I am so sick of event comics, but this ...

Well, here we go again. Marvel's next great earth-shattering event is "Secret Invasion." Apparently, the company's long-time bad guy aliens, the shape-shifting Skrulls, are planning to invade Earth. I dunno if I'll buy the series.

However, Marvel has produced a really cool new "webisode" to promote the comics. What a way to advertise a comic, by using an animated short. It sure builds up the excitement and piques my interest.

Now, if only the series is worth reading. Lately, these events have left me either yawning, not caring or just plain not reading.

For the record: I read Marvel's "Secret War," and "Civil War," and all of DC's "Crisis" comics, as well as all of the weekly "52" series. I stopped in the middle of DC's "Countdown." I just had no interest. I didn't even try "World War Hulk." They all seem to have too many characters and too big a scope. I'd just as soon read a well-told smaller scale story. I am having trouble relating to villains who are going to destroy the omniverse.

Here we go with some ridiculous MAD Fold-Ins

Mark Evanier linked to this, from the New York Times. I think it's pretty cool: Al Jaffee's Fold-Ins for Mad Magazine, from the 1960s to the present, in interactive form. Have fun!

A little bit of comics history

Hopefully, I am not overdoing the New Yorker links.

Two stories from the New Yorker

I have not regularly read "The New Yorker" for a long time. I think I may have to change that.

Here and here are two really good stories I found in the latest edition (errr, on the latest edition of the magazine's Web site.)

The first tells us that pennies may someday go the way of the dodo, but not for a while yet. The second tells us the same thing about newspapers.

There's something to think about in this sad story

But, for what it's worth, this story really made me think, moreso than most of news stories I read. Here's the headline and the gist of the story.

When a baby is destined to die
Perinatal hospices support families with a terminal prenatal diagnosis
Studies don't specifically track how many families in the United States choose to continue the pregnancy after receiving a terminal prenatal diagnosis, but in Shoonveld's experience only between 10 percent and 20 percent of families go on with the pregnancy after hearing the devastating news.

The article talks about one family that gave birth to the baby, knowing it would only live a short time. Here's the part I found the most moving:

But for some, the pregnancy feels precious because it may be the only time they’ll get to be with that child, says Schoonveld. “I think most people who have continued want to experience as much time with the baby as possible and want to hopefully meet the baby.”

So many people would have a knee-jerk reaction to ask why even have the baby at all. Isn't it more noble, not to mention more caring and more altruistic, to want to meet and know the baby, even for a short time? Even if the baby doesn't really know what's going on, at least for a few days or hours or minutes he can be held and loved and introduced to the world.

If nothing else, this is some small triumph over death: That one person would not pass away needlessly unknown.

Mid-Ohio Con is back!

Here's the link. It looks like someone bought it from it's old promoter, but it will be in October instead of November. I will miss the post-Thanksgiving weekend fun, but hey, as long as I can still go ...

Yet another Paul and Storm song

Here's another song by Paul and Storm to amuse and entertain you, since I have not been blogging much the last few days. Remember to click on the "play" icon at the top of the page.

Usagi Yojimbo preview

You'll have to look a little bit to see the inside pages, but here's a preview of the new issue of Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo," to be released March 26. Click on the "next page" like to go through the preview pages.

I'd love to go through a huge diatribe about how great the comic is, but I have done it elsewhere and I doubt I can't say anything but this: I have almost every issue of Usagi Yojimbo, and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Speaking of Usagi, here's one of my all-time favorite comic book covers of all time. I love the way the reflection shows the action. You have to look at the cover for a little while to really see what's going on, but the use of color and the use of that offset 45 degree angle holds your interest to make you keep looking until you see what's going on. It's a clever concept for a cover drawing, and Tom Luth's color really pulls it together.

It's hard to believe I have been reading this comic since May, 1995. It doesn't seem that long.

I have been light on the blogging lately

I just can't think of anything particularly interesting to say. Or type. Or something.

Another Paul and Storm song

He-he.

Serial cereal blogging

Tomorrow, i shall eat my last bowl of "Captain Crunch." Next up: "Frosted Mini Wheats." Or, "Golden Grahams." Hmmm.

Flash poll: pick my next cereal. Just post a reply, and whichever has the most by Thursday morning, I shall open and eat.

Who says personal blogs don't have any true social relevance?

Another Paul and Storm song

I have never heard anyone beat a joke to death with such utter glee than in this song, "The Captain's Wife's Lament." Have fun!

Another new issue of Dark Horse Presents appears

I don't mean to do too many links, but I'll try to post links to new issues of DHP as they appear on the MySpace site.

The new issue has a BPRD story by John Arcudi and Guy Davis, whose work on the regular BPRD book is always outstanding. (BPRD is the group of characters associated with Hellboy, not usually including Hellboy.)

This looks interesting

Kingdom of Loathing.com

I found this listed as a cool link on Paul and Storm's Web site. It looks like it could be amusing. Anybody know anything about it?

Serial cereal blogging

Don't you hate it when you tear a whole in the corner of the plastic bag inside the cereal box just below where it should pour out and little cereal bits fall back into the box?

Remember "Galaxy High?"

From Wikipedia:
"Galaxy High is an American animated series that premiered on September 13, 1986 on CBS and ran for 13 episodes until December 6, 1986. The series was created by movie director Chris Columbus and featured music and a theme song composed by Eagles member Don Felder. Galaxy High was about two earth teenagers who were accepted into the interstellar high school, Galaxy High School on the asteroid Flutor. The teenage boy, Doyle, was a skilled athlete and popular back at his Earth high school while the teenage girl Aimee was shy and as the theme song states, "the smartest girl in school, not very popular, not very cool." But once in space their roles are somewhat reversed. The alien teenagers seem to accept the not so popular Aimee, while Doyle tends to rub the aliens the wrong way. Although Doyle finds himself an outcast and having difficulties adjusting, Aimee does not abandon him, and suggests he can make friends and bring glory to Galaxy High through his excellent sporting abilities. The show drops many hints of a budding romance between Doyle and Aimee but was never given time to grow due to the show not being renewed for a second season."

I used to really enjoy this show when I was in high school. When I watched this episode, I was surprised at how few of the characters were familiar. I remember liking the character design as well as the stories and personalities they had, so I am surprised at how little I recall. I remember Aimee and also the guy with the "Earth Stinks" t-shirt, but that's about it.

Wikipedia also tells us that John Kricfalusi (of Ren and Stimpy fame) was a character designer on the show.

I also remember the episodes aired sporadically, and I was always mad when they skipped a week. I couldn't find why it got canceled, though. There's also lots of other related info on the Web, so you may browse on your own.

At any rate, there's plenty more Galaxy High stuff on YouTube to look at, if you are so inclined.
Here's an episode to get you started. DVDs are available at Amazon.com.