in. Don't let me down, Dan.

4) How can "Wizard Magazine" be the next "FHM" when we don't even have an "EW" for comics yet? Somebody get "Comic Foundry" chief Tim Leong on the phone.

5) Don't forget to wish Steve Ditko a happy eightieth birthday today...if you can find him.

6) I don't expect y'all to join up with Friends of Lulu right now just because I'm president. But after a few months when we get things in full gear I'm going to totally bug you about it. Consider me that person in your office pushing my child's school candy sale until you break and buy the cashew log rolls. It may seem a little annoying at first, but then you forget all about the purchase and then out of nowhere: "cashew log rolls!" Consider your F.O.L. newsletter a cashew log roll. But please don't tell Trina I made that analogy.

7) Sometimes when nobody is looking I like to pretend I'm Ray Davies from The Kinks and play air guitar. When somebody catches me doing this, I feel pretty rotten.

8) I had my first contact with DC Comics yesterday in relation to a small but necessary Friends of Lulu site update matter. It went something like this.

9) Because of my duties now as Friends of Lulu prez, I realize that the issue of "women in comics" (and I know that's such a generic term) is much bigger than I am. I don't excuse the crappy things that have happened to women in this industry, nor do I deny those things happened.

But at the same time, I have to work towards concrete goals such as re-establishing the Lulu Review Board and Mentorship Program, as well as increasing public awareness of the ever-increasing female comics readership. I, along with my fellow Lulus, have to bring more attention to the achievements of females in this medium and encourage publishers to hire more of them.

So taking this all into consideration, I have officially called off my grudge against DC Comics.

This does not mean an automatic "A+" for upcoming reviews of "Booster Gold," however. And if I see another panel of Wonder Woman serving coffee to the Justice League, I'm probably going to point it out.

10) And geez...the outpouring of support you all have given me on this blog...

You all rock. A blog is as only as good as its readers.

best,
Val

Fangirl Fridays: The "Soho Surprise" Edition

What a day yesterday! First, I go to my local comic book store to pick up my weekly comics. The new Peter David "She-Hulk" is totally sold out except for one copy in a bag and board for $15.00.

So then I hop across town to attend the Dan Slott/Peter David signing at Jim Hanley's Universe. The signing is significant in that it's basically Slott "handing over the keys to the kingdom" to David on "She-Hulk." The place is mobbed and, much as I suspected, there was a surplus of extra "She-Hulk" in stock.

On my way to the signing line, I run into "Reagan: A Graphic Biography" writer Andy Helfer. I used to work w/Andy at DC, and we were yakking it up. Then I caught Dan Slott's eye and we were waving to each other across the store.

I also worked with Slott at DC, specifically on a book called "Arkham Asylum: Living Hell." I always considered "Living Hell" a significant Dan Slott comic because I think it was the first to really bridge that gap between his prolific work on stuff like "Looney Tunes" and "Batman Adventures" and the more adult/mainstream work he does for Marvel, like "Avengers: The Initiative" and, coming soon, "Amazing Spider-Man."

I grab an issue of "She Hulk" and jump on the signing line. The guy ahead of me has what looks like a professional "kit" filled with toys, comics, and other memorabilia to sign. He is holding a "Sandman" Mego-like doll in his hand.

"Is that from the movie," I ask.

"No, this came out earlier."

Is he really going to have Slott/David sign all of this, I wonder. But he was gracious and let me cut ahead of him on the line.

Chatted with Slott & David. David said he had read my blog, which was flattering.

David said, "Dan Slott says that my new run will be Shulkarific -- and I couldn't agree more."

Slott commented on the furor over "continuity porn" in comics and wondered if we can just have elements of continuity AND not getting caught up in it. Can't we just have balance?

I took a picture with the two and left the table. I realized that in all our yakking, I never did get that issue of "She-Hulk" signed by Peter David. So I just grabbed one off the "impulse rack" and just bought it.

Next, I had to visit the ER with my BF because he hurt a tooth. It wasn't serious, but it needed to be addressed that night if possible. Then I ran all the way across town again for this women-in-comics meetup. I had an awesome time, and met many talented people. My BF met up with me there, and then we headed out...

And now comes out "Soho Surprise." (did I mention yesterday was a full moon?)

We took a wrong turn somewhere around Albuquerque and ended up in the ass-end of Soho. I mean, we didn't know WHERE the hell we were. No subway trains. Every person we ran into gave us different directions. We used a skyscraper as a landmark, incorrectly thinking it was the Empire State Building. It was actually something in the opposite direction. Or across the water.

We were walking for an hour-and-a-half. It was like something out of the Blair Witch Project.

Finally we made it home. A valiant attempt was made to read our comics, but we soon passed out. Snore.

On a different note -- I have a rather biggish thing relating to me and comics that I've been keeping from y'all for the last several weeks. I'm so excited about it that I'm just about to have kittens. The official announcement will happen in a few days, but I'm just giving you a heads-up.

News at eleven. Have an awesome weekend, all!