making things

it's a saturday. i'm killing time with podcasts (the voice of wil wheaton talks to me even now), i listen with half a ear. multitasking like a boss. soon i will do laundry. and hopefully work out (there is every chance that i wont, because laziness). and bathe. and go see a movie.

but here i am thinking about creating. which is basically what wil's all about. just getting podcast episodes out. not worrying about them being perfect. which is what i'm trying with making comics and generally writing/drawing more. and it's all because of podcasts. i listen to a whole bunch of makers: kevin smith, adam savage (still untitled), the nerdist writer's panel, wil... they make, i make. good motivation. pushes the critical voice way back. or far back enough that i can unfreeze and get out the thing that is struggling to get out of me without just cringing into the mental hole that i've dug for myself. i have also stopped showing my stuff to as many people though... because criticism is a thing i don't feel ready for. one negative thing and it's that much harder to put pencil to paper, word to key. got to keep moving. because, really, i make - for me. and only me. it matters that "i" like it and i get something out of the act of making. this seems fear based, i know. and it is, i guess. but i also know i'd rather be making than not. and if this is the way it works right now, i shouldn't stress myself out about it. but that being said - have a looksie:

stupid stereotypes are stupid

Read a couple books in succession where some characters judged other characters based on them reading comic books ie. they must be stupid. this makes me so mad. because by no means are these authors complete idiots. i read their books. i also read comics. it's an irritating idea. the mere existence of the words "graphic novel" pain me.

in other news today i listened to ben blacker talk to kelly sue deconnick on the nerdist writers panel. totes amazing. she's an only child (like me) and used to read the 3 investigators books (also like me :)). unlike me, one of her favourite writers is bendis. tried him... wasn't convinced. might give him another shot now. or just read more deconnick :D

bought this swords of cerebus volume (no. 5) from blossoms ages ago and finally got around to reading it today and boy was it good. i (am falling in) love (with) dave sim. the man can do it all. it is just so weird and wonderful. had me hooked from the line "SHOW YOUR EMACIATED FACE PEASANT... I AM CEREBUS THE AARDVARK! AND I WISH TO BUY YOUR CRUMBLING HOVEL!..."

i love how comics (sometimes) come with a look into where the writers/artists were when they wrote them. a glimpse into the inner workings. or just responses to letters to the editor. i love it all. you never get that with regular fiction. at the most there's a literary interview type thing that follows... not at all the same as knowing what music they were listening to.. or what was going in their lives at the time. fascinating.

front

back

beautiful front and back cover by barry windsor-smith who i really must look into now.
there's always more to be discovered in this wonderful world of comics.
as eric foreman would say: yes. yes.

the cracked vessel

it's easy to define yourself through the things you like. get attached to the idea of yourself of a fan of this of that to the point of confusion when someone else dislikes that very same thing, it feels like they suddenly like you a little less...

...i was re-reading paper towns and this time it seemed like john green was a touch heavy handed with the "imagine people complexly" theme. this is the recurring thing that seems to be on the mind of every single character... but it's important. it needs to be said. you are you and however much you imagine yourself into the way someone else sees something, you'll always see it from the severely tunnel visioned vision of the universe according to you. but it seems like you're doing it. like you can actually see the other person. but that in most cases is a lovely illusion.

i do like the book. as a study of friendships, it rules. q and lacey is a beautiful thing. more so than lacey and ben (the couple) q and lacey being the people who are most into finding margo. but also just the people who can comfortably sit together in a bathtub in a completely friendish way. he likes her kind of drunk. she likes that he calls/can call her "lace".

are we friends because we watch the same things? no. but we may be friends because we watch different things but like them for the same reasons. my favourite book is millions of other peoples' favourite book but not for the same exact specific reason why i adore it. it's just a book. but the way i see it is what matters.

yesterday a friend was talking about how her ex's favourite movie was a dance flick and that that should've been a sign that he was shady. but i like dance flicks just fine. i wouldn't say my favourite. but goddamn if step up 2 isn't perfect. that rehearsal scene where andie puts a crew together with all the msa rejects - oh my! the joy of dancing ("Like electricity. Yeah, like electricity."). i like billy elliot for some of the same reasons. also jamie bell and miners' strike reasons.

bee-tee-dubs on a fangirling note. paper towns movie! with nat wolff! aw yis. he should be all the john green characters :D

Interstellar: A Review (IT’S ALL SPOILERS FROM HERE)

Let’s get the few good things I have to say about it out of the way right now. The way those robots looked and moved was pretty cool and they had pretty neat personalities as well. I’d be friends with CASE or TARS easy! I guess the Cooper station or whatever at the end was cool with the bent perspective and all. The End.

What I hated about INTERSTELLAR:
The biggest thing - who are these people? They all seemed so generic. Like stand in people before Joss Whedon came in and gave them personalities, made them breathe, live real lives.

Let’s take Topher Grace. What do we know about Topher other than the fact that he’s a doctor? And he’s Murph’s friend. Pretty much nothing. So she kissed him that one time… what happened next? No fucking idea. Why do I care about Topher you ask? He’s just a minor character!

Well… let’s move on to Murph, you might say she’s the most major character there is. What we know: she’s a genius, disgruntled daughter, crappy sister… but why is she this? I couldn’t say at all. Why do her and Casey Affleck have the shittiest relationship ever? Why doesn’t he stab her in the eyes after she burns down his crops to manipulate him into doing what she wants him to do? How does she have oodles of loving relatives at her death bed? What do they even like about her? So she saved the human race. So fucking what! She’s awful. Just tell your brother he killed his son, why don’t cha… and it’ll be awesome afterward #sarcasm! The movie ignores all of these things to make this larger point about humanity and human behaviour and love. But who in this movie behaves even remotely human? Human beings are petty. We get caught up in the little things. She should be so clingy when she has her father back at the end… make him stay and watch you die for all the times that he missed! What is wrong with you.. sending him away. Maybe he wants to meet his decendants? Who did Murph marry? Any questions for your dear ol’ daughter dad?

Let’s talk about Mr. Dad. He’s not even the “hollywood cliche super-dad” dad… that dad is Dennis Quaid in the Parent Trap.. or George Clooney in One Fine Day.. or Ethan Hawke in Before Midnight.. Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.. Bill Paxton in Twister (he may not have kids yet, but man is he going be great) ..dads who would rather die than miss the moments. He’s meant to be mr. loving father… but all he does is leave. Even when he’s back, he leaves. So willing and agreeable. Why didn’t he really think about what time and relativity meant? That argument of we knew the theory, but in practice… “shit seven years! I never thought of it that way” —Really man? Really?? You’re just realising this now? W000 Science! They're about as crappy as the scientists in Prometheus. 2 regular nerds in a comic book store have thought more about how this scenario would play out than you have.

And Anne Hathaway *headdesk* what was that bogus speech about the power of love? Who the fuck is Wolf Edmunds or whatever his name was? How can we care that you might not ever see the love of your life ever again when we've just heard about him in this scene. For some of the movie I wondered if there was something between her and Wes Bentley. But no, sadly, Wes too is an emotionless robot. So is single black guy - only included for diversity. While Matt Damon is playing the role of token villain - Mr. I-must-survive at all cost. How are these people so unattached? He has no family. Okay, I can buy that. But.. no friends too? Psychopath alert much? What is he surviving for? The mission? No. Just to be alone and alive? Castaway style?

For much of the last half of the movie I was thinking of Cloverfield… where all it takes is the first 10 minutes of those guys at the party for you to know everything you need to know about them. And then you’re in. You give a shit whether they live or die. It all matters.


Here… the science might be spot on. I’ll give it that. But all the moments I felt nothing (where normally i’d be bawling like a crazy person):

• Murph realises her father is the “ghost”
• Hathaway realises she’s never seeing Wolf again
• Topher gets kissed
• Cooper sees old Murph

Highlight of the movie was when TARS tells a knock-knock joke. That was real.

Basically this was a movie that was more thought experiment than based in reality. It was Nolan-like in the way that he used those prisoners on 2 boats choosing not to blow each other up. In real life those people would be way more of a mess and having panic attacks and crying. Calmly behaving like they know they’re in a thought experiment? Not!

Maybe i’ve watched too much Kevin Smith but the getting high and zenning out of the situation seems called for when faced by daily dust storms and death by lung cancer. Bring on the cigarettes i say, speed it up and party on out. Rage against the dying of the light with the most epic rager you ever saw. Like the end of Cabin in the Woods. Now that’s a party. Why's everyone all about saving the human race anyway?


Movies I’d rather watch:
• Twister
• Safety Not Guaranteed
• Apollo 13
• Cloverfield
• Moon
• Serenity

• Gattaca

Richard Marx and Matt Scannell cover Tom Jones

i dig that these guys are friends ;')